Wednesday, November 9, 2016, C.C. Burnikel

Title: Kevin Garnett - Our lovely leader has chosen a fun initial gimmick with two word theme answers wherein the first word starts with a K and the second with a G. Her reveal shows this K_ G_ idea phonetically as CAGEY. C.C. said she was inspired this greatest Minnesota Timberwolf of all time whom she admired.

REVEAL:

38. Shrewd ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle's four longest answers : CAGEY 

As you can see, her fun theme answers that are placed symmetrically - Two 10'S Across touching the left and right borders and Two Down 9's touching the top and bottom borders! Great!

16. Shade lighter than jade : KELLY GREEN - One of the team colors of the aforementioned KG

59. London co-creator of the International Plant Names Index : KEW GARDENS - Captain Bligh was gathering bread fruit in Tahiti for KEW GARDENS when the men on the HMS Bounty took issue with his command

10. Super-strong adhesive brand : KRAZY GLUE - Ah yes, I remember their ads

33. Extreme care : KID GLOVES - People always think debate moderators treat their candidate's opponent with KID GLOVES

Well let's KEEP GOING and see what other gifts C.C. has for us today.

Across

1. Welcomed at the door : SAW IN

6. "Shame on you!" : TSK

9. German trick-taking card game : SKAT - Have never played a hand

13. St. Teresa's town : AVILA - One of many Carmelite 39. Creatures of habit? : NUNS - in 16th century Spain

14. Use as a source : CITE

15. Egg on : URGE 18. Reckless act instigator : DARE - These two words can cause some very stupid behavior

19. Witty Bombeck : ERMA

20. Euros replaced them : LIRE

21. Buffoons : BOZOS

22. Target Field, e.g. : STADIUM - An easy drive from C.C.'s home

24. Nowhere near cool : DORKY

26. N.L. mascot whose head is a large baseball : MR. MET

28. Cracks up : LAUGHS

31. Finnish telecommunications company : NOKIA

34. Lindsay of "Freaky Friday" (2003) : LOHAN - A Disney star who, uh, "went south"

36. Bud's partner : LOU - Bud asked, "Who's on first?" LOU replied, "Yes!"

37. Exclude from the list : OMIT

40. Like Mars, visually : RED

41. Storybook elephant : BABAR - Did anyone else think of Red Barber with these two clues?

42. Sneaks a look : PEEKS

43. Points of view : ANGLES

45. Sleeping giant : SERTA - Love this clue

47. Actors memorize them : LINES - He's in a world of hurt!

49. Riddle-ending question : WHAT AM I - Stunning playground retort!

53. Chew out : SCOLD

55. "Now it makes sense" : I SEE

57. One-named supermodel : IMAN - Lovely, Somali-born woman who is now 61

58. __ Scotia : NOVA - New Scotland in Latin

61. Meryl's "It's Complicated" co-star : ALEC - Rotten Tomatoes gave it a "meh" 54%

62. Chevy subcompact : AVEO

63. Pasta tubes : PENNE

64. Skip a turn : PASS

65. Headed up : LED

66. Infuriated with : MAD AT


Down

1. Sushi bar brews : SAKES

2. Prevent : AVERT

3. Bedrock wife : WILMA

4. Words starting a confession : I'LL ADMIT - Johnny Cash sang, "I'LL ADMIT that I'm a fool for you"

5. Lawmaker's rejection : NAY - That's how they do it

6. 22-Across level : TIER

7. Energetic mount : STEED - Dudley's "trusty STEED" was named, uh, Horse

8. He's a doll : KEN - Barbie's main squeeze

9. Numbers game : SUDOKU

11. Soil-related prefix : AGRO - BOZOS took AGRI off my grid

12. Pro shop bagful : TEES

14. Forensics facility : CRIME LAB

17. Feeling blue : GLUM - Al Capp's poster child for this emotion - Joe Bltsplk 

21. Cereal component : BRAN

23. Nest egg letters : IRA

25. Big name in facial scrubs : OLAY

27. Forum robes : TOGAS

29. Traffic alert : HONK

30. Puzzle (out) : SUSS - A frequent strategy employed many of us solvers here 

31. Screenwriter Ephron : NORA

32. It may be a bad sign : OMEN

35. "Fasten your seatbelts" : HERE WE GO

38. Violin protector : CASE

39. "Swell suggestion!" : NEAT IDEA

41. Calisthenics movement : BEND - How many reps would you go for?

42. After-school org. : PTA

44. Shrubs with lavender blooms : LILACS

46. Perlman of "Cheers" : RHEA - Ree' uh not Ray or Ray uh

48. Colander cousin : SIEVE

50. Change, as a motion : AMEND

51. Old Testament food : MANNA

52. Illustrator's close-up : INSET

53. Easy-peasy task : SNAP - A sentiment expressed by a Shakespearean actor and director who also played Isaac the Bartender on Love Boat

54. Picnic soft drink : COLA

56. Neighbor of Nor. : SWED

59. __ Kan pet foods : KAL

60. Tach reading : RPM

Now it's your time for our CAGEY bloggers to give us their pertinent and impertinent remarks!