Saturday, August 31, 2019, Neville Fogarty and Paolo Pasco

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Neville Fogarty and Paolo Pasco

I celebrate two special days today - International Bacon Day and the first game of the FB season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

As the saying goes, there are two types of people: 1) Those who love bacon and 2) those that are wrong. From midsummer BLT's are a staple in our household. The wonderful bacon can be had year round but garden fresh tomatoes are the perfect complement in this. Okay, it really is important in a club sandwich as well but let's not belabor the point!

Today's constructors are Neville Fogarty and Paolo Pasco

Across:

1. Literary reminder: BOOKMARK.

9. Mideast presidential name since 1971: ASSAD - He has presided over a lot of misery

14. Dutch treat?: APPLE PIE - Is it really Dutch or Deutsch? Oh well, it's delicious even without bacon 😙

15. More green: LUSHER.

17. Regular order: THE USUAL - At the DQ, mine was a raspberry malt

18. Hoped-for airport monitor update: ON TIME - Two weeks ago my granddaughter's Newark to Omaha flight was two hours late. Bad weather over WVA force her plane's route north to fly 27. Routing preposition: VIA the Great Lakes instead. 

19. Word preceding an opinion: CENTS - "My two CENTS worth..."

20. Chided: TSKED - Hmmm... 

22. Base used often: TEN - Your computer would see 22 in base 10 as 10110 in base two

23. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright: ALBEE and 34. "Gone Girl" girl: AMY - Two movies that are unnerving portrayals of marriage

24. Longtime ISP: AOL - Not MSN it turns out

25. Common picture postcard color: AZURE - An AZURE sky on a postcard from the Cote d'Azur (the French Riveria)

28. Ones bringing charges, briefly: DA'S

30. "Gotcha": I SEE NOW - "Gotcha" as in "I understand" not "I fooled you"

32. Canal speaker: EARBUD - My bluetooth enabled hearing aids preclude the use of ear buds which I was always losing anyway

35. Buds: PALS - Non-auricular buds

36. Limit-enforcing tactic: SPEED TRAP - One site rates Sarasota, FL as the worst in the country


39. Consort of Shiva: KALI - Continuing our mini theme of unhappy couples, KALI is shown standing on Shiva's chest

42. Vientiane people: LAO - Vientiane is the capital of Laos

43. Story collection including "Robbie": I ROBOT - Isaac Asimov's nine short stories including one entitled Robbie

47. Trying to lose: ON A DIET - I am down 21 lbs but have hit a plateau 

49. Comics fight sound: BAM.

50. Blackjack component: ACE - You can have 21 without an ACE but it's not a blackjack

51. Asian noodle dish: RAMEN - 48 pkgs for $9.89

52. UFC sport: MMA - Mixed Martial Arts. About anything goes

54. Philosophical principle that rules out unlikely explanations: RAZOR.

56. 48-Down victim: EGO - A fragile EGO can be hurt by a careless 48. 56-Across damager: INSULT.

57. Diamond ploy: STEAL - A polite end to a failure to STEAL. Definitely not a 62. "Whew!" evoker: CLOSE ONE.

59. Preppy collars: ETONS.

60. Garfield's successor: ARTHUR - Chester helped make merit rather than patronage a basis for government jobs

64. Vacanza a dicembre: NATALE - Italian - NATALE è una vacanza a dicembre (Christmas is a holiday in December) 

65. Quick, provocative reactions, as to current news: HOT TAKES - Often wrong with no apologies later

66. Finish choice: MATTE.

67. Hoodwink: OUTSMART.


Down:

1. Robin's milieu: BAT CAVE.

2. Laertes' sister: OPHELIA 

3. Place for free rounds: OPEN BAR.

4. 1971 title detective: KLUTE.

