First the generic:
18 D. Generic guy: TOM.
34 D. Generic guy: DICK.
50 D. Generic guy: HARRY.
These are generally considered as a collective, referring to any guy you're likely to run into. So to encounter every TOM, DICK and HARRY separately here made it a little hard to suss. Of course, these given names could have been clued in a variety of other ways. But with this theme, it's important to clue them this way, leaving them, in a sense, open ended.
67 A. 18-, 34- __ 50-Down: AND. To bring them all together
As an aside, the most common names for boys born in 2018 were Jackson, Liam, Noah, Aiden, Caden, Grayson, Lucas, Mason, Oliver and Elijah. The old expression might need to be reconsidered, because nowadays, every Tom Dick and Harry is named Jackson, Liam or Noah.
Then the specific:
20 A. After 18-Down, actor/golfer combo: ARNOLD PALMER. So we get the actor TOM ARNOLD [b 1959] and the golfer ARNOLD PALMER [1929-2016]. Tom's first wife was the now increasingly unhinged Roseanne Barr. He is currently getting divorced from his fourth wife. At some point you might just as well quit. ARNOLD PALMER was, and remains, an icon in the world of golf. Once, at his Bay Hill golf club, I had lunch with him. Granted, we were at different tables, at opposite ends of the room, but we were eating together. Or at least at the same time. His name could also have been clued as a soft drink made by mixing lemonade and iced tea.
37 A. After 34-Down, crime writer/poet combo: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY. Here we have DICK FRANCIS [1920-2010], a former steeplechase jockey whose novels focus on crime in the world of British horse racing, along with FRANCIS SCOTT KEY [1779-1843] who composed the poem Defense of Fort M'Henry in September, 1814, after witnessing the battle there. It was soon set to music, and became our unofficial national anthem. This was made official by an executive order from President Wilson in 1916. There are good reasons why the third verse is never sung.
55. After 50-Down, president/novelist combo: TRUMAN CAPOTE. This gives us the 33rd President [1945-1933] of the U. S., HARRY TRUMAN [1884-1972] and author TRUMAN CAPOTE [1924-1984.] President Truman implemented the Marshall Plan, benefiting Western Europe after WW II and was involved in establishing NATO. TRUMAN CAPOTE was a novelist, playwright and actor. At least 20 of his works have been made into movies. The best known are probably Breakfast a Tiffany's and the non-fiction murder story In Cold Blood.
Hi Gang. JazzBumpa here. As you can probably tell, I had a hard time figuring out how to characterize and deal with this clever and unusual theme. Proper names, in general, are not top notch fill. But when they become the theme, it's a whole new ball game. And Ed has given the idea - quite literally - a new dimension. So - kudos for that. Let's see what else we have.
1. Cascades peak: SHASTA. A currently inactive [but who knows?] volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Northern CA, with a max. elevation of 14, 179 ft.
7. Cap'n's aide: BOS'N. A contraction of boatswain, also known as the chief petty officer.
11. Classic British sports cars: MGs. The Initials of Morris Garages. MG is the marque for vehicles marketed as such by its parent company, Shanghai based SAIC Motors.
14. Character builder?: AUTHOR. A writer, in this case of fiction stories, where each character ought to be built of relatable human characteristics. Unless that character is Ramsey Bolton.
15. __ Domini: ANNO. Latin for "in the year of our Lord," designating the most recent 2019 years of human history. This idea has its own complicated history which the interested reader may perhaps pursue at one's leisure.
16. Vein contents: ORE. Mining for minerals
17. Not yet proven: THEORETICAL. Sometimes the theoretical can yet be proven. All it takes are extraordinary capability and decades of single-minded devotion.
19. __ drop: MIC. I have a mental block about pronouncing mic as Mike. Anyway, the expression refers to a literal or figurative gesture at the end of a speech or performance indicating triumph.
22. Wrestling duo: TAG TEAM. A two person wrestling team, only one of which is in the ring at any given time. A replacement can only be made if the one in the ring can physically touch, or TAG, his partner.
25. Innocent: NAIVE. Due to lack of experience with all the pitfalls, travails and villains one encounters in the real world.
26. Charlottesville sch.: UVA. University of Virginia.
27. Like a cool cat: HEP. From Wikipedia: Hipster or hepcat, as used in the 1940s, referred to aficionados of jazz, in particular bebop, which became popular in the early 1940s. The hipster adopted the lifestyle of the jazz musician, including some or all of the following: dress, slang, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed poverty, and relaxed sexual codes.
