Constructed by: Rich Katz
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: Central Perk
Themed answers come in pairs that cross each other in the grid. Each “cross” comprises a character in the “FRIENDS” sitcom and a BENEFIT:
- 101A Relationship featuring casual intimacy … or a hint to six pairs of intersecting answers in this puzzle : FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
- 10D Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible : RACHEL
- 24A Alternative to a nanny : DAY CARE
- 3D Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek : PHOEBE
- 39A Class that might cause some high schoolers to blush : HEALTH
- 17D Santa ___ : MONICA
- 41A Like some bridges : DENTAL
- 51D City SE of Phoenix : CHANDLER
- 73A Extra : BONUS
- 47D Time out, perhaps : VACATION
- 86A Outback baby : JOEY
- 90A Sewer in American history : ROSS
- 56D Holistic contentment : WELLNESS
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… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 35m 16s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Apologies for my recent absences. I am travelling in Europe, somewhat unexpectedly. I will be doing my best to keep up with puzzles and posts, but might “go missing” occasionally until I get back home to California.
In the meantime, I will be trying to at least write these abbreviated posts.
Again, apologies, and thank you for your understanding.
Bill
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1A Caveat ___ (“Buyer beware”) : EMPTOR
7A Spice that’s characteristic of Hungarian cooking : PAPRIKA
14A Marvel Comics mutant who can freeze his own body : ICEMAN
20A Arizona county or Indigenous people : MOHAVE
21A Tries some water, say : HAS A SIP
22A Like a win-win situation : NO-LOSE
23A ___ law, concept in computing technology : MOORE’S
24A Alternative to a nanny : DAY CARE
25A Fire starters : FLINTS
26A Contents of a flagon : ALE
27A Ole Miss athletes, to fans : REBS
29A X : CHI
30A ___ Scott, whom the Supreme Court said was not free to sue for his freedom : DRED
32A Org. not getting many happy returns? : IRS
33A Remove surgically, as tissue : ABLATE
35A “They tell me …” : I HEAR …
37A Beethoven symphony originally intended to honor Napoleon : EROICA
39A Class that might cause some high schoolers to blush : HEALTH
40A Sprawling Indian metropolis : DELHI
41A Like some bridges : DENTAL
42A “Let me check on that” : I’LL ASK
44A Expiates, with “for” : ATONES
46A Man’s name that’s 49-Across plus a letter : EVAN
49A Woman’s name that’s the first three letters of 46-Across : EVA
50A Rap battle participants : MC’S
53A Tampa Bay athlete, in brief : BUC
54A Twists off course, as a ship : YAWS
58A Witch : HAG
59A Exploited : USED
60A “Weekend Update” co-host Michael : CHE
61A All over again : ANEW
63A ___Guessr, hit online game whose players deduce locations from Google Street View images : GEO
64A Where a hurricane forms : OCEAN
66A Wish someone “Happy Birthday,” perhaps : SEND A CARD
69A At dawn, say : EARLY
71A Mammal with long whiskers : WALRUS
73A Extra : BONUS
74A They stand for art : EASELS
75A Called : TERMED
77A ___ Day, Billie Holiday’s portrayer in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” : ANDRA
78A Celebrity chef Ina : GARTEN
79A Demanding entertainer : DIVA
80A X : TEN
82A He was né Clay : ALI
83A Watchdog’s warning : GRR!
84A Words of understanding : I SEE
86A Outback baby : JOEY
87A Familiar initialism coined by a U.S. Air Force captain : UFO
88A Do-over at Wimbledon : LET
89A Kind of sauce at a sushi bar : EEL
90A Sewer in American history : ROSS
91A “Weekend Update” show, for short : SNL
92A Zipped : SPED
93A Like some alcohol … or places that prohibit alcohol : DRY
94A Not present and not excused, for short : AWOL
96A Foreign policy grp. : NSC
97A Brezhnev of the Soviet Union : LEONID
99A Cherokee and Cheyenne : TRIBES
101A Relationship featuring casual intimacy … or a hint to six pairs of intersecting answers in this puzzle : FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
108A Starbucks competitor : PEET’S
109A Spot for an ornament : CAR HOOD
110A Giants in California and New York : TEAMS
112A “Beat it!” : AMSCRAY!
115A Actor Wilson of “The Office” : RAINN
116A Rye, e.g. : WHISKEY
118A “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” : I’M THERE!
119A Like slow filers and fast drivers, at times : FINED
120A Furniture retailer owned by Williams-Sonoma : WEST ELM
121A Lives (in) : RESIDES
122A Iditarod transports : SLEDS
123A Involves : ENTAILS
Down
1D Title heroine described as “handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition” : EMMA
2D Dough : MOOLAH
3D Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek : PHOEBE
4D Driveway goo : TAR
5D As a whole : OVERALL
6D Moves elsewhere : RESETTLES
7D Tenured profs, often : PHDS
8D Small battery … or an org. that might help with a battery : AAA
9D It’s all in your head : PSYCHE
10D Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible : RACHEL
11D Book after Song of Solomon : ISAIAH
12D French cocktail made with crème de cassis : KIR
13D Mirrored : APED
14D Reasoned conclusion : INFERENCE
15D Brewski : COLD ONE
16D Bulldog fan in Connecticut : ELI
17D Santa ___ : MONICA
18D Stellar : ASTRAL
19D Van ___ Avenue, thoroughfare in San Francisco : NESS
28D Minds one’s P’s and Q’s : BEHAVES
31D Contribute (to), as one’s reputation : REDOUND
34D Been asleep, say : LAIN
35D Texter’s “Beats me” : IDK
36D Small inlet : RIA
38D Li’l : ITSY
43D One-named singer born in Nigeria : SADE
45D Skier’s conveyance : T-BAR
46D Online site for DIYers : EHOW
47D Time out, perhaps : VACATION
48D Info commonly shown on a board game box : AGE LEVEL
50D Clown around with food? : MCDONALD
51D City SE of Phoenix : CHANDLER
52D Purpose of some cameras : SECURITY
55D Reaches a shared opinion about : AGREES ON
56D Holistic contentment : WELLNESS
57D Some beans or sauces : SOYS
59D “E pluribus ___” : UNUM
62D Sport : WEAR
65D Matrix : ARRAY
67D Sun bloc? : NBA
68D Pretty ___ picture : AS A
70D Moving around : ASTIR
72D Attack : SET UPON
74D You can put a ring on it : EARLOBE
76D Back : DEFEND
78D Came back, as hair : GREW IN
79D Music’s Fatboy Slim and David Guetta, informally : DJ’S
81D Error message on a Blu-ray device : NO DISC
83D Targeted (to) : GEARED
85D Key for a quick exit : ESC
92D Boils with rage : SEES RED
95D Liberal-leaning : LEFTIST
97D Chinese “nut” that’s really a fruit : LITCHI
98D Makes small in comparison : DWARFS
99D Government debt obligations, familiarly : T-BONDS
100D 40 winks : SIESTA
101D ___ fatale : FEMME
102D Gets 40 winks : RESTS
103D Letter-shaped train track piece : I-RAIL
104D “To ___ own self be true” : THINE
105D Sharpened : HONED
106D George of “Star Trek” : TAKEI
107D Bad thing to discover in the pantry : SMELL
108D AA or JJ, e.g. : PAIR
111D Jazz singer Sylvia ___ : SYMS
113D Come to : ARE
114D “For sure” : YES
116D Org. that merged with the U.F.C. in 2023 : WWE
117D Kind of party : HEN
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