LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Which fifth clue in last week’s puzzle needed an asterisk? The five long theme entries were:
17-A [“Red Dust” actor, 1932] = CLARK GABLE
26-A [Park structure] = PICNIC TABLE
40-A [“The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” e.g.] = CAUTIONARY FABLE
51-A [Zabar’s purchase ($60/lb.)] = SMOKED SABLE
62-A [Comcast choice] = BASIC CABLE
Hmmm, solvers noticed, each of those ends in a word fitting the ?ABLE pattern. The four starred clues were:
5-A [Benedict Arnold*] = JUDAS
16-A [Dramatic singer*] = DIVA
51-D [Spotted*] = SPIED
59-D [Full of oneself*] = VAIN
So what’s the connection? Anagram each of those four, graft them onto one of the ?ABLE words, and you’ve got a familiar -able word. As indicated by the color coding in the solution at right, they are:
JUDAS + TABLE = adjustable
DIVA + SABLE = advisable
SPIED + CABLE = despicable
VAIN + GABLE = navigable
Who’s left? FABLE, which combines with meta answer FINE at 14-A to make ineffable. Instructions asked for the clue that should’ve been starred, but the clue number, the clue itself, or the clue’s answer were all accepted since they were — well, fine.
pgw writes:
41-down was fitting, I always solve in pen, and it was the first entry in this puzzle I had to write over because I’d entered the wrong thing (IN INK)
This week’s winner, whose name was chosen randomly from the 156 correct entries received, is Patsy Coffin of Sudbury, Mass. In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, Patsy will also receive a two-year subscription to Andrew Ries‘s new weekly crossword ($5 for one year, $10 for two).
SPECIAL PRIZE THIS WEEK AND NEXT:
In addition to a MGWCC pen, pencil and notepad set, winners this week and next will also receive a 1-year subscription to Peter Gordon‘s new Kickstarter project, Fireball Fortnightly News Crosswords 2014-2015. Highly recommended.
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is an ominous sign. Submit your answer in the form on the left sidebar by Tuesday at noon ET. Note: the submissions form disappears from the site promptly at noon on Tuesday.
To print the puzzle out, click on the image below and hit “print” on your browser. To solve using Across Lite either solve on the applet below or download the free software here, then join the Google Group (2,243 members now!) here. Or you can download the .puz file (you may have to right-click the link and save to your Downloads folder).
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.