Theme:
17. Of the poorest quality : THIRD CLASS. Skip class.
35. Novel or short story, say : LITERARY WORK. Skip work.
43. Fashionable dude : MAN ABOUT TOWN. Skip town. I saw the M and thought METRO SEXUAL. Nope.
62. Well-hit line drive, in baseball jargon : FROZEN ROPE. Skip rope.
50. "Never mind" ... or what one might do with the last word of 17-, 35-, 43- and 62-Across : SKIP IT
35. Novel or short story, say : LITERARY WORK. Skip work.
43. Fashionable dude : MAN ABOUT TOWN. Skip town. I saw the M and thought METRO SEXUAL. Nope.
62. Well-hit line drive, in baseball jargon : FROZEN ROPE. Skip rope.
50. "Never mind" ... or what one might do with the last word of 17-, 35-, 43- and 62-Across : SKIP IT
Melissa here. Another stellar offering from our C.C., with a clever theme. A mostly smooth ride, save for a few wrong turns that sorted out pretty easily.
Across
1. "And another thing ... " : ALSO
5. Up on the latest info : AWARE
10. Not yet paid : OWED
14. California wine valley : NAPA
15. Gathered, as autumn leaves : RAKED
16. Tree fruit : PEAR
19. The "I" in MIT: Abbr. : INST
20. Long stretch : EON
21. Communication syst. for the hearing-impaired : ASL
22. Jury __ : DUTY
23. Southern speech quality : DRAWL
25. Heart exam: Abbr. : ECG
28. One of the five basic tastes : UMAMI. From Wikipedia: a savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). A loanword from the Japanese (うま味 ?), umami can be translated as "pleasant savory taste."
30. Inventor Howe : ELIAS
32. River through southern Russia : URAL
34. Armed conflict : WAR
38. "If I may cut in ... " : AHEM. First snag, needed perps.
41. Typically reddish-brown ape : ORANG
42. Varieties : ILKS
46. "The A-Team" muscleman : MR. T. Without the period, it doesn't make much sense does it? Our new kitten is responsible for the missing period key on my keyboard - now all my sentences will be run on sentences I mean I could just use other punctuation but I'll be questioning everything or exclaiming it, my posts will all become inquisitive and philosophical or just very exciting or I could play the semicolon game; but honestly who uses it like what does that even do you can't just end a sentence with a semicolon that's it I'm screwed;
47. Pet food brand : ALPO
48. Bottle parts : NECKS
51. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright Clifford : ODETS. Wikipedia.
1. "And another thing ... " : ALSO
5. Up on the latest info : AWARE
10. Not yet paid : OWED
14. California wine valley : NAPA
15. Gathered, as autumn leaves : RAKED
16. Tree fruit : PEAR
19. The "I" in MIT: Abbr. : INST
20. Long stretch : EON
21. Communication syst. for the hearing-impaired : ASL
22. Jury __ : DUTY
23. Southern speech quality : DRAWL
25. Heart exam: Abbr. : ECG
28. One of the five basic tastes : UMAMI. From Wikipedia: a savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). A loanword from the Japanese (うま味 ?), umami can be translated as "pleasant savory taste."
30. Inventor Howe : ELIAS
32. River through southern Russia : URAL
34. Armed conflict : WAR
38. "If I may cut in ... " : AHEM. First snag, needed perps.
41. Typically reddish-brown ape : ORANG
42. Varieties : ILKS
46. "The A-Team" muscleman : MR. T. Without the period, it doesn't make much sense does it? Our new kitten is responsible for the missing period key on my keyboard - now all my sentences will be run on sentences I mean I could just use other punctuation but I'll be questioning everything or exclaiming it, my posts will all become inquisitive and philosophical or just very exciting or I could play the semicolon game; but honestly who uses it like what does that even do you can't just end a sentence with a semicolon that's it I'm screwed;
47. Pet food brand : ALPO
48. Bottle parts : NECKS
51. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright Clifford : ODETS. Wikipedia.
