Tuesday, June 30, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Po' Boys - Answers with the word HERO sandwiched within them.

20A. Coastal storm concern : BEACH EROSION

34A. Follow local conventions, metaphorically : DO AS THE ROMANS DO. (when in Rome)

41A. Get rich illicitly : FEATHER ONE'S NEST

55A. Deli lunch ... or, based on a word hidden in 20-, 34- and 41-Across, what each of those answers is? : HERO SANDWICH

Argyle and C.C., our hero. Two spanners today and two different religious climbers. Unique. Progressive split of  HERO.

Across:

1. Cereal aisle regular __ Crunch : CAP'N

5. Classic Christmas stocking punishment : COAL

9. IRS submission method : E-FILE

14. "So sad!" : "ALAS!" and "Alack!" plus, 54D. Self-pitying lament : "WHY ME!"

15. Dance performed in grass skirts : HULA

16. Lag behind : TRAIL

17. Ready for harvesting : RIPE

18. Website for handmade goods : ETSY.com

19. Rooftop spinners : VANEs. Weather vane on Gary's house.

23. NBC skit show, familiarly : SNL

24. Enjoyed a meal : ATE

25. Checklist marks : TICKS

28. Prefix with sail : PARA

30. German automaker : OPEL

32. "Look at that!" : "OOH!". Got your "oohs and aahs" all set for the Fourth?

38. Web links, briefly : URLs

39. "__ out!": ump's call : YER

40. "Now I get it!" cries : "A-HA!"s

46. Org. policing Internet neutrality : FCC. (Federal Communications Commission)

47. Has yet to settle : OWEs

48. Play the lead : STAR

49. "The Family Circus" cartoonist Bil : KEANE

51. Cartoon shopkeeper : APU

52. Dawn moisture : DEW

59. Boxcars, in craps : SIXes. Presumed to resemble a pair of boxcars on a freight train.

62. Lay off : FIRE

63. Join forces (with) : ALLY

64. Halloween reward : TREAT

65. Steady stream : FLOW

66. Rock music style of the New York Dolls : GLAM. Hit the mute button and just watch them.

67. Rice field : PADDY

68. Julian and Sean, to John Lennon : SONS

69. Italy's Villa d'__ : ESTE. The Villa d'Este is a villa in Tivoli, near Rome, but there is a second one, in Cernobbio on the shores of Lake Como.

Down:

1. Dieter's count : CARBS. (carbohydrates)

2. Spock's father, but not his mother : ALIEN. Sarek is a Vulcan astrophysicist.

3. Castel Gandolfo holy retreat : PAPAL PALACE

4. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. (nanosecond)

5. Speedy feline : CHEETAH. No, not that fast, not measured in nsecs.

6. Freakish : OUTRÉ

7. "Besides that ... " : "ALSO ... "

8. Air Pops chips maker : LAYS

9. Pierre's "And there you have it!" : "ET VOILÀ!". "Tada!"

10. Mali currency : FRANC. Mali still has a relationship with France, its former colonial ruler. Hence the use of the franc.

11. "Dr. No" novelist Fleming : IAN

12. Fib : LIE

13. Above-the-street trains : ELs. (elevated)

21. Lyricist with Rodgers : HART. They worked on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs. Another lyricist: 60D. Gershwin brother : IRA

22. Checklist component : ITEM

26. Vlasic varieties : KOSHER DILLS

27. Fizzy drinks : SODAs

29. Mgr.'s aide : ASST.

30. Twistable cookies : OREOS

31. Often blocked online lewdness : PORN

33. Run the party : HOST

34. Fanny : DUFF

35. Hoover rival : ORECK. (vacuums)

36. "Reader, I married him" governess : EYRE. Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

37. Granny : NANA

42. Forthrightness : HONESTY

43. Pitcher in many still-life paintings : EWER

44. Cable station for game highlights : ESPNews

45. Small earring : STUD

50. Leading : AHEAD

51. Hank of Cooperstown : AARON. (baseball)

53. Flashy display : ECLAT

56. Does in, mob-style : OFFS

57. Farmland skyline highlight : SILO

58. Minimum __ : WAGE

59. Gas treatment letters : STP

61. Crossed (out) : Xed

 

Argyle

Note: Today is C.C.'s birthday. How cool is that, to be published on your birthday?

Monday, June 29, 2015 Patti Varol

Theme:     V

20A. *Statue of Nike at the Louvre : WINGED VICTORY. The statue First theme entry has 13-letters, hence it starts at Row 4 rather than our normal Row 3.

37A. *Had street smarts : KNEW A THING OR TWO

51A. *Jesus, to Christians : PRINCE OF PEACE

29D. Hand gesture for the last word of the answers to starred clues : V-SIGN. Very middle column of the grid.

Argyle here. Puzzle there. Carry on. Thank you, Patti V.

Across:

1. Org. protecting people's rights : ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

5. Petting zoo newborns : LAMBS

10. Huff and puff : BLOW

14. Box office bust : FLOP. Opposite of boffo.

15. Salty expanse : OCEAN

16. Parkway division : LANE

17. Biblical water-to-wine locale : CANA. "I'm going where the water tastes like wine."

18. "Little Rascals" girl : DARLA

19. Herb-infused cooking aids : OILS

23. Lucy's longtime spouse : DESI

24. Tease : KID

25. Tolerate : ABIDE

28. Month between mars et mai : AVRIL. (March, April, May)

31. HDTV brand : RCA

34. "Brighton Beach Memoirs" playwright Neil : SIMON

35. Smiley icon on a weather map : SUN

36. Fright : FEAR

41. Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer : EGAN. A Visit from the Goon Squad won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

42. Toupee : RUG

43. "__ to your health" : HERE'S

44. Triumphed : WON

45. Good, in Guadalajara : BUENO

47. Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE

48. Family members : KIN

49. Have an inkling : FEEL

57. James of "The Godfather" : CAAN

58. Golf great Palmer : ARNIE

59. Bossa __ : NOVA

61. Prilosec target : ACID

62. Cessation of fighting : TRUCE

63. Baby's bed : CRIB

64. Bic Cristal and uni-ball : PENs

65. Double curves : ESSes

66. Wriggly fish : EELs

Down:

1. New Eng. Patriots' org. : AFC. (American Football Conference)

2. Nail-removing hammer part : CLAW

3. Actress Anderson : LONI

4. Variable, like the stock market : UP AND DOWN

5. Mineral-rich deposits : LODEs

6. Maine national park : ACADIA

Cadillac Mountain Sunrise



7. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV

8. Island near Java : BALI

9. Giving in to the munchies : SNACKING

10. Transfusion fluid : BLOOD

11. Cozy hideaway : LAIR

12. One and __: soul mate : ONLY

13. Director Anderson : WES

21. Actress Davis : GEENA. I wonder if Wes ever directed Geena.

22. Up to, on invites : 'TIL

25. Cockeyed : ASKEW

26. "You got that right!" : "BINGO!"

27. "See what __?" : I MEAN

30. Sprint : RUN

31. Nostalgically trendy : RETRO

32. Yelled at a scarecrow? : CAWED

33. Got out of bed : AROSE

36. Self-employed, as a writer : FREELANCE. Also free lance, free-lance, "medieval mercenary warrior," 1820 ("Ivanhoe"), from free (adj.) + lance (n.); apparently a coinage of Sir Walter Scott's. Figurative sense is from 1864; specifically of journalism by 1882. ~ Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

38. Cut short : TRUNCATE

39. Shade of color : HUE

40. "My goodness!" : "OH, GEE!"

45. Coal container : BIN

46. Cubicle setting : OFFICE

48. Types : KINDS

50. Olympics swords : EPEEs

51. Walk back and forth : PACE

52. Ball game ruiner : RAIN

53. Goofs up : ERRs

54. Burden : ONUS

55. Apple center : CORE

56. Wicked : EVIL

57. Mushroom top : CAP. Just the way I like them.

60. Six-pack muscles : ABs

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Joann told me yesterday that Husker Gary had meatloaf, whipped potatoes and green beans for lunch and strawberry yogurt for dessert. The first non-liquid meal he had in ages. He's coming home today. Thanks for your prayers and positive thoughts during the past two weeks. Thanks for keeping us updated, Joann!

2) Melissa's daughter placed 2nd in novice and 3rd in open for bikini division in National Physique Committee Championships held in San Jose yesterday. She was the cheerleader for San Jose Sharks last time Melissa talked about her. Maybe she still is.

3) Happy Birthday to dear Barry G, the Cal Ripken, Jr. of our blog. Barry started commenting on our blog shortly after I started and missed only a few days when he was traveling for work. Barry is an avid fisherman and a terrific chef. Check out his recipe for seafood linguini. I think he also has a secret pasta sauce recipe.

  Barry, his wife & son (Joshua)

Sunday June 28, 2015 Jim Quinlan

Theme: "Slightly-off Broadway" - One letter is dropped from each play.

24A. Show about shoeless Shem? : BARE FOOT IN THE ARK. Barefoot in the Park.

39A. Show about auto club service? : ON THE TOW. On the Town.

57A. Show about an unusual car? : THE ODD COUPE. The Odd Couple.

71A. Show about sorry predators? : THE PIRATES OF PENANCE. The Pirates of Penzance.

90A. Show about inventions in the military? : PRIVATE LIES. Private Lives. The only unknown musical to me. 

104A. Show about baseball's Hodges as the life of the party? : FUNNY GIL. Funny Girl. Gil Hodges was the winning manager of the 1969 World Series.

122A. Show about a pageant contestant with rhythm? : BEAUTY AND THE BEAT. Beauty and the Beast.

I don't think the dropped letters P, N, L, Z, V, R & S (no dupes!) spell out anything. Just a tight set of  7 musicals that make surface sense once a letter is dropped.

I think this is Jim Quinlan Sunday debut. Lemonade blogged his first LAT back in April. Jim took advantage of the moderate theme material (total 89 squares) and gave us a solid grid. No obscure names or places or words in this puzzle.  Very clean.

Across:

  

1. Performs like Drake : RAPS. Drake is the Taylor Swift of rap.

5. Holy struggle : JIHAD

10. Seek guidance, in a way : PRAY

14. Start of a waste line? : HASTE. Haste makes waste.

19. Like zero : OVAL

20. Speak : ORATE. And 61. Speak : STATE

 

21. Madden : RILE

22. Toss out : EXPEL

23. Man, for instance : MALE. Tried ISLE first.

27. Indigenous Alaskans : ALEUTS

29. Tropicana option : PULP. Orange juice. Not the Vegas casino.

30. Baked __ : ZITI. Never tried it. No cheese for me.

31. Ruler divs. : CMs

32. Hole in the head : NOSTRIL

 

34. Sound often prohibited? : PEEP. "Not a peep out of you!"

36. "A Delicate Balance" playwright : ALBEE

41. Hoarse condition : CROUP. Got via crosses. I can never remember this word.

44. Snuck by : ELUDED

47. Word after top or trade : SECRET

49. Southern stew thickener : OKRA

51. Greeted the day : AROSE

52. One of 256 in a gal. : TBSP

56. Hide : SKIN

59. Common default font : ARIAL. Our blog default is Georgia.

63. Camper's utensil : SPORK

64. "Falling Skies" airer : TNT

65. VIP : BIGWIG. What Marc Maron is now. 

67. Chinese-born poker star Johnny : CHAN. No idea. Wiki said he was born in Guangzhou. That red character on his T-shirt spelled out CHAN in Cantonese.

69. Curved fastener : U-BOLT

77. Sink hole : DRAIN

78. One of three squares : MEAL. Square meals.

79. Modern reading : eBOOKS

81. Place to check your balance : ATM

84. Stop by : END AT

86. Bronze place : THIRD

89. Expensive : STEEP

93. Mustard weapon, possibly : ROPE. Colonel Mustard. Stumped me.

95. Good name for a Whirlpool spokesman? : EDDY

96. Buff : TONED

97. Turn at the tables : ROLL. Casino action, right?

98. Satisfied comment : IT'LL DO. This section remained elusive for a long time. I just could not get the crosses easily.

100. Man cave setup : STEREO

102. Close in films : GLENN. Glenn Close.

109. Weight watcher's concerns : CARBS. Not me. I love carbs.

111. Bee's knees : MOST. I wanted BEST.

113. Elton John's "__ Saved My Life Tonight" : SOMEONE

114. National Humor Mo. : APR. Crosses makes the answer easy.

116. Idina Menzel voiced her in "Frozen" : ELSA

119. One may be taken in desperation : STAB. Take a stab.

121. Give in : RELENT

127. Exam for jrs. : PSAT

128. Fab : BOFFO. Learned from doing crosswords.

129. Hedge formation : MAZE

130. Enterprise competitor : ALAMO

131. Rock follower? : ETTE. Rockette.

 

132. Composer Bruckner : ANTON

133. Went 76 on Route 66, say : SPED

134. Possessive type? : DEMON. I had DEMO? early on, but could not nail it. Stupid.

135. Slacker's opposite : DOER

 

Down:

 

1. Pizzeria shaker contents : ROMANO. So what's your favorite junk food? Pizza? This is mine.

2. Arthurian isle : AVALON

3. Most susceptible to burning : PALEST. Sunburn.

4. Clue seeker : SLEUTH

5. Contractors' destinations : JOB SITES

6. "This American Life" host Glass : IRA

7. Only nonvocal instrument in Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols" : HARP

8. Really enjoyed : ATE UP. Very similiar to how I eat my Shin noodles. Boiled egg and green onions.

 

9. Ricochet : DEFLECT

10. Ace : PRO

11. Cracker with a scalloped edge : RITZ

12. Et __ : ALII

13. Gossip : YENTA

14. Laugh syllable : HEH

15. 83-Down tool : AXE. And 83. Video game involving breaking and placing blocks : MINECRAFT. Fell easily. Never played it though.

16. In la-la land : SPACED OUT

17. Academic period : TERM

18. Chicago-based order : ELKS. Did not know they're based in Chicago.

25. TUV neighbor on some phones : OPER

26. Game piece : TILE

28. "__ chic!" : TRES

33. Hair : LOCKS

35. "Hunny" lover : POOH

37. Golden relatives? : BLACK LABS. Nailed it also.

38. Cannes coin : EURO

40. Legal document : WRIT

42. Lute family members : UKES

43. Support : PROP UP

45. British Open network : ESPN

46. Anti-bug compound : DEET

48. Pass : ENACT

50. PDF creator : ADOBE

52. PC key with two arrows : TAB

53. Brolly carrier : BRIT. I did not know the meaning of Brolly, British for umbrella. Answer slightly dupes the clue for ESPN. Hard to avoid this on Sundays.

54. [Ah, me!] : SIGH

55. Poked, puma-style : PAWED

57. Dollhouse staples : TEA SETS

58. Remotely piloted craft : DRONE

60. Many a deaf person : LIP-READER. Also got via crosses.

62. Foes of us : THEM

66. __ squid : GIANT

68. First name in lexicography : NOAH (Webster)

70. Govt. security : T-NOTE

72. Shotgun caller : RIDER. I had to ask Boomer what it means. He said the front passenger seat next to the driver is called a shotgun seat.

73. Two-handed, perhaps : ANALOG. Oh, clock.

74. Try a new line, say : FLIRT. I want RE???.

75. Like Vassar since 1969 : CO-ED

76. Scratched (out) : EKED

80. Binoculars user : SPY

81. Flats, in the U.S. : APTS. So U.S. indicates an abbreviated answer?

82. Home run pace : TROT

85. Cash box : TILL

87. Massage deeply : ROLF

88. Mark above a "See me!" note : D PLUS. I mentioned earlier, I was bogged down in this area.  Wish I had attended some sort of school here. Felt very disadvantaged over lots of simple stuff.

91. __ Bradley handbags : VERA

92. Sch. level : ELEM

94. Sitcom sewer worker : ED NORTON. "The Honeymooners". Saw similar clue before. Still got me. Never watched the show.

98. As an option : INSTEAD

99. Complimentary words from a bartender : ON ME. I was thinking of something flattering.

101. Get in line : OBEY

103. Munch : NOSH

105. Cried out, as in pain : YELPED

106. Attends : GOES TO

107. Not learned : INNATE

108. Varsity athlete's honor : LETTER. Those stacks in lower right and upper left are not easy to fill cleanly. Great job by Jim.

110. Poetry contests : SLAMS

112. Put aside : TABLE

114. Palindromic pop group : ABBA

115. Lowly worker : PEON

117. [Just like that!] : SNAP

118. Carving tool : ADZE

120. Show elation : BEAM. Lots of 4-letter words in this puzzle.

123. Supposed abduction vehicle : UFO

124. Whole bunch : TON

125. Stevens of Alaska : TED. Bridge to nowhere.

126. "Yo te __": Spanish lover's words : AMO

Joann has kindly kept me in the loop of Husker Gary's progress. Things look very promising at the moment. Gary does lots of diligent walking every day, and  X-rays are performed every morning to monitor his progress. Joann emailed me this yesterday:

"Gary called me this morning and said that the x-ray of the can barium stuff they gave him earlier in the week is now moving through out his intestinal system which is so great to hear! Gary is thinking the Doctors will start him on a diet of cream soups and puddings later today. Then they can monitor how that flows as well. We both want to make sure everything is glowing normally before he is dismissed. "

Looks like he can go home to Joann and Lily soon. You've been through so much, Gary!

Joann & Gary

C.C.

Saturday, Jun 27th, 2015, Daniel Nierenberg

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,W,Z)

Blocks: 28

  I thought I was going to smoke right through this puzzle, and maybe hit my personal best time for a Saturday - alas, it was not to be.  I started off so well, too....drat.  Ran into trouble in the top left quadrant, with three proper names and a couple of vague clues.  So I cheated on 1d.  Then I still did not get my ta-DA~! because of one letter - more later.  As for the grid, triple and double 9-letter corners with two 11-letter climbers and two 12-letter spanners;

28a. Singer with the 2002 debut hit "Complicated" : AVRIL LAVIGNE - I knew who it was right away, but then the spelling became an issue.  I was pleased to read she married Chad Kroeger from Nickelback - I like their music; according to Wiki, the two married in a medieval castle - now that's my kind of wedding~!

 42a. Constitution nickname : OLD IRONSIDES - the ship, not the document

onward~!

ACROSS:

1. NASA program for aspiring explorers : SPACE CAMP - love getting 1a. right off the bat~!

10. Subject of a 1964 Time article subtitled "Pictures That Attack the Eye" : OP ART

if it's moving when you scroll, it's working

15. Crowded locale : URBAN AREA - I was in Dover Delaware helping my good friend Mike move into his new house; he has several reasons for going down there, and I have taken an interest in going as well - I can transfer to the local UPS hub by signing up for school.  Mike's new home is about 5mins from the heart of the city, so "Firefly" was the talk of the town, Bluehen - YoUDee~! (actually, it'll likely be the Tech school for advertising design)

16. Nikon competitor : RICOH - I WAGed CANON; I could argue I was 40% correct....nice job yesterday~! ;7))

17. Empty entirely : PICK CLEAN

18. Western formation : BUTTE

19. Furniture wood : RED ELM - as a wood worker, I'd really like to get into a project made from something other than pine or oak

20. Clergyman's deg. : ThD - Doctor of Theology

22. Building __ : SITE

23. "Peer Gynt" widow : ASE - and with 24a....

24. Runner-up before RMN : AES - ....a mini-anagram going on

26. Short-tailed weasel : ERMINE

31. Dow 30 company : APPLE

34. Focus of many a botanical festival : TULIP

35. Ottoman bigwig : BEY - I thought it was "AGA", and then "REY"

36. Farm newborn : FOAL - ah, not CALF

37. When many retire : AT TEN - my first fill was TEN PM

38. Great : HUGE

39. Hogwarts redhead : RON - Harry Potter's best bud

40. 1979 sci-fi classic : ALIEN - one of my top five movies

41. Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" role : RIGGS - I managed to recall his first name - Martin - too

45. Sign of anxiety : PACING

46. Allowance holder, perhaps : CAN - JAR, PIG, DAD(~?)

47. Place to see sea monsters, once : MAP

50. "¿Quién __?" : SABE - What is this, Spanish~?  Who Knows~?

51. Announcer Hall : EDD

53. Dead Sea stronghold : MASADA - I recall having watched this in school; even tho I was 10, I remember thinking the surprise at the end made it a great story - IMDb

55. Pay : TREAT

57. Cepheus neighbor : URSA MINOR - I went with ursa MAJor to start; the "J" made it unlikley

(BTW, if I ever have kids, I'd like to name one daughter Cassiopeia)

59. Floor in the Louvre : ÉTAGE - Frawnche; can't get away from it

60. Quiet break : CEASE FIRE - yeah, that's one way to describe it

61. Corning creation : PYREX

62. Hog support? : KICKSTAND - Harley Davidson "hog"

DOWN:   

1. 1978 Toyota debut : SUPRA - DAH~!!  I couldn't think of this; Sentra? Celica?  I am excited for their new hybrid pick-up, the A-BAT, due for release 2016

2. Looks closely : PRIES - argh~!  Not PEERS

3. Tot's song starter : A B C D E - H, I, J, K....now I know uh, sumthin'

4. Decorator's target : CAKE - nice; didn't occur to me

5. Lesotho, for instance : ENCLAVE - OK, so I thought this was a Shakespearean character; turns out it's a land-locked country in South Africa - the Wiki

6. Comparatively still : CALMER

7. Exist : ARE

8. Essence : MEAT

9. Like the ancient Olympic Games : PAN-HELLENIC - "All of Greece"

10. Blake's eye : ORB - if I go to Delaware, I'll have to give up on my blue-eyed girl  :7(

11. 15th-century pope : PIUS II - I nearly nailed it; "V" or "I"~?

12. Drive on the way to Hollywood? : ACTING BUG - yeah, um, what's an acting "RUG"~?

13. Stinker, in more ways than one : ROTTEN EGG

14. Old Testament pronoun : THEE

21. Backup site : DRAIN

25. One who's easy to take : SITTING DUCK

27. NBA honor : MVP - also MLB, NHL, NFL, etc.

28. Tide alternative : ALL - nice; laundry detergents

29. Tambur relatives : LUTES

30. Most spiders have eight : EYES - I had perps, so it was not "LEGS"

31. High style : AFRO - hair style, that is

32. Place to make a splash : POOL PARTY - My B-day is in February, so my parents frequently suggested I do a summer pool party for a better turnout and more fun; I was OK with the idea because I basically celebrated twice

33. Sichuan native : PANDA BEAR

37. Separate : ALONE

38. __ Honor : HIS

40. Name from the Hebrew for "lion" : ARI

41. Alters on a desktop, maybe : RENAMES - your computer desktop

43. 2002 film with a mammoth co-star : ICE AGE

44. Table linen fabric : DAMASK

47. Fanaticism : MANIA

48. Dress : ADORN - oh, the verb, not the noun - it's part of my "47d"

49. Cut off : PARED - as say, the branches of a shrub or bush

50. Short distance : STEP

52. Square root of neun : DREI - Das German~!

54. Recipe direction : SIFT

56. '60s-'70s soul singer Joe : TEX

58. Ink __ : SAC - "JET" seemed plausible; made me question my "URSA"

Splynter

Friday, June 24, 2015 Joseph Groat

Lemonade is taking a well-earned day off, and our regular pinch-hitter is in a bit of a pinch, himself. This is my first try at blogging, so let's see if I can keep 'er 'tween the ditches and get us safely through to the other end of this bad boy. I believe this is Joseph Groat's debut in the LAT. If so, “Well done, Joseph!” I hope we see more of your work in the weeks to come.

Theme: “Tea For Me, Please.” – T sound is added to each theme entry, changing the original Z-ending sound into ST. All the key words go through spelling changes.  There are five theme answers, and since it's Friday, there's no reveal.  But there are two giant T's in the grid design.

17a. Cheater's victory? : FAUX FIRST Faux Furs. I think I've mentioned my former boss who visited a model home, and then waxed eloquent about the “faux pas” [sic] wall finishes. I almost peed my pants.

23a. Haunted house nightmare? : GHOST ON A SPREE Goes on a spree.

38a. Chicken strips on browned bread? : FINGERS AND TOAST Fingers and Toes. Too bad that initial T had to remain.

46a. Facetious tribute for Hollywood's Stone? : ROAST OF SHARON Rose of Sharon – from the Song of Solomon or, perhaps, from the Joan Baez album. Link:

59a. Big dinner for the tech staff? : USER FEAST User Fees. 

Let's see what other treats Joseph has laid out for us...

Across:

1. Fun : JEST Jest as I'll 'splain later, the J was my final fill.

5. Top : ACME

9. Org. with an eighth note in its logo : ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. They license the public performance of music and make sure the folks who wrote it get paid.

14. Title matchmaker of 19th-century literature : EMMA Jane Austen, 1815.

15. Condemn : DOOM

16. Daughter of Martin and Ida, in '70s TV : RHODA Morgenstern, played by Valerie Harper. Valerie's got incurable cancer, and was told two years ago that she had just weeks to live. She's 75 now, and still hangin' in there. Good for her!

19. Half a '60s quartet : MAMAS Michelle Phillips and “Mama” Cass Ellliot of the Mamas and Papas.

20. Custard component : EGG

21. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author : LOOS Anita Loos. It's said she never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

22. Short standards? : REGS Regulations.

28. Nine of its cast members received Emmy nominations for 1988-89 : L.A. LAW A creation of Steven Bochco, who also gave us “Hill Street Blues,” “N.Y.P.D. Blue” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.”

30. Plural medical suffix : OSES As in psychoses. The singular is OSIS.

31. Sean O'Casey's home : ERIN Or will it be Eire or even Erie? Only the perps know for certain.

32. Pretend : FAKE IT

35. Coll. instructors, at times : T.A.'S Teaching Assistants.

41. Touch with a ball : TAG Baseball.

42. 1885 Savoy Theatre premiere, with "The" : MIKADO Gilbert and Sullivan.

43. Embezzle : SKIM I prefer 2%, myself.

44. 2002 A.L. Cy Young Award winner Barry : ZITO More baseball. Dunno.

45. Reflection : GLINT

52. __ Minor : URSA The “Little Bear” or “Little Dipper”

53. Practice with poses : YOGA Not baseball. I do know; that'd be YOGI.

54. PX patrons : GI'S

57. Popcorn, e.g. : MAIZE

61. Pucci contemporary : BLASS Fashion designers Emilio Pucci and Bill Blass.

62. Not happy at all : SORE

63. Kunis of "Black Swan" : MILA Ukranian actress. Esquire Magazine declared her to be the “sexiest woman alive” in 2013. She hangs with Ashton Kutcher.

64. "Piece of cake!" : A SNAP

65. It adjoins the altar : APSE

66. Eclipse, to some : OMEN

Down:

1. Baja boss : JEFE I had originally entered HEFE, because that's the way it's pronounced. But HEST just wasn't making it any “Fun.” 

2. Kindle download : E-MAG Started as BOOK – Wite-Out, please.

3. Coast Guard concern : SMUGGLING

4. Stress : TAX

5. Parting word : ADIOS Or Adieu? Perps.

6. Barbizon school artist : COROT French. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot – not exactly a household name. The National Gallery in D.C. does own almost 100 of his paintings, mostly landscapes. 

7. Meno __: not as fast, in music : MOSSO I tried MOLTO first, but that's a breakfast cereal.

8. ER staff member : EMT

9. Sea section : ARM Bay wasn't working.

10. Note changers : SHARPS Music, not currency.

11. Promising type : COMER She's a real comer.

12. Saw : ADAGE

13. Not at all current : PASSE (I'd put an acute accent mark on that E if I knew how.)

18. Tidal movement : FLOW Throw in Ebb, Neap and Spring, and those are all the tidal words I know.

24. Loiter : HANG I learned the word “Loiter” at about age 5 at the Post Office. My uncle, the postmaster, told me to quit loitering and get out of there.

25. Eternally : NO END

26. Words of accord : AS I DO Can be hard to parse.

27. Paving stone : SETT We had this just a few weeks back.

28. Split : LEFT When bowling, at least two pins must be LEFT to form a “Split.” Right, Boomer?

29. Song often heard in a foreign language : ARIA Not in my house.

32. Ruffle relative? : FRITO A ridgeless snack alternative.

33. Want from : ASK OF

34. Kipling python : KAA From “The Jungle Book.”

35. About to shoot : TAKING AIM

36. "It's __ to tell ..." : A SIN Anybody try “Hard?”

37. List of charges: Abbr. : STMT Statement.

39. Send out : EMIT

40. City where sidewalks are decorated with Ibsen quotes : OSLO – Norwegian playwright.

44. "Moulin Rouge" (1952) co-star, familiarly : ZSA ZSA The most flamboyant of the three Gabor sisters.

45. Five-time US Open champ : GRAF Tennis, not baseball.

46. Latin dance : RUMBA Samba, Salsa, Tango, Mambo, ad nauseum. I think there's a law that the Latin dance names must be 5-letters long.

47. Challenging tests : ORALS I had one of those exams yesterday. “Open wide, please.”

48. Turk, most likely : ASIAN [Meh].

49. Online bulletin board mgr. : SYSOP System Operator.

50. Ones working on beds : HOERS My SIL remarked that when it came to weeds, she was a better puller than a hoer. Nuff sedd.

51. Go along : AGREE

55. Vacation destination : ISLE

56. Baseball Hall of Famer Musial : STAN More baseball, but I actually knew that one.

58. Foresight : ESP

59. Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show network : USA Three-letter soup. Could've been most anything.

60. Confessional genre : EMO I still don't know exactly what that is, but if it's a 3-letter genre and RAP or POP won't fit, it must be EMO. 

Time to “Split.” Desper-otto, over and out.