Theme: EPI-penned - the letters EPI appear in the theme entries as the reveal explains:
65A. Quake's origin, and a feature of the answers to starred clues: EPICENTER. Very common word on the news around these parts. There have been a few pretty big shakes over the last few weeks.
So we get:
17A. *Watch: TIMEPIECE
24A. *Jazzman Fats Waller, style-wise: STRIDE PIANIST. I was not familiar with this term at all.
40A. *"Boulevard Montmartre" series painter: CAMILLE PISSARRO
Here's the boulevard "on a Winter's Morning":
52A. *Understand: GET THE PICTURE
Straightforward enough theme, nicely executed. Note that the "EPI"s in each theme entry are the middle three letters of each answer. I struggled a bit with the STRIDE/W.C. HANDY/AZO/DYNES region but the crosses eventually pulled it together.
Across:
1. Suggestions, informally: RECS. Recommendations, I presume.
5. Many 40-Across works: OILS. A cross-reference clue right off the bat to annoy those who don't like them!
9. Supplement: ADD TO
14. Monsieur's mine: À MOI
15. Champagne designation: BRUT. Driest of the champagnes. The others, from dry to sweet, are Extra Sec, Sec, Demi Sec and Doux. Some purests split "rut" into "Extra Brut", the driest, and "Brut Nature".
16. React to a loss: MOURN
19. Palestinian leader Mahmoud: ABBAS. Thank you, crosses
20. Childish comeback: ARE SO!
21. Increase, with "up": REV
23. Simian: APE
29. "St. Louis Blues" composer: W.C. HANDY. Unknown to me. A very influential musician, I come to find.
31. Huntsville's home: Abbr.: ALA. Handy briefly taught at the now-named Alabama A&M University near Huntsville, and quit when he found that a pipe-fitter made more money. See what I just learned?
32. Nitrogen-based dye: AZO. Another unknown.
33. Turow book set at Harvard: ONE L. "One L" refers to a first-year law student, not just at Harvard but all law schools.
36. Quaking tree: ASPEN
44. Krispy __: KREME
45. Room in una casa: SALA
46. __ bran: OAT
47. Corn unit: EAR
49. Sisters on whom "Little Women" was loosely based: ALCOTTS
57. It may be inflated: EGO
58. Not bright: DIM
59. Dreadlocks wearer: RASTA
62. Golfer with an "army": ARNIE. Arnold Palmer, nicknamed "The King". He was one of the first golf superstars with the arrival of televised tournaments.
68. Walks unsteadily: REELS
69. Make over: REDO
70. "Star Trek" creator Roddenberry: GENE. There's a building on the Paramount lot named for him. He's made them quite a bit of money over the years.
71. Sore throat cause: STREP
72. Word with dash or happy: SLAP
73. Novelist Ferber: EDNA
Down:
1. Female rodent, to Fernando: RATA. You need a gato to chase her off.
2. Arab chieftain: EMIR
3. Returns: COMES HOME
4. Afternoon break: SIESTA
5. Kimono sash: OBI
6. Anger: IRE
7. "Filthy" moolah: LUCRE. Is all lucre filthy?
8. Expensive: STEEP
9. Physicians' gp.: A.M.A.
10. Bio info: D.O.B.
11. City with the world's tallest building: DUBAI
12. Snares: TRAPS
13. Kickoff: ONSET
18. Dirty work?: PORN. Rich has been getting a little more lenient over the years with "acceptable" entries.
22. By way of: VIA
25. Object of much reverence: IDOL
26. Newton fractions: DYNES. This was part my problem area, crossing "STRIDE" and "HANDY".
27. Rueful word: ALAS
28. Voyager org.: N.A.S.A.
29. Eccentric: WACK
30. Überauthority: CZAR. What, he arrived in Russia in a ride service? Maybe Otis was a Lyftauthority?
34. "Learn about the UV Index" org.: E.P.A.
35. Pastel shade: LILAC
37. Voiced one's opposition: PROTESTED
38. Logician's "E": ERAT. "Quod Erat Demonstrandum", "QED".
39. Forget-me-__: NOTS
41. "How __ Your Mother": I MET
42. "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology" memoirist Remini: LEAH. I remember hearing about the book, I never got around to reading it.
43. Brine has a lot of it: SALT
48. Signal to stop: RED
50. Virologist's goal: CURE
51. Creamsicle flavor: ORANGE. How funny, just last Friday I had my first "Orange Julius" at a Dairy Queen in Westminster Mall. It was surprisingly good!
52. Gets ready, with "up": GEARS
53. Long-billed wader: EGRET
54. Copier cartridge: TONER
55. Places to tie up: PIERS
56. Drive: IMPEL
60. Miss. neighbor: TENN.
61. Plane measurement: AREA
63. Martinique, par exemple: ÎLE. Caribbean island, part of the French West Indies. Here's La Plage des Salines - beautiful!
64. Clairvoyant's claim: E.S.P.
66. Journalist Tarbell: IDA
67. Steal, in slang: COP
I think that about does it for me today. Hasta la Jueves!
