Monday August 18, 2025 Amanda Cook

  

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's puzzle comes to us from the marvelous mind of Amanda Cook. You may recall that Amanda constructed the EXCHANGE puzzle published the Sunday before yesterday. Today marks her 16th LAT publication. Sweet! 

Theme:  

We'll start with the four themers:

17 Across. Avant-garde: CUTTING EDGE.  

CUTTING BOARD

23 Across. Assets and liabilities statement: BALANCE SHEET.  

A BALANCE BOARD is a piece of fitness equipment.
How to Select the Best BALANCE BOARD for You

39 Across. Stylistic faux pas that puts an editor between a rock and a black sheep?: MIXING METAPHORS.  This clue provides an example of what MIXING METAPHORS is. It takes two metaphors, "between a rock and a hard place" and "black sheep" and combines them in a way that does not really fit.  

A MIXING BOARD combines audio recordings.
Perhaps you have seen one in a movie scene set in a recording studio.

51 Across. Illumination that sets a tone: MOOD LIGHTING.  

A MOOD BOARD is a collage of colors, fabric swatches, shapes, etc.
They can be helpful when organizing ideas for a decorating project.

63 Across. List of top-scoring players, and what the start of 17-, 23-, 39-, or 51-Across could be called?: LEADER BOARD.  

This is a LEADER BOARD from a golf tournament.

All four of the themed answers are two-word phrases. The first word can be put in front of (i.e., LEAD) the word BOARD to create something new. Not being familiar with a couple of the answers did not impede my solve. MIXING METAPHORS gets full points for not only working with the theme and spanning the grid, but it is also a fun answer for us word lovers.

Now let's close this door and start a new chapter:

Across:

1. Like some histories: ORAL.

5. Scents such as freshly baked bread and clean laundry: AROMAS.  Both are appealing smells.

11. Cave mammal: BAT.  This was my favorite clue today! At first I was trying to think of big, furry, hibernating mammals.  

a BAT in a cave

14. Zilch: NONE.

15. __ Creed: Mass recitation: NICENE.  It is recited as part of the Catholic Mass. You can read it here.

16. Flamenco cry: OLÉ.

19. Was victorious: WON.

20. Live and breathe: EXIST.  This was a fun use of a known expression!

21. Feel under the weather: AIL.

22. Cabin timber: PINE.

27. King Arthur's realm: CAMELOT.  

1470 reproduction of Évrard d'Espinques's illumination of the Prose Lancelot,
 showing King Arthur presiding at the Round Table with his knights,

30. Compete in a slalom: SKI.

31. Alias letters: AKA.  Also Known As  

32. Dozes (off): NODS.  Off inside the parenthesis means that it is combined with the answer to match dozes. In other words, the clue-writing convention is telling us that dozes means NODS off.

35. Archipelago unit: ISLET.

43. Take potshots (at): SNIPE.  

 I find it difficult to believe this beautiful SNIPE 
would take potshots at anyone. 

44. Repeated word in a Doris Day classic: SERA.  I have previously linked the Doris Day song a few times. Today I am presenting something different. In this song, the artist uses a MIXING BOARD to sample Doris Day. (Sample means to use a piece of a pre-existing work in a new piece.) It might not be your cup of tea but perhaps you will find it interesting. 

Wax Tailor     ~     Que Sera     ~    2020

45. Tear (apart): RIP.

46. Archer's asset: AIM.

48. Positives: UPSIDES.  

56. Storylines: ARCS.  Babylon 5 (1994) is usually credited as the first U.S. television series with a 5-year story ARC conceptualized prior to filming. I describe it as "United Nations in space". 

Bruce Boxleitner is front and center.

57. Salty expanse: SEA.     and     7-Down. Atlantic, for one: OCEAN.

58. Pirouetting, say: ON TOE.  Think "ballet".

62. Tabby: CAT.  

This is Coco, my SIL's new tabby CAT.

66. Feasted on: ATE.

67. Achieve fame: ARRIVE.  

68. Arancini ingredient: RICE.  These are new to me. They are Italian RICE balls.  

recipe

69. Sopping: WET.  

"WET dog" smell is up there with those in 5-Across.

70. Organized workflow: SYSTEM.

71. Flair: ELAN.

Down:

1. __ upon a time: ONCE.

