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Evelyn Benshoof
Evelyn Benshoof

New York Times, Thursday, June 23, 1977

40-Down : First-rate

Author:
Evelyn Benshoof
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 76, Blocks: 38, Avg Word Len: 4.92, Missing: { J Q X Y Z }, Scrabble score: 300 (avg 1.60)
Open Squares: 70, Cheaters: 2, FITB: 3, XRef: 0, Spans: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 3
Evelyn Benshoof has 71 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
1
C
2
L
3
E
4
F
5
S
6
H
7
O
8
D
9
B
10
A
11
F
12
F
13
S
14
R
O
A
R
15
M
E
R
E
16
O
L
L
I
E
17
A
R
C
A
18
U
R
A
L
19
B
L
I
N
D
20
B
E
H
I
21
N
D
O
N
E
22
S
B
A
C
K
23
L
O
G
E
24
T
H
I
N
25
H
26
A
27
T
28
H
E
S
29
S
I
A
N
30
C
31
P
32
A
33
A
L
I
34
B
I
35
L
O
P
36
C
L
A
N
37
S
C
R
A
T
38
C
39
H
O
N
E
40
S
B
A
C
K
41
P
O
E
T
42
H
O
P
43
U
S
U
A
L
44
S
A
D
45
W
I
R
E
46
T
47
A
P
48
S
S
E
49
S
A
P
S
50
I
R
E
51
S
52
B
53
A
C
K
S
E
54
A
T
D
R
I
55
V
56
E
57
R
58
C
A
N
O
E
59
M
I
L
E
60
D
A
L
E
61
A
D
O
R
N
62
A
D
E
N
63
E
S
S
E
64
P
E
N
N
S
65
N
E
S
S
66
S
E
E
K
© 1977, The New York TimesNo. 10,176
Across
1
Pitch indicator : CLEF
5
Not barefoot : SHOD
9
Duffers' golf strokes : BAFFS
14
Bullish bellow : ROAR
15
Bare : MERE
16
Kukla's friend : OLLIE
17
Ancient strongbox : ARCA
18
Russian range : URAL
19
Kind of alley : BLIND
20
Secretly : BEHINDONESBACK
23
Lincoln Center seat : LOGE
24
Slight : THIN
25
Word with band or box : HAT
28
Mercenary of '76 : HESSIAN
30
Audit maker : CPA
33
Whodunit feature : ALIBI
35
Droop : LOP
36
Roderick Dhu's group : CLAN
37
Gratify by favors : SCRATCHONESBACK
41
Spenser or Spender : POET
42
School dance : HOP
43
Familiar : USUAL
44
Dismal : SAD
45
Modern eavesdropper's method : WIRETAP
48
Compass point : SSE
49
Chumps : SAPS
50
Angers : IRES
52
Faultfinding passenger : BACKSEATDRIVER
58
Kayak : CANOE
59
Eight furlongs : MILE
60
Valley : DALE
61
Embellish : ADORN
62
Seaport or gulf : ADEN
63
In ___ (actually existing) : ESSE
64
Famed colonial family : PENNS
65
Scottish lake in the news : NESS
66
Look for : SEEK
Down
1
King or hermit : CRAB
2
Wisdom of the ages : LORE
3
Every's partner : EACH
4
Delicate : FRAIL
5
Smear : SMUDGE
6
Protagonists : HEROES
7
Algerian seaport : ORAN
8
Erasure : DELETION
9
Spool for winding thread : BOBBIN
10
Edgar ___ Poe : ALLAN
11
Parisian cop : FLIC
12
Slang word after rat : FINK
13
But, to Brutus : SED
21
Like some of Koufax's games : NOHIT
22
Mold : SHAPE
25
Trunk fasteners : HASPS
26
Tennessee city : ALCOA
27
Weary : TIRED
29
Incline : SLOPE
30
Rudolph's driver : CLAUS
31
S.A. rodents : PACAS
32
Tarsus : ANKLE
34
Slugger's weapon : BAT
36
Network monogram : CBS
38
Fish and ___ : CHIPS
39
Irving's "headless" one : HORSEMAN
40
First-rate : SUPER
45
Rouses : WAKENS
46
Decisions for authors : TITLES
47
Elizabeth and Eve : ARDENS
49
Disdain : SCORN
51
What partisans take : SIDES
52
Commanded : BADE
53
By and by : ANON
54
Military officer : AIDE
55
Urn : VASE
56
Besides : ELSE
57
Emit fumes : REEK
58
Biggin : CAP

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 3 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Crosswords published prior to Nov. 21, 1993 are provided by David Steinberg and The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project.

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