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THE ART OF PUZZLE-MAKING

New York Times, Sunday, September 23, 2018

Author:
Andrew Zhou
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Place for works that are in the works ... or what the message formed by the connected letters is?
TotalDebutLatest
1811/11/20108/15/2019
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3021633
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
241.6114261%
Andrew Zhou

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 77 Missing: none – this is a pangram. Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 16 for Mr. Zhou. Jeff Chen's Puzzle of the Week pick. Sunday freshness: 42%
Notepad: After completing this puzzle, draw a line connecting the circles, starting and ending at the first circle of 62-Across, to spell a five-word message. The connected circles will reveal a picture related to the puzzle's theme. (Note: Rounded edges look best.) To complete the effect, draw a line between the circle at 36-Across and the circle at the third square of 37-Across.
Andrew Zhou notes:
I was Magritte's "Son of Man" for a Hallowe'en party a couple of years ago. The decision, however, had a fatal flaw: it was my Hallowe'en party and I was playing bartender. Seeing, I ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
Ceci n'est pas une répétition. As a recent crossword reminded us, simultaneous invention is common in science and technology. The same thing happens in puzzles when constructors get ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
It's such a shame that David Steinberg's puzzle was so recent — and so beautiful! I don't know much about art, but I loved learning about it through David's diagramless. This particular ... read more
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© 2018, The New York Times9/23/18 ( No. 25,156 )
Across
1
Accents to tuxedos : STUDS
6
Leader in a robe : EMIR
10
Stinger : WASP
14
Wind-borne seed : SPORE
19
"Sesame Street" figure : ERNIE
20
"Long live ...!" : VIVA
21
Western ski resort : ALTA
22
N.F.L.'s Kaepernick : COLIN
23
Where 68-Across is permanently housed : LOSANGELES
25
How 122-Across is usually described : SURREALIST
27
Hoses connect to them : FUELTANKS
28
Curiosity or Opportunity : MARSROVER
29
Imperial ___ (bar orders) : IPAS
30
Pill alternative, for short : IUD
31
Vegas inits. : MGM
34
Rug rat : TOT
35
Blood parts : SERA
36
It may be a shocker : EEL
37
Hawaiian for "appetizer" : PUPU
38
Sum to : ARE
39
Sport-___ (off-roaders) : UTES
41
Recipe amt. : TSP
42
Ones making the grade, for short? : TAS
43
Triangular snacks : DORITOS
46
D.J. ___ tha Kyd : SYD
48
Time for pampering oneself : MEDAY
51
Lightly bite : NIPAT
52
Dogie catcher : REATA
56
Invisible lures : AROMAS
58
Thither : YON
59
Writer with an interest in cryptography : POE
61
Idiot, in slang : NIMROD
62
Not cooped up : CAGEFREE
64
Sigh of relief : AAH
66
Experimental writing? : LABNOTES
68
1929 work that is the theme of this puzzle, with "The" : TREACHERYOFIMAGES
71
Short : TERSE
73
"Our" side in a sci-fi battle : HUMANRACE
74
Mild cheeses : EDAMS
77
AAA line: Abbr. : RTE
78
California wine city : LODI
79
Nickname for the Philadelphia Eagles stadium, with "the" : LINC
81
Falsity : LIE
82
Lake that's the source of the Mississippi : ITASCA
85
With 96- and 105-Across, how 122-Across explained the subject of this puzzle : ITSJUST
89
Tops : ATMOST
92
Bests in a Fourth of July hot dog contest, say : OUTEATS
94
Irony or hyperbole : TROPE
95
MI6 R&D division in 007 novels : QBRANCH
96
See 85-Across : AREPRESENTATION
99
Certain laundry appliance : GASDRYER
101
Three ___ of the Wheel of Dharma (Buddhist concept) : TURNINGS
104
Lead-in to cab : PEDI
105
See 85-Across : ISITNOT
109
Spanish greeting : HOLA
111
Quantity of eggs : ONEDOZEN
115
___-green : PEA
116
Prosy : UNPOETIC
120
Place for works that are in the works ... or what the message formed by the connected letters is? : PIPELINE
121
Houston-based petroleum giant, informally : OXY
122
Creator of 68-Across : MAGRITTE
123
Established figures? : SETRATES
124
Drying-out woe, for short : DTS
125
"Whew!" elicitor : NEARMISS
Down
1
Modern pic : SELFIE
2
Moving company? : TROUPE
3
Open : UNSEAL
4
Set in a cockpit : DIALS
5
Mailed : SENT
6
Tie, as a score : EVENUP
7
Caramel morsel from Hershey : MILKDUD
8
Composer of the "Concord" Sonata : IVES
9
Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS
10
"Time ___ ..." : WAS
11
Grad : ALUM
12
Cloud type : STRATUS
13
Pirate's pet : PARROT
14
Lasting reminder : SCAR
15
Some pullovers : POLOS
16
Michigan college or its town : OLIVET
17
Choir stands : RISERS
18
Snare : ENTRAP
24
Julius Caesar's first name : GAIUS
26
___ Park, Colo. : ESTES
31
Kind of sauce : MARINARA
32
Camera crane operator : GRIP
33
Something that shouldn't be mixed : METAPHOR
37
How to get the permit, say : PAYAFEE
40
Shot deliverer : SYRINGE
42
Circus employees : TAMERS
44
Palindromic musician : ONO
45
Palindromic tribe : OTO
47
Showed, informally : DEMOED
48
Bub : MAC
49
Big stretch : ERA
50
Milk-Bone, e.g. : DOGTREAT
53
Cultural gathering : ARTSALON
54
Boot part : TOE
55
Scores after deuces, informally : ADS
57
Tijuana title: Abbr. : SRA
58
Violinist Menuhin : YEHUDI
60
Draw out : ELICIT
61
Org. with a June draft : NBA
63
Call back? : ECHO
65
___ Rand Institute : AYN
67
"I agree fully!" : AMEN
69
Broadcast antennas, e.g. : EMITTERS
70
Bit of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" : FALSETTO
71
Witches in "Macbeth," e.g. : TRIO
72
Words upon a shocked realization : ETTU
75
Form 1099-___ : MISC
76
Actor Green : SETH
78
"See ya!" : LATER
80
Plane area : CABIN
83
Beach house owner : SEASIDER
84
ID : CARD
86
Graduating grp. : SRS
87
Cawfee : JOE
88
Channel that aired "Moesha" : UPN
90
Half-Betazoid "Star Trek" character : TROI
91
German city with a Pennsylvania namesake : MANNHEIM
93
Dangerous job : SPY
95
Play period: Abbr. : QTR
97
French queens : REINES
98
Fall : AUTUMN
99
Figure in the "Arabian Nights" : GENIE
100
Virtuosic : ADEPT
102
2018 biopic with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes : GOTTI
103
Narrow cuts : SLITS
104
Boston ___ : POPS
106
Device outmoded by smartphones : IPOD
107
Unusual feature of 68-Across : TEXT
108
Second side to vote : NAYS
110
Nails : ACES
112
Suffix with Motor : OLA
113
Unsightly spot : ZIT
114
Chemical ending : ENE
117
Scottish denial : NAE
118
Tour grp. : PGA
119
Winner of a record eight N.H.L. Norris Trophies : ORR

Answer summary:
6 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 3 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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