Bruce returns to the Friday stage with a letter extraction effort. Seeing the commonality for this theme was very tricky as the remaining words- GAS, ROO, CODY, and E.T.S do not help. This is why he included the reveal which I hope was enough to get you going. I enjoyed the whole effort very much. To make all of this happen, he uses a 16 column grid and has two grid spanners resulting in a grid only an X away from a pangram. With 4 theme fill and a reveal, he uses the customary 3rd/13th row, with a word in the middle. And the extra words in the bigger format allowed for such fun fill like AS A TEAM, BAR SEAT, BIG ASKS, KEEPERS, ON A DIET, OSMOSED, QUE PASA, ROADIES, ROSE TEA, SEASIDE, TRINITY, and WIG SHOP. So let's see what it all added up to.
18A. Torch fuel?: GA
25A. Tragedy involving a Milne character?: ROMEO AND JULIET (12). You have to love seeing that taking the ME out of ROMEO left ROO, the baby kangaroo in the Winnie the Pooh stories. ROO and Juliet was a fun image.
37A. Drawing by Buffalo Bill?: COMEDY SKETCH (9). You need to recall his last name was Cody and work backward to get this one.
53A. Spectator sport aboard a UFO?: WRESTLINGMEETS (12). This one was hard knowing the gimmick, as picturing E.T. wrestling took some imagination.
53A. Spectator sport aboard a UFO?: WRESTLING
And the reveal
61A. "No comment!" ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS(16). A very fair reveal.
Across:
1. Looking to start something new, maybe: BORED. I hope this did not leave any of you bored.
6. Syria's Bashar al-__: ASSAD. Obviously to discuss this man would involve politics.
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11. Ed. promoters: PTAS. Parent Teacher Associations.
15. Combined: IN ONE. The first of much multi-word fill.
16. Some Strads: CELLI. I did not know Stradavarius made a Cello, but you can still BUY one.
17. Minor overhead?: URSA. Our astronomy clue of the day.
21. Refreshing drinks: ADES. Yea me. There is a "me" in this puzzle, it is a CSO.
22. Georgetown athlete: HOYA. The team name is derived from the mixed Greek and Latin chant "Hoya Saxa" (meaning "What Rocks"), which gained popularity at the school in the late nineteenth century. The name "Hoyas" came into use in the 1920s.
23. Is not wrong?: AIN'T. Is not = ain't.
24. Rest, in a way: SIT.
29. Things to hang onto: KEEPERS.
31. Suffer: AIL.
32. Can opener: TAB. Sadly, this brings to mind the recent demise of this teen idol.
33. Reserved: STAID.
34. Noble title: EARL.
36. Sylvia of jazz: SYMS. I have no memory of this SINGER who died while performing at the Oak Room at the Plaza. Apparently, she was a favorite of Sinatra.
41. Spit spots, for short: BBQS. This is what I think of.
44. Smidge: IOTA.
45. "In what way?": HOW SO?
49. Greek cross: TAU.
50. Decline: SAG.
51. Amp transporters: ROADIES. Some of my favorite people were the workers who made rock and roll work.
57. Whale group: GAM. I read the definition (rare) a school of whales, porpoises, or dolphins. I have always thought of this word from noir detective fiction book covers. Hey Splynter.
58. Fix, as a toy: SPAY. Poor puppy.
59. A pop: EACH.
60. Gulf Canada alternative: ESSO.
65. Facility: EASE.
66. 1951 Reagan co-star: BONZO.
68. Slightly: A TAD.
69. Burden-bearing beasts: ASSES.
70. Supported, as a weak ankle: TAPED. It does not have to be weak.
Down:
1. Major requests: BIG ASKS.
2. Losing purposely: ON A DIET.
3. Floral brew: ROSE TEA. My mother, may she rest in peace worked as an OB-GYN nurse for many years and recommended this tea for her patients for its HEALTH BENEFITS.
4. Son of Seth: ENOS. Grandson of Adam reappears a few weeks after being in a Friday JW. C.C. clued using Mr. Slaughter of baseball.
5. Dict. offering: DEFinition.
6. Ones bringing blessings?: ACHOOS. I like this clue/fill even if it is been done many times before.
7. "Later!": SEE YA.
8. "McSorley's Bar" artist: SLOAN. I did not remember the ARTIST but do the BAR.
9. From A to Z: ALL.
10. Handy initials: DIY. Do It Yourself. Not I.
11. Star __: PUPIL. This was so random, but it was already filled by the perps.
12. Fundamental doctrine of Christianity: TRINITY. Three in one.
13. Together: AS A TEAM. I love this being in this puzzle.
14. Down: SAD.
19. Superhero with a hammer: THOR.
20. Spike __: railroad worker's tool: MAUL. This word is back again in a new context.
25. More than fix up: RE-DO.
26. Take the plunge: DARE.
27. Dump: JILT.
28. "Conan"channel: TBS. Does anyone watch him any more?
30. Snaps: PICS.
34. No. from a builder: ESTimate.
35. Sometimes called, for short: AKA. Also Known As.
36. Booted, say: SHOD.
38. Lifebuoy competitor: DIAL. Soap.
39. Classic Yankee nickname: YOGI. Mr. BERRA.
40. Chuck alternative: CHAS.
41. "Incidentally," in texts: BTW. By The Way.
42. It's often a high chair: BAR SEAT. Barstool is the more common term and it has only been clued before as "Stool typically (or often).
43. Granada greeting: QUE PASA. A reference to this Spanish CITY.
46. Top secret store?: WIG SHOP. The idea is that you do not let people know you are wearing a wig- a secret about your top. Witty.
47. Coast: SEASIDE.
48. Diffused through a membrane: OSMOSED. Do we all remember OSMOSIS from high school?
50. Ophthalmologist's concern: STYE. This common infection in the eyelid normally does not require a specialist, as most styes do not require medical care and tend to go away on their own,
51. Right-hand pages: RECTOS. We have had this TERM recently.
52. Second emperor after Nero: OTHO. I only know this obscure man from my oldest son's education. Otho was Roman emperor from January to April 69 CE. Immediately after the assassination of Galba, Otho, the governor of Lusitania, was proclaimed emperor by the army. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.
54. Backed up: SAVED.
55. Bright signs: NEONS.
56. First-aid kit item: GAUZE.
60. Sicilian tourist attraction: ETNA.
61. Field: LEA.
62. Finance deg.: MBA. Master of Business Administration.
63. Sister of the moon goddess Selene: EOS. There was a time when I had this goddess of the DAWN often in my Friday write-ups.
64. Thick: FAT. A tough way to end.
Bruce never disappoints; he makes us work but entertains as we go. We are already a month into summer, and more than halfway through 2018. Wow. Thank BH and all of you. Lemonade out.
Note from C.C.:
Our Chicago Crossword Corner regulars met for lunch yesterday. Abejo said they "had a great time and gabbed for nearly four hours."
