This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

Funny Business

New York Times, Sunday, January 21, 2024

Author:
John Westwig
Editor:
Will Shortz
108-Across : Backdrop
TotalDebutLatest
97/20/20151/21/2024
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2110203
ScrabbleFresh
1.7481%
John Westwig

This puzzle:

Rows: 21, Columns: 21 Words: 138, Blocks: 65 Missing: {JQXZ} This is puzzle # 9 for Mr. Westwig. Sunday freshness: 67%
Will Shortz notes:
John Westwig is a software engineer in Seattle. This is his ninth crossword for The Times. His first one appeared in 2015 when he was 17. John says, "I think I got into constructing ... read more
1
B
2
U
3
D
4
A
5
T
6
W
7
A
8
R
9
A
10
S
11
S
12
I
13
S
14
T
15
S
16
B
17
I
18
B
19
U
T
E
20
C
H
I
L
I
21
W
A
T
C
H
I
T
22
U
N
O
23
G
O
T
24
I
T
O
F
F
T
25
H
E
G
R
O
U
N
D
26
S
T
Y
27
O
P
E
N
28
R
E
R
E
A
D
29
A
N
T
S
30
C
I
A
31
F
I
C
U
32
S
33
Y
E
A
R
34
O
U
I
35
R
A
N
G
36
E
37
F
A
T
I
M
38
A
39
D
I
D
40
N
T
S
C
41
A
42
L
E
W
E
L
L
43
T
A
C
44
T
45
D
I
E
T
S
46
S
I
T
47
S
I
A
48
E
49
B
50
B
51
S
C
O
52
T
53
E
G
O
54
F
L
I
55
P
S
O
N
56
P
O
A
57
C
H
E
D
O
58
U
R
E
M
59
P
60
L
O
Y
E
E
S
61
C
O
R
R
I
D
O
R
S
62
V
A
L
O
R
63
R
C
64
P
65
T
66
O
N
E
O
N
E
67
P
E
68
W
69
N
A
V
70
T
71
U
S
H
I
E
72
T
E
E
N
73
H
O
M
I
74
E
75
T
E
76
A
S
P
O
O
N
S
77
S
U
78
F
79
F
E
R
E
D
F
80
R
O
M
B
U
R
N
O
U
T
81
L
82
A
S
T
R
O
W
83
E
R
E
84
E
U
R
O
85
L
P
S
86
A
C
E
87
A
R
T
88
G
O
O
D
89
S
90
T
I
O
91
S
92
R
A
N
93
O
U
T
O
94
F
R
U
N
W
A
95
Y
96
S
T
A
97
R
98
T
99
S
100
K
I
T
E
D
101
R
U
T
102
O
N
E
103
G
104
S
T
O
O
P
105
B
I
D
106
I
107
M
A
Y
108
L
O
C
A
L
109
E
110
Y
O
L
O
111
B
O
A
112
C
O
R
N
E
113
R
E
D
T
H
E
M
114
A
R
K
E
T
115
O
W
L
116
A
T
E
C
R
O
W
117
U
S
A
I
N
118
I
D
O
119
P
L
S
120
B
A
D
S
E
E
D
121
M
O
N
T
Y
122
E
O
N
© 2024, The New York Times1/21/24 ( No. 27,102 )
Across
1
Begin to flower : BUD
4
In conflict : ATWAR
9
Basketball stats category : ASSISTS
16
Neckwear provided at some restaurants : BIB
19
Pikes Peak people : UTE
20
One-dish meal : CHILI
21
"You're playing with fire!" : WATCHIT
22
Game night cry : UNO
23
"First, I founded an aerospace start-up, but I never …" : GOTITOFFTHEGROUND
26
Messy room : STY
27
Make the first bet : OPEN
28
Go back over : REREAD
29
Proverbial hard workers : ANTS
30
Bourne's employer in "The Bourne Identity," in brief : CIA
31
Popular indoor tree : FICUS
33
Total revolution? : YEAR
34
Ardennes assent : OUI
35
Singer's asset : RANGE
37
Daughter of Muhammad : FATIMA
39
"When that fell through, I tried my hand at fishmongering, but we …" : DIDNTSCALEWELL
43
Sensitivity : TACT
45
Common resolutions : DIETS
46
Squat, so to speak : SIT
47
Pop singer with noted bangs (and bangers!) : SIA
48
Go back down : EBB
51
J. M. Barrie, for one : SCOT
53
What Ralph represents in a Freudian analysis of "Lord of the Flies" : EGO
54
Betrays : FLIPSON
56
"Next, I pivoted into breakfast restaurants, but competitors …" : POACHEDOUREMPLOYEES
61
Passages : CORRIDORS
62
Medal-earning mettle : VALOR
63
Purchase printout: Abbr. : RCPT
66
New Year's Day : ONEONE
67
Place of prayer : PEW
69
Sat ___ (GPS system) : NAV
70
Behind : TUSHIE
72
Library section : TEEN
73
Broski : HOMIE
75
There are 768 of these in a gallon : TEASPOONS
77
"When I tried candlemaking, all my workers …" : SUFFEREDFROMBURNOUT
81
Section of the nosebleed seats : LASTROW
83
Poetic preposition : ERE
84
Lead-in to zone : EURO
85
Some music collectibles, for short : LPS
86
Whiz : ACE
87
Counterpart of science, they say : ART
88
Freight, e.g. : GOODS
90
Uncles, in Uruguay : TIOS
92
"I decided to try operating an airport, but just before launch we …" : RANOUTOFRUNWAY
96
Goes first : STARTS
100
Wrote, as a bad check : KITED
101
Moose's mating season : RUT
102
Universal donor's designation, informally : ONEG
104
Betray one's standards : STOOP
105
Bridge component : BID
106
"We'll see" : IMAY
108
Backdrop : LOCALE
110
Exclamation before an ill-advised action, maybe : YOLO
111
Creature that swallows its prey whole : BOA
112
"Finally, I decided to buy a grocery store on an intersection, but a rival had ..." : CORNEREDTHEMARKET
115
"Wise" one : OWL
116
"Enjoyed" some humble pie : ATECROW
117
Bolting Bolt : USAIN
118
Union contract? : IDO
119
Counterpart of "thx" : PLS
120
Corrupting influence : BADSEED
121
Full ___ : MONTY
122
Over time period? : EON
Down
1
"Leave me alone!" : BUGOFF
2
Heaven on earth : UTOPIA
3
Pick up on : DETECT
4
State lines? : ACT
5
Hammer wielder of myth : THOR
6
The missus : WIFEY
7
___ Butts, inventor of Scrabble : ALFRED
8
CVS competitor : RITEAID
9
Thunderstruck : AWED
10
Slump : SAG
11
Big name in jeans : STRAUSS
12
Quintessential : ICONIC
13
Turn (off) : SHUT
14
Spam holders : TINS
15
Health class subj. : STD
16
Sloan or Wharton : BUSINESSSCHOOL
17
Opposite of relief, in printmaking : INTAGLIO
18
___ wonder : BOY
24
Traditional makers of anoraks : INUIT
25
Like kale vis-à-vis lettuce : HARDIER
30
Call of a raven : CAW
32
Break, as a window : SMASHIN
34
Aid in getting a leg up? : OTTOMAN
35
Knot again! : RETIE
36
Pizazz : ELAN
38
Bow (to) : ACCEDE
40
Desert bordering Sinai : NEGEV
41
Regarding : ASFOR
42
Harry Potter's mother : LILY
44
Hubbub : TODO
48
Disney theme park : EPCOT
49
Yankees manager Aaron : BOONE
50
Absolute minimum required : BAREESSENTIALS
52
Listlessness : TORPOR
55
Soul : PERSON
57
Portmanteau pastry : CRONUT
58
1972 Bill Withers hit whose title sounds like a command : USEME
59
"Allegory of the cave" philosopher : PLATO
60
1956 Elvis hit whose title sounds like a command : LOVEME
64
Centerfold, say : PINUP
65
Bits of troubleshooting : TESTS
68
Football receiver : WIDEOUT
70
Yiddish word meaning "woe" : TSURIS
71
Eradicates starting from the bottom : UPROOTS
73
Follow closely : HEWTO
74
Zac of "Baywatch" : EFRON
76
Share a side : ABUT
78
Identity theft, for one : FRAUD
79
Snow day project : FORT
80
The 380-foot-tall Hyperion, for one : REDWOOD
81
Bit of carefree fun : LARK
82
Trendy treat of Brazilian origin : ACAIBOWL
88
Swiss cheese : GRUYERE
89
Man cave, maybe : SANCTUM
91
Bacchanalian beast : SATYR
93
Ref. work that began as a Philological Society project : OED
94
Swiss "cheese" : FRANCS
95
"Whatcha gonna do about it?" : YEAHSO
97
Cub or colt : ROOKIE
98
"Holy ___!" : TOLEDO
99
Perfect in every way : SPOTON
103
Extract : GLEAN
106
Tiniest bit : IOTA
107
Talking horse of '60s TV : MRED
108
Apt rhyme of "nude" and "crude" : LEWD
109
Send off : EMIT
111
Catchy song, in slang : BOP
112
Thing to catch in a city : CAB
113
Tobiko or masago : ROE
114
___ second : ANY

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

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
91 ms