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New York Times, Monday, June 23, 2008

Author:
Andrea Carla Michaels and Patrick Blindauer
Editor:
Will Shortz
12-Down : "La Bohème" soprano
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
866/12/20007/8/202455
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
762122300
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
241.6430623%
Andrea Carla Michaels
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
677/21/20059/4/201922
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
14661417118
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
261.5930243%
Patrick Blindauer

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 38 Missing: {FJQXZ} Spans: 2 This is puzzle # 9 for Ms. Michaels. This is puzzle # 17 for Mr. Blindauer. Monday freshness: 1%
Constructor notes:

Andrea:

THis was my first official collaboration with my then newbestfriend Patrick Blindauer. We had met when he was working for Peter Gordon at Sterling as an assistant. I had known Peter for 20+ years from our days at Games Magazine, so I would pop by to see him whenever I was in NY. Patrick and I got to know each other better at the first ACPT I attended. (I hadn't gone the first 25+ years as I lived across the country, etc.) Will was using one of my puzzles for the opening puzzle of the 2008 ACPT I believe. (Cheers! It was four ways to toast, I think, which each theme answer being "Cheers!")

Patrick and I were standing together as people were approaching Trip Payne and consoling him on his second place finish. Folks were saying various cliches, "You did your best!", "So close!", etc. Patrick and I sat down and created a list "We still love you!" "Close but no cigar!", etc. and that became the first of a dozen collaborations. I think Deb Amlen called us the Fred and Ginger of constructors.

We both live very separate lives now, but he's always been my go-to person when I want to create a Sunday-sized puzzle that have funny phrases by changing a letter, or what have you. I love his sense of humor and what a genius he is. Until Patrick, I had only been published on Monday-Wed. He is my collaborator on 3 Sundays (not counting a couple we've done for the WSJ) and my sole NYT Thursday.

1
S
2
A
3
N
4
T
5
A
6
P
7
A
8
C
9
E
10
A
11
C
12
M
13
E
14
A
L
I
E
N
15
I
B
E
T
16
B
L
I
P
17
W
I
N
S
O
18
M
E
L
O
S
19
E
S
O
M
E
20
S
T
A
T
21
I
R
E
S
22
B
O
G
I
E
23
T
24
I
N
25
H
E
R
26
Y
27
O
U
D
I
28
D
29
Y
30
O
U
R
B
31
E
32
S
33
T
34
S
A
M
B
A
35
R
O
U
S
T
36
R
H
O
37
K
L
E
E
38
W
I
D
T
H
39
P
A
A
R
40
E
I
N
41
R
I
L
E
D
42
E
A
T
M
E
43
W
E
S
44
T
I
L
L
L
O
45
V
E
Y
O
U
46
E
N
D
47
E
L
S
48
S
49
A
50
G
A
S
51
H
52
E
53
A
T
54
L
55
E
56
N
57
T
58
C
L
O
S
E
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B
U
T
N
O
60
C
I
G
A
R
61
A
I
R
E
62
A
R
N
O
63
U
P
O
N
E
64
B
E
E
T
65
A
L
A
N
66
E
S
S
A
Y
© 2008, The New York Times6/23/8 ( No. 21,412 )
Across
1
Annual sleigh driver : SANTA
6
Walk like an expectant dad : PACE
10
Summit : ACME
14
Martian, e.g. : ALIEN
15
"Yeah, right" : IBET
16
Radar sign : BLIP
17
Words to a fourth runner-up : WINSOMELOSESOME
20
R.B.I. or H.R. : STAT
21
Angers : IRES
22
"Casablanca" star, informally : BOGIE
23
Its symbol is Sn : TIN
25
Not him : HER
26
Words to a third runner-up : YOUDIDYOURBEST
34
Latin dance : SAMBA
35
Push out of bed : ROUST
36
Pi's follower : RHO
37
Swiss artist Paul : KLEE
38
Height's companion : WIDTH
39
Jack who pioneered late-night talk : PAAR
40
Un : France :: ___ : Germany : EIN
41
Irked : RILED
42
Alice's cake instruction : EATME
43
Words to a second runner-up : WESTILLLOVEYOU
46
Finish up : END
47
Chicago transports : ELS
48
Norse myths, e.g. : SAGAS
51
Warmth : HEAT
54
Gave temporarily : LENT
58
Words to a first runner-up : CLOSEBUTNOCIGAR
61
Suffix with million : AIRE
62
Florence's river : ARNO
63
Ahead by a point : UPONE
64
Borscht vegetable : BEET
65
Lawyer Dershowitz : ALAN
66
Op-ed piece : ESSAY
Down
1
Tools with teeth : SAWS
2
Disembarked : ALIT
3
One of Columbus's ships : NINA
4
Science lab glassware : TESTTUBE
5
Year, in Madrid : ANO
6
Where ships dock : PIER
7
___-bodied : ABLE
8
Corp. kingpins : CEOS
9
Martians, e.g., for short : ETS
10
What paper towels do : ABSORB
11
What paper towels do to a toilet : CLOG
12
"La Bohème" soprano : MIMI
13
Fencing sword : EPEE
18
Skirt that exposes a lot of thigh : MINI
19
Film critic Roger : EBERT
24
Boise's state: Abbr. : IDA
25
Word to a crying child : HUSH
26
New Haven collegian : YALIE
27
Signs for good or ill : OMENS
28
Dentist's tool : DRILL
29
Call in the Alps : YODEL
30
Surpass : OUTDO
31
Poet's Muse : ERATO
32
Killer whale that does tricks : SHAMU
33
Went 80, say : TORE
34
Distort, as data : SKEW
38
Untamed : WILD
39
Salary indicators : PAYSLIPS
41
Dentist's direction : RINSE
42
Electric fish : EEL
44
Cups, saucers, sugar bowl, etc. : TEASET
45
Presidential prerogative : VETO
48
Picket line crosser : SCAB
49
"I cannot tell ___" : ALIE
50
Al of "An Inconvenient Truth" : GORE
51
Throw : HURL
52
Sicilian volcano : ETNA
53
Ever and ___ : ANON
55
Inflated selves : EGOS
56
"Peter Pan" dog : NANA
57
Deuce topper, in cards : TREY
59
Sheep's bleat : BAA
60
Actor's prompt : CUE

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

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