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Peter Swift
Peter Swift

QUESTION BOX

New York Times, Sunday, August 14, 1983

98-Down : Mainspring

Author:
Peter Swift
Editor:
Eugene T. Maleska
Rows: 21, Columns: 21, Words: 140, Blocks: 82, Avg Word Len: 5.13, Missing: { J Q X Z }, Scrabble score: 572 (avg 1.59)
Open Squares: 110, Cheaters: 8, FITB: 13, XRef: 0, Spans: 5, Words that never appeared in a previous NYT crossword: 11
Peter Swift has 79 known pre-Shortz puzzles in our database.
1
V
2
I
3
C
4
E
5
A
6
M
7
A
8
N
9
M
10
A
11
S
12
S
13
B
14
O
15
G
16
I
S
A
A
17
C
18
C
A
N
O
19
E
20
A
T
T
A
21
R
22
E
L
I
23
C
I
N
C
H
24
E
C
T
O
R
25
C
H
A
F
E
26
B
I
B
27
I
S
T
H
I
28
S
T
H
I
N
G
29
C
A
L
L
E
D
30
L
O
V
E
31
S
H
O
O
32
A
D
E
L
33
C
O
P
E
D
34
S
35
O
36
Y
37
B
E
A
N
38
W
39
I
40
N
K
A
T
41
R
O
N
42
S
H
A
L
L
W
E
43
T
H
R
E
E
M
E
44
E
T
A
G
45
A
46
I
47
N
48
T
I
R
E
49
H
I
K
E
50
N
E
T
51
F
R
O
52
S
O
D
A
53
B
54
A
I
T
S
55
B
56
O
57
A
T
S
58
G
O
A
T
59
C
60
A
D
G
E
61
T
A
P
I
R
62
B
R
U
T
E
63
I
64
S
65
T
H
E
L
I
F
66
E
67
T
H
A
T
L
A
68
T
E
I
L
E
D
69
G
O
R
E
R
70
T
O
K
A
Y
71
E
N
D
E
D
72
O
N
U
S
73
W
A
F
E
R
74
S
75
O
R
T
S
76
I
77
N
78
R
79
I
80
T
O
E
81
L
E
T
82
T
I
T
O
83
R
O
O
F
84
A
F
R
85
A
I
D
O
86
F
87
V
88
I
R
G
I
N
89
I
90
A
91
W
O
O
L
F
92
L
B
S
93
R
E
N
A
N
S
94
W
R
I
N
K
L
Y
95
P
96
R
97
U
D
E
98
C
A
N
O
99
F
O
I
L
100
S
O
P
A
L
101
E
A
N
D
W
102
A
103
N
104
F
O
N
D
L
105
O
106
V
107
E
108
R
109
A
M
P
110
E
D
U
C
E
111
L
A
I
R
D
112
O
P
E
R
A
113
L
E
E
114
R
O
S
I
E
115
B
I
N
G
E
116
W
A
D
I
S
117
M
O
D
118
M
E
S
S
119
L
E
E
R
120
H
A
S
P
© 1983, The New York TimesNo. 12,332
Across
1
Kind of squad : VICE
5
" ... you'll be ___, my son!": Kipling : AMAN
9
Cumulus : MASS
13
Slough : BOG
16
Violinist Stern : ISAAC
18
Dugout : CANOE
20
Perfume : ATTAR
22
Biblical high priest : ELI
23
Sure thing : CINCH
24
Foster father of King Arthur : ECTOR
25
Fret : CHAFE
26
Infant's garb : BIB
27
"What ___?" (query of 1929) : ISTHISTHINGCALLEDLOVE
31
Chase away : SHOO
32
City in Georgia : ADEL
33
Dealt successfully : COPED
34
Asian food source : SOYBEAN
38
Pretend not to see : WINKAT
41
Jockey Turcotte : RON
42
"When ___?" (query of early 1600's) : SHALLWETHREEMEETAGAIN
48
Lose interest : TIRE
49
Raise : HIKE
50
Clear : NET
51
Backward : FRO
52
Faro card : SODA
53
Badgers : BAITS
55
Punts : BOATS
58
Butt or butter : GOAT
59
Sponge : CADGE
61
Hoofed animal : TAPIR
62
Yahoo : BRUTE
63
"Where ___?" (query of 1948) : ISTHELIFETHATLATEILED
69
Bull, at times : GORER
70
Sweet wine : TOKAY
71
Wound up : ENDED
72
Stigma : ONUS
73
A symbol of thinness : WAFER
74
Out of ___ (vexed) : SORTS
76
Crucifix letters : INRI
80
Dactyl or hallux : TOE
81
Suffer : LET
82
Baritone Gobbi : TITO
83
This may be over your head : ROOF
84
"Who's ___?" (query of 1962) : AFRAIDOFVIRGINIAWOOLF
92
Dieter's abbr. : LBS
93
French historian and family : RENANS
94
Puckered : WRINKLY
95
Bluenose : PRUDE
98
"Virumque" follower : CANO
99
Checkmate : FOIL
100
"Why ___?" (query of 1638) : SOPALEANDWANFONDLOVER
109
Elec. current unit : AMP
110
Bring out : EDUCE
111
Scottish landowner : LAIRD
112
"Schwanda the Bagpiper," e.g. : OPERA
113
The quiet side : LEE
114
The O'Grady lass : ROSIE
115
Bat : BINGE
116
Oases : WADIS
117
Mary Quant's style : MOD
118
Swab's supper : MESS
119
Look of a rake on the make : LEER
120
Where a padlock goes : HASP
Down
1
One of a trio by Caesar : VICI
2
Fertility goddess : ISIS
3
Lean : CANT
4
Anagram for ache : EACH
5
Paint remover : ACETONE
6
Virile : MACHO
7
Prefix with body : ANTI
8
When both hands are straight up : NOON
9
Road surface : MACADAM
10
Olympian : ATHLETE
11
Horse house : STALL
12
Under lock and key : SAFE
13
Jazz style : BEBOP
14
Oil producer : OLIVE
15
Heckled : GIBED
17
Flimflam : CHISEL
19
Unit of work : ERG
21
Who obeyed Howe? : REDCOAT
28
He played the mark in "The Sting" : SHAW
29
Kind of walk : CAKE
30
Hanker : LONG
34
Fleet fliers, for short : SSTS
35
Where the Miami flows : OHIO
36
Almost a meter : YARD
37
Lightens : BLEACHES
38
Least bit : WHIT
39
Bothers : IRKS
40
Mary Lincoln, ___ Todd : NEE
41
Tpks. : RTES
43
"Procrastination is the ___ time": Young : THIEFOF
44
Starter : ENTRANT
45
In a tangle : AFOUL
46
In high dudgeon : IRATE
47
Celebrated : NOTED
53
Pkg. : BDL
54
Fast and stirring, musically : AGITATO
55
Nursery-rhyme opener : BAA
56
Make a choice : OPT
57
Airplane part : AILERON
58
Spot for a flea-flicker : GRIDIRON
60
Gas: Comb. form : AER
61
" ... this ___ golden time": Shak. : THY
62
Dorcas Society meeting : BEE
63
"___ One Track Mind," 1945 song : IGOTA
64
What ibn means : SONOF
65
More faithful : TRUER
66
Monogram of the "Mood Indigo" man : EKE
67
Feather's partner : TAR
68
QB's objectives : TDS
73
Joins : WEDS
74
Leo is one : SIGN
75
Outfielder Amos : OTIS
77
Recess : NOOK
78
Brioche : ROLL
79
Full of uncertainties : IFFY
81
Candidate for a suit : LIBELER
82
Musical sound : TRA
85
Alan or Robert : ALDA
86
Dancer in a 1921 song : FRANCIS
87
Buyers : VENDEES
88
"___ pronounce you ... " : INOW
89
"___ What's Become of Sally," 1924 song : IWONDER
90
Saharan : ARID
91
Cricket-bat wood : WILLOW
95
Sacred song : PSALM
96
Benvolio's friend : ROMEO
97
Increased : UPPED
98
Mainspring : CAUSE
99
Shape : FORGE
101
Land of Esau's descendants : EDOM
102
Liturgical tunic : ALB
103
Kingdom loser in a refrain : NAIL
104
Minute : FINE
105
Red-fleshed fish : OPAH
106
Hindu writings : VEDA
107
Mother of Ate : ERIS
108
Speak harshly : RASP

Answer summary:
8 unique to this puzzle, 3 debuted here and reused later, 5 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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