sumdaze here. I believe congratulations are in order for our constructor, Ajay Bhargava, for his LA Times debut! I am 99% sure this is A.B. and this is his puzzle, published in UC Berkeley's newspaper this past July. It looks like he is off to a running start!
Theme: Pace Yourself
The three themed clues are:
20 Across. Exciting end to a baseball game: WALK-OFF HOMER. This is a home run that ends the game. For this to happen, it must be the bottom of the final inning and the home run puts enough points on the scoreboard to beat the other team, who, at that point, will not have another opportunity to score runs of their own. Fun Walk-Off Home Run Stats
Here's one for The Corner's biggest Mets fan (1:06 min.):
Also, in case you missed it, a WALK-OFF bunt recently made the news. Little League World Series Final
33 Across. Review class notes, e.g.: JOG ONE'S MEMORY. 
43 Across. Grammatical flaw that may be fixed with a semicolon: RUN ON SENTENCE.
And the reveal:
59 Across. Welcome break in one's routine, or the progression found at the starts of 20-, 33-, and 43-Across: CHANGE OF PACE.
The starts of the three themed clues are each a PACE. Furthermore the PACE quickens from a WALK to a JOG to a RUN. In other words, the PACE CHANGEs.
I especially like the way Ajay used phrases that transform the meanings of WALK, JOG, and RUN. Well done! and BRAVO, Ajay!
Let's trot on ahead to the remaining clues....
Across:
28. __-ray: video format: BLU.
29. Valuable mineral: ORE.
31. "Descendants: The Rise of Red" star Rita: ORA. She plays the villain in this 2024 film available on Disney+.
38. Devoted fan, in slang: STAN. I think most of us now know this term for a superfan/stalker fan. If not, please see my blog from last Monday #25-D.
39. Settle the bill: PAY.
40. Follow closely behind: TAIL. Def. (verb) to follow for purposes of surveillance.
71. Department with quotas, maybe: SALES.
72. Farm pen: STY.
73. __ boom: SONIC. The X-1, piloted by Captain Chuck Yeager, was the first plane to fly faster than the speed of sound, thereby creating the first SONIC boom, on October 14, 1947.
Down:
1. "Mic Drop" K-pop septet: BTS. This song was released in 2018. Here is the video.
1. "Well done!": BRAVO. Early in The Phantom of the Opera, Christine sings Think of Me. Raoul recognizes her as his childhood friend. He stands up and yells, "BRAVO!" at 2:19.
6. Album insert, briefly: PIC. I had to change my thinking from "record album" to "photo album".
9. Amazon or Adidas: BRAND. While I do appreciate alliteration, vocalic or otherwise, I did not care for the categorical mismatch in this clue. Perhaps Asics and Adidas would be a better fit.
14. Discussion theme: TOPIC.
15. Tumult: ADO.
16. Like some Hitchcock scenes: EERIE. Here is the Bell Tower scene from Vertigo (1958), starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak (2:23 min.). The scene was filmed at Mission San Juan Bautista, about 45 miles (72 km.) south of San Jose, CA.
17. Like the taste of 23- and 25-Down: SWEET. The answers to those clues are PBJS and SUGAR, respectively.
18. Hoop edge: RIM.
19. Lacking company: ALONE.
23. Collect $200 in Monopoly: PASS GO.
26. Radial, to a Brit: TYRE. TYRE is the British spelling of "tire".
27. "What __ the odds?": ARE.
6. Album insert, briefly: PIC. I had to change my thinking from "record album" to "photo album".
9. Amazon or Adidas: BRAND. While I do appreciate alliteration, vocalic or otherwise, I did not care for the categorical mismatch in this clue. Perhaps Asics and Adidas would be a better fit.
14. Discussion theme: TOPIC.
15. Tumult: ADO.
16. Like some Hitchcock scenes: EERIE. Here is the Bell Tower scene from Vertigo (1958), starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak (2:23 min.). The scene was filmed at Mission San Juan Bautista, about 45 miles (72 km.) south of San Jose, CA.
17. Like the taste of 23- and 25-Down: SWEET. The answers to those clues are PBJS and SUGAR, respectively.
18. Hoop edge: RIM.
19. Lacking company: ALONE.
23. Collect $200 in Monopoly: PASS GO.
26. Radial, to a Brit: TYRE. TYRE is the British spelling of "tire".
27. "What __ the odds?": ARE.
Barenaked Ladies ~ Odds Are ~ (2013)
28. __-ray: video format: BLU.
29. Valuable mineral: ORE.
31. "Descendants: The Rise of Red" star Rita: ORA. She plays the villain in this 2024 film available on Disney+.
38. Devoted fan, in slang: STAN. I think most of us now know this term for a superfan/stalker fan. If not, please see my blog from last Monday #25-D.
39. Settle the bill: PAY.
40. Follow closely behind: TAIL. Def. (verb) to follow for purposes of surveillance.
Inspector Clouseau was a master at disguise while conducting surveillance of unsuspecting criminals. (2 min.)
48. Underwater vessel: SUB. SUBmarine
49. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO.
50. Barbie's bae: KEN. The Barbie movie portrayed Ken not so much as her bae but more as a forever #2 to Barbie. He had to work though an inferiority complex.
51. Rep for NY-14: AOC. a lot of abbreviations for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
54. Top Olympic prize: GOLD.
57. Wallet holders: PURSES.
62. 1950s FLOTUS: MAMIE. Mamie Eisenhower [1896 - 1979] was the First Lady Of The United States from 1953 to 1961. She met future POTUS #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower in Colorado in 1915. They were married the following year. more about Mamie
63. Actor Mahershala: ALI. He has won two Oscars: Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018).
64. URL letters next to a padlock icon: HTTPS. Chrome replaced the padlock with the Tune icon. more about the change
68. Put up, as a skyscraper: ERECT.
69. __ Geo Wild: NAT.
70. Use the back end of a pencil: ERASE.
48. Underwater vessel: SUB. SUBmarine
49. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO.
50. Barbie's bae: KEN. The Barbie movie portrayed Ken not so much as her bae but more as a forever #2 to Barbie. He had to work though an inferiority complex.
 |
| I am KENough. |
51. Rep for NY-14: AOC. a lot of abbreviations for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
54. Top Olympic prize: GOLD.
57. Wallet holders: PURSES.
 |
| Hand up if you are a DH who fearlessly holds your DW's purse. |
62. 1950s FLOTUS: MAMIE. Mamie Eisenhower [1896 - 1979] was the First Lady Of The United States from 1953 to 1961. She met future POTUS #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower in Colorado in 1915. They were married the following year. more about Mamie
63. Actor Mahershala: ALI. He has won two Oscars: Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018).
64. URL letters next to a padlock icon: HTTPS. Chrome replaced the padlock with the Tune icon. more about the change
68. Put up, as a skyscraper: ERECT.
69. __ Geo Wild: NAT.
70. Use the back end of a pencil: ERASE.
Johnny drew a monster.
The monster chased him.
Just in time,
Johnny erased him.
author unknown
71. Department with quotas, maybe: SALES.
72. Farm pen: STY.
"Put the spurs to her, Chuck."
The Right Stuff ~ Sam Shepard ~ (1983)
Down:
1. "Mic Drop" K-pop septet: BTS. This song was released in 2018. Here is the video.
Note: ATLGranny (I miss her) taught me this memory trick: Boys That Sing. This is the first time I've watched one of their videos. Now I think they are BTSAD (Boys That Sing And Dance).
2. One of 15 in a typical daily crossword: ROW. This was my favorite clue today! Most Mon.-Sat. grids are 15 X 15.
3. Donkey Kong, for one: APE. The first Donkey Kong video game was released in 1981 by Nintendo. The story is that designer Shigeru Miyamoto thought "Kong" meant gorilla in English. He wanted to use "Kong" as the last name and came up with "Donkey" as the first name, which he thought meant "stupid" in English.
4. YouTube units: VIEWS. The BTS video I embedded for 1-Down had 1.4 billion VIEWS. Holy mackerel!!
5. Stop sign shape: OCTAGON.
6. The "P" of PRNDL: PARK. This one felt familiar but took a while to place...probably because I drive a stick.
7. "D'oh! Why did I do that!?": IDIOT.
8. Snug: COMFY.
9. Save the day: BE A HERO. I am happy to share this story from my local news about a 13-year-old boy who recently saved a 7-year-old boy from drowning.
