Monday November 4, 2024 Christina Bodensiek, Lydia Roth, and Geoffrey Schorkopf

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here.

Theme:

Mine find, Pay dirt, Catan resource, Bank deposit, Vein contents,

You can dig it, Underground riches, Extracted resource, etc.

(These are all clues for a common crossword fill, ORE.)

Today's trio of debut constructors have supplied us with four fun themers:

17 Across. Defiant retort to a vague threat: OR ELSE WHAT?.  

23 Across. Compilations of acting clips: DEMO REELS.  A DEMO REEL is a 1-2 minute series of clips that showcase one's acting ability. It gives a casting director a sense of whether someone might be right or wrong for a part.

49 Across. "Out of the office" email message, often: AUTO REPLY.  

59 Across. Quality-over-quantity axiom: LESS IS MORE.  German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) is credited with first using this quote. Another quote attributed to him is, "God is in the details." He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.  

Mies van der Rohe designed the Barcelona Chair in 1929.

The reveal spans the equator:

37 Across. Experimental music genre, and what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters?: PROGRESSIVE ROCK.  Guess who's favorite band fits this genre? Yep, here is a Rush fix for -T with Tom Sawyer (1981).  

ORE is a type of ROCK that contains minerals. Our constructors have skillfully arranged their themed answers so that the letters O-R-E are PROGRESSIng across the grid from the top-left to the bottom-right. The circles help to emphasize this pattern. Notice how they match their symmetrical partners. Well done!

Across:

1. U.K. TV network: BBC.  "United Kingdom" is abbreviated, so is "British Broadcasting Corporation", sometimes called "The Beeb" or "Auntie".

4. More than capable: ADEPT.

9. Leave damaged: SCAR.

13. Hard to find: RARE.

15. Old-school, but cool: RETRO.  This RETRO outfit is a salute to 36-Across.  more RETRO fashion

16. Like takeout meals: TO GO.  I do more take-a-way than eat-in because I can add extra veggies at home and stretch it into two meals.

19. Regrets: RUES.

20. Peak performance on the field: A-GAME.

21. Superficially attractive thing: EYE CANDY.  EYE CANDY was on my short list for my recent Dance Moves puzzle, but I could not fit it in.  

26. That fella's: HIS.

27. Costco rival, familiarly: SAM'S.  Here is a price comparison article from August 2024.

28. Many a business on a Napa Valley tour: WINERY.  

31. Female pig: SOW.

34. Pro's opposite: CON.  

36. Pilot Earhart: AMELIA.  Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, KS. She set many early aviation records, including first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. (Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock later accomplished this feat in 1964.)

41. Country singer Underwood: CARRIE.  Carrie Marie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983 in Muskogee, OK. She is a singer/songwriter and winner of the fourth season of American Idol (2005).

42. 16th pres.: ABE.

43. Hi-__ monitor: RES.

44. Nondairy milk source: ALMOND.  This is my recipe:  Soak 1 cup almonds overnight then drain. Use a high-powered blender to blend 4 cups water, the soaked almonds, and 1 tsp. pure maple syrup. Some people run it through cheesecloth but I do not bother.

45. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.     and     57 Across. Chaotic struggle: MELEE.  

That reminds me, don't forget to vote tomorrow.

48. Possessed: HAD.  Mary HAD a little lamb....

54. Attention-grabbing advertisement: NEON SIGN.  This picture is from the 1960s. Vegas Vic was the largest, mechanical (His arm moved.), NEON SIGN in the world.

58. New Haven Ivy: YALE.  The capital "I" is a hint. YALE is an Ivy League school located in New Haven, Connecticut. There are eight Ivy League schools.

62. Billie Eilish's "Happier Than __": EVER.  This one had a little too much profanity to pass the 'breakfast test' but I can tell you that Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell was born December 18, 2001 in Los Angeles. She is the youngest person to have won two Oscars. Both were for Best Original Song.

63. Weak-__: cowardly: KNEED.

64. Mark on a dalmatian's coat: SPOT.  Here's a nail-biter from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).   

65. Detective Monaghan in Laura Lippman novels: TESS.  There are 12 books in the Tess Monaghan series plus two others. The first, Baltimore Blues, was published in 1997.

