Friday, August 30, 2024, Ella Dershowitz

 Theme:  Sing it!

Constructor Ella Dershowitz gives us seven theme clues, each naming songs that are related by themes in the lyrics.  The punny theme answers are symmetically placed in the grid horizontally, and the first and last theme answers span the grid.  

Here are the theme clues and answers:

17. "Call Me Maybe" or "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)"?: TELEPHONE NUMBER. 

"Call Me Maybe" is a 2012 song by Carly Rae Jepsen.  "Operator" is a 1972 song by Jim Croce  Each song (or NUMBER) relates to using the phone, which makes it a TELEPHONE NUMBER.

27. "Popular" or "Fashion!"?: IN TUNE.  

"Popular" is a 1996 song by Nada Surf, and "Fashion" is a 1980 song by David Bowie.  Each song (or TUNE) relates to what's "in," which makes each song an "IN" TUNE, a phrase that usually means being at the correct musical pitch.

28. "Sound of da Police" or "The Artist in the Ambulance"?: SIREN SONG.

"Sound of da Police" is a 1993 song by KRS-One.  "The Artist in the Ambulance" is a 2003 song by the band Thrice.  Each song (yes, SONG!) mentions sirens, which makes each song a SIREN SONG.  A siren song is an alluring utterance, especially one that is seductive or deceptive.  In Greek mythology,  sirens were dangerous creatures who lured sailors with their music and voices to wreck their ships.

38. "Midnight Train to Georgia" or "Chattanooga Choo Choo"?: RAILROAD TRACK.

"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song most famously performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1973.  "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was originally recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1941.  Each song (or TRACK) mentions the railroad, which makes each of them a RAILROAD TRACK, usually meaning the structure on which a train's wheels roll.

48. "Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" or "Can't Buy Me Love"?: BUDGET CUT.

"Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" is a 1953 song by Louis Armstrong.  "Can't Buy Me Love" is a 1964 song by The Beatles.  Each song (CUT) mentions money, which relates to budget, which makes each of these songs a BUDGET CUT, usually meaning a planned reduction in expenditures.

50. "I'm Too Sexy" or "Summer in the City"?: HOT AIR.

"I'm Too Sexy" is a 1991 song by Right Said Fred.  "Summer in the City" is a 1966 song by The Lovin' Spoonful.  Each song (AIR) deals with being hot, although in the first case, the singer is sexy/hot, and in the second, he's just plain hot.  So there you have it:  HOT AIR, which usually means empty or boastful speech.

61. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or "Talkin' Baseball"?: LINE DRIVE SINGLE.

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is a 1908 song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, often sung as part of the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game.  "Talkin' Baseball" is a 1981 song by Terry Cashman. Each song (SINGLE) is about America's favorite pastime, making each a LINE DRIVE SINGLE.  It's risky for me to explain baseball lingo, but it seems to mean a batted ball that goes in a straight line, resulting in the batter getting to advance a single base.  You are welcome to improve on that explanation!

Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Unflattering press for a celeb: BAD PR.  Celeb is short for celebrity; PR is short for Public Relations.

6. Fries, e.g.: SIDE.  Fries are a side dish.

10. Owned: HAD.

13. On a cruise: AT SEA.

14. Ridicule: TAUNT.

16. 2019 March Madness champs: UVA.  University of Virginia.  March Madness is an annual NCAA college basketball tournament.

17. [Theme clue]

20. BTS genre: K-POP.  BTS is a South Korean boy band, an example of Korean popular music, known as K-Pop.

21. Done deal: SURE BET.

22. Tony winner Hagen: UTA.  Uta Hagen (1919-2004) was a German-American actress and acting teacher.  

Uta Hagen

25. NFL three-pointers, for short: FGS.  Field GoalS in American football.

27. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme clue]

32. Figure, briefly: BOD.  A brief way to refer to the human figure, or body.

33. Lebanese capital: BEIRUT. 

34. Art stand: EASEL.

38. [Theme clue]

42. Griswold of the "National Lampoon's Vacation" films: CLARK.  Clark Griswold is the paterfamilias character played by Chevy Chase in the movies.  I could not have retrieved this from any part of my brain.  Perpendicular clues (perps) to the rescue!

