The New York Times Crossword

ACROSS

1 Headache helper

6 Tot’s scratches

13 Palate cleanser in a

multicourse French meal 15 Source of a foul odor

when wool is washed 16 Going after the big bucks, say 17 Creature catcher in gaming 18 Position with security 20 N.B.A. team that shares an arena with the N.H.L.’s Stars, familiarly 21 Predicament

22 Major Manhattan

thoroughfare, informally 23 Made a lap, say

24 Playground comeback 26 Creepy quality

30 Important contacts 31 Chewed (out)

33 Lead-in to plane

35 Cut

36 “Tsk, tsk,” in textspeak

37 Bug that sounds like

it was in the air?

39 Port letters

40 Traditional wedding dish in southern Italy, hence its literal translation (“brides”)

42 Most Broadway theaters

have two of these

44 Fish often served tartare 45 Nickname for Time’s 2023

Person of the Year

47 Pole used for extending a sail 49 Half and half

50 Some home installations,

in brief

52 Cool, in old lingo

53 Rapper ___ Cat 55 Handling things

58 Very rough, as an experience 60 Finished, colloquially 61 Drinks are on me! 62 Grumpy companion 63 Defensive football

plays, informally

64 “___ seguro?”

(“Are you sure?”: Sp.)

DOWN

1 Currently

2 “You’re tempting fate!” 3 Goggles that aren’t

meant to go underwater 4 Construction materials

named after a capital? 5 Headliner

6 Poster’s place

7 Barrel material

8 Like some shows and bands 9 Order that comes

with a wide straw

10 Speed skater Johann ___ Koss, winner of four Olympic golds

11 Makes quiet, in a way 12 Show with a Joke Swap

segment, in brief 14 “Cya”

17 Small part of a window 19 “Golly!”

23 Move laterally

24 Junot ___, author of “The Brief Wondrous

Life of Oscar Wao” 25 Maternity ward staffers,

informally

27 Look within oneself 28 Apartment units 29 Japanese/Italian fusion dish 32 Floor

34 Not that much

38 Letters on a bow

41 Site of a famous flag-raising 43 Head for the toilet, say? 46 “Sure, lemme deal

with this first, though” 48 Test-taking no-nos

51 Lays down some

ground rolls?

53 Dull

54 Like communal property 55 Weight

56 Southern side dish

57 Barbie and Ken, e.g. 58 Chips flavor

59 Publicity, so to speak