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New York Times, Thursday, December 15, 2005

Author:
Patrick Merrell
Editor:
Will Shortz
15-Across : They're often old and wise
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
917/10/20014/1/20202
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22105133452
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
551.6149348%
Patrick Merrell

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 36 Missing: {HIJKLMNOPUY} Spans: 3 Featured in Will Shortz's favorite puzzles. Featured in Will Shortz's favorite puzzlemakers. This is puzzle # 53 for Mr. Merrell. Thursday freshness: 5%
Notepad: Can you figure out what's unusual about this crossword? If not, when you're done, read the first letters of the clues in reverse order.
Jim Horne notes:

Reading as directed in the notepad: "The grid contains all the letters and only the letters touchtyped using the left hand."

1
W
2
A
3
R
4
S
5
D
6
E
7
W
8
A
9
R
10
S
11
E
12
R
13
E
14
A
B
E
T
15
A
D
A
G
E
S
16
X
E
S
17
W
A
S
A
18
S
R
E
D
A
S
A
19
B
E
E
T
20
A
S
T
R
A
21
R
E
V
E
22
E
R
S
E
23
E
V
24
E
25
D
E
T
26
E
S
T
E
R
27
A
28
D
29
D
R
E
S
30
S
31
S
A
E
32
T
A
E
33
S
E
34
R
35
F
36
S
T
37
E
38
T
39
S
40
T
W
A
41
S
42
T
E
W
A
R
43
D
E
S
S
E
S
44
A
G
R
E
E
45
S
E
E
R
46
Q
T
R
47
D
A
48
S
49
D
E
50
B
51
A
S
E
S
52
G
53
A
54
Z
E
T
T
55
E
56
S
57
W
E
B
58
A
V
E
R
59
A
G
E
60
E
61
S
C
62
R
63
E
64
W
65
S
E
T
S
66
A
T
A
R
G
67
E
T
D
A
T
E
68
E
R
A
69
S
E
D
G
E
S
70
E
V
A
S
71
S
T
S
72
A
S
S
E
R
T
73
F
E
S
T
© 2005, The New York Times12/15/5 ( No. 20,491 )
Across
1
Does battle : WARS
5
Name preceding "White Label" : DEWARS
11
Afore : ERE
14
Help hold up : ABET
15
They're often old and wise : ADAGES
16
Frame fillers in a perfect bowling game : XES
17
Exhibited severe embarrassment : WASASREDASABEET
20
Latin stars : ASTRA
21
Enfant's dream : REVE
22
Hebrides tongue : ERSE
23
Title role for Anne Baxter, 1950 : EVE
25
Grimace maker, maybe : DETESTER
27
North Pole, for Santa : ADDRESS
31
It might accompany a MS. : SAE
32
Stock ticker maker's inits. : TAE
33
Underclassman? : SERF
36
Dele undoers : STETS
40
Employees who once went up, up and away : TWASTEWARDESSES
44
Please, with "with" : AGREE
45
"Your Future" sign displayer : SEER
46
Time unit in basketball: Abbr. : QTR
47
Hearing figs. : DAS
49
Cheapens : DEBASES
52
Uncommercial periodicals : GAZETTES
57
Output of an arachnid : WEB
58
Testify : AVER
59
Essayist/novelist James : AGEE
61
Relative of a bolt : SCREW
65
Approximates the time of completion : SETSATARGETDATE
68
The Eisenhower years, e.g. : ERA
69
Aquatic "grasses" : SEDGES
70
"Housewife" Longoria et al. : EVAS
71
Teresa and Helena: Abbr. : STS
72
Say forcefully : ASSERT
73
Rear end of a slug? : FEST
Down
1
Electric guitar effect : WAWA
2
Tunic toppers : ABAS
3
Take ten : REST
4
Eyer : STARER
5
Ladies' org. since 1890 : DAR
6
Ems-Weser Canal feeder : EDER
7
Had water up to one's ankles : WADED
8
Tequila source : AGAVE
9
You push these at bowling alleys and on VCR's : RESETS
10
Lifeline for srs. : SSA
11
Nudge (oneself) : EXERT
12
Originator of a popular peanut butter cup : REESE
13
Dimethyl sulfate, e.g. : ESTER
18
Not spend : SAVE
19
Assails : BESETS
24
Start of North Carolina's motto : ESSE
26
Relaxation : EASE
27
Encouraging start? : ATTA
28
TV toon Deputy ___ : DAWG
29
Turtledove : DEAR
30
Embroiders : SEWS
34
Leachman replaced her on "The Facts of Life" : RAE
35
Ethel's sitcom husband : FRED
37
Honorifics for attys. : ESQS
38
Tours head : TETE
39
Lith. and Ukr., once : SSRS
41
Lighted-candle occasions : SEDERS
42
Animal milk source : TEAT
43
Sketched : DREW
48
North and South Dakota : STATES
50
Informal letter closing : BEST
51
Alphabet start : ABCDEF
52
Terrific times, slangily : GASES
53
Not let happen : AVERT
54
Olympian Z's : ZETAS
55
"Criminy!" : EGADS
56
Durable fabric : SERGE
60
It flows to the Elbe : EGER
62
Rant : RAVE
63
Guesstimates at J.F.K. : ETAS
64
Early Hollywood sex symbol : WEST
66
High ___ kite : ASA
67
The Atl. Coast is on it : EST

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

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