Friday, September 11th, 2026 ~ Jeff Stillman

REAR ADMIRAL~?

Arrgh Matey

'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday, Sep 19th

Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count.  My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago.  Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it.  I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction.  ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs.  The themers;

17. Copperhead?: SEA SERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"

25. Timeout?: TEA BREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"

35. Immunologist?: EYE DOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"

49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"

58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"

But Wait, There's More;

Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )

Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz

Oh boy~? = Oliver

Quill~? = Cue stick

Umbilical~? = YouTube

Vault~? = Vee formation (OK, meh.)

Yourself~? = Why me


ACROSS:

1. Per person: A POP - ugh.  Starting with one of the worst Twurds - not "EACH"

5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one

10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'

Still going in VT after 85 years - the website

14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2

15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday ( Happy B-day HuskerG~! ), and the email thread, too.  

19. Large amount: SCAD

20. Official order: EDICT

21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh.  It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word

23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol

24. Grab: SNATCH

27. Become peeved: GET SORE - Twurd #2

29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY

30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3

31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .

34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .

. . . uh, OK, it's for "cat", too 🙄

38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4

40. Trade punches: SPAR

41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word

44. Chip in, in a way: ANTE UP - Poker #1, two words #3

46. Squalid digs: RAT HOLE - Two words #4

52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen

53. Be decisive: OPT

54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . . 

55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."

Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12

56. Glorify: LAUD

61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey

62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2

63. Words before a start date: AS OF - Two words #5

64. Mine finds: ORES

65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE

66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL


DOWN:

1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague

2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated

3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ON A DATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!

More like IN a date . . .

4. Puts forward: POSITS - I tried OFFERS

5. Short hole on a golf course: PAR THREE - Good fill, still two words, #6

Leif Olson wins a BMW

6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's

7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's

8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE

9. Vexes: EATS AT - Two word #7

10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website

11. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT - Name #5

12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)

13. Morning omen for sailors: RED SKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time

Still a two word, #8

18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6

22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBO Go - Twurd, #9.  The Wiki

24. Mil. rank: SGT

26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR

28. Brings to a close: ENDS

32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme

33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?

35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric

36. "Is everything all right?": "YOU OK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now

37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAIN SET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still  two words, #11

The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad

38. Paltry poker holding: ONE PAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start

39. Prominence: STATURE

41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers

42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~?  the Wiki

43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked

At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer

because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -

the bridges are fine, the knobs, not so much . . .

send me an email LA Darren~!

44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions

45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY

47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie

48. Chop shop wheels: HOT CAR - Twurd #13

50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state, and I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890

51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs

57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh.  I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .

59. Consume: USE - I used C.C.'s suggested recipe and made Kung Pao chicken . . .

. . . and then consumed some - it's got some zing~!

60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .

Grid Flow 19.3

9/11, 25 Years Later

I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane

enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'

The Memorial website of this image

Splynter

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014) 

Friday, January 23rd, 2026 ~ Jeff Stillman

RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT

or Vitamin "B" added

gloBe in the dark - showing light polution

This puzzle was right in my vein - literally; my Blood type is B+, er, B-plus, I mean, B "positive"~!  Jeff Stillman is a regular contriButor for the L.A. Times - this is his second in January of 2026 already, and typically offers two or three puzzles a year - needs only a Saturday puBlication for a"week steak".  A simple theme of adding the letter "B" to four in-language phrases to create a humorous change - and just three stray non-theme "B"s in the grid; pretty impressive.  A smooth solve for me - Better than yesterday's.  Single digits on the 3LWs ( nine~! ), no circles, a standard grid, But a few too many names again. The four themers, with no reveal;

20. Add to one's ear piercings?: HIT A NEW LOBE - Hit a new low - which was a clue we sorta saw yesterday; spelling change, same "oh" sound

I learned some new anatomy here

27. "There's nothing like the feeling of posting a vlog!"?: "I LOVE YouTube~!" I love you, too~!" - a different spelling change.  Below is my first "official" post to YT, the raw, unedited - boring - clip of my first time doing epoxy on the table for my brother; not much to see, but you can hear my furnace, Santa go by in the background, and a quote from Ghostbusters. 

46. Trio trying to sneak past the guard at a sauna?: THREE IN A ROBE - Three in a row - same spelling change as the first themer

Does this count as three men in a ROBE~?

55. "Get your own die, pal!"?: "THAT'S MY CUBE~!" - "That's my cue~!" - NO spelling change

"I've wandered, and can't find my cube~!"

BuBt WaBit TheBre's MoBre

ACROSS:

1. Word on some birth announcements: GIRL - gonna be multiple choice, soon

5. Bowlers, e.g.: HATS

Pierce Brosnan from The Thomas Crown Affair - loved the movie

9. Storage box: CHEST - I am thinking about building an LP record chest for my bother to match the table I gave him for Christmas

14. French friend: AMIE - Frawnche lesson #1

15. Bread maker: OVEN - I made my best chicken crust pizza this past weekend; oh so good~!

16. Video counterpart: AUDIO - the "A" in A/V Club

17. Uneven do: SHAG

18. Mallet game: POLO - Ah.  I was stuck in croquet-mode

19. Rapinoe who won the Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2019: MEGAN - Frawnche lesson #2, "Women's Golden Ball" - the "N" was my last fill; this was more like a Saturday clue/answer, as I had no clue - or answer 😜 - name #1

23. Onetime owner of Virgin Records: EMI - Iron Maiden, one of my musical favorites, started out on EMI; their early management led them to fifty years of albums and touring.  There's also a girl who works at my BJs club named Emi; I wondered if it was short for Emilia, or something.  Name(ish)

24. Michael of Monty Python: PALIN - Glad I am a MP fan, otherwise, name #2

25. Seed cases: PODS

33. Brew made from petals: ROSE TEA 

More here

35. Kitchen gadget: PEELER - see 60D.

36. Gives a hand: AIDS

37. Body shop fig.: ESTimate - these days, the car is usually totaled

39. "The King and I" role: ANNA - name #3

40. Uses a Brillo pad on: SCOURS

43. Meditation spot: YOGA MAT

48. Location: SITE - think construction

49. Evasive maneuver: DODGE - I own a Dodge Grand Caravan; taking the ferry on Tuesday to Long Island to deliver and install a new trellis to replace the one that was run over at a friend's house last year - it was "totalled" 😝

52. Dejected: SAD - I am SAD; the Buffalo Bills are out again - as is their coach; I did call it on Jan 2nd

59. Words to live by: AXIOM - "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

61. Home overhaul, informally: RENO - renovation; I like HGTV's show "No Demo Reno"

My business name is "Re-Mölisher" - I try to reduce the demo/waste, too

62. Iranian money: RIAL - Learned by doing crosswords

63. Amazon assistant: ALEXA - I have Alexa, but I put her away to "renovate" my living room, and she's still in her box.  I still love this always funny SNL skit - name #4

Amazon Alexa Silver - uh-huh

64. Small fastener: BRAD - at least it wasn't clued as a name . . . 

65. Utah home of Sugarloaf Mountain: ALTA - Dah~!  I knew ASTA was wrong, however long the name has appeared in crosswords; he's the classic movie dog; geo name #5

66. Back, as a racehorse: BET ON - I read this as 'back OF a racehorse'

Hey, croup fit . . . .

67. "Holy moly!": "YIPE~!"

68. Existed: BEEN - WERE did not gibe; I had - - EN, so I went with THEN; BEEN was slow to come to me, as its pronunciation is more 'bihn', than 'bean', as it looks

DOWN:

1. Nasty cut: GASH - I start with the Down clues, and was on a roll . . .

2. "Ya dig?" reply: "I'M HIP." - but I had "Uh-Huh" here . . .

3. Rodeo rope: RIATA - and LASSO, so the NW was a mess

4. Motivation for seeking counsel: LEGAL ISSUES - great fill, but waited on perps

5. "Heaven forbid!": "HOPE NOT~!" - waited on perps

6. Assert: AVOW - Filled in the A & V, waited on perps - could always be avER

7. Disclose: TELL

8. Comics canine: SNOOPY - name #6

9. Required remittance: CAME DUE - pondered "WAS OWED" - Twurd

10. Peach or plum: HUE - I was not fooled.  Yes, they happen to be fruits as well . . .

Plus burgundy, coffee, ivory....

11. Border: EDGE - good WAG; could have been the verb ABUT

12. "The King and I" setting: SIAM - learned by doing crosswords

13. "Knives Out" actress Collette: TONI - name #7 - no clue, more here

21. The Aswan High Dam's river: NILE - geo name #8 - found this video with the unfinished obelisk featured as well

22. Snout-touching sound: BOOP - toyed with OINK

26. Seafood dish that turns from blue to orange during preparation: STEAMED CRAB

 

They're not blue anymore - a blog here

28. Two-finger sign: VEE

29. Gut course: EASY A - I am not aligned with "easy" meaning "gut" in this instance

30. Arm bone: ULNA

31. Out of shape: BENT - FAT was, ironically, not big enough . . . 

32. Timeline stretch: ERA - Dah~! not EON

33. Sumptuous: RICH - POSH, LUSH~? - ah, my actual name - but did not need to be clued as such

34. Fragrance: ODOR - I associate "fragrance" as positive, say "aroma" - "odor" with "stink", funk", etc.

36. Winter hrs. in Halifax: AST - Atlantic Standard Time

Circled in green, bottom right

38. Craggy hill: TOR - Learned by doing crosswords

41. Surname of two directors in the "Ghostbusters" franchise: REITMAN - Ivan did the always quotable original, and the less entertaining "II"; his son Jason did "Afterlife", which I have, embarrassingly, never heard about . . . now I gotta see it -  name #9

And I see there was a "sequel" in 2024 as well

42. Enemy of the Jedi: SITH - from the ubiquitous Star Wars - name(ish)

44. Period of invincibility in video games: GOD MODE - I like playing Sim City, and I can literally play "God" by turning on - or off - the natural disasters.

45. "About __": Hugh Grant film based on a Nick Hornby novel: "A BOY" - the IMDb

47. Within earshot: NEARBY

50. Skillful deceit: GUILE - My one unspottable error; GUI S E was good enough, and crossing a name, AL(S)TA, I was not going to notice I was wrong 😜

51. Online cash-back offer: eBATE

52. Automaker that declared bankruptcy in 2011: SAAB - The Monday dupe - now on Wednesday~!  I once owned a 1983 900 - buy now, SAAB later - name #10

53. Wagon part: AXLE

54. Lose on purpose?: DIET - the verb; I am back on track - down now at 207lbs, and still "losing"

56. Actress Hatcher: TERI - 'Bond girl' Paris Carver from Tommorow Never Dies, name #11

Pierce again - yet not my favorite Bond, by far

57. Pic: SNAP

58. Joie de vivre: ELAN - Frawnche #3, "Joy of Living"

60. Ergonomic brand: OXO - another Thursday dupe; 'kitchen gadgets', but that phrase was already in the crossword today as a clue, @ 35A.

Splynter

Grid Flow 29.8

Notes from C.C.:

Agnes sent me this precious photo she recently came across. She said "'It's about 30 years old and there are only 4 of us left out of the 9. Brings back many happy memories."

L to R, Seated: Joe, Agnes,  Eileen, Anne
L to R, Standing: Bill, Peggy, Jack, Bud, Mary

  

Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Jeff Stillman

 Films on the right...

 I wouldn't be CrossEyedDave if I didn't offer you my interpretation of the theme:

Nah, just kidding...

This pleasant 15x15 by Veteran Constructor Jeff Stillman has film titles on the right side of the starred clues as follows:

17. Across *Part of the bus that makes the wheels go round and round, round and round: DRIVESHAFT

You have all seen this thingie under a truck.

But have you seen this film?

(The first of five...)

26. Across *Part of the Blessed Trinity: HOLY GHOST

Image subject to interpretation.

Film also subject to interpretation.

36. Across *Folded flyer: PAPER AIRPLANE.

I flew the above style for several miles by throwing off the Eiffel Tower.

(Hmm, i guess i have also littered in France...)

This film has enjoyably littered movie screens across the world...

49. Across *Command aboard the USS Enterprise: WARP SPEED.

Faster then light travel

Faster than a bomb travel...

And the Reveal:

59. Across, Permission to adapt a novel, say, or what the answers to the starred clues all have: FILM RIGHTS.

14 three letter words (4 of which were names...) I also counted 14 names, but there are more depending on your interpretation.

Across:

1. In the thick of: AMID.

Not A-mud...

5. School attendee: PUPIL. (Are they called this because you have to keep your eye on them?)

10. Muscles above abs: PECS. Pectoral muscles.

14. Junction point: NODE.

One interpretation.

