Monday February 25, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: 50. WHERE'S THE FIRE. ("What's your hurry?" ... and a literal hint to what's hiding in 20-, 27- and 42-Across)

20. Tricolor flier in Dublin: FLAG OF IRELAND.

27. Quality sound reproduction: HI-FI RECORDING.

42. "And suppose my answer is no?": WHAT IF I REFUSE.

Boomer here.

Hello Everyone from the frozen tundra. It's been a rough February here in Minnesota, We have shattered the old February snow record and received about four feet of new snow just this month! It is piled high wherever the plows can find room, but it makes driving a bit treacherous because it's hard to spot ongoing traffic. I have spent 69 of my 71 years here so I guess I am up to it, but I don't think C.C. is liking it too much. We are keeping warm in our igloo.

Across:

1. Sources of nuclear energy: ATOMS. An atom is so tiny and yet you can split one and blow something up.

6. Wolf call: HOWL.  Our Timberwolves had a howl moment this past Friday.  Karl A. Towns was injured in a car accident.  Not sure how long he will be out.

10. Banned pollutants, briefly: PCBS. Nasty chemicals.  I cannot spell the name poly something or other.

14. Exodus mount: SINAI.

15. Author Wiesel: ELIE.  Author of 57 books.

16. "I smell trouble": UH OH.

17. Tavern mug: STEIN.  "Here's to the fellow who couldn't think small …" Ode to Billie Sol.

18. Get off the lawn, as leaves: RAKE.  Don't have to rake leaves here yet.  Please pass the shovel.

19. Noncurrent currency of Italy: LIRA.  It would take 1700 lira to buy one dollar.  ( I am not that smart, I Googled it. )

23. Longtime forensic drama: CSI.

25. The first "T" in TNT: TRI.  I thought it was "TURNER",  I watch a lot of TV.

26. Bitcoin, notably: E MONEY.  I never did understand the bitcoin phenomena. I know a lot of money was made - or lost.

31. Prefix with violet: ULTRA.

32. Shipshape: NEAT. Order of 86 proof Scotch.

33. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS.

34. "The game is __": Sherlock Holmes: AFOOT.  When is a sock not a sock ?

36. "Alas!": AH ME.

40. Waves to ride on: SURF. "Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how"  Beach Boys.

41. Hit that barely gets over the infield: BLOOP.  Spring training has started. "Batter up !"

46. Panini cheese: ASIAGO. Sounds like a night club across the Pacific "Asia a Go Go"

48. "Alice" diner owner: MEL.  Not a diner I would like to have a meal.  In fact I don't think I would like any place called a "Diner"

49. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.

54. Stereo preceder: MONO.  Right on.  I am old enough to remember mono players.

55. Length times width: AREA.

56. Erode: EAT AT.  Not at Mel's Diner.

59. Blue dye: ANIL.  Never heard of this.

60. Storm-producing weather systems: LOWS. And when the storm hits it produces depression.

61. Wharton's Ethan: FROME.

62. Must have: NEED.  I need a shovel.

63. Crafter's website: ETSY.  Never bought anything from them, I wonder if they sell etsy betsy teeny weenie bikinis

64. Brown-toned photo: SEPIA.

Down:

1. Stubborn animal: ASS.  Blame the poor donkey.  I could think of better clues, but I won't. 

2. Chickadee relative: TIT.  I could think of better clues, but I won't.

3. 20% expressed as a fraction: ONE FIFTH.  A bottle of liquor.

4. Snail or junk follower: MAIL. Newman says there is no junk mail.

5. "New York, New York" crooner: SINATRA.  "Start spreadin' the news."

6. Valiant: HEROIC.

7. Disney snowman: OLAF.  We have a famous St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.

Olaf

8. User-edited site: WIKI.  Known for their leaks.

9. Eyed wolfishly: LEERED AT.

10. Don, as boots: PULL ON.  I don't wear boots.  Socks are tough enough to pull on.

11. China's __ Kai-shek: CHIANG.  "Civil rights leaders are a pain in the neck.  Can't hold a candle to Chaing Kai shek.  How do I know? I read it in the Daily News."  -  Tom Paxton.

12. Carried: BORNE.

13. Shielded from the sun: SHADY. There's a Shady Oak Lake in Hopkins, MN, and a Shady Lady Saloon in Sacramento, CA.

21. College sr.'s exam: GRE.

22. Send out: EMIT.  Doesn't seem right.  Did you "EMIT" Christmas cards?

23. Buddy: CHUM.  I remember Chum Gum, (You could share with a friend.)  and goofy Chum Lee on the "Pawn Stars" show.

24. Grain storage area: SILO.  Lot of silos in Minnesota full of soybeans, waiting for prices to rise.

28. Tax-collecting agcy.: IRS. Yes, I've heard of them. Just sent them about five pages.

29. Like most light switches: ON/OFF.  You cannot have both.  Pick one.

30. Classic roadster: REO.

34. Used car lot event: AUTO SALE.  I keep seeing these "Carvana" ads.  Order a car or sell a car online.  Has anyone tried them ?

35. The "F" in TGIF: Abbr.: FRI.  Okay - Is the "G" for God or Goodness ?

36. Furry sitcom ET: ALF.

37. Landing site for Santa's sleigh: HOUSETOP. "Up on the housetop reindeer paws, out jumps good old Santa Claus."

38. Dance in a pit: MOSH.

39. Olympic fencing event: EPEE.  So, if there is a lot of people with swords, is that an "epeedemic"?

40. Wise one: SAGE.  Also a spice you put in turkey stuffing.

41. Opinions: BELIEFS. "I believe that children are our future.  Teach them well and let them lead the way."  Whitney Houston - "Greatest Love of All".

42. Dog at a cookout: WIENIE.  A teenie one could be a bikini.

43. Ramis of "Ghostbusters": HAROLD.  Liked him better with Bill Murray in "Stripes".

44. "Doesn't bother me at all": I'M EASY.

45. NFL official: REF.  And NBA and NHL.  But MLB has UMPs.

46. "Oh, no, bro!": AW MAN.

47. Dazzled: SHONE.

51. Relaxed running pace: TROT.  We have a trotters track in the Northern suburbs.  I have never been there.  Horses are unpredictable. I prefer Dice.

52. Fells with an ax: HEWS.

53. Steak order: RARE.

57. Mate, across the Channel: AMI. Or -- could be the end of a chess match.

58. Tazo product: TEA.  C.C. favorite thirst quencher.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Dave 2 called me yesterday. He is finally back to his assisted living apartment, but he has no internet connection yet. He was so happy that his friends missed him! Hopefully he's back online soon.

2) Please keep Nina's (Inanehiker) brother in your thoughts and prayers. He's having prostate cancer surgery today down at the VA hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

Sunday, February 17, 2019, Ed Sessa

Getting Ahead.  The word Beat can be placed "ahead" of the first word of each starred theme answer to give a common phrase.

22-A. *   Online business-building method: CROWD FUNDING.  If you go shopping on August, you can Beat the Crowd for Christmas shopping.

27-A. *   Las Vegas pros: ODDS MAKERS.  You can Beat the Odds of getting that "must have" Christmas item if you shop in August.

48-A. *   Guinness entries: RECORD SETTERS.  Can you Beat the Record for running the mile? 

81-A. *   User's nightmare: SYSTEM FAILURE.  If you try to Beat the System, you might find yourself in jail.

102-A. *   Zapping direction: HEAT ON HIGH.  If you travel to Antarctica, you can Beat the Heat in Summer.

107-A. *   Nine-to-fiver: CLOCK WATCHER.  Did you Beat the Clock in finishing this puzzle?

31-D. *   Overextended: SPREAD THIN.  Did you Beat the Spread in the Super Bowl?

51-D. *   Where one might idle away the time?: TRAFFIC JAM.  If you leave for work at 4:00 a.m., you may Beat the Traffic in the morning.

And the Unifier:

94-Down. Michael Jackson hit ... or what you can do to the start of each answer to a starred clue: BEAT IT.

Across:

1. Unstressed, as a syllable: ATONIC.  Not the easiest starts for a puzzle.

7. Painter of melting watches: DALÍ.  As in Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

The Meadows Museum at SMU has a fabulous Dalí Collection of work that he did to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the State of Israel.

11. iPhone purchase: APP.

14. A deadly sin: LUST.  My first thought was Envy.  It was the right number of letters!  The other deadly sins are: Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Anger, and Sloth.

18. It's split in a boat: BANANA.

Oh, you wanted this kind of a Banana Split:

19. Command to a junkyard dog: SIC 'EM!

20. Early internet pioneer: AOL.

21. Not fooled by: ON TO.

24. Common Woody Allen character disorders: NEUROSES.

26. Send back, as into custody: REMAND.  Please don't say "remand back."  That is redundant, since the word already means to send back.  One of my pet peeves.

29. Iraq's main port: BASRA.

33. In the past: AGO.  A long, long time Ago ...

34. Comic actor Amsterdam of old TV: MOREY.  Morey Amsterdam (né Moritz Amsterdam; Dec. 14, 1908 ~ Oct. 28, 1996), is best known for his role as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran on TV in the 1960s.

35. "Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail" writer: DONNE.  Words from the English poet, John Donne (Jan. 22, 1572 ~ Mar. 31, 1631).  //  And the cross-reference of 12-Down. 35-Across output: POESY.  An archaic word for Poetry.

36. Call into question: OPPUGN.  Yes, this is a real word.  According to Merriam-Webster, the word has been around in the English language since at least the 15th century.  It comes from the Latin verb Oppugnare.  Op- meaning "against", and Pugnare meaning "to fight."  It originally referred to fighting against something or someone, either physically or verbally.  Okay, now, everyone, use this word in a sentence.  Just kidding!  Please do not!!!

38. Features of academic gowns: HOODS.

More than you ever wanted to known about the origin of academic HOODS.

40. Less lax: TAUTER.

41. St. Patrick's land: EIRE.  Also known as Ireland.

42. F equivalent: E-SHARP.  A musical reference.

45. Like radon, say: INERT.  The gas may be inert, but it is formed by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil.  According to the American Cancer Society, there is a link between Radon and Lung Cancer.

47. "Norma __": RAE.  The name of a 1979 movie starring Sally Field (b. Nov. 6, 1946).

The movie was based on the real-life union organizer named Crystal Lee Sutton (Dec. 21, 1940 ~ Sept. 11, 2009).

51. Pre-flight frisking gp.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

54. One may be played with sticks or brushes: SNARE DRUM.

56. Misplay with matches?: ARSON.  Fun clue.

57. Hawkish god: ARES.  It's Greek to me!

58. Composer Milhaud: DARIUS.  Darius Milhaud (Sept. 4, 1892 ~ June 22, 1974), was a French composer.  I am not familiar with his work, but here is his piece entitled A Frenchman in New York.

59. Hard-to-meet condition: BIG IF.  You want me to do what!!!???

61. Apple browser: SAFARI.  I liked how Safari crossed with 62-Down:  Acrobat maker = ADOBE.

63. Former Bears coach: DITKA.  As in Mike Ditka (b. Oct. 18, 1939).  He also coached the New Orleans Saints in the late 1990s.

65. Satan: BEELZEBUB.  Beelzebub is mentioned in this Queen song:

68. Tips, as a hat: DOFFS.

Do you recognize this former United States President?

69. Minerva's Greek counterpart: ATHENA.  You don't even have to leave this country to see Athena.  There is a large statue of Athena in the Parthenon in Nashville.

71. Smith, at times: SHOER.  As in one who shoes horses.

72. End in grand style: TOP OFF.  Meh!

74. Baseball's Speaker: TRIS.  Tris Speaker (né Tristan Edgar Speaker; Apr. 4, 1888 ~ Dec. 8, 1958) was born and died in Texas, but began his major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox.

75. 1970 Neil Diamond hit: SHILO.  Not a fan of Neil Diamond, so you'll have to find this song yourself.

77. Deactivating: DISABLING.

80. Author Rand: AYN.  Any Rand (née Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; Feb. 2, 1905 ~ Mar. 6, 1982), is probably best known for her books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

84. Company VIP: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

85. Prom attendees: TEENS.

86. Out of class: ABSENT.

87. Open a bit: AJAR.  When is a door not a door?

88. Muted to the max: SILENT.

91. Bill's attorney general: JANET.  Janet Reno (July 21, 19938 ~ Nov. 7, 2016), served as the 78th United States Attorney General.  She served during the Clinton Administration, from January 1993 until January 2001.

93. Remove by melting, say: ABLATE.  Another word in today's puzzle that I will probably never have need of using.

95. Pungent green: CRESS.  Cress is a green vegetable  in the cabbage family.

96. Indelicate: CRASS.  Nice to have Crass next to Cress, with only a vowel change.

98. Friend of TV's Sheldon: RAJ.  A reference to The Big Bang Theory.  Not a fan of the show.

101. "__ World": "Sesame Street" segment: ELMO'S.  Having no young children, I am not up on all the segments of Sesame Street.  I guess he likes to play a SNARE DRUM, though.

104. Seasonal song words after "gay apparel": FA LA LA.  Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly ...

106. Superhero-themed kids' wear: UNDEROOS.  It would be 97-Down to show kids in underwear!

113. Future viewer: SEER.

114. See 103-Down: ARK.  //  And 103-Down:  114-Across Builder = NOAH.  A Biblical reference to Noah's Ark and the 40 days of rain.

115. Main blood vessel: AORTA.

116. Manly: VIRILE.

117. Nine-digit IDs: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

118. "Psst!": HEY!

119. Visual okays: NODS.

120. Tinier than tiny: ATOMIC.  Also a song by Blondie.

Down:

1. Easy comparative: ABC.  This puzzle was almost as easy as ABC.

2. Paving material: TAR.

3. Strawberry Fields benefactor: ONO.  O, NO!  It's Yoko ONO!

4. Rural turndown: NAW.

5. Like some "La Cage Aux Folles" dancers: IN DRAG.  The original French version was even better than the American re-make.

6. Rick's, in film: CAFÉ.  A reference to Casa Blanca.

7. Followed a Hippocratic dictum: DID NO HARM.  The Hippocratic Oath is historically taken by new physicians and they are directed to Do No Harm in the treatment of their patients.

8. Corrosive stuff: ACID.

9. Novelist Deighton: LEN.  Len Deighton (né Leonard Cyril Deighton; b. Feb. 18, 1929), is best known for his spy novels.  Tomorrow is his 90th Birthday, so be sure to wish him a great day!

10. "No more for me": I'M GOOD!

11. Docudramas airer: A AND E.  Usually seen as A&E.

13. Choice: PLUM.

14. Observation point: LOOKOUT.  Here's a lookout point at Mt. Katadin in Maine.

15. Not yet posted: UNSENT.

16. "Tristram Shandy" author: STERNE.  As in Laurence Sterne (Nov. 24, 1713 ~ Mar. 18, 1768).  I have never read any of his works.  The full title of this work is The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and is published in 9 volumes.  That would take some time to read through.

17. Salad preparer: TOSSER.  Awkward!  You might want to Toss a little CRESS into your salad.

19. Reel trouble: SNAG.

23. Actress Thurman: UMA.  Uma Thurman (née Uma Karina Thurman; b. Apr. 29, 1970) is probably best known for her Kill Bill movies, and the famous dance scene in Pulp Fiction.

25. Navigation aids: RADARS.  Radar is an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging.  Also used by police to check on speeders.

28. "Frasier" bros., e.g.: DRs.  Both Frasier and his brother Niles, were doctors; psychiatrists, in fact.

29. Transvaal settlers: BOERS.  Transvaal is a province of South Africa.

30. Like lives in hives: APIAN.  Think of the Bees.

32. Have remorse for: RUE.  Also the French word for Street.

34. Cleaning tools: MOPS.

37. "__ say more?": NEED I.  This puzzle is quite clever.   Need I say more?

39. Chicago airport code: ORD.  The airport is O'Hare.  Originally, however, the airport was known as Orchard Field, hence, the airport code ORD.  In 1949, the name was changed to O'Hare to honor Edward Henry O'Hare (Mar. 13, 1914 ~ Nov. 26, 1943), a World War II flying ace, who was killed in the War.

40. Beach divers: TERNS.

43. Clean with S.O.S: SCRUB.

44. Provides home care services?: HOUSE SITS.

45. "There's no use": IT'S FUTILE!

