Today's puzzle comes to us from two "younger" generation constructors; their last LA Times was here, in 2024, with TTP at the helm. I did not recall solving that one, but I got a laugh from TTP's link to the "dap". As for this one, it wraps up a week of dreadful crossnames constructions, and made me feel I am either too old, or too cynical; it feels more like an Tik-Tok post than a crossword, but YMMV. Four theme answers where one needs to turn a "blind" eye to the 'blush' synonym in the common 'phrase' answers in order to make sense of the * clue; the reveal is definitely not in my wheelhouse, but I think I got the gist of it . . . an under-sized grid, 15 x 14, with a more than a blush of abbrs and names, Twenty-six 3LWs, and a 21st century-speak Twurd, but I can relate to it. The themers, and the short-spanning reveal;
16. *Lesser: SECONDARYCOLOR- a 14-letter spanner, this is the 'tone / tint' definition of blush
20. *Fit for a queen: ROYALFLUSH - this is the 'verb' definition of blush
33. *Home of the Magic and the Magic Kingdom: ORLANDOBLOOM - also verb, name #1(ish)
46. *Relay rod: BATONROUGE - and last, the actual noun 'makeup' definition of blush
53. Tendency to overuse a certain cosmetic, or what has caused a mismatch between the starred clues and their answers?: BLUSHBLINDNESS
Sabrina Carpenter may be suffering from blush blindness - and perhaps
even over-doing the lipstick, too - but I still find her attractive 😁
But WaitThere'sMore~!
ACROSS:
1. 7-Eleven convenience: ATM - same fill, different clue; abbr #1
4. Bubble tea "bubbles": BOBA - becoming a popular clue/answer
8. Influencer devices, for short: MICs - I am aware that "influencer" is now a "thing", dare I say a "career" in the Social Media Digital 21st Century~? A millennials clue
12. Olympic sprinter Richardson: SHA'CARRI - name #2, no clue; filled via perps - when I Googled, her Instagram link came up before her Wiki; born in 2000, so . . . millennial (ish)
14. ID on a map: IDAHO - Dammit. Got me. I just could not get past "I Dentity" - geo name
18. Transcript fig.: GPA - abbr #2
19. Beyoncé song about the joy of human existence: BE ALIVE - millennial
24. Corp. title for Jane Fraser of Citigroup: CEO - I had C_O, so it was either F, E, I, O, or T; name AND abbr #3
25. BBC competitor that airs "Love Island": ITV - Learned about this TV channel when I watched the history of Top Gear - the Gen X series started in 2002; the orignal show dates back to 1977; abbr #4
My, how it changed; I think the 2002-Grand Tour version may have been
the best TV show ever - funny, informative, dramatic, and entertaining
26. 1980s cool: RAD - I was an 80's kid, but by no means was I "Rad"(ical) - or maybe I was - a long-haired 'headbanger nerd' . . . how's that for outcast~? The cigarette-smoking heavy metal fans hated me for being "smart" and doing well in school, and I simply terrified the geeks . . . Gen X, & abbr #5
27. Unspoken agreements?: NODS
28. "You wish!": "DREAMON~!" - Gen X would have gone with Aerosmith on this one
31. Fed. south of Iran: UAE - United Arab Emirates, abbr #6
37. With 30-Down, Paul Rudd role: ANT - AND - 30D. See 37-Across: MAN - I thought it was THE Ant, which wasn't going to work - I have seen parts of the movies
38. Pride symbol: RAINBOW
40. 1975 thriller with a two-note leitmotif: JAWS - A John Williams composition for Steven Spielberg's movie, which does sound "borrowed" from Igor Stravinsky; we saw 'leitmotif' yesterday - Gen X
EEEEE f . . . . eeeee F . . . . E F E F E F . . . .
