Thursday, June 18, 2015 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: (I don't even have to wrack my brain for a theme, because it was handed to me by Mr. Morris) 33-Down. Bar freebie, and this puzzle's theme : MIXED NUTS.

24-Across. As hidden in 17-Across, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : CASHEW.
17-Across. 1996 Fox launch : NEWS CHANNEL.

37-Across. As hidden in 57-Across, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : PECAN.
57. Seattle landmark : SPACE NEEDLE.

47-Across. As hidden in 11-Down, one of this puzzle's 33-Down : ALMOND.
11-Down. He and Don Shula share the NFL record of 36 playoff games coached : TOM LANDRY.

24-, 37- and 47-Across were icing on the cake - the puzzle could stand nicely on its own without them.

Across

1. Military decoration : MEDAL. Like many of the answers today, this was my first thought.

6. Supporting structure : TRUSS.

11. Leading : TOP.

14. Solitary : ALONE.

15. Silent brother of comedy : HARPO. Did you know, they got their nicknames in a poker game?

16. Valuable deposit : ORE.

19. NFL players, e.g. : MEN. OK, I know it's Thursday and we have to have vague clues.  But still...

20. Cozy lodge : INN.

21. Fail, in slang : TANK.

22. Only city on California's Catalina Island : AVALON. Just 26 miles across the sea.

26. Netherlands city near the Belgian border : BREDA. Map.

27. Mork's planet : ORK.

28. Italian mathematician who was a contemporary of Euler : LAGRANGE.

31. "Good Will Hunting" actor : DAMON. One of my favorite movies with Matt DAMON and Robin Williams.

34. Flightless birds : EMUS.

35. Small amount : DAB. "Just a little DAB'll do ya!"

36. Landed : ALIT.

39. Rice-shaped pasta : ORZO. I often serve this with a shrimp  & fennel dish that I make. Here's the recipe. (You could also substitute gorgonzola for the feta.)

40. Latin law : LEX.

41. Aloe __ : VERA. Difficulty could have been ramped up for a Thursday by clueing it as Designer Wang.

42. "Breaking Bad" star Cranston : BRYAN.  He's a real baddie.

43. Restaurant freebie : ICE WATER.

45. One of the Pep Boys : MOE. Manny, MOE and Jack are the iconic figures in the logo.

46. Breaks bread : DINES.

51. 1976 Olympics decathlon gold medalist : JENNER. Caitlyn née Bruce.

53. Parched : ARID.

55. Stop working : DIE.

56. __ Claire : EAU. Wisconsin.

60. D.C. clock setting : EST. Eastern Standard Time.

61. Spa offering : SAUNA.

62. Guide : STEER.

63. Legal thing : RES. More Latin.

64. California pro : ANGEL. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Go figure.

65. Not likely to run on : TERSE.


Down

1. Highly excited : MANIC.

2. Justice Kagan : ELENA.

3. Eats : DOWNS.

4. T or F, maybe : ANS.wer.

5. Speaker's stand : LECTERN.

6. "Better late __ ..." : THAN...never.

7. General, e.g. : RANK. Filled it in without even thinking about it.

8. Coffee container : URN.

9. Fishing tool : SPEAR GUN.

10. Crossword enthusiasts : SOLVERS. Gimme for everyone here, right?

12. Creme-filled treat : OREO.

13. Ivy League school : PENN. I already had the P from TOP, so this was a gimme, too.

18. Swooping predator : HAWK.

23. Oral health org. : ADA. American Dental Association.

25. Real card : HOOT.

26. The Crimson Tide : 'BAMA. Gimme. DH's old rivals.

28. Aptly named Renault : LECAR.

29. __ Strip : GAZA.

30. Black, to a bard : EBON.

31. "The Persistence of Memory" artist : DALI. Melty watches. Gimme.

32. Actor Baldwin : ALEC.

37. Broadway flier : PETER PAN. Were you thinking pamphlets and playbills?

38. Cockney toast starter : 'ERES.

39. Utah city : OREM.

41. "Colors of the Wind" singer Williams : VANESSA. Pretty song from Disney's animated film "Pochahontas."

42. Most daring : BOLDEST.

44. Take the checkered flag : WIN.

45. Chief : MAIN.

48. Farther out? : ODDER.

49. Frasier's brother : NILES. He was so good in that show.

50. Big name on the farm : DEERE.

51. Catcall : JEER.

52. Comfort : EASE.

53. Cause of adolescent angst : ACNE.

54. Unfeigned : REAL.

58. Summer mo. : AUG.ust. And we end with a partial clecho:
59. Somme summer : ETE.

Toodles!
Marti

Note from C.C.: 

Kazie and her husband Barry traveled to China last month. They visited all the top traveling stops in China, including my hometown Xi'an. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (3rd picture here) is not far from my own home.

Kay said:

"Our general direction was from Beijing to Xi'an, to Guilin, to Shanghai. Also, I need to say everything there was fascinating--such a learning experience for us both. We were in a small group of only 17 people until Shanghai, when there were only 6 of us. The others stayed behind to cruise the Yangtze for several days, the week before the terrible sinking of another boat similar to the one they took!

All in all, I would recommend this trip to anyone! Incidentally, our national guide was also from Xi'an, probably about your age, very nice, and extremely good at explaining everything."

Here are a few pictures. Please click here for more. 

Kay and Barry ride in a rickshaw to the Hutong district in Beijing

Barry and Kay in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Kay in front of the Buddhist Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an. China has four main religions: Buddhism, Muslim, Christianity and Taoism 

Family outing? We couldn’t believe this!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Hey buddy, can you spare a medi? - The sequence of the letters in the word SPARE have been changed and scrambled inside 17-, 32-, 38-Across and 11-, 29-Down. If you have the circles, that's fine. If you don't, then it's an added challenge.

17A. Airport security indignity : STRIP SEARCH

32A. Flour packaging : PAPER SACK

38A. Diva's big moment : OPERA SOLO

11D. Social gathering at a home : HOUSE PARTY

29D. Region beyond our atmosphere : OUTER SPACE

54A. Pocketful of coins, and what literally occurs in the circled letters in five puzzle answers : SPARE CHANGE

Lyegar here. I found having the circles and knowing the gimmick helped a skosh in the solve. Otherwise, a standard grid with mostly standard fill. Too many proper names?

Across:

1. Tennessee senator Alexander : LAMAR. (Andrew Lamar Alexander, Jr) Unknown to me.

6. Disgusting : GROSS

11. Summary on a timecard: Abbr. : HRs. (hours)

14. Olds model : ALERO

15. Emotionally expressive, as poetry : LYRIC. Dictionary approved.

16. OPEC commodity : OIL

19. Charlottesville sch. : UVA. (University of Virginia)

20. "Mazel __!" : TOV. ("good luck!")

21. Flair : ELAN

22. NFL Network talk show host Rich : EISEN. A journalist who attended the University of Michigan and was NOT an athlete although he was co–sports editor of the school's paper.

24. Father of Cain and Abel : ADAM

25. "The Maltese Falcon" novelist : HAMMETT. (Dashiell Hammett)

27. "That's enough!" : "STOP IT!"

30. Get started, as a grill : FIRE UP. Oh, yeah!

31. One-eighty : U-TURN

35. Bon __: witticism : MOT

36. Animal skins : PELTS

37. __ v. Wade : ROE

41. "Another card, dealer" : "HIT ME". Playing Blackjack.

43. Citizens under Caesar : ROMANS

44. Gorge : CANYON

45. Pure joy : ECSTASY

47. Quaint dagger : DIRK. 'Tis the one ye Scots wear in their hose.

48. Controversial Nixon records : TAPES

49. Blue jay or oriole : BIRD

50. Down in the dumps : SAD

53. Actress Thurman : UMA

58. Mo. with the shortest day of the year : DEC. Day meaning the period of sunlight.

59. Elaborate display : ECLAT

60. The "A" in "CAT scan" : AXIAL. (computed axial tomography) Older and less preferred term. per Wiki.

61. Fair-hiring abbr. : EOE. (Equal Opportunity Employment)

62. Thick-furred dog : SPITZ



Finnish

63. Colorful tank fish : TETRA

Down:

1. "The __ of the Mohicans" : LAST

2. Choir voice : ALTO

3. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV

4. The D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI. (Arizona Diamondbacks)

5. Tricked by a scam : ROPED IN

6. Sparkle : GLEAM

7. Meg of "You've Got Mail" : RYAN

8. Bruin legend Bobby : ORR

9. Attack, to Rover : SIC

10. One with a devious plan : SCHEMER

12. Metal fastener : RIVET

13. Bias : SLANT

18. Bed support : SLAT

23. Don of morning radio : IMUS. "Don Imus Leaving Fox Business Network". Didn't know, don't care.

24. Auto financing abbr. : APR. (annual percentage rate)

25. Aware of : HIP TO

26. Greek god of war : ARES

27. Japanese wrestling : SUMO

28. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP. The '68 Corvette coupe was the first U.S.-built car to feature a T-top roof.

30. Niagara __ : FALLS

32. Showy flower : PEONY

33. Crooner Perry : COMO. If it's hip to be square, this dude was.

34. Sharp : KEEN

36. "The more you know" TV ads, e.g. : PSAs. (Public Service Announcement)

39. Repetitive learning : ROTE

40. Builds up : AMASSES

41. Construction site headgear : HARD HAT

42. Bic filler : INK

44. Newspaper sales no. : CIRC. (circulation)

45. Technique-mastering piano piece : ETUDE

46. Short film role : CAMEO

47. "Legion of the Damned" series writer William : DIETZ. What? His website.

49. Naughty kid : BRAT

50. Cranky state : SNIT

51. Biology lab gel : AGAR

52. Fashion's Oscar __ Renta : DE LA

55. Narc's find, briefly : PCP. Angel Dust.

56. Boxing immortal : ALI

57. Firefighter's tool : AXE

Yes, too many names.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Kerry S, a long time lurker on our blog, sent me this fun picture yesterday: 1-A: Town in Italy!

Thursday, October 9, 2014 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: "No rubbernecking!"


17-Across. *Tricky puzzle : BRAIN TEASER.

37-Across. *"Let me give it a shot?" : CAN I TRY.

59-Across. *Historic route west : OREGON TRAIL.

11-Down. *Unvarnished facts : PLAIN TRUTH.

And the reveal:

29-Down. Calamity, and what's literally hidden in the answers to starred clues : TRAIN WRECK.

Each starred entry has the letters in T-R-A-I-N all jumbled up.  Fun reveal, but I didn't need it to get the theme entries. When I came across the clue, I just glanced at what was already filled in: Check! Anagram puzzle!


Across

1. Kid-lit classic "__, Plain and Tall" : SARAH. A story of grief, loneliness and abandonment. Kid-lit? Really?

6. Dust Bowl refugees : OKIES. Think of the Joad family here.

11. Part of many a texting request : PLS. Short for "please."

14. Unborn, after "in" : UTERO.

15. "It's a Wonderful Life" director : CAPRA. Ah, my favorite movie, and personal mantra.

16. Pitcher rim : LIP. I am getting gun-shy, and was actually thinking of a baseball pitcher!

19. Tenn. neighbor : ALA.bama.

20. Commuter's woe : JAM.

21. Astronomy : Urania :: poetry : __ : ERATO. Respective muses.

22. Basic chord : TRIAD.

24. City between Paris and Marseille : LYON. Map.

25. "Just this time ..." : FOR ONCE.

27. Mensa membership consideration, perhaps : IQ TEST. There are many different tests that would qualify you for membership, so "perhaps" is appropriate in this clue.

30. Most plucky : GAMEST. Not to be confused with "gamiest."

31. Myanmar, formerly : BURMA.

32. SeaWorld attraction : ORCA.

33. Stonestreet of "Modern Family" : ERIC. Never saw the show, so was not familiar with this actor, who plays Cameron Tucker.

36. Actress Wasikowska : MIA. Never knew the name of this actress, who played Alice in Tim Burton's movie version of "Alice in Wonderland." Needless to say, this section relied heavily on perps!

40. __ Today : USA.

41. Essentially fat-free : SKIM.

43. Credit report blot : REPO.ssession.

44. Film with dusty streets, typically : OATER.

46. Seconds flat : NO TIME. I really wanted "in" at the beginning.

48. Eight dry gallons : BUSHEL.

49. "Hiya!" : HOWDY DO. Let's sing to the tune of "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay":

It’s Howdy Doody time

It’s Howdy Doody time

Bob Smith and Howdy too

Say “HOWDY DO” to you

Let’s give a rousing cheer

’Cause Howdy Doody’s here

It’s time to start the show

So kids, let’s go!

51. Genesis creator : SEGA. Arcade game, not the bible book...

52. Pasture measures : ACRES.

53. User's shortcut : MACRO.

55. Meditation beginning? : PRE. Premeditation.

58. Marine pronoun : SHE. I'm sure that Spitzboov has linked the explanation of "SHE" referring to ships before, but I couldn't find it.

62. Noir hero : TEC. The '40s-'50s era of crime drama films often involved a detective ("TEC") or undercover cop .

63. Large jazz combo : NONET.

64. Tourist __ : MECCA.

65. Origin of an egg-shaped spaceship : ORK. "Mork and Mindy" ran from 1978-82. RIP Robin Williams.

66. Locations : SITES.

67. Praise : EXTOL.


Down

1. Alg. or geog. : SUBJ.ect.

2. Razor brand : ATRA.

3. 20 quires : REAM. Factoid: The quire got its name from Old English "quare," meaning "by fours." Four sheets of vellum or parchment would be folded in half -giving a total of 8 sheets, or 16 sides. When pulp paper made it easier to stitch pages together, this meaning was quickly lost, and a quire usually contained 24 or 25 sheets. The modern ream is made up of 500 sheets, or 20 quires.

4. First name in shipping : ARI. Onassis was a Greek shipping magnate.

5. Bee's nectar reservoir : HONEY SAC. I never heard this term.  It is also called a "honey stomach."

6. Vast expanse : OCEAN.

7. Longtime pitcher Jim with the nickname "Kitty" : KAAT. I defer to people who know more about baseball than the fact that it does, indeed, require a baseball for the game. Here's the wiki.

8. By its very nature, in law : IPSO FACTO. The embedding of a wiki link does not, IPSO FACTO, turn me into a baseball expert!

9. Afore : ERE.

10. "Being and Nothingness" philosopher : SARTRE. Jean Paul.

12. Fragrant bloom : LILAC. I have both white and purple ones on my property.

13. Fictional falcon seeker : SPADE. Sam Spade, "The Maltese Falcon."

18. Relaxed pace : TROT. Unless you are trying to find the W.C.

23. Left the runway : ROSE.

24. Apollo lander, briefly : LEM. Lunar Excursion Module.

26. General Bradley : OMAR. One of the very few five star generals in U.S. history.

27. AT and PS/2 computers : IBMS.

28. Nestlé __ : QUIK.

30. Complain : GRIPE.

32. "Be right with you" : ONE MOMENT. I had to check perps before deciding between "minute" or MOMENT.

34. "Ah! Say no more" : I SEE.

35. Poet Sandburg : CARL. One of my favorites is this poem:

Fog

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

38. Like New Mexico's climate, largely : ARID.

39. "Darned if I know!" : YOU GOT ME.

42. Style : MODE.

45. Cool-cucumber link : AS A.

47. Poultry magnate John et al. : TYSONS.

48. Alpine capital : BERN. Béarnaise sauce is also sometimes spelled "Bernaise," leading people to believe that it originated in Bern, Switzerland. But there is no truth to that. Béarnaise is strictly of French origin.

49. Must : HAS TO.

50. Yellowish pigment : OCHER. RGB 204.119.34

51. Highland Games participants : SCOTS.

54. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE. Such a vowel-friendly name.

55. Agreement : PACT.

56. Wealthy, in Juárez : RICO.

57. Ben Gurion airline : EL AL.

I totally missed these last two clechos, because I had filled them in with the across answers:
60. King at Versailles : ROI.
and
61. King in old Rome : REX.

Tag, you're it!

Marti

Tuesday, August 26, 2014 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Letter Combo - Today's puzzle brought to you by the letters A and C.

35A. Summer coolers, briefly, and a hint to this puzzle's six longest answers : AC UNITS

17A. Church area for enthusiastic responses : AMEN CORNER

21A. Painting course : ART CLASS

48A. Road service provider : AUTO CLUB. web site

53A. Morning warning provider : ALARM CLOCK

3D. One often precedes it : AREA CODE

36D. Military uniform jacket : ARMY COAT. Surplus favorite.

Argyle here. This is Robert's third puzzle so far this year. An easy puzzle in a complicated grid. Five sections with little connections and yet the themes interlock while the cheese, I mean unifier, stands alone.

Across:

1. Ancient calculators : ABACI

6. Off-ramp : EXIT

10. Makes a quick getaway : LAMS. Lam can be a verb or a noun.

14. Low-ranking noble : BARON

15. Move to another town, for short : RELO

16. Sheltered, at sea : ALEE

19. Bolivia neighbor : PERU

20. Open just a crack : AJAR

23. Point a finger at : ACCUSE

25. Clears a whiteboard : ERASES

26. English sculptor Henry : MOORE. “Man Enters the Cosmos”

27. Clairvoyant's claim : ESP. (extrasensory perception) 60A. Clairvoyant : SEER

30. 1-Down member: Abbr. : ATTY. (attorney)

31. Pie à la __ : MODE

32. SeaWorld tanks : AQUARIA. Plural.

34. Bullring bravo : "¡OLÉ!"

36. TV spots : ADS

39. Odd : STRANGE

40. Dagger in "Macbeth," e.g. : PROP. As in a stage production of the play.

41. Negotiator's goal : PACT. Had DEAL first.

43. Whopper : LIE

44. St. Petersburg neighbor : TAMPA. FLA., not RUS.

45. Local dialect : PATOIS. From French, as you might expect.

47. "Let's wait" : "NOT YET"

51. Cartel acronym : OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

52. Excess : GLUT

57. German "a" : EINE

58. Actor Grant : CARY

59. San Antonio shrine : ALAMO

61. Banjo spot : KNEE So 40D. 61-Across bone : PATELLA. (knee cap)

62. Brit's bye-byes : "TA TA"s

Down:

1. Law gp. : ABA. (American Bar Association)

2. Emeril interjection : "BAM!"

4. Pull out of thin air, seemingly, with "up" : CONJURE

5. Words before "of emergency" : IN CASE

6. Goof : ERR

7. TV warrior princess : XENA

8. Robert who played a Soprano : ILER

9. Flourless cake : TORTE

10. Argentina's Río de __: River of Silver : LA PLATA

11. Yankees' div. : AL EAST

12. River to Liverpool Bay : MERSEY. Not a lip sync!

13. "Hop on Pop" author : SEUSS

18. Bauxite, e.g. : ORE

22. Award-winning detective fiction writer Robert : CRAIS. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. - Wikipedia

23. Bullets and such : AMMO

24. Poised under pressure : COOL

27. Up (to), as a task : EQUAL

28. Branch of Islam : SUNNI

29. Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel : PAIGE

32. Unlike this ans. : ACR. (not down, across)

33. Hwy. : RTE.

35. Room accessed via ladder, maybe : ATTIC

37. Knucklehead : DOPE

38. Squabble : SPAT

39. Vespa, for one : SCOOTER

41. Talking parrot in a 1998 film : PAULIE. I did not watch it.

42. Bring into harmony : ATTUNE

44. '60s cartoon feline : TOP CAT. I did watch it.

45. Book parts : PAGES. So simple it's hard.

46. Hanging loosely : SLACK

47. Name, in Paris : NOM. As in NOM de plume.

49. Mongolia's __ Bator : ULAN. Population: 1.132 million (2010)

50. Like Hubbard's cupboard : BARE

54. Kind of whiskey or bread : RYE. A toast for Tinbeni.

55. Nashville awards org. : CMA. (Country Music Association)

56. Fight enders, briefly : KOs...and I'm down for the count.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Montana! Below is a picture of her birthday gathering in July. She said:

"...Mid-July was more  convenient than August for work schedules. My CT son rented a 10 bedroom condo in Vail, CO and invited all his siblings to come with their families. We had never all been at the same place at the same time before. It was a wonderful gift to me!..." 

Please click here for more pictures. Montana had to have furnace on the past few days. Are you still planning your autumn visit to Dudley area?

 My 5 children celebrated my 2014 birthday in Vail, CO

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: An ordinary, unexceptional, prosaic, standard-issue, run of the mill Wednesday at The Corner.  The first word of today's theme entries can be combined with the unifier word GARDEN to present a VARIETY of in-the-language pairings.  Often with this kind of theme the generated phrase is original, clever and humorous.  Today, true to the spirit of the theme, the resulting phrases are of the GARDEN VARIETY.

The unifier first.  36 A. Commonplace, and what the start of 17-, 24-, 51- or 60-Across is : GARDEN VARIETY.  The first recorded use in a figurative sense is from 1928.   The evident reference is to something that might be found in anyone's home garden, hence, not special, unique nor exotic.  The meaning has expanded a bit to imply mediocrity.

17. Green Day's "American Idiot," e.g. : ROCK OPERA.  Released 10 years ago. A sample follows, if you're into that sort of thing.   A ROCK GARDEN, cleverly enough, is an an area landscaped with ROCKs and plants suited to that environment.

Source

24. NASCAR winner's celebration : VICTORY LAP.  One turn around the track at low speed to allow the winner to bask in the adulation of her/his adoring fans.  VICTORY GARDENs were vegetable and herb gardens planted at private residences or public parks in the U.S. and several other countries during WW II.  They took considerable pressure off of the public food supply and contributed to morale on the home front.

51. 1995 Stephen King novel : ROSE MADDER.  Story about abuse, with the main character ROSE Daniels, in which the pigment ROSE MADDER plays a peripheral role.  There are many ROSE GARDENs.  One of the famous ones borders the Oval Office and West Wing of the White House.  It was established in 1913 by First Lady Ellen Loise Axson Wilson.

 60. Spare tire : BEER BELLY.   Two slang expressions denoting excess in the midriff region, aka Dunlop's Disease, 'cuz when you sits down, yer belly done lops over yer belt.  A BEER GARDEN is an outdoor area, usually associated with a pub or restaurant where beer and food are served.  The history is quite interesting.

This clever theme presents us with four quite different VARIETIES of GARDENS.   Mediocre?  I think not.

Hi, gang, it's JzB your humble GARDEN VARIETY trombonist.  Let's see what else Robert has planted for us. 

Across

1. Place to wipe your boots : MAT.  On the floor by the door.

4. Vice squad strategies : RAIDS. 

9. "Darn!" : SHOOT.  I'm guessing this is a not-quite-sound-alike substitute for a less polite word.

14. Sister of Zsa Zsa : EVA. The third sib is Magda.

15. Flynn of film : ERROL.  Famous buckler of swashes in Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk and many more.

Source

16. Main artery : AORTA. Literally, the main artery of the blood stream.

19. Govt.-backed bond : T-NOTE.  T is for Treasury. These notes are issued in terms of 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years.

20. Secretary of the Interior under FDR : ICKES.  Harold L., progressive Republican deeply involved in Chicago politics, who was recruited by FDR to appeal to middle-of-the-road [Garden Variety?] voters.  No politics at The Corner, but you can read about him here.

21. Navel type : INNIE. There are two varieties.  Check them out [or in] here.

23. Commuting start? : TELE. Telecommuting. Working from home via an electronic device. 

29. First-class : STELLAR.  The best - probably because this word in its literal sense refers to stars, and they are brilliant.

31. Sales incentive : REBATE.  Money back from the seller can be STELLAR.

32. Send to the statehouse : ELECT.  In this case, as the governor.

35. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA.  How are you, amigo?  Lots of Spanish today.

41. Shade of green : JADE.  Green-blue hue named for a gem stone.

42. German steel city : ESSEN. This western German city dates from the 9th century.  For the last 400 years it has been associated with the Krupp steel company.

43. __ energy : ATOMIC.  Kinetic, potential, chemical, mechanical, magnetic, thermal -- the list goes on.

46. Sleeveless shirt : TANK TOP.   Here's one in JADE green.

Source

54. Prefix with space : AERO.  A refreshingly honest prefix clue referring to efforts in science, engineering and business to fly in the atmosphere of Earth (aeronautics) and surrounding space (astronautics). [Wikipedia]

55. English Channel port : DOVER.  In a region famous for it's white cliffs, as in this WW II era song.

56. Fashionista Mary-Kate : OLSEN.  I guess M-K and her twin sis Ashley have become celebrities, which one wag defined as people well-known for being famous.

57. Bolt on a track : USAIN.  Love this clue.  Bolt means [among other things] to move fast, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt certainly does that.

Source

63. Red Sea peninsula : SINAI.  A region of Egypt between the Red Sea to the south and the Mediterranean to the north.  To the East, it borders Israel.  It is mostly separated from the rest of Egypt by the Gulf of Suez.

64. Pi, for one : RATIO.  Specifically, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

65. Tempe sch. : ASU.  Arizona State University.

66. Prop for a clown : STILT.  Nice double meaning.  Looks harmless.

 Source

67. Hacienda brick : ADOBE.  Straw reinforced bricks of clay or mud, dried in the sun.

68. Fall mo. : SEPtember.

Down

1. Inherent rights and wrongs, as of a case : MERITS.  Perhaps our legal beagles can elaborate.

2. Long-legged shore bird : AVOCET.  This had me so stumped for a while, that I doubted the perp EVA.  Finally had to go googling.

Source

3. Take on, as a challenge : TACKLE.

4. Vintage cars : REOS.  It seems that Ransom Eli Olds enjoyed naming cars after himself.  I don't think he has anything to do with this, though.

5. Dadaism founder : ARP.  Jean or Hans, depending on his audience, a French-German sculptor, painter, poet, and abstract artist.  Dada [a word of uncertain origin] rejected reason and logic, prizing nonsense, irrationality and intuition.

6. Rage : IRE. Anger.

7. Greek architectural style : DORIC. The plainest of the three classic support column styles.

Source

8. Viewpoint : SLANT.  Everybody has one.

9. "The Colbert Report" stock-in-trade : SATIRE. Political.

10. Winged stinger : HONEY BEE.

11. Gold, in Guadalajara : ORO.  Spanish gold.

12. Polo Grounds hero Mel : OTT.  Most famous crossword baseball player.

13. __ Bo : TAE.  a total body fitness system that incorporates Martial Arts techniques.  This phrase is both a portmanteau and a backronym.  I am not making this up.

18. Ship stabilizer : KEEL. Either the backbone of a ship or a vertical projection from the bottom of a boat.  It lowers the center of gravity to help keep the vessel upright, and also aids forward motion by resisting side-slipping. 

22. "... a borrower __ a lender ...": "Hamlet" : NOR.  I thought it came from Ben Franklin.  Live and learn.

24. Low-lying land : VALE.

25. "Me, Myself & __": Jim Carrey film : IRENE.   I wanted EILENE.  That's my mom.  IRENE is her twin sister.

26. In the cellar, sportswise : LAST.   Surprisingly, where the Red Sox are at the moment.

27. ABA member : ATTY.  American Bar Association and ATTorneY.

28. Pot pie veggie : PEA.  I like them, but not everybody does.

30. Was in front : LED.  Like the K. C. Royals did briefly in mid-June.

33. Rite Aid rival : CVS.   Drug stores

34. Sample : TASTE.  Is it in good taste to taste a TASTE?

36. Chihuahua cat : GATO.   Mas Español.

37. Ruckuses : ADOS.   Not often seen in the plural. 

38. Like some skill-building classes : REMEDIAL.  These classes are intended to correct a deficiency.

39. __ admiral : REAR.  The lowest of the admiral ranks.

40. Bed-and-breakfast, e.g. : INN.  Establishment offering food and lodgings.

41. Moonshine container : JAR.  I had JUG at first.

44. "Consider the job done!" : I'M ON IT.   As with this puzzle, but I'm not done yet.

45. Cleveland NBAer : CAValier.

47. Cabbagelike plant : KALE.  A leafy green.

48. Electric cars named for a physicist : TESLAS.

49. Ultimatum words : OR ELSE.  Sounds like a threat.

50. Fork over what's due : PONY UP.   The meaning is clear.  The origin - not so much.

52. Actress Winger : DEBRA.  Her break-through role was in Urban Cowboy (1980.)

Source

53. Profound fear : DREAD.

56. Clarinet cousin : OBOE.  I don't think this is valid.  Cylindrical vs conical bore is simply too great a difference in my mind, let alone single vs double reed.  But you can check it out and draw your own conclusions.

57. Naval letters : USS.  United States Ship.  I just recently learned that SS means Steam Ship.

58. Grab a stool : SIT.  In a bar or a barn?

59. "Give me __!": start of a Hoosier cheer : AN I.  For Indiana.  Why Hoosier?  There's more here than I cared to read.

61. WWII arena : ETO.  European Theater of Operations.

62. Tease : RIB.  Another word uncertain origin, perhaps from something funny being rib-tickling.

Quite a nice puzzle, despite a couple nits, and fun to blog.  Hope you all enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB