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New York Times, Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Author:
Roy Leban
Editor:
Will Shortz
20-Across : The length of a meter is based precisely on the amount of light emitted from this
TotalDebutLatest
139/16/20026/9/2015
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2243200
RebusScrabDebutFresh
11.606935%
Roy Leban

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 42 Missing: {QWZ} This is puzzle # 9 for Mr. Leban. Wednesday freshness: 28%
Roy Leban notes:

This inspiration for this puzzle was noticing that KRYPTON ISOTOPE and MAN AND SUPERMAN were the same length. I know, I know. How does one happen to notice such things? Honestly, I have no idea, but I'd seen MAN AND SUPERMAN on Broadway (amazing play, but rather long) and had been on my theme inspiration list — I thought it would be fun to put it in a puzzle related to Superman. Once I had those two entries, it wasn't hard to find the other two. There's no revealing comment on the clue for MAN AND SUPERMAN because I wanted people to find CLARK KENT hiding in plain sight.

Notice the theme word alternates between the beginning and ends of the theme entries. None of the theme words are used with their "proper" meanings in the theme entries — e.g., CLARK is used as a last name, not a first name. Also, it was important for me to not use a person's name for the KENT entry since I was using one for the CLARK entry and didn't want two of the four theme entries to be similar in a second way. If that was the case, somebody who got those two theme entries first might be mislead to think that all four theme entries were going to be people's names.

1
C
2
H
3
I
4
C
5
P
6
A
7
V
8
E
9
R
10
P
11
A
12
A
13
R
14
O
A
T
H
15
A
L
I
V
E
16
I
D
L
E
17
R
I
T
A
18
G
O
D
E
L
19
V
O
I
D
20
K
R
Y
P
21
T
O
N
I
S
O
22
T
O
P
E
23
L
O
D
E
24
A
T
T
N
25
F
26
A
27
R
I
N
A
28
M
29
A
30
R
L
A
31
A
L
E
N
E
32
D
I
C
K
C
L
33
A
34
R
35
K
36
L
E
I
37
M
U
N
R
O
38
R
A
E
39
K
E
N
40
T
41
S
T
A
T
E
42
J
43
E
R
R
Y
44
R
O
A
D
S
45
R
I
N
S
E
S
46
S
47
P
E
D
48
D
E
B
T
49
M
A
N
A
50
N
51
D
52
S
U
P
E
R
53
M
54
A
55
N
56
J
O
L
T
57
E
X
C
E
L
58
E
L
L
A
59
O
L
E
O
60
R
I
A
T
A
61
E
L
I
S
62
E
T
O
N
63
D
I
T
S
Y
64
S
E
T
H
© 2004, The New York Times12/1/4 ( No. 20,112 )
Across
1
À la mode : CHIC
5
Street machine : PAVER
10
Old late-night host : PAAR
14
Subject for a censor : OATH
15
In play : ALIVE
16
Not playing : IDLE
17
Comic Rudner : RITA
18
Mathematician Kurt : GODEL
19
Make invalid : VOID
20
The length of a meter is based precisely on the amount of light emitted from this : KRYPTONISOTOPE
23
Mother ___ : LODE
24
Envelope abbr. : ATTN
25
Breakfast bowlful : FARINA
28
The second Mrs. Trump : MARLA
31
Coeur d'___, Idaho : ALENE
32
"The eternal teenager" : DICKCLARK
36
Maui memento : LEI
37
H. H. ___ (Saki's real name) : MUNRO
38
"Norma ___" : RAE
39
The Golden Flashes, in college sports : KENTSTATE
42
Ben's partner : JERRY
44
MapQuest info : ROADS
45
Stylists' solutions : RINSES
46
Floored it : SPED
48
Card balance : DEBT
49
1903 Shaw play : MANANDSUPERMAN
56
Supercaffeinated cola : JOLT
57
Stand out : EXCEL
58
First name in 52-Down : ELLA
59
Dairy aisle purchase : OLEO
60
Calf catcher : RIATA
61
Some Ivy Leaguers : ELIS
62
Prince's school : ETON
63
Airheaded : DITSY
64
Adam's third : SETH
Down
1
Stop : CORK
2
Rogaine user's desire : HAIR
3
___-bitty : ITTY
4
Dictator player of 1940 : CHAPLIN
5
Multiroofed structure : PAGODA
6
Stag : ALONE
7
Middle of Caesar's boast : VIDI
8
Times to party : EVES
9
Move, in Realtor-speak : RELO
10
Of vital importance : PIVOTAL
11
Take as one's own : ADOPT
12
Unfamiliar : ALIEN
13
Some election map shading : RED
21
Audiophile's concern : TONE
22
Baby powder mineral : TALC
25
Colombo portrayer : FALK
26
Away from the wind : ALEE
27
Jockey's strap : REIN
28
Diner freebies : MINTS
29
Farm unit : ACRE
30
"Citizen Kane" studio : RKO
32
Group of two : DUAD
33
Airport postings: Abbr. : ARRS
34
Coin classification : RARE
35
A and E, but not I, O or U : KEYS
37
N.Y.C. subway overseer : MTA
40
Capital on the Delaware : TRENTON
41
Drink with a straw : SODA
42
Be in accord : JIBE
43
Menu picks : ENTREES
45
Sportscast feature : REPLAY
46
Young salmon : SMOLT
47
Early: Prefix : PALEO
48
Soprano-bass combos, maybe : DUETS
50
Hardly Mr. Cool : NERD
51
Early sixth-century date : DXII
52
Some jazz singing : SCAT
53
Fr. title : MLLE
54
Landed : ALIT
55
Car until 1957 : NASH
56
"Mud" : JOE

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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