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CORE O' NATIONS

New York Times, Sunday, February 19, 2012

Author:
James F. C. Burns
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
25-Across : Ridiculous
TotalDebut
12/19/2012
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1000000
DebutFresh
776%
James F. C. Burns

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 75 Missing: {J} This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Burns. Sunday freshness: 78%
Jim Horne notes:

I have shaded in the Nations at the Core of each theme answer.

1
S
2
P
3
L
4
A
5
T
6
B
7
O
8
T
9
H
10
O
11
B
12
E
13
R
14
L
15
I
16
N
17
F
O
R
A
G
E
18
M
E
L
E
E
19
M
A
R
I
A
N
A
20
S
21
A
H
U
G
A
N
22
D
A
K
I
S
S
23
G
R
A
C
E
F
U
L
24
B
A
N
E
S
25
I
D
I
O
T
I
26
C
27
T
S
E
28
O
S
E
29
R
V
E
R
30
T
E
R
N
S
31
T
A
32
H
O
E
33
D
R
E
W
34
I
E
R
35
A
C
I
D
36
P
A
T
E
N
37
M
A
M
A
S
38
C
I
S
39
C
40
O
K
I
D
41
P
I
N
C
H
42
A
L
A
43
O
R
E
44
S
I
X
T
H
45
M
46
A
T
I
L
47
D
48
A
49
A
50
F
R
O
S
51
M
U
N
I
52
I
53
R
I
S
H
54
T
E
S
55
W
R
A
P
U
P
56
A
N
T
E
57
N
E
A
P
58
V
A
N
S
59
A
R
I
S
T
A
60
C
K
S
61
D
A
N
62
E
63
T
A
L
I
A
64
L
I
R
E
65
I
66
R
A
E
67
P
E
L
T
68
R
I
C
K
E
Y
69
T
B
A
70
K
N
O
W
N
71
O
B
I
S
72
U
M
A
S
S
73
Z
A
N
74
I
E
S
T
75
Y
76
E
N
T
E
77
S
O
N
78
D
R
E
79
M
A
S
T
S
80
S
81
T
U
N
T
82
M
83
A
84
N
85
B
86
A
S
I
L
87
G
U
C
C
I
88
W
A
W
A
89
E
C
O
90
E
S
Q
S
91
P
A
S
H
A
92
B
A
B
E
L
93
L
E
A
P
94
A
S
U
95
M
A
B
96
T
R
97
E
A
D
L
E
98
H
O
R
D
E
99
D
E
A
100
R
A
B
B
101
Y
102
G
A
R
D
E
N
103
M
A
R
K
E
T
104
S
T
R
O
L
L
E
R
105
O
R
A
L
S
106
G
L
E
A
M
S
107
S
E
C
T
O
R
S
108
T
P
K
E
109
M
O
N
T
Y
© 2012, The New York Times2/19/12 ( No. 22,748 )
Across
1
How a bug might go on a windshield : SPLAT
6
Opposite of neither : BOTH
10
College town SW of Cleveland : OBERLIN
17
Hunt : FORAGE
18
Donnybrook : MELEE
19
Island group that includes Guam : MARIANAS
21
Show of affection : AHUGANDAKISS
23
Balletic : GRACEFUL
24
Misery causes : BANES
25
Ridiculous : IDIOTIC
27
The first letter of "tsar," in Cyrillic : TSE
28
Sweet ending? : OSE
29
Mobile camper, informally : RVER
30
Long-migration seabirds : TERNS
31
Deep Western lake : TAHOE
33
Tied : DREW
34
Back to front? : IER
35
Kind of rock : ACID
36
Eucharist plate : PATEN
37
Half of a 1960s pop group : MAMAS
38
O. Henry bad guy who became a Hollywood/TV hero : CISCOKID
41
Appropriate, in slang : PINCH
42
Part of the Confederacy: Abbr. : ALA
43
The gold in them thar hills, say : ORE
44
Like "vav" in the Hebrew alphabet : SIXTH
45
Aussie "girl" famous for 55-Downing : MATILDA
49
Frizzy dos : AFROS
51
Tax-free bond, briefly : MUNI
52
Like leprechauns : IRISH
54
Your, to Yves : TES
55
Summarize : WRAPUP
56
Pot builder : ANTE
57
Opposite of spring : NEAP
58
Ryder fleet : VANS
59
Record label for Cee Lo and Whitney Houston : ARISTA
60
Some payments: Abbr. : CKS
61
Roseanne's husband on "Roseanne" : DAN
62
And others : ETALIA
64
Former European money : LIRE
65
"Dies ___" : IRAE
67
Attack with snowballs : PELT
68
Lime ___ : RICKEY
