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New York Times, Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Author:
Kareem Ayas
Editor:
Will Shortz
26-Down : Novelist King who wrote "Caretakers" and "One on One"
TotalDebut
112/27/2023
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0001000
ScrabbleFresh
1.5063%
Kareem Ayas

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQWX} This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Ayas. Wednesday freshness: 91%
1
V
2
I
3
S
4
A
5
A
6
F
7
R
8
I
9
C
10
A
11
O
12
H
13
S
14
A
C
T
S
15
L
E
B
R
O
N
16
T
O
E
17
T
U
F
T
18
B
A
S
A
L
T
19
T
R
I
20
R
E
21
S
E
T
22
S
L
I
23
P
O
N
S
24
A
25
L
A
R
M
I
S
26
T
27
E
G
O
I
S
M
28
P
A
N
O
U
T
29
A
30
U
G
E
R
31
L
I
C
I
T
32
I
B
S
E
N
33
T
34
R
35
E
36
I
K
I
D
37
S
P
I
E
S
38
P
H
I
L
39
T
A
S
40
S
C
O
T
S
41
T
R
E
V
I
42
E
C
A
S
H
43
I
R
I
S
E
S
44
M
45
A
46
R
T
Y
R
47
A
48
N
N
O
T
A
T
E
49
E
R
E
C
T
E
50
D
51
I
S
U
Z
U
52
R
I
A
53
A
D
E
54
S
T
E
55
K
R
56
I
57
S
58
G
A
L
59
L
O
A
F
E
R
60
E
U
R
O
61
E
L
M
62
E
F
F
O
R
T
63
R
S
V
P
© 2023, The New York Times12/27/23 ( No. 27,077 )
Across
1
Travel requirement, at times : VISA
5
Where the 10 countries with the lowest median age are all located : AFRICA
11
Sounds of surprise : OHS
14
Book before Romans : ACTS
15
"King James" : LEBRON
16
Word before nail or after steel : TOE
17
Cluster, as of grass : TUFT
18
Product of volcanic activity : BASALT
19
Certain grueling race, informally : TRI
20
Factory ___ : RESET
22
Moccasins, but not oxfords : SLIPONS
24
Voice of doom : ALARMIST
27
It's a me problem : EGOISM
28
End up OK : PANOUT
29
Boring bit : AUGER
31
Not forbidden : LICIT
32
"A Doll's House" playwright : IBSEN
33
Quattro preceder : TRE
36
"Joking!" : IKID
37
Secret traders : SPIES
38
Father on "Modern Family" : PHIL
39
Prof's helpers : TAS
40
Mary, Queen of ___ : SCOTS
41
Roman fountain name : TREVI
42
Digital money : ECASH
43
Van Gogh masterpiece : IRISES
44
One dying for a cause : MARTYR
47
Leave a mark on? : ANNOTATE
49
Put up : ERECTED
51
Japanese exporter of diesel engines : ISUZU
52
Coastal inlet : RIA
53
"___ Fideles" : ADESTE
55
Letters that go in both blanks of ___ ___tofferson : KRIS
58
Jug unit: Abbr. : GAL
59
Comfy shoe : LOAFER
60
Bank note made of pure cotton fiber : EURO
61
Bow-making timber : ELM
62
"Enthusiasm is the mother of ___": Ralph Waldo Emerson : EFFORT
63
One may ask for a dinner preference : RSVP
Down
1
Acid container, maybe : VAT
2
Hosp. area : ICU
3
Friar known for his patronage of animals : STFRANCIS
4
What had a major impact on this puzzle's theme? : ASTEROID
5
Notwithstanding : ALBEIT
6
Guinness records, typically : FEATS
7
Some handoff recipients in football, for short : RBS
8
Some investments, in brief : IRAS
9
Boston, Amherst and others : COLLEGES
10
Immune response trigger : ANTIGEN
11
"Great" 10th-century emperor : OTTOI
12
Features of many ceratopsians : HORNS
13
Something possibly triggered during a mass extinction event : SEISM
21
Blue material : SMUT
23
"___ favor" : POR
24
Accelerated H.S. English course : APLIT
25
First dog on an orbital spaceflight : LAIKA
26
Novelist King who wrote "Caretakers" and "One on One" : TABITHA
30
Applications : USES
32
Some W.S.J. topics : IPOS
33
Writer's reference … or what each row of shaded letters is missing? : THESAURUS
34
It helps keep a tight ship tight : RIVET
35
Beethoven's "Für ___" : ELISE
37
Spooked by : SCAREDOF
38
Annual architecture award : PRITZKER
40
Ancient method of encipherment with a message wrapped around a cylinder : SCYTALE
41
Pants, but half off? : TROU
42
List follower : ETC
43
Newspaper supplement : INSERT
44
Come together : MERGE
45
Common typeface : ARIAL
46
Ruler's dimensions? : REALM
48
Crystalline mineral deposits in some caves : NITER
50
Like Beethoven, by his mid-40s : DEAF
54
West Coast airport code : SFO
56
Music producer Gotti who worked with Ja Rule and J.Lo : IRV
57
Soak (up) : SOP

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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