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YOU'RE GOING DOWN

New York Times, Sunday, October 21, 2018

Author:
Finn Vigeland
Editor:
Will Shortz
Finn Vigeland
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1710/20/201010/21/20184
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
8123012
ScrabbleRebusCirclePangram
1.64230
Finn Vigeland

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 72 Missing: {QX} This is puzzle # 17 for Mr. Vigeland. NYT links: Across Lite PDF
Finn Vigeland notes:
Given that my two favorite themers (BABY STEPS and JAZZ HANDS) were both nine letters, I imposed a cap of eight letters on the rest of the fill. That led to a lot more mid-length fill than ... read more

Given that my two favorite themers (BABY STEPS and JAZZ HANDS) were both nine letters, I imposed a cap of eight letters on the rest of the fill. That led to a lot more mid-length fill than usual, which was a nice challenge. I like the array of 5's and 6's in the center, which was the first section I filled (welcome to the Times crossword, CARDI B). I know the Z of the BRATZ/VADUZ crossing might be tough for some, but hopefully, the clue on 67A led you there! A fun feature of this puzzle—something I only noticed ex-post-facto — is the intersection of five words in the bottom-center that all end in an "oh" sound. Hope you got a few laughs out of this theme!

Jeff Chen notes:
Finn is one of the more avant-garde constructors out there. I especially like how he adds in color with mid-length or even short fill. Today, it was BRATZ, SNARKY, BIONICS, PANEM ... read more

Finn is one of the more avant-garde constructors out there. I especially like how he adds in color with mid-length or even short fill. Today, it was BRATZ, SNARKY, BIONICS, PANEM (fictional place in "The Hunger Games") – BADASS, indeed!

I'd feel sympathetic though, to those who got the PANEM / EGAN crossing wrong. As much as I admire Jennifer Egan as an author – she's earned her crossworthiness – I think she's still in a place where her crossings must be fair and gettable.

Just as Finn mentioned, I was also torn on VADUZ / CAR DIB, both new words to me. Er, CARDI B. Perhaps she's wildly famous, to the point where even this badass – er, bad ass – shouldn't even be bringing this up. World capitals are fair game, after all. (I sadly admit that I wasn't even sure that Liechtenstein was a country, much less had a capital city.)

(NOLITA? It derives from "North of Little Italy"? Huh. Probably much more familiar to New Yorkers.)

The theme felt too familiar at first, but it's kind of novel. Each one creates a kooky phrase by adding the word DOWN, with each base phrase appearing as is in the grid. Aye, THERE'S THE RUB (down). I like how Finn implied that final (down) by orienting all his themers in the vertical direction.

It gave Jim and me a dilemma. Do we fix up the answers so that they appear in our database as THERE'S THE RUBDOWN? And then mark them as bogus, never to be reused? We can't mark them bogus as is. But if we leave them as is, the clues won't match their entries. I enjoy it when constructors make us work!

PUPPET SHOW (down) was my favorite – so apt for Punch and Judy. It'd have been more fun with a clue about Bert and Ernie in an MMA cage match. I'd bet it all on Bert.

Most all the themers were pretty good, although I wish more of them had given me the same laugh as PUPPET SHOW (down). It's hard to make magic with just adding the word (down).

