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New York Times, Friday, December 12, 2025

Author:
Adrian Johnson and Jess Rucks
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
154/7/202112/12/20253
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1101075
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.589242.879%
Adrian Johnson
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
24/13/202412/12/20251
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0000011
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.621145.584%
Jess Rucks

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQZ} This is puzzle # 15 for Mr. Johnson. This is puzzle # 2 for Ms. Rucks. Grid flow: 66.2 Friday freshness: 35%
Jim Horne notes:

I'm amused by "criss-cross applesauce", but I never encountered that phrase before. I presume it's an American thing? British? Is it common knowledge that I just missed?

1
P
2
S
3
A
4
S
5
C
6
A
7
U
8
S
9
E
10
A
11
C
12
T
13
S
14
I
K
N
O
15
W
R
I
G
H
T
16
S
U
I
T
17
T
I
N
F
O
I
L
H
A
T
18
P
L
E
A
19
T
E
A
M
S
20
W
A
21
S
H
T
U
B
22
B
E
S
23
T
24
S
25
H
A
S
P
S
26
V
27
A
28
L
E
N
C
I
A
29
M
O
L
T
30
I
P
A
D
31
R
A
W
32
F
O
O
T
A
33
G
34
E
35
S
O
B
36
F
O
N
D
A
N
T
37
T
O
E
38
A
P
P
39
L
E
S
A
U
C
E
40
D
U
A
L
41
A
I
D
S
42
S
T
Y
43
L
I
S
T
S
44
S
45
E
R
V
E
46
T
S
T
O
P
47
A
R
T
E
X
48
P
49
O
50
R
I
L
51
K
52
E
53
P
I
N
S
54
A
S
55
S
56
E
E
N
O
N
T
57
V
58
I
C
E
E
59
T
H
E
R
E
S
M
O
R
E
60
D
A
R
T
61
H
A
N
G
S
62
A
B
E
T
© 2025, The New York Times12/12/25 ( No. 27,793 )
Across
1
Some free spots, for short : PSAS
5
Grounds : CAUSE
10
Doesn't just talk : ACTS
14
"You're telling me!" : IKNOWRIGHT
16
Word with wet or sweat : SUIT
17
Conspiracy theorist's accessory : TINFOILHAT
18
"Don't leave me!," e.g. : PLEA
19
16 in a Sweet Sixteen : TEAMS
20
Main component of a "gutbucket," a jug band instrument : WASHTUB
22
Personal records : BESTS
25
Padlocked fasteners : HASPS
26
Variety of orange named for a European city : VALENCIA
29
What blue crabs do roughly 20 times in their lifetimes : MOLT
30
Jobs announcement of 2010 : IPAD
31
News feed, perhaps : RAWFOOTAGE
35
[Waaaaah!] : SOB
36
Thick confection used for cake icing : FONDANT
37
Part of a golf club : TOE
38
See 5-Down : APPLESAUCE
40
Binary : DUAL
41
Succors : AIDS
42
Photo session workers : STYLISTS
44
Ace, e.g. : SERVE
46
Skater's braking method with the back foot positioned horizontally : TSTOP
47
Relative of a craft fair : ARTEXPO
50
"Duino Elegies" poet : RILKE
53
Saves, as a digital location : PINS
54
Clichéd line from the side of a product package : ASSEENONTV
58
It's cool to drink : ICEE
59
"I haven't told you the best part ..." : THERESMORE
60
Impressively accurate pass, in football slang : DART
61
Floats : HANGS
62
Give a bad hand? : ABET
Down
1
Stone : PIT
2
Vaudeville highlight : SKIT
3
Pulitzer-winning journalist Applebaum : ANNE
4
You might pull one out for a guest : SOFABED
5
With 38-Across, one way to sit : CRISSCROSS
6
Feel gross : AIL
7
"Gross" : UGH
8
Playwright who wrote "You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" : SHAW
9
"Tell Mama" singer James : ETTA
10
Rocky road ingredient? : ASPHALT
11
Distinction for a classic underground work : CULTSTATUS
12
Bind : TIEUP
13
Sticks a fork in : STABS
15
Part of NOW : WOMEN
21
"Fiddlesticks!" : SHOOT
23
Disney princess in New Orleans : TIANA
24
Workshop debris : SAWDUST
26
Possible need for entry : VISA
27
Each : APOP
28
Colleague who might be solutions-oriented? : LABPARTNER
29
Tropical plants said to bring good fortune : MONEYTREES
32
"That's the truth" : FACTS
33
Kid's parent : GOAT
34
Hagfish lookalikes : EELS
36
Company whose logo has a hidden arrow between its fourth and fifth letters : FEDEX
39
Performance that isn't prerecorded : LIVESET
40
Word from the Greek for "folded paper" : DIPLOMA
43
Butcher shop buys : LOINS
44
Pleasing to the palate : SAPID
45
"Buss It" rapper ___ Banks : ERICA
48
Way : PATH
49
Arm of the Dept. of Labor : OSHA
51
Part of a cabinet : KNOB
52
French 101 verb : ETRE
55
Whitehouse in D.C., e.g.: Abbr. : SEN
56
Physics unit equivalent to roughly 624 gigaelectronvolts : ERG
57
Thoroughly evaluate : VET

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle.

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