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New York Times, Friday, March 17, 2017

Foolish ... or, when read as three words, how this puzzle's other four "foolish" answers are arranged

Author:
Jacob Stulberg
Editor:
Will Shortz
TotalDebutLatest
3412/25/20136/21/2021
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4659640
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7101.607
Jacob Stulberg

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 72, Blocks: 32 Missing: {QWXZ} Spans: 4, (2 double stacks) Grid has up-down mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 19 for Mr. Stulberg.
Jacob Stulberg notes:
In the version of this puzzle that I sent to the Times, each of the "foolish" answers had its own clue — e.g., [___ straw] for SILLY. ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Neat mini-theme — did you catch the giant E made of INANE words? I've highlighted them below. Fun to parse INANE as IN AN E, ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

This is only the third NYT crossword with up-down mirror symmetry. Here are the first two.

1
H
2
A
3
H
4
A
5
R
6
A
7
M
8
P
9
S
10
G
11
A
12
M
13
E
14
E
T
A
S
15
A
T
A
R
I
16
A
M
I
S
17
L
T
R
S
18
M
A
D
E
T
19
O
L
A
S
T
20
L
E
D
21
S
I
L
L
Y
22
V
I
T
A
E
23
O
N
T
24
H
E
S
L
Y
25
J
U
L
E
P
S
26
D
O
I
N
27
C
O
M
E
U
P
28
B
A
S
E
S
29
A
30
L
31
A
R
Y
32
E
R
R
33
S
34
A
N
T
35
E
M
P
T
Y
36
F
O
R
37
M
C
A
38
L
L
I
S
T
E
39
R
40
S
O
P
S
41
E
R
I
E
42
R
A
43
P
T
O
R
44
A
S
B
E
S
45
T
46
O
47
S
48
P
A
R
T
I
49
I
50
S
H
O
51
S
A
P
P
52
Y
53
L
A
B
A
N
54
K
E
A
55
N
56
T
R
I
O
57
S
O
N
A
T
A
58
M
E
R
E
59
A
A
N
D
P
60
G
L
E
N
61
E
T
D
S
62
S
H
E
A
F
63
E
L
S
E
© 2017, The New York Times3/17/17 ( No. 24,601 )
Across
1
"Hilarious!" : HAHA
5
Flight alternatives : RAMPS
10
Tag, for example : GAME
14
HH : ETAS
15
Centipede creator : ATARI
16
"Lionel Asbo: State of England" novelist, 2012 : AMIS
17
Some paperwork: Abbr. : LTRS
18
Well-built : MADETOLAST
20
Ran : LED
21
Foolish : SILLY
22
Curriculum ___ : VITAE
23
Sub rosa : ONTHESLY
25
Bourbon drinks : JULEPS
26
Off : DOIN
27
Arise : COMEUP
28
Amount before bonuses : BASESALARY
32
Slips : ERRS
34
Hill dweller : ANT
35
Foolish : EMPTY
36
Dedicated to : FOR
37
Fort ___ (Civil War landmark near Savannah) : MCALLISTER
40
Gravy go-withs : SOPS
41
City on Amtrak's Boston-to-Chicago line : ERIE
42
Osprey, for one : RAPTOR
44
Once-common building material : ASBESTOS
48
Sequel : PARTII
50
"Homeland" airer, for short : SHO
51
Foolish : SAPPY
53
Jacob's father-in-law : LABAN
54
Thomas who headed the 9/11 Commission : KEAN
56
Bach's "Musical Offering" includes one : TRIOSONATA
58
Simple : MERE
59
Supermarket chain until 2015 : AANDP
60
___ Rock, N.J. : GLEN
61
Displays near gates, briefly : ETDS
62
Stack of papers : SHEAF
63
"Who ___?" : ELSE
Down
1
When its second syllable is drawn out, "Are you out of your mind?!" : HELLO
2
Skipping record? : ATTENDANCESHEET
3
Command for turning sharply right : HARDTOSTARBOARD
4
Biblical mount : ASS
5
"Groundhog Day" director : RAMIS
6
Whatsoever : ATALL
7
How one might fall in love : MADLY
8
Hunted : PREY
9
Be idle : SIT
10
Region bordering Lebanon : GALILEE
11
Recreational soccer, to Brits : AMATEURFOOTBALL
12
Embezzles, e.g. : MISAPPROPRIATES
13
___ Park : ESTES
19
Sex-ed subject : OVUM
21
Foolish : SENSELESS
24
"___ thee to hell for shame": "Richard III" : HIE
25
Beatitude : JOY
27
Jon of "Two and a Half Men" : CRYER
28
Comic book sound effect : BAM
29
Question in response to an insult, maybe : AMI
30
Some wax : LPS
31
Phone inits. : ATT
33
Top class: Abbr. : SRS
38
Be idle : LIE
39
Grammy category : RAP
40
Off : STRANGE
43
___ Alto : PALO
44
"Shoot!" : ASKME
45
Byes : TATAS
46
The "O" in television's OWN : OPRAH
47
Title locale : SPINE
49
Foolish ... or, when read as three words, how this puzzle's other four "foolish" answers are arranged : INANE
52
Robe-wearing trainer of cinema : YODA
55
Dr. Mario console : NES
57
Abbr. in a beach bag : SPF

Answer summary: 3 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later.

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