Sunday April 7, 2024 John Michael Currie

 

Theme: "Amendment Needed" - The circled letters orderly spell out "THE FIFTH". And each circled letter is the 5th letter in the theme entry. 

25. *Accidentally scorch the appetizers?: CHART A COURSE.

31. *"You can't wrestle a chimney sweep and come out clean," e.g.?: SOOTH SAYING.

44. *Mission of the Blue Origin rockets carrying William Shatner and Michael Strahan?: STARES INTO SPACE.

56. *Finish a crossword with a spelling error?: GO OFF THE GRID.

82. *Say no to a date?: PASSION FRUIT.

92. *Run-ins with soft cheese?: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS.

108. *Exhale in a game of hide-and-seek?: SIGHT UNSEEN.

115. *Florists who specialize in purple bouquets?: IRISH SETTERS.

Reveal:

130. With this puzzle's circled letters, exercise a certain constitutional right, and how to answer each starred clue: TAKE.

Our blog tag shows this is John's first Sunday puzzle. Congrats, John!

After reading the reveal clue and strung together the message, I still did not get into the 5th letter aspect. Talk about layers. Amazing.

Across:

1. Oldest Simpson kid: BART.

5. Casino convenience: ATM.

8. Model plane wood: BALSA.

13. Motor City pro: PISTON. Detroit Pistons.

19. State with an astronaut on its quarter: OHIO. An early "Happy Birthday" to Jeff of Pepper Pike, Ohio!

20. Aunt, in Acapulco: TIA.

21. Lures: BAITS.

22. "Knock, knock!": I'M HERE.

23. Tactful one: DIPLOMAT. And 93. 23-Across's base: EMBASSY. My former boss James, now a diplomat. Do you like my hair then?

 

James & C.C.

27. Basket maker, e.g.: SCORER.

29. Gibbs of "The Jeffersons": MARLA.

30. Stomped (on): TROD.

36. D.C. VIPs: POLS.

37. Typeface word: SANS.

38. Displace: UPROOT.

39. 3D ring shape: TORUS.

41. Amarillo-to-Austin dir.: SSE.

43. Very small: ITTY.

51. Unknown degree: NTH.

52. Burn soother: ALOE. Was trying to reach a bag of dried white fungi from the cupboard over our stove last week. The hot pot burned my belly button. Ouch. But the soup was good.

54. "Only Time" artist: ENYA.

55. Fervency: ARDOR.

61. "The Hangover" role for Ed Helms: STU.

63. "Eureka!" elicitor: IDEA.

64. Golden Fleece seeker: ARGONAUT.

65. Colleague: PEER.

66. Drawbacks: CONS.

67. Unlikely to be discussed: TABOO.

69. Classic Ford, familiarly: T-BIRD.

71. Takes turns?: SPINS.

73. Credit: CITE.

74. Airbnb alternative: VRBO. Vacation Rentals by Owner. 

77. Twice-monthly shoreline occurrence: NEAP TIDE.

80. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR. 49. "True Grit" filmmakers: COENS. They grew up in
St. Louis Park, MN.

81. Aquaman's domain: SEA.

86. Arctic seal refuges: BERGS. Hello cutie.

88. __'acte: ENTR.

90. Lamb mamas: EWES.

91. Package opening?: PRE. Prepackage.

97. Watery defense: MOAT.

98. "Srsly!?": OMG.

99. Corp. hierarchy modification: RE-ORG.

100. Like: AKIN TO.

102. Fitbit unit: STEP.

106. Darlin': BABE.

111. Posh: LUXE.

112. Not just once: AGAIN.

114. Pan-fries: SAUTES.

119. Took control of, as a competition: BLEW OPEN.

123. Olympic projectile: DISCUS.

124. Sarnia's lake: HURON.

125. Simu of "Barbie": LIU. He was born in Harbin, China.

126. Hostile: UGLY.

127. Tangible thing: ENTITY.

128. Sewing kit item: SPOOL.

129. Mo. before May: APR.

Down:

1. Figure, casually: BOD.

2. Pacific tuna: AHI. Want some?

3. Paper problem: RIP.

4. "War and Peace" novelist: TOLSTOY.

