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New York Times, Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Author:
Amanda Chung and Karl Ni
Editor:
Will Shortz
Comedian who said "In America, anyone can become president. That's the problem"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
136/17/20184/6/202113
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1154200
CircleScrabblePOW
31.613
Amanda Chung
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
136/17/20184/6/202113
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1154200
CircleScrabblePOW
31.613
Karl Ni

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 36 Missing: {QX} This is puzzle # 5 for Ms. Chung. This is puzzle # 5 for Mr. Ni. Jeff Chen's Puzzle of the Week pick.
Constructor notes:
Looking at the various ways to develop a theme, this seems to be a popular one — that is, the starting words of specific across ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Loved this one. I had no idea what was going on until I hit the COMPOST BIN revealer. Ah, of course, that's what SHELL / PEEL / ... read more
1
P
2
O
3
O
4
F
5
P
6
O
7
P
8
B
9
Y
10
B
11
A
12
S
13
J
O
N
I
14
A
T
R
I
A
15
P
I
P
E
16
S
H
E
L
17
L
S
H
O
C
K
18
A
R
E
A
19
E
A
S
E
D
20
M
I
D
S
T
21
P
22
R
23
O
C
T
O
R
24
P
25
E
E
L
O
U
T
26
C
A
R
L
I
N
27
H
U
R
T
28
N
I
L
29
S
T
E
E
N
30
S
A
R
I
31
N
A
T
E
32
G
R
O
33
U
N
D
S
C
34
R
E
W
35
A
36
M
O
K
37
F
A
T
E
38
A
G
I
39
L
40
E
41
P
A
N
42
T
O
G
O
43
A
Z
A
R
I
A
44
P
I
T
45
B
O
S
S
46
S
L
O
W
E
S
T
47
E
N
R
O
N
48
A
U
D
R
A
49
A
M
A
L
50
C
51
O
M
P
O
S
T
52
B
53
I
54
N
55
R
A
I
D
56
A
D
I
E
U
57
T
I
V
O
58
S
N
L
59
P
E
E
R
S
60
S
T
E
W
© 2018, The New York Times12/11/18 ( No. 25,235 )
Across
1
[It's gone!] : POOF
5
Visit on a whim : POPBY
10
___-relief : BAS
13
Folk singer Mitchell : JONI
14
Heart chambers : ATRIA
15
Accessory for Sherlock Holmes : PIPE
16
Combat trauma : SHELLSHOCK
18
Real estate measurement : AREA
19
Made more bearable : EASED
20
Center : MIDST
21
Exam monitor : PROCTOR
24
Leave quickly, as from a parking spot : PEELOUT
26
Comedian who said "In America, anyone can become president. That's the problem" : CARLIN
27
Offended : HURT
28
Zilch : NIL
29
Dutch painter Jan : STEEN
30
Indian wedding garb : SARI
31
"Great" boy detective : NATE
32
Baseball field maintainers : GROUNDSCREW
35
Run ___ : AMOK
37
What the Roman goddess Fortuna controls : FATE
38
Nimble : AGILE
41
Sweeping movie shot : PAN
42
Restaurant order specification : TOGO
43
Hank of "The Simpsons" : AZARIA
44
Casino V.I.P. : PITBOSS
46
Larghissimo, among all musical tempos : SLOWEST
47
"The Smartest Guys in the Room" company : ENRON
48
Tony winner McDonald : AUDRA
49
___ Clooney, lawyer often seen in tabloids : AMAL
50
Place for kitchen scraps, such as those starting 16-, 24-, 32- and 44-Across : COMPOSTBIN
55
Apt rhyme for "invade" : RAID
56
Farewell in France : ADIEU
57
DVR pioneer : TIVO
58
Weekly show broadcast from Rockefeller Center, for short : SNL
59
Jury members : PEERS
60
Goulash, e.g. : STEW
Down
1
Sleepover attire, briefly : PJS
2
"Impressive!" : OOH
3
x's positive value in the equation 2x = 4x2 - 2 : ONE
4
Low-level law firm employee : FILECLERK
5
Forgo : PASSON
6
Questionnaire choice : OTHER
7
Egg on : PROD
8
Disposable lighter brand : BIC
9
Himalayan beast : YAK
10
Goldie Hawn comedy or Leonard Cohen documentary : BIRDONAWIRE
11
Hairy Halloween costume : APESUIT
12
Where Boeing was founded : SEATTLE
15
Water holder for a farm animal : PAIL
17
Like Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz : LATINO
20
N.Y.C. museum, with "the" : MET
21
Mac competitors : PCS
22
Snitch : RAT
23
Path for Western settlers : OREGONTRAIL
24
Prize money : PURSE
25
Guitar legend Clapton : ERIC
27
Couldn't say no : HADTO
30
Slight problems : SNAGS
31
Units of power saved, in modern lingo : NEGAWATTS
33
E.T. vehicles : UFOS
34
Bathroom items that might be confiscated by the T.S.A. : RAZORS
35
Materializes : APPEARS
36
Go-to guy : MAINMAN
39
Fleur-de-___ : LIS
40
Break bread : EAT
42
Boatload : TON
43
"Brave New World" author Huxley : ALDOUS
45
Audacious : BOLD
46
"Terrific!" : SUPER
48
Female friend in France : AMIE
50
Upper limit : CAP
51
Words of praise : ODE
52
Fell for a joke : BIT
53
"___ Got You Under My Skin" : IVE
54
Parent's emphatic order : NOW

Answer summary: 3 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later.

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