7:58 pm ET
Dec 17, 2010


Starlights (Saturday puzzle)

    • yippee......

    • ….at a temperature of millions of degrees. I did this fun puzzle while babysitting my 2 granddaughters this evening. I wasn’t able to finish before the 5 yr old went to bed, or I would have asked her if she knows the song.

    • Beautiful grid. Seeing a new geometry brought to wordplay is my favorite thing. Its what keeps me solving. Number 17 was a little tricky. First time i've run across that word!

    • How come I've never heard of the song?

    • Will they publish a puzzle on Friday?

    • I wanted "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Boy, was I wrong.

    • But seriously, Malibu, did you recognize it? Is there a hole in my musical childhood?

    • I hadn't heard the song either. Maybe it's English?

      Grady, 17 was the last one I got, too. I literally had to start writing out permutations before it came to me.

    • I'm with everyone on this one: didn't know the song, and 17 was my last clue solved. Amazingly, I got 26 slightly wrong (mistook the final letter) but was able to get all the answers around it; remarkable given the grid structure. I figure the puzzle took me at least three hours. By far the most challenging yet; beautifully constructed and a perfect Christmas puzzle. Props to MS, EC and HR!

    • Meg: No, I didn't recognize it. I gather that it was written in the 1950's, and I wasn't listening to children's songs then.

    • I seem to be stumped on numbers 5 and 17. Have all the letters but the first ones. The song was new to me, as well.

    • I had to look it up when I finished the puzzle. But when I read the song line to my son-in-law last evening, he replied, Oh yeah, They Might Be Giants. Its an 80's rock band that's now doing some cool kids' stuff.

    • Library Chick: #5 is a hidden answer, and the answer to #17 is a cap that sounds like a kind of gun.

    • Are the instructions confusing anyone else? How do I know to go clockwise or counter?

    • tjf: you don't know which direction any answer goes until you solve an adjacent answer and figure out which letters are common to both. From that the direction may become clear. In some cases, however, you may need a third answer, as the common letters in just two answers could potentially go two ways

    • Thanks, Malibu! #5 just jumped out at me (what a dummy). This is such a fun puzzle!

    • Oh, is that a hat! Knew the word. Yahoo! Thanks again, Malibu. Perfect hints!

    • I've always enjoy these kinds of grids...especially where there is a punchline (This is my critique of Rows Gardens...while the grid is challenging, there is no payoff...other than the sense of accomplishment when finished ;-) . I have never heard of the song either, but managed to fill in the blanks. A quick Google confirmed I was right. Whew! Let me put in my request for a "Vicious Circle" grid, one of my faves! Thanks for another great puzzle, Hex. Happy Holidays!

    • Enjoyed this one a lot ... pretty challenging because of the structure. Thanks, Hex!

    • New Year's Resolution: No more late night postings. Must...edit...more...carefully. :-(

    • I loved the puzzle - and the song was new to me - l am sure l have it done correctly but how do you deconstruct # 7 ?

    • Sheila: The definition is "official record" wordplay = "IN" inside a synonym of "silences". My favorite clue was 24. Just love those hidden answers that only reveal themselves after many minutes of pointless manipulation!

    • thanks Meg !
      lt was obvious once you gave the hint - I just wasn't thinking of a synonym of "silences" and yet the actual word was floating somewhere in the back of my mind. l also loved # 24 - it took me a while, but the AHA moment was great.

    • After getting past that 29 was not soprano and 36 was not inferno all that I have left are 12 and 18. Just not seeing them. I've never heard of the song, but I really like the line.

    • lynn: For #12 the definition is "having a middle part"; the answer sounds like a word for ruined. #18 is tricky -- the definition is "guy with a cape" (but not a superhero). "Turned around" indicates a reversal.

    • Hi Lynn, 12 'ruined' often refers to drug addicts and having a middle is something I lost long ago. 18 is slang for 'gun' a 'type of cap (Scottish)' backward and refers to a Spaniard.

    • Thanks you two. Should have been able to see both of those. All I lacked was the first letter of each.

    • I was surprised that some folks found this puzzle to be more difficult than usual. I solved it while “multi-tasking” at my daughter’s house, and I found the clues and grid placements to be quite straightforward. I’ve done lots of cyptics, as well as many variety puzzles with this type of grid. So, it must be true—The more you do something, the easier it gets! Still a lot of fun. Keep ‘em coming.

    • This is my first exposure to this type of puzzle. I am cycling through all the following: amazement at the existence of such puzzles; delight at occasionally unraveling a clue; cudgeling my brain; sudden breakthroughs; doubts whether I will solve it all; and absolute enjoyment.

