1. first and foremost, fir stand. "Fore!" most
2. Brazil wax, jaw lizard
3. put Neptune
4. erbia, Barbara Barrie
5. OURS
6. peeve? No (one veep)
7. OURS
8. ye fan it, Tina Fey
9. sinned, rescind
10. OURS
11. Frosty
12. tow no fowler (town of owler)
13. direst, die (Christmas, Xmas (chi mas))
14. prostitute, subtract, protract, substitute
15. bandicoot; coo, bandit; bandit; and, bit
16. Zion, Illinois; zs
17. stalking horse, talking horse
18. Shore, score
19. chelation, chocolate coin
20. as Erie, so fun for tuna? Teen vets
21. imblazoned, Zombieland
22. parkour, parlour
23. chasing, Shanghai, China
24. hide, hideous
25. Shrek, creche
26. OURS
27. coup, Coupling
28. OURS
29. bas-relief stone (B as R, el, i, ef, S to N, e)
30. OURS
31. based, baste; paced, paste; chased, chaste; based, paced, chased
32. randy, Sandy; amorous, Amoros
KU-1.
33. fistful, fitful; weightily; eight, wily; doubt, out
34. OURS
35. grapeshot, Gopher State, photographers
36. H1N1; HONEst, NONEvents
37. two-gerah, We Gather Together
38. oidioid, I; oidioid, did
39. hamster, master
40. pH, phase
41. OURS
42. OURS
43. solace, solecism
KU-2.
44. OURS
45. OURS
46. WKRP in Cincinnati (W,K are P in sin, sun at E)
47. Alan Keyes, blank-eyed
48. tabouli, bailout, obitual
49. Toy Story
50. Alabama, alma
51. fried eight used, eh
52. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
53. comedian Soupy Sales
54. the world champion New York Yankees
55. Windows Seven
56. Disney's A Christmas Carol
F-1. CRAGGED
SHESAID
NEEDFUL
NARWHAL
VERMEER
UNICORN
CHALONS
F-2. SWISS
MALMO
ASIAN
STALE
HELLS
F-3. T
POP
POLAR
POMEROL
TOLERATED
PARAGON
ROTOR
LEN
D
F-4. PHERE MONES
MONES TROUS
MONES TROUS
TROUS SEAUS
F-5. LASTS UPPER
UPPER VOLTA
UPPER VOLTA
VOLTA IREAN
F-6. PASQU INADE
INADE QUATE
INADE QUATE
QUATE RNARY
F-7. BOOMS
RURAL
ATRIA
VEINY
ERSES
X-1. P: Peace has its victories no less than war, but it doesn't have as many monuments to unveil. "Kin" Hubbard
a: If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Mother Teresa
x: Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein
X-2. GEORWELREDUCE
UXBRAVOSLIKEN
ILSAREUSECULT
LAMASRTTGELTE
EXULTEDOILERS
SPRINGUMAMIAE
LOSGRIMACEMIL
YKINESPCINATI
DEFECTSHUTINS
UDRAYEMEVODOL
ROILCREPEBANA
UNTILBARIANSN
MEATERDONATED
The advice is 'reduce, reuse, recycle', which will save space in 'dumps'. Repeated letters or letter strings are eliminated.
ACROSS: DOWN:
1. Geor(ge Or)wel(l) 1. guile(le)s(s)ly
7. REDUCE 2. Ex-lax
12. bravos 3. OBs
13. liken 4. wars
14. Ilsa 5. Eve
15. REUSE 6. lout
17. cult 8. elegiac
18. l(l)amas 9. dice
22. gelt 10. ukule(le)
24. exulted 11. ent(ent)es
26. Oilers 16. stomach(ach)e
27. spring(ing) 19. mur(mur)s
29. Ma(ma) Mia 20. align
32. los(s) 21. re(re)gister
33. grimace 23. trait
35. mil(l) 25. DUMPS
36. kin(kin)es(s) 28. poked
37. Cin(cin)(n)ati 30. me(me)nto
38. defect 31. El(l)is (Is)land
40. shut-ins 34. RECYCLE
42. dray 35. maid
45. vo(o)do(o)(do)l(l) 38. Durum
46. roil 39. frita(ta)
47. crepe 41. nonse(nse)
49. bana(na) 43. alit
51. until 44. mead
52. bar(bar)ian 45. vein
53. meat(eat)er 48. pro
54. donated 50. ant
X-3. PLAYSNOWTCIDEA
REDRAWOWRONGER
OCHINAMAIMEDLC
TOEATDPLFIRESA
HERRASHELNTREP
OLEOCEESEGALAP
RASALTLASTFARO
APLMAATYPOMINI
XRHEUMNPETOVEN
UAROSIERLORIST
SNOWINGESWERVE
AGESSAPSENOTED
The initial and final letters of the clues with altered entries, as indicated below, spell 'wrap presents (5), trim the tree (6), put up lights (6).
Wrap presents - the wordplay is 'wrapped' by the extra word
Trim the tree - the terminal letters of a tree are removed
Put up lights - words meaning 'light' are entered 'up'
4 and 8 down spell 'Santa Claus is coming to town'
ACROSS: DOWN:
WR 1. p(lay)s 1. prothorax
5. nowt TR 2. ad(here)s
9. idea IM 3. yria (airy)
12. redraw 4. Santa Claus is
13. wronger TH 5. nwad (dawn)
14. china 6. oomph
AP 15. m(aim)ed 7. trifles
16. toea 8. coming to town
17. fires 9. inert
PR 19. Herr (cherry) 10. eels
ES 21. Ashe (cashew) ET 11. arc (larch)
22. rep 13. Walesa
24. oleo RE 18. ap(point)ed
25. cees EP 20. elap (pale)
28. egal 23. earn
30. salt UT 26. etamina (animate)
31. last UP 27. eltneg (gentle)
32. faro LI 29. laivirt (trivial)
EN 33. apl (maple) 34. meows
35. typo GH 36. ypres (cypress)
37. mini TS 38. rang (orange)
38. rheum 39. else
40. oven 40. Oreo
42. rosier 41. USA
43. loris
TS 44. s(now)ing
45. swerve
46. ages
47. apse
48. noted
X-4. VISEOFFISHFAWN 1. Charm City (transposal in clue)
INKYPENNEPLUTO 2. Mob Town (remove person)
BNATANTUALITYI 3. Monument City (add MON to the clue)
EXTENDERSAPORS 4. B-More (add a B to answer word)
SBEDTIMECCCPAE 5. B-Town (B is changed to WN)
ORDCIGLYRIHENS 6. City of Firsts (OF added to start)
SINCCAINADAPTS 7. Crabtown (answer turns sideways)
LOBOMRMOMTRESS 8. Ravenstown (neverMORE)
OBAMAINURNTENT
SOLEMNSNAPSEEU 1 - 17a 19d 54d
OLDCCELSTISOWN 2 - 21a 33d 46d
FSILCROFFENDSB 3 - 37a 43a 25d
THROATPALTRIER 4 - 32a 1d 55d
EIASIAEPAYCUTI 5 - 8a 51a 64a
SEVENDRAWNBMWS 6 - 4a 53a 48d
TIERHOARSEASOK 7 - 23a 25a 52a
8 - 11a 50a 16d
Initials of alternate unaffected clues spell 'fort of the items around the ten Cs. These are DIAMOND, SAPPHIRE, EMERALD, RUBY. The name means "fort of jewels."
ACROSS: DOWN:
1. vise 1. viBes
4. OFfends 2. inn
8. fawn (fab) 3. skated
11. inky (MinOR kEy) 5. Fendi
12. penne 6. inure
13. Pluto 7. sea
15. natant 8. flip charts
17. alit (landed) 9. auto
18. extender 10. noises
19. sapors 13. placid
20. bedtime 14. tyrants
21. CPA (banker) 16. antic (ManticORE)
22. ORD 19. scram (skedaddle)
23. cigar 20. brio
25. lyrical 22. Oslo
26. ens 24. gar
27. inc. 25. limns (monarch)
29. Cain 26. epee
31. adapts 28. come closer
32. loBo 30. nouns
34. Mr. Mom 33. bald (scientist)
35. tress 36. stun
37. Obama (Monroe) 38. Bolshie
39. inurn 39. inert
41. tent 40. rat
43. solemn 42. news
45. snap 44. McCain
47. see 46. piety (farmer)
48. old 48. OFtest
49. cels 51. odiums
50. tis (MORtisE) 53. opera
51. own (ob.) 54. flaws (imperfections)
52. silos 55. Brisk
53. OFfends 57. rave
56. throat 60. ado
58. paltrier 62. two
59. Asia
61. pay cut
63. seven
64. drawn (drab)
65. BMWs
66. tier
67. hoarse
68. Asok
X-5. MASHNOTESTIERICON duplex
A T E H L N E O O
RIOTOVERITSHALLOT cottage
G L N B D E L D I
ILLATEASETALISWIC mansion
N E E N S S T E E
AGNATEBIHMORYLANE A-frame
L F R A O N D T A
CLIMAXCOWAOLIGHTS bungalow
U R F K S I A E T
BASILIUDABLEPARSE cabin
E T A P M C E W R
SODAPOPBATHTREEBS ranch
T A P L D A R B E
EINHERACARNEASADA villa
A C R N M G S P L
KNEESISASTERHYPES Cape Cod
row houses
ACROSS:
A. mash notes, tied up, lexicon
B. ricotta, get over it, shallot
C. ill at ease, talismans, ionic
D. agnate, Biafra, memory lane
E. climax, cowabunga, lowlights
F. basilica, bindable, parse
G. soda pop, bath, tree branch
H. villain, Hera, Carne Asada
I. kneecap, ecodisaster, hypes
DOWN:
1. marginal, cube steak
2. stollen, first dance
3. neon tetra, flappers
4. Theban, backup plan
5. slide show, Sam Adams
6. in season, oil change
7. reality, diaper rash
8. cold weather, webapp
9. notice, Easter Seals
X-6. Why should I care about posterity - what's posterity ever done for me? Julius "Groucho" Marx
X-7. Imagine the Creator as a low comedian, and at once the world becomes explicable. Mencken
X-8. You sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve. J. K. Rowling
X-9. Gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy. G. Bancroft
C-1. December is here before it's June. My goodness, how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? Dr. Seuss
C-2. OURS
C-3. Radio station plays "I Got You Babe" during Christmastime in attempt to spread some holiday Cher.
C-4. Modest proposal for Krewemembers: should we use "oops" for several errata and "oop" for merely one mistake?
C-5. Christmas in tropical environments might seem incongruous because they have no rime or freezin'.
C-6. Tech-savvy felon hacks Pentagon, tweets pal to brag. Jury convicts him based on words taken out of con text.
C-7. Our entourage chortles while traversing ice-covered leas using uncovered animal-drawn vehicle.