New York Times, Saturday, December 2, 2023, Answers
New York Times, Saturday, December 2, 2023
Author:
Royce Ferguson
Editor:
Will Shortz
Covert influencer
Across
1
Like the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance, in science fiction : ATWAR
6
Dutch Golden Age painter : HALS
10
Big ___ : TECH
14
Statement upon witnessing an impressive feat : WHATABEAST
16
Fruit whose name is three-quarters vowels : ACAI
17
Annual New Year’s Day event : ROSEPARADE
18
“Freak on a Leash” band : KORN
19
“Mm-hmm” : YUP
20
A whole bunch : GOBS
21
It’s there by default : PRESET
23
Loudly lachrymates : SOBS
24
Calm : SOOTHE
25
What to do? : AGENDA
28
Statement that is, in fact, not part of the Hippocratic oath : DONOHARM
30
High-protein paste : MISO
31
Plain and blunt : BALD
33
Pace : TEMPO
34
Covert influencer : UNCONSCIOUSBIAS
37
Air pollution portmanteau : SMAZE
38
Still a contender : INIT
39
It may be raised at a table : ANTE
40
What’s spread all over southern France? : TAPENADE
42
Wing alternatives : THIGHS
44
Hands off (to) : REFERS
45
Reason to run in circles? : MEET
46
Still : ATREST
47
Less than hardly : NARY
48
___ punk (genre for No Doubt) : SKA
51
Life sentences? : BIOS
52
Constantly posting pictures and news about one’s kids’ on social media : SHARENTING
55
Beyond regulation, for short : INOT
56
“Hold your horses” : EASYDOESIT
57
Rice and Curry : TIMS
58
___ ginger, a.k.a. galangal : THAI
59
Takes orders : WAITS
Down
1
Sideways : AWRY
2
Grand : THOU
3
The fairyfly (the smallest known insect in the world) is one : WASP
4
Took something with a grain of salt, maybe : ATE
5
Boastful Eminem title with the Guinness world record for “most words in a hit single” (1,560) : RAPGOD
6
Ingredients pronounced differently in American and British English : HERBS
7
Thin cell types : AAAS
8
Stuff in microdots : LSD
9
Squash or smoosh, maybe : STEPON
10
Fall for a trick, say : TAKETHEBAIT
11
Criticizing a refusal to recycle, e.g. : ECOSHAMING
12
Work in progress? : CAREERPATH
13
When doubled, comment made with a wink : HINT
15
“The Little Prince” trees : BAOBABS
22
They get down and dirty : ROOTS
23
Bores : SNOOZEFESTS
24
“Likewise” : SODOI
25
Something critical to have : AMUST
26
Two-ingredient cocktail usually served with an olive or lemon twist : GINMARTINI
27
Breakout site : ESCAPEROOM
28
Tackling group, for short : DLINE
29
Second-most frequently mentioned individual in the Quran, after Jesus : MOSES
32
One side of a chemistry scale : ACIDS
35
Spanish little ones : NENES
36
Said : UTTERED
41
Kit for creative types : ARTSET
43
“Whoa, calm down!” : HEYNOW
45
Daughter of Catherine of Aragon : MARYI
46
“Ish” : ABIT
47
Launch party? : NASA
48
“Ciertamente!” : SISI
49
Close-___ : KNIT
50
Some Hollywood workers: Abbr. : AGTS
53
Taunting cry : HAH
54
It’s typically taken in the afternoon : TEA
Answer summary: 7 unique to this puzzle.