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New York Times, Friday, November 16, 2012

Author:
Victor Fleming
Editor:
Will Shortz
55-Down : Prepare to be snapped
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
473/29/200512/29/202125
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
75107666
CircleScrabblePGramFresh
21.55358%
Victor Fleming

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 72, Blocks: 27 Missing: {JKQXZ} Spans: 4 This is puzzle # 34 for Mr. Fleming. Friday freshness: 49%
Victor Fleming notes:

This was my second Times crossword with legal phrases as the theme. The first was a 9/13/2007 collaboration with Joe Krozel, in which he made a grid with seven 15-letter legal phrases! In my March 23, 2011, transmittal letter, I wrote, "Here's a puzzle you might like for a Friday. The grid is similar to puzzle 8 at the ACPT. It looks themeless and is pretty much clued as though it were. Yet, there's a theme."

If you've read my earlier notes, you'll know that for a time I obsessed over whether and to what extent my theme clues were edited. I don't even check this anymore. Factors that affect clue editing include time lapse between receipt and publication, what's in the previous and subsequent puzzle, and the editor's sense of the audience. But since I've pulled the manuscript ... Two of my four theme clues were retained verbatim! And, while over half of my other clues were changed, Will definitely improved the puzzle's overall merit with his editing!

1
T
2
V
3
S
4
E
5
A
6
S
7
O
8
N
9
S
10
M
11
C
12
C
13
O
14
O
15
H
I
T
T
H
E
H
A
Y
16
A
L
O
H
A
17
R
E
A
S
O
N
A
B
L
18
E
D
O
U
B
T
19
A
W
N
20
T
O
R
I
21
P
E
T
R
O
22
L
A
D
23
S
24
R
A
S
25
P
S
26
H
T
T
27
P
28
L
S
A
T
29
S
30
S
C
R
I
31
P
32
A
H
I
33
R
U
E
34
D
35
O
O
L
A
36
P
E
C
37
C
38
A
D
D
I
E
39
D
40
G
O
L
41
F
P
R
O
42
A
N
O
43
S
A
I
44
L
45
N
I
L
E
46
N
S
F
47
M
R
M
E
48
T
49
N
E
A
50
T
51
O
52
T
W
P
53
S
54
G
E
A
R
55
S
56
W
R
I
T
57
E
R
A
58
T
O
59
D
E
M
60
I
61
A
N
T
62
P
R
O
V
I
D
63
E
E
V
I
D
64
E
N
C
E
65
A
M
O
O
N
66
S
T
O
L
E
N
C
A
R
67
R
E
F
R
Y
68
T
H
R
E
A
T
E
N
S
© 2012, The New York Times11/16/12 ( No. 23,019 )
Across
1
Spans usually starting in the fall : TVSEASONS
10
Marilyn of R&B : MCCOO
15
Turn in : HITTHEHAY
16
Lei Day "hey" : ALOHA
17
Cause for acquittal : REASONABLEDOUBT
19
Beard of botany : AWN
20
"___ & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" (reality series) : TORI
21
Prefix with chemical : PETRO
22
Buckos : LADS
24
Scratches : RASPS
26
Millions of addresses start with it : HTTP
28
Exams for students potentially most interested in this puzzle's theme, in brief : LSATS
30
Rx order : SCRIP
32
Yellowfin, on a menu : AHI
33
Wanted to undo : RUED
35
Dancer enslaved by Jabba the Hutt : OOLA
36
Contracted muscle? : PEC
37
Worked for a 40-Across : CADDIED
40
Paid driver? : GOLFPRO
42
Brazilian calendar span : ANO
43
Go through channels? : SAIL
45
The Imbaba Bridge spans it : NILE
46
Cause of a bank fee, briefly : NSF
47
Big-headed major-league mascot : MRMET
49
Far out : NEATO
52
Local govt. units : TWPS
54
Set for biking : GEARS
56
Means of enforcing compliance : WRIT
57
Versifier's inspiration : ERATO
59
Prefix with god : DEMI
61
One to emulate in an Aesop fable : ANT
62
Show some photos, perhaps : PROVIDEEVIDENCE
65
Many ___ (quite some while) : AMOON
66
Ride in a joyride, often : STOLENCAR
67
Prepare, as some beans : REFRY
68
Cows : THREATENS
Down
1
One held in bondage : THRALL
2
Consider : VIEWAS
3
Something applied to a suit : STANDARDOFPROOF
4
Subjects of an as-yet-fruitless search, briefly : ETS
5
On ___ streak : AHOT
6
Caballero : SENOR
7
Family in a Margaret Mitchell best seller : OHARAS
8
Company with a triangular logo : NABISCO
9
One of four in mythology?: Abbr. : SYL
10
Arrived in time for : MADE
11
Yard sale? : CLOTH
12
Date with a judge? : COURTAPPEARANCE
13
"Such a headache!" : OHBOTHER
14
Nosebag nibble : OAT
18
Fifth star in a constellation : EPSILON
23
Formalwear accessory : STUD
25
___ rock (music genre) : PROG
27
___ Rivera (Los Angeles suburb) : PICO
29
Earth-shaking event : SEISM
31
"Maverick" runner of 2008 : PALIN
34
"Heavens!" : DEARGOD
37
Slope : CANT
38
Grilling demand : ANSWERME
39
Stopping point? : DIME
41
Raced : FLEW
44
"He ___ Me" (old hymn) : LEADETH
48
Actor Morgan of "The Sixth Sense" : TREVOR
50
Grocery container : TINCAN
51
Fun-loving fishers : OTTERS
53
Not gobble, say : SAVOR
55
Prepare to be snapped : SMILE
58
Elfin : TINY
60
A good one is often carried out : IDEA
62
40-Across's concern : PAR
63
Fig. followed by "or so" : EST
64
One who might write an Rx for drops : ENT

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 3 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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