08.09.12 — X's and O's

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Puzzle by Joe Krozel / Edited by Will Shortz

TIC / TAC / TOE (23A. With 24- and 45-Across, game represented by this completed puzzle’s grid), along with hard-to-find X’s and O’s representing the winner is the gimmick of this clumsy Thursday puzzle made of seven small crosswords.

Other — AUTONOMOUS (26D. Independent), BART CONNER (13D. 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics), CAN OPENERS (32D. Aids for camp chefs), DANA CARVEY (25A. Imitator of Bush the elder on “S.N.L.“), DEBUTANTES (4D. Society add-ons), DRAMATISTS (25D. Playmakers?), FORECASTER (5D. Rain man?), IT’S USELESS (20A. “There’s no hope!”), NIA PEEPLES (27D. “Fame” actress), OPERA HOUSE (12D. Place to take binoculars), RED SNAPPER (43A. Common restaurant fish), SCREEN NAME (49A. Handle online), TOMATO SOUP (11D. Classic Andy Warhol subject), it was the can not the soup, YES INDEEDY (31D. “You betcha!”).

Mid-size — EMIRS, “The First Time EVER I Saw Your Face”, EXILE, FRETS, OASIS, REAVE, RISEN, SEE ME, SISSY, TAXIS, VEXED.

Short stuff — ACED, AGEE, ALMS, ANES, “… and she bare A SON”, Rat-A-TAT, A TO B, AXLE, AYN, BALI, BEAD, COHO, COPA, CXII, Objet D’ART, DYE, EGAD, EDDY ELIS, EMER, EXIT, IMPS, LIMB, MANX, MOPE, NOUN, OUSE, RAIL, REND, RIMS, RUIN, SETS, SEXY, SIC, SOLE, SESS and SSNS and SSSS, TIES and TUES.

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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. Droplet; 5. They’re seen on the neck; 10. Small step; 14. Turning point; 15. Caravan parking spot?; 16. Club of song; 17. It comes out of a trunk; 18. Up; 19. Part of FEMA: Abbr.; 32. Salmon variety; 33. Spoil; 34. Teacher’s note on a failing test; 37. Line at an airport; 38. Mad Libs specification; 39. Be blue; 40. “The First Time ___ Saw Your Fae” (Roberta Flack #1 hit); 41. River of York; 42. Chemical suffixes; 46. Turn blue, maybe; 47. Mini-terrors; 56. Common restaurant fish; 57. Force out; 58. Old-timey oath; 59. Calendar heading: Abbr.; 60. Like a mouse; 61. Tear apart; 62. Flat sound; 63. Fearful sort; 64. Turning heads, perhaps. — DOWN: 1. Island with a Hindu majority; 2. Way out; 3. Form of relief; 6. Skateboard park feature; 7. In ___ (actually); 8. Relationships; 9. Employee data: Abbr.: Abbr.; 10. Whizzed through; 21. Dog command; 28. Tear apart, old-style; 29. In distress; 30. Gulf moguls; 44. Objectivist Rand; 48. School period: Abbr.; 49. They usually end at six; 50. Roman 112; 51. Eyeglass holders; 52. New Haven alumni; 53. Writer James; 54. Language known to native speakers in Gaelg; 55. It’s a small whirl after all.