Theme: SO AND SO (39. Name better left unsaid, or a description of the answers to the starred clues)
17. *Many an aria: SOPRANO SOLO.
24. *Not quite apologetic: SORTA SORRY.
48. *Persuaded with flattery: SOFT-SOAPED.
61. *In the near future: SOMEDAY SOON.Boomer here.
I was a baseball card dealer years ago, and I recently heard the story that a 1952 #311 Mickey Mantle rookie card went for over 12 million dollars. I checked my Beckett price guide and it is currently listed for $80,000.00. That's a long way from 12 million so it seems like a SO SO story.
Across:
6. Pizza serving: SLICE. I worked pizza and it is not a slice, it's a PIECE.
11. Dell products, for short: PCS.
14. Approximately: ABOUT. Evander Holyfield beats Mike Tyson.
15. Weighed down: LADEN.
16. Flamenco cheer: OLE. Mr. Svenson.
19. Tiny: WEE. WEE, WEE. WEE. WEE. All the way home
20. "Will I __ learn?": EVER. I do not expect to.
21. Dark cloud, maybe: OMEN. Guys from Oregon.
22. Noggin: HEAD.
23. 1950s sitcom name: DESI. Ricky Ricardo.
27. Historic Nevada city with a railway museum: ELY. I have never been outside of Reno and Las Vegas.
29. __ suey: CHOP.
30. Salon offering: NEW DO. I do not have enough hair for a salon visit.
33. Ore-Ida nuggets: TATER TOTS. My favorite!
38. Here, in France: ICI.
41. Syrup source: SAP. Mostly Maple.
42. Unlikely winners: LONG SHOTS. Rich Strike at the Derby.
44. "Best before" kin: USE BY.
46. Tune for two: DUET. The Carpenters were my favorite.
47. Campus URL ender: EDU.
53. Frosted, as a cupcake: ICED. Or tea in the summer.
57. Periods of history: ERAS.
58. Horse rider's strap: REIN.
59. "Big Night" actor Shalhoub: TONY. Hall of Famer - Twins' Oliva
60. Buddy: PAL.
64. __-at-ease: ILL. Cubs and White Sox state.
65. Strainer: SIEVE.
66. Plentiful: AMPLE.
67. Stubborn beast: ASS. I believe the beast is a mule. The ASS is behind it.
68. Great-grandparent, say: ELDER. I never met any of mine.
69. Big buttes: MESAS.
Down:
2. "Heavens __!": ABOVE. "We're on a street called Love"
3. Successfully handles a rough patch: COPES. COPES are not always successful.
4. Rushed: HURRIED. Rushing backs will be on TV soon!
5. Greek letter between zeta and theta: ETA.
6. Sports replay type, briefly: SLO-MO. Rushing backs will be here too.
7. Pointer or printer lead-in: LASER. Don't look into this thing.
8. "__ have a clue": I DON'T. Okay.
9. Cartoon frame: CEL.
10. Music producer Brian: ENO.
11. Confident stance: POWER POSE. Quarterbacks will be there for sure.
12. Blue-skies forecast word: CLEAR.
13. Far from swanky: SEEDY.
18. Like a busybody: NOSY. Don't ask.
22. YA novel by Carl Hiaasen about a threatened owl habitat: HOOT. Temple Owls are playing Duke Saturday.
25. Unreturnable serves: ACES. Also a good poker hand. Especially four.
26. Hide from view: SHROUD.
28. Red-ink amounts: LOSSES. Stock market was not friendly in August.
30. Zip: NIL. NADA
31. __-friendly: ECO.
32. Unexpected moments of good fortune: WINDFALLS. Visit a casino.
33. "__ Te Ching": philosophical text: TAO.
34. Unwelcome picnic guest: ANT. They are amazing!
35. NFL six-pointers: TDS. Plus 1 usually. Season will start next Sunday.
36. Bar bill: TAB. I do not go to bars anymore, But when I did, it was pay one at a time.
37. James Bond, for one: SPY.
40. "__ Be in Love": Kate Bush song: OH TO.
43. "No __, no glory": GUTS. If you got this far, you've earned glory.
45. "I'm good with it": SUITS ME.
47. Poet St. Vincent Millay: EDNA. A township in North Dakota.
48. Old photo tone: SEPIA.
49. Face-to-face exams: ORALS. Speak loudly and carry a small stick.
50. __ Forces Day: ARMED. Veterans welcome.
51. "Pet" annoyance: PEEVE.
52. Pillow feathers: EIDER.
54. Henhouses: COOPS. My Uncle Bill's farm produced many eggs.
55. "__ Holmes": Netflix film starring Millie Bobby Brown: ENOLA.
56. Units of force that make up newtons: DYNES.
61. NNW opposite: SSE.
62. Olive __: OIL. Popeye spelled his girlfriend OYL.
63. Orange tuber: YAM. Done? Yes I YAM.
Boomer
