DAILY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
Strong drink, and part 1 of a word ladder Kiss Injured, as a knee Damage Private tutoring session Theater walkways Injured, as an ankle Cancels a dele Tabloid item (part 2)
The “S” of CSNY “No more sharing,” briefly Genetic material Two-door cars (part 3)
1975 Tony-winning play about a stableboy Former Boston commuter org. Small, chirpy bird Brunch order (part 4)
“It can’t be!” Unsuccessful Ford Personal care brand with a bird in its logo Underground tombs (part 5) 44 Mining hauls 46 Circus safety
feature
47 Owl sounds 48 Arts’ partner (part 6) Piercing tool Japanese assent Sandal parts Wanders (part 7) Taxpayer’s option Neckwear that makes a statement 63 Older, as bread 64 Like the print version of an e-book, say 65 Abrasion
66 Cook in oil 67 Insolence 1 7 11 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 28 30 32 35 36 37 39 41 42 50 51 53 56 59 61 68 Work assignments ... and, preceded by 1-Across, the key to creating the word ladder (and part 8 of it)
DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 16 22 23 26 27 Days in Quito Drops
Hot and bothered Like Estonia and Latvia
Stays out of sight Trauma ctrs. Pear variety Removes for transplanting Antitoxin Having more lather
Took a refresher course in Half of deux __ school Zero, in soccer Angling needs Went like the wind Béisbol team complement Desirable trait
DAILY BRIDGE CLUB:
Millard Pringle played at my club yesterday. He’s a quiet little man who tends to get lost in the maze of defensive “rules.”
“Look at this,” Cy the Cynic told me, displaying today’s deal. “I was South, playing at 3NT, and Millard was West, the opening leader. He knew to lead a spade, but he couldn’t remember the rule about which one to lead. Was it ‘fourth highest’ or ‘top of a sequence’? Finally, he led the six!
“You can see what that did to me,” the Cynic said. “I won with the 10, but when I led the jack of hearts next, East took the king and returned his last spade. Millard set up his spades and got in with the ace of hearts to cash them.”
If Millard leads the king Belgian painter James Logician’s “as was proven” Coffee flavor Host, as a party With no discernable pattern 36 Chin indentation 38 Back (out) 40 Labeled times 43 Warm-weather
wear
45 Warm up before
a run
48 Boston and 29 31 32 33 34 of spades, Cy can play low from his hand effectively to break up the defenders’ communication.
With South known from the bidding to have four cards in spades, I think Millard’s lead was intelligent. It would gain not only on the actual lie of the cards but also if East’s spades were 10-x.
DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ 94 ♥ Q10954
◆ KJ62 ♣ A Q. Your partner opens one spade, you bid two hearts and he rebids two spades. The opponents pass. What do you say?
ANSWER: If your partner is known to open light, as many players are wont to do these days, you might do well to settle for 2NT,
Chicago 49 “Green Hills of Africa” journey Union that merged with SAG in 2012 Rice dish Snoozed
See 58-Down With 57-Down, loses one’s cool 60 Part of a Spanish “to be” conjugation 61 Adobe doc suffix 62 Atop, poetically 63 Griddle sound 52 54 55 57 58 inviting game. With most partners, I would commit to game. Either a bid of three diamonds or a jump to 3NT would be acceptable.