This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

BRANCHING OUT

New York Times, Sunday, December 14, 2003

Author:
Elizabeth C. Gorski
Editor:
Will Shortz
5-Down : Satirist Mort
TotalDebutLatest
2197/31/19952/23/2016
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
6716363439243
RebusCircleScrabblePGramFresh
30221.54553%
Elizabeth C. Gorski
sailboat

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 143, Blocks: 80 Missing: none – this is a pangram. Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 119 for Ms. Gorski. Sunday freshness: 51%
Jim Horne notes:

I believe this is the first puzzle where solvers draw an image by connecting the dots in alphabetical order.

1
L
2
E
3
C
4
H
5
S
6
E
7
A
8
F
9
R
10
A
11
S
12
T
13
P
14
M
15
A
16
L
17
T
18
O
T
O
E
19
A
N
C
20
R
E
S
21
A
R
I
22
I
L
I
A
23
A
I
N
T
24
H
M
O
25
E
X
T
26
G
U
N
27
S
P
A
S
28
D
E
N
E
29
L
A
R
30
U
E
31
A
32
V
A
S
T
33
T
H
I
S
34
S
N
E
R
35
D
36
S
N
A
Z
37
Z
I
E
S
T
38
E
R
A
S
E
39
U
N
C
O
R
40
K
S
41
W
E
A
R
Y
42
M
43
I
R
A
B
E
L
44
P
E
T
N
A
M
E
45
S
46
U
K
E
47
M
E
A
N
N
E
S
S
48
T
O
G
S
49
A
50
P
P
51
S
52
I
N
53
N
E
S
T
54
S
55
C
H
M
O
56
B
U
C
57
S
O
58
T
59
S
L
I
60
M
61
S
62
T
I
E
O
N
63
R
C
P
64
T
65
R
E
P
R
66
T
A
C
I
T
67
U
R
D
U
68
D
U
E
69
S
70
T
E
71
Q
I
72
R
73
T
A
L
E
74
N
C
O
S
75
O
E
R
76
A
R
C
77
R
T
E
78
E
L
L
E
79
T
U
T
80
F
I
G
81
R
E
O
82
O
P
83
P
84
L
E
D
85
S
S
S
86
O
L
E
87
T
I
B
I
88
A
89
N
O
R
90
Y
R
S
91
H
A
I
L
92
O
N
E
L
S
93
A
M
A
94
N
95
S
96
C
A
L
E
S
97
R
A
K
E
S
98
L
A
Y
O
99
F
100
F
101
O
C
H
R
E
S
102
S
T
S
103
D
E
104
T
105
N
E
W
M
A
106
N
107
B
L
I
N
D
108
I
T
O
109
M
E
110
T
111
R
H
I
N
O
112
J
E
T
E
113
O
T
A
N
114
N
115
E
116
N
B
A
U
117
M
118
E
N
O
L
119
E
R
O
S
120
S
T
R
I
N
G
A
L
O
N
G
121
R
O
U
T
122
T
A
N
S
123
H
O
R
S
E
O
P
E
R
A
S
124
E
R
T
E
© 2003, The New York Times12/14/3 ( No. 19,759 )
Across
1
Creepy sort, for short : LECH
5
View from a lighthouse : SEA
8
Lobster ___ diavolo : FRA
11
Pit stop can : STP
14
Fountain treat : MALT
18
Native Nebraskan : OTOE
19
Antiapartheid org. : ANC
20
Scale notes : RES
21
Onassis, in tabloids : ARI
22
Skating star Kulik : ILIA
23
"___ it the truth!" : AINT
24
Oxford, for one: Abbr. : HMO
25
Phone no. add-on : EXT
26
Magazine article : GUN
27
Healthful retreats : SPAS
28
Sandy tract, in Britain : DENE
29
Movie cowboy Lash ___ : LARUE
31
"Halt!" to a salt : AVAST
33
What that isn't : THIS
34
Mortimer, a real dummy : SNERD
36
Maximally chi-chi : SNAZZIEST
38
Clear the slate : ERASE
39
No longer stops? : UNCORKS
41
Tuckered out : WEARY
42
Airport city near Montreal : MIRABEL
44
Rover and Tabby, e.g. : PETNAMES
46
Tiny Tim played it : UKE
47
Scrooge overcame this : MEANNESS
48
Get-up : TOGS
49
Software program, briefly : APP
51
Sermon subject : SIN
53
Cozy retreat : NEST
54
Noodlehead : SCHMO
56
N.F.C. gridder : BUC
57
Lush : SOT
59
Diets : SLIMS
62
Attach with laces : TIEON
63
Gift exchange requirement: Abbr. : RCPT
65
Not an orig. : REPR
66
Undeclared : TACIT
67
It's heard in Islamabad : URDU
68
Kind of date : DUE
69
___-Mère-Église, France : STE
71
Abu ___ Bay, site of Horatio Nelson's naval victory, 1798 : QIR
73
"The Gift of the Magi," e.g. : TALE
