Saturday, September 15, 2018, Michael Ashley

A Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Michael Ashley

Today we celebrate that fruit that the old saw says if ingested daily can keep the doctor away. It is significant to me because it falls so near my 9/11 birthday. It has become a tradition for my lovely bride and I to meet our kids and their kids in Nebraska City, NE at the Kimmel Orchards where we pick fruit from the trees and peruse their country wares in the store. Following that we go up to the Lied Lodge and Conference Center for a wonderful meal overlooking the lovely country bordering the Missouri River. I'll be so sad when we no longer do this.

Today's constructor is Michael Ansley. He writes of himself - I lived nearly 20 years in Manhattan, New York, and have now lived with my wife and two children in Scottsdale, Arizona, since 1993. Besides being a maniacal online chess buff, in my spare time I dabble at another sport which, on my better days, strongly resembles golf. 

Michael is a wonderful crossword constructor and is very prolific in the construction of Acrostics. Click here to read more about Michael and see more of his other publications on Amazon.

My solving involved searching for any port in a storm and then eventually there were no more cells to fill.  The SE corner was a treasure trove of known answers as soon as I remembered how to spell the rope-soled shoe.


Across:

1. Ones going downhill fast: SKI JUMPERS  - Many of us remember when ABC's Wide World Of Sports opening used this SKI JUMP accident to show The Agony of Defeat

11. Opulent: LUSH and 11. Opulent: LUXE - I am not likely to use one of these synonyms 

15. They always get underfoot: INNERSOLES - Get a "custom" one at these kiosks 

16. Biblical preposition: UNTO.

17. Pop music feature: TOP TEN LIST - TOP TEN LIST of songs for every year since 1950

18. Wolverine, for one: X-MAN - If you're interested, you already know about him

19. "Westworld" airer: HBO - A violent sci-fi (yes, I said sci-fi) western

20. '70s-'80s self-improvement course: EST - Erhard Seminar Training A very intense course that eventually was labelled a cult and died out

21. Notre Dame's river: SEINE  - Yup!

22. Legendary chanteuse: PIAF  - A very young girl doing an fabulous imitation of Edith PIAF's distinctive singing/warbling style 

26. Max.: ULT - Max(imum)/ULT(imate)

28. Equivalents of pairs of FGs: TDS

29. Somewhat out of place, as hair: MUSSED

31. __ dish: PETRI.

33. Type of medicine: HOLISTIC - Do what you like but I'll take my doctors

35. 1969 retail clothing debut: THE GAP - The founder Don Fisher couldn't find a pair of jeans that fit him so he opened his own store on Ocean Ave. in San Francisco.

38. Second film with Craig as Bond: QUANTUM OF SOLACE - Ah something new! A beautiful woman, suggestively attired, wearing illogical footwear and walking away from mayhem

40. "Counting Sheep" purchases: SERTAS - We have one and it is wonderful!

41. Monthly reading: GAS METER - Do meter readers still roam the landscape?

42. Pampers, with "on": DOTES.

44. More stingy: MEANER - Which was your favorite stingy Scrooge? Mine is Reginald Owen - circa. 1938

45. "Avatar" actress Saldana: ZOE - Her makeup probably took as long as John Travolta's for Hairspray

47. Attorney's letters: ESQ - Perry Mason, Esq.

48. Origin abbr.: ESTD - LA Times Crossword Corner - ESTablisheD 1/21/2008

49. Pointed: AIMED

51. Small city?: URB - The Oxford Dictionary says it is, "An urban area, a city" and so URB is a small word for a city

54. Base figs.: GI'S - A crazy bunch of GI'S in Stripes, shot on BASE at Fort Knox.

57. Scheme: PLAN.

58. Left in the dust: SAILED PAST - What Usain Bolt did in his Olympic races

62. Hang: PEND.

63. Shoe with a rope sole: ESPADRILLE - The spelling took some perp help

64. Contributes: ADDS.

65. Film with cues: THE HUSTLER  - A great movie that garnered Oscar nominations for Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott

Down:

1. Jedi foes: SITH - Their starting lineup

2. Round handle: KNOB.

3. Hot: IN POPULAR DEMAND - The Beanie Babies were IN POPULAR DEMAND in the 90's but that craze wore off and some got stuck with lots of toys that did not appreciate in value

