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New York Times, Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Author:
Robert Cirillo
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Start of a "recuperative" word ladder ending at 73-Across
TotalDebutLatest
52/9/20109/27/2016
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0230000
ScrabDebutFlowFresh
1.611932.231%
Robert Cirillo

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 40Missing: {FJQV}
Robert Cirillo notes:
I had the idea for this puzzle when my daughter was recovering from a cold, just as I was coming down with it. She was going one way ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
We haven't seen a word ladder in a while. They don't get published that often these days, so when they do, they usually need some lift ... read more
1
S
2
I
3
C
4
K
5
T
6
H
7
O
8
S
9
Y
10
E
11
A
12
R
13
O
R
E
O
14
S
15
S
I
L
K
16
E
L
L
A
17
N
O
N
P
C
18
E
R
I
E
19
S
I
L
T
20
A
N
T
21
O
22
U
T
T
O
W
23
I
N
24
T
O
R
25
O
N
S
26
D
O
27
D
28
G
29
E
30
A
N
A
31
P
P
L
E
32
A
33
D
34
A
Y
35
O
R
A
36
L
E
S
E
37
Z
I
P
L
38
I
N
E
S
39
A
40
B
B
A
41
A
42
M
T
O
O
43
A
T
W
T
44
C
O
A
L
45
E
S
C
E
46
G
47
U
N
G
48
I
N
N
49
C
H
I
C
50
K
E
N
S
O
51
U
52
P
53
D
A
K
54
A
R
55
A
E
R
56
T
S
O
57
S
U
58
B
59
M
60
E
R
S
E
61
H
M
S
62
W
63
I
64
L
T
65
M
O
R
A
66
A
67
T
E
A
T
68
A
C
E
R
69
W
E
L
T
70
D
O
R
I
A
71
X
E
N
O
72
S
T
E
S
73
W
E
L
L
© 2016, The New York Times9/27/16 ( No. 24,430 )
Across
1
Start of a "recuperative" word ladder ending at 73-Across : SICK
5
Pres. Jefferson : THOS
9
1000 or 2000, but not 0 : YEAR
13
Cookies with a Double Stuf variety : OREOS
15
Part 2 of the word ladder : SILK
16
Singer Fitzgerald : ELLA
17
Socially unacceptable : NONPC
18
Cleveland's lake : ERIE
19
Part 3 of the word ladder : SILT
20
Morsel for an aardvark : ANT
21
Seeking victory : OUTTOWIN
24
Blue Jays, on scoreboards : TOR
25
Switch ups? : ONS
26
Place to get outta, in a saying : DODGE
30
How to avoid becoming 1-Across, so they say : ANAPPLEADAY
35
60 minuti : ORA
36
___-majesté : LESE
37
Wires for thrill-seekers : ZIPLINES
39
Palindromic band name : ABBA
41
"Are not!" retort : AMTOO
43
No. on a periodic table : ATWT
44
Come together : COALESCE
46
___-ho : GUNG
48
Quaint lodging : INN
49
Aid for getting 73-Across, so they say : CHICKENSOUP
53
Capital of Senegal : DAKAR
55
___ Lingus : AER
56
General ___ (name on a Chinese menu) : TSO
57
Dunk : SUBMERSE
61
___ Pinafore : HMS
62
Part 4 of the word ladder : WILT
65
Football coach Jim : MORA
66
Really bothered : ATEAT
68
Taiwan-based computer maker : ACER
69
Part 5 of the word ladder : WELT
70
Andrea ___ (ill-fated ship) : DORIA
71
Alien: Prefix : XENO
72
Fr. honorees : STES
73
End of the word ladder : WELL
Down
1
Hyundai model : SONATA
2
Attach, as a patch : IRONON
3
The Fed, for example : CENTRALBANK
4
Keystone ___ : KOP
5
Fly over sub-Saharan Africa? : TSETSE
6
Trumpeter Al : HIRT
7
Mélange : OLIO
8
Slant : SKEW
9
Answerable with a head nod or shake : YESNO
10
Inventor Whitney : ELI
11
The whole enchilada : ALL
12
Subway station sighting : RAT
14
Reporters' coups : SCOOPS
22
Let loose : UNLEASH
23
Tranquil scene : IDYL
27
"Can we not talk about that!" : DONTGOTHERE
28
Ballooned : GREW
29
Heading for Marco Polo : EAST
31
Church bell sound : PEAL
32
The Mexica people ruled over them : AZTEC
33
God, in Roma : DIO
34
Orbital high points : APOGEES
38
Writer Fleming and others : IANS
39
If you drop this you'll trip : ACID
40
___ fide : BONA
42
Former telecom giant : MCI
45
Hosiery shade : ECRU
47
Not book-smart : UNREAD
50
Gold standards : KARATS
51
Service symbolized by a blue-and-white eagle : USMAIL
52
Relating to 51-Down : POSTAL
54
Houston ballplayer : ASTRO
58
German autos : BMWS
59
Brand of bubbly, familiarly : MOET
60
Writer ___ Stanley Gardner : ERLE
62
Madame Tussaud material : WAX
63
Rocks or diamonds : ICE
64
Judge Goodman of "Dancing With the Stars" : LEN
67
A busy mom might keep a child in this : TOW

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

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