Wednesday, May 10, 2023 ~ Emma Lawson & Shannon Rapp

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Happy Wednesday folks! Anon -T here reporting for duty.

Emma and Shannon Rapp (aka Norah Sharpe) bring us three breeds of "Rover" that "Range" across the fill (in the circles) and unifies it with an SUV that will likely fit all the pups (but,... it's not a Subaru :-)).

17. Dog relaxing across a foam flotation device?: POOL NOODLE. Poodle. Pick which second O gets the circle.

//Here's where I got my wires crossed for a bit. I though "POOL POODLE; theme is dog-breeds with the first few letters making another first or second word."
You try to think of a breed that begins with TRI at second themer fill - ain't gonna work.
Anyway, when I got to the reveal, I realized the dogs are in the circles (which were light on my printout - I'll add toner to my Amazon cart), fixed my pOODLE to NOODLE, and filled the rest of the grid lickety-split.

28. Dog traveling through a mysterious section of the North Atlantic?: BERMUDA TRIANGLE. Beagle.
 

Our favorite Beagle

49. Dog spreading out at a minimal performance venue?: BLACKBOX THEATER. Boxer.

63. High-end SUV, and an apt description of each set of circled letters?: RANGE ROVER.

Cute and much more simple that I was trying to make it. Thanks Emma & Shannon for the entertaining puzzle.

Across:
1. "Between Two Ferns" host Galifianakis: ZACH.
 

Obama played along for ACA

5. German woman: FRAU.
 

Cloris Leachman played along.

9. Brief "Don't know yet": TBD. To Be Determined.

12. __ mutter: potatoes and peas dish: ALOO. I think we've all learned this by now - foreign (not French) potatoes == ALOO.  Don't get me wrong - I love a good Indian dish but never understand them as printed.  I make Youngest order -- she grew up Montessori, knows Indian food, and knows what I like.

13. "Birmingham" sculptor Simone __: LEIGH. Perps. I Googled so you don't have to. Chicago artist born in '67. Amazing work!

15. Trick or treat: VERB. Ha!! "Fool" or "buy for." Also, noun: (magic) trick; (sweet) treat.  Halloween is only 173 days away.

17. [see: theme]

19. Garden need: SOIL. "Fence" to keep out the critters was too long.

20. Respected figure: ELDER. Am I an ELDER yet? I've waited 52 years...

21. Round Table titles: SIRS. Trust me, I'm holding myself back from linking yet another Monty Python clip.

23. Cavaliers sch.: UVA. University Virginia.

24. Way out: EXIT. The egress.
 

Believe it or Not - That's how Ripley got 'em out the door.

26. Realms: EMPIRES.

28. [see: theme]

32. What "will be" will be: ARE. Cute. Very cute.

33. Window part: SASH. Pane also fit :-(

34. Short pants?: TROU. Short for Trousers.

35. 2019 documentary about fatherhood: DADS. Sussable.

37. "Designated Survivor" actor Penn: KAL. I Googled for an image and... "Kalpen Suresh Modi, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration." Fandom Link.

39. Robin's residence: NEST.
 

Robin, aka Mork, resided here with Mindy.

42. Spanish house: CASA.

45. Court dividers: NETS. Tennis courts not basketball nets.

48. __ of Tranquility: SEA. Lunar geography and Apollo 11's landing site.

49. [see: theme]

53. Expression of love that doesn't quite land?: AIR KISS. Didn't land the kiss? Tsk. Tsk.

54. Stitches: SEWS.

55. Car care brand: STP.   Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Or, if you visit STP's website: Science. Technology. Performance. Not to be confused with a Stone Temple Pilots' performance.

56. Fold: TUCK.

58. Pronoun pair: HE/HIM.  You'll see this on some folks' Social Media profile -- pronouns to be used when addressing.

61. Call-and-response response: AMEN. #Church

63. [see: theme]

66. Renaissance fair instrument: LUTE.

67. Dentist's tool: DRILL.  Open wide.

68. Angry outburst: RANT.

69. Opposite of NNE: SSW. Points on a compass rose.

70. Octagonal sign: STOP.

71. Codas: ENDS.

Down:
1. Comic book onomatopoeia: ZAP. Onomatopoeia - a word that sounds like what it means. But y'all knew that.

