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New York Times, Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Author:
Seth Bisen-Hersh and Jeff Chen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
11-Down : Place to see J.F.K.
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
31/2/20231/1/20252
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0111000
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.551032%
Seth Bisen-Hersh
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1607/5/20101/20/2025112
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatAcr
431117283711121
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
11431.6293355%
Jeff Chen

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 77, Blocks: 44 Missing: {JQXZ} Grid has mirror symmetry. There are unchecked squares Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Bisen-Hersh. This is puzzle # 158 for Mr. Chen. Wednesday freshness: 27%
Jim Horne notes:

Some helpful information in case you're not familiar with this theme. Note that the central dreidel is made of C-L-A-Y letters.

1
S
2
C
3
A
4
M
5
P
6
G
7
A
8
S
9
N
10
O
11
H
12
I
13
T
14
P
A
L
A
U
15
A
H
I
16
O
H
A
R
E
17
I
N
L
E
T
18
L
A
M
19
N
O
L
A
N
20
E
S
T
21
I
22
L
L
B
I
23
T
E
24
F
T
S
25
D
O
H
26
N
E
O
27
A
R
T
28
D
E
E
29
E
30
D
W
I
N
31
N
I
H
32
A
O
33
C
34
O
R
E
R
35
E
L
L
36
E
37
N
38
A
B
A
C
I
39
C
40
C
41
C
42
W
I
L
L
Y
43
B
I
G
O
T
44
A
L
A
45
I
C
A
M
E
46
T
E
R
I
47
L
A
Y
48
S
I
R
S
49
O
N
50
O
Y
51
B
E
A
52
S
53
L
54
O
U
G
H
55
S
56
W
O
R
K
57
B
58
A
59
G
60
P
E
W
S
61
G
A
62
T
O
R
63
E
I
R
E
64
I
T
L
L
65
O
V
I
N
E
66
Y
E
L
L
67
N
O
S
Y
68
D
E
C
K
S
69
S
N
O
T
© 2025, The New York Times1/1/25 ( No. 27,448 )
Across
1
Rapscallion : SCAMP
6
Certain tankful : GAS
9
Kind of game that's a pitcher's dream : NOHIT
14
Micronesian island that was the setting for a season of "Survivor" : PALAU
15
Tuna type : AHI
16
Airport near the intersection of I-90 and I-294 : OHARE
17
Cove : INLET
18
On the ___ : LAM
19
Christopher who directed "Oppenheimer" : NOLAN
20
Slangy suffix with "most" : EST
21
"OK ... tell me" : ILLBITE
24
N.B.A. 1-pointers: Abbr. : FTS
25
Exclamation from Homer : DOH
26
Hero of "The Matrix" : NEO
27
"A work of ___ that isn't based on feeling isn't ___ at all": Cézanne : ART
28
"Look at Me, I'm Sandra ___" ("Grease" song) : DEE
29
Dickens's "The Mystery of ___ Drood" : EDWIN
31
Chinese greeting : NIHAO
33
Tool for a pineapple : CORER
35
1990s sitcom featuring a bookstore : ELLEN
38
You can count on them : ABACI
39
Rating for junk bonds : CCC
42
Candymaker Wonka : WILLY
43
Chauvinist or racist : BIGOT
44
In the style of : ALA
45
Start of Caesar's boast : ICAME
46
Actress Hatcher : TERI
47
Deposit, as an egg : LAY
48
Patrick Stewart and Elton John, for two : SIRS
49
Singer on "Give Peace a Chance" : ONO
51
"Golden Girls" actress Arthur : BEA
52
Sheds, with "off" : SLOUGHS
56
Stylish tote for an executive : WORKBAG
60
Worshiping rows : PEWS
61
Cousin of a croc : GATOR
63
The Emerald Isle : EIRE
64
"___ have to do" : ITLL
65
Like the breeds Shetland and merino : OVINE
66
TALK LIKE THIS! : YELL
67
Like a yenta : NOSY
68
Props for close-up magicians : DECKS
69
Arrogant sort : SNOT
Down
1
Worked for the C.I.A., perhaps : SPIED
2
Playground retort : CANSO
3
Super-trendy : ALLTHERAGE
4
West who said "Men are my life, diamonds are my career" : MAE
5
Set down on paper : PUTINWRITING
6
Cider unit : GALLON
7
Starbuck's higher-up? : AHAB
8
Ape or monkey : SIMIAN
9
In the dark about something nefarious : NONETHEWISER
10
"Well, lookee there!" : OHO
11
Place to see J.F.K. : HALFDOLLAR
12
Hopping mad : IRATE
13
Past, present or future : TENSE
22
Flowery necklace : LEI
23
Multisport race, in short : TRI
30
In a prim and proper way : DECOROUSLY
32
Singer with the #1 albums "As I Am" and "Girl on Fire" : ALICIAKEYS
33
What you might call a tipsy friend : CAB
34
Last words? : OBIT
36
Symbols of wisdom : ELMS
37
12/31 : NYE
39
Part of U.C.L.A.: Abbr. : CAL
40
Material used to make the object "illustrated" here, in a seasonal song : CLAY
41
Coral island : CAY
50
"Yikes!" : OHGOD
51
Puts to sleep, say : BORES
52
Take a turn with the object illustrated by the central black squares in this puzzle (leading to one of the four circled results) : SPIN
53
Oscar-winning Jared : LETO
54
Symbols of wisdom : OWLS
55
Word processing command : SAVE
56
Policy nerd : WONK
57
"Très ___" : BIEN
58
Singer Guthrie : ARLO
59
Chocolate money won or lost in this puzzle's game : GELT
62
___-tac-toe : TIC

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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