4. Fly quickly: JET.

5. Midge __, co-organizer of the Live Aid benefit concert: URE - Midge was a phonetic reversal of his given name Jim

6. AOL alternative: MSN.

7. German's neighbor: POLE - In 1939 the Germans dropped in on their neighbors unexpectedly and violently 

8. "__ Comin'": Laura Nyro song: ELI'S - I remember Three Dog Night singing that song

9. Gather one's strength: REST UP 

10. Retired flier: SST - A crash in 2000, the 2001 Trade Center attack and rising maintenance costs grounded our crossword friend

12. Brass: UNMITIGATED GALL

13. Orchestra pit aid: STAND - Usually with lights

14. Brushes up on: HONES  

21. Westernmost of the Virgin Islands: ST. THOMAS and 55. 21-Down, e.g.: ISLE.

23. Digs: IS INTO.

24. Per prior mention: AS STATED  - AS STATED in paragraph 4, subsection c... 

25. Some ultrasound images: FETUSES - I would have liked to have known the gender of our children before they were born. You?

27. "Well, as I recall ... ": LET'S SEE, I think I told you I take a 30. Skeptical, as a view: DIM view of your talking while I am talking

29. Grimace: MOUE.

32. Cave: RELENT - She did neither 

33. Command ctrs.: HQS  - The Strategic Air Command's  (Now Stratcom) HQ is just south of Omaha

34. Small part: COG.


36. Maker of Swift laptops: ACER.

37. Each: PER.

39. Sibs, uncs, etc.: FAM - The FAM dynamics at the funeral for my niece this week weren't all that great

43. Suppress: SQUASH.

45. 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardee: ZAPPA - Okay

46. Quieted, in a way: OILED  - Get some on that squeaky wheel

50. Closes: ENDS.

52. Fit for harvesting: RIPE - This corn looks RIPE but is not fit for harvesting because the moisture content is too high at 29.2%

53. Boring: BLAH  - Is that the best ya got, Husker Gary?

56. End of a mob?: STER - Is Al Capone your first image?

58. Full collection: SET.

59. Loyola domain: EDU - Loyola University of Chicago's web site is http://www.lcu.edu

60. OR principals: DRS - Do you know the names of any of these TV DRS or the show that featured them?

61. Peril in a Poe title: PIT - I chose the less graphic depiction of this 1843 Poe classic tale

Treat yourself to some caramel dip with an apple as you comment for us today!

LETTER COUNT:

DA GRID:

Friday, September 14, 2018, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Laugh kookaburra laugh.

Once again we are presented with a 16 x 15 puzzle by the incredible Jeffrey Wechsler. We have another sound puzzle designed to amuse as much as baffle. In the first and third theme fill, it is the first word that is re-purposed with a sound-alike word that is clued with humor as the objective. I think the puzzle evolved from PRAISE ON ONE's MIND which is what necessitated the 16 width of the puzzle. Jeffrey then built a symmetrical and consistent theme with the first word of themer one and three being the sound alike and the last word in two and four. Also, to show how much thought JW puts into his puzzles, we have an exchange of the "A" sound to "AI" from a different word that makes the sound. In theme one,  "EY" becomes "AI"; in two A-E becomes AI;  in three "EIGH" becomes "AI" and in 4 "AY" is replaced with "AI." Solid and consistent.

There are some misdirections like -  Late bloomer: ASTER and Edible bulb: ONION. Then he confused me with some puzzlers like - Slight suggestion:  TINGE or Certain octet member: PLANET. With 58 theme squares the long fill was limited to I SWEAR IT,  MAMMALIA, SAINT KITTS and STAY IN STEP all very sparkly. So without further ado.

18A. Complimentary thoughts?: PRAISE ON ONE's MIND (16). Preys on one's mind is the base phrase.

25A. Subtitle for "Further Adventures of Jack and Jill"?: BEYOND THE PAIL (13). Beyond the pale is the base phrase here. Its HISTORY, suggesting it is related to impale. 

45A. Reason to open another register?: WAIT REDUCTION (13). Weight reduction is this base phrase. 

62A. Rate hike at a tanning salon?: ULTRA-VIOLET RAISE (16). Ultra-violet rays this time. 

