Dictionary Definitions for the FINAL SCORE: The Final word in each answer is another word for Score.
17-Across. * Spotify alternative: APPLE MUSIC. Verb: orchestrate or arrange (a piece of music), typically for a specified instrument or instruments. Example: The Quartet Suite was scored for flute, and violin.
27-Across. * "More heat in that dish!," Emeril-style: KICK IT UP A NOTCH. Noun: a mark, such as an inscription or scratch made with a sharp instrument, used for keeping account.
43-Across. * "Unwell" band: MATCH BOX TWENTY. Noun: a group or set of twenty or about twenty. Example: Four score and seven years ago ...
And the Unifier:
58-Across. Game-ending result ... or what each of the answers to starred clues has?: FINAL SCORE.
Across:
1. "__ U Been Gone": 2004 Kelly Clarkson hit: SINCE. I'm not familiar with this song, but it was easy enough to suss out.
6. Church section: APSE. Nave or Apse? Check the perps.
10. __ facto: IPSO. Today's Latin phrase. It means "by the fact itself".
14. Early morning hr.: ONE A.M.
15. Abolitionist Lucretia: MOTT. Lucretia Mott (née Lucretia Coffin; Jan. 3, 1793 ~ Nov. 11, 1880) was an advocate for women's rights and the abolishment of slavery.
16. Superhero whose surname is Odinson: THOR. I didn't know that Thor had a last name, but the last name in the clue led me to his first name.
19. Foot part: SOLE. And there are so many parts to the sole of the foot.
20. Palindromic address: MA'AM. A contraction of Madame, which comes from the French ma dame which means my lady.
21. Baldwin of "30 Rock": ALEC. Alec Baldwin (né Alexander Rae Baldwin, III; b. Apr. 3, 1958) portrayed Jack Donaghy in the television sit-com 30 Rock.
22. Family grams: NANAs. // Not to be confused with 39-Down. Indian flatbread: NAN.
23. Not online: Abbr.: IRL. In Real Life. Hand up if you knew this abbreviation.
24. Incensed feeling: IRE.
25. Cincinnati-based supermarket chain: KROGER. This supermarket chain was started by Bernard Henry Kroger (Jan. 24, 1860 ~ July 21, 1938). The chain has been around since 1883.
31. Formerly called: NÉE. This word has appeared rather frequently recently in the puzzles.
32. Really popular: BIG. I intially tried Hit.
33. Battery size: AAA.
34. African country whose capital is Accra: GHANA.
37. __-Z: Millennials' followers: GEN. The Pew Research Center defines Generation-Z as people born from 1997 to roughly 2012.
38. Not at all pleased: ANGRY.
40. Slippery sea creature: EEL.
41. Neither's partner: NOR. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." These words are the informal creed of the United States Post Office. Sadly, this is no longer true. It seems that cuts in the postal budget is causing mail delays. Now I know why I don't get mail every day.
49. Go over again, as a contract: REREAD.
50. Cleanse (of): RID.
51. Positive response: YES. // And the French negative response: 22. Opposite of oui: NON.
53. Crowd requirement?: THREE. Two is company, Three's a crowd.
54. Turn sharply: VEER.
56. South American berry: AÇAÍ. This is the third week in a row when this berry has appeared in the puzzle. I'll have to try to find some of these berries to try.
57. Clarinet insert: REED.
60. Othello's betrayer: IAGO. Othello is the tragedy written by Willie the Shakes. It is supposedly based on an Italian story about a Moorish general in the Venetian army and his trusted, but traitorous ensign, IAGO.
61. Memorial notice: OBIT. As in an obituary.
62. Honor-thieves link: AMONG.
63. Cons' opposites: PROS.
64. Candy apple and fire engine: REDS. Both are descriptions of shades of RED. Both can be found on the color chart below.
65. Thick, like fog: DENSE.
Down:
1. "Me too!": SO AM I!
2. Like a garaged car, gearwise: IN PARK.
3. Sherpa, typically: NEPALI.
4. The __ before the storm: CALM.
5. Suffix with morph: -EME. As in Morpheme. An obscure word for a Tuesday. A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit in a language. Examples.
6. Protective piece of jewelry: AMULET. You'll see a lot of these in Turkey.
7. Ask, as a question: POSE.
8. Neckwear-securing accessory: STICKPIN.
9. And more: Abbr.: ETC. A Latin abbreviation for Et cetera, which means And the rest.
10. "Let's do this": IT'S A GO.
11. Frustrating series of missed calls: PHONE TAG.
12. Sun-powered vehicle: SOLAR CAR.
13. Valuable rocks: OREs.
18. Decluttering maven Kondo: MARIE. Marie Kondo (b. Oct. 9, 1984) advises you to only keep items that "spark joy"
24. DIY furniture brand: IKEA. A crossword staple. I was reading this book yesterday (Waking Lions, by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen), and came across this line: "The way the furniture you bought in Ikea always looked weird when you got it home, as if it missed its former home, the one in the catalogue."
26. Tattered cloth: RAG.
28. Current events TV channel: CNN. CNN has been around for 40 year! It began broadcasting in June 1980.
29. Popular ride app's basic service level: UBERX. I have never used an Uber. Here are the different options when selecting an Uber
30. Horses eat it: HAY.
34. Amazing person: GEM.
35. "Agreed!": HEAR! HEAR!
36. Hannah Montana, for Miley Stewart: ALTER EGO. Okay.
37. Positive feeling: GOOD VIBE.
38. Amazed: AWED.
41. Minnesota Timberwolves org.: NBA. The National Basketball Association team.
42. Spin, as a baton: TWIRL.
44. Things one believes: CREDOS.
45. Giggle syllable: HEE.
46. Pays for everyone: TREATS.
47. Business big shot: TYCOON.
48. Longs (for): YEARNS.
52. Prolonged attack: SIEGE.
53. Excursion: TRIP. Not much traveling this year. Had we not been in the Quar, we would have been in Europe right now.
55. Geraint's beloved: ENID. Here are the Cliff Notes for Idylls of the King.
56. Very top: ACME.
58. In favor of: FOR.
59. In low spirits: SAD.
Here's the Grid:
And on that sad note: It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
