This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

SPLITS AND MERGERS

New York Times, Sunday, March 9, 2008

Author:
Patrick Berry
Editor:
Will Shortz
1-Across : Upper end of a soprano's range
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
2297/11/199911/4/20182
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
741241679512
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
981.541,84281%
Patrick Berry

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 142, Blocks: 75 Missing: {QWX} Featured in Will Shortz's favorite puzzlemakers. This is puzzle # 109 for Mr. Berry. Sunday freshness: 75%
Jim Horne notes:

I have highlighted squares to show where the splits and mergers happen. The second clue in each theme entry requires a right-angle turn at the highlight so, for example, 31 Down is KILLER BEE and 59 Across can be read as EVEN THOUGH.

1
H
2
I
3
G
4
H
5
C
6
B
7
I
8
O
9
F
10
O
11
R
12
D
13
I
14
O
15
C
16
E
17
S
18
E
19
O
N
E
A
L
20
A
S
C
21
R
I
B
E
22
E
N
R
O
L
L
S
23
I
N
N
I
E
24
N
O
T
I
F
I
C
25
A
N
H
E
L
P
I
T
26
T
R
A
27
N
S
L
A
T
E
28
T
I
A
29
T
A
P
E
30
U
31
K
E
32
I
H
A
V
E
33
S
I
M
B
34
A
35
S
I
R
36
T
I
E
37
D
38
M
E
T
E
39
I
40
M
P
O
S
I
T
41
I
O
N
S
42
E
L
L
E
43
R
B
E
E
44
A
M
A
I
N
45
T
O
V
46
B
O
Y
S
47
S
T
A
R
K
48
N
E
49
S
50
T
51
S
52
T
53
A
54
B
O
O
55
B
O
O
G
I
E
56
H
57
O
E
58
T
I
P
59
E
V
E
N
T
60
H
61
O
R
I
Z
O
N
62
D
I
A
S
63
P
O
R
A
64
M
A
L
E
65
A
U
E
L
66
M
O
T
T
67
E
G
A
D
68
P
L
U
S
69
S
I
G
N
70
D
71
I
72
S
A
C
C
H
73
A
R
I
D
E
74
T
O
G
75
U
G
H
76
B
O
R
E
R
S
77
F
L
E
E
S
78
S
N
A
79
R
E
80
O
N
I
C
E
81
S
82
P
A
M
83
I
D
84
A
85
F
E
A
S
T
86
C
A
R
R
A
87
D
88
I
89
O
90
D
91
R
92
Y
V
E
R
93
M
O
U
T
H
94
L
O
N
I
95
N
I
N
A
96
E
A
U
97
S
M
U
R
F
98
J
I
N
G
O
99
N
E
T
100
O
M
N
101
I
102
R
T
E
103
H
U
N
G
A
R
104
I
105
A
N
106
D
O
N
T
107
B
E
A
S
108
T
109
R
A
N
G
E
R
110
G
R
E
111
T
112
A
113
A
N
A
L
Y
S
T
114
I
N
H
O
U
S
E
115
H
E
R
O
N
116
R
A
N
L
A
T
E
117
M
A
N
118
A
T
E
119
T
A
S
T
Y
© 2008, The New York Times3/9/8 ( No. 21,306 )
Across
1
Upper end of a soprano's range : HIGHC
6
Life work? : BIO
9
In support of : FOR
12
Bishopric : DIOCESE
19
Basketballer nicknamed the Diesel : ONEAL
20
Attribute (to) : ASCRIBE
22
Joins up : ENROLLS
23
Concave button : INNIE
24
"Over my dead body!" / Alert [split] : NOTIFICANHELPIT
26
Exchange words? / New beginning [merger] : TRANSLATE
28
___ Maria (coffee liqueur) : TIA
29
Gift-wrapper's need : TAPE
30
Strummed instrument : UKE
32
"___ my doubts" : IHAVE
33
Animated film character voiced by Matthew Broderick : SIMBA
35
Fine fellow : SIR
36
Undecided, you might say : TIED
38
Deal (out) : METE
39
Annoying obligations / "No need to check" [split] : IMPOSITIONS
42
1980s "NBC News Overnight" anchor / Feared insect [merger] : ELLERBEE
44
At full speed : AMAIN
45
"Mazel ___!" : TOV
46
"The History ___" (Tony-winning play) : BOYS
47
Harsh : STARK
48
Return flight destinations? : NESTS
52
Off-limits : TABOO
55
Get down : BOOGIE
56
Plant manager? : HOE
58
Figure just above the total : TIP
59
Black hole's boundary / Despite the fact that [split] : EVENTHORIZON
62
Group migration : DIASPORA
64
Like Eton attendees : MALE
65
Author of the "Earth's Children" series : AUEL
66
Social reformer Lucretia : MOTT
67
"Great Scott!" : EGAD
68
A little cross? : PLUSSIGN
70
Double sugar / Travel freely? [merger] : DISACCHARIDE
74
Get dressed (up) : TOG
75
"Feh!" : UGH
76
Insects found in trunks : BORERS
77
Takes off : FLEES
78
Bag : SNARE
80
In the cooler : ONICE
81
Unread messages, usually : SPAM
83
Mountain SE of ancient Troy : IDA
85
It has many sides : FEAST
86
Commuter's source of entertainment / Actor John or David [split] : CARRADIO
90
Martini ingredient / Delta site [merger] : DRYVERMOUTH
94
Burt's "Stroker Ace" co-star : LONI
95
"The Seagull" ingenue : NINA
96
Water, to Watteau : EAU
97
Fictional blue humanoid : SMURF
98
Aggressive patriot : JINGO
99
Fishtank accessory : NET
100
Prefix with potent : OMNI
102
MapQuest suggestion: Abbr. : RTE
103
Franz Liszt, e.g. / Didn't go straight, maybe [split] : HUNGARIAN
106
"Come back now, y'hear?" / Park employee [merger] : DONTBEASTRANGER
110
TV journalist Van Susteren : GRETA
113
Commentator : ANALYST
114
Using company resources : INHOUSE
115
Great white ___ : HERON
116
Took too long, as a meeting : RANLATE
117
Superhero name ender : MAN
118
Broke bread : ATE
119
Finger-lickin' good : TASTY
Down
1
___ polloi : HOI
2
Overnight site : INN
3
Patrician : GENTEEL
4
Della sells hers in "The Gift of the Magi" : HAIR
5
See 26-Across : CLEANSLATE
6
Keen producers : BANSHEES
7
Quarantine : ISOLATE
8
Scale's range : OCTAVE
9
Taylor's deputy on TV : FIFE
10
Kimono securer : OBI
11
___ room : REC
12
Gap filler? : DENIMS
13
Occupy : INHABIT
14
Blast furnace input : ORE
15
Peacemaker maker : COLT
16
#1 hit for Marty Robbins : ELPASO
17
Add surreptitiously : SLIPIN
18
Some phosphates, e.g. : ESTERS
21
Observance : RITE
25
See 24-Across : NOTIFICATION
27
Modern political acronym : NIMBY
30
Navajo enemy : UTE
31
See 42-Across : KILLERBEE
33
Abrupt increase on a graph : SPIKE
34
Assuages one's guilt : ATONES
37
Prepares, in a way, as chicken : DEBONES
39
Adult insect : IMAGO
40
California county with Point Reyes National Seashore : MARIN
41
See 39-Across : IMPOSITIVE
43
Origin : ROOT
44
Complete : ATOZ
47
It's not needed in hydroponics : SOIL
49
It's clipped at both ends : STOGIE
50
Philippic : TIRADE
51
Game similar to bridge : SPADES
52
Really appeals to : TEMPTS
53
Earthly paradise of Celtic legend : AVALON
54
Caviar source : BELUGA
55
W.W. II light machine gun : BREN
56
See 70-Across : HITCHARIDE
57
Bleeped word : OATH
60
Reagan's first secretary of state : HAIG
61
See 59-Across : EVENTHOUGH
62
Pros who practice : DOCS
63
Violinist Itzhak : PERLMAN
66
Four-legged female : MARE
69
Napped fabrics : SUEDES
70
"Goodbye, Mr. Chips" star : DONAT
71
___ Sea, connected to St. George's Channel : IRISH
72
It's split : SECT
73
At a distance : AFAR
76
___ bourguignon : BOEUF
79
See 90-Across : RIVERMOUTH
81
1953 3-D film starring Fernando Lamas : SANGAREE
82
Earlier : PRIOR
84
Seat separator : ARMREST
85
See 106-Across : FORESTRANGER
86
Stop up : CONGEST
87
Some campaign fund-raisers : DINNERS
88
See 86-Across : CARRADINE
89
Cereal grass : OAT
90
Himalayan cedar : DEODAR
91
___ Quimby, girl of children's lit : RAMONA
92
Chinese province bordering Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar : YUNNAN
93
Change genetically : MUTATE
94
___ franca : LINGUA
98
2007 title role for Ellen Page : JUNO
101
"___ be O.K." : ITLL
103
Chemistry Nobelist Otto : HAHN
104
See 103-Across : HUNGARIGHT
105
Precinct : AREA
107
___ landslide : BYA
108
Country singer McGraw : TIM
109
What retroviruses contain : RNA
111
Preschooler : TOT
112
To some extent : ANY

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle, 4 debuted here and reused later, 3 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
81 ms