0601-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 1 Jun 12, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Joe Krozel
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 11m 17s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0531-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 31 May 12, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Elizabeth C. Gorski
THEME: BANDBOXES … today’s crossword is a rebus puzzle, with the letters ELO in some squares. With ELO being a BAND, and each square being a BOX, then the puzzle’s theme is BAND BOXES.
COMPLETION TIME: 30m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0530-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 30 May 12, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David J. Kahn
THEME: DICK CLARK … each of the theme answers refers to the late DICK CLARK, who passed away in April 2012 at the age of 82:

63A. Late beloved TV personality : DICK CLARK
16A. 63-Across, for one : EMCEE
36A. World's Oldest ___ (nickname for 63-Across) : TEENAGER

40A. With 14-Across, long-running TV show popularized by 63-Across : AMERICAN
14A. See 40-Across : BANDSTAND

17A. With 38- and 59-Across, typical opinion about a record on 40-/14-Across : IT’S GOT A GOOD BEAT
38A. See 17-Across : AND
59A. See 17-Across : YOU CAN DANCE TO IT

14A. See 40-Across : BANDSTAND
27D. With 51-Down, "14-Across Boogie," on 40-/14-Across : THEME
51D. See 27-Down : SONG

COMPLETION TIME: 10m 23s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0529-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 29 May 12, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Daniel A. Finan
THEME: BACK OF THE ENVELOPE … each of the theme answers is is the number of cents that a particular stamp cost, with each stamp featuring the portrait of a US president. There is a note with the puzzle:

The circles in this puzzle are contained in words that form a sequence. Connect these circles, in the order of the sequence, to form an appropriate image.

So, we connect the circled letters in the numerical order defined by the number in which each circle appears i.e. ONE to SEVEN, and we get the outline of an ENVELOPE:

11A. Price in cents of a 1958 Monroe stamp : THREE
16A. ... of a 1968 Jefferson stamp : ONE
18A. ... of a 1938 Jackson stamp : SEVEN
44A. ... of a 1903 Washington stamp : TWO
69A. ... of a 1970 Eisenhower stamp : SIX
1D. ... of a 1954 Lincoln stamp : FOUR
51D. ... of a 1964 Kennedy stamp : FIVE
39A. Location for some quick calculations : BACK OF THE ENVELOPE

COMPLETION TIME: 9m 13s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0528-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 28 May 12, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Kurt Mueller
THEME: TONGUE TWISTER … apparently the starts of the theme answers produce a tongue twister, rubber baby buggy bumper:

20A. Stereotypical entree at a campaign event : RUBBER CHICKEN
29A. One born in the late 1940s or '50s : BABY BOOMER
36A. Item carried by an Amish driver : BUGGY WHIP
46A. Farmer's wish : BUMPER CROP
53A. The starts of 20-, 29-, 36- and 46-Across, e.g., when repeated quickly in order : TONGUE TWISTER

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 20s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0527-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 27 May 12, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Byron Walden
THEME: STATE QUARTERS … each of the theme clues gives us the image seen on a US State Quarter, with the answer being that particular state. Cleverly, the name of the state is broken down into quarters as well, with the letters of the state broken down into four groups, making this a rebus puzzle:

10A. *Patriot Caesar Rodney on horseback : DE-LA-WA-RE
19A. *The Great Lakes : MI-CH-IG-AN
27A. *Scissor-tailed flycatcher with wildflowers : OK-LA-HO-MA
59A. *Covered wagon next to Chimney Rock : NE-BR-AS-KA
66A. *Rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard : AR-KA-NS-AS
100A. *Statehouse dome : MA-RY-LA-ND
109A. *Abraham Lincoln : IL-LI-NO-IS
112A. *Racehorse in front of the Federal Hill mansion : KE-NT-UC-KY
39D. *Rocky Mountains : CO-LO-RA-DO
46D. *"Commonwealth" statue and a keystone : PEN-NSY-LVA-NIA
69D. *Old Man of the Mountain rock formation : NEW-HAM-PSH-IRE
75D. *Lewis and Clark and the Gateway Arch : MI-SS-OU-RI

COMPLETION TIME: 54m 37s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 4 … TEALS (seals), Potoks (Posoks), C-CELL (D-cell), CASUS (dasus)

