Friday, December 23, 2016, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: My exes are not all in Texas but in this puzzle.

We have the LAT debut of Mr. Bywaters who just had an initial publication on December 13th in the NYT. 63 theme squares left little room for long fill but METEORITE and IN LINE WITH were nice. The rest of the fill seemed a tad easy for a Friday. Of the five theme fill, we have one EX in the beginning, one at the end and the other three somewhere in between. This is difficult to keep balanced. The rest played out pretty easily with GEHRY being my all perp fill. Test these waters by Bywaters.


17A. Illicit buzzing in the hive? : BEE SEXTING (10). A plain old bee sting gets remodeled with the EX showing up.

24A. Slipshod building addition? : RAGGEDY ANNEX (12). The Raggedy Ann doll is next to get an EX.

40A. Beginning of a very thorough biography? : FETAL EXPOSITION (15).  Starting a biography at birth needs an EX added as well.

50A. Aerosol product that will help you fit in in Houston? : SPRAY ON TEXAN (12). Spraying on your tan gives you a Texan when you add the EX.

64A. Too much shooting at the table? : EXCESS POOL (10). We have single word having the EX added at the beginning.
And the reveal:

72A. They sometimes intrude at weddings, and also in this puzzle's theme : EXES.

Across;

1. Clever stroke : COUP. Coup de grâce; coup d’etat...nice French to start the day.

5. Stage genre : DRAMA.

10. Secured, in a way : TIED.

14. Too : ALSO. So easy I hesitated.

15. Actor Firth : COLIN.

16. Initial contribution : ANTE.

19. Surplus : GLUT.

20. Painful spots : SORES.

21. Speak or creak : VERB.

23. Altar promise : I DO.

28. Zodiac animal : RAM.

31. Aran Islands country: Abbr. : IRE.

32. Chopping tool : HOE.

33. Always : EVER.

35. Parker's rank in "McHale's Navy": Abbr. : ENS. This was my introduction to the great Tim Conway. The show was really a step child of the success of Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character. LINK.

37. Pincered insect : EARWIG. This what I think about when I see this WORD.

43. Strands at the lodge, maybe : ICES IN.

44. Six-pack set : ABS.

45. Jazz singer James : ETTA.

46. Nevada was the first st. to allow it : OTB. Off Track Betting.

47. Clickbait site, as of Sep. 2016 : OED. Oxford English Dictionary.

49. Metaphorical hiding place : HAT. Keep it Under your hat. LINK.

56. Athlete lead-in : TRIathlete. 62A. Immune lead-in : AUTO.

57. French honey : AMIE. Girl friend in French.

58. Coffee shop order : MOCHA. Not sure why but I plunked this right in and it stuck.

67. Thought : IDEA.

68. Architect Frank : GEHRY. Frank Gehry is a Canadian-American architect known for postmodern designs, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. ... he was born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto, Canada on February 28, 1929 and still lives.Various.

69. One of three in "To be or not to be" : IAMB. Short and long in a metric foot. Poetry 101.

70. Office staple : DESK.

71. Donkeys : ASSES.


Down:

1. Uber competitors : CABS. I think it is the other way around.

2. Margarine : OLEO.

3. Many a typist, nowadays : USER.

4. Fake : POSER.

5. Early 7th-century year : DCX. The random Roman numeral glue.

6. Go bad : ROT.

7. Still in play : ALIVE.

8. Like much ore : MINED.

9. Hot : ANGRY.

10. Identification method : TAG.

11. Conforming to : IN LINE WITH.

12. Chopin work : ETUDE. The entire STORY. One listen....hard not to love Chopin.

13. Rehab process : DETOX.

18. Actor Morales : ESAI. If only he had as many roles as he has had puzzle apearances.

22. Religion founded in Persia : BAHAI. Another answer that went in and stayed. I learned about this from Vic Damone and Diahann Carroll.

25. Gullible : GREEN.

26. Group including some Brat Pack members : GEN-X.

27. Mazatlán-to-Chihuahua dirección : NORTE. Spanish.

28. Monthly pmts. reducer : REFInance.

29. "Voulez-vous coucher __ moi?" : AVEC. I cannot resist LADY MARMALADE.

