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Mike Nothnagel
Mike Nothnagel

NY Times, Sun, Dec 27, 2009 DIAGRAMLESS

15-Down : They may be tied before a game even starts

Author:
Mike Nothnagel
Editor:
Will Shortz
Rows: 17, Columns: 17, Words: 86, Blocks: 76
Notepad: This diagramless is 17 squares wide by 17 squares deep and has regular crossword symmetry. The first square across is the 4th box in the first row.
1
H
2
I
3
L
4
T
5
F
O
C
U
S
6
W
7
E
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D
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C
10
O
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S
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S
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T
A
T
E
C
A
14
P
I
T
A
15
L
16
C
E
L
L
17
M
A
L
T
B
Y
18
S
E
E
Y
A
19
A
I
D
A
20
A
P
L
E
A
21
M
I
S
S
S
C
22
A
R
L
E
T
23
A
T
24
B
E
S
T
25
P
E
P
S
I
26
B
27
A
28
A
29
H
I
S
30
H
A
S
T
E
N
31
I
L
L
32
S
33
B
T
34
E
35
A
M
36
S
A
G
37
E
38
S
39
D
E
B
T
40
B
A
D
F
O
41
R
42
M
43
T
F
A
L
44
E
X
U
R
45
B
46
I
T
S
U
P
47
S
A
V
E
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M
A
O
49
I
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S
T
51
L
E
52
S
53
N
E
W
54
C
Y
N
D
I
55
G
56
R
E
G
O
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R
58
K
59
N
O
C
K
E
M
60
D
E
A
D
61
D
E
62
G
63
A
64
S
65
N
O
V
A
66
A
M
O
N
G
67
J
A
M
E
S
I
68
I
G
E
T
69
L
E
T
T
E
70
R
O
P
E
N
E
R
71
T
O
R
72
R
E
S
73
A
B
O
D
E
74
E
S
P
Y
© 2009, The New York Times
Across
1
Sword handle : HILT
5
"Concentrate!" : FOCUS
6
Take to the altar : WED
9
I.B.M. and AT&T: Abbr. : COS
12
*Austin or Boston : STATECAPITAL
16
Box on a spreadsheet : CELL
17
Broadway lyricist Richard : MALTBY
18
"Bye-bye!" : SEEYA
19
Opera featuring Amneris and Radames : AIDA
20
Cop ___ : APLEA
21
*Female Clue suspect : MISSSCARLET
23
If nothing goes wrong : ATBEST
25
"Be young, have fun, drink ___" (1990s ad slogan) : PEPSI
26
Farm sound : BAA
29
Old what's-___-name : HIS
30
Hurry : HASTEN
31
Societal woes : ILLS
33
Second-stringers : BTEAM
36
Good advisers : SAGES
39
Bar tab, e.g. : DEBT
40
*Unsuitable behavior : BADFORM
43
Brand of nonstick cookware : TFAL
44
Far-out place to live? : EXURB
46
"___ to you!" : ITSUP
47
Coupon word : SAVE
48
Opponent of Chiang Kai-shek : MAOIST
51
"___ Trois Mousquetaires" : LES
53
Partner of improved : NEW
54
"She Bop" singer Lauper : CYNDI
55
Botanist Mendel : GREGOR
58
*"Give the audience all you've got!" : KNOCKEMDEAD
61
"Dancers in Pink" artist : DEGAS
65
Star's blowup : NOVA
66
In the company of : AMONG
67
First Stuart king : JAMESI
68
Marvin Gaye's "Can ___ a Witness" : IGET
69
Desk item ... or the end of the answer to each of the six starred clues? : LETTEROPENER
71
Rocky peak : TOR
72
Hi-___ monitor : RES
73
Home sweet home : ABODE
74
Catch sight of : ESPY
Down
1
Throat-soothing beverage : HOTTEA
2
Means of giving the body a rapid cool-down : ICEBATH
3
"Peanuts" girl : LUCY
4
Airport uniform abbr. : TSA
5
Autumn : FALL
6
Actress Dianne : WIEST
7
Seasons when écoles aren't in session : ETES
8
Retreat for a pampering : DAYSPA
9
*Overhead air circulator : CEILINGFAN
10
Shoppe description : OLDE
11
Bed support : SLAT
12
Little, to a Scot : SMA
13
Faucet : TAP
14
Omega preceders : PSIS
15
They may be tied before a game even starts : LACES
16
Travel needs for tots : CARSEATS
21
Legendary hostess Perle : MESTA
22
In ads they're often measured in sq. ft. : APTS
24
Lettuce variety : BIBB
26
Wait : BIDE
27
"I'll make it a true Daily Double, ___" : ALEX
28
*Where a band photo might appear : ALBUMCOVER
30
Med. care providers : HMOS
32
Nomadic Persian, maybe? : STRAYCAT
34
Do some polishing : EDIT
35
Rearward : AFT
37
Roofer's projected expense? : EAVE
38
Offed : SLEW
41
Like much notepaper : RULED
42
Digital video file format, briefly : MPEG
45
Hit on the noggin : BONK
49
Faultless : IDEAL
50
Direction in a stew recipe : SIMMER
52
25-Across, for one : SODAPOP
55
Courteous fellows : GENTS
56
Craze : RAGE
57
Fix : REMEDY
58
Like a wool sweater : KNIT
59
Off-limits : NOGO
60
Shower attention (on) : DOTE
62
It can be used to pass things on to your children : GENE
63
Enzyme suffix : ASE
64
Round Table title : SIR
67
Perennial campaign issue : JOBS
70
"Norma ___" : RAE
Answer summary: 1 unique to this puzzle, 5 debuted here and reused later, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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