Across:

1. Mortify: ABASH. This was a more popular word when I was young.

6. Late bloomer: ASTER. This hearkens back to D-O's comment last week, which I mis-remembered as "I can't tell my aster from a hole in the ground." I am not as subtle.

11. Education basic: MATH. 'Rithmatic.

15. Starbucks order: MOCHA. They combine rich, full-bodied espresso with bittersweet mocha sauce and steamed milk, then top it off with sweetened whipped cream.

16. Laughing, say: MERRY.

17. Et __: ALIA.

21. Half a Caribbean federation: SAINT KITTS. St. Kitts is the larger of the 2 Caribbean islands that comprise the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis.


22. Breitling competitor: OMEGA. Watches.

23. Where some long drives begin: TEE. Golf.

24. Certain octet member: PLANET. In our solar system.

32. U.K. singer Rita: ORA. She is back quickly.

33. Like the sticks: RURAL. Where people live surrounded by trees etc. The best-known reference to 'the sticks' meaning woodsy America, in any newspaper, was the 'Sticks Nix Hick Pix' headline in Variety, 17th July 1935. This was a famously succinct expression of the opinion that 'people in the backwoods [sticks] aren't interested [nix] in films [pix] about rural [hick] issues'.

34. Tentative statement: I MAY. This clue brought to mind this ear worm...

38. Collaborative website: WIKI. An easy go to; not always right but always there.

40. Classic slot images: LEMONS. Three CSOs in-one!

41. Emanation: AURA.

42. "He that hath no beard is __ than a man": Shak.: LESS. This was not said by Shaquille (Shaq) but is from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, said by Beatrice.
“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.”

43. Battery post: ANODE. Not cathode.

44. Capt.'s heading: NNW. And back at sea 54A. Flotilla locale: OCEAN. This interesting sounding word which reminds me of floating (the words may be related), can also be in rivers. LINK.

50. Lean (on): DEPEND.

53. Balloting time: Abbr.: NOV. Coming soon to a polling place near you.

55. Keep up (with), as fashion trends: STAY IN STEP. This was very difficult for me, even though once filled seemed easy, though keep in step sounds more familiar. This also the name of a spinal cord injury support web-site.

64. Goa garment: SARI.

65. Edible bulb: ONION.

66. Macabre fiction middle name: ALLAN. EAP also makes a quick reprise here.

67. State of France: ÉTAT. The word in French, known from État Unis and coup d'état.

68. Some red marks: WELTS.

69. Knish purveyors: DELIS. Some HISTORY.

Down:

1. Stage flankers: AMPS.

2. When doubled, one of the Leeward Islands: BORA. Bora Bora is one of the LEEWARD ISLANDS.

3. Trendy berry: ACAI.

4. "Way of the gods" belief: SHINTO. Shinto is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism. wiki.

5. Get a move on: HASTEN. Jason.

6. French mine: À MOI. Not gold or silver.

7. Posted: SENT.

8. Display, with "out": TROT.

9. Sea eagles: ERNS.

10. White alternative: RYE. Bread, not anything controversial.

11. Class for dogs and cats: MAMMALIA. Mammals are the vertebrates within the class Mammalia, a clade of endothermic amniotes distinguished from reptiles by the possession of a neocortex, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands. wiki. Yes - Mamma is Latin for booby!

12. "Guardians of the Galaxy" figure: ALIEN.I wanted Groot.

13. Slight suggestion: TINGE. This was very tricky.

14. Attacked: HAD AT. Then...40D. Attacked, with "into": LAID. Be careful...

19. Squeezed (out): EKED.

20. Arias, usually: SOLI. The plural of solo.

24. Comrades: PALS.

25. Postseason game: BOWL. In American college football.

26. Historic canal: ERIE. CSO again.

27. Runs on: YAKS.

28. Nottingham's river: TRENT. It has a bridge.

29. Laugh producer: HUMOR.

30. Undercut: ERODE.

31. Comprising standard glazing: PANED. Windows often are made up of panes, which get there by the action of installing windows.

35. Local bond, briefly: MUNI. Municipal bond interest is tax free.

36. The Ponte Vecchio spans it: ARNO. This is the bridge.

37. [What a bore!]: YAWN. Hey, I am trying here!

39. "Scout's honor!": I SWEAR IT. I do!

