Monday, January 26, 2026, Doug Peterson

Theme:  Zero to hero

Constructor Doug Peterson has constructed a lovely grid with five symmetrically placed theme entries, two of which span the grid from side to side.  It is all based on a familiar rags-to-riches story, as revealed at 62-Across.

62-Across. Underdog's feel-good narrative, and where to find the first words of the answers to the starred clues: CINDERELLA STORY.  Let's review the starred clues and answers to see the Cinderella elements.

17-Across. *Lead Belly song about a wee-hours train: MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.  Cinderella has to leave the royal ball before MIDNIGHT, when her dress will turn back into rags, her coach will turn back into a pumpkin, and her coachmen will turn back into mice.  As for the song, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is a folk song that originated among African-American prisoners in southern states, and was recorded by Huddie William "Lead Belly" Ledbetter in 1934.

Lead Belly

28-Across. *Armless furniture that sits low to the ground: SLIPPER CHAIR.  When Cinderella runs away from the ball, one of her glass SLIPPERs falls off, leaving behind a crucial clue for the prince to find her.  A SLIPPER CHAIR is an upholstered, armless chair with a low seat, typically placed in a corner of a bedroom so that ladies can sit to put on their SLIPPERs.

A 19th century slipper chair.

39-Across. *Play area with plastic spheres: BALL PIT.  Cinderella's stepmother provides her own daughters with elegant gowns and a coach so that they may attend the royal BALL, but Cinderella is left at home in rags to continue her usual chores -- until her fairy godmother provides her with magical garb and transportation.  You may never have attended a royal ball, but you've probably seen a BALL PIT, where children crawl around among small plastic balls.

Cinderella's ball pit?

47. *Flavor of many fall lattes: PUMPKIN SPICE.  How will Cinderella get to the ball, since her sisters have left without her?  Her fairy godmother turns a PUMPKIN into a coach.  Think about that next fall when you order a PUMPKIN SPICE latte at Starbucks!

Appearing every fall since 2004.

Who doesn't love a CINDERELLA STORY, in which the good and kind triumph over the wicked and mean?  And who can fail to appreciate the beauty of this grid?

Quickly now, before any of us turn into mice, let's address the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Put on: DON.  Cinderella had the bright idea to DON her dead mother's dress, but her nasty stepsisters tore it to pieces.

Poor Cinderella!

4. More crafty: SLIER.  This answer works in the USA, but Brits are slyer.

9. Red emblem on the English flag: CROSS.

Flag of England

14. Org. concerned with forever chemicals: EPA.  Environmental Protection Agency.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

15. Trattoria course: PASTA.  A trattoria is an Italian eatery, less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria.  Pasta is usually among the dishes labeled Primi, or first, which constitute the first hot course of a meal, often vegetarian.  Secondi is the next course, where meat and seafood appear.

16. Flood barrier: LEVEE.

17. [Theme clue]

20. Blooming __: deep-fried appetizer: ONION.  DH used to invite clients and prospective clients to dinner at nice restaurants.  His then-assistant set up one of these meals at a steakhouse, and the vegetarian entree she arranged for DH was a blooming onion.  He was not thrilled with her choice.

blooming onion

21. Large atlas section: ASIA.

22. Broadband letters: DSL.  Digital Subscriber Line is high-speed Internet access that uses existing copper telephone lines from homes and businesses to transmit data.

23. Pico de gallo pepper: SERRANO.  Pico de gallo is a chunky Mexican salsa made from tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños or serranos, and lime juice.

pico de gallo

26. Advance, as cash: LEND.

28. [Theme clue]

33. In this spot: HERE.

36. Prefix with classical: NEO.  Neo is a prefix meaning "new" or "revived."  Neoclassical refers to the revival of classical styles, especially in literature, music, art, or architecture.

The U.S. Capitol is an example of neoclassical architecture.

37. Extreme: ULTRA.

38. GI show gp.: USO.  The United Service Organizations Inc. is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

39. [Theme clue]

42. "Ugh, sounds painful!": OOF.

