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A. J. Santora
A. J. Santora

RACKET-BUSTING

New York Times, Sunday, December 10, 1972

55-Across : Do a brake job

Author:
A. J. Santora
Editor:
Will Weng
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 138, Blocks: 81, Avg Word Len: 5.22, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 534 (avg 1.48)
Open Squares: 106, Cheaters: 12, FITB: 20, XRef: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 22 Grid has duplicate clues.
A. J. Santora has 185 known pre-Shortz puzzles, and 68 Modern Era crosswords in our database.
1
H
2
O
3
H
4
C
5
A
6
P
7
E
8
E
9
V
10
E
11
S
12
R
13
O
14
B
15
E
16
E
L
A
17
L
A
U
R
A
18
T
I
T
I
19
C
O
M
E
T
20
H
21
R
E
D
22
O
U
B
L
E
S
23
A
S
H
E
24
S
T
O
A
S
H
E
25
O
L
D
L
A
D
Y
I
26
N
T
E
N
N
I
S
S
H
O
E
S
27
E
L
L
28
S
E
A
S
29
I
N
E
30
A
T
L
31
P
32
L
33
A
N
S
34
T
O
R
T
35
C
A
S
36
S
37
I
S
38
A
I
D
S
39
D
A
N
40
T
41
A
42
P
43
T
I
S
44
N
45
R
46
A
47
C
A
V
E
48
M
E
N
49
W
I
T
H
50
I
51
N
A
N
A
52
C
E
O
F
53
E
R
A
54
E
U
A
55
R
E
L
I
N
E
56
G
R
O
T
T
O
57
N
58
Y
A
C
K
59
O
R
E
L
S
E
60
L
I
M
P
E
R
61
L
62
E
T
A
63
E
A
64
S
T
65
T
R
66
E
E
67
E
R
S
E
68
I
N
A
R
69
M
S
70
M
E
71
E
72
T
73
S
A
74
A
S
75
T
R
O
76
M
C
G
R
A
W
77
O
U
T
R
A
N
78
R
B
I
79
F
80
A
81
T
82
B
R
E
A
K
I
83
N
G
P
O
I
N
T
84
T
A
M
85
P
I
C
O
86
Y
E
S
87
E
L
U
88
N
O
D
89
I
H
R
90
A
T
A
N
91
S
A
D
D
92
E
93
N
94
L
95
I
V
Y
96
S
Y
S
T
S
97
G
98
A
P
99
I
D
O
100
G
E
N
A
101
F
O
O
102
N
O
F
A
103
U
104
L
T
I
N
105
S
U
R
A
N
106
C
E
P
L
107
A
108
N
109
C
O
U
R
T
L
Y
L
O
V
E
110
F
O
R
E
H
A
N
D
111
S
112
O
U
S
T
E
D
113
E
N
E
S
114
O
V
A
L
S
115
T
A
T
116
T
E
A
S
117
S
O
N
S
118
G
O
Y
A
119
S
K
Y
© 1972, The New York TimesNo. 8,520
Across
1
West Coast Indian : HOH
4
Loose cloak : CAPE
8
Intros to holidays : EVES
12
Kimono : ROBE
16
High note : ELA
17
"She's only a dream" : LAURA
18
Ironwood : TITI
19
"The Iceman ___" : COMETH
21
Concerning a sports pairing : REDOUBLES
23
Plaudits for Arthur : ASHESTOASHE
25
Certain senior citizen : OLDLADYINTENNISSHOES
27
Pipe joint : ELL
28
Red and Black : SEAS
29
Ending for hero : INE
30
Ocean: Abbr. : ATL
31
Blueprints : PLANS
34
Civil wrong : TORT
35
Creme de ___ (liqueur) : CASSIS
38
Hearing ___ : AIDS
39
Cupid : DAN
40
Faucet : TAP
43
Musical syllables : TIS
44
New Deal letters : NRA
47
Brutes : CAVEMEN
49
Smelling victory : WITHINANACEOF
53
Time period : ERA
54
U.S.A., to French : EUA
55
Do a brake job : RELINE
56
Capri allure : GROTTO
57
Village on Hudson : NYACK
59
Threatening words : ORELSE
60
Gimpy one : LIMPER
61
"___ Smile Be Your ... " : LETA
63
Bridge position : EAST
65
Butternut : TREE
67
Gaelic : ERSE
68
Up ___ (aroused) : INARMS
70
___ deadline : MEETSA
74
Dome player : ASTRO
76
Tug of the Mets : MCGRAW
77
Showed one's heels to : OUTRAN
78
Batter's stat. : RBI
79
Overweight : FAT
82
Last straw : BREAKINGPOINT
84
Port of Mexico : TAMPICO
86
"___, Virginia, there is ... " : YES
87
Elected, in Paris : ELU
88
Show drowsiness : NOD
89
Her, in Berlin : IHR
90
___ impasse : ATAN
91
Depress : SADDEN
94
Roman historian : LIVY
96
Methods: Abbr. : SYSTS
97
Hiatus : GAP
99
Altar words : IDO
100
Actress Rowlands : GENA
101
Egg ___ yong : FOO
102
Tennis-player's protection : NOFAULTINSURANCEPLAN
109
Tennis match of sorts : COURTLYLOVE
110
Certain strokes : FOREHANDS
112
Removed : OUSTED
113
Chemical endings : ENES
114
Running tracks : OVALS
115
Make lace : TAT
116
Parties : TEAS
117
___ of guns : SONS
118
Spanish artist : GOYA
119
Limit, to some : SKY
Down
1
"Rings on ___ fingers ... " : HER
2
Margarine : OLEO
3
San Diego quarterback : HADL
4
Plot : CABAL
5
___ Lang Syne : AULD
6
Victimizes : PREYSON
7
Less demanding : EASIER
8
Part of 54 Across : ETATS
9
Holding device : VISE
10
Kind of humor : ETHNIC
11
Pigment : SIENNA
12
Kanga and friends : ROOS
13
U. S. Indians : OMAHAS
14
Stupefy : BESOT
15
Merman : ETHEL
17
Slow periods : LULLS
19
Coins: Abbr. : CTS
20
"___ my man" : HES
22
City in Denmark : ODENSE
24
Pancho's nap : SIESTA
26
More dapper : NATTIER
31
Yonkers event : PACE
32
Fibber : LIAR
33
In and out points : ADVANTAGES
34
Japanese leader : TANAKA
36
Where matches develop : SINGLESBAR
37
Douay Bible name : ISARI
39
Dealer's choice : DEUCESWILD
41
Salt tree : ATLE
42
Silvers : PHIL
44
Tennis earnings : NETPROFITS
45
Memory routines : ROTES
46
Preceding, old style : AFORE
48
___ culpa : MEA
49
Did a profile on : WROTEUP
50
Kind of coffee : INSTANT
51
___-do-well : NEER
52
Promising one : COMER
58
Australian river : YARRA
61
Full of branches : LIMBY
62
Ink for la plume : ENCRE
64
Air pollution : SMOG
66
Uninhibited : EARTHY
69
"Let's ___ Deal" : MAKEA
71
English town : ETON
72
Rock group : TRIO
73
___ and Young : SANDLER
75
Tiny one : TIM
80
Skin ___ : ACAT
81
Weights : TONS
83
"Hair" feature : NUDITY
85
Promotional bribe : PAYOLA
89
Russian city : IVANOVO
91
Home for Leonidas : SPARTA
92
Roman officials : EDILES
93
Emphatic refusal : NONONO
95
Bewildered : INAFOG
96
Class men : SOPHS
97
Recede : GOOUT
98
Blow ___ : AFUSE
100
Conjecture : GUESS
101
"I ___ song coming on" : FEELA
102
Sgt. : NCO
103
U. S. Indians : UTES
104
Law degree : LLD
105
Writer Hedin : SVEN
106
Spiny lobster : CRAY
107
Insects : ANTS
108
Neighbor of Mont. : NDAK
111
Messy place : STY

Answer summary:
10 unique to this puzzle, 12 debuted here and reused later, 8 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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