Friday, June 13, 2025, Katherine Simonson

No. No. The Other Way! The Other Way!

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists, and welcome to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.  Your host for today will be Marlin Perkins.  Oh, sorry.  Your host, today, is Malodorous Manatee and the program for today is a recap of a Friday puzzle by Katherine Simonson.

Let's start with the reveal:

56 Across:  Annual mass relocation, or a movement that happened four times in this puzzle?: ANIMAL MIGRATION.

At the places where the theme is applied, Katherine takes well-known two-word combinations, each involving an animal of some sort, and reverses the order of the words.  I guess that this could be called "MIGRATION".  While MIGRATION is a form of relocation it does seem to be a little bit of a stretch.  However, because the gimmick is more readily identifiable than in many other puzzles, there is no need to belabor the point.  

Here are the four "times":

17 Across:  Meeting of monarchs?: BUTTERFLY SOCIAL.  A social butterfly is a person who is outgoing, enjoys attending social events, and often moves between different social groups without forming deep connections. They are typically charismatic and thrive on interacting with others. Flip Social Butterfly around and we have a group of Monarch butterflies enjoying each others company. Did anyone first think that kings and/or queens would somehow be involved?

23 Across:  Lingerie for a grizzly?: BEAR TEDDY.  From this:

To this:

34 Across:  Shortage of raptors? HAWK DEFICIT.   Deficit hawk is a political slang term for people who place great emphasis on keeping government budgets under control.  As the federal deficit alone is in excess of $35 trillion there is, apparently,  a shortage of this type of hawk.  Flip Deficit Hawk around and we have a dearth of flying carnivores.

51 Across:  Protest in support of the loser of a fabled race?: HARE MARCH.  The March Hare from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland morphs into:

This is how it all appears in the completed grid:

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

Across:

1. Raucous field cry: CAW.  A reference to the noise a crow makes and the first of 21 three-letter answers.

4. Workforce: STAFF.  Does the STAFF at REI or EMS sell staffs?

9. Wounded by a scorpion: STUNG.

14. Suffix with mod or nod: ULE.  ModULE or NodULE

15. Arctic: POLAR.  

16. Break down: PARSE.  Bill Clinton brought PARSE into the broader lexicon with his famous "It depends on what the meaning of is is" and  “Well, I’m just showing the American people what a verb is and what a noun is, would you like me to show them another verb and another noun?"

20. Words of the weary: I'M BEAT.

21. Box: SPAR.  Not a carton.  Pugilism.    

22. Mocking irreverence: SNARK.

28. Sea dog: MARINER.  Both GOB and Tar were too short.

30. Kicks on Route 66?: NISSANS.  Nice mash-up.  The NISSAN Kick is an automobile.  I don't think that the song anticipated that.  We'll let Ray Benson and company explain . . .

31. Moisturizer brand: OLAY.

33. Central Asia's North __ Sea: ARAL.  A place we frequently visit.

39. Half-moon tide: NEAP.

41. Lad of La Mancha: NINO.  Spanish for a young lad.

42. Divide with two cuts: TRISECT.  One might also create four pieces with two cuts (but the cuts would have to intersect each other).

46. Slices of American cheese: SINGLES.

53. Plot: TRACT.  Not the arc of a story.  A parcel of land.

54. Pedestrian: BLAH.  Meh.

55. Contort in pain: WRITHE.

61. Under the __: RADAR.  Idiomatic for intentionally not drawing attention to one's own self.  Look, the Norwegian RADAR operator has reported seeing some birds on the screen!  He's Scandinavian.

62. Entreaties: PLEAS.

63. Not gross: NET.  Not yucky.  A financial reference.

64. Acknowledge: THANK.

65. Had a restful night: SLEPT.

66. Burro: ASS.  A small one.

Down:

1. Avant-garde movement pioneered by Georges Braque: CUBISM.  Per Wikipedia, the CUBISM movement was pioneered in partnership by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

Still Life - Georges Braque

2. Spelman graduate: ALUMNA.  Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1881.

3. Suite amenity: WET BAR.  Perhaps.  A hotel room that is not a suite could also have a WET BAR and a suite of multiple rooms could be without one.

Literally

4. "Last chance to object": SPEAK NOW. . .  or forever hold your peace.

5. Lawsuit basis: TORT.  A frequent cause of action in our puzzles.

6. Landon who was governor of Kansas in the 1930s: ALF.  ALF Landon was a Kansas governor and a Republican presidential candidate in 1936. He lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt and was the only Republican governor to win reelection in 1934.

7. Like some starts and returns: FALSE.  The former might result in a disqualification, the latter might result in a heavy fine and jail time.

8. Skillet: FRY PAN.  More often frying pan.

9. Hurling and curling: SPORTS.  Hurling is a contact sport played by men and women with a wooden stick and a ball. It is one of Ireland's native Gaelic games.  Alternatively, see 25 Down.  Curling is somewhat akin to  shuffleboard played on ice.

10. Middle of a winning trio: TAC.

Tic Tac Toe

11. Ocean State sch.: URI.

12. Cryptography org.: NSA.

13. Set: GEL.  Used as a verb as in how Jello firms up or GELs.

18. Polo of "Good Trouble": TERI.

19. Dress for a formal puja, perhaps: SARI.  This solver was not familiar with puja but SARIs are a form of dress frequently worn in crossword puzzles so, with a couple of perps, the answer quickly came to mind.  Once, I accidentally offended an Indian woman by using the wrong word for her clothing.  So I said "SARI."

23. Small nail: BRAD.

24. Morales of "Mission: Impossible" films: ESAI.

25. Feathered projectile: DART.  How does a dart board on the ceiling make you sick?  It causes you to throw up.

26. Forensic sample: DNA.

27. French fashion monogram: YSL.

29. Large ruminant in the Rockies: ELK.

32. Japanese dough: YEN.  Dough as in slang for money.

34. Locks: HAIR.

35. Cathedral feature: APSE.  A place frequented in our puzzles.

36. Amy Tan's "Saving __ From Drowning": FISH.  Tan is perhaps best known for The Joy Luck Club.

37. Pasta suffix: INI.  Bucatini, Ditalini, Capellini, Tagliolini, etc.

38. Distinction: CONTRAST.  As opposed to, say, horizontal hold?

39. Advanced degree?: NTH.  Not an academic reference.  Extremely/as much as possible.

40. Time capsule time: ERA.  A big 'thank you" for not heading down the Swifties road.

43. Board: EMBARK.  Do dogs ever leave?  Of course not.  They EMBARK.

44. Buzz: CALL.  As in "I'll give her a buzz".  No, not that kind of buzz.

45. Wanders (around): TRAMPS.  Like a TRAMP steamer.  ROAMS and ROVES were both too short.

47. Sandpaper measure: GRIT.

48. America Ferrera, for one: LATINA.  Clued this way, for this answer there were hundreds of millions of clues from which to choose.

49. Repeats: ECHOES.

50. Medical tubes: STENTS.  I have a friend who has been feeling really sentimental about a stent she had put in several years ago.  It still holds a special place in her heart.

52. "You need to relax": CHILL.  CHILL, man.  Gee.

55. Cloak: WRAP.  As in a riddle WRAPped up in an enigma.

56. Part of LACMA: ART.

57. Casual refusal: NAH.  Nah.

58. NAACP co-founder __ B. Wells: IDA.  A frequent visitor.

59. "Hoo boy": MAN.  Gee.  Chill, MAN.

60. Bagel center?: GEE.  GEE, man, chill.  Oops, sorry.  Force of habit.  It's actually one of those types of clues (but we're on to this trick).  B A G E L

Well, we've wrapped things up up five- three-letter words in a row so there's not much left to say except "Bye Bye For Now."  I will add, however, that the relative lack of proper nouns was refreshing, indeed.

On a further note, this recap marks the first time that this marine creature has ventured into the realm of AI generated images.  Did you spot them?

___________________________________________

Friday, June 6, 2025 - Baylor Gallagher and Katie Hale

 

 Theme:  "No, No, Nanette"

 

 

ZaSu Pitts played Pauline Hastings in the film "No No Nanette"

Puzzling thoughts:

In all honesty, I found coming up for a "theme" for today's puzzle quite difficult.  I certainly "get" the concept of adding and/or subtracting a letter from a more or less familiar phrase, and then cluing it to provide a pun and/or humorous outcome.  But did you find this puzzle fun and/or enjoyable to solve?  Did the entries tickle your "facy"?  The Chairman is a bit "oplussed"

In checking "Google" for any references to the co-constructor (Baylor Gallagher) I found none.  So I am guessing that this is her/their debut puzzle.  Choosing the assistant editor of the LA Times Crossword Puzzle (Katie) to collaborate with was certainly not a bad idea.  Katie has been published quite often in other venues, and here, too.  And if I had to guess, the puzzle idea was Baylor's and Katie helped create the grid and many of the connecting words and/or clues

 

Reveal:

 

I will start with the "reveal" in case some of you were scratching your head trying to figure out what happened in the entries.  64-across. Out of the ordinary, or, parsed differently, what has been applied to the phrases in 18-, 24-, 41-, and 53-Across?: NON STANDARD (NO "N" STANDARD when parsed differently).  If you remove the letter "N" from a word in the four entry phrases it supports the clue.  But no "n" standard seems forced and a bit weak, IMO

 

Entries:

 

18-across. False claim about a DIY project?: ASSEMBLY LIE.  The first entry was probably the best of the four.  As most know, a Do It Yourself project requires a lot of "assembly".  The term "assembly liNe" dates back to the automotive industry and was a feature of the FORD Model T cars to make the building of them more efficient.  Without the "N" in the word "line", it fits the clue

 

24-across. Overall condition of steel girders and beams?: METAL HEALTH.  MeNtal health is a known phrase but had I been editing/choosing this I might have looked for something less serious to spoof

 

41-across. "Do you know who my father is?"?: I'M KID OF A BIG DEAL.  "I'm kiNd of a big deal" is a bit of a stretch (again, IMO) and why clue it as "male-related"?  Couldn't this question (the clue) be asked of King Charles in referring to his mother, Queen Elizabeth?  She was kind of a big deal ... 

53-across. "Just put the succulent down and go!"?: "LEAVE ME ALOE!".  "Leave me alone!" is the phrase that this is spoofing.  Meh.  We use aloe often here in the desert SW when we've been exposed to too much sun.  Not sure I would be so brazen if I requested some from a friend

 

The grid:

The rest of the answers to the clues:

Across:
1. Dashboard tech: GPS.  MPH and RPM were tried, unsuccessfully.  The first of 20 three-letter words and 12 abbreviations in today's puzzle

4. Queen with icy powers: ELSA. The fictional character from Disney's "Frozen"

8. Hands over: GIVES.  CEDES was tried, unsuccessfully

13. Daiquiri ingredient: RUM.  This clue was directed, I think, at we older solvers as I doubt that many Millennials and/or Gen Z's drink Daiquiris.  And another cocktail related clue/word was found at (30-down. Cognac cocktail with orange liqueur): SIDECAR.  This is another drink that probably escapes the younger generations

 

The sidecar became popular in Paris and London in the early 1920s

14. Purple hue: MAUVE.  LILAC was tried, unsuccessfully

16. Put on a pedestal: ADORE.

17. Rollover subj.: IRA.  Not so fun fact:  the Chairman did this once and the institution I had the IRA with forgot to report it as a "rollover" to another retirement fund.  The IRS spotted this and sent me a tax statement for a huge amount of $.  Moe had to make a lot of phone calls and collect a lot of paperwork to prove the rollover was legit

[a theme entry]

20. Word of thanks: MERCI.  Hmm.  I suppose that the word "merci" (although French) is commonly substituted for the word "thanks".  The clue didn't lead us to knowing this

22. "Thus with a kiss __": Romeo's final line: I DIE. Seemed kind of logical as I recall that Romeo dies in the final scene of Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet"

23. Fortune: LUCK.  I'm reminded of the negative phrase: "if it weren't for bad luck I would have none at all"

[entry]

27. "Industry Baby" rapper Lil __ X: NAS.

28. Intel org.: NSA.  An anagram of 27-across, too

29. Vane point: EAST.  Had to end in st; waited for the perps to determine whether it was 90° or 270°

31. Dry mop target: DUST.

34. __ large: LOOM.

38. Reunion attendee: NIECE.  And its clecho: (54-down. Reunion attendee): AUNT. In both cases the constructors were looking at family reunions rather than school reunions

[entry]

44. Invertebrate's lack: SPINE.

45. Greek house: FRAT.  Moe-ku #1:

        When transgender pledge

        Thought they joined sorority,

        They said, "I smell a FRAT"

46. Sea eagles: ERNS.  Crossword-ese; kind of surprised to see one in this puzzle, honestly

47. Tropical tree: PALM.

49. Business letter abbr.: ENC.  I somehow prefer the letters encl to refer to an enclosure in a letter

51. Commanders org.: NFL.  Erstwhile Washington Redskins

[entry]

60. "Oh, woe!": ALAS.

62. Hearts, e.g.: SUIT.  Could've used spades, clubs, or diamonds

63. Eat away at: ERODE.

[reveal]

67. Countdown start: TEN. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, ...

68. Large venue: ARENA.

69. Hit lightly: TAP ON.

70. Letters of urgency: SOS. 

71. Full of back talk: SASSY.

72. Gave temporarily: LENT.  Does this word have any particular significance when something is given temporarily during the time period from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday?

73. Indefinite amount: ANY.  Fun observation:  now that I have lived in the desert SW for almost 6 years and take many hikes, I have discovered that the number of rocks, pebbles, and boulders on this planet are not just indefinite, but they may be infinite

Down:
1. Fairy tale brother: GRIMM.  As in the brothers GRIMM

2. Step in making some soups: PUREE. 

3. Sharp: SMART.

4. Online letters: EMAILS.

5. Part of UNLV: LAS.  The "Running Rebels" is the sports team nickname for the University of Nevada @ Las Vegas

6. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes": SUSIE.  Susie Derkins is a little girl who makes her home in Calvin's neighborhood. She is his well-known neighbor and the only major character to have both a given name and a family name

Susie is an intelligent and polite 6-year-old girl, who in many ways is a foil to Calvin. She takes her studies seriously and doesn't slack off on her homework as Calvin does. She also takes piano lessons 

[this from the calvin and hobbes fandom page]

The three characters

7. Eco-friendly spa brand: AVEDA.

8. Lass: GAL.

9. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

10. Tennessee athlete: VOLUNTEER.  Or when written as the plural, VOLUNTEERS, a Jefferson Airplane song back in the Vietnam War era.  I could've chosen "Rocky Top" but I didn't

 

11. "I Luh God" gospel singer Campbell: ERICA. Sounds more like rap, to me

 

12. Is after: SEEKS.

15. Wakim of "SNL": EMIL.  This video violates politics and religion, but it was the only SNL video I could find on YouTube.  FTR, I haven't watched SNL since it first aired 50 years ago

 

19. __ noire: BETE.  From [Merriam-Webster]: "Bête noire is a French phrase meaning "black beast" or "bugbear". It refers to a person or thing strongly detested or avoided"

21. Saloon: CANTINA.  From [Merriam-Webster]: "Cantina is a noun that can mean a pouch or bag at the pommel of a saddle, or a small barroom or saloon"

25. Angelic glow: HALO.  AURA fit unsuccessfully

26. Suspend: HANG. 

[listed in across]

31. Insult: DIS.  Is it DIS or DISS??

32. Cricket official: UMP.  Similar to baseball I've heard

33. Some transports in the Arctic tundra: SKI PLANES.  They are real!

 

35. On vacation: OFF.  I suppose if they allowed 2-letter words in xword puzzles, the opposite clue would fit: OFF vacation = ON

36. Regatta tool: OAR.  When I think of a regatta I picture this:

But when you sort through enough images, you will find the picture of what today's clue describes: 

37. Exec's degree: MBA.

39. "__ it wait?": CAN.

40. High trains: ELS.  Also a transport for golfer Ernie?

42. Wooded valley: DELL.  GLEN fits too

43. Thing: ITEM.

48. Colorado's __ Verde National Park: MESA.  This is one of several dozen National Park sites that Ms Margaret and I have visited.  Well worth seeing

50. "You __ worry": NEEDN'T. I may have incorrectly counted this as one of the abbreviations ... technically it's a contraction

51. Mamas' mamas: NANAS.  Meemaws didn't fit but GRANS did

52. Vegetation: FLORA.  Place where many fauna hang out

[added in the across section]

55. "1876" novelist Gore: VIDAL.  Some info about the novel

56. Tour de France stage: ETAPE.  Definition

57. Many, casually: LOTSA.  Speaking of "casually", remember when Casual Fridays first appeared?

 

58. Classic Greek theater: ODEON.  Does anybody who is a senior citizen remember the name(s) of their town's movie theater as a child?  The two in our south-central Pennsylvania town were called the Strand and the Capitol

59. Minuscule: EENSY.

61. Hyphenated IDs: SSNS.  Have I ever mentioned before that certain pluralized abbreviations are not my cup of tea?

65. Swift nickname, when doubled: TAY.  As in TAYlor Swift.  I wonder if today's constructor follows her?  Moe-ku #2:

        Heard Ms. Gallagher

        Is a huge fan of Ms. Swift

        BAY BAY loves TAY TAY  

66. Emmy winner __ Cephas Jones: RON. Ron appeared on one of my favorite made for TV dramas This is Us

 

Summary:

 

Coming up with new and fresh puzzle ideas is getting more and more difficult.  I get it.  And while my sense of humor was not stimulated by today's puzzle I'm sure that others may like it.  But as the blogger/critic of each puzzle I solve and describe here, I don't want to sugar-coat something if I don't find it overly creative and/or enjoyable.  We can agree to disagree

Friday, May 30, 2025, Joe Deeney

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday Puzzle by veteran LAT and NYT constructor Joe Deeney.

This solver will admit to being quite unsure about the nature of the theme after first completing the puzzle.  After a while, though, the cob webs cleared and the double entendre nature of the clever theme became clear.  There is no reveal to guide us down this path so let's jump right in with the themed answers, of which there are five, and see how they "hang together":

17 Across:  Designation for who or what, perhaps: LEADING QUESTION.  The "perhaps" is crucial here as it is also in the following four clues/answers.  Either of the two interrogatories in the clue might LEAD (start) a question.  In this case, though, there is also the "angle" that they might be deemed by some to be the best type of question.  LEADING, here, more or less equals favorite choice.

23 Across:  Designation for tri tip or flap steak, perhaps.  TOP SIRLOIN  This one was misleading because, per Wikipedia, tri tip is the bottom of the subprimal cut and flap steak is from the muscle of the bottom sirloin.  In this case, though, either might be your favorite, or TOP, choice (but not in the sense of USDA Choice).

37 Across:  Designation for "Unforgiven" or "Tombstone," perhaps: BEST WESTERN.  Both of the titles in the clue are, as we say in crossword-ese, oaters.  BEST WESTERN is a chain of motels but one of the aforementioned titles could also be somebody's best/favorite western movie.

49 Across:  Designation for mozzarella or cheddar, perhaps: GOAT CHEESE.  Hmm, both types of cheese are made from cow milk.  In this case, though, GOAT is used as in Greatest Of All Time and one of the cheeses in the clue might be someone's favorite.

57 Across:  Designation for Ticonderoga or Faber-Castell, perhaps: NUMBER ONE PENCIL.  A #1 pencil is softer than the ubiquitous #2 pencil.  In this instance, though, either the Ticonderoga or the Faber-Castell (both brand-named pencils) might be someone's favorite.

Now that we have completed our work with our favorites, here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Rash reaction?: ITCH.  Not rash as in impulsive or not well thought out.  Literally, a rash on your skin.

5. Pool float: RAFT.

9. Tune in: WATCH.  Tune in - not in the Timothy Leary sense.  As in to watch on TV.

14. Branch of Islam: SHIA.  SHIITE was too long.

15. Santa __: California winds: ANAS.

16. "Here for you": I CARE.

20. Couple of dollars?: ELS.  One of "that" type of clue,  like Head of state =  S.  The are a couple of L's in dollars.

21. Chapel vow: I DO.

22. Cosmetics brand with a So Fierce! collection: REVLON.  This solver is unfamiliar with So Fierce! but did know some cosmetics brand names so, after a few perps, the answer was sussed out.

27. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA.  Their music is often labeled "ska punk, a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music. 

28. Eye ailment: STYE.  We'll skip the photo.

29. Fitting: APT.  Indeed

30. "Not all heroes wear __": CAPES.  But Batman and Supergirl, among others, do.

32. Yellow __: LAB.  This solver, had he any input, would have suggested a way to work Labrador retrievers into the themed answers.

