16-Across. *Classic paradox : CHICKEN OR THE EGG.
21-Across. *Memorable site of a 1965 Beatles concert : SHEA STADIUM.
36-Across. *Comes up with a solution : FIGURES OUT HOW.
51-Across. *Body shop's reappraisal : NEW ESTIMATE.
This theme has been done before, but Mark adds a grid-spanning unifier that gives it a little twist:
59-Across. Device useful in navigation, or in discovering the hidden theme in the answers to starred clues : DIRECTION FINDER.
Another nice touch was arranging the directions as they appear in order, going clockwise around the compass: North, east, south, west.
Marti here, to help you find your way around this puzzle!
Across:
1. Atkins diet credo : NO CARBS. A mixing bowl full of fruit is OK for lunch.
8. Medicare section : PART B. I haven't gotten there yet.
13. Freight lineup : BOX CARS. Also double sixes on a throw of the dice.
18. Fjord relative : RIA.
19. Extended break from svc. : LOA. Leave of Absence.
20. Together, on a score : A DUE. Often seen on scores as the abbrev. "a2" instead of written out.
26. Aetna's bus. : INS.urance.
27. Salmon for bagels : LOX. Not to be confused with "smoked salmon." I'll take it, either way.
28. LBJ's veep : HHH. Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Lyndon Baines Johnson's VEEP.
29. Residents along the Gulf of Bothnia : FINNS. My father was born on the "other side," along the Gulf of Finland.
31. "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" speaker : YOGI. Berra, not Bear.
33. Self-effacing : MODEST. Aw, shucks!
41. Horace works : EPODES.
42. Card game for three : SKAT. Learned about this game from "The Tin Drum."
44. Some choristers : ALTOS.
46. Down : EAT. One of my favorite clues for this little word was "Down a submarine."
49. Where agua flows : RIO. I thought of "mar" first, but then realized we were looking for flowing agua. (...although a mar does ebb and flow, no?)
50. Assam export : TEA.
55. Spheres : ORBS.
57. Reid or Robbins : TIM.
58. Deg. for Dilbert creator Scott Adams : MBA. Master of Business Administration.
65. Honeys : DEARIES.
66. Lowly laborer : PEASANT.
67. Party animals? : STAGS. Cute misdirection between ones who attend a party alone vs a horned mammal. Does that make them both horn-y animals?
68. Responds to the MAILER-DAEMON : RESENDS. You know those emails you get saying "Failed delivery?" In classic mythology, "Daemons" are benevolent spirits. Hence the reason for the name -- they are just trying to help you send your message (without saying what an idiot you are for mis-typing the recipient's name...)
Down:
1. "30-Rock" network : NBC.
2. Cry of wonder : OOH.
3. One-fifth of DLV : CXI. I figured out this one without even having to resort to a spreadsheet!!
4. West African capital : ACCRA. Map.
5. Sporty : RAKISH.
6. A little fresh air? : BREATH. "Like a breath of fresh air."
7. Phisher's target: Abbr. : SSN. Social Security Number.
8. French meat-and-veggies dish : POT-AU-FEU. Literally, "pot on the fire." My mother used to make a similar dish which we called "New England boiled dinner." It was corned beef, cabbage, carrots, onions and potatoes.
9. Silvery gray : ASH.
10. South American bird named for a Greek Titan : RHEA. The title of this image was "A rhea gallivanting."
11. Associated : TIED IN.
12. Many air rifles : BB GUNS.
14. Half-human Enterprise counselor : TROI.
15. Gets on : AGES. Becomes:
17. Antediluvian : OLD. Literally, it means "before the flood." So I guess that would be pretty old!
21. Wily : SLY.
22. Place for a shoe : HOOF.
23. Military vet : EX-GI.
24. Name of three Ottoman sultans : AHMED. Ahmeds I, II and III. All ruled in the 1600's.
25. Falls spray : MIST. Has anyone taken a ride on the Maid of the Mist?
30. Ordinal extremes : NTHS.
32. "___ that a lot" : I GET.
34. Verb ending : OSE. Verbose.
35. Antibiotic allotments : DOSES...of 56-Down. Shot contents : SERA.
37. "___ further reflection..." : UPON.
38. Icing buds on fancy cakes : ROSETTES. Here's how to make them. 2:47
39. Vegetable also called lady's-finger : OKRA.
40. Tarry : WAIT.
43. Little piggy : TOE.
44. Mountaintop homes : AERIES.
45. Unwitting test taker : LAB RAT. I dunno, some rats can be pretty witting...
47. Charge to bank non-members, often : ATM FEE.
48. Shinbones : TIBIAS.
50. 1860s presidential in-law : TODD.
52. Some Nintendo consoles : WIIs. Nintendo clearly states that the plural should be referred to as Wii consoles or systems or games, but "Wii" itself is never plurable... (From C.C.: Yeah, D-Otto, now you can find an electronic PAPER TRAIL of "plurable" on our blog!)
53. Angst-filled genre : EMO.
54. Parson's home : MANSE.
60. Slangy smoke : CIG.
61. "This American Life" airer : NPR.
62. Speed-skating gold medalist Jansen : DAN. 1994 Lillehammer.
63. Stop : END. Finito, pull the plug, sew up, call it a day. But there's just one more thing before we go:
64. Blockers for QBs : RTs. Right Tackle(s).
Now I'm done - see you next week!
Hugs,
Marti
