Theme: Smells Like Teen Spirit
16A. Very best 64-Across? : TOP SECRET
23A. 64-Across that lasts forever? : LIFETIME BAN
37A. Receive one's 64-Across shipment? : GET THE AXE
56A. Last of a trio of 64-Across units? : THIRD DEGREE
64A. Theme of this puzzle : DEODORANT and a great excuse to kick the day off with some Nirvana.
Morning all! A fresh-scented foursome from Jeff today - a straightforward theme that I don't think needs any more explanation from me, so let's get straight into the rest of it.
Across:
1. Resort near Arapaho National Forest : VAIL. Not exactly a fill-in for the first entry, I had to wait for one cross - the "V" gave it away when I looked downwards.
5. __ cracker : SODA. RICE went in, RICE came out.
9. Feature of some hammers : CLAW. PEEN went in, PEEN came out. I started out with the crossword equivalent of the Hokey-Pokey.
13. Gun shop buy : AMMO
14. Valuable rocks : ORES
15. Appreciative cry : BRAVO
18. Like some casks : OAKEN. What's the difference between an oak cask and an oaken one? The latter sounds more archaic to me.
19. All worked up : IRATE
20. Go later than planned : RUN OVER. When meetings I'm in do this and I've got a plane to catch I get antsy. Today's meeting in Miami would have to seriously run late, I don't fly back to LA until Friday.
22. Trig. function : COS. We had a book of tables for stuff like this back in the good old days when I was at school. The book was handy for writing cheat notes in the back.
27. Sancho's "steed" : ASS. Don Quixote's sidekick. I dug around a little, but didn't find a name for Panza's ride. Any ideas anyone?
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28. Weekly NBC offering : SNL
29. Recede : EBB
30. Movie director's challenge : EGO. I have a friend who is a movie director and he never has anything but good things to say about his stars. He's very modest, maybe his lack of ego rubs off on the cast.
31. Winter air : NOEL. A Christmas Carol. My sister was named "Carol" as she was born close to Christmas. She hated the name and changed it at the first opportunity she had.
33. Try a little of : SIP
35. Words to a waiter : ORDER
41. Reward for bravery : MEDAL
44. Devil : IMP
45. Battery unit : VOLT. I don't understand electricity. Friends think I'm joking when I plead complete ignorance about the whole process, but I've honestly never "got" it. Watts, Amps, Volts - no clue.
49. GI's break : R'N'R. Rest and Recuperation.
50. It has a small charge : ION. More of that electrical magic trickery.
53. Doctrine : ISM. Webster's Dictionary defines this as a word in its own right, not simply a suffix.
55. Seating designation : ROW. Window Seat A, Row 7 for me on the flight out. Same seat on the way home.
59. Lyrical before : ERE
60. One using a bypass, maybe : AVOIDER
61. Bobby who "thumbed a diesel down," in a 1971 #1 hit : MCGEE
63. Result of a leadoff walk : ONE ON. Baseball reference. I'm now educated enough about the game that I can understand that there can be no other result from walking the leadoff batter.
67. Sailing through : ACING
68. Croquet surface : LAWN
69. Cinq et six : ONZE. Mathématiques en français.
70. Jeweler Lalique : RENE. The James Oviatt building in downtown Los Angeles built in 1928 features a lobby with glass panels, glass elevator doors and a clock made by Lalique. Quite stunning
71. Peak near Messina : ETNA.
72. Knocker's target? : WOOD
Down:
1. Swiss Guard's station, with "the" : VATICAN. The Pope's ceremonial bodyguard.
2. Lovingly, in music : AMOROSO. I'm not sure how you'd interpret this musical direction. Swooningly? Bawling your eyes out because you've been dumped by your paramour? Tongue-tied like a teenager?
3. Standoff : IMPASSE
4. Didn't finish on top : LOST.
5. Humanities maj. : SOC. Sociology, I'm guessing.
6. Defenseman Bobby with many trophies : ORR. I can now confidently type "Boston Bruin Hockey Legend" without fact-checking due to encountering this gentleman in many crossword puzzles.
