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

AT THE PRESENT TIME

New York Times, Sunday, December 19, 2004

Author:
Frances Hansen (1919-2004)
Editor:
Will Shortz
21-Across : Treeless plain
TotalDebutLatest
12112/27/19643/29/2006
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
836671243
RebusScrabDebutPre‑WSFresh
111.631958149%
Frances Hansen

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 72 Missing: {X} Spans: 4 This is puzzle # 120 for Ms. Hansen. Sunday freshness: 29%
1
S
2
A
3
T
4
R
5
A
6
P
7
B
8
R
9
I
10
T
11
I
12
S
13
H
14
A
15
W
16
A
17
K
18
E
19
D
20
E
Q
U
A
T
E
21
S
A
V
A
N
N
A
22
S
A
L
A
M
I
23
C
U
T
T
H
E
24
P
A
P
E
R
F
O
L
25
D
A
N
D
T
I
E
26
T
A
S
S
E
L
S
27
P
A
R
L
E
28
T
O
O
T
S
29
N
E
T
30
S
31
H
O
N
E
32
A
33
H
A
34
B
35
A
36
L
37
L
A
D
38
G
L
I
N
T
39
T
R
A
D
40
U
41
C
42
E
43
D
44
O
D
I
E
45
S
H
I
N
46
S
H
E
D
47
S
O
L
A
48
S
E
N
T
49
E
50
N
C
E
D
T
51
O
52
T
H
I
S
J
53
O
B
A
M
I
54
O
L
D
55
N
O
O
N
E
56
B
R
A
N
T
57
V
A
S
E
S
58
M
A
Y
59
S
L
O
T
60
P
L
A
N
K
61
E
N
T
R
Y
62
G
N
A
T
63
C
R
I
M
E
64
L
65
A
R
K
66
B
67
E
68
L
L
A
69
S
L
O
G
S
70
G
A
L
A
71
A
72
D
73
Z
74
O
N
A
I
R
75
S
T
O
W
E
76
P
E
R
I
L
77
C
E
E
78
W
O
N
D
E
79
R
C
O
U
L
D
80
A
L
E
G
A
L
81
C
H
A
P
82
E
C
C
E
83
H
A
U
T
84
N
I
N
E
85
H
E
L
P
86
S
H
E
R
87
B
E
R
T
88
H
89
A
N
N
A
90
U
91
S
E
D
T
O
92
Y
A
P
93
L
E
R
O
Y
94
A
T
E
95
A
96
H
97
E
98
A
P
99
I
100
S
O
L
A
101
C
A
N
102
T
103
O
104
N
105
S
106
F
I
N
D
A
107
W
A
Y
T
O
B
108
E
109
A
110
T
T
H
E
W
R
A
P
111
A
R
O
U
S
E
112
N
U
T
L
I
K
E
113
A
C
A
C
I
A
114
N
E
W
E
S
T
115
E
S
S
E
N
C
E
116
N
A
S
A
L
S
© 2004, The New York Times12/19/4 ( No. 20,130 )
Across
1
Subordinate ruler : SATRAP
7
Former rulers of Egypt : BRITISH
14
Came out of sleep, old-style : AWAKED
20
Put on the same level : EQUATE
21
Treeless plain : SAVANNA
22
It may be in a torpedo : SALAMI
23
Start of a verse : CUTTHEPAPERFOLDANDTIE
26
Fringe, maybe : TASSELS
27
"Ici on ___ français" : PARLE
28
Hon : TOOTS
29
Take-home : NET
30
Was bright : SHONE
32
Code cracker's comment : AHA
34
Sentimental song : BALLAD
38
Slight manifestation : GLINT
39
Maligned : TRADUCED
44
___ Cologne (skunk of old cartoons) : ODIE
45
Climb : SHIN
46
Cast off : SHED
47
Fa followers : SOLA
48
Verse, part 2 : SENTENCEDTOTHISJOBAMI
54
Hoary : OLD
55
Zero population : NOONE
56
Small goose : BRANT
57
Spray displayers : VASES
58
Word of possibility : MAY
59
Token taker : SLOT
60
One way off a ship : PLANK
61
Vestibule : ENTRY
62
Itsy-bitsy biter : GNAT
63
Record notation : CRIME
64
Paradigm of happiness : LARK
66
"___ figlia dell'amore" (Verdi quartet) : BELLA
69
Walks heavily : SLOGS
70
Festive : GALA
71
Timberjack's tool : ADZ
74
Broadcasting : ONAIR
75
"Dred" novelist : STOWE
76
Life-or-death situation : PERIL
77
Manufacturing center? : CEE
78
Verse, part 3 : WONDERCOULDALEGALCHAP
82
Livy's "Lo!" : ECCE
83
Henri's high : HAUT
84
Diamond complement : NINE
85
Counseling, e.g. : HELP
86
Ice alternative: Var. : SHERBERT
88
Scooby Doo's co-creator : HANNA
90
In the habit of : USEDTO
92
Big mouth, slangily : YAP
93
"The Syncopated Clock" composer Anderson : LEROY
94
Had something : ATE
95
Lots : AHEAP
99
Sicilia, e.g. : ISOLA
101
Bern, Geneva and Zurich : CANTONS
106
End of the verse : FINDAWAYTOBEATTHEWRAP
111
Kindle : AROUSE
112
Resembling a chanterelle mushroom in flavor : NUTLIKE
113
Mimosa family member : ACACIA
114
Right from the factory : NEWEST
115
Soul : ESSENCE
116
Some speech sounds : NASALS
Down
1
Shakers, e.g. : SECT
2
Cool shade : AQUA
3
Mild reproofs : TUTS
4
Loser's cry : RATS
5
She sprang from Zeus's head : ATHENA
6
Skinless : PEELED
7
Grp. associated with dens : BSA
8
Record store section : RAP
9
Correct ending : IVE
10
Big game fish : TARPON
11
Recent delivery : INFANT
12
Sound asleep? : SNORE
13
Kind of monitor : HALL
14
Hard-rock center : ASA
15
Classified : WANTAD
16
Gucci of fashion : ALDO
17
The Green Hornet's valet : KATO
18
Discharge : EMIT
19
Runs out of steam : DIES
24
W. Coast setting : PST
25
Sweetie pie : DEAREST
30
Base coach's urging : SLIDE
31
Not say directly : HINT
33
Pilgrimage to Mecca : HADJ
34
Abraham's ___ (heaven) : BOSOM
35
Miss Quested of "A Passage to India" : ADELA
36
Jitterbug variety : LINDY
37
Court call : LET
38
Capital of East Flanders : GHENT
39
Get lost in a brown study : THINK
40
Wachovia or Chase Manhattan, briefly : USBANK
41
Ocean liner? : COAST
42
Big name in bonding : ELMER
43
Chain component, perhaps : DAISY
45
Hotfoot it : SCOOT
46
1953 film title hero : SHANE
49
Catch : ENSNARE
50
"Show Boat" heroine : NOLA
51
"Much ___!" : OBLIGED
52
Colliery carriers : TRAMS
53
Covering everything : OVERALL
60
Move like a puma : PROWL
62
Suspended porch piece : GLIDER
63
Pull : CLOUT
64
Giant : LARGE
65
Inter ___ : ALIA
66
Pitney's partner : BOWES
67
Tennyson's Arden : ENOCH
68
Medieval charging need : LANCE
69
Pub potable : STOUT
70
Davis of Hollywood : GEENA
71
Longed : ACHED
72
Ready to be played, in a way : DEALT
73
Herbert Marx, familiarly : ZEPPO
75
"Tosca" villain : SCARPIA
76
Roman encyclopedist : PLINY
79
Cassowary's cousin : RHEA
80
Latin word on a monument : ANNO
81
Subject of "The Motorcycle Diaries" : CHE
87
Go around : BYPASS
88
Ancient serfs : HELOTS
89
Like farmland : ARABLE
90
West Jordan resident : UTAHAN
91
"Epistulae morales" writer : SENECA
93
Big name in computer software : LOTUS
94
Take steps : ACT
95
Diego Velázquez's "Lady With ___" : AFAN
96
Take on : HIRE
97
Ample, poetically : ENOW
98
Together, in music : ADUE
100
End of a New Year's classic : SYNE
102
Start of a Christmas classic : TWAS
103
Ocean danger : ORCA
104
Catch but good : NAIL
105
Places to get steamed : SPAS
107
Slick : WET
108
A as in Austria : EIN
109
Org. that registers boxers : AKC
110
Something to drive off of : TEE

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 2 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
106 ms