Chock Full’O Nuts, cheerleader, chump change and chest protector become JOCK FULL O NUTS (20A. Athlete who has pigged out on snacks at a bar?), JEER LEADER (31A. Chief heckler?), JUMP CHANGE (41A. Skydiver’s amended plans?) and JEST PROTECTOR (53A. Insulation from jokes?) in this weary Wednesday crossword.
Other — AMATOL (25A. Explosive of old), ASSUME (9D. Take on), BURST OPEN (11D. Explode like a puffball), CHATTER (42D. Say “Hey, batter batter batter” and such), ELTON JOHN (33D. “Rocket Man” rocker), FLOUNCE (5D. Walk with jerky motions), MASCOT (44D. Mr. Met, for one), PEN PAL (46A. Friend from afar).
Five-letter — ALLEY (37A. Place for a Dumpster), dumpster is capitalized?, AT BAY, BRONC, ELISE, ETHNO, EVILS, FOLLY, GROUT, IBOOK, JAMUP, KANJI (1D. Japanese writing system), LADLE, LATTE, LORCA, ORING, PENNE, PROLE, SCENT, SERTA, SHADE, SHUTE, STLEO, TENET, THETA, TOPAZ, TRICE.
Short stuff — ABRA, ALPO, AQUA, ATT, BET, CAPO, DUM, FLEX, GLAD, HAM, HARK, IKE, JILT, KITH, LAVE, MIA, NAIR and NOIR, ODIN (18A. Aesir ruler), ONES, OORT and OOZE, ORA, PEAL, POPS, PUCE, QUE, RTE, SCAM, STAR, STP, TLC, TREE, USO, WEEP, WIE, XENO, YEA.
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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.
Remaining clues — ACROSS: 1. Friends and neighbors; 5. Bend one’s elbow, e.g.; 9. Cornered; 14. Start of an incantation; 15. Wash up; 16. “On the Beach” author; 17. Hard-boiled crime genre; 19. Perfect Sleeper maker; 23. Interstate-championing prez; 24. Strippers’ tips, often; 28. Special treatment, for short; 29. “___ geht’s? (German “How are you?”); 30. ___ pro nobis; 36. Skewer; 37. Place for a Dumpster; 38. Juan’s “what”; 39. Lavender, for one; 40. Pesky arachnid; 43. Troop-entertaining grp.; 44. Cara ___ (Italian term of endearment); 45. Performer yukking it up; 48. Tickled; 50. Indy letters; 56. Rodeo ride; 58. Astronomy’s ___ cloud; 59. Brand for woofers, but not tweeters?; 60. Cultural prefix; 61. Purple shade; 62. Sound from a steeple; 63. Core belief; 64. Critic’s unit; 65. Primordial stuff. — DOWN: 2. Old Apple laptop; 3. Brief moment; 4. “Listen!,” old-style; 6. Chili server; 7. Escapees from Pandora’s box; 8. Alien: Prefix; 10. Angle symbol, in trigonometry; 12 “Boston Legal” fig.; 13. Truly, in the Bible; 21. Unwise undertaking; 22. Brand once advertised with the jingle “We wear short shorts …”; 26. Circular gasket; 27. Barista’s offering; 28. Back into a corner; 29. Boo-hoo; 31. Copier malfunction; 32. Beethoven dedicatee; 34. Pastel hue; 35. Sct syllable; 36. Bernie Madoff’s hedge fund, e.g.; 39. Parasol’s offering; 41. Leave high and dry; 47. Tubular pasta; 48. Mosaic artist’s material; 49. Spanish poet Garcia ___; 50. Fifth-century canonized pope; 51. Birthstone for many Scorpios; 52. Working stiff; 54. The old man; 55. Banjo accessory; 56. Double or nothing, e.g.; 57. Tpke., e.g.
