I'll Take Critters that might say "I Hop" for $1000, Alex.
19-Across. Venue where a fair trial is impossible: KANGAROO COURT. When I was a kid, I used to watch Captain Kangaroo hold Court with Mr. Greenjeans.
30-Across. Destinations for some bargain hunters: FLEA MARKETS.
40. Like a half-baked scheme: HARE BRAINED.
50-Across. Fried egg-and-bread breakfast dish: TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE. Toad-in-the-hole is a traditional British dish of sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter and typically served with onion gravy. The American version is an egg cooked into a cut-out in bread.
And the unifier:
64-Across. Breakfast chain known for flapjacks, or what the first part of 19-, 30-, 40-, or 50-Across might say?: IHOP. Also known as the International House of Pancakes.
Across:
1. Gyro bread: PITA.
5. Letters that start some URLs: HTTP. As in HyperText Transfer Protocol.
9. Sunny window spot for a cat: SILL.
13. Japanese noodle: UDON.
14. Toledo's lake: ERIE.
15. What "two" meant to Paul Revere: BY SEA. The British are coming! The British are coming! It's all about the ride of Paul Revere (Jan 1, 1735 ~ May 10, 1818).
 |
| Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade. |
16. Barnes & Noble purchase: BOOK.
17. Levi's alternatives: LEEs. Levi Strauss (Feb. 26, 1829 ~ Sept. 26, 1902) revolutionized work pants in 1873. Henry David Lee (Dec. 9, 1849 ~ Mar. 15, 1928) established the HD Lee Mercantile Company in 1889. The company later went on to manufacture work clothing.
18. Map detail: INSET.
22. Mex. neighbor: USA.
24. Feedbag morsel: OAT.
25. Overnight flight: RED EYE.
26. Polite denial: NO, SIR.
28. Exchanges: SWAPS.
33. Fan setting: LOW.
36. "Ghostbusters" director Reitman: IVAN. Ivan Reitman (Oct. 27, 1946 ~ Feb. 12, 2022) was a Canadian film director, but he was born in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, now known as Slovakia. He also directed such movies as Kindergarten Cop, Dave and Twins.
37. 1990s fitness fad: TAE BO.
38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA. // and 60-Across. Highlander of ancient Peru: INCA.
39. Vietnamese New Year: TET. Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán. It is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which will fall on January 29, 2025 in the Gregorian calendar.
42. French cap: BERET.
43. Precipice: LEDGE.
44. "Star Trek" character whose first name is Hikaru: MR. SULU. The original Mr. Hikaru Sulu was portrayed by George Takei (b. Apr. 20, 1937).
47. Isn't without: HAS. Cute clue!
49. Not great: BAD.
54. "Give me the car keys": I'LL GO.
55. Ancient alphabetic character: RUNE.
56. Killer whale: ORCA.
59. Showers love (on): DOTES.
61. Private nonprofits: Abbr.: NGOs. As in Non-Governmental Organizations.
62. Admin. aide: ASS'T. As in an Assistant.
63. Gave the thumbs-up: OK'ED.
Down:
1. Trivia night venue: PUB.
2. Wedding promise: I DO.
3. Couldn't stand it anymore?: TOOK A SEAT. Another cute clue.
4. Crooner Paul: ANKA. Paul Anka (b. July 30, 1941) is another Canadian. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
5. Hägar the Horrible's wife: HELGA.
6. Special reward: TREAT.
7. Wedding cake layer: TIER.
8. Mexican money: PESO. Did you know that there are currently eight countries that use the peso, as its monetary unit? With the exception of the Philippines, the other countries are in the Americas: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Uruguay
9. Religious councils: SYNODS. The word comes from the Ancient Greek σύνοδος, which means assembly or meeting.
10. Time of the week?: ISSUE. Time is now a bi-weekly magazine. It published weekly until 2020, when it began to publish every other week.
11. Suspicious (of): LEERY.
12. Hot drink with foam art: LATTE.
15. Muscles shown off by muscle tees: BICEPS.
20. Standard: NORM.
21. Memorable speaker: ORATOR.
22. Ill-suited: UNFIT.
23. Find a solution for: SOLVE. Could you find a solution for all the clues in today's puzzle?
27. "The Vampire Diaries" actor Somerhalder: IAN. The Vampire Diaries was a supernatural teen drama television series that aired from 2009 until 2017. Ian Somerhalder (b. Dec. 8, 1978) portrayed one of the supernatural teens on the series even though he was in his 30 when the show ran. He was born in Covington, Louisiana.
28. Shooting sport with clay pigeons: SKEET.
29. NASA telescope launched in 2021: WEBB. The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. As the largest telescope in space, it is equipped with high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments, allowing it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. James Webb (né James Edwin Webb; Oct 7, 1906 ~ Mar. 27, 1992) was the Undersecretary of State during the Truman administration. In February 1961, he became the second Administrator of NASA.
31. Galloping: AT A RUN.
32. Like a steak with a very red center: RARE.
33. "Gift From the Sea" writer Anne Morrow: LINDBERGH. Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (June 22, 1906 ~ Feb. 7, 2001) was an aviatrix in her own right. She was also the wife of Charles Lindbergh.
34. Counterpart to alpha: OMEGA. First and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
35. Sauntered through the surf: WADED.
38. Tell it like it isn't: LIE. Another fun clue.
40. Greek god of the sun: HELIOS.
41. As well: ALSO.
42. Part of a financial plan: BUDGET.
44. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT. IDA.
45. Caramel-filled treats: ROLOs. These candies have been making frequent appearances in the puzzles.
46. Seasons, as pasta water: SALTS.
47. Therefore: HENCE.
48. Winning: AHEAD.
51. Group of three: TRIO.
52. Big piece: HUNK.
53. Actress Anderson: LONI. Loni Anderson (b. Aug 5, 1945) is best known for her role as Jennifer Marlowe on the sit-conn WKRP in Cincinnati.
57. Murmur: COO.
58. Nile reptile: ASP.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
It's Election Day:
