Friday, October 27, 2017, Andy Kravis and Erik Agard

Title: It all fits, but where is the Z?

What a nice treat as we get a collaboration between two of the millennial constructors, both of whom had their debuts here at the LAT. They along with many others have changed the landscape of puzzle publication by publishing their own work. Meet them LINK Andy; LINK Eric.

Back to this effort which, like last week, uses 'insert three letters' to make a new phrase. A very fair puzzle which may have a couple of curve balls, but it is Friday. They also introduce us to some new fill -AIDS WALK, MOON GODS, CORE ASSETS and WHAT CAN I DO. It is the aforementioned Z away from being a pangram. Guys, really?

19A. Watch a music-streaming app? : SEE SPOTIFY RUN (13). If you do not know Spotify you were born before 1970. You still might remember learning from seeing Spot run.

26A. Organize circus performers? : CLASSIFY CLOWNS (13). I wonder if either of these young men were class clowns?

46A. Rationalize one's need for duel assistance? : JUSTIFY A SECOND (14). Sly, the duelists need a second, why may take longer than just a second.

53A. Worship at the altar of buttercream? : DEIFY FROSTING (13). The outlier - Defrosting is one word, Also, Buttercream is not worth worship

Across:

1. Apples on a desk: iMacs. One office where I work uses lots of the 27" model.

6. Unattached: STAG.

10. Ruler meas. : CMS. Centimeters.

13. Two-sport Sanders: DEION. Neon Deion, Primetime is a Florida born product of FSU. During his most productive year in the majors, the 1992 season, he hit .304 for the team, stole 26 bases, and led the NL with 14 triples in 97 games. During the 1989 season, he hit a major league home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, the only player ever to do so. Sanders is also the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.

14. Texas city: WACO. Home to Chip and Joanna Gaines.

15. Leave work: QUIT.

16. Braugher of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine": ANDRE. From serious police procedural TV - Homicide: Life on the Street - to deadpan comic, but still in the SQUAD ROOM.

17. Maker of Swift laptops: ACER.

18. Waiter at a stand: TAXI. Nice deception.

22. Garden State city: NEWARK. Ironic isn't it.

24. "__ be the judge of that": I'LL.

25. Make the call: OPT. In or out.

30. Afflicts: AILS.

31. Where Spike Lee earned his MFA: NYU.

32. Louisville Slugger wood: ASH. Ash is back for the second week in a row. Louisville sluggers were all we had playing baseball as kids.

33. Answered counterpart: ASKED. AAA.

35. Little devil: IMP. Tyrion started out as the Imp.

37. Brazilian music genre: SAMBA.

41. Up to, for short: TIL.

43. Blanc with "That's all folks" on his gravestone: MEL.

45. Punch or file: TOOL. Meh.

50. Actress Aniston, in tabloids: JEN. Have not had a gratuitous female form in a while.

51. Afternoon social: TEA.

52. "Mean Girls" actress Seyfried: AMANDA. Buy the magazine.

57. Declare openly: AVOW. Aver, avow, aver.

58. Streaming on Facebook: LIVE. We have friends who actually do this.

59. Tantalus' daughter: NIOBE. Moral: do not try and show up gods. LINK.

62. Manage: TEND.

63. Over: ANEW. Got me, anyone?

64. Further out there: ODDER.

65. Start of something? : ESS.

66. Gets some sun: TANS.

67. Sparkling wine choices: ROSES. The magic ending ess.

Down:

1. Mont. neighbor: IDA. Hey girl, weather better?

2. "White __ Can't Jump": MEN.

3. Charity fundraiser since 1985: AIDS WALK.  Florida VERSION.

4. Vital business holdings: CORE ASSETS.

5. Villainous visages: SNEERS. I do love alliteration.

6. Exchange: SWAP.

7. Folded Mexican fare: TACO.

8. Vinegary, as acid: ACETIC. Didn't Moe explain about wine and acid?

9. Brute: GORILLA.

10. Oscar-winning "Gravity" director Alfonso: CUARON. LINK.

11. Mistakes: MIXUPS.

12. Stretch on the job: STINT.

15. Invoice abbr. : QTY.

20. Parchment source: SKIN. Not necessarily human.

21. Dental visit freebie: FLOSS.

22. Org. that fills bowls? : NCAA. More wit.

23. Bulldog fans: ELIS.

27. "Just an update" letters: FYI. Another version of the IFY inserted.

28. Delish: YUMMY.

29. "Need my help?" : WHAT CAN I DO.