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

43. Adidas addition: INSOLE.

45. Undecided initials: TBA.  To Be Arranged:  a nifty calendar abbreviation.

48. [Theme clue]

50. [Theme clue]

54. Antioxidant juice brand: POM.  I used to drink a lot of this!

"Wonderful" brand 100% Pomegranate juice

55. Some mantras: OMS.  According to the Times of India, "OM ... is a sacred symbol, sound and mantra of the universe. In many ancient scriptures, OM is described as the first sound of the universe, the vibration of which brought everything into existence."

56. Puzzles: ENIGMAS.

58. "Success!": TA-DA!  Mock fanfare.

61. [Theme clue]

66. Actress Ryan: MEG.  Meg Ryan is an American actress known for her quirky roles in romantic comedies.

Meg Ryan, famously faking an orgasm in "When Harry Met Sally"

67. Watch rim: BEZEL.  A bezel is a narrow rim that secures the clear cover on a watch, or that holds a gemstone in place (instead of prongs).  I kept thinking "bevel" because of the angled edge on some watch crystals.  The V wasn't helping me with 57 Down, coffee specification.  Changing the V to Z was my last move on this puzzle.

68. Wood finish: STAIN.

69. Equal: ARE.  Two and two ARE four.

70. Actor's compilation: REEL.  It makes sense that actors today compile video reels showcasing their acting skills.

71. Explored a national park, perhaps: HIKED.  John Muir was quoted as saying, "People ought to saunter in the mountains – not 'hike'!"  I'm happy to say that we are saunterers.

DH and I sauntering with my Mom earlier this month in the White Mountains.

Down:

1. Item used at home: BAT.  Oh, home plate!  Baseball bat.  

2. Used (up): ATE.

3. Fiber alternative: DSL.  Internet connection types:  while DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data, fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity.

4. Cheat at cards, say: PEEK.

5. Reneé of the "Mean Girls" musical: RAPP.  Reneé Rapp is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition for starring as Regina George in the Broadway musical "Mean Girls."  I Did Not Know (DNK) this one -- thanks, perps!

Reneé Rapp

6. Like bumper-to-bumper traffic: STOP GO.  Usually called stop-and-go traffic.  We have lots of that in Los Angeles.

7. "Amsterdam" novelist McEwan: IAN.  "Amsterdam" is a 1998 novel by British writer Ian McEwan, for which he was awarded the 1998 Booker Prize.

First edition, first printing, available from AbeBooks.com

8. Union __: DUES.

9. The blahs: ENNUI.  Word adopted from French for a feeling of tiredness and boredom.

10. Commotion: HUBBUB.  Noise made by a lot of people all talking or shouting at the same time.

11. Maker of Healthy Start Newborn skin products: AVEENO.  Didn't know, but not surprised.

Aveeno Daily Moisture Healthy Start Newborn Balm

12. Moved unpredictably: DARTED.

15. Spoil: TURN.   On our recent trip with Mom, DH told a restaurant staff member that the wine had TURNed.  The response:  Oh, how funny, another customer said the same thing about the same bottle yesterday!  Quickly followed by:  Let's open a new bottle!

18. Long Island university that has hosted several presidential debates: HOFSTRA.

19. Ran into: MET.

22. Common port type: USB.  USB, or universal serial bus, is a mechanism used to connect peripheral devices to computers.

23. Cake part: TIER.

24. Opera solo: ARIA.

26. Arrive quietly: SNEAK UP.

29. Actor Stoltz: ERIC.  Eric Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer.  DNK.

John Travolta and Eric Stoltz in "Pulp Fiction"

30. Void's partner: NULL.

31. Roam (about): GAD.

35. Bad marks: STIGMAS.

36. Sea eagle: ERNE.  A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern) is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae.

I took this photo of an African Fish-Eagle -- eating a fish! -- in Botswana.

37. Not followed: LAST.  The last in a series is not followed by anyone or anything.

39. Crystal ball, e.g.: ORB.

40. Pixar film set on the Day of the Dead: COCO.  Lovely animated film highlighting Mexican culture.

41. Longtime "Project Runway" host Heidi: KLUM.  Beautiful and clever.

It would just be mean not to include a photo of Heidi Klum.

44. GRE org.: ETS.  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

45. Title role for Geena Davis: THELMA.  From the 1991 movic, "Thelma & Louise."

46. Tougher to fillet, perhaps: BONIER.

47. Not much, colorwise: A TINGE.  I've seen a lot of interior decorating catalogs lately featuring just A TINGE of beige in the paint and furnishings.

49. "Spill!": DO TELL.

51. Period: AGE.  As in the Age of Dinosaurs, or the Viking Age.

52. Film trivia site: IMDB.  IMDb (an acronym for Internet Movie Database) is an online resource for information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online.

53. More red: RARER.  This took me a while.  Oh, meat!  We're vegetarian.

57. Coffee specification: SIZE.  I needed DH to help me here.  I had SIvE, because I was stuck on BEvEL instead of BEZEL for 67 Across.  DH said SIZE immediately, and I realized that BEZEL is a thing.

59. "Spill!": DISH.  Do tell.

60. Averse to: ANTI.

62. Neckline shape: VEE.

63. Nickelodeon slime: GAK.  DNK.  My grandchildren concoct their own slime!

64. Fabrication: LIE.

65. Sew up: END.  A fitting way to END a puzzle.

The grid:

Did you hum along through this musical challenge?  

Or was it a STOP-and-GO experience rife with ENIGMAS?

NaomiZ

Friday, August 16, 2024 - Ella Dershowitz

 

Theme:  It's a wrap!

 

Puzzling thoughts:  

It's the Chairman here, with my lone August appearance as your bi-weekly Friday blogger.  I have just one week between trips (on August 2 we were on our trip to Bryce Canyon and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon) so I will be brief in the summary of the clues/answers, but not the intro.  This puzzle needs a lot of explaining

I won't lie; Ella Dershowitz gave me several fits, a few head scratches, and many four-letter (and longer) utterances. The four theme entries were names of groups (artists, as clued) that cover the genres of pop, soul, alt rock, and rock, respectively.  Three of these groups are ones with which I am familiar (and of those, only one will I occasionally listen to); the fourth group sounds like a Halloween prank!

But I digress ... all of the theme entries actually DO "connect" with the reveal (which occurs in the center of the grid): a two-word entry that is separated by a black square (block).  How, you ask?  Please read on ...

17-across. "Son of a Preacher Man" artist: INGFIELDUSTYSPR.  Well, I DID know that Dusty Springfield is the pop artist who sang "Son of a Preacher Man".  But when I tried to fit it into this 15-letter space, I came up one letter short.  DustySpringfiel was as far as I could get.  It looked silly, but I left it in place ... for a short while 

28-across. "September" artist: DANDFIREARTHWIN.  Once again, I KNEW that Earth Wind and Fire was the soul band that gave us this melodic, post-disco riff.  I started the fill with Earthwindandfir before realizing that the final "e" of fire was extinguished

Earth wind and fir could have been a pun if clued differently, but it wasn't

42-across. "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" artist: PUMPKINSMASHING.  I had to look up this clue, as I was never into the alt rock group Smashing Pumpkins.  But as with the first two theme entries, I was one "seed" short of fitting this group into the 15-letter space when the final "s" of Pumpkins was omitted

Pumpkin Smashing could have been a funnier entry had it been clued differently

55-across. "Crash Into Me" artist: HEWSBANDAVEMATT.  Another one I had to look up. The rock group Dave Matthews Band is one with which I am familiar, but I can't name a single song title of theirs.  They were a popular band when my kids were growing up.  And after counting the letters of the artist's name, I knew that this 16-letter entry would not squeeze into the 15 spaces that Ella allowed in her grid

Not to be deterred, I started working the verticals.  Most were fair, and slowly I began seeing where (and eventually, how) the letters from each of these musical artists began to fit.  But that still didn't make this puzzle any easier to solve or suss (theme-wise) once the reveal appeared:

34-across. With 38-Across, annual compilation often shared on social media, and an apt place for four of this puzzle's long answers?: SPOTIFY (38-across. See 34-Across:) WRAPPED

What in the hell is Spotify Wrapped???  Without going into another full paragraph, I will just provide a link.  Fortunately, while I was solving the puzzle, my Gen-Y daughter was visiting.  She helped dad understand the reveal

When you read the info on Spotify Wrapped it typically shows the names of 5 bands as the ones that you most often listen to.  Today's puzzle offered just 4 bands.  Not sure if this was by choice or accident, but in fairness to the reveal, Ella should have listed a fifth band somewhere in the grid (unless I somehow missed one)

To help those who still don't know WTF is going on, the only way to put the entire name of each group/band/artist into the corresponding space is to wrap the letters around the grid.  When you look at the first and last letter of each (D for Dusty Springfield; E for Earth Wind and Fire; S for Smashing Pumpkins; and D for Dave Matthews Band) it allows you to wrap the complete name into the grid

To my surprise - and my only real "like" about this puzzle - is that each of the artist's names have the first and last letter in the same spot (dead center) of the 15 letter space ... 

I can't WAIT to hear what you all think of this! 😕 

Conversely, I KNOW that Anonymous -T will probably like this way more than I 😃

My overall rating: ⭐⭐ 

Since my introduction is so long, I chose just one of these hit songs to be today's earworm.  Enjoy a little soul and R & B:

 

The Grid

Across:

1. Function: USE.

4. Try: STAB.  A fitting entry; I wanted to stab myself several times today as I tried solving the puzzle 

8. One skilled at reading others: EMPATH.

14. Seasonal drink: NOG.

15. Kylo Ren's mother: LEIA.  A Star Wars reference

16. One Down Under, casually: AUSSIE.

20. Some online animation: POPUPS.

21. Gown cut: SLIT.  Since I am not Splynter I won't offer a gratuitous photo image of a slit gown and fishnet stockings 😂.  

Question: Ladies, if you wore a gown with a slit, would it be a (4-down. Minor goof:) to have your SLIP be visible?

 

Oops, I lied! I hope Splynter won't be mad at me

22. Middle East sultanate: OMAN.  I wish this had been clued to reveal a two-word phrase; as in "What did you utter as you slogged through today's puzzle?" "O, Man!"

23. Actor Postlethwaite: PETE. Perps to the rescue.  Not familiar with this actor

24. Antidepressant, for short: SSRI. I'm on a low dose of fluoxetine, FWIW

32. Toured national parks, perhaps: RV'ED.  We toured the two National Parks I mentioned in my intro above with a four-wheeler and stayed at their lodges.  No "glamping" for us

33. Jazz drummer Max: ROACH.  Let me be the first to say that this is certainly qualifies as a Friday clue.  The word roach is more familiar to me as either an insect or a marijuana cigarette

40. Arm bones: ULNAS.

41. Best Choreography, for one: TONY.  As in the award, and a CSO to one of our blog regulars

49. "Peter Pan" pirate: SMEE.

50. Utah city with a biblical name: MOAB.  A city/town quite close to this National Park

51. Taiwanese laptop company: ACER.  I owned one once and wasn't that thrilled with it.  I am a Lenovo lad

52. Frankenstein associate: IGOR. Easiest clue / entry today

53. Mother __: TERESA.  There is another six-letter word that fits here, and was one of many expletive utterances I said during the solve

60. Live feed from the San Diego Zoo: APE CAM.  Green paint, IMO

61. Interview-style exam: ORAL. Did no reference to a doctorate degree make this clue/answer tougher?

62. "Huh!": GEE.

63. Much political humor: SATIRE. Oh, don't we all long for some political satire these days instead of only the mudslinging ads we are seeing?

64. CVS orders: MEDS.  I get my meds through CVS.  They are my insurance company's preferred pharmacy

65. Wood __ mushrooms: EAR.  These:

Down:

1. Simple camera stand: UNI-POD.  Anyone else try tripod first? 

2. California wine limo destination: SONOMA.  A CSO to moi, your resident sommelier

3. Small skillet: EGG PAN.  Yes, they do exist

 

5. Merch table tops: TEES.  As in T-shirtS

6. Not thrive: AIL.

7. Inherently evil sort: BAD SEED. Trying hard not to be one today

8. Less arduous: EASIER.

9. Many a shelter dog: MUTT.  Or maybe one of the two guys in this duo: 

10. Social science subj.: PSY.  Anyone else try bio first?

11. Donkey: ASS.

12. Gratuity: TIP.

13. Gender-specific pronoun: HER.

18. Subsidize: FUND.

19. Sephora rival: ULTA.  

 

A cosmetics store

23. Target: PREY. Not a reference to Target, as in the store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, MN

24. Boutique: SHOP.

25. Trade: SWAP. This should've been the time where I'd swap this puzzle with another blogger

26. Onigiri component: RICE.  Japanese RICE bowls.

A nice side dish to this might be: (54-down. Unadon fish:) EELS. [justonecookbook.com] says: 

"Unadon, or Grilled Eel Rice Bowl, is a beloved Japanese dish consisting of steamed rice topped with grilled eels glazed with a sweetened soy-based sauce (called tare) and caramelized, preferably over a charcoal fire. When grilled unagi is served in a big rice bowl called donburi, we call it Unadon (鰻丼), a short for unagi donburi"

27. Very clear, picture-wise: IN HD. Note, I added a hyphen to the word "picturewise" in the clue to correct the error 

29. Search after a metal detector beeps, perhaps: FRISK.  I am hoping now that I have a Global Entry Pass, I won't have to be frisked again when going through a TSA line

30. Abbr. in reproductive health: IVF.  Both of Gov. Tim Walz's children were conceived via In Vetro Fertilization; something we all learned with no political satire (or mudslinging)

31. Food court stack: TRAYS.

34. Dines late: SUPS.  I hope that this word NEVER gets clued as: "What's goings on, familiarly?" S'ups

35. Chutney fruit: PLUM.

36. "I got this one": ON ME.

37. Cassette: TAPE.

38. Room to grow?: WOMB. Cute clue

39. Genetic messenger: RNA. As opposed to DNA, the genetic reproducer

41. Russia, once: TSARDOM. Certainly, a less popular term in crossword puzzles than the person (TSAR) who ruled over it

43. "Count me in!": I'M GAME.

44. Midday: NOON.

45. Injure: HARM.

46. Cooling-off period?: ICE AGE.  Cute clue, but not as cute as 38-across

47. "Keeping it real since forever!" drink brand: NESTEA.  More perps.  I forgot this jingle

48. Handy tool for making latkes: GRATER.  What does the grater say when having its picture taken? 

(c'mon, I know you'll say it!)

52. Construction beam: I-BAR.

53. Campaign expense: TV AD.

55. Possesses: HAS.

56. Emissions-monitoring org.: EPA.  Speaking of "emissions", I had a few sophomoric chuckles when I saw this comic's bit:  Warning!  There is some off-color language spoken at the very end of the video

57. Damp: WET.

58. Poli-__: SCI.

59. "Odds __ ... ": ARE.  What are the odds that C-Moe will go through an entire blog without a Moe-ku or Moe-l'ick?

See you again in late September (the 27th) when we get back from the next vacation trip.  The very capable and witty blogger Naomi will be subbing for me on August 30 and September 13.  Ciao!

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Have a great vacation, Chris!

2) Happy 74th birthday to our witty Friday Sherpa MM! Hope it's a beautiful day where you're, Joseph! Thanks for the time and effort you put into all your writeups. Here is a picture of MM, Chair Moe and their loved ones. They met last year.

Margaret, Chris, Joseph and Valerie

Friday July 14th, 2023 Ella Dershowitz

Theme:  Rabbit? What rabbit?

18A. Second on a ticket: RUNNING MATE.

23A. "Bring it in, dude" embrace: BRO HUG.

52A. Overseas correspondent?: PEN PAL.

59A. "Booksmart" or "Dumb and Dumber": BUDDY COMEDY.

And the reveal:

38A. Childhood companion depicted five times in this puzzle, thanks to some Down clues: IMAGINARY FRIEND.

The key to the theme is that when you're solving the down entries which cross the "friend" part of the themer, you ignore the "friend letter" - they're invisible. The actual down entries are all still bona fide crossword vocabulary, but unless you ignore that one letter they don't make sense in the context of the clues.

Hi all, Steve here again pinch-hitting. Once I saw the pattern around the theme starting to emerge I thought it was brilliant. There are fully 23 down clue/answers which need to be manipulated to complete the puzzle and honestly I didn't find one that seemed to be a stretch. It also crossed my mind that it's a clever way to use two-letter fill words which usually are not allowed. Very cunning!

My theme title refers to the 1950's movie starring Jimmy Stewart, but Ella's reveal almost makes a title redundant!

Across

1. Email option that protects privacy: BCC. Ask the kids today and they'll have no idea it stands for "Blind Carbon Copy", let alone have ever heard of carbon paper.

4. Hands down: BY FAR.

9. Syrup source: MAPLE. Not sure about this, surely "Maple Tree"? Maybe I'm being pedantic.

14. "There it is!": AHA!

15. Compact cosmetic: ROUGE. The "G" was my final fill, wasn't sure about the name crossing.

16. Build a new room, say: ADD ON.

17. "Da 5 Bloods" setting, for short: 'NAM.

20. Nutrition regimen: DIET.

22. North America's tallest peak: DENALI. 20,310 feet (or 20,320 depending on when you last looked it up). The mountain was re-measured in 2015 using improved measuring technology.

26. Hushes: SILENCES.

30. Vanity cases: EGOS.

32. Pt. of USNA: NAV. Seems an arbitrary abbreviation for "Navy", simply chopping off the last letter.

33. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.

34. "Selma" actor David: OYELOWO. Nice proximity of these two.

37. Small bird with a big voice: WREN.

42. Helgenberger of "CSI": MARG.

43. West Coast sch. whose application process may include an audition: CAL ARTS. A couple of friends of mine went to Cal Arts to study animation. 

44. Break off: END.

45. Cynical start?: CEE. C for Cynic. 

48. Epiphany trio: MAGI.

49. Finishes a gin rummy turn, e.g.: DISCARDS.

56. Aye-aye or dik-dik: ANIMAL. I knew dik-dik, but the other was new to me. I discover it is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is a long-fingered lemur from Madagascar.

58. Flight board info: GATE.

64. No-frills bed: COT.

65. Slow tempo: LARGO.

66. Future esposa, perhaps: NOVIA. The bride, in Spanish.

67. Roxy Music name: ENO. Brian Eno, the legendary producer, ambient music component and ex glam rocker with Roxy Music. Seems like a good excuse for a music link. Eno is the guy with the long blond hair playing a very rudimentary synth.

68. 12-year-old, e.g.: TWEEN.

69. Ridley of the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy: DAISY.

70. TV room: DEN.

Down:

1. Wedding __: BAND(B). The first of the "invisible" letter down entries. BANDB parses to B AND B by the way, took me a moment to see that.

2. Hindi word for "tea": CHAI(R).

3. Showed up: CAME(O).

4. Exclamation during a polar bear plunge: BRR.

5. "__ had one job!": YOU.

6. Endow: FUND.

7. Moorehead of "Bewitched": AGNES.

8. Restrain: REIN IN.

9. Bullet train technology: MAG-LEV.

10. Server's edge, in tennis: AD(M)IN. 

11. Law enforcement org.: PD(A).

12. __ and behold: LO(T).

13. Dash used in date ranges: EN(E).

19. "The Lion King" lion: NALA.

21. Option in a classic paradoxical dilemma: THE EGG.

24. Wrinkled tangelo: UGLI.

25. Jennifer Egan's "A Visit From the __ Squad": GOON.

27. Web store icon: CAR(E)T.

28. 12/24 and 12/31: EVE(N)S.

29. __ Antonio: SAN(D).

31. Budget carrier HQ'd in Dallas: SWA. Southwest Airlines. They used to be fun to fly with when I first moved to the USA, now not so much, they've got much more corporate.