69
Not yet decided: Abbr. : TBA
70
Public : KNOWN
71
Middle parts of Japan? : OBIS
72
Home of the N.C.A.A.'s Minutemen : UMASS
73
Maximally wacky : ZANIEST
75
"Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE
77
One of two deliveries? : SON
78
Rap's Dr. ___ : DRE
79
Bonaventures, e.g. : MASTS
80
Double, maybe : STUNTMAN
85
Pesto ingredient : BASIL
87
The House of ___ : GUCCI
88
Baba ___ (Gilda Radner character) : WAWA
89
Writer Umberto : ECO
90
Titles for attys. : ESQS
91
Ottoman officer : PASHA
92
Noted tower locale : BABEL
93
Spring : LEAP
94
Pac-12 team, for short : ASU
95
Shelley's fairy queen : MAB
96
Crafter's pedal : TREADLE
98
Throng : HORDE
99
Start for someone seeking advice : DEARABBY
102
Place for produce stands : GARDENMARKET
104
It's pushed in a park : STROLLER
105
Some exams : ORALS
106
Sparkles : GLEAMS
107
Areas : SECTORS
108
N.J. and Pa. each have a famous one : TPKE
109
Hall of fame : MONTY
Down
1
"Me too" : SOHAVEI
2
Tree trimmers : PRUNERS
3
Drink with foam on top : LAGER
4
"Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's ___" : AGAS
5
X : TEN
6
Show sympathy, say : BEKIND
7
Stews : OLIOS
8
Check, as brakes : TEST
9
Halting : HESITANT
10
Text-speak gasp : OMG
11
Red Cross founder Clara : BARTON
12
Remove : ERASE
13
Wedding staple : RICE
14
New Guinea port : LAE
15
Unofficial discussions : INFORMALTALKS
16
Something gotten at an amusement park, maybe : NAUSEA
17
Draper's supply : FABRIC
18
Real ___ : MADRID
20
Loads : SLEWS
22
X, in Roma : DIECI
26
Trip up, perhaps : CATCHINALIE
30
Makes an extra effort : TAKESPAINS
32
Little chuckle : HEH
33
"Swans Reflecting Elephants," e.g. : DALI
36
Mischievous one : PIXIE
37
SAT section : MATH
39
Whodunit staple : CORPSE
40
"Are you in ___?" : OROUT
41
Servings of 3-Down : PINTS
44
Sea salvager's quest, maybe : SUNKENYACHT
45
One-named rapper with the 2008 hit "Paper Planes" : MIA
46
Like always : ASPERUSUAL
47
Turns down : DENIES
48
Appraise : ASSAY
49
Mexican shout of elation : ARRIBA
50
On the level : FAIRANDSQUARE
51
Colorful bird : MACAW
53
Lets : RENTS
55
See 45-Across : WALTZ
58
For immediate lease, say : VACANT
61
Lord's Prayer word : DEBTS
63
The 82-Down in "The Lion King" : TIMON
66
Hogwash : ROT
67
Film producer Carlo : PONTI
70
Bottom of the ocean? : KEEL
74
Bearded flower : IRIS
76
Pricey hors d'oeuvre : ESCARGOT
79
Juilliard subj. : MUS
80
Pricey furs : SABLES
81
Many a Justin Bieber fan : TWEEN
82
African mongoose : MEERKAT
83
It's much thanked once a year : ACADEMY
84
Common co-op rule : NOPETS
85
They can help worriers : BEADS
86
Strengths : ASSETS
87
Gossip : GABBER
88
Ungainly gait : WADDLE
91
San ___, suburb of San Francisco : PABLO
92
Israel's Ehud : BARAK
93
Wife of 67-Down : LOREN
95
Barley product : MALT
97
O.K. Corral hero : EARP
98
Eclipse phenomenon : HALO
100
Mythical bird : ROC
101
Earth cycles: Abbr. : YRS
103
1991 book subtitled "When the Lion Roars" : MGM

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

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