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New York Times, Friday, June 1, 2012

Author:
Joe Krozel
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
31-Down : Singer Morse with the 1952 hit "The Blacksmith Blues"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
877/7/20066/14/201815
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4147242621
CircleScrabDebutFresh
51.4849785%
Joe Krozel

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 52, Blocks: 46 Missing: {JQWXZ} Grid has both left-right and up-down symmetry. Average word length: 6.88 This is puzzle # 57 for Mr. Krozel. Friday freshness: 100%
Joe Krozel notes:

I once read Frank Longo's notes — somewhere — describing how he seeded his 52-word masterpiece (1/21/2005) with the entry DINETTE SETS ... because S, E and T offer much flexibility as ending letters. So, when STRESS TESTS became a mainstream concept at the height of the Great Recession, the stage was set for me to attempt a similar feat.

By the way, the entry ESTES randomly appeared at 1-Across, so I clued it as "Harvey of crossword constructing fame" knowing full well that Will would get a chuckle and change it. (But also knowing that if KROZEL ever randomly appeared in one of Harvey's puzzle's, he'd return the favor! ... ;-) )

Jim Horne notes:

This puzzle tied the NYT record for the lowest word count. Mr. Krozel then broke that record in 2013.

1
E
2
S
3
T
4
E
5
S
6
M
7
S
8
D
9
O
10
S
11
M
E
A
G
E
12
R
13
P
O
M
E
L
O
14
B
R
O
O
D
E
15
R
16
C
A
L
I
B
E
R
17
A
G
I
T
A
T
O
18
O
V
E
R
E
A
T
19
Y
E
S
I
T
I
S
20
M
A
S
K
E
R
S
21
I
T
S
E
L
E
22
M
E
N
T
A
R
Y
23
S
T
R
E
S
S
T
E
S
T
S
24
A
T
O
25
L
26
I
27
T
28
E
R
A
T
29
U
30
R
31
E
32
S
33
F
U
T
U
R
E
R
E
S
U
L
T
34
S
35
T
I
N
S
T
A
R
36
R
U
N
L
A
P
37
S
38
R
E
C
H
O
S
E
39
M
A
N
A
T
E
E
40
U
S
H
E
R
E
D
41
S
L
I
M
I
N
G
42
S
T
E
R
E
S
43
S
E
A
N
C
E
44
T
A
S
E
D
45
R
E
G
E
R
© 2012, The New York Times6/1/12 ( No. 22,851 )
Across
1
Children's author Eleanor : ESTES
6
Environment of many old PCs : MSDOS
11
Opposite of ample : MEAGER
13
Grapefruit taste-alike : POMELO
14
Heated house for newborn chicks : BROODER
16
Round number? : CALIBER
17
Restless, in scores : AGITATO
18
Go beyond seconds, say : OVEREAT
19
Confirmation declaration : YESITIS
20
Some people in costume : MASKERS
21
"This doesn't exactly require a Ph.D." : ITSELEMENTARY
23
What big banks underwent in 2009 : STRESSTESTS
24
___ B (initial step) : ATO
25
They may be studied along with languages : LITERATURES
33
What past performance may portend : FUTURERESULTS
35
Wild West symbol of authority : TINSTAR
36
Practice at a track : RUNLAPS
38
Went for something else : RECHOSE
39
SeaWorld attraction : MANATEE
40
Put people in their places? : USHERED
41
Activity in "Ghostbusters" : SLIMING
42
Firewood measures : STERES
43
Attempt to recall the passed? : SEANCE
44
Stunned, in a way : TASED
45
German composer with a palindromic name : REGER
Down
1
Enclose in a recess : EMBAY
2
Eisenstein who directed "The Battleship Potemkin" : SERGEI
3
Some Asian believers : TAOISTS
4
Hardly the self-effacing sort : EGOTIST
5
Not so frantic : SEDATER
6
Really bothers : MOLESTS
7
Give a smug look : SMIRKAT
8
Big name in diamonds : DEBEERS
9
Last name in Chicago lore : OLEARY
10
It's unsettling to be out of them : SORTS
12
Patch up, in a way, as a space shuttle : RETILE
13
Quaint, dignified dance for couples : PAVANE
15
Valentine verse starter : ROSESARERED
16
Reach an agreement : COMETOTERMS
22
Many a red dwarf : MSTAR
25
Things people "do" in the early afternoon : LUNCHES
26
Mailbox checker's excited cry : ITSHERE
27
Taught a lesson, maybe : TUTORED
28
Goes back on one's word? : ERASES
29
Same old orders : USUALS
30
Less congealed : RUNNIER
31
Singer Morse with the 1952 hit "The Blacksmith Blues" : ELLAMAE
32
Giving expression to : STATING
33
Piñata-hitting occasion : FIESTA
34
Superlawyer Gerry who wrote "How to Argue and Win Every Time" : SPENCE
35
"___ no one" : TRUST
37
"Old Time Rock & Roll" rocker : SEGER

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 3 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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