Friday, January 31, 2025, Ricky J. Sirois

 Theme:  Risible (rhyming) repetition 

Puzzling thoughts:

Just 12 short days ago, Ricky J. Sirois provided us with a Sunday puzzle: his 4th LAT submission, according to NaomiZ.  And as NaomiZ will be doing the Friday blog in Moe's absence while he heals, believe every word she says!! 😀 

So, let's explore Ricky's 5th LAT puzzle before I take a brief hiatus:

Today's offering, while not as tough as some Friday puzzles I've blogged, did have its Moe-ments.  Every time there is some play-on-words it takes a couple of solved ones before the theme reveals itself.  At least for me ... 

So how did today's theme of repetition come about?  Let's look at the entries:

21-across. Dorothy's musing before heading back to Kansas?: DO I HAVE TOTO?  

I am certainly curious to know how Ricky came to think of the four entries he offered today.  The first is a solid example of how both of the expressions work: "Do I have to?" is a lament that many kids use when they don't want to do something.  And maybe Dorothy didn't want to return to Kansas after spending her wonderful dream in Oz.  But I'm sure that she double-checked before she did return that her dog, Toto was by her side.  

A Moe-ku, perhaps?  Be sure to read this a couple of times to see the double meaning ... 

        "C'mon, Dorothy,

        Ship's leaving; TOTO can't come."
        Her Auntie Em barks

33-across. All-clear before the big dance competition?: GOOD TO GOGO.

Once again, Ricky found a clued entry that exemplifies both meanings.  "Good to go!" is an expression that means everything is ready, or all-clear.  The word go-go is synonymous with a style or type of dancing.  It also was a term used by Inspector Gadget when he wanted to summon something:

42-across. Advice on how to prevent undue interest from influencers?: MAKE IT SO-SO.

One of our regular board influencers is our one and only Picard.  Sometimes a picture captures more than my words can describe!

53-across. Enthusiastic reply from a certain bird impersonator?: INDEED I DODO.

What ultimately led to my rating this puzzle a bit lower was this entry.  If our resident grammarian, Yellowrocks happens to stop by today, I hope she will offer her comments and thoughts about it

The first part of the phrase could be written "I do indeed" as well as "Indeed, I do".  Maybe the word "enthusiastic" in the clue leads us to the proper position of the word, "indeed".  But I digress ... 

The whole concept of "indeed, I dodo" just seemed forced.  A dodo is not just a "certain" bird, but an extinct one.  And unlike the other three entries the plausibility of that phrase just isn't there

How might the fourth entry be a little more plausible?  Here is a possible substitute for 53-across:

"Words from a department store Santa on his first day on the job"? I AM GUNG HO HO

He does check out who's naughty or nice

Today, Ricky had some pretty good mojo.  I give this puzzle ⭐⭐⭐ and 3/4⭐s - congrats!!

The filled grid.  Notice the Natick at 1-down and 13-across

Across:

1. Decoupage, e.g.: CRAFT.  Knowing what the word decoupage means led to solving this

Decoupage: the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper, linoleum, plastic, or other flat material over which varnish or lacquer is applied

6. Stroller passenger: TOT.  

9. Substance: HEFT.

13. Dark matter?: HUMOR.  I stuck with rumor for too long in this spot.  I didn't get the play-on-words of its perpendicular (1-down. Ring leader?): CHAMP, either.  This was Moe's "Natick", as described in the grid image

14. Had regrets: RUED. I hope I won't rue having my cataracts replaced

16. Largest of seven: ASIA.  Seven = continents - can you name them all?

17. Suspect's story: ALIBI.  Really, I didn't make this up 

18. Plot size: ACRE.

19. Villain in "The Lion King": SCAR.  This guy:

20. Memory unit, informally: MEG.  Gig also fits - I had to erase it when some of the perps solved

24. Undertaking: PROJECT.

26. Persian Gulf nation: IRAN.  Iraq also fits but I used Iran, initially

Persian Gulf

27. Durham sch.: UNH.  My first thought was Duke - a university in Durham, North Carolina.  But since the word school was abbreviated in the clue, I knew the answer must contain initials.  The Wildcats of UNH reside in Durham, New Hampshire

28. Ellipsis trio: DOTS.  Something that C-Moe uses often when blogging ... would it surprise you to know that one of C-Moe's favorite movie theater candy is this?

