LETTER BANK XIX

LETTER RECYCLING
NY Times Crossword
February 25, 2018
Will Nediger

In a letter bank, the letters of a shorter word are used, and repeated as necessary, to make a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank for MISSISSIPPI. However, as in this example, the two words are rarely related - other than the shared letters.

In this clever puzzle, both the letter bank and its longer word answer the same clue. For example, SCHMEAR and CREAM CHEESE share the same letters and can both be clued as BAGEL TOPPING.

Find two words which both answer the single clues below such that the first answer is a letter bank for the second - as in the above example. Some hints are given when the relationships are a little vague.

1. Revolutionary War hero
2. Historical period (after King George I-IV)
3. Snack items (one is a kind of nut)
4. Really impressive
5. Beethoven keyboard piece
6. Obsession with feet (implied guilt phrase)
7. Don't give up (Yogi Berra quote)

Answers:

1. NATHAN HALE - ETHAN ALLEN
2. IRON AGE - GEORGIAN ERA
3. PISTACHIOS - POTATO CHIPS
4. ASTOUNDING - OUTSTANDING
5. PIANO SONATA - APPASSIONATA
6. FOOT FETISH - IF THE SHOE FITS
7. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE - IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER 

Note: Jeff Chen, commentator on the NY Times Crossword Puzzle blog, had this to say about this puzzle:

At first, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be, given that these were something less than direct anagrams. But I liked how the concept opened up room for direct synonyms and tight pairs like NATHAN HALE and ETHAN ALLEN - something that direct anagrams won't usually allow.