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New York Times, Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Author:
Justin Werfel
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
*What a straw man in a cornfield is for?
TotalDebutLatest
35/7/20249/30/2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0030000
ScrabDebutFresh
1.641448%
Justin Werfel

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JQX} This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Werfel. Tuesday freshness: 88%
1
L
2
A
3
T
4
H
5
E
6
C
7
A
8
P
9
R
10
A
11
N
12
O
13
G
14
A
E
S
O
P
15
I
N
O
I
L
16
U
N
O
17
C
R
O
W
C
18
O
N
T
R
O
L
19
N
A
N
20
D
O
N
E
I
T
21
E
22
V
A
D
E
23
H
24
O
25
T
I
T
E
M
26
T
R
I
V
I
A
27
I
N
O
T
28
G
A
29
R
30
B
A
G
E
U
M
P
31
C
O
R
G
32
I
33
O
O
Z
E
34
T
E
E
35
O
N
36
K
37
E
Y
K
O
N
38
G
39
A
40
L
41
F
42
F
E
T
A
43
S
E
44
W
45
E
46
R
47
C
A
R
48
C
A
T
A
L
49
O
50
G
51
T
E
R
I
52
A
L
A
S
N
O
53
F
L
54
E
A
B
A
G
55
C
A
N
I
T
56
I
57
M
F
U
L
L
58
I
N
K
59
I
60
T
S
A
D
E
L
I
61
G
62
H
63
T
64
A
N
O
65
L
I
B
R
A
66
I
F
E
A
R
67
S
E
Z
68
E
E
N
S
Y
69
S
E
E
D
Y
© 2025, The New York Times9/30/25 ( No. 27,720 )
Across
1
Wood turner : LATHE
6
Frank who directed "It's a Wonderful Life" : CAPRA
11
Yuletide beverage : NOG
14
Storyteller of antiquity : AESOP
15
How tuna may be packed : INOIL
16
Card game that involves shouting its name : UNO
17
*What a straw man in a cornfield is for? : CROWCONTROL
19
Palindromic woman's name : NAN
20
"Already accomplished!" : DONEIT
21
Dodge : EVADE
23
Product in high demand : HOTITEM
26
Material for a pub quiz : TRIVIA
27
During a tiebreaker, informally : INOT
28
*Ref who makes a ruling against your favored team? : GARBAGEUMP
31
Queen Elizabeth II's favored dog breed : CORGI
33
Move like the Blob : OOZE
34
Informal top : TEE
35
*Primate with perfect pitch? : ONKEYKONG
39
Puppet alien of TV : ALF
42
Greek cheese : FETA
43
Underground waterway : SEWER
47
*Kelley Blue Book? : CARCATALOG
51
"Tootsie" actress Garr : TERI
52
"Unfortunately that's wrong" : ALASNO
53
Sleazy hotel : FLEABAG
55
"Shush!" : CANIT
56
"No more for me, thanks" : IMFULL
58
Something found in a pen or octopus : INK
59
"I love this!" ... or, phonetically, remark about the answer to each of the starred clues : ITSADELIGHT
64
Year in Spain : ANO
65
Sign between Virgo and Scorpio : LIBRA
66
"Unfortunately ..." : IFEAR
67
Declares, informally : SEZ
68
Teeny-tiny : EENSY
69
Run-down : SEEDY
Down
1
Fond du ___, Wis. : LAC
2
___ Lingus : AER
3
General on a Chinese menu : TSO
4
"Was your performance a success?" : HOWDITGO
5
Disney park with Spaceship Earth : EPCOT
6
Movie house : CINEMA
7
Opposing : ANTI
8
Left of a ship ... or what a ship may have left : PORT
9
Locale of an annual Carnaval : RIO
10
Pollen, cat hair, etc. : ALLERGENS
11
Largest and most northern Canadian territory : NUNAVUT
12
One way to stop : ONADIME
13
Flipped out : GONEAPE
18
Earth's pull, in brief : ONEG
22
Struggle : VIE
23
Sound of a drinker in comics : HIC
24
Yoko who sang on "Give Peace a Chance" : ONO
25
Crag : TOR
26
Big name in tea : TAZO
29
Befitting a king or queen : ROYAL
30
___ choy : BOK
32
Babyish : INFANTILE
36
Low-carb kind of diet : KETO
37
H, to Homer : ETA
38
"Oh. Come. On!" : GETALIFE
39
Some pod-bearing trees : ACACIAS
40
Fitness guru Jack : LALANNE
41
Puppeteer with "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show" : FRANKOZ
44
Fly catcher : WEB
45
Time in history : ERA
46
Big truck : RIG
48
CBS forensic drama : CSI
49
When nothing goes right : OFFDAY
50
Sticky stuff : GLUE
54
___ Island, locale in New York Harbor : ELLIS
56
ID for a library volume : ISBN
57
Planet whose name is also a candy company : MARS
60
Bit of apparel that often has stripes : TIE
61
"Golly!" : GEE
62
Owned : HAD
63
Attempt : TRY

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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