Saturday, January 1, 2011 - How Many Ways Can You Say First?

Introduction

Today's New Years Day puzzle by Cox and Rathvon starts the year off with many firsts.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of my readers all the best in the coming year.

Solution to Today's Puzzle

Legend:	"*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed
	"( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted

Across

1a FORE(MO)ST - MO (first couple -  i.e., first two letters - of "MOose"} contained in (inside) FOREST (woods)

5a M(AID)EN - AID contained in (adopted by) MEN (guys)

9a THAWS* - anagram (new) of WHATS

10a {ART MUSEUM}* - anagram (moving) of MA MUST RUE

12a LA(PLAN)D - LAD (kid) contains (has) PLAN (idea for the future)

13a G|RIDDLE - G (grand) + RIDDLE (enigma)

14a IN|AUG|URAL - IN + AUG (August) + URAL (Russian river)

16a _G|OR|KI_ - hidden in (involved in) hugginG OR KIssing

18a EPSOM* - anagram (jockey ... around) of MOPES

20a BEG|INNING - BEG (pray) preceding (before) INNING (part of a [base]ball game)

22a T(I|TAN)IC - TIC (jerk) containing (acquires) {I (bit - i.e., first letter - of "Iron") + TAN (bronze)}

24a COM(PET)E - COME (arrive) containing (carrying) PET (mascot)

26a C|HASTENED - C (first [letter] of "Children") + HASTENED (shook a leg)

27a TRAMS< - reversal (when put in reverse) of SMART (quick)

28a LEADER~ - sounds like (heard) LIEDER (German songs)

29a OR(I|GIN)AL - ORAL (spoken) containing (about) {I (one) + GIN (card game)}

Down
1d FAT|A|L - FAT (being overweight) + (by) A + L (pound; British currency)

2d REAP|PEARS - REAP (to harvest) + PEARS (fruit)

3d MU(STAN)G - MUG (face) contained in (worn by) STAN (Ollie's partner; Stan Laurel, comedic partner of Oliver "Ollie" Hardy)

4d SWARD< - reversal (back) of DRAWS (pulls)

6d A|M(US)ING - US contained in (in) {A + MING (Chinese dynasty)}

7d D(RE)AD - RE (about) contained in (interrupting) DAD (Pop)

8d NUMB(ER)ING - ER (some hesitation) contained in (amid) NUMBING (very dull)

11d TAG|A|LOG - TAG (game) + (with) A + LOG (piece of firewood)

14d IDENTICAL* - anagram (novel) of DIALECT IN

15d RUB|ICON - RUB (polish) + ICON (picture)

17d {RAISE CAIN}* - anagram (set loose) of CANARIES I

19d MAN(ATE)E - ATE (had food) contained in (stuck in) MANE (long hair)

21d NAMETAG< - reversal (given back) of GATEMAN (sentry)

23d T(I)ARA - I contained in (donated to) TARA (Scarlett's place; the home of Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone With the Wind)

24d C(ED)AR - CAR (coach; as a railway coach) containing (takes in) ED

The surface reading alludes to American filmmaker Ed Wood.

25d EASE|L - EASE (facility) + L (left)

Happy New Year - Falcon