Unexpected wallet fattener

Constructing puzzles is a quick way to easy riches and Lynn Lempel fattened her wallet with a nice payment from the NYT for the Monday, June 30 puzzle (answers.) It looked lucrative on paper but unfortunately she forgot to specify the currency for her found money. As of today, the South African RAND is worth 12.6 cents, the Italian lira is obsolete but the Maltese LIRA brings in $3.41, the Japanese YEN is worth less than a penny, and the Mexican PESO is about a dime.

Unless you forget whether MOSUL was in Iran or Iraq, this was a straightforward puzzle. The only awkward spot was 13 Down, "reasons for special ed." I suppose a special edition comes out when there's breaking news that Dewey Defeats Truman or something and you need to crank up the presses one more time. One needs to parse "ed" correctly as education or know that Iraq is the country in question to get that last letter.

This is the 24th Monday puzzle from Ms. Lempel out of 32 total. The more I learn about puzzles the more I admire early-week specialists who can make the simple seem smooth. I would have missed my favorite clue if I weren't writing this blog since I got "as well" just from the cross clues. The answer is TO BOOT which is a phrase I love and need to use more often to boot.

Here's a deep philosophical question. Can the upper half of Venus truly be said to be NUDE? Sure, she's disarmingly topless but I would have thought that nudity is an all or nothing affair. Am I nude from the neck up if I'm not wearing a hat?

I'll be adding a new post later on this weekend's diagramless puzzle by Mike Nothnagel. If you're a Times subscriber you can try it here. That will open the puzzle in Across Lite. You can print it as a diagramless or if you prefer you can convert it to a regular puzzle and solve it normally, but try the diagramless even if you've never done it before. Here's a tip that is published in the magazine: 1 Across starts in the fourth square from the left in the top row. Here's a tip that isn't mentioned in the magazine: the puzzle uses regular crossword symmetry. This is usually but not always the case for diagramless puzzles.

Comments

[alanrichard]

Now that we have Jim Belushi in an ape suit - how about not crying over spilt milKKKKKK in Mr. Destiny.

[PhillySolver]

Money from four continents is a good Monday start. I agree this was a fine well constructed puzzle. A tradition has been broken as OREO appears without a single hint of alcohol. My ITINERARY calls for a very early start in the morning so I'll see you tomorrow night.

[KarmaSartre]

Very nice puzzle. Not quite sure how the circled moneys are "found", as the circles point the way to them so clearly they don't seem lost. Never would have guessed TOSCA based on Cavaradossi, but adding Puccini made it a Monday clue.

Jim, can't answer your nudity question (neck-up, no hat) without knowing if you have a turtleneck sweater on...or a mask.

[john farmer]

Constructing puzzles is a quick way to easy riches...

There goes Jim, making up stuff once again. If you were to add a RAND, a LIRA, and a PESO, you might have a rough estimate of Lynn's hourly rate.

I would have thought that nudity is an all or nothing affair.

I thought I'd Google "half nude" and see what came up. I got a link for "Justin Timberlake Half nude in Speedo" and I was not inclined to click any further. You'll have to do your own research on that one.

...there's breaking news that Dewey Defeats Truman...

I don't mean to get too political here, but I'm ready for anybody but Bush.

[lou]

I think Lynne should ask for the antique ecu as payment!

[steve l]

Jim--How else would you parse the "ed" in Special ed?

[JimH]

I thought it was special edition, like the car with the extra bit of fake leather in the seats or the iPod signed by some singer you never heard of. Maybe if I had got a little more special ed myself I would have known better.

[joon]

given that there is such a thing as "partial" nudity, i think you can be nude from the waist up. you can also be nude from the neck up, but nobody will really care. my wife often goes around nude from the knees down in the summertime. (not me--i can't live without socks.)

[ArtLvr]

I remember as a youngster being fascinated to read in an Edgar Rice Burroughs book, probably one of the non-Tarzan adventures, where the hero stumbled onto a lavish kingdom hidden in a jungle -- and described the feast he attended where the ladies all wore gowns totally exposing their breasts! My first inkling of such a possibility...