TITLE: LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN. The last time we saw Alex was a 11/16/16 puzzle blogged by Melissa who indicated that that puzzle appeared to be Alex's LA Times debut.
Let's start with Alex's reveal in this fabulous midweek puzzle:
61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN
Exposing Alex's devious theme required me to put the grid upfront and then color code the WORD CHAIN he formed. The matching colors below tie the last word in one fill to the first word in a succeeding fill with a starred clue and that action generates yet another word or phrase. The pièce de résistance is that the last fill with a starred clue circles back to link to the first one and, as my title suggests, keeps the circle/chain unbroken. WOW!!
Husker Gary today showing you Alex's WORD CHAINS:
17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX and 24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK that chain together to make BOXSEAT. These BOXSEATS behind the Cubs dugout for Game 7 of the World Series went for $15,000 each.
24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK now chains with 37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP to make WORKDAY whose hours were the title of this movie
37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP now chains with 50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE to make CAMPFIRE - Everybody know the words to Kumbaya?
50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE now chains with the reveal 61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORDCHAIN - to make CODEWORD - which is what Tom Hanks was seeking in The Da Vinci Code to open this cryptex. Do you remember what the CODE WORD was?
61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN now links up with the first starred fill of 17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX to complete our chain and form the phrase CHAIN LETTER - A 21st century annoyance
The puzzle and the theme made for a very pleasant solving experience.
Across
1. Host who says, "Solve or spin" : SAJAK - A game show success and talk show failure
6. Possibilities : IF'S - If IF'S and but's were candy and nuts...
9. Apple remains : CORES - This gets right to the CORE of the matter
14. The Quakers of the Ivy League, briefly : U PENN
15. __-mo replay : SLO - Accuracy and game times both increase
16. Hairbrush target : SNARL
19. Biology dish eponym : PETRI - The PETRI dish in which Sir Alex Fleming saw bacteria being killed near a penicillium mold that grows on bread which of course led to the most used antibiotic in the world
20. __ Enterprise : USS
21. Very long periods : EONS
22. It may be carried in a boardroom : MOTION - I move we order doughnuts!
23. Sit-up targets : ABS
26. Out : ASLEEP - The definitive book about last week's memorial whose 6. Card catalog ID : ISBN is 13: 978-0140157345
29. Any'tizers Boneless Chicken Wyngz maker : TYSON
30. Ben who plays an economics teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" : STEIN
31. Mata __ : HARI
33. Put on the cloud, say : SAVE
36. Luv : HON
40. Cut of lamb : LEG
41. Redheaded sitcom kid : OPIE - Ronnie Howard found more success behind the camera - including aforementioned The Da Vinci Code
43. Pre-owned : USED
44. Have credit from : OWE TO - "I OWE my soul TO the Company Store"
46. Shaped like a kiwi : OVATE
48. Sun Bowl city : EL PASO
53. Braz. neighbor : ARG
54. Says "Hi, sailor" to, say : FLIRTS - Get ready...
55. One-named Irish singer : BONO
57. Canonized Fr. female : STE - Catholic Online lists STE Joan of Arc as #23
60. Lo-cal brews : LITES
63. Japanese dog : AKITA
64. Plot device? : HOE
65. Hard-to-understand "South Park" character : KENNY
66. Exams : TESTS
67. Gives the nod : OK'S
68. "Later!" : SEE YA - "Wouldn't wanna BE YA!"
Down
1. "Star Trek" role for Cho : SULU
2. Mirrors : APES - Remember this scene?
3. New York team that plays home games in New Jersey : JETS
4. Carpenter __ : ANT
5. Plié, for one : KNEE BEND
7. Oral-B Glide, e.g. : FLOSS
8. Name on a Chicago cap : SOX
9. Big bills, slangily : C-SPOTS - With many security features
10. Boxing combos : ONE TWOS
11. Bases : RATIONALES
12. "Oops!" inciter : ERROR - Personal advice - "Don't keep your throat spray next to your computer screen cleaner spray"
13. Sneak (away), as in shame : SLINK
18. Wine choice : ROSE'
22. Actress __ Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory" : MAYIM - She plays brilliant and plain Amy Farah Fowler
23. "Aladdin" hero : ALI
25. Online investment service : E-TRADE
26. At the summit : ATOP
27. Ailment similar to spring fever : SENIORITIS - Hey, they're 18 and know everything!
28. Course of action? : PHYS ED - Clever
30. "Shameless" airer, briefly : SHO
32. Versatile blackjack card : ACE
34. Presidential no : VETO
35. Swelled head : EGO
38. VW and BMW : AUTOS
39. Fizzy candy : POP ROCKS
42. '50s-'60s Illinois senator Dirksen : EVERETT - It's easy to spend other people's money
45. Tail movement : WAG
47. Steps in for : ACTS AS
49. Touch down : LAND
50. E equivalent, in music : F FLAT
51. "Looking good!" : I LIKE
52. Reader's download : E-BOOK - Here's Julius Caesar in said format
56. Mined finds : ORES
57. Of sound mind : SANE
58. Teensy-weensy : TINY
59. One-named Irish singer : ENYA
61. "__ cares?" : WHO
62. Half a giggle : HEE
There are no CHAIN OF FOOLS here and so I look forward to their comments:
