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IT'S ELEMENTARY

New York Times, Sunday, March 5, 2017

Author:
Timothy Polin
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Foreign capital whose name sounds like a water passage to San Francisco
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
5512/11/20111/9/20222
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86962402
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
6161.6226359%
Timothy Polin

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 72 Missing: {JQ} This is puzzle # 34 for Mr. Polin. Jeff Chen's Puzzle of the Week pick. Sunday freshness: 25%
Jeff Chen notes:
I'm such a sucker for any sort of science or math puzzle. Put in a W BOSON or a TITRATION CURVE or a GOLDEN RATIO, and you've made this solver elated (and probably pissed off many others). ... read more
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W
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© 2017, The New York Times3/5/17 ( No. 24,589 )
Across
1
Big hits : POWS
5
Something repeatedly hit with a thumb : SPACEBAR
13
Flat bread : MATZO
18
Zeitgeist : ETHOS
20
Recurring theme in Philip K. Dick novels : PARANOIA
21
Cousin of a mandrill : BABOON
22
[Circled letters]-filled contraption : WEATHERBALLOON
24
Cry for more : ENCORE
25
Affirm one's humanity? : ERR
26
Tangible : REAL
27
Swell : BLOAT
29
Capote, informally : TRU
30
World landmark built with [circled letters] : EIFFELTOWER
35
Being repaired, as a car : INTHESHOP
38
Spots : ADS
39
It's hard to bear : ONUS
41
Halfhearted, as support : TEPID
42
Can't wait to find out, in a way : PEEKS
45
[Circled letters]-based drugs : MOODSTABILIZERS
51
Check out : OGLE
52
Unvarnished : BALD
53
Great confusion : HAVOC
54
Sea serpent of old cartoons : CECIL
55
Citrus hybrid : UGLI
56
Bomb developed in the 1950s : EDSEL
58
College party epicenter, often : KEG
59
Homeland of Spartacus : THRACE
60
[Circled letters]-advertised establishment : ROADSIDEDINER
63
"What'd I tell ya?" : SEE
64
Berried conifer : YEW
65
Existentialist Kierkegaard : SOREN
66
Language heard along the Mekong : LAO
67
Chocolate-and-banana liqueur cocktail : CAPRI
69
Poorly : ILL
72
Letter on a dreidel : NUN
73
Picture displayed on a [circled letters] surface : DAGUERREOTYPE
78
Fails to : DOESNT
80
Kind of developer : WEB
81
Conservative portfolio asset, for short : TNOTE
82
Convinced : SOLD
83
Worthless : EMPTY
84
Now hear this! : SOUND
86
Obsolescent players : VCRS
87
Put a stop to? : CLOG
88
[Circled letter]-consuming activity : AEROBICEXERCISE
91
"That's great!" : GOODY
92
Strain to avoid? : ECOLI
93
Stinky : RIPE
94
Underlying cosmic principle : TAO
95
Ones getting all the breaks : LUCKYDOGS
99
Sports implement often made from [circled letters] : BASEBALLBAT
105
Smokers should knock it off : ASH
106
Soldiers' assignments : UNITS
108
Betray surprise : GASP
109
Be behind : OWE
110
Evergreen State airport : SEATAC
113
[Circled letter]-fueled device : NUCLEARREACTOR
118
One given a citation : SOURCE
119
Not so awkward : SMOOTHER
120
Hair : LOCKS
121
Certain navel : INNIE
122
Au courant : UPTODATE
123
"What fun!" : WHEE
Down
1
North American flycatcher : PEWEE
2
"S.N.L." alum Cheri : OTERI
3
Unloading zone : WHARF
4
Happy hour habitué : SOT
5
Jack ___ : SPRAT
6
Guerrilla leader in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" : PABLO
7
Constellation near Scorpius : ARA
8
Low-___ : CAL
9
8 x 10, e.g.: Abbr. : ENL
10
Fool : BOOB
11
Garlicky spread : AIOLI
12
Wouldn't shut up : RANON
13
"Geez!" : MAN
14
Epitome of simplicity : ABC
15
Condition contributed to by a lack of [circled letters] : TOOTHDECAY
16
Rider of the horse Tornado : ZORRO
17
Outdo : ONEUP
19
Turns into confetti : SHREDS
21
Seaman's chapel : BETHEL
23
Ingredients in some London pies : EELS
28
Top story : ATTIC
31
Things bouncers are supposed to catch : FAKEIDS
32
Sylvan : WOODED
33
Denouement : END
34
"A.S.A.P.!" : RUSH
36
Beowulf or Gilgamesh : EPICHERO
37
Jewelry store gadget : SIZER
40
Watch, as a criminals' hiding spot : STAKEOUT
42
Do a wine steward's job : POUR
43
Waffle brand : EGGO
44
She, in Salerno : ELLA
45
Incense : MADDEN
46
___ twins of 1980s-'90s TV : OLSEN
47
State confidently : AVER
48
Mire : BOG
49
Minute ___ : RICE
50
Dispatched, as a dragon : SLEW
52
Foreign capital whose name sounds like a water passage to San Francisco : BEIRUT
57
He married Daisy Mae in 1952 : LILABNER
59
Homes on the range : TEPEES
61
Lad : SONNYBOY
62
Ride hard : NAG
63
Who wrote "I exist, that is all, and I find it nauseating" : SARTRE
67
Branded footwear with open backs : CROCS
68
"Everything's fine" : ITSCOOL
69
Think piece? : IDEA
70
Capital of Togo : LOME
71
Fabled [circled letters]-hiding trickster : LEPRECHAUN
73
Quatre halved : DEUX
74
Exhibits one of the seven deadly sins : ENVIES
75
Modern acronym for "Seize the day!" : YOLO
76
Trudge : PLOD
77
Eliciting nervous laughter, say : EDGY
79
Market share? : STOCK
80
Poverty, e.g. : WOE
84
Issue for a noble family? : SCION
85
Tiny amount : DRIB
89
W.W. II moniker : ILDUCE
90
KPMG hiree : CPA
91
Certain platonic friend : GALPAL
94
Shock, in a way : TASE
95
Yogurt-based Indian drink : LASSI
96
Employ against : USEON
97
Brand with classic "But wait, there's more ...!" infomercials : GINSU
98
Leave at a loss : STUMP
100
Everglades wader : EGRET
101
Ballet school supporter : BARRE
102
Muff : BOTCH
103
Came to : AWOKE
104
To the point : TERSE
107
Tartan wearer : SCOT
111
Numerical prefix : TRI
112
Big heart? : ACE
114
British can : LOO
115
Itinerary abbr. : ETD
116
"Now I've got it!" : AHA
117
Image on a Wisconsin state quarter : COW

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

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