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

TOP GEAR

New York Times, Sunday, December 16, 2018

Author:
Sam Ezersky
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
30-Across : Lake Volta's land
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
577/28/201211/10/20249
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
8213572011
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
221.7147990%
Sam Ezersky

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 71 Missing: {JX} This is puzzle # 30 for Mr. Ezersky. Sunday freshness: 88%
Sam Ezersky notes:
Today's puzzle is hereby dedicated to my housemate, Nick. The revealer was all his idea; I just happened to flesh out the exact wordplay and build the whole thing myself instead of seeing ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Before you go sending that angry THIS F'IN PUZZLE MAKES NO SENSE! email to me, look at the fixed-up answers below. Go on; I'll wait. Get it? [Casting doubt on] isn't CALLINGINTSTION, ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Great title.

1
F
2
I
3
V
4
E
5
A
6
M
7
I
8
M
9
A
10
M
11
L
12
O
13
M
14
S
15
E
16
M
17
I
18
S
19
I
M
E
A
S
Y
20
T
O
D
O
21
A
H
A
22
T
I
A
R
A
23
S
P
A
R
T
A
24
S
U
D
S
25
R
B
I
26
A
G
L
E
T
27
C
A
L
L
I
N
28
G
I
N
T
S
29
T
I
O
N
30
G
H
A
N
A
31
A
C
E
S
32
T
O
N
T
O
33
M
A
Y
A
34
N
35
T
W
I
N
36
L
T
R
37
B
O
O
38
I
Q
39
U
I
T
40
C
Y
41
B
H
I
C
S
42
B
U
N
D
43
L
E
U
P
44
L
T
G
E
N
45
P
46
I
U
S
I
I
I
47
E
C
48
H
49
O
E
S
50
R
O
51
A
52
D
53
S
54
L
O
N
G
55
A
D
O
56
U
S
I
N
G
57
R
E
T
A
I
L
58
I
P
A
S
59
S
60
E
N
61
C
E
62
C
E
O
63
A
T
E
M
P
O
64
B
C
C
65
W
66
H
A
T
I
67
A
B
68
A
F
T
69
I
P
A
70
R
O
O
71
M
E
R
72
A
V
73
E
74
I
L
L
S
75
A
76
L
L
I
N
77
A
R
M
I
E
S
78
M
I
S
79
S
M
80
O
T
81
S
82
A
N
N
E
83
S
N
A
K
T
84
G
E
L
C
A
P
85
C
R
A
86
B
L
E
G
87
E
I
88
D
E
R
89
B
O
90
O
K
O
F
R
A
91
I
92
M
93
S
P
E
N
T
94
F
95
R
E
U
D
96
P
E
R
97
D
98
I
99
M
100
N
O
T
I
101
A
T
102
S
E
A
103
N
O
104
D
O
Z
105
L
O
C
I
106
C
O
R
A
107
L
108
A
T
T
H
109
E
D
R
O
P
O
110
F
A
H
A
T
111
A
M
A
Z
E
112
K
O
I
113
S
L
O
W
114
N
A
T
A
N
T
115
P
O
N
Z
I
116
E
M
S
117
T
O
U
R
118
E
M
E
R
G
E
119
S
O
D
A
S
120
N
A
H
121
E
T
S
Y
122
S
E
R
M
O
N
© 2018, The New York Times12/16/18 ( No. 25,240 )
Across
1
Early wake-up time : FIVEAM
7
Title for Iran's Ruhollah Khomeini : IMAM
11
Herbert of old "Pink Panther" films : LOM
14
Penultimate tourney round : SEMIS
19
"Doesn't matter to me" : IMEASY
20
Not yet completed : TODO
21
___ moment : AHA
22
Sash go-with : TIARA
23
Ancient capital of Laconia : SPARTA
24
Brew : SUDS
25
Letters before single, double or triple : RBI
26
Lace tip : AGLET
27
Casting doubt on : CALLINGINTOQUESTION
30
Lake Volta's land : GHANA
31
The best, informally : ACES
32
Radio/TV character played in film by Michael Horse (1981) and Johnny Depp (2013) : TONTO
33
Like some ruins in the Western Hemisphere : MAYAN
35
Lookalike : TWIN
36
8.5" x 11": Abbr. : LTR
37
Scare quote? : BOO
38
Words of resignation : IQUIT
40
Topic concerned with hacking and software rights : CYBERETHICS
42
Put on a few layers : BUNDLEUP
44
Three-star mil. rank : LTGEN
45
Pope who supported the House of Borgia : PIUSIII
47
Diminishing returns? : ECHOES
50
They're between shoulders : ROADS
54
Word with shot or suit : LONG
55
Rowdydow : ADO
56
Not abstaining : USING
57
Much sales : RETAIL
58
"No bid" : IPASS
60
An end to depend : ENCE
62
Head honcho : CEO
63
"Resume speed," musically : ATEMPO
64
Emailing option : BCC
65
Riddle-ending query : WHATAMI
67
Toward the stern : ABAFT
69
Its first letter stands for "India" : IPA
70
Certain tenant : ROOMER
72
Lex, e.g., in N.Y.C. : AVE
74
Misfortunes : ILLS
75
Going for broke : ALLIN
77
Sides in Risk : ARMIES
78
Bette Midler's "Divine" nickname : MISSM
80
Tense periods, for short : OTS
82
Archer of film : ANNE
83
Dangerous environment : SNAKEPIT
84
Easy-to-swallow pill : GELCAP
85
Food item cracked open before eating : CRABLEG
87
Prized duck : EIDER
89
It comes after II Chronicles : BOOKOFEZRA
91
"Today was just brutal!" : IMSPENT
94
Coiner of the term "Oedipus complex" : FREUD
96
/ : PER
97
Thickheaded : DIM
100
Words of denial : NOTI
101
Lost : ATSEA
103
All-nighter aid : NODOZ
105
Sets of plotted points : LOCI
106
Shade of pink : CORAL
108
Immediately ... or where this puzzle's five shaded squares appear? : ATTHEDROPOFAHAT
111
Floor : AMAZE
112
Japanese symbol of luck : KOI
113
Largo or lento : SLOW
114
Swimming : NATANT
115
Notable schemer : PONZI
116
Some dash lengths : EMS
117
Rock stars are frequently on this : TOUR
118
Come out : EMERGE
119
Standard parts of combo meals : SODAS
120
"I'm good, thanks" : NAH
121
E-tail site since 2005 : ETSY
122
King's speech? : SERMON
Down
1
Kind of year : FISCAL
2
Collision : IMPACT
3
Calf raised for its meat : VEALER
4
Gloucester and Kent in "King Lear" : EARLS
5
Certain bubbly, informally : ASTI
6
Final work of Willa Cather's "Prairie Trilogy" : MYANTONIA
7
Tennis commentator's cry : ITSIN
8
Police officer who's not necessarily on horseback : MOUNTIE
9
"Play next" command on a music app : ADDTOQUEUE
10
Shade of green : MOSS
11
Cowboy's rope : LARIAT
12
"Here we go again ..." : OHBOY
13
Followers of openers : MAINACTS
14
By oneself, in a way : STAG
15
It's played for half a beat in 4/4 time : EIGHTHNOTE
16
Country whose name consists of three consecutive state postal abbreviations : MALAWI
17
Peaceful : IRENIC
18
___ spawn (hellions) : SATANS
28
"Ooh, let's do that!" : GOODIDEA
29
"Eww, that's enough!" : TMI
34
MetLife Stadium team, on scoreboards : NYG
37
Clear and set, as tables : BUS
39
Scanned IDs : UPCS
41
Italian pistol : BERETTA
42
Gets to : BUGS
43
One who cracks the whip? : LIONTAMER
44
Plastic construction piece : LEGOBLOCK
45
Serving in a red-and-white striped box : POPCORN
46
Totally out : INACOMA
48
Juice brand : HIC
49
Longtime N.B.A. on TNT analyst : ONEAL
51
Who wrote "Some people talk to animals. Not many listen, though. That's the problem." : AAMILNE
52
Action of a ladle : DIPPING
53
"Miss ___" (2016 political thriller) : SLOANE
54
Some fall births : LIBRAS
57
Heroes of the Battle of Britain, for short : RAF
59
Babe : SWEETIE
61
Mannerly : CIVIL
66
Freelancers' units: Abbr. : HRS
68
Colorful treat that resembles a rocket : ASTROPOP
71
All-Star Mets catcher of the 1990s-2000s : MIKEPIAZZA
73
Corner PC key : ESC
74
Tow destination : IMPOUNDLOT
76
Scat snippet : LALA
79
"Quién ___?" : SABE
81
Sanctuaries : SAFEZONES
84
Be conned : GETTAKEN
86
[Shiver] : BRR
88
With 93-Down, half of a double helix : DNA
90
Skunklike, say : ODOROUS
91
Like TV but not radio? : INCAPS
92
"Old MacDonald" farm sounds : MOOMOO
93
See 88-Down : STRAND
94
Purchase at an African market : FETISH
95
"Yay, team!" : RAH
97
Cause damage : DOHARM
98
Volunteer's declaration : ICANGO
99
Snowball fighter's protection : MITTEN
102
Botanical opening : STOMA
104
Marriage money : DOWRY
105
"Ciao!" : LATER
107
Gifts that one usually bows when receiving : LEIS
109
Certain dirección : ESTE
110
What stars have : FAME

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

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
136 ms