7. Mower maker : DEERE. I never think of this name without the preceding "John".
8. Not easily misled : ASTUTE
9. Have a jones for : CRAVE
10. Wet floor? : LAKE BED. Quite a few of the lake beds in California are dry floors now as a result of the drought.
11. Typical : AVERAGE
12. Finished on top : WON. Partner of 4D. It's not a clecho - it's more a clopposite.
15. Shouldered music source : BOOM BOX. It's been a while since I've seen or heard one of these things, thank heavens.
17. Sushi fish : EELS. All the fish I can think of off the top of my head aren't pluralized with an "S". Salmon, trout, pike, tuna ....
21. Highlighter tip : NIB
24. Research ctr. : INST. Here's the august Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
25. Move like a monarch : FLIT. Butterfly-like motion.
26. Hide-hair link : NOR
32. Airport on Flushing Bay, in itineraries : LGA. La Guardia in New York City. I think the United terminal has the worst food and refreshment choices of any airport I've ever been to.
34. Letter after upsilon : PHI. Learning the Greek alphabet is on my list of things to do. It's not very far up the list I confess, but I'll get to it sometime.
36. Sun. speaker : REV. Hopefully the sermon doesn't go on too long.
38. Saying "somethin'," say : ELIDING. Nice clue.
39. Kuwaiti ruler : EMIR
40. Church area : APSE
41. "I pity the fool" speaker : MR T. Originally his character Clubby Lang referring to Rocky Balboa in the movie "Rocky 3", later the title of his own reality show.
42. Upgrade : ENHANCE
43. Classic A&W restaurant : DRIVE-IN. Dating from 1920's California.
46. Marjoram kin : OREGANO. Marjoram is a little sweeter with a milder flavor.
47. Actor Lamas-Craig : LORENZO. Thank you, crosses. A famous daytime soap actor, apparently.
48. Contacted one's followers, nowadays : TWEETED. I have a Twitter account, but I've no idea why, I've never sent a single tweet.
51. Kooky : ODD
52. Speedometer part : NEEDLE. Fast enough for ya?
54. Staff note : MEMO
57. TV exec Arledge : ROONE. Thank you, crosses. ABC Sports and ABC News head who created "Monday Night Football", amongst other programming.
58. Extraordinary : GREAT
62. Brag : CROW
63. Dinghy propeller : OAR
65. Possess : OWN
66. Some trial evidence : DNA
That about wraps it up for today, so here's the grid!
Steve
16A. Very best 64-Across? : TOP SECRET
23A. 64-Across that lasts forever? : LIFETIME BAN
37A. Receive one's 64-Across shipment? : GET THE AXE
56A. Last of a trio of 64-Across units? : THIRD DEGREE
64A. Theme of this puzzle : DEODORANT and a great excuse to kick the day off with some Nirvana.
Morning all! A fresh-scented foursome from Jeff today - a straightforward theme that I don't think needs any more explanation from me, so let's get straight into the rest of it.
Across:
1. Resort near Arapaho National Forest : VAIL. Not exactly a fill-in for the first entry, I had to wait for one cross - the "V" gave it away when I looked downwards.
5. __ cracker : SODA. RICE went in, RICE came out.
9. Feature of some hammers : CLAW. PEEN went in, PEEN came out. I started out with the crossword equivalent of the Hokey-Pokey.
13. Gun shop buy : AMMO
14. Valuable rocks : ORES
15. Appreciative cry : BRAVO
18. Like some casks : OAKEN. What's the difference between an oak cask and an oaken one? The latter sounds more archaic to me.
19. All worked up : IRATE
20. Go later than planned : RUN OVER. When meetings I'm in do this and I've got a plane to catch I get antsy. Today's meeting in Miami would have to seriously run late, I don't fly back to LA until Friday.
22. Trig. function : COS. We had a book of tables for stuff like this back in the good old days when I was at school. The book was handy for writing cheat notes in the back.
27. Sancho's "steed" : ASS. Don Quixote's sidekick. I dug around a little, but didn't find a name for Panza's ride. Any ideas anyone?
28. Weekly NBC offering : SNL
29. Recede : EBB
30. Movie director's challenge : EGO. I have a friend who is a movie director and he never has anything but good things to say about his stars. He's very modest, maybe his lack of ego rubs off on the cast.
31. Winter air : NOEL. A Christmas Carol. My sister was named "Carol" as she was born close to Christmas. She hated the name and changed it at the first opportunity she had.