10. Transfer to a new city, casually: RELO. RELOcate. In the military it is called a PCS (Permanent Change of Station).
11. Cologne feature: AROMA.
12. SF NFLer: NINER. and 37 Down. Bronx team, familiarly: YANKS. and 44 Down. Denver NBA team: NUGGETS.
2. One of 15 in a typical daily crossword: ROW. This was my favorite clue today! Most Mon.-Sat. grids are 15 X 15.
3. Donkey Kong, for one: APE. The first Donkey Kong video game was released in 1981 by Nintendo. The story is that designer Shigeru Miyamoto thought "Kong" meant gorilla in English. He wanted to use "Kong" as the last name and came up with "Donkey" as the first name, which he thought meant "stupid" in English.
 |
| Mario (left) was a protagonist in the original Donkey Kong game. |
4. YouTube units: VIEWS. The BTS video I embedded for 1-Down had 1.4 billion VIEWS. Holy mackerel!!
5. Stop sign shape: OCTAGON.
6. The "P" of PRNDL: PARK. This one felt familiar but took a while to place...probably because I drive a stick.
7. "D'oh! Why did I do that!?": IDIOT.
8. Snug: COMFY.
9. Save the day: BE A HERO. I am happy to share this story from my local news about a 13-year-old boy who recently saved a 7-year-old boy from drowning.
10. Transfer to a new city, casually: RELO. RELOcate. In the military it is called a PCS (Permanent Change of Station).
11. Cologne feature: AROMA.
12. SF NFLer: NINER. and 37 Down. Bronx team, familiarly: YANKS. and 44 Down. Denver NBA team: NUGGETS.
football, baseball (Yankees), and basketball
13. John __ tractors: DEERE.
21. Legends and such: LORE.
22. Flight booking word: FROM.
23. Sammies with two spreads: PBJS. "Sandwiches" is shortened, cluing the initialism for "Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches".
24. So, so much: A LOT.
25. Icing ingredient: SUGAR. Get ready to dance because here are The Archies with Sugar, Sugar (1969):
13. John __ tractors: DEERE.
21. Legends and such: LORE.
22. Flight booking word: FROM.
23. Sammies with two spreads: PBJS. "Sandwiches" is shortened, cluing the initialism for "Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches".
24. So, so much: A LOT.
25. Icing ingredient: SUGAR. Get ready to dance because here are The Archies with Sugar, Sugar (1969):
30. Network that airs Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: ESPN.
Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, 39, won the 2024 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest by stuffing down 58 hot dogs (and buns!) in 10 minutes. Patrick also won the first-ever world poutine eating competition in Toronto.
32. Museo display: ARTE. "Museo" is a clue that the answer will be a foreign spelling for "art".
34. Heavy burden: ONUS.
35. More, in Spanish: MAS. "In Spanish" is a clue that the answer will be a foreign spelling for "more". 😜😜
36. Spots on potatoes: EYES. I liked the clever play on the word spots.
41. Drink whose logo has frosted letters: ICEE. 
42. Microscope piece: LENS.
45. Woodwind section member: OBOE.
46. California wine valley: NAPA.
47. Deeply moves: TOUCHES.
51. Topmost points: ACMES.
52. "The Parent Trap" actress Maureen: O'HARA. [1920 - 2015] She played the mom.
32. Museo display: ARTE. "Museo" is a clue that the answer will be a foreign spelling for "art".
34. Heavy burden: ONUS.
35. More, in Spanish: MAS. "In Spanish" is a clue that the answer will be a foreign spelling for "more". 😜😜
36. Spots on potatoes: EYES. I liked the clever play on the word spots.
45. Woodwind section member: OBOE.
46. California wine valley: NAPA.
47. Deeply moves: TOUCHES.
51. Topmost points: ACMES.
52. "The Parent Trap" actress Maureen: O'HARA. [1920 - 2015] She played the mom.
My last box was to change O'HARe to O'HARA to make 71-Across work. BTW, O'Hare is the airport in Chicago (ORD).
53. Caravan creature: CAMEL. Japanese artist Ikua Hirayama [1930 - 2009] created many CAMEL caravan paintings as part of his Silkroad collection. more
55. Transactions with interest: LOANS.
56. C sharp equivalent: D-FLAT.
58. In style again: RETRO.
60. Pleasant: NICE.
61. "Bummer": PITY.
65. Sunbather's goal: TAN.
66. Pitchfork-shaped Greek letter: PSI.
67. "Just gimme a __!": SEC.
53. Caravan creature: CAMEL. Japanese artist Ikua Hirayama [1930 - 2009] created many CAMEL caravan paintings as part of his Silkroad collection. more
55. Transactions with interest: LOANS.
56. C sharp equivalent: D-FLAT.
60. Pleasant: NICE.
61. "Bummer": PITY.
65. Sunbather's goal: TAN.
66. Pitchfork-shaped Greek letter: PSI.
 |
| Upper case (left) and Lower case PSI |
Here is the completed grid: 
That's all for today. Time to skip on outta here! Have a safe holiday, everyone!
