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snowman

NY Times, Sun, Dec 30, 2007 WINTER FIGURE

Author: Elizabeth C. Gorski / Will Shortz
JimH Crossword Blog commentary | Return to Normal mode | Turn on Clue Tracker | | (XPF defined)
Rows: 23, Columns: 23, Words: 162, Blocks: 91, Avg Word Len: 5.41, Missing: { Q X }, Scrabble score: 663 (avg 1.51)
Open squares: 144, Cheater squares: 2, FITB: 16, XRef: 0 (indicated by + in grid below), Freshness Factor™: 65.3 (62.6 Sun. %-ile), NYT Across Lite file
This is puzzle 157 of 174 for Ms. Gorski — solos: 174, collaborations: 0, Sundays: 48

JimH notes: The 16 circled letters, starting in square #34 and proceeding roughly counterclockwise, ending at #38, spell the opening lyric of a popular song. If you use your imagination, you can see a snowman in the pattern.
1
F
2
I
3
J
4
I
5
A
6
R
7
C
8
E
9
D
10
V
11
O
12
C
13
A
14
B
15
H
16
A
17
L
18
O
19
I
G
O
R
20
L
I
O
N
S
21
A
P
O
L
O
22
A
N
O
N
23
E
L
L
S
24
A
T
H
O
L
25
N
E
W
T
O
26
I
D
O
S
27
S
O
L
A
28
R
I
Z
E
29
P
A
S
30
T
R
A
M
I
31
T
O
Y
G
U
N
32
I
33
N
34
F
35
L
36
U
37
E
38
N
39
C
E
40
T
A
B
B
E
D
41
A
S
H
E
N
42
P
R
O
L
E
T
A
R
I
A
43
T
44
C
R
U
D
E
45
A
N
S
46
E
L
47
T
O
Y
O
T
A
S
48
A
49
N
O
U
T
50
A
51
P
P
T
52
R
A
53
G
S
54
C
55
A
K
E
56
S
T
57
U
58
S
59
G
A
P
S
60
S
C
O
O
61
T
62
S
63
B
64
I
O
M
E
S
65
H
O
S
P
66
E
D
Y
67
R
E
E
D
68
S
T
69
R
E
W
70
I
O
T
71
A
72
N
E
A
73
I
T
S
74
N
O
75
B
A
76
K
E
R
S
D
O
77
Z
E
N
78
R
79
A
N
D
R
80
S
H
O
E
S
81
T
O
R
E
82
O
T
S
83
O
N
E
84
O
C
L
O
C
K
85
T
A
U
T
L
Y
86
D
E
87
R
N
88
P
89
R
O
S
90
V
A
S
S
A
L
91
S
I
L
92
Y
R
93
S
94
L
O
G
95
R
E
T
96
A
I
N
97
E
R
E
98
S
N
A
P
99
S
100
P
A
101
R
E
E
102
R
I
D
E
103
S
104
P
105
S
106
I
S
107
H
A
108
B
E
R
D
A
S
109
H
E
R
110
A
111
T
112
V
113
S
114
A
N
D
T
115
W
116
O
E
Y
E
S
M
A
D
E
O
U
T
117
O
118
F
C
O
A
L
119
L
E
A
120
A
U
R
A
L
121
O
P
I
N
E
122
L
G
A
123
P
E
R
124
E
T
T
I
125
F
126
A
127
S
128
C
129
I
130
A
S
131
M
A
S
132
H
E
R
S
133
A
R
E
T
E
134
C
135
O
R
N
C
O
B
P
I
136
P
E
137
T
O
R
A
H
138
T
E
N
U
R
139
E
140
T
I
G
H
T
E
N
E
D
141
T
I
S
A
N
E
142
E
R
O
D
E
S
143
T
E
E
M
144
S
E
R
F
145
E
V
E
N
T
S
+
146
S
T
E
R
E
147
O
S
L
O
148
T
A
S
S
149
K
E
A
T
S
+
© 2007, The New York Times
Unique 1 other 2 others 3 others 4 others
Across Down
1. Land of 300+ islands : FIJI
5. Not straight : ARCED
10. Words: Abbr. : VOCAB
15. Eclipse feature : HALO
19. Borodin's "Prince ___" : IGOR
20. N.F.L. team for which Barry Sanders played : LIONS
21. "Dancing With the Stars" winner ___ Ohno : APOLO
22. Shortly : ANON
23. Wright wings : ELLS
24. Playwright Fugard : ATHOL
25. Not familiar with : NEWTO
26. Nuptial exchange : IDOS
27. Shed some light on? : SOLARIZE
29. Deli offering : PASTRAMI
31. Artificial heat? : TOYGUN
32. Pull : INFLUENCE
40. Like some folders : TABBED
41. Cadaverous : ASHEN
42. Class in factories : PROLETARIAT
44. Oil by the barrel : CRUDE
45. Photographer Adams : ANSEL
47. Avalons, e.g. : TOYOTAS
48. Have ___ (be innocent, maybe) : ANOUT
50. Date with a Dr. : APPT
52. No fancy threads : RAGS
54. Piece of soap : CAKE
56. Poker great Ungar and others : STUS
59. Breaches : GAPS
60. Gets a move on : SCOOTS
63. Rain forests and grasslands, e.g. : BIOMES
65. R.N.'s locale : HOSP
66. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY
67. Clarinetist's purchase : REED
68. Scatter : STREW
70. Smidgen : IOTA
72. Cultural funding org. : NEA
73. "___ big deal!" : ITSNO
75. 13 : BAKERSDOZEN
78. Dec. holiday plans? : RANDR
80. Pump room? : SHOESTORE
82. Five-min. periods, maybe : OTS
83. A wee hour : ONEOCLOCK
85. Without slack : TAUTLY
86. "Jurassic Park" actress : DERN
88. Advantages : PROS
90. Lord's worker : VASSAL
91. Part of R.S.V.P. : SIL
92. Cen. parts : YRS
94. Yule ___ : LOG
95. No longer working: Abbr. : RET
96. Bourg's department : AIN
97. Before, in verse : ERE
98. Ginger treats : SNAPS
100. Cole Porter's "You Don't Know ___" : PAREE
102. Hitches : RIDES
104. Fraternity letters : PSIS
107. Provider of an old silk hat, e.g. (as depicted at the top of this puzzle) : HABERDASHER
110. Rugged wheels, briefly : ATVS
114. Lyric, part 5 : ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
119. Rustic setting : LEA
120. Ear-relevant : AURAL
121. State one's views : OPINE
122. J.F.K. alternative : LGA
123. "The Oath" author Frank : PERETTI
125. Horizontal molding pieces : FASCIAS
131. Wolves : MASHERS
133. Mountain ridge : ARETE
134. Lyric, part 3, after "With a" : CORNCOBPIPE
137. Contents of some scrolls : TORAH
138. Kind of track : TENURE
140. Wound (up) : TIGHTENED
141. Herbal tea : TISANE
142. Loses ground? : ERODES
143. Crawl (with) : TEEM
144. Lord's worker : SERF
145. New Year's Eve parties, e.g. : EVENTS
146. Wood measure : STERE
147. ___ Accords : OSLO
148. News agency started in 1925 : TASS
149. "Endymion" poet : KEATS
 1. Holiday party : FIESTA
2. Homes that may have tunnel entrances : IGLOOS
3. Lyric, part 2, after "Was a" : JOLLYHAPPYSOUL
4. Cheater hunters, maybe : IRSAGENTS
5. French chef Ducasse : ALAIN
6. Luxuriousness : RITZ
7. One who can't have everything? : COHEIR
8. Rocker Brian : ENO
9. Certain computer connection, briefly : DSL
10. Sliding door place : VAN
11. "Set ___ the doors, O soul!": Whitman : OPE
12. Forage plant : COWPEA
13. Sask. neighbor : ALTA
14. Leg up : BOOST
15. Snarl unsnarler : HAIRBRUSH
16. Lyric, part 4 : ANDABUTTONNOSE
17. Arose : LOOMED
18. Kind of kick : ONSIDE
28. Giant successes? : RUNS
30. Shell food? : TACO
33. "I beg to differ!" : NOTSO
34. "Kiss my grits" lady : FLO
35. Writer Willy who popularized spaceflight : LEY
36. ___-Aztecan language : UTO
37. "Have some!" : EAT
38. Second Amendment advocacy grp. : NRA
39. "The ___ Kid" : CISCO
42. Part of many a test : PLACEBO
43. "Here!" : TAKEONE
46. Highlands tongue : ERSE
49. Cardinal's home : NEST
50. Favorers of the young : AGEISTS
51. Dish with stir-fried rice noodles : PADTHAI
53. "Passion" director : GODARD
55. French treaty city of 1802 : AMIENS
57. Accord of 1985? : USEDCAR
58. What icicles do : SPARKLE
61. Literary inits. : TSE
62. Bully : STRONGARM
63. It may be fit for a king : BEDSPREAD
64. 1945 battle site, for short : IWO
67. Long Island Rail Road station : ROSLYN
69. Alphabet trio : RST
71. Esoteric : ARCANE
74. End up with : NET
76. Fall (over) : KEEL
77. "The ___ Cat" (Tom and Jerry short) : ZOOT
79. Pacino and others : ALS
81. Banks on a runway : TYRA
84. Horace contemporary : OVID
87. Bobstays, e.g. : ROPES
89. Kyle ___, "The Terminator" hero : REESE
93. Globular : SPHERIC
96. When the show must go on : AIRTIME
98. Grounded flier : SST
99. "Don't ___ word!" : SAYA
101. Dietary abbr. : RDA
102. Start another tour : REUP
103. Animal pouch : SAC
104. Feel one's way around? : PALPATE
105. High-hats : SNEERERS
106. Timid words : IDARENOT
108. Places for tolls : BELFRIES
109. 1986 Gene Hackman film : HOOSIERS
111. Not narrow : TOLERANT
112. Tramps : VAGRANTS
113. 1/2 and 1/3 parts : SLASHES
115. Sprinkler : WATERER
116. Heavily sedated : OUT
117. ___ trial basis : ONA
118. Holidayish : FESTIVE
124. "Revolutionary" piece by Chopin : ETUDE
126. Harpist, of sorts : ANGEL
127. Nobody : SCHMO
128. Visitor's sleeping spot, maybe : COT
129. "So ___ be on my way / In the early mornin' rain" (Gordon Lightfoot lyric) : IBEST
130. Sleep problem : APNEA
132. Old Testament prophet : HOSEA
135. Dr. Octavius, Spider-Man foe : OTTO
136. Some E-mail attachments : PDFS
139. Legal conclusion? : ESE
141. Shatner's "___War" : TEK
text

Analysis

Puzzle has MIRROR crossword symmetry.

There are 16 circles and 0 rebus squares.
The grid has 2 cheater squares.

Puzzle has 23 unique words:
ANDABUTTONNOSE ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL APOLO BELFRIES CORNCOBPIPE FASCIAS GODARD HABERDASHER HAIRBRUSH HOOSIERS IBEST IDARENOT JOLLYHAPPYSOUL MASHERS PROLETARIAT SOLARIZE TABBED TAUTLY TIGHTENED TISANE TOYGUN VAGRANTS WATERER

Grid has an unusual size: 23 rows x 23 columns.

StatsAverage Values by Day of Week — 15 x 15 only21 x 21 only
This puzzleMonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Blocks9137.537.437.436.731.531.074.2
Words16277.176.976.574.869.969.1139.5
Open Squares14469.869.569.973.090.793.6123.2
Scrabble Avg1.511.551.571.581.571.541.531.54
Avg Word Length5.414.874.884.905.045.555.635.26
Freshness Factor™65.350.252.654.458.868.170.863.5

Distribution of answer words by length

CountLengthWords
333AIN ALS COT DSL EAT EDY ENO ERE ESE FLO IWO LEA LEY LGA LOG NEA NET NRA ONA OPE OTS OUT RDA RET RST SAC SIL SST TEK TSE UTO VAN YRS
364ALTA ANON APPT ATVS CAKE DERN ELLS ERSE FIJI GAPS HALO HOSP IDOS IGOR IOTA KEEL NEST OSLO OTTO OVID PDFS PROS PSIS RAGS REED REUP RITZ RUNS SAYA SERF STUS TACO TASS TEEM TYRA ZOOT
345ALAIN ANGEL ANOUT ANSEL APNEA APOLO ARCED ARETE ASHEN ATHOL AURAL BOOST CISCO CRUDE ETUDE HOSEA IBEST ITSNO KEATS LIONS NEWTO NOTSO OPINE PAREE RANDR REESE RIDES ROPES SCHMO SNAPS STERE STREW TORAH VOCAB
206AMIENS ARCANE BIOMES COHEIR COWPEA ERODES EVENTS FIESTA GODARD IGLOOS LOOMED ONSIDE ROSLYN SCOOTS TABBED TAUTLY TENURE TISANE TOYGUN VASSAL
167AGEISTS AIRTIME FASCIAS FESTIVE MASHERS PADTHAI PALPATE PERETTI PLACEBO SLASHES SPARKLE SPHERIC TAKEONE TOYOTAS USEDCAR WATERER
88BELFRIES HOOSIERS IDARENOT PASTRAMI SNEERERS SOLARIZE TOLERANT VAGRANTS
89BEDSPREAD HAIRBRUSH INFLUENCE IRSAGENTS ONEOCLOCK SHOESTORE STRONGARM TIGHTENED
411BAKERSDOZEN CORNCOBPIPE HABERDASHER PROLETARIAT
214ANDABUTTONNOSE JOLLYHAPPYSOUL
123ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL

Letter distribution
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
487121558571022142052542150334837943062
Scrabble Score: 123 45810

Freshness Factor

FF: 65.3 — 70.0 percentile, 62.6 Sunday percentile

This chart lists the most unusual to the most common answer words. Click here for an explanation.

CountWords
0ANDABUTTONNOSE ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL APOLO BELFRIES CORNCOBPIPE FASCIAS GODARD HABERDASHER HAIRBRUSH HOOSIERS IBEST IDARENOT JOLLYHAPPYSOUL MASHERS PROLETARIAT SOLARIZE TABBED TAUTLY TIGHTENED TISANE TOYGUN VAGRANTS WATERER
1BAKERSDOZEN IRSAGENTS ONEOCLOCK PADTHAI PALPATE PDFS PERETTI ROSLYN STRONGARM
2BEDSPREAD BIOMES FESTIVE INFLUENCE TAKEONE VASSAL
3HOSP LEY PLACEBO SHOESTORE SLASHES SNEERERS SPARKLE SPHERIC TOYOTAS USEDCAR
4AMIENS COHEIR COWPEA ITSNO UTO VOCAB
5AGEISTS AIN STUS
6LOOMED NEWTO SAYA SCOOTS TOLERANT
7ANOUT
8EDY FIESTA PASTRAMI
9ZOOT
11AIRTIME ATHOL ATVS EVENTS IGLOOS RANDR
12APPT BOOST CRUDE
13GAPS ONSIDE
14ROPES TEK TYRA
15RITZ
16ARCANE PAREE TENURE
17CISCO REUP RIDES
18ERODES LGA LIONS
19KEATS STREW
22SNAPS
23CAKE DSL SIL
24RUNS
25FIJI
27ALAIN ANGEL
28HOSEA
29APNEA AURAL PSIS RAGS SERF
30IDOS
32KEEL
33ARCED NOTSO SCHMO
34STERE
35DERN VAN
36ANSEL
37PROS
38FLO IWO
40LOG
41ARETE TORAH
44TASS
45OVID
46ETUDE
49COT
50ELLS OPINE
52OTS YRS
54TEEM
56ALTA
58OPE
61RST
62RET
69ALS
71RDA
75ASHEN OUT SAC
78TACO
91REESE
95ERSE
99HALO
102REED
107ONA
120IGOR IOTA
121ENO
126SST
131NEA
132LEA NEST
142NRA
146OTTO
148OSLO
157TSE
177ANON
187NET
188EAT
235ESE
313ERE

Thumbnails for Sunday, December 30, 2007

Various thumbnail views are available:

BLOCKS: 91, WORDS: 162
OPEN SQUARES: 144
VOWELS: 179, CONS: 253, Y: 6
SCRABBLE AVERAGE: 1.51
FRESHNESS FACTOR: 65.3

With answers

FIJIARCEDVOCABHALO
IGORLIONSAPOLOANON
ELLSATHOLNEWTOIDOS
SOLARIZEPASTRAMI
TOYGUNINFLUENCETABBED
ASHENPROLETARIATCRUDE
ANSELTOYOTASANOUT
APPTRAGSCAKESTUS
GAPSSCOOTSBIOMESHOSP
EDYREEDSTREWIOTANEA
ITSNOBAKERSDOZENRANDR
SHOESTOREOTSONEOCLOCK
TAUTLYDERNPROSVASSAL
SILYRSLOGRETAINERE
SNAPSPAREERIDES
PSISHABERDASHERATVS
ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
LEAAURALOPINELGA
PERETTIFASCIASMASHERS
ARETECORNCOBPIPETORAH
TENURETIGHTENEDTISANE
ERODESTEEMSERFEVENTS
STEREOSLOTASSKEATS
FIJIARCEDVOCABHALO
IGORLIONSAPOLOANON
ELLSATHOLNEWTOIDOS
SOLARIZEPASTRAMI
TOYGUNINFLUENCETABBED
ASHENPROLETARIATCRUDE
ANSELTOYOTASANOUT
APPTRAGSCAKESTUS
GAPSSCOOTSBIOMESHOSP
EDYREEDSTREWIOTANEA
ITSNOBAKERSDOZENRANDR
SHOESTOREOTSONEOCLOCK
TAUTLYDERNPROSVASSAL
SILYRSLOGRETAINERE
SNAPSPAREERIDES
PSISHABERDASHERATVS
ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
LEAAURALOPINELGA
PERETTIFASCIASMASHERS
ARETECORNCOBPIPETORAH
TENURETIGHTENEDTISANE
ERODESTEEMSERFEVENTS
STEREOSLOTASSKEATS
FIJIARCEDVOCABHALO
IGORLIONSAPOLOANON
ELLSATHOLNEWTOIDOS
SOLARIZEPASTRAMI
TOYGUNINFLUENCETABBED
ASHENPROLETARIATCRUDE
ANSELTOYOTASANOUT
APPTRAGSCAKESTUS
GAPSSCOOTSBIOMESHOSP
EDYREEDSTREWIOTANEA
ITSNOBAKERSDOZENRANDR
SHOESTOREOTSONEOCLOCK
TAUTLYDERNPROSVASSAL
SILYRSLOGRETAINERE
SNAPSPAREERIDES
PSISHABERDASHERATVS
ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
LEAAURALOPINELGA
PERETTIFASCIASMASHERS
ARETECORNCOBPIPETORAH
TENURETIGHTENEDTISANE
ERODESTEEMSERFEVENTS
STEREOSLOTASSKEATS
FIJIARCEDVOCABHALO
IGORLIONSAPOLOANON
ELLSATHOLNEWTOIDOS
SOLARIZEPASTRAMI
TOYGUNINFLUENCETABBED
ASHENPROLETARIATCRUDE
ANSELTOYOTASANOUT
APPTRAGSCAKESTUS
GAPSSCOOTSBIOMESHOSP
EDYREEDSTREWIOTANEA
ITSNOBAKERSDOZENRANDR
SHOESTOREOTSONEOCLOCK
TAUTLYDERNPROSVASSAL
SILYRSLOGRETAINERE
SNAPSPAREERIDES
PSISHABERDASHERATVS
ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
LEAAURALOPINELGA
PERETTIFASCIASMASHERS
ARETECORNCOBPIPETORAH
TENURETIGHTENEDTISANE
ERODESTEEMSERFEVENTS
STEREOSLOTASSKEATS
FIJIARCEDVOCABHALO
IGORLIONSAPOLOANON
ELLSATHOLNEWTOIDOS
SOLARIZEPASTRAMI
TOYGUNINFLUENCETABBED
ASHENPROLETARIATCRUDE
ANSELTOYOTASANOUT
APPTRAGSCAKESTUS
GAPSSCOOTSBIOMESHOSP
EDYREEDSTREWIOTANEA
ITSNOBAKERSDOZENRANDR
SHOESTOREOTSONEOCLOCK
TAUTLYDERNPROSVASSAL
SILYRSLOGRETAINERE
SNAPSPAREERIDES
PSISHABERDASHERATVS
ANDTWOEYESMADEOUTOFCOAL
LEAAURALOPINELGA
PERETTIFASCIASMASHERS
ARETECORNCOBPIPETORAH
TENURETIGHTENEDTISANE
ERODESTEEMSERFEVENTS
STEREOSLOTASSKEATS

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