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Jay Spry
Jay Spry

BULLET-BITING TIME

New York Times, Sunday, March 27, 1977

91-Across : Empties

Author:
Jay Spry
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 168, Blocks: 104, Avg Word Len: 5.06, Missing: { Q Z }, Scrabble score: 599 (avg 1.41)
Open Squares: 105, Cheaters: 18, FITB: 5, XRef: 0, Spans: 3, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 5
Jay Spry has 16 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
David Steinberg notes:

Clue for 53-Down is as in original, but bracts are leaves, not petals.

1
A
2
J
3
A
4
R
5
I
6
V
7
A
8
N
9
O
10
P
11
T
12
S
13
T
14
A
15
L
16
O
17
N
18
B
A
T
I
19
K
20
M
O
D
E
21
G
R
O
U
P
22
A
G
A
T
E
23
M
O
S
T
P
E
24
O
P
L
E
W
25
O
U
L
D
B
E
26
G
L
A
D
T
O
27
A
D
O
28
E
D
N
A
S
29
S
P
I
E
S
30
D
O
E
31
L
E
N
32
R
E
N
33
D
34
G
I
L
35
I
D
A
36
E
N
37
T
E
R
38
I
39
P
E
C
A
40
C
41
A
N
E
N
42
T
43
A
S
T
I
44
P
45
L
E
A
S
E
46
A
47
S
S
E
S
S
O
48
R
S
49
S
N
50
A
51
G
52
S
53
B
O
O
T
S
54
A
N
T
I
55
T
E
E
56
S
P
O
T
57
R
O
V
E
S
58
A
N
D
E
A
59
N
60
D
E
C
A
61
L
62
S
63
P
A
Y
64
A
B
E
D
65
M
I
N
I
M
66
A
67
R
O
S
E
68
A
T
69
O
L
L
70
C
A
L
71
F
U
M
E
D
72
S
T
A
T
73
S
74
A
T
I
R
E
75
T
H
E
76
I
R
T
A
X
E
77
S
W
I
T
H
78
A
S
M
I
L
E
B
79
U
80
T
81
T
R
O
T
T
A
82
E
A
V
E
83
D
I
O
N
E
84
U
R
E
85
S
T
O
N
E
86
T
87
O
R
T
E
88
D
O
O
R
S
89
S
T
I
R
90
T
H
E
91
D
R
92
A
I
N
S
93
S
94
T
E
R
N
E
95
T
A
T
A
R
96
W
A
R
97
N
98
P
O
E
99
E
L
I
S
100
A
D
E
L
E
101
A
N
S
E
102
R
103
E
N
T
104
E
105
R
106
T
A
I
N
107
F
108
A
K
I
R
S
109
M
E
110
T
S
111
O
M
E
R
S
112
G
113
L
A
R
E
S
114
S
115
H
O
V
E
116
I
T
A
117
A
L
A
118
T
119
A
120
M
121
P
122
E
T
O
123
E
R
124
A
125
S
T
A
I
126
R
127
O
S
A
G
128
E
129
B
O
O
130
G
O
V
131
E
R
N
M
132
E
N
T
I
N
S
133
I
S
T
S
O
N
134
C
A
S
H
135
G
R
E
E
T
136
P
R
E
E
N
137
V
A
L
E
138
N
O
O
S
E
139
Y
E
L
L
S
140
S
E
E
D
141
P
L
O
D
142
W
O
E
S
© 1977, The New York TimesNo. 10,088
Across
1
Partly open : AJAR
5
Pavlov : IVAN
9
Chooses : OPTS
13
Solitaire wastepile : TALON
18
Hand-dyed fabric : BATIK
20
Style : MODE
21
Air Force unit : GROUP
22
Type of type : AGATE
23
Start of a quotation : MOSTPEOPLEWOULDBEGLADTO
27
Brouhaha : ADO
28
Ferber and others : EDNAS
29
Catches sight of : SPIES
30
Female rabbit : DOE
31
Author Deighton : LEN
32
Sunder : REND
34
Hodges : GIL
35
Tarbell : IDA
36
Record : ENTER
38
Creeping S. A. plant : IPECAC
41
Concerning : ANENT
43
City in Italy : ASTI
44
Delight : PLEASE
46
Tax people : ASSESSORS
49
Obstacles : SNAGS
53
Kipling subject : BOOTS
54
No-man : ANTI
55
Links area : TEE
56
Notice : SPOT
57
Spatiates : ROVES
58
Lofty : ANDEAN
60
Transferable pictures : DECALS
63
Quotation: Part II : PAY
64
In the crib : ABED
65
Half note : MINIM
66
Took place : AROSE
68
Ring around a lagoon : ATOLL
70
Lone Eagle's monogram : CAL
71
Stewed : FUMED
72
E.R.A. or R.B.I. : STAT
73
Lampoon : SATIRE
75
Quotation: Part III : THEIRTAXESWITHASMILEBUT
81
Liz of TV newscasting : TROTTA
82
Overhanging edge : EAVE
83
Mother of Aphrodite : DIONE
84
Noun suffix : URE
85
Pit : STONE
86
Rich cake : TORTE
88
French ___ : DOORS
89
To-do : STIR
90
Quotation: Part IV : THE
91
Empties : DRAINS
93
Author of "Tristram Shandy" : STERNE
95
Tamerlane was one : TATAR
96
Alert : WARN
98
Mystery-story pioneer : POE
99
Yalies : ELIS
100
Distaff Astaire : ADELE
101
Goose genus : ANSER
103
Consider : ENTERTAIN
107
Hindu ascetics : FAKIRS
109
N.Y. team : METS
111
Hebrew measures : OMERS
112
Fierce looks : GLARES
114
Push : SHOVE
116
Call ___ day : ITA
117
In the style of : ALA
118
Pack pipe tobacco : TAMP
122
W.W. II theater : ETO
123
Epoch : ERA
125
Kind of case : STAIR
127
Orange or Indian : OSAGE
129
Call of the riled : BOO
130
End of quotation : GOVERNMENTINSISTSONCASH
135
Welcome : GREET
136
Doll up : PREEN
137
Low-lying tract : VALE
138
Slipknot : NOOSE
139
Outcries : YELLS
140
Kernel : SEED
141
Trudge : PLOD
142
Miseries : WOES
Down
1
Home : ABODE
2
Argonaut : JASON
3
A.B.A. member : ATT
4
Full-blown : RIPE
5
Lion's prey : IMPALA
6
Tennesseans : VOLS
7
Fruit punch : ADE
8
Word : NEWS
9
City near Paris : ORLEANS
10
Bolls : PODS
11
Decrepit boat : TUB
12
Rushed : SPED
13
Abilities : TALENTS
14
Begum's spouse : AGA
15
Soup scoop : LADLE
16
Dark-brown fur : OTTER
17
Inert gas : NEON
19
Small anchors : KEDGES
21
Cicerones : GUIDES
23
Damage : MAR
24
"Cinched" : ONICE
25
Reckon : OPINE
26
Leaves : GOES
33
Bantingized : DIETED
37
Containers : TINS
39
Base on balls : PASS
40
Voltaire novel : CANDIDE
41
Where Laos is : ASIA
42
Roomy handbags : TOTES
43
Bewildered : ASEA
44
Pompous official : POOBAH
45
Billets-doux : LOVELETTERS
47
Hold back : STEM
48
Hard times : RECESSIONS
50
Fruit-based spread : APPLEBUTTER
51
Aim : GOAL
52
Pen : STY
53
Dogwood petal : BRACT
54
Event re Texas: 1845 : ANNEXATION
58
Strive for : AIMAT
59
Aborigines : NATIVES
60
Biblical verb : DOTH
61
Most South Americans : LATINS
62
Fence crossing : STILE
65
Grumble : MUTTER
67
Deserve : RATE
69
Pay dirt : ORE
71
Palm leaf : FROND
72
Bat a gnat : SWAT
74
Romeo's emotion : AMORE
76
Revenue agent: Abbr. : IRO
77
Sun. lectures : SERS
78
Worshipful : ADORING
79
Asian wild sheep : URIALS
80
Zola's "La ___" : TERRE
85
Thai language : SHAN
87
___ a customer : ONETO
88
Cold-cuts store : DELI
89
Cruel one : SADIST
90
A pair, in Ayr : TWA
92
Mimics : APES
94
British meals : TEAS
95
Require : TAKE
97
Captain of the Nautilus : NEMO
102
Goes back : REVERTS
104
Gave off : EMITTED
105
Keep : RETAIN
106
Teach : TRAIN
107
Ballads : FALAS
108
Part of Spain : ARAGON
110
Sea swallow : TERN
113
Stood the gaff : LASTED
114
Accumulation : STORE
115
Uncle Tom's cabin : HOVEL
119
Humble : ABASE
120
Asch book : MOSES
121
Cry of contempt : POH
122
Like floating islands : EGGY
124
Watts' kin : AMPS
125
Koko's weapon : SNEE
126
Society tag line : RSVP
127
European capital : OSLO
128
" ... were Paradise ___!" : ENOW
131
Conger : EEL
132
Sonneteer's word : ERE
133
Adjective suffix : IAL
134
Dovecote sound : COO

Answer summary:
3 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 7 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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