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TAKE A BREAK

New York Times, Sunday, December 29, 2013

Author:
Joel Fagliano
Editor:
Will Shortz
He said the most important thing for poets to do is to write as little as possible
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351.641362%
Joel Fagliano

This puzzle:

Rows: 25, Columns: 17 Words: 138, Blocks: 78 Spans: 1 Grid has mirror symmetry. Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 26 for Mr. Fagliano. Sunday freshness: 71%
Joel Fagliano notes:
I've always liked Sunday puzzles that have multiple layers to them. With such a big grid, if you crack the theme early (or even worse, off the title) it ... read more
Will Shortz notes:
When Joel showed me this puzzle last summer, my heart sank a bit, because I remembered Mike Shteyman's take on the same theme in 2006 — right down to ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Beautiful work from Joel, as usual. Not only does the puzzle take the shape of a pool table, and contain a pyramid of POOL BALLS, but it also has theme ... read more
1
POCKET
2
B
3
O
4
O
5
K
6
T
7
U
8
N
9
E
10
S
11
P
12
I
13
C
14
K
15
POCKET
16
V
E
N
T
I
17
S
T
A
C
Y
18
A
T
L
A
S
19
E
L
I
T
E
20
A
U
T
O
S
21
C
O
A
T
I
22
T
O
O
23
V
24
E
R
B
A
L
C
25
U
E
26
W
I
Z
27
O
W
N
28
S
29
T
S
E
L
I
O
T
30
I
S
E
E
31
C
32
A
R
33
A
34
F
L
35
S
I
D
E
36
W
37
A
38
L
39
K
40
C
H
A
L
41
K
42
B
43
O
W
E
R
44
A
F
O
U
L
45
Q
U
I
46
L
47
T
48
A
M
A
N
A
49
N
A
O
M
I
50
I
M
D
U
E
51
W
A
L
T
W
52
H
I
T
M
A
N
53
B
R
I
D
G
E
54
D
R
E
I
55
U
N
E
56
R
C
A
57
N
O
E
S
58
S
59
A
N
G
60
H
I
61
Y
A
62
POCKET
63
W
64
A
T
C
H
65
H
66
U
67
B
68
O
U
T
69
O
70
F
71
POCKET
72
P
E
P
S
I
73
L
A
P
A
74
T
75
C
I
V
I
C
76
A
L
P
77
D
78
R
E
S
S
R
A
79
C
K
80
E
T
H
81
S
C
A
82
B
83
A
T
A
84
B
R
A
85
S
R
T
A
86
S
O
R
E
87
P
I
G
88
P
E
N
S
89
U
P
I
N
90
E
M
E
R
91
S
T
O
O
L
I
E
92
D
A
N
G
93
R
E
L
A
94
P
95
B
A
L
L
S
96
F
O
R
G
E
97
T
E
98
N
E
T
99
S
H
100
A
R
K
101
C
102
I
E
R
A
103
L
O
U
104
S
105
E
106
H
O
S
107
H
E
108
A
109
R
110
T
111
F
112
E
L
T
113
P
S
114
A
115
O
B
A
116
M
A
117
D
O
I
L
Y
118
H
119
A
I
T
I
120
T
R
A
M
P
121
D
O
N
O
R
122
E
R
R
O
R
123
POCKET
A
C
E
S
124
S
K
Y
P
E
125
D
E
E
P
POCKET
© 2013, The New York Times12/29/13 ( No. 23,427 )
Across
1
One at a woman's side? : POCKETBOOK
6
Fixes keys : TUNES
11
Person who might bump into you on a subway : PICKPOCKET
16
Starbucks size : VENTI
17
Model/actress Keibler : STACY
18
Brother of Prometheus : ATLAS
19
Choice : ELITE
20
Road runners : AUTOS
21
Animal with a flexible snout : COATI
22
Unduly : TOO
23
Spoken instruction in animal training : VERBALCUE
26
Best Musical of 1975, with "The" : WIZ
27
Completely dominates : OWNS
29
He said the most important thing for poets to do is to write as little as possible : TSELIOT
30
"Oh, hmm ..." : ISEE
31
Elevator ___ : CAR
33
New York Titans' org. : AFL
35
Bit of hopscotch equipment : SIDEWALKCHALK
42
Shady spot : BOWER
44
In a state of conflict : AFOUL
45
Bee product : QUILT
48
Iowa's ___ Colonies : AMANA
49
Name that's Hebrew for "pleasant" : NAOMI
50
"Something ought to finally go my way" : IMDUE
51
Philadelphia/New Jersey connector : WALTWHITMANBRIDGE
54
Half of sechs : DREI
55
"Il était ___ fois" (French fairy tale start) : UNE
56
Brand name that's an anagram of 31-Across : RCA
57
Rejections : NOES
58
Acted like a rat : SANG
60
"Howdy" : HIYA
62
Item on a chain : POCKETWATCH
65
Center of activity : HUB
68
Like some expenses : OUTOFPOCKET
72
Pop icon? : PEPSI
73
Wash against, as the shore : LAPAT
75
Like some duties : CIVIC
76
