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Judith Perry
Judith Perry

HAVING A BALL

New York Times, Sunday, May 29, 1988

71-Down : Excuses

Author:
Judith Perry
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 138, Blocks: 66, Avg Word Len: 5.43, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 555 (avg 1.48)
Open Squares: 139, Cheaters: 2, FITB: 2, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 11
Judith Perry has 22 known pre-Shortz puzzles, and 3 Modern Era crosswords in our database.
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P
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O
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C
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K
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A
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D
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L
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I
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B
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W
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H
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E
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L
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M
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E
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B
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B
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S
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O
G
R
E
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L
I
A
N
E
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R
E
D
I
A
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F
L
O
E
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P
L
A
Y
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S
E
C
O
N
D
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F
I
D
D
L
E
26
F
O
R
E
27
P
E
N
N
A
M
E
S
28
L
E
T
G
O
29
S
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T
E
W
E
D
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A
R
E
O
L
A
S
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H
A
R
T
E
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S
T
A
T
O
R
S
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T
E
N
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S
O
M
M
E
36
B
A
R
R
E
N
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B
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A
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S
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S
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H
A
R
P
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N
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G
U
P
O
N
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E
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A
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R
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A
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P
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U
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O
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L
O
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S
M
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W
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B
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L
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N
D
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S
L
O
G
S
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H
A
N
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D
I
E
S
T
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S
L
U
R
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O
N
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W
A
Y
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D
A
N
C
E
A
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T
T
E
N
D
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A
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N
C
E
O
N
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S
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E
T
T
E
E
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R
A
N
T
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R
E
H
A
S
H
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E
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D
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A
C
H
E
S
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B
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E
A
R
D
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P
I
P
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D
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O
R
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S
H
E
D
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M
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D
I
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L
E
A
R
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C
R
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B
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H
O
T
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R
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N
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T
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H
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E
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B
E
L
L
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R
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N
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S
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R
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O
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N
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Y
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A
R
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A
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C
O
T
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D
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R
U
M
O
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T
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A
M
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R
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P
U
L
S
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A
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T
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E
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R
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M
A
T
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S
N
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D
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B
O
R
E
A
L
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A
L
P
H
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T
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I
C
K
L
E
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H
E
I
V
O
R
I
E
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F
L
E
A
102
T
R
O
L
L
103
T
E
N
S
E
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U
N
I
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T
E
T
S
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O
A
T
E
S
107
A
N
T
E
D
108
G
E
N
S
© 1988, The New York TimesNo. 14,082
Across
1
Small indentation : POCK
5
Extemporize : ADLIB
10
Submerge : WHELM
15
Declines : EBBS
19
Blunderbore, e.g. : OGRE
20
Tropical vine : LIANE
21
Fluke larva : REDIA
22
Ice field : FLOE
23
Take a back seat : PLAYSECONDFIDDLE
26
Watson's warning : FORE
27
Saki and Sand : PENNAMES
28
Release : LETGO
29
Potted : STEWED
31
Interstices : AREOLAS
32
"Ah Sin" co-dramatist : HARTE
33
Dynamo parts : STATORS
34
Half a score : TEN
35
Amiens's river : SOMME
36
Unproductive : BARREN
37
Fenway foursome : BASES
40
Belaboring : HARPINGUPON
42
Musical aptitude : EAR
45
Indonesian island : ALOR
46
Animadverts : PANS
47
"Armageddon" author : URIS
48
European capital : OSLO
49
Doak Walker's coll. : SMU
50
Flinch : WINCE
51
Insipid : BLAND
53
Plods : SLOGS
54
Most convenient : HANDIEST
56
Disparage : SLUR
57
Ticket type : ONEWAY
58
Act as gofer : DANCEATTENDANCEON
62
Sofa : SETTEE
64
Carry on : RANT
65
Went over again : REHASHED
68
Throbs : ACHES
69
Awn : BEARD
71
Emulated Pan : PIPED
72
Swedish coin : ORE
73
Carport : SHED
74
Southern France : MIDI
75
Limerick poet : LEAR
76
Manger : CRIB
77
Sizzling : HOT
78
Be successful : RINGTHEBELL
82
Viking alphabet : RUNES
83
"Boys Town" actor : ROONEY
85
Peace Nobelist: 1987 : ARIAS
86
Light bed : COT
87
Expel : DRUMOUT
89
Cupid : AMORS
90
Beat : PULSATE
94
Fissured : RIMATE
95
Derogatory : SNIDE
96
Aurora ___ : BOREALIS
97
River in Xanadu : ALPH
98
Borge will do this for laughs : TICKLETHEIVORIES
101
Kind of market : FLEA
102
Gnomelike creature : TROLL
103
Strained : TENSE
104
Unicorn fish : UNIE
105
Asian festivals : TETS
106
"Solstice" author : OATES
107
Chipped in : ANTED
108
Roman clan : GENS
Down
1
Dad : POPPA
2
Girl watcher : OGLER
3
Davit : CRANE
4
Convention orator : KEYNOTER
5
President of Mexico: 1946-52 : ALEMAN
6
Cubes : DICES
7
Neighbor of Burma : LAOS
8
Bavarian river : INN
9
Night-stand sight : BEDLAMP
10
Scriptural : WRITTEN
11
Pussyfoot : HEDGE
12
Taro part : EDDO
13
"___ Liza Jane" : LIL
14
Bands stand for them : MAESTROS
15
Lacking vigor : EFFETE
16
17
Shipworm : BORER
18
Pips : SEEDS
24
Holiday happenings : SALES
25
Nobelist in Physics: 1938 : FERMI
30
Mountain lake : TARN
32
Half a centaur : HORSE
33
Flavorful : SAPID
35
Private rooms : SANCTA
36
Incinerate : BURN
37
Blowout : BASH
38
Soprano Gluck : ALMA
39
Proclaim widely : SOUNDTHETRUMPET
40
Medieval guild : HANSE
41
Protect : GUARD
43
Filamentous plant : ALGA
44
Rubicund : ROSY
46
Rifle : PIECE
48
Spreads : OLEOS
50
Sommelier's charge : WINES
51
Mixture : BLEND
52
Alfred of acting : LUNT
53
P.G.A. winner: 1949 : SNEAD
55
Old hat : DATED
56
Rating symbol : STAR
57
Painter's pigment : OCHER
59
Characteristic : TRAIT
60
Gazelles : ARIELS
61
King Birendra's land : NEPAL
62
Cummerbund : SASH
63
Repeat : ECHO
66
Buffalo's county : ERIE
67
Society entrants : DEBS
69
Alfred of testing : BINET
70
Impatient : EDGY
71
Excuses : PLEAS
74
Sonata movement : MINUETTO
76
Foots it : CUTSARUG
78
Source : ROOT
79
Mark and Dorothy : HAMILLS
80
Wear away : ERODE
81
Cardinal's cap : BIRETTA
82
Logger's sport : ROLEO
84
Neb. tribe : OMAHAS
86
Crooked : CURVED
87
Rough sketch : DRAFT
88
Lunar trench : RILLE
89
Tarsus : ANKLE
90
Aplomb : POISE
91
Dress design : ALINE
92
Connection : TIEIN
93
Sigmate objects : ESSES
95
Bagpipe player : SCOT
96
Propensity : BENT
99
"Watchful" name : IRA
100
One with a clutch : HEN

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle, 3 debuted here and reused later, 5 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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