Wednesday, February 16, 2022, George Jasper

Theme: BRIDGE THE GAP

20. Cuban missile crisis strategy: NAVAL EMBARGO. A VALE is a long depression in the land, usually between two hills and containing a river.

31. Web app for the latest: GOOGLE NEWS. A GLEN is a valley that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides.

41. Pre-wedding show: BRIDAL EXPO. DALE is a synonym of the word valley.

51. Salad dressing brand ... and what each set of circles reveals: HIDDEN VALLEY.

Melissa here. Grokking this theme would have been more difficult without the circles. See the valley hidden in each theme answer? I can imagine the light going on in George Jasper's head when seeing the words 'Hidden Valley.'

 Across: 

1. Bare-bones: BASIC.

6. Out of concern that: LEST.

10. Distance runner's concern: PACE. Cramp or spasm was my first thought - too many letters.

14. Early Greek public space: AGORA. The agora (ἀγορά) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of the polis. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly."

15. Excessively: Pref.: OVER.

16. Aerosol target: ODOR. Not hair.

17. Mall map clarification: YOU ARE HERE. Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot.

19. Half a patio pair: TONG. First thought was chairs.

22. Uncertainties: IFS.

25. Even the queen, in chess: MAN. Not necessarily. Another interesting fact for those who watched The Queen's Gambit, in this NYT article. If you can't get past the NYT paywall, here's a different article about the same thing, with a link to the 25-page complaint.

26. Beat in a hot dog contest: OUTEAT. I can't watch those eating contests. Because ew.

27. Like nobility: TITLED.

29. Slow movement: LARGO.

33. What 15 U.S. presidents formerly were, briefly: VPS. I would have guessed more than 15.

36. Son of Chingachgook, in a Cooper novel: UNCAS.

37. Be in the red: OWE.

38. Hustle: CHEAT. Or this hustle.

40. Shaggy pack animal: YAK.

43. Frequents dive bars, say: SLUMS.

45. Pretentious type: POSEUR. Another term for poser - someone who pretends to be something he is not.

 46. Key participant: PLAYER.

49. NBA tiebreakers: OTS. Overtimes.

50. Water holder: DAM.

55. Opposed to, in dialect: AGIN. Surprisingly, AGIN is a valid Scrabble word.

56. Start of a proverb for which Ben Franklin is credited: EARLY TO BED. "... early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

60. It's about a foot: SHOE.

61. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor: TROI.

 

62. Do away with: ERASE.

63. Online craft shop: ETSY.

64. Newcastle's river: TYNE.

65. Summer Triangle star: DENEB. The Summer Triangle is an amalgamation of stars from three separate constellations. Three stars make up the triangle: Deneb, Vega and Altair.  

Down:

1. __ window: BAY.

2. Before now: AGO.

3. Thing of little worth: SOU. A thing of the smallest value. Not sure I've ever heard this word.

4. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.

5. Whitman's Sampler choices: CARAMELS.

6. "Freaky Friday" actress Lindsay: LOHAN.

7. First name in daredevilry: EVEL. 8 of Evel Knievel’s Most Memorable Stunts.

 8. Saharan: SERE.

9. Shakes: TREMORS.

10. One may be sweet: POTATO. Obscure clue, perps to the rescue.

11. Love to death: ADORE.

12. __ line: CONGA.

13. Cereal killer: ERGOT. Another unknown for me. A fungal disease of rye and other cereals in which black elongated fruiting bodies grow in the ears of the cereal.

18. Artfully escape: EVADE.

21. Listening device: BUG. Has anyone seen the documentary MLK/FBI?

22. Company's tech guru: IT GUY.

23. "Shrek" princess: FIONA.

24. Keep in the supply room: STOCK.

28. NYC airport on Flushing Bay: LGA. LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City.

29. Civil rights legend John: LEWIS. February 21, 1940 - July 17, 2020.

30. Blown away: AWED.

32. What do you expect?: NORM. Nice clue.

33. Put out: VEXED.

34. __ New Guinea: PAPUA.

35. Perfect thing that's not beneficial: STORM. The Perfect Storm is a great book and movie.

38. Like idiomatic skeletons: CLOSETED.

39. Tom, Dick and Harry: HES. Not men.

41. TV host/comedian with 23 Emmy nominations: BURNETT. Carol.

42. In a suitable manner: APTLY.

43. New South Wales capital: SYDNEY.

44. Jeans brand: LEE.

46. Part of a process: PHASE.

47. __-year: LIGHT. The distance light travels in one year. Or this guy ...

48. "So long, amigo": ADIOS.

49. Skateboard move: OLLIE. The trick that revolutionized skateboarding.

52. Fluctuate: VARY.

53. "East of Eden" twin: ARON.

54. Bygone days: YORE.

57. Stop legally: BAN.

58. Austin-to-Houston dir.: ESE.

 

 

59. Star of the ball: DEB. Short for debutante. An upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society.

Thursday, January 13, 2022, George Jasper

Straighten Up And Fly Right

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists, from high altitude.  Well, perhaps not as high as our friends above, but at 9,375 feet the weather has been cold and snowy and goggles do come in handy.

Today's puzzle setter is George Jasper.  The earliest puzzle by George that I was able to find on the Corner website was from 2017 with something like a half-dozen others also recapped here between 2019 and 2021.

Similar to the puzzle this marine mammal recapped a couple of weeks ago, there are no topically-defined theme answers but, rather, four places marked with asterisks where adjoining scrambled letters spanning two words can be found in circles.  When unscrambled, the letters all spell GATE.  The unifier appears at:

56 Across:  Airport annoyance, and a literal hint to the answers to starred clues: GATE CHANGE.  By today's standards, a minor annoyance indeed.

Here are the asterisked clues and answers:

17 Across:  *It's hard to put down: PAGE TURNER.  A book that one cannot stop reading.

23 Across:  *Bond, for one: SECRET AGENT.  Bond, James Bond.

36 Across:  *One of about 50 orbiting the Milky Way: SATELLITE GALAXY.  A smaller companion galaxy that is in orbit around a larger "host" galaxy

47 Across:  *Put the pedal to the metal: GO GREAT GUNS.  

. . . . and here is how this all appears in the grid:

There are many polysemous words used in the cluing today.  They keep us on our toes.

Across:

1. Assurance on some menus: NO MSG.

6. Current event: EDDY.  Clever cluing.  Not the news of the day but a current in the water or atmosphere that runs contrary to the main current.

10. Crawled?: SWAM.  The crawl is a type of swimming stroke.

14. Have the floor: ORATE.

15. Outback option: RARE.  Outback, in this case is the name of a chain of steakhouse restaurants.  A clue that riffs on the fact that all crossword clues start with a capital letter.

16. Head light: HALO.  Not an automobile reference in this case.  A religious reference.

19. Like much cheese: AGED.  I really like a well-aged Gouda with those crystals.

20. Middle of Cannes?: ENS.  We have seen this type of clue before and are less likely than in the past to be significantly delayed by it.  CANNES.  Two ENS in the middle of the word.

21. Lend, informally, as money: SPOT.  Can you SPOT me a ten-spot until pay day?

22. Think the world of: ADORE.

26. Clothing buyer's pleased words: IT FITS.  If the shoe fits wear it.

29. Also-ran's terse summary: I LOST.

30. Buzzer beater?: SWAT.  Not a basketball reference.  As in to SWAT (or beat, apparently) a buzzing insect.

31. Low point: NADIR.

33. "Awesome, dude!": RAD.  Slang word.  Shortened form of "radical".  Popular in the 1980's.

40. Saddlebag carrier: ASS.  It's not yet as difficult to come up with new clues for ASS as it is to do so for OREO - but it's getting close.

41. Roof features: EAVES.

42. Qwirkle piece: TILE.  I do not know the game.  It looks a bit like Dominoes.

43. Colonial diplomat Silas: DEANE.  The first of six proper nouns in a row.

45. Julia of "Ozark": GARNER.

50. Toyota since 1982: CAMRY.

1982 Camry

51. 31-Down competitor: OLAY.

52. Anthem author: KEY.

55. Component of 53-Down: OBIE.  Is this an editing oversight?  The OBIE (Off Broadway Theater Award) is a "cousin" of a TONY but I do not believe that an OBIE is a part of the EGOT (see 53 Down) quartet.

59. Slips on: DONS.  Not mafia leaders.  Opposite of DOFF.

60. Appearance: MIEN.

Chow Mien?

61. Bagel flavor: ONION.  Poppy, Plain, and Bialy would have fit the allotted space.

62. Genesis grandson: ENOS.  Son of Seth.  Grandson of Adam and Eve.

63. Shaw's "__ and the Man": ARMS.

64. Units of power: WATTS.  What's the difference between WATTS and Ohms?  Watts are units of electrical energy.  Ohms are where British people live.

Down:

1. "Don't think so": NOPE.  We often see "I bet" as a similar quote.

2. Algerian coastal city: ORAN.  Frequently visited in xword  puzzles.

3. Time and Money, briefly: MAGS.  Clever clue.  Time is money, as they say but in this case they are both names of MAGazineS.

4. Abbr. in some vineyard names: STE.  Often clued as a French Holy Woman.

5. Prepare: GET SET.  On your mark . . .

6. Catcher's interference is charged as one in baseball: ERROR.  A somewhat obscure clue for this answer.

Do you know why baseball games are often played at night?  Because the bats sleep during the day.

7. Italy's "Supreme Poet": DANTE.  DANTE Alighieri (b. 1265 d. 1321)

8. Titled rapper: DRE.  Doctor DRE.

9. "__ Blues": "White Album" track: YER.  A Beatles reference.

10. Nuances: SHADES.

11. Old West traveling group: WAGON TRAIN.

12. Warn: ALERT.  Be A LERT.  The world needs more LERTS.

13. Rock's Depeche __: MODE.  More New Wave than Rock n' Roll. 

18. Lines at the checkout counter?: UPCS.  Universal Product CodeS

22. Greek marketplace: AGORA.

23. Something to build on: SITE.

24. Oceans' motions: TIDES.

25. Sacha Baron Cohen persona: ALI G.  Borat would not fit.

26. Rae of "Insecure": ISSA.

27. Christmas poem opener: TWAS.  . . . and all through the house . . .

28. Inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee: FATS DOMINO.  Along with Ray Charles, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Don & Phil Everly, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke and Buddy Holly.

31. Skin care brand: NIVEA.

32. Bolted down: ATE.  Not a hardware reference.  To eat your food very quickly.

34. Bridge toll unit: AXLE.

35. One skilled at giving hints?: DYER.  Hints of color, I suppose.  One skilled at giving lints?  Innie.

37. "Rescue Me" actor Denis: LEARY.  Had it been clued with Timothy I would have solved the clue more rapidly.

38. Road division: LANE.

39. USPS deliveries: LTRS.  LeTteRS  Abbreviated clue.  Abbreviated answer.  At least this one has some usage in the "real world" unlike some of the three-or-four-letters-plucked-out-of-a-word that we sometimes see.

44. Way out: EGRESS.  Not as in "That's way out, man."  The opposite of ingress.

45. Short dip?: GUAC.  Not a swim.  GUACamole

46. "As I was saying ... ": ANYHOW.

47. Cameroon neighbor: GABON.

48. __ pole: TOTEM.  Ski was too short.

49. Secluded locations: GLENS.  One of my favorites is GLENdronach.

50. Airport ID, e.g.: CODE.

52. Heal, in a way: KNIT.  As with broken bones.

53. Showbiz "grand slam" acronym: EGOT.  Emmy.  Grammy.  Oscar.  Tony.  EGOOT, anyone?

54. Itches: YENS.  Not the Japanese currency.

56. Morning TV fare, initially: GMA.  Good Morning America.

57. Word before France or Jordan: AIR.  Jordan's national airline is called Royal Jordanian Airlines.

Air Jordan Basketball Shoe

58. CNN anchor Cabrera: ANA.  For an interesting take on how the "news of the day" as presented on television stymies rational discussion and shapes the manner in which we process ideas, I recommend the book Amusing Ourselves to Death:  Public Discourse In The Age of Show Business by Neil Postman.

______________________________________________________

Wednesday December 22, 2021 George Jasper

(Notes from C.C.: Boomer wrote this post last weekend. The original plan was to have a CT and a bone scan on Thursday 12/23/2021, but then he had another fall. His oncologist was alarmed and insisted that we go to ER immediately. 

He'll  probably have the surgery on Friday. Two different neurosurgeons visited him a few times but no firm plans yet. He's been receiving steroid infusion. He'll have more CAT scan and some other scan tomorrow. Thank you so much for your concern and well wishes for Boomer!)

 

Theme: RAIL-SPLITTER (52. Abraham Lincoln nickname, and a hint to a hidden word in each answer to a starred clue) RAIL is split up in 3 different ways.

20. *Generate funds for a corporate project, say: RAISE CAPITAL.

34. *Condition of steaming water with lots of bubbles breaking quickly: RAPID BOIL.

40. *Drambuie and Scotch cocktail: RUSTY NAIL.

Boomer again, filling in another blog slot.  

Happy to be here and wish all of you a Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas.  I am hoping C.C. and I will be Merry also.  I am going to the VA tomorrow for a CT scan and bone scan and hoping that Doctor Santa Claus will read the scans and put good news in my stocking.

Across:

1. Abe Lincoln feature: BEARD.  President Abe received a letter from an 11 year old girl suggesting he grow the BEARD.  $5.00 bills look good but I prefer Benjamins.

 

6. Starting from: AS OF.

10. Yarn relative: TALE.

14. Pool owner's bane: ALGAE.  I thought folks could put chemicals in the pool to keep ALGAE from growing.

15. Spitting sound: PTUI.  In the comics.

16. One slain in Genesis: ABEL.  Actually, Cain pulled his gun and thought it was his Taser.

17. Dyeing targets for some: ROOTS.  What a great TV movie.  I think it took about 7 weeks to watch it completely.

18. Dollywood's st.: TENN.  Located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

19. Princess friend of Gabrielle: XENA.

23. Pinkish hues: CORALS.

26. Archaeological artifact: RELIC.  Generally tiny pieces of bone.

27. Ranges of colors: SPECTRA.  I really like some of the Christmas trees on display.  FOX HQ in New York had theirs burned up.  I am not a fan of FOX News but to burn up their Christmas tree is outrageous.  

29. "Fantastic" J.K. Rowling critters: BEASTS.

33. Fortunate ones: HAVES.

37. EPA pollution std.: AQI.  50 is good, 300 will choke you.

38. Kept from squeaking: OILED.  I change it every 3000 miles and it doesn't squeak. 

39. Outdoor gear brand: REI.

43. Hogwarts motto language: LATIN.  Four years in High school and all I remember is "et cum spiritu tuo."  I think that's the Pope's phone number.

45. Watch closely: PEER AT.

46. Poking fun at: TEASING.  Okay, I have never called the Pope.

48. "__ Survive": disco classic: I WILL.  "If you want me to, I WILL."  John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

51. In-group privilege: ACCESS.

56. Not pizzicato: ARCO.  I remember ARCO gas stations.  We still have a very few in Minnesota.

57. Domesticated: TAME.

58. Loses on purpose?: DIETS.  A lot of these may begin after the Holidays.

62. Trudge (through): SLOG.

63. A comet was often considered a bad one: OMEN.  A pain in the neck is worse.

64. WWII sea threat: U BOAT.

65. Fork over, with "up": PONY.

66. __ Room: White House banquet site: EAST.  How should I know this?  No one ever asked me to dinner there.

67. Reddish cent: PENNY.  We started across with honest Abe on a $5.00 bill.  Now look what coin we have.

Down:

1. Limbo need: BAR.  You also may need a curved spine.

2. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO.

3. Had __ at: tried: AGO.  "A long, long time AGO, I can still remember when the music used to make me smile."  American Pie.

