12.20.09 -- a little information...



Information booth at Grand Central Station, New York City

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

INSIDE DOPE, Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld, edited by Will Shortz

INFO -- the title of this crossword, or any Times Sunday crossword, is a clue to the tie-in of the interrelated group. Reading INSIDE DOPE, before, during and after the solve, I drew a complete blank as to the inside dope -- well, its INFO! …well-hidden INFO!

RAIN FOREST (23A. It has a large canopy); PLAIN FOLKS (25A. Average Joes); MCCAIN FOLLOWERS (35A. Republicans in 2008); NAPKIN FOLDING (55A. Busboy’s assignment); REGAIN FOOTING (78A. Stop a trip?); TOP SPIN FOREHAND (96A. Rafael Nadal specialty); BARGAIN FOR (112A. Expect, everything considered); JOIN FORCES (114A. Unite).

Other entries of length: ALL DONE (34A. “Finished!”); EGOCENTRIC (71D. Having I trouble?); HANDSAWS (4D. Shop tools); HELLO AGAIN (16D. “Oh, you’re back”); IDEOLOGY (7D. Communism, for one); LASAGNA (90D. Trattoria offering); OKEY DOKEY (74A. “You bet”); PRIOR TO (61D. Before); REDNECK (39D. Frequent Borat target); REFRAINS (108A. “Fa la la la la la la la la” and others); REHEARSE (88D. Run through); SMOLDER (15D. Barely contain one’s anger; STOVEPIPE (59A. Lincoln trademark); TIED INTO (27A. Connected with); and the two-entry SENATE/SEATS (104A. With 40-Across, some Election day prizes).


Six-letter -- ASKANT, CLAW AT, DALLAS, EKBERG (43A. Mastroianni’s co-star in “La Dolce Vita”), ILL USE, IRON-ON, MASSES, MON AMI, OGDENS, ONE NIL, PAGODA, RAFFLE, SCUBAS, SHORED, SLOANE, SORT OF, STOOLS, TOP ROW, UNTAME.

Five -- ABOIL, AGORA and AROMA, ASK OF, BREST, CAIRO, CHART, CONAN, DAYAN, EATEN, ELROY, ERNIE, FALSE, FIT IN, FLATT, INTER, ISIAH, KRONA, LEADS, LENDL, MEADE, MERLE, MSDOS, ODIST, OLIVE, PATTI, REIMS, RENEE, RETRO, RODEO, SCRUM, SHAWN, SMEAR, SO DO I, STRAD, TIDAL, VENTI, YESED.

Four -- ABIE, AFAR, AIDE, AJAM, ALAI, ALBA, AMIN, ATIE, CHOP, DAIS, DEPT, DIAM, ENTS, GO UP, HOTS, ICON, IMIT, LUNA, NEWT and NYET, NOT I, OEDS, PITY, ROTS, SHAM, SICA, SKIS, SOWN, SPAR, SSNS, STEN, VISA, WAAH, WART.

Three -- AAA and AHA, AES, AGE, ANI, AVI, BRO, DES, HOS, MOO, NEW and NET, OBE, ORR, OXO, PTS, RAE, REX, NET, VET.

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THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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Remaining clues -- Across: Crib cry; 5. N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer Thomas; 10. Like some waves; 15. Pillow cover; 19. Jessica of “Fantastic Four”; 20. Where to go for the big bucks?; 21. Item on a toothpick; 22. La ___, Calif.; 28. Rugby action; 30. Where 7-Eleven is headquartered; 31. Counter view?; 33. Christmas sounds; 41. William ___, longtime editor of The New Yorker; 42. Increase; 45. V.I.P. locale; 46. Six-Day War hero; 48. “Me too”; 50. Battery option; 53. Bruin great; 54. Lab inspector?; 62. One who might be left holding the bag?; 63. Sesame Street resident; 64. Lay to rest; 65. N, E, W and S; 66. Title role for Arnold Schwarzenegger; 69. French seaport; 72. Not orig.; 82. Avenue ___ Champs-Elysees; 83. Charlotte of “Diff’rent Strokes” 84. Big name in kitchen utensils; 85. Boy’s name that means “the king”; 86. Horace, e.g.; 88. Goes to hell; 89. Attack, bear-style; 92. British gun; 93. ___ Vivien, British poet known as the Muse of the Violets; 94. Makeup boo-boo; 103. “Gotcha!”; 105. Wild; 106. Lead-in to phobia; 116. Whitaker’s Oscar-winning role; 117. Army of the Potomac commander during the Civil War; 118. Seething; 119. Put in the ground, in a way; 120. Director Vittorio De ___; 121. Prize for Paganini; 122. Country singer Travis; 123. Tolkien tree creatures. Down: 1. Target of salicylic acid; 2. Jai ___; 3. Title fellow in a 1922 Broadway hit; 5. Like some transfers; 8. In a way; 5. Two-time loser to D.D.E.; 9. Intense attraction, with “the”; 10. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. on a standard keyboard; 11. Mistreatment; 12. Geom. Measure; 13. Prefix with fauna; 14. Three-time U.S. Open champion; 24. Belong; 26. Like some starts; 29. Dice; 34. Request from; 32D. Everett of “Citizen Kane”; 35. Windows precursor; 36. Patient record; 37. Home of the mask of King Tutankhamen; 38. Old Coney Island’s ___ Park; 44. Library section, for short; 46. State, e.g.: Abbr.; 47. Play to ___ 48. Takes to the hills?; 49. Meteor trailer?; 51. “Wheel of Fortune” request; 52. Obituary datum; 54. 20-ounce coffee size; 56. Page of music; 57. Does Rudolph’s job; 58. 1962 film set partly on Crab Key; 60. Discover alternative; 65 “A woman’s ___ often opens the door to love”: Henry Ward Beecher; 67. Lib. References; 68. Dmitri’s denial; 69. Good pal; 70 Reagan White House dog; 73. Jersey call; 74. Nash and others; 75. Money in Malmo; 76. Put away; 77. Was sycophantic to; 79. Just out; 80. Scruggs’s partner in bluegrass; 81. “Don’t look at me!”; 91. Kitchen draw; 92. Lock horns (with); 93. Back in; 94. Explores with a tank; 95. French term of address; 97. Taoists’ locale; 98. Held (up); 99. Low soccer score; 100. Fund-raising option; 102. Old French coronation city; 106. Miles off; 107. Stuck, after “in”; 109. Che Guevara, e.g.; 110. House speaker between Tom and Dennis; 111. Some employment records: Abbr.; 113. It’s not gross; 115. U.K. award.

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