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Lester Keene
Questionnaire
New York Times, Sunday, February 16, 1947
95-Down : Parts.
Author:
L. K. Peters
Editor:
Margaret Farrar
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 130, Blocks: 74, Avg Word Len: 5.65, Min Word Len: 4, Missing: { J Q W X Z }, Scrabble score: 493 (avg 1.34)
Open Squares: 165, Cheaters: 6, FITB: 2, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 55, Grid flow: 19.4
Lester Keene has 35 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
L. K. Peters is an alias for Lester Keene.
Jim Horne notes:
61-Across (DARDANELLES) is "40 controversial miles."
The clue refers to the Dardanelles Strait, a narrow, natural waterway in northwestern Turkey that is approximately 38 to 40 miles long.
Why "Controversial"?
The Dardanelles has been one of the most strategically contested geographical points in history because it connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara (and ultimately the Black Sea). At the time this puzzle was published in 1947, the "controversy" was at a historical peak due to the following:
- The Turkish Straits Crisis: Following World War II, the Soviet Union pressured Turkey to allow Soviet ship passage and to establish military bases in the straits. This sparked a major Cold War confrontation.
- The Montreux Convention: This 1936 agreement governed the straits, but by 1947, its terms were being hotly debated as the West (the U.S. and UK) sought to prevent Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean.
- The Truman Doctrine: Just one month after this puzzle was published, the U.S. issued the Truman Doctrine, specifically providing military and economic aid to Turkey to ensure it could maintain control over the "controversial" Dardanelles against Soviet pressure.
David Steinberg notes:
Corrected the surname's spelling in 23-Across; it originally read "Navarro."
1 A | 2 R | 3 B | 4 E | 5 D | 6 A | 7 R | 8 M | 9 S | 10 S | 11 O | 12 L | 13 I | 14 S | 15 T | 16 A | 17 R | 18 K |
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19 R | E | E | V | E | 20 R | E | A | L | 21 A | M | I | D | 22 H | A | V | E | N |
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23 R | A | M | O | N | 24 P | A | L | E | 25 S | T | I | N | E | 26 E | L | O | G | E |
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27 A | R | I | L | S | 28 A | P | E | N | N | I | N | E | S | 29 D | A | C | I | A |
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30 N | E | R | V | E | 31 D | 32 A | D | O | R | A | N | T | 33 S | 34 R | E | N | D |
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35 T | R | E | E | 36 A | 37 U | 38 S | T | E | R | E | 39 A | 40 E | S | T | A | S |
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41 C | U | L | V | E | R | T | 42 F | 43 E | 44 A | T | S | |||||||||
45 D | 46 E | 47 V | I | N | N | E | 48 D | U | A | L | I | T | 49 I | 50 E | 51 S | |||||
52 H | A | M | I | L | T | O | N | 53 P | 54 R | E | S | S | E | 55 U | N | L | E | 56 T |
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57 A | M | I | T | I | E | 58 A | L | I | S | I | E | R | 59 S | T | A | R | I |
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60 D | A | R | A | 61 D | 62 A | 63 R | D | A | N | E | L | L | E | 64 S | 65 E | M | E | R |
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66 A | G | A | M | 67 A | 68 R | E | V | I | S | E | S | 69 P | 70 A | R | I | N | E |
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71 D | E | T | I | N | 72 O | V | E | N | E | D | 73 S | 74 P | R | I | N | T | E | D |
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75 S | E | N | T | 76 I | M | E | N | T | 77 H | O | A | R | S | E | R | |||||
78 E | N | A | T | E | 79 P | 80 R | 81 A | I | R | I | E | |||||||||
82 P | 83 R | 84 I | 85 E | S | T | 86 M | A | I | L | M | E | N | 87 B | 88 A | 89 G | 90 S |
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91 E | A | R | N | 92 O | 93 P | 94 E | 95 R | A | T | O | R | 96 S | 97 U | L | L | A | N |
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98 P | R | O | G | 99 S | 100 A | R | O | M | A | T | I | 101 C | 102 S | 103 N | A | C | R | E |
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104 P | E | N | I | A | 105 P | O | L | A | N | E | G | R | I | 106 D | I | O | N | E |
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107 E | L | E | N | A | 108 A | D | E | N | 109 R | H | E | A | 110 E | N | T | E | R |
