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New York Times, Thursday, October 28, 2021

Author:
Alan Massengill
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
9-Down : Adroit
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
48/17/202010/28/20213
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0210100
ScrabDebutFresh
1.631718%
Alan Massengill

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JQV} This is puzzle # 4 for Mr. Massengill. Thursday freshness: 15%
Alan Massengill notes:
Glad to be back in the Times. This was a really fun puzzle to make. I got the idea last Halloween while looking at some lawn ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
A second Halloween joke puzzle in one week? What is this, Groundhog Day of the Living Dead? Zombies saying I FALL TO PIECES, IT'S A ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

"Reason the zombies are, of course, skipping the empty house" is a clue-of-the-year candidate.

1
B
2
A
3
D
4
P
5
R
6
A
7
B
8
A
9
F
10
T
11
T
12
B
13
S
14
A
M
O
R
E
15
N
O
M
A
S
16
H
O
W
17
B
E
R
I
G
18
H
T
B
A
C
K
19
A
C
E
20
E
X
A
M
21
A
I
O
L
I
22
I
N
C
A
23
A
24
B
S
25
F
L
26
I
C
K
E
R
27
I
28
F
29
A
L
L
T
30
O
31
P
I
E
C
E
S
32
M
I
L
33
T
E
L
L
34
K
E
A
35
T
36
S
37
U
R
L
38
S
39
N
E
A
40
R
41
S
42
S
T
A
T
43
P
E
N
A
44
L
45
T
I
P
46
S
47
O
P
I
48
I
T
S
49
A
50
N
O
B
R
A
51
I
N
E
R
52
O
53
H
G
O
D
N
O
54
E
N
D
55
Z
A
H
N
56
G
R
57
A
58
P
E
59
I
60
D
61
L
62
E
63
A
N
T
64
W
E
A
R
E
S
65
O
D
E
A
D
66
R
O
E
67
A
L
I
G
N
68
P
I
N
K
Y
69
K
I
R
70
N
A
N
O
S
71
S
T
Y
E
S
© 2021, The New York Times10/28/21 ( No. 26,287 )
Across
1
Possible result of a TMZ story : BADPR
6
Behind, nautically : ABAFT
11
"American Dad!" network : TBS
14
Theme of la festa di San Valentino : AMORE
15
Spanish equivalent of "Basta!" : NOMAS
16
Word with know or show : HOW
17
Future zombie's last words? : BERIGHTBACK
19
Virtuoso : ACE
20
This is only a test : EXAM
21
Sauce that's 80% vowels : AIOLI
22
Worshiper at the ancient Qorikancha ("Golden Temple") : INCA
23
Core group : ABS
25
Black-and-white movie effect : FLICKER
27
Country music standard at zombie karaoke night? : IFALLTOPIECES
32
Ending for some government 37-Across : MIL
33
Poker giveaway : TELL
34
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty" poet : KEATS
37
Info in a modern bibliography : URLS
39
Gets warmer, so to speak : NEARS
42
Tackles, say : STAT
43
Kind of reform or code : PENAL
45
"Read the clues carefully" and "Check your crossing answers" [You're welcome!] : TIPS
47
Big name in nail polish : OPI
48
Reason the zombies are, of course, skipping the empty house? : ITSANOBRAINER
52
"Abso-lutely not!" : OHGODNO
54
Be over : END
55
Broadcast journalist Paula : ZAHN
56
Purple shade : GRAPE
59
Not do anything : IDLE
63
___-Man : ANT
64
Zombies' cry in the face of defeat? : WEARESODEAD
66
Landmark 1973 court case, familiarly : ROE
67
Sync up : ALIGN
68
With 13-Down, playground promise : PINKY
69
White wine aperitif : KIR
70
Old Apple Store offerings : NANOS
71
Ophthalmological ailments : STYES
Down
1
Sweets : BABE
2
Discover alternative, for short : AMEX
3
Toon with a talking map : DORA
4
Fundamental : PRIMAL
5
On the ___ (frequently, in modern slang) : REG
6
Pro's opposite : ANTI
7
Classic clown name : BOBO
8
Picturesque town on the Gulf of Salerno : AMALFI
9
Adroit : FACILE
10
Sound made with one's tongue : TSK
11
"I really appreciate it!" : THANKSATON
12
Ball game : BOCCE
13
See 68-Across : SWEAR
18
Expedite : HASTEN
22
Causes of some brain freezes : ICEES
24
Sandwich that's 100% consonants : BLT
26
"Ugh!" : ICK
27
"My turn!" : IMUP
28
Can : FIRE
29
Something that may be pulled in college : ALLNIGHTER
30
"Bravo!" relative : OLE
31
Author of the "Symposium" : PLATO
35
Stick with it! : TAPE
36
Commotion : STIR
38
Suppressed : SATON
40
"Spare" item : RIB
41
Wild times at the mall, say : SPREES
44
What the D.E.A. might keep tabs on? : LSD
46
___ Ysidro, Calif. : SAN
49
Bassett of "Black Panther" : ANGELA
50
Ideal picnic forecast : NORAIN
51
"Yay, me!" : IDIDIT
52
Netflix crime drama set in the Midwest : OZARK
53
World capital with traditional water puppet shows for tourists : HANOI
57
Preceder of a certain "-naut" : ARGO
58
Puts on paper : PENS
60
Withhold from : DENY
61
Canoeing locale : LAKE
62
Turkey Hill competitor : EDYS
64
Colorless : WAN
65
Photo finish? : OPS

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later.

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