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Jeffrey A. Mercer
Jeffrey A. Mercer

New York Times, Wednesday, July 12, 1989

51-Down : Ancient

Author:
Jeffrey A. Mercer
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 78, Blocks: 40, Avg Word Len: 4.74, Missing: { J K Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 252 (avg 1.36)
Open Squares: 69, Cheaters: 2, FITB: 8, XRef: 1, Spans: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 2, Grid flow: 21.0
Jeffrey A. Mercer has 8 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
1
P
2
E
3
L
4
F
5
A
6
T
7
E
8
S
9
T
10
P
11
E
12
L
13
A
B
E
L
14
B
O
Y
E
R
15
R
A
R
E
16
V
E
R
Y
17
C
R
E
T
E
18
A
R
G
O
19
A
R
O
M
20
A
21
T
S
U
22
P
I
T
O
N
23
S
T
I
E
R
24
S
25
O
P
26
P
O
S
I
T
E
27
T
O
N
28
O
F
29
A
S
I
30
T
31
O
32
R
O
33
O
L
L
34
A
S
35
N
36
I
37
C
38
E
39
A
N
E
T
40
W
E
A
N
S
41
I
R
A
N
42
B
O
T
H
43
M
O
U
S
E
44
N
E
R
D
45
E
46
R
A
47
R
E
L
48
I
T
49
E
50
G
51
O
M
A
N
52
I
A
53
S
A
H
54
A
55
R
56
A
57
A
L
L
O
Y
58
O
M
59
O
60
M
E
T
E
R
61
R
A
D
O
62
S
T
A
I
63
D
64
S
O
N
G
65
E
D
E
N
66
P
A
R
S
E
67
U
N
T
O
68
D
E
N
69
A
S
S
E
T
70
N
E
S
T
© 1989, The New York TimesNo. 14,491
Across
1
Lucre : PELF
5
Bomb trial : ATEST
10
Mud or clay: comb. form : PEL
13
Genesis character : ABEL
14
Villain portrayer in "Gaslight" : BOYER
15
Like a cold day in July : RARE
16
Extremely : VERY
17
Mediterranean island : CRETE
18
Jason's ship : ARGO
19
Bouquet : AROMA
21
Japanese seaport : TSU
22
Mountaineer's need : PITON
23
"M*A*S*H" actor David Ogden ___ : STIERS
25
Antithesis : OPPOSITE
27
Like a ___ bricks : TONOF
29
"___ Lay Dying": Faulkner : ASI
30
Corrida animal : TORO
33
Stews : OLLAS
35
Amiable : NICE
39
" ... as a wild bull in ___": Isa. 51:20 : ANET
40
Breaks off a habit : WEANS
41
Where Qum is : IRAN
42
Two together : BOTH
43
Timid one : MOUSE
44
Oaf : NERD
45
Pitcher's stat. : ERA
47
Kindled anew : RELIT
49
Extreme self-centeredness : EGOMANIA
53
Vast African desert : SAHARA
57
Pewter or brass : ALLOY
58
Shoulder: Comb. form : OMO
60
Versifier's concern : METER
61
"Hair" co-author : RADO
62
Sober : STAID
64
Styne product : SONG
65
Site of the original sin : EDEN
66
Solve grammatically : PARSE
67
Biblical preposition : UNTO
68
Lair : DEN
69
Charm or cash : ASSET
70
Robin's home : NEST
Down
1
Turkey hens, in Tampico : PAVAS
2
Movie reviewer Roger : EBERT
3
"Vive ___!" : LEROI
4
Hit song by Bart Howard : FLYMETOTHEMOON
5
Alphabetic trio : ABC
6
Civil wrong : TORT
7
Faye Dunaway movie : EYESOFLAURAMARS
8
Arrangement : SETUP
9
Uno, due, ___ : TRE
10
First section of a tome : PARTI
11
Bane of grain : ERGOT
12
Sierra ___ : LEONE
15
Poitier film, with "A" : RAISININTHESUN
20
Orinoco tributary : ARO
22
Opposite of neg. : POS
24
Figure often having charcoal eyes : SNOWMAN
26
Fairly large groups : PASSELS
28
Spread on bread : OLEO
30
Check : TAB
31
Yoko : ONO
32
Soak flax : RET
34
Hero of 29 Across : ANSE
36
Dander : IRE
37
Sleeper, e.g. : CAR
38
Objective : END
46
Beam : RAY
48
Cole Porter's "___ Loved" : IAM
49
Having aural appendages : EARED
50
Grassy space : GLADE
51
Ancient : OLDEN
52
Jots : IOTAS
54
Make up for : ATONE
55
Lets : RENTS
56
Pedagese, e.g. : ARGOT
59
River in Picardy : OISE
62
Health club : SPA
63
Mil. unit : DET

Answer summary:
2 debuted here and reused later, 3 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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