NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

Across

1 Fan group? 7 Centerpiece of a holiday gathering 14 The “R” of E.R. 15 No-parking area

in a parking lot 16 Holiday cupful 17 Brought out of

hibernation 18 Stock 19 Boxing ring

producer 20 Worker with a saving plan, for short 21 Dog team’s

burden 22 With 40-Across,

exposed 23 Cricket field

shape 24 The American Messenger Co., today 25 Racketeering

outfit 26 Drip chamber

contents 28 Idled 31 “I’m counting on

you!” 33 Harold Hill’s portrayer in the original cast of “The Music Man” 35 Bugs 37 Lemon oil

source 38 Green on a screen 39 Most important

part 40 See 22-Across 41 Wild catch? 42 Rested 43 Party spread 44 Garden assets 45 Test of

effectiveness 48 Bright yellow fruit 49 Some Kings’

Scholars 50 Exceeding the

usual rate 51 Like the papacy of Pius IX, after St. Peter 52 Another name for Michaelmas daisies

Down

1 Creates, as

trouble 2 Yellow pages? 3 Hostile territory? 4 Took courses 5 Genesis grandson 6 Succumb to

gravity 7 Admit defeat 8 Eurasian

boundary 9 Dr. Kildare

portrayer Ayres 10 Longtime band with the 2015 album “Alone in the Universe” 11 Los Angeles suburb next to San Fernando 12 Very small, as an

operation 13 Gradual, as a

slope 15 They’re good for

the long haul 19 Talk show talk 22 Cafeteria

utensils 23 “American Me”

star, 1992 25 Do well enough 26 Tristram Shandy’s

creator 27 Came through for 29 High-hat 30 TV drama starring

Terrence Howard 32 It begins with All

Saints’ Day 34 Offers objections

to 35 Brewery named

for a Dutch river 36 Approaching 40 Principal force 41 Presuppose 43 Two-piece tops 44 Private

engagements? 46 First name of 2012’s Best Director 47 Misrepresentation 48 1040 preparer, for

short