18. Last one in, so they say : ROTTEN EGG. Swimming pool/hole cry, and a nasty sulfurous odor.
29. Bad thing to end on : SOUR NOTE. Indeed, the first rule of the musician's code is to always end on a good note. A sour note in the middle of a tune might be forgotten, or better yet, not noticed. But at the end - it's a poor statement that might be remembered. By analogy, can apply to any situation that ends badly.
34. Serious carelessness, in tort law : GROSS NEGLIGENCE. Per Wikipedia, the "lack of slight diligence or care" or "a conscious, voluntary act or omission in reckless disregard of a legal duty and of the consequences to another party." In a different, more vernacular, sense, something GROSS is disgusting.
43. Place at the very bottom : RANK LAST. To have an unsuccessful competitive season or tournament. Somebody has to end up there. In a different sense, RANK describes an offensive odor.
55. Trait of one given to obscenities : FOUL MOUTH. A person with a FOUL MOUTH utters what we used to call "bad words." Odors and struck baseballs can also be FOUL.
And, tucked deep into the far corner [but I can still smell it] the unifier: 67. Reaction to the starts of the five longest puzzle answers : YECCH. A vocalized expression of disgust.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty. Let's set the unpleasantness aside, and and seek the good stuff in this puzzle. With 5 theme entries, including a grid-spanner, plus the unifier, it's thematically rich.
Down
1. Minty Derby drink : JULEP. Now this more like it! Bourbon, crushed ice, sugar and fresh mint, typically served in a tall frosty glass. A Kentucky Derby tradition.
6. Shopping extravaganza : SPREE. An event of self-indulgence, carousal, or extreme activity.
11. ABC show for early risers, briefly : Good Morning America. A news and pop-culture program shown from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in all time zones, live in the Eastern Zone and on broadcast delay in the others.
14. "Ditto," more formally : AS AM I. Me too.
15. "Can't win 'em all" : I LOST. Somebody always goes home disappointed. Wish it were the other guy.
16. Conniving "2001" computer : HAL.
17. Copperfield's field : MAGIC. David Seth Kotkin [b 1956] aka David Copperfield is an American illusionist who has grossed [in yet another sense of the word] over $4 billion in ticket sales, more than any other solo entertainer in history. He also owns 11 islands in the Bahamas, called Musha Bay, which he uses as a private resort.
20. Complain : KVETCH. Something I assume Mr. Kotkin would have little cause to do.
22. __ extra cost : AT NO. It's all included.
23. Banged shut : SLAMMED. As a door, frex.
27. Cover the spread? : CATER. My first reaction was - eh? But a CATERER provides the victuals, aka "the spread," for an event. Clever!
28. More unsure : WARIER. More cautious, actually. Is a person who is less unsure under wary?
32. Feels lousy : AILS. Hurts or has a tummy ache.
33. Casual "You game?" : WANNA. "Do you want to?" in short mouth.
41. Westminster landmark : ABBEY. The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, opened in 1090 C. E., is a large, mostly gothic structure located in the City of Westminster, London.
42. Indifferent responses : MEHS. I'm not impressed.
47. Letter-shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP. A description that fits to a T.
49. Tablet download : E-BOOK. Electronic Book to be read on your portable device. I have sheet music on mine.
50. Becomes depleted : RUNS DRY. Gets all used up.
51. "Tickle Me" toy : ELMO. Fuzzy red muppet.
52. Tries one's hand (at) : HAS A GO. This always reminds me of the scene in Raymond Carver's short story, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" when Mitchell Anderson asks Marian, "Would you like to HAVE A GO at it?" And she does.
57. Held the deed to : OWNED.
62. Dawn goddess : EOS. The rosy-fingered goddess who opens the gates of heaven so that the sun may rise.
63. Naturally lit lobbies : ATRIA. A large open air or sky light covered space surrounded by a building.
64. Connect with : TIE TO. Make an association between
65. Apt. divisions : RMS. Rooms, with or without views.
66. Oyster bead : PEARL. A more or less spherical calcium carbonate object produced within the soft tissue of a mollusk. They have long been prized as gem stones.
Down
1. Traffic snarl : JAM. I deal with it several times a week.
2. Mex. neighbor : USA. Los Estados Unidos de Mexico and the United States of America.
3. Fall behind : LAG.
4. Old U.K. record label : EMI.
5. Hand raiser's cry : PICK ME. There's always that one kid in the back of the classroom . . .
6. Fathered : SIRED. Begat.
7. Devious scheme : PLOT.
8. Campus cadets' org. : ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corp.
9. Bk. before Job : ESTHer.
10. Summer on the Seine : ETE. French
11. "In the __": Elvis hit : GHETTO.
12. Refrigerator art holder : MAGNET. We currently have several photos in place.
13. Climate Reality Project chairman : AL GORE. ]b 1948] Former congressman, senator, vice president and presidential candidate.
19. Indian flatbread : NAAN. A leavened oven-baked flat bread common in south and central Asia.
21. Bible transl., e.g. : VERsion. Who knew there were so many?
23. Party loot : SWAG. Things given away as gifts, usually for promotional purposes.
24. Den : LAIR. Where the Lions live. They'll need to be better than they have been against the Vikings tomorrow, and I'm not a liar.
25. Guthrie of folk : ARLO. Who provided us with another Thanksgiving Day tradition. [Warning: it's a little over 18 minutes.]
26. __ Piggy : MISS. And her handsome beau, Kermit. It's a match made in a bog. Or maybe a sty.
27. Rock climber's handhold : CRAG. In rock climber's lingo, a crag is any climbable cliff. But I think the intended meaning here is an outcropping that can be grasped.
29. "Full House" actor : SAGET. Bob [b 1956] as Danny Tanner from 1987-95. He's also done several other TV and movie projects.
30. Like a child without siblings : ONLY. I was one for 6 1/2 years. It's almost like my parents raised to ONLIES.
31. Start of a cycle? : UNI-. Half a bicycle. I'm not fond of cutsie affix clues.
33. Woven traps : WEBS. The work of spiders. Here is one of my better haiku.
on the silken strands
sad fly plays a minor chord
orb weaver's delight
36. Kevin Durant's org. : National Basketball Association.
37. CPR specialists : Emergency Medical TechnicianS.
38. Geek : NERD. Call him/her for your computer or cell phone issues.
39. Sear : CHAR. Burn or blacken the surface of something.
40. Award for athletes : ESPY. Granted by sports TV network ESPN.
43. Sailor's jacket : REEFER. A thick, close-fitting, double breasted coat. I believe this word might also have another meaning.
44. Flowering : ABLOOM. Buds are busting out all over.
45. Half a rhyming "easy to do" phrase : NO MUSS. No fuss, no bother.
46. Menthol cigarette brand : KOOL. First introduced in 1933.
47. Harbor helper : TUG. A boat that moves other larger boats by pushing or towing them in hard to maneuver places.
48. Highfalutin : SNOOTY. Elitist.
50. 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL. [b 1953] Winner of 3 championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series.
52. Table d'__: fixed menu : HOTE. Meal with a fixed price and few options. You get what you get.
53. Mystical glow : AURA. A supposed emanation surrounding living creatures, allegedly discernible by certain adept individuals.
54. Cookbook verb : STIR. What ya got cookin'?
56. "The Amazing Race" prop : MAP. To determine the next leg of the adventure.
58. LPGA golfer Michelle : WIE
59. Japanese tech company : NEC
60. And more: Abbr. : ETC
61. [Facepalm] : DOH!
Hope you enjoyed this adventure, and escaped with your senses and sensibilities unscathed.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. We'll have 10 family members joining us to celebrate.