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Charles Cross
Charles Cross

VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE

New York Times, Sunday, September 16, 1951

52-Across : Useless adornment.

Author:
Charles Cross
Editor:
Margaret Farrar
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 172, Blocks: 77, Avg Word Len: 5.26, Missing: { J Q W Z }, Scrabble score: 680 (avg 1.50)
Open Squares: 136, Cheaters: 0, FITB: 6, XRef: 1, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 31 Grid has both 90- and 180-degree symmetry. Grid has duplicate clues.
Charles Cross has 25 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
David Steinberg notes:

Original 134-Across clue had "Dutchess"; changed to "Duchess."

1
M
2
A
3
D
4
A
5
M
6
C
7
H
8
A
9
T
10
S
11
C
12
L
13
A
14
S
15
P
16
C
17
L
18
A
19
P
20
P
21
A
B
A
S
E
22
H
A
B
I
T
23
H
A
V
E
R
24
L
A
M
E
R
25
C
A
T
H
E
26
R
I
N
E
D
E
27
M
E
D
I
C
I
28
O
P
E
R
A
29
E
T
E
30
T
O
D
D
31
E
V
A
32
Y
A
R
D
33
E
D
34
L
O
T
35
S
E
R
36
F
37
M
E
L
38
D
39
E
I
40
G
H
T
E
E
N
41
M
I
N
T
42
O
43
S
A
44
E
R
45
E
46
S
L
A
R
T
47
S
48
P
I
T
49
M
50
A
51
C
R
O
52
F
R
I
L
53
L
54
A
M
I
S
55
H
56
A
M
A
57
S
58
S
59
A
L
A
M
O
60
D
E
61
B
E
A
62
T
R
I
X
63
U
64
P
R
I
G
H
T
65
R
E
R
A
T
I
N
66
G
67
C
R
E
E
L
68
E
R
O
S
69
A
A
R
70
M
A
R
T
H
A
C
U
71
S
T
I
S
72
T
73
A
R
S
I
74
A
L
M
A
75
S
K
I
76
I
N
E
P
T
77
A
S
78
T
O
L
A
T
79
P
I
L
E
D
80
E
81
D
N
A
82
P
I
83
N
T
84
O
N
A
S
85
B
A
L
I
86
I
87
N
C
O
G
88
R
I
P
O
S
89
T
E
90
M
I
91
S
E
R
92
C
93
A
94
N
95
R
A
H
S
96
S
H
E
E
R
97
E
L
98
E
O
N
O
R
A
99
D
U
S
E
100
A
V
A
101
B
E
E
S
102
M
103
A
L
E
S
104
G
R
A
M
E
R
C
Y
105
T
A
P
106
I
O
C
A
107
M
A
D
I
S
O
108
N
109
B
R
O
N
C
O
S
110
E
L
M
A
N
111
S
112
P
A
S
M
113
S
P
A
114
T
S
115
U
N
I
T
A
116
A
N
D
117
S
118
A
S
H
I
119
R
120
S
I
R
121
S
R
I
122
T
123
O
N
S
124
P
125
A
T
H
E
T
I
126
C
127
L
I
128
R
E
129
S
130
O
131
P
132
S
133
A
R
C
134
M
A
R
I
N
A
135
G
O
136
A
137
D
O
R
138
A
139
H
O
I
140
C
L
A
141
R
A
142
G
E
O
R
143
G
I
A
N
144
E
E
S
E
C
145
L
A
R
K
146
N
O
T
E
R
147
U
N
T
E
R
148
S
T
O
N
E
149
T
O
R
C
H
150
A
P
T
L
Y
151
S
T
E
R
S
152
T
I
N
T
S
153
A
Y
A
H
S
© 1951, The New York TimesNo. 819
Across
1
Mesta or Merman. : MADAM
6
F. D. R.'s specialty. : CHATS
11
Handbag closing. : CLASP
16
Wellesley president. : CLAPP
21
Lower. : ABASE
22
Dress of a religious order. : HABIT
23
June of Hollywood. : HAVER
24
Feebler. : LAMER
25
Queen who instigated a massacre, 1572. : CATHERINEDEMEDICI
28
Piazza's vocation. : OPERA
29
Summer in Paris. : ETE
30
Mrs. Lincoln's maiden name. : TODD
31
Miss Tanguay. : EVA
32
Confined. : YARDED
34
His wife looked back. : LOT
35
Slave. : SERF
37
Four kings, for instance. : MELD
39
Two ball teams. : EIGHTEEN
41
Where Mrs. Ross is boss. : MINT
42
Girl's name. : OSA
44
Before. : ERE
46
Spatter: Dial. : SLART
47
Rain slightly. : SPIT
49
Long: Prefix. : MACRO
52
Useless adornment. : FRILL
54
Mennonites. : AMISH
56
Collect. : AMASS
59
Menu phrase. : ALAMODE
61
Miss Potter of Peter Rabbit fame. : BEATRIX
63
Kind of piano. : UPRIGHT
65
Re-evaluating. : RERATING
67
Basket. : CREEL
68
Piccadilly Circus statue. : EROS
69
Swiss river. : AAR
70
Widow who married well in 1759. : MARTHACUSTIS
72
Ankles. : TARSI
74
___ Gluck. : ALMA
75
Alpine necessity. : SKI
76
Bungling. : INEPT
77
Whence came Elaine. : ASTOLAT
79
Heaped. : PILED
80
Author of "Show Boat": 1st name. : EDNA
82
Measure. : PINT
84
S. A. Indians. : ONAS
85
Indonesian island. : BALI
86
With dark glasses and phony name: Slang. : INCOG
88
Verbal thrust. : RIPOSTE
90
Pinchpenny. : MISER
92
Conserve. : CAN
95
Cheers. : RAHS
96
Good nylons are. : SHEER
97
She played Camille, Juliet, Magda, etc. : ELEONORADUSE
