Sunday, September 22, 2024, Zhouqin Burnikel

 Theme:  "Spanglish"

Spanglish is a mixture of Spanish and English, typical of Spanish speaking immigrants to English speaking countries, who -- like most language learners -- rely on a mix of the native tongue and the new.  In today's puzzle by veteran constructor and our blog mistress, Zhouqin Burnikel (known here in the Corner as C.C.), the answers to theme clues are English phrases that can be read with a Spanglish meaning.  Let's see ... !  Vamos a ver ... !  Here are the theme clues -- each distinguished by a question mark -- and the answers.

23 Across. Number of NBA championships won by Bill Russell?: ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

You might think that Bill Russell only won the NBA championship once, but he actually won it eleven -- once [pronounced ON-say] -- times!

38 Across. Heaven for basic seasoning lovers?: SAL PARADISE.

Sal Paradise is the protagonist of Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel, "On the Road."  Or maybe ... it is a wonderful place for those who love salt -- which is sal, in Spanish.

My cousins visited this salt operation in Baja California, Mexico.

56 Across. Introduction for a cartoon hamburger?: SOY PROTEIN.

As a vegetarian, I try to incoporate a little soy protein in my diet.  But if I were a Spanish hamburger, I might say, "Hola, soy proteína!"   Soy means "I am."

80 Across. Carb choice of Olympic marathon runners?: PAN FOR GOLD.

Folks raced to California to pan for gold during the California gold rush (1848–1855).  But if you were a Spanish speaking athlete, you might take pan (bread) in exchange for gold.

98 Across. Typical posture for a cancan dancer?: PIE IN THE SKY.

Pie [pronounced pee-AY] means "foot" in Spanish.

A cancan dancer with her pie in the sky.

115 Across. Representative for Buckingham Palace, say?: REAL ESTATE AGENT.

Real [pronounced ray-AL] means "royal" in Spanish.

37 Down. Sweet spread for a teen's birthday celebration?: QUINCE JELLY.

Quince is a pear-like fruit that can be made into jelly.  Or ... maybe it is a special treat for a birthday party when a young person turns fifteen -- which is quince [pronounced KEEN-say] in Spanish.  A quinceañera is a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday.  Here in Los Angeles, the festivities usually include religious services and an elaborate party with dancing.

41 Down. Gene carrier that keeps people wanting more?: Y CHROMOSOME.

The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes that determine an individual's biological sex.  Usually, a male has an X and a Y chromosome, whereas a female has two X chromosomes.  But in Spanish, "y" [pronounced EE] means "and."  Imagine a chromosome (which is a gene carrier, by the way), saying, "And ... ?"  "¿Y ...?"

So many theme clues and answers!  ¡Tantas pistas y respuestas temáticas!

Extra impressive because English is not C.C.'s first language, and her native tongue is not Spanish, either!  

Here are the rest of the clues and answers.  Aquí están el resto de las pistas y respuestas.

Across:

1. Hoity-toity type: SNOB.

5. "Poker Face" singer Lady __: GAGA.

9. Berth place: WHARF.

14. Former TV drama set in SoCal: LA LAW.

19. Anecdotal tales: LORE.

20. Genesis garden: EDEN.

21. Code breaker?: ERROR.  When you write computer code, an error in the code may break the functionality.  Amirite?  Coders, please chime in.

22. Fill with joy: ELATE.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Island near Java: TIMOR.

27. Baby panda: BEAR CUB.  In 1985, molecular studies indicated that the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae.  In case you wondered.

28. Dr. with a dream: MLK.  Dr. Martin Luther King.

29. Video game where players round up primates: APE ESCAPE.  A game for Sony PlayStation.

31. Early console letters: NES.  Nintendo Entertainment System.  This was the game system we had when the kids were growing up.  I enjoyed playing Tetris, where you fit falling shapes into rows. 

32. Office assistant: AIDE.

34. Remove from a page: ERASE.

35. Stimulate, as curiosity: PIQUE.

38. [Theme clue]

41. NFL gains: Abbr.: YDS.  Oh, no!  I have to explain a sports thing.  Players in the National Football League make gains measured in "yards"!

44. Decisive win: ROUT.

45. School book fair org.: PTA.  The Parent Teacher Association may organize special events and fund-raising activities for the school.

46. In __: harmonized: SYNC.

47. Song that was never a single: DEEP CUT.  A deep cut is a song that is less widely played and less well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist.

49. Soul great Redding: OTIS.  Otis Redding (1941-1967) was an American singer and songwriter, nicknamed the "King of Soul."  He was only 26 years old when he died in a plane crash.  Shortly before his death, Redding wrote and recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. 

Otis Redding

50. Rabbit kin: HARE.

52. Annoyed: IRKED.

54. Words of surprise: OH MY.

55. Prohibit: BAN.

56. [Theme clue]

59. Detergent powder: BORAX.

60. Miracle-Gro alternative: SCOTTS.

62. "Feels so good!": AAH.

63. Pluto, for one: DOG.  Pluto is Mickey Mouse's pet dog in Disney cartoons.

65. People unlikely to develop crushes, briefly: AROS.  Some folks do not experience romantic attraction to others.  They are "aromantic" people, popularly called aro (or plural aros).  They have their own pride flag!

66. Skin care product long used by Aboriginal people in Australia: EMU OIL.  WebMD says:  "People use emu oil for hair loss, eczema, burns, high cholesterol, psoriasis, wound healing, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses."  Yes, they kill the emu and distill its fatty bits into oil.

Is this all I am to you?

68. Seller of Souls: KIA.  The Kia Soul is a compact car manufactured in South Korea.

70. Amazes an audience: WOWS 'EM.

72. Spun records: DJ'ED.  Also DJed or DJ'd or Deejayed.

73. Goose egg: NIL.  "Goose egg" can be used to mean "zero."  "Nil" also means zero, especially in the context of score keeping.

75. College domain: EDU.  College and university websites and email addresses end in .edu which is a top-level web domain.

77. Steering gear component: TIE ROD.  A tie rod connects the steering rack to the steering arm, which is connected to the steering wheel.  You cannot steer your car without tie rods.

79. Some facials: PEELS.

80. [Theme clue]

83. Cry noisily: SOB.

85. Result of a good pitch: SALE.

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

This Argentine asado looks like a Biblical trauma.

88. Olympic event whose name comes from the French for "sled": LUGE.

89. Caramel candy: ROLO.

90. Full of bluster: ALL TALK.

92. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC.

95. N's on sorority row: NUS.  Nu is a letter of the Greek alphabet used to represent the "n" sound.  The names of fraternities and sororities generally consist of two or three Greek letters.

96. Balls, in dodgeball: AMMO.  In dodgeball, balls are used as ammunition (or ammo) against the opposing team.

97. Hog hangout: STY.

98. [Theme clue]

101. Think pieces: IDEAS.

102. Expels, as lava: SPEWS.

103. "__ smokes!": HOLY.

104. Reggae kin: SKA.

105. Coverage of regional events: LOCAL NEWS.

109. Texting nicety: PLS.  Texting shorthand for please.

110. Many Mount Everest mountaineers: SHERPAS.  The real heroes of Mount Everest!

114. "Yes we can" sloganeer of 2008: OBAMA.

115. [Theme clue]

118. "Never needs sharpening" brand: GINSU.

119. Some British peers: EARLS.

120. Actress Falco: EDIE.

121. Cosmetics chain: ULTA.

122. Place: STEAD.

123. Constellation that resembles a serpent: DRACO.  The Big Dipper is the serpent's head.

124. Emporium: MART.

125. Tree house?: NEST.

Down:

1. Messy houseguest: SLOB.

2. Second to __: NONE.

3. Mammal that can sink a boat: ORCA.

4. Happy hour snacks: BEER NUTS.

5. Family division: GENUS.

6. Very little: A DAB.

7. Goo in a reusable ice pack: GEL.

8. Kangaroo or koala: ANIMAL.  There seem to be quite a lot of animals in Australia whose names begin with the letter K:  Kangaroo, Koala, Kookaburra, and Kiwi, for starters.  But our crossword constructor is confounding us; any animals could have served in the clue for this answer.

9. One of a calendar quintet: WEEKDAY.

10. Menopause treatment, briefly: HRT.  Hormone Replacement Therapy.  The history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) started in the 1960s, with very high popularity in the 1990s. After the announcement of the first results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in 2002, which showed that HRT had more detrimental than beneficial effects, HRT use dropped.  The message went out that HRT had more risks than benefits. Later, a reanalysis of the WHI trial showed that the use of HRT in younger women or in early postmenopausal women had a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing coronary disease and all-cause mortality.  Tough decisions for the ladies, based on changing information.

11. Diva's chance to shine: ARIA.  A diva is a distinguished female opera singer.  An aria is a melody sung by a single voice.

12. Frolicked: ROMPED.

13. Full scholarship, informally: FREE RIDE.

14. "Hmm ... ": LET'S SEE.

15. White Rabbit pursuer: ALICE.

From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, an 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll.

16. Tibetan spiritual leader: LAMA.

17. Resting on: ATOP.

18. ''Wish you __ here'': WERE.

24. Slushy summer treat: ICEE.

25. Acrobatic feats: FLIPS.

30. Made simpler: EASED.

33. Bert's roommate: ERNIE.

Bert and Ernie, Muppet characters who appear on the PBS/HBO show Sesame Street.

35. "No __!": "Happy to help!": PROB.  No problem!  ¡No hay problema!  [Pronounced no eye proBLEHma.  "No problemo" is not even Spanglish.]

36. Tiny bits: IOTAS.

37. [Theme clue]

38. Doesn't go out: STAYS IN.

39. Org. that fights age bias: AARP.  AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty.  An abbreviation in the clue signals an abbreviation in the answer.

40. Bitter-tasting: ACRID.

41. [Theme clue]

42. "The Black Tulip" novelist: DUMAS.  The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas, is a work of historical fiction that mixes actual events in the Netherlands in the 17th century with fictional characters and events.  It was first published in 1850.

43. River of Hades: STYX.  In Greek mythology, dead souls crossed the river Styx into Hades, the realm of the dead.  The realm shared the name of its ruler, the god Hades.

Charon the ferryman brings a dead soul across the river Styx.

45. Pinterest upload: PHOTO.  Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to share images they have found on the web.

48. Not as flush: POORER.  An informal meaning of "flush" is "having plenty of money."

51. Noteworthy period: ERA.

53. Have down pat: KNOW.

56. Hoops alternative: STUDS.  Not sports this time!  Earrings!

A hoop and two studs.

57. Whiskey barrel wood: OAK.

58. Man of steal: THIEF.  Ha ha! 

59. Contingent (on): BASED.

61. Tamagoyaki, e.g.: OMELET.  Tamagoyaki is a type of Japanese omelette made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs.

64. Reliable sort: GO-TO GUY.  Someone you can go to for reliable help, usually in a particular area of expertise. 

67. "Illusion" singer Dua __: LIPA.  I don't know the song, but is there another singer Dua ____?

69. Commotion: ADO.

71. Sneaky tricks: WILES.

72. Gave a hand: DEALT.  Not applauded, but gave playing cards.

74. Heavily loaded: LADEN.

76. Link destination: URL. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator, also called a web address) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. URLs consist of multiple parts -- including a protocol and domain name -- that tell web browsers how and where to retrieve a resource.  A link on a webpage or in an email takes you to a specific URL.

78. Stuffed grape leaf: DOLMA.  A Turkish dish, often minced meat or grains wrapped in grape leaves.

79. Ads that raise awareness: PSAS.  Public Service Announcements.

81. Needle point?: NORTH.  The needle on a compass points north through the magic of magnetism.

82. Icky, sticky stuff: GUNK.

84. Sounds of disapproval: BOOS.

86. Visitor from outer space: ALIEN.

87. Way to serve satay: SKEWERED.  Satay is composed of small pieces of meat, marinated and grilled on a skewer, and served with a spicy sauce.  Our local vegan Thai place skewers soy meat.

89. Speed trap device: RADAR GUN.

91. Give a hand: APPLAUD.  A near clecho!  (Clue echo.)  72 Across was *gave* a hand.

93. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO.

94. Minesweeper units: CELLS.  Minesweeper is a logic puzzle video game genre generally played on personal computers.  To win a game of Minesweeper, all non-mine cells must be opened without opening a mine.

99. "Fingers not crossed!": I SWEAR.  Honestly!

100. Honor __: SYSTEM.  An honor system is a way of running an endeavor based on trust and honesty. 

101. Store with a Swedish House Mafia collaboration: IKEA.  "Designed in collaboration with electronic music artists Swedish House Mafia, the OBEGRÄNSAD collection answers the needs of home music creators."  Ektorp!

102. Kafka protagonist: SAMSA.  Franz Kafka's novella, The Metamorphosis, tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a huge insect.

104. Paper tray unit: SHEET.

105. Enters in a record book: LOGS.

106. Final bio: OBIT.  Bio is short for biography.  Obit is short for obituary.

107. Walking stick: CANE.

108. Mystery writer Paretsky: SARA.  Credited with transforming mystery novels through the creation of her female private eye V.I. Warshawki, Sara Paretsky's books are international best-sellers.  I did not know (DNK) this author.

110. Awaken: STIR.

111. Soccer legend nicknamed "O Rei": PELE.  Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer (or soccer player).  "O Rei" is Portuguese for "The King."

112. Insects who prefer sweet foods: ANTS.

113. "Right now!": STAT.  "Stat" is a medical term that means "immediately" or "right now."  It comes from the Latin word statim which has the same meaning.

116. Business letters: LLC.  Limited Liability Company.  Limited liability means that the individual assets of LLC members cannot be used to satisfy the LLC's debts and obligations.

117. Oral health org.: ADA.  Org. is an abbreviation for organization.  ADA is an abbreviation for American Dental Association,

Here's the grid:

Until next time ... !  ¡Hasta la próxima ... !

NaomiZ

Friday, September 13, 2024, Joe Deeney

 Theme:  TEasing TEsty TErriers

Veteran constructor Joe Deeney gives us five symmetrically placed theme entries, with one spanning the grid, and a reveal at the very end.  In each answer, the letter combination TE is repeated thrice.

Theme entries:

17 Across. *Asked for trouble: TEMPTED FATE.

24 Across. *Nickname for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio where Bugs Bunny was developed: TERMITE TERRACE.  

"Termite Terrace was the original Warner Brothers animation studio for Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. Unlike most other animation studios, which used much larger buildings, Termite Terrace was a very small building made of clapboard, and very infested with insects, especially termites." (https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Termite_Terrace)  Did Not Know (DNK), but filled it with the help of perpendicular entries ("perps").

34 Across. *Van Gogh painting also known as "Sorrowing Old Man": AT ETERNITY'S GATE.

47 Across. *GPS offering, maybe: ALTERNATE ROUTE.

56 Across. *One who might leave bite marks?: TASTE TESTER.

65 Across. Banal, or a three-part hint for the answers to the starred clues: TRI T E.  TRITE means unoriginal, banal, clichéd, commonplace, hackneyed, stale, stereotyped, threadbare, or tired.  However, in THIS case, broken into three parts, it means TRI T E, or three T E combinations in each theme answer.

Let's go on to the other clues and answers.

Across:

1. Ferret out: DIG UP.  I never really stopped to consider the origin of this expression before.

6. Universal donor's type, briefly: O NEG.  Type O negative blood is considered the universal blood type because it can be safely transfused to people with any blood type. "Briefly" in the clue allows for the abbreviation "NEG" in the answer.

10. __ generis: SUI.  Sui generis is a Latin phrase that means "of its own kind" or "in a class by itself."   While the phrase is used in biology, the arts, and law, I remember it from my college philosophy courses, where it meant an idea or entity that cannot be reduced to a lower concept or included in a higher concept.

13. "Spirited Away" genre: ANIME.  DNK.  Solved with perps and a reasonable guess. It's a 2001 Japanese animated film about a girl who accidentally enters the world of spirits.

14. First State capital: DOVER.  Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution, and by doing so, became the first state. Its capital city is Dover.

16. Sculptor Gillen: ANN.  DNK.  All perps.  She has created a lot of public art in NYC.

Flying Red by Ann Gillen, 1987

17. [Theme clue]

19. Routing word: VIA.

20. Shot spot: ARM.

21. Game cube: DIE.  Singular form of the plural word "dice."

22. Handy reference for a crossword constructor: ROGET'S.  Roget's Thesaurus, first published in 1852.

24. [Theme clue]

28. Like granola: OATY.  The plant-based "milk" we use at breakfast is also "oaty."

29. Continues with intensity: RAGES ON.

30. Urban haze: SMOG.  Of course, we've never seen that in Los Angeles. 😉

32. Fishing pole: ROD.

33. Start at the beginning?: ESS.  The beginning of the word START is the letter ESS.  Meta!  (Or, self-referential.  The clue is about the clue.)

34. [Theme clue]

39. Little bit: TAD.

40. Intention: AIM.

41. Ballpark figure: OUTS.  Not a person, but a statistic.  A figure can be a shape, a diagram, or a number.

42. Connecting: TYING IN.

45. Paint brand at Home Depot: BEHR. 

47. [Theme clue]

51. Having a veneer: COATED.

52. "You for Me" singer Rita: ORA.  Singer/songwriter who is popular in the UK and in crossword puzzles.

53. Purple yam in some desserts: UBE.  DNK!  A sweet yam that originated in Southeast Asia and has been cultivated in the Philippines for centuries.  My limited experience with Philippine desserts is that they do not match my expectation for sweetness.

55. On a streak: HOT.

56. [Theme clue]

60. New Orleans-to-Tampa dir.: ESE.  East-South-East.

61. Bothered: ATE AT.

62. __-Grain cereal bars: NUTRI.  A brand name.

63. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.

64. Slithery swimmers: EELS.

65. [Theme reveal]

Down:

1. Mined stuff: DATA.  Couldn't be ORE, so it had to be the more modern DATA mining.

2. Like helium: INERT.

3. Easy score: GIMME.

4. Ballpark figure: UMP.

5. Family member who might be microchipped: PET.  Did you write in DOG or CAT at first?

6. Curious thing: ODDITY.

7. Pro bono: NO FEE.

8. Green of "Casino Royale": EVA.  DNK.  Eva Green is a French actress.  Of her many films, I have only seen Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016).  

Eva Green with Daniel Craig (as James Bond) in Casino Royale

9. Warm up: GET READY.

10. Put one's jacket down, say: SAVE A SEAT.  Good strategy at a large gathering.

11. Prices per piece: UNIT COSTS.

12. "Sorta": IN A SENSE.

15. Office shake-up, briefly: REORG.  Again, "briefly" in the clue signals an abbreviation in the answer, in this case, the abbreviation for reorganization.

18. Improve, hopefully: EDIT.

23. Hurdle for Ph.D. hopefuls: GRE.  I took the Graduate Record Examination decades ago when applying for the Master of Library Science program at UCLA.  DH likes to brag about my perfect score on the verbal section.  

25. __ cellar: ROOT.  Before refrigeration, an underground root cellar was an essential way to store carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips, potatoes, and other root vegetables.

26. World of Warcraft charmer: MAGE.  World of Warcraft is a multiplayer, online video game.  A mage is a magician or wizard who can cast spells (or charms).  

World of Warcraft mage

27. Brisk gait: TROT.

30. "Relax!": STAY LOOSE.

31. Does one's om work?: MEDITATES.  In Hinduism, Om is a sacred sound that can be chanted during meditation.  

32. Basket part: RIM.  Admittedly, I wasn't thinking about basketball and envisioned a different kind of basket.  But I think this is what the constructor had in mind:

34. Unable to let go: ATTACHED.

35. Plan B time: RAIN DATE.  An alternative date for an event in case of inclement weather.

36. "Little Girl Blue" singer Simone: NINA.  Nina Simone (1933-2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger, and civil rights activist.  

37. Neighborhood near Tribeca: SOHO.  A 16 minute walk between these NYC neighborhoods.

38. Ashram adviser: GURU.  Bet he does his om work.

43. Basket part: NET.  Well, here's the other part of that basket!

44. "Lady Bird" Oscar nominee Gerwig: GRETA.  Greta Gerwig directed this 2017 coming-of-age film, as well as the more recent Barbie movie and others.  She has also acted in films and on television.

45. Tête toppers: BERETS.  Tête is French for head, so you would put French hats on top.

46. Basic Latin verb: ERAT.  Past imperfect form of third person singular "to be."  

48. Absolute: TOTAL.

49. __-frutti: TUTTI.

50. "At the Movies" co-host: EBERT.  Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was an American film critic widely known for the televison show "At the Movies With Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert" which appeared under varying names on several networks over the years.

54. Pennsylvania port: ERIE.  Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and is the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania,  Like other Great Lakes port cities, Erie is accessible to the oceans via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River network in Canada.

57. "Get the picture?": SEE.

58. Tolkien's Treebeard, for one: ENT.  In J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings, ents are sentient beings who resemble trees.  Their leader is Treebeard of Fangorn forest.

59. South, south of the border: SUR.  Spanish for South, as heard south of the US-Mexico border.

Here's the grid:

What did you think of today's tripartite effort?  Was it a TAD difficult?  Or were the answers all GIMMEs?  

NaomiZ

Friday, August 30, 2024, Ella Dershowitz

 Theme:  Sing it!

Constructor Ella Dershowitz gives us seven theme clues, each naming songs that are related by themes in the lyrics.  The punny theme answers are symmetically placed in the grid horizontally, and the first and last theme answers span the grid.  

Here are the theme clues and answers:

17. "Call Me Maybe" or "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)"?: TELEPHONE NUMBER. 

"Call Me Maybe" is a 2012 song by Carly Rae Jepsen.  "Operator" is a 1972 song by Jim Croce  Each song (or NUMBER) relates to using the phone, which makes it a TELEPHONE NUMBER.

27. "Popular" or "Fashion!"?: IN TUNE.  

"Popular" is a 1996 song by Nada Surf, and "Fashion" is a 1980 song by David Bowie.  Each song (or TUNE) relates to what's "in," which makes each song an "IN" TUNE, a phrase that usually means being at the correct musical pitch.

28. "Sound of da Police" or "The Artist in the Ambulance"?: SIREN SONG.

"Sound of da Police" is a 1993 song by KRS-One.  "The Artist in the Ambulance" is a 2003 song by the band Thrice.  Each song (yes, SONG!) mentions sirens, which makes each song a SIREN SONG.  A siren song is an alluring utterance, especially one that is seductive or deceptive.  In Greek mythology,  sirens were dangerous creatures who lured sailors with their music and voices to wreck their ships.

38. "Midnight Train to Georgia" or "Chattanooga Choo Choo"?: RAILROAD TRACK.

"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song most famously performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1973.  "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was originally recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1941.  Each song (or TRACK) mentions the railroad, which makes each of them a RAILROAD TRACK, usually meaning the structure on which a train's wheels roll.

48. "Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" or "Can't Buy Me Love"?: BUDGET CUT.

"Sittin' in the Sun (Countin' My Money)" is a 1953 song by Louis Armstrong.  "Can't Buy Me Love" is a 1964 song by The Beatles.  Each song (CUT) mentions money, which relates to budget, which makes each of these songs a BUDGET CUT, usually meaning a planned reduction in expenditures.

50. "I'm Too Sexy" or "Summer in the City"?: HOT AIR.

"I'm Too Sexy" is a 1991 song by Right Said Fred.  "Summer in the City" is a 1966 song by The Lovin' Spoonful.  Each song (AIR) deals with being hot, although in the first case, the singer is sexy/hot, and in the second, he's just plain hot.  So there you have it:  HOT AIR, which usually means empty or boastful speech.

61. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or "Talkin' Baseball"?: LINE DRIVE SINGLE.

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is a 1908 song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, often sung as part of the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game.  "Talkin' Baseball" is a 1981 song by Terry Cashman. Each song (SINGLE) is about America's favorite pastime, making each a LINE DRIVE SINGLE.  It's risky for me to explain baseball lingo, but it seems to mean a batted ball that goes in a straight line, resulting in the batter getting to advance a single base.  You are welcome to improve on that explanation!

Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Unflattering press for a celeb: BAD PR.  Celeb is short for celebrity; PR is short for Public Relations.

6. Fries, e.g.: SIDE.  Fries are a side dish.

10. Owned: HAD.

13. On a cruise: AT SEA.

14. Ridicule: TAUNT.

16. 2019 March Madness champs: UVA.  University of Virginia.  March Madness is an annual NCAA college basketball tournament.

17. [Theme clue]

20. BTS genre: K-POP.  BTS is a South Korean boy band, an example of Korean popular music, known as K-Pop.

21. Done deal: SURE BET.

22. Tony winner Hagen: UTA.  Uta Hagen (1919-2004) was a German-American actress and acting teacher.  

Uta Hagen

25. NFL three-pointers, for short: FGS.  Field GoalS in American football.

27. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme clue]

32. Figure, briefly: BOD.  A brief way to refer to the human figure, or body.

33. Lebanese capital: BEIRUT. 

34. Art stand: EASEL.

38. [Theme clue]

42. Griswold of the "National Lampoon's Vacation" films: CLARK.  Clark Griswold is the paterfamilias character played by Chevy Chase in the movies.  I could not have retrieved this from any part of my brain.  Perpendicular clues (perps) to the rescue!

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

43. Adidas addition: INSOLE.

45. Undecided initials: TBA.  To Be Arranged:  a nifty calendar abbreviation.

48. [Theme clue]

50. [Theme clue]

54. Antioxidant juice brand: POM.  I used to drink a lot of this!

"Wonderful" brand 100% Pomegranate juice

55. Some mantras: OMS.  According to the Times of India, "OM ... is a sacred symbol, sound and mantra of the universe. In many ancient scriptures, OM is described as the first sound of the universe, the vibration of which brought everything into existence."

56. Puzzles: ENIGMAS.

58. "Success!": TA-DA!  Mock fanfare.

61. [Theme clue]

66. Actress Ryan: MEG.  Meg Ryan is an American actress known for her quirky roles in romantic comedies.

Meg Ryan, famously faking an orgasm in "When Harry Met Sally"

67. Watch rim: BEZEL.  A bezel is a narrow rim that secures the clear cover on a watch, or that holds a gemstone in place (instead of prongs).  I kept thinking "bevel" because of the angled edge on some watch crystals.  The V wasn't helping me with 57 Down, coffee specification.  Changing the V to Z was my last move on this puzzle.

68. Wood finish: STAIN.

69. Equal: ARE.  Two and two ARE four.

70. Actor's compilation: REEL.  It makes sense that actors today compile video reels showcasing their acting skills.

71. Explored a national park, perhaps: HIKED.  John Muir was quoted as saying, "People ought to saunter in the mountains – not 'hike'!"  I'm happy to say that we are saunterers.

DH and I sauntering with my Mom earlier this month in the White Mountains.

Down:

1. Item used at home: BAT.  Oh, home plate!  Baseball bat.  

2. Used (up): ATE.

3. Fiber alternative: DSL.  Internet connection types:  while DSL uses copper phone lines to transmit data, fiber uses ultra-thin glass strands that carry light instead of electricity.

4. Cheat at cards, say: PEEK.

5. Reneé of the "Mean Girls" musical: RAPP.  Reneé Rapp is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition for starring as Regina George in the Broadway musical "Mean Girls."  I Did Not Know (DNK) this one -- thanks, perps!

Reneé Rapp

6. Like bumper-to-bumper traffic: STOP GO.  Usually called stop-and-go traffic.  We have lots of that in Los Angeles.

7. "Amsterdam" novelist McEwan: IAN.  "Amsterdam" is a 1998 novel by British writer Ian McEwan, for which he was awarded the 1998 Booker Prize.

First edition, first printing, available from AbeBooks.com

8. Union __: DUES.

9. The blahs: ENNUI.  Word adopted from French for a feeling of tiredness and boredom.

10. Commotion: HUBBUB.  Noise made by a lot of people all talking or shouting at the same time.

11. Maker of Healthy Start Newborn skin products: AVEENO.  Didn't know, but not surprised.

Aveeno Daily Moisture Healthy Start Newborn Balm

12. Moved unpredictably: DARTED.

15. Spoil: TURN.   On our recent trip with Mom, DH told a restaurant staff member that the wine had TURNed.  The response:  Oh, how funny, another customer said the same thing about the same bottle yesterday!  Quickly followed by:  Let's open a new bottle!

18. Long Island university that has hosted several presidential debates: HOFSTRA.

19. Ran into: MET.

22. Common port type: USB.  USB, or universal serial bus, is a mechanism used to connect peripheral devices to computers.

23. Cake part: TIER.

24. Opera solo: ARIA.

26. Arrive quietly: SNEAK UP.

29. Actor Stoltz: ERIC.  Eric Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer.  DNK.

John Travolta and Eric Stoltz in "Pulp Fiction"

30. Void's partner: NULL.

31. Roam (about): GAD.

35. Bad marks: STIGMAS.

36. Sea eagle: ERNE.  A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern) is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetinae of the bird of prey family Accipitridae.

I took this photo of an African Fish-Eagle -- eating a fish! -- in Botswana.

37. Not followed: LAST.  The last in a series is not followed by anyone or anything.

39. Crystal ball, e.g.: ORB.

40. Pixar film set on the Day of the Dead: COCO.  Lovely animated film highlighting Mexican culture.

41. Longtime "Project Runway" host Heidi: KLUM.  Beautiful and clever.

It would just be mean not to include a photo of Heidi Klum.

44. GRE org.: ETS.  The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

45. Title role for Geena Davis: THELMA.  From the 1991 movic, "Thelma & Louise."

46. Tougher to fillet, perhaps: BONIER.

47. Not much, colorwise: A TINGE.  I've seen a lot of interior decorating catalogs lately featuring just A TINGE of beige in the paint and furnishings.

49. "Spill!": DO TELL.

51. Period: AGE.  As in the Age of Dinosaurs, or the Viking Age.

52. Film trivia site: IMDB.  IMDb (an acronym for Internet Movie Database) is an online resource for information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online.

53. More red: RARER.  This took me a while.  Oh, meat!  We're vegetarian.

57. Coffee specification: SIZE.  I needed DH to help me here.  I had SIvE, because I was stuck on BEvEL instead of BEZEL for 67 Across.  DH said SIZE immediately, and I realized that BEZEL is a thing.

59. "Spill!": DISH.  Do tell.

60. Averse to: ANTI.

62. Neckline shape: VEE.

63. Nickelodeon slime: GAK.  DNK.  My grandchildren concoct their own slime!

64. Fabrication: LIE.

65. Sew up: END.  A fitting way to END a puzzle.

The grid:

Did you hum along through this musical challenge?  

Or was it a STOP-and-GO experience rife with ENIGMAS?

NaomiZ