Friday, Oct 30th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

 AMERICA'S MOST HAUNTED

Wanted Dead, or . . . Undead~?

We have a Halloween-themed puzzle a day early; I was unaware that we would have a similar theme yesterday, as I wrote today's blog earlier in the week, but solve the rest of the week's puzzles as they come out . . . The LA Times editor, Patti Varol, is back again with a crossword that takes common in-language phrases and gives them a trick-or-treat-ment . . . 🙄 Five themers, including a grid-spanner, totalling 61 squares, that become "creepy" puns in a timely fashion.  A solid Friday construction, maybe more names than I would care for, but I did some historical research, and found even our host & crossword master C.C. has "bemoaned" them - on Halloween, no less.  Huh.  Standard grid, no circles, no outliers, a Twurd, and thirteen names - we have a Friday the 13th coming in November.  The themers, no reveal;

17. Suggestion at the start of a Halloween decoration workshop?: MAKE-A-WITCH - Make-A-Wish; I don't have a tree in my front yard, or I'd put one of these up . . .

Here's how to make "witch crash witch craft"  🙄 

23. Expectation during a Halloween concert?: RHYTHM AND BOOS - Rhythm & Blues

Atlanta Rhythm Section - "Spooky" - but they weren't the original band

Bminor, same key as Hotel Cali- . . .

36. Apparition who only appears on Halloween in the Golden State?: CALIFORNIA GHOST - I had ghoul first - as in California girl, but no, it's the California Coast, which I see is currently threatened

Ghost,  "Faith" 🠟

49. Got separated from a spooky friend at a Halloween party?: LOST ONE'S GHOUL - Lost One's Cool - the "nameless Ghouls" are the members of the Swedish rock band Ghost, behind "Papa Emeritus V".  Now for a song about that vampire from Transylvania . . . not the Muppet, the other one

Nosferatu, off "Spectres", from Blue Öyster Cult

59. "My Halloween monster costume is so disappointing!"?: I DON'T SCARE - "I. Don't. Care."

"We're Ready to Believe You"

Buuuuuut Waaaaaait There's Mooooooan~!

ACROSS:

1. Oodles: ALOT - A Twurd to start us off

5. Mattress material: FOAM - I do the Downs first, had perps

9. Tablet downloads: APPs

13. Kidney-related: RENAL - my dad had a kidney transplant, so I heard this word ALOT growing up

15. Red inside, maybe: RARE

16. Victory lap speed: TROT 

19. Depend (on): RELY

20. Sugar suffix: OSE - fructose, sucralose ( OK, that's fake sugar ), etc.

21. Shoreline shaper: TIDE - The King Tide is the threat to the west coast

22. Yaz's team from 1961 to 1983: BOSOX - abbr for abbr - Carl Yastrzemski, played for the Boston Red Sox - not a baseball fan, but I knew this name, #1

27. Athletic honor: ESPY - The award given out by ESPN, the sports network; I see our favorite crossword WNBA player made the list . . .

28. Horn of Africa nation: ERITREA - Geo name #2

31. Omnia vincit __: AMOR - Latin, "love conquers all"

34. "Right on!": "AMEN~!"

These Halloween tights are right on

35. Dragon boat steerer: OAR - Chinese "ship", but when I punched "Dragon Boat" into Google, I get more Chinese restaurants than rowers; more here

41. Meadow mouthful: CUD - cow candy - alliteration 😜

42. Turn off the security cameras for, maybe: ABET

43. Iowa college town: AMES - Geo name #3

44. Accessory that may match cuff links: TIE CLIP

46. Sportages and Tellurides: KIAs - autos

54. Copious: AMPLE

56. Covent Garden solo: ARIA - yada yada four letter solo~?  ARIA - more about the centre here

57. Cold-sounding commercial prefix: SNO - Sno-cone, sno-caps, sno-balls, etc.

58. Rich soil: LOAM - AND - 53. Windborne sediment: LOESS - Both good for wine-making, it seems

62. Dough for pupusas: MASA

The website

63. Alaskan gold rush town: NOME - Geo name #4

64. __ fun at: POKES - hard to see the 'plural'

65. Mystery writer?: ANONymous - frequent visitors to the Corner comments section

66. "The Crying Game" writer/director Jordan: NEIL - Friday vague, and I did see the movie, back in 1992; name #5

67. Intervals: GAPS

DOWN:

1. Medieval museum display: ARMOR - When I build my castle, I'll have a suit of armor on display

2. Spot checker?: LEASH - Dog humor, har-har

Cooper-checker

3. Harmonious, in a way: ON KEY - a bit meh.

4. __ kwon do: TAE

5. End of the workweek, for some: FRIDAY - Technically, it's the "start" of my "work" week 😜

6. Like some breakfast bars: OATEN - I made my own granola, but the calories in a tray are outrageous

I divvy it up into 20 squares, 238cals each

7. Part of a circumference: ARC

8. Underwhelmed review: MEH - Friday's puzzles have been 50/50 Yeah/Meh of late

9. Intrinsically: AT ROOT

10. Briefing setting: PRESSROOM - Brief setting = Dressing room

For the ladies

11. See 24-Down: POLO - AND - 24. With 11-Down, "The Fosters" actress: TERI name #s 6 & 7

12. River that made Achilles (mostly) invincible: STYX - dipped all but his "heel", hence the "weak" term

14. Plastered strips: LATHS - Meh in the plural

18. Fraidy-cat: WIMP - fitting clue/answer

22. Sound of spring?: <<BOING>> - Har-har

25. Lovato with the 2025 album "It's Not That Deep": DEMI - name #8; her website

26. City near Anaheim: BREA - west coast, again - I get it - it's the LA Times . . . 😑Geo name #9

29. Smooth sailing: EASE - Dah~!  I tried CALM

30. Newspaper section: ARTS - not op-ed

31. Checkbook no.: ACCT

32. Home of Kahului Airport: MAUI - sounded Hawaiian, tried OAHU to start - Geo name #10

33. Tex-Mex brand: OLD EL PASO - I usually buy their flat-bottom taco shells

34. Echidna snack: ANT - learning moment; did not think of Echidna as an animal, but a place . . . turns out it's another Greek mythology figure, and the mother of Cerberus, for one

37. "F" on a test: FALSE - Five letters, therefore, not "FAIL"

38. Notice in passing?: OBITuary - Standard crossword humor

39. Credit report blot: REPO - A repossession, typically of a vehicle - I own my two cars

40. Leftovers dish: HASH - I toyed with STEW but waited on perps

45. "The Favourite" Oscar winner Olivia: COLMAN - looks like it might be a funny movie; name #11

46. Seed: KERNEL - corn - candy corn

47. Skeptical reply: "IS IT~?"

48. Showing shock: AGASP - Dah~!  Not AGAPE

The Scream

50. With 51-Down, 2019 and 2021 Australian Open winner: NAOMI - AND - 

51. See 50-Down: OSAKA - tennis, a Corner shout-out, and name #12

52. General Assembly fig.: UN REP - United Nations representative - the list, here

54. __ mater: ALMA

55. Bellyache: MOAN - Bark at the Moan . . .

OZZY~!!!

59. Travel stop: INN - How about a stop at "The Stanley Hotel"~?  it's the one from The Shining

60. Generic surname: DOE - lucky #13, didn't hafta be one . . .

61. Horologist's piece: COG - I was thinking astrology, but this is a watchmaker

Splynter

Grid Flow 24.1

Sunday October 18, 2026, 2026 Patti Varol

Theme:  "CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'" - CA is added to each common phrase. 

25A. "12-Point Type: A History"?: LIFE OF PICA. Life of Pi.

27A. Prankster?: CAPER PERSON. Per person.

45A. Cut-rate vacation rentals?: BARGAIN CABINS. Bargain bins.

83A. Motto of a therapist who uses origami to teach anger management?: PAPER PLACATES. Paper plates.

98A. Morning-after-the-wedding stories?: UNION RECAPS. Union reps

104A. Useful tool in making some Thanksgiving pies?: PECAN KNIFE. Penknife.

35D. One with next-level skills in being thoughtful and compassionate?: CARING MASTER. Ringmaster.

40D. The dog days of summer?: CANINE MONTHS. Nine months.

Our first Patti Sunday puzzle in a few years. For those who don't know, long before Patti became the LAT crossword editor, she edited both the Uptown Puzzle Club and Crossword Club puzzles for many years. Those were all 21x21 puzzles.

I like how CA is inserted at different points in the phrases, sometimes at the beginning of a word, sometimes in the middle. The base phrases are all solid and familiar, which is essential for this type of letter-addition theme. Patti prefers constructors to keep the number of three-letter entries in the 20s or fewer. This grid has only 20.

Across:

1. Come & Get It! pet food brand: ALPO.

5. "Scrubs" role for Judy Reyes: CARLA. She was the head nurse.

10. Some language exams: ORALS.

15. Escalator part: STEP.

19. Large Hadron Collider org.: CERN. The European Organization for Nuclear Research. CERN comes from its original French name, Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire.

20. Orca habitat: OCEAN.

21. Upgrade, as machinery: RE-FIT.

22. Simplicity: EASE.

23. Fizzled out: DIED.

24. Versace parent company: PRADA. Prada acquired Versace on December 2, 2025. 

30. Fortune: KISMET.

31. Corporate VIPs: CEOS.

32. Dance club version, say: REMIX.

34. Like fabric in a quilting kit: PRE-CUT.

38. Silver-white metal: NICKEL.

41. Audition hopeful: ACTOR.

43. Like a car made between 1919 and 1930: VINTAGE. After that, classic cars. 

44. "You for Me" singer Rita: ORA. And  49. Issa of "Insecure": RAE. Friendly letter combo. 

50. Chutney fruit: MANGO. I like Asian mangoes. Sweeter.

52. D-backs st.: ARIZ. And 95. H-Town ALer: STRO.  And 105. Cy Young stat: ERA.  Pattie is an avid Mets fan. 

53. Chimp kin: ORANG.

54. Helsinki native: FINN.

55. Perform terribly: STINK. 

56. Barbie's boo: KEN.

57. IRS convenience: E FILE.

58. Pickles: BINDS.

59. Rowlands with an Honorary Academy Award: GENA. Loved her in "The Notebook".

60. Poor grade: DEE.

61. Played a pipe in a parade: FIFED.

62. Figure in the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition: NORGAY. Tenzing Norgay reached the summit with Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.

63. Decorative jugs: EWERS.

65. Teams: SIDES.

66. Home network need: MODEM.

67. "MasterChef" host Gordon: RAMSAY.

69. Bank investment?: LEVEE. Clever clue. A levee protects a riverbank.

70. Word with brow or blow: LOW.

71. __ bean: FAVA.

74. Noisy, as a crowd: AROAR.

75. Driveway brick: PAVER.

76. With 16-Down, official cocktail of the city of Oakland: MAI. 16. See 76-Across: TAI. Associated with Trader Vic's in Oakland.

77. Shot in the arm, say: DOSED. Need another blood draw next Monday. That nurse always scares me, esp when she says "Oops!".

78. Eyelash treatment: TINT.

79. Basic framework: BONES.

80. Frames: RIMS.

81. Leftover: EXTRA.

82. Playpen denizen: TOT.

86. Cake mix need: EGG.

87. Traditional source of wood for baseball bats: ASH TREE. Maple is another popular choice.

89. On the periphery: OUTER. 113. Periphery: EDGE.

90. "No __!": SIRREE.

92. Had a snack: NOSHED. And  93. Fillable flatbreads: PITAS.

96. Gain back: RE-EARN.

108. Vedder of Pearl Jam: EDDIE.

109. Make mittens, perhaps: KNIT.

110. Winged archer: EROS.

111. Primer mes del año: ENERO. First month of the year,

112. PowerPoint unit: SLIDE.

114. Well-worn trail: PATH.

115. Showed again: RE-RAN.

116. Words to live by: TENET.

117. Short message of gratitude: TYSM. Thank You So Much.

Down:

1. Adapter letters: AC DC.

2. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope" speaker: LEIA.

3. Slice and dice, perhaps: PREP.

4. Coming right up: ON DECK.

5. "Priscilla" writer/director Sofia: COPPOLA.

6. Ranch units: ACRES.

7. Raise: REAR.

8. Some pub pals: LADS.

9. "Devious Maids" star: ANA ORTIZ. She played Marisol Suarez. Here she is with Susan Lucci.

10. Magic, on sports tickers: ORL. Orlando Magic.

11. Form of energy healing: REIKI. The Japanese ki is similar to the Chinese qi, meaning life energy.

12. Tack on: AFFIX.

13. "Not one word of this is true!": LIES.

14. Walking noisily: STOMPING.

15. The continents, e.g.: SEPTET.

17. PC "oops" key: ESC.

18. Split __ soup: PEA.

26. Forest plants: FERNS.

28. Hoka rival: REEBOK.  I like Asics. 

29. Highlighter hue: NEON.

33. Automatic drip-brew pioneer: MR COFFEE. A fixture in our home for many years.  

36. Tanzania neighbor: UGANDA.

37. Wee: TEENSY.

38. Claim on some menus: NO MSG.

39. Mighty mad: IRATE.

41. Correspond: AGREE.

42. Adam's eldest: CAIN.

43. Ivy, for one: VINE.

46. Tools with teeth: RAKES. Leaf-raking season is here.

47. Zodiac ram: ARIES.

48. Un-locked?: BALD. 69. Strike zone?: LANE. Fun clues.

51. Really bothers: GNAWS AT.

54. Mozilla web browser: FIREFOX.

57. Down source: EIDER. The soft down of eider ducks is prized for bedding.

58. Figure, casually: BOD.

60. Towel off: DRY.

61. Fin: FIVE SPOT. Slang for a five-dollar bill.

62. "I don't have all day!": NOW.

64. Tuner's asset: EAR.

65. Cut: SEVER.

66. Damp: MOIST.

67. Lanai furniture material: RATTAN.  Lovely woven furniture.

68. Melodic passage: ARIOSO. A vocal style somewhere between recitative and aria.

70. Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick: LAMAR.

72. Brink: VERGE.

73. Wise words: ADAGE.

75. Leader of the Holy See: POPE.

76. Attic pests: MICE.

77. Strong urge: DESIRE.

79. Big name in classic travel guides: BAEDEKER. Learning moment for me. Karl Baedeker was a German publisher whose detailed travel guides became so influential that his surname became synonymous with guidebooks.

80. Disorderly place: RAT'S NEST.

83. Primp: PREEN.

84. Island feast: LUAU.

85. Springsteen's __ Band: E STREET.

88. Clobber: THRASH.

91. "Guardians of the Galaxy" voice role for Bradley Cooper: ROCKET. Rocket Raccoon.

93. Overly inquisitive sort: PRIER.

94. Prefix with structure: INFRA.

95. Slyly cutting: SNIDE.

97. Hathaway of "The Odyssey": ANNE.

99. Just chilling: IDLE.

100. All-father of Norse myth: ODIN.

101. Roddick who was the last American man to win the US Open: ANDY. That was 2003. Holy cow!

102. __ in a blanket: PIGS.

103. Half note feature: STEM.

104. Energy: PEP.

106. Basic bed: COT.

107. Long time: EON.

C.C.

Friday, Sep 18th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

 OBI-WANTON

"You don't need to see my Mulligan . . ."

LA Times editor Patti Varol is back again on Friday - this is her fourth that I have blogged in 2026.  Another tack-on theme, with two of the fills grid-spanners, this time adding '-TON' to some common things / phrases, resulting in some punniness, and a 'defining' reveal.  I breezed through today, just one sticky square, and I was on this Patti puzzle wavelength with most of the proper names being in my wheelhouse.  Standard grid, no outlier squares, no circles, thirteen 3LWs, and ten names.  The themers & reveal;

20. Box that's unexpectedly popular?: SLEEPER CARTON

24. Lazy way to soothe hurt feelings?: NO OFFENSE BUT...TON

43. Take tiny crustaceans out for a stroll?: WALK THE PLANKTON

49. Getting heavier, or an apt title for this puzzle: GAINING WEIGHT - in this case, the answers gain a "TON", or about 2000lbs - I, on the other hand, am losing weight.  I did a weigh-in with my trainer last Thursday - the same 190lbs, but down to 26.5% body fat, originally at 43% - Yikes~!  I keep pushing him to feature me in the Big Sky gym "spotlight" email, but everytime I ask, he tells me "when you get to X" - this time, I have to be down to 24% body fat . . . the carrot at the end of the stick . . . 😖

Button Waiton, There'ston Moreton~!


ACROSS:

1. Band: STRAP

Ankle strap shoes

6. Primer lesson: ABCs

10. Printer refills: INKS

14. Provençal sauce: AIOLI - I do the Downs first, so this corner self-filled in the Across

15. Bread from a tandoor: NAAN - common crossword crust

16. Many a techie or Trekkie: GEEK - Dah~!  Not NERD

17. Fruit with a thick rind: MELON

18. Thing that has away with words?: DELETE KEY - I had "I gOt it" crossing, but once that changed, I saw the clever misdirection with 'away', and not "a way" in the clue

22. Raft: SEA - the "other" noun definition, #3 - a large collection or number

23. Fish that's a symbol of Children's Day in Japan: KOI

33. "Wow, nice!": "OH COOL~!" - Twurd(ish)

34. Approach: WAY

35. Rite answer: "I DO." - well, you'd better give the right answer, or . . . 

36. Constant critic: HATER

37. Like fresh nail polish: WET

38. Bridget's daughter in the "Bridget Jones" series: MABEL - never saw it, no clue, IMDb; name #1

40. "Big" and "Bang Bang" singer Rita: ORA - Crossword staple, just about every week now, along with Dua Lipa.  Name #2

41. "Happy now?": "SEE~?"

42. Old Spanish coin: PESETA

47. Scand. land: NORway - part of ScandINAVIA - Geo name #3

48. Routine: ACT

56. One who's in it for the money: MERCENARY

"I care . . ."

57. Nebraska rail hub: OMAHA - Friday cluing, still geo name #4

59. Fun run distance, for short: ONE K - my gym is hosting a 5K in October, or, you can just walk it 

You can sign up here

60. Foil kin: EPEE - Common crossword cutlass

61. Piercing site: NAVEL

62. Aloo mutter ingredients: PEAS

The Wiki

63. Playful growl: RAWR - 21st century crossword fill, meh.

64. __ City: Pittsburgh: STEEL - Football is back~!

22nd & final NFL season, will turn 43 in December

God bless that kind of passion~!

DOWN:

1. Waterston in the American Theater Hall of Fame: SAM - I know him as Executive Assistant DA Jack McCoy from Law & Order - name #5

2. Binds: TIES

3. Craps turn: ROLL - Crap time~?  Toilet roll . . . 🙄

4. Succulent with lace and tiger tooth varieties: ALOE

5. Misses terribly: PINES FOR - nailed it

6. Like llamas: ANDEAN - I tried HUMPED . . . 

The Dalai Lama can be found near 30D.

7. Boxer Max: BAER - Crossword friendly spelling, name #6

8. Course after trig: CALCulus - I did not "get it" in high school, so I "dropped it"

TBH, I finished the year with my worst math grade of "C" which,

ironically, was the part of  the equation I kept getting "wrong"

9. Slip past: SNEAK BY

10. "No need to explain": "I GET IT."

11. "Middle Cyclone" Grammy nominee Case: NEKO - the "K" was an educated guess from the crossing fill; her website - name #7

12. Acute: KEEN - like, say, ones's hearing 

13. Hit high in the air: SKY - think verb, not noun

19. Pants, slangily: TROUsers

21. Spa treatment: PEEL - Dah~!  Not PEDI

24. Emphatic refusal: NO HOW - I had NO WAY to start

25. Catherine of "The Studio": O'HARA - name #8

26. Eight-related: OCTAL

27. Rival: FOE

28. Clear the cobwebs, say: SWEEP

29. Down: EAT - SAD~? Nope.  OUT~? Nope.  Ah, that kind of down . . .

30. Bhutan neighbor: TIBET - or Nepal~?  I guessed wisely . . . Geo name #9

OK, they're not quite touching, but "neighbors" . . . 

31. Poetic opening: ODE TO

32. "The Odyssey" director: NOLAN - knew it, nailed it, still a name, #10

37. Tiny: WEE

38. Points out: MENTIONS

39. "Fire away": "ASK."

41. Masonic order member in a fez: SHRINER

Or maybe you prefer Steely Dan~?
( I did not realize they were hinting at slang for condom )

42. Fitness app stat: PACE - I am two minutes off from upping my PACE on the Stairmaster to level 6

44. 2026 NBA champions: KNICKS - New York - now if the Rangers could win the Stanely Cup . . .

45. Mood: TONE

46. One who's often going through the motions: LAWYER - I'm filing a motion to supress names in crosswords . . .

49. __ therapy: GENE

50. Sod layer's calculation: AREA - Don't forget, "green side UP."

51. County east of Sonoma: NAPA - Northern California - home to some of our Cornerites

52. Got taller: GREW

53. B-school entry req.: GMAT - B-school = business college, Gradute Management Admission Test

54. Give birth to: HAVE - ooof - I didn't even see this after it filled via perps - "Don't have a cow, man"

55. "Hot Girl Summer" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE - filled via perps, her website, name #11

56. Unruly head of hair: MOP 

Whenever I hear "mop top", I think "The Beatles"

58. 100%: ALL

Splynter

Grid Flow 29.5

Friday, Aug 28th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

 -URN IN HELL

"sorry, we don't serve "iced coffee . . . "

Another construction from the LA Times crossword editor, Patti's last appearance was Monday, June 8th.  I blogged her last Friday puzzle on April 27th, when she changed "W" to "V".  Today she simply drops the letter "B" from common phrases - therefore, minus the "B" - to give us an alternative and perhaps funny new phrase - with no Stray "B"s in the crossword, either~!   Standard grid today, no 'outlier' letters, nine names, Twenty-Four 3LWs, and no Twurds.  The themers and the reveal; 

18. Be time-consuming?: EAT THE CLOCK - 'Beat The Clock' was (is) a TV Game Show

29. Instruction from a lazy track coach?: RACE YOURSELVES - Brace Yourselves~!

My first thought of lazy and races . . .

47. "42nd Street," e.g.?: ROADWAY MUSICAL - Broadway Musical - I get it, -ut a -it redundant

60. Create a state of anarchy?: END THE RULES - Bend the Rules~?  I think they're -roken now

69. So-so grade, or an apt title for this puzzle: B MINUS - Sometimes, when I am improvising on the guitar, I drift into the key of "B minus"

-ut Wait There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Thurman of "Red, White & Royal Blue": UMA - name #1, crossword staple

4. Most unexpected: ODDEST

10. Axe handle: HAFT - my INCITE at 11D. gave me HILT

14. Bath rug: MAT - not a name . . . 

15. Subtlety: NUANCE

16. Important stretches: ERAS - yet another way to clue this #1 crossword fill

17. Go where one shouldn't: PRY

20. AirDrop tablet: iPAD

22. Female pig: SOW

23. __ cuisine: HAUTE

24. Drummer in the Electric Mayhem: ANIMAL - Muppets musical interlude #1

and the "other" Philthy Animal of drummers

26. "Lessons in Chemistry" actress __ Naomi King: AJA - no clue, the IMD_, see also 64D., name #2

28. TV writers __ and Marty Krofft: SID - name #3, which I recalled from my childhood

The Land of the Lost - Saturday morning awesomeness,

with Sleestak and Cha-Ka

33. Russian news acronym until 2014: ITAR - I knew this, likely from doing crosswords; name(ish)

34. Minute: WEE - my-NOOT, not MIN-uht

35. Pseudonym letters: A.K.A. - Also Known As, Thursday dupe

36. Lunch spot: DELI

37. "A Complete Unknown" subject: DYLAN - and "a complete unknown" to me; -ob Dylan was -efore my time; didn't get my "ta-DA~!", knew I made my mistake here, -ut it took two MIN-uhts to scan the puzzle -efore the V-8 can came sailing at me, and the "Y" finally dawned on me.  The Wiki, and name #4

39. Video file format: MPEG

43. Corp. leader: CEO - C-suite

45. Feel icky: AIL

46. Washed-out: PALE - not the -LUE DOT from last Friday

51. Ceiling spinner: FAN

52. __ and outs: INs - musical interlude #2

Spy in the House of the Night, -lue Öyster Cult,

"ins and outs" lyric @ 0:30

53. Show of affection: CARESS

54. That is, in Latin: ID EST - literal Latin

56. Chance, quaintly: HAP - the def

59. Dissenting body: SECT

63. Lend a hand: AID

65. Toy brand with Creator 3-in-1 sets: LEGO

66. Title for Marie Curie: MADAME - name(ish)

67. Type of A/V connector: RCA

68. Put pen to paper: DREW - not clued as a name, thank you . . .

70. Data breach fig.: SSN - Social Security Number

DOWN:

1. Official who works close to home?: UMP - Har-har.  -aseball's home plate . . .

2. Stew: MARINATE

3. Unexpected: ATYPICAL

4. At some point: ONE DAY

5. "Dance the Night" singer Lipa: DUA - name #5, -ecoming a weekly crossword staple 

6. Who __: New Orleans Saints fans: DATS - name(ish), -ut I knew this; a shout-out to our Lousiana residents

7. Opposite of exo-: ENTO - Not enDo

8. Unstressed vowel sounds: SCHWAs - the "uh" sound

9. Top pick?: TEE - BRA could not work - it might not have a B-cup, but it has a "B"

10. Goddess of death played by Cate Blanchett: HELA - I don't care for the any of the "comic -ook universe" movies, name #6

11. Stimulate: AROUSE

12. "In all honesty ... ": "FACT IS . . . " - OK, twurd(ish)

13. Clucked in disapproval: TSKed

19. Hopscotch player's supply: CHALK

21. "Sweet land of liberty," in song: AMERICA - musical interlude #4

Let Freedom Ring

24. Very dry: ARID

25. Dirt: LOWDOWN - musical interlude #3

-oz Scaggs, and a prelude to 64D.

27. Patrick's "Star Trek: Picard" role: JEAN LUC - name #7, and a shout-out to our own PICARD

He meant "-arn owls"

30. Short turnaround?: UEY - A--reviation for U-turn, I had "Uie" to start, so I got in my own way

31. Pass along: RELAY

32. Many a "What We Do in the Shadows" character: VAMPIRE - no clue, filled via perps

38. Objective: AIM

40. Indy 500 leaders: PACE CARS - Ah, those leaders.  In the year I was -orn, it crashed . . . 

This photo's we-page story, and a YouTu-e link

41. Rubber bands: ELASTICS - nailed it

42. Salon array: GELS -Dah~!  I tried DYES

44. Novelist Wharton: EDITH - first female Pulitzer Prize winner, 1921 - name #8

47. "SNL" Emmy winner Gilda: RADNER - name #9

48. Jumpy: ON EDGE - see -elow

49. Meditation retreat: ASHRAM -  I am attending a 12-Step retreat next month

50. Mouths off to: SASSES - Not "on edge" - of the grid, that is; crossword friendly letters

51. Area of study: FIELD

55. Stash securely: STOW

57. Bavaria-based automaker: AUDI - here's their R8

A few of my favorite things

-avarian Castles, Cars, and Cuties

58. Map out: PLAN

61. Diplomatic HQ: EMBassy, the crossing ''B" and an a--reviated headquarters

62. Bird in the bush: EMU - Ah.  The Australian  -ush; G'day, mate

64. Karate level: DAN - musical interlude #5 - I could have gone with Steely Dan's "Aja", -ut that's already in the puzzle, so here's

Do It Again, in the key of G - minus . . . 🙄

Splynter

Grid Flow 34.9