02.18.14 — A to Z

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Puzzle by David Steinberg / Edited by Will Shortz

In this stutter-stepping Tuesday crossword, each of the thirteen answers to the starred (in print, italicized) clues starts with the letters of the first half of the alphabet from A to M while the last letter of those same words carries the second half of the alphabet in reverse from N to Z.  The words (all across):

A TO Z (1. Everything) 
B BOY (15. Rap devotee, slangily)
CHATTERBOX (18. One who goes on and on)
DO NOW (20A. “What should I ___?”)
EX GOV (31. Sarah Palin or Arnold Schwarzenegger, informally)
FONDU (38. Dish served with long-handled forks)
GARMENT DISTRICT (40. Part of Manhattan’s Midtown West)
HIKES (44. Football snaps)
ICIER (47. Less welcoming)
JOHN Q (60. 2002 Denzel Washington drama)
KARATE CHOP (64. Wood cutter?)
LENO (69. 2014 TV retiree)
MEAN (73. Standard deviation deviates from it)

Other — ESCORTED (42D. Accompanied), Former Rocket HAKEEM Olajuwon, PIANOS (52A. Yamaha products), ROXIE (13D. “Chicago” song), Yiddish author SHOLOM Aleichem, GOES SOFT (9D. Becomes less strict), ZYGOTE (4D. Fertilized egg).

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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.