This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

New York Times, Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Author:
Ed Sessa
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
12-Down : "The Lord of the Rings" fiend
TotalDebutLatest
449/10/20075/6/2021
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
41278652
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
461.6417949%
Edward Sessa

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 34 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 40 for Mr. Sessa. Tuesday freshness: 56%
Edward Sessa notes:
Da Vinci described poetry as "a painting which is heard but not seen." POETRY was my initial revealer for this puzzle but was nixed. I ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
"Name That Theme" defeated me today, in a pleasing way. Maybe I should have been able to figure it out — HERD, BUTT, KNOT, and SCENE ... read more
1
S
2
T
3
A
4
R
5
R
6
S
7
A
8
D
9
P
10
E
11
R
12
O
13
N
14
H
O
S
E
A
15
L
I
E
16
S
T
A
R
E
17
A
N
T
E
D
18
A
N
N
19
O
Y
A
N
C
E
20
H
E
R
D
I
21
N
S
T
I
N
C
T
22
S
R
O
23
O
O
H
24
M
E
H
25
A
26
L
27
B
28
E
A
T
M
29
E
30
L
E
31
S
T
E
R
32
B
33
U
34
T
T
D
I
A
L
35
S
36
D
I
A
N
A
37
A
S
O
U
38
T
R
A
P
39
S
40
B
R
I
G
41
R
H
O
D
42
E
43
K
N
O
T
44
T
Y
I
N
G
45
G
E
N
E
V
46
A
47
D
R
O
O
L
48
E
R
S
49
A
B
50
S
51
T
A
T
52
A
53
R
54
F
55
S
C
E
N
56
E
S
T
E
57
A
L
E
R
58
A
59
D
60
N
A
U
S
E
A
M
61
B
R
I
D
E
62
V
O
I
C
E
63
A
V
E
64
A
C
T
O
R
65
A
W
A
K
E
66
K
E
N
67
G
O
O
S
E
© 2019, The New York Times12/3/19 ( No. 25,592 )
Across
1
Bart who was the first Super Bowl M.V.P. : STARR
6
In a funk : SAD
9
Evita who was played by Madonna : PERON
14
Civil rights leader Williams, who was an associate of Martin Luther King Jr. : HOSEA
15
Piece of fiction : LIE
16
Intent look : STARE
17
Started the kitty : ANTED
18
Pebble in one's shoe, e.g. : ANNOYANCE
20
*Inclination to follow the majority : HERDINSTINCT
22
Sign of a theatrical hit : SRO
23
Lead-in to "la-la" : OOH
24
"Couldn't care less" : MEH
25
Liturgical vestment : ALB
28
Wonderland cake words : EATME
30
News anchor Holt : LESTER
32
*Phones inadvertently : BUTTDIALS
36
Mother of Prince Harry : DIANA
37
Not worth ___ (valueless) : ASOU
38
Hazards on the links : TRAPS
40
Prison at sea : BRIG
41
___ Island Red (chicken) : RHODE
43
*Boy Scout handbook topic : KNOTTYING
45
League of Nations city : GENEVA
47
Soak one's bib : DROOL
48
Sounds of hesitation : ERS
49
"Six-pack" muscles : ABS
51
Bit of body art : TAT
52
Comics bark : ARF
55
*One upstaging a star, say : SCENESTEALER
58
On and on and on ... : ADNAUSEAM
61
One of two on some wedding cakes : BRIDE
62
With 64-Across, performer who is like the words sounded out at the starts of the answers to the four starred clues : VOICE
63
Greeting in old Rome : AVE
64
See 62-Across : ACTOR
65
No longer in dreamland : AWAKE
66
Barbie's beau : KEN
67
V-formation flier : GOOSE
Down
1
Persian rulers : SHAHS
2
Skin care product : TONER
3
N.L. pennant winner in 2005 and A.L. pennant winner in 2017 and 2019 : ASTRO
4
Marsh plant : REED
5
Commercial that might have a jingle : RADIOAD
6
Punctuation that may mean "or" : SLASHMARK
7
Nonstandard negative : AINT
8
Bib overalls material : DENIM
9
Pumped up, so to speak : PSYCHED
10
Florida, e.g., to the French : ETAT
11
Took to one's heels : RAN
12
"The Lord of the Rings" fiend : ORC
13
Born, in Bordeaux : NEE
19
Like Nash's lama : ONEL
21
Cry in a game of tag : NOTIT
25
Arcade game pioneer : ATARI
26
Leader on view in Red Square : LENIN
27
Fort ___, North Carolina : BRAGG
28
Chopin exercise : ETUDE
29
Serengeti antelope : ELAND
31
Seeress of ancient Greece : SIBYL
32
Erie Canal craft : BARGE
33
Helper at a wedding : USHER
34
Tweety and Sylvester, for two : TOONS
35
Guys who fish or hunt, say : SPORTSMEN
39
Ermine, by another name : STOAT
42
One fleeing a flood, perhaps : EVACUEE
44
Common promotional giveaway : TOTEBAG
46
$5 bills, slangily : ABES
50
Go furtively : SNEAK
52
Bush 43 Supreme Court appointee : ALITO
53
Second chances, casually : REDOS
54
"___ Jacques" : FRERE
55
Give the ax : SACK
56
Rain gutter site : EAVE
57
With the bow, musically : ARCO
58
"Selma" director DuVernay : AVA
59
Wall Street index, with "the" : DOW
60
Long of 2004's "Alfie" : NIA

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
84 ms