    • I have all of the words but must have a mistake as they don't quite fit.
      Or may be my 24 is wrong. Is 24 an anagram.

    • @SoCal
      As noted in an earlier post, 24 is a hidden word.

    • Hey Malibu, snap! Great minds think alike!!

    • I'll gladly bring up the rear on this delightful puzzle. I still can't deconstruct 34. I believe the definition is Drunk and think the wordplay is a charade where five letters are taken from an 8 letter word for moonshine. But I can't see how "Mom dropped off" gives the required last two letters of the answer.

    • George F: You are right about the definition being drunk. Begin with the 5th letter of moonshine. Does that help?

    • Got it. Thanks.

    • GeorgeF: The answer's structure is 5th letter of moonshine-Mom synonym-dropped off synonym.

    • This my first cryptic - never saw such a thing - and my husband and I are very puzzled to say the least. I've tried to figure out some of the answers from the chat on here, but am still clueless. If someone can help me please . . . perhaps give me one answer and the logic as to how you derived it. Thanks.

    • Kahleeka: Since this is your first cryptic, I strongly recommend reading the WSJ Guide to Cryptic Crosswords, located on the right side of this blog near the top. This particular puzzle is a Variety Cryptic, because in addition to figuring out the clues, you have to figure out how to place them in the grid.
      Many people on this blog have been doing cryptics for a long time. They are highly addictive. I love them, but when I first started, it was slow going. After awhile you start to recognize certain indicators of what type of wordplay is going on. Good luck and stick with it!

      Oh, one answer: Okay # 2. The straight definition part of the clue is "tires", so you are looking for a word that means that. All the rest is wordplay. You and I = WE. Sign for the Ram = ARIES. Put them together and you get WEARIES. Sometimes the definition is at the beginning. Crazy, no?

    • Kahleeka: I would also recommend going back in the archives to start with the cryptic from 2/13/10 and work forward from there. Cryptics have been published in the WSJ every fourth Saturday since then. Except for the very first one, on 1/16, the early ones are a better place to start for a new solver. The difficulty level has been gradually ramping up since then, and I thought this one was the most difficult yet. Because cryptics are so different from other word puzzles, that first one on 1/16 left a lot of people scratching their heads and wondering what alien life form had invaded.

      (Until the moderator stepped in, the first several months of cryptics also generated a very amusing level of hostility toward cryptic solvers on the part of certain self-appointed guardians of conventional puzzling. Fortunately, you'll be spared from having to read their comments.)

    • Great puzzle!

    • Kahleeka, welcome to the wonderful world of variety cryptics! It takes a while to see how this works, but when you do, it's immensely pleasurable to solve these puzzles.

      There's a link on the puzzle page to a guide to solving cryptic crossword clues.

      You can't take the clues at face value: the apparent meaning of each of the clues is there just to mislead you. Each clue can be interpreted to be in two parts: a normal definition, and then wordplay to show how to assemble letters or sounds to get the answer. So take 10. Country doctor in a suit. It means nothing about a country doctor. (But the more vivid the "surface meaning" of the clue, the better the satisfaction from figuring out the hidden, "cryptic" meaning.)

      The first word, "Country" is the definition, and the rest of the words, "doctor in a suit" make up the wordplay. You'll quickly learn to recognize "doctor" as a word indicating an anagram--it's a verb, not a noun! And what gets doctored? The letters "in a suit". There are 7 of them, and we know the answer has 7 letters. So the real clue tells us to find a country that is an anagram of "IN A SUIT!" TUNISIA.

      This puzzle is an example of a _variety_ cryptic, so there's always another step required before you can enter the answer into the grid. The special instructions are given each time with the puzzle. This time you know the first letter goes into the appropriately numbered square, and the rest of the letters go around clockwise or counter-clockwise, to be determined by the intersections.

      We have a lot of help in this puzzle because lots of letters (aside from the numbered ones and the ones on the edge) appears in three different answer words, and the shaded letters spell something too.

      You might want to go back in to the earlier puzzles; these cryptic puzzles by Emily and Henry are published every 4 weeks. There's a lot of discussion about how these things work, and from time to time the authors stop by to help out.

    • Thank you Meg, Steve and Jeffery! I'm intrigued! I LOVE it - Tunisia and Wearies - NOW it makes sense. I'm going to stick with this puzzle for one week because I hate to quit a project. (As you can see, I've been working on it for 2 days without ONE SINGLE ANSWER before I realized I was never going to figure it out without a coherent explanation!) The placement of the letters will be easy peasy compared to the deciphering part! I really appreciate your help, clues and links. Santa surely will be pleased with your kindness so close to Christmas! (NOT that I'm advocating eliminating coal!)

