12.10.07 -- ING

The grave of C. T. and Ada ING.
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Puzzle by Lynn Lempel, edited by Will Shortz
appears in the body (as opposed to the endING) of six inter-related entries in this back-to-work Monday puzzle -- SPRINGROLL (16A. Appetizer with sweet and sour sauce) (getting the answer first, I thought the clue would be White House Easter tradition); STINGRAY (26A. Deadly long-tailed fish) (that‘s the thing that killed Steve Irwin); SINGSONG (48A. Monotonous voice) (I‘d have preferred SING SING, but then I‘m strange); STRINGBEAN (63A. Gangly guy) (what about Olive Oyl?); SLINGSHOT (10D. Goliath’s undoing); and SWINGVOTE (33D. Make-or-break election bloc). Or just look at it as six inter-related rhyming words, SPRING, STING, SING, STRING, SLING, and SWING!
Love this SUNNY (21A. Cheerful) crossword, full of thINGs that HINTAT (5D. Merely suggest) an ARSENAL (14D. Weapons stash) of YESES (38D. Si and oui). The STORK (41A. Bird on birth announcement cards), DIVAS (56A. Beverly Sills and others), GEESE (51A. Birds flying in V’s) send us sINGING and soarING into SPACE (55D. Rocket’s realm).
People in the puzzle: Along with Beverly Sills, we have 1A. John WALSH, host of “America’s Most Wanted”; KEN (6A. “Jeopardy! whiz Jennings); DIAN (18A. Gorilla watcher Fossey); a HAG (19A. Frightful female); TOSCA (20A Puccini heroine); ELSA (31A. Schiaparelli of fashion); MEN (47A. All U.S. senators until 1922); AMOS (62A. “Famous” cookie maker); DANES (70A. Copenhageners, e.g.); KROC (6D. Ray who created the McDonald’s empire); Galileo and Goliath; STAN (11D. Baseball’s Musial); TSARS (23D. Romanov rulers); GREGG (27D. One of the Allman Brothers); the von Trapp family; SIS (43D. Bro’s sibling); a MORON (45D. Lamebrain); a TWEEN (54D. 11- or 12-year-old); a CREW (59D. Backstage bunch); and a SPY (63D. Mata Hari, for one). Read GREEN GENIUS on Mata Hari.
Places: AUSTRIA (40D. Home of the von Trapp family); PADUA (9D. City where Galileo taught); EDAM (31D. Dutch city with a cheese market); ARCH (14A. St. Louis landmark); SPA (28A. Where you might get into hot water?); LEA (39A. Meadow); ATMS (46A. S. & L. conveniences).
Other entries: Six-letter, ECLAIR, ROTATE, MESHES, TRUSTS, NUDGED and NESTLE, and ARISES. Five-letter, ERECT (69A Straight up), ATARI, IDTAG, DOWRY, SCROD, ATPAR, LARGO, GOTIT, STYES, and EASED (52D Lessened, as pain). Four-letter, PSST, ALTO, DATE, PLEA, AXED, WASH, TONY (12D. Broadway award), LORE, PERM, ASKS, DADA, IMAX, and ANTS. Three-letter, TAR, GUM, WPA, YEW, SRI, NHL, DAM, and BRA (64A. Top half of a bikini) (What?...for that strINGbean Olive Oyl?)!
O.K., let's get workING, ING!
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7D Custardy dessert; 22A Take turns; 35A Interlocks; 50D Prodded gently; 49D Get cozy; 42A Comes about; 53A Has confidence in; 13A ___ 2600 (classic fideo game console); 24A Dangler on a suitcase; 37A Bride’s bounty; 58A Young cod for dinner; 2D Even, on the leaderboard; 3D Slow, in symphonies; 17D “Oh, I see”; 21D Eyelid nuisances; 9D “Hey you!”; 65A Fruit from a palm; 66A “Don’t hurt me!,” e.g.; 68A Laid off, as workers; 1D Do the laundry; 32D Oral tradition; 29D Straight-to-curly transformation, informally; 30D Poses questions; 56D 120s art movement; 57D Giant-screen theater; 61D Tiny tunnelers; 34A Cigarette substance; 44A Wrigley’s product; 60A F.D.R. job-creating measure: Abbr.; 69A Wood in archery bows; 4D ___ Lanka; 8D Rink org.; 25D River blocker

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