WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN
Lewis Rothlein is a yoga instructor and onetime journalist in Asheville, N.C. He teaches a popular course on “The Art of Solving Crosswords” for senior citizens at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Jeff Chen is a writer in Seattle. They exchanged over 100 emails, back and forth, just brainstorming this puzzle’s theme. Lewis has had five previous puzzles in The Times, all Thursdays. Jeff is a regular contributor here. — W.S.
ACROSS
1 … and the rest: Abbr. 4 Small bit 9 Chilled 13 Feng ____ 17 Takes off 19 Word whose rise in popularity coincided with the spread of the telephone 20 It’s shorter on land than at sea 21 Bit of change 22 Traditional Hanukkah gift for kids 23 Computing machine displayed in part at the Smithsonian 24 Beachgoer’s item 25 Instrument heard in ‘‘Eleanor Rigby’’ 26 Bits of regalia 28 ‘‘Git!’’ 30 Get hammered 32 Providers of books to remote locations 34 Unlawful activity by a minor 36 Land of the Po (not Poland) 37 Special ____ 38 ____-cone 39 Home of the world’s smallest country: Abbr. 40 Alias letters 41 Demurring words 42 Member of the genus Helix 44 Marcel Duchamp, e.g. 47 Genre for the Spice Girls or Backstreet Boys 49 Passion 51 Bug experts, informally 55 Breathtaking sight in the ocean? 56 Back 58 This and others 59 Downed 62 GPS’s guesses 64 Montezuma, for one 65 Assign new functions to, as keyboard keys 66 Some natural remedies 69 Cabinet position once held by Herbert Hoover 72 Give one’s take 73 Basic knowledge, with ‘‘the’’ 77 Went after, in a way 78 ____ admin 79 Classic brand of candy wafers 80 Magical teen of Archie Comics 82 Give kudos to 84 Pop a wheelie? 86‘ ‘I’ve got that covered’’ 87 Paid to play 91 Work requiring some intelligence? 93 ____ Bahama (clothing label) 95 DNA carrier 96 Word after ‘‘so’’ or ‘‘go’’ 99 Middle of many similes 100 1%-er in D.C.?: Abbr. 102 ’60s war zone 103 Not reflective 104 Untimely time 107 Great depth 109 Myth propagated to promote social harmony, in Plato’s ‘‘Republic’’ 110 Faux cough 112 ‘‘Aw, hell!’’ 113 Shady outdoor area 114 Collection of stock 116 4x100, e.g. 118 Sole 120 Put down 121 Opposite of une adversaire 122 Selfie taker’s concern 123 Liberal arts college in Portland, Ore. 124 Just makes, with ‘‘out’’ 125 Recipe amts. 126 Serious-minded 127 Cavity filler’s deg.
DOWN
1 Mayonnaise ingredient 2 Directly opposed 3 Like a virgin 4 Cut 5 Good thing to have after work 6 QB Manning 7 Number of concern to a teacher 8 Former New York City mayor with the autobiography ‘‘Mayor’’ 9 Tow truck’s destination 10 Org. in ‘‘Argo’’ 11 Jet set 12 Precisely describe 13 It’s made up of lines 14 State capital in Lewis and Clark County 15 Crack 16 2017 hit movie about an Olympic skater 18 Songbird with dark, iridescent plumage 25 What A.P. exams grant incoming freshmen 27 Unit of hope 29 IHOP beverages 31 Supply 32 Make, as money 33 Water-safety org. 35 U.S. broadcasting service 42 Conductor Georg 43 Long river of Siberia 45 Places for hustlers? 46 ‘‘Rent me’’ sign 48 What marriage merely is, to some 50 Cutting tool 52 Catamounts, by another name 53 1960s counterculture figure 54 Play awards 57 Remote-control button 59 A part of 60 Plains structure 61 Order from above 63 Low-hanging clouds 67 Atahualpa’s subjects 68 Bawl 70 Sports Illustrated named him ‘‘Sportsman of the Century’’ in 1999 71 Villain 74 Places for strollers 75 German article 76 Something a crab might be found in 80 Coverage in Africa? 81 Penance 83 Shin guards of old 85 Disinfectant brand 88 Held up 89 Like most haikus 90 Source of zest 92 Fighting Tigers’ sch. 94 Evil: Fr. 96 Pilot’s opposite 97 Heavy winter wear 98 Margot who played the titular role in 16-Down 101 Utmost degree 103 Stage ____ 105 Moves like an elephant 106 Bustles (with) 108 Howled like a wolf 111 Museum sections, perhaps 115 Criticize in no uncertain terms 117 JFK alternative 119 Amts. ‘‘gained’’ or ‘‘lost’’