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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
CROSSWORD SETTER: Kevin G. Der
THEME: Grid Iron … the grid contains the letters FE (standing for “iron”) in several squares. Joining these FE squares draws the outline of the Titanic, with the circled squares forming the ship’s four funnels. There’s a note with the puzzle giving us further instructions:
When this puzzle is finished, 12 special squares, along with the circled squares, will create an image of 56-Down. The 12 squares corresponding to the “reflection” of the special squares, when read clockwise from top left, will spell an alternative name for 56-Down.
So, each FE square has a “reflection”, and that collection of “reflection” squares spells out “SHIP OF DREAMS”. On top of all that, there are several clues that relate to the Titanic itself and the James Cameron movie “Titanic”:
29A. Where 56-Down embarked : SOUTHAMPTON
33A. Iconic line shouted in “56-Down” : I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD
35A. With 37-Across, #1 song from “56-Down” : MY HEART
37A. See 35-Across : WILL GO ON
125A. “56-Down” co-star : WINSLET
128A. “56-Down” co-star : DICAPRIO
141A. Record-tying achievement for “56-Down” : ELEVEN ACADEMY AWARDS
152A. 56-Down, e.g. : LUXURY LINER
56D. [See blurb] : TITANIC
60D. Cause of 56-Down’s demise : ICEBERG
COMPLETION TIME: 50m 03s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
I’m afraid I am feeling a little under the weather today, so I am not even going to attempt to do look-ups for this puzzle. However, if you have any questions please feel free to leave them in a comment, or send me an email. If you leave a question in a comment, maybe some kind soul will provide an answer before I get to it.
Bill
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Plushlike : SOFT
5. Anjou relatives : BOSCS
10. “Love Train” singers, with “the” : O’JAYS
15. Brit. decorations : DSOS
19. Low men? : BASSI
24. Peace Nobelist Root : ELIHU
26. Without problems : ALL OK
27. Holiday decoration : MENORAH
29. Where 56-Down embarked : SOUTHAMPTON
31. Stress reliever : EASER
32. Actress Téa : LEONI
33. Iconic line shouted in “56-Down” : I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD
35. With 37-Across, #1 song from “56-Down” : MY HEART
37. See 35-Across : WILL GO ON
39. Martini go-with? : ROSSI
40. Bit of chiding : TSK
41. Shiva’s wife : KALI
42. Cat genus : FELIS
43. Italian holiday : FESTA
45. Sinn ___ : FEIN
47. Easter ___ : EGG
50. Forest specimens : FERNS
52. “Be my guest” : FEEL FREE
56. Silence indicator : TACET
59. “Cool” amount : MIL
62. In ___ place : A SAFE
64. Rafael, to friends : RAFE
66. Trims, say : EDITS
68. Jefferson or Madison : DEIST
69. Rest on : SIT ATOP
71. High clouds : CIRRI
73. Mess of a mess : SNAFU
75. Auto-___ : DA FE
76. Footstool : POUFFE
78. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum site : SANTA FE
80. Slowpokes’ fines : LATE FEES
82. Filled, as an office : STAFFED
83. Coup d’___ : ETAT
84. Builder of a 2×2 vessel? : NOAH
85. Blue Ribbon maker : PABST
86. Hosp. scan : EEG
87. Winner of a 1970s-’80s war : VHS
90. Singer Jones : NORAH
92. Literally, “my Lord” : ADONAI
94. Amount before overtime : BASE PAY
96. Shake : TREMOR
100. Tried to win : WOOED
102. Major operation? : DRILL
104. To this moment : TILL NOW
106. Fads : RAGES
108. Run together, in a way : ELOPE
109. Tater : SPUD
110. Toddlers’ coddlers : MOMMIES
112. Third string : C-TEAM
113. Once more: Abbr. : AGN
114. It’s not basic : ACID
116. Dict. info : DEF
117. Tabula ___ : RASA
119. Yorkshire river : AIRE
121. Flags : EBBS
123. Clear (of) : RID
124. Triumphant end? : QED
125. “56-Down” co-star : WINSLET
128. “56-Down” co-star : DICAPRIO
132. “King Lear” role : REGAN
136. Pittance : SOU
138. Protection around the world? : OZONE
139. Some buggy drivers : AMISH
141. Record-tying achievement for “56-Down” : ELEVEN ACADEMY AWARDS
149. Said yea or nay : VOTED
150. Bank support? : LEVEE
151. Spirit : ESSENCE
152. 56-Down, e.g. : LUXURY LINER
153. Pulitzer-winning critic Richard : EDER
154. It’s hard to get across : CHASM
155. Palm products : TREOS
156. Flight data: Abbr. : ETDS
157. Some salads : SLAWS
Down
1. Look : SEEM
2. Oil producer : OLAY
3. Implement with a spatulalike blade : FISH KNIFE
4. Where dawn arises : THE EAST
5. Latvian, e.g. : BALT
6. Cry to a matador : OLE
7. Brake : SLOW
8. They carry needles : CONIFERS
9. Omelet holders : SKILLETS
