0402-23 NY Times Crossword 2 Apr 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Jeremy Newton & Tracy Gray
Edited by: Will Shortz

Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword

Today’s Theme: Artistic Differences

Several squares contain two letters. Those letters give answers to the two across-clues provided, the second pointing to a work of ART. The crossing down-answers use both letters:

• 124A Apt word spelled by the new letters that alter this puzzle’s seven works : FORGERY

• 22A Spaceship battle? / An iconic van Gogh : THE STARRY FIGHT / THE STARRY NIGHT
• 8D Subject of the biography “Mr. Playboy” : HEFNER

• 38A Flying invention by a classic automaker? / An iconic Klee : REO BALLOON / RED BALLOON
• 12D Pitted against one another : SET AT ODDS

• 48A Slangy reply when Bart’s sister asks “What’s Covid?” / An iconic Leonardo : THE RONA, LISA / THE MONA LISA
• 37D Relaxing soak : WARM BATH

• 65A Reason why Mercury gets eclipsed? / An iconic Botticelli : THE GIRTH OF VENUS / THE BIRTH OF VENUS
• 60D Rainbows in the sky, perhaps : LGBTQ FLAGS

• 88A Post-dinosaur period? / An iconic Magritte : THE EON OF MAN / THE SON OF MAN
• 68D Tree climbers, perhaps : VINES

• 95A Opposite of liberal doves? / An iconic Hopper : RIGHT HAWKS / NIGHTHAWKS
• 69D Vampire’s cry in sunlight : IT BURNS!

• 115A Planning one’s 24-hour itinerary? / An iconic Michelangelo, with “The” : … CREATION OF A DAY / … CREATION OF ADAM
• 107D “Aren’t I somethin’?!” : YAY ME!

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment

Bill’s time: 36m 12s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

19 Where to hear amateur bands? : HAM RADIO

Amateur radio enthusiasts were first called “ham operators” by professional telegraph operators, and the term was intended to be insulting. It came from the similar term “ham actor”, describing a person who is less than effective on the stage. But amateur operators eventually embraced the moniker, and so it stuck.

21 “It is better to be ___ than to be pitied”: Herodotus : ENVIED

Herodotus was a historian from ancient Greece. Roman orator Cicero referred to him as “the Father of History” as Herodotus was regarded as the first historian to work methodically and publish a well-constructed narrative. The only known work completed by Herodotus is “The Histories”.

22 Spaceship battle? / An iconic van Gogh : THE STARRY FIGHT / THE STARRY NIGHT

“The Starry Night” (“La Nuit Étoilée” in French) is a Van Gogh masterpiece depicting what the artist could see from the window of his room in a sanitarium near the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It is a lovely piece …

25 Timbre : TONE

The timbre of a sound is its distinguishing quality above and beyond its volume and pitch. “Timbre” was used in Old French to mean “sound of a bell”.

26 ___-nest : MARE’S

The term “mare’s nest” has two meanings these days. More commonly it refers to a confused mess, although this usage is really an error, confusion with the idiom “rat’s nest”, which has that meaning. The correct usage of “mare’s nest”, dating back to the 16th century, is to describe a hoax, a promising discovery that turns out to be next to nothing.

27 Some fairy tale characters : DAMSELS

A damsel is a young woman, and often a lady of noble birth. The term “damsel” came into English from the Old French “dameisele”, which had the same meaning. The modern French term is “demoiselle”, which in turn is related to the term of address “mademoiselle”.

33 Booze it up, old-style : TOPE

To tope is to drink alcohol excessively and habitually.

34 Grp. with cryptanalysts : NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) runs an annual Codebreaker Challenge that is aimed mainly at the student population. As best I can tell, the focus of the challenge is reverse software engineering. Checking out the Codebreaker Challenge website suggests that the NSA runs this program in order to identify and attract potential new employees.

37 Sounds of saxophones : WAILS

The saxophone was invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax, hence the name. Sax developed lip cancer at one point in his life, and one has to wonder if his affliction was related to his saxophone playing (I am sure not!). I had the privilege of visiting Sax’s grave in the Cemetery of Montmartre in Paris a few years ago.

38 Flying invention by a classic automaker? / An iconic Klee : REO BALLOON / RED BALLOON

Artist Paul Klee was born in Switzerland, but studied art in Munich in Germany. We can see many of Klee’s works in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. If you get to Bern in Switzerland, even more of them can be seen at the Zentrum Paul Klee that was opened in 2005. Klee’s most celebrated work is his pointillist painting from 1932 called “Ad Parnassum”, which is owned by the Kunstmuseum, also located in Bern.

47 N.F.L. sportscaster Andrews : ERIN

Erin Andrews is a sports reporter. I don’t watch much in the line of sports but I do know Ms. Andrews for her appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. She did quite well and made it to the final of the show. And then she was hired as the show’s co-host alongside Tom Bergeron. And then they were both let go …

48 Slangy reply when Bart’s sister asks “What’s Covid?” / An iconic Leonardo : THE RONA, LISA / THE MONA LISA

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece that we know in English as the “Mona Lisa” is called “La Gioconda” in Italian, the language of the artist. It’s also known as “La Joconde” by the Government of France which owns the painting and displays it in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The title comes from the name of the subject, almost certainly Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Giocondo was a wealthy silk merchant in Florence who commissioned the painting for the couple’s new home to celebrate the birth of their second son.

50 West Coast football powerhouse, in brief : USC

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school in Los Angeles. Apart from its excellent academic record, USC is known for the success of its athletic program. USC Trojans have won more Olympic medals than the students of any other university in the world. The USC marching band is very famous as well, and is known as the “Spirit of Troy”. The band has performed with many celebrities, and is the only college band to have two platinum records.

52 Curmudgeons : CRABS

“Curmudgeon” is a favorite word used by my wife to describe me. A curmudgeon is a bad-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions. I am sure she uses the term very affectionately …

57 Anago or unagi : EEL

“Unagi” is the Japanese term for” freshwater eel”, and “anago” is the term for “saltwater eel”.

58 Dance accompanied by pahu drums : HULA

The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).

59 Blue berry : SLOE

The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush, and the main flavoring ingredient in sloe gin. A sloe looks like a small plum, but is usually much more tart in taste.

61 Popular a.m. show, familiarly : GMA

“Good Morning America” (GMA) is ABC’s morning show, and has been since 1975. There was even a spin-off show called “Good Afternoon America”, although that only lasted for a few months in 2012.

65 Reason why Mercury gets eclipsed? / An iconic Botticelli : THE GIRTH OF VENUS / THE BIRTH OF VENUS

Sandro Botticelli was a painter of the Early Renaissance belonging to the Florentine school. Perhaps his best known work is “The Birth of Venus”, painted about 1486, which can be seen in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

72 “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” e.g. : SAW

A saw is an old saying, one that is often repeated and is very familiar. The term “old saw” is actually a tautology, as by definition a “saw” is “old”.

73 War game : RISK

Risk is a fabulous board game that was introduced in France in 1957. It was invented by a very successful French director of short films called Albert Lamorisse. Lamorisse called his new game “La Conquête du Monde”, which translates into English as “The Conquest of the World”. A game of Risk is a must during the holidays in our house …

80 Cause of some Yellowstone traffic jams : BISON

There are two species of bison left (four species are extinct). We are most familiar with the American bison (commonly called the American buffalo), but there is also a European bison, which is sometimes called a “wisent”.

Yellowstone was the first National Park to be established in the world when it was designated as such by President Grant in 1872. What a great tradition it started! The American National Parks are truly a treasure …

88 Post-dinosaur period? / An iconic Magritte : THE EON OF MAN / THE SON OF MAN

Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work may be “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in a great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

91 What a wristwatch wraps around : ULNA

The bones in the forearm are the radius and ulna. “Ulna” is the Latin word for “elbow”, and “radius” is Latin for “ray”. The humerus (plural “humeri”) is the long bone in the upper arm.

95 Opposite of liberal doves? / An iconic Hopper : RIGHT HAWKS / NIGHTHAWKS

The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war.

Edward Hopper was an artist from Nyack, New York. He was a celebrated realist painter best known for his works using oils.

105 Schumer of comedy : AMY

Amy Schumer is a stand-up comedian, and an alumna of the reality TV show “Last Comic Standing”, in which she placed fourth. Schumer now has her own comedy series “Inside Amy Schumer”, which airs on Comedy Central. Amy is a first cousin once removed of Chuck Schumer, the senior US Senator from New York.

111 “Cute” vowel sound : LONG U

The letter U in the word “cute” is a long letter U.

112 California city whose name means “tar” : BREA

The La Brea Tar Pits are located right in the heart of the city of Los Angeles. At the site there is a constant flow of tar that seeps up to the surface from underground, a phenomenon that has been around for tens of thousands of years. What is significant is that much of the seeping tar is covered by water. Over many, many centuries animals came to the water to drink and became trapped in the tar as they entered the water to quench their thirst. The tar then preserved the bones of the dead animals. Today a museum is located right by the Tar Pits, recovering bones and displaying specimens of the animals found there. It’s well worth a visit if you are in town …

113 Dalmatians, e.g. : CROATS

Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, with most of its area falling in modern-day Croatia.

115 Planning one’s 24-hour itinerary? / An iconic Michelangelo, with “The” : … CREATION OF A DAY / … CREATION OF ADAM

“The Creation of Adam” is a fresco by Michelangelo that is part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Famously, “The Creation of Adam” features Adam and God reaching towards each other, with hands very nearly touching.

120 U.S. swimming gold medalist Ledecky : KATIE

Katie Ledecky is a swimmer who won her first Olympic gold medal at just 15 years of age, in the 800-meter freestyle. In 2016, Ledecky also became the youngest person to make “Time” magazine’s “Time 100” annual list of most influential people in the American world. Katie’s uncle is Jon Ledecky, an owner of the New York Islanders hockey team.

123 Tell jokes until PowerPoint unfreezes, e.g. : STALL

Given that PowerPoint is a Microsoft product, it is perhaps a bit of a paradox that the original application that became PowerPoint was designed for the Macintosh computer. This first release was called “Presenter”. The company that designed Presenter was purchased by Microsoft in 1987.

Down

2 Touch up, as text : EMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

3 Bottom of the Thames? : ARSE

Well, the word “arse” would never make it into a crossword on the other side of the pond, as it would be considered too rude. I have a similar reaction to the word “shag” as in “The Spy Who Shagged Me”. The film would never have been released with that title in the UK (where it was released as “Austin Powers 2”).

6 Flag carrier in the Mediterranean : AIR MALTA

The island state of Malta is relatively small (122 square miles), but its large number of inhabitants makes it one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Malta’s strategic location has made it a prized possession for the conquering empires of the world. Most recently it was part of the British Empire and was an important fleet headquarters. Malta played a crucial role for the Allies during WWII as it was located very close to the Axis shipping lanes in the Mediterranean. The Siege of Malta lasted from 1940 to 1942, a prolonged attack by the Italians and Germans on the RAF and Royal Navy, and the people of Malta. When the siege was lifted, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the people of Malta collectively in recognition of their heroism and devotion to the Allied cause. The George Cross can still be seen on the Maltese flag, even though Britain granted Malta independence in 1964.

8 Subject of the biography “Mr. Playboy” : HEFNER

Hugh Hefner (often called “Hef”) was from Chicago. His first publishing job was in the military, where he worked as a writer for a US Army newspaper from 1944-46. He went to college after his military service and then worked as a copywriter for “Esquire” magazine. He left “Esquire” to found his own publication that he called “Playboy”, which first hit the newsstands in 1953. “Playboy” has been around ever since.

