Monday, October 26, 2026, Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme:  CAST your mind back ...

Zhouqin Burnikel -- our C.C.

Today's constructor, Zhouqin Burnikel, grew up in Xi'an, China, and moved to the Minneapolis area in 2001.  She started this blog in 2008, and started making her own crosswords in 2010.  Since then, she has become one of the most prolific and popular crossword constructors in the country.  We know her in this space as C.C., where her band of bloggers collaborates to educate and entertain everyone enjoying crossword puzzles in the Los Angeles Times.

C.C. helped us out today with circled letters to highlight the theme.  Note that the theme entries are symmetrically placed in the grid.  That's elegant!  The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. "Piece of cake!": IT'S A CINCH.  Two ways of saying "easy!" -- just like a Monday puzzle.

29-Across. Airport screening spots: TSA CHECKPOINTS.  Where the Transportation Security Administration scans for prohibited items and holes in your socks.

47-Across. Landmark antidiscrimination legislation of 1964: CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.  Proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, this act outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

64-Across. Shoe with a strap behind the heel, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: SLINGBACK.  Slingback shoes can be high- or low-heeled, but "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that sling."  Did you see the circled letters, which if read BACKwards, spell CAST?  CAST, as a verb, is a synonym for the verb SLING.  In the theme answers, the SLING (or CAST) goes BACK.

Slingback shoe

It took this blogger a moment to grasp the theme.  I was picturing my father, CASTing a fly fishing line, which involved SLINGing the entire line backward and forward before letting it settle on the water's surface, and eventually the synonyms hit me.

It is my duty and pleasure to TOSS a few more explanations of today's puzzle your way.

Across:

1. Mani-pedi spots: SPAS.  Spas are nice places to get MANIcures and PEDIcures.

5. Muscles targeted by leg raises: ABS.  You can do leg raises lying down, hanging from a bar, or in a "captain's chair" as shown below.

8. Pumpkin's place: PATCH.

13. Like a trusted mentor: WISE.

14. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

16. Windy City airport: O'HARE.  O'Hare is a massive global hub in Chicago.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Harder to come by: RARER.

20. Stingray relative: MANTA.  Manta rays can be as large as 29 feet wide.  They have one of the highest brain-to-body ratios of all fish and exhibit self-awareness.  They are endangered by overfishing.

Human diver and manta ray with suckerfish

21. Search for: SEEK.

23. "Well, golly!": GEE.

24. Vipers in the Sahara: ASPS.  The asp, or Egyptian cobra, is highly venomous.  The Egyptian queen Cleopatra committed suicide through the bite of an asp, reputed to bring on sleepiness and death without pain.

27. Feel the same way: AGREE.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Actor Lowe: ROB.  Rob Lowe was a Brat Pack actor in the 1980s, and has achieved critical acclaim this century with roles in The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters, and other television productions.

Rob Lowe

35. "That sounds cool!": OOH.

36. Below, poetically: 'NEATH.  Simon & Garfunkel used this shortened version of "beneath" in their 1964 song, The Sound of Silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

38. Individual: ONE.

39. Heartburn reliever: ANTACID.

42. Title for Louis XIV: ROI.  "Roi" is French for "king."

43. Tennessee NFL player: TITAN.  I knew this one only because DH is from Tennessee, and follows sports.

45. Snowboarding great Chloe: KIM.  Chloe Kim is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Chloe Kim

46. German 101 article: EIN.  "Ein" is German corresponding to the English article "a."  Courses numbered "101" are usually introductory classes for college undergraduates.

47. [Theme clue]

52. Girl Scout Cookie with coconut: SAMOA.  In some regions, Samoas are labeled Caramel deLites, but they're made by a different bakery and have key differences.  Samoas have darker chocolate and more coconut.  Caramel deLites have milk chocolate and less coconut.  I wonder whether the deLites inspire the same level of devotion as the Samoas?  

53. Relax in the bath: SOAK.

54. Oral health org.: ADA.  American Dental Association.  If you use one of the major toothpaste brands, you're probably used to seeing the ADA Seal of Acceptance on the package.

56. Line on a graph: AXIS.

58. Golf course halves: NINES.  A full course has eighteen holes.  Playing half the course takes less time and may benefit beginners.

62. Automaton: ROBOT.

64. [Theme clue]

67. "You had to be __": THERE.

