Theme: PET NAMES
3. *Friendly words to departing guests : GLAD YOU CAME. LADY is the Cocker Spaniel from Disney's Lady And The Tramp.
10. *Like medicine that works quickly : FAST ACTING. Regular crossword solvers recognize ASTA as the Wire Fox Terrier from The Thin Man series.
30. *"Cruel Summer" band : BANANARAMA. NANA is a St. Bernard who appears in Disney's 1953 animated film Peter Pan.
26. Common yoga pose ... and a hint to hidden names in the answers to starred clues : DOWNWARD DOG
Melissa here. A fun change to see down theme answers - and doubly fun for all the dog lovers.
Across:
1. Brainiac : EGGHEAD
8. Campus eatery, for short : CAF. I've never heard this shortened form uttered.
11. Flying Solo? : HAN. Star Wars - fun clue.
14. Brewpub brew : PALE ALE
15. Auburn University home : ALABAMA
17. #2 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time : CLAPTON. See the list here.
18. Burger bun flavorings : SESAMES. Did not come easy - have never seen this pluralized.
19. Out-of-date : OLD
20. Usual people in a roundup? : SUSPECTS
22. Small dogs : TOYS. Dog breeds by size.
24. Trafficking org. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Administration.
25. Insisted on it : SAID SO
29. Gaming rookie, in slang : NOOB. Aka, Newbie.
31. "Treasure Island" author's initials : RLS. Robert Louis Stevenson.
33. Cape : CLOAK. Jane Eyre wore one.
34. Six-sided state : UTAH. See?
36. Steinbeck's "__ of Eden" : EAST
38. Simple card game : WAR
39. Pal of Sleepy : DOC. The Seven Dwarfs.
41. "Taras Bulba" novelist Gogol : NIKOLAI
43. Org. with Thunder and Heat : NBA
44. Eggs in a lab : OVA
45. Amino __ : ACID
46. Chew (on) : GNAW
48. Male bodybuilder : HE MAN. Or a little rascal.
50. Uncle, in Mexico : TIO
52. Homecoming figure : GRAD
54. Rock show venues : ARENAS
56. U.K. country : ENG
58. Palm smartphone : TREO
60. Welcomers at the church door : GREETERS. Or Walmart.
63. Car seller's employer: Abbr. : DLR. Dealer.
64. Like some celebrity memoirs : TELL ALL.
67. Desperate : DO OR DIE
69. Salaries : INCOMES
70. Composer Puccini : GIACOMO. Never knew his first name. "The greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi". Wikipedia.
71. 28-Down, essentially : POD
72. Solid __ rock : AS A
73. Steams up : ENRAGES
Down:
1. Spaceship Earth locale : EPCOT
2. Unit at the pumps : GALLON
4. Old-school "cool" : HEP
5. Has : EATS
6. Spoken : ALOUD
7. More heavily populated : DENSER
8. Attorney's assignment : CASE
9. Smart guys? : ALECS
11. Smoked meat : HAM
12. Zion Church letters : AME. I did not know this.
13. "One Mic" rapper : NAS. Wikipedia.
16. Pasta sauce herb : BASIL
23. Drunkard : SOT
27. Former Swedish automaker : SAAB
28. Southern veggie : OKRA
32. Mineo of movies : SAL
35. Hyphenated fruit drink brand : HI-C
37. Droop : SAG
39. Qatar's capital : DOHA
40. Done : OVER
42. Young fox : KIT
47. Hotel lobby hangings : ART
49. Prefix with Saxon : ANGLO
51. Nervous : ON EDGE
53. Remove calcium deposits from : DELIME
55. Tennis great Monica : SELES
57. Area below the abdomen : GROIN
59. Cookie bits in some Milka chocolate bars : OREOS
61. "Born Free" lioness : ELSA
62. Fly high : SOAR
64. Gratuity : TIP
65. Rock producer Brian : ENO
66. HDTV choice : LCD
68. HDTV brand : RCA
