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New York Times, Friday, January 27, 2012

Author:
Joe Krozel
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
50-Across : Like pool racks
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
877/7/20066/14/201815
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4147242621
CircleScrabDebutFresh
51.4849785%
Joe Krozel

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 71, Blocks: 40 Missing: none – this is a pangram. There are unchecked squares This is puzzle # 52 for Mr. Krozel. Friday freshness: 8%
Joe Krozel notes:

I thought it would be cute to have an isolated word in a grid, but it had to connect with the surrounding fill somehow, so a pangram seemed a natural fit. By the way, two other words — BIN and DEN — describe enclosures (as well as have their letters in alphabetical order).

The main task was to prepare a word list with B, O and X removed. After that, the fill process proceeded normally. I tried to use up Scrabbly letters quickly; QUIZMASTER tucked the Q and Z into an alcove, while JUST MY LUCK meshed nicely and disposed of J, C and K. With those in place, the rest came easily, so I tried to make the other long entries as lively as possible.

On a personal note, I absolutely loved it when my sixth grade teacher read ANIMAL FARM to the class. I had my wife read it to my kids on road trips just about the time this puzzle ran.

1
E
2
M
3
M
4
A
5
S
6
I
7
K
8
I
9
D
10
U
11
M
12
P
13
S
14
S
A
U
D
I
15
M
I
C
E
16
R
E
A
P
17
Q
U
I
Z
M
18
A
S
T
E
R
19
A
N
T
I
20
S
I
R
E
21
J
U
S
T
M
22
Y
L
U
C
K
23
M
A
R
C
E
A
U
24
S
H
Y
25
L
26
E
27
C
28
T
U
R
E
H
A
L
L
29
S
30
A
G
A
R
S
31
E
W
32
E
33
R
34
S
35
M
A
N
I
C
36
B
O
X
37
T
A
L
I
A
38
E
D
S
E
L
39
I
M
E
T
A
40
D
E
41
E
42
P
43
S
44
E
45
A
D
I
V
E
R
46
Q
47
E
48
D
49
I
N
R
A
N
G
E
50
T
R
I
51
A
N
G
U
L
A
R
52
A
53
L
54
D
55
A
56
I
A
N
S
57
A
N
I
M
A
58
L
F
A
R
M
59
P
S
A
T
60
G
E
N
E
61
S
A
T
U
P
62
S
E
R
A
63
E
D
E
L
64
D
R
E
G
S
© 2012, The New York Times1/27/12 ( No. 22,725 )
Across
1
Actress Stone and others : EMMAS
6
"Just playin' with ya" : IKID
10
Base characters? : UMPS
14
Meccan, e.g. : SAUDI
15
Ones sitting on pads : MICE
16
Cut off one's ears? : REAP
17
One asking questions he already knows the answers to : QUIZMASTER
19
Cousin of contra- : ANTI
20
Highness : SIRE
21
"Figures I'd have this problem!" : JUSTMYLUCK
23
French expert in body language? : MARCEAU
24
Draw back : SHY
25
Education dissemination locations : LECTUREHALLS
30
Solidifying agents : AGARS
31
Vase lookalikes : EWERS
35
Bouncing off the walls : MANIC
36
Enclosure ... and an alphabetical listing of letters not appearing elsewhere in this puzzle's answer : BOX
37
Sylvester's "Rocky" co-star : TALIA
38
A Ford : EDSEL
39
"___ Girl" ("Bells Are Ringing" tune) : IMETA
40
One swimming with flippers : DEEPSEADIVER
46
Logical ending : QED
49
Accessible for shooting : INRANGE
50
Like pool racks : TRIANGULAR
52
Host of PBS's "Scientific American Frontiers" : ALDA
56
Baseball All-Star Kinsler and others : IANS
57
"1984" shelfmate : ANIMALFARM
59
Ordeal for jrs. : PSAT
60
Part of some pools : GENE
61
Rose partially : SATUP
62
Clinic shipments : SERA
63
Henry James biographer : EDEL
64
Least desirable parts : DREGS
Down
1
A.B.A. members' titles : ESQS
2
Wailuku's county : MAUI
3
California's ___ Woods : MUIR
4
Wood shop shaper : ADZE
5
"Scrooge" star, 1951 : SIM
6
"Likely story" : IMSURE
7
Lawn flamingos and such : KITSCH
8
Pop alternative : ICETEA
9
With 12-Down, lidocaine delivery option : DERMAL
10
Risk board territory : URAL
11
Stack at IHOP, say : MENUS
12
See 9-Down : PATCH
13
Like some punk hairstyles : SPIKY
18
Cracked open : AJAR
22
Stocking-up time? : YULETIDE
23
Lay claim forcibly : MUSCLEIN
25
Weak : LAME
26
Quaint euphemism : EGAD
27
Film holders : CANS
28
True companion? : TRIED
29
Pundit : SWAMI
32
Highness: Abbr. : ELEV
33
Mass action : RITE
34
Mosel tributary : SAAR
41
Begin a conversation with : ENGAGE
42
Cut back : PRUNED
43
Contact liquid : SALINE
44
Nail topper : ENAMEL
45
Home to a much-visited tomb : AGRA
46
Sticks in a makeup bag : QTIPS
47
Sweep the board? : ERASE
48
Mosul money : DINAR
51
The Charleses' pet : ASTA
52
Not close : AFAR
53
Like fashionable partygoers? : LATE
54
It may knock you out : DRUG
55
Concert pieces : AMPS
58
54-Down for a trip : LSD

Answer summary:
2 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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