0526-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 26 May 12, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Peter Wentz
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 30m 02s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0525-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 25 May 12, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Brendan Emmett Quigley
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: Not recorded
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0524-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 24 May 12, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Derik Moore
THEME: CROSSROADS … each of the theme answers is the US city that is found at the intersection of the interstates named in the clue:

17A. 65 + 20 : BIRMINGHAM
40A. 75 + 20 : ATLANTA
62A. 1969 Cream hit ... or a hint to the seven "mathematical" clues in this puzzle : CROSSROADS
4D. 55 + 40 : MEMPHIS
11D. 5 + 10 : LOS ANGELES
28D. 35 + 10 : SAN ANTONIO
30D. 29 + 80 : OMAHA
44D. 75 + 94 : DETROIT

COMPLETION TIME: 22m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0523-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 23 May 12, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Eric Williams
THEME: Star Wars … the grid today is full of “Star Wars” references:

36A. With 39-Across, Jedi master first seen on 5/25/77 : OBI-WAN
39A. See 36-Across : KENOBI

20A. Player of 36-/39-Across : ALEC GUINNESS
56A. Player of 36-/39-Across : EWAN MCGREGOR

45A. With 31-Across, favored weapon of 36-/39-Across : LIGHT
31A. See 45-Across : SABER

53D. With 9-Down, villain faced by 36-/39-Across : DARTH
9D. See 53-Down : VADER

COMPLETION TIME: Forgot to start timer (hot whiskey, Irish remedy for the flu …)
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … OBI-WAN (Obi-won), Unitas (Unitos)

0522-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 22 May 12, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Kyle T. Dolan
THEME: ENIGMA VARIATIONS … each of the theme answers contains an anagram of the word ENIGMA, shown in the circled letters in the grid:

18A. 2004 movie with a screenplay by Tina Fey : (MEAN GI)RLS
24A. Carved figure used for rituals : GRAVE(N IMAGE)
38A. Work by Sir Edward Elgar hinted at by this puzzle's shaded squares : ENIGMA VARIATIONS
54A. Industrial Revolution-era power source : STE(AM ENG)INE
65A. Family play time : (GAME NI)GHT

COMPLETION TIME: 11m 05s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0521-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 21 May 12, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER:Ian Livengood
THEME: Oh! … each of the theme answers is an exclamation starting with the word “Oh”:

10A. "Let's be serious here ..." : OH COME NOW!
32A. "You've gotta be joking!" : OH BROTHER!
16A. "Incidentally ..." : OH BY THE WAY!
38A. "Holy cow!" : OH MY GOD!
61A. "Never mind" : OH FORGET IT!

COMPLETION TIME: 8m 43s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0520-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 20 May 12, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Alan Arbesfeld
THEME: WISECRACKS … each of the theme answers is a well-known expression but with a “Y” missing:

23A. Chocolat, say? : TREAT(Y) OF VERSAILLES
39A. Macho drag queen? : A STUD(Y) IN SCARLET
50A. Like literary classics? : GOOD AND READ(Y)
54A. Call to the bar? : BEER BELL(Y)
68A. Like a centaur? : PART(Y) ANIMAL
70A. "Don't let that youngster get off without paying!"? : BILL(Y) THE KID
86A. Unbiased account? : FAIR(Y) TALE
89A. Announcement made by a transplant surgeon, perhaps? : LIVER(Y) STABLE
97A. Stigmatize a "great" king? : BRAND(Y) ALEXANDER
119A. Two reasons to avoid a dog kennel? : THE SOUND AND THE FUR(Y)

COMPLETION TIME: 34m 28s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 4 … GAEA (Gaei), SABRA (Sabri), ADDIE (Addae), ATRI (Atra)

0519-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 19 May 12, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Patrick Berry
THEME: None … but we can note that every letter in the alphabet appears in the grid, except the letter E!
COMPLETION TIME: 50m 13s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0518-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 18 May 12, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Allan E. Parrish
THEME: Anagram Endings … each of the theme answers ends in a 6-letter word, and all the words are anagrams of each other:

20A. It may be acknowledged with a slap : OFFENSIVE REMARK
34A. TV's "hipster doofus" : COSMO KRAMER
51A. Bad tool for a toddler to find : PERMANENT MARKER

