Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Mark McClain

 Theme: Take up a collection.

18. Add to the language : COIN A PHRASE. Coin collection. Nine most valuable U.S. coins.

23. Unusually high temperatures, often : RECORD HEAT. Record collection. One man, 30,000 records.

 38. Law enforcement slogan : STAMP OUT CRIME. Stamp collection. The twisty tale of the world's most expensive stamp.

50. Dessert with swirls : MARBLE CAKE. Marble collection. Man collects 50,000+ marbles.

58. What the starts of 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across can be part of : COLLECTIONS

Good morning all, Melissa here. Mostly smooth sailing, except for a few spots - last to fall was the crossing of 4A PONTE and 7D TUN. What? Simple, straightforward theme, once it appeared. 

Across         
 
1. Mud wrap venue : SPA
 
4. Bridge, to Botticelli : PONTE. Italian for bridge.
 
9. On a cruise : AT SEA
 
14. Knock gently : TAP
 
15. Unalaska inhabitant : ALEUT. Had never heard of this city before, so pretty.

 16. With 27-Down, striped holiday treat : CANDY
 
17. Tycoon Onassis : ARI

20. North Atlantic hazard : ICEBERG
 
22. Perching on : ATOP

26. Letters used in old dates : BCE. Before the Common Era.

29. Beirut's country: Abbr. : LEB
 
30. __-Cat: winter vehicle : SNO
 
31. Skin-and-bones sort : SCRAG
 
33. Fish and chips option : COD
 
36. Wonton, e.g. : DUMPLING

41. Felix Unger et al. : NEATNIKS

  
42. "Atlas Shrugged" author Rand : AYN
 
43. Many opera villains : BASSI.
 
44. Grassland : LEA
 
46. Uncertainties : IFS
 
49. Braying beast : ASS

54. Canyon feedback : ECHO
 
57. Ice-T or Jay Z : RAP STAR

62. "Who am __ judge?" : I TO
 
63. German river, to Germans : RHEIN
 
64. Adult insect : IMAGO. According to Wikipedia, "Imago is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphasis.

65. Not quite lge. : MED
 
66. Chore list entries : TO DO'S
 
67. Web surfing tool : MODEM
 
68. Beverage suffix : ADE
 
Down
 
1. Step between landings : STAIR
 
2. Part of UPS : PARCEL
 
3. Unit-pricing word : APIECE
 
4. Hoosier hoopster : PACER
 
5. Grace opening : O LORD
 
6. Sounds from a stable : NEIGHS
 
7. Vineyard vat : TUN. A large cask.

8. Approximate touchdown hr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

9. Vier und vier : ACHT. German, four and four are eight.
 
10. Hawaiian root : TARO
 
11. Feature of most fedoras : SNAP BRIM. A snap brim can be turned up and down at opposite ends.

12. Newspaper hires, briefly : EDS
 
13. Vote for : AYE
 
19. __ on the back : PAT
 
21. Spotted members of the lynx family : BOB CATS
 
24. Laptop buyer, for one : END USER
 
25. Month after juillet : AOUT. Another unknown to me, July and August in French.

27. See 16-Across : CANE
 
28. Urge (on) : EGG
 
31. Energetic : SPRY
 
32. Outpatient treatment sites : CLINICS
 
34. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI
 
35. Printer resolution spec. : DPI. Dots per inch.
 
37. __ Nashville: country label : MCA
 
38. Bering and North : SEAS
 
39. Like graduation caps : TASSELED
 
40. St. with a panhandle : OKLA
 
41. Steph Curry's org. : NBA
 
45. In Europe, say : ABROAD
 
47. Daughter of Muhammad : FATIMA. Youngest daughter of Islamic daughter Muhammad. Too many letters for Laila.
 
48. Enjoyed the ice : SKATED
 
50. Comfy slip-on : MOC
 
51. "Tootsie" actress Jessica : LANGE
 
52. Word with Downs or salts : EPSOM
 
53. Slowly eat into : ERODE
 
55. Ad writer's award : CLIO
 
56. Feathered brooders : HENS
 
58. Dated PC hookup : CRT
 
59. "So that's it!" : OHO
 
60. Bob Cratchit's boy : TIM
 
61. I believe, in texts : IMO. In my opinion.