Thursday, December 11, 2025, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis, Erik Agard

Theme:  The beat goes on!

Erik Agard and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis

Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis is an audio and digital producer on the NPR Music Team, and an avid crossword solver.  This may be her first published crossword puzzle.  If so, congratulations!  In the photo above, Sofie was reporting on a crossword tournament at the University of Chicago in October 2025 for radio station WBEZ Chicago.  For today's puzzle, Sofie teamed up with constructor extraordinaire Erik Agard, former crossword editor at USA Today, currently at Apple News+.  It's wonderful to have these young folks making puzzles.

Today's puzzle features three starred clues, and one that reveals their connection:

28-Down. "Genius of Love" band, or what the answers to the starred clues are members of?: TOM TOM CLUB.  Although I was a fan of the band Talking Heads in the 1980s, I did not know about Tom Tom Club, a side project of two of the members.  Their song "Genius of Love" made it to the US top 40 in 1981.

Now that I've heard the song, I'm going to forget it, along with the band.  Happily this ignorance on my part did not keep me from solving the puzzle.  The reveal even helped me complete the starred clues.  They are:

20-Across. *Jelly Roll Morton jazz composition: BLACK BOTTOM STOMP.  I know about Jelly Roll Morton -- the jazz bandleader who was recording in the 1920s -- because of Van Morrison's lyrics:  

And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like Jelly Roll
And it stoned me

But I didn't know Black Bottom Stomp:

47-Across. *Pronunciation dichotomy popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: TOMAYTO TOMAHTO.  This difference in pronunciation is highlighted in a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance.  In the movie, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers sing it while roller skating.  Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded it in 1957.

27-Down. *One minuscule step at a time: ATOM BY ATOM.  Keeping in mind that Sofie is involved with broadcasting music, it's likely that she has a song in mind here, too.  Is she thinking of the British band Satan, with the 2015 album (and song) Atom by Atom?  (There's also a London-based alternative rock group called Atom by Atom.  Listen here:  https://atombyatom.bandcamp.com/album/dirty-bag )

If you've ever wished that NaomiZ would post more links, your wish has now been granted.

Oh, and by the way -- TOM TOMs are drums.  But you knew that.  And -- the word TOM appears twice in each of the starred answers.  But you knew that, too.

Here's the grid, with all those TOMs peeping out:

Now that we've dealt with every TOM, let's see about Dick and Harry, and whoever else.

Across:

1. One-third of a cereal mascot trio: SNAP.  Crackle and Pop wouldn't fit.

5. Start fishing: CAST.  A fisherman casts the line by pulling the rod back and then snapping it forward, releasing the fishing line and launching it forward.

9. Astounds: WOWS.

13. __ d'Ivoire: COTE.  A West African country with a French colonial history.

14. Spa treatment: FACIAL.

16. Pelee Island's lake: ERIE.  The largest island in Lake Erie.

17. Swedish supergroup: ABBA.

18. Mamá's mamá: ABUELA.  Abuela is Spanish for grandmother.  The accent on mamá was your clue for Spanish.

19. Rodgers of the band Chic: NILE.  Co-founder of the band Chic, Nile Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has received six Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement/Special Merit Award.  You may not know his name, but I'll bet you've heard the songs:

20. [Theme clue]

23. "Beloved" protagonist: SETHE.  Beloved is a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison.  This harrowing tale of a runaway slave is based on a true story.  In 1856, U.S. marshals broke into a cabin in the free state of Ohio, where a mother who had escaped brutal slavery in Kentucky was hiding with her children.  The mother attempted to kill her own children to prevent their return to Kentucky under the Fugitive Slave Act.  Imagine how awful her experience in Kentucky must have been, to want to spare her children in this way.

24. Many a YA hero: TEEN.  YA = Young Adult, a category of literature aimed at teenagers.  

25. Yellowfin and albacore: TUNAS.

26. Green vegetable in aloo matar: PEA.  Curry with peas is part of our standard rotation!  We use tofu instead of potatoes.

