New York Times Crossword No. 0123
Timothy Polin, of Central City, Pa., has been making crosswords for The Times since 2011. This is his 55th one for the paper and his eighth Sunday. He specializes in puzzles with visuals in the grids — like a ‘‘Jaws’’-themed crossword in 2018, in which you could connect five squares in the solution containing the letters F-I-N to form a picture of a shark’s fin. Today’s puzzle isn’t quite as unusual, but it’s close. — W.S.
ACROSS
1 Disseminated
5 JPEG alternative
8 Quick-witted
14 ‘‘Forbidden fruit is the
sweetest,’’ e.g.
19 Kind of writing
21 Hurting more
22 Mineral used as a
flame retardant
23 Aromatic herbal drink
24 Carmen McRae or
Anita O’Day, notably
26 Disorganized
27 Sound in the
Serengeti
29 Tying words?
30 Horrible boss, say
31 Neighbor of S. Sudan
32 Endpoint of a Shinto
pilgrimage
36 What’s going up in
Chicago?
38 And so forth
40 Munchkin
41 Spade with a short
handle?
42 Morse morsel
43 You can have a blast
with this
44 ‘‘Yes, indeedy!’’
47 ____ volente
49 Makes clearer, in a
way
51 1997 pop hit with a
nonsensical refrain
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52 Fete
56 Anago, on a sushi
menu
57 In ____ fertilization
58 & 59 Flag bearers, for
short?
62 Clap back
63 Many moons
64 Chaired
66 Many, many, many
moons
68 Subj. line heading
69 Birthplace of five U.S. presidents, with ‘‘the’’
73 German title
74 Like discriminatory
employers, often
75 Just roll with it!
76 See 88-Across
77 Eliminates, mob-style
79 Driving stick?
81 ____ out a victory
83 Pack (in)
84 Fracases
85 Start of some
conventional wisdom
88 With 76-Across, Mexican business magnate who was once the world’s richest person
89 Means of a quick
recharge
92 ‘‘____ funny!’’
93 Fab
94 Akin to
95 Rapper ____ Cudi or
DJ ____ Loco
97 Comprehension
99 Domain of Mars
100 Boise-to-Spokane dir.
102 Post-default event
104 ‘‘Eureka!’’
108 ‘‘That’s the spot’’
110 Kinda
111 Lunkhead
113 Court order
114 Red accessory for cartoondom’s Huckleberry Hound
116 Scientific contribution from 98-Down, discovered in a manner suggested by this puzzle’s theme
120 Crow’s-nests, e.g.
122 One living in the rial
world?
123 Lingerie fabric
124 Blights
125 More mirthful
126 Defiant refusal
127 ____ Plaines, Ill.
128 Start of a story, in
journalese
DOWN
1 Cause of a jolt
2 Really busy, perhaps
3 It’s nothing to joke
about
4 Artist known for his lampooning cartooning
5 Startin’ place
6 ‘‘____ moved on’’
7 Calming words
8 Holy city near
Baghdad
9 Hardly a lover of hot
wings?
10 Radio-frequency
meas.
11 Ad or show follower
12 ____ P. Morton, Benjamin Harrison’s vice president
13 Lost deposits, as a
bank?
14 Attorney’s org.
15 Sorrow
16 Thank you, in Tokyo
17 Stovetop device
18 Breadths
20 Sled dogs, e.g.
25 Word in some cocktail
names
28 Baseball’s ‘‘Master
Melvin’’
33 Westernmost sch. in
Conference USA
34 Actress ____ Pinkett
Smith
35 ‘‘Er . . . umm . . .’’
37 Nonbinary possessive
39 Game-show invitation
45 Modern lead-in to ‘‘X’’
46 Got out fast
48 Exit
50 Tom Petty hit with the opening line ‘‘She’s a good girl, loves her mama’’
51 Rendezvous
52 Nickname for Virginia
53 Declare
54 Is beaten by
55 You might take a lift
to one 56 Married mujeres:
Abbr.
57 All-in-one purchase
from a smoke shop
60 Unforgettable,
unstoppable sort
61 They’re not to be
trusted
65 Julie who played
Catwoman on old TV
67 Puzzle (out)
70 Personal bearing
71 Strong pan
72 Hard thing to do? 78 German title
80 Capital of Bangladesh
82 Mushroom in miso
soup
86 Afterword
87 Nicolas who directed ‘‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’’
88 Lab where the Higgs boson particle was discovered
89 Inventory
90 ‘‘My Cousin Vinny’’
setting 91 Airport route
93 Squealed
96 Opposite of a glut
98 Who was famously hit over the head with inspiration?
99 Tech release of 2006
101 Didn’t act rashly, say
103 Pit
105 Words before relax
or remember
106 Small section of a pit 107 Bowl-shaped cooking
vessels
109 German state that
includes Frankfurt
112 Manage
115 What’s got ewe
covered?
117 Hemlock relative
118 Old ____ (London
theater)
119 Gag line?
121 Spanish ‘‘hey!’’