Wednesday, Jul 9th, 2025 ~ Gerry Wildenberg

SQUA-RE RE-PAIR

gERry WildenbERg - doubled ER ER 

This is Gerry Wildenberg's debut for the LA Times - he has two other crosswords published in the NYT going back 10 & 11 years ago - and I checked again, just to be sure, because I was friends with a Geri, who was Geraldine; Gerry's a dude - a cool-looking older guy, and from his picture, I am guessing an outdoorsman, a hiker, a camper....Anyway, today's construction has "R-E" doubled in the theme answers, with the center being a grid-spanner, and no stray RE's anywhere else.  More 4LW than 3LW, but I felt, even with some being easy, there were again too many names ( a dozen by my count ) for my solving experience.  The theme answers, all unique, and the reveal;  

18. *Bills wide receiver who played in four consecutive Super Bowls: ANDRE REED - name #1

24. *Wildlife sanctuary: NATURE RESERVE - the first part was blank, but I did fill in "PREserve", which was close - can anyone offer a solution to the pesky gnats that hover around one's eyes & ears~?  I walk every other day, and they are so aggravating, I end up cutting the hike short - I practically bathe in Off! with DEET, but that's of no use - and I am going to try Picaridin as well - I do not want to wear a net....

36. *Meh evaluations: MEDIOCRE REVIEWS - I've had my share in my time blogging

49. *Like material that slows flames: FIRE RETARDANT

57. Made twice as great, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: "RE, DOUBLED"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Clown's prop, maybe: STILT - yeah, but how about a drywall mudder~?

6. Criminally assist: ABET

10. Breakfast spot: NOOK

14. "Golly!": "OH GEE~!"

15. Angelic adornment: HALO

16. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI

17. Oscars host O'Brien: CONAN - name #2, but I know him

20. Paraguayan pals: AMIGOS

22. Airport pickup info: ETA

23. Acid initials: LSD - the "dropped" acid

28. Cry of insight: "I SEE~!" - I used Ghostbusters, now here's Die Hard . . . .

ya~! I SEE him~! @ 0:20

29. Fit, as matryoshka dolls: NEST

Irish Miss, I am still on the lookout for my four-legged friend; last week on my walk, a guy in my neighborhood came out with HIS Schnauzer, but he did not have much to tell me about where to get one :7(

30. Volcano near Catania: ETNA - four-letter volcano~?

33. Whiskey flavor: PEAT - Sunday fill, too - this week, I am trying "Ryze", the mushroom coffee that supposedly helps burn fat - I will let you know.  It has a distinct 'earthy', almost broth-like flavor, and I like it - I am down to 27lbs since May 1st

34. Chewy mints: MENTOS

41. Only national park in New England: ACADIA - in Maine; knew this from solving crosswords, like this past Sunday

42. One of 14 in a sonnet: LINE

43. "u crack me up": ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing - textspeak

44. Part of a Rorschach test: BLOT

45. Operatic solo: ARIA

53. Artist Yoko: ONO - name #3, crossword staple, like Sunday - JEEZ

55. Boxing family name: ALI - name #4, crossword staple

56. Shelter with a sloping roof: LEAN TO

61. Urged (on): EGGED - 11D. is "egged", too

62. Cheese with an edible rind: BRIE

63. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA - name #5, crossword staple

64. Wicked one: FIEND - In honor of Black Sabbath's "Back to the Beginning" final show with Ozzy Osbourne last Saturday in their home town of Birmingham, UK, here's one from their debut album

Wicked World

65. Convinced: SOLD

66. Golf club choice: WOOD

67. Varieties: SORTS

DOWN:

1. Confident retort to a boast: SO CAN I~!

2. Inventor Edison: THOMAS - name #6, but not too obscure

3. Set off, as fireworks: IGNITE - thankfully, the folks of my neighborhood set off only a handful of medium-sized noise-makers about 9pm on July Fourth, and then it tapered off within the hour - another reason I am glad to be in CT.  Down on the Island~?  It's about who can waste the most money for a smoky backyard

4. Maritime measure: LEAGUE - Dah~!  Not FATHOM

5. Voice above baritone: TENOR - aaaand Sunday, too - wow.

6. Cry of insight: A - HA~!

7. Abolish: BAN

8. Like Cain, of Adam's sons: ELDEST

9. Dense cake: TORTE

10. Neither's partner: NOR

11. Brunch option: OMELETTE - Ah.  The "extended" version of omelet, just like on Sunday

12. Change for a five: ONES

13. "The Secret Life of Bees" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD - filled via perps; I suppose 'Captain' was not Wednesday worthy - name #7

19. Linguist's asset: EAR - TONGUE did not fit - and EAR makes me think of muscians

21. __ Falls: women's suffrage convention site: SENECA - upstate NY, filled via perps, name #8

25. Tail end: REAR

26. Getty of "The Golden Girls": ESTELLE - second time this week the show was in a clue, still, name #9

27. Caesar's "I came": VENI - Julius Caesar boast, veni vidi, vici - I came, I saw, I conquered

31. "__ we're talking!": "NOW~!"

