Monday July 21, 2025 Zachary David Levy

  

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Today's theme is:  

Constructor Zachary David Levy gives us four themed clues and an earworm reveal that might very well stick with you all day. Let's take a closer look:

17 Across. Film edition typically longer than its theatrical release: EXTENDED CUT.

EXTENDED FAMILY are relatives beyond a nuclear family such as grandparents and cousins.

24 Across. Big name in nonprescription reading glasses: FOSTER GRANT.  

A FOSTER FAMILY provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their biological parents due to various circumstances.

39 Across. Opinion formed when shaking hands, perhaps: FIRST IMPRESSION.

The FIRST FAMILY is the family of the president of the United States.  

49 Across. Wrestling event with a series of combatants: ROYAL RUMBLE.  This is a WWE event available on pay-per-view.

A ROYAL FAMILY is an EXTENDED FAMILY with titles. 

62 Across. Sister Sledge classic whose second line is "I got all my sisters with me," and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 39-, and 49-Across: WE ARE FAMILY.

The starts of the themed clues are all types of families. Works for me!

Here is the song from 1979:  

Yes, the four singers in Sister Sledge are real sisters! 

Their names are Joni, Kim, Debbie, and Kathy Sledge.

Next we'll look at the members of this FAMILY grid seated at the kiddie table:

Across:

1. Sounds from a chicken coop: CLUCKS.   Here you go....

7. Spew forth, as oil: GUSH.  

It's a GUSHer!

11. Cleverness: WIT.  WITty clues are appreciated.

14. Sell every last copy: RUN OUT.  ... as in "Did the newsstand RUN OUT of copies of today's paper?"

15. Not for: ANTI.  ANTI can be a stand-alone word or a prefix.

16. Slip up: ERR.  To ERR in the Tour de France peloton (large group of riders) can have disastrous outcomes as seen in this crash from Stage 7. We later learned that Joao Almeida from Portugal broke a rib in this crash. He continued to ride but ultimately left the race during Stage 9. This was a tough blow since he placed 4th in last year's Tour and was the #2 man in this year's top-seeded team. 

19. Female sheep: EWE.

20. Performing: DOING.  ... as in "She is performing a tracheotomy."

21. Mardi Gras city nickname: NOLA.  New Orleans, LA  

House of the Rising Sun     ~     The Animals     ~     1964

<The authorship of this traditional folk song is uncertain.>

22. Et __: and others: ALIA.  Latin  

23. Mine output: ORE.  What's mine is (y)OREs.

27. "I inhaled it!": YUM.  Perhaps the clue writer was thinking:  "It tasted so delicious that I ate it all up quickly."

28. Little kiddos: TOTS.     and     33 Down. Little scoundrel: IMP.

29. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.  I had an advantage on yesterday's puzzle because I had already researched this for today's blog. Mame is a Broadway musical based on a 1955 novel entitled Auntie Mame. Angela Lansbury played Mame Dennis in 1966. The song We Need a Little Christmas is from that musical.

Auntie and 11-Down are Easter eggs.

32. Courteous: NICE.

36. Dance venue with a mirror ball: DISCO.  

This one cracks me up!

42. Scent: AROMA.

43. British baby stroller: PRAM.

44. French head: TÊTE.     and     55 Down. French "Hi": SALUT.  

45. Café au __: LAIT.  ... more French. This time we have a coffee with hot milk added.

47. Anger: IRE.

54. PC "oops" key: ESC.  One might use the ESC key to close an unwanted window.

57. "Your Friends & Neighbors" actor Jon: HAMM.  I was unfamiliar with this show. It first aired this past April on Apple TV+.

58. Insurance co. for mil. families: USAA.  To take out a policy with USAA, one must be a current or past military member or their FAMILY member.

59. "Inside Out" studio: PIXAR.  I was unfamiliar with this 2015 animated film. 

61. Medium's claim, for short: ESP.  

64. Sundial three: III.

65. Busy, busy, busy: AT IT.  

66. Increasingly rare web access method: DIAL-UP.  

I sometimes wonder what "latest tech"
will soon seem terribly outdated.