5. Tops: AT MOST.

6. Pageant crown: TIARA.

7. Chum on a boat?: MATEY.

8. Telly channel: BBC.

9. Apt rhyme for spa: AAH.

10. Youngest Hemsworth brother: LIAM. Liam, Chris and Luke.

11. Gets ready for a ride: STRAPS IN.

12. Space City pro: ASTRO. Tony's team.

13. Cubism pioneer: PICASSO.

14. Texter's qualifier: IMO.

15. Closes: SHUTS.

16. Earth, in some sci-fi: TERRA.

17. Director Welles: ORSON.

18. Cries out for: NEEDS.

24. Calle __: street in Miami's Little Havana: OCHO. Learning moment for me.

26. "You're in good hands" sloganeer: ALLSTATE.

28. EGOT winner Moreno: RITA.

31. Taking to court: SUING.

32. Decide one will: OPT TO.

33. Gardening brand: ORTHO.

34. Neither companion: NOR.

35. Ph.D. seeker's test: GRE.

40. Cheaper, perhaps: USED.

42. Hockey great Tikkanen: ESA. Finnish hockey player.

 

44. West End district: SOHO.

45. Many a YA hero: TEEN.

46. Where Ferrari is RACE: NYSE. Very cool.

47. Like business vis-à-vis coach: PRICIER.

48. Extra option: ADD ON.

50. Historical chapters: ERAS.

52. Prefix with futurism: AFRO.

53. Newsom and Hochul, once: Abbr.: LT GOVS. Kathy Hochul, the New York governor.

57. Jeweler to the Romanovs: FABERGE. 96. Many pieces by 57-Down: EGGS.

58. Spanish cat: GATO.

59. Spice mixture: RUB.

60. Turner memoir: I TINA.

62. Bearlike: URSINE.

65. Smartphone precursors, for short: PDAS.

67. Proctor's tool: TIMER.

68. Nintendo rival: ATARI.

70. Hi-__ audio: RES.

72. Many e-forms: PDFS.

73. __ salad: COBB. Do you guys like microgreens?

75. Come back to the table: RE-ENGAGE.

76. Judge's seat: BANC.

78. Fishing spot: PIER.

79. Helps to water-ski: TOWS.

82. Leith of "The Great British Baking Show": PRUE.

83. Barely leading: UP ONE.

84. Seeing red: IRATE.

85. "Grand" peak: TETON.

87. Airport near San Jose, Calif.: SFO.

89. Did exceedingly well: TORE IT UP. Great fill.

94. Many stats: NOS.

95. TNT start: TRI.

97. Skip an epic party, say: MISS OUT.

100. Filmmaker with a distinctive style: AUTEUR.

101. Was sure: KNEW.

102. Playground feature: SLIDE.

103. Italy's first capital: TURIN.

104. Be: EXIST.

105. Joe of "Bupkis": PESCI.

107. Jacuzzis, e.g.: BATHS.

109. "Se __ español": HABLA.

110. Spring bloom: TULIP. So pretty.

113. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.

116. Modest digs: HUT.

117. Down Under hopper: ROO.

118. NBC skit show, for short: SNL.

120. Tour gp.: PGA.

121. Large deer: ELK.

122. Bill for education?: NYE. Bill Nye.

Some of you might still remember the friendly challenge Splynter and I had back in January. He'd like to lose 10lbs by Easter and I wanted to swim fly for a lap sans fins.

I was able to swim only a length last month and I have not even tried once since then.

Splynter has lost 6lbs so far, He actually lost 8, but gained 2 more back. The most important thing is that he joined CrossFit and he now goes there regularly. So proud of your achievement, Splynter!

Splynter

Monday, November 6, 2023 ~ John Michael Currie

What a Card.

Happy Monday folks! Today John gives us a cute reveal with the double-meaning of POST -- "mail" and "after." See, both parts of each themer can follow (be after) CARD.
I'll be honest, it took me a minute to figure out the theme - i.e. themer words POST (after) CARD...

