UNIVERSAL CROSSWORD

Universal Freestyle 48 by Rafael Musa, edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS

1 Spot of land in the sea

5 Milky gem

9 Chocolate ___ cake

13 Nowhere in particular?

16 Villainous

17 Didn’t get eliminated

18 Audio brand

19 Glide down a

snowy hill

20 Wine cave container

21 Canal blocker?

23 Affirmative with roots in

ball culture

25 Reason for overtime

26 However briefly?

27 Versatile device for

a cat-owning lecturer

33 Optimally

36 Solidify, as mousse

37 “By ___!” (“Golly!”)

38 Outcasts

40 Was secretly on Grindr,

maybe

42 Doe’s counterpart

43 Goddess hidden in

“apotheosis”

45 Glue brand

46 Admit a mistake

49 Word after “sports” or

“nursing”

50 Political commentator

Kasparian

51 Tree fluid

54 Not in class

57 PC corner key

59 Slime

61 “I ___ your pain”

62 Call out the bad

behavior of

65 Brazil’s currency

66 Sheet for sanding

something

67 Chooses

68 Frees (of )

69 “Superbad” actor

Michael

DOWN

1 Purina competitor

2 Like a windy road

3 Golfer Ko

4 Season before

automne

5 Garment with snaps for easy diaper access

6 Contracts into

wrinkles

7 Tempe sch.

8 Like someone who starts watching “Game of Thrones” in 2022

9 Only player in NBA history to have at least 10,000 points, rebounds and assists

10 Declare

11 Immigration

document

12 “Selling the OC” star Hall

14 Non-rx

15 “Is something wrong?”

22 ___ tuna

24 Sources of holiday

jingles?

28 Actor Butterfield

29 Bench press muscle, for

short

30 New Yorker bag, e.g.

31 “I’m as ready

as I’ll ___ be”

32 Merlot and cabernet

sauvignon

33 Altar’s church

section, often

34 “Bye now”

35 Kid who demands

candy, say

39 Cry loudly

41 Nickname that might

drop “jah” or “as”

44 Started phoning it in

47 Fancy vase

48 Goes in

52 Visibly shocked

53 Fake person

54 Pick me!

55 “Your food is ready!”

microwave sound

56 Movie theater

selection

58 Cut (off )

60 Gumbo vegetable

63 Friend, in French

64 Sea-___ Airport