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Tapenade discard / SAT 12-12-20 / Hybrid fruit also known as aprium / Luxury...
Constructor: Sid Sivakumar and Brooke HusicRelative difficulty: on the harder side, but it's oversized (15x16), so maybe it's just bigger, not harderTHEME: none Word of the Day: STOP-TIME (46A:...
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Popular ABC programming block of the '90s / SUN 12-13-20 / Its name is...
Constructor: Dan MargolisRelative difficulty: Easy (8:43, even with a stupidly slow start)THEME:"Cinema Vérité" — clues sound like varieties or genres of film, but they are actually extremely literal...
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Typical John le Carré work / MON 12-14-20 / Greek goddess of the dawn /...
Constructor: Jessie Bullock & Ross TrudeauRelative difficulty: About average for a MondayTHEME: WOMEN OF LETTERS (Female scholars ... or a hint to 19-, 28-, 34- and 42-Across) — The puzzle contains...
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Comic Fields on old Ed Sullivan shows / TUE 12-15-20 / Annual video game...
Constructor: Adam VincentRelative difficulty: Easyish (untimed)THEME: newspaper wackiness — familiar phrases are clued ("?"-style) as if they have something to do with famous U.S. newspapers:Theme...
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Toy company that made Etch A Sketch a success / WED 12-16-20 / 2002 musical...
Constructor: Ed Salners and Alex Eaton-SalnersRelative difficulty: Medium (untimed)THEME: GOVERNMENT BONDS (59A: Treasury notes ... or what the two sides of 17-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across are joined...
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Swiss Alp next to Lake Lucerne / THU 12-17-20 / Nadu Indian state / Sight on...
Constructor: Kathryn LadnerRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME: BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH (36A: Work suggested by this puzzle's circled squares)— the opening notes of the symphony are in the circled squares (G, G,...
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Longtime CBS News host Charles / FRI 12-18-20 / Target of 1972 ban /...
Constructor: Damon GulczynskiRelative difficulty: Easyish (well under 7, and that was a. going slowly, b. taking screenshots along the way)THEME: none Word of the Day: Demi LOVATO (52A: Demi of pop) —...
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Lyre holder in classical artwork / SAT 12-19-20 / Title woman in 1975 R&B hit...
Constructor: Caitlin Reid and Andrew J. RiesRelative difficulty: Easy to Easy-Medium, I think (untimed)THEME: none Word of the Day: OTIS Williams (1A: Williams who was one of the original Temptations)...
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Classic comics teen with good manners / SUN 12-20-20 / Mild light-colored...
Constructor: Randolph RossRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (9-something)THEME: AIM LOW ... just kidding, it's actually "Toy Story" — popular toys of yore, such as one might have received on CHRISTMAS...
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1957 title role for Frank Sinatra / MON 12-21-20 / Old NASA moon-landing...
Constructor: Sarah Keller and Derek BowmanRelative difficulty: Medium (somewhere in the 2:50s)THEME:"SAY WHAT?" (71A: "Huh?" ... or a possible response to 1-, 19-, 25-, 48- and 57-Across — themers are...
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Projecting rim of metal beam / TUE 12-22-20 / Field of mathematics pioneered...
Constructor: Any Yanni and Jeff ChenRelative difficulty: untimed, but felt much slower than a typical TuesdayTHEME: CLOUD "nine" (24A: With this puzzle's central black squares, ecstasy) — black squares...
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Lawless figure with legendary fighting skills / WED 12-23-20 / Blizzards are...
Constructor: Juliana Tringali GoldenRelative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (?????) (I co-solved on Zoom ten minutes after waking up so I have no idea)THEME: WEATHER BALLOONS (40A: Carriers of...
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Lover of Giorgetta in Puccini's Il Tabarro / THU 12-24-20 / What benchwarmers...
Constructor: Billy OuskaRelative difficulty: Medium (untimed)THEME: CAN'T FIND THE TIME (52A: Is unable to get away, say ... or a hint to 17-, 24- and 40-Across?) — familiar phrases with "TIME" in them...
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Sorting header in music app / FRI 12-25-20 / Fictional hero whose name is...
Constructor: Erik Agard and Wendy L. BrandesRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (5:25)THEME: none Word of the Day: Madame NOIRE (57A: madame ___ (online lifestyle magazine)) — MadameNoire is an...
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Creators of quipus / SAT 12-26-20 / Italian sculptor Lorenzo Bernini / Keogh...
Constructor: John GuzzettaRelative difficulty: Medium (untimed)THEME: none Word of the Day: NEC (62A: Major chip maker) — NEC Corporation (日本電気株式会社, Nippon Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese...
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First dynasty of imperial China / SUN 12-27-20 / Cocktail with rum curaçao...
Constructor: Daniel GrinbergRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium ? (untimed)THEME:"Partnerships"— ___ AND ___ phrases, clued (punnily) as some kind of "partners":Theme answers:JUDGE AND JURY (Law...
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Wile E. Coyote's supplier / MON 12-28-20 / UK medal accepted then returned by...
Constructor: Alan Massengill and Andrea Carla MichaelsRelative difficulty: Medium (3 flat, I've had a drink)THEME: apex — themers are all vertical and their first words, i.e. the word at the uppermost...
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Tandoor bread / TUES 12-28-20 / Locales of wasps and spies / Xena, notably /...
Once upon a time, there lived a 20-something-year-old named Clare who was so freaking done with 2020 and was counting down the minutes until the clock struck midnight on the new year. She, of course,...
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Chubby mouse in Disney's Cinderella / WED 12-30-20 / Ocher-like hue /...
Constructor: Kate HawkinsRelative difficulty: Easyish (untimed)THEME: BILLY CLUB (66A: Nightstick ... or what might form if the beginnings of 14-, 20-, 37- and 58-Across started paying dues?) — first...
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Woodchuck of the western U.S. / THU 12-31-20 / vivre ability to live...
Constructor: David J. KahnRelative difficulty: Easy (untimed) (didn't struggle anywhere)THEME: SMALL BUSINESSES (7D: Local economy makeup ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme) — a rebus puzzle with...
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