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New York Times, Friday, August 24, 2012

Author:
Mark Diehl
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
52-Across : Openly attack en masse
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
7711/11/19841/22/20233
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
3214720373
RebusScrabDebutPre‑WSFresh
31.57592888%
Mark Diehl

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 60, Blocks: 44 Missing: {BJQWZ} Spans: 2 Grid has both left-right and up-down symmetry. This is puzzle # 59 for Mr. Diehl. Friday freshness: 82%
Jim Horne notes:

Not only is the grid shaped like a big 8, EIGHT-TRACK TAPES, OCTAGONAL, and SPIDER SOLITAIRE all invoke eightness.

1
G
2
A
3
R
4
A
5
G
6
E
7
S
8
A
9
L
10
E
11
S
12
T
A
C
I
T
A
P
P
R
O
V
A
13
L
14
E
I
G
H
T
T
R
A
C
K
T
A
P
E
15
S
16
P
E
R
Y
E
A
R
17
A
S
I
N
I
N
E
18
P
R
U
19
E
N
E
20
S
O
L
21
A
22
R
23
A
24
S
25
S
26
P
27
U
28
T
N
I
K
29
D
E
S
E
R
T
30
C
L
I
M
A
T
E
31
O
C
T
A
G
O
N
A
L
32
P
33
A
R
T
I
T
I
O
N
S
O
34
F
35
F
36
M
O
T
T
O
E
S
37
P
A
S
S
E
L
38
S
39
A
L
T
40
R
O
M
41
P
Y
R
42
I
43
T
44
E
45
S
46
I
47
T
48
S
49
T
R
U
E
50
S
P
I
D
E
R
S
51
O
L
I
T
A
I
R
E
52
S
T
O
R
M
T
H
E
G
A
T
E
S
53
E
L
P
A
S
O
T
E
X
A
S
© 2012, The New York Times8/24/12 ( No. 22,935 )
Across
1
Category on Craigslist : GARAGESALES
12
Unspoken agreement : TACITAPPROVAL
14
They're rarely played nowadays : EIGHTTRACKTAPES
16
How rainfall may be measured : PERYEAR
17
Imbecilic : ASININE
18
Boston landmark, with "the" : PRU
19
Needle point?: Abbr. : ENE
20
Some Toyotas : SOLARAS
25
Subject of the book "Red Moon Rising" : SPUTNIK
29
Early "cure" for tuberculosis : DESERTCLIMATE
31
Like Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock : OCTAGONAL
32
Puts barricades around : PARTITIONSOFF
36
"Eureka" and "Excelsior" : MOTTOES
37
Heaps : PASSELS
39
Key abbreviation : ALT
40
CD-___ : ROM
41
Sulfide-containing group : PYRITES
46
"Honest to God!" : ITSTRUE
50
Microsoft Windows game : SPIDERSOLITAIRE
52
Openly attack en masse : STORMTHEGATES
53
Home of Sun Bowl Stadium : ELPASOTEXAS
Down
1
Discussion stopper : GAGRULE
2
Acting up, in a way : ACHY
3
Diet ___ : RITE
4
Girl/boy intro : ATTA
5
"Oh, God!" co-star : GARR
6
It's got its standards: Abbr. : EPA
7
Org. providing assistance to Afghans and Persians : SPCA
8
Scroll holders : ARKS
9
French novelist Pierre : LOTI
10
___ Longoria, 2008 A.L. Rookie of the Year : EVAN
11
Perspicacious : SAPIENT
12
Part of a car's steering system : TIEROD
13
Gentle giant of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" : LENNIE
14
Omar in Hollywood : EPPS
15
Curry : SEEK
21
Somewhat, after "of" : ASORT
22
Page one is traditionally one : RECTO
23
___ Abrams, character on "Glee" : ARTIE
24
Fantasy sports figures : STATS
25
One-master : SLOOP
26
Outer ear : PINNA
27
Campus near the J.F.K. Library : UMASS
28
Giant bronze man in Greek myth : TALOS
30
Big budget item for "Avatar," briefly : CGI
32
Sea fan colonists : POLYPS
33
Reduce through retirement : ATTRITE
34
Carries back and forth : FERRIES
35
Prepares for baking, in a way : FLOURS
36
Google ___ : MAPS
38
Storybook pirate : SMEE
42
Target of a Fox hunt? : IDOL
43
One singing "Fight, fight, fight for Maryland!" : TERP
44
"Aunt" with a 1979 best seller : ERMA
45
Onetime landers at LAX : SSTS
46
"Before ___ you go ..." : ILET
47
Old comics dog : TIGE
48
Classic Memphis-based record label : STAX
49
"I'm history" : TATA
51
"Got ya!" : OHO

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

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