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It's Going Down

New York Times, Sunday, December 31, 2023

Author:
Matt Linzer and Rafael Musa
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
82-Across : Some adobe abodes
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
211/14/202312/31/20231
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1010000
ScrabDebutFresh
1.731757%
Matthew Linzer
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1410/21/202211/22/202410
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4000082
CircleScrabDebutFresh
11.549872%
Rafael Musa

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 140, Blocks: 79 Missing: {JX} Grid has repeated answers. This is puzzle # 2 for Mr. Linzer. This is puzzle # 9 for Mr. Musa. Sunday freshness: 81%
Will Shortz notes:
Matt Linzer, of San Francisco, is a former professional ballet and contemporary dancer who now works in graphic design and art. Rafael Musa, also of San Francisco, is a software engineer ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

The ball drops at midnight, so to answer the "after midnight" clues, follow the BALL down and then continue to the right.

1
H
2
I
3
M
4
I
5
D
6
L
7
E
8
E
9
S
10
S
11
F
12
E
13
T
14
A
15
A
D
A
16
M
E
A
N
17
T
18
S
H
A
19
K
20
A
21
O
R
A
L
22
B
23
H
E
R
24
B
I
V
O
R
E
25
P
O
W
E
R
26
B
R
O
K
E
R
27
A
S
I
A
N
28
S
I
N
29
N
E
W
Y
E
A
R
S
E
V
E
30
S
T
E
L
L
31
A
32
C
A
33
P
U
T
O
34
A
L
E
35
A
E
R
36
L
O
T
37
I
O
N
S
38
R
O
39
B
40
L
A
41
D
S
42
P
43
O
44
P
45
V
I
D
46
T
Y
47
P
E
D
U
48
P
49
L
O
H
50
A
51
N
52
S
P
I
53
C
E
T
E
54
A
55
C
O
E
56
G
R
57
U
58
H
O
S
E
59
H
E
P
A
60
N
I
61
G
H
T
62
F
O
O
T
63
B
A
T
H
S
64
A
R
E
N
65
A
66
T
R
E
O
67
L
U
C
I
A
68
W
A
T
E
R
69
B
I
L
L
S
70
S
A
T
E
L
L
71
I
72
T
73
E
74
S
75
K
A
T
I
E
76
O
T
B
S
77
L
G
A
M
E
78
T
79
H
80
A
81
T
S
L
I
F
E
82
C
A
S
A
S
83
G
H
E
E
84
M
A
Y
O
85
L
E
T
86
B
A
R
87
G
O
88
B
89
E
Y
O
N
D
90
I
N
C
U
91
R
92
S
E
93
R
A
P
E
94
S
95
R
A
Y
96
E
D
Y
97
A
R
A
98
B
99
D
E
L
100
W
E
101
A
S
L
E
102
Y
103
D
104
I
R
105
N
O
106
R
107
L
L
108
B
E
A
N
109
L
I
S
110
T
111
I
112
C
113
I
C
A
114
N
T
D
E
115
C
I
D
E
116
O
N
117
O
118
N
E
W
T
O
119
T
I
M
E
S
S
Q
U
A
R
E
120
A
U
T
121
O
G
R
A
P
H
122
Z
E
B
R
A
123
S
E
N
O
R
124
K
A
T
S
U
125
I
R
E
126
R
A
F
T
127
T
P
S
128
L
O
O
P
129
N
O
N
© 2023, The New York Times12/31/23 ( No. 27,081 )
Across
1
"That guy?" : HIM
4
Not in gear : IDLE
8
Soccer kickoff? : ESS
11
Cheese used in spanakopita : FETA
15
Antidiscrimination measure of 1990, in brief : ADA
16
Signified : MEANT
18
"Hang loose" hand sign : SHAKA
21
Sonicare competitor : ORALB
23
Before midnight: Sloth, e.g. : HERBIVORE
25
Before midnight: One with major influence : POWERBROKER
27
Like about 60% of the world's population : ASIAN
28
Sloth, e.g. : SIN
29
When to see the 86-Down : NEWYEARSEVE
30
Blanche's sister in "A Streetcar Named Desire" : STELLA
32
Reality star Theresa of "Long Island Medium" : CAPUTO
34
Blonde or brown quaff : ALE
35
___ Lingus : AER
36
After midnight: Ointments infused with cottonwood or calendula, e.g. : HERBALLOTIONS
38
Fleece : ROB
40
After midnight: Journey's "Open Arms" and Guns N' Roses' "November Rain," e.g. : POWERBALLADS
42
See 71-Down : POP
45
TikTok post, informally : VID
46
Prepared, as a report : TYPEDUP
49
Actress Lindsay : LOHAN
52
Chai, for one : SPICETEA
55
Cedar Rapids college : COE
56
"Despicable Me" supervillain : GRU
58
Hookup that might get kinky? : HOSE
59
Big acronym in purifying filters : HEPA
60
"What hath ___ to do with sleep?": Milton : NIGHT
62
Before midnight: Devices with warm water and massaging rollers : FOOTBATHS
64
Kind of rock … or where to see it : ARENA
66
Bygone Palm smartphone : TREO
67
Saint ___ (Caribbean nation) : LUCIA
68
Before midnight: Some household expenses : WATERBILLS
70
Branch offices, e.g. : SATELLITES
75
Journalist Couric : KATIE
76
Wagering sites that closed in N.Y.C. in 2010, in brief : OTBS
77
After midnight: Event for Cowboys or Broncos : FOOTBALLGAME
78
"Can't win 'em all" : THATSLIFE
82
Some adobe abodes : CASAS
83
Clarified butter variety : GHEE
84
Fourth ingredient in a classic three-ingredient sandwich : MAYO
85
After midnight: Synchronized swimming : WATERBALLET
86
Forbid : BAR
87
Before midnight: Surpass : GOBEYOND
90
Run up, as debts : INCUR
92
Mexican shawls : SERAPES
95
Beam : RAY
96
Ice cream name : EDY
97
___ Spring (2010s protests) : ARAB
99
Drag queen and TV personality Bianca ___ Rio : DEL
100
Potter's pal at Hogwarts : WEASLEY
103
ESE or NNW : DIR
105
Conjunction used in logic : NOR
107
Eddie Bauer competitor : LLBEAN
109
After midnight: Totally lose it : GOBALLISTIC
113
"Ack! All these options sound great!" : ICANTDECIDE
116
Middle name for musician Sean Lennon : ONO
118
Unacquainted with : NEWTO
119
Where to see the 86-Down : TIMESSQUARE
120
Star sign? : AUTOGRAPH
122
Final image in a preschooler's book, maybe : ZEBRA
123
Toledan title : SENOR
124
Japanese crispy cutlet : KATSU
125
Vexation : IRE
126
Rapid transit? : RAFT
127
Pranks with rolls, informally : TPS
128
Bring (in) : LOOP
129
Start to make fiction fact? : NON
Down
1
Laughs : HAHAS
2
Latin expression that's almost always abbreviated : IDEST
3
Condo-organizing Kondo : MARIE
4
Romantic profession : IMINLOVE
5
App coder, for short : DEV
6
Home to the Wat Xieng Thong temple : LAOS
7
Physicist Fermi : ENRICO
8
College athletics channel : ESPNU
9
Device placed under a tongue : SHOETREE
10
Snore, idiomatically : SAWWOOD
11
"Seriously?" : FORREAL
12
Greek god whose name is an anagram of a flower : EROS
13
Try : TAKEASHOT
14
Aspirin alternative : ALEVE
17
Sublet offerer : TENANT
19
It's got all the answers : KEY
20
BART part : AREA
22
___ Rabbit : BRER
24
Event for Cinderella : BALL
26
Foot part : BALL
31
Fighting : ATIT
33
Title roles for Norman Bates and Patrick Bateman : PSYCHOS
37
Phishing targets : IDENTITIES
39
Evacuation survival pack : BUGOUTBAG
41
Qatar's capital : DOHA
42
"Balderdash!" : PSHAW
43
Word with space or rock : OPERA
44
Lab tube with a bulb : PIPET
47
Mary Jane : POT
48
Computer circuitry components : PROCESSORS
50
Wildfire debris : ASH
51
Duck Hunt console, in brief : NES
53
Sugar source : CANE
54
Transported, as some emergency goods : AIRLIFTED
57
Gas, e.g.: Abbr. : UTIL
61
Cosmetic goop : GELEE
62
Bike ride mishaps : FLATS
63
Great time : BALL
65
Holy chambers in Judaism : ARKS
69
Wad (up) : BALL
70
"Same for us!" : SOAREWE
71
With 42-Across, "Lust for Life" singer : IGGY
72
Chevy S.U.V. : TAHOE
73
Make edits to : EMEND
74
Like some dives or jams : SEEDY
78
"I didn't need to know all that!" : TMI
79
Largest ethnic group of China : HAN
80
Bart Simpson catchphrase : AYCARAMBA
81
Go all over : TOUR
82
A mushroom's is called a pileus : CAP
86
End-of-December tradition depicted five times in this puzzle : BALLDROP
88
Umpire's call : BALL
89
Giving a once-over : EYEINGUP
91
Subjects to a tirade : RANTSAT
93
Hinging (on) : RELIANT
94
Form of algae also known as rockweed : SEAOAK
98
Physiques, for short : BODS
101
Like most award shows : ANNUAL
102
Belgian river in a W.W. I battle : YSER
103
Spacey sort : DITZ
104
Less welcoming : ICIER
106
Nonelective courses: Abbr. : REQS
108
Brewskis : BEERS
110
"The father of American literature," per Faulkner : TWAIN
111
Geek Squad specialist, informally : ITPRO
112
TV and radio host Andy : COHEN
114
Brand owned by Hasbro : NERF
115
Pool accessory : CUE
117
Mathematician Neugebauer : OTTO
121
Spanish bear : OSO

Answer summary:
13 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later, 4 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

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