Wednesday, April 26, 2017, Bill Zagozweski

Title: COMPLETE THE PHRASE

Husker Gary here to fill in the blanks on Bill's very clever puzzle. If you knew going in that every themer had the word BLANK in it and that the actual single clue word had to be mentally placed in/over that BLANK, it would have made for a faster solve. It worked that way for me after I got the gimmick. What a hoot!

As you can see in the grid at the right, I have put the Clue word over (rather than in) the BLANK and that generates a familiar phrase.

I thought INCUS and BALATA were mighty meaty words for a Wednesday and I had to research PET and SHIN used in unfamiliar contexts, but learning is an great adjunct to these daily exercises. Opposed to popular opinion, I am trainable.

Now before I BLANK out, lets examine what the theme fills, one layer at a time.

20. NOTHING : BLANK BUT NET - NOTHING fills in for BLANK and we get NOTHING BUT NET which is a baseball phrase shown here in a fun way

56. NAUGHT : ALL FOR BLANK - NAUGHT fills in for BLANK to give us ALL FOR NAUGHT. Like when Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter for the Yankees but got beat because of errors

11. SPACE : OPEN BLANK -Drop SPACE in the BLANK and you get OPEN SPACE. Tom Lehman took the OPEN SPACE of Nebraska's Sand Hills and built the 35th best public golf course in America.

31. EMPTY : BLANK NEST - EMPTY fills in the BLANK to give us EMPTY NEST. We at least waited two days before we moved the computer desk into her room and to make it an office.

38. Provide missing info ... and what four clues do to their answers : FILL IN THE BLANKS - A round of Mad Libs:

FILL IN THE BLANKS: This was a(n) ADJECTIVE puzzle that gave me ADJECTIVE NOUN. I thought it was ADVERB ADJECTIVE for a Wednesday because the fill was ADVERB ADJECTIVE than usual. 

My answers - Wonderful, Great Joy, Particularly Difficult, More Challenging


Now you get to read my ADJECTIVE review/exposition 

Across

1. Reduce drastically : SLASH

6. Skyscraper girder : I-BEAM - They just pulled up an I-BEAM for lunch 

11. Bobby on the ice : ORR

14. Willowy : LITHE

15. Impudent : NERVY

16. Baltimore Ravens mascot named for an author : POE - Baltimore? Ravens? Makes perfect sense!

17. Attendant who invites Hamlet to duel Laertes : OSRIC - Peter Cushing playing OSRIC to Olivier's Hamlet

18. Blubbers : CRIES

19. Potato part : EYE

22. "Stillmatic" rapper : NAS - His lyrics ain't exactly Gershwin

23. Equinox mo. : SEP - On or about the 21st




24. Secure at the pier : LASH - Bill Murray had to be LASHED to the mast to overcome his fear of sailing in this hilarious film

25. Small bite : NIBBLE

27. Sulky state : PET - There it was, it had to be, but wha...? My research showed it as a shortened form of in a PETulant mood. Sample: Bill is really in a PET today.

28. L.A.'s region : SOCAL - SOuthern CALifornia 

29. Jessica of "Fantastic Four" films : ALBA - Let me get this straight. You give her this special power? Really? 

32. Waimea Bay island : OAHU

35. First sound of the day, for many : ALARM - Mine is a hungry kitty

41. Author Asimov : ISAAC

42. Ratio phrase : IS TO

43. Boxing stats : TKO'S

44. Explosive experiment : N-TEST - Here's one on Bikini Atoll with some VIP observers miles away

46. Vote for : YEA - An important prop in the play 1776

48. "I wanna go too!" : TAKE ME

50. "Psst!" kin : AHEM

52. These, in Nantes : CES - CES croissants sont délicieux 

55. Roadside respite spot : INN

59. Word with Iron or Bronze : AGE

60. Enter on a laptop : KEY IN

61. Tropical porch : LANAI - Where I first heard the word

62. Hi-__ image : RES

63. Año Nuevo month : ENERO - El desfile de las rosas es el 1 de ENERO. (Desfile = Parade)

64. Ham it up : EMOTE

65. Cockpit abbr. : ALT

66. Building leveler, to a Brit : RASER - Wait a minute, we're going to RASE that barn that grandpa helped RAISE?

67. Like horses : MANED - Farrah's coiffure was described as a feathered MANE in this picture

Down

1. Neatniks' opposites : SLOBS

2. Stocking thread : LISLE - How many times did I have to see this before I wrote it in right away today?

3. "It's __!": "They tricked us!" : A TRAP - Admiral Ackbar's warning

4. Climb, in a way : SHIN - This ranks right up there with the obscure (to me) usage of PET above. From dictionary.com 

5. Badger from the bleachers : HECKLE - I saw an umpire take off all his equipment and throw it down in front of a HECKLER in the bleachers and say, "You do it!" He declined and shut up.

