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Tap Osborn
Tap Osborn

POET-TASTERS

New York Times, Sunday, August 30, 1992

21-Across : Dull-witted

Author:
Tap Osborn
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 140, Blocks: 68, Avg Word Len: 5.33, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 537 (avg 1.44)
Open Squares: 132, Cheaters: 0, FITB: 14, XRef: 0, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 20
Tap Osborn has 111 known pre-Shortz puzzles, and 1 Modern Era crossword in our database.
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M
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N
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U
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A
© 1992, The New York TimesNo. 15,636
Across
1
Dangerous shark : MAKO
5
Singer McEntire : REBA
9
Rent gent : LESSOR
15
Clock watcher : EYER
19
Sign that's fine or malign : OMEN
20
Busy times at the I.R.S. : APRS
21
Dull-witted : OBTUSE
22
Ethereal : AERY
23
Alfred's taro treats : NOYESPOIS
25
Hart's cereal source : CRANESGRAIN
27
"A time to serve and ___": Swinburne : TOSIN
28
Comb: Comb. form : CTEN
30
West Coast fort : ORD
31
Used a shuttle : TATTED
32
French fluid : ENCRE
33
First name of the 18th U.S. President : HIRAM
35
Old stone tools : EOLITHS
37
Earth movers : HOES
39
Gertrude's aperitif : STEINSWINE
41
W.W. II medal : DSC
44
L.A.-to-Las Vegas dir. : NNE
46
Like a torte : RICH
48
Usurers' deals : LOANS
49
City in Germany : LAHR
50
Metaphoric word for a close call : EYELASH
52
Key : ISLET
54
Excessive : TOOTOO
56
Good health or wealth, e.g. : ASSET
57
Scamp : RASCAL
59
They put on coats : PAINTERS
61
Rain buckets : TEEM
62
Quai ___, Paris : DORSAY
63
Generous gifts : LARGESSES
64
Light-verse Richard's food supplier : ARMOURSFARMER
66
Overrate : MISPRAISE
70
Agent : FACTOR
71
Card game for three : SKAT
75
Fascinate at the gate? : ENTRANCE
76
With her, it's snip and tuck : FITTER
77
Farm-machine pioneer : DEERE
78
"Whither were you ___?": Shak. : AGOING
79
Ancient: Comb. form : PALEO
80
Improve spiritually : ELEVATE
82
Mid-orchestra locale : ROWM
83
Hebrew letter : TSADE
85
Food in red paraffin : EDAM
86
Thrash : TAN
87
Noshed : ATE
88
Walter's ponies of brandy : SCOTTSTOTS
92
Scads of lads? : GOBS
94
Clambake item : STEAMER
96
Ginger chasers : SNAPS
98
Stopwatch : TIMER
101
More eldritch : EERIER
103
Show approval : NOD
105
Sorcery belief: Var. : OBIA
106
Tomato blight : EDEMA
107
Rupert's meal maker : BROOKESCOOK
110
Sometime poet's veggies : LAMBSYAMS
112
Approval word : AMEN
113
Act parsimoniously : STINGE
114
Napoleon's forced retreat : ELBA
115
Natives: Suffix : OTES
116
River in W Canada : NASS
117
Synchro : SELSYN
118
Ruler mixed up in arts : TSAR
119
Tennis org. : USTA
Down
1
Woolley's game? : MONTE
2
"___ for the Misbegotten" : AMOON
3
Francis' Parmesan : KEYSCHEESE
4
Dream: Comb. form : ONEIRO
5
Ice Cube's music : RAP
6
Period part : EPOCH
7
Blokes from Stoke-on-Trent : BRITISH
8
Maintain : ASSERT
9
___ cit. (in the place cited) : LOC
10
Spain's "Nile" : EBRO
11
Looks hard upon : STARESAT
12
When light fights night : SUNDOWN
13
Verb attachment : OSE
14
"___ peace" : RESTIN
15
Place in space : EARTH
16
William's fruit-of-the-loam : YEATSDATES
17
Pa. port : ERIE
18
Millstone bar : RYND
24
Make a mockery of : SNEERAT
26
Dam device : GATE
29
Scot's not : NAE
34
Edna's edibles : MILLAYSFILETS
36
Fleur-de-___ : LIS
38
She rhymes with miss : SIS
40
"The First ___" : NOEL
42
Prop (up) : SHORE
43
Constantine's vision : CROSS
44
Bandbox : NEAT
45
Bicentennial assn. : NYSE
47
___ oxide, used in metallurgy : CHROMIC
49
Many land sales? : LOTS
51
Polish writer of sci-fi fame : LEM
52
Campaign topic : ISSUE
53
Heal mark : SCAR
54
Auburn athlete : TIGER
55
A real original : ONER
58
Rebelled : AROSE
59
Miguel's share : PARTE
60
Like tanks : ARMORED
62
Newfoundlander's narrow lane : DRANG
63
Milk: Comb. form : LACTO
64
Galway Bay's ___ Islands : ARAN
65
Karma : FATE
66
Actress from N.Y.C. : MEARA
67
Gold mold : INGOT
68
Harriet's breakfast eggs? : STOWESROES
69
Oh so proper : PRIM
71
Two or more: Abbr. : SEV
72
Kin of Tennyson's venison : KEATSMEATS
73
Greece's Gulf of ___ : ARTA
74
It can follow six : TEEN
76
Fashion passions : FADS
77
Downgrades : DEMOTES
79
New Netherland landowners : PATROONS
81
Kind of screw : LAG
83
First in a trio : TOM
84
Device for lettering : STENCIL
85
Secret sightings : ESPIALS
88
Look for : SEEK
89
Tender touch : CARESS
90
Golfer from Japan : ONO
91
Pill for a chill : TABLET
93
"Now, knock when I ___ ... ": Shak. : BIDYOU
95
Endings for opera and idea : TIONS
97
Spirited dance : SAMBA
99
Irish patriot : EMMET
100
Punta ___, Fla. : RASSA
101
Israeli statesman : EBAN
102
Author Bombeck : ERMA
104
Calf gone astray : DOGY
108
Sault ___ Marie : STE
109
Range of understanding : KEN
111
Spot for a shot : BAR

Answer summary:
18 unique to this puzzle, 2 debuted here and reused later, 12 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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