NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 “Don’t text and drive” spots, e.g., for short

5 Dallas pro, informally 8 Extemporizes, in a way

12 R&B artist with the 2004 hit “1, 2 Step” 13 Manhattan’s Park, e.g.: Abbr. 14 Shimmery stones 16 Substantial

17 Band’s booking

18 “Make sense?”

19 First-class, in slang

20 Gilt-y party?

22 Retro skyscraper style

23 Sports monitor, for short

24 Actor Cage, to friends

25 Org. that penalizes icing

27 Like the yin side: Abbr. 28 Uncomfortably close to home 30 Flashy event?

32 Brood

33 He said “If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize” 35 “Star Trek: T.N.G.” Klingon

36 One half of a 55-Across

37 “Les ___”

38 The other half of a 55-Across 39 Candy sold in stacked bricks

40 Airer of many public affairs programmes 46 Naturally, in Britspeak

53 Spark

54 Gave a damn?

55 Challenge in a demanding job … or a feature of this puzzle?

59 Single

60 “Dead Souls” author Nikolai 61 Neighbor of Myanmar

62 Narrowly made, with “out” 63 Message on a candy heart

64 Some briefs

65 Government org. featured on “Narcos” 66 Grubby group

67 Positive feedback

DOWN

1 Unpleasant sort 2 Office-friendly, to YouTubers 3 Music and theater, e.g.

4 “Here’s a thought …”

5 Things from which genii are summoned

6 Passionate

7 Pie made with dairy-free cheese, maybe 8 Brief, abrupt change in direction 9 Made an impression?

10 Have an unchanging, monogamous relationship

11 Peek into the everyday

12 Put on the map

15 Tread not so lightly 20 Unaccounted for, for short

21 “Put a cork in it!”

24 Exchange business cards, maybe 26 Good-for-nothing

29 Overhaul

31 “L’chaim!”

34 Bit of fake news

40 Broke down, in a way

41 Edward ___, first popularly elected African-American U.S. senator (Massachusetts, 1967-79)

42 You can see right through it 43 Reheated, in a way 44 Immigrant’s class: Abbr.

45 Puts on the 47-Down

47 What some black squares in this grid represent

48 Brynner of “The Magnificent Seven” 49 Dental care brand

50 Org. for Carter and Bush Sr. before they became presidents

51 Puzzle out

52 Texas oil city

56 Cry ___

57 Frozen food brand with French Toaster Sticks

58 Fail ignominiously