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X Marks the Spot

New York Times, Sunday, September 28, 1997

Author:
Robert H. Wolfe
Editor:
Will Shortz
27-Across : UXS
TotalDebutLatest
833/6/19834/7/2012
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
21002131037
RebusCircleScrabDebutPre‑WSFlow
711.454362334.5
Robert H. Wolfe

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 74 Missing: {JV} This is puzzle # 33 for Mr. Wolfe. Grid flow: 39.8 Sunday freshness: 30%
Jim Horne notes:
Clue Answer Decoding
UXS BETWEEN YOU AND ME X is between U and S, which together form "us"—you and me.
0X NEXT TO NOTHING X is next to zero, or "nothing."
TH000X AFTERTHOUGHTS The zeroes represent "oughts"; with TH they suggest THOUGHTS, and X comes after them.
IX BESIDE ONESELF X is beside I, representing oneself.
bXw IN BLACK AND WHITE X is placed within/between abbreviations for black and white.
10 X FAR FROM PERFECT X is visually far from a "perfect 10."
? X BEYOND QUESTION X appears beyond the question mark.
1
A
2
G
3
H
4
A
5
S
6
F
7
R
8
E
9
D
10
S
11
A
12
I
13
D
14
D
15
E
16
F
17
E
18
R
19
L
E
A
N
T
20
L
O
N
I
21
P
A
T
E
22
A
Q
A
B
A
23
I
N
T
E
R
24
R
U
P
T
S
25
I
N
S
C
26
B
U
R
B
S
27
B
E
T
W
E
E
N
Y
O
U
28
A
N
D
M
E
29
S
I
F
T
S
30
I
R
E
31
A
L
G
32
S
L
O
W
E
D
33
A
P
R
I
L
34
S
A
D
35
M
A
A
36
S
I
T
U
37
E
38
A
T
39
O
D
E
40
N
E
X
T
41
T
O
N
O
T
42
H
43
I
N
G
44
A
M
E
S
45
T
46
U
47
B
E
R
48
R
A
G
49
A
N
T
E
50
S
U
P
51
U
T
E
S
52
C
53
H
I
P
54
A
55
B
I
E
56
O
R
E
57
S
58
B
O
Y
S
59
A
U
K
60
S
A
R
K
61
C
62
A
B
A
R
E
63
T
64
A
P
O
65
A
F
T
E
66
R
T
H
O
U
67
G
H
T
S
68
F
D
A
69
S
I
N
70
G
L
E
T
71
A
Y
E
S
72
L
E
O
73
D
E
U
X
74
A
D
O
S
75
P
I
E
D
76
M
A
R
M
77
E
C
C
E
78
Q
U
O
79
N
80
D
A
M
81
W
A
D
82
F
A
T
E
D
83
B
84
O
U
T
85
B
E
S
I
86
D
87
E
O
N
E
88
S
89
E
L
F
90
A
P
E
91
T
A
R
92
A
N
O
N
93
P
G
A
94
S
95
S
96
S
97
Z
E
S
98
T
S
99
R
100
E
101
B
I
N
D
102
O
A
T
103
T
A
W
104
A
N
T
A
E
105
I
N
B
L
A
C
106
K
107
A
N
D
W
108
H
I
T
E
109
A
T
I
L
T
110
E
S
A
I
111
U
N
A
S
S
A
I
L
E
D
112
R
O
O
K
S
113
R
U
L
E
114
T
O
R
O
115
R
E
L
E
E
116
S
E
N
S
E
117
E
E
L
S
118
S
T
E
R
119
E
D
E
N
S
© 1997, The New York Times9/28/97 ( No. 17,491 )
Across
1
Old Turkish aristocracy : AGHAS
6
___ Gailey of "Miracle on 34th Street" : FRED
10
"He" and "she" follower : SAID
14
Hold off : DEFER
19
Wasn't upright : LEANT
20
Actress Anderson : LONI
21
Crown : PATE
22
Mideast's Gulf of ___ : AQABA
23
Heckles, say : INTERRUPTS
25
Rare book dealer's abbr. : INSC
26
1989 Tom Hanks film, with "The" : BURBS
27
29
Examines closely : SIFTS
30
Temper : IRE
31
Afr. nation : ALG
32
Obeyed a flasher : SLOWED
33
Timely girl's name : APRIL
34
Deplorable : SAD
35
Bleat : MAA
36
In ___ (not yet moved) : SITU
37
Down : EAT
39
"To Evening," e.g. : ODE
40
44
Early American orator Fisher ___ : AMES
45
Jerusalem artichoke, e.g. : TUBER
48
Tabloid, maybe : RAG
49
Pays what's expected : ANTESUP
51
Western tribe : UTES
52
Problem for a dentist : CHIP
54
"___ Baby" ("Hair" song) : ABIE
56
They lack refinement : ORES
58
___ Town : BOYS
59
Razor-billed bird : AUK
60
Cutty ___ : SARK
61
Some theater : CABARET
64
Mil. drop site : APO
65
TH000X : AFTERTHOUGHTS
68
Grp. that conducts many tests : FDA
69
Runner's jersey : SINGLET
71
Pro side : AYES
72
One of 13 Popes : LEO
73
French count, maybe : DEUX
74
Flurries : ADOS
75
Not solid : PIED
76
Old-fashioned lady : MARM
77
"___ agnus Dei" (Christian phrase) : ECCE
78
Former : QUONDAM
81
Roll : WAD
82
Inevitable : FATED
83
Spell : BOUT
85
90
Copy : APE
91
Bluejacket : TAR
92
Before long : ANON
93
Player's grp. : PGA
94
Barbecue sound : SSS
97
Tangs : ZESTS
99
Tie again : REBIND
102
Stable nibble : OAT
103
Shooter : TAW
104
Temple architectural features : ANTAE
105
109
Jousting : ATILT
110
Morales of "La Bamba" : ESAI
111
Free of criticism : UNASSAILED
112
King protectors : ROOKS
113
Regnum : RULE
114
Ring foe : TORO
115
Noted Civil War biography : RELEE
116
Pick up : SENSE
117
Spawning fish : EELS
118
Ending with hoop : STER
119
Chicago's ___ Expressway : EDENS
Down
1
Common defenses : ALIBIS
2
Equus and others : GENERA
3
Covered, in a way : HATTED
4
Over : ANEW
5
Decoration for a newlywed's car : STREAMER
6
Threw toward : FLUNGAT
7
Fibrous : ROPY
8
Inner beginner : ENTO
9
Dropping, in a manner of speaking : DISUSING
10
Indy occurrence : SPINOUT
11
Soft drink name : AANDW
12
"Who's there?" reply : ITSME
13
Figure in a murder mystery : DECEDENT
14
Lightly touches : DABSAT
15
Accouter : EQUIP
16
17
It's on its way out : EBBTIDE
18
Struggles with, as a varmint : RASSLES
24
Let go : RELAX
28
Kind of horn : ALTO
36
Afternoon fare : SOAP
38
Gray : AGE
40
Onetime Chicago V.I.P. : NESS
41
Early wheels : TRIKE
42
Eastern verse : HAIKU
43
Suffix with glass : INE
44
A celebrity may have one : AURA
45
Big brass : TUBAS
46
More romance : UTOPIA
47
50
Breaks down, in a way : SOBS
52
Kind of society : CAFE
53
"Star Wars" name : HUTT
54
Showed wonderment : AAHED
55
Warner ___ : BROS
57
Win over : SEDUCE
60
Eye-opening problem : STYE
61
Word in a billet-doux : CHER
62
Pion's place : ATOM
63
Saddled : TAXED
65
What's more : ALSO
66
Film director Sam : RAIMI
67
S.C. Johnson spray : GLADE
70
Joint deposit? : GOUT
73
Kind of ears : DEAF
75
Announcement makers, for short : PAS
76
Tony-winning producer Theodore : MANN
79
Some TNT sports coverage : NBA
80
Backside : DERRIERE
81
Certain illustrations : WOODCUTS
82
Utensils : FLATWARE
83
Church events : BAZAARS
84
Shoe style : OPENTOE
86
Major news media : DAILIES
87
Sicilian resort : ENNA
88
Object of a charity search : SPONSOR
89
More than "Gosh!" : EGADS
91
Dangerous pest : TSETSE
94
"___ Nacht" (German Christmas carol) : STILLE
95
Fine liner fabric : SATEEN
96
Nobel and others : SWEDES
98
Summits : TALKS
100
Succeed : ENSUE
101
Hoops : BBALL
106
Cat's-paw, e.g. : KNOT
107
Rhine feeder : AARE
108
Sped : HIED

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

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