Like in the old days, Jeffrey is back for his every other Friday publication. Another simple but consistent theme; words which end SS are reparsed with the ending ST. Themers 1 and 4 have the first-word change, 2 and 3 the last word. As usual, the puzzle is filled with much sparkly fill AIRLINE, ALL HERE, APPLIES, ATTIRED, DIES OUT, ENCHANT, I CAN SAY, MAHALIA, MR. RIGHT, PASSION, PONTOON, SAD TIME, STRAFED, THE RACK, and TREAT AS. As with much of his efforts, the ones in ORANGE are being introduced to the LAT today. First the theme...
16A. Furniture maker's designated stock of wood?: CHEST PIECES (11). CHESS pieces.
31A. Accommodate Simba at one's hotel?: TAKE A WILD GUEST (14). Take a wild GUESS.
36A. Foggy playground vista?: A SWING AND A MIST (14). A swing and a MISS. Some baseball for C.C.
57A. Shipment of nautical parts?: MAST TRANSIT (11). MASS transit.
Next,
Across:
1. 911 pro: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician.
4. Like a certain elevated plane: ASTRAL. There are SEVEN planes.
10. Tack on: ADD.
13. "Ain't interested": NAH. Steve, is this American or from across the pond.
14. Present and accounted for: ALL HERE.
15. Word with honey or mud: PIE. I like Key Lime and my personal favorite
18. Bench press target: PECtoral.
19. Silent star of early talkies: HARPO. Another Marx on our card.
20. Like the Grinch: MEAN.
21. "Sing it, Sam" speaker: ILSA. The actual quotation.
22. Frightens: ALARMS.
24. Cherished activity: PASSION. Puzzling is one of my passions.
26. "Well-played!": NICE. Nothing French here.
27. Notable period: ERA.
30. Indigenous Alaskan: ALEUT a member of a people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands, other islands in the Bering Sea, and parts of western Alaska.
35. What may float your boat: PONTOON.
44. __ Speedwagon: REO. The car, the band?
45. Rent-__: A-CAR.
46. A real keeper, romantically: MR RIGHT. Unless you are Diane Keaton.
49. Rant: TIRADE.
51. Bard's "Bummer!": ALAS. Shakespeare I.
52. Lack of impediments: EASE.
55. 1492 vessel: PINTA. Name the other two.
56. Brand "choosy moms choose," in ads: JIF.
59. Gender-neutral pronoun: ONE.
60. Not naked: ATTIRED. Hmm.
61. Professional org. since 1847: AMA. American Medical Association.
62. Old Glory hue: RED. White and blue.
63. First word of Dorothy's last line in Oz: THERE'S. No place like home. But is it really two words?
64. "I'm interested": YES. Meh.
Down:
1. Fascinate: ENCHANT. I like the old TV series GRIMM.
2. 1966 self-titled gospel album: MAHALIA. Ms. JACKSON.
3. Emotionally stressed, after "on": THE RACK. I do not think of it as an emotional stressor.
4. Swiss peak: ALP.
5. Poor, as odds: SLIM. And none.
6. What you might be in the Bible?: THEE. There is a Jason in the Hebrew Bible. READ.
7. Summary: RECAP.
8. Place for games: ARENA.
9. "__ Misérables": LES.
10. Submits one's résumé: APPLIES.
11. Wanes: DIES OUT.
12. Pour into a carafe: DECANT. Time to learn
14. Quark place: ATOM.
17. Binge: SPREE.
21. Alcatraz, for one: ISLE.
23. Affix, as a shoulder patch: SEW ON.
25. Spa amenity: SAUNA.
28. One may be given at a 29-Down: RING.
29. See 28-Down: ALTAR.
32. Acting like: APING.
33. "Ta-da!": DONE.
34. Title character who is never onstage: GODOT. I am still waiting to meet him.
36. Delta, for one: AIRLINE.
37. Fired on from above: STRAFED.
38. Units for gamers: WIIS.
40. "They've authorized me to report ... ": I CAN SAY. Too much politics.
41. Period of mourning, e.g.: SAD TIME. Understatement.
42. Regard to be: TREAT AS.
43. Key of two Beethoven symphonies: F-MAJOR.
Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral", Op. 68 (1808)
Symphony No. 8, Op. 93 (1812)
47. Baskerville Hall landscape: HEATH. Back again.
48. "Things sweet to __ prove in digestion sour": "Richard II": TASTE.
JOHN OF GAUNT- Act I - Scene 3
Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour.
You urged me as a judge, but I had rather
You would have bid me argue like a father.
50. Air 2 or Pro: iPAD.
53. Move a bit: STIR.
54. To be, in Bordeaux: ETRE. Or not...more Shakespeare.
57. Calisthenics aid: MAT.
58. High-__ image: RES. Or Hi-Def.
Wow, what a week. Internet issues, and a tough week with my eye doctor, but we survived. Fun times with JW. Be careful, be safe. Lemonade out.
