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SPACED OUT

New York Times, Sunday, April 20, 2008

Author:
John Farmer
Editor:
Will Shortz
138-Down : "May ___ now?"
TotalDebutLatest
331/25/20061/29/2015
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
21361083
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
271.6417668%
John Farmer

This puzzle:

Rows: 23, Columns: 23 Words: 170, Blocks: 104 Missing: {Q} This is puzzle # 12 for Mr. Farmer. Sunday freshness: 12%
Notepad: When the puzzle is done, the letters in the following squares spell a bonus phrase: 7A - 3rd letter, 31A - 5th, 65A - 4th, 104A - 6th, 136A - 3rd, 151A - 1st, 149A - 4th, 133A - 4th, 100A - 1st, 62A - 1st, 29A - 6th
Jim Horne notes:

Following the convoluted notepad instructions yields the bonus phrase SOLAR SYSTEM. Note that the planets spelled out in the circles are listed in order of mean distance from the sun.

The instructions in the print version of the puzzle are far more elegant. The squares indicated in the notepad are shaded light grey and the clue for 9 Down reads "Center of many revolutions (whose first letter starts a bonus phrase reading clockwise around the shaded squares.)"

1
R
2
E
3
S
4
Y
5
A
6
Z
7
L
8
A
9
S
10
T
11
S
12
P
13
C
14
A
15
A
16
S
17
P
18
O
C
T
19
U
R
E
20
U
S
U
A
21
L
22
A
L
A
N
23
M
P
H
24
T
H
E
25
A
M
E
R
26
I
C
A
N
C
E
27
N
T
U
R
Y
28
O
R
O
29
S
H
O
L
O
M
30
O
R
R
31
A
M
I
N
O
32
A
N
I
T
33
R
K
E
L
L
Y
34
E
V
E
35
R
36
Y
37
T
H
I
N
G
M
38
U
S
T
G
O
39
S
O
D
A
40
I
D
S
41
E
A
R
42
E
S
S
A
I
43
Z
44
E
N
45
F
R
U
46
S
47
T
48
A
49
A
F
L
50
O
51
W
52
T
53
H
54
E
55
C
A
T
C
56
H
57
E
58
R
I
N
T
H
E
R
59
Y
60
E
61
A
L
S
O
62
E
U
R
O
P
E
63
E
L
O
64
H
E
N
M
A
N
65
V
A
I
L
66
A
G
O
G
67
A
X
I
O
68
M
69
S
70
B
O
A
S
T
71
O
D
E
D
72
R
O
S
S
73
I
74
N
I
75
S
M
O
K
76
E
A
N
D
M
I
77
R
R
O
R
S
78
D
O
R
79
M
80
L
I
V
81
A
I
R
E
82
J
83
U
84
M
85
P
I
N
T
O
86
T
87
H
E
F
I
88
R
89
E
90
N
E
C
91
K
92
T
93
I
94
E
95
E
R
O
O
96
E
A
T
I
T
97
F
L
U
T
98
I
E
99
E
A
S
T
100
T
I
T
S
101
O
X
I
D
E
102
S
103
E
R
R
104
P
105
O
R
T
I
A
106
E
C
H
T
107
F
I
V
E
S
T
108
A
109
R
R
E
S
110
T
A
U
R
A
N
T
111
S
H
E
D
112
S
113
E
S
T
A
T
E
114
R
P
I
115
R
O
A
116
S
117
T
118
R
A
N
119
S
120
P
Y
121
H
122
E
123
E
124
L
125
V
126
A
N
C
O
U
V
127
E
128
R
129
C
A
N
U
130
C
K
S
131
P
132
A
I
R
U
P
133
I
B
I
S
134
M
I
N
E
O
135
Y
A
Y
136
L
Y
R
I
C
S
137
J
A
G
138
I
N
D
E
P
E
139
N
140
D
141
E
N
T
C
142
O
U
N
S
E
L
143
A
S
H
144
G
E
O
M
145
N
A
O
M
I
146
H
U
T
147
C
P
I
148
Y
E
T
149
O
R
L
Y
150
B
M
O
C
151
S
R
O
152
H
A
D
© 2008, The New York Times4/20/8 ( No. 21,348 )
Across
1
Thing in a case : RES
4
1960s-'80s Red Sox legend, informally : YAZ
7
In the cellar : LAST
11
Org. that promotes adoption : SPCA
15
"Poor venomous fool," in "Antony and Cleopatra" : ASP
18
Pumpkin-picking time: Abbr. : OCT
19
"Sons and Lovers" Oscar nominee Mary : URE
20
Expected : USUAL
22
King of comedy : ALAN
23
Going rate?: Abbr. : MPH
24
1941 Henry Luce article that coined a name for an era : THEAMERICANCENTURY
28
Barcelona Olympics prize : ORO
29
Tevye creator ___ Aleichem : SHOLOM
30
Eight-time Norris Trophy winner : ORR
31
Protein acid, informally : AMINO
32
Have ___ to pick : ANIT
33
Celine Dion's "I'm Your Angel" duet partner : RKELLY
34
Closeout come-on : EVERYTHINGMUSTGO
39
Designated driver's drink : SODA
40
Badges, e.g., in brief : IDS
41
___ candy (some pop tunes) : EAR
42
Work of Seigneur de Montaigne : ESSAI
43
"Your Moment of ___" ("The Daily Show" feature) : ZEN
45
Truncated cones, in math : FRUSTA
49
Streaming : AFLOW
52
Novel that ends "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody" : THECATCHERINTHERYE
61
Not to mention : ALSO
62
Atlas section : EUROPE
63
"Roll Over Beethoven" band, for short : ELO
64
1990s-2000s English tennis star Tim : HENMAN
65
Rocky Mountains resort : VAIL
66
Wide-eyed : AGOG
67
First principles : AXIOMS
70
"I'm king of the world!," e.g. : BOAST
71
Exceeded the speed limit? : ODED
72
"Tancredi" composer : ROSSINI
75
Artful deception : SMOKEANDMIRRORS
78
State quarters? : DORM
80
Actress Ullmann : LIV
81
Suffix with billion : AIRE
82
1972 Harry Nilsson hit : JUMPINTOTHEFIRE
90
Windsor, e.g. : NECKTIE
95
Switch finish? : EROO
96
Absorb a loss : EATIT
97
1984 Heisman winner : FLUTIE
99
Orient : EAST
100
Chickadees' kin : TITS
101
Laughing gas and water, chemically : OXIDES
103
Mess up : ERR
104
Lover in "The Merchant of Venice" : PORTIA
106
Genuine: Ger. : ECHT
107
Prime eatery : FIVESTARRESTAURANT
111
Sloughs off : SHEDS
113
You can't take it with you : ESTATE
114
Upstate N.Y. sch. : RPI
115
Tribute in jest : ROAST
118
Managed : RAN
119
Sneak a peek : SPY
121
Boot part : HEEL
125
Stanley Cup finalists of 1982 and 1994 : VANCOUVERCANUCKS
131
Couple : PAIRUP
133
Long-legged wader : IBIS
134
He played Krupa in "The Gene Krupa Story" : MINEO
135
"You did it!" : YAY
136
Lorenz Hart specialty : LYRICS
137
Pricey sports car, informally : JAG
138
Head of a special government inquiry : INDEPENDENTCOUNSEL
143
Hard wood : ASH
144
Math. class : GEOM
145
Actress Watts : NAOMI
146
Home on "Gilligan's Island" : HUT
147
Inflation meas. : CPI
148
On the other hand : YET
149
Charles de Gaulle alternative : ORLY
150
Varsity QB, e.g. : BMOC
151
Sign at a smash : SRO
152
Possessed : HAD
Down
1
"Number 10" Abstract Expressionist : ROTHKO
2
Made a comeback? : ECHOED
3
"A Streetcar Named Desire" role : STELLA
4
"Dee-lish!" : YUMMY
5
"These ___ the times that ..." : ARE
6
Closed (in on) : ZEROED
7
Money : LUCRE
8
Botanist Gray : ASA
9
Center of many revolutions : SUN
10
Certain X or O : TAC
11
Subbed (for) : SATIN
12
Dive : PLUNGE
13
Glances : CAROMS
14
"___ takers?" : ANY
15
Spanish sherry : AMONTILLADO
16
Offshoot : SPRIG
17
Snap : PHOTO
21
Mother of Judah : LEAH
25
Popular portal : AOL
26
Kupcinet and Cross : IRVS
27
Application letters : NMI
29
Some namesakes: Abbr. : SRS
32
Without obligation : ASAFAVOR
35
Change of a mortgage, slangily : REFI
36
Paul Bunyan story : YARN
37
Ministry of ___, in "1984" : TRUTH
38
Ryder Cup team : USA
40
Time ___ : INC
43
Tase : ZAP
44
When many get a St.-Tropez tan : ETE
46
Biblical queendom : SHEBA
47
Joint part : TENON
48
Royal Navy foe of 1588 : ARMADA
50
Willow used in basketry : OSIER
51
Hills of Yorkshire : WOLDS
52
Spree : TEAR
53
Monster hurricane of 1989 : HUGO
54
Libido : EROS
55
Lowly workers : COGS
56
Do voodoo on : HEX
57
Skull and Bones members : ELIS
58
Latitude : ROOM
59
Bleeth of "Baywatch" : YASMINE
60
Unabridged : ENTIRE
67
Executive's charter, maybe : AIRTAXI
68
Infiltrator : MOLE
69
Flat-bottomed boat : SKIFF
73
Despot ___ Amin : IDI
74
Lead-in to "the above" or "your business" : NONEOF
76
Like some twins : EVIL
77
___ center : REC
79
Mystery element : MOTIVE
82
Leaps across the ballet stage : JETES
83
"Vega$" star Robert : URICH
84
Nick Nolte movie based on a Kurt Vonnegut novel : MOTHERNIGHT
85
Some advanced researchers, for short : POSTDOCS
86
Traditional almanac data : TIDES
87
Bikini blast : HTEST
88
Sorry sort : RUER
89
Parisian "to be" : ETRE
91
Jean who wrote "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" : KERR
92
"So long, dahling" : TATA
93
"The fix ___" : ISIN
94
Virginie ou Pennsylvanie : ETAT
98
Subject of the book "Many Unhappy Returns": Abbr. : IRS
102
___ Zagora, Bulgaria : STARA
104
Infant's food : PAP
105
"Certainement!" : OUI
108
Mussorgsky's "Pictures ___ Exhibition" : ATAN
109
Contact lens solution brand : RENU
110
Venture : TRY
112
___ Miguel, Azores island : SAO
116
Sting's last name : SUMNER
117
"Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus, for one : TVIDOL
119
32-card game : SKAT
120
Charges (up) : PSYCHS
121
"Into the Wild" actor Emile : HIRSCH
122
Home of Gannon Univ. : ERIEPA
123
Author of the "Elements," ca. 300 B.C. : EUCLID
124
Past records? : LPS
125
Singh on the links : VIJAY
126
Demean : ABASE
127
Bad guys : ENEMY
128
Name : REP
129
Filmmaker Joel or Ethan : COEN
130
Jaded figure : CYNIC
131
2006 neologism meaning "to demote" : PLUTO
132
Author Rand : AYN
138
"May ___ now?" : IGO
139
Bust : NAB
140
___ Pérignon : DOM
141
Comic Philips : EMO
142
"___ Father ..." : OUR

Answer summary:
11 unique to this puzzle, 4 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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