Thursday, August 3, 2023, Grant Boroughs

 

 

Veggie Tales

Today is Grant Borough's 5th visit to the Corner, fresh from an appearance at the NYT.   He takes us on a visit to the County Fair to see the winners of the BVOAT contest (Best Vegetables of All Time), exhibiting 4 common veggies, all sliced short to sound like a common phrase ...

17A. Proud proclamation at the county fair produce contest?: THAT'S MY CUCUMBER.  Our CUCUMBERS are coming in faster than we can eat them, so tomorrow I'm making pickles.

Sliced cucumbers

26A. Praises a prizewinner at the county fair produce contest?: HAILS A CABBAGE.  These require an early start and we didn't.

45A. Cause of a frantic search at the county fair produce contest?: LOST ARTICHOKE.  They don't grow in these parts, at least I haven't found any ...

Arthur C. Clarke said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".  The same could be said for LOST ARTS.  The skills necessary to build another Chartres Cathedral disappeared long ago in the dusts of time ...

60A. Squashes a rival's entry at the county fair produce contest?: GOES TOE TO TOMATO.  I think Grant stubbed his toe on this a bit.  We're getting lots of cherry TOMATOES, but the big ones don't start coming in until early August.

Mortgage Lifter Tomato

There was no explicit reveal that I could find, but I'm open to any suggestions for interpreting the theme differently.

Across:

1. Respiratory organ: LUNG.

5. Lake-maker: DAM.  BEAVER was too long.

8. "The Bonfire of the Vanities" novelist Tom: WOLFE.  Thomas Kennerly WOLFE Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018) was an American author and journalist widely known for his association with New Journalism. The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City later made into a movie with Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, and Melanie Griffith  ... 

Wolfe also wrote a lot of great non-fiction.  One of my favorites is his iconoclastic The Kingdom of Speech (scroll past all the reviewer bios to start the review proper at "The Kingdom of Speech")

13. Among buoys: ASEA.

14. Came down to earth: ALIT.

16. Catherine of "Schitt's Creek": O'HARA.  Schitt's Creek is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It follows the trials and tribulations of the formerly wealthy Rose family, who now suddenly destitute, find themselves up the proverbial creek without a paddle.  Catherine plays Moira, the family matriarch ...

17. [Theme clue].

20. Legalese adverb: HERE TO.

21. Some intelligence workers: ANALYSTS.  A CSO to you know who.

22. "To __ is human ... ": ERR.

23. King topper: ACE.

25. Neither Dem. nor Rep.: IND.  INDependent. 

26. [Theme clue]

33. Wander, in a way: DAYDREAM.

35. "Black-ish" star Tracee __ Ross: ELLIS.  Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee ELLIS Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series Girlfriends (2000–2008) and Black-ish (2014–2022).

Tracee Ellis Ross
2014 NAACP Image Awards

36. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.  Erma Louise Bombeck (née Fiste; February 21, 1927 – April 22, 1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban home life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996. She also published 15 books, most of which became bestsellers.  She was a mistress of the bon mot.

Erma Bombeck

37. Debonair: SUAVE.

40. Actor Idris: ELBA.  Among his many accomplishments, he is also the last word in the world's most famous palindrome.

Idris Elba, OBE

41. First Hebrew letter: ALEPH.  ALEPH (or alef or alif, transliterated ʾ) is the first letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician ʾālep 𐤀, Hebrew ʾālef א, Aramaic ʾālap 𐡀, Syriac ʾālap̄ ܐ, and Arabic ʾalif ا ...

Aleph

43. Data in IRS tables: TAX RATES.

45. [Theme clue].

48. Novel: NEW.

49. Lawn layer: SOD.  Also a noun in British slang, which can be used as a verb, as in SOD OFF!

50. Slugger's stat: RBI.  Here are some others beside RBI and ERA.

53. Transfer recipient: ASSIGNEE.

58. Parent, e.g.: REARER. 

60. [Theme clue].

62. One-named "Easy on Me" singer: ADELE. Blue eyed soul ...

63. Ready to serve: DONE.

64. Deportment: MIEN.

65. Noodle option: RAMEN.

66. Actor Beatty: NED.  NED Thomas Beatty (July 6, 1937 – June 13, 2021) was an American actor. In a career that spanned five decades, he appeared in more than 160 films. Throughout his career, Beatty gained a reputation for being "the busiest actor in Hollywood.

Ned Beatty
at the 1990 Annual Emmy Awards

67. Sole: ONLY.

Down:

1. Shaping machine: LATHE.  What's the difference between a LATHE and a SHAPER?

2. Theater director?: USHER.  Here's a film about someone you don't want to be directed by ...  based on a short story by Edgar Alan Poe (buried in my hometown 😱)

3D. Queen and regime, e.g.: NEAR RHYMES.  We are getting lots of Silver Queen corn from the Eastern Shore, delivered daily by the Misty Valley Farms regime, known for their fresh locally grown veggies.  That's a NEAR as I can get.

4. Part of a pen: GATE.  Not the kind you write with, the kind you pen animals with.

5. Sword of __: impending disaster: DAMOCLES.  Based on an ancient Greek fable ...

6. Gymnast Raisman with three Olympic gold medals: ALY.  Alexandra Rose Raisman (born May 25, 1994) is a retired American artistic gymnast and two-time Olympian. She was captain of both the 2012 "Fierce Five" and 2016 "Final Five" U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics teams, which won their respective team competitions.

Aly Raisman

7. Mineral used in pearlescent paint: MICA.  DNK this usage. Pearlescent pigments are coated MICA platelets that provide color and exciting visual effects to various coatings, plastics, and printing ink. They are widely used in the production of automobile paints and by DIY hobbyists and cosmeticians. I found lots of claims that they posed no hazards to the latter two groups but I was unable to find any info on what colorants are used to coat them, nor could I find any FDA material safety data sheets for them.

This is the variety of MICA commonly used to make them ...

Muscovite mica

8. Aspiring: WOULD BE.

9. "Gracious!": OH MY.

10. Research centers: LABS.  Many use a lot of 53D.

11. Worry: FRET.

12. "Were your __ burning?": EARS.

15. Long, loose top: TUNIC.  The history of the tunic ...
 

Roman worker dressed in a tunic

18. Help in getting to the next level?: STAIR.

19. Water-to-wine village: CANA.  Here's the scene from the series The Chosen where Jesus performs his first miracle (John 2:1-11).  One of the things I like about this series is that it often repurposes an anonymous figure in the Gospels, e.g. the "wine steward" in the wedding at Cana, and identifies him with someone famous: in this case the Apostle Thomas.   Even though Thomas has seen Jesus miraculously change water to wine, he is still a doubter even after Christ's resurrection ...

24. Son of Isaac and Rebecca: ESAU.  As we know ESAU was a twin, so I'm still waiting for a constructor to fill this clue with his brother JACOB, who is subsequently much more famous in the Hebrew Bible.

27. Roll with the punches: ADAPT.

28. Vintage violin: AMATI. AMATI  is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740.  Today, violins created by Nicolò Amati are valued at around $600,000. Because of their age and rarity, Amati instruments are mostly kept in museums or in private collections and are seldom played in public.   Here is the Adagio from Sonata No. 1 in G minor by J. S. Bach (1685--1750), performed on an AMATI violin by Sean Avram Carpenter ...

 The violin he is playing is in the collection of the Metropolitan Art Museum in NY.  For more information and selections see this link.

29. Gloomy: BLEAK.

30. Like some rugged vehicles: ALL TERRAIN.

31. Cutting remark: GIBE.

32. Those, in Spanish: ESAS.

33. Deliver cards: DEAL.

34. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO.  Here's ARLO with Pete Seeger playing a song by Arlo's Dad ...

38. Carpet cleaners, for short: VACS.

39. Beseeched: EXHORTED.

42. Brand known for surfing gear: HANG TEN.  A name derived from the prehensile feet of surfers.

44. Barrel racing milieu: RODEO.  Here are some barrel races from the Houston RODEO (and CSO to -T).  Pretty exciting ...

46. Carson City neighbor: RENO.

47. Coarse fabric: TWEED.

51. Stimulant-yielding Asian leaf: BETEL.  I'd heard of BETEL, but always thought it was a NUT.  It turns out that the leaf (aka "paan") is always chewed in conjunction with the Areca nut, the fruit of the Areca palm. The chewing of these two plants together is widespread in Southeast Asia, despite the fact that The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who have determined that chewing betel with areca nut is carcinogenic to humans.  OTOH, this article in the Indian e-zine netmed.com claims that there are Amazing Benefits Of Betel Leaves Nobody Told You, a veritable "paanacea" ...

