google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: February 2025

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Feb 7, 2025

Friday, February 7, 2025, Kelly Richardson

  

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Kelly Richardson.  Kelly has had several puzzles previously published by the LA Times and made her NY Times debut in July, 2024.  Today's puzzle contains many answers that we have seen before as well as quite a few proper nouns - many music-related.  

While there is no reveal" in today's grid there is a theme.  At four places Kelly has created punny word play employing the names of U.S. states.  At three of those places she uses abbreviations for the states' names (although not the official USPS abbreviations) and for the fourth she truncates the name by dropping the word NEW.

Here are the four places where the gimmick appears:

16 Across:  Play staged by Boston's Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?: MASS PRODUCTION.  From Massachusetts.


23 Across: . Demand policy changes from lawmakers in Olympia?: PRESSURE WASH.  From Washington.  Tell those politicians what you want.


53 Across:  Digits starting with 908?: JERSEY NUMBER.  908 is the (telephone calling) Area Code for New JERSEY.


62 Across:. Fortunes made in Chicago?: ILL GOTTEN GAINS.  From Illinois.




This is how everything appears in the grid:


.... and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. One of Islam's five pillars: HAJJ.




5. Avocado dip, for short: GUAC.  GUACamole.

9. Truckful: LOAD.

13. Margarine: OLEO.  A spread frequently slathered in (on?) our puzzles.

14. Not fooled by: ON TO.



15. General vibe: AURA.  Anybody need a crystal?

19. Value: ESTEEM.  Used as a verb.

20. Johnny of "Point Break": UTAH.  A fictional character.

21. Audio jack abbr.: MIC.  MICrophone

26. Trails: PATHS.

29. Vegetable in bamia: OKRA.




30. DOL division: OSHA.



31. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp.: ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra



32. Second sight, for short: ESP.  A "talent" frequently displayed in our puzzles.

34. Robed ruler: EMIR.  A position frequently occupied in our puzzles.

36. Steinem who co-founded Ms. magazine: GLORIA.

I know.  I know


38. More repulsive: ICKIER.

42. Betting figures: ODDS.




44. Issa of "American Fiction": RAE.  A frequent visitor.

45. Sunshine bit: RAY.  Cute.  RAY following RAE.

I know.  I know.

46. Blots: DABS.  DAB ton.  Not the best joke but it's not bad when you read it backwards.

49. 2018 Best New Artist Grammy winner Dua __: LIPA.



51. Sew loosely: BASTE.

56. __ Lanka: SRI.  Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972 when it became a republic, reflecting a desire to shed colonial ties and embrace a name rooted in the local languages. The name "Sri Lanka" means "resplendent land" in Sinhalese, emphasizing the country's cultural identity.

57. Little pest: GNAT.

58. Prince Harry's son: ARCHIE.  

I know.  I know.



65. Jelly that may be added to boba tea: ALOE.  How do I clue thee?  Let me count the ways.

66. Tear: REND.

67. Let go of: DROP.

68. Window-rattling: LOUD.  If Dan could scream very loudly how LOUD would Daniel?

69. Contributes: ADDS.

70. So small: EENY.  EENY.  Meeny.  Miny.




Down:

1. Last word of "The Wizard of Oz": HOME.



2. Woeful cry: ALAS.  My experiment of cross breeding a hen with a Slinky has failed.  ALAS, I've no spring chicken!

3. Quip: JEST.



4. Soul and gospel singer Margie: JOSEPH.  Great name.

With An Assist From Sir Paul McCartney

5. Grammy winner Eydie: GORME.  Eydie won the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance in 1966.  A year later the times certainly were a changin'.





6. Card game cry: UNO.  Frequently played in our puzzles.

7. Just before nightfall: AT DUSK.

8. High fashion: COUTURE.  From the French.

9. Woodworking tool: LATHE.

10. "Mais __!": OUI.  Une autre des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui.

11. Bakery by-products: AROMAS.

12. Coffee pastry: DANISH.  Culinary Misnomers

17. __ meteor: many an August streaker: PERSEID.

18. Italian term of affection: CARA MIA.



22. Chinese tea: CHA.  This solver first learned this when reading Noble House by James Clavell.

24. Mop (up): SOP.

25. Stop __ order: bad news on a construction site: WORK.

26. Cribbage marker: PEG.  Fifteen two, fifteen four and a pair is six.



27. More than most: ALL.  ALL would, indeed be more.

28. Additionally: TOO.

33. Rueful reply: SADLY NO.  Alas.

35. Glacial calving result: ICE BERG.  Sometimes clued with reference to a salad.

37. "I'm Coming Out" singer: ROSS.




39. USDT division: IRS.



40. Take off the table?: EAT.  Not a negotiation reference.

41. Reuben bread: RYE.

43. "Strangers in the Night" crooner: SINATRA.



44. Dodge pickup: RAM.




46. Supplies tunes, briefly: DJS.  Used here as verb . . . and what this blogger seems to be doing today.

47. Like drone footage: AERIAL.

48. Kitchen pad: BRILLO.





50. Got the ball rolling?: PUTTED.  A golf reference.

52. Game point?: ARCADE.  Not a tennis reference.  The point (place) where one plays pinball and other games.

54. Spurred (on): EGGED.

55. Stripes: BANDS.  As in BANDS of color.

59. Employ: HIRE.

60. Hip to: IN ON.



61. Athletic honor: ESPY.  Frequently awarded in our puzzles.

63. "The Incredible Hulk" star Ferrigno: LOU.



64. Aim: END.  As in "the ENDs justify the means" and, in another sense, a fitting final answer.



_________________________________________________________


Feb 6, 2025

Thursday, February 6, 2025, Keegan Edgar

Dress Codes
Today's constructor Keegan Edgar is making his LAT debut (his constructor debut anywhere I think), and he wants to know why people who perform certain services are such conformists when it comes to their garb ...  

20A. Court garb: TENNIS WHITES.  These people don't wear robes, but they do serve. So why do tennis players wear white -- at least on the poncier courts?  Turns out it's a Victorian thing.
Serena Williams
Wimbledon 2012
29A. Naval garb: SAILOR SUITS.  Actually SAILOR SUITS are for Halloween parties😀. The Navy calls their garb uniforms (but Keegan had room for only 5 letters), and the US Navy is pretty strict about the uniforms of those who serve in them 
Two Sailors in Dress Whites
Fleet Week in New York

47A. Restaurant garb: WAIST APRONS.  There are several types of aprons for those who serve in restaurants: bib aprons cover from the neck to waist, full body aprons cover from the neck to the knees and are most often used by cooks in the kitchen, and waist aprons are most likely worn by the ladies and gents who take your order and serve your food ...
Waist apron

I thought the reveal was a bit forced until I googled SERVING LOOKS and discovered that it's Gen-Z speak for "someone who is confidently wearing a distinctive and memorable outfit" -- and thus a clever pun on the three "services" in the theme clues ...

55A. Very well-dressed, or what 20-, 29-, and 47-Across are?: SERVING LOOKS.  IMHO they're really just an invitation to be ogled 😀 -- here are 200 examples from Pinterest (apparently cell phones are required accessories).

Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:


1. Early __: RISER.

6. Have empathy (for): FEEL.

10. Model/actress Delevingne: CARA.  Cara Jocelyn Delevingne (born 12 August 1992) is an English model and actress. She signed with Storm Management after leaving school in 2009. Delevingne won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014, and has also received three Teen Choice Awards and nominations for a British Independent Film Award and an MTV Movie & TV Award. 
Cara Delevingne
14. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA.  

15. Kent co-worker: LANE.  As in Lois.  There have been a lot of  Kents and Lanes over the years,  but here they meet for the first time in the 1978 film Superman played by Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder ... 

