1025-19 NY Times Crossword 25 Oct 19, Friday

Constructed by: John Guzzetta
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 9m 19s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

My wife and I moved away from our kids a few months ago, into our “forever” home. We have the whole family together right now, for the first time since that move. As such, I was only able to slip away for a short while, solve the puzzle, and write up this abbreviated post. I’ll get to the full post just as soon as I can.

Thank you for your understanding,

Bill

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Reaction to being sent to the principal’s office, say : [GULP!]
5 Cartoon cat : TOM
8 City name in both East and West Coast states : SALEM
13 After weighing both sides : ON BALANCE
16 Amazon guide? : ALEXA
17 Question suggesting “Beats me!” : WHO CAN SAY?
18 Gaudiness : GLITZ
19 Logic game with matchsticks : NIM
20 Reach a point of diminishing returns : PLATEAU
22 Take a shot : TRY
23 Eponym of a cathedral in Red Square : ST BASIL
25 Cosmic law and order in Buddhism : DHARMA
27 It may be set in stone : RUNE
28 Small colored feature of the body : AREOLA
30 “Ma-a-aybe” : IT DEPENDS
35 Some nerve? : OPTIC
36 What Scarlett saved : TARA
37 “___ on!” (“Come and get it!”) : SOUPS
39 Elevate : LIFT
40 Chilly day accessory : SCARF
42 “Seriously?” : WHAT GIVES?
44 Smoothie starter : YOGURT
46 North-flowing river : NILE
47 “Mmmmmmm!” : SO GOOD!
49 ___ in (enclosed, as a porch) : GLASSED
53 Fire : CAN
54 Sheltered, as stock : STABLED
56 Kind of cross : TAU
57 Bulletin : ALERT
59 Painfully obvious : WRIT LARGE
61 Fuzzy : VAGUE
62 Trip that no one wants to take : NASTY FALL
63 Defeated, but barely : EDGED
64 Howe’er : THO’
65 Weeks off : BYES

Down

1 Prom wear : GOWNS
2 Coming through without a scratch : UNHIT
3 Something that might be “dropped” prematurely in a relationship, in slang : L BOMB
4 Vote-swaying org. : PAC
5 They usually come with bikinis : TAN LINES
6 “Get it while it’s hot!” : ON SALE NOW!
7 Chem major’s exam, perhaps : MCAT
8 Its blossom is the state flower of Arizona : SAGUARO
9 Without exception : ALL
10 Recurrent musical theme : LEIT MOTIV
11 1-up, in gaming : EXTRA LIFE
12 Labyrinthine : MAZY
14 Greedily consumes : LAPS UP
15 Checked out : EYED
21 “But of course!” : AHA!
24 It doesn’t go wall-to-wall : AREA RUG
26 Fields questions, say : REPLIES
29 Follower of John : ACTS
30 Small, informally : ITSY
31 Tex-Mex dish sometimes served with southwest dressing : TACO SALAD
32 Object of some fantasy quests : DRAGON EGG
33 “Of course … my bad!” : DUH!
34 The lyrics of “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” e.g. : SPANGLISH
38 Weapon with an Italian name : STILETTO
41 Descriptive of some flakes and hair : FROSTED
43 “My pleasure!” : GLADLY
45 Kid : TOT
48 Starting time for an attack : DAWN
50 Go afield : STRAY
51 Two under : EAGLE
52 Goes mano a mano (with) : DUELS
53 Spelunk : CAVE
55 Angel’s opposite : BRAT
58 “The Murders in the ___ Morgue” : RUE
60 Eglin or MacDill: Abbr. : AFB

14 thoughts on “1025-19 NY Times Crossword 25 Oct 19, Friday”

  1. 24:11. A few snags but not too terrible. I’ll admit that LBOMB was new to me although I knew what it meant the second I saw it. The spelling of LEIT MOTIV threw me (MOTIf) until I knew it had to be with a “V” from crosses. Been inside of ST BASIL’s Cathedral. Pretty spectacular on the outside. Inside is actually very plain. Each onion dome is a separate room that feels like a silo looking up to the dome.

    Best –

  2. 58:50 no errors….I spent a lot of time in the NW corner and relied on a lot of crosses to finish this one

  3. Was able to cruise today, somewhat of a rarity for Friday. Amazing what one can pull out of the cobwebs; SPANGLISH, DHARMA, etc.

  4. In Spanish “mano” means “hand” so “mano a mano” translates to “hand to hand” not “man to man.” A common miss usage and a pet peeve of mine.

  5. 22 minutes even. A good time for me for a Friday. Off to Bonaire for 2 weeks of diving tonight. Crosswords will have to wait.

  9. 37:28. Had to start in Southwest as northwest had me bluffed, but circled around and finished with no errors. A few months ago a puzzler swore he was done with nyt puzzles, and I suspect I was not the only one who rejoiced. He’s brought his standard snidely remarks back. One of the things I’m grateful for is that I’m not Mrs A.D. just sayin’.

  10. 32:38, no errors. Several bad guesses: FEAR>GASP>GULP; KHARMA>DHARMA; GLAD TO>GLADLY. Happy to have sorted it all out.

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