NYT Crossword 11/01/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalist: Herre Schouwerwou
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 10:45

Puzzle uniqueness: 

Two answers ANIMAL and CRACKERS clues to four animals within two across answers each that are separated by a black square. The black squares "crack' the animals in two.

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know:

SAVOY - "Cabbage with crinkly leaves"
PERSIMMON - "Japan's national fruit"

Junk Answers:

ESTD - "Abbr. on a sign at a town line"
BRR - "'I'm c-c-cold!'"
SYS - "GPS part: Abbr."
AMO - "First in a Latin 101 trio"
AJOKE - "'That's _____, son' (Foghorn Leghorn catchphrase)"
HMS - "Letters before Beagle or Bounty"
LSTS - "D-Day vessels: Abbr."

Clever clues:

PONE - "Southern side"
BOAT - "Connection between banks?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

SMAZE - "Pollutant that's a portmanteau" (Lived in L.A. for 27 years, and I never heard this used)