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Stalin defier / SAT 12-7-13 / Keel extension / Sportscaster Nathan with star...
Constructor: James MulhernRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME: noneWord of the Day: SKEG (48A: Keel extension) — A skeg (or skag) is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a...
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Classical guitarist Segovia / SUN 12-8-13 / Actor Jack of oaters / English...
Constructor: Patrick BerryRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME:"Two Outs"— theme answers are words and phrases in which "two" letters are circled. Take those two letters "out," and you get a different...
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Mars' Norse counterpart / MON 12-9-13 / Onetime Harper's Bazaar illustrator /...
Constructor: Nina Rulon-MillerRelative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (*for a Monday*)THEME: CHAIR (64A: Head, as a committee ... or a word that can follow the ends of 16-, 29-, 36-, 47- and 61-Across)...
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Early tragedienne Duse / SAT 11-16-13 / G-Funk Classics rapper / Spartan...
Constructor: David SteinbergRelative difficulty: ChallengingTHEME: noneWord of the Day: REXALL (8D: ___ Place (Edmonton Oilers' arena)) — Rexall was a chain of North American drugstores, and the name...
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Actress Durance who played Lois Lane on Smallville / SUN 11-17-13 / Narcissus...
Constructor: Julian LimRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME:"Vowel Play"— theme answers are two-word nonsense phrases that have all five vowels appearing in a row (broken across the two words)Theme...
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Self-esteem as French would have it / MON 11-18-13 / Facial socket / Milo of...
Constructor: Edgar FontaineRelative difficulty: Challenging (3:26, which is très high for me)THEME: Add an apostrophe S and turn a celebrity's name into a possessive phrase in which the celebrity's...
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1922 Willa Cather novel that won Pulitzer / TUE 11-19-13 / Maximum loads of...
Constructor: David J. KahnRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME: 150th anniversary of the GETTYSBURG Address (31D: Where 3-Down's address was delivered) — "FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO" are buried in...
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1965 Physics Nobelist Richard / WED 11-20-13 / Harry Potter's owl /...
Constructor: Peter A. CollinsRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME:"RUNNING / ON EMPTY" (55A: With 57-Across, 1977 Jackson Browne album … or a hint to what's depicted in this puzzle's grid) — Grid uses...
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Band with 2007 #1 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank / TUE 12-10-13...
Constructor: Bill ThompsonRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: M AND M (55A: Plain or peanut candy) — not sure why this isn't clued as a revealer, because I *think* that's what it was probably designed to...
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Pax's Greek counterpart / WED 12-11-13 / Bygone Japanese camera brand / Red...
Constructor: Steve SavoyRelative difficulty: ChallengingTHEME: Quote about creativity by ALBERT EINSTEIN (58A: With 39-Down, speaker of this puzzle's quote)— "IF AT FIRST / THE IDEA IS / NOT ABSURD,...
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Saxophonist Al / THU 12-12-13 / Town in England Nevada / Boomer born in 1961...
Constructor: David SteinbergRelative difficulty: ChallengingTHEME: ERASE Rs—Note: "After this puzzle was created, the constructor did something to 11 squares - as suggested by a two-word reading of...
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Chemistry Nobelist Hoffmann / FRI 12-13-13 / Sendler heroine of WW II's...
Constructor: Gary CeeRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (though the times I'm seeing at the NYT site suggest something closer to Challenging, so I don't Even know what's going on)THEME: noneWord of the...
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Scandinavian goddess of fate / SAT 12-14-13 / Husband of Otrera / Ottoman...
Constructor: Martin Ashwood-SmithRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: noneWord of the Day: NORN (27D: Scandinavian goddess of fate) — Norn1n(Myth & Legend / Norse Myth & Legend) Norse myth any of...
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Farmworker in Wizard of Oz / SUN 12-15-13 / Walt Disney's middle name / Her...
Constructor: Jeff ChenRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME:"A Cut Above the Rest" — Word "CUT" is spelled out at the top of the grid, with Cs (representing the answers "seas""seize" and "sees") making...
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Farewell Vladimir / MON 12-16-13 / Unmemorable low-budget film / Wrestler's...
Constructor: Greg JohnsonRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: GOODBYE (34A: This puzzle's theme) — theme answers are phrases meaning "GOODBYE," in this and other languages:Theme answers:17A: "I'm outta...
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Suffix meaning little one / TUE 12-17-13 / Bruce who played Dr Watson /...
Constructor: Paula GamacheRelative difficulty: Medium-ChallengingTHEME: NBA (54A: Org. found in the answer to each asterisked clue)Theme answers:17A: *Sheriff's insignia, in old westerns (TINBADGE) 3D:...
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Outermost Aleutian island / WED 12-18-13 / What Charlie rides in 1959 hit /...
Constructor: Ed SessaRelative difficulty: Medium (leaning toward Med-Challenging)THEME: Definite article breakaway— Phrases that begin w/ indefinite article "A" are clued as if that "A" were affixed to...
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Light for Aladdin / THU 12-19-13 / 1960s British PM Douglas-Home / Rio Amazon...
Constructor: George Barany and Michael ShteymanRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: LIKE WATER AND OIL (36A: Incompatible)— rebus puzzle with three OIL squares up top, three WATER squares below, and the...
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South American carrier founded in 1927 / FRI 12-20-13 / Mexican revolutionary...
Constructor: Ian LivengoodRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: noneWord of the Day: RIOT ACT (61A: Controversial 1715 measure of Parliament) — The Riot Act (1714) (1 Geo.1 St.2 c.5) was an Act of the...
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Creator of first crossword / SAT 12-21-13 / Jerry Orbach role in Fantasticks...
Constructor: Todd Gross and David SteinbergRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME: First crossword puzzle — today is the 100th anniversary of the crossword puzzle. The shaded area corresponds to the shape of...
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