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New York Times, Tuesday, November 5, 1996

Author:
Jeremiah Farrell
Editor:
Will Shortz
42-Down : Much-debated political inits.
TotalDebut
111/5/1996
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0010000
DebutFresh
314%
Jeremiah Farrell

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 80, Blocks: 33 Spans: 2 Puzzle has duplicate clues. This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Farrell. Tuesday freshness: 24%
Jim Horne notes:

This amazing puzzle appeared the morning of the 1996 U.S. presidential election. The answer word at 39 Across can be filled in with either CLINTON or BOBDOLE and all the crossing Down clues work either way. In a since-deleted audio interview for Slate, WIll Shortz called this his favorite crossword ever.

This is the only puzzle in our database known to be constructed by Mr. Farrell so it shows up here as a debut. About half the pre-Shortz puzzles are uncredited and, according to this Wikipedia article, he constructed NYT puzzles back as far as the Margaret Farrar era.

1
I
2
C
3
A
4
L
5
L
6
L
7
O
8
S
9
T
10
A
11
S
12
T
13
E
14
P
15
M
E
D
E
A
16
A
T
L
I
B
E
R
T
Y
17
P
R
O
G
N
18
O
S
T
I
C
A
T
I
O
N
19
A
I
L
20
A
L
S
O
P
21
S
T
O
N
E
22
I
S
P
23
Y
24
D
O
M
25
B
E
E
26
R
E
H
A
27
B
28
S
A
29
F
E
30
R
31
A
32
Z
33
Z
34
R
I
35
B
36
N
O
R
37
M
38
P
O
E
39
C
40
L
41
I
N
T
O
42
N
43
E
L
E
44
C
T
E
D
45
A
U
R
46
S
A
R
47
A
48
E
R
R
49
T
I
A
50
S
51
S
A
S
52
H
53
V
A
54
L
55
O
56
R
57
A
58
I
T
59
P
A
60
S
61
B
A
R
A
62
A
63
W
64
A
R
D
65
E
E
R
I
66
E
67
M
A
P
68
M
I
S
T
E
69
R
P
R
E
S
I
70
D
E
N
T
71
O
S
T
R
A
C
I
S
M
72
R
I
N
G
O
73
S
H
O
E
L
A
C
E
S
74
E
N
T
E
R
© 1996, The New York Times11/5/96 ( No. 17,164 )
Across
1
"___ your name" (Mamas and Papas lyric) : ICALL
6
Fell behind slightly : LOSTASTEP
15
Euripides tragedy : MEDEA
16
Free : ATLIBERTY
17
Forecast : PROGNOSTICATION
19
Be bedridden : AIL
20
Journalist Stewart : ALSOP
21
Rosetta ___ : STONE
22
1960's espionage series : ISPY
24
___ Perignon : DOM
25
Quilting party : BEE
26
"Drying out" program : REHAB
28
Umpire's call : SAFE
30
Tease : RAZZ
34
Tease : RIB
36
Standard : NORM
38
"The Tell-Tale Heart" writer : POE
39
Lead story in tomorrow's newspaper (!), with 43-Across : CLINTON
43
See 39-Across : ELECTED
45
Gold: Prefix : AUR
46
___ Lee cakes : SARA
48
Bobble the ball : ERR
49
Spanish aunts : TIAS
51
Obi : SASH
53
Bravery : VALOR
57
Small island : AIT
59
Daddies : PAS
61
Theda of 1917's "Cleopatra" : BARA
62
Employee motivator : AWARD
65
Otherworldly : EERIE
67
Treasure hunter's aid : MAP
68
Title for 39-Across next year : MISTERPRESIDENT
71
Exclusion from social events : OSTRACISM
72
Fab Four name : RINGO
73
They may get tied up in knots : SHOELACES
74
Begin, as a maze : ENTER
Down
1
Disable : IMPAIR
2
Cherry-colored : CERISE
3
Newspaperman Ochs : ADOLPH
4
Easel part : LEG
5
Actress Turner : LANA
6
Ropes, as dogies : LASSOS
7
Place to put your feet up : OTTOMAN
8
Underskirt : SLIP
9
First of three-in-a-row : TIC
10
Lower in public estimation : ABASE
11
Onetime bowling alley employee : SETTER
12
Threesome : TRIO
13
English prince's school : ETON
14
60's TV talk-show host Joe : PYNE
18
Superannuated : OLD
23
Sewing shop purchase : YARN
25
TV's Uncle Miltie : BERLE
27
Short writings : BITS
29
Opponent : FOE
31
Likely : APT
32
Actress Caldwell : ZOE
33
End of the English alphabet : ZED
35
Trumpet : BOAST
37
Ex-host Griffin : MERV
39
Black Halloween animal : CAT
40
French 101 word : LUI
41
Provider of support, for short : IRA
42
Much-debated political inits. : NRA
44
Sourpuss : CRAB
47
Malign : ASPERSE
50
"La Nausee" novelist : SARTRE
52
Sheiks' cliques : HAREMS
54
Bemoan : LAMENT
55
Popsicle color : ORANGE
56
Bird of prey : RAPTOR
58
10 on a scale of 1 to 10 : IDEAL
60
Family girl : SIS
62
Famous ___ : AMOS
63
Something to make on one's birthday : WISH
64
Regarding : ASTO
65
Quite a story : EPIC
66
Dublin's land : EIRE
69
___ Victor : RCA
70
Hullabaloo : DIN

Answer summary:
3 debuted here and reused later, 2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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