Solution - World’s Longest Diagramless

by Phil Webster

Answer: Click here to reveal

Solving this diagramless crossword from the very top and then up from the very bottom proceeds normally for a time, yielding the following top and bottom pieces:


Solving the clues between the very bottom and the very top yields answers which all start with A at the top. After a bit these jump back to AAA and then are in normal alphabetical order. At the bottom of the seemingly ordered section are words which start with Z, as expected. However, the words after ZZZ are obviously not exactly where they should be.

As hinted at in the crossword itself ("YAKKO", "MEXICAN HAT DANCE", and "ENGLISH LANGUAGE", among others), the answer words immediately after the top of the crossword (from AARDVARK to AFRAID) and immediately before the end (from ZACHARY to ZAIRE) are the starting and ending lyrics to "Yakko Warner Sings All the Words In The English Language".

The parts of the song that were broadcast also included a section in the L's from LEVEL to LUTE. Solvers who find this section (which starts where LEVEL is alphabetically) should observe that the clues for the first 25 of these words form an acrostic which spells out the answer, which is LIZ LEMON GREEK FROZEN YOGURT.

Here is the answer list with most of the unneeded entries removed, for space reasons.


Animated brother of Wakko and Dot (5)YAKKO
Complains (7)YAMMERS
Ed of "Daniel Boone" (4)AMES
Kids' cereal (3)KIX
Make bootees (4)KNIT
That hurt! (4)OUCH
Org. awarded an honorary Oscar in 1985 (3)NEA
Close (6)NOTFAR
Pass receiver (3)END
Difficulty in movement (5)ATAXY
Very good grade (6)AMINUS
For example (3)SAY
Habit (4)WONT
Boy to find in kids' books (5)WALDO
Tune which the Jarabe TapatÍo is danced (15)MEXICANHATDANCE
Category of painkillers, such as aspirin (anagram of DINAS) (5)NSAID
Detained (4)HELD
Prefix with natal (3)NEO
Weep (3)CRY
Tropical pitcher plants and such (7)EXOTICS
Reservations (6)QUALMS
Logician's abbr. (3)QED
QB VII author (4)URIS
"The King and I" lady (4)ANNA
Property claim (4)LIEN
"Physician, heal ___" (7)THYSELF
Son of Darius I (6)XERXES
Containing nothing (5)EMPTY
Japanese tipple (4)SAKE
Bert's TV roommate (5)ERNIE
M*A*S*H Actor Alan (4)ALDA
Well-known cello player (6)YOYOMA
Informal eatery (5)DINER
Hallways or highways (9)CORRIDORS
Give a pink slip to (3)CAN
Acapulco gold (3)ORO
Invitation letters (4)RSVP
Raise (4)REAR
Poivre's partner (3)SEL
Tollway: Abbr. (3)TPK
Without: Fr. (4)SANS
"I can't be ___" (Brit's "I'm too lazy") (5)ARSED
Loner (7)EREMITE
Designer Gernreich (4)RUDI
Slugger Slaughter (4)ENOS
Algebra or trig (4)MATH
PBS science program (4)NOVA
Madness (6)LUNACY
Tourney type (5)PROAM
Frequently (3)OFT
Carpet layer's calculation (4)AREA
Doll's cry (4)MAMA
Specks (4)DOTS
Relating to an ancient Germanic tribe (8)FRANKISH
"All Things Considered" network (3)NPR
Grade-schooler (3)KID
Musical paces (5)TEMPI
Dictionary's first animal (8)AARDVARK
Letting up (7)ABATING
Help a crook (4)ABET
Leaving the throne, as King Edward did for Wallis Simpson (10)ABDICATING
Leave in the lurch (7)ABANDON
Belittle (5)ABASE
Side by side (7)ABREAST
On fire (6)ABLAZE
Ceremonial washing (8)ABLUTION
Detest (5)ABHOR
Evil, corrupt, or deceptive usage (7)ABUSION
Use the acronym for, for example (10)ABBREVIATE
"Sound of Music" setting (5)ABBEY
Inflamed and pus-filled: Brit. (9)ABSCESSED
Carry off illegally (6)ABDUCT
The wearing away of a rock or glacier (8)ABLATION
Shorten (7)ABRIDGE
Scrape (8)ABRASION
Make embarassed (5)ABASH
Brusque (6)ABRUPT
Overseas, to a Scot (6)ABREID
Leave with the loot (7)ABSCOND
What some people are convicted in (8)ABSENTIA
Not in class (6)ABSENT
In ___ (not present) (var.) (9)ABSTENTIA
Body's midsection (7)ABDOMEN
With skill (4)ABLY
Stay (5)ABIDE
Worse than inferior (10)ABOMINABLE
Abolish by official means (8)ABROGATE
Unrestricted (8)ABSOLUTE
Not in class (6)ABSENT
Like a sponge (9)ABSORBENT
Self-recusal from voting (10)ABSTENTION
Generalized model of a real-world phenomenon, e.g. (11)ABSTRACTION
Harebrained (6)ABSURD
Plentiful (8)ABUNDANT
Not at all nurturing (7)ABUSIVE
Bridge support (8)ABUTMENT
Tree of the mimosa family (6)ACACIA
Military school (7)ACADEMY
Director's shout (6)ACTION
Acquiesce (6)ACCEDE
Greet obtrusively (6)ACCOST
Regard as true (6)ACCEPT
On the far side of (6)ACROSS
Be someone's plus one (9)ACCOMPANY
Farming unit (4)ACRE
Agreement (6)ACCORD
Finish the job, say (10)ACCOMPLISH
Narrative (7)ACCOUNT
Increase gradually (6)ACCRUE
Add up (to) (6)AMOUNT
Bitterly hostile (11)ACRIMONIOUS
Constantly busy (6)ACTIVE
Revered (6)ADORED
It may give you a rush (10)ADRENALINE
Praise to the skies (7)ADULATE
Viper (5)ADDER
Publicly recommend (8)ADVOCATE
Promote (9)ADVERTISE
Unfavorable (7)ADVERSE
Wear down (6)ABRADE
Recommendation (6)ADVICE
Like a devil's advocate, say (11)ADVERSARIAL
Pre-Christmas time (6)ADVENT
Antenna (6)AERIAL
Well-to-do (8)AFFLUENT
In the future (5)AFTER
Fearful (6)AFRAID
Auto club letters (3)AAA
Small source of energy (10)AAABATTERY
Slim battery (7)AAACELL

Utmost effort (9)LEVELBEST
Came clean (7)LEVELED
Demolisher (7)LEVELER
Showing sound judgment (11)LEVELHEADED
Layer or tier (5)LEVEL
Informal jocularity (6)LEVITY
Zealously lustful (4)LEWD
Lastingness (9)LONGEVITY
Expose to scorn (5)LIBEL
Manischewitz or Merlot, say (8)LIBATION
Oahu veranda (5)LANAI
Nirvana hit on the "Nevermind" album (7)LITHIUM
Go to court (8)LITIGATE
Rightful, as a claim (5)LEGAL
Entirely on the level (10)LEGITIMATE
Enfranchisement (7)LIBERTY
Kent portrayer, in "The Ladies' Man" (4)LEVY
Fib (3)LIE
Rum or Bourbon, e.g. (8)LIBATION
One who is profligate (9)LIBERTINE
Zone-specific, as with regionalized DVDs (7)LIMITED
Elegant means of transport (9)LIMOUSINE
Not at all obscured (6)LIMPID
You may bend over backwards to satisfy people doing this (5)LIMBO
One of Sprite's flavors (4)LIME
Guess? Spokesmodel Adriana (4)LIMA
Unsaturated fat, e.g. (5)LIPID
Romance novels are generally considered too lowbrow to be this (10)LITERATURE
Type of asset (6)LIQUID
Telephone book entry (7)LISTING
Pepsi bottle size (5)LITER
Queue (4)LINE
Special-interest group (5)LOBBY
Reading off of a disk, say (7)LOADING
Worthy of scorn and derision (9)LOATHSOME
Trying to generate some interest, perhaps (7)LOANING
Corporate symbol (4)LOGO
Propulsion, such as that provided by a steam engine (10)LOCOMOTION
Yoga posture (5)LOTUS
Scratch-off game, e.g. (7)LOTTERY
Western wolf (4)LOBO
Psychosurgical operation (8)LOBOTOMY
Reasoning (5)LOGIC
Start to untie (6)LOOSEN
Sunblock, e.g. (6)LOTION
Cough drop (7)LOZENGE
Inexperienced sailor (6)LUBBER
Like a four-leaf clover (5)LUCKY
Enthusiast (5)LOVER
Song for baby (7)LULLABY
Move clumsily (6)LUMBER
New Testament book (4)LUKE
Sheen (6)LUSTER
Extremely flavorsome (8)LUSCIOUS
Asylum resident (7)LUNATIC
Shining (8)LUSTROUS
Hiding in the shadows (7)LURKING
Kind of eclipse (5)LUNAR
Minstrel's accompaniment (4)LUTE
Actor Sam of stage and screen (6)LEVENE
Simple prying tool (5)LEVER
Borrowing as a financial tool (8)LEVERAGE

Tropical insect whose name is the last word in the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (7)ZYZZYVA
Legs rock trio (5)ZZTOP
Snoring sound (3)ZZZ
Presidential first name (7)ZACHARY
Part of Tanzania (8)ZANZIBAR
Full of energy (5)ZAPPY
Owner of an agricultural estate, in India (8)ZAMINDAR
One with an unspecified number of zeroes behind it (7)ZILLION
Five- or nine-digit number (7)ZIPCODE
Buddhist sect (3)ZEN
Like the Marx Brothers (4)ZANY
Urban planner's concern (6)ZONING
Fervor (4)ZEAL
Rhinestone alternative (9)ZIRCONIUM
Aries, Pisces, etc. (6)ZODIAC
Night of the Living Dead baddie (6)ZOMBIE
Seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet (5)ZAYIN
Taking a path that's indirect (7)ZIGGING
Taking a (different) path that's indirect (7)ZAGGING
Fervent (7)ZEALOUS
Striped equine (5)ZEBRA
Nadir's opposite (6)ZENITH
Knock out, as with a remote (3)ZAP
An impure cobalt oxide used as a blue color for ceramics (6)ZAFFER
Former airship (8)ZEPPELIN
Tote-bag feature (6)ZIPPER
Gentle breeze (6)ZEPHYR
Old stringed instrument (6)ZITHER
Coating metal (4)ZINC
Family name in Thomas Pynchon's "Against the Day" (7)ZOMBINI
Madhouse, so to speak (3)ZOO
Ratatouille ingredient (8)ZUCCHINI
Bantu language (4)ZULU
Banderas role of '98 (5)ZORRO
Clearasil target, slangily (3)ZIT
City and province in Western Spain (6)ZAMORA
Worst possible test score (4)ZERO
Rise sharply (4)ZOOM
Belgian Congo, today (5)ZAIRE
Cleo's undoing (3)ASP
Bad boy (3)IMP
Leonine sound (4)ROAR
Hence (4)ERGO
Round-the-campfire treat (5)SMORE
Common Market letters (3)EEC
Falling off (8)SLIPPAGE
Loam (4)SOIL
Stitch's cartoon pal (4)LILO
Of the hipbone: Prefix (4)ILIO
Snake shape (4)COIL
Limestone, mostly (7)CALCITE
Sways back and forth (5)ROCKS
Drug shipment, maybe (4)KILO
Songs for one (4)SOLI
Like some rebates (6)MAILIN
Lusterless finish (5)MATTE
Australian state whose capital is Sydney: Abbr. (3)NSW
Greek letter (4)IOTA
Kind of horn (3)TIN
Colony pest (3)ANT
Fox-hunter's calls (7)HALLOOS
Pianist Myra (4)HESS
Pooped (5)ALLIN
Sleeping problem (5)APNEA
Swedish university city (4)LUND
Theft (7)LARCENY
Here comes trouble! (4)UHOH
R&B artist with the 2006 #1 hit "So Sick" (4)NEYO
Carp's kin (4)DACE
And so on... (3)ETC
School that expelled Poe (9)WESTPOINT
Really bothers (6)EATSAT
Pitching great Warren (5)SPAHN
Money drawer (4)TILL
In front (of) (5)AHEAD
TV host O'Connor (3)DES
Black mark (6)STIGMA
Poly- ending (3)GON
Stein (3)MUG
A two-dimensional world (5)ATLAS
"You could hear ___ drop" (4)APIN
Rolls' auto partner (5)ROYCE
Begin traveling (6)SETOUT
Singing and dancing (7)TALENTS
U-turn from SSE (3)NNW
End-of-workweek shout (4)TGIF
Takei's Star Trek role (4)SULU
Reverberations (6)ECHOES
Subjects of psychoanalysis (4)EGOS
Dictionary's gamut (15)ENGLISHLANGUAGE
Island, in France (3)ILE
Sit-ups firm these (3)ABS
M*A*S*H Actor Alda (4)ALAN
Kornheiser's "Pardon The Interruption" co-host (6)WILBON
Combination (3)SET
Very particular (5)FUSSY