2. Soothing succulent: ALOE.

3. Like early spring weather: COOL.

4. Poker variety: HOLD 'EM. How to play.

5. Home of Everglades National Park: FLORIDA.

6. __ Speedwagon: REO. The car or the band from Champaign, IL? We should be told.

7. Helps: AIDS.

8. Less appealing: UGLIER.
 

UGLIer fruit

9. Best Buy wallful: TVS. Have y'all seen some of the new TVs? I don't think I want to watch News Hour with that kind of definition.

10. "Beauty and the Beast" song: BE OUR GUEST.
 

Classic fun animation.

11. Tripe: DRIVEL. [see: this expo]

14. __ crab: HERMIT.
 

Hermit Crab Changes Shells

16. Nonchalant: BLASE. I think I spelled it with a "Z" first 'cuz there's extra ink in that square.

18. Connection: NEXUS.

22. Trade jabs: SPAR. Boxing.

25. Undertaking: TASK.

27. Party to: IN ON. Privy didn't fit.

28. Billie Eilish's "__ Guy": BAD. If you're so inclined. //It's not that BAD.

29. Notable slice of time: ERA.

30. Fancy places to see the stars?: RED CARPETS. Planetarium didn't fit //and there's no Pink Floyd at the RED CARPET.

31. Quick note of appreciation: THANX. Saves only one letter typed. Thx is what I use - saves three keystrokes.

36. Bag of potatoes: SACK.

38. "Shall we?" response: LET'S. Do it!

40. "Told ya!": SEE.

41. Roof goo: TAR.

43. Comic vignette: SKIT.

44. Ridiculous: ABSURD. Inane. //CED came to mind ;-)

46. Viola Davis film whose tagline was "Change begins with a whisper": THE HELP.
 

Trailer

47. Ninja Turtle home: SEWER.
//want a story? As undergrads, DW would do some babysitting for extra cash.
Being an educator, she'd teach the kids literature and art.
She introduced one kid (about 7yrs old) to Michelangelo.
"Mrs. K, I didn't know he painted too!"
He was talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

49. Rudimentary: BASAL.

50. Chemistry paper?: LITMUS.  Stick in the stick and ph will show acid or base via color. Always fun to have a handful of these on hand for playing with, erm teaching, the kids.

51. 2023 awards for "Everything Everywhere All at Once": OSCARS.

52. On land: ASHORE.

57. Make mittens, say: KNIT.

59. Tennis star Lendl: IVAN.

60. Repair: MEND.

62. Just out: NEW.

64. __ Worm: 1980s bedtime toy: GLO.
 

My lil' Sis had one of these.

65. Shares again, on Twitter: RTS. RE -Tweets.  Honestly, I've never gotten the hang of the TwitterVerse and I probably make myself look like an old dude when I RT a response.  Frankly, Musk is making it worse (NPR & BBC #StateAffiliated. Really?). I'm still waiting on BlueSky to accept my "Let me play, please!" request. //end RANT

The Grid:
 

The Grid

WOs: noun->VERB, TanK, pane->SASH, BASic -> BASAL
ESPs: LEIGH, IVAN (as clued), KAL.
Fav: Trick or treat == noun or VERB

Well, another expo in the books here at The Crossword Corner. Hope y'all had fun too.
Looking forward to y'alls take and expo corrections / additions.

Cheers, -T

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Emma Lawson

Theme: I can't do any better than the unifier.

61 A. Make waves, and a hint to this puzzle's circles: ROCK THE BOAT.  As we'll soon see, various boats have been rocked by having the letters of their names mixed up, thus "rocked."  This is indicated by the circles in the grid.

17 A. Charitable undertaking that deserves support: WORTHY CAUSE.  Someone or something deserving support because they have the qualities or abilities required.  The hidden mixed-up word is YACHT - a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use.   Often a rich person't toy.

31 A. Bit of false modesty: HUMBLE BRAG.  An ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement whose actual purpose is to draw attention to something of which one is proud.  We go from a potentially elegant YACHT to the fittingly humble BARGE -  a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion.  It is typically either pushed or pulled by another vessel.

42. "Ugh, shut up already": NO ONE CARES.  A blunt statement of disinterest.   Of greater interest is the CANOE - a lightweight, narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.

