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NY Times, Wed, Jul 08, 2009

Author: Tim Wescott / Will Shortz
Wordplay crossword blog commentary | Analyze | Turn on Clue Tracker
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 76, Blocks: 38, Avg Word Len: 4.92, Missing: { F J K Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 300 (avg 1.60)
Open squares: 77, Cheater squares: 0, Freshness Factor™: 63.0, New York Times Across Lite file
This is puzzle 4 of 6 for Mr. Wescott — solos: 6, collaborations: 0, Sundays: 0

Notepad: When completed, this puzzle grid will contain an unusual feature that appears nine times. Can you find it?
JimH notes: This amazing puzzle has nine Word Squares: four 3 x 3, four 4 x 4, and one 5 x 5 right in the middle. This image shows all the word squares highlighted. See Wordplay for more.
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R
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O
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B
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B
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I
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N
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G
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C
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D
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L
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C
R
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B
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H
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H
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H
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M
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D
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C
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D
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C
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B
O
V
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R
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L
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U
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S
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R
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V
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T
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D
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U
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A
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A
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C
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H
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T
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67
E
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N
© 2009, The New York Times
Across Down
1. Steal from : ROB
4. Go on a jag : BINGE
9. "Beat it!" : SCRAM
14. "O Henry, ___ thine eyes!": Shak. : OPE
15. "In an ___ world ..." : IDEAL
16. Boorish : CRUDE
17. Spell-off : BEE
18. Just learning about : NEWTO
19. "I've ___ up to here!" : HADIT
20. Make arable, perhaps : IRRIGATE
22. Ants, archaically : EMMETS
23. Acts the shrew : NAGS
24. ___ Penh, Cambodia: Var. : PNOM
25. Is compassionate : HASAHEART
30. Half a flock, maybe : EWES
34. Sisters' org. : SOR
35. Dues payer : MEMBER
36. Hindu god : DEVA
37. What a cow chews : CUD
38. Style of truck with a vertical front : CABOVER
40. Mule of song : SAL
41. "101 ___ for a Dead Cat" (1981 best seller) : USES
43. Multi-act shows : REVUES
44. "The Closer" cable channel : TNT
45. 1978 Yankees hero Bucky : DENT
46. Remains of a felling : TREESTUMP
48. "So satisfying!" sounds : AAHS
50. Louis XIV, Louis XVI et al. : ROIS
52. Deep divides : CHASMS
55. Bacardi concoction, perhaps : RUMPUNCH
59. "___ lost his mind?" : HASHE
60. Yam or taro : TUBER
61. Fish-to-be : ROE
62. Pale with fright : ASHEN
63. Ohm's symbol : OMEGA
64. "A Chorus Line" song : ONE
65. Casts off : SHEDS
66. Alternative to roll-on : SPRAY
67. Bard's nightfall : EEN
 1. Batcave figure : ROBIN
2. Diva's workplace : OPERAHOUSE
3. Place for a pilsner : BEERGARDEN
4. Cherry variety : BING
5. "Aha!" elicitor : IDEA
6. "Winning the Future" author Gingrich : NEWT
7. Event receipts : GATE
8. "Xanadu" band, for short : ELO
9. Dorky sort : SCHMO
10. Pulled an all-nighter : CRAMMED
11. Like cutting in line, e.g. : RUDE
12. Mine opening : ADIT
13. "Amazin'" team : METS
21. Mag. copy : ISS
22. Followers of appetizers : ENTREES
24. Sneak peek, informally : PREVUE
26. ___ Theaters (national cinema chain) : AMC
27. Fireplace floors : HEARTHS
28. Fireplace remains : EMBERS
29. Higher-ranking than : ABOVE
31. Louisiana city named for the fifth U.S. president : WESTMONROE
32. Big name in women's apparel since 1949 : EVANPICONE
33. Margarita glass rim coating : SALT
34. Gulf war missile : SCUD
39. Run after Q : RST
42. Squirreled away : STASHED
47. Montevideo's land: Abbr. : URU
49. Church chorus : AMENS
51. Unwashed hair may have it : SHEEN
52. Cartoonist Addams : CHAS
53. "Slung" dish : HASH
54. Arthur who wrote "A Hard Road to Glory" : ASHE
55. Beef cut : RUMP
56. Super, slangily : UBER
57. Prefix with vitamins : MEGA
58. Do penance, say : PRAY
60. How-___ (do-it-yourself books) : TOS
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