The New York Times Crossword

ACROSS

1 Patron for the desperate 7 Ones seeking maximum exposure? 14 ___ blanc (wine variety) 15 Couples’ soft spot? 16 Threw 17 A priest, not a beast 18 “The Magpie” and “Grainstack” 19 Bounder 20 Not much, in recipes 21 Early second-millennium year 22 Brushed instrument 23 Vulgarian 24 Stocking stuffer 26 Brace 27 Extremely green 30 “Save Me the Waltz” novelist, 1932 35 2014 U.S. Women’s Open winner 36 Band options 40 “And … ___!” 41 Enraptured 42 Comedian Marc who recorded a memorable podcast with President Obama 44 Some PCs 45 Bench warmer? 46 Tender 48 Set 49 Green Lantern’s archenemy 50 Surrounded, old-style 51 Yet to be imagined 52 Twerp 53 QBs, at times 54 Rush relatives

DOWN

1 Bathos 2 Presidential first name 3 “The Land of Painted Caves” author, 2011 4 Not yet available, as a stock 5 “And how ___ the wise man? as the fool”: Ecclesiastes 2:16 6 Modern synonym for 5-Down 7 Aliens 8 Pigmented layer 9 Some PCs 10 Christmas or Easter, for example 11 Main passage 12 Good name for a girl who procrastinates? 13 Like heists and operas 15 Getting totally confused, idiomatically 21 Mojos 24 Eastern mystics 25 Point of view 28 Croquemonsieur ingredient 29 Set 31 Came back strong 32 1978 Robert Altman comedy with Desi Arnaz Jr. and Carol Burnett 33 Department store department 34 Global warming periods? 36 Charges 37 Berth site 38 Fans of pharaohs? 39 Ones with a lot of down time? 43 Long time follower? 45 Who’s “got a gun” in a 1989 Aerosmith hit 47 Common newspaper name 48 Chops