I composed this blog days before I read RustyBrain's post -
44. Ring spot: TOE - A whole three-letter word~! EAR would work, too
45. Accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act - 1990
50. Online friends, colloquially: MUTUALS - must be 21st century-speak, so millennial
52. Apple platform: iOS - AND - 60. Apple assistant: SIRI - clecho #2; I tend to think the younger you are, the more likely you'll be an Apple person - see the first image above. I'm Android, as all of the Apple products I ever came into contact with crapped out on me at critical moments . . .
58. Far from shore: AT SEA
59. Like farmers market produce: IN SEASON
61. Title derived from "caesar": TSAR
62. Smallest prime number: TWO - Jeez, math again on Friday~!
DOWN:
1. Donkey: ASS - How's that for a whole three-letter word . . .
2. English article: THE - THE English scored SIX goals in the World Cup, four to France - total 10, yet NOT the record
3. Jury-rig with what's on hand, informally: MACGYVER - today's Friday highlight clue/answer for me
4. Not just unoriginal: BANAL - I tried BLASÉ; 60% of the correct letters
5. Chicago airport code: ORD - I was close - I put in ORL, but that's the smaller field in the "other" Orlando - Florida - not Bloom. ORD comes from the original name of O'Hare, Orchard Place; abbr #7
6. Bandeau, e.g.: BRA
7. "Ain't no rule say the dog can't play basketball" film: AIRBUD - Didn't see this movie - IMDb
8. Parsons who was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021: MICAH - I knew this name, #4, because he was a Dallas Cowboy hold-out last season - his Wiki
9. Megastar: IDOL
10. Multicolored cat: CALICO
11. Pushed: SHOVED
13. Club in a Manilow hit: COPA - sheesh, pick a Generation already - "makeup" your mind~!
Copacabana, 1978, Barry Manilow
15. Cookies with a "design your own" option: OREOs
21. Bad Bunny's "__ Atardecer": OTRO - aaand back to millennials - Español, "Another Sunset"
22. Phony persona: FRONT - much of Social Media, IMHO
23. Touch down: LAND - Dah~! Not ALIT
27. Gas in an inner tube?: NEON - trying too hard to be witty, this one fell flat
29. "Welp!": "ALAS~!" - I learned today that "welp" is "sadly", in texts; millennial
31. German equivalent of the Tube: UBAHN - short for untergrundbahn, the subway
32. Romance novelist Hazelwood: ALI - Friday vague name #5
35. Most dense: OBTUSEST - just saying this is obtuse
36. Synthesizer pioneer: MOOG - name #6, more here
39. Atomic: WEE - ah; size-related
40. Brand that dropped "Juice" from its name in 2019: JAMBA - name(ish), and Friday vague-ish, but maybe that's on me because there's only two locations in CT - I've never heard of this "refreshment" store
Ryan Patrick Smith says he's a frequent moviegoer, and that may be his impetus for creating today's theme.
20. Cinematographer's assignment?: SHOOT YOUR SHOT. The cinematographer is the director of photography, and he tells the camera crew what to shot to shoot.
32. Screenwriter's assignment?: FORM A LINE. A screenwriter formsthe actor's linesin screenplays for movies.
44. Costume designer's assignment?: PITCH A FIT. A costume designer pitches an idea, then creates the clothes that are custom fitto the actors.
56. Director's assignment?: GET THE PICTURE. The director manages the entire creative and narrative vision of a motion picture, and gets it all on film.
This was a fun one, although I initially thought the themers might have something to do with ball-playing (SHOOT... and PITCH...). Instead, they are all common phrases clued as assignments for a movie crew. My only nit was their order - I'd like writing first, then costumes, followed by filming and the final picture. But I have some OCD tendencies, so take that with a grain of salt...and some butter!
That was Take 1. Here are the rest of the shots:
Across:
1. Like a specialized committee: AD HOC. AD HOC is a Latin phrase meaning "for this." In English, it describes a solution or committee created for a specific, short-term purpose.
