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New York Times, Thursday, December 13, 2018

Author:
John Westwig
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
36-Down : First ones to bat
TotalDebutLatest
97/20/20151/21/2024
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2110203
ScrabDebutFresh
1.748781%
John Westwig

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 72, Blocks: 29 Missing: {QXZ} Grid has both 90- and 180-degree symmetry. There are unchecked squares Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Westwig. Thursday freshness: 97%
John Westwig notes:
Hello again, Crossworld! I hope that the gimmick in this puzzle was the X-factor in your solving experience … I'm a senior at Tufts ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
I imagine I'm going to get a lot of confusion-laden emails today, from people who missed the giant black X in the grid — four ... read more
1
S
2
A
3
U
4
T
5
E
6
P
7
A
8
N
9
M
10
A
11
T
12
C
13
H
14
A
15
A
B
S
O
L
U
T
E
16
O
N
A
R
U
N
17
H
O
M
E
B
R
E
W
18
D
O
T
I
M
E
19
A
D
A
20
A
R
M
Y
21
M
E
N
22
M
A
C
23
R
E
P
24
S
25
S
P
O
O
L
26
B
E
N
D
27
A
S
S
A
28
M
29
O
R
B
30
F
O
L
I
O
31
D
O
32
S
K
33
J
J
W
A
T
T
34
M
35
A
36
L
C
O
L
M
37
G
O
O
D
B
Y
E
38
C
L
E
A
R
Y
39
S
40
B
R
O
41
G
L
A
S
S
42
V
E
43
T
44
D
I
45
D
46
I
47
T
48
R
I
D
E
49
N
A
C
R
50
E
51
N
A
D
A
52
E
N
O
53
B
O
T
T
O
M
54
S
55
G
E
N
56
G
O
F
57
L
A
T
58
I
M
B
A
59
T
M
A
N
60
O
N
F
I
R
E
61
O
P
E
N
L
A
T
E
62
R
E
S
T
E
D
63
N
E
R
D
C
R
E
D
© 2018, The New York Times12/13/18 ( No. 25,237 )
Across
1
Vessel for frying food : SAUTEPAN
9
Variety of green tea : MATCHA
15
Word with power or zero : ABSOLUTE
16
Having win after win : ONARUN
17
Beer you make yourself : HOMEBREW
18
Get cell service? : DOTIME
19
Lovelace of computing fame : ADA
20
Some West Point grads : ARMYMEN
22
Non-PC? : MAC
23
Is an agent for, informally : REPS
25
One end of a kite string : SPOOL
26
Genuflect, e.g. : BEND
27
Indian state known for its tea : ASSAM
29
The moon, e.g. : ORB
30
Book leaf : FOLIO
31
Two, to Teo : DOS
33
N.F.L. star who was a Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in 2017 : JJWATT
34
Who said "If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary" : MALCOLMX
37
Accept the sudden loss of, as an opportunity : KISSGOODBYE
38
Children's author Beverly : CLEARY
40
"Duuuude!" : BRO
41
Flute, e.g. : GLASS
42
One doing cat scans? : VET
44
"Finished!" : DIDIT
48
Lift : RIDE
49
Mother-of-pearl : NACRE
51
Zippo : NADA
52
"Here Come the Warm Jets" musician : ENO
53
Butts : BOTTOMS
55
Lead-in to X, Y or Z : GEN
56
Lose fizz : GOFLAT
58
Classic declaration in Gotham City : IMBATMAN
60
Burning : ONFIRE
61
Not closing before 10 or 11 p.m. : OPENLATE
62
Back from a vacation, say : RESTED
63
Acceptance from fellow brainiacs, in slang : NERDCRED
Down
1
Name that comes from Arabic for "desert" : SAHARA
2
Dwellings : ABODES
3
Many graphics on election night : USMAPS
4
Use it for kicks : TOE
5
Italy's third-largest island, after Sicily and Sardinia : ELBA
6
Engine sounds : PURRS
7
At the original speed, in music : ATEMPO
8
Publishing debut of 1851, with "The" : NEWYORKTIMES
9
Lead-in to T, A or X : MODEL
10
In short order : ANON
11
Bit of ink : TAT
12
What might have a large collection of prints : CRIMELAB
13
What Gandhi once likened to an ocean : HUMANITY
14
Opening of many a speech : ANECDOTE
21
Swarm : MOB
24
Pathetic one : SADCASE
26
College in Brunswick, Me. : BOWDOIN
28
Ties up, in a way : MOORS
30
Oslo setting : FJORD
32
Furtive : SLY
33
LinkedIn listing : JOB
34
Mixed martial arts champion Conor ___ : MCGREGOR
35
Multipurpose : ALLINONE
36
First ones to bat : LEADOFFS
39
Representative sample of a larger group : CROSSSECTION
42
Acid holder : VAT
43
___ l'oeil (illusion) : TROMPE
45
One-named 1950s TV sex symbol : DAGMAR
46
Imagine : IDEATE
47
Back from a vacation, say : TANNED
49
"Gotcha" : NOTED
50
Old flame? : EMBER
53
Like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard : BARE
54
Smooth : SAND
57
Burning : LIT
59
Spa offering, briefly : TLC

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 3 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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