Finsteraarhorn, e.g. : ALP
77
It's often divided into sections 0, 2, 4, 6, etc. : DRESSRACK
80
Country where the Blue Nile originates: Abbr. : ETH
81
Part of the healing process : SCAB
83
___ distance : ATA
84
A balconette is a low-cut style of one : BRA
85
Mlle., in Madrid : SRTA
86
Like a Monday morning quarterback? : SORE
87
Symbols of dirtiness : PIGPENS
89
"___ the Air" (2009 Clooney movie) : UPIN
90
Part of FEMA: Abbr. : EMER
91
Rat : STOOLIE
92
"Shoot!" : DANG
93
Pass again on the track : RELAP
95
Big dos : BALLS
96
Fake : FORGE
97
Precept : TENET
99
Dangerous person to play against for money : SHARK
101
Old Olds : CIERA
103
No-goodnik : LOUSE
106
Sounds from Santa : HOS
107
Sincere : HEARTFELT
113
Ad Council output, briefly : PSA
115
First president with a Twitter account : OBAMA
117
Decoration under a dish : DOILY
118
2010 earthquake site : HAITI
120
Walk heavily : TRAMP
121
Universal ___ : DONOR
122
Blown out? : ERROR
123
Best hand in Texas hold 'em : POCKETACES
124
Talk face-to-face? : SKYPE
125
Having a ton of money to draw on : DEEPPOCKET
Down
1
Presidential power first used by James Madison : POCKETVETO
2
Not on deck, say : BELOW
3
Sometimes-caramelized item : ONION
4
First National Leaguer with eight consecutive 100-R.B.I. seasons : OTT
5
Chicken ___ : KIEV
6
Michael and Peter : TSARS
7
Lab item that sounds like a popular website : UTUBE
8
Birth-related : NATAL
9
Reason for a food recall : ECOLI
10
Big name in food service : SYSCO
11
Show anxiety, in a way : PACE
12
1989 world champion figure skater : ITO
13
Bear necessities? : CLAWS
14
Talk show starting in 2012 : KATIE
15
Miniature : POCKETSIZE
24
To be, to Béatrice : ETRE
25
Jazz quintet's home : UTAH
28
Half of the Nobel Prize winners, typically : SCIENTISTS
30
Secret society in Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" : ILLUMINATI
32
"Let's call it ___" : ADRAW
34
Muslim ascetic : FAQIR
35
Low, moist area : SWALE
36
On the way out : WANING
37
___ worse than death : AFATE
38
Hang (over) : LOOM
39
Harold's partner in comedies : KUMAR
40
Ice : CLINCH
41
Friendly term of address : KIDDO
42
Madam : BAWD
43
"The Wire" antihero : OMAR
46
Downhill sport : LUGE
47
Tight ends? : TEES
52
"Come again?" : HUNH
53
Scott of "Happy Days" : BAIO
59
You'll trip if you drop it : ACID
61
"Gross!" : YUCK
62
Well-protected, nonrunning quarterback : POCKETPASSER
63
Sign word often translated into multiple languages : WELCOME
64
Duds : APPAREL
65
Tries : HASAGOAT
66
Emotional peaks : UPS
67
Pressing needs? : BARBELLS
69
Unlike eagles : OVERPAR
70
Appropriate : FITTING
71
Silver, say : POCKETCHANGE
73
Next-to-last #1 Beatles hit : LETITBE
74
Sully : TARNISH
78
Spits rhymes : RAPS
79
Beer buy : CASE
82
Tongue-lash : BERATE
85
Subject of a 2009 national tournament cheating scandal : SUDOKU
88
"Meet the Press" guest, for short : POL
94
Possibly : PERHAPS
96
Formed rising bubbles : FROTHED
98
It's "not" in Scotland : NAE
100
Apiece, at Wimbledon : ALL
101
Army attack helicopter : COBRA
102
___ Pitman, developer of shorthand : ISAAC
104
Freedom Tower feature : SPIRE
105
Bar at the bar : ESTOP
106
Microwaveable snack item : HOTPOCKET
108
States further : ADDS
109
Corner piece : ROOK
110
Miniature : TINY
111
Dud : FLOP
112
Jane who becomes Mrs. Rochester : EYRE
114
Cause of a sudden drop in altitude : AIRPOCKET
116
Marie Curie, e.g.: Abbr. : MME
119
Word often shortened to one letter in text messages : ARE

Answer summary: 6 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Shortz Era but used previously.

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