Betel leaves
for sale in a local market

52. Wry twist: IRONY.

53. Seaweed gelatin used as a thickener: AGAR.  The word AGAR comes from agar-agar, the Malay name for red algae (Gigartina, Eucheuma, Gracilaria) from which the jelly is produced.  The substance is not only used in cooking, but also in scientific applications, e.g. as a culture medium in microbiology (see 10D).

 Petri dishes containing AGAR gel for bacterial culture

54. Fountain drink: SODA.  Also known in some parts of the country as POP.

55. Appear to be: SEEM.

56. Land in the water: ISLE.

57. School founded by Henry VI: ETON.  ETON College is a public* school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore, making it the 18th-oldest school in the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC). Originally intended as a sister institution to King's College, Cambridge, Eton is particularly well known for its history, wealth, and notable alumni (Old Etonians).

* Public school is Britspeak for private school.

59. Points to make in an argument, figuratively: AMMO.  Sadly, not all of it is used figuratively.

61. Lowest score on some scales: ONE.  On a piano score the lowest on the scale is A.  Here's why.

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley  

Here are the CUCUMBERS Teri picked when I started writing this review:

Here are the first twelve jars of pickles we canned yesterday.  All twelve popped!
 

Postscript:

Today marks the 79th anniversary of the death of Teri's uncle Vincent Deterkavage, who was killed in action in Normandy during WWII. 

Teri and I have twice visited his grave site in the American Cemetery in St. James, Brittany in France, and today our family is taking the flag that was given to the family after his death to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, to have it flown there beside the Fort's Old Glory.

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Melissa, the bravest, most tenacious friend I know. You continue to inspire me every day, Melissa!

Friday, June 25, 2021, Grant Boroughs

THEME: Unplug? REMOVE ADWARE

Hello, Cornerites. Our constructor du jour last visited us on April 22 of this year, when my partner in "grime", Malodorous Manatee "delighted" us (50-Across uses "delight" in a different context) with his recap - also without a "reveal" - about "freeze" phrases. Today, Grant chose a different path to pleasure us by choosing five common words or phrases that were clued with a play-on-words "question". A la my choice of today's theme. Which could've been a sixth if there was room.

Still confused? Well let's explore:

17-Across. Expending?: ALREADY DONE. In this example, the word "pending" (as part of "ex"pending) means: about to happen. And since it was ALREADY DONE, it is no longer "pending". The "ex" refers to the opposite of

24-Across. Improved?: SPECULATED. In this example, the key word is "proved", which means that a fact has been reached. In the play-on-words, SPECULATED means that it's a hypothesis, which means: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. The prefix "im" means "not", so the answer fits perfectly!

38-Across. Unstable?: PUT OUT TO PASTURE. "Stable" is the key word - meaning an enclosure for farm animals - and when you "un" stable horses, e.g., you might PUT (them) OUT TO PASTURE. Brilliant!

50-Across. Delight?: EXTINGUISH. Unlike the word delight/delightful, this p-o-w focuses on how one might turn off a light (think of a match or bonfire), and of course EXTINGUISH definitely "holds water"

61-Across. Distress?: GET A HAIRCUT. "Tress" is another word for hair; "dis" - as in remove - would absolutely mean "GET A HAIRCUT". Something that C-Moe no longer needs to do, now that he is shaving his head, and looking a bit like this guy (minus the earring):

And do you now "get" my theme entry? Unplug? In this case, "plug" refers to a type of promotion (or in my case, "spam"), and when you "un"plug, you can (hopefully) REMOVE ADWARE!

Across:
1. Org. visited by zombie victims in season one of "The Walking Dead" (there was no cure): CDC. Center for Disease Control has been a popular acronym over the past 15 months or so, with the pandemic aka "COVID-19". This guy has not become a "zombie victim" yet, although he is "dead" or "alive" to many who followed his advice. YMMV

4. Looks after: TENDS TO. One of my "retread" haikus uses this term:

Biblical Shepherd
Started gardening. And TENDS
TO his phlox, by night

11. Place to relax: SPA. I wonder if this word could be spelled "SPAHH"?

14. Virgo preceder: LEO. "LEO" was recently an LA Times crossword puzzle "theme" word hidden in entries, when the reveal was "lionhearted"

15. Begin: START ON. I chose to START ON this recap a full week before it was due to publish

16. Not talking: MUM. Moe-ku #2:

The florist wants to
Promote a new arrangement.
I hear "MUM's the word . . .

19. Zoo draw: APE. This came to mind when I saw the word "draw", but I think it means "an animal that draws people in to view them!"

20. Only single-syllable surname in an immortal '60s quartet: STARR. Would this image be a zoo draw?

21. Drilling structure: RIG. The word "RIG" has several meanings, as our Thesaurussaurus knows:

22. Family nickname: GRAN. NANA also fits

23. Conceal, in a way: PALM. As in to "PALM" a card. How about a "back" PALM? This example:

27. He beat Connors at Wimbledon in 1975: ASHE. Arthur ASHE has had his surname used in crossword puzzle thousands of times

29. Note next to a D?: SEE ME. I could only find one next to an "F", but a "D" is also a failing grade

30. Signal for help: SOS. In Morse Code, “SOS” is a signal sequence of three dits, three dats, and another three dits spelling “S-O-S”. The expression “Save Our Ship” was probably coined by sailors to signal for help from a vessel in distress. I hope that Spitzboov never had to signal this

33. Party VIP: HOST. "HOST" also refers to the sacremental bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist, but I doubt that if a party HOST served this, they'd be much of a VIP

35. Optimistic: SUNNY. Please don't ask me why this came to mind, but it did. My folks were big fans of this quartet

42. Word of distinction: FIRST. Charles Dryden coined this phrase back when the Washington Senators were the laughingstock of the Major Leagues: "“Washington: FIRST in war, FIRST in peace, and last in the American League.” No distinction, there

43. As it __: WERE. Second person singular past, plural past, and past subjunctive of the word "be". And foreigners wonder why the English language is so difficult . . .

44. Print maker: PAW. Cute clue. PAW prints. These:

45. Beethoven's "Ah! perfido" and others: ARIAS.

48. Vineyard measure: ACRE. Your resident Sommelier, C-Moe, HAD to get this one! Many wineries specify how many "tons" of grapes they harvest, per ACRE of vineyards, as a measurement of its perceived quality. The fewer the tons/ACRE the more robust. And that's achieved through pruning during the growing season

53. Stout-bodied rodent: VOLE. This cute little bugger. My image compares its difference to a MOLE

57. Bric-a-__: BRAC. Bric-à-BRAC or bric-a-BRAC, first used in the Victorian era, refers to lesser objets d'art forming collections of curios, such as elaborately decorated teacups and small vases, compositions of feathers. Wikipedia. And another Moe-ku:

Commissioned mason
Formed a wall that looked like cups.
Called it "Brick-a BRAC"

58. Pacific __: RIM. Both a geographical and political term which refers to the Asian countries that border the Pacific Ocean

59. Sweet potato casserole topper: PECAN. Also a component of pralines, which I prefer to sweet potatoes

60. Personal holder of tricks?: BAG. Did anyone else think of this?

64. Look at: EYE.

65. Looking closely: PEERING. I had PEEKING/PEERING. A W-O for the Chairman

66. "You __ here": ARE. Akin to "WERE", but this is: second person singular present and first, second, third person plural present of the word "be". As I said earlier, English is a complicated language

67. Mil. honor: DSM. Distinguished Service Medal. The Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Wikipedia

68. Court stat: ASSISTS. Court, as in basketball. An ASSIST in basketball is when a player passes to another, or sets that player up for a made shot. The all-time ASSISTS leader in the NBA is none other than this guy, with 15,806 total for his 19 year career. He averaged 10.5 per game:

69. Scratch, e.g.: MAR. Glad that Grant didn't use an abbr. for the third month of the year for this clue

Down:
1. Hold tight: CLASP. Are these still being worn? Ties, or the CLASPS, aka clips or bars? This image will show you where to wear it

2. Fraternity letter: DELTA. Fun fact: DELTA Kappa Epsilon (ΔΚΕ), commonly known as DKE - or - Deke is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, currently with fifty-six active chapters across North America. Founded at Yale University in June of 1844. Just celebrated its 177th birthday

3. Snorkeler's sight, perhaps: CORAL. Pretty

4. Old Eurasian ruler: TSAR. Another crossword staple

5. Gate info: ETD. Estimated Time of Departure. These aren't going anywhere soon

6. Voice vote option: NAY. I'll leave this open for RAY-O-Sunshine to pun

7. Death Row Records co-founder: DR DRE. Interesting label. DR DRE - aka Andre Romelle Young - is an American rapper who co-founded Death Row Records in 1992! Man, don't you feel old knowing that "rap" has been around that long? By Source, Fair use

8. Imperturbable sorts: STOICS. It's not in this image, but STOIC basically means all that. It's Friday folks; clues get tougher!

9. Shoe part: TONGUE. Moe-ku:

Penny Loafer struck
Man on his butt. "Really hurts!"
He said, TONGUE in cheek . . .

10. Only Fibonacci number that appears twice in the sequence: ONE. Helps to know what the Fibonacci System is! Well, here it is: The Fibonacci sequence is ONE of the most famous formulas in mathematics. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. So, the sequence goes: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so on. See? It's ONE! Friday, Friday, Friday

11. Make spiffy: SMARTEN UP. 3rd definition at Merrium Webster: SMARTEN UP: to make (someone or something) neat and attractive. Spiffy

12. Larvae precede them: PUPAE. Did this one bug you as much as it bugged me?

13. Update for the better: AMEND. The US Constitution has 27 AMENDments

18. Writer Bombeck: ERMA. Another crossword staple

22. Spectrum: GAMUT. Moe-ku:

Sometimes these puzzles'
Clues, really pisses me off.
GAMUT all to hell!

24. Camera operator's concern: SHOT. Another W-O. I had "STOP", as in F-STOP

25. Nuisance: PEST. 2nd definition: PEST - an annoying person or thing; a nuisance

26. Minor: LESSER. How come we don't say: "The minor of two evils?"

28. Recluse: SHUT IN. This could also mean someone who is rehabbing from an illness, I think

30. UV-blocking letters: SPF. I use SPF 30. You?

31. Jacque's okay: OUI. If Splynter were blogging, he'd say "Frawnch"

32. Scheme to gain an end: STRATAGEM. STRATEGEM: a plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent or achieve an end. Wow! A straightforward clue, for a change!

34. Drag along: TOW.

36. Org. once led by Charlton Heston: NRA. National Rifle Association. A less polarizing clue, perhaps, might've used this acronym defintion instead: The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a prime agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933. The goal of the administration was to eliminate "cut throat competition" by bringing industry, labor, and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices. Wikipedia. But the right to bear arms is outlined in the 2nd AMENDment

37. Tree in the genus Taxus: YEW. ELM fit. But the "genus" Taxus refers to a conifer, so now YEW know

39. "Hamlet" courtier: OSRIC. W-O for C-Moe. I put YORIC in, not "K"nowing that it ended with a "K"

40. Garden __: PEAS. This was a stretch! I had "no clue". Garden PEAS? Really? Another Moe-ku:

Garden PEAS went viral.
They decided the best way
Was via podcast

41. Aqueduct feature: ARCH. My first thought was about horse racing venues, but I couldn't fit "Daily Double" into four squares

46. Signs, with "to": AGREES. Another Friday clue. When someone "signs" a document, it's a verification that they AGREEs TO the contents

47. Hotel options: SUITES. Great movie!

49. Even once: EVER. But of course!

50. Pulled back: EBBED. EBB: intransitive verb. 1 : to recede from the flood. 2 : to fall from a higher to a lower level or from a better to a worse state his popularity EBBED

51. Discovery honored with the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics: X-RAYS. The Nobel Prize in Physics 1901 was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him. But who calls it "Röntgen RAYS"?

52. Japanese porcelain: IMARI. This:

54. Name associated with a razor: OCCAM. The term "OCCAM's Razor" comes from a misspelling of the name William of Ockham. Ockham was a brilliant theologian, philosopher, and logician in the medieval period. ... The idea is always to cut out extra unnecessary bits, hence the name "razor." Examples of Occam's razor:

“You have a headache?”, “Oh no… you might have the Black Death!” Sure, it's true that one of the symptoms of the Black Death is a headache but, using Occam's razor, it's obviously much more likely that you're dehydrated or suffering from a common cold. Google

55. "Family Matters" daughter: LAURA. Kellie Shanygne Williams-Jackson (née Williams; born March 22, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as LAURA Lee Winslow, the middle-born child of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC/CBS television series Family Matters which ran from 1989–1998

56. Oft-used key: ENTER.

59. Orwell's Napoleon and Snowball: PIGS. Napoleon is a fictional character and the main antagonist of George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm. He is described as "a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar" who is "not much of a talker" and has "a reputation for getting his own way". Snowball is also a character in Animal Farm, and is largely based on Leon Trotsky, who led the opposition against Joseph Stalin. He is shown as a white PIG on the movie posters for both the 1954 and 1999 film versions of Animal Farm. Wikipedia

61. School stat: GPA. Grade Point Average. Look here for more info

62. Relaxed greetings: HI'S. "HI" is a relaxed/informal greeting meaning "hello"

63. Certain farm worker: ANT. Friday clue

Here's the grid:

Comments welcomed!

