The New York Times Crossword

TODAY: STATE OF CONFUSION (0119) BY EVAN MAHNKEN AND DAVID STEINBERG

Evan Mahnken is a high school chemistry teacher in Amherst, Mass. David Steinberg is a puzzles-and-games editor for Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate in Kansas City, Mo. They’re each 23. They met at a crossword tournament two years ago. Evan originally sent a daily-size version of this puzzle to David, who proposed Sunday-sizing it with more theme examples. They collaborated on the grid by sending each other screen shots by email. — W.S.

ACROSS

1 Some Japanese cars 7 Judean king, in Matthew 12 Medical-insurance grp. 15 Freedom of the ____ 19 Like a short play 20 Brick material 21 Sushi fish that’s never served raw 22 School with its own ZIP code — 90095 23 Voice box? [Wolverine State] 26 33-Across’s sound 27 “Dang!” 28 Like a soufflé 29 ____ Kea 30 2014 film with the tagline “One dream can change the world” 31 Losers 33 Safari sighting [Golden State] 35 Captain of science fiction 36 Spleen 38 Wiggle room 39 Rehearsed 42 Device that keeps fish alive 44 Pay a brief visit 48 Stashed for later [Blue Hen State] 53 Whom a warrant officer might report to, informally 54 “____ Lang Syne” 55 Letters on an ambulance 56 Times before the present? 58 Revealer of the Wizard 59 Following, as a detective might 63 Gave up the ghost 66 It’s condensed 67 Editorialist’s skill [Mountain State] 72 Banned pollutant, for short 74 West Coast birthplace of John Steinbeck 75 Like some candles 78 “No way, José!” 80 Fairy-tale prince, perhaps 81 “There it is!” 84 Big Island city 85 Events for socialites 87 Knight’s accouterments [Ocean State] 92 Brother or sister 95 School 96 ____ Schwarz (toy company) 97 Like some wallpaper patterns 100 In which a single raised pinkie is an “i”: Abbr. 101 Wilbur’s partner in an old sitcom 103 Sushi-bar offering [Centennial State] 107 Cockney and others 111 Pilots’ flights just after training is finished 112 Face-planted 113 Detach slowly (from) 114 Hit playfully on the nose, slangily 115 Rights-defending org. 116 Has been around the block [Evergreen State] 119 What locks are made of 120 Hawaiian word that’s also a common Chinese surname 121 Layers 122 Ready for publication, say 123 “Like that’ll ever happen” 124 Lead-in to Brown or Robinson in No.1 song titles 125 Sport on a range 126 Not for ____ (sign)

DOWN

1 Disney heroine of 2016 2 Invalidate 3 Cocktail garnishes 4 ____ City, Yukon Territory 5 Nail 6 Bit of party decoration 7 Puts up 8 Pushing the envelope 9 Letters after CD 10 Most of the 2010s 11 Insomniac’s order 12 Tush 13 Poses a danger to 14 Cry with an accent 15 Emphatic rejection 16 Food inspectors test for it 17 Thrifty competitor 18 Sticky roll 24 Snub 25 Let fly 30 One leaving a trail 32 What scared horses do 34 “That’s so sweet!” 36 Article 37 40 make up a furlong 39 Exam for the college-bound 40 ____ fortis (another name for nitric acid) 41 Noted export from Holland 43 Something North Carolina’s Alcohol Law Enforcement regulates, aptly 45 Charlie Brown catchphrase 46 Ask the obvious question, so to speak 47 Ouch!” 49 Indolent 50 “____ here!” 51 Maintain 52 Reading on the dashboard of the DeLorean in “Back to the Future” 57 Improv offering 60 Fed. agency that helped take down Al Capone 61 Secretive org. 62 Wide gap 63 Walgreens rival 64 Symbol for viscosity, in chemistry 65 Short swim 68 What phonies put on 69 Word before cap or shoe 70 Shakespearean schemer 71 Classic pop brand 72 Flat-faced dogs 73 Kind of tea 76 “____ Minnow Pea,” 2001 novel with an alphabetically punny title 77 Dummy 79 Setting for some pickup basketball 81 Uses sigma notation, in calculus 82 Tow 83 Nelson Mandela’s org. 86 George Eliot’s “____ Marner” 88 It’s no bull 89 Musician Marley, son of Bob 90 Outlander 91 Command to a dog 93 Go-ahead 94 Many a dad joke 98 Stella ____ (imported beer) 99 Big name in theaters 102 Flotsam and jetsam 103 Japan’s largest brewer 104 English class quiz subject, informally 105 Skateboard jump 106 Imitates Daffy Duck, in a way 107 Many a founding father, religiously 108 Terra ____ 109 Dry (off) 110 Fine china 113 “This is fun!” 116 Airline with a crown in its logo 117 1-1, for one 118 Something that might accompany a dedication