34. Muscat resident: OMANI.

35. Fabric measures: YARDS.

36. Tolkien monster: ORC.

37. Twist, as a wet rag: W(I)RING.

38. Cyberchatted with, briefly: IM'ED. Could be an IM, a PM or a DM. 

39. Orange tuber: YAM.

40. __ of luxury: (F)LAP.

41. Number of candles, perhaps: (R)AGE.

45. Big name in cameras: CAN(Y)ON.

46. Actor Bana: ERIC.

47. Astronomer Halley: EDMOND. I knew the ED part, but flip-flopped between EDWARD and EDMUND before the cross rescued me.

50. Batting __: CA(D)GE.

51. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.

53. Finished perfectly: (P)ACED.

54. Musical pitch: (A)TONE.

55. Historic British school: (L)ETON. You'd think it was the only school in the UK if you went by crosswordese. It is quite historic, but the school in the town where I grew up, Winchester College, was founded in 1382, whereas Eton didn't come along until 1440. The King's School in Canterbury was founded in 597, so has both beaten by a good half a millenium.

57. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI. I'm wearing a pair of Levi 511's today.

59. USN officer: (B)LT.

60. "How cute!": (U)AW. United Auto Workers union in case you're wondering.

61. Do, __, mi: (D)RE.

62. Knock: DIS.

63. "Huzzah!": YAY!

And with a final Huzzah! for finishing the puzzle, here's the grid:

Tuesday, July 4, 2023 Ella Dershowitz

Bye, Bye, Blackbird.  The first word of each them answer are homophones:  Buy / Bye / Bi / By / and Bai.

17-Across. Purposely cause a delay: BUY SOME TIME.

24-Across. Dismissive send-off that originated in an Ice Cube film: BYE, FELICIA.

38-Across. Annual celebration involving a pink, purple, and blue flag: BI VISIBILITY DAY.  September 23 is Bi Visibility Day.  It is a day to recognize and celebrate the bisexual community.

48-Across. Generally speaking: BY AND LARGE.

60-Across. Drink with São Paulo Strawberry and Burundi Blueberry flavors: BAI LEMONADE.  And a shout-out to our dear friend, Lemonade who used to provide commentary on Fridays.

What else do we have on this Fourth of July?

Across:

1. Many a maid of honor: SISTER.

7. Engrave: ETCH.

11. "Saving Lives, Protecting People" govt. org.: CDC.  The official name is Center for Disease Control and Prevention, but the "P" is dropped in its abbreviation.  We all heard a lot about the CDC in the past couple of years.  It is the national public health agency and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

14. Taco kit brand: ORTEGA.

15. "Beat it!": SHOO!

16. Small inlet: RIA.

19. Seer's claim: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.

20. Portion out: ALLOT.

21. Not superficial: DEEP.

22. Tingling feeling caused by whispery videos: Abbr.: ASMR.  Short for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.  Hand up if you knew what this meant.

23. "Do-Re-Mi" critter: DEER.  You know I had to include this song.

26. 401(k) kin: IRA.

28. Valleys: DALES.  Hi, Lucina!

29. Tankard beer: ALE.

32. Flee to wed: ELOPE.

36. On edge: TENSE.

41. Mold-to-be: SPORE.

42. Food flavoring: SPICE.

43. Fútbol fan's cry: ¡OLÉ!  Today's Spanish lesson.

44. High tea snack: SCONE.  Yummers!  They are tasty and easy to make.

46. Indoor rower, familiarly: ERG.  Hand up if you knew this.

52. Bike storage aid: RACK.

56. Tunneling insects: ANTS.

57. Ballet bend: PLIÉ.

58. Indian lute: SITAR.  Ravi Shankar (April 7, 1920 ~ Dec. 11, 2012) is probably the most well-known sitar player to many Westerners.

59. Bill Nye's subj.: SCI.  William Sanford Nye (b. Nov. 27, 1955) bills himself as Bill Nye the Science Guy.  [Name # 1.]

62. Minister's title: Abbr.: REV.  As in Reverend.

63. "Understood": I SEE.  //  Not to be confused with 40-Down. Cold drink brand: ICEE.

