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Sci-Fi Showdown

New York Times, Sunday, February 6, 2022

Author:
Stephen McCarthy
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
There's a Winter one in St. Petersburg and a Summer one in Beijing
TotalDebutLatest
46/13/20212/6/2022
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
3000100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
111.583658%
Stephen McCarthy

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 22 Words: 147, Blocks: 76 Spans: 2 Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 4 for Mr. McCarthy. Sunday freshness: 35%
Will Shortz notes:
Stephen McCarthy, originally from Vancouver Island, B.C., is a Ph.D. student studying transportation modeling in Stockholm, Sweden. This is his third Sunday Times crossword and his fourth Times ... read more
Stephen McCarthy notes:
I am a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, so it's nice to be able to highlight both (not to mention the friendly rivalry between the two fandoms) in one puzzle. I grew up with the second ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Schrödinger puzzles work best when either answer is equally valid; a true 50/50. Four excellent finds today, with WRIST / WAIST a standout. The clue's specificity is what makes it shine — WRIST ... read more
1
P
2
H
3
D
4
P
5
A
6
L
7
A
8
C
9
E
10
A
11
C
12
C
13
O
14
S
15
T
16
H
17
S
18
N
19
R
I
O
20
A
V
A
T
A
R
21
Y
A
H
W
E
H
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I
P
O
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S
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E
G
O
25
R
E
B
E
L
A
26
L
L
I
A
N
C
E
27
T
A
R
A
28
T
H
R
29
E
E
R
S
30
S
O
A
N
D
S
O
31
L
O
C
U
S
32
A
N
D
E
R
S
33
R
34
O
E
G
35
S
U
N
36
N
I
N
E
S
S
37
P
O
O
L
38
H
A
N
S
O
39
L
40
O
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P
D
A
S
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T
H
Y
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E
O
N
44
S
45
T
E
E
L
46
A
P
47
P
48
G
R
A
49
P
H
50
S
N
O
51
W
M
A
N
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Y
53
A
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R
D
S
A
55
L
E
S
56
R
E
57
I
58
N
59
T
H
E
I
S
60
M
61
R
O
Y
62
Y
E
A
63
A
F
R
O
64
S
T
E
A
K
65
A
66
S
I
A
67
W
E
A
R
68
C
L
I
O
S
69
S
A
H
A
R
A
70
S
T
A
R
71
WT
AR
RE
SK
72
S
H
I
N
N
Y
73
A
B
E
T
S
74
W
H
O
S
75
R
I
S
E
76
N
A
N
A
S
77
S
I
R
I
78
H
E
R
79
P
A
S
80
D
81
I
E
S
E
L
82
K
N
E
E
83
W
A
R
M
84
S
U
P
T
85
O
86
M
E
T
S
F
87
A
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N
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I
S
90
L
E
T
91
S
I
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B
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I
O
R
E
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R
E
A
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I
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M
S
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G
R
I
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M
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M
R
100
S
101
P
O
C
K
102
C
O
R
K
103
D
O
N
104
T
B
E
S
A
105
D
106
H
U
E
Y
107
D
108
O
N
N
I
E
109
B
L
O
A
T
110
T
S
E
111
L
112
I
O
T
113
P
R
I
N
T
A
D
114
E
T
T
U
115
T
H
E
F
E
D
E
R
116
A
117
T
I
O
N
118
I
L
L
119
T
E
R
N
120
M
A
R
I
N
E
121
I
S
I
T
O
K
122
E
L
I
123
N
Y
T
124
I
T
S
B
A
D
125
D
E
C
A
L
S
126
R
Y
E
© 2022, The New York Times2/6/22 ( No. 26,388 )
Across
1
Goal for many a T.A. : PHD
4
There's a Winter one in St. Petersburg and a Summer one in Beijing : PALACE
10
Confront : ACCOST
16
QVC alternative : HSN
19
Grande preceder : RIO
20
Many a video game player has one : AVATAR
21
Hebrew name of God : YAHWEH
22
Major N.Y.S.E. events : IPOS
24
Vainglory : EGO
25
Good side in 70-Across : REBELALLIANCE
27
Reid of "Sharknado" : TARA
28
Grade school basics : THREERS
30
Scoundrel : SOANDSO
31
Points all around? : LOCUS
32
Celsius of the Celsius scale : ANDERS
33
Director Nicolas : ROEG
35
Good cheer : SUNNINESS
37
People to pick from : POOL
38
Major role in 70-Across : HANSOLO
41
Smartphone forerunners, in brief : PDAS
42
"___ kingdom come ..." : THY
43
Big stretch : EON
44
Bluish-gray shade : STEEL
46
Mobile ___ : APP
48
Time might be shown on the side of one : GRAPH
