Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Matthew Stock

Theme:  You can't have one without the other.  Sometimes things just go together, as we shall soon see.  Or, if you got the circles, might be seeing already.  The near-by ends of the two words in each theme fill feature the same letter.

16. Marine animal that resembles a flower: SEA ANEMONE.  These are are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colorful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. You can read more about it here.

23. Branch of mathematics focused on collections: SET THEORY.   Set theory is the branch of mathematical logic that studies sets, which can be informally described as collections of objects. Although objects of any kind can be collected into a set, set theory — as a branch of mathematics — is mostly concerned with those that are relevant to mathematics as a whole.  I just barely squeaked through calculus, so that's all I've got.  If you want more you can start here. 

37. Chance to get together and take shots?: PHOTO OP.  This is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician, a celebrity, or an event.

48. Genre for 1980s hair bands: GLAM METAL.   A subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock ---  performed by male musicians who wore flamboyant and feminine clothing, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter, and female musicians who wore masculine clothing.

59. Kittens who should be adopted together, or what can be found in this puzzle's circles: BONDED PAIR.   Two cats that have a special relationship and the adoption center wants to place them in a home together.  There are also bonded pair dogs.   Separation would be traumatic for them.

Our BONDED PAIRS are the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word in each theme entry, as indicated by the circles.  This theme has an original concept, and a clever use of the unifier.

Hi gang, JzB here. Theoretically, I guess all the fill in this puzzle would constitute a set.  With no further theorizing, let's check it out.  

LATE EDIT Just before pushing the Publish button I noticed that the paired letters in sequence are A, T, O, and M, spelling ATOM.  So what we have in our bonded pairs are 2 ATOMS.  This makes it a chemical bond, and raises it to a whole new level of clever elegance. The long obsolete chemist in me heartily approves.   Very impressive! 

Across:

1. Retail club similar to Costco: SAM'S.   An American chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores owned and operated by Walmart Inc.

5. Coin flip call: HEADS.  This refers to the front side, or obverse surface, of a coin.  The other side is the reverse or tails.

10. Pine family tree: FIR.    Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to Cedrus (cedar). The genus name is derived from the Latin "to rise" in reference to the height of its species. The common English name originates with the Old Norse, fyri, or the Old Danish, fyr.

13. Sitting on: ATOP.  On top of.

14. Arm joint: ELBOW.  The joint  where your humerus (your upper arm bone) meets your radius and ulna (the two bones in your forearm). It joins your upper arm to your forearm. Your elbow also contains cartilage, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Your elbow moves in two main directions.    There is no truth to the rumor that it is named after a macaroni noodle.

15. Singer and civil rights activist Horne: LENA.  Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (1917 – 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving on to Hollywood and Broadway.  A groundbreaking African-American performer, Horne advocated for civil rights and took part in the March on Washington in August 1963.

18. Possesses: OWNS.   Has and holds as property.

19. Open-toed shoe: SANDAL.  A low-cut shoe that fastens by an ankle strap

20. Payable now: DUE.   Expected at or planned for at a certain time.

21. Dance Dance Revolution move: STEP.   A single element of a dance.

22. Term of address that elides a letter: MA'AM.  Shart for madam.

25. Creature in Sherpa folklore: YETI.   An ape-like creature purported to inhabit the Himalayan mountain range in Asia. In Western popular culture, the creature is commonly referred to as the Abominable Snowman. 

27. Virtuous one: SAINT.  A person of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization. Less formally, a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.

28. Contributes: ADDS.  Puts in.

31. "Kapow!": BLAM.  Catroon sound efects for explosions.

34. Guinness, for one: STOUT.   A dark beer that is generally warm fermented.

36. "You stink, ref!": BOO.   Common expression of disdain.

39. Slam Dunk Contest org.: NBA.  National Basketball Assocoation.

40. Pixy Stix contents: SUGAR.  Pixy Stix are sweet and sour colored powdered candy usually packaged in a wrapper that resembles a drinking straw.  Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. 

42. Episodic drama: SAGA.  The word saga has its origins in the Middle Ages. In those days, a saga was an historical tale of the first families who lived in Norway or Iceland. Today the word is used to describe a very complicated or detailed series of events. 

43. "Come on now": JEEZ.  An expression of surprise, disappointment or disdain.

44. Underneath: BELOW.  Located under or lower than something else.

46. Minor in astronomy?: URSA.  The little bear, also known as the little dipper constellation.

51. Parts of plays: ACTS.   An act is a major division of a theatre work, including a play, film, opera, ballet, or musical theatre, consisting of one or more scenes.

54. Mother of Apollo and Artemis: LETO.   Leto is a Titan and the mother of the gods Apollo and Artemis in classical Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, and her main legends take place on Delos and Delphi. Leto is known as the goddess of fertility and motherhood, and is also known as Kourotrophos, which means "Rearer of Youths". Leto's story includes being pregnant by Zeus, seeking refuge on Delos to give birth, and suffering misfortunes due to her relationship with Zeus. 

55. Thanksgiving, e.g.: Abbr.: THU.   Thursday

56. "I'm one of them too!": LIKE ME.  having something in common.

58. Lends a helping hand: AIDS.   Assists.

61. Catch sight of: SPOT.  Eye, espey, obsrve.

62. __ Martin: British car: ASTON.   Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC  is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.

63. Norway's capital: OSLO.   the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 709,037 in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022.   During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. The city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around the year 1300. 

64. Go limp: SAG.   Droop.

65. Naps, say: RESTS.   Ceases work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.

66. Simple tops: TEES.  A short-sleeved casual top, generally made of cotton, having the shape of a T when spread out flat.

Down:

1. Back talk: SASS.   Impudence; cheek.

2. Starting five, e.g.: A TEAM.   A group consisting of the best members of a larger group; an elite group.

3. Disney heroine who sings "How Far I'll Go": MOANA.   An adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds.

4. Some self-care opportunities: SPA DAYS.   A day spent on a visit to a spa, which is a place that offers relaxation, luxury, and beauty treatments. 

5. Element of high fashion?: HEEL.   High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels or pumps, are a type of shoe with an upward-angled sole. The heel in such shoes is raised above the ball of the foot. High heels cause the legs to appear longer, make the wearer appear taller, and accentuate the calf muscle.

6. __ City: New Haven nickname: ELM.   New Haven had the first public tree planting program in the U.S., producing a canopy of mature trees (including some large elms) that gave the city the nickname "The Elm City".