30. Falling stars that reach the ground : METEORITES.

34. Many a reggae artist : RASTA.

36. Eponymous Belgian town : SPA.

37. English county on the North Sea : ESSEX. In between Kent and Suffolk.

38. Tiny bit : IOTA.

39. Airborne pest : GNAT.

41. OPEC member since 1962 : LIBYA. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference on September 10–14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five Founding Members were later joined by nine other Members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962) – suspended its membership in January 2009, reactivated it in January 2016, but decided to suspend it again in November 2016; Libya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971); Ecuador (1973) – suspended its membership in December 1992, but reactivated it in October 2007; Angola (2007); and Gabon (1975) - terminated its membership in January 1995 but rejoined in July 2016. OPEC had its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in the first five years of its existence. This was moved to Vienna, Austria, on September 1, 1965.

42. High wind? : OBOE. My third word that I just put in.

48. Lake makers, at times : DAMS.

50. Unwavering : STAID. If overdone can make you a ...

51. Goody two shoes : PRUDE.

52. End of a series : OMEGA. Alpha to....

53. Vetoes : NIXES.

54. They may deal with freezes : TECHS.

55. Fabled lost mittens punishment : NO PIE.
BY MOTHER GOOSE
The three little kittens, they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear,
That we have lost our mittens."
"What!   Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meow, meow, meow."
"Then you shall have no pie."

59. Cajole : COAX.

60. Residence : HOME.

61. Priestly garments : ALBS. Once a very common fill and I beleive the only four letter possibility for the plural.

63. Shade provider : OAK. Lots of oaks in Florida.

65. Poetic word of order : ERE.

66. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and I will back next week for my final
2016 write up.  Thanks - do you all agree " A little D.A.B. will do you. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 72nd Birthday to our dear Misty, who's visiting her Aunt in Austria at this moment. Thanks for the love and warmth you've brought to our little corner, Misty!

Thursday, December 22nd 2016, Bill Zagozewski

Theme:  Ringmasters ... The circles in the corners of the "boxing ring" grid contain the names of four professional world champions.

We've got:

Max BAER - American heavyweight champion in the 1930's. Famous for defeating Max Schmeling, who was Hitler's favorite fighter and promoted as an example of the superiority of the Aryan race. He lost his title to James Braddock in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Muhammad ALI - no introduction required for a second American heavyweight world champion. He defeated the next corner occupant for the title in 1964, and retained the title in their 1965 rematch. This photograph, by Neil Leifer for TIME magazine stands as one of the most famous sports images of all time. I've got a monochrome reproduction on my wall.

Sonny LISTON - a third American heavyweight world champion in the 1960's, beating Floyd Patterson for the title in 1962 before Ali took his place.

And finally, a fourth American heavyweight - no wait, we've got Roberto DURÁN, a Panamanian fighter who held world titles in four weight divisions in his career, from lightweight to middleweight, He was famous (or notorious) for quitting during his 1982 title defense against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in the 8th round, saying to the referee "No más". That was his 74th fight. He retired after 119 fights, so seemingly there was "poquito más" left in him.

There are four companion entries to the corners

25A. Prize for today's puzzle's circles : CHAMPIONSHIP

52A. Introductory words for each set of puzzle circles : IN THIS CORNER

5A. With 71-Across, event for today's puzzle's circles : TITLE and

71A. See 5-Across : FIGHT

This looks like an LAT debut for Bill, so congratulations for that achievement.

Now I'm going to rain on the parade - I didn't like this much - I can't see any connection between the boxers other than they won a world championship. Only LISTON "fills" his corner - it just seems so inconsistent. Throw in a slew of  three-letter abbreviations and partials and prefix/suffix stuff and the whole thing seems forced.

There is some nice stuff in the downs, so let's go look at what we've got.

Across:

1. Beginning of space? : AERO

10. Sea that's a shrinking lake : ARAL

14. Jazz Age toon : BOOP. Betty. Boop-boop-be-doo.

15. Comes (from) : HAILS.

16. Roast, in Rouen : RÔTI. Rouen has a magnificent cathedral, and a belfry full of very loud bells, as I discovered when I stayed at a little hotel in the shadow of the spires and was woken up on Sunday morning.

17. __ about : ON OR

18. "Miss __ Playhouse": jazz CD for kids : ELLA'S. Learning moment. Miss Fitzgerald.

19. Fishing, perhaps : ASEA

20. Outlaw Belle : STARR. Convicted of horse theft in 1883. New to me.

22. PBS funder : NEA

24. Tally : SUM

29. Org. with a snake in its logo : A.M.A.

31. Detestable sort : TOAD

32. Late 19th-century presidential monogram : CAA. Chester A. Arthur. President from 1881 to 1885.

33. Family babysitter : NANA

35. Cut : SLICED INTO

40. Dignify : EXALT

42. Fireworks reaction : OOH!

43. Starters : A-TEAM

44. Curaçao's capital : WILLEMSTAD. Another learning moment. The former capital of the Netherlands Antilles, betraying the Dutch origin of the name.

