I could not find any online links to our crossword constructor, Megan Heneke, so I do believe this is her debut puzzle - congratulations~! While I enjoyed solving this one, I am still kinda stumped; did I miss a layer~? Is there something about the theme that I am not seeing~? I can see the correlation between the "scientist" ( or mathematician ) and the 'object' of the clue, but I'm baffled that both LATTE an LATKE were acceptable - but that's not on the author, that's shame on the editor for not sending it back for revision; YMMV. I even tried a different parsing - as in LA WAND OR DER, since the themers all have their objects starting with "LA"; perhaps Ms. Heneke will pop by our Crossword Corner and give us some insight. I would not rate this as Friday-level, though the prevalence of single-word cluing/answers does give it that feel. Standard grid, no circles, a handful of names, a mere ten 3LWs, and no Twurds. The themers and the reveal;
21. "A bottle where the rapid decrease in pressure upon opening creates foam, please" request?: BOYLE'SLAGER - Robert Boyle is credited with discovering the inverse relationship between pressure & volume; the Wiki
26. "A light coffee, and do not drop it, please" request?: NEWTON'SLATTE - Sir Isaac Newton and his "discovery" of gravity - his Wiki
43. "I'll take my potato as a pancake (but you'll probably bring fries)" request?: MURPHY'SLATKE - Murphy's Law, which in general states that if something can go wrong, it will - I did not know he was a 'real' person - more here
50. Strict enforcement of the rules for a civil society, or how to process the requests in 21-, 26-, and 43-Across?: LAWANDORDER - the "law" man and his "order" at a bar, restaurant, and diner/cafe
1. Graduate from a balance bike: PEDAL - T.I.L. that a balance bike lacks pedals, ergo one would have to learn the skill of pedalling to 'graduate' - and a Thursday dupe
6. "Zounds!": "EGAD~!"
10. "Not only that ... ": "PLUS . . ."
14. Sauce for chipotles: ADOBO - I always thought of adobo as a marinade or rub, not a 'sauce'
15. German automaker: AUDI
16. Nana's daughter: AUNT
17. Collar clip-on: IDTAG - Think "dog" - still no canine companion, Irish Miss, struggling with establishing a set schedule, but I am visiting Cooper for the extended Columbus Day weekend in October~!
My S-I-L had their patio enclosed - Cooper approves~!
18. Hard punch: SLUG
19. Big name in morning TV: RIPA - Kelly, name #1
20. Get the gray out, say: DYE - Since changing my diet, I have noticed my hair is "less grey" than it used to be . . .
24. Caitlin Clark's home state: IOWA - Sheesh. This WNBA Indiana Fever basketball player is so unknown to me, it's practically asking me where does John Doe live~? Filled via perps, name #2
25. Topical antiseptic: IODINE
31. Small flower?: CREEK - the "flow-er", 'long O' version we see towards the end of the week
My creek, shot in January 2023
32. Raw minerals: ORES
33. "Nature" airer: PBS
36. Biblical name of ancient Syria: ARAM - Geo name #3
37. Wolverines and Badgers: TEAMS - NOUNS would have worked, too - I looked at what is most likely the "relationhip" of wolverines to badgers, came across Michigan & Wisconsin, at the extreme opposite ends of - 26D. Bracket org.: NCAA - the National Collegiate Athletics Association - more basketball, which is not my thing, and yes, I live 5mins from UCONN and their famous B-ball teams . . .
39. Canada Goose garment: COAT - filled via perps; the website
40. Inquire: ASK
41. Head of a museum?: BUST - Har-har
The Bat Bust
42. Full of passion: FIERY
46. Future resident: INTERN - Think doctors, not neighbors -I caught my new neighbor stealing soil from my creek; I hope I put an end to that~!
49. Cringeworthy, in Gen Alpha slang: OHIO - Gen X here, so this one is new to me; I not only lived in Ohio, but it's where The Golem movie was shot - so I guess it really is "weird" in Ohio . . .
53. Greek T: TAU
56. Tofu nutrient: IRON
57. Drama honor: OBIE - the Off-Broadway Theatre Award
58. Feature of some accents: TWANG
60. Smoothie berry: ACAI
61. Merino, e.g.: WOOL
62. "Pale Blue Dot" subject: EARTH - Carl Sagan, who had a "law" of his own, ( a standard ); "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"
63. Top of many an indoor stadium: DOME
64. Trawling equipment: NETS
65. Clothe: DRESS
DOWN:
1. Took care of, say: PAID - like "the bill"
2. Circular current: EDDY - NOT a name
3. Shower with love, with "on": DOTE
4. Old hoops gp.: ABA - American Basketball Association; more basketball
5. Daily record: LOGBOOK - I have kept an 'electronic' journal since January 2005
6. Causes of some grade inflation: EASYAs
7. Beach party?: GULL
The gulls in "Finding Nemo" were hysterical
8. For two voices, in music: ADUE - Dah~! Not DUET
9. Archaeologists' workplaces: DIGSITES - Nailed it
10. Mardi Gras event: PARADE
11. Video game brother: LUIGI - MARIO fit, but wasn't playing nice with others; name #3
12. Let out, as pigs: UNPEN - I really hoped this was not going to be "UNSTY"
13. Try to decipher a stereogram, perhaps: STARE - try to find the objects in the 3D images here
22. Have: OWN
23. Auction units: LOTS - better than defined as "A TON"
24. Bullet point: ITEM
27. Messes up: ERRS
28. Ineffective: WEAK
29. Unwilling (to): LOATH
30. Branch: ARM - Trunk: Leg~?
Maybe not a tree pattern, but the tights are "dee-vine" 🙄
33. Ballad writer: POET
34. Oak exterior: BARK
35. Ocular woe: STYE - how does one get an eye "UNSTYED"~?
37. __ service: TURN-DOWN - A luxury hotel amenity, where you get the mint on the pillow
38. Medium ability: ESP
39. "Ta-ta!": CIAO
41. Cutting comeback: BURN - I tried BARB, 50% correct
42. Toyed (with): FLIRTED
43. "Stop being such a jerk!": "MEANIE~!" - my mother's old email was mrsmeanie
44. Singing in some Ricola ads: YODELS
Riiiii - co - laaaaa~!
45. Shakira's "__ Wolf": SHE - More like "She-esh"; name(ish)
46. "Odyssey" prelude: ILIAD - It's all Greek to me . . . 🙄
47. Many a "Breaking Bad" figure: NARCO - I had NARCS
48. Clock-changing hr.: TWOAM - you have 71 days until Nov 1st, 2026
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