11 Focusing issue, in brief : ADHD

The “official” name for the condition we sometimes still refer to as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) is “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

15 Nefarious : EVIL

Something described as “nefarious” is extremely wicked. The term comes from the Latin “nefarius” meaning “wicked”, which in turn comes from “nefas” meaning crime, or “ne-” (not) and “fas” (right).

16 Real doozy : RIPSNORTER

“Ripsnorter” is a slang term for a person or thing noted for strength or excellence, a “lulu”.

A doozy is something extraordinary or bizarre. The exact origins of the word “doozy” aren’t clear, but it might be a derivative of the name Eleanora Duse, an Italian actress popular early in the 20th century. Some say that the term comes from the Duesenberg brand of automobile, which was indeed referred to as a “duesy”. However, the use of “doozy” in print occurs before the Duesenberg hit the market.

17 No. for a résumé : TEL

A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.

19 Dot-com start-up? : HTTP

“http” are the first letters in many Internet links. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. More secure and “safer” websites (like this one!) use links starting with “https”, which stands for “http secure”).

23 Cornerstone figs. : YRS

In practical terms, a cornerstone is the first stone set during the construction of a building with a masonry foundation. Also known as the foundation stone or setting stone, the cornerstone determines the final position of the final structure, as all other stones are laid with reference to that first stone. For some time, we’ve also used the term “cornerstone” in a ceremonial sense. A ceremonial cornerstone is set in a prominent position at the corner of a wall, and usually bears significant information such as date of construction and names of the architect and builder.

30 Los ___, vacation hot spot in Mexico : CABOS

Los Cabos is a municipality located right at the very southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula that has a very vibrant tourist industry. The name “Los Cabos” translates from Spanish as “The Capes”.

31 One may be on the house : LIEN

A lien is a right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid. When an individual takes out a car loan, for example, the lending bank is usually a lien holder. The bank releases the lien on the car when the loan is paid in full.

35 Big ball : SOIREE

“Soir” is the French word for “evening” and a soirée is an evening party. The French word “soirée” has an acute accent over the first “e”, but we tend to drop this when using the word in English.

36 Records of the past : ANNALS

“Annal” is a rarely used word, and is the singular of the more common “annals”. An annal would be the recorded events of one year, with annals being the chronological record of events in successive years. The term “annal” comes from the Latin “annus” meaning “year”.

39 ___ de vie : EAU

Eau de vie is a clear, colorless fruit brandy. The name “eau de vie” is French for “water of life”.

40 N.Y.C. ave. east of Park : LEX

Lexington Avenue in New York City is famous for many things, but my favorite fact is that it was the site of the first ever arrest for speeding in the city. In 1899 a police officer on a bicycle caught up with a cab driver who was tearing down Lexington Avenue, at the breakneck speed of 12mph …

Park Avenue in New York City used to be known as Fourth Avenue, and for much of its length carried the tracks of the New York and Harlem Railroad. When the line was built, some of it was constructed by cutting through the length of the street and then forming underground tunnels by covering over the line with grates and greenery. This greenery formed a parkland between 34th and 40th Streets, and in 1860 the grassy section of Fourth Avenue was renamed Park Avenue, a name that was eventually used for the whole thoroughfare.

43 Prey for a polar bear : SEAL

Polar bears are close cousins of brown bears, and are thought to have evolved from a population of brown bears that became isolated during a period of glaciation. Most polar bears live north of the Arctic Circle, and live mainly on seals that they capture near the edge of ice floes.

44 N.F.L. team with the mascot Sourdough Sam, to fans : NINERS

The 49ers football team in San Francisco takes its name from the gold prospectors who flooded into Northern California around 1849 during the California Gold Rush. These “1849 prospectors” became known as the “49ers”.