47. Conclusion preceder : IF SO ..

48. Andean tuber : OCA

49. Turkmenistan neighbor : IRAN

51. Want-ad letters : E.E.O. Equal Employment Opportunity.

56. Titled rapper : DRE. Dr. Dre.

57. Radical '70s org. : S.L.A.

58. Teen superhero's family : KENTS. Superman.

60. Pupil's place : UVEA

62. "You __ one!" : OWE ME

65. Nantes nothing : RIEN.

67. Disencumbers : RIDS

68. Sacks : FIRES

69. Conductor Klemperer or an emperor : OTTO

70. Reformed demon on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" : ANYA. Thank you, crosses. I'm not up on my "Buffy" characters.

72. Place to find bullets : LIST

Down:

1. Blood system letters : ABO. This fill probably wouldn't fly in Australia.

2. Ages : EONS

3. Ordeal at the dentist's office : ROOT CANAL

4. Oxygen network co-founder : OPRAH

5. Soup container : THERMOS

6. Proverb ending? : IAL

7. Up to, commercially : TIL

8. Southwestern plain : LLANO

9. Perfume : ESSENCE

10. Altar in the sky : ARA

11. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role : ROSSI. Thank you, crosses. I only saw one episode because one of my friends was guest-starring.

12. Really enjoyed : ATE UP

13. Singer Payne of One Direction : LIAM. Boy Band fave. He's apparently planning to go solo, according to the Brit tabloids. Stop the presses!

21. Proverbial deserter : RAT. I'm not sure that you can blame the rats when the ship is sinking.

23. Grilled, in Mexican fare : ASADA. Food! Usually skirt steak presented as carne asada.

26. California's __ Verdes Peninsula : PALOS. Pete Sampras learned his tennis at a club here.

27. Beyond silly : IDIOTIC

28. Golfe de la Gonâve country : HAITI. WAG with "H" in place, but I couldn't come up with many other french-speaking countries beginning that way.

29. From the top : ANEW

30. Modest skirt : MAXI

34. Mete out : ALLOT

36. "Cuchi-cuchi" celebrity : CHARO.  María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza to her friends.

37. Akhenaten's queen : NEFERTITI. I can't think of any alternative Egyptian queens, to be honest. Oh wait, Cleopatra!

38. Subdue, perhaps : TASE

39. Melville novel : OMOO.

41. Staffers of Apple's Genius Bar : TECHS.

45. Send : MAIL OFF

46. Least lit : DARKEST

50. Butte-to-Helena dir. : N.N.E.

52. NFL Network analyst Michael __ : IRVIN. Legendary Dallas Cowboys receiver who won three Superbowl rings in the 90's.

53. Unable to make ends meet : NEEDY

54. Slasher film sequel of 2005 : SAW II

55. Become a member, in Manchester : ENROL. One "L" in the British spelling. There's a very (very!) short street in Manchester named for my paternal grandfather, apparently.

56. Commercial prefix meaning "long-lasting" : DURA-

59. Places : SETS

61. Hard-rock link : AS A

63. Unit of work : ERG

64. Verbal shrug : MEH. Keeping quiet on this one.

66. "Tricked you!" : NOT!

That about does it for me. In the United Airlines in-flight magazine they've started publishing a New York Times Sunday puzzle - the one I found a couple of days ago on the way to Honolulu was missing about 25 of the "Down" clues. Made finishing it something of a challenge!

Aloha, and Mele Kalikimaka!

Steve

Wednesday, December 21, 2016, Ron Toth & C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: A GOOD BEGINNING.  In Ron's (aka Jazzbumpa) and OUR FAIR LADY C.C.'s fun puzzle the word FAIR can precede each of the words in their fills for starred clues and generate another phrase.

Here's the grid that shows Ron and C.C. had two horizontal fills and three vertical fills.

This device and fun cluing/fill provide some respite on this First Day of Winter or Winter Solstice which has the fewest hours of daylight north of the equator. The North Pole has reached its maximum tilt away from the Sun but remember, from now on the hours of daylight get longer as we march on to Spring from here.

Let's take a look at the fun theme fill and the phrases Ron and C.C. gave us in this more than FAIR exercise:

6. *"I'd like a hand" : DEAL ME IN - FAIR DEAL Truman's post WWII policy that had mixed results

17. *Exchange insults : TRADE BARBS - FAIR TRADE coffee, certified by Fair Trade USA

61. *Come-on for new customers : TRIAL OFFER - FAIR TRIAL - In To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom certainly did not get one

11. *Pretend to be out : PLAY POSSUM - FAIR PLAY - One organization he worked for in earnest

27. *Go-getter : BALL OF FIRE - A call of FAIR BALL after a wonderful jete! 

...and the reveal

39. Open to attack, and based on the starts of the answers to starred clues, what this puzzle is : FAIR GAME - She never said, "I want to be alone". She said, "I want to be left alone."

Now let's use our fewest hours of sunlight wisely and see what else C.C. and Ron have for us.

Across

1. Herbal emanation : AROMA - Does FAIR TRADE coffee have a better AROMA?

6. Small valley : DELL - I know this farmer...

10. Inconsequential quarrel : SPAT

14. Ring unit : CARAT

15. Website with a Collectibles & Art section : E-BAY - $25,000? Really?

16. "Dark Angel" actress Jessica : ALBA 

19. Misses : GALS

20. Long fish : EEL

21. Grief : DOLOR - Produced Doh' ler

22. Biller, eventually : PAYEE

23. Thailand's previous name : SIAM - The Margaret Landon book that inspired the play by Rodgers and Hammerstein 

24. Sounding shocked : AGASP

26. "Tap the app, get a ride" company : UBER - An Omaha UBER driver took a lady to Denver for $877.61 two months ago

28. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTAS - "How are you?" Answer -  "Muy bien. ¿Y tú?" (Very good. And you?)

30. Cockney's wish? : OPE

33. "Get a move on!" : SNAP TO IT

35. Montreal brewery founded in 1786 : MOLSON

37. 1953 Leslie Caron film : LILI

38. Chaotic mess : SNAFU - There are obscene and sanitized versions of this acronym

40. Got mileage out of : USED

41. Words after a long delay : AT LAST - Other versions are just a pale reflection

43. Good news for borrowers : RATE CUTS

45. Former Prizm maker : GEO

46. Cola with emoji bottle labels : PEPSI

48. Holiday tubers : YAMS

49. Indigenous plant life : FLORA

51. Is sorry about : RUES - Red Sox fans RUED the day Boston sold The Babe to the hated Yankees

53. Not suitable : UNFIT

55. Formal wear at the Forum : TOGAS

57. Likely : APT

60. Hurt : PAIN

63. Throw caution to the wind : DARE - We hear his Charlie Brown Christmas music a lot this time of year but this is my favorite Vince Guaraldi song

64. Mixed martial artist Holly : HOLM  If you DARE to fight Holly HOLM, you're APT to feel a lot of PAIN

65. Aptly named novelist : READE

66. Washington bills : ONES - The mint has quit making the $1 coin since the Washington ONES remain much more popular

67. Word in a threat : ELSE

68. Spooky : EERIE


Down

1. Entr'__ : ACTE - Intermission for The Agony And The Ecstasy

2. Ruth's Chris request : RARE

3. Type of exam : ORAL

4. Magazine with Don Martin cartoons : MAD - Where all my paper route money went and where my sarcasm was nurtured.

5. Was humbled : ATE DIRT

7. River of Spain : EBRO

9. Lille lily : LYS

10. Drawn-out tales : SAGAS

12. Up to the task : ABLE

13. Stun, in a way : TASE

18. __ constrictor : BOA and 8. Test rodent : LAB RAT - Dinner for our 12' BOA at school

22. El __, Texas : PASO

23. Old photo tint : SEPIA

25. Entire spectrum : GAMUT - Of Katherine Hepburn, Dorothy Parker wrote, "She delivered a striking performance that ran the GAMUT of emotions, from A to B."

26. Join together : UNITE

29. Marquee listings : STARS - They knew the pecking order

31. Kilmer and Keats : POETS

32. Doesn't continue : ENDS

33. Smelting waste : SLAG

34. Convection oven brand : OSTER

36. Indiana Jones' creator : LUCAS - Amy - "Indiana Jones has no effect on the outcome of the movie, Sheldon. It would have turned out the same with or without him."

42. Stereotypical dog's name : SPOT - SHEP? Not so much.

44. Overgrown lot, e.g. : EYESORE

47. Security group : PATROL

50. Part of 52-Down : LINES and 52. Chi.-based flier : UAL - Yup!

53. French twist, for one : UPDO

54. Leavened flatbread : NAAN

56. Some museum art : OILS

57. Miles off : AFAR

58. Prefix with cure : PEDI - For those of us who do our own:

59. Palm or beech : TREE

61. Article often ignored in alphabetizing : THE

62. Service charge : FEE

Lets now hear your FAIR-MINDED comments:

Tuesday, December 20, 2016 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: It ain't over till it's over - The sharing of the same word by the four longest entries.

17A. Began without hesitation: DOVE RIGHT IN

27A. Was heedless behind the wheel: DROVE RECKLESSLY

43A. Mentioned earlier: ABOVE REFERENCED

57A. Unseemly disclosure of personal details ... as seen in 17-, 27- and 43-Across?: OVERSHARING

Argyle here. I'm afraid I tried to overthink this puzzle. Just the word OVER repeated and somewhat placed over each other. If you see more, please share.

Across:

1. Prepare for a bodybuilding competition: OIL UP. If you missed seeing LATS yesterday, I'll give you oiled-up lats today.

6. Online discussion venue: FORUM

11. Freon or neon: GAS

14. Capital of Bangladesh: DHAKA. More.

15. Maureen known as Hollywood's "Queen of Technicolor": O'HARA. Nice Bio.

16. LP's 33 1/3: RPM. or RsPM, if you care.

19. Copy: APE

20. Place for a massage: SPA

21. Texas A&M athlete: AGGIE. Formerly named The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (1871–1963), hence the Aggies.

22. Disney's Little Mermaid: ARIEL

24. Take from the top: REDO

26. Without a musical key: ATONAL

32. Seal-hunting swimmers: ORCAs

33. Actor Ving of "Pulp Fiction": RHAMES. Gangster Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames)

34. Scolding sound: {TSK!}

35. Showers or drizzles: RAINS

36. Small amount: DAB

39. Irish playwright Sean: O'CASEY."It's my rule never to lose me temper till it would be detrimental to keep it."

41. Low card: DEUCE and 37D. Card that may be high or low: ACE

47. Unruffled: SERENE

48. Run __: go wild: AMOK

49. Careful types take them: PAINS

50. Bring about: CAUSE

53. Showy accessory: BOA

56. Previous to, to Dickinson: ERE. Emily Dickinson, poet.

60. Inmate: CON

61. Amusement park thrills: RIDES

62. Nick of "Cape Fear": NOLTE. Cape Fear, the psychological thriller film from 1962 was remade in 1991 with Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the Gregory Peck role.

63. Explosive letters: TNT

64. Makeup mishap: SMEAR

65. Recital pieces: SOLOs

Down:

1. Gambler's concern: ODDS

2. "Eat up every moment" breakfast chain: IHOP

3. Geological Hawaiian souvenir: LAVA ROCK

+

4. Musical Hawaiian souvenir: UKE

5. Mardi Gras events: PARADES

6. "Around the World ... " hero Phileas: FOGG

7. "Well, howdy": "OH, HI"

8. Mortgage figure: RATE

9. Sch. with a Providence campus: URI. (University of Rhode Island, again) Motto: Think Big. We Do.

10. Sea cow: MANATEE. Marine mammal.

11. Bits of sand: GRAINS. “Like sands through the hourglass...."

12. Losing lawyer's recourse: APPEAL

13. Like Limburger cheese: SMELLY

18. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR, conducting a snippet of "The Firebird".

23. Flag maker Betsy: ROSS

25. A Gabor sister: EVA. Zsa Zsa died Sunday just shy of 100 years old ~ TMZ

26. Gift for the poor: ALMS

27. Web address part: DOT. A tittle, if you will.

28. Cos. with Xings: RRs. Cos. means companies? Wiki says yes.

29. Wipe out: ERASE

30. Tribal leader: CHIEF

31. Rapper West: KANYE. Kanye Omari West

35. Prized by collectors: RARE

36. Platypus feature: DUCKBILL. If you thought the manatee looked odd...

38. Place to retire: BED

39. Baking spot: OVEN

40. Keeps from being blue?: CENSORS. Cute clue.

41. Humbles: DEMEANS

42. Brian of ambient music: ENO

43. Characteristic: ASPECT

44. Affect: BEAR ON

45. Prepare, as new students: ORIENT

46. Like too-quick decisions: RASH

50. Surrender: CEDE

51. Neighborhood: AREA

52. KGB country: USSR

54. Clued in about: ON TO

55. Grows older: AGES

58. Vigor's partner: VIM. Vim and vigor, crudely known as p*ss and vinegar.

59. Outback hopper, for short: ROO. If you watched the video, you know they are related to the platypuses.

Argyle

Monday, December 19, 2016 Mel Rosen

Theme: Holy Holly- Double up the middle consonant to form the second word and clue appropriately.

20. Pilfered German fruit bread?: STOLEN STOLLEN

32. Evidence of Russia's currency collapse?: RUBLE RUBBLE

42. "Mister Ed" dot?: TITLE TITTLE

54. Final course in the Sahara?: DESERT DESSERT

Argyle here. No reveal Monday; not needed. Small nit; tittle is defined as a point or small sign used as a diacritical mark in writing or printing. MISTER ED doesn't use one; MR. ED does. Still fun.

Update: The dot on the lower-case "i" is also a tittle, at least according to some dictionaries.

Across:

1. Cartoonist Addams: "CHAS". Creator of The Addams Family.]

5. Sour substances: ACIDS

10. Parroted: APED

14. ___-poly: ROLY. May refer to: Link.

15. French painter of café scenes: MANET

16. Smallest American coin: DIME. Smallest in physical size.

17. Mil. no-show: AWOL. (Absence Without Leave)

18. "Fear of Flying" author Jong: ERICA. (1973 novel)

19. Herr's home: HAUS

23. Up until now: SO FAR

24. Timeline start: YEAR ONE

27. Play at the highest volume, as a radio: BLAST

31. Bravery award: MEDAL

37. Sch. in Charlottesville: UVA. (University of Virginia)

38. Words said with a nod: "I SEE"

39. Jeweled headpiece: TIARA

40. Stadium ticket designation: SEAT

41. Harbor puller: TUG

44. Bow and __: ARROW

46. Cotton thread: LISLE. A fine, high-twisted and hard-twisted cotton thread, at least two-ply, used for hosiery, gloves, etc.

47. Tortoni's cousin: SPUMONE

50. Pentathlon blades: EPEEs

58. B-movie safecracker: YEGG

60. Cheering noisily: AROAR

61. "Yes __?": ultimatum words: OR NO

62. Length times width: AREA

63. Infamous skater Harding: TONYA

64. Hall of Fame catcher Carlton: FISK. Nicknamed "Pudge" and "The Commander", Wiki Link.

65. Marries: WEDS

66. After-lunch sandwiches: OREOs

67. Lavish bash: FÊTE

Down:

1. Rude and crude: CRASS

2. Genre for do-it-yourselfers: HOW TO

3. Distant and cool: ALOOF

4. One of two in seven: SYLLABLE. The word, seven, is made up of two syllables.

5. Chorus from the pews: "AMEN"

6. Some "Wheel" prizes: CARS. You are better off on "The Price is Right" if you want a car.

7. "What's __ for me?": IN IT

8. Fake drake, say: DECOY

9. Opposite of fresh: STALE

10. Stick (to): ADHERE

11. Keyboard work for two: PIANO DUET

12. Rhea's Aussie relative: EMU

13. Hôtel __ Invalides: Paris landmark: DES

21. Author __ Stanley Gardner: ERLE. "Perry Mason"

22. Like a weak excuse: LAME

25. Part of USNA: NAVAL. (United States Naval Academy)

26. Make more than merry: ELATE

28. Intro-to-painting course: ART I

29. Exec's three-piece: SUIT

30. Little League precursor: T-BALL

32. Hayworth and Rudner: RITAs

33. Seize illegally: USURP

34. Gave reluctantly: BEGRUDGED

35. Matzo __: Jewish egg dish: BREI

36. Back muscles, in the gym: LATs. (lattismus dorsi)

40. Measures by pacing: STEPS OFF

42. Dance floor units: TWOs

43. Sights in la Méditerranée: ILEs. Here's a nice list of the îles de la mer Méditerranée to look over on those cold winter nights. List

45. Pricey watches: OMEGAs

48. "Gee, cool!": "NEATO!"

49. Mistake in the field: ERROR

51. Creepy: EERIE

52. Dadaist Max: ERNST. Road rage?

53. Tend to the flames: STOKE

55. Musical quality: TONE

56. Belafonte classic: DAY-O

57. Gaslight and Big Band: ERAs

58. Deviate from a course: YAW. (of a moving ship or aircraft) twist or oscillate about a vertical axis.

59. Before, in odes: ERE

Argyle