Monday, April 6, 2026, Jodi Davenport

Theme:  Warm words.

What do I care how much it may storm?
I've got crosswords to keep me warm.

Constructor Jodi Davenport makes sure we're keeping cozy by finding warm garments hidden at the FRONTS of familiar phrases in the long answers.

The big reveal occurs here:

59-Across. Zones of air that bring less chilly weather, or what 17-, 23-, 38-, and 49-Across all have: WARM FRONTS.  A warm front is the leading edge of an advancing warmer air mass that overrides a retreating colder air mass.  But in the style of crossword themes, the clue suggests we look for something WARM at the FRONTS (or beginnings) of the listed entries.

17-Across. Manhattan thoroughfare known for ritzy residences: PARK AVENUE.  PARKA.

23-Across. Endure a book just to write a scathing review, perhaps: HATE READ.  HAT.

38-Across. Personal stakes: VESTED INTERESTS.  VEST.

49-Across. Brian De Palma crime classic starring Al Pacino: SCAR FACE.  SCARF.

That was a nice warm-up exercise!  Now for the heavy lifting.

Across:

1. Canvas camping structures: TENTS.

6. Open just a crack: AJAR.

10. Twinge of hunger: PANG.

14. Ferret kin: STOAT.  In winter, a stoat's brown coat turns white, and the white version of the animal is called an ermine.  Weird, huh?  Stoats and ferrets are closely related members of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters, and badgers. 

Stoat                                    Ermine

  

15. Misplaced: LOST.

16. Febreze target: ODOR.  Testing your knowledge of home air and fabric fresheners.  

I would try washing up first, and then opening a window.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Roused: WOKE.

20. Nobel-winning Mother: TERESA.  Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was a Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in India.  As of 2012, the group was operating in 133 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns serving victims of AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, as well as running soup kitchens, clinics, orphanages, and schools.  Their mission is free service to the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa

21. Giving ghostly vibes: EERIE.

22. Scold: CHIDE.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Coffee, in slang: JOE.  Gotta love the way this clue intersects with 26-Down -- same clue, different answer.  Some of our regular readers call that a "clecho" for "clue echo."

27. Paris's __ de Triomphe: ARC.

29. Big name in video streaming: ROKU.  Roku is a popular streaming platform that brings TV shows, movies, and live TV to your television via the internet. It functions through dedicated streaming players, sticks, or as an operating system built into smart TVs.

30. Nautical "Halt!": AVAST.  "Avast me hearties" is a classic pirate phrase meaning "stop/pay attention, my friends."

Speaking pirate is efficient.

32. Legal claim placed on a house: LIEN.

34. Former Cubs slugger Sammy: SOSA.  Sammy Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder.  He played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs.  He hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history.  Sosa is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs.

Sammy Sosa

38. [Theme clue]

41. Not in support of: ANTI.

42. Egyptian cross: ANKH.  The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life."  It was a widespread decorative motif in ancient Egypt.  Copts (Egyptian Christians) adapted it as a variant of the Christian cross.  Western culture has adopted the ankh as a symbol of African cultural identity, neopagan belief systems, and goth subculture.

Ankh

43. Black-and-white whales: ORCAS.

44. Round flatbread: ROTI.

46. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT.  PC users press these three keys in combination to access the Task Manager.

48. Class with smocks: ART.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Chicago airport: O'HARE.

55. Cupid's partner on Santa's sleigh: COMET.

56. Shows again: RE-AIRS.

58. Passionate: AVID.

59. [Theme clue]

63. List of dishes: MENU.

64. Molecule part: ATOM.

65. Cause to chuckle: AMUSE.  Here, "cause" is used as a verb.

66. Stage accessory: PROP.

67. Count (on): RELY.

68. Curved cavalry sword: SABER.  My parents were antique hunters.  They thought it was a good idea to give my brother a civil war era saber and scabbard, which hung above his bed.  Luckily, he was a sane individual.

saber and scabbard

Down:

1. Common amt. of salt in a cookie recipe: TSP.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

2. GPS approximation: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

3. New England locale: NORTHEAST.  Tricky clue.  I thought the answer would be someplace in New England, but the answer has to do with where New England is within the United States.

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

4. George who played Sulu: TAKEI.  In the original Star Trek TV series, George Takei played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu.  Star Trek was noted for its portrayal of an integrated humanity of the future, with Sulu representing Asia.

George Takei as Sulu on Star Trek, 1966.

5. Sci-fi time standard: STARDATE.  A stardate is a fictional system of time measurement used in the TV series Star Trek.  It is impossible to convert stardates into equivalent calendar dates, especially since stardates were originally intended to avoid specifying exactly when Star Trek takes place.

6. Some pub pints: ALES.

7. Biblical man on the inside?: JONAH.  Jonah, as you recall, was inside a whale for a while.

8. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.  Arizona State University sports teams.

9. GPS display: RTE.  2-Down was a GPS approximation.  Now here we are with another GPS feature:  the display of a proposed RouTE.

10. One with advanced technical capabilities: POWER USER.  

11. Cherish: ADORE.

12. Finnish telecom giant: NOKIA.  My first mobile phone was a Nokia.

13. Avarice: GREED.

18. Change course suddenly: VEER.

21. Shriek of fear: EEK.

22. Group of witches: COVEN.

24. "Respect" singer Franklin: ARETHA.  Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist.  Regarded as the "Queen of Soul," she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.

Aretha Franklin, 1968

25. "Don't use that __ of voice with me!": TONE.

26. Coffee, in slang: JAVA.

28. Medical center: CLINIC.

31. Worked into a state: STIRRED UP.

33. Pen filler: INK.

35. Slight during awards season: OSCAR SNUB.  An Oscar snub occurs when a critically acclaimed film, actor, or director is overlooked and fails to receive an Academy Award nomination, despite widespread expectation, critical buzz, or recognition from previous industry awards.

36. Unblinking look: STARE.

37. Exec's helper: ASST.  An executive may get help from an assistant.

39. Component of cellphone plans: DATA.  Mobile (or cellular) data is internet connectivity delivered to your cellphone via a carrier's network, rather than via Wi-Fi.

40. Investment options with tax advantages: ROTH IRAS.  A Roth IRA offers tax advantages by allowing after-tax contributions to grow tax-free, with qualified withdrawals in retirement being completely tax-free.

45. O'er and o'er again: OFT.  Poesy!

47. Bread purchase: LOAF.

49. Rascal: SCAMP.

50. Put a blanket on, e.g.: COVER.

51. __ acids: protein components: AMINO.  Meat contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own -- but there are also vegetarian sources for those amino acids.  Soy, quinoa, and buckwheat are all complete proteins, as are eggs and dairy products. You can also combine incomplete proteins like rice and beans to get the full complement of amino acids.  Just sayin.

52. "The Thin Blue Line" documentarian Morris: ERROL.  Errol Morris is an American film director known for documentaries that investigate the belief systems of their subjects.  The Thin Blue Line exonerated an innocent man serving a life term for murder, who was universally believed to be guilty.

54. Fragrance: AROMA.

57. Television award: EMMY.

59. Tug-of-__: WAR.

60. Snacked on: ATE.

61. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE.  T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.  He was a leading figure of modernist poetry.  Who doesn't love The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?  

62. Knight's title in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms": SER.  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a fantasy television series created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin. A prequel to Game of Thrones, it is an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas.  The first season premiered on HBO in January 2026.  As in other Game of Thrones stories, knights are addressed as "Ser."

Egg and Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
This viewer looks forward to Season 2.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did this puzzle AMUSE you?  Did you ADORE it?

Or did you STARE at it, completely LOST?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, March 30, 2026, Michael B. Berg, Brian Callahan

Theme:  C-O-P-Y right. 

Crossword constructors Michael B. Berg and Brian Callahan enjoy a little wordplay.  The big reveal of today's theme occurs at 50-Across:

50-Across. Protection of intellectual property, or a phonetic hint to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across: COPYRIGHT.  Copyright laws grant exclusive RIGHTs to the originators of creative works, to COPY, distribute, perform, or display the work.  But today, we are looking for something on the RIGHT side of the answers to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across.  Something to do with phonetics, or speech sounds.

16-Across. Adrift after a storm, perhaps: LOST AT SEA.  The word on the right sounds like C.

23-Across. Jodie Comer's "Killing Eve" co-star: SANDRA OH.  The word on the right sounds like O.

30-Across. Stir-fry vegetable: SUGAR SNAP PEA.  The word on the right sounds like P.

44-Across. "Let me explain ... ": HERE'S WHY.  The word on the right sounds like Y.

Put the phonetic equivalents of the right-side words together, and you have the word COPY.  

Do you copy?  Let's see what other amusements Michael and Brian have prepared for us.

Across:

1. Bird that went extinct in the 1660s: DODO.  The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.  The first recorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598.  In the following years, the bird was hunted by sailors and other invasive species, while its habitat was being destroyed.  The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662.  A few specimens brought to Europe in the early 1600s, and subfossil materials found on Mauritius, prove the dodo existed.  The extinction of the dodo less than a century after its discovery called attention to the problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species ... a problem that has accelerated ever since. 

5. Auction site with a "newly listed" sort option: EBAY.  My younger sister, of blessed memory, loved to shop for special occasion clothing on eBay.  She taught me to include "NWT" (New With Tags) in my searches.

9. Carrier on rails: TRAM.  A tram is an electric public transportation vehicle running on street-level rails.

DH and I were impressed by the tram system in Bordeaux.

13. Monumental: EPIC.

14. Herb in poultry stuffing: SAGE.

15. Purifying filter acronym: HEPA.  A HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Happily __ after: EVER.

Psychologists argue that "happily ever after" does not just happen.
Successful relationships require continuing effort.

19. Weighing device: SCALE.

20. Cheddar shredders: GRATERS.

22. Collectively: AS ONE.

23. [Theme clue]

24. Subterfuge: RUSE.

25. Cone alternative at an ice cream shop: CUP.  Americans are evenly divided on the issue of cone versus cup.  Cones are crunchy, add flavor, and can be managed with one hand.  Cups don't drip, don't detract from the pure flavor of the ice cream, and accommodate more toppings.

Where do you stand on this issue dividing the country?

26. Rebound: RALLY.

27. Triage pro: EMT.  Emergency Medical Technicians provide basic emergency care and transport.

28. Detective Spade of "The Maltese Falcon": SAM.  Sam Spade is a fictional character, the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon.

Sam Spade was memorably played by Humphrey Bogart in 1941.

29. Precious stone: GEM.

30. [Theme clue]

35. Band's sound booster: AMP.

36. Special __: some mil. missions: OPS.  The abbreviation of "military" in the clue tells us to expect an abbreviation in the answer:  "ops" for "operations."

37. Word before devil or dog: SLY.

39. Top-notch: PRIMO.

42. NNW opposite: SSE.

43. Maker of jet-powered pogo sticks, in cartoons: ACME.

ACME supplies Wile E. Coyote with tools to catch and eat the Road Runner.

44. [Theme clue]

46. "Hadestown" writer Mitchell: ANAÏS.  Anaïs Mitchell is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright.  Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including Hadestown (2010).  She developed this album into a stage musical, the Broadway production of which won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical.

Anaïs Mitchell sporting emo hair.

47. Choppy, layered style with black bangs: EMO HAIR.

Cute!

48. Corp. shake-up: REORG.  A corporate shake-up could be a reorganization.

49. Second to __: NONE.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Easy-Bake __: OVEN.  The Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced in 1963, manufactured by Kenner and later by Hasbro.  The old ones used light bulbs; the new ones have real heating elements.  In the home of my youth, if we wanted to bake, we had to use the real oven.  

If it was a popular toy, advertised on TV, Mom and Dad did not buy it.

54. Pilates target: CORE.  The "core" refers to the muscles surrounding the spine, pelvis, and hips, that impact posture and stability.  Pilates is a low-impact exercise method focusing on core strength, stability, flexibility, and proper alignment.

Reminded again of my younger sister, a Pilates instructor who passed away 15 years ago.

55. Short message: NOTE.

56. Pharmacy orders, informally: MEDS.

57. "The Music of Tori and the Muses" singer-songwriter: AMOS.  Tori Amos is an American singer-songwriter and pianist.  A child prodigy, Amos began formal classical piano training at age five, but left the institute at eleven, finding her place as a pianist in Washington, D.C. bars.  Amos was the lead singer of the short-lived 1980s pop-rock group Y Kant Tori Read before achieving her breakthrough as a solo artist in the early 1990s. Her songs focus on a broad range of topics, including sexuality, feminism, politics, and religion.

Tori Amos

58. Texter's "So long!": TTYL.  Talk To You Later.

Down:

1. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL.  Benicio del Toro is a Puerto Rican actor.  He's appeared in a long list of films, including Steven Soderbergh's crime drama Traffic (2000), for which he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Benicio Del Toro

2. American marsupials known for playing dead: OPOSSUMS.

3. "The Simpsons" character in a rhinestone suit: DISCO STU.  We had Disco Stu in last Monday's puzzle!

4. Gas pump number: OCTANE.

5. East, in Spanish: ESTE.  The four cardinal directions in Spanish are norte (north), sur (south), este (east), and oeste (west). 

6. Some four-year degs.: BAS.  Bachelor of Arts degrees.

7. Generational divide: AGE GAP.

8. Long (for): YEARN.

9. Lady's partner in an animated spaghetti scene: THE TRAMP.

10. Unmask: REVEAL.

11. Italian liqueur in a spritz: APEROL.  I remember sitting at a table in a piazza in Florence, where my daughter was living, and being treated by her to my first Aperol spritz, served after work but before dinner, when Florentines take a break, nibble salty snacks, and drink:  3 parts Prosecco (sparkling wine), 2 parts Aperol (a bitter orange liqueur), and 1 part sparkling water or club soda.  Delizioso!

12. Like wetlands: MARSHY.

17. Brewpub brew: ALE.

21. Pros who know all the hot spots?: AD REPS.  Advertising representatives know all the hot advertisements or "spots."   "Spot" can also refer to the time slot occupied by an ad.

22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE.  Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  I'll be reading this to the newest grandchild when he stops putting everything in his mouth.  

23. Basic arithmetic homework: SUMS.  "Doing sums" is British English for doing basic arithmetic, or "maths" as Brits might say.  A worksheet of addition problems might be called "sums" in the USA.

25. Goldfish, for one: CARP.

28. Pastry that may be deep-fried in ghee: SAMOSA.  A samosa is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, often potatoes, onions, and peas.   Ghee is butter that has been simmered to remove water and milk solids, which gives it a caramelized flavor and a high smoke point, making it ideal for high heat cooking.

Samosas fried in ghee.

29. Stare in amazement: GAPE.

31. Cornish roasts: GAME HENS.  Small chickens, often roasted whole and served as individual portions.  

32. Overly inquisitive: NOSY.

33. Snail commonly cooked in butter: ESCARGOT.  In English, edible land snails are commonly called escargot, from the French word for snail.  They are usually baked in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and served with bread.  I'm pretty sure it's just as good if you dip bread in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and leave the snails out of it.

Escargot.

34. Supremely powerful: ALMIGHTY.

38. "That's correct": YES.

