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I Think Knot

New York Times, Sunday, January 12, 2025

Author:
Jeffrey Martinovic
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
101-Across : Enthusiastic response
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
911/30/20231/12/20254
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2023200
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
131.553038%
Jeffrey Martinovic

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 84 Missing: {KZ} Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 9 for Mr. Martinovic. Sunday freshness: 23%
Will Shortz notes:
Jeffrey Martinovic is a mechanical engineering student at Western University, in London, Ontario. He's been solving crosswords since he was 10, helping his mother with the puzzle in the ... read more
Jeffrey Martinovic notes:
The idea for this puzzle came to me one sleepless night about a year ago. Finding theme entries proved to be a fun and welcome diversion, and once I stumbled across the STRING/THREAD ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Where the circled words cross, they're ALL TIED UP. Change directions at the middle knots to get THREAD, STRING, CORD, ROPE, CABLE, and YARN.

1
M
2
E
3
H
4
C
5
A
6
M
7
A
8
N
9
G
10
S
11
T
12
A
13
D
14
S
15
C
16
P
17
A
18
A
L
I
19
B
A
B
A
20
S
O
R
E
R
21
P
I
T
22
C
R
E
W
23
M
O
D
E
L
U
N
24
A
S
O
N
E
25
E
Y
E
R
O
L
L
26
A
N
D
A
L
S
O
27
N
E
W
T
S
28
D
E
V
I
S
E
S
29
E
R
I
E
30
C
A
T
T
I
S
31
H
32
R
I
B
S
33
C
34
N
N
35
T
S
36
A
R
37
O
H
M
38
A
39
P
S
E
40
S
41
T
42
U
43
V
O
W
44
S
45
M
U
46
S
T
R
E
47
A
D
S
48
Q
T
I
P
49
S
L
I
P
50
S
51
U
P
52
F
A
I
N
T
53
I
54
N
55
R
U
I
N
S
56
O
R
A
L
S
57
J
O
I
N
T
E
58
D
59
A
B
E
T
S
60
S
E
C
R
E
61
T
E
62
L
G
S
63
D
64
E
N
I
E
C
E
65
E
S
E
66
A
L
67
E
68
E
A
R
69
N
H
L
70
T
71
A
72
T
T
L
E
73
D
74
S
A
Y
S
75
I
76
D
O
77
S
78
T
E
N
O
79
O
L
E
80
M
I
S
S
81
L
O
F
82
T
83
S
84
A
M
U
L
E
T
85
S
86
S
P
I
N
Y
87
A
I
R
C
O
O
88
L
89
L
O
N
E
W
O
L
90
F
91
O
M
G
92
P
L
A
Y
A
B
L
E
93
A
G
E
S
94
A
L
95
L
T
I
E
96
D
U
P
97
R
Y
E
S
98
C
99
O
100
O
T
I
E
S
101
S
U
R
E
102
C
103
A
N
104
B
105
A
106
R
O
R
D
E
R
S
107
N
I
N
E
L
I
108
V
109
E
110
S
111
T
A
I
P
E
I
112
T
I
113
C
114
T
115
A
C
S
116
L
O
V
E
T
O
117
U
R
G
E
O
N
118
Y
O
G
A
M
A
T
119
T
H
A
N
O
S
120
P
A
S
S
121
N
I
X
O
N
122
A
L
A
N
© 2025, The New York Times1/12/25 ( No. 27,459 )
Across
1
"It's fine, I guess" : MEH
4
Dash follower : CAM
7
Source of some insomnia : ANGST
12
Quick reads on the subway, perhaps : ADS
15
Filing pro : CPA
18
Treasure-seeking woodcutter of folklore : ALIBABA
20
More in need of a massage : SORER
21
Group that works only for a few seconds at a time : PITCREW
23
H.S. club with student "diplomats" : MODELUN
24
In unison : ASONE
25
🙄 : EYEROLL
26
"To add on …" : ANDALSO
27
Witches' brew creatures : NEWTS
28
Concocts : DEVISES
29
Buffalo's county : ERIE
30
Feline : CATTISH
32
Needles : RIBS
33
"The Situation Room" airer : CNN
35
Nicholas II was the last one : TSAR
37
Measure of resistance : OHM
38
Cathedral feature : APSE
40
Disco fan on "The Simpsons" : STU
43
Some professions : VOWS
45
Literary recommendations : MUSTREADS
48
Stick in a bathroom cabinet : QTIP
49
Goofs : SLIPSUP
52
Like the glow of the last embers in a fire : FAINT
53
Completely destroyed : INRUINS
56
Doctoral hurdles : ORALS
57
Double-___ (hypermobile, medically) : JOINTED
59
Gives an illegal assist : ABETS
60
Produce and discharge : SECRETE
62
Some Korean smartphones : LGS
63
R&B singer Williams : DENIECE
65
Suffix with legal and official : ESE
66
Publican's offering : ALE
68
It's connected to the eustachian tube : EAR
69
Org. with four divisions: Atlantic, Central, Pacific and Metropolitan : NHL
70
Told (on) : TATTLED
74
Accepts a ring, in a way : SAYSIDO
77
Court figure : STENO
79
Oxford institution, familiarly : OLEMISS
81
Many apartments in a warehouse district : LOFTS
84
Lucky charms : AMULETS
86
Like a porcupine's back : SPINY
87
Put in front of a fan : AIRCOOL
89
Person who likes to go solo : LONEWOLF
91
[I'm shocked!] : OMG
92
Like many video game characters : PLAYABLE
93
A long, long time : AGES
94
Even … or like three pairs of answers in this puzzle : ALLTIEDUP
97
Some drinks and breads : RYES
98
Germs, on the playground : COOTIES
101
Enthusiastic response : SURECAN
104
Shots, for example : BARORDERS
107
The stuff of Persian myths? : NINELIVES
111
___ 101, 508-meter skyscraper that was once the world's tallest : TAIPEI
112
Altoid alternatives : TICTACS
116
"Count me in!" : LOVETO
117
Goad : URGEON
118
It might be rolled out in a studio : YOGAMAT
119
Archenemy of the Avengers : THANOS
120
"No thanks" : PASS
121
U.S. president during the moon landing : NIXON
122
Walker with the 2015 triple-platinum hit "Faded" : ALAN
Down
1
Common first word : MAMA
2
Big first name in American business : ELON
3
Devices worn by informants … and what can be found inside three pairs of answers in this puzzle : HIDDENWIRES
4
Coin toss directive : CALLIT
5
Exploits, as power : ABUSES
6
Spanish hand : MANO
7
Sitting meditation pose : ASANA
8
How an animal's length may be measured : NOSETOTAIL
9
Feature visible on a tree stump : GROWTHRING
10
Feelings : SENTIMENTS
11
Lock : TRESS
12
Did like : APED
13
Ones unlikely to call the handyman, for short : DIYERS
14
Many-hit Wonder : STEVIE
15
Bit of embroidery … or what's depicted literally three times in this puzzle : CROSSSTITCH
16
He was named Athlete of the Century by the I.O.C. : PELE
17
Hole punchers : AWLS
19
Symbol of a downturn in the business world : BEAR
22
House, slangily : CRIB
30
French wine designation : CRU
31
Was ill with : HAD
33
Big letters in the pharmaceutical industry : CVS
34
Like a situation that can't end badly : NOLOSE
36
Electrical unit : AMP
39
Tire reading, for short : PSI
41
Shiny festive décor : TINSEL
42
Co. that may have a package deal? : UPS
44
They watch from afar : SPACETELESCOPES
46
West Coast airport code : SFO
47
Downed : ATE
48
Title bestowed annually in New Orleans : QUEENOFCARNIVAL
50
Photography inits. : SLR
51
"What's the ___?" : USE
54
Grandma, endearingly : NAN
55
Result of a hit single, maybe : RBI
57
Ingredient in a certain "salad" : JELLO
58
Do-or-die occasions : DDAYS
61
Self image? : TAT
64
Destinations for ambulances, for short : ERS
67
Slippery sorts : EELS
68
Equestrian's command : EASY
71
Over : ANEW
72
Dog whose name was Terry before her most famous film role : TOTO
73
Station locations : DEPOTS
74
Lightly burns : SINGES
75
Hip bones : ILIA
76
Blue tang fish of Pixar fame : DORY
77
Ecological portmanteau since 1905 : SMOG
78
Pull some strings, say? : TUNE
80
Opera name that might be heard in an opera singer's warm-up : MIMI
82
Country singer Keith : TOBY
83
Heavy part of a platform shoe : SOLE
84
Styled after : ALA
85
List of candidates : SLATE
87
Muesli brand with mountains on the packaging : ALPEN
88
Rock and roll Paul of fame : LES
90
Like some playful teasing : FLIRTY
92
Very precise sort : PURIST
95
Wound : LESION
96
Slain king in "Macbeth" : DUNCAN
99
Frequently deconstructed dessert items : OREOS
100
Mythological owner of an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir : ODIN
102
Foe of a Saxon : CELT
103
"Hi" or "bye" on Kauai : ALOHA
104
Imperial energy meas. : BTU
105
Grp. making after-work plans? : AARP
106
Baltic capital city : RIGA
108
___ cava : VENA
109
English prep school with a shade of blue named after it : ETON
110
Cry for help : SOS
113
Tool used in many a sci-fi film : CGI
114
Burden : TAX
115
Part of a Latin trio : AMO

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle, 2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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