51 A. Like some conventional romances, as illustrated by each set of circled letters: BOY MEETS GIRL. The first word each 2-word theme entry ends with the letters of a common male name, and the second word starts with the letters of a common female name - hence the meeting of BOY and GIRL. There is actually a rather short list of generic plot types for stories, and this is one of them.
20 A. Sweets in an edible bouquet: CANDY FLOWERS. Confections molded into the shapes of blooms and buds. It's almost a shame to eat them. Here our romantic pair are ANDY and FLO. I hope for his sake that it's not the annoying lady from the Progressive Insurance ads. Our tour guide on a long ago white water rafting adventure was named FLO. Our motto was "go with the Flo." [I am not making this up.]
27A . Birth of a baby: BLESSED EVENT. I don't know the origin of this phrase, but it does keep the human race going. I hope ED and EVE have a long and happy marriage that commenced before the blessed event took place.
43 A. Government bonds are part of it: NATIONAL DEBT. This is the current total of all government borrowings. I hope AL and DEB don't have too much of this sort of thing hanging over their heads.
Hi Gang, it's JazzBumpa, your matchmaker making today's introductions.
Across:
1. Esau's twin: JACOB. These brothers got into a stew in an early disfunctional family.
6. Latticework piece: LATH. A thin, flat strip of wood with various uses in construction.
10. Anew Skinvincible maker: AVON.
14. Act unceremoniously?: ELOPE. Run away and get married, presumable avoiding a wedding ceremony.
15. Boo-boo: OWIE. Minor injury, usually on a minor
16. Start to suction?: LIPO- . A surgical procedure that uses suction to remove fat cells from specific areas of the body. I think this type of affix clue uses suction.
17. Improvised container for roses: WINE CARAFE. OK. I suppose you could also use a catsup bottle
19. Aspiring DA's exam: LSAT. The form of standardized test used specifically for admission to a law school. It has long been established that there is scant - if any - correlation between standardized test score and academic performance. IMHO, the whole thing is a sham.
22. Urgent PD call: APB. All Points Bulletin. A broadcast from a law enforcement agency to its personnel or other such agencies, generally containing information about a wanted suspect or person of interest.
25. Sport-__: UTE. A Sport utility vehicle - a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis.
26. Deceives: LIES TO. Prevaricates.
31. Hanukkah pancake: LATKE. Potato pancake.
32. Chance: RISK. Specifically, the chance that some sort of loss or harm may ensue.
33. Mosquito-eating critter: BAT. The only mammal capable of true flight. Bats are more maneuverable than birds,
36. DIY website: ETSY. An American e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies.
37. Seafood boil staple: CLAMS. Any of several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds.
39. Wait patiently: BIDE. A good old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to wait or stay.
40. Singer Orbison: ROY. [1936-1988] From 1960 to 1966, 22 of his singles reached the top 40.
Boy loses Girl
41. Tallow source: SUET. SUET is the raw hard fat from beef or mutton. Tallow is the fat portion of SUET, removed from the fibers and membranes by melting
42. Dealership inventory: AUTOS. Cars, and also trucks.
46. Italian fashion giant: ARMANI. An Italian luxury fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975.
49. Fashioned after: A LA. In the manner of ---
50. "Big Eyes" singer Lana Del __: REY. Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (b. 1985), known by her stage name Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter and poet. Her music is noted for its stylized cinematic quality; its themes of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia; and its references to pop culture, particularly 1950s and 1960s Americana.
Girl leaves Boy
It never ends well
56. Hardware store gadget that creates the perfect color: PAINT MIXER.
60. Cardamom-flavored Indian tea: CHAI.
61. She asked Sam to play "As Time Goes By": ILSA.
Boy meets Girl's Husband
62. Writer Zola: EMILE. Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola [1840-1902] was a French author, playwright, journalist and political activist.
63. Mild-mannered Clark: KENT. Superman, by another name.
64. Vaping device, casually: E-CIG. An electronic gadget that simulates smoking by generating an aerosol vapor from a heated liquid.
65. Jeans material: DENIM. A sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. Now that is something that you know.
Down:
1. Moses, for one: JEW. Kind of an important one, actually.
2. Boxing legend: ALI. Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. [1942 – 2016] was an American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
3. Hornswoggle: CON. Gain an advantage over someone by cheating and deception.
4. Crude gp.?: OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies.
5. "__ I said so!": BECAUSE. Do as I say!
6. __ it over: ruled: LORDED. Dominated.
7. Off in the distance: AWAY. Afar
8. Small spat: TIFF. A petty quarrel between friends or lovers.
9. Like gravity wedges: HEELLESS. I never knew.
10. Full of baloney: ALL WET. Saying ridiculous things.
11. Woodshop grippers: VISES. A metal tool with movable jaws used to hold a work piece firmly in place
12. Reality-bending paintings: OP ART. Short for optical art, a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.
13. "You're mistaken": NOT SO. Possibly full of bologna.
18. Feed the kitty: ANTE. At the start of a card game.
21. Trough grunt: OINK. Pig talk.
22. More proficient: ABLER. Anything you can do, I can do better.
23. "Allegory of the cave" philosopher: PLATO. Pondering belief vs knowledge. More here.
24. "Breaking Bad" actress Brandt: BETSY. [b 1973] She is an American Actress.
28. Star-spangled expanse: SKY. The firmament.
29. Muse for poets: ERATO.
30. Vigor's partner: VIM. If you take your vitamins.
33. Dog to beware: BITER. I think I had this cur the last time. Wary or not, I can't avoid it.
34. Sun-dried brick: ADOBE. Made from clay.
35. Out of sorts: TESTY. Irascible.
37. Cupcake: CUTIE PIE. Affectionate terms that might not go over so well these days.
38. Wreath of plumeria blossoms: LEI. A garland necklace.
39. Chum: BUD. Pal.
41. Sensible: SANE. Rational.
42. Protected from burglars: ALARMED. But I would be ALARMED if the ALARM were to make a sound.
43. "Your call": NAME IT. What ever you like.
44. "Stop reminding me!": NAG NAG. Give it a rest, already.
45. Touched down: ALIT. Landed.
46. Taken __: ABACK. Recoiling from surprise or shock
47. Tamiflu producer: ROCHE. F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has bearer shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located in Basel. Tamiflu is an oral antiviral medication used to treat and prevent influenza A and influenza B.
48. "Bro!": MY MAN. Chum, bud, pal.
52. Soft mineral: TALC. Hydrated magnesium silicate.
53. Spanish ayes: SI SI. Yes, Yes, as we all say to C.C.
54. Mojito fruit: LIME. A traditional Cuban cocktail, made with 5 ingredients. The other 4 are white rum, sugar, soda water and mint.
57. Mark, as a survey square: X IN. Indicate with an X or a check mark.
58. Manning who announced his retirement in 2020: ELI. Quarterback for the New York Football Giants.
59. Sleep cycle: REM. Rapid eye movement - when you are dreaming.
That wraps it up for today. Wishing you all sweet, romantic dreams.
Cool regards,
JzB
