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Jean J. Davison
Jean J. Davison

New York Times, Wednesday, January 24, 1979

38-Across : Readied the fiddle

Author:
Jean J. Davison
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 74, Blocks: 36, Avg Word Len: 5.11, Missing: { J V W X Z }, Scrabble score: 273 (avg 1.44)
Open Squares: 69, Cheaters: 4, FITB: 4, XRef: 0, Spans: 3 Grid has duplicate clues.
Jean J. Davison has 62 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
David Steinberg notes:

In 60-Across clue, "Domesticated" may have been meant instead of "Domestic"; the Rouen duck, as its name suggests, originated in France.

Clue for 57-Down is correct but tricky — Nero didn't play the violin, which hadn't been invented yet, but was a fiddler in the sense of being a swindler and was fairly famous for it.

1
A
2
P
3
T
4
D
5
A
6
F
7
T
8
T
9
S
10
A
11
R
12
E
L
E
A
13
A
L
O
E
14
S
15
E
Q
U
I
16
D
I
R
T
17
S
T
U
N
T
18
R
U
S
T
19
D
E
P
T
20
H
21
I
N
T
E
22
G
R
A
T
E
23
A
N
E
L
E
24
S
25
T
H
E
A
I
R
26
T
E
R
E
27
S
A
28
D
E
F
E
29
A
30
T
31
E
32
M
U
33
B
A
T
I
34
K
35
L
I
T
R
E
36
R
E
A
37
D
38
T
U
N
E
39
D
40
C
H
A
R
41
I
S
L
A
42
M
43
N
O
R
I
44
A
45
E
L
M
46
C
O
M
M
I
47
E
48
F
R
O
L
49
I
C
50
O
P
E
N
51
L
Y
52
R
E
M
I
53
S
54
S
55
D
56
E
T
E
N
T
I
O
57
N
58
S
P
R
A
T
59
E
R
I
N
60
R
O
U
E
61
N
62
O
C
T
O
63
F
L
O
E
64
E
N
T
R
Y
65
S
L
I
P
66
T
E
N
D
67
S
H
O
E
68
T
E
N
© 1979, The New York TimesNo. 10,669
Across
1
Likely : APT
4
Cuckoo : DAFT
8
Ivan or Nicholas : TSAR
12
Zeno's hometown : ELEA
13
Shade of green : ALOES
15
Prefix for distant or lateral : EQUI
16
Grime : DIRT
17
Feat : STUNT
18
Corrosion : RUST
19
Third dimension : DEPTH
21
Unify : INTEGRATE
23
Anoints, old style : ANELES
25
Up in ___ (unsettled) : THEAIR
26
Soprano Kubiak of the Met : TERESA
28
Best or worst : DEFEAT
31
Rhea's relative : EMU
33
Cousin of tie-dye : BATIK
35
Liquid measure: Br. or Fr. : LITRE
36
___ the riot act : READ
38
Readied the fiddle : TUNED
40
Scorch : CHAR
41
Moslem faith : ISLAM
43
Water wheel : NORIA
45
Shade tree : ELM
46
Pinko's pal : COMMIE
48
Gambol : FROLIC
50
With candor : OPENLY
52
Negligent : REMISS
55
After-school punishment : DETENTION
58
Small herring : SPRAT
59
Ireland : ERIN
60
Domestic duck : ROUEN
62
Before novem : OCTO
63
Slab of ice : FLOE
64
Door or gate : ENTRY
65
It comes 'twixt cup and lip : SLIP
66
Care for : TEND
67
Oxford or pump : SHOE
68
X : TEN
Down
1
Foreign : ALIEN
2
An impossible dream : PERPETUALMOTION
3
Blab : TATTLE
4
German article : DAS
5
High: Comb. form : ALTI
6
An impossible dream : FOUNTAINOFYOUTH
7
Tithe : TENTH
8
Very good or very bad : TERRIFIC
9
An instruction impossible to fulfill : SQUARETHECIRCLE
10
Neighbor of Ger. and It. : AUST
11
Bar mitzvah, e.g. : RITE
12
Norse myth collection : EDDA
14
Rosinante or Bucephalus : STEED
20
Dill or thyme : HERB
22
Celt : GAEL
24
Base : SEAT
27
Flabbergast : STUN
29
Soviet lake : ARAL
30
Semester's relative : TERM
31
___ the Red : ERIC
32
Middle: Comb. form : MESO
34
Jean or Walter : KERR
37
Prepared sheets for ironing : DAMPENED
39
Name in high fashion : DIOR
42
Aspect : MIEN
44
English country festivals : ALES
47
___ nous : ENTRE
49
Duty : IMPOST
51
Celebrities : LIONS
53
Smooth material : SATIN
54
Road sign : STOP
55
Adroit : DEFT
56
Perry's creator : ERLE
57
Famous fiddler : NERO
61
Group of pheasants : NYE

Answer summary:
3 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.

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Crosswords published prior to Nov. 21, 1993 are provided by David Steinberg and The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project.

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