Friday, May 15th, 2026 ~ Jeffrey Wechsler

 MR. UNICORN VERSE

"Now I will believe that There are unicorns"

My last blog of a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle goes WAY back to 2012, when I was on Saturday duty; I discovered that JW's first crossword dates all the way back to 1969 - published in the NYT one day after the Apollo 11 astronauts left Earth.  As for today's construction, Mr. Wechsler goes beyond his normal add-a-letter theme style to a full-word-added one.  I really had to use my noggin to get my "ta-DA~!"  Lots of vague clues, but this is how a Friday should be.  Alas, I got bogged down with some proper names again ( e.g., the last letter "D" in red below ), even if I knew half of them.  I've noticed, too, that there are ALOT of two-word entries in JW Fridays, today being no exception, but at least they feel less "forced", so I will refrain from my usual Twurds count.  I will, however, point out the Shakespeare count ( 4 ),  the abbrs count ( 9 ), the names count ( 7 ), the two-words ( also 7 ), plus two Bible, two Montreal, two New York, two octopus & two Thwurds references.  Phew - I think I got them all . . . An oversized 15 x 16 grid, no circles, and 14 3LWs; the themers and reveal;

21. Apparel worn between December 22 and January 19?: CAPRICORN PANTS - Capri Pants; these are the dates of the Zodiac Sign for the "horned goat", Latin "caper cornu"; etymology fascinates me

The Tropic of Cancer is counterpart to the Tropic of Capricorn

30. Unappreciative of St. Louis's hockey team?: SCORNING THE BLUES - Sing the Blues; the St Louis Blues did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs - but Montreal is up on Buffalo😕, right Canadian Eh!

Stray Cat Strut, lyric @ 1:42

46. Starts a top-to-bottom demolition of an old facade?: BREAKS THE CORNICE - Breaks the Ice

56. Shakespearean "Listen up!," or an apt title for this puzzle?: "LEND ME YOUR EARS~!" The Bard #2 - #1 is in the link up top

I also pondered POPCORN MUSIC / CORNER NURSE

But Wait, There's More, my CORN-erites~!

ACROSS:

1. Urban haze: SMOG - I do the Down clues first, and had nothing up here to get started . . . sheesh

5. Urban network: ROADS - I tried TRAMS

10. Parts of some locks: HASPS - hair~? canal~?  Just plain old 'gate' locks

15. Boring outcome?: HOLE - clever clue/answer; drills "bore" holes . . . 🙄

16. Go up to: END AT - Semi-meh, as in "this progam will _ _ 11pm" - Two-word #1

17. Yamaha woodwinds: OBOES - yes, they DO make them . . .

18. SNAP benefits org.: USDA - Learning moment for me; abbr, #1, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Progam from the US Dept of Agriculture; more here

19. San Antonio site: ALAMO

20. Take part financially: BUY IN - Two-word #2

24. Wine cocktail also called blanc-cassis: KIR - Forgot the name of this drink

25. Mortgage agcy.: FHA - Federal Housing Administration - abbr #2

26. Pair of: TWO - two words in one crossword answer = Twurds

27. Bill fig.: AMounT - abbr #3

35. Dearie: HON - At least is was not the "other" 3LW . . . 

36. Expressions of discovery: A-HAs

37. Bi- quadrupled: OCTO- - Bipeds and Octopodes, #1 - or is it Octopi~? Hmmm . . .

38. "Four Quartets" poet: ELIOT - name #1

41. Writer Harte or wrestler Hart: BRET - name #2 - I had a falling out with my trainer BretT with two-T's; he's a millennial, so he has a short attention span and can be arrogant at times . . . we're good again

42. Lets go: FREES - Bible reference #1; Moses, Exodus 5:1 "let My people go free, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness"

43. SoCal emer. force: LAFD - I had the "P"olice B4 the "F"ire Dept, as NYC is FDNY - NY #1, abbr #4

44. Puts away: EATS - corn-on-the-cob eating contest~?

45. French street: RUE - Friends of mine did a spur-of-the moment Road Trip to Montreal (#2) way back in 1990; they thought they were clever because the remembered their car was parked on "RUE" street . . .  

