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Puzzles for November, 2006
with Constructor comments

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Wed 11/1/2006
ASTABEXERTCAM
NEHRUSENORALE
OLEICPRADOTIN
ASKINMINTSET
KITTENMENRENO
GREATSEALBUYER
BARSINSMELEES
RESTSEASY
PTBOATEMITRED
RHETTMUSTSEETV
ERNOPARRETIED
LETSEATFELON
IESKNUTELISZT
MREEERIEELIES
SSNSLEPTRENEE
Thu 11/2/2006
TRIGPESTOFOPS
BETAANTEDABOO
OVERITALIANJOB
NUMBEROFLETTERS
EPSONMFAOAT
NEBFEZDOG
INFLUXBIGWALL
MULTIPLYBYTHREE
IBIDEEEPAYTON
TSPALTOTS
ACSSSNKABOB
EACHANSWERSCLUE
SHOEPOLISHMATH
ASIFMINEOEZRA
IONSSPECSSEER
Fri 11/3/2006
MONICARAMBLING
ANIMASICECANOE
NICESTGRADUATE
WOOAIRHOLEDIZ
ENTENUTSYTAME
EDINANOSDWYER
KINGSTONTRIO
SPEAKOFTHEDEVIL
GUNTHEENGINE
STREPHEWOGRES
WOESREMAPSTUS
ORASAMOYEDURE
REDROBINSOSOON
DUTIABLETROUPE
SPOOKILYSENSED
Sat 11/4/2006
THISJUSTINGAOL
WINTERTIDEOLGA
IDONTGETITILLS
GENSEMIJENNET
SASSLUIGI
SICEMCEDEGAB
IMANSLUGGISHLY
GETACHARGEOUTOF
MASTERKEYSDEVA
ANCLIEDBARER
RAINSMCAN
ARAWAKBALDOBJ
CODAAVERAGEJOE
TALKGOLDMEDALS
SMEEELLIPSOIDS
Sun 11/5/2006 MISSING LINKS
MESSINGUNCAPPQRSELSE
ATTABOYNIOBEATEENEED
CHRISTMASTREEWIGWAGGED
RAISESPERTRAPPSALUKI
ANDONSPRIGERATOAIMEE
MOENATLCROSSWORDSERS
ELSSLEEKODSSPEECH
RTEJINGOBAMAMAS
JULIUSCAESARSALADSMACK
ORIONUCLANASONCHERRY
EGGJFKASTRALENS
SEALSOFFKEYCHAINSAWDUST
MEALREMETARMPYE
DOESNTONITAUSSIIRINA
OWNEDGSTRINGSUPSETBACK
GETAJETEASELCCI
PLANBSCAMZILCHLAB
AGARGUINEAPIGTOESEUL
RABIDSTARRCHOPSMETRO
GUAVASPROAMEXEFURMAN
OCTAGONALFOOTBALLFIELD
SHOTMOREENDTOEATABLE
YOREESTDSYDOWSMILEYS
Mon 11/6/2006
MACSORKINKURD
ITUPSOAMIIRON
NELLHITONESTA
CAPITALOFJAVA
ERATOFAQMAG
MICEUSAIR
ARSBROADWAYJOE
SHAGATRIAROLE
COMPANYPERKRID
ADMANSUMO
PAYTASCHAKA
STICKINTHEMUD
ZOOSCEDARMIDI
ILSATILDEATOM
PEARSNEAKNYSE
Tue 11/7/2006
SPASLEFTSOBIT
LAICURIAHFADE
INSOLVENCYTWIT
DELTACEOHEDGE
DESPOTSRANI
MSUSMOGNAP
PACETHEEYEECO
IRONOREGANGSUP
GEMFAISALASPS
SAMAGRATIM
URGERHYMERS
GENIEMAEASHES
OVIDMELANCHOLY
RISEREEVEONES
ELMSSKEETWEST
