06.27.07 -- Man

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Click here for LARGE PRINT.
Puzzle by Barbara Olson, edited by Will Shortz
Five inter-related entries MIDDLEMAN (34A Go-between, and a clue to 17-, 24-, 49- and 57-Across) along with SALAMANDERS (17A Newts and such), DISMANTLE (24A Take apart), PERMANENT (49A Salon job), and KILIMANJARO (57A Locale of Uhuru Peak) provide very little bonus in the course of solving this nice little Wednesday puzzle.
Bracketed by BASSETS (1D Stout-legged hounds) upper left and SEADOGS (43D Old salts) lower right, the grid is filled with delight and dementia.
ORACLES (2D Sources of wisdom), AHAB (5D Ill-fated captain), SON (6D Trinity member), STPAULS (37D Wren's cathedral) STRAD (37A Prized violin, briefly), THEMES (44A School papers), and OLIVIA (60A Lover of Cesario, in "Twelfth Night") provide fodder for TAS (41A Univ. staffers).
PORTA (52A ____ Potti), SNAILS (45D Garden pests), SCARABS (20A Nocturnal beetle), CONJOBS (48D Swindler's work) and SPAM (40A Canned fare since 1937) -- SSS (29A Deflating sound). OOP (16A Alley ____), ITT (19A "The Addams Family" cousin) and MIDDLEMAN provide comic relief.
TRESS (8D Long lock) brings to mind Rapunzel while SPUN (47D Worked like Rumpelstiltskin) and BAAS (55D Lambs' laments) POINTTO (Indicate, in a way) the NAIVE (51D Dewey-eyed) of HEART (32D Soul mate?) of childhood. Food fare includes ECLAIRS (3D Bakery treats), TARTARE (41D Rarer than rare), ONION (22D Something to cry over?), SPAM and SNAILS -- HOORAH (15A "Yippee!").
I'm all ASEA (53A Totally confused), but this puzzle hits THESPOT (38D X marks it)!
Illustrations: Top: Evolution of Man -- 34A with 17A, 24A, 49A and 57A. First row -- 43D, 37D, 37A; second 19A, 34A, 16A; third 8D, 55D, 47D; and pictured directly above, 57A.
------------------
For today's cartoon, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
Puzzle available on the internet at
If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

/test

Anonymous said...

As I confessed to Linda G, I'm a blithering idiot!

Til next time,
Jo

Anonymous said...

NICE fairy tale triptych! Well, shoot, I guess I can't really call it that, since Mary and her Little Lamb are more in the Mother Goose (nursery rhyme) category than the Brothers Grimm (fairy tale) category. I had a little chuckle when I saw that both you and Linda pointed out the BASSET/SEADOG pair, as bassets are the very last breed of dog I could imagine being able to float or swim! Please pardon if it's too personal a question, but is that U on Uhuru?

DONALD said...

jo

So glad that it's o.k. -- I'd thought maybe it was my settings, so I was concerned. Thanks!

DONALD said...

I wish sometimes it was me on Uhuru! What adventure to climb the Kilimanjaro! The closest I've ever gotten to mountain climbing was a theater association, the late Robert Irving who was conductor for NYC Ballet and Martha Graham -- his father climbed Mount Everest, when it was a near impossible feat!

Hair, wool and spun gold would make quite a wrap!

Bassetts and seadogs sound alike when the seadog is on a bender!