Naomi, these legs are "for the birds" ( BTW, how big IS  this Splynter file ~? )

32. Pack animal: ASS - What'd you call me~?  A pack animal~?

33. Taro-based staple: POI

34. __ block: MENTAL - Ah.  I could not make WRITERS or LEGO fit

35. Night for last-minute wrapping: EVE - could'be been a name . . .

36. Stain or tear: MAR

37. Italian scholar Umberto: ECO - obscure, for a 3LW that could be a "not" name, #10 - the editor~?

38. National flower of Wales: DAFFODIL - I did not know this

39. South Asian rice cake: IDLI - filled via perps - more here - name(ish)

40. Hilarious comedian: RIOT

44. S.O.S competitor: BRILLO - I have caught two field mice in glue traps over the last month - I though this was a "winter" problem; now I am thinking about investing in an ultrasonic repellant, but I really have to go around and seal up the places where the little buggers are getting in; it was suggested to stuff steel wool, or better, soap-infused steel wool pads in thr holes around the pipes of my baseboard heaters.

45. "Slowly," on sheet music: ADAGIO - oops, I thought it was LEGATO - but that's tied notes

46. Madison Square Garden hockey player: RANGER - I knew this because I am a long-suffering NY Rangers fan; they never seem to have the tenacity, the drive, the desire to fight for the toughest trophy in sports - they're more like "eh, whatever", and that's very frustrating for fans

Igor Shesterkin is the exception

47. Purpose: INTENT - thie intent of playing an NHL season is to get to the Stanley Cup playoffs ...

48. In conflict: AT ODDS - but this seems to be AT ODDS with the NY Rangers

50. Novelist Santha Rama __: RAU - name #11 - more here

51. Jab with one's arm: ELBOW

52. Coral colonies: REEFS

53. Snow globes, e.g.: ORBS - good WAG on my part

54. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO - I've read the whole series from Rex Stout, and the follow-up novels from author Robert Goldsborough - name #12

58. Uni reference: OED - we had this on Monday

59. Feeling of self-worth: EGO - semi Meh. Is it a "feeling~?"

60. June honoree: DAD

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 55th birthday to Anon-T, who's always there when I need a pinch-hitter. 

 

Tony At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017

 

Wednesday, Jul 2nd, 2025 ~ John Kugelman

 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

This is John Kugelman's debut puzzle for the LA Times, but HE ( I checked, just to be sure this time ) has had several published in other places - from what I can see, he has constructed mostly Sunday grids - today's puzzle is 15 x 16, with mirror symmetry; somewhat Saturday in nature, and all we are missing is the "Z" for a pangram~!  No circles, a fair number of names, 30 TLWs, and a geometrical theme of  'boxy' morsels for the three meals of the day - breakfast, lunch and dinner, in order.  Well done~!  The three polygonal treats and the reveal;

19. Breakfast: cereal: RICE CHEX

31. Lunch: fast-food sandwich: WENDY'S BURGER

52. Dinner: seafood pasta: LOBSTER RAVIOLI

Mmm-Mmm good~!

My plates are square, too - but don't rotate in the microwave :7((

63. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or what 19-, 31-, and 52-Across literally are:
        THREE SQUARE MEALS

Now that's my idea of a "Square Meal", but my trainer keeps telling me

I have to stop hanging with the baron - the Red Baron, that is

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Makeshift instrument: JUG - I had "JIG" to start, thinking of a woodworking instument - and they're usually makeshift

4. Chess champion Garry: KASPAROV - name #1 - I do the DOWN clues first, so half of this was already filled in

12. First down yardage amount: TEN - we're in July - just two months to football season~!

15. "Float like a butterfly" boxer: ALI - name #2, but a crossword staple

16. Forget to set the oven timer, maybe: OVERBAKE - surprised to find out this is a unique fill

17. Wrath: IRE

18. "Headbangers Ball" airer: MTV - I want my MTV~! This was about the only segment I could watch