12. Place in a house where one might find a cue or Clue: GAME ROOM. A Card Game may be played in the Card Room.

20. Many a corporate decision-maker: BOARD MEMBER. Cardboard. Card Member (Got Amex?).

34. Investor who has shares in a company: STOCK HOLDER. Cardstock. Card Holder (for business cards or a Mastercard user? We should be told.).

51. Seating chart designation: TABLE NUMBER. Card Table (aka the kid's table at Thanksgiving). Card Number (from one's Visa?).

60. Mail that doesn't need an envelope, and where both words of 12-, 20-, 34-, and 51-Across can be found?: POST CARD.

Fun, huh? Alright, let's take a look at the rest of the fill.

Across:
1. Opera highlight: ARIA.

5. Spanish Mrs.: SRA.

8. Yin and __: YANG.

Taoist Balance

12. [See: Theme].

14. Sherlock's sister, per two Netflix films: ENOLA.

Sherlock & Enola

16. Caffè Americano base: ESPRESSO.

Weird Al tells us there's no X in Espresso

17. Hale and hearty: STRONG.

19. Mil. category: NCO. Non Commissioned Officer. i.e. Sgts.

20. [See: Theme].

22. "Finding Nemo" kid who scares the fish: DARLA.

Dentist Scene

24. "My thought is ... ": I ASSUME.

25. Choir voice below soprano: ALTO.

26. Knightley's "Pirates of the Caribbean" role: SWANN. Keira Knightley played Elizabeth Swann.

Keira Knightley

29. "On my way!" text, maybe: LIE. It's a lie 'cuz you haven't left yet, have you?

30. Black-and-white cookies: OREOS.

32. Keyboard sound: CLACK.

34. [See: Theme].

37. Finish, as cupcakes: FROST. Didn't he write The Cupcake Not Taken?

39. Precise: EXACT.

40. NFL official: REF.

41. Fill in, as a lawn bare spot: RESOD.

43. Caustic remark: BARB.

47. Heartburn remedy: ANTACID.

50. Thigh bone: FEMUR.

51. [See: Theme].

55. Lagunitas Brewing Co. specialty: IPA.

Beer Advocate rates it a 93

56. "You're killing me, __!": line from "The Sandlot": SMALLS.

S'Mores?

57. Pet dander, for one: ALLERGEN.

59. Top-notch: ELITE.

60. [See: Theme].

61. Reduced by: LESS.

62. Sault __ Marie: STE.

63. Regarding: AS TO.

Down:
1. Guide that can become the outline for a meeting's minutes: AGENDA.

This Tracks

2. Imp: RASCAL. HG quizzed us Saturday.

My guess: Buckwheat, ?, DARLA, Spanky, Alfalfa, ?

3. Commodity from abroad: IMPORT.

4. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER.

5. Fair to middling: SO-SO.

6. Civil rights icon Parks whose actions inspired a bus boycott: ROSA.

7. Another name for the Roman god Cupid: AMOR.

8. Overly agreeable guy: YES-MAN.

9. Starts a poker pot: ANTES.

10. Social standards: NORMS.

11. Spherical: GLOBULAR.

13. Singer McEntire: REBA.

15. Lacking vigor: ANEMIC.

18. One from Athens: GREEK.

21. Ruckus: DIN.

23. Plunders: LOOTS.

26. Brief moment: SEC.

27. Round-bottomed cookware: WOK.

Mmm... Fried Rice

28. Fireplace leftovers: ASHES.

31. Wither away: ROT.

32. Public health agcy.: CDC. Center for Disease Control

33. Leave alone: LET BE.

The Fab Four

34. Jocelyn Alo's sport: SOFTBALL.

35. Good Grips gadget brand: OXO. I have a few of their kitchen tools -- Good Grips indeed.

36. Little guy: LAD.

37. Counterparts of sororities, for short: FRATS. Fraternities.

38. Menu option in a file manager: RENAME. In Windows, you can also just CLACK F2 and change the name in place.

41. Runs water over: RINSES.

42. School URL part: EDU. .edu is the top-level domain (TLD) for universities and colleges. The original TLDs were .edu, .com (commercial), .mil (military), .org (organization), .net (network related), .gov (government), & .int (international). I've had all but .int.

