Sunday November 10, 2019 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Fowl Play" - Punning on various fowl-related words.

23. Action at a coop dance?: POULTRY IN MOTION. Poetry in motion.

39. Nestling tossed out of a bar?: BOUNCED CHICK. Bounced check. Vivid image.

47. Story subtitled "Murder Most Fowl"?: THE FRYER'S TALE. The Friar's Tale.

66. Rooster's wake-up call?: ALARM CLUCK. Alarm clock.

69. Tiny hatchling group?: MICRO BROOD. Microbrew.

88. What fussy hens do?: PECK AND CHOOSE. Pick and choose.

97. Fowl haulin' a semi?: CAPON TRUCKIN'. Keep on truckin'.

117. "Rooster Wars" sequel in which Hen Solo rescues Princess Layer?: THE BANTAM MENACE. The Phantom Menace (Star Wars)

I don't recall such a fowl play theme before. Ed always comes up with original & fun themes. Ed is also a very accomplished themeless constructor, so his Sunday grids are often filled with sparkly long-fill. The paralleled 2/3-Down & 83/84-Down are good examples.

I never quite get a handle of punning them. It's D-Otto's domain. Mine often lacks "surface sense".

Across:

1. Alerts that may lead to roadblocks, briefly: APBS.

5. Bela Lugosi was buried in one: CAPE. IMDb says "He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film...".

9. Orkney components: ISLES.

14. Egg boiler's aid: TIMER.

19. Ball game: POLO. Can you clue GOLF as [Ball game] also?

20. "You said it!": AMEN.

21. Steel plow pioneer: DEERE.

22. Ask for "fish 'n' chips," say: ELIDE.

26. Catkin producer: ALDER. There's a Green Alder in our neighbor's yard that has lots of catkins.

27. Make a bundle farming?: SHEAVE. Nice clue. Spitzboov made lots of bundle farming.

28. Fella: GUY.

29. The Tempter: SATAN.

31. __ fide: BONA.

32. D.C. fundraisers: PACS.

33. Confederacy foe: UNION.

35. See 16-Down: ITO. 16. With 35-Across, Japanese Olympian: MIDORI.

36. Guitarist Clapton: ERIC.

37. Primo: A ONE.

38. Car in a '60s hit: GTO.

43. Eggy quaff: NOG. Boomer likes Tom and Jerry. It has eggnog. Now he can't have alcohol due to the oral chemo.

44. Mad fad: MANIA.

46. Silver, to Long John: TREASURE.

50. Cotton Club site: HARLEM. Unfamiliar with the club.

54. Imam's faith: ISLAM.

55. Towels off gently: PATS DRY.

58. Neutral tone: BEIGE.

59. Part of a house profile: ROOFLINE. OK, this edge.

63. Puffin relative: AUK. Are these puffins or auks? So cute.

65. Gp. with many sub-par members: PGA. Another great clue.

73. Promgoer's concern: ZIT.

74. Television station?: DEN. Where TV is stationed.

75. One of two on a three-speed: BIKE TIRE.

76. Inuit transport: UMIAK.

79. Income for Inc., say: AD SPACE.

82. Tailor: ALTER.

86. Unleash a tirade: LET RIP.

92. Intermittent drip cause: SLOW LEAK. So glad our garage ceiling leak is fixed.

95. Ristorante potful: SAUCE.

96. Home-school link: Abbr.: PTA.

101. Some boxing wins: KOS.

102. Disappearing ski resort feature: T BAR.

103. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

104. 42-Down's leg count: TEN. 42. Seabed sidler: CRAB.

105. Breathers?: NOSES.

107. Smack, as a mosquito: SWAT.

108. Start to meter or liter: DECI. Tenth.

109. Anarchist in 1921 news: SACCO. Forgot. We had this guy before.

112. Voluminous ref. work: OED.

113. Canine complaints: WHINES.

115. Wes Craven film locale: Abbr.: ELM ST.

120. Herder's rope: RIATA.

121. Sun: Pref.: HELIO.

122. Sentiment-al piece?: OPED.

123. What beavers do: GNAW.

124. Have a feeling: SENSE.

125. Auto bust: EDSEL. Collectible for some.

126. What's going on: NEWS.

127. Deserve: EARN.

Down:

1. Phone programs: APPS.

2. Plays down: POOH-POOHS. 3. Navy aerobatic team member: BLUE ANGEL. Gorgeous pairs. See also 83. Head honcho: TOP BANANA. And 84. London station wagon: ESTATE CAR.

4. Pain relief: SOLACE.

5. Give a hoot: CARE.

6. "Clueless" director Heckerling: AMY.

7. Loose dressing gown: PEIGNOIR.

8. Same old same old feeling: ENNUI.

9. Promise sealed with a kiss: I DO.

10. Board-and-pieces units: SETS.

11. Sister of Luke: LEIA.

12. X-rated works: EROTICA.

13. Legislative councils: SENATES.

14. Leaves in a cup: TEA.

15. "You know where to find me": I'LL BE HERE. So grateful for my blog friends, who are always an email away for me.

17. Like paradise: EDENIC.

18. Start another eight-ball game: RE-RACK.

24. Controversial "babysitters": TVS.

25. Brief warning to a busybody: MYOB.

30. "Like, obviously!": NO DUH.

33. Eclectic magazine: UTNE. Don't think I want to read it with this cover.

34. Write, as music: NOTATE.

37. Naysayer: ANTI.

38. Part of LGBTQ: GAY.

40. Online addresses: URLS.

41. Scholarship consideration: NEED.

44. 1983 Keaton film: MR MOM. Michael Keaton.

45. Jelly garnish: ASPIC.

48. "M*A*S*H" actor Jamie: FARR.

49. Go south: TANK.

51. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly: LIPO.

52. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO.

53. Beverage that goes back millennia: MEAD.

56. Speed competition: RACE.

57. Mongolian tent: YURT. Modern yurt.

60. Monk's condition, in the TV show: OCD.

61. No friend of Fido: FLEA.

62. Swedish university city: LUND. Never heard of it.

64. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. Color of el mar: AZUL. Color of the sea.

67. Mojito component: LIME.

68. Having a spat: AT IT.

69. "The __": classic Yankee nickname: MICK. Mantle.

70. Furniture stores that sell meatballs: IKEAS.

71. Astronomer Tycho __: BRAHE.

72. Move, in real estate lingo: RELO.

75. Start to parallel park: BACK IN.

77. Torchbearers?: ARSONISTS. Nice clue also.

78. Firing site: KILN.

80. Blueprint detail: SPEC.

81. Crowning point: PEAK.

85. End of the line: REAR.

87. Annie who voiced Bo Peep in "Toy Story": POTTS.

89. Man, in a Desmond Morris best-seller: NAKED APE.

90. Tango groups: DUOS.

91. Emails a dupe to: CCS. For past tense, do you use CC'd or CC'ed?

93. Encircle, as with a lei: WREATHE.

94. Had a midday meal: LUNCHED.

97. Video game makers: CODERS.

98. 2001 Audrey Tautou title role: AMELIE. Cute film.

99. Game with ghosts: PAC MAN.

100. High time?: NOON.

102. Minor pain: TWINGE.

106. __ Hall: SETON.

107. Mae West's "__ Done Him Wrong": SHE. Learning moment for me also.

110. Disney collectibles: CELS.

111. Tony relative: OBIE.

113. Iraq War concerns, briefly: WMDS.

114. In stitches: SEWN.

116. __ kwon do: TAE.

118. 2015 Verizon acquisition: AOL.

119. Feline call: MEW.

Happy 73rd birthday to dear Husker Gary's wife Joann and her twin sister Joyce. Here they're with their mom Martha. Joann is truly special. She takes great care of all her loved ones. I'll never forget her strength and devotion last time when Gary was in trouble.

Friday, November 1, 2019, Ed Sessa

White rabbit, white rabbit, and enjoy (?) Dia de les muertos

Title: It is ok DO, you didn't miss it, there is no theme today.

I heard a whisper we would have some repeat of the Friday mini-theme puzzle and my first puzzle back in the country appears to be such. Still being a bit jet-lagged, I do not remember the author of the first themeless Friday here, but I believe it was this year. While today's effort from Dr. Ed includes various pop culture references, the specific MAD MAGAZINE double-bill is key today.

30. One on many covers since 1954: ALFRED E NEUMAN. His complete (?) HISTORY. Paired with 17D. 30-Across catchphrase: WHAT ME WORRY?  Thus creating a mini-theme for this Friday themeless.

Without the constraint of a theme, there is much sparkly fill packed into this puzzle, highlighted by the introduction of grid spanner  THE NEWLYWED GAME paired with the classic TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The grid is then fattened up with ANOTHER, LAGASSE, SAPHEAD, SPEEDER, SPRUCED, TREACLE, AVON LADY, NAP TIMES (also a LAT debut word), OPEN AREA and PRETRIAL.
Let me know what you think of this addition to our rota.

Across:

1. Kia sedan: OPTIMA. The last car I owned and drove was an Optima and I enjoyed it very much.

7. Nincompoop: SAPHEAD. This is a TERM I have never heard. Of course, since it has only been around since 1691...

14. Made dapper, with "up": SPRUCED. Speaking of sap, its history likely has little to do with the TREE.

15. Syrupy stuff: TREACLE. A CSO to Steve and all our UK readers, this LINK makes it all make sense.

16. 1957 title role for Michael Landon: TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The original trailer...

18. Lays to rest: INTERS.

19. Recipient of unearned income, perhaps: HEIR.

20. Teammate of Babe: LOU. Ruth: Gehrig.

21. Lash with a bullwhip: LARUE.

22. Like jawbreakers: HARD. Well duh!

23. Mountain __: soft drinks: DEWS. A gratuitous way to get the S in.

24. "Wheel" deal: TRIP. Wheel of Fortune.

25. November honorees: VETS. Coming soon to a calendar near you.

26. Range rovers?: POSSE. Very fun clue; followed by...

27. Sub mission site: SEA. Don't ignore the space.

28. Law __: FIRM. Why are there no law pillow tops?

29. Mekong River native: LAO. This river is the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. It flows through six countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We visited the Golden Triangle last year. The Mekong is on the right.

35. Showed the way: LED.

36. Cry: WAIL.

37. Some govt. hospitals: VAS. Veteran's Administrations.

39. Eponymous musical revue of 1978: EUBIE.  Eubie BLAKE was a born musician who continues to learn and entertain.

42. Downsides: CONS.

43. 1995 comet spotter Thomas: BOPP. He, along with another amateur astronomer, Alan Hale, spotted the now named Hale-Bopp Comet.

44. In a tussle: AT IT.

45. 10-year-old adventurer who was 7 when she debuted in 2000: DORA. Her movie appeared in a puzzle here recently.

46. Group taking power by force: JUNTA.

47. Sink: SAG.

48. Othello, for one: MOOR.

49. Lacking color: PALLID.

50. Show that has appeared in various versions for six decades: THE NEWLYWED GAME.

53. "Pork fat rules!" chef: LAGASSE. Early Emeril. +

54. Smokey's target: SPEEDER. Remember?

55. One way alternative?: ANOTHER. Or?

56. Square-burgers server: WENDY'S. The third mega-successful fast-food chain was founded by a high school dropout who began life as an adopted child. HISTORY. Dave moved to South Florida and became an important figure in children's education and the rights of the adopted. He also was a genuine and friendly man.

Down:

1. Place to go fly a kite: OPEN AREA. If you believe Charlie Brown, it doesn't matter. There will be a kite eating tree waiting for you.

2. Like some hearings: PRE-TRIAL. In litigation almost every hearing is either pre or post-trial.

3. Cause of purring?: TUNE-UP. Not a furry friend but the practice of adjusting the automobile engine. MODERN MECHANICS.

4. Words of sympathy: I CARE.

5. Parts of gigs: MEGS.

6. Lemon finish: ADE. Talk about your straight to the point CSO; thank you, Dr. Ed.

7. Follows directions?: STEERS. Nice misdirection about the joy of driving.

8. Ban competitor: ARRID. Under-arm deodarants.

9. One in a jury box: PEER. From the British common law, and now a debated concept. Who are your peers?

10. Equivocate: HAW. Hmm, no hem?

11. They give lessons in French: ECOLES. Just the French word for school.

12. Permits: ALLOWS.

13. Neutralize: DEFUSE. We need more people who will be successful in defusing all the conflicts in the world.

14. Uplifting things: STILTS. A very nice visual of one of two poles each with a strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking.

22. Trail mix?: HERD. More nice misdirection; not a snack.

23. Marvel doctor: DOOM. Did anyone dress up as Victor von Doom for Halloween this year?

25. Competed: VIED. Middle English, short for envien, from Anglo-French envier to invite, call on, challenge, from Latin invitare to invite

26. Simon with songs: PAUL.

28. __ ride: FREE.

