Gail and Bruce produced a far from cheesy puzzle. Not only does a type of cheese start each theme answer, but the cheese variety is only the first four letters of a word or phrase but is completely separate from the fill in any other way! Now that is clever and once again I chose to show the grid first to exhibit this clever device! Obtuse old me didn't see this sparkling gimmick until I saw the reveal of:
62. Photographer's request, and a hint to what's hidden at the starts of 17-, 26- and 47-Across : SAY CHEESE
Theme Answers:
26, Detector a tiny heartbeat: FETAL MONITOR - FETA is not my first choice either
47. Asian bean dish : EDAMAME SALAD - High tech beavers?
Across
1. Targets of some bark beetles : ELMS - Wiped out many trees of my yute
5. Spreadsheet info : DATA
9. "The Blacklist" network : NBC-TV - Must every show about law enforcement include a beautiful, 20-something woman aiming a gun with both hands?
14. Sunbeam floater : MOTE
15. High-tech read : E-MAG - Some content is not so High-tech
16. Cliff dwelling : AERIE
19. Razz : TAUNT - "The Greatest" was great at this too
20. "Bewitched" witch : ENDORA - She called all these sitcom scripts "hack" but cashed the checks
21. Offers unsolicited advice : KIBITZES - Does anyone else drive with a "Parking Spot Assistant"?
23. Overwhelms with sound : DEAFENS
25. "I'm getting to it" : SOON
31. Batting no. : AVG - Failing two out of three times at bat still gives you a fantastic AVG of .333!
35. Develop a liking for : TAKE TO - I did TAKE TO this site years ago!
36. Ascend : CLIMB
39. Conniving : SLY
41. Exams for future D.A.'s : L-SATS
42. Obstacle on the links : HAZARD
44. Crumpet accompaniment : TEA
46. Levels, briefly : KO'S - Ali KO'ed many of those he taunted
51. Rent-__ : A CAR - You do have options
52. Starts to grow : SPROUTS
56. Facial indication of amazement : SLACK-JAW - Nobody did it better
60. Takes, as advice : ACTS ON
61. Heavenly explosions : NOVAE - One of those pesky plurals
64. Most desirable invitees : A-LIST - It ain't me babe! I don't move with the Big Cheeses
65. Lamb pen name : ELIA
66. Risotto base : RICE
67. Stained __ : GLASS
68. Workout count : REPS
69. Symbol on Texas' flag : STAR
Down
1. Journalist in a battle zone : EMBED - Can you spot the EMBEDDED journalist Sally Sara in this picture?
2. "Bonanza" co-star of Michael, Dan and Pernell : LORNE - A cowboy from Ottawa, eh?
3. Crete's highest elev. : MT. IDA - 8,058' high
4. Accompany to the depot, say : SEE OFF
5. Pours into a carafe : DECANTS - Seems like a hoity-toity word to me
6. Gp. with many specialists : AMA - I saw five different ones last year
7. Chore : TASK
8. AARP concern : AGEISM
9. Washington ballplayer : NATIONAL - The best player in baseball?
10. Unconventional '50s-'60s types : BEATNIKS
11. Cross, in Costa Rica : CRUZ
12. Point on a rake : TINE
13. Cat scanners? : VETS - Here's two inserting a scannable chip
18. Gratis : FREE - "At no extra cost" ain't FREE
22. Heave-ho : BOOT
24. __ OFF 5TH: discount store : SAKS
27. Jaunty tunes : LILTS
28. Tropical hardwood : TEAK - A TEAK plantation in India
29. "Beetle Bailey" dog : OTTO
30. Diana of "The Wiz" : ROSS
31. Long (for) : ACHE
32. "The Impaler" of Romanian history : VLAD
33. Sphinx city : GIZA
37. Voice heard in "California Dreamin'" : MAMA CASS - Her first group
38. March Madness concerns : BRACKETS
40. Supporters' votes : YEAS
43. Key with two sharps: Abbr. : D MAJ - What Don, Don and Glenn used for this song
48. Traditional golf pencil's lack : ERASER
49. Footwear insert : ARCH - Lift didn't make it
50. Nanas, often : DOTERS
53. Start of a fitness motto : USE IT
54. Puccini opera : TOSCA - Premiered in Rome 116 years ago
55. "And wrinkled lip, and __ of cold command": "Ozymandias" : SNEER - Shelly's work of hubris and mortality is one of the few poems that made an impression on me as a student
56. Unforeseen obstacle : SNAG
57. Lounge around : LOLL
58. Saucony competitor : AVIA
59. Corduroy feature : WALE
63. Peke's squeak : YIP