44. Compañeras: AMIGAS.

45. Stewie's teddy bear on "Family Guy": RUPERT. Family Guy is a cartoon for (im)mature audiences.

46. Marlon of "On the Waterfront": BRANDO.

He Coulda Been a Contender

48. "Kate & __": 1980s sitcom: ALLIE. The WikiP

Susan Saint James & Jane Curtin

49. Britons and Gaels: CELTS.

50. Agonize (over): FRET.

52. GPS app on iPhones: MAPS.

53. Printer smudge: BLOT.

54. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE.

58. Early TV brand: RCA. Hi Misty!

The Grid:

The Grid

The skinny:
WOs: CLiCK -> CLACK ("Hello, you're on Car Talk.")
ESPs: DARLA, LIE, SWANN, RUPERT
Fav: A good buddy of mine (ex-Navy) would say "You're killin' me SMALLS" anytime someone around him didn't "get it."

Cheers, -T

Monday June 26, 2023 John Michael Currie

  

Hello Cornerites!

Theme:          Get in shape!  

sumdaze here. Today is shaping up to be another good day thanks to constructor John Michael Currie and his delightful puzzle!

There are four starred clues:

6 Down. *West Wing workplace: OVAL OFFICE.  The OVAL OFFICE is located in the West Wing of the White House.  

14 Down. *Multilevel investment swindle: PYRAMID SCHEME.  Investopedia explanation

24. *Pet's post-surgery device, facetiously: CONE OF SHAME.  

28. *Two, to four, e.g.: SQUARE ROOT.  The SQUARE ROOT of a number x is a number that, when multiplied by itself, equals the number x. So, in this clue, 2 is a SQUARE ROOT of 4 because 2 x 2=4. Likewise, 3 is a SQUARE ROOT of 9 because 3 x 3=9.  

The unifier sketches it out for us:

10 Down. Exceptional physical health, and a feature of the answer to each of this puzzle's starred clues: TIP TOP SHAPE.  

Each of these answers is written vertically, making the SHAPE (OVAL, PYRAMID, CONE, SQUARE) appear at the TIP TOP of the answer. I also noticed that two of the shapes are 2-dimensional (oval & square) and the other two shapes are 3-dimensional (pyramid & cone). No outliers. Well done, JMC!

Let's see what else we can round up.

Across:
1. 1997 crime drama "Donnie __": BRASCO.  "Osmond" also fit.

This mob-themed movie starred Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Here is the trailer:

7. Demo stuff: TNT.  "Demo" is short for "demolition" and TNT is short for TriNitroToluene.  

Poor Wile E.! His ideas always 'backfire' on him!

10. Egyptian boy king: TUT.  I heard he was involved in a PYRAMID SCHEME.

13. Boxing film co-starring Sage Stallone: ROCKY V.  "Stallone" told me it would be one of the Rocky films. I was not surprised to learn that Sage is Sylvester's son.

14. Experts: PROS.

15. German pronoun: ICH.  

16. Light-sensitive eye layer: RETINA.

17. Mixed breed lapdog: YORKIPOO.  They are a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Toy Poodle. They typically weigh 5-15 pounds.

19. Role in a Thanksgiving pageant: PILGRIM.  

21. The Rockies, e.g.: Abbr.: MTNS.  MounTaiNS

22. Some soft drinks: COCA-COLAS.

25. Hearty steak: T-BONE.

26. Parka part: HOOD. 

Artic gear, such as the fur-lined PARKA (to the left), is being tested by personnel
at the Natick Army Labs, Boston, MA, 1940's.
The Complete History of the Parka

27. Sibs, 'rents, etc.: FAM. Siblings and parents are FAMily.

28. Dish eaten with a spoon: SOUP.  Didn't the dish run away with a spoon?

29. Large coffee dispensers: URNS.

30. Thur. follower: FRI.  days of the week 

This cat looks like it might eat a Yorkipoo for brekky.

31. Knightly missions: QUESTS.  They say the knight who was only allowed to be on the edge of the round table was Sir Cumference.

