The New York Times Crossword
ACROSS
1 Bookish intellectuals
9 ____ Thai
12 Capital in the Caribbean
20 Lets handle
21 Romance author Huang
22 “Aww!’’-inspiring
23 Basic math subject
24 Ultimate degree
25 Goes around
26 Sting operation, basically
27 She released “30’’ in ’21
29 Microscope part
30 San ____ (Bay Area city)
33 Function of one end of a pencil
35 Musician with a Nobel Prize in Literature 39 “Eureka!’’
40 Concord and sultana 43 Significant feature of a May-December romance 46 Award bestowed by King Charles, in brief 47 Subatomic particle with no electric charge 49 Mockery
51 Words said with a gulp 52 Gathering of experts 57 Stung
58 Work on something you like?
59 Advil alternative 60 Follower of Christ? 61 Dieted, maybe
65 West Point student 66 Certain endurance athletes 70 Turns, in a sense 71 Essay assignment 73 Chutzpah 75 Appropriate answer for this place in the grid
76 Even one
77 “Why, you little stinkin’ …” 78 Time magazine once named him “Actor of the Century’’
80 Govt. employer of cryptologists 81 Mustafa ____ Atatürk, founding father of Turkey 83 Tend to the sauce, say 84 Gaelic tongue 85 Pelican pal of Nemo in “Finding Nemo’’ 87 Options, metaphorically 89 Complete collection 90 Crested ____ (bird)
91 It might come packaged with a flavor packet 92 President between Tyler and Taylor
93 Earthy color
95 One in a black suit 97 World of Warcraft creatures 99 Unpopular bill 100 Number of legs on un escorpión 101 ____ program (college offering)
103 Brief moment 104 Director Lee
105 Piece of furniture with parts that fold down, as depicted seven times in this puzzle
111 Activity behind police tape, for short
112 Light bulb, in comics 114 One of many “residents’’ of San Francisco’s Pier 39 115 Michigan’s ____ Royale National Park 117 Lasagna cheese
120 “Star Wars’’ droid, familiarly 121 One-named vocalist with the hits “Foolish’’ and “Happy’’ 124 Something that turns on a turntable
125 Nursery purchase 126 Relative of a bookcase 127 100% 128 Superlative suffix 129 Wine from the Rhone Valley 130 Nine digits on an I-9 131 “You just broke my toe, ____’’ (biology pun)
DOWN
1 Feature of “Peter Pan’’ and “Black Beauty’’
2 Mil. roadside hazard 3 Skosh
4 Paperless Post product 5 Moving backward 6 Section of an atlas 7 Sporty car roof
8 —
9 Rare bears
10 Pays to play 11 National flower of Mexico 12 Slabs for making pizza or bread
13 Poem about country living 14 “Ain’t gonna happen’’ 15 Master keys? 16 Distinctively stylish 17 “American Dad!’’ airer 18 Stadium cheer
19 —
27 “Chances ____ …” 28 Part of the U.K.: Abbr. 30 Spa treatment, for short 31 “I’m literally right here …” 32 Full of tension 33 Person on the high C’s?
34 —
36 That guy who spills beer all over you, maybe 37 Partner of willing
38 Sun, for a sunflower 41 Meets, as a challenge 42 Main bug in “A Bug’s Life’’ 44 They’re not vets yet 45 Held up high
48 Menu bar option in Microsoft Excel 50 World’s tallest flying bird 52 A kid is a sucker for it
53 One way to take some courses
54 One who calls Homer Simpson “neighborino’’ 55 50/50 propositions 56 “Go for it!’’
61 Dojo offerings 62 Mellow 63 Concerned with roots
64 —
66 Part of E.P.A. 67 Christmas displays 68 Cores
69 —
72 Joint ventures? 74 “____ Vibration’’ (Bob Marley album) 77 Camera type, for short 79 ____ mission 82 “Everything is peachy!’’ 86 Texter’s qualifier
88 Who said, “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance’’
91 People who see things as they are
92 Grp. that might organize a walkathon
94 Comedian Margaret 96 Nebraska senator Fischer 98 Part of STEM: Abbr. 100 “Swan Lake’’ heroine 102 Parenting author Eda or meditation author Lawrence
106 Bounds
107 Word with bird or retirement
108 Place to give someone a ring
109 Big Apple?
110 You might lose a loose one 113 One eye in a winking emoticon
116 Hitch on Twitch, say 117 Orange-colored fruit pastry 118 Bedridden, say
119 —
121 Sailors’ songs
122 One more than bi
123 —