34. Catchy tune: DITTY.

36. Edible orb: PEA.

38. Selene and Luna: MOON GODS. Greek and Roman - the same goddess. LINK.

39. No foe: BOND. Dr. No, nice clue.

40. Only actor to appear in every episode of "M*A*S*H": ALDA. I really enjoyed him in Blacklist.

42. Become prostrate: LIE FLAT.

44. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT.

46. Valet in Wodehouse stories: JEEVES.

47. Labor parties? : UNIONS.

48. Oatmeal alternative: FARINA.

49. Key of Dvorák's New World Symphony: E MINOR.

50. Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David: JDATE. Do they still use this?

54. Chain email abbr. : FWD.

55. It may be self-cleaning: OVEN.

56. Works with threads: SEWS.

60. Pollen carrier: BEE.

61. Hectic hosp. zones: ERS.

Thanks for the help all see later. Thank you gentleman for a fun puzzle. Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 26 2017 Mark McClain

Theme: FAN-tastic. Four FAN definitions, four different results. Three nouns-based, one verb-based.

17A. FAN : RANGE HOOD DEVICE. Really? OK. My range hood doubles as a microwave, so I've got two devices in one, I guess. I treated myself to a new range last week, the old one went kaput in the oven-ignition department. I'm not fond of the smell of gas in my kitchen.

26A. FAN : GEISHA ACCESSORY. Can be very ornate.

43A. FAN : GO DOWN ON STRIKES. It took me forever to parse this. Baseball - you fan the batter when you have him swinging and missing at for strike three. World Series time is on us! I won't claim to being an ardent supporter of my LA Dodgers. I am a fan, though.

56A. FAN : ARDENT SUPPORTER. Now, that's me! Chelsea F.C. When I'm back in London next month I'll be at the ground being ardent. I still renew my annual club membership each year even though I get to one game every goodness knows when.

Four grid-spanners is always a nice construction job - things can get tricky making this kind of pattern work. I thought we were onto a pangram when X, Z, J, K and the other usual suspects started showing up, but no Q, so close, but no cigar.

Lots of nice fill to go with the solid 60 (count 'em!) theme letters. Let's see:

Across:

1. "The Hobbit" figure : DWARF. Makes a nice change from ents, orcs and what-not. There were 13 of the vertically-challenged, pugnaciously-bearded bunch in The Hobbit

6. Moneyless deal : SWAP

10. It may involve an exchange of letters : CODE. Also known as a substitution cipher - you change one letter for another.

14. Like a raucous crowd : AROAR. Your honor, I refer to my previous blog entries on this particular word.

15. Grassy "pet" : CHIA

16. Binged (on) : OD'ED

20. Donkey Kong, e.g. : APE. I'm old enough to remember the first Donkey Kong machine in my local pub in London. I'm also old enough to remember the first Pong machine, and the first Space Invaders machine. I retired after Missile Command and saved my money.

21. Tiny bit : IOTA

22. Gas in an arc lamp : XENON

23. Cultural opening? : AGRI-

24. Working away : AT IT

33. Dark : UNLIT

34. Holy Week season : LENT.

35. Menagerie : ZOO

36. Organa family royal : LEIA. I don't know why I have a problem with this "Organa" family clue. I know I know it's Star Wars, but why was I playing around with LENA and LEDA as possibilities?

37. Outback youngsters : JOEYS. Sing after me the Australian kids' show theme tune: "Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo". The show came on right after "The Magic Boomerang" on the BBC. I'm guessing cheaply-acquired programming.

39. Cover up : MASK. Verb and noun. Nice.

40. Is for many : ARE. Singular/Plural hint.

41. Trombone's symphonic neighbor : TUBA. Twinned with the 38D clue/answer. Nice.

42. First two-time Nobelist : CURIE

47. False move : FAKE. Sporting term - faking someone out.

48. Try in court : HEAR

49. "Star Wars" genre : SCI-FI

52. Contrary girl of rhyme : MARY. How did her garden grow?

53. Relaxation spot : SPA

60. Oblique look : LEER

61. Lowland : VALE. I wait - DALE or VALE?

62. Din : NOISE

63. Bigelow products : TEAS

64. Cut without mercy, as a budget : AXED

65. Maker of iComfort mattresses : SERTA. I'm surprised lawsuit-happy Apple haven't sued over the name.

Down:

1. Swimmer Torres with 12 Olympic medals : DARA. She's a motiviational speaker now and lives up the street (actually, up quite a few streets) in Beverly Hills.

2. Sub alternative : WRAP

3. As good as it gets : A-ONE

4. Joplin work : RAG

5. Train load : FREIGHT

6. Nova __ : SCOTIA

7. "Just a doggone minute!" : WHOA

8. Legal __ : AID

9. Legal __ : PAD

10. Longs for enviously : COVETS

11. Mr. Wednesday's real identity in "American Gods" : ODIN

12. Artistic style of L.A.'s Eastern Columbia Building : DECO.  A beautiful loft building downtown. Here's the entryway:

13. Churchill's 1955 successor : EDEN

18. Hand-holding celebratory dance : HORA

19. Be real : EXIST

23. Where Vladivostok is : ASIA

24. __-deucey : ACEY

25. Arithmetic column : TENS. Please complete the following as your homework. It's due back to me tomorrow.

26. Solzhenitsyn subject : GULAG. I read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" when I was a teen. Quite the eye-opener.

27. Día de Reyes month : ENERO. Nailed it! January, the twelfth day of Christmas in Spanish-speaking countries.

28. "That wasn't quite true ... " : I LIED

29. Do housework : CLEAN

30. Netflix drama set in a Missouri mountain resort : OZARK. Never seen the drama, but easy to guess.

31. WWII riveter : ROSIE

32. Devices used with oxcarts : YOKES. As one ox said to the other: "This plow is heavy. No yoke".

37. Rubbish : JUNK

38. Flute's symphonic neighbor : OBOE. I like the pair of orchestral maneuvers today. Let's use that as an excuse for some 80's pop. And some hilarity with the video production standards of the day.

39. Sierra Club founder : MUIR

41. With "the," East and West, in a Kipling ballad : TWAIN

OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!

From "The Ballad of East and West" by Rudyard Kipling

I've got a beaten-up old copy of Kipling's "Barrack Room Ballads" that belonged to my Dad and which followed him around his pre-war British Army postings to Hong Kong and Palestine and his WWII assignments in North Africa and Burma. No wonder it's a little rough around the edges.

42. Colorful set : CRAYONS

44. They're music to job-seekers' ears : OFFERS

45. Molded : SHAPED

46. Maryland athlete, familiarly : TERP

49. Cellar contents : SALT. Wanted WINE. A recent addition to my pantry is a Himalaya black salt that smells sulfurous. It's used to finish a couple of Indian curries that I'm fond of. Not to everyone's taste.

50. First Nations tribe : CREE

51. Thought : IDEA

52. Backless shoe : MULE. I tried MOCC first, a bad decision on more than one front.

53. Start to wake up : STIR

54. Sitter's challenge : PEST

55. Geometry figure : AREA

57. Power agcy. since 1933 : T.V.A.

58. Jazz band staple : SAX

59. Landmark '70s case anonym : ROE vs. Wade.

That's about it from me.

Steve

Wednesday, October 25, 2017, Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

TITLE: "SOUP'S ON!"

Gail and Bruce have produced another Wednesday winner with this entertaining puzzle employing a food theme shown in the reveal which is in the Down clues whereas the theme answers are in the Across batch:

Reveal:

43. "Dinner!" ... and a hint to the first word of 21-, 27-, 44- and 53-Across : LET'S EAT - Shown here in an amusing version of grace

First of all let's see the hands of those who wish this had been a Thursday puzzle so our resident gourmand Steve could have waxed gastronomically! One, two, three... Let's see counting me that's everybody! 

C'est la vie, you will have to make do with the "meat and taters" guy from the great plains - Husker Gary, who also did C.C.'s EAT UP titled puzzle from Sunday, October 15. 

Here are Gail and Bruce's themers where each has a first word denoting what you might find on your plate and an entire phrase starting with that word:

21. Finishing a sentence? : SERVING TIME - A single portion at a meal or OJ being dismissed from a Nevada prison at midnight to avoid publicity after nine years of SERVING TIME for trying to recover some memorabilia at gun point but not for...

27. Diagram on a golf score card : COURSE LAYOUT - One of the parts of a meal or the perhaps the most beautiful COURSE LAYOUT anywhere with hole #7 shown at the top of the poster and  jutting out into the ocean in the bottom middle of the map

44. Bad news for subway riders : FARE INCREASE - What might be available on a menu or what some of us remember when the Kingston Trio exhorted us to "fight the FARE INCREASE, Vote for George O'Brien, Get poor Charlie off the MTA!"

53. Grammatically, "have" in "I have spoken," e.g. : HELPING VERB - How much you are served or a non-intimidating example of the sample sentence

Let's get some HELPINGS of the FARE Gail and Bruce have for us in the COURSE of this puzzle that is SERVING our gaming appetites and HELPING getting our midweek off to a great start: 


Across

1. Bunches of bucks : WADS - She is WADDING up her caught cash in an interesting place

5. Strip of latticework : LATH

9. Expels : OUSTS

14. For each one : A POP - A dollar A POP for a serving of corn is a "bucaneer"

15. Jackson 5 hair style : AFRO

16. IV part : INTRA - What my INTRAVENOUS remicade routine looks like every eight weeks

17. Stacy Lewis' org. : LPGA - My mental WNBA/LPGA coin flip was wrong first 

18. Severely harm : MAIM

19. Use, as for a snooze : LIE ON - This is how I remember

20. "Well, __-di-dah!" : LAH - Close enough and extremely funny

23. In the air : ALOFT - Airplanes ALOFT in early morning of 9/11/2001. The skies were empty in a matter of hours.

25. Ancient Peruvian : INCA

26. "Fresh Air" airer : NPR

31. Attachment to a movable sprinkler : HOSE - How about getting water from a HOSE and becoming a moving human sprinkler

32. Divinity school subj. : REL

33. John Irving title writer : GARP - The character GARP becomes a writer in Iriving's Oscar Award Winning Screenplay The World According To GARP

36. Romantically involved with : SEEING

38. Oscar Mayer product : WIENER - I wish I were...

40. "And she shall bring forth __": Matthew : A SON - That season is getting close in all the stores since we are nearing Halloween.

41. Bordeaux brushoff : NON - A note in a French middle school - Pensez-vous comme moi ? Oui/NON (Do you like me? Yes/No)

42. Co. known for music compilations : KTEL - They "hooked" me. Ya gotta love Beethoven to a disco beat!

48. VW preceders? : STU - Cool clue! ...m n o p q r S T U V W x y z and

57. Letters between mus and xis : NUS - There is Nu between Mu and Xi

51. Fabric mishap : TEAR

52. Grecian urn glorifier, e.g. : ODIST - Yeah, I'm the only one who had to erase KEATS!

58. Ball co-star : ARNAZ - And cheating husband

59. Revered Tibetan : LAMA

60. Paltry : MERE

61. Author Kafka or composer Liszt : FRANZ

62. City west of Tulsa : ENID - The Enid Storm Shelter company sells these

63. Neck of the woods : AREA - In this AREA, Husker fans who were used to quality football are getting 64. Short-tempered : TESTY

65. College Board exams, for short : SATS

66. Wordless summons : PSST - PSST, wanna buy a Rolex...

Down

1. Character actor Eli who often co-starred with his wife Anne Jackson : WALLACH

2. Horse with a spotted coat : APPALOOSA - This beautiful one was, uh, spotted in New Zealand

3. Backyard pet shelters : DOGHOUSES - They make a husband version

4. Massage venue : SPA

5. Unconvincing, as excuses go : LAME

6. A long way off : AFAR

7. Barely worth mentioning : TRIVIAL - The eighth most sold board game of all time. It rans  between Othello and Pictionary. BTW, Chess was number one.

8. Grits, essentially : HOMINY

9. Dashboard indicator : OIL GAUGE

10. Textbook division : UNIT

11. Oktoberfest keepsake : STEIN

12. Beat the pants off : TROMP - _____ U. was TROMPED by ____ U. Nebraska used to be the object of the preposition and not the subject of that sentence.

13. More reasonable : SANER

21. GPS lines : STS - Here are some STreetS of 49. __ Haute : TERRE -  TERRE Haute, Indiana on the banks of the Wabash

22. Cpl., for one : NCO - As in Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger

24. No longer encumbered by : FREE OF 

28. South end? : ERN - The southERN most major street in this 60. 27-Across, essentially : MAP is Washington Street 

29. Journey segment : LEG

30. Did terribly : TANKED

34. Orthodontic devices : RETAINERS - I have had many very expensive RETAINERS lost by students on my many trips to Florida

