17-Across. *Skedaddling : TURNING TAIL. Colorful phrase to start us off!
27-Across. *Food often served with ranch dip : BUFFALO WINGS. Yum! ( I looked back at the first theme entry and noticed the avian parts.)
45-Across. *Weigh, with "at" : TIP THE SCALES. (Uh-oh, so much for my bird theory...)
59-Across. *Real ordeal : TRIAL BY FIRE. (Aha! By jove, I've got it. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, right?)
(Almost:)
35. With 38-Across, band with the hit "Radioactive," and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues : IMAGINE 38-Across. See 35-Across : DRAGONS. Yes, I can just imagine. Oh, you mean the band? 4:03ì
Fun theme, and a fresh reveal. The fill also made the solve very enjoyable for me. You?
Across
1. "Carrie" Oscar nominee : SPACEK. Ah yes, I had nightmares for weeks after seeing that one.
7. Letters about time : AM-PM.
11. __ Fit: video exercise game : WII. Gimme - I use mine every day!
14. Acid neutralizer : ALKALI.
15. Restaurant chain named for a Mozart opera : COSÌ...fan tutte.
16. It's often cured : HAM.
19. Physician's org. : AMA. Academy of Model Aeronautics. Doctors do like their toy planes! ;-)
20. Snack brand creator Wally : AMOS. He's famous, ya know.
21. Karaoke option : DUET.
22. Take one's sweet time : DALLY. Are you eating sweet pickles slowly if you DILLY DALLY?
24. Half a score : TEN. "Four score and seven years ago..." A score is 20 years.
25. Auction cry : SOLD.
26. Lamp emission, if you're lucky : GENIE. Fun entry and clue!
30. __ Navidad : FELIZ.
33. First-line national anthem word : SEE. Tricky clue. "Say", "can" or "you" also fit... And then we have 41-Across. First-line national anthem word : SAY. Well, at least I eliminated one choice at 33-Across!
34. Prefix with caching : GEO. How's your knee doing, CrossEyedDave? Is it still keeping you from geocaching?
42. Pigs out (on) : ODs.
44. __ attitude : CAN DO.
50. Sensible : LEVEL.
51. Stats for Mike Trout : RBIs. Total WAG. Born in 1991, he's just a baby, for gosh sake!
52. Meditator's intonations : OMs.
55. Sand bar : SHOAL.
56. Appear : SEEM.
57. Purveyor of many flat packs : IKEA. I just put together 8 new base cabinets for my kitchen remodel. Not from IKEA.
58. Burst : POP. Did you wonder if it was present or past tense, too?
62. Part of UCSD: Abbr. : CAL. Univ. Cal. San Diego.
63. Cheese that's sometimes stuffed : EDAM. Keshi Yena is a traditional stuffed Edam cheese dish that is common on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.
64. Begin gently : EASE IN.
65. Cut : AXE.
66. Smashes : RAMS.
67. They're often ruled : ROOSTS. Who rules yours? (Here, it's our cats.)
Down
1. Occupied, as a table : SAT AT.
2. Nice pen : PLUME. The French city Nice. Were you fooled? My mistake was thinking "stylo," which is more like a ballpoint or fountain pen. A PLUME would be an old-fashioned quill pen, I think. Kazie?
3. Firestone Country Club city : AKRON. The home of the WGC's Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament every August.
4. Spam holders : CANS. Were you thinking email junk folders? Nope, that was reserved for 31-Down. Phishing scam, e.g. : EMAIL HOAX. Nice fill.
5. Lilly of pharmaceuticals : ELI. Gimme.
6. In a way : KIND OF.
7. Played the part of : ACTED AS.
8. Asset in a castle siege : MOAT.
9. Chi follower : PSI. Χ and Ψ. Penultimate Greek letter before Ω.
10. Shower problem : MILDEW.
11. Beating heavily, as with a sledgehammer : WHALING ON. Yikes! What a visual.
12. Post-apocalyptic Will Smith film : I AM LEGEND. Will Shakespeare? IAMB LEGEND.
13. "Perhaps" : I MAY.
18. __ of Mexico : GULF.
23. Young Darth's nickname : ANI.
25. Singer Quatro : SUZI. Over 50 years on the rock scene!
26. Church attachment? : GOER. and 32-Down. Church attendees : LAY PEOPLE.
27. Popular : BIG.
28. Took charge of : LED.
29. Just fair : SO-SO.
30. __ bump : FIST.
36. "O Holy Night," for one : NOEL.
37. Journalism VIPs : EDs.
39. Far from fails : ACES.
40. It's often bought at an island : GAS.
43. Horror movie sounds : SCREAMS. Like me, when watching "Carrie" for the first time.
46. Dam-building org. : TVA. Tennessee Valley Authority.
47. __-skelter : HELTER. brrrrrr...shades of Charles Manson.
48. First fratricide victim : ABEL.
49. Loosen (up) : LIMBER. A must, when using your WII Fit.
52. 1930s migrants : OKIES.
53. Worthiness : MERIT.
54. Composer Saint-__ : SAËNS. Jayce likes his "Danse Macabre." 7:09
55. Org. for strays : SPCA. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
56. Place that gave its name to a cat breed : SIAM.ese.
57. "Say that's true ... " : IF SO.
60. No. for the health-conscious : RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance. I must confess, I don't always get mine.
61. Retired NBAer Ming : YAO. The 7' 6" Houston Rocket. Off the court, he is a white rhino and elephant conservationist!
That's all I got.
Marti
