Theme: ID THEFT (36A. Web danger, and a hint to this puzzle's theme) - ID is stolen from the first word of each two-word common phrase.
17A. Like a dialect coach? : ACCENT PRONE. The base phrase is Accident Prone.
53A. Answer from LL Cool J? : RAP RESPONSE. Rapid Response. LL Cool J is a rapper.
11D. Christmas? : PRESENTS DAY. Presidents Day. Wikipedia says it can also be Presidents' Day.
25D. Herbivorous reptiles? : FLORA GATORS. Florida Gators. Shout-out to Gator Mom, who pointed out my tent dress mistake last time.
Nice pinwheel grid design, with the central hub ID THEFT, which made its LA Times debut today. Great tie-in. We don't often see a unifier in letter(s) addition/deletion/substitution puzzles.
The constructor's black square blocks along the four edges (called fingers, as they look like fingers poking into the grids) and the central parallel ladder-style break-downs give us plenty of 3 & 5-letter words, hence an early week-ish low average word length.
Across:
1. What some sirens do : TEMPT. Knew immediately that "siren" refers to the vamp.
6. 1990s-2000s Irish leader Bertie : AHERN. Alien to me. The dude on the right.
11. Pres. counterparts : PMS (Prime Ministers)
14. It may be blank : STARE. Great clue.
15. Food processor setting : PUREE. Last E prevented me from thinking of BLEND.
16. Outback critter : ROO
19. End of an academic address : EDU
20. Periods : SPELLS
21. Amount-and-interval numbers : DOSES. Drew a blank.
23. Not connected : OFF LINE. Nice entry.
26. Reel art : CINEMA
27. Knack : TALENT
28. Whalebone : BALEEN. Stumped me again.
30. New York home of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute : TROY. Who knows?!
31. Three-time French Open champion : SELES (Monica). French Open '90, '91, and '92.
32. Its symbol is Sn : TIN. Immediately followed by its symmetrical partner EAR (35. Musical knack). Knack clue echo with 27A.
38. Murcia Mrs. : SRA. Have never heard of Murcia, a city in SE Spain.
39. Nutritional stat : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.
40. Like some panels : SOLAR
41. Genesis locale : EDEN
42. Key of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 : G MINOR. Got MINOR part quickly.
44. Where the Maine sank : HAVANA. "Remember the Maine! to Hell with Spain!". Everything I learn, I learn from Xword.
46. Expects : AWAITS
48. Consequences of an all-nighter : RED EYES
49. Obsess : EAT AT
50. Titania's consort : OBERON. No idea. The King of "A Midsummer's Night Dream".
52. General on a menu : TSO. General Tso's Chicken.
58. Where Nina Totenberg reports : NPR. She's the legal affairs correspondent for NPR.
59. Inuit for "women's boat" : UMIAK. Kayak means "man's boat".
60. Gives some TLC to, with "in" : TUCKS
61. Doofus : ASS
62. They're heavier than foils : EPEES. Did not know foil is a fencing weapon as well.
63. Source of brown fur : STOAT
Down:
1. Airport safety org. : TSA
2. Last letters on some lists : ETC. Etc, etc...
3. Slicker : MAC. The "raincoat" meaning of slicker is new to me. I am eager to see what funny line Lois can make out of this answer.
4. Performer with five #1 hits in his first year on the Billboard charts : PRESLEY. When was that?
5. One at the edge of the gutter : TEN PIN. Bowling lane "gutter".
6. Record label launched in 1968 : APPLE. Unaware of this trivia.
7. Pitch : HURL. Man, Aroldis Chapman can sure pitch.
8. Lover of Psyche : EROS. Yep. I am aware of their affair.
9. Toon dog : REN. Ren and Stimpy.
10. Most impoverished : NEEDIEST
12. Cable __ : MODEM
13. "Semper Fidelis" composer : SOUSA. Sousa served in the Marine Corps. Do you all like "Full Metal Jacket?". I was just telling Dennis how cruel and humiliating the boot camp was.
18. It may pop up in a clearing : TENT. What "clearing"?
22. Vending machine insert : ONE
23. Fish-eating mammal : OTTER
24. Capacitance unit : FARAD. No idea. It's named after English physicist Michael Faraday. Dudley and Jayce shouldn't have any problem with this one.
26. Bass symbol : CLEF
28. Joy of "The View" : BEHAR
29. A or Ray : ALER. AL = American League. Oakland A's. Tempa Bay Rays. The rhyming clue does not do much for me.
31. City SE of Cherbourg : ST LO. See this map. What is Cherbourg famous for?
33. Papas of "Zorba the Greek" : IRENE. Nope. Another unknown. Greek actress.
34. Family matriarchs : NANAS
36. "For real?" : IS IT TRUE?
37. Oxford fellows : DONS. Like our professors, correct?
41. Become balanced : EVEN OUT
43. Athletes for Hope co-founder Hamm : MIA. Bill G had a close encounter with her.
44. Word on a towel : HERS
45. Embraces : ADOPTS
46. Cigna competitor : AETNA. Named for the volcano Etna.
47. Mud daubers, e.g. : WASPS. Not familiar with the mud dauber wasp.
48. Smells : REEKS
50. Boy with a fishing pole in a '60s sitcom title screen : OPIE. Stumper. I've never watched "The Andy Griffith Show".
51. Highlands hillside : BRAE
54. Rock concert fixture : AMP
55. U.S. Army E-6, e.g. : NCO. What other 3-letter answer could it be?
56. Jamaican genre : SKA
57. Phila. setting : EST. I am guessing the constructor is from Philadelphia.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Like a dialect coach? : ACCENT PRONE. The base phrase is Accident Prone.