1
F
2
I
3
B
4
B
5
E
6
R
7
L
8
I
9
B
10
I
11
D
12
O
13
S
14
T
15
R
16
A
17
P
18
A
M
A
R
N
A
19
U
N
I
T
A
R
20
D
21
S
22
C
H
A
F
E
23
K
I
B
I
T
Z
24
C
R
O
S
S
B
O
W
25
R
E
T
R
O
26
E
N
Y
A
27
O
28
A
K
E
N
29
H
I
D
E
30
A
R
S
O
N
31
S
N
32
A
R
K
Y
33
I
34
C
E
T
35
D
36
O
M
E
37
O
38
T
T
E
R
39
A
B
40
A
C
U
S
41
M
E
N
S
S
42
H
43
O
44
P
45
W
R
E
N
C
46
H
47
R
E
S
T
48
V
I
N
E
49
T
O
R
Y
50
L
I
P
O
51
U
52
B
E
R
53
E
54
G
A
D
55
A
56
S
H
L
A
R
57
S
O
S
58
A
L
L
A
59
C
A
R
D
I
60
B
61
L
E
D
T
O
62
E
B
O
O
K
63
U
S
A
U
S
A
64
A
R
I
E
S
65
N
66
O
L
I
T
A
67
B
R
A
T
Z
68
D
69
O
N
U
T
S
70
B
A
L
E
D
71
T
72
H
E
F
B
I
73
P
A
R
T
B
74
L
E
D
G
E
75
S
A
V
E
U
S
76
U
S
E
S
77
J
78
I
79
F
80
I
N
V
A
D
81
E
82
N
E
W
T
83
A
P
S
O
84
T
A
T
A
85
G
A
I
N
86
A
87
B
E
L
88
T
89
R
I
P
90
S
91
E
I
Z
E
D
92
H
E
C
T
93
A
R
E
S
94
T
O
I
L
E
95
T
96
S
E
Z
M
E
97
L
U
S
H
98
P
U
N
T
99
T
W
100
I
T
C
H
101
A
102
R
103
B
Y
S
104
E
105
G
A
N
106
E
107
P
S
O
N
108
L
A
109
M
110
P
111
L
E
A
P
S
112
S
A
N
D
113
R
A
O
H
114
E
115
M
I
N
O
R
116
E
N
N
U
I
117
T
H
E
R
E
I
G
O
118
P
O
P
D
U
O
119
S
T
A
T
E
120
M
A
D
D
O
W
121
T
O
S
S
E
D
© 2018, The New York TimesNo. 1021 ( 25,184 )
Across
1
Pinocchio, e.g. : FIBBER
7
Aphrodisiacs boost it : LIBIDO
13
Backpack feature : STRAP
18
Where cuneiform was discovered : AMARNA
19
Superhero outfits, typically : UNITARDS
22
Irritate : CHAFE
23
Give unsolicited advice : KIBITZ
24
Weapon for William Tell : CROSSBOW
25
Coming back in : RETRO
26
Popular singer born in County Donegal : ENYA
27
Like many wine casks : OAKEN
29
Lie low : HIDE
30
What starts with a spark of an idea? : ARSON
31
Snide and sassy : SNARKY
33
Portrayer of TV's Det. Fin Tutuola : ICET
35
Jefferson Memorial topper : DOME
37
Non-fish aquarium attraction : OTTER
39
Precalculator calculator : ABACUS
41
Where one might be well-suited : MENSSHOP
45
Clue weapon : WRENCH
47
"Give it a ___" : REST
48
Street crossing Hollywood in Hollywood : VINE
49
Conservative : TORY
50
Job for a plastic surgeon, for short : LIPO
51
Modern name in transportation : UBER
53
"Heavens!" : EGAD
55
Squared building stone : ASHLAR
57
Three short, three long, three short : SOS
58
Gnocchi ___ Romana : ALLA
59
Rapper with the 2017 #1 hit "Bodak Yellow" : CARDIB
61
Brought about : LEDTO
62
Kindle download : EBOOK
63
Chant at a political rally : USAUSA
64
First sign : ARIES
65
Manhattan neighborhood next to the Lower East Side : NOLITA
67
Popular line of dolls with "Kidz" and "Babyz" spinoffs : BRATZ
68
Hole foods? : DONUTS
70
Bundled, as hay : BALED
71
1960s-'70s police drama : THEFBI
73
Medicare provision for nonhospital expenses : PARTB
74
Perch for pigeons : LEDGE
75
Plea to a superhero, maybe : SAVEUS
76
Employs : USES
77
Peter Pan rival : JIF
80
Trespass upon : INVADE
82
Seventh-year exam in Harry Potter : NEWT
83
Lhasa ___ : APSO
84
"Toodles!" : TATA
85
Positive market move : GAIN
86
Son of Adam : ABEL
88
Trigger, as an alarm : TRIP
90
Repossessed : SEIZED
92
Farm measures : HECTARES
94
Kind of humor : TOILET
96
"Cuz I told you to!" : SEZME
97