2. Gumbo thickener: ROUX.  Def.: (noun) a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent in a soup or a sauce.

BTW, the plural form is also ROUX.

3. Against: ANTI.

4. Doesn't disturb: LETS BE.  

This is a scene from one of my favorite movies, Yesterday (2019). The premise is that a struggling musician wakes up to an alternate reality where he is the only one on Earth who knows who the Beatles are or any of their songs. In this scene, he tries to play Let It Be for his parents. They are completely unaware of how amazing the song was in the previous reality. (3:29 min.)  

5. Rashida's "Parks and Recreation" role: ANN.  

Rashida Jones as the very likable ANN Perkins

6. Fix, as a fight: RIG.

8. Soldier trained in first aid: MEDIC.

9. "I teach geometry, so I know all the __": math professor's quip: ANGLES.  Groan!

10. Observe: SEE.

11. "Starman" singer David: BOWIE.  Me:  This clue is too hard because the only Starman song I know is by David Bowie...oh, wait...that fits. Never mind.  

Here is the 1972 song:

12. Unaccompanied: ALONE.

13. Core belief: TENET.

18. Lang. of Rome: ITAL.  language and Italian

22. Run an email scam: PHISH.  This term comes from the idea of fishing. Just as a fisherman dangles bait on a hook, internet scammers send out bait to computer users.

This is an early scene (not a spoiler) in the movie The Beekeeper (2024). Unfortunately it contains a lot of F-bombs but I encourage you to watch it because it portrays how bad people scam money from good people via the internet. This 4:28 min. scene might help you prevent your life savings from being stolen by nefarious hackers.  If you are ever in doubt, call your bank. Do not use the number 'conveniently' provided by the scammer. Do not click on their links!!!

24. __ division: LONG.  Yay, it's an excuse for me to insert another Old 97's song! This is Singular Girl from 1999.

Talking to you girl is like LONG division, yeah  🎵

25. Molecule makeup: ATOMS.

26. Pass over: SKIP.

27. Zoom devices, familiarly: CAMS.  cameras

28. Related (to): AKIN.

29. Ankle-length skirt: MAXI.

33. Hollywood ending?: DEE.  This is one of those meta clues. The last letter in Hollywood is the letter D.

34. Confident stride: STRUT.

36. "Bridgerton" title: LORD.  Bridgerton is a Netflix drama based on novels by Julia Quinn. It is set in the 19th century and follows eight siblings seeking relationships. It has been compared to a cross between Jane Austen and Scandal. LORD Anthony Bridgerton is one of the characters.

37. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.

38. Baking amts.: TSPS. amounts and teaspoons

40. Apple tablets: IPADS.

41. Singer Diamond: NEIL.  (b. Jan. 24, 1941). I'm a fan!  

Neil Diamond     ~     You Don't Bring Me Flowers     ~     1977

written by Neil Diamon with Alan and Marilyn Bergman

42. Heritage celebrated in May, for short: AAPI.  Asian American and Pacific Islander

I see that this answer appeared a year ago in a Universal crossword puzzle. It was also used twice in 2023 in USA Today puzzles.

47. Great suffering: MISERY.  This is THAT scene from the movie Misery (1990), based on Stephen King's psychological horror novel.  WARNING:  Do not watch this video if you have not already seen the movie!! It is absolute MISERY and it will haunt you.

49. Hoity-toity type: SNOB.

50. Send to voicemail, perhaps: IGNORE.  I'm happy to be guilty of this. I try to be present in whatever I'm doing. That means I do not let my phone interrupt me just because it dings or rings. The great thing about a cell phone is that it can accept messages which I can view later.

51. Colorful parrot: MACAW.  

Both males and females share this brilliant coloration.

52. Deliver a speech: ORATE.

53. Chamber music configuration: OCTET.

54. Bike parts: GEARS.  

55. "You've never __ so good": HAD IT.

59. Follow covertly: TAIL.  This is a 2:08 min. scene from The French Connection (1971). Gene Hackman is trying to TAIL Fernando Rey:  

60. Marine apex predator: ORCA.  

61. Idyllic place: EDEN.  

63. __ Vegas Aces: LAS.  This is a WNBA team.

64. Night before: EVE.  I wonder what EVE did the night before she was cast out of the Garden of EDEN.

65. "Shiny Happy People" band: REM.  Here is that 1991 song:  

The grid:  

See you later, crocodile!