5. Wack: MESSED UP - Judge Judy would say this but would omit the "H"

6. Toon storekeeper: APU - A Simpson's character

7. Vaqueros' props: RIATAS - Lasso to a cowboy

8. Kutcher's "That '70s Show" role: KELSO - Typical dialogue

9. Moisturizer ingredient: ALOE 

10. Sweet treat: SUNDAE - Religious blue laws were circumvented by changing the Y to E

11. Mach 1 flier: SST - The "Mach Meter" at the front of the cabin told passengers how fast the SST was traveling relative to the speed of sound (Mach 1). This meter shows the plane is going 2.02 times the speed of sound (about 1,300 mph)

12. Yellowfin: AHI TUNA - Know your tuna

13. Analgesic brand: DEMEROL - Another pain reliever in the opioid family

16. Starts over: RENEWS.

21. Artist who influenced Schiele: KLIMT - I learned of KLIMT in this movie

26. Marx Brothers straight man: ZEPPO.

29. Youngest to win six Grammys in one night: ADELE.

31. Its flag has two green stars: SYRIA - The left flag represents Assad's current gov't and the right one is the one that preceded Assad and is flown by those who want to overthrow him

33. 45 half: B-SIDE - I read that clue until it made sense. Oh, 45 rpm records.

34. Excitement: ADO.

37. Fictional invitation written in currants: EAT ME.

38. Seat sides: ARM RESTS - Solution for arm rest issues?

39. Hangul alphabet user: KOREAN - Gary comes out something like 게리

40. "Lolita" character Vivian Darkbloom, to Vladimir Nabokov: ANAGRAM - I wonder when Vladimir discovered that

41. Rival of boxer Robinson: LAMOTTA - Jake (The Raging Bull) LAMOTTA fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times and only won once

Jake Lamotta            Sugar Ray Robinson

44. Arm on a shoulder: BAZOOKA - A BAZOOKA is certainly classified as an ARMament and it is indeed placed on a shoulder to fire. (All right, Neville, Paolo or Rich, who came up with this clue?)

45. "Woe Is I" author Patricia: O'CONNER - $12 at Random House and grammatically correct 

46. Least gassy: TERSEST - Long-winded people can be called gassy

49. "Cat __": Jane Fonda film: BALLOU - Lee Marvin was the stole this movie and won an academy award in the process! 

53. Like action heroes: MACHO.

55. Prioritized players: A-TEAM.

58. Evolutionary diagram: TREE - A modified family tree for Henry Fonda that begins in Nebraska

61. Overhead expense?: HAT - The "overhead" expense for this HAT was $24.99 at the Pentagon Mall. It was $8.00 at the kiosk across the street from Ford's Theater.

63. Slugger Mel: OTT.

Have yourself a BLT while fresh T's are still around and don't scrimp on the B. Then leave us some pertinent or impertinent comments:

Friday, August 30, 2019 Joe Deeney

BIRD IDIOMS


18. Fat flier?: ROUND ROBIN.

A round robin is a tournament format in which every player (or team) plays every other player (or team) in order.

26. Frozen flier?: COLD TURKEY.

Cold turkey has come to mean to suddenly stop doing something.  Often associated with quitting smoking. 

40. Feeble flier?: LAME DUCK.

Referring to an elected official who is nearly powerless because they are only holding the position  until the end of the current term.

53. Funny flier?: SILLY GOOSE.

I think the meaning of silly goose has to be taken in context.  It can be playful and it can be insulting.

64. Frugal flier?: BUDGET HAWK.

One who trains the focus of a keen eye and a sharp pencil on a spending plan, looking for opportunities to pare spending.



Each theme "flier" clue was described with an adjective that began with the letter F.   5 theme clues that used only 6 different words.  Pretty neat.   Definitely consistent.

I enjoyed solving this puzzle and spotting the birds hidden in the clues.  I had no idea where we were going until I got one.    I hope you did not find this puzzle "for the birds."  


Across:

1. Letters before QIA: LGBT.  LGBTQIAPK+ and What It Means

5. "Harrumph!": PSHAW.

10. Chance in a box: AT BAT.

15. "Small world": OH HI.

16. Make it right: ATONE.

17. First two-time Nobelist: CURIE.  Marie Skłodowska Curie

20. Cuts back: TRIMS.

21. Suffix with violin: IST.

22. For whom Wednesday is named: ODIN.

23. One of a famous 154: SONNET.  A Guide to the Sonnets of William Shakespeare

24. Ignite: START.

29. Unpleasant look: SNEER.

31. Dress down: BERATE.  Refund: Rebate.  Old car: Beater.  

32. Metaphorical Donne poem: THE FLEA.

34. Rand who created Howard Roark: AYN.  From the book, The Fountainhead.

35. Old phone part: DIAL.   I posted this before.  I love how the parents? encourage the boys to figure out how it works. 


