Tuesday, March 7 2017, Ray Hedrick and Mark McClain

Theme: BREAK-IN

Across

17. *Source of money for Medicare : PAYROLL TAX. Tax Break. ’Tis the season.

 

24. *Serving-mom-breakfast-in-bed occasion : MOTHER'S DAY. Daybreak.

 

37. *Asian plant named for the shape of its pink and white flowers : BLEEDING HEART. Heartbreak.

50. *Local hoosegow : COUNTY JAIL. Jailbreak.

61. Rest .. or, literally, what the last word of the answers to starred clues can do : TAKE A BREAK. Tax break is two words, all the others are one word.

Typical Tuesday level solve, with a few pauses due to a couple of unknowns.

1. Concrete support rod : REBAR. Short for RE-enforcing BAR - made of steel and used in foundations and retaining walls. 


6. Aptly named Olympic sprinter Usain __ : BOLT
 


10. 1980s model that saved Chrysler from financial ruin : K CAR. Here's the story.
 


14. Outwit, as a police tail : ELUDE
 


15. Slushy drink brand : ICEE
 


16. "Here comes trouble!" : UH-OH



19. Garden tool : RAKE



20. River to the Seine : OISE. Perps required. 

  
21. Five-spots : ABES. Abraham Lincoln is on the five-dollar bill.
 


22. Pull a fast one on : CON



23. Cut with scissors : SNIP



28. Tied up in knots : TENSE



30. Land bordering Suisse : ITALIE. Suisse is the French word for Switzerland, Italie is French for Italy.



31. Rodeo skill : ROPING



36. Exited, with "out" : WENT



41. Tragic fate : DOOM
 


42. Signify : DENOTE



43. Ready if needed : ON CALL



45. Rises dramatically : LOOMS
 


55. Russian river : URAL



56. Wee bit : TAD



57. This, in Tijuana : ESTO
 


58. Fey of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" : TINA. Movie.
 


59. Fishing supply : BAIT



63. Ice formation : FLOE

64. E pluribus __ : UNUM. Latin for "Out of many, one." U.S. motto.



65. Archery practice facility : RANGE



66. Snorkeling gear : FINS



67. Dosage amts. : TSPS



68. Joins a poker game : ANTES

 

Down
 
1. Share on Facebook, as a friend's picture : REPOST
 


2. "Seinfeld" regular : ELAINE



3. Joins a poker game : BUYS IN



4. TV spot sellers : AD REPS
 


5. Old Olds creation : REO
 


6. "The Hobbit" hero : BILBO



7. Four pairs : OCTET



8. Dog lead : LEASH
 


9. __-Mex cuisine : TEX
 


10. "Seven Samurai" director Akira : KUROSAWA. Unknown to me. Japanese filmmaker.



11. L.A. Times publishing family name : CHANDLER.



12. Just fine : A-OK



13. Baseball scoreboard letters : RHE. Runs, Hits, Errors.



18. Flee : LAM. Didn't know LAM could be a verb.



22. Dated PC monitor : CRT. Cathode Ray Tube.



25. Four pairs : EIGHT



26. "It __ over till it's over": Berra : AIN'T



27. Up to now : YET



29. Before, in odes : ERE
 


32. "Hard to believe, but ... " : ODDLY
 


33. Baked dessert : PIE



34. Homey lodging : INN



35. Park __: airport facility : N GO. Now I get it.

 

 


37. U2 lead singer : BONO
 


38. Phrasing style : LOCUTION
 


39. Issues (from) : EMANATES
 


40. Sushi fish : EEL
 


41. Medic : DOC



44. Inc., in the U.K. : LTD



46. Beat to the finish line : OUTRAN
 


47. "Murder on the __ Express" : ORIENT



48. Get by : MANAGE
 


49. Quenches : SLAKES. If you say so.



51. Denim trousers : JEANS



52. Invite to the penthouse : ASK UP
 


53. To-do list bullets : ITEMS
 


54. Mauna __ : LOA
 


59. Favorite pal, in texts : BFF. Best Friends Forever.



60. __ Baba : ALI



61. Preteen king : TUT



62. Bikini half : BRA