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1967 Hit by the Hollies / SAT 3-29-14 / Locals call it the Big O / Polar Bear...
Constructor: Barry C. SilkRelative difficulty: SaturdayishTHEME:None. It's Saturday!Don't fret, folks. The full write-up will be up soon...Hey, everybody! We had a little miscommunication here at the...
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Graz's land: Abbr. / SUN 3-30-14 / Where "hello" is "sveiks" / "Twelfth...
Constructor: Peter A. CollinsRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME: Musical Interpretation— The words of a well-known song are placed in the grid according to other words from the song title that indicate...
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#2 hit by Richard Harris / 3-31-14 / Jane Fonda sci-fi / Ars Poetica
Yay! We're back! Just like the first ray of sunshine after a long, gray, endless winter. For those who don't know us, we're Liz and Jenny, aka Rex's BFFs. Here's a little more about us: Our spirit...
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Game with a 32-card deck / TUE 4-1-14 / Peak in Greek myth / Opera singer in...
Constructor: Andrew ReynoldsRelative difficulty: It'll make a fool out of youTHEME: "HEADS OR TAILS"— (37A: Winner of the wager in 17-/56-Across, depending on how you fill the circled squares in this...
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Pachacuti's people / WED 4-2-14 / Actress Dash of Clueless / Jewelry designer...
Constructor: David Levinson WilkRelative difficulty: Medium-ChallengingTHEME: that's out of— wacky ("?"-style) clues are not wacky at all, but literal; while it appears that the phrase "out of" in the...
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Three-stringed Eastern instrument / THU 4-3-14 / Young-adult fiction author...
Constructor: David Benkof and Jeff ChenRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME: CH- CH- CH- CH- CHANGES (58A: Chorus starter in a 1972 David Bowie song … or the theme of this puzzle, phonetically)— four...
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Third Watch actress Texada / FRI 4-4-14 / Frank Loesser show tune / Sporting...
Constructor: Martin Ashwood-Smith and Joe KrozelRelative difficulty: Medium-ChallengingTHEME: noneWord of the Day: TERNES (3D: Lead-tin alloys) — n1. (Metallurgy) Also called: terne metal an alloy of...
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1996 Rhett Akins country hit / SAT 4-5-14 / Cro-Magnon orphan of literature /...
Constructor: Ashton Anderson and James MulhernRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (also possibly anywhere from Medium to Challenging, depending on possible pop culture potholes) THEME: noneWord of the...
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Circus performer Kelly / SUN 4-6-14 / 1986 girl's-name song by Boston /...
Constructor: Patrick BerryRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME:"At Times"— two-word noun phrases where the second word ends "-ER" are clued as if they referred to particular kinds of people; that is,...
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Old name for Tokyo / MON 4-7-14 / San Diego baseballer / Canals...
Constructor: Douglas TaillonRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (**for a Monday**)THEME: 2— lots of two-related stuff, plus a 2-ish image in the center of the grid (made out of black squares)Theme...
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Two-horse wager / TUE 4-8-14 / Bucolic verse / Jungle film attire / Unit...
Constructor: Ian LivengoodRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME: Ambigu-its — common phrases (following the for verb-IT-preposition) are recontextualized by their wacky, overly literal cluesTheme...
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Seminomadic Kenyan / WED 4-9-14 / Product of domesticated insect / Mikado...
Constructor: John E. BennettRelative difficulty: EasyTHEME:"WHAT'S IN THE BOXES?" (37A: Question asked by a customs officer or a kid on Christmas … with a hint to this puzzle's circled squares) — six...
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Creator of Sheriff Deadeye Cauliflower McPugg / THU 4-10-14 / Fast food chain...
Constructor: David SteinbergRelative difficulty: Medium to Medium-ChallengingTHEME: SIX FLAGS (59A: Popular day trip destination … or a hint to the starts of the answers to the starred clues) — just...
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Ruess lead singer of Fun / FRI 4-11-14 / Eastern hereditary title / Home of...
Constructor: Peter WentzRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: noneWord of the Day: KURTIS Blow (29D: Rapper ___ Blow) — Kurt Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis...
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Popularity boost due to certain TV endorsement / SAT 4-12-14 / Mythical abode...
Constructor: Mel RosenRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME: noneWord of the Day: ASCI (47D: Sacs studied by 58-Across) — An ascus (plural asci; from Greek ἀσκός "skin bag") is the sexual spore-bearing...
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El cheap cigar slangily / SUN 4-13-14 / Actor Gulager of old TV /...
Constructor: Dan SchoenholzRelative difficulty: MediumTHEME: It's Taxing! — familiar phrases are wackily clued ("?") as if they have something to do with taxes.Theme answers:WITHHOLDING CONSENT (25A:...
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Caribbean island nation south of Martinique / MON 4-14-14 / Famous debate...
Constructor: Gareth BainRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (I have no idea; I solved on paper because stupid .puz file was "corrupt," and can't really gauge Monday "difficulty" when I solve on paper …...
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Middle part of pedestal / TUE 4-15-14 / TV show anchored by Bill O'Reilly...
Constructor: Gary CeeRelative difficulty: Easy-MediumTHEME: BASE ON BALLS (63A: Batter's reward after pitches like those described at the starts of 17-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across) — first words of theme...
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Mythical king of huns / WED 4-16-14 / Yellowstone bugler / Cuddly sci-fi...
Constructor: Michael DeweyRelative difficulty: Easy-Medium (again, no idea, as the AcrossLite file at the NYT site was Once Again "corrupt") (it's kind of an embarrassment how bad they are at the tech...
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Hardy hog breed / THU 4-17-14 / Pioneer in New Criticism / Palestinian...
Constructor: Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff ChenRelative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (though once again, I wouldn't really know, as the NYT continues to fail to put out a readable .puz file on time so I'm...
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