39. Half a matching set: HIS.

43. __ wrongs ...: TWO.  don't make a right.

44. Bet first: OPEN.

46. Phil's twin on "Rugrats": LIL.  Phil and Lil DeVille.  No idea.

47. Eyes slyly: PEEPS AT.

49. Baffler: ENIGMA.

52. Jet: SPRAY.

57. "Creed" actress Thompson: TESSA.  Tessa Thompson   No idea.

59. Simultaneity: UNISON.  Ballet Mécanique

60. Rick's "kid": ILSA.   Casablanca

62. Comedy club reactions: HAs.  HA HA HA HA HA !

63. Colorful four-tone toy: SIMON.


67. Vintner's concern: AGING.  Oeno stuff.

68. Didn't dine out: ATE IN.

69. Latin 101 verb: AMAT.   He loves.

70. "That's incorrect": NOT SO.

71. "It __ happened yet": HASN'T.

72. "So Sick" singer: NE-YO.   Shaffer Chimere Smith   No idea.

Down:

1. Sri Lankan primate: LORIS.  So cute.  Don't rub their bellies.


2. The Flying Dutchman, for one: GHOST SHIP.  A Tale From Holland

3. Group with an extremely high population?: BHUTANESE.   The people of Bhutan.    The country's landscape ranges from lush subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan mountains in the north, where there are peaks in excess of 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). - Wikipedia

4. Sn, on a table: TIN.   And  27. Pb, on a table: LEAD.     Elements in the Periodic Table, in Group 14 (the Carbon Group), Periods 5 and 6 respectively. 

5. Cowpoke's pal: PARD.

6. Not easily moved: STOIC.

7. Fraternize: HOBNOB.

8. Team's lack?: AN I.

9. Harmless cyst: WEN.

10. Carry on: ACT OUT.

11. Flush: TURN RED.

12. Precipice: BRINK.

13. "Mental Illness" Grammy winner Mann: AIMEE. 

14. Cross: TESTY.

19. "How about that": DO TELL.

23. Politician's positions: STANCES.

25. One sometimes accused of being blind: REF (eree).  

28. Stop producing opportunities, as a financial market: DRY UP.

30. Adjust, as wheels: REALIGN.

32. Brief while?: THO (ugh).   While I tend to agree that two wrongs don't make a right, sometimes tit for tat feels good.  Though I don't think it's always the best reaction. 

33. Pal of Picasso: AMIGO.

36. "So sad!": IT'S A SHAME.

37. Far off: AWAYS AWAY.

38. Land purchase: LOT.

41. Muppet who doesn't use the pronoun "I": ELMO.

42. Didn't give up on: KEPT AT.

45. __ Column: Trafalgar Square monument: NELSON'S.

Nelson's last and most famous battle was fought off the Spanish cape of Trafalgar, when he defeated Napoleon and the French and Spanish fleets. 

48. Mature leader?: PRE.

50. "12 Years a Slave" Oscar winner Lupita __: NYONG'O.  "12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical period drama film and an adaptation of the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. by two con men in 1841 and sold into slavery."

Nyong'o played the role of Patsey, a slave who works alongside Northup at a Louisiana cotton plantation.

51. Thought-revealing drama techniques: ASIDES.

53. Geena's "Thelma & Louise" co-star: SUSAN.   "It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, two friends who embark on a road trip with unforeseen consequences."

54. Fictional fencer Montoya: INIGO.  Inigo Montoya is a fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride.

55. Age __: LIMIT.

56. Onetime Rolex rival: ELGIN.   "Elgin was founded in 1864, right as the civil war was coming to an end. The first watch Elgin made, an 18 sized B W Raymond railroad grade watch, was finished in 1867 and over the next 100 years, they went on to produce about 60 million watches. Elgin produced their first wristwatch around 1910." -  The Elgin Watch Collectors Site

Fun Trivia ?  NBA HOF'er Elgin Baylor was named after his father's favorite watch: -  NBA.com - Legends Profile: Elgin Baylor

58. Invite as one's date for: ASK TO.

61. Email folder: SENT.

64. "Harrumph!": BAH.