45 Old spy org. : OSS

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed during WWII in order to carry out espionage behind enemy lines. A few years after the end of the war the OSS functions were taken up by a new group, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

49 First pope in a line of 13 : LEO I

The first Pope Leo led the church from 440-461 AD and is now known as Pope Saint Leo the Great. Leo I is famous for having met with the feared Attila the Hun, and persuading him to turn back his invading force that was threatening to overrun Western Europe. The last Pope Leo reigned from 1878-1903. Leo XIII died at the age of 93, making him the oldest of all popes.

51 “How could you?!,” playfully : ET TU?!

It was Shakespeare who popularized the words “Et tu, Brute?” (meaning “And you, Brutus?”). They appear in his play “Julius Caesar”, although the phrase had been around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said in real life (if anything at all) as he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

60 Rainbows in the sky, perhaps : LGBTQ FLAGS

The best-known rainbow flag is the one representing gay pride. Such usage of the rainbow flag was popularized in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker. The varying colors of the flag represent the diversity of the gay community.

66 Per musician Charlie Parker, “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out your ___” : HORN

Charlie Parker was a jazz saxophonist who was often just called “Bird” or “Yardbird”. He was a leader in the development of the style of jazz called “bebop”, which gained popularity in the forties. Parker had a rough life outside of music. He was a heroin addict, and a heavy drinker. When he died, the coroner who performed his autopsy estimated his age as between 50 and 60 years old based on the appearance of his body and condition of his organs. Charlie Parker was actually 34-years-old when he died in a New York City hotel room in 1955.

67 Neighbor of the “∼” key : TAB

Like most features on our computer keyboards, the tab key is a hangover from the days of typewriters. When using a typewriter, making entries into a table was very tedious, involving lots of tapping on the spacebar and backspace key. So, a lever was added to typewriters that allowed the operator to “jump” across the page to positions that could be set by hand. Later this was simplified to a tab key which could be depressed, causing the carriage to jump to the next tab stop in much the same way that the modern tab key works on a computer.

69 Vampire’s cry in sunlight : IT BURNS!

Legends about vampires were particularly common in Eastern Europe and in the Balkans in particular. The superstition was that vampires could be killed using a wooden stake, with the preferred type of wood varying from place to place. Superstition also defines where the body should be pierced. Most often, the stake was driven through the heart, but Russians and northern Germans went for the mouth, and northeastern Serbs for the stomach.

70 “Stranger Things” actress ___ Bobby Brown : MILLIE

“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi horror TV show made for Netflix that aired its first season in 2016. I don’t do horror, and so haven’t seen it …

76 Hoppy offerings, in brief : IPAS

India pale ale (IPA) is a style of beer that originated in England. The beer was originally intended for transportation from England to India, hence the name.

The foodstuff that we call “hops” are actually the female flowers of the hop plant. The main use of hops is to add flavor to beer. The town in which I used to live here in California was once home to the largest hop farm in the world. Most of the harvested hops were exported all the way to the breweries of London, where they could fetch the best price.

93 Org. with X-rays : TSA

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

96 African menace : TSETSE

The tsetse fly is responsible for the transmission of sleeping sickness, a disease that is more correctly called African trypanosomiasis. The disease is only observed in humans who have been bitten by a tsetse fly that is infected with the trypanosome parasitic protozoan.

104 Grammy winner DiFranco : ANI

Ani DiFranco is a folk-rock singer and songwriter. DiFranco has also been labeled a feminist icon, and in 2006 won the Woman of Courage Award from the National Organization for Women.

112 Bugaboo : BANE

Today, we tend to use the word “bane” to mean “anathema, a source of persistent annoyance”. A few centuries ago, a bane was a cause of harm or death, perhaps a deadly poison.

“Bugaboo” is another term for “bogeyman”, an imaginary and scary creature used to frighten children.

