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IT'S NEXT TO NOTHING

New York Times, Sunday, February 19, 2006

Author:
Joe DiPietro
Editor:
Will Shortz
20-Across : Preener's partner
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1418/26/19955/9/20241
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
311092443303
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
331.591,23673%
Joe DiPietro

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 75 Missing: {JWZ} Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 85 for Mr. DiPietro. Sunday freshness: 13%
1
S
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A
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M
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O
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S
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A
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S
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L
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P
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D
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A
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S
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H
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G
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I
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T
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A
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P
E
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H
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N
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N
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L
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B
L
U
E
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T
O
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A
N
D
M
A
K
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E
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A
P
P
Y
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E
N
A
C
T
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R
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A
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L
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P
T
O
N
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H
E
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S
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E
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S
O
31
T
I
M
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C
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N
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R
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A
R
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C
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U
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P
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A
D
E
37
L
A
38
R
A
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C
Y
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F
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N
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Y
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P
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O
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P
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S
N
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P
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P
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E
R
48
O
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O
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N
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B
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G
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N
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R
U
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O
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V
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N
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L
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Y
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X
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E
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H
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72
C
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L
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N
A
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R
77
Q
U
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A
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P
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R
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V
O
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A
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C
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I
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I
S
L
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U
P
H
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L
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D
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O
N
E
G
86
N
A
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L
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A
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C
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E
E
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A
R
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I
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N
E
91
A
L
O
E
92
S
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F
A
T
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E
94
S
95
S
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D
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N
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I
M
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U
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R
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A
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P
A
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R
102
A
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S
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E
C
R
U
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N
107
A
G
108
O
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R
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A
S
111
A
V
E
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A
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S
T
R
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M
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I
C
A
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A
N
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E
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D
E
A
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I
L
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A
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D
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D
E
F
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I
C
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T
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P
E
N
122
D
I
N
G
123
L
I
M
N
S
124
O
N
E
T
A
S
T
E
125
A
S
I
A
G
O
126
S
T
E
E
L
127
L
E
S
S
T
H
A
N
128
R
E
E
L
E
D
© 2006, The New York Times2/19/6 ( No. 20,557 )
Across
1
Small turnover : SAMOSA
7
Careless : SLAPDASH
15
Gut feeling? : AGITA
20
Preener's partner : PEAHEN
21
Color similar to turquoise : NILEBLUE
22
Shades : TONES
23
25
Make into law : ENACT
26
Stephen of "Breakfast on Pluto" : REA
27
Thought some more about : SLEPTON
28
Gas company known for its toy trucks : HESS
30
Gas company known for its tiger slogan : ESSO
31
Tiny ___ : TIM
32
Ceremonial burner : CENSER
33
Gob : TAR
34
Crescent point : CUSP
36
"A Passage to India" woman : ADELA
38
Bawdy : RACY
40
One way to chop peppers : FINELY
42
For one : APOP
45
Certain turtle : SNAPPER
48
One with a thin skin? : ONION
50
"I'm not impressed" : BIGDEAL
53
Jacket style : NEHRU
54
"Make ___ away" : ITGO
55
Vice : EVIL
56
Cry of distress : SAVEME
60
What the connected may have : ANIN
62
The D.A. probably took it once : LSAT
63
Dear ones : LOVES
65
Graph component : YAXIS
66
Pension recipient : RETIREE
68
Afternoon hour in Italy : TRE
69
Puts on a coat : PAINTS
71
Bother : HASSLE
72
Cartoon collectible : CEL
75
Worked up : INASTIR
77
It may be met or filled : QUOTA
78
2002 Olympics venue : PROVO
80
Musical opening : ACTI
82
Gran Canaria, for one : ISLA
83
Support : UPHOLD
85
Blood designation, for short : ONEG
86
Old sports org. featuring the Minnesota Kicks : NASL
87
Florida Rep. ___ Hastings : ALCEE
89
Theseus abandoned her : ARIADNE
91
Fugard's "A Lesson From ___" : ALOES
93
Not just lean : FATLESS
96
Shelters : DENS
97
"Yeah, right" : IMSURE
99
Angelo's instrument : ARPA
100
Trac II alternatives : ATRAS
104
Off-white : ECRU
105
It has nine figures: Abbr. : SSN
107
Markets of yore : AGORAS
111
Greeting of yore : AVE
112
Carl Sagan's subj. : ASTR
114
Popular insulator : MICA
116
Dyemaking material : ANILINE
117
Raiders' org. : DEA
118
Old war story : ILIAD
120
Debt cause : DEFICITSPENDING
123
Describes : LIMNS
124
"Just a little bite?" : ONETASTE
125
Crumbly Italian cheese : ASIAGO
126
Symbol of strength : STEEL
127
Certain math sign : LESSTHAN
128
Staggered : REELED
Down
1
Ancient military hub : SPARTA
2
Work recounting Dido's suicide : AENEID
3
Butterfly, e.g. : MADAME
4
An omega stands for it : OHM
5
Specialty of Russian painter Aivazovsky : SEASCAPE
6
A joint that's hopping? : ANKLE
7
Short cuts : SNIPS
8
Leaves something behind : LITTERS
9
Loser : ALSORAN
10
___ Station : PENN
11
Under the name of, as a co. : DBA
12
Part of many stars' names : ALPHA
13
A-one, or one living in 1-A, perhaps : SUPER
14
Attention getters : HEYS
15
Had a beef? : ATE
16
Declined : GONESENILE
17
Instantly : INASPLITSECOND
18
P.I.'s : TECS
19
Concerning : ASTO
24
Poetic time of day : EEN
29
Genetics, e.g.: Abbr. : SCI
33
Use keys : TYPE
35
Afternoon hour in Italy : UNO
37
Dish out the beans? : LADLE
39
Punishes, in a way : CANES
40
Healthful dessert : FRUITSALAD
41
Eastern discipline : YOGA
43
Alliance created in 1948: Abbr. : OAS
44
Not take risks : PLAYITSAFE
46
Ikhnaton, for one : PHARAOH
47
Automaker Maserati : ERNESTO
49
"Hardly" : NOT
50
Swig : BELT
51
Actor Novello : IVOR
52
"Be a little more patient" : GIVEITSOMETIME
57
With 58-Down, common cake ingredient : VANILLA
58
See 57-Down : EXTRACT
59
Fire starter? : MIS
61
Nothing that plays a prominent role in this puzzle : NIL
64
Resting place : SPA
67
Ad salesman, informally : REP
70
"___ was saying ..." : ASI
71
March word : HUP
73
Knotted up : EVEN
74
Ticket choice : LOGE
76
Character on "Frasier" : NILESCRANE
77
Quite odd : QUEER
79
Not just poke fun at : ROAST
80
Santa in California : ANA
81
Cartel city : CALI
84
"___ Day" (1993 rap hit) : DRE
88
Dash : ELAN
90
Just partly : INASENSE
92
It's 94-Down for south : SUR
94
See 92-Down : SPANISH
95
The Arrow constellation : SAGITTA
98
Coke's partner : RUM
101
Michelin offering : RADIAL
102
Get payback for : AVENGE
103
Neptune, e.g. : SEAGOD
105
Display : SCENE
106
Vaults : SAFES
108
Football Hall-of-Famer Merlin : OLSEN
109
Splitting image? : RIP
110
Something lent or bent, in a phrase : ANEAR
112
Hurts : AILS
113
Opening : SLIT
115
Object of worship : IDOL
116
Room to swing ___ : ACAT
119
Cable alternative : DSL
121
Letters within the theme entries that are, literally, next to nothing : ITS
122
Quit working : DIE

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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