Friday, November 22, 2024, Joe Marangell

 Theme:  I'm on top of this! 

Puzzling thoughts:  

What an interesting puzzle.  Five 9-letter phrases (four entries and a reveal) and four sets of circles, all containing the letters "n" and "o".  After solving the puzzle, each of the five phrases could stand alone:  BE THE BALL; RIGHT TIME; WHO'S FIRST; GET WITH IT; and MOVIN ON UP

But the reveal (movin' on up) gives the true meaning for the circled "no":  it's not "no", it's "ON".  And since the word "ON" is only discerned if you read it going "up", it adds another dimension to these phrases:

17-across. Stay vigilant: BE [ON] THE BALL.  The word "on" is moved up (above) the phrase "be the ball" to make it fit the clue ... as opposed to this snippet from the movie "Caddyshack": 

21-across. Punctual: RIGHT [ON] TIME.  As opposed to the Beach Boys single:

39-across. Comedy routine with peculiar names: WHO'S [ON] FIRST.  "Who's first" might be a question asked of a clerk to a group of customers - especially when there is no numbered ticket system in place.  But certainly, the only video clip worthy of inserting here is the eponymous comedy routine of Abbott and Costello: 

60-across. "Pick up the pace!": GET [ON] WITH IT.  Once again, I was able to find a song with the title: "Get With It" (before my time ...) 

And of course, the reveal:  

66-across. "The Jeffersons" theme song, and an apt title for this puzzle: MOVIN' ON UP.

Today's constructor, Joe Marangell, could be celebrating his debut puzzle; perhaps not just @ the LA Times, but perhaps @ any major publication.  If so, congratulations are in order!  This one rates a solid, ⭐⭐⭐ + 1/2⭐

The Grid - note my mistakes

Here are the rest of the answers:

Across:

1. "The Raven" opening: ONCE.  Here is the text of the poem by Poe

5. Literary captain who inspired Captain Hook: AHAB.

9. App with pics: INSTA.  Short for Instagram

14. Radish, e.g.: ROOT.  Here is a fun fact about the radish capital of the world

15. Spa treatment, briefly: PEDI.  Did anyone try MANI before pedi?  I did

16. Approaches: NEARS.

  

That's about as NEAR as this guy could get!!

19. "Blonde" writer Joyce Carol __: OATES.  The only "Oates" I knew was this half of a famous performing duo

 

20. Trailing: IN TOW.  This one was kind of a drag ...

23. Balanced states: STASES.  Plural of stasis

25. Co-star of Betty, Rue, and Estelle: BEA.  Bea Arthur of The Golden Girls

26. Spoil: ROT.  Go bad

27. Gp.: ORG. Abbr. 3LW

28. Go the wrong way?: SIN. Nice clue; Joe's or Patti's?  I would guess Patti

30. Some Summer Olympians: DIVERS.  The Chinese divers won all of the gold medals at this year's Paris Olympics

33. Russian refusal: NYET.  Moe-ku #1:

        Broadway musical

        Translated into Russian:

        "Nyet Nyet, Nanette"

 
35. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" writer Anita: LOOS.  Her biography

38. Uno y uno: DOS. Uno, dos, tres, quattro ...

42. Hyundai rival: KIA.  Hyundai vs Kia

43. Rhetorical question from Caesar: ET TU.  "Really, Brutus?  You, too??"

44. God of love: EROS.

48. Small lifeboat: DINGHY.  "Hey Smails!  My dinghy is bigger than your whole boat!" 

 

 

51. "Let me think ... ": HMM.  Don't overthink this ...

53. Best of "House of the Dragon": EVE.  Ahh ... this is the actor's name, Eve Best - "Game of Thrones"

 

 

54. Altar answer: I DO.  We just attended a Catholic wedding last week, and the bride and groom responded "I will" when asked the questions by the priest ...

55. Corn unit: EAR.  Cob also fit, but I didn't err here

58. Annoy: PESTER.  And a related clue/answer: (65-across. Bother continually): EAT AT.

64. Kurosawa who received an Academy Honorary Award in 1990: AKIRA. These proper names are getting more difficult for me ...  Japanese filmmaker

68. Vessel opener: STENT. This helps to get the blood flowing

69. Slightly open: AJAR.  When is a door not a door? When it is ajar

70. Word with sugar or gold: RUSH.  My "sugar rush" is eating an apple fritter 

 

 

Publix Supermarkets (SE US chain) make the best ones, IMO

71. Stuffed bear: TEDDY. There are other clues/images for this word, but I will refrain from showing an example

72. June honorees: DADS.  And IMO, MOMS should be "honored" all the time; not just on the second Sunday in May

73. Casual tops: TEES.  "Wooden golf pegs" is not a difficult enough clue for a Friday puzzle

Down:

1. Traveling Wilburys member: ORBISON.  "Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty from 1988 to 1991" [wikipedia]

2. Sign outside a restricted area: NO ENTRY. 

 

 

3. Vrbo category: COTTAGE.  Moe-ku #2:

        In the rental world,

        Vrbo and Air BnB's

        Are COTTAGE industries

 
4. Shared culture: ETHOS.  One of my mistakes ... I tried ETHIC before ethos

5. BOLO kin: APB.  All Points Bulletin / Be On The Lookout

6. Listen to: HEAR.  I think it's time to hear (Listen to) more music! Enjoy

7. Improv technique: ADLIB. For me, I feel like my recaps are totally adlib ... no script for this blogger!!

8. Complete nonsense: BILGE. The Thesaurussaurus agrees

 

9. Playing past the fourth qtr., say: IN OT. In "Overtime"

10. "Cool!": NEAT.  My first thought when I see the word "neat": (CSO to our dear, departed Tinbeni)

 

 

My first "toast" of the evening is to you, sir

11. Some sketches: SATIRES.  Too many to choose from, but this might get a grin or two:

 

 

12. Vibration: TREMOR.  When a tremor was measured at a football game

13. Good qualities: ASSETS.  Moe-ku #3:

        What is it called, when

        Arranging donkeys? Might you

        Say, they are ASSETS?

18. Farm females: EWES.  Cows also fit

22. Possessed: HAD. As in, the devil had me??

24. Farm structure: SILO.  I kept going round and round with this one ... barn fits, too, ya know

29. Bouquet: NOSE.  CSO to yours, truly.  The resident Crossword Corner sommelier whose nose knows the difference between a Cab and a Syrah

31. Cards with pics: IDS.  My Global Entry card has proven to be well worth the $ I spent when I have to go through security at airports

32. Primary action: VOTE.  As a registered "independent", this is one action I cannot take

34. Nest element: TWIG. 

 

36. Frequently found in poems?: OFT.  Here is an example:

37. "Star Wars" antagonists: SITH. All of them

40. "Take that!": HAH.

41. Butcher's cut: RUMP.  Loin and ribs fit

42. Tangled: KNOTTED.  "Tied up", would've been a good clue, too

45. Entourage: RETINUE. Not the most popular word among the major publications

46. Possible reason for a dead phone battery: OVERUSE.  Not my first thought, but the perps helped

47. Highest-order angels: SERAPHS.  Another error as I spelt it incorrectly (had an "e" where the "a" should've been)

48. Process, in a way: DIGEST.  This could apply to both thoughts (brain) and food (stomach)

49. Brainstorm: IDEATE.  What happened when Idy consumed a meal? 

50. As of now: YET.  To date

52. Have in mind: MEAN.  Nary a mean thought in this blogger's mind

56. Sportscaster Rashad: AHMAD.  I am a sports nut, but I like this Ahmad better:

57. Dry Spanish wine: RIOJA. Well ... technically ... Rioja is a wine region in northern Spain

59. Golf garment: SKORT.  A portmanteau of "skirt" and "short".  Not to be confused with a "spork" (combination of a spoon and a fork) This:

61. Mascara applicator: WAND.  I tried "swab" at first, but that gave me a black eye ... 😉

62. __-bitty: ITTY.  It was either itty or itsy

63. Commercial spot: TV AD.  So glad that all of the political tv ads are gone

67. Agcy. that investigates tax fraud: IRS.

And that's a wrap.  But I won't leave before sending a punny shout out to my Friday partner in crime, MalMan, with this groaner:

        I have a pet manatee named Hugh.  

        I built him a house.  

        It's a habitat for Hugh manatee

See you in a couple weeks ... 

Friday, November 15, 2024, Mark McClain

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with a recap of this Friday's puzzle by the top-flight and prolific constructor Mark McClain.  From Mark: "Fun fact, my very first published puzzle was also an LAT Friday, and it was almost exactly 10 years ago (10-3-14). I think this is #68, but the first in a couple of years, so it's good to be back."

In this puzzle, Mark takes commonly known two-word combinations and, by reversing the meaning of the first word, conjures up amusing answers to the clues.  There is no reveal.  The word play is performed at these four places within the grid:

17 Across:  People less likely to appear in a police lineup?: UNUSUAL SUSPECTS.

Casablanca

I know.  I know.  I could have gone with Keyser Söze.

26 Across:  Institute of weird learning?: ABNORMAL SCHOOL  A NORMAL SCHOOL is an institution that trains teachers by teaching them pedagogy and curriculum.

Young Frankenstein

42 Across:  Salad dressing ingredient that has to be special ordered?: NONSTANDARD OIL.  Oil and Vinegar dressing.

55 Across:  Group of TV episodes shown out of order?: IRREGULAR SEASON.  During the 2024 REGULAR SEASON, the Los Angeles Dodgers won 98 baseball games.  They also won 11 games during the POST SEASON.

The rest of the clues and answers can be found at:

Across:

1. Lots and lots: SCADS.

6. Some bits of harvest festival decor: COBS.  Corn COBS.  Swans, anyone?

10. Ladder part: STEP.  Hand up for first thinking RUNG.

14. Prohibited by social custom: TABOO.

15. Showroom selection: AUTO.  As in AUTOmobiles at a car dealership.

16. Not fancy at all: HATE.  Very clever cluing here and at 33 Across.  Here, the clue is taken in the British English (probably from the 16th century) sense as in "to (not) like" something.  At 33 Across, the clue is taken in the sense of something not being ornate.

20. Trifecta, for one: BET.  The bettor must pick the top three finishers in the correct sequence.

21. Dismissive sound: PFFT.  My sentiments, exactly.

22. Really bug: EAT AT.

23. Four-time winners of the FIFA Women's World Cup, for short: USA.  1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.

24. Suppressed, with "up": PENT.

33. Not fancy at all: PLAIN.  See also 16 Across.

34. Deliver a stemwinder: ORATE.  From The Grammarist:

A stem-winder or stemwinder is an exciting speech that whips the crowd into a frenzy; a rousing speech that energizes a crowd; a persuasive speech that stirs emotion. The idiom stem-winder or stemwinder is derived from a type of watch that came into use after the American Civil War. A stem-winder or stemwinder is a watch with a winding stem attached to it, rather than a key. In Britain, this type of watch was called a keyless watch. The idiom stem-winder or stemwinder to describe a speech came into use near the end of the nineteenth century. Note that the form stem-winder is a hyphenated compound word that is preferred by the Oxford English Dictionary, and stemwinder is a closed compound word with no hyphen or spaces that is preferred by other dictionaries.

35. The Horned Frogs of the Big 12, familiarly: TCU.  Texas Christian University.

36. Stand the test of time: LAST.  Endure.

37. Clinic pro: NURSE.  What did the nurse say to the man who fainted at the airport?  I think you might have a terminal illness.

