05.09.10 — Mothers of Invention



Sunday, May 9, 2010 — Mother’s Day 

MS. CONCEPTIONS, Puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski, edited by Will Shortz

A note accompanying this Sunday’s crossword reads, “When this puzzle is done, a bonus message will appear in the circled boxes reading from top to bottom.”H A P P Y M O T H E R S D A Y !

MOTHERS OF INVENTION (104A. Rock group whose name is an appropriate alternative title for this puzzle), along with the following across entry/clues, are the interrelated group of this inventive Mother’s Day crossword:


Other — ANDANTINO (94A. Slightly faster than moderately slow), FRONT DOORS (125A. Entry-level carpentry jobs?), GIANT PANDA (20A. Washington zoo attraction), HAND-SET (14D. Telephone part), SCRIMMAGE (77A. Practice game), IN ITALICS (44A. Like slanted type), MADE A MINT (60A. Really prospered), TORE OFF (95D. Removed with force).

Six-letter — ADRIAN (57. Rocky’s love), ADULTS, ALLIED, ANACIN, ARIOSE (59A. Songlike); ASSUCH, AVIATE, DISNEY, EARTHA (86A. Singer Kitt), ENCODE, OBAMAS (113A.First family starting in 2009), ONMEDS and ONSITE, OTTERS, SERAPE, TROUTS.

Five — ALLIED, ANZIO, ATPAR, BADAT, EARNS, EMBAR, EMOTE, ENTRY, GHENT, GOURD, HALEN, IMARI, INURE, LEGER (17. “La Grande Parade” artist Fernand), LEONI (87A. Actress Téa), MADAM Speaker, MATTE, NADAL, OBESE, OVOID, OXEYE, PALTZ, PENNE, SCUSI, SILEX, THANE, TILDE (106D. What appears above a piñata?), TINCT, USRDA, VROOM, ZILCH (5D. Zippo).

Short stuff — ABRA, ADA, AHA and ALA, AFR, AGO and ASO, AMCS and AMOS, ANN, APER, APRIA, ARTS, BRIM, CASA, CDC, CHEN and CHEX, DAME (32D. Agatha Christie title), DIOR, ECON, EDEN, ENL and ENS, ERIN, ESE (123D. Needle point?), ETH, FAA, FIBS, GIE, IAMS, IDEN, IDOS, IMP, IMRE, INSO, IRT, ITIN, KOO, KFS, LABS, LAIR, LALA, LSAT, MAW, MEIR (30D. “Golda‘s Balcony“ subject), MILT, MRI, MUGS, NBA, NCR, NEVA, NIM, NOIF, OVAL, PICA, QUOD, RANI, RAS, READ and ROAD, REN, RLS, SEXY, SOB, STEW, STLO, SUA, TAP, TIDE, UAR, ULNA, URI, WINS, YAR, YEAH, ZAP (8D. Microwave), not ZAPPA, as in...




Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

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Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. New ___, N.Y.; 6. W.W. II beachhead south of Rome; 11. “Amen!”; 15. Battle of Normandy site; 19. Japanese porcelain; 22. Squares for breakfast; 26. In that capacity; 27. Stimpy’s pal; 28. ___ World; 36. Kissers; 39. River of St. Petersburg; 40. Mexican wrap; 41. Active Japanese volcano; 42. Pet food brand; 56. Having no talent for; 58. It’s south of Eur.; 68. Block; 70. 2008 Wimbledon champ; 83. Chaperons, typically; 84. ___ king; 96. Ramblers and Hornets; 97. Cape ___; 98. Like some companies’ day care facilities; 101. Pike, e.g.; 103. Music and dance, e.g.; 111. Fly; 112. Money machine co.; 124. Lunar effect; 126. Proctor ___ (small appliance brand); 127. Shangri-la; 128. Twists the truth; 129. Act badly?; 130. Journal jotting. DOWN: 1. Common type; 2. Old Testament prophet; 3. Bell ___; 4. Whitlings, e.g.; 6. Before now; 7. Pilfer, old-style; 8. Microwave; 9. Accustom; 10. Frolickers by a stream; 11. Yevtushenko’s “Babi ___”; 12. Copy ctr. Blowup; 13. Lead role in “The Piano”; 15. “Pardon me, Arthur …”; 16. Banquo, e.g.; 18. Yellow-and-white flower; 21. Tubular pasta; 24. Julie of “The Early Show”; 25. Joe and Jane; 31. Roundish; 33. Sombrero part; 34. Eastern princess; 35. Where Polynesian Airlines is based; 36. ___ Speaker; 37. F.D.A. guideline; 38. Primitive percussion instrument; 43. “Don Giovanni” aria “Dalla ___ pace”; 45. Start of a spell; 46. Home in the woods; 47. Bride and groom exchange; 48. Jorge’s house; 49. Crock pot dinner; 51. Donate, to Burns; 52. LAX watchdog; 53. Popping pills; 54. Letters on a bucket; 55. Celtic land; 59. On the same side; 61. Little rascal; 62. Court grp.; 63. Beer source; 65. Dorm V.I.P.’s; 66. Public health agcy.; 67. Former Mideast inits.; 69. Interpret; 71. Refrain syllables; 72. Esquire in “Henry VI, Part 2”; 73. “Eris ___ sum” (“You will be what I am”); 74. Forearm part; 75. “Put ___ writing!”; 76. Literary inits.; 78. Gaping mouth; 79. Brief look inside?; 80. Stock phrase; 81. War of 1812 treaty site; 82. Takes in; 85. “Brilliant!”; 88. First part of a record; 89. Preceder of many words?; 90. “There is ___ …” (song by the Cure); 91. Hungarian patriot Nagy; 92. Coll. Major; 93. Future atty.’s challenge; 95. Removed with force; 99. Add a hint of color to; 100. Make secret; 102. Midnight Poison maker; 103. Relief pitcher?; 104. Having a dull surface; 105. Egglike; 1076. Rock’s Van ___; 108. Land in East 58-Across: Abbr.; 109. Drag race sound; 110. Like many a sumo wrestler; 114. Jazz vibraphonist Jackson; 115. Impressionist; 116. Like a hottie; 118. Swiss canton; 119. Have a good cry; 120. Nav. Rank; 121. “Koochie-___!”; 122. Subway line to Columbia U.

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