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MAKING A FAST BUCK

New York Times, Sunday, December 24, 2017

Author:
Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff Chen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
32-Across : Ancient Greek
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
304/17/201410/7/202216
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
31263861
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
441.6114968%
Mary Lou Guizzo
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1577/5/201010/27/2024109
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatAcr
431017263711121
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
11411.6292255%
Jeff Chen

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 85 Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 20 for Ms. Guizzo. This is puzzle # 78 for Mr. Chen. Sunday freshness: 69%
Constructor notes:
MARY LOU: I originally contacted Jeff in November of last year about a reindeer themed Christmas puzzle with a dot to dot picture. We kicked many ideas back and forth. I mentioned the ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
For years and years, Liz Gorski had been doing wonderful Xmas dot-to-dot Sunday puzzles for the NYT. It had been a while, so Mary Lou and I decided to try to carry on the ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
The Elizabeth Gorski year-end connect-the-dots puzzles is the greatest tradition in NYT crosswords. Liz is caught up in her own delightful weekly puzzles now, so Mary Lou and Jeff have ... read more
1
S
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P
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C
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A
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I
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B
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L
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C
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H
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E
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E
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G
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U
M
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A
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F
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B
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A
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B
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M
A
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H
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N
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K
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M
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A
L
D
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C
O
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G
A
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L
E
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C
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R
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A
Z
Y
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E
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G
H
T
Y
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S
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X
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D
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M
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O
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N
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O
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O
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H
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G
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A
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L
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J
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A
X
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O
M
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A
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K
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N
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D
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W
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C
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O
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P
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V
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K
N
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O
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D
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A
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M
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L
A
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H
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E
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N
B
C
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P
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L
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A
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T
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O
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C
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L
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I
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Q
U
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A
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123
R
U
D
O
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P
H
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L
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Y
A
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D
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S
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X
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C
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© 2017, The New York Times12/24/17 ( No. 24,883 )
Across
1
Speedway brand : STP
4
West Indies native : CARIB
9
Bounds along : LOPES
14
"Just a ___!" : SEC
17
Drain opening : HOLE
19
Chip away at : ERODE
20
Symbol of the National Audubon Society : EGRET
21
Colorado tributary : GILA
22
Plot device in "The Shining" that has significance when spelled backward : REDRUM
23
Restaurant chain founded by the Raffel brothers (hence the name) : ARBYS
24
Elevator choice : FLOOR
25
Turns briefly? : REVS
26
Some Carnaval performances : SAMBAS
28
Called from the cote : BLEATED
30
Telephotos, e.g. : IMAGES
32
Ancient Greek : HELLENE
34
Male that might be in a rut? : ELK
35
Stymies : IMPEDES
37
Relative of a birch : ALDER
38
College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa : COE
39
Country singer Crystal : GAYLE
40
Screwy : CRAZY
43
Pitch : EIGHTYSIX
46
One of the Wayans brothers : DAMON
50
Wine: Prefix : OENO
51
Christmas ___ : TREE
52
Prince, e.g. : HEIR
54
A, in Austria : EINE
55
Base supporting a statue : PLINTH
57
Branded baby carriers : SNUGLIS
61
Symbols on 10 state flags : EAGLES
63
They might be thrown around in a rodeo : LASSOES
65
Digitally endorse : ESIGN
66
Sleigh bell sounds : JINGLES
67
Terminate : AXE
68
"___ God" (psalm words) : OMY
69
Chemistry exam? : ASSAY
70
Skin art, informally : INK
71
Descartes's conclusion : IAM
72
Clear : NET
73
Yule sound? : LONGU
75
___ guerre : NOMDE
77
Range grp. : NRA
78
With 80-Across, one of TV's Property Brothers : DREW
80
See 78-Across : SCOTT
82
"Really!" : NOLIE
83
Spotted : SEEN
84
Nicholas, e.g. : SAINT
86
Give a ring? : PROPOSE
88
Hallmark.com suggestion : ECARD
90
Divan : SOFA
92
"___ welcome!" : YOURE
93
Cow poke? : PROD
94
Avoid a bogey, barely : SAVEPAR
97
Neighbor of a bishop: Abbr. : KNT
98
Souped-up cars : HOTRODS
102
Mahershala ___, Oscar winner for "Moonlight" : ALI
103
One of the record industry's former Big Four : EMI
104
Carpenter's aid : LATHE
106
Hypotheticals : IFS
107
"Just kidding!" : NOT
108
Airer of "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" : NBC
109
Sanctuary : OASIS
111
"Hey ___" (1963 #1 hit) : PAULA
113
Mobile home: Abbr. : ALA
114
Actress Audrey of "Amélie" : TAUTOU
117
Animal on Scotland's coat of arms : UNICORN
119
Kind of cabinet : LIQUOR
122
Written history : ANNALS
123
Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A : RUDOLPH
124
Games of chance : LOTTOS
125
Prison part : YARD
126
Sorts, as chicks : SEXES
127
Downsize? : CROP
Down
1
Tears to smithereens : SHREDS
2
It's read from a scroll : TORAH
3
Large column of smoke : PLUME
4
Terminated : CEASED
5
Opposite of dep. : ARR
6
Heists : ROBBERIES
7
Description of rustic life : IDYL
8
Importune : BESEECH
9
It moves a cursor back : LEFTKEY
10
Body check? : OGLE
11
Whiz kids : PRODIGIES
12
Want ad abbr. : EEO
13
Having streaks : STRIPY
14
W.W. II ordeal at Leningrad : SIEGE
15
Notably nonunionized workers : ELVES
16
Mama of song : CASS
18
Decorates brilliantly : EMBLAZONS
21
One of a dozen good things? : GRADEAEGG
27
Friend : ALLY
29
Oodles : ALOT
31
Vulcan mind ___ : MELD
33
Beginning to do well? : NEER
36
Kind of skirt : MAXI
40
"Fanfare for the Common Man" composer : COPLAND
41
Hair straighteners : RELAXERS
42
Licorice-flavored brew : ANISETEA
44
Singer with a #1 hit about 123-Across : GENEAUTRY
45
Feature depicted in the upper left of this puzzle : SHINYNOSE
47
Hatmaker : MILLINER
48
Like van Gogh, in later life : ONEEARED
49
Les ___, "WKRP in Cincinnati" news director : NESSMAN
51
With 53-Down, 123-Across, in song : THEMOSTFAMOUS
53
See 51-Down : REINDEEROFALL
56
One of many in a Swiss Army knife : TOOL
58
Letters on some Navy carriers : USS
59
Infantry members, briefly : GIS
60
Alternative to J.F.K. : LGA
62
1990s tennis great Huber : ANKE
64
Align : SYNC
66
First name at Woodstock : JIMI
74
Political org. since 1854 : GOP
76
Shout of approval : OLE
79
Three ___ Men : WISE
81
Didn't hedge one's bets : TOOKASIDE
82
Starting point for an annual flight : NORTHPOLE
83
___ City (Baghdad suburb) : SADR
85
"In your dreams!" : NOPE
87
Result of a sack on third and long, maybe : PUNT
89
Bunks in barracks : COTS
91
"Brava!" elicitor : ARIA
93
Punxsutawney prognosticator : PHIL
94
Deliverer of Christmas packages : SANTA
95
Capital whose name ends in its state's postal code : ALBANY
96
Cousin of an alpaca : VICUNA
99
Functioning robotically : ONAUTO
100
Repetitive bit of computer code : DOLOOP
101
A-listers : STARS
104
Boy in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" : LINUS
105
Tombstone marshals : EARPS
110
California's Big ___ : SUR
112
Durham sch. : UNH
115
Roofing material : TAR
116
___ Father Christmas : OLD
118
Crew member : COX
120
Games org. : IOC
121
Fiscal year part: Abbr. : QTR

Answer summary:
10 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later, 3 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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