Friday, October 10, 2025 - Shannon Rapp & Will Eisenberg

 

Theme:  Taking a dive

Puzzling thoughts:

Thankfully I was on my "A" game today while solving this puzzle.  Unlike my last blog attempt, when I was completely stumped, this clever puzzle collaboration between Ms Rapp and Mr Eisenberg was a breeze

The reveal (63-across. Avian that plunges for prey, or what can be found in 14-, 28-, 52-, and 60-Across: DIVING BIRD) tells us all we need to know to solve the theme.  As the clue indicates, each of the 4 entries has a diving bird featured once you realize that the actual bird of prey "dives" at a 90° angle.  How?  Well, let's take a deep dive and explain

14-across. "Frasier" brother: NILES C and 15-down. Hoisting device: CRANE - As you look at the entire grid (see image below) you will notice that the character's name Niles Crane is highlighted by the perpendicular position of the diving bird

The filled grid

28-across. "All I Wanna Do" singer-songwriter: SHERYL C and 30-down. Brag: CROW. Just as in the first entry, Sheryl Crow is revealed when the bird species, crow, is added in the down position of her last name's initial.  As I scanned the website about crows I really didn't see how it fits as a diving bird.  This may have been the weakest of the flock, but it also inspired a Moe-ku (missing element from last blog):

        Singer Sheryl was

        Fearful of the Oz straw man;

        Did he just scare Crow?

52-across. Time's Person of the Year in 2023: TAYLOR S and 55-down. Rapid: SWIFT.  Check out its feeding habits to see how the swift fits the diving bird category.  And of course, the 2023 Time Magazine's Person of the Year, Taylor Swift, is perhaps the most popular singer on the planet.  According to Spotify the song featured in the video below is her most popular song

60-across. Pro skater of the Pro Skater video game franchise: TONY H and 62-down. Sell: HAWK.  This one I had trouble with.  In the first go 'round of solving (before I figured out the theme) I put Apolo (erstwhile Olympic speedskater) in this spot, as I had no idea about the video game "franchise"

What I further liked about this puzzle was how the constructors clued the entries.  The acrosses (14, 28, 52, and 60) all gave a straightforward representation of the person (Niles Crane was in Frasier; et al) while the downs all gave a completely different meaning of the word that depicted a bird of prey.  This must have been a really difficult puzzle to create let alone think up.  As I take a further "deep dive" into the remainder of the clues/answers I will identify those that were borderline green paint; but in the case of this puzzle, I am pretty sure that Patti allowed a few outliers to make sure it all came together

 

Across:
1. Nobel winner Niels: BOHR. This guy

5. "Moon and Half Dome" photographer: ADAMS.  The photographer's first name, Ansel, also fit the space but usually it's the last name the constructor is after

In Yosemite National Park

10. Starbucks seasonal drink with pie flavors, for short: PSL.  Pumpkin Spice Latte 

13. Specialty: AREA.  

[partial theme entry]

16. Pi follower: RHO.  16th letter (π) followed by 17th letter (ρ).  The next in the series are: ς, ⲧ, υ, φ, ᵪ, ᴪ, and ѡ?  Not clear?  Is it all Greek to you? [sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, and omega, all in lower case]

17. Harvest: REAP.

18. Chain with Two Buck Chuck wine: TRADER JOE'S.  As the resident sommelier, I will attest that the Two Buck Chuck series of wine (which now sells for $3.99 per bottle, I think) is pretty ordinary.  But there are many "diamonds in the rough" at TJ's and the Chairman is quite fond of them.  Send me an email if you're wanting some advice as what to buy at this iconic supermarket chain

20. Flourless cake: TORTE.  Which reminded me of this spoonerism/riddle:

What is the difference between a heavy weight and guests at a party avoiding a rich cake?  One is a SHORT TON, while the other is a TORTE SHUN

22. Uni- + bi-: TRI.  Just the opposite order of numeric prefixes used by most cyclists.  Start out on a TRIcycle, advance to a BIcycle, and if you're really coordinated you graduate to a UNIcycle

23. "Emmy in the Key of Code" author Lucido: AIMEE.  I will admit to asking Siri to provide this answer.  I had a couple of the letters but was too impatient to wait for the perps.  She is also a crossword puzzle constructor

24. Airplane __: MODE.  Funny fact:  on the day I solved this I had just returned home from my trip to my 55th HS reunion.  I was on board a Delta flight and of course had to set my phone to Airplane Mode. Why use that setting?  See the video for some answers ... 

26. Central parking facility: MAIN LOT.  My first entry that felt like green paint

[partial theme entry]

31. Divisive feature of some racket sports?: NET.  The net divides the two sides of the tennis court as well as pickleball, et al

32. Try to win over: WOO.  Moe-ku #2:

        Owl and Pussycat

        Had love language. The cat purred;

        The owl? A WOO Hoo

33. Woven poncho: SERAPE.

36. Mlle., in Spain: SRTA.  I almost Miss'd this

40. Sun Devils sch.: ASU. CSO to both me and Lucina.  Arizona State University has two campuses in our area:  Tempe and Phoenix.  My partner's son is an instructor there

41. Use crayons: COLOR.  I thought this was a cute clue.  

Fun fact:  The Chairman's crayon box (as a kid) had just 8 colors - and speaking of colo(u)rs here is one of my favorite tracks in the YouTube video below.  Terry Kath sang vocals; Robert Lamm was on keyboards; Walter Parazaider played the flute solo; and trombonist James Pankow wrote and composed the song.  Enjoy!

42. Eternity: EON.
 
43. Cold-weather cryptid: YETI.  Helps to know what the word cryptid means.  Interesting that the first use of the word was in 1983.  Moe-ku #3:

        Cryptid is a word

        I don't know.  I looked it up,

        YETI'm still perplexed

45. Nestling chirps: TWEETS.  Cheeps also fit

47. Get weepy: CRY.  Sob also fits

48. First-aid subj.: CPR.  A tip of the hat to our first responders/emergency medical technicians

50. Herbal infusion: MINT TEA.  The entry isn't green paint; the clue seemed to be, though, IMO

[partial theme entry]

56. Audio brand: AIWA.  Sony also fits 

57. Former "Top Chef" host Lakshmi: PADMA.  Her website

58. Be in debt: OWE.  My only OWEment is for the house in which we reside.  All else is paid off, month-to-month

[partial theme entry]

[reveal] 

66. __ fresca: AGUA.  Translation is either "cool water" or "fresh water".  Water from the ocean (aka, seawater) in Spanish is Agua de Mar

67. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

68. Low-speed personal iPhone video: SLOFIE.  I am sure this was one that Patti let slip by but maybe it is a real thing; too lazy to google it and insert one

69. Part of a plushie-stocked arcade game: CLAW.  When I put in claw and found it correct, I was gobsmacked.  I don't think the odds are your favor when playing this "game"

I also found a video about Claw machines that, while almost 10 years old, gives some good info

70. WashU's city: STL.  Washington University is located in St Louis, MO

71. Abalone eater: OTTER.

72. Many a charity run: TEN K.  For those who are metrically challenged, a ten-kilometer race is about 6.2 miles in length.  In my youth I could run one of these in about 40-45 minutes.  Now I could walk one in about one hour and 40-45 minutes

Down:
1. Simpson who says, "Eat my shorts!": BART.  I thought this cartoon was funny

2. Cookie with a blueberry pie flavor: OREO.  There are so many random clues out there with regards to an Oreo cookie.  I rarely buy them but if/when I do I usually go for the double-stuffed version

3. "I promise it's not as weird as it sounds ... ": HEAR ME OUT.

