Making a Few Bucks
by Colin Gale*
edited by Mike Shenk
January 22, 2010

*Pseudonym of Mike Shenk as an ANAGRAM {2D Ancients, for instance} of collegian, so I'm told. Not to be confused with Colin Gale the Head of the School of Textiles, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England. I recently met a woman who has contacted all of 3 her Internet name-mates. I've looked up mine but haven't contacted her.

Full answers available on WSJ's crossword puzzle page.

Theme: STAG rebus
Instead of typing out 14 clues which you already know, I've broken down the word usage. (It's my party and I'll make laziness a virtue if I want to.)

stag-
STAGNATE
STAGGER

-stag-, as a form of -stage
HOSTAGES
POSTAGE
UPSTAGE

-st ag-
BELFAST AGREEMENT
PROTEST AGAINST
CONTRAST AGENTS
FIRST AGE

-s tag
MATTRESS TAG
PLAYS TAG

-st a g-
CAST A GIANT SHADOW
BUST A GUT
JUST A GIGOLO

A question for anyone out there who solves online. I can easily write 4 letters in one square. How do you convince the crossword program to do so? Okay, I read the instructions but how does having only the first letter influence your solving, particularly if the rebus is mid-word?


Sub-theme: UP
SETS UP {83A Frames}
WAS UP {38D Batted}
UPSTAGE {58D Eclipse}
FINISH UP {81D Prepare to leave for the day}
Also ON in 11 clues, including 2 three-way nests but only 1 as stand-alone, ON TOPIC {19A Relevant}


Crosswordpuzzlese: 1
A new category. Haven't the foggiest but get because they are standard crossword puzzle answers. Don't know a car clue or {66A Royale Sedans, for example}? Try REOS.


News To Me: 4
EGIS {26A Protection} – Part of defensive armor. I couldn't parse this even after I got the letters. Duh. A variant was the name of my college yearbook. Or, the phrase “under the aegis of...”.

ARA {31A Parseghian in the College Football Hall of Fame} – also a disease foundation.

MIRIMEE {41A Carmen's creator} – written not sung.

ARETES {50A Knifelike ridges} – I should have known this from cwpuzzlese.


Opportunities To Learn New Things: 0
Admissions of Defeat: 0
My first for 2010! Odd, considering the trouble I had wrestling this sucker to the ground.


Variety Puzzle: Snowflake
I have snowflaked my way into a corner. I know (or looked up) that Potomac [River] belongs but there is no place for it to flow. Which means I need to erase words and start again with different words &/or arrangements. I dislike backing up. Words should stay were they are put.

Katherine Walcott
Puzzle Fan