Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Kathy Lowden

  Lessee, Theme,, hmm,,,

I like AURORA, as in Sleeping Beauty... (As in, Her Prince has come...)

Or how bout: Favorite Pet Name. 

Not sure if above is "Mia,"

Prince is also famously known for gifting a dog named God to Nicole Richie.

Or how about, Your Photos Are Ready, (As in, Your Prints Have Come...) ?

No, it seems to be three things that can all be an explanation of the clue "Prince."

17 Across. Prince: TENNIS BALL BRAND.

36 Across. Prince: HIS ROYAL BADNESS. Complete Splaining can be found here...

This Guy...

54 Across. Prince: HEIR TO THE THRONE. This simple answer is not as simple as you might think...

But which one is the true Heir?

You will have to watch the whole move to find out...

(Or, just read the book...)

I believe this is Kathy's 6th contribution to The L.A.Times, and is becoming quite the prolific Constructor. I look forward to seeing many more puzzles from her here in future... (if we can steal her away from The New York Times... : )

Across:

1. Island ring: ATOLL.

6. Skating venue: RINK.

10. "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" essayist Didion: JOAN.  Considered a landmark in new journalism

14. Hogwash: TRIPE.

15. Job inspection org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

16. "Uh, I doubt that": UM, NO...

17. [ Theme }

20. Makes a request: ASKS.

21. "Yo!": HEY.

22. Warm welcomes?: ALOHAS. (I like this clue/answer...)

23. Part of UCLA: LOS.

24. Lacking scruples: AMORAL.

25. Many a social media pic: SELFIE.

A famous example.

29. Action in Uno: DRAW. Not Go Fish?

30. Egg-shaped: OVOID.

31. Tortellini filling option: MEAT. First choice, followed by Cheese, followed by anything you can imagine... A piece of curious trivia: In Italian regional slang, particularly in Bologna, "tortellino" (singular) or "tortellone" (large tortellini) is used to describe a person who is naive, not very bright, or slightly chubby. So if planning to visit Italy, please be very careful in your pronunciation at a restaurant. You don't want to accidentally insult your waiter...

32. Graph paper pattern: GRID.

36. [ Theme ]

39. Flamenco cheers: OLES.

40. Redding of R&B: OTIS. Best known for [sitting on] The Dock of the Bay. But has had so many more hits if you delve deeper.

41. Painter's prop: EASEL.

42. Long, long time: AGES. (I wanted Eons...)

43. Alloy in some decorative plates: PEWTER. Mostly Tin (92%) hardened with Antimony and Copper. 

44. __ Sapphire gin: BOMBAY. I always thought Gin was just flavored Vodka, But it is much, much more...

47. Letters at the end of a proof: QED. AI Overview

Q.E.D. stands for the Latin phrase 

quod erat demonstrandum, meaning "which was to be demonstrated" or "thus it is proven". It is used at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument to indicate that the theorem or proposition has been fully proven.

Doesn't work at Starbucks...

48. Fix for a noisy car: TUNE-UP. Being a DIY Mechanic, I would think of this as one word. However linguistically: 

"Tune-up" is typically written as two words connected by a hyphen (

tune-up) when used as a noun or adjective, or as two separate words (tune up) when used as a verb. 

49. First word of the Lord's Prayer: OUR.

50. DIY tutorial site: EHOW.

54. [ Theme ]

57. "Are you __ out?": IN OR.

58. Liu of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings": SIMU. His full Wiki, he has a long list of appearances. 

59. Broadcaster: AIRER.

60. PlayStation maker: SONY.

61. Word in a vague ultimatum: ELSE.

62. Tied up in knots: TENSE. Guy goes to a shrink, says, "Doc' I can't tell if I am a Teepee, or a Wigwam." Doctor says, " Your two tents... "

Down:
1. Chapati flour: ATTA. Chapati is a simple, unleavened flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, made from whole wheat flour (atta) and water, cooked on a griddle (tawa).

2. Very, in Versailles: TRES. (French)

3. Sty sound: OINK.

4. ICU employees: LPNS. Licensed Practical Nurse.

5. Island ring: LEI. I didn't know there were so many types of Leis.

How to make a Haku Lei.

6. Spa attire: ROBES.

7. "By Jove!": I SAY. Or, "they are real, and they are spectacular!"

8. Org. whose members play at a 6-Across: NHL. National Hockey League.

9. Greek city with a namesake olive: KALAMATA. Cured in Brine, "and Red Wine Vinegar."

Explore the best places in 3 minutes? 4K

10. One of 12 in "12 Angry Men": JUROR.

Why I never get selected for Jury Duty...

