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Jean J. Davison
Jean J. Davison

New York Times, Thursday, August 26, 1976

36-Across : Backgrounds

Author:
Jean J. Davison
Editor:
Will Weng
Rows: 15, Columns: 15, Words: 80, Blocks: 36, Avg Word Len: 4.72, Missing: { J K Q Z }, Scrabble score: 285 (avg 1.51)
Open Squares: 67, Cheaters: 0, FITB: 5, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 1
Jean J. Davison has 62 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
David Steinberg notes:

Clue for 69-Down was originally "Superbowl scores: Abbr." but should have been "Super Bowl scores: Abbr."; it was left as it was

1
A
2
L
3
O
4
N
5
E
6
P
7
I
8
P
9
S
10
D
11
R
12
A
13
G
14
R
E
L
A
X
15
A
R
I
A
16
D
U
D
E
17
M
E
D
I
C
18
A
T
I
O
N
19
S
N
I
T
20
L
U
G
21
S
U
D
22
S
23
T
E
A
24
C
25
H
26
E
E
S
E
27
S
28
S
E
T
29
S
O
U
T
30
H
A
R
D
E
N
E
31
D
32
R
O
W
33
A
I
R
34
D
A
T
E
35
D
36
P
A
37
S
38
T
39
S
40
P
R
O
41
P
42
S
U
G
A
43
R
44
N
E
I
L
45
S
Y
R
I
46
A
47
P
A
V
E
48
D
49
E
G
O
50
E
N
51
D
52
S
I
D
E
53
S
T
E
P
54
B
55
L
56
A
S
T
E
57
D
58
D
O
C
T
O
R
S
59
L
I
P
60
S
E
R
61
F
62
E
L
A
63
A
M
P
64
S
65
P
O
L
66
E
S
A
P
67
A
68
R
69
T
70
H
I
L
O
71
E
V
E
R
72
I
L
I
A
D
73
S
T
E
W
74
N
E
X
T
75
M
E
L
T
S
© 1976, The New York TimesNo. 9,875
Across
1
"___ on a wide, wide sea" : ALONE
6
Domino spots : PIPS
10
Kind of race : DRAG
14
Let go : RELAX
15
Song for Sills : ARIA
16
Fancy cowboy : DUDE
17
Doctor's offering : MEDICATION
19
Fit of anger : SNIT
20
Carry : LUG
21
Head seen in a tavern : SUDS
23
English break : TEA
24
Stilton and Brie : CHEESES
28
Begins a journey : SETSOUT
30
Like some criminals : HARDENED
32
Ruckus : ROW
33
Aura : AIR
34
Out of fashion : DATED
36
Backgrounds : PASTS
40
Support : PROP
42
Ingredient of a girl : SUGAR
44
Armstrong : NEIL
45
Israel's neighbor : SYRIA
47
" ... ___ with good intentions" : PAVED
49
Personality : EGO
50
Put a stop to : END
52
Evade : SIDESTEP
54
Criticized severely : BLASTED
58
Zhivago and Jekyll : DOCTORS
59
Backtalk : LIP
60
Feudal subject : SERF
62
High note : ELA
63
Elec. units : AMPS
65
Like the Arctic and Antarctic : POLESAPART
70
Hawaiian city : HILO
71
By any chance : EVER
72
Homer work : ILIAD
73
Fume : STEW
74
Waiting-room word : NEXT
75
Softens : MELTS
Down
1
Branch : ARM
2
Remick : LEE
3
Glory or hat : OLD
4
Did carpentry work : NAILED
5
"May I be ___?" : EXCUSED
6
Brown or O'Brien : PAT
7
Eye part : IRIS
8
Reverent : PIOUS
9
Wood-smoothing apparatus : SANDER
10
Dentist's degree : DDS
11
Tend toward : RUNTO
12
Goodbye : ADIEU
13
Reach : GETAT
18
Rocket stages : AGENAS
22
Bus ___ : STOP
24
Cowboy gear : CHAPS
25
Like a lion's neck : HAIRY
26
Bobble : ERROR
27
Arrangement : SETUP
29
Song or Lake : SWAN
31
Painter of dancers : DEGAS
35
Merrick : DAVID
37
Look after : SEETO
38
Follower of three cheers : TIGER
39
Hog food : SLOPS
41
Bakery items : PIES
43
Performs again : REDOES
46
Picnic intruders : ANTS
48
Utter pompously : DECLAIM
51
Make darker : DEEPEN
53
Bread or rice, e.g. : STAPLE
54
Have the ___ (feel dull) : BLAHS
55
Restrict : LIMIT
56
Strudel base : APPLE
57
Compelled : DROVE
61
Show one's muscles : FLEX
64
Plant : SOW
66
Urge on, in Scotland : ERT
67
Trouble : AIL
68
Stool pigeon : RAT
69
Superbowl scores: Abbr. : TDS

Answer summary:
1 debuted here and reused later, 2 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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