Friday, September 16, 2022, Taylor Johnson

 Title: After Thoughts

Welcome back Taylor to the LAT where we just solved your Saturday themeless collaboration with your mentor, the prolific Christina Iverson. Let me tell you some more  about our little patch which our werowance (Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel) dubbed Crossword Corner when she premiered this site on January 8, 2008. It started as a blog about the Tribune Media Daily, switching to the LAT on March 23, 2006 with this PUZZLE.  

I enjoyed solving your debut puzzle on December 4, 2021 in the Universal site. Your wordplay there helped prepare me for this write-up. Also, you have launched your own site which has since become a pay to view site, but the first puzzle was great.

You included some tasty long down fill, ORANGE SODA, SKEDADDLE, IT's NO RUSH and OSCAR PARTY joining the across fill BEER NUTS and and DEAD LAST to make this a Friday puzzle. It did have many 3 and 4 letter fill but I enjoyed. So let's get to work on the theme.

17A. Teacher's request, literally?: CLASS SEE ME. This took a while to grok (see 23A below) See Me AFTER Class. 

29A. Like falling dominoes, literally?: THE OTHER ONE. One AFTER the Other. 

47A. Note to a spy, literally?: READING BURN. Burn AFTER Reading. 

63A. Enticing ad words, literally?: REBATE FREE. Free AFTER  Rebate. 

You have to use your imagination, or at least I did. Maybe Taylor will comment here on her puzzle process. On to the rest.

Across:

1. "Sure, no __!": PROB. I plunked this right in and was happy it turned out to be correct, as a colloquial does not need to be an abbreviation.

5. Common bugs: COLDS. Nice misdirection; is that all COVID is?

10. __-bitty: ITTY. Had itsy-bitsy/

14. Weird sensation before some migraines: AURA. I have read about the sensation, never experienced it. For me migraines were just pain.

15. Sag: DROOP. A n aggressively mean word.

16. Cuisine with green curry: THAI. Wow, thanks for the Coincidental Shout Out, Taylor. (see explanations to the right).

19. Part of many a lunch special: SOUP. I used to like the soup and 1/2 sandwich at Panera Bread.

20. Belief: TENET. Synonyms. 

21. Bar bowlful: BEER NUTS. Beer Nuts is an American brand of snack food building on the original product, peanuts with a sweet-and-salty glazing. The ingredients include peanuts, coconut oil, corn syrup and salt. various.

23. Grok: GRASP. This is a word I did not know until C.C. taught it to us years ago and it really comes in handy. 

26. Corp. head: CEO. Chief Executive Officer.

27. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.

35. "The Handmaid's Tale" Emmy winner: MOSS. This ACTRESS has had a busy and successful career.

37. Taj Mahal city: AGRA. Can I still say, Man's greatest erection for woman?

38. Binds: FUSES.  They are shown as being synonymous but this had me going.

39. "Star Wars" critter who lives on Endor: EWOK.

He/she/it looks too cuddly and doesn't

40. Stare angrily: GLARE. Though he may suggest you...

42. "Make tracks!": SCAT.

43. Helped: AIDED. Ms. Iverson has helped many in the puzzle world.

45. Sister who sings "Into the Unknown" in "Frozen II": ELSA.  

46. Abhor: HATE. I recall ABHOR as my first grown up word. 

50. Eggs in a chirashi bowl: ROE. LINK.

51. Drink that may be brown, blonde, or red: ALE. Once again my sons and their extensive and continuous involvement in the liquor field made this easy.

52. Eat inelegantly: SLURP. This seems a bit regional and judgmental.

54. Bringing up the rear: DEAD LAST.
                            
59. Coped (with): DEALT. It has been a year for many of us, none more so than C.C. and Boomer. 

62. Enthusiastic: AVID. From the Latin avidus meaning to crave.

66. Cash drawer: TILL. noun (1) \ ˈtil \ Definition of till (Entry 4 of 5) 1a : a money drawer in a store or bank also : cash register. b : a box, drawer, or tray in a receptacle (such as a cabinet or chest) used especially for valuables.

67. Short on flavor: BLAND. Is it true about British cuisine? Bill, Joseph, anyone?

68. Like some emphasized text: Abbr.: ITALicized.

69. Option word: ELSE. Or...

70. Fabric measures: YARDS. At least here in the US...

71. Kind: TYPE. If you are kind, you are more likely to find someone your type, so says Confusedcious. 

Down:

1. Agreement: PACT. Pact sounds so much more serious like you have to bleed.

2. "No cellphones at dinner," say: RULE. A wonderful rule never to be followed.

3. Fizzy ingredient in a Creamsicle float: ORANGE SODA. This just needs you to close your eyes and imagine where you put the vanilla ice cream that would make you think of a Creamsicle.

4. More wicked: BASER. Another fill that took perps and an open mind.

5. Low-risk IRA components: CDS. Certificates of Deposit.

6. Some Minecraft blocks: ORE. My sons play, but I never have but with that name this was easy.

7. "Feel What U Feel" Grammy winner Lisa: LOEB.

8. Planetarium roof: DOME. So you can see the big sky.

9. Address: SPEECH.

10. "At your leisure!": IT'S NO RUSH. I think more of "There's No Rush" but this was not hard.

11. The old you?: THOU. I really liked this misdirection, not me but the word's history.

12. At a breaking point, maybe: TAUT. Taut is tight 

13. Pound sounds: YIPS. We have many animal rights activists here.

18. Fantasy league no.: STATistics.

22. Colorful ecosystem: REEF. The Coral reefs from here through the Bahamas are amazing and you do not have dive deep to see a show.

24. __ carpet: SHAG. A perfect reference for our age group. and 33D. "Groovy!": NEAT-O.

25. Stereotypical pirate feature: PEGLEG. Long John Silver? I liked their battered fish. 

27. Spread messily: SMEAR.

28. Singer Dorough who co-founded the Backstreet Boys: HOWIE.

30. Sonicare rival: ORAL-B. Ah, the toothbrush wars...

31. Ankle bones: TARSUS.

32. Awards night gathering: OSCAR PARTY. There are more and more events each year and is you get to go you leave with a swag bag loaded with goodies, Back in the day...

34. Big name in cosmetics: ESTEE.

36. Make tracks: SKEDADDLE.

41. House of Lords figure: EARL.

44. Egg salad herb: DILL.

48. Close: NEARBY.

49. Hose shade: NUDE.

53. Provide new equipment for: REFIT.

54. Palm fruit: DATE. If it is a date palm. 

55. Pernicious: EVIL.

56. Feels crummy: AILS. 

57. Ward of "Gone Girl": SELA.

58. Way up the slope: T-BAR.

60. Big advance: LEAP.

61. Start to commute?: TELE.

64. "Your point being ... ?": AND.

Once again you get only a piece of me for this fun puzzle, but we are getting ready to go to Thailand as Oo's mother celebrates her 100th years. I enjoyed the puzzle and I am sure you all will finish my unfinished symphony. I will be in Thailand when you read these words and I will miss you all, at least until I get my internet set up there. Be well. Lemonade out.