38. Tennis match units: SETS.

39. Parisian pal: AMI.  A frequent French lesson.

40. Open-weave fabric: SCRIM.  Often clued with a reference to stage curtains.

41. Media mogul with a book club: OPRAH.

45. Aunts of Andalusia: TIAS.  One of today's Spanish lessons.

46. D.C. summer hrs.: EDT.  Eastern Daylight Time.

47. Reject: SPURN.

50. Stand up to: DEFY.  I once witnessed a magician make the fog over a lake disappear.  It was mist DEFYing.

52. Glass of NPR: IRA.  A frequent visitor often confused, by this solver, with ARI Shapiro.

59. First name in civil rights history: ROSA.  ROSA Parks.  ROSA was her first name.

60. Summoning instrument: GONG.

61. Parcel out: ALLOT.

62. Email annoyance: SPAM.  Named for the canned meat product that many find unappealing.

Monty Python

63. "Les Misérables" author: HUGO.

64. Really stinks: REEKS.  A local man was causing a disturbance in town because he stunk like fish.  He was REEKing haddock on the neighborhood.

Down:

1. Scant Wikipedia article: STUB.  Often clued with a reference to concert, or other types of, tickets.

2. Stroller's accessory: CANE.  Not stroller as in baby carriage.  Stroller as in a person taking a walk.

3. Lie against: ABUT.

4. __ Equis beer: DOS. Literally, Two X's.  

5. "Dinner's ready!": SOUP'S ON.  "Soups on" is an idiom of Anglo-Saxon origin. This idiomatic phrase was originally used to alert others that the Soup was ready and it was time to eat. In a broader context, it is often used to signify that something is ready or about to begin. Whether it is a meal, an event, or a project, the phrase can denote a sense of readiness and urgency. Therefore, the phrase can be used in a variety of situations not limited to food, expanding its versatility in everyday language.

6. Leg part: CALF.

7. Remove from office: OUST.

8. HVAC meas.: BTU.  British Thermal Unit

9. "Mamma Mia!" number: SOS.  ABBA  have sold over 150 million records.  This solver owns none.

10. Blade cover: SHEATH.

11. Sense of appropriateness: TACT.

12. "Call My Name" singer James: ETTA.

13. Annoying sort: PEST.

18. Off in the distance: AFAR.

19. London coppers: PENCE.  Coppers as in coins, not as in police.

23. Military outfit: UNIT.  Not as in what a soldier might wear.   As in a group of soldiers.

24. Obsolete display type: PLASMA.  A PLASMA display is a type of flat-panel display that uses ionized gas to create images. Plasma TVs were the first large flat-panel displays to be released to the public, but they have been superseded by other technologies such as OLED and QLED.

25. Spanish direction: ESTE.  East.  One of today's Spanish lessons.

26. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO.  Frequently visited in our puzzles.

27. Bathroom fixture: BASIN.  It's best to just let this one sink in.

28. Feels sorrowful: MOURNS.

29. Ban rival: ARRID.  A deodorant reference.  Both are brand names.

30. Comic actor Cheri: OTERI.  On the subject of women's history:

Saturday Night Live

31. In base eight: OCTAL.

32. Cosmetics retailer known for vegetarian and vegan products: LUSH.  New to this solver.

33. Strategize: PLAN.

37. Frozen Four org.: NCAA.  The ice hockey version of the Final Four (basketball).  Abbreviated clue .... abbreviated answer.

38. See in a crowd: SPOT.

40. Beekeeping hazard: STING.  Bee puns really sting.  Bee warned.

41. 2023 or 1999: ODD YEAR.  So many from which to choose.

43. Watch a series on Disney+, say: STREAM.

44. NBA game trio: REFS.  REFerees.  A basketball REFerence.

47. House of Lords titles: SIRS.  You need not have a seat in the House of Lords to have the title.

Sir Paul McCartney & Sir Elton John

48. Stagehand concern: PROP.  Someone leaked the prop notes for the movie Thor Ragnarok.  They had to use a lot of low-key lighting.

49. Bear in the night: URSA.

50. "Oh, heck!": DANG.

Roger Miller

51. Consequently: ERGO.

52. Cruise ship stop: ISLE.

53. Chess piece: ROOK.

54. Colony insects: ANTS.

56. "This tastes awful!": UGH.

57. Brock in the Baseball Hall of Fame: LOU.  Renowned for his base stealing.

58. Brewpub option: ALE.  My local bar ran out of ALE.  It was a bitter disappointment.

This solver enjoyed the puzzle.  The gag was not difficult and it was quite amusing.  The two fifteen-letter answers were a nice touch and the relative lack of proper nouns (bucking the recent trend that we have seen of puzzles as trivia contests) was refreshing.  Besides, the constructor has very good initials.  Welcome back, Mark.

. . . and a hearty, although belated, "Thank you!" to NoamiZ for filling in for me a couple of weeks ago.  Your efforts are very much appreciated.

Here is the completed grid:

_________________________________________________

Friday, November 8, 2024, David Alfred Bywaters

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where ... " 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's play-on-words Friday-level puzzle was offered to us by none other than David Alfred, "one if by land, two if" Bywaters!  This is now three-in-a-row for me recapping some of my favorite puzzlers (Rich, Patti, and now David).  As many of you know, one of my partners-in-crime, waseeley, is also a fan of David's and regularly shares with us his fortnightly, crossword cavalcade

David often comes up with a fiendish connection in his puzzles, so I reached out via email to him to confirm (or deny) that these entries had anything more than what appears on the surface.  David was honored to think that I had uncovered a secret code, perhaps ... but as he said, "it was by mere chance" that he came up with 5 phrases that have a double-meaning, all of which were framed by a clue question beginning with the words "where to find".  Did you have the wherewithal to figure them out?

Let's explore each one and see if we can find out the meaning behind the clues:

17-across. Where to find a dogcatcher at the end of the working day?: BY THE POUND.  David's first clue/entry was to explore the whereabouts of a dogcatcher (do these even exist anymore?) when his shift is over.  By the dog POUND of course!  Would this entry have been as exciting if it had been clued: "How bananas are sold?"  Nope

But speaking of bananas, I find it interesting that Trader Joe's is a retailer who sells bananas individually as well as in a bunch.  So, which is the better deal?  Individual or by the pound? Well, if you allow that a single banana - on average (with the peel) - weighs about 8 ounces, then their selling price of 19 cents each (maybe it's now a quarter) is a pretty good deal.  The by the pound price is usually around 69 cents per

31-across. Where to find a Tyrolean shepherd?: ABOVE THE FOLD.  Normally, C-Moe uses the Thesaurus-saurus (see 70-across in the recap) to confirm synonyms.  And while Moe has heard of the word fold in reference to a flock of sheep it took a while to confirm (open the link)

The phrase, above the fold, is a newspaper reference that applies to the headline (or major news story) that appears above the folded part of the paper.  Maybe as this one so erroneously did back in 1948?

Notice how the paper is folded

38-across. Where to find an Iowa farmer in late summer?: BEHIND THE EARS.  This was by far the corniest of the crop ... 😀 

Too bad, though, that David didn't have a few extra squares in the puzzle grid to allow him to add an adjective to the phrase.  Then the clue could've been:

How to find an Iowa farmer after a late summer thunderstorm?: ___ BEHIND THE EARS 💧💧💧

46-across. Where to find a Chicago suburbanite?: OUT OF THE LOOP. Fortunately for those who regularly visit the Crossword Corner, you are never out of the loop.  Even when we are faced with trying to figure out certain actors, authors, places, or things; the bloggers here are always eager to do the googling for you and offer it in our comments ...

So why a Chicago suburbanite?  Well, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the "landscape" "The Loop" is both a geographic reference as well as a pretty famous area in downtown Chicago (see the rectangular loop in the map below)

63-across. Where to find a lumberjack at lunchtime?: ON THE STUMP.  David ends his quintet of quirky quips with a reference to political speeches and rallies.  We steer clear of discussing politics here at the Corner ... but we do like to post cartoons! 

Today's grid is brought to you by Sharpie®:

The Grid - My first time using a highlighter 😂

As an aside, there were 24 3LW's today ... again, a result of having 57 of the 225 available squares occupied by the theme entries ... we'll soon learn if Irish Miss minded these, or not ... I'm guessing, not!

As a further aside, David provided me (through our email correspondence) a couple more of the entries he had for this puzzle that didn't make the cut:

Clue: Where to find the lighthouse keeper on foggy Fridays?: BESIDE THE POINT.

Clue: Where to find the scientist who created the abbreviations for silver (Ag) and gold (Au)?: UNDER THE TABLE 

My "grade" for this puzzle is a solid, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Across:

1. Home of Minor League Baseball's Storm Chasers: OMAHA.  CSO to Husker Gary.  I did not know this and chose TULSA as my first guess

6. Oscar season oversight: SNUB.  

10. Org. concerned with lab safety?: SPCA.  Cute clue; DAB's or PV's?  In this case the "lab" is a dog; not a room for science experiments 

14. Not haram: HALAL.  Here's the difference

15. Potential London flat?: TYRE.  Lots of play-on-words today!  The London "flat" refers to an automobile tyre; not a rental unit (apartment)

16. Broccoli unit: HEAD.  My partner, Margaret, advised me last week that broccoli is a man-made vegetable - Cauliflower, too as it turns out

19. Goals: AIMS.  

20. Brief indication of flexibility: OBO.  Or Best Offer.  As in an ad (you'll see this on eBay) where an item is listed for sale for a price of, say, $50.00, OBO

21. Slender fish: EEL.  GAR also fit, and it's a pretty slender fish IIRC

24. Quaint assent: YES'M.  Contraction for yes, ma'am (also a contraction)

26. Out of harm's way: SAFE.  Which supports (5-down. Away from the wind:) ALEE

29. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

34. Opening stake: ANTE.

36. Pitching superstar: ACE.  Walker Buehler may have been the ACE in this year's World Series

37. Marker: IOU.  PEN also fit

43. Rx provider: DOC.  With 24 3LW's you're bound to get several that are abbrs.

44. Delighted cry: OOH.

45. In addition: ELSE.

51. Not just glance: STARE.  How good are YOU at a starting contest?? 

52. Many a Saudi: ARAB.

53. Jazzy improvisation: SCAT.  Ella was one of the best

57. Attempts: TRIES.

59. Coded plea for help: SOS.  Morse code.  Dit dit dit, dah dah dah, dit dit dit (... --- ...)

61. Nev. neighbor: ARI.  CSO to me, Lucina, Yuman, et al

62. "Despicable Me" voice actress Kristen: WIIG.  This actress pronounces her last name the same as an artificial hairpiece: "wig".  But if you look at it again, what if she pronounced it like a video game platform + the last letter, might you get this?:

Wii - G

67. Beginning for potent or present: OMNI.  A prefix meaning "all; everywhere"

68. Core supporters: BASE.  This term was used ad nauseum during the Presidential campaign

69. "Booped" body parts: NOSES.  

70. Acute: KEEN.  The Thesaurus-saurus agrees!

71. Roe source: SHAD.  I prefer mine from sturgeon

72. Down-at-the-heels: SEEDY.  Merrium-Webster agrees

Down:

1. Enthusiastic or impatient cry: OH BOY.  Enjoy this little ditty from a performer who left us way too soon

2. Perhaps: MAYBE.  Do you think maybe there'll be a Moe-ku today?  Perhaps ...

3. Some flutes: ALTOS.

        The fife producer

        Took today off; celebrates

        (the) Flutes of his labor

4. "Caught you!": HAH.  See!  There was a Moe-ku; hah!

6. Norwegian king in hagiographies: ST OLAV.  Learning moment for me, today regarding the clue

7. Greenwich Village sch.: NYU.  Right in the heart of Greenwich Village  

Washington Square Arch near NYU

8. Large container: URN.  A large-sized container (urn) is often used for coffee; a small-sized container (urn) is often used as an alternative to a coffin

9. Hotel capacity: BEDS.  Same answer applies to a hospital's capacity

10. "Doctor Zhivago" star: SHARIF.  Aka, Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub

11. Lingerie array: PEIGNOIRS.  I wondered if this word had been used before in a major crossword puzzle - apparently, yes

12. Almost had it: CAME CLOSE. For some reason, this brought to mind a quip I wrote some ten years ago (October 2014).  Not sure if those here are familiar with the racehorse I reference, so when you get to the last word click on the link ... 

Famous actress Glenn mourned the recent death of a Breeders Cup winning racehorse. She even went so far as to attend the horse's funeral. Unbeknownst to her, the horse's owners cancelled the funeral and had the horse cremated instead.  She came to the funeral, anyway.  TMZ followed her and published this headline the next day on their website: 

CLOSE, but no Cigar

13. Spots: ADS.  So here, all along, the images on a Dalmation's coat are actually ads?? 😉

18. Uruguayan coin: PESO.  We had this word entry on Tuesday; Susan gave us the list of those other countries who use the peso as their currency of choice ... 

23. Call upon: USE.

25. Class that brings problem after problem?: MATH. Why is it that I have a problem with this clue and its answer??  Maybe, because I couldn't find a Moe-ku to fit the answer ... how about a Moe-l'ick instead, that is sorta related ...

        The young mermaid showed quite a big flaw,

       While committing a fashion faux pas.

       She was kicked out of MATH

       After showing some wrath

       When she wore her see-through Algae-bra

27. Part of a boa: FEATHER.  SPLEEN and SCALE didn't fit.  And when I found this image, I couldn't see any feathers ... 

Where the heck are its feathers???

28. Inscribe with acid: ETCH.  Could've been clued: "___ a Sketch"

30. Part of a prof's address: EDU.  Only since 43-across (DOC) was already used

32. "__ mir bist du schoen": 1937 hit: BEI.  Who here remembers the Andrews Sisters?  Let's see.  In 1937 my future parents were in grade school ... 

33. Little snicker: HEE.  We gave out these little "snickers" for Halloween this year 

34. "At last!": ABOUT TIME.  This clue/entry would've been more appropriate if it were at the end of my blog!! 😂😂

35. Peach kin: NECTARINE.  Here's the difference between the two

39. "Au contraire!": NOT.  The clue was in Frawnch

40. Qatar's capital: DOHA.  Coin flip here:  If you chose the capital as in currency, then rial fits.  But in this case it refers to the government center

41. Job listing letters: EEO.  Except on Old MacDonald's farm, where jobs there are listed E-I-E-I-O

42. Italian ski destination: ALPS.  Where you just might run into that Tyrolian shepherd fellow from 31-across

43. Bobs and buns: DOS.  I hear that pre-Windows computer technicians chose MS-DOS for their haircut styles ... 

47. Root: ORIGIN.

48. Charge: FEE.  The noun; not the verb form

49. __ out at: LASHED.  My twisted brain saw this image as someone who might resemble this: 

50. Slender woodwind: OBOE.  Played by that slender fish in 21-across, maybe??

54. Make happen: CAUSE.  How did this happen?  Just 'cause

55. On, as an alarm: ARMED.  Once again, my brain went in a different direction when I saw the word armed.  I wondered if there were any cartoon images of an octopus holding 8 alarm clocks, but this one is funnier:

56. A bit buzzed: TIPSY.  I swear I was cold stone sober when I wrote this blog ... (which, FTR, was done on Monday the 4th)

58. Sounds of woe: SOBS.  "There's no crying in crossword puzzle blogging!"

60. U.S. IDs: SSNS.  See 65-down; you need one of these to apply 

62. Stir-fry need: WOK.  How about another Moe-l'ick?

        When the pastry chef went to embark

       New position, I heard him remark,

        “I’ll be good at stir-fry.”

        “Piece of cake!” I replied.

        He said, “no, just a WOK in the park.”

64. "Pass": NAH.  Oh, you don't want another Moe-l'ick or Moe-ku??

65. PreCheck org.: TSA.  PreCheck for frequent travelers is a must - I got mine as part of Global Entry

66. Foot part: TOE.  Toe, which rhymes with Moe, who is now going to bid you à bientôt! 😃