Theme: STOMP (66. Walk heavily, or a three-word hint to the answers to the starred clues) - Read it as S to MP:
17. *Park light recharged by the sun: SOLAR LAMP.
22. *Street feature that forces drivers to slow down: SPEED BUMP.
35. *Winter Olympics structure: SKI JUMP.
50. *Program for aspiring astronauts: SPACE CAMP.
55. *Cube added to tea: SUGAR LUMP.
Boomer here. Katie Hale is the new assistant to editor Patti Varol and this is her first LAT puzzle.
I
am doing what I can to deal with this bad spinal cord injury. Of course
I miss bowling, but also I miss coaching the High School kids.
Across:
6. Leopard marking: SPOT. What's your dog's name?
10. Pioneering TV brand: RCA. Victor - With a dog listening for "His Master's Voice".
13. __ jar: preserves preserver: MASON.
14. Novelist Calvino: ITALO.
15. Lip balm brand whose name is short for "evolution of smooth": EOS.
16. 2000s teen drama set in California: THE OC.
19. __ City: Detroit nickname: MOTOR. I think most American cars come from there.
21. What "meow" may mean: FEED ME. Or ME OUCH!!
26. Clarifying words: I MEAN.
27. Contentious territory between airplane seats: ARMREST. I really need the left one.
28. Rebuke from Caesar: ET TU. How many eggs did you have for breakfast Caesar? ET TU Brute!
30. "Vaya con __": DIOS.
31. Texas politician Beto: O'ROURKE. Popular in the big state.
34. Defib expert: EMT. Thin-Wall pipe.
38. Frequently, in verse: OFT.
40. Eyes, in slang: PEEPERS. Jeepers, where did you get them?
42. In short supply: RARE. Order for a steak.
43. Filmmaker Wachowski: LANA.
44. Partygoer: REVELER. DFL and GOP are placing lots of TV ads these days.
47. Piglike forest dweller: TAPIR.
52. Wows: AMAZES. You would not believe the cornfield mazes in Minnesota.
54. East Coast rte.: US ONE. Never been on it.
57. Odometer reading: MILES. A little over 1600 miles from
Minneapolis to Las Vegas. Only 200 from Minneapolis to Ho Chunk casino
in Black River Falls, WI.
61. Flight safety org.: TSA. With about 6 ounces of metal in my shoulder? I don't think so.
62. Little bits: IOTAS. More than an IOTA of metal.
63. Verdi composition: OPERA.
64. Hankering: YEN.
65. Hive insects: BEES. A home for the fleas, a hive for the buzzin' BEES. Hair, grow it, show it, long as I can show it my hair.
Down:
2. Ooh and __: AAH.
3. Employ: USE.
4. Generation Z, colloquially: ZOOMERS. Boomers Zoomers. I make them up.
5. Convert into cipher: ENCODE.
6. Hurricane, e.g.: STORM. These have been going on all over our US. Minnesota has been lucky.
7. Friend: PAL. No longer owned by eBay.
8. German chancellor Scholz: OLAF. We have St. OLAF college in Northfield. I used to sell them light bulbs.
9. Went wild on the dance floor: TORE IT UP. I cannot dance. Sorry.
10. Aptly named novelist Charles: READE.
11. Pause-causing punctuation: COMMA. Sometimes I hit period by mistake.
12. Colorado snowboarding mecca: ASPEN. I had a 1976 Dodge ASPEN once.
14. "The jury __": IS OUT. I never had to serve - got called a couple of times.
18. Ring-tailed primate: LEMUR.
20. Conan's former network: TBS. Turner Broadcasting out of Atlanta.
22. "The Sweetest Taboo" singer: SADE.
23. Spruce oneself up: PRIMP. Maybe Graybar will have a Christmas lunch for retired old guys and I may have to wear a coat and tie - if I can find it.
24. Ham it up on stage: EMOTE.
25. Lima's land: PERU.
29. Actor Hanks: TOM. Easy clue. I have a cousin in Idaho named TOM.
31. Tropicana products, for short: OJS.
32. Fluffy-eared marsupial: KOALA. I think the San Diego zoo may have them.
33. Zimbalist Jr. of old TV: EFREM.
35. Part of a pork rack: SPARE RIB. Delicious with BBQ sauce.
36. Barbie's beau: KEN.
37. Golden yrs. funds: IRAS. Did not do too well last week.
39. U. of Maryland player: TERP.
41. "My Fair Lady" role: ELIZA.
42. Proof of purchase: RECEIPT.
44. Speaks hoarsely: RASPS. Happens often in the hot summer.
45. Green prefix: ECO.
46. Pays using an app: VENMOS. I do not use APPS to pay anything, sorry.
47. Scrumptious: TASTY. Pizza and ice cream!
48. Cause to chuckle: AMUSE. I get amused playing Pac-Man.
49. Solstice celebrator: PAGAN. Twins have a pitcher - last name PAGAN. He's terrible!
51. Mountain lions: PUMAS.
53. __ gin fizz: SLOE.
56. SLC athlete: UTE.
58. Sign before Virgo: LEO. I had a great bowling friend - LEO MANN. May he rest in peace.
59. Verbal hesitation: ERM.
60. Tree gunk: SAP. Make syrup from Maple.
Boomer
