Theme: Re-Unit - Units of various measurements are re-imagined with witty clues.
16A. Loudness of a kiss?: PECK VOLUME. A peck is a unit of dry capacity. In the US it is equivalent to 8 dry quarts. We all knew that, didn't we?
27A. Attraction to certain electric cars?: TESLA MAGNETISM. The international measure of magnetism with the SI symbol T, named for the physicist Nikola Tesla, as was the car.
44A. Number of times one rents a car?: HERTZ FREQUENCY. The ISO measure of frequency with the symbol Hz. I have President's Circle status with Hertz. No idea what that means, I still get the Ford Focus or whatever that I booked.
60A. Quantity of dirt displaced by a burrowing garden pest?: MOLE AMOUNT. A mole is used to measure how many molecules there are in a thing, and is roughly equivalent to 600 sextillion molecules which in an 'eck of a lot! Also known as the Avogadro number after the chap who came up with it. Not to be confused with the Avocado Constant, named by me, which is the number of avocados in a bowl of guacamole.
27A. Attraction to certain electric cars?: TESLA MAGNETISM. The international measure of magnetism with the SI symbol T, named for the physicist Nikola Tesla, as was the car.
44A. Number of times one rents a car?: HERTZ FREQUENCY. The ISO measure of frequency with the symbol Hz. I have President's Circle status with Hertz. No idea what that means, I still get the Ford Focus or whatever that I booked.
60A. Quantity of dirt displaced by a burrowing garden pest?: MOLE AMOUNT. A mole is used to measure how many molecules there are in a thing, and is roughly equivalent to 600 sextillion molecules which in an 'eck of a lot! Also known as the Avogadro number after the chap who came up with it. Not to be confused with the Avocado Constant, named by me, which is the number of avocados in a bowl of guacamole.
I loved the theme - it too a while to emerge but great when it did and helped me through the rest of the solve. There seemed to be a few "stretch" three-letter abbrevisions (I'm particularly looking and you RTS so stop skulking in the corner. I can see you.)
Let's go for a wander around the rest of the puzzle if you're ready?
Across:
38. Tyke: TOT.
39. Education acronym: STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics program. Add Arts to the program and it becomes a STEAM.
41. Extra charge: FEE. Weird clue. Why "extra"?
42. France's longest river: LOIRE. Famous for the wonderful châteaux along its length. The Tour de France is starting soon and there are many aerial shots of them when the tour runs through the region.
48. Member of the underground economy?: MINER.
49. Sephora rival: ULTA. Thank you, crosses
50. Sticky situation: JAM.
51. Lap top protector: NAPKIN. Nice clue
54. Tear: RACE.
58. Furniture chain that is developing a 3D-printed meatball: IKEA. Now there's a phrase you would not have even imagined seeing a few years ago. Isn't it easier to roll them between your hands anyway?
62. 36-Across, e.g.: BEND. I didn't see this while I was solving the puzzle, the crosses must have filled it in for me.
63. Ode creator: POET.
64. Not as current: OLDER.
65. Mex. title: SRTA. Señorita. Lots of diacriticals today. By the way, ñ is a distinct letter in Spanish (enye), it's not "en-tilde". There was an LAT crossword a few years ago where the then editor Rich Norris allowed that as fill which quite surprised me.
66. Feminine pronoun: SHE.
67. Best of the best: ELITE.
Down:
1. Diagrams on golf score cards, often: MAPS. Hole-by hole diagram on the back of the card.
2. Pentathlon sword: EPÉE.
3. MLB semifinal: NLCS. National League Championship Series in Major League Baseball. The Cubs and the Cardinals played a two-game series at the weekend in London. Both games sold out and were watched by more than 100,000 spectators, expat Americans, UK baseball fans and a whole lot of people who couldn't understand why the ball wasn't red, the bat wasn't flat and there were no wickets to be seen.
4. Religion based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak: SIKHISM.
5. Rugged ride, briefly: ATV. All-Terrain Vehicle.
6. Smudge: BLUR.
7. Lock screen readout: TIME. I liked the clue.
8. Third studio album re-released as a "Taylor's Version": SPEAK NOW. Not entirely accurate as of today; it hasn't yet been released. The release date is July 7th. Taylor Swift's own "director's cut" of her 2010 release.
9. Baltimore-to-Ocean City dir.: SSE. (Insert other Cities/Towns/States/Countries here)
10. Penicillin, for one: ANTIBIOTIC.
11. "You'll get a kick out of this ... ": FUNNY STORY.
12. "The Candy House" novelist Jennifer: EGAN.
14. Flower: BLOOM.
17. Kurylenko of "Black Widow": OLGA.
21. Falsehood: LIE.
24. Ginger __: ALE.
26. ACLU focus: RTS. What? This is awful. I would not in a million years have allowed myself to use this in a puzzle.
27. Fashion arbiter: TASTE MAKER.
28. "Bill Nye the Science Guy" staple: EXPERIMENT.
29. "Seascape" playwright: ALBEE.
30. Prefix with political: GEO.
31. Zoom meeting option: MUTE.
32. __ and chips: FISH. The best Fish and Chips I know come not from the UK, but from The Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos here in California. Amazingly good. Run down there. You want the halibut, not the cod.
36. Cloverleaf segments: OFF RAMPS.
37. Gen __: X-ER.
40. Any of the Tetons: Abbr.: MTN. Ugh
42. Give permission: LET.
43. Hot: ON A ROLL.
45. Serene: ZEN.
46. Serene: QUIET.
47. Arm bone: ULNA.
50. Triangular sails: JIBS.
52. Milne bear: POOH. Here's the proper Pooh and Piglet drawn by E.H. Shepard, not the dreadful Disney versions.
56. Tech review site: C-NET.
57. French infinitive: ÊTRE.
59. Oral health org.: A.D.A.
61. Springfield barkeep: MOE.
1. Group with a Brain Training app: MENSA.
6. "Mic Drop" K-pop band: BTS. Amazing how quickly a K-pop band becomes a crossword staple. I think I read recently they are taking a break from recording/touring because they have to do their military service.
9. Secure: SAFE.
13. Advanced HS English course: AP LIT. Not sure I like "Advanced" in the clue here; AP stands for "Advanced Placement" so it's something of a repeat.
14. Minor disruption: BLIP.
15. Secure: SNUG.
18. Volcano on Sicily: ETNA.
19. Casual meeting: SESH.
20. Cosmetics giant that annually honors "Women of Worth": L'ORÉAL.
22. Place to retire: INN.
23. Parrot in Disney's "Aladdin": IAGO. New to me, but when the crosses filled "IAG" it was obvious.
25. Captain America co-creator Jack: KIRBY.
32. Dated telecommunication request: FAX ME. Who bought the first fax machine? That's some salesmanship right there. "Well, you can send letters over the phone. When someone else buys one. That you want to send letters to."
33. Sign of summer?: LEO.
34. Annual presidential address, for short: SOTU. State of the Union. I'm not sure I've seen it abbreviated before.
35. Web gateway co.: ISP.
36. Omega-shaped curve in a river: OXBOW. Eventually the river breaks through the meander and leaves behind an oxbow lake. In Australia they're called billabongs, in case you wondered what the jolly swagman sat beside in "Waltzing Matilda".
6. "Mic Drop" K-pop band: BTS. Amazing how quickly a K-pop band becomes a crossword staple. I think I read recently they are taking a break from recording/touring because they have to do their military service.
9. Secure: SAFE.
13. Advanced HS English course: AP LIT. Not sure I like "Advanced" in the clue here; AP stands for "Advanced Placement" so it's something of a repeat.
14. Minor disruption: BLIP.
15. Secure: SNUG.
18. Volcano on Sicily: ETNA.
19. Casual meeting: SESH.
20. Cosmetics giant that annually honors "Women of Worth": L'ORÉAL.
22. Place to retire: INN.
23. Parrot in Disney's "Aladdin": IAGO. New to me, but when the crosses filled "IAG" it was obvious.
25. Captain America co-creator Jack: KIRBY.
32. Dated telecommunication request: FAX ME. Who bought the first fax machine? That's some salesmanship right there. "Well, you can send letters over the phone. When someone else buys one. That you want to send letters to."
33. Sign of summer?: LEO.
34. Annual presidential address, for short: SOTU. State of the Union. I'm not sure I've seen it abbreviated before.
35. Web gateway co.: ISP.
36. Omega-shaped curve in a river: OXBOW. Eventually the river breaks through the meander and leaves behind an oxbow lake. In Australia they're called billabongs, in case you wondered what the jolly swagman sat beside in "Waltzing Matilda".
38. Tyke: TOT.
39. Education acronym: STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics program. Add Arts to the program and it becomes a STEAM.
41. Extra charge: FEE. Weird clue. Why "extra"?
42. France's longest river: LOIRE. Famous for the wonderful châteaux along its length. The Tour de France is starting soon and there are many aerial shots of them when the tour runs through the region.
48. Member of the underground economy?: MINER.
49. Sephora rival: ULTA. Thank you, crosses
50. Sticky situation: JAM.
51. Lap top protector: NAPKIN. Nice clue
54. Tear: RACE.
58. Furniture chain that is developing a 3D-printed meatball: IKEA. Now there's a phrase you would not have even imagined seeing a few years ago. Isn't it easier to roll them between your hands anyway?
62. 36-Across, e.g.: BEND. I didn't see this while I was solving the puzzle, the crosses must have filled it in for me.
63. Ode creator: POET.
64. Not as current: OLDER.
65. Mex. title: SRTA. Señorita. Lots of diacriticals today. By the way, ñ is a distinct letter in Spanish (enye), it's not "en-tilde". There was an LAT crossword a few years ago where the then editor Rich Norris allowed that as fill which quite surprised me.
66. Feminine pronoun: SHE.
67. Best of the best: ELITE.
Down:
1. Diagrams on golf score cards, often: MAPS. Hole-by hole diagram on the back of the card.
2. Pentathlon sword: EPÉE.
3. MLB semifinal: NLCS. National League Championship Series in Major League Baseball. The Cubs and the Cardinals played a two-game series at the weekend in London. Both games sold out and were watched by more than 100,000 spectators, expat Americans, UK baseball fans and a whole lot of people who couldn't understand why the ball wasn't red, the bat wasn't flat and there were no wickets to be seen.
4. Religion based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak: SIKHISM.
5. Rugged ride, briefly: ATV. All-Terrain Vehicle.
6. Smudge: BLUR.
7. Lock screen readout: TIME. I liked the clue.
8. Third studio album re-released as a "Taylor's Version": SPEAK NOW. Not entirely accurate as of today; it hasn't yet been released. The release date is July 7th. Taylor Swift's own "director's cut" of her 2010 release.
9. Baltimore-to-Ocean City dir.: SSE. (Insert other Cities/Towns/States/Countries here)
10. Penicillin, for one: ANTIBIOTIC.
11. "You'll get a kick out of this ... ": FUNNY STORY.
12. "The Candy House" novelist Jennifer: EGAN.
14. Flower: BLOOM.
17. Kurylenko of "Black Widow": OLGA.
21. Falsehood: LIE.
24. Ginger __: ALE.
26. ACLU focus: RTS. What? This is awful. I would not in a million years have allowed myself to use this in a puzzle.
27. Fashion arbiter: TASTE MAKER.
28. "Bill Nye the Science Guy" staple: EXPERIMENT.
29. "Seascape" playwright: ALBEE.
30. Prefix with political: GEO.
31. Zoom meeting option: MUTE.
32. __ and chips: FISH. The best Fish and Chips I know come not from the UK, but from The Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos here in California. Amazingly good. Run down there. You want the halibut, not the cod.
36. Cloverleaf segments: OFF RAMPS.
37. Gen __: X-ER.
40. Any of the Tetons: Abbr.: MTN. Ugh
42. Give permission: LET.
43. Hot: ON A ROLL.
45. Serene: ZEN.
46. Serene: QUIET.
47. Arm bone: ULNA.
50. Triangular sails: JIBS.
52. Milne bear: POOH. Here's the proper Pooh and Piglet drawn by E.H. Shepard, not the dreadful Disney versions.
53. Swiss artist Paul: KLEE.
55. German auto: AUDI. Auto Union. Here's the logo from the 30's.
55. German auto: AUDI. Auto Union. Here's the logo from the 30's.
56. Tech review site: C-NET.
57. French infinitive: ÊTRE.
59. Oral health org.: A.D.A.
61. Springfield barkeep: MOE.
Here's the grid, and my work here is done!
Steve