6. Anvil-shaped ear bone : INCUS - Thar she blows in the canal!

7. Ocean bed? : BERTH - It costs extra if you have a porthole or a balcony

8. Burnett of CNN : ERIN

9. ACTIVE NATURALS skin care brand : AVEENO

10. Otherworldly : MYSTICAL

12. Fit for a queen : ROYAL

13. Piece maker? : REESE - Mars Candy rued the day they turned down the tie-in with M&M's because they thought, "Who'd want to see a movie about an alien adopted by a lonely kid." Turns out, millions did. Hershey gladly cashed in with this blockbuster movie.

21. It may be passed : BATON

26. Golf ball material : BALATA - The sap harvested as you see here from these Central/South American trees was formerly widely used for a golf ball covers. Pros could control these balls better but amateurs just kept cutting them.

27. Sense of taste : PALATE

28. Bird feeder food : SUET - Part of our bird buffet

29. John Williams won its 2016 Life Achievement Award: Abbr. : AFI - American Film Institute

30. Fleur-de-__ : LIS

33. Busy, busy, busy : AT IT - After giving an assignment, I usually said, "Now, get AT IT!"

34. Dept. that oversees the FDA : HHS

36. "Citizen Kane" studio : RKO - William Randolph Hearst was so incensed at this movie that used him as a model, he leaned on Hollywood to make sure this "greatest American movie ever made" lost the Oscar to How Green Was My Valley in 1942

37. Ed.'s backlog : MSS - An Acquisition Editor with a backlog of unsolicited ManuScriptS

39. Fridge feature that needs water : ICE MAKER - Didn't you just hate wrestling with ice trays?

40. Bergman's "Gaslight" co-star : BOYER

45. Title Tejano singer in a 1997 biopic : SELENA

47. Starbucks' mermaid, e.g. : EMBLEM

48. Sparkly crown : TIARA

49. Broadway backer : ANGEL - The premise for making money in The Producers was Max Bialystock bilking money out of his stable of elderly ANGELS

50. Blazing : AFIRE

51. Roll out the red carpet for : HONOR

52. Pachelbel work : CANON - His CANON (a repeating melody) has graced many a wedding - I paid for two of them 

53. Related on mom's side : ENATE

54. Hit the slopes : SKIED - I would hit the slopes hard if I SKIED! 

57. Caustic cleaners : LYES

58. Tibetan spiritual adviser : LAMA - Carl (Bill Murray) was a looper (caddy) for the LAMA and admired his golf game in Caddyshack

Now it's time for your ADVERB  ADJECTIVE comments: 

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 C. C. Burnikel

Theme: Something fishy, right up front.  Each theme answer starts with the name of well known fish.

Let us start with the unifier, to make everything clear.

40 D. Ingredient in some Asian soup, or, literally, what each answer to a starred clue has : FISH HEAD.  So, the named FISH is the HEAD, or beginning of each theme fill.   This gives us our theme song.

17 A. *Droopy-eared dog : BASSET HOUND.   The BASSET HOUND has the awkward combination of long ears and short legs, and a sense of smell second only to the blood hound.  It's low slung contour is indicated by by the French word BASSET, meaning "rather low."  BASS are any of several fresh or salt water varieties, similar to perch, belonging to the order perciformes.  The name BASS is derived from a Middle English word for perch.

25 A. *Testimony preceder : SOLEMN OATH.  This involves an appeal to a deity or revered person or symbol to guarantee that oath speaker is making an honest testimony or promise.  SOLE are several varieties of flat fish.

38 A. *Garage alternative : CARPORT.  A more or less protective structure, with a roof but fewer than four walls.  CARP are several species of oily fresh water fish native to Europe and Asia.

52 A. *Common cause of food poisoning : SALMONELLA.  This is a bacterium that can be found in contaminated food.  It is named for Daniel Salmon who was leading the team in the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture that discovered the pathogen.  SALMON fish are born in fresh water.  Some varieties migrate to the sea, then return to where they originated to spawn.

61 A. *Garment with a fitted waist and flared bottom : SKATER DRESS.

Pair with stilettos and a clutch

The SKATE fish are similar, but not identical, to rays.

Hi gang, an ailing Jazzbumpa here to guide you through this aquatic offering from our fearless leader. Despite the theme, you'll see there is nothing fishy going on here. 

Across

1. Overzealous : RABID. Like certain sports fans,

6. Emotional states : MOODS.  They can be good or bad.

11. Big name in home security : ADT.   The largest security company in the U.S. and Canada with over 6.5 million customers.

14. Work together : UNITE.  Many hands make light work.

15. Golfer's birdie, often : THREE.  One under on a par 4 hole.  Cf. 33D.

16. "I've seen better" : MEH.

19. King Kong, e.g. : APE.  One of the really great APES.

20. Home buyer's choice : CONDO.  A private residence owned by an individual or family in a building or community with multiple units.

21. Annoyed reply to "Are you awake?" : I AM NOW.  It's about time!

23. Hog fare : SLOP.

28. Pan flying : PETER.  Children's story hero.

30. Present mo. : DEC.  The present month is April; the month for presents is December, which is in the future.

31. Bone, to Botticelli : OSSO.  Italian

32. Quick snooze : CATNAP.

34. "Darn it!" : SHOOT.  Phooey!  Drat!

37. Pop singer Grande's fragrance : ARI.  A steal at $28.82 per oz.

40. Price of admission : FEE.

43. The Euphrates flows through it : SYRIA.  Originates in Turkey, also flows through Iraq into the Persian Gilf.

Conflict

44. Like King Kong : SIMIAN.  Referring to apes and monkeys.  Also a clecho.

46. Shepherd's dinner, perhaps : ALPO.  German shepherd.

49. Coffee maker unit : CUP. Equivalent to one Keurig pod.

51. Impudent : SASSY.  Don't be that way.

56. Perlman of "The Mindy Project" : RHEA.  Also Carla from "Cheers."

57. Racer's swimwear brand : SPEEDO.  

Fitness

58. __ setter : IRISH.  Possible ALPO eater.

60. Country that won the most Olympics medals in Rio : USA.  Winning 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze for a total of 121, next were Great Britain with 67, China with 70 and Russia with 55.

66. Something to chew : CUD.  If you're a cow.

67. Ship with liquid cargo : OILER.  Oil tanker.

68. Security breaches : LEAKS.  Unauthorized information escaping through unofficial channels.  

69. Officejet printers : HPS.  Hewlett-Packard

70. Polishing targets : NAILS.  On your fingers and toes.

71. Pearl Jam frontman Vedder : EDDIE. [b. 1964]   He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just this month.

Down

1. Barbecue spice mixture : RUB.

2. Santa __ Mountains : ANA.   A short range extending for about 61 miles southeast of the Los Angeles basin.

3. Twice-baked cookies : BISCOTTI. They are oblong, dry, crunchy, and intended for dipping - traditionally in Vin Santo, a style of Italian desert wine of variable sweetness.

4. "Come right on in!" : IT'S OPEN.  The door, that is.

5. Celebrity chef Paula : DEEN.  Known for traditional southern comfort food.

6. Highest peak in Ore. : MT. HOOD.  It's height is approximately 11,240 ft.  It is a "potentially active" volcano, with the odds of an eruption during the next 30 years estimated to be between 3 and 7%.

7. "Well, looky here!" : OHO.  Thar she blows!

8. Christian sch. in Tulsa : ORU.  Founded by its eponym in 1965, Oral Roberts University has a high academic standing and a checkered administrative past.

9. Vest fabric : DENIM.  More famous for blue jeans, probably.

10. It often has four doors : SEDAN.  An automobile with front and rear seating suitable for adults, and a cargo compartment, typically in the rear.

11. Some kitchen appliances : AMANAS.  The company manufactures a variety of kitchen and household appliances.

12. Bus stations : DEPOTS.

13. "Tommy" band : THE WHO.

18. Pts. by Vikings : TDS.  Touch Downs scored by a professional football team from Minnesota.  Do we have any RABID fans?

22. Irrelevant : MOOT.  This is the secondary meaning.  The primary meaning is "open to dispute."

23. Critter rescue org. : SPCA.  Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

24. Big name in business jets : LEAR.   The LEARJET company was founded in the 1950's by William Powell LEAR.

26. Electric guitar pioneer : LES PAUL.

27. Cave feedback : ECHO.   Reflected sound.

29. Like "Fifty Shades of Grey" : RACY.  Risqué, suggestive, naughty, sexy, spicy, ribald.

33. Golfer's four, often : PAR.  The number of strokes needed by a first class player to complete the hole.  Cf 15A.

35. Hosp. areas : ORS.  Operating Rooms in hospitals.

36. Handle on many elevators : OTIS.   "Handle" here denoting the name.

39. Bento box staple : RICE.  A bento is a single-portion take out or home made meal common in Japanese cuisine.  It usually contains rice along with meat or fish and cooked vegetables.  The actual box can be anything from a cheap disposable to hand-crafted laquerware.

41. Facility : EASE.

42. "Only Time" songwriter : ENYA.  It seems that Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin shows up at least half the time when I blog.

43. A handful : SOME.  Not too many.

45. Color named for a planet : MARS RED.   Benjamin Moore 2172-20.

46. In itself : AS SUCH.  Exactly as described or suggested.

47. Devours eagerly : LAPS UP.  To accept something with great enthusiasm.

48. Responds in court : PLEADS.  Presents or argues for a position.

50. Tool box item : PLIERS. Pincers, typically having parallel, flat, serrated surfaces intended for gripping. 

53. Has too much of, briefly : O Ds ON. Technically, to take more than the recommended dose of a medication, or in drug culture to have too much of a narcotic, resulting in a dangerous and potentially lethal condition.  In loose vernacular, to have too much of anything, frex, Easter ham. 

54. Finnish tech giant : NOKIA.   Multinational communications and information technology company founded in 1865.

55. Flight stat. : ARRival time.  

59. On the sidelines : IDLE.  Not currently in use.

62. Legendary fighter : ALI.  Professional boxer Muhammad Ali, originally Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. [1942-2016.]   He was also famous and controversial as an activist and draft resistor.

63. Business card no. : TELephone.

64. Hit the slopes : SKI.

65. Dallas-to-Houston dir. : SSE.  Texas geography.  Three and a half hour drive via I-45 covering 239 miles.

That wraps it up - a fine puzzle, indeed.  My only nit is the glaring lack of a baseball reference. What's up with that?  

Cool regards!
JzB

Wednesday April 12, 2017 Neville Fogarty

Theme:  BLOOD TYPE (62A. Classification suggested by the beginning of 17-, 25-, 37- and 53-Across)

17A. Dean's list honorees : A STUDENTS. C.C. told me Neville Fogarty is a young math professor.

25A. Thiamine and riboflavin : B VITAMINS.

37A. Two-variable marketing experiment : A/B TESTING. Never heard of this experiment.

53A. First novel in Willa Cather's Great Plains trilogy : O PIONEERS!.

Hello everyone, Boomer here. 

A typical puzzle for me. I struggled with a few answers. I did  get 1-Across immediately. Speaking of 1-Across, I heard on the radio yesterday that each World Champion ring awarded to Cubs players and staff will contain 108 diamonds to commemorate 108 years of futility !  I realize that diamonds come in all sizes and you may need a microscope to see all of them but it still seems excessive.  I wonder how many packages of Wrigley gum could be purchased for what one ring cost. 

Across:

  

1. They broke their 108-year World Series drought in 2016 : CUBS

5. Medical picture : X-RAY -I think former Twin Oswaldo Arcia is now an Ex-Ray.

9. Gives out : EMITS - I think Oswaldo had an "E - Mitt" (E-9)

14. Lustrous gem : OPAL - October birthstone

15. "Bloom County" reporter : MILO - Bloom County does not appear in the Minneapolis paper.        Google helps.