Rustler

35. Potential auction winner: HIGH BID.  Potential??

39. True to life: FACTUAL.  . . . but it may be cruel

Everybody Plays The Fool

40. "Big" and "Bang Bang" singer Rita: ORA.  A frequent visitor.

41. Minor tussle: SETTO.

42. Actress Zadora: PIA.  Haven't thought of her in years.

44. "Curses!": DRAT.  DARN or DANG or RATS would have fit the allowable space.

48. Furry foot: PAW.  Having previously used the "the man who shot my paw" pun we will go with this:  It is always a good thing to occasionally PAWs and reflect.

52. Principal dancer in a ballet company: ETOILE.  French for STAR.

55. Hundred Acre Wood hopper: ROO.  A Winnie The Pooh reference.  Roo is Kanga's child.

56. Beach bottle no.: SPF.  On sunscreen.  Sun Protection Factor

61. Tire out: DRAIN.

62. Stand up: RISE.  Business at the bakery is on the RISE.

63. Second-most-traded currency in the world: EURO.  That the answer was four letters helped.

64. Asks (for): SENDS.  As in "Send for the midwife!"

65. Basic sammies: BLTS.  with mayo

66. Frosh, probably: TEEN.  Frosh = Freshman

Down:

1. Bits of green in blue: ISLETS.  A stumper for a while but it does make sense.  Islands in the ocean.

2. Whole kit and caboodle: THE LOT.  Slangy clue.  Slangy answer.

3. U.S. operative: CIA SPY.  One of those answers where you go back over the grid you find yourself asking "What's a ciaspy?"

4. Possessed: HAD.

5. Shore leave, informally: R AND R.  Rest and Recreation.

6. Second-largest Portuguese-speaking country: ANGOLA.  40% as a native language.  60% total.

7. Page to check before contacting customer service: FAQ.  Frequently Asked Questions.

8. Historically Black school in Houston, briefly: TSU.

9. Sensible: WISE.

10. When Miranda says, "O, brave new world / That has such people in 't!": ACT V.  Even if one had not idea about the play being referenced, one could guess that the first part of the answer was ACT and then it was only a question of which Roman Numeral it would be.  See also 18 Down.

11. Severe decline: TAILSPIN.

12. Not on the up-and-up: CROOKED.

13. Dyes used for some body art: HENNAS.  Not often seen as a plural noun.

18. XXX divided by X: III.  Roman numerals.  Easy math  30 / 10 = 3

19. Directional suffix: ERN.  As in westERN.

24. Choose: SELECT.  Used as the verb.  But as an adjective:  What philosopher appealed to only a Select group of people?  Frederick Niche.

25. One of the two women in "Hamlet": OPHELIA.  One would have to be at least somewhat familiar with the play to know this one.

26. Terse assurance: IT IS.  It is.

30. "Strong Enough" diva: CHER.  This official video is pretty weird.

31. Rub the wrong way?: ABRADE.

33. Regarding: AS TO.

34. AC meas.: BTU.  British Thermal Unit

36. Classic Pontiac: GTO.  Ronny And The Daytonas were from Nashville!  Who knew.

37. Alter ego of DC's Kate Kane: BATWOMAN.

38. D.C. daily: WAPO.

39. Spotlight: FEATURE.  As in to shine the spotlight on someone or something.

41. Forks out: SPENDS.  Idiomatic clue.

43. Immobile: AT REST.  This solver has always thought of immobile as could not move.

45. Shelter adoptee: RESCUE.  A pet shelter reference.

46. Set lofty goals: ASPIRE.  What do you call a chicken that ASPIRES to become food?  A consommé  professional.

47. Nonstick coating: TEFLON.

49. Cologne's land: Abbr.: GER.  GERmany

50. Gets by: COPES.  What did the carpenter say about his broken saw?  I can't COPE with this.

51. Groundbreaking tool: HOE.

53. As above, in a footnote: Abbr.: IBID.  Ibid is a short way of saying "in the same place", which is helpful when citing.

54. Perspective, metaphorically: LENS.

58. Planet, e.g.: ORB.

59. Love of another sport?: NIL.  In soccer scoring NIL is zero and in Tennis scoring LOVE is zero.

60. Basket part: NET.  A basketball reference.

Have a great weekend.  Do some of your favorite things!

_______________________________________________