7. Place to call home: ABODE.   The place where one lives.

8. Breakfast-on-the-run choice: DONUT.   a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough.   The two most common types are the ring doughnut and the filled doughnut, which is injected with fruit preserves, cream, custard, or other sweet fillings.

9. Candy: SWEETS.    A confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. 

10. Maybe not any at all: FEW TO NONE.   A description of rarity or very long odds.

11. Float in some water rides: INNER TUBE.   An inflatable torus that forms the interior of some pneumatic tires. The tube is inflated with a valve stem, and fits inside of the casing of the tire. The inflated inner tube provides structural support and suspension, while the outer tire provides grip and protects the more fragile tube.

12. Coarse-sounding: RASPY.    Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound.   I can relate since as I write this, my voice is in the 2nd sub-basement.

15. Succumb to one's emotions: LOSE IT.  A temporary inability to control one's emotions, typically in response to anger, fear or sorrow. 

17. Title: NAME.   These words are synonymous when applied to written works or musical compositions, but not when applied to people.

23. Farm fixtures: SILOS.    Structures for storing bulk materials.   Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used to store grains. The typical structure is a right circular cylander.

24. Padlock holder: HASP.   A clasp for a door, lid, etc., especially one passing over a staple and fastened by a pin or a padlock.

26. "Candidly," in texting: TBH.   To Be Honest.

28. Muscles stretched in cobra pose: ABS.   Abdominals.

29. High-ABV hoppy beer: DOUBLE IPA.    A  type of IPA that contains more hops and malt than a regular IPA:

30. Extremely competitive: DOG EAT DOG.   Used to refer to a situation of fierce competition in which people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed.

32. __ snail's pace: AT A. Making distressigly slow progress

33. Bigwig: MOGUL.  An important or powerful person, especially in the motion picture or media industry.

35. Toon devil: TAZ.  This guy.

37. Gathering for senior partners?: PROM.  I guess this is referring to a formal high school dance party, attended by seniors and their dates.

38. Source of water power?: OAR.  For powering a canoe.

41. "So close": ALMOST.   Missed it by that much.

43. "Bingo!": JACKPOT.  The big winner.

45. Mixologist's amenity: WET BAR.   A small bar used for mixing and serving alcoholic beverages that includes a sink with running water, as opposed to a "dry bar" that does not include a sink.

47. Uttered: SAID.  Spoken.

48. Pane piece: GLASS.  A portion of a window.

49. This and that: THOSE.  More than one thing.

50. Some godmothers: AUNTS.   Moms' sisters.

52. Needle: TEASE.   Make fun of or attempt to provoke someone in a playful or pseudo-playful way.

53. Happy face: SMILE.  An facial expression denoting pleasure.

56. Binoculars part: LENS.   An optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. 

57. God with a bow and arrow: EROS.  Eros was the Greek god of carnal love.  Eros was the assistant, and according to some the son, of Aprhodite, the goddess of love and fertility. He made people fall in love by shooting an arrow into their heart.

60. Pointillism bit: DOT.  Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.  Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term "Pointillism" was coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works of these artists, but is now used without its earlier pejorative connotation.

Now it's time to set this puzzle aside.  Hope you enjoyed the solve.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024, Rebecca Goldstein

 HURDLES

Today's construction makes two Rebecca puzzles in a row for me, AND the second in a row that's 16 x 15.  Plus the fourth grid of hers that I have blogged since I started guest blogging last year.  Two spanners and two 10-letter theme answers.  IMHO there was some meh fill, but that may be due to the fact that I am getting "older" and not keeping up with the world as it races past me.  The theme clues/answers: 

17. Undercover undertaking: STEALTH OPERATION

36. Winter getaway deal: SKI PACKAGE

43. Meet, Maps, and Drive, e.g.: GOOGLE APPS

62. Bend over backward, or what each set of circled letters is: JUMP THROUGH HOOPS - three synonyms for "jump", which 'bound' from one word to another, while being "circled" by a hoop.

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Pleads: BEGS

5. Clear as day: LUCID - eh, I like this better when referring to dreams

10. Brunch side: HASH

14. "Lunch __ a Skyscraper": iconic New York photograph: ATOP - I did not know it was a publicity stunt; the Wiki

Totally Photoshopped

15. Trip to see Africa's "Big Five": SAFARI - I did not know there was a "set" that should be on one's African safari bucket list; they are listed here on this site

16. Capital city with public transit ferries: OSLO - this strikes me as being "Ektorp", but there's "Norway" it's going to be Swedish 😜

20. Owns: HAS

21. __ Lingus: AER - Crossword staple

22. As of now: TO DATE

23. Toy that may get stuck in a tree: KITE - ah.  Not "POM"

C'mon, that's funny~!

25. Sweater pattern: ARGYLE - a shout-out to our dear departed Santa

28. Fully __ nachos: LOADED

30. Apt rhyme for tear: WEAR - "wear & tear"; took me a minute

31. Lovers' quarrel: SPAT - and - 50A. Tizzies: ADOs

35. Garden shelter: ARBOR - my maiden excursion on my new tractor did not go so well; trashed my garage door track, twice, trying to get it out; knocked myself silly when the folding roll bar folded on my head, then when I was out mowing, first the roll bar snapped a branch off my pine tree and then....

38. "Wild" card game: UNO

39. 4-Down sigh: AHH....

41. Country north of Kenya: Abbr.: ETHiopia

42. Unlikely to reprimand: LAX - not the airport this time

47. "Don't cry for me" singer: EVITA

49. Web content std.: HTML - oops, I tried HTTP

51. Soaks in a salt solution: BRINES - meh.  Don't care for the 'verb'; salt solutions...better

52. "Even still ... ": AND YET. . .

54. "So I __": "LIED" - OK, "So I LIED" - that's not really my tractor 😁

55. Infinitesimally small: ATOMIC

58. Things put in to power?: AAs - bitty batteries

59. Wheelbarrow groove: RUT - yeah. meh.

67. Novelist Rice: ANNE

68. Vehicles with pedal assist: eBIKES - I have such a short drive to work, I considered buying one of these for the exercise and to save on gas

69. All over the place: AMOK

70. Fridge incursion: RAID

71. Folder contents: FILES

72. Top diving scores: TENS


DOWN:

1. Swinging soiree: BASH

2. Gospel icon James: ETTA

3. Makes a big noise: GOES KABOOM - remember this game~?

4. Relaxation station: SPA

5. Judy Garland co-star Bert: LAHR - you won't find this lion in Africa

Wow - he even signed it to my given name~!

