0101-23 NY Times Crossword 1 Jan 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Adam Wagner, Michael Lieberman & Rafael Musa
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: In Play

Happy New Year, everyone! Themed answers come in pairs. One element is a common phrase in the form “X IN Y”. The other is a phrase defining “Y”, with a synonym of “X” hidden within. Clever …

  • 23A Stick of butter, geometrically : RECTANGULAR PRISM
  • 71A Recommit to one’s fitness … or what 23-Across depicts literally : GET BACK IN SHAPE (RECLAIM in RECTANGULAR PRISM)
  • 31A Seminal 1980 hit by Joy Division : LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
  • 82A What characters in musicals often do … or what 31-Across depicts literally : BREAK OUT IN SONG (ERUPT in “LOVE WILL TEAR US APART”)
  • 50A Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, among others : MOUNTAIN STATES
  • 98A Useful people to know … or what 50-Across depicts literally : FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES (MATES in MOUNTAIN STATES)
  • 61A Hit 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy based on books by Hugh Lofting : DOCTOR DOLITTLE
  • 110A Screen feature that facilitates multitasking … or what 61-Across depicts literally : PICTURE IN PICTURE (DOODLE in “DOCTOR DOLITTLE”)

Bill’s time: 17m 16s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

My wife and I are in Ireland right now, for Christmas and to start off the New Year with family. I just managed to slip away to solve the puzzle, and write up this abbreviated post. I will get to the full post just as soon as I can.

Thank you for your understanding.

Bill

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Image on the flag of Oakland, Calif., appropriately : TREE
5 Country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital : JAPAN
10 Sends 10 texts in a row to, say : SPAMS
15 Stage partitions? : ACTS
19 Achings : YENS
20 Basic Mediterranean sauce : AIOLI
21 Eagles’ home : AERIE
22 Pork cut : LOIN
23 Stick of butter, geometrically : RECTANGULAR PRISM
26 Sesame Street resident who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO
27 Attentive : ALERT
28 Change of scenery, in real estate lingo : RELO
29 Less involved : SIMPLER
31 Seminal 1980 hit by Joy Division : LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
37 Attire for some queens : DRAG
39 Subtle flavor, to a wine taster : NOTE
40 Accomplishes : DOES
41 Barbecue discard : COB
42 White House staffer : AIDE
43 What a V-sign might indicate : TWO
44 Try to hit, as a piñata : SWING AT
47 ___-Locka, Fla. : OPA
50 Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, among others : MOUNTAIN STATES
53 Lap, maybe : OUTRUN
56 Visitors from afar, in brief : ETS
57 Hurry, quaintly : HIE
58 A matter of course? : PAR
59 Works in a gallery : FINE ART
60 ___ Aviv : TEL
61 Hit 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy based on books by Hugh Lofting : DOCTOR DOLITTLE
65 “An empty set exists,” e.g. : AXIOM
68 Stole : TOOK
69 It lacks value : ZERO
70 Leafy salad green : CRESS
71 Recommit to one’s fitness … or what 23-Across depicts literally : GET BACK IN SHAPE (RECLAIM in RECTANGULAR PRISM)
74 State south of Mumbai : GOA
75 Perception : INSIGHT
76 Goof : ERR
77 South, in much of South America : SUR
78 Light touch : PAT
81 Nickname that’s an anagram of ONLINE : LONNIE
82 What characters in musicals often do … or what 31-Across depicts literally : BREAK OUT IN SONG (ERUPT in “LOVE WILL TEAR US APART”)
87 “Discreet Music” musician Brian : ENO
88 Cars with clutches : MANUALS
90 Photographer Goldin : NAN
91 Prosecco cousin : ASTI
92 Big shots they are not : BBS
95 Secular : LAIC
96 It’s just under a foot : SOLE
97 Explorer Ericson : LEIF
98 Useful people to know … or what 50-Across depicts literally : FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES (MATES in MOUNTAIN STATES)
104 What an economy seat is usually short on : LEGROOM
105 “Oh, why not?!” : SURE!
106 Kuwaiti currency : DINAR
109 Beseech : URGE
110 Screen feature that facilitates multitasking … or what 61-Across depicts literally : PICTURE IN PICTURE (DOODLE in “DOCTOR DOLITTLE”)
116 Food that’s easy to get hooked on? : BAIT
117 Group character : ETHOS
118 Mocking smile : SNEER
119 The “garden” in Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” : EDEN
120 Old video game console inits. : SNES
121 Excel : SHINE
122 Swamp plant : SEDGE
123 Lamb, for one : MEAT

Down

1 Banks on TV : TYRA
2 Lively dance : REEL
3 Moon of Saturn found to have a potentially habitable ocean : ENCELADUS
4 Component of some hormone therapy : ESTROGEN
5 National Blood Donor Mo. : JAN
6 Big inits. in insurance : AIG
7 Work enthusiastically and energetically : POUR IT ON
8 Genetic variant : ALLELE
9 Singer Horan of the boy band One Direction : NIALL
10 Part of a woodpecker’s diet : SAP
11 / : PER
12 Perfume line by pop star Grande : ARI
13 Beauty pageant since 1952 : MISS USA
14 Precursors to finals : SEMIS
15 Mideast city with an eponymous pepper : ALEPPO
16 Share a byline, maybe : COLLABORATE
17 Part of a stove : TIMER
18 [That is SO funny!] : [SNORT!]
24 Off-road option, for short : ATV
25 Spoil : ROT
30 ___ Pro (tech product) : MAC
32 Require : ENTAIL
33 “Holy moly!” : WOWIE!
34 Button added to Twitter in 2022 : EDIT
35 Primo : A-ONE
36 Govt. agency rules : REGS
37 Title for food writer Mary Berry : DAME
38 Hilarious sort : RIOT
44 Library section : STACKS
45 Imperfection, metaphorically : WART
46 Labor : TOIL
48 Makes certain knitting stitches : PURLS
49 Before: Sp. : ANTES
51 Group of gift-givers : THE MAGI
52 Cuddle amorously, in a way : SPOON
54 Magical creature associated with rainbows : UNICORN
55 Tri- one more time? : TETRA-
59 Rock’s ___ Fighters : FOO
60 Soccer star ___ Heath : TOBIN
61 Enthusiastic affirmative : DO I!
62 Region encompassing most of the Arkansas/Missouri border : OZARKS
63 Copy, in brief : REPRO
64 Rap mogul, familiarly : DRE
65 Quick and nimble : AGILE
66 Noble gas used in some lasers : XENON
67 “All good” : IT’S NO BIGGIE
68 B’way purchase : TKT
72 STEM subject that rhymes with “stem” : CHEM
73 Recover : HEAL
74 ___ pig : GUINEA
77 Buy time : STALL
78 Barely sits still? : POSES NUDE
79 No pro : ANTI
80 “Weekend, here I come!” : TGIF
82 ___ mitzvah (Jewish ceremony for multiple people) : B’NAI
83 Flatten, say : RUIN
84 A pop : EACH
85 Having an intact tamper seal, say : UNOPENED
86 One might move fast in stores : SALE ITEM
89 Loser to Herbert Hoover in 1928 : AL SMITH
93 Parts of some military uniforms : BERETS
94 ___-Caps (candy) : SNO
96 Holy place : SHRINE
98 Goofs : FLUBS
99 Aired anew : RERAN
100 Uses performance-enhancing drugs : DOPES
101 Egypt neighbor: Abbr. : ISR
102 Say “…, say,” say : GUESS
103 Agcy. that advises against eating raw cookie dough : CDC
107 ___ man (frequent subject in The Onion) : AREA
108 Monopoly payment : RENT
111 Home of more than one M.L.B. team : CHI
112 Whole lot : TON
113 Bring into play : USE
114 Cribbage marker : PEG
115 Anger : IRE