4. Wearying grind: RAT RACE.  I've heard a lot about this race, but I never found out who won.

5. Makes potable, as seawater: DESALTS.

6. Bldg. divisions: APTS.  We have plenty of these where C.C. and I live.  Rents are pretty spendy.

7. Take the helm: STEER.

8. Prevention measure: OUNCE.  And a pound of cure.

9. Auction ender: FINAL BID.  SOLD!  We used to have these at baseball card shows.

10. One hailed in cities: TAXICAB.  Uber and Lyft are cutting into their business.

11. Be on the lookout for?: ABET.  Put it on the PASS line, and maybe a little on numbers 4-10.

12. Headey of "Game of Thrones": LENA.

13. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL.  It sounds like Air Travel in the U.S. may take some Covid heat.

21. Tel Aviv home: Abbr.: ISR.

22. Variegated: PIED.  Piper of Hamline.

23. Note in an A major scale: C SHARP.

24. Not transparent: OPAQUE.

25. Edit: REVISE.

28. "Rigoletto" highlight: ARIA.

30. Combat mission: SORTIE.

31. Fast-food toy giveaways, typically: TIE-INS.

32. "The __ and arrows of outrageous fortune": Hamlet: SLINGS.

35. "Thrilla in Manila" victor: ALI.

36. Hit, as with snowballs: PELT.  Snowball fights are not too much fun.

38. Sneaking, maybe: ON TIPTOE.  "Through the Tulips" Tiny Tim.

41. Three-part work: TRILOGY.  Normally in League we bowl three games.  Does that count?

42. Sailing deviations: YAWS.

43. Got ready for the ice, as skates: LACED UP.  Yup, when I was young.  I can remember that far back and we had a great ring walking distance from my home.

44. Chalk up: ASCRIBE.

47. No longer fast?: EAT.

49. Andean grazer: LLAMA.

50. Bartender's supply: LIMES.  Lemons are better, in my humble opinion.

52. Abrasive sound: RASP.

53. Woody's son: ARLO.  He got whatever he wanted at Alice's Restaurant.

54. Clickable pic: ICON.

55. Outdoor party rental: TENT.  Never had a big party one, but I have slept in a few over time. 

59. Ages and ages: EON.

60. Summer shade: TAN.  It will be back in 6 months.

61. Oink pen: STY.  I always use an OINK Pen on Crosswords.

Boomer

Thursday September 2, 2021 George Jasper

 

 

 22A Rocker since the '60s, familiarly: STONE.  

We interrupt this review to bring you a special report on a STONE known familiarly as Charlie, and the news of a MILESTONE in music history, the passing of Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021), jazz bandleader and also the drummer for the Rolling Stones.  Charlie died with Shirley, his devoted wife of 57 years, by his side. He was the quiet CORNER STONE of the "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".  He was no "Jack Flash", but rather the gentile, soft-spoken, and in fact humble STONE.   Here is the interview Dash T posted on the Corner on the day Charlie died.  Below is Part 1 of an interview with him by drummer Chad Smith: 

May Charlie Rest in Peace.

And now we return to our regular programming, a review of

PUZZLEUS INTERRUPTUS

George Jasper is a regular contributor to the Corner, last appearing here on July 12th of this year.  His theme for today is  ...

65A. Interrupt ... and a hint to each set of puzzle circles: CUT IN.  I've heard this phrase used most often to interrupt a couple dancing with a gentle tap on the shoulder and a polite request to dance with one of the partners.  A CSO to YellowRocks for any other etiquette she might add.

However George explores several other usages of the phrase, some of which are not so polite:

17A. Rubber in the kitchen?: BRILLO PAD.  LOP, as for example to pruning a tree or bush.  Unpunned we have:

Accept no substitutes!

24A. Major seen annually in Paris: FRENCH OPEN.  CHOP might be applied to a tree, firewood, or perhaps a cut of steak.  The French Open, officially known as Roland-Garros, is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May of each year.  Roland Garros was a WWI aviator and hero:

38A. "C'est la vie": THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.  Today's French lesson, and a life lesson.  May be said to the losers at 24A.  HEW is something usually done to trees. 

48A. Ones skilled at making deductions: TAX EXPERTS.  An AXE is usually used to HEW trees.  I'm beginning to think that George may be a Dendrophobiac.😠   But come to think of it DW and I have two 75' tall twinned Tulip Poplars within 30'  of our house and sometimes I fear that they may fall on our bedroom one night.  On the other hand our arborist regularly LOPS off weak limbs and has connected the twin trees with a high-tensile-strength steel cable, and he assures us that everything is okay.😊

61. White House nickname: HONEST ABE.  STAB? Now I'm really worried.  Tree limbs, trunks, and veal chops are not the usual targets for STABS.

Here's the grizzly grid:

Have no fear.  We'll soldier on, despite the theme:

Across:

1. Nest egg, perhaps: CACHE.  Stored under the mattress?  Not a good ROI.  I hope Ron is feeling better and can weigh in on this.

6. One of the Tide's rivals: VOL  The Tennessee VOLUNTEERS, not this:

9. Marine supports: MASTS.

14. Literary musketeer: ATHOS.  Athos is the oldest of Alexander Dumas' Three Musketeers:
 

15. Kind of moment: AHA.  Cornerites have many of these every day!
 
16. Fancy tie: ASCOT.  Also the name of a racecourse in Berkshire, England.  And the venue for  the introduction of Miss Eliza Doolittle to English high society:

19. European river: RHONE.  The Rhône is a major river in France and Switzerland, arising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea.  Also a reference to the Rhone Wine Region for wines grown along the river valley:

20. Overly suave: OILY.  Or - a dirty rotten scoundrel:

21. Driver's warning: FORE.  FINES?, FIRES?, FORE.  A CSO to all the golfers on the Corner - "What's your recommendation if you find yourself the target of a FORE?"

23. Smidge: TAD. 

26. Pedi places: SPAS.  A perhaps pedestrian description of SPAS.  They were traditionally situated near mineral springs, and people would visit them to "take the waters".  My parents used to have a house outside the SPA town of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and our family would visit there every Fall for the Apple Butter Festival.

29. "Atlas Shrugged" author Rand: AYN.  I believe this is the third time I've blogged novelist and philosopher AYN Rand.  I guess it's because she's so gluey.

30. Will of "Blue Bloods": ESTES.  William Estes Nipper (born October 21, 1978) is an American actor known for his role on CBS police drama Blue Bloods as Jameson "Jamie" Reagan.

32. They may be fine: ARTS.  See also 13D.

35. Remained on the shelf: SAT.

42. Country E of Cyprus: SYR.  Since East is abbreviated, the answer is abbreviated.
 

43. Edward G.'s "Little Caesar" role: RICO.  Edward G. Robinson of course, and the role was Caesar "Rico" Bandello, an  aspiring small-town criminal:

44. Light on one's feet: AGILE.

45. "Breaking Bad" org.: DEA.  "In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed show of all time. 'Breaking Bad' is binge worthy. Once you get rolling, you won't be able to stop."  Apparently a very popular show, although I've not seen it.

This past June the "War on Drugs" celebrated it's 50th birthday.

47. Islamic official: IMAM.  The word "imam" in the Koran (the Muslim sacred text) refers to Abraham and other leaders. ... Imams are Muslim clergy (religious leaders) in mosques (Islamic places of worship) and in Muslim communities. They lead prayers, deliver sermons, and provide religious education and counseling.

Imams

54. Hagen of Broadway: UTA.  Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee.  She also plays minor roles in crossword puzzles, because of the high ratio of vowels to consonants in her first name.

Uta Hagen

After being blacklisted for her association with Paul Robeson, she devoted considerable time to teaching acting.  If you don't have time to read the Wiki above, see at least the section subtitled "Students of Uta Hagen".  You might recognize some of the names.

57. Some nerve?: OPTIC.  The exquisite structure of the OPTIC NERVE, the intricacies of the EYE, their complex integration with the rest of the NERVOUS SYSTEM lead me to be highly skeptical of simplistic Darwinian explanations for how they evolved.  To say more would be to venture into scientific POLITICS.

 

58. Fixer's need: TOOL.  We hear a lot of chatter on the Corner about fixing things. Man has been called "Homo Faber" ("Man the Maker"). And because of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, the things that men and women make eventually need to be FIXED, and this requires TOOLS.  The universe of  TOOLS is virtually infinite, and they are explored in this link and this clip:

59. Not good, as a chance: SLIM.   I pass.

60. Asking __: PRICE. "He knew the price of everything and the value of nothing" - Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan.

63. Criticizes to excess, with "on": PILES.

64. Supplement, with "out": EKE.  Never heard this definition for EKE, but then here it is.
 

66. Iditarod vehicles: SLEDS.  The first Iditarod was run in 1925, but it was a race against time to bring diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska, and the hero that race was TOGO, the lead sled dog.  Here are two trailers for a feature length cartoon about the race called "BALTO", a mutt much beloved by my grandchildren.  BALTO is pure fiction, and TOGO appears nowhere in it.  To add insult to injury, there is actually a bronze statue of BALTO, not TOGO, in Central Park, NY! 

67. Trip taker's vehicle: LSD.  One of the common forms of transportation in crossword puzzles - Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).  The drug was first synthesized, and its psychedelic properties discovered, by Albert Hofmann at Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland.

Albert Hofmann

His discoveries also let to a better explanation of the epidemics of Egotism in the Middle Ages.  One of the symptoms of these epidemics were mass hallucinations, that were traced to Lysergic acid found in the Ergot fungus of spoiled rye.

68. Brainstorming output: IDEAS.

Down:
1. Northwest Passage seeker: CABOT.  John Cabot (Italian: Giovanni Caboto; c. 1450 – c. 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer, who was the first European to reach the entrance to the Northwest Passage, reportedly landing at Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland

The Northwest Passage

2. Sunlit courts: ATRIA.

3. Temple, for one: CHILD STAR.  Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; (April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat who was Hollywood's number one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. As an adult, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.

Shirley Temple in 1948

4. Sanctified: HOLY.

5. Immigrant's subj.: ESL.  English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as (1) English as a second language, (2) English as a foreign language, (3) English as an additional language, or (4) English for speakers of other languages.  A CSO to any Cornerites with experience as a Teacher of English as a Second Language to share your experiences.

6. Jet trail: VAPOR.  Jets leave white trails, or contrails, in their wakes for the same reason you can sometimes see your breath. The hot, humid exhaust from jet engines mixes with the atmosphere, which at high altitude is of much lower vapor pressure and temperature than the exhaust gas. The water vapor contained in the jet exhaust condenses and may freeze, and this mixing process forms a cloud very similar to the one your hot breath makes on a cold day.

7. Midway alternative: O'HARE.  Only if I can't avoid it!  OTOH this airport IS sometimes impossible to avoid if you are a cruciverbalist, as constructors delight in testing our knowledge of airport codes, which in this case is ORD.  So why ORD?

O'Hare Airport (ORD)

8. Freight-filled, say: LADEN.  As we learned last week, a freight container's weight when UNLADEN is called the TARE.  GROSS wt. - TARE wt. = FREIGHT wt.

9. Like the Okefenokee: MARSHY.  The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness.

Okefenokee Swamp

10. He played Steve in "Jobs": ASHTON.  Christopher Ashton Kutcher (born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, model, producer, and entrepreneur.  Last Saturday he was in That 70's Show, this week he is the star and producer of the movie Jobs.   Big shoes to fill, but the film didn't exactly get rave views, although it was a modest box office success.

11. Reporter's coup: SCOOP.  Given the rapidity with which news is discovered and propagated these days, I think this usage is rapidly becoming an anachronism.  So whad'ya think TTP?

12. Metric unit: TONNE.  A unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms (2,205 lb)

13. Rembrandt contemporary: STEEN.  Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humor and abundance of colour.  And because his name has an "EE", he is often sought out by those engineering crossword puzzles.

Jan Steen

18. Plural word attached to rip or send: OFFS.

25. Durango digs: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  There is also a Durango in Colorado, but presumably George meant this one:

Durango, Mexico

27. Adoptee, maybe: PET.  Also stands for a diagnostic test called Positron Emission Tomography.  A good friend of mine had a PET scan for cancer, and I'm happy to report that her test results were negative.

