Two Contests
Tags
Experimental
Visual elements
Rejected by New York Times

About the Puzzle

I think it's fair to claim this one is experimental. The feedback from The Times even called it "an interesting puzzle" and Will is said to have "appreciated the attempt at something new and different". That's not bad for an amateur such as myself.

I am personally proud of the key puns (22- and 47-Across), which are among the most clever entries I've come up with. There's too much black, but I think the theme pays off pretty well. Moreover, the theme is perfect for the Crossword Playground.

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Well done!
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  • 1 Unit for small concentrations: Abbr.
  • 4 Godiva, for one
  • 8 Doris who voiced Lunchlady Doris on "The Simpsons"
  • 12 Allen's "Tonight Show" successor
  • 13 Director Kazan
  • 14 Put your feet up
  • 15 Frank or Dweezil
  • 16 Country song subject
  • 18 Disgust (var.)
  • 19 X-Men archenemy
  • 20 Oprah's friend
  • 21 "Much ___ About Nothing"
  • 22 Han's frenemy... or the letters competing below
  • 25 Start of some Californian cities
  • 27 Spades bid
  • 29 Bengals, on a scoreboard
  • 30 Evaluate
  • 34 Michael Jackson album
  • 35 Odd jobs
  • 36 Skips, as a stone
  • 37 Magnitude
  • 39 Ballet bend
  • 40 The White Stripes and the Black Keys, e.g.
  • 41 Bending one is the opposite of lending one
  • 42 Like a campaigning Senator, often
  • 44 Colorful card game
  • 45 He hit 42 homers at age 20
  • 46 Chicken ___ King
  • 47 Bamboo eater… or the letters competing above
  • 49 Ukraine or Latvia, pre-1991: Abbr.
  • 51 Huck Finn's vessels
  • 56 One who lives hand to mouth?
  • 58 Dying quail, on the diamond
  • 59 Blow out of proportion
  • 61 Bronze or steel
  • 62 Carpe ____
  • 63 Old Testament Book
  • 64 Hot streak
  • 65 Parts of a curling match
  • 66 Bang up
  • 67 Suffix with second
  • 1 ____ Van Winkle (high-end bourbon)
  • 2 Of the Roman Pontiff
  • 3 "Seinfeld" character Sue Ellen Mishke, aka the ____ wonder
  • 4 Tom ____ (1996 PGA Player of the Year)
  • 5 Follow ____ (What a detective might do)
  • 6 Direction of victory in bottom-right contest
  • 7 Tall tale
  • 8 Persona non ____
  • 9 Make up
  • 10 Volcano emission
  • 11 Salt Lake college athlete
  • 12 Bear whose porridge is too hot
  • 15 Move erratically
  • 17 Gambler's downfall
  • 23 Chow down
  • 24 Start
  • 26 Balance sheet item
  • 28 Gold standard
  • 30 Make sense
  • 31 Hot seat?
  • 32 Give a man a fish, so to speak
  • 33 Type of turn
  • 34 Joke setting
  • 35 Smartphone feature that applies Einstein's GR
  • 38 Top-left contest, e.g.
  • 43 "They're coming to get you, ____!" (The antecedent of they is zombies!)
  • 45 Dinghy accessories
  • 46 Transfix
  • 48 Frat house alternatives
  • 50 ____ Hall University
  • 52 ____ nothing
  • 53 Alaska purchase, to naysayers
  • 54 ____ around (kill time)
  • 55 Notice
  • 57 Not much
  • 59 Homage
  • 60 It can be rouge or blanc