0115-23 NY Times Crossword 15 Jan 23, Sunday

Constructed by: Michael Schlossberg
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Abridged Too Far

Themed answers are book/play titles, with the title of another book/play spelled out using the circled letters within. The corresponding clue matches the storylines of both books/plays:

  • 121A “In a nutshell” … or an alternative title for this puzzle? : TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT
  • 23A Play about love and heartbreak in ancient Greece [1605, 431 B.C.] : A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (with “MEDEA” within)
  • 37A Timeless children’s classic about country dwellers’ friendships [1908, 1881] : THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (with “HEIDI” within)
  • 64A Magnum opus about a young man, family and the concept of free will [1866, 1965] : CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (with “DUNE” within)
  • 76A Coming-of-age novel about a teenage boy and his isolation [1951, 1986] : THE CATCHER IN THE RYE (with “HATCHET” within)
  • 102A Tale about soldiers and treachery in southern Europe [1940, 1603] : FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (with “OTHELLO” within)

Bill’s time: 16m 57s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

My wife and I are in Ireland right now, starting 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 Deets, say : INFO
5 Like pangolins and armadillos : SCALY
10 Pacific weather phenomenon : EL NINO
16 000-00-0002, for Mr. Burns on “The Simpsons”: Abbr. : SSN
19 Apt name for a protestor? : NEAL
20 Shire of “The Godfather” : TALIA
21 “What’s the ___?” : MATTER
22 Job listing letters : EEO
23 Play about love and heartbreak in ancient Greece [1605, 431 B.C.] : A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (with “MEDEA” within)
27 Danger : PERIL
28 Cater (to) : PANDER
29 Where people might come to a happy medium? : SEANCE
30 Is worth it : PAYS OFF
32 “The Taming of the Shrew” sister : BIANCA
36 Wheels : AUTOS
37 Timeless children’s classic about country dwellers’ friendships [1908, 1881] : THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (with “HEIDI” within)
41 Farm cry : BAA!
43 Vented appliance : DRYER
44 Comedy talk show from 2003 to 2022, familiarly : ELLEN
45 Superlative score : A-PLUS
48 “Great Caesar’s ghost!” : EGADS!
50 Eat, baby-style : SUCKLE
56 Timid : TREPID
58 It’s symbolized by a crescent moon and star : ISLAM
63 Jewish folklore creature : GOLEM
64 Magnum opus about a young man, family and the concept of free will [1866, 1965] : CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (with “DUNE” within)
70 Not according to plan : AWRY
73 Celebrity chef DiSpirito : ROCCO
74 “Go ahead, shoot!” : ASK ME!
75 Major and Commander, to Biden : PETS
76 Coming-of-age novel about a teenage boy and his isolation [1951, 1986] : THE CATCHER IN THE RYE (with “HATCHET” within)
80 Like an old apple : MEALY
81 Chicken ___ (South Asian dish) : KORMA
82 Phenomenon also known as data decay : BIT ROT
86 Placid : SERENE
88 Rapper ___ Thee Stallion : MEGAN
93 Drudges : PEONS
94 Celebratory smoke : CIGAR
99 Veered, as an airplane : YAWED
101 Just peachy : A-OK
102 Tale about soldiers and treachery in southern Europe [1940, 1603] : FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (with “OTHELLO” within)
110 Polynesian greeting : ALOHA
111 Kleenex : tissue :: ___ : sticky note : POST-IT
112 Yellow-brown shade : WHEATEN
115 Mercury and Mars, for two : TENORS
117 Grp. promoting world peace : UNESCO
120 College athletics channel : ESPNU
121 “In a nutshell” … or an alternative title for this puzzle? : TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT
126 Wallach of “Baby Doll” : ELI
127 Stoat in its white winter coat : ERMINE
128 Lawyer’s favorite dessert? : TORTE
129 Asteroid discovered in 1898 : EROS
130 Name that means “king” : REX
131 City that lends its name to a variety of ice cream : NAPLES
132 Warren in the Baseball Hall of Fame : SPAHN
133 Fashion letters : DKNY

Down

1 Modern kind of purchase : IN-APP
2 Locale for many Panhellenic Games : NEMEA
3 “Rapunzel” or “Rumpelstiltskin” : FAIRY TALE
4 Kinda getting up there : OLDISH
5 Poker great Ungar : STU
6 Burner on a range? : CAMPFIRE
7 Michigan liberal arts college : ALMA
8 Certain collateral : LIEN
9 Convict, in old slang : YARDBIRD
10 Persian Gulf territory : EMIRATE
11 Gamer’s headache : LAG
12 Degree in mathematics? : NTH
13 Voice role for Snoop Dogg in 2019’s “The Addams Family” : ITT
14 Federal agent who was the inspiration for Dick Tracy : NESS
15 Nightmare : ORDEAL
16 Addressed : SEEN TO
17 Manatee : SEA COW
18 Adspeak claim of convenience : NO MESS
24 Gin add-in : SLOE
25 German refusal : NEIN
26 One of Cuba’s Castros : RAUL
31 Subject line abbreviation : FWD
33 Wild group, for short : NHL
34 One of many in the “Disney Morgue” : CEL
35 Leave gobsmacked : AWE
38 Scoreboard letters at MetLife Stadium : NYG
39 D.O.J. branch : DEA
40 Helpful connections : INS
41 Halloween symbol : BAT
42 Busy month for a C.P.A. : APR
46 Turn from an old pallet into a bookcase, for example : UPCYCLE
47 Title for Charlie Chaplin : SIR
49 “Toy Story” toy torturer : SID
51 “I can’t believe this!” : UGH!
52 Go head-to-head (with) : COMPETE
53 Paul who painted “Cat and Bird” : KLEE
54 Advanced : LENT
55 Some F.D.N.Y. pros : EMTS
57 Juicy gossip : DIRT
59 Time measurement : SPAN
60 One of a classic septet : LUST
61 “Key of the Nile” : ANKH
62 Act out? : MIME
65 Imitation : MOCK
66 Amazon device : ECHO
67 Laptop brand : ACER
68 It’s just what you’d expect : NORM
69 Bosnian’s neighbor : SERB
70 After-hours conveniences : ATMS
71 Cry at an amusement park : WHEE!
72 Parent : REAR
77 Philosopher Rand who rejected altruism : AYN
78 “___ What ___” (song from “La Cage aux Folles”) : I AM
79 Doggy’s sound : YIP
83 Carving station option : ROAST PORK
84 Hawaiian fish also called a wahoo : ONO
85 “Shame!” : TSK!
87 Prefix with hotel : ECO-
89 Exams that are essentially impossible to study for : EYE TESTS
90 ___ Gadot of “Wonder Woman” : GAL
91 Piercing tool : AWL
92 Basis for an annual Forbes list : NET WORTH
95 Hobgoblin : IMP
96 V8 debut of 1964 : GTO
97 Music to a masseur’s ears : AHS
98 Optimizes, as an engine : RETUNES
100 Play-___ : DOH
102 More loaded, as a wallet : FATTER
103 Stadium chant : OLE! OLE!
104 A.F.L. All-Time Team member with a law degree : RON MIX
105 “No. Way!” : WHOA!
106 Old-timey “listen” : HARKEN
107 Default search engine for Microsoft Edge : BING
108 Some classic jeans : LEES
109 Tethered : LASHED
113 “___: The Smartest Guys in the Room” (2005 documentary) : ENRON
114 Wackadoo : NUTSY
116 Protein-rich blood components : SERA
118 “Uncle!” : STOP!
119 “Downton Abbey” role : CORA
122 Zhuzh (up) : AMP
123 Small word for small : LI’L
124 Hydrogen’s atomic number : ONE
125 Itch : YEN