What a nice treat as we get a collaboration between two of the millennial constructors, both of whom had their debuts here at the LAT. They along with many others have changed the landscape of puzzle publication by publishing their own work. Meet them LINK Andy; LINK Eric.
Back to this effort which, like last week, uses 'insert three letters' to make a new phrase. A very fair puzzle which may have a couple of curve balls, but it is Friday. They also introduce us to some new fill -AIDS WALK, MOON GODS, CORE ASSETS and WHAT CAN I DO. It is the aforementioned Z away from being a pangram. Guys, really?
19A. Watch a music-streaming app? : SEE SPOTIFY RUN (13). If you do not know Spotify you were born before 1970. You still might remember learning from seeing Spot run.
26A. Organize circus performers? : CLASSIFY CLOWNS (13). I wonder if either of these young men were class clowns?
46A. Rationalize one's need for duel assistance? : JUSTIFY A SECOND (14). Sly, the duelists need a second, why may take longer than just a second.
53A. Worship at the altar of buttercream? : DEIFY FROSTING (13). The outlier - Defrosting is one word, Also, Buttercream is not worth worship
Across:
1. Apples on a desk: iMacs. One office where I work uses lots of the 27" model.
6. Unattached: STAG.
10. Ruler meas. : CMS. Centimeters.
13. Two-sport Sanders: DEION. Neon Deion, Primetime is a Florida born product of FSU. During his most productive year in the majors, the 1992 season, he hit .304 for the team, stole 26 bases, and led the NL with 14 triples in 97 games. During the 1989 season, he hit a major league home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, the only player ever to do so. Sanders is also the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
14. Texas city: WACO. Home to Chip and Joanna Gaines.
15. Leave work: QUIT.
16. Braugher of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine": ANDRE. From serious police procedural TV - Homicide: Life on the Street - to deadpan comic, but still in the SQUAD ROOM.
17. Maker of Swift laptops: ACER.
18. Waiter at a stand: TAXI. Nice deception.
22. Garden State city: NEWARK. Ironic isn't it.
24. "__ be the judge of that": I'LL.
25. Make the call: OPT. In or out.
30. Afflicts: AILS.
31. Where Spike Lee earned his MFA: NYU.
32. Louisville Slugger wood: ASH. Ash is back for the second week in a row. Louisville sluggers were all we had playing baseball as kids.
33. Answered counterpart: ASKED. AAA.
35. Little devil: IMP. Tyrion started out as the Imp.
37. Brazilian music genre: SAMBA.
41. Up to, for short: TIL.
43. Blanc with "That's all folks" on his gravestone: MEL.
45. Punch or file: TOOL. Meh.
50. Actress Aniston, in tabloids: JEN. Have not had a gratuitous female form in a while.
51. Afternoon social: TEA.
52. "Mean Girls" actress Seyfried: AMANDA. Buy the magazine.
57. Declare openly: AVOW. Aver, avow, aver.
58. Streaming on Facebook: LIVE. We have friends who actually do this.
59. Tantalus' daughter: NIOBE. Moral: do not try and show up gods. LINK.
62. Manage: TEND.
63. Over: ANEW. Got me, anyone?
64. Further out there: ODDER.
65. Start of something? : ESS.
66. Gets some sun: TANS.
67. Sparkling wine choices: ROSES. The magic ending ess.
Down:
1. Mont. neighbor: IDA. Hey girl, weather better?
2. "White __ Can't Jump": MEN.
3. Charity fundraiser since 1985: AIDS WALK. Florida VERSION.
4. Vital business holdings: CORE ASSETS.
5. Villainous visages: SNEERS. I do love alliteration.
6. Exchange: SWAP.
7. Folded Mexican fare: TACO.
8. Vinegary, as acid: ACETIC. Didn't Moe explain about wine and acid?
9. Brute: GORILLA.
10. Oscar-winning "Gravity" director Alfonso: CUARON. LINK.
11. Mistakes: MIXUPS.
12. Stretch on the job: STINT.
15. Invoice abbr. : QTY.
20. Parchment source: SKIN. Not necessarily human.
21. Dental visit freebie: FLOSS.
22. Org. that fills bowls? : NCAA. More wit.
23. Bulldog fans: ELIS.
27. "Just an update" letters: FYI. Another version of the IFY inserted.
28. Delish: YUMMY.
29. "Need my help?" : WHAT CAN I DO.
34. Catchy tune: DITTY.
36. Edible orb: PEA.
38. Selene and Luna: MOON GODS. Greek and Roman - the same goddess. LINK.
39. No foe: BOND. Dr. No, nice clue.
40. Only actor to appear in every episode of "M*A*S*H": ALDA. I really enjoyed him in Blacklist.
42. Become prostrate: LIE FLAT.
44. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT.
46. Valet in Wodehouse stories: JEEVES.
47. Labor parties? : UNIONS.
48. Oatmeal alternative: FARINA.
49. Key of Dvorák's New World Symphony: E MINOR.
50. Singles network logo with a partly outlined Star of David: JDATE. Do they still use this?
54. Chain email abbr. : FWD.
55. It may be self-cleaning: OVEN.
56. Works with threads: SEWS.
60. Pollen carrier: BEE.
61. Hectic hosp. zones: ERS.
Thanks for the help all see later. Thank you gentleman for a fun puzzle. Lemonade out.
