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Mel Taub
Mel Taub

New York Times, Saturday, February 18, 1956

43-Across : Prior to.

Author:
Mel Taub
Editor:
Margaret Farrar
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 78, Blocks: 33, Avg Word Len: 4.92, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 279 (avg 1.45)
Open Squares: 62, Cheaters: 2, FITB: 2, XRef: 0, Spans: 4, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 9, Grid flow: 76.9
Mel Taub has 44 known pre-Shortz puzzles, and 10 Modern Era crosswords in our database.
Jim Horne notes:

53-Across: OMA refers to Lee Oma (born Frank Czajkowski), a well-known American heavyweight boxer from the 1940s and early 1950s. He fought top contenders of the era like Ezzard Charles and Bruce Woodcock. Director Elia Kazan famously cast several real-life professional heavyweight boxers, like Oma, to play Johnny Friendly's union goons in the classic 1954 film On the Waterfront.

1
A
2
H
3
A
4
E
5
A
6
S
7
E
8
A
9
L
10
L
11
U
12
P
13
R
E
F
14
O
R
M
I
N
15
G
16
C
A
I
N
E
17
C
H
A
R
L
O
T
T
E
18
B
R
O
N
T
E
19
R
I
E
N
20
H
A
R
E
21
C
I
R
22
D
23
R
E
G
S
24
P
U
R
A
25
H
O
E
S
26
R
O
W
S
27
P
O
S
28
G
29
A
U
L
30
A
V
E
31
I
S
L
E
32
S
33
U
L
N
34
A
35
R
36
M
E
L
37
A
N
I
E
38
A
39
R
R
A
N
G
E
40
A
D
L
E
R
41
S
42
O
L
F
A
43
E
R
E
44
T
O
O
45
K
46
B
E
D
47
R
B
I
S
48
L
49
A
O
N
50
E
51
D
A
M
52
B
E
R
N
E
53
O
M
A
54
P
L
O
D
55
A
L
C
A
56
S
U
R
57
R
E
P
T
I
58
T
I
O
U
S
59
L
60
Y
61
E
L
M
A
N
62
E
A
R
M
A
R
K
E
D
63
R
E
S
T
S
64
H
I
S
T
65
A
D
S
© 1956, The New York TimesNo. 2,426
Across
1
Eureka! : AHA
4
Assuage. : EASE
8
At an end: Colloq. : ALLUP
13
Turning over a new leaf. : REFORMING
16
Willie Keith's ship. : CAINE
17
Currer Bell. : CHARLOTTEBRONTE
19
Nothing: Fr. : RIEN
20
Gnawing animal. : HARE
21
About: Abbr. : CIR
22
Lees. : DREGS
24
Aqua ___. : PURA
25
Implements. : HOES
26
Lines of men. : ROWS
27
Opposed to negative: Abbr. : POS
28
Frenchman. : GAUL
30
Prayer. : AVE
31
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, etc. : ISLES
33
Of an arm bone. : ULNAR
36
Character in "Gone With the Wind." : MELANIE
38
Plan. : ARRANGE
40
Luther of the stage. : ADLER
41
The gamut. : SOLFA
43
Prior to. : ERE
44
Traveled by. : TOOK
46
Four-poster. : BED
47
Ted Kluszewski's department. : RBIS
48
City in France. : LAON
50
Roquefort relative. : EDAM
52
European capital. : BERNE
53
Actor in "Waterfront." : OMA
54
Drudge. : PLOD
55
Auk genus. : ALCA
56
With stealth. : SURREPTITIOUSLY
61
Noted violinist. : ELMAN
62
Set aside for a special purpose. : EARMARKED
63
Stops. : RESTS
64
Be quiet! : HIST
65
Classified items. : ADS
Down
1
Rainbow. : ARC
2
Querying sound. : HEH
3
1929 novel. : AFAREWELLTOARMS
4
Gardner and others. : ERLES
5
Egyptian sun god. : AMON
6
Be located. : SIT
7
Manifest zeal: Colloq. : ENTHUSE
8
Israeli port. : ACRE
9
Member of a Tai race. : LAO
10
Middle West capital. : LINCOLNNEBRASKA
11
Loosen. : UNTIE
12
Equals. : PEERS
14
Not copies: Abbr. : ORIGS
15
Equipage. : GEAR
18
Talk big. : BRAG
22
Section of a newspaper. : DRAMA
23
Wandered over. : ROVED
24
Europeans. : POLES
25
Dance. : HULA
27
Greek letter. : PSI
29
Subtle atmosphere. : AURA
31
Small Japanese receptacle. : INRO
32
State capital. : SALEM
34
With a broad smile. : AGRIN
35
Dodger captain. : REESE
37
Time immemorial. : AEON
39
Postal abbreviation. : RFD
42
Old Testament book. : OBADIAH
45
Source of iodine. : KELP
47
Return periodically. : RECUR
48
Last one in. : LOSER
49
Stubborn as ___. : AMULE
51
Love to excess. : DOTE
52
Puff up. : BLOAT
54
Enclosures. : PENS
55
Purposes. : AIMS
57
Relative of a lemming. : RAT
58
Numerical prefix. : TRI
59
Began. : LED
60
Track subdivisions: Abbr. : YDS

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle, 8 debuted here and reused later, 2 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.

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