64. Spider-Man player Garfield: ANDREW.  Andrew Russell Garfield (b. Aug. 20, 1983) has portrayed Spider-Man in several of the movies. [Name # 2.]

65. "__ we good?": ARE.

66. Name said twice in an introduction: BOND.  [Name # 3.]

67. Fool's gold: PYRITE.

Down:

1. "The worst!": SO BAD.

2. Triumphant cry: I RULE!

3. Fashionista's focus: STYLE.

4. "Fun Home" composer Jeanine: TESORI.  Jeanine Tesori (b. Nov. 10, 1961) is best known for her work in theater.  She has written several Tony-nominated scores for Broadway, which in addition to Fun Home, include,  Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center; Caroline, or Change; and Shrek the Musical.  Hand up if you knew this composer.  [Name # 4.]

5. "Grand slam" awards acronym: EGOT.  As in the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

6. Aries animal: RAM.

7. First name in the perfume aisle: ESTÉE.  Estée Lauder (née Josephine Esther Mentzer) co-founded the eponymous cosmetics company with her husband.  Although the company does have a perfume line, the company is probably best known for its make-up.  In the 1980's, actor Ted Danson was the spokesperson for Aramis, a men's cologne by Estée Lauder.  [Name # 5.]

8. Many an "Ocean's Eleven" character: THIEF.  Ocean's Eleven was a 1960 movie about a series of heists in Las Vegas.  It was remade in 2001, which starred George Clooney as Danny Ocean.

9. Provided for free: COMPED.

10. Weeder's tool: HOE.  It has been so hot in Louisiana, that portions of I-10 have been closed due to buckling of the road.

11. Orchestral climax: CRESCENDO.

12. "Please pack your knives and go," for one: DISMISSAL.

13. "It's a Wonderful Life" director Frank: CAPRA.  Frank Capra (né Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 ~ 1991) was an Italian-born American film director.  His primary work was in the 1930s and 1940s. [Name # 6.]

18. Ice cream maker Joseph: EDY.  Everything you wanted to know about Edy's ice cream, but didn't know to ask.  [Name # 7.]

22. Dance company founder Alvin: AILEY.  Alvin Ailey (b. Jan. 5, 1931 ~ Dec. 1, 1989) was an African-American dancer and choreographer.  He created the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) as havens for nurturing Black artists.  [Name # 8.]

24. Indonesian island in the Coral Triangle: BALI.  The Coral Triangle is a rich ecoregion that contains over 500 species of reef-building corals.

25. Former's counterpart: LATTER.

27. Email again: RESEND.

29. Core muscles: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles.

30. Performer who pretends to sing: LIP-SYNCER.

31. Stirring strong emotions: EVOCATIVE.

33. Delivery room docs: OBs.  As in Obstetrician.  Obstetrics is the field of medicine that involves care during pregnancy, childbirth and immediately after delivery.  It differs from gynecology in that the latter (25-Down) focuses on all women's health care issues.

34. Small fruit seed: PIP.

35. Yale alum: ELI.

37. Pupil locale: EYE.

39. Flat __: hair tools: IRONS.  I don't think women use this method anymore to straighten their hair.

45. Texas city on Mountain Time: EL PASO.  A brief history of El Paso.

47. Gay dating app: GRINDR.

48. Iraqi port: BASRA.  The city has a long and rich history.

49. Otherworldly: ALIEN.

50. Agitated: RILED.

51. "__ whiz!": GEE.

53. Game company with a "Fuji" logo: ATARI.  A brief history of the logo.  Pong was one of Atari's first games.  Can you believe that it was released more than 50 years ago!!!

54. Coast Guard Academy student: CADET.

55. Mardi Gras parade-organizing group: KREWE.  A brief history of the origin Mardi Gras traditions in New Orleans.  Apparently, the word Krewe first appeared in 1857.

58. Walkman maker: SONY.  I had a walkman.  It was state-of-the-art for music listening at the time.

60. Marathoner's wear: BIB.

61. AllTrails download: MAP.  AllTrails is a fitness and travel mobile app.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה