NEWYORK TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Cable news lineup 6 Only character with the same name in both “Rent” and “La Bohème”

10 Some urgent messages, in brief 14 Dramatic device 15 What’s before after, at the end? 16 Kaplan course subj. 17 “That’s enough for now”

19 Singular

20 Most promising slate of candidates 21 Decision spot 22 Dark half

23 Sexy

24 One who might have a brush with fame?

26 Jobs at Apple, once 27 Promnight worry 29 Puzzle solver’s cry 30 Legal pad alternative

33 Lightly lined apparel

34 Batting equipment? 35 Cost-of-living fig. 36 Array on a screen 37 The season opener?

38 Author whowas a childhood friend of Harper Lee

40 Filch

41 Melissa Jefferson ___ Lizzo 44 Spots for bulbs 45 Celebrity’s influence 48 Overhaul

49 Goes in 100% 50 Single piece of underwear, paradoxically 51 Highland slope 52 Background distraction

53 Some are traditional, in brief 54 Steel (oneself) 55 Mount

DOWN

1 Mark

2 Japanese beer brand

3 Camera mentioned in Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” (not a Kodak!)

4 River of Germany 5 Upgrade at a dealership 6 Warrant 7 Singer/actor who narrated 1964’s “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” 8 Gist

9 Put out

10 Divvy up 11 Autoimmune condition with itchy skin

12 Use of a cushion or a backboard 13 Anne or Jeanne: Abbr. 18 B+ or A

21 E-tail perk

24 Tree toppers

25 Pine product 26 Pine product 27 Pieces of

pomegranate 28 Nightclub of song,

familiarly 30 Resource with content in 300+ languages

31 ___ school

32 Seeks judgment, in

a way

33 Fairy tale patriarch 34 Grp. that watches

TV

39 Somemay linger 40 Encrusted

41 Be in store 42 Ashton Kutcher’s role on “That ’70s Show”

43 Longtime senator

Specter

45 Who asks “What can I help you with?”

46 Former Bulgarian

monarch

47 Omaha relative 48 Tech sch. in upstate

N.Y.

49 Initials of the person who said “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you”