The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 10 COMICS & PUZZLESFor Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 J THE KERRVILLE DAILY TIMES For Release Wednesday, April 14, 2021 NEA Crossword

Crossword Edited by Will Shortz No. 0310

ACROSS 33 Elizabeth I, for 60 “Argo” or “Fargo” 1234 5678 910111213 one 1 Soft “seat” in the 61 The McCoys, e.g. woods 34 Center of a sting 14 15 16 62 ___-American 5 operation? Things that (like about 6% of 17 18 19 may be hot or 37 Small, flat- the U.S.) dropped bottomed boat 20 21 22 63 Title matchmaker 9 It’s a lot to 40 Stereotypical in an 1815 novel assume 23 24 25 26 27 clown name 64 14 James or Jones Shocked 41 Concede of jazz 28 29 30 31 response to 43 Brutus “The Persistence 65 Junior and senior 32 33 of Memory” 15 Come back 66 Common medical and “Lobster 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 16 Cropped up Telephone” advice 67 41 42 43 44 17 Good name for 45 Start of a saying Harvest an average Joe about parental discipline 45 46 47 48 49 50 18 Related DOWN 19 48 Ply the needle 51 52 53 Moving gracefully 1 Like solving 51 20 Start of a saying Quick, possibly crosswords 54 55 56 controversial bit about getting in 2 Eight-time Oscar the way of commentary 57 58 59 60 61 52 nominee for Best 23 Acid’s opposite Body of work Actor 54 62 63 64 24 Mad as a hatter Warning you 3 Action in tennis, might give 28 Wrangler swimming and 65 66 67 before revealing golf alternative the endings of 4 29 Start of a saying 20-, 29- and Highest, on a PUZZLE BY STARK AND WILL NEDIGER about negative 45-Across? diploma 22 49 influence 57 Like some 5 Polysemous Subj. of Charlotte 35 Prime Cuts Extra Slips 32 Brewer’s Gravy brand Rocker Bob shrimp and jets words have 50 After-meal multiple of these “Treasure-House 36 of the Language” Strip in the amenity ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 6 Repulsive bedroom, maybe 25 Popular prom 53 Worrier’s ailment, 7 38 Partner of away BORAT SAGA PROM Smart hairstyle it’s said 8 39 Tripping hazard IRISH ICES LOVE California 26 Apt rhyme for 55 Garnish for a FALSETEETH AMEN county north of “blob” 42 Boomerangs for gimlet Marin 27 Aboriginal FLEABAGS ECARD Sleek, in auto- 56 9 speak Australians, e.g. Classic boulevard YORE PARE Refuses to carry liners LATEX LAURABUSH out 30 Hair-raising cry 44 It might occur to you 57 Noisy bird EL I DED TR I ONCE 10 They’re usually 31 Bouquet thrower packed on St. 46 Ring ref’s 58 APR REVERSE COW 32 Place to watch Application Patrick’s Day decision SHES L I U ENSURE a game with 59 11 47 Hamm with two HADNOHOPE ANTED Caught friends Calfless cow Olympic gold EVIL VICE 12 “Kinda” 34 Draw, colloquially 48 Slender medals APNEA TENTACLE 13 Finder’s ___ DEAR KUBLA I KHAN Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past 21 Common DAME I SAY NE A TO cosmetics puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). SLED DARN GROSS component Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

SUDOKU CELEBRITY CIPHER BY LUIS CAMPOS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

THE NEA BRIDGE BY PHILIP ALDER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 es of Blackwood to fnd out if South TO FINESSE OR NOT TO has a minor-suit king. If he does not, North signs off in six spades or FINESSE six no-trump; if he does, North bids “To be or not to be: that is the seven spades or seven no-trump. (In question, whether ‘tis nobler in the no-trump, North might gain from a mind to suffer the slings and arrows minor-suit lead.) of outrageous fortune ...” begins a In six spades, South needs one well-known soliloquy, but the let- minor-suit fnesse to work. So, he ters can be rearranged to produce: should fnesse in diamonds at trick “In one of the Bard’s best-thought-of one. If it loses, he wins East’s return, tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, draws trumps and tries the club f- HOW TO PLAY: Each queries on two fronts about how nesse. life turns rotten.” (Who worked that In seven spades, though, the dia- row, column and set out?) mond fnesse is a red herring. Even if of 3-by-3 boxes must In today’s deal, you are faced with it wins, declarer still needs the club contain the numbers fnesses on two fronts. After West fnesse to succeed. And if the club f- 1 through 9 without leads a low diamond, how would you nesse is working, there are three club repetition. play in both six spades and seven tricks available, to go with six spades, spades? three hearts and one diamond. So, After North recovers from the South should win with dummy’s shock of hearing his partner open diamond ace, draw trumps ending in the opponents will feel that declar- two spades, he ought to use two dos- hand and run the club jack. If it wins, er’s fortune was outrageous.

ANSWERS FOR THIS PAGE FOUND IN THE THURSDAY PAPER. B Moderately Confused B

Garfeld B

Dilbert B Frank and Ernest B

The Born Loser B Big Nate By