46. Kendrick of "Pitch Perfect" films: ANNA. 780 milihelens.

47. Meter, e.g.: UNIT.

48. "Heart of Darkness" author: CONRAD. A short novel by Joseph Conrad, about Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. The contrast between the rich white men and the natives and Marlow's disillusionment with Kurtz is the darkness.
LINK.

49. Deal in electronics?: TV SALE. Such a random clue/fill.

50. Put out: DOUSE.

51. Eye-popping display: ECLAT. Similar to Elan.

52. Ancient Jordanian archaeological city: PETRA. Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert. Dating to around 300 B.C., it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the "Rose City."

55. Trig function: SINE. We have our math cornerites to expand, or expound.

56. Labor: TOIL.

57. Oodles: A LOT.

58. Hungers: YENS.

59. Prepare for sowing: TILL.


60. Actor Morales: ESAI. As Boomer says, the vowels are there.

61. They're often secured at tellers' windows: PENS. Do ther chains really help? They go at least back 50 YEARS.

63. Commitment: VOW.

Well I vow to be back again next week ITCDR. Thank you JW and all who read and comment, and a continuing wish for a Happy, Healthy and Sweet year for all.

Thursday September 13th 2018 Joe Deeney

Theme: TOGA, or another type of "butter" churn!

16A. Rolls off the alley: GUTTER BALLS. Bowling's not my thing, I just don't have the coordination for it.

23A. Swing era dance: JITTERBUG. Ditto me and dancing, that coordination problem again. This picture is captioned "Scandalous Teen Crazes". The scandal!

32A. Smoking hazard: CIGARETTE BURN. I was half-expecting "BUTT" instead of BURN, but of course that wouldn't work with the theme. Mr. Purist says that you shouldn't have any of the same letters of your scramble adjacent to the ones you have scrambled - in this case the "RE" in "CIGARE-" breaks the rule. However, I'm feeling charitable today, so no grumble.

44A. Anticipatory counterargument: PREBUTTAL. A relatively new portmanteau - "pre-emptive rebuttal" usually in politics where you 'fess up to your shortcomings before the opposition point them out. I use the same tactics in a competitive sales situation - I know the FUD that the competition are going to dish, so I get my counters in first (FUD = fear, uncertainty, doubt).

and the reveal:

52A. Dairy implement, and a hint to what's hidden in 16-, 23-, 32-, and 44-Across: BUTTER CHURN

A nice clean theme from Joe, and I counted the grid size twice to make sure we're back to a regulation 15x15 after the last four Thursdays produced an additional square across or down.

Let's see what we've got in the fill - two clunkers and a lot of pleasant stuff!

Across:

1. Minimally: A TAD

5. Oversight: LAPSE

10. "Man With a Plan" network: CBS. In the news this week for reasons they didn't wish for.

13. One and only: SOLE

14. Fads: MANIAS

15. No longer active: Abbr.: RET. As in a retired asset. Most retired people I know are more active than the rest of us who are nose-to-the-grindstone keeping-the-wheels-of-industry-turning. My retired sister probably puts up more air miles than me, and spends her time exploring Mayan ruins in Honduras, hitchhiking through Cuba, yomping up mountains in Montana and generally playing "Where's Waldo?".

18. "__ we there yet?": ARE

19. College Board exam, briefly: AP TEST. Strictly "advanced placement", but one of those "no longer an abbreviation" examples. So is "exam" in the clue. Coincidence?

20. French assent: OUI

21. It's calculated using ht. and wt.: B.M.I. Body Mass Index.

22. Make a face, say: REACT

26. Loan application section: DEBT

27. Badgers: NAGS

28. Staff helper: AIDE

29. "Be My __ Ono": Barenaked Ladies song: YOKO. A nice departure clue for a crossword staple. I didn't fill it in right away because it could have been a lot of different words if you don't know the song.

30. West Coast athletic footwear company: LA GEAR

36. Got close to empty: RAN LOW

37. Area to lay anchor: COVE

38. High style: UPDO

39. Cry related to "hey": AHOY! Often heard in a cove?

40. Opt out: PASS

47. Goldfinger's first name: AURIC

48. Three-time NBA Finals MVP Duncan: TIM. One of the most unassuming people ever to suit up for a professional sports team.

49. __ Butterworth: MRS. Her first name was revealed, to great fanfare in 2009. Joy! No, not the emotion, that's her name. Apparently. What is Aunt Jemima's last name? We should be told.

50. Post-workout lament: I'M SORE

51. Open event gold medalist in the 2016 Chess Olympiad: USA. Apparently there are two categories, "Open" and "Women's". Don't ask me why. Ask FIDE, the World Chess Federation. Also, don't ask me why one is a translation of the other either. Odd bods, those chess folk.

55. Do a 5K, e.g.: RUN. Followed by 50A, probably.

56. Meets up with the old gang: REUNES. Ach. Clang! I know we've seen this before, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant.

57. "Makes sense": I SEE

58. Conclusion: END

59. Increase: ADD TO

60. Typically round-neck shirts: TEES

Down:

1. Norse gods' home: ASGARD. I got stuck on "Valhalla" and couldn't let go for a time. Valhalla is in Asgard. I also got distracted by "Isengard" from The Lord of the Rings. I wonder about what goes on with my synapses sometimes.

2. Head cover: TOUPEE

3. Window-switching keyboard shortcut: ALT-TAB

4. Catch a scent of: DETECT

5. Yellow __: LAB

6. "Fifty Shades of Grey" heroine: ANA. Thank you, crosses, The whole "Grey" genre passed me by.

7. Trial episodes: PILOTS

8. French toast: SALUT!

9. Nail polish brand: ESSIE. I'll take Joe's word for it. Not on my regular shopping list.

10. More like Oscar the Grouch: CRABBIER

11. Hamilton local: BERMUDAN. I read "locale" and was trying to figure out how to cram BROADWAY into a place it patently did not belong.

12. "In the Heat of the Night" Oscar winner Rod: STEIGER. He won the Oscar for Best Actor. Co-star Rod Steiger won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA award for the same thing. I don't know any movie where that's ever happened before or since.

14. B.A. Baracus player: MR. T. The "A" Team.

17. Superlative suffix: EST
-
23. Copacetic: JAKE. I'd not seen this synomym before. From the "Roaring Twenties" according to that font of all knowledge, the Oracle at Delphi. I mean Wikipedia.

24. "Makes sense": I GOTCHA. See "I SEE" above.

25. Old World Style sauce: RAGU. This one:

27. Swed. neighbor: NORW. Not my favorite. SWE and NOR in my book. You don't see DENM or FINL.

29. Retired NBAer Ming: YAO. I think he stands six feet nineteen and can leap the Great Wall in a single bound, even in retirement.

30. Tax: LEVY

31. Japanese prime minister since 2012: ABE. Is he honest? We should be told.

32. Big name in juice pouches: CAPRI SUN

33. Hot: IN DEMAND

34. Amorphous mass: GLOB. Is a globule a little glob, or something else entirely? Discuss.

35. Home Depot purchase: TOOL

36. Burst: RUPTURE

39. Ready to sire: AT STUD

40. Test limits: PUSH IT

41. Excite: AROUSE

42. Yes or no follower: SIRREE!

43. Drama segments: SCENES

45. Sunspot center: UMBRA. Suntan? Burnt Umbra :)

46. Leveled, with "up": TRUED

47. Theater chain initials: AMC. Pioneers of the multiplex and megaplex theaters, both in the USA and around the world.

50. Form W-9 org.: IRS.

53. Explosive stuff: TNT. Boom!

54. Fair-hiring letters: EEO. I always want it to be "Equal Opportunity Employer" which puts me off my stroke somewhat.

I love the window seat on the plane, I can't understand why anyone would want to pull the shade down, it's a beautiful world out there. I'm heading south back to LA from Seattle, and this is the sunset outside. Not the best picture, but I thought it was one to share.

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes yesterday. I was treated to a quite amazing dinner at José Andrés' restaurant here in LA last night. We ate at the kitchen bar with just eight other people and were presented with a twenty (!) course tasting menu served by the chefs who prepared the dishes. Most times I think I could take a stab at reproducing something I've eaten in a restaurant, but this one? Not a chance.

Grid? Gridded!

Steve

Wednesday, September 12 2018, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: RAWR!

19. 1989 Al Pacino thriller: SEA OF LOVE. SEA MONSTER. What?

22. Website's list of browser data rules: COOKIE POLICY. COOKIE MONSTER. Who?

24. Magic ring-wielding superhero: GREEN LANTERN. GREEN MONSTER. Why?

49. 2001 Pixar hit, and a hint to the start of 19-, 22- and 24-Down: MONSTERS INC.

