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Double Talk

New York Times, Sunday, November 5, 2023

Author:
Rich Katz
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Term of address that becomes less formal when its middle letter is removed
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
51/29/20233/27/20241
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
3001100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
111.642750%
Rich Katz

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 73 Missing: {QXZ} This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Katz. Sunday freshness: 38%
Will Shortz notes:
Rich Katz, of Park City, Utah, does freelance work in corporate restructuring. This is his third crossword for The Times — all Sundays. The puzzle started when Rich was ruminating on the ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
21-A: JUNK IN THE TRUNK - "But wait!" = "butt weight" 38-A: STRING BIKINI - "To peace" = "two-piece" 5-A: TUCKERED OUT - "Holy Wee" = "wholly weak" 77-A: CORONATIONS - "Air ... read more
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H
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M
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M
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D
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P
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I
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D
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O
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K
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A
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A
L
E
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A
R
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A
L
20
S
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V
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J
U
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K
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T
H
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T
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K
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K
E
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N
E
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24
E
S
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A
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S
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R
O
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A
G
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M
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M
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S
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T
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K
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D
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B
O
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M
B
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O
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T
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A
M
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A
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A
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V
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F
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B
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O
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M
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T
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C
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K
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D
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T
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D
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H
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A
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L
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A
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D
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A
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V
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C
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N
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M
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H
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O
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B
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S
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U
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P
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W
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N
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S
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P
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A
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G
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P
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D
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P
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G
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P
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S
O
K
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K
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113
E
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N
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E
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R
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T
W
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K
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I
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E
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A
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A
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Y
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P
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P
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© 2023, The New York Times11/5/23 ( No. 27,025 )
Across
1
Pulled one's pants up? : HEMMED
7
Group of mimes, maybe : TROUPE
13
Neither crushed it nor got crushed : DIDOK
18
Revenue source for a website : ADSALE
19
Excitement : AROUSAL
20
Really bad : SEVERE
21
But wait! : JUNKINTHETRUNK
23
One of the Wayans brothers : KEENEN
24
Output of Michel de Montaigne : ESSAYS
25
Asian honorific : SRI
26
Bone insert following an accident : ROD
27
In the past : AGO
28
She shares a home with Homer : MARGE
31
Small plateau : MESA
33
Broad key : ENTER
35
Pig : SLOB
36
Potato, in Indian cooking : ALOO
37
Buffoon : ASS
38
To peace! : STRINGBIKINI
41
Totally phat : DABOMB
43
Nail polish brand : OPI
44
Queen's accessory : TIARA
45
"Star Wars" queen : AMIDALA
47
Go ___ : VIRAL
50
Classic Greek archetype? : FRATBRO
54
Word for word, in Paris? : MOT
55
Holy Week : TUCKEREDOUT
58
Get ready : TEEUP
59
Place to drop off a package : UPSSTORE
61
With 2-Down, end of the Gettysburg address? : DOT
62
Wipe clean : ERASE
63
Lhasa ___ : APSO
65
Pointer : HINT
66
"E pluribus unum" appears on one : SEAL
69
Crushed (it) : ACED
70
"The Glass Bead Game" author : HESSE
72
Lipa who sang "Levitating" : DUA
74
Martini ingredient : VERMOUTH
76
Text tweaks : EDITS
77
Air rights : CORONATIONS
79
"Cool" that's no longer cool : HEP
82
Mind-numbing detail : MINUTIA
84
Skip a party, in a way : ELOPE
85
French cosmetics chain : SEPHORA
87
Coming 'round again : RETRO
89
Padre's hermana : TIA
90
Psychedelic dose : LSDTAB
91
Bare feet : SUPERBOWLWIN
96
Snoop : SPY
98
Ones who get setters better? : VETS
99
Surface alternative : IPAD
100
One praised at the Kaaba : ALLAH
101
Actress Rowlands : GENA
103
One winging it? : PILOT
104
"And so on" : ETC
105
Professional connections : INS
106
Guacamole or tahini : DIP
108
Air-___ (extra-secure, as a computer) : GAPPED
110
"How considerate!" : SOKIND
112
We won! : KINDERGARTENER
117
Goes "bottoms up"? : TWERKS
118
Brainstorms : IDEATES
119
Beethoven work once called the "Bonaparte" Symphony : EROICA
120
Impatiently agitated : ANTSY
121
Volkswagen model : PASSAT
122
One of eight in a V8 : PISTON
Down
1
Visit to the Kaaba : HAJ
2
See 61-Across : EDU
3
Certain web portal : MSN
4
Deliver (on), as a promise : MAKEGOOD
5
Beethoven wrote a piece "für" her : ELISE
6
Relaxation spots : DENS
7
Lock : TRESS
8
Spoil : ROT
9
Yours and mine : OURS
10
Loan shark : USURER
11
Grilled sandwich on Italian bread : PANINI
12
Part of a Western herd : ELK
13
You might get it for a lot : DEED
14
"___ been thinking ..." : IVE
15
Peak once known as Mount McKinley : DENALI
16
First state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms : OREGON
17
"Star Wars" Jedi : KENOBI
19
"Mmm, I see what you're saying" : AHYES
20
Hershey toffee confection : SKORBAR
22
Scottish toppers : TAMS
26
Commit a holiday etiquette no-no : REGIFT
28
Term of address that becomes less formal when its middle letter is removed : MADAM
29
Enterprise alternative : ALAMO
30
Flew by : ROBITUSSIN
32
Have ambitions : ASPIRE
34
One of its uses is boring : TNT
35
One doing kickflips and ollies, in slang : SKATERAT
37
Red-faced : ABLUSH
39
Exhaust … or something found near the exhaust : TIRE
40
Wrathful : IRATE
42
Yoga equipment : MATS
43
Memorable part of Rossini's "William Tell" : OVERTURE
46
First of five at the Globe Theatre : ACTI
48
Toss in : ADD
49
Infuser contents : LOOSETEA
51
See in : BEACHHOTEL
52
Trick : RUSE
53
Column that might lead to a row? : OPED
56
Home organizing guru Marie : KONDO
57
Focuses of some sonograms : UTERI
60
Put on airs : POSTURED
63
[purposeful cough] : AHEM
64
Salon treatment, for short : PEDI
67
Book before Obadiah : AMOS
68
Like those at the top, it's said : LONELY
71
Ingredient in perfumes : ESTER
73
Early ISP : AOL
74
Using an e-cigarette : VAPING
75
Delivery org. : USPS
77
Sources of winter strains : CAROLS
78
"You've got the wrong guy" : NOTI
80
Muse of love poetry : ERATO
81
Blue Ribbon beer : PABST
83
Connective tissues in the legs, informally : ITBANDS
86
Some YouTube content, in short : HDVIDEOS
88
Real head-turner : OWL
91
Midday nap : SIESTA
92
"___ Girl" (Billy Joel hit) : UPTOWN
93
Ketchup container, maybe : PACKET
94
"Well, aren't you the cat's meow!" : LADIDA
95
Complains, complains, complains : WHINES
96
Manages to acquire, as a table at a popular restaurant : SNAGS
97
Bear whose porridge was too hot : PAPA
102
Everglades bird : EGRET
103
___ dish : PETRI
105
Like a leaky pen : INKY
107
Smartphone predecessors, for short : PDAS
109
Word with school or cook : PREP
111
1040 collector : IRS
112
Currency unit in Laos : KIP
113
Flight spec : ETA
114
Small problem : NIT
115
Lead-in to sphere or system : ECO
116
Sought office : RAN

Answer summary:
9 unique to this puzzle, 3 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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