Across
- 5. – Smiling company in a conversation
- 7. – So common, it’s yawningly forgettable
- 10. – Elegantly lazy
- 13. – Side-by-side, but not quite intertwined
- 14. – Rock-solid in opinion, literally and figuratively
- 17. – Living wild with no moral compass
- 18. – Prop up with pillow—or support
- 20. – Uninvited, unrelated, unnecessary
- 22. – Santa Claus’ default mood
- 23. – Flattery with a purpose
- 24. – Surrender, sometimes without a white flag
- 27. – Peel off skin—or someone’s reputation
- 29. – A playlist with taste from everywhere
- 31. – A fiasco in full public view
- 34. – Tear into someone—verbally, not literally
- 35. – Rules? Morals? What are those?
- 36. – Build minds, not walls
- 39. – Running on empty
- 40. – Ruled by whims, not reason
Down
- 1. – So bad, it’s practically bottomless
- 2. – Teaching with a touch of preaching
- 3. – Results speak for it
- 4. – Logically irresistible
- 6. – Brave to the point of bold
- 8. – Not the kind of conditions you’d wish for
- 9. – Government with sticky fingers
- 11. – Lost steam, in a legal or stormy sense
- 12. – Wise with timing and words
- 15. – Rant with rhetorical teeth
- 16. – It’s the soul of wit, they say
- 19. – Side-by-side contrast for impact
- 21. – Makes good things more likely
- 22. – A brisk little adventure
- 25. – Peace-seeking in a diplomatic tone
- 26. – Sharp—whether blade, mind, or enthusiasm
- 28. – No filters, no spin
- 30. – Crafty in the best way
- 32. – Charm... but with an agenda
- 33. – Green in life experience
- 37. – Harmful, but in a sneaky way
- 38. – Words only insiders pretend to understand