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New York Times, Thursday, December 30, 2021

Author:
John Ewbank
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
11-Down : Classic poem set in "bleak December"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
812/30/20217/21/20241
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
22001102
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.593334%
John Ewbank

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 Missing: {FJQ} This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Ewbank. Thursday freshness: 36%
John Ewbank notes:
As an interloping Brit more used to setting cryptic crosswords, venturing into the world of American puzzles during lockdown has been ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Curious that XXX can stand for so many things: ADULT movies, Roman numeral THIRTY, KISSES at the end of a letter, and markings on a ... read more
1
R
2
O
3
T
4
I
5
G
6
R
7
A
8
D
9
E
10
A
11
T
12
H
13
A
14
A
H
A
B
15
R
E
P
E
A
L
16
H
A
D
17
B
Y
T
E
18
A
D
U
L
T
T
19
E
E
T
H
20
B
E
A
T
21
S
M
E
22
O
A
R
E
D
23
I
A
M
24
I
M
A
25
C
26
O
S
C
A
R
27
T
H
I
28
R
T
Y
R
O
29
C
K
30
H
V
A
31
C
32
Y
E
S
33
E
O
S
34
E
D
U
35
A
36
P
37
S
E
S
38
X
X
X
39
S
40
A
N
E
R
41
S
E
T
42
W
I
I
43
D
I
P
44
H
E
A
45
D
46
K
I
S
47
S
E
S
B
48
U
49
T
50
T
51
P
Y
R
52
O
S
53
T
I
C
S
54
N
R
A
55
O
H
W
O
W
56
G
A
Y
57
I
C
O
N
58
B
O
O
Z
E
59
H
60
O
61
U
N
D
62
N
O
U
N
63
I
L
K
64
T
I
P
T
O
E
65
N
O
P
E
66
T
E
E
67
O
T
T
E
R
S
68
S
L
E
D
© 2021, The New York Times12/30/21 ( No. 26,350 )
Across
1
Flatbread from India : ROTI
5
Top-notch : GRADEA
11
"J to ___ L-O!" (Jennifer Lopez album) : THA
14
Captain who cries "From hell's heart I stab at thee" : AHAB
15
What the 21st Amendment achieved : REPEAL
16
Conned : HAD
17
Tiny bit of information : BYTE
18
They stay and bite : ADULTTEETH
20
"No clue" : BEATSME
22
Propelled from a bench : OARED
23
Words declared before and after "what" : IAM
24
Product whose first commercial was notably narrated by Jeff Goldblum : IMAC
26
___-worthy : OSCAR
27
Emmy-winning comedy series of 2007, 2008 and 2009 : THIRTYROCK
30
Climate control system, in brief : HVAC
32
"Certainly" : YES
33
Goddess often depicted with wings : EOS
34
URL ending : EDU
35
Places people speak in whispers : APSES
38
Symbol for the starts of 18-, 27-, 46- and 58-Across : XXX
39
Sounder : SANER
41
Having everything one needs : SET
42
Nintendo console : WII
43
Part of many a ballroom dance : DIP
44
Beer topper : HEAD
46
Gains favor using abject flattery, informally : KISSESBUTT
51
Fire starters, for short : PYROS
53
Idiosyncrasies : TICS
54
New Deal inits. : NRA
55
"Man, that's something!" : OHWOW
56
Lady Gaga or Kylie Minogue : GAYICON
58
Souse : BOOZEHOUND
62
Animal, vegetable or mineral : NOUN
63
Class : ILK
64
Move stealthily : TIPTOE
65
"Huh-uh" : NOPE
66
Aid for driving : TEE
67
Evansville baseball team or Erie ice hockey team : OTTERS
68
Coaster : SLED
Down
1
Hutch occupant : RABBIT
2
Sarcastic "Is that so?" : OHYEAH
3
Japanese mat : TATAMI
4
"Um, sure" : IBET
5
Awards won by presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama : GRAMMYS
6
Sunfish with colorful gill covers : REDEAR
7
Shopkeeper on "The Simpsons" : APU
8
Joe Biden's home: Abbr. : DEL
9
Down : EAT
10
Choir section : ALTOS
11
Classic poem set in "bleak December" : THERAVEN
12
Virulent negativity, in modern parlance : HATERADE
13
Ritalin target, for short : ADHD
19
Per : EACH
21
Web destinations : SITES
25
Popular bumper sticker of the 2000s : COEXIST
26
Stamps, maybe : OKS
28
Ingredient in an old-fashioned : RYE
29
One facing the crew, informally : COX
31
Scoundrel : CUR
35
Remains to be seen? : ASH
36
Hotel door feature : PEEPHOLE
37
Social justice catchphrase : STAYWOKE
38
Spot on a sundial : XII
39
Actress Spacek : SISSY
40
Police dispatch, for short : APB
42
Calendar units: Abbr. : WKS
43
A long, long time : DECADES
45
"The ___ Show" (daytime TV staple beginning in 2009) : DROZ
47
Gentleman from Genoa : SIGNOR
48
Square : UNCOOL
49
Traveling performers : TROUPE
50
Showing evidence of a beach holiday : TANNED
52
Have because of : OWETO
55
Life after death? : OBIT
57
Public houses : INNS
59
Google result : HIT
60
Go (for) : OPT
61
Pac-12 Conference player : UTE

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle.

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