Saturday, June 29, 2024, Matthew Stock and Nate Cardin

 Saturday Themeless by Nate Cardin and Matthew Stock and Nate Cardin

Matthew

Nate

Matthew is a teacher from Gainesville, FL who has taken time out to work on his Masters.

Nate is a chemistry teacher in L.A.

    

What a struggle! Some of cluing was fiendish and my ignorance of a fictional soccer team made the middle a muddle. I could get AMERICA at the first and ICELAND in the partial fill at the end but alas neither were correct.

                                      

Across:

1. Make-up artist's talent: ADLIB - Nothing came to mind about applying make-up and so was thinking about a liar but no, it was more subtle than that.

6. __ store: DIME - Make that The Dollar Store today

10. Posts: JOBS.

14. Celine's "Beauty and the Beast" counterpart: PEABO.

15. "It's too much": I CAN'T EVEN.

17. Dining option: PATIO -  Alfresco 

18. The best of times: GOLDEN ERA - They don't make 'em like this any more and the box office decline shows it.

19. Star clusters: A-LISTS.  These people usually bring their 32. Height of one's ability: A-GAME 

21. "I like it": NICE.

22. Brief downtime: R 'N R.

23. 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee Maya: LIN - She won the competition for designing the Vietnam Memorial. 

 

24. HBO's "__ Espookys": LOS.

26. Wailing figure of folklore: BANSHEE Irish Folklore

28. Relaxed: LOOSENED UP.

31. Hall __: PASS - You sure you have to go?

33. Employ: HIRE.

34. Fictional soccer club playable in FIFA 23: AFC RICHMOND - Ted Lasso's imaginary team was completely unknown to this solver and left a big hole in my early solving.

37. Colored outside the lines: BLED 😀

38. Animal whose name comes from the Dharug word for "no water": KOALA.

39. Derivative work, for short?: CALC 😀

40. "Fingers crossed!": WISH ME LUCK.

45. Postelection figure: ALSO RAN - I saw the L first and ELECTOR fit right in.

47. 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion __ Toppin: OBI - An old Japanese crossword regular gets bumped by an obscure athlete 

48. Symbol for magnetic flux: PHI.

49. Little tater: TOT.

50. "Wolf Like Me" actress Fisher: ISLA.

52. Molé peppers: ANCHOS - Ghost Peppers too.

54. Social media account?: SNAP STORY - A compilation of Snapchat pictures (we say pictures and not photos around here)

57. Snacks with limited-edition flavors: OREOS.

58. Personal gripes: PET PEEVES.

59. Like the sacred tree Yggdrasil: NORSE - The NORSE tree of life

60. Votes of affirmation: AYES.

61. Wax figure: SEAL.

62. Pointers for a fight choreographer?: EPEES 😀 The pointers were the fencing weapons not instructions

Down:

1. Floor: APPALL.

2. "What's the __?": DEALIO.

3. Like some winners of a Pura Belpré Award: LATINO.

4. Bird associated with the Egyptian god Thoth: IBIS.

5. Criminal record?: BOOTLEG CD.

6. Be into: DIG.

7. Menu image: ICON.

8. Topanga neighbor: MALIBU.

9. Sight before walking down the aisle: ENDCAP 😀 Gotta love it!

10. Podcaster/comedian Kirkman: JEN.

11. Scrambled alternative: OVER HARD.

12. __ mountain dog: BERNESE - They do grow into those paws

13. Toms' neighbors: SNARES 😀

16. __ Vogue: TEEN - This older edition autographed by a very young Taylor Swift can be had for $2,000

20. Help in finding subs: SONAR 😀

25. Prefix with permeable: SEMI.

27. __ fluid: SPINAL.

29. Mariners' realm, once: SAFECO 😀 - The Seattle Mariners played in SAFECO Field for about 20 years and then T-Mobile bought the naming rights and it is now T-Mobile Park. I saw the baseball connection right away but needed letters to help with SAFECO.

30. Starship Enterprise levels: DECKS.

33. Ace of clubs?: HOLE IN ONE 😀 I've had three of these. The first two had human witnesses and the third one only squirrels and barn swallows.

34. Progressive rival: ALL STATE - They all accuse the other insurance companies of overcharging. 

35. Hostess offering: HO HO.

36. Cobra kin: MAMBA.

37. "Horsefeathers!": BALONEY.

39. Siberian resort?: CAT SPA 😀

40. Runs through: WASTES - The amount of money our government runs through/WASTES is mind boggling!

41. One way to fall: IN LOVE 🥰

42. Message from on high?: UP HERE 😀 UP HERE, Stanley!

43. Go for: CHOOSE.

44. Pays lip service to?: KISSES 💋

46. Climb: RISE.

51. Sod buyer's calculation: AREA.

53. Take sides?: CROP - Here are some of our bird feeders on the left and the star of the show in the CROPPED version as he is eating Welch's Grape Jelly

55. Letter writer's addendum: PPS.

56. Couture initials: YSL - Our crossword couture 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 58th birthday to Barry G, who was very active posting in the early days of our blog. Still with the same company, Barry? How's Joshua?

 

Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Matthew Stock

Theme:  You can't have one without the other.  Sometimes things just go together, as we shall soon see.  Or, if you got the circles, might be seeing already.  The near-by ends of the two words in each theme fill feature the same letter.

16. Marine animal that resembles a flower: SEA ANEMONE.  These are are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colorful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. You can read more about it here.

23. Branch of mathematics focused on collections: SET THEORY.   Set theory is the branch of mathematical logic that studies sets, which can be informally described as collections of objects. Although objects of any kind can be collected into a set, set theory — as a branch of mathematics — is mostly concerned with those that are relevant to mathematics as a whole.  I just barely squeaked through calculus, so that's all I've got.  If you want more you can start here. 

37. Chance to get together and take shots?: PHOTO OP.  This is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or an event.

48. Genre for 1980s hair bands: GLAM METAL.   A subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock ---  performed by male musicians who wore flamboyant and feminine clothing, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter, and female musicians who wore masculine clothing.

59. Kittens who should be adopted together, or what can be found in this puzzle's circles: BONDED PAIR.   Two cats that have a special relationship and the adoption center wants to place them in a home together.  There are also bonded pair dogs.   Separation would be traumatic for them.

Our BONDED PAIRS are the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word in each theme entry, as indicated by the circles.  This theme has an original concept, and a clever use of the unifier.

Hi gang, JzB here. Theoretically, I guess all the fill in this puzzle would constitute a set.  With no further theorizing, let's check it out.  

LATE EDIT Just before pushing the Publish button I noticed that the paired letters in sequence are A, T, O, and M, spelling ATOM.  So what we have in our bonded pairs are 2 ATOMS.  This makes it a chemical bond, and raises it to a whole new level of clever elegance. The long obsolete chemist in me heartily approves.   Very impressive! 

Across:

1. Retail club similar to Costco: SAM'S.   An American chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores owned and operated by Walmart Inc.

5. Coin flip call: HEADS.  This refers to the front side, or obverse surface, of a coin.  The other side is the reverse or tails.

10. Pine family tree: FIR.    Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to Cedrus (cedar). The genus name is derived from the Latin "to rise" in reference to the height of its species. The common English name originates with the Old Norse, fyri, or the Old Danish, fyr.

13. Sitting on: ATOP.  On top of.

14. Arm joint: ELBOW.  The joint  where your humerus (your upper arm bone) meets your radius and ulna (the two bones in your forearm). It joins your upper arm to your forearm. Your elbow also contains cartilage, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Your elbow moves in two main directions.    There is no truth to the rumor that it is named after a macaroni noodle.

15. Singer and civil rights activist Horne: LENA.  Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (1917 – 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving on to Hollywood and Broadway.  A groundbreaking African-American performer, Horne advocated for civil rights and took part in the March on Washington in August 1963.

18. Possesses: OWNS.   Has and holds as property.

19. Open-toed shoe: SANDAL.  A low-cut shoe that fastens by an ankle strap

20. Payable now: DUE.   Expected at or planned for at a certain time.

21. Dance Dance Revolution move: STEP.   A single element of a dance.

22. Term of address that elides a letter: MA'AM.  Shart for madam.

25. Creature in Sherpa folklore: YETI.   An ape-like creature purported to inhabit the Himalayan mountain range in Asia. In Western popular culture, the creature is commonly referred to as the Abominable Snowman. 

27. Virtuous one: SAINT.  A person of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization. Less formally, a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.

28. Contributes: ADDS.  Puts in.

31. "Kapow!": BLAM.  Catroon sound efects for explosions.

34. Guinness, for one: STOUT.   A dark beer that is generally warm fermented.

36. "You stink, ref!": BOO.   Common expression of disdain.

39. Slam Dunk Contest org.: NBA.  National Basketball Assocoation.

40. Pixy Stix contents: SUGAR.  Pixy Stix are sweet and sour colored powdered candy usually packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw.  Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. 

42. Episodic drama: SAGA.  The word saga has its origins in the Middle Ages. In those days, a saga was an historical tale of the first families who lived in Norway or Iceland. Today the word is used to describe a very complicated or detailed series of events. 

43. "Come on now": JEEZ.  An expression of surprise, disappointment or disdain.

44. Underneath: BELOW.  Located under or lower than something else.

46. Minor in astronomy?: URSA.  The little bear, also known as the little dipper constellation.

51. Parts of plays: ACTS.   An act is a major division of a theatre work, including a play, film, opera, ballet, or musical theatre, consisting of one or more scenes.

54. Mother of Apollo and Artemis: LETO.   Leto is a Titan and the mother of the gods Apollo and Artemis in classical Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, and her main legends take place on Delos and Delphi. Leto is known as the goddess of fertility and motherhood, and is also known as Kourotrophos, which means "Rearer of Youths". Leto's story includes being pregnant by Zeus, seeking refuge on Delos to give birth, and suffering misfortunes due to her relationship with Zeus. 

55. Thanksgiving, e.g.: Abbr.: THU.   Thursday

56. "I'm one of them too!": LIKE ME.  having something in common.

58. Lends a helping hand: AIDS.   Assists.

61. Catch sight of: SPOT.  Eye, espey, obsrve.

62. __ Martin: British car: ASTON.   Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC  is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.

63. Norway's capital: OSLO.   the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 709,037 in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022.   During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. The city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around the year 1300. 

64. Go limp: SAG.   Droop.

65. Naps, say: RESTS.   Ceases work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

66. Simple tops: TEES.  A short-sleeved casual top, generally made of cotton, having the shape of a T when spread out flat.

Down:

1. Back talk: SASS.   Impudence; cheek.

2. Starting five, e.g.: A TEAM.   A group consisting of the best members of a larger group; an elite group.

3. Disney heroine who sings "How Far I'll Go": MOANA.   An adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds.

4. Some self-care opportunities: SPA DAYS.   A day spent on a visit to a spa, which is a place that offers relaxation, luxury, and beauty treatments. 

5. Element of high fashion?: HEEL.   High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels or pumps, are a type of shoe with an upward-angled sole. The heel in such shoes is raised above the ball of the foot. High heels cause the legs to appear longer, make the wearer appear taller, and accentuate the calf muscle.

6. __ City: New Haven nickname: ELM.   New Haven had the first public tree planting program in the U.S., producing a canopy of mature trees (including some large elms) that gave the city the nickname "The Elm City".

7. Place to call home: ABODE.   The place where one lives.

8. Breakfast-on-the-run choice: DONUT.   a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough.   The two most common types are the ring doughnut and the filled doughnut, which is injected with fruit preserves, cream, custard, or other sweet fillings.

9. Candy: SWEETS.    A confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. 

10. Maybe not any at all: FEW TO NONE.   A description of rarity or very long odds.

11. Float in some water rides: INNER TUBE.   An inflatable torus that forms the interior of some pneumatic tires. The tube is inflated with a valve stem, and fits inside of the casing of the tire. The inflated inner tube provides structural support and suspension, while the outer tire provides grip and protects the more fragile tube.

12. Coarse-sounding: RASPY.    Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound.   I can relate since as I write this, my voice is in the 2nd sub-basement.

15. Succumb to one's emotions: LOSE IT.  A temporary inability to control one's emotions, typically in response to anger, fear or sorrow. 

17. Title: NAME.   These words are synonymous when applied to written works or musical compositions, but not when applied to people.

23. Farm fixtures: SILOS.    Structures for storing bulk materials.   Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used to store grains. The typical structure is a right circular cylander.

24. Padlock holder: HASP.   A clasp for a door, lid, etc., especially one passing over a staple and fastened by a pin or a padlock.

26. "Candidly," in texting: TBH.   To Be Honest.

28. Muscles stretched in cobra pose: ABS.   Abdominals.

29. High-ABV hoppy beer: DOUBLE IPA.    A  type of IPA that contains more hops and malt than a regular IPA:

30. Extremely competitive: DOG EAT DOG.   Used to refer to a situation of fierce competition in which people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed.

32. __ snail's pace: AT A. Making distressigly slow progress

33. Bigwig: MOGUL.  An important or powerful person, especially in the motion picture or media industry.

35. Toon devil: TAZ.  This guy.

37. Gathering for senior partners?: PROM.  I guess this is referring to a formal high school dance party, attended by seniors and their dates.

38. Source of water power?: OAR.  For powering a canoe.

41. "So close": ALMOST.   Missed it by that much.

43. "Bingo!": JACKPOT.  The big winner.

45. Mixologist's amenity: WET BAR.   A small bar used for mixing and serving alcoholic beverages that includes a sink with running water, as opposed to a "dry bar" that does not include a sink.

47. Uttered: SAID.  Spoken.

48. Pane piece: GLASS.  A portion of a window.

49. This and that: THOSE.  More than one thing.

50. Some godmothers: AUNTS.   Moms' sisters.

52. Needle: TEASE.   Make fun of or attempt to provoke someone in a playful or pseudo-playful way.

53. Happy face: SMILE.  An facial expression denoting pleasure.

56. Binoculars part: LENS.   An optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. 

57. God with a bow and arrow: EROS.  Eros was the Greek god of carnal love.  Eros was the assistant, and according to some the son, of Aprhodite, the goddess of love and fertility. He made people fall in love by shooting an arrow into their heart.

60. Pointillism bit: DOT.  Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.  Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term "Pointillism" was coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works of these artists, but is now used without its earlier pejorative connotation.

Now it's time to set this puzzle aside.  Hope you enjoyed the solve.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Matthew Stock and Wendy L Brandes

Home is where the heart is.  The last word of each theme clue describes a type of living space.

16-Across. Digs for a member of a string quartet?: CELLO SUITE.  Suite:  a set of rooms designated for one person's or family's use or for a particular purpose.

26-Across. Digs for a gym rat?: MUSCLE BUILDING.  Building:  a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house, school, store, or factory.

42-Across. Digs for a Greek mythology buff?: OEDIPUS COMPLEX.  Complex:  A building complex consists of a large building or series of interconnected buildings that fulfill a specific purpose.

56-Across. Digs for a dancer?: BALLET FLAT.  Flat:  A term predominantly used in the United Kingdom to describe a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building.  The etymology of flat originates from the Old English word “flett,” dating back to the 1300s.  The term means level and in one plane.  Hence, the term flat is used to describe a one-level apartment.

Across:

1. Dynamism: PEP.

4. Eatery with a chalkboard menu: BISTRO.  Bistro: a small, casual restaurant with a relatively inexpensive, simple menu. Though often a French restaurant, it doesn't have to be, and not every bistro serves French food.  I was just reading something about the defeat of Napoleon and learned about the word Bistro came into the French language.  It was first used in the early 1800s following the 1814 occupation of Paris by Russian soldiers.  It seems that it was a mispronunciation of a Russian word that meant hurry.  Russian soldiers would shout Hurry at restaurant owners while waiting for their food.  Small restaurants began to pop-up that could quickly serve food ~ the original fast food restaurants!

10. Free TV spot: PSA.  As in Public Service Announcement.

13. "Origin" writer/director DuVernay: AVA.  Ava Marie DuVernay (b. Aug. 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer.  She has been involved in many movies, including Selma, and A Wrinkle in Time.  Origin is based on Isabel Wilkerson's book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. [Name # 1.]

14. Off-the-cuff performance: IMPROV.  Short for Improvisation.

15. Final push?: CRAM.  Cram:  Study intensively over a short period of time just before an examination.

18. Roll-call call: HERE.

19. "At Wit's End" writer Bombeck: ERMA.  Erma Bombeck (née Erma Louise Bombeck; Feb. 21, 1927 ~ Apr. 22, 1996) was an American humorist.  She wrote over 4,000 newspaper columns which gave a humorous view on family life.  She also published 15 books.  At Wit's End, her first publish book, came out in 1967. [Name # 2.]

20. Spherical body: ORB.

21. "Ant" on a celery "log": RAISIN.

23. Scand. land: NOR.  Norway is a Scandinavian country.

25. Flakes on plans: BAILS.  This clue appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle as Flake (on): Bail.  [See 68-Across in last week's puzzle.]

32. Lauder in the cosmetics aisle: ESTÉE.  Estée Lauder (née Josephine Esther Mentzer; July 1, 1908 ~ Apr. 24, 2004) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She was an American businesswoman. She and her husband, Joseph Lauter co-founded her eponymous cosmetics company.  [Name # 3.]

33. Measurement given in degrees: ANGLE.

34. __ Lanka: SRI.  Sri Lanka is the tear-drop island off the south-east coast of India.

36. OPS or RBI: STAT.  Both OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) and RBI (Runs Batted In) are baseball Statistics.

37. Prunes: TRIMS.

38. Sparks or Fire: TEAM.  The Los Angeles Sparks are a WNBA Team and the Chicago Fire is a soccer Team.  This clue is immediately followed by 39-Across. Like sparks and fire: HOT.

40. __ Monica Pier: SANTA.

41. Mazda roadster: MIATA.

45. Entrepreneur __ C.J. Walker: MADAM.  According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Madam C J Walker (née Sarah Breedlove; b. Dec. 23, 1867 ~ May 25, 1919) was the first female self-made millionaire in America.  That's a pretty amazing feat considering she was an African-American woman who born in Louisiana a year before the State was readmitted into the Union.  Her older sibling were all born enslaved.  She made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for black women.  [Name # 4.]

46. Language in which to order larb: LAO.  Larb is certainly not a Tuesday word.  Larb is a spicy and sour meat salad and is the national dish of Laos.

47. Puts one's feelings on display: EMOTES.

49. Woebegone: SAD.  //  And 52-down. Woebegone word: ALAS.

51. Hand-held coolers: FANS.

55. Checkout lane purchase: TOTE.

59. Starchy snack bites, for short: TOTS.  Think of Tater Tots.  Yummers!  //  And 40-Down: 59-Across, perhaps: SIDE.

60. Tennis star Andre: AGASSI.  Andre Kirk Agassi (b. Apr. 29, 1970) was briefly married to actress Brooke Shields (b. May 31, 1965) in the 1990s.  [Name # 5.]

61. Periodontists' gp.: ADA.  As in the American Dental Association.

62. "Without further __ ... ": ADO.

63. Like some work from home: REMOTE.

64. "__ your piece": SAY.

Down:

1. Four-minute mile, for one: PACE.

2. CCR's "Have You __ Seen the Rain": EVER.  This song was first released in 1971 by Creedence Clearwater Revival.  Can it really be over half a century ago?

3. Acai tree, e.g.: PALM.

4. Info on a profile page: BIO.  As in a Biography

5. Post-triathlon lament: I'M SORE.

6. Barrel racer's accessory: SPUR.

7. Chi-Town paper: TRIB.  As in the Chicago Tribune.  Film critic and journalist Gene Siskel (1946 ~ 1999) wrote for the Tribune.

8. Turn brown, maybe: ROT.

9. Clothes with bibs and braces: OVERALLS.

10. Film similar to cling wrap: PRESS'N SEAL.  A bit unfair, since cling wrap is a generic term and the answer is the name of a product.

11. Garment that may be nine yards long: SARI.

12. Grace ender: AMEN.

15. Cook-off entry: CHILI.

17. Small surgical knife: LANCET.  Another déjà vu from last Tuesday.  Also the name of a medical journal.  The Lancet, which was founded in England in 1823, is one of the oldest medical journals.  [See 30-Down from last week.]

22. Congressional staffer: AIDE.

24. "Rah," in fútbol: OLÉ.  Today's Spanish lesson.

25. Signature Golden Arches offering: BIG MAC.  I understand it has a special sauce.

26. Sports bib material: MESH.

27. "We totally agree": US, TOO.

28. "Liberty and Prosperity," for New Jersey, e.g.: STATE MOTTO.  Louisiana's state motto is Union, Justice and Confidence.  What's yours?

29. Bailey's circus partner: BARNUM.  As in P.T. Barnum (né Phineas Taylor Barnum; July 5, 1810 ~ Apr. 7, 1891) and James Anthony Bailey (né James Anthony McGinnis; July 4, 1847 ~ Apr. 11, 1906).  [Names # 6 and 7.]

30. Curriculum parts: UNITS.

31. Shred, as cheese: GRATE.

35. Big big-screen format: IMAX.

37. Eatery with small plates: TAPAS BAR.  A tapa is an appetiser or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold or hot. In some bars and restaurants in Spain and across the globe, tapas have evolved into a very sophisticated cuisine.  Yummers!

38. WNBA game start: TIP OFF.

41. UFC sport: MMA.  As in Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

43. eHarmony matches: DATES.

44. Like Yellowstone, among National Parks: OLDEST.  Yellowstone National Park was established by and Act of Congress and President Ulysses S Grant () signed it into law on March 1, 1872.  Not only is Yellowstone National park the first National Park in the United States, but it is also believed to be the first national park in the world.

47. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 8.]

48. Atmosphere: MOOD.

49. Shut with a bang: SLAM.

50.  Additionally: ALSO.

53. Nothing at all: NADA.

54. "Hang around a bit longer!": STAY.

57. Just a number, for some: AGE.  Age is just a number.  It might be a big number, but it is just a number.

58. Cause for overtime: TIE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Happy Passover for all who celebrate.  Enjoy the Second Seder tonight.