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MYSTERY THEME

New York Times, Sunday, October 6, 1996

Author:
R. Max Hopkins
Editor:
Will Shortz
97-Down : "The ___ Love" (1987 R.E.M. hit)
TotalDebutLatest
34/17/199410/6/1996
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
3000000
DebutFresh
3171%
R. Max Hopkins

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 142, Blocks: 79 Missing: {QXZ} This is puzzle # 3 for Mr. Hopkins. Sunday freshness: 68%
Jim Horne notes:

The 22 Clues starting with + indicate answers made up entirely of consecutive two-letter U.S. state abbreviations.

1
B
2
L
3
O
4
C
5
F
6
F
7
F
8
M
9
U
10
M
11
S
12
P
13
A
14
B
15
S
16
T
17
B
E
L
A
18
A
O
L
19
B
A
S
A
L
20
A
E
R
A
T
E
21
C
O
A
L
22
M
I
N
E
23
E
L
E
N
A
24
N
E
C
T
A
R
25
A
O
R
T
A
26
L
A
R
D
S
27
A
R
A
M
I
S
28
G
29
A
30
M
M
A
S
31
B
32
E
L
G
33
A
H
34
A
S
35
N
E
N
E
36
A
B
E
A
T
37
M
A
S
S
A
38
C
R
E
D
39
T
E
N
S
40
T
B
A
R
41
E
E
G
S
42
W
E
I
R
D
43
E
R
44
S
A
L
I
45
E
N
T
S
46
F
I
N
N
47
E
M
U
48
L
49
A
50
T
51
E
52
B
U
S
53
B
U
N
T
54
U
N
B
E
A
T
E
N
55
S
56
T
57
E
A
M
58
C
O
D
E
59
E
N
D
E
60
R
T
E
S
61
M
A
R
I
N
E
62
L
A
N
D
63
A
R
C
A
D
64
E
G
A
M
E
65
O
L
I
D
66
R
I
N
D
67
C
A
R
S
68
M
Y
E
R
S
69
V
E
N
E
70
R
A
T
E
71
J
A
R
S
72
W
E
E
73
E
M
I
R
A
T
E
74
C
U
L
P
75
L
A
N
D
76
C
77
R
78
A
79
B
80
P
E
R
81
S
O
N
A
82
G
I
R
T
83
O
I
L
Y
84
P
85
A
86
V
E
87
A
C
C
O
M
88
P
A
N
Y
89
U
N
G
E
R
90
S
E
T
A
91
A
L
I
A
92
O
R
B
E
93
U
N
C
A
G
E
94
A
T
O
N
95
C
E
96
S
C
97
O
N
E
98
S
99
A
N
T
O
100
C
A
N
D
O
R
101
S
O
N
D
E
102
M
E
M
O
R
103
I
104
A
105
L
106
C
R
E
A
K
Y
107
O
L
E
I
N
108
A
R
E
109
D
O
T
O
110
O
D
D
L
Y
111
R
A
I
N
112
N
O
T
113
E
N
V
Y
© 1996, The New York Times10/6/96 ( No. 17,134 )
Across
1
United nations : BLOC
5
As loud as possible, in music : FFF
8
British P.T.A. members : MUMS
12
Brewer Frederick : PABST
17
Gymnastics coach Karolyi : BELA
18
Prodigy rival : AOL
19
At the bottom : BASAL
20
Freshen, in a way : AERATE
21
+Seamy locale : COALMINE
23
Jimmy Dorsey's "Maria ___" : ELENA
24
+Fruit juice : NECTAR
25
Circulation aid : AORTA
26
Enriches : LARDS
27
Dumas duelist : ARAMIS
28
Thirds in series : GAMMAS
31
Neth. neighbor : BELG
33
Sudden bolts of lightning : AHAS
35
+Gray-brown goose : NENE
36
Not miss ___ : ABEAT
37
Wiped out : MASSACRED
39
Top vaults : TENS
40
Stowe tow : TBAR
41
Hosp. printouts : EEGS
42
Stranger : WEIRDER
44
Projecting angles : SALIENTS
46
Twain family name : FINN
47
Rival : EMULATE
52
Clear, as tables : BUS
53
Surprise hit? : BUNT
54
Destined for the playoffs : UNBEATEN
55
Irk : STEAM
58
+Building ___ : CODE
59
Finis, in Frankfurt : ENDE
60
Hwys. : RTES
61
+Popular Florida theme park : MARINELAND
63
+Pac-Man, e.g. : ARCADEGAME
65
Smelly : OLID
66
+Peel : RIND
67
Lincoln and others : CARS
68
"Wayne's World" co-star : MYERS
69
Honor : VENERATE
71
Amphorae : JARS
72
First word of Burns's "To a Mouse" : WEE
73
Any of the Trucial States : EMIRATE
74
"I Spy" co-star : CULP
75
Shore creature : LANDCRAB
80
Public image : PERSONA
82
Surrounded : GIRT
83
Overly adulatory : OILY
84
Smooth, as a road : PAVE
87
Squire : ACCOMPANY
89
Half of "The Odd Couple" : UNGER
90
___ world record : SETA
91
+Inter follower : ALIA
92
"Kill ___ killed" : ORBE
93
Let out : UNCAGE
94
Now : ATONCE
96
British biscuit : SCONE
98
Start of many Spanish place names : SANTO
100
+Calling a spade a spade : CANDOR
101
Atmospheric probe : SONDE
102
+Monument : MEMORIAL
106
Like some old joints : CREAKY
107
Margarine fat : OLEIN
108
"___ we there yet?" : ARE
109
Inflict on : DOTO
110
In singular fashion : ODDLY
111
Picnic hamperer : RAIN
112
Au contraire, in slang : NOT
113
"The tax which all distinction must pay": Emerson : ENVY
Down
1
English channel : BBC
2
Composer Delibes : LEO
3
Slangy suffix : OLA
4
+Italian dish : CALAMARI
5
Science events : FAIRS
6
Set of letters : FONT
7
Hardly four-star hotels : FLEABAGS
8
+Alcoholic product of Spain : MALAGAWINE
9
Patron : USER
10
+Bureaucrat : MANDARIN
11
Gory film figure : SLASHER
12
One of the elite : PEER
13
+Secret : ARCANE
14
Michael Keaton and others, filmwise : BATMEN
15
Laundry woes : STAINS
16
In telegraphese : TERSE
19
Poe poem, with "The" : BELLS
20
Collector's items : ANAS
22
It may hold the fort : MOAT
28
Roscoes : GATS
29
With 45-Down, author of "My People" : ABBA
30
+Grist : MEAL
32
Ogee's outline : ESS
34
Last-minute writings : ADDENDA
37
Flushing Meadows team : METS
38
Copper : CENT
39
Constant : TRUE
41
Specify : ENUMERATE
43
Fixed insertion : EMBEDMENT
45
See 29-Down : EBAN
46
"Merrie Melodies" name : FUDD
48
Egg classification : LARGE
49
Essence : ATTAR
50
Swarms : TEEMS
51
First word of Massachusetts' motto : ENSE
53
Covenant : BOND
54
Family members, informally : UNCS
55
"The Crucible" locale : SALEM
56
Singer Lopez : TRINI
57
Duck down : EIDER
58
+Punish severely : CANE
59
Takes the primrose path : ERRS
61
Cop's order : MOVE
62
Like some meanings : LITERAL
63
Over-50 org. : AARP
64
Word with eagle or bug : EYED
67
+Tangerinelike Philippine fruit : CALAMONDIN
70
Rembrandt's "___ of Ganymede" : RAPE
71
D-Day beach : JUNO
72
Guarded : WARY
74
+Product once advertised as an "esteemed brain tonic" : COCACOLA
75
Court official : LINESMAN
76
+Transportation provider since 1976 : CONCORDE
77
+European capital : RIGA
78
Give ___ up : ALEG
79
Yorkshire cow shed : BYRE
81
Snip : SCISSOR
82
Jaw : GAB
84
Early explosive device : PETARD
85
Made up : ATONED
86
+Graffiti artist, e.g. : VANDAL
88
Fuss with feathers : PREEN
89
"For ___ us a child is born" : UNTO
90
1921 murder defendant : SACCO
91
Lofty, as a mountain peak : AERY
93
Not satisfied : UNMET
95
+Like some furnace fuel : COKY
97
"The ___ Love" (1987 R.E.M. hit) : ONEI
99
30's auto : AERO
103
Physicist's concern : ION
104
Relative of a dune buggy, for short : ATV
105
"The Best Years of Our Lives" co-star : LOY

Answer summary:

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