This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.
John M. Holmes Jr.
John M. Holmes Jr.

New York Times, Wednesday, August 24, 1955

Author:
John M. Holmes Jr.
Editor:
Margaret Farrar
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 72, Blocks: 36, Avg Word Len: 5.25, Missing: { J X Z }, Scrabble score: 300 (avg 1.59)
Open Squares: 77, Cheaters: 4, FITB: 4, XRef: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 18, Grid flow: 29.6
John M. Holmes Jr. has 6 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
Jim Horne notes:

The Slang ("Ropo") at 33-Down

Dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, calling a cheap, low-quality, or foul-smelling cigar a "rope" (or mock-Spanish "el ropo") was common American slang. The idea was that smoking it tasted or smelled like burning a piece of old hemp rope.

The Comedian Connection

During the vaudeville era and the golden age of television (which was perfectly contemporary to this 1955 puzzle), many famous comedians used a cheap cigar as their signature onstage prop—most notably George Burns, Groucho Marx, and Ernie Kovacs. They used the cigars for comic timing, waving them around, flicking the ash, or puffing on them to punctuate a punchline.

Because of this, the terrible-smelling "El Ropo" became synonymous with the stereotypical prop cigar stuck in the mouth of a fast-talking comedian.

1
Q
2
U
3
E
4
B
5
E
6
C
7
C
8
H
9
O
10
O
11
S
12
E
13
U
N
S
E
A
L
14
S
15
C
R
O
P
P
E
R
16
A
D
H
E
R
E
D
17
H
A
T
T
E
R
S
18
S
U
E
19
A
S
20
S
A
M
21
N
E
T
22
H
E
R
23
M
24
I
T
25
U
P
P
26
I
27
S
H
28
E
N
S
29
S
T
O
N
E
A
30
G
31
E
32
P
33
R
34
O
N
G
35
O
P
E
N
F
A
C
E
D
36
I
O
N
A
37
E
V
E
R
S
38
S
K
E
G
39
S
P
E
C
40
I
M
E
N
S
41
M
I
S
S
Y
42
H
O
L
E
C
A
R
D
43
P
A
D
44
U
S
A
N
C
E
45
A
L
E
46
R
47
T
48
S
49
A
50
L
N
51
A
A
R
52
O
N
53
A
I
L
54
R
A
G
55
O
56
U
T
S
57
R
E
58
Q
59
U
I
T
E
60
O
V
E
R
S
E
T
61
B
L
U
N
T
L
Y
62
W
A
R
D
E
D
63
S
A
U
T
E
S
© 1955, The New York TimesNo. 2,248
Across
1
Roosevelt-Churchill conference scene. : QUEBEC
7
Pick. : CHOOSE
13
Opens. : UNSEALS
15
Headlong fall: Colloq. : CROPPER
16
Stuck fast. : ADHERED
17
Workers in haberdasheries. : HATTERS
18
Petition. : SUE
19
State bordering Burma and Tibet. : ASSAM
21
Catch. : NET
22
Recluse. : HERMIT
25
Arrogant: Colloq. : UPPISH
28
Pulver of "Mr. Roberts": Abbr. : ENS
29
A long time ago. : STONEAGE
32
Antler tip. : PRONG
35
Honest-visaged. : OPENFACED
36
One of the Inner Hebrides. : IONA
37
Between Tinker and Chance. : EVERS
38
Part of a boat's keel. : SKEG
39
Typical parts. : SPECIMENS
41
Term of address for a little girl. : MISSY
42
Stud poker term. : HOLECARD
43
Lily leaf. : PAD
44
Interest from investment. : USANCE
45
Warns. : ALERTS
49
River in England. : ALN
51
First name of Jefferson's V. P. : AARON
53
Trouble. : AIL
54
Stews. : RAGOUTS
57
Repay in kind. : REQUITE
60
An excess of type, in printing. : OVERSET
61
Brusquely. : BLUNTLY
62
Turned aside (with "off"). : WARDED
63
Fries. : SAUTES
Down
1
Suppress. : QUASH
2
Excessive. : UNDUE
3
Town in Surrey. : ESHER
4
Spelling ___. : BEE
5
Attention. : EAR
6
Pieces of wood for belaying ropes. : CLEATS
7
Climbing irons. : CRAMPONS
8
High in the 90's. : HOT
9
See 7 Across. : OPT
10
Central Park horse-drawn coaches: 2 wds. : OPENHACKS
11
Dried out. : SERE
12
First: German. : ERST
14
Scientific degrees. : SDS
15
Fraternity branches. : CHAPTERS
20
Trousers support. : SUSPENDER
23
Film villains. : MENACES
24
Common suffix. : ING
26
Arm of the Army: Abbr. : INF
27
Strand. : SEASIDE
30
Agrees with: Slang. : GEES
31
Touchy. : EDGY
32
Impatient exclamation. : PISH
33
Preceded by "El," a comedian's cigar. : ROPO
34
Car with a single-cylinder engine: Slang. : ONELUNGER
35
Stitch to prevent raveling. : OVERCAST
37
Originated. : EMANATED
40
City in Peru. : ICA
41
___ de mer. : MAL
43
TV specialties. : PANELS
46
Star in "Pajama Game." : RAITT
47
Right to ownership. : TITLE
48
Weaver's reeds. : SLEYS
49
In alignment. : AROW
50
Etna's output. : LAVA
52
Eye: Poetic. : ORB
55
Fort ___, California. : ORD
56
Exercise. : USE
58
Sine ___ non. : QUA
59
Burmese Premier. : UNU

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle, 15 debuted here and reused later, 5 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.

  Please log in to use the Analyze features.

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 © 2007-2026, Jim Horne
63 ms