100
Girl's name. : AVA
101
Fabre's subject. : BEES
102
A chief interest of females. : MALES
104
Famous square in N. Y. C. : GRAMERCY
105
Dessert. : TAPIOCA
107
The fabulous Dolly. : MADISON
109
Wild horses. : BRONCOS
110
Noted violinist. : ELMAN
111
Sudden effort. : SPASM
113
Footgear. : SPATS
115
Singleness: It. : UNITA
116
Connectives. : ANDS
118
Assyrian god. : ASHIR
120
English title. : SIR
121
Indian title. : SRI
122
Units of freight volume. : TONS
124
___ fallacy. : PATHETIC
127
Italian coins. : LIRE
129
Soaks in. : SOPS
133
Begun by 140 Across: Abbr. : ARC
134
Duchess of Kent. : MARINA
135
Portuguese India. : GOA
137
Dickens heroine. : DORA
139
___-polloi. : HOI
140
Miss Barton. : CLARA
142
Signature on our paper money. : GEORGIANEESECLARK
146
Observer. : NOTER
147
___ den Linden. : UNTER
148
Former Chief Justice. : STONE
149
Flambeau. : TORCH
150
Skillfully. : APTLY
151
Suffixes of profession. : STERS
152
Colors. : TINTS
153
Indian nurses. : AYAHS
Down
1
Staffs of office. : MACES
2
Slacken. : ABATE
3
Useful rubber stamp. : DATER
4
Baseball bat wood. : ASH
5
Grapple with. : MEET
6
Scold. : CHIDE
7
Man in boxer's corner. : HANDLER
8
Sally Bush's stepson. : ABE
9
Opportune time. : TIDE
10
Mr. Brodie. : STEVE
11
What: Ital. : CHE
12
Romney painted many portraits of her. : LADYHAMILTON
13
Jacqueline Cochran, for instance. : AVIATRIX
14
Hidden causes. : SECRETS
15
First word of Jane Austen title. : PRIDE
16
Bumpkin. : CLOD
17
Be one circuit ahead. : LAP
18
One of opera's all-time greats. : AMELITAGALLICURCI
19
An American Presidential candidate. : PERON
20
N. Y. Congresswoman for many years. : PRATT
26
European capital. : ROMA
27
But: French. : MAIS
33
Being. : ENS
36
Newspaper make-up. : FORMAT
38
Take little by little: Obs. : DRIB
40
Showiness. : GLARE
41
Opera heroine. : MIMI
43
Caressing. : SOOTHING
45
Vote in. : ELECT
48
72's, usually. : PARS
49
Ladies: Dial. : MARMS
50
Dripping. : ALEAK
51
Suffragist and peace advocate. : CARRIECHAPMANCATT
52
Baffle by evasion. : FENCE
53
Lassos. : LARIATS
55
She wrote "Back Street." : HURST
57
Fie! : SHAME
58
Valuable violin. : STRAD
60
Miss Wynyard. : DIANA
62
Fiction heroine. : TESS
64
Hawaiian fare. : POI
66
Tropical fish. : GUPPIES
68
Blackboard cleaning. : ERASING
71
Stalk. : STIPE
73
Texan memory. : ALAMO
74
Be unwell. : AIL
78
A fashion in female footgear. : TOELESS
79
Mme. Pompadour, for instance. : PARAMOUR
81
___ Passos. : DOS
83
Famous name in Hollywood. : NORMASHEARER
85
Indian province. : BERAR
86
Angry. : IRATE
87
WAVES are. : NAVAL
88
Ostriches. : RHEAS
89
Low Hindu caste. : TELI
91
Rowan trees. : SORBS
93
Fashionable raceway in England. : ASCOT
94
Artist McMein. : NEYSA
96
Dry. : SEC
98
___ Fables: Var. : ESOPS
99
Cape Cod resort. : DENNIS
101
She wrote many of our beloved songs. : BOND
103
Concede. : ADMIT
106
Scottish Johns. : IANS
107
Item in fan mail. : MASHNOTE
108
Pin down. : NAIL
112
Persevering. : PATIENT
114
Part of Neptune's gear. : TRIDENT
117
Saratoga. : SPA
119
Swiss mountain. : RIGI
121
Dry. : SERE
122
Chilean province ceded to Peru, 1929. : TACNA
123
Deck of a battleship. : ORLOP
125
Giant with 100 eyes. : ARGUS
126
Seaside. : COAST
128
Bampton, Macaulay, etc. : ROSES
130
Maureen of Hollywood. : OHARA
131
Architectural item. : PORCH
132
Indian caste-rejectors. : SIKHS
134
Queen portrayed by Helen Hayes. : MARY
136
Against. : ANTI
138
Legal proceedings. : ACTA
141
Electrical unit. : REL
143
Small weights: Abbr. : GRS
144
Long time. : EON
145
Movie star. : LOY

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle, 23 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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