12.25.14 — NUTS



Thursday, December 25, 2014 — Christmas Day 

Puzzle by Xan Vongsathorn / Edited by Will Shortz

MIXED [NUT]S (56A. Party snack … or a hint to the six squares in this puzzle), along with the word NUT mixed as TNU, UNT, UTN, TUN, NTU and NUT, constitutes the interrelated group of this Thursday crossword:

OU[TNU]MBER  with WE[T NU]RSE 
       (19A. Be bigger than, in a way; 9D. Milk maid?)
G[UN-T]OTING with AMO[UNT] 
      (20A. Packing; 2D. Come to)
CH[UTN]EY with SP[UTN]IK
      (37A. Samosa topping; 26D. Startling newsmaker of 10/4/1957)
PE[TUN]IA with RO[TUN]DA
     (40A. Flowery girl’s name; 31D. Feature of Rome‘s Pantheon)
TARA[NTU]LA with DOW[NTU]RN
     (60A. Hairy menace; 45D. Economic slump)
MIXED [NUT]S with [NUT]MEG
     (56A. Party snack, etc.; 58D. Apple pie seasoning)

Other — DEVIL RAY (4D. Aquarium giant), GOT EVEN 17A. Settled a score), GO VIRAL (43D. Really take off, in a way), HAR and HAIR and HA-HAS, NES (66A. Duck Hunt console, for short), OPEN PIT (5D. Like some mining and barbeques), OREGANO and ORIGAMI (15A. Sprinkle at a pizzeria; 61A. Artwork from a folder), PEROXIDE (40D. Blonde‘s secret), RIP UP 27A. Break down in tears?), SURREAL (23D. Like an out-of-body experience), TAP WATER (34A. Drink that’s a freebie).\

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