16. Hoppy brews: ALES.  IPAS fit, but didn't perp.

17. Deluge: FLOOD.

18. Some mnemonic devices: ACROSTICS.  An acrostic mnemonic is a sentence or poem where the first letter (or letters) of each part of the text represents a thing that you’re trying to memorize.  Here are some common examples, and how you can create your own.  An acrostic is also a type of word puzzle, related somewhat to crossword puzzles, that uses an acrostic form. It typically consists of two parts. The first part is a set of lettered clues, each of which has numbered blanks representing the letters of the answer. The second part is a long series of numbered blanks and spaces, representing a quotation or other text, into which the answers for the clues fit.

20. [Theme clue]

22. Slurpable course: SOUP.  TSKTSK -- such bad manners!

23. Spam holder: CAN.  22A comes in CANS too but we make our own.  One of our favorites is vegetable soup -- here's Jaclyn's recipe
Vegetable soup
24. Atlanta sch.: GSU.  Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the second largest institution of higher education by enrollment based in Georgia with a student enrollment of around 50,000, including approximately 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students at the main campus downtown.  They apparently have very good cyber security, as I was blocked when I tried https://www.gsu.edu/

27. Negotiator's abbreviation: OBO.  Or Best Offer.

29. [Theme clue]

33. Basis for a civil action: TORT.

35. Jamaican genre: SKA.  Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues.  Here's Give It To Me by one of the founders of the genre, Stranger Cole.  

  36. Waffle House alternative: DENNYS.  IHOP was too short.

37. "They went __ in a Sieve, they did": Lear: TO SEA.  Nice misdirection -- not a quote from the Shakespeare play, but from the  poem The Jumblies by 19th century English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet Edward Lear.  Probably his most famous poem was The Owl and the Pussy-Cat published in 1870.
Edward Lear
1866
39. See 57-Down: EGG.

41. Cliched: STALE.

42. B flat equivalent: A SHARP.  B flat and A sharp are examples of "enharmonic equivalents" that is notes, intervals, scales, key signatures, or chords that sound the same but have different names. 

44. Dawn goddess: EOS.  This is the tale of Eos and Tithonusa tragic story of immortality and love.
The goddess EOS
The Bringer of Light
46. Early part of many an outline: ONE A.

47. [Theme clue]

50. Cable alternative: DSL.  Digital Subscriber Line -- you might have faster ways to get to the Internet, but if you don't, here's what you need to know about DSL.
 
DSL connections

51. Energy storage molecule, briefly: ATP.  Adenosine triphosphate is often referred to as "molecular unit of currency" for intracellular energy transfer.  The energy that it supplies is contained in its phosphate bonds and when one of them is broken that energy is available for use to by various cellular processes. The depleted ATP results in either ADP (Adenosine diphosphate) or ADM (Adenosine monophosphate).  But as cells have a constant need for energy, there an ongoing process for "recharging" ATP via a complex enzyme called ATP synthase, a so called "molecular machine".  Here is an amazing simulation of ATP synthase converting ADP to ATP ...
... but the most amazing thing about ATP synthase is that it resulted from zillions and zillions of accidental mutations 😀.

52. Son of a son: III. Assuming that the sons have the same given name, the second son's name will be suffixed with "Jr" and the third son's will be suffixed with "III".

53. Organizer entry: Abbr.: APPT.

55. [Theme reveal]

60. Fish commonly prepared à la meunière: DOVER SOLE.  The term à la meunière translates from the French literally as "in the style of the miller's wife". The name implies a simple dish, usually fish, which is first dusted with flour and then cooked in butter sprinkled with lemon juice and chopped parsley.  The simplicity of the dish derives from the delicacy of the fish -- anything more would be "gilding the lily" ... 

63. Golfer Palmer, familiarly: ARNIE.  Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Since embarking on a professional career in 1955, he won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and the circuit now known as PGA Tour Champions. Nicknamed "The King", Palmer was one of golf's most popular stars and seen as a trailblazer, the first superstar of the sport's television age, which began in the 1950s.
Arnold Palmer
sporting his US Coast Guard whites in 1953

64. CNN anchor Burnett: ERIN.  Erin Isabelle Burnett (born July 2, 1976) is an American news anchor, currently the anchor of Erin Burnett OutFront on CNN. She has also worked over the years in various positions for CNBC, NBC. and MSNBC. 
Erin Burnett
65. Four Corners Natives: UTES.  They corner us a lot on the Corner. 😀

66. Stretch: STINT.

67. Pulsate: BEAT.

68. Soft summons: PSST.

69. Ingredients in traditional collard greens: HOCKS.  Here's LaKita's recipe for Southern Collard Greens with Ham Hocks.  Collards will get leathery if you leave them in the garden too long, and our advice is to pick them when they're young and tender.
Collard Greens with Ham Hocks.

BTW my first google hit on HOCKS had a dad joke, which I wasn't going to use, but now I can't resist -- it reminds me just a little of O'Henry's Gift of the Magi.

Down:

 1. Rapids transport: RAFT.  If you're going to do this sort of thing, it pays to work with pros ... 

I wonder if Renee or anyone else has any rafting stories?

2. Tropical spot: ISLE.  We spot this one on the Corner a lot too.

3. Big deal for an Olympian: SPONSORSHIP. The story of advertising and sponsorships at the modern Olympics begins in Athens, Greece, during the 1896 Games, when stamps were sold to help fund the event. In 1908, OXO became the first official sponsor of the Olympics, providing athletes with beef stock drinks for energy. Jump forward to 1928, when Coca-Cola signed its first contract with the Games and remains a major sponsor 104 years later.  Sponsorships have evolved considerably since the early days and are currently regulated by Rule 40, a by-law in the Olympic Charter.  I think sponsorships really are a "big deal" in that you need a lawyer to understand them! Here is some guidance that was put together for 2024 athletes and sponsors to navigate advertising restrictions.  CSO to Jason and Susan for a simpler explanation?

4. __ Lodge: ECONO.

5. Spoke on a bicycle wheel, e.g.: RADIUS.

6. Fatal __: FLAW.

7. Made for __ other: EACH.

8. Henry, in Italian: ENRICO.  Of course the most famous ENRICO is Enrico Caruso, widely regarded as the greatest tenor of all time.  Here he's singing the aria Nessun Dorma from Giacomo Puccini's last opera, Turandot ...

... and a CSO to Anonymous T.

9. Bodysuit named for a trapeze artist: LEOTARD.  Jules Léotard (1 August 1838 – 16 August 1870) was a French acrobatic performer and aerialist who developed the art of trapeze. He also created and popularized the one-piece gym wear that now bears his name and inspired the 1867 song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" here sung by the inimitable Eddie Cantor ...
10. Lions and tigers, but not bears: CATS.  "Oh my Toto!  Maybe we really ARE still in Kansas!" 😀

11. Oscar winner Mahershala: ALI.  Mahershala Ali (born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on February 16, 1974) is an American actor. He has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked him among the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century.  Like wow!
Mahershala Ali

12. Cam button: REC.  As in RECORD.

13. Pack animal: ASS.  Constructors seem to pack a lot of this fill into puzzles as well.

19. Has a feeling: SENSES.

21. Facilities for rest and relaxation: SPAS.  I think we need to give this fill a rest too.

24. Cocktail that often contains quinine: GIN AND TONIC.  Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, modern tonic water typically has a significantly lower quinine content and is often more sweetened than the original medicinal form. It is consumed for its distinctive bitter flavor.  Here's a recipe for a gin and tonic.
Gin and tonic

25. "Harry's House" pop singer: STYLES.  Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer and actor.  Known for his influence in popular culture, showmanship, artistry, philanthropy and flamboyance in dressing, he is a subject of widespread public interest with a vast fanbase. Styles is considered to be among the most successful solo artists who have emerged from a boy band.  Styles' musical career began in 2010 as part of the pop band One Direction.  They became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.  Harry's House is Styles' 3rd studio album.  Here he sings As it Was, issued as one of the singles from the album ...