39. Promising youngster: PHENOM.  A "phenom" (short for phenomenon) is a person with extraordinary talent or ability, often a young prodigy or someone of phenomenal promise, particularly in sports.

40. Get rid of: REMOVE.

41. Pressed, as clothes: IRONED.

42. Trippy fungus, informally: SHROOM.  Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are consumed as recreational drugs, and may induce hallucinations.  It's trendy now to microdose mushrooms to generate positive feelings without major effects.

43. Bless using oil: ANOINT.

45. Neo-pagan religion: WICCA.  Wicca is a modern religious movement that embraces nature, magic, a goddess and a god.  Introduced to the public in 1954 by a retired British civil servant, it has spread mostly in English speaking countries.  Dear daughter was into it as a pre-teen or teenager.  I opened her bedroom door one evening, and I swear, she was sitting cross-legged on her twin bed, eyes closed, with a circle of lighted candles around her, each balancing on the blanket without visible support.  I backed out quickly, not wishing to startle her and burn the house down.

Not my daughter, but some other young woman "casting a circle."

46. Gassy prefix: AER.  The prefix aer comes from the Greek word for air, and usually indicates processes involving gas, air circulation, or airborne substances.  Examples of words with this prefix include aeration, aerial, aerobic, aerodrome, and aerosol.

48. Loaves that may be marbled: RYES.  Marbled rye bread is created by rolling light rye and dark rye doughs together.  Nice to look at, it also has contrasting flavors that are mild and robust.

Marbled rye bread.

51. Con's opposition: PRO.

52. Contact list no.: TEL.  

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you feel like a DODO when working the puzzle?  Were you LOST AT SEA?

Or did you turn in a PRIMO performance and feel like a crossword PHENOM?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, March 23, 2026, Caroline Hand

Theme:  Rhymes with lolly.

Golly, Wally, it's jolly on the trolley!

Caroline Hand is getting to be an old hand at crossword construction.  Today's little folly is a whole volley of actresses' names that rhyme with lolly.  The theme clues and answers are;

17-Across. "The Piano" Best Actress Oscar winner: HOLLY HUNTER.

Passionate historical romance.

28-Across. Actress known for saying "Kiss my grits!" on the sitcom "Alice": POLLY HOLLIDAY.

Polly Holliday is at right in Alice.
DH knew the show, actress, and catchphrase.
Maybe it was more popular in the South?

48-Across. "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" actress: MOLLY RINGWALD.

Molly Ringwald was a teen icon in the 1980s.

64-Across. Country music legend who founded the nonprofit literacy program Imagination Library: DOLLY PARTON.

This prolific singer songwriter is widely regarded as one of the kindest people alive.

Having solved the theme entries -- with help from perpendicular entries, especially for 28-Across in my case -- we cannot lollygag around.  Grab your brolly and the collie and let's go to Bali -- or at least on to the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Venomous African snake: MAMBA.  The bite of the black mamba is frequently fatal unless antivenom is administered.  Those photos you've seen of a big, black snake with huge fangs?  Not the mamba.  It's a pale brown snake with an mouth that is black on the inside.

Black mamba

6. On __ nine: elated: CLOUD.

11. Celebrity chef Fieri: GUY.  This rowdy restaurateur is a Food Network star.

Guy Fieri -- best known for the blond dye and hair gel?

14. Starting squad: A-TEAM.

15. Scoundrel: LOUSE.

16. Card game based on Crazy Eights: UNO.

17. [Theme clue}

19. Disco __ of "The Simpsons": STU.

20. Like a global corp.: INTL.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.  A global corporation is international.

21. Iowa college town: AMES.  Ames is home to Iowa State University.

22. Loathe: ABHOR.

24. Numbered musical composition: OPUS.

26. "Aquarius" and "Good Morning Starshine" musical: HAIR.  The soundtrack linked below starts slowly and quietly.  Patience, grasshopper!  Total time under 3 minutes.

28. [Theme clue]

33. Khaki kin: CHINO.

35. Ambient music composer Brian: ENO.  Something recent from crossword favorite Brian Eno:

36. First word for some babies: MAMA.

37. Tyrannosaurus __: REX.

38. Money holders: WALLETS.

42. Nada: ZIP.

43. Region: AREA.

45. "The Bluest __": Toni Morrison novel: EYE.  Her first novel, published in 1970.

46. Unwanted garden plants: WEEDS.

48. [Theme clue]

52. Animated character: TOON.  This blogger first heard cartoon characters referred to as "toons" in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, in which human beings and toons co-exist in 1947 Los Angeles.  Good movie.

53. Map publisher __ McNally: RAND.

54. American buffalo: BISON.

57. Clockwork part: GEAR.

59. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ.  A polite or formal "How are you?" in Spanish.  Informal would be "¿Cómo estás?"

63. Sci-fi ship: UFO.

64. [Theme clue]

67. East Lansing sch.: MSU.  Michigan State University.

68. Bring to mind: EVOKE.

69. Toy (with), as an idea: FLIRT.

70. Champagne cork's sound: POP.

71. Less cooked: RAWER.  Technically correct, but sounds like a lion.  I'd say, "More raw."

72. Set of four on a British car: TYRES.

Down:

1. Fish tacos fish, familiarly: MAHI.

2. Loads (of): A TON.

3. Cheesy diner sandwich: MELT.

4. Inflatable party decoration: BALLOON.

5. Actress Poehler: AMY.  From Second City and the Upright Citizens Brigade, to Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler has acted, written, and laughed her way into movie stardom, two Golden Globe Awards, and Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world (2011).

Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation

6. Bumbling: CLUMSY.

7. Unaccompanied: LONE.

8. Performed better than: OUTSHONE.

9. "__ as directed": USE.

10. Go off track: DERAIL.  

literal derailment

11. Spew: GUSH.  

Spew?  Let me count the ways.

12. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.

13. "Ball's in __ court": YOUR.

18. Lug: HAUL.

23. Hat edge: BRIM.

25. Work the soil: PLOW.

27. Loads (of): A LOT.

28. Dot on a computer screen: PIXEL.  The basic unit of programmable color on a computer display or in a computer image.

29. Oscar winner Mirren: HELEN.  Helen Mirren is the only person to have achieved both the US and UK Triple Crowns of Acting -- the US version being crossword favorite "EGOT."  

Dame Helen Mirren as The Queen (2006)

30. In a mental fog: DAZED.

31. Surrounded by: AMID.

32. Prattles on and on: YAPS.

33. Study all night: CRAM.

34. Long sandwich: HERO.

39. Flight-related prefix: AERO.

40. Staying away from the spotlight: LYING LOW.

41. Graceful lake bird: SWAN.

44. Palo __, California: ALTO.  We had Palo Alto last Monday!

47. On in years: ELDERLY.

49. Over thataway: YONDER.

50. Less sunny: GRAYER.

51. Bend out of shape: WARP.

54. Jostle: BUMP.

55. "Should that be the case ... ": IF SO.

56. Dish eaten with a spoon: SOUP.

58. Actress Sommer: ELKE.  Elke Sommer was one of the top film actresses of the 1960s.  

Elke Sommer in the 1960s

60. Kerfuffle: STIR.

61. Moved very fast: TORE.  A secondary meaning of tear/tore, as in "He tore down the hall in his rush to greet the guests."

62. Targets of Terro insect traps: ANTS.  Not familiar with this brand, but who you gonna trap?  ANTS!

65. Egg cells: OVA.

66. Toward the stern: AFT.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you BUMP into A TON of unknowns, leaving you DAZED?

Or were you a crossword HERO today, who TORE through the grid with no CLUMSY errors?

Let us know, down YONDER in the comments!

NaomiZ