Tuesday, June 23, 2026 ~ Adam Shapiro

Games' Afoot

Hi All!

Adam Shapiro delivers a cute Tuesday puzzle which I find impressive since his 1st LAT was ~6mo ago (17 DEC 2025). I enjoyed the fresh clues for pedestrian fill and the new fill I've not seen before. Well done Adam.
Point of order - I can't figure out if Adam is related to NPR's Ari or not. If anyone knows better...

16. Disc-tossing team sport: ULTIMATE FRISBEE.

  

Ultimate Frisbee

The Game of Life

23. Contest played on a star-shaped board: CHINESE CHECKERS.

Chinese Checkers

Chess

41. Pool hall activity: POCKET BILLIARDS.

Pocket Billiards Table

Poker

54. Nintendo player's side quest, or what the circled letters of 16-, 23-, and 41-Across create: GAME WITHIN A GAME. All I can come up w/ in the reveal is the NAME Game.

So, if you're not pickin' up what Adam's putting down... A side quest is a mini-adventure for your avatar to gain coin, information, or skills within the wider scope of the game #DnD. Ergo, a game within a game - exactly what Adam found in the spanners. Let's explore the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. Voting faction: BLOC.

5. Botanical transplant: GRAFT. All you wanted to know.

10. Post that's bigger than a gig: JOB. I saw "bigger" and "gig." My first two thoughts, "Tera" & "Peta," were too long.

13. Like chocolate lava cake: RICH.

14. "Folklore" music artist Swift: TAYLOR.

15. "__ seen worse": I'VE.

I've had worse...

16. [See: Theme]

19. "Aw, so sweet!": TOO CUTE.

20. Like elevator music: AMBIENT.

21. Chicken __ king: ALA.

22. Actor Cariou: LEN.

Len's Wikipedia Page

23. [See: Theme]

32. Ascends: RISES.

33. South African language with click consonants: XHOSA. I knew the answer but not the spelling.

Trevor Noah

34. Tuna roll topper: ROE.

35. Some hazy brews, for short: IPAS.

36. Piano pieces for four hands: DUETS.

37. "You're not wrong": TRUE.

38. 28-Down amenity, maybe: SPA.

39. Ballet class rail: BARRE.

Degas' Dancers Practicing at the Barre

40. Plump pet, slangily: CHONK. Chonk: adj. fat in a pleasant way.

41. [See: Theme]

44. __ de la Cit : Notre-Dame home: ILE.

45. Coffee container: URN.

46. Not much: A LITTLE.

50. Spine-tingling artwork?: BACK TAT. Cute. A tattoo on the back would tingle the spine.

54. [See: Theme]

56. Cenozoic __: ERA. The last 66 million years and our current era.

57. Like alpacas: ANDEAN.

58. A bird flying into the house, say: OMEN. So I Googled this... Some say it's good luck others say death soon. I think it means your screen door is broken.

59. Cold War operative: SPY.

Spy Vs Spy

60. Agreements: YESES.

61. Bit of headway: DENT. I've made a DENT in this expo - I'm done w/ the acrosses.

Down:

1. Like dry champagne: BRUT.

2. Disney girl who teaches Stitch the meaning of ohana: LILO. Ohana is Hawaiian for family.  I saw this movie w/ the Girls when they were so little. It's kinda hard to believe they're both in grad school now.
 

3. Prefix meaning "eight": OCTO.

4. Sequences of tight turns on racecourses: CHICANES. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A few Googles latter... A chicane is an "S" bend in the road that forces drivers to slow down. They're also used in urban settings to not only slow traffic but also increase the amount of public space. Seems like CHICANEry to me.

A chicane in Orlando

5. Frontier departure point?: GATE. Ha! The airline Frontier.

6. Marbled bread: RYE.

7. Italian sports car, briefly: ALFA.

'86 Alfa Spider

8. Unshaped: FORMLESS.

9. NYC nabe south of SoHo: TRIBECA. SoHo is SOuth of HOuston Street.

Yep, there's Tribeca South of SoHo.

10. Align (with): JIBE. Nice.

11. Roasting appliance: OVEN.

12. Red root vegetable used in some dyes: BEET.

14. Breezy goodbyes: TATAS.

17. Cocktails made with lime, vodka, and ginger beer: MULES.

18. Dishwasher's station: SINK.

23. Like tempura: CRISP.

Yummers!