6. Qualified: ABLE.
10. Sheer delight: GLEE.
14. Ready to drop: WEARY.
15. Squander: BLOW.
16. Wet and squirmy: EELY.
17. Springsteen portrayer Jeremy __ White: ALLEN. The Boss personally handpicked Jeremy for the lead role, and approved his singing on all of the songs. I recently enjoyed him the in the final season of The Bear about a restaurant in Chicago.
Bruce Springsteen and Jeremy Allen White
18. __ carotene: BETA. I prefer alpha carotene, it's one better.
19. Athletic brand: NIKE. In 1971, NIKE co-founder Bill Bowerman famously invented the innovative "waffle sole" by pouring liquid urethane directly into his wife's waffle iron. She hit him with a frying pan, and he's been running ever since.
20. [theme]
23. Short greetings: HIS.
24. Straight, for short: HET. HETerosexual.
25. Make an alliance: TEAM UP.
28. Novel that inspired "There Will Be Blood": OIL. Another great book about how OIL became king is The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power by Daniel Yergin, the Pulitzer Prize winning history of the global petroleum industry from the 1850s to 1990. Although written decades ago, it is still considered the definitive history of Big Oil.
29. Opposite of sans: AVEC. Sans = without; AVEC = with. From the French describing whether to add ketchup to fries or not.
31. Many a Chiwere language student: OTO.
32. [theme]
36. Toys with tails: KITES. Toys with tails: PEKES.
Pekingese flying a colorful tail
38. Nutrient in spinach: IRON. That's why Popeye was strong to the finich.
39. "Srsly!?": OMG NO. Seriously!? This piece of text-speak is dead center in the puzzle!? Oh, My God, No!
41. iPhone helper: SIRI. iPhone spy: Also SIRI.
42. "Ghostbusters" actor Harold: RAMIS. Harold also co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Aykroyd.
44. [theme]
46. Question in reply to "omw," maybe: ETA. "On My Way." "What's your Estimated Time of Arrival?"
47. "Anyone __?": ELSE.
49. Detroit labor org.: UAW. United Auto Workers.
50. Town in Ontario County, New York: SENECA.
52. The works: ALL.
53. Aves. and blvds.: RDS. Avenues and boulevards are ROADS...but I wrote STS (streets) first.
56. [theme]
60. Low on dough: POOR. Since RightBrain started making sourdough bread, we're never low on dough...except after shopping for it.
62. Zither kin: HARP. On a zither, the 4 to 5 strings nearest to the player run over a fretted fingerboard and are played like on a guitar to create notes. The remaining 25 to 35 un-fretted accompanying strings stretch across the rest of the soundbox and are plucked by the fingers of the right hand to provide chords and bass.
I think I'll stick to guitar.
63. Sound that comes from on high: YODEL. In 1968, NBC higher-ups famously interrupted an exciting AFL football game between the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets to air Heidi. While the Alpine movie ran, the Raiders scored two stunning touchdowns in the final minute to win the game. Oh boy, did the fans YODEL! Afterwards, networks were contractually stipulated to show all game telecasts to their conclusion.
64. Volkswagen Group subsidiary: AUDI. The VW Group includes AUDI and ten other brands, as well as Ducati motorcycles and some truck lines. Due to marketing pressures, they recently announced plans to cut their global vehicle lineup by 50%.
65. Like supervillains: EVIL.
66. Hall of Famer Shaquille: ONEAL. The little fella has 12-inch wide hands that dwarf a water bottle.
67. Get out of bed: RISE.
68. French jeweler and glassmaker Lalique: RENE. RENE may not be familiar to you as he died 80 years ago, but his pieces reside in museums around the world. Let me rephrase that: his creations reside in museums...
69. Bookish sorts: NERDS.
Down:
1. Teeming (with): AWASH.
2. Metropolis in north-central India: DELHI.
3. The MLB's Angels, to fans: HALOS. Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
4. Cookie with a limited-edition BTS collaboration: OREO. These OREOS feature purple wafer cookies with a brown sugar pancake flavor inspired by Korean street food (hotteok). And they have 13 different designs! They sound awful, the cookies, not the band.
Collect (but do not eat) them all!
5. "Harriet" and "Wicked" Oscar nominee Erivo: CYNTHIA. The British actress and singer has been nominated for the complete EGOT set, and has won all but the Oscar so far. She only 39, so I'm sure she'll get there.
6. Monastery leader: ABBOT. Although sometimes Costello took the lead.
7. Veal cordon __: BLEU.
8. Tolkien saga, briefly: LOTR. The epic trilogy Lord Of The Rings.
9. Old mice and such: EWASTE. "What did you whippersnappers call us?"
We're not EWASTE!
10. Italian salami city: GENOA. In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...seeking a shorter route to DELHI for some lunch meat.
11. Recurring melodic phrase: LEITMOTIF. A LEITMOTIF is usually associated with a specific person, place or thing - like the menacing two-note "shark theme" from Jaws.
12. Big grazer: ELK.
13. Cornea locale: EYE.
21. Mello __ soda: YELLO.
With apologies to Donovan.
22. "Dang!": HECK.
26. Gestation sites: UTERI.
27. Put forth: POSIT.
28. High-end hotel chain: OMNI.
29. "Concrete Rose" novelist Thomas: ANGIE. ANGIE started by writing lists before becoming a bestselling author.
30. Dryer outlet: VENT.
32. S'mores cookers: FIRES.
33. Speak from a rostrum: ORATE. "Friends, ROMANs, countrymen..."
34. Namesakes of most planets: ROMAN GODS. The word "planet" comes from the ancient Greek word for "wanderer." This was later changed to Roamin'.
35. Little devils: IMPS.
37. "That didn't escape my notice": I SAW. I spy through my OCULI...
40. Windows shaped like 13-Downs: OCULI. "Oculus" is a Latin word that translates to "eye". OCULI are circular or oval windows, or a circular opening at the top of a dome. Keep an eye out for one when in Rome.
The Pantheon
43. Product of a schism: SECT.
45. Golden, as bygone days: HALCYON. HALCYON means calm, peaceful, and happy, often used to describe an idyllic time in the past.
48. Foam: LATHER.
51. Otherworldly: EERIE.
52. Waldorf salad fruit: APPLE. Here's a hilarious scene from Farty Towels Faulty Towers, a classic BBC comedy starring John Cleese:
53. Less polite: RUDER. RUDER looks wrong for some reason.
54. Trepidation: DREAD.
55. Exchanges for money: SELLS. As opposed to bartering, which is the direct exchange of goods or services without using money. Having my own business, I've occasionally bartered my services for things such as kitchen counter tops, a new garage door, and even Dolphin football tickets.
57. Order at a restaurant: HAVE.
58. CNN anchor Burnett: ERIN. The news veteran has been at CNN for 15 years.
59. __ poem: free-form orchestral work: TONE.
60. Target score in disc golf: PAR. Just like regular golf.
61. "Bien sûr": OUI. "Bien sûr" is French for "Of course!" as when asked if you want ketchup on your fries.
Forgive me, but, I would title this, "How to hurt your back, or in crossword form, find pain somewhere lower...". I would have thought this puzzle better suited to Thursday Fare, but if you know any Yoga, or obscure people names combined with names of things you might find in trivial pursuit, or Jeopardy, then this puzzle would probably have been a breeze. I call it, A Learning Experience...
THE REVEAL:
63 Across. Vacation for posers?, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: YOGA RETREAT.
17 Across. Singer known as the "Queen of Christmas": MARIAH CAREY. Name #1 The name was familiar, the clue was not... RIAHC is a retreating Chair... (or backwards, if you prefer...)
Utkatasana, or the Chair pose.
24. Oscar won by Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet": BEST ACTRESS.
Marjaryasana, or Cat Pose.
39 Across. Device that gets the party poppin'?: BUBBLE MACHINE.
Astrasana, or Camel Pose.
54 Across. Academic field for Judith Butler: QUEER THEORY. More info here...
Vrksasana, or Tree Pose.
Take a walk with me, tip toeing around the Yoga mats, as I try to figure out where I went wrong trying to solve this puzzle.
Onward:
Across:
1. Mission by the San Antonio River Walk: ALAMO.
6. Irks: VEXES.
I could have sworn he said "vexes."
But this is like me doing this puzzle...
11. IT dept. array: PCS. IT=Information Technology, PCS=Personal Computers.
(But, in a business department, are they really Personal Computers?)
14. Steel rod: REBAR.
15. Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. It may be Target Center today, but tomorrow it will be called after who ever pays the most for the name... (Can you recall the original name of your local Arena before some corporation paid to rename it?)
16. "I found it!": AHA. (Then they renamed it, and I lost it again...)
23. Agcy. concerned with scheduling?: DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency. Agcy indicates abbreviated answer, and since alcohol does not have a D.E.A. schedule, I intend to have an attitude adjustment upon completing this write up...
24. [Theme.]
29. "No ifs, __, or buts": ANDS.
31. "Ambiguous Desire" singer Parks: ARLO. Name #3 (actually name #4, but it's easier to prattle on rather than change it...)
32. Mina Kimes's channel: ESPN. What does ESPN stand for? (And it is name #5) - clued by a name? So 5-1/2?
33. Doofus: OAF. (Insert political picture of your choice here...)
36. Sit next to: ABUT.
38. Feel bad: AIL.
39. [Theme.]
43. Enthusiast: FAN. Short for Fanatic, but has become a kinder, mellower name for some one who is nuts about something.
69. Guitarist Steve: EARLE. Name #5 (correction, 8-1/2)
70. Billie Eilish's "__ Guy": BAD. Name of a song, so #6. Correction, but also a named clued, so name #10?)
71. Piano exercise: ETUDE.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
72. Like baklava: SWEET.
Down: 1. Fleet: ARMADA. Another name for fleet... hmm, in rereading this, I can see all these names have caused me to lose my mind... (don't say it! I know what your thinking!)
2. Get a rise out of?: LEAVEN.🙃
3. Out of the country: ABROAD.
4. Primary: MAIN.
5. Dental care brand: ORAL-B.
6. Airbnb competitor: VACASA. Name #7 (correction, and since Oral-B is a name, name #12?)
Note: this entry caused me to DNF this puzzle. (Did Not Finish,) Because I had to Google AirBnB competitors, and of the 100 or so so listed, Vacasa was not one of them...
7. Notable time: ERA.
8. '70s baby, e.g.: XER. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I was thinking Beanie Baby...)
9. Opposite of WSW: ENE. (Finally! A clue I can answer!)
10. "Just tell us!": SAY IT. Just spit it out!
11. Oft-shaved cheese: PARMESAN. Romano wouldn't fit...
12. Simple Southern dessert: CHESS PIE. This one is hard to explain... if you scroll down to "why is it called Chess Pie? You will find some curious guesses, but I think the answer is no one really knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (And an apt choice for unlucky name #13?)
13. Feeling low: SAD. Too many unknown names make me feel this way...
18. Chuckle noise: HEE. No! Don't try to cheer me up!
22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE. Here! This puzzle made me nuts!
25. Run roughshod over: TRAMPLE. Alas, what I have done to this poor puzzle review. My apologies, I'm just cranky it got the best of me. Please state in the comments that you knew everything, and this was a breeze, and an easy puzzle. I'm sure it will make me feel better...
37. Word that's trademarked in Ohio State University's official name: THE. (Really?)
39. Headscarf: BABUSHKA. Also, the Russian word for Grandmother, or elderly woman.
40. Gas station choice: UNLEADED. (It's not a choice...)
41. A pop: EACH.
42. Magazine with an annual "Female Founders" list: INC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (plus a half a name...)
43. Web page that has all the answers: FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions, like, how many names were really in this puzzle?
47. "Absolutely!": YES. There were too many names!
49. "You said it!": SO TRUE. (Even this puzzle agrees with me, too many names!)
51. Stick: ADHERE.
You try reviewing a puzzle that beat you up, and stole your lunch money, ON A WEDNESDAY!
52. Hearty amber beer: RYE ALE. hmm, reminds me I'm ready for an attitude adjustment...
53. Six-line poem: SESTET. 🤔
55. Sound alike: RHYME. Echo wouldn't fit...
56. Food writer Drummond: REE. Name #14? ( I thought it was Rhea...)
57. "Revolutionary Road" novelist Richard: YATES. Name #15?
61. Stick in one's __: CRAW. Other than names, I read something recently about Mourning Doves. They come to your feeder and stuff their craw with seeds for consumption later. I learned that they are the messiest nest builders, often having a nest of 2 or 3 sticks, often built on your windshield wiper, and yet it seems to work for them! They also can convert seeds in their craw (or crop) i to a kind of milk they can feed the young! More here if interested...
62. Spot for a pint: PUB. Yes, you don't have to remind me I need an attitude adjustment. Hmm, Rye Ale...
64. Vegan-friendly latte option: OAT.
65. Serengeti antelope: GNU.
The Gnu Song.
66. Do the math: ADD.
The Grid.
And there you have it! Did this puzzle beat you up? Just bend you a little? Or smooth out your kinks...
Tell us in the comments, because I hope I am not the only one that was puzzled...
Sounds Like ... Today we will study Homophones. Homophones are words that sound exactly the same when pronounced but have different meanings and spellings. The word comes from the Greek homos (meaning same) and phone (meaning sound).
17-Across. Shampoo for horses as well as humans: MANE N TAIL. This horse shampoo was originally developed in the 1970s for show horses. It became a cross-over product for humans and is purported to promote stronger, fuller, and longer-looking hair without stripping natural oils.
24-Across. Meatless Chinese noodle dish: VEGETABLE LO MEIN. Yummers!
36-Across. "The Theory of Everything" Best Actor Oscar winner: EDDIE REDMAYNE. Eddie Redmayne (né Edward John David Redmayne; b. Jan. 6, 1982) went to Eton and was a classmate of Prince William (b. June 21, 1982). The Theory of Everything was a bio-pic about Stephen Hawking (Jan. 8, 1942 ~ Mar. 14, 2018).
52-Across. Tender salad greens: HEARTS OF ROMAINE.
Too soon?
61-Across. Principal draw on fight night, or an apt title for this puzzle: MAIN EVENT. Also the title of a terrible1979 Barbra Streisand movie.
Here's the Grid:
And now for the true Main Event ~ the rest of the puzzle ...
Across:
1. Prattles on: YAPS.
5. Bay Area sch.: UCSF. As in the University of California, San Francisco.
9. Uninspiring: VAPID.
14. Mapa of "Ugly Betty": ALEC. I never watched Ugly Betty, so was unfamiliar with Alec (né Alejandro Mapa; b. July 10, 1965).
15. "New Rules" and "New Love" singer Dua: LIPA. Dua Lipa (b. Aug. 22, 1995) is a British-Albanian singer and songwriter. She makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.
16. Twisted humor: IRONY.
19. Honeycomb units: CELLS.
20. Neither partner: NOR. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ...
21. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. As in the Law School Admission Test.
23. Southeast Asian language: LAO. Lao is the official language of Laos, however, it is also spoken in some parts of northeastern Thailand.
29. Hullabaloo: ADO.
30. Light __ feather: AS A.
31. Product labels: BRANDS.
32. Private aid gp.: NGO. As in a Non-Governmental Organization.
33. Sure winner: SHOO IN.
42. Not asea: ON LAND.
43. Poem of praise: ODE. A crossword staple.
45. Former House Speaker Nancy: PELOSI. Nancy Pelosi (née Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro; b. Mar. 26, 1940) served as the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
48. Due-in hr.: ETA. As in Estimated Time of Arrival.
51. Crank (up): REV.
56. "The Lord of the Rings" beast: ORC.