113 Baby hyena : CUB

Hyenas have the reputation of being cowardly scavengers. That said, the spotted hyena that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa actually kills about 95% of its food and a pack of spotted hyenas are capable of driving off leopards or lionesses before they can consume their kill.

114 Modern vaccine component : RNA

Traditional vaccines typically use weakened or inactivated viruses, or pieces of the virus, to stimulate an immune response. mRNA vaccines use a small piece of genetic material from the virus, called messenger RNA (mRNA), to instruct cells in the body to produce a harmless piece of the virus to trigger the immune response. mRNA vaccines are developed more quickly than traditional vaccines. This was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, where mRNA vaccines were developed and authorized for emergency use within months of the emergence of the novel coronavirus.

116 η : ETA

Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

Read on, or …
… return to top of page

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 “Nah, you’re not!” retort : YEAH, I AM
8 Comedy club sounds : HA HAS
13 Port of Mexico : PUERTO
19 Where to hear amateur bands? : HAM RADIO
20 Wear down : ERODE
21 “It is better to be ___ than to be pitied”: Herodotus : ENVIED
22 Spaceship battle? / An iconic van Gogh : THE STARRY FIGHT / THE STARRY NIGHT
24 Big hit : TRIPLE
25 Timbre : TONE
26 ___-nest : MARE’S
27 Some fairy tale characters : DAMSELS
29 Coffee maker insert : POD
30 Student council electee, informally : CLASS REP
33 Booze it up, old-style : TOPE
34 Grp. with cryptanalysts : NSA
37 Sounds of saxophones : WAILS
38 Flying invention by a classic automaker? / An iconic Klee : REO BALLOON / RED BALLOON
41 “You’re on!” : IT’S A BET!
44 Why cases might go cold : NO LEADS
47 N.F.L. sportscaster Andrews : ERIN
48 Slangy reply when Bart’s sister asks “What’s Covid?” / An iconic Leonardo : THE RONA, LISA / THE MONA LISA
50 West Coast football powerhouse, in brief : USC
51 Gravy, you might say : EXTRA
52 Curmudgeons : CRABS
53 Come next : ENSUE
55 Maximal ending : -EST
57 Anago or unagi : EEL
58 Dance accompanied by pahu drums : HULA
59 Blue berry : SLOE
61 Popular a.m. show, familiarly : GMA
63 Essential qualities : NATURES
65 Reason why Mercury gets eclipsed? / An iconic Botticelli : THE GIRTH OF VENUS / THE BIRTH OF VENUS
69 Remark from the financially or vertically challenged : I’M SHORT
72 “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” e.g. : SAW
73 War game : RISK
74 Put out : EMIT
78 Word of advice : TIP
79 Academic must: Abbr. : REQ
80 Cause of some Yellowstone traffic jams : BISON
82 Hang loose? : DRAPE
83 Like some covers and kisses : BLOWN
85 Zip it! : FLY
88 Post-dinosaur period? / An iconic Magritte : THE EON OF MAN / THE SON OF MAN
91 What a wristwatch wraps around : ULNA
92 Hated with a passion : LOATHED
94 No small favor : HUGE ASK
95 Opposite of liberal doves? / An iconic Hopper : RIGHT HAWKS / NIGHTHAWKS
98 Participate in a marathon, say : BINGE
99 Notice : SEE
100 Notice : SIGN
101 “Unfortunately, yes” : AFRAID SO
105 Schumer of comedy : AMY
108 In fashion? : DRESSED
111 “Cute” vowel sound : LONG U
112 California city whose name means “tar” : BREA
113 Dalmatians, e.g. : CROATS
115 Planning one’s 24-hour itinerary? / An iconic Michelangelo, with “The” : … CREATION OF A DAY / … CREATION OF ADAM
119 Ill-considered : UNWISE
120 U.S. swimming gold medalist Ledecky : KATIE
121 Private meeting : ONE-ON-ONE
122 Like in-flight smoking : BANNED
123 Tell jokes until PowerPoint unfreezes, e.g. : STALL
124 Apt word spelled by the new letters that alter this puzzle’s seven works : FORGERY

Down

1 “Yippee!” : YAHOO!
2 Touch up, as text : EMEND
3 Bottom of the Thames? : ARSE
4 Cowlick concealer : HAT
5 Rocky Mountain state: Abbr. : IDA
6 Flag carrier in the Mediterranean : AIR MALTA
7 Quagmire : MORASS
8 Subject of the biography “Mr. Playboy” : HEFNER
9 Crop up : ARISE
10 Enjoy more than one’s fair share of : HOG
11 Focusing issue, in brief : ADHD
12 Pitted against one another : SET AT ODDS
13 Where fur coats get cleaned? : PET SPA
14 Loosen, as a spool : UNREEL
15 Nefarious : EVIL
16 Real doozy : RIPSNORTER
17 No. for a résumé : TEL
18 Work of praise : ODE
19 Dot-com start-up? : HTTP
23 Cornerstone figs. : YRS
28 Zoos, so to speak : MOB SCENES
30 Los ___, vacation hot spot in Mexico : CABOS
31 One may be on the house : LIEN
32 Start for made or paid : PRE-
35 Big ball : SOIREE
36 Records of the past : ANNALS
37 Relaxing soak : WARM BATH
39 ___ de vie : EAU
40 N.Y.C. ave. east of Park : LEX
41 Hankering : ITCH
42 Drive-___ : THRU
43 Prey for a polar bear : SEAL
44 N.F.L. team with the mascot Sourdough Sam, to fans : NINERS
45 Old spy org. : OSS
46 Giggle alongside (not at!) : LAUGH WITH
49 First pope in a line of 13 : LEO I
51 “How could you?!,” playfully : ET TU?!
54 Punk offshoot : EMO
56 Scored, as free throws : SANK
59 Super-dry : SERE
60 Rainbows in the sky, perhaps : LGBTQ FLAGS
62 Sporting a natural style : AFROED
64 It’ll cost you : USER FEE
66 Per musician Charlie Parker, “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out your ___” : HORN
67 Neighbor of the “∼” key : TAB
68 Tree climbers, perhaps : VINES
69 Vampire’s cry in sunlight : IT BURNS!
70 “Stranger Things” actress ___ Bobby Brown : MILLIE
71 Wipe clean, as a car : SPONGE DOWN
75 Baby’s first word, commonly : MAMA
76 Hoppy offerings, in brief : IPAS
77 Good practice for a half-marathon : TEN-K
81 That ship : SHE
82 Pooch, in slang : DOGGO
84 “Oh, cry me a river!” : WAH!
86 Feature of décolleté clothing : LOW NECKS
87 Run off at the mouth : YAK
89 “Hmm, never really thought about it …” : OH, I DUNNO …
90 Some vow takers : NUNS
93 Org. with X-rays : TSA
96 African menace : TSETSE
97 Spoke menacingly : HISSED
98 Embarrassing fail, in modern lingo : BIG OOF
102 Whip around wildly : FLAIL
103 Canned tomatoes brand : ROTEL
104 Grammy winner DiFranco : ANI
105 Fire : ARDOR
106 Playground bully : MEANY
107 “Aren’t I somethin’?!” : YAY ME!
109 It may lead to greener pastures : RAIN
110 “Darn it all!” : DRAT!
112 Bugaboo : BANE
113 Baby hyena : CUB
114 Modern vaccine component : RNA
116 η : ETA
117 Above, to a bard : O’ER
118 A thick one may be found in a bank : FOG

Leave a comment (below), or …
… return to top of page

The post 0402-23 NY Times Crossword 2 Apr 23, Sunday appeared first on NYXCrossword.com.

from NYXCrossword.com https://ift.tt/F72waSs