30. Terr. divided in 1889: DAK.  My preferred clue for this would be: "Oft-injured QB Prescott of the Cowboys"

37. Stack: PILE.

38. Hierarchy levels: RUNGS.

39. Hockey's Bobby: ORR.  Oops - Ricky used one of the dreaded crossword-ese names

40. Civic, for one: SEDAN. Honda also fits, and I had to erase this before completing that section of the puzzle

41. "Ohhhh": I SEE.  Hopefully what Moe will say after he gets some new eyeball lenses

44. School org.: PTA.

45. Lean (on): RELY.

46. Foldable bed: COT.

47. Abbr. on an ESPN crawl: NCAA.  This usually applies to the NCAA as a whole. Right now, you'll see "WCBB" (for example) when ESPN is offering the scores of women's college basketball games on their "ticker" (crawl)

49. School papers: REPORTS.  The business world might refer to "reports" as those who work for their manager

57. One with a platonic partner, for short: ARO.  This was unknown by me but to be fair, it showed up recently in another LA Times puzzle

[ note: I wrote this recap before seeing ARO (in last Saturday's August Miller puzzle, e.g.) and then came back to edit it ... ]

58. Thoroughfare: ROAD. 

59. Leave out: OMIT.

60. Polling booth figure: VOTER.

62. Vegetable in the cabbage family: KALE.  I notice this vege being used in a lot of prepared salad mixes found at the grocery store 

63. Say hello quietly: WAVE.

  

64. __ planner: EVENT. 

65. Pizza joint in "Do the Right Thing": SAL'S. Sal's Pizza is a regional chain in NH and MA (surprisingly, there is none located @ UNH - see 27-across).  Sal's Pizzeria is found in Brooklyn, NY and was a venue in the movie, "Do the Right Thing".  And now you know, because prior to looking this up, I had no clue

66. Souvenir from an animated film: CEL.

67. Worshipper of Jah: RASTA.  I don't know about Jah but I do know that Joboo is for real.  Enjoy this clip! [rated PG-13 for a few choice words]

Down:

2. Help in keeping things straight: RULER.  I am guessing that Ricky/Patti meant one of these?

Notice the straight edge on the RULER

3. Compadre: AMIGO.  Would you use amiga if the clue was "Com-madre"??

4. Keyless key: FOB.  Moe-ku:

        Dick Van Dyke's TV 

        Wife said this before driving:

        "Lob me the FOB, Rob"

5. Weapons for Neptune and Shiva: TRIDENTS.  Many of us are aware of the god, Neptune 

I was unaware of the god, Shiva

6. Aspect: TRAIT.

7. "That sounds painful": OUCH.

8. Mega- squared: TERA.

9. "__ mañana": HASTA.

10. San Diego suburb whose name means "hidden": ESCONDIDO.

11. Italian automaker: FIAT.  Alfa fit but I didn't bite

12. Primary ingredient in poi: TARO.

15. Danny of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": DE VITO.  A series on FX network.  The trailer:

22. Cuatro y cuatro: OCHO. [translation from Spanish to English] Four and four = eight

23. Hosp. sections: ERS.  ORS also fit.  Again, I chose the correct one initially

25. 2022 and 2024 AL MVP: JUDGE.  "Here comes the JUDGE"!  As in, Aaron Judge the center fielder of the NY Yankees

28. Not at all cool: DORKY.

29. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

31. "Too bad": ALAS.