57. Move for one's co., say: RE-LO. As in Relocate.
58. Olive extract: OIL. Everything you ever wanted to know about Olive Oil, but didn't know to ask.
59. Capone cohort Frank: NITTI. I learned about Frank Nitti (né Francesco Raffaele Nitto; Jan. 27, 1886 ~ Mar. 19, 1943) from doing the crossword puzzles. He makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.
66. "OK, that was dishonest": I LIED.
67. Ritz-Carlton competitor: OMNI. I am not sure I could consider these hotel chains to be competitors. I view the Ritz-Carlton as a very high-end luxury hotel, whereas Omni is more family-oriented.
68. Tops with frosting: ICES.
69. Ride a bike: CYCLE.
70. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.
71. Every __ and cranny: NOOK.
Down:
1. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM.
2. __ carte menu: À LA. Today's French lesson.
3. Writing tool: PEN.
4. All-too-public argument: SCENE.
5. Marathons longer than 26.2 miles, familiarly: ULTRAS. An ultra marathon is a footrace that exceeds the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Ultra marathon distances vary greatly but typically range from 31 miles (50 km) to 100 miles (160 km).
6. U.S. intel org.: CIA.
7. Tell all, as gossip: SPILL.
8. Untrue: FALSE.
9. Beckham also known as Posh Spice: VICTORIA. Victoria, Lady Beckham (née Victoria Caroline Adams; b. Apr. 17, 1974) is probably the best known Spice Girl. The band was big in the 1990s.
10. "__ we there yet?": ARE.
11. Wind-borne allergen: POLLEN.
12. Embedded, as tiles: INLAID.
13. High-end vacuum cleaners: DYSONS. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner.
18. The "N" of N.B.: NOTA. Today's Latin Lesson. N.B. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, which which means "note well" or "pay attention."
22. "Tuesdays With Morrie" writer Mitch: ALBOM. Mitch Albom (né Mitchell David Albom; b. May 23, 1958) has written many books, but is probably best known for Tuesdays With Morrie. That book is memoir about a series of interviews and visits Albom made with his former Brandeis University sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz was dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. I have never read this book.
24. Vehicle for movers: VAN.
25. Microsoft web browser: EDGE.
26. Yummy: GOOD.
27. Iraq port city: BASRA.
28. Plenty of: MANY.
34. __ of the woods mushrooms: HEN. Hen of the woods is a mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth oaks or maples. It is native to China, Europe, and North America.
35. More quirky: ODDER.
37. Entryway: DOOR.
38. Without losing one's cool: IN STRIDE.
39. Renée __ Goldsberry of "Girls5eva": ELISE. Renée Elise Goldsberry (b. Jan. 2, 1971) is probably best known for her portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton. She has also starred in a number of Broadway plays.
40. Sushi seaweed: NORI.
41. Biblical garden: EDEN. // And 44-Down: 41-Down woman: EVE.
45. Relating to sound: PHONIC.
46. In a creepy way: EERILY.
47. Acid type built up during high-intensity exercise: LACTIC.
49. Nickname for Canada's $2 coin: TOONIE. The Canadian $1 coin is called a Loonie.
50. French friend: AMIE. More of today's French lesson. This is the female friend.
53. "Battlestar Galactica" actor Edward James __: OLMOS. Edward James Olmos (b. Feb. 24, 1947) is an American actor who has starred in dozens of films and television shows.
54. Like hand soap: FOAMY.
55. Singing brother of Simon and Theodore: ALVIN. A reference to The Chipmunks.
60. No. on a resume: TEL. As in Telephone Number.
62. Airbnb alternative: INN.
63. __-friendly: ECO.
64. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.
65. Sound of disapproval: TSK.
Many thanks to Tony who filled in for me for the past three months.