4. Blue of "Jurassic World," for one: RAPTOR.

5. Leafcutter __: insect whose colony grows a fungus garden: ANT.

6. Stuff in a vacuum: DIRT.  Dust also fits

7. Dream disrupter: ALARM.  Cute clue

8. Film and television: MEDIA.  

9. Minneapolis-to-70-Across dir.: SSE.  At first this didn't seem correct to me, as I mistakenly put SEA in as WashU's location.  The U of Wash is located in SEAttle; Wash U is in ST Louis.  Fun fact:  there is another pair of universities with a similar outcome:  Miami University is in Oxford, OH whilst University of Miami is in Coral Gables, FL

10. Teaser ad: PROMO.

11. Word with rock and music: SHEET.  This clue was pretty clever.  Sheet rock is a nickname for Gypsum Board - the panels used by home builders for interior walls; Sheet music is the name for written songs/lyrics presented in a paper format

12. Come up short: LOSE.

[partial theme entry]

19. Leaves painfully: JILTS.

21. Extra Caramel Churro brand: EDYS.

25. Spider-Man foe who was struck by lightning: ELECTRO.  A description of Electro is in here somewhere

27. Subject of Newton's first law: INERTIA.  A few real life examples

28. Pull: SWAY.  While the thesaurussaurus may not agree, when the word "pull" is defined as a noun (meaning "the ability to exercise influence) the word sway fits

Thesaurussaurus was thinking of the verb definition of "pull"

29. Vacuum part: HOSE.

[partial theme entry]

34. Tavern quaff: ALE.  Whilst visiting the area nearby my hometown (for my HS reunion) I found a really good brewpub and an equally good taproom where I had several quaffs.  Ale, Porter, Stout, and a Lager

35. Cinquain, e.g.: POEM.  In 43 across I confessed that I didn't know the word "cryptid" - the clue for YETI.  I didn't know the definition of cinquain either.  And for someone who has been given the power of Moetic Justice you'd think I'd know this ... should I try my hand at a "Moe-quain"??  Why not!  The "rules" for writing a cinquain are in the hyperlink above

        Puzzles

        I can solve them

        And can also blog them

        When I construct them, I provide

        Cross words

37. Colorado or Wyoming, but not Utah: RECTANGLE.  Interesting "Friday-like" clue.  It is referring to the state's approximate shape - Colorado and Wyoming are rectangular - but so is Utah.  Count the number of sides ... it's four, just like the other two.  Strange ...

 

Every google for
"the shape of Utah" said "Rectangle"

 

38. Broke bread, say?: TORE.

39. Chess grand master Corke: ANYA.  Seriously?  Any hands up for recognizing this person?  Not I.  Here is some information about her

44. "Don't overlook this news" letters: ICYMI.  In Case You Missed It

46. Tizzy: SNIT.  I am still in a snit about the clue for 37 across

49. Schemes: PLANS.

51. Like many plays: TWO ACT.  ONE ACT also fits - and it was what Moe entered, initially 

52. Contaminate: TAINT. I am not going to touch this one ... 

53. Ibuprofen brand: ADVIL.  Do you recall when I said that for 70 across my first answer was SEA?  Well, guess what that did for 53 down?  I literally swallowed three Ibuprofen caplets to calm my headache when I tried to figure out which brand of that pain reliever ended in an "A"

54. Captcha target: ROBOT.  Hah!  Yup, Captchas are still being used to prove that you're a human

[partial theme entry]

57. Shared intimacies, briefly: PDAS.  Another entry that sparkled of green paint.  Wouldn't you commonly say Public DisplayS of Affection?  Not public display affections.  This is why you shouldn't pluralize an abbreviation

59. City on a lake with the same name: ERIE.  Easiest clue/solve today

61. Dough used for bao?: YUAN.  This clue/solve had some real punch to it!  For those who saw this and scratched their head:  A bao is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun that is seen in several Chinese cuisines.  The play-on-word in the clue refers not to the starch, but to a nickname for currency - which in China is the Yuan

[partial theme entry]

64. __ Worm: 1980s bedtime toy: GLO.  I don't recall my daughter having one of these; she is a 1980's kid.  I'll have to call her and ask

Sleeping with this would give me nightmares

65. German article: DER.  Ich habe Deutsch in beide Hochschule und Universität studiert. Mein Spitzname war "Chris der Grosse" 🤣

Ist alles gut? Ausgezeichnet! Bitte, unten kommentieren. Bis später; tschüss!

