Theme: Wrap it around your mind. Each of the 4 theme answers have the same first and last letter, but the end one is removed, and you have to "borrow" the first letter to finish the word or phrase. The answers are just that, no puns or wordplay. Something new from another new contributor; I think I have seen his name on some online puzzles, but I did not find a previous newspaper publication. Let's look over the theme and the reveal which include two across grid spanners and one up and down.
17A. *Major financial concern: ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
22A. *Numbers field?: ANESTHESIA. Expliquez, s'il vous plait. (From C.C.: Numb-ers = Things that numb.)
50A. *Fantasized : DAYDREAMED.
59A. *Misrepresent, in a way: TAKE OUT OF CONTEXT.
And the reveal, 7D. Hint for understanding this puzzle's starred answers: BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
The rest of the puzzle is very much a Friday with fewer words and many new clues, some have me baffled and some were fun, Let's welcome the creator after we review each clue.
ACROSS:
1. You might do it after making a wish: BLOW. Man, how difficult to not start out my analysis with painting a nice obscene mental picture. It was a job.
5. Equally undesirable: AS BAD.. Ah, like Dan Naddor, this constructor likes two word answers, see how many you find.
10. Sitting around: IDLE. Not Eric.
14. Stopped sitting around ROSE. A shout out to our own, ARABON. Kewl.
15. "10 Things __ About You": 1999 comedy: I HATE. A 'modernization' of Taming of the Shrew. TRAILER. (1:28)
16. Symbol of courage: LION.
20. Already old, with "so": LAST WEEK. Do you like the phone commercial?
21. Words before "Do I have to?": AW GEE. See how he gets odd letters together like Dan did.
25. Quits: STOPS. No, not yet, come on....
28. Caring but strict approach: TOUGH LOVE. See another one.
32. Get ready for a concert: TUNE UP. Gee in my day it was , "light up." 4 already!
34. Orch. section : STR. I get strings all the time.
35. Noted 16-Across portrayer: LAHR. The incomparable BERT. (1:19)
36. Put away: ATE. Did you see her put away that chocolate cake?
37. Some awards: PLAQUES. Not on your teeth, but your mantelpiece.
40. "Dracula" director Browning: TOD. He. loved the monsters. LINK.
41. Kid's reward, maybe: STAR. I bet CA got all gold stars in her reading classes.
43. __ Dhabi: ABU. Another place in the desert.
44. Electronic music genre: TECHNO. You like? LINK.(2:37).
46. Certain settler's tract: HOMESTEAD. How the west was settled.
49. "It's nobody __ business": ELSE'S. Mind your own beeswax.
52. Dispossess: EVICT. Not easy for landlords in Florida.
55. Japan and China are in it: EAST ASIA. Geography even I know.
62. "You said it!": AMEN.
63. "Exodus" actor: MINEO. Was killed.
64. "The __ Affair": Jasper Fforde novel: EYRE. Weird alternate universe detective Thursday Next investigates Jane. LINK.
65. Squabble: SPAT. Never happened to Jack Sprat.
66. Fired, as a cartridge: SPENT. Used up.
67. Epitome of thinness: REED.
DOWN:
1. Songwriter Jacques: BREL. Like Hercule Poirot, most think he was French, but this Belgian entertainer influenced popular music around the world. LINK.
2. Crazy, in a Ricky Martin song: LOCA. La Vida Loca, you can pick your own version.
3. Baja bears: OSOS. Spanish.
4. Lost it: WENT APE. Not tape.
5. Name meaning "beloved": AIMEE. I have a niece, Amy.
6. Slowest to mix, perhaps: SHIEST. Mix socially, not in a glass.
8. Flight coordinators: Abbr.: ATC. Air Traffic Control
9. "Gloria in Excelsis __": DEO. Hmmm, a hymn.
10. Hostility: ILL WILL. Or a sick Shakespeare.
11. Rect. bisector: DIAG. onal.
12. Run easily: LOPE. Don't sprint, just lope you dope.
13. Massachusetts motto opener: ENSE. For all of my my neighbors, "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem." (Latin) By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.
18. Confesses: OWNS UP. I admit this was easy.
19. Whip part: LASH. Whiplash, the insurance companies enemy.
23. Native Rwandan: HUTU. Learning moment, though reminds me of who do the voo doo like you do from earlier. LINK. All perps.
24. Everglades wader: EGRET. No regrets if you do not kn.ow egrets.
25. Put away: STASH. Where do you keep your stash?
26. All, in Asti: TUTTO. Italian.
27. Graveyard shift hr : ONE AM.
29. Promising words: OATHS. Pledges, not curses.
30. "Pop Up Video" airer: VH ONE. MTV's little sister.
31. Subject of the biography "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers": ERDOS. Mathematician, think older version of SHELDON COOPER, equally eccentric. LINK.
33. Prefix with -pus: PLATY. Really, we all love the odd duck billed Platypus, but that is not a prefix.
38. Retired: ABED. Where do you stand on the "A" word controversy?
39. Apparently do: SEEM TO.
42. Insignificant amount: RED CENT. With the reddish color of a true copper penny, this was the smallest amount of money.
45. Grime fighter: CLEANER. A little pun with crime fighter, unless it is Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction, where it is both.
47. '60s-'70s Japanese leader: SATO. With NIXON (2:17).
48. Make really uncomfortable, in a way: DEAFEN. I guess from a deafening racket, but...
51. Fancy neckwear: ASCOT. Not the racetrack.
52. LAX postings: ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrival S.
53. Siren: VAMP. One of my favorites. LINK (2:45).
54. Big name in furniture: IKEA. Who recalls my unraveling of this Swedish acronym?
56. Lid trouble: STYE. Eyelids, not as bad as chalazia, but irritating.
57. "Able was __ ...": I ERE. I SAW ELBA. Palindrome anyone?
58. Fired: AXED. Be the first in your neighborhood to get AXEOLOGY, the two disc set of the best of the band AXE from 1979-2001.
60. Thinking-on-one's-feet indicators: UMS. Err, ahhm you know...
61. It may be left on a table: TIP. No longer thought to be from To Insure Promptness. My tip of the hat to Ki Lee for an interesting ride, and to all of you for your comments, both old times and newbies. You keep the corner young. Well another year has started, thanks for inviting me into your homes, see you next time.
Lemonade