(I wrote that before doing yesterday's puzzle.)

Sunday August 10, 2025 Amanda Cook

Theme: "EXCHANGE" - Ex is added to a common phrase, then removed from the next one, alternating in order.

22. Student council leader with demanding bake sale goals?: EXACTING PRESIDENT. Acting president.

33. Drama at the salon?: HAIR TENSIONS. Hair extensions. 

49. "Halt all Acela trains immediately!"?: STOP THE EXPRESSES. Stop the presses. 

65. Wizard at converting spreadsheets to PDF?: EXPORT AUTHORITY. Port authority. 

82. Spending one's days reading philosophy and meditating?: PENSIVE LIFESTYLE. Expensive lifestyle.

98. Shocking article proving the conspiracy theory that birds aren't real?: PIGEON EXPOSE. Pigeon pose.

111. Status of an unexpectedly viral research study?: CITED BEYOND BELIEF. Excited beyond belief.

I wonder if Amanda planned to have one more theme entry with EX removed but could not find a workable candidate. 

Total 105 theme squares. About our average. This grid was so carefully filled, no obscure names or Abbrs.

Across:

1. Times up: AT BATS.

7. Brightest star in the constellation Lyra: VEGA.

11. Look (like): SEEM.

15. Bowler or boater: HAT.

18. Vegetable in some cakes: CARROT. In Guangzhou, we have taro cakes, traditional Spring Festival treats.

19. "Pronto!": ASAP.

20. __ dish: PETRI.

21. Fútbol cheer: OLE.

25. Accessory that may match a prom date's dress: TIE.

26. Wistful exhalation: SIGH.

27. Coffee or tea: NOUN. Not BREW.

28. Mauna __: KEA.

29. From days past: OLDEN.

31. First name in cosmetics: ESTEE.

37. Fuming: IRATE.

40. Purple bloom: LILAC. We have pink lilacs here.

42. Mailing: SENDING.

43. Skater Harding: TONYA.

44. Had the courage: DARED.

46. Desktop feature since Windows 95: TASK BAR.

54. Nice one: UNE. Nice, France. 

55. Fashion: MODE.

56. Landmark Obama legislation, initially: ACA.

57. Kodiak, for one: BEAR.

58. Fruit soda created by Coca-Cola Deutschland: FANTA.

60. Before, poetically: ERE.

61. Bonfire remnants: ASH.

62. Confide in: TRUST.

64. Shimmering threads: TINSEL.

69. Selling points?: STORES.

72. Comes by honestly: EARNS.

73. UFO pilots: ETS.

74. "Harriet the __": kid-lit classic: SPY.

77. Himalayan country: NEPAL. They live in year 2082 now. Nepali calendar is about 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar.

 

78. Like an underwatered plant: LIMP. I now have a peony besides my Asiatic lilies. Let's see if it blooms next year. 

79. Slick-back product: GEL.

80. Item removed at a TSA checkpoint: SHOE.

81. Raw bar bed: ICE.

87. Put into words: PHRASED.

90. Spud: TATER.

91. Cookies that may be crumbled to make cheesecake crust: OREOS.

92. Claims: ALLEGES.

95. Warble: TRILL.

97. Wetland: MARSH.

101. Like sardines: BONED. My RA doc says I can enjoy all the sardines I want. So I will. 

103. Henhouse perch: ROOST.

104. __ for the course: PAR.

105. Croft of "Tomb Raider": LARA.

106. Marcel Duchamp genre: DADA.

110. Be in debt: OWE.

117. Spoil: MAR.

118. Cherish: ADORE.

119. Connection: BOND.

120. Warm-up for a headliner: OPENER.

121. Walk-__: ONS.

122. Vent: RANT.

123. Software issues: BUGS.

124. Cozy eatery: BISTRO.

Down: 

1. King toppers: ACES.

2. Hailed ride: TAXI.

3. Gloat: BRAG.

4. Perfect example: ARCHETYPE. Three more great 9's in the Down slots: 7. Inkling: VAGUE IDEA. 79. The Go-Go's and the Bangles: GIRL BANDS. 80. Is on both sides of: STRADDLES. Plus a pair of 10s: 15. Ball Park Franks holders: HOT DOG BUNS. And 71. Donizetti devotees: OPERA-GOERS. 

5. Kiddo: TOT.

6. Period of work: STINT.

8. "First Take" network: ESPN.