Wed 11/8/2006
MPSGRETANAOMI
OATLOGONURBAN
ONESECONDSEEDS
LANCEEREADM
AMORNODECISION
HASACOWWONENE
PRIEDPANED
MRPERSONALITY
SEEYACIGAR
LASTAGLAYDOWN
ONTHELEVELARIA
WEEPIAITALS
REAMSSPLITENDS
ELSIEHOODSGEE
FLYNNARTSYERR
Thu 11/9/2006
JAMSBADGEROOM
AREAOATERSANTE
MUDDYWATERSGATS
ITSDONEARMIES
CLUDIRTYHARRY
REHEATNEESON
ODOULSADSUAW
PEOPLEOFTHEEARTH
ENLDUIILLSAY
FRIENDSALADS
DUSTYBAKERPIM
ALUMNIASSAILS
INMYSANDYDENNIS
LAMEESPIESCOLT
YEARSHREDEROS
Fri 11/10/2006
BASKETCASEDECO
OTHERWOMANAROD
GARAGESALERUDD
AXESEISMWIPES
RIDSDESIINTWO
TASERSENDSIOC
ROYSEATWORK
SCRUBUPOFFENDS
CRIMELABTUB
RENSELESLETBE
ANGLOMAMARILL
BETONTRENDRAD
BLOGARCADEGAME
LENADEARREADER
EDENJETSETTERS
Sat 11/11/2006
RABBITSGAMELAW
AQUARIAINAPILE
SULTANABATHTUB
PARTNERSCARING
ETUIDICOTANSE
RISENNANHITEM
SCHRODERRUMORS
MENACER
BADMANCOOLCATS
ECRUSSANSHIRT
LESTTASTYAREO
AREARUGREPOMAN
YOUTUBEACETATE
ESSENESCCRIDER
DESSERTTHECARS
Sun 11/12/2006 LOOK INSIDE
MANTASRACYWEBSPUMA
OREIDAOLEOIMAMINON
REVEALSINGAPORESLING
PNEUMATICTIREAALTO
HARPMINESUGARMAPLE
NILSTOPINORRIS
METROSTATIONVISAITS
OREOSSPASMWESTACHE
PUNCHCARDSEWERTESS
ECOOATIONIAIDO
STREWNBREWERYAIMSAT
USARESEWSTUCUE
PAARSCUDMOTHERLODE
ANNOTHISMOIRANOWIN
PITKAOSBOWLINGALLEY
AMISHRELOANAOL
WASHATERIAEONSSODA
TEENAGREENPASTURES
FORESTPRESERVEIAMBUS
BRUTETUILIONPUMICE
ISMSRAGASKISSTATES
Mon 11/13/2006
SPARWOODSPREK
LEGOABBIEROTE
AREADEISMAONE
BUDDHISTHOLYMAN
SANELES
SAWINGMAIDCAW
PRIDEBARNMOPE
ANDESPACKANIMAL
MIESODESENACT
SENARESDAISES
ALTDOTS
BLAZEINBROOKLYN
EASTCAROMIIII
NITEOPINERENT
ERICSATEDTUGS
Tue 11/14/2006
MUFFSLAWADULT
ATALEASHCIGAR
DETATSPORTSHOE
TRAITSCRIER
VOLLEYBALLABCS
SERELIELOW
STLIAMBSLAKE
THEYCANBESPIKED
AIREDSALTESE
GROSSELASS
EDYSFRUITPUNCH
INGOTSENORA
SHORTHAIRALDEN
THREWSLYKITED
SHEETTEESTOPS
Wed 11/15/2006
OMEGATYPENAPS
NAILSREELOLEO
SONESFANCYTORA
SAIDSOTIEUP
TOPSIDESCAM
IRALEIFPREFAB
AIRSSNLROTARY
ROOSTSITTORME
ALLURENHLSRIB
SEEPINTEAKANY
APOPATLARGE
PLATEESTEEM
HUTUSNOEXPENSE
INONMAMATNOTE
LANEELEMODDER

I "struck" upon the theme of this puzzle when I realized that a bowling theme makes the perfect rebus puzzle. It is rare in real life for someone to have a blank square and fill in a chemical element or a tiny heart or an ampersand. But bowlers fill in little white boxes with a / (SPARE) or an X (STRIKE) all the time.

For some reason, Will scheduled this rebus puzzle on a Wednesday instead of the usual gimmick day (Thursday). So regular solvers weren't expecting to run into a rebus. Of course, trying to think of an actual three-letter word at 1-Down for "Picketing, perhaps" (ONX) probably led a lot of people to realize something unusual was going on.

The grid had to be re-done once. Will liked the theme a lot, but I initially had "X YOURFANCY," which he asked to be changed to "X ONESFANCY."

Because of the unusual nature of the theme, the rebus squares aren't quite symmetrical, and the theme answer lengths range from 3 "letters" to 10 "letters."

Thu 11/16/2006
METSOSAARTS
LAVAAVESHERO
MAGICBEEKEEPER
EYELINERSPALER
MONTARTODATE
OUTGUNBAASCOL
STARRDIRTREP
ENDANGERS
MAWERGOEVANS
PALANNOCAPFUL
ATLASTHASFRO
TIARAGEOLOGIST
OLYMPIANSNIXES
IDEEOLDEEVES
SADENESSRED
Fri 11/17/2006
MIDRISESSHAPED
ORIOLESTHERAPY
PARTIALREFUGEE
SEESAWSOITGOES
COACHK
MASTRDASBEBOP
STIRITUPSONORA
DORATHEEXPLORER
ONEDAYGRIDLOCK
SEDERGOADANKA
PRAYED
SCOPEOUTREGRET
LANOLINUMBRAGE
ERELONGPARAGON
WEBSITEINAFUNK
Sat 11/18/2006
BABAWAWAMISAIM
ORALEXAMOHENRY
NOTABENESOCCER
NUTSSTREEPHST
ESLTINYBOIL
TEESPOCOVERGE
SONIAALSORANS
FASCINATING
JETPLANEADIEU
ASHOEGMCSEAST
MIENKOBELSU
PANANDALLHATS
ASIAGOSIAMESES
COLLETSCHENKEL
KNEADSYARDSALE

I submitted this puzzle about 50 weeks before its publication date. In the transmittal letter I listed the twelve longest answers and their clues. In what was becoming, by then, something of a tradition,

Will changed eleven of those twelve clues. The one that survived, though, was so clever on my part that I feel bound to repeat it here: [Some cats] SIAMESES. This was my first themeless crossword in the Times.

Sun 11/19/2006 WHAT'S MORE
ICIESTKANSASMALACHI
MODELAILOILOONESHOT
AMERICANLITERRAGTIME
REAPONDSEETHEICON
ETTASELMOUNLINK
THESHOWERMUSTGOONELI
POWDEMISEURANUS
TLCDENTEAMPSVERBAL
YEASSOBERSISTERTRUE
PAULODADASSERIO
EDGERERSTCOATASTRO
HABLAFORGEYAHOO
FUTZOLIVELOAFERNEAP
ALIENSNINETAMILRMS
SENSEIANGELOGER
TEAANYPORTERINASTORM
FERGIETYNESEPIA
OLINETALIIUMPSPST
LIBERALBUTTEROFAJOKE
EMERALDENABLECLOSER
SARONGSSALEMSSTEEDS
Mon 11/20/2006
CRAGSCUBABAAS
RONAEASELLULL
IBISWRESTORLY
BOMBONBROADWAY
STEAMSTROP
GAWKSTIFLE
EARNAACPPLAY
SWAYINTHEBREEZE
SEGOTIARAWED
ODESSATABS
EUROSBOATS
COMEDIANWILSON
SAKIELSIEVINE
ALITNESTSEDGE
GLEETRYSTSEAR
Tue 11/21/2006
RENEWSOFATASK
AROSEEDERBLUE
PENALSEAMAIDEN
MILITARYBRASS
OWETOEBID
RAMOUTWOREPAR
GIBEDODAMENU
IVEGOTNOSTRINGS
EEROWILEXMET
SRSBOXFULSALL
ARBNEONAE
SANTAANAWINDS
ORCHESTRAADHOC
CIAOEWERNAILS
KARLSTAYTYPEA
Wed 11/22/2006
GLENACHCHEZ
RUFUSBREAROLE
ERICHCANDLEPIN
WILLANDGRACE
DEEREINDDAM
AESOPOTSEGO
FARRTROTVOCAL
ANEWSEWERLOPE
INLAWSEREAYES
TIARASRIDER
HEXICHINFRA
STAYINGALIVE
HORSERACECAPOS
UNITSTOWTROIS
MOMSTNTENDO
Thu 11/23/2006
SOFALABSTALES
ADAMAWOLEVENT
HEROSANEREADY
LAMETHROWERCEL
BREDDECODE
ECLAIRSPINAL
RHOSTATEFLAG
IOWAFLOSSEARN
QUESTIONSREA
REALTYJIGSAW
APPALLAERO
SLOLYINGLESSON
HAWSESAILPEPE
ONEASMILEERRS
TAROTSLEDLAYS
Fri 11/24/2006
PASTINASARALEE
ETHANOLCUTLASS
REAPTHEBENEFITS
MINEORANTADIA
STARWITNESSAMY
RIDSMASAI
BRIANENOHABITS
RINSINGPERIDOT
ACTIVECRITTERS
KEEFEAROS
EARALBERTVILLE
DRIPASEAISEEM
ROOSEVELTISLAND
UNRISENENTENTE
MISSORTSTAYSON
Sat 11/25/2006
BISHOPSBAPTIST
ANTESUPALUNSER
THETHRILLISGONE
HOEAEROBESTEM
TULLRANONTYCO
USEASLGANEPAL
BEDSHEETMORESO
HASDIBSON
RAMONEMAUNALOA
ANOUKDERSTAND
TINTTRACIEMER
AMIOREGANOPDA
TAKEMYWORDFORIT
ATEINTOTRIREME
TORSIONSADEYES
Sun 11/26/2006 ENERGY CRUNCH
AEROCZARILOILOPUSS
TREYLINENOIDEAENTE
TOPSEEANTFOLIESBEERE
IDOTOOIRONSSTAYMAN
RESETACRESTPSYNEY
EDERISLESOASSTE
BETTEETMOVINGNAP
THEYSAYOOZEDOUTCMA
RHODESANTZSATYRS
OEROAKYHIVESNOFAT
AMIGOPOLTEEISTGEODE
DOZENIDAHOALSORIO
MOONEDROILBEACON
ARNSIGNPOSTIVORIES
PSTFOULWEATHEEAR
AHHDNASHOESBAIT
FLOORNYCCOPSHULCE
TAMALESALTARDUBLIN
EVEREENTREEEDGARBEEN
ARESLASERSAUELLESE
MERESPEAKSUGLYENTR
Mon 11/27/2006
CLANSCARFENDS
YALELOWERVIEW
STOWINANEINCA
THETIMEYOUENJOY
ONLYDECAYS
EVENLYPAINE
MENSAAURASASS
INCWASTINGMAO
LIEUREIDEPOXY
PECANSLAKES
MOOLAHSTIR
ISNOTWASTEDTIME
NASAAWAREIDOL
EKEDYOKELNESS
RATSSLEWSGATE
Tue 11/28/2006
ERASEASAHIJIM
XEROXTALESAMO
ALEXCOMFORTCPU
MOSUPSETHIKER
ESENAPKIN
LIONELHAMPTON
ENVYSATYRSIST
FLEASIRROFFER
TARASTERNAERO
BILLIEHOLIDAY
SAUCERWAR
HERESAMAINPTA
AIDTHEINNCROWD
ROEAIOLIEERIE
PUNXENONTONGS
Wed 11/29/2006
ADSWWWHERSELF
BUMAHAATEALOT
CHAPLINHOTLIPS
LILTPANDA
BILLEMUSACRO
AMMOFERBEMOAN
SPITBALLLESLIE
ERNOCTFARDDS
MODINERICOCHET
EVENEDORKAERO
NEDSBOMBRASP
OLLASEVER
BIGFOOTMAESTRO
AMIABLEAREEND
PATROLSCDSDAD
Thu 11/30/2006
ICARUSFREEFAY
THRUSTRADSADO
SIMMERODETOJOY
OLYSANDANDMIRO
PIMAINORSTEM
EDUCATEGIGADA
NOLTERUNIN
GEORGEANDJOAN
RITASOUTER
OPPEOSOPENTOE
ROOTEACHSAPS
BUSHANDBAEZCRO
INEEDYOUNETHER
TCUDEFTORIENT
SERARFSMOSSES
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