68. Currency in Cyprus: EURO.  Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, and adopted the euro in 2008.

69. Woe after a long hike: ACHE.

70. Filled to the brim: SATED.

71. Shoot the breeze: GAB.

72. Shine from within: GLOW.

Down:

1. First leg of a traditional triathlon: SWIM.  A triathlon is an endurance race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running.

2. Falafel bread: PITA.  Falafel is a deep fried ball of chickpeas and/or fava beans, often served in pita bread.

Falafel in pita

3. Professional gp.: ASSN.  "Gp." stands for "group."  "Assn." stands for "association."

4. Closest airport to Mt. Rainier, familiarly: SEA-TAC.  The 14,411-foot active volcano is about 60 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the state of Washington.

5. Mahershala of "Green Book": ALI.  Mahershala Ali's acting has been rewarded with two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.  Ali won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Moonlight (2016) and in Green Book (2018).  Green Book tells the true story of a 1962 tour of the deep south by African-American pianist Don Shirley, relying on The Negro Motorist Green Book to find restaurants and hotels accepting black customers.

6. Declare off-limits: BAN.

7. Sets the dogs (on): SICS.

8. Salty fried snack: PORK RIND.

9. "I get it now!": AHA.

10. Bull's-eye vicinity: TARGET AREA.

11. One of Canada's First Nations: CREE.  The Cree are a North American indigenous people whose homelands occupy most of eastern and central Canada.

12. "Present!": HERE.  Both are responses to roll call.

David?  Here!  Alice?  Present!

15. Low-priced: CHEAP.

18. Fat wallet fattener: CASH.

22. Sense of self: EGO.

25. Laborer: PEON.  A low ranking worker, or debtor bound to servitude.

26. Edinburgh native: SCOT.  We encountered these good looking folks in Edinburgh last month:

Edinburgh natives

28. U-turn from WSW: ENE.  Opposite points on a compass.

29. Slow and steady run: TROT.

30. Lightning-fast hedgehog of video games: SONIC.  Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series for Sega which debuted in 1991.

31. "No weaseling out! Pay up!": A BET IS A BET.

32. Uniform color for some park rangers: KHAKI.

33. Showing no emotion: STOIC.

37. Helpful suggestion: HINT.

39. Like Pixar movies: ANIMATED.

40. Slangy smokes: CIGS.  Short for cigarette, of course.

41. Intro to a texter's two cents: IMHO.  IMHO stands for "in my humble opinion."

44. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA.  Ava DuVernay is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and Golden Globe.  Her Academy Award nomination was for the 2014 film Selma, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ava DuVernay

48. Fishy bagel topping: LOX.  Lox is a fillet of raw salmon that has been soaked in salt water for at least several days and then thinly sliced.  It is typically served on a bagel with cream cheese.

49. Reward for a job well done: RAISE.

50. Zesty flavor: TANG.

51. Carrier for poles, boots, and goggles: SKI BAG.

54. Bonsai and saikei: ARTS.  Bonsai is the Japanese art of pruning trees or shrubs in shallow containers to create miniature versions of mature trees.  Saikei goes a step further by adding stones, moss, gravel and other elements to create miniature landscapes.

Saikei

55. Gulf capital known for its futuristic skyline: DOHA.  Doha is the capital of Qatar.

Doha

57. Slimy garden pest: SLUG.

59. Table salt, to a chemist: NACL.  NaCl is the chemical formula for sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt.

60. Sound in an empty chamber: ECHO.

61. Distort, as data: SKEW.

63. Mined find: ORE.

65. 401(k) kin: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

66. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB.  An historic, affluent neighborhood in San Francisco, with steep hills, luxury hotels, and great views of the city and the bay.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Were you WISE to the theme today?  Was it a CINCH for you?

Or did you encounter a rough PATCH?

We love to hear from you -- beginners and old-timers alike.  All are welcome in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Notes from C.C.:

Here's a picture of CrossEyedDave, all dressed up for a fancy French restaurant. He said "This is my first time tasting Crepe Suzette. I don't like crepe Suzette any more than I like French in my crosswords..."

 

At least he didn't have to solve the dessert before eating it.

Monday, October 19, 2026, Jackson Musker

Theme:  ABCs of ambulation.

Jackson Musker

In the last two months, Jackson Musker has published crossword puzzles in the Wall Street Journal and Universal Crossword.  Today marks his debut in the Los Angeles Times.  Congratulations, Jackson!  You are on a roll!  If you, dear reader, listen to public radio in Los Angeles, you may remember Jackson as a reporter on KPCC's Off-Ramp, or perhaps you enjoyed The Dinner Party Download, which Jackson produced for American Public Media.  For updates on his audio career, see jacksonmusker.com.  For more about today's puzzle, keep reading!

The theme clues and answers are:

18-Across. Enjoy a prime position: SIT PRETTY.  The idiom "sitting pretty" means being in a favorable, comfortable, or financially secure position.

23-Across. Cramped areas under some houses: CRAWL SPACES.  A crawl space is an unfinished, narrow space between the earth and the bottom floor of a building, typically measuring about 1 to 4 feet in height.  Very common here in Los Angeles, where basements are rare.

36-Across. Ben E. King hit that begins "When the night has come / And the land is dark": STAND BY ME.  Released in 1961, this song became a hit again in 1986 when it was used in Rob Reiner's movie of the same name, based on a Stephen King novel called "The Body."

51-Across. Biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter: WALK THE LINE.  The 2005 movie stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.

57-Across. Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across: BABY STEPS.  Aha!  SIT, CRAWL, STAND, and WALK are stages in a baby's development.  Our one-year-old grandson has completed the first three steps, but does not yet walk unsupported.  That's okay.  Baby steps!

Across:

1. Weeper's output: TEARS.

6. Aid and __: help on a heist: ABET.

10. Miles away: AFAR.

14. Planetary path: ORBIT.

15. Puzzle cube creator Rubik: ERNŐ.  Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian architect known for creating the Rubik's Cube (1974).

Have you ever unscrambled one?

16. Tiny, in tech: NANO.  A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.  Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers.  There are 25,400,000 nanometers in 1 inch.

17. Long-lived desert plants: CACTI.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Ration out: ALLOT.

22. "America's Got Talent" judge Mandel: HOWIE.  Howie Mandel is a Canadian comedian, film and television actor, and producer. He voiced Gizmo in the Gremlins films; played an ER doctor on NBC's St. Elsewhere; is a judge on America's Got Talent; and hosts The Price is Right Tonight in Canada.

Howie Mandel through the ages

23. [Theme clue]

27. African antelope: GNU.

29. Turned down: DENIED.

30. Sci-fi blasters: RAY GUNS.

32. Grill briquettes: COALS.

33. Ukraine's capital: KYIV.

35. Be a bookworm: READ.

36. [Theme clue]

39. Danish shoe company: ECCO.  ECCO has been making shoes since 1963, and opened its first retail store in 1982.  The brand owns leather tanneries in the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia and China.  ECCO shoes are sold in 101 countries.  Their reputation is for comfort and durability.

ECCO Men's Nubuck Lace-Up Sneaker

42. Soft throw: TOSS.

43. Solemn promises: OATHS.

47. Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York: CORNELL.

49. Extremists: ULTRAS.

50. Classic Pontiac muscle car: GTO.  The Pontiac GTO started the trend for "muscle cars" in the 1960s.  Muscle cars are two-door, four passenger cars with powerful engines.

1966 Pontiac GTO

51. [Theme clue]

54. Many a middle schooler: TWEEN.  BeTWEEN childhood and the TEENage years are the TWEEN years -- roughly ages 9 to 12.

56. Actress Tyler who voices Lana Kane on "Archer": AISHA.  Aisha Tyler is an American actress, talk show host and director. She played Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer, Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds, Mother Nature in the final two The Santa Clause films, and voiced Lana Kane in Archer. She also had recurring roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Friends.

Aisha Tyler

57. [Theme clue]

59. Swedish stores with flatpack furniture: IKEAS.

63. Petri dish gelatin: AGAR.

64. Stratford's river: AVON.  William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, lived there with his wife and children, and is buried there in Holy Trinity Church.  

NaomiZ-upon-Avon last month

65. Release: LET GO.

66. "A __ formality": MERE.

67. Colorful amphibian: NEWT.

68. Future JDs' exams: LSATS.  Law School Admission Tests are required of those seeking Juris Doctor degrees.

Down:

1. List of chapters at the front of a book: Abbr.: TOC.  Table Of Contents.

2. Chapter in history: ERA.

3. Alphabet starter: ABC.

4. Actress and philanthropist who has co-produced films with Tom Hanks: RITA WILSON.  Margarita Wilson Hanks is an actress, singer, and producer with a long list of credits.  With her husband, actor Tom Hanks, she supports women's cancer research, among other charities.  They also support the Shakespeare Center of Los Angles.  Bet they've been to Stratford-upon-Avon!

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

5. Most calm: STILLEST.  WordHippo.com says that other words for STILLEST include peacefullest, tanquilest, placidest, and silentest.  None of these sound good to me.

6. Greek fable writer: AESOP.

7. Water filter brand: BRITA.  I gave up using Brita pitchers years ago because they developed molds that were impossible to remove, and had to be replaced regularly.  It turns out that a Brita pitcher filter does not remove most of what can make water unsafe, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, and dissolved solids.  If you can afford to install a reverse osmosis system, it does a much better job.  Activated charcoal filters and water softeners are also superior to Brita.

8. Sinus MD: ENT.  ENT stands for ear, nose, and throat. It refers to a medical specialist who treats conditions in these areas

9. Likely to tip over: TOP HEAVY.

10. Over again: ANEW.

11. Exhaustion: FATIGUE.

12. Insect's feeler: ANTENNA.

13. "You Got It" singer Orbison: ROY.  Roy Orbison (1936-1988) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his powerful voice and emotional ballads. He was popular in the early 1960s and again in the late 1980s when he performed as a member of the Traveling Wilburys:  Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.  What a group they made!  Here's Roy Orbison, solo, performing "You Got It."

19. Pink, as cheeks: ROSY.

21. Psychedelics study subj.: LSD.  LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), commonly known as acid, is a hallucinogenic drug derived from ergot, a type of fungus.  Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect cognitive processes.  They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction.  They may lead to countercultural revolutions, though!

As a TWEEN in the 1960s, I was concerned that being a young adult
would involve dropping acid regularly and having sex with random people.

23. Public health agcy.: CDC.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

24. __ Speedwagon: REO.  REO Speedwagon -- named for a brand of truck -- was an American rock band formed in Illinois in 1967. The band had great success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies.  Take a listen to "Can't Fight This Feeling."

25. "Knives Out" 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), nurse Marta Cabrera in the mystery film Knives Out (2019), 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

26. Nursery beds: CRIBS.

28. Amer. currency: USD.  United States dollar.

31. North American quintet depicted on the Michigan quarter: GREAT LAKES.

This Michigan quarter was "colorized" by a private company
after issuance by the U.S. Mint. 

33. Grassy mound: KNOLL.

34. Gridiron figs.: YDS.  American football fields are called "gridirons" and are measured in YarDS.

37. Many a fan of the Hawks and the Dream: ATLANTAN.  The Atlanta Dream are a women's team in the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Hawks are a men's team in the National Basketball Association.  Makes sense that an Atlantan would cheer them on.

38. Bump that indicates a lawn infestation: MOLEHILL.  If your lawn is full of adorable furry mammals, can you really call it an infestation?

Cute!

39. Heartbeat check, for short: ECG.  Electrocardiogram.

40. Humble home: COTTAGE.

41. Prying tool: CROWBAR.

44. Uni- + bi-: TRI.

45. Chewie's co-pilot: HAN.  Chewbacca and Han Solo are characters in the Star Wars films.

Chewie and Han

46. NNW reversal: SSE.  Opposite points of a compass.

48. Meadow moms: EWES.  Mama sheep.

49. Syllables of uncertainty: UHS.  I tried UMS first.

52. Punch sound: KAPOW.

53. Naysayer's quaint contraction: 'TISN'T.  An old fashioned way of saying "it isn't."

55. Charlotte Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE.  Jane Eyre is the title of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, and the name of its heroine.

57. Punch sound: BAM.

58. Night before: EVE.

60. Due-in hr.: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

61. Writer's rep: AGT.  A writer's representative is her agent.

62. Distress letters: SOS.  SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ) designed for ease of use and recognition. SOS did not represent any words when first used.  Later, backronyms were created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship." 

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did any part of today's puzzle bring you to TEARS?  Were you DENIED the coveted FIR (Finished It Right)?

Or was it just BAM, KAPOW, done?

We always look forward to your comments.

-- NaomiZ

Monday, October 12, Kyle Dolan

Theme:  PaJama party.

Eating Peach Jam, wearing Pearl Jewelry, and writing in a Poetry Journal

Kyle Dolan regularly constructs themeless Saturday puzzles for the LA Times.  What a surprise and delight to encounter his work on a Monday!  Kyle holds a Ph.D. in Biochemisty and Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago, and is employed as Head of Science & Innovation at British Consulate-General Chicago.  I thought it might be interesting to look at the site where he posts cryptic crosswords --  beneaththesurfacepuzzles.blogspot.com -- and tried my hand at one.  I had absolutely no idea what was happening, even when I read the solution.  Happily, today's puzzle was a Pleasant Jaunt.

The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. Liquid that can relieve muscle cramps: PICKLE JUICE.  News to me, but according to research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, a few sips of pickle juice at the onset of cramps is effective in reducing the severity of those cramps within a minute or so.

27-Across. Filling a friend's car with balloons, e.g.: PRACTICAL JOKE.  That would be a surprise -- and annoyance!  Have you ever had to drive with balloons in the car?  It isn't easy, or safe.  

43-Across. Reward or punishment that may be ironic: POETIC JUSTICE.  Virtue is rewarded and vice is punished through a twist of fate that echoes the initial behavior.

58-Across. Cozy garb in some family photos, or what can be found in 17-, 27-, and 43-Across?: MATCHING PJS.  This is the big reveal -- the answers to 17-, 27-, and 43-Across are words beginning with P and J, as further illustrated by the family photo at the top of this blog.

Please Join me as we review the rest of the clues and answers!

Across:

1. Tenant farmers of the early Middle Ages: SERFS.  Serfs who occupied a plot of land were required to work for the lord that owned that land, in return for protection and the right to cultivate some portion of the land for their own subsistence.  They were not allowed to leave without their lord's permission.

Medieval serfs working for the man

6. "Who's there?" response: IT'S ME.

11. Contingencies: IFS.

14. Bird-related: AVIAN.

15. "Unbelievable!": NO WAY.

16. Spanish cheer: OLÉ.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Minuscule: WEE.  Ach!  This wee bit of vocabulary makes me miss our guide to Scotland.  His English was beautifully accented, and when he met Scottish friends along the way, their brief conversations were completely unintelligible to me.

DH with our amazing guide to Scotland

20. __ gin fizz: SLOE.  Sloe gin is an English liqueur made with gin and blackthorn fruits (sloes).  A sloe gin fizz is made with sloe gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda.  I neglected to try one while in England -- but I did enjoy Cotswolds Dry Gin during our time in that region.

21. Long-lasting hairdo: PERM.  A perm, or permanent wave, is a chemical treatment that leaves hair curly for several months.

22. Offering little comfort: BLEAK.

24. "__ is not a drill!": THIS.

26. Bassinet occupant: BABY.  A portable bed for newborns.

Our grandbaby started off in this new style of bassinet,
open to the parents' bed for ease of access.

27. [Theme clue]

32. Flats or heels: SHOES.  The more you know, the lower you go.

High heels are bad for you.

34. Go on an ocean voyage: SAIL.

35. Dubai's fed.: UAE.  Dubai is the largest city in the federal monarchy called the United Arab Emirates.

36. Doily fabric: LACE.

37. Attention-grabbing feat: STUNT.

39. Opinion survey: POLL.

40. Variety: ILK.

41. Cameron who voices Fiona in the "Shrek" franchise: DIAZ.  Lovely actress, charming films.

The actress and the ogress

42. Diminishes: WANES.

43. [Theme clue]

47. Chitchat: TALK.

48. Pig sound: OINK.

49. Perch for a pigeon: LEDGE.  The pigeons that perch on ledges in cities are feral descendants of domestic pigeons, which were treasured for centuries as pets, as messengers, and as food.  Domestic pigeons were bred for various characteristics, much like dogs; their ancestor is the rock dove.  True wild rock doves survive on remote coastal cliffs and islands along the north and west shores of Scotland and Ireland, unmixed with their urban cousins.

Highly recommend this little book.

51. Chicken sound: BAWK.  Chickens replaced pigeons as a food source in human culture.

53. Alan of "M*A*S*H": ALDA.  Alan Alda has appeared on stage and screen over seven decades, but is best known for playing "Hawkeye" Pierce in the CBS Korean war sitcom M*A*S*H (1972–1983).  Alda wrote and directed many of the episodes.

Alan Alda in M*A*S*H

57. "Of course, mon ami!": OUI.  French "yes."

58. [Theme clue]

61. Victoria's Secret garment: BRA.

62. Tierney of "The Affair": MAURA.  You might recognize Maura Tierney from any of a long list of film and TV roles, most notably Lisa Miller on the sitcom NewsRadio (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama ER (1999–2009), and Helen Solloway on the mystery drama The Affair (2014–2019).  I caught that last one; it told the story of an extramarital affair from the viewpoints of the man and woman involved, as well as their spouses.

Dominic West as the cheater and Maura Tierney as the cheatee
in The Affair.

63. Sire: BEGET.  To beget is to father a child.  The King James version of the Bible is full of the past tense, "begat," in lists of ancestors.  Here's an excerpt from Genesis 5:

25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.

26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.

30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

64. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL.  Has not been on my radar for years.  Plenty of it advertised online, though.

65. Liability's opposite: ASSET.

66. South American barbecue: ASADO.  Asado is a South American barbecue technique that involves cooking meat over an open fire or grill.

If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Down:

1. Ones easily duped: SAPS.

2. Malicious: EVIL.

3. Puerto __: RICO.

4. Greenery that doesn't need water: FAKE TREE.

5. Lorne Michaels' long-running NBC show, for short: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, and Dana Carvey
on the set of “Saturday Night Live” in 1992.

6. Just for laughs: IN JEST.

7. Sightseer's booking: TOUR.

8. Move like a fish: SWIM.

9. Big __: fast-food classic: MAC.  Big Mac, medium fries, and medium Coca-Cola:  1170 calories.  For most folks, that leaves about 1,000 calories to consume the rest of the day.  Enjoy!

10. Give a very close look: EYEBALL.

11. "Thanks so much!": I OWE YOU ONE.

12. Pest on a pet: FLEA.

13. Hide-and-__: SEEK.

18. Large-scale tale: EPIC.

23. Pres. between JFK and RMN: LBJ.  John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon.

25. Gives birth to: HAS.  Sure, the guy begets, but who HAS the baby, suffering all the pain and danger of childbirth, feeds, clothes, and raises that child?  Let's hear it for the mothers whose names are omitted from Biblical genealogies.

26. Worm on a hook, say: BAIT.

27. Call unwittingly: POCKET DIAL.  I hear "butt dial" more often.  

Cartoonist unknown.

28. Japanese truckmaker: ISUZU.

29. Tuna container: CAN.

30. Leafy vegetable in a green smoothie: KALE.

31. Morays, e.g.: EELS.

32. Try and fail to walk on ice: SLIP.

33. Saintly ring: HALO.

37. Unable to go to school, maybe: SICK.

38. __ Mahal: TAJ.  On the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, India, the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, built the marble Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal; Shah Jahan is also interred there.  Construction took place from 1631 to 1648.  The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Taj Mahal

39. Amazon deliveries: PACKAGES.

41. Tough decision: DILEMMA.

42. Come in first: WIN.

44. Playground game: TAG.

45. "Your point being?": SO WHAT.

46. Polynesian carving: TIKI.  In the Māori mythology of New Zealand, Tiki was the first man.  Varying traditions are found throughout Polynesia.  Carvings represent this first man and other deified ancestors.

Māori man decorating a carved wooden tiki.

49. Arcing tennis shots: LOBS.

50. Currency in 21 countries: EURO.  On our recent trip, we used pounds sterling in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and switched to euros in the Republic of Ireland.  

51. Air conditioning figs.: BTUS.  A BTU (British Thermal Unit) measures how much energy your cooling unit uses to remove heat from a room in one hour.  One BTU is the amount of heat required to lower or raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. A higher BTU rating means the AC can cool the room to your desired temperature more quickly.

52. Land parcel: ACRE.

54. Links org.: LPGA.  Ladies Professional Golf Association.  A "links" is a traditional golf course, characterized by an undulating surface and sandy soil that supports the growth of grasses.

55. Provided music for a party: DJed.  Acted as a "disc jockey," skillfully controlling the playing of vinyl records or other recorded music.

56. On the topic of: AS TO.

59. Batteries for some noisy toys: AAs.  No battery operated toys at my house!  If you want noise, you have to beat on the drum, shake the tamborine, or strike the xylophone.

Battery operated toys do the playing for you.

60. Clippers' org.: NBA.  National Basketball Association.  The Clippers play for Los Angeles, as do the Lakers.  New York also has two NBA teams.

Here's the grid:

Dear Solvers,

I hope you've enjoyed this little TOUR of today's puzzle.

If you SEEK further explanations, TALK to others in the comments section!  Go out on a LEDGE!

-- NaomiZ