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New York Times, Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Author:
Joe Krozel
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
1-Down : Stove feature
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
877/7/20066/14/201815
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4147242621
CircleScrabDebutFresh
51.4849785%
Joe Krozel

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 86, Blocks: 45 Missing: {BCFGHJKQUWXYZ} This is puzzle # 17 for Mr. Krozel. Tuesday freshness: 24%
Joe Krozel notes:

A lot of people really marvel at this puzzle, but my feelings are somewhat mixed. At the time it ran, I did not know that a fellow constructor Jerry Rosman had attempted the same thing, so I felt his aspirations might have been dashed, and I felt a little sad.

Construction of this puzzle took a logical path: first, build a word list having only entries that can be reversed, then try to autofill a small closed-off region — moving around black squares with each attempt — until it would fill. Next, move onto an adjacent region of the puzzle doing the same thing. Only half the puzzle needed to be filled this way since the remainder was automatically the reversal. The main problem was making sure that entries and their reversals — say ETRE and ERTE — didn't appear in the same half of the puzzle. Lots of trial and error.

Jim Horne notes:

There's something very unusual about this puzzle. Click the grid to turn it upside down. Wordplay has an interview with the author.

1
T
2
E
3
D
4
S
5
A
6
T
7
R
8
A
9
T
10
E
11
R
12
I
L
E
13
E
N
I
14
D
15
T
A
R
A
R
A
16
M
I
N
17
D
I
D
I
18
R
E
T
R
A
P
19
E
D
I
20
S
O
N
21
A
22
M
O
23
P
T
S
24
R
E
M
A
N
25
S
P
I
T
26
O
27
N
28
S
A
29
I
L
E
D
30
N
O
31
N
32
E
33
T
34
E
35
R
36
I
E
37
D
A
R
38
L
A
M
I
N
A
39
T
E
S
40
N
O
V
41
V
O
N
42
S
E
T
43
A
N
I
44
M
A
L
45
R
A
D
46
E
I
R
E
47
T
E
N
O
N
48
D
E
L
I
49
A
S
50
N
O
51
T
I
P
S
52
N
A
53
M
54
E
55
R
56
S
57
T
58
P
59
O
M
A
60
N
O
S
I
D
E
61
P
A
R
62
T
63
E
R
64
I
65
D
I
D
66
N
I
M
67
A
R
A
R
A
T
68
D
I
N
E
69
E
L
I
70
R
E
T
A
R
71
T
A
S
72
D
E
T
© 2008, The New York Times12/23/8 ( No. 21,595 )
Across
1
A Turner : TED
4
Plopped (down) : SAT
7
Critic, at times : RATER
12
Seine sight : ILE
13
Oklahoma city : ENID
15
"Boom" preceder, in song : TARARA
16
Unit of cell phone usage: Abbr. : MIN
17
Actress Conn : DIDI
18
Snare again : RETRAP
19
The Wizard of Menlo Park : EDISON
21
Start of a Latin 101 conjugation : AMO
23
Liquid meas. : PTS
24
Staff again : REMAN
25
Show utter disrespect for : SPITON
28
Went smoothly : SAILED
30
Three trios : NONET
34
City of 100,000+ or the lake it's on : ERIE
37
Patriotic org. : DAR
38
Thin layer : LAMINA
39
Parisian possessive : TES
40
Thanksgiving time: Abbr. : NOV
41
Rocket scientist Wernher ___ Braun : VON
42
Firm up : SET
43
One with absolutely no manners : ANIMAL
45
"Awesome!" : RAD
46
Limerick land : EIRE
47
Part of some joints : TENON
48
Screenwriter Ephron and others : DELIAS
50
Policy of many hotel shuttles : NOTIPS
52
Title giver : NAMER
56
Engine additive : STP
59
Medical suffix : OMA
60
Main course only : NOSIDE
61
Moses vis-à-vis the Red Sea : PARTER
64
"Look what ___!" : IDID
66
Game with matchsticks : NIM
67
Biblical landing site : ARARAT
68
Eat by candlelight, say : DINE
69
Whitney after whom Whitneyville, Conn., is named : ELI
70
Pave over : RETAR
71
Univ. aides : TAS
72
Badge flasher: Abbr. : DET
Down
1
Stove feature : TIMER
2
Skip over : ELIDE
3
Shade of blue : DENIM
4
Arizona locale famous for its red rocks : SEDONA
5
Have ___ with (know well) : ANIN
6
Prescription abbr. : TID
7
"Norma ___" : RAE
8
Technique : ART
9
Rain check? : TARP
10
Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT
11
Criticizes : RAPS
14
It's a wrap : DIAPER
15
Easy pace : TROT
20
MS. enclosure : SASE
22
Season opener? : MID
25
Balkan native : SLAV
26
___ even keel : ONAN
27
Monique ou Dominique : NOM
29
Object of many screams : IDOL
31
Not final, at law : NISI
32
Cabinet dept. : ENER
33
Gallery on the Thames : TATE
34
Coup d'___ : ETAT
35
Descartes who thought "I think ..." : RENE
36
Hasn't left : ISIN
38
City in California or New Jersey : LODI
40
iPod type : NANO
41
Actor Kilmer and others : VALS
44
"___ Dieu!" : MON
45
Made good on, as a loan : REPAID
46
Those, in Madrid : ESAS
48
Unfavorable : DIM
49
Battery poles : ANODES
51
Libel, e.g. : TORT
53
Dug : MINED
54
Ancient Roman magistrate : EDILE
55
"Please ___" (invoice request) : REMIT
56
Fight, but not all-out : SPAR
57
Weight allowance : TARE
58
Backside, slangily : PRAT
60
Jazz singer Simone : NINA
62
La preceder : TRA
63
Ring setting : EAR
65
Dah's counterpart : DIT

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

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