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DROPPING THE BALL

New York Times, Sunday, December 30, 2001

Author:
Elizabeth C. Gorski
Editor:
Will Shortz
74-Down : Exam for a doc-to-be
TotalDebutLatest
2197/31/19952/23/2016
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
6716363439243
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
30221.541,51454%
Elizabeth C. Gorski

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 78 This is puzzle # 85 for Ms. Gorski. Sunday freshness: 92%
1
A
2
R
3
A
4
B
5
I
6
A
7
B
8
O
9
A
10
Q
11
U
12
E
13
I
14
C
15
E
16
M
17
A
18
N
19
L
O
U
A
N
N
20
O
K
S
21
E
T
A
22
S
H
R
I
N
E
23
I
T
L
L
D
O
24
W
E
S
25
TEN
D
E
R
26
B
I
R
D
I
E
27
S
O
D
D
E
D
28
L
E
O
NINE
29
H
U
M
A
N
30
L
U
N
E
31
F
R
EIGHT
32
D
33
I
E
T
E
T
I
34
C
35
S
36
S
37
M
A
R
T
38
G
E
T
SEVEN
39
W
I
T
H
40
R
I
G
B
Y
41
E
E
N
42
E
43
T
44
T
A
45
SIX
E
R
S
46
A
A
C
H
E
N
47
E
G
G
48
R
A
I
T
49
T
50
FIVE
S
T
A
51
R
S
52
T
R
S
53
S
A
S
54
E
55
P
E
T
I
56
T
FOUR
57
B
A
T
58
T
59
Y
60
A
B
Y
S
61
S
E
S
62
T
O
THREE
63
R
O
W
H
O
U
64
S
65
E
66
S
67
W
I
N
T
E
R
68
D
O
N
TWO
69
R
R
Y
70
M
A
R
I
N
E
71
S
T
E
E
R
A
72
G
E
S
73
ONE
A
S
74
M
A
N
I
P
L
E
75
S
A
C
R
A
76
I
N
T
77
A
C
T
78
S
C
A
T
79
M
80
A
81
P
82
K
O
R
83
B
84
U
T
85
A
W
A
I
86
T
87
H
R
H
88
A
G
A
89
T
90
E
S
91
S
A
P
S
92
E
T
C
H
93
A
G
E
94
L
U
R
I
D
95
F
I
R
S
TWO
96
R
97
L
D
98
A
99
R
M
E
D
100
I
N
T
R
U
101
D
E
R
S
102
O
O
O
103
S
T
O
P
104
Y
E
A
R
N
105
O
A
R
106
S
107
U
S
U
A
108
L
109
S
110
A
111
S
H
O
R
E
112
L
113
A
114
S
TWO
R
D
S
115
R
A
G
G
L
E
116
F
R
A
U
D
S
117
I
D
O
118
E
E
R
119
G
L
E
N
D
A
120
L
O
T
T
O
S
121
Z
E
N
122
D
D
S
123
E
L
D
E
S
T
© 2001, The New York Times12/30/1 ( No. 19,045 )
Across
1
Where the Ishmaelites dwelled : ARABIA
7
Fluffy scarf : BOA
10
With 61-Down, start of a 1956 song title : QUE
13
Guy with a cool job? : ICEMAN
19
Gomer's TV ladyfriend : LOUANN
20
Green lights : OKS
21
In-flight info, for short : ETA
22
House of prayer : SHRINE
23
"That's enough, I guess ..." : ITLLDO
24
London resident : WESTENDER
26
Shoot one under : BIRDIE
27
Like some new lawns : SODDED
28
Catty? : LEONINE
29
Kind of cannonball : HUMAN
30
Debussy's "Clair de ___" : LUNE
31
Boatload : FREIGHT
32
Food science : DIETETICS
36
On the ball : SMART
38
Pays back : GETSEVENWITH
40
Eleanor in a Beatles hit : RIGBY
41
Poetic dusk : EEN
42
Jazz singer James : ETTA
45
Philly team : SIXERS
46
German cathedral city : AACHEN
47
Silly Putty container : EGG
48
"Luck of the Draw" singer : RAITT
50
General assembly? : FIVESTARS
52
___-80 (classic computer) : TRS
53
Postpaid enc. : SASE
55
It's a piece of cake : PETITFOUR
57
Crackers : BATTY
60
Chasms : ABYSSES
62
How some parents count as a warning : TOTHREE
63
Urban dwellings : ROWHOUSES
67
When stratocumulus clouds are most common : WINTER
68
"Everything's going to be OK!" : DONTWORRY
70
Devil dog : MARINE
71
Ships' quarters : STEERAGES
73
Some draft picks : ONEAS
74
Subdivision of a legion, in ancient Rome : MANIPLE
75
Back bones : SACRA
76
Whole : INTACT
78
"Out!" : SCAT
79
It may come with a key : MAP
82