Ps:  If you want to know what I said the last few lines, here is a link to a German/English translation tool

Wed., Jun 26th, Shannon Rapp & Will Eisenberg

-

A not-too-difficult-level Wednesday for yours, "verily", but upon finishing, stared at the theme answers for too long a time, trying to determine what the reveal had to do with the other four answers.  I finally decided that it had something to do with the first and last few letters of each fill, but was not thrilled with the results; the end letters "wrap" the answers and reveal a "party".  Meh.  Nevertheless, I checked in with our host, and she agreed that I was, in fact, correct.  Sigh.  Three 11-letter and two 10-letter themers, which took up a lot of squares, and left us with some fresh fill, but also a ridiculous amount of three-letter-words (3LW).  The theme answers/reveal;

17. *Swimmer that can expand to three times its normal size: BALLOON FISH - BASH - I am shocked that BALLoon was acceptable, considering that the next theme is "BALL"

26. *Dreamhouse occupant: BARBIE DOLL - BALL - seems like a dupe to me

38. *Employee responsible for minimizing negative outcomes: RISK MANAGER - RAGER - had to look this one up; I have heard of a "RAVE" party, but a "RAGER" is new to me - and I noted, too that "SARAN" was scrambled in the answer, which is also a "wrap", so to speak. . . . .

51. *Greek salad component: FETA CHEESE - FETE - Meh.  Feta & Fete are just too close for me

61. Postshow cast celebrations, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: WRAP PARTIES - Parties that "wrap" the theme answers, but not really; more like bookend...

I like this "Wrap Dress" party better

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. "Good heavens!": "EGAD~!" - O God, I can't believe this puzzle passed muster~!

5. Novelize, perhaps: ADAPT - Meh.  Isn't it the other way, adapting a novel TO a screenplay~?

10. Old-school cool: HEP - 3LW#1

13. Star-nosed diggers: MOLES - not pretty, but I guess it gets the job done~!

15. Skin care brand: NIVEA

16. United: ONE - 3LW#2

19. Boy of the fam: BRO - 3LW#3

20. Not needing an MD's script: OTC - Over-The-Counter; I see now that birth control AND the "little blue pills" are available without a prescription;  Hmmm - coincidence~? - And 3LW#4

21. "Black-ish" father: DRE - perps - And 3LW#5

22. Like some arcade games: COIN-OP - should there be an abbr. in the clue, or is this in the vernacular~?

24. Ego: SELF

29. Prognosticator: SEER - I am merely a proCRASTINator

30. Bath bathroom: LOO - British city Bath, British bathroom  - And 3LW#6

31. Skilled: ABLE - the Florida Panthers were ABLE to hoist the Stanley Cup Monday after winning Game Seven - sorry Oilers fans

32. Put in a little oil, say: SAUTÉ

35. Back tooth: MOLAR

41. Front-end alignment: TOE-IN - if you're "10A." like me, when you took your car to the mechanic, there were three things to correct, Toe-in/out, Camber, and Caster

42. "Veep" role for Louis-Dreyfus: MEYER - Meh.  Talk about vague - last name for a last name from a sit-com that was only on HBO five+ years ago - I just happened to recognize the name, due to the popularity of Seinfeld, but that didn't really help much

44. Many a Jordanian: ARAB

47. CGI-heavy superhero franchise: MCU - Marvel Comics Cinematic Universe - totally not my wheelhouse, and the reason why I missed "Brie" last Wednesday - my apologies to waseeley et. al. - And 3LW#7

49. Intl. oil cartel: OPEC

55. "The Possibilities Are Beautiful" retailer: ULTA

56. Contributing element: FACTOR

57. Catan resource: ORE - Catan is a board game; I invented a board game that uses "resources" as well; now I am trying to find someone who knows code, so it can be converted to a phone/tablet app; I'm willing to split the profits - And 3LW#8

59. Century divs.: YRs - 3LW#9

60. That, in Spanish: ESO - 3LW#10

65. Trig function: COS - sin, cos, tan, cot, sec, csc - take your pick - And 3LW#11

66. One holding things back?: LEVEE - I have to include this song

Did you catch the missed hi-hat~?  John Bonham - prob my fave drummer

67. Gulf of Suez peninsula: SINAI -the "incident" from three years ago; $540million fine~!

68. Explosive material: TNT - 3LW#12

69. Reproduce like salmon: SPAWN

70. Boot camp figs.: SGTs


DOWN:

1. Create a design that stands out?: EMBOSS - I did this a long time ago using the "emboss" tool from Photoshop

2. Small beards: GOATEES

3. Safe call: ALL CLEAR

4. "Doin' Time" singer Lana __ Rey: DEL - WAG - But the video is pretty cool.  A remake of a song that was already a remake of a classic song.  And 3LW#13

5. Strengthen, in metallurgy: ANNEAL

6. "What's the __?": DIFference~? - Slang - And 3LW#14

7. Pic above a username: AVI - Meh.  Avatar, abbr. - And 3LW#15

8. Joe of "Casino": PESCI - the one name I DID know

9. Largest North American alpine lake: TAHOE - HURON fit, but that's not the largest of the Great Lakes; "so what's an alpine lake~?" I wondered . . . .

10. Mingle (with): HOBNOB - Spellcheck is OK with this as one word

11. Join the club: ENROLL - meh.  "Signed up" is better suited to "clubs", IMHO

12. Folks: PEOPLE

14. Roll on the lawn: SOD - 3LW#16

18. Planet, e.g.: ORB - 3LW#17

23. Goading words: I DARE YOU - I triple DOG dare you~!

25. Frugivorous flying mammal: FRUIT BAT - I sussed frugivorous meant fruit; see the "Flying Fox"

27. Colleen Hoover's genre: ROMANCE - no clue, filled via perps - Goodreads

28. Godsend: BOON

33. General on American Chinese menus: TSO - 3LW#18

34. Scrape (by): EKE - 3LW#19

36. Quick getaway: LAM - Meh. 3LW#20

37. Number on a birthday card: AGE - 3LW#21

39. Silent actor: MIME - are you aiming for these people~?

Maybe that mime

40. Getting back (to): REPLYING

43. Opposite of charge: RETREAT - not the "deplete" of a battery, but the fall-back of a military group

44. Have an impact on: AFFECT

45. Motivation: REASON

46. For neither profit nor loss: AT COST

48. Tournament won by Coco Gauff in 2023: US OPEN - no clue, but a fairly safe WAG

50. Black currant liqueur: CASSIS

52. Some sweater necks: COWLS

53. Corp. employee in charge of recruitment: HR REP - interesting fill

54. Cy Young stat: ERA - 3LW#22

58. Triage ctrs.: ERs - 3LW#23

62. Filmmaker DuVernay: AVA - filled via perps; her IMDb - And 3LW#24

63. Syllable in a blaster imitation: PEW - there's a bird ( I believe ) that I hear every morning - I am up typically at 4am - and its call is "pew-pew, pew-pew", and it makes me think of a laser blaster every time; anyone know which bird I mean~? - And 3LW#25

64. "Verily!": "TIS~!" - think "Old English" = truly - And the final 3LW#26

 I am following Chairman Moe's lead from Fri Jun 14th, and rating this puzzle at just 1⭐

Splynter

THAT'S A WRAP

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 Will Eisenberg and Shannon Rapp

div>Theme: Get It In Gear!  The first word of each theme fill entry is a choice from the gear selector in an automobile.  In the industry, we call it the PRNDL.  Kudos to the construction crew for getting them in this order.

17 A. Actor who plays Cho Sang-woo on "Squid Game": PARK HAE-SOO.  [Park Pyeong-ho b. 1978] is a South Korean actor who has appeared in many movies and TV shows in his homeland.  But - have any of you ever heard of him?   PARK is the gear selection when you don't want the vehicle to move.

24 A. Travel that largely avoids rush-hour traffic: REVERSE COMMUTE.  This is typically a round trip from a home in the city to a job in the suburbs, the opposite of the more common route.  REVERSE is used to go backwards. Look out behind!

35. Cult-favorite indie band formed by Jeff Mangum: NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL.  An American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock and psychedelic folk. Mangum wrote surreal and opaque lyrics that covered a wide range of topics, including love, spirituality, nostalgia, sex, and loneliness.   I am usually quite circumspect in my critiques on this blog.  But having two theme entries that I have to characterize as gratuitous obscurity is, in my humble opinion, beyond the pale.   NEUTRAL is used when the vehicle is idling.

51. Infuriate: DRIVE UP THE WALL.  Make someone irritated, angry or crazy.  I haven't heard this expression in recent decades.  DRIVE is the gear selection for making forward progress.

59. "Plug me in soon!" warning: LOW BATTERY.  Notification from your electronic device.  LOW gear is used for slow progress - to avoid sliding or digging the tires into mud or sand

Hi Gang - JazzBupma here in the driver's seat today.  Let's see where today's journey takes us.  Looks like this is Will's first entry in the L.A. Times, so congrats!

Across:

1. "You crack me up": HA-HA.  Funny.

5. Print sources?: PAWS.  From your pet doggo.

9. Cookie quantity: BATCH.  Often some number of dozens.

14. Bake-off appliance: OVEN.  Sometimes full of cookies.

15. Unseen Beckett character: GODOT.  From the play "Waiting For Godot," who never arrives.

16. Bugler's blast: BLARE.  Sadly, I couldn't find an actual BLARE, so here is some pretty good bugle playing.

19. Ingredient in piccata dishes: CAPER.   Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers.

The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning or garnish, and the fruit (caper berries), both of which are usually consumed salted or, alternatively, pickled.

20. "Exile in Guyville" singer Phair: LIZ.   Elizabeth Clark Phair (b. 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area.  Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

21. Clamor: DIN.   A loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise.

23. Way to go: ROAD.   A place to get your vehicle in gear.

28. Alcorn __: HBCU in Mississippi: STATE.   Alcorn State University is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. 

30. Personal: OWN.  I guess you have to consider a phrase like, "This is my OWN thing."

31. Court clown: JESTER.  AKA: fool.

32. Arcade giant: SEGA.   A Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

33. Culture essayist Tolentino: JIA.   Jia Angeli Carla Tolentino (b. 1988) is an American writer and editor.  A staff writer for The New Yorker, she previously worked as deputy editor of Jezebel and a contributing editor at The Hairpin. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Pitchfork. In 2019, her collected essays were published as Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion.

34. Letters of urgency: SOS.  Derives from Morse code dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot.  More here.

42. Window boxes?: ACS.  Air Conditioners.   Clever clue.

43. __ kwon do: TAE.   a Korean form of martial arts characterized by punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. The literal translation for tae kwon do is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of".

44. Sad Keanu or Grumpy Cat: MEME.   A humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by internet users.

45. Toiling away: AT WORK.  

49. Thanksgiving mo. in Canada: OCTober.

50. Needle: TEASE.  Drive up the wall?

54. Copenhagen resident: DANE.  Citizen of Denmark.

55. Kung __ chicken: PAO.    A spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish made with cubes of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. The classic dish in Sichuan cuisine originated in the Sichuan province of south-western China and includes Sichuan peppercorns. 

56. Orange or peach: HUE.  Colors.

57. Antique mall?: AGORA.   In ancient Greece, a public open space used for assemblies and markets.  Clever clue.

65. Countryman and Clubman: MINIS.  Mini (stylised as MINI) is a British automotive marque founded in 1969, owned by German automotive company BMW since 2000, and used by them for a range of small cars assembled in the United Kingdom, Austria and the Netherlands. The word Mini has been used in car model names since 1959, and in 1969 it became a marque in its own right when the name "Mini" replaced the separate "Austin Mini" and "Morris Mini" car model names

66. "Silas Marner" novelist: ELIOT.  Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe is the third novel by George Eliot. It was published in 1861. An outwardly simple tale of a linen weaver, the novel is notable for its strong realism and its sophisticated treatment of a variety of issues ranging from religion to industrialisation to community.  Mary Ann Evans (1819 – 1880 known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. 

67. Loyal: TRUE.   Giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution.

68. Does some onstage improv: SCATS.  To improvise nonsense syllables usually to an instrumental accompaniment : sing scat.

69. Reject: DENY.

70. 38-Down ingredients: EGGS.  Primary component of an omelet. 

Down:

1. Bounce: HOP.

2. "When They See Us" creator DuVernay: AVA.  Ava Marie DuVernay [b. 1972] is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee of an Academy Award and Golden Globe. 

3. Feminine pronoun: HER.  In objective case.

4. Art that may be covered by a boot: ANKLE TAT.  Skin art.

Many more here

5. "The Purloined Letter" writer Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe’s stature as a major figure in world literature is primarily based on his ingenious and profound short stories, poems, and critical theories, which established a highly influential rationale for the short form in both poetry and fiction.   More here.

6. Promos: ADS.  Advertisements.

7. Like heavy clogs: WOODEN.  Made of wood.

8. Showing little emotion: STOIC.  not affected by or showing passion or feeling.  Having a wooden heart.

9. "EastEnders" network: BBC.  British Broadcasting Corporation, the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, based at Broadcasting House in London, England.

10. Startles: ALARMS. 

11. Submit, in an MMA match: TAP OUT.    Submit to an opponent by tapping one's hand repeatedly either on the arena or the opponent's body.

12. Generate: CREATE.  Produce

13. Sheepdog, e.g.: HERDER.   A type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding. Their ability to be trained to act on the sound of a whistle or word of command is renowned throughout the world.

15. Steady look: GAZE.   Look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought.

18. Bee complex: HIVE.    A structure where bees live, either built by people or made by the bees themselves :

22. "Seriously!": NO JOKE.  For realz.

24. Barilla rival: RAGU.   Makers of Italian style sauces.

25. Churns: ROILS.   Disturbs. physically or literally.

26. Paddled, say: SWAM. 

27. Get along well: MESH.   Like gears.

28. W-2 fig.: SSN.   Social Security Number

29. Merch table buy: TEE.  I suppose this is a shirt.  Or possibly a golf accessory, depending on the type of merch.

33. Raise dramatically, as prices: JACK UP.  

34. Bluish gray: SLATE.  Slate is a dark shade of grey that has been mixed with a hint of azure for a cool tone, modern shade. 

36. Steak order: RARE.  Cooked so that the inside is still red

37. Nagging desire: ITCH.  A strong desire to do something

38. Brunch choice: OMELETTE.    A dish made by mixing eggs together and frying them, often with small pieces of other food such as cheese or vegetables; here spelt pretentiously.

39. Aqua kin: TEAL.  Blue-green colors.

40. Two-fifths of Miami?: EMS.  Letters in the word.  Meh!

41. Gymnast Suni: LEE.   Sunisa "Suni" Lee [b. 2003] is a Hmong American artistic gymnast. She is the 2020 Olympic all-around champion and uneven bars bronze medalist. She was a member of the teams that won gold at the 2019 World Championships and silver at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Gold Medal Flower

45. "Altogether ooky" family: ADDAMS.  

46. Woeful: TRAGIC.   Characterized by, expressive of, or causing sorrow or misery.

47. Actress Ryder: WINONA.   Winona Laura Horowitz [b. 1971] professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, in the 1990s, she rose to prominence for her more varying roles in productions of diverse genres.   Numerous views.

48. Ready to move on: OVER IT.

49. Annette of "Virgin River": O'TOOLE.   Annette O'Toole [b. 1952} is an American actress. She is known for portraying Lisa Bridges in the television series Nash Bridges, Beverly Marsh in the 1990 television mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's epic horror novel It, Lana Lang in Superman III, Kathy in the romantic-comedy film Cross My Heart and Martha Kent (the mother of Clark Kent) on the television series Smallville.

50. Pulled tight: TAUT.   Stretched or pulled tight; not slack.

52. Lost color: PALED.  Looked more wan.

53. "Come again?": WHAT?   Please repeat.

58. Burro: ASS.  Beast of burden.

60. Come in first: WIN.  Be victorious.

61. Lad: BOY.   Young boy.

62. Rowing machine, familiarly: ERG.  Is it the Ergatta or the Concept Two RowErg?  Beats me.

63. Hallway runner: RUG.   A long, narrow rug meant to be used in a hallway, galley kitchen, or other area of the home where space is narrow, but long.

64. "You got it": YES.  Correct.

So we arrive at our Wednesday destination.  I was able to say something good about the puzzle and something bad about the puzzle.  Overall, the journey was OK.  Hope you made it to the end with no accidents.

Cool regards!

JzB