Theme: Working a second job. The wording of regular jobs is repurposed to identify alternative activities that might or might not exist in the real world. Moonlighting, one might say.
16 A. Receptionist at a high-rise hotel, one might say: STORY TELLER. One who spins a yarn, or, in this case, who tells you where to go. Or at least what floor to arrive at.
22 A. Instagram influencer, one might say: SOCIAL WORKER. One who helps individuals, groups, and families prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives. In the not so every day world, one who is a trend setter on social media.
37. Bartender pouring a selection of craft beers for tasting, one might say: FLIGHT ATTENDANT. Up in the air, a person on a commercial air pane who serves drinks and otherwise takes care of the passengers. Back here on earth, one who serves an array of various pre-selected beers - aka a flight..
48. Pathological liar, one might say: MAKE UP ARTIST. One who prepares a performer's face and other features prior to their appearance on stage or set. Alternatively, someone who generates falsehoods. Can you believe it?
59. Audiophile with an extensive collection of club mixes, one might say: HOUSE KEEPER. A person employed to perform cleaning and other domestic tasks in a hotel or institution. Or a "House Music" enthusiast. This is named after The Warehouse club in Chicago where it originated in the early 1980's. It is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago that were influenced by early to mid-1970s dance music as spun by DJs in New York, and spread to Detroit, New York, and eventually Europe.Hi Gang, Jazzbumpa here, working the blog for you today. The puzzle is thematically rich, and the theme is clever and straightforward. A couple of the entries might be a bit of a stretch, but let's bend with it. Now we'll delve into the puzzle and hope it doesn't take us into the second shift. Baylee's name wasn't in the post labels list, so this might be her first LAT entry. Congrats!
Across:
6. "Let's put a smile on your plate" breakfast chain: IHOP. International House of Pancakes.
10. Chop (off): LOP.
13. Like a brand-new candle: UNLIT. Better to light one, though.
14. __ drum: SNARE.
18. Pothole filler: TAR. A dark, thick, flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds. It is used in roadmaking and for coating and preserving timber.
19. __ card: SIM. An integrated circuit intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices
20. Kunis of "Black Swan": MILA. Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis [b. 1983] is an American actress. She began playing Jackie Burkhart on the Fox television series That '70s Show (1998–2006) at the age of 14. Since 1999, Kunis has voiced Meg Griffin on the Fox animated series Family Guy.
27. French article: LES. Meaning "THE."
28. Orchestra leader: MAESTRO. A distinguished musician, especially a conductor of classical music. My friend Adam, who conducts a local Symphony Orchestra, named his dog MAESTRO.
31. Capital city on a fjord: OSLO. In Norway
34. Give up, as a right: WAIVE. As stated.
36. In the know: HIP. Trendy or cool, up on the latest thing. "I'm so hip, I can barely see over my pelvis." -- Zaphod Beeblebrox
37. Bartender pouring a selection of craft beers for tasting, one might say: FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
41. Black Mission fruit: FIG. Despite being called a fruit, a fig is technically a syconium—a tiny group of inverted flowers growing inside a pod. Each pod contains hundreds of flowers, and each flower produces a small seed, which is the actual fruit of the fig plant. An achene contains each seed. The Mission fig (also known as Black Mission or Franciscana) is a popular variety of the edible fig (Ficus carica). It was first introduced to the United States in 1768 when Franciscan missionaries planted it in San Diego.
42. Eggs on: URGES. Encourage (someone) to do something that is usually foolish or dangerous
43. Rolls the credits: ENDS. Figuratively finishes something (off.)
44. "The Office" sales rep who solves crosswords during meetings: STANLEY. Leslie David Baker [b. 1958] is an American actor. He is known for playing disgruntled paper salesman Stanley Hudson in The Office for nine seasons (2005–2013).
46. Actor Meadows: TIM. Timothy Meadows is an American actor and comedian who was one of the longest-running cast members on Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for ten seasons and for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1993.
53. "Take a __ breath": DEEP. Calm down.
55. Futbol cheers: OLÉS. Used as a shout of approval, triumph, or encouragement.
56. Female sheep: EWE. As defined
58. Part of BYOB: OWN. Bring Your Own Bottle.
63. Top of a semicolon: DOT. Can be seen here -- ;
64. Place of refuge: OASIS. Figuratively. More literally, a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found.
65. Unleash upon: LET AT. To allow one to attack someone or something.
66. Approves: OKS.
67. Bring (out): TROT. To bring forward for display or use
68. Cereal tidbit: FLAKE. A small, flat, thin piece of something, typically one that has broken away or been peeled off from a larger piece.
Down:
1. Talk a blue streak?: CUSS. Another alternate meaning. Instead of being verbose, using cruse language.
2. Those opposed: ANTIS. The PROS are those in favor.
3. Replay tech: SLO-MO. Abbrv for Slow Motion.
4. __ guitar: AIR. An imaginary guitar one pretends to play. Air trombone, on the other hand, is the real thing.
5. Completely stump: STYMIE. Figurative. Literally, to prevent or hinder the progress of.
6. Kin by marriage: IN-LAW. If you get divorced, they become out-laws.
7. "2001" supercomputer: HAL. Each letter off one from IBM. A mere coincidence.
9. According to: PER. Literal.
10. After: LATER THAN. As stated
11. Birthstone for some Libras: OPAL.
12. BOLO target: PERP. Be On The LookOut for a one who has committed a crime.
14. Advice from a nervous stockbroker: SELL. About 10 1/2 months late. This year has been brutal.
17. Spanish aunts: TIAS. En la familia.
21. "Be glad to": YES. I will do that.
23. Heavy shoe: CLOG. A shoe, sandal, or overshoe having a thick typically wooden sole.
24. Fails to mention: OMITS. Leaves out.
25. Carry on: RAVE. Not continue, but to behave or speak in a foolish, excited, or improper manner. Generally used in the phrase, "rant and rave."
26. Sharp: KEEN. As of a blade or someone's mind.
29. Cocktail garnish: RIND. Of a lemon or lime.
30. Chooses: OPTS. Picks one thing as opposed to another.
31. Send-__: farewells: OFFS. A demonstration of goodwill and enthusiasm for the beginning of something new (as a trip.)
32. Buttonhole, e.g.: SLIT. A long, narrow cut in something.
33. Bone-connecting tissues: LIGAMENTS. Short bands of tough, flexible fibrous connective tissue which connect two bones or cartilages or hold together a joint.
34. Japanese cattle breed used for Kobe beef: WAGYU. Now you know.
35. Had a bite: ATE.
38. She-__: Marvel role for Tatiana Maslany: HULK. Tatiana Gabriele Maslany [b1987] is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence for playing multiple characters in the science fiction thriller television series Orphan Black, which won her a Primetime Emmy Award, two Critics' Choice Awards, and five Canadian Screen Awards.
39. Ancestry.com printout: TREE. Family representation in a diagram.
40. Singer Lovato: DEMI. Demetria Devonne Lovato [b. 1992] known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends, Lovato rose to prominence for playing Mitchie Torres in the musical television film Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.
45. Short snooze: NAP. About mid-afternoon for me.
46. Taxing trip: TREK. A long arduous journey, especially one made on foot or in a star ship.
47. In and of __: ITSELF. Intrinsically, or considered alone
49. Hypothesize: POSIT. Put forward as a basis of argument.
50. Stout and porter: ALES. types of beer with a bitter flavor and higher alcoholic content.
51. Nasal partitions: SEPTA. A partition separating two chambers, such as that between the nostrils or the chambers of the heart.
52. Tinker with: TWEAK. Make a fine adjustment to a mechanism or system.
53. Long-extinct bird: DODO. An extinct flightless bird with a stout body, stumpy wings, a large head, and a heavy hooked bill. It was found on Mauritius until the end of the 17th century.
54. "Star Wars" critter that looks like a teddy bear: EWOK. The Ewok is a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the Star Wars universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in comparison with other sentient species. Ewoks debuted in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi and have since appeared in two made-for-television films.
57. Art Deco icon: ERTE. Romain de Tirtoff [1892 – 1990] was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials (pronounced [ɛʁ.te], AIR TAY) which he shares with me. He was a 20th-century artist and designer in an array of fields, including fashion, jewellery, graphic arts, costume and set design for film, theatre, and opera, and interior decor.
59. Spicy: HOT. Literally, the last sensation of spicy foods, such as peppers. Figuratively, overtly sexual.
60. Lifeboat blade: OAR. For rowing to safety
61. GI morale booster: USO. The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.
62. Electric __: EEL. The electric eels are a genus, Electrophorus, of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts. Their electrical capabilities were first studied in 1775, contributing to the invention in 1800 of the electric battery.