Sunday December 10, 2023 Amie Walker & Hoang-Kim Vu

Theme: "Gains" - Five different muscles are inserted in to each common phrase.

24. Nearly fails Poseidon's shop class?: BARELY MAKES A TRIDENT. Barely makes a dent.

36. Karaoke outing that won't allow Aretha's classic song?: RESPECTLESS NIGHT. Restless night.

57. Time in the Peace Corps?: SERVICE ABROAD. Service road.

63. The x- or y-axis, perhaps?: END OF QUADRANT. End of rant.

83. Request to an ophthalmologist on a busy afternoon?: DILATE ANOTHER DAY. Die Another Day.

101. "Use all your strength!," or an alternate title for this puzzle?: PUT SOME MUSCLE IN TO IT.

TRI is used. I wonder why BI is not used. Then the reveal could be the title. We'd have a more muscly puzzle.

Across:

1. "Couldn't agree more!": AMEN.

5. Tapenade, e.g.: DIP.

8. Pride __: FLAG.

12. Chicago daily, familiarly: TRIB. We have Star Trib here.

16. Forum robe: TOGA.

17. Bread with falafel: PITA.

18. Princess Tiana costume topper: TIARA.

19. Taiga or tundra: BIOME.

20. Collage of fabric swatches, paint chips, etc.: MOOD BOARD. 

22. Birch kin: ALDER.

23. Send payment: REMIT.

27. Considerate of others: POLITE.

28. Iowa State town: AMES.

29. Activity in a humidified room: HOT YOGA. So many nice fill in this grid.

30. Corp. leader: CEO.

31. Monopoly pair: DICE.

33. Desertlike: ARID.

35. "What's the __?": USE.

41. Twirl: SPIN.

45. Some saxes: ALTOS.

46. __ Eisley: spaceport in the "Star Wars" universe: MOS.

 

47. Take to court: SUE.

48. __ Island: RHODE.

49. Harris, e.g., informally: VEEP.

50. Shout at the slots: I WON.

52. Best Original Song, e.g.: OSCAR. 116. 52-Across honoree for "Fight for You": HER.

54. Gretzky, once: OILER. Boomer used to have his rookie cards. And Mantle's. He had lots of stories of "I wish I kept his cards."

55. Blunder: ERR.

56. Nursing __: BRA.

60. Close securely: SEAL.

61. High card, often: ACE.

62. Skeptical expression: IS IT.

69. Fizz liquor: GIN.

70. Weeding tool: HOE.

73. Native New Zealander: MAORI.

74. Numbered clubs: IRONS.

75. Pound sound: WOOF.

77. "The Powerpuff Girls" voice actress Strong: TARA. She voiced Bubbles.

78. With 79-Across, entry in the periodic table's last column: INERT. 79. See 78-Across: GAS.

80. Auction action: BID.

81. Gets, as a job: LANDS.

82. Flushed: ROSY.

88. Curling surface: ICE.

90. "I Will Wait" band Mumford & __: SONS.

91. Io or Europa, for Jupiter: MOON.

92. NCAA champion swimmer Thomas: LIA. First openly transgender athlete to win the title.

93. Clipped: SHEARED.

97. Hurt feelings?: PAIN.

99. Pot sticker kin: WONTON. I like plain wonton.

105. Problems for pipes or PR firms: LEAKS.

106. Insertion mark: CARET.

107. Carrot, so to speak: INCENTIVE.

110. Penn pals?: IVIES. 111. Locale for llamas: ANDES. 2. Low in the field: MOO. And 5. Talk of the town?: DIALECT. All nice clues.

112. Alum: GRAD.

113. Library offering: LOAN.

114. Relayed: TOLD.

115. Long-standing rivalry: FEUD.

117. Fangorn Forest beings: ENTS.

Down:

1. Note dispenser: ATM.

3. Bit of self-promotion?: EGO BOOSTER. Great fill/clue as well.

4. Federer rival: NADAL.

6. "Nice job!" reply: I TRY.