67. Surveillance org.: NSA.  Perps inform us on whether it will be CIA or NSA.

68. Gets into, as clothes: DONS.  🎵 "DON we now our gay apparel...." 🎵

69. "BoJack Horseman" voice actor Will: ARNETT.  I have not seen this one either. BoJack Horseman was an animated Netflix TV show for adult audiences that ran from 2014-2020. I do know Will Arnett from his Smartless podcast. He is quick-WITted.

Down:

1. Set of beliefs: CREDO.

2. Pyramid-shaped hotel in Las Vegas: LUXOR.  Every time I Google something about Las Vegas for this blog, I get Vegas ads on my computer for weeks.

3. Open, as a knot: UNTIE.  Or, as those of us who are spelling-challenged might say, "Open, as a not: unite."

4. "Fargo" filmmakers Ethan and Joel: COEN.  These brothers wrote, directed, produced, and edited this 1996 movie.  BTW, I did see this movie ... and liked it a lot!

5. Martial art practiced by a panda in an animated franchise: KUNG FU.  "Kung Fu Panda" rings a bell but I somehow missed seeing these movies, too.

6. Time zone wd.: STD.  word and standard

7. Actress Gal: GADOT.  (b. April 30, 1985)  her IMDb page

8. Dad's brother: UNCLE.  Easter egg!!!

9. E.B. White's "__ Little": STUART.  (1899 - 1995)  E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, New York. His three most popular children's books are Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte's Web (1952), and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970).

10. Punch: HIT.  If you watched Saturday morning cartoons in 1975, you might remember this commercial:  

11. Little girl, in the Highlands: WEE LASSIE.

12. "Crocodile Hunter" Steve: IRWIN.  (1962 - 2006)  He was an Australian TV personality who hosted a show on Animal Planet. His untimely death was caused by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary in the Great Barrier Reef.

13. Pay for: TREAT.

18. Nav. rank: ENS.  Naval and ensign

22. Adept performer: ARTISTE.  What is the difference between and artist and an ARTISTE?

25. Potent prefix: OMNI-.  Def.:  universally.

26. Divine beings: GODS.

27. Polite affirmation: YES MA'AM.  An 18-Down might say this to an adjuster at 58-Across.

29. Painter's deg.: MFA.  degree and Master of Fine Arts

30. Run on TV: AIR.  If you RUN OUT of clues, you might have to reuse a word from the grid.

31. Bodybuilding competition for men since 1965: MR. OLYMPIA.  This one was in the punchbowl because I remembered that Arnold Schwarzenegger was one. He won six years in a row from 1970 to 1975 then again in 1980.  

1971

34. EMT skill: CPR.  

35. Notable time: ERA.

37. Camper's bed: COT.  This RV bed takes camping up a notch.  

38. Single: ONE.     and     62 Down. Bundle of dollars: WAD.

40. Kite extension: TAIL.  I wanted to pair this with 56-Down but it was the wrong type of tale.

41. Actor Jannings: EMIL.  (1884-1950)  He was a Swiss-German actor. Hollywood historians would know him for sure. 

46. Always there for: TRUE TO.

48. Put back together: REPAIR.

49. Deutschland river: RHEIN.  Native spellings are used in the clue and, therefore, in the answer.

50. Caravan refuge: OASIS.

51. Sprinter Bolt: USAIN.  (b. Aug. 21, 1986)  In 2025 he became Jamaica's global tourism ambassador.  

52. Small shops: MARTS.

53. Sweetie: BAE.

54. Kick out: EXILE.  

"An English sea captain being asked if he had read The Exile of Erin replied, 'No, sir, but I should like to anchor on it.' Year afterwards, when he had been hanged as a pirate after a career of unparalleled atrocities, the following memorandum was found in the ship's log that he had kept at the time of his reply, 'Aug. 3d, 1842. Made a joke on the ex-Ile of Erin. Coldly received. War with the whole world!'"

56. Burial chamber: CRYPT.  

60. Somali-born supermodel: IMAN.  (b. July 25, 1955)  Happy almost-70th birthday to IMAN!  🎂

63. HHS agency: FDA.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is abbreviated, so is the Food and Drug Administration.

The Grid

That's all for this FAMILY reunion. Wishing everyone a pleasant week ahead!

Friday, July 4, 2025 - Zachary David Levy

 

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone"?

[only because she (Lisa LOEB) showed up at 68-across this past Tuesday]

Puzzling thoughts:

I will admit that after solving today's Zachary David Levy puzzle, I was a bit perplexed.  I kept looking and looking for some unifier that brought this puzzle's reveal (64-across. Goldarn, or a hint to making the starred clues match their answers: DOGGONE.) to an "aha" moment.  Maybe the reveal should be DOG GONE.  And then, like the proverbial can of V8 Juice, it hit me:  the "key" is to look at each of the four starred clues, find the canine (i.e., "dog"), get rid of the pooch, and then re-read the clue

Still stumped?  Let's look at all four individually and see where the little dog has gone

3-down. *Jet setter: PITCH BLACK.  In the clue, eliminate the word "setter" (a name of a dog breed) from "jet" and then match the phrase "pitch black" to the clue "jet".  Best thing I could find that ties the word "jet" to Pitch Black is shown in the video below

7-down. *Puget sound: PHONE HOME.  In the clue, remove the letters "p.u.g." (pug, another dog breed) from the word Puget, and you're left with the clue: "ET sound".  And for those who watched the eponymous movie, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial", the "phone home" line is well-known.  For those who haven't (or those who forgot) I've linked a short video clip below

Note:  for those who thought this clue and answer might refer to the body of water in Washington state, the word "sound" in the clue is not capitalized.  Additionally, this clue/answer was the one that gave it away for Chairman Moe.  I kept thinking, "phone home" is an E.T. catchphrase and sure enough ...

11-down. *Boxer brief: SHORT-LIVED. Once again, once the "dog word" boxer is gone from the word brief the clue/answer makes sense.  Something that is "brief" is definitely short-lived.  

53-across. *Labatt offerings: WIRELESS ROUTERS.  Similar to 7-down, the dog that disappears is in the first word of the clue, Lab.  And what is left behind is another abbreviation ATT, a communications company that also specializes in the sale of (offers) wireless routers

Like this one

So, there you have it.  Not so tough once you examine the clues closely.  I came "this close" to asking my fellow bloggers for assistance, but once I got the reveal it all made sense.  I'll comment further about some specific areas in the rest of the puzzle in the section below

The grid symmetry is somewhat unusual.  The blocks (black squares) in the center of the grid almost appear to be a smiley face with its tongue sticking out!  Not sure if this was Zachary's intention, but the grid pattern certainly allowed him to include all of the entries 

Here are a couple of clues/entries that ended up in the editor's waste basket:

Clue:  Rock hound: OUTCROPPING

Clue:  Joe Cocker: CUP OF COFFEE

For what it's worth, I was kind of hoping for an Independence Day themed puzzle, but no fireworks. So in lieu of none in the puzzle, I'll add this to the recap:

One year shy of 250 ...

I also thought about using "Who Let the Dogs Out" for my theme title.  For those who wanted that one instead, here is a brief clip:

The Grid

On to the rest ... 

Across:
1. "That's on me": OOPS.  In the words of my Crossword Corner buddy, desper-otto, "have I ever told you how frustrating it is not to solve 1-across?" This remained unsolved until perps came to the rescue

5. Ready for bed, briefly: IN PJS.  Not often seen (the answer, that is) in crossword puzzles but I like it. If I had to answer this personally, the answer would be IN MBS.  TMI??  Wait until you see 43- and 44-across ...

