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NY Times, Sat, Dec 29, 2007

Author: Bob Klahn / Will Shortz
JimH Crossword Blog commentary | Analyze | Turn on Clue Tracker
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 66, Blocks: 24, Avg Word Len: 6.09, Missing: { J K Q Z }, Scrabble score: 323 (avg 1.61)
Open squares: 113, Cheater squares: 0, Freshness Factor™: 80.4, New York Times Across Lite file
This is puzzle 54 of 58 for Mr. Klahn — solos: 48, collaborations: 10, Sundays: 11

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JimH notes: This is generally considered to be the most difficult puzzle of 2007.
1
B
2
U
3
B
4
B
5
L
6
E
7
B
8
A
9
T
10
H
11
T
12
W
13
A
14
S
15
O
P
E
R
A
S
E
R
I
A
16
A
I
N
T
17
A
D
V
A
N
C
E
M
E
N
18
I
N
D
O
19
T
O
Y
S
T
O
R
Y
20
D
21
A
C
T
Y
L
22
S
E
R
S
23
N
O
W
H
E
R
E
24
H
25
O
26
B
A
R
T
27
F
O
U
R
I
R
O
N
28
A
C
O
R
N
29
W
I
T
T
Y
30
T
O
C
31
S
H
O
D
32
X
E
R
E
S
33
M
I
N
A
34
A
L
T
35
P
A
L
M
S
36
C
I
D
E
R
37
G
O
L
38
C
O
N
D
A
39
M
O
S
E
Y
S
40
O
C
E
L
O
T
S
41
F
O
R
T
42
A
R
G
A
L
I
43
B
A
P
T
I
44
S
45
M
46
S
47
T
A
G
S
48
P
49
E
R
I
P
E
T
E
I
A
50
I
C
E
S
51
P
L
A
T
E
G
L
A
S
S
52
T
Y
R
A
53
E
I
G
H
T
E
E
N
T
H
© 2007, The New York Times
Across Down
1. Modesty preserver, in some films : BUBBLEBATH
11. "___ wondrous pitiful": "Othello" : TWAS
15. Old form of Italian musical drama : OPERASERIA
16. "___ Nobody" (1983 Chaka Khan hit) : AINT
17. Public appearance preparers : ADVANCEMEN
18. Introduction to Chinese? : INDO
19. Pixar's first feature-length film : TOYSTORY
20. Finger or toe : DACTYL
22. Mass appeals: Abbr. : SERS
23. You may be lost in the middle of it : NOWHERE
24. McKinley's first vice president : HOBART
27. It has a smaller degree of loft than a mashie : FOURIRON
28. Cupule's contents : ACORN
29. Sparkling : WITTY
30. List in a book's front: Abbr. : TOC
31. Like racehorses : SHOD
32. Spanish city that gave sherry its name : XERES
33. ___ Harker, heroine of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" : MINA
34. Rocket datum: Abbr. : ALT
35. Where to pick up dates? : PALMS
36. Fall production : CIDER
37. Rich mine or other source of great wealth : GOLCONDA
39. Shuffles : MOSEYS
40. Margay cousins : OCELOTS
41. Siege site : FORT
42. Mountain sheep : ARGALI
43. Initiations : BAPTISMS
47. Graffitists' scrawls : TAGS
48. Unexpected turn of events, as in a literary work : PERIPETEIA
50. Puts away : ICES
51. See-through sheets : PLATEGLASS
52. Banks of note : TYRA
53. Grant's position in presidential history : EIGHTEENTH
 1. Shell, e.g. : BOAT
2. Hair-raiser? : UPDO
3. Bunch : BEVY
4. Uniform armband : BRASSARD
5. You can make light of it : LANTERN
6. Squire : ESCORT
7. Draft picks : BEERS
8. Private group : ARMY
9. Even numbers : TIE
10. Fliers, e.g. : HANDOUTS
11. Meditative exercise : TAICHI
12. End-of-year festival : WINTERTIDE
13. "Common Nonsense" author, 2002 : ANDYROONEY
14. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concern : STOLENCARS
21. Catawampus : AWRY
23. Scoring units : NOTES
24. Tries something : HASAGOATIT
25. Mob rule : OCHLOCRACY
26. One running for work? : BOOTLEGGER
27. Latin land descriptor : FIRMA
29. Joins : WELDS
32. Scolding wife: Var. : XANTIPPE
33. Handle incorrectly? : MISTITLE
35. Price-manipulating group : POOL
36. Retinue : CORTEGE
38. Top-of-the-line : CLASSA
39. Rug rat : MOPPET
41. It may be blind : FAITH
43. Gasconade : BRAG
44. Name equivalent to Hans or Ivan : SEAN
45. Tear up : MIST
46. Military band : SASH
49. Father of Hophni and Phinehas, in the Bible : ELI
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