Aloo Matar

28. 2,000 pounds: TON.

29. The Black List items: SCRIPTS.  The Black List is a platform for writers to share scripts with Hollywood professionals and get high-quality evaluations from vetted readers.  https://blcklst.com/

33. Polite: CORDIAL.

37. "I'm sorry" response: THAT'S OK.

38. Vast: IMMENSE.

39. Chows down: EATS.

40. Instant: MOMENT.  One meaning of instant is a precise moment of time.  At that very moment ... or, at that very instant ... 

43. Dreary routines: RUTS.

44. CT scan kin: MRI.

45. Ford SUV: BRONCO.

46. Govt. org. established by Lincoln: IRS.  President Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1862, which created the position of Commissioner of Internal Revenue within the Department of the Treasury, and levied the nation's first progressive income tax.  Income tax was repealed in 1872, reinstated in 1894, ruled unconstitutional in 1895, and reinstated through the 16th amendment in 1913.  The taxing agency was renamed "Internal Revenue Service" in 1953.  You're welcome.

47. [Theme clue]

52. Govt. org. established by Nixon: EPA.  President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency by executive order in 1970 to consolidate federal environmental responsibilities and to respond to growing public concern over pollution and environmental degradation.  

53. Movie tech: CGI.  Computer-Generated Imagery.

54. "Did you start already?": AM I LATE?

58. Type of grill or haircut: FLAT TOP.

        flat top grill                           flat top haircut

62. Spot for the cheapest seats in the house, maybe: LAST ROW.

63. "Beauty and the Beast" candelabra: LUMIÈRE.  French speakers have an advantage, since lumière means light.

Lumière from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"

64. "I've got this": TRUST ME.

65. Partner of "aided": ABETTED.  Aiding others is usually a good thing; abetting is very bad.


Down:

1. Line crossers?: SCABS.  Scabs cross the picket line.

2. Of high morals: NOBLE.

3. Royal appearance?: AT BAT.  Kansas City Royals appear, one at a time, at bat.

4. Fruit parts in some noyaux recipes: PEACH PITS.  Noyaux is a liqueur which infuses the kernels found inside pits of stone fruits into spirits like vodka or rum.  Be sure to roast those kernels to avoid cyanide poisoning!

5. "The Princess Diaries" novelist Meg: CABOT.  The Princess Diaries is a series of young adult novels by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000.  The series follows an American teenager who turns out to be Princess Regent of a small European country.  The 2001 Disney film starred Anne Hathaway in her film debut as the princess, along with Julie Andrews as her grandmother and Queen regnant.

6. Like some angles: ACUTE.

7. This clue's number en español: SIETE.  Spanish for "seven."

8. Hawk's weapon: TALON.  Photographer Mark Smith call talons "murder mittens."

Mark Smith's photo of a juvenile Bald Eagle

9. Sank: WENT UNDER.

10. Night hunter: ORION.  Most visible during winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

11. Activist and social reformer Mankiller: WILMA.  Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was a Native American activist and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.  One of her projects was the subject of the film The Cherokee Word for Water.

Wilma Mankiller 2022 quarter dollar

12. Oozes: SEEPS.

14. "Gorg!": FAB.  Gorgeous!  Fabulous.

15. On the __: LAM.

21. Holds on to: KEEPS.

22. Rush angrily: STORM.  Picture storming off ...

27. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme reveal]

29. Brain __: STEM.

30. Graph that may resemble a pie: CHART.

31. Embarrass on social media, in a way: RATIO.  Ratio as a verb on Twitter:  to flood a tweet or its author with negative replies such that commenters take control of the message away from the original poster.  This makes sense as it influences the ratio of positive to negative responses.  

32. Field hockey garment: SKORT.

Looks like skorts are strictly for the ladies.

33. Seis menos uno: CINCO.  Spanish again!  Six minus one:  five.

34. Indigenous people of Greenland: INUIT.

35. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.

36. "I couldn't care __": LESS.

41. "Click, Clack, __: Cows That Type": Caldecott Honor book: MOO.  By Doreen Cronin, 2000.

42. Otolaryngologist, for short: ENT.  An otolaryngologist, commonly called an ENT doctor, specializes in conditions of the ear, nose, and throat.

48. Cheesy sammies: MELTS.  A melt is a hot sandwich with melting cheese.  The tuna melt is a classic example.

49. Not together: APART.

50. Finest form: A GAME.

51. "Cue the music!": HIT IT.  Back to Sofie's choice!

54. Flying fig.: ALT.  Altitude.

55. Ruin: MAR.

56. Ames sch.: ISU.  Iowa State University is in Ames, Iowa.

57. Mother in a meadow: EWE.

58. Ga. neighbor: FLA.

59. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

60. One of five resources in Catan: ORE.  Catan is a board game in which players establish settlements on a fictional island while acquiring and trading resources.  The resources include wool, grain, lumber, brick, and ore.

61. One on foot: Abbr.: PED.  Pedestrian.

Solvers, did you think that Erik Agard aided or ABETTED Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis in constructing this puzzle?  Was it the PITS?  Did you STORM off without finishing?

Or did you bring your A GAME and finish in LESS time than usual for a Thursday?

TRUST ME, you'll find like-minded people in the comments.  Join us there!

-- NaomiZ

Friday, November 21, 2025 - Emet Ozar

 Theme:  "Repeat after me ..."

Puzzling thoughts:

Emet's crossword debut occurred @ Universal in June 2021 as part of their Pride Month celebration. IIRC, Universal featured puzzles that month that were created by LGBTQ+ constructors. The puzzle was titled: "I want the world to know".  In a Google search I found this @ autostraddle dot com: "Emet (Ozar) is a queer and genderqueer program manager, crossword constructor, and married parent to four children." 

Emet has been published a dozen or more times during this decade, including a NYT Sunday (debut) in 2022, and was last seen @ LAT in June, 2025

Today's offering seemed odd until I parsed each of the entries based on the clues.  My conclusion is explained in each of them below, and to make it easier to understand I separated the repeated words/phrases in each entry:

19-across. Beer endorsed by a British pop star?: DUA LIPA DUAL IPA.

Dua Lipa is a 30-year-old British Singer-Songwriter.  Click the link for a more complete biography

A Dual IPA (or Double IPA) is a category of India Pale Ale that features an increased level of malt and hops which both elevate the flavors and alcohol content by volume (the image below is one of my favorites in this category)

24-across. Relaxed prankster?: A TEASE AT EASE.  A "tease" might refer to a prankster.  When I started dating in HS, the term "a tease" had a much different meaning, but I digress ...

"At ease" is a term used mainly in the armed forces to "command" the troops to relax after standing at attention.  At the end of the clip below, Sgt. Hulka's men had a different interpretation of the term.  

"It's time to party, Italian style!"

44-across. Post-punk sudden death period became extremely exciting?: GOTH OT GOT HOT. 

Goth is a late 1970's early 1980's rock music sub-culture that appeared post punk rock.  OT (short for OverTime) refers to extra periods in various sports events that are needed to break a tie score at the end of the allotted time for the game (regulation).  "Sudden death" was a referral as to how the overtime period ended, as it once involved the first team to score to be declared the winner.  Now (for football, anyway) that has all changed 

"GOT HOT" might refer to how The Big Bang Theory's Howard Wolowitz was feeling, right up until the following scene from "The_Gothowicz_Deviation"

51-across. Jerk risked growing hangry?: TOOL ATE TOO LATE.  The term "tool" is an unflattering name for a person who acts like a jerk, is foolish, or is unlikable. The word "hangry" is an adjective/portmanteau that defines someone who is irritable due to being hungry or who hasn't eaten anything in quite a while  

I seem to recall an erstwhile commercial for a canned food product that had a similar reference.  In this case it was a tool WITH a tool ... just watch:

Was this puzzle too clever, perhaps?  I dunno.  I really wanted to be awed by this theme and set of entries, but I wasn't.  I realize how difficult it was to create, let alone find, a quartet of repeating phrases/words that have different meanings when parsed but it somehow fell flat for me 

FWIW, I thought the first two entries were more than OK and quite clever; the third was a real stretch though; and the fourth was a bit sophomoric.  Yeah Moe, sophomoric, eh? That's kind of like you (the pot) calling the kettle black! 😂

There are a few forced entries here and there which I will address as I get to them.  If I had to rate this puzzle with stars (1 ⭐ being a real clunker and 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ being the most fun I've ever had, solving a puzzle) this one gets ⭐⭐ and 3/4 ⭐

 

The Grid

Across:
1. Fiddle with: ALTER.  

6. Forensic facility: LAB.

9. Largest isle of the Inner Hebrides: SKYE.  And home to the dog breed Skye Terrier

[akc dot org says] "The heavenly breed with the heart of a lion,' the long, low, and level Skye Terrier is among the AKC's most distinctive-looking breeds. This elegant but sturdy aristocrat was bred as an exterminator on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye. Long, low, and level, this unique earthdog is among the AKC's most distinctive-looking breeds. Skyes stand 9 or 10 inches high and feature a long, flat-lying coat and peekaboo hairdo. They're known for big, feathery ears that stand up like bat wings, but Skyes can also have 'drop ears,' which lie flat against the large, long head. Beneath the profuse coat are short, muscular legs and a deep chest. When seen in profile, these elegant but substantial terriers are twice as long as they are high

13. Manufacturer "where every mattress is sheep approved": SERTA.  Cute commericial!

14. Zaire's Mobutu __ Seko: SESE.  I needed a google search to get this answer

15. Cosmic span: AEON.  I checked and this is the debut for the clue "cosmic span" to define aeon

16. Opening day squad: A-TEAM.  "TWENTY-SIX MAN ROSTER" was too long to fit; "opening day" to me connotes the reference to Major League Baseball - not sure I recall hearing the term a-team used for that sport

17. Hidden surprise for an observant gamer: EASTER EGG.  Emet's NYT Sunday puzzle on April 17, 2022 contained a plethora of EGGs.  Click on the link to see it

[theme entry]

21. Germane: APT.  Moe-ku: (and also a Fun Fact!)

        Google Translate says:

        "Zur Sache gehörig" is

        Germane, in German      

22. Currently: NOW.

23. Hosp. scan: MRI.

[theme entry]

30. Smoked jalapeño: CHIPOTLE.  

Also, the name of an eponymous restaurant

33. Longed for: YENNED.  What's the difference between yenned and YEARNED?

34. Malek of "Oppenheimer": RAMI.  Rami Malek and Issa Rae are two 21st Century actors who've become popularized (to some extent) with their inclusion in so many crossword puzzle answers/clues

35. Cozy spot for a cat: LAP.  Fun fact:  Moe is/was never a big fan of cats.  When he and Ms. Margaret moved in together, she had a cat (Sadie) that was going to be a part of our household.  I tolerated Sadie; she obviously wanted me to like her as is evidenced in the photo below:

37. Against: ANTI.

38. State on the Chukchi Sea: ALASKA.  Another "debut clue".  Honestly:  How many of you here today can admit that you knew of or had heard of the Chukchi Sea before?  Not I

By golly, there it is!

41. Precedent setter, legally: TEST CASE.  Those in IT probably got this one without having to google it

[theme entry]

46. __ carte menu: A LA.

47. Charged particle: ION.

48. Baked beans holder: CAN.  My favorite canned baked beans brand (Bush's):

[theme entry]

56. Emmy-winning role for Catherine O'Hara: MOIRA ROSE.  Ms. Margaret and I binge-watched the entire series of "Schitt's Creek" episodes back in the early COVID days.  Ms. O'Hara also played the mother role in the "Home Alone" movies.  But her Moira Rose character was my favorite (watch video)

57. Some "Bridgerton" characters: EARLS.

58. Odometer unit: MILE.  KILOMETER was too big to fit

59. Mardi __: GRAS.  I'm sure this goes without saying, but the translation of Mardi Gras is "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi = Tuesday; GRAS = Fat) 

60. Bite lightly: NIP AT.

61. To boot: ALSO.

62. Curvy shape: ESS.

63. Frock: DRESS.  I seem to remember the term "simple frock" being used to describe a dress, back in the day ... the one below looks anything but "simple", though

Down:
1. Carne __: ASADA.  Several foreign words in today's puzzle; this one, ASADA, means "roasted" in Spanish - Carne = Meat

2. Subside: LET UP.

3. "__ yourself!": TREAT.  "Suit" was too short to fit.  "Treat yourself" sounds like an invitation for a spa day

4. Bibliography abbr.: ET AL.  Moe-ku (this one is a bit tricky, but you'll get it!):

        Flying saucer crew

        Was under the command of

        Pilot ET AL 

5. Collide with: RAM INTO.  A literal take is in the video below:

6. Kryptonite blocker: LEAD.  I guess I had forgotten this from when I read Superman comics.  You'd think that given his other-worldly abilities, he could have fashioned his costume out of lead threads to ward off any krypton-induced assaults 

7. Accept without evidence: ASSUME.  And as the saying goes, when you do (assume), you make an ASS out of U and ME

8. Part of a radioactive decay stream: BETA RAY.  Or when parsed differently, a Moe-ku:

        Romano's debut

        Was delayed. Network had to

        Test a BETA RAY

9. Wrapped garment: SARI.  Moe-ku with the second and third lines inverted:

        Apple assistant

        Wore ugly frock. "That's

        A sorry SARI, Siri"

10. Care for: KEEP.

11. Practice with poses: YOGA.  How is it that when I try to do this it looks more like a downward facing log??

12. Lang. course: ENG.  I think I tried ESL at first, not realizing that the "L" for language would not be accepted as it's already in the clue

14. Element of coastal defense: SEAWALL.  Moe-ku:

        Rebel General's twin

        Brother was an Admiral,

        Named "Seawall" Jackson

        
18. Upper echelon: ELITE.

20. Sonia Sanchez, for one: POET.  Her biography

24. Very silly: APISH.  The word's second definition; its first definition means "resembling an ape"

25. Cold War defense gp.: SEATO.  Short for SouthEast Asia Treaty Organization.  It was founded in the fall of 1954; came into a treaty position in 1955 and was disbanded in 1977.  The member countries included the US, UK, and France in addition to New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand.  One of its tenets was to prevent the spread of Communism to the region 

26. Make official, in a way: ENACT.

27. "Shogun" star Sawai: ANNA.

28. Related groups: SETS.

29. Nicollette's "Desperate Housewives" role: EDIE.

Edie is the one in the middle

30. Mountain goat's spot: CRAG.  A word normally found only in crossword puzzle answers

31. Beyoncé song with the lyric "I got my angel now": HALO.

32. "__ my wit's end": I'M AT.  Did any of you solvers say this phrase as you staggered to finish this puzzle?

36. Department store section: PETITES.  Two facts:  

        1) I am a man/was a boy so the dept. store section PETITES is/was unknown to me 

        2) I was a bit too heavy for my height as a boy and the dept. stores back then had a special section                for me known as HUSKIES

39. Lethargic marsupial: KOALA.  I think I tried SLOTH at first.  Are they marsupials?

40. On the lam: AT LARGE.  Moe-ku:

        A male sheep's AT LARGE;

        Hid at his kid's place, so yes,

        He's out on the lam(b)

42. "Scram!": SHOO.

43. Incessantly: TO NO END.

45. Gainesville collegians: GATORS.  The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, FL; their athletic teams' nickname are the Gators.  Their list of NCAA Championships across all sports

48. __ diem: CARPE.  "Seize the day!"

49. Book that's been mapped out?: ATLAS.  Clever clue

50. Makes preparations during pregnancy: NESTS.  This preparation (in the comic below) looks like something that Moe would do!

