December Answers
Joker, Kapry Korn, Lirath, Billy the Kid, LeXman
1. Ebenezer Scrooge; bunnies, Erse, crew, edge
2. OURS
3. shantyman, myths
4. constitute, prostitute
5. crack, crystal, kilo, hyper, brig (Palin children Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig)
6. rosin, rosiness
7. ordered her ring (or De red herring)
8. orient, Tintoretto
9. OURS
10. OURS
11. consort, concert; viol, Weill, vile
12. Ginastera, seen ignore (G in as T, erase ENIG, no RE)
13. mythical, Ithaca; true, Troy
14. semIFinal
15. dine, mitre verse dis Incan; Du "arf!" pages, runes Roh
16. annie, eh; ready. Ack
17. OURS
18. dilemma, annelid
19. OURS
20. springtime flowers (spring T, I'm EF, lower S)
21. misled, isle
22. ten and a zero aren't a dozen
23. calamari, Kalahari
24. men torment or mentor
25. ponytails, PlayStation, positionally, nonspatially,
loyal opposition
26. AOL, sham, Nair (Olga, Irina, Masha)
27. mako el; any dumb pie (make O L, N E, dump I)
28. golden oldie, genie
29. OURS
30. never-say-die vineyards
31. OURS
32. raciest, scare tactic
33. Preakness, lost, priest, Loch Ness
34. OURS
35. debatable, dele
36. Nordique ripped opponents like in situ
37. Obama, Omaha
38. tend AMs (ten dams)
39. OURS
40. withdrawal, with a drawl
41. stomachaches, Tom
42. OURS
43. rankle, Karen Allen
44. adultery, idolatry
45. disappearing. A scan (D is appearing as CAN)
46. manger, German
47. panda bear eats leaves (P and a BE are a T, S leaves)
48. erect, wrecked
49. Willamette River yearly, Willa met Teri very early
50. OURS
51. Teri Hatcher (Teri, hat, Cher) Cheri Oteri (Cher Io Teri)
52. chiropodical, hypertrophic
53. apterous, esto perpetua, Passepartout, put out to pasture
54. OURS
55. OURS
56. Murr, femur
57. maniac, manioc
58. Quantum of Solace; tallis, toeless
59. OURS
60. sensor cell (S ensorcell)
61. yes, Yeston
62. undated, inundated
63. OURS
64. Saturday, sturdy
65. Baconism, Obamamomics
66. OURS
67. boilerman, Lori Lieberman, malleable iron
68. Ab(planalp)'s, abs
69. OURS
70. Christmas parties, Masterpiece Theater
71. OURS
72. Edam, edamame
73. OURS
74. readiest, steadier
75. OURS
76. Barack, Scarab
KU-1.
77. President Obama
78. Governor Palin's wardrobe
79. John Sidney McCain
F-1. FRSCRNDSVNRSG
LLMNRCRTDQL
BRHMLNCLN
DNNRDNC
DLTRT
RNS
S
F-2. T
CEP
TALIA
CADENZA
TELEPHOTO
PINHOLE
AZOLE
ATE
O
F-3. MOBIUS
MUSLIM
SLALOM
EREBUS
ENISLE
TULARE
SILENT
KU-2. B
P N
L L T T G L D
L V M R C R
T M B K R
P T R K R S
B N G C R S B
L R
D
F-4. MIMOSA
ICARUS
MAYANS
ORACHE
SUNHAT
ASSETS
F-5. TOPCAT
OVERDO
PETERP
CREWED
ADRENO
TOPDOG
F-6. ESCHER
SIRREE
DEMISS
RANCID
LEHRER
DERMAL
REINED
F-7. JRDLT
RNMRN
DMBRD
LRRFN
TNDNZ
F-8. THNKMM
HMDNGR
NDNGVR
KNGBLL
MGVLTS
MRRLSS
X-1. On the first day of Hanukkah, I received a pencil; on the second day, I received a pencil box; on the third day, I received a notebook...it's a back-to-school holiday! Lewis Black
X-2. Lord, we ain't what we want to be; we ain't what we ought to be; we ain't what we gonna be, but, thank God, we ain't what we was.
X-3. The eight spaces with extra letters are filled with Roman numerals. As indicated by the entries at 1A and 44A (an average of seventy five) the eight special entries add up to DC and do indeed average 75. It also it also refers to the hoped-for temperature in DC. In the instructions, DC and DD are also composed of Roman numerals.
A N A V E R A G E O F
CCU P E XCE L M U N I CC XC
R M E N O L IVE L E VI IV VI
E B S E N I E N O L S
T U G R I C X I G L H
E N H A N C E N Y A H
E CLA T C O N V E XLY CL XL
S E S E A G A I L Y G
CIT I E S A S E N S E CI
O H M R E M IXW E L R IX
N E O N A U T O V A N
S E V E N T Y F I V E
Across Down
1. AN AVERAGE OF 1. A(CC)RETE
12. (C C)UP 2. NUMB
13. E(XC)EL 3. APES
14. MUNI 4. VENERATE
15. OL(IV)E 5. E(X-C)ON
16. LE(VI) 6. RELIC
17. EBSEN 7. AL(IV)E
18. ENOLS 8. G-MEN
19. UGRIC 9. EULOGY
24. ENHANCE 10. ONE L
25. NYAH 11. FI(VI)SH
26. E(CL)AT 19. UN(CL)E
28. CONVE(XL)Y 20. INCA
31. GAILY 21. XENA
32. (CI)TIES 22. IN VIEW OF
36. SENSE 23. LA(XL)Y
39. OHM 27. ASIMOV
40. REM(IX) 29. YGERNE
41. NEON 30. S(CI)ONS
42. AUTO 31. GAMUT
43. VAN 33. THEE
44. SEVENTY FIVE 34. ERNE
35. SEAN
36. S(IX)TY
37. NEVI
38. SLAV
X-4. Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read. Frank Zappa
X-5. The words contain the thoughts, they carry them lightly wrapped, wriggling slightly. D. Enright, Interplay
X-6. The special entries are as follows:
29D 20A 31A - fish swallows snake - GASPAR
17A 19A 22D - limo Cher wrecks - MELCHIOR
9A 33A 5D - cobalt hazard conceals - BALTHAZAR
The extra clue letters as indicated below spell the potential fourth member - WENCESLAS - a fourth king.
SPITCHCOCKUA
COBALTOQUINN
ATULIPNPRKCK
USNINICOBOLE
LIMOOSELCHER
SEENSWALLOWS
SWEATILYAUDO
ARTYANSABTEN
DELFTGUNLESS
HCYISISNAKEI
UKASESHAZARD
SSCHEMISETTE
Across Down
W 1. SPITCHCOCK 1. SCAULS
9. COBALT 2. POTSIE
E 10. O'QUINN 3. TALION
11. TULIP 4. CLINOSTATS
N 15. USNINIC 5. CONCEALS
C 16. OBOLE 6. CURB
17. LIMO 7. UNCLEW
19. CHER 8. ANKERS
20. SWALLOWS L 12. UNMEETLY
21. SWEATILY 13. POLLYANNAS
26. ARTY 14. KOHOUTEK
E 27. B TEN 18. SWINGISM
28. DELFT A 21. SADHUS
S 30. GUNLESS 22. WRECKS
31. SNAKE S 23. ABLAZE
32. UKASES 24. DESERT
33. HAZARD 25. ONSIDE
34. CHEMISETTE 29. FISH
C-1. Frankenstein's reference for his monster reads, "No great brain, but I know that his heart is in the right place."
C-2. Irritated by rival, ice hockey player goes to Supreme Court. Judgment: six hundred two minutes in penalty box.
C-3. OURS
C-4. Local paper reports Princeton actually building Plainsboro medical center. Paging Doctor House!
C-5. Obama fared well in presidential polling largely because of Barack and opinion steering.
C-6. Editor deems crypt quantity adequate, but two contributors supply majority. Variety craved.
C-7. Triskaidekaphobic architect builds skyscraper, omits thirteenth story, blows chance for Guinness entry.