16. Very small : MICRO - Could be the size of the Cubs ring diamonds.

19. Pasture sound : BLEAT - If you keep your goats and lambs in the pasture, not in the kitchen.

20. Add to the pot : STIR IN - my first thought was RAISE.

21. Electronic sci-fi antagonist : HAL - If the clue was Barney Miller, I would have got it right away.

23. "¡Dios __!" : MIO

24. Cannes cup : TASSE

28. FBI operative : AGT Of course this is abbrev. for AGENT.  What is Special about them, I don't know.

29. Number before vier : DREI - I was never good at foreign stuff.

31. Spring bloomer : AZALEA - Mindful of the hours we spent watching Augusta National last weekend.

32. Flip (through) : LEAF - Okay, leaf can be a verb.  I rake the nouns plenty though.

34. Son of Zeus and Hera : ARES

36. In tune : ON KEY - Hopefully "America the Beautiful" is sung that way in the 7th inning on Sundays.

40. Diving bird : GREBE - Not familiar with this bird.

43. Way out yonder : AFAR - Does anyone ever use the word "Yonder" anymore ?

44. Inscribe : ETCH - If you have an Etch, Scretch it.

48. After morays, say : EELING - This word threw me.  I am Minnesotan and some folks fish for eelpout.  That might be called eeling, I don't know.

50. Mined matter : ORES - Sorry but I always thought that the plural of ORE is ORE.

52. Mexican gold : ORO

55. Apartment sign : TO LET - This has changed to "Now Leasing" here in the North.

57. Go bad : ROT

58. Under the weather : ILL

59. Javier __, first Spanish actor to win an Oscar : BARDEM. Husband of Penelope Cruz.

60. "Good __!" : GRIEF - Famous words of Charlie Brown.

65. Not always helpful reply to "Who's there?" : IT'S ME

66. Like bad fried food : OILY - Some people like greasy French fries, which makes it good fried food.

67. Shed tools : HOES

68. Early fur trader : ASTOR- The original John (Johan) Jacob Astor abandoned fur trading around 1830 and made a fortune investing in real estate in New York City.  Hmmmm Remind you of anyone?

69. Ties the knot : WEDS

70. Joint possession word : OURS

  

Down:

1. Like beachfront property : COASTAL - Of course, here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have miles and miles of beachfront property, but nothing coastal.  And the only Tide we have is in the grocery store in a red plastic jug. 

2. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE

3. Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro : BATISTA - Wow, there's a name out of the past.  I was nine or ten years old.  No one had ever heard of Fidel.  I wonder when we will be able to by those great cigars again.

4. Nasty remarks : SLURS

5. Marvel Comics mutants : X-MEN - I remember when Comics were 10 cents.

6. __ Tin Tin : RIN - Everyone remembers a TV dog, but tell the truth - how many of you remember Fulgencio Batista ??

7. PC key : ALT - Of course my first thought was ESC.

8. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI - The lovable character from the original Nintendo.  Everybody had one.  Heck I had one and I was 40 years old!

9. Decorate elaborately : EMBLAZON - I always thought "emblazon" meant fire.

10. End of a general's URL : MIL

11. Low-fat frozen dessert : ICE MILK - Let's all go to the Dairy Queen.

12. Many a new hire : TRAINEE - Do you suppose a railroad engineer was ever a trainee ?

13. "If you will" : SO TO SAY - Must be a California clue, I have never said "So to Say".

18. Fizzled out : DIED

22. __ crossroads : AT A

25. First interracial coed college in the South : BEREA - An interesting school South of Lexington, KY.  I think C.C. and I may have passed through Berea on I-75 one time on a trip to Myrtle Beach.  All Berea students are on scholarship.

26. Tries to win : VIES FOR

27. Canine ailment : MANGE - This is bad stuff.  I once had a Cocker Spaniel inflicted with it. 

30. Chinese zodiac animal : RAT -  I am sure C.C. can tell you when the year of the Rat will be. (or was)

33. One-named Italian male model : FABIO - This guy made millions by wearing other peoples clothes.  Nice job !!

35. "The Fault in Our __": 2014 film : STARS

38. Nickname for a 2000s tabloid item : BENNIFER. Ben and Jennifer.

39. Anger : IRE

40. Black Sea republic : GEORGIA

41. Police paperwork : REPORTS

42. High-and-mighty sort : ELITIST - One more "T" and you have an anagram of a golf ball.

45. "Just like I said" : TOLD YOU

46. Climbing plant : CREEPER - Since 1-Across was Cubs, check out the outfield walls at Wrigley for creepers.

47. Disordered yet appealing person : HOT MESS - Sorry I did not get this one, hope you did.

49. Salon application : GEL - Maybe hair Gel for Bryce Harper ??

51. Dutch town : STAD

54. Nudge : ELBOW - I have seen elbow fouls called in the NBA.  Trust me, they were not nudges.

56. Weed B Gon maker : ORTHO - Nice title.  I have tried many types, but the dandelions seem to always win.  No problem though - C.C. thinks they are pretty flowers.

59. School restroom sign : BOYS - Not sure what the signs are in South Carolina, but they claim they are fixing it.  Money talks - the NCAA said "Fix it or we are gone". (Correction: North Carolina.)

 61. Confessional rock genre : EMO - I was not aware however this is also an anagram of a Stooge.

63. Fabrication : LIE

64. Not up-to-date : OLD

Boomer

Wednesday April 5, 2017 Mark MacLachlan

Theme: THREE LITTLE LETTERS.  Each theme entry begins with a three letter combination that is repeated, in order, at the end of the entry.  The closest I could come to a theme song is Three Little Words, Eight Little Letters.  Sometimes you just have to make do.  Take three minutes to give it a listen.

Hi Gang, JzB here, as you have probably already guessed.  The Three Little words in the song are: "I love you." A bit of trivia I picked up researching this post is that it was also the name of a 1950 movie about Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. the guys who wrote the song. Ironically, they didn't like each other very much.  My last blog also involved letters in threes.  Maybe this is my new assignment.  Let's delve into the theme. 

17 A. *Process of electron gain or loss : IONIZATION.  Chemistry or Physics?  Either way, I get a charge out of it.  Yes, I'm positive!

24 A. *Beneficial substance in berries : ANTIOXIDANT.  Chemistry or Biology?  Oxidation is a process that might or might not involve IONIZATION.  Either way, an ANTIOXIDANT protects something else from being oxidized by getting oxidized itself.  Greater love no molecule hath!

34 A. *Eating : INGESTING.  Taking something, such as an ANTIOXIDANT into the body, by swallowing or absorption.  Yet another physical process.

48. A *London subway system, with "the" : UNDERGROUND.   Here we have a place about which I know very little.  Maybe Steve can help.  It is the main setting of Neil Gaiman's strange novel Neverwhere, in which people lost from normal society find an existence in an alternate reality.

57 A. Each answer to a starred clue begins and ends with identical ones : THREESOMES.  A group of three people or things doing something together.  What they are doing here is acting as bookends.  What else can we find?

Across

1. Chickens (out) : WIMPS.  Usually a noun, but one may WIMP out, so OK.

6. Lay eyes on : ESPY.  This word, ultimately of germanic origin, comes to us via Old French.  I remember my college German Professor remarking that Old French was Latin spoken badly by Germans.  Compare to "spy." 

10. Judge's setting : BAIL.  Not a location, but a quantity of money set by the judge, paid to assure that an accused person does not run off.

14. Like kindling when lit : AFIRE.  Flaming A-word.

15. Advil target : ACHE.  Analgesic for pain relief.

16. Insulate, as a jacket : LINE.  Install a layer of lining for added warmth.

19. Killer whale : ORCA. Aquatic predator.

20. Cereal with lemony lemon and orangey orange flavors : TRIX.  As I recall, they're for kids.

21. Falling-out : RIFT.  Can't we all just get along?

22. Bryn Mawr undergrads : WOMEN.  This is a women's liberal arts college named for the Pennsylvania town in which it is located.  The name means "Large hill" in Welsh.

23. Have a bawl : SOB.  "Clever clue," he cried.  

26. Lacking the skill : UNABLE.   We all have our limits.

28. Not as much : LESS SO.

29. Katy who voiced Smurfette in "The Smurfs" : PERRY.  I did not know that.

30. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV.  Nor that.

33. Takes off the shelf : USES.  If one is able.

37. At the center of : AMID.  Surrounded.

40. Compete in a sack : RACE.  The infamous sack race.

41. Lets up : EASES.

45. Asian rice porridge : CONGEE.  Never heard of it.  Is it congealed?

47. Show up : ARRIVE.  Make an appearance.

52. Bus. card info : TELephone number.

53. Highly recommends : TOUTS.

54. "Monday Night Countdown" airer : ESPN.  All sports, all the time TV network.

55. Cruciverbalist Reagle of "Wordplay" : MERL.   We all knew this - right?  What you might not have known is that he retained all rights to his puzzles, and was thus able to make a living exclusively from puzzle construction.   Sadly, he passed away in August, 2015 from a sudden onset of pancreatitis.

56. Danish shoe company : ECCO.  A family-owned company founded in 1963.    They opened their first retail outlet in 1982.  Products, now including other leather goods, are sold in 14,000 sales points in 88 countries.

59. Big bunch : SLEW.  Derived from the Irish word sluagh, mid 19th century.

60. Golf game spoiler : RAIN.  Baseball, too.

61. Sailor's "Halt!" : AVAST.

62. Gull relative : TERN.  Shore birds.

63. Start of a preschool song : ABCD.  Four little letters?  Probably not.  Nor this one, I'm guessing.

64. __-Bismol : PEPTO.  Pink stuff for an upset tummy.

Down

1. Watches late TV until a teen comes home, say : WAITS UP.   Probably impatiently.

2. "From my perspective ... " : I FOR ONE.  

3. Hotel room amenity : MINIBAR.  Contains small, overpriced liquor bottles.

4. Amount to pay in Calais : PRIX.  The French price.

5. "__ who?" : SEZ.  Users of American slang, that's who.

6. Absorb the loss : EAT IT.  More American slang, for taking a financial loss.

7. "The Martian" genre : SCI-FI.  Science fiction.

8. Snapchat upload : PHOTO.  Pictures.

9. Nikkei index currency : YEN.  Japanese money

10. Diabetic's concern : BLOOD SUGAR.  The amount of glucose present in the blood stream.  Values outside the normal range can indicate a medical condition.

11. High behind a front, e.g. : AIR MASS.  A body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity and pressure.

12. Holy smoke : INCENSE.  A substance burned for it's sweet aroma.  As the clue indicates, it is often associated with solemn religious ceremonies.

13. Campsite shelters : LEAN-TOS.    Simple structures composed of a slanted roof-wall, with or without 2 side walls.  The fourth side is open, generally oriented away from the prevailing winds. 

18. Former Education secretary Duncan : ARNE.   Does anybody remember this man who served from 2009 through 2015?  Does anyone know for sure which name goes first or last?  It goes like this: ARNE Duncan.

22. Golfer Michelle : WIE.   [b 1989] She announced she was turning pro a week before her 16th birthday, and joined the PGA tour in 2009.  Here are some highlights from last year.

24. Kirk __, first movie Superman : ALYN.  He appeared in serialized Superman movies in 1948 and 1950.

25. Last Super Bowl won by the Giants : XLVI.    The game was played on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.    Eli Manning was the MVP as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17.

27. Capital of Barbados : BRIDGETOWN.  Located at the southwest corner of this island nation.  I had no clear idea of where Barbados is.  It is the eastward-most of any island in that part of the world.

30. "Tell __ story" : ME A.  Once upon a time . . .

31. PC key : ESCape.

32. MapQuest output: Abbr. : RTE.  Way Frm Pt A to Pt B.

35. Oldest Brady boy : GREG.  Played by Barry Williams

36. Geeky sort : NERD.

37. Most severe : ACUTEST.  In this sense, experienced to an extreme degree.   Is this word the awkwardest?

38. Accessory for Mr. Peanut : MONOCLE.

39. Ambien, vis-à-vis sleep : INDUCER.  It aids in falling asleep, but not in staying there.  But still can cause residual drowsiness the following morning.

42. Webpage index : SITE MAP.

43. "Into Thin Air" peak : EVEREST.  Book and movie of the same name that attempt to recreate the disastrous events of a climb that occurred on May 10, 1966.

44. Does business with : SELLS TO.   Or buys from.

46. Workplaces for LPNs : ERS. Licensed Practical nurses and Emergency Rooms.

47. Green Gables girl : ANNE.  An 11-year-old orphan girl mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister team who were expecting a boy to help on their Prince Edward Island Farm, in Lucy Montgomery's 1908 novel.  The story has been adapted many times into movies and plays.

49. Post-op therapy : REHAB.

50. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC. A superficial, shallow and insincere plotter.

51. Flip over : UPEND.

55. Bit of chess action : MOVE.  Almost - but not quite - always involves a single piece at a time.

57. __-la-la : TRA.  Sing-song syllables.

58. Con man's target : SAP.  An easy mark.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope all your letters are lining up.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Irish Miss, our loving & witty Agnes, who cares a lot about everyone on our little corner.

Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes

2) Happy Birthday also to Abejo (Bradley), who's always busy volunteering for various causes. Abejo is Persian for "beer". Bradley worked in Iran for a few years.

Bradley and his Tuba, Church Fat Tuesday Event