51. Work very hard: TOIL.

52. Essential __: OILS.  Here's a picture of a few of them

53. Cookie since 1912: OREO.  And in 1913, the word OREO made its first crossword puzzle debut

54. Those, in Spanish: ESAS.

55. Hideaway: LAIR.

56. UFC sport: MMA.  Short for Mixed Martial Arts

Comment below if you like ... BTW, SO to my daughter who celebrates a birthday today.  I know how old she is and I still can't believe it! Happy Birthday, sweetie!

Friday October 17, 2025 Luke Nagel

At this point, MM is wondering if he should return early and stop RustyBrain's madness...but it's too late. Mwahaha!

This appears to be Luke Nagel's debut. Congrats! I hope it's not ONE AND DONE. Lets start with the revealer:

57. Like some NBA prospects, or like the answers to the starred clues: ONE AND DONE. This refers to the National Basketball Association's rule that requires players to be one year removed from high school to be eligible for the draft. Usually that means at least a year of college, but sometimes players opt to join foreign or minor leagues. For our purposes here, the phrase means that once you reach the letters "O-N-E," the answer is DONE and the remaining letter is deleted. I think. I tried to spell out the missing letters (T, D, S, S) to no avail. Let me know if you came up with something deeper.

17. *Camper's canopy: MOSQUITO NE. MOSQUITO NET.

24. *Whiskey cocktail: OLD FASHIONE. OLD FASHIONED.

36. *"Hackney Diamonds" rock band: THE ROLLING STONE. THE ROLLING STONES.

47. *Ford explorer?: INDIANA JONE. INDIANA JONES.

All the answers are straight forward, except for missing the final letter. Unfortunately, that mostly leaves us with nonsense words which I don't really like. If the last letters had spelled out a word like "DONE," it would have elevated this puzzle. It's Friday, so fun (tricky) clues abounded. Note my one caution square at the intersection of AMMAN and AIDAN - pick a vowel.

As players say in the NBA, "Show me the mone_."

Across:

1. Goes for a slice?: GOLFS. Or DUFFS - either way, a bad shot. Trickily, the clue suggests going to a pizzeria. 

6. Body wrap venue: SPA. Mrs. RightBrain tried out an new Egyptian SPA. I told her to go there again in two weeks before our Halloween party.

9. Honor roll figs.: GPAS. Grade Point Averages. I was an underwater student. All my grades were below C level.

13. WWII subs: U-BOATS. In World War II, German Unterseeboots (literally Under-sea Boats) were submarines that posed a significant threat to Allied ships.

15. Top: CAP. Baseball or bottle? You decide.

16. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC. Classic.children's picture book.

17. [theme]

19. Pestered persistently: RODE. Especially by a mother-in-law on the road.

20. Nectar collectors: BEES.

21. Dict. offering: DEF. The Definition of a Dictionary is a reference book that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning. You can look it up.

22. Mideast capital once named Philadelphia: AMMAN. AMMAN, Jordan is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Evidence of human habitation dates back to the Neolithic period of around 10,050 B.C. My, how time flies!

23. CIA predecessor: OSS. Office of Strategic Services.
 
24. [theme]

27. Party mix ingredient: CHEX. The CHEX Mix recipe first appeared on boxes in 1954 with the intent of selling more cereal. It's timing was fortuitous because as television usage grew, so did snacking in front of the small screen. It required a new snack that “could be eaten with your hands, offered a variety of flavors and textures, and was easy to put together.” Corn Chex, introduced in 1958, was later added to the mix. 

28. Elmo, for one: SAINT. A Muppet, for another.

29. Some parents: MAMAS. 

32. Blame (on): PIN. Blame the Tail on the Donkey! 

33. Fresh: AIRY. 

36. [theme]

40. Brine abundance: SALT. Actually, it's mostly water.

41. Take in: EAT.

42. Group that hosts an annual Mind Games board game competition: MENSA. I have the home edition:

43. "You've got to be kidding": OH MAN. 

45. Quit working: DIED. "Mac DIED this morning." "WHAT!?" "I mean he quit working to go to a doctor's appointment."

47. [theme]

50. Small shot: BBS. Big shot: BMOC.

53. Sweaters?: PORES. Where sweat pours out from.

54. Cy Young stat: ERA. Earned Run Average. A year after his death in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.

55. Spoken: ORAL. 

56. Norwegian royal name: OLAV. Famous for his smooth skin, his heirs later marketed his beauty secret: Oil of Olav.

57. [theme]

60. Stopping point?: DIME. Nowadays, I only stop for paper money.

61. Chop (off): LOP.

62. Brought out: EVOKED.

63. Swell places?: SEAS. Fun clue.

64. Pro-__: some tourneys: AMS. Where Professionals and Amateurs.team up and compete together.

65. Get into gear?: DRESS. Another fun clue.

Down:

1. Okra dish: GUMBO.

2. Orchestral group: OBOES.

3. Comes up short: LOSES. 

4. Online help pgs.: FAQS. A web page that answers Frequently Asked Questions, such as, "What does FAQ stand for?"

5. Fox Sports soccer analyst Holden: STU. Like many former players, he now sits in the booth as a color commentator providing expert analysis and insights. 

6. Jeer: SCOFF. 

7. Wok, e.g.: PAN.

8. Tailless simian: APE. AKA a Sans Simian.

9. Sprouted: GERMINATED. That gives me an idea...

10. Bump up: PROMOTION. I thought this clue should be "A bump up."

11. Gillen of "Mayor of Kingstown": AIDAN. I know him better as Lord Baelish, the conniving "Littlefinger" on Game of Thrones.

12. Cry from a high chair?: SCENE. "OUT!" Because it's higher that a director's chair! But the clue misdirect was for baby talk.

14. Crab-walk: SIDLE.

18. Local lecture series: TEDX. Part of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference series.

22. Steak choice: AHI. For those days when you don't feel like wagyu.

24. Quite: OH SO. Sounds OH SO British.

25. Clarifying phrase: AS IN. I like word games, AS IN crosswords.

26. Crooned: SANG.

27. Many "Gone in 60 Seconds" characters: CAR THIEVES. Some would argue that the cars were the stars, like "Eleanor" here, which recently sold for $852,000.

29. Chain pts.: MTS. Chain Points? Parts? It's MOUNTAINS, but I initially thought of island chains.

30. __ moment: AHA. Much better than an OHO moment.

31. Soap ingredient: MELODRAMA. Cute clue. It means that borax is out.

32. Avocado discard: PIT. 

34. Hosp. workers: RNS. Registered Nurses work in Hospitals, but some are better than others.

35. "About __ big": YEA. 

37. Unlike Wagyu: LEAN. Wagyu is special due to its intense marbling, which gives it a unique tenderness, buttery texture, and rich flavor. Basically, that means expensive. 

38. "Henry, Come On" singer Del Rey: LANA. This clue is ultra-current as her country hit was only released in April. 

39. Hook hand?: SMEE. Ha ha! It's his right hand man. It's not you, it's SMEE!

44. More, in Spanish: MAS. 

45. 21st century explorer: DORA. She knew the answer to the last clue.

46. Foolish: INANE. Hey! Why are you looking at me?

47. Bygone Apple gadgets: IPODS. I've never heard of these! (I'm so young, you see...)

48. "Honest!": NO LIE. I swear! I don't know what IPODS are.

49. Gladiators, e.g.: JEEPS. He doesn't look so tough.

50. In need of change?: BROKE. Another good clue.

51. Curses: BANES.

52. Uses a coaster, perhaps: SLEDS. Uses a coaster, perhaps: PLEASES MY MOM. I wasn't born in a barn, you know, although she sometimes disputed this.

55. Scent: ODOR. 

57. São Paulo greeting: OLA. Brazilian greeting in Portuguese.

58. Oscar nod, briefly: NOM. Nomination. Oscar nods to Cookie Monster for sharing with him.

59. __ player: DVD. Another device that was waaaay before my time.

OK, I'm DONE.