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3.1415926 ...

New York Times, Sunday, March 8, 2015

Author:
Tom McCoy
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
120-Across : Like two lowercase letters of the alphabet
TotalDebutLatest
3511/14/20137/3/2022
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
19815200
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
471.6125342%
Tom McCoy

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 82 Grid has mirror symmetry. Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 9 for Mr. McCoy. Sunday freshness: 23%
Tom McCoy notes:
This puzzle is dedicated to Martin Gardner, one of my all-time favorite authors. It was in his book Hexaflexagons and Other Mathematical Diversions that I learned about the sort of ... read more
Jill Denny notes:
First impression of the empty grid: pi. Second impression of the empty grid: Stonehenge! <insert obligatory Spinal Tap reference> A win-win situation. Graphic grids tend to lend ... read more
1
A
2
C
3
T
4
P
5
U
6
M
7
A
8
P
9
R
10
O
11
T
12
E
13
A
14
R
15
R
16
E
17
M
18
P
L
Y
19
E
S
A
U
20
R
E
P
21
E
R
I
E
22
A
Y
E
23
R
O
TT
24
E
N
E
G
G
25
E
S
E
26
M
A
D
H
27
A
TT
E
R
28
S
C
U
D
29
G
U
30
I
L
TT
R
31
I
P
S
32
A
D
D
S
33
D
E
A
R
S
34
I
R
R
I
T
A
B
L
E
35
B
E
F
O
36
G
37
O
S
L
O
38
S
E
S
A
M
E
S
E
E
D
39
S
40
L
I
R
A
41
N
E
L
S
42
O
N
43
T
44
H
E
R
E
S
45
S
T
Y
46
N
E
47
I
48
L
49
K
50
F
51
C
52
H
53
A
I
R
54
E
S
P
55
S
A
T
E
56
R
I
O
57
A
W
L
S
58
C
59
H
60
A
61
T
62
K
I
T
63
E
L
M
64
P
A
L
65
A
66
L
67
P
68
S
69
H
O
W
I
70
W
I
S
H
71
M
L
I
72
P
I
E
73
A
S
I
L
Y
74
E
G
O
M
A
N
I
A
75
L
I
N
76
E
T
R
U
S
C
A
N
77
C
A
K
E
D
78
L
79
Y
I
N
G
80
O
N
81
T
O
K
Y
O
82
K
N
E
S
S
83
E
84
T
85
A
N
G
S
T
86
P
87
R
O
C
E
E
D
88
S
S
N
89
B
O
90
A
R
91
I
92
S
E
E
93
D
R
S
94
I
95
C
O
U
L
D
96
C
97
A
98
L
C
U
L
A
99
T
100
E
101
A
102
S
C
E
N
T
S
103
A
D
A
104
S
T
I
R
S
105
U
106
P
107
M
U
T
I
N
Y
108
O
109
S
M
O
S
110
I
S
111
R
E
C
T
O
112
R
113
E
R
U
C
T
114
C
R
A
P
S
H
O
O
115
T
116
A
R
O
S
E
117
T
A
TT
L
E
118
H
A
R
E
119
E
T
U
I
120
D
O
TT
E
D
121
E
L
D
E
R
122
E
N
I
D
123
D
A
T
E
124
S
W
A
Y
S
© 2015, The New York Times3/8/15 ( No. 23,861 )
Across
1
Exploit, e.g. : ACT
4
Mountain cat : PUMA
8
All-___ : PRO
11
Careen : TEAR
15
"New Adventures in Hi-Fi" band : REM
18
Thickness : PLY
19
Subject of a prophecy in Genesis : ESAU
20
Ad ___ : REP
21
Eponymous Indian tribe : ERIE
22
Cry on the bridge : AYE
23
The last one in, perhaps : ROTTENEGG
25
Toledo-to-Akron dir. : ESE
26
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" asker : MADHATTER
28
Move quickly, as clouds : SCUD
29
Shames into action : GUILTTRIPS
32
Puts on : ADDS
33
Darlings : DEARS
34
Cross : IRRITABLE
35
Confuse : BEFOG
37
Capital near the 60th parallel : OSLO
38
Sushi coating, maybe : SESAMESEEDS
40
Currency in Turkey : LIRA
41
Bully on "The Simpsons" : NELSON
43
"___ no doubt" : THERES
45
Mess : STY
46
2009 Newbery-winning author Gaiman : NEIL
49
Where you might exchange tender for tenders : KFC
52
Something off the top of your head? : HAIR
54
Particularly: Abbr. : ESP
55
Make content : SATE
56
El Amazonas, e.g. : RIO
57
Hole punchers : AWLS
58
Heart-to-heart, e.g. : CHAT
62
Shaving ___ : KIT
63
Wood in Lucius Malfoy's wand : ELM
64
Chum : PAL
65
Setting for part of "Frankenstein" : ALPS
69
With 94- and 72-Across, a mnemonic for the first eight digits of [symbol in the middle of the grid] : HOWIWISH
71
XV years before the Battle of Hastings : MLI
72
See 69-Across : PIEASILY
74
"I" strain? : EGOMANIA
75
Jeremy of the N.B.A. : LIN
76
Like much of Italy in 700 B.C. : ETRUSCAN
77
Encrusted : CAKED
78
Atop : LYINGON
81
___ Bay, site of a historic Admiral Perry visit of 1853 : TOKYO
82
Israeli diet : KNESSET
85
Disquietude : ANGST
86
"Carry on" : PROCEED
88
It never starts with 666: Abbr. : SSN
89
Beast imagined in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" : BOAR
91
"That makes sense now" : ISEE
93
Practice runners: Abbr. : DRS
94
See 69-Across : ICOULDCALCULATE
101
Trips up? : ASCENTS
103
Computing pioneer Lovelace : ADA
104
Agitates : STIRSUP
107
It's revolting : MUTINY
108
One way of learning, it's said : OSMOSIS
111
Parish head : RECTOR
113
Belch : ERUCT
114
Risky venture : CRAPSHOOT
116
Cropped up : AROSE
117
Snitch : TATTLE
118
Fabled 90-Down : HARE
119
Needle case : ETUI
120
Like two lowercase letters of the alphabet : DOTTED
121
Mormon V.I.P. : ELDER
122
English author Blyton : ENID
123
1/2, for one : DATE
124
Brings around : SWAYS
Down
1
Bank inits. : APR
2
Not far apart : CLOSESET
3
As is usual : TYPICALLY
4
Remains unsettled : PENDS
5
Exploit : USE
6
Smith of "Downton Abbey" : MAGGIE
7
Portends : AUGURS
8
Heat, informally : PRELIM
9
Breather : RESPITE
10
Stock of certain companies? : OPERAS
11
- : TEMPLE
12
Like the previous clue (which originally read "Place of Jewish worship") : ERASED
13
Red Cross work : AID
14
Place to get clean : REHAB
15
How questions may be asked : RAPIDFIRE
16
Derelict buildings, e.g. : EYESORES
17
Eau holder : MER
24
Money in la banque or la banca : EUROS
27
"Rolling in the Deep" singer : ADELE
30
Bank inits. : IRA
31
"Where would ___ without you?" : IBE
33
Puts on : DONS
36
[Good heavens!] : GASP
38
Enter through the back door, say : SNEAKIN
39
Frat Pack member Ben : STILLER
42
Slip-___ : ONS
44
Slugger's stat, for short : HRS
47
"Who goes there?" response : ITISI
48
Deadly : LETHAL
49
One end of the hotline : KREMLIN
50
Pie part (that's appropriately placed in this puzzle?) : FILLING
51
Arrivals : COMINGS
52
Betide : HAPPEN
53
Be in store for : AWAIT
58
Threatens, as a king : CHECKS
59
"___ Heroes" : HOGANS
60
Like a body no longer at rest? : AWOKEN
61
x : TIMES
65
N.A.A.C.P. or N.C.A.A. part: Abbr. : ASSOC
66
Trounced : LICKED
67
Ladies' man : PLAYER
68
Church assemblies : SYNODS
70
Tobacco chewers' chews : WADS
73
With 79-Down, place to get spare parts : AUTO
79
See 73-Down : YARD
80
Ear-related : OTIC
83
Key material : EBONY
84
Ballyhoo : TOUT
86
Hide : PELT
87
Put on again : REAIR
90
Race loser : ALSORAN
92
Solve : SUSSOUT
94
It always points down : ICICLE
95
Football hiker : CENTER
96
Bivouacked : CAMPED
97
Brouhahas : ADOS
98
Struck (out at) : LASHED
99
Escalator parts : TREADS
100
What money can be kept in : ESCROW
101
Ear-related : AURAL
102
Cry exclaimed while facepalming : STUPID
105
More work : UTOPIA
106
Actress Parker : POSEY
107
Parcel (out) : METE
109
Rani's wear : SARI
110
Bit : IOTA
112
Chianti and Beaujolais : REDS
114
What's that in Italy? : CHE
115
Train track support : TIE

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

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