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

New York Times, Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Author:
Alex Eaton-Salners
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
9-Down : Contraction before "be great"
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
712/2/201711/24/20243
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
441112172120
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
4151.5624450%
Alex Eaton-Salners

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 78, Blocks: 39 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 62 for Mr. Eaton-Salners. Wednesday freshness: 63%
Alex Eaton-Salners notes:
I began this puzzle by locking in UPON, LONG, THERE, THEY, and EVER and the black squares required to support them. Then I selected ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
Day three of "Gotta JET" (Jeff's expressions of thanks)! You would think that with the link salad on our front page, we would have a ... read more
1
U
2
P
3
O
4
N
5
L
6
O
7
N
8
G
9
T
10
H
11
E
12
R
13
E
14
S
O
L
E
15
O
B
O
E
16
H
O
N
E
D
17
C
L
A
R
18
I
N
E
T
S
19
A
D
D
E
D
20
L
Y
F
T
21
Y
E
T
22
T
G
I
F
23
B
O
24
R
E
D
25
E
D
E
N
26
T
27
U
28
B
A
29
I
D
L
30
E
D
31
S
T
32
O
33
W
34
S
M
I
L
35
E
D
36
Y
O
G
37
A
38
E
R
A
39
A
I
R
L
E
A
40
K
41
S
I
G
42
N
A
L
S
43
R
A
D
44
E
B
A
45
Y
46
N
E
U
R
O
N
47
S
K
I
48
P
49
L
Y
I
50
N
G
51
I
S
N
T
52
N
O
53
S
E
54
D
O
S
55
E
S
56
C
H
I
P
57
A
D
O
58
M
A
59
L
60
I
61
G
H
A
N
A
62
R
I
G
63
H
T
N
E
S
64
S
65
M
O
N
T
Y
66
A
S
I
A
67
C
O
L
E
68
S
O
D
A
S
69
T
H
E
Y
70
E
V
E
R
© 2023, The New York Times8/30/23 ( No. 26,958 )
Across
1
Once ___ a time, : UPON
5
not so ___ ago, : LONG
9
___ was a girl named Ava. : THERE
14
Ava's ___ joy was : SOLE
15
her prized ___. : OBOE
16
She had ___ her skill in band, : HONED
17
despite sitting next to the noisy ___, : CLARINETS
19
which were an ___ distraction. : ADDED
20
One day, after school, Ava called a ___. : LYFT
21
It hadn't come ___ as she muttered, : YET
22
"___, I guess. At least the week's over." : TGIF
23
She was ___ with her music, : BORED
25
and school was hardly an ___. : EDEN
26
Just then, Dana, a bandmate Ava was crushing on, walked up lugging a ___. : TUBA
29
As Ava ___ nearby, gathering her courage, : IDLED
31
Dana bent down to ___ the heavy instrument. : STOW
34
Ava ___ at Dana. : SMILED
36
"Would it be a stretch to say I dig your ___ T-shirt?," Ava asked. : YOGA
38
Dana's reaction was the start of an ___ for Ava. : ERA
39
Wheezing laughter like an ___ in an old tire and deep blushing : AIRLEAK
41
were ___ that Dana was smitten, too. : SIGNALS
43
"That was a ___ joke!," Dana sputtered. : RAD
44
"I got the shirt from ___; glad you like it." : EBAY
46
Ava mustered every ___ in her brain : NEURON
47
and felt her heart ___ as she blurted, : SKIP
49
"I'd love to hang out some time, no ___!" : LYING
51
Dana grinned. "Then meditating together in corpse pose ___ an option!" : ISNT
52
Ava wrinkled her ___ and laughed. : NOSE
54
After that spark, the pair bonded in large ___. : DOSES
56
Dana learned that Ava loved chocolate ___ cookies, : CHIP
57
and Ava learned Dana loved "Much ___ About Nothing." : ADO
58
Though Dana wanted to visit Timbuktu in ___ : MALI
61
and Ava preferred Accra in ___, : GHANA
62
the pair still felt the ___ of their connection. : RIGHTNESS
65
One night, after watching "___ Python," : MONTY
66
bingeing subtitled dramas from ___, and : ASIA
67
listening to Nat King ___, : COLE
68
Ava and Dana shared their first kiss over cream ___. : SODAS
69
And, of course, ___ lived : THEY
70
happily ___ after. : EVER
Down
1
Trojans' sch. : USC
2
Straw vote, e.g. : POLL
3
Skin cream brand : OLAY
4
Round, squishy toy : NERFBALL
5
Actor Chaney : LON
6
Followed : OBEYED
7
With distinction : NOTEDLY
8
Daring deed : GEST
9
Contraction before "be great" : THATD
10
Obergefell v. ___, Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage : HODGES
11
Conclude miserably : ENDINTEARS
12
Shipwreck site : REEF
13
Reds great Roush : EDD
18
Figure skater Midori : ITO
24
Like buses and bicycles : RIDABLE
25
Curtain trims, e.g. : EDGINGS
26
Bygone Russian rulers : TSARS
27
Inuit skin boat : UMIAK
28
It's a sure thing : BIRDINHAND
30
Dawn goddess : EOS
32
Synthetic fabric : ORLON
33
Never existed : WASNT
35
Wide shoe spec : EEE
37
Just a number, it's said : AGE
40
Alabama governor Ivey : KAY
42
Bother : NUISANCE
45
Language from which we get bupkis and shtick : YIDDISH
48
Starting place : POINTA
50
Knuckle-headed gesture? : NOOGIE
53
Neuters : SPAYS
55
911 responder : EMT
56
When repeated, a toy train : CHOO
57
Hamlet's interrogative after "How now!" : ARAT
59
Pope after Benedict IV : LEOV
60
Bali, for one : ISLE
61
M.L.B. execs : GMS
63
Stuff in a loft : HAY
64
Title for "Game of Thrones" knights : SER

Answer summary:
2 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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
91 ms