LA TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Prickly desert plants 6 Oolong and rooibos

10 “The Problem With __”: documentary about Indian stereotypes on “The Simpsons” 13 In order to

14 Puts on edge

16 Springs for dinner 17 “Almost!”

18 Distant

19 “Gorillas in the Mist” animal 21 Answering to

22 Bargain hunter’s event 26 Dairy farm animal 27 Majestic homes

32 As good as it gets

36 News inits.

37 __ Beds National Monument 38 Rush hour woe

42 Actress Falco

43 “I’m __ ears!”

44 Iona College athletes 45 Major plot twist in “The

Wizard of Oz”?

47 Happy __ clam

49 Lingers

55 Permit

59 Syst. with hand gestures 60 Away from shore

61 Items found on library shelves, and what are literally found in each set of circled letters 64 Ludicrous

66 Response to someone saying 65-Down, perhaps 67 Hairstyle that may be maintained by a professional

“loctician”

68 Had a bite

69 Relay race segments 70 “R u for real?”

DOWN

1 Resort island in the Ionian Sea 2 First-stringers

3 __ City: Baltimore’s nickname 4 Skin art, for short

5 “We’re on!”

6 Melodies

7 Roxy Music co-founder Brian 8 “__-Man and the Wasp” 9 Title with a “II,” maybe 10 Passionate

11 Transportation Secretary

Buttigieg

12 Icon tapper

13 Polaris or Betelgeuse

15 Part of RBI

20 Chapel bench

23 Rights advocacy org. 24 Datebook entry: Abbr. 25 Wild animal’s home 28 Communications code word

for “A”

29 Casual eatery

30 Really, really bad

31 Biological pouches 32 “Rhyme Pays” rapper 33 Knucklehead

34 Dubai dignitary

35 “Right on!”

36 http follower

39 “And here it is!”

40 Musk of SpaceX

41 Seaweed gelatin

46 “Can’t be helped”

47 Pack animal

48 Light lunches

50 “Oh my gosh!” reactions 51 Fertile desert spots 52 Garden-variety

53 Square

54 Both parents, in some families 55 “Mamma Mia!” pop group 56 Boor

57 Only

58 Approved, briefly

62 Word before a maiden name 63 Really grooved on

65 “It’s c-c-cold”