33. Try a little of : SIP
35. Words to a waiter : ORDER
41. Reward for bravery : MEDAL
44. Devil : IMP
45. Battery unit : VOLT. I don't understand electricity. Friends think I'm joking when I plead complete ignorance about the whole process, but I've honestly never "got" it. Watts, Amps, Volts - no clue.
49. GI's break : R'N'R. Rest and Recuperation.
50. It has a small charge : ION. More of that electrical magic trickery.
53. Doctrine : ISM. Webster's Dictionary defines this as a word in its own right, not simply a suffix.
55. Seating designation : ROW. Window Seat A, Row 7 for me on the flight out. Same seat on the way home.
59. Lyrical before : ERE
60. One using a bypass, maybe : AVOIDER
61. Bobby who "thumbed a diesel down," in a 1971 #1 hit : MCGEE
63. Result of a leadoff walk : ONE ON. Baseball reference. I'm now educated enough about the game that I can understand that there can be no other result from walking the leadoff batter.
67. Sailing through : ACING
68. Croquet surface : LAWN
69. Cinq et six : ONZE. Mathématiques en français.
70. Jeweler Lalique : RENE. The James Oviatt building in downtown Los Angeles built in 1928 features a lobby with glass panels, glass elevator doors and a clock made by Lalique. Quite stunning
71. Peak near Messina : ETNA.
72. Knocker's target? : WOOD
Down:
1. Swiss Guard's station, with "the" : VATICAN. The Pope's ceremonial bodyguard.
2. Lovingly, in music : AMOROSO. I'm not sure how you'd interpret this musical direction. Swooningly? Bawling your eyes out because you've been dumped by your paramour? Tongue-tied like a teenager?
3. Standoff : IMPASSE
4. Didn't finish on top : LOST.
5. Humanities maj. : SOC. Sociology, I'm guessing.
6. Defenseman Bobby with many trophies : ORR. I can now confidently type "Boston Bruin Hockey Legend" without fact-checking due to encountering this gentleman in many crossword puzzles.
7. Mower maker : DEERE. I never think of this name without the preceding "John".
8. Not easily misled : ASTUTE
9. Have a jones for : CRAVE
10. Wet floor? : LAKE BED. Quite a few of the lake beds in California are dry floors now as a result of the drought.
11. Typical : AVERAGE
12. Finished on top : WON. Partner of 4D. It's not a clecho - it's more a clopposite.
15. Shouldered music source : BOOM BOX. It's been a while since I've seen or heard one of these things, thank heavens.
17. Sushi fish : EELS. All the fish I can think of off the top of my head aren't pluralized with an "S". Salmon, trout, pike, tuna ....
21. Highlighter tip : NIB
24. Research ctr. : INST. Here's the august Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
25. Move like a monarch : FLIT. Butterfly-like motion.
26. Hide-hair link : NOR
32. Airport on Flushing Bay, in itineraries : LGA. La Guardia in New York City. I think the United terminal has the worst food and refreshment choices of any airport I've ever been to.
34. Letter after upsilon : PHI. Learning the Greek alphabet is on my list of things to do. It's not very far up the list I confess, but I'll get to it sometime.
36. Sun. speaker : REV. Hopefully the sermon doesn't go on too long.
38. Saying "somethin'," say : ELIDING. Nice clue.
39. Kuwaiti ruler : EMIR
40. Church area : APSE
41. "I pity the fool" speaker : MR T. Originally his character Clubby Lang referring to Rocky Balboa in the movie "Rocky 3", later the title of his own reality show.
42. Upgrade : ENHANCE
43. Classic A&W restaurant : DRIVE-IN. Dating from 1920's California.
46. Marjoram kin : OREGANO. Marjoram is a little sweeter with a milder flavor.
47. Actor Lamas-Craig : LORENZO. Thank you, crosses. A famous daytime soap actor, apparently.
48. Contacted one's followers, nowadays : TWEETED. I have a Twitter account, but I've no idea why, I've never sent a single tweet.
51. Kooky : ODD
52. Speedometer part : NEEDLE. Fast enough for ya?
54. Staff note : MEMO
57. TV exec Arledge : ROONE. Thank you, crosses. ABC Sports and ABC News head who created "Monday Night Football", amongst other programming.
58. Extraordinary : GREAT
62. Brag : CROW
63. Dinghy propeller : OAR
65. Possess : OWN
66. Some trial evidence : DNA
That about wraps it up for today, so here's the grid!
Steve
