The New York Times Crossword

ACROSS

1 Smashing 6 Wide-eyed in wonder 10 Woofer output 14 Casual vodka order 19 Bubbling 20 Pricey

21 Alma mater of Grant

and Lee: Abbr. 22 Board-game piece 23 Dog’s order at a malt

shop?

25 The “day” in “seize

the day” 26 “Arrival” visitor 27 You can see right

through it

28 Part of H.M.S. 29 “Game of Thrones” patriarch has difficulties? 32 Zora Neale Hurston’s “____ Eyes Were Watching God” 34 Stand-up comic

Kondabolu 35 Drum heard in raga music 36 Creator of

Christopher Robin 38 Beat out by a hair 40 Big name in ratings 44 Male sailors 45 Words of affirmation 47 Upscale 48 Android alternative 49 ____ Mahal

51 Kind of diet

SHIFTING SOUNDS BY BEN ZIMMER AND BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

Ben Zimmer is the language columnist for The Wall Street Journal, a contributing writer for The Atlantic and a former language columnist for The New York Times. Brendan Emmett Quigley is a professional crossword constructor. They met some 12 years ago when Brendan began contributing crosswords to the Visual Thesaurus, where Ben was the executive editor. The making of this puzzle — brainstorming the theme, filling the grid and writing the clues — was a full collaboration. Brendan has had many puzzles in The Times. This is Ben’s debut. — W.S.

53 Chest muscle,

informally

54 The “S” of 48-Across 58 Advised a chess player to attack the king? 65 Spanish unit of time

with a tilde 66 Yoda, to Luke 67 Shows as an encore

presentation 68 A fingerprint can leave one

70 Cell no., say 71 Strips of weapons 72 Coming from two

speakers 73 Frequent choice for

maid of honor 75 Deg. for an aspiring

attorney abroad 76 Part of Disney’s

advertising budget? 78 How some pranks

might go 82 Constellation with a

palindromic name 83 Scat syllable for

Sinatra

84 Hula loop 86 Academy Award winner for “Moonlight” and “Green Book”

87 Dr. Seuss character who becomes “King of the Mud” 91 Sushi condiment 95 Birds that can recognize themselves in mirrors 99 Beyond sad, or beyond happy 101 Some piercing spots 102 Categorically stated

103 Indubitably 105 Bellybutton fluff 106 Bordeaux wine region 107 Decisively defeat a cabinet department? 111 Musical knack 112 Share on social media

115 Like a zealous fan base

116 School attended by 20 prime ministers 117 Feeling one gets under anesthesia at the dentist?

120 Rat in “Ratatouille” 121 Word before or after run

122 Memo heading 123 Prize for a doc, maybe

124 Stick a fork in 125 Weapon with a bell guard 126 Loathsome person 127 Indira Gandhi’s father

DOWN

1 Comedian Mort 2 Instrument from the French for “high wood”

3 Bad shot by Dracula? 4 Affinity 5 Lacking originality 6 Follower 7 Prepare, with “up” 8 Symbol of sturdiness 9 ____ launcher 10 Close pals 11 “Yeah, right!” 12 Process, as ore

13 Language with only 14

native letters 14 He made his final cameo in “Avengers: Endgame” 15 Spilled one’s soul 16 ’30s migrant 17 Unwelcome look 18 Places to exchange

dollars for quarters 24 Stand out from the crowd

30 Little bits of energy 31 Competitor of eBay 33 Tree that lines the

Central Park Mall 34 Debut single for both Jimi Hendrix and Patti Smith 36 Flaws and all 37 Shout for 44-Across 39 Put off for another day

41 Building caretakers 42 Higher-ups in a

hierarchy

43 Part of a guitar 46 One on the road in “On the Road” 50 Maker of Instant Feathers and Hi-Speed Tonic 52 Laura of “Marriage

Story”

55 Does some

broncobusting, e.g. 56 Accustom (to) 57 Broadband device 59 Loosen, in a way 60 Banned display of firepower, informally 61 Conductor Georg with 31 Grammys 62 Passed out in Vegas

63 Gambino crime family patriarch 64 Attractive but vacuous guy, in slang

68 Mary, Queen of Scots, e.g.

69 Prod

71 Prod 72 Philosopher Kierkegaard 73 “Salud!” cousin 74 Heed an army poster 76 “Will you allow me to demonstrate?”

77 Plane-ticket info 79 Comfy seating at a carnival? 80 Downwind, at sea 81 New England art inst. 85 “Mind. Blown.” 88 Shot served with salt and lime

89 Clean 90 Lexicographer Partridge 92 Singer Knowles with a 2016 No. 1 album 93 Ever so slightly

94 Perk from work 96 Tex who animated Bugs Bunny 97 Diploma equivalent, in brief

98 Make an engaging offer?

100 British spy Christopher in 2016 news 104 Legally prohibit 107 Parisian equivalent to “molto” or “muy” 108 Increase, with “up”

109 Stage prize since 1956

110 It distinguishes meaning in many East Asian languages 111 Fitch of Abercrombie & Fitch

113 Red carpet interviewee 114 Traffic-sign word 118 Card-game call 119 Sun follower?