Steve
65A. Quake's origin, and a feature of the answers to starred clues: EPICENTER. Very common word on the news around these parts. There have been a few pretty big shakes over the last few weeks.
So we get:
17A. *Watch: TIMEPIECE
24A. *Jazzman Fats Waller, style-wise: STRIDE PIANIST. I was not familiar with this term at all.
40A. *"Boulevard Montmartre" series painter: CAMILLE PISSARRO
Here's the boulevard "on a Winter's Morning":
52A. *Understand: GET THE PICTURE
Straightforward enough theme, nicely executed. Note that the "EPI"s in each theme entry are the middle three letters of each answer. I struggled a bit with the STRIDE/W.C. HANDY/AZO/DYNES region but the crosses eventually pulled it together.
Across:
1. Suggestions, informally: RECS. Recommendations, I presume.
5. Many 40-Across works: OILS. A cross-reference clue right off the bat to annoy those who don't like them!
9. Supplement: ADD TO
14. Monsieur's mine: À MOI
15. Champagne designation: BRUT. Driest of the champagnes. The others, from dry to sweet, are Extra Sec, Sec, Demi Sec and Doux. Some purests split "rut" into "Extra Brut", the driest, and "Brut Nature".
16. React to a loss: MOURN
19. Palestinian leader Mahmoud: ABBAS. Thank you, crosses
20. Childish comeback: ARE SO!
21. Increase, with "up": REV
23. Simian: APE
29. "St. Louis Blues" composer: W.C. HANDY. Unknown to me. A very influential musician, I come to find.
31. Huntsville's home: Abbr.: ALA. Handy briefly taught at the now-named Alabama A&M University near Huntsville, and quit when he found that a pipe-fitter made more money. See what I just learned?
32. Nitrogen-based dye: AZO. Another unknown.
33. Turow book set at Harvard: ONE L. "One L" refers to a first-year law student, not just at Harvard but all law schools.
36. Quaking tree: ASPEN
44. Krispy __: KREME
45. Room in una casa: SALA
46. __ bran: OAT
47. Corn unit: EAR
49. Sisters on whom "Little Women" was loosely based: ALCOTTS
57. It may be inflated: EGO
58. Not bright: DIM
59. Dreadlocks wearer: RASTA
62. Golfer with an "army": ARNIE. Arnold Palmer, nicknamed "The King". He was one of the first golf superstars with the arrival of televised tournaments.
68. Walks unsteadily: REELS
69. Make over: REDO
70. "Star Trek" creator Roddenberry: GENE. There's a building on the Paramount lot named for him. He's made them quite a bit of money over the years.
71. Sore throat cause: STREP
72. Word with dash or happy: SLAP
73. Novelist Ferber: EDNA
Down:
1. Female rodent, to Fernando: RATA. You need a gato to chase her off.
2. Arab chieftain: EMIR
3. Returns: COMES HOME
4. Afternoon break: SIESTA
5. Kimono sash: OBI
6. Anger: IRE
7. "Filthy" moolah: LUCRE. Is all lucre filthy?
8. Expensive: STEEP
9. Physicians' gp.: A.M.A.
10. Bio info: D.O.B.
11. City with the world's tallest building: DUBAI
12. Snares: TRAPS
13. Kickoff: ONSET
18. Dirty work?: PORN. Rich has been getting a little more lenient over the years with "acceptable" entries.
22. By way of: VIA
25. Object of much reverence: IDOL
26. Newton fractions: DYNES. This was part my problem area, crossing "STRIDE" and "HANDY".
27. Rueful word: ALAS
28. Voyager org.: N.A.S.A.
29. Eccentric: WACK
30. Überauthority: CZAR. What, he arrived in Russia in a ride service? Maybe Otis was a Lyftauthority?
34. "Learn about the UV Index" org.: E.P.A.
35. Pastel shade: LILAC
37. Voiced one's opposition: PROTESTED
38. Logician's "E": ERAT. "Quod Erat Demonstrandum", "QED".
39. Forget-me-__: NOTS
41. "How __ Your Mother": I MET
42. "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology" memoirist Remini: LEAH. I remember hearing about the book, I never got around to reading it.
43. Brine has a lot of it: SALT
48. Signal to stop: RED
50. Virologist's goal: CURE
51. Creamsicle flavor: ORANGE. How funny, just last Friday I had my first "Orange Julius" at a Dairy Queen in Westminster Mall. It was surprisingly good!
52. Gets ready, with "up": GEARS
53. Long-billed wader: EGRET
54. Copier cartridge: TONER
55. Places to tie up: PIERS
56. Drive: IMPEL
60. Miss. neighbor: TENN.
61. Plane measurement: AREA
63. Martinique, par exemple: ÎLE. Caribbean island, part of the French West Indies. Here's La Plage des Salines - beautiful!
64. Clairvoyant's claim: E.S.P.
66. Journalist Tarbell: IDA
67. Steal, in slang: COP
I think that about does it for me today. Hasta la Jueves!
Steve