This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.
Bert H. Kruse
Bert H. Kruse

ALPHABETIC DOUBLE TALK

New York Times, Sunday, October 26, 1986

115-Down : No game, in bridge

Author:
Bert H. Kruse
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 168, Blocks: 92, Avg Word Len: 5.20, Missing: { none — this is a pangram }, Scrabble score: 719 (avg 1.65)
Open Squares: 141, Cheaters: 14, FITB: 12, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 16
Bert H. Kruse has 63 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
1
S
2
P
3
A
4
S
5
M
6
H
7
A
8
H
9
A
10
S
11
B
12
A
13
N
14
G
15
D
16
E
17
R
18
R
19
A
C
A
D
I
A
20
A
M
E
R
C
21
E
22
A
M
O
R
23
E
P
E
E
24
S
E
V
E
N
T
25
H
L
E
T
T
E
R
26
R
O
M
A
27
N
F
I
V
E
28
O
N
E
S
29
C
I
O
N
S
30
P
R
31
E
E
N
32
V
O
I
C
E
D
33
R
E
D
34
S
H
R
E
D
35
S
T
A
Y
36
B
A
S
E
S
T
37
M
Y
B
E
D
38
H
A
R
T
E
39
A
I
M
E
D
40
E
41
L
42
E
A
N
O
R
43
A
H
E
A
D
44
O
F
Z
E
D
45
J
46
O
47
E
48
L
E
N
N
O
X
49
V
50
A
L
I
D
51
M
I
E
N
52
Q
U
A
D
53
E
G
G
E
D
54
C
A
L
E
B
55
S
56
M
A
R
T
57
R
U
S
S
E
58
C
E
L
T
59
P
O
N
E
60
I
N
A
N
E
61
S
U
I
T
E
S
62
T
R
I
63
P
R
E
C
E
64
D
65
E
S
A
R
66
M
A
N
T
I
S
67
S
68
T
R
I
D
E
69
A
N
T
I
C
70
T
O
L
T
E
C
71
T
H
R
U
M
S
72
F
O
L
L
O
73
W
S
K
A
Y
74
E
75
B
76
B
77
C
A
B
A
N
A
78
R
79
I
F
L
E
80
R
A
I
D
81
A
J
A
R
82
O
B
E
S
E
83
K
E
N
Y
A
84
S
85
T
I
R
S
86
S
C
O
R
E
87
B
O
T
H
88
D
I
N
T
89
F
I
A
T
S
90
M
E
T
H
O
D
91
B
R
A
92
K
I
N
D
O
93
F
94
B
O
N
E
95
M
A
D
O
N
N
A
96
R
I
S
K
S
97
R
E
R
U
N
98
D
I
C
E
R
99
S
100
C
A
N
T
Y
101
O
R
C
S
102
P
O
S
E
R
103
A
104
S
105
K
106
T
E
A
M
E
R
107
T
108
H
E
M
E
109
D
E
F
E
R
110
O
L
P
E
111
B
E
F
O
R
E
112
W
Y
E
113
A
F
114
T
E
R
F
R
A
115
N
K
L
I
N
116
A
T
E
N
117
S
E
R
A
118
N
U
A
N
C
E
119
T
I
R
O
L
O
120
R
O
S
A
121
S
E
E
D
122
L
U
G
E
D
123
E
L
A
T
E
© 1986, The New York TimesNo. 13,501
Across
1
Muscle action : SPASM
6
Derisive cries : HAHAS
11
Explosion noise : BANG
15
Writer Earl ___ Biggers : DERR
19
Land renamed Nova Scotia by the British : ACADIA
20
Mulct : AMERCE
22
Cupid : AMOR
23
Foil's kin : EPEE
24
Big bill, for short : SEVENTHLETTER
26
Kind of neck : ROMANFIVE
28
People, e.g. : ONES
29
Plant shoots : CIONS
30
Groom carefully : PREEN
32
Spoken : VOICED
33
Blushing : RED
34
Deep-six, in a way : SHRED
35
Sailing item : STAY
36
Most contemptible : BASEST
37
"Who's been sleeping in ___?" : MYBED
38
Twain contemporary : HARTE
39
Intended : AIMED
40
Joseph Lash subject : ELEANOR
43
English river : AHEADOFZED
45
A famous Louis : JOE
48
British noble name : LENNOX
49
Good : VALID
51
Conduct : MIEN
52
Oxford U. area : QUAD
53
Incited, with "on" : EGGED
54
Godwin's "Adventures of ___ Williams" : CALEB
55
Don Adams TV role : SMART
57
Ballet ___ : RUSSE
58
Early Briton : CELT
59
Player who cuts the cards : PONE
60
Empty : INANE
61
Collections of rocks : SUITES
62
Prefix for dent or color : TRI
63
Actor's concern : PRECEDESAR
66
Beneficial insect : MANTIS
67
Big step : STRIDE
69
Dido : ANTIC
70
Early Mexican Indian : TOLTEC
71
Barrie's "A Window in ___" : THRUMS
72
Urban transit : FOLLOWSKAY
74
Recede : EBB
77
Bathhouse : CABANA
78
Hurl fast : RIFLE
80
Incursion : RAID
81
Not fully shut : AJAR
82
Lardy : OBESE
83
Nairobi's republic : KENYA
84
Budges : STIRS
86
Musical music : SCORE
87
"___ Sides Now," Joni Mitchell hit : BOTH
88
Power : DINT
89
Commands : FIATS
90
Way : METHOD
91
Bikini part : BRA
92
Type of shirt : KINDOFBONE
95
Rock star : MADONNA
96
Ventures : RISKS
97
Old TV program : RERUN
98
Natural seeker : DICER
99
Like beach attire : SCANTY
101
Grampuses : ORCS
102
Tough problem : POSER
103
Petition : ASK
106
Truckman : TEAMER
107
Motif : THEME
109
Yield : DEFER
110
Oenochoe's cousin : OLPE
111
Divorcee, for short : BEFOREWYE
113
Actress Sandra : AFTERFRANKLIN
116
Egyptian disk : ATEN
117
Contents of some needles : SERA
118
Shade : NUANCE
119
Austrian state, to an Italian : TIROLO
120
Bud, a Dickens heroine : ROSA
121
Source : SEED
122
Coasted, in a way : LUGED
123
Tickle : ELATE
Down
1
Ruckus : SCENE
2
Did a road job : PAVED
3
Fruity quaffs : ADES
4
Deadly act : SIN
5
Lucifer's place : MATCHBOX
6
Equipped like an angel : HALOED
7
Edit : AMEND
8
Extinct Argentinians : HETS
9
Skill : ART
10
" ... above this ___ sway": Shak. : SCEPTRED
11
Au naturel : BARE
12
A king of Judah : AMON
13
___ de plume : NOM
14
Basis of a grievance : GRAVAMEN
15
Dared : DEFIED
16
Certain films : EPICS
17
Face an embankment : REVET
18
Water plant : REED
19
Lyre's relative : ASOR
21
Printers' nightmares : ERRATA
25
Personnel manager : HIRER
27
Edged : NOSED
31
Ogled : EYED
34
Church council : SYNOD
35
Hindu term of respect : SAHIB
36
Composer of "L'Arlésienne" : BIZET
37
Zola's portraitist : MANET
38
Philip Nolan's creator : HALE
39
Burning : AFIRE
40
Choice : ELECT
41
French artist: 1881-1955 : LEGER
42
Honey maker : ENGLISHBETA
44
Its capital is Muscat : OMAN
45
Supreme Court name : JUSTICEJOHN
46
Refreshment sites : OASES
47
Boston Gazette editor-patriot: 1732-1803 : EDES
49
Carter Sec. of State : VANCE
50
Sheltered at sea : ALEE
52
Precisely : QUITE
54
Some Yalies : COEDS
55
Lymnaeid : SNAIL
56
O'Neill's "___ Millions" : MARCO
57
Small : RUNTY
59
___ volta (musical direction) : PRIMA
60
Agave fiber : ISTLE
61
Variety of bar : SALAD
63
Clip : PRUNE
64
Bananas : DAFFY
65
Col. Tibbets's mother : ENOLA
66
Hopis or trumpeter fish : MOKIS
68
Potboilers, e.g. : TRASH
70
Despots : TSARS
71
Biblical mountain : TABOR
73
Court order : WRIT
75
Cut of beef : BARON
76
Netherlands city : BREDA
77
Lee or lrvin : COBB
78
Rips : RENDS
79
Division word : INTO
81
Globe employee : ACTOR
83
Tightly curled : KINKY
84
Skull cavity : SINUS
85
Seized, in poesy : TAEN
86
Passover feast : SEDER
88
Trouble : DISTRESS
89
Strong : FORCEFUL
90
Grow thin : MACERATE
92
Pittsburgh's home-run king : KINER
93
Splitting tool : FROE
94
Comedian Shelley : BERMAN
95
Skinflint : MISER
96
H. H. Jackson heroine : RAMONA
98
Took off a tile : DOFFED
99
Look after : SEETO
100
Dining spots : CAFES
102
Nez ___ Indians : PERCE
103
Mete : ALLOT
104
Barrel spigot : SPILE
105
Gambling game : KENO
106
Ski-slope item : TBAR
107
British spare : TYRE
108
Main : HEAD
109
___ Xiaoping, China's paramount leader : DENG
110
Pods often pickled : OKRA
112
Minuscule : WEE
114
Greek letter : TAU
115
No game, in bridge : NIL

Answer summary:
14 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 4 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Crosswords published prior to Nov. 21, 1993 are provided by David Steinberg and The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project.

Previous puzzle | Next puzzle
XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
51 ms