10. Aware of : ONTO
11. Dear person? : JOHN
12. Exist : ARE
13. Jabber : YAK
14. Stuffed ___ : SHIRT
15. Ski-___ : DOOS
16. Muslim mystic : SUFI
17. Slugger Mel : OTT
18. “Zip it!” : SHH
19. Autobahn sights : BMWS
20. Pig in ___ : A POKE
21. Orchestra grp. : STR
22. Roman sun god : SOL
23. Like Beethoven’s Second : IN D
25. Caspian feeder : URAL
27. “Top Gun” jets : MIGS
28. Funnyman Philips : EMO
29. Ban Ki-moon and others: Abbr. : SGS
30. Insurance giant : AETNA
34. Professor Chomsky : NOAM
36. Widespread : RIFE
38. Invention : LIE
43. Parts of yards : FEET
44. Small-runway aircraft, briefly : STOL
45. Is alarmed : FEARS
46. “It ___” (answer to “Who’s there?”) : IS I
48. Tennis’s Steffi : GRAF
49. Bad slip : GAFFE
50. Stable supply : FEED
51. Nutritional stat : RDA
53. Saverin who co-founded Facebook : EDUARDO
54. Shield bearer, typically : LEFT ARM
55. Small flute : FIFE
56. [See blurb] : TITANIC
57. Frozen : AT A HALT
58. Many a Wi-Fi hotspot : CAFE
60. Cause of 56-Down’s demise : ICEBERG
61. About a month, for a fruit fly : LIFESPAN
63. Rotted : FESTERED
65. Bad blood : FEUD
67. Devote : SPEND
69. Supercilious one : SNOOT
70. Wild banana : PAPAW
72. Mark up, say : RETAG
74. Conrad ___, early matinee idol : NAGEL
77. Chiwere speaker : OTO
79. Furthermore : AND
81. Prof’s helpers : TAS
82. Harden : SET
87. Golfs, e.g., briefly : VWS
88. Emulate a frog : HOP
89. Unpleasant thing to hit : SOUR NOTE
91. Rival suitor’s expletive : HIM
92. “Shalom ___” (Hebrew greeting) : ALEICHEM
93. Martinique, e.g. : ILE
94. One with a terrible opening : BOMB
95. Oenologist’s concern : YEAR
97. How it’s done : MODE
98. Slanted column? : OP-ED
99. Interference detector? : REF
101. Voice of Carl in Pixar’s “Up” : ED ASNER
103. Acts the middleman : LIAISES
105. Dundee denial : NAE
107. Discovery Channel subj. : SCI
110. Ginnie ___ : MAE
111. Mrs., abroad : SRA
113. “Gimme ___” : A SEC
115. “In my view …” : I’D SAY
118. Zero-emissions vehicle : SLED
120. Athlete’s pointer? : EPEE
122. Scottish hillsides : BRAES
124. Cower : QUAIL
125. Didn’t go straight : WOVE
126. Polo competitor : IZOD
127. Bottled mineral : TALC
128. Palais Garnier star : DIVA
129. “Kidnapped” inits. : RLS
130. Suffix with luck : -IEST
131. “Now you speak” : OVER
133. Hoedown attendee : GAL
134. Together, in music : A DUE
135. Cashier’s cry : NEXT
137. Late-night fliers : OWLS
140. Word of indifference : MEH
142. Suffix with alk- : -ENE
143. Barracks V.I.P. : NCO
144. Setting for some wrestling : MUD
145. “___ truly” (abbreviated sign-off) : YRS
146. Biological chain : RNA
147. It appears overnight : DEW
148. Grads-to-be: Abbr. : SRS
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Be well! Hope it was not this tough puzzle that sank you. Manxie
Thank you, Manxie!
All better now, and not an iceberg in sight!
104 A Should be TIL NOW. A till is where cash is kept!
GRRRRRR….. I HATE these puzzles with more than one letter in a square. NEVER an excuse for that: it should be a crossword LAW!!!
What are the shaded letters suppose to spell?
The "till" and "until" controversy is an interesting one. I usually rage against "new" usages, or at least one's that happen because of just not understanding correct usage. From what I've read, using the "till" just as you would "'til" and "until" is generally accepted although not considered to be "preferred". This maybe be partly due to the fact that "until" actually arose out of "till", so it the younger of the two words. Having said that, both words are hundreds of years old.
Hi AdCritic,
These rebus puzzles (ones with multiple letters or symbols in some squares) are puzzles that one seems to either love or hate. I'm not a huge fan myself of rebus puzzles, as usually once one works out the trick in one square, then filling the rest becomes somewhat tedious. That said, I must admit I did enjoy this puzzle.
The shaded letters at the bottom right of the puzzle are just showing the last answer in the across clues. It's an artifact left over from the program I use to work the crossword on my computer, I just can't get rid of it. There's more of an explanation in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the blog (link at the top right of each page).
You maybe be looking for the "message" referred to in the blurb that came with this puzzle. I've explained how that works just under the image of the solved grid. The phrase spelled out is SHIP OF DREAMS.
Hope one of those two answers addresses your question!