Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Julian Lim

Theme: When the theme entries are vertical, it generally means there is some sort of a gimmick.  The presence of circles in the grid confirms this notion.  If you didn't get them, then this theme would be very opaque.  The circled letters, when read in reverse, spell part a certain kind of fitness activity.  The vertical orientation suggests that the implied common word is UP.  

3 D. "It's safe to come out": THE COAST IS CLEAR.  Idiomatic, suggesting that there are no enemies in sight.  The contained word, when read up is SIT, giving us the SIT UP --  an abdominal endurance training exercise to strengthen, tighten and tone the abdominal muscles.  Our multi-talented oldest granddaughter, Amanda, is a certified fitness trainer, and she assures me that this is a completely useless activity.

9 D. Predictors of most 20th-century U.S. presidential elections: GALLUP POLLS.  Gallop is an organization that conducts polls: assessments of public opinion by the questioning of a [presumably] statistically representative sample.  Here the contained word is PULL.  A PULL UP  is a closed-chain movement where the body is suspended by the hands and pulls up. As this happens, the elbows flex and the shoulders adduct and extend to bring the elbows to the torso.  Resistance is provided by body weight.

25 D. User's rescuer: TECH SUPPORT. This is a service provided by a hardware or software company which provides registered users with help and advice about their products.  The contained word is PUSH.  The PUSH UP is an exercise in which a person lies facing the floor and, keeping their back straight, raises their body by pressing down on their hands.

11 D. Workout suggested by the circled letters and their orientation: EXERCISE ROUTINE.  This is what you get when you combine these items.  My routine involves a tread mill and free weights, instead.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  I'm not a fitness trainer, but I will be guiding us along as we exercise our brains in this puzzle routine.  Let's hit it.

Across:

1. Bank security device, briefly: CCTV.  Closed Circuit TV.

5. Aim high: GO BIG. Or, as the saying tells us, go home.

10. Harvest: REAP.  Gathering in of crops.

14. "Fancy meeting you here!": OH, HI.  Sometimes said in awkward situations.

15. Vital vessel: AORTA. The main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. In humans it passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone

16. Semi bar: AXLE.  A rod or spindle (either fixed or rotating) passing through the center of a wheel or group of wheels. A semi is a tractor trailer rig, which will have several AXLES.

17. Gardener's buy: SEED.  For starting new plants.

18. Shoulder warmer: SHAWL.  An article of fabric worn over the shoulders and/or head.

19. Table parts: FEET.  Person parts, too.

20. Region on the South China Sea: MACAO.  An autonomous region on the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. 

22. Members with unflinching loyalty: STALWARTS.  Those who are loyal, reliable, and hardworking.

24. Landlord's sign: TO LET.  Meaning: for rent.

26. __ Ellen, J.R.'s wife on "Dallas": SUE.  Portrayed by Linda Grey

Unflattering assessment

27. Maximum: CAP.  As in a limit on spending.

28. HHS agency: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.

29. Exchange need: RECEIPT.  As in returning a purchase to a retail establishment for a refund or replacement.

32. 12-Down output: IPA.  India Pale Ale, a hoppy brew.

33. "No problem!": EASY.  Piece of cake.

35. ER skill practiced on a doll: CPR.  Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

36. Pet-adoption ads, briefly: PSAS.  Public Service Announcements.

38. Part of MB: BYTE. The Megabyte [MB] unit of information equal to 2^20 bytes or, loosely, one million bytes.  A byte consists of 8 adjacent binary digits (bits), each of which consists of a 0 or 1. 

39. Couldn't refuse: HAD TO.  No choice.

41. Text recipient: CELL.  Cellular telephone

44. Tattoo parlor supplies: INKS.   And needles.

46. Pussy-cat's partner, in verse: OWL.  In this bit of doggerel.  Or, perhaps, it's catterel.

47. One with many limbs: TREE.  

48. Facebook barrage, at times: ADS.  Unfortunately.

50. Unconscious: OUT COLD. Unconscious or asleep.

53. "Srsly?!": OMG. Oh My Goodness! [perhaps]

54. Media-monitoring org.: FCC.  Federal Communications Commission.

55. "Up First" network: NPR.  National Public Radio.

