The New York Times crossword puzzle
Across
1 Offset, as costs 7 Old cornball variety show with Buck Owens 13 “The Misanthrope” playwright 14 Beer buy 15 *Bologna, e.g. 16 Of a ring-shaped part of the iris 17 Commencement celebrant, in brief 18 *Device for holding papers together 20 Renter’s contract 22 Alternative to café 23 Larsson who wrote the “Millennium” trilogy 26 Capp and Capone 29 First things you learn 32 *Carpenter’s decorative molding 35 Low in fat 36 Co. in the Dow Jones index since 1979 37 Museum funding org. 38 N.Y.C. museum, with “the” 40 Genetic “messenger” 41 Personal manner 43 *Abundant harvest 46 Common bar order, with “the” 47 “One more thing …,” in a text 48 Hesitant assent 49 Yelps of pain 51 On the briny 54 With 63-Across, singing group … or a hint to the ends of the answers to the four starred clues 58 Española, por ejemplo 62 Ballplayers with birds on their caps 63 See 54-Across 65 David Bowie song whose title subject is “waiting in the sky” 66 Take apart, as a tapestry 67 Book that might include “Silent Night” 68 Managed, somehow
Down
1 Way in or out 2 Lady ___ (nickname in jazz) 3 Played at a hoedown, perhaps 4 ___ hall (place to play) 5 Dutch-speaking Caribbean vacation spot 6 Hairy Himalayans 7 Bring on board 8 Bring to bear, as pressure 9 Of a historic period 10 “Monster’s Ball” Oscar winner 11 Black-purple fruit from a palm tree 12 Cincinnati radio station of bygone TV 13 Director of 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels,” to film fans 14 In need of cheering up 19 At hand 21 “Ghostbusters” character ___ Spengler 23 Does the crawl, say 24 Bone paralleling the fibula 25 Epitaph words 27 Compensate for a sprained ankle, say 28 Hook’s sidekick 30 Lakeside rental 31 Loses one’s cool 33 Spud ___, 5'7" N.B.A. star who famously won a Slam Dunk Contest 34 Lacking slack 39 Factual 42 “Glory to the ___ king” (carol line) 44 Air kiss sound 45 Oversaw, as a committee 50 2014 movie about Dr. King 52 Brimless chef’s hat 53 Liveliness 54 Brit’s “Baloney!” 55 Pseudo-cultured 56 Not staged 57 Target of an ID thief 59 Wild guess 60 Impose, as a tax 61 Cleaned the dishes? 64 Feeling of wonder