65. Acting guru Hagen: UTA.

"Hagen was an influential acting teacher who taught, among others, Matthew Broderick, Christine Lahti, Amanda Peet, Jason Robards, Sigourney Weaver, Katie Finneran, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Lemmon, Charles Nelson Reilly, Manu Tupou, Debbie Allen, Herschel Savage, George Segal, Jon Stewart, and Al Pacino. She was a voice coach to Judy Garland" - Wikipedia

66. Role for Harrison: HAN.   Actor Harrison Ford played Han Solo.

Thursday, August 29th 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: Goodbye Hello Goodbye - Help! I'm stuck in here! As the reveal explains:

58A. It comes full circle as you work your way through 20-, 36-, 43- and 58-Across: REVOLVING DOOR

20A. Cookie with a whimsical name: SNICKERDOODLE. I've never had one. I resolve to try one, I'll report back. I had an Orange Julius for the first time last week and thoroughly enjoyed it, I need to start visiting the oddly delicious menu items more often. Popeye's just launched a chicken sandwich that made the culture section of the UK newspaper I read online. Truly these are great times.

Read about it here

36A. The grapevine: WORD OF MOUTH. The Grapevine is the climb out of LA on I-5 to San Francisco or Fresno. Closed in winter sometimes, we do get snow down here, contrary to popular opinion. You can still surf though!

43A. Custom: MADE TO ORDER. French fashion introduced "Prêt-à-Porter", literally "Ready to Wear" as a reaction against bespoke, expensive tailoring. A genius sandwich chain which launched in England called their stores "Prêt-à-Manger" - "Ready to Eat". Branches have arrived in New York, I'm waiting for them to make the 3,000 mile trip across the country when they open one in LA. I'll be first in line.

Nice job by Mr. Sessa - notice how the "DOOR" revolves a letter-shift at a time through RDOO, ORDO, OORD to end at DOOR. First class construction. Note the 10- and 9- letter entries in the fill too, Ed is a craftsman, without doubt. Let's see what else jumps out:

Across:

1. Respond to "Let's give it up for ... ": CLAP

5. Moves like Tinker Bell: FLITS

10. "... thou damned whale!" speaker: AHAB. Of "Moby Dick" fame, or infamy, depending on your viewpoint.

14. Gad about: ROVE

15. Like some whiskey barrels: OAKEN. Irish whiskey is my favorite, curiously most Irish whiskey (note the "e") is aged in ex-Bourbon oak barrels from the US.

16. Lawless character: XENA. Nice clue. New Zealander Lucy Lawless portrayed the title character in "Xena: Warrior Princess".

17. Turkmenistan neighbor: IRAN. IRA_ and wait for the cross.

18. Huge herbivore: RHINOCEROS. Isn't it interesting all the big African animals - the rhinos, the hippos, the elephants are all herbivores?

22. Biden's 2008 debate opponent: PALIN. In UK politics, in 1978 one debatee described being attacked by the other as "like being savaged by a dead sheep". I'll leave it at that.

23. "Fresh Air" airer: NPR

24. Although: YET

27. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love": LOTTA

31. Critical layer: OZONE

33. Torch-wielding group in "Frankenstein": MOB. Pitchforks too, if it's a proper mob. You can't storm a castle without a good turnout of pitchforks.

39. From the beginning: ANEW

41. LED component: DIODE. Light-Emitting Diode. I have a few of them lighting the interiors some of the buildings on my model railway.

42. Brute: OGRE

46. "__ Como Va": Santana hit: OYE. Carlos Santana had some genius moments of collaboration - here's Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox Twenty with Santana, the hit that that pretty much took over the radio in 1999/2000

47. Penny pincher: MISER

48. Composition: ESSAY

50. Dalí contemporary: ARP. Jean on a French day, Hans on a German day.

"Déméter"

51. Summer in la ville: ÉTÉ

54. One to the manor born: NOBLE

63. It's stressful to live in it: CRISIS MODE. Stressful? That's an understatement.

65. Counterclockwise arrow function: UNDO

66. Countless years: EONS

67. Monastery wear: COWLS

68. Monopoly card: DEED. The most expensive property on the UK version is "Mayfair", which actually is isn't a street in London, it's a ritzy district off Park Lane, the second-most expensive property.

69. Name on a box of bricks: LEGO

70. Useful thing: ASSET

71. Gaelic language: ERSE

Down:

1. Like pretzel rods: CRISP

2. Doone of Exmoor: LORNA. Set in the fictional Doone Valley in the west of England

3. Be of service to: AVAIL

4. Eyeliner applicator: PENCIL

5. Driver's warning: FORE! Golf. A word often employed by yours truly.

6. "The Wizard of Oz" actor: LAHR

7. "Just messin' around": I KID!

8. Mortise insert: TENON. One of these!

9. Nose (around): SNOOP

10. Salchow kin: AXEL. Ice skating jumps.

11. "Take it": HERE YOU GO!

12. Smart game-show vowel purchase for "D _ _ M AND GL _ _ M": AN "O"

13. English lit degrees: BA'S. Two graduates of English Lit would be Bachelors of Art, but the two degrees are BA's. English is a peculiar language.

19. Data disk: CD-ROM

21. Recognize: KNOW

25. Sweepstakes submission: ENTRY

26. Titter: TEHEE. This is one of those words that crossword constructors can spell a number of different ways to suit their needs.

28. Stir: TO-DO

29. The Chipmunks, e.g.: TRIO. "The Chipmunks", pronounced "Annoying as hell".

30. Go gaga over: ADORE

32. Herpetologist's employer: ZOO. A specialist in reptiles and amphibians. From the Greek "herpeton" - "creeping animal".

33. Famiglia nickname: MAMMA

34. Being broadcast: ON AIR

35. Support for a king?: BEDSPRING. One word or two? The interwebs are divided.

37. Chances: ODDS

38. Tuition add-ons: FEES

40. Rather small: WEE

44. Fountain near the Spanish Steps: TREVI. The Rome police have introduced fines for tourists sitting on the Spanish Steps. It seems a little harsh. The fines are not "Trevi-al" either - around $280.

45. Chimed: RANG

49. Slangy greeting: YO! DUDE!

52. Puccini opera: TOSCA

53. "__ World": "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S

55. Dumb move: BONER

56. High-yield deposits: LODES

57. Wear away: ERODE

59. Petro-Canada competitor: ESSO

60. Swearing in a monastery?: VOWS. Those cowl-clad denizens of 67A. Nice clue.

61. Not working: IDLE

62. House in a bush: NEST

63. Bit of animation: CEL

64. Anonym in a landmark case: ROE vs. Wade.

I think that about does it for me. Just time to add the grid and I'm outta here!

Steve

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 Steve Mossberg

Theme: THOUGHT FOR FOOD.  The first words of two-word theme answers can also be defined as active kitchen terms.  So let's start with today's theme song.

17 A. *Speak carefully to avoid offense: MINCE WORDS.  Usually presented in the negative, as laying it all on the line.  To MINCE a food item is chop or grind it into very small pieces, often in a machine with revolving blades.

21 A. *Yahtzee, for one: DICE GAME.  The object of the game is score points by rolling 5 DICE to get certain combinations.  I was surprised to discover it was first marketed in Toledo, my home town, in the early 40's.  To DICE food, you cut it into small cubes.

40 A. *Homemade song assortment: MIX TAPE.  A compilation of favorite music, usually by a variety of artists, on some sort of home recording device, TAPEs being quite passé these days.  To MIX is to combine various ingredients so that they are all evenly distributed.

42 A. *Vocally imitate a drum machine: BEAT BOX.  Exactly as described.

To BEAT a combination of ingredients is to stir it vigorously with a fork, whisk, or mechanical beater to make a smooth or frothy MIXture.

56 A. *Lunch from home: BROWN BAG.  To pack a lunch, typically in a BROWN paper bag designed for that purpose, and take it to another destination such as school or a work site.  You BROWN an item by heating it on a stove, typically in a skillet or pan.