If you haven't seen the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk it's definitely worth viewing -- in his feature film debut Styles plays the character Alex, one of thousands of British soldiers waiting on the exposed beaches of Dunkirk for evacuation to England, while being strafed and dive bombed by the German Luftwaffe. 

26. Natl. logo: US SEAL.  A timely clue ...
The Great Seal of the United States

27. Bilingual North American capital: OTTAWA.  French and English.

28. Expresses disdain for: BOOS AT.

30. One half of a candy duo: IKE.  Thank you perps.  DNK this candy. Mike and Ike is an American brand of fruit-flavored candies that were first introduced in 1940 by the company Just Born, Inc. Despite conjecture, the origin of the candy's name remains unknown. Mike and Ike were originally all fruit flavored but now come in several varieties. 

31. Golden brew: LAGER.  The basic difference between these two major beer classifications is how they are fermented. Ales are fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warm temperatures (60˚–70˚F), and lagers are fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast at cold temperatures (35˚–50˚F). Because of their warm fermentations, ales can generally ferment and age in a relatively short period of time (3-5 weeks). On the other hand, lagers take much longer to ferment (up to 6 to 8 weeks) because they are cold fermented.  And I say "Vive la difference!"

32. Golden Rule word: UNTO.  As I used the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") as a part of a non-denominational answer last week I'm going to steal from myself (gee, I hope that doesn't violate the Golden Rule 😀).

34. Steeped brews: TEAS.  These are usually bottom-brewed for only a couple of minutes.  Here's our favorite ...
38. Less conventional: ARTIER.  An adjective usually delivered with a whiff of condescension ... 

40. Gunk: GOO.

43. Finds a partner: PAIRS UP.  A lot of pairing up goes on at square dances ...

... and a CSO to Yellowrocks.

45. Unforeseen impediment: SNAG.

48. Swivels: PIVOTS.  Another common square dance activity.

49. Eclat: SPLASH.  To do something with éclat could be described as making a SPLASH.  The word is obviously derived from the French and has an interesting history.

54. Douro River city: PORTO.  Thank you perps -- not a river or a city I knew.  The Douro is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It originates in Spain and flows generally west through Castile and León into northern Portugal. Its largest tributary (carrying more water than the Douro at their confluence) is the right-bank Esla. The Douro flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto, the second largest city of Portugal.
The Path of the Douro
55. In the mail: SENT.

56. "Southern Man" novelist Greg: ILES. The novel Southern Man by Greg Iles is "a political thriller from his Natchez Burning series". Here's the goodreads review.
Amazon page

57. With 39-Across, funds for a rainy day: NEST.  A "rainy day" is a metaphor for times when things don't go right.  The band Coldplay has set one to music ... 

58. Hose problem: KINK.  LEAK fit but didn't perp.  Preventing kinks in long garden hoses requires a sturdy metal hose hanger, e.g. the one shown below available from Amazon.  As you're coiling a hose for storage you need to give it a slight twist after each turn to preventing kinking ...
 
Hose storage hanger

59. Volleyball match divisions: SETS.  Volleyball matches are made up of SETS, typically three or five sets.  Three-set matches are two sets to 25 points and a third set to 15 points. Each set must be won by two points. The first team to win two sets is the winner of the match.  Researching this term was a bit confusing, as SET is also the term used as part of a one-two maneuver to pass the ball to a player near the net to either dump the ball over into an undefended spot or to “set” the ball into a position that allows the hitter to spike it over.  Fortunately I didn't have to ask my third granddaughter about this, as she is a volleyball specialist, and despite having driven her to many games I'm still unclear on the nuances of the sport -- I can see her just rolling her eyes and saying "Granddad? ..." 😀

