The New York Times Crossword

ACROSS

1 Headache helper 6 Tot’s scratches 13 Palate cleanser in a multicourse French meal 15 Source of a foul odor when wool is washed

16 Going after the big bucks, say 17 Creature catcher in gaming

18 Position with security

20 N.B.A. team that shares an arena with the N.H.L.’s Stars, familiarly 21 Predicament 22 Major Manhattan thoroughfare, informally

23 Made a lap, say 24 Playground comeback

26 Creepy quality 30 Important contacts

31 Chewed (out) 33 Lead-in to plane 35 Cut

36 “Tsk, tsk,” in textspeak

37 Bug that sounds like it was in the air?

39 Port letters 40 Traditional wedding dish in southern Italy, hence its literal translation (“brides”)

42 Most Broadway theaters have two of these

44 Fish often served tartare

45 Nickname for Time’s 2023 Person of the Year 47 Pole used for extending a sail 49 Half and half

50 Some home installations, in brief

52 Cool, in old lingo 53 Rapper ___ Cat 55 Handling things 58 Very rough, as an experience 60 Finished, colloquially

61 Drinks are on me! 62 Grumpy companion 63 Defensive football plays, informally 64 “___ seguro?” (“Are you sure?”: Sp.)

DOWN

1 Currently

2 “You’re tempting fate!”

3 Goggles that aren’t meant to go underwater 4 Construction materials named after a capital? 5 Headliner

6 Poster’s place 7 Barrel material

8 Like some shows and bands

9 Order that comes with a wide straw 10 Speed skater Johann ___ Koss, winner of four Olympic golds 11 Makes quiet, in a way

12 Show with a Joke Swap segment, in brief

14 “Cya”

17 Small part of a window

19 “Golly!”

23 Move laterally 24 Junot ___, author of “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” 25 Maternity ward staffers, informally

27 Look within oneself

28 Apartment units 29 Japanese/Italian fusion dish

32 Floor

34 Not that much 38 Letters on a bow 41 Site of a famous flag-raising

43 Head for the toilet, say?

46 “Sure, lemme deal with this first, though” 48 Test-taking no-nos 51 Lays down some ground rolls?

53 Dull

54 Like communal property

55 Weight

56 Southern side dish 57 Barbie and Ken, e.g.

58 Chips flavor 59 Publicity, so to speak