A | R | T | L | A | B | B | B | C | P | A | C | T | ||
B | E | R | A | T | E | A | L | I | A | R | E | S | ||
S | T | E | V | I | A | B | A | S | E | L | I | N | E | |
O | R | S | L | U | M | E | N | L | E | A | S | T | ||
R | I | C | O | T | T | A | K | I | M | O | N | O | S | |
B | A | H | A | S | E | P | I | A | A | R | E | |||
L | I | S | P | L | E | M | M | E | ||||||
C | I | R | C | L | E | S | B | A | C | K | ||||
S | Y | R | I | A | C | L | E | F | ||||||
H | A | D | E | P | S | O | M | A | E | R | O | |||
A | V | E | N | G | E | R | D | U | S | T | P | A | N | |
G | E | N | O | A | I | L | E | F | T | S | I | M | ||
R | E | V | I | L | I | N | G | F | E | M | A | L | E | |
I | N | E | S | K | G | B | L | E | A | K | E | D | ||
D | O | R | Y | E | S | T | E | L | D | E | R | S |
CIRCLES BACK at 37-Across means that the starred clues (the across answers with circles) need to be read first by skipping the circles, and then circling back to include them. Or more simply, move the CIRCLES to the BACK of the words.
Once again, we see that the words before and after transformation are all legitimate crossword entries. It's the modern crossword ANTE for gimmicks like this.
S | A | L | E | M | T | H | E | N | C | R | A | B | ||
T | R | A | G | I | C | H | E | R | O | L | E | V | I | |
O | N | I | O | N | R | I | N | G | S | O | P | E | N | |
P | O | D | I | O | N | S | H | O | N | O | R | S | ||
A | M | O | K | C | E | L | E | R | Y | |||||
H | O | W | C | A | N | I | R | E | S | I | S | T | ||
A | R | I | E | L | T | I | M | O | N | C | H | I | ||
L | E | N | D | W | O | V | E | N | S | A | I | L | ||
F | O | B | R | A | V | E | N | L | U | R | K | S | ||
Y | O | U | G | E | T | T | H | E | I | D | E | A | ||
L | A | Z | I | E | R | M | I | S | T | |||||
P | E | N | A | N | G | S | I | P | S | A | H | I | ||
I | G | O | R | A | S | E | X | P | E | C | T | E | D | |
T | A | S | K | P | I | G | E | O | N | H | O | L | E | |
A | L | E | S | S | T | A | R | S | E | N | D | S |
A | N | I | M | A | L | F | A | R | M | P | S | A | T | |
D | O | N | E | T | O | A | T | E | E | U | H | U | H | |
L | E | T | S | F | A | C | E | I | T | N | A | D | A | |
A | L | E | S | T | A | K | I | S | K | I | T | |||
I | S | R | Z | O | O | M | I | E | S | S | O | S | ||
B | I | E | R | R | I | G | H | T | O | |||||
S | A | L | E | P | R | I | C | E | G | L | U | O | N | |
P | R | O | A | M | A | S | L | H | O | K | U | M | ||
I | T | S | M | E | L | I | K | E | I | C | A | R | E | |
T | I | E | S | U | P | H | O | N | K | |||||
S | S | R | P | R | O | L | O | N | G | S | P | A | ||
G | A | P | S | E | S | A | U | S | P | U | D | |||
A | N | A | L | H | A | D | N | O | C | H | I | L | L | |
M | A | Y | O | A | G | E | D | C | H | E | E | S | E | |
E | L | S | E | B | E | N | S | T | I | L | L | E | R |
A | D | S | M | U | C | H | M | A | S | K | I | B | S | E | N | |||||
F | O | O | A | R | R | I | D | P | O | S | T | S | S | E | E | T | O | |||
G | I | N | S | K | N | I | F | E | R | I | P | A | T | H | E | M | A | N | ||
H | E | N | R | I | T | I | L | D | E | S | T | E | D | R | I | T | E | |||
A | V | E | E | N | O | L | E | T | T | C | E | W | R | A | P | S | ||||
N | E | T | G | D | P | A | P | E | R | O | L | S | C | O | O | T | S | |||
I | R | S | A | D | I | T | S | A | N | E | M | I | A | I | N | N | I | E | ||
G | O | E | S | H | A | R | D | B | E | G | R | D | G | I | N | G | ||||
S | D | S | U | D | I | R | T | R | N | S | C | Y | A | |||||||
I | N | K | S | A | C | S | T | U | A | R | T | E | T | A | S | |||||
M | A | Y | T | H | E | F | O | U | R | T | H | B | E | W | I | T | H | Y | O | U |
A | I | D | S | R | E | V | O | I | R | C | L | O | A | K | S | |||||
A | C | L | E | T | E | D | R | I | P | C | O | C | O | |||||||
B | L | O | W | P | D | O | L | L | B | E | D | C | H | E | C | K | ||||
B | A | R | R | E | P | I | A | N | O | S | A | D | N | A | S | E | A | M | ||
A | D | D | L | E | D | C | R | A | N | I | A | S | I | S | F | B | I | |||
V | I | T | R | V | I | A | N | M | A | N | D | E | N | I | E | S | ||||
S | P | A | T | G | O | T | N | O | N | G | M | O | W | I | L | T | S | |||
K | U | D | Z | U | D | I | G | I | T | S | E | N | S | A | L | I | T | Y | ||
I | C | E | E | S | K | N | E | E | S | T | A | M | M | Y | N | E | O | |||
T | E | R | R | A | A | G | E | S | L | E | O | S | G | R | U |
May the fourth (letter) be (crammed into a box) with U. Happy Star Wars Day to all who celebrate. The first letters of each rebus square spell STAR WARS.
A | N | N | O | Y | M | O | T | T | O | P | A | D | ||
L | A | I | L | A | U | S | H | E | R | R | B | I | ||
T | I | M | E | M | A | C | H | I | N | E | O | R | S | |
S | L | R | O | H | A | R | E | I | M | A | C | |||
S | O | R | E | R | S | T | A | N | D | S | ||||
D | E | N | T | I | S | T | S | C | H | A | I | R | ||
M | O | A | N | A | S | A | T | O | N | |||||
A | C | A | I | S | T | U | M | P | L | E | N | S | ||
B | A | R | N | S | D | E | E | R | E | |||||
C | R | E | D | I | T | H | I | S | T | O | R | Y | ||
T | A | M | A | R | A | S | O | S | A | D | ||||
R | I | C | E | U | N | C | A | P | M | E | T | |||
I | T | O | W | E | G | O | W | A | Y | B | A | C | K | |
O | L | D | A | S | A | D | A | A | C | H | O | O | ||
T | E | E | S | T | R | A | Y | H | E | A | R | S |
This is Eric's third crossword, all Mondays. Each has had at least four solid debut entries.
C | R | E | E | B | O | O | B | O | O | S | H | A | G | ||
R | E | A | P | L | A | U | R | E | N | T | I | D | E | ||
A | P | R | I | C | O | T | T | A | R | T | O | T | O | E | |
F | A | L | L | A | C | Y | I | H | O | P | |||||
T | Y | S | O | N | A | D | S | L | O | G | A | N | S | ||
G | I | L | S | C | O | T | T | H | E | R | O | N | |||
R | A | P | S | S | P | A | C | Y | O | S | A | K | A | ||
I | D | O | S | U | I | M | A | S | D | I | P | ||||
C | H | U | M | P | D | A | V | I | D | P | E | A | S | ||
C | O | T | T | A | G | E | C | H | E | E | S | E | |||
I | C | Y | S | T | A | R | E | S | P | E | A | R | S | ||
L | I | E | S | B | E | E | R | M | A | T | |||||
M | A | I | N | C | O | T | T | O | N | C | A | N | D | Y | |
A | P | P | A | A | L | B | E | I | T | G | O | A | L | ||
D | E | S | I | P | E | D | A | L | S | E | T | R | E |
Read The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron.
COTTON CANDY is COTT on C and Y.
M | A | C | H | O | G | A | L | A | E | T | C | |||
U | T | H | E | R | E | P | I | C | K | N | O | B | ||
P | E | A | C | E | M | A | R | C | H | A | M | P | S | |
P | A | R | K | O | U | R | K | E | E | P | I | N | ||
E | S | T | G | U | T | M | O | T | O | R | ||||
T | E | S | L | A | P | U | T | U | P | W | I | T | H | |
E | T | A | R | U | N | E | E | C | O | |||||
F | I | G | H | T | I | N | G | I | R | I | S | H | ||
C | O | N | L | O | P | S | T | O | R | |||||
D | O | T | H | E | M | A | T | H | R | E | A | L | M | |
S | T | R | U | T | O | E | D | M | O | E | ||||
R | E | R | E | A | D | C | R | A | Y | O | N | S | ||
W | E | P | T | P | I | T | T | S | B | U | R | G | H | |
A | S | I | S | P | E | S | O | C | R | A | T | E | ||
Y | T | D | S | T | A | R | S | I | L | O | S |
The first cross-out clue refers to the whole answer word. Then, if you remove the final H of that answer, you can use the second clue. But that's crossed out too when, like PITTSBURGH, the final H is restored and the original clue returns.
Tom McCoy is known for regularly conjuring up unique themes.
N | O | P | E | P | A | B | L | O | A | L | I | |||
A | I | L | S | E | Q | U | I | P | B | R | A | S | ||
S | L | A | P | N | U | E | V | E | E | L | I | M | ||
A | S | I | N | D | A | N | E | P | R | O | D | S | ||
N | U | B | N | O | T | S | E | E | ||||||
N | I | T | U | T | A | H | A | L | F | T | O | N | ||
A | N | O | B | A | U | M | T | O | T | O | R | O | ||
C | P | A | B | U | T | T | O | U | T | O | D | O | ||
R | E | S | U | L | T | A | C | R | O | K | E | N | ||
E | N | T | R | I | E | S | C | N | N | A | R | E | ||
A | N | N | U | A | L | S | A | D | ||||||
I | C | I | N | G | P | L | U | M | L | I | D | S | ||
T | H | O | U | S | P | A | D | E | O | G | E | E | ||
E | A | T | S | A | L | I | E | N | F | A | C | E | ||
M | I | A | T | E | N | D | S | T | T | O | P |
Once again, each word before and after the letter additions is a legit crossword answer. Not only do the outside letters spell BUTT synonyms, they are all symmetrically located.