    • Thanks to LIbrary Chick and John F. I see it now.

    • Kahleeka. To add to the above recommendations, it may take some practice. Try working every cryptic until you completely understand it, even if you have to google or wait for the answers. It is helpful for every clue to be able to identify the definition and to classify the word play by type (Anagram, Charade, Hidden Word, General Word Play, Reversal, Comabination, etc.). There are many cryptics at the UK online newspapers. But note, that the British rules are a bit looser and you will bump into some unfamiliar usages. Enjoy.

    • Kahleeka: I would suggest trying the Australian site Lovatts, which has a fairly large catalog of free cryptics with relatively easy clues., certainly easier than the UK news sites (I was born British and grew up with those), which also have some obscure (at least from the US POV) cultural references. Note also that both the UK and Aussie crosswords will use the local spellings (e.g., -ise rather than -ize, colour rather than color).

    • I had trouble with 17. From all the surrounding letters, it looks like BIRETTA fits, which satisfies the cap part of the clue but not the sound of a gun. Anybody?

    • Bob L:

      Change one...something you wrote made me re-check my answer to you. I hadn't realized "BIRETTA" actually IS a type of cap; but now that I do know it, it confirms the rest of my response to you, to wit:

      BIRETTA (the cap) sounds like BERETTA (the gun).

      --Bob C

    • Bob L:

      Me once more. Looks like my first response never made it to the blog. No harm done, but I think you see the essence of the rest of the clue. I had #17 solved in my grid, but it didn't jibe with an adjacent clue's answer until I saw your spelling, so you've helped me as much as I hope I've helped you.


      I'm a newbie at this as well, and have maybe a third (if that) of the clues solved properly. If you're like me, I think you'll find the challenges these puzzles offer particularly gratifying, especially for each clue you solve, and I appreciate the ways in which these puzzles force us to think in new/creative ways and to look beyond or below the surface. There are some clues that I found enjoyable (5, 6, 12, 13!, 14, 15, 18 and 20), but you should know that there are some groaners in here (e.g., #20, though it's quite creatively correct -- look closely).

      BTW, if anyone reading this post is willing to give me a bump in the right direction with any one of 31, 32, or 35 (you choose), I'm at a loss for the moment...


    • For newbies, the NYT's also publishes Cryptics as the second Sunday puzzle. It's not every week and I haven't figured out exactly where in the schedule they fit but if you check the sight on Sundays one will eventually be posted.

    • Palm Bay, FL,
      I agree with all of these comments from the more experienced solvers. As I was going through the clue list myself, many of the 7 letter answers just jumped out at me. They were, for the most part, very common words that were actually defined twice in the clue--directly and also cryptically. Once you're familiar with the various types of word play, answers sometimes just magically appear! And, in this case of this variety puzzle, experience with these circular interlocking word patterns certainly helps. Yes this stuff is addictive.

    • RNCJr: For #35, "orchestrating" is the definition; "is ultimately" means you take the last letter of "is"; add a synonym for "disheartening" that means literally removing the heart.

    • You all impress me - I can do all the puzzles except the cryptics - don't even know where to start. The clues seem so vague. I think I must be too anal retentive for these.

    • RNCJr
      For 31, think "part of the body" for member. The clue is a container.
      For 32, it's a double definition. Think of a word meaning flourish that also describes, collectively, peanuts and popcorn when bought at the ballpark.

      Unfortunately, I'm still hung up on BIRETTA. The only meaning of BERETTA I see in my RHUD is BIRETTA. Where's the gun?

    • Never mind. I just Googled it. Guess I'm not up on firearms mfgrs.

    • Bob: It's a homophone. With "sound" in the clue, we have BIRETTA, which sounds like BERETTA (the gun). Having never heard of a BIRETTA, this was a toughie.

      For me, one of the challenging things about cryptics is forcing your brain to process the info in a different way. Interpreting a word as a noun instead of a verb, for example, can just mess you up for hours because it doesn't dawn on you to consider a word or phrase from a different angle. I think solving these puzzles prevents Alzheimer's.

    • Bob: The reason you won't find Beretta in a dictionary is that it is a brand name of a gun, therefore capitalized.

    • Malibu--

      Thank you; if I've deduced the second part of your hint, it's akin to what one may do with an apple or other like fruit. Makes sense now.

      Bob L:

      Yup, I should have been clearer in noting that Beretta is a gun (manufacturer). Thank you as well for the assist with 31 & 32; will work on them post-haste!

      More in a bit!


    • Oh, my, I thought that "scoring" with a woman you don't like is ultimately disheartening (such as the morning after), but now I agree that it is "s" + "coring".

      Evidently, there will be no weekend journal on Christmas Day or New Year's Day, so we won't see the official solution for three weeks. What are the answers to 4 and 11?

    • I'm new to cryptics, but finding them great fun. Other newbies might find the Wikipedia article helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptic_crossword. It's similar to the WSJ info already recommended, but has different examples.

      I hadn't heard of the song either, but enjoyed hearing it at: http://tmbw.net/wiki/Why_Does_The_Sun_Shine%3F (Click the play button.)

      Gary P: For #4 lose the "a" on "agent" and follow it with a 3-letter fish to make a synonym for polite.

    • GaryP Rather than the literal answers, how about hints:
      4) I think of as a mixed deletion and charade. The definition is "quite polite". The word play is /agent after losing (an) a/(plus a word for a type of) fish. The fish appears often in conventional crosswords.
      11) Is a mixed insertion and initial letter. The definition is "rings". The word play is /(the name of a) Mythic Seducer/(with a letter from the word) large (inserted). The Mythic Seducer is a little obsure, but if you think of a simple word for "rings" you should be able to back into it.

      I hope this helps.

    • Thanks. I got the two answers within "minutes" of reading your hints.

    • Kahleeka, thanks for getting so many tips from the experienced solvers! and thanks to all for the encouragements. I had gotten eight on my own and two more from hints, prior to reading the torrent of tips unleashed by Kahleeka, which has me bonking my forehead as I realize many others.

      Dan, thanks for explaining the use of 'doctor'. I suspected there would be clues I would not solve because of not knowing some conventions, so I'm quite cheered up now and feeling less thickheaded.

      I'm sad to hear this is not a weekly puzzle! but I will check out the archives y'all have shared.

    • well, I was finally able to get 25 only by trying all the letters I had around it in different combinations. Bah!

      I'm still having a hard time with 1, 3, 31, 32, & 36. (despite all the clues so far in the comments here AND having many of the surrounding letters.

      (36 is NOT inferno I eventually found out)

      any help with these 5 would be greatly appreciated!

    • Nevermind. I finally figured out 36 which helped to get the song lyrics, which helped to get 31 and 32 (groan at 32).

      Still working on 1 and 2.

    • Oops, I mean 1 and 3.

    • Ben--

      Hey, I just got 36: Think container, with the definition(s) being "off-white" and blaze. It works, and it's not "inferno."

      I too am struggling with some of the same ones you are (1, 3), and some I need only a few letters to complete (22, 28, 29).

      In two cases, I only need the first letter (31, 33), believing "L" fits for both, but not seeing (fully) how these answers connect with the clues given -- or I do in a "sort of" sense, but haven't fully deciphered to give confidence in my own answer. Then again, I'm getting closer...


    • Hi Bob,
      I finally finished. I don't understand how the answer to #1 was assembled from the clue, and #3 is very obscure (at least for me), but if you get enough of the surrounding letters you should get them eventually.

      Your gut is correct on 31 and 33. 31 starts at 12 o clock and rotates clockwise. 33 starts at 11 o clock and rotates counter-clockwise.

      Hints for 22, 28, 29 below: (don't look if you're still trying on your own)

      22: thieves is the clue and wordplay is a container using synonyms for both.
      28: no seasoning is the clue and wordplay is an anagram
      29: singer is the clue and wordplay is an assembly using 2 synonyms and one word that is there already, in order

      good luck!

    • Ben--

      Thanks for the assist; now have 22, 28 and 29 (groan-inducing, that one). Just need 1 and 3 (at least partially) to finish. I thought 3 might be an anagram of "ire gets" since I have some of those letters already, but nothing makes sense -- am I barking up the wrong tree?

      For 8 and 31, how am I supposed to interpret their respective last bits of clues, i.e., "that is restricted" and "carrying a $5 bill" (though I get this last may infer a container of some sort, but I'm not seeing it).

      Thanks again to all.


    • Amending my last:

      I now have #1 completed; if I've done so correctly, the definition is a cute one for "high shiners" as it were, but the "good directions" portion of the clue really makes no sense to me. And though I have completed answers for 8 and 31, I still remain puzzled by portions of their clues as noted above.

    • @RNCJr

      1: think of a grade in class that means "good," not "great." "High shiners" is not exactly a straightforward definition, but it sort of makes sense.

      3: You're right about the anagram. It's the name of a particular actor.

      8: Latin abbreviation meaning "that is" followed by a movie rating.

      31: Use a three-letter slang term for a $5 bill, and recognize that "a" isn't in the clue just for decoration.

    • Steve--

      Thanks...got it, and done!!

      The rest of the clues you provided cleared things up nicely. On 31, I actually hadn't realized the slang term but upon looking it up, I found what you meant...and it all makes sense now (in a maddening sort of way, the "good" mad, that is).

      Appreciate the assists from all. Can't wait to try my hand at another of these.


    • No, RNCJr, on 36. The definition is blaze, and the wordplay is an evergreen tree inside a word for off-white.

    • Gary P--

      Yup, that's a better rendition of the clue than I gave, and though I do have the correct answer at this point, it's easy to see why folks initially went for "inferno", myself included. I'm sure our puzzle's creators could use that answer in the future with the clue recrafted.


    • Well, so much for practice makes perfect. I just finished the January Harper’s cryptic, and it was no Christmas present. When I saw that R. Maltby’s instructions actually included the caveat “some googling may be required,” I thought, oh crap! And the 11 clueless entries left me pretty much clueless. But, of course, wikipedia had ‘em all. And now I guess I’m ready for those dinner conversations about operatic trilogies. Happy New Year you all from deep in the heart of Texas.

    • downtime: Nope, it's a tetralogy. Because I teach vocal music, this one went unbelievably fast for me. And Happy New Year to you, too.

    • Yikes! There's a cryptic in "Harper's", too? I subscribed to that years ago and don't remember any puzzles. You people are keeping me too busy...

    • Harper's has published cryptics by Richard Maltby monthly since January 1976. They are all available online in Harper's archives, but you have to be a subscriber. How tempting is that?

    • A note on the song: It comes from a 1959 album called "Space Songs," sung by Tom Glazer and Dottie Evans, with words and music by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer. It was a collection of science-themed songs for kids, and a favorite of ours was "Why Does the Sun Shine." As someone noted above, it was recently covered by the two-man band They Might Be Giants. You can go a-Googling and find out more.

      Merry bells, wreaths, dancing snowmen, and flying reindeer to all!

    • Ok...some help closing this out:

      #5) I get VESTIGE but don't understand how it ties to the clue.

      #14) DENUDER?

      #19) I have ORBORE for the outside but no letter in the center makes sense .

      #23) CATTAIL?

      #31) I have LEAFING but that is not a container as referenced above

    • Bill:
      #5 The definition is "mark." VESTIGE is contained within "loves tigers."
      #14 The definition is "stripper." DENUDER is an anagram of "endured."
      #19 First letter is "F."
      #23 RAT TAIL
      #31 A FIN is contained within LEG.

    • I know I shouldn't be correcting the music teacher, but now that I'm an authority.... Apparently, Wagner always referred to the the Ring as a trilogy. The first opera was a prelude, followed by the trilogy proper. But, yes, there were 4 in all.

    • Thank you Malibu. I'm not sure what dictionary is being used for "vestige". A Vestige is a "trace" more so than a "mark".

      I should have used Google instead of my dictionary for searching for "rat tail." My dictionary had no mention of a "rat tail" cactus but I see it on Google.

      Merry Christmas!

    • OK, d/t, you win, although it's a sort of you-like-potato-and-I-like-potahto thing. Most of us avoid the issue and simply call it a cycle. Anyway, you get an A on your homework.

    • Would someone please help answer wom questions. I cannot get the answers to 17, 18, 19 28, 29 30 and 31. I don't want to have to wait until next week. Anyone?

    • If you want hints instead of actual answers, stop reading:
      17 - Biretta which is a cap (I had to look it up in the crossword dictionary) sounds like Beretta (a gun manufacturer) 18 - Matador - reversed rod (slang for gun) a tam (a scottish cap) 19 - Forbore
      28 - Untried - scrambled I turned 29 - Sinatra - offense = sin at ra (egyptian sun god)
      30 - Angling (Dangling minus the first letter) 31 - Leafing (as in paging through a book) - a fin (slang for $5 bill) inside leg

    • Thanks so much Lynn. That really helps.

    • Happy New Year all!

      Malibu: thanks for the info on the "Harper's" puzzles. I may be resubscribing.

      I'm off to India for a month, so I'll be playing catch up when I get back. Darn, why can't they have a puzzle this week!

    • If you Google "cryptic crossword", you can find tons of free puzzles, so you don't have to wait for more.

    • Can't get 2.. Please help..

    • Bubbe; For #2, "You and I": WE; "sign for the Ram": ARIES. The definition is "tires" (verb), so the answer is WEARIES.

    • Thanks, Malibu

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