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TAKING THE FIFTH

New York Times, Sunday, March 12, 2017

Author:
Alan Arbesfeld
Editor:
Will Shortz
122-Across : A cross might be given for it
TotalDebutLatest
1338/27/19814/1/2024
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
2511253728151
RebusScrabblePGramPre‑WSFresh
51.599942%
Alan Arbesfeld

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 136, Blocks: 67 Missing: {JXZ} This is puzzle # 114 for Mr. Arbesfeld. Sunday freshness: 83%
Jeff Chen notes:
TAKING THE FIFTH interpreted as "add the fifth letter of the alphabet, E, to base phrases, with kooky results." I enjoyed a good number of them: HOT CROSS BUNNY gave a funny image. OFF THE ... read more
1
S
2
T
3
E
4
R
5
N
6
A
7
N
8
A
9
U
10
G
11
H
12
T
13
S
14
A
15
L
16
T
17
I
18
M
19
A
20
E
I
L
E
E
N
21
I
N
S
T
O
R
E
22
T
E
H
R
A
N
23
T
A
B
L
E
T
24
E
N
N
E
S
S
E
E
25
T
I
E
R
E
D
26
B
R
O
O
D
27
R
O
O
28
T
A
M
29
P
A
30
P
E
S
T
31
Y
A
W
32
N
33
A
N
N
Y
34
G
35
O
A
T
E
E
36
I
S
T
H
37
D
O
D
O
38
E
E
N
S
Y
39
A
40
F
41
F
A
I
R
E
42
T
43
O
44
L
D
T
O
45
A
D
E
E
46
R
A
I
N
S
O
N
47
I
N
O
T
48
L
49
E
U
50
S
A
51
N
52
A
53
A
54
T
R
O
T
55
D
E
O
56
O
F
F
T
57
H
E
M
A
R
Q
58
U
E
E
59
I
60
M
61
P
62
Y
A
K
63
O
V
64
F
O
E
65
S
T
U
N
66
A
67
M
B
E
R
68
S
C
A
L
E
69
O
R
G
70
S
71
A
L
A
I
72
W
A
L
D
O
73
U
T
T
E
R
74
R
A
I
L
75
A
L
O
76
A
L
E
U
T
77
M
S
T
78
H
79
O
T
C
R
O
80
S
81
S
B
U
N
82
N
Y
83
U
L
E
84
H
85
E
E
D
86
E
A
T
A
T
87
N
S
A
88
M
I
L
A
89
U
90
P
A
T
R
E
91
E
92
W
I
93
N
G
94
S
95
C
R
E
A
M
96
P
O
T
H
E
R
S
97
M
98
A
I
N
E
99
D
A
L
I
100
T
I
M
E
101
T
102
H
E
B
I
G
C
103
H
I
L
I
104
D
105
U
106
H
107
I
T
E
R
108
T
E
E
N
A
109
T
I
S
110
C
111
H
I
T
A
112
G
I
S
E
113
L
E
114
A
T
T
115
I
116
L
A
T
H
117
E
H
O
N
E
Y
118
H
E
S
A
I
D
119
T
H
E
W
I
R
E
120
R
E
C
O
R
D
121
T
R
I
L
L
S
122
H
E
R
O
I
S
M
123
A
S
K
S
I
N
© 2017, The New York Times3/12/17 ( No. 24,596 )
Across
1
Chest protectors : STERNA
7
The 2000s, with "the" : NAUGHTS
14
Camry competitor : ALTIMA
20
Fisher of fashion : EILEEN
21
Coming up : INSTORE
22
1943 conference site : TEHRAN
23
"Put that Southern state on next month's agenda"? : TABLETENNESSEE
25
Like some wedding cakes and stadiums : TIERED
26
Sulk : BROOD
27
Pooh's pal : ROO
28
New York : The Big Apple :: ___ : The Big Guava : TAMPA
30
Pain in the neck : PEST
31
Go off course : YAW
32
What a male babysitter may sport? : NANNYGOATEE
36
Panama, e.g.: Abbr. : ISTH
37
Numbskull : DODO
38
Minuscule, informally : EENSY
39
Romantic liaison : AFFAIRE
42
Shared with, as a story : TOLDTO
45
Ending with chick : ADEE
46
Spoils, in a way : RAINSON
47
Playing a fifth N.F.L. period, say : INOT
48
Romanian currency : LEU
50
Capital of Yemen : SANAA
54
Race pace : TROT
55
___ volente (God willing) : DEO
56
Like a fired Broadway star? : OFFTHEMARQUEE
59
Small handful : IMP
62
Comedian Smirnoff : YAKOV
64
Auric Goldfinger, to James Bond : FOE
65
Leave thunderstruck : STUN
66
Color in "America the Beautiful" : AMBER
68
Do to do : SCALE
69
A.A.A. and B.B.B. : ORGS
71
Jai ___ : ALAI
72
One in a crowd at a bookstore? : WALDO
73
Total : UTTER
74
Billiards feature : RAIL
75
South American greeting : ALO
76
Eskimo-___ languages : ALEUT
77
Winter hrs. in Vail : MST
78
Sweaty, irritable rabbit? : HOTCROSSBUNNY
83
Suffix with nod- : ULE