Gymnastics legend : KORBUT
85
Expect : AWAIT
87
Letters at Buckingham Palace : HRH
88
Small types : AGATES
91
Ninnies : SAPS
92
Emulate Rembrandt : ETCH
93
Bio stat : AGE
94
Shocking : LURID
95
The industrialized nations : FIRSTWORLD
98
Packing : ARMED
100
They're not on the guest list : INTRUDERS
102
New pedometer reading : OOO
103
Organ knob : STOP
104
Hanker : YEARN
105
They can make waves : OARS
107
Certain drink orders : USUALS
110
On the beach : ASHORE
112
Some are famous : LASTWORDS
115
___-taggle (motley) : RAGGLE
116
Super dupers? : FRAUDS
117
Declaration that leaves one in a bind? : IDO
118
Market close : EER
119
Oscar winner Jackson : GLENDA
120
Numbers games : LOTTOS
121
School of Buddhism : ZEN
122
Filling pro, for short : DDS
123
Child with responsibilities, traditionally : ELDEST
Down
1
Noted boxing family : ALIS
2
___-Rooter : ROTO
3
Celebratory air : AULDLANGSYNE
4
Son of Odin : BALDUR
5
One leaving space : INDENTER
6
Battery part : ANODE
7
Mixing site : BOWL
8
Danny who sang "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" : OKEEFE
9
Categorize : ASSORT
10
Math abbr. : QED
11
Colorado native : UTE
12
Corn serving : EAR
13
"Life ___ a dream" : ISBUT
14
Mythical monster : CHIMERA
15
Mercurial : ERRATIC
16
Time to celebrate : MIDNIGHT
17
Cuckoo : ANI
18
Born, on the society page : NEE
25
Cry heard shortly before 16-Down : TENNINEEIGHTSEVENSIXFIVEFOURTHREETWOONEITSTWOOOTWO
29
"They'll never suspect me!" : HEH
32
Gossip fodder : DIRT
33
Delivery notice? : ITSABOY
34
Good buddy : CBER
35
Thesaurus wds. : SYNS
36
Fulcrum locales : SEESAWS
37
Quantity of data : MEGABIT
38
Global commerce org. : GATT
39
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" crew member : WES
43
Audiophiles' purchases : TAPERACKS
44
Relationships : TIES
46
Inhaler user : ASTHMATIC
49
Puente and Jackson : TITOS
51
Before adjustments, as in statistics : RAW
54
___ Park : ESTES
56
Heap : TON
58
Means ___ end : TOAN
59
Andropov and Gagarin : YURIS
61
See 10-Across : SERA
63
B. & O. stop: Abbr. : RRSTA
64
What a celebrant may do at 16-Down : SIPCHAMPAGNE
65
Supersize : ENLARGE
66
Boiled : SEETHED
68
Letter opener : DEARSIR
69
Scampered : RAN
72
Miracle-___ : GRO
74
Exam for a doc-to-be : MCAT
77
Blown away : AWED
79
Landlocked land : MALI
80
Son of ___ : AGUN
81
Celebration accessory : PARTYHAT
83
Buds may be produced in them : BARS
84
Bull markets : UPS
86
"No more!" : THATSALL
89
Exhaust : TIREOUT
90
___ Frei, Chilean leader succeeded by Allende : EDUARDO
95
Marshy area : FEN
96
Thundered : ROARED
97
Domineered, with "it" : LORDED
99
Red-faced? : ROUGED
101
Kind of rehearsal : DRESS
103
Super power? : SURGE
106
Georgia et al., once: Abbr. : SSRS
108
Degrees for attys. : LLDS
109
Stock exchange buy : SEAT
110
Half of a 1955 merger: Abbr. : AFL
111
Sellout sign : SRO
112
Model Hurley, to friends : LIZ
113
Fruity drink : ADE
114
George W., to George : SON

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle, 8 debuted here and reused later, 5 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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