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New York Times, Thursday, February 1, 2018

At the start ... or how the first two letters of each starred clue relate to the answer?

Author:
Damon Gulczynski
Editor:
Will Shortz
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
4111/8/200412/18/20200
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
156081011
ScrabbleRebusCirclePangram
1.65330
Damon J. Gulczynski

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 74, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JKQZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 31 for Mr. Gulczynski. NYT links: Across Lite PDF
Damon J. Gulczynski notes:

My only regret with this puzzle is that there was no room in it for SEAN ASTIN — "Salad popular in ‘80s movies?"

Jeff Chen notes:
Love me a good parsing puzzle. Roman of Hollywood isn't a "Roman," but an R. O. man = RYAN O'NEAL. Great consistency, Damon finding ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Clever theme. Over at Crossword Fiend, Andy Kravis noticed that this same idea had been used two years earlier by Zhouqin Burnikel.

1
P
2
A
3
I
4
N
5
D
6
O
7
H
8
A
9
O
10
P
11
T
12
I
13
N
14
E
M
M
A
15
I
C
E
S
16
B
R
I
D
E
17
R
Y
A
N
18
O
N
E
A
L
19
L
E
T
O
N
20
L
A
G
E
A
R
21
V
I
T
A
L
E
22
S
23
A
L
24
L
I
N
D
25
A
E
V
A
N
S
26
C
L
E
27
M
E
N
S
28
U
N
I
X
29
H
O
A
R
30
O
T
T
O
31
S
32
O
33
T
34
M
A
R
I
35
E
36
A
37
N
T
O
I
N
38
E
T
T
E
39
O
D
S
40
C
P
A
S
41
R
E
T
D
42
A
H
E
M
43
S
44
W
45
A
R
M
E
D
46
R
47
O
G
E
R
E
48
B
E
R
T
49
C
R
Y
50
S
O
R
E
L
Y
51
O
R
I
O
52
L
E
53
P
L
A
T
O
54
I
N
I
T
I
A
L
55
L
56
Y
57
O
F
T
E
N
58
A
G
E
E
59
C
L
I
O
60
T
E
E
N
S
61
M
O
S
S
62
E
S
P
N
© 2018, The New York TimesNo. 0201 ( 24,922 )
Across
1
Tough person to tolerate : PAIN
5
Qatar's capital : DOHA
9
Decide to join : OPTIN
14
Literary matchmaker : EMMA
15
Clinches : ICES
16
One joining a union? : BRIDE
17
*Roman of Hollywood? : RYANONEAL
19
Pretend : LETON
20
Shoe company based in Southern California : LAGEAR
21
Basketball sportscaster Dick : VITALE
22
Paradise in "On the Road" : SAL
24
*Legal acting in a 1980s prime-time soap opera? : LINDAEVANS
26
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner of the 1980s-2000s : CLEMENS
28
Operating system developed at Bell Labs : UNIX
29
Frost : HOAR
30
"The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO
31
Barfly : SOT
34
*Malady of French history? : MARIEANTOINETTE
39
Really binges, in brief : ODS
40
No. crunchers : CPAS
41
No longer serving: Abbr. : RETD
42
"Uh, excuse me" : AHEM
43
Like rock stars among fans : SWARMED
46
*Regent of film criticism? : ROGEREBERT
49
Get blubbery : CRY
50
In the worst way : SORELY
51
Maryland state symbol : ORIOLE
53
Student of Socrates : PLATO
54
At the start ... or how the first two letters of each starred clue relate to the answer? : INITIALLY
57
In many cases : OFTEN
58
James with a posthumous Pulitzer : AGEE
59
Award for Agency of the Year, e.g. : CLIO
60
Frigid temps : TEENS
61
Velvety growth : MOSS
62
FiveThirtyEight.com owner : ESPN
Down
1
According to : PER
2
"Arrival" actress Adams : AMY
3
"Talk away" : IMALLEARS
4
Mom's mom : NANA
5
Have a date night at home, say : DINEIN
6
Vast amounts : OCEANS
7
"Have you ___?" : HEARD
8
Digital communication, for short? : ASL
9
The void : OBLIVION
10
Like one line on a sales receipt : PRETAX
11
Magnate : TITAN
12
Subjects of the Second Commandment : IDOLS
13
Endangered state bird : NENE
18
Beach look? : OGLE
21
Starbucks specification : VENTI
22
Average guy : SCHMO
23
Tons : ALOAD
25
A camera may be set on it : AUTO
27
Something a doc might order : MRI
30
They may follow buzzers, for short : OTS
31
Subject of some biomedical research : STEMCELLS
32
Den : bear :: holt : ___ : OTTER
33
Child's bear : TEDDY
35
Ranks : ECHELONS
36
Impressionism? : APERY
37
Handle : NAME
38
Goof : ERR
42
When many kids start fifth grade : AGETEN
43
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 ..., e.g. : SERIES
44
Pens : WRITES
45
Yours, in Tours : ATOI
46
John of colonial Jamestown : ROLFE
47
Give an address : ORATE
48
Beat it! : BONGO
50
Difficult situation : SPOT
52
Castigate, with "into" : LACE
54
Cartesian conclusion : IAM
55
Sass : LIP
56
Over there : YON

Answer summary: 1 unique to Shortz Era but used previously.

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