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

New York Times, Saturday, July 14, 2007

Author:
Victor Fleming
Editor:
Will Shortz
9-Across : Dispersion devices
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
473/29/200512/29/202125
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
75107666
CircleScrabDebutFresh
21.5522358%
Victor Fleming

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 26 Missing: {JQXZ} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 11 for Mr. Fleming. Saturday freshness: 61%
Victor Fleming notes:

Submitted in Dec. 2006, this was my second themeless Times crossword. The first was Nov. 18, 2006, so that one's being in print probably inspired this one. As noted at the 11/18/2006 puzzle, only one clue was retained for answers longer than seven letters ([Some cats], for SIAMESES—clever, huh?). In this puzzle, four clues for answers of eight or more letters were retained: 35-, 58-, and 63-Across and, my favorite clue of all time, 8-Down: ["Hey!?"], for WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA.

In my transmittal letter to Will I see that, in this time frame, Kyle Mahowald, as an undergrad, was organizing a crossword tournament at Harvard, and I'd been asked to help recruit a VIP speaker. Kyle had a Sunday Times puzzle in print when he was 17 (see 9/19/2004)! And on Thu., Jan. 12, 2006, he had a Times crossword with 22 rebus squares! Why am I telling you this? Because it's more interesting than anything I recall about my puzzle at hand.

1
B
2
R
3
A
4
D
5
S
6
H
7
A
8
W
9
P
10
R
11
I
12
S
13
M
14
S
15
D
E
V
I
L
I
S
H
16
A
D
R
I
A
N
17
A
V
E
M
A
R
I
A
18
C
A
S
T
R
O
19
L
E
N
20
B
E
A
T
21
L
E
S
22
U
A
R
23
T
N
U
24
T
25
E
N
S
O
R
26
H
A
N
K
27
O
G
E
E
28
S
29
S
T
Y
30
B
I
T
T
E
31
N
E
S
T
L
32
E
33
H
A
34
D
A
M
E
A
L
35
H
O
R
36
S
E
L
E
S
S
37
F
38
I
39
R
E
B
O
M
B
40
L
I
E
41
S
42
T
43
O
44
O
M
A
R
S
45
E
I
46
N
47
E
L
L
E
R
48
R
P
M
S
49
M
A
G
I
50
C
51
F
O
R
D
52
G
A
P
53
M
A
R
I
N
E
54
R
55
G
R
E
56
I
N
A
57
B
I
T
58
D
O
R
A
59
M
A
A
R
60
V
E
N
I
C
E
61
E
N
T
R
A
N
C
E
62
E
L
T
O
R
O
63
A
S
S
E
S
S
E
D
© 2007, The New York Times7/14/7 ( No. 21,067 )
Across
1
Player in three 1970s Pro Bowls : BRADSHAW
9
Dispersion devices : PRISMS
15
Infernal : DEVILISH
16
Any of six popes : ADRIAN
17
It's heard at many a wedding : AVEMARIA
18
San Francisco neighborhood, with "the" : CASTRO
19
Basketball analyst Elmore : LEN
20
Former Shea players : BEATLES
22
Neighbor of Isr., once : UAR
23
Threaded holder : TNUT
25
"Christ's Entry Into Brussels in 1889" painter : ENSOR
26
Snow on an album cover : HANK
27
Sigmoid curves : OGEES
29
Trough site : STY
30
"Please," to Franz : BITTE
31
Swiss multinational : NESTLE
33
Didn't just nosh : HADAMEAL
35
Kind of carriage : HORSELESS
37
Molotov cocktail, e.g. : FIREBOMB
40
Shucks, so to speak : LIESTO
44
Mets manager Minaya and others : OMARS
45
One along an autobahn? : EIN
47
Aunt who sings part of "The Farmer and the Cowman" : ELLER
48
High ones may produce a roar : RPMS
49
Cape wearer's field : MAGIC
51
Focus provider? : FORD
52
Canyon, e.g. : GAP
53
Columbus, e.g. : MARINER
55
Educ. Testing Service offering : GRE
56
"Not right now" : INABIT
58
Picasso mistress and subject : DORAMAAR
60
Where Antonio and Shylock litigate : VENICE
61
Ingress : ENTRANCE
62
Tequila brand with a red sombrero bottle top : ELTORO
63
Levied : ASSESSED
Down
1
Waldenbooks alternative : BDALTON
2
It's sweet, it's said : REVENGE
3
Ways of access : AVENUES
4
Lower, in a way : DIM
5
Tombstone, e.g. : SLAB
6
Fresh face at a firm : HIREE
7
Easterners : ASIANS
8
"Hey!?" : WHATSTHEBIGIDEA
9
Edsel model : PACER
10
Intake optima: Abbr. : RDAS
11
Return address abbr.? : IRS
12
Orient : SITUATE
13
Plant of the arrowroot family : MARANTA
14
View coral reefs, maybe : SNORKEL
21
Not false : LOYAL
24
Mountaineering aids : TETHERS
26
Word in a documentary's credits : HIMSELF
28
Folks guilty of disorderly conduct : SLOBS
30
"Goin' to Chicago Blues" composer : BASIE
32
Ranch extension? : ERO
34
"Of the," in Oviedo : DEL
36
Campaign staple : SMEAR
37
Not hold something against : FORGIVE
38
Select for a case : IMPANEL
39
Runaway : RAMPANT
41
Advertisers' output : SLOGANS
42
Cookout setting : TERRACE
43
In sequence : ORDERED
46
Curtain fabrics : NINONS
49
One of the Gospels, in a Spanish Bible : MATEO
50
Cadbury Adams brand : CERTS
53
Minute: Prefix : MICR
54
Thin : RARE
57
RNA is a topic in it : BIO
59
Family V.I.P.'s : MAS

Answer summary:
1 unique to this puzzle, 3 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
83 ms