56. Flu fighter: SERUM.  A fluid used to provide immunity to a pathogen or toxin by inoculation or as a diagnostic agent.

58. Emotionally break down: FALL APART.  

Like this

62. "__ while they're hot!": GET 'EM. Whatever they happen to be.

64. Bicolor cookie: OREO.  Crossword's favorite cookie.

65. Dinnertime draws: ODORS.  Aromas are more inviting.

67. Italian tower city: PISA.

68. End of the line: REAR.  Back end,

69. Burning again: RELIT.  As upon seeing an old flame?

70. Column in math: ONES. Tens, hundreds, thousands . . .

71. Risk it: DARE.  Take a chance.  It can be beautiful.

72. Walk heavily: TROMP. Or STOMP.

73. Pursue: SEEK.  Follow, attempt to catch.

Down:

1. Micro- ending: -COSM.  A community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger.

2. Calorie counter's break: CHEAT DAY.   Based on the idea that a dieter can 'cheat' for one day a week as long as they eat to their diet plan for the remaining six days.

4. Author Gore: VIDAL.  Eugene Luther Gore Vidal [1925 - 2012] was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and essays interrogated the social and cultural sexual norms he perceived as driving American life. 

5. Fun time, in slang: GAS.

6. Fireworks cries: OOHS.  Not to mention Aahs.

7. Frank's cousin: BRAT.  Two naughty boys?  No, wieners and BRATwurst - types of sausages.

8. Formal confession: IT WAS I.  Yep.  I done dooed it.

10. Nadal's nickname: RAFA.  Rafael Nadal Parera [b 1986] is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is ranked world No. 4 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals; he has been ranked world No. 1 for 209 weeks and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. 

12. Pub dispenser: ALE TAP.  Keg dispenser

13. Pampering spot for cats and dogs: PET SPA. 

21. Above, in poems: O'ER. As, frex, ramparts.

23. Dampens: WETS.  Moistens.

28. Winter mo.: FEBruary.  Shortest because it's the worst.

30. Bookkeeping pro: CPA.  Certified Public Accountant.

31. Triage MD: ER DOC.  Emergency Room physician.   Triage is the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties.

34. Craving: YEN.  I thought about going to Japan but didn't have the YEN to travel.

37. Pretense that's put on: ACT.  As in a play, or sometime in real life.

40. 28-Down number: TWO.  Because it's the second month of the year.

42. "I wanna look!": LEMME SEE.  The more proper "Let me see" also fits.

43. Thanksgiving dinner choice: LEG.  Commonly called a drum stick.  Always my first choice.

45. Hawaii's __ Coast: KONA.  Coffee region, I believe.

48. Pay for on one's own: AFFORD.  The ability of pay for something.

49. Georgetown Univ. locale: DC AREA.  Near the nation's capitol.

51. Wall Street regular: TRADER.  One who frequently buys and sells stocks or options.

52. Ph.D., e.g.: DEG.  An advanced degree.

57. Targets for towers: REPOS.  Towers, as in vehicles that tow, not tall architectural structures.  REPOS are repossessed vehicles, because of a 48 D failure.  

59. Mythology: LORE.  A body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth.  I fail to see equivalence here.  Myths are historical stories, not necessarily factual, that are of importance to a society.  They can be an aspect of LORE, but the whole is not equal to one of its parts.

60. Caramel-centered treat: ROLO.  Coated with chocolate.

61. Request at the barbershop: TRIM.  Just make me look neat.

63. Render indistinct, as an odor: MASK.  Cover something up.

66. Longtime NASCAR sponsor: STP.  It's the racer's edge.

Well - this Wednesday exercise put us through our paces.  Hope it was't too much of a brain strain.  Adios until next time.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 // Julian Lim

White Rabbit and Happy Chinese Spring Festival!

Sweet Anticipation.  Any second now, you will espy the word Any in the circles the theme answers.

17-Across. Poseidon's companions: SEA NYMPHS.  In Greek mythology, Poseidon was one of the 12 Olympians.  He was the god of the seas, storms, earthquakes and horses.