66. T-bone, for one: STEAK.

67. Pt. of GPS: SYS.  SYStem is part of Global Positioning System.

Down:

1. Covering a wide scope: BROAD.

2. Canal vessel: BARGE.  A BARGE is a roomy, usually flat-bottomed boat used chiefly for the transport of goods on inland waterways (often canals) and is usually propelled by towing.

3. Alfredo sauce ingredient: CREAM.  

4. "__ you serious?": ARE.  

5. Dawn droplets: DEW.  

6. Neighbor of Lucy and Ricky: ETHEL.  Vivian Vance (1909 - 1979) from Cherryvale, KS played Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy. This is the famous Chocolate Factory sketch from 1952. (3:07 min.)

7. Performs salah, e.g.: PRAYS.  How-to Guide

8. Canvas bag: TOTE.  

9. Kitchen colander: STRAINER.  I have a weakness for buying these. Is thirteen too many???  

10. Summer camp staffer: COUNSELOR.  

11. __ like milk: looked bad in hindsight: AGED.  I cannot recall hearing this expression before today. It means something AGED badly. Cheese lovers might raise an objection.

12. Flushed: ROSY.  

Chamber Music  ~  Paolo Nutini  ~  2009

a simple ditty that earns its name at 1:10

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

18. Repeated word in a Doris Day hit: SERA.  Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)  

Doris Day sang this song for Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 movie, 

The Man Who Knew Too Much.

It won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

22. Doorbell sound: CHIME.  

24. Roasted, hosted, or toasted: EMCEED.  Great clue!

25. Spanish "those": ESOS.  Use this demonstrative adjective for things that are plural, masculine, and not close by.

28. Greet from afar: WAVE TO.

29. __ and beans: RICE.  Why You Should Eat More RICE and Beans

30. Chatters on and on: YAKS.

31. "Adopt, don't shop" org.: SPCA.  

The slogan encourages people to consider a shelter before going to a breeder.

32. Like some thermometers: ORAL.  

33. Hypothetical space-time shortcuts: WORMHOLES.  From nasa.gov :

(Click to enlarge.)

35. Org. that oversees a cryptologic museum: NSA.  National Security Agency 

about the museum

38. Dad jokes, often: GROANERS.  Such a great fill word! Here are three dad jokes for November:

What is the most negative month of the year?  NO-vember

Why did the pilgrim's pants keep falling down?  Because his buckle was on his hat.

When does December come before November?  In the dictionary.

Ba-dum-tss

39. Melon discards: RINDS.  

worms enjoying watermelon RINDS in my compost pile

40. Skeptical scoff: I BET.  I like the alliteration in this clue.

Here is Taylor Swift's I Bet You Think About Me (2021). It is speculated she wrote it for actor Jake Gyllenhaal. I BET there are a lot of people who identify with sending this message to an ex.

46. Upper limbs: ARMS.

47. Is rife (with): TEEMS.  Just FYI, an obsolete definition of TEEM is "to become pregnant; conceive."

49. Professional dealmaker: AGENT.  An AGENT is a representative who advises clients in a certain area of expertise. Agents represent athletes, writers, models, actors, producers, performers, and other celebrities. Jerry Maguire is a movie about a sports AGENT (1996).  

50. "Ugh, I'll never be able to __ that!": UNSEE.

51. Sits (down): PLOPS.

52. "Sleigh Ride" composer Anderson: LEROY.  Fast-forward to December...  

53. Throws away, slangily: YEETS.  I still have yet to encounter YEET 'in the wild'. Did we learn this word from Marie Kondo? I have to admit, I now smile when I see it in a puzzle.

54. Russian refusal: NYET.  Some solvers say, "NYET" to "YEETS".

55. Roof overhang: EAVE.

56. Varieties: ILKS.  Def. (noun) sorts, kinds.

60. Poseidon's realm: SEA.

61. "No clue," for short: IDK.  I Don't Know ... but I have a WAG!

That wraps things up for today. Don't be sore. It's not forever. We'll talk more next time!

Sunday, November 3, 2024, Emma Oxford

Theme:  "Cold Shoulders"

The circled "shoulders" (or edges) of each theme answer spell out something icy cold.

My search of the L.A.Times Crossword Corner archives suggests that Emma Oxford has published six crossword puzzles in the L.A. Times during the last two years, the last of which also had circles in the grid.  Today's puzzle is her first Sunday offering.