7. Lakshmi who wrote the children's book "Tomatoes for Neela": PADMA. She used to host "Top Chef".

8. Enters one by one: FILES IN.

9. Chaps: LADS.

10. Zone: AREA.

11. Brooks of country music: GARTH.

12. Colorful garment that might feature a peace sign: TIEDYE SHIRT.

13. Shakespeare character in the lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Love Story": ROMEO.

14. Chatting online, for short: IMING. Question: "What would you like for Christmas?" Me: "Ventilator". I meant "snorkel" but I forgot how to say it in English.

15. Bright aquarium fish: BETTA.

17. Wax finish?: POETIC. Wax poetic.

18. "Any __?": "Who's in?": TAKERS.

19. Brolly carriers: BRITS.

21. "Say Yes to the Dress" figures: BRIDES.

25. Stockpile: AMASS.

26. Sound defeat: ROUT.

27. Mixology tool: PEELER.

30. Desire: CRAVE. Had a sore throat for a few days. Sure wish I had some frozen durian. My mouth is watering just looking at this picture.

32. Pal of Big Bird and Julia: ELMO.

34. Decathlon equipment: DISCI.

37. Fizzy drink: POP.

38. Ages and ages: EONS.

39. Avocado dish, for short: GUAC.

40. "Wish me luck!": HERE I GO.

42. Casual top: POLO.

43. Brainchild: IDEA.

44. Geeky type: NERD.

48. Batman's boy friend: ROBIN.

50. Modern location of Nineveh: IRAQ.

51. Evil doppelgänger in the Mario games: WALUIGI.

52. Some apex predators: ORCAS.

53. Reindeer pal of Olaf the snowman: SVEN.

56. Suit well: BEFIT.

58. Pocket: EARN.

59. Skeptical expression: AS IF.

60. "Didn't mean to open that can of worms": SORRY I ASKED. Another great fill.

63. Mideast title: EMIR.

64. Prefix between micro and pico: NANO.

65. "Easy __ it": DOES.

66. __ Sea: former endorheic lake: ARAL.

67. Rice pancakes served with sambar and chutney: DOSAS. Looks tasty.

68. Bed size: TWIN.

70. L'Occitane product: HAND LOTION. I've tried them all.

71. Appoint, as a rabbi: ORDAIN.

72. Undemanding class: EASY A.

76. Leslie __ Jr. of "Glass Onion": ODOM.

77. Roof goo: TAR.

80. Pho garnish: BASIL.

81. "Imagine" singer: LENNON.

83. View as: DEEM.

84. Heavy favorite: TOP SEED.

85. Passes, as legislation: ENACTS.

86. Longtime luxury sedan: TOWN CAR.

87. Partner of hollered: HOOTED.

89. Irritable: CROSS.

93. Share, as an appetizer: SPLIT.

94. Parte de un platillo "ranchero": HUEVO.

95. Online business: ETAIL.

96. Coffee choice: DECAF.

98. Whinny: NEIGH.

100. Proof of ownership: TITLE.

102. Thick tresses: MANE.

103. Lahore language: URDU.

104. Memo opener: IN RE.

108. Chocolate factory tub: VAT.

109. Nine Inch Nails quartet?: ENS. The letters in Nine Inch Nails. 

Been a long, surreal year since I lost Boomer. Tears still fall when I'm vacuuming his man cave, or walking on his favorite trails, or in the pool. I sob at odd moments, for odd reasons. I'll forever miss him.

C.C.

Monday September 25, 2023 Amie Walker

 Hello Cornerites!

Theme:        Hum a Few Bars  ♪ ♪ ♪

I am always happy to see Amie Walker's name on a puzzle. Today's is a good example of her talents. There is more to unpack here than on a typical Monday. (Note:  You might want to pause here and top off your beverage of choice.)

