One-Letter Clues
Tags
Rejected by New York Times
Rejected by LA Times
Rejected by Wall Street Journal
Interlocking Theme

About the Puzzle

I constructed this puzzle back in 2016, but this is the first time I've posted it anywhere. The New York Times called it a "near-miss". They liked the gimmick and said that 7-Down gave the puzzle a "wow factor". Unfortunately, they thought 20-Across should be the last theme entry, which I understand. Then the interlock doesn't work though.

Publishing myself means giving up on trying to resubmit, but I've finally come to peace with that. I hope you enjoy!

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Well done!
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  • 1 Smith who penned "The Wealth of Nations"
  • 5 Part-time Prof.
  • 8 Fruits of all-nighters
  • 14 Prefix with -byte
  • 15 Corporate bigwig, briefly
  • 16 Pig of children's lit
  • 17 Russian mogul
  • 19 Fair share, in wartime
  • 20 Any of the one-letter clues
  • 22 In the style of
  • 23 2010 FIFA World Cup host
  • 24 Royal Navy letters
  • 26 W
  • 33 Crowd
  • 34 Chicago exchange (for short)
  • 35 50/50, say
  • 36 Somewhat, slangily
  • 38 Biathlete's gear
  • 40 This ____ (phrase on boxes)
  • 41 Black sheep and sacrificial lamb
  • 43 Pitcher
  • 45 U2 producer Brian
  • 46 J
  • 48 Biblical vessel
  • 49 Salon purchase
  • 50 Go for the gold, in a way
  • 52 L
  • 59 Bad for enamel
  • 61 Directly, in family trees
  • 62 This, among others
  • 63 Double-ues, upside down
  • 64 Empties
  • 65 Pointer and boxer
  • 66 Singer Carly ____ Jepsen
  • 67 Cathedral part
  • 1 It has a nucleus
  • 2 Place to get pastrami sandwich
  • 3 Bone dry
  • 4 Eldest Gabor sister and others
  • 5 Land
  • 6 One-tenth, in a lab
  • 7 D
  • 8 Bypass white water
  • 9 Jai ____
  • 10 Side pocket?
  • 11 "Austin Powers" doctor
  • 12 2016 Olympic city
  • 13 Japanese honorific
  • 18 Tide competitor
  • 21 Lebanon neighbor: Abbr.
  • 24 Swiss girl played by Shirley Temple
  • 25 Feverish
  • 27 Places with RNs and MDs
  • 28 Penultimate word in many fairy tales
  • 29 Neurosurgeon Carson
  • 30 Anesthetized
  • 31 Made an embarrassed exit (with "out")
  • 32 Syringe, informally
  • 33 Give a once-over
  • 34 Baby's first word, often
  • 37 Homer Simpson interjection
  • 39 Site of World War II battle (with 55-Down)
  • 42 Sings the Siren's song
  • 44 Agoraphobe's fear, perhaps
  • 47 Sodium hydroxide
  • 48 Turkish capital
  • 51 Hole in one
  • 52 Assess (with "up")
  • 53 Woodworking tool
  • 54 Like young cheddar
  • 55 See 39-Down
  • 56 Woman's undergarment
  • 57 Auto magnate Ransom ____
  • 58 Big Board of Wall St.
  • 59 Announcement to a PD
  • 60 Scoundrel