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Eugene T. Maleska
Eugene T. Maleska

STEPQUOTE

New York Times, Sunday, June 21, 1970

14-Down : Decipher

Author:
Eugene T. Maleska
Editor:
Will Weng
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 158, Blocks: 80, Avg Word Len: 5.68, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 611 (avg 1.36)
Open Squares: 154, Cheaters: 8, FITB: 7, XRef: 3, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 19 Grid has duplicate clues.
Eugene T. Maleska has 411 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
Jim Horne notes:

The stepquote reads, "Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament."

1
L
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C
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P
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B
O
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T
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E
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G
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L
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C
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M
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N
O
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D
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U
D
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137
R
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M
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E
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H
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I
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140
S
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141
S
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142
C
A
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N
T
© 1970, The New York TimesNo. 7,617
Across
1
Start of a 12-word Stepquote ending at 142 Across : LIFEIS
7
Infancy : CRADLE
13
"Things ___ what they seem" : ARENOT
19
Poet of Shakespeare's day : CAMPION
20
Permissive : LENIENT
22
Guernsey lilies : NERINES
24
Greek port : LEPANTO
25
Seminole chief : OSCEOLA
26
Tennis's ___ Hard : DARLENE
27
Siouan : OTO
28
Devours : EATSUP
30
Toned down : DRABBED
32
Preacher's talk: Abbr. : SER
33
Flower holder : VASE
35
Pan-fries : SAUTES
37
City in S.E. France : ARLES
38
Spyri heroine : HEIDI
40
Castle of yesteryear : IRENE
42
Part of Stepquote : SPECTA
44
Hears rumors about : GETSWINDOF
46
Ali Baba word : SESAME
48
With 13 Down, source of Stepquote : ARTICLES
50
Unventilated : AIRLESS
51
"___ 18," Uris novel : MILA
53
Best ___ : SELLER
54
Melville novel : TYPEE
55
Diving ducks : SCOTERS
58
Legal paper : DEED
59
Flower : ROSE
60
Gives a hand : AIDS
64
Winnie the Pooh : BEAR
65
Resumé : VITA
67
Dress : TOGOUT
69
Extent : DEGREE
71
Follower of Mar. : APR
72
Take off flab : REDUCE
74
Pardon : REMIT
75
Blandly urbane : SUAVE
76
Visit briefly : STOPIN
78
Bread spread : MARGARINE
80
Office gal : STENOG
81
Companion of Paul : SILAS
82
Lawyer's homework : BRIEF
83
Of earth: Lat. : TERRAE
85
Native of: Suffix : ITE
86
Diner dish : OMELET
88
In the phone book : LISTED
90
Judge : DEEM
91
Liszt's teacher : PAER
92
Sonoran Indian : SERI
93
Second-hand : USED
95
Port ___ : SAID
97
Foreordain : DESTINE
99
Cremona creation : STRAD
101
Hall of Fame name : SISLER
103
Waste time : FOOL
104
Spongelike cake : SAVARIN
107
Bruised : CONTUSED
109
Spread rumors : NOISED
113
Item that gives confidence : CREDENTIAL
115
Part of Stepquote : ITISAP
117
Scapegrace : KNAVE
118
Concur : AGREE
119
Head monk : ABBOT
121
All : ENTIRE
123
Voluble : GLIB
124
Shaveling : LAD
125
Forceful : DYNAMIC
127
Atelier items : EASELS
129
Nabokov heroine : ADA
130
City in Calif. : ALAMEDA
133
Naught : NOTHING
135
Misleads : DELUDES
137
Boxers : RINGMEN
138
Magnify : ENHANCE
139
Cued up : INALINE
140
Italian resort : STRESA
141
Faculties : SENSES
142
End of Stepquote : CAMENT
Down
1
Fourth Sunday in Lent : LAETARE
2
Dictates : IMPOSES
3
"Conning Tower" man : FPA
4
"___ Kleine Nachtmusik" : EINE
5
Greek vowels : IOTAS
6
Part of Stepquote : SNOTAS
7
Aaron, Ruth, etc. : CLOUTERS
8
Held in esteem : RESPECTED
9
Olden: Abbr. : ANC
10
Was left on base : DIED
11
Arrowsmith's wife : LEORA
12
Photo developer's device : ENLARGER
13
See 48 Across : ANDESSAYS
14
Decipher : READ
15
Blunder : ERR
16
Nonexistent : NIL
17
Way-clearer's words : ONESIDE
18
Aegean island : TENEDOS
19
Frankish king : CLOVIS
21
Sets aside, as a motion : TABLES
23
Printer's cross-strokes : SERIFS
29
Tree of Pacific : SUPA
31
Big A action : BET
34
Captivate : ENAMOR
36
Surgical instrument: Var. : STILET
38
Sign on : HIRE
39
Form a coalition : ENLEAGUE
41
Give out : EMIT
43
Part of Stepquote : ACLEORAFEASTI
45
Did dishes : WIPED
47
Field-hockey team : ELEVEN
49
Account book : LEDGER
52
Dry-as-dust : ARID
54
Wavered : TOTTERED
55
Fencing position : SEPTIME
56
Joyful singer : CAROLER
57
Made a slip : STUMBLED
59
Undone : RUINED
61
Man from Teheran : IRANIAN
62
Aficionado : DEVOTEE
63
Folksinger Pete : SEEGER
64
Hines, Tozzi, etc. : BASSOS
66
Mite or tick : ACARID
68
Skip : OMIT
70
Town near Padua : ESTE
72
Appear : RISE
73
Troublemaker of myth : ERIS
77
Hudson River sight : PALISADE
79
Arrives : GETSIN
80
Strong man : SAMSON
84
Offshore hazard : REEF
87
City on the Po : TURIN
89
Thin : DILUTE
91
Dam foundation : PILING
94
Author of Stepquote : SANTAYANA
96
Ending : DESINENCE
98
Captured : TOOK
100
Place for a boy's house : TREE
101
Islands off New Guinea : SOLOMONS
102
Presents again : RESTAGES
104
Graduated : SCALAR
105
Wild sheep : ARGALIS
106
Green : VERDANT
107
Hut: Fr. : CABANE
108
Place for V.I.P.'s : DAIS
110
Crusaders' foe : SALADIN
111
Plain : EVIDENT
112
Vitiate : DEBASE
114
___ Saud : IBN
116
Part of the Stepquote : PREDIC
120
Tenth part : TITHE
122
Former queen of Italy : ELENA
125
White House monograms: 1953-61 : DDES
126
Oriental Sherlock : CHAN
128
Bridge bid : SLAM
131
Hodges, for one: Abbr. : MGR
132
Uncle: Scot. : EME
134
Office holders : INS
136
Rubber tree : ULE

Answer summary:
14 unique to this puzzle, 5 debuted here and reused later, 15 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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