01.09.11 — The Long and Short of IT



Sunday, January 9, 2011

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT, Puzzle by Patrick Berry, edited by Will Shortz

Long I and/or short I sounds; e.g., night and knit; whiteness and witness; slight and slit; lighter and litter; heights and hits; brightish and British; fighting and fitting; mighty and Mitty provide the flesh for the interrelated group of this **** Sunday crossword.

  • SATURDAY KNIT FEVER (23A. Manic desire to make sweaters when the weekend starts?)
  • EYE WHITENESS NEWS (32A. Contents of the Visine Gazette?)
  • SLIGHT SKIRTS (48A. Parts of many cheerleading uniforms?)
  • ZIPPO LITTER (64A. Cleanup crew’s goal?)
  • AFRAID OF HITS (81A. Punchophobic?)
  • BRIGHTISH AIRWAYS (94A. Company whose motto is “Our pilots are moderately intelligent”?)
  • THEM’S FITTING WORDS (106A. “That thar was an appropriate thing to say!”?)
  • WALTER MIGHTY (16D. Cronkite when at the top of the ratings?)
  • TENDER VITALS (58D. Easily damaged major organs?)

Other — ANUBIS (46D. Jackal-headed god) is the word of the day; CINEMA (91D. Industry built around shooting stars?); PRAYS (87A. Asks for help, in a way) and ON RELIEF (88A. Getting help, in a way); ZEENA (64D. Ethan Frome’s sickly wife).

Nothing else to say, the excellent Rex Parker nails this one HERE.

————————




Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at
Remaining clues — 1. Thanksgiving staple; 4. “Big ___,” 1995 Notorious B.I.G. hit; 9. Some special deals; 16. Entanglement; 19. Beer buyers’ needs; 20. Low profile maintainer; 21. Purifies; 22. Exclusively; 26. Certain corp. takeover; 27. Musical virtuosity; 28. Uncharitable; 29. One side of a shut out; 30. Put away; 31. I shouldn’t have done that”; 37. Empty words; 38. Spot for a stream; 39. Half brother of Athena; 40. Naval need of old; 41. Like the narrowest of wins; 43. Mends; 45. Hardly surprising; 50. Where brown and white meet; 51. Musical category; 52. Bit of chicken feed; 53. Plumbing, e.g.; 55. Sticky sticks; 56. Disastrous; 59. Chock-a-block; 61. Author in the 1950s “angry young men” movement; 62. “True Blood” network; 63. Addison’s “___ to Creation”; 67. Badge material; 68. Caterer’s vessel; 69. Part of a code; 70. Photography problem; 71. “Ghosts of the ___” (James Cameron documentary about the Titanic); 73. Whiter Cain fled; 74. Furnishes; 76. Musician Brian; 77. ___ Rosado (Argentine presidential manor); 79. Dandy things; 86. Layers; 90. London’s Old ___; 91. Unwelcome stocking stuffer; 92. Like some highlighter colors; 93. 2006 Verizon acquisition; 100. Black; 101. Repetition; 102. “Giant” in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”; 103. Layer; 104. All-to-public tiff; 105. Org. that supports water fluoridation; 111. Many a hand sanitizer; 112. Undeniable success; 113. Major-league manager Joe; 114. Urban rollers; 115. Message in a bottle; 116. Bringing forth young, as sheep; 117. Springe; 118. Batiking need. DOWN: 1. Sinatra portrayer on “S.N.L.”; 2. Residents of Canyon County ; 3. Legal impediment; 4. Three, four and five, usually; 5. Outdated; 6. ___ mater (cranial membrane); 7. Checks, e.g.; 8. Not straight; 9. Singer Lopez; 10. Like some snow; 11. Vacationing; 12. Voldemort’s portrayer in the Harry Potter films; 13. Begrudges; 14. Reacts to a shock; 15. Div. of a former union; 17. The radius extends from it; 18. Explodes; 24. Boom markets; 25. “On second thought, forget it”; 30. Tie-up; 32. Root of diplomacy; 33. Musical featuring “The Way He Makes Me Feel”; 34. Like crab apples; 35. John Steinbeck’s middle name; 36. Top-grossing concert act of 1989, ’94 and ’05, with “the”; 38. “The Government Inspector” playwright; 42. Home of Galileo Galilei Airport; 43. ___ box (computer screen pop-up);/ 44. Big guns; 45. Most hopeless moment; 47. Nonestaters?; 49. Reagan-era surgeon general; 50. Unexciting; 54. Insurance quote; 56. Water sources; 57. Dexterous; 59. Tore; 60. “___ Story,” 1989 best seller; 65. Wayhouses; 66. Half-human counselor on “Star Trek: T.N.G.”; 69. Program problem; 71. Drained of blood; 72. Help (out); 75. ___ Hughes, 2002 Olympic skating gold medalist; 77. Brooklyn’s ___ Island; 78. “Hair” hairstyles; 80. Baseball Hall-of-Famer with the autobiography “Maybe I’ll Pitch Forever”; 82. 1940s White House dog; 83. Political caller’s request; 84. Covered with trees; 85. “For another thing ..”; 87. They deliver; 89. Savoir-faire; 94. Talks big; 956. Barrel racing venue; 96. Chevy S.U.V.; 97. Winter windshield problem; 98. Cheap booze; 99. Light figures?; 100. Sphere or system start; 104. “Little ___’ Pee” (1938 cartoon); 106. Your alternative; 107. Mumbai Mr.; 108. Beer and skittles; 109. Big D.C. lobby; 110. Dog’s sound.



No comments: