The New York Times Crossword

Jack Mowat, 20, of Omaha, Neb., is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying civil engineering. This is Jack’s second puzzle for The Times. His collaborator, Jeff Chen, is a writer and professional crossword constructor in Seattle.

ACROSS

1 Big inits. in news 4 Place to visit in a suit 10 Sign of winter’s end 16 Purchase that often costs 99¢

19 Something picked at with a pickax

20 Comic Jones formerly of “S.N.L.’’

21 Fleet

22 Low-_ _ _ _

23 Duffer’s approach shots that barely go anywhere? 25 Like kids, but not mom or dad?

26 Gaza grp.

27 Bad position for a server 28 Pick up

30 CD follower

31 Flair

32 Post-mao Chinese leader 33 Duffer’s putt that just misses?

37 Goes on a tweetstorm

39 _ _ _ _ Reader

40 Tiny insects in a swarm 41 Founder of Wikileaks 44 Common skirt feature 45 Preparatory time 46 Nickname for a duffer who can’t hit straight? 49 “____ on!’’

51 Yapped like a dog 55 Make (out)

56 Pauses

57 King Midas’s downfall 59 Sport

60 Showing signs of neglect 62 Orphan girl in Byron’s “Don Juan’’

64 Lodgers

66 Result of spectators’ heckling a duffer? 71 Rope holding down a bowsprit

73 Course that’s free of obstacles?

74 It was “a no-go’’ in Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire’’

77 “Such is life!’’ 78 Foaming at the mouth 81 Certain insurance coverage 84 Line on a map: Abbr. 85 Protection

87 Rapper Lil ____ X 88 Duffer’s problems with an angled club?

90 Scale starter, per “The Sound of Music’’ 92 Attach to the end of

94 On the button

95 “I’m listening’’ 98 Physician Jonas 99 Actress Davis 100 Duffer’s reasons to choose a wood?

104 Turntable rates, in brief 108 Letter-shaped fastener

109 _ _ _ _ order

110 Wolf (down)

111 Button on a DVD player 112 Cool, in an uncool way 113 Something consumed with a cracker?

115 Like the duffer in this puzzle? 118 Palindrome in poetry 119 Box up

120 Cause of fatigue 121 VW predecessors?

122 New York city on Long Island Sound

123 Like the “Mona Lisa’’ in 1911 124 Civics and Accords 125 School of thought

DOWN

1 Wanderer

2 _ _ _ _ Parade, annual June celebration

3 Intel producer

4 Scads

5 Part of the upper bod 6 “Or so’’

7 V.I.P. rosters

8 More yellow, but not yet brown, say

9 Like a question for which “maybe’’ is not an option 10 Capital of French Polynesia 11 Off the internet, to internet users

12 Blue toon in a white dress 13 Chocolate substitute 14 Japanese soybean appetizer 15 Nickname that can be either masculine or feminine

16 Standard outlet connection 17 Grand dwelling 18 Carelessly drops 24 Ankle-biter

29 Move stealthily 31 Weapon sought by Voldemort

33 Woman with a well-known internet “list’’ 34 Cardiologist’s tool

35 Like some personalities 36 Go full ____ (throw a world-class hissy fit) 38 Certain employee at ESPN or Jpmorgan Chase 41 Vanquishers of kings? 42 Drink in a little cup 43 Piece of training equipment in boxing

44 Put forth, as a theory 47 Dance that men often do shirtless 48 Europe-based grp. with no European members 50 Org. that employs radio telescopes 52 Principle of harmonious design

53 Absorb, as a loss

54 Ones practicing: Abbr. 57 ____ Purchase, 1853 land deal with Mexico 58 Actor Patel

61 Thorn in a dictator’s side 63 Grassy field

65 Kind of rating

67 Road crew’s supply 68 House speaker before Pelosi

69 Went green, perhaps? 70 Called up

71 Call to a shepherd 72 Stadium cry

75 Milk sources 76 Disintegrate, in a way, as cells in the body

79 S O S in Gotham City 80 Biblical figure with a tomb in the Cave of the Patriarchs

82 Simple shelter 83 Spanish winds 86 Convinced

88 No longer sleeping 89 “Marriage Story’’ co-star, to fans

91 Simple and ingenious 93 Sparkle

95 Have trouble deciding 96 Headstrong

97 Spot coverage?

99 Like a wunderkind

101 Edie of “The Sopranos’’ 102 Spoilers, of a sort 103 Witch

105 “Catch That ____ Spirit’’

(old ad slogan) 106 Exams for some bio majors 107 Pull some strings? 111 Guesses by GPSES 113 Director Craven

114 Play with

116 Thurman of “Pulp Fiction’’ 117 Word with rolling or bowling