17 A. *Ice cream sundae traditionally served in a boat: BANANA SPLIT. A classic American ice cream dessert made with a peeled banana split lengthwise, a trio of ice cream scoops, and a variety of toppings, including syrups, nuts, whipped cream, and cherries. SPLIT also means to leave a place, or to depart quickly.
40 A. *Salt-free seasoning introduced in 1983: MRS DASH. A brand of salt-free seasonings introduced in 1983 and marketed by B&G Foods, offering various herb and spice blends to add flavor to food without sodium. The brand dropped the "Mrs." to create a modern identity and emphasize its ability to provide a quick, salt-free flavor boost. DASH also means to move or run very quickly.
65 A. *Rehearsal: PRACTICE RUN. A trial, test, or rehearsal performed before a real event, performance, or deployment to ensure it is prepared and functions correctly. To RUN is to move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
11 D. *Inflatable structure at a kids party: MOON BOUNCE. An inflatable structure (also known as a bounce house) that children play in at events, named for the bouncing motion that resembles astronauts walking on the moon. I had BOUNCE HOUSE, which set me back. In slang, to BOUNCE means to leave or depart from a place, often quickly or abruptly.
30 D. *Listing of all-time accomplishments: RECORD BOOK. A compilation of outstanding achievements or best results in a specific field. In slang, BOOK means to leave or depart suddenly and quickly, often to hurry or flee.
And the unifier: 73 A. Have the final turn, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: GO LAST. This is clever construction, a synonym for "go" is in the last part of the fill. Well played!
Since many of these departures suggest getting away or escaping, here is today's theme song.
Across:
1. Premolar neighbor: CANINE. A pointed tooth between the incisors and premolars of a mammal, often greatly enlarged in carnivores.
7. Opposite of sans: AVEC. Without, and with, in French.
11. Bub: MAC. Dude, bro, bud, guy.
14. Handy: USEFUL. Able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways.
15. Indistinct number: SOME. More than a few, maybe.
16. Lone: ONE. Alone, solitary, or the only one of its kind.
19. Fertility clinic cells: OVA. The mature female reproductive cells, or egg cells, which are the gametes produced by a female organism that, upon fertilization by a male gamete (sperm), can develop into a new individual.
20. Minor dustup: SPAT. A brief petty quarrel or angry outburst;
21. Masks and gowns in the OR, e.g.: PPE. Personal Protective Equipment, worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
22. Game featuring matches and love: TENNIS. In tennis, "love" means zero. When a player or team has scored no points, their score is "love," such as "15-love" for 15 points to 0.
24. Organize: ASSORT. Arrange or order by classes or categories.
27. Money with a double-headed eagle: RUBLE. The basic monetary unit of Russia and some other former republics of the Soviet Union, equal to 100 kopeks.
28. Before now: EARLIER. In the recent past.
31. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO. A fort in San Antonio, Texas, the site of a pivotal siege and massacre in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.
33. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA. Amtrak's flagship passenger train service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia.
34. Pledge drive gift: TOTE. A large, roomy bag, often open-topped, with parallel handles, used to carry many items.
36. __ mail: BULK. A method of sending large volumes of mail at reduced rates, either as part of a marketing or communication campaign or as physical mail sent by an organization.
39. Brief moment in time?: SEC. One second, a 60th on a minute.
43. Highland rejection: NAE. The Scottish word for "no" or "not",
44. Walked heavily: TROD. Stomped.
7. Opposite of sans: AVEC. Without, and with, in French.
11. Bub: MAC. Dude, bro, bud, guy.
14. Handy: USEFUL. Able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways.
15. Indistinct number: SOME. More than a few, maybe.
16. Lone: ONE. Alone, solitary, or the only one of its kind.
19. Fertility clinic cells: OVA. The mature female reproductive cells, or egg cells, which are the gametes produced by a female organism that, upon fertilization by a male gamete (sperm), can develop into a new individual.
20. Minor dustup: SPAT. A brief petty quarrel or angry outburst;
21. Masks and gowns in the OR, e.g.: PPE. Personal Protective Equipment, worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
22. Game featuring matches and love: TENNIS. In tennis, "love" means zero. When a player or team has scored no points, their score is "love," such as "15-love" for 15 points to 0.
24. Organize: ASSORT. Arrange or order by classes or categories.
27. Money with a double-headed eagle: RUBLE. The basic monetary unit of Russia and some other former republics of the Soviet Union, equal to 100 kopeks.
28. Before now: EARLIER. In the recent past.
31. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO. A fort in San Antonio, Texas, the site of a pivotal siege and massacre in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.
33. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA. Amtrak's flagship passenger train service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 13 intermediate stops, including Baltimore, New York City and Philadelphia.
34. Pledge drive gift: TOTE. A large, roomy bag, often open-topped, with parallel handles, used to carry many items.
36. __ mail: BULK. A method of sending large volumes of mail at reduced rates, either as part of a marketing or communication campaign or as physical mail sent by an organization.
39. Brief moment in time?: SEC. One second, a 60th on a minute.
43. Highland rejection: NAE. The Scottish word for "no" or "not",
44. Walked heavily: TROD. Stomped.
46. "I'm standing right here": AHEM. The clearing of one's throat. I can see the connection to the clue, but am not fond of it in a puzzle.
47. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT. An abbreviation of the Latin phrase opus citatum or opere citato, meaning "the work cited" or in the cited work, respectively.
49. Riding event: RODEO. An exhibition or contest in which cowboys show their skill at riding broncos, roping calves, wrestling steers, etc.
51. Become familiar with: INURE TO. Accustom someone to something, especially something unpleasant.
53. "The Princess Bride" co-star __ the Giant: ANDRE. André René Roussimoff (19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone.
53. "The Princess Bride" co-star __ the Giant: ANDRE. André René Roussimoff (19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone.
55. Leonard who wrote "Get Shorty": ELMORE. Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925 – August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
57. Jewish mystical doctrine: CABALA. The ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible, first transmitted orally and using esoteric methods (including ciphers). It reached the height of its influence in the later Middle Ages and remains significant in Hasidism.
59. Energy bar grain: OAT. A species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural). Oats appear to have been domesticated as a secondary crop, as their seeds resembled those of other cereals closely enough for them to be included by early cultivators.
60. Named names: SANG. Confessed, especially under interrogation, or acted as an informer. Here, the latter is indicated.
64. GI show gp.: USO. The United Service Organizations (USO) show, a popular form of entertainment for troops.
68. Eastern "way": TAO. In Chinese philosophy, the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order.
69. Above the strike zone: HIGH. The baseball strike zone is an invisible area over home plate, extending from the midpoint between a batter's shoulders and the top of their uniform pants, down to just below the kneecaps, when the batter is in their stance and ready to swing. A pitch outside the strike zone is called a ball.
70. Nabe in lower Manhattan: NOLITA. Derived from "Northern Little Italy", Nolita is situated in Lower Manhattan, bounded on the north by Houston Street, on the east by the Bowery, on the south roughly by Broome Street, and on the west by Lafayette Street.[4] It lies east of SoHo, south of NoHo, west of the Lower East Side, and north of Little Italy and Chinatown.
71. Antlered buglers: ELK. The second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The word "elk" originally referred to the European variety of the moose, Alces alces, but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists.
72. Pi Day follower: IDES. Pi day is 3/14, representing the first 3 digits of the number π, 3.14; and the IDES is 3/15, a day falling roughly in the middle of each month.
Down:
1. Windy City team: CUBS. The Chicago Cubs are currently in 2nd place in the National League Central Division of Major League Baseball.
2. Urgent letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.
3. "99 Luftballons" singer: NENA. Gabriele Susanne Kerner (born 24 March 1960), better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer who rose to international fame in 1983 as the lead vocalist of the band Nena with the Neue Deutsche Welle song "99 Luftballons". In that same year, the band re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons".
And here is the English language version.
4. "Maybe not even that": IF AT ALL. It indicates that something is unlikely to happen, or rarely happens, and that it will occur in a negative or restricted way if it does happen.
5. Convent member: NUN. A member of a religious community of women, especially a cloistered one, living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
6. Go by: ELAPSE. Of time: to slip or pass by.
7. In accordance with: AS PER. A formal phrase that means "in accordance with" or "according to".
8. Up/down arrows on a remote: Abbr.: VOLume. Controlling the loudness of the broadcast medium.
9. Send off: EMIT. Produce and discharge something, especially a sound, gas or radiation.
10. Peter of Chicago: CETERA. Peter Paul Cetera Jr. is a retired American singer, songwriter, bassist, and producer. He's best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago, where he played bass and sang lead vocals from 1967 to 1985. Cetera recorded 17 albums with Chicago and launched a successful solo career with eight studio albums.
12. Middle ear bone: ANVIL. The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles. These bones are: Malleus (hammer): Attached to the eardrum. Incus (anvil): Connected to the malleus and stapes. Stapes (stirrup): Attached to the oval window, which leads to the inner ear. The ossicles amplify and transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. They play a crucial role in hearing.
13. Discontinue: CEASE. Stop!
18. Adidas offering: SPORT SHOE. Footwear designed for physical activity, such as running, playing basketball, or exercising, and comes in various types like running shoes, tennis shoes, and cross-trainers.
23. Not really feeling it?: NUMB. Deprived of the power of sensation.
25. Thailand, once: SIAM. A country in Southeast Asia that was known as Siam for centuries before being renamed Thailand in the late 1930s. The name Siam is an exonym, a term used by outsiders, and also refers to several historical kingdoms and the ethnic group that later became known as the Thais.
26. Flooring in a ryokan: TATAMI MAT. A traditional Japanese flooring or sleeping surface made of woven rush grass over a compressed rice straw core, known for its natural insulation, moisture-absorbing properties, and a firm yet yielding surface.
28. Sunrise locale: EAST. The direction toward the point of the horizon where the sun rises at the equinoxes, on the right-hand side of a person facing north, or the point on the horizon itself.
29. Taiwanese tech giant: ACER. A Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company known for its laptops, desktops, monitors, and gaming systems like the Predator brand.
32. French article: LES. A plural form of the definite article "the" with any plural noun, regardless of gender, when referring to specific or general items.
35. "__ of Girls' Things": poem by Sharon Olds: ODE. Sharon Olds (born November 19, 1942) is an American poet. She won the first San Francisco Poetry Center Award in 1980, the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award, and the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.She teaches creative writing at New York University and is a previous director of the Creative Writing Program at NYU. Her poem can be found here.
37. Café addition: LAIT. French milk.
38. Fat-heavy diet: KETO. A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that aims to put the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In ketosis, the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
41. Issa of "Insecure": RAE. Jo-Issa Rae Diop is an award-winning actress, writer, producer, director, and web series creator. She first gained recognition for her 2011 YouTube series Awkward Black Girl, which she also wrote and starred in. Rae is perhaps best known for her role in the HBO show Insecure, which she co-created, co-wrote, and starred in from 2016 to 2021. She has received multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her work on the show.
42. Time division: HOUR. A unit of time equal to 60 minutes or 3,600 seconds, representing one-twenty-fourth of a day.
45. Cartoon explorer: DORA. Dora the Explorer is an American children's animated television series in the Dora the Explorer franchise, created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes, and Eric Weiner that premiered on Nickelodeon on August 14, 2000, and ended on August 9, 2019. The series was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
50. Oracle site: DELPHI. The Oracle at Delphi was the most renowned prophetic institution in ancient Greece, featuring a priestess known as the Pythia who delivered prophecies from the god Apollo, often through ambiguous answers to questions from seekers across the Greek world.
52. Observing: NOTING. Noticing or perceiving something and registering it as being significant.
53. Between zero and 90 degrees: ACUTE. Said of any angle so described.
54. Congested, perhaps: NASAL. Said of a condition possibly affecting one's voice or breathing.
56. Scottish bodies of water: LOCHS. Lakes or sea inlets.
58. Extremely dry: ARID. Long time no sea.
61. Solo at the Met: ARIA. A long accompanied song for a solo voice, typically one in an opera or oratorio.
62. 17-Across topper: NUTS. A nut is a fruit consisting of hard or tough shell around an edible kernel. The kernel is sometimes crushed and used as desert garnish.
63. Buzzer in a cloud: GNAT. A small two-winged fly that resembles a mosquito. Gnats include both biting and nonbiting forms, and they typically form large swarms.
66. Mature: AGE. Develop a desirable quality through a period of time,
67. Talk sweetly: COO. To make a soft, murmuring sound, like that of a dove or pigeon, or to speak in a soft, quiet voice to express affection.
And so we bring another Wednesday to an affectionate close. Now it's time to get away.
Coo regards!
JzB
