Theme: SWEET DREAMS.
17. Balancing point: CENTER OF GRAVITY.
28. Be convenient: COME IN HANDY.
49. Transports to a new location: CARRIES AWAY.
62. Anti-aging procedure: COSMETIC SURGERY.
37. Sweets ... and, in three parts, a hint to the four longest Across
answers: CANDY.
Melissa here. Took forever to suss this theme. First I saw
CENTER OF GRAVITY = CAVITY, and COME IN HANDY = CANDY, but
couldn't make anything like that work for the other two themers. Stared at
it forever until finally seeing C AND Y. Three parts. Urban dictionary says C&Y is short for
CANDY. That totally hurt my brain.
Across:
1. Instances of night vision?: DREAMS. Just heard Stevie Nicks
interviewed on NPR, referencing a recent viral TikTok video, which inspired the lieutenant governor of Montana, Jimmy Fallon, and
Mick Fleetwood himself to record their own tributes. It now has more than
35 million views.
7. What crooks may beat: RAPS.
11. QB targets: TES. Football - quarterbacks and tight ends.
14. Washing aid for pupils: EYE CUP. Pupils ... nice misdirection.
15. Balm ingredient: ALOE.
16. Mil. branch disbanded in 1978: WAC.
Women's Army Corps
(WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army.
20. "Pronto!": ASAP. As soon as possible.
21. If all goes wrong: AT WORST.
22. "Four score and seven years __ ... ": AGO. One score is 20
years.
25. "A Walk Among the Tombstones" star Neeson: LIAM.
27. Islamic deity: ALLAH.
32. Fr. holy woman: STE. French - abbreviation of sainte, the feminine form of saint.
33. Tailless cat: MANX.
34. Like Erik the Red: NORSE.
36. Director Kazan: ELIA.
39. Veers off sharply: ZIGS.
43. Phil or Steve with Olympic slalom medals in the same race:
MAHRE. A little obscure unless you're a fan. The twin
brothers retired from skiing after the 1984 Olympics at age 26.
45. Knight neighbor: ROOK. Chess.
46. Cut for an agt.: PCT. An agent's cut is a percentage.
53. 2000s first lady Bush: LAURA.
55. Low on the Mohs scale: SOFT. The
Mohs scale
of mineral hardness (/moʊz/) is a qualitative ordinal scale
characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the
ability of harder material to scratch softer material.
56. Ending for Gator: ADE.
57. Pinball players' haunts: ARCADES.
60. Usually fuzzy tabloid pics: UFOS.
The Trent UFO Photos.
67. Jimmy Eat World genre: EMO. The band's name came from a crayon drawing made after an incident between
Linton's younger brothers, Jim and Ed Linton, who fought frequently. Jim
usually won, but Ed sought revenge by drawing a picture of Jim shoving the
Earth into his mouth; the picture bore the caption "Jimmy eat
world".
68. Bull or boar: MALE.
69. Parlor piece: SETTEE.
70. Identity thief's target: Abbr.: SSN.
71. Sommer of movies: ELKE.
72. English teacher's stack to grade: ESSAYS.
Down:
1. Solstice mo.: DEC.
2. Corned beef bread: RYE. First saw this as "Corned beef
brand."
3. Poetic twilight: EEN.
4. Official records: ACTA. New to me. Acta = recorded proceedings. From Latin ācta (“register of events”), plural of āctum.
5. Oaty breakfast mix: MUESLI.
6. Injury often iced: SPRAIN.
7. Battle of Britain gp.: RAF. Royal Air Force. Always makes me
think of
Roald Dahl.
8. Fish food plant: ALGA.
9. Left on a cruise: PORT. Ohhh, left as in left vs. right. I sure
as hell would not leave any ruby port on a cruise. 🤣
10. Shipping routes: SEAWAYS.
11. Wields, as a baton: TWIRLS. Hm. I usually think of wield as a
weapon - but this definition clears it up: to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ
actively.
12. Torments: EATS AT.
13. Grim Reaper tool: SCYTHE.
18. Fish with vermilion fins: OPAH. Aka moonfish.
19. Spine abbr., maybe: VOL.
22. Cartoon maker of Dehydrated Boulders: ACME. Wile E. Coyote.
23. Rink success: GOAL.
24. All: Pref.: OMNI.
26. Miss in an advice column: MANNERS.
Dear Miss Manners.
29. Midterm, e.g.: EXAM.
30. Drop off: NOD.
31. Hang out on a line: DRY.
35. Vampire Weekend lead vocalist Koenig: EZRA. An
interesting and accomplished artist.
37. "__-ching!": CHA.
38. Flight board abbr.: ARR. Arrival.
40. Davenport's home: IOWA. Also in FL, NY, and WA.
41. Provoke: GOAD.
42. Scottish isle: SKYE. Beautiful.
44. Scholar's world: ACADEME. "The campus activity, life, and interests of a college or university; the academic world."
46. Finishes second: PLACES.
47. Billiards shots: CAROMS.
48. Jojo's Arizona home, in the Beatles' "Get Back": TUCSON. "Jojo
left his home in Tucson, Arizona ...." 🎵♪♩
50. Markers in a pot: IOUS. I owe yous.
51. Flow out: EFFUSE.
52. Mall directory listings: STORES.
54. Farm butter: RAM. Sometimes butter, sometimes scratcher.
58. Lat. shortener: ET. AL.
59. Hose material: SILK. Pantyhose.
61. Some PX patrons: SGTS. PX = Post Exchange (US Army base retail store).
63. Biscuit middle?: CEE.
64. One of four rhyming Greek letters: ETA.
65. Daisy Ridley's role in three "Star Wars" films: REY.
66. "I agree": YES.
