17. Canadian city named for a historic battle site : WATERLOO, ONTARIO. Home of the BlackBerry smart phone. I saw the three O's here and suspected a theme was in progress. Tic-tac-toe row? Hugs, on an envelope? Reading after resetting? Out of office?
25. Stressed commuter's complaint : IT'S A ZOO OUT THERE. Nice zippy fill. And yep, it fits the theme.
43. "Enough kid stuff!" : I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS. My sentiments, exactly.
57. Totally lacks pep : HAS NO OOMPH AT ALL. I always say "I'm too pooped to pop." (And that has six O's!!!)
65. Triatomic gas in a thinning layer ... and, symbolically, what appears in this puzzle's four longest answers : OZONE. Chemical symbol O3.
I liked the conversational feel of # 2 and #3, and I do like the word OOMPH. "Honestly officer, I wasn't speeding. I was going OO MPH!"
Marti here, to 'splain the rest.
Across:
1. 2003 NFL rushing leader __ Lewis : JAMAL. He helped win Super Bowl XXXV as a rookie with the Ravens.
6. "Shoot!" : DARN.
10. Pro-prohibition org. : WCTU. (Tinbeni, cover your ears.) "Women's Christian Temperance Union."
14. Olds compact : ALERO.
15. EKTORP sofa seller : IKEA. Ektorp is a mansion in Haningen, Sweden. I am not sure if that is why the IKEA sofa is so-called. Doesn't look too much like mansion material to me...
16. 1800s law-enforcement family name : EARP.
20. Mom, to auntie : SIS.
21. Merits : EARNS.
22. John who sang "Daniel" : ELTON. My music link!
23. "Star Trek" spinoff, briefly : TNG. "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
24. Part of a stable diet? : OAT. Mr. Ed, can you eat just one?
34. Horned beast : RHINO.
35. Main points : GISTS.
36. Statesman Hammarskjöld : DAG. Anyone growing up in the fifties remembers him. He died in a plane crash that is still shrouded in mystery.
37. Fine things? : ARTS. The fine ARTS. Traditionally they consisted of painting, sculpture, music, poetry and architecture. Now "Fine ARTS" also includes film and performance art.
38. Scrabble squares : TILES.
39. Kitchen timer sound : DING. I have a new LG Double oven range that plays musical chimes and tunes for me. Love it!
40. Acting as : QUA. Loose translation of the Latin.
41. Canonized fifth-cen. pope : ST LEO.
42. Best : OUTDO.
46. Narc's find : PCP. Short for 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine), also called Phencyclidine. Known on the street as Angel dust, KJ (kristal joint), Ashy Larry, illy, or wet.
47. "Yo!" : HEY. Adrian!
48. Rouge target : CHEEK.
51. Orbiting phenomenon : ZERO G.ravity.
54. Red leader : MAO.
60. "The Time Machine" race : ELOI.
61. Move like a monarch : FLIT.
62. Bare : NAKED.
63. Peel : ZEST.
64. Dieter's calculation : FATS. I'll take mine unsaturated, please.
Down:
1. Benchley thriller : JAWS.
2. Jai __ : ALAI.
3. Team with a skyline in its logo : METS. Total WAG for me.
4. Is for two? : ARE. Didn't fool me this time!
5. Medici known as "the Magnificent" : LORENZO. He was the patron of artists like Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo.
6. Gucci rival : DIOR.
7. Senegalese-American rapper : AKON. Other than his rap fame, he holds the Guinness #1 record for top-selling ringtones.
8. Popular '20s cars : REOS.
9. Indian bread : NAN.
10. Prosperity : WEALTH.
11. Market vehicle : CART.
12. Jazz combo, often : TRIO.
13. Informed about : UP ON. Is it just me, or did a lot of today's clues seem really straight-forward?
18. Vacación destination : LAGO. I visited LAGO Como last summer while I was on vacanza in Italy. Same word in Spanish and Italian for "lake."
19. Milk sources : TEATS.
23. Salon goals : TANS.
24. Giant Mel et al. : OTTS.
25. Samarra native : IRAQI.
26. Finger-tapping sound : THRUM.
27. Pull a chair up to : SIT AT.
28. Disney's "Darby __ and the Little People" : O'GILL. I don't remember this 1959 movie, but it starred Sean Connery as the love interest of Darby's daughter.
29. Pie-eyed : OILED. I only know the term "well OILED" as a substitute for "drunk."
30. Make __: employ : USE OF.
31. Mrs. Roosevelt : EDITH.
32. "Amazing" illusionist : RANDI. Debunker of paranormal charlatans.
33. Pop-up frozen fare : EGGOS.
38. Firebird option : T-TOP.
39. Tax : DUTY.
41. Successful, in slang : SOCKO.
42. Pizzeria herb : OREGANO.
44. "Let's see what you got!" : OPEN IT.
45. "Yikes!" : OH-OH!
48. Café sign word : CHEZ.
49. Healthy : HALE.
50. Those, in Tijuana : ESOS.
51. "J'accuse" author : ZOLA.
52. Throw out : EMIT. Hands up for "toss?"
53. Sch. research papers : RPTS.
54. Shortfin or longfin predator : MAKO.
55. Architect William Van __ : ALEN. You may know him as the architect of this N.Y. icon.
56. Merrie __ England : OLDE.
58. Broadway opening? : OFF. "Off-Broadway" gave rise to the "Obie" awards. (O-B.)
59. Toon spinner : TAZ.
And that's my spin on today's puzzle!
Marti