11. Nebraska city that's home to the Great Plains Black History Museum: OMAHA. More Here...

12. Yearly record: ANNAL. A.I. Overview...

13. Signs of recognition: NODS. What happens when I read the A.I. Overview above...

18. Manolo Blahnik creation: SHOE.

This Guy.

19. "Let's __ this popsicle stand": BLOW. ("But not without new shoes above.")

23. __ deck: pool's spot on a cruise ship: LIDO. 

But Wait! Where's the Poop Deck? (I have to go!)

24. Many Mecca residents: ARABS.

25. NYC nabe: SOHO. (South Of Houston Street.)

26. Like one twin in a soapy drama, typically: EVIL.

How and Why The Evil Twin was invented...

(Bring a towel...)

27. Shake: LOSE.

28. Trees at a Christmas tree farm: FIRS. As a whole, yes. But there is Douglas, Fraser, Noble, Scotch Pine, and many many more...

Douglas Fir is known to give heartburn...

29. Sub contractors?: DELI'S. (Very cute...)

31. Swabbie pal: MATEY. This is cute too... 

Swabbie at 1st made me think of this guy,

Which had me imagining cotton ear swab imaginary friends,

But it was all just Sailors Jargon...

32. Chew like a beaver: GNAW.

33. Musical pause: REST.

34. Words of comprehension: I SEE.

35. High-end camera, for short: DSLR. Digital Single Lens Reflex.

37. Element of a Sun Salutation: YOGA POSE.

38. Property transfer need: DEED.

42. Border on: ABUT.

43. Cheeky: PERT.

44. Good, in Spanish: BUENO.

45. Pico de gallo ingredient: ONION. Turns out, onion is the only 5 letter ingredient. Unless you count "spice" as an optional ingredient, (Cumin, Black Pepper.) but of course, you would never use just one spice (singular). However, you could go all out, and add fruit! Fruit has 5 letters, (but which fruit...?)

46. In high spirits: MERRY.  Hmm, could you add Gin to Pico de gallo?

47. Waiting line: QUEUE. Hmm, if you tried the above at your next party, would your guest wait in line?

48. Not that: THIS. (Or the other thing...)

49. Units of electrical resistance: OHMS.

50. Ohio border lake: ERIE. 

I always think Ohio is where Illinois is...

51. Noisy car part: HORN. Unless your driving a piece of junk...

52. Column to the left of the decimal point: ONES.

53. "And __ off!": WERE. (This clue/answer is in the wrong place...)

55. Ending at, briefly: TIL. (Til we meet again...)

56. Cap: HAT. Yes, as a Noun, but if used as a verb...

And here's the Grid:

See you in the comments, I'm sure I must have left "something" out.

CE:D 

(•˕ •マ.ᐟ

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Tara Holland

 

Theme:  "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice? ... "

 

Puzzling thoughts:

 

Whom else but the resident "Stooge" should be the reviewer of this raucously, racy, risque rhapsody of rapport?  I can't think of anyone.  And who's fooling who?  Have I (46-across: MOI) ever led you folks down the path of presumptive prevarication?  Pshaw!

 

So, let's have at it!  Who's ready to be played the fool? I'll fill you in while describing the "fill"

 

BTW, kudos to Tara Holland - the puzzle constructor - who's been seen published at the LA Times twice in 2025

Across:
1. Tops (off): CAPS.  As in limits the amount of in a drink/alcoholic beverage? 😕

5. Shopping aids: LISTS. A must for this Stooge when he goes grocery shopping

10. Loops in on the sly: BCCS.  I am not that "sly", nor do I have a family stone

14. Tons: A LOT.  I think I was approached by a realtor who once said: "I have tons for sale in this new housing development ..."

15. Foe: ENEMY.  I don't think you could substitute the word enemy into the folktale when the Giant encounters Jack at the beanstalk: "Fee, Fi, [enemy]... I smell the blood of an Englishman"

16. "Excuse me ... ": AHEM.  Pardon my interruption 

17. "That's the last time!": NEVER AGAIN.  But what about the first time? 

19. __ monster: GILA.  The "G" is pronounced like an "H"

20. Standard: NORM.  Or, how about cluing it as a bar "fixture" at Cheers!?

21. Bright: CLEVER.  Witty, perhaps; I don't think of "bright" with being clever

23. The Proclaimers hit subtitled "500 Miles": I'M GONNA BE.  Never heard of this tune before

28. Watchful: ALERT.  3 cups of coffee in the morning makes Moe alert

29. D.C. figure: POL.  I tried SEN first, but to no avail

30. Yardstick, e.g.: RULER.  My ruler only went 12" in length, but I always was the shortest person in my class

32. Top no. in a blood pressure reading: SYS.  Short for SYStolic Pressure - which measures the force in your arteries when your heart beats

33. Baby's bodysuit: ONE-SIE. I hear that the designers of these began making two-sies for parents who had twins

37. Some high-end insulated mugs: YETIS.  A brand name for a drinking vessel, but literally, wouldn't a Yeti in the wild also have an insulated "mug"?  See the "hairy expression" insulating this beast's mug:

39. Is apathetic: DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT.  This reminded me of an old ad, featuring an owl that promoted good citizenship and environmental responsibility when he said: "Give a hoot; don't pollute!"

44. __ squash: ACORN.  Hand's up from anyone who's been reading this blog so far, and thinks that Moe is just completely "nutty" today??

45. Balanced: STEADY. Getting more and more difficult for me as I progress through my seventies

46. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: MOI.  Already used in my intro

49. "West Side Story" role for Rita and Ariana: ANITA.  Actors Moreno and Grande played the role of Anita in the movie adaptation (original and remake).  I thought MARIA was the role, but I was incorrect.  According to a source I found on the Internet: "Anita's the girlfriend of Maria's older brother, Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican street gang at war with the Jets. The Jets are the white gang that was co-founded by Tony, Maria's love interest and the Romeo figure. Anita is Maria's friend and confidante, like an older sister to her"

51. With it, once: HEP. Hmm ... no Moe-ku's so far?  Ok, let's try this one - if no one else gets it I know that my fellow blogger Splynter will:

        Old-time hockey star

        Will suss out the cool dudes, by

        Giving (them) a HEP check 

52. Bank nos.: ACCTS.  My checking account number and SSN are the same: 123 45 6789

54. "Should've listened to me!": TOLD YOU SO.  This could've been clued as the title of a Randy Travis hit song: "(I) Told You So"

58. Markets: STORES.  See 5-across for what I bring to markets/stores.  BTW, do you call the facility where you buy food items a supermarket or a grocery store?

60. One of many, in a string of pearls: BEAD.  Don't let this one fool you

61. "Song of Solomon" novelist Morrison: TONI. She shows up a lot in crossword puzzles

62. [reveal] - save for later

68. Many a four-hour film: EPIC.  I can barely stay alert for a two-hour movie

69. Actor Davis - known for "A League of Their Own": GEENA.  Don't let this one fool you

70. Japanese wheat noodle: UDON. Or this one

71. [reveal] - save for later

72. Go-between: ENVOY. Or this one

73. [reveal] - save for later

Down:
1. Country with the world's largest moose population: Abbr.: CAN.  CSO to CanadianEh! Can you attest that there are more moose in CANada than anywhere else in the world?  Have you any moose encounters you care to share with us?

2. Craft brewer's brew: ALE.  Let me tap into this one ...

3. Perspective, for short: POV.  Point Of View

4. Courtroom fig.: STENO.  Makes me think back to the old TV courtroom show, Perry Mason

5. Take in, in a way: LEARN.  This clue/answer made me rethink my response to 21-across (CLEVER).  I wonder if anyone else saw that a four-letter word for "take in" is in the word "learn"

6. Director Bergman: INGMAR.  Note:  The clue read "Director" Bergman, not Actor Bergman.  Did anyone try to sneak Ingrid into the "grid"?  Fun Fact:  Ingmar Bergman is not related to the actor, Ingrid Bergman, but he did marry a woman named Ingrid ...

 

7. Body of water: SEA.  

8. "That's enough!" letters: TMI. Too Much Information

9. Lip-__: SYNC.  Here is a video that you might want to lip-sync the lyrics to

10. Bread traditionally boiled then baked: BAGEL.  My favorite bagel is an onion one, toasted, and then adorned with some smoked salmon and a schmeer of cream cheese - capers, too, if available 

11. Scallion relatives: CHIVES.  Who else thought ONIONS fit here?

12. The "log" in the snack ants on a log: CELERY.

 

13. Really stings: SMARTS.  As someone who has been stung by a baby scorpion I can attest that this REALLY, REALLY smarts

18. Actor Perlman: RON. I knew that Rhea could not be the answer as it had one too many letters in the name.  Fun fact:  Are Ron and Rhea Perlman related? "No, Rhea Perlman and Ron Perlman are not related. Despite sharing a last name, they are two separate actors with no family connection. Rhea Perlman is known for her role in Cheers and for being married to Danny DeVito, while Ron Perlman is known for Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy" [random Internet source provided by AI]

22. Ring in a rodeo ring: LARIAT. 

23. Apple gadget: IPOD.  Is an iPod really a "gadget"?

24. Part of MSG: MONO. Want to learn more about MonoSodium Glutamate? Click here

25. Merriment: GLEE.  Chorus groups were originally called "Merriment Clubs" but someone shortened the name to Glee Club

26. Accept the truth of: BUY INTO. Heh, heh, heh ... 😈<== impish Moe.  Are you buying into my blog, so far?

27. Mtn. stat: ELEV.  Moe-ku:

 

        French student mountain

        Climber enjoys wordplay: They're

        [an] Elev Élevé

31. Summers in France: ETES. Speaking of French ... 

34. Govt. ID issuer: SSA.  Again, mine is 123-45-6789.  Feel free to use it

35. To be safe: IN CASE. But, just in case that SSN does NOT work please don't try it again .. 😀

36. __ mess: classic English dessert: ETON.  New clue for me.  This concoction:

38. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: SHE.  Clecho - see 46-across

40. Moxie: GRIT.  

41. Island known as "The Gathering Place": OʻAHU.  It's also a place where lucky tourists get lei'd

42. Words of appreciation: ODES. This is almost a Friday-like clue

43. Form instead of from, e.g.: TYPO. The autocorrect feature on my technology devices gets a lot of work

46. Ibsen's "The __ Builder": MASTER.  Moe-ku:

        Renowned fisherman

        Taught course on lures and hooks: He's

        A MASTER baiter

47. Cuttlefish cousins: OCTOPI.  With so many arms, why aren't they called a "cuddle" fish? 😏

48. Legendary: ICONIC.  When something is iconic, what comes to mind for you?  

 

50. An all-white animal with pink eyes, maybe?: ALBINO.  Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

55. Airport flight condition: DELAY.  Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

56. Initialism of Young Adult Fiction: YAF. Or this one

57. "Smell" in Scotland: ODOUR. Or this one

59. Herb or spiritual mentor: SAGE. Did this one fool you?

63. What only the most capable crossword puzzle solvers use: PEN. Surely you jest, Moe! "No, I don't, and please don't call me Shirley" <== Famous quote in the movie "Airplane"

64. Part of RPM: REV. I am so confused, Moe ... WTF is going on???

65. Dashboard image that is located between the Tach and the MPH dials: ODO. Is this just some kind of green paint??

66. A fitting text message that Moe sent to his alter ego while blogging this puzzle: LOL!

67. A TV show that would probably have classic 62-across skits: SNL

62 - across. What Chairman Moe did to his audience today: APRIL FOOLS!

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across.  See 71-Across: ROLL.

WHAT?  This grid didn't appear in your newspaper or AcrossLite / online edition??? 

Ok, Moe.  You had your fun with us.  Ha! Ha!  Can you please give us the REAL version and explanation?

Well, since you asked politely, here goes.  First, the real clues/fill that Tara used, and that I substituted for to make an alternate puzzle:

60-across. Like a turkey burger: LEAN.  My burgers have an 80% LEAN / 20% FAT ratio.  Turkeys are a holiday meat - for me, anyway

62-across. Began to relax: LOOSENED UP.  Moe-ku:

 

        Camper told his shrink

        He dreamt of tepee and yurt.

        Guess he's just two tents 

 

69-across. Made a 43-Down, say: ERRED.

 

70-across. Pre-migraine experience, for some: AURA. 

 

72-across.  Financial obligations: DEBTS. 

 

50-down. "Ready?": ALL SET. 

 

55-down. Monopoly cards: DEEDS. 

 

56-down.  Celebrity chef Martin: YAN.

 

57-down.  Like some headphones: ON EAR. The only kind that Moe will wear

59-down. Vehicle often steered with the feet: SLED.  LUGE fits, too

63-down. Underground rock: ORE.  I hear a good place to find ore is in ORE.

 

64-down. Round figure?: ORB. 

65- down. Twosome: DUO. 

 

66-down. Clickable link: URL.  Part of today's prank

 

67-down. Bestie: PAL.  BFF was tried and failed

 

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across.  See 71-Across: ROLL.

What in the heck is going on here???

 

When you tried to click on all of the hyperlinks I used in my recap today, you were rickrolled.  As [Merriam-Webster] defines: 

"Rickrolled" (or rickroll) is an internet slang verb and prank where a user is tricked into clicking a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit song, "

Never Gonna Give You Up". It is a bait-and-switch tactic designed to annoy or humorously surprise the viewer

 

The five longest answers in the puzzle progressively "pull"/spell out the title in this song:  

 

NEVER AGAIN 

I'M GONNA BE

DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT

TOLD YOU SO 

LOOSENED UP   

 

And that's about as simple a way as I can explain it!

 

I highlighted below the left-to-right progression of the key words to the Rick Astley tune you heard today, ad nauseam, provided you clicked on the links. This  puzzle was a real "hoot".  The words used were all in-the-language and well-clued. The reveal was at first unknown to me, but when I googled the phrase "rickroll" it all made sense

 

Kudos again to Tara Holland for providing this blogger with his most favorite puzzle to date! This was truly amazing - I hope you all enjoyed both the real and the April Fools puzzles today

 

Here is the REAL grid!   

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Mat Holmes

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle by Mat Holmes.  Mat has had puzzles published previously in other venues (The Atlantic, Universal, Defector) but I believe that this is his LAT debut.  Congratulations, Mat and welcome to the asylum (er, community).

This morning's puzzle offering is perfect for those of you who are always looking for new ways to get your kicks.  Now, despite the "spoiler" above, you might be thinking something along the lines of:

Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks

Or, perhaps:

Asleep At The Wheel - Route 66

Or, perhaps, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes or even a couple of Nissan automobiles.

But, no.  KICKS here is used in the slang connotation of athletic shoes (Silver Kicks?).  Perhaps not as much fun as any/all of the above but it works very well for the puzzle.  Let's start with the unifier:

59 Across:  Trusted companions, or what the sets of circled letters in this puzzle literally are: SIDEKICKS.  

At five places in the grid Mat has place brand names for sneakers/tennis shoes/athletic shoes.  These are referred to as KICKS in contemporary slang and each name abuts a side of the puzzles.  Get it?  Side kicks.  To help us out, or to irk those who profoundly dislike them, circles have been utilized to help us see what is fairly obvious once the theme is grokked. . . if one is familiar with the brand names involved.

Here are the places where the gimmick is employed (deployed?):

16 Across:  Mark Twain lad who falls in love with Becky Thatcher: TOM SAWYER.

22 Across:  Exclamation in "Tommy Boy": HOLY SCHNIKES.  This solver was not familiar with this exclamation.  "Tommy Boy" is a 1995 buddy flick starring Chris Farley and David Spade.

32 Across: Some family vehicles: MINIVANS.

40. Wonder Woman publisher: DC COMICS.

47 Across:  Talk to: CONVERSE WITH.  When this solver was in Junior High School, CONVERSE All Stars were the cool (neat, bitchen) shoe to have.

This is how everything lays out in the grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Opera star Nellie with a peach dessert named for her: MELBA.  Nellie MELBA (Helen Porter Mitchell) took the pseudonym Melba from her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

6. Commercial flop: DUD.  Edsel was too long.  So was BOMB.

9. Outer layer: RIND.  As on a watermelon.

13. Celestial hunter: ORION.  The constellation.

14. Squeeze bunt result: RBI.  A baseball reference.  Run Batted In

15. "Same here": ME TOO.  We all got this one.

18. English derby town: EPSOM.  Those of you who watched Rocky & Bullwinkle might remember this:

19. U.K.-based global bank: HSBC.  All You Might Wish To Know

20. __ Lingus: AER.

21. Seat of power: THRONE.  Both figuratively and literally.  Also slang for toilet.

25. Big name in BoSox history: YAZ.  

28. Chance to stand for a spell?: BEE.   Spelling BEE.

29. Keep out of sight: HIDE.  If you HIDE well enough then folks will find neither hide nor hair of you.

30. Cover story: ALIBI.  Not as in the cover story of, say, Time Magazine.  A CYA story.

36. "The Biggest Little City in the World": RENO.  Self-proclaimed.

37. Umami, for one: TASTE.

39. Furry Endor denizen: EWOK.  A Star Wars reference.  Specifically a reference to the fictional planet Endor.  EWOKs aren't meant to be left outside......they're Endor pets.

42. Japanese beer brand: ASAHI. KIRIN would also have fit the allotted space.  Sapporo was too long.

43. Topple (over): KEEL.  The phrase "KEEL over" originates from nautical terminology, referring to a ship capsizing or rolling so far on its side that its keel is visible.

44. Ocean Potion no.: SPF.  Number is abbreviated as no. in the clue, so . . .   A Sunscreen reference with a rhyming clue.  Do we have a motion to salute that notion?

46. __ Kippur: YOM.  The Day of Atonement.  All You Might Want to Know

52. Chances for a hit: AT BATS.  Another baseball reference.

53. Actor Kingsley: BEN.  Actor #1

54. Facility: EASE.  In 1953, Tom Lehrer used the word FACILITY in a similar context in the lyrics of this song:

58. "If __ Street Could Talk": film based on a James Baldwin novel: BEALE.

61. Pianist Schnabel: ARTUR.  All You Might Want To Know

62. Scrape (out): EKE.

63. Elba of "Cats": IDRIS.  A frequent visitor.  Actor #2

64. In real time: LIVE.

65. Meditative discipline: ZEN.  What did the ZEN master say to the hot dog vendor?  Make me one with everything.

66. Connect with: TIE TO.

Down:

1. Grown-up silkworm: MOTH.

2. Greek Cupid: EROS.

3. Life partner?: LIMB.  Not your soulmate.  As in the expression:

4. KitchenAid alternative: BOSCH.  Maybe not the first name to come to mind.  Amana and Miele would both have fit the space.

5. "Blonde" star de Armas: ANA.  Actor #3

6. Visine target: DRY EYE.

7. Rides with surge pricing: UBERS. 

8. S, SW, or SSW: DIR.  DIRection

9. Temporary stays: REPRIEVES.

10. Gentle reply to an apology: ITS OK.  Several not-so-gentle replies come to mind.

11. Terrible turnout: NO ONE.  The turnout cannot get much more terrible than this.

12. Geodesic structures: DOMES.

Buckminster Fuller

15. Body art that uses henna: MEHNDI.  New to this solver.  Thankserps.

17. Corduroy rib: WALE.

21. Yours, once: THINE.  This above all....

23. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.  Another "Star Wars" reference

24. Debit slip: CHIT. 

25. Football unit: YARD.  An American Football reference.

26. Sir __ Guinness: ALEC.  Actor #4

27. Nutrient in oysters: ZINC.  The crossing YAZ helped.  If y0u did not know that one then perhaps you tried IRON?

31. Car seller's concern: BOOK VALUE.

32. Ed.'s stack: MSS.  Abbreviation for ManuScriptS

33. Not home: AWAY.

34. Nabe in L.A. and NYC: NOHO.  Nabe = neighborhood.  Abbreviated clue.  Abbreviated answer.  NOrth of HOuston Street in New York City.  NOrth HOllywood in Los Angeles.

35. Take a little off the top: SKIM.  Not a haircut reference (TRIM).  A monetary (or milk) reference.

37. Ranking groups: TIERS.  There can't be a TIER list for knots because they would all be tied.

38. Knee parts commonly viewed with MRIs: ACLS.  Abbreviated clue . . .   Plural clue . . .

41. Limo driver in the airport, e.g.: MEETER.  Cute.  Someone who meets someone at the airport.  For some reason, MEETER made me think of greeter which led me to think of this Tim Hawkins song:

42. Astern: AFT.  A nautical reference.

44. Norway neighbor: SWEDEN.  It had to be either SWEDEN, Finland or Russia.

45. Evergreen tree: PINE.

47. Plotting group: CABAL.  What do you call a secret CABAL of strippers who surreptitiously control the adult entertainment industry?  The Illumi-naughty.

48. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI.  Five letters, three of which are vowels.  A constructor's friend.  Actor #5

49. Channel for hoops fans: NBA TV.   Hoops being a slang term for the game of basketball.

50. Motorized ride: E-BIKE.

51. Supermodel Klum: HEIDI.  Actor #6

55. Farm unit: ACRE.  1 ACRE of land for sale, no house.  That’s a lot.

56. Funny sketch: SKIT.

57. Canadian gas brand: ESSO.  Derived from the initials of Standard Oil.  S O 

59. "__ who?": SEZ.  Oh yeah?

60. Footballer's uniform: KIT.  In the soccer world (or football as most of the world outside the USA calls soccer) KIT means the uniform that they players wear.  So, the answer to this clue is "by definition" once one figures out the global nature of the clue.

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  As it is a Wednesday, and not a Tuesday or a Thursday, I can take a day off from this:

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MM Out