53A. Answer from LL Cool J? : RAP RESPONSE. Rapid Response. LL Cool J is a rapper.
11D. Christmas? : PRESENTS DAY. Presidents Day. Wikipedia says it can also be Presidents' Day.
25D. Herbivorous reptiles? : FLORA GATORS. Florida Gators. Shout-out to Gator Mom, who pointed out my tent dress mistake last time.
Nice pinwheel grid design, with the central hub ID THEFT, which made its LA Times debut today. Great tie-in. We don't often see a unifier in letter(s) addition/deletion/substitution puzzles.
The constructor's black square blocks along the four edges (called fingers, as they look like fingers poking into the grids) and the central parallel ladder-style break-downs give us plenty of 3 & 5-letter words, hence an early week-ish low average word length.
Across:
1. What some sirens do : TEMPT. Knew immediately that "siren" refers to the vamp.
6. 1990s-2000s Irish leader Bertie : AHERN. Alien to me. The dude on the right.
11. Pres. counterparts : PMS (Prime Ministers)
14. It may be blank : STARE. Great clue.
15. Food processor setting : PUREE. Last E prevented me from thinking of BLEND.
16. Outback critter : ROO
19. End of an academic address : EDU
20. Periods : SPELLS
21. Amount-and-interval numbers : DOSES. Drew a blank.
23. Not connected : OFF LINE. Nice entry.
26. Reel art : CINEMA
27. Knack : TALENT
28. Whalebone : BALEEN. Stumped me again.
30. New York home of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute : TROY. Who knows?!
31. Three-time French Open champion : SELES (Monica). French Open '90, '91, and '92.
32. Its symbol is Sn : TIN. Immediately followed by its symmetrical partner EAR (35. Musical knack). Knack clue echo with 27A.
38. Murcia Mrs. : SRA. Have never heard of Murcia, a city in SE Spain.
39. Nutritional stat : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.
40. Like some panels : SOLAR
41. Genesis locale : EDEN
42. Key of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 : G MINOR. Got MINOR part quickly.
44. Where the Maine sank : HAVANA. "Remember the Maine! to Hell with Spain!". Everything I learn, I learn from Xword.
46. Expects : AWAITS
48. Consequences of an all-nighter : RED EYES
49. Obsess : EAT AT
50. Titania's consort : OBERON. No idea. The King of "A Midsummer's Night Dream".
52. General on a menu : TSO. General Tso's Chicken.
58. Where Nina Totenberg reports : NPR. She's the legal affairs correspondent for NPR.
59. Inuit for "women's boat" : UMIAK. Kayak means "man's boat".
60. Gives some TLC to, with "in" : TUCKS
61. Doofus : ASS
62. They're heavier than foils : EPEES. Did not know foil is a fencing weapon as well.
63. Source of brown fur : STOAT
Down:
1. Airport safety org. : TSA
2. Last letters on some lists : ETC. Etc, etc...
3. Slicker : MAC. The "raincoat" meaning of slicker is new to me. I am eager to see what funny line Lois can make out of this answer.
4. Performer with five #1 hits in his first year on the Billboard charts : PRESLEY. When was that?
5. One at the edge of the gutter : TEN PIN. Bowling lane "gutter".
6. Record label launched in 1968 : APPLE. Unaware of this trivia.
7. Pitch : HURL. Man, Aroldis Chapman can sure pitch.
8. Lover of Psyche : EROS. Yep. I am aware of their affair.
9. Toon dog : REN. Ren and Stimpy.
10. Most impoverished : NEEDIEST
12. Cable __ : MODEM
13. "Semper Fidelis" composer : SOUSA. Sousa served in the Marine Corps. Do you all like "Full Metal Jacket?". I was just telling Dennis how cruel and humiliating the boot camp was.
18. It may pop up in a clearing : TENT. What "clearing"?
22. Vending machine insert : ONE
23. Fish-eating mammal : OTTER
24. Capacitance unit : FARAD. No idea. It's named after English physicist Michael Faraday. Dudley and Jayce shouldn't have any problem with this one.
26. Bass symbol : CLEF
28. Joy of "The View" : BEHAR
29. A or Ray : ALER. AL = American League. Oakland A's. Tempa Bay Rays. The rhyming clue does not do much for me.
31. City SE of Cherbourg : ST LO. See this map. What is Cherbourg famous for?
33. Papas of "Zorba the Greek" : IRENE. Nope. Another unknown. Greek actress.
34. Family matriarchs : NANAS
36. "For real?" : IS IT TRUE?
37. Oxford fellows : DONS. Like our professors, correct?
41. Become balanced : EVEN OUT
43. Athletes for Hope co-founder Hamm : MIA. Bill G had a close encounter with her.
44. Word on a towel : HERS
45. Embraces : ADOPTS
46. Cigna competitor : AETNA. Named for the volcano Etna.
47. Mud daubers, e.g. : WASPS. Not familiar with the mud dauber wasp.
48. Smells : REEKS
50. Boy with a fishing pole in a '60s sitcom title screen : OPIE. Stumper. I've never watched "The Andy Griffith Show".
51. Highlands hillside : BRAE
54. Rock concert fixture : AMP
55. U.S. Army E-6, e.g. : NCO. What other 3-letter answer could it be?
56. Jamaican genre : SKA
57. Phila. setting : EST. I am guessing the constructor is from Philadelphia.
Answer grid.
C.C.