52. Drink suffix: ADE

53. Biblical suffix: ETH - "And thus thine sayETH" - Bible reference #2 - I have been rewatching the fascinating series "The Psychology of the Biblical Stories" presented by Jordan Peterson, who steers clear of the religious aspect; now I'm working through his Exodus ones - which is how I came to know 42A.

54. Private aid gp.: NGO - Non-Governmental Organization - abbr #5

55. Largest U.S. union: NEA - The trucking teamsters is listed at #4; I was once a part of their union as an employee of both Roadway Express ( now YRC ) and UPS; abbr #6

61. Longtime college football coach Nick: SABAN - no clue, name #3

63. Vintage violin: AMATI - crossword staple

64. Smack: SWAT

65. Scoundrel: KNAVE

66. Almanac info: TIDES

67. Cover, in a way: PAVE - Phew~!  It took waaaay too long to get this fill - JW Friday clue

68. Alpine song: YODEL

69. Put away: STASH

70. Big Apple resident, for short: NYer - I was not in the City - but I once dwelled on Long Island, NY mention #2, and abbr #7

DOWN:

1. "I'm sorta disappointed": "SHUCKS~!" - Not only a "CORN" theme reference , but a 51D.  "Easter" Egg as well~!

2. Pompeii art form: MOSAIC - Incredible amount of detail; I'd love to make one

Octopus #2

3. Experienced sort: OLD PRO - Two-word(ish)~?

4. Locker contents: GEAR - think sports 

5. Try to access, as the back of a closet: REACH IN - Meh; two-word #3

6. Borrowed: ON LOAN - Two-word #4

7. Hebrew month after Shevat: ADAR - We had ELUL in the Sides Add LE puzzle last month

8. Curse: DAMN

9. "Enough!": "STOP THAT~!" - Two word #5

10. Rub shoulders (with): HOBNOB - More Shakespeare, #3, in the definition here

11. Be next to: ABUT

12. Kikkoman condiment: SOY SAUCE - two-word(ish), but it is a "thing"

13. Louvre Pyramid architect: PEI - crossword staple, name #4

14. Protected fig.: SSN - Social Security Number, abbr #8

22. "Alternatively ... ": "IF NOT..." - Two-word #6

23. Causes to gasp, perhaps: AWES

28. Ration (out): METE - a toss-up between this and DOLE, and they both worked at 58D. as well 🠟

29. General __ chicken: TSO's - My go-to Chinese choice, and I made my own this past weekend, added Spam to my fried rice per the recipe from last Friday - name(ish)

31. Friend of TV's Mary Richards: RHODA - MAUDE~?  MOORE~?  Before my time, name #5

32. Brooks of country music: GARTH - I did this one a few times at karaoke - name #6, but obviously I knew who we're looking for

33. "Lord, what fools __ mortals be!": "THESE~!" - Shakespeare #4, here, line 115

34. Cinema icon born in Rome: LOREN - Dah~! - Went with Peter LORRE off my LOR_ _; name #7

Sophia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone

38. Site of Napoleon's exile: ELBA - ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA - well-known palindrome

39. Tallow kin: LARD - I tried SUET

40. Guilty expression: "I FEEL BAD..." - Thwurd #1

41. Traction providers: BATHMATS - Phew, Friday fill . . . here's mine

I just installed the new vanity & top

42. Hullabaloo: FUROR - I tried MELEE

44. Cornerstone abbr.: EST'D - #9

45. Appealingly unconventional: ROGUISH - the "U" in the Down position looks odd

47. Place to keep toys?: KENNEL - Toys, as in small dogs, but I wasn't fooled; without the "?", maybe

48. Benjamins: C-NOTES - $100 bill slang

49. "Not exactly, but close": "IN A WAY..." - Tried NEARLY, but SWAY had to be correct: Thwurd #2

50. "Developed With Dermatologists" lotion brand: CeraVe - their website

51. Spring holiday: EASTER - 1...

57. Icicle spot: EAVE - 2...

58. Give out: EMIT - 3 "E"s in a row

59. Nonsense word similar to "blah": YADA - yada yada - also three in-a-row

60. Jessica Mendoza's network: ESPN - Four-letter network~?  Almost 4 "E"s in a row

61. Cloud's place: SKY - Ah, but which CLOUD - the digital storage one~?

62. "That's __-brainer!": "A NO~!" - aaaaand a Twurd.  #7.  Sorry.  Had to.

Splynter

Grid Flow 42.9

Thursday April 23, 2026 Jeffrey Wechsler

Jeffrey Wechsler made a triumphant return to the LAT with a fun Sunday puzzle just last month. While I know he has no control about when these are published, I think this one came out of the oven a bit too soon.

Golly Gee! For all you fans out there that love proper nouns, this is the puzzle for you. All five themers are peoples' names, both real and fictional, and they all end with GG. 

17. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" novelist: FANNIE FLAGG. She was also a frequent panelist on the Match Game.

30. Rapper featured on the Dr. Dre song "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang": SNOOP DOGG. That SNOOP is mentioned in a song with a "G" in the title, is the closest thing I found to a deeper theme.

37. Circumnavigator in a Jules Verne novel: PHILEAS FOGG. As a boy growing up on Verne, this was the one answer I filled in without hesitation, except I thought he was PHInEAS with an "N". 

41. English actress who played Emma Peel on "The Avengers": DIANA RIGG. DIANA RIGG as British spy Emma Peel in the 60s TV series was everything a young boy could hope for (when not reading Verne).

58. "The Road to Wellville" role for Anthony Hopkins: JOHN KELLOGG. "K-E-double L, O-double Good, Kellogg's best to you!" Whee! Are we having fun yet?

The real Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

I like the majority of the puzzles I do, but this one didn't excite me. I kept waiting for something to happen, a clever reveal, maybe something to do with movie Gigi, but it never materialized. It's just a list of names that end in GG. 

Across:

1. Revels (in): BASKS.

6. Kremlin cash: RUBLE.

11. Part of the DHS: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

14. Like sparrows and swallows: AVIAN.

15. One of several mistakes in a Shakespeare comedy?: ERROR. Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest and shortest plays, known for its farcical humor, slapstick, and mistaken identity, revolving around two sets of identical twins separated at birth.

16. Ashen: WAN.

17. [theme]

19. See 34-Down: ORA. Rita ORA.

20. Naval groups: FLEETS.

21. Fresh start?: NEO. From the Greek meaning "new."

22. Govt. figure: POL. POL is short for a government politician.

23. Whispery: LOW. LOW as in volume, not in tone. Cows LOW to communicate hunger or distress.

Psst! The grass is greener on the other side.

24. Observed furtively: SPIED.

27. Florence's river: ARNO.

28. One-named singer from Donegal: ENYA. ENYA has sold an estimated 80 million albums worldwide and now lives in a castle.

30. [theme]

33. Warble: TRILL.

36. Custardy desserts: FLANS. This is rarely seen in the plural, unless we're talking about the all-girl group from Mexico.

37. [theme]

39. Greek island in "The Two Faces of January": CRETE. The Two Faces of January is a 2014 thriller film set in Greece. Also see 29D.

40. Stay put, in Paris: RESTE. French lesson. It's interesting when a foreign word looks like a English word with a different etymology, yet has a similar meaning. "Rest" has Germanic roots.

41. [theme]

43. Fret (over): STEW.

47. eBay caveat: AS IS. I buy and sell often on eBay, and have had surprisingly good interactions with people. Especially gratifying are fair resolutions when something doesn't go quite right on either end.

48. Opposite of o'er: NEATH.

51. Lille pal: AMI. A little more French.

52. Oz. and mg.: WTS. Ounces and milligrams are WEIGHTS.

53. "The View" airer: ABC. The View is a daytime talk show hosted by women, now in its 29th season.

