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NY Times, Sun, Mar 09, 2008 SPLITS AND MERGERS

Author: Patrick Berry / Will Shortz
JimH Crossword Blog commentary | Analyze | Turn on Clue Tracker
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 142, Blocks: 75, Avg Word Len: 5.15, Missing: { Q W X }, Scrabble score: 555 (avg 1.52)
Open squares: 120, Cheater squares: 8, Freshness Factor™: 63.2, New York Times Across Lite file
This is puzzle 107 of 122 for Mr. Berry — solos: 121, collaborations: 1, Sundays: 40

JimH notes: I have added circles to this puzzle to show where the splits and mergers happen. The second clue in each theme entry requires a right-angle turn at the circle so, for example, 31 Down is KILLER BEE and 59 Across can be read as EVEN THOUGH.
1
H
2
I
3
G
4
H
5
C
6
B
7
I
8
O
9
F
10
O
11
R
12
D
13
I
14
O
15
C
16
E
17
S
18
E
19
O
N
E
A
L
20
A
S
C
21
R
I
B
E
22
E
N
R
O
L
L
S
23
I
N
N
I
E
24
N
O
T
I
F
I
C
25
A
N
H
E
L
P
I
T
26
T
R
A
27
N
S
L
A
T
E
28
T
I
A
29
T
A
P
E
30
U
31
K
E
32
I
H
A
V
E
33
S
I
M
B
34
A
35
S
I
R
36
T
I
E
37
D
38
M
E
T
E
39
I
40
M
P
O
S
I
T
41
I
O
N
S
42
E
L
L
E
43
R
B
E
E
44
A
M
A
I
N
45
T
O
V
46
B
O
Y
S
47
S
T
A
R
K
48
N
E
49
S
50
T
51
S
52
T
53
A
54
B
O
O
55
B
O
O
G
I
E
56
H
57
O
E
58
T
I
P
59
E
V
E
N
T
60
H
61
O
R
I
Z
O
N
62
D
I
A
S
63
P
O
R
A
64
M
A
L
E
65
A
U
E
L
66
M
O
T
T
67
E
G
A
D
68
P
L
U
S
69
S
I
G
N
70
D
71
I
72
S
A
C
C
H
73
A
R
I
D
E
74
T
O
G
75
U
G
H
76
B
O
R
E
R
S
77
F
L
E
E
S
78
S
N
A
79
R
E
80
O
N
I
C
E
81
S
82
P
A
M
83
I
D
84
A
85
F
E
A
S
T
86
C
A
R
R
A
87
D
88
I
89
O
90
D
91
R
92
Y
V
E
R
93
M
O
U
T
H
94
L
O
N
I
95
N
I
N
A
96
E
A
U
97
S
M
U
R
F
98
J
I
N
G
O
99
N
E
T
100
O
M
N
101
I
102
R
T
E
103
H
U
N
G
A
R
104
I
105
A
N
106
D
O
N
T
107
B
E
A
S
108
T
109
R
A
N
G
E
R
110
G
R
E
111
T
112
A
113
A
N
A
L
Y
S
T
114
I
N
H
O
U
S
E
115
H
E
R
O
N
116
R
A
N
L
A
T
E
117
M
A
N
118
A
T
E
119
T
A
S
T
Y
© 2008, The New York Times
Across Down
1. Upper end of a soprano's range : HIGHC
6. Life work? : BIO
9. In support of : FOR
12. Bishopric : DIOCESE
19. Basketballer nicknamed the Diesel : ONEAL
20. Attribute (to) : ASCRIBE
22. Joins up : ENROLLS
23. Concave button : INNIE
24. "Over my dead body!" / Alert [split] : NOTIFICANHELPIT
26. Exchange words? / New beginning [merger] : TRANSLATE
28. ___ Maria (coffee liqueur) : TIA
29. Gift-wrapper's need : TAPE
30. Strummed instrument : UKE
32. "___ my doubts" : IHAVE
33. Animated film character voiced by Matthew Broderick : SIMBA
35. Fine fellow : SIR
36. Undecided, you might say : TIED
38. Deal (out) : METE
39. Annoying obligations / "No need to check" [split] : IMPOSITIONS
42. 1980s "NBC News Overnight" anchor / Feared insect [merger] : ELLERBEE
44. At full speed : AMAIN
45. "Mazel ___!" : TOV
46. "The History ___" (Tony-winning play) : BOYS
47. Harsh : STARK
48. Return flight destinations? : NESTS
52. Off-limits : TABOO
55. Get down : BOOGIE
56. Plant manager? : HOE
58. Figure just above the total : TIP
59. Black hole's boundary / Despite the fact that [split] : EVENTHORIZON
62. Group migration : DIASPORA
64. Like Eton attendees : MALE
65. Author of the "Earth's Children" series : AUEL
66. Social reformer Lucretia : MOTT
67. "Great Scott!" : EGAD
68. A little cross? : PLUSSIGN
70. Double sugar / Travel freely? [merger] : DISACCHARIDE
74. Get dressed (up) : TOG
75. "Feh!" : UGH
76. Insects found in trunks : BORERS
77. Takes off : FLEES
78. Bag : SNARE
80. In the cooler : ONICE
81. Unread messages, usually : SPAM
83. Mountain SE of ancient Troy : IDA
85. It has many sides : FEAST
86. Commuter's source of entertainment / Actor John or David [split] : CARRADIO
90. Martini ingredient / Delta site [merger] : DRYVERMOUTH
94. Burt's "Stroker Ace" co-star : LONI
95. "The Seagull" ingenue : NINA
96. Water, to Watteau : EAU
97. Fictional blue humanoid : SMURF
98. Aggressive patriot : JINGO
99. Fishtank accessory : NET
100. Prefix with potent : OMNI
102. MapQuest suggestion: Abbr. : RTE
103. Franz Liszt, e.g. / Didn't go straight, maybe [split] : HUNGARIAN
106. "Come back now, y'hear?" / Park employee [merger] : DONTBEASTRANGER
110. TV journalist Van Susteren : GRETA
113. Commentator : ANALYST
114. Using company resources : INHOUSE
115. Great white ___ : HERON
116. Took too long, as a meeting : RANLATE
117. Superhero name ender : MAN
118. Broke bread : ATE
119. Finger-lickin' good : TASTY
 1. ___ polloi : HOI
2. Overnight site : INN
3. Patrician : GENTEEL
4. Della sells hers in "The Gift of the Magi" : HAIR
5. See 26-Across : CLEA
6. Keen producers : BANSHEES
7. Quarantine : ISOLATE
8. Scale's range : OCTAVE
9. Taylor's deputy on TV : FIFE
10. Kimono securer : OBI
11. ___ room : REC
12. Gap filler? : DENIMS
13. Occupy : INHABIT
14. Blast furnace input : ORE
15. Peacemaker maker : COLT
16. #1 hit for Marty Robbins : ELPASO
17. Add surreptitiously : SLIPIN
18. Some phosphates, e.g. : ESTERS
21. Observance : RITE
25. See 24-Across : ATION
27. Modern political acronym : NIMBY
30. Navajo enemy : UTE
31. See 42-Across : KIL
33. Abrupt increase on a graph : SPIKE
34. Assuages one's guilt : ATONES
37. Prepares, in a way, as chicken : DEBONES
39. Adult insect : IMAGO
40. California county with Point Reyes National Seashore : MARIN
41. See 39-Across : IVE
43. Origin : ROOT
44. Complete : ATOZ
47. It's not needed in hydroponics : SOIL
49. It's clipped at both ends : STOGIE
50. Philippic : TIRADE
51. Game similar to bridge : SPADES
52. Really appeals to : TEMPTS
53. Earthly paradise of Celtic legend : AVALON
54. Caviar source : BELUGA
55. W.W. II light machine gun : BREN
56. See 70-Across : HITC
57. Bleeped word : OATH
60. Reagan's first secretary of state : HAIG
61. See 59-Across : OUGH
62. Pros who practice : DOCS
63. Violinist Itzhak : PERLMAN
66. Four-legged female : MARE
69. Napped fabrics : SUEDES
70. "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" star : DONAT
71. ___ Sea, connected to St. George's Channel : IRISH
72. It's split : SECT
73. At a distance : AFAR
76. ___ bourguignon : BOEUF
79. See 90-Across : RIV
81. 1953 3-D film starring Fernando Lamas : SANGAREE
82. Earlier : PRIOR
84. Seat separator : ARMREST
85. See 106-Across : FORES
86. Stop up : CONGEST
87. Some campaign fund-raisers : DINNERS
88. See 86-Across : INE
89. Cereal grass : OAT
90. Himalayan cedar : DEODAR
91. ___ Quimby, girl of children's lit : RAMONA
92. Chinese province bordering Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar : YUNNAN
93. Change genetically : MUTATE
94. ___ franca : LINGUA
98. 2007 title role for Ellen Page : JUNO
101. "___ be O.K." : ITLL
103. Chemistry Nobelist Otto : HAHN
104. See 103-Across : IGHT
105. Precinct : AREA
107. ___ landslide : BYA
108. Country singer McGraw : TIM
109. What retroviruses contain : RNA
111. Preschooler : TOT
112. To some extent : ANY
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