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

In My Defense ...

New York Times, Sunday, July 21, 2024

Author:
John Ewbank
Editor:
Joel Fagliano
Blog:
116-Down : Sympathetic sounds
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
812/30/20217/21/20241
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
22001102
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.593334%
John Ewbank

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 76 Missing: {JQX} Spans: 1 This is puzzle # 8 for Mr. Ewbank. Sunday freshness: 23%
Joel Fagliano notes:
John Ewbank is a scientific writer based in Macclesfield, England. This is the rare example of a puzzle where writing the theme clues took a similar amount of time to making the grid. ... read more
John Ewbank notes:
I had a list of logical fallacies on my phone for a long time, but it took me ages to figure out a way of not making something that wasn't just a boring list. Eventually I had the idea of ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

A delightful theme elevated by cleverly creative clues.

1
L
2
O
3
A
4
D
5
S
6
U
7
P
8
I
9
T
10
I
11
S
12
N
13
T
14
G
15
A
16
B
17
O
18
N
19
I
Z
Z
A
T
S
O
20
D
A
N
U
B
E
21
R
O
T
I
N
I
22
N
O
T
R
U
E
S
23
C
O
T
S
M
A
N
24
U
P
T
O
I
T
25
K
N
E
E
26
R
E
O
27
T
E
E
S
28
B
R
U
N
O
29
S
E
C
30
C
I
R
C
31
U
32
L
A
R
R
E
33
A
S
O
N
I
N
34
G
35
P
H
D
36
O
N
O
37
S
U
M
O
38
E
C
R
U
39
S
40
P
41
R
E
E
42
P
O
43
W
44
P
O
U
45
T
46
M
I
I
47
C
H
E
R
R
48
Y
49
P
50
I
C
K
I
51
N
52
G
53
S
T
I
54
P
E
N
D
55
R
O
A
M
56
A
R
C
57
S
E
E
58
T
I
N
G
E
59
A
T
M
60
S
H
I
E
61
D
62
C
A
R
63
S
64
I
T
E
65
P
O
S
66
T
H
O
C
E
R
67
G
O
P
R
68
O
P
T
E
R
69
H
70
O
71
C
72
R
O
O
K
73
E
O
N
74
Y
H
E
A
R
75
E
K
E
76
S
77
P
78
L
A
T
79
G
A
S
80
M
A
L
81
G
R
A
D
82
T
O
E
P
A
83
D
84
S
85
S
L
I
86
P
87
P
E
R
Y
88
S
L
O
P
E
89
O
P
T
90
T
U
T
91
S
92
N
A
E
93
T
U
N
I
S
94
M
U
S
95
H
96
L
A
P
97
S
98
T
S
99
A
100
M
A
G
101
A
P
P
E
102
A
L
T
O
A
103
U
104
T
H
O
R
105
I
T
Y
106
E
107
T
108
S
109
B
A
L
S
A
110
I
T
R
Y
111
A
N
D
112
S
L
A
T
113
M
O
R
D
O
R
114
L
O
G
I
115
C
116
A
L
F
A
117
L
L
A
C
Y
118
R
O
T
U
N
D
119
E
R
E
N
O
W
120
U
N
E
A
T
E
N
121
S
K
Y
P
E
122
R
I
D
G
E
S
123
N
A
I
V
E
T
E
© 2024, The New York Times7/21/24 ( No. 27,284 )
Across
1
Fills, as a moving van : LOADSUP
8
"Incorrect!" : ITISNT
14
Country on the Gulf of Guinea : GABON
19
"Oh, really?," informally : IZZATSO
20
River through the Black Forest : DANUBE
21
Corkscrew-shaped pasta : ROTINI
22
All crossword fans love this puzzle; anyone who doesn't love this puzzle can't be a *real* crossword fan! : NOTRUESCOTSMAN
24
Capable : UPTOIT
25
"Seat" for a toddler : KNEE
26
Bygone auto inits. : REO
27
Pieces of apparel that might have concert dates printed on them : TEES
28
Mars, a star : BRUNO
29
Flash : SEC
30
Why was this chosen as today's puzzle? Because it's great! What makes it great? I mean, it was chosen for publication! : CIRCULARREASONING
35
Kind of candidate : PHD
36
Plastic ___ Band : ONO
37
Sport with the rank yokozuna ("grand champion") : SUMO
38
Light beige : ECRU
39
Tear : SPREE
42
Comic book sound : POW
44
What "you better not" do, in "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" : POUT
46
Nintendo avatar : MII
47
I sent this crossword to 100 friends, and two of them really liked it! : CHERRYPICKING
53
Fixed sum, for some : STIPEND
55
Make like a nomad : ROAM
56
Story ___ : ARC
57
"What did I say?!" : SEE
58
Hint of color : TINGE
59
Balance provider : ATM
60
Shrank (from) : SHIED
62
16th birthday present, sometimes : CAR
63
Locale : SITE
65
What's more, one of those friends won the lottery right after solving it — coincidence? I think not! : POSTHOCERGOPROPTERHOC
72
Piece worth approximately five pawns : ROOK
73
Many, many years : EON
74
"Capeesh?" : YHEAR
75
Squeeze (out) : EKE