55. Driver's lic. with an added star: REAL ID. Starting on May 7, 2025, a REAL ID license or authorized alternative (like a passport) is required for U.S. domestic flights, entering secure federal buildings, and military bases.

57. Born: NEE. And even more French.

58. [theme]

61. Round topper for a scepter: ORB.

62. Part of the Dutch Caribbean: ARUBA. ARUBA is an island off the coast of Venezuela.

63. Netflix category: GENRE. 

64. Vane dir.: NNE. I'm glad more recent xwords have started cluing compass points this way rather than directions between two random cities.

65. Satisfy, as a debt: REPAY.

66. Good point: ASSET.

Down:

1. Perplex: BAFFLE.

2. Island where Excalibur was forged: AVALON. "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government." 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

3. Trim and muscular: SINEWY.

4. "Citizen __": KANE. Played by Orson Wells in 1941.

5. Pique performances?: SNITS. Fun clue.

6. NFL employee: REF.

7. Brief address: URL.

8. Corleone player: BRANDO. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

The Godfather

9. Theater section: LOGE.

10. Therefore: ERGO.

11. Like many electric plugs: TWO PRONG. This guy's a victim of a TWO PRONG attack.

12. Some Malaysian attire: SARONGS.

13. Like Big Ben's clock: ANALOG.

18. Dubious ability: ESP.

25. Michigan's __ Royale National Park: ISLE.

26. Make bigger: ENLARGE.

27. Maxims: ADAGES.

29. Greek city in "The Two Faces of January": ATHENS. Almost a clecho. See 39A.

31. Trade-__: compromises: OFFS.

32. Gardener's parcel: PLOT.

34. With 19-Across, "How We Do (Party)" singer: RITA. RITA Ora.

35. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. I don't remember this young man, and he's already quit acting, but misspelling the cross of PHInEAS with an "N" sunk me.

37. "Hallelujah!": PRAISE BE.

38. Video game giant: SEGA.

39. Collector of rainwater: CISTERN.

41. Suddenly hit: DAWN ON.

42. Increase slowly: INCH UP.

44. Claws: TALONS.

45. New citizen, perhaps: EMIGRE.

46. Doohickey: WIDGET.

49. Otto meno cinque: TRE. Now we switch to Italian for a math lesson. Eight minus five equals three.

50. Hägar the Horrible's wife: HELGA.

53. Slightly open: AJAR.

54. Offer no amusement to: BORE. Zzzz.

56. Tavern quaffs: ALES.

59. Bulls org.: NBA. The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association.

60. Big name in jewelry: KAY. Winner - Best Slogan: "Every Kiss Begins With KAY."

Well, was Jeffrey a good eGG or did he lay one?

Be good. RB

Sunday March 22, 2026 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "WE DID IT!" - We is added to each theme entry. 

22. Motto of an intrepid cotton farmer?: I WILL FEAR NO WEEVIL. I will fear no evil. 

33. Presentation on professorial fashion trends?: TWEED TALK. Ted talk.

38. Light lunch in a haunted cafe?: COBWEB SALAD. Cobb salad. 

66. Like text anyone is allowed to edit?: YOURS FOR THE TWEAKING. Yours for the taking.

96. Data from a middle school track meet?: TWEEN SPEEDS. Ten-speeds.

100. "I like the cut of your jib!"?: SWEET SAIL. Set sail.

117. Take new profile pics at the gym?: SWEAT FOR A PORTRAIT. Sat for a portrait. 

So happy to see the great Jeffrey back! It's been over two years since we saw his byline. 

Jeffrey is a master in this type of letter addition/deletion/swapping theme. Today is another strong example of his craftsmanship.

Across:

1. Some neutral tones in a designer's palette: GRAYS.

6. Jokers: WITS.

10. The "B" of RBG: BADER. The Notorious RBG. 

15. "Dear old" family member: DAD.

18. Shakespeare hero in the lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Love Story": ROMEO. 49. Last words of 18-Across: I DIE. Then he died.

19. French cap: BERET.

20. Nimble: AGILE.

21. Patterned after: A LA.

25. "Fresh Air" broadcaster: NPR.

26. Abandons all hope: DESPAIRS.

27. Stuns: AMAZES.

28. Feathery, perhaps: AVIAN.

30. Hardly encountered: RARE.

31. Apple product: MAC.

32. For one: A PIECE.

42. Small crowns: TIARAS.

43. "Or so": ISH.

45. Gulliver of "Gulliver's Travels": LEMUEL. Don't think we had him before. 

46. Paris's Paris's Musée d'__: ORSAY. Home to many Impressionist masterpieces.

47. Thing that may be open and shut: CASE.

49. Things: ITEMS.

50. Adages: SAWS.

54. Some guinea pigs: PETS.

55. Component of some firm-textured fabrics: WORSTED.

57. Turns red, say: DYES.

59. Sportage maker: KIA.

60. Matthew of "Stranger Things": MODINE.  He played Dr. Martin Brenner.

62. First word of "Simple Gifts": TIS.

64. Winemaker's concern: AGING.

72. Thicket: COPSE.

73. __ milk: SOY.

74. Fencing sword: RAPIER. 70. Fencing sword: EPEE.

75. Assent asea: AYE.

76. Wise one: SAGE.

80. Harvested: GLEANED.

82. Accomplishes: DOES.

86. __ salt: ROCK. Lots of Chinese desserts feature rock sugar. 

88. "Great performance!": BRAVO.

90. Lyft service: RIDE.

91. Concentrated: DENSE.

92. Act as an intermediary: LIAISE.

94. Big flower pot: URN.

95. Life, for one: CEREAL.

103. Bring back: REVIVE.

104. Grocery payment sys.: EBT. Electronic Benefits Transfer. 

106. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

107. Goddess of peace: IRENE.

108. Angelic being: SERAPH.

111. With 116-Across, useful tool for some crossword solvers: ERASABLE. And116. See 111-Across: PEN.

120. __ Alamos, New Mexico: LOS.

121. Yankee manager between Showalter and Girardi: TORRE (Joe) 1996-2007. We also have 19. Yogi in the Hall of Fame: BERRA. That's Whitey Ford in the middle.

122. Transmit: RELAY.

123. Marsh wader: EGRET.

124. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.

125. One-for-one deals: SWAPS.

126. Silly sort: TWIT.

127. Summer of disco: DONNA.

Down:

1. Crossword component: GRID.

2. Mike of "Dirty Jobs": ROWE. Some dirty jobs pay very well. 

3. French friends: AMIS.

4. Site for maligning poor dining: YELP.

5. Basis for standard timekeeping: SOLAR DAY.

6. Ferret kin: WEASEL.

7. Not perfect, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular. 

8. Midmorning hr.: TEN AM.

9. Tolerate: STOMACH.

10. Folk legend Joan: BAEZ. 

11. "The African Queen" screenwriter James: AGEE. The original novel is written by C. S. Forester.

12. Pts. of sports leagues: DIVS. Divisions.

13. Yale grad: ELI.

14. Setback: RELAPSE.

15. Webster who had a way with words: DANIEL.

16. Andes grazer: ALPACA.

17. "Well, I'll be __!": DARNED.

23. Authoritative orders: FIATS.

24. Baylor University city: WACO.

29. Little bottles: VIALS.

32. Treat quite poorly: ABUSE.

33. Former Corvette option: T-TOP.

34. Send a telegram: WIRE.

35. Memphis-to-Chattanooga direction: EAST.

36. "In Praise of Folly" writer: ERASMUS. Google says Erasmus wrote the work in about a week while staying at Sir Thomas More's estate in England.

37. Mugs: KISSERS.

39. Alphabetical order?: BLT.

40. Garden invader: WEED.

41. "The Bear" award: EMMY. "Yes, Chef!"

44. Good to go: SET.

47. Do: COIF.

48. River of Florence: ARNO.

51. Similar (to): AKIN.

52. Improvise, with "it": WING.

53. Submit to gravity: SAG.

55. Dict. entries: WDS.

56. __ alcohol: ETHYL.

58. Sushi pairing: SAKE. We've also seen SOJU in the gird. It's the Korean liquor. 

61. Useful minerals: ORES.

63. Uses a colander: STRAINS.

65. Skyscraper beams: GIRDERS.

66. Cellist Ma: YO-YO. Yo means "friend" in Chinese. Ma means "Horse".

67. Cartel founded in Baghdad in 1960: OPEC.

68. Like food truck orders: TO GO.

69. Lip gloss applicator: WAND.

71. Help: AID.

72. Saturn or Mercury: CAR.

77. Demean: ABASE.

78. Climber's asset: GRIP.

79. Fluency: EASE.

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

83. Draft status: ONE A.

84. Actor Morales: ESAI.

85. Hawk: SELL.

87. Vox co-founder Ezra: KLEIN. He has a popular podcast. 

89. Capital of Vietnam?: VEE. Vietnam. 

91. Couldn't stand: DETESTED.

93. Takes stock?: INVESTS. Literally. 

94. Basic interface for a PC: USB PORT.

95. Civil rights activist Chavez: CESAR.

96. Big hit: TRIPLE.

97. "It's time, everyone! Break a leg!": WE'RE ON.

98. "Despite that ... ": EVEN SO.

99. Part of CODA: DEAF. Child Of Deaf Adult.

101. Shed tears over: WEEP AT.

102. Judy Jetson's brother: ELROY.

105. Lost on purpose: THREW.

108. Organic fluids: SERA.

109. Wyatt of Tombstone: EARP.

110. GPS offerings: RTES.

112. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

113. Rural structure: BARN.

114. Bank claim: LIEN.

115. "Tell Mama" singer James: ETTA.

118. "Incredible!": WOW.

119. Journalist Velshi of MS NOW: ALI.

C.C.

Thursday, July 27, 2023, Jeffrey Wechsler

What's It All About?

Corner favorite Jeffrey Wechsler tries to stump us with a real POSER today.  Since the three theme clues all punt to the reveal we'll start with that ...

 55A. Profound philosophical subject, as defined by the answers to 21-, 32-, and 42-Across?: THE MEANING OF LIFE.  As you might imagine illustrating this was a real toughie, causing me to ponder several alternatives ...

Naturally the Monty Python film of the same name came to mind, but even the trailer was rated R! I then considered the "The Secret of Life" (the structure of DNA was published 70 years ago this past April 25) and the "The Theory of Everything" (physicists are still working on it), but rejected both as a bit too arcane.

I finally stumbled upon the incredible correspondence between the number for Jeffrey's third theme clue and this classic  revelation of  THE MEANING OF LIFE announced by the supercomputer Deep Thought in this trailer from the 2005 film A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, inspired by the magnum opus of British humorist Douglas Adams ...

Clever of Jeffrey to think of that.

So now that we've solved the question that has puzzled all of humanity since the beginning of civilization, what the heck do the following cryptic theme clues have to do with it?  Turns  out the answers are themselves clues to products all containing the word LIFE.

21A. See 55-Across: HISTORIC MAGAZINE.  LIFE.  Here's the Life magazine cover published 10 years after the discovery of the structure of DNA. LIFE always was a little slow out of the gate (story starting on page 73) ...

If you want the real story I recommend this book ...

BTW LIFE's LIFE as a weekly magazine ended on December 8, 1972. 

32. See 55-Across: BREAKFAST CEREAL.  LIFE is also a breakfast cereal produced by the Quaker Oats Company. Introduced in 1961, the cereal has a brown, checked square pattern and mainly consists of oat flour, corn flour, added sugar, and whole-wheat flour.

42A. See 55-Across: FAMILY BOARD GAME.  LIFE is also a board game. This collector's edition of The Game of Life in the original Tin box is available on Ebay for $110.00 (although I doubt that it's pure Tin (Sn)) ...

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Electronic music duo __ Punk: DAFT.  A classic Wechsler clue for DAFT I'm sure. 😀  Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop.  Here's their Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.  Listen carefully, as you're not likely to hear this again ...

5. McEntire of country music (and old sitcoms): REBA.  I'm glad that parenthetical afterthought was included in the clue.  McEntire is a great musician, but apparently she's also quite a comedienne, and last week I didn't have room for two clips, so here's the funny lady today ...

9. Wetlands area: MARSH.  I grew up meandering along White MARSH run in Maryland before US 695 paved over most of it in 1962.  One of my most vivid memories of the area was all the dragonflies flying over our heads, which we called "Snake Doctors", and of which we were mortally afraid.

14. Uzbekistan's location: ASIA.  Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest.

Uzbekistan in Asia

15. Yoked team: OXEN.

16. BP merger partner: AMOCO.

17. "A likely __!": STORY.

19. Noodle: BEAN.  Sorry, but I couldn't resist.  Just a little one ...

See also 36D.

20. Twangy: NASAL.

21. [Theme clue]

24. Physics particles: IONS.  An ION is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convention. The net charge of an ion is not zero because its total number of electrons is unequal to its total number of protons.  Two IONS with opposite charges attract one another and can form an ionic bond resulting in a molecule, e.g. Lithium Fluoride ...

Electron transfer between
lithium (Li) and fluorine (F).
Forming an ionic bond, Li and F
become Li+ and F− ions.

25. Some Hollywood workers: AGENTS. Recently other Hollywood workers -- writers and actors -- went on strike demanding higher pay and regulation of the use of AI for generating scripts and cinematic images.

26. "Don't make me laugh!": GOSH NO.

30. Move like molasses: OOZE.  Especially in February.

32. [Theme clue]

38. iPad assistant: SIRI.  I'm not into giving computers speech therapy.

39. Pound mix: MUTT.  A CSO to PAT.

40. Superficially fluent: GLIB.

42. [Theme clue]

47. Pine for: MISS. 

48. Smoothed (out): IRONED.

49. Plays, as a banjo: STRUMS.  Here's Whitewater, written and performed by BANJO virtuoso Bela Fleck with special guests from his album My Bluegrass Heart ...
 

53. Silk Road desert: GOBI.  The Silk Road was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.  It is also the moniker for the musical ensemble Silkroad conceived by cellist Yo Yo Ma in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together.  Here's their performance of the theme Going Home from Dvorak's New World Symphony ...

55. [Theme reveal]

62. "Game of Thrones" actor Gillen: AIDAN.  We've never seen GOT, but we did see AIDAN Gillen in the creepy English village thriller Mayday ...

63. Nose wrinkler: ODOR.

64. Subway need, once: TOKEN.

65. Reduces slightly: TRIMS.

66. Vatican's environs: ROME.  A country within a city within a country.

St. Peter's Square
from the top of Michelangelo's dome

67. Shared one's poetry, say: READ.

68. Oscar winner Redmayne: EDDIE.  EDDIE Redmayne played physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything...

Astonishingly Stephen Hawking, who held the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University and who predicted the emission of Hawking Radiation by black holes, was never awarded a Nobel Prize.  Here's why.

69. Some half pints: ALES.  Watson and Crick are reported to have quaffed quite a few ALES in the Eagle Pub in Cambridge whilst "they" discovered the secret of life.

70. Grub: EATS.

Down:

1. Short run: DASH. Or half an EM DASH (--)

2. Italian city east of Turin: ASTI.

3. Verizon bundle: FIOS.  This review is being brought to you in part by the ISP known as VERIZON.

4. Like cranberry juice: TART.

5. Bird associated with spring: ROBIN.  The ROBINS in my back yard seem to be here year round these days.  Like everything in America, they're bigger than English ROBINS.

American Robin        English Robin

6. Suits: EXECS.

7. Roofing timber: BEAM.

8. Swedish golf champion Nordqvist: ANNA.  ANNA Maria Nordqvist (born 10 June 1987) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. She has won three major championships: the 2009 LPGA Championship, the 2017 Evian Championship, and the 2021 Women's British Open. She is the only non-American woman to have won major championships in three different decades (2000s, 2010s and 2020s).

