Valvaithankoshtam

by George Barany and Friends

This "mid-week level" puzzle (19x19) was released on October 27, 2013, a date of particular significance to the brilliant cruciverbalist/musician/lyricist/teacher of voice and the Alexander Technique, who inspired it (98-Across, pictured to the right). After completing the puzzle (spoiler), learn more about him and his myriad interests by clicking here and then following the further links. Bonus points if you can figure out why an obscure Indian town was used as the final title of the puzzle, the preliminary title of which was "Hiding in Plain Sight." [Added in proof: We received this nomination, evocative of a lyric (at 0:28 in the next link) in the 1951 Academy Award-winning Hoagy Carmichael-Johnny Mercer song.] Finally, FWIW, learn more about two non-household names from the puzzle by clicking here (for 37-Across, the father-in-law of a Nobel laureate) and here (for 79-Across, who also has his own site).

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. The friends who contributed to the puzzle's fill and clues include most of the usual suspects: Marcia Brott, Noam Elkies, Brent Hartzell, Martin Herbach, and Tom Williams, who surpassed even their usual impeccably high standards.

If you want to tell others about this particular page, refer them to
http://tinyurl.com/oct27birthpuz

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

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