29. Waikiki neckwear: LEIS.

31. Move like a hummingbird: FLIT.

32. Pan pooch: NANA. Did anyone dress up as Peter Pan this year?

33. Peripatetic bell ringer: AVON LADY. Did anyone dress up as the Avon Lady?

34. Breaks for sitters: NAP TIMES.

38. "The Blacklist" star: SPADER. He is a wonderful actor who has matured as he has aged. I still watch, even after all the reveals.

39. Calif. barrio region: EAST LA. In this country, it is the Spanish-speaking quarter of a town or city, especially one with a high poverty level.

40. Jazz fan?: UTAHAN. Basketball.

41. Problem in an ensemble: BIG EGO. Lebron James?

42. Tailgating sight: COOLER.

43. Stuck out: BULGED.

45. Seek out water: DOWSE. There is still time to learn this ancient practice. LINK.

46. Actor/rapper Smith: JADEN. Son of Will and Jada.

48. Dovetail: MESH.

49. First name in smelly romantics: PEPE. M. LePew.

51. __ Geo: cable channel: NAT. Or a World Series champ.

52. Denver-to-Vegas dir.: WSW. Don't tell my son the way.

I am back from Thailand, still discombobulated but happy to have Dr. Ed ease me back into puzzle blogging. Have a wonderful November working toward Veteran's Day and then Thanksgiving and sneaking up on my 5th anniversary. Thank you, TTP for your double duty and all who read the Corner. Lemonade out.

Saturday, September 28, 2019, Ed Sessa

Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Ed Sessa

Today Dr. Ed Sessa makes a house call to our little literary popsicle stand and prescribes a very challenging exercise. This one took me a little longer than most Saturdays with OLA_/A_ILA being my last fill (wouldn't you know that our old Scandinavian friend OLAV/OLAF would be in the mix). I did choose correctly because I knew of Cleveland Indian second baseman Bobby Avila much more than I did where Isabella I was born.

Let's see what else the good doctor has for us today:

Across:

1. Little more than a drop: THIMBLEFUL. 

11. Gossip: DISH - Some in the teacher's lounge can really DISH the DIRT

15. Simile for "luve" in a classic poem: RED RED ROSE - Robert Burns

16. "__ the valley of Death ... ": Tennyson: INTO - Now Lord Tennyson's poetry makes an appearance but on a far rougher note

17. C.S. Lewis, for one: ALLEGORIST - Continuing in the literary vein, some say his The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a Christian ALLEGORY

18. High seas adverb: THAR - THAR, she blows! Where? THAR!

19. Declared one's innocence, say: PLED 23. "I'm innocent": NOT ME - It means either I didn't do it or you can't prove I did.

20. Over and done with: PAST - American generals started fighting the Civil War using Napoleonic tactics of the PAST despite new weaponry  

21. Trio in H2O: ATOMS - Two hydrogens and one oxygen

22. Varnish option: MATTE.

24. __ Brava: Spanish tourist site: COSTA - What does it cost to rent this vacation home along Spain's COSTA Brava (wild coast)?

28. Emailers, e.g.: USERS.

30. Bentley of "American Beauty": WES - Thora Birch and Mena Suvari were also in this movie and have appeared in our crosswords 

31. Nadya Suleman, in 2009 headlines: OCTO MOM - Public opinion turned against her when it was discovered that she already had six children and was on public assistance

33. No-frills flight feature: LOW FARE - Probably has a very limited wine list

35. Martial artist/musician Steven: SEAGAL - Here ya go! So tough, he doesn't even use a pick on this fun tune

36. Straighten up: NEATEN.

37. Instruments also called rumba shakers: MARACAS - Just in case you don't know

39. Genetic identifiers: MARKERS - Your saliva, uh, speaks

40. Connections: INS - When boss's son gets a job for which someone else is much more qualified

41. Isabella I's birth city: AVILA - She was born in the Castilian town of  Madrigal de las Altas Torres, ÁVILA and married Ferdinand of Aragon. Of course they are most famous for financing a certain sailor from Genoa, Italy 

43. To the point: TERSE - I'll take TERSE over TMI anytime!

44. Snake targets: CLOGS.

46. Factor of diez: CINCO - Si, CINCO veces dos es igual a diez (Yes, five times two equals ten)
48. More than just eats: DINES.

49. Texter's "May I say": IMHO.

50. "__ Before Chanel": 2009 film: COCO - Meh...