34. "Feel Good" creator/star Martin: MAE.  ESP for this Netflix-less blogger.  more info.

35. Went extinct: DIED OUT.  

37. Beret, e.g.: HAT.

38. Irrationally afraid: PHOBIC.  

In this clip from A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965),

Lucy tries to help Charlie Brown identify his fears. (1 min.)

40. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.  In 1957, The Silhouettes released the song Get a Job. It began:

Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip, bmm

Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na-, ahh-do  (repeat 3 more times)

Twelve years later, a group of Columbia University students who shared a passion for 1950's Doo-wop formed a group and called themselves Sha Na Na.

41. Frilly fabric: LACE.

42. __ and fortune: FAME.

43. Automobile: CAR.

44. Knowledgeable about: UP ON.

45. Track legend Owens: JESSE.  

From @Olympics:  At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, JESSE Owens won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and Long Jump -- all in front of the watching Adolf Hitler.

As an African-American athlete, Owens set three world records, shattering Hitler's theories of Aryan superiority.

47. Most cunning: SHREWDEST.

49. Tylenol target: ACHE.

50. Picked up with a toothpick: SPEARED.  

51. Honey-glazed entree: ROAST HAM.

53. "Booksmart" director Wilde: OLIVIA.  Booksmart is a 2019 teen comedy movie. Looking at the cast list just now, I noticed that an actress named Beanie played a character named Molly and an actress named Molly played a character named Annabelle.

57. Shade tree: ELM.

58. "9-1-1: Lone Star" star Rob: LOWE.  This TV show originally aired on FOX in January 2020. Last month they announced that the show has been renewed for a 5th season.

59. Sea creatures with multiple arms: OCTOPI.  This link goes to the Giant Pacific Octopus cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Note:  depending on the hour you visit the site, you might need to scroll down a bit and click the play arrow.)

60. Lousy grade: DEE.

61. Chili __ carne: CON.  translates to "with" in English

62. Political nomination, informally: THE NOD.

Down:
1. [Shiver]: BRR.  

Get it? He's a stick figure. Haha!

2. Caviar: ROE.

3. Step into character: ACT.

4. Click past promos: SKIP ADS.  This might be a debut answer. I did not find it on the one sight where I know to look. Perhaps someone can double-check that and let us know.

5. Skeptical sort: CYNIC.  

Oh, wait, I think I accidentally Googled "scenic photos".

7. Un et deux: TROIS.  French  

8. Name shouted on "Cheers": NORM.  Three weeks ago I included a "NORM" clip from the 1982-1993 TV show Cheers. Let me see if I can find a different one....  

9. Sound of disapproval: TSK.

11. The Huskies of the NCAA's Big East: UCONN.

12. This and that: THOSE.

18. Fill (with): IMBUE.  From M-W dictionary:  Like its synonym infuse, imbue implies the introduction of one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. Someone's voice can be imbued with pride, for example, or a photograph might be imbued with a sense of melancholy. 

20. Cause of squinting: GLARE.  No worries! Put on a pair of cool sunnies! 😎

22. __ change: CHUMP.  a small or insignificant amount of money

23. Marine Corps battle cry: OORAH.  CSO to Wilbur Charles and DH!

25. Promote aggressively: TOUT.

32. Food truck snacks: TACOS.  

While on my bike ride yesterday, I stopped at The Choke Coach to eat artichoke TACOS.

33. Surgical tube: STENT.

35. Thin coin: DIME.  See 22D.

36. Catherine of "Best in Show": O'HARA.  This movie is my fav of Christopher Guest's mocumentaries. Catherine O'HARA & Eugene Levy play a married couple, Cookie & Gerry Fleck. Here is the 2000 trailer (2 min.)  You will likely recognize many of the cast members.

39. Fenway Park corners: BASES.  Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, MA. The Red Sox have been playing there since it opened in 1912. It is the oldest park currently in use by a MLB team. BTW, Fenway Park is 21.4 miles away from Natick, MA.

41. Technology shunner: LUDDITE.  NPR's Planet Money did an interesting podcast on LUDDITEs. If you are curious, and have some time later today, try this link. It will take you to that episode where you can click the "20-minute listen" icon.

45. "Guns, Germs, and Steel" writer Diamond: JARED.  Goodreads link

46. French school: ÉCOLE.  I am currently reading The Sympathizer (I think some of you recommended it recently because the author's name was in a puzzle). The word lycée appears often in that book so I patted myself on the back for knowing that one. Bzzzt! Eventually perps recued me. After researching this today, I learned that ÉCOLE is used for all the school years and lycée is more like "high school".

47. Breed, as salmon: SPAWN.  "Breed" is a verb here.

48. Big name in grape products: WELCH.  

Well, the font used for the name does look bigger....

50. "Get lost!": SHOO.

52. Extra-special attn.: TLC.  "Attention" is abbreviated, so is Tender Loving Care.

54. The __ Trapps: "The Sound of Music" family: VON.

55. Wall St. investment opportunity: IPO.  "Street" is abbreviated, so is Initial Public Offering.

56. Help: AID.  In case you were wondering, many GoFundMe donations are not tax deductible. Only charitable donations given to a 501(c)(3) organization are tax deductible. Likewise, political campaign contributions are not tax deductible.

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. Catch you again next week. Be there or be SQUARE!

Monday January 23, 2023 John Michael Currie

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today we are treated to a puzzle by constructor John Michael Currie.

Our theme is: 

Tricks for a Treat!

JMC has packed into this grid 5 in-the-language phrases that start with a command often taught to dogs.

They are:

17 Across. Sound that may accompany a salute: HEEL CLICK.

Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (3:14 min.)

Heel Click @ 1:39

23 Across. Inexpensive way to spend time off: STAYCATION.

39 Across. "Mention you, and there you are!": SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

"Speak of the devil is a phrase used when someone appears who has just been the subject of conversation. The term is a shortened version of the phrase, Speak of the Devil and he will appear." (grammarist.com)

Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) (1:06 min.)

47 Across. Ride shotgun: SIT UP FRONT.

a bear riding shotgun in a motorcycle car in Russia

(Notice he gets TREATs for waiving.)

61 Across. "Come again?": BEG PARDON.  "Come again?" is shortened, so is "I BEG your PARDON", a polite (or ironic) way of saying, "I'm sorry" or "Could you repeat what you just said?"

And the unifier:

66 Across. Reward for a pup who obeys the commands at the starts of 17-, 23-, 39-, 47-, and 61-Across: TREAT.

I love this face!

Now that we've had our TREAT, let's zoom off to the other clues.

Across:
1. Throw with effort: HEAVE.

6. Like some moody punk music: EMO.  EMO MasterClass

9. Hold responsible: BLAME.

14. Own up to: ADMIT.  It is fitting that 14A follows 9A because some people ONLY own up to their mistakes after they have been held responsible.

15. Slip on: DON. As in, "DON we now our gay apparel".  ♪♪♪

16. Complete: TOTAL. Adjectives. You can substitute "TOTAL" for "complete" in the sentence, "The teenager's room was a complete mess."

19. Meager: SCANT.

20. Novelist Tyler: ANNE.

"Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the author of more than twenty novels. Her twentieth novel, A Spool of Blue Thread, was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2015. Her eleventh novel, Breathing Lessons, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988." (Amazon.com)

21. Dull pain: ACHE.

22. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

Jacapo di Arcangelo Italian ca. 1465
At the left, Jason is charged by King Pelias to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
Jason's ship, the Argo, is in the distance.

26. Escorted to the door: LED OUT.

31. Freezer cubes: ICE.

32. Appropriate inappropriately: USURP. Clever wording! "Appropriate" is a verb here (rhymes with "create").

33. Moisten while cooking: BASTE. like a Thanksgiving turkey

36. Pixie: ELF.

42. "Inside the NBA" airer: TNT. and 27Down. "NBA Today" airer: ESPN.

43. Make joyful: ELATE.

44. "Goodnight, __": Lead Belly song: IRENE.  about Lead Belly

45. Grazing field: LEA.

46. Gawked: STARED.

53. Smack hard: WHOP.

54. Early Ron Howard role: OPIE.

Ron Howard & Ron Howard

55. At one's __ and call: BECK.

I will take this opportunity to note the passing of guitarist Jeff Beck on Jan. 10, 2023 at age 78. He has been called, "Your favorite guitar player's favorite guitar player."

Jeff BECK Brush with the Blues (1999)

59. Spooky: EERIE.

63. Says goodbye: PARTS.

PARTing words

64. Mined resource: ORE.

65. PayPal alternative: VENMO.  Best Money Transfer Apps for 2023

67. Roofing goo: TAR.

68. Change to fit: ADAPT.

Down:
1. "Good joke!": HA HA.

Minions laughing (Contagious!)

2. Genesis garden: EDEN.

3. Prayer ending: AMEN.

4. Despicable: VILE.

5. And so on: Abbr.: ETC.

6. Formal decree: EDICT.

7. Coffee-and-chocolate flavor: MOCHA.

8. Perfectly pitched: ON KEY.

9. "Butter" K-pop band: BTS.  BTS is a 7-member, S. Korean "boy band". They have #1 singles in 100+ countries and 46 million followers on Twitter. BTS is in the news again this week because Jin, the oldest member (30 yrs!), just completed  Basic Training for military service in S. Korea.

Jin ready for duty

10. Pinpoint: LOCATE.

11. Game company since 1972: ATARI.

12. Snapple's __ Madness: MANGO.

13. John who sings "Cold Heart" with Dua Lipa: ELTON.  Oh, "John" is the singer's last name! Gets me every time. Same with "Paul on guitar."

Elton John & Dua Lipa - Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) (2021)

18. Final: LAST. not "teST"

24. Quote as a source: CITE.

25. Crushed the test: ACED IT.

26. Romance novel emotion: LUST.

28. Song for two: DUET.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss won Album of the Year for Raising Sand at the 2009 Grammys.

This is Killing the Blues, off that album. Beautiful harmony!

29. "You for Me" singer Rita: ORA.

Rita married New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi last year.

30. Property manager's responsibility: UPKEEP. the process of keeping something in good condition

33. Painter's deg.: BFA.  Bachelor of Fine Arts

34. QB stat: ATT.  ATTempts.

As of this writing, the NFL QB with the most passing ATTs this season is Patrick Mahomes of the KC Chiefs at 648.

35. "Nevertheless, __ persisted": SHE.

36. At any point: EVER.

37. Queue: LINE.  In British English, to "cut in LINE" is to "jump the queue".

38. Ran away: FLED.

40. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF.

Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad) sings In Summer (Frozen 2013)

41. Stretch of history: ERA.

45. Nyong'o of "Black Panther": LUPITA.

Ms. Nyong'o won an Oscar for her role in 12 Years a Slave (2013).

46. Ladder rung: STEP.

Tante Nique:  This is Calvin & Hobbes.

47. Cleaned the floor: SWEPT.

48. "Word on the street is ... ": I HEAR.  The verb in the clue is present tense, so is the answer.

49. MLB exec Joe who was the Yankees' manager for 12 seasons: TORRE.  (1996 to 2007)

Clued in yesterday's puzzle as 116A. Yankee manager before Girardi.

50. Automaton: ROBOT.  If this one felt a bit wonky to you, see Definition #2.

51. Word with space or soap: OPERA.  I like these types of clues because they double my chances.

Space Opera explained

52. Landlocked nation in West Africa: NIGER.

55. Raised, as farm animals: BRED.  In the true spirit of CW puzzles, here is a link to Aldermere Farm, one place where Belted Galloways (a.k.a. Oreo cows) are BRED.

56. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay: EDNA.  about this poet

57. Give for free: COMP.  informal for "COMPlimentary"

58. Hardwood flaw: KNOT.  Is it a "flaw" or is it just beautiful?

60. Approximate fig.: EST.  "Figure is abbreviated, so is "ESTimate".

62. Principal on ABC's "Abbott Elementary": AVA. 

Principal AVA Colemen, played by Janelle James

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!