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John M. Samson
John M. Samson

12 CHRISTMAS GIFTS

New York Times, Sunday, December 22, 1991

24-Across : Variable stars

Author:
John M. Samson
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 140, Blocks: 73, Avg Word Len: 5.26, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 541 (avg 1.47)
Open Squares: 122, Cheaters: 4, FITB: 3, XRef: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 8 Grid has duplicate clues.
John M. Samson has 49 known pre-Shortz puzzles, and 1 Modern Era crossword in our database.
1
S
2
A
3
N
4
T
5
A
6
B
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A
8
L
9
A
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S
11
A
12
D
13
A
14
M
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F
16
L
17
A
18
G
19
P
R
E
E
N
20
A
D
A
G
E
21
L
I
D
O
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A
O
N
E
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C
E
L
L
A
24
N
O
V
A
E
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P
A
R
T
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R
I
D
G
E
27
C
A
L
L
I
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N
G
B
I
R
D
29
S
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D
E
T
E
R
G
E
S
31
E
L
A
T
E
S
32
T
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H
E
A
34
P
E
E
L
E
35
S
36
T
37
A
R
38
M
A
S
H
39
D
R
U
M
M
40
E
R
S
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A
H
A
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E
P
I
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E
R
I
N
S
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P
O
T
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E
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N
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T
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L
O
R
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D
S
A
L
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E
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A
P
I
N
G
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M
I
V
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N
E
H
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T
R
E
A
T
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B
R
I
N
G
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D
O
S
E
57
E
G
O
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M
O
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S
60
S
B
A
C
K
61
D
O
N
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R
E
L
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F
64
R
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E
N
C
H
H
E
N
S
66
T
U
R
T
L
67
E
68
D
O
V
E
69
R
O
D
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E
A
T
S
71
R
A
N
C
H
E
R
O
72
A
D
S
73
P
E
N
S
74
C
I
R
C
A
75
V
I
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D
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E
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O
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N
E
E
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O
R
K
81
L
A
D
I
E
S
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W
83
A
I
T
I
N
G
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C
O
L
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L
I
E
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T
O
T
E
M
87
I
L
L
88
D
O
E
89
A
N
D
90
I
R
O
N
S
91
O
92
W
N
S
93
N
O
S
E
94
D
95
E
96
B
U
T
97
R
U
T
A
98
C
A
D
O
99
R
E
100
O
P
E
N
E
101
Y
E
D
102
P
103
I
104
P
E
R
S
P
I
P
105
I
106
N
107
G
108
G
O
L
D
R
I
N
G
109
S
110
M
A
L
M
O
111
T
H
R
E
E
112
I
D
L
E
113
P
I
E
T
114
A
L
L
E
R
115
E
E
R
I
E
116
T
E
A
R
117
E
C
R
U
118
M
A
I
D
S
119
S
W
A
N
S
© 1991, The New York TimesNo. 15,384
Across
1
Stocking stuffer : SANTA
6
Orange gem : BALAS
11
"Cantique de Noël" composer : ADAM
15
Colors : FLAG
19
Doll up : PREEN
20
Byword : ADAGE
21
Beach resort : LIDO
22
Superior : AONE
23
Naos : CELLA
24
Variable stars : NOVAE
25
"The World of Words" author : PARTRIDGE
27
Those with telephonitis? : CALLINGBIRDS
30
Cleanses : DETERGES
31
Thrills : ELATES
32
Mother of Eos : THEA
34
"The Old Wives' Tale" dramatist : PEELE
35
Tannenbaum topper : STAR
38
Crush : MASH
39
Traveling salesmen : DRUMMERS
41
Trio from Oslo : AHA
42
Prefix for center : EPI
43
Gray and Moran : ERINS
44
Puissant : POTENT
48
Jumpy noblemen? : LORDSALEAPING
52
DII doubled : MIV
53
O.T. book : NEH
54
Sugarplum, e.g. : TREAT
55
Fetch : BRING
56
Medicate : DOSE
57
Self-image : EGO
58
Rustic : MOSSBACK
61
Elvis Presley hit : DONT
62
Confederate gen. : REL
63
Poulettes? : FRENCHHENS
66
Slow pacifist? : TURTLEDOVE
69
Linear measure : ROD
70
Puts away : EATS
71
Vaquero's relative : RANCHERO
72
Radio plugs : ADS
73
Confines, in a way : PENS
74
About : CIRCA
75
Kind of tape : VIDEO
79
Society-page word : NEE
80
Mork's planet : ORK
81
Part of the holiday check-out snarl? : LADIESWAITING
84
A sheepdog : COLLIE
86
Indian's protector : TOTEM
87
Under the weather : ILL
88
Female kangaroo : DOE
89
Firedogs : ANDIRONS
91
Admits : OWNS
93
Rudolph's high beam : NOSE
94
Come out : DEBUT
97
Lee in "Funny Face" : RUTA
98
Range of NE Italy : CADORE
100
Alert : OPENEYED
102
Busy flautists : PIPERSPIPING
108
Spousal symbols : GOLDRINGS
110
Swedish seaport : MALMO
111
Preceder of 63 Across : THREE
112
Futile : IDLE
113
Magpie : PIET
114
German river : ALLER
115
TV's "___ Indiana" : EERIE
116
Wrench : TEAR
117
Very light brown : ECRU
118
Soubrettes : MAIDS
119
Cob and pen : SWANS
Down
1
Humane org. : SPCC
2
Quarter : AREA
3
Dudley Do-Right's love : NELL
4
Job O. Henry had : TELLER
5
"For want of ___ the shoe ... " : ANAIL
6
Pony : BANGTAIL
7
Taos buildings : ADOBES
8
Opulent : LAVISH
9
Seaweed substance : AGAR
10
Coconut, e.g. : SEED
11
Snowcapped peak : ALP
12
Magi headbands : DIADEMS
13
In the arms of Morpheus : ADREAM
14
Peace Nobelist John R. ___: 1946 : MOTT
15
Superlative for Snow White : FAIREST
16
Fraternal club : LODGE
17
Tannenbaum topper : ANGEL
18
Simpletons : GEESE
26
Chastise : REPROVE
28
City in SW Idaho : NAMPA
29
Sequence : STRING
33
Dangled : HUNG
35
'Tis the season to be chary : SALT
36
Sif's husband : THOR
37
Solothurn's river : AARE
39
Wassail : DRINK
40
Letter from Paul : EPISTLE
42
Renaissance sword : ESTOC
43
D. W. Griffith films : EPICS
45
Año nuevo time : ENERO
46
Beersheba's locale : NEGEV
47
Gunwale pin : THOLE
49
Denounce : DAMN
50
Brooklyn's "field of dreams" : EBBETS
51
Irish islands : ARANS
52
Two fortnights : MONTH
56
Biblical seamstress : DORCAS
59
Swerved : SHEERED
60
Cut of beef : SHANK
61
Blockhead : DUNCE
63
Coin for Père Noël : FRANC
64
Copland ballet : RODEO
65
Car of 1957 : EDSEL
66
Basin in W China : TARIM
67
Forage plant : ERVIL
68
Trifle : DOIT
71
Sleighs, e.g. : RIDES
73
Tip : POINTER
74
Forty winks : CATNAP
76
Prank : DIDO
77
Country Slaughter : ENOS
78
S-curve : OGEE
81
Joe Orton play : LOOT
82
Wide ties or knots : WINDSORS
83
"Matter of Fact" columnist : ALSOP
85
Wash : LAUNDER
86
Plodding one : TRUDGER
90
Peaceful : IRENIC
91
Peacock spots : OCELLI
92
Became friendly, with "to" : WARMED
93
Enoch, to Seth : NEPHEW
94
Loaf : DOGIT
95
Lyric poem : EPODE
96
Adjective for Loren : BELLA
99
Observances : RITES
101
Eek! : YIPE
103
Muslim scholar : IMAM
104
Spanish shovel : PALA
105
Soprano Petina : IRRA
106
Opposite of ja : NEIN
107
Turns right : GEES
109
Miami inst. : STU

Answer summary:
6 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 13 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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