Hi, Gang.  Emma was not able to fit CRUISE SHIP into the mix.  Still, we can enjoy our aquatic excursion with a variety of mixed up vessels.  Let's sail into the rest of the puzzle and see what else we can discover.

Across:

1. __ Sutra: KAMA.   "Principles of Love" is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. It was written as a guide to the art of living well, the nature of love, finding a life partner, maintaining one's love life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure-oriented faculties of human life.

5. Charlatans: FRAUDS.  Those falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill;

11. Smidgen: TAD.  A tiny quantity.

14. Classic Camaro: IROC.   IROC stands for International Race of Champions, a competition similar to Nascar. IROC began in 1974 by racing Porsches, but the cost of maintaining them was prohibitive, so the series turned to the Chevy Camaro in 1975.

15. Breaks things off: ENDS IT.  Brings something to a close, such as a relationship.

16. Tankard filler: ALE.  a type of beer with a bitter flavor and higher alcoholic content.

19. Right Guard alternative: BAN.  Under arm deodorants.

20. Feedback: INPUT.  Information provided in response to something.

21. Bullfighters: MATADORS.  Their job is to kill the bulls.

23. "Go for the Goal" memoirist Mia: HAMM.   Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra [b. 1972] is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team from 1987 to 2004. 

25. Tried to avoid the catcher's tag: SLID HOME.  Like this.

26. Pan: SKILLET.   A shallow metal cooking pot with a long handle, used for frying.

29. "Weetzie Bat" series writer Francesca __ Block: LIA.  Francesca Lia Block [b.1960] is an American writer of adult and young-adult literature. She is known for the Weetzie Bat series, which she began while a student at UC Berkeley. 

30. Break the tape: WIN.  Getting to the finish line first in a race.

37. Religious platform: ALTAR.   A table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity.

40. Scottish refusal: NAE.

41. Tuscan city whose university was founded in 1240: SIENA.  A city in central Italy’s Tuscany region,  distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown. 

45. 2016 Super Bowl MVP __ Miller: VON.   Vonnie B'VSean Miller [b. 1989] is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and the Butkus Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.  He tore his ACL vs the Lions on Thanksgiving day, 2022.  The Bills went on to win that game 28-25 on a field goal as time expired.  The Bills could have used him this week as the Bengals shredded their defense.

46. "I've got it!": AHA.  That moment of realization.

47. Talking back to: SASSING.   Unwelcome feedback.

50. Temporada con nieve: INVIERNO.   The snowy season in Spain is WINTER.

55. Connections: TIES.  

56. Jazz trumpeter Wynton: MARSALIS.   Wynton Learson Marsalis [b. 1961] is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, and his Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. 

57. Cuts: TRIMS.   Removes excess.

60. Big fuss: ADO.

64. Tech exec: CIO.  Chief Information Officer.   Probably a nerd.

65. Much of North Africa: SAHARA.  Large desert.

66. Memo phrase: IN RE.   A Latin phrase meaning “in the matter of.” The term “In re” is used in legal documents to refer to a case, particularly a case without an opposing party. For example, "In re Estate of Ruth Bentley" might be used to refer to a probate case about the estate of Ruth Bentley.

67. "Grace and Frankie" actor Waterston: SAM.   Samuel Atkinson Waterston (b.1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and film.  He has received many awards.   

68. Lure into wrongdoing: ENTRAP.  Do this in order to achieve arrest and prosecution.

69. "On the double!" abbr.: ASAP.   As Soon As Possible.

Down:

1. New Zealand bird: KIWI.   Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand of the order Apterygiformes. The five extant species fall into the family Apterygidae and genus Apteryx. Approximately the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are the smallest living ratites.

Seven Kiwi Facts

2. "East of Eden" brother based on Abel: ARON.  Although Aron is likable and kind, his innate moral sensitivity is extreme, and it makes him fragile and easily susceptible to hurt. The sheltered Aron has a great deal of trouble facing the reality of human evil in the world, and Steinbeck builds a great deal of suspense in the second half of East of Eden regarding whether or not Aron will ever meet his mother, Cathy, and whether or not he will survive such an encounter.

3. Completely become: MORPH INTO.    Change very gradually from one thing into another.

4. Real: ACTUAL.   Existing in fact; typically as contrasted with what was intended, expected, or believed.

5. Tina with a recurring role on "Only Murders in the Building": FEY.   Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey [b.1970] is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. Fey is best known for her tenure as a cast member and head writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2006. 