15. Father of Kartikeya and Ganesha, in Hindu traditions: SHIVA.

16. Feedback for a prof: EVAL. Short for evaluation.

17. [theme]

19. Frost: RIME. AI Overview

Rime ice forms from freezing fog (liquid droplets freezing on contact), creating dense, feathery, wind-swept ice, while hoar frost forms on clear, calm nights from water vapor directly turning to ice crystals (sublimation), resulting in delicate, needle-like, easily dislodged formations. The key difference is the moisture source: liquid fog droplets for rime versus invisible water vapor for hoar frost, and wind conditions: rime needs wind/fog, hoar needs calm, clear air

20. "Groovy!": RAD. 

• adjective. very good. synonyms: bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing, swell. good. having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified.

21. Leave slack-jawed: STUN.

22. Extend beyond: OUTLIE. (Or possibly out of bounds in Golf...)

24. Mass-mailing tool: ELIST. I presume this to be one word, like Email.

26. [theme]

28. Barbecue wipe: WET-NAP. The official copyrighted name has a dash, so it is not one word. This clue gave me pause, because I would have clued it "Lobster wipe." But i am not opposed to surf and turf.

30. Punster: WAG.

31. One of the Three Stooges: MOE. (There is only one Chairman Moe...)

32. At the original rate, in sheet music: A TEMPO. I was surprised to discover that this is two words.

35. Canasta combination: MELD.

Sets of 3 or more cards of the same rank.

(Learning moment)

36. [theme]

40. Ordinances: LAWS. The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread," was said by French writer Anatole France (1844-1924)      Also, 

The sentiment that 

"the more laws the more criminals" is commonly attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi (Lao Tzu). 

41. Kolkata resident: INDIAN. I would post a map, but India is a big place, and you would still get lost...

42. Simile center: AS A. 

"Simile center" most often refers to 

an educational activity or station for teaching similes(comparisons using "like" or "as") in literacy, but it can also be a crossword puzzle clue, where the answer is often ASA, meaning "as". In education, it's a classroom setup with tasks like matching similes to their meanings or writing original ones, while the crossword answer highlights the key word in the comparison, as noted by sources like WordTips and USA Today. 

43. Long stretch: EON.

45. Lawn care task: EDGING. And seeding, and mowing, and thatching, and...

49. [theme]

53. Sing in a high range?: YODEL. (Very cute, I just groked this reading it now...)

54. Most peculiar: ODDEST. (Because i am the 53A comment)

55. Glorify: LAUD. (I am The Oddest!)

57. Farm-to-table program, briefly: CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture) is a farm-to-table model where consumers buy shares of a farm's harvest upfront, then receive weekly boxes of fresh, local produce throughout the season, directly supporting local farmers, reducing food miles, and getting peak-season food with fewer middlemen.

58. Golda of Israel: MEIR.

59. [Theme Reveal]

62. Novelist Tyler: ANNE.

63. Rubber-stamping: OKING. (Does it take a King to OK the dang thing?) Interesting that Google prefers Okaying, and thinks OKing is a popular South Korean YouTuber and Streamer...) 

64. Gets even with: TIES. (Ya cant get even with em unless ya beat em!)

65. Badgers: NAGS. (Like 64A vexes me...)

66. Witherspoon of "The Morning Show": REESE.

67. Agile: SPRY.

Down:

1. "Christina's World" painter Wyeth: ANDREW.

See Wiki for complete info

2. Booster target, perhaps: MORALE.

3. Victorious cry: I DID IT.

4. Actor Patel: DEV. (This clue/answer seems devious to me, thank goodness for perps.)

5. Sibilant summons: PSST.

6. Slangy affirmative: UH HUH.

7. Grand instrument: PIANO. (There is also a Baby Grand if space doesn't permit.)

8. Assisted reproductive option: Abbr.: IVF. In Vitro Fertilazation

9. Singer Jackson: LATOYA.

10. Capital of Western Australia: PERTH.

11. Really bad sign: EVIL OMEN.

12. Top with spaghetti straps: CAMISOLE.

Makes for an interesting outfit.

(Oh, straps, not scraps.)

13. Came down hard?: SLEETED. 

Strange name for a bird...

18. Grand property: ESTATE. Tried Manor first, wasn't grand enough...

23. Brand of fleecy slippers: UGG. Overgrown Fuzzy Slippers

25. Onesie closers: SNAPS.

27. Euphemistic expression of affection: L WORD. I just assumed this had something to do with "Love." However Google is less than romantic, and shows it by saying this is a TV show...

29. Each: PER.

33. Quebec neighbor: MAINE. I could say volumes about this clue/answer, but in our current political climate, it would get too political...

34. Brooch: PIN.

35. National fruit of the Philippines: MANGO.

36. Caltech locale: PASADENA. You would known this if you watched The Big Bang Theory.

37. Handing an Emmy to, e.g.: AWARDING.

38. __ chart: PIE.

39. Royal bride of 1981: LADY DI.

40. Doors album whose last track is "Riders on the Storm": L.A. WOMAN.

43. Pothook shape: ESS.

44. Select: OPT FOR.

46. Pet-locating device: ID CHIP.

47. Mama bird, for one: NESTER.

48. Like some stares: GLASSY.

50. French fathers: PERES. 

51. "Love Me Like You Do" singer Goulding: ELLIE.

52. Sends to eternal punishment: DAMNS.

56. Craving: URGE.

60. Actor Barinholtz: IKE.

61. Classic sports cars: GTS. I wanted MGs.

And here's the grid:

Jeff Stillman, name sounded familiar. So i Googled him and only found his NewYork Times puzzles, which led me to This Site which had an interesting compilation of his first time used words in NYT. Click on "Naples Florida" to see how easy you got off with this Wednesday puzzle. Scroll to the bottom for the matching Clue offered. Even more embarrassing than thinking this might be a LAT debut, was that not only was his LAT debut in 2014, I had actually used his LA Times puzzles from November to practice writing this Blog...

Well, before i forget, 

CE:D out...

Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Jeff Stillman

Hello Cruciverbalists! CrossEyedDave here to fill in for the irreplaceable Hahtoolah, who could  not be here today. This is my first time trying this, (on an Ipad no less...) so bear with me. I hope I don't drive you further askew with my slant on things.

Ready to see if we can learn something new? Here we go!

First Themer:

20A. Output of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions: PARTY NOMINEES.

(Um, no politics... So I can't describe how i feel about the above are running.)

Second Themer:

29A. Hose that may have a seam up the back: NYLON STOCKINGS.

(Hmm, maybe Splynter should have Blogged this puzzle...)

Third Themer:

46A. Common conveyances between suburbs and cities: COMMUTER TRAINS.

(Now we are getting somewhere...)

And, The Reveal:

56A. "Three Blind Mice" line, or what can be said of 20-, 29-, and 46-Across: SEE HOW THEY RUN.

Across:

1. Sound from an angry cat: HISS.

5. Veil material: LACE. (What are you trying to hide?)

9. Venom-dispensing tooth: FANG. (Or, Phyllis Dillers Husband...)

13. Like draft beer: ONTAP.

Did you know you can get one for your home?

It's called a Kegerator!

(Get one & I'll come visit you...)

15. Division d'une nation: ETAT. French, it is in my "do not discuss file." Like Religion & Politics.

16. Simpson kid who plays the sax: LISA. My fav episode:

17. Small egg: OVULE. Hmm, seems to be getting bigger. Didn't it used to be Ova?

18. Claptrap: BOSH. One of the rarer synonyms, along with blather, blether, tripe, but its all hogwash to me...

19. Face-to-face exam: ORAL.  Reminds me i have a dentist appt.

20. [Themer]

23. Punk musician Vicious: SID.

I'm only familiar with this Sid...

24. Pull from behind: TOW. Pull from behind means something completely different to me:

25. Soccer score: NIL.

26. Apple mobile platform: IOS. I'm working on one. It would be nice if they didn't change everything with every update...

29. [Themer]

33. Ramen mushroom: ENOKI. My Sushi place has them wrapped in bacon!

Yummers!

34. Sassy: SMART. (I am not... :(

35. Blast from the __: PAST.

38. Sounds of regret: SIGHS.

41. Baked desserts: PIES.

42. Group of ships: FLEET.

44. Instruction on a Wonderland cake: EATME.

Or an Animal House Parade Float

46. [Themer]

51. Twice tre: SEI. Now, here you guys are going to have to help "me" out...  I thought it might be French, but Google is not helping. And why don't they have "twice" in its foreign language anyway? Sheesh,         I have enough trouble with English...

52. Pt. of USNA: NAV. Not Uni, Stat, or Aca, but "navy." Although, while it's commonly United States Naval Academy, some definitions have this as United States National Army. (Just be glad its not in French.)

53. Prince, to a king: SON. (Or a smaller idol to Elvis?)

54. Flamenco shout: OLE.

56. [Theme Reveal]

60. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. (I wanted nail...)

62. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Four letters, what else could it be...

63. Skittish: TIMID. Reminds me of this PSA

64. Radio switch letters: AMFM. Clock switch letters AMPM Did you change your clocks Sunday?

65. Cousin of a gull: TERN. (Why does this sound like an insult?)

66. Wiggle room: SPACE. (I need all i can get.)

67. Analogy part: IS TO. (Apropos of...)

68. Named, informally: IDED. Now, I am supposed to space out words when they are crammed together. Like IsTo above. But when i space this one, it comes out "Id Ed'?

69. Winter transport: SLED. (Perfect Segway to slide into the Downs...)

Down:
1. Some round earrings: HOOPS.

2. Fruitlessly: IN VAIN.

3. Built to last: STURDY.

4. Sidewalk ice melter: SALT. Magnesium chloride is considered the least toxic, but a Google search reveals vinegar will work! Or if you want to track it through the house, cat litter, coffee grounds, sand, and, wait? What's this? Beet Juice???  (Imagine tracking that thru the house...)

5. "Big" name in the Coen brothers' filmography: LEBOWSKI. 

The Dude Abides

6. Small building block: ATOM.  Aren't you glad they don't hurt when you step on them, like Legos...

7. House of cards?: CASINO. Now this was a clever clue

8. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC.

9. Sheet of ice: FLOE. Kinda sounds like when you slip on it. Yes/no?

10. Cairo-based carrier from 1982 to 2021: AIR SINAI. I guess El Al wouldn't fit...

11. Govt. intel org.: NSA. (Shhhh...)

12. Actress Gadot: GAL. If you say so?

14. Reed who directed three "Ant-Man" films: PEYTON. (Also if you say so...)

21. Forbidden acts: NONOS. Not putting a spaces between words are No Nos on the Blog

22. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS. ( i really wanted Oilers, its the only Canadian team i know.)

27. Shrek, for one: OGRE. (With three, count em, three movies!)

28. Phased-out fast planes, for short: SSTS.  (Because they weren't shhhh...)

30. Casual "They can do what they want": LETEM. Ok, now this one I'm not sure. Do I put in a space or what?

31. Princeton athlete: TIGER. I dunno, the way they change team names these days, tomorrow it might be  something else.

32. Hong Kong's Bank of China Tower architect: I.M. PEI.

35. Sarge's charges: PFCS. Private First Class

36. Soothing additive in some cosmetics: ALOE. No. I am "NOT" posting "that" pic...

37. Like Muenster and Monterey Jack: SEMISOFT.

39. Spot for a bowler to hang: HAT STAND. Hmm, see "the dude abides" above...

40. Detroit beer baron Bernhard: STROH. New too me, I tried to research what their beer was called, but all i got was the trivia that they were known as The Lion Brewing Company from 1875 to 1885.  After all that Googling, i could really use a brewsky...

P.S. auto correct changed brewsky to brew sky. I think the universe is telling me to cut out the space in the words jokes...

43. Prepare to play, as a piano: TUNE. This could have been a lot of things, but did you know that in order to tune a piano, you need a hammer? How to videos available upon request...

45. Some French Impressionist works: MANETS. (Not Monets.) and not what spellcheck wanted either. Monteys? Really?

47. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Ahhh yes, perfectly cozy for a winter puzzler...

48. Conjured up: EVOKED. Tahiti evoked me in a hammock, sipping cocktails on the beach.

49. Unexceptional: NORMAL. What me? Never!

50. Artificial water channel: SLUICE. There are a lot of images to choose from, but this little one saves a lot of work when panning for gold

55. Shut down: ENDED.  Nope, not yet...

57. Patron saint of sailors: ELMO. This was before the cuddly toy, see St.Elmos fire:

58. "Where __ we?": WERE.

59. Sounds in pounds: YIPS. (Not Arfs...)

60. __ chi: martial art: TAI.

61. Meditation sounds: OMS.

And here's the Grid:

Hope to see you in the comments section.

CE:D out...

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

1) Welcome aboard, dear Dave! Thank you for sticking with it and learning the ropes on the iPad. Your persistence really shows.

 

2) Inanehiker and her husband Mark visited me on Sunday. Such a joy to finally meet Nina in person and share stories beyond the blog. We were also joined by my crossword collaborator and friend Tom Pepper. 

 

Left to Right: Tom, Mark, Nina and C.C.