9. Needle-nosed fish: GAR. Huge.

10. Donkey Kong, e.g.: APE.

11. Steady and measured: SEDATE.

12. Le Tour de France saison: ETE. Did you know that those bikes cost more than $13K?

13. Sea eagle: ERN.

14. Cell division process: MITOSIS.

16. Stitch, for one: ALIEN.

17. Many first-year students: TEENS.

20. Jetties: PIERS.

23. "The Great British Baking Show" co-host Fielding: NOEL.

24. Hit the slopes: SKI.

30. "The Legend of Zelda" protagonist: LINK.

32. Ticket assignment: SEAT.

33. Concerto instrument: HARP.

34. HP competitor: ACER.

35. "It's open!": ENTER.

36. Secrecy docs: NDAS.

37. Words before and after "hi, I'm the problem" in Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero": IT'S ME.

38. Brake disc: ROTOR.

39. Battery part: ANODE.

41. Easygoing: LAX.

45. Premieres: DEBUTS.

47. Stake: ANTE.

48. Genuine: REAL.

50. Shed fasteners: HASPS.

51. Cavern effect: ECHO.

52. Casual band practice: SESH. Session. 

53. Puerto Rican rescue mutt: SATO. Learning moment for me. AI Overview: A Sato is Puerto Rican slang for a mutt or mixed-breed dog, particularly those that are stray or abandoned on the island.

58. Needs no tailoring: FITS.

59. Whichever: ANY.

61. Skating jump: AXEL.

62. La Brea attraction: TAR PIT.

63. Cry in a horror film: RUN.

64. IMDb search result: TITLE.

65. Pitching stat: ERA.

66. Bridle part: REIN.

67. Doctoral regalia: TAMS.

68. Utah's Capitol __ National Park: REEF. 

69. Scissors sound: SNIP.

70. Bay Area industry: TECH.

74. More demure: SHYER.

75. Tops that might have popped collars: POLOS.

76. "I'm embarrassed for you": YEESH.

78. Mantel: LEDGE.

82. Hammer end: PEEN. I fixed this crack, with cement powder and a butter knife.  

83. Distillery drums: VATS.

84. Raison d'__: ETRE.

85. Fragrant neckwear: LEI.

86. Not all: SOME.

88. Sudsy pintfuls: ALES.

89. Tiny track racer: SLOT CAR.

93. Connoisseur: EXPERT.

94. Garden shovel: SPADE.

96. Peerage member: LORD.

98. Film trailer, e.g.: PROMO.

99. Sioux City citizen: IOWAN.

100. Sphere: ORB.

102. Bigwig: NABOB.

105. Pine (for): LONG.

107. "It __ over till it's over": AIN'T.

108. Skittish forest creature: DEER.

109. Prefix with futurism: AFRO. Afrofuturism. 

112. Wyo. neighbor: IDA.

113. Freight weight: TON.

114. Recede: EBB.

115. Both Y's in IYKYK: YOU.  If You Know, You Know.

116. Prefix with Pen: EPI.

I'm sorry that Jayce lost his precious Lotus. As most of you know, Lotus was from Hong Kong and Jayce speaks fluent Chinese. This makes me feel an even closer connection to him in his grief. I'm glad you have a caretaker with you now, and I hope you're surrounded by comfort, kindness, and support during this difficult time.

 

 

Sunday May 4, 2025 Kelly Richardson & Amanda Cook

Theme: "At Any Rate" -  The last words of the theme entries form a logical movement sequence.

 23. *Old-fashioned establishment?: COCKTAIL LOUNGE. Resting rate.

 37. *Measurement unit on some graph-ruled paper: SQUARE INCH.

 46. *Commodity sold in board-feet: ROUGH LUMBER.

 52. *Charge up?: PRICE HIKE.

 66. *Annual upriver migration: SALMON RUN.

 82. *Group nearly eradicated in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": HUMAN RACE.

 90. *What may hang by a thread?: HEXAGON BOLT.

 98. *Invasive species that may be spotted in the garden?: LANTERN FLY.

Reveal:

112. Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BRING UP TO SPEED.

Steady progression, from stillness to fly.  Just like the reveal explains, the constructors are bringing things up to speed.

Across:

1. Subwoofer output: BASS.

5. Salsa partner on a dip platter, casually: GUAC. Tasty on the Seeduction bread.

9. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA.

13. The Beyhive, e.g.: FANDOM. Beyoncé's fan base.

19. Spark: IDEA.

20. Fully aware of: ONTO.

21. Tusked hog: BOAR.

22. Like Chamonix: ALPINE.

26. Features of New York's Guggenheim museum: CURVES.

27. Roller coaster material: STEEL.

28. Behind schedule: LATE.

29. [Cough cough]: AHEM.

31. Self or sheep suffix: ISH.

32. Smoked beef cuts: BRISKETS.

35. Writers with star power?: CRITICS. Because they rate in stars. Great clue.

40. Water cooler sound: GLUG.

41. "You rock!," facetiously: NOICE.  OK, it's exaggerated Nice, not NO ICE. Thanks, Anonymous!)

44. Rush: HURRY.

45. D.C. pro: NAT.

48. Memoji platform: IOS.

49. __-12: athletic org.: PAC.

50. "__ Maria": AVE.

51. Staunton of "The Crown": IMELDA. She played Queen Elizabeth.

56. Blueprint: DESIGN.

59. Dates: SEES.

60. Travel plaza fuel supplier: SUNOCO.

61. Villain's hideout: LAIR.

63. Japanese camera brand: NIKON.

65. Org.-wide message: MEMO.

69. Kitten cries: MEWS.

72. Small sound: INLET.

74. "American Fiction" actress Rae: ISSA. Super talented.

75. "Sure, that totally sounds credible": YEAH OK.

77. "Shoot to Thrill" band: AC/DC.

80. Polar dome: ICECAP. Hence NOICE rather than NO ICE earlier. Patti normally doesn't allow this type of dupe. 

85. Carving tool: CHISEL.

87. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.

88. Articulate: SAY.

89. Solder element: TIN.

93. Prevail: WIN.

94. Like slow lorises and snow leopards: ASIAN. Look at his eyes. Some live in China's Yunnan province.

96. Knicks legend Patrick: EWING.

97. Like some wine: OAKY.

100. Crux: ESSENCE.

102. Plovdiv's country: BULGARIA. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, 93 miles southeast of Sofia, a la Wikipedia.

103. Buffalo Bills gp.: AFC.

105. Out of control: AMOK.

106. "You" actor Badgley: PENN. Also in "Gossip Girl".

107. Email option: REPLY.

110. Muss: TOUSLE.

117. Single word on its own line, in typesetting: ORPHAN. Learning moment for me. The orphan and the last widow look the same to me.

118. "If it __ broke ... ": AIN'T.

119. Subscription level: TIER.

120. At any point: EVER.

121. "Kinda weird ... ": IT'S ODD.

122. "Sky Landing" artist Ono: YOKO.

123. Salty septet: SEAS.

124. Ceremony: RITE.

Down:

1. Pen brand: BIC.

2. Big bothers: ADOS.

3. Religious subgroup: SECT.

4. Place to sample Dassai: SAKE BAR. Dassai is a premium sake brand. It means "otter festival". Their website said there used to be many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers where the brewery is based.

5. Net asset?: GOALIE. Hockey net.

6. College, abroad: UNI.

7. Falcons city, briefly: ATL.

8. Gather: COLLECT.

9. Borders: ABUTS.

10. Unaccompanied: LONE.

11. Twitch streamer's headache: LAG.

12. Throw on the floor: AREA RUG. Noun "throw".

13. Jewel side: FACET.

14. Lightweight metal: ALUMINUM.

15. "Code Switch" network: NPR.

16. Capable of an even split: DIVISIBLE.

17. Vending machine bills: ONES.

18. Mosquito net fabric: MESH.

24. "Fresh Air" host Gross: TERRY. Used to listen to her often.

25. Pledge: OATH.

30. Lofty: HIGH.

33. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.

34. Natural talent: KNACK.

35. Puzzle hints: CLUES.

36. Approaches: COMES NEAR.

37. Impossibly bottled objects: SHIPS.

38. Minimum needed for action: QUORUM.

39. Bearlike: URSINE.

40. Serves the people: GOVERNS.

42. Formally yield: CEDE.

43. Notable periods: ERAS.

46. Ad with a jingle, maybe: RADIO SPOT.

47. Connection: LINK.

49. Vietnamese beef noodle soup: PHO.

53. Creative type?: COMIC SANS. Because the font has a creative vibe?

54. B-school course: ECON.

55. Tail end?: ELL.Just the final letter Tail.

57. Shiba __: INU.

58. Martini ingredient: GIN.

62. Not unkindly: AMIABLY.

64. Portent: OMEN.

66. Length of 24 film frames, briefly: SEC. 24 frames per second is the standard frame rate for movies.

67. Gobbled up: ATE.

68. Repeated syllable in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance": RAH.

70. "Let's say ... ": WHAT IF.

71. Gregarious: SOCIAL.

73. Stitch's friend: LILO.

75. "Woot woot!": YAY.

76. "Footloose" singer Loggins: KENNY.

77. Yearning: ACHE.

78. Think (on): CHEW.

79. Lemonade stand stackers: DIXIE CUPS.

81. Blow it under pressure: CHOKE.

83. Implementing: USING.

84. Big-brained ray: MANTA.

86. Deli sandwich filling: EGG SALAD.

91. Wearing white to a wedding, e.g.: NO NO.

92. Ritzy Boston neighborhood: BACK BAY. Tom Brady lived in this area for many years.

93. Carrot cake additions: WALNUTS.

94. Latin for "ram": ARIES.

95. Fish often served whole: SNAPPER.

98. Organ in the chest cavity: LUNG.

99. Blunders and bobbles: ERRORS.

101. Fix, as syntax: EMEND.

102. Lunch box with compartments: BENTO. Bento is derived from Chinese Biandang, literally "convenient".

103. Yours, in French: A TOI.

104. Cozy blanket structure: FORT.

106. "__ Pony Club": Chappell Roan hit: PINK.

108. 22nd U.S. vice president Morton: LEVI. Didn't know him. Under Benjamin Harrison.

109. Throw, slangily: YEET.

111. "Fellow Travelers" airer, for short: SHO.

113. Carnival city: RIO.

114. Dessert with a crust: PIE.

115. Rooibos, for one: TEA.

116. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE.

C.C.

Friday, January 10, 2025, Amanda Cook

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from an extended stay in the quite cold Colorado Rockies.  The cooling effects of that stay have worn off pretty quickly because today's constructor, Amanda Cook, has elected to take us in quite the opposite direction.  Would it be improper to say that, although I have never met the woman, Amanda has given me HOTS?  I know, I know.  A little context is required and here it is:

At the four corners of the puzzle, Ms. Cook has placed answers that can be preceded by the word HOT.  The reveal comes at:

35 Across:  Third base, in baseball lingo, or one of four in this puzzle: HOT CORNER.  It is commonly assumed that the term came about because of the hot shots aimed at the third baseman, but the explanation is not universally accepted. "Third base was so named about 40 years ago when most of the star sluggers were right-handed. Nowadays, however, with so many hard hitting left-handers, first base is equally 'hot'." - Fan And Family October, 1935

... and the theme is applied at:

1 Across:  Valued entity:  HOT COMMODITY.

10  Across:  Chances:  HOT SHOTS.  Chances as in "to take your best SHOT" at something.  Hot Shots, of course are what all solvers who hang out here are.

64 Across:  Breathes heavily:  HOT PANTS.  With HOT, a style of women's shorts.

65 Across:  See's Candies candy:  HOT CHOCOLATE.  After a career at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Valerie decided to work part time at Sees' Candies just for the fun of it.

"Hello.  How may I sweeten your day?"

 

1D. Gâteaux: HOT CAKES.  Plural French clue.

 

14D. Take off and run?: HOT STREAK.  As in take off one's clothes.  Remember the streaking fad?

 

43D. Trade secrets?: HOT GOSSIP.  Trade, here, is used as a verb.

 

 53D. Arrange for serving, as a meal: HOT PLATE. Used, here, as a verb.

 

 This is how all of the themers, and everything else, appears in the grid:

The rest of the clues and answers are:

Across:

15. Dodgy behavior: AVOIDANCE.  As avoidance is not always dodgy behavior,  this clue threw this solver off the scent for a bit.

