17A. *"Karma Chameleon" band : CULTURE CLUB. Ooooh, we start of right away with a music link!
25A. *Space traveler : STAR SHIP. Are we talkin', like Jefferson Starship???
52A. *It's not good to meet with it : FOUL PLAY. Open your mind?
64A. *Used car selling point : SINGLE OWNER. Sorry, no "Single Owner" link, but how about "Single Ladies"???
And the unifier:
39. With 40-Across, kid's toy...and a word that can precede the first word of the starred answers : POP. = Pop Culture, Pop Star, Pop Foul, Pop Single (OK, a "Pop single" hit has echoes of Pop culture and pop stars, but it is an "in the lingo" phrase, right???) Great entries!!
40. See 39-Across...and a word that can precede the last word of the starred answers : GUN. = Gun club, Gun ship, Gun play (would that be like, Russian roulette?), and Gun owner (or, NRA member, for short?)
Did anyone here have a POP GUN as a kid?
I had a BB Gun, until my mother took it away when I started shooting at my sisters...
OK, moving on....
Across:
1. 14-Time All-Star catcher Rodriguez, familiarly : PUDGE. HAH! I have an in-house expert visiting this week, and when I asked him about Rodriguez, and wanted a five-letter fill, he immediately said "PUDGE"!! Not Alex ("A-Rod" Rodriguez), but Iván Rodriguez!! Who knew??
6. Smarten (up) : SPIFF. I had to really spiff up the guest room for him...
11. Data proc. equipment : PCS. And he forgot his PC charger. So, tomorrow our first trip is to Best Buy to get him one (the 58 adapters I had in my desk drawer didn't fit...) And 59-Down. Programs for 11-Across, briefly : APPS
14. Amer. economic assistance : US AID.
15. Dermatologist's concern : TINEA. You don't even want me to link an image of this!!
16. Skill : ART
19. Boot part : TOE. Where you might get tinea?
20. ___ Sutra : KAMA. I looked up images, but wondered, "Can people really do that???"
21. Dipped in a well, maybe : INKED
22. Behold, to Livy : ECCE
23. Tilts : SLANTS
27. Corrida celebrity : TORERO. Ole!
29. Global positioning fig. : LAT.itude. (Or, Los Angeles Times!)
30. ___ alai : JAI
32. Turner memoir : I TINA
34. State with a 45-mile Canadian border : IDAHO. Yep, according to the scale, it is exactly 45 miles (see for yourself!!)
38. Notable time : ERA
42. White ___ : SOX. Bah!! The clue should have read "Red ___"!!
43. Ministers to : TENDS
45. Lengthwise : ALONG
47. "Deadwood" channel : HBO . Did anyone watch this series?
48. Tampa NFLer : BUC.caneer.
50. Learn well : ABSORB
56. 18-and-overs : ADULTS
60. ___ Reason : AGE OF
62. Trendy NYC section : NOHO . No how, not to be confused with SOHO (which is what I first entered here...). Of course, "North of Houston" is a trendy neighborhood in NYC. Is that where Carrie Bradshaw lives?
63. Hwy. : RTE
66. D. Petraeus's title : GEN. Current director of the CIA.
67. Shorthand system : GREGG. It's all Greek to me! ένα είδος στενογραφίας
68. Seen enough : HAD IT
69. Not quite right : ODD
70. "The Gondoliers" bride : TESSA. Also known as "The King of Barataria", by Gilbert and Sullivan. Typical G&S offering. 1:00
71. Actor Mike : MYERS. Ok, who else had a problem with "Actor Mike"??? Douglas...Minor....Evans..Connor...Farrell...Henry
Down:
1. Kings shoot them : PUCKS. HaHa, funny clue for the Los Angeles Kings Hockey team!
2. Unremarkable : USUAL
3. Firehouse mascot : DALMATIAN. Why are they a firehouse mascot? Ask Yahoo!
4. Jeans brand : GITANO. Not very sexy, IMHO...
5. URL ender : EDU
6. WWII weapon : STEN
7. Singles out : PICKS ON
8. Shoreline recess : INLET
9. Middle Aged? : FEUDAL. Loved this clue! I wish I were more "feudal" than I am...
10. "Swell!" : FAB
11. Sewing kit item : PATCH
12. Spring bloomers : CROCI (diles?)
13. Awfully expensive : STEEP
18. Not back down from, as a challenge : RISE TO
22. Founded: Abbr. : EST'D. Established.
24. Outwits on the stand : TRIPS UP
26. One invoked during a drought : RAIN GOD. ("Please let it be rain, and not snow!")
28. "Live! With Kelly" host : RIPA. This cutie.
30. Shark attack victim? : JET. From "West Side Story". Not this guy on Cape Cod!
31. "___ you for real?" : ARE
33. Lots : A GOB
35. Fair-haired : ASH BLONDE
36. Fireplace food-warming shelf : HOB. I first wanted "Hod", but that is for bricklayers, I guess...
37. Tic-tac-toe loser : OXO. Or, OOX, XOO, or XXO or XOX
41. Dicey : UNSAFE
44. Two-Baggers: Abbr. : DBLS. (Doubles)...I am actually starting to learn baseball!!
46. Birds do it : LAY EGGS. Ummm, I had another image in mind!
49. Eau ___ : CLAIRE. Wisconsin.
51. "Project ___": fashion design show : RUNWAY. You mean, you have never seen this show?!?!? Such DRAAAMA! 2:49
52. Red River city : FARGO
53. Made a choice : OPTED
54. Topple : UPEND
55. Actress Moorehead : AGNES
57. The enemy's : THEIR
58. Separates by type : SORTS
61. "Three Sisters" sister : OLGA. Chekhov play.
64. Pvt.'s boss : SGT
65. Electrical measure : OHM. Or, an alternative Buddhist chant?
Answer grid.
I had fun with this one -- did you?
Hugs,
Marti
