Theme: GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
17. Compact: MAKEUP CONTAINER.
39. Compact: FORMAL AGREEMENT.
62. Compact: SMALL AUTOMOBILE.
Three grid-spanning theme answers, all with the same clue. Most of the fill was gettable, thankfully. The English language is full of words that have multiple, sometimes unrelated, meanings.
Across:
1. Twinings products: TEAS. Can never remember now many n's in this brand name. Speaking of tea brands, I've noticed that tea brands seem to have changed over the years. Specific flavors that I've had for years just don't taste the same.
5. Wolf pack leader: ALPHA. Alpha dog.
10. Oft-misused pronoun: WHOM. Grammarly.
14. Hall of Famer Donovan, first woman to coach a WNBA championship team: ANNE. 2011 interview.
15. One-piece dresses: SARIS.
16. Georgetown athlete: HOYA. The Georgetown Hoyas are the athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University in college sports. The team name is derived from the mixed Greek and Latin chant "Hoya Saxa" (meaning "What Rocks"), which gained popularity at the school in the late nineteenth century.
20. Outshine: ECLIPSE.
21. Codgers: GEEZERS. Funny word.
22. Shorthand writer, for short: STENO. Stenographer. Steno- a combining form meaning “narrow,” “close,” used in the formation of compound words.
23. Haus husband: HERR. Learned from crosswords, finally remembered.
24. "Apollo 11" org.: NASA.
27. Solution for contacts: SALINE.
32. Decides: OPTS.
36. Attended, as college, with "to": WENT. My grandmother and her sisters, all from Texas, used to say "What went with the ____?" when they were looking for something.
38. Fibula neighbor: TIBIA.
42. Thumb one's nose at: FLOUT. Openly disregard (a rule, law or convention).
43. Air Quality Index factor: SMOG.
44. Old flames: EXES.
45. Bench-clearing brawls, e.g.: SETTOS. Another word I only see in crosswords, or old novels.
47. Big fusses: ADOS.
49. Grammar, in grammar: NOUN.
51. Slices in a pie, often: OCTAD. Recently seen on CBS.
56. Christmas show: PAGEANT.
60. Nutritionist's unit: CALORIE.
64. Soaks (up): SOPS.
65. Aptly named 1955 and 2019 Disney dog: TRAMP. Aw.
66. Oboe vibrator: REED.
67. Tupelo, e. g.: TREE. The most expensive honey in America.
68. Chips in a chip: ANTES.
69. Mixes in: ADDS.
Down:
1. Subdues: TAMES.
2. Make into law: ENACT.
3. Common sprain site: ANKLE.
4. Welcome at the door: SEE IN.
5. Snakes in hieroglyphics: ASPS.
6. Bodice trim: LACE.
7. In favor of: PRO.
8. Depend (on): HINGE.
9. Daisylike fall flowers: ASTERS.
10. Zoom (by): WHIZ.
11. Refine, as skills: HONE.
12. Open hearing, in law: OYER. Heard quite a bit of late.
13. "24K Magic" singer Bruno: MARS.
18. Familiar with: UP ON.
19. Force gas into: AERATE.
23. Word-guessing game: HANGMAN.
25. Cobbler's tool: AWL.
26. Swell places?: SEAS. Nice clue.
28. Margarita garnish: LIME.
29. Goat with recurved horns: IBEX. Recurved - bent or curved backward.
30. Start of many a workday: NINE.
31. Revived Alton Brown cooking show "Good __": EATS.
32. Rip-__: thefts: OFFS.
33. Olympic vaulter's need: POLE.
34. Home run pace: TROT.
35. Indecent matter: SMUT.
37. Stepped heavily: TROD.
40. Without a musical key: ATONAL.
41. Self-awareness: EGO. Ram Dass (who passed away December 22, 2019) said you need just enough ego to to remember your Buddha Nature and your social security number.
46. Piano __: SONATA.
48. 46-Down, often: SOLO.
50. Difficult move in a busy intersection: U-TURN.
52. One leading a charmed life?: COBRA. Great clue.
53. Made an attempt: TRIED.
54. Needed to skip work, perhaps: AILED.
55. Closing documents: DEEDS.
56. "Hey, you!": PSST.
57. Deity with a bow: AMOR.
58. Stare in amazement: GAPE.
59. Otherwise: ELSE.
60. "The best is yet to __": COME.
61. Concert gear: AMPS.
63. Bit of body ink: TAT.
From C.C.:
Melissa said "jaelyn fell and broke her collarbone yesterday. she was really brave getting her x-ray."
Still smiling in her sling. Get well soon, Jaelyn!
Melissa said "jaelyn fell and broke her collarbone yesterday. she was really brave getting her x-ray."
Still smiling in her sling. Get well soon, Jaelyn!