16. Deck with Major and Minor Arcana: TAROT.  Cards frequently "read" in crossword puzzles.

17. Result of slaying it at the gym: KILLER ABS.

18. Smoldering bit: EMBER.  Did you hear about the baby coal that went missing?  They sent out an EMBER alert.

19. Conclusion: END.

20. Attempt: TRY.

21. Downfall: DEMISE.

22. Google rankings metric: Abbr.: SEO.  Search Engine Optimization  All You Might Want To Know

23. GI entertainers:  USAGE .

24. Bubblegum __: POP.  A music genre reference.  An example (listen at your own risk):

25. Radio host Charlamagne __ God: THA.  Lenard Larry McKelvey.   Humility is, apparently, not the attributes to which he aspires.

26. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.  A Disney movie reference.

28. Holds off: WAITS.

30. Just swell: A OK.

31. "Wicked" pair: ACTS.  A reference to the stage production.

33. Oahu garland: LEI.  Oahu being one of the Hawaiian islands.

34. Pub order: ALE.

38. C-suite member: CFO.  Chief Financial Officer.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.

40. Spanish gold: ORO.

41. Hardly cheerful: GRIM.  Bill and Ted's take on the subject:

43. Long-jawed fish: GAR.

Gar Brooks

44. Floating overhead: ALOFT.

46. __ of March: IDES.  Beware!

48. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

49. Innovative: NEW.

50. Mork's home: ORK.  A Robin Williams reference.

52. The __ Ministry: "Rest Is Resistance" organization: NAP.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

54. Some tuna cuts: STEAKS.  Tuna puns are fin-ally back in season.

56. Composers' rights org.: BMI.  This could have been clued with a reference to Body Mass Index.

57. Ego Nwodim's show, for short: SNL.

58. Magical symbol: SIGIL.  A learning moment for this solver.

59. Geographical region for a retailer: TRADE AREA.

62. Completely silly: INANE.

63. Quiz with bona fide answers?: LATIN TEST.  Bona fide being a Latin expression.


Down:

2. Sheep: OVINES.  Baaa,  Not to be confused with BOVINES.  Moo.

3. Landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania: MOLDOVA.

4. The Bucks, in sports crawls: MIL.  A professional basketball reference.

5. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.

6. Bolts: DARTS.  Not a hardware reference.  Used as a verb.

7. Lined up: IN A ROW.

8. Froyo chain: TCBY.  Originally called This Can't Be Yogurt but quickly altered to The Country's Best Yogurt because it served, of course, actual frozen yogurt.

9. "Affirmative": YES.

10. Brews: STEEPS.  As with tea.

11. "Grimsburg" voice actor Jon: HAMM.  More often clued with a reference to soccer star Mia HAMM.

12. Like a moon's path: ORBITAL.

13. Ballet slipper: TOE SHOE.

21. Overly affectionate: DOTING.

23. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.  As you would have them, or before, depending on your world view.

24. Beach town structure: PIER.

27. Reverberate: ECHO.  Co-opted by Amazon.

29. Emotionally detached: ALOOF.  What do you call a person unaware of whole wheat, whole grain, sourdough and rye?  ALOOF of bread.

32. Elegant wraps: STOLES.  Many of our mothers had one I suspect.

34. Dry: ARID.

36. Black bird: CROW.  A crow invited her friends over to hang out but they didn’t show up.  She was charged with attempted murder.

37. Composer Satie: ERIK.  A frequent visitor.

38. Mexican bar: CANTINA.  Alternatively, a Star Wars reference.

39. One who practices minimal consumption: FREEGAN.  New to this solver.

42. Awareness of wrongdoing, in criminal law: MENS REA.

44. Low joints: ANKLES.  Not a dive bar.  A joint to be found low on one's body.

45. Shakshouka base: TOMATO. Shakshuka is a dish made of eggs poached in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce, often seasoned with spices like cumin and paprika. To make it, sauté onions and bell peppers, add garlic and spices, then stir in crushed tomatoes, simmer, and finally crack eggs into the sauce to poach them. 

47. Most realistic: SANEST.

51. Totes absurd: RIDIC.  RIDICulous.  My sentiments, exactly.

 

55. Colloquial contraction: AIN'T.

56. "Duuuude ... ": BRAH.

59. "No Scrubs" group: TLC.  

60. Ambient musician Brian: ENO.  Another frequent visitor.

61. Georgia airport code: ATL.  ATLanta's Hartsfield Airport.

Continuing with the baseball references (e.g. Hot Corner), a big "Thank You!" to NaomiZ for "pinch hitting" for me during my sabbatical.

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