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New York Times, Saturday, December 25, 2021

Author:
Johan Vass
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
11-Down : "Bad Lieutenant" star
TotalDebutLatest
24/18/202112/25/2021
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1000001
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.672383%
Johan Vass

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 61, Blocks: 39 Missing: {QUX} Spans: 3, (1 triple stack) Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Vass. Saturday freshness: 76%
Johan Vass notes:
So nice to be back with my second puzzle — and on Christmas of all days to boot! I guess with a little bit of imagination, the grid is ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Grid art! I squinted as hard, and the spirit of St. Nick allowed me a Christmas tree for Dec. 25th. It's not nearly as tree-like as ... read more
1
P
2
H
3
O
4
T
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O
6
A
7
P
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P
9
S
10
T
H
E
N
E
W
B
L
A
C
11
K
12
S
H
O
R
T
S
W
E
A
T
H
E
13
R
14
P
L
I
N
T
H
S
15
T
S
E
L
I
O
16
T
17
I
O
N
I
Z
E
18
T
S
E
T
S
E
19
T
A
L
C
20
R
21
A
22
I
23
M
I
24
P
E
E
N
25
A
N
Y
26
J
A
M
P
A
C
27
K
28
L
S
D
29
G
O
D
F
O
R
B
I
30
D
31
O
O
H
I
M
S
C
A
R
E
32
D
33
R
H
I
N
O
34
G
I
V
E
35
S
36
T
E
E
N
S
37
M
38
A
39
P
40
N
I
C
A
41
D
42
A
T
M
S
43
M
O
M
O
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A
45
A
L
L
Y
46
M
E
G
A
47
C
O
R
P
O
R
48
A
T
I
O
N
49
E
L
E
N
A
D
E
L
L
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D
O
N
N
E
50
S
L
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V
E
L
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S
S
D
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S
© 2021, The New York Times12/25/21 ( No. 26,345 )
Across
1
Things you might snap on, nowadays : PHOTOAPPS
10
Something suddenly fashionable : THENEWBLACK
12
Welcome sign of spring : SHORTSWEATHER
14
Bases of support : PLINTHS
15
Writer whose initials, when doubled, become another answer in this puzzle : TSELIOT
17
Charge : IONIZE
18
Fly far, far away? : TSETSE
19
More familiar name for hydrated magnesium silicate : TALC
20
Sam who directed "A Simple Plan" : RAIMI
24
Ball ___ : PEEN
25
Body opening? : ANY
26
Stuff : JAMPACK
28
Subject of some MK-Ultra experiments : LSD
29
"Let's pray it never comes to that" : GODFORBID
31
Sarcastic response to an attempt at intimidation : OOHIMSCARED
33
Java has a rare species of one : RHINO
34
"What ___?" : GIVES
36
Members of filmdom's Breakfast Club : TEENS
37
The oldest known one was found carved into a mammoth tusk (∼25,000 B.C.) : MAP
40
Battery type : NICAD
42
They're filled with dough : ATMS
43
Aquaman portrayer : MOMOA
45
Side (with) : ALLY
46
Listing in the Fortune 100 : MEGACORPORATION
49
W.N.B.A. M.V.P. in 2015 and 2019 : ELENADELLEDONNE
50
Jumper, e.g. : SLEEVELESSDRESS
Down
1
Relating to sound : PHONIC
2
One cycle per second : HERTZ
3
1979 Donna Summer hit ... or where it was heard : ONTHERADIO
4
Model and body positivity activist Holliday : TESS
5
Pained expression : OWW
6
Help lift something, maybe? : ABET
7
Checkout choice : PLASTICBAG
8
Some spreads : PATES
9
Lug : SCHLEP
10
Bad way to be disguised : THINLY
11
"Bad Lieutenant" star : KEITEL
12
Dulcé ___, correspondent for "The Daily Show" beginning in 2017 : SLOAN
13
Classic "I messed up" gift : ROSES
14
Souvlaki go-with : PITA
16
Be behind bars? : TEND
21
Switch letters : AMFM
22
Some news on Wall St. : IPOS
23
Linguist Okrand who created Klingon : MARC
26
21 popes : JOHNS
27
Japanese beer : KIRIN
29
Lose it completely : GOINSANE
30
One straying from the norm : DEVIATOR
31
"No way!," spelled out in a text : OHEMGEE
32
Refuse : DECLINE
33
Pass on : RETELL
35
Places to get waxed : SALONS
36
Reins in : TAMES
37
Spongelike delicacy : MOREL
38
Enough : AMPLE
39
Cannonball targets : POOLS
41
Units equal to 10 micronewtons : DYNES
43
Manner : MODE
44
Father of many children with Aphrodite : ARES
47
Ohio pro athlete, informally : CAV
48
Kick in : ADD

Answer summary:
9 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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