12.01.11 — Jack...

Jack in the Box by Charlie Spear

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Puzzle by Elizabeth A. Long / Edited by Will Shortz

JACK IN / THE BOX (36A. With 39-Across, apt title for this puzzle), along with JACK in four squares of the puzzle constitutes the interrelated group of this pleasant surprise of a Thursday crossword — BLACK[JACK] SPRAT (1A. Table staple, of sorts; 6D. Eschewer of fat); LUMBER[JACK]STRAW (7A. You might find one at a sawmill; 13D. Stick pulled from a pile); APPLE[JACK] HORNER (46D. Brandy made from cider; 69A. One in a corner); UNION [JACK] FROST (51D. British standard; 70A. Figure often mentioned by meteorologists).

Other — ANNALIST (17A. Chronicler of events), BAR CODES (15A. Delivery expediters), EATERIES (67A. Bistros), LIES OVER (61A. Blankets), PING PONG (55A. Bounce back and forth quickly), SHADRACH (21A. One of a Jewish biblical trio).

Six-letter — BATHED, DE NIRO (60A. “Meet the Fockers” co-star), DOPERS, EDISON, ERRATA (18A. Bad spells?), FLEE TO, LOG-INS (14A. Times going onto a secure site), MARIAH, NEEDLE, OILIER, RESIDE, TEETER, UNSTOP.

Five-letter — ADMIT, BOLOS, CITED, DOTER, Terra FIRMA, “Good GRIEF!”, HOSED, KNORR (5D. Soup brand), LOSER, NO SIR, POLER, PRE-OP.

Short stuff — ACE, AGS, ALMA mater, AMF, ANG, BLU, DEER, ELS, ETH, HADJ, ICH, I DO, ISU, KAL, KIN, 1971 Bond girl LANA Wood, LON, MCAN, 1998 film “Waking NED Devine”, NEW, ORZO, PORN, RBI, REEF, RET, SKA, SODA, TKOS, TOT, URN, VIE, X-MEN.

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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: 16. Open; 20. Gentle decline?; 24. Party mixer; 25. Actor Penn of the Harold and Kumar movies; 26. Show instability; 30. Untested; 31. Make no bones about; 34. Grandparent, often; 42. Flimflammed; 46. Big inits. In bowling; 49. Diversion with 81 squares; 52. Some meditation; 53. Coffin cover; 58. Before surgery, briefly; 61. Blankets; 63. More unctuous; 67. Bistros; 68. Part of a meter. — DOWN: 1. Ray preceder; 2. Chaney or Chaney Jr.; 3. Dept. of Justice chiefs; 4. Pointed to; 8. Certain porcelain piece; 9. Thom ___ shoes; 10. Some ties; 11. Leading record label of the early 1900s; 12. Domicile; 15. Got clean; 19. Bandage trademark; 21. Some Caribbean music; 22. Pilgrimage near year’s end; 27. Playground user; 28. Addis Ababa is its capital: Abbr.; 29. Coral formation; 32. I, in Innsbruck; 33. Too many hits might result in them, for short; 35. One hit might result in it, for short; 37. Sch. In Pocatello; 40. Type of pasta; 41. Marvel characters; 43. Druggies; 45. Director Lee; 47. Singer Carey; 48. Run for; 50. Blood; 54. Schlemiel; 57. Person propelling a punt; 59. Nonlibrary reading; 60. Harts and hinds; 62. Go (for); 64. Court affirmation; 65. Loop loopers.