46. New start?: NEO-.  As in Neoclassic.  The United States Capitol Building is an example of Neoclassic architecture.

48. Played again on TV: RERAN.  Or you can watch a Rerun.

49. Hankering: EAGER.

50. Windy City newspaper, for short: TRIB.  As in the Chicago Tribune.

52. Feudal worker: SERF.

53. Sale stipulation: AS IS.

55. Tools with tines: RAKES.  .

57. CIO partner, familiarly: AF OF L.  As in the American Federation Of Labor.  A bit awkward, I should think.  I am familiar with AFL-CIO, which stands for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

59. Bud's promise: BLOOM.  Think of flowers.  My roses are already in their first bloom of the season.

60. Suffix often meaning "to make": -IZE.  Here is a CustomIZEd vehicle.  What is it, a car or a motorcycle?

63. Facts and figures: DATA.

64. Modest admission: I TRY.

66. Jennifer of "Zero Dark Thirty": EHLE.  As in Jennifer Ehle (b. Dec. 29, 1969).  She is currently 49.  I never saw Zero Dark Thirty and don't recognize this actress.

67. Deck crew boss: BOSUN.

70. Thus far: AS YET.

73. Medicare component: PART A.

76. QVC sister station: HSN.  QVS stands for Quality, Value, Convenience and HSN is the Home Shopping Network.

77. Draws attention (from): DISTRACTS.

78. "Terrif!": NEAT-O!

79. Injures, as a matador: GORES.  From Sonny Stitt's album, The Matadors Meet the Bull.

81. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR.

82. Cheerful group?: FANS.  Because the Fans full up the Cheering Section of the arena.

83. Debater of Stephen in 1858: ABE.  A reference to the famous (Abraham) Lincoln-(Stephen) Douglas Debates.

85. Marketing hirees: TESTERS.  I suppose.  Usually the testers are volunteers recruited by marketeers.

87. Tide competitor: ALL.  Both are brands of laundry detergent.

88. Speedy ski run: SCHUSS.

89. Dunne and Ryan of cinema: IRENEs.  Irene Dunne (née Irene Marie Dunn; Dec. 20, 1898 ~ Sept. 4, 1990) was before my time with respect to her acting career.

Irene Ryan (née Jessie Irene Noblett; Oct. 17, 1902 ~ Apr. 26, 1973) is best known for her role as Granny Moses on The Beverly Hillbillies.

90. Plodding: LEADEN.

91. Sporty wheels, briefly: JAG.

92. Art movement typified by Sloan's "McSorley's Bar": ASHCAN.  The Ashcan School was an American Art movement that focused on the daily life of the working-class.

96. After-school job: CHORE.  Or, in my house, what we do on the weekends.

97. Not without danger: RISKY.  See 106-Across.

99. __-Seltzer: ALKA.

100. Hinged mouth part: JAW.  Moose Jaw is the 4th largest city in Saskatchewan.  The city used to boast the Largest Moose Statue  in the world, but is currently battling with Norway for that title.

104. Shallow crossing: FORD.  Not Gerald, the former United States President.

105. Kilauea flow: LAVA.  This Hawaiian volcano has been erupting almost continuously for over 35 years.

108. Canterbury can: LOO.  British bathrooms.

109. Vel follower: -CRO.   More than you ever wanted to know about VELCRO.

1
10. "Tell __": Streisand/Dion duet: HIM.  I'll spare your ears on this song, too.

111. Yalie: ELI.  A crossword staple.

112. Remote button: REC.  As in the Record button.

Hope you all had as much fun with this puzzle as I did. Here's the Grid:

Thursday, January 31st 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: Snow Day - the theme comes from the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening":

19A. With 63-Across, ending lines of a poem by 72-Across: AND MILES TO GO

63A. See 19-Across: BEFORE I SLEEP

and the unifier:

72A. Poet who used the starts of 24-, 41- and 55-Across to describe the woods: FROST. Robert Frost, of course. The anniversary of his death was on Tuesday, I wonder if that had anything to do with the puzzle appearing this week?

This then kicks off a new set of theme answers:

24A. Alice Sebold novel, with "The": LOVELY BONES

41A. Harmful spells, in the Potterverse: DARK ARTS

55A. Really cool place?: DEEP FREEZER

Slick puzzle from Mr. Sessa. I was impressed with how the reveal of the author's name sent you back to look at the three seemingly-unrelated entries.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

You might also have noticed that the grid is stretched to 16x15 to accommodate the 12-letter theme entries at 19A & 63A.

There's a couple of nice long downs to tie this all together. I enjoyed the solve today; I couldn't recall the final lines of the poem and so had to unpick those entries letter-by-letter. Let's see what else we can find:

Across:

1. Word that appears four times in a 1963 film title: MAD. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. If I listed the stars credited, I'd be here until Christmas. There's a lot.

4. Roof tiles: SLATES

10. Deadens, as a piano string: DAMPS

15. Media agcy.: U.P.I. United Press International, UNIPRESS in the days of reporting news via telegram.

16. Roadster in the Henry Ford Museum: MODEL A. The museum is wonderful, I had the opportunity to visit a few years ago when I was doing some business with Ford in Dearborn. My rental car on that trip was a fire-engine red VW Jetta. I was actually embarrassed when I drove onto the parking lot - my highly-visible car was the only non-Ford or Lincoln to be seen for miles.

17. How sardines are packed: IN OIL I prefer them packed in brine, the fish is oily enough already.

18. Mythical bird: ROC

21. Hydrocarbon group: ALKYL. The "Y" almost had me stumped, I could not for the life of me remember the crossing "YEGG". I stared it down in the end with an alphabet run.

23. 1995-2006 New York governor George: PATAKI

27. The W in kWh: WATT. Kilowatt Hours.

31. Athlete's peak performance: A GAME

32. Wines and dines: REGALES. I didn't associate this at all. I'd use "regale" to describe telling an entertaining story. I didn't know the alternative definition.

34. Thrill: BANG

36. Credits list: CAST

39. Place for spectacles: ARENA

40. __ Navy: discount retailer: OLD

44. Gen-__: X'ER. Roughly speaking, born from the mid-60's thru the 70's between the boomers and the millennials.

45. Like universal blood donors: O TYPE. Shouldn't it be TYPE O? You don't have an "A Model" Ford or a "Type E" Jaguar. Just sayin'

47. Nantes notion: IDÉE. French.

48. Drill parts: BITS

49. Symbolized: TOKENED. This is my clunker of the day.

52. Roof features: EAVES

54. WWI battle river: YSER

60. "Indubitably!": IT IS SO!

62. Hot pot spot: STOVE

68. __ Van Winkle: RIP

69. Tolkien ringbearer: FRODO. All Sam Gamgee seemed to say in the movies was "Mr. Frodo! Mr. Frodo!" It got a little wearisome.

70. Tell: RELATE

71. Sheep's call: BAA

73. Old-Timers' Day VIP: EX STAR. Hmmm. Not convinced by this one either.

74. Unspecified amount: ANY

Down:

1. Diego Rivera creation: MURAL. According to Wikipedia, his full name is Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez. Not sure quite how accurate that is, but I'm repeating what I read. Amazing artist.

2. Speed skater Ohno: APOLO

3. "Mary Poppins" and "Mary Poppins Returns" actor: DICK VAN DYKE. I wonder if his cockney accent has improved in the new movie? It was pretty shocking in the original.

4. Component of the "at" sign: SMALL "A"

5. Chaney of horror: LON

6. Toss in: ADD

7. Beat: TEMPO

8. Cuban boy in 2000 headlines: ELIAN

9. One curing meat: SALTER. When I've got my salting boots on, I use Prague Powder #1, aka "pink salt". Pastrami and Irish bacon. Yum!

10. Saucer, e.g.: DISK. I went for DISH at first, which made a very odd-looking NYC mayor at 23-across.

11. Like many '60s-'70s protests: ANTI-WAR

12. __ juice: MOO. Cow's milk.

13. Trough guy: PIG. Very nice clue

14. Road sign caution: SLO. SLO - MISSING "W" AHEAD.

20. Move gently: EASE

22. Safecracker: YEGG. With the Y cross in ALKYL, came close to foxing me.

25. Initial disco hit?: Y.M.C.A.

26. Smokey, for one: BEAR

28. 1964 Anthony Quinn role: ALEXIS ZORBA. Here's a nice rendition of the famous dance, unsuccessfully attempted by Greek taverna-tourists ever since. It seems to be a law in tourist towns in Greece that the taverna plays this at least twice a night.

29. Religious belief: TENET

30. Dynasts of old Russia: TSARS. TS or CZ? Wait for a cross.

33. What H, O or N may represent: GAS. Hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

34. Pirate riches: BOOTY

35. Choir group: ALTOS

37. __ lift: SKI

38. Tiny bit: TAD

41. Lair: DEN

42. Great Barrier __: REEF. You might as well print the letters with the grid for this one. The same might be said for SKI LIFT too.

43. Hot streak: TEAR

46. Stretches: PERIODS

48. Sweet root: BEET. Sweet? I'd call them more peppery than sweet.

50. Actress Falco: EDIE

51. Itch: DESIRE

53. Evening star: VESPER. The planet Venus when it appears in the evening sky. The Romans named the morning incarnation of Venus as "Lucifer" even though they recognized it was the same celestial body. The Vesper is also the cocktail that James Bond orders "shaken, not stirred". Gin, vodka and Kina Lillet.

56. Southend-on-Sea's county: ESSEX. Easy for me, probably not for the majority of you. Dick Van Dyke's cockney character would call it "Sarf-end"

57. Focus group surveys: POLLS

58. Water brand: EVIAN

59. Give back: REPAY

61. Harness race pace: TROT

63. Fave pal: BFF. Bestie or"Best Friend Forever".

64. Be in the wrong: ERR

65. Egg __ yung: FOO. Foo! I mean Food!

66. "Mangia!": EAT!

67. Zeta follower: ETA. The initial reaction is that zeta is the last letter in the Greek alphabet, but it's not by a long way - a long way from omega.

With that, stick a fork in me, I'm done. Here's the grid:

Steve

Saturday, December 29, 2018, Ed Sessa

Lip Service Puzzle by Ed Sessa

As 2018 is nearly gone, the day of December 29 is designated as National Tick Tock Day. Think of all the things you intended to get done in this calendar year but have not yet completed. It is my intention to get my basement workbench cleaned up and organized before I plop down for my College Bowl Game (plus the Rose Parade) extravaganza coming up.

Well yesterday Lemon got a themeless Friday puzzle and today on themeless Saturday, Dr. Sessa, by way of Rich, has given us one that does have a theme. 

C.C. wrote me and asked if I saw a theme because of the cluing and somewhat closely related fills I made what I think is at least a somewhat tenuous connection to the fills. When C.C. wrote Ed, he replied that he was trying to even make the grid look like a smile. Do you see it? 😀

Now here is my take on the themers as I see them and the reveal:

17. Line erasers - PLASTIC SURGEONS can permanently fix the line of downturned lips into a SMILE

32. Necklines?: CAROTID ARTERIES - This droopy SMILE line can indicate a blocked CAROTID ARTERY

36. Title line after "Gray skies are gonna clear up": PUT ON A HAPPY FACE - Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh from Bye Bye Birdie on obtaining a SMILE

56. Echoic phrase from a WWI marching song: SMILE SMILE SMILE - All three fills are summed up by "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and SMILE, SMILE, SMILE". 

I hope you agree on my Saturday SMILE themeage, but now let's quit procrastinating on National Tick Tock Day and see what Dr. Sessa has prescribed for us. If your ailment requires devilish cluing, Ed has the correct R_X for you today!

Across:

1. Actor Omar with three NAACP Image Awards: EPPS - he won by playing a doctor in 45. Sites with masked workers, briefly: OR(S) with other masked people

5. 007's watch, in the later films: OMEGA - Here you can see the famous 007 trademark