32. Casino game: KENO.  How to play, courtesy of WikiHow

33. Golf clinic topic: GRIP.  Step-by-step guide to the perfect golf GRIP

34. Depose: OUST.

35. Everybody: ONE AND ALL. Not a phrase that we see a lot of in crossword puzzles

36. Hoped-for result: GOAL. 

37. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Here is a simple recipe:

40. Short stay: STOPOVER.

42. Grazing location: MEADOW.

43. Coffee order: ICED.

45. "Run Away With Me" singer Carly __ Jepsen: RAE.

48. Gives way: CEDES.

49. Brand of canned chiles: ROTEL. My favorite of theirs, and one I use often in a variety of recipes:

Try this with black-eyed peas

50. Going prices: RATES. 

51. Reznor with two Oscars for Best Original Score: TRENT. His biography, courtesy of Wikipedia

52. "More or less": SORTA.

53. Bothers: IRKS.

54. U.S. weather agency: NOAA.  NOAA and NCAA were a bit too close to each other in the grid for my liking ... 

55. Apple desktop: IMAC.  I am a PC guy (laptop) with an iPhone

56. Deep __: DIVE. 

61. Eggs, biologically: OVA.  Not sure how much they'd charge for an ova, but a dozen hen's eggs were $6.99 this past week, and that was for the "store" brand

I'll close with a -ku:

    Manicurist earned

    Vet School degree. She now can

    Give a pet a cure

The Chairman has left the building ... see you in March or April

Friday, January 24, 2025, Matthew Luter

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Matthew Luter.  Matthew has his own website:  Matthew Luter Crosswords .   

Let's start right off with the reveal:

60 Across:  Suffer disgrace, or what the starred clues must do as a set to match their answers?: LOSE FACE.

This solver had to ponder things for a while until the "gimmick" reared its not-so-ugly head.  It turned out to be quite straight forward.  We are asked to drop (LOSE) parts of the FACE from the following clues and to then use what remains as the hint.  All of the answers to the starred clues are comprised of two words:

17 Across:  *Evil eyes: SUPER BAD.

24 Across:  *Stuffy nose: STRAIT LACED.

36 Across:  *Smart mouth: WELL DRESSED.

50 Across:  *Double chin: MIRROR IMAGE.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

Here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Billiard table accessory: RACK.

Nice

5. Natl. Pizza Mo.: OCT.  Isn't every month?

8. Stay behind: SHADOW.  FOLLOW would have fit the space and the OW would have worked but sent the solver off on a tangent.

14. Sultanate on the Arabian peninsula: OMAN.   A frequent destination in our puzzles.

15. Massage: RUB.

16. Ford model named for a city: TORINO.

19. Less prosperous: POORER.

20. "Whenever you're done talking ... ": I'LL WAIT.

21. Word with cat or power: NAP.

22. Course for intl. students: ESL.  Abbreviated clue . . .  English as a Second Language

23. Driving aid: TEE.  A golfing reference.

27. Story that might be dark and creepy: ATTIC.  Not a ghost story.   The uppermost level of your house.

29. Unrefined resource: ORE.  What did the Wicked Witch of the West say when she extracted metal from ORE?  I’m smelting!  I’m smelting!

30. Pays to play: ANTES.  Amounts often paid up front in puzzles.

31. Closest pals: FAM.  Not sure if FAM-ily equates to pals.  Perhaps, slang-ily.

33. Channel that often airs films in letterbox format: TCM.

35. HS proficiency test: GED.

39. Cleveland pro: CAV.  An National Basketball Association reference.  Abbreviated clue . . .

40. Sketch on a dust jacket: BIO.  Not a work of art.   A brief description (sketch) of the author's life.

41. Semisolid hair product: GEL.

42. Render unreadable, in a way: SHRED.

44. Grasped: GOT.

46. Yogurt-based dip: RAITA.  Yogurt, cucumber, onion, herbs, spices.

53. Flash __: MOB.  A relatively recent phenomenon.

54. __ whim: ON A.

55. After expenses: NET.

56. Party bites: CANAPES.

58. Ride for a few days: RENTAL.  Hand up for first trying LOANER.

61. __ planning: ESTATE.

62. Electric guitarist's need: AMP.

63. Mathematician Turing: ALAN.  A frequent visitor.  ALAN Turing

64. Insect's legs, e.g.: SESTET.  By definition.

65. "As I __ saying ... ": WAS.

66. Riveted: RAPT.  Not as in Rosie The Riveter.

Down:

1. Guitar-playing "Sesame Street" Muppet: ROSITA.

2. Protective talisman: AMULET.

3. Coated pill: CAPLET.

4. "Who __?": KNEW.  We did.

5. Go around: ORBIT.  Scientists recently spent 24 hours observing the moon ORBIT around earth.  Then they got bored and called it a day.

6. Dos y dos: CUATRO.   Today's arithmetic lesson en español.

7. Short "We'll announce this later": TBD.  To Be Determined.  

8. Parade VIP: ST. PAT.  Abbreviated . . .

9. Brouhaha: HOOPLA.

10. Person who prefers platonic relationships, for short: ARO.  From AROmantic.  An ARO person may never develop a crush on a person, or envision themselves entering a romantic relationship with someone.

11. Led: DIRECTED.

12. Bracket favorite: ONE SEED.  A sports reference.

13. Best of both __: WORLDS.

18. Mischievous type: RASCAL.  A dog comes limping into the old west saloon.  The bartender asks if he can help the dog with anything.  The dog says, "I'm lookin' for the low down RASCAL  who shot my paw."

21. Female kin: NIECE.

25. School space that's full of drawers: ART ROOM.  Not drawers as in your kitchen or bathroom - or drawers as underwear.  Used here literally.   People who draw pictures,.

26. Actress Bassett: ANGELA.  One T is the hound.

28. "In the event that ... ": IF EVER.

32. Org. with a summer All-Star break: MLB.

34. Umami source, briefly: MSG.  Umami is the fifth basic taste (bitter, sweet, salt, sour, umami). It is a complex and savory flavor that comes from glutamate-rich foods like cheese, seaweed, and mushrooms (or added MonSodium Glutamate).

36. Calls for: WARRANTS.  As in this WARRANTS a closer look.

37. Numeral: DIGIT.  Choose any number between 2 and 8. Multiply by 4, and then add 3.  Now reverse the DIGITS and close your eyes.  Dark, wasn’t it?

38. Pleasantly calm: SERENE.

39. One official language of the U.N.: CHINESE.

42. Gooey sandwiches: S'MORES.

43. Act charitably: DONATE.

45. Seattle's airport-sharing neighbor: TACOMA.

47. Chevy model named for an animal: IMPALA.

48. Steel part of a work boot: TOE CAP.

49. __-minded: ABSENT.

51. Sublease: RE-LET.

52. Shocked sounds: GASPS.  A Tibetan monk was preparing his morning toast when he saw, in the margarine, the face of Jesus. He GASPED and said, "I can't believe it's not Buddha."

57. Nowhere near: AFAR.  Whence the three kings traveled.

59. Ink spot?: TAT.  ... and a good excuse for a song.

60. Grisham's field: LAW.

__________________________________________

Friday, January 17, 2025 - Amanda Cook and Katie Hale

 Theme:  It's snack time

 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's puzzle is a collaboration between two crossword puzzle assistant editors, Amanda Cook and Katie Hale.  Ms. Cook and Ms. Hale filled our goodies bag with five different types of snacks (although I would argue that NOODLES are not a snack) that are found at the end of five familiar phrases:

15-across. Internet cafe snacks?: BROWSER COOKIES.  [Microsoft dot com] describes cookies as "... bits of data that are sent to and from your browser to identify you. When you open a website, your browser sends a piece of data to the web server hosting that website. This data usually appears as strings of numbers and letters in a text file." How about a Moe-ku and cartoon to further explain?