76
Paintball impact sound : SPLAT
79
Beetle juice? : GAS
80
Opposite of bien : MAL
81
___ gift (common spring purchase) : GRAD
82
Lizard's grippers : TOEPADS
85
If you criticize this puzzle, where will it end? Before long, you'll be criticizing your mother's cooking! : SLIPPERYSLOPE
89
Make a choice : OPT
90
Expresses disapproval, in a way : TUTS
92
Aberdeen denial : NAE
93
World capital or the name of its gulf : TUNIS
94
Sled dog command : MUSH
96
Punishment for goofing off in practice, perhaps : LAPS
98
Org. whose website has a "What Can I Bring?" section : TSA
100
Certain publication, in brief : MAG
101
Besides, The New York Times said it was good! : APPEALTOAUTHORITY
106
Trisolarans in "The Three-Body Problem," e.g., for short : ETS
109
Model material : BALSA
110
Humble reply to a compliment : ITRY
111
"Go on ..." : AND
112
Blind piece : SLAT
113
Home of Mount Doom in "The Lord of the Rings" : MORDOR
114
Part of a flawed argument, examples of which are seen throughout this puzzle : LOGICALFALLACY
118
Corpulent : ROTUND
119
Previously, poetically : ERENOW
120
Not touched, in a way : UNEATEN
121
Zoom alternative : SKYPE
122
What fingerprints and mountains have : RIDGES
123
Credulous quality : NAIVETE
Down
1
Hot ___ (breakfast side) : LINKS
2
Global protection : OZONE
3
Onetime pyramid builder : AZTEC
4
Go out on a limb : DARE
5
Bassist Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival : STU
6
Email address, often : USERID
7
Wannabe : POSER
8
Bachelor's last words : IDO
9
Part of a sleeve, in brief : TAT
10
Commercial lead-in to cart : INSTA
11
Region of ancient Mesopotamia : SUMER
12
Pro hoopsters : NBAERS
13
React to a sensitive subject, say : TENSEUP
14
Camera that comes with a head strap : GOPRO
15
Harmonize : ATTUNE
16
Certain cyborgs : BIONICMEN
17
What Homer Simpson gives to Marge as jewelry : ONIONRING
18
Very conservative player, in poker lingo : NIT
21
Erases : RUBSOUT
23
Pixar movie with the song "Un Poco Loco" : COCO
30
Singer with #1 hits in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s : CHER
31
Insensitive, in a way : UNPC
32
Style : LOOK
33
Old Testament book : AMOS
34
Tourist's aid : GUIDE
35
Treatment whose name suggests its long-lasting effects : PERM
39
Quarrel : SCRAP
40
Snap : PHOTO
41
Stationery stacks : REAMS
43
Where Barbie is originally from, according to her creators : WISCONSIN
45
Giggle : TITTER
48
"Yippee!" : YAHOO
49
Cause to pop, say : PRICK
50
Summer treat : ICEE
51
Semimonthly tide : NEAP
52
Leader of the Pacemakers in 1960s pop : GERRY
54
Fishing spot : PIER
60
Aimed for : SHOTAT
61
Last sips : DREGS
63
Weapon for Achilles : SPEAR
64
Four-time FIFA World Cup winner : ITALY
66
Hunter's construction : TRAP
67
Cry from a hockey commentator : GOAL
68
"Great heavens!" : OHME
69
Night ___ (bird) : HERON
70
Mammal endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo : OKAPI
71
Gives up : CEDES
76
Leaf opening : STOMA
77
Story with many dimensions? : POPUPBOOK
78
"Time to celebrate!" : LETSPARTY
81
Noise at a beer festival : GLUG
83
Slow-witted sort : DULLARD
84
Number in a recap : STAT
86
Way : PATH
87
MXN, on a currency chart : PESO
88
Hotel visit : STAY
91
Plot ruiner : SPOILER
95
Aged well : HELDUP
97
Enlightened state in Zen Buddhism : SATORI
99
Asia's ___ Sea : ARAL
100
13,000+-foot peak in Yosemite : MTDANA
102
All together : ASONE
103
Prodded : URGED
104
Like a dramatic ninth-inning run, perhaps : TYING
105
Just for kicks : INFUN
106
Overjoy : ELATE
107
"Don't play," on a music score : TACET
108
"Funny Girl" composer Jule : STYNE
112
Eastern European : SLAV
113
Title awarded after a match? : MRS
115
Iowa college : COE
116
Sympathetic sounds : AWS
117
Gift tied together with string : LEI

Answer summary:
5 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
86 ms