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Jordan S. Lasher
Jordan S. Lasher

A SPELL OF LETTERS

New York Times, Sunday, April 17, 1977

20-Across : Crucial elements

Author:
Jordan S. Lasher
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 140, Blocks: 76, Avg Word Len: 5.21, Missing: { Q Z }, Scrabble score: 581 (avg 1.59)
Open Squares: 129, Cheaters: 10, FITB: 13, XRef: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 18
Jordan S. Lasher has 60 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
1
U
2
R
3
I
4
S
5
O
6
S
7
S
8
A
9
S
10
O
11
D
12
A
13
S
14
P
15
E
16
A
17
K
18
N
E
N
A
19
S
20
K
E
Y
S
21
T
O
N
E
S
22
C
O
S
T
A
23
A
I
T
C
H
24
A
I
T
C
H
A
I
T
C
H
25
A
S
S
A
Y
26
I
N
O
27
O
B
E
S
E
28
T
R
I
K
E
29
L
E
P
T
O
30
R
E
L
31
I
V
E
S
32
I
T
E
M
33
A
P
S
E
34
E
D
I
L
E
35
A
36
R
C
E
E
E
37
M
38
P
E
E
39
E
40
P
41
I
42
D
I
N
A
R
43
N
O
E
D
44
E
L
O
D
45
C
U
R
46
N
E
Y
47
A
48
U
K
S
49
S
50
A
T
I
N
51
F
E
R
A
52
E
N
K
A
Y
53
V
54
E
E
D
E
E
55
L
I
E
S
T
56
A
57
D
58
V
59
V
E
E
S
60
O
R
R
I
S
61
F
E
S
C
U
E
62
D
E
E
63
J
A
Y
S
64
C
L
A
I
M
65
J
A
Y
C
E
E
S
66
O
L
E
I
N
E
67
S
O
U
S
A
68
A
I
N
T
69
E
D
T
70
R
I
E
M
S
71
E
M
E
M
E
L
72
E
X
V
E
E
73
A
L
F
A
74
A
N
O
D
E
75
L
O
E
S
76
A
77
R
78
C
79
T
A
D
80
R
O
O
K
81
U
82
P
O
N
83
E
N
E
A
84
S
85
O
H
O
86
E
N
W
Y
87
E
88
E
N
W
Y
E
89
M
A
T
T
E
90
U
91
R
G
E
92
R
E
D
S
93
P
94
I
C
K
E
T
S
95
A
96
R
B
O
R
97
C
98
O
E
L
O
99
G
100
L
A
R
E
101
M
I
T
102
V
A
L
V
E
103
E
L
B
E
E
104
J
A
Y
S
V
E
105
E
P
E
E
106
A
B
E
E
T
107
S
P
U
R
R
I
E
R
S
108
D
R
E
S
T
109
S
E
U
S
S
110
T
E
S
S
111
G
L
E
E
112
A
R
T
S
© 1977, The New York TimesNo. 10,109
Across
1
"Trinity" author : URIS
5
Peak of Thessaly : OSSA
9
Bicarb : SODA
13
Vocalize : SPEAK
18
Baby girls: Sp. : NENAS
20
Crucial elements : KEYSTONES
22
___ del Sol : COSTA
23
Humphrey : AITCHAITCHAITCH
25
Evaluation : ASSAY
26
Mythical princess : INO
27
Portly : OBESE
28
Three-wheeler : TRIKE
29
Weak: Prefix : LEPTO
30
Experiences anew : RELIVES
32
Newsy note : ITEM
33
Church recess : APSE
34
Post Cato held : EDILE
35
They get their man : ARCEEEMPEE
39
Roof covering : EPI
42
Money in Zagreb : DINAR
43
Made a refusal : NOED
44
Charged force : ELOD
45
Mongrel : CUR
46
"Wall Street Gang" author : NEY
47
Dovekies : AUKS
49
Attended a meeting : SATIN
51
F.D.R. measure: 1933 : FERA
52
OGPU successor : ENKAYVEEDEE
55
"Twenty times, thou ___": "Richard II" : LIEST
56
Madison Ave. product : ADV
59
Victory symbols : VEES
60
Oil used in perfumes : ORRIS
61
Pointer or grass : FESCUE
62
Record players : DEEJAYS
64
Assert : CLAIM
65
Young community promoters : JAYCEES
66
Fatty liquid : OLEINE
67
March man : SOUSA
68
Solecist's word : AINT
69
Time abbr. : EDT
70