60. Food blogger Perelman: DEB.  Smitten Kitchen is a blog for home cooks created and maintained by foodie Deb Perelman -- her site has a lot of tempting recipes. Perelman received undergraduate and graduate degrees from George Washington University, where she studied psychology and art therapy. She originally started writing online in 2003 while also working as an art therapist, and she eventually began the Smitten Kitchen blog in 2006.  IIRC our very own sumdaze is one of her fans.
Deb Perelman

61. Load from a lode: ORE.  Very punny -- crosswordese for pay dirt?

62. By way of: VIA.  Today's Latin lesson: "ROAD".

Cheers, 
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Feb 5, 2025

Wednesday, Feb 5th, 2025 ~ Paul Coulter

FINAL: ELEVEN  -  ZIP


Now that's a hockey game "blow-out" - sorry, CanadianEh!  Paul Coulter returns, having several LA Times puzzles under his belt - the last one was here back on a Monday in January 2024.  Four 10- & 11-letter themers, no reveal, all definitions of the word/phrase 'blowout'.   We have two bonus 9- and 10-letter fills* in the Down today, too - great fills, but usually frowned upon when two of the themers are the same length.  Too many names, IMHO, a balance of 21 TLW and 22 4LWs, and no circles - they were in yesterday's puzzle, two weeks in a row.  The theme answers;

17. Group that might enjoy a blowout: WINNING TEAM - there's a line about Brooklyn in Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire" @1:35

30. Host who might throw a blowout: PARTY GIVER

Bobbi Flekman, the hostess with the mostess

48. Wheel that might experience a blowout: RADIAL TIRE - happened to me in my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan doing 72mph on I-395 trying to make the Cross Sound Ferry in the summer of 2023 - I limped off the highway into a parking lot, determined not to miss the boat, and installed the spare in 13 minutes - and that's an accomplishment because the spare is on a chain you crank inside the van from the floor center to drop the donut beneath the vehicle  😜

And if it's rusted from non-use . . . .f$%^#@&~!

63. Professional who might provide a blowout: HAIR-STYLIST  - Everything you wanted to know about a HAIR blowout - here

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Cry like a baby: BAWL - crossing BOWL

5. First game of a doubleheader: OPENER -  I am sure C.C. can't wait

11. Appear onstage: ACT

14. Sandwich cookie: OREO - two weeks in a row for me

15. Not tricked by: WISE TO - quit cracking wise - I am reading the first book of the Robert Crais detective series - a great read, and there's 19 more in the series - a new one in 2025

16. "The Queen's Gambit" actress Anya Taylor-__: 
JOY - name #1, more here

at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards

19. Band's sound booster: 
AMP - I'm told this is an acceptable "non-abbr" here at the corner

20. Sooner or __: LATER

21. Melancholy: SAD - four syllables :: one syllable

22. Shake hands (on): AGREE

24. Lingering amount: TRACE

26. All alternative: NONE - briefly thought we were looking for a laundry detergent, as in TIDE

28. Spanish "those": ESOS - Español #1

35. Auden's "Musée __ Beaux Arts": DES - filled via perps, the Wiki

36. Video game archaeologist Croft: LARA - name #2 - there was a movie, too - but I am not an Angelina Jolie fan - shocking, but true

37. Place: LOCALE

38. Davis of "Stuart Little": GEENA - name #3 - the IMDb

40. [Not my error]: SIC

42. Some nesting figures: DOLLS - e.g., Russian Matryoshka

Incredible Artwork - sold at 61D. here

  43. "On it, Captain!": "AYE - AYE~!" - Picard~! Picard~!

