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Bert H. Kruse
Bert H. Kruse

ALPHABETIC DOUBLE TALK

New York Times, Sunday, October 26, 1986

15-Across : Writer Earl ___ Biggers

Author:
Bert H. Kruse
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 168, Blocks: 92, Avg Word Len: 5.20, Missing: { none — this is a pangram }, Scrabble score: 719 (avg 1.65)
Open Squares: 141, Cheaters: 14, FITB: 12, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 16
Bert H. Kruse has 63 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
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© 1986, The New York TimesNo. 13,501
Across
1
Muscle action : SPASM
6
Derisive cries : HAHAS
11
Explosion noise : BANG
15
Writer Earl ___ Biggers : DERR
19
Land renamed Nova Scotia by the British : ACADIA
20
Mulct : AMERCE
22
Cupid : AMOR
23
Foil's kin : EPEE
24
Big bill, for short : SEVENTHLETTER
26
Kind of neck : ROMANFIVE
28
People, e.g. : ONES
29
Plant shoots : CIONS
30
Groom carefully : PREEN
32
Spoken : VOICED
33
Blushing : RED
34
Deep-six, in a way : SHRED
35
Sailing item : STAY
36
Most contemptible : BASEST
37
"Who's been sleeping in ___?" : MYBED
38
Twain contemporary : HARTE
39
Intended : AIMED
40
Joseph Lash subject : ELEANOR
43
English river : AHEADOFZED
45
A famous Louis : JOE
48
British noble name : LENNOX
49
Good : VALID
51
Conduct : MIEN
52
Oxford U. area : QUAD
53
Incited, with "on" : EGGED
54
Godwin's "Adventures of ___ Williams" : CALEB
55
Don Adams TV role : SMART
57
Ballet ___ : RUSSE
58
Early Briton : CELT
59
Player who cuts the cards : PONE
60
Empty : INANE
61
Collections of rocks : SUITES
62
Prefix for dent or color : TRI
63
Actor's concern : PRECEDESAR
66
Beneficial insect : MANTIS
67
Big step : STRIDE
69
Dido : ANTIC
70
Early Mexican Indian : TOLTEC
71
Barrie's "A Window in ___" : THRUMS
72
Urban transit : FOLLOWSKAY
74
Recede : EBB
77
Bathhouse : CABANA
78
Hurl fast : RIFLE
80
Incursion : RAID
81
Not fully shut : AJAR
82
Lardy : OBESE
83
Nairobi's republic : KENYA
84
Budges : STIRS
86
Musical music : SCORE
87
"___ Sides Now," Joni Mitchell hit : BOTH
88
Power : DINT
89
Commands : FIATS
90
Way : METHOD
91
Bikini part : BRA
92
Type of shirt : KINDOFBONE
95
Rock star : MADONNA
96
Ventures : RISKS
97
Old TV program : RERUN
98
Natural seeker : DICER
99
Like beach attire : SCANTY
101
Grampuses : ORCS
102
Tough problem : POSER
103
Petition : ASK
106
Truckman : TEAMER
107
Motif : THEME
109
Yield : DEFER
110
Oenochoe's cousin : OLPE
111
Divorcee, for short : BEFOREWYE
113
Actress Sandra : AFTERFRANKLIN
116
Egyptian disk : ATEN
117
Contents of some needles : SERA
118
Shade : NUANCE
119
Austrian state, to an Italian : TIROLO
120
Bud, a Dickens heroine : ROSA
121
Source : SEED
122
Coasted, in a way : LUGED
123
Tickle : ELATE
Down
1
Ruckus : SCENE
2
Did a road job : PAVED
3
Fruity quaffs : ADES
4
Deadly act : SIN
5
Lucifer's place : MATCHBOX
6
Equipped like an angel : HALOED
7
Edit : AMEND
8
Extinct Argentinians : HETS
9
Skill : ART
10
" ... above this ___ sway": Shak. : SCEPTRED
11
Au naturel : BARE
12
A king of Judah : AMON
13
___ de plume : NOM
14
Basis of a grievance : GRAVAMEN
15
Dared : DEFIED
16
Certain films : EPICS
17
Face an embankment : REVET
18
Water plant : REED
19
Lyre's relative : ASOR
21
Printers' nightmares : ERRATA
25
Personnel manager : HIRER
27
Edged : NOSED
31
Ogled : EYED
34
Church council : SYNOD
35
Hindu term of respect : SAHIB
36
Composer of "L'Arlésienne" : BIZET
37
Zola's portraitist : MANET
38
Philip Nolan's creator : HALE
39
Burning : AFIRE
40
Choice : ELECT
41
French artist: 1881-1955 : LEGER
42
Honey maker : ENGLISHBETA
44
Its capital is Muscat : OMAN
45
Supreme Court name : JUSTICEJOHN
46
Refreshment sites : OASES
47
Boston Gazette editor-patriot: 1732-1803 : EDES
49
Carter Sec. of State : VANCE
50
Sheltered at sea : ALEE
52
Precisely : QUITE
54
Some Yalies : COEDS
55
Lymnaeid : SNAIL
56
O'Neill's "___ Millions" : MARCO
57
Small : RUNTY
59
___ volta (musical direction) : PRIMA
60
Agave fiber : ISTLE
61
Variety of bar : SALAD
63
Clip : PRUNE
64
Bananas : DAFFY
65
Col. Tibbets's mother : ENOLA
66
Hopis or trumpeter fish : MOKIS
68
Potboilers, e.g. : TRASH
70
Despots : TSARS
71
Biblical mountain : TABOR
73
Court order : WRIT
75
Cut of beef : BARON
76
Netherlands city : BREDA
77
Lee or lrvin : COBB
78
Rips : RENDS
79
Division word : INTO
81
Globe employee : ACTOR
83
Tightly curled : KINKY
84
Skull cavity : SINUS
85
Seized, in poesy : TAEN
86
Passover feast : SEDER
88
Trouble : DISTRESS
89
Strong : FORCEFUL
90
Grow thin : MACERATE
92
Pittsburgh's home-run king : KINER
93
Splitting tool : FROE
94
Comedian Shelley : BERMAN
95
Skinflint : MISER
96
H. H. Jackson heroine : RAMONA
98
Took off a tile : DOFFED
99
Look after : SEETO
100
Dining spots : CAFES
102
Nez ___ Indians : PERCE
103
Mete : ALLOT
104
Barrel spigot : SPILE
105
Gambling game : KENO
106
Ski-slope item : TBAR
107
British spare : TYRE
108
Main : HEAD
109
___ Xiaoping, China's paramount leader : DENG
110
Pods often pickled : OKRA
112
Minuscule : WEE
114
Greek letter : TAU
115
No game, in bridge : NIL

Answer summary:
14 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 4 appeared only in pre-Shortz puzzles.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

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

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