10D. This one made me laugh out loud. Instead of referring to the ice cream flavor, this clue hints at pavement. The ingredient that might make a road rocky is ASPHALT. 28D. A [Colleague who might be solutions-oriented?] might be someone who likes to fix problems, but one’s LAB PARTNER would more likely be involved with chemical solutions.

Jonathan Baude spent 20 years trying to get published in the NY Times crossword. At 18, he got his first rejection. At 38, he finally got his yes.