Like rain forests : LUSH
98
Fourth-down play : PUNT
99
Spasm : TWITCH
101
Fast-food chain with a hat in its logo : ARBYS
104
Jennifer who wrote "Manhattan Beach" : EGAN
106
Printer brand : EPSON
108
Spelunker's helmet attachment : LAMP
111
Springs : LEAPS
112
Five-time Emmy nominee for "Grey's Anatomy" : SANDRAOH
114
Key of Dvorák's "New World" Symphony : EMINOR
116
World-weariness : ENNUI
117
"Silly me, rambling again!" : THEREIGO
118
The Chainsmokers or Eurythmics : POPDUO
119
Declare : STATE
120
TV colleague of Hayes and O'Donnell : MADDOW
121
Didn't sleep well : TOSSED
Down
1
Embarrassment for an art curator : FAKE
2
"Sign me up!" : IMIN
3
Headline after a toddler C.E.O. resigns, literally? : BABYSTEPS
4
Coiner of the term "generative music" : BRIANENO
5
Certain med. specialist : ENT
6
It may be cutting things close : RAZOR
7
Car failure only a block from the mechanic, literally? : LUCKYBREAK
8
About, on memos : INRE
9
Mixture of nature and technology : BIONICS
10
"___ official" : ITS
11
Takes off in a hurry : DASHES
12
Eye socket : ORBIT
13
Takes off in a hurry : SCRAMS
14
"For a massage, go that way!," literally? : THERESTHERUB
15
"Darn it all!" : RATS
16
Do for Jon Batiste : AFRO
17
Drudge : PEON
20
Its HQ is the Pentagon : DOD
21
First country to legalize changing one's gender identity (1972) : SWEDEN
28
First African-American sorority : AKA
32
Part of a circle : ARC
34
Like the dress shirt that's just adorable, literally? : CUTEASABUTTON
36
Draftable : ONEA
37
"Wise" ones : OWLS
38
Chamber music group, often : TRIO
40
___ Lingus : AER
41
Calf-length dresses : MIDIS
42
"Not so fast!" : HOLDIT
43
Addresses a crowd : ORATES
44
Firebugs : PYROS
46
Signature Jacques Tati role : HULOT
48
Capital of Liechtenstein : VADUZ
52
Puffs up : BLOATS
54
For nothing : GRATIS
56
Perspectives : SLANTS
58
Bore : ABIDED
59
Midnight, maybe : CURFEW
60
Total baller : BADASS
62
Dissed with flowery language, literally? : ELEGANTLYPUT
65
Hip-hop dance move : NAENAE
66
Classic London theater : OLDVIC
67
Angled edge : BEVEL
69
Snacks often paired with milk : OREOS
70
"Mutiny on the Bounty" captain : BLIGH
72
Underwear brand : HANES
73
Punch vs. Judy, literally? : PUPPETSHOW
77
One answer to the question "What's your favorite music genre," literally? : JAZZHANDS
78
Agenda entry : ITEM
79
Music outro effect : FADE
81
Prominent parts of goblins : EARS
83
Not do so well : AIL
84
Haberdashery buys : TIECLIPS
87
Directive : BEHEST
89
CVS rival : RITEAID
91
"Alea iacta ___": Caesar : EST
93
Barbie attendee : AUSSIE
94
About 10% of Russia : TUNDRA
95
Afternoon hour : TWO
98
Land in "The Hunger Games" : PANEM
100
Bumbling : INEPT
101
Orders at the Rose & Crown : ALES
102
Quote from a letter : RENT
103
Actor Eric : BANA
105
Frustrated cry : GAH
107
___ stick : POGO
109
Pouty face : MOUE
110
Urge on : PROD
113
Bloody, say : RED
115
Barn greeting : MOO

Answer summary: 5 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later, 2 unique to Shortz Era but used previously.

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