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New York Times, Thursday, July 15, 2004

Author:
Roy Leban
Editor:
Will Shortz
61-Across : Duel tool
TotalDebutLatest
139/16/20026/9/2015
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2243200
RebusScrabDebutFresh
11.606935%
Roy Leban

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 This is puzzle # 7 for Mr. Leban. Thursday freshness: 37%
Roy Leban notes:

This puzzle is probably my favorite NYT crossword, with the double rebus. The puzzle came out during the annual convention of the National Puzzlers' League, in Boston that year.

On Wednesday, some krewe members happened to have a discussion about rebus puzzles during a long T ride, and one guy was very adamant that rebus cells should be symmetrically placed, that not doing made for a flawed puzzle. It so happened that I knew this puzzle was running the next day. Back then, constructors rarely knew when their puzzles were going to run in advance, but Will had mentioned it to me for some reason. But I kept my mouth shut anyway and just commented that there are good reasons sometimes.

Thursday afternoon, the adamant guy came up to me and told me I was right and that he had really enjoyed the puzzle. Great feeling.

1
R
2
O
3
B
4
T
5
P
6
A
7
L
8
E
9
U
10
P
11
F
12
O
13
R
14
U
T
A
H
15
E
N
I
D
16
H
U
R
O
N
17
T
O
T
E
18
T
U
T
U
19
A
L
O
H
A
20
H
O
T
DOG
21
W
I
T
H
CAT
22
S
U
P
23
A
L
L
S
E
T
24
O
I
L
25
M
26
I
27
A
28
N
E
E
29
E
I
30
D
31
E
R
S
32
T
E
R
R
33
N
S
C
34
N
O
U
N
35
A
V
A
S
T
36
R
37
A
I
N
CAT
S
38
A
39
N
D
DOG
S
40
G
41
E
E
S
E
42
O
L
A
V
43
U
44
S
45
D
46
T
R
E
K
47
D
48
E
R
I
V
E
49
R
O
O
50
O
A
K
51
S
O
X
52
I
N
53
T
E
R
N
54
DOG
CAT
C
H
55
E
56
R
S
T
R
U
C
K
57
T
58
W
59
E
E
T
60
A
L
I
T
61
E
P
E
E
62
N
O
V
A
E
63
L
A
N
A
64
A
T
R
Y
65
T
O
E
R
R
66
E
N
G
R
67
T
O
Y
S
© 2004, The New York Times7/15/4 ( No. 19,973 )
Across
1
___ Morris, signature on the Declaration of Independence : ROBT
5
Untanned : PALE
9
Enthusiastic about : UPFOR
14
Home of the Rainbow Bridge National Monument : UTAH
15
City near Stillwater : ENID
16
Second-largest lake in North America : HURON
17
Carry : TOTE
18
1984 Peace Nobelist : TUTU
19
What to say to a kahuna : ALOHA
20
Ballpark fare : HOTDOGWITHCATSUP
23
Ready : ALLSET
24
Engine need : OIL
25
Casa ___ (Italian restaurant name) : MIA
28
Born : NEE
29
Sources of soft feathers : EIDERS
32
Admission seeker, maybe: Abbr. : TERR
33
Secret grp. since 1947 : NSC
34
Hook, line or sinker : NOUN
35
"Stop!" : AVAST
36
Come down hard : RAINCATSANDDOGS
40
Parts of a V formation : GEESE
42
Norway's patron saint : OLAV
43
Currency shop abbr. : USD
46
Hike : TREK
47
Infer : DERIVE
49
Pal of Piglet : ROO
50
Cask material : OAK
51
"Cursed" team, informally : SOX
52
Summer worker : INTERN
54
It might pick up a few pointers : DOGCATCHERSTRUCK
57
Aviary sound : TWEET
60
Came down : ALIT
61
Duel tool : EPEE
62
Bursting stars : NOVAE
63
Superboy's girlfriend : LANA
64
Give it ___ : ATRY
65
"___ is human ..." : TOERR
66
RR employee : ENGR
67
Kids' closetful : TOYS
Down
1
Soprano Swenson : RUTHANN
2
Actors Peter and Annette : OTOOLES
3
Kellogg's home : BATTLECREEK
4
Things can go to them : THEDOGS
5
Start of an initiative : PETITION
6
"Sometimes you feel like ___ ..." : ANUT
7
Printing technique: Abbr. : LITH
8
Professor : EDUCATOR
9
"Adventures in moving" sloganeer, once : UHAUL
10
___-free : PULP
11
One way to swing : FRO
12
Cry at fireworks : OOH
13
Part of a cell nucleus : RNA
21
Wimp : WEENIE
22
Bro's sibling : SIS
25
26
Return destination?: Abbr. : IRS
27
Decoration : ART
30
Old gold coin : DUCAT
31
Belgian painter James : ENSOR
32
Lassie, for one : TVDOG
35
Coming : ADVENT
37
Put to : ASK
38
2001 biopic : ALI
39
International Harvester vehicle maker : NAVISTAR
40
"Little" car of song : GTO
41
Constitutional proposal first introduced in Cong. in 1923 : ERA
44
Harry Potter's forte : SORCERY
45
Democratic symbols : DONKEYS
47
Sawbones : DOC
48
Yoga instruction : EXHALE
51
Disperse : SCATTER
53
Milk-Bone biscuit, e.g. : TREAT
54
Certain bookmark : DOGEAR
55
Dash : ELAN
56
Encircle : RING
57
Bang maker : TNT
58
Ply with wine and flowers, say : WOO
59
Christmas ___ : EVE

Answer summary:
6 unique to this puzzle, 2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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