Along with REBUS CROSSWORD PUZZLES, I do not believe Rich accepts META PUZZLES. But if you like this concept, you will like this debut puzzle from Andy Morrison. The META is revealed at 37A. Literal and figurative hint to four puzzle answers: MISSING LINK (11) which defeats the meta aspect but gives you a taste of the challenge. We get there with:
18A. Boxing academy?: F
30. Optimist's hopeful list?: GREAT PLA
48A. Wild party in Dallas?: TEXAS RA
58A. Literary alliance?: WRITER'S BLOCK (11). A BLOC is defined as a combination of countries, parties, or groups sharing a common purpose.
A Writer's Block is the bane of all authors.
And there you have the four letters which make up the MISSING LINK. But you will not be missing any links here. You also were treated lots of sparkle with ARSENIO, GARBAGE, GENUINE, IN A SPIN, MACABRE, MIDWEEK, EPHESIAN, ICE WATER, CHAMBERMAID and PACKAGE DEAL
Very impressive Andy.
Across:
1. Yukon supplier: GMC. General Motors makes this full-sized or bigger SUV.
4. __ pants: HAREM. Didn't every one of my age think of this image?
9. Scorned lover of Jason: MEDEA. Thank you
for the shout out Andy, but she was my wife and
killed our children just because I was dumping
her for a Corinthian princess.
If you believe Euripides.
14. Aptly, it rhymes with "spa": AAH. Feels so goood.
15. CNN correspondent Hill: ERICA. never watched her. She is on the right.
16. Big period: EPOCH. Is a period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics. Often the backdrop of 43A. Sword-and-sandal feature, e.g.: EPIC.
17. TV trailblazer: RCA.
20. Loud noises: BAMS.
22. "There, there," e.g.: SOLACE. A Quantum?
23. One at the top of the order: ABBESS. This is a woman who is the head of an abbey of nuns. They are an order.
26. Whirling: IN A SPIN. Perhaps this MUSIC. My granddaughter and her class sang this along with a Christmas carol at her winter show.
33. "Othello" role: IAGO. The epitome of a bad man.
34. Pamphlet ending: EER.
35. Have __ for: A YEN.
36. Colorful bird: MACAW.
41. Field supervisor: COACH.
44. Turkish title: AGA.
47. Award using spelled-out initials: OBIE. Off Broadway.
51. Wednesday, to be exact: MIDWEEK. In German it is Mittwoch.
53. Souvenirs: TOKENS.
54. Plays ball: AGREES.
57. Musical collaboration instruction: A DUE. An Italian misdirection. LINK.
63. A, in Aachen: EIN. I knew there was German coming.
64. Senate staffers: AIDES. No politics, but a quick look at Senate staff JOBS.
65. Coke or Pepsi: BRAND. I stopped drinking soda long ago but was always a Coke person.
66. Young Darth's nickname: ANI. Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader when he gave in to the dark side, but he was a nice boy.
67. Bright: SMART.
68. Hindu mystics: YOGIS. My most recent Lyft driver was a self-proclaimed "Yogi Guru."
69. Ballet composer Delibes: LEO. I had never heard this NAME. Of course, he died 128 years ago so he has not been in the news much. Maybe he was very good.
Down:
1. Refuse: GARBAGE. The classic refuse/refuse heteronym clue.
2. Poe genre: MACABRE.
3. Title servant in a 1946 Paulette Goddard film: CHAMBERMAID. This screenplay was written by the incomparable BURGESS MEREDITH who later married Paulette.
4. Mag mogul: HEF. The late Hugh Hefner, the ultimate playboy.
5. Home of the 2001 World Series champs, on scoreboards: ARIzona. The SERIES.
6. Eighteen-wheelers: RIGS. My brother-in-law was a truck driver for years following in his father's footsteps.
7. Call back?: ECHO. Nice clue.
8. Only deaf performer to win an Oscar: MATLIN.
9. Waikiki, to surfers: MECCA.
10. Recipient of a New Testament epistle attributed to Saint Paul: EPHESIAN.
11. __-wop: DOO. Two songs in particular may lay claim to being the "first" to contain the syllables "doo wop" in the refrain: the 1955 hit, "When You Dance" by The Turbans, in which the chant "doo wop" can be plainly heard; and the 1956 classic "In the Still of the Night" by The Five Satins, with the plaintive "doo wop, doo wah" refrain in the bridge.
12. Prefix with conscious: ECO.
13. Calder Cup org.: AHL. It is Hockey, Eh! LINK.
19. Without: SANS. This is one of the French words we have taken over.
21. Vast expanse: SEA.
24. Tuck away: STASH.
25. 1974 CIA spoof: S*P*Y*S. I have had this Donald Sutherland - Eliot Gould attempt to capitalize and the success of M*A*S*H.
27. Discounted combo: PACKAGE DEAL.
28. Supermarket chain: IGA.
29. "__ is the winter of our discontent": Shak.: NOW. Our Friday Will quote, this one from Richard III, Act I, Scene 1.
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
31. Luau ring: LEI.
32. Architect's addition: ANNEX. Why an architect?
36. Start to manage?: MICRO.
38. Summer refresher: ICE WATER. Sorry Tin.
39. College admissions fig.: GPA. Grade Point Average.
40. Document with bullets: LIST. My boss loves bullets in lists, me- not so much.
41. Cousin of org: COM.
42. Band of Tokyo?: OBI. Obi-Wan Kenobi?
45. Sincere: GENUINE.
46. Hall of fame: ARSENIO. He faded since he took on Johnny.
48. Puerto Rico, e.g.: Abbr.: TERRitory.
49. Barely makes it: EKES BY.
50. Handle preceder: AKA. "Also known as," usually listed as a/k/a.
52. Discharge: EGEST. An obvious anytonym of INGEST if you know Latin, but still an unpleasnat wor.
55. Iberian river: EBRO. Memorize the European rivers!
56. Metallic waste: SLAG.
58. Lived: WAS.
59. Basket border: RIM. Why a basket?
60. Early civil rights activist __ B. Wells: IDA. It is a sad statement for the US that she is known for opposing lynching of black men in the 1890's. LINK.
61. Covert maritime gp.: ONI. Office of Naval Intelligence.
62. Cred. union offerings: CDS.
I thought this was a really fine debut puzzle with some challenge, some fun and some learning experience for both solver and constructor. Thank you Andy and all of you who read and especially those who comment. Lemonade out.
