The New York Times Crossword
ACROSS
1 Protection of a protagonist for narrative purposes, in slang
10 Rum-soaked treats
15 Get in the pool, say
16 Actress Grant of “Weeds”
17 “Not always”
18 Water from a water fountain
19 Judge
20 Help out with a job
21 Frequent book setting
22 Elicit an “Oops!,” maybe
23 Goad
24 Chuck at a high speed
25 Timely question? 27 Hot Chelle ___, rock group with the 2011 hit “Tonight Tonight”
28 Have a sneaking suspicion
29 Tuck’s partner
30 Nickname for a toy
31 All knotted up
33 Key arrangements made for house sitters?
35 Lose one’s vigor
36 Latin possessive
38 Subj. for the
2009 Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to receive it
39 Typical taxi toppers
40 Big names in the news
42 Really into
44 Father of Jörmungandr
45 Inflation stat, for short
48 Source of honeydew
49 Ginger at a sushi bar
50 Ones who’ve split
51 Who can get in the way of what Alicia Keys feels for you, in a 2007 hit
52 Rude question following an unsolicited idea
54 Dummkopfs
55 Aid in getting a smooth shot
56 Email ___
57 Lines of communication in schools?
DOWN
1 Annual June celebration
2 About two-thirds of a 7-Eleven Double Gulp
3 Farther out there
4 Brim
5 Spreader of venom
6 Four-time Emmy winner from Coney Island, N.Y.
7 Bunch of hipsters?
8 Use Uber Eats or DoorDash, say
9 Break
10 ___ hound
11 CX
12 Like some tropical seas
13 Caulking might prevent them
14 Release
23 Carpet type
24 Exclamation popularized by “Die Hard”
25 Said, informally
26 Start of a cheer
28 Blind optimist’s downfall
30 Goad
31 Habitat for a starfish
32 Roger’s equivalent
34 Fruit rich in antioxidants and vowels
35 Source of Vibranium in the Marvel universe
37 Home to the world’s busiest airport
40 Low-key
41 Packs
43 Montana, e.g., informally
45 “Ciao”
46 “Get out!”
47 Subjects for gossips
49 [I’m in shock!]
50 Fit
53 Some E.R. cases