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

MAKING A FAST BUCK

New York Times, Sunday, December 24, 2017

Author:
Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff Chen
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
304/17/201410/7/202216
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatVariety
31263861
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
441.6114968%
Mary Lou Guizzo
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1577/5/201010/27/2024109
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatAcr
431017263711121
RebusCircleScrabDebutFresh
11411.6292255%
Jeff Chen

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 85 Grid has mirror symmetry. This is puzzle # 20 for Ms. Guizzo. This is puzzle # 78 for Mr. Chen. Sunday freshness: 69%
Constructor notes:
MARY LOU: I originally contacted Jeff in November of last year about a reindeer themed Christmas puzzle with a dot to dot picture. We kicked many ideas back and forth. I mentioned the ... read more
Jeff Chen notes:
For years and years, Liz Gorski had been doing wonderful Xmas dot-to-dot Sunday puzzles for the NYT. It had been a while, so Mary Lou and I decided to try to carry on the ... read more
Jim Horne notes:
The Elizabeth Gorski year-end connect-the-dots puzzles is the greatest tradition in NYT crosswords. Liz is caught up in her own delightful weekly puzzles now, so Mary Lou and Jeff have ... read more
1
S
2
T
3
P
4
C
5
A
6
R
7
I
8
B
9
L
10
O
11
P
12
E
13
S
14
S
15
E
16
C
17
H
O
L
18
E
19
E
R
O
D
E
20
E
G
R
E
T
21
G
I
L
A
22
R
U
M
23
A
R
B
Y
S
24
F
L
O
O
R
25
R
E
V
S
26
S
A
M
B
27
A
S
28
B
L
E
29
A
T
E
D
30
I
31
M
A
G
E
S
32
H
E
L
L
E
33
N
E
34
E
L
K
35
I
36
M
P
E
D
E
S
37
A
L
D
E
R
38
C
O
E
39
G
A
Y
L
E
40
C
41
R
42
A
Z
Y
43
E
I
44
G
H
T
Y
45
S
I
X
46
D
A
47
M
48
O
49
N
50
O
E
N
O
51
T
R
E
E
52
H
E
I
53
R
54
E
I
N
E
55
P
L
I
N
56
T
H
57
S
N
58
U
59
G
60
L
I
S
61
E
62
A
G
L
E
S
63
L
A
S
S
O
E
64
S
65
E
S
I
G
N
66
J
I
N
G
L
E
S
67
A
X
E
68
O
M
Y
69
A
S
S
A
Y
70
I
N
K
71
I
A
M
72
N
E
T
73
L
O
N
74
G
U
75
N
76
O
M
D
E
77
N
R
A
78
D
R
E
79
W
80
S
C
O
T
81
T
82
N
O
L
I
E
83
S
E
E
N
84
S
A
I
85
N
T
86
P
R
O
87
P
O
S
E
88
E
89
C
A
R
D
90
S
O
F
91
A
92
Y
O
U
R
E
93
P
R
O
D
94
S
95
A
96
V
E
P
A
R
97
K
N
T
98
H
O
T
R
99
O
100
D
101
S
102
A
L
I
103
E
M
I
104
L
A
T
H
105
E
106
I
F
S
107
N
O
T
108
N
B
C
109
O
A
110
S
I
S
111
P
A
112
U
L
A
113
A
L
A
114
T
A
U
115
T
116
O
U
117
U
N
I
118
C
O
R
N
119
L
120
I
121
Q
U
O
R
122
A
N
N
A
L
S
123
R
U
D
O
L
P
H
124
L
O
T
T
O
S
125
Y
A
R
D
126
S
E
X
E
S
127
C
R
O
P
© 2017, The New York Times12/24/17 ( No. 24,883 )
Across
1
Speedway brand : STP
4
West Indies native : CARIB
9
Bounds along : LOPES
14
"Just a ___!" : SEC
17
Drain opening : HOLE
19
Chip away at : ERODE
20
Symbol of the National Audubon Society : EGRET
21
Colorado tributary : GILA
22
Plot device in "The Shining" that has significance when spelled backward : REDRUM
23
Restaurant chain founded by the Raffel brothers (hence the name) : ARBYS
24
Elevator choice : FLOOR
25
Turns briefly? : REVS
26
Some Carnaval performances : SAMBAS
28
Called from the cote : BLEATED
30
Telephotos, e.g. : IMAGES
32
Ancient Greek : HELLENE
34
Male that might be in a rut? : ELK
35
Stymies : IMPEDES
37
Relative of a birch : ALDER
38
College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa : COE
39
Country singer Crystal : GAYLE
40
Screwy : CRAZY
43
Pitch : EIGHTYSIX
46
One of the Wayans brothers : DAMON
50
Wine: Prefix : OENO
51
Christmas ___ : TREE
52
Prince, e.g. : HEIR
54
A, in Austria : EINE
55
Base supporting a statue : PLINTH
57
Branded baby carriers : SNUGLIS
61
Symbols on 10 state flags : EAGLES
63
They might be thrown around in a rodeo : LASSOES
65
