How do I force git to forget about merging a binary file that is to stay deleted on the target branch?

[Brent Goodrick <bgoodr@gmail.com>]

Hi,

How do I commit a merge but force git to forget about merging one file
that I don't want on the target branch, when it is binary, and when it
was changed on the source branch, but was deleted on the target branch
(and should stay deleted on the target branch)?

The details: I am merging a "work" branch into a "home" branch.  There
is one file called "TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS" that is binary.
I don't want that file on the "home" branch, but do want it on the
"work" branch.  I had made an editing change to that file on the
"work" branch, along with a bunch of other changes I do want to merge
into the "home" branch. But no matter what I do, I can't force git to
forget about that "TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS" file.

I've tried various flavors of git-checkout and git-reset to no
avail. This is what I see at the very last before I gave up:

Here is what I'm left with:

,----
| $ : gitw status
| TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS: needs merge
| # On branch home
| # Changes to be committed:
| #   (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
| #
| <snipped out other files I do want to commit>
| #
| # Changed but not updated:
| #   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
| #   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
| #
| #	unmerged:   TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS
| #
| $ : gitw commit -m "merge from work"
| TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS: needs merge
| TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS: unmerged
(49a49bd9de154daa8ca6cff3cfb550d0dd1b4519)
| TimeSheets/Timesheet Exempt.XLS: unmerged
(8de60b8b6827ef1f80921f6d35b574a56683bfdd)
| error: Error building trees
`----

Any help anyone can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brent