COVER GIRLS
Emily and Sala - more here
Today's puzzle, from veteran constructors Sala and Emily, ( they appeared just last month as a duo as well ), failed to hit the mark for me this time. The theme is kinda weak, and the 20-something names, including a crossing where I had no choice but to do an alphabet run, just sucked the life out of this one. We have two 8-letter themers, and yet two Down answers are longer; a whopping 28 4LWs, and yet only 9 TLWs. On top of that, the one musical entry that I can relate to is the first - the others are just not my thing; sorry 'bout that. On a positive note, 17A., 40A., and the theme answer are unique fills, so there's that. The themers;
17. Fleetwood Mac hit with the lyric "I'll settle for one day to believe in you": LITTLE LIES - a LIE can cover the truth . . .?
26. Taylor Swift hit that features a sweater metaphor: CARDIGAN - usually covers a shirt/blouse . . .?
40. Elvis Presley hit about someone who only looks like an angel: DEVIL IN DISGUISE - disguise as a cover up . . .?
50. Rihanna hit about friends who stick together rain or shine: UMBRELLA - under cover from the rain . . .~?
63. Musical remakes, and what 17-, 26-, 40-, and 50-Across all are, in a way: COVER SONGS - "songs" that have something that covers; I guess. As for an actual cover song, if it's a "tribute" band, then all you do is cover songs. I feel that if an artist is going to cover someone else's song, then it should have some variation on the original, i.e., Run-DMC covering Aerosmith as a rap song - I couldn't narrow it down to one great choice, but here's an example;
Flamenco Led Zeppelin - Rodrigo Y Gabriela
ACROSS:
1. Update a historic home, say: REHAB - I am in the business of updating "historic", and we would never refer to it as a 'rehab' - rehab is where I spent six weeks after detox. 'nuf said.
6. Quick look: PEEP
10. "Dream on": "AS IF."
14. Enlighten: EDIFY
15. Crooner Paul: ANKA - I know him, but name #1
16. Novela introduction?: TELE - Telenovela, a serialized drama in Latin American TV
19. Jai __: ALAI - this used to appear in lots of puzzles "back in the day" - it's only popped up once or twice in a long, long time
20. Pro vote: YEA - My yeS had to change to yeA
21. Ingrid's "Casablanca" role: ILSA - Oops, I thought it was ELSA - that's the "Frozen" girl - name #2
22. Strenuous: TIRING - Crosswords like this are not enjoyable, just TIRING
24. Prefix with tech: NANO - nanotech
28. Milwaukee team: BREWERS - Great logo - I like it when the letters/name is cleverly embedded in the image - here's another great logo
The m and b in the glove~? That to me is a well-designed logo
31. "The Daily" podcast producer, briefly: NYT - no clue, but I had _YT already; name(ish)
32. Special glow: AURA
33. Paul of "The Batman": DANO - name #3 - I looked it up; he played the Riddler. I did not see the movie
35. Venomous snake: ADDER
43. Be of __: help: USE TO
44. __ Point, California: DANA - DANO, DANA - Sheesh - name #4
45. Summer getaway: CAMP - I was never 'enrolled' camp, but from what I hear and read, it was not all that fun for many - SEND away, now that's more like it
46. Govt. intel org.: NSA - I could explain the abbr., but then I'd have to....
48. Gets to giggle: TICKLES - tickles my fancy
55. For fear that: LEST
57. Quite bright: NEON
59. Alley-__: OOP
62. Actor Alda: ALAN - crossword staple, name #5
66. Rare rocks: GEMS
67. Sinister: EVIL
68. Verdi work: OPERA - name(ish)
69. "Gotcha": "I SEE."
Dr. Venkman, @ 0:50
70. "The Voice" host Carson: DALY - name #6
71. Elevates: RISES - meh. rAises is a better match, e.g. stress from crossword solving RISES blood pressure~?
DOWN:
1. Depend (on): RELY
2. Actress Falco: EDIE - name #7
3. Touched on something touchy: HIT A NERVE - let me count the (names) ways . . . .9LW
4. Back of the boat: AFT
5. Author credit: BYLINE
6. Buds: PALS
7. Pioneering computer: ENIAC - I had ATARI until that showed up three answers later; name(ish)
8. Scrape (by): EKE
9. Danish, e.g.: PASTRY
10. Pong platform: ATARI
11. Former baseball commissioner Bud: SELIG - I could not recall this name, # 8
12. Glazer of "Broad City": ILANA - name #9
13. Pretend: FEIGN - I think this "crossname" is pretending to be a crossword
18. "Euphoria" actor Jacob: ELORDI - name # 10, 3 of the 4 previous clues - tho a unique fill
23. Pet collar attachment: ID TAG
25. Stand by for: AWAIT
27. Designate as a successor: ANOINT - meh. aPPoint fits better. Anoint to me is religious ceremony
28. Grammy winner Erykah: BADU - even if I DO know this one, ugh; name #11
29. Feels remorse: RUES - he rues the day he said he'd blog Wednesdays . . . . 😜
30. Flip-flop, e.g.: SANDAL
34. Confidentiality contract, for short: NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement - I am seriously considering spending the money to get my board games produced - I need a patent lawyer - anyone at the Corner who can recommend one~?
36. Dodges: DUCKS - these DODGES are not DUCKS or ADDERS - they're VIPERS
37. Landline sounds: DIAL TONES - the other 9LW, 'longer than theme' fill
38. "Twilight" vampire Cullen: ESME - name #12
39. Gym count: REPS - now this is a good one - the singular count clue and the plural reps answer
41. Not a people person, say: LONER - I am definitely NOT a "people person"
42. Mariner: SAILOR
47. Prepared to serve, as pie: SLICED
49. Black out: CENSOR
50. With 56-Across, grilled eel dish: UNAGI - AND - 56. See 50-Down: NIGIRI - no clue, and when the clues are circumreferential* like this, it's even worse - and name(ish)
51. Odometer units: MILES - my car allows me to track gas prices when I fill up, but every now and then, the same buttons I use to adjust the price end up changing my MPH to KPH; I look down and I am doing "58" in a 30 - Yikes~!
52. Not one's best effort: B-GAME
53. Flush: RINSE
54. Blacksmith's block: ANVIL
58. Wriggly: EELY
60. Fantasy monster: OGRE
61. Unpaid ads: PSAs - Public Service Announcements
64. Egg cells: OVA
65. Maker of Lincoln Park After Dark nail polish: OPI - I've learned that the answer regarding makeup, etc., is either OPI or EOS these days - and name(ish)
Splynter
