Today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper is by Stella Zawistowski, a constructor known for difficult puzzles. (Her website: Tough As Nails.) This puzzle was easier fun, with a number of surprising answers. I missed by one letter, for what I think is a good reason. An explanation will follow in the comments.
Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:
1-D, four letters, “Like in a trattoria.” I like.
12-A, ten letters, “‘Fruity’ earth tone.” One of my favorite colors.
18-A, fifteen letters, “Cold-weather wear from the Shetlands.” Cozy and unusual.
28-D, five letters, “Ones’ places.” My first thought was of columns in arithmetic.
30-D, five letters, “Pseudonym that its owner pronounced to rhyme with ‘choice.’” No idea — I got it from crosses.
31-A, eleven letters, “Modern words of anticipation.” Well, contemporary words, though I’m not sure they’re words of anticipation. Maybe the kids today can verify.
32-D, six letters, “Go at it casually.” Clever.
47-A, fifteen letters, “Source of the Suwannee.” So this fifteen-letter source is real.
55-D, three letters, “Literally, ‘stir-fried mixture.’” Yes, please.
58-A, four letters, “One attending a ball.” My favorite clue in this puzzle.
The cross that messed me up: 1-A, three letters, “Letters seen on medicine cabinet tubes” and 2-D, four letters, “East Timor's capital.” I don’t think Zawistowski assumes that capital to be common knowlege. It’s supposed to be gettable from 1-A. My problem was with the medicine cabinet. No, not medicine cabinet tubes.
No spoilers; answers and further explanation of 1-A may be found in the comments.
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Today’s Saturday Stumper
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
comments: 1
ALLA. OLIVEGREEN. FAIRISLESWEATER. TILLS. SEUSS. IMHEREFORIT. RASSLE.
OKEFENOKEESWAMP. (I thought it was something from Pogo.) PAD. SEER.
ADA. DILI. My first try was AMA — something to do with meds — but the word medicine in the clue rules it out. ADA is obviously the right answer. But look at the clue again: “Letters seen on medicine cabinet tubes.” Do people generally keep their toothpaste in the medicine cabinet? I’d suggest an answer with a little misdirection: “Letters seen on bathroom sink tubes,” which might point to plumbing.
Post a Comment