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New York Times, Wednesday, July 9, 2003

Author:
Patrick Merrell
Editor:
Will Shortz
31-Down : Driver's aid: Abbr.
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
917/10/20014/1/20202
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
22105133452
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
551.6149347%
Patrick Merrell

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 40 This is puzzle # 17 for Mr. Merrell. Wednesday freshness: 54%
Jim Horne notes:

Lance Armstrong was already a "four-time champ" of the Tour de France, going into the 2003 race, which was just starting when this puzzle was published. If he won again that year, he would be a "five-time champ." Either answer fits at 35-Across.

The first letter of the first seven Across clues spell FARRELL. This is a tribute to Jeremiah Farrell, who created the famous CLINTON/BOB DOLE puzzle which made this two-answer gimmick famous.

Mr. Armstrong went on to win seven consecutive Tours from 1999 to 2005 and then, of course, lost them all to a doping scandal.

1
V
2
A
3
T
4
B
5
A
6
L
7
M
8
S
9
J
10
E
11
R
12
K
13
Y
14
I
S
R
15
A
T
E
U
P
16
U
N
T
I
E
17
C
H
A
18
I
N
M
A
I
L
19
I
N
E
P
T
20
T
O
U
R
D
E
F
R
A
21
N
C
E
22
I
R
M
A
S
23
S
O
Y
24
I
25
D
26
S
27
M
E
A
N
28
O
29
U
30
G
H
T
31
A
C
R
E
32
N
A
N
A
33
I
34
N
A
B
I
T
35
F
36
I
37
V
E
T
I
M
38
E
C
H
A
M
P
39
G
O
T
H
A
M
40
E
V
E
L
41
T
G
I
F
42
E
43
A
S
E
D
44
G
45
I
46
T
47
S
48
E
S
C
49
P
A
T
50
M
E
N
S
A
51
Y
E
L
L
52
O
53
W
54
J
E
R
S
E
Y
55
Q
56
U
57
E
E
N
58
A
E
R
O
S
M
I
T
H
59
B
R
O
W
N
60
S
N
A
G
S
61
S
S
E
62
S
I
S
S
Y
63
T
O
P
S
Y
64
T
E
Y
© 2003, The New York Times7/9/3 ( No. 19,601 )
Across
1
Fermentation receptacle : VAT
4
Aromatic salves : BALMS
9
Rough, as a car engine : JERKY
14
Rabin's land: Abbr. : ISR
15
Enjoyed immensely : ATEUP
16
Loosen, as laces : UNTIE
17
Long-ago battle protection : CHAINMAIL
19
Klutzy : INEPT
20
Annual July sports event with the world's largest live audience : TOURDEFRANCE
22
Cookbook author Rombauer et al. : IRMAS
23
___ sauce : SOY
24
Co. badges : IDS
27
Playing dirty tricks : MEAN
28
Should, with "to" : OUGHT
31
Part of a parcel : ACRE
32
"Peter Pan" dog : NANA
33
Shortly : INABIT
35
[Prediction:] Lance Armstrong, at the end of the 2003 20-Across : FIVETIMECHAMP
39
Batman's home : GOTHAM
40
Daredevil Knievel : EVEL
41
End-of-the-week cry : TGIF
42
Slowly merged (into) : EASED
44
Moves it, informally : GITS
48
Key futilely pushed after a computer freeze : ESC
49
Kind of hand : PAT
50
One must be quick to join it : MENSA
51
Winner's prize, in 20-Across : YELLOWJERSEY
55
Ruler of a hive : QUEEN
58
"Janie's Got a Gun" rock band : AEROSMITH
59
UPS shade : BROWN
60
Catches : SNAGS
61
From Okla. City to Houston : SSE
62
Pantywaist : SISSY
63
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" girl : TOPSY
64
Novelist Josephine : TEY
Down
1
Muggee, e.g. : VICTIM
2
Toward the beach : ASHORE
3
Emotional damage : TRAUMA
4
Cigar wraps : BANDS
5
"Look ___!" : ATME
6
Table extender : LEAF
7
___ Woods National Monument : MUIR
8
Big media to-do : SPLASH
9
Like good oranges : JUICY
10
Feminine suffix : ENNE
11
31-Down plan: Abbr. : RTE
12
Laotian money : KIP
13
So far : YET
18
Ayatollah's land : IRAN
21
Saw : NOTICED
24
SALT topic : ICBM
25
Job for a plumber : DRIP
26
Match unit : SET
28
Hot bowlful : OATMEAL
29
Prefix with sphere : UNI
30
Pool and darts : GAMES
31
Driver's aid: Abbr. : AAA
32
Big lobby in D.C. : NEA
34
Montreal is in it: Abbr. : NHL
35
Frequent San Francisco conditions : FOGS
36
Related to: Suffix : ITIC
37
Like some TV channels, briefly : VHF
38
Last moment to prepare : EVE
39
Old inits. in telecommunications : GTE
43
Cry after a long wait : ATLAST
44
Start of an idea : GERM
45
More than urge : INSIST
46
Sub-Saharan pest : TSETSE
47
Willie Mays phrase : SAYHEY
49
Copper : PENNY
50
Unkempt : MESSY
51
Fir trees : YEWS
52
Wine: Prefix : OENO
53
Shawl, e.g. : WRAP
54
Bends, as in a river : JOGS
55
Gridiron V.I.P.'s : QBS
56
Mentalist Geller : URI
57
Canon camera model : EOS

Answer summary:
2 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later.

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