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Jean Reed
Jean Reed

SILLY QUESTIONS

New York Times, Sunday, May 25, 1980

79-Across : Moving stairs

Author:
Jean Reed
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 138, Blocks: 69, Avg Word Len: 5.39, Missing: { Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 528 (avg 1.42)
Open Squares: 120, Cheaters: 4, FITB: 22, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 18
Jean Reed has 46 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
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A
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S
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K
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S
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A
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D
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D
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N
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L
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O
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A
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S
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M
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N
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O
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P
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C
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M
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E
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A
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O
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M
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G
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G
G
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C
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G
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O
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A
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T
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E
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A
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A
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W
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W
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Y
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A
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C
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S
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T
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D
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W
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R
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H
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N
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M
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L
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A
R
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O
G
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T
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T
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I
A
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D
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L
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O
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O
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E
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S
T
© 1980, The New York TimesNo. 11,156
Across
1
Questions : ASKS
5
Arith. process : ADDN
9
Fills a truck : LOADS
14
L-Q connection : MNOP
18
Elegance : CHIC
19
Andretti of auto racing : MARIO
20
___ all (do oneself in) : ENDIT
21
Air: Comb. form : AERI
22
During Lent, does ___? : HOWARDFAST
24
What drove ___? : OSCARWILDE
26
Plant of the rose family : SPIREA
27
Net resembling tulle : MALINE
29
Gatherings of geese : GAGGLES
30
Coral reefs : CAYS
32
Lat. case : GENIT
33
River at Frankfurt : ODER
34
Loathed : HATED
37
In one ___ out the other : EARAND
39
Singing sisters : ANDREWS
42
Tree or residue : ASH
43
Maxims : ADAGES
45
Of cranial cavities : SINAL
47
British cans : TINS
49
Fashion name : DIOR
51
Whereness : UBIETY
53
Melchizedek's city : SALEM
55
___ the Lip : LEO
56
What interest does a ___ pay? : JAMESBOND
58
Incites : ABETS
60
Court ___ : OFLAW
62
Murphy's ___ bed : INADOOR
63
Alamogordo's county : OTERO
64
Pigtails : BRAIDS
65
Jacob, to Laban : SONINLAW
68
Switzerland : HELVETIA
70
Quivering trees : ASPENS
72
Name for a movie house : ODEON
74
Frightened : ALARMED
77
Rent : LEASE
78
Pernod ingredient : ANISE
79
Moving stairs : ESCALATOR
81
Cuckoo : ANI
82
Color slightly : TINGE
84
Start growing : SPROUT
86
He wrote "An Exchange of Eagles": 1977 : SELA
87
Compos mentis : SANE
89
Show sudden interest : SITUP
91
Removes a sheepshank : UNTIES
93
Permit: Abbr. : LIC
94
Looks after : TENDSTO
96
O'Keeffe, e.g. : ARTIST
98
Roger's last name? : WILCO
100
Picnic ham : CALA
101
Operating : INUSE
102
Some votes : YEAS
104
Gas stretcher : ALCOHOL
107
Competition : STRIFE
109
Disturbed the peace : RIOTED
113
What are a candidate's ___? : WORDSWORTH
115
At whom did ___? : NORMANLEAR
117
Cyma recta : OGEE
118
County in Mont. : TOOLE
119
Error's mate : TRIAL
120
Computer fodder : DATA
121
Sordor : LEES
122
Rod used in basketry : OSIER
123
Parabases : ODES
124
Once, once : ERST
Down
1
German exclamations : ACHS
2
Tour the stores : SHOP
3
Earthbound bird : KIWI
4
Like hens' teeth : SCARCE
5
W.W. II fliers : AAF
6
Metric weight : DRAM
7
Fell out : DISAGREED
8
"Last but ___" : NOTLEAST
9
Brezhnev and some shooting stars : LEONIDS
10
Start : ONSET
11
Mil. man : ADC
12
Virgules or twills : DIAGONALS
13
Take both sides : STRADDLE
14
Simenon's inspector : MAIGRET
15
"Salvation ___" : NELL
16
Gen. Wingate: 1903-44 : ORDE
17
Jays' cousins : PIES
19
War planning date : MDAY
23
"How to ___ Book": Adler : READA
25
Bonn is its cap. : WGER
28
Auberge : INN
31
Like Aphrodite or Nereids : SEABORN
34
Post-Mecca Moslem : HADJI
35
Man from Manchuria : ASIAN
36
Did George III give ___? : THOMASPAINE
38
Opposed, Dogpatch style : AGIN
39
Schnitzler's idle worldling : ANATOL
40
What secrets did ___? : WILLIAMTELL
41
Golf great : SNEAD
44
Civil-rights writer : DUBOIS
46
Grenoble's river : ISERE
48
Plants seed : SOWS
50
Fixes over : REDOES
52
Sun ___-sen : YAT
54
What we all are : MORTAL
57
Shakespearean gem : SONNET
59
Aphra of writing fame : BEHN
61
"___ a star ... " : FAIRAS
63
Has creditors : OWES
64
Delay, old style : BELATE
66
" ... there I ___ be": H. Van Dyke : LONGTO
67
Balzac book: 1832 : ADIEU
69
Emptiness : VACUITY
70
Wellaway! : ALAS
71
French lawmakers : SENAT
73
Latin diphthongs : OES
75
Borne by the wind : EOLIC
76
Harsh lawmaker : DRACO
78
Who turned ___? : ANITALOOS
79
What streams did ___? : ERNIEFORD
80
Barflies : SOTS
83
"He that ___ anger ... ": Prov. 16:32 : ISSLOWTO
85
___ words (verbalizes) : PUTSINTO
88
Makes a cryptogram : ENCODES
90
Big cat : PANTHER
92
Young lover : SWAIN
95
Morse man's long ones : DAHS
97
Capek play : RUR
99
Tristram's beloved : ISOLDE
101
Rope fiber : ISTLE
103
Epochal : ERAL
104
Over the hill : AWOL
105
Theater box : LOGE
106
Indian of Manitoba : CREE
108
Clinton's waterway : ERIE
110
Snag : TEAR
111
Highway sign : EATS
112
Mild cussword : DRAT
114
Any of 18 named Louis : ROI
116
Mates of pas : MAS

Answer summary:
9 unique to this puzzle, 9 debuted here and reused later, 10 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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