54. Military group: UNIT.

55. "Sgt. Pepper" collectible: ALBUM COVER - Here's the cover and who's on it

57. Shakers, but not movers: SECT - Shakers are a millenarian nontrinitarian restorationist Christian SECT founded circa 1747. Huh?

58. Workers behind bars: LION TAMERS - They prefer being called LION TRAINERS as LIONS can not really be tamed

59. Deuce topper: TREY.

60. Connect with by nailing, say: FASTEN ONTO.


Down:

1. Yap: TRAP -Two crude mouth references 

2. Inferno: HELL.

3. Not occupied: IDLE.

4. '60s role for Bamboo Harvester: MR ED - His real name of course, of course. He seemed to have more 14. Stable judgment?: HORSE SENSE than the other characters in this sit com

5. Entreat: BEG.

6. Parkinson's drug: L DOPA - An intriguing, touching movie about L DOPA

7. Post-printing problem: ERRATUM - Computers make correcting an ERRATUM (uptown word for an error) much more doable

8. Palms off (on): FOISTS 

9. Company co-founded by J.P. Morgan: US STEEL - A captain of industry/robber baron

10. Reason for a court replay: LET - To see if the tennis serve touched the net (called a LET). If it did the point is replayed. Volleyball has changed the rule so that a serve that hits the net is in play 

11. Likewise: DITTO - He couldn't bring himself to say the word

12. Like a stereotypical cannibal captive: IN HOT WATER 

13. Claudius and Porky Pig: STAMMERERS - King George (corrected) VI also

21. Be called: ANSWER TO.

22. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" singer: MAMA CASS - "She had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his (Mamas and Papas) arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his." Yeah, she was the odd one!

24. Matter of space: COSMIC DUST - If you're interested 

25. Port-to-port connector: OCEAN LINER.

26. Scott Hamilton venue: STARS ON ICE.

27. Cover-up in Nero's time: TOGA.

29. Novelist Jaffe: RONA - Here 'ya go

32. Scandinavian patron: OLAV.

34. Art buyer's concern: FAKE - Which one is real? (answer at bottom of blog)

38. Strait of Messina isola: SICILIA - An image from space of where the two-mile bridge connecting isola of SICILIA (island of Sicily) with the Italian region of Calabria might be built over the Strait of Messina

39. It often follows a breakout: MAN HUNT - The movie and TV show The Fugitive traced the MAN HUNT for Dr. Richard Kimble

42. Transitional situations: LIMBOS - I'm sure Dr. Ed would consider "Pole dances" as a very marginal clue 😏

45. Big name in oil: GETTY.

47. Title in a Dumas title: COMTE - Yeah right, I was the only one who put in COUNT first instead of this French word for Count. My wife's maiden name was Christo (nee Christo) and she had a cousin named Monte.

50. Lake of Lombardy: COMO - Lake COMO is in the northern Italian administration district of Lombardy which abuts Switzerland

51. Spot for pots: OVEN.

52. Marriage doc.: CERT - Not LISC it turns out

53. Roughly: OR SO.

55. Loser to Franklin in '36: ALF - Uh, what does a landslide look like...

56. Spam holder: CAN - My city of Fremont, NE makes a lot of Spam and in 2011 its citizens built the world's largest open-faced sandwich (Guinness) using that product

Add a comment and then take two aspirin and call Dr. Ed in the morning!

The real American Gothic is on the right.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019, Ed Sessa

Theme: People who live in glass houses ...

Here's something I don't remember seeing before. In three theme answers, the first word is a kind of rock - but, for a little twist, add the word ROCK to the fourth theme answer to get ROCK HUDSON.

17. Psychedelic decorative light: LAVA LAMP.

24. Not even a little high: STONE SOBER.

48. Structure renamed for a president in 1947: BOULDER DAM.

35. New York waterway: HUDSON RIVER.

57. Simon & Garfunkel hit, and hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 48- ... and 35-Across, too!: I AM A ROCK.

Melissa here. First Wednesday in a month or so with no circles. Does that make us square?

Across:

1. Braying beast: ASS.

4. "Diamonds & Rust" folk singer Joan: BAEZ.

8. Hop, skip and jump: CAVORT. Tricky. I was thinking goat parkour.

14. Where lowers lie: LEA. Lower Lea Valley. I don't know if that's the lower lea this refers to or not - but I learned lots about the location of the 2012 Olympics and it's redevelopment in preparation for the games. Facilities and infrastructure built to host the 2012 events are enjoying new life as hotels, apartments, offices and community facilities. Look.

15. Ready and willing partner: ABLE. Nice clue.

16. "Booksmart" director Wilde: OLIVIA. Released May 2019. Four stars on rogerebert.com.

19. Beaus: ROMEOS. Okay.

20. Savory taste: UMAMI.

21. Board game gadget: SPINNER.

23. University of Nevada city: RENO.

27. Set up: ENTRAP.

29. Chinese "way": TAO. Clued last Wednesday as "Eastern principle."

30. Aqua in Aquitaine: EAU. French.

31. Whoopi's Oscar role in "Ghost": ODA MAE.

34. Palm fruit: DATE.

38. Leaning: BIAS.

40. OTC antacid brand: ZANTAC.

41. Possess: OWN.

42. Notable time span: ERA.

44. EPA mandates, taken together: ECO LAW. Had not heard this phrase before, but it makes sense.

52. Arp contemporary: DALI. Salvador Dali and Jean Arp.

53. Behind: KEISTER. Oh.

54. Type, as data: KEY IN.

55. Develop a liking for: TAKE TO.

59. Gobsmacked: AMAZED. Last Wednesday it was "Bowl over" for AWE.

60. Story of life after death?: OBIT. Perfect.

61. Quaint "Tsk!": FIE. I usually think of FIE is a somewhat angry exclamation, and tsk as disapproving.

62. Zealous crusades: JIHADS.

63. Letters on Broadway-bound letters: NY, NY. New York.

64. Craze: FAD.

Down:

1. Magnetism: ALLURE. Ooh la la.

2. Ship captains, e.g.: SEAMEN.

3. Eminent scholar: SAVANT. I usually think of an autistic SAVANT, like Charlie in Rain Man, but the first definition is "a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist." Correction (thanks Husker Gary): Raymond was the autistic savant in Rain Man, not his brother Charlie. Younger Charlie could not say Raymond and so he called his older brother Rain Man.

4. Lingerie brand: BALI.

5. Justice league?: Abbr.: ABA. American Bar Association. Clever.

6. Nightmare loc. of film: ELM ST.

7. Youngest Marx brother: ZEPPO.

8. Eye part: CORNEA.

9. Mets slugger Pete who won the 2019 Home Run Derby: ALONSO. Perps to the rescue for those like me who don't follow baseball.

10. Video-sharing site: VIMEO.

11. Dominate: OVERBEAR.

12. Brazilian vacay destination: RIO.

13. Prof's helpers: TAS. Clued last Wednesday as "Some grad students."

18. Kissy-kissy: AMOROUS. That was unexpected.

22. Doctor in training: INTERN.

24. Places for scrubs and wraps: SPAS.

25. "Mangia!": EAT. Italian. As Lidia Bastianich says, "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" (Everyone to the table to eat!)

26. Poe's "The Murders in the __ Morgue": RUE.

28. Do the math: ADD.

32. "Amadeus" subject: MOZART.

33. Actress Gasteyer: ANA. Best known for her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002. 

34. Unscrambling device: DECODER.

35. Jewish Festival of Lights: HANUKKAH.

36. Checkout counter unit: ITEM.

37. Shark or Dyson, briefly: VAC.

38. Short cut: BOB. Ohhhhh .... hair.

39. __ Jima: IWO.

42. Worked on text: EDITED.

43. Repairs, as infield grass: RESODS.

45. Fire: LAY OFF. Ohhhhh .... that kind of fire.

46. Pianist de Larrocha: ALICIA. I didn't know her name before. Beautiful.

47. Signaled slyly: WINKED.

49. Gibbons of TV talk: LEEZA.

50. __ Sanders, only athlete to play in both the Super Bowl and World Series: DEION.

51. Sheikdom of song: ARABY. The Beatles.

54. "Roar" singer Perry: KATY. ‘Cause I am a championAnd you’re gonna hear me roar.

55. __ Mahal: TAJ.

56. Mate, across the Channel: AMI. French for friend.

58. 60 secs.: MIN.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Husker Gary, author behind this fantastic Crossword Corner map. Email him if you want to be included in the map. On and off the blog, Gary has always been a caring friend and trusted sounding board for me. He has helped me numerous times with his super creative clues.