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CHRISTMAS PLAY

New York Times, Sunday, December 24, 2000

Author:
Bill Zais
Editor:
Will Shortz
113-Across : Taskmaster's cry
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1512/1/199910/25/20155
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
10022100
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
241.6410351%
Bill Zais

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 146, Blocks: 76 Missing: {QXZ} Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 6 for Mr. Zais. Sunday freshness: 8%
Notepad: The tree shape when read counterclockwise gives the name of a Holiday tune.
1
H
2
I
3
G
4
H
5
S
6
N
7
E
8
L
9
L
10
P
11
E
12
G
13
S
14
T
15
H
16
A
17
N
18
E
19
I
D
I
O
T
20
A
L
O
E
21
A
C
R
E
22
R
O
P
E
S
23
T
I
N
S
E
24
L
T
O
W
N
25
T
H
A
T
26
S
A
W
R
A
P
27
T
R
I
O
28
S
T
29
P
30
O
N
H
A
N
D
31
A
32
B
33
S
E
N
T
34
M
O
35
P
E
D
36
O
S
A
37
G
38
E
39
S
40
L
E
T
S
O
U
41
T
42
L
O
U
R
D
E
43
S
44
P
H
O
N
E
45
E
T
A
S
46
P
I
47
M
E
N
T
O
48
T
49
A
O
50
A
V
A
51
P
O
R
E
52
M
A
D
E
53
D
54
R
55
I
L
L
S
56
L
I
L
57
H
O
R
S
58
E
59
D
60
S
T
Y
61
G
I
A
N
62
M
E
63
D
L
E
Y
64
S
K
I
65
D
O
66
N
H
O
67
A
G
E
N
68
D
A
69
R
I
D
S
70
N
71
O
O
N
E
72
P
L
Y
73
I
N
74
F
U
N
75
J
76
I
G
S
77
A
C
78
A
79
C
I
A
80
D
81
A
K
A
R
82
E
83
D
84
S
85
O
N
R
U
86
S
H
87
H
O
T
S
88
P
O
T
89
C
O
90
R
S
E
T
91
S
H
O
92
P
U
93
R
I
S
T
94
E
E
R
95
O
96
E
T
R
E
97
H
A
L
98
L
E
O
99
M
100
A
R
S
A
L
101
A
102
F
A
I
L
103
E
L
E
104
N
A
105
C
106
A
107
N
A
S
T
A
108
A
D
109
D
E
N
D
A
110
R
E
S
E
T
111
S
112
B
A
N
T
U
113
H
A
R
D
E
R
114
S
T
A
115
S
I
S
116
I
R
117
E
118
S
O
S
A
119
P
120
R
121
E
S
E
N
T
D
A
122
Y
123
B
R
124
A
N
C
H
B
125
A
126
N
127
K
128
C
H
O
I
R
129
D
E
L
E
130
E
L
B
A
131
E
L
S
I
E
132
T
O
N
E
S
133
S
S
S
S
134
D
E
E
P
135
R
E
P
A
Y
© 2000, The New York Times12/24/0 ( No. 18,674 )
Across
1
Stock market figures : HIGHS
6
1994 Jodie Foster title role : NELL
10
Cribbage equipment : PEGS
14
Macbeth or Macduff : THANE
19
Dunderpate : IDIOT
20
Lip balm ingredient : ALOE
21
Part of a spread : ACRE
22
Hornswoggles, with "in" : ROPES
23
Community with its Christmas decorations up? : TINSELTOWN
25
Gift-giver's comment after tying the bow? : THATSAWRAP
27
Small group of carolers : TRIO
28
Product made by Armor All : STP
30
In stock : ONHAND
31
Out : ABSENT
34
Putt-putter : MOPED
36
Native Missourians : OSAGES
40
Ends, as class : LETSOUT
42
Noted pilgrimage site : LOURDES
44
Call : PHONE
45
J.F.K. times : ETAS
46
Kind of cheese : PIMENTO
48
Way of life : TAO
50
1990 film autobiography "___: My Story" : AVA
51
Go (over) : PORE
52
Word with hand or home : MADE
53
Rote learning method : DRILLS
56
Hip-hop's ___ Kim : LIL
57
Played (around) : HORSED
60
Hellish : STYGIAN
62
Musical retrospective, maybe : MEDLEY
64
Kind of jump : SKI
65
Island singer : DONHO
67
Meeting reading : AGENDA
69
Relieves (of) : RIDS
70
Who is stronger than Superman? : NOONE
72
Tire reinforcement : PLY
73
Not seriously : INFUN
75
Shows of joy : JIGS
77
Gum arabic tree : ACACIA
80
Westernmost African city : DAKAR
82
To whom reporters report: Abbr. : EDS
85
Torrent : ONRUSH
87
Nightclub : HOTSPOT
89
Curve enhancer : CORSET
91
HBO competitor : SHO
92
Noncompromiser : PURIST
94
Architect Saarinen : EERO
96
French 101 verb : ETRE
97
P.G.A. champ Sutton : HAL
98
Combative sort, they say : LEO
99
Sicilian wine : MARSALA
102
Not work out : FAIL
103
Spanish princess : ELENA
105
1950's game fad : CANASTA
108
Extra pages, say : ADDENDA
110
Certain buttons : RESETS
112
Congo native : BANTU
113
Taskmaster's cry : HARDER
114
Stoppage : STASIS
116
Eur. land : IRE
118
Slammin' Sammy : SOSA
119
Christmas? : PRESENTDAY
123
Money envelopes on a Christmas tree? : BRANCHBANK
128
Carol singers : CHOIR
129
Take out : DELE
130
Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea : ELBA
131
Milk symbol : ELSIE
132
Pastels : TONES
133
Sound of a leak : SSSS
134
Difficult to fathom : DEEP
135
Give back : REPAY
Down
1
Sellout : HIT
2
A mean Amin : IDI
3
Ingredient in a Blue Pacific : GIN
4
Hors d'oeuvre servers, maybe : HOSTESSES
5
Caterer's supply : STERNO
6
Expanding org. : NATO
7
"Do Ya" rock grp. : ELO
8
Stock market figures : LOWS
9
Helped out, in a way : LENTMONEY
10
Irishman, informally : PAT
11
Seconded : ECHOED
12
Starbucks order : GRANDE
13
"___ Speaks" (Jane Roberts book) : SETH
14
Switch : TRANSPOSE
15
Elephant seat : HOWDAH
16
Financial fig. : APR
17
P.T.A.-aligned org. : NEA
18
Clairvoyance, e.g. : ESP
24
Like most Christmas trees : LITUP
26
___ Paulo : SAO
29
Show pique : POUT
31
Israeli leaders? : ALEPHS
32
Caused to go : BETOOK
33
Attempts at decorating a treetop? : STARRINGROLES
35
One with a gift : PRODIGY
37
Tree holder, in an indoor football game? : GOALLINESTAND
38
Like the rich and beautiful : ENVIED
39
Some mattresses : SEALYS
41
Tiny ___ : TIM
42
Caused : LEDTO
43
N.L. Central team: Abbr. : STL
47
Potato dish, in British slang : MASH
49
Researcher's staple : ALMANAC
54
Actress Charlotte : RAE
55
Place to stay : INN
58
Tokyo, once : EDO
59
Popular 80's daytime show : DONAHUE
61
Bashes : GALAS
63
Actress Joanne : DRU
66
Japanese competitor of IBM : NEC
68
Cartoonist Browne : DIK
71
Big Ten sch. : OSU
72
"The Autobiography of Miss Jane ___" : PITTMAN
74
To's partner : FRO
75
Kidder : JOSHER
76
Scarf down : INHALE
78
Yellowfin tuna : AHI
79
Trigonometry abbr. : COS
80
___ good turn (helps out) : DOESA
81
Gillette product : ATRA
83
Treat with contempt : DERIDE
84
Like some ancient markers : STELAR
86
Is messy : SPLATTERS
88
Not pleased : PERTURBED
90
Like a doctor's patients : REFERABLE
93
Miami's Eden ___ Resort : ROC
95
Suffix with pay : OLA
100
Piedmont province : ASTI
101
Kind of committee : ADHOC
104
Monster's nickname : NESSIE
106
Tolerates : ABIDES
107
Some French sounds : NASALS
109
Part of Santa's team : DASHER
111
Marino or Gabriel : SAN
115
Guides: Abbr. : STDS
117
First name in detective fiction : ERLE
118
Parka closer : SNAP
119
Agt.'s reward : PCT
120
Density symbol : RHO
121
Long time to wait : EON
122
"You bet!" : YES
124
White House nickname : ABE
125
Viper : ASP
126
Actress Peeples : NIA
127
Important : KEY

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 4 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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