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Countdown

New York Times, Sunday, March 3, 2024

Author:
Hoang-Kim Vu
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
23-Across : X, but not Y
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
126/27/201911/9/20246
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1210224
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
121.527268%
Hoang-Kim Vu

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 142, Blocks: 77 Missing: {QZ} This is puzzle # 10 for Mr. Vu. Sunday freshness: 44%
Jim Horne notes:

The downward countdown numbers have to be added to Across answers to fit the clues. For example, 1-Across is TEN + TDRESS. etc.

This 1998 puzzle by Charles Deber had the same title but a much different execution.

1
T
2
T
3
D
4
R
5
E
6
S
7
S
8
P
9
J
10
S
11
C
12
L
13
E
14
C
15
G
16
I
17
E
R
I
T
R
E
A
18
S
U
L
19
U
20
O
I
L
21
B
O
O
M
22
S
23
N
U
M
E
R
A
L
24
A
L
U
M
25
N
W
S
L
E
T
T
E
R
26
O
W
L
27
E
T
28
S
N
I
P
P
E
T
29
Y
A
T
30
F
31
R
32
E
33
T
R
A
I
N
34
P
H
O
N
O
35
A
36
L
A
N
A
37
L
E
I
A
38
R
E
D
39
C
A
P
40
E
X
41
A
42
C
T
O
43
A
R
G
U
44
E
45
M
A
O
R
I
46
S
47
P
R
E
S
48
S
49
T
50
R
A
H
51
M
52
E
A
T
B
A
L
L
53
S
54
P
O
S
T
E
R
55
S
56
E
N
T
57
H
U
S
E
58
M
E
R
E
59
O
C
T
A
V
I
O
60
E
S
T
61
S
62
T
U
S
63
D
64
O
S
65
S
T
E
E
L
66
A
67
B
68
C
S
69
A
70
V
I
A
S
71
T
A
K
E
72
F
73
U
N
D
O
74
P
L
O
W
75
S
76
A
X
L
77
W
I
N
S
78
I
79
S
R
80
P
E
T
I
T
81
F
S
82
E
83
L
A
N
84
A
V
E
N
85
G
86
E
87
R
88
T
A
T
T
O
O
S
89
S
A
N
D
90
R
91
A
L
E
E
92
R
A
E
93
K
A
H
L
U
A
94
O
N
E
I
L
L
95
P
96
I
E
T
A
97
M
E
R
L
98
I
99
N
100
A
R
A
B
I
101
C
102
N
E
E
D
103
A
104
S
105
P
E
N
106
D
E
107
N
T
S
108
E
A
R
109
T
N
T
R
Y
110
C
H
I
111
A
112
S
113
P
I
R
E
R
114
N
E
N
E
H
115
D
O
N
116
T
R
K
T
O
O
H
A
117
R
D
118
C
O
R
119
L
120
E
121
O
122
S
123
C
R
E
W
T
E
A
M
124
I
D
E
A
125
E
L
E
G
A
N
T
126
T
S
O
127
E
S
S
128
E
P
S
129
S
E
E
S
R
E
D
© 2024, The New York Times3/3/24 ( No. 27,144 )
Across
1
Loose-fitting garment : TENTDRESS
8
Things packed for a sleepover, informally : PJS
11
Cavs, on a scoreboard : CLE
14
Effects seen on FX, perhaps : CGI
17
Nation on the Red Sea : ERITREA
18
Helmsman on "Star Trek" : SULU
20
High times for the petroleum industry : OILBOOMS
23
X, but not Y : NUMERAL
24
It might help you keep up with old classmates : ALUMNINEWSLETTER
26
Big-eyed baby : OWLET
28
Excerpted passage : SNIPPET
29
China's Sun ___-sen : YAT
30
Carrier of goods by rail : FREIGHTTRAIN
34
Player of 45s : PHONO
35
Haim of "Licorice Pizza" : ALANA
37
Iconic role for Carrie Fisher : LEIA
38
Certain porter : REDCAP
40
"Right you are!" : EXACTO
43
Contest : ARGUE
45
Some Kiwis : MAORIS
47
Stop on a publicity tour : PRESSEVENT
50
When repeated, gung-ho : RAH
51
Dish often topped with marinara sauce : MEATBALLS
54
Dorm décor, often : POSTERS
56
Rave : ENTHUSE
58
Trivial : MERE
59
___ Paz, 1990 Literature Nobelist : OCTAVIO
60
The "e" of i.e. : EST
61
Chosen name of five popes : SIXTUS
63
___ Equis : DOS
65
Prepare (oneself) : STEEL
66
Fundamentals : ABCS
69
Alternatives to Pumas : AVIAS
71
Break for a bit : TAKEFIVE
73
Ctrl-Z command : UNDO
74
Does some field work : PLOWS
76
___ Rose of Guns N' Roses : AXL
77
Standings column : WINS
78
Leb. neighbor : ISR
80
French desserts whose name translates as "small ovens" : PETITFOURS
82
Flair : ELAN
84
Thor, e.g. : AVENGER
88
Makeup of some sleeves : TATTOOS
89
TV chef who wrote "Semi-Homemade Cooking" : SANDRALEE
92
___ Sremmurd (hip-hop duo) : RAE
93
White Russian ingredient : KAHLUA
94
Playwright Eugene : ONEILL
95
Michelangelo masterpiece : PIETA
97
Camelot figure : MERLIN
100
It can be written in scripts known as naskh and ruq'ah : ARABIC
102
Require : NEED
103
Tree with "eyes" on its bark : ASPEN
106
They can be tapped out : DENTS
108
Concern at the end of a space journey : EARTHREENTRY
110
X : CHI
111
Ambitious sort : ASPIRER
114
___ Cherry, 1989 Grammy nominee for Best New Artist : NENEH
115
"Take it easy once in a while!" : DONTWORKTOOHARD
118
Sonny and Fredo, for two : CORLEONES
123
They're all pulling in the same direction : CREWTEAM
124
Keep it in mind! : IDEA
125
Classy : ELEGANT
126
Chinese dish eponym : TSO
127
End of days? : ESS
128
You might take them out for a quick spin, informally : EPS
129
Rages : SEESRED
Down
1
– : TEN
2
___TV (network for "Impractical Jokers") : TRU
3
Lower, as lights : DIM
4
Hwy. : RTE
5
Coding headache : ERROR
6
Naval engagement : SEAWAR
7
One taking interest in your education? : SALLIEMAE
8
H.S. exam : PSAT
9
7/ : JUL
10
Heaps at publishing houses : SLUSHPILES
11
Edward Jenner used it when developing the world's first successful vaccine : COWPOX
12
Sigmatism, by another name : LISP
13
The blonde in "Legally Blonde" : ELLE
14
What might unfold at camp : COT
15
Exclamation on April Fools' Day : GOTYA
16
Words of clarification : IMEAN
19
"Yeah … pass" : UMNO
21
Checks for bugs : BETATESTS
22
Mlle., in Madrid : SRTA
25
– : NINE
27
Wrap up by : ENDAT
30
Distress signal : FLARE
31
Put on the air again : RERAN
32
– : EIGHT
33
Letter after sigma : TAU
34
Borough of New Jersey noted for its indoor shopping malls : PARAMUS
36
Landed on a licorice space in Candy Land, say : LOSTATURN
39
Male swan : COB
41
Put side by side : APPOSE
42
Relative of a gator : CROC
44
Their eggs are dark green : EMUS
46
Camera spec : SLR
48
– : SEVEN
49
Brought before a jury : TRIED
52
This, in Spanish : ESTA
53
Malibu, e.g. : SEDAN
55
One way to go : SOLO
57
"This guy? We're together" : HESWITHME
61
– : SIX
62
Accounts : TALES
64
Green-lights : OKS
66
Schedule slot filler: Abbr. : APPT
67
Grim : BLEAK
68
Terra ___ : COTTA
70
One doing the lord's work? : VASSAL
71
Birch bark and pine cones, e.g. : TINDERS
72
– : FIVE
75
Missing work? : STOLENART
77
Exchange words? : WANNATRADE
79
Trickle (through) : SEEP
81
– : FOUR
83
Language spoken in Luang Prabang : LAO
84
Government bonds? : ALLIANCES
85
Welcome : GREET
86
Consumer : EATER
87
Set … or word said before set : READY
90
Estuary : RIA
91
"Three Tall Women" playwright : ALBEE
96
Overnight site : INN
98
Cold feet and cold shoulder, for two : IDIOMS
99
Emperor before the Year of the Four Emperors : NERO
101
Louisiana cooking style : CREOLE
103
"Flick of the Switch" band : ACDC
104
Curt : SHORT
105
Aches (for) : PINES
107
Classic soda brand : NEHI
109
– : THREE
112
___-Ball : SKEE
113
Education orgs. : PTAS
114
Hush-hush pacts, in brief : NDAS
116
– : TWO
117
Good name, informally : REP
119
Some smartphones : LGS
120
Something bent or lent : EAR
121
– : ONE
122
Norm: Abbr. : STD

Answer summary:
10 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later.

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