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

New York Times, Monday, December 4, 2017

Author:
Alan Arbesfeld
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
44-Down : Drop precipitously
TotalDebutLatest
1338/27/19814/1/2024
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
2511253728151
RebusScrabDebutPre‑WSFresh
51.59618943%
Alan Arbesfeld

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 36 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 119 for Mr. Arbesfeld. Monday freshness: 40%
Jeff Chen notes:
Tidy start to the week, a consistent "*AY IT *" pattern featuring some snazzy theme phrases. SAY IT AINT SO is fantastic, as are PLAY ... read more
1
P
2
I
3
T
4
A
5
S
6
T
7
U
8
N
9
E
10
R
11
T
12
E
13
N
14
E
C
O
L
I
15
A
L
A
M
O
16
U
N
O
17
S
A
Y
I
T
18
A
I
N
T
S
O
19
N
U
T
20
C
H
E
21
R
C
A
S
22
F
23
L
A
M
E
24
I
N
D
25
E
26
P
T
H
27
C
E
A
S
E
28
P
A
Y
I
29
T
30
F
O
R
W
A
R
31
D
32
N
33
A
34
S
A
L
35
R
A
M
36
S
L
A
Y
37
E
S
T
38
M
39
A
40
Y
I
T
B
41
E
42
A
T
E
43
I
P
A
44
D
45
V
E
T
46
A
47
I
D
E
D
48
L
A
Y
I
49
T
O
N
T
50
H
51
I
C
K
52
R
A
V
E
N
53
A
C
H
E
54
F
55
O
56
R
57
S
A
L
E
M
58
B
59
A
B
E
60
I
S
A
61
A
G
E
62
P
63
L
A
Y
I
T
64
B
65
Y
E
A
R
66
S
U
R
67
T
O
L
E
T
68
R
A
N
G
E
69
H
S
T
70
S
W
I
S
S
71
R
Y
D
E
R
© 2017, The New York Times12/4/17 ( No. 24,863 )
Across
1
Falafel holders : PITAS
6
Piano technician : TUNER
11
Start of a countdown : TEN
14
Food-spoiling bacterium : ECOLI
15
"Remember the ___!" : ALAMO
16
Party card game : UNO
17
"Tell me the rumors are false!" : SAYITAINTSO
19
Kook : NUT
20
Revolutionary Guevara : CHE
21
Some HDTVs : RCAS
22
Glowing part of a fire : FLAME
24
Comprehensive, as a report : INDEPTH
27
Put an end to : CEASE
28
2000 Kevin Spacey/Helen Hunt film : PAYITFORWARD
32
Sounding congested : NASAL
35
Smash into : RAM
36
Leave rolling in the aisles : SLAY
37
Approximation: Abbr. : EST
38
Oscar-nominated Enya song from 2001's "The Lord of the Rings" : MAYITBE
42
Was out to lunch? : ATE
43
Apple tablet : IPAD
45
Dog doc : VET
46
Helped out : AIDED
48
Offer effusive praise : LAYITONTHICK
52
Poe poem that starts "Once upon a midnight dreary," with "The" : RAVEN
53
Long to have : ACHEFOR
57
Capital of Oregon : SALEM
58
Sweetie pie : BABE
60
"That ___ lie!" : ISA
61
Get older : AGE
62
Improvise : PLAYITBYEAR
66
California's Big ___ : SUR
67
Sign on a boardinghouse window : TOLET
68
Cowboys' home : RANGE
69
D.D.E.'s predecessor : HST
70
Cheese with holes : SWISS
71
Actress Winona of "Stranger Things" : RYDER
Down
1
Actor Joe of "My Cousin Vinny" : PESCI
2
Corporate raider Carl : ICAHN
3
Trifled (with) : TOYED
4
Three-time Frazier foe : ALI
5
Take a load off : SIT
6
Chinese martial art : TAICHI
7
Neighbor of the radius : ULNA
8
Yanks : New York :: ___ : Washington : NATS
9
Letters on an ambulance : EMS
10
One whose work is on the house? : ROOFER
11
Popular sandwich order : TUNASALAD
12
Make a list of : ENUMERATE
13
Do, re or mi : NOTE
18
Pretentiously showy : ARTY
23
Clean Air Act and others : LAWS
25
Clean Air Act org. : EPA
26
It may be read by a psychic : PALM
27
Grooming implement : COMB
29
Travis of country music : TRITT
30
Liposuction target : FAT
31
Not naturally red-haired, e.g. : DYED
32
Singer Diamond or Young : NEIL
33
Spears at the dinner table : ASPARAGUS
34
"Keep your eyes open!" : STAYALERT
39
Stratford-upon-___ : AVON
40
Hankering : YEN
41
Per person : EACH
44
Drop precipitously : DIVE
47
D.D.E., familiarly : IKE
49
Lures : TEMPTS
50
Bad ones are hard to break : HABITS
51
Rapper-turned-TV actor : ICET
54
Wicked one : FIEND
55
___ orange : OSAGE
56
Harder to find : RARER
57
Pageant wrap : SASH
58
Indonesian tourist destination : BALI
59
Naval agreements? : AYES
63
Like a pitch between the ankles and knees : LOW
64
"It's f-f-freezing!" : BRR
65
"Yippee!" : YAY

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later.

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
64 ms