Theme: There's No Telling
17. With 61-Across, dubious tabloid image : UNIDENTIFIED
61. See 17-Across : FLYING OBJECT
25. Call to a police hotline, possibly : ANONYMOUS TIP
36. 1972 chart-topper for the band America : A HORSE WITH NO NAME
51. Emmy-winning travel and cuisine show hosted by Anthony Bourdain : PARTS UNKNOWN
Melissa here.
Interesting that there is no reference to the theme in the clues - no starred clues, and no reveal. Which is fitting because the theme answers are all about keeping mum.
This may have been the fastest Tuesday solve ever.
Across
1. Attack vigorously : ASSAIL
7. Insurance company's concern : RISK
11. "Now I get it!" : AHA
14. Dry-eyes solution : SALINE
15. __ Picchu : MACHU
16. Female GI in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corp.
19. Curved line : ARC
20. '50s president, initially : DDE. Dwight D. Eisenhower
21. 20-Across nickname : IKE
22. The Congo, formerly : ZAIRE
24. Tycoon Onassis : ARI
29. Hits the tarmac : LANDS
31. Very long time : EON
32. Attention-getting whisper : PSST
33. Elect to office : VOTE IN
35. Spouse : MATE
43. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen : HANS
44. Key of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony : D-MINOR
45. Relaxing venues : SPAS
49. Train cos. : RRS
50. Likely will, after "is" : APT TO
56. Canon SLR camera : EOS. Everyone I know just uses their phone for taking pictures now.
57. Get the better of : OUTDO
58. "If you ask me," briefly : IMO. In My Opinion.
59. Like this crossword ans. : ACR. Across.
60. Hole in __ : ONE
67. ATM maker : NCR
68. Poke fun at : TEASE
69. Thingamabob : DOODAD
70. Bashful : SHY
71. Sleep in a tent, say : CAMP
72. Dries out, with "up" : SOBERS
Down:
1. Sch. with a Tempe campus : ASU. Arizona State University.
2. She plays Dr. Cristina Yang in "Grey's Anatomy" : SANDRA OH
3. Stirred up a cloud of dust at, as a base : SLID INTO
4. Staff helper : AIDE
5. Suffix with hero : INE
6. Bolshevik leader : LENIN
7. Battle of Britain fliers: Abbr. : RAF. Royal Air Force. Always makes me think of Roald Dahl.
8. Here, to Henri : ICI. French.
9. Female pronoun : SHE
10. Invasive Japanese vine : KUDZU. I used to use Kudzu fragrance in my massage oil blend - the scent is lovely. Interesting Smithsonian article.
11. Anticipates : AWAITS
12. Poll founder Louis : HARRIS. So this is who the Harris Poll is named after.
13. Receive willingly : ACCEPT
15. Personal bearing : MIEN
18. Ring ref's decision : TKO. Technical Knock Out.
23. Snake that bit Cleopatra : ASP
24. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA
25. Tag sale words : AS IS
26. Irish poet : YEATS
27. Cloth-eating insect : MOTH
28. Upright : ON END
30. German article : DER
34. Jacket style named for an Indian leader : NEHRU
35. Capital of Belarus : MINSK
37. Say "Watch it" to : WARN
38. Arabian Sea nation : OMAN
39. Little bite : NIP
40. Go before : ANTECEDE
41. Auto, to a Brit : MOTOR CAR
42. Love god : EROS
45. Cereal utensils : SPOONS
46. Beer gut : PAUNCH
47. Blood carrier : ARTERY
48. Criterion: Abbr. : STD. Abbreviation, not an acronym. Standard.
52. The third letter of 13-Down (but not the second) : SOFT C. I should know this sneaky clue by now.
53. Work starting hour : NINE
54. Texter's "Crikey!" : OMG
55. Forest : WOODS
59. "This is __ for Superman!" : A JOB
62. Grassy expanse : LEA
63. Candied veggie : YAM.
64. Web access co. : ISP. Internet Service Provider.
65. Scarer's shout : BOO
66. NFL scores : TDS. Touchdowns.
1) I mentioned a few weeks ago that Melissa had a car accident. She was driving her brother's truck to take care of some business in California. Her brother Rick wrote this moving article about the truck and what really matters. I remember the day Melissa let me know the accident and how important the truck was to her and Rick. It makes me cry.
2) Happy 58th birthday to dear Steve, our incomparable foodie and our tireless Thursday Sherpa. Steve travels extensively for his work, so many of his blogs are written from airports or whatever city he's staying.
Steve and his friend Jill, June 12, 2016
Tea at The Queen Mary