10. Invitation abbreviation: RSVP.  No RSVP needed to visit the Crossword Corner; just show up!

14. Ballet move: PLIE. I had so much trouble with the NW corner of this puzzle that I entered this word and erased it four times.  Should've trusted my instincts

15. Like seven Nolan Ryan games: NO HIT.  Ryan is #1 all-time in throwing the most no hitters

16. River that ends in Cairo: OHIO.  A very clever and misdirecting clue.  Cairo, IL is the general place where the OHIO river merges with the Mississippi River.  You think this is false?  Please don't be in denile [sic]

Technically, just south of Cairo

17. Some FD members: EMTS.  FD = Fire Department

18. Walk heavily: TROMP.  I'm sure that some folks breathed a sigh of relief when they saw an "O" as the vowel in this word entry ... 

19. Not all: MOST.  SOME also fits

20. Latte order: DECAF.  MOCHA was fitting this spot for way too long; hence my troubles in the NW corner

22. Demo letters: TNT.  Demo as in "demolition"; but my puzzle grid was far from being blown up

23. "No one __": CARES.  The phrase "Gives a $hit" had too many letters 😜

24. Average joe: SCHMO.  Average "Moe" would have given us Stooge 😀

25. "Good one": HEH.  "Hah" also fit

26. Unable to sit still: ANTSY.  This describes me at times

27. Name that also means "son of" in Hebrew: BEN.  I had to cheat to get this answer; my lack of Hebrew knowledge leaves me verklempt und verstumpft - does Yiddish count?

28. "Billions" network, for short: SHO.  I tried HBO to no avail

29. Nada: NIL. "Zip" fit

30. Ga. capital: ATL.  Also, the airport code for Hartsfield-Jackson Intl 

32. Got ready for school?: TUTORED.  This wasn't as hard to figure out as the clue might have suggested

35. Sort: ILK. Crossword-ese

38. Spot for rumination: LEA.  A bit of a stretch, IMO but I get it.  I don't know if I ever meditated in a LEA; maybe a wooded spot, though and certainly at the beach

39. Salon step: SHAMPOO.  Speaking of shampoo ... why do some (fill in the blank) exhaust an entire bottle of it while showering?  Because they take the directions on the bottle too literally.  It reads: "lather, rinse, repeat ..."

40. Vehicle on the move?: VAN.  Were you "moved" by this clue/answer?? 

41. Creatures that make Frodo's sword glow blue: ORCS. Thanks to Ms. Margaret (my partner) for helping me with this one

43. Liberates: FREES.  The Naturist Society celebrates two International "naked" days:  The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day;  the 21st of June is Naked Hiking Day.  Nothing FREES you like doing these activities in your birthday suit - but apply plenty of sunscreen and stay hydrated if you choose to participate in these events (next year)

[the links above do NOT show anyone naked; in case you were wondering ...]

44. Low-carb diet: KETO.  After this past hiatus I took (and certainly after the one coming up in July and August) the Chairman will need to adopt this diet (or one similar) to shed a few unwanted #s - so I continue to look good in mbs

45. Some Polynesian carvings: TIKIS.  This filled with perps and seemed appropriate

47. __ finger: INDEX.  "Ring" was too short; "middle" was too long; PINKY, also fit

48. Rattle off: NAME.  Great clue

51. Word on a cornerstone: ANNO.  ESTD fit until it didn't

[theme entry]

60. Drink suffix: ADE.  I also struggled a bit in the SW corner, but ADE was the logical answer.  A CSO to our former Friday Sherpa LemonADE714

61. Figure on the red carpet: A-LISTER.  Several hyphenated answers in today's puzzle

62. "This is the life": AAH.  What I as a retired person says quite often

63. Serene: ZEN.  The feeling after ruminating in a LEA perhaps?

[reveal / theme unifier] 

65. Hydrotherapy spot: SPA.  Doggone it!  If you insert a letter "C" into this answer you'd have SPCA 

66. Use up: EAT.  This consumed more time (to solve) than necessary

67. Gregory Peck's co-star in "The Paradine Case": ANN TODD.  A 1947 film with an actor most folks would not recall.  This one definitely took a Google search to confirm

68. Atty.'s title: ESQ.  Short for ESQuire

Down:
1. News stands?: OP-EDS.  In the words of my Crossword Corner buddy, desper-otto, "have I ever told you how frustrating it is not to solve 1-down?"

2. Native of Tabasco: OLMEC.  MAYAN fits, too, and that mistake made the NW corner nearly impossible to solve without a few "cheats"

[theme entry]

4. Word in a magical phrase: SESAME.  PRESTO fit, too

5. QB mishap: INT.  Short for "INTerception" - often thrown by QuarterBacks

6. Guiding principle, metaphorically: NORTH STAR.  Another great clue

[theme entry]

8. First Native American to win Olympic gold: JIM THORPE.  Now we know why Zachary used IN PJS for 5-across.  Needed the "J" to begin Jim.  BTW, I do like it when a constructor uses the full name of a person rather than just their first or last name

9. Gas additive brand: STP.  Question:  when was the last time anyone used STP as a gasoline additive? Not I.  Not since the 1970's for me.  Corner Quiz:  Who was the spokesman for STP back in the day? 

[Answer:  this guy]

10. Itinerant people whose flag depicts a wagon wheel: ROMANI.  All perps

[theme entry]

12. Shop clamps: VISES.  Using these when I was in shop class (woodworking) was one of my strengths; one of my devices I guess ... 

13. Hopscotch, in New York slang: POTSY.  Filled with perps.  My knowledge of New York slang is slightly less than my knowledge of Hebrew.  I guess that a clue that referred to a character on "Happy Days" would've been too easy for Friday

21. Text formatting array: FONTS.  I think the default text FONT for the blog is Georgia

23. "Count on me": CAN DO.  I tried "I AM IN" first

30. Tons: A LOT.  This is not one of my favorite entries, but it seems to show up a lot in crossword puzzles

31. Actress Polo: TERI.  Another word that filled with perps [from the Internet]: "Theresa Elizabeth Polo is an American actress. She starred as Pamela Martha Focker (née Byrnes) in the Meet the Parents trilogy, Helen Santos in The West Wing, and played the role of police officer Stef Adams Foster in the Freeform series"

Polo, c. 2012

33. Old TV dial letters: UHF.  I tried VHF first - a coin toss for sure

34. Dawn goddess: EOS.  Anyone ever wonder if there is a Palmolive goddess?  Oh!  There is!! Her name is Madge, and she's a manicurist

36. Past due: LATE.  Term used for library books and expectant mothers

37. Fort south of Indianapolis: KNOX.  Ft. KNOX is in Kentucky, but it is almost due south of Indianapolis if you check a map

42. Trig ratio: SINE. Moe-ku #1:

        Astrophysicist

        Used trigonometrics. They

        Were called "Old Lange SINEs"

44. Tangle: KNOT.

46. Canadian tea brand: SALADA.  I recall this tea brand, but it isn't a name I hear often; a mini CSO to Canadian Eh!  And of course, worthy of another commercial from the archives:

47. Toughened: INURED.  Did anyone else find this one too hard?

49. Noggin: MELON.  I put BRAIN in first 

50. Endorse remotely: E-SIGN.  My e-signature looks nothing like my written one

51. Nickname in "Star Wars": AR-TOO.  Cee Three Pee Oh didn't fit

52. Seemingly forever: NO END.  Not today's blog; finished it in record time

53. Google Maps alternative: WAZE.  Lots of tough entries today, including this one.  Definitely a Friday puzzle, finally!! Lucina must be pleased! 😉

54. Inkling: IDEA.  What I had for less than 1/2 of the answers

55. Studio figure: RENT.  Great clue - a "studio" is another name for an apartment for which one pays RENT

56. NCO rank: SSGT.  No problem

57. Facility: EASE. No problem

58. Uses a gavel: RAPS. Moe-ku #2:

        Musician Ice-T

        Decides to become a judge;

        He enjoys his RAPS (with his gavel)

59. Former NBAer known as "The Big Cactus": SHAQ.  His nickname when he played for the Arizona Suns.  Here are some of his other nicknames beginning with "The Big"

 

 

My "dogs" are tired.  Please add your comments and thoughts in the section below ... 

Monday June 2, 2025 Zachary David Levy

  

Happy first Monday in June, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's theme is:

Solve Or Snafu?

The four themed clues are:

17 Across. Stark choice between success and failure: SINK OR SWIM.  

27 Across. Hunting dog's prized ability: SENSE OF SMELL.  

<sniffy (adj.) having or expressing a haughty attitude>

45 Across. Take baby steps, so to speak: START OUT SLOW.  

60 Across. Footwear without laces: SLIP ON SHOE.  

The unifier is found in the center of the grid:  

38 Across. Mayday call, or a pattern found in 17-, 27-, 45-, and 60-Across: SOS.  

No SOS is needed on this desSerted island.

I stumbled upon the S-O-S theme halfway through my solve so I used that schema to help fill squares. Doing so made the puzzle fit a Monday level despite what, in isolation, felt like some later-in-the-week level clues. Here is the completed grid:

I am impressed that ZDL did not reuse an O-word.

And now for the 72 other clues....

Across:

1. Greek pocket breads: PITAS.  

PITAS stuffed with falafel & tzatziki sauce

6. Word processor menu heading: EDIT.

10. Close pals, briefly: BFFS.  Best Friends Forever

14. "Would love to, but alas": I CAN'T.  I prefer clues where the style of the clue matches the style of the answer. Alas and CAN'T are not a good fit. Perhaps "Not gonna happen" would have been a better match.

15. Bilingual cartoon explorer on Nickelodeon: DORA.     and     47 Down. Thieving fox often scolded by 15-Across: SWIPER.  

Oh, I get it. Swiper is a thief who swipes (steals) stuff.

16. Western Pennsylvania city: ERIE.  At first I thought, "How am I supposed to know a 4-letter Pennsylvanian city name?" but then I thought, "Wait a minute....."  

Population = about 93,000 people

19. Latte spot: CAFÉ.  

not a laundry emergency variety of spot 

20. "Totally agree with you both": ME, THREE.  This one took me a bit to parse but I loved it after I finally saw how both indicated there were three people involved. ME, THREE is an extension of me, too.

21. Used the hose on: SPRAYED.  

Don't try this at home.
(We're not supposed to drink from the hose anymore.)

23. Lode load: ORE.  I like this homophone clue!

24. Not spicy: MILD.  The other day, my neighbor brought over some end-of-season mustard greens from his garden. I added two huge leaves to my smoothie. Yikes! It was spicy -- something I do not aim for in my smoothies.

26. Internet co. once known for mailing CDs: AOL.  I do remember when America Online used to send unsolicited advertising Compact Discs in the mail. I hung them in my garden to keep the birds out of my tomatoes.

32. Goatees, e.g.: BEARDS.

35. Lacking color: PALE.

36. Org. offering travel advice: AAA.  Organization and American Automobile Association

37. Starchy root in poi: TARO.  Poi is a traditional food in the Polynesian diet made from mashed TARO roots.

39. Percussion instrument: DRUM.  

Animal on the DRUMs

40. "__ your head!": USE.

41. Norse god who wields the hammer Mjölnir: THOR.  pronunciation:  miyOl-near

10 Things You Might Not Know about Thor's Hammer

43. Meeting outline: AGENDA.

48. Long stretch: EON.

49. Thwack: SWAT.

50. Canine "I'm happy to see you!": WAG.  Anyone have to take a WAG at this one?

53. Chinese canine: SHAR PEI.  The AKC describes them as loyal to family members but standoffish with strangers.

57. Ape: IMITATE.  We sometimes see this clue & answer reversed.

59. Bowling alley assignment: LANE.  Seeing "bowling" and "LANE" on a Monday reminds us of Boomer ... and his preference for bowling lanes.  😄

62. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.

63. Goodyear product: TIRE.  

Click to enlarge.

64. Home Depot purchases: TOOLS.  

65. Proof of ownership: DEED.

66. 12 months: YEAR.  pretty straightforward

67. "__ Mio": classic Italian song: O SOLE.  I like how happy Luciano Pavarotti seems to be at the thought of sharing this beautiful song with the audience.

Down:

1. "__ Beach and all the clams we can eat!": PISMO.  This one really surprised me because I am not sure how well known PISMO Beach is outside of California. (I guess I will find out in the Comments.) When I was growing up, my family often went on clamming trips to PISMO. We used to make cioppino (with the red broth) on the beach. This photo is of a PISMO clam I found in my grandfather's shed after he passed away. He had cleaned it out, glued it back together, and labeled it as being from 1971. You would be hard-pressed to find one this size today.  more about Pismo clams

 

The clue might refer to a Bugs Bunny skit called Ali Baba Bunny.

2. Not as friendly: ICIER.

3. Aunt, in French: TANTE.  Hi Monkey! I think we might have missed your birthday. Happy late birthday!!!  

4. Egyptian cross: ANKH.  I can always picture this but I forget how to spell it. I need a memory trick.  

5. Huffed and puffed: STORMED.  

Nice kicks, Mr. Wolf.

6. Old Ford models: EDSELS.  While not successful on the car lots, EDSELS found a second life in XWD puzzles.

7. __ Jones Industrial Average: DOW.

8. Colorful eye part: IRIS.

9. City across the bay from St. Petersburg: TAMPA, FL.  I quickly started to fill in T-A-M-P-A then wondered what to do with the two extra boxes.  

10. "Relax": BE CALM.  

11. Brouhaha: FRAY.  

12. High-pitched wind instrument: FIFE.

13. Crop starter: SEED.

18. Horse riding straps: REINS.  

22. Valentine bloom: ROSE.  CSO to RosE!

25. Conducts (oneself): DEPORTS.  Def:  (verb) to behave or comport (oneself) especially in accord with a code.

27. Sign at a sellout: SRO.  Standing Room Only

28. Post-WWII alliance: OAS.  The Organization of American States was established in 1948 as a regional organization aimed at fostering cooperation among countries in the Americas. Its origins trace back to earlier agreements that sought mutual defense and collaboration against aggression.

29. Make, as a salary: EARN.

30. Praise: LAUD.  You have probably heard the recommendation, Praise LAUD-ly in public. Criticize in private.

31. The Dalai __: LAMA.  

32. AC measures: BTUS.  Air Conditioning & the abbreviation for its measurement

33. Toward sunrise: EAST.

34. Region: AREA.

38. Tiny amount: SOU.  I was unfamiliar with this word. It is pronounced like the girl's name, Sue. I found this Cambridge Dictionary definition:  a very small amount of money. Ex.:  I don't have a sou. Vocabulary.com supports that by saying a SOU is "a former French coin of low denomination" and offering the example sentence He hasn't a SOU to his name. I am wondering if SOU always refers to a tiny amount of money.

39. Dawn droplets: DEW.  

Grateful Dead   ~   Morning Dew

a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bonnie Dobson

41. Sporty car roof: T-TOP.

42. The best policy, per a proverb: HONESTY.  

43. Historic Texas site: ALAMO.

44. Took up, as a hobby: GOT INTO.

46. Look over again: REREAD.  What book have you REREAD lately? I just finished Simon Rich's latest book of short stories, Glory Days. Now I want to go back and REREAD his first book, Ant Farm.

50. "Yippee!": WAHOO.  WAHOO is an interjection used to express exuberance or enthusiasm, or to attract attention.

51. Ring-shaped island: ATOLL.  Basically, their shape is formed because of a volcano but there is more to it than just that.  Learn from National Geographic.

Click to enlarge.

52. Honking birds: GEESE.  It's gosling season!  So cute!

53. Snow day vehicle: SLED.

54. More than dislike: HATE.

55. Bancroft of "The Graduate": ANNE.  [1931-2005]  She was married to a Corner favorite, Mel Brooks, from 1964 until her death.

Bancroft with Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate
Their eyes tell us so much about what they are thinking.

56. "Would __ to You?": BBC panel show: I LIE.  Here is a 3 min. clip to give you a taste of what the show is like (if you're interested):  

British humour

58. General __ chicken: TSO'S.  

61. 401(k) kin: IRA.

Signing Off Speedily,

sumdaze