17. "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" singer: BARBARA MANDRELL.
25. David Bowie genre: GLAM ROCK.
32. Bourbon-making process: SOUR MASH. TinBeni's favorite answer today.
42. Electromagnetic radiation unit: GAMMA RAY.
49. Cost per night, in hotels: ROOM RATE. Got a great room rate and free upgrade at the Hampton Inn in Pauls Valley, OK on our drive down to Texas. Thirteen hours drive from Chicago. Enough for one day.
And the reveal:
58. Using coercion, as shown in this puzzle's circles: TWISTING ONE'S ARM. Arm was "twisted" in each of the five theme answers.
Across:
1. Swampy spots: BOGS. Fens.
5. Hopeless case: GONER.
10. Zoo structure: CAGE.
14. Pinza of "South Pacific": EZIO.
15. Verdi aria translating to "It was you": ERI TU.
16. Gem from Australia: OPAL.
20. Flying nocturnal predator: OWL. DW was driving and I was reading clues. She guessed bat.
21. Good, in Grenoble: BON.
22. "Makes sense to me": I SEE.
23. Decide not to use: PASS ON.
29. Israeli port: HAIFA. The other three major seaports are Ashdod, Elat, and Hadera.
31. Sneezer's need: TISSUE.
35. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr.: HRE. Holy Roman Emperor, 800-814
36. Pampered: DOTED ON.
37. Part of EDT: EASTERN Daylight Time.
41. Juillet's season: ETE. French for summer or summertime.
44. Online financial site: E-TRADE.
48. Cuba __: rum drink: LIBRE. TinBeni's favorite clue today.
51. "The party's been canceled": IT'S OFF.
55. Cocktail party spread: PATE. pâ·té
56. Seagoing pronoun: HER.
57. Extinct emu-like bird: MOA.
63. Northern neighbor of Chile: PERU.
64. "This I Promise You" band: NSYNC.
NSYNC received its name after Justin Timberlake's mother commented on how "in sync" the group's singing voices were. The group's name is also a play on the last letter of each of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. (Wikipedia)
65. First chip in: ANTE.
66. Escalator part: STEP.
67. Storied granter of wishes: GENIE.
68. Neither winning nor losing: TIED.
Down:
1. Charlie Parker jazz genre: BEBOP.
2. Longtime Boston Symphony conductor: OZAWA. Seiji
3. Brownies, e.g.: GIRLS.
4. Weep loudly: SOB.
5. Apache chief: GERONIMO.
6. Algerian port: ORAN. One of nine major seaports in Algeria, but the one we see most often in crossword puzzles.
7. Matchstick-removing game: NIM. I'd never heard of this game, except for in crosswords.
8. Internet sales, collectively: E-TAIL.
9. Rushes toward: RUNS AT.
10. Apple pie-making gadgets: CORERS.
11. Wild way to go: APE.
12. Four qts.: GAL. Four quarts make a gallon. Four fifths make 80 %.
13. Building add-on: ELL.
18. On the ferry: ABOARD.
19. Moore of "Ghost": DEMI.
24. Actress Elisabeth: SHUE.
25. Grill fuel: GAS.
26. Irish actor Milo: O'SHEA.
27. Spicy Indian dish: CURRY.
28. Excited about, with "on": KEEN. Fervent.
30. Vampire tooth: FANG.
32. __ voce: softly: SOTTO.
33. Southern New Mexico county: OTERO.
34. Prefix with sphere: HEMI.
36. Woodland grazer: DEER.
38. Atmosphere, as of a restaurant: AMBIENCE. Had the best Chicken Genovaise I've ever had at DiBZ in Temple, Texas on Friday evening. My sister finds the best restaurants. She says, "I can't cook." I think she confuses don't and can't.
39. French existential dramatist: SARTRE.
40. "__ chic!": TRES.
43. Many a micro brew: ALE.
45. Excites: AMPS UP.
46. "Doggone it!": DRAT.
47. Enjoying the bistro, say: EATING.
50. Needing a chill pill: TENSE.
52. Muscat native: OMANI. Muscat is the capital city of Oman.
Oman is about the size of Kansas.
"The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered from Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, the nascent sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, although the Sultanate never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al-Said overthrew his father, and has since ruled as sultan, but he has not designated a successor. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world, while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK and US. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with its neighbors and to avoid external entanglements." Source: CIA World Factbook
53. Strong point: FORTE. Lake Charles born, Slidell, LA. raised Matt Forte played played running back for the Tulane Green Wave before having a highly productive career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. He retired this year. JJM's daughter studies at Tulane.
54. Widely known: FAMED.
56. Hägar's daughter: HONI.
58. Adorns with Angel Soft, briefly: TPs. Adorns with toilet paper ? Made me smile. Fun clue. Anonymous T, did you get your TPS Report submitted on time ?... with the right cover letter ?
59. Freshly painted: WET.
60. Hothead's emotion: IRE.
61. MD for women: GYN.
62. Took it easy: SAT.
Vising in Texas. That's all from me. See all y'all later n'at !
Here's the grid:
