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

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