9. Supervisor: MANAGER.

10. Wow: AMAZE.

11. Violinist's aid: ROSIN.  Here's the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem singing Rosin up the Bow.  Apparently this substance loosens up the vocal cords (lyrics) ...

12. Meager: SCANT.

13. Boring outcomes?: HOLES.  If it turns out to be a Black HOLE, it might not be so boring (see 68A).

18. "Taking this!": YOINK.  DNK YOINK.  A sound effect created by Don Martin of Mad Magazine used to indicate the rapid pulling or removal of an object, much like 'Pow" or "Bam" would indicate a punch. ...

... Yiddish for YANK?

22. Certain sleigh's parking spot: ROOF.  That would be the one driven by SANTA CLAUS.

23. Wondering look: GAZE.

26. "Pygmalion" writer's monogram: GBS.  George Bernard Shaw.  Shaw's play was based on the Greek myth about the sculptor Pygmalion who falls in love with a statue he has created called Galatea.  The story was basis for a 1956 Lerner and Loewe stage musical, later made into the 1964 hit musical comedy-drama film My Fair Lady. The story has inspired many other works of art, including the operetta The Beautiful Galatea, by Franz von Suppé.  Here's the overture ...

27. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name, / __ thou wilt not, be but sworn my love": Juliet: OR IF.   The line just before it is one of the oft most quoted lines in Shakespeare and  here serves as Jeffrey Wechsler's signature.

28. Blood fluids: SERA.

29. "Women in Music Pt. III" pop band: HAIM.  Women in Music Pt. III is the third studio album by the sisters HAIM. It was released on June 26, 2020, in the United States by Columbia Records and internationally by Polydor Records. Here's Los Angeles (lyrics) ...

30. Director Preminger: OTTO.  OTTO Ludwig Preminger (5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor.  He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre.  He first gained attention for film noir mysteries such as Laura (1944) and Fallen Angel (1945), while in the 1950s and 1960s, he directed high-profile adaptations of popular novels and stage works. Several of these later films pushed the boundaries of censorship by dealing with themes which were then taboo in Hollywood, such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm, 1955), rape (Anatomy of a Murder, 1959) and homosexuality (Advise & Consent, 1962). He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. He also had several acting roles.

Otto Preminger

31. Four times bi-: OCTA.

33. Organic frozen-food brand: AMY'S.  Looks like good stuff.

34. Some sandwiches: SUBS.

35. Waffle brand: EGGO.

36. Rickman of "Love Actually": ALAN.  Here's the Necklace Scene with some familiar faces besides ALAN ...

37. Citrus fruit: LIME.

41. "The Princess and the Pea" prop: BED.  The PEA purportedly felt like this ...

43. Vast: IMMENSE.  See  above.

44. Simpson daughter: LISA.   LISA does the crosswords, while Homer rakes it in ...

45. Part of RNA: RIBO.  Prefix for RIBOSE, a sugar that forms the backbone of  RiboNucleic Acid, an important component of the cellular process for the synthesis of proteins.

46. Go with the flow: DRIFT.  Or CATCH somebody's meaning.

49. One of Mexico's 31: STATE.

50. Show place?: THIRD.  Clever clue. The THIRD in the sequence WIN, PLACE, and SHOW.

51. Overhauled: REDID.

52. Fish sauce taste: UMAMI.  Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and UMAMI.

53. Fairy tale figure: GNOME. GNOMES are NICE figures.

Garden Gnome

54. Fairy tale figures: OGRES.  Some OGRES are NICE too, but misunderstood ...

Shrek

56. Romance writer Roberts: NORA.  A Marylander who made (very) good ...

Nora Roberts

57. Revered one: IDOL.

58. Ancestral knowledge: LORE.

59. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Could also be clued "Four letter furniture manufacturer:"

60. Heroic deed: FEAT.  Here's a less heroic FEAT performing Dixie Chicken with Emmy Lou Harris and Bonnie Raitt ...

61. Aims: ENDS.  ... and thus ENDS the review.


Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley