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*.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Amanda Cook

Theme: YOWSA! (It hurts my eyes!)

CrossEyedDave here, and I am still trying to erase the after image of this puzzle out of my mind... most of the puzzle played out well, except the SW Corner, which took some sussing. The theme? Well, at first I couldn't see anything. So I asked Daughter #1 for help. She was as nonplussed as I... so I emailed CC for help. As I was typing, I realized that Lunch, Play, Couples, and Up, could all be preceded by the word "Power." But I could not understand how power lunch hour/power play station etc, had anything to do with clashing. CC replied Both words can follow "power", hence it's clashing. 

So...

17 Across. Midday break from work: LUNCH HOUR. (Power Lunch / Power Hour)

26 Across. Sony game console: PLAY STATION. (Power Play / Power Station)

52 Across. Vacation with friends and their significant others: COUPLES TRIP. (Power Couples / Power Trip)

62 Across. Artistically repurposing, as trash: UPCYCLING. And... even though it is one word,,, (Power Up / Power Cycling)

And the Reveal:

36 Across. Fashion trend that embraces a bold mix of patterns and colors, or what can be found in 17-, 26-, 52-, and 62-Across?: POWER CLASHING.

Yowsa! It hurts my eyes!

Still nonplussed, I asked Daughter #3 if she could see any clashing of the words, or how to explain it, and we are all not sure what is going on here, or if there is more we are blinded to. I said, I am not a conflicting person by nature, how can I explain this clashing I cannot see? And so that's how my review ended up saying this puzzle theme is just a powerful collection of friendly words getting together...

If you can see something different, by all means please enlighten us in the comments.

Onward!

Across:
1. Enjoyable: NICE. ( a devious start, as this start is just a deception. )

5. Not bad, not great: SO SO. (No comment )

9. Amazon smart speakers: ECHOS. (That's the name on the box, but everyone calls them Alexa's.)

14. Pedal pusher: FOOT.😀

15. Rocky outcrop: CRAG.

A familiar word for Rock Climbers.

16. Barely detectable amount: TRACE.

17. Theme.

19. Ninja Turtle home: SEWER. Ok, I'm supposed to splain things that may not be understood about the puzzle. How do I explain to the crossword solving breakfast club all about radioactive mutant turtles that live in the Sewer? That have Italian Renaissance names, and love pizza?

20. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO.

Name #1

21. Corp. VIP: CEO. Chief  Executive Officer

23. Word with garage or yard: SALE.

24. Low card in gin rummy: ACE.

26. Theme.

29. Ithaca Ivy: CORNELL.

31. Like some staff retreats: ONSITE. (Or On-Site)

32. Pledge drive gift: TOTE.

33. Little piece of land: ISLET. What is the difference between an islet, and a cay?  The A.I. Overview

36. Theme Reveal.

42. Swerves: VEERS.

43. Paper chain segment: LOOP. (I wanted Link.)

45. Equilibrium: STASIS. (The beginning of the difficult SW corner...)

49. Matures, in a way: EVOLVES. I was thinking ripens, but it wouldn't fit. You would think evolution is an ongoing process, and maturation is an end result. But they did say "in a way," so, anything goes...

52. Theme.

55. Historical period: ERA.

56. Scheme: RUSE. Or plot, plan, ploy, scam...

57. Tiny terrier, e.g.: TOY.

58. "Tulsa King" actor McDonough: NEAL.

Name #2

60. __ Park, Colorado: ESTES. Familiar to any model rocketeer...

62. Theme.

66. Gloss over, in speech: ELIDE. (Forgive me for skipping over the details...)

67. Barking marine mammal: SEAL.

68. Lost, metaphorically: ASEA.

Lost, literally...

69. Like pound cake: DENSE. But nowhere near as dense as a fruit cake, I mean, I've seen fruit cakes you can literally use as a door stop!

70. Contributes: ADDS.

71. Blended family prefix: STEP. Hmm, interesting clueing...

Down:
1. Org. with Lions and Bears, but not Tigers: NFL. National Football League League. Lions=Detroit, Bears= Chicago, Tigers= MLB (Major League Baseball)

2. Short note?: IOU.😀

3. Composition for soloist and orchestra: CONCERTO. There a whole book on it, just ask Daughter#3 who had to study it for Her Music Degree.

4. Engrave: ETCH.

5. Podiatrist with a namesake orthopedic brand: SCHOLL.

Everybody has seen these...

6. Gold, in Spanish: ORO. This has become an old crossword staple for its three letters, how Gold can become boring... hmm, how about, Walter Keonig's (Chekov) next SciFi role after The Original Star Trek?

Believe it or not,

His 1st role was in TV's Combat!

7. Pert: SAUCY. Could have been sassy, but the Constructor was being Pert...

8. Folklore brutes: OGRES.

9. UFO pilots, presumably: ETS. Extra Terrestrials.

10. Distinctive features of cockatoos: CRESTS.

11. The Big Island: HAWAII.

12. Spotted wildcat: OCELOT.

13. Peaceful: SERENE.

18. Dream: HOPE.

22. Central Plains people: OTOES. Another crossword staple. Could use some fresh clueing, perhaps "Ode to lower digits?"

24. "__ your age!": ACT. (Ok, maybe I'll delete the 22 down commentary...)

25. Henhouse: COOP.

27. Wonderland visitor who uses a flamingo as a croquet mallet: ALICE.

28. Scholarly collection: Abbr.: ANTH. Anthology is a curated collection of literary works, such as poems, short stories, plays, or songs. 

30. Unfamiliar: NEW.

34. Camera type, for short: SLR. Single Lens Reflex

The movable mirror between the viewfinder and the film

(Or electronic image sensor) makes a single lens possible.

35. __ pointer: LASER.

37. Downright rotten: EVIL.

38. Go back to zero: RESET.

39. __-at-ease: ILL.

40. Jane Austen, for one: NOVELIST.

Jane Austen

1775-1817 (aged 41)

No photograph available...

(Name #3)

41. Opera ending?: GOER. (Erm?) according to the Internet: Operagoer is a common nine letter word that fits the clue "Opera ending" in crosswords... (Common nine letter word?) Maybe when the fat lady sings...

44. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcment

45. Lengthy diatribe: SCREED. This is the word to use to describe my unhappiness with the SW corner...

46. Muss: TOUSLE. The result of much head scratching, again in the SW corner...

47. "Keep __ Weird": motto of a Texas city: AUSTIN. (That SW corner again, really weird!)

48. Podcast playback options: SPEEDS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

50. Audiophile's collection: VINYLS. (I wanted Albums)

51. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC. Organization of Oil Exporting Countries.

53. March composer John Philip __: SOUSA. Inventor of the Sousaphone

One you wear, the other you carry...

Which would you rather march with?

54. Not handwritten: TYPED.

59. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.

61. "Catch my drift?": SEE.

63. Currency with toonies, briefly: CAD. Yikes! This takes some splainin'. First of all, the Loonie, is the Colloquial name for the Canadian One Dollar Coin. Ergo, the Toonie refers to the two dollar coin...(simple.) but what is the "A" in CAD? No one knows, and it doesn't matter, because the official ISO code for the Canadian Dollar is CAD, differentiating it from other dollars (like the U.S. Dollar). Who or what is this ISO you ask?  More info here...

64. Formerly named: NEE.

65. Hiatus: GAP.

And, The Grid...

I am looking forward to hearing from you in the comments. Because I am still not sure if I am missing something in this clash of words puzzle...

CE:D out...

(•˕ •マ.ᐟ