XWord Info Home Previous | Next |   Author thumbnails: Greg Staples | April, 2000 thumbnails | Search    

NY Times, Thu, Apr 27, 2000

Author: Greg Staples
Blog: Wordplay home page | Analyze | Turn on Clue Tracker | Similar | | (XPF defined)
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 78, Blocks: 37, Avg Word Len: 4.82, Missing: { J X Z }, Scrabble score: 287 (avg 1.53)
Open squares: 68, Cheater squares: 2, FITB: 6, XRef: 0, Freshness Factor™: 51.1 (15.2 Thu. %-ile), NYT Across Lite file
This is puzzle 9 of 25 for Mr. Staples — solos: 25, collaborations: 0, Sundays: 4

Notepad: 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.
1
P
2
U
3
P
4
F
5
L
6
A
7
K
8
E
9
P
10
O
11
C
12
H
13
S
14
E
N
E
15
R
O
S
A
16
S
O
W
H
A
T
17
A
D
R
18
O
I
T
L
Y
19
S
I
E
R
R
A
20
S
O
U
P
21
S
O
A
22
P
23
S
O
A
R
24
T
25
H
A
N
K
E
26
R
27
M
S
T
28
M
29
E
30
N
S
A
31
G
E
T
A
32
C
33
R
O
S
S
34
A
R
I
35
B
36
O
A
R
37
B
O
A
S
38
Y
A
M
39
M
E
R
S
40
D
I
S
P
O
41
S
42
E
43
B
I
A
S
44
B
I
N
S
45
M
I
A
46
B
47
U
L
L
S
E
48
Y
E
S
49
E
50
V
E
N
T
51
I
V
E
52
R
E
Q
U
53
I
T
E
54
B
U
N
55
S
56
N
U
N
S
57
N
58
U
59
T
60
S
61
B
L
E
E
62
P
63
S
64
E
I
N
65
S
T
E
I
N
66
E
A
S
E
L
S
67
S
T
O
W
68
L
E
A
69
D
E
S
P
O
T
70
T
E
T
E
71
E
R
G
© 2000, The New York Times
Across Down
1. Kind of tent : PUP
4. Strong criticism : FLAK
8. Ages : EPOCHS
14. Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir. : ENE
15. Parks in 1955 news : ROSA
16. "Big deal" : SOWHAT
17. With skill : ADROITLY
19. ___ Club : SIERRA
20. *Start of the word ladder : SOUP
21. *Second step : SOAP
23. *Third step : SOAR
24. Polite guest : THANKER
27. Denver clock setting: Abbr. : MST
28. Smart set : MENSA
31. Communicate successfully : GETACROSS
34. Jackie's second : ARI
35. *Fourth step : BOAR
37. *Fifth step : BOAS
38. Whines : YAMMERS
40. Take care (of) : DISPOSE
43. *Sixth step : BIAS
44. *Seventh step : BINS
45. "O patria ___" ("Aida" aria) : MIA
46. Perfect hits : BULLSEYES
49. Happening : EVENT
51. Duke Ellington's "___ Got Me" : IVE
52. Pay back : REQUITE
54. *Eighth step : BUNS
56. *Ninth step : NUNS
57. *End of the word ladder : NUTS
61. Censors' signs : BLEEPS
64. Brainiac : EINSTEIN
66. Stands for things : EASELS
67. Put on board : STOW
68. Grazing ground : LEA
69. Saddam Hussein, e.g. : DESPOT
70. Chapeau's spot : TETE
71. A little work : ERG
 1. They can be sweet : PEAS
2. Word processor command : UNDO
3. Amazon's source : PERU
4. When "Dallas" aired: Abbr. : FRI
5. "___ luck!" : LOTSA
6. Provided that : ASLONGAS
7. Olympic water sports competitor : KAYAKER
8. Tee preceder : ESS
9. Luau serving : POI
10. Has a tab : OWES
11. Gene carrier : CHROMOSOME
12. Ride, so to speak : HARASS
13. Some may be false : STARTS
18. Chooses : OPTS
22. Fido or Fluffy : PET
25. ___ corpus : HABEAS
26. 1994 Peace Nobelist : RABIN
28. Fifth of 12 : MAY
29. Baseball card stat. : ERA
30. One of Jack's qualities : NIMBLENESS
32. Baby : COSSET
33. Shoot the breeze : RAP
36. Canadian skater Brian : ORSER
39. N.L. Central team, on a scoreboard : MIL
40. Sever : DISUNITE
41. Fall from grace : SIN
42. "Dig in!" : EAT
44. Legal legacy : BEQUEST
46. Like a baby in a highchair : BIBBED
47. Throat flaps : UVULAE
48. Hankering : YEN
50. Blow off steam : VENT
53. "A house ___ a home" : ISNOT
55. Trickle : SEEP
58. Congo river : UELE
59. Bleacher feature : TIER
60. Unforeseen difficulty : SNAG
62. Arafat's grp. : PLO
63. Jet-set jet : SST
65. Nor. neighbor : SWE
text