74
Sgt. and sgt. maj. : NCOS
75
Done, to Donne : OER
76
Rainbow : ARC
77
Itinerary abbr. : RTE
78
Allure competitor : ELLE
79
King in a 1978 pop hit : TUT
80
Pudding ingredient : FIG
81
Antique auto : REO
82
Directly across from: Abbr. : OPP
84
Spearheaded : LED
85
Sound from a wok : SSS
86
Hurrah for El Farruco : OLE
87
Leg bone : TIBIA
89
Hide-hair link : NOR
90
Timeline info: Abbr. : YRS
91
Salute : HAIL
92
Starting Harvard law students : ONELS
93
Without exception, after "to" : AMAN
95
Choir practice : SCALES
97
Croupiers' tools : RAKES
98
"Leave me alone!" : LAYOFF
101
Colors in cave paintings : OCHRES
102
Bourbon and others: Abbr. : STS
103
"Law & Order" type: Abbr. : DET
105
"Nobody's Fool" star Paul : NEWMAN
107
Window item : BLIND
108
Skater Midori : ITO
109
Satisfied : MET
111
One with a thick skin : RHINO
112
Ballet leap : JETE
113
Seasonal air that celebrates this puzzle's theme : OTANNENBAUM
118
Carbon compound : ENOL
119
Love symbol : EROS
120
Not give a definite answer : STRINGALONG
121
Huge win : ROUT
122
Beach shades : TANS
123
Western-themed films : HORSEOPERAS
124
Art Deco designer : ERTE
Down
1
Fills : LOADSUP
2
Stephen, in France : ETIENNE
3
With 15-Down, what to do to reveal this puzzle's theme : CONNECTTHEDOTS
4
Subject to external controls : HETERONOMOUS
5
Satirist Mort : SAHL
6
How lemmings move : ENMASSE
7
It's often squirreled away : ACORN
8
Succumb to stage fright : FREEZEUP
9
Name fit for a king? : REX
10
Dancing siblings : ASTAIRES
11
Big stories : SAGAS
12
"Would I lie?!" : TRUSTME
13
Amount of eggnog : PINT
14
Botch the subtitles, maybe : MISTRANSLATE
15
See 3-Down : ALPHABETICALLY
16
Is a go-between : LIAISES
17
Fringe material : TASSELS
30
Motor City org. : UAW
32
"Oy ___!" : VEY
35
Chinese zodiac sign : DRAGON
37
Drummer Starkey, Ringo's son : ZAK
38
English poet Dowson : ERNEST
40
Tour de France units: Abbr. : KMS
43
"At Seventeen" singer Janis : IAN
45
It holds one cup : SAUCER
47
Alphabet sextet : MNOPQR
50
Narc's find, for short : PCP
52
British verb ending : ISE
54
Evel doings? : STUNTS
55
Ring setting : CIRCUS
56
Noted family of Flemish painters : BRUEGELS
58
Like some chords : TRITONAL
60
One whose job is a grind? : MILLER
61
War horses : STEEDS
64
Winter Palace residents : TSARINAS
65
Sprang back : RECOILED
68
Linen closet stack : DOILIES
70
Game show host who was once a CBC newsman : TREBEK
72
Car tower : REPOMAN
80
Gave birth, as on a ranch : FOALED
83
"God bless us every one," e.g. : PRAYER
87
Trattoria desserts : TORTONIS
88
Rally : ASSEMBLE
91
It will hold your horses : HARNESS
94
The boonies : NOWHERE
95
White of the eye : SCLERA
96
Ancient Greek tunic : CHITON
99
Key of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 : FMINOR
100
Disperse : FANOUT
101
Antiquaire's item : OBJET
102
Brenda of the comics : STARR
104
"Coffee, ___ Me?" : TEAOR
106
Nick of "Lorenzo's Oil" : NOLTE
108
Stick ___ : ITTO
110
___ sandwich : TUNA
113
Kyrgyz city : OSH
114
Phoenix-to-Flagstaff dir. : NNE
115
Mania subject? : EGO
116
Brief time out? : NAP
117
Some old roadsters : MGS

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

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
84 ms