NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

After this puzzle was created, the constructor did something to 11 squares — as suggested by a twoword reading of 63-Across before alteration.

ACROSS

1 Letter attachment? 8 Boomer born in

1961 15 Operate like a fan 16 Borg

contemporary 17 Stroll 18 Kind of ray 19 Rapa ___ (Easter

Island) 20 A long time past 22 Sanctioned 23 W alternative 25 Missouri’s ___

River 26 Sounds from kids 27 Town in England or

Nevada 28 Friday’s preceder? 29 Rolling Stone co

founder Wenner 30 Energy-filled

chargers 33 Tearjerkers? 35 Flashlight light 37 Maurice Chevalier

musical 38 Want selfishly 40 “Explanation” that may follow “because” 44 Kind of tie 45 Make breathless 47 Saxophonist Al 48 Impact result 49 Tricot and others 51 Seek damages 52 Butt 53 Dish garnished

with a lime wedge 55 Jeremy of the

N.B.A. 56 Swellhead’s trait 58 Awabi, at a sushi

bar 60 Bath locale 61 They’re

unbeatable 62 ___ analysis 63 Moderates

DOWN

1 Scoop holders 2 Military attachment 3 “Samson and Delilah” director 4 Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 ___ Minor (“Unfinished Symphony”) 5 1970 hit about a girl with “a dark brown voice” 6 Later, to Luis 7 Banned event,

informally 8 Attractive 9 Wise 10 Golfer Aoki 11 Kale source? 12 Subjects of Margaret Mead study 13 Certain bullet train

rider 14 Relatives of

Teddys? 21 Pudding starch 24 Fastener with a

ring-shaped head 26 Whack jobs 29 Nudges 31 Band parodied by Weird Al Yankovic’s “Dare to Be Stupid” 32 Enclosure to an

ed. 34 Britain’s last King

Richard 36 Munchies from

Mars 38 Ski resort rentals 39 Chucklehead 41 Coin flipper’s

declaration 42 Excel 43 Concord 44 Joint application,

maybe 46 Gas with or

without an “m” 48 Judges 49 Casey of radio

countdowns 50 “Quién ___?” 53 Itch (for) 54 “___ Rock” 57 Half of an

exchange 59 Article in French

papers