43. New Zealand native: MAORI.

45. Forever and a day: EON.

46. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, for short: TMNT.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The turtles, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, starred in comic books, animated cartoons, video games, and films.

Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo

47. [Theme clue]

51. __ Millions lottery: MEGA.  Mega Millions is a multijurisdictional lottery game.  It is offered in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  For those of you in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, or Utah, this will not be your rags-to-riches story.

52. Lose one's footing: STUMBLE.

56. One of the Manning brothers: ELI.  Eli Manning played in the National Football League for 16 seasons with the New York Giants.  He led the Giants to underdog Super Bowl victories against the New England Patriots in Super Bowls XLII (2008) and XLVI (2012).  Those were zero-to-hero seasons for the Giants!

Eli Manning

59. A handful of: SOME.

61. Bit of mint: SPRIG.

62. [Theme clue]

66. Mombasa's country: KENYA.  Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean.  Centered on an island, the city extends onto the mainland.  It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi.

67. JPEG, e.g.: IMAGE.  A JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file is a popular, compressed image format (.jpg, .jpeg) ideal for digital photos.

68. Dispenser at a bar: TAP.

69. Beginning stage: ONSET.

70. Took to the impound lot: TOWED.

71. Pres. before DDE: HST.  Before Dwight D. Eisenhower, there was Harry S. Truman.

Down:

1. Tech expo presentations: DEMOS.

2. Share a view: OPINE.

3. Lowest point: NADIR.

4. Backbone-related: SPINAL.

5. Delay in a livestream: LAG.

6. "Kinda": ISH.

7. Gospel great James: ETTA.  Crossword puzzles love this songstress.

Etta James

8. Grapple, slangily: RASSLE.

9. Neat and well-groomed: CLEAN CUT.

10. "Parks and __": REC.  Parks and Recreation (also known as Parks and Rec) is a political satire mockumentary television sitcom that aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015. The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. I found the first few episodes unbearable, but apparently it improved.

Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation

11. Poet of ancient Rome: OVID.

12. Bodies of water: SEAS.

13. Exchange for cash: SELL.

18. Like myths about Asgard: NORSE.

19. Walkway over water: PIER.

24. Girl, in Guatemala: NIÑA.

25. Autobahn auto: OPEL.  Opel began as a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862 in Rüsselsheim am Main.  They began making bicycles in 1886 and produced their first automobile in 1899.  The company was responsible for the world's first rocket-powered flights in 1928 and 1929.  In 1929, General Motors took a majority stake in Opel and then full control in 1931, establishing American ownership of the German automaker for nearly 90 years.  In 2017, PSA Peugeot Citroën acquired Opel, which is still headquartered in Rüsselsheim am Main.

Opel's 2026 all electric auto will sell for 25,000 euros.

27. FedEx alternative: DHL.  DHL (named after founders Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn) is a multinational logistics company, founded in the United States and headquartered in Bonn, Germany.  It provides courier, package delivery, and express mail services.

DHL in the USA

29. Fish sticks?: POLES.  OOF!  Fishing poles.

30. Basic particle: ATOM.

31. Mineral in leafy greens: IRON.  And protein!  DH is cooking up fresh spinach as I type.

32. River float: RAFT.

33. Camel feature: HUMP.

34. Biblical twin: ESAU.  His fraternal twin was Jacob.  Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentils.  He was hungry!

35. Suite part: ROOM.

39. Pedaler's perch: BIKE SEAT.

40. Opens, as a trunk: POPS.

41. Still a competitor: IN IT.  Still with me?  You are IN IT to win it!

44. LP fig.: RPM.  An LP (Long Play) record typically plays at 33 1/3 RPM (revolutions per minute).

46. Tantalize: TEMPT.

48. Classical composer Stravinsky: IGOR.  Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945).  He is widely considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music.  His third ballet, The Rite of Spring, caused a near-riot at the premiere in 1913 due to its avant-garde nature.  But then, there were four near-riots in European concert halls that year!

49. "Anything you want!": NAME IT.

50. Was a potty mouth: CUSSED.

53. Soup liquid: BROTH.

54. Turkish coins: LIRAS.

55. Red Sea nation: EGYPT.  My cousin's wife is currently climbing pyramids.  DH's best bud cruised the Nile recently.  It's trending.

56. Fashion designer Marc: ECKO.  Marc Ecko followed his artistic inclination into T-shirt design and made a name for himself with hip-hop and skater fashions.  He's an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and is known for charitable works.

Marc Ecko

57. Bank's property claim: LIEN.

58. Cozy lodgings: INNS.

60. Red friend of Grover: ELMO.

Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Elmo, and Cookie Monster

63. Henna, for one: DYE.  Natural henna is made from a plant (Lawsonia inermis) and turns hair and skin a reddish color.  Could ELMO be using henna?

64. Statute: LAW.

65. Get on in years: AGE.  Presumably, this is what the prince and Cinderella did when they lived happily ever after.

Solvers, how did you like today's CROSSword puzzle?

Were you ULTRA successful? 😀 Or did you STUMBLE?  😬

Kindly OPINE below!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, January 19, 2026, Agnes Davidson, Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme:  We've been framed! 

Who are the masterminds behind this scheme?  None other than our blogmistress, Zhouquin "C.C." Burnikel, and our commenter extraordinaire, Agnes "Irish Miss" Davidson.  How did they frame us?  Let us count the ways, beginning with the big reveal:

36-Down. Scapegoating scheme, or what the ends of the answers to the starred clues may be part of?: FRAME JOB.  A scapegoating scheme blames an innocent person for the wrongdoings of others.  Similarly, a FRAME JOB arranges evidence to point to an innocent person as the one responsible for a crime.  Why would Irish Miss and C.C. do this to us?  The good news is, they didn't.  They just hung a framed picture on the wall for our enjoyment, and scattered their tools around the grid.

16-Across. *Statistical measure of certainty: CONFIDENCE LEVEL.  A LEVEL is a handy tool for making sure a framed picture hangs straight on the wall.

CONFIDENCE LEVEL       and       LEVEL TOOL

22-Down. *Earlobe sparkler: DIAMOND STUD.  A STUD is a vertical wood beam that is part of the substructure of a wall.  If the framed picture is heavy, it's a good idea to attach one of the picture hangers to a stud in the wall.

DIAMOND STUD   and   WALL STUDS

23-Down. *Fashion accessory attached at a salon: ACRYLIC NAIL.  A NAIL is essential to fasten a picture hanger to a wall.

ACRYLIC NAILS   and   NAIL FASTENERS

33-Down. *"U Can't Touch This" rapper: MC HAMMER.  A HAMMER is a handy tool for driving a nail into a wall.

MC HAMMER   and   HAMMER TOOL

This FRAME JOB turned out to be a satisfying task.  But "hang" on -- there's more to do.

Across:

1. Golf scorecard number: PAR.  PAR is the number of strokes that a proficient golfer should require to complete a hole, a round, or a tournament.

4. Prefix with task or vitamin: MULTI.

9. Pt. of LLC: LTD.  An LLC is a Limited Liability Company. A part (abbreviated "pt.") of this phrase is the word "Limited," abbreviated as LTD.

12. "Look __ this way ... ": AT IT.

14. Sci-fi author Asimov: ISAAC.  Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. Considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he wrote or edited more than 500 books.

15. "The __ the merrier!": MORE.

16. [Theme clue]

19. "Yum Yum Bedlam" rap duo __ Clown Posse: INSANE.  Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo formed in Detroit in 1989.  Thank you, perpendicular entries.

Insane Clown Posse

20. Try to chomp on: BITE AT.

21. Experience grief: FEEL SAD.

23. Calgary's province: ALBERTA.  It's only fair to have the occasional gimme for our friend CanadianEh!

24. NFL distances: Abbr.: YDS.  NFL is an abbreviation for National Football League.  YDS is an abbreviation for yards.  Although American football is largely incomprehensible to this blogger, it's clearly an outlet for tribal instincts, where the capture of territory is measured in yards.

25. Air pressure fig.: PSI.  Pounds per Square Inch.  By now, you've noticed that an abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

26. Nasty mutt: CUR.

Bad dogs have had bad experiences.
They can be helped, but some people create this behavior on purpose.

27. Method: Abbr.: SYS.  System.

28. Lucked out at last: GOT A BREAK.

31. Entice: TEMPT.

34. Mother's Day month: MAY.

35. Sorts (through): SIFTS.

39. Marine mammal feared by sharks: ORCA.  Orcas (AKA killer whales) are fearsome creatures.

40. Turnpike charges: TOLLS.

42. Sound from a leaky tap: DRIP.

43. "Hard pass": NAH.

44. Mark left by a swimsuit: TAN LINE.

Tan lines left by various recreational outfits.

46. "__ questions?": ANY.

47. Grammy, for one: AWARD.

49. Insurance case: CLAIM.

51. Like most races: TIMED.

53. __ Antonio Spurs: SAN.  A professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, the Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

55. "Will __": ABC police drama starring Ramón Rodríguez: TRENT.  Will Trent is a police procedural TV series based on novels by Karin Slaughter.  The series, starring Ramón Rodríguez in the title role, premiered on January 3, 2023, on ABC, and was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on January 6, 2026.

Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent.  Cute dog!

58. Italy's capital: ROME.

59. Rib-eye, for one: STEAK.

61. Not quite closed: AJAR.

62. Blown away: AWED.  Blown away, as in very impressed.

63. Collectible trinket: CURIO.

64. Chore list heading: TO DO.

65. The red planet: MARS.

66. Adored stars: IDOLS.

67. Site with bidding wars: EBAY.  When you shop for a CURIO on EBAY, it's very easy to get caught up in a bidding war.

Down:

1. Soothe, as a fussy baby: PACIFY.  Our young folks went to the hospital thinking they would not use a pacifier for their baby.  The hospital staff supplied this model, and our grandson has been happily sucking on one ever since:

2. Did penance (for): ATONED.

3. Washes the suds off: RINSES.

4. Fertile Crescent's region: MIDEAST.  The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, together with northern Kuwait, south-eastern Turkey, and western Iran.  It is believed to be the first region where farming emerged as people began to clear natural vegetation to grow domesticated plants as crops.  Alas, modern irrigation projects have drained the marshes and made the Crescent much less fertile.

Map of the Fertile Crescent

5. Bring into play: USE.

6. PC-to-PC hookup: LAN.  A Local Area Network is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home.  The LAN is made up of cables, access points, switches, routers, and other components that enable devices to connect to internal servers, web servers, and other LANs.  I'm glad our business has a "techspert" to manage the LAN!

7. Tic-__-toe: TAC.

8. Cool tone on a palette: ICE BLUE.

9. Romeo and Juliet, e.g.: LOVERS.

10. Goal of a peace summit, perhaps: TREATY.

11. Triangular river formations: DELTAS.  A river delta is a landform, typically triangular, created by the deposit of sediments carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges into a body of slower-moving water such as an ocean, a sea, a lake, or a reservoir -- in other words, at the river mouth.

The Nile river delta as seen from a satellite.

13. Nonstick cookware brand: T-FAL.  T-Fal is a popular brand of nonstick cookware.  DH and I recently gave up on nonstick and opted for good, old-fashioned stainless steel pots and pans.

15. Ration (out): METE.

17. Cool place to hang: IN SPOT.

I'm in with the in crowd, I go where the in crowd goes ...

18. Most October babies: LIBRAS.

22. [Theme clue]

23. [Theme clue]

28. Academic transcript no.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.  "No." is an abbreviation, so you know the answer will also be an abbreviation.

29. Masquerade event: BALL.

30. Baby goat: KID.

And they both say maa!

31. Freight weight: TON.

32. Period of history: ERA.

33. [Theme clue]

36. [Theme reveal]

37. Ceiling metal: TIN.  Tin ceilings are decorated with tin tiles that have designs pressed into them.  This architectural detail was popular in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was used as an affordable alternative to the beautiful plasterwork used in European homes.

Tin ceiling with tiles from Penn Metal Ceiling Company's 1896 catalog.

38. Undercover agent: SPY.

40. Roofing goo: TAR.

41. Sketch show that inspired "30 Rock," for short: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

44. Small amount: TAD.

45. Gulp down: EAT.

48. Garden invaders: WEEDS.  Weeds are wild plants growing where they are not wanted, and in competition with cultivated plants.  Always a problem for me after winter rains in Los Angeles.

I have an urge to kill the spurge.
Spotted spurge, that is.  (Euphorbia maculata.)

50. Hot under the collar: IRATE.

51. Shuttle on rails: TRAM.

52. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

A corn belt I'd like to see.

54. Prefix with dynamic: AERO.

56. Zilch: NADA.

57. "Iliad" city: TROY.  Homer's Iliad is an epic poem that tells the story of the Trojan War, in which Greek armies beseiged the city of Troy after Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, ran off together.  What a lot of trouble those LOVERS caused!  

The fall of Troy came when Greeks entered the city hidden inside a wooden horse.
That story appears in Homer's Odyssey.

59. Physics or chem: SCI.  Science.

60. Some UFC victories: KOS.  Ultimate Fighting Championship (mixed martial arts) victories can be knockouts.

Here's the finished grid:

Solvers, did you work AT IT until you GOT A BREAK?

Did you USE a computer interface where your solving was TIMED?

Can you CLAIM an AWARD for your best solving time ever?

Or did you get NADA and FEEL SAD or even IRATE?

That's a TON of questions.  MAY we hear from you in the comments?

-- NaomiZ

Monday, January 12, 2026, Patti Varol

Theme:  Multitasking.

Constructor Patti Varol has been editing and creating puzzles for more than twenty years, and is the editor of the Los Angeles Times crossword, so she knows the rules!  Today Patti has hidden the various functions of an "all-in-one" multifunction printer in four long grid entries.  This puzzle is perfect for those of you who hate circles; you'll have to find those printer functions yourself!  Luckily, they appear at the end of the long entries, so they're not too hard to see.

The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. 1980s Atari racing game: SUPER SPRINT.  Super Sprint was a 1986 racing video game developed and published by Atari Games for arcades.  I watched my son play racing games at arcades, but have no specific memory of this title.  You can see from the illustration that it was a multiplayer game.  The last five letters spell out our first printer function:  PRINT.

29-Across. Minimally invasive surgical procedure: ARTHROSCOPY.  Arthroscopy involves inserting a tiny camera (arthroscope) into a small incision on a joint in order to examine and sometimes treat damage to the joint.  The procedure has multiple possible targets:  knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, and wrist.  The last four letters spell out our second printer function:  COPY.

Ouch.

45-Across. Hall of Fame pitcher who threw four no-hitters for the Dodgers: SANDY KOUFAX.  Sandy Koufax is an American former baseball player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, he played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Mr. Koufax is the last living member of the 1955 World Series-winning team.  His autograph appears on multi-signed memorabilia alongside other baseball legends.  And conveniently, his last name ends in three letters that spell out our third printer function:  FAX.

Sandy Koufax

60-Across. Cylinder in the snack aisle: PRINGLES CAN.  Pringles is brand of stackable potato-based snacks invented by Procter & Gamble in 1968. It is considered an "extruded" snack because of the manufacturing process.  The tubular can was designed to address customer complaints about broken chips and empty air in potato chip bags.  Kellogg's acquired Pringles in a multibillion dollar deal in 2012.  The last four letters of this answer spell out our fourth printer function:  SCAN.

Pringles can

A multifunction printer is suitable for most homes, but in my office, I find I get better functionality from a dedicated printer and a separate scanner.  Scanning and printing can substitute for copying in most cases.  And fax?  You can use an online fax if you need one.  That said, my mom is pretty amazing using her all-in-one for everything.

Let's see how the rest of the clues and answers function.

Across:

1. Awards such as Best Upset and Best Game: ESPYS.  The ESPY Awards, produced annually by ESPN since 1993, recognize athletic achievement during the preceding calendar year.  "Best Upset" and "Best Game" have been awarded in the past, but those specific awards do not occur every year. 

6. Have a spoonful, say: TASTE.

11. "Tsk!" kin: TUT.  Tsk! Tsk! (American) and Tut-tut! (British) are dental clicks used to express disapproval.

14. Fleece source: SHEEP.

15. Astronaut Ellen who was the first Latina director of the Johnson Space Center: OCHOA.  Ellen Ochoa is an inventor, former NASA astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In 1993, she went to space on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman in space

16. Activist Yoko: ONO.  I wonder if Yoko knows how often she shows up in crossword puzzles.  It's not a bad thing!

17. [Theme clue]

19. Air passenger screening org.: TSA.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.  TSA = Transportation Security Administration.

20. Future counselor's maj.: PSYCH.  Another abbreviated clue calling for an abbreviated answer.  To become a licensed counselor, you may need to major in psychology.

21. Hallucinations: VISIONS.

23. Salt Lake state: UTAH.

25. Black dialect, for short: AAVE.  African American Vernacular English.  Developed over centuries through the experiences of enslaved Africans and their descendants, AAVE is a distinct variety of English with its own grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

27. "Doggone it!": DRAT.

28. Tree goo: SAP.

29. [Theme clue]

32. Mop target: SPILL.

34. Old photo hue: SEPIA.  Sepia ink comes from a cuttlefish called Sepia.  Old black and white photos were treated with sepia toner to make them last longer, resulting in a warm brown hue.

NaomiZ's grandparents in a Sepia toned photograph

35. Amuses, as with anecdotes: REGALES.

38. Elementary school shoebox project: DIORAMA.  Every fourth grade public school student in California has to construct a diorama of one of the early California missions as homework.  This was true for me six decades ago, true for my children, and continues today.  The 21 missions were built by indigenous slaves under the control of Spanish priests.  Approximately 62,000 indigenous Californians died through the mistreatment they experienced in the mission system.  No one told us that in school.  Today, kids in California can go to local craft stores and purchase pre-made kits to build their dioramas.

mission in a shoebox

42. Actor Nick: NOLTE.  Nick Nolte is an American actor with many movie and television credits, a Golden Globe Award, and three Academy Award nominations.

Nick Nolte

44. Calf's suckling spot: UDDER.

udderly adorable

45. [Theme clue]

50. Industrial tank: VAT.

51. __ vera gel: ALOE.

52. Front of a ship: PROW.

53. Like some high-fiber breakfast bars: OATY.  DH has been baking oatmeal applesauce bread, which makes a lovely breakfast for me, and a nice foundation for lunchtime peanut butter for him.

54. Snug apartments: STUDIOS.  A studio apartment is one room with a separate bathroom.  Same thing as a bachelor apartment.  It's like living in a hotel room.

57. Times New __: ROMAN.  Times New Roman is a font (or typeface) designed for the British newspaper The Times in 1931.  It is one of the most popular typefaces of all time.

59. Give in to gravity: SAG.

60. [Theme clue]

64. Notable time: ERA.

65. Texas A&M athlete: AGGIE.  Texas A&M University is a public research university in College Station, Texas, founded in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.  The Texas A&M Aggies are the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University.

66. Cathedral city in Tuscany: SIENA.

NaomiZ dwarfed by family members in Siena, January 2014

67. Summer hrs.: DST.  Daylight Saving Time.

68. Frowned-upon acts: DON'TS.  Younger son eats lots of DONuTS.  His daddy DOZEN't.

69. Analyze, as ore: ASSAY.  Investigate to assess presence of a target entity.  One thinks of gold rush propectors visiting the assayer's office to find out whether they'd found something of real value.

Down:

1. Start to sneeze?: ESS.  The letter "s" (spelled out as ESS) is the start to the word "sneeze."

2. Moo __ pork: SHU.  Stir-fried pork, eggs, and veggies, served in a thin pancake.

moo shu pork

3. British cartoon character who loves muddy puddles: PEPPA PIG.  Peppa Pig is an animated British preschool television series.  I am aware of it because my 11-year-old twin grandchildren were fans.

4. "Oof, that's not good": YEESH.  Used to express diselief or exasperation.

5. Quick and nimble: SPRY.

6. Monopoly token sported by the game's mascot: TOP HAT.  The tokens, or playing pieces, of this popular board game have changed over the years, but the top hat has survived as a token since the first Parker Brothers edition in 1935.

7. Crossword dir.: ACR.  Crossword direction:  Across.

8. Shook with cold: SHIVERED.

9. Novelist Morrison: TONI.  Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was an African-American novelist and editor.  In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved, and in 1993, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

10. Breaks bread: EATS.

11. Miyazaki's "My Neighbor __": TOTORO.  My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.  Looks amazing -- now I have to watch it.

My Neighbor Totoro

12. Open, as a onesie: UNSNAP.  We have been snapping and unsnapping onesies since the newest grandson appeared four months ago.

13. Nice and warm: TOASTY.  Our daughter-in-law explained to us that blankets pose a suffocation risk to babies, and our grandson should rely on onesies or sleep sacks to stay TOASTY.

18. Emotional wound: SCAR.

22. 19-Across request: ID CARD.  Remember 19-Across, TSA?  These folks ask for your ID CARD as you go through the airport security checkpoint.

23. Spy-fi side: USSR.  Spy fiction sides included the USA versus the USSR.

24. See 26-Down: TAPE.  Next clue, please!

26. With 24-Down, outmoded media format: VHS.  The dominant format for home recording of video and audio from the 1980s through the 1990s, VHS tapes were replaced by DVDs, then by Blu-ray discs, and finally by digital files.

29. Mixture of metals: ALLOY.

30. Nail salon brand: OPI.

31. __ City, Iowa: SIOUX.

33. Terse text sent while taxiing to the terminal: LANDED.  DH and I text each other when we land, assuming we are not flying together.

36. Large ruminant in the Rockies: ELK.  A ruminant is an herbivorous mammal whose digestive system requires it to regurgitate and re-chew tough plant matter as "cud."  Here are 59 seconds of an elk chewing its cud:

37. Octagon at an intersection: STOP SIGN.

39. Prepayments in some big book deals: ADVANCES.

40. Ravioli filling, sometimes: MEAT.

41. Highbrow: ARTY.  Highbrow means highly cultured and sophisticated.  An arty person is very interested in the arts.  The latter term is more often used to suggest that such a person is pretentious.

43. Benelux continent: EUR.  Benelux is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring countries in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.  Since Benelux is sort of an abbreviation -- a portmaneau, really -- for BElgium, NEtherlands, and LUXembourg, I suppose it's OK for the continent of EURope to be abbreviated in the answer.

45. Got smart with: SASSED.

46. Sites for some rites: ALTARS.

47. Chewy candy: NOUGAT.

48. Blacksmiths' workplaces: FORGES.  This word takes me back to "The Village Blacksmith," a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which I committed to memory as an elementary school assignment.  

And children coming home from school

    Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

    And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

    Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

49. Mil. truant: AWOL.  Military truant = AWOL = Absent WithOut Leave.

53. Desert watering hole: OASIS.

55. AirPlay and AirDrop tablet: IPAD.

56. Challenging chem course: ORGO.  Recent crossword puzzles insist that Organic Chemistry courses are called ORGO, but our crossword solvers insist that this is nonsense.  Google likes it, though.

58. Phoenix suburb: MESA.

61. Petty peeve: NIT.  Nits are the eggs of parasitic insects like lice.  People pick nits out of their childrens' hair.  This sort of concern with tiny things has translated into picking on other folks over small matters:  "I have a nit to pick with you."  "Stop nitpicking me!"

62. Actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way.  She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.  

Ana de Armas

63. Yea's opposite: NAY.  Voice votes.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, what did you think of Patti's puzzle?

Did it SAP your strength?  Did it SCAR you for life?  Did you have a NIT to pick with it?

Or perhaps you LANDED this one, and found it to your TASTE.

C'mon, SPILL in the comments!

-- NaomiZ