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New York Times, Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Author:
Ricky Ini Liu
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
62-Down : Smidge
TotalDebut
111/4/2009
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0001000
ScrabDebutFresh
1.72732%
Ricky Ini Liu

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 37 Missing: {JQWX} This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Liu. Wednesday freshness: 48%
Jim Horne notes:

The theme answers here are standard phrases that contain an X, but that X is changed into an O (a tic-tac-toe reference maybe?) and then each resulting phrase is clued as if it's a real thing.

So, instead of BOXING MATCH, it's a BOOING MATCH, and so on.

1
A
2
M
3
O
4
R
5
I
6
M
7
A
8
C
9
C
10
S
11
P
12
A
13
N
14
R
A
R
E
15
N
A
S
H
16
Z
O
R
R
O
17
C
L
A
M
18
T
R
I
O
19
C
E
R
E
A
L
20
H
A
T
E
21
R
C
A
22
O
C
T
23
E
Y
E
D
24
O
E
N
25
O
P
H
O
26
B
27
I
28
C
29
R
A
D
I
30
I
31
A
S
A
P
32
F
O
N
Z
33
M
A
C
34
A
U
35
K
E
36
G
37
O
R
A
38
C
39
H
O
L
E
R
40
R
A
41
P
I
E
R
42
L
A
V
43
S
I
44
R
45
D
Y
L
A
N
46
E
R
I
47
S
48
Z
I
49
N
E
50
A
N
G
51
S
52
T
53
O
M
E
N
54
C
O
M
I
C
55
S
56
A
M
I
R
57
E
E
N
58
N
E
T
59
C
A
G
E
60
F
61
E
62
D
E
R
A
63
L
T
A
O
64
E
T
N
A
65
A
M
A
Z
E
66
O
H
S
O
67
A
C
E
D
68
T
U
B
E
S
69
U
S
E
D
70
S
H
E
S
© 2009, The New York Times11/4/9 ( No. 21,911 )
Across
1
Valentine's Day figure : AMOR
5
Computer that once came in "flavors" : IMAC
9
Channel with hearings : CSPAN
14
Porterhouse order : RARE
15
Crowe's role in "A Beautiful Mind" : NASH
16
Swordsman who leaves his mark : ZORRO
17
Stop talking, with "up" : CLAM
18
Three-ingredient breakfast serving? : TRIOCEREAL
20
Word before mail or crime : HATE
21
TV brand : RCA
22
Canadian Thanksgiving mo. : OCT
23
Visually assessed : EYED
24
Afraid of wine? : OENOPHOBIC
29
Straight edges of pizza slices, essentially : RADII
31
"Rush!" : ASAP
32
TV character who jumped the shark, with "the" : FONZ
33
Former Portuguese colony in China : MACAU
35
Powder holder : KEG
37
___ pro nobis : ORA
38
Ill humor : CHOLER
40
Weapon for 16-Across : RAPIER
42
W.C. : LAV
43
Tristan's title : SIR
45
"Lay Lady Lay" singer : DYLAN
46
Largest dwarf planet in the solar system : ERIS
48
Fan's reading : ZINE
50
Frequent Woody Allen feeling : ANGST
53
Foreboding cartoons? : OMENCOMICS
56
Mideast ruler: Var. : AMIR
57
Suffix with velvet : EEN
58
It's not gross : NET
59
Wrestling extravaganza enclosure : CAGE
60
The way of the government? : FEDERALTAO
64
Volcano that devastated Catania : ETNA
65
Totally wow : AMAZE
66
Very, very : OHSO
67
Sailed through : ACED
68
Old TV parts : TUBES
69
Not mint : USED
70
Spike Lee's "___ Gotta Have It" : SHES
Down
1
1-Across, for one : ARCHER
2
1941-42 Allies vs. Japanese battle locale : MALAYA
3
Film that's been speechified? : ORATEDMOVIE
4
Like some summer school classes : REMEDIAL
5
Words from an emcee : INTRO
6
Mime who created Bip : MARCEAU
7
Afghans, e.g. : ASIANS
8
Comedian Margaret : CHO
9
Brno native : CZECH
10
More or less : SORTOF
11
Lead-in to law or med : PRE
12
Constellation south of Scorpius : ARA
13
Dictator Lon ___ : NOL
19
Having a reddish-brown tinge : COPPERY
25
Tree on a Connecticut state quarter : OAK
26
Shout of disapproval exactly like another? : BOOINGMATCH
27
As to, on memos : INRE
28
White House appointment : CZAR
30
Decorates, as a cake : ICES
34
Pearl Harbor ship : ARIZONA
36
Many a party at Kennedy Center : GALA
38
'63 role for Liz : CLEO
39
"No ___, no foul" : HARM
41
Cure-alls : PANACEAS
44
Canyon area : RIM
45
Pass on : DECEASE
47
Blessing elicitor, sometimes : SNEEZE
49
Portions of about 11% : NINTHS
51
Dotted-line user : SIGNEE
52
Radial patterns : TREADS
54
Dwarf planet in the asteroid belt : CERES
55
Got off the bottom? : STOOD
60
"___ chance!" : FAT
61
Cousin of a cassowary : EMU
62
Smidge : DAB
63
Baseball's Piniella : LOU

Answer summary:
7 unique to this puzzle.

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