Thursday, April 22, 2021, Grant Boroughs

 

Ah, Spring!  Just when some of us thought that warmer weather might be here to stay, the cold weather makes a return appearance.  Malodorous Manatee, here, with a puzzle from Grant Boroughs who must have experienced a brain freeze because he used the same wintry clue three times.

I Don't Wanna Sound Complaining but Freeze, Freeze Me, Oh Yeah, Like I Freeze You.

17 Across. In the event of a freeze, ...: RESTART COMPUTER.  When our computers completely stop responding we might say "My computer froze."  Restarting sometimes helps.

40 Across. In the event of a freeze, ...: WEAR WARM CLOTHES.  When it's  so very cold that water turns to ice, well, that's a deep freeze.  Bundle up to stay warm.

59 Across. In the event of a "Freeze!," ...: DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE.  When the cops, or the bad guys for that matter, tell you to stop right where you are they might yell "Freeze"!

Across:

1. Toddler's call: MOMMY.

6. The universal language, some say: MATH.

Tom Lehrer Explains It

10. "Time __ transfix the flourish set on youth": Shak.: DOTH.  In his works, Shakespeare used a grand total of 31,534 different words thus providing crossword constructors with a vast pool from which to select something that will fit in their grids . . . . even if the word hasn't been heard in four hundred years.

14. Red tide cause: ALGAE.

15. Bio, in a way, is aptly part of it: OBIT.  OBITuary.  Both the clue and the answer are abbreviations that have become accepted usage.

16. Most populous Hawaiian island: OAHU.  Maui is another four-letter Hawaiian island.

20. Little pigs or blind mice: TRIO.  . . . . and the Oscar goes to

21. Smelting residue: SLAG.

22. Lowland: VALE.

25. Title choice on a form: MRS.  Other options include Miss, Ms., Mr.  and decline to state.

27. Destroy, as files: SHRED.

31. Bitterroot Range st.: IDA.      "State" is abbreviated so the answer will be an abbreviation - even if it's not the (post-October, 1963) USPS abbreviation.  But, you knew that.  A segment of the Rocky Mountains, the Bitterroots run for approximately 300 miles along the IDAho and MonTana state border.

32. Take on: ASSUME.  As in "to assume the role of".

35. Close: NEAR.  As in close the door?  Nope, as in close at hand.

36. Rye fungus: ERGOT.  This fungus seems to have developed a symbiotic relationship with crossword puzzles.

38. Underestimate, say: MISJUDGE.  A woman asked her husband to take a spider outside instead of squashing it.  He did.  He and the spider walked a bit and then had a chat over a couple of beers.  Upon returning home, the husband told his wife that he had MISJUDGEd the spider.  "He's a nice guy," said the husband "and he wants to be a web developer."

43. Shelter securely: ENSCONCE.

44. Tech support callers: USERS.

45. Like those who leap before they look: RASH.  At the drug store, I could not decide between the Lotrimin and the Tinactin.  I mulled it over for a while because I did not want to make a RASH decision.

46. More evil: DARKER.

49. Brown brew: ALE.

50. Aerodynamic: SLEEK.

52. Parker's wind: SAX.  Charlie "Bird" Parker was a world-renowned saxophone player

53. Ice cream brand: EDYS.  West of the Rockies, and in Texas, it's called Dryer's.  In the other parts of the country the same ice cream is called EDY'S.

54. Farm skyline sight: SILO.

57. Sharp barks: YAPS.  Sometimes, YIPS.

66. Jug: EWER.  Often seen in crossword puzzles.

Jim Kweskin and the Ewer Band

67. Michael Douglas' middle name: KIRK.  Hmmm.  Isn't that his father's name?

68. Daily delivery: PAPER.  As in newspaper.  A fast-fading ritual.  Pew Research reported in January, 2021 that 86% of Americans now get there news online using their smartphones.  The remaining 14% seem to get their news from "The Daily Show".

69. Sky and Storm org.: WNBA.  Two teams in the Women's National Basketball Association.  Organization is abbreviated so . . .

70. Mid-month day: IDES.

71. Turkey neighbor: SYRIA.  Neither Yams nor Stuffing would fit.

Down:

1. Deface: MAR.  Freddy Mercury, Venus Williams and Bruno MARs all walked into the same bar . . . but they didn't planet that way.

2. Spanish shout: OLE.

3. Old British sports cars: MGS.  Some good friends of mine are purchasing this fully restored MG:

1950 MGTD

4. Finish choice: MATTE.  Obviously not Poronkäristys (sautéed reindeer) - as that would have required a double n in the clue.  A photo finish, or paint, choice.

5. Orbital period: YEAR.  Different planets have YEARs of different lengths.  It always irks me when, on Star Trek, far, far away and centuries from now, they refer to (Terra-based) minutes, hours, days or YEARs - lengths of time that are defined by the movements of a single, infinitesimal spec of the universe: planet Earth - as if those units are the intergalactic standards.

    

6. Drives: MOTORS.  Aahhh, memories of waiting for the day when I would be tall enough to reach the sign at the Disneyland Autopia.

Circa 1955

7. Elementary sequence: ABC.  If you headed down the Periodic Table rabbit hole then this one might not have been as easy as ABC.

8. Spanish relatives: TIOS.  Uncles en ingles.

9. Web page standard: HTML.  Hyper Text Markup Language

10. Baker's dozen: DOUGHNUTS.  The preferred spelling.  For some reason this made me think of The Bangles.

11. Cereal grain: OAT.

12. Start of many band names: THE.  Why "band" ?  Why not?  Must be why 10 Down made me think of a band.

13. "Ben-__": HUR.  Ben Gay?  Ben Affleck?  Ben There Done That?

18. Crater borders: RIMS.

Crater Lake, Oregon - Rim

19. Faux __: PAS.  An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.

22. Nielsen ratings units: VIEWERS.  The Nielsen TV Ratings attempt to measure ratings share and the total number of VIEWERS of a TV show.

23. Epinephrine-producing gland: ADRENAL.

24. "Cooking With Power" author: LAGASSE.

Emeril Lagasse

26. Seasons in the sun: SUMMERS.  This marine mammal referenced Jacques Brel and the Terry Jacks song the last time this situation arose.

28. Member of a league in a Sherlock Holmes title: REDHEAD.

29. With enthusiasm: EAGERLY.

30. Ballroom attire: DRESSES.

32. "Love on __-way Street": 1970 hit: A TWO.  Originally recorded by Lezli Valentine.  I was a student at U.C. Berkeley in 1970 and this is not the music to which we all listened.  Grant (or Rich) could have gone with Lawrence Welk's much satirized  "and a one and A TWO."

33. Open __ night: MIC.  It's part of the lexicon, I guess, but here it's a truncated answer (MICrophone) to a non-abbreviated clue.

34. Non-native speaker's subj.: ESL.  English as a Second Language

37. Theater section: ORCHESTRA.

39. Soup du __: JOUR.  Soup of the Day, en français.

41. "What else?": AND.  Yes . . . ?

42. Electronics pioneer: RCA.  Radio Corporation of America

47. Vessels with cockpits: KAYAKS.

48. Final, say: EXAM.  LAST would have fit in the allotted space.  As would TEST.

51. Kipling title orphan: KIM.

53. A 48-Down may include one: ESSAY.

55. Norse prankster: LOKI.  I first learned about LOKI  by reading Marvel comic books.

56. Poet banished by Augustus: OVID.  Banish cOVID.

58. Baby seals: PUPS.

59. Beads on blades: DEW.  As on blades of grass.

60. Have title to: OWN.

61. State east of Wyo.: NEB.  So. Dakota also adjoins Wyo on the east but, since the clue did not specifically ask for an adjoining state, it could also have been many others.

62. Afore: ERE.  Both the clue and the answer are considered to be archaic.

63. First aid skill, for short: CPR.  "For Short" suggests an abbreviation.  Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

64. 16-Across garland: LEI.  In Hawaii, May First is Lei Day.

65. Timeline section: ERA.  One of twenty-four three-letter answers in this cwd pzl.

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HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYONE !

MM Out