45. Gym cushions: MATS

47. Gymnast Suni: LEE - name #4 - becoming the common clue for this answer

50. Landlord's income: RENT

51. "Puppy Love" singer Paul: ANKA - name #5

52. "Bad, Bad" Brown of song: LEROY - name #6

54. Head of cabbage?: HARD C - "C"abbage - I know some Cornerites don't much care for these kinds of ( meta ) clues, but I am OK with them

57. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI - name #6

59. Pond buildup: ALGAE

62. Many moons __: AGO - many moons ago, there were no names in a crossword

66. Mojito liquor: RUM

67. Discounted: ON SALE

68. "Battle Cry" novelist Leon: URIS - name #7

69. Atlas page: MAP - AND - 60D. Atlas section: ASIA

70. Far from fresh: ROTTEN

71. Theater production: PLAY


DOWN:

1. Many a New Year's Day football game: BOWL - The Buffalo Bills are out, so I am rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles, but I am not watching the Super Bowl for the second year in a row - I even canceled my live stream TV service to prove it.

2. "Tosca" solo: ARIA - three-vowel crossword staple

3. Became shabby: WENT TO SEED* - from whence we get the phrase - another link here


4. Reclusive sorts: 
LONERS - HERMITS didn't fit

5. Private: OWN - as in, "it's my _ collection"

6. Pork-based dog treats: PIGS EARS - sorry, Irish Miss, but I am still waiting on my new house mate - but I do have another lead on where to look for a rescue Schnauzer~!

7. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA - Español #2

8. "You __ bother!": NEEDN'T - I am tiring of these kinds of fill-in clues

9. In-flight info, for short: ETA

10. Mercury and Saturn: ROMAN GODS* - name(s) #8, waited to see if we were looking for auto manufacturers

11. Letting in light, as a door: AJAR - Also in yesterday's grid - and Meh.  I have a diamond window in my front door, and three "lites" in my sunroom door - they let in light, but they're not ajar- especially when it's -5° outside . . . .

12. "The best is yet to __": COME

13. Use a keyboard: TYPE

18. 401(k) kin: IRA - I have an IRA that changed banks literally five times since I opened it, and every time it does, I have to jump though hoops to verify it - so I figured it's time to be done with the nonsense....

23. Insurance company with a spokeslizard: GEICO - my choice for car insurance

25. Tax pro: CPA - Certified Public Accountant - busy season is upon them - I just got my W-2

27. Olive in the comics: OYL - name #9

28. "The Dance Class" painter Degas: EDGAR - name #10

Oil, 1874, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

29. "Bye now": "
SEE YA~!"

31. "Spider-Man" trilogy director: RAIMI - name #11, but we had him some time last week

32. Stereotypical Southern California teen of the 1980s: VALLEY GIRL* - Like I totally was going to insert Frank Zappa's "Valley Girl" clip, but I could not take a full five minutes of the dialect

33. Daytime talk show that ended in 2022: ELLEN - name #12, never watched

34. Button clicked by a password forgetter: RESET - ...part of the IRA fiasco was having to RESET my password with each acquiring bank, so I decided to cash out last week, penalties be damned

36. Secure a ship: LAY ANCHOR*

39. Water nymph: NAIAD - I knew this, but could not recall how to spell it; is there a "Y" in there~?

41. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" singer Belinda: CARLISLE - Ha~! Same here - is there a "Y" in there~?  She is the lead vocalist for the Go-Go's, too - and name #13

44. Antlered animal: ELK - I pondered RAM, but those are more like "horns"

46. Casual top: TEE - T-shirt

49. Disciple of Lao-tzu: TAOIST - name(ish) #14 - Taoism per Nat Geo

50. Prepare to store, as a sleeping bag: ROLL UP

"Sandwiches~!"

53. Beam: RAY

54. Damage: HARM

55. Lago contents: AGUA - Español #3

56. Frolic: ROMP

58. Pesky kid: BRAT

61. Retail site with art and collectibles: ETSY

64. "So that's __?": "A NO~?" - I tried ALL - still don't like this type of fill-in clue

65. Low card in a royal flush: TEN

There's nothing LOW about being a "TEN"
Splynter