28. Pack animal: ASS. 

30. UFO operators: ETS.  The government recently released a report on the more PC term Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, but the jury is still out on whether they're operated by ETS.

31. Like one sitting alone at the dance, probably: SHY.  Wallflower wouldn't fit.

32. Sashimi selection: AHI. Japanese fast food, Sashimi (not to be confused with Sushi) consists simply of slices of very fresh raw fish.  AHI is the name of a variety of raw tuna.   Other selections might be Salmon, Yellowtail, Octopus, or Whitefish (the green blob on the lower right is called Wasabi, a condiment made of  type of "hot" radish):

Another type of Sushi are Maki rolls, rice and sliced fish wrapped in seaweed (Nori) and sliced into bite sized pieces.  Popular varieties are California Rolls (with all cooked ingredients) and my favorite, the Rainbow Roll (Ahi, Salmon, and avocado).

As Sushi chefs keep their fish ultra-fresh, it is a misconception that it tastes "fishy", and in fact some varieties of it are even cooked.  If you haven't tried it you should put it on your bucket list, but get a Sherpa to guide you in selecting and eating it.  You can even sit at the bar and watch the chef make your order.  Thus endeth the Sushi sermon.

33. VCR button: REC. 

34. Bill featuring Jefferson: TWO.  Looks like this if you haven't seen one lately.

35. Jump-start: STIMULATE.

36. Come down with something: AIL.

37. "Four Quartets" monogram: TSE.  Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (26 September 1888 – 4 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.  He is probably most popularly known for Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, but Eliot regarded Four Quartets as his masterpiece, and it is the work that most of all led him to being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

 
39. Corner: TRAP.

40. Orange edible: YAM.  No not a Clementine, but a tuber (the one on the left doesn't look very orange to me):

Yam or Sweet Potato

41. Supermarket franchise initials: IGA.

45. Cleared, in a way, as plane wings: DEICED.

46. More than needed: EXCESS.  This blog is like a smorgasbord.  Don't feel like you have to eat more than you need! 😉

47. Chain link?: ISLE.  An island chain perhaps?
 

48. Trading cards giant: TOPPS.  Hello Boomer!  10 of the Greatest and Most Expensive Topps Baseball Cards. 

And more breaking news!  I predict that this will backfire on MLB and only drive up the price of TOPPS cards.

49. Arbor Day month: APRIL.  National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on the best tree planting times in their area.  Here's a good resource for tree huggers:
 

50. Scrabble 8-pointer: X TILE.

51. Lucy's landlord, in old TV: ETHEL.  Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979. Here Ethel (with the help of her old buddies), says goodbye to the hometown theatre that gave her her start:

52. Pieces that castle: ROOKS.  The rook (/rʊk/; ♖, ♜) is a piece in the game of chess resembling a castle. Formerly the piece (from Persian رخ rokh/rukh, meaning chariot) was alternatively called the tower, marquess, rector, and comes (count or earl) (Sunnucks 1970). The term castle is considered to be informal, incorrect, or old-fashioned, although it is still a part of the name of a special chess move.

53. High-__: pretentious: TONED.

55. Knee-to-ankle bone: TIBIA.  Tibia, also called shin, inner and larger of the two bones of the lower leg in vertebrates—the other is the fibula.

56. Agreeing chorus: AMENS.  AMEN has a Semitic root connoting “firm,” “fixed,” or “sure,” and the related Hebrew verb also means “to be reliable” and “to be trusted.” The Greek Old Testament usually translates amen as “so be it”; in the English Bible it has frequently been rendered as “verily,” or “truly.”

59. Poker choice: STUD.  Stud poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds.  Not only are there a number of poker variants, but there are a number of stud poker variants.  This presenter demonstrates what he calls the "traditional way":

62. It may be natural: Abbr.: SCI. Here's one way to tell if it is not Nat:  "Any field that has the word 'Science' in its name is not a Science", or words to that effect.

 

waseeley

 

And special thanks to my DW Teri for proof reading and making several constructive suggestions for improving this post:

Cheers,

Bill