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111 R | Y | D | E | R | 112 S | E | S | S | 113 S | T | E | M | 114 R | E | T | R | Y |
© 1947, The New York TimesNo. 262
Across
1
Nazi steel cartel. : ARBED
6
Weighty problem for U. N. : ARMS
10
Alone: Comb. form. : SOLI
14
U. S. Admiral. : STARK
19
Creator of Craig Kennedy. : REEVE
20
Sincere. : REAL
21
Encompassed. : AMID
22
Port. : HAVEN
23
Novarro of Hollywood. : RAMON
24
Britain's foreign problem. : PALESTINE
26
Encomium. : ELOGE
27
Seed coverings. : ARILS
28
Italy's 800-mile mountain range. : APENNINES
29
Ancient Roman province on the Danube. : DACIA
30
Strengthened. : NERVED
32
Worshipers. : ADORANTS
34
Cleave. : REND
35
Herbert Beerbohm. : TREE
36
Ascetic. : AUSTERE
39
Roman goddess of summer. : AESTAS
41
Arched drain. : CULVERT
42
Exploits. : FEATS
45
Noted printer and type stylist (1828–1914). : DEVINNE
48
Twofold qualities. : DUALITIES
52
First Secy. of the Treasury, 1789–95. : HAMILTON
53
Urgent: Fr. : PRESSE
55
For rent. : UNLET
57
Friendship: Fr. : AMITIE
58
Louisiana black haw. : ALISIER
59
___ Grad, seaport, Yugoslavia. : STARI
60
A son of Zerah (I Chr. ii, 6). : DARA
61
40 controversial miles. : DARDANELLES
65
Wife in Ulster epic. : EMER
66
Lizard. : AGAMA
68
Readjusts. : REVISES
69
Of the titmice. : PARINE
71
Remove a metal from. : DETIN
72
Baked. : OVENED
73
Ran rapidly. : SPRINTED
75
Refined feeling. : SENTIMENT
77
More raucous. : HOARSER
78
Related on the distaff side. : ENATE
79
Treeless plain. : PRAIRIE
82
What Father Brown is. : PRIEST
86
Robert Hannegan's cohorts. : MAILMEN
87
Captures. : BAGS
91
Merit. : EARN
92
Coal-mine boss. : OPERATOR
96
Of a Roman dictator (138–78 B. C.). : SULLAN
98
Proctors: Brit. Univ. Slang. : PROGS
100
Spices. : AROMATICS
103
Mother of pearl. : NACRE
104
Poverty: Comb. form. : PENIA
105
Star vamp of the silents. : POLANEGRI
106
Mother of Aphrodite. : DIONE
107
Former Queen of Italy. : ELENA
108
Famous coaling station. : ADEN
109
Daughter of Uranus. : RHEA
110
Enlist. : ENTER
111
American artist (1847–1917). : RYDER
112
Soap frame. : SESS
113
Derive. : STEM
114
Hale to the bar again. : RETRY
Down
1
Shameless. : ARRANT
2
Builder. : REARER
3
Drag through the mud. : BEMIRE
4
Unfold. : EVOLVE
5
Impenetrable. : DENSE
6
Italian harp. : ARPA
7
Garner. : REAP
8
Salt of maleic acid. : MALEATE
9
Attenuate. : SLENDER
10
Branch of literature ridiculing folly. : SATIRE
11
Foretokens. : OMINA
12
Contents of hope chest. : LINEN
13
I. e. : IDEST
14
Slough. : SHED
15
Ankle-length robes. : TALARS
16
Bird with webbed feet. : AVOCET
17
Capital of Saskatchewan. : REGINA
18
Presses into a mass. : KNEADS
25
Audible expression of disdain. : SNORT
31
Disheartened. : DAUNTED
33
Egyptian queen of the gods. : SATI
37
Elbow: Comb. form. : ULNO
38
Man's name: Scandinavian. : SVEN
40
Ebb and flow. : ESTUS
41
Eyelashes: Comb. form. : CILI
42
Ancient flintlock muskets. : FUSILS
43
Folding frame. : EASEL
44
___ flammam—to feed the flame. : ALERE
45
Mars. : DAMAGES
46
Jurisdiction of Arabian ruler. : EMIRATE
47
Diet essential. : VITAMIN
48
Remove pits from. : DESEED
49
Detains in port. : INTERNS
50
Native of Susa. : ELAMITE
51
Calmer. : SERENER
52
Son of Bedad. : HADAD
53
Lamentation. : PLAINT
54
Cleanse lightly. : RINSE
56
Furnished with rims. : TIRED
58
To reach. : ADVENE
62
The huisache. : AROMA
63
Face an embankment. : REVET
64
Stretches injuriously. : SPRAINS
67
Pays one's part. : ANTES
70
Pas-de-Calais city. : AIRE
73
Tapered shingle. : SHIM
74
Orifice. : PORE
76
Preposition. : INTO
79
Town in Nepal. : PATAN
80
Tumultuous crowds. : RIOTERS
81
O. K. : ALRIGHT
82
A spicy Senator. : PEPPER
83
Seldom. : RARELY
84
Manacled. : IRONED
85
Generator. : ENGINE
86
French mammas. : MAMANS
87
Secy. of State, 1881 and 1889. : BLAINE
88
Creator of Meg (1832–1888). : ALCOTT
89
A Roosevelt V. P. : GARNER
90
Jeery. : SNEERY
93
Paters familias. : PAPAS
94
Town in Madras. : ERODE
95
Parts. : ROLES
97
Sub. : UNDER
99
German region desired by France. : SAAR
101
Indian. : CREE
102
Declared war on U. S. Jan 25, 1942. : SIAM
Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle, 47 debuted here and reused later, 4 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.
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Crosswords published prior to Nov. 21, 1993 are provided by David Steinberg and The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project.