        Beware logging on

        To the Girl Scouts' website; they

        Use BROWSER COOKIES

 

 

22-across. Billiard hall snacks?: POOL NOODLES. Pool noodles are flotation devices, or as this Moe-ku and cartoon describe:

        What might you call brains

        That work while swimming? Of course,

        They are POOL NOODLES

 

 

 

34-across. Arbitration snacks?: BARGAINING CHIPS.  [dictionary dot com] describes a bargaining chip as: "a potential concession or other factor which can be used to advantage in negotiations"; as described in yet another Moe-ku (and image):

        When Lay's and Pringles

        Decide to merge, I heard they

        Used BARGAINING CHIPS

 

 

44-across. Travel snacks?: AIRPORT BARS.  Despite the nearly flawless record of airplane travel, airport bars are still found in most concourses as a haven for nervous travelers to secure a drink (or two, or three) before boarding.  Or, as this Moe-ku and image suggest:

        Where might one find a

        Place to have a flight before

        A flight? AIRPORT BARS

 

 

 

 

 

53-across. Moving day snacks?: PACKING PEANUTS. Packing peanuts are those nut-shaped Styrofoam objects that help cushion your shipment by filling the voids in a package.  Or, as this Moe-ku and image might suggest:

        The preferred item

        Shippers use for elephants

        Are PACKING PEANUTS

 

 

 

They will cushion his trunk!

 

Perhaps this one was left on the editor's desk.  Clue: Bank heist snacks? SAFE CRACKERS.  Ok, so this one didn't make the cut but that doesn't mean there's no Moe-ku or cartoon!

        Parrot's owner is 

        A bank thief. I guess, Polly

        Wants a SAFE CRACKER

Here is the grid: 

 

My "score" for this puzzle is ⭐⭐⭐and 1/4⭐ It could have been higher, but there were far too many three-letter words (TLWs) and abbreviations.  I am sure they were needed to support the large number of entry letters (65), but many of the 17 TLWs were also abbr's (7).  I will point them out below. Also, there were a couple of forced entries (green paint) but again, the use of 5 entries which averaged 13 letters apiece creates filling problems 

Across:

1. Hoffmann of "Transparent": GABY.  I wonder if our Crossword Corner regular, desper-otto, found this 1-Across entry as a stumbling block today?  

Ms. Hoffmann's acting career began at an early age, and she's not that well-known now, methinks.  [wikipedia] lists this as her bio intro: "Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann is an American actress. She made her film debut in Field of Dreams (1989) and found success as a child actress in Uncle Buck (1989), This Is My Life (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and then later as a teenager with Now and Then (1995), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), All I Wanna Do (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999)"

5. Feature of the ROFL emoji: TEAR.  😂 <== this

9. Intel org.: NSA.  TLW #1; abbr. #1

12. Tony kin: OBIE. One of the EGOT categories

13. Foot massage target: ARCH. Who doesn't love a foot massage?

14. Does a bit of tailoring: SEWS.  Did this one leave you in stitches?

18. Vientiane's country: LAOS.

19. "Industry" network: HBO.  TLW #2; abbr. #2

20. Symbol that can mean "approximately": TILDE. ~  <== this

21. Blow up: Abbr.: ENL. TLW #3; abbr. #3

25. Lecture without caring if one's words are heard: TALK AT.  Green paint??  Rarely used entry; seems semi-forced

27. Flamenco cheers: OLES.

28. Show contempt: SNEER.

29. Elisabeth of "The Karate Kid": SHUE.

 

 

 

31. Cricket gear: BAT.  TLW#4

38. Start of something?: ESS.  TLW #5

39. Mercury and Neptune: GODS.  ORBS fits, too
  
40. Slangy "OK": AIGHT.  More green paint??  This, too, seemed forced

41. "Skedaddle!": SHOO.