COMPLETION TIME: 16m 34s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0517-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 17 May 12, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Joe Krozel
THEME: A Spell Singing … If you’re doing the puzzle online, three clues in the puzzle are in two parts, with the second part referring to words spelled out individually in following lines. And each of those answers is a word that is spelled out in a popular song. If you’re doing a print version of the puzzle then the same principle applies, but the clue numbering is a lot more straightforward:

20. Response to a polite refusal / (next line) It's spelled out in a Tammy Wynette hit : I INSIST
D-I-V-O-R-C-E

31. What a walk in the ballpark will get you / (next line) It's spelled out in an Aretha Franklin hit : ONE BASE
R-E-S-P-E-C-T

42. Young partner / (next line) It's spelled out in a Travis Tritt hit : ERNST
T-R-O-U-B-L-E

COMPLETION TIME: 26m 43s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0516-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 16 May 12, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Kevin Adamick
THEME: Repetitive Answers … each of the themed answers is a term made up two identical words:

1A. Hawaiian entree : MAHI-MAHI
15A. Emphatic call from the flock : AMEN AMEN
64A. 1997 Carrey comedy : LIAR LIAR
66A. Words after "Que" : SERA SERA
13D. Comment made while elbowing someone : HINT HINT
14D. "And so on" : YADA YADA
35D. Petri dish gel : AGAR AGAR
36D. South Pacific island : BORA BORA

COMPLETION TIME: 9m 21s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0515-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 15 May 12, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Susan Gelfand
THEME: FULL OF HOLES … each of the theme answers is something FULL OF HOLES:

17A. Monte Cristo ingredient : SWISS CHEESE
23A. Spelling aid? : VOODOO DOLL
33A. Pub hub : DARTBOARD
48A. Where people are always putting things? : GOLF COURSE
53A. Like 17-, 23-, 33- and 48-Across : FULL OF HOLES

COMPLETION TIME: 10m 26s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … GLESS (Glets), WESSON (Weston!!!)

0514-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 14 May 12, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: John Dunn
THEME: Synonyms … each of the theme answers is in the form “Word” THE “Synonym of the first word”:

20A. Impatiently endure passing time : WATCH THE CLOCK
28A. Win by enough points, in sports gambling : COVER THE SPREAD
48A. Perform a routine household chore : WASH THE LAUNDRY
56A. Pass through a crisis safely : TURN THE CORNER
70A. Roget offerings (abbr.) ... or, loosely, the first and last words of 20-, 28-, 48- and 56-Across : SYNS

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 22s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0513-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 13 May 12, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ben Tausig
THEME: Indies … all of the theme answers are sort of puns. They’re wel known expressions, but with a “d” sound inserted to suit the clue:

23A. Slogan for medical marijuana activists? : WEED SHALL OVERCOME (We shall overcome)
36A. Persians who protect their feet? : THE SHOD OF IRAN (The Shah of Iran)
50A. Entitlement to cross the stream first? : RIGHT OF WADE (right of way)
69A. "If you can't behave on this tour, I swear you'll be sorry!"? : NO MORE MISTER NICE GUIDE (no more Mister Nice Guy)
88A. Big part of the dairy business? : CHEESE TRADE (cheese tray)
104A. Lost subject of a hit Beatles song? : WANDERING JUDE (Wandering Jude)
115A. Clothing-free version of the national pastime? : WHOLE NUDE BALLGAME (whole new ballgame)

COMPLETION TIME: 32m 57s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … I KNEW (I know), PALE ALE (palo ale!!!)

0512-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 12 May 12, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Caleb Madison
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 64m 54s (after a wedding rehearsal dinner, if you know what I mean)
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … STENTORS (stentars), ATTO- (atta-)

0511-12; New York Times Crossword Answers 11 May 12, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Natan Last
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 34m 02s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0510-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 10 May 12, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jules P. Markey
THEME: JUMP … each of the theme answers includes four circled letters, forming a 4-letter word. Each of these 4-letter words can follow JUMP in an expression. And the JUMP theme tells us that when writing in the down answers that cross the circled letters, we need to JUMP over those letters and ignore them:

17A. One sharing an apartment : (SUIT)EMATE
21A. "Chow down!" : LET’(S EAT)
33A. Poles, e.g. : EU(ROPE)ANS
43A. Film for which Lee Marvin won Best Actor : CAT (BALL)OU
53A. Big Irish cream brand : (BAIL)EYS
61A. Engagement precursor : COURT(SHIP)
69A. Word that can precede each set of circled letters, forming a literal hint for entering certain answers in this puzzle : JUMP

COMPLETION TIME: 19m 43s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 1 … SUITEMATE (housemate)

0509-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 9 May 12, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Eshan Mitra
THEME: S-sound to Z-sound … each of the theme answers is derived from a common expression that ends with an “s” sound. The last word have been changed in each expression so that it now ends with a “z” sound, and is clues accordingly:

17A. What company bosses do for employees? : SET THE PAYS (set the pace)
23A. Best meal of a cow's life? : AMAZING GRAZE (“Amazing Grace”)
37A. Having a successful theater career? : IN THE RIGHT PLAYS (in the right place)
45A. Guantánamo and others? : MILITARY BAYS (military base)
57A. The second round of betting, for one? : POKER PHASE (poker face)

COMPLETION TIME: 10m 01s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0508-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 8 May 12, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Lynn Lempel
THEME: S to SH … each of the theme answers is a well known expression, but with an H added after the S, leading to some new meanings:

17A. Winner of a pea-preparing contest? : BEST S(H)ELLER (bestseller)
28A. Lotharios' lines in a singles bar? : PICK-UP S(H)TICKS (pick-up sticks)
48A. One preparing corn for long hours? : ALL-DAY S(H)UCKER (all-day sucker)
62A. Phony wedding? : MARRYIN’ S(H)AM (Marryin’ Sam)

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 19s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0507-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 7 May 12, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Guy Tabachnick
THEME: Phantoms … each of the theme answers contains a word meaning phantom:

20A. Rapper who came to prominence as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan : GHOSTFACE KILLAH
25A. Former Republican-turned-Democratic senator from Pennsylvania : ARLEN SPECTER
43A. Form of sparring : SHADOWBOXING
53A. Whiskey or vodka : DISTILLED SPIRIT

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 49s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0506-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 6 May 12, Sunday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Alex Vratsanos
THEME: A-V Club … our setter today is Alex Vratsanos (initials “AV”), and he gives us theme answers that are each made up of two words, the first starting with an A and the second with a V:

23A. Have, say : AUXILIARY VERB
38A. They're likely to blow : ACTIVE VOLCANOES
65A. Not seeing eye to eye : AT VARIANCE
68A. End of the main part of the Constitution : ARTICLE VII
89A. Electrical pioneer : ALESSANDRO VOLTA
114A. Common houseplant with colorful blooms : AFRICAN VIOLET
46D. Some succulents : ALOE VERAS
50D. Brandy, for one : AQUA VITAE

COMPLETION TIME: 37m 25s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0505-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 5 May 12, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ned White
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 47m 32s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0504-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 4 May 12, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Barry C. Silk
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 26m 24s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0503-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 3 May 12, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Neville Fogarty
THEME: MISPELLED … the six longest answers in the grid are words that are commonly misspelled, and they’re misspelled here as well:

17A. Study of trees? : GENEOLOGY (genealogy)
22A. Tenacity : PERSEVERENCE (perseverance)
50A. Survey staple : QUESTIONAIRE (questionnaire)
60A. Like the six longest answers in this puzzle : MISPELLED (misspelled)
10D. Long time : MILLENIUM (millennium)
31D. Event : OCCASSION (occasion)

COMPLETION TIME: 11m 25s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

0502-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 2 May 12, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Paula Gamache
THEME: CROSS First … all of the theme answers start with word CROSS, but that part of the answer is missing and has to be assumed:

14. *Features accompanying the comics, often : (CROSS)WORDS
16. *Like some tennis volleys : (CROSS)COURT
62. *Labradoodle, e.g. : (CROSS)BREED
64. *Symbol on some flags : (CROSS)BONES
2. *Intersection : (CROSS)ROADS
12. *Appear as Tootsie, e.g. : (CROSS)DRESS
34. *Weapon for William Tell : (CROSS)BOW
48. *Scope lines : (CROSS)HAIRS
52. *Bygone Chryslers : (CROSS)FIRES

COMPLETION TIME: 11m 25s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0