NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

THE ART OF PUZZLE-MAKING

After completing this puzzle, draw a line connecting the circles, starting and ending at the first circle of 62-Across, to spell a five-word message. The connected circles will reveal a picture related to the puzzle’s theme. (Note: rounded edges look best.) To complete the effect, draw a line between the circle at 36-across and the circle at the third square of 37-across.

Across

1 Accents to tuxedos 6 Leader in a robe 10 Stinger 14 Wind-borne seed 19 “Sesame Street” figure

20 “Long live …!” 21 Western ski resort 22 N.F.L.’s Kaepernick 23 Where 68-Across is permanently housed 25 How 122-Across is usually described 27 Hoses connect to them 28 Curiosity or Opportunity 29 Imperial ____ (bar orders)

30 Pill alternative, for short

31 Vegas inits.

34 Rug rat

35 Blood parts

36 It may be a shocker 37 Hawaiian for “appetizer”

38 Sum to 39 Sport-____ (offroaders)

41 Recipe amt.

42 Ones making the grade, for short? 43 Triangular snacks 46 D.J. ____ tha Kyd 48 Time for pampering oneself

51 Lightly bite 52 Dogie catcher 56 Invisible lures 58 Thither

59 Writer with an interest in cryptography 61 Idiot, in slang 62 Not cooped up 64 Sigh of relief 66 Experimental writing?

68 1929 work that is the theme of this puzzle, with “The” 71 Short

73 “Our” side in a sci-fi battle

74 Mild cheeses 77 AAA line: Abbr. 78 California wine city 79 Nickname for the Philadelphia Eagles stadium, with “the” 81 Falsity

82 Lake that’s the source of the Mississippi

85 With 96- and 105-Across, how 122-Across explained the subject of this puzzle 89 Tops

92 Bests in a Fourth of July hot dog contest, say 94 Irony or hyperbole 95 MI6 R&D division in 007 novels

96 See 85-Across 99 Certain laundry appliance

101 Three ____ of the Wheel of Dharma (Buddhist concept) 104 Lead-in to cab 105 See 85-Across 109 Spanish greeting 111 Quantity of eggs 115 ____-green

116 Prosy

120 Place for works that are in the works … or what the message formed by the connected letters is?

121 Houston-based petroleum giant, informally

122 Creator of

68-Across

123 Established figures? 124 Drying-out woe, for

short

125 “Whew!” elicitor

Down

1 Modern pic 2 Moving company? 3 Open

4 Set in a cockpit 5 Mailed

6 Tie, as a score 7 Caramel morsel from Hershey 8 Composer of the “Concord” Sonata 9 Dorm V.I.P.s 10 “Time ____ …” 11 Grad

12 Cloud type 13 Pirate’s pet 14 Lasting reminder 15 Some pullovers 16 Michigan college or its town

17 Choir stands 18 Snare

24 Julius Caesar’s first name

26 ____ Park, Colo. 31 Kind of sauce 32 Camera-crane operator 33 Something that shouldn’t be mixed 37 How to get the permit, say 40 Shot deliverer 42 Circus employees 44 Palindromic musician 45 Palindromic tribe 47 Showed, informally 48 Bub

49 Big stretch 50 Milk-Bone, e.g. 53 Cultural gathering 54 Boot part 55 Scores after deuces, informally 57 Tijuana title: Abbr. 58 Violinist Menuhin 60 Draw out

61 Org. with a June draft

63 Call back?

65 ____ Rand Institute 67 “I agree fully!” 69 Broadcast antennas, e.g. 70 Bit of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” 71 Witches in “Macbeth,” e.g. 72 Words upon a shocked realization 75 Form 1099-____ 76 Actor Green 78 “See ya!” 80 Plane area 83 Beach-house owner 84 ID 86 Graduating grp. 87 Cawfee 88 Channel that aired “Moesha” 90 Half-Betazoid “Star Trek” character 91 German city with a Pennsylvania namesake 93 Dangerous job 95 Play period: Abbr. 97 French queens 98 Fall

99 Figure in the “Arabian Nights” 100 Virtuosic

102 2018 biopic with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

103 Narrow cuts

104 Boston ____

106 Device outmoded

by smartphones 107 Unusual feature of

68-Across

108 Second side to vote 110 Nails

112 Suffix with Motor 113 Unsightly spot 114 Chemical ending 117 Scottish denial 118 Tour grp.

119 Winner of a record eight N.H.L. Norris Trophies