The theme clues and answers (all Across) are:

23. *Summertime activity that may precede piemaking: BERRY PICKING.  The circles spell out BERG.

36. *Fictional space force satirized in John Scalzi's "Redshirts": STARFLEET.  Redshirts is a 2012 novel by John Scalzi that satirizes Star Trek.  The circles spell out SLEET.

43. *Casper, for one: FRIENDLY GHOST.  The circles spell out FROST.

62. *Span needed for a system to return to equilibrium: RELAXATION TIME.  The circles spell out RIME.  Rime is a type of ice that forms when the moisture in fog freezes suddenly on an object.

69. *Nickname for a hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola: FLOATING PALACE.  Lake Palace (AKA Floating Palace) is a former royal residence, now turned into a hotel, on an island in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India.  Popularly described as the Venice of the East, Lake Palace is made out of white marble.  The circles spell out FLOE, a sheet of floating ice.

90. *Charming rogue: HANDSOME DEVIL.  The circles spell out HAIL.

98. *"Take it slow": STEADY NOW.  The circles spell out SNOW.

111. Starts a conversation, or what the answer to each starred clue does to its circled letters: BREAKS THE ICE.

Having broken the ice, let's skate through the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Reveal: UNVEIL.

7. Antagonist of Rocky and Bullwinkle: BORIS.

Boris Badenov, from the cartoon TV series, "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"

12. Check in point?: ATM.  You can deposit checks at an Automated Teller Machine.

15. 43,560 square feet: ACRE.

19. "Angel" singer Jon: SECADA.  Jon Secada is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, and recorded "Angel" in both English and Spanish.  Beautiful song!

20. See 56-Down: A-RONI.  Rice-A-Roni is a boxed mix that includes rice, pasta, and seasonings.  Those of us who watched television in the 1960s have "The San Franciso Treat" jingle burned into our brains.

21. Cons: SWINDLES.

23. [Theme clue]

25. Emerges: COMES OUT.

26. Expressionless: BLANK.

27. Reigning: IN POWER.

29. Federal loan agcy.: SBA.  The Small Business Administration is an agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

30. Coily hairstyle: AFRO.

33. Letters with a green check mark at the airport: TSA PRE.  The TSA PreCheck program expedites traveler screening through airport security checkpoints. 

36. [Theme clue]

38. Tilts: LEANS.

40. Missouri River Native: OTOE.

41. "Piece of cake!": EASY.

42. Eclectic online digest: UTNE.

43. [Theme clue]

46. "Spider-Man: __ the Spider-Verse": ACROSS.  A 2023 animated film.

48. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.

49. Vicinity: AREA.

50. Fermi paradox subjs.: ETs.  The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced ExtraTerrestrial life and the high likelihood of its existence.

51. "No probs!": ALL OK.

53. Corp. money managers: CFOs.  Chief Financial Officers.

54. Word said when pointing to a map: HERE.

55. Impetuous: RASH.

56. Grenadine: RED.  Grenadine syrup was originally prepared from pomegranate juice, sugar, and water, but today it's made from all kinds of drek.  It's also become a color name:  "Grenadine is a deep, muted, candy apple red with a ruby undertone."

59. Revolt: RISE UP.

62. [Theme clue]

65. Scent: ODOR.

66. Battery size: AAA.

67. Free (of): RID.

68. High point: ACME.  We always need perpendicular entries to know if it will be ACME or APEX.

69. [Theme clue]

75. Wail: SCREAM.

77. Permit: LET.

78. Kitchen extension?: ETTE.  As in kitchenette, a very small cooking area.

79. Woven silk projects: WEBS.  Spiders produce silk and use it to make webs to trap prey, and to build cocoons for their offspring, among other uses.

80. Ventimiglia of "Gilmore Girls": MILO.  While Milo Ventimiglia has had a successful acting career for almost 30 years, many of us here in the Corner sat up and took notice when, beginning in 2016, he starred opposite Mandy Moore in the NBC drama series "This Is Us," playing Jack Pearson, the patriarch of a middle-class family in late 1980s/early 1990s America.

Milo Ventimiglia

81. Like $2 bills, compared to most bills: RARER.

82. [I'm a cow!]: MOO.

83. One on a quest: HERO.  The hero's quest is a common template of stories involving a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed.   A classic example is Odysseus in The Odyssey.  The same story structure is used in modern novels and films.

84. "Waterfalls" trio: TLC.  "Waterfalls" is a song by American hip-hop trio TLC, released in 1995.  The song was an international hit, and spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  I'm more into "rock en español," but even I recognize this song!

87. Wages: SALARY.

90. [Theme clue]

93. Pub offerings: ALES.

94. Country where Farsi is spoken: IRAN.

96. Prefix with -plasm: ECTO.  Ectoplasm is the thin, watery outer layer of a cell.  Unless you're into ghosts, in which case, ectoplasm is a substance that comes from the body of someone communicating with the spirit of a dead person, allowing the spirit to have a form.  In the Ghostbusters movies, it's called slime.

97. Brazilian dance: SAMBA.

98. [Theme clue]

101. If nothing changes: AS IT IS.

103. Sign of shock: GASP.

104. Bros: HEs.  Bros are hes as in male persons?  Sisters are shes?

105. One who asks too much: IMPOSER.

107. Helvetica alternative: ARIAL.  Fonts.

109. Biometric security measure: IRIS SCAN.  We had TSA PreCheck at 33 Across.  Another expedited screening program at airports is the CLEAR program, which uses iris-scanning, fingerprint-checking, and facial recognition.

111. [Theme clue]

117. Government health program: MEDICARE.

118. Carried: BORNE.

119. Acela operator: AMTRAK.  Crossword favorite Acela is Amtrak's passenger train service between Washington, DC and Boston, via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia. 

120. Inkling: IDEA.

121. Sow's spot: STY.

122. Brings around: SWAYS.

123. Used bookstore transaction: RESALE.

Down:

1. Computer connection letters: USB.  Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard which allows data exchange and delivery of power between many types of electronics.

How do I connect thee?  Let me count the ways.

2. Formerly known as: NÉE.  The French word née is a feminine adjective that means "born" and is used to indicate a woman's maiden name.

3. Old tape player: VCR.

4. Hammer or anvil: EAR BONE.

5. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

6. Drink like a cat: LAP AT.

7. Slangy term of agreement: BACK AT YA.

8. Mork's home: ORK.  "Mork & Mindy" was a television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1978 to 1982. It starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial from the planet Ork, and Pam Dawber as Mindy, his human friend.

9. King of France: ROI.

10. Belly button type: INNIE.

11. Catcher's gesture to a pitcher: SIGN.

12. Broad ties: ASCOTS.

13. Bidirectional: TWO WAY.

14. One acting out?: MIMER.

15. Vlogger's revenue source: ADS.  A vlog is a blog in video format.  Both formats can be supported by advertising.

16. Not far from: CLOSE TO.

17. Corned beef sandwiches: REUBENS.

18. Pemberley and Mansfield Park: ESTATES.  Pemberley is the fictional estate of Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."  Mansfield Park is an estate in Jane Austen's novel of the same name.

22. Brand for indoor sports: NERF.

24. Shoe pads: INSOLES.

28. Hurdle for college-bound sophs: PSAT. Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test -- a trial run for the SAT that high school seniors take.

30. The "A" of NATO?: ALFA.

31. "Charlotte's Web" girl: FERN.  Fern is a little girl in the novel "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White.  She pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, whom she names Wilbur.  When Wilbur grows, he is destined for slaughter until a spider named Charlotte spells out praises of the pig in her web above his pen.

32. Beach bummer: RAIN.

34. 1990s fad item: POG.  My daughter played with pogs (flat cardboard milk bottle caps) in the '90s.  The game involved stacking the discs face-down, and dropping a heavier object onto the pile.  The player would keep face-up caps, and restack the face-down caps.  Taking turns, eventually one player had more caps and would win.

35. Do a cobbler's job: RE-HEEL.

37. Read but never post: LURK.  Welcome, lurkers!  We are here for you.

39. Major mess-up: SNAFU.  "Situation Normal: All Fouled Up," or stronger language to that effect.

41. Thames Estuary county: ESSEX.

44. Release, as new music: DROP.

45. Spanish "other": OTRA.  Otra modifies feminine nouns.  And another thing ... !  ¡Y otra cosa...!  The masculine form is Otro.

46. "Another thing ... ": ALSO.  Hey, I just said that.

47. ESPN anchor Linda: COHN.  Linda Cohn is an American sportscaster who has anchored ESPN's SportsCenter since 1992.  That's a long run!

Linda Cohn

51. Saul Rubinek's "Warehouse 13" role: ARTIE.  "Warehouse 13" was a science fiction TV series that ran from 2009 to 2014 on the Syfy network.  Saul Rubinek as Artie Nielsen was the Special Agent in Charge at Warehouse 13, a storehouse for artifacts that have become charged with energy that can give them dangerous powers if misused.  Seems quite obscure!  Any fans here?

52. Set, as a table: LAID.  Brits are more likely to say "lay the table."  Americans usually say "set the table."

53. Michael of "Sacramento": CERA.  "Sacramento" is a 2024 comedy film starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine.  It's about a couple of guys who take an impromtu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento.  Has it even hit the theaters yet?

54. Pile: HEAP.

56. With 20-Across, "The San Francisco Treat": RICE.  See 20 Across.

57. Actress Thompson: EMMA.

58. Believe: DEEM.

59. "Ur 2 funny!": ROFL.  Texting abbreviation for Rolling On Floor Laughing.

Emoticon for ROFL

60. Not doing much: IDLE.

61. Flue dust: SOOT.

62. Killer party: RAGER.

63. Rainbows, e.g.: ARCS.

64. Staple in the Pacific Islands: TARO.  Taro is a root vegetable, and is a food staple in African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures.

66. Penny-__: ANTE.

70. Little rip: TEAR.

71. "All in a day's work": I TRY.

72. "That's disappointing!": AW MAN.

73. R&B singer Bridges: LEON.  Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.  His work has been nominated for four Grammy awards, and he won the most recent in 2019 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand."

Leon Bridges

74. Domiciles: ABODES.

75. King's address: SIRE.

76. Lumps of earth: CLODS.

80. Personal accounts: MEMOIRS.

81. Tabula __: RASA.  Latin phrase that means "blank slate" or "smooth or erased tablet."

83. Thrown-together bits of commentary: HOT TAKES.

84. "Better Call Saul" rating: TV-MA.  Mature Audience; may be unsuitable for children under 17.

85. Ad __: improvises: LIBS.

86. Thunder sound: CLAP.

87. Sushi kin: SASHIMI.  Sashimi is raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces.  By contrast, sushi is made with seasoned rice, either shaped into mounds and topped with items such as raw or cooked seafood, or rolled in sheets of seaweed called nori around fillings of seafood, vegetables and other items. The essential difference is that sushi always includes rice, whereas sashimi is simply animal flesh.

Sashimi vs Sushi

88. Changed: ALTERED.

89. Sheltered place: LEE SIDE.

90. Hems and __: HAWS.

91. Physics dept.: SCI.

92. Aerie hatchlings: EAGLETS.  Aerie (a variant of eyrie) is the nest of an eagle, falcon, hawk, or other bird of prey.

I photographed this osprey on its huge nest atop a post in the middle of a Minnesota highway in 2023.

94. Sort of: IN PART.

95. "Normal People" author Sally: ROONEY.  Sally Rooney is an Irish author who has published four novels: Conversations with Friends (2017), Normal People (2018), Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), and Intermezzo (2024). The first two were adapted into television miniseries.

99. 34-Down, for one: DISC.  Ah, yes, pogs.

100. Some workout spots: YMCAs.

101. Turn-only lane symbol: ARROW.

102. Indian lute: SITAR.

106. Falls back: EBBS.

108. Wistful sigh: AH ME.

110. "Breathe Me" singer: SIA.  "Breathe Me" is a 2004 song by Australian singer Sia featured on the album "Colour the Small One."  All I can say is, thank goodness for perpendicular entries.

112. Regency, for "Bridgerton": ERA.  Any Bridgerton fans here?  I prefer my historical dramas to be a little more historical.  

113. "__ luck?": ANY.

114. 401(k) kin: IRA.

115. Ripken of baseball: CAL.

116. __ out a victory: EKE.

Here's the grid:

Did you love it?  Or did you give it the Cold Shoulder?

NaomiZ

Saturday, November 2, 2024, Evan Mulvihill

  Saturday Themeless by Evan Mulvihil

Evan and I must be of similar minds because I got this one done in 17 minutes and had fun in the process!

Evan told me, "I am a­ clinical pharmacist at Zuckerberg, San Francisco General, a crossword constructor and lover or all things word-play related."  

Across:

1. Fold: ACCEDE.

7. Pen: ENCAGE.

13. Polo player?: LAUREN.

14. Opposite of "Nothin' but net": AIRBALL - When shooters miss everything. 

16. Words of resignation: I TRIED.

17. "Elmo's World" character played by Bill Irwin: MR NOODLE. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

18. Quaint contraction: SHANT.

19. Comedian Wyatt: CENAC - Wyatt worked with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show until they had a falling out

20. Cab alternative: ZIN - You might have a ZINfandel rather than a CABernet

21. Tic-__-toe: TAC - We had this in a Saturday puzzle two weeks ago.

22. Have in common: SHARE.

24. Slams the door on: STOPS.

26. India's neighbor on a Risk board: SIAM - SIAM on this board game encompasses several modern countries. 

28. Just __ by: EKED.

29. Went up: ROSE.

30. Abundance during amateur hour?: ROOKIE MISTAKES.

34. Orchestra known for an annual Fourth of July concert: BOSTON POPS.

35. Some unicorns: TECH STARTUPS - Unicorn companies are those that reach a valuation of $1 billion without being listed on the stock market and are the dream of any tech startup.

38. Fruit with wrinkled skin: UGLI.

39. Court pro: STENO - Old and new machines  

 

40. Intel org.: NSA.

43. Breaks open chests in Fortnite: LOOTS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

45. Pitch: TAR.

46. Baby: SPOIL - A verb

48. Oft-mispunctuated word: ITS - IT'S (contraction) very common to misuse the word ITS (possessive)

49. One hoping for a refund from an online return: E-FILER - I'm one of those hoping 

52. Crime novelist Buchanan: EDNA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

53. "Elsbeth" star Carrie: PRESTON. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

55. Good standing with sailors?: SEALEGS 😀

57. Idle: SITTING.

58. Sir Ken Robinson's "Do Schools Kill Creativity?," notably: TED TALK.

59. Hammers: POUNDS.

60. "Heather Has Two Mommies" writer Newman: LESLEA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Down:

 
1. Groups of celebs who might bypass the line: A-LISTS.

2. Persian rugs?: CAT HAIR 😀

3. Place to enjoy krioyo cuisine: CURACAO.

 
 

4. Moriarty of "The Boys": ERIN - I read that she plays Starlight, a superhero that takes on "toxic masculinity" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

5. 411: DEETS - I need the details 

6. Demise: END.

7. Got a bit extra, in a way: EARNED INTEREST 😀

8. "High Priestess of Soul" Simone: NINA.

9. Some restaurant clogs: CROCS - I've never owned or worn this footwear.

10. Typing letters?: ABO.

11. "Zounds!": GADZOOKS.

12. Figure in Kepler's first law: ELLIPSE - Piece 'o cake for me.

No where near being TO SCALE.

15. Concave or convex things: LENSES 

17. One unsuited to battle a god?: MERE MORTAL.

19. Pre-wedding trials: CAKE TASTINGS.

23. Job at a bank: HEIST 😀

25. Yappers: TRAPS - Rude

27. Finale of "The Sopranos," maybe: MOB HIT - Creator David Chase's decision to fade to black rather than show what did or didn't happen was brilliant. He compared it to Schrödinger's cat. Tony is both alive and dead.

31. Heavy socks?: KO'S 😀

32. Did some politicking, say: SPUN - "Oh no, that is NOT what the candidate meant."

33. Traditional literary motif: TOPOS - TOPOS are stories from classical tradition weaved into modern American drama. Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under The Elms has been referred to as a modern retelling of Euripides' myth of Hippolytus  and Phaedra. (Raise your hand if you thought I already knew that!)

35. Bulbs that may not need to be replaced: TULIPS 😀

36. Delusion of grandeur: EGO TRIP

37. Friendly with: CLOSE TO.

40. "Your terms are a joke": NO DEAL 

41. Individual: SINGLE.

42. "The Great North" setting: ALASKA.

44. Become real: SET IN - It has finally SET IN that Husker FB has come to be mediocre at best.

47. Attacks, as with questions: PELTS - Despite the less than optimal video quality, this is a fabulous example:

50. Residue used to make pan sauces: FOND - I love these little "leftovers" but never knew there was a name for them

51. Instagram video: REEL - Make your own series of videos

54. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU.

56. Slangy ending with hater: ADE 😀