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COMPLIMENTARY

New York Times, Sunday, July 15, 2018

Author:
Sam Ezersky and Byron Walden
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
24-Across : Compliment to a lawmaker?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
577/28/201211/10/20249
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
8213572011
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
221.7147990%
Sam Ezersky
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
10811/23/20014/6/202415
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
1412393697
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
321.591,28194%
Byron Walden

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 128, Blocks: 66 Missing: {QXZ} Spans: 1 Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 26 for Mr. Ezersky. This is puzzle # 90 for Mr. Walden. Sunday freshness: 99%
Constructor notes:
SAM: Unbeknownst to Byron, I've wanted to get a theme like this published for years. I submitted a 19x19 grid with OUTSTANDING DEBT to the Indie 500's inaugural guest constructor contest, ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Delightful theme! I imagined Keanu's surfer persona shouting RADICAL MOVEMENT! to a classical composer (and eliciting strange stares). Keanu going up to a taxonomist (not a taxidermist, as ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

At publication, only one Sunday NYT puzzle had a lower word count than this one.

1
A
2
L
3
P
4
O
5
A
6
C
7
T
8
A
9
S
10
I
11
F
12
T
13
H
14
E
15
D
16
A
17
N
18
C
19
E
20
M
A
R
C
21
M
R
S
L
A
T
E
22
R
I
D
E
S
O
U
T
23
I
M
I
T
24
O
U
T
S
T
A
N
25
D
I
N
G
B
I
L
L
S
26
N
I
C
O
27
L
28
D
O
O
N
29
A
D
D
E
R
A
L
L
30
O
N
E
P
A
31
G
E
R
32
A
33
D
34
O
R
E
35
D
I
G
36
R
A
D
I
C
A
L
M
37
O
V
E
M
E
N
38
T
39
S
O
40
T
41
T
42
O
43
A
B
Y
S
S
44
M
E
N
T
H
45
E
46
O
I
L
47
P
48
I
49
G
G
Y
50
S
51
A
I
N
T
52
E
C
53
O
54
N
O
M
Y
55
C
A
N
O
E
56
B
57
R
I
G
58
A
S
H
C
A
K
E
59
A
S
T
A
60
T
A
I
C
H
61
I
62
S
W
E
E
T
T
A
L
63
K
64
S
T
E
L
65
L
A
R
C
L
A
S
66
S
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N
67
K
I
L
L
E
R
B
E
E
68
P
O
D
U
N
K
69
I
M
R
E
70
C
L
I
F
B
A
R
71
T
E
L
E
72
M
E
A
D
E
73
S
C
E
N
T
E
D
74
G
75
A
76
D
O
T
77
J
A
R
T
S
78
S
I
C
79
S
O
80
N
O
F
A
81
W
82
H
83
E
E
L
84
N
O
T
85
A
86
R
87
S
O
L
I
D
88
F
O
U
N
D
A
89
T
90
I
91
O
92
N
93
R
A
94
S
95
N
I
G
E
R
96
S
T
I
L
E
T
T
O
97
E
98
P
I
C
P
99
O
E
M
100
A
101
S
H
E
102
A
S
H
E
N
103
S
M
A
S
H
I
N
G
P
104
U
105
M
P
K
I
N
106
S
107
S
E
L
F
108
A
M
S
T
E
R
E
O
109
T
A
P
I
N
T
O
110
E
L
L
A
111
D
A
T
A
L
O
S
S
112
A
V
E
N
G
E
D
113
S
P
O
T
© 2018, The New York Times7/15/18 ( No. 25,086 )
Across
1
Iams competitor : ALPO
5
Pretend : ACTASIF
12
Song sung by Garth Brooks on Jay Leno's last "Tonight Show" : THEDANCE
20
Podcast host Maron : MARC
21
Fred Flintstone's boss : MRSLATE
22
Weathers, as a hurricane : RIDESOUT
23
"That's me you're looking for" : IMIT
24
Compliment to a lawmaker? : OUTSTANDINGBILLS
26
Lesley who played Mrs. Patmore on "Downton Abbey" : NICOL
28
___ the sly (be secretive about) : DOON
29
Drug used to combat A.D.H.D. : ADDERALL
30
Short writing assignment, informally : ONEPAGER
32
Really like : ADORE
35
Really like : DIG
36
Compliment to a composer? : RADICALMOVEMENT
39
___ voce : SOTTO
43
Deep, deep hole : ABYSS
44
Crème de ___ : MENTHE
46
Lucky strike? : OIL
47
Toe, to a tot : PIGGY
50
John, Paul or George, but not Ringo : SAINT
52
Alternative to first-class : ECONOMY
55
Lake vessel : CANOE
56
Water cooler? : BRIG
58
Cornbread variety named for where it's baked : ASHCAKE
59
Film role for the dog Skippy : ASTA
60
Meditative discipline : TAICHI
62
Compliment to a lecturer? : SWEETTALK
64
Compliment to a taxonomist? : STELLARCLASSIFICATION