23-Across. When a major might be chosen: FRESHMAN YEAR.  And again in the Sophomore Year, and again in the Junior Year.  Some students take years to settle on a major.

39-Across. Query from "Test Man" in old Verizon ads: CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?  When I stand behind a podium, I have to ask: Can you see me now?

50-Across. Oscar-winning actress for "12 Years a Slave": LUPITA NYONG'O.  Lupita Nyong'o (b. Mar. 1, 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress.  She was born in Mexico City, where her father was teaching at the time.  She holds dual Kenyan and Mexican citizenship

And the unifier:

62-Across. "It's about to happen" ... or what each of the four other longest answers in this puzzle has?: ANY MOMENT.

Across:

1. iOS computers: MACs.  As in Apple computers.

5. Inbox annoyance: SPAM.  Also a brand of canned meat parts.

9. Increase: ADD TO.

14. Texter's modest "I think ... ": IMHO.  Textspeak for In My Humble Opinion.  Often the opinion offered is not done in a humble manner.

15. Trendy berry: AÇAÍ.  These berries, native to South America, have become very popular in both foods and in the crossword puzzles.

16. Stadium levels: TIERS.

19. Rushed: RAN AT.

20. How ballerinas dance: ON TOE.  //  And 68-Across. Ballet class bend: PLIÉ.

21. Surprise from hiding: STARTLE.

27. Watson's creator: IBM.  Everything you wanted to know about Watson, but didn't know to ask.

31. About to arrive: NEAR.  Are we there yet?

33. Road crew supply: TAR.

34. Netflix series set in central Missouri: OZARK.  Ozark is a dark crime series.

43. Disney mermaid: ARIEL.

44. Purchase: BUY.

45. Californian wine valley: NAPA.

46. Territory that became two states: DAKOTA.  I had a similar clue in a recent puzzle and provide you with the history of the reason behind the two Dakotas.

49. Floral greeting: LEI.  A crossword staple.

56. Turn to mist, in Manchester: ATOMISE.  On this side of the pond, the word would be spelled Atomize.

57. Cocktail cubes: ROCKS.  Hi, Tinbini.  We miss you.

61. Brunch hr.: TEN AM.

66. __ de cacao: CREME.  Creme de Cacao is, as its name suggests, a chocolate liqueur.

67. Insightful: DEEP.

69. __ fit: tantrum: HISSY.

70. Work with notes: SONG.

71. URL opening: HTTP.

Down:

1. Japanese soup: MISO.  Sometime's it's best not to know how the sausage is made.

2. Sermon-ending word: AMEN.

3. Brit : chin-wag :: Yank : __: CHAT.  Other British idioms that might confuse those of us on this side of the pond.

4. "__ a gun!": SON OF.  American idioms that might confuse the Brits.

5. "Stay With Me" singer Smith: SAM.

6. Angel dust letters: PCP.  It's formal name is PhenylCyclohexyl Piperidine.

7. "Feels amazing!": AAH!

8. Returning lover's question: MISS ME?

9. Unsystematically: AT RANDOM.

10. Anne Frank journal: DIARY.

11. Al __: pasta order: DENTE.  Today's Italian lesson.

12. Cheerful refrain: TRA LA.  Probably a few more LA's will follow.

13. Long-time kitchen products brand: OSTER.  I know of their line of blenders, but the company makes a whole host of other kitchen items.

18. "__ out!": ump's call: YER.  Think baseball.

22. Sunbather's goal: TAN.

24. Caesar's rebuke: ET TU.  Today's Latin lesson.

25. Ousted Iranian ruler: SHAH.  The ousted Shah of Iran makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

26. Call to a pooch: HERE, BOY!

27. Ancient Cuzco resident: INCA.  Cuzco is found high in the Peruvian Andes.  It has an elevation of over 11,100 feet.  You will definitely get altitude sickness if you aren't careful.  Cuzco is near Machu Picchu, which is actually at a lower elevation, so visitors to Machu Picchu often spend some time in Cuzco.  It's a beautiful city and well worth the visit.

28. Boo Boo or Yogi: BEAR.  Hanna-Barbara cartoons.

29. Salon service, briefly: MANI.  Hi, Lucina!

32. Bread for corned beef: RYE.

35. Extremely chill: ZEN.  I am not sure I would describe Zen this way, but ...

36. Like neat freaks: ANAL.

37. Lasso: ROPE.

38. River in a 1957 movie title: KWAI.  I think there is a bridge over this river.  But did you know that the movie was based on the book Le Post de la Rivière Kwaï, by Pierre Boulle?

40. Quaint: OLD TIMEY.

41. One on the road: AUTO.  //  And 65-Down. 41-Down efficiency stat: MPG.  As in Miles Per Gallon.

42. Meg of "The Women": RYAN.  I am not familiar with this movie.

47. Remote batteries: AAs.  The batteries are far away in the Remote Control, which is never within reach.

48. Works with dough: KNEADS.

50. Fastening feature: LATCH.

51. Gestation sites: UTERI.  Usually one per woman.

52. Corn breads: PONES.  According to the Hillbilly Housewife, the dough of a pone need not be corn, it just needs to be baked in a cast iron skillet.

53. Muslim officials: IMAMs.

54. Miracle-__: garden product: GRO.  It really does help my flowers grow.

55. Zing: OOMPH.

58. Boston NBAer: CELT.  When I lived in Boston, I went to a few games in the Garden.

59. Work with needles: KNIT.  Hi, Madame Defarge!

60. Dance class move: STEP.

63. Three-time role for Keanu Reeves: NEO.  Think of the Matrix films.

64. Japanese coins: YEN.

~~~

And no, I didn't forget an across clue:

30-Across. Closing words: THE END.

חתולה

Six more weeks of winter?  Will the Ground Hog tell us tomorrow?

Saturday, July 3, 2021, Julian Lim

 Saturday Themeless by Julian Lim

My last themeless Saturday Julian Lim puzzle was one day short of two years ago - July 4, 2020. Dr. Lim got his B.S. in Psychology from Duke and a PhD from The University of Pennsylvania in the same discipline. Today Julian presents a beautiful grid that sent me in search of footholds - CHUNK OF CHANGE provided just that!

From Julian: Glad you enjoyed it :) I made this one when I was tinkering around with grid art: I liked how the pattern was visually striking but that the grid still offered a lot of flexibility because of the way it segments. Hope the puzzle doesn't stump too many people, I know that there's quite a bit of dread on this blog when my name shows up later in the week!

I am teaching and doing research in the National University of Singapore -- I've been back here since 2010.

No dread from me - HG. 

Across:

1. Decompression chambers?: SPAS.

5. Image problem, for short: BAD PR 

10. New Balance competitor: PUMA - Running shoes

14. "__ Terrace at Night": van Gogh work: CAFE - In oil and in actuality 

15. Honda line: ACURA.

16. Like some unresolved NBA games: IN OT - The NBA's highest scoring game took three OverTimes

17. Yamuna River city: AGRA - A very famous building on the Yamuna River in AGRA, India

18. Duran Duran lead singer Simon: LE BON - Picture of and an interview with Simon

19. Chunk: GLOB.

20. Foment: ROIL.

21. Plain, in Spain: LLANO - A treeless plain in America as well

22. Actress Condor of "To All the Boys" films: LANA

23. Outbreak of spots?: AD CAMPAIGN - TV ADS (spots) during a campaign get tiresome

25. New user's need: Abbr.: ACCT - Then you have to generate yet another password.

26. Kids' rhyme starter: BAA BAA.

27. Argentinian aunts: TIAS  - Mi TÍA Norma me puso el nombre de Gary. (Pretty easy to translate!)

28. Decision-making conformity: GROUP THINK.

34. Tidy sum: CHUNK OF CHANGE - My  pivotal breakthrough fill

37. Is in contention for: HAS A SHOT AT - During spring training, everyone HAS A SHOT AT winning the World Series

38. "Rock and Roll All __": Kiss hit: NITE - Here ya go

39. Again and again?: THRICE  

44. Linear: ONE-D - This math peep put FLAT first as in a linear equation

45. "Last Night of the World" musical: MISS SAIGON - I'd like to hear that

49. Dessert request always filled: TART

50. Be in store: AWAIT.

51. Madeira cousin: PORT - If you're an oenophile you'll know which is which - Answer

52. 2004 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Aoki: ISAO - ISAO plays our Crossword Course quite often and below we see him chipping from the 53. Difficult: ROUGH.

54. Foment, with "up": STIR

55. Start to cure?: PEDI - When I walked in for my first PEDICURE, there were 23 women in the salon and I was the only man in sight. 

56. Asian country that's the seventh-largest in the world: INDIA.

57. Magazine founder Eric: UTNE - Eric UTNE and his "far out" life

58. Note in a proof: STET - An editor will put in a STET if he decides to keep the original text. All right, leave in "Four score and seven" and take out "Eighty seven"

59. Circus prop: STILT - They are also used in less glamorous jobs

60. Turned item: PAGE.

Down:

1. Ancient Egyptian amulet: SCARAB - Search for"Scarab Attack" from The Mummy on YouTube at your own peril

2. Storied Asian structure: PAGODA.

3. Guinea's home: AFRICA.

4. Research site for deep thinking?: SEA LAB.

5. Places with bases: BALLPARKS.

6. Fast Amtrak option: ACELA.

7. UAE's most populous city: DUBAI - A night in the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel in DUBAI will run you anywhere from $600 to $24,000/night

8. Point of eating?: PRONG - or tine

9. Wouldn't shut up: RAN ON - "I asked what time it was and he told me how a clock works"

10. Language in which most words rhyme: PIG LATIN - It'syay ayay eatgray ayday orfay olgfay. (Another easy, albeit silly, translation)

11. Loosening, in a way: UNLACING

12. Round bakery snack: MOONCAKE - A MOONCAKE  is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid- Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching. C.C., have you ever had one?

13. Times up: AT BATS - Baseball players often call them AB's.

24. __ cum laude: MAGNA - Not Summa

29. "Holy cow!": OOH - Harry Carry's famous catch phrase 

30. Radar anomaly: UFO - A fascinating scene built around this. Nobody wants to report  having seen a UFO.

31. Poll fig.: PCT.

32. "We're done here": THAT'S THAT.

33. Yoga type: HATHA.

34. Spode offering: CHINA SET - Spode is an English brand of pottery that finally came to my mind

35. Excessive negativity, in modern lingo: HATERADE - A fictional drink that is a play on the sports beverage. "Dude, he was full of HATERADE!"

36. Not surprised: USED TO IT.

38. Restaurant policy, at times: NO TIPS - Discouraging tipping is common in Japan as their wait staff is paid a good wage.

40. Shreds: RIPS UP.

41. "Ain't no choice for me": I GOTTA.

42. Prepping for pie, as apples: CORING.

43. Heart of a meal: ENTREE.

45. He blasted 61 in '61: MARIS - The M & M Boys of 1961. Roger Maris hit 61 HR's and Mickey Mantle hit 54.

46. Flat refusal: I WON'T.

47. Jeddah native: SAUDI - Now if you want to drive to Dubai from Jeddah to stay in the Burj Al Arab...

48. Magic symbol from the Latin for "seal": SIGIL - Sigillum is Latin for "seal"

Wendesday June 9, 2021 Julian Lim

Theme. SURRENDER[S.]  The second word of each two word theme fill is a synonym for capitulation. There's a flaw in the unifier though, as we shall soon see.  

17. *"Rockin' the Suburbs" alt-rocker: BEN FOLDS.  A person's proper name becomes a verb. 

Moderately amusing, but Cf 33D

To FOLD is to capitulate.

24. *"Anything wrong?": WHAT GIVES?  You OK?  Inquiry into someone's general well being.

To GIVE [up or in] is to capitulate.  A different sense of the verb GIVE.

36. *Not much interest: LOW YIELDS. Not much return on investment, like T-bonds and money markets these days.

To YIELD is to capitulate. The noun YIELD becomes a verb, just like magic!.

52. *Ursine dens: BEAR CAVES. Where they spend the winter.

To CAVE is to capitulate. Another noun to verb transition.  Lots of grammatical alchemy going on here.

60. Concede ... or a hint to the last words of the answers to starred clues: CRY UNCLE.

Another way to capitulate.

 

But, you'll notice that the theme fill all end in "S," while the corresponding verb in the unifier does not. The latter represents the base form of the verb in present tense, as used in first and second person.  The added "S" indicates third person.  For example, I sleep and you sleep, vs he/she/it sleeps.  This may be a niggling little quibble, but I find the inconsistency to be troubling, and am issuing a citation.

Hi gang.  Jazzbumpa here, evidently in critical mode.  Let's see what else gives. I will not capitulate!

Across:

1. Twistable container part: CAP. A type of removable top for a bottle or jar.

4. Stark daughter on "Game of Thrones": ARYA.  The deeply troubled middle child of Ned And Catelyn [Tulley] Stark.  If you are familiar with her, no more explanation is needed.  If not, neither of us has enough time.  Read about her here.

8. "__ tardes": BUENAS.  Good Afternoon in Madrid.

14. Kwik-E-Mart owner: APU.  From The Simpsons

15. Spell the end of: DOOM.  Seal the fate of.

16. "Bewitched" witch: ENDORA.  Samantha's mother.

19. Periods of duty: STINTS.  As defined.

20. 38th-parallel land: KOREA.  Approximately the border between North and South Koreas.

21. Covered, as with sugar: COATED.

22. Novel makeup: PROSE.  Not unusual cosmetics; instead, it's normal written language, as opposed to poetic verse.

27. Responsibility: ONUS.  A duty or responsibility.

28. Aviation pioneer Sikorsky: IGOR. [1889 - 1972] Influential in the development of both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

29. Bottle part: NECK.  Located just below the CAP.

30. Like many MLB players: LATINO.  Many from the Dominican Republic.

32. Sun and Sky org.: WNBA. Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun are teams in the Women's National Basketball Association.

35. Cowboy Rogers: ROY.  Leonard Franklin Slye [1911-1998] was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebranded Rogers then became one of the most popular Western stars of his era.

39. Do sum work: ADD.  +1 for this nice word play.

42. Southwest art hub: TAOS. In New Mexico.

43. Low-tech travel guide: AAA MAP.  Paper map from the American Automobile Association.

47. The "F" in UHF: Abbr.: FREQ.  Frequency - the vibration rate of a wave.  For Ultra High Frequency [UHF] the range is 300 MHz to 3 GHz.

49. "Not happenin'": UH-UH.  Nope.  No go.

51. YouTube vote: LIKE. Thumbs up.  You could give one to Ben Folds.  [I didn't] 

55. Really cold: POLAR.  Relating to the north and south poles, or weather patterns that come from those directions.

56. Riverdale High redhead: ARCHIE.  From the comic books.  Archie first appeared in Pep Comics #22 in 1941 and soon became the most popular character for the comic. Due to his popularity, he was given his own series which debuted in winter 1942 titled Archie Comics. 

57. Tablet download: E BOOK.  Reading material, usually in PDF format.

59. "All set here": I'M GOOD.  

63. Epicure: FOODIE.  One with a particular interest in food and its preparation

64. Actor Brad: PITT.  William Bradley Pitt is an American actor and film producer. He has received multiple awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award for his acting, in addition to another Academy Award, another Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award as a producer under his production company, Plan B Entertainment.

65. 62-Down homonym: AIR.  They sound alike, and no mistake.

66. Astronomer Celsius: ANDERS. [1701-1744] He was a Swedish astronomer, physicist and mathematician.

67. Lemon drinks: -ADES.  They are helpful in hot weather.

68. "Fresh Air" network: NPR.  National Public Radio.

Down:

1. Semi driver's spot: CAB. 

2. Impersonate: APE.  Mimic.

3. Quit like a wimp: PUNK OUT.  I'm not familiar with the phrase, but it's easy enough to suss

4. Love to bits: ADORE.

5. One played on stage: ROLE.  By an actor

6. "'Sup, bro?": YO DAWG.  Slangy greetings.

7. Alarm-setting hrs.: AMS. In the morning.

8. Make smitten: BESOT.  Quaint ways of falling in love.

9. De-identify, as an Insta photo: UNTAG.  Disassociate the picture from a name, as on FaceBook.

10. Add, as to text: EDIT IN.

11. "Ain't gonna happen": NO, NEVER. Dream on.  Cf 40D.

12. Like many Miami Beach structures: ART DECO.  Read about it here.

13. Airline to Sweden: SAS.  Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark-Norway-Sweden.

18. Kind of fuel: FOSSIL. a fuel formed by natural processes, such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms, containing organic molecules originating in ancient photosynthesis that release energy in combustion.  Mainly oil and natural gas. 

21. __ asada: CARNE.  Roasted meat at your local restaurante mexicano.

22. Campaign pro: POL.  Politician.

23. Genetic letters: RNA.  Ribo Nucleic Acid

25. "My guy doing okay, doc?": HOW IS HE.  Inquiry into his physical or mental condition

26. What's up to you?: SKY.  Where the stars are all aglow

28. Illinois neighbor: IOWA.  Flyover country.

31. "That's __ fair!": NOT.  Play nice, now.

33. Lackluster: BLAH.  Meh!

34. Crest box abbr.: ADA. American Dental Association.

37. "__ been served": YOU'VE.   What did I get?

38. Spot for a Wild West brawl: SALOON.  Cliche scene.

39. Langley, e.g.: Abbr.: AFB.  Air Force Base.

40. "Like that'll ever happen": DREAM ON.

 

 41. Response to awful news: DEAR GOD.  Oh, my.

44. Dairy container: MILK CAN.

45. Letters before a pen name: AKA.  Or alias: Also Known As.

46. Each: PER.

48. Scanned black-and-white image: QR CODE.  This thing.

50. Online handle: USER ID.

53. Group with scores: CHOIR.  Musical scores to sing from.

54. Senate staffers: AIDES.

55. Mopes: POUTS.  

58. Data storage unit: BYTE.  The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit of memory in many computer architectures.

59. "__ tree falls ... ": IF A.  Yes, it makes a sound.  Physics does not care where you are.

60. Tax pro: CPA.  Certified Public Accountant.

61. Sassy reaction: LIP.  Disrespectfully talking back.

62. Misspell a word, say: ERR.  Any sort of mistake.

With no further mistakes, we've completed another Wednesday.  Hope you didn't have to capitulate.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, April 14, 2021, Julian Lim

Theme: GRAMAGRAM

Gramagram sounds like a telegram from your grandmother, but it's actually a word that sounds like letters. Example: Seedy (CD), or excellency (XLNC). In today's puzzle, we find three words with NME embedded (each crossing two words), which sounds like the word enemy.

 

17. Monument on one end of the National Mall: LINCOLN MEMORIAL.

 

29. Singer of the 2019 #1 hit "Señorita": SHAWN MENDES.

 

44. Local political gathering: TOWN MEETING.

 

59. Upscale restaurant's offering: DEGUSTATION MENU. Dégustation is the careful, appreciative tasting of various food, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company. Dégustation is more likely to involve sampling small portions of all of a chef's signature dishes in one sitting.

 

67. Foe found phonetically in four puzzle answers: ENEMY. 

 

Melissa here. I have heard of 59A but did not remember the phrase. That and a few other unknowns made this a little tougher than a typical Wednesday for me.

Across:

1. Treble symbol: G-CLEF. The leading G tripped me up here - I don't read music. According to Wikipedia: The only G-clef still in use is the treble clef, with the G-clef placed on the second line. This is the most common clef in use and is generally the first clef learned by music students. For this reason, the terms "G-clef" and "treble clef" are often seen as synonymous. 

 
6. "Do the __!": MATH.

10. Toppers with visors: CAPS.

14. Siri's Amazon counterpart: ALEXA. She's very nosey. I never talk to her but she continues to try.

15. Felipe of baseball: ALOU. Former Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos and the San Francisco Giants.

 16. "The Thin Man" canine role: ASTA.

20. Cathedral recess: APSE.

21. Expected-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

22. At first, say: ON BASE. More baseball. Or romance ;).

23. Falsehood source: LIAR.

25. Rice-like pasta: ORZO.

26. Eleven-yr.-old insurance law: ACA. Obama's Affordable Care Act.

34. Mall cop's ride: SEGWAY.

36. "Brava!": OLE.

37. Schoolbook: TEXT.

38. O. __: HENRY. William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer.   

39. __ rub: BBQ spices: DRY.

40. One with a need for speed: RACER.

41. Bread spread: OLEO. Aka margarine.

42. Bro's sib: SIS.

43. Mexican state south of Veracruz: OAXACA.

47. "Acid": LSD.

48. Capricorn critter: GOAT. Horoscope.

49. Poker variety: STUD. Stud poker is any of a number of poker variants in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds.  

51. Chosen groups: ELITES.

54. Watched: SAW.

55. File format for digital books: EPUB.

62. Christian on a label: DIOR. French fashion designer. Died in 1957.

63. "Marriage Story" actor Alan: ALDA.

64. "We didn't do it": NOT US.

65. Tall tale: YARN.

66. Itchy red area: RASH.

Down:

1. Lavish party: GALA.

2. Film segment: CLIP.

3. Many a Zeiss product: LENS.

4. Shine: EXCEL.

5. Toy retailer __ Schwarz: FAO. Some think of the scene in Big, when Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia play the piano with their feet. I always think of a line in the song A Secretary is Not a Toy, from the original 1967 movie How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: "And you'll find nothing like her at F.A.O. Schwartz!" Sadly, that lyric was left out in the movie, but the full version was included in the Time Life collection of musicals on vinyl. Still a funny scene.

6. Meditation word: MANTRA.

7. __ mater: ALMA.

8. Piggy in a crib: TOE. Cute.

9. "It's weird, but just do it": HUMOR ME. Snort ... that made me laugh.

10. Ecological levy: CARBON TAX.

11. Himalayas locale: ASIA.

12. Education orgs.: PTAS. Parent Teacher Associations.

13. Bargain hunter's delight: SALE.

18. Patrick __, Vermont senator since 1975: LEAHY.

19. Cinq plus six: ONZE.

24. Words to an old chap: I SAY.

25. Sole: ONLY.

26. Had __: was still in the running: A SHOT.

27. Songwriter Green: CEELO. Sign language class final to a Ceelo tune. Don't view if bad language offends you.

28. Nixon's first veep: AGNEW.

30. Razzie Award adjective: WORST.

31. Hot rod attachment: DECAL. That was

32. Management bigwigs: EXECS.

33. Highly coveted violin: STRAD.

35. Right that isn't right, e.g.: WRONG TURN. Like the clue. Reminds me of a scene from The Long Long Trailer, with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. "You didn't let me finish, I was trying to tell you to turn left. What I was trying to tell you was 'Turn right here, left.'"

39. Paleo __: DIET. Every year a new diet or two. This one is still fairly popular.

40. Tortellini topper: RAGU.

42. Five-armed ocean creature: SEA STAR. Aka, starfish.

43. When a football may be snapped: ON TWO.

45. Springfield bar: MOES. Everything I know about The Simpsons I learned from crosswords, and I never remember this.

46. Old Testament prophet: ISAIAH.

50. Exorcist's target: DEMON.

51. Jacuzzi effect: EDDY.

52. Kylo Ren's mother: LEIA. Once it filled in, it made sense, but I had no idea who Kylo Ren was.

53. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR.

54. Criteria: Abbr.: STDS.

56. Best of the Beatles, once: PETE. Replaced by Ringo Star as the drummer in 1962.

57. Word on U.S. coins: UNUM. E pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one" – is a traditional motto of the United States, appearing on coins and on the Great Seal.

58. At it: BUSY.

60. __ carte: ALA.

61. Omaha-to-St. Paul dir.: NNE.