65 A. Kitchen guide ... and where to find the starts of the answers to starred clues: RECIPE BOOK. A published collection of cooking directions - e.g. RECIPES - for various dishes.

Hi, Gang.  JzB here to host this dinner.  Did the theme whet your appetite for the main course? Let's grab our forks and see what Steve has cooked up for us.

Across:

1. Renovator's protective cover: TARP.  A sheet of canvas or plastic that protects floors and furniture from paint drips, dust, or physical damage during the renovation process.

5. Not so exciting: HO-HUM.

10. Soak up the sun: BASK.  Relax in the pleasant warmth.

14. "Dies __": Latin hymn: IRAE.

Almost 8 minutes - discretion is advised

15. Yoga pose: ASANA.  A posture used in hatha yoga.

16. Hatchet man __ Brasi of "The Godfather": LUCA.

Karma - not easy to watch; discretion is advised.

19. Spoken: ORAL.

20. 2019 award for author Walter Mosley: EDGAR.  Mystery writer's award name for E. A. Poe.

23. Cry of success that can also be a sarcastic admission of failure: NAILED IT.  Some days you get the NAIL, some days the NAIL gets you.

26. Ad-__: improvise: LIB.

29. "__ won't do": THIS.

30. Pinch pennies: SCRIMP.  Often partnered with save.

35. Post-op sites: ICUS. Intensive Care Units.

37. Not fooled by: ON TO.  Have it figured out.

39. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum city: HANOI.  He was the revolutionary leader who won Viet Nam's independence from France in 1954.

44. Spoken: ALOUD. Audible.

45. Poetry event: SLAM.  We humans can make anything into a competition - even the reading of poetry.

47. Hatcher or Polo: TERI.  American actors, born in 1964 and 1969, respectively.  What - no love for Teri Garr [b 1944]?

48. Status __: SYMBOL. A possession that is considered to indicate wealth or social standing.

50. Forget to mention: OMIT.  Leave out, elide.

52. Report card bummer: DEE.  Poor grade.

53. Norse mythology upheaval used as the subtitle of a 2017 "Thor" film: RAGNAROK.  The fate or twilight of the gods - a series of events leading up to a great battle, the death of many of the gods, and devastating h=natural disasters on earth.

60. Repairs: MENDS.  Fixerates

64. Marshmallow blackener: FIRE.  Camp or bon, most likely.

68. Discomfit: FAZE. Disturb.

69. Save a ton on the wedding reception?: ELOPE. How will the lack of a reception be received?

70. Not pro: ANTI-.  I'm against it.

71. Sty feed: SLOP.  For the big and little piggies.

72. Often __: half the time: AS NOT.

73. Check signer: BOSS.  Payroll.

Down:

1. Life partner: TIME.  Magazines, not companions.

2. Dry as a desert: ARID. Too dry or barren to support vegetation.

3. Tolled, as a bell: RANG. Pealed.

4. Pie nut: PECAN.  Not to be confused with pine nuts, which are in pesto.

5. Word after hee or yee: HAW.  The braying of an ass or a celebratory howl.

6. Spanish bear: OSO.

7. Most challenging: HARDEST.  Surpassingly difficult.

8. Reversed: UNDID.  Cancelled, repealed, retracted.

9. Dinosaur Jr. frontman J __: MASCIS.  This band was formed in 1984 and was one of the formative influences in American alternative rock.  I never heard of them.

10. Online journal: BLOG. A contraction of WEBLOG.  You are reading one.

11. General vibe: AURA.  I have a feeling.

12. Take in: SCAM. Here, SCAM is a verb, indicating an attempt to dupe somebody.

13. Leafy vegetable: KALE.  A cruciferous vegetable coming in several varieties with green or purple leaves.

18. Middle of Q.E.D.: ERAT.  From the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum," meaning "what was to be demonstrated, indicating that a mathematical proof or philosophical argument was completed.

22. __ Sketch: ETCHA.  Quite possibly the most frustrating toy ever invented.

24. Blue-roofed eatery: I-HOP.  For breakfast and lunch, mainly.

25. Fishing gear: LINES.  Rods and reels would otherwise be useless.

26. Succotash beans: LIMAS.  Mixed with corn, and possibly other things, like tomatoes or sweet peppers.

27. Without warmth: ICILY.

28. Full-bosomed: BUXOM.  Blessing or curse?

31. "Out of the Cellar" metal band: RATT.  This was their debut studio album, released in 1984.

32. Under the covers: IN BED. Possibly asleep.

33. Boxing legend Archie: MOORE. Archibald Lee Wright [1916-1998] was the longest reigning light-heavyweight of all time - December, 1952 to May, 1962.  He had an extraordinarily long career, from 1935 to 1963.

34. Impish fairy: PIXIE.  Diminutive mythical creatures that are childlike, active, and occasionally pranksters.

36. Incomplete Wikipedia entry: STUB.  Needs more info.

38. "Becoming" memoirist Michelle: OBAMA.  Former first lady, nee Robinson [b 1964.]

41. Add beauty to: ADORN.  Decorate.

43. Mideast noble: EMIR.

46. Scam that takes a while to pay off: LONG CON.  An elaborate scheme to trick someone into giving up money or other valuables.

49. __ Tar Pits: LA BREA.  Inside the city of Las Angeles.

51. Thick book: TOME.  Read one if you have enough Tome time.

54. Irish speakers: GAELS.  An ethnolinguistic group associated with Irish, Manx and Scottish languages.

55. Meaty fare from a falafel stand: KEBAB.  Any of various grilled meat dishes cooked in a middle-eastern stye.

56. Closest pals, initially: BFFS. Best Friends Forever.

57. Tehran money: RIAL.  Currently about .003 of a U. S. cent.

58. Rice-shaped pasta: ORZO.

59. Shed tears: WEEP. Cry.

61. Pitching gem, in baseball slang: NONO.  A perfectly pitched game with NO runs, NO hits, and NO errors.

62. "i" pieces: DOTS.  Don't forget to dot your i's and cross your t's.

63. Hits the slopes: SKIS.  Goes SKIing.

66. Wall St. debut: IPO.  Initial Public Offering.

67. Darling: PET.  Most favored individual.

That finishes off our well-rounded Wednesday entree.  Did you notice that we had two green vegetables, meat and a starch - in addition to our IHOP visit?  Is anybody else ready for desert?

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, August 27, 2019, Paul Coulter

It's Meaningless!  The first letter of each word in the theme answers (M and T), when said aloud together, sounds like EMPTY.

17-Across. Toy on a track: MODEL TRAIN.

24-Across. Native growth in an Asian orchard: MANGO TREE.  Mangos are so good in a fruit salad.

39-Across. Grilling accessory: MEAT THERMOMETER.

49-Across. Result of too-tight jeans, perhaps: MUFFIN TOP.

And the Unifier:

62-Across. Blather, and a phonetic hint to the four other longest answers: EMPTY WORDS.  The word Empty like the letters M and T.

Across:

1. Makes a hasty getaway: LAMS.

Lambs on the Lam.

5. Insect stage after larva: PUPA.

9. Bathroom wall piece: TILE.

13. Not many: A FEW.

14. Umpires' decisions: CALLS.  I initially tried Balls.  Unfortunately, it fit all too well.

16. Cabinet dept. with a windmill on its seal: ENER.  As in the Department of Energy.  There are several other items on the seal in addition to the windmill.

19. Volcanic output: LAVA.  //  And 26-Down: Volcanic output = ASH.

20. WWI French soldier: POILU.  Raise you hand if you knew this non-Tuesday word.  The word literally means "hairy" or "hairy one."  Many of the front line French infantrymen were from rural, agricultural backgrounds and wore beards and bushy mustaches.

21. Almanacs, calendars, etc.: YEARLIES.

23. Drag one's feet: STALL.

The first time I saw stalls like these was in a hotel in Beijing.

25. Philosopher __-tzu: LAO.

27. Mme., in Madrid: SRA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

28. Money for the poor: ALMS.

32. Ancient colonnade: STOA.

35. Bumper sticker word: ELECT.

42. Award for "Green Book": OSCAR.  The movie Green Book won Best Picture as well as the Best Original Screenplay.

43. Spanish appetizer: TAPA.  Yummers!

44. Ward of "Once and Again": SELA.  Sela Ward (née Sela Ann Ward; b. July 11, 1956) also starred in the in the 2019 television show FBI.

45. Korean soldier: ROK.  Another non-Tuesday word.  The Republic of Korea Army is known as ROK.

47. Springsteen's "Born in the __": USA.

54. TV monitoring device: V-CHIP.  The "V" may stand for either Violence or Viewer Controlled.

59. Directed: OVER SEEN.

60. Maine college town: ORONO.  My alma mater.

61. "Star Trek" helmsman: SULU.

65. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.  These fictional post-humans from H.G. Well's 1895 novel have become a crossword staple.

66. Gave an address: SPOKE.  Not a physical address, but an oration.

67. Foul mood: SNIT.  //  And 55-Down: In a foul mood:  CROSS.  I liked how these to clues and answers CROSSed.

68. Director Gus Van __: SANT.  Gus van SANT (b. July 24, 1952) is a film director, best know for Good Will Hunting and My Own Private Idaho.

69. Laundry blemish: SPOT.

70. Red and Coral, but not pink: SEAS.  Nailed it!  The Red SEA is between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  It's a great place for snorkeling.  The Coral SEA is off the east coast of Australia.

Down:

1. Reading lights: LAMPS.

2. Underway, to Sherlock: AFOOT.

3. TV, radio, newspapers, etc.: MEDIA.

4. "Great!": SWELL.  I first tried Super, then Sweet!, before the perps finally led me to SWELL.

5. Interest rate fig.: PCT.  As in Percent.

6. Short-lived Egypt-Syr. alliance: UAR.  As in the United Arab Republic.  It was a sovereign state from 1958 to 1961.

7. __ del Rey: L.A. beach community: PLAYA.  More of today's Spanish lesson.  Playa is Spanish for Beach.

8. Roswell crash victim, supposedly: ALIEN.

9. Stretch the truth: TELL TALES.

10. "... bombs bursting __": IN AIR.

11. Protective river embankment: LEVEE.

12. Clear from the blackboard: ERASE.

15. Hitches: SNAGS.

18. Temporary calm: LULL.

22. Composer Ned: ROREM.  Ned Rorem (b. Oct. 23, 1923) is an American composer.  In 1975, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music.

24. Sacred choral piece: MOTET.

28. Latin "I love": AMO.

29. French article: LES.  Today's French lesson.

30. Rock's Fleetwood __: MAC.

31. Tropical food that has a five-point shape when sliced: STAR FRUIT.  The fruit is quite tasty.

33. U.K. singer Rita __: ORA.  I am not familiar with Rita Ora (née Rita Sahatçiu Ora; b. Nov. 26, 1990).

34. Intensify: AMP UP.

36. Hot time on the Riviera: ÉTÉ.  More of today's French lesson.  Summer on the Riviera is a Hot Time.

37. Cartoon frame: CEL.

38. La-la lead-in: TRA.

40. Square root of neuf: TROIS.  And now for today's math lesson in French.  The square root of 9 is 3.

41. Western treaty gp.: OAS.  As in the Organization of American States.

46. "Trick" joints: KNEES.

48. Declare openly: AVOW.

49. Exodus leader: MOSES.

50. Throat dangler: UVULA.

51. Serious criminal: FELON.

52. Subs at the office: TEMPS.  As in Temporary workers/

53. "Hop __": Dr. Seuss book: ON POP.

56. "Stormy Weather" singer Lena: HORNE.

57. Mumbai's land: INDIA.

58. Twitter updates: POSTS.

63. Ring ref's decision: TKO.  As in Technical KnockOut.

64. To this point: YET.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.  ~  Lyndon B. Johnson (né Lyndon Baines Johnson; Aug. 27, 1908 ~ Jan. 22, 1973)


Notes from C.C.: 

Happy 71st birthday of dear Lemonade (Jason), who's been guiding us on Friday puzzles since March 2010. This is a picture from his trip to Oo' homeland a few years ago. Happy birthday, the king!

Oo and Lemonade