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Diana R. Sessions
Diana R. Sessions

CENTER OF ATTRACTION

New York Times, Sunday, December 15, 1968

88-Across : Obsession

Author:
Diana Sessions
Editor:
Margaret Farrar
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 136, Blocks: 62, Avg Word Len: 5.57, Missing: { J X Z }, Scrabble score: 608 (avg 1.60)
Open Squares: 155, Cheaters: 4, FITB: 5, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 15
Diana R. Sessions has 69 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
Diana Sessions is an alias for Diana R. Sessions.
David Steinberg notes:

Original clue for 89-Across had "narwahl"; corrected it to "narwhal."

1
T
2
W
3
E
4
N
5
T
6
Y
7
B
8
I
9
A
10
F
11
R
12
A
13
T
14
I
15
A
16
R
17
A
18
S
19
H
O
N
O
R
E
20
E
21
A
C
T
I
O
N
22
A
S
S
I
S
I
23
O
N
T
R
I
A
L
24
P
I
E
C
E
S
25
O
F
E
I
G
H
T
26
M
O
I
27
S
H
O
28
R
T
C
U
T
29
W
I
F
E
30
G
O
O
31
A
U
R
32
A
33
Q
U
I
L
P
34
R
E
L
Y
35
P
E
R
U
36
S
T
E
P
37
G
U
I
S
E
38
V
E
R
Y
39
B
E
R
E
T
40
P
41
A
R
E
N
T
42
R
E
F
S
43
T
O
N
44
P
45
A
46
R
A
G
O
N
S
47
L
I
N
O
48
T
R
U
D
49
G
50
E
51
R
52
E
V
E
R
E
S
T
53
F
I
G
U
R
54
E
O
U
T
55
A
P
A
56
R
A
V
E
N
S
57
T
I
G
H
T
M
A
D
E
58
P
R
I
N
59
C
R
E
N
A
60
M
I
G
H
T
I
E
S
T
61
B
R
A
C
K
62
H
I
N
T
63
N
I
G
H
T
M
A
R
E
64
B
R
O
G
U
E
65
E
C
U
66
T
E
L
E
T
H
O
N
S
67
P
O
O
L
E
R
S
68
S
E
E
69
T
H
E
D
70
T
E
S
S
71
M
A
R
M
O
S
E
T
72
W
E
D
73
K
A
A
T
74
H
E
L
I
O
N
75
A
76
T
77
S
E
A
78
W
I
L
D
79
G
E
R
M
S
80
G
81
R
82
A
83
N
84
T
R
E
E
85
P
I
C
K
86
A
R
A
C
A
87
S
E
M
I
88
T
I
C
89
T
U
S
K
90
A
P
E
R
I
T
91
I
92
F
93
S
E
C
94
A
F
T
95
E
R
T
H
O
96
U
G
H
T
S
97
E
D
I
98
F
I
C
E
99
C
L
O
S
E
T
100
F
A
R
I
N
A
101
D
E
L
I
G
H
T
102
H
E
R
E
S
Y
103
F
R
I
D
A
Y
104
S
I
D
N
E
Y
© 1968, The New York TimesNo. 7,064
Across
1
Score : TWENTY
7
U.N. concern : BIAFRA
13
Headdresses : TIARAS
19
Feted one : HONOREE
21
Performance : ACTION
22
Umbrian town : ASSISI
23
Elmer Rice play : ONTRIAL
24
Pirate's plunder : PIECESOFEIGHT
26
Self: Fr. : MOI
27
More direct route : SHORTCUT
29
Darby's Joan : WIFE
30
Sticky stuff : GOO
31
Enveloping glow : AURA
33
Dickens dwarf : QUILP
34
Lean (on) : RELY
35
Where El Misti is : PERU
36
Rung : STEP
37
Semblance : GUISE
38
Really : VERY
39
Cap : BERET
40
Ancestor : PARENT
42
Arena men: Abbr. : REFS
43
Weight : TON
44
Beau ideals : PARAGONS
47
Flax: Sp. : LINO
48
Weary hiker : TRUDGER
52
Sir John Hunt's goal : EVEREST
53
Solve : FIGUREOUT
55
River into the Paraguay : APA
56
Chough's cousins : RAVENS
57
Snug-fitting : TIGHTMADE
58
Chiefly: Abbr. : PRIN
59
Scallop : CRENA
60
"Ere the ___ Julius fell" : MIGHTIEST
61
Salt water: Dial. : BRACK
62
Forewarning : HINT
63
Worry : NIGHTMARE
64
Heavy shoe : BROGUE
65
Old French coin : ECU
66
Fund-raising programs : TELETHONS
67
Ride sharers : POOLERS
68
Churned : SEETHED
70
1891 heroine : TESS
71
Tamarin : MARMOSET
72
Unite : WED
73
Egyptian weight: Var. : KAAT
74
Incandescent lamp : HELION
75
Uncertain : ATSEA
78
Stormy : WILD
79
Seeds : GERMS
80
___ Chaco, S. A. plain : GRAN
84
Chinquapin : TREE
85
Pointed tool : PICK
86
Guava : ARACA
87
Kind of trailer : SEMI
88
Obsession : TIC
89
Feature of the narwhal : TUSK
90
Cocktail : APERITIF
93
Jiffy : SEC
94
Reflections of a sort : AFTERTHOUGHTS
97
Structure : EDIFICE
99
Cupboard : CLOSET
100
Potato starch : FARINA
101
Joy : DELIGHT
102
Misbelief : HERESY
103
Defoe character : FRIDAY
104
English poet : SIDNEY
Down
1
British poet : THOMAS
2
Was successful: Colloq. : WONOUT
3
Undivided : ENTIRE
4
Conjunction : NOR
5
Thrice: Prefix : TRIS
6
Uh-huh : YEAH
7
Church member : BAPTIST
8
Christmas tree ornament : ICICLE
9
Consumed : ATEUP
10
Not genuine: Abbr. : FICT
11
___ deer : ROE
12
Serves : ANSWERS
13
Candy : TAFFY
14
Conversational comment : ISEE
15
"Just ___ am ... " : ASI
16
Parachute worker : RIGGER
17
On land : ASHORE
18
Stay aloof from : SITOUT
20
Expressive : ELOQUENT
25
Suave : OILY
28
Relics of the past : RUINS
32
Manifest : APPARENT
34
Promoters of change : REFORMERS
35
Await decision : PEND
37
Sum total : GROSS
38
Planet inhabitants : VENUTIANS
39
Attack : BOUT
41
Star in Centaurus : AGENA
42
Nearest the dexter side : RIGHTMOST
43
Exactly : TRUE
44
Alights : PERCHES
45
Cupidity : AVARICE
46
Profits : REVENUE
47
Frivolous person : LIGHTHEAD
48
Siegfried Line builder : TODT
49
Repair shops : GARAGES
50
Bon vivant : EPICURE
51
Most extreme : RANKEST
53
Coach's half-time advice : FIGHTTALK
54
Slacken : EASE
57
Pin in an early rifle : TIGE
58
Continues : PROLONGS
60
Temperate : MILD
61
Remedy of a kind : BROMO
63
Exigency : NEED
64
Opera role : BORIS
66
Girl's name : THEA
67
Resembling a hand : PALMATED
69
Piping note : TWEE
71
Thanks: Fr. : MERCI
73
Begin: Colloq. : KICKOFF
74
Rumor : HEARSAY
75
Bind : ATTACH
76
Knickknack : TRIFLE
77
Division : SECTOR
78
Expression of good will : WISH
79
___ Green : GRETNA
81
Yield : RESIGN
82
Bell's portrayer : AMECHE
83
Precision : NICETY
85
Cement : PUTTY
86
Garden pest : APHID
89
Three: Sp. : TRES
90
Fields: Lat. : AGRI
91
European food fish : IDES
92
Thread: Prefix : FILI
95
Compass point : ESE
96
Middle East initials : UAR
98
Topmast support : FID

Answer summary:
9 unique to this puzzle, 6 debuted here and reused later, 6 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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