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New York Times, Thursday, April 19, 2012

Author:
Sean Dobbin
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
8-Down : 10th-century Holy Roman emperor
TotalDebutLatest
54/19/20126/8/2016
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0101201
ScrabDebutFresh
1.492055%
Sean Dobbin

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 70, Blocks: 30 Missing: {JQXZ} Spans: 3 This is the debut puzzle for Mr. Dobbin. Thursday freshness: 93%
Sean Dobbin notes:

This is an example of old-school construction. Not because I'm some sort of crossword purist or anything — I simply had no idea what I was doing, or any clue that software existed that could potentially make this puzzle a whole lot better.

The puzzle was primarily made with paper and pencil, various Excel spreadsheets, a dictionary, and an outdated encyclopedia, mostly during my lunch breaks. It took forever, and the end result was kind of bland in retrospect, but I'm still pretty proud of it. In any case, Will saw something in it, accepted it (after rejecting seven or eight other submissions), and the rest is history. I've since purchased some software, gotten some great advice, done a lot of studying, and upped my game.

The original submission had LET'S ROLL at 50-Across, which was a problem because of the ROLL in 4-Down. This resulted in an editorial rewrite of much of the lower half. Most of the clues are not mine, but c'est la vie. I am responsible for the clues for 1-Across and 9-Down, which are my personal favorites.

Jim Horne notes:

As explained at 35-Across, the three long vertical answers have OUTSIDERS, read as OUTSIDE Rs. There is an R missing from the top and bottom of each so you have to draw them outside the grid.

1
C
2
A
3
P
4
O
5
P
6
R
7
E
8
O
9
P
10
E
11
S
12
T
13
D
14
A
L
E
C
15
H
A
S
T
O
16
L
E
E
R
17
S
I
N
K
18
I
S
I
T
I
19
I
L
S
E
20
S
A
N
A
21
A
22
E
G
O
N
23
G
E
T
S
24
A
S
A
N
T
25
E
26
N
I
T
27
P
I
C
K
S
28
V
E
N
D
E
T
29
T
A
30
B
O
O
T
I
E
31
A
S
T
R
32
A
U
T
33
O
34
O
U
S
T
S
35
O
36
U
T
S
I
D
37
E
R
S
38
V
39
I
40
A
L
S
41
H
O
E
R
42
R
43
E
44
D
45
O
46
A
N
N
L
E
47
E
48
N
A
I
49
L
E
D
U
P
50
S
E
T
S
S
A
51
I
L
52
S
A
F
I
R
E
53
T
R
O
I
54
S
K
E
55
W
56
C
O
T
A
N
57
E
R
I
N
58
I
N
T
O
59
W
60
R
I
B
S
61
S
O
N
G
62
N
O
T
R
E
63
M
O
L
E
64
T
R
E
E
65
G
W
E
N
S
66
E
N
Y
A
© 2012, The New York Times4/19/12 ( No. 22,808 )
Across
1
It can change one's tune : CAPO
5
Before the procedure, informally : PREOP
10
Abbr. on many a cornerstone : ESTD
14
___ Trevelyan, villain in the James Bond film "GoldenEye" : ALEC
15
Must : HASTO
16
Wolf whistle accompanier, maybe : LEER
17
Put in the hole : SINK
18
Question asked in Matthew 26:22 : ISITI
19
Actress Steppat of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" : ILSE
20
World capital at 7,200+ feet elevation : SANAA
22
Certain Ghostbuster : EGON
23
Groks : GETS
24
"Thank you," in Swahili : ASANTE
26
Carps : NITPICKS
28
Blood feud : VENDETTA
30
One of a pair of items often given at a baby shower : BOOTIE
31
Stellar start? : ASTR
32
"Das ___" (Volkswagen slogan) : AUTO
34
Shows the door : OUSTS
35
Nonmembers ... or what 4-, 7- and 10-Down lack? : OUTSIDERS
38
Pharmacy stock : VIALS
41
Part of a landscaping team : HOER
42
Makeover : REDO
46
Old Shaker leader : ANNLEE
48
Like horseshoes on barn doors : NAILEDUP
50
Embarks : SETSSAIL
52
He once wrote "Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague" : SAFIRE
53
"Star Trek: T.N.G." role : TROI
54
Slant : SKEW
56
Trig function : COTAN
57
Blarney source : ERIN
58
Following behind : INTOW
60
Barbecue fare : RIBS
61
It may be broken into on Broadway : SONG
62
Jean-Luc Godard film "___ Musique" : NOTRE
63
Spymaster's worry : MOLE
64
Put in a difficult spot : TREE
65
Music's Stefani and others : GWENS
66
Recording artist made famous by the BBC series "The Celts" : ENYA
Down
1
Tapioca source : CASSAVA
2
Ellery Queen and others : ALIASES
3
It's decided in the fall : PENNANT
4
Checker or Domino : ROCKANDROLLSINGER
5
Fraternity character : PHI
6
Destroy, in Devon : RASE
7
It may include two weeks' notice : RESIGNATIONLETTER
8
10th-century Holy Roman emperor : OTTOI
9
End of many trips : POINTB
10
John Calvin, e.g. : RELIGIOUSREFORMER
11
Superior things : SELECTS
12
Drug or DNA home-use set : TESTKIT
13
Does a morning routine : DRESSES
21
Corroded : ATE
25
Floride, par exemple : ETAT
27
Ones protected by a safety net, with "the" : POOR
29
Bottom : TUSH
33
Ancient concert halls : ODEA
36
Gets high, say : USES
37
Dwarf planet beyond Pluto : ERIS
38
Most widespread : VASTEST
39
Mistakenly : INERROR
40
Fats Domino's real first name : ANTOINE
43
Dictionary specification : EDITION
44
So as to last : DURABLY
45
It's far from shore : OPENSEA
47
Providing relief for : EASING
49
___ Neuchâtel : LAC
51
"You don't have to tell me" : IKNOW
55
Old-looking : WORN
59
Montgomery of jazz : WES

Answer summary:
4 unique to this puzzle, 2 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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