30. Edible root: BEET. When it comes to borscht, you can't beet soup!
31. Depended (on): RELIED.
35. Sunlit lobbies: ATRIA. Entrance areas or central courts of buildings or complexes that are either open roofed or glass covered. I once had the opportunity to crawl around on one with a glass roof. And, yes, I am acrophobic. Good times.
42. Worthy of a standing O: SOCKO. Stunningly effective or successful.
43. Pay for one's crime: DO TIME. Go to prison.
44. Suisse peak: ALPE. Une montagne en Français.
47. Sisters, say: KIN. It's all relative.
48. Spam holder: TIN. A metal can containing [presumably] food stuffs.
49. "American Horror Story" actress Paulson: SARAH. Never watched it.
51. Contents of a teacher's key: ANSWERS.
59. TV buying channel: HSN. Home Shopping Network
60. Host of a Friars Club event: ROASTMASTER. Portmanteau of ROAST and MASTER, modeled after "toastmaster, " to designate an MC at a comedy roast, in which a person is honored by being the butt of pointed jokes.
64. One of a comic trio: MOE. Along with Larry, Curly, and Shemp. I know - that makes 4. Sometimes life ain't easy.
65. Invite feedback?: RSVP. Formal request to respond to an invitation.
66. Nissan sedan: ALTIMA. A mid-size sedan.
68. Votes for: YEAS. All opposed say Nay.
69. Oppressive ruler: DESPOT. A ruler with absolute power. Power corrupts.
Down:
1. Minded the kids: SAT. As in baby sat.
2. "What the?!": HUH. Eh?
3. Pigged out, say: ATE. Too much.
4. Little pig: SHOAT. Especially one who was newly weaned.
5. Yankee manager before Girardi: TORRE. Joe [b 1940] ranks 5th in MLB history with 2326 wins as a manger. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
6. __ rock: Queen genre: ARENA. I did not know this was actually considered a genre of pop music. Music designed to be played in large spaces before large audiences.
7. Attend to a leaking boat: BAIL. Scoop water out of the boat with buckets. Might be a losing battle.
8. How some data is stored: ON CD. Increasingly less likely these days.
9. Sound made using two fingers: SNAP. There's more than one way to do it.
10. "The Dark Knight Trilogy" director Christopher: NOLAN. [b 1970] An English film director, screen writer and producer who holds duel British and American citizenship.
11. Family nickname: MOMMIE.
12. Mourn: GRIEVE. Emotional distress.
13. It's not for everyone: SECRET. Keep it under your hat.
21. Canadian brewery: LABATT. Founded in 1847 by John Kinder Labatt in London, Ont. Now part of international conglomerate Inbev.
22. Steak metaphor seen on menus: TURF. Along with SURF. What wine goes with that?
23. State with conviction: AVER. Or AVOW. Always need perps.
24. Charity event: GALA. A social event with entrtainmnet.
27. Wears: HAS ON. Is clothed with.
28. "There's more" letters: ETC. List shortener.
29. Jab to keep them dogies rollin': PROD. For cattle.
32. Slacks measure: INSEAM. The seam from the crotch to the bottom of a pant leg, or its length.
33. Prefix with car: ECO. ECoCAR is a competitive event in which engineering students design and build advanced vehicles with leading edge technologies.
36. "How was __ know?": I TO. Somebody tell me.
38. Maneuver through moguls: SKI. This short video shows how to do it.
41. Strong desires: YENS. Urges. I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have he YEN to travel.
44. Bronchial disorder: ASTHMA. A chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways.
45. "The Far Side" cartoonist Gary: LARSON. [b.1950] Seeking to avoid what he termed "the graveyard of mediocre cartoons, he retired at the beginning of 1995 at age 44.
51. Germane: APT. Appropriate or suitable to the situation.
52. Desert wanderer: NOMAD. One with no permanent home, traveling from place to place to find fresh areas for livestock grazing.
53. Like many bad jokes: STALE. Old and used up.
54. Bridge positions: WESTS. Positions at the bridge table are named for the four main cardinal directions.
56. Bridge position: NOSE. Another clecho, and another sense of the word bridge.
57. Vena __: major blood line: CAVA. Either of two veins returning deoxygenated blood to the heart.
58. Sacred symbols on pyramid walls: ASPS. The depiction of an Egyptian cobra.
61. Reward for waiting: TIP. Not for Godot, unless he has arrived and is at the table where you are serving.
62. Confessional music genre: EMO. Similar to punk, but having more complex arrangements, typically dealing with angst and other deep emotions.
63. Maze scurrier: RAT. In a laboratory.
That wraps it up for another Wednesday. Good puzzle. I didn't have any nits. Hope you enjoyed it.
Cool regards!
JzB
