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

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.

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
78 ms