N.Y. Times Crossword Puzzle

Across

1 Message to the office staff 5 Old South American empire 9 Mosquitoes and gnats 14 Grp. that sets oil benchmarks 15 Start a game of cards 16 American living abroad, e.g. 17 Traveled by subway? 20 Mexican mister 21 Seat at the bar 22 ___ v. Wade 23 Magnum ___ (greatest work) 25 Like a recovering hosp. patient, perhaps 27 “Would you call the elevator for me?” 32 Japanese sash 33 Piece of pizza 34 Foreordained 38 Chrissy of “This Is Us” 40 Pet peeves? 42 Wine region of California 43 Dickens’s “___ House” 45 “Naughty” and “nice” things for Santa 47 Letters after nus 48 “Hand me a flashlight”? 51 Admits, as an offense 54 Pouty expression 55 “Well, lookee here!” 56 “Person” that speaks in beeps and boops 60 Home that might melt 63 Use French fries as legal tender? 66 Constellation with a “belt” 67 Good amount of land to build on 68 Golf ball stands 69 Insurance giant 70 Worker paid day by day, maybe 71 Hairstyle that may have a pick

Down

1 Cuts the grass 2 Fencing sword 3 Amish cousin 4 Tentacled sea creatures 5 Vow before a judge 6 The latest 7 Jargon 8 Cher, e.g., voice wise 9 Remove, as a sticker 10 Part of an office telephone no. 11 Period of rapid growth 12 It’s a no-no 13 Like some ski slopes and prices 18 Pharmacy offerings 19 Certain pueblo dweller 24 ___-evaluation 26 Ending of seven Asian countries’ names 27 Item in a purse 28 Whom Cain slew 29 Drawers for money 30 Nail the test 31 Dog walker’s need 35 Reason some people move to the Cayman Islands 36 More than amazing 37 Dot’s counterpart in Morse code 39 Microwaves 41 Long part of a rose 44 Hurricane that was the subject of 2006’s “When the Levees Broke” 46 Keeping a stiff upper lip 49 Any minute now 50 Should, informally 51 Hot après-ski beverage 52 Alternative to Chicago’s Midway 53 Put forward, as a theory 57 Dinghy or dory 58 First word of a fairy tale 59 Six years, for a U.S. senator 61 Abbr. on a 0 button 62 ___ buco 64 Sweetie pie 65 Leaf-turning time: Abbr.