Friday, October 3, 2025, Alan Southworth

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle created by Alan Southworth.  Alan made his NYT debut in 2018.  I did not find a previous label for Alan on the Corner blog site so this may be his debut in the LAT.

Today's theme is pretty straightforward (as so many of them are once we "grok" them) so let's start with the reveal:

54 Across:  "I can't see through you!," and what's needed to complete 17-, 24-, 33-, and 45-Across?: DOWN IN FRONT.

We are asked to mentally add the word DOWN in front of the themed answers completed in the grid in order to derive the correct/complete answers to those clues.

Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:

17 Across:  Said, "Skipping school isn't a big deal," say?:  (DOWN) PLAYED HOOKY.

24 Across:  Australian-themed amusement park?:  (DOWN) UNDER WORLD.  Down Under being a nickname for Australia. . .

33 Across:  Unused vacation days, essentially?:  (DOWN) TIME TO SPARE.  Extra downtime.

45 Across:  Recession indicator?:  (DOWN) TURN SIGNAL.  An indicator of an economic down turn.

Here is the completed grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Cold nuggets: ICE.  Anyone misread this as Gold nuggets?

4. Fluffy accessory: BOA.  What’s the difference between a BOA and a Python?  A Python doesn’t have feathers.

7. Bus. type: LLC. Limited Liability Company

10. "Last four digits" ID: SSN.

13. Some Argentine reds: MALBECS.  MALBEC  is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine.

15. Lock insert: OAR.  Not a door lock reference.  A rowing reference.

16. GPS prediction that accounts for traffic: ETA.  Stands for Estimated Time of Arrival, but, much like SSN, now stands on its own.

19. Iran neighbor: Abbr.: PAK.  PAKistan

20. Fails to mention: OMITS.

21. Game cube: DIE.  Singular of dice.

22. Mother in a stable family?: MARE.  Stable as in where horses might reside.

23. Philosopher Descartes: RENE.  Along with RENE Magritte, a frequent visitor.

27. __ table: TRESTLE.

29. Online biz: ETAIL.  A portmanteau often seen in our puzzles.  Electronic retailing.

30. Berry touted as a superfood: ACAI.  Frequently consumed in our puzzles.

32. Crewmate of Sulu and Bones: SCOTTY.  A Star Trek reference.  Remember "The Monster Mash"?  Bobby "Boris" Pickett also came up with this in 1975:

Star Drek

36. Learn backward and forward: MASTER.

38. Laura Lippman genre: NOIR.  Laura Lippman is an American journalist and author of over 20 detective fiction novels. Her novels have won multiple awards, including an Agatha Award, seven Anthony Awards, two Barry Awards, an Edgar Award, a Gumshoe Award, a Macavity Award, a Nero Award, two Shamus Awards, and two Strand Critics Award.

39. Carrier renamed in 1997: US AIR.  All you (might) want to know:  Wiki - US Airways

40. Says grace over, say: BLESSES.  Here's one:

Heavenly Father, As we stand before this microwave-made marvel, we bow our heads and ask for a touch of guidance. Bless us with the wisdom to interpret cooking times without triggering popcorn explosions.  May our reheated leftovers be as satisfying as the first time around, and may our mealtime excitement far exceed our microwave’s ding. With gratitude for modern convenience and a sprinkle of humor, we pray, Amen

49. __ Scotia: NOVA.

50. Locale of the 2018, 2020, and 2022 Olympics: ASIA.  South Korea, Japan, China.

51. Murmur: COO.

52. Group of talking heads: PANEL.

53. Word with school or party: BUS.

57. Not long. for this world?: LAT.  Longitude and LATitude.  The dot after the long. abbreviation was the tip off.

58. Airbnb alternative: INN.

59. Whistle blower: REFEREE.  A clue to be taken literally and not idiomatically.

60. High trains: ELS.  Famous ones run through Chicago.

61. Ed.'s pile: MSS.  ManuScriptS

62. Having everything one needs: SET.  My record collection includes Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Tom Petty. It’s almost a full Heartland Rock SET . . . Close, but no Seger.

63. Go on to say: ADD.

Down:

1. Significance: IMPORT.  Not as in to bring goods into a country from abroad.  Used, here, as a noun.

2. Less windy: CALMER.  Also, how we may feel after completing the puzzle.

3. Paige known as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre": ELAINE.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

4. Some drones: BEES.  Not the kind of drones that deliver packages, spy on us and deliver explosives.

5. Med. condition with repetitive behavior: OCD.

6. Fire proof?: ASH.  Not fire resistant.  Evidence of a fire.

7. Sarge's superior: LOOIE.  Slang.  Sergeant and Lieutenant.

8. Luka Doncic, for one: LAKER.  A basketball reference.

9. Weep: CRY.

10. Not together: SEPARATE.  Apart.

11. Like a clear night: STARLIT.   A well known example by Van Gough:

12. With nothing to hide: NAKEDLY.  Hmmm.   Quite the job of teeing things up but we'll keep it safe for work by presenting, instead, a wonderful book that this solver read nearly thirty years ago.

14. Data units: BYTES.  A computer reference.

18. Like half the numbers on a 21-Across: ODD.

22. The "Mo" of Motown: MOTOR.  Detroit aka MOTOR City.

24. Stomach woe: ULCER.

25. Not on the rocks: NEAT.  A reference as to how alcohol might be served.

26. "You're important to us": WE CARE.

28. Big cat handlers: TAMERS.

31. Cyclotron particle: ION.

32. "__ the tea!": SPILL.  Colloquialism for gossiping.

33. Romanov supporters: TSARISTS.

34. Turner memoir: I TINA.  Not Nat Turner.  Not Ted Turner.

35. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA.

36. Not set in stone: MUTABLE.  More often seen as its opposite, IMMUTABLE.

37. Just like always: AS USUAL.  Not mutable, I suppose.

41. Catch: SNARE.

42. Hermosillo's state: SONORA.  This time the state is in Mexico (although it does border the USA).

43. Leveled (out): EVENED.

44. Like some peanuts and winter roads: SALTED.

46. Clicked images: ICONS.  A computer, or cell phone, screen reference.  What would happen if we were to click on a Pop Icon?

47. Met Gala interview topics: GOWNS.  . . .  and who are you wearing?

48. Starter start: NON.  A couple of weeks ago we had NAAN Profit.

52. Scoffing sound: PFFT.  Punt!

54. Not bright: DIM. I got tired of flipping the little switch on my rear view mirror to DIM the reflected headlights.  So I removed the whole mirror.  I haven’t looked back since.

55. E-file org.: IRS.

56. Once named: NEE.  As in Jacqueline Kennedy NEE Bouvier.

Well, we have now gone completely DOWN the list of clues so that will have to do it for today.  Yours truly will once again (what, again?) be taking some time off to  travel.  First to Japan "just for the halibut" and then to NYC for the Bat Mitzvah of a long-time friend's granddaughter.  

___________________________________________________

Friday, September 26, 2025 - Ariana Borut

 Theme: ???? 

Puzzling thoughts:

Ok, despite solving this puzzle quickly and easily, I have no idea what the reveal has to do with the entries (themers).  And maybe there is nothing beyond the obvious.  Look, I may be one of the designated bloggers here, but that doesn't mean that I always "get" what the constructor is after

Today's constructor, Ariana Borut (if indeed this is she) indicates on her LinkedIn profile that she "worked with Patti Varol and Katie Hale; I reviewed crossword submissions to the LA Times, test solved accepted puzzles and constructed a crossword to be published in the Times."  The dates for this activity were May 2025 to July 2025, so the appearance of her puzzle today seems to validate her identity.  Her other crossword-related position is constructing puzzles for the Friday printed edition of the Yale Daily News.  This may be Ariana's major publication debut; if so, congratulations

The reveal today - at least to me - seems ambiguous to the entries:

59-across. Go over the top, or a hint to 17-, 23-, 37-, and 48-Across: PUT ON A SHOW.  I inserted the YouTube video above to try to see if there is some explanation I am missing.  Maybe someone who follows this blog can enlighten me in the comments section

The themers (entries):

17-across. Extremely popular puddle jumper?: HOT AIR TAXI.  Ok, I am familiar with a hot air balloon but I don't think that's in play here.  I found a link to a site that describes the present and future of air taxis.  But how does this connect?  Where is the hint that the reveal describes?  Is it the fact that the promise of using an air taxi for commuting is "full of hot air?"  The phrase "puddle jumper" in the clue (to me) refers to a commuter air service that makes frequent stops 

23-across. Soon-to-be buds?: NEXT BEST FRIENDS. Again, there can be two pairs of phrases:  next best which refers to something that can be an alternative if the best option is not available; best friends which refers to a group of acquaintances that are all well-connected and well-liked by each other.  Where (again) is the hint, and what does this have to do with "putting on a show"?

37-across. Beach race outcome?: QUICKSAND CASTLE. Can I not see the forest for the trees? How is a quick sand castle (however you want to connect the words) related to a beach race outcome?  Is it that there is a race to build a sand castle the fastest?

48-across. Four-bed, three-bath digs in the backyard?: FAMILY TREEHOUSE.  A family tree is simply the charting of ones ancestors and showing it as a "tree" to indicate the branches from one generation to the next.  A treehouse is simply a structure built into the network of branches and limbs of a tree and used as a getaway (secret hiding place, maybe?) for kids

Maybe it's time for me to retire - both from doing crossword blogs and creating crossword puzzles.  I hope the future generations of solvers and constructors are at least getting some entertainment from this.  Maybe after somebody reveals the "aha" I will see what's so clever ... 

The Grid

Across:

1. Settles: CALMS.

6. Assess: RATE.

10. Lens option: TINT.  Here is a link to reasons why to tint eyeglass lenses

14. 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner: OBAMA.  Ariana Borut is an undergrad @ Yale University.  Barack Obama graduated (law school) from Yale's biggest rival, Harvard

15. Like a lemon: OVAL.  Nice misdirection clue - I thought tart was the answer; oval never registered but indeed, a lemon is oval in its shape

16. Seth's first son: ENOS.

[themer]

19. Soul singer James: ETTA.

20-across. 12/31, for one: EVE.  This clue is written as a date (in this case, New Year's Eve falls on December 31st.  (50-down. 12:31, for one): RATIO.  This clue is written as a ratio which made me wonder why the use of a colon?  Here is one explanation

21. "Despacito" singer Fonsi: LUIS.  I think this is the correct video

22. Pep rally chant: CHEER.  

[themer]

27. Shakespearean exclamations: AYS.  An actual William Shakespeare quote: "What, gone without a word? Ay, so true love should do; it cannot speak, For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it." 

Why AY?

28. Batman and Robin, e.g.: ROLES.  Another interesting, misdirected clue 

29. Coyote call: HOWL.

32. Hispaniola nation: HAITI.  Two choices, and Dominican Republic was too large to fit into the five cells

34. Charged particle: ION.  

[themer]

41. "Un Verano __ Ti": Bad Bunny album whose title translates to "A Summer Without You": SIN.  The word "sin" in Spanish means "without".  Fun fact: the literal translation for an erstwhile high-end strain of marijuana (sinsemilla) means "without seed"

42. Perplexed: AT SEA.

43. Jekyll's alter ego: HYDE.

44. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.

46. Barnyard sound: MOO.

[themer]

55. National alternative: ALAMO.  Rental car 

56. Vegan-friendly gelling agent: AGAR. All you need to know about AGAR

57. Cello's sect.: STR. Abbreviation for strings

58. Durham university: DUKE.  Not an Ivy League school (such as Yale or Harvard) but one that ranks highly in its academics 

[reveal]

62. Pt. of EMS: EMER.  Emergency Medical Service

63. Curriculum segment: UNIT. I was thinking of a college credit, rather than a unit, so I found this link that explains the difference

64. Italian fountain at the junction of three roads: TREVI.

65. Bygone pol. divisions: SSRS.

66. Angry chorus: BOOS.  

67. Warning often accompanied by flashing lights: SIREN.

Down:
1. Andy of "The Real Housewives" franchise: COHEN.  Not a tv franchise that I watch so I had to wait for the perps to fill this in

2. All of the __: ABOVE.

3. Swim cap material: LATEX.  The clue:  "Examination glove material" would also work.  I wonder - since every time I fill out my medical "history" the question is there - if one is allergic to latex and were a swimmer, what kind of swim cap would they use?

4. Combat sport, for short: MMA.  Mixed Martial Arts

5. Pass on the water: SAIL BY.  I thought this would be a debut word, but Crossword Tracker shows three other times used [by the way, if you get a warning about Crossword Tracker not being "safe", I can attest that it is.  They haven't updated their website]

6. Flatbreads cooked on a tawa: ROTIS.  I am guessing that the word "tawa" gave this away.  I was thinking NAANS but again, waited for perps

7. Nautical shout: AVAST.

8. Assess: TAX.  We just got our 2025 tax assessment for our house.  Didn't go up too much

9. "Lux et Veritas" collegian: ELI.  Our constructor's school

10. Light laugh: TEE HEE.

11. Strong quality: INTENSITY.

12. "Understood": NOTED.

13. Pre-1917 rulers: TSARS.

18. Regrets: RUES.

22. Paramecium hairs: CILIA. 

 

24. Makeup powder: TALC.  What the American Cancer Society has to say about TALC

25. With 38-Down, Mexican artist known for self-portraits: FRIDA  (38-down. See 25-Down:) KAHLO.  As a fellow constructor I noted that while the two names are proximate on the grid, they are not in the same symmetric location.  Close

26. Univ. scholarship program: ROTC.

29. Control ctrs.: HQS. 

30. "Certainement!": OUI.  A bit of French 

31. One familiar with the aging process: WINEMAKER.  I obviously enjoyed seeing this word for the given clue.  I met a few winemakers during my California vacation trip

32. "It __ been easy": HASN'T.

33. Hydrocarbon suffix: ANE.

35. Out of style: OLD.

36. Maiden name intro: NEE.

39. Lab request?: STAY.  As in a Labrador Retriever 

40. "Scram!": SHOO.

45. Treadmill features: TIMERS.  Once upon a time I used to frequent treadmills at the gym.  My walking regimen now is to speed walk in the neighborhood or go for hikes in the desert

46. Spiteful: MEAN.

47. "Darn it!": OH RATS.

48. Slowly disappears: FADES.

49. Reunion attendees: ALUMS.  As this blog is being published, I am one day away from attending my HS reunion, so if I don't respond to any of the comments today it's due to my traveling

51. "Grand slam" awards, for short: EGOTS.  In this case, the "Grand slam" is for the quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.  Awards for TV, Music, Motion Pictures, and Theater, respectively 

52. One who walks you down an aisle: USHER.

53. Heated counter point?: STOVE.  If this referred to a debate or argument, the word counterpoint would be one word, not two words.  Strange clue, IMO, as I never think of a stove as being a "point" along the counter, but it made for a decent Friday clue

54. Theoretical physicist Schrödinger: ERWIN.  One of my favorite clips from TBBT:

59. Crawl stop: PUB.  I think that a few of my fellow HS alums are planning on visiting a brew pub or two, as our hometown has become a place where a number of these have popped up.  I don't plan on "crawling" though; will take Uber or Lyft

60. Game based on Crazy Eights: UNO.  New rules

61. Sanskrit title of respect: SRI.  Rearranged, this group of letters can also make the word sir - another title of respect

Comment below if you like ... 

Friday, September 19, 2025, Zhou Zhang

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from the Rocky Mountains with a recap of a puzzle by Zhou Zhang.  Hmm, both of our names are alliterative.  That and five dollars will get you a cup of coffee.

Let's jump right in with the unifier:

66 Across:  Fueled up before a big race, or a description of the answers to the starred clues?: CARBO LOADED.

Each of the following four theme answers references a form of carbohydrate:

19 Across:  *Earnings for a restaurant with a tandoor?: NAAN PROFITS.  FROM NON PROFITS.  With this erudite crowd there's no need to explain what NAAN is.

25 Across:  *Bun that's a really big hit?: STARRING ROLL.  From STARRING ROLE

43 Across:  *One who eats the same brand of corn flakes every morning?: CEREAL MONOGAMIST.  From SERIAL MONOGAMIST

55 Across:  *Ciabatta Chihuahua or pumpernickel Pomeranian?: PURE BREAD DOG.  From PUREBRED DOG.

This is how the completed grid looks:

... and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. __ second: LEAP.  Hand up for first thinking something along the lines of NANO second.

5. Percussion troupe since 1991: STOMP.

10. Prickly plants: CACTI.

15. Cream alternative: ECRU.  Not a reference to a dairy product.  Not a reference to a super group band.  Not slang for trouncing.  A reference to a color.

16. Eaglet's home: AERIE.

17. Astronaut Ochoa: ELLEN.  All You Might Want To Know

18. Tons: A LOT.

21. Handles: NAMES.  Handle, in this case, being slang for, well, NAME.

23. Bill: NOTE.  As in "C-note" or banknote

24. Each: A POP.  Slang for apiece.

29. Japanese artist and peace activist: ONO.  A frequent visitor.

30. Fuss: TODO.

31. Crocheter's stash: YARN.

33. Yearning: ITCH.

36. Large mammals in matrilineal groups: ORCAS.  "Large mammals" would have sufficed.

40. Paint option: MATTE.  Gloss.  Semi-gloss.  Flat.

46. Ages: YEARS.  It makes more sense in French.  Par exemple:  Quel age avez vous?  J'ai soixante-quinze ans.

47. Panache: STYLE.

48. Wasabi __: PEAS.  Tasty

49. Heroic deed: FEAT.  Finding Bigfoot would be no small FEAT.

51. Upfront stake: ANTE.  As in a poker game.

53. Beloved rock, e.g.: PET.  Remember the fad from the 1970's ?

62. Actor Idris: ELBA.  Another frequent visitor.

64. __ bean: LIMA.  Might have been clued as ____ , Ohio . . . or _____ Peru.

65. ID on a map: IDAHO.  Not a reference to identification.  A state's abbreviation.

70. Kiwi-shaped: OVAL.  Technically, OVOID.

71. Gobbled down: ATE UP.  Nice word play with down and up.

72. Backsplash installer: TILER.  The five florists I called earlier today knew absolutely nothing about laying carpet or tile.  And yet I’m the idiot....

73. Kite flyer's need: WIND.  If there's no WIND you must WIND up your kite string.

74. Grown efts: NEWTS.  Frequent amphibian visitors, both.

75. With a wink: SLYLY.

76. Confidentiality docs: NDAS.  Non Disclosure AgreementS have become a crossword staple.

Down:

1. Tends (toward): LEANS.

2. Pizzazz: ECLAT.

3. Feature of a rose garden in full bloom: AROMA.

4. "Shake on it": PUT 'ER THERE.

5. __ Diego: SAN.  It could have been DON Diego (de la Vega).

6. Leaves that might be red or read: TEA.  Nice word play with red and read.

7. Chimp kin: ORANG.  Chimpanzee / ORANGutan

8. Like a key that may evoke sadness: MINOR.

9. __-Bismol: PEPTO.

10. GM's Mary Barra, for one: CEO.  Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker.

11. Italian auto, familiarly: ALFA.  ALFA Romeo.

12. Neckwear suitable for a young child: CLIP ON TIE.  

13. Western Wyoming county: TETON.  How The Grand Tetons Got Their Name

14. Insta browsing goal, perhaps: INSPO.  INSPIRATION.  Meh . . . or maybe I am just of the wrong generation.

20. Depend (on): RELY.  

22. Sign of a packed house: SRO.  Standing Room Only

26. Adored celebrity: IDOL.

27. Benchmarks: NORMS.  If Al Yankovic wasn't weird he'd be called NORM Al.

28. Tibetan monk: LAMA.

32. Decreased: RAMPED DOWN.  Much more frequently used as RAMPED UP

33. Distant: ICY.  ICY what they tried to do here.

34. Wardrobe staple: TEE.

35. Concoction that might be pint-sized: CRAFT BREW.  Literally, pint sized.

37. Tent bed: COT.  If you sin 90 times, you'll only get caught 50% of the time because sin 90 = cot 45.

38. Vague amount: ANY.

39. Like a system that's revolutionary?: SOLAR.  A bit of a stretch but not completely off base.

41. PreCheck org.: TSA.

42. GRE org.: ETS.

44. "Stat!": ASAP.  As Soon As Possible

45. Inheritance factor: GENE.

50. Rock's Jethro __: TULL.  Fronted by Ian Anderson

52. __ chi: TAI.

53. Louisiana's state nut: PECAN.  Think pralines.

54. Overjoy: ELATE.  We are often ELATEd in our puzzles.

56. Hilarious folks: RIOTS.  An idiom that is often seen in our puzzles.

57. Username, often: EMAIL.

58. More than anything: BADLY. 

59. Naturalist Attenborough: DAVID.  Sir DAVID Frederick Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer.

60. Family, in Hawaiian: OHANA.  A straightforward definition.  Lilo and Stitch have popularized the word.

61. Gym chain that began in Venice Beach: GOLDS.  

63. Be next to: ABUT.  What does the seat of your pants ABUT?

67. Special __: OPS.

68. Fish that swims by generating waves: EEL.

69. Not sweet: DRY.  A wine reference.

. . . and always be sure to use an appropriate glass.

. . . Not a bad idea.  Cheers, everyone!

____________________________________________________

Friday, September 12, 2025 - Katherine Simonson

 Theme:  "Bride"-al path ... 

 

As seen in the hit film, "Sire of the Bride"

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's puzzle was summed up with the reveal entry:

54-across. Rom-com starring Julia Roberts, and a feature of 20-, 32-, and 41-Across?: RUNAWAY BRIDE.

As you'll see in each of the three entries, the BRIDE has RUN AWAY from the movie title listed (as clued):

20-across. Gurinder Chadha adaptation of a Jane Austen novel: AND PREJUDICE.  The movie was not a box-office "biggie", nor a fan favorite, but it did cause the Chairman to wonder what was to follow as I was thinking PRIDE and Prejudice, Jane Austen's actual novel.  As it turns out, what's "missing" is the word BRIDE from the title (BRIDE AND PREJUDICE) - open the hyperlink to learn more

32-across. Fantasy adventure starring Cary Elwes and Robin Wright: THE PRINCESS.  The movie was not a box-office "biggie" but at least garnered an 80% approval rating.  Once again, the word BRIDE was missing from the puzzle entry (THE PRINCESS BRIDE)

41-across. Spencer Tracy comedy with a remake starring Steve Martin: FATHER OF THE.  The movie earned the most $ of the three but was still regarded as a "stinker" by Rotten Tomatoes.  BRIDE was missing from the movie title (FATHER OF THE BRIDE)

OK, without sounding too ignorant, what am I missing here?  I can honestly say that "Father of the Bride" is the only one of the three movies I've seen.  And it came out in 1991 so my memory of it is pretty foggy.  IIRC, the father, aka, George Banks, is more concerned about the cost of the wedding rather than the fact that he is losing his daughter Annie to his future son-in-law

Did any of the three entry movies feature the BRIDE running away?  Having "cold feet" perhaps?  If so, then this was a brilliant discovery by the constructor.  Three movies whose titles include the missing word "BRIDE" and whose story lines include the BRIDE actually "running away".  If not, then I don't know if this registers very high on my creativity list of puzzles

Guess I will have to wait at the altar (or watch the three movies to find out) 

Kudos Katherine to being published again (debuted October 2024) as I know from personal experience just how difficult it is to have a puzzle go to print

A small "nit" to pick:  In the first movie title, the word "BRIDE" was the missing from the first word in the title.  In the other two movies, the word "BRIDE" was missing from the last word of the title.  Perhaps if Katherine had thought of this movie (in which the word BRIDE is the second word in the title) I might have enjoyed this more, as the BRIDE would have run away from three different spots 

For some odd reason (maybe my weirdness) this whole "runaway bride" thing made me think of a fitting Moe-ku:

       Home, Home on the Range

       Features a runaway BRIDE: 

       "The deer and the ant elope ... "     

Here, then, is the grid and then off to the rest of the puzzle words

 

Across:

1. Burdened: BESET.

"Burdened" didn't make the top ten

6. Puff: WISP.  See 6-Down ... we have WISP crossing WASP

10. Grifter's game: SCAM. If the word "game" had been capitalized the answer might have been "BOOK"

14. French honey: AMOUR.  "Honey" as in dearie - French word for "my love"

15. Org. co-founded by Helen Keller: ACLU.  American Civil Liberties Union

16. Angelic ring: HALO.

17. Semper __: Space Force motto: SUPRA.  All you need to know about the US Space Force 

All you need to know about Semper Supra

18. Spotted: SEEN.  Not this spotted:

19. Enthusiastic: AVID.

[entry]

23. Oscar winner Tomei: MARISA.  One of my favorite clips from the movie, "My Cousin Vinny".  Marisa in her role as Mona Lisa Vito

26. Pickleball need: PADDLE.

27. Some pyramid-topped monuments: OBELISKS.  

Unlike 50-Down, this Luxor is an obelisk

30. Scare word: BOO.  Irish Miss must be pleased today as Katherine only used 11 three-letter words in her puzzle (if I counted correctly)

31. Scottish cap: TAM.  And of course, another three-letter word appears right afterwards ... 

[entry]

37. Long-billed wader: IBIS.  Also, the mascot of the University of Miami Hurricanes 

Sebastian, the IBIS

39. Mexican kinsman: TIO.  Would the clue "Uncle in Uruguay" have been any easier?

40. Cabbage cousin: KALE.

[entry]

46. B'way passes: TIX.  Moe-ku:

        Can dogs that have fleas

        Get into a theater

        Without having TIX?             

47. Exclamation of discovery: AHA.

48. Formidable: FEARSOME.  Any football fans remember the "FEARSOME" foursome?
 
50. Off-road vehicles?: LEMONS.  When was the term "lemon" first used to describe an "off" car?

How about a lemon-colored lemon??

53. Done for: RUINED.  

[reveal]

57. Teammates who really pull for you?: OXEN.   Clever clue

58. Small ensemble: TRIO.  Duo and quartet didn't fit

59. Wrinkle removers: IRONS.  Thankfully as a retiree I no longer need to worry about removing wrinkles from my dress shirts, as I used to when I worked in the corporate world ... 

63. Pop singer Amos: TORI.

  

64. Haughty manners: AIRS.

65. Part of one's inheritance: TRAIT.  My good looks, I'm told ... 😀

66. Clog decorated with Jibbitz charms: CROC.  Not familiar with this?  Watch below:

67. Invited: BADE.  Friday clue

68. Primitive: EARLY.  Friday clue

Down:

1. __-relief: BAS.  Moe-ku:

        A professional

        Fisherman mounted his catch:

        His bass bas-relief

2. Australian source of some cosmetic oil: EMU.  Johnny Bench is a spokesman for this brand:

3. Soak (up): SOP.

4. Continental train pass: EURAIL.  All you need to know about Eurail passes

5. Part of BART: TRANSIT.  Bay Area Rapid Transit

6. Queen mother?: WASP.  All you need to know about a Queen WASP

7. Cake shop artist: ICER.  Moe-ku:

        What bakery does

        When bride carps on wedding cake?

        Of course, they ICER

8. With 13-Down, laptop setting: SLEEP.  [13-Down. See 8-Down]: MODE.  Moe-ku:

        Breyer's IT staff

        Equipped their computers with

        SLEEP a la MODE 

9. Most prevalent language of Pakistan: PUNJABI. [Brittanica dot com says] "Punjabi language, or Panjabi language, Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab in India and Pakistan. Punjabi has about 26 million speakers in India and more than 60 million in Pakistan—nearly half the population of the latter—but linguists have sometimes considered the dialects of southwestern, western, and northern Punjab province in Pakistan a different language. Inhabitants of southern Punjab province have agitated for consideration of their speech, Siraiki (with more than 12 million speakers), as a distinct language, though Siraiki and Punjabi are mutually intelligible"

10. Pomelo: SHADDOCK.  [Wikipedia says] "The pomelo , also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia and Malaysia."

11. Kvetch: CAVIL.  What's the difference between Kvetch and CAVIL?

12. Chez Panisse owner Waters: ALICE.  Anyone here familiar with this woman and/or restaurant? Here is a conversation I found on YouTube

21. Vague amount: DASH.  Moe-ku:

        Recipes are vague;

        How salty should the dish be?

        Just ask Mrs. Dash

22. Japanese noodle: UDON.  The vagueness of the clue could have steered you toward SOBA, too.  Want to know the difference?  I'll also compare ramen noodles to them

23. Repeated pattern: MOTIF.  Moe-ku:

        What boxer said when

        He saw his incisors gone:

        "I just want Motif"

24. Addis __, Ethiopia: ABABA.  Addis-Ababa translates to "New Flower"

25. Pay: REMIT.  The word REMIT has a boatload of definitions 

28. Low-carb regimen: KETO.  Diets are just fads 

29. Polish (up): SPIFF.  My friend the Thesaurussaurus agrees; sort of

Again, "polish (up)" didn't make the top ten

33. Tedious learning method: ROTE.  I wonder if this is how actors learn their lines?

34. Brand of fine stationery: EATON.  I remember using this brand of stationery when I prepared my work resume, as it added both quality and professionalism to the document 

35. Goopy stuff: SLIME.  When the Ghostbusters got slimed ... "why am I drippings with goo?"

36. Sch. health class: SEX ED.  Click here for a preview of an article on SEX EDucation

38. Like some New Agey practices: SHAMANIC.  According to [shamanichealing.org.uk]: "Shamanic healing is an ancient spiritual practice that focuses on restoring balance and harmony to an individual's mind, body, and spirit through various techniques and rituals.  According to [Urban Dictionary]: New Agey is an adjective used to describe a new age type individual, i.e., someone who has a crystals collection, has many self-improvement books, believes in alternative medicine, practices yoga and meditation, eats organic, wears socks and sandals, and/or believes in auras and energy fields. Can also be used to describe new age practices such as shamanic healing"

42. Online instruction site: E-HOW.  Moe-ku:

        Old MacDonald song

        Lyrics are found online at

        "E-I-E-I How"

43. Deferred payment: RAN A TAB. Moe-ku:

        The teetotaler

        Who drank unsweetened cola

        Just ran a Tab® tab 

44. Mata __: HARI.  If you have 24 minutes to spare, please watch this video as it tells the story behind the woman known as Mata Hari

45. Scholarly: ERUDITE.  I've never been confused with someone who's erudite; glib, maybe 😉

49. Jagged-looking range: SIERRA.  Literal translation for the word sierra is a jagged mountain range.  Go figure!  Here is a look at a very small portion of the Sierra Mountains at a very famous lake that borders CA and NV ... taken by the Chairman when he was on sabbatical ... 

Along the western edge of Lake Tahoe

50. Vegas hotel whose rooms have slanted windows: LUXOR.  The Luxor Hotel resembles a pyramid from its exterior.  If you book a room there your windows will look like this

Yes, the windows are slanted

51. Month when it's not chilly in Chile: ENERO.  Hah! Enero is the Spanish word for January; Chile is located in the Southern Hemisphere where the month of January is the start of their summer season.  Now, if you were located here in Chile, in Enero, you would definitely be chilly unless you were wearing a warm jacket

52. Ancient Palmyra's land: SYRIA.

54. Campus mil. group: ROTC.  Reserve Officers' Training Corps

55. Blue-footed booby, for one: BIRD.  I wonder if the blue-footed characteristic of the booby indicates a male, and the females are pink-footed?  Actually, the blue feet are the male's way of attracting a female for mating ... 

If you were a female booby, would you find this guy attractive?

56. Neither red nor white: Rosé.  Speaking of pink, I'm guessing this clue/answer refers to wine.  If so, here's a fun fact from your resident sommelier:  Rosé wines are generally made from red grape varietals and are not a result of blending a white wine with a red wine, though that is an option.  During fermentation, especially with red and/or darker skinned grapes, the longer the pressed grape "juice" stays in contact with their skins, the darker the color of the wine.  When making rosé, many winemakers will leave the skins in contact with the fermenting wine for mere hours.  That is generally long enough to provide a tinge of color and create a pink-colored wine. Here are a just a few of the red-grape varietals that can make rosé: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel

60. Coxswain's lack: OAR.  The coxswain is the person at the front of the boat yelling the cadence to the rowers

This is for our cat-loving Cornerites

61. Nothing at all: NIL.  At some point (maybe it's already happened) this word might also be clued as: NCAA athlete compensation acronym

62. Barnyard dwelling: STY.  What lives in a STY?  Why, little piggies I'm told.  Here's a cut from the White Album to lead you towards the comments ... see you in a couple ...

Oh, I have a post-script to add as I found a picture recently of a spud that resembles my blogging partner, Malodorous Manatee.  He will provide the jocularity next week

Quite the resemblance, eh?