Oxhide straps : RIEMS
71
2,065 : EMEMELEXVEE
73
Code word for "A" : ALFA
74
Battery terminal : ANODE
75
Former Dodger : LOES
76
___ de Triomphe : ARC
79
Moppet : TAD
80
Swindle : ROOK
81
Atop : UPON
83
Vergil hero: Var. : ENEAS
85
Cry of discovery : OHO
86
Big Apple address : ENWYEENWYE
89
Dull finish : MATTE
90
Exhort : URGE
92
Muscovites : REDS
93
Slats for fences : PICKETS
95
Ann ___ : ARBOR
97
Hollow: Prefix : COELO
99
Fierce look : GLARE
101
Cambridge tech. center : MIT
102
Sluice gate : VALVE
103
Title for 23 Across : ELBEEJAYSVEEPEE
106
Red as ___ : ABEET
107
Makers of cowboys' goods : SPURRIERS
108
Garbed, old style : DREST
109
Children's author : SEUSS
110
Hardy girl : TESS
111
Jubilation : GLEE
112
College studies : ARTS
Down
1
Not publicized : UNAIRED
2
Checked one's mount : REINEDIN
3
Bring ___ (discipline) : INTOLINE
4
Pouch : SAC
5
Certain migrants : OKIES
6
Collections : SETS
7
Indian groom : SYCE
8
Rowan : ASH
9
Evening party : SOIREE
10
Punctual : ONTIME
11
Bedizen : DECK
12
Court star : ASHE
13
Hustled tickets : SCALPED
14
Propounds : POSES
15
Humane org. for juveniles : ESSPEECEECEE
16
Rat-___ : ATAT
17
Ring victory : KAYO
19
Rude commuter : SHOVER
21
Used a shuttle : TATTED
24
Mary Todd's man : ABE
31
"Now ___ me down ... " : ILAY
32
Cocktail rocks : ICE
33
Eternity : AEON
35
Singer and family : ANKAS
36
Optimistic : ROSY
37
Doles : METES
38
Ballet bend : PLIE
40
Ran after : PURSUED
41
Most provoked : IRATEST
47
Keep ___ on (watch over) : ANEYE
48
Luau instruments : UKES
49
Soap opera : SERIAL
50
Take ___ view of : ADIM
51
Exchequer : FISC
52
Dale or Bergen : EVANS
53
Loudness : VOLUME
54
Rub the board : ERASE
55
Samar's neighbor : LEYTE
56
Beloved, in Bologna : ADORATO
57
Seductress : DELILAH
58
Ex-soldiers' group : VEEEFDOUBLEU
61
Temples : FANES
63
Iwo ___ : JIMA
64
A Yalie : COED
65
Hipster's jargon : JIVE
67
Fumous : SMOKY
68
Nerve-cell process : AXONE
71
" ... Paradise ___" : ENOW
72
Town in Arizona : ELOY
74
Tops : AONE
76
Biblical giant : ANAK
77
Mix again, as concrete : RETEMPER
78
Most spiteful : CATTIEST
80
Has misgivings : REGRETS
81
Destroyer : UNDOER
82
Stalag inmates: Abbr. : PWS
83
Ran the show : EMCEED
84
Six-line stanzas : SESTETS
87
Dark place in myths : EREBUS
88
Snigglers : EELERS
91
Is nomadic : ROVES
93
Outmoded : PASSE
94
Berlin, for short : IRV
95
Gardner, et al. : AVAS
96
Playwright David : RABE
97
___ la vie : CEST
98
Wine pitcher : OLPE
99
Highlander : GAEL
100
Harp of Hellas : LYRE
104
Irish dance : JIG
105
Time span : ERA

Answer summary:
14 unique to this puzzle, 4 debuted here and reused later, 17 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.

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