Digitally endorse : ESIGN
66
Sleigh bell sounds : JINGLES
67
Terminate : AXE
68
"___ God" (psalm words) : OMY
69
Chemistry exam? : ASSAY
70
Skin art, informally : INK
71
Descartes's conclusion : IAM
72
Clear : NET
73
Yule sound? : LONGU
75
___ guerre : NOMDE
77
Range grp. : NRA
78
With 80-Across, one of TV's Property Brothers : DREW
80
See 78-Across : SCOTT
82
"Really!" : NOLIE
83
Spotted : SEEN
84
Nicholas, e.g. : SAINT
86
Give a ring? : PROPOSE
88
Hallmark.com suggestion : ECARD
90
Divan : SOFA
92
"___ welcome!" : YOURE
93
Cow poke? : PROD
94
Avoid a bogey, barely : SAVEPAR
97
Neighbor of a bishop: Abbr. : KNT
98
Souped-up cars : HOTRODS
102
Mahershala ___, Oscar winner for "Moonlight" : ALI
103
One of the record industry's former Big Four : EMI
104
Carpenter's aid : LATHE
106
Hypotheticals : IFS
107
"Just kidding!" : NOT
108
Airer of "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" : NBC
109
Sanctuary : OASIS
111
"Hey ___" (1963 #1 hit) : PAULA
113
Mobile home: Abbr. : ALA
114
Actress Audrey of "Amélie" : TAUTOU
117
Animal on Scotland's coat of arms : UNICORN
119
Kind of cabinet : LIQUOR
122
Written history : ANNALS
123
Who's depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A : RUDOLPH
124
Games of chance : LOTTOS
125
Prison part : YARD
126
Sorts, as chicks : SEXES
127
Downsize? : CROP
Down
1
Tears to smithereens : SHREDS
2
It's read from a scroll : TORAH
3
Large column of smoke : PLUME
4
Terminated : CEASED
5
Opposite of dep. : ARR
6
Heists : ROBBERIES
7
Description of rustic life : IDYL
8
Importune : BESEECH
9
It moves a cursor back : LEFTKEY
10
Body check? : OGLE
11
Whiz kids : PRODIGIES
12
Want ad abbr. : EEO
13
Having streaks : STRIPY
14
W.W. II ordeal at Leningrad : SIEGE
15
Notably nonunionized workers : ELVES
16
Mama of song : CASS
18
Decorates brilliantly : EMBLAZONS
21
One of a dozen good things? : GRADEAEGG
27
Friend : ALLY
29
Oodles : ALOT
31
Vulcan mind ___ : MELD
33
Beginning to do well? : NEER
36
Kind of skirt : MAXI
40
"Fanfare for the Common Man" composer : COPLAND
41
Hair straighteners : RELAXERS
42
Licorice-flavored brew : ANISETEA
44
Singer with a #1 hit about 123-Across : GENEAUTRY
45
Feature depicted in the upper left of this puzzle : SHINYNOSE
47
Hatmaker : MILLINER
48
Like van Gogh, in later life : ONEEARED
49
Les ___, "WKRP in Cincinnati" news director : NESSMAN
51
With 53-Down, 123-Across, in song : THEMOSTFAMOUS
53
See 51-Down : REINDEEROFALL
56
One of many in a Swiss Army knife : TOOL
58
Letters on some Navy carriers : USS
59
Infantry members, briefly : GIS
60
Alternative to J.F.K. : LGA
62
1990s tennis great Huber : ANKE
64
Align : SYNC
66
First name at Woodstock : JIMI
74
Political org. since 1854 : GOP
76
Shout of approval : OLE
79
Three ___ Men : WISE
81
Didn't hedge one's bets : TOOKASIDE
82
Starting point for an annual flight : NORTHPOLE
83
___ City (Baghdad suburb) : SADR
85
"In your dreams!" : NOPE
87
Result of a sack on third and long, maybe : PUNT
89
Bunks in barracks : COTS
91
"Brava!" elicitor : ARIA
93
Punxsutawney prognosticator : PHIL
94
Deliverer of Christmas packages : SANTA
95
Capital whose name ends in its state's postal code : ALBANY
96
Cousin of an alpaca : VICUNA
99
Functioning robotically : ONAUTO
100
Repetitive bit of computer code : DOLOOP
101
A-listers : STARS
104
Boy in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" : LINUS
105
Tombstone marshals : EARPS
110
California's Big ___ : SUR
112
Durham sch. : UNH
115
Roofing material : TAR
116
___ Father Christmas : OLD
118
Crew member : COX
120
Games org. : IOC
121
Fiscal year part: Abbr. : QTR

Answer summary:
10 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later, 3 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
107 ms