D | A | M | P | S | N | U | B | S | A | T | R | A | ||
O | B | O | E | T | E | N | E | T | B | R | A | N | ||
W | O | O | T | E | X | T | R | A | P | O | I | N | T | |
D | O | N | T | G | E | T | A | N | Y | I | D | E | A | S |
Q | U | O | R | U | M | Z | E | S | T | Y | ||||
S | P | U | R | T | P | E | R | E | Z | |||||
H | E | A | T | H | D | E | R | A | I | L | E | D | ||
O | A | K | L | A | N | D | I | N | O | N | E | G | O | |
P | R | E | E | M | I | E | S | V | A | M | O | S | ||
C | L | O | T | H | E | M | O | T | E | |||||
A | S | A | M | I | J | O | I | N | I | N | ||||
S | C | R | A | T | C | H | A | N | D | S | N | I | F | F |
P | O | T | T | Y | H | U | M | O | R | U | C | L | A | |
E | R | I | E | U | T | E | R | I | T | E | A | K | ||
N | E | E | D | M | U | S | E | S | E | S | T | E |
With apologies to J.K. Rowling, I've been asked to say a few words, and here they are: ALAI IPSE RARA MALESKA.
This bizarre incantation is not, as far as I know, how modern speed solvers fire themselves up for crossword tournaments, but 40 years ago it might have passed for a daily New York Times cheat code. I've never watched a jai alai match, nor I could use the Latin phrases ipse dixit and rara avis in a sentence other than this one. But I still know the name Eugene T. Maleska, the former crossword editor, and if nothing else, he taught me how to fill in the blanks with otherwise-alien letter combinations. Fortunately I didn't have to resort to any of those for this puzzle.
Just a few more words: KROZEL WEINTRAUB BURNIKEL REID NOTHNAGEL. You all make terrific puzzles — thanks for letting me sneak one in!
B | O | N | D | S | E | S | I | G | N | |||||
U | N | A | R | M | S | A | X | E | L | R | O | D | ||
R | E | T | O | O | K | S | C | R | E | E | N | E | R | |
B | L | A | N | K | E | T | H | O | G | W | E | R | E | |
S | L | E | E | P | A | P | N | E | A | F | A | A | ||
T | H | I | S | S | E | C | O | N | D | |||||
P | A | T | R | I | O | T | G | O | R | G | E | |||
S | A | D | F | A | C | E | S | W | I | M | M | E | R | |
O | S | C | A | R | R | Y | E | S | E | E | D | |||
S | T | O | L | E | N | C | A | R | S | |||||
P | R | U | D | A | L | M | A | T | I | A | N | S | ||
A | I | N | T | M | A | S | H | E | D | P | E | A | S | |
D | E | C | I | S | I | V | E | N | E | P | A | L | I | |
S | I | M | O | N | E | S | D | A | L | T | O | N | ||
L | E | G | G | S | L | Y | O | N | S |
A 62-answer debut?
In the words of Bob Seger, "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then..."