Theme: One Day at a Time. This could have been another circle puzzle, but instead the theme answers were marked with stars, with the word DAILY scrambled, and hidden in each.
18. *1930 Faulkner novel: AS I LAY DYING.
24. *1986 Chris de Burgh hit, with "The": LADY IN RED.
36. *Wits, when scared out of you: DAYLIGHTS.
52. *Hit below the belt: PLAY DIRTY.
58. Popular newspaper puzzle, and a hint to what's hidden in the answers to starred clues: DAILY JUMBLE.
Melissa here. The downs seemed a notch tougher than the acrosses.
Across:
1. Break down noisily: SOB. Ohhh, I was thinking of a car ...
4. Living things: BEINGS.
10. Mug: FACE. Sneaky.
14. Lab eggs: OVA. Plural of ovum.
15. "Bewitched" witch: ENDORA. Here she is in 1973 appearing on the TV game show, What's My Line? The final episode of Bewitched aired in March of 1972.
16. Vigorous spirit: ELAN.
17. 2018 giant shark film, with "The": MEG. I guess I'm living under a rock, because I've never heard of this movie.
20. Enlightened Buddhist: ARHAT. In Theravada Buddhism, an Arhat (Sanskrit: अर्हत् arhat; Pali: arahant; "one who is worthy") is a "perfected person" who has attained nirvana. In other Buddhist traditions the term has also been used for people far advanced along the path of Enlightenment, but who may not have reached full Buddhahood. The understanding of the concept has changed over the centuries, and varies between different schools of buddhism and different regions. Practicing Vipassana (a form of meditation) on the Theravada arhat path, increases one's capacity for compassion.
22. "... __ many ways": IN SO.
23. Letter between zeta and theta: ETA.
27. Patio furniture maker: CANER. Fooled me into thinking of a brand.
29. Defiant comeback: I CAN TOO.
30. Thrown out of the game: EJECTED.
32. Time zone word: Abbr.: STD. Standard, as opposed to Daylight Savings Time. Time Zone Abbreviations – Worldwide List.
33. Money left on a diner table: TIP.
35. Score often requiring overtime: ONE ONE.
39. Feral: SAVAGE.
42. Unfavorable review: PAN. I wonder why that term is used for a bad review.
43. __-Cat: winter vehicle: SNO.
46. Group of nine until 2006: PLANETS. In August 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to that of "dwarf planet." Controversy.
48. Grated together, as teeth: GNASHED.
51. DeGeneres who voices Dory: ELLEN.
54. Bird in 2019 Liberty Mutual commercials: EMU.
55. Apple discard: CORE.
57. Small amounts: DRIBS.
62. Cal. pages: MOS.
63. Humerus neighbor: ULNA. Bones of the arm.
64. Eye-related: OCULAR.
65. "Tamerlane" poet: POE.
66. Cribbage pieces: PEGS.
67. Hospital fluids: SERUMS.
68. Shade of blue: SKY.
Down:
1. Mogadishu natives: SOMALIS.
2. Emote: OVERACT.
3. Capital on the Tigris: BAGHDAD.
4. "Scram!": BEAT IT.
5. Middle of dinner?: ENS. Two Ns.
6. Ugandan dictator Amin: IDI.
7. "Honest!": NO LIE.
8. "Thank U, Next" singer Ariana: GRANDE.
9. Puts into words: SAYS.
10. 2010 Mark Twain Prize winner Tina: FEY.
11. Incompatible with: ALIEN TO. That was tough.
12. Hiker's flask: CANTEEN.
13. Fighting words?: ENGARDE. Nice clue.
19. Museum tour guide: DOCENT.
21. "Atlas Shrugged" writer Rand: AYN.
25. "Just a bit longer": NOT YET.
26. Agitate: ROIL.
28. Highly paid pitchers, typically: ACES.
31. Host between Jack and Jay: JOHNNY. The Tonight Show hosts. Johnny Carson was the best, imo.
34. Domino dot: PIP. Why are the dots on dominoes called pips?
36. Swede's neighbor: DANE.
37. Means: AGENCY.
38. Crazy (over): GAGA.
39. Step on the gas: SPEED UP.
40. Like many barbershop quartets: ALL MALE.
41. Appraising: VALUING.
43. Goes for crustaceans: SHRIMPS.
44. Small laptop: NETBOOK. According to How Stuff Works: "In general, netbook computers are smaller and lighter than notebook computers, which in turn are smaller and lighter than laptops. But there are no specific size or weight classes for computers."
45. Wandering journey: ODYSSEY.
47. Christmas tree choice: SPRUCE.
49. Puff __: venomous African snakes: ADDERS.
50. Elton John's title: SIR.
53. Madagascar primate: LEMUR.
56. Spanish eyes: OJOS.
59. Vegas opening: LAS.
60. __-ray Disc: BLU.
61. Fugitive's flight: LAM.
Notes from C.C.:
1) Glad you're back online, Owen! Hope you're home soon.
2)
Dear Irish Miss (Agnes) fell backwards on the concrete floor on Sunday
night. X-rays/CT scan showed that she had a sprained shoulder. Right now
she has Oxycodone to control the pain, but her stomach is like mine,
very averse to those pain pills. Terrible nausea. She'll need to follow up
with her own doctor and an orthopedic doctor once the pain and nausea
subsidize. She has family in the area, but she lives alone. Simple everyday things can be challenging for her.
Let's send her get-well cards and cheer her up. Her contact details are here.
