The New York Times Crossword Puzzle

EVAN MAHNKEN

NOTE: This puzzle has four different solutions. When you’re done, read the circled letters from top to bottom to find another one.

ACROSS

1 You might bid on

it

5 First man, in

Maori mythology 9 Lead to

14 Plant 15 Encumbrance

16 It makes il mondo

go ‘round 17 Bathroom cabinet

item

19 More than flirt

with

20 Vegas machine with the best odds?

21 A head 22 “American ___” (Neil Gaiman novel that won the Hugo and Nebula) 23 Japanese

electronics brand 24 Brain freeze

cause

27 Product often advertising 99.99% effectiveness 31 “Headliner” of the first Warner Bros. short to win an Oscar

32 ___ Ren of “The

Force Awakens” 33 Big 12 sch. 36 Makes a small,

plaintive sound 37 K.C.-to-Detroit

direction

38 Ad Council

output, for short 39 Grp. that advertised in “The Book of Mormon” playbills, surprisingly 40 Command after mistakenly pressing Ctrl+Z 42 Spicy kind of

seasoning 44 It might help clear things up

47 Nocturnal

marsupial 49 Event with Easter

eggs

50 Runs

51 Behind

52 Where the cucumbers are not for eating 55 Play matchmaker

for

57 Sound filler 59 Upper

atmosphere 60 Little rascal 61 Damage 62 Authority 63 Federation formed in 1922, for short

64 Like many college

film projects

DOWN

1 ___ Raducanu, 2021 U.S. Open winner

2 Kick hard

3 Who might be asked for a donation, in brief

4 “___ again …” 5 Illegally parked

car, maybe

6 How some pet

food is sold 7 Potent marijuana 8 Suffix with bull or

bear

9 Cry of contempt 10 Citizenship test

taker, perhaps 11 Get put away 12 Eat at 13 It may be perfect

for writing

18 Job at a bank, say 23 Some sources of

vitamin C 24 Ocular affliction 25 Wee

26 Emmy winner

Aduba

27 Code inits.

28 How you might feel looking at the Northern Lights 29 Fit for a big writeup, say 30 “Right?!” 34 Closing activity 35 ___ interface 37 Biblical land near

the kingdoms of Judah and Moab 38 Scotch flavorer 40 E.R. staffers 41 Brown. follower 42 Mess

43 Get more 45Down

45 See 43-Down 46 Gets ready, as a

cue stick

47 Fertile spots 48 Masterwork

completed in 1499 51 Snack brand

owned by PepsiCo 52 Holiday cookie

shape

53 Sassy

54 Drove

56 Whiz

57 Nickname that’s

an alphabet trio 58 “I’ve got it!”