6. Mysterious sight in the sky: UFO - I wondered if this would be the 21st century "UAP" answer

7. Tube top?: CAP - ah, toothpaste, e.g.

8. Intense anger: IRE

9. "Traitor!": DIRTY RAT

10. Choose a spot in an open office: HOT DESK - never heard of this; I have been booted from several desks (workbenches, actually) at my job because I fill two roles - I am a pipe organ technician, but also the next CAD pipe organ design guy; since I painted the CAD office, my co-workers seem to think that my other work space has been 'conceded' .  Sigh.

11. Most populous continent: ASIA - Antarctica comes in a close second. . . .

12. Gumball machine opening: SLOT - meh.  There's a coin "slot", but the opening is sort of like a hinged gate, if you ask me

13. Make sharp: HONE

15. Camel in a caravan, maybe: STEED - yeah, I suppose.  I happen to like camels - I want a stuffed one to add to my Webkins collection; I have two dinosaurs and a dragon; used to play on the computer with my once-step-daughter

and it's HUMP DAY~!

18. Like some job moves: LATERAL - I would have thought splitting my time between two "offices" at work would be considered "lateral".  Bzzzt. 

19. Early web portal: AOL

24. Eager reply to "Who wants this cookie?": "I DO~!" - I was expecting "ME~! ME~!"

25. Uncomfy, casually: AWKward

26. Hiking gear rental co.: REI- Crossword staple

27. Stops and stares: GAPES

Oh, sorry, I got distracted. . . .a lucid dream about a HOT DESK~?

28. Guffaw: LAUGH

29. "I take it back": "OR NOT. . ."

32. Race car or kayak: PALINDROME - the same spelling, forwards and backwards

33. Banded gemstone: AGATE

34. Home state of Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion: TEXAS - did not know this, nor would I care.  I guess I AM getting old(er).  Filled via perps.

36. Suspicious: SHADY - I'd link Slim Shady, but the lyrics....

You've Been Warned. . . .

37. Think of fondly: CHERISH

40. Captain cook?: HEAD CHEF - har-har

44. Rented a yurt, maybe: GLAMPED - High living while "roughing it"

45. "The Bells" poet: POE - also did not know this; filled via perps

46. Hollywood hrs.: PST

48. Strive (for): VIE

51. Slight depression, with "the": BLAHS - not the BLUES, but 60% correct

53. Tiny issue: NIT

55. Cracked just a bit: AJAR

56. Mackerel relative: TUNA

57. Potent prefix: OMNI

58. Life times?: AGES

60. Wish __ a star: UPON

61. Tuts: TSKs

63. Squeeze play stat: RBI

64. Menorah liquid: OIL

65. "Aloha 'Oe" instrument, briefly: UKE

66. Granola grain: OAT - four in a row, letters three, that's all you're gonna get from me~!

Splynter

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Rena Cohen

 Theme:  It all works out in the end, if you have the right beginning. Is that too enigmatic?  All will become clear, I hope.  Lets have a look at the theme fill, and hope for a silver lining.

20. Broadway contender's number: AUDITION SONG.   A short performance to test the talents of a musician, singer, dancer, or actor.

31. Item that may spruce up empty floor space: ACCENT RUG.   A small rug that can be placed in areas where larger rugs wouldn't fit. They're generally 4'x6′ or smaller. 

38. Check for immunity: ANTIBODY TESTING.   Antibody tests (serology tests) look for antibodies in your blood. Antibodies are proteins your immune system makes to fight infection. These tests help your provider confirm a diagnosis of a wide range of diseases, disorders and infections, 

45. Last part of a relay: ANCHOR LEG.    The final position in a relay race. Typically, the anchor leg of a relay is given to the fastest or most experienced competitor on a team. The athlete completing the anchor leg of a relay is responsible for making up ground on the race-leader or preserving the lead already secured by their teammates.

56. Positive spin on a bad situation, or a feature of 20-, 31-, 38-, and 45-Across: SILVER LINING.  An advantage that comes from a difficult or unpleasant situation: When things look black, there's always a silver lining.

The only thing I can find in common among these theme fill is the first and last letters of each entry.  These are AG, the chemical symbol for the precious metal SILVER.   This symbol derives from the Latin argentum and Sanskrit argunas from "bright."   So, between these letters, the rest of the fill becomes the lining.  To pick a nit, the lining should be on the inside, while the AG is on the outside, and this did throw me off for a while.  But, I guess, you can't have everything. 

Here's today's theme song.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to lead this mining expedition.  Let's see what other precious items we can find.

Across

1. __ Romeo: motorsport brand: ALFA.   Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe. It was founded on 24 June 1910 in Milan, Italy, as A.L.F.A., an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. The brand is known for sport-oriented vehicles and has been involved in car racing since 1911

5. Soccer goal material: MESH.  Material made from a network of wire or thread.

9. Congressional hearings airer: C-SPAN.  The  Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network.   C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates.  It televises proceedings of the United States federal government and other public affairs programming.

14. Momentarily: SOON.  A short period of time.  

15. Hybrid or coupe: AUTO.   Types of motortcars.

16. In the know: AWARE.   Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.

17. App store image: ICON.   A symbol or graphic representation on a screen of a program, option, or window, especially one of several for selection.

18. 47-Down woman: FRAU.  The German word for woman.

19. Gave an identity: NAMED.  As defined.

23. Presidential advisory gp.: NSC.  National Security Council.  The President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his or her senior advisors and cabinet officials.  N.B. the abbrv in clue and ans,

24. Dachshund's bark: YAP.  A high pitched canine utterance.

25. U2 collaborator Brian: ENO.  Brian Peter George Eno [b. 1948] also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambient music and electronica, and for producing, recording, and writing works in rock and pop music. 

26. Roman time unit: ORA.  An hour, mis-splt.  S/b HORA.

29. Amoxicillin target: STREP.  Short for streptococcus, a bacterium of a genus that includes the agents of souring of milk and dental decay, and hemolytic pathogens causing various infections such as scarlet fever and pneumonia..

34. Caesar's final day: IDES.  He was murdered on the IDES of March.  The IDES was a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.

36. __ Vegas: LAS.  A municipality in Nevada, aka Sin City.  It is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States.

37. Prefix with -syncrasy: IDIO-.  An idiosyncracy is a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.

42. "Not so fast": WAIT.   Hold on a sec.

43. Rust color: RED.  A color at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet, as of blood, fire, or rubies.

44. Filmmaker Ethan or Joel: COEN.    An American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. 

48. Netflix genre: DRAMA.   A written work that tells a story through action and speech and is meant to be acted on a stage

51. "__ queen!": YAS.   A term you say in response to someone fabulous. It's the equivalent of saying, “fierce,” “YES” or “you do you!” You're practically celebrating someone for what they're doing, how they look, or for what they've said.

52. Luau garland: LEI.  A garland or wreath common in Hawaii, across Polynesia, and the Philippines. 

53. Teamwork impediment: EGO.   The part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.  If not controlled, it can lead to an elevated sense of self-importance.

55. Woodsman material, in Oz: TIN.  Tin is a chemical element; it has the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort.

59. Course for a class pres., maybe: AP GOV.  Advanced Placement is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students.  In a Government course, students learn about the structure of government and how it shares power at the local, state and federal levels. 

62. "Sesame Street" toddler: ELMO.

63. Ice cream parlor option: CONE.   An ice cream cone or poke is a brittle, cone-shaped pastry, usually made of a wafer similar in texture to a waffle, made so ice cream can be carried and eaten without a bowl or spoon.  

64. __ dog: CHILI.    A hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. 

65. Coastal inlets: RIAS.   A ria is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea.

66. Indigo shrub: ANIL.   Indigofera suffruticosa, commonly known as Guatemalan indigo, small-leaved indigo (Sierra Leone), West Indian indigo, wild indigo, and anil, is a flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae.   Anil is native to the subtropical and tropical Americas, including the Southern United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as northern Argentina. This species has been widely introduced to other parts of the world and today has a pantropical distribution.

67. -Ish: KINDA.   A suffix indicating near similarity.

68. Longings: YENS.  Strong feelings of wanting or wishing for something.  I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the yen to travel.  [This is literally true.  Our oldest granddaughter, Amanda, is dancing at Tokyo Disney.  We considered gong to see her perform, but decided the 14 hour plane trip was more than we could endure.]

69. On a ferry, perhaps: ASEA.  At sea.   Or maybe confused while on a boat.

Down:

1. Sri Lankans, e.g.: ASIANS.  Any inhabitant of a country located in the Asian continent.

2. Swarming insect: LOCUST.  Locusts are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious.

3. Writers with good taste, hopefully: FOOD CRITICS.  A food critic, food writer, or restaurant critic is a writer who analyzes food or restaurants and then publishes the results of their findings to the public. Although these terms are not strictly synonymous, they are often used interchangeably. 

4. Roman time units: ANNI.   Years.  Unus annus est VMMMDCCLX horis.

5. Party game also known as "Werewolf": MAFIA.  Mafia, also known as Werewolf, is a Russian social deduction game created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986. The game models a conflict between two groups: an informed minority (the mafiosi or the werewolves) and an uninformed majority (the villagers). At the start of the game, each player is secretly assigned a role affiliated with one of these teams.

6. Icy moon of Jupiter: EUROPA.   Europa, or Jupiter II, is the smallest of the four Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter, and the sixth-closest to the planet of all the 95 known moons of Jupiter. It is also the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System.

7. Swiftie or Belieber: STAN.   An extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan.

8. Feline friend: HOUSE CAT.   A domestic cat, especially one kept as an indoor household pet.

9. Unusual instrument in the "1812 Overture": CANNON.  Here is a relevant excerpt.

I've played this, but not with real canons.

10. College tour giveaways: SWAG.  SWAG is free promotional merchandise such as branded apparel, drinkware, stationary, accessories, or any memorable gift item given to clients, employees, or meeting attendees for marketing, awareness, and branding purposes.

11. Conagra cooking spray brand: PAM.  PAM is a cooking spray currently owned and distributed by ConAgra Foods. Its main ingredient is canola oil.   PAM was introduced in 1959 by Leon Rubin who, with Arthur Meyerhoff, started PAM Products, Inc. to market the spray. The name PAM is an acronym for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.

12. "My lips __ sealed": ARE.  All your secrets are safe with me.

13. Flanders of Springfield: NED.  Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr., commonly referred to by his surname, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, cheery next-door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally loathed by Homer Simpson, though there are numerous instances where the two are portrayed as good friends.

21. One with an easygoing personality: TYPE B.   Type A and Type B personality hypothesis describes two contrasting personality types. In this hypothesis, personalities that are more competitive, highly organized, ambitious, impatient, highly aware of time management, or aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed, "receptive", less "neurotic" and "frantic" personalities are labeled Type B.

22. "Nearly done ... ": ONE SEC.   Wait.

26. Rabbinical students' goals: ORDINATIONS.   Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. 

27. Tulum attraction: RUIN.   Tulum is a resort town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, around 130 km south of Cancún. The 13th-century, walled Mayan archaeological site at Tulum National Park overlooks the sea. It incorporates the clifftop Castillo, built as a watchtower, and the Templo de las Pinturas, with a partially restored mural. Inland, the Cobá archaeological site has pyramid-shaped temples with views over the surrounding jungle.

28. Waiting eagerly: AGOG.   Very eager or curious to hear or see something.

30. Wharton who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: EDITH.   Edith Wharton 1832 - 1937] was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray realistically the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence.

32. Drexler who was part of Houston's Phi Slama Jama in the early 1980s: CLYDE.   Clyde Austin Drexler (b.1962) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), spending a majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time NBA All-Star and named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Drexler won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995, and earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team".

33. Chemical concentration measurement: TITER.   Titer or titre is a way of expressing concentration. Titer testing employs serial dilution to obtain approximate quantitative information from an analytical procedure that inherently only evaluates as positive or negative. The titer corresponds to the highest dilution factor that still yields a positive reading.

35. Sour salad green: SORREL.   A perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock. Sorrel is native to Eurasia and a common plant in grassland habitats. It is often cultivated as a leaf vegetable or herb.

38. Not sporting home colors: AWAY.  Said of a team playing at the opponents' field, court, or arena

39. Granny: NANA.  Familiar terms for a grandmother. 

40. Amazon drop-off: DELIVERY.  The process of transporting goods from a source location to a predefined destination. 

41. "Likewise!": SO DO I.  Me, too!

46. "Drivers License" singer Rodrigo: OLIVIA.  Olivia Isabel Rodrigo [b. 2003] is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first rose to prominence for starring on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark and the Disney+ series High School Musical: 

47. Austria's language: GERMAN.   German language, official language of both Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland. German belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European language family, along with English, Frisian, and Dutch.

49. Mouse with a polka-dotted dress: MINNIE.   Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers and low-heeled shoes occasionally with ribbons on them.

50. Actress Lansbury: ANGELA.   Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury DBE [1925 - 2022] was a British and American actress. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles across film, stage, and television. Although based for much of her life in the United States, her work attracted international attention.

54. Lip __: GLOSS.   Lip gloss is a cosmetic used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes to add a subtle color. It is distributed as a fluid or a soft solid The product is available in ranges of opacity from translucent to solid and can have variously frosted, glittery, glossy, and metallic finishes.

56. Auctioneer's cry: SOLD.  An auctioneer is a person who conducts auctions by accepting bids and declaring goods sold.

57. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel [1928 - 2016] was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

58. Sweet Sixteen org.: NCAA.  National Collegiate Athletic Association.

59. "Gah!": ACK.   Expressions of dismay or disgust.

60. Upsilon neighbor: PHI.   Greek Letters.

61. Negroni liquor: GIN.  The Negroni is made with 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari an 1 oz sweet vermouth, garnished with an orange peel.

I had fun with this puzzle and I hope you did, too.  Did it test your mettle?  Would you give it a medal for it's SILVER metal?

Cool regards, my precious friends.
JzB

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi

SOUP & SANDWICH

 Our dynamic duo ( see 46D. ) of crossword collaborators Rebecca and Rachel has teamed up once again.  In today's theme they redefine MESS HALL as "MESS-Y" HALL; four phrases involving service items - one flatware, one glassware, two dinnerware - described as being dirty or in disarray. the word "mess" derives from the Frawnche 'mes' for "dish".  A 16 x 15 grid, allowing for two 8-letter, two 11-letter and one 12-letter spanner, plus lots of black squares, but I don't have the "deets" on what is the maximum allowed.  A handful of names, but nothing too pesky.  The theme answers:

16. Region of severe drought in the 1930s: DUST BOWL - the history

24. Diner, e.g.: GREASY SPOON - My personal favorite - Waffle House

Sadly, there is no WAFFLE HOUSE in CT

36. Rochester, New York, dish with meat, fries, and baked beans: GARBAGE PLATE - I spent a lot of my time in NY, but I had never heard of this dish before; I was going to add a picture, but it does not look appetizing at all

49. Hazard for bare feet in a beach parking lot: BROKEN GLASS - Also the title of a song; I used to hear it once a day during my retail employment tenure; I did not know it was Annie Lennox of "Eurythmics" fame who sings this

59. Army dining area, or a punny description of where to find 16-, 24-, 36-, and 49-Across: MESS HALL - perhaps the most notorious movie MESS HALL. . . .

It did get "messy"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Day on Mars: SOL - I do the DOWNS first, but had no crossings, so this one eluded me; a "DAY" on Mars is one planetary rotation; in this case, it's just over 37mins more than Earth's

4. Crunched numbers: DATA

8. Shockingly vivid: LURID - I could find many an image, but this forum won't allow it~!

13. Clean water org.: EPA

14. Inner selves: EGOS

15. Wretchedness: MISERY

18. Structures that provide shade: GAZEBOS - a long-term goal is to build several decks and a structure down by my creek - perhaps it will be a gazebo

I could actually pull this off - note, another Rochester NY reference

19. At the ready: ALERT

20. Massive: EPIC

22. Craigslist abbr.: OBO - Or Best Offer - anyone care to make an offer on these two~?  My tractor is here, so I don't need these two any more~!

23. Actress Polo: TERI - name #1, filled via perps

28. Head physician, briefly?: ENT - Ear, "50D.", Throat; I was looking for an abbr. for "psychiatrist" e.g., "shrink"

29. Feeds the pigs: SLOPS

30. Light units: WATTS

31. Assume, as a responsibility: TAKE ON

33. Bank vaults: SAFES

39. Question type: YES/NO - my "CANOE" at 32D. led me to try NO/YES first

40. SoFi Stadium pros: L.A. RAMS

42. Actor Hawke: ETHAN - name #2, but I know this one

45. Runs up against?: ABUTS

47. Light touch: PAT

52. Cooked up: MADE - someone MADE a mess in the kitchen

53. Bluff, maybe: BET - eh, sorta - I've played enough poker to know when someone's "BET" is more likely a "BLUFF"

54. Force from power: OUST

55. Gives for a while: LENDS

56. "Doesn't look good for me!": "I'M TOAST"

62. Apt name for someone born on Christmas: NOELLE - name,ish

63. Operatic solo: ARIA

64. Narc's org.: DEA - Drug Enforcement Agency, mentioned in this song....

Smuggler's Blues, Glenn Frey - and it gets MESSY in this kitchen, too~!

65. Class: GRADE - as in K thru 12

66. Subsequently: NEXT

67. Mule kin: ASS - and ABUTS in the same puzzle~?


DOWN:

1. Hardly rowdy: SEDATE

2. Richly appointed: OPULENT

3. Activity that involves taking a shot in the dark?: LASER TAG - my brother and I had the "home version" as kids

4. Subject of a congressional ceiling: DEBT - check out this site

5. Previously: AGO - meh

6. Pull along: TOW - ah, not TUG

7. Like a limb that's all pins and needles: ASLEEP

8. "30 Rock" role for Tina: LIZ - name #4; I know TINA, did not know "Liz"

9. Employ: USE

10. Start up again: REBOOT

11. Asimov work with "Three Laws": I, ROBOT - Issac Asimov, and a movie starring Will Smith

12. Vacuums that have "dual cyclone" technology: DYSONS - I actually have two, the 'ball' and the cordless - but the latter seems to have lost the ability to retain a charge - time to get a replacement battery, I guess

15. "I Try" singer Gray: MACY - name #5, filled via perps

17. Prefix with -athlon: TRI

18. Beneficiaries of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, for short: GIs - "The GI Bill"

21. Out of style: PASSÉ

24. Gooey lumps: GLOBS

25. Journalist Farrow: RONAN - name #6; filled via perps

26. Pinky promises: SWEARS

27. Carb-loader's pre-race meal: PASTA

29. Like the vibes at a spa: SERENE

32. Style of boat first used by the Aleut, Inuit, and Yupik peoples: KAYAK - I tried 'CANOE', but this is a better answer

34. Overachiever's test score: A-PLUS - a dupe answer from yesterday

Even better than A PLUS

35. Shoes that lack heels: FLATS - I had my fill of shoe fills last week. . . . see below

37. Aspirational hashtag: GOALS - I don't "hashtag", so I had no idea; crossing the unknown theme answer didn't help

38. Savory turnover: EMPANADA

Note the "LIME WEDGES", and NOT the shoes

41. Seats for equestrians: SADDLES - we had a Kentucky Derby pool at work; I picked "Track Phantom" and "Stronghold", and neither came in win, place, OR show. . . .

Blazing SADDLES Pie Fight; another MESSY HALL

42. Receding: EBBING

43. Earthquake: TREMOR - nailed it; we felt the April 5th New Jersey quake in CT; I read there was an additional TREMOR on May 1

44. Sore throat soother: HOT TEA - ah.  LOZENGE did not fit

46. The Caped Crusader: BATMAN - Holy Crossword Clues~!

Still the coolest Batmobile ever, IMO

48. Cars that charge slowly in the cold: TESLAS - got it; I had a plug-in Subaru Crosstrek, and was aware that it would take longer to charge in the winter, as I did not have a garage at the time; it really didn't matter, since I charged it overnight as I slept, and it only took 5hrs anyway

50. Honker: NOSE

51. Word before microbiome: GUT - filled via perps

And After You Have a Garbage Plate~?

52. "It's fine": MEH - Meh.  For me, this qualifies something as less than "fine"

55. DA-to-be's exam: LSAT - crossword staple

57. Long in the tooth: OLD

58. Tap pour: ALE

60. Before, poetically: ERE

61. __-pack abs: SIX - my gym attendance has plummeted; conversely, my weight has risen - go figure; I'm just not a "gym" person

Splynter

Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, Andrew Walker

  SHOES, BUT SHOES WISELY

Indiana Jones and the Last Blue Suede~?

 A funny farce of footwear fashion; four phrases redefined as types of shoes defines today's theme ( I decided that since we started the week with "F-stop", I'd go with "F-start" ).  Some odd similarities with both Monday  & Tuesday's puzzles, I noted.  I do believe this is Andrew Walker's first LA Times publication; congrats to you~!  A quick solve for me on this hump-day, with just a few names, all of which are pretty standard crossword fare.  Two eight-letter non-theme Down fills, but we had more than the usual three-letter words in today's grid, which caused a few "meh" moments for me, at least for a Wednesday-level puzzle; Yem Beady.  The theme clues/answers;

17. Shoes for emptying the kiddie pool?: DRAIN CLOGS - not the hair clump type, but these

27. Shoes that prevent slipping in the shower?: WATER MOCCASINS - not the Cottonmouth snake, but these

45. Shoes for attending a gala?: PARTY PLATFORMS - not the political stance, but these

They look precarious

59. Shoes that coordinate with a bright green ensemble?: LIME WEDGES - not the drinks garnish, but these

With lunchmeat~?

And Away We Go, White Rabbit~!

ACROSS:

1. Tea in masala chai, perhaps: ASSAM - the "M" was my last guess , uh, fill

6. Indeterminate but small amount: A FEW - Vague.  Get it~?  har-har~!

10. Partner: MATE - and - 6D. Partner: ALLY - house MATES was yesterday's theme

14. Stockpile: CACHE - the noun, not the verb; I was thinking AMASS

15. Mischief-making Norse god: LOKI

16. "Stat!" letters: ASAP - As Soon As Possible - also the name of the band created by former - and current - Iron Maiden guitarist, Adrian Smith ( and Project )

19. Upscale: NICE - meh.

20. Avis rental: CAR

21. " ... hallowed be __ name": THY - Speaking of Iron Maiden . . .

Hallowed By THY Name - live 1984 - 85

22. Matter of will?: ESTATE - I am still waiting on one last bank account, and then my parent's estate will finally be settled

24. __ urchin: SEA

25. Ring-tailed mammal: COATI

33. Place to kick back: SOFA - we had this on Monday, too

34. Cheri who played Judge Judy on "SNL": OTERI - name, but one we're used to ( I think )

35. __ de los Muertos: DIA - Spanish lesson #1, the "Day of the Dead"

36. Catches with a lure: ENTRAPS

39. Main ingredient of 54-Across: LENTILS - didn't know 54A., so I wouldn't know what's in it

41. Barely scrape (out): EKE - crossword staple

42. Minor squabble: SET-TO

44. Plot devices?: HOES - farming plot, that is

49. Aquamarine, for one: BERYL - stumped; I did not know March's birthstone was this mineral - and if we'd had February/amethyst yesterday, we could have had a three-month run . . . the Wiki

50. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU - name, but pretty common in crosswords; anyone remember her from the movie "Payback"~?

51. "Deadwood" territory: DAKOTA - I start with the Down clues, so half of this was already filled via perps; I have not seen the show/series

54. South Asian stew: DAL - meh.  I'll have to remember this for future puzzles

55. "The Greatest" memoirist: ALI - name, but a standard; Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Muhammad Ali

58. Not protected by defenders: OPEN - made me think of the board game Risk

NOTE: I do believe the rules state that one cannot leave a territory "OPEN",

as seen here in "Siam"

63. Audition goal: ROLE

64. "Family Guy" mom: LOIS - another LOIS appeared on Monday

Crude though it may be, I do like Family Guy

65. Like farm country: RURAL

66. Google Play downloads: APPS

67. "Nasty!": "YUCK~!" - YUCK was in yesterday's clues

68. Lamp topper: SHADE


DOWN:

1. Current letters: AC/DC - has this ever been clued as "Australian rock band~?"

2. Actress Gilbert: SARA - totally did not remember her, known for her 63A. ROLE in Roseanne; filled via perps on the second pass

3. Rumble remnant: SCAR - street-gang fight, "rumble"- and SCAR was yesterday's last Across

Lightning Strikes, Aerosmith
Neither Joe Perry nor Brad Whitford were the guitarists on this

4. Bigeye or yellowfin tuna: AHI - my first guess, but I waited

5. Plato, to Socrates: MENTEE - STUDENT didn't fit, and spellcheck doesn't care for this, either

7. Egg __ yung: FOO - We had FOO in a clue on Monday - I know this has been clued as "rock band _ Fighters", but I liked it better when Dave Grohl was in Nirvana

8. Heart chart, briefly: EKG

9. Know-it-all: WISEACRE

10. Seth Rogen's "Kung Fu Panda" voice role: MANTIS - never saw the movie

11. Much of an atlas: ASIA - Dah~!  It got me - I had MAPS to start - which was yesterday, and I am hopefully going to be in the "tractor ring" soon; see below . . .

12. Social sensitivity: TACT

13. Fencing tool: ÉPÉE

18. Leave on the grill too long, maybe: CHAR - BURN ( Monday ) was not well-done enough....

23. Spot on a shirt, say: STAIN

24. The sun, for one: STAR - a G-type yellow dwarf, if I'm not mistaken

25. Foldout bed: COT

26. Wildcat native to the Americas: OCELOT - COUGAR~?  Didn't know, had to wait

27. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA - Willy~!

28. Part of a makeover photo spread: AFTER - all of my home projects are stuck in the "BEFORE" phase; I really need to get motivated to finish them - I hope to buy the tractor pictured below at the end of the week - it will help tree-mendously ( eye-roll ) with clearing the chunks of Ash still sitting in my back yard

It costs more than my car....

29. By and large: MOSTLY - I was just talking about "BUY & Large" at work, from Wall-E

Post-COVID future reality~?  I need to get to the gym more often

30. Cool beans or warm fuzzies: IDIOM - IDIOM, ADAGE, AXIOM~?  I can never tell which

31. TV's younger Dr. Crane: NILES - his brother was Frasier, the character/spin-off from Cheers

32. Lip: SASS

33. Leak slowly: SEEP

37. Until now: AS YET

38. Spirited gathering?: PEP RALLY - I was thinking KEG PARTY, or SÉANCE(ish)

40. Drive-__ car wash: THRU

43. "¿Qué __?": Spanish greeting: TAL - meh.  I keep saying I am going to learn Spanish (#2)

46. Steakhouse options: T-BONES

47. Blemish: FLAW

48. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS - they are up 3-1 on the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs

51. "The Lost City of Gold" explorer: DORA - ah.  I know OF the Explorer the cartoon, but did not know about the city, or, for that matter, that there was a live-action movie . . .

52. Per item: A POP - not EACH.  Meh.

53. Iodine-rich seaweed: KELP - I pondered NORI, waited on perps

54. Home office need: DESK - it does help, that I can tell you

55. Taj Mahal site: AGRA

56. Head up: LEAD

57. Many a Caribbean country: ISLE

60. "Payment forthcoming" note: I.O.U.

61. ASMRtist's need: MICrophone - ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and I do get the ticklish sensation - you can try it here

62. "Like I didn't know!": "DUH~!" - Like, we're at the last clue, dude

Splynter

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Alex Rosen & Brad Wilber

Theme:  I Get A Rise Out Of You [or maybe not.] We have a circled letter theme, where the circles are contiguous, but not aligned - except for the last one.  And 4 of the 5 spell words with something in common.  The last one is the opposite.  Let's start with the 80% unifier.

7 D. Unlike bread on Passover, and like four of the five sets of circled letters in this puzzle:  LEAVENED.   Containing yeast or another substance that will cause the dough to rise - we'll get back to this.  I understand the best place to get a fast food Passover diner is Seder Rapids.

17 A. Hoodwink: FOOL.  Trick somebody, out of playfulness, malice or greed.

and

20 A. Fad toy with unruly hair: TROLL.  A troll doll is a type of plastic doll with furry up-combed hair depicting a troll, also known as a Dam doll after their creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. The inspiration came from trolls in old Scandinavian folklore. The toys are also known as good luck trolls.

Reading left to right across the two lines, the red letters [circled in the grid] spell ROLL.  A bread roll is a small, usually round or oblong individual loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment. 

19 A. Analogous: AKIN.  Of a similar nature or character.

and

23 A. Impertinence: CHEEK.  lack of respect; rudeness.

Reading these in a manner akin to that used with 17 and 20A, we get CAKE.  Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked.  The most common ingredients include flour, sugar, eggs, fat (such as butter, oil, or margarine), a liquid, and a leavening agent, such as baking soda or baking powder. 

49 A. Lack of waste: ECONOMY.   A careful management of available resources.

and

56 A. Amplify, as on social media: SHARE.  To repost on a social media platform.  Often this is done to broaden the audience.  Sometimes I'll do it to ridicule the original post.
The red letters here give us a tasty SCONE.   A scone is a traditional British baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans.

52 A. Not just irks: ENRAGES.  Incites extreme anger.

and

59 A. Court for King James, briefly: B-BALL.  LeBron and Basketball, no doubt.  Clever clue.

This combination gives us a BAGEL.  A bagel is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior.

Now, last, but not yeast --  61. Passover cracker: MATZO.  Matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which chametz [leavening] is forbidden.  So this is a bread that does not rise.

Some features of this very elegant grid --

Perfect bilateral symmetry;

Perfectly symmetric placement of the leavened theme entries;

Central location of the vertical unifier;

Central across placement of the 5th, unleavened theme entry.

And the most clever of all - each of the leavened entries, located in two adjacent across lines, rise in the middle, as good leavened fill should.   And the MATZO, of course, does not.  WOW!

By the way, Passover this year started at Sundown on Monday.  Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach.

Hi, Gang - an awestruck JzB here to illuminate this highly elevated puzzle.    Let's see what else comes up.

Across:

1. Doughy: SOFT.  Well, this was an extremely doughy puzzle, but I thought it was kind of hard, or maybe bagelish.

5. Ramsey of "The Last of Us": BELLA.   Isabella May Ramsey [b 2003] is a non-binary English actor. They are known for their break-out role as young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones and Ellie in the HBO drama series The Last of Us. They received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the latter. 

10. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Omar Hashim Epps [b 1973] is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball.

14. On a bye week: IDLE.  Said of an NFL team with no game scheduled on a given week.

15. Squad suiting up for opening day, presumably: A-TEAM.  The best players on a particular team.

16. Bahama __: MAMA.  A tropical drink made from mixed fruit juices and rum.

18. Shampoo target: SCALP.   Soft tissue layers that cover the cranium. It is an anatomic region bordered anteriorly by the human face, and laterally and posteriorly by the neck. It extends from the superior nuchal lines and occipital turbulences to the supraorbital foramen.

22. Actress Mendes: EVA.

23. Impertinence: CHEEK.  Being sassy

24. Old-Fashioned choice: RYE.  Rye whisky is the characteristic component of the classic Old Fashioned cocktail.  

25. Hill, in Hebrew: TEL.  Literal.

26. Hem and __: HAW.  To stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something.

27. Org. with flag bearers?: NFL.  Officials in the National Football League have flags used to indicate rule infractions.

29. Third No. 1 hit for Bruno Mars: GRENADE.

32. "The Gilded Age" airer: HBO.  Home Box Office, an American pay television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

35. "Sorry, but ... ": ALAS.   Used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern.

37. Olympic sprinter Szewinska: IRENA.  Irena Szewińska [1946 - 2018] was a Polish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost track athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. She is the only athlete in history, male or female, to have held the world record in the 100 m, the 200 m and the 400 m. 

38. "I'm convinced!": SOLD.  I agree with what you're proposing.

39. Gas station station: PUMP.  A two-sided fuel dispensing station, generally customer operated.

40. Family nickname: DADDY.  Affectionate term for one's father.

41. Lip balm additive: ALOE.   The juice extracted from the leaves of the ALOE plant.

42. Dramatic segment of 44-Across: EXPOSE.   A video, report or piece of writing that reveals the truth about a situation or person, especially something involving shocking facts. 

44. David Muir's field: TV NEWS.   Scheduled programming designed to report on significant current events

46. Cassini of fashion: OLEG.   Oleg Cassini [1913 -2006] was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got work with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films.

48. Dom Pérignon maker, informally: MOET.   Moët & Chandon, also known simply as Moët, is a French fine winery and part of the luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. Moët et Chandon is one of the world's largest champagne producers and a prominent champagne house.

57. Bolted: RAN.   Suddenly and quickly run away from something.

60. Diving position: PIKE.   The body is bent at the waist with legs straight, lower legs in front of the diver's face. 

63. "Angel eyes" band: ABBA.    a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome.

64. __ Saint Laurent: YVES.   Yves Saint Laurent SAS, also known as Saint Laurent and YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The company specializes in haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather accessories, and footwear. Its cosmetics line, YSL Beauty, is owned by L'Oréal.   Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent [1936 - 2008] referred to as Yves Saint Laurent or YSL, was a French fashion designer who, in 1962, founded his eponymous fashion label. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century.

65. Express in words: UTTER.  Speak.

66. Dollop: BLOB.  A small indefinite quantity of a viscous or semi-solid substance.

67. Message status: SENT.  Transmitted from the writer.

68. Many holiday events: MEALS.  Events where people eat food together.

69. Some evergreen shrubs: YEWS.  Any of a genus (Taxus of the family Taxaceae, the yew family) of evergreen gymnospermous trees and shrubs with stiff linear leaves and seeds surrounded by a fleshy red aril

Down:

1. Aerate, as flour: SIFT.  Move a granular material through a sieve.

2. Impetus to clean the fridge: ODOR.  A quality of something that stimulates the olfactory organ, in this case unpleasantly. 

3. Torchiere, for one: FLOOR LAMP.   A lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal.

4. Sesame Street worrywart: TELLY.  Telly Monster is a furry pinkish-purple monster with an orange nose from Sesame Street. He is a recurring character from 1979 to 1990, a major character from 1991 to 2015 and a minor character from 2016 to present.

5. Humanities degs.: BAs.  Bachelor of Arts Degrees.

6. "You get the idea": ET CETERA.  Meaning "and other things," used to indicate not everythign relevant has been mentioned.

8. Film mistakenly announced as Best Picture at the 2016 Oscars: LALA LAND.   Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

9. Psych (up): AMP.  To excite, arouse, or work up a person's emotions.

10. Nebraska city: OMAHA.   Omaha is a city in the U.S. state of Nebraska, on the Missouri River close to the Iowa border. A stop on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, it's known for its pioneer history, museums and cultural centers. 

11. Pay restitution: MAKE WHOLE.  Financially compensate the victim of a crime or recipient of another legal settlement.

12. Paris pal: AMIE.  Friend in French.

13. Relative standing: RANK.  A position in an ordered hierarchy.

21. Journey segment: LEG.  A portion of a journeym generally between two stopping points.

23. "Weekend Update" comic Michael: CHE.   Michael Che Campbell [b1983]  is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Che is best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he has served as co-anchor on Weekend Update alongside Colin Jost, and the two were co-head writers from 2017 until 2022.

27. Part shaded by a backward cap: NAPE.  The back of one's neck.

28. State of change: FLUX.  The action or process of flowing. 

30. Rodeo cry: RIDE 'EM.   Shout of encouragement to one riding a rodeo animal.

31. Burial city of the Wright brothers: DAYTON.  Dayton is a city in western Ohio. It’s home to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, with a vast collection of aircraft from early 1900s planes to a space shuttle exhibit. Carillon Historical Park contains a Wright Brothers plane, 19th-century buildings and antique trains. 

33. Squander: BLOW.   Waste something, especially money or time, in a reckless and foolish manner.

34. Poems to things: ODES.   A lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.

36. One with a supporting role in the kitchen?: SPOON REST.    A piece of kitchenware that serves as a place to lay spoons and other cooking utensils, to prevent cooking fluids from getting onto countertops, as well as keeping the spoon from touching any contaminants that might be on the counter.   Another clever clue.

38. Eartha Kitt song with the lyric "Been an angel all year": SANTA BABY.

43. Fruit in the liqueur Bargnolino: SLOE.   Prunus spinosa, called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Pacific Northwest and New England regions of the United States.

45. Cast or oil, sometimes: VERB.   This seems a bit strained to me, for the sake of a pun.  I'm never fond of a part-of-speech reference clue.

47. Use a hula hoop: GYRATE.   Move in a circle or spiral, especially quickly.

48. Tony winner Idina: MENZEL.   Idina Kim Menzel [b. 1971] is an American actress and singer. Particularly recognized for her work in musicals on Broadway, she has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence, powerful mezzo-soprano, and reputation as one of the most influential stage actors of her generation.   Here is a list of her awards

49. Best Play and Best Game, for two: ESPYS.  An ESPY Award is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC except 2020, and previously ESPN, to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony.

50. Leek kin: CHIVE.   Chives, scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and Chinese onion.

51. Like cognac barrels: OAKEN.   Make from oak wood.

53. Triangular part of a house: GABLE.   The generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns.

54. Recommended spot to catch a sneeze: ELBOW.   I would think a tissue in one's hand would be more effective.

55. Marble hunks: SLABS.  Large, thick, flat pieces of stone, concrete, or wood, typically rectangular.

58. "__ girl!": ATTA.   An informal expression of encouragement or admiration to a woman or girl.

61. Kate Middleton, to Prince George: MUM.   One's mother.

62. Suturing ctrs.: ORs.   Operating Rooms in hospitals or surgical centers.

So ends this clever and timely puzzle.  And speaking of hospitals, I have my first cataract surgery next Monday.  Rally looking forward [so to speak] to seeing more clearly.

Cool regards!

JzB