Thursday, January 29, 2015, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: Can you saw a sawbuck for me?

For the younger generation, a sawbuck is a ten dollar bill. This derived from the Roman Numeral X meaning ten, which looks like one end of a sawhorse. C-note meaning a hundred is also from the Latin. Anyway, marti has taken the word TEN and broken between two adjacent fill which are all clued by the first clue, cross-referentially- a variation on the break a word theme like we saw yesterday from Jeffrey Wechsler. Yesterday was an outie, and today is an innie. There is a double symmetry of the break 1/3 having t/en and 2/4 te/n. with 1/4 10 letters and 2/3 9 letters. The reveal is a central gridspanning 15. The fill is heavy on 5 letter words, some of which are tough like ERISA, ICAHN and TABOR and there are some nice 7-8 letter fill such as AMNESIA, CD RATES, EERIEST, HASTIER, NICE DOG, ROB ROYS, BREAD BIN, STAY HERE, many of which required work. Pinch hitting for marti, so let's get to work.

14A. With 15-Across, accounting unit : DEBIT. 15A. See 14-Across : ENTRY. Our system of mathematics, and accounting are based on the base 10. (10 in the theme).

29A. With 31-Across, anathema : BETE. 31A. See 29-Across : NOIRE. We have had bete noire before clued before as bete___?(8/12/14) and _____noire?(9/30/14). (9 in the theme). Aren't you all glad we had this word Tuesday?

44A. With 47-Across, some receivers : TIGHT. 47A. See 44-Across : ENDS. Rob Gronkowski is the New England Patriots star receiver. LINK. (0:29)(9 in the theme).

65A. With 66-Across, National Book Award-winning novel by Don DeLillo : WHITE. 66A. See 65-Across : NOISE. I did not know the book, but I knew the theme. (10 in the theme).
and the reveal
37A. Question about change, which hints at the hidden feature of four two-part puzzle answers : CAN YOU BREAK A TEN? (15).

Across:

1. Some portrait frames : OVALS. I had some trouble with this beginning even though I have a big oval frame in my living room holding a picture of my mother with her brothers when she was little.

6. Noble __ : GASES. Back on track.

11. Singsong syllable : TRA. Well, Lah di dah!

16. Like some aces : RED. So many different kinds of aces- cards, tennis, air warfare, tests....

17. Manage : SEE TO. I always think of,,,

18. Walking __ : ON AIR. What TV show theme music?

19. Sound after a satisfying swig : AAH. How cool that this is next to...

20. Scotch cocktails : ROB ROYS. The Scotch version of a Manhattan, it was named by a bartender at the Waldorf after a Broadway play about the Scottish hero, RECIPE.

22. Zenith : ACME.

23. "I won't hurt you" : NICE DOG. This was all perps,

26. Not as deliberate : HASTIER. This was hard, though once filled makes sense.

28. Toothbrush-endorsing org. : ADA. American Dental Association.

32. Worlds : REALMS. A word I got used to from watching my sons playing video games.

35. __ legend : URBAN. We have urban legends, dictionaries, even cowboys; where is the love for suburbia?

42. Blue Grotto locale : CAPRI.

43. "Ramona and Beezus" co-star Gomez : SELENA. Another STAR (1:41) created by Disney?

49. Set-__ : TOS.

50. Malady in the 2000 film "Memento" : AMNESIA. I could not remember what this movie was about.

52. Like the best occult films : EERIEST.

55. It's about a foot : SHOE. Sock fits this misdirection as well.

56. Yield figures : CD RATES.

58. Figure under a line : SUM.  Simple visual.

59. Fife-and-drum drum : TABOR. From the same Latin root where we get Tambourine.

60. Two cents : INPUT. Cute clue/fill.

64. Bardic before : ERE. The Bard?

67. "M*A*S*H" titles : LTS. Lieutenants. Actually they had lots of majors and captains there.

68. Private : INNER.

69. Mount : STEED. A horse is a horse, of course...

Down:

1. Pigs out (on) : OD'S.

2. Center of gravity? : VEE.  Tricky.

3. Presidential nickname : ABE.

4. Petrol unit : LITRE. You see, they do not say gasoline, so...

5. Gave up a seat : STOOD. So simple, but the political aspect slowed me. In the UK, they stand for Parliament, I think, even more confusing.

6. One of six British kings : GEORGE. I am still waiting for King Ringo.

7. Year in Tuscany : ANNO. Year in Italian, the same word as Latin.

8. "Wait for me" : STAY HERE.

9. Pension law signed by Ford, briefly : ERISA. Employee Retirement Income Security Act

10. Jordan neighbor: Abbr. : SYRia.

11. Gillette razor : TRAC II. Along with ATRA, regular crossword stuff.

12. Hole enlarger : REAMER. hard to remain pc with this clue/fill.

13. Cleave : ADHERE.

21. Comes to the surface : BOBS UP.

22. Harsh-sounding, to some : ATONAL. And MUSIC (2:16)  to others.

23. Traffic stopper? : NARC. Drug traffic. A classic miss m deception.

24. Notion : IDEA.

25. "Elf" actor : CAAN. ACTOR James, not to be confused with 51D. Corporate raider Carl : ICAHN. This was easy for me, but this MAN may not be as well known unless you have worked in the investment world. Both names are variations of the Hebrew family name Cohen.

27. Shoshone Falls river : SNAKE.

30. Shroud city : TURIN.

33. Chinese evergreen : LYCHEE. Nuts to these obscure clues.

34. Zoo security features : MOATS.

36. Droopy-eared hound : BASSET. Do you all remember this early TV star? LINK. (1:18)

38. Wonderful container? : BREAD BIN. Sounds British; the clue should be Wonder-ful (Wonder bread)?

39. Bordeaux bean? : TETE. A French reminder, but still no answer as to why the head /brain is called 'bean.'

40. "The Dukes of Hazzard" officer : ENOS. A break from the biblical reference, played by Sonny Shroyer, a former FSU football player like Burt Reynolds. His character became so popular they had a spin-off called Enos.

41. Tammany Hall caricaturist : NAST. Perhaps the most famous political cartoonist in America.

44. Mortarboard frill : TASSEL.

45. "That upset me!" : I'M HURT.

46. Speakers of Tolkien's Noldorin language : GNOMES. I very much enjoyed both the Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but was completely unaware that the Noldorin Elves were originally called Gnomes, but what eles starts GN? READ?

48. Costing more : DEARER. "Oh, dear, that's too dear, dear."

53. Jockey's handful : REINS. Cute, evocative clue.

54. "This __ a drill!" : IS NOT. A scary set of words.

57. Mechanical repetition : ROTE.

59. Prefix with light or night : TWI. Rhymes with...

61. "Easy as __!" : PIE. No, but a doable Thursday, don't you think?

62. Wear and tear : USE.

63. Former Ohio governor Strickland : TED. I am not sure what is special about this one term GOVERNOR, but it is time to go anyway.

Here is some insight into the puzzling mind of our own marti:

We were at a local restaurant when DH asked the waitress, “Can you break a ten?” I seem to count words like some people count sheep, and immediately realized that could be a 15-letter unifier. So I toyed with the idea, and had the devilish idea to break the word “ten” across two entries.  But that meant the paired entries would have to be cross-referenced. (Sorry BarryG, but it wouldn’t work any other way!!)

As always it is great to blog a marti puzzle,  she includes so many whimsical bits, and once I remembered to not write Friday in the title, it all went well. Thanks for  reading and enjoying a marti jeudi (play day) and now you can look forward to her Friday write up. Lemonade out.

Thursday, January 22, 2015 Don Gagliardo

Theme: Letter play

19-Across. *Beginning : GETTING GOING. Okey-dokey, so let's get going, then!

26-Across. *They carry remainders : SURPLUS STORES.

44-Across. *Bike safety device : REAR REFLECTOR.

51-Across. *The rest : EVERYONE ELSE.
And the reveal:
65-Across. Both words in each answer to a starred clue begin and end with the same one : LETTER.

I noticed the duplicate letters at the end of the first word and beginning of the second as I was solving, but it required the reveal to get my V-8 moment.

Other possibilities might include:
DROPPED DEAD
KNICK KNACK
SALES SLIPS
Since the rules of construction dictate symmetrical theme entries, it is really tough to get 4 entries with the right letter count.


Across

1. Modern "Keep in touch!" : TEXT ME. I kept thinking "Call me"...maybe.

7. Ann's sister : ABBY. The advice columnists.

11. Extras may comprise one : MOB. As in "a cast of thousands."

14. Tennis star Gibson : ALTHEA. One of the biggest success stories of the '50s.

15. The real thing, so to speak : TRUE LOVE.

17. Riddles : POSERS.

18. Regretting a wild night, maybe : HUNGOVER. Who, moi?

21. Field of study : AREA.

24. "We __ Family": 1979 hit : ARE. Remember Sister Sledge from the 70's?

25. Tamper : MESS. (with)

31. Org. where weight matters : WBA. World Boxing Association. Can you name all the weights? I'll start: heavy...

32. Without __: riskily : A NET.

33. On a streak : RED HOT.

36. Capp and Capone : ALs. Cartoonists and crooks can always get together in crosswords.

37. Syr. neighbor : ISR. Syria and Israel.

38. Jueves, por ejemplo : DIA. Spanish "Thursday, for example" clues the Spanish for "day."

39. Natural resource : ORE. I had the O** and almost wrote in Oil. But I am learning my lesson, and decided to check the perps first.

40. Tease : NEEDLE.

42. Vibrater in a wind : REED. The thing that vibrates in a wind instrument. The spelling just "looks" wrong, but is technically correct.

43. Like Gen. Powell : RET.ired.

47. __ Men: "Who Let the Dogs Out" band : BAHA. Oops - used up my you tube limit.  Feel free to link away!

49. Edible Asian shoot : UDO. Everything you wanted to know here.

50. Greek mount : OSSA.

56. Burns poem that starts, "Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie" : TO A MOUSE.

57. Time of your life : OLD AGE.

61. Marching band instrument : SIDE DRUM.

62. Mill around : LOITER.

63. Passing stat. : YDS. Yards, in football.

64. Egyptian symbols of royalty : ASPS.


Down:

1. Keep time, in a way : TAP.

2. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.

3. Cadillac sedan : XTS.

4. Store to "fall into," in old ads : THE GAP. From the 70's.

5. Scant : MERE.

6. First word of the chorus of "The Sidewalks of New York" : EAST. side, west side, all around the town...Come on - hum along with me!

7. Parched : ATHIRST.

8. Dark-haired guy : BRUNET. "Dark-haired girl" is brunette.

9. Cask stopper : BUNG.

10. Safecracker : YEGG.

11. Some Cannes films : MOVIE SHORTS.

12. They have hoods and racks : OVENS. Because "redneck pickup trucks" didn't fit.

13. Cold-water hazards : BERGS. Hands up for "floes"?

16. Was impending : LOOMED.

20. Perp subduer : TASER.

21. Egyptian dam : ASWAN.

22. 100 kopecks : RUBLE.

23. Parts opposite points : ERASER HEADS. I have never heard them called anything but "erasers." But I wonder if Don G. intended the clue for the Filipino rock band, who took their name from the surrealistic David Lynch film, "Eraserhead."

27. First name in women's boxing : LAILA. Ali.

28. Racing family name : UNSER. Al, Bobby et al.

29. Bay window : ORIEL.

30. Aptly named novelist : READE.

34. Easily crumbled cookies : OREOS.

35. Betta tankmate : TETRA.

38. "Colonel Jack" novelist : DEFOE.

41. "Oh, my!" : DEAR ME!

42. Uses, as credit card rewards : REDEEMS. But only if one
45. Amasses : RUNS UP. a whole bunch of charges first!

46. Work on together, in a way : COEDIT. This filled with perps, so when I saw it I was trying to figure out how CO-ED IT might be clued.

47. LPGA great Rawls : BETSY. You have to go back to the '50s to remember her, too.

48. Stay clear of : AVOID.

52. "The boy you trained, gone he is" speaker : YODA.

53. Sharing word : OURS.

54. Relax : LOLL.

55. Blackthorn fruit : SLOE.

58. QB's stat : ATT.empts.

59. Turn right : GEE. On the farm, that is.

60. Go wrong : ERR. I hope I did not ERR with any of my comments!

I'm out.
Marti

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy 69th Birthday to our LAT constructor John Lampkin! As I mentioned before, John helped me greatly in my earlier days of blogging and constructing. He patiently answered every little question I had about crosswords. He's just incredibly kind and generous to every new constructor.

Lemonade & John Lampkin, March 21, 2012

2) Happy 83rd Birthday to Marge! She had a bad fall in 2013 and has not appeared much on the blog after that. I hope you're still reading our blog Marge. Kazie is now our only representative from Wisconsin, I think.

Thursday, January 15, 2015 David Steinberg

Theme: "Crop of the Cream"?

20. About whom Alice said, "... perhaps as this is May it won't be raving mad" :
THE MARCH HARE.

29. Dirty politics : SMEAR CAMPAIGN.

44. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" event : DANCE MARATHON.

53. Dessert topper ... or a literal hint to what's hidden in 20-, 29- and 44-Across :
WHIPPED CREAM. 

Hmmm, I seem to have hit a pattern of hidden jumbled word themes lately. I guess WHIPPED is the hint that it is CREAM that gets all mixed up today.  Last week we had circles to help us out.  This week, we were on our own. I think I like it better this way, for a late-week puzzle. Your experience may vary.   


Across

1. Impresses big-time : WOWS. The Trans Siberian Orchestra WOWS audiences all over the world with their over-the-top laser light / pyrotechnics displays.

5. Aquarium growth : SCUM. Anyone else fill in "alga" without checking perps? ("Guilty.")

9. Development site : TRACT.

14. Desktop since 1998 : iMAC. Yep, that's what I'm typing on right now.

15. Cream-filled cake : HO HO. Nit: The brand name is Ho Hos. So one cake is a Ho Ho?

16. Try to pick up : HIT ON.  "I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?"

17. __ mining : DATA. Read here why some supermarket chains put the beer next to the baby diapers.

18. Slaughter in baseball : ENOS. I knew the clue was referring to the guy named Slaughter, but do you think I could remember his first name?

19. Facebook posting : EVENT. Since when is a picture of your lunch an "event"?

23. Guffaw syllable : HAR.

24. PC heart : CPU. Central Processing Unit.

25. Doodlebugs and polliwogs : LARVAE.

33. Enjoyed a trail : HIKED.

35. Skin care brand : OLAY crossing 22-Down. Skin care brand : ALMAY.

36. Like many a joke : OLD. Did you hear the one about...? [Insert 23-Across here.]

37. "Gotcha, man" : I DIG.

38. Count : TALLY.

40. Baffin Bay sight : FLOE. They can be beautiful, but...

41. Molokai memento : LEI. My book club read MOLOKA'I by Alan [sic] Brennert.  Great book, but I wish he'd learn how to spell ALLEN.  ;-)

42. Game divided into chukkers : POLO.

43. Bleachers filler : CROWD.

48. Only vice president born in D.C. : AL GORE.

49. Word of feigned innocence : MOI? I associate the term with Miss Piggy.

50. Shares an email with : CCs. Shout out!

57. Bossa nova ancestor : SAMBA.

60. Agent's favorite sign : SOLD.

61. Ticklish Tyco toy for tots : ELMO. Nice alliterative clue.

62. Posture problem : STOOP. I wish I had a nickel for every time my mother told me to "Sit up straight!"

63. Bed covering : SOIL. Garden bed. Although on second thought, it could apply to my cat's beds. And, why is it that they love to jump up on the white coverlet when they come back inside with muddy paws??

64. Knighted Guinness : ALEC.

65. Ed Asner septet : EMMYS.

66. Trap, in a way : TREE.

67. Knight's neighbor : ROOK. Chess.


Down

1. Side to side? : WIDTH.

2. Beach near Utah? : OMAHA. Crucial targets during the allied invasion on the Normandy coast. Map.

3. Sport invented using boards and a clothesline : WATER SKIING. In 1922, Ralph Samuelson had a brilliant idea.

4. It may involve wiring : SCAM. and 12-Down, 4-Down : CON. I associate a police "wire" (microphone) with a "sting" operation, not so much a SCAM. [Update: Many scams include wiring money to the scammer, on the promise of receiving the millions of dollars that are waiting for you. ]

5. Mountain guide : SHERPA.

6. See eye to eye : CONCUR.

7. "This spells trouble!" : UH-OH.

8. __ pit : MOSH. Do they still do MOSH pits? "That was so '80s!"

9. Curative treatment : THERAPY.

10. Baseball's career save leader : RIVERA. (Siggghhh...more baseball.)

11. Had : ATE.

13. Big bang producer : TNT. Oh, not Chuck Lorre or Bill Prady?

21. Served to perfection? : ACED. Tennis serve.

26. Solo instrument for which six Bach suites were written : VIOLONCELLO. It was the precursor to the modern day cello.

27. Radiant : AGLOW.

28. Put the kibosh on : ENDED.

30. Eldest March sister : MEG. Gaaaah!  I filled in "Amy" at first.

31. Lemon or tangerine : COLOR.

32. The whole schmear : ALL.

33. Broom-__: comics witch : HILDA.

34. Perfectionist's goal : IDEAL.

38. Marisa of "The Wrestler" : TOMEI.

39. Mode lead-in : À LA.

40. Pendulum direction? : FRO. It only goes in two directions: to and fro.

42. "Could happen" : PERHAPS.

43. Smart : CHIC.

45. Drive rider : COWBOY. Cattle drive.

46. 2001 Audrey Tautou title role : AMELIE. It seems to have received high ratings on IMDb.

47. Take baby steps : TODDLE. I wanted "totter," but at least I checked the perps first.

51. Stan Lee had one in "The Avengers" (2012) : CAMEO. "Super heroes? In New York? Give me a break!" Watch here - he shows up at 5:12.

52. Clothes protector : SMOCK. Hands up for "apron" first?

54. Sibilant summons : PSST.

55. __ Tax: $15 Monopoly fee : POOR.

56. Derriere : REAR. A friend of mine sold pharmaceuticals in N.H., and spent the first month telling all the physicians that she was their new rep for the Derry area...

57. Coeur d'Alene-to-Sun Valley dir. : SSE.

58. Cabbage source? : ATM. Cabbage, dough, lettuce, moola, etc. etc. etc.

59. Palindromic tat : MOM. Surprisingly, very few guys get tats that say "Able was I ere I saw Elba."

That's all I got!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

I mentioned JD's New Zealand/Australia adventure yesterday, the Big Easy (George) sent me these two pictures. Which year did you visit the Down Under, George? 

Regarding the second picture, he said

"The 'Bride' and the 'Bride' that I captured a photo of in Wellington Botanical Gardens. I don't know if it was before or after the ceremony but neither of them were women."

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Thursday, January 8, 2015 Steve Blais

Theme: "Put 'er There!"

17-Across. Film with the song "Maniac" : FLASH DANCE. Memorable song and video. 4:00

24-Across. Film in which Garbo said, "I want to be alone" : GRAND HOTEL. Classic line. 0:10

54-Across. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : RALPH NADER. Not just about the Corvair. But Holy Cow!  The paperback sells on Amazon for $150?

63-Across. "That's news to me!" : I HAD NO IDEA. Really? $150?!?!

The reveal is situated smack dab in the middle of the grid:
38-Across. Private club ritual, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : SECRET HANDSHAKE. The SHAKE indicates that HAND will be mixed up in the other theme entries. Very clever! There was lots to like in this puzzle, so let's get started.

Across

1. Plenty : LOADS. I almost wanted "a ton," but it was too short.

6. Cologne scent : MUSK. I don't really like musky colognes. Or colognes, period.

10. "Now it makes sense!" : I SEE.

14. 2011 Cricket World Cup winner : INDIA. They beat out Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. (Sure, I knew that...)

15. Actress Gray of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" : ERIN. TV series 1979 - 81. Never saw it. And 37-Across. Buck Rogers portrayer __ Gerard : GIL.

16. Stores in rows : MALL. I was thinking of the racks of storage bins in our garage.

19. Formally proper : PRIM.

20. Philippine tongue : TAGALOG. Never trust Google translator. Especially with languages like TAGALOG!

21. Gillette Mach3 predecessor : ATRA.

23. Uintah and Ouray Reservation residents : UTES.

29. Annoyances : PESTS.

31. Spanish demonstrative : ESO.

32. __ Coast : IVORY.

33. Golfer nicknamed "The Big Easy" : ELS. Gimme.

35. Winter coat : HOAR.

43. Lines of praise : ODE.

44. One on a penny : UNUM. "E Pluribus UNUM." Weird: when I type E Pluribus Unum into Google translate, it gives me the English translation: "Grape." Huh?? More reliable sources assure me that it means "Out of many, one."

45. Scarfed down : ATE.

46. Like a new candle : UNLIT.

48. Showed the way : LED.

50. Treats, as an icy road : SALTS.

57. Real card : RIOT.

58. Desert formation : MESA.

59. Like monastic life : AUSTERE.

61. Non-PC purchase : iMAC.

66. Actress Tushingham : RITA. Should I know her?

67. Slimming option, for short : LIPO.suction.

68. __ position : FETAL.

69. Biz bigwig : EXEC.

70. Twirled : SPUN.

71. Easy paces : TROTS.


Down

1. Elate : LIFT UP.

2. Airing in the wee hours : ON LATE.

3. Words of wisdom : ADAGES.

4. Earthquake, perhaps : DISASTER.

5. Satirist Mort : SAHL.

6. Thin, on the Thames : MEAGRE. My least fav entry.

7. Coffee holder : URN.

8. [that's what it said] : SIC.

9. Massage : KNEAD.

10. "Whose Line Is It Anyway" technique : IMPROV. Drew Carey was the original host in the US. Now it's Aisha Tyler. The cast is more or less the same. Very funny!

11. 1777 battle site : SARATOGA. Gimme.  I bet Argyle, Irish Miss and Spitzboov got this one right away.

12. Yalie : ELI.

13. Street of nightmares : ELM.

18. Husky, for one : DOG. Because "size" didn't fit.

22. Yearns : THIRSTS.

25. Embarrassed : ASHAMED.

26. It may follow eleven : NOON. Doesn't it always follow eleven?

27. Actor Estrada : ERIK.

28. Lovett of country : LYLE.

30. Spade and Hammer : SLEUTHS.

34. Subway map dot: Abbr. : STN.

36. Cavity filler's org. : ADA. American Dental Association.

38. Fermented, as milk : SOUR. So, how can you tell when sour cream has gone bad?

39. Novelist Ferber : EDNA.

40. Pen pal? : CELL MATE. Cute clue.

41. Island dance : HULA.

42. More nourishing : HEARTIER. CSO to me?

47. Medicinal syrup : IPECAC.

49. Precise : DEAD ON.

51. Didn't come clean with : LIED TO.

52. Clawed : TORE AT.

53. Advances a base, in a way : STEALS. Rickey Henderson was labeled "The Man of the Steal." (Sure, I knew that...)

55. Gets precisely : NAILS. Did you NAIL this one?

56. Appear in print : RUN.

60. Piano on a piano? : SOFT. My favorite clue.

61. Sore feeling : IRE.

62. Socialize : MIX.

64. With it : HIP.

65. "The Simpsons" shopkeeper : APU. Did everyone memorize my link to the Simpson's characters last week? I told you there would be a quiz!

I'm off to learn a cool SECRET HANDSHAKE. 0:46

Marti

Note from C.C.:

I mentioned yesterday that Bill's wife Barbara is an avid quilter. Bills sent me a few pictures. You can see more here. Love this bag. Very Vera Bradley.

 

Thursday, January 1, 2015 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "The Joke's On Me"

Ooof!! When I saw all the cross-references leading me to a Bible verse, I really thought my goose was cooked. But slowly, they started filling in and I had to smile:

1-Across. See 58-Across : GIGGLE.

7-Across. See 58-Across : GUFFAW.

15-Across. See 58-Across : BURST OUT LAUGHING.

34-Across. See 58-Across : CHORTLE.

38-Across. See 58-Across : CRACK UP.

49-Across. See 58-Across : TITTER.

58-Across. Psalm 100 excerpt suggested by six puzzle answers and graphically represented by certain black squares in this puzzle : MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE.

Unusual grid, with left-to-right but not top-to-bottom symmetry. Jeffrey also used a 16*15 grid, both the reveal entry and 15-A have 16-letters. Can you see the "smiling face" in the middle of the grid?

62 blocks of theme is a lot for a weekday puzzle, and necessarily led to a bit of dreck in the fill. But overall, an enjoyable solve.

Across

13. How many golf clubs are sold : AS A SET.

14. Member of Buck Showalter's MLB team : ORIOLE. Can you guess that I struggled with this one?

19. Put __ on: restrict : A CAP.

21. __ profit: make money : NET A. Two awkward partials in a row.

22. With 20-Across, "American Beauty" rockers, familiarly : THE. And 20-Across. See 22-Across : DEAD. The Grateful Dead. Did I really need to come across an extra cross-referential clue in the grid?

23. Gets harder to climb : STEEPENS.

27. Pester : NAG.

28. Valleys : HOLLOWS.

30. Can't stand : DETESTS.

32. Prefix with -pod : TRI. Tripod.

33. Oils and such : ART.

42. Baseball's Piniella : LOU. Nailed it, once I had the L, O and U from perps in place...

43. Measure typically given in knots : AIR SPEED. Dudley, what AIR SPEED do you usually fly at?

46. "Discreet Music" composer : ENO.

47. They can be lifesavers: Abbr. : EMTs. Emergency Medical Technicians.

50. Focus, with "in" : ZERO.

51. Greek cheeses : FETAS.

53. Swear : CUSS. Not aver or avow this time.

54. Withstand : REPEL.

55. Nick working at night? : SANTA. We all know that his real name is Argyle...

57. Crush competitor : FANTA. Does Santa drink Fanta?

64. Pub order : ALE.

65. Like "Gilligan's Island" characters : MAROONED.

66. Do yard work : MOW.

67. "Success!" : YES! [With or without a fist pump.]

68. Bicuspid : PREMOLAR.

69. Yakima-to-Spokane dir. : ENE.


Down

1. Pampas cowboy : GAUCHO.

2. Beersheba's land : ISRAEL.

3. [I don't believe it!] : GASP.

4. Prime meridian std. : GST. Greenwich Sidereal Time. A variant of Greenwich Mean Time used in astronomy for locating specific stars.

5. Regulus is in it : LEO.

6. Technique-building pieces : ÉTUDES. From the French word for "study."

7. Incited : GOADED.

8. Second-smallest S.A. country : URU.guay.

9. Pear-shaped fruit : FIG. Do you give one?

10. Warm alpine wind, in Austria : FÖHN. Without the umlaut, it would be spelled "foehn" in English. A gimme...

11. Klingons, e.g. : ALIENS.

12. Attacked : WENT AT.

15. Spa area : BATH. Hmmm, this could have two meanings.  In many spas, a bath is sometimes filled with mineral water or mud, and it could be offered as a special service.  -OR- We could be talking about Bath, England. The spas there date back to Roman times.

16. Support on the links? : TEE. hee?

17. Running measure : LAP.

18. Suppresses : GAGS.

23. Not entirely, informally : SORTA.

24. Like an early evening sky : TWILIT.

25. Comparatively warm? : NEARER. In the children's treasure hunt game, you say "Warmer" when they are getting near the hidden object, or "colder" when they are moving farther away from it. Didn't we just have a reference to this game?

26. Valuable cello : STRAD.ivarius.  The Italian family was renowned for their violins, violas, cellos and other stringed instruments.

29. USPS item : LTR. United States Postal Service, letter.

31. List-limiting letters : ETC.etera, etcetera, etcetera...

34. Score symbol : CLEF. Thanks for the pic yesterday, Steve!

35. Realty transaction : HOME SALE.

36. Amusing DVD feature : OUTTAKES. Sometimes they are even funnier than the movie. 8:33

37. "The Grouchy Ladybug" writer Carle : ERIC. Lucina, did you read this to your students?

38. Accent pair? : CEES.

39. Tap your foot, say : KEEP TIME. I can assure you, that when my husband is tapping his foot before we got out for the evening, he is not keeping time...

40. Folly : UNREASON. Ugh. Valid, but not your everyday word.

41. Dirty __ : POOL. Because "Harry" wouldn't fit!

44. Disco __ of "The Simpsons" : STU. Have you memorized all the Simpsons characters yet? (He's in the third row, fourth from the right, next to Maggie Simpson.) If you go to this web site and mouse over the faces, it identifies each one. Quiz, to follow.

45. Gal.'s eight : PTS. Pints.

48. Levelheaded : SANE.

50. Philosopher known for a paradox : ZENO. of Elea.  Think of "Achilles and the Tortoise."

52. Prepare for mailing : STAMP. I simply hit "send."

54. Getaway goal, for short : R AND R.

56. Somewhat open : AJAR.

57. Boxer's woe : FLEA.

58. Might : MAY. "It ___ rain this afternoon." Either works.

59. Rock worth mining : ORE.

60. __ Kippur : YOM. Day of atonement for those of the Jewish faith.

61. Rock's __ Fighters : FOO. They just released Sonic Highways in November last year. (Yes, check your calendar - it was last year!) Link away.

62. Not in the bk. : UNL.isted. Telephone book.

63. Field grazer : EWE.

Marti, out.

Note from C.C.:
 
Happy 6th year wedding anniversary to Marti and her husband Allan! Marti said "... we were married on New Year’s Day of 2009.  So every year we get to celebrate our anniversary with a hangover." (Added Note: Gosh, sorry Allen, I'm hopeless!)

Marti  & Allen

Thursday, December 25, 2014 John Lieb

Theme: "Santa's Helpers"

Merry Christmas, everyone! This was a very fun puzzle, hiding Santa's little helpers in the grid.

18. Eponymous Detroit exec : EDSEL FORD.

19. Speaks for __ : ITSELF.

31. Keebler cookie brand : E.L. FUDGE.

32. "Go right ahead" : FEEL FREE. Help yourself to another E.L. FUDGE cookie, Santa!

54. Actress Jenna et al. : ELFMANS. I remember her from "Dharma & Greg."

55. Third quarters? : TWELFTHS. 1 quarter is a quarter, 2 quarters are eighths, and 3 quarters are twelfths?

36. Seasonal children's book about a watchful worker, who is graphically represented eight times in this puzzle : THE ELF ON THE SHELF. The book comes with a posable elf.

Unusual grid, with 16 columns instead of the typical 15.  And unusual theme, but really cute with all those ELFs posing on their 3-black-square-shelves! (See diagram at the bottom.) I found this one to be Friday-tough in certain sections. I'm curious to see if you had the same problems I did, so let's go over them one by one: 

Across

1. Resting places : CAMP SITES. Not sure how the two are necessarily related, but perps forced me.

10. Port south of Hamilton, Ont. : ERIE, PA. Shout out to Abejo!

16. Approximately : ON OR ABOUT.

17. One in a shower : METEOR. Great clue. I was picturing something like this.

20. "Gnarly!" : RAD.

21. Lean-__ : TOs. In your resting place?

22. Bit of baby talk : GOO.

23. Vine genus : CLEMATIS. A couple perps gave me this one - I grow them every summer on a trellis in my garden.

27. Gains : PROFITS.

33. Star Wars letters : SDI. Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative.

34. Author Fleming : IAN.

35. Swiss river : AAR.

43. Feminine principle : YIN. Male is Yang.

44. Guitar, slangily : AXE. This took three perps. But the ELF nailed it, I bet.

45. __ green : PEA.

46. Dives : PLUMMETS.

50. Gives a hand : DEALS TO.

56. '80s Peppard co-star : MR. T. On "The A-Team."

57. Pres. after JAG : CAA. James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur.

58. Canada's smallest prov. : P.E.I. Prince Edward Island.

59. 1962 Best Picture title locale : ARABIA. Lawrence of.

62. Refuel, as red blood cells : OXYGENATE. I filled it in immediately.

66. House speaker before Boehner : PELOSI. She, on the other hand, took a couple perps.

67. House flipper, e.g. : RENOVATOR. The ELF did a Mickey Mouse job on his kitchen reno.

68. 2002 eBay acquisition : PAYPAL.

69. False claims : PRETENSES.


Down

1. Pressure : COERCE.

2. Still __: nonetheless : AND ALL.

3. Rapper who played Chuck Berry in "Cadillac Records" : MOS DEF.

4. Calculus lead-in : PRE.

5. Pitcher Maglie : SAL.

6. Pugilists' org. : IBF. International Boxing Federation. Of course, the ELF nailed it.

7. Schoolmate of Blair, Jo and Natalie on "The Facts of Life" : TOOTIE. The brace-wearing, roller-skating girl who always said "We're in trouuuu-ble!"

8. Barcelona bread : EUROS. So much easier to remember the currency of all the European countries now, isn't it?

9. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS. Standards.

10. Ellis Island arrival : ÉMIGRÉ.

11. Update the workshop : RETOOL. Santa promised that next year, the ELF would actually get some power tools.

12. Cancellation notice : ITS OFF.

13. Big shoes to fill? : EEE.

14. Beltway insider, for short : POL. The Capital Beltway in Washington, D.C., that is.

15. Sound from the pound : ARF.

24. Deliberate : MUSE. The verb, not the adjective.

25. Extra: Abbr. : ADD'L.

26. "I've waited all week for this!" : TGIF. My regular comment every Friday.

27. Phnom __ : PENH.

28. Requiem title word : IRAE. "Dies Irae," or "Day of Wrath."

29. Blue-green shade : TEAL.

30. Medieval peon : SERF. I kept reading this as "Medieval POEM."

32. The way it goes : FATE.

34. "New Sensation" band : INXS. I always used to pronounce this as "inks," until I found out it should be "In ex-ESS."

36. Kind : TYPE.

37. Incline : HILL.

38. Ample, informally : ENUF. Have you had ENUF with the ELF, already?

39. Feed in a stable : OATS.

40. Sport with blades : EPEE.

41. Elite commando : SEAL. Acronym for SEa, Air and Land.

42. Word with mile or marathon : HALF.

47. 1997 Hanson #1 hit : MMMBOP. Never heard this one. It reached #1 in 27 countries, including the US.

48. Tomei of "My Cousin Vinny" : MARISA. Ah, MARISA, good to see you back!

49. Require : ENTAIL.

50. Wrestler Johnson known as "The Rock" : DWAYNE.

51. March observance, for short : ST. PATS.

52. Hall of Fame placekicker Lou Groza's apt nickname : THE TOE. I totally forgot this one.

53. Basketry twigs : OSIERS.

55. One imposing levies : TAXER.

57. Inc. cousin : CORP.

59. Online store offering : APP.

60. Stephen of "In Dreams" : REA.

61. Prince __ Khan : ALY.

63. Grasped : GOT.

64. Christmas __ : EVE. Bad ELF!  You get coal in your stocking this year.

65. Indian flatbread : NAN.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good...morning?

Marti Elf

Notes from C.C.:

1) Please click here for a special "Gift Exchange" puzzle from Erik Agard, who made two of my favorite LA Times Monday puzzles last year. Quite a few bloggers, crossword constructors, top solvers contributed to the clues. 

2) Happy Birthday to our always positive and caring Yellowrocks (Kathy). Hope you have a fantastic visit with your son, grandson and daughter-in-law today. We also say Happy Birthday to our math professor Fermatprime, who's been with the blog since 2009. Happy Birthday also to car expert Zcarguy, who pops in to the blog from time to time. I faintly recall Zcarguy grew up in Lebanon. 

 

Kathy & Buddha, Japan, 2008. Kathy speaks Japanese.

 

Fermatprime (Lorraine)

Zcarguy & his wife

Thursday, December 18, 2014 Ed Sessa

Theme: "That's an Order!"

3D. Diner's breakfast request : EGGS SUNNY SIDE UP. The order you give to Flo, in Mel's diner.

5D. Baseball manager's decision : STARTING LINEUP. The list of players who will be in the game.

9D. Cop's command : PUT YOUR HANDS UP. An order that caused a lot of unrest in Ferguson.

And the reveal:
11D. What sports stats are usually shown in ... or what 3-, 5- and 9-Down each represents? : DESCENDING ORDER. Each of the three theme entries is a type of "order" descending in the grid. I am not sure if "up" at the end of each one has something to do with the theme, or if they are just coincidental. Let's see if Mr. Sessa can enlighten us.

(From C.C.: I thought they're coincidental. Lemonade said Rule 39 is "there are no coincidences". So we consulted the constructor Mr. Ed. Here is what he told us:

I figured it added a little twist to the puzzle, up being "down", along with having three different "takes" on the meaning of the word "order")


Unusual grid, with left to right symmetry, but not top to bottom. It also seemed very easy to me for a Thursday, but your experience may vary.

Across

1. Many Pindar poems : ODES.

5. Philatelist's find : STAMP.

10. Mt. Rushmore locale : S. DAK.

14. "Rich & Meaty" brand : RAGU

15. "I should have made my way straight __ long ago": Whitman : TO YOU.

16. "Try this" : HERE.

17. Joule fractions : ERGS.

18. Explosive trial : A-TEST.

19. "Makes sense to me" : I SEE.

20. Old Buick : LESABRE.

22. Not surprising : TYPICAL.

24. Schoolyard comeback : IS NOT.

25. Chaps can be seen in one : OATER. This one got a smile from me.

26. Like boxed matches : UNLIT.

28. Jackson successor Van __ : BUREN.

29. Predatory seabird : ERN.

31. "Hit me" : ONE MORE. You might hear those words at a bar or at a Blackjack table.

33. Speckle : DOT.

36. Broadway's __-Fontanne Theatre : LUNT. No clue. All perps. It was originally called The Globe Theater, but renamed after renovation in 1957, in honor of Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontaine.

38. Grind, as teeth : GNASH.

39. Young hombre : NINO.

40. Shout before Silver : HI YO. Silver, Awaaaaaaaaaaay!

41. Patterson who played the singing flight attendant in "Airplane!" : LORNA. Loved that movie.

42. Handling the situation : ON IT.

43. Pancreatic hormone : INSULIN.

45. Blue hues : INDIGOS.

47. Chase scene sounds : SIRENS.

48. Annexes : ADDS ON.

49. One of a fiver's fifty : DIME.

50. Recipe word : STIR.

51. Flock females : EWES.

53. Freedom, in Swahili : UHURU. Total WAG, with only 5 perps needed. ;-)

57. "The Country Girls" novelist O'Brien : EDNA. the novel was banned in Ireland, and her parish priest publicly burned copies, because it dealt with sexuality in the '60s.

60. Big oaf : LOUT.

61. Surgical holding area : PRE-OP.

62. Go slowly (through) : SEEP.

63. Hard-to-do dos : MOPS.

64. Part of REM : EYE.

Down

1. City about 225 miles from Moscow : OREL. I always get this city confused with Orem, which is near Provo, Utah.

2. "__ say it?" : DARE I.

4. "Valley of the Dolls" author Jacqueline : SUSANN. Gimme.  That book was also considered "racy" when it came out in the '60s.

6. Carry : TOTE.

7. Word to a captain : AYE.

8. Greatest amount : MOST.

10. Many an Iraqi Muslim : SHIITE.

12. Toward the stern : AREAR.

13. Boat base : KEEL.

21. Barn dance neckwear : BOLO.

23. Remove the skin from : PARE.

27. Mortise inserts : TENONS.

28. Sarajevo's region : BOSNIA.

29. K-12 : ELHI.

30. Roman holiday attractions : RUINS. It's an incredible feeling to walk where Caesar once stood.

32. Dent or scratch : MAR.

34. Pizza topping : ONION. I just made Hawaiian pizza last night, with ham and pineapple. Yum!

35. Wee ones : TOTS.

37. Busload at a resort, probably : TOURISTS.

39. Loud to the max : NOISIEST.

44. Moon lander, briefly : LEM.

46. Prohibited insecticide : DDT.

51. With 65-Across, source of shade : ELM. And 65-Across: See 51-Down : TREE.

52. Act the suitor : WOO.

54. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : HRE. Holy Roman Empire.

55. Turn that's hung : UEY. I think we should take a vote for our favorite spelling of this, and then banish all other spellings forever from crossword puzzles!

56. Canapé topping : ROE.

58. Wedding page word : NEE.

59. Oaf : APE.

That's all from me. Let's hear from you!

Marti

Thursday, December 11, 2014 Ian Livengood

Theme: "I Go To Pieces"


17. Archers' protection : THUMB RINGS. My family were all into archery, and I won several trophies when I was young. I never heard of this item. Evidently, it is only used for archers practicing  Mongolian or African archery techniques.

24. L.A.-based comedy troupe : THE GROUNDLINGS. Never heard of them, either. Lots of famous alums, so I should try to remember it.

50. Scoldings : TONGUE LASHINGS. Ummm, now this one I have heard of (from personal experience!)

61. Magi : THREE KINGS. It's that time of year when they are on the move.

38. Classic 1958 Chinua Achebe novel ... and a hint what literally happens in 17-, 24-, 50- and 61-Across : THINGS FALL APART. Never heard of the author or the book.  (I had better brush up on my Cliffs Notes!)

Three of the theme entries split it as TH-INGS and one splits it as T-HINGS.  It might have been more elegant to have all split the same way, or all split in different ways. But the reveal works well with the theme. Let's see what else Ian has thrown at us.


Across

1. Long-necked instrument : SITAR. Cello? Banjo? (...time to check the perps.)

6. Spiced beverage : CHAI. Because "mulled wine" wouldn't fit.

10. Parched : ARID.

14. Annoy one's co-star, perhaps : EMOTE.

15. Suggestion : HINT.

16. Recording medium : TAPE. Does anyone still record on TAPE?

19. Say openly : AVOW.

20. Ungenerous sort : HOG.

21. "__ how!" : AND.

22. Money-related suffix : AIRE. Million-aire, billion-aire, gazillion-aire...

30. Hammers obliquely, as a nail : TOES. Essential technique when you are building a new wall--right, Splynter?

31. "Yikes!" : EEK.

32. Bit of pillow talk : COO.

33. Dress protector : APRON.

36. Fla. airport : MIA.mi.

37. Sign of summer : LEO. Zodiac.

43. MLB team whose home scoreboard is updated by hand : BOS.ton. Yay! A baseball clue that I knew the answer to.  Fenway Park is basically the same as it was on opening day, April 20, 1912.

44. Prom rental : TUX.

45. Full of recent info : NEWSY.

46. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I.

48. Regarding : AS TO.

55. Vermeer's "__ With a Pearl Earring" : GIRL.

Vermeer

56. GI entertainer : USO.

57. Sénat vote : OUI.

59. Bear up there : URSA.

65. Verb, for one : NOUN.

66. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I finally remembered this name, thanks to Lucina. She said she parses it as I-MAN, even though the supermodel is "definitely not a man."

67. 10 out of 10, scorewise : IDEAL.

68. Canadian coin that's no longer produced : CENT. Canadian Eh!, do Canadians really have no cents?

69. Blog entry : POST. I'm working my tail off, here!

70. Yankee manager before Girardi : TORRE. 5 perps.


Down

1. Rogen of "Pineapple Express" : SETH.

2. "Let's get some air in here!" : I'M HOT.

3. Unyielding : TOUGH.

4. With 47-Across, payment for cash? : ATM. and 47-Across: See 4-Down : FEE.

5. Bull Run soldier : REB.

6. Casual pants : CHINOS.

7. Believer in karma : HINDU.

8. "Life of Pi" director Lee : ANG.

9. "You convinced me" : IT'S A DEAL.

10. Early game console : ATARI.

11. One of Hogwarts' four houses : RAVENCLAW.

Symbol

12. Nov. 2013 Twitter milestone : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

13. Morning drops : DEW.

18. Outback order : RARE. Outback Steakhouse does grill a pretty good steak.

23. Variety : ILK.

25. Prince Harry's alma mater : ETON.

26. Pagoda instrument : GONG. I was trying to think of the word for the instrument in "Memoirs of a Geisha," but by the time I thought of "shamisen," I had already filled this one in using perps.

27. Singer Young : NEIL.

28. Attendees : GOERS.

29. In need of a sweep, perhaps : SOOTY. HaHa, I was thinking of my kitchen floor after the cats finish eating.  But here, it's the chimney that needs a "sweep."

33. Plate appearance : AT BAT.

34. Platter player : PHONO.

35. 1992 Crichton novel involving a fictional Japanese company : RISING SUN. I did read it, but forgot what it was about.

36. Upper limit : MAX.

39. Boot option : STEEL TIP. Anyone else consider STEEL Toe?

40. Gas, e.g. : FUEL.

41. Not pro : ANTI.

42. Drudge : PEON.

47. Sable or mink : FUR.

48. Thumbs-up : ASSENT.

49. Vegas dealer's device : SHOE. It does kind of look like an open toed shoe, doesn't it?

51. 2014 World Series winning team member : GIANT. I was panicking, thinking I would have to come up with someone's name. Whew! I only had to WAG the team.

52. Vague qualities : AURAS.

53. Hopeless case : GONER.

54. Cotton candy, mostly : SUGAR.

58. Cruise destination : ISLE.

59. Chapel Hill sch. : UNC. University of North Carolina.

60. School of tomorrow? : ROE. Cute.

62. Med. care provider : HMO.

63. Set to be assembled : KIT.

64. Binding promise : I DO...believe it is time for me to leave!

Marti

Thursday, December 4, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Female Vocalists

Usually when I am doing a puzzle that I will blog, I try to see where the theme is going as I solve. This one totally eluded me until I came to the reveal at 37-Across. "Feature shared by the women vocalists concealed in 17-, 29-, 45- and 59-Across" : ONE NAME. I loved this puzzle - a tribute to 4 extremely talented and brilliant females. And best of all, it gives me an excuse to link more than one YouTube video!

17-Across. Oft-pickled fish : ATLANTIC HERRING. CHER's successful career has spanned nearly fifty years, and she is still going strong. Even after 21 studio albums, she still came up with something new to top the charts, with "Believe."

29-Across. Educational stage : GRADE LEVEL. ADELE is the baby of the bunch, with her breakthrough album released only in 2008. I've been a big fan ever since she caught my attention with "Rolling In the Deep."

45-Across. Keep out : DENY ACCESS.  ENYA started her career in 1980. She gained worldwide recognition with her "Watermark" album in 1988 containing the hit "Orinoco Flow."

59-Across. Comes to terms : NEGOTIATES A DEAL. I can't believe that SADE has been around since the 80's.  Her "Smooth Operator" debuted in 1983.

Update: There is a bonus one-named singer hiding in the theme entries. ONE NAME hides NENA, who famously sang "99 Luftballons." [With a big tip of the hat to Jerome for spotting that one!]

Across

1. Barge, for one : SCOW.

5. Go up to one's ankles : WADE. And 30-Down. Wade's opponent : ROE. Well, I guess if I were a fish egg, I wouldn't want anyone tromping all over me, either.  ;-)

(Of course, some anon. will correct me and say the clue/answer refers to the famous 1973 Supreme Court case involving the right to abortion. I like my version better.)

9. Saw to a seat : LED IN. Thank goodness, it wasn't "ushed"...

14. Launder : WASH.

15. Obi-Wan portrayer : ALEC.

Guinness

16. Maine college town : ORONO.

20. Kit for Mr. Fixit : TOOL SET. Anyone else want TOOL "box," before checking perps??

21. Bygone : OLD.

22. London facilities : LOO.

23. Otologist's concern : EAR.

24. Cartoon still : CEL.  This collectible CEL of 25-Across. Studious-looking dwarf : DOC. goes for $2,125.

DOC

26. Strikes out : FANS. I believe this is a baseball term, implying the "fanning" motion of the batter as he attempts to hit, but misses, the pitch charged as the third strike.

33. Part of a Latin trio : AMO. He is, of course, the lead singer. Amas plays bass and Amat is on drums. ;-)

34. Subatomic particle : MUON.

35. Colleague of Sonia and Clarence : ELENA. Supreme Court justices Sotomayor, Thomas and Kagan.

36. Musical dir. : RIT.artando. Gradually decrease the tempo to let morons like me keep up with the beat.

40. P & L column : YTD. Year To Date.

41. Not from around here : ALIEN.

43. Word in a dramatic warning : IDES. "Beware..."

44. Shout for the picador : OLÉ.

48. Bargains : BUYS. And they are often 50-Across. Bargain bin abbr. : IRR.egular.

49. Blvd. cousin : AVE.nue.

51. Big __ : SUR.

53. "So that's your game!" : OHO. This and 55-Across were my two writeovers. I had "Aha!" at first.

54. Had a little lamb : ATE.

55. "Just walk away" : LET IT BE. I wanted to LET IT go...

62. Razz : TAUNT.

63. Ordering aid : MENU. Eyeglasses help, also.

64. Sea birds : ERNS.

65. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright : ODETS.

66. Cad's comeuppance : SLAP.

67. Fries, say : SIDE.



Down

1. Rescue acronym : SWAT. Special Weapons And Tactics.

2. Roman statesman : CATO.

3. Capital once called Christiania : OSLO.

4. They have very big calves : WHALES. I laughed out loud when this one filled in.

5. Super Soaker, e.g. : WATERGUN. It was originally called the "Power Drencher."

6. Ended a flight : ALIT.

7. Cal. page : DEC.ember.  Where did this year go???

8. Bounced off the walls : ECHOED. Oh, sounds.  I was thinking of a kid on a sugar high.

9. "Downton Abbey" title : LORD.

10. Drop the ball : ERR.

11. 1964 Ronettes hit : DO I LOVE YOU. Sorry, Ronettes: Cher, Enya, Adele and Sade have already upstaged you!

12. How an embarrassing question may be asked : INNOCENTLY.

13. "Mission aborted" : NO GO.

18. Org. chronicled in "The Puzzle Palace" : NSA. National Security Agency.

19. Glamour rival : ELLE.

24. More crafty : CANNIER.

25. Sci-fi author Lester __ Rey : DEL.

26. Capacitance unit : FARAD.

27. Well in the lead : A MILE AHEAD. How is your favorite team doing this year?

28. Passé : NOT IN VOGUE. So last year!

31. Jeans choice : LEES.

32. Stows, as cargo : LADES.

34. "__ Lisa" : MONA.

38. Much of 19- and 48-Down : ADS.

39. Really drops the ball : MESSES UP.

42. Potato spot : EYE. Because "couch" was too long.

46. Credit card issuer : CITI. VISA? Amex? Nope...

47. Beats badly : CREAMS.

48. Magazine with many white dresses : BRIDES.

52. Actress Hagen : UTA.

53. Aware of : ON TO. "OHO, I'm ON TO your tricks!"

54. Court figures: Abbr. : ATTs.

55. Horne on stage : LENA. Horne. Too bad, Lena: you'd be up at the top of the page if you had just one name.

56. Garr on screen : TERI. Sorry Teri, you too. And you don't sing, either. But I do admire your work for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

57. Wedding choice : BAND. 58-Down. "What __ could it be?" : ELSE. Well, it could have been "gown" or "ring" or "food" or...

60. Prov. where the CN Tower is located : ONT. There are two CN towers in Canada, but Alta. was too long.

61. Bus. card number : TEL.ephone. Call me, maybe. (Fun lip sync performance from an unexpected group.)

TaTa!
Marti