Sunday

SUNDAY, february 03, 2008
matt ginsberg / will shortz

just follow directions

ny times online premium crossword puzzle
















difficulty factor: there were a few brief moments with this where i was not very well-behaved.


theme: it really couldn't be any simpler... as the title says... JUST FOLLOW DIRECTIONS...

11A UPSIDE (DOWN) CAKES
29A PICKED (UP) SPEED
83A EASE ON (DOWN) THE ROAD
109A SETTING (UP) SHOP
113A STAND (UP) COMIC
34D TWO (LEFT) FEET

35D ALL (RIGHT) ALREADY
41D EXTREME (RIGHT) WING
54D OUT IN (LEFT) FIELD


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in the "notes of record" category
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in the end, matt, the only thing i was remotely uneasy about was the lack of symmetry in the themed answers...


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in the "most googled" category
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13D Na2CO3 SODA ASH... will be right up there with... 64D disco term meaning "galore" -A-GO-GO


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in the "cool mutiple word answer" category
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5A totally accurate DEAD ON

11A pineapple desserts UPSIDE (DOWN) CAKE

22A 1974 mocedades hit ERES TU

23A careful consideration HARD LOOK

24A men's fashion accessories TIE CLIPS

26A cork shooter POP GUN

28A "biography" network A AND E

29A accelerated PICKED (UP) SPEED

30A threw off the scent MIS-LED

50A magneto's adversaries, in comic books X-MEN (the x-men were founded by the paraplegic telepath professor charles francis xavier [a.k.a. professor x]. the team's is a reference to the "'x' factor" - an unknown gene that causes mutant evolution. co-creator artist stan lee devised the series title after marvel comics publisher martin goodman turned down the initial name, "the mutants". in addition to this "official" explanation, the x-men are widely regarded, within the marvel universe, as well as by the readers of the series, to have been named after xavier himself... this is just not true! in uncanny x-men #309, lee - through character xavier - states that "the name 'x-men' was never intended to be a self-tribute)

67A become part of JOIN IN

81A repeated john gielgud role KING LEAR

83A popular song from broadway's "the wiz" EASE ON (DOWN) THE ROAD

103A 1997 jim carrey film LIAR LIAR

104A what a man and a woman become in marriage ONE FLESH

109A establishing a business SETTING (UP) SHOP

112A mary tyler moore co-star ED ASNER

113A seinfeld, for one STAND (UP) COMIC

1D sainted pope of a.d. 683 LEO II

10D mathematical sequence of unknown length N-TUPLE

13D Na2CO3 SODA ASH (sodium carbonate)

34D bad dancer's handicap TWO (LEFT) FEET

35D "enough!" ALL (RIGHT) ALREADY!

41D reactionary EXTREME (RIGHT) WING

54D quite wrong OUT IN (LEFT) FIELD

64D disco term meaning "galore" -A-GO-GO

69D "_____ angel,"1933 film "I'M NO..."


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in the "abbreviations, truncations, etc." category
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28A "biography" network A AND E (arts and entertainment)

32A canonized mlle. STE. (sainte)

34A third word of "america" 'TIS (my country 'tis of thee...)

35A blue devils' and tigers' org. A.C.C. (college's.... atlamtic coast conference)

86A titanic message SOS (in international morse code, three dits [dots] form the letter 's', and three dahs [dashes] are the letter 'o'. 'sos' is the commonly used description for the international morse code distress signal (..._ _ _ ...), however, 'sos' is only part of the signal. used properly, the distress signal actually consists of a continuous sequence of three-dits/three-dahs/three-dits, all run together without letter or word spacing. so... does it mean... "save our ship" or "save our souls" or "save our seafarers"? worldwide, it is mostly commonly known by "save our souls"... but... these are all "backronyms" - phrases coined long after the initial development of the device or operation in question)

101A prefix with -zoic PALEO- (greek, very old; prehistoric, or primitive)

7D hydrocarbon suffix -ANE

10D mathematical sequence of unknown length N-TUPLE ('n' being "any possible, as of yet unknown" number)

18D u.r.l lead-in H.T.T.P. (hyper-text transfer protocol)

27D neighbor of switz. GER. (germany)

43D hero maker DELI (delicatessen)

61D geom. figure CIR. (circle)

69D "_____ angel,"1933 film "I'M NO..."

92D imagine, informally S'POSE (suppose)

102D relig. title MSGR. (monsignor)

105D anchorage-to-fairbanks dir. E.N.E. (east northeast... hmmm.. 58pacer [in "comments" below] and google maps both have a problem with this answer... they seem to agree that the direction is N.N.E.!)

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in the "other" category
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i'm takin' the rest of t'day... and most of monday off...


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in the "damn-brand-new-t'-me" category
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42D flower also called a naked lady AMARYLLIS


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in the "your mileage may vary" category
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deterge? such an archaic medical reference in a sunday puzzle... who knew? be honest...


keep on keepin' on...

dann
all elements of the puzzle (grid layout, clues, and answers), NYT, NY Times, and The New York Times logo are ©2008 The New York Times
1. artist's digs, maybe 5. totally accurate11. pineapple desserts18. "_, gorgeous!" (fanny brice's comment to herself when looking in the mirror)19. one of wine's gallo brothers20. autobiographical short story by edgar allan poe21. marisa of "what women want"22. 1974 mocedades hit23. careful consideration24. men's fashion accessories 26. cork shooter28. "biography" network29. accelerated30. threw off the scent31. checklist?32. canonized mlle.33. more encouraging34. third word of "america"35. blue devils' and tigers' org. 38. contact lens solutions 40. they're better than one 45. elton's johns47. blind element48. stereotypical reaction to elvis50. magneto's adversaries, in comic books51. lugs53. spread in a spread55. -56. passe57. -59. classic toyota sports cars61. _ bradshaw, "sex and the city" role62. wynken, blynken and nod, e.g.63. turf, as opposed to surf64. dancer alvin65. malodorous67. become part of68. imp71. place to get dates?72. fronded plant73. fictional submariner75. civil rights march site, 196576. family77. -78. wise80. -81. repeated john gielgud role83. popular song from broadway's "the wiz"86. titanic message87. arctic diver88. runs90. eponymous german electrophysicist92. begets96. things on strings97. deterge101. prefix with -zoic102. sitcom title role for brandy norwood103. 1997 jim carrey film104. what a man and a woman become in marriage 106. two-wheeled covered carriage108. hops-drying kilns109. establishing a business110. hero of bellini's "i puritani"111. anticipate112. mary tyler moore co-star113. seinfeld, for one114. feast1. sainted pope of a.d. 6832. ancient mexican people3. evidence of dandruff4. facilities5. -6. slips7. hydrocarbon suffix8. execrate9. bone formation10. mathematical sequence of unknown length11. _ bator12. a pop13. na2c0314. dental filling15. literature's lorna16. lose little by little17. -18. u.r.l lead-in20. israeli p.m. olmert25. they may be funny or bright27. neighbor of switz.30. educator maria31. subatomic particle that is a nuclear binder33. mideast money34. bad dancer's handicap35. "enough!"36. collected37. mistress39. bridges in hollywood40. the "ten" in "hang ten"41. reactionary42. flower also called a naked lady43. hero maker44. old dirk 46. unblemished48. lineage49. failings52. breezes (through)54. quite wrong56. business position58. word before and after "after"60. cross product61. geom. figure64. disco term meaning "galore"65. punch66. french sudan, today67. raspberry69. "_ angel,"1933 film70. scratch sheet listings72. slams74. fannie _ (securities)77. jupiter or mars79. _ gay.w.w. ii bomber82. ointment ingredient83. subject of the book "last flight"84. setting for "driving miss daisy"85. -88. call, or call on89. turkish pooh-bahs91. lake _, third-largest lake in africa92. imagine, informally93. sectioned, as a window94. prince valiant's wife95. tapestry threads96. -97. -98. month before lyar99. "socrate" composer100. first, in frankfurt102. relig. title103. lady's man105. anchorage-to-fairbanks dir.107. great ball of fire

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dann, 105D Anchorage-to-Fairbanks dir. is actually NNE. This was more than just a sneaky and obtuse clue...it was absolutely wrong!

I feel cheated!

dann walsh said...

58pacer,

good for you! i didn't bother t' check this one out 'til y' brought it t' my attention! will, whaddya think?

dann

Anonymous said...

when are you coming back