The New York Times Crossword
Brad Wiegmann is a national security lawyer for the Department of Justice. He says this puzzle reminds him of an old Steven Wright line: “I almost had psychic girlfriend — but she left me before we met.’’
ACROSS
1 Band of supporters 5 Something absolutely necessary
10 “____ and Janis’’ (comic strip)
14 Oomph
17 Word from the French for “high wood’’
18 Washed out
20 Dock
21 Something a winner may run into
22 ”It’s tough finding the right person. My first boyfriend was a perfectly nice atheist, but he ... ”
24 Tour de France seasons
25 Side dish at a fish fry
26 Main component of Saturn’s rings
27 Lena of “Enemies, a Love Story’’
28 “So then I dated a fun couch potato, but he ...”
31 Nonstarters?
33 Toeing the line
34 Foetbol cheer
35 Italian wine region
36 “30 for 30’’ airer
39 The 1 in {1,2,3}: Abbr.
40 Lab vessel
42 Camphor, e.g.
45 One getting depressed during exams?
47 They’re found near traps
48 “Then my friend set me up with a recluse, but he ... ”
52 Comedian Mort
54 Classic Hawaiian folk song
55 Superman and others, for short
56 Book with a notable world premiere?
59 What middlemen do
60 Noisy beachgoer
62 Bun in a bamboo steamer
63 Internet encryption inits.
65 Binary
66 “I dated my rock climbing instructor for a while, but he just ...”
68 ____-Pacific
69 Not sparkling
71 Blast-furnace supply
72 Baloney
73 Bad signs for a bank robber
75 Academic journal with a Breakthrough of the Year award
77 U.K. track-star-turnedpolitician Sebastian
78 Mishmashes
79 Swindled
80 “Then I had a fling with a Pittsburgh Penguin, but I knew he ...”
83 Cuisine featuring som tam
86 Drill command
88 Feel another’s pain
89 Cavalryman of old
91 Big ____ (Olympic snowboarding event)
92 Whimper
93 Starters, for short
97 Outback speedster
98 Keep rhythm, as a conductor might
101 Wisconsin town with a clothing namesake
104 “I was in a serious relationship with a hippie, but he ...”
106 Org. issuing vaccine standards starting in 2021
107 It may be part of a solution
108 Together, in music
109 Fading sea name
110 “Finally, I started seeing a charming magician, and he ...”
113 Pan, in part
114 Fun-size
115 Kind of thesis
116 Weekend warrior’s woe
117 Happening offline, to a texter
118 Relaxation
119 Devotee of Haile Selassie, informally
120 Bit of kitchen waste
DOWN
1 Big name in pricey cigars
2 You can’t say it doesn’t count
3 Lizzie is one, in the “Cars’’ movies
4 Crossword solving option
5 Watchmaker since 2015
6 It lands on the White House’s South Lawn
7 ____ Bator, Mongolia
8 On the ____
9 Fastened, in a way
10 Making change
11 Well past the freshness
date, say
12 “My Fair Lady’’ composer
13 Actor/comedian who was a regular on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show’’
14 Meathead
15 Military uniform feature
16 Bluish-gray shades
19 Scintilla
21 “Shameful!’’
23 Alley-_ _ _ _
29 Possessive types?
30 Way to go: Abbr.
32 “You’re so wrong about that!’’
37 Lead-in to Cat
38 Something that all but three U.S. presidents have had while in office
41 “Time out’’ in the N.B.A.
43 What makes the short list?
44 Total jerk
45 Boxing highlight
46 Apply to
48 Jokesters
49 Some native Alaskans
50 Tile work
51 Leadership position
53 Bit of a chuckle
56 Rubberneck
57 “A house divided against ____ cannot stand’’
58 Rubylike gem
60 Richard of “Chicago’’
61 Native people for whom a state is named
62 When doubled, a candy
64 Quick with a clapback
66 So-called “Father of Liberalism’’
67 Conflict taking a couple of seconds?
70 Soccer star Messi, to fans
73 Capital of Fiji
74 “How ____ Your Mother’’
76 Beloved site for the Irish ...
and French
77 Journalist who was the first woman to guest-host “Jeopardy!’’
78 Hard stuff that jiggles
80 “We’ll be in touch!’’ often
81 Dr. of 112-Down
82 Counterpart of full, in a way
83 Wise guys?
84 One might be smoke-filled
85 Not surprisingly
87 Big name in hot dogs
90 Face on a penny, familiarly
92 Strong suit
94 Regulate
95 Cupid’s love
96 Mideast currency unit
99 Features of some halls
100 Mucky substances
102 Twin sister of He-Man
103 What, in multiple senses, might get tipped
105 Take place?
106 Redding who wrote “Respect’’
111 Crispr material
112 See 81-Down