| Total | Debut | Latest |
| 14 | 12/28/2003 | 8/6/2021 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Scrab | Debut | Fresh |
| 1.57 | 75 | 36% |
View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (2)Editor (1)Jeff Chen (3)Hide commentsSee the 75
answer words debuted by Seth A. Abel.
Alternate name for this constructor:
Seth Abel
Fri 8/6/2021
| S | L | O | E | | A | G | A | R | | L | O | A | M | S |
| M | A | N | G | A | N | E | S | E | | O | U | N | C | E |
| I | M | E | A | N | I | T | T | H | I | S | T | I | M | E |
| L | A | W | D | Y | | S | H | A | M | E | | M | I | D |
| E | R | A | S | | C | R | I | S | P | | H | A | L | |
| D | R | Y | | E | R | I | C | H | | F | E | L | L | A |
| | O | C | L | O | C | K | | S | I | R | H | A | N |
| H | E | R | E | S | W | H | A | T | I | F | O | U | N | D |
| A | M | A | L | I | E | | S | H | R | E | D | S | | |
| D | A | N | T | E | | R | A | R | E | S | | B | O | T |
| C | O | S | | C | U | B | E | S | | B | A | N | E |
| F | I | T | | S | A | B | R | E | | B | O | N | E | T |
| L | A | H | D | I | F | R | I | C | K | I | N | D | A | H |
| A | T | E | U | P | | A | C | A | I | B | E | R | R | Y |
| P | E | R | E | S | | W | K | R | P | | S | Y | M | S |
The seed entry for this puzzle was 32-Across. One evening after dinner we asked Siri a trivia question and got a typical response: "Here's what I found …" with a few web links. (Wouldn't it be nice if she just gave you the answer?) While we searched through the suggested web pages to see who was correct, I realized her response was 15 letters and hadn't yet appeared in a NYT crossword. So, I added it to my notebook of interesting debut phrases.
Getting it to play nicely with five other 15's was challenging, and required a few compromises on the fill, but I was pleased with the result.
Thanks to Will and the team for stepping up the cluing. I hope you enjoy the puzzle!
Sun 6/9/2019 DON'T QUOTE ME
| M | A | C | H | I | S | M | O | | O | S | M | O | S | I | S | | G | E | D | S |
| A | B | L | A | T | I | O | N | | T | O | R | N | A | D | O | | R | A | I | N |
| F | L | Y | M | Y | P | R | E | T | T | I | E | S | F | L | Y | | E | R | M | A |
| I | U | D | | | S | T | A | Y | O | N | | P | E | E | S | | C | L | I | P |
| A | R | E | A | S | | E | R | R | | | P | E | C | S | | H | O | O | T | S |
| | | B | E | A | M | M | E | U | P | S | C | O | T | T | Y | | F | R | A |
| S | A | M | O | A | N | | | | N | I | H | | | | I | D | I | G | I | T |
| E | V | E | | T | E | S | S | | L | E | A | P | S | | G | E | E | R | | |
| M | O | T | T | | W | I | C | K | E | D | W | I | T | C | H | | D | E | B | S |
| I | C | A | H | N | | E | R | A | T | | S | N | O | U | T | S | | Y | A | W |
| N | A | R | C | O | | S | I | R | | | | O | P | A | | T | A | S | T | E |
| A | D | Z | | B | I | T | M | A | P | | E | A | S | T | | L | I | T | H | E |
| L | O | A | D | | C | A | P | T | A | I | N | K | I | R | K | | L | O | T | T |
| | N | O | V | A | | S | E | L | M | A | | T | O | U | R | | K | O | I |
| S | P | Y | C | A | M | | | | M | I | C | | | | R | E | D | E | Y | E |
| T | A | O | | S | E | R | G | E | A | N | T | F | R | I | D | A | Y | | | |
| E | T | U | D | E | | E | A | R | S | | | I | O | N | | D | E | I | S | M |
| D | E | J | A | | A | P | S | O | | A | P | E | X | A | M | | | R | P | I |
| M | R | A | Z | | J | U | S | T | T | H | E | F | A | C | T | S | M | A | A | M |
| A | N | N | E | | A | T | E | I | T | U | P | | N | A | S | C | E | N | C | E |
| N | O | E | S | | M | E | R | C | Y | M | E | | E | N | T | I | T | I | E | S |
Typically, when I have an idea for a Sunday puzzle, I'll put the puzzle together and then have to wrack my brain for a good title. Here, it was the other way around: the title came first, and the theme idea came second. I thought it would be cool to make a puzzle of famous movie and TV lines that were never actually said, even though we're all familiar with them. Google revealed that there are many such lines firmly cemented in our psyches despite having never been uttered.
Back in the early 2000s when I started making puzzles, Will would accept the occasional theme query for a Sunday puzzle, since it takes so much more work to make one. I emailed him about this idea in 2007, and he politely informed me that he could no longer accept theme queries due to the huge volume of email he was receiving. He added that, having said that, this idea was a "maybe." That "maybe" was all it took to keep the idea alive over the years, and I would return to it every so often, but could never get it just right.
The problem was that there were too many good entries I wanted to include, which always resulted in a puzzle with sub-par fill. Eventually, I came to terms with having to kill off more than a few entries to get everything to work, and left many memorable unspoken "lines" on the cutting room floor: "Luke, I am your father" (Darth Vader), "No more wire hangers!" (Joan Crawford), and "I want to suck your blood" (Count Dracula), to name a few. I hope you enjoy the result.
Wed 12/19/2018
| S | L | U | G | | S | P | L | I | T | S | | N | B | A |
| O | E | N | O | | A | L | E | T | A | P | | A | R | C |
| T | V | P | G | | S | E | A | A | I | R | | T | A | N |
| S | Y | C | O | P | H | A | N | T | | E | T | U | D | E |
| | | B | E | A | D | S | | H | A | I | R | | |
| S | A | G | A | N | | | | P | O | D | C | A | S | T |
| C | Z | A | R | | I | C | E | A | G | E | | L | E | O |
| O | U | R | | A | N | A | G | R | A | M | | I | M | P |
| O | R | B | | R | E | B | O | R | N | | A | S | I | S |
| B | E | A | T | E | R | S | | | | A | N | T | S | Y |
| | G | O | A | T | | S | P | O | R | K | | | |
| T | H | E | O | C | | T | H | E | H | I | L | T | O | N |
| A | I | M | | O | L | E | A | R | Y | | E | R | G | O |
| F | D | A | | D | E | A | R | I | E | | T | E | R | R |
| T | E | N | | E | A | S | E | L | S | | S | E | E | M |
Sun 12/2/2007 CAR TALK
| E | N | G | E | L | S | | T | O | T | A | L | L | O | S | S | | N | T | W | T |
| L | O | O | K | T | O | | I | N | O | R | D | E | R | T | O | | E | R | I | E |
| I | N | T | E | R | N | E | T | E | X | P | L | O | R | E | R | | B | U | R | N |
| J | O | E | S | | | A | L | L | | | | N | I | N | E | | U | S | E | S |
| A | N | A | | P | A | T | E | | E | A | R | | N | O | S | A | L | T | | |
| H | O | M | E | R | S | O | D | Y | S | S | E | Y | | S | T | R | A | Y | S | |
| | | D | I | E | N | | E | T | H | N | O | S | | | M | E | S | A | S |
| A | L | P | A | C | A | | J | A | R | | A | R | A | B | I | A | | I | N | N |
| C | E | A | S | E | | U | R | B | A | N | L | E | G | E | N | D | | D | S | L |
| E | A | R | N | | O | N | S | I | D | E | | | A | T | E | A | S | E | | |
| S | H | T | E | T | L | S | | G | A | U | G | E | | T | E | S | T | K | I | T |
| | I | R | I | S | E | S | | | R | I | S | K | E | D | | A | I | D | A |
| Z | S | A | | R | E | A | L | T | R | O | O | P | E | R | | A | R | C | E | D |
| A | I | L | | E | N | T | I | R | E | | R | A | N | | T | R | I | K | E | S |
| G | R | E | C | O | | | M | A | L | I | G | N | | T | H | I | N | | | |
| S | C | H | U | S | S | | M | I | N | I | A | T | U | R | E | G | O | L | F |
| | L | A | T | K | E | S | | C | E | O | | I | P | O | S | | C | A | L |
| O | N | I | T | | E | Z | E | K | | | | U | T | A | | | E | C | U | A |
| R | A | P | T | | T | W | E | N | T | I | E | T | H | C | E | N | T | U | R | Y |
| A | P | S | E | | C | H | R | I | S | T | I | N | E | | I | N | A | L | I | E |
| L | E | E | R | | H | O | S | T | E | S | S | E | S | | N | E | T | T | E | D |
Sun 5/20/2007 MORE HEADLINES THAT MAKE YOU GO ?HUH??
| S | K | A | T | | M | O | C | H | A | | G | R | A | S | S | O | | S | N | A | R | E |
| I | N | G | A | | A | X | I | O | M | | R | I | C | H | E | R | | H | A | R | E | M |
| C | O | U | R | T | T | O | T | R | Y | B | E | A | T | I | N | G | V | I | C | T | I | M |
| S | W | A | M | I | | | I | N | T | E | N | S | I | V | E | | O | N | L | I | N | E |
| | | A | G | O | G | | | A | N | A | | | E | C | O | L | | | S | S | T |
| M | A | R | C | H | P | L | A | N | N | E | D | F | O | R | A | U | G | U | S | T | | |
| A | G | O | | T | R | A | C | T | | S | A | A | B | | | T | A | R | P | | | |
| E | A | R | L | | A | D | E | E | P | | | L | O | O | M | | | G | I | V | E | S |
| T | E | A | C | H | E | R | S | T | R | I | K | E | S | I | D | L | E | K | I | D | S |
| E | M | I | R | | | S | T | E | E | N | | S | C | A | R | E | | E | D | E | N |
| | | R | U | E | D | | | R | E | S | T | | A | T | E | A | M | | A | M | S |
| F | E | D | S | D | I | S | C | O | V | E | R | C | R | A | C | K | I | N | L | A | |
| T | O | R | | H | I | P | P | O | | E | R | E | I | | | K | Y | R | A | | | |
| E | L | A | L | | T | S | A | R | S | | T | O | N | G | S | | | T | V | M | A | |
| C | I | T | Y | S | H | O | M | E | L | E | S | S | C | U | T | I | N | H | A | L | F | |
| H | O | O | C | H | | | S | A | I | L | | | H | I | L | D | A | | L | I | L | O |
| | | R | A | H | S | | | N | O | O | K | | D | E | A | N | A | | I | A | N |
| | L | A | W | Y | E | R | S | G | I | V | E | P | O | O | R | A | D | V | I | C | E |
| A | S | I | | | A | X | E | L | | | E | V | E | | | E | S | A | I | | | |
| A | T | O | A | S | T | | L | I | T | E | R | A | L | L | Y | | | M | A | J | O | R |
| M | A | N | G | E | T | S | Y | E | A | R | I | N | V | I | O | L | I | N | C | A | S | E |
| C | L | E | F | T | | C | O | S | M | I | C | | I | N | G | O | T | | O | V | A | L |
| O | L | L | A | S | | I | N | T | A | K | E | | S | T | A | B | S | | M | A | Y | O |
Fri 12/29/2006
| T | R | Y | I | T | | E | M | A | G | | P | L | O | T |
| N | O | O | N | E | | L | A | T | E | | L | O | N | E |
| U | S | U | A | L | | D | I | E | T | | A | V | E | R |
| T | H | A | T | S | S | O | L | A | S | T | Y | E | A | R |
| | N | I | T | E | R | | M | I | R | A | C | L | E |
| H | I | D | E | A | W | A | Y | | T | O | R | O | | |
| E | B | W | | R | U | D | E | R | | T | E | N | O | N |
| N | E | H | I | | P | O | L | E | S | | A | Q | U | A |
| S | T | O | C | K | | S | P | I | E | D | | U | R | N |
| | S | A | I | L | | S | T | T | E | R | E | S | A |
| A | G | E | N | D | A | S | | E | U | L | E | R | | |
| W | H | A | T | S | Y | O | U | R | P | O | I | S | O | N |
| E | A | R | S | | L | A | R | A | | U | S | A | G | E |
| O | N | M | E | | O | M | I | T | | S | E | L | L | S |
| F | A | Y | E | | W | I | S | E | | E | R | L | E | S |
Sun 8/27/2006 BACKWASH
| L | A | B | E | L | | H | A | S | T | E | | B | E | E | F | S | | M | R | E |
| E | N | U | R | E | | U | S | U | R | P | | U | N | C | U | T | | O | E | R |
| I | D | O | N | T | L | I | K | E | Y | O | U | R | T | O | N | E | | L | P | S |
| S | A | Y | S | H | I | T | O | | | N | E | T | S | | N | E | S | T | E | A |
| | | T | A | P | | V | I | N | Y | L | | | A | I | L | M | E | N | T |
| A | L | F | | L | O | N | E | S | O | M | E | D | O | V | E | | A | N | T | Z |
| L | E | A | F | | | E | R | A | T | | | O | N | A | R | O | L | L | | |
| A | T | L | A | N | T | A | | A | D | D | I | C | T | S | | S | L | A | K | E |
| M | O | S | Q | U | I | T | O | C | O | A | S | T | | T | E | L | A | V | I | V |
| O | N | E | S | I | D | E | D | | | B | L | O | C | | T | O | D | A | T | E |
| | | | | I | R | E | S | T | | A | R | O | A | R | | | | | |
| C | O | O | K | I | E | | S | C | O | T | | | S | N | A | K | E | P | I | T |
| C | A | R | E | E | R | S | | E | B | O | N | Y | A | N | D | I | V | O | R | Y |
| S | T | A | N | S | | T | I | N | Y | T | I | M | | L | E | X | I | C | O | N |
| | N | O | T | A | O | N | E | | | E | C | C | E | | | L | U | N | A |
| E | G | G | S | | L | O | V | I | N | G | C | A | R | E | S | S | | S | S | N |
| T | O | E | H | O | L | D | | | A | R | E | S | O | | E | O | S | | | |
| H | A | Z | A | R | D | | A | S | T | O | | | U | P | G | R | A | D | E | S |
| I | L | E | | D | O | N | T | T | O | U | C | H | T | H | A | T | D | I | A | L |
| C | I | S | | E | N | E | M | Y | | N | I | M | O | Y | | O | T | E | R | O |
| S | E | T | | R | E | E | S | E | | D | A | M | N | S | | F | O | U | N | T |
Wed 11/30/2005
| K | C | A | R | | A | T | S | E | A | | C | A | D | S |
| E | U | R | O | | T | R | E | V | I | | A | B | E | L |
| G | R | I | M | R | E | A | P | E | R | | J | O | E | Y |
| | | P | E | S | C | I | | | M | O | I | R | E |
| C | C | S | | S | T | E | A | M | R | O | L | L | E | R |
| H | E | I | S | T | S | | | A | O | N | E | | | |
| A | L | S | O | | | S | T | Y | L | E | | B | S | S |
| M | I | S | T | E | R | I | N | B | E | T | W | E | E | N |
| P | A | Y | | M | A | T | T | E | | | A | N | N | O |
| | | S | I | Z | E | | | O | D | D | J | O | B |
| F | I | R | M | R | E | S | O | L | V | E | | I | R | S |
| A | R | I | E | S | | | G | E | E | S | E | | | |
| L | A | V | A | | W | O | R | M | R | I | D | D | E | N |
| S | T | A | R | | E | L | E | M | I | | G | U | R | U |
| E | E | L | S | | B | E | S | E | T | | E | D | E | N |
Mon 10/4/2004
| S | W | E | P | T | | A | J | A | R | | S | I | P | S |
| P | A | T | I | O | | N | O | P | E | | T | N | U | T |
| A | D | A | G | E | | E | K | E | D | | R | A | R | A |
| | | S | H | O | W | E | R | S | H | O | W | E | R |
| S | K | I | T | O | W | | | | | A | V | E | R | T |
| M | O | B | I | L | E | M | O | B | I | L | E | | | |
| E | A | S | E | D | | I | M | O | F | F | | C | P | R |
| A | L | E | S | | P | A | N | T | S | | S | H | O | O |
| R | A | N | | C | O | M | I | C | | C | O | A | S | T |
| | | P | O | L | I | S | H | P | O | L | I | S | H |
| C | L | E | A | N | | | | | E | N | U | R | E | S |
| A | U | G | U | S | T | A | U | G | U | S | T | | | |
| R | A | Y | S | | E | X | P | O | | O | I | L | E | D |
| D | U | P | E | | A | L | T | O | | L | O | T | T | O |
| S | S | T | S | | L | E | O | N | | E | N | R | O | N |
Thu 8/5/2004
| B | O | L | O | | J | A | G | S | | S | T | A | L | L |
| A | V | I | A | | U | S | E | S | | A | N | N | I | E |
| J | E | F | F | E | R | S | O | N | | V | O | I | L | A |
| A | R | T | | P | I | E | | | J | E | T | T | A | S |
| | | W | H | E | N | Y | O | U | R | E | A | C | H |
| S | R | T | A | | S | T | E | A | L | | | | | |
| W | E | A | V | E | | | T | H | E | E | N | D | O | F |
| A | L | B | E | R | T | A | | U | P | S | T | A | T | E |
| Y | O | U | R | R | O | P | E | | | S | E | T | I | N |
| | | | | O | S | A | K | A | | S | A | S | S |
| T | I | E | A | K | N | O | T | I | N | I | T | | | |
| E | V | A | D | E | S | | | N | C | R | | A | H | A |
| P | A | G | A | N | | A | N | D | H | A | N | G | O | N |
| I | N | E | P | T | | P | O | L | O | | B | E | L | T |
| D | A | R | T | S | | E | V | E | R | | A | D | D | S |
Sun 7/18/2004 AMBIGUOUS JOB RECOMMENDATIONS
| T | A | C | T | I | C | | B | A | D | H | A | I | R | | C | E | M | E | N | T |
| I | D | O | I | D | O | | A | L | I | E | N | E | E | | A | S | I | T | I | S |
| F | I | N | D | I | N | G | H | I | M | W | A | S | P | U | R | E | L | U | C | K |
| F | A | K | E | | J | E | T | T | A | | | | E | N | L | | D | I | E | S |
| | | | A | O | L | | | G | O | I | T | A | L | O | N | E | | | |
| H | E | S | U | N | B | E | L | I | E | V | A | B | L | E | A | T | W | O | R | K |
| E | L | A | N | D | | E | E | O | | U | G | O | | T | D | S | | D | I | I |
| A | L | I | C | I | A | | A | N | E | M | O | N | E | | | | L | O | G | S |
| T | I | N | | | N | O | S | I | R | | | D | E | F | T | | O | R | E | S |
| H | E | T | O | O | K | C | H | A | N | G | E | S | E | R | I | O | U | S | L | Y |
| | | B | E | L | T | | | S | O | X | | | E | L | M | S | | | |
| W | E | W | E | R | E | A | L | L | T | O | U | C | H | E | D | B | Y | H | I | M |
| E | N | O | S | | S | L | O | E | | | D | O | U | S | E | | | U | N | O |
| I | N | R | E | | | | U | N | C | L | E | A | N | | S | T | E | R | N | O |
| G | U | M | | O | F | A | | T | A | O | | T | A | B | | E | L | S | I | E |
| H | I | S | S | K | I | L | L | I | S | B | E | I | N | G | W | A | S | T | E | D |
| | | A | S | S | A | U | L | T | E | D | | | I | R | K | | | | |
| S | P | U | R | | H | M | S | | | | U | M | B | R | A | | M | O | M | A |
| W | A | S | T | E | N | O | T | I | M | E | C | A | L | L | I | N | G | H | I | M |
| A | V | E | R | S | E | | E | L | E | M | E | N | T | | T | Y | R | O | N | E |
| M | E | R | E | S | T | | R | E | S | I | D | E | S | | H | U | S | H | E | S |
Wed 6/9/2004
| A | T | S | E | A | | P | L | O | W | | J | O | G | S |
| S | I | T | A | R | | R | A | V | I | | E | R | I | E |
| S | M | I | R | K | | O | M | E | N | | S | A | V | E |
| | F | L | A | B | B | E | R | G | A | S | T | E | D |
| S | P | F | | N | E | E | | | | L | E | E | R | S |
| H | O | N | E | S | T | | Q | T | I | P | S | | | |
| E | L | E | N | A | | B | U | O | N | | | A | T | O |
| D | I | S | E | N | F | R | A | N | C | H | I | S | E | D |
| S | O | S | | | L | A | R | K | | A | L | T | H | O |
| | | F | O | U | N | T | | I | S | S | U | E | R |
| T | I | A | R | A | | | | E | R | A | | D | E | S |
| I | N | D | E | F | A | T | I | G | A | B | L | E | | |
| R | U | D | E | | X | I | N | G | | A | U | N | T | S |
| E | R | O | S | | E | L | L | E | | L | A | T | E | R |
| D | E | N | T | | D | E | A | D | | L | U | S | T | S |
Tue 2/10/2004
| A | L | T | E | R | | B | O | A | T | | S | R | T | A |
| P | E | E | V | E | | A | B | L | E | | C | O | I | L |
| E | A | S | E | L | | L | I | E | S | | R | A | R | E |
| | T | R | I | C | K | S | C | H | R | O | D | E | R |
| O | T | S | | E | P | A | | | | A | L | I | S | T |
| T | R | I | P | V | A | N | W | I | N | K | L | E | | |
| T | I | T | L | E | | | I | N | R | E | | | | |
| O | B | E | Y | | V | O | D | K | A | | A | T | M | S |
| | | | C | I | A | O | | | A | R | R | A | Y |
| | T | H | A | N | K | W | I | L | L | I | A | M | S |
| S | P | O | O | N | | | | G | A | S | | P | A | T |
| T | R | U | S | S | F | E | I | N | G | O | L | D | | |
| R | A | P | T | | A | C | T | I | | R | O | O | M | Y |
| A | T | E | E | | C | H | E | T | | A | V | O | I | D |
| W | E | E | D | | T | O | M | E | | N | E | R | D | S |
Sun 12/28/2003 HEADLINES THAT MAKE YOU GO "HUH?"
| S | C | A | L | P | S | | S | H | Y | N | E | S | S | | M | A | R | A | C | A |
| A | L | B | E | R | T | | W | A | S | O | N | T | O | | I | S | O | B | A | R |
| F | A | R | M | E | R | B | I | L | L | D | I | E | S | I | N | H | O | U | S | E |
| E | P | A | | C | E | R | T | S | | S | G | T | | S | E | C | | T | E | A |
| | | B | E | S | O | | | B | A | M | | S | P | R | A | Y | | | |
| | K | I | D | S | M | A | K | E | T | A | S | T | Y | S | N | A | C | K | S |
| M | A | I | Z | E | | I | N | I | T | | S | L | O | | | S | P | R | A | T |
| O | L | D | E | | A | D | D | L | E | | | E | M | I | T | | | A | N | Y |
| R | E | D | T | A | P | E | H | O | L | D | S | U | P | B | R | I | D | G | E | |
| E | V | E | | S | O | S | O | | | E | A | T | | M | A | G | I | | | |
| S | E | R | T | A | S | | W | R | A | I | T | H | S | | D | I | N | A | H | S |
| | | E | M | T | S | | E | T | C | | | K | I | E | V | | V | A | T |
| O | N | E | I | L | L | I | S | F | E | D | S | E | C | R | E | T | A | R | Y |
| U | M | A | | | E | R | S | T | | | A | T | T | Y | S | | R | I | E | L |
| R | A | P | I | D | | | L | E | I | | M | A | C | S | | F | A | L | S | E |
| I | R | A | Q | I | H | E | A | D | S | O | U | G | H | T | A | R | M | S | | |
| | | S | T | E | A | M | | A | M | P | | | A | S | A | P | | | |
| P | G | A | | C | T | R | | A | D | E | | D | E | R | E | G | | A | P | E |
| C | O | P | S | H | E | L | P | D | O | G | B | I | T | E | V | I | C | T | I | M |
| P | U | S | H | E | R | | A | E | R | A | T | O | R | | E | L | A | I | N | E |
| S | P | E | E | D | O | | M | E | A | S | U | R | E | | R | E | N | T | E | R |