This is the 19th NYT crossword asking solvers to scribble outside the lines. Here are the rest.
P | A | D | S | O | F | F | T | H | E | G | R | I | D | |
I | T | O | O | C | R | I | M | E | D | R | A | M | A | |
L | A | N | D | C | A | N | I | S | M | A | J | O | R | |
A | L | T | L | U | I | S | C | A | K | E | ||||
F | L | Y | B | A | L | L | B | R | I | E | ||||
H | O | I | S | T | S | E | A | S | H | O | R | E | ||
T | O | U | T | S | P | L | A | Y | M | O | N | E | Y | |
O | U | S | T | C | H | I | L | E | P | E | A | R | ||
F | R | E | E | T | R | A | D | E | S | P | A | D | E | |
U | S | E | R | B | A | S | E | T | E | E | N | Y | ||
S | A | M | E | H | A | I | R | D | O | S | ||||
S | L | E | W | B | O | S | S | D | R | U | ||||
H | A | V | E | A | H | E | A | R | T | T | O | N | I | |
I | N | E | E | D | A | R | I | D | E | I | N | O | T | |
P | A | S | T | A | W | A | T | E | R | P | E | T | S |
C | H | E | A | P | G | L | O | P | ||||||
C | H | A | R | I | S | M | A | R | E | A | L | |||
H | O | L | I | S | T | I | C | O | T | T | O | |||
I | M | I | S | S | E | D | D | E | B | U | S | S | Y | |
P | E | E | P | E | R | S | O | L | O | N | G | |||
B | O | N | E | S | N | O | D | D | E | D | O | F | F | |
O | W | E | D | H | U | N | G | E | R | S | F | O | R | |
A | N | N | D | A | R | N | E | R | S | L | I | E | ||
R | E | C | R | U | I | T | E | R | S | N | Y | S | E | |
D | R | O | V | E | N | U | T | S | M | O | A | T | S | |
U | T | T | E | R | S | M | A | R | K | E | T | |||
S | U | N | R | O | S | E | S | A | I | D | I | D | O | |
A | S | T | I | T | U | R | N | I | T | O | N | |||
K | E | E | P | A | R | T | S | C | E | N | E | |||
E | R | R | S | B | E | S | T | S |
This unusual grid has more black squares than a typical Monday, but way more open squares than a typical Saturday. I like the kite shapes.
A | T | A | R | I | G | A | M | E | I | R | I | S | H | S | W | E | E | T | ||
M | O | T | O | R | P | L | E | X | M | O | T | H | E | R | E | A | R | T | H | |
P | R | O | M | I | S | E | M | E | M | U | S | I | C | A | L | N | O | T | E | |
S | I | D | E | S | O | R | B | I | T | N | A | K | E | D | S | U | N | |||
U | N | D | O | C | O | R | T | E | X | E | N | T | I | C | E | |||||
P | O | S | S | O | V | I | E | T | K | L | E | E | T | R | I | M | S | |||
S | O | L | O | E | D | H | E | E | D | P | O | S | T | I | T | |||||
S | T | P | A | U | L | I | S | T | A | N | G | F | A | R | I | D | O | |||
W | H | I | P | P | E | D | M | A | N | T | A | R | A | Y | S | N | I | P | ||
I | R | A | I | S | E | H | A | N | K | S | N | O | W | A | M | E | N | S | ||
S | O | M | E | O | N | E | I | S | G | E | T | T | I | N | G | F | I | R | E | D |
S | W | A | N | N | A | F | T | E | R | A | L | L | O | F | L | A | T | E | ||
R | A | T | S | P | R | I | O | R | I | T | Y | P | O | L | E | N | T | A | ||
O | W | E | E | O | N | D | I | N | E | M | E | D | I | A | T | E | D | |||
L | A | R | Y | N | X | W | O | N | G | R | E | D | A | C | T | |||||
L | Y | S | O | L | W | I | N | E | W | E | A | R | I | T | G | U | S | |||
L | A | P | E | L | S | S | H | A | L | O | M | M | A | S | H | |||||
T | A | R | A | R | O | A | D | S | M | O | L | T | G | A | M | M | A | |||
O | R | A | N | G | E | V | O | D | K | A | M | I | S | T | E | R | B | I | G | |
M | I | S | D | E | M | E | A | N | O | R | A | M | O | U | N | T | I | N | G | |
B | E | H | A | R | S | T | A | R | T | N | E | D | B | E | A | T | T | Y |
A rare themeless Sunday from a rare full-time constructor. This crossword has only 54 black squares — a new record for a 21x21 grid.