Unusual grid design - from C.C.: "I used a left/right symmetry grid due to limited theme entry choices. And I got lucky that I could intersect all of the those themers with the reveal."

 

Across:

1. Los Angeles player: RAM.

4. Dancer Charisse: CYD.

7. 1938 "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcaster: CBS.

10. Chewed-over material: CUD.

13. The Obama years, e.g.: ERA.

14. Cube that rolls: DIE.

15. "The Murders in the __ Morgue": RUE.

16. Harlem Globetrotters promoter Saperstein: ABE. Who knew?

17. Feel out of sorts: AIL.

18. Official reproach: CENSURE.

20. Diamond, for one: GEM.

21. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

23. Peaceful '60s protest: LIE IN.

24. Sandwich with tzatziki sauce: GYRO.

25. Vermeer, notably: OLD MASTER. Johannes Vermeer - Dutch artist who painted "The Girl With The Pearl Earring," among other masterpieces.

28. Cold response?: ACHOO. Nice clue.

31. Actor Pesci: JOE.

32. __ Free: caffeine-free soda: PEPSI.

36. They're bound to sell: BOOKS. Another great clue.

37. CIO partner: AFL.

38. Hides from animals: PELTS. On a roll! Love this clue, too.

39. Remove, as a knot: UNTIE.

40. 10% of MDX: CLI. Roman numerals.

41. Poky one: SNAIL.

42. London gallery: TATE. Houses four separate galleries - anyone been?

43. Unisex fragrance: CK ONE. Marketed to both men and women.

45. Strings for Orpheus: LYRE.

46. "Just like that!" sound: SNAP.

47. High temperature: FEVER.

48. Abbr. in job titles: ASST.

52. Spanish surrealist: DALI.

53. Poker variety: STUD.

55. Formally ask for: SOLICIT.

58. Ignore the alarm clock: SLEEP IN. I know a few people who naturally get up at the crack of noon.

61. Come before: PRECEDE.

62. Ceramic casserole dish: TERRINE.

63. Ancient land in the Fertile Crescent: ASSYRIA. Often called the "Cradle of Civilization," the region in the Middle East which curves, like a quarter-moon shape, from the Persian Gulf, through modern-day southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and northern Egypt.

64. Still going on: UNENDED. Makes me feel weary.

Down:

1. Authentic: REAL.

2. Diva's moment: ARIA.

3. West African country: MALI.

4. Atlanta-based health agcy.: CDC.

5. Traffic directive: YIELD.

6. Guess apparel: DENIM JACKET.

7. Luxury voyage vessel: CRUISE LINER.

8. Seriously overcooked: BURNT. Some people like that taste.

9. "Capisce?": SEE. As in, understand.

10. Shrewd: CAGY.

11. Car service app: UBER.

12. Floor sample: DEMO.

26. Get beaten: LOSE.

27. "House" actor Omar: EPPS.

28. Borders on: ABUTS.

29. Sir Arthur __ Doyle: CONAN. Sherlock Holmes author.

30. Spicy Mexican wraps: HOT TAMALES.

33. Serves as matchmaker: PLAYS CUPID.

34. Uses a swizzle stick: STIRS.

35. Daysail destination: ISLET.

43. Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle, by pos.: CFS. Centerfielders.

44. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms.

50. More pleasant: NICER.

51. Grenoble's river: ISERE.

52. British bombshell Diana: DORS. Va Va Voom! She looks like Jayne Mansfield.

54. Use the good china, say: DINE.

55. Healthful getaway: SPA.

56. Despot portrayed by Forest: IDI. Forest Whitaker played Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. I loved him in Phenomenon, too.

57. Drink from a kettle: TEA. Noun not verb.

58. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU.

59. Cariou of "Blue Bloods": LEN. Unknown to me. He plays Henry Reagan, (retired) NYPD Police Commissioner.

60. Actor Beatty: NED.

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the 59th birthday of Steve, our cool Thursday Sherpa. Steve is always on the cutting edge of food scene. He introduced us to sous-vide and Microplane long before they became popular. Thanks for the humor, fun and knowledge you bring to us every week, Steve!

Steve and his big brother rocking their T-straps

Steve and the Grumpy Cat