53. Capote nickname : TRU
55. Calendar periods : WEEKS
57. Canadian tribe : CREE
58. Sgt., e.g. : NCO
60. Zero : NIL
61. Dog treat : BONE
66. Choice on the fairway : IRON
67. Ruined : DID IN
68. Big Apple stage award : OBIE. Honoring excellence in off-Broadway and off-off Broadway theatre.
69. Like morning grass : DEWY
70. Well-practiced : ADEPT
71. Politician Romney : MITT
Down
1. Fed the pot : ANTED
2. Pakistani city : LAHORE
55. Calendar periods : WEEKS
57. Canadian tribe : CREE
58. Sgt., e.g. : NCO
60. Zero : NIL
61. Dog treat : BONE
66. Choice on the fairway : IRON
67. Ruined : DID IN
68. Big Apple stage award : OBIE. Honoring excellence in off-Broadway and off-off Broadway theatre.
69. Like morning grass : DEWY
70. Well-practiced : ADEPT
71. Politician Romney : MITT
Down
1. Fed the pot : ANTED
2. Pakistani city : LAHORE
Second largest city in Pakistan, and home of the famous Liberty Market:
3. Kind of column or cord : SPINAL. Or tap.
4. Dinghy blade : OAR
5. Fly ball paths : ARCS
6. 2008 Pixar robot : WALLE
7. Letters before an alias : AKA
8. Hi-__ graphics : RES. Tripped up here with DEF first.
9. Magazine VIPs : EDs
10. Poppy narcotic : OPIUM
11. Left the 44-Down sans permission : WENT AWOL
12. Patsy : EASY MARK
13. Richard Gere title role : DR. T
18. __ Lama : DALAI
4. Dinghy blade : OAR
5. Fly ball paths : ARCS
6. 2008 Pixar robot : WALLE
7. Letters before an alias : AKA
8. Hi-__ graphics : RES. Tripped up here with DEF first.
9. Magazine VIPs : EDs
10. Poppy narcotic : OPIUM
11. Left the 44-Down sans permission : WENT AWOL
12. Patsy : EASY MARK
13. Richard Gere title role : DR. T
18. __ Lama : DALAI
22. Fittingly : DULY
24. The name Fred yells at the end of "The Flintstones" closing theme song : WILMA
26. Museum manager : CURATOR
27. Research funding : GRANT
29. Bugs : IRKS. Nice crossing of ILKS and IRKS.
31. Happy hour perch : STOOL
33. Noble gas : ARGON
36. Blow up : ERUPT
37. Pained reaction : WINCE
38. Rifle range rounds : AMMO
39. Dyed-in-the-wool : HARDCORE
40. Words to click on at a sweepstakes website : ENTER NOW
44. Army outpost : BASE. Not FORT.
45. Cry of victory : WE WON
49. Jedi Master Obi-Wan __ : KENOBI
52. Itsy-bitsy : TEENY. W or T?
54. Open, as a parka : UNZIP
56. Icy precipitation : SLEET
59. Small change : CENT
61. eBay action : BID
62. Big Pharma watchdog: Abbr. : FDA
63. Cleared (of) : RID
64. Poem of praise : ODE
65. CD-__ : ROM
24. The name Fred yells at the end of "The Flintstones" closing theme song : WILMA
26. Museum manager : CURATOR
27. Research funding : GRANT
29. Bugs : IRKS. Nice crossing of ILKS and IRKS.
31. Happy hour perch : STOOL
33. Noble gas : ARGON
36. Blow up : ERUPT
37. Pained reaction : WINCE
38. Rifle range rounds : AMMO
39. Dyed-in-the-wool : HARDCORE
40. Words to click on at a sweepstakes website : ENTER NOW
44. Army outpost : BASE. Not FORT.
45. Cry of victory : WE WON
49. Jedi Master Obi-Wan __ : KENOBI
52. Itsy-bitsy : TEENY. W or T?
54. Open, as a parka : UNZIP
56. Icy precipitation : SLEET
59. Small change : CENT
61. eBay action : BID
62. Big Pharma watchdog: Abbr. : FDA
63. Cleared (of) : RID
64. Poem of praise : ODE
65. CD-__ : ROM