84
Follow : HEED
86
Really bother : EATAT
87
Grp. in the Oscar-winning documentary "Citizenfour" : NSA
88
Kunis of "Black Swan" : MILA
89
Stuck : UPATREE
92
Bit of bar food : WING
94
Real hoot : SCREAM
96
Commotions : POTHERS
97
Setting for many Stephen King novels : MAINE
99
"The Persistence of Memory" artist : DALI
100
"Pencils down!" : TIME
101
What'll feed everyone at a tailgate party? : THEBIGCHILI
104
"What else could it be?!" : DUH
107
Road to the Forum, e.g. : ITER
108
"Lovergirl" singer ___ Marie : TEENA
109
Christmas song contraction : TIS
110
Broadway star Rivera : CHITA
112
Supermodel Bündchen : GISELE
114
Reformed barbarian? : ATTILATHEHONEY
118
Start of a marital spat? : HESAID
119
2000s TV hit set in Baltimore : THEWIRE
120
Guinness entry : RECORD
121
Vocal quavers : TRILLS
122
A cross might be given for it : HEROISM
123
Invites across the threshold : ASKSIN
Down
1
Held in reserve : SETBY
2
Queen topper : TIARA
3
Jostle : ELBOW
4
Move, informally : RELO
5
Is unobliged to : NEEDNOT
6
Soldier, for one : ANT
7
Curtain fabric : NINON
8
Ticked off : ANNOYED
9
Wear and tear : USE
10
Some sporty cars : GTS
11
Popular landscaping plants : HOSTAS
12
Compact : TREATY
13
Dreaded comment on a returned exam : SEEME
14
Lead-in to boy or girl : ATTA
15
Island chain? : LEI
16
1993 film that garnered Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Oscars : THEPIANO
17
Turnaround too tempting to pass up? : IRRESISTIBLEUIE
18
Wand wielder : MAESTRO
19
"What happened next?" : ANDTHEN
24
Puzzle inventor Rubik : ERNO
29
Brandy fruit : PEAR
33
Unpopular baby name : ADOLF
34
Formation fliers : GEESE
35
Hour in the graveyard shift : ONEAM
37
Target of a 1972 ban : DDT
40
It's inescapable : FATE
41
"Shoot!" : FIREAWAY
42
Nice piece of change : TIDYSUM
43
Plays without a break : ONEACTS
44
"Check out the Argentine soccer star!"? : LOOKATTHATMESSI
45
500, e.g. : AUTORACE
49
Exercitation : EFFORT
51
Grp. that might have a launch party : NASA
52
Where kids get creative in school : ARTLAB
53
Diving equipment co-invented by Jacques Cousteau : AQUALUNG
56
Shout from an arm waver : OVERHERE
57
Exodus : HEGIRA
58
They may have many chapters : UNIONS
60
Part of the brain that controls involuntary functions : MEDULLA
61
Reds, Blues or Browns : PROTEAM
63
World Cup chant : OLE
67
Start to practice? : MAL
70
Schedule position : SLOT
79
Baltic Sea feeder : ODER
80
2005 horror sequel : SAWII
81
Undercover operation : STING
82
Stuffy-sounding : NASAL
85
Heavenly : ETHEREAL
88
Picture of health, in brief? : MRI
89
Tense : UPTIGHT
90
First African-American to win a Best Actor Oscar : POITIER
91
Tivoli's Villa d'___ : ESTE
93
Attractions for bees : NECTARS
95
They're always tired : CLICHES
97
French ice cream flavorer : MENTHE
98
Lessener : ABATER
99
Gossip : DISH
102
Moor : HEATH
103
"___ where they ain't" : HITEM
104
Natural history museum exhibits, for short : DINOS
105
Centers of early development : UTERI
106
Composer who taught Beethoven : HAYDN
108
"Bill & ___ Excellent Adventure" : TEDS
111
Pawn : HOCK
113
Short, for short : LIL
115
1945 battle site, informally : IWO
116
2018 Super Bowl number : LII
117
Internet ___ (what we live in) : ERA

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

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