The New York Times crossword puzzle

No. 1226

Across

1 Fella

4 Digits carried in

long division 8 Lightens up? 13 A, as in

Avignon 14 Baby’s first

word, maybe 15 Lacking

pigment 16 Frequent object of doting attention 18 Stunk

19 Gift for a budding architect, maybe

20 ___ of the

Union 21 Shocking fish

in the Amazon 22 Dental concern 24 “Here’s a short summary,” in internet lingo 27 What Santa doesn’t get much of on Christmas Eve 29 UPS

competitor 30 Alto or

soprano 31 Union of Hollywood performers, for short

33 Begin, as an

adventure

35 Govt.

prosecutors 38 Material for an interior renovation 40 Quash 41 Best-case

scenarios 43 Blouse or tee 45 Fashion designer Kamali 46 “That’s my ___!” (“I’m up!”)

48 Of the kidneys 52 Health resorts 53 Attired like Batman or Superman 55 Hand (out) 56 Extinct birds of

Mauritius 58 Words that start a game of tag

60 Volcanic peak ruled by Sauron in “The Lord of the Rings” 62 Places for playthings, with a hint to this puzzle’s shaded squares

63 “I’ll wait to hear

from you” 64 ___ Stanley

Gardner, creator of Perry Mason 65 Gerund suffix 66 Soft leather 67 ___-do-well 68 General on a

Chinese menu

Down

1 Some military brass?

2 Pull off a spool

3 Long-eared hound

4 3:1 or 5:2, e.g.

5 Unadorned

6 Readied for publication

7 Disconsolate

8 “Not guilty,” e.g.

9 Partner in crime

10 Have a crush on, cutesily

11 Suffix with benz

12 Turf

15 Showily bohemian

17 Middles of Mr. Potato Head faces

20 Actress Hayek

23 Destroys, as a dog might a stuffed animal

25 Pest control brand

26 Tear up

28 Lakshmi who wrote the memoir “Love, Loss, and What We Ate”

30 Bravery

32 “Despicable Me” protagonist

34 Classic sandwich order, in brief

35 Puts on

36 Each

37 Sit on, as a seesaw

39 Some recreation ctrs.

42 Over-the-hill lament

44 Three-time Cy Young winner Martinez

47 Long-eared pal of Pooh

49 “You can’t leave this way” sign

50 U.F.O. crew

51 “Move it, already!”

53 Arrive

54 Arthur Conan ___

57 Part of a mosque, typically

59 Transportation company headquartered in San Francisco

60 Hosts, for short

61 Letter after sigma

62 What’s rolled to get from Free Parking to Go to Jail, in Monopoly