67
Compliment to a champion speller? : KILLERBEE
68
Smallville : PODUNK
69
2002 Literature Nobelist Kertész : IMRE
70
Snack with a rock climber on its wrapper : CLIFBAR
71
Head of communications? : TELE
72
Gettysburg general : MEADE
73
Like many holiday candles : SCENTED
74
Gal of "Wonder Woman" : GADOT
77
Banned game projectiles : JARTS
78
[not my mistake] : SIC
79
"Why, you little ..." : SONOFA
81
Word with prayer or paddle : WHEEL
84
Claim in e-cigarette ads : NOTAR
87
Compliment to a charity organizer? : SOLIDFOUNDATION
93
Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS
95
Major exporter of uranium : NIGER
96
Hand-to-hand combat weapon : STILETTO
97
Long lines? : EPICPOEM
100
Athlete honored on Richmond's Monument Avenue : ASHE
102
Drained of color : ASHEN
103
Compliment to a vegetable gardener? : SMASHINGPUMPKINS
107
What the "s" stands for in "scuba" : SELF
108
Enhanced medium for talk radio : AMSTEREO
109
Draw upon : TAPINTO
110
"___ Enchanted" (2004 film) : ELLA
111
Result of a computer crash : DATALOSS
112
Got back at : AVENGED
113
Difficult situation : SPOT
Down
1
Key of Mozart's "Odense" Symphony : AMINOR
2
Thin layer : LAMINA
3
___ to sell : PRICED
4
Color-changing creatures : OCTOPI
5
"Yo te ___" (Spanish 101 phrase) : AMO
6
How boors behave : CRUDELY
7
Some inclement weather, in broadcast shorthand : TSTORMS
8
"Oh, by the way ..." : ALSO
9
GPS system, e.g. : SATNAV
10
Suffix with señor : ITA
11
Bog : FEN
12
Weapon resembling the letter psi : TRIDENT
13
Posterior : HIND
14
Beat after a buzzer beater : EDGED
15
Rubbish : DEBRIS
16
Alternative to Parmesan : ASIAGO
17
Chuck ___, four-time Super Bowl-winning coach : NOLL
18
Pick out : CULL
19
Uranians and Neptunians : ETS
25
Lack the courage to, for short : DARENT
27
Musical set in St.-Tropez, familiarly : LACAGE
31
Actress Hoffmann of "Transparent" : GABY
33
Half: Prefix : DEMI
34
What dark clouds might represent : OMEN
37
Small bone, as in the ear : OSSICLE
38
Quai D'Orsay setting : THESEINE
40
Prepared to shoot : TOOKAIMAT
41
Beings on TV's "Doctor Who" : TIMELORDS
42
West Coast beer brand, informally : OLY
45
Modern payment option : ECHECK
47
Musical medley : PASTICCIO
48
Wits : INTELLECT
49
Not hold back, to a poker player : GOALLIN
51
Ottoman title : AGHA
53
Twice tetra- : OCTA
54
More sharply dressed : NATTIER
55
Container for amontillado : CASK
56
Easternmost of the Lesser Antilles : BARBADOS
57
Kitchen device : RICER
58
Meriting only half a star, say : AWFUL
60
French city where D'Artagnan lived in "The Three Musketeers" : TARBES
61
MSN, for one : ISP
62
B on an LP : SIDETWO
63
Site for an A.C.L. tear : KNEE
65
Took off : LEFT
66
Words said before bed? : SOTO
72
Peace Nobelist Yousafzai : MALALA
73
ID card fig. : SSN
74
Lose rigidity : GOLIMP
75
Not worth ___ : AFIG
76
Florida's Miami-___ County : DADE
77
Lightsaber wielder : JEDI
80
Worlds external to the mind : NONEGOS
82
Activity in libraries and movie theaters : HUSHING
83
Diplomatic agreement : ENTENTE
85
Record label for Whitney Houston : ARISTA
86
One of the friends on "Friends" : RACHEL
88
Milkshake, in New England : FRAPPE
89
Author Gerritsen and actress Harper : TESSES
90
What one might seek after a computer crash, informally : ITHELP
91
Opera with the aria "Ave Maria" : OTELLO
92
Skim : NONFAT
94
Vice president Agnew : SPIRO
97
Stone that's a star : EMMA
98
It may be checkered : PAST
99
Till section : ONES
101
Scrape : SKIN
103
Crestfallen : SAD
104
Tony winner Hagen : UTA
105
Dallas hoopster, briefly : MAV
106
Roll on a golf course : SOD

Answer summary:
10 unique to this puzzle, 8 debuted here and reused later, 7 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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