Theme: "Take It Or Leave It" (It's your choice!)
15-Across. Choice words for gamblers : PUT UP OR SHUT UP.
33-Across. Choice words for super-patriots : LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
55-Across. Choice words for anglers : FISH OR CUT BAIT.
23-Down. Choice words for those out of options : DO OR DIE.
Unique grid design. More blocks than we usually see in a LAT Thursday, but only 70 words - which is more typical of a Friday or Saturday. Two thirteens and a fifteen across, with a seven-letter theme entry going down, does not leave much room for finagling the rest of the grid. Great job getting it all to work, Jeffrey!
Lots of fresh fill made this a fun ride, starting at:
Across:
1. Easy job : KID STUFF. Nice!
9. EMS destination : HOSP.ital. Emergency Medical Service.
13. Extremely puffed-up quality : EGOMANIA.
14. Poker starter : ANTE.
17. As per : A LA.
18. Highway sign word : GAS. "Eat Here And Get GAS...."
19. Often-farmed fish : TILAPIA. One of my favorite fish to cook with. It takes on the flavor of whatever you add, because it is so mild.
21. Monocle, essentially : LENS.
23. "Spring ahead" abbr. : DST. Daylight Savings Time.
24. Ones falling in alleys : PINS. They usually all fall for Boomer! (Just as C.C. did...)
27. Misfortune : WOE.
28. Network offering home improvement advice : DIY. Do It Yourself.
29. "___ they've canceled my blood type": Bob Hope : I'M SO OLD...Great fill!
32. Honey in Dijon? : AMIE. French for "girlfriend."
37. Geraint's wife : ENID.
38. Trattoria preference : AL DENTE.
39. In-flight display no. : ALT.itude.
40. Geraint's title : SIR.
41. Rig : TRUCK.
45. Pair : DYAD.
47. With 25-Across, wine : THE. and 25-Across. See 47-Across : GRAPE. Never heard this euphemism.
48. Mountain topper : SNOW.
49. Warrior in "Rashomon" : SAMURAI. The film was only aired at a few cinemas worldwide, but is considered an artistic masterpiece. Besides, he couldn't very well use the clue "Warrior in 'The Last Samurai,'" could he?
51. Queen's consort : BEE.
54. Has been : WAS. Cute misdirection.
58. Inner: Pref. : ENTO. Ento- endo- dilemma again.
59. Galápagos denizen : TORTOISE. Because "iguana" was too short...
60. Methods : WAYS.
61. Left helpless : STRANDED. I liked how this one crossed 57-Down. Succor : AID.
Down:
1. NASA space observatory named for a Renaissance astronomer : KEPLER. Because "Galileo" was toooo long.
2. Galapagos denizen : IGUANA. Aha! There's my iguana from 59-Across!
3. Pointillist's unit : DOT. "Dab" also fit. Just sayin'...
4. Like the cat that swallowed the canary : SMUG. My cat is not feeling too smug right now. She had to swallow an antibiotic pill after dinner, and is still trying to hack it up...
5. Spanish morsel : TAPA.
6. Jose's ones : UNOS.
7. Douglas ___ : FIR.
8. Hot retail item : FAST SELLER. More fresh fill.
9. Schlep : HAUL.
10. Ready to pour : ON TAP.
11. "What was I thinking?!" : STUPID ME. (To quote Marti, after finishing the puzzle...) More fresh fill.
12. Charlemagnes's father : PEPIN III.
16. Popular : HIT.
17. Calculus prereq. : ALG.ebra.
20. To this point : AS YET.
22. Caught a glimpse of : SPIED.
26. U.K. record label : EMI. Electric and Musical Industries, Ltd. Now defunct.
27. Warm tops : WOOL SHIRTS. Not needing any of those recently!
30. Bus sched. entry : STA.tion.
31. Man cave, e.g. : DEN.
32. States as truth : AVERS. I was having my avers-avows dilemma before checking perps.
33. Detective's needs : LEADS. "Clues" would fit. Just sayin'...
34. Not many : ONLY A FEW.
35. Carrot nutrient : VITAMIN A. β-carotene was too long.
36. QB's statistic : ATT.empt.
42. Showing poor judgment : UNWISE. Like being egged on to do something stupid with a skateboard or bike...right, Steve?
43. Like easier-to-swallow pills : COATED. I don't think my cat's pills are coated...
44. Elec. units : KWs. Kilo-watts.
46. Failing the white glove test, say : DUSTY. Not my house!!
47. Way of the East : TAO. Literally, TAO means "way" in Chinese. 道
50. Sigma preceders : RHOS. And sigma precedes "tau." (Not to be confused with 道 )
51. Hamilton foe : BURR. Hah! I just used "Hamilton-Burr contest" in a puzzle to clue the word DUEL. So this was a gimme.
52. She rode on Butch's handlebars : ETTA. Remember "Place in a 1969 western," which clued the first name ETTA? Also one of Jeffrey's puzzles. (22-Across)
53. Dark, poetically : EBON.
56. Camper's bed : COT. And an annoying rhyme video...but, she forGOT "B-O-T", "G-O-T", "J-O-T," "L-O-T," "S-O-T" and "T-O-T." Time for me to hit the cot!
Till next week,
Marti
