Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, Andrew Walker

  SHOES, BUT SHOES WISELY

Indiana Jones and the Last Blue Suede~?

 A funny farce of footwear fashion; four phrases redefined as types of shoes defines today's theme ( I decided that since we started the week with "F-stop", I'd go with "F-start" ).  Some odd similarities with both Monday  & Tuesday's puzzles, I noted.  I do believe this is Andrew Walker's first LA Times publication; congrats to you~!  A quick solve for me on this hump-day, with just a few names, all of which are pretty standard crossword fare.  Two eight-letter non-theme Down fills, but we had more than the usual three-letter words in today's grid, which caused a few "meh" moments for me, at least for a Wednesday-level puzzle; Yem Beady.  The theme clues/answers;

17. Shoes for emptying the kiddie pool?: DRAIN CLOGS - not the hair clump type, but these

27. Shoes that prevent slipping in the shower?: WATER MOCCASINS - not the Cottonmouth snake, but these

45. Shoes for attending a gala?: PARTY PLATFORMS - not the political stance, but these

They look precarious

59. Shoes that coordinate with a bright green ensemble?: LIME WEDGES - not the drinks garnish, but these

With lunchmeat~?

And Away We Go, White Rabbit~!

ACROSS:

1. Tea in masala chai, perhaps: ASSAM - the "M" was my last guess , uh, fill

6. Indeterminate but small amount: A FEW - Vague.  Get it~?  har-har~!

10. Partner: MATE - and - 6D. Partner: ALLY - house MATES was yesterday's theme

14. Stockpile: CACHE - the noun, not the verb; I was thinking AMASS

15. Mischief-making Norse god: LOKI

16. "Stat!" letters: ASAP - As Soon As Possible - also the name of the band created by former - and current - Iron Maiden guitarist, Adrian Smith ( and Project )

19. Upscale: NICE - meh.

20. Avis rental: CAR

21. " ... hallowed be __ name": THY - Speaking of Iron Maiden . . .

Hallowed By THY Name - live 1984 - 85

22. Matter of will?: ESTATE - I am still waiting on one last bank account, and then my parent's estate will finally be settled

24. __ urchin: SEA

25. Ring-tailed mammal: COATI

33. Place to kick back: SOFA - we had this on Monday, too

34. Cheri who played Judge Judy on "SNL": OTERI - name, but one we're used to ( I think )

35. __ de los Muertos: DIA - Spanish lesson #1, the "Day of the Dead"

36. Catches with a lure: ENTRAPS

39. Main ingredient of 54-Across: LENTILS - didn't know 54A., so I wouldn't know what's in it

41. Barely scrape (out): EKE - crossword staple

42. Minor squabble: SET-TO

44. Plot devices?: HOES - farming plot, that is

49. Aquamarine, for one: BERYL - stumped; I did not know March's birthstone was this mineral - and if we'd had February/amethyst yesterday, we could have had a three-month run . . . the Wiki

50. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU - name, but pretty common in crosswords; anyone remember her from the movie "Payback"~?

51. "Deadwood" territory: DAKOTA - I start with the Down clues, so half of this was already filled via perps; I have not seen the show/series

54. South Asian stew: DAL - meh.  I'll have to remember this for future puzzles

55. "The Greatest" memoirist: ALI - name, but a standard; Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Muhammad Ali

58. Not protected by defenders: OPEN - made me think of the board game Risk

NOTE: I do believe the rules state that one cannot leave a territory "OPEN",

as seen here in "Siam"

63. Audition goal: ROLE

64. "Family Guy" mom: LOIS - another LOIS appeared on Monday

Crude though it may be, I do like Family Guy

65. Like farm country: RURAL

66. Google Play downloads: APPS

67. "Nasty!": "YUCK~!" - YUCK was in yesterday's clues

68. Lamp topper: SHADE


DOWN:

1. Current letters: AC/DC - has this ever been clued as "Australian rock band~?"

2. Actress Gilbert: SARA - totally did not remember her, known for her 63A. ROLE in Roseanne; filled via perps on the second pass

3. Rumble remnant: SCAR - street-gang fight, "rumble"- and SCAR was yesterday's last Across

Lightning Strikes, Aerosmith
Neither Joe Perry nor Brad Whitford were the guitarists on this

4. Bigeye or yellowfin tuna: AHI - my first guess, but I waited

5. Plato, to Socrates: MENTEE - STUDENT didn't fit, and spellcheck doesn't care for this, either

7. Egg __ yung: FOO - We had FOO in a clue on Monday - I know this has been clued as "rock band _ Fighters", but I liked it better when Dave Grohl was in Nirvana

8. Heart chart, briefly: EKG

9. Know-it-all: WISEACRE

10. Seth Rogen's "Kung Fu Panda" voice role: MANTIS - never saw the movie

11. Much of an atlas: ASIA - Dah~!  It got me - I had MAPS to start - which was yesterday, and I am hopefully going to be in the "tractor ring" soon; see below . . .

12. Social sensitivity: TACT

13. Fencing tool: ÉPÉE

18. Leave on the grill too long, maybe: CHAR - BURN ( Monday ) was not well-done enough....

23. Spot on a shirt, say: STAIN

24. The sun, for one: STAR - a G-type yellow dwarf, if I'm not mistaken

25. Foldout bed: COT

26. Wildcat native to the Americas: OCELOT - COUGAR~?  Didn't know, had to wait

27. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA - Willy~!

28. Part of a makeover photo spread: AFTER - all of my home projects are stuck in the "BEFORE" phase; I really need to get motivated to finish them - I hope to buy the tractor pictured below at the end of the week - it will help tree-mendously ( eye-roll ) with clearing the chunks of Ash still sitting in my back yard

It costs more than my car....

29. By and large: MOSTLY - I was just talking about "BUY & Large" at work, from Wall-E

Post-COVID future reality~?  I need to get to the gym more often

30. Cool beans or warm fuzzies: IDIOM - IDIOM, ADAGE, AXIOM~?  I can never tell which

31. TV's younger Dr. Crane: NILES - his brother was Frasier, the character/spin-off from Cheers

32. Lip: SASS

33. Leak slowly: SEEP

37. Until now: AS YET

38. Spirited gathering?: PEP RALLY - I was thinking KEG PARTY, or SÉANCE(ish)

40. Drive-__ car wash: THRU

43. "¿Qué __?": Spanish greeting: TAL - meh.  I keep saying I am going to learn Spanish (#2)

46. Steakhouse options: T-BONES

47. Blemish: FLAW

48. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS - they are up 3-1 on the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs

51. "The Lost City of Gold" explorer: DORA - ah.  I know OF the Explorer the cartoon, but did not know about the city, or, for that matter, that there was a live-action movie . . .

52. Per item: A POP - not EACH.  Meh.

53. Iodine-rich seaweed: KELP - I pondered NORI, waited on perps

54. Home office need: DESK - it does help, that I can tell you

55. Taj Mahal site: AGRA

56. Head up: LEAD

57. Many a Caribbean country: ISLE

60. "Payment forthcoming" note: I.O.U.

61. ASMRtist's need: MICrophone - ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and I do get the ticklish sensation - you can try it here

62. "Like I didn't know!": "DUH~!" - Like, we're at the last clue, dude

Splynter

Wednesday, April 17th, 2024, Emma Oxford

IN BLOOM

Nirvana - In Bloom

April showers bring....hey, wait, we're too early for the flowers~!  This is my second blog of an Emma Oxford puzzle this year ( see 67A.).  Four 11-letter and one 13-letter spanners for the theme - scrambled, or "wild" - flower names.  No circles, but "in my opinion" ( see 59D. ) it might have helped, as the first two themers are two-word scrambles, but then the second two are just the first four letters.  Your Experience May Be/Might've Been Different - in fact, I'm coining a new term, "YEMBD" - pronounced "yem-beady".  Very few names, plenty of foreign (read) French words, but a longer than usual solve time for me, as I did not get the "ta-DA~!" at the end due to my "LIKE to serve" mistake, which took a while to find.

18. *Be extremely helpful: LIVE TO SERVE - VIOLET - the original Willy Wonka

There's a valid argument for why she should have "won" the Chocolate Factory

29. *Staged a fireworks show: LIT UP THE SKY - TULIP - ah, there's an organ joke in there....

I do not have this record...

36. *Start of an instruction to an automated assistant: SIRI SET A TIMER - IRIS

The 'Monet' version; perhaps you're a Van Gogh type~?

44. *Sensitive area: SORE SUBJECT - ROSE - and the 'start' of the joke ....

Axl "ROSE is" on the piano - and, er, Slash is on piano, too....

58. Colorful elements of a meadow, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues?: WILDFLOWERS

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Gasteyer of "Mean Girls": ANA

4. Stand-up individual?: COMIC

9. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: MEALS

14. Place for a pint: PUB - Bzzzt~! Not BAR - AND - 20A. Some pints: ALES

15. Miso soup mushroom: ENOKI - perps, but then again, a crossword staple lately

16. Data processor's need: INPUT

17. Lenovo products: PCs - Lenovo is a Windows-based computer maker

22. Crying harder: TEARIER - meh.

23. Tempo similar to largo: LENTO

25. Prepares, as a sleeping bag: UNROLLS

33. Part of EVOO: OIL - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

34. Used DoorDash, say: ATE IN - had food delivered, that is; I made my own version of General Tso's chicken the other day~!

35. Auction site: eBAY

41. Very: MOST - as in "she is most attractive"

"Très OUI" - Frawnche #1

42. Rene of "Tin Cup": RUSSO

43. Death on the Nile cause, perhaps: ASP - "Very dangerous...you go first"

50. Frightening vision: DAYMARE - as opposed to NIGHTmare - a new word for me; more here

52. Part of TNT: NITRO - Everything you ever wanted to know about trinitrotoluene

53. Do over and over: ITERATE - so to REiterate is to do over and over AND OVER~?

57. "Begone!": SHOO

62. Convent figure: NUN

63. Adult stage in insects: IMAGO

64. Provide an address: ORATE - ooh, clever misdirection

65. Here, in France: ICI - Frawnche #2

66. Airport structure: TOWER

"We have no tower - just a bridge, Sir"

67. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" host Aisha: TYLER - strangely, this is the second time with this clue/answer for me in an Emma Oxford puzzle blog

68. "Evita" role: CHE


DOWN:

1. Revolt: APPALL - the "ick" revolt, not the political one

2. Atomic cores: NUCLEI - I read somewhere that our constructor Emma has atomic knowledge

3. Playing hooky, perhaps: ABSENT

4. Cartoon still: CEL

5. "Roger that, boss!": "ON IT~!"

6. Make emotional: MOVE - MOKE seemed like a possibility 😜

7. Maker of Ektorp sofas: IKEA - I have learned to default to "IKEA" when it's an oddly-named furniture clue....

8. Fruit type that tends to be in season in winter: CITRUS - I did not know this; read more here from "The CIA"

9. Kathy Bates film based on a Stephen King novel: MISERY - I am not a fan of this genre

10. Month after diciembre: ENERO - the Spanish spelling of January

11. Mo. after Mar.: APRil - the current "mid-spring" month - I have daffodils in my front yard

It would appear that I need to wash my siding

12. Hon: LUV - Thank God it was not the "other" three-letter cringe word

13. Sault __ Marie: STE - Frawnche #3

19. Sty sound: OINK

21. Queen Anne's house: STUART - I have had this type of misdirection before; not the actual house as in structure/style, but the "political" one - see the Wiki highlighted

A "local" example, the James Alldis house in Torrington, CT

24. __-Free: contact lens solution: OPTI

26. Piercing spot: LOBE

27. "Not true!": LIAR - I had "LIES~!" to start

28. Devious: SLY

30. Your, in Tours: TES - Frawnche #4

31. Dash, quaintly: HIE

32. __ nous: ENTRE - fifth and finale Frawnche

35. Characters in some texts: EMOJIS - 😀😎😜

36. Slugger Sammy: SOSA - an easy baseball reference, tho I am not a fan like our blog host C.C. - I did like the link to the two guys trying to hit 100mph fastballs, Chairman~!

37. Guessing game: I SPY

38. Ger. neighbor: AUStria

39. Nashville sch.: TSU - I WAGed this, figured it was something like "Tennessee State University"

40. ID on a Barnes & Noble buy: ISBN - ID is abbr., so too the International Standard Book Number

41. Outraged: MAD

44. Took, as an exam: SAT FOR

45. Baseball analyst Hershiser: OREL - does this mean he offers "Orel" exams~? ba-dum-tiss

46. Transplant: REROOT - I re-potted my houseplant a month ago, and it's still in shock; I don't want to lose it, because it was my mother's plant and I kept it when we sold the LI house after she passed

47. Pertaining to a certain culture: ETHNIC

48. Catcher's stance: CROUCH - ah; much better than "SQUAT", which was my first thought

49. Nickname for the Canadian $2 coin: TOONIE - I filled in LOONEY, as I have seen this before in Crosswords, but obviously had the wrong $ value, and spelling - but 50% correct~!

51. Small fly: MIDGE

54. Out of whack: AWRY

55. Blue-green shade: TEAL

56. Art Deco icon: ERTÉ - I happen to "MOKE" (😁) the Art Deco style - his Wiki

58. Cleverness: WIT

59. Brief "I would say ... ": IMO - In My Opinion

60. Order's partner: LAW - for those who are interested, the LAW & ORDER tab for the TV show theme from Ultimate Guitar; you'll have to create a log-in to see it if you don't already have one

61. Msg. from a pulpit: SERmon


Splynter

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024, Dylan Schiff

 OPUS

J.S. Bach - "Dorian" Toccata (no Fugue), Opus #538

This puzzle was "on my wavelength", and it takes us on a musical journey.  Two 15-letter spanners, two 10-letter, and one centered 11-letter theme answers, each starting with a synonym for "song", and revealed in the, well, reveal. ALAS, we're missing "ditty" - but that's a 51D.

17. *Rainforest Cafe, for one: THEME RESTAURANT - I did not know about this place; the closest one to me now is in New Jersey - the Wiki; the décor seems too overbearing for dining, IMHO

23. *Depiction of integers at regular intervals: NUMBER LINE

34. *Imperial reign of China ended by Kublai Khan: SONG DYNASTY

44. *Florence Henderson sitcom role: CAROL BRADY - "NOEL" could be a theme answer, too

"The Brady Bunch"

And the reveal

50. Starts looking at things differently, as demonstrated by the first words of the answers to the starred clues?: CHANGES ONES TUNE - and I get the pleasure of looking for "compositions" that match some puzzle answers; I'll try to be diverse....

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Greenlights: OKs

4. Dish that may or may not contain beans: CHILI - my chili contains red & black beans

9. Time at a job: STINT - I am hoping that my "stint" with the Pipe Organ company is my last career

14. Feline pet: CAT

Meow

15. Brief mission?: RECONnaissance - Frawnche~!

16. Wobbly craft: CANOE

20. Portion out: ALLOT

21. Deciduous tree with oblong leaves: ELM

22. God, to Rastafarians: JAH - the first word of this "ode"

The Outernationalist - Thievery Corporation

Ambient Electronica, my preferred music genre now that I am "older"

27. Guacamole fruit: LIME

28. "__ Te Ching": Laotzu text: TAO

29. Casual contraction: AIN'T - and the first word of this "ballad", too

 

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

30. Direct elsewhere: REFER

31. Like a zebra: MANED - if you hear the thunder of hoofs....

 

he's sporting a "Mohawk" mane

33. Big fans: BUFFS

36. "Summer of My German Soldier" novelist Greene: BETTE - needed perps for this author

37. Shrewd: CAGEY - some obscure Blue Öyster Cult for your ears

 

Cagey Cretins from the Secret Treaties Album

38. Breeze (through): WALTZ - more music, this clue/answer hinting that one "rolled" through ( in 3/4 time~? )

39. Wax counterpart: WANE

 

There's a Solar Eclipse Monday, 8Apr

40. Grab a chair: SIT

43. The 411: INFO

47. Situation Room gp.: NSC - no clue; I tried NSA first

48. Spicy tuna roll tuna: AHI - becoming a crossword staple

49. Totally buy: EAT UP - I don't eat up sushi

55. Unsettling: EERIE

56. Unexpected ending: TWIST - as found in this "melody"

Hole in the Sky - Black Sabbath

57. Single-stranded genetic molecule: RNA

58. Specs dished in a gossip sesh: DEETS - Text/Gen Z-speak for a 'session' and the 'details'

59. Zipper alternative: SNAPS

60. Noggin: NOB


DOWN:

1. One-eighth of a circle: OCTANT - overthought this; I was trying to come up with a clever pizza slice reference

2. Ingredient in a white or black Russian: KAHLUA - plus vodka, and milk makes it 'white'

3. Sailor's patron: ST. ELMO - there was a "coming-of-age" movie "St. Elmo's Fire" during my high school years, but I cringe at the "see 24D." of similar films in the decade - I was more "Raiders of the Lost Ark" & "Ghostbusters" kind of fan

4. "Zorba the Greek" island: CRETE - it's all Greek to me - perps

5. She/__ pronouns: HER

She's A Lady - Tom Jones

6. Curling surface: ICE - I'd like to try this "sport"

7. __ Angeles Sparks: LOS - of the WNBA

8. Aim: INTENT

9. Bathtub buildup: SCUM

10. Roofer's sealant: TAR

11. Right away: IN A JIFFY

12. Total randos: NO-NAMES - heard in this Glam "rocker"

 

Wild Side, Mötley Crüe - Lyric at 2:36, after the spinning drum cage stunt

13. Tie: TETHER - this looked weird in the 'down'; I had "TET_E" from perps

18. Horde: MOB

19. Bass beer: ALE

24. Gamut: RANGE

25. Served up a whopper: LIED

26. Race-sanctioning body since 1994: INDYCAR - this did not make sense until I cut and pasted the clue into Google, and got the Wiki; I was wondering if it referred to the race car's 'open wheel' body style at first

27. Southpaw: LEFTY - I am one - we have several at the Pipe Organ company; "Sinister" types make up about 17% of the population, and let me tell you, it's really frustrating to see how much of the world "assumes" everyone is right-handed, e.g. all vending machines, ever

See~? You'll look at them differently from now on....

30. Bit of deception: RUSE

31. Words on a family banner: MOTTO

32. Animated film with talking bugs: ANTZ - I thought "A Bugs Life" was better

33. Bialy kin: BAGEL

34. Practices for personal well-being: SELF-CARE

35. Prefix with tech: NANO

36. Wailing spirit of Irish folklore: BANSHEE - there's Siouxie and the Banshees, and another band called Banshee as well - not a fan of either, TBH

38. Showed vicarious embarrassment, in a way: WINCED

39. Midriffs: WAISTS

40. Body with notable rings: SATURN - oh, right, the, um, planet

A midriff with a ring

41. "Search me": "I DUNNO"

42. Universal blood recipient's designation: TYPE AB

44. Jost's "Weekend Update" co-host: CHE - Saturday Night Live members Colin and Michael

45. Outperforms: BESTS - Not beAts, the first "S" being my last fill

46. Snitch: RAT - we already had an 80's Hair Band, but how can I pass this up~?

Round and Round - Ratt -  AND -  Milton Berle

48. Long time: AGES

51. Minor quibble: NIT

52. Hold title to: OWN

53. Actress/director Vardalos: NIA - all "Greek" to me here, too; her IMDb

54. Psychic's letters: ESP

Splynter

Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024 Michèle Govier

 TWO DRUMS & A CYMBAL...

I had a feeling this was not a "normal" 3- or 4-word 'theme with reveal' when I scanned the grid before starting and saw two stacks of 8-letter ACROSS fills ( and after-the-fact, I see Monday's puzzle had double Down 9-lettter fills ), but nothing close to grid spanning; I did not see the 13-letter-long DOWN fill at first.  This took me longer than my typical Wednesday solve time, due to the crummy crossing of a proper name and a vague abbreviation.  SIGH; the struggle continues.  I did a search of the blog, and found a puzzle of Michèle's from Nov 7 last year; thanks to her for today's clever construction.  As the clue for 14A states, the perimeter of the puzzle, in both the across and down, are words ( highlighted ) that describe sounds - and the "reveal";

14. Audiophile's setup, and an apt description of the perimeter of this puzzle: SURROUND SOUND

YES~!

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Half a sit-up: CRUNCH - I just thought this was a "harder" sit-up; here's a quick reference to what is different

7. Commercial tune: JINGLE - what's your most earworm-worthy ad~?

13. "A Wrinkle in Time" novelist Madeleine: LENGLE - proper name fill #1, and I had no clue; the "G" got me

14. Timekeepers that don't work on a rainy day: SUNDIALS

 

I think the time is "beer-thirty"

16. How baked potatoes may be cooked: IN FOIL - meh, but it is certainly a way to cook a spud

17. Remove, as a seatbelt: UNFASTEN

18. Gina Boswell of Bath & Body Works, e.g.: Abbr.: CEO - I do the DOWNS first, just needed the "O"

19. Sequel to Puzo's "The Last Don": OMERTA

21. "Mean Girls" writer Fey: TINA - this proper name I did know

22. Underwater plant with gas-filled bladders: KELP

24. Wayward: ERRANT

26. Time out?: NAP

27. Playground retort: DID TOO - not the usual ARE too

29. Quirky habit: TIC

31. Cliche: TRITE

33. French noble: DUC - I haven't had Frawnche in a long time

35. Comprehend: GRASP

39. Eurythmics lead singer Lennox: ANNIE - one of my favoritest songs

Here Comes the Rain Again

40. Go from 4x6 to 8x10, say: Abbr.: ENLarge

41. Totaled: RAN TO

42. Busy restaurant's notification device: PAGER

43. JFK predecessor: DDE - Dwight David Eisenhower - IKE - two days in a row; I would have liked to have lived during his presidency, even with the threat of the "reds" and nuclear war.  I have "Ike", his biography, and I do like to read about his role in WWII - and he was the man who enacted the Interstate System; for an interesting take on the pros and cons of that massive national project, I would suggest reading "Divided Highways"

44. Like some purchases: IN APP - and - 62A. Are cast members of: APPEAR IN - sort of palindromic

45. "The __ is calm tonight": "Dover Beach" opening: SEA - with a blank grid, I pondered "AIR", but in retrospect, "Beach" might have been a give-away....

47. Mouths off to: SASSES

49. Amtrak stop: Abbr.: STAtion

52. Silky: SMOOTH

54. Guidelines: Abbr.: STandarDs

57. Ultimate: LAST

59. Creative works: OPUSES

61. Goal: AIM

64. Yukon neighbor: ALASKA - "UCONN" is my neighbor, too~!

Ba - Dum - Tss

66. Prop for a rock singer: MIC STAND - drummers who sing

67. Watering hole in TV's "M*A*S*H": ROSIE'S - ah, yes, now I remember....

68. Unnerve: RATTLE

69. 1984 mermaid movie: SPLASH - Tom Hanks, WAY back in his career


DOWN:

1. Hit it off: CLICK

2. Zellweger of "Judy": RENEE - name #5, but I'm not counting....

3. Developing: UNFOLDING - great clue/answer/fill

4. CARE, e.g.: NGO - I had to look this up after I solved the crossword; DAH~!  I tried "NPO", for a Non-Profit Organization; nope - it's a Non-Governmental Organization; not only that, but I was confusing it with GMO - genetically modified organism, too - hey, it was early in the morning when I did this....

5. Sister of Erato: CLIO - I can never remember my muses....

6. Knight cap: HELMET - punny; that would be an accurate description of such head wear

7. Ruling faction after a coup: JUNTA - I could only think of CADRE or CABAL

8. Baby: INFANT

9. Contract that may prevent bad PR: NDA - Non Disclosure Agreement

10. Crux: GIST

11. Ancestor of the romance languages: LATIN- four years for me in high school, but it does help solving crosswords~!😜

12. Justice Kagan: ELENA

15. Button alternative: SNAP

20. Ate away: ERODED

23. Feels sorry for: PITIES

25. Fertile Crescent river: TIGRIS

28. Some combines: DEERES - John Deere.  I want a tractor like this;  I have 1-1/2 acres in CT to mow, the snow, a creek, and a LOT of big rocks

NOT a combine, NOT a John Deere

30. Origami birds: CRANES - SWANS was too short

31. Stout spout: TAP

32. Messenger molecule: RNA

34. Soccer equipment: CLEATS - SHIN PADS didn't fit

36. Youngest daughter of Nicholas II: ANASTASIA - mostly perps

37. Valvoline rival: STP

38. Dad: POP - we're missing "CRACKLE" for a Rice Crispies trifecta

46. Unscrupulous: AMORAL

48. Woolgathers?: SHEARS - the "?" suggested "DREAMS" was not the answer, but 50% correct

49. Poetry event: SLAM

50. Piglike rhino kin: TAPIR

51. Pet re-homing org.: ASPCA

53. Provide a view: OPINE - ah - that kind of view

55. Sea walls: DIKES

56. Huge success: SMASH

58. Assessment that may end with "Pencils down": TEST - dah~! Not EXAM

60. Unappealing food: SLOP

63. NFL passing stat: ATTempts

65. Communication syst. with hand motions: ASL - American Sign Language

Splynter

Wednesday, Mar 6th, 2024 Rebecca Goldstein

  SOMETHIN' FISHY

A pretty straight-forward puzzle, although I fumbled in the SW corner with a "bad name" - at least there were just a few to contend with today.  Lots of clues that were merely clever definitions*, I thought - YMMV.  At first I surmised that the theme may have something to do with the "I" situated in the center(ish) of the theme fills - but no, it's three things that can be found "in the tank" - and I have added a fourth at the end of the theme answers.  I do not have the crossword comparison tools, but I recognize the constructor from previous grids.  The theme answers;

17. Family member with a heat lamp: PET IGUANA - I had a pet iguana - his name was Zeus, and he did NOT have a tank - he roamed my apartment freely, but due to some personal changes, he had to go to a zoo in Texas

The black thingy is his heat lamp

28. Military unit with mechanized forces: ARMORED DIVISION - this doesn't quite jibe for me - I suppose the personnel would be "in the tank"

47. Fuel that typically has an octane of 91 or higher: PREMIUM GASOLINE

63. On a losing streak, or where to find 17-, 28-, and 47-Across: IN THE TANK

Just add soothing music

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Subject with angles and equations: MATH - the only thing I studied in "math" was the teacher....

Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher" - OK, maybe not soothing....

5. Proofreader's catch: TYPO

9. Cork citizens: IRISH - and - 42A. __ Lingus: AER - their local airplane people

14. Juárez water: AGUA

15*. Collect crops: REAP

16. Accordion-heavy genre: POLKA

19. Got the fire going again: RELIT

20. "Indeed": "SURE" - One of Nero Wolfe's frequent comments is "Indeed"

21. "Greetings!": "HELLO~!"

23. Bring into play: USE

24. Beaver's building: DAM

26. Mosque leader: IMAM

36. Small touches: DABS

37. Like most highlighters: NEON

38. PBJ or BLT: SANDO - This must be regional, as no one I know refers to a sandwich as a sando - I have been known to call it a "sa'mich"

39. Double helix molecule: DNA

40. "Show me!": "CAN I SEE~!?"

43*. Milk source: UDDER

45. Like some JFK flights: INTernationaL

46. Classic Pontiacs: GTOs - I was more of a Mercury Cougar fan

They had rotating headlight doors and sequential tail-lights

50*. Inner workings: GUTS

51*. Sense of self: EGO

52. Golfer's goal: PAR

54. Tuesday fare: TACOS - I like tacos any day of the week~!

58. __ and file: RANK - us paycheck-to-paycheck types

61. Public meltdown, maybe: SCENE - as in to "make a ___"

66. Smudge: SMEAR

67. Pajama tops: TEES - that's what I wear

68. Pentathlon blade: EPEE

69. Trying times?: TESTS

70. "SportsCenter" channel: ESPN

71. First light: DAWN

DOWN:

1*. Travel guide: MAP

2. Forever and ever: AGES - EONS, AEON, nope.

3*. Ballet costume: TUTU

4. Side braids or side shaves: HAIRDOs

5. "Ur not wrong": TRU - text-speak

6. "Uh-huh": "YEAH."

7. Cut glass: PANE - an intended glass piece - unintentional, and it's a "shard"

8. Gem with a honey variety: OPAL - my first thought, but I waited for perps

Not so different from Amber

9. "Scout's honor!": "I PROMISE~!"

10. Ikura at the sushi bar: ROE - perps

11. Enlightenment-era secret society: ILLUMINATI - Part of the plot in the movie "Angels & Demons", and the first 10-letter non-theme Down fill

12. Travels cross-country?: SKIS - on my first pass, I missed the "s" at the end of travelS

13*. Abhor: HATE

18. Backpack contents: GEAR - uh, well, yeah - kinda vague

22. Tyler of "Empire Records": LIV

25. Actress Suvari: MENA -this actress - I had her confused with Mira Sorvino

27. Cute __ button: AS A

28. Make sense: ADD UP - if you saw my math teacher, it would "add up"

29. Short time off?: R AND R - clever; I like this one - Rest & Relaxation

30. C-suite qualifications: MBA DEGREES - the other 10-letter non-theme Down fill

31. Jorts fabric: DENIM - learning moment - I did not 60D what Jorts are - but in retrospect, it's pretty obvious now - Jean Shorts, and from what I read, sort of derogatory if men wear them - but on women, they're "Daisy Dukes"

The Dukes of Hazzard - and I loved the theme song

32. Word before or after nothing: DOING - doing nothing, or "nothin' doin'"

33. App with stories, familiarly: INSTAgram - I keep planning to do one for the Pipe Organ company, but I can never seem to get started

34. Ancient Greek theater: ODEON

35. Language on a longship: NORSE

Truth is, I'd really like to do a Viking Cruise

40. Beasties: CRITTERS

41. Ultimate word of an ultimatum: ELSE

44. Australian avian: EMU - I had to cheat on Saturday, and look up the word "Ratite"

46. Was a poor winner: GLOATED

48. Suni Lee's Olympic team: USA - her Wiki - born in our blog host's state of Minnesota~!

49. Brute: OGRE

52. Hissed summons: PSST

53. Top: ACME - had to wait on perps - this or APEX, for one

55*. Offer as proof: CITE

56. Individuals: ONES

57. Put one foot in front of the other?: STEP - I started with "WALK" - Bzzzt~!

59. Auto parts chain that shares a name with a California valley: NAPA

60. Didn't need to guess: KNEW

62. William Styron's "The Confessions of __ Turner": NAT - oops, not IKE

64. Where to watch for deals?: HSN - Home Shopping Network - never watched it myself

65. "I'm Just __": song sung by Ryan Gosling in "Barbie": KEN

Splynter