253 crosswords with Notepads

Once completed, the contents of the six blue squares will spell a word associated with this puzzle's theme.

Note: When this puzzle is done, reinterpret each set of shaded squares as three words (1,2,1). Then apply the result to 20-, 22-, 54- and 56-Across to see what 34-Across was once tasked to do.

Today's puzzle has an extraordinary quality. Can you discover what it is?

Note: The circled letters reading clockwise starting in box #4 reveal what the answers to the nine italicized clues have in common.

Note: Each italicized clue contains a blank, which should be filled with a letter of the alphabet. When completed, the letters in order will spell out a two-word phrase.

This completed puzzle contains a 114-Across, comprising the eight shaded answers. Put these in order, one after the other. Then use this key to get a line spoken by 25-Across in "The 40-Across": A = R, B = I, C = J, D = P, E = A, G = H, I = O, J = C, K = L, L = U, N = T, O = Z, P = Y, R = M, S = E, T = D, U = S, V = G, X = N, Y = K.

A note on Texas hold'em: Players seek to combine one or more of the cards they hold with cards laid out on the table to make the best possible five-card poker hand.

Seven clues in this puzzle relate to their answers in a manner for you to discover. Standard clues for these answers appear below in mixed order. • Accounting total • Communicating (with) • Leg cramp • Peyton, to Eli Manning • Showing gratitude • Unlikely election winner • Where golfers practice short strokes

When you've finished the puzzle, look for an appropriate hidden word.

When this puzzle is done, read the circled letters line by line from top to bottom to get an appropriate word.

After you've finished solving, look for an appropriate bonus phrase.

The circled letters, reading clockwise starting at the bottom, will reveal a hint to this puzzle's theme.

This puzzle has four different solutions. When you're done, read the circled letters from top to bottom to find another one.

When this puzzle is finished, the circled letters can be connected to form an appropriate shape.

Note: The middle letter of the answer to each starred clue can be replaced by a different letter to form two new words across and down. Read the new letters, in order, for a bonus.

This is a "uniclue" crossword, which combines Across and Down. When two answers share a number, they also share a clue.

Five additional Diagonal clues, in mixed order:

• Breakfast side dish
• Compassionate
• Nickname for Mars
• Starts drinking
• Truly magnificent

When this puzzle is done, insert the five shaded jigsaw pieces into the box at the bottom to get a three-word phrase, reading across, for what jigsaw puzzles provide.

In the print version of this puzzle, the following squares in the grid have been enlarged beyond their usual borders:

The last five squares of 20-Across
The last four squares of 30- and 39-Across
The last two squares of 51-Across

In the print version of this "uniclue" crossword, the clues appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. When two answers share a number, they also share a clue.

In the print version of this puzzle, the five circles in the grid are instead square-shaped.

This crossword contains a whodunit: "Thank you for coming, Inspector," said Lady McGuffin. "The famed McGuffin Diamond has been stolen from my study! The eight members of the staff had a costume party tonight--it has to be one of them: the butler, driver, cook, baker, page, porter, barber or carpenter. They have all been confined to their respective rooms around the parlor [center of the grid]." Can you determine who stole the diamond ... and where it is now?

When last month's American Crossword Puzzle Tournament was postponed on account of the coronavirus pandemic, two crossword enthusiasts, Kevin Der and Finn Vigeland, quickly set up an online event to take its place. Nearly 2,000 people took part from home. This is the final puzzle. The tournament's other puzzles remain available online at no cost.

To mark the beginning of Women's History Month, every puzzle this week (Monday to Sunday) has been made by a leading woman crossword constructor.

Note: This puzzle has 16 solutions.

When this puzzle is finished, change one letter in the last word in the answer to each asterisked clue to name a food. The replacement letters, in order, will spell an appropriate phrase.

For the story behind this crossword, see nytimes.com/wordplay.

Instructions: The center of this puzzle represents a 70-Down/55-Down, in which you can achieve a 122-Across by moving the 25-Across.

When the puzzle is done, read the dotted letters line by line from top to bottom to spell a title related to this puzzle's theme.

Each Across answer in this puzzle consists of a word spelled forward and another spelled backward. It's up to you to determine which clue goes with which word.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the actress Natasha Lyonne of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and "Russian Doll," working together with Deb Amlen, who writes the Times's daily crossword column, Wordplay (nytimes.com/column/wordplay). You can read more about the making of today's puzzle there. This is Deb's fourth crossword for The Times.

Drop one letter from each set of shaded letters in the grid to name a major-league baseball team. The letters thus removed, in order from top to bottom, will spell an appropriate answer at 76-Down.

In the print version of this "uniclue" crossword, the clues appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. When two answers share a number, they also share a clue.

CROSSWORD CONTEST
This crossword represents an escape room, with four articles you'll need hidden inside. After you complete the grid, follow the directions at 41-, 70- and 99-Across to find what to do next. Working correctly will lead you to a four-word phrase with a total of 12 letters. That is your answer.
When you have it, send it by email to: crosswordcontest@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Nov. 13, will receive copies of The New York Times Crossword Puzzles 2019 Day-to-Day Calendar, from Andrews McMeel. Only one entry per person. The answer and contest solution will appear next week. The winners' names will appear in the issue of Dec. 2.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the philanthropist Melinda Gates, of Medina, Wash., working together with Joel Fagliano, the digital puzzles editor of The New York Times. This is Joel's 61st crossword for the paper. More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

After completing this puzzle, draw a line connecting the circles, starting and ending at the first circle of 62-Across, to spell a five-word message. The connected circles will reveal a picture related to the puzzle's theme. (Note: Rounded edges look best.) To complete the effect, draw a line between the circle at 36-Across and the circle at the third square of 37-Across.

After completing this puzzle, draw a line starting at the middle square of 59-Across and connect five appropriate squares in roughly clockwise order to reveal an image suggested by this puzzle's theme.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the cartoonist Garry Trudeau, the Pulitzer-winning creator of "Doonesbury," working together with his son Ross Trudeau, a digital media producer in Cambridge, Mass. This is Ross's sixth puzzle for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the singer/songwriter Weird Al Yankovic, working together with Eric Berlin, a writer and puzzle editor from Milford, Conn. This is Eric's 40th puzzle for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by Rachel Maddow, the host of MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," working together with Joe DiPietro, a bar owner in New York City. This is Joe's 129th crossword for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the actor Josh Radnor, the star of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," as well as the writer/director of two films (to date), working together with Jeff Chen, a writer in Seattle. This is Jeff's 80th crossword for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

The completed puzzle conceals the name of a famous composer, along with something that might help you listen to him. Who and what are they?

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
This puzzle is a collaboration by the basketball-loving senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, working together with longtime crossword contributor Michael S. (Mickey) Maurer, the owner of the Indianapolis Business Journal. This is Mickey's 25th crossword for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

"A couple of years ago I was the answer to number 1-Down in the New York Times crossword puzzle," says best-selling author 1-Across. "At first I was like 'This is the greatest day of my life.' But then my brother-in-law pointed out that it was a Saturday puzzle," which is the hardest of the week. "The clues are so obscure, no one is supposed to know them. He basically told me that until I'm in the Monday or Tuesday puzzle, I'm [24-, 38- and 52-Across]."

The answers to the five starred clues have a very unusual property in common. What is it? And can you think of a familiar two-word exclamation, of five and three letters, respectively, that shares that property?

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the television journalist Harry Smith, a correspondent for NBC News, and previously a host of CBS's "The Early Show," working together with Zhouqin Burnikel, of Brooklyn Park, Minn. This is Zhouqin's 50th crossword for The Times.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

The print version of this puzzle contains a visual element that the software cannot reproduce. However, it is equally solvable either way.

The circled letters spell a bonus answer related to the puzzle's theme.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by Peter Sagal, the host of NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!," working together with Mike Selinker, a game and puzzle designer in Renton, Wash. Their crossword is about something Peter is doing - and Mike says he's "definitely not capable of doing" - this very weekend.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD: To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the esteemed star of TV and film John Lithgow - who last month won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting [63-Across] - working together with Brendan Emmett Quigley, of Brookline, Mass. This is Mr. Quigley's 175th puzzle for The Times.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

The one-word Across clues all have an unusual relationship with their answers.

Two letters of the alphabet are missing from the main, connected portion of the completed grid. What are they? The answer goes, appropriately, at 35-Across.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the comedian and television personality Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's "The View," working together with Lynn Lempel, of Daytona Beach, Fla. This is Ms. Lempel's 79th crossword for The Times.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

When finished, this crossword grid will have 25 things that complete a set, in the order indicated by the clues.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the actor, comedian and emcee Neil Patrick Harris - the star of TV's "Doogie Howser, M.D." and "How I Met Your Mother" - working together with Stanford University student David Steinberg, who has been editing a weekly puzzle for the Orange County Register since he was 15. This is Mr. Steinberg's 66th crossword for The Times.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

When this puzzle is finished, read the circled letters roughly clockwise, starting with the first letter of 68-Across, to spell the name of an appropriate landmark.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors. This collaboration is by the designer and TV host Isaac Mizrahi, together with David J. Kahn, a retired consulting actuary in New York City. This is David's 172nd crossword for The Times. More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.

This collaboration is by the comedian Elayne Boosler, who was recently named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time," working together with Patrick Merrell, a writer/illustrator in Vero Beach, Fla. This is Patrick's 86th puzzle for The Times.

The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.

More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

In the print version of this puzzle, the black squares that form a continuous path from the left to right edges of the grid are instead shaded gray. When the puzzle is done, read the letters along this path to get another example of the theme.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb, who had the #1 Billboard hit referenced in 41-Across - and altogether 11 studio albums to date - working with Doug Peterson, an employee at an accounting firm in Pasadena, Calif. This is Doug's 41st puzzle for The Times.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by former president Bill Clinton, an avid crossword doer, who sometimes works two or three puzzles in a day - in times that would be respectable at a crossword tournament - together with a longtime friend, a judge in Little Rock, Ark., Victor Fleming. This is Victor's 46th puzzle for The Times.
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

When this puzzle is done, draw a line connecting the 11 circled letters, starting and ending in square #28, so as to spell a phrase related to the puzzle's theme.

CELEBRITY CROSSWORD
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.

This collaboration is by the Grammy-winning classical pianist Emanuel Ax, who also teaches at the Juilliard School, working with Brad Wilber, a reference librarian at Houghton College in upstate New York. This is Brad's 50th puzzle for The Times.

The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.

More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

In the print version of this puzzle, the clue number 7 in both the grid and clues reads "007" instead. This does not affect solving.

In the print version of this puzzle, the columns consisting of 14-/42-Down, 16-/49-Down and 22-Down are not as wide as all the other columns.

CELEBRITY PUZZLE
To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted in 1942, we are publishing a series of puzzles co-created by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors.
This collaboration is by the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and his Harvard classmate Andrea Carla Michaels (with her 56th puzzle for The Times).
The celebrity collaborations will continue periodically through the year.
More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay).

The five rows of circled squares reveal an unusual feature of this puzzle.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the New York Times crossword, which debuted on Feb. 15, 1942, we are beginning today a series of puzzles co-constructed by famous people who solve the Times crossword, working together with regular Times puzzle contributors. The first such collaboration, below, is by the actor Jesse Eisenberg "The Social Network," "Rio," "Now You See Me," "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice") and Patrick Blindauer (with his 55th Times contribution). The celebrity collaborations will continue throughout the year — at least one a month, and sometimes more often. More information about the making of today's puzzle, along with news on future puzzles in the series, appears on the Times's crossword blog (nytimes.com/columns/wordplay).

In the print version of this puzzle, the five squares in 50-Across each have a small number in them, as follows: 5 | 29 | 47 | 34 | 43

In the print version of this puzzle, five clues have a solid black bar in them. Here, these are represented by a string of number signs (####).

The ninth annual Lollapuzzoola crossword tournament, directed by Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer, will take place Saturday, Aug. 13, at All Souls Church in Manhattan. Information appears at bemoresmarter.com. This puzzle appeared in a prior tournament and had a 15-minute time limit.

In the print version of this puzzle, the black square in the center of the puzzle contains an image of a compass rose.

In the print version of this puzzle, there is a special additional clue (under the heading "AROUND") whose answer begins in the circled square. The clue is "Self-descriptive statement about a 16-Across."

When this puzzle is completed, take the answer to each starred clue and cross out all the letters used twice. The leftover letters will spell an appropriate word, reading top to bottom.

The answers to 23-, 31-, 45-, 62-, 69-, 90-, 103- and 115-Across are themselves clues to the names spelled by their circled letters.

The four long Across answers are affected by a literal interpretation of the shaded boxes.

The print version of this puzzle contains small arrows between certain squares, which the software cannot reproduce. We recommend using the PDF.

The answers to this puzzle's four starred clues can each precede a hidden word in 16-, 27-, 43- and 59-Across.

In the print and web version of this puzzle, four arithmetic symbols appear in the grid following certain clue numbers (2÷, 5-, 11+, 42x).

The circled letters in this puzzle provide a hint to the starts of the answers to the four starred clues.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

Note: When completed, the outer squares in this puzzle will contain each of the 26 letters of the alphabet exactly once.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

We asked some favorite Times crossword contributors, "What would you like to do in a daily Times crossword that has never been done before?" This week's puzzles, Monday to Saturday, are the result.

When this puzzle is completed, 12 squares will be filled with a certain keyboard symbol - which will have a different signification in the Across answers than it does in the Downs

In honor of the late, beloved crossword constructor Merl Reagle, today we present a classic puzzle of his from the 1999 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

Seven Across answers in this puzzle have a highly unusual property for which we can't think of a single other common example. What is the property? (For answer, see 8/28 Notepad)

The five Across answers with only years for clues are the five most recent members of a particular category.

This puzzle seemingly has more than one solution ... but only one is "correct."

When this puzzle is completed, an apt phrase can be found by starting at the top central letter and reading clockwise.

When this puzzle is completed, the circled letters will form a path (starting in the first circle of 93-Across) spelling out the puzzle's theme. Each long Down answer contains a hidden city, reading in order from top to bottom, not necessarily consecutively. The location of the city, and its number of letters, are indicated.

The last names of eight U.S. presidents are hidden in this puzzle's completed grid, reading across, back, up, down and diagonally, word-search style. Can you find them all?

When this puzzle is done, the circled letters, reading from top to bottom, will spell something that belongs in the center square.

After completing this puzzle, connect nine appropriate letters in order to discover an image associated with 44-Down.

With daylight saving time ending tonight, you have an extra hour to work on this extra-hard, oversize puzzle

When this puzzle is completed, the eight circled letters, starting in the upper left and proceeding roughly clockwise, will spell an appropriate word... or a different appropriate word.

A Crossword Contest
All the puzzles this week, from Monday to Saturday, have been created by one person, Patrick Blindauer. Keep your solutions handy, because the Saturday puzzle conceals a meta-challenge involving the solution grids of all six. When you have the answer to the meta-challenge, send it to crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6:00 p.m. E.T. Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014, will win one-year online subscriptions to the New York Times crossword. Only one entry per person, please. The answer and winners' names will appear on Friday, Oct. 31, at www.nytimes.com/wordplay.

The human body is said to have 10 three-letter body parts. All 10 of these are hidden inside Across answers in this puzzle. Can you find them all?

This crossword was the most-discussed puzzle at Lollapuzzoola 7, a tournament held on August 9 in New York City. The event was directed by Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer. Hint: The title is key to solving the puzzle. Time limit: 45 minutes.

The answer to each starred clue must have two consecutive letters removed before it is written into the grid. These letters will move to a pair of circles elsewhere in the puzzle. (In all cases, new words will be formed.) The nine letter pairs, when properly arranged, will spell an appropriate answer at 72-Across.

The circled letters, when read clockwise, will reveal a quote from Gertrude Stein.

When this puzzle is done, the seven circled letters, reading clockwise, will spell a phrase relating to the puzzle's theme.

When this puzzle is done, the circled letters, reading counterclockwise from the top, will spell a phrase relating to the puzzle's theme.

The answers to the 13 starred clues follow an unusual two-way progression from 1- to 73-Across. Can you figure out what it is?

When this puzzle is done, draw a line connecting the 21 circled letters from A to U in alphabetical order. The resulting shape will provide a clue to 6-, 8-, 14-, 53- and 70-Down.

After this puzzle was created, the constructor did something to 11 squares - as suggested by a two-word reading of 63-Across before alteration.

In the print version of this puzzle, the square after 43-Across is a black circle rather than a black square.

CONTEST CROSSWORD

In this special prize crossword, the completed solution conceals a familiar three-word phrase related to the puzzle's theme. 70-Across provides a hint on how to find it. The crossword itself can be solved in all the usual online formats. However, to solve the bonus contest element, you will need to see some heavy outlines in the grid, which cannot be reproduced electronically. Thus, if you plan to enter the contest, please print out the PDF version of the puzzle.
     When you have the answer, e-mail it to crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Sept. 24, will receive copies of The New York Times Crossword Puzzles 2014 Day-to-Day Calendar, courtesy of Andrews McMeel. Only one entry per person, please. The answer and explanation will appear next week. The winners' names will be announced on Friday, Sept. 27, on the Times's daily crossword blog at nytimes.com/wordplay.

A certain three-letter word, appropriate to this puzzle's theme, goes in the unnumbered center square.

There is a punctuation mark somewhere in the theme answer that cannot be replicated in some digital formats. We recommend using the first letter of that punctuation mark.

When this puzzle is done, take the answers to the 10 starred clues and arrange them across and down in crossword fashion in the central 5x5 box. The resulting five-letter word spelled out diagonally by the circles will answer the question asked at 23-, 34-, 91- and 107-Across.

Complete the puzzle. Then connect the circled letters alphabetically from A to S to get an image related to the puzzle's theme.

The print version of this puzzle contains the following additional clue after the Across and Down clues: 

DIAGONAL 
1 Annual message

The answer to each italicized clue is a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase. A certain four-letter word (spelled out clockwise by the circled squares) can follow the first half and precede the second half of each of these answers, in each case to complete another compound word or familiar two-word phrase.

This puzzle features elements that cannot be duplicated in electronic formats. We strongly suggest using the PDF file instead.

Four answers in this puzzle are incomplete. The missing part can be found in four other places in the grid.

Fourteen symmetrically placed answers in this puzzle are each missing a part ... which can be found elsewhere in the grid.

This puzzle's grid represents a sealed vault and its well-guarded surroundings. After completing the crossword, start in the upper-left corner and find a safe path to an important item. Then determine where to use this item to access the vault and its contents.

To enter the contest, identify the following 10 things: a) the name of the "important item," b) where to use it, c) seven hazards to avoid, and d) the contents of the vault. Each of these things is named by a single word.

When you have found the 10 words, send them in an e-mail to: crossword@nytimes.com. Fifty correct solvers, chosen at random, whose entries are received by 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Oct. 23, will receive copies of The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles 2013 Weekly Planner Calendar (Andrews McMeel). Only one entry per person, please. The answer grid will appear next week. The winners' names will appear in the issue of Nov. 4.

The seven circled letters reading from top to bottom describe an event occurring at four locations in this puzzle.

When this puzzle is done, the answers to the six starred clues will form a word ladder, starting with 4-Across, whose record of 33-/42-Across was broken by 68-Across.

Parts of six answers have been entered in the grid for you.

When this puzzle is done, the circled letters, reading from left to right and top to bottom, will reveal who wrote the seven songs in the theme.

The circles in this puzzle are contained in words that form a sequence. Connect these circles, in the order of the sequence, to form an appropriate image.

The circled letters in this puzzle, when read in the correct order, spell the name of a shape. The four unclued answers are common three-word phrases usually accompanied by this shape.

When this puzzle is finished, 12 special squares, along with the shaded squares, will create an image of 56-Down. The 12 squares corresponding to the "reflection" of the special squares, when read clockwise from top left, will spell an alternative name for 56-Down.

When this crossword is done, the puzzle's theme will help you fill the interior squares.

This puzzle has two bonus answers in appropriate places. Can you find them?

When this puzzle is completed, the 10 circled letters, read from top to bottom, will spell a name associated with 39-Across.

Parts of 15 answers in this puzzle are missing, in a manner for you to discover.

In some squares of this crossword (as indicated by slashes), the Across and Down answers do not actually cross. Write both parts in the squares. Then use the central Across answer to interpret them properly to spell an appropriate final word.

Ten famous people are attending a costume party in this crossword. After the grid is filled, change the two shaded letters in each theme answer to "unmask" a celebrity.

Two hints for 17- and 57-Across and 11- and 26-Down appear somewhere in this puzzle.

When this puzzle is done, look for a name (hinted at by 37-Down) hidden 17 times in the grid, each reading forward, backward, down, up or diagonally, word search-style.

This crossword was the playoff puzzle at Lollapuzzoola 4, a tournament held in New York City on Aug. 6, conducted by Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer. The champion, Jeffrey Harris, completed it in less than 9 minutes.

When this puzzle is done, you will find that the ends of the answers to the five starred clues, when in the 15-/67-Across, comprise a 1-/71-Across.

When this puzzle is done, the circles will contain five different letters of the alphabet. Connect each set of circles containing the same letter, without crossing your line, to make a simple closed shape. The resulting five closed shapes together will form a picture of a 117-Across. The five letters can be arranged to name a good place to get a 117-Across.

When this puzzle is done, connect the four V's with a square, the three K's with an upside-down L, and each K diagonally to the nearest V. Then draw a circle around the only X.

The grid represents a maze. Enter the room at the upper left and exit at the lower right, following a path that will become apparent as you solve the crossword. When the puzzle is done, read the circled letters in the order in which the rooms are visited to spell a quote by 153-Across.

The New York Public Library turns 100 on May 23.

Every length of answer from 3 to 15 letters - except one - appears in this puzzle. Some people might have a 1-Across about that.

When this puzzle is done, the 11 circled letters can be connected by a curved line to spell a two-word phrase appropriate to this puzzle's theme.

Some of the black squares in this puzzle's grid provide a hint to the four longest Down answers.

Four answers in this puzzle are missing the same eight-letter clue - a single word that can be spelled from the eight circled letters. When the puzzle is done, connect the circled letters in order with a line, and you will get an outline of the object the word names.

When this puzzle is done, read the eight circled letters clockwise, starting with square #24, to identify this puzzle's theme.

SECRET PHRASE CONTEST
When this puzzle has been completed, put nine holes over the grid and arrange the letters shown to form an appropriate two-word phrase (4,5). Where these holes are is for you to discover. When you have the answer, send it by e-mail to crossword@nytimes.com. Twenty-five correct solvers chosen at random, whose entries are received by midnight E.S.T. Sunday, Nov. 7, will receive copies of "The New York Times Little Black and White Book of Holiday Crosswords." Only one entry per person, please. The answer and winners' names will appear on Friday, Nov. 12, at www.nytimes.com/wordplay.

When this puzzle is completed, connect the circled letters in alphabetical order from A to R to show the outline of an 84-Across.

The answers to the 12 starred clues have something in common. What is it?

Each set of circled letters is described by an answer elsewhere in the grid.

When this puzzle is completed, the circled letters, starting at 21-Across and reading clockwise, will reveal the first part of 17-Across.

BROWN CROSSWORD WEEK
Every crossword this week, from Monday to Saturday, has been created by a member of the Puzzling Association of Brown University. Founded in 2008, the student club has about 30 members, who meet weekly during the school year to solve and discuss puzzles. Each spring it organizes a campuswide crossword tournament. Other schools with crossword clubs include Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Texas Christian. Brown's club, though, has the most members with published puzzles.

This crossword is unusual in a certain way. Can you identify how?

These two clues are for the center square:

Across: Shortest title of any #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 [Britney Spears, 2009]

Down: Length of the eight runners-up to the Across answer, all of which are answers to starred clues in this puzzle

In the print version of today's puzzle, some of the horizontal rules of the grid are not solid all the way across. They appear broken, for reasons relating to the puzzle's theme. Specifically, the horizontal rules under the following squares are not solid:
Row #3 -- under squares 5-7
Row #5 -- under squares 9-13
Row #8 -- under squares 6-10

When this puzzle is done, a bonus message will appear in the circled boxes reading from top to bottom.

When this puzzle is done, the seven circled letters can be arranged to spell a common word, which is missing from seven of the clues, as indicated by [ ]. Connect the seven letters in order with a line and you will get an outline of the object that the word names.

Bonus question: What word can follow each half of the answer to each starred clue?

When this puzzle is done, the answers will include a familiar series of 38-Across (minus the middle square). Connect the squares of this series in order with a line, starting with the circled square. The resulting image will be a pair of 38-Across (WITH the middle square). In addition, the clues all share a feature that provides an additional hint to the puzzle's theme.

When this puzzle is finished, the six circled letters can be arranged to spell an answer to the catchphrase reading diagonally from upper left to lower right.

The circled letters, starting in square #27 and reading clockwise, will spell a familiar phrase suggested by 20-, 35- and 52-Across.

The answers to the combined Across clues are anagrams of each other. The order in which the answers in each pair are to be entered in the grid is for you to discover.

The print version of this puzzle's grid has two arrows: one pointing from 15A to 17A, and one pointing from 69A to 70A.

In the print version of this puzzle's grid, there are dotted vertical lines between the 11th and 12th columns, and between the 18th and 19th columns.

The words in the shaded spaces will spell a quotation from Linus Pauling.

When this puzzle has been completed, connect the circled letters in order from A to N to get an appropriate image.

When this puzzle is completed, one letter of the alphabet will appear 22 times. Shade in its square everywhere it appears. The result will be an image suggested by 36-Across.

When the puzzle is done, the circled letters will spell, from top to bottom, the name of the town where all the people in this puzzle's theme once lived.

HALF-CENTURY PUZZLEMAKERS' WEEK
All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, are by puzzlemakers who have been contributing to The Times for more than 50 years. Bernice Gordon, 95, of Philadelphia, had her first Sunday crossword published on January 23, 1955. Her first weekday puzzle appeared three years earlier. She is the oldest known puzzlemaker in the newspaper's history.

This crossword was the playoff puzzle at Lollapuzzoola, a crossword tournament directed by Brian Cimmet and Ryan Hecht, held in Jackson Heights, Queens, on August 22. The winner, Dan Feyer, of New York City, finished it perfectly in 7 minutes 10 seconds.

When this puzzle is done, interpret the answers to the seven starred clues literally, in order from top to bottom.

