02.06.11 — High School Reunion

The Bad Doctors, 1892, James Ensor

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Sunday, February 6, 2011

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, Puzzle by David J. Kahn, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s crossword features an anecdote of unknown origin with a humorous and thoughtful punch line. The combined clues and “answers” produces the following:

A woman went TO SEE A NEW DOCTOR. In his office, she noticed a DIPLOMA ON THE WALL. She remembered having a high-school crush on a handsome, dark-haired boy with THE SAME NAME. However, this man was balding, gray-haired and JUST AVERAGE-LOOKING. She thought he was much too old to have been her CLASSMATE.  Nevertheless, she asked him if he had attended her high school, and after he said yes, she asked WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE? He answered “In 1971. But WHY DO YOU ASK? The woman exclaimed “YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!” He looked at her closely, then asked “WHAT DID YOU TEACH?”

Other — ALTERED, ARRESTEE (123A. One wearing cuffs), CHAMOIS, COLLATE, DENYING, DEPLETE, ENTICES, INDICES, IN STORE, LANSING, LEAN MEAT, NEW YORK (75D. Rome‘s home), ONE CASE, PASSION (3D. 1994 Sondheim musical), PEONAGE, SOOTHES, STOW-AWAY, TY MURRAY, VENEERS.

Mid-size — AMOCO, AMOUNT, AT ONCE, AUGURS, BERRA, COCOA, DE NOVO, DISKS, EASY AS, EATS UP, ELYSE, Expressionist artist James ENSOR, ENTER, ETUDE, IN-LAW, ISHAM, INTRO, LAURA, L L BEAN, MATSU, NAG AT, NEATO, NOOSE, OSAGES, PLOYS, RACIST, RADNOR, REWED, SAINTS, SCRIPT (102D. Cruise lines?), SCORN, SEATED, SPLIT, STEPPE, TRACK, WARTS, WORRY, YEATS.

Short stuff — AAH, AGA Khan, AGES, AGUA, AIM, “ALL’S well!”, ALTO, AMER, APES, APP, ARAL, ATO, AYES, BYE, CLAW, DADS, DELE, DRU, DUN, DYS, EDIT, EEL, EGO and EMO and ESO, ERN and ERR, ESS, GAGA, HAL (43D. Space movie villain), IAN, IRA, JELL, KEY, LEA, LEES, LIME, MUON, NAS and NOS, NEE, NIL, ONO, ORR, RACK, RAIN, RAT, REST, SEA, SENT, SLED, SNUB, SOO Canals, SPIN, SRS, STET, TER, TOTE, TUGS, TUNA, UNI, URAL, URN, VISA, WEA, WIE, WILE, YET.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Many a download; 8. Certain bias; 14. Some storage places; 19. Emu, e.g., to a chef; 21. This second; 22. Put down; 25. Tricks; 27. Suffer vertigo; 28. Fast-skating #4; 29. Scratch; 30. Cause of delay; 36. A superstar might have a big one; 37. Thin overlays; 38. No-goodnik; 39. Michelle on a fairway; 40. Not allowing; 47. What’s that, José?; 51. BP gas brand; 52. Voting side; 59. North end?; 60. Plains tribe; 61. Had room for; 65. Michelle’s predecessor; 73. Debussy piece; 74. Lands’ End rival; 76. Bodes; 78. Zero; 86. Carry; 89. Stew; 90. “One Mic” rapper; 91. Actor McKellen; 95. The Dow and the Nikkei 225; 98. Object; 100. Turndowns; 101. Go-aheads; 105. 1969 newlywed in the news; 111. Chorus girl; 112. Spice holder; 113. See 48-Down; 114. Breather; 115. Divorce; 116. Hall-of-Famer with 10 World Series rings; 121. “The Second Coming” poet; 122. Thoroughly enjoys; 124. “Family Ties” mom; 125. Check line; 126. Shipped; 127. Feminine suffix. — DOWN: 1. Not the way it was; 2. Some servitude; 4. From the States: Abbr.; 5. ___ Michele of “Glee”; 6. Midwest capital; 7. Plain; 8. TV Guide’s Pennsylvania headquarters; 9. From ___ Z; 10. Brown shade; 11. Emcee’s words; 12. Disdain; 13. 13-Across, in France; 14. Exhaust; 15. Father of the bride, say; 16. One who goes free?; 17. With 34-Down, kind of pie; 18. Yearbook div.; 20. Superbright; 24.Trick; 29. Soft leather; 31. From the top; 32. Phoenix hrs.; 33. Tail; 34. See 17-Down; 35. Some jeans; 37. Big name in plastic; 41. Still; 44. Rock genre; 46. Bother a lot; 48. With 113-Across, landlocked waters; 49. Blown away; 50. Mellows; 53. Come together; 54. Russian/ Kazakh river; 55. Brush-off; 56. Laptop key; 57. Time piece?; 58. At birth; 62. Sushi fish; 63. Take out, maybe; 64. Take out; 66. Say “I do” again; 67. Spa reaction; 69. Unstable particle; 70. Rio contents; 71. Canal boats; 72. Mess up; 77. Symbols of piety; 80. Hanging piece; 81. Joanne of “The Pride of St. Louis”; 82. Org. in “The Crying Game”; 83. Bad: Prefix; 84. Pops; 85. Valve opening?; 86 Bob ___, 1986 P.G.A. Player of the Year; 87. One of the Three Rivers; 88. Nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy; 93. 24 bottles of beer; 94. Mary ___ cosmetics; 95. Coming up; 96. Sort; 97. Attracts by design; 98. Palliates; 103. Runner’s place; 104. Snap courses; 107. ___ and all; 108. Bandleader Jones of the 1920s- ’30s; 109. “Cool!”; 110. Island near Quemoy; 111. Goons; 115. Opposite of 64-Down; 118. “TTYL”; 117. Reef denizen; 118. “Are ___ pair?” (“Send in the Clowns” lyric); 119. Bug for payment; 120. Table server.