6. GOP org.: RNC.   Republican National Committee.

7. "Run to You" singer Bryan: ADAMS.   Bryan Guy Adams [b 1959] OC OBC FRPS is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million records and singles worldwide. 

8. Typical: USUAL.  Expected.

9. Purify, in a way: DISTILL.   Purify (a liquid) by vaporizing it, then condensing it by cooling the vapor, and collecting the resulting liquid.

10. Makes less wobbly: STEADIES.  Stabilizes the position of something.

11. Simply not done: TABOO.   A social or religious custom prohibiting or forbidding discussion of a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.

12. Wake-up call?: ALARM.   Something that alerts a person to a situation

13. Pretty thick: DENSE.   Closely compacted in substance.  Figuratively, of a person - stupid.

18. Webmaster's code: HTML.   HyperText Markup Language.

22. Abu __: DHABI.   The capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates.  The city of Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf, off the Central West Coast. Most of the city and the Emirate reside on the mainland connected to the rest of the country. 

24. Just okay: MEH.   Expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm.

26. Ugly duckling's true self: SWAN.  A Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), published in 1843.  A swan's egg is misplaced in a clutch of duck eggs, and the resulting cygnet becomes an outcast.  Eventually he discovers is true self and flies away.

27. Approximately 2.2 lbs.: KILO.  The kilogram is the unit of mass in the International System of Units, having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. It means "one thousand grams."

28. Fish in a negitoro roll: TUNA.  Negitoro is diced tuna with green onion. You'll most often find it served as a sushi roll. The tuna is sourced from scraping near the bones and from scrap pieces.  Yum!

32. Mo. after Leap Day: MAR. Leap day is Feb.29, occurring every 4th year not divisible by 100.  The following month is March.

33. Orchard pollinators: BEES.

34. Subsequent drafts: REVISIONS.  Of a text.

35. Quote book abbr.: ANON.  Anonymous.

36. Crew: GANG.  A group of people who work closely together.

38. Diarist Nin: ANAIS.  Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell  [1903 – 1977] was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, Nin was the daughter of the composer Joaquín Nin and the classically trained singer Rosa Culmell. Nin spent her early years in Spain and Cuba, about sixteen years in Paris (1924–1940), and the remaining half of her life in the United States, where she became an established author.

39. Prepare for a show: REHEARSE.   Practice (a play, piece of music, or other work) for later public performance.  I usually do this on Monday and Wednesday evenings.  Speaking of boats - granddaughter Amanda is in Toronto REHEARSING for her 3rd gig as a cast member on a Disney cruise ship.

43. Assistance in getting a ride?: CAR LOAN.  Money borrowed to purchase a vehicle.  Clever clue.

44. Plopped down in a chair: SAT.

48. Location: SITE.   

49. Croatia neighbor: SERBIA.  A landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe.  The two countries have similar spoken languages, but different written languages, as Serbia uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

50. Apple desktops: I-MACS.  Brand designation for lines of personal computers.

51. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.   Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner [b. 1961] is a Romanian retired gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.

The IOC has blocked the video from sharing{?!?)  You can see it HERE

52. Revving sound: VROOM.

53. Not, in German: NICHT.   Literal.

54. Liam's "Schindler's List" role: OSKAR.  Oskar Schindler [1908 - 1974] was a German industrialist, humanitarian and a member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories in occupied Poland and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. 

58. "Where Am I Now?" memoirist Wilson: MARA.   Mara Elizabeth Wilson (b. 1987) is an American actress and writer. She rose to prominence as a child for playing Natalie Hillard in the film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and went on to play Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), the title character in Matilda (1996), Annabel Greening in A Simple Wish (1997), and Lily Stone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). Wilson took a 12-year hiatus following the last film to focus on writing. She returned to acting in 2012, and has predominantly worked in web series.

59. Pedometer unit: STEP.   An act or movement of putting one leg in front of the other in walking or running.

62. La-la lead-in: TRA.   Nonsense syllables sometimes occurring in songs, sometimes used to suggest gaiety, lightheartedness, or playful derision.

63. Luck, to Shakespeare: HAP.   Obsolete term for luck or good fortune, from Middle English "happe."  This is the root of our modern word "happy."

Now we bring this ship into port.  Hope you had a HAP voyage, and keep on rowing.

This popped up on FaceBook recently.

Cool regards!

JzB

Thursday, June 2, 2022, Emma Lawson

 

This just in, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with today's Read All About It puzzle recap.

Our recently-named editor seems to be consciously, and conscientiously, exposing us to the works of new (and, in today's case, new not just to us) constructors.  In keeping with this plan, today's puzzle setter is Emma Lawson.  A web search returned Emma's website (Emma Lawson dot com).  I contacted her through the website and received this in reply:

"Nice to meet you and the rest of the Crossword Corner team! I'm a college librarian in Vancouver, BC and while I've been doing crosswords since I was a teen, I only started constructing this year. This puzzle is not only my LA Times debut but my first published crossword! Many thanks to Patti and Christina for seeing something worthy in it. I've had a huge learning curve when it comes to constructing but this puzzle felt like smooth sailing the whole way through.

I want to shout out the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory who paired me with a mentor (hi Freddy!), the Crosscord Discord server, and the Inkubator team -- they're all so welcoming and friendly to new constructors."

Congratulations, Emma, and please allow me to extend, on behalf of everyone here, a warm welcome to the Crossword Corner!

Now, let's take a look at your puzzle.  The reveal is provided at:

59 ACROSS:  What an investigative journalist might do, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do: BREAK A STORY.

At four places, marked with stars for our convenience, we find synonyms for STORY broken into two pieces with those pieces placed so as to bracket the rest of that clue's answer.

17 Across:  *Locavore movement: FARM TO TABLE.  FABLE    Locavore, a mashup of local and omni/herbi/carne vore, was coined on Earth Day in 2005.

24 Across:  *Insulating layer around a nerve: MYELIN SHEATH.  MYTH  While I am pretty certain that we've seen this answer before I could not remember it.  Thanks perps.

37 Across:  *Accept a difficult role: TAKE UP THE MANTLE.  TALE    In the Bible, the prophet Elijah left his cloak behind when he ascended to heaven.   A new prophet, Elisha,  picked up this mantle to wear and also took over Elijah's role. 

50 Across:  *Use a randomizer to decide, say: SPIN THE WHEEL.  SPIEL  A lengthy or extravagant speech or argument usually intended to persuade. 

I found the puzzle to be fairly straightforward except for the mid-west section where MYELIN, YUZU, ANI (as clued) and ROTA all converged to form something of a Cluster Natick.  Fortunately, I knew OVITZ and the rest of the perps.  A final WAG for the Y and the computer pronounced the puzzle solved.  If I had been working in pen/pencil and paper, which is difficult to do in the water, I probably would have looked up YUZU and/or ROTA (after the fact) to confirm the FIR.

 As for the rest of the clues/answers, here is a brief description:

Across:

1. High standards: IDEALS.

7. All-in-one product's selling points: USES.  Many USES.

11. Open page on a web browser: TAB.

14. Weasellike pet: FERRET.  What's brown and sounds like a parrot?  A FERRET.

15. Spot for pore strips: NOSE.

16. "Don't Bring Me Down" band: ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra   THE ANIMALS would not fit in the allotted space.

ELO  -  Don't Bring Me Down

The Animals  -  Don't Bring Me Down

19. Also: TOO.  Also, ALSO is often clued with TOO, too.

20. Mos. and mos.: YRS.  YeaRS

21. Diary: LOG.

22. Identity __: THEFT.  A mini theme with 6 Down.

28. Bounce back: REBOUND.

31. Phone notification: ALERT.  Be a lert,  The world needs more lerts.

32. Former Disney president Michael: OVITZ.

33. Aromatherapy locale: SPA.  We often visit SPAs in our puzzles.

34. Snakelike fish: EEL.  See, also, 7 Down

42. Alex and __: jewelry company known for bracelets: ANI.  Usually clued with an avian reference.  This jewelry company was unknown to the author.  Most jewelry companies are.

43. Have debts: OWE.

44. Witherspoon of "The Morning Show": REESE.

45. Invisible urban pollution: NOISE.  The smog we can see.

48. Fake names: ALIASES.

53. Refers to: CITES.

54. Harley-Davidson's stock symbol: HOG.  HOG is slang for a Harley motorcycle.  It is also the acronym for the Harley Owners Group, a collection of enthusiasts.

55. Friend: PAL.

58. Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools: OXO.

64. Tear: RIP.

65. One of Eve's sons: ABEL.  Murdered by Cain.  He had no children of his own.

66. Dressing with anchovies: CAESAR.  A salad reference and not apparel reference.

Anchovy Dressing

67. Super Mario Bros. console: NES.  A video game reference.  Nintendo Entertainment System.  Last Saturday we had Wii as the clue for this.

68. Sup: DINE.

69. Florence's role in "Black Widow" and "Hawkeye": YELENA.  Unknown to this marine mammal.  Perped.

Down:

1. Dubious: IFFY.  Indeed.

2. Letter opener: DEAR.  Cute clue.

3. Texts the wrong person, say: ERRS.

4. Branch: ARM.

5. Word before "It Go" and "It Be," in song titles: LET.  Also, "It Bleed".

Idina Menzel With Jimmy Fallon and The Roots - Let It Go

Paul McCartney and Billy Joel - Let It Be  (2008 Shea Stadium)

The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed (1981 East Rutherford New Jersey) 

6. Pinched: STOLEN.  A mini theme with 22 Across

7. 34-Across, to a sushi chef: UNAGI.  See, too, 34 Across (duh).

8. Cry noisily: SOB.  Could have been clued more nastily.

9. Night sch. class: ESL.  English As A Second Language

10. Quietly fume: SEETHE.  Emma could have gone with a Ray Charles reference.  What'd I say?

11. Private discussions: TETE A TETES.  Français - head to head

12. In the air: ALOFT.

13. Diner option: BOOTH.  Not the food, the seating

18. Snitched: TOLD.  Ratted out.  Dropped a dime.

23. The first "H" of HRH: HER.  Her or His Royal Highness.  What an odd word, Highness.

24. Sunbeam floater: MOTE.  Dust in the wind, Dude.

25. Citrus hybrid used in Japanese cuisine: YUZU.  Thanks WAG.

26. Kitten-lifting spot: NAPE.

27. Shut noisily: SLAM.  Straightforward.  Have we seen enough poetry clues for this one?

28. Duty roster: ROTA.  New to me.

29. __ Rachel Wood of "Westworld": EVAN.  I am familiar with the original movie.  I am not  familiar with the TV series.  I didn't know women were named EVAN.  Thanks perps.

30. Some halters: BIKINI TOPS.  They come in all sizes and shapes.  Today's "I'd better pass on the graphics" moment.

33. That woman: SHE.

35. Alternatively: ELSE.

36. Vintner's dregs: LEES.  The general sediment that forms in wine after fermentation.

38. Fancy-schmancy: POSH.  What's the difference between a badly dressed man on a unicycle and a POSH dressed man on a motorcycle.  A tire.

39. __ pop: Belle and Sebastian genre: TWEE.  Huh?  Thanks perps.

40. Singer India.__: ARIE.  A frequent visitor.  Four letters three of which are vowels.

41. "Snow Crash" novelist Stephenson: NEAL.  Snow Crash is not quite as good a read as  Cryptonomicon but it's still a fine book.  I have been known to use Hiro Protagonist as a screen name.

46. Number of World Series wins for the Nationals: ONE.  In 2019.

47. "No way to sugarcoat this": IT'S BAD.  Oh, the things people say.

48. "I see now": AH OK.  Ah, the things people say.

49. Mid-size Subaru: LEGACY.  I drove one just like this for fifteen years:

1997 Subaru Legacy Outback

50. Obvious disdain: SCORN.

51. Folklore trickster: PIXIE.

52. Pod member: WHALE.  In keeping with today's theme, it might have been clued something along the lines of "A type of story" or "A ____ of a tale".

55. Selfie stance: POSE.

56. Galway Bay's __ Islands: ARAN.  Located off the coast of Ireland (or Eire or Erin in crossword puzzles).

57. Harp constellation: LYRA.

60. Squeeze bunt stat: RBI.  A baseball reference.  Run Batted In

61. Poetic twilight: EEN.  EvENing

62. RSVP convenience: SAE.  Self  Addressed  Envelope  Not, in this instance, stamped.

63. __ Aviv: TEL.  A major city in modern day Israel . . . and the last of the seven fill-in-the-blank clues used today.

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