Most of the intro clips were S.O.D. songs - I'd link "What's That Noise" - but NSFW

20. Gaping opening: MAW - ooops - I put in GAP, but those three letters start the clue

21. Made, as beer: BREWED

23. Reader's __: DIGEST

25. Malia's sister: SASHA - name(s) #3 - the Obama kids

26. "A Fine Romance" composer Jerome: KERN - name #4 - I have heard of this guy, despite never seeing/hearing anything from him - but I now know he wrote some classic musical pieces 

30. "No __": "Perfect!": NOTES - this is new for me; any review or evaluation with "no notes" is a good thing - e.g., a script

Autumn At Apple Hill - The Hallmark Channel

34. Gravitate (toward): LEAN

36. Camry competitor: ALTIMA - Japanese automakers Toyota and Nissan

I am partial to Toyota - I drive a Prius "C" 2, and I would definitely get THIS

37. Seemingly never-ending story: SAGA - I love Star Wars, but even I am getting overwhelmed with the amount of "universe" that is presented to us

40. Poison __: IVY - either this or OAK - I guessed correctly

41. Letter between pi and sigma: RHO

42. Cyclops feature: EYE

44. Sacred oath: VOW

45. Curriculum __: VITAE - Latin for 'course of life', it's a detailed resume, essentially

47. Backside: REAR

50. First-year cadet: PLEBE

55. "That's my experience too": "I CAN RELATE."

56. Like windshields on winter mornings: ICED UP - God bless the fact that I can NOT relate to this - my Prius and Dodge Grand Caravan ( I call them Pixie and Daphne ) are both parked in my garage; they no longer "ICE UP", and in the winter, get COLDER as I drive to work~!  I had one of the guys at the pipe organ place suggest leaving the van out for a bigger workshop - I never had a garage growing up, so I am using it for its intended purpose.

59. Like 1% milk: LOW-FAT

68. Org. chasing Jason Bourne: CIA - I have seen the movies, and I think they have the best edited fight scenes of any movie out there - this one from the Bourne Supremacy; I need to read the books now

WARNING~! - Some violence

69. Opening stage: ROUND ONE

70. Letters on Megan Rapinoe's jersey: USA - name(ish) - I had  _ S A, so . . . .

71. Contains: HAS

72. Heard things?: NOISES

73. Neither partner: NOR - or SWEdish partner~?

DOWN:

1. Places for mezuzahs: JAMBS - I learned this from working on a movie set back in 1997; I was tasked with making one that would crumble, indicating a "bad sign" to our Rabbi; a girl named Susan May came up with one she "OVER BAKED", the director loved it, and used hers instead; I was very jealous . . . .

The meaning/use of a mezuzah

2. Extreme: ULTRA

3. Steps aside for: GIVES WAY TO - $2 fill, but not a unique one

4. The "K" of K-drama: KOREAN - Figured it was the same as "K-POP"

5. Eager: AVID

6. "Wait just a __": "SEC~!"

7. Beginning of history?: PRE - PREhistory

8. Kimmel's network: ABC - Dah~!  I thought he was N - b - c

9. Rally cry: RAH~!

10. Approved: OKed

11. Like some brain teasers: VEXING - also a unique fill; huh.

12. Leap years?: TIME TRAVEL - yes, very clever

13. Rub out: ERASE

14. Stream skitterers: NEWTS - I tried ROCKS, as in skipping

22. Line on an invite: WHEN - my brother's wedding is when~?  The Saturday after next

24. "Who __ there?": GOES - "It is I, Arthur..."

"No, they'd have to have it on a line..."

26. Son of Han Solo and Princess Leia: KYLO REN - name #5, from the Star Wars sequels

27. Approximate fig.: ESTimate

28. Hitter's stat: RBI

29. Digit: NUMERAL - Ah.  I could not get NUMBER to fit

32. "Well, lah-di-__!": DAH~! - not the same as my "Dah~!" of poorly chosen fill . . . .

33. Cartilaginous fish that may have a whiplike tail: RAY - Dah~!  Not EEL

34. Tyler of "The Leftovers": LIV - name #6 - I figured it was HER, but waited on crossings

35. Really bad: EVIL

38. Mongolian desert: GOBI - name(ish)

39. Wonderment: AWE

41. One running toward disaster, presumably: RESCUER

43. Embodiment: EPITOME - the embodiment of beauty, IMHO

It's EPIc TO ME~!

46. Put up with: ABIDE

48. Goof up: ERR

49. "__ you sure?": "ARE~?"

51. Lerner's partner on Broadway: LOEWE - name(s) #7 - more here

53. Tests, as a microphone: TAPS ON - not CHECKS

54. "La Bamba" singer Ritchie: VALENS - name #8, but this one I knew

56. Hydrocortisone cream target: ITCH - oh, right, that's not for an ACHE

57. Kombucha seeds: CHIA - filled via perps

58. Presidential spans: ERAS

60. Half-man, half-goat: FAUN - I wanted Satyr, but this works too - the Wiki

61. "Plus ... ": ALSO...

62. Russian monarch: TSAR

64. Status __: QUO

65. Oxford, e.g., to locals: UNIversity - British, as opposed to American "college"

66. Podcast interrupters: ADS

67. Tobiko or masago: ROE - again, filled via perps; sort of Saturday cluing, IMO

Splynter

Wednesday, Jul 25th, 2025 ~ Dana Edwards

 KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF

More my kind of music

This looks to be Dana's debut puzzle for the LA Times - congratulations~!  She has manufactured a muscial medley of clues & answers, and a rare 15 x 14 Grid, which makes up for the long line of grids 15 x 16 that I have blogged on a regular basis for several Wednesday crosswords in the past.  No circles, a handful of easy-enough names, and twice the # of 4LW to 3LWs.  Two of the themers are unique*, as are two of the longer Down fills.  The theme, and the centered reveal; 

16. Plant that can cause an itchy rash: POISON IVY - I get the rash just looking at it....

22. Piece at the Met or the Louvre: MUSEUM ARTWORK*

45. Furry helper who often wears a vest: SERVICE ANIMAL* - this "no touching" thing was never the case when I was growing up; I could always pet a service animal - what happened~?

55. Power source for some trains: THIRD RAIL - for those who prefer rap to rock and blues, Erik B. & Rakim had this track, which has the lyric "the stage is a cage/the mic is a third rail" @3:05

34. MC Hammer hit, and an important reminder about 16-, 22-, 45-, and 55-Across: 
U CAN'T TOUCH THIS - sampling my generation's  Super Freak by Rick James, this rap took Stanley Kirk Burrell ( and his signature pants ) all the way to best R&B and rap solo for the year 1990; the "DEETS" are here at Wiki

All things being equal, it IS a catchy number

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. "Waterloo" group: ABBA - crossword musical fodder to start us off

5. Sported: WORE

9. HS exams with many multiple-choice questions: SATs

13. Big chunk: SLAB

14. Milky gemstone: OPAL

15. Bloke: CHAP

18. Morning TV host Kelly: RIPA

19. Green roll: SOD

20. Pouty expression: MOUE - My last correction before the "ta-DA~!"; I had moPe

21. "Old Time Rock and Roll" singer Bob: SEGER - this might come as a surprise, but I am not a Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band fan - I'll leave it to the Cornerites for any links

25. 57-Across product: TNT - AND - 57A. Cartoon manufacturer of explosive tennis balls: ACME

Makers of fine ANVILS, too

26. Statement that may follow "Not to toot my own horn, but ... ": BOAST

27. Absurdist art movement: DADA - Here's the Wiki; I happen to like "fountain" by Marcel Duchamp

Yes, that's exactly what it is . . . .

30. Red __: cinnamon candies: HOTS - I like cinnamon in candy, gum, mouthwash, etc., and Fire Water was my go-to shot in days of yore - but it seems to be hard to find these days

31. Nickname for Ernesto Guevara: CHE

38. "Yo!": "HEY~!"

39. __ and parcel: PART

40. Inclined plane: RAMP

41. Good bargains: DEALS

43. Swiatek who was the first Polish tennis player to win a major singles title: IGA - she likes AC/DC and Pink Floyd - more here from WTA Tennis

50. Fight grime: CLEAN - clever play on word

51. Fail to enunciate: SLUR - especially if you've consumed copious amounts of Fire Water

52. "Yo!": "S'UP~!"

54. Turn over a new leaf?: READ - I just finished "An Absolutely Remarkable Thing" by Hank Green - a well-written Sci-Fi story

58. Big name in headphones: BOSE

59. Boundary: EDGE

60. Med. condition once called shell shock: PTSD - Post-Trumatic Stress Disorder; here's George Carlin's skit referring to both terms

61. Full collections: SETS

62. Like some internships: PAID

DOWN:

1. Venomous snakes: ASPS

2. Bouquet element: BLOOM - ROSE, FLOWER, STEM~?  Ah, that floral word

3. Tech giant known as the "Google of China": BAIDU - I've never heard of this company before today - here again is the Wiki 

4. Muscles worked in boat pose: ABs - I have my second "weigh-in" tomorrow with my trainer

5. Triumphed: WON OUT

6. Yves Saint Laurent fragrance: OPIUM - I bought a sample of "Scent of Dark", the fragrance from Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath - and it's quite alluring - not what you'd expect, if you were expecting "heavy metal on-stage sweat & body odour" 😜

Here's the website where one can buy the fragrance

7. Sing the praises of: RAVE ABOUT*

8. "Tarzan" actor Ron: ELY - I somehow recalled this; I guess I must have seen some Tarzan movie on a Saturday afternoon, long ago

9. Nail alternatives: SCREWS - a more betterer fastener, IMO

10. "Oh, understood": "AH, I GOTCHA.*"

11. Gradually decrease: TAPER - Dah~!  Not ABATE

12. Chemistry, so to speak: SPARK - as in romance and relationships

17. Gathering of crows, to some: OMEN - not MURDER - the official name for a group of crows

21. Secret stock: STASH - Dah~! Not CACHE

23. Megafan: STAN - 21st century-speak; a reference to an Eminem song, if you care to listen to this rap - might be a bit too 'unsettling' for some

24. Univ. military gp.: ROTC - Reserve Officers' Training Corps - had this a couple weeks ago

27. "Obvi!": "DUH~!"

28. Whiz: ACE

29. Fantasizes: DAY-DREAMS

30. Lawn game item pitched at a stake: HORSESHOE - semi-meh; we always called the GAME horseshoeS

32. "That bloke": "HIM~!" - "You~! Yes, You~! Stand still, laddie~!"

33. Telepath's talent: ESP - crosswordese

35. "Bartender" singer: T-PAIN - Cringe - I triple-dog dare you to listen through to the end - I could not.  Warning~!  No foul language, but a not-very-deep, excessive abuse of Auto-Tune hip-hop song

36. Soft silicate: TALC

37. Vehicle with cables: TRAM - good WAG, but then again, STREETCAR was almost a grid-spanner

42. Dodged: EVADED - HA~!  I risked filling this in, knowing that it could have been ELUDED, etc.

43. Accustoms (to): INURES - Wednesday's $2 word - You have to use it in a sentence in a convo today

44. Steel (oneself): GIRD - especially your loins

45. Leftover bit: SCRAP

46. Vote in: ELECT

47. Most sought-after, as party guests: A-LIST - "That's why I invited clients instead of friends" -who said this~? What movie~? - See below.

48. Carne __ burrito: ASADA

49. Mario character in green: LUIGI

In NYC while on a job, I was once called "Luigi" by

some anon on the street because I had on grey overalls

53. Declared in court: PLED

55. Samantha Bee's former network: TBS

56. Agt.: REP

Splynter

Louis Tully, Ghostbusters, @ 0:42

Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Emet Ozar

Theme:  Garden variety.

Surprise!  NaomiZ here on a wonderful Wednesday.  Constructor Emet Ozar enriches the crossword grid with circles to help us find various types of gardens hidden in the long entries.

My native plant garden is for the birds!
This Northern Mockingbird enjoys eating elderberries.

The theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. "The," grammatically: DEFINITE ARTICLE.  Tea garden.

24-Across. Baseball overtime: EXTRA INNINGS. Rain garden.

41-Across. Heavy-duty material for cutting boards: BUTCHER BLOCK. Herb garden.

55-Across. Frances Hodgson Burnett novel set at a country estate, or an apt title for this puzzle: THE SECRET GARDEN.

Let's dig into the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Trash receptacle: CAN.

4. Stringed instrument: HARP.

8. Some med. scans: MRIs.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.

12. Just slightly: A TAD.

14. Large paper format: FOLIO.  Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing.  Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages.  Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.

The hands give you an idea of the size of Shakespeare's first folio.

15. Number two: AIDE.  The boss is number one; his aide is number two.

16.[Theme clue]

19. "Let You Love Me" singer: RITA ORA.  Everything I know about Rita Ora, I've learned in the Crossword Corner.

20. Pet restraint: TETHER.

21. Due-in hr.: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI.  Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist.  She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).

23. __ Bradley bags: VERA.  Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.  

Vera Bradley bags

24. [Theme clue]

29. Predatory insect: MANTIS.

Praying Mantis preying on a lizard.

32. Pa: DAD.

33. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.

34. Vote into office: ELECT.

35. 100%: ALL.

36. Greek fabulist: AESOP.  Fabulist:  a person who composes or relates fables. 

38. Cured fish often topped with capers and lemon: LOX.

39. Aaron Judge stat: RBI.  Aaron Judge is a right fielder for the New York Yankees.  He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League MVP Award winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season.

Aaron Judge

40. Reveries: DREAMS.

41. [Theme clue]

45. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA.

46. 3-Down signatory: Abbr.: USA.  The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and took effect on January 1, 1994.  NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations.  It was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, 2020.

47. Trans- opposite: CIS.  Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.  In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender.  The term is the opposite of transgender, which refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. 

50. Tribute at a memorial: EULOGY.

53. New Mexico's "The City Different": SANTA FE.  Santa Fe combines a number of Southwestern cultures and has a lively art scene.  It adopted "The City Different" moniker in the early 1900s.

The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe
was the seat of government for New Mexico from 1610 to 1901.

55. [Theme clue]

58. Outstanding: A-ONE.

59. Flood-protection structure: LEVEE.

60. Affirmative votes: YEAS.

61. The one there: THAT.

62. "When will you __ learn?": EVER.

63. Italian three: TRE.

Down:

1. Core group: CADRE.

2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.

3. Commerce pact until 2020: NAFTA.  See 46-Across for more information.

4. Bloviator's excess: HOT AIR.  A bloviator is someone who talks at length in a pompous or boastful way, often saying very little of substance.  The idiom "hot air" refers to empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk that does not reflect real intentions.

5. Foamy fare: ALE.

6. Small inlet: RIA.

7. Foreshadow: PORTEND.

8. Island cocktail: MAI TAI.  Composed of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat (an almond syrup), the Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture.

Does anyone else remember Kelbo's tiki restaurant on Pico in West LA?
My ex and I once enjoyed a big blue cocktail in a large bowl with two straws.

9. Loaded with cream, say: RICH.

10. Taking it easy: IDLE.

11. Crystal ball consulter: SEER.

13. Domingo, for one: DÍA.  Domingo is Spanish for Sunday.  Día is Spanish for day.

14. Noteworthy events: FIRSTS.

17. Warning sign on a door: NO EXIT.

18. Coastal flyer: TERN.  Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.

I took this photo of Long-billed Terns in the Amazon River.

23. Apothecary container: VIAL.

24. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

25. Speak off-the-cuff: AD LIB.

26. Moon landing org.: NASA.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

27. Grab, with "on to": GLOM.  "Glom onto" is an informal American English phrasal verb that means to take something for one's own use, become strongly attached to something, or become aware of something.  It can also mean to grab hold of something or to latch onto an idea or person.

28. Dainty tastes: SIPS.

29. Singer also known as Scary Spice: MEL B.  Melanie Brown, known as Mel B, is an English singer, actress, author, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed "Scary Spice" for her energetic stage presence. 

Mel B in 2025

30. Baseball family name: ALOU.

31. Deli counter cry: NEXT.

35. Syllables in an incantation: ABRA.  Abracadabra is a magical incantation whose origin is a matter of debate.

36. Tarot card group: ARCANA.  Tarot cards are generally divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

Tarot cards

37. Startled cry at the sight of a mouse: EEK.

39. Give new life to something old: RECYCLE.

40. Prescription measure: DOSAGE.

42. Bedroom storage space: CLOSET.

43. Gargantuan: HUGE.

44. Glossy finish: LUSTER.

47. West Point student: CADET.

48. Apprehensive beginning: I FEAR.

49. Perception: SENSE.

50. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.  A coup d'état (from French for 'stroke of state') is an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership.  A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means.

51. "This is not good": UH OH.

52. "The Chi" creator Waithe: LENA.  Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter from Chicago.  She is the creative force behind the Showtime drama series The Chi, set in her hometown, and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties. 

Lena Waithe

54. Push to the limit: TRY.  As in, the barking dogs try my patience.

56. Put the pedal to the metal: REV.

57. Precursor to a big event: EVE.

Here's the grid, but look out for an error!  35-Across should show ALL, not ALI:

Did today's puzzle fulfill your crossword DREAMS?

Or was it A TAD TRYing for you?

NaomiZ