Mister Magus, I aim to please. The Sanskrit word for "ridiculous" is अभिहस्य, pronounced as "ab-hi-ha-sy-ah."
Three long vertical answers ended with UP but I don't understand the "descending order" theme. All vertical answers can be said to be in descending order. Today's puzzle is the second this week to include SHIITE. It also includes NINO, which is misspelled; the word is NIÑO. The grid has 42 black squares, which I consider to be too many. The large number of black squares today means there are shorter words and more Crosswordese: APE, AYE, ELM, ERG, ERN, NEE, ODE...and is AREAR even a word? And ELHI, referring to elementary school and high school, is a word I have never seen outside of crosswords. Today's puzzle is a rarity in that the design is non-symmetrical.
"Shout before Silver" was HIYO. Earle Graser played the Lone Ranger on radio from 1933 to 1941. His cry was "Hi-ho, Silver!" Following Graser's death, Brace Beemer took over the role and continued until the series' end in 1954. Beemer's cry was "Hi-yo, Silver!" Many of us purists prefer "Hi-ho" to "Hi-yo."
