Thursday, July 17, 2025, Katie Hale, Doug Peterson

Theme:  Multiuse implements.

Alton Brown, the cook, TV personality, and food scientist, abhors a single use tool in the kitchen.  If it only does one job, it's wasting space.  Alton might approve of the multiuse implements in today's theme answers, which give second meanings to common phrases.

"The only unitasker allowed in my kitchen is a fire extinguisher."
-- Alton Brown

Katie Hale and Doug Peterson have constructed many crosswords, alone and in collaboration with others.  Their theme answers today are symmetrically placed in rows Across, with two answers spanning the width of the grid.  The reinterpreted phrases all involve implements of some kind.

The theme clues and answers are:

17. E-readers?: LITERARY DEVICES.  Literary devices are generally understood to be writing techniques like metaphor, symbolism, foreshadowing, alliteration, and irony.  But our clever crossword creators think that Amazon's Kindle, Apple's iPad, and similar electronic tablets used for reading literature can also be called literary devices.

30. Printing press?: TIME MACHINE.  H.G. Wells published The Time Machine in 1895, planting in our minds the idea of a machine that facilitates time travel.  But Katie and Doug think the big machine that prints the glossy bi-weekly issues of Time is also a Time machine.

47. Zambonis?: GARDEN TOOLS.  Zambonis are ice resurfacing machines used in skating rinks, like Madison Square Garden.  If they are used at the Garden, can't they also be thought of as Garden tools?

62. Magnifying glass?: INSPECTOR GADGET.  You're probably familiar with Inspector Gadget, the police inspector with thousands of high tech gadgets installed in his body.  But since inspectors of various kinds may use a magnifying glass in their work, isn't one of those an inspector gadget, too?

I'm curious to know whether you interpreted the theme the same way I did.  Meanwhile, here's how I solved the rest of it:

Across:

1. "Cabaret" star Minnelli: LIZA.  Liza Minnelli starred in the 1972 musical film about bohemian characters in Berlin against a background of rising Nazism.

5. Word with sweet or candy: CORN.

9. Bolivian city ESE of Lima: LA PAZ.  La Paz, Bolivia is ESE of Lima, Peru.

14. Long-horned goat: IBEX.

15. Part of a Hawaiian honeymoon, perhaps: LUAU.

16. Thumbnail, e.g.: IMAGE.  A thumbnail is a small image representation of a larger image, usually intended to make it easier and faster to look at or manage a group of larger images.

17. [Theme clue]

20. Beauty spot: SALON.

21. Something to build on: SITE.

22. Cost fig.: EST.  One type of cost figure (abbreviated) is an estimate.

23. Member of K-pop's BTS: SUGA.  Min Yoon-gi is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, record producer, and member of the K-pop group BTS. He uses the stage names Suga for BTS and Agust D for his solo work. He is BTS's lead rapper.  All perps (perpendicular entries) for me.  Any fans here?

Suga

25. Holds or saves, e.g.: STAT.  A hold or a save is a baseball statistic.  Usually, if the answer is abbreviated, the clue is also abbreviated.  Hold and save aren't abbreviations, but I suppose sports fans use "stat" so often, they might not think of it as an abbreviation.

27. Retro taper: VCR.  My first mental image for "taper" was of a tall candle, but this "taper" was used to tape TV shows and movies.

30. [Theme clue]

35. Component of many detergents: WHITENER.  A few years ago, I discovered Patric Richardson's show, The Laundry Guy, on HGTV, and then read his book, Laundry Love, when it was pubished in 2021.  He is a phenomenon.  I have retrained our adult children so that none of us buys bottled detergents or dryer sheets anymore.  For whites, all you need are soap flakes and oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate).  Life changing!

Patric Richardson

37. Wiped out: TIRED.

38. Tolerate, quaintly: BIDE.  Bide is an old fashioned word meaning to wait, to withstand, or to tolerate.  "He couldn't bide children on his property."

39. Contort: GNARL.  Gnarl as a verb can mean snarl or growl, or it can mean to twist into a state of deformity.  As a noun, a gnarl is a hard protruberance with twisted grain on a tree.

42. Spot for some Christmas decorations: EAVE.

43. Home of the Vols: U TENN.  A gimme for me!  DH is a UT grad and loyal vol.  During the war of 1812, Tennessee was called the Volunteer State, and the nickname was reinforced during Texas's 1836 War for Independence from Mexico, and again during the Mexican-American War of 1846.

45. More than is necessary: TOO OFTEN.

47. [Theme clue]

50. Filler syllables: ERS.  Er, um, uh, like ...

51. Wide band: SASH.

52. German woman: FRAU.

54. Item that's waxed: SKI.

57. Dabbling duck: TEAL.  Dabbling ducks feed mainly at the water's surface rather than by diving.

Look how tiny the Green-Winged Teal is compared to the Mallards!

59. Possible response to 41-Down: I KNOW.

62. [Theme clue]

66. Cast list: ROLES.

67. Move by small increments: INCH.  People inch forward in their cars when traffic is heavy, or they inch forward on tiptoes to sneak up on someone or something.

An inchworm shows us how it's done.

68. Messes up: ERRS.

69. Bring to bear: EXERT.

70. Take to a booth: SEAT.

71. Overdo the aftershave, say: REEK.

Down:

1. "Lip Gloss" rapper __ Mama: LIL.  "Lip Gloss" was the 2007 debut single by hip-hop artist Lil Mama. Rated G for all audiences.

Lil Mama -- Lip Gloss

2. African wading bird: IBIS.

3. Epsilon follower: ZETA.  Greek to me.

4. Rink moves: AXELS.

5. Ringing sounds from old trolley bells: CLANGING.

6. "__ Planet": David Attenborough series: OUR.  Our Planet is a 2019 nature documentary series made for Netflix, narrated by David Attenborough.  The series focuses on the wildlife and natural wonders of eight different ecosystems, and is noted for its focus on humans' impact on the environment, especially how climate change impacts all living creatures.

7. Bright beams: RAYS.

8. Revealing lifestyle choice?: NUDISM.

9. Magic show, for one: LIVE ACT.

10. "__ imagining things?": AM I.

11. Walk worriedly: PACE.  Pacing is underrated.  DH burns lots of calories this way while speaking with clients and associates on the phone.

12. Factors in baby clothing sizes: AGES.

13. Ingredient in marmalade: ZEST.

18. Map guidance: ROUTE.

19. "Tell Mama" singer James: ETTA.

24. Grace closer: AMEN.

26. Pincher: THIEF.

27. Beetle with brakes: VW BUG.  The Volkswagen Beetle (often called the VW Bug) was a small car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003.  My first husband had a barely functional VW Bug when we married.  We spent weekends "bleeding" the brakes in hopes that they'd stop the car when necessary.

1967 Volkswagen Beetle

28. Tony winner Rivera: CHITA.  Chita Rivera was an American actress, singer, and dancer.  She received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award. She was the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.  She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.  She passed away just after her 91st birthday last year.

Chita Rivera

29. Legislative addition: RIDER.  A legislative rider is a provision added to a bill that may not be directly related to the bill's main subject matter. These riders are often added to urgent legislation, like appropriations bills, to enact controversial policies that might not pass on their own.

31. Sister of Calliope: ERATO.  In Greek mythology, the Muses were the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts.  By the Classical period, the number of Muses was standardized to nine:  Calliope, Clio, Polyhymnia, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Erato, Melpomene, Thalia, and Urania.  Calliope is all about eloquence and epic poetry; she has a lovely voice.  Erato is the muse of erotic poetry, and she is quite seductive.

Roman statue of Erato (2nd century AD)

32. Likely to storm off: IRATE.

33. Unequivocal turndown: NEVER.

34. Perfect places: EDENS.

36. Watches over: TENDS.

40. Spot for some Christmas decorations: ROOF.

41. "Ha, so true": LOL RIGHT.  Text speak for: Laughing Out Loud, right?

44. Worthy of a handwriting award: NEATEST.

46. "Shogun" setting: OSAKA.  Shōgun is an historical drama television series broadcast on FX in 2024.  It is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, which was previously adapted into a 1980 television miniseries.  

Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in Shogun

48. Fraction of a min.: NSEC.  A nanosecond (ns or nsec) is one-billionth (10⁻⁹) of a second.

49. "To clarify ... ": THAT IS.

53. Supervised by: UNDER.

54. Kingly address: SIRE.

55. Fort guarded by the U.S. Mint Police: KNOX.

56. Shetland element: ISLE.  Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. 

58. Sole: LONE.

60. Large fantasy antagonist: OGRE.

61. Beyoncé's "If I __ a Boy": WERE.

63. On the authority of: PER.  I have almost completed this post as per C.C.'s request.

64. Classic TV brand: RCA.

65. "I expected better from you": TSK.

Here's the grid:

What did you think of Katie and Doug's crossword DEVICES today?  

Did they trick you TOO OFTEN?

Or did you call out I KNOW and end up with the NEATEST grid ever?

-- NaomiZ

P.S.  Today is my 70th birthday!  My mom and I celebrated earlier this week on her 94th.

Thursday, July 10, 2025, Zhou Zhang, Kevin Curry

 Theme:  Automatic replies

When I'm going to be out of the office, I set my work email to send automatic replies to anyone who sends email to me, assuring them that I will return on a given date and attend to their needs.  In today's puzzle, four well known characters craft automatic replies that let you know they're up to their usual behaviors.  The theme clues and answers are:

18-Across. Automatic email reply from Glinda?: GONE FOR GOOD.  If Glinda, the good witch from The Wizard of Oz, is gone, she must be up to something good.

28-Across. Automatic email reply from Lightning McQueen?: OFF TO THE RACES.  If Lightning McQueen, the anthropomorphic stock car from the Disney/Pixar Cars movies, is off, it must be to the races.

45-Across. Automatic email reply from Pigpen?: LEFT IN THE DUST.  If Pigpen has left, you can expect to find this character from Peanuts in a cloud of dust.

60-Across. Automatic email reply from the Tasmanian Devil?: OUT FOR A SPIN.  If Warner Bros.' Tasmanian Devil is out, you'll likely find him spinning like a tornado.

I think this is Zhou Zhang's third appearance as puzzle constructor in the LA Times, and Kevin Curry's second.  I like the symmetry of the theme answers in the grid, and the fact that each of the automatic email replies is a familiar phrase.  Zhou Zhang was co-author on Sunday, June 29, 2025, when C.C. described the News Splash! theme this way:  "One word in each common phrase is replaced by its nautical homophone."  Brevity is the soul of wit!  And yet ... here I go with the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Place: PUT.  You might place, or put, dishes on the table.

4. Nearly match: RIVAL.  "A photographer whose fame rivaled that of his subjects."

9. Impressive deeds: FEATS.

14. "Or so": ISH.  Let's meet for lunch noonish.

15. Savory food quality: UMAMI.  The tasty je ne sais quoi triggered by glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate.

16. Aptly named cooler brand: IGLOO.

17. Leaves in hot water: TEA.

18. [Theme clue]

20. __ and crafts: ARTS.

22. Rejects: NIXES.

23. Bear necessities?: DENS.

24. Wraps found in Delhi: SARIS.

26. Weep: CRY.

28. [Theme clue]

33. Water nymph of Greek myth: NAIAD.  Not to be confused with Dryads (tree nymphs), Oreads (mountain nymphs) and other specialized nymphs.  They are all female nature spirits.

Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse

34. Spiritual glow: AURA.

35. Buddy: PAL.

38. Itty-bitty: TINY.

39. Detests: HATES.

41. Many a Marvel character: HERO.

42. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA.  If you've been solving LA Times crossword puzzles, you know Rita Ora, at least by name.

43. Had on: WORE.

44. Sources of dates: PALMS.  Date palms are native to the Middle East and North Africa.  They need an arid climate with plenty of water at their roots.  A few species were transplanted to the Palm Springs area, where the fruit is popular with tourists, especially in the form of date shakes.  Yum!

45. [Theme clue]

49. Sound of a lightbulb turning on?: AHA.

50. Become edible: RIPEN.

51. Go at it: SPAR.

54. "In case you didn't hear me ... ": I SAID.

57. Slant: SKEW.

60. [Theme clue]

63. Decorate at a bakery: ICE.

64. Essential at a bakery: FLOUR.

65. Dazzled: SHONE.

66. Org. with up to 23 Senators: NHL.  The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa and competing in the National Hockey League. An NHL team roster has a maximum of 23 players, but only 20 players are allowed to dress for each game. All of this being news to me, of course.

67. McIntosh or Macintosh: APPLE.  McIntosh is a fruit: Macintosh is a computer.  The first is an apple; the second is an Apple.

68. __ fund: HEDGE.  A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that holds liquid assets and that makes use of complex trading and risk management techniques to improve investment performance and insulate returns from market risk.  In the U.S., only institutions and high net worth individuals are allowed to invest in hedge funds due to the risks involved. 

69. 41-Down, e.g.: GOD.

Down:

1. Wrap found in a deli: PITA.

2. App customer: USER.

3. "End of discussion": THAT'S FINAL.

4. Prayer __: RUG.  Muslims use a prayer rug for cleanliness during the various positions of Islamic prayer. These involve prostration and sitting on the ground.  Orthodox Christians and Baháʼís may also use prayer rugs.

5. "Consider this done!": I'M ON IT.

6. Disappear: VANISH.

7. MC alternative: AMEX.  MasterCard vs. American Express.  The crossing of AMEX with NIXES was a sticking point for me, especially because I did not recognize MC as an abbreviation for MasterCard.  

8. Word with partner or lesson: LIFE.

9. Christmas purchase: FIR.  This is a tree, not what cruciverbalists write in our comments section when they Finish It Right.

10. Easter purchase: EGG DYE.

11. Soothing ingredient: ALOE.

12. Bluey, for one: TOON.  Bluey is an Australian animated television series aimed at preschool children, available for streaming on Disney+.  Both the main character and the series can be called a TOON, short for cartoon.

13. Lays down turf: SODS.

19. Honors given to Walt Disney a record 26 times: OSCARS.

21. Kebab with peanut sauce: SATAY.  Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of skewered and grilled meat, marinated in a blend of spices and served with a peanut dipping sauce.  DH and I enjoy soy "chicken" satay from LA Vegan.

25. Divining __: ROD.

27. Co. that purchased Victor in 1929: RCA.

28. Not fooled by: ONTO.

29. Unbiased: FAIR.

30. Downed: EATEN.

31. Regret: RUE.

32. Cave man's hobby?: SPELUNKING.  Loved this clue and answer.  Spelunking is the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby.  

I took this photo in the caves of Nerja during my recent trip to Spain.

36. Cuttlefish's octet: ARMS.  Cuttlefish are marine molluscs in the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses.  We saw cuttlefish on restaurant menus in Spain.

37. Missing: LOST.

39. Windbag's output: HOT AIR.

40. Cards, to NFL fans: ARI.  The Arizona Cardinals are a professional football team based in Phoenix, ARIzona. The "Cards" compete in the National Football League.

My mom took this photo of a real Arizona Cardinal in her garden north of Phoenix.

41. Brother of Zeus and Poseidon: HADES.  Greek gods.

43. Status of remote employees, for short: WFH.  Work From Home.

44. Pizzazz: PEP.

46. Sharp scolding: EARFUL.

47. Three-footer?: TRIPOD.  One of my best friends adopted a tripod dog.

48. Concealing: HIDING.

51. Nap location: SOFA.

52. Orange juice option: PULP.

53. Perched on: ATOP.

55. Accessory in a homecoming court: SASH.

56. Arthur __ Courage Award: ASHE.  The Arthur Ashe Courage Award, presented by ESPN, is named for tennis player Arthur Ashe. The award is presented annually to individuals whose contributions "transcend sports."

58. Bounce off the walls, say: ECHO.

59. Fuse using heat: WELD.

61. NorCal neighbor: ORE.  Northern California abuts Oregon.

62. Formerly known as: NÉE.  French for "born," feminine.  My NÉE name is a couple of names behind me.

Here's the grid:

That's enough HOT AIR from me!  It's only FAIR that other solvers have a say!

Let us know what you thought about the puzzle in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, July 3, 2025, Jake Halperin

 Theme:  Domain of science

Experienced constructor Jake Halperin defines three scientific domains in grid-spanning theme answers, each of which uses a different word for "domain" taken from an example of the science.  The theme clues and answers are:

19. Forensics?: CRIME SCENE SCENE.  Forensics is the application of scientific techniques to matters of law, especially the investigation of crimes.  A forensic scientist often finds himself at a crime scene.  That's his "scene," or domain of expertise.

36. Geometry?: SURFACE AREA AREA.  Geometry is a branch of mathematics concerned with shapes and dimensions of objects.  A geometrician may be asked to determine the surface area of an object.  That's his "area," or domain of expertise.

49. Physics?: FORCE FIELD FIELD.  Physics is the study of matter, energy and force.  If you're dealing with a force field, you'll want a physicist.  That's his "field," or domain of expertise.

Hopefully these domains were in your wheelhouse!  Let's investigate the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Petty quarrel: SPAT.

5. Chesapeake and Delaware: BAYS.  The Chesapeake and Delaware Bays are two distinct bodies of water on the east coast, connected by the 12-mile Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.

9. Outstanding papers?: IOUs.  Unpaid debts.

13. "That's a nauseating thought!": YECH.  A little less popular than "yuck"?

14. "We can ride together!": HOP ON.  I tried HOP iN first.

15. In-between dress length: MIDI.  Mini, midi, maxi.  When I was in elementary school, all skirts fell just below the knee.  In middle school, the hemlines climbed as high as possible without revealing all.  Then suddenly, ankle length "granny gowns" were a thing ... and the whole idea of gradually changing styles went out the window.  You can wear whatever you want.

16. Nick Mohammed's "Ted Lasso" role: NATE.

Nick Mohammed as Nathan "Nate" Shelley on "Ted Lasso"

17. Comic installment: ISSUE.  Comic books come out in issues.

18. Piles (of): A LOT.  Bunches and bunches.

19. [Theme clue]

22. "I need help!": SOS.  SOS originated as a Morse code sequence (...---...) specifically chosen for its simplicity and ease of recognition as a universal distress signal.  Backronyms like "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship" were later invented as mnemonic phrases for the signal.

23. Maintain a lab coat?: GROOM.  Maintain a *labrador retriever's* coat!

Bathe and brush your dog!

24. Ghostly pale: ASHEN.

27. Grade below 70%: DEE.

29. Tip-to-frog violin motion: UPBOW.  In violin playing, an upbow is moving the bow across the strings from the tip of the bow towards the frog (the end held by the player).  This contrasts with a downbow, where the bow moves from frog to tip.  An upbow makes a lighter sound than a downbow.

32. Novelist Bellow: SAUL.

33. Orderly groupings in computer science: ARRAYS.  Wikipedia says:  "In computer science, an array is a data structure consisting of a collection of elements (values or variables), of same memory size, each identified by at least one array index or key, a collection of which may be a tuple, known as an index tuple. An array is stored such that the position (memory address) of each element can be computed from its index tuple by a mathematical formula."  What say our computer scientists?  Whose bailiwick is this?

35. "What __ the odds?": ARE.

36. [Theme clue]

39. Postscript's place: END.

40. Fierce fauna: BEASTS.

41. Frankenstein's helper: IGOR.

42. Nachos topping: SALSA.

44. "I'd call it average": MEH.

45. Not very poetic: PROSY.  Prosy means dull or unimaginative, very much like the word "prosaic," but can also mean resembling prose. 

46. Made less severe: EASED.

48. Co. with a SoSecure mobile safety app: ADT.  ADT's alarm services date back to the 1870's, when telegraph technology was used to alert homeowners to burglaries.  Hence, American District Telegraph.

49. [Theme clue]

56. "Funny Girl" co-star Sharif: OMAR.

Barbra Streisand won the Oscar for Best Actress in her film debut, 1968.

57. Elbow-to-wrist bones: RADII.  Plural for radius.  One in each arm.

I know you find this humerus.

58. __ of honor: MAID.

59. Formerly: ONCE.

60. Instrument for many Bach compositions: ORGAN.

61. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.  Erma Bombeck achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996.

62. Knotted up: TIED.

63. Empire State resident, for short: NYer.  New Yorker.

64. "Work it!": SLAY.

Be excellent in a particular scene, area, field, domain, wheelhouse, bailiwick ...

Down:

1. Lip-__: SYNC.

2. Crumble fruit: PEAR.  I've had berry crumbles and peach crumbles, but the concept of pear crumble is new to me.  I am not opposed!

3. Ballet opener: ACT I.

4. Gender-neutral pronoun: THEMSELF.

5. Type of 2-Down: BOSC.  A type of pear.

6. Architectural recess: APSE.  A projecting part of a building (such as a church) that is usually semicircular in plan and vaulted.

7. Branch of creationism: YOUNG EARTH.  Young Earth creationism is a belief that Earth was created by God within a short period of time, perhaps 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. This anti-scientific view is based on a literal reading of the Book of Genesis.  By contrast, Old Earth creationism accepts most modern science regarding the history of the earth, but rejects the theory of evolution.  A third option for adherents to the biblical tradition is theistic evolution, which suggests that God created the world through the laws of nature, which are discoverable through science.  Evolution is real, and was set in motion by God.

8. Snide smile: SNEER.

9. Sgt. Friday's declaration on "Dragnet": I'M A COP.  Joe Friday was a character created and portrayed by Jack Webb for his series Dragnet (on radio 1949-1957, and on TV 1951-1959, 1967-1970).

Jack Webb as Joe Friday in "Dragnet"

10. Petroleum trade ban: OIL EMBARGO.

11. Japanese food staple: UDON.  Thick noodles made from wheat flour, served in hot broth or stir-fried.

12. Wikipedia, e.g.: SITE.  A web site.

14. Ostrich warning sound: HISS.  I have not experienced this defensive behavior, but I did see this ostrich lift its skirt!

Out of all the possible ostrich illustrations,
I chose this one from my files for Splynter.

20. The Proterozoic, e.g.: EON.  The Proterozoic Eon, from 2.5 billion to 541 million years ago, was the third of Earth's four eons. It was marked by the formation of stable continents, the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere, and the evolution of early life forms.  Even though we're only in the fourth eon now, the Proterozoic feels like eons ago.

21. Composer born in Washington, D.C.: SOUSA.  John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was an American composer and conductor known primarily for marches.

John Philip Sousa

24. Burros: ASSES.

25. Cold plunge partner: SAUNA.  Finland is home to the tradition of a hot sauna followed by a cold plunge into icy water.  The sauna has documented health benefits.  The cold plunge may be all right if it doesn't kill you.

sauna and cold plunge

26. Where athletes kick up their heels?: HURDLE RACE.

27. Record best updated first thing in the morning: DREAM DIARY.  I had a psychology class in college where we were encouraged to write down everything we could remember about our dreams before getting out of bed in the morning.  It was interesting to review the diary after a few weeks and to discover recurring themes.  

28. Draw a blank on?: ERASE.

30. Twistable treats: OREOS.  Crossword's favorite cookie.

31. Dog-tired: WEARY.

33. Opening day pitcher, typically: ACE.

34. "Mm-hmm": YES.

37. Denigrate: ABASE.

38. Opportunities for watch parties: AIR TIMES.

43. Holy: SACRED.

45. "Save as" option: PDF.  PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, is a file format developed by Adobe to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems.  It preserves the original formatting and images across various devices.

47. Zac of "The Greatest Showman": EFRON.  Zachary Efron rose to prominence for his leading role in the High School Musical film series (2006–2008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009).  He continues to appear in films and on TV.

Zac Efron

48. Tennis score after deuce: AD IN.  In tennis, "ad" is short for advantage. It refers to the score after deuce (40-40). If the server wins the point after deuce, it's called "ad-in." If the receiver wins the point after deuce, it's called "ad-out". If the player with the advantage wins the next point, they win the game. If the player without the advantage wins the next point, the score goes back to deuce. 

49. Height unit: FOOT.

50. Ritz-Carlton alternative: OMNI.

51. Microsoft browser: EDGE.

52. Untrustworthy sort: LIAR.

53. Noble rank below marquess: EARL.

54. Peruvian city with a San Isidro district: LIMA.

55. WWII turning point: D-DAY.  D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the day the Allied forces launched a massive invasion of Normandy, France, leading to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

I took this photo of DH in front of a German bunker on the beach in Normandy.

Here's the grid:

It took me a while to get a toehold on Jake's puzzle, but then everything fell into place.

What about you?  Was this your SCENE?  Were you in SYNC with Jake?  Did you ACE it?

Or did you ERASE a lot of entries and finally say YECH?

-- NaomiZ