THE NYT CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Something to make before blowing out the birthday candles 5 Staple of Greek cuisine 9 All-knowing sort 14 ___ Morita, cofounder of Sony 15 ___ vera 16 Kind of bond in chemistry 17 What Thoreau lived in at Walden Pond 19 Romance or horror 20 Indian Ocean bloc? 22 Hibernation station 23 Measurements of 60Acrosses 24 Central American bloc? 33 “I’m cool with that” 34 Brother in an order 35 Steel support for concrete 36 Letter insert: Abbr. 37 Non-Jew 39 Bill who popularizes science 40 Many, colloquially 42 Land of Donegal and Dingle Bay 43 Paula of “Paula’s Home Cooking” 44 Western European bloc? 47 Multivolume ref. 48 Scottish cap 49 Organization founded in 1945 … or a literal description of 20-, 24and 44-Across? 56 2008 movie with the line “I will find you, and I will kill you” 58 Softening-up words before a request 59 Prevent, as disaster 60 Alkali neutralizer 61 Mishmash 62 ___ profundo (lowest vocal range) 63 Motto for a modern risk-taker, for short 64 Email folder

DOWN

1 Insect with a hanging nest ?2 Furnishings retailer with gigantic stores 3 “Awesome!” 4 Office-closing time 5 What phone books are alphabetized by 6 Inter ___ 7 Apollo program destination 8 Mercedes-___ 9 Words next to a dotted line 10 Cry of lament 11 Elsa’s younger sister in “Frozen” 12 Russian space station 13 Diamonds, slangily 18 ___ interface 21 Fitting 24 Christmas carols 25 “You didn’t have to tell me” 26 Plants with needles 27 Dead duck 28 “___ next time!” 29 Director Kurosawa 30 Li’l ___ 31 Sauce, cheese or noodles, in lasagna 32 Gladiatorial combat site 37 Examine, as a crystal ball 38 Gradually slowing, in music 41 High achievers? 43 Pizza company with a game piece logo 45 Summer setting in D.C. 46 Spreadsheet figures 49 Island instruments, for short 50 Website with the heading “Recently Viewed Items” 51 Style of the Chrysler Building, informally 52 It gets hit on the head 53 Eye amorously 54 Ruhr refusal 55 Opening on a schedule 56Precursor of Diet Coke 57Director DuVernay of “Selma”