Welcome to your first Crossword puzzle of the week, which is not as intense as the Sunday one, but this should still pose a challenge. But first…

How to Play the NYT Crossword

Well, the first step here is that if you’re doing this online and not in the newspaper, you will need a full all-access subscription to the New York Times, which allows you to play online and it gives you access to all archives of all puzzle games on the site.

Past that, well, it’s a crossword. You will be given clues stretching on both directions on the board and find the letters that fill out the entire thing correctly. Clues can be tough on their own, but with multiple answers potentially in the same lettercount, they can be downright diabolical.

The puzzle has a timer to see how you’re doing for your personal bests, and don’t forget about the “Rebus” button which turns some squares into two letter spaces, which is always a nightmare. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. And with that, here’s today’s puzzle.

Across Clues and Answers

1) Pop music’s Lady ___ – GAGA
5) Kid – CHILD
10) Sandwich shop – DELI
14) Nerve fiber – AXON
15) Product of a grapevine? -RUMOR
16) Company bigwig – EXEC
17) Opposite of surplus – DEBT
18) Kind of acid that is the building block for a protein – AMINO
19) Something you click that starts “http” -LINK
20) Comfortably well-off – SITTINGPRETTY
23) Dashboard reading, for short – RPM
25) Top color in a rainbow – RED
26) Pecan or pistachio – NUT
27) Rub out – ERASE
29) What you might drive while your car is in the shop – LOANER
32) Cereal with “marbits” and a leprechaun mascot – LUCKYCHARMS
35) Above, poetically – OER
38) Like pen smudges – INKY
39) Wall for an outdoor maze – HEDGE
40) Italian volcano – ETNA
41) A white one is a wardrobe staple – TEE
42) Toy that comes out of a spray can – SILLYSTRING
44) Horse with a spotted coat – DAPPLE
46) What The Week puts out once a week – ISSUE
47) Result of putting two and two together – SUM
48) Off-roader, in brief – ATV
50) What Bart Simpson sometimes calls Lisa – SIS
51) Fowl play? … or words that can follow the starts of 20-, 32- and 42-Across – DUCKDUCKGOOSE
57) Universal building block – ATOM
58) “Nuh-uh!” – NOWAY
59) Enclose in fancy paper, say – WRAP
62) Root vegetable used for poi – TARO
63) Playing card better known as a jack – KNAVE
64) Classroom helper – AIDE
65) [I’m standing right here!] – AHEM
66) Went downhill or cross-country, say – SKIED
67) Cat call – MEOW

Down Clues and Answers

1) Gallivant, with “about” – GAD
2) Tool for Paul Bunyan – AXE
3) Flabbergasted – GOBSMACKED
4) Not pro – ANTI
5) Dog-napping spot? – CRATE
6) Muggy – HUMID
7) “Let’s do it!” – IMIN
8) Yearn (for) – LONG
9) Casually talk about one’s connections to celebrities – DROPNAMES
10) Backspace, maybe – DELETE
11) On a plane, keep in mind that the nearest one might be behind you EXIT
12) Given for a time – LENT
13) Gross – ICKY
21) Three-point hoops shot – TREY
22) Trains for a marathon, e.g. – RUNS
23) Ignited again – RELIT
24) It’s plum dried out! – PLUM
28) “The Brain — is wider than the ___” (Emily Dickinson poem) – SKY
29) Stew server – LADLE
30) Bacchanalian party – ORGY
31) Cooking appliance with a rotating spit – ROTISSERIE
33) Alvin and his backup singers – CHIPMUNKS
34) Dante divided it into nine circles – HELL
36) Ho-hum feeling – ENNUI
37) Reacts with violent anger – RAGES
40) Triage sites, for short – ERS
42) Tater – SPUD
43) DVR pioneer -TIVO
45) Dad’s noncommittal response to a kid’s request – ASKMOM
48) Desert plant with many uses – AGAVE
49) Played (with) – TOYED
51) What some tech companies mine – DATA
52) Home of Canyonlands National Park – UTAH
53) Planks strengthen it – CORE
54) Fall asleep, with “out” – CONK
55) “The Bridge on the River ___” – KWAI
56) Did some laps – SWAM
60) Hoopla – ADO
61) Place to pray – PEW