24. River-dwelling mammal that can't swim: HIPPO.

25. Sci-fi writer Asimov: ISAAC.

26. Area far from downtown: EXURB.

27. French darling: CHERI.

Pepé Le Pew

28. Tourist's base: HOTEL.

29. __ in judgment: ERROR.

30. Tournament division: ROUND.

31. Tries to find: SEEKS.

36. NBC news show since 1992: DATE LINE.

37. "What a relief!": THANK GOD.

39. I-495 in Washington, D.C., e.g.: BELTWAY.

40. About, in dates: CIRCA.

42. Toy that may get stuck in a tree: KITE.

The Kite Eating Tree

43. Greg Evans comic strip: LUANN.

A Comic Strip since '85

46. Grows older: AGES.

47. In-person fantasy event, casually: LARP. Live Action Role-Playing GAME.

48. "Thinking about it": I MAY.

49. LAX projections: ETDS. Estimated Times of Departure.

50. Lack of objectivity: BIAS.

51. Unlikely to get out of hand: TAME.

52. "Darn straight": AMEN.

53. Sleeping bag spot: TENT.

55. "__ Haw": HEE.

The Grid:

The Grid

WO: FRIzBEE
ESPs: Spelling of XHOSA, CHONK
Fav:  It's a toss-up - my fav SciFi writer, ISAAC Asimov, or XHOSA just  'cuz I've never seen it in a puzzle before.

Well, do tell - how'd you enjoy Adam's little GAME?  RISES to your definition of fun or you just gonna BLOC it out of your mind 'cuz #circles?  :-)

Cheers, -T
T-7 days 'till RUSH!

Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Daniel Hrynick

 WORDS THAT ARE REMOTELY FAMILIAR...

19 Across. Build a snow fort or catch frogs: PLAY OUTSIDE. (Play)

27 Across. What a deeply regretful person may wish to do: REWIND THE CLOCK. (Rewind)

44 Across. Stop mid-story to add suspense, say: PAUSE FOR EFFECT. (Pause)

55 Across. Convenient car feature on a cold winter morning, or a feature of 19-, 27-, and 44-Across?: REMOTE START.

And... We're off!

CrossEyedDave here, filling in again.  Starting out, this easy Tuesday puzzle seemed so straightforward, that I was beginning to think there was nothing to explain, or provide silly links for... but given enough time, there wasn't a remote chance I wouldn't come up with anything...

Across:
1. Pizza crust option: THIN.

5. 24 hours: DAY.

8. Some: A FEW.

12. Nevada gambling town: RENO.

13. Penalized for littering, say: FINED.

15. Tilt-A-Whirl, e.g.: RIDE.

16. Overnight __: breakfast dish: OATS.

17. Flatscreen, maybe: LED TV.

18. At no cost: FREE.

19. [Theme]

22. Conclude: END.

23. Startled cry: EEK.

24. Married name follower: NEE.

25. Put in the overhead bin: STOW.

27. [Theme]

33. Boiling: HOT.

34. Spoil: ROT.

35. Qatar's capital: DOHA.

36. Intel mission: RECON.

39. Wrinkly little dog: PUG.

40. Ran out of patience: HAD IT.

41. "Am __ late?": I TOO.

42. Mined-over matter?: ORE.😀

43. Insurance giant bailed out in 2008: AIG. American International Group

44. [Theme]

49. Food Network figure: CHEF.

50. __ Lanka: SRI. (Formally Ceylon)

51. "For __ a jolly good fellow ... ": HE'S.

53. Volcanic eruption residue: ASH.

55. [Theme Reveal]

59. Drops behind: LAGS.

61. Bright celestial events: NOVAS.

62. Creole vegetable: OKRA.

63. Important phases in history: ERAS.

64. __ Valley, California: DEATH.

65. Ancient city in modern Turkey: TROY.

66. __ of the times: SIGN.

67. Mets' div.: NLE. National League East.

68. Mr. Potato Head attachments: EARS. (I wanted eyes first, guess it could have been arms too...)

Hmm, legs, hat,, does every attachment have three letters? Complete? List here...

Down:
1. Familiar plot device: TROPE. Apparently, there are many types...

2. Medic in role-playing games: HEALER.

I wanted Doctor, but you need a good imagination for role playing games...

3. Amount of food consumed: INTAKE.

4. Likely to snoop: NOSY.

5. Tried to reduce one's 3-Down: DIETED.

6. "No ifs, __, or buts": ANDS.

7. Bigfoot cousin: YETI.

8. Dog kennel greeting: ARF.

9. Fuel that can be stacked: FIREWOOD.

10. Perfect place: EDEN.

11. Invasive plant: WEED.

13. Able to speak a language with ease: FLUENT.

14. Movie franchise package, perhaps: DVD SET.

20. Bagel flavor: ONION.

21. "And more of the same" abbr.: ETC.

26. Golden years: OLD AGE.

28. Blow (by): WHOOSH.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

29. More realistic: TRUER.

30. One who isn't good at sharing: HOG.

31. The Blackhawks, on scoreboards: CHI. Chicago.

32. Actress Dennings: KAT. 

Name #1

36. Unfortunate sound to hear while bending: RIP.

Not always unfortunate...

37. Landing hr. guess: ETA.

I wanted to post a different pic of this,

But the language didn't pass the breakfast crowd test...

38. Long-running joke in the opening credits of "The Simpsons": COUCH GAG. For some reason, my YouTube App is refusing to let me share videos. In the meantime, search YouTube for 30 best Simpson couch gags. Very funny...

39. Seasoned vet: PRO.

40. Old audio systems: HI FI'S. hi Fidelity.

42. Cause resentment: OFFEND.

43. From the top: AFRESH.

45. Eternally, in poetry: E'ER. In poetry, e'er (pronounced "air") is a poetic and archaic contraction of the word ever. Poets use it to remove a syllable, making it easier to fit the rhythmic meter (such as iambic pentameter) of a line.

46. Sprawling property: ESTATE.

47. Yoga energy point: CHAKRA. Everything you ever wanted to be told by A.I. here:

48. Abject fear: TERROR.

52. Doesn't leave: STAYS.

53. Hoppy pintfuls: ALES.

54. Hindi cinema dress: SARI.

56. Faucet brand: MOEN.

57. Racket head shape: OVAL.

58. Reusable bag: TOTE.

60. Target of ID thieves: SSN. Social Security Number.

The Grid.

A puzzle with only one name? This is very remote!

Is there a remote chance something on this puzzle tripped you up? If so, please tell us in the comments... of not, come anyway! Maybe by then my YouTube share button problems will be fixed, and we can commiserate on sticky remote buttons that don't work. (Isopropyl Alcohol is a solution!) and there is a way to use tiny bits of aluminum foil for when they really go kerblooey...

CE:D out.

≽ܫ≼

Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 ~ Amanda Rafkin & Amie Walker

Made of STEEL

Hot Stuff

Hi All!

Today, Amanda & Amie collaborate on a rugged theme. From what I've found, these two have joined forces at the LAT twice as Amie & Amanda [12 JUN & 08 OCT 2025]. They've had a Wednesday & a Thursday, so this will be their first Tuesday together.

Let's ROCK & Roll:

17. Cocktail poured with a heavy hand: STIFF DRINK.

Looks like a strong pour to me.

29. Honest amount of reliable work: SOLID EFFORT.

45. Resilient person: TOUGH COOKIE.

60. Social media debut of a romantic relationship, or what 17-, 29-, and 45-Across have: HARD LAUNCH.

STIFF is 18th on the list...

DW & I met when #SocialMedia consisted of messages on BBS (Bulletin Board System). So, to me,  HARD LAUNCH means "no turning back now." As for Social Media, we had to tell our friends to be at the Judge's house Sunday, IRL (In Real Life).

Across:

1. Wig makeup: HAIR. I soooo wanted talc in the barrister's wig he waggled.

I Waggled Me Wig

5. Food that might be served alla vodka: PASTA. Penne alla Vodka is a simple dish that will put you into a happy coma.

10. Diamond experts?: UMPS. Baseball! And an Easter Egg as diamonds are rock HARD.

14. "KPop Demon Hunters" bandmate of Mira and Zoey: RUMI. KPop Demon Hunters blew up so big last year, they dropped in on SLN:

Feat. Bad Bunny

15. Fuel-carrying ship: OILER. So many stuck in the Strait of Hormuz - did no one really NOT see that coming?

16. Go past a simmer: BOIL. Warm, heat, simmer, rapid simmer, BOIL.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Teeny bit: IOTA.

20. Norway's capital: OSLO.

21. Texting format, briefly: SMS. Short Message Service. It's a crime carriers charged us $0.10 for piggybacking a message on mobile to tower control-channel pings. Jinx, care to comment?

22. School composition: ESSAY. Not a crappy-production play put on by 3rd graders ;-)

23. "As __ on TV": SEEN. This c/a screams Weird Al...

Mr. Popeil

25. Dessert that quivers: JELLO. Oasis came to mind until I saw the clue's second S.

An Oasis

27. Chopping tool: AXE.

29. [See: Theme]

34. Young chap: LAD.

35. Male cat: TOM.

36. Some church donations: TITHES. I attended Catholic school on and off [depending on parental custody], and, what Pop appreciated, one only paid according to means. Pop tithed ~10% and we got a SOLID education at St. Joe's.

37. Frosty: ICY.

38. Grasped: GOT.

39. __ and yang: YIN.

40. Hoppy beer letters: IPA. Indian Pale Ale.

41. Like plagiarized text: STOLEN.

43. Delt neighbor: LAT.

44. La Brea __ Pits: TAR.

45. [See: Theme]

48. Method: Abbr.: SYS.

49. Sportscaster Musburger: BRENT. The answerer would have filled faster if clued "Light, sweet crude."

50. "Another thing ... ": ALSO.

52. Like steaks with a lot of marbling: FATTY. Don't fat-shame your dinner ;-)

55. Mermaid's realm: SEA.

57. Singular: LONE.

59. Baghdad locale: IRAQ.

60. [See: Theme]

63. iPhone virtual assistant: SIRI.

64. Skip, as a syllable: ELIDE.

65. Passed-down tales: LORE.

66. "Ciao!": TATA. I waited for the perp b/f not filling Tigger's TTFN.

67. Breadmaking need: YEAST. If it's unleavened, you don't kneed naan :-)

68. Like some Olympic races: SWUM. Time out! Is this really a word? Yes, swim, swam, and the past participle, SWUM. It's one of a few non-Germanic words I know that's got a Triple-U.* Swung, wuss, Kuwait, and wurst [admit it, that German word is so borrowed it's English :-)] are the others.

Down:

1. Time sheet figs.: HRS. When my team was on the clock for multiple clients, I created the "Bing sheet." Every 6 minutes, a clock would go "Bing," and you'd quickly scribble down the client you're currently working with / billing. //My buddy's dad was a lawyer - that's where the 6 min. came from :-)

2. Car: AUTO.

3. "So happy to be back together!": I MISSED YOU. I say nothing, just hugs & kisses.

4. Rummage (through): RIFLE.

5. "Love Is Blind" personal space: POD. No clue.

6. Broadcasts: AIRS. Something you can also put on for puffery.

7. Car-unlocking tool: SLIM JIM. This is in my lane - Eldest & I enjoy picking locks.

Eldest with her first picks
and beginner's lock.

8. Grew anxious: TENSED.

9. Torah holder: ARK.

10. Assassin's Creed game company: UBISOFT. I never played the game but I know of the company. Their origin story is interesting.

11. Sounds from cows: MOOS. Where is Gary Larson when the world needs him?

[See also: 39-down]

12. Pocket bread: PITA.

13. Defeat, as a dragon: SLAY. Roll a 17 or better on a d20 and you're heralded the hero.

A d20 for the uninitiated ;-)

18. Enemies: FOES.

22. Pixieish: ELFIN. Are we still playing D&D?

24. Never: NOT ONCE.

26. Wright of "Black Panther": LETITIA.

Letitia Wright

27. Red carpet celebs: A-LIST.

28. Precision knife brand: X-ACTO.

30. "Thanks a __!": LOT.

31. "You asked for a fight, you'll get one!": OH, IT'S ON NOW. "TOUGH words," said The Dragon.

32. Square up with: REPAY.

33. Former Russian rulers: TSARS.

38. Walt Disney Concert Hall designer Frank: GEHRY.

Frank Gehry's WikiP

39. Shaggy ox: YAK.

42. Letters on some Pride merch: LGBTQIA+. Click here for an explanation.

43. Traditional Mexican game of chance: LOTERIA. Lottery in Spanish.

46. At a reduced price: ON SALE.

47. Jazz icon Fitzgerald: ELLA.

51. All __ Day: November 2: SOULS.

52. Black Power symbol: FIST.

53. Song that might end on a high note: ARIA. Cute.

54. Like a cranberry, or a dessert that might contain cranberries: TART.

56. Does some math: ADDS.

58. Very light brown: ECRU.

60. "Wait just a minute!": HEY. Did you just say, "Heads I win; tails you lose?"

61. Permit: LET.

62. Dress edge: HEM. If mumbling while sewing, are you hawing your hem?

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: N/A
ESPs: BRENT, LETITIA, GEHRY
Fav: OH, IT'S ON NOW

Cheers, -T
*W is Double-U, ergo SWUM can be written as sUUUm -- with a Triple-U :-)

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Ken Buxton & Zhouqin Burnikel

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

The only thing rebelling in my garden this year is either the Mealy Bugs, or Wooly Aphids that leave a white fluffy cotton-like wax that looks like mold, because this year I am spraying my rose bushes with Neem Oil!  Don't wait until you see damage, start spraying now!

The Reveal:

64 Across. Rebelled, or what can be found in 3-, 10-, 24-, and 29-Down: ROSE UP. Because the themers are all downs, you can find the word ROSE rising from bottom to top in each. All are split between words, but not all are split in the same place...

3 Down. Success for a pitcher?: SALES ORDER. (Sales order) 

10 Down. Shifts to eco-friendly farming: GOES ORGANIC. (Goes organic)

24 Down. "Save your apologies": DON'T BE SORRY. (Don't be sorry)

29 Down. Refreshing citrus dessert: LIME SORBET. (Lime sorbet)

Across:

1. Betting setting: CASINO.

7. Bad air day factor: SMOG.

11. Comprehend: GET.

14. Figure of speech?: ORATOR.  Very clever word play here, because Orator is a noun, you have to use your imagination to see Orator as a figure of speech....

15. City near Stanford University: PALO ALTO.

17. Experience again: RELIVE.

18. Restore from the trash, say: UNDELETE.

19. Big primates: APES.

20. "The Far Side" cartoonist Larson: GARY.

Name #1

22. Nasal cavity: SINUS.

23. "Viva __ Vegas": LAS.

24. Ellipsis trio: DOTS. Yes, I know I use them excessively...

25. __ for apples: BOB. This really got me. After doing years of puzzles with clues like 3 letter (blank) for murder by Sue Crafton, I automatically inked in "A IS."

26. Depleted atmospheric layer: OZONE.

28. Largest and strongest of the 19-Across: GORILLA.

32. Kitchen cover: APRON.

34. Cloth that protects hair waves: DURAG. Curious clueing, hair waves? I mean, I have wavy hair, but it seems oddly specific... The simplest etymology for do-rag is that it is named as such because it is a rag worn to protect one's hairdo. Do-rag is the preferred spelling by Miriam-Webster Dictionary.

36. Bond creator Fleming: IAN. Also Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... He also has a rather lengthy Bio on Wiki. Name #2

37. "Wonder Woman" actress Gal: GADOT. Name #3

For Splynter...

38. Cookbook writer Garten: INA. Name #4

The Barefoot Contessa.

She also worked in the White House!

39. Let in or let on: ADMIT.

41. Morn's opposite: EVE.

42. Noble rank below viscount: BARON.

44. Dorothy, to Em: NIECE.

Not names as much as film legends...

45. Snake: SERPENT.

47. Hangs on the line: DRIES.

49. World-warping drug: LSD. (lysergic acid diethylamide)

50. Computer repaired at a Genius Bar: IMAC.

51. Egg cells: OVA.

54. Competition with barrel racing: RODEO. 

My 1st thought was Roleo, but it seems those log rollers do not appreciate doing the same thing on barrels...

57. Alum: GRAD.

58. "Everybody Loves Raymond" actor Garrett: BRAD.

Name #5

59. "That makes sense": I HEAR YOU.

61. Ready for farming: ARABLE.

63. Canada's second-most populous city: MONTREAL.

64. [ Theme Reveal ]

65. Sun spot?: SKY. 😀

66. Big name in locks: YALE.

67. Six-line section of a sonnet: SESTET.

Down:
1. Reef material: CORAL.

2. Griddled corn cake: AREPA.

Kind of reminds me of a skinny English Muffin...

3. [ Theme ]

4. "Yes, indeed!": IT IS.  As one word, itis is a suffix used to indicate inflammation, but as two words  reminds me of a lot of people that use it as a twurd...

5. Mo. that was ninth in a 10-month Roman calendar: NOV. November Believe it or not, March used to begin the year..

6. State with the deepest lake in the U.S.: OREGON.

Crater Lake Tour.

7. San Antonio NBA team: SPURS.

8. More than a few: MANY.

9. Timeworn: OLD.

10. [ Theme ]

11. "Twisters" star Powell: GLEN. Name #6.

From the sequel to the original 1996 movie.

Just new faces on an old classic...

12. Caesarean delivery?: ET TU.

13. Digits in socks: TOES.

16. Suspect's excuse: ALIBI.

21. Groveled: ATE DIRT.

2. [ Theme ]

25. Feathery scarf: BOA.

27. Menagerie: ZOO.

28. Consultant on a family history project, perhaps: GRANDMA.

29. [ Theme ]

30. Secular: LAIC. A.I. Overview

31. Penny-__: trivial: ANTE.

32. Forever and ever: AGES.

33. Smooth (over): PAVE.

35. Family card game: UNO.

40. Cube with pips: DIE. Cubes would be dice...

43. "Go on ... ": AND.

46. Fold on a kilt: PLEAT.A rather complicated subject...

48. Tracking devices: RADARS.

50. "Yay, me!": I RULE.

52. Hold dear: VALUE.

53. Very good (at): ADEPT.

54. Edges of hoops: RIMS.

55. "If you insist": OH OK.

56. Disavow: DENY.

57. Soccer score: GOAL.

58. Hunting/fishing retailer __ Pro Shops: BASS.

60. Affirmative vote: YEA.

62. Caviar: ROE. (Fish eggs...)

And, The Grid...

CE:D out...

≽^•⩊•^≼

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Today's constructors are none other than our CC, and our TehachapiKen! (Father of Arizona Jim.)

Here's hoping both will chime in on the Blog today with crossword constructing secrets, and tips on how to make our roses rise up!

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 ~ Stella Zawistowski

It's Taco Tuesday!

Hi All!
First, the elephant in the room: circles vs. no circles. Personally, I don't care.
Or, as DW told the Girls when they were little, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

If you've ever attempted Stella's Saturday puzzles, you know she doesn't go easy on the solver. There's one or two "This is a Tuesday?"s in today's, but overall she constructed a smooth, light on the A&E, and cruft-free grid with a bit of crunch.

So, let's grab a tortilla, toss in some carne, onion, & cilantro and take a stroll.

Fajita beef, onion, & cilantro breakfast taco.

17. Toyota pickup since 1995: TACOMA TRUCK.

Rear view of the 2025 model

26. Sarcastic "Great idea!": WHAT A CONCEPT. Not!

45. Requires sacrifice to achieve: COMES AT A COST.

61. Portable Tex-Mex snack, or a progression depicted in this puzzle: WALKING TACO.

Get it? The [circled] TACO "walks" from left to right in the grid. Cute.

Er, more like a stumbling TACO
after leaving the pub :-)

Across:

1. Treadmill settings: PACES. ??? All my treadmill says is "speed" and "incline."

6. Learn to fit in: ADAPT. Adjust, ADAPT, Overcome.

11. Fuel for some stoves: GAS. I've got a glass cooktop.  You?

14. Enticing scent: AROMA.

15. Brings to the ground: RAZES.

16. "How We Do (Party)" singer Rita: ORA.

Not my cuppa, but you might like it.

17. [See: Theme]

19. Decimal base: TEN. As a child of the '70's, I got the experimental "new math" and the metric system (this was in '77 through '80 (?)). However, both came in quite handy whilst pursing degrees in EE & CS [#6d_STEAM - I married for the Arts :-) ] .

20. "Rooster" network: HBO. Home Box Office. I'd not known of this show but, from the trailer, it looks good.

21. Coin slot directive: INSERT.

Donkey Kong's Directive

22. Bullfrog relative: TOAD.

23. Ironman race, for short: TRI. TRIathlon.

24. "Well, sort of": ISH.

26. [See: Theme]

32. Pre-1917 Russian ruler: TSAR.

34. Molecule part: ATOM.

35. Land parcels: ACRES.

37. Pancake topper: SYRUP. Here's my go-to from grocer H-E-B.

I'm a sucker for cute packaging :-)

39. Take legal action against: SUE.

40. Large herbivore in India's Kaziranga National Park: RHINO.

This Rhino's in Oregon's Zoo.

41. "Cowboy Bebop" genre: ANIME. With a perp & an educated guess...

42. "Logically, this means ... ": ERGO. #Latin

44. "Toy Story" boy: ANDY.

Fun Fact: On Buzz Lightyear's boot,
Andy's N is not written backwards [cite].

45. [See: Theme]

48. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.

Brian Eno was commissioned by Microsoft for Win95's 3.25 second
startup sound that he composed it on his Mac.

49. Before, in classic ballads: ERE.

50. Confident and courageous: BOLD.

53. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. A recipe.

57. Embrace: HUG.

60. Cry of realization: AHA.

61. [See: Theme]

63. Grab a chair: SIT.

64. Common feature of flannel shirts: PLAID.

For the fans like me: Python's Lumberjack Song

65. Volunteer's offer: I WILL.

66. Earth-turning tool: HOE.

67. Actress/writer Kaling: MINDY. I would have known "Mork's friend" who, according to WikiP, Kaling was named after.

Mindy Kaling

68. Vanlifer, for one: NOMAD. Not sure that Matt Foley was considered a nomad :-)

Down:

1. Hiker's trail: PATH.

2. Many a Yemeni: ARAB.

3. Pixar film set in Mexico: COCO.

Coco's Trailer

4. Punk subgenre: EMO.

5. Wiley of "The Handmaid's Tale": SAMIRA. You say so...

6. The "A" of STEAM: ARTS. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths.

7. Truth or __: DARE.

8. C te d'__, France: AZUR.

9. Substance that makes jelly gel: PECTIN.

10. "You should know better!": TSK.

11. Favorite choice: GO-TO.

12. District: AREA.

13. Temporary castle material: SAND.

Here's some more really cool ephemeral sculptures..

18. Maria's friend in "West Side Story": ANITA.

22. TV quiz show with Cash Builder rounds: THE CHASE. No clue. A few Googles later I learned that this is another US import of a UK game show. Here's the US trailer...

23. Played monotonously: THRUMMED.

25. Surgical memento: SCAR.

26. Nintendo character in purple overalls: WARIO. On autopilot, I first ink'd mARIO.

27. Completely lost: AT SEA.

28. Tennis venue: COURT.

29. Last Greek letter: OMEGA.

30. "Read the fine __": PRINT.

31. Care for: TEND.

32. Airport org. with wands: TSA.

33. Match, as a laptop and the cloud: SYNC. 

36. Tofu base: SOY.

38. Part of a hammer: PEEN.

43. Bounding main: OCEAN.

46. Mogadishu native: SOMALI.

47. Starting point: ORIGIN.

50. Wild party: BASH.

51. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's state: OHIO. DJ Donna Halper introduced RUSH to the US when she played Working Man on Cleveland, OHIO's WMMS.

Crossword's fav architect, I.M. Pei (and Co.), designed the RRHOF.

52. Not on time: LATE.

54. Astronaut Shepard: ALAN. Husker Gary, can you hit the ball "Miles and miles and miles"?

Alan Shepard slices it ;-)

55. "Just joking!": I KID.

56. In apple-pie order: TIDY.

57. Pop band with sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana: HAIM.

58. Home of the NCAA's Bruins: UCLA.

59. Top Olympic prize: GOLD.

61. Typist's stat: WPM. Words Per Minute. With copious use of the backspace key, I get about 42 wpm.

62. "It takes __ to tango": TWO.

The Grid:

The Grid

My solve:
WO: mARIO -> WARIO
ESPs: ORA, ANIME (as clued), MINDY, SAMIRA, HAIM
Fav: SUE x-ing COURT made me chortle.

Cheers, -T

Most every workday am, I get breakfast tacos
from Moderno's across from the office *chef's kiss*.