When completed, this puzzle grid will contain an unusual feature that appears nine times. Can you find it?

After finishing this puzzle, color the circled squares blue, and color all the Across answers containing an "R" red, to reveal an image related to the puzzle's theme.

Every letter in the answer to each asterisked clue appears an even number of times in that answer ... except one. Altogether, these eight unpaired letters can be arranged to spell the answer to 68- and 70-Across.

When this puzzle is done, start at the end of 57-Across; then, beginning counterclockwise, connect the circles in one continuous line to identify a figure invented by 29-Down. The answers to the five asterisked clues will provide a hint to the figure.

When this puzzle is done, the nine circles will contain the letters A through I. Connect them with a line, in alphabetical order, and you will form an illustration of the puzzle's theme.

The answers to the eight starred clues all have something in common, each in a different way.

For the answer to each starred clue, including the first letter is good; dropping it is bad.

The answers to the 9 starred clues all contain 5 letters in common, reading left to right, not necessarily consecutively.

When this puzzle is done, read the circled letters in the top half of the puzzle clockwise starting with the last letter of 66-Across; and read the circled letters in the bottom half of the puzzle clockwise starting with the second letter of 77-Across.

DIAGONAL
1  Disappearing
12 Proceeding with little effort

While most crossword grids are square, this one has an ingenious reason for being elongated. This may be my favorite Monday puzzle of all time, proving that easy can also be a wow. - Will Shortz

TEEN PUZZLEMAKER WEEK
All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, have been contributed by puzzlemakers under the age of 20. Today's crossword is by Caleb Madison, 15, of New York City. He is a sophomore at Bard High School in Manhattan. This is his fourth puzzle for The Times.

When this puzzle is done, connect the circled letters in alphabetical order, and then back to the start, to reveal something seen on the 32-Down 4-Down.

TEEN PUZZLEMAKER WEEK
All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, have been contributed by puzzlemakers under the age of 20. Today's crossword is by Oliver Hill, 18, of Pleasantville, N.Y. He is a first-year student at Yale University. This is his fifth puzzle for The Times.

The print version of this crossword has a dotted line around the outside of the grid.

When this puzzle is done, unscramble the five circled letters to find out how the circles could have been left with the puzzle's solution still being correct.

When this puzzle is finished, the 11 circled letters in reading order will spell the subject of the quote starting at 20-Across.

The eight two-letter answers in this puzzle are all state postal abbreviations, representing (in some order) the Beaver State, Beehive State, Big Sky Country, Heart of Dixie, Pine Tree State, Show Me State, Sunflower State and Volunteer State.

When this puzzle is done, the seven circles will contain the letters from A to G. Starting with A, connect them alphabetically with one continuous line, and you'll get an image of a 39-Across.

17- and 64-Across and 11- and 34-Down each conceals an article of clothing.

When the puzzle is done, the letters in the following squares spell a bonus phrase: 7A - 3rd letter, 31A - 5th, 65A - 4th, 104A - 6th, 136A - 3rd, 151A - 1st, 149A - 4th, 133A - 4th, 100A - 1st, 62A - 1st, 29A - 6th

The circled letters in the answers to the seven starred clues, reading left to right or top to bottom, spell words that can complete familiar phrases that start with "break."

Bonus puzzle: When this crossword has been completed, try to find the word ELF hidden in the grid 20 times, word search-style -- horizontally, vertically and diagonally in any direction.

The answers at 17- and 51-Across and 11- and 24-Down can all be defined by the same missing three-letter word. What is it?

DIAGONAL
What you might do eventually to make up for lost time

The clues in the print version of this puzzle appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, they also share a clue.

The answers to the 13 starred clues have something in common.

The clues in the print version of this puzzle appear in a single list, combining Across and Down. Where two answers share a number, the unclued Down answer is a homophone of the corresponding Across answer.

While some Across clues in this puzzle are blank, every answer is in fact clued.

When this puzzle has been completed, shade in the letters of 35-Across everywhere they appear in the grid, revealing three letters and three lines.

Diamond (starting at third square of 109-Across)
NE "Now I've seen everything!", NW Swipes a base, SW Show, SE Didn't go out

DIAGONAL
1 Face imaginary enemies
7 1972 Bill Withers #1 hit
37 Bettor's buy

Note: When this puzzle has been completed, the following answers will form a progression: 76A, 10D, 112A, 22A, 51A, 15D, 37A, 86D, 97A, 62D and 131A.

The eight theme answers in this puzzle are clues to common words. When the grid has been filled, guess these missing words, whose letters correspond to the numbers shown. Every number from 1 to 25 is used exactly twice. When you're done, arrange the letters in order from 1 to 25 to reveal a bit of advice about getting ahead.

When this puzzle is completed, the circled letters, read in order from left to right (column by column), will reveal the name of a Mystery Person.

Can you figure out what's unusual about this crossword? If not, when you're done, read the first letters of the clues in reverse order.

As a demonstration of speed puzzle construction at the 28th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, on March 11 in Stamford, Conn., Mike Shenk took a theme proposed by the audience and created this puzzle, start to finish, without computer-assisted fill, in 60 minutes. Later, in a race to solve it, Trip Payne, of Boca Raton, Fla., finished first, in 3 minutes. About two-thirds of the audience completed the puzzle correctly within the 15-minute time limit.

When this puzzle is completed, solve the maze in the grid, traveling through the openings in the squares, beginning at 69-Across, ending at 103-Down...and passing over the word spelled at 71-Across 18 times. As you proceed, the consecutive letters of 71-Across will always be in their correct order, in straight lines reading forward, backward, up or down.

The three circled letters will spell a word that is missing from 14 answers in this puzzle.

Former President Bill Clinton, whose presidential library opened in Little Rock on Nov. 18, is a regular crossword solver. He pretested this puzzle for us, finishing it in "less than an hour." (How does your time compare?)

Arrange the four circled letters in the grid to get a word that defines the four unclued answers.

The unkeyed square to the right of #36 has this Down clue: John Philip Sousa offering. And the unkeyed square numbered 42 has this Down clue: "Little Women" family name.

The circled square has two answers.

Note: The circled letters will show a "change in the weather."

18- & 22-Across and 53- & 57-Across have a hidden connection to 36-Across.

Twelve answers in this puzzle are to be entered in an unusual way, for you to discover.

Note: A certain letter of the alphabet appears in this puzzle exactly 21 times. When you have finished solving, find and connect these letters to get an appropriate design.

Sixteen answers in this puzzle have something unusual in common. What is it?

The circled diagonal letters will spell a hint to 8 other answers in the grid.

The seven circled letters, reading in order from top to bottom, will spell the title of this puzzle.

The print version of this puzzle has white spaces following 23-Across, between 37- and 39-Across, and preceding 49-Across.

Visual hints to the answers to the asterisked clues (*) can be found in the grid.

This puzzle has a complete set of related key words - occupying appropriate places in the grid - to be discovered.

Note: In a letter bank, the letters of one word are used (and repeated as necessary) to spell a longer word or phrase. For example, IMPS is a letter bank of MISSISSIPPI.

Despite appearances, every square in this themed puzzle appears in two answers, across and down.

The tree shape when read counterclockwise gives the name of a Holiday tune.

Each answer at 26-, 39-, 63-, 84- and 101-Across is a quiz question for which there is one correct response among the four choices in the clue. The circled letter in the answer is the correct response.

The 10 unclued answers in this puzzle (from 20-Across to 57-Across) comprise a word ladder, in which one letter is changed between each consecutive step.

HEART (Clockwise): 1955 Four Aces hit (and theme of this puzzle)

DIAGONAL
1 Pirate booty
68 More pirate booty

The answers at 20-, 32-, 43- and 58-Across form a progressive word ladder of five-letter words, where each word is one letter different from the one before it.

A particular thing -- a common part of almost all crosswords -- is wholly missing today. What is it?

The names of 12 common animals are concealed inside some of the answers in the completed grid, reading across and down. Can you find them all?

Circled entries contain 2 letters

Today the U.S. Postal Service unveils a 32-cent stamp commemorating the American invention of the crossword puzzle in 1913. (The stamp goes on sale February 3.) If puzzlers were in charge of the celebration, this might be the schedule of events...

More descriptive names to differentiate old things from their new form

In E-mail messages, faces are sometimes created by combinations of letters, numbers and punctuation marks, as :-( for a frowning face. Tilt your head 90 degrees to the left to view

March 14, 1995 marked the 50,000 issue of the New York Times

All the boxes in 74-Across have a diagonal line bisecting them allowing the entry of two letters. No answer is included...you'll know when you get it

The unclued answers have something in common

This puzzle is dedicated to the memory of Eugene T. Maleska, who created the first Stepquote

The 10 unclued answer in this puzzle are familiar phrases presented literally. When the puzzle is completed, the 12 circled letter - reading in order from top to bottom - will spell an appropriate phrase

Diagonal clue: Opening of 5/4/93