Buddy, can you Spare a dime? The circled letters can be rearranged to spell out the word Spare.
18-Across. Spicy condiment: PEPPER SAUCE. Tabasco sauce is our favorite pepper sauce.
23-Across. Astronaut's milieu: OUTER SPACE.
35-Across. Lawn areas lacking grass: BARE SPOTS.
53. NYC's World Financial Center architect: CÉSAR PELLI. I was not familiar with César Pelli (Oct. 12, 1926 ~ July 19, 2019). He was an Argentine-American architect best known for designing some the world's tallest buildings, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur. I recognized many of his designs.
And the unifier:
59-Across. Coins in one's pocket ... and what literally happens in each set of
circles: SPARE CHANGE.
When was the last time you actually used cash to make a transaction?
I rarely carry money anymore.
It is strange to see a Bruce Venzke puzzle without seeing Gail Grabowski's
name too.
1. D.C. insider: POL.
4. Anxious feeling: ANGST.
9. "Silent Night" words before calm and bright: ALL IS.
Now is the season for the Christmas songs.
14. Actress Gardner: AVA. Although Ava Gardner (née Ava
Lavinia Gardner; Dec. 24, 1922 ~ Jan. 25, 1990) was in many films, for my
generation, she is probably best known for her marriage to Frank Sinatra.
15. More rational: SANER.
16. Africa's Sierra __: LEONE. Sierra Leone is a country on the West Coast of Africa. It is one of the
poorest countries in the world.
17. "Star Wars" sequel trilogy heroine: REY.
20. Pay off illicitly: BRIBE.
22. How a scary-movie watcher might recoil: IN HORROR.
26. Deserved, as recognition: DUE.
27. Keep separate from the rest: ISOLATE.
28. Restaurant chain with an owl logo: HOOTERS.
31. Horne of jazz: LENA. I initially misread this as
Home of Jazz. Lena Horne (née Lena Mary Calhoun Horne; June 30, 1917
~ May 9, 2010) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.
32. In the manner of: À LA. Today's French lesson.
34. Oktober endings: FESTS. Oktoberfest in 2022 will be held from September 17 to October 3. The countdown is
on! The first Oktoberfest was in 1810 in celebration of the marriage between Crown Prince
Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
39. Perth __, NJ: AMBOY.
42. LBJ's boy beagle: HIM. President Lyndon B. Johnson
(Aug. 27, 1908 ~ Jan. 22, 1973) loved dogs. When he was in the White
House, his most well-known beagles were named Him and Her.
43. Big brass: TUBA. This makes me think of our friend
Abejo.
47. Greets with guffaws: ROARS AT. // And 49-Down.
Far from a guffaw: TEE-HEE.
50. Features of some cruise ships: CASINOs.
52. Heavy weight: TON.
55. Working together as one: IN TANDEM. Like this couple
who have 67-Across. Wed on the sly: ELOPE(d).
58. '90s candidate __ Perot: H. ROSS. H. Ross Perot (né
Henry Ross Perot; June 27, 1930 ~ July 9, 2019) ran as an independent
candidate in the 1992 presidential campaign and as a third-party candidate
in 1996.
62. When doubled, a Latin dance: CHA. The Cha-Cha, or
the Cha-Cha-Cha?
63. Fix in the crosshairs: AIM AT.
64. Knighted composer Edward: ELGAR. Sir Edward William
Elgar, 1st Baronet (June 2, 1857 ~ Feb. 23, 1934) is probably best known
for Pomp and Circumstance.
65. Showy pond fish: KOI.
66. Stacks like Tupperware: NESTS.
68. Vicious with a bass: SID. Sid Vicious (né Simon John
Ritchie; May 10, 1957 ~ Feb. 2, 1979), was the bassist for the Sex
Pistols. He is probably best known, however, for being charged with
brutally murdering his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (Feb. 27, 1958 ~ Oct. 12,
1978). He died of a heroin overdose before going to trial for
the murder while out on bail.
Down:
1. Partially cook, as rice: PARBOIL. The How's and Why's of Parboiling Rice.
2. Employ excessively, as muscles: OVER USE.
3. Overdo the flattery: LAY IT ON.
4. Last word of Kansas' motto: ASPERA. The full motto
is: Ad astra per aspera. It translates to
mean: to the stars through difficulties. It apparently
represents the struggles Kansas faced with issues such as slavery, Indian attacks, and the inevitable war that were debated prior to statehood.
What is your state motto and what does it mean?
5. Macduff rebuff: NAE. Lord Macduff is a character in
Macbeth. He was from Scotland, hence, his rebuff is Nae.
6. Econ. measure: GNP. As in Gross National Product.
7. Old photo hue: SEPIA.
8. Battlefield furrow: TRENCH.
9. "What's more ... ": ALSO.
10. Norman who created Archie and Edith Bunker: LEAR.
Norman Milton Lear (b. July 27, 1922) is still involved in producing
television shows. He will be 100 years old next summer.
11. French pilgrimage site: LOURDES.
12. Trying a case, say: IN COURT.
13. Prophetic woman: SEERESS.
19. Prefix with stat: RHEO. As in a Rheostat.
21. Overdo, as a point: BELABOR.
24. Twinkler: STAR.
25. Soccer standout: PELÉ. He make occasional guest
appearances in the crossword puzzles. His given name is Edson
Arantes do Nascimento (b. Oct. 23, 1940). He is the only soccer
player to hold 3 World Cup winner's medals. He won the award in
1958, 1962 and in 1970.
29. Frequently, to a bard: OFT.
30. More irritable: TESTIER.
33. Fireplace grate buildup: ASH.
36. Shakespearean cries: AYs.
37. 12-point type: PICA. More than you ever wanted to
know about Printing Types.
38. Actor Epps: OMAR. Omar Hashim Epps (b. July 20,
1973) played a doctor on the television series House.
39. Craftsperson: ARTISAN.
40. Marshmallowy treat: MOONPIE. MoonPies are a Southern
thing. Everything you wanted to know about a MoonPie, but didn't know to ask. They even come in Pumpkin Spice.
41. Little chickens: BANTAMS.
44. Disengages the bolt for, as a door: UNLOCKS.
45. Russian ballet company: BOLSHOI.
46. "Let me reiterate ... ": AS I SAID.
48. "High Voltage" band: AC/DC. Everything you wanted to
know about the band's logo, but didn't know to ask. The band was formed by brothers Malcolm
(Jan. 6, 1953 ~ Nov. 18, 2017) and Angus Young (b. Mar. 31, 1955).
51. Round figure: SPHERE.
54. Little: SMALL.
56. "I smell __!": A RAT.
57. Ping-Pong supplies: NETS. Not the ball, but the
Nets. I know, the clue indicates a plural.
60. Private aid prog.: NGO. As in a Non-Governmental Organization. What's the difference between an NGO and a Non-Profit?
Find out here.
61. Space between outfielders: GAP.
Here's the Grid: