NYT Crossword Answers for May 13, 2025

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TUESDAY PUZZLE — The school cafeteria is a cultural fixture. Its symbols are instantly recognizable: the lunch lady ladling mysterious slop onto trays, a bully who teases the meek, girls and boys tittering about their crushes.

Today’s crossword puzzle, constructed by Joe Rodini, plays on one such scene from the cafeteria canon — or “cannon,” alternatively, considering the theme. While I’ve never participated in this high-octane activity myself, I’d say solving the puzzle provides a comparable thrill.

Today’s Theme

There’s an obvious answer to [Cafeteria shout] at 38A — FOOD FIGHT! We’re also told that this shout might provoke certain “moves” at 17-, 26-, 54- and 64-Across. And because the revealer clue ends in a question mark, we can expect a wordplay-based twist on the answer.

Indeed, these “moves” are punning interpretations of the cited themed entries, each of which features a food item and a synonym for a fighting gesture. It starts with a [Ladled party drink]: FRUIT PUNCH (17A). That escalates to a descriptor for [The Midwest states, agriculturally speaking], i.e., the CORN BELT (26A). A [Bone-in cut whose name became an endearment] comes in with a LAMB CHOP (54A), and the final thwack comes with a [Bright yellow creature that moves about 6.5 inches per minute]: a BANANA SLUG (64A).

Tricky Clues

1A. A mere 24 hours after citing “classic cars” as a challenging category for crossword clues in this week’s Gameplay newsletter, I got stumped by the very same. [Gremlins and Pacers of old autodom] are AMCS, as in cars of the American Motors Corporation (defunct since the ’80s).