43. Part of a relay team: ANCHOR.  Usually, the fastest runner on a four-person relay team, and the person who anchors (runs the final leg)

49. Gershwin brother: IRA.  TLW #6 (and if clued as an investment option, this, too could have been an abbr.)

50. __ mail: SNAIL.  The last time I bought a "Forever" stamp from the USPS it cost $0.69 - and when I send a letter from AZ to GA it usually takes a week or more to get there ... SMH

51. Fury: IRE.  TLW #7

52. Eyeliner perfector: Q-TIP.  Unusual clue for this item, but glad to know that Amanda and Katie didn't refer to it as an implement for removing ear wax 

57. Fencing gear: EPEE.

58. Voicemail cue: BEEP.

59. Latin day: DIEM.

60. Big podcast producer: NPR.  TLW #8; abbr. #4

61. Classical closing: CODA.  "Classical", as in classical music

62. Borrowing figs.: APRS.  Abbr. #5; and worse, it pluralizes a TLW

Down:

1. Celebrate wildly: GO BANANAS.  More oft used entry than I would have thought

2. Six-pack producers: AB ROLLERS. A debut entry for published crossword puzzles.  Congrat's, ladies

3. Playbill blurbs: BIOS.  Abbr. #6 - a Playbill is a program that is handed out at theatrical events

4. Longbow wood: YEW.  TLW #9

5. 1990s workout fad: TAEBO. 

6. Barnett of CBS News: ERROL.  Not the first Errol that comes to my mind

 

 

 

This is for all of the ladies who read the blog!

7. Stanford's athletic gp.: ACC. TLW #10; abbr. #7 - Atlantic Coast Conference.  And why is Stanford, a Pacific Coast university part of the ACC?? 

8. Sorority row letter: RHO.  TLW #11

9. "Peaky Blinders" actor Sam: NEILL.  Not one with which I am familiar

10. Rutabaga, to a Brit: SWEDE.  Learning moe-ment for me: Rutabaga is also known as swede (in the UK), Swedish turnip, wax turnip, or neep. It is a winter root vegetable with edible roots as well as leaves that's closely related to the turnip and the cabbage [everyday healthy recipes dot com]

11. Beasts of burden: ASSES.  I can't do a blog without at least one video!! Am I an "ass" for using this one?

14. Hydroplanes: SKIDS.

16. Cocktail measure: SHOT.  Nice use of the clue to soften an otherwise "nasty" word entry.  OTOH, when I measure alcohol in a cocktail (or when drinking neat) I use fingers (two are the minimum)

17. Chiwere speakers: OTOE.  I didn't know who the Chiwere speakers were, but this one filled via perps, IIRC

18. "__ real": LET'S BE.  OK.  That is usually what I am (real) when I blog a puzzle; there's no holding back!

22. Start to ski?: PARA.  As defined

23. Peas and carrots: NOUNS.  Forrest Gump would be happy to know that

24. Designer Cassini: OLEG.

26. Tavern delivery: KEG.  TLW #12

29. Boopable pet part: SNOOT. Another clue that was chosen to help soften a negative word

30. Played sardines, perhaps: HID.  TLW #13

31. Silver Slugger awardee: BIG HITTER.  Not sure that I fully agree with this. A big hitter, as defined, is an important or powerful person.  It can also refer - in baseball terminology - to a sportsperson who is capable of hitting the ball long and hard.  And while the Silver Slugger award is an honor given for the top position players on various baseball teams, it is not what I would define as a big hitter (YYMV)

32. "Better safe than sorry" and "Actions speak louder than words": APHORISMS.  My favorite is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

33. Feature of some dance shoes: T-STRAP.  Splynter gave me permission to use this image, but he removed the stockings:

35. "The Firebird" composer Stravinsky: IGOR.  My kids' HS sports teams were nicknamed the "Firebirds".  Both of my kids were in band, and of course the band director had to feature movements from this iconic symphony during performances, including halftime shows at football games.  Enjoy!  

BTW, the bassoon solo at around the 5:00 mark is one my daughter has played many, many times (and better than this one, IMO)

36. Tennis ball containers: CANS.  As this blog is being written, the Australian Open Tennis Tournament is underway - wonder how Ons Jabeur is doing? 

37. Juice box brand named for its vitamin content: HI-C. TLW #14; abbr. #8 (technically)

41. Sudden surge: SPIKE.  

42. Celebration on the last full moon of Phalguna: HOLI.  Another entry that filled via perps

43. District: AREA. 

44. Poplar kin: ASPEN.

45. Like some add-on purchases: IN APP.  I am betting that as crossword puzzles become more "modern", this phrase will become crossword-ese as well as the word "app"

46. Speed climbing entrant: RACER.

47. Kangaroo, e.g.: BIPED.  

48. Filled cornmeal flatbread: AREPA.

52. Bon mot: QUIP.  Final Moe-ku:

        A witty remark

        Made by certain cotton swab's

        Called: a Q-TIP QUIP

        

54. Network with a three-note chime: NBC. TLW #15; abbr. #9

55. Old Prizm maker: GEO.  TLW #16

56. "For your eyes only" contract, briefly: NDA. TLW #17; abbr. #10

See you on the 31st but will probably be on hiatus after that.  Gonna have cataract surgery and one of the recovery "no-no's" is working on a computer ... 

Friday, January 10, 2025, Amanda Cook

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from an extended stay in the quite cold Colorado Rockies.  The cooling effects of that stay have worn off pretty quickly because today's constructor, Amanda Cook, has elected to take us in quite the opposite direction.  Would it be improper to say that, although I have never met the woman, Amanda has given me HOTS?  I know, I know.  A little context is required and here it is:

At the four corners of the puzzle, Ms. Cook has placed answers that can be preceded by the word HOT.  The reveal comes at:

35 Across:  Third base, in baseball lingo, or one of four in this puzzle: HOT CORNER.  It is commonly assumed that the term came about because of the hot shots aimed at the third baseman, but the explanation is not universally accepted. "Third base was so named about 40 years ago when most of the star sluggers were right-handed. Nowadays, however, with so many hard hitting left-handers, first base is equally 'hot'." - Fan And Family October, 1935

... and the theme is applied at:

1 Across:  Valued entity:  HOT COMMODITY.

10  Across:  Chances:  HOT SHOTS.  Chances as in "to take your best SHOT" at something.  Hot Shots, of course are what all solvers who hang out here are.

64 Across:  Breathes heavily:  HOT PANTS.  With HOT, a style of women's shorts.

65 Across:  See's Candies candy:  HOT CHOCOLATE.  After a career at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Valerie decided to work part time at Sees' Candies just for the fun of it.

"Hello.  How may I sweeten your day?"

 

1D. Gâteaux: HOT CAKES.  Plural French clue.

 

14D. Take off and run?: HOT STREAK.  As in take off one's clothes.  Remember the streaking fad?

 

43D. Trade secrets?: HOT GOSSIP.  Trade, here, is used as a verb.

 

 53D. Arrange for serving, as a meal: HOT PLATE. Used, here, as a verb.

 

 This is how all of the themers, and everything else, appears in the grid:

The rest of the clues and answers are:

Across:

15. Dodgy behavior: AVOIDANCE.  As avoidance is not always dodgy behavior,  this clue threw this solver off the scent for a bit.

16. Deck with Major and Minor Arcana: TAROT.  Cards frequently "read" in crossword puzzles.

17. Result of slaying it at the gym: KILLER ABS.

18. Smoldering bit: EMBER.  Did you hear about the baby coal that went missing?  They sent out an EMBER alert.

19. Conclusion: END.

20. Attempt: TRY.

21. Downfall: DEMISE.

22. Google rankings metric: Abbr.: SEO.  Search Engine Optimization  All You Might Want To Know

23. GI entertainers:  USAGE .

24. Bubblegum __: POP.  A music genre reference.  An example (listen at your own risk):

25. Radio host Charlamagne __ God: THA.  Lenard Larry McKelvey.   Humility is, apparently, not the attributes to which he aspires.

26. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.  A Disney movie reference.

28. Holds off: WAITS.

30. Just swell: A OK.

31. "Wicked" pair: ACTS.  A reference to the stage production.

33. Oahu garland: LEI.  Oahu being one of the Hawaiian islands.

34. Pub order: ALE.

38. C-suite member: CFO.  Chief Financial Officer.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.

40. Spanish gold: ORO.

41. Hardly cheerful: GRIM.  Bill and Ted's take on the subject:

43. Long-jawed fish: GAR.

Gar Brooks

44. Floating overhead: ALOFT.

46. __ of March: IDES.  Beware!

48. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

49. Innovative: NEW.

50. Mork's home: ORK.  A Robin Williams reference.

52. The __ Ministry: "Rest Is Resistance" organization: NAP.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

54. Some tuna cuts: STEAKS.  Tuna puns are fin-ally back in season.

56. Composers' rights org.: BMI.  This could have been clued with a reference to Body Mass Index.

57. Ego Nwodim's show, for short: SNL.

58. Magical symbol: SIGIL.  A learning moment for this solver.

59. Geographical region for a retailer: TRADE AREA.

62. Completely silly: INANE.

63. Quiz with bona fide answers?: LATIN TEST.  Bona fide being a Latin expression.


Down:

2. Sheep: OVINES.  Baaa,  Not to be confused with BOVINES.  Moo.

3. Landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania: MOLDOVA.

4. The Bucks, in sports crawls: MIL.  A professional basketball reference.

5. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.

6. Bolts: DARTS.  Not a hardware reference.  Used as a verb.

7. Lined up: IN A ROW.

8. Froyo chain: TCBY.  Originally called This Can't Be Yogurt but quickly altered to The Country's Best Yogurt because it served, of course, actual frozen yogurt.

9. "Affirmative": YES.

10. Brews: STEEPS.  As with tea.

11. "Grimsburg" voice actor Jon: HAMM.  More often clued with a reference to soccer star Mia HAMM.

12. Like a moon's path: ORBITAL.

13. Ballet slipper: TOE SHOE.

21. Overly affectionate: DOTING.

23. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.  As you would have them, or before, depending on your world view.

24. Beach town structure: PIER.

27. Reverberate: ECHO.  Co-opted by Amazon.

29. Emotionally detached: ALOOF.  What do you call a person unaware of whole wheat, whole grain, sourdough and rye?  ALOOF of bread.

32. Elegant wraps: STOLES.  Many of our mothers had one I suspect.

34. Dry: ARID.

36. Black bird: CROW.  A crow invited her friends over to hang out but they didn’t show up.  She was charged with attempted murder.

37. Composer Satie: ERIK.  A frequent visitor.

38. Mexican bar: CANTINA.  Alternatively, a Star Wars reference.

39. One who practices minimal consumption: FREEGAN.  New to this solver.

42. Awareness of wrongdoing, in criminal law: MENS REA.

44. Low joints: ANKLES.  Not a dive bar.  A joint to be found low on one's body.

45. Shakshouka base: TOMATO. Shakshuka is a dish made of eggs poached in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce, often seasoned with spices like cumin and paprika. To make it, sauté onions and bell peppers, add garlic and spices, then stir in crushed tomatoes, simmer, and finally crack eggs into the sauce to poach them. 

47. Most realistic: SANEST.

51. Totes absurd: RIDIC.  RIDICulous.  My sentiments, exactly.

 

55. Colloquial contraction: AIN'T.

56. "Duuuude ... ": BRAH.

59. "No Scrubs" group: TLC.  

60. Ambient musician Brian: ENO.  Another frequent visitor.

61. Georgia airport code: ATL.  ATLanta's Hartsfield Airport.

Continuing with the baseball references (e.g. Hot Corner), a big "Thank You!" to NaomiZ for "pinch hitting" for me during my sabbatical.

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