Ah, Rebecca, we meet again! My first review last year was a Goldstein
puzzle. She's quite prolific. As I went through this one, I noticed all
the Xs and thought they'd play into the theme, and they did. But I
didn't expect a whole bowl of CHEX MIX!
41D. Savory party snack, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: CHEX MIX. The letters in the word CHEX are MIXed (scrambled) in all the theme answers:
3D. *Beef cut that may be braised: OX CHEEK.
OX CHEEK (or beef cheek) is
a tough, flavorful, and inexpensive cut of meat from the facial muscle of cattle that becomes tender and gelatinous when cooked slowly. 
18A. *"What did you just say?": OH EXCUSE ME. OH EXCUSE ME is a reply to a rude comment, usually drawn out as in a Steve Martin catch phrase.
36A. *Folks who may be at the point of no return?: TAX CHEATS. People who do not file a tax return may be TAX CHEATS.
56A. *Raspberry: BRONX CHEER. A BRONX CHEER is a mouth noise similar to a fart that is used to signify derision, usually at a sporting event.
I like how some of the themers ran vertically, that made the solve more interesting, as did some clever cluing. There weren't a ton of names, but I blanked on almost all of them. Perps to the rescue.
Across:
1. Self motivators?: EGOS.
5. Teeny: SMALL. Teeny seems smaller than SMALL.
10. Brand new: MINT. On Craigslist, everything is advertised to be in MINT condition.
14. Coming up: NEXT. Please stay tuned!
15. Health care cost: COPAY. A COPAY (co-payment) is a fixed fee you pay for a covered health service (like a doctor visit or prescription), while your insurance
16. Sorbet berry: ACAI.
17. Toy company acquired by Mattel in 1997: TYCO. TYCO's Tickle Me Elmo was massive holiday toy craze in 1996 which raised the price Mattel had to pay.
20. Workout wear: SHORTS.
22. For adult audiences: R RATED.
23. "That one's for you": KEEP IT.
24. Put through an X-ray: SCAN.
26. "Succession" surname: ROY. I haven't watched this so all perps. The Roy family are the focal point of Succession.
27. Juvenile retort: ARE SO. Am not. I don't like playground retorts.
28. Shearing day sound: BAA. I'm glad these sheep say BAA, never herd [sic] one say "maa."
29. Katherine Moennig's "The L Word" role: SHANE. I don't have Showtime, so this also was by perps. But I think the trope of using an word's initial is over used. There's a whole set of "The __ Word" expressions that are mostly innocuous. Here, the "L" means Lesbian...ooh.
31. Shaming syllable: TSK. Often doubled as TSK TSK.
32. Renaissance faire competitions: JOUSTS.
35. "Confirmed, captain": AYE. Often doubled as AYE AYE.
36. [theme]
38. Chaotic crowd: MOB.
40. "Begin": OKAY GO. I can't think of a common scenario where one could say these interchangeably.
41. "The Price Is Right" network: CBS. Columbia Broadcasting System, but it could've been any TV network.
44. Top medals: GOLDS.
46. Soap ingredient: LYE. LYE is a very-alkaline substance that is chemically transformed during the soap-making process so it's not present in the final product.
47. Wuhan welcome: NIHAO. NIHAO means "hello" in Mandarin Chinese, though locals often use more casual greetings.
49. Tally: ADD.
50. Golfer's pocketful: TEES. Golfer's pocketful: GLOVES.
52. Devices at a counter-service restaurant: PAGERS. The electronic version of a deli ticket to keep track of who's NEXT, without shouting.
53. Emphatic assertion: YES I AM. Are you NEXT? YES, I AM!
55. Opulent: DELUXE. This is as DELUXE as it gets at my house. "Four cheese?! What are we celebrating?" [Disclaimer #1: RightBrain is fabulous cook. Disclaimer #2: She made me write this.]
56. [theme]
59. Reddit Q&As: AMAS. We've seen Ask Me Anything before, but usually not plural.
61. Brontë sister: ANNE. The Brontë sisters were three famous 19th-century English novelists and poets: Charlotte was the oldest, followed by Emily, then ANNE.
62. Works for: EARNS.
63. Egyptian river: NILE. I recently visited Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia where Johnny Mercer is buried. "Moon river, wider than the NILE [sic]."
64. Cleaning cloths: RAGS. Clean clothes: RAGS.
65. Tickle pink: ELATE.
66. Truck bar: AXLE.
Down:
1. Tonsillectomy doc: ENT. Ear, Nose & Throat doctor, uncommonly known as a otolaryngologist, but you knew that.
2. Jumbo jets?: GEYSERS. Fun clue.
3. [theme]
4. Reaches a new low?: STOOPS. More fun!
5. Adam of "Severance": SCOTT. Bingo! I knew this one.
6. Mineral hardness eponym: MOHS. The MOHS scale ranks mineral hardness, but is not linear. Thus a diamond (10) is vastly harder than corundum (9). Speaking of diamonds, my youngest son married his brother last Saturday! Let me rephrase that. He (as a notary) officiated the wedding in a scenic park. Beautiful!
7. Mimic: APE.
8. Loose: LAX. Strict: LAX TSA.
9. Stretchy fabric: LYCRA.
10. Gordita dough: MASA. MASA is corn flour dough that may be used in gorditas, which are thicker than regular tortillas so they can be split open for fillings.
11. Freeze frame?: ICE TRAY. Good clues today.
12. "Give me a single example": NAME ONE.
13. Rainbow pattern: TIE DYE.
19. Garden fixtures: URNS.
21. Spanish wine: RIOJA. RIOJA is a prestigious wine region in northern Spain, famous for its high-quality red wines.
23. Actress Dennings: KAT. Who? I feel so out of it even though I've actually seen her in a few things.
24. Struts with style: SASHAYS.
25. Vintage sunglasses shape: CAT EYE. They tend to go in and out of fashion.
28. Seat belt fastener: BUCKLE.
30. Owns: HAS.
33. Maker of Stick & Stay plates and bowls for kids: OXO.
34. Head south?: SAG. Ha ha!
36. "More info soon": TBD. This answer is To Be Determined.
37. Like much music: TONAL.
38. Biotech firm developing cancer vaccines: MODERNA. MODERNA became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of two major companies producing vaccines.
39. Dated ditty: OLD SONG. An oldie but not goodie. Probably not from STAX.
41. [theme]
42. Leave nothing to the imagination: BARE ALL.
43. Distress call: SOS. A Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ) that happens to form the letters SOS, but they have no meaning on their own.
44. Stonewall Inn, for one: GAY BAR. A place where you might watch "The L Word."
45. "__: Soulsville U.S.A.": HBO documentary about a record label: STAX. STAX is a Memphis institution that launched the careers of legends including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.
48. Invasive lizard in Florida: IGUANA. Large nasty lizards that eat our flowers!
51. "Cabaret" role for Alan Cumming: EMCEE. EMCEE is the phonetic spelling of "MC" meaning Master of Ceremonies. Perps again, I didn't know Mr. Cummings, a cisgender man in a gender-bending role.
52. Intrinsically: PER SE. At first, I found it hard to parse PER SE.
54. French model Rau: INES. My final unknown. INES Rau is a French actress, model, and writer. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for November 2017 and the first openly transgender Playmate.
55. First step, say: DENT. Making noticeable progress as in "I made a DENT in the project."
57. "2001" supercomputer: HAL.
58. Historical period: ERA.
60. "Comprende?": SEE."Comprende?": Si!
That's it for today. Be Good. RB