Amie is playing with two music-related words in unexpected ways. The two words are LINE and BARS.

A line of a song is a lyric. We have 3 lines from the song Get Down Tonight by KC and The Sunshine Band (1975). Amie adds an extra layer by including the word "line" in the clues for three long fills. Each time, we get a different meaning for the word "line" plus none of those meanings correspond to its musical definition.

20 Across. Conga line?: DO A LITTLE DANCE.

"Line" is a queue of people. "Conga" is the "dance".

36 Across. Neck line?: MAKE A LITTLE LOVE.

"Line" is a fashion feature that accentuates the wearer's body or a garment's detail. "Neck" is "necking" a.k.a. making out.

47 Across. Party line?: GET DOWN TONIGHT.

"Line" is the 'official message' of a particular group. "Party" is a group of revelers.

Fair enough, but what about the unifier(s)? This is where the puzzle truly became fun. 

62 Across. With 63-Across, 1970s nightclubs, or, in another sense, what 20-, 36-, and 47-Across are?: DISCO.

63 Across. See 62-Across: BARS.

In music theory, bar is another word for 'measure'. It contains a specific number of beats played at a particular tempo. They are called BARS because of the vertical lines that separate them along a musical staff. Think of the old joke, "No, but if you hum a few BARS...." Here is an example where both BARS have four beats.

Finally, Amie uses DISCO BARS in two ways. One is the 'nightclub' sense in the clue. The other is what I have been trying to build up to. The LINES in the long fills are BARS from the DISCO song, Get Down Tonight. They are another type of DISCO BARS. Whew! I told you there was a lot to unpack today! This would have been a good one for JzB. Are you ready for the song now?  

Before we move on to the other clues, I want to add that the length of the long fills makes this puzzle a Monday level fit. Once you've parsed the theme, you can fill in a lot (28%) of the squares. On the other hand, if you are not familiar with this song, the level moves a few days forward in the week.

Across:
1. Field of study: AREA.  and  9 Down. Field of study, perhaps: SITE.

[Fun clecho #1]

5. Lumps: CLODS.  If your AREA of study is archaeology, you might sift through CLODS at your work SITE.  

visit this archaeological SITE

10. "Wheel of Fortune" option: SPIN.  Contestants have three options:  SPIN the wheel, buy a vowel, or solve the puzzle.

14. Music genre for Jill Scott: SOUL.  This is Jill Scott.

15. Asian capital whose opera house is modeled on Paris's Palais Garnier: HANOI.  I like clues that teach us a little something extra.  

HANOI (lt) and Paris (rt)

16. Drive-__ ATM: THRU.

17. Italian dish, familiarly: PARM.  PARMigiana  9 Things you can "PARM" from the Food Network

18. Lopsided: ATILT.  Def:  in a tilted or inclined position.

19. Corner chess piece: ROOK.  a.k.a. castle  

Once again Colin found himself stuck between a 'Rook' and a hard place.

23. Resource in Catan: ORE.  Huh?

Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a board game for (generally) 3-4 players. It was designed by Klaus Teuber and was first published in 1995 in Germany. Players take on the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources.  

24. Woolly moms: EWES.  Fortunately for us XWD bloggers, there are plenty of sheep cartoons on the internet.

25. Cantina fare: TACOS.  A "cantina" is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain. I am reminded of Rosie's Cantina in the song, El Paso, written by Marty Robbins. This is a a pepped-up cover by the Old 97's (1999). 

My favorite LINE:  I caught a good one. He looked like he could run. ♪

28. Prepare to advance after a fly ball: TAG UP.  In baseball, when a batter hits a fly ball and a fielder catches it, base runners have to go back to the base they were at when the play started and TAG UP before they can run to the next base. It gets exciting in the event the fielder botches the catch. Of course if there are already two outs, the runner should just go like the wind.  

In this 'fly ball' video, things are complicated by the infield fly rule. The announcer explains that "Bonds was immediately out" but it would have been helpful if he also explained that this meant there was no longer a force play at home so they needed to tag the runner.

I like how the runner did a don't-mind-me sneak around to step on the plate.

31. Radio host John: TESH.  He was born on July 9, 1952 on Long Island. In 1990, he wrote the NBA on NBC theme song.  Here it is:

32. Cinnamon-scented seasonal decor: PINECONES (also PINE CONES).  I love it when stores overpower me with cinnamon PINE CONES near the entrance!

Kudos to Amie for this 9-letter horizontal fill, along with its symmetrical partner at 39A.

39. "No, really!": I'M SERIOUS.  

a very young Val Kilmer (left) (35 sec.)

Real Genius (1985)

40. MGM co-founder: LOEW.  Marcus LOEW and Louis B. Mayer founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. on April 17, 1924. LOEW died three and a half years later from a heart attack at 57-years-old.

41. Many "Saved by the Bell" characters: TEENS.  Ranker puts Saved by the Bell at #11 for The Best Teen Comedy Series Every Made.

42. Chores: TASKS.

44. Heckling chorus: BOOS.  

46. Cozy spot: DEN.  and  33 Down. Cozy spot: NOOK.

[Fun clecho #2]

54. Bruno Mars's birthplace: OAHU.  and  56 Across. Floral garlands: LEIS.  

Born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8, 1985 in Honolulu, HI,
Bruno has 31 Grammy nominations and 15 wins.

55. Squirrel away: HOARD.  

58. World Cup cheers: OLES.

59. Cosmic path: ORBIT. Thanks for the Science fill, Amie! It gives us an opportunity to catch up on what is happening with cislunar space.  

L1 and L2 are Legrange points.

60. Froyo topping option: OREO.  This feels a bit awkward in the singular.

61. Saucy: PERT.  

Down:
1. Egyptian cobra: ASP.

2. Fork locale: ROAD.  Homonyms are great for misdirection. It is not the fork located next to your dinner plate.

another tricky homonym

3. Greek currency: EURO.  Greece joined the EU in 1981. It adopted the EURO in 2001 in time to be among the first wave of countries to launch EURO banknotes and coins on January 1, 2002. Prior to that, it's national currency was the drachma (1833-2002).

4. __ mater: ALMA.  Def.:  the school, college or university that one once attended.

It is a Latin phrase that literally means "nourishing/bounteous mother".

5. Dining set array: CHAIRS.

6. Cupful with steamed milk: LATTE.

7. "I got this!": ON IT.

8. Mermaid Barbie, for one: DOLL.  

She has rainbows and a sparkly tiara!!

10. Informal surveys: STRAW POLLS.  My informal definition is "an unofficial vote to determine which way the group is leaning."

11. Device not allowed during a family meal, maybe: PHONE.  and  45 Down. Significant __: OTHER.

Have you heard of "phubbing"? It is a portmanteau made from the words "phone snubbing" and is the act of ignoring a companion in favor of using a smartphone. Not cool, dude!

12. Some Camaros: IROCS.  Someone on The Corner used to have one but I do not remember whom it was.

13. Heat in a microwave: NUKE.  

And I thought nuclear weapons were a 20th century invention.

21. Bathroom, to a Brit: LOO.

22. Low card: DEUCE.

25. One of 32 in the NHL: TEAM.  The NHL's 2023-24 regular season begins on Tuesday, October 10.  more info

26. Queries: ASKS.

27. Residue from an orange snack: CHEETO DUST.  Its official name is "Cheetle". (No, really. I'M SERIOUS. I did not make that up.)

30 sec. TV commercial

28. Welliver of "Bosch" and "Bosch: Legacy": TITUS.  his IMDb page

29. Pantry pests: ANTS.  

Oh, "pantry",  not "pants" !

30. Solidify: GEL.

31. Brief "Yikes, didn't need that in my brain": TMI.  Too Much Information  

32. Subatomic particle: PION.  Hand up for atOm first.

an explanation of PION that I can understand

34. Present-wrapping nights, for procrastinators: EVES.  Hmmmm...... We might be trying too hard with this one. It would be uncommon to wrap presents on the non-Christmas EVES.

35. Work with a needle and thread: SEW.

37. "Am not!" retort: ARE SO.

38. Fib: LIE.

42. Take care of: TEND TO.

43. "The Phantom Menace" boy: ANI.  This was a nickname for the Star Wars:  Episode I -- The Phantom Menace character, Anakin Skywalker.

44. Memphis street of blues fame: BEALE.  website

46. Greek column style: DORIC.  

  

47. Slime: GOOP.  and  51 Down. Lump: GLOB.

48. "__'ve thunk it?": WHO'D.  WHO woulD haVE

"Thunk" was a hint at slang. The apostrophes represent missing letters.

49. Sushi seaweed: NORI.  

This pic shows sushi before being rolled up.
In this case, the NORI is under the rice so it will become the outside of the roll (maki style).
The bamboo mat helps with the rolling.

50. Guitar player's aid: TABS.  Pick?  bzzt.  Capo?  bzzt.

Guitar TABS are a way of writing music that tells finger positions on strings as opposed to telling chords.  Here is an example:  

The 6 horizontal lines represent a guitar's 6 strings.
A zero means to play it "open".

52. Wife of Zeus: HERA.

53. Level: TIER.

57. Call for help repeated in the Police's "Message in a Bottle": SOS.  It is only fitting we end this on a musical note.  

The Police, from their 2nd studio album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

"I'll send an SOS to the world. I'll send an SOS to the world."

Here's the grid:

Thanks for sticking with me on this one! I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Monday August 28, 2023 Amie Walker

Hello Cornerites!

Constructor Amie Walker is back to play, bringing another challenge for us. She gave us a Drop The MIC puzzle two Sundays ago. Today's puzzle features a different type of electronic equipment:  gaming CONSOLEs. I will say upfront that this theme is not in my wheelhouse. I only know a few terms from solving XWDs. I welcome any corrections or additions you might have to my recap. Nevertheless, I do need to come up with a theme. How about this one?

FUN & GAMES

Solving XWD puzzles is fun and the circled letters are gaming systems.

The grid has 4 long answers. The circled letters in each spell out a gaming console that can be hooked up to your TV or monitor so you can play video games.

17 Across. Frozen drink sometimes made with rosé: WINE SLUSHIE.  NES

24 Across. Inadvertently reveals a secret advantage: TIPS ONE'S HAND.  PS ONE

48 Across. Some tissue dispensers: KLEENEX BOXES.  XBOX

58 Across. "SNL" alum known for her Target Lady sketches: KRISTEN WIIG.  WII

We find the gimmick revealed at 

37 Across. Car's storage compartment, or a feature of 17-, 24-, 48-, and 58-Across?: CENTER CONSOLE.

Though not precisely in the CENTER, I think this works because the gaming CONSOLEs do not use the first or last letters of the long fills. The CONSOLE is (sort of) in the CENTER of the long fill. Close enough! Whether or not the circles are necessary is a matter of opinion. Veteran solvers probably did not need them. Noobs probably appreciated the extra hints. Today is Monday....

Because I solve top to bottom, I usually prefer to have the reveal near the bottom. In this case, it was fun to see CENTER CONSOLE in the center of the grid.

Oh, and if you are curious about Target Lady, here is a 6:14 min. skit. That's Justin Timberlake playing her friend Peg.  

Let's move on to the other 73 clues....

Across:

1. __ pitcher: bullpen figure: RELIEF.  and  34 Down. Yankee Stadium's borough: BRONX.  and  49 Down. Wrigley corners: BASES.

All three are baseball references. Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs.

7. South Pacific resort island: BALI.

11. Agt.: REP.  "Agent" is abbreviated. So is "REPresentative".

14. Source of prophecies: ORACLE.

15. "Beg pardon": AHEM.

16. Sculling blade: OAR.  Sculling is a form of rowing, a competitive sport in which a person uses OARs, one in each hand, to propel a boat.  

19. Get weepy: CRY.  I was working on this blog when I read Picard's message about Wilbur Charles. This past February he wrote, "enjoying sumdaze Mondays." He had a way of coining phrases. Sadly, we have lost a good one.

20. Salty expanse: SEA.  Saltwater, aka the ocean, covers about 71% of the Earth.

21. Exchanges on WhatsApp, for short: IMS.  Instant MessageS

Facebook Inc. (now Meta Platforms) purchased WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion. I mostly use WhatsApp with friends who live outside of the U.S. because it is IP-based as opposed to cellular-service-based.

22. Totally fine: A-OK.

30. Slangy "reckon": S'POSE.

32. Washington's capital: OLYMPIA.  Clever misdirection! Why Olympia and not Seattle

Cherry blossoms (lower left) also bloom outside of the OLYMPIA capitol building.

33. "East of Eden" son: ARON.

34. "Hulk" star Eric: BANA.  Last Monday we had Bill Bixby. In 2003 Universal Pictures released a new movie where, thanks to CGI, Eric played both Bruce Banner and Hulk.

36. Heart test, briefly: ECG.  I get these mixed up:

ECG is an ElectroCardioGram. This one checks your heart's rhythm and electrical activity.

EKG is also an ElectrocardioGram.  No wonder I get confused!

EEC is an ElectroEncephaloGram. This one records brain activity.

EGG (Just kidding! I know that one.)

41. Hesitant sounds: ERS.  and  18 Down. Hesitant sounds: UMS.

I see the former mostly in subtitles for British TV shows. Have we had them both in the same puzzle before?

I recently heard Grammar Girl talk about this with Lynne Murphy (an American linguist living in the UK) Episode 928. According to Lynne, "It's not that the British put different sounds into their filled pauses, it's just that they typically spell those pauses er and erm instead of uh and um. Since many British English dialects do not pronounce the /r/ after vowels in such contexts, the /r/ here is just to indicate that the vowel is not a proper 'e' but a long schwa-like vowel." Basically, the spellings are not yet standardized. Read Lynne's article at her website.

We should have suspected that the tricky schwa sound was behind all of this!!

42. "Just keeping you on your __": TOES.

43. Misfortunes: ILLS.

44. Connecticut's time zone: EASTERN.

47. Conclude by: END AT.  Think "time".

51. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.  

12,000 BC Paleo vs. 2090 AD Neo

52. Smartphone download: APP.  for example, WhatsApp in 21A

53. Commotion: ADO.

56. Fake user: BOT.  Lots about BOTs

63. Regret: RUE.

64. Not in use: IDLE.  

I saw these signs while on my recent trip to British Columbia. I hope they catch on.
Please do not let your car puff while you check your cell phone.

65. Boss: LEADER.

66. Shiverer's sound: BRR.  

67. Fifth Avenue store: SAKS.

68. Key tahini ingredient: SESAME.  SESAME seeds are to tahini like peanuts are to peanut butter.

Down:
1. Google Sheets lines: ROWS.  Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet editor. Would you have penned it more confidently if the clue were "Excel lines"?

2. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.  

3. "Mariners Apartment Complex" singer Del Rey: LANA.  While this 2019 song is likely unknown to most, regular solvers are familiar with "4-letter singer Del Rey" much the same way we would write ORR for "3-letter hockey player whose 2nd cousin twice removed is Joe Bloggs".

Here is the video followed by what the song means. Warning:  There are a couple of impolite words.

Click to enlarge.

4. Freezer cubes: ICE.  

"Liquidation Sale" Ha!Ha!

5. High rumblers: ELS.  and  7 Down. Low rumbler: BASSO.

ELevated trainS and a person who sings bass (especially in opera)

6. King of Spain: FELIPE.  King FELIPE VI was born January 30, 1968 in Madrid. In 2014, King Juan Carlos I announced his abdication after almost four decades. His only son FELIPE took the Spanish throne on June 19 of that year, becoming the youngest of contemporary European monarchs at the age of 46.  

In June 2018 he visited the U.S. with his wife, Queen Letizia.

8. Spa sigh: AHH.

9. Floral garland: LEI.  The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) baggage claim area has a wonderful floral aroma due to of all the LEIs given to arriving guests.

10. "Either way works for me": I'M EASY.

11. Vocal group that sings the "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" theme song: ROCKAPELLA.  

Here's the song. The play on a cappella took it from ESP to AESP (Almost Every Single Perp).

12. Spot for an AirPod: EAR.  

I still use wires.  #OldSchool

13. Get too personal: PRY.

23. Unit of resistance: OHM.  electricity

24. Animated character: TOON.  slang for carTOON  

Disney has a Toontown area at its parks.

25. "That __ fair!": ISN'T.

26. Taboos: NO-NOS.

27. Flair: ELAN.

28. Most warm: NICEST.

29. Former U.N. head Hammarskjöld: DAG.  (b. July 29, 1905 in Sweden. d. Sept. 18, 1961 in Rhodesia (now Zambia).) He was the 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving from April 1953 until he perished in an airplane crash.

30. Related to the lower back: SACRAL.  My first guess was "lumbAr" but I needed to guess a little lower.

31. On-screen command after typing one's PIN: PRESS ENTER.

35. Expert serve: ACE.

38. To be, in Paris: ETRE.  French verb

39. Trig ratio: SINE.  Watch this 27 sec. video to see how a SINE curve is rolled out using a unit circle. Cool beans!  

40. Pulitzer-winning poet Sharon: OLDS.  Poetry Foundation website

41. Shrill shriek: EEK.

45. Concert keepsake: TEE.

OK, -T. This one is for you. I haven't mentioned this before. Bro #2 saw Rush in '81 in Oakland. I wore his 'concert keepsake' until it looked even rattier than the one in this pic I found on ebay. (I'm fairly sure this is the one.) I cannot say I was a fan so much as I listened to whatever music he played (read: blasted through the adjoining bedroom wall) and I definitely thought I was too cool for school when I wore the shirt.

46. Long mushrooms: ENOKIS.  What are your thoughts on using English pluralization conventions (in this case, add "s") for foreign words? I'm conflicted.

47. Throws out: EXPELS.  Think "School Board decision".

50. Make a choice: OPT.

53. Opera set in Egypt: AIDA.  What do Clint Eastwood and AIDA have in common?

Answer:  Ennio Morricone (b. Nov. 10, 1928. d. Jul. 6, 2020). He was an Italian composer who wrote music in a wide range of styles, including soundtracks for Clint's Spaghetti Westerns and the 2001 Italian animated film, Aida of the Trees.  

L'Alba Verra (Dawn Will Come) from Aida of the Trees

Ennio Morricone Composer, Arranger, and Conductor;

Filippa Giordano Vocals; Alberto Salerno Lyrics; and Peppe Servillo Vocals

54. Carpe __: seize the day: DIEM.  

55. Shrek, for one: OGRE.

56. "Putting my phone down a sec": BRB.  Be Right Back

57. Taylor Swift's "__ Song": OUR.

59. Nutritional amt.: RDA.  "Amount" is abbreviated, so is "Recommended Dietary Allowance".

60. Kind: ILK.

61. Alumna bio word: NÉE.  It comes from the French feminine past participle of naitre, "to be born".

62. "What __ I thinking?": WAS.  

Oh, I remember. I was thinking that I hope everyone has a good day!