Theme: Acting out - or as the reveal nicely explains:
55. Therapy technique ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 24-, 34- and 45-Across?: ROLE-PLAYING
Scramble ROLE and you’re off to the races:
17A. Cara cara or Washington fruit: NAVEL ORANGE. Originated at Hacienda de Cara Cara and believed to be a hybrid from the Washington navel and the Brazilian Bahia navel. Now we know.
24A. Where I-30 and I-40 meet: LITTLE ROCK. Interstate geography lesson.
34A. Traveler's rest: MOTEL ROOM. There's probably a couple in Little Rock.
45A. Actor who appeared in nine films with Sydney Greenstreet: PETER LORRE. What better way to namecheck the actor than remember this great 70's track from Al Stewart, played live on the BBC's "Old Grey Whistle Test" music showcase.
Straightforward enough theme, one that you need to go back and look for when you see the reveal. Nicely consistent with the even two-letter split across the two words of each theme entry.
I found the top-center section a little tricky and had to go back to finish up at the end. I actually didn't finish this one correctly - I had a personal Natick with LILA and ALL, both unknown to me. I guessed "Y" instead of "A" for no good reason.
Let's see what else we've got to talk about:
Across:
1. Spinal segment: DISC
5. One without a permanent address: NOMAD
10. What sit-ups strengthen: ABS
13. College World Series home: OMAHA. NCAA Baseball. I never watch it, but I knew the location. Funny how that works.
15. Offer one's two cents: OPINE
16. Burst: POP
19. Poirot's street: RUE. Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot is Belgian, and some detective work suggests he was born and grew up in Spa, which in the French-speaking part of Belgium, and therefore his street would be a "rue", rather than a "straat".
20. "Open: An Autobiography" subject: AGASSI. Tennis star André.
21. Blintz topping: ROE
22. Actress Meyer of "Saw" films: DINA. Never saw them. Thank you, crossses.
23. Hue: TINT
27. Tonsillitis-treating doc: E.N.T.
28. IV units: CC'S
29. Roman goddess of agriculture: CERES
30. __ Moines: DES
31. "Down Came a Blackbird" country singer McCann: LILA. As aforementioned, she's not familiar to me. Handy crossword name though, I'll endeavor to remember.
33. Committee leader: CHAIR
36. Boat filler: GRAVY. I think my favorite clue/answer of the day.
38. Passed-down tales: LORE. Passed-down tales of an actor in this puzzle? Lorre lore.
39. Convened: SAT
42. Pool table slab: SLATE
43. Part of Q&A: AND. Question-and-answer session
44. Pub potable: ALE
49. Pierce player: ALDA. "Hawkeye" portrayer Alan in "M*A*S*H"
50. Crew pair: OARS
51. Poet's preposition: ERE
52. Cubs pitcher Jon: LESTER. I didn't even notice this one until now, it filled itself in. I wouldn't have had a clue either.
54. "Suits" TV network: USA
57. Liberal arts maj.: SOCiology
58. Battery terminal: ANODE
59. Car opening?: RENTA
60. Compass pt.: E.N.E.
61. Parsonage: MANSE. Usually for Baptist. Methodist or Presbyterian ministers.
62. Light shirts: TEES
Down:
1. Gave: DONATED
2. Picture: IMAGINE
3. Learned ones: SAVANTS
4. Trunk: CHEST
5. Country partly in the Arctic Circle: Abbr.: NOR.
6. Tricky genre: OP ART Here's one that doesn't make your head spin too much at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt:
7. Annual North Dakota State Fair site: MINOT. I quite confidently filled in "FARGO" with no crosses to confirm any of the letters, and spent some time trying to convince myself it had to be right. They two places are more than 280 miles apart, so not even close!
8. Mike Trout, notably: ANGEL. What happens next year if he gets traded?
9. See 56-Down: DEE.
10. Like some knowledge: A PRIORI
11. Bar employee: BOUNCER
12. Represents, with "for": SPEAKS
14. Gore and Michaels: ALS
18. Original Pennsylvania headquarters of Quaker State: OIL CITY
22. Journal subject: DREAM
25. "__ of Dogs": 2018 animated film: ISLE
26. Reverberated: ECHOED
28. Well-off, after "in": CLOVER
32. Free Clear detergent maker: ALL. No clue, as previously mentioned.
33. Ithaca campus: CORNELL. Now I know where Cornell is. Learning moment.
34. Partners: MATES
35. Laugh good and loud: ROAR
36. "The Hustler" actor (1961): GLEASON
37. Grind: RAT RACE
39. Soup cracker: SALTINE
40. Ristorante request: AL DENTE. I'm not sure you request pasta "al dente", that's how it comes. If it's not, you send it back.
41. Riot squad's supply: TEAR GAS
42. Partner, perhaps: SPOUSE
46. Hotelier Helmsley: LEONA. Quite a figure. "The Queen of Mean" was jailed for tax evasion, allegedly saying "We don't pay taxes; only little people pay taxes".
47. Sweater fabric: ORLON
48. Clarinetist's supply: REEDS
49. So far: AS YET
53. Sound catcher: EAR
55. More than bump into: RAM
56. With 9-Down, river of the Carolinas: PEE. Unknown to me, I'll try to remember the Pee Dee for the next time it crops up.
