Who's Got the Last Laugh Now?

by George Barany and Amelia Rosner

This "mid-week level" puzzle was constructed shortly after we learned of the passing of the inspirational person pictured to the right. After solving the puzzle (spoiler), click here to read her New York Times obituary, and here to read a prophetic article that has additional details and links. While you're at it, you may be further inspired by the lives of GB's mother and father, and you may especially appreciate this puzzle, entitled "Of Blessed Memory." Finally, please click here for a YouTube clip (8 min)  of the grand finale of a classic Astaire-Rogers movie where they dance into the sunset to a memorable George and Ira Gershwin number, the last few words of which gave us the title of this puzzle.

Click here to view or download the puzzle in PDF format; here to download it as a puz file; here to download it as an ipuz file [requires the free Puzzazz app to solve]; here to solve the puzzle interactively (thanks to Jim Horne); here for the solution. We thank Steve Bachman, Noam Elkies, Michael Hanko, Brent Hartzell, and Martin Herbach for testing the puzzle on short notice and insightful suggestions.

If you want to tell others about this particular page, refer them to
http://tinyurl.com/laughpuz

More puzzles here (all), here (music), and here (tributes).

E-mail barany@umn.edu to be added to a bcc distribution list.