35. Lays a guilt trip on, say : PRESSURES - Part and parcel of some family events 

37. Nervously distracted : IN A TIZZY - Where guilt trips can put you 

38. Took the title : WON

39. Business abbr. : INC

41. State of bliss : NIRVANA

45. Stimpy's sidekick : REN - Am I missing anything by not having seen this 'toon pair?

46. NFC East team : EAGLES - The EAGLES at the only school where I sub these days

47. Take the wrong way? : ROB

48. Unfair treatment, with "the" : SHAFT - She got the elevator and I got the SHAFT

50. Forearm bones : ULNAS - TESTY eliminated ULNAE

54. Breathe hard : PANT

55. Give off : EMIT

56. X-ray units : RADS - Originally defined in terms of our crossword buddy ERGS

The Grid:

Now, how 'bout a healthy portion of your wit and wisdom:

Tuesday, October 24 2017, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: SEEING RED

59. Showing embarrassment ... or what the circles in three puzzle answers are literally doing : TURNING RED

18. Big commotion : HURLY BURLY. RUBY

28. It has only two possible answers : YES OR NO QUESTION. ROSE

46. Start of a teaching moment from grandpa : WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE. WINE

Melissa here. The "TURNING" made me expect an anagram - but after the first two circled answers were filled that was clearly not it. Turns out (see what I did there?), the circled letters, read backwards (turned), spell different shades of RED. So SLY, our C.C.

Across         

1. eBay sale condition : AS IS. Not USED.

5. Nasal spray, e.g. : MIST

9. Guiding values of a group : ETHOS. Not ETHIC.

14. Funnyman Jay : LENO

15. Actress Falco of "Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders" : EDIE

16. Bench-clearing fight : BRAWL

17. Indonesian resort island : BALI

20. Assists with a felony : ABETS

22. River near the Egyptian pyramids : NILE

23. Podcast interruptions : ADS

24. Taxable profit : NET GAIN

26. Julep ingredient : MINT. Traditionally served in a silver cup. History.

33. Enjoy a pizza, say : EAT

34. Summer shades : TANS

35. Hosp. diagnostic chamber : MRI

36. Performs like Drake : RAPS

39. Have a bug : AIL

40. Pedal pushers : FEET. Tripped me up, was thinking clothing.

41. Lifeboat mover : OAR

42. Like cellars, typically : DAMP

44. "The Blacklist" government agcy. : FBI. HUAC didn't fit.

52. Australian isl. state : TASM. Tasmania.

53. Chose from a menu : ORDERED

54. Refuse to share : HOG. Amusing clue.

55. Imitated : APED

58. Hindu sage : SWAMI

62. Not much : A BIT

63. Thorny plant : BRIAR

64. Like eyesores : UGLY.

65. Snippet of poetry : LINE

66. Platform for a play : STAGE

67. Get ready for a selfie : POSE

68. __-back: relaxed : LAID

Down

1. Hudson River capital : ALBANY

2. Naval construction worker : SEABEE

3. Shoreline recesses : INLETS

4. "C'est la vie" : SO IT GOES. Makes me think of Linda Ellerbee, her famous sign-off line - and subsequent best-selling memoir. But also Kurt Vonnegut, and Billy Joel.

5. "I'm not impressed" : MEH

6. "Beats me" : I DUNNO

7. iPad voice-activated app : SIRI

8. Reveal : TELL

9. Fade away : EBB

10. One playing hooky : TRUANT

11. Difficulty, with "a" : HARD TIME. Not HARDSHIP.

12. Birds that can rotate their heads about 270 degrees : OWLS

 
13. Sneaky : SLY

19. Red Sea republic : YEMEN

21. Lee of desserts : SARA

25. QB's flub : INT. Not SAC.

27. Magazine unit: Abbr. : ISS

29. Ear cleaners : Q-TIPS

30. Carrier whose largest hub is O'Hare: Abbr. : UAL. The United Airlines stock exchange symbol is UAL, aka United Continental Holdings.

31. Mine extraction : ORE

32. Petty peeve : NIT

36. Information on a Broadway ticket : ROW

37. Satisfied sigh : AAH

38. University of South Africa city : PRETORIA

39. Org. for docs : AMA. Ohhh, doctors, not documents.

40. Computer network security system : FIREWALL

42. Bad-mouth : DIS

43. "Oh, drat!" : AW MAN

44. Word on a gift tag : FOR

45. Future blossoms : BUDS

47. "Get off my back!" : NAG NAG

48. Alpine songs : YODELS

49. "Lawrence of __" : ARABIA

50. The Twins of the Zodiac : GEMINI

51. Worked on text : EDITED

54. Injured : HURT

56. PC key used for scrolling : PGUP

57. "Logically, ... " : ERGO

59. Channel formerly called "Superstation" : TBS

60. Fury : IRE

61. Just For Men product : DYE

Note from C.C.:

Here is a new picture of  Melissa's beautiful granddaughter Jaelyn.  Those eyes!

Monday, October 23, 2017 ~ Jeff Stillman

Theme: Reveal Monday - B-B-B, three word and only three word phrases with all words starting with 'B'.

20. *A little bit at a time, to a mason: BRICK BY BRICK. Video(2:51)

32. *Next step up after a crib, for some toddlers: BIG BOY BED. A tad forced? Clip(0:52)

40. *Hit by *NSYNC about the end of a relationship: "BYE, BYE, BYE". Video(6:42)

50. *Iconic refrain from the Trammps' 1976 hit "Disco Inferno": BURN BABY BURN! Video(3:43)

59. Consumer protection org., and a hint to the answers to starred clues: BBB. (Better Business Bureau)

Argyle here. So no Bed, Bath, and Beyond; no Best Buy bargain. Mostly solid entries but still some fill that might raise questions. We'll see.

Across:

1. Eydie who sang with Steve Lawrence: GORMÉ 4-Down. Did a Cuban dance: MAMBOED

6. Began a typical triathlon: SWAM, then bike and finally, run.

10. Went lickety-split: SPED

14. Construction girder: I-BEAM

15. Prefix with legal: PARA

16. Epitaph starter: HERE

Here lies

Johnny Yeast.

Pardon me

For not rising.

17. Six-inch putt, say, in golf lingo: GIMME

18. Distinctive flair: ELAN

19. Eye part: IRIS

23. Heavy favorites: SHOO-INS

26. Those women, in Spain: ELLAs

27. Shabby homes: HOVELS

28. Huge: LARGE

31. Surprise police action: RAID. "Cheese it! The cops."

36. Grecian vessel of verse: URN

37. What "is yet to come," in a Sinatra classic: THE BEST

39. Shogun stronghold: EDO. The former name of Tokyo.

42. When repeated, a Samoan city: PAGO

43. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

44. Got via hard work: EARNED

46. Chicago airport: O'HARE

49. Diplomatic office: EMBASSY

54. Playground retort: "AM SO"

55. Shapeless mass: BLOB

56. Biting: ACERB

60. Space Race destination: MOON

61. Theater level: LOGE. Best seats.

62. Cygnus' brightest star: DENEB. Deneb lies at one vertex of a widely spaced asterism called the Summer Triangle. Wiki

63. "Rule, Britannia" composer: ARNE. Thomas Arne (1710 – 1778)

64. "Goodness gracious!": "EGAD!"

65. Founded: Abbr.: ESTAB. (established)

Down:

1. Jazzman's job: GIG

2. Japanese sash: OBI

3. Sleep stage: REM. (rapid eye movement)

5. TV chef Lagasse: EMERIL

6. Contractor's details: SPECS. specifications.

7. Base on balls: WALK

8. Spirited horse: ARAB

9. Scads of: MANY

10. Child star Temple: SHIRLEY. Heidi.

11. Danger: PERIL

12. "All My Children" vixen: ERICA. The anti-Heidi.

13. Newsroom fixtures: DESKS

21. Helpful connections: INs

22. Fathered, biblically: BEGOT

23. Landscaper's planting: SHRUB

24. White with age: HOARY

25. Sheeplike: OVINE

28. Tripoli's country: LIBYA Update: This Tripoli is the second largest city in Lebanon.

Here is the Libyan Tripoli.

29. 1958 Pulitzer-winning author James: AGEE. "A Death in the Family"

30. Football carriers: Abbr.: RBs. (running back)

32. "Cheers" actress Neuwirth: BEBE. She portrayed Lilith Frasier.

33. Spilled the __: told all: BEANS

34. Barely beats: EDGES

35. Puppet Howdy __: DOODY. If you were around when this was new ....

37. Easygoing sort: TYPE B

38. Egg layer: HEN

41. Without exception: BAR NONE

42. Struts like a horse: PRANCES

44. Australian runner: EMU

45. Use sandpaper on: ABRADE

46. Trump predecessor: OBAMA

47. Funny stuff: HUMOR

48. Felonious flames: ARSON. Alliteration.

49. Subsided: EBBED

51. Ready, willing and __: ABLE

52. Modern diary: BLOG. I read, "Modern dairy". Oops.

53. Discipline with mats: YOGA

57. Tolkien tree creature: ENT

58. Stephen of "The Crying Game": REA

Argyle