And with the grid, that about seals it for this outing:
Steve
55. Therapy technique ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 24-, 34- and 45-Across?: ROLE-PLAYING
Scramble ROLE and you’re off to the races:
17A. Cara cara or Washington fruit: NAVEL ORANGE. Originated at Hacienda de Cara Cara and believed to be a hybrid from the Washington navel and the Brazilian Bahia navel. Now we know.
24A. Where I-30 and I-40 meet: LITTLE ROCK. Interstate geography lesson.
34A. Traveler's rest: MOTEL ROOM. There's probably a couple in Little Rock.
45A. Actor who appeared in nine films with Sydney Greenstreet: PETER LORRE. What better way to namecheck the actor than remember this great 70's track from Al Stewart, played live on the BBC's "Old Grey Whistle Test" music showcase.
Straightforward enough theme, one that you need to go back and look for when you see the reveal. Nicely consistent with the even two-letter split across the two words of each theme entry.
I found the top-center section a little tricky and had to go back to finish up at the end. I actually didn't finish this one correctly - I had a personal Natick with LILA and ALL, both unknown to me. I guessed "Y" instead of "A" for no good reason.
Let's see what else we've got to talk about:
Across:
1. Spinal segment: DISC
5. One without a permanent address: NOMAD
10. What sit-ups strengthen: ABS
13. College World Series home: OMAHA. NCAA Baseball. I never watch it, but I knew the location. Funny how that works.
15. Offer one's two cents: OPINE
16. Burst: POP
19. Poirot's street: RUE. Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot is Belgian, and some detective work suggests he was born and grew up in Spa, which in the French-speaking part of Belgium, and therefore his street would be a "rue", rather than a "straat".
20. "Open: An Autobiography" subject: AGASSI. Tennis star André.
21. Blintz topping: ROE
22. Actress Meyer of "Saw" films: DINA. Never saw them. Thank you, crossses.
23. Hue: TINT
27. Tonsillitis-treating doc: E.N.T.
28. IV units: CC'S
29. Roman goddess of agriculture: CERES
30. __ Moines: DES
31. "Down Came a Blackbird" country singer McCann: LILA. As aforementioned, she's not familiar to me. Handy crossword name though, I'll endeavor to remember.
33. Committee leader: CHAIR
36. Boat filler: GRAVY. I think my favorite clue/answer of the day.
38. Passed-down tales: LORE. Passed-down tales of an actor in this puzzle? Lorre lore.
39. Convened: SAT
42. Pool table slab: SLATE
43. Part of Q&A: AND. Question-and-answer session
44. Pub potable: ALE
49. Pierce player: ALDA. "Hawkeye" portrayer Alan in "M*A*S*H"
50. Crew pair: OARS
51. Poet's preposition: ERE
52. Cubs pitcher Jon: LESTER. I didn't even notice this one until now, it filled itself in. I wouldn't have had a clue either.
54. "Suits" TV network: USA
57. Liberal arts maj.: SOCiology
58. Battery terminal: ANODE
59. Car opening?: RENTA
60. Compass pt.: E.N.E.
61. Parsonage: MANSE. Usually for Baptist. Methodist or Presbyterian ministers.
62. Light shirts: TEES
Down:
1. Gave: DONATED
2. Picture: IMAGINE
3. Learned ones: SAVANTS
4. Trunk: CHEST
5. Country partly in the Arctic Circle: Abbr.: NOR.
6. Tricky genre: OP ART Here's one that doesn't make your head spin too much at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt:
7. Annual North Dakota State Fair site: MINOT. I quite confidently filled in "FARGO" with no crosses to confirm any of the letters, and spent some time trying to convince myself it had to be right. They two places are more than 280 miles apart, so not even close!
8. Mike Trout, notably: ANGEL. What happens next year if he gets traded?
9. See 56-Down: DEE.
10. Like some knowledge: A PRIORI
11. Bar employee: BOUNCER
12. Represents, with "for": SPEAKS
14. Gore and Michaels: ALS
18. Original Pennsylvania headquarters of Quaker State: OIL CITY
22. Journal subject: DREAM
25. "__ of Dogs": 2018 animated film: ISLE
26. Reverberated: ECHOED
28. Well-off, after "in": CLOVER
32. Free Clear detergent maker: ALL. No clue, as previously mentioned.
33. Ithaca campus: CORNELL. Now I know where Cornell is. Learning moment.
34. Partners: MATES
35. Laugh good and loud: ROAR
36. "The Hustler" actor (1961): GLEASON
37. Grind: RAT RACE
39. Soup cracker: SALTINE
40. Ristorante request: AL DENTE. I'm not sure you request pasta "al dente", that's how it comes. If it's not, you send it back.
41. Riot squad's supply: TEAR GAS
42. Partner, perhaps: SPOUSE
46. Hotelier Helmsley: LEONA. Quite a figure. "The Queen of Mean" was jailed for tax evasion, allegedly saying "We don't pay taxes; only little people pay taxes".
47. Sweater fabric: ORLON
48. Clarinetist's supply: REEDS
49. So far: AS YET
53. Sound catcher: EAR
55. More than bump into: RAM
56. With 9-Down, river of the Carolinas: PEE. Unknown to me, I'll try to remember the Pee Dee for the next time it crops up.
And with the grid, that about seals it for this outing:
Steve