10. Sent to, too: CCED - Carbon CopiED - usually an anachronism today

14. Independent African country since 1960: MALI - Recently, we have also had Niger, Burkina Faso and Gabon Find them?

`

15. Santa-tracking acronym: NORAD - Even in Asia 

27. Stores with a blue-and-yellow logo: IKEAS - See comment above

16. Jennifer of "Pride and Prejudice" (1995): EHLE - Here she is

44. Actress Aimée: ANOUK - Here she is

20. It carries a charge: ION.

21. Stable attendant: HOSTLER - Chapter 15 of Black Beauty is entitled The Old HOSTLER

22. Half an ouchie?: BOO - "Mommy, I got a BOO BOO!"

23. Despicable: ROTTEN.

25. Genre with ad images: POP ART 

28. NYC subway line: IRT - Interborough Rapid Transit 

31. "The Divine Comedy" division: CANTO - It has 100 CANTI (pl.) or sections 

35. Tablet since 2013: IPAD AIR - Another entry in the Apple stable

46. Timeworn: BANAL - We have many timeworn fills here but they are vital for constructors 

47. Delivered a screed: RANTED - Pro rasslers RANT to build up a gate

49. "Man is condemned to be free" philosopher: SARTRE - Jean Paul

50. Thou follower, often: ART.

51. Butler's classic line: YOU RANG - C'mon, no one is listening, do your best Lurch imitation 

55. Its first letter often means "more than one": HOV.

59. Smallville name: KENT - Even when he was a baby, Ma and Pa KENT knew their son was Super

60. Gay opening?: ENOLA - A new clue for Col. Paul Tibbets' Omaha-built B-29

61. Chrysler Building architect William Van __: ALEN - This iconic NYC building was the world's tallest for 11 months in 1930

62. Pointed at, perhaps: IDED - I witnessed a hit and run two weeks ago but I know I could never ID the guy who did it

63. "That's unfortunate": SO SAD.

64. Ford contemporary: OLDS - Charles King (l.) was a mentor to Ransom OLDS (c.) and Henry Ford (r.)

Down:

1. Based on observation: EMPIRIC - EMPIRIC evidence shows we landed a man on the Moon despite the loonies who say we didn't 

2. Two-bit boxer: PALOOKA - Even comic book characters pitched in during WWII

3. One with a rooting interest: PLANTER - Now this is a serious PLANTER

4. Short sibling?: SIS - My SIS is very short

5. Kitchen bulb: ONION.

6. Soft shoes: MOCS - MOCassins 

7. "... which __ was irksome to me": Shakespeare: ERST - Thy company, which ERST was irksome to me, (I used to hate you) Act V Scene III As You Like It

8. Three-part region, per Caesar: GAUL - "All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours GAULS, the third." Caeser, The Gallic Wars

9. Media industry worker: AD REP - TV's most famous AD REPS

10. Left of center?: CEE - Yes, CEE is on the left of the word Center

11. Greek-style yogurt brand: CHOBANI and 28. Site of an 11-Down yogurt plant, the world's largest: IDAHO - A $100,000,000 plant in Twin Falls, IDAHO

12. America, in Acapulco: EL NORTE  - Also Norteamérica and América del norte,

13. Autos advertised on "You Bet Your Life": DESOTOS - Grouch (:08)

18. It's a dirty look: THE STINK EYE - Kramer on the "looks" (:33)

19. Holders of staples: GROCERY BAGS - Gotta love this one

24. Confucian path: TAO.

26. Expected: PAR - Yup, this is a 1,000 yard PAR 7 in Seoul, South Korea

29. "M*A*S*H" role: RADAR.

30. Doesn't allow out: TRAPS - Like The Roach Motel

33. Draft choice: IPA - India Pale Ale


34. Pointer or point: TIP 

Giving a TIP                           The TIP of the sword

36. Hybrid jumping sport with a landing target: PARA SKI.

37. Lacking heat?: UNARMED - If you're "packing heat" you're carrying a gun. If you aren't then you're UNARMED

38. Survivor-take-all investment scheme: TONTINE - A lovely four minute scene about a slightly different TONTINE which is mentioned at 1:42

40. With 39-Down, unconventional: FAR and  39. See 40-Down: OUT 

41. End of a line in the sand, maybe: ANTHILL - I suspect this ANT TRAIL in Alaska will eventually end at an ANT HILL

42. Sang for an audience of one, sometimes: CAROLED - Even the lovely CAROLS of the season can become tiresome

43. Gridiron numbers: ELEVENS - Eleven on each side of the ball

48. Dispensed amounts: DOSES.

49. Winner of 82 PGA Tour tournaments: SNEAD.

52. "Don't think so": UM...NO.

53. Spanish waterways: RIOS - The RIO Paraná empties into the RIO de la Plata

54. Italian recipe word: ALLA - In the style of

57. Ford's Crown Vic, originally: LTD - Something Crown Vics are noted for

58. Foe of Chiang: MAO.

Now, get off the couch, chair, chaise or whatever and get that last 2018 project done on Tick Tock Day, starting with commenting on Dr. Sessa's puzzle: