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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: Byron Walden
THEME: STATE QUARTERS … each of the theme clues gives us the image seen on a US State Quarter, with the answer being that particular state. Cleverly, the name of the state is broken down into quarters as well, with the letters of the state broken down into four groups, making this a rebus puzzle:
10A. *Patriot Caesar Rodney on horseback : DE-LA-WA-RE
19A. *The Great Lakes : MI-CH-IG-AN
27A. *Scissor-tailed flycatcher with wildflowers : OK-LA-HO-MA
59A. *Covered wagon next to Chimney Rock : NE-BR-AS-KA
66A. *Rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard : AR-KA-NS-AS
100A. *Statehouse dome : MA-RY-LA-ND
109A. *Abraham Lincoln : IL-LI-NO-IS
112A. *Racehorse in front of the Federal Hill mansion : KE-NT-UC-KY
39D. *Rocky Mountains : CO-LO-RA-DO
46D. *”Commonwealth” statue and a keystone : PEN-NSY-LVA-NIA
69D. *Old Man of the Mountain rock formation : NEW-HAM-PSH-IRE
75D. *Lewis and Clark and the Gateway Arch : MI-SS-OU-RI
COMPLETION TIME: 54m 37s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 4 … TEALS (seals), Potoks (Posoks), C-CELL (D-cell), CASUS (dasus)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Finally, finally I am truly on the mend, I think. I had about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night and feel much better today. If today’s was a weekday puzzle, I’d be up to writing out all the look-ups. But, I’m not up to a large Sunday puzzle, especially one that took me almost an hour to solve.
Normal service will be resumed tomorrow, 100% guaranteed (almost!).
Thank you again for your patience.
Bill
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Entourage, in slang : POSSE
6. Hide pokers : AWLS
10. *Patriot Caesar Rodney on horseback : DE-LA-WA-RE
14. Person running the show : HOST
18. “___ Majesty’s Secret Service” : ON HER
19. *The Great Lakes : MI-CH-IG-AN
20. Parallel, e.g. : LINE
21. “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” musical : ANNIE
23. Some dabblers : TEALS
24. Snake predators named for their calls : LAUGHING FALCONS
27. *Scissor-tailed flycatcher with wildflowers : OK-LA-HO-MA
28. D-backs, e.g. : NLERS
29. P.R. problem : BAD REP
30. Beach lotion abbr. : SPF
31. Ones getting away : ELUDERS
34. Battery type : C-CELL
37. Zales rival : KAY
38. Reduce to a symbol : ICONIFY
40. Hosiery shade : TAUPE
41. Irons, in Paris : FERS
42. “The Goodbye Kiss” author Massimo : CARLOTTO
44. Much-quoted line from Edgar in “King Lear” : RIPENESS IS ALL
48. Royal title that means “great house” : PHARAOH
49. Common sweetener : CORN SYRUP
50. Go by : ELAPSE
53. Lacking rhyme or reason : RANDOM
54. Versatile delivery vehicles : PANEL VANS
55. Outlets in a chemistry lab : GAS TAPS
56. Island province of the Roman Empire : BRITANNIA
58. Nonauthoritarian : DEMOCRAT
59. *Covered wagon next to Chimney Rock : NE-BR-AS-KA
63. Concerning : ANENT
64. United in purpose : AS ONE
66. *Rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard : AR-KA-NS-AS
67. Old comic book cowboy : RED RYDER
69. Eager reporter : NEWSHOUND
71. Venture to postulate : DARE SAY
72. Nassau residents : BAHAMIANS
74. “Lose Yourself” rapper : EMINEM
79. The Perfesser’s nephew in the comic strip “Shoe” : SKYLER
80. Party hat? : LAMPSHADE
81. Beauty contest since 1952 : MISS USA
82. Civil defense devices : AIR RAID SIRENS
84. Help in a bind : RECOURSE
85. Simpson girl : LISA
87. Author Jorge : AMADO
88. Sui ___ : GENERIS
89. With 95-Down, “The Royal Family of Broadway” star, 1930 : INA
90. Postcard in a barrel, perhaps : ENTRY
91. Expose : UNCOVER
94. Old French coin : ECU
97. Tennis’s Stefan : EDBERG
99. Result of failing banks? : FLOOD
100. *Statehouse dome : MA-RY-LA-ND
101. French Baroque artist who painted “The Fortune Teller” : GEORGES DE LA TOUR
106. “Get Smart” robot : HYMIE
107. Film composer Morricone : ENNIO
108. 110-Across set in Egypt : AIDA
109. *Abraham Lincoln : IL-LI-NO-IS
110. See 108-Across : OPERA
111. Fair sight : TENT
112. *Racehorse in front of the Federal Hill mansion : KE-NT-UC-KY
113. “A madness most discreet,” per Romeo : LOVE
114. Not flabby : TONED
Down
1. “Wanderings: Chaim ___ Story of the Jews” : POTOKS
2. Quarter-mile, for many tracks : ONE LAP
3. Noted exile of 1979 : SHAH OF IRAN
4. Home to the National Voting Rights Museum : SELMA
5. Hosp. zones : ERS
6. “Thanks ___!” : A MIL
7. Father of the Blues : W C HANDY
8. Outgrowth from the base of a grass blade : LIGULE
9. Birth control pioneer Margaret : SANGER
10. Handlers of brats : DELIS
11. Stretched out : LAIN
12. Designer Vera : WANG
13. Island protector : REEF
14. Islamic analogue of kosher : HALAL
15. Like many music reissues : ON CD
16. Military jacket with a furry hood : SNORKEL PARKA
17. What a poor listener may have : TIN EAR
22. Athletic awards since 1993 : ESPYS
25. Some baseball scores: Abbr. : HRS
26. Salts : ABLE SEAMEN
31. Inter : ENTOMB
32. Neighbor of Poland: Abbr. : LITH
33. ET carrier : UFO
34. ___ belli (war-provoking act) : CASUS
35. Transition point : CUSP
36. Prefix with center : EPI-
39. *Rocky Mountains : CO-LO-RA-DO
40. Arctic ___ (pole-to-pole migrator) : TERN
41. Part of many a freight train : FLATCAR
42. E.M.T. application : CPR
43. Bingo alternative? : AHA
44. Saint in a Sir Walter Scott title : RONAN
45. “___ my garment and my mantle”: Ezra 9:3 : I RENT
46. *”Commonwealth” statue and a keystone : PEN-NSY-LVA-NIA
47. Too : ALSO
49. Do dos, say : CATER
51. Goes across : SPANS
52. “Cómo ___?” : ESTAS
54. Like the scent of many cleaners : PINEY
55. Homo, for one : GENUS
57. Area that’s frequently swept? : RADAR RANGE
58. “Lorna ___” : DOONE
59. Uncool types : NERDS
60. Spring ___ : BREAK
61. Severely parched : AS DRY AS A BONE
62. Part of Russia next to Finland : KARELIA
64. Like the eastern part of Russia : ASIAN
65. Herring varieties : SHADS
68. Belgian river : YSER
69. *Old Man of the Mountain rock formation : NEW-HAM-PSH-IRE
70. Winter solvent : DEICER
72. Villain : BADDY
73. “I ___ bored!” : AM SO
75. *Lewis and Clark and the Gateway Arch : MI-SS-OU-RI
76. Greenhouse workers : NURSERYMEN
77. Sinuous character : ESS
78. ___ West : MAE
80. Fabulist : LIAR
81. Word repeated before “tekel” in biblical writing on the wall : MENE
83. Billing fig. : AMT
84. Race, as an engine : REV
85. Lord or vassal : LIEGE
86. Move toward the middle : INDENT
88. “Boris ___” : GODUNOV
90. Cereal killer? : ERGOT
91. Suffix with form : -ULA
92. Kind of farming that doesn’t disturb the soil : NO-TILL
93. “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper : COOLIO
95. See 89-Across : CLAIRE
96. Like zombies : UNDEAD
98. Ireland : ERIN
99. Unreliable : FLAKY
100. “I want my ___!” (old advertising catchphrase) : MAYPO
102. Benefit : SAKE
103. Force : DINT
104. Cabinet dept. since 1979 : EDUC
105. Go up : RISE
106. Scorching : HOT
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Though I still wish the NYT official iPad app didn't crash so often, this time it let me down by not validating half of my correct answers to the state rebuses. All my answers were right, but on "check puzzle" it indicated that 6 of the twelve rebuses were incorrect. When a puzzle is this difficult to begin with, it's great to see the app recognize when it's completed, so it was a bit of a letdown.
I *detest* all rebus puzzles. This isn't "clever," it's simply breaking the rules.
Bill- Hope you are fully recovered soon. I really appreciate you deconstructing each puzzle and bringing your range of knowledge into the process…