50
Score of 8, in golf slang : SNOWMAN
52
Events where one person's trash may be another person's treasure : YARDSALES
56
Pull back (in) : REIN
59
Capital-B Belief : THEISM
61
Family name on TV's "Succession" : ROY
62
Vote in favor : YEA
63
Prefix with futurism : AFRO
64
Outback offering : STEAK
65
Locale of the 2002 and 2022 World Cups : ASIA
67
Long-term damage : WEAR
68
Some copywriting awards : CLIOS
69
The volcano Emi Koussi is its highest point : SAHARA
70
The better of two major sci-fi film franchises? : STARWARS
72
Climb (up) : SHINNY
73
Gives a bad hand? : ABETS
74
"But ___ counting?" : WHOS
75
Gentle hill : RISE
76
Grams, by another name : NANAS
77
Voice heard by 500 million people : SIRI
78
___ Majesty : HER
79
Not for moi? : PAS
80
Pump choice : DIESEL
82
Spot for a patch, perhaps : KNEE
83
Begins to like : WARMSUPTO
86
Regular at Citi Field : METSFAN
89
Small spot for a castaway : ISLET
91
Ian McKellen, e.g. : SIR
92
Skin-care brand with an accent over its last letter : BIORE
94
Mens ___ : REA
95
Sends a Telegram, in brief? : IMS
97
Not looking good : GRIM
99
Major role in 70-Across : MRSPOCK
102
Stop at the liquor store? : CORK
103
Comforting phrase : DONTBESAD
106
Newton of the Black Panther Party : HUEY
107
"___ Darko" (2001 cult film) : DONNIE
109
Distend : BLOAT
110
Who wrote "April is the cruellest month" : TSELIOT
113
Scratch-and-sniff page, e.g. : PRINTAD
114
Dramatic accusation : ETTU
115
Good side in 70-Across : THEFEDERATION
118
Misfortune : ILL
119
Cousin of a skimmer : TERN
120
___ One : MARINE
121
"Do you mind?" : ISITOK
122
Brown of HBO Max's "Gossip Girl" reboot : ELI
123
WaPo competitor : NYT
124
"There's not much hope" : ITSBAD
125
Bumper attachments : DECALS
126
Sazerac cocktail ingredient : RYE
Down
1
Records in advance : PRETAPES
2
Time for a shootout : HIGHNOON
3
Memorable quote from 70-Across : DOORDONOTTHEREISNOTRY
4
Apple device : PARER
5
Affirms : AVERS
6
Some college classes : LABS
7
"Thanks, but I already ___" : ATE
8
Diet Coke doesn't have a single one: Abbr. : CAL
9
Wipes out : ERASES
10
"The Clan of the Cave Bear" heroine : AYLA
11
What's raised in a ruckus : CAIN
12
Waste of an election? : CHADS
13
Confesses : OWNSUP
14
Bad thing to be stuck in : SECONDGEAR
15
On-line connection? : THE
16
Arrive at, as a solution : HITON
17
Memorable quote from 70-Across : SPACETHEFINALFRONTIER
18
"Take your time" : NORUSH
23
Audacious : SASSY
26
A target for Target, say : LOGO
29
It might be a shocker : EEL
31
"The Simpsons" character : LISA
33
Social media star Addison : RAE
34
Partner of one : ONLY
36
French skin-care and cosmetics giant : NARS
38
___ teeth (proverbial rarity) : HENS
39
Noble title : LADY
40
Follower of black or special : OPS
44
Slanders : SMEARS
45
Director Waititi : TAIKA
47
Ones involved in a transaction : PAYERS
49
Nutty confections : PRALINES
51
So-called "Breakfast of Champions" : WHEATIES
53
They might end on a high note : ARIAS
54
Sound of a jaguar : ROAR
55
Let out, in a way : LEASED
57
Some contents of golf bags : IRONS
58
Needing to butt out : NOSY
60
Potato or pea preparer : MASHER
64
Albert who developed a polio vaccine : SABIN
66
Leaves in a huff, with "off" : STORMS
67
Body part that precedes "band" : WAIST
68
Innocent : CHASTE
69
One of the Prairie provinces: Abbr. : SASK
71
"It's a ___!" : WRAP
72
Show of scorn : SNEER
74
Question of confusion or disgust : WHATISTHAT
79
Sound of a Jaguar : PURR
81
Reassuring words : IMOK
83
"___ Hiring" (business sign) : WERE
84
Kind of card : SIM
85
The "quail" in Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony : OBOE
87
By plane, say : AERIALLY
88
Obvious untruth : NAKEDLIE
90
Q preceder? : LGBT
93
Aloof : ICY
95
"Seems so" : IDBET
96
Like the inside of a lava cake : MOLTEN
98
Devices in atomic clocks : MASERS
100
Converse, e.g. : SHOE
101
Rank : PUTRID
102
Common waiting room viewing : CNN
104
Jeer : TAUNT
105
Shock treatment, for short : DEFIB
107
Slobber : DROOL
108
Noises that come from pens : OINKS
111
"Girls" creator Dunham : LENA
112
Carded, informally : IDED
113
Tabbouleh go-with : PITA
115
"Enough already!" : TMI
116
Suffix in organic chemistry : ASE
117
Quirk : TIC

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

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