NYT Crossword February 8, 2025 Answers

Across

1A What may precede a blessing 5 6A School whose mascot is Big Al the elephant, informally 4 10A Studios, say: Abbr. 4 14A Flattering sort 10 16A Celebrity chef with a role in the 1995 film "Casino" 4 17A It gets inflated and goes straight to your head 10 18A Prune 4 19A Sedaris of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" 3 20A Representation 5 21A Gas-infused coffee order 5 22A Kibitzes 4 23A Plant item used in early genetics experiments 6 25A Foul moods 5 27A Keyboard shortcut for switching between Windows applications 6 28A Good, in Italian 5 29A Assessment for dummies 9 32A Capo, e.g. 5 33A ___ Jin-won, Oscar-winning screenwriter for "Parasite" 3 34A Kind of rocket that launches satellites 5 35A Crunchy, chocolaty smoothie add-ins 9 37A ___ Larsen, Harlem Renaissance novelist 5 38A Leering sorts 6 39A Hairstyles celebrated in the Black Is Beautiful movement 5 40A Feels for 6 41A River through Bristol, England 4 42A Press 5 43A Feeling associated with the color red 5 45A Middle of a date 3 48A Unguarded 4 49A Niche product of Coca-Cola and 7Up 10 51A Teacup 4 52A [This might come in handy later ...] 10 53A Hill workers 4 54A Big Board inits. 4 55A Like some high expectations 5

Down

1D Group that had a 40-year gap between its two most recent studio albums (1981-2021) 4 2D Study, study, study! 4 3D Word with cow or Communion 4 4D Lion : pride :: ___ : parliament 3 5D Snap, crackle or pop 12 6D Ties 5 7D "Days of Grace" memoirist, 1993 4 8D Providers of college courses? 9 9D Term of ___ 3 10D Common but often counterproductive response to a recurring problem 11 11D What a button mushroom becomes when it matures 10 12D "Thelma & Louise" auto, informally 5 13D Rikishi's sport 4 15D Inexperienced gamers, in slang 5 21D 2010s satirical reality series starring comedian Fielder 12 22D They may be dry or dirty 11 24D Abbott and Costello in the film "Arrival," informally 3 25D Title Toni Morrison character who lives in the Bottom 4 26D Calculated 10 27D Many Fertile Crescent residents 5 28D Covert field? 3 29D Cookie brand whose name is stylized with an exclamation point 9 30D "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria 4 31D Org. whose workers usually wear gloves 3 36D Once called 3 39D Turn away 5 40D Chef Jacques ___, holder of 16 James Beard awards 5 41D Nod, say 5 42D N.Y.C. attraction 4 44D Pro sports team named for some of its equipment 4 45D Elegy, e.g. 4 46D What an orange dot might indicate in a chat 4 47D Only U.S. president other than J.F.K. to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery 4 49D Fareed Zakaria's channel 3 50D Target of some phishing scams: Abbr. 3