Tuesday, March 19, 2019 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

"It's Show Time !"

17. Period with dreams, e.g.: SLEEP STAGE STAGE SHOW

25. Subject of some weather advisories: SMALL CRAFT. CRAFT SHOW

37. Apple tablet from 2013 to 2016: IPAD AIR. AIR SHOW

48. Summit Plummet at Disney World, for one: WATER SLIDE.  SLIDE SHOW

57. Perform in the theater ... and what can be done to the end of 17-, 25-, 37- and 48-Across: PUT ON A SHOW.

Across:

1. Factory work period: SHIFT. 

6. Choral part: ALTO.

10. Stand the test of time: LAST.  Has legs.

14. Hang around: TARRY.  The verb is pronounced differently than the adjective.

15. Deliberately avoid: SHUN.  That's a definition for the "English" but in the Amish community,  shun means to expel and ostracize.

16. Nabisco nibble: OREO..

19. Screenwriter Ephron: NORA.

20. __ Ark: NOAH'S.

21. Rest area array: SEMIS.

22. Timber shaper: ADZE.

28. Stars and Stripes squad: TEAM USA.


30. Soup spheres: PEAS.

31. Delivery doc: OB-GYN.   Obstetrician-Gynecologist

32. Movie lab assistant: IGOR.

33. App annoyances: ADS.

36. Gp. that isn't gun-shy: NRA.

40. Real estate buy: LOT.

41. Have some grub: EAT.

42. Ranch grazers: COWS.

43. Botanical swelling: EDEMA.

45. Yellow Brick Road dog: TOTO.

46. Back-of-book lists: INDEXES.

52. Bit of pageant attire: SASH.

53. Fashionista Mary-Kate: OLSEN.   She and business partner / twin sister Ashley.

54. Flowers, in Florence: FIORI.

56. Pothole's place: ROAD.

62. Drive-__ window: THRU.

Wendy's claims the fast food industry innovation.   McDonald's opened their first drive-thru in 1975 in Arizona.

63. Chicago mayor Emanuel: RAHM.  The new mayor will be either Toni Preckwinkle or Lori Lightfoot. 

64. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE.  The answer RAZE at 55d gave it away.

65. Diary securer: HASP.

66. Vein yields: ORES.  Pay dirt.

67. Several hairpin turns: ESSES.

Down:

1. Wall and Bourbon: Abbr.: STS.  Well known streets in Manhattan (NYC) and the French Quarter (NOLA).

2. Kubrick's out-of-control computer: HAL.  Stanley Kubrick / HAL 9000.  The groundbreaking film was 2001: A Space Odyssey

3. Dublin's land: Abbr.: IRE.

4. Faux ally: FRENEMY.  Psychiatrist Paul Dobransky M.D.,  explains, in How to Spot Friends, Enemies, Frenemies and Bullies

5. Proofer's find: TYPO.  If you see teh in my write ups, assume I meant the. 

6. Bronchial woe: ASTHMA.

7. Capital of Tibet: LHASA.

8. Yank: TUG.  

9. Ace's value, at times: ONE.

10. They don't like company: LONERS.  Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski both went off to live in the woods.  Compare and contrast.

11. Taco truck allure: AROMA.

12. Calligrapher's swirl: SERIF.

13. Wedding reception highlight: TOAST.

18. Mouth off to: SASS.

21. Visibly healed, as skin: SCARRED

22. Advice to sinners: ATONE.

23. Messing of "Will & Grace": DEBRA.  Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace.

24. Restaurant survey creator: ZAGAT.

26. Lexi Thompson's sports org.: LPGA.   The Ladies Professional Golf Association.

The 24 year old qualified to play in the LPGA US Open at age 12.

27. Sainted fifth-century pope: LEO I.

29. Mythical horned equine: UNICORN.

32. Cards with pics: IDS.

33. Amazon Echo's assistant: ALEXA.  I turned her off.  We no longer speak to each other.

34. Mosque toppers: DOMES.

35. Narc's discovery: STASH.

38. Cookware items: POTS.

39. AFB truant: AWOL.  Air Force Base / Absent Without Leave

44. Calls it off: DESISTS.

45. Ready to drive, as a golf ball: TEED UP. It's better to be teed up than teed off.

46. Figures of speech: IDIOMS.  They're a dime a dozen.

47. Hard-to-miss sign: NEON.

48. Value: WORTH.

49. Hawaiian hi: ALOHA.

50. Romanov royals: TSARS.  The Romanovs ruled Russia for 300 years until 1917.

51. "__ shoe fits ... ": IF THE.  Wear it.

55. Use a wrecking ball on: RAZE.

57. In favor of: PRO.

58. Former Mideast org.: UAR.  United Arab Republic.  The coalition of Syria and Egypt.

59. Embroidered pronoun: HIS.

60. World Cup shout: OLE.

61. Jazzman Montgomery: WES.

Note from C.C.:

Agnes mentioned their epic annual St. Paddy's Day celebration at her sister's house. Here is a picture of their gathering on Sunday night. Of the five sisters here, dear Agnes is the youngest (78 in a few weeks). Anne is the oldest, 91 years old. Agnes also has three older brothers: Bud, Bill and Jack.

L-R: Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mary, and Peggy, 3/17/2019

Monday March 18, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Solo Act - The first words are synonyms of "only":

 

18. Tonto's friend, with "The": LONE RANGER.

23. Early Neil Diamond hit: SOLITARY MAN.

36. Offspring sans siblings: ONLY CHILD.

53. Used car selling point: SINGLE OWNER.

60. Something unlike any other: ONE OF A KIND.

Boomer here.  

I see SINGLE in the puzzle.  Reminds me that the Major League season begins March 28.  Baseball has always been my favorite sport, however I am taken aback by the contract given to Bryce Harper by the Phillies. $330 Million ????  I hope he can do something about his hair.  What bothers me the most is that one of my idols, Harmon Killebrew I believe earned $120,000 after his MVP year in 1969.  

I had a tough week at the VA hospital last week. A couple of treatments to fight cancer.  Very necessary but it knocked me on my butt for a few days. I even had to get a sub for bowling on Thursday.

Across:

1. Slick-talking: GLIB.

5. Crime organizations: GANGS.  Not always crime.  Reminds me of the "Gang of 8".  Four GOP and four Dems in the senate who wrote the prelude to border security and economic horizons for the U.S. 

10. On the Atlantic, say: ASEA.  "I joined the Navy to see the world, but what did I see?  I saw the sea."

14. Bow-and-arrow-carrying Hindu god: RAMA.

15. Spry: AGILE.

16. Running shoe brand: NIKE.  One of the PGA Players tournament commentators said Tommy Fleetwood looks like a homeless person who just robbed a Nike store.

17. Smartphone downloads: APPS

20. Copper-and-zinc alloy: BRASS.  Of course this was a group designation for all the officers in the Army.

22. Countries: NATIONS.

26. Fireworks reaction: OOH.  And don't forget AAH.

28. "Honest" prez: ABE.  Of course he presided before our time. But he will always be a benchmark President.

29. Suffix with ranch: ERO.  I had a few friends that drove Ford Rancheros.  It was kind of half sedan, and half pickup truck.  I thought it was a pretty good vehicle, but Ford discontinued it in the late 70s.

30. Work into a frenzy: STIR UP.  I think if you insert another "R", you have that nasty little thing on your cowboy boot to make your horse run faster.

32. Brother of Bobby Kennedy: TED.  Brother of John and Bobby.  Chappaquiddick did him in.

33. Lawman Wyatt: EARP.  Hugh O'Brien played him in adult western of the 60s.

35. Body art, briefly: TATS.  Never liked them.  But I respect others' choice.

40. Sheet music pitch indicator: CLEF.

43. Leaning Tower site: PISA.

44. "Survivor" station: CBS.  It also had the Big 10 (+4) hoops tournament.  Gophers made it to the semis and will get a nod for the NCAA March Madness.  Final Four will wrap up in Minneapolis next month.  I don't expect to see the Gophers there, but give them a couple of circles in your bracket.

47. Gauchos' lariats: REATAS.

50. Chair part: LEG.  Chairs have four, the rest of us have two.  If they don't work well, maybe a little GEL will help.

51. Paintings, etchings, etc.: ART.  Mr. Garfunkel.  I always wondered if that was his real surname.

52. 10-minute NFL periods, if they last that long: OTS.

57. Alike in many respects: SIMILAR.

59. Capital of Yemen: SANAA. Sha NaNaNa, hey ay ay Good bye

63. Repairs with turf, as a lawn: SODS.  Not sure if we still have a lawn.  I have not seen it for months.

64. Cap'n's mate: BOSN.  Could be a shortened "Old Spice" commercial

65. Birds in a gaggle: GEESE.

66. French cruise stops: ILES.

67. "The Simpsons" bus driver: OTTO. I suppose I OTTO watch "The Simpsons"some day so I get these clues.

68. __ Allan Poe: EDGAR.

69. Laundry brand: TIDE.  Tide is a year older than me - born in 1946.  Like me it has taken many baths and it still smells fine.

Down:

1. Clutches for: GRABS AT.

2. Carriage passenger's warmer: LAP ROBE.  Just do not feed "Rusty" Beef - a - reeno.

3. Stabbed by Buffy, as a vampire: IMPALED.

4. Voices below tenori: BASSI.  Beyond my expectations.  I only know tenor and bass.

5. Four qts.: GAL.

6. In days of yore: AGO.  A long, long time ago, I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.  Clear Lake Iowa, 1959

7. Fool: NINNY.

8. Eye twinkle: GLEAM.  When P & G made toothpaste, they spelled it wrong.  I don't think it's on the shelves anymore.

9. Sealy competitors: SERTAS.  It seems as though Mattresses last longer than cars.  Amazing how many ads are out there.

10. Year in Tuscany: ANNO.  Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be.  First it killed the Romans, and now it's killing me.

11. Lady of Italy: SIGNORA.

12. Barely manages, as a living: EKES OUT.  So if you are barely managing this puzzle, put some clothes on and eke it out.

13. Bubbly prefix: AER.

19. "__ That a Shame": AIN'T. My tears fell like rain.

21. Dutch painter Jan: STEEN.

24. Devastated Asian sea: ARAL.

25. Golfer McIlroy: RORY.  He was all over the TPC Sawgrass Saturday but managed to hang in there.

27. Some laptops: HPS.  I used to sell HPS Lamps - High Pressure Sodium.  The yellowish ones that replaced Mercury and Fluorescent in Street Lighting.

31. "__ be my pleasure": IT'D.

34. Angel dust, for short: PCP.  I cannot spell what the technical name is for this drug, but it can really take you for a loop.  Worse than Zoledronic Acid.

36. Shakespearean "frequently": OFT.

37. Jack and Jill went up one: HILL. Duh.

38. "Understood": I SEE.  I see said the blind man, but he really didn't.

39. Old Nigerian capital: LAGOS.  Was the Nigerian capital made of plastic blocks?  Oops, I am confused with the Legos at Mall of America.

40. __-Magnon: CRO. My gosh - these guys are hundreds of centuries old.  I'll bet not even Ancestry.com can find your Cro-Magnon ancestor, but they probably say they can.

41. "Better if we skip this": LET'S NOT. And say we did.

42. Most simple: EASIEST.

44. Tubular ricotta-filled pastry: CANNOLI.  The mob guys always order these on "Law and Order".

45. Covered with crumbs before cooking: BREADED.  I don't know about crumbs, but breaded fish fillets are tasty Friday meals.

46. Street in Berlin: STRASSE.  Also in Hardheim.  I lived at Sieben Eister Sandweg Strasse for a few months.  (They did not have enough room in the barracks.)

48. "Not likely!": AS IF.

49. Stored fodder: SILAGE.  There are silos as farm buildings in Minnesota.  Even with the hemispherical roofs, the snow is causing problems.

54. In one's birthday suit: NAKED.  Eke it out

55. "Norwegian Dances" composer: GRIEG.

56. "__ something I said?": WAS IT.

58. Pre-stereo: MONO.  We have had this before, and I had a MONO record player before and so did many of you.

60. "Name a price--I'm flexible," in ads: OBO.  I hate Best Offers on eBay.

61. Intel-gathering govt. group: NSA.

62. __ Spiegel: German magazine: DER.

Note to TTP and other bowlers on our blog:

The gentleman second from left is a young bowler from Minnesota. Around 8-10 years ago I was in a classic league with Matt McNeil and we both bowled anchor for our respective teams.  One night I swept three games from him with an 814 series. I think it was the only time in the league that anyone took three from Matt.  This week he has qualified second on the PBA tour and the finals will be on FS1 on Thursday at 7:00 PM Central time.  I do not recognize the 4th and 5th qualifier.  Third is Bill O'Neill and whoever survives the stepladder will face the master from Australia, Jason BelMonte. I will be watching.

Boomer

Sunday March 17, 2019 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Going Green" - Each theme entry is a different definition of "green"

 23A. Green: GOLFER'S PUTTING SURFACE.

37A. Green: LOOKING SICKLY.

66A. Green: VILLAGE CENTER.

95A. Green: EASILY TRICKED.

113A. Green: COLOR FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY. Apt for today.

36D. Green: NEW ON THE JOB.

42D. Green: ECO-FRIENDLY. 

This type of theme is called Definition. You definite various meanings of a certain word or phrase.

The theme entries in this category are often made-up. In today's set, only 42D is a solid in the language phrase. 

    
Across:

1. Boxer who defeated Holyfield twice: BOWE. Riddick.

5. Contentious shoulder piece?: CHIP.  Chip on one's shoulder.

9. Equal-split offer: HALF. Half and half.

13. Rugby tussles: SCRUMS. Like this.

19. Lang. of Livorno: ITAL.

20. Border Patrol city of the Southwest: YUMA. Also 46. Southwest formation: MESA.

21. Three Rivers river: OHIO.

22. "That's enough!": QUIT IT.

27. Samson's betrayer: DELILAH. My luggage bag is Samsonite. Still sturdy. Been with me since 1995.

28. Pub bud: LAD.

29. Apostle also called Levi: MATTHEW.

30. Habit wearer: NUN.

31. Happy eating word: NOM.

33. Kewpie and kachina: DOLLS.

34. Kings, e.g.: MEN.

42. Not a Crimson fan: ELI. Harvard Crimson.

45. Break-in sound?: AHEM. Guttural break-in.

47. Hawaiian goose: NENE.

48. Prepare to take off, perhaps: UNTIE.

49. Printer function: SCAN.

50. Premier League soccer anchor Rebecca: LOWE. Learning moment for me.

51. Nissan model: SENTRA.

53. Ownership proof: DEED.

54. Suffragist Julia Ward __: HOWE. No idea.

55. Terrible year?: TWOS.

56. Metal containers: TINS.

57. Heart and soul, e.g.: NOUNS. Nice clue.

59. Slapped-on restraints: CUFFS.

60. Cremona Christmas: NATALE. Alliteration.

62. AEC successor: NRC.

63. Beast in a Beatles' title: WALRUS. "I am the Walrus."

64. Iowa summer hrs.: CDT.

71. Land in the Seine: ILE.

72. Try again: RE-HEAR. Try a case.

74. Really irritate: VEX.

75. Bully's words: OR ELSE.

77. Come to __: AN END.

78. Tenth of a grand: C NOTE.

80. Part of a cook's job: PREP. My friend Carmen had to prep a special meal last Thursday. Her step-daughter Xiao Pan got married the next day. Here is Xiao Pan observing some Cantonese ritual: burning incense, offering food to your departed ones, asking for their blessings, etc. Then you can eat the food.

Xiao Pan, 3/14/2019

Xiao Pan and her dad Lao Pan, 3/15/2019

81. Recognized: KNEW.

84. Pacific island nation: FIJI.

85. Winter truck attachment: PLOW.

86. Zoomed past: SPED BY.

88. Unproductive: IDLE.

89. Walked: TROD.

90. "Mean Girls" actress: LOHAN (Lindsay). Used to be a tabloid favorite.

92. Jim Davis canine: ODIE.

93. "The Nutcracker" dip: PLIE.

94. Sad sound: SOB.

99. Himalayan beast: YAK.

100. Until now: AS YET.

101. One of the 91-Down: MET. 91. Citi Field team, on scoreboards: NYM. Tiny dupe.

102. Moving wheels: VAN.

104. Needing bailing out, maybe: IN A SPOT.

107. 60 secs.: MIN.

109. Museum works: FINE ART.

118. Allowing for the possibility that: EVEN IF.

119. With 109-Down, obsession: IDEE. And 109. See 119-Across: FIXE.

120. Hot message: SEXT.

121. Against-the-wind sailing maneuver: TACK.

122. Handy reference: ROGET'S.

123. Springlike, as weather: MILD. Look forward to the spring. Such a long winter.

124. Skip-a-round privileges: BYES.

125. Barrie's bosun: SMEE.

Down:

1. Texas city nickname: BIG D. Dallas.

2. Siouan tribe: OTOE.

3. Interactive Facebook feature: WALL.

4. Diminutive: ELFIN.

5. Roxane's lover: CYRANO. Cyrano de Bergerac.

6. One may come over a crowd: HUSH.

7. Prankster: IMP. Dear Spitzboov!

8. Name of six popes: PAUL.

9. Ballpark staple: HOTDOG.

10. Yellowfin tuna: AHI. Our local Aldi carries Ahi tuna.

11. Three-time Tony winner __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.

12. Daze: FOG.

13. Blew big-time: SQUALLED.

14. In a snippy manner: CURTLY.

15. Falling-outs: RIFTS.

16. Bryce Canyon locale: UTAH.

17. Clock-climbing trio: MICE. Does the clue refer to this nursery rhyme? Never heard of it.

18. Slow cooker dish: STEW.

24. Jewish month after Av: ELUL. Final month of the Jewish calendar. Also 49. Synagogue: SHUL.

25. Hide seeker: TANNER.

26. Appalachian range: SMOKIES.

32. The NCAA's Spartans: MSU.

33. 1971 American Airlines debut: DC-TEN.

34. Ice cream treat: MALT.

35. Self-help website: EHOW.

38. 1936 Literature Nobelist: O'NEILL. Eugene.

39. Vacation home for dogs?: KENNEL. Great clue as well.

40. QBs' concerns: INTS.

41. Bring about: INDUCE.

43. Allowed: LAWFUL.

44. Actually existing: IN ESSE.

51. Word with way or case: STAIR.

52. Wings: ANNEXES.

58. Frodo pursuer: ORC.

59. Psychiatrist Jung: CARL.

61. Spot during a program: TV AD.

63. Reacting to a tearjerker: WEEPY.

64. Skillfully makes: CRAFTS.

65. 2003 AFI Life Achievement Award recipient: DE NIRO.

67. Promise: AVOWAL.

68. Acquire: GET.

69. Kind of skiing: NORDIC.

70. He has the answers: TREBEK. You can beat the odds.

73. Geraint's beloved: ENID.

76. Decide not to attend: SKIP.

78. Intimate with: CLOSE TO. I was very close to Carmen when I worked in Guangzhou. I often went to their home for dinners. Xiao Pan was a shy little girl then. Hope I can see them again someday.

Carmen, Lao Pan, Xiao Pan and Xiao Pan's new husband, 3/15/2019

79. Like seven Nolan Ryan games: NO HIT.

80. Mani mate: PEDI.

82. Lamb pen name: ELIA. Charles Lamb.

83. Common pay period: WEEK.

85. End-of-season games: PLAYOFFS.

87. Shylock's adversary: PORTIA.  "The Merchant of Venice".

95. __ de corps: ESPRIT. Also a big brand in Asia.

96. Filled in: TEMPED.

97. Throws out: EVICTS.

98. Like many basements: DANK.

100. Together: AS ONE.

103. Homes in the woods: NESTS. Birds' needs are so little.

104. Bakery specialist: ICER.

105. Porto-__: Benin's capital: NOVO.

106. Shake __: hurry: A LEG.

108. Accident investigation agcy.: NTSB.

110. Eliot's "__ Bede": ADAM.

111. Track event: RACE.

112. Youngster: TYKE.

114. Edge of a canyon: RIM.

115. Star Wars initials: SDI. Strategic Defense Initiative. Reagan's Star Wars.

116. Smartphone no.: TEL.

117. Ferdinand II of Aragón, por ejemplo: REY.

C.C.

Saturday, March 16, 2019, Samuel A. Donaldson and Eric Agard

Saturday Themeless Puzzle by Samuel E. Donaldson and Eric Agard

Today's celebration involves my passion for rockets and space flight - National Goddard Day. On March 16, 1926, Dr. Robert Goddard launched the first liquid fueled rocket. It burned liquid oxygen and gasoline to lift his crude rocket 41 feet into the air reaching a speed of 60 mph. This pre-flight picture is the only one taken on this historic day as his wife had run out of film in her camera before liftoff

Dr. Goddard paved the way for rockets to go into space, where there is no air to support oxidation, as they carry their own oxygen with them. 

My lesson on space flight always began with the difference between jet flight and space flight where jets need air in the atmosphere for combustion but the rockets carry their own oxygen with them for use in the vacuum of space.

This program shown here was signed on this day in 1965 by General Bernard A. Schriever, USAF, Commander of Air Force Systems Command and Dr. Goddard's widow Esther.

Today's constructors are Samuel E. Donaldson and Eric Agard whose last collaboration I blogged on Cinco de Mayo of last year.

You may remember that earlier this year I blogged a puzzle Erik created with Andy Kravis which had a picture of Erik  recoiling from a pie about to be thrown by Alex Trebek on the Jeopardy set. Erik had created a puzzle that had frustrated the host who is also a big crossword fan. 

The word play on this puzzle was devilish and amazing, e.g. 45. Montana team in the '80s: NINERS - It was Joe Montana not the state!

Triple 10-letter horizontal stacks in the corners (the upper stack more "gettable" than the bottom) and double vertical 10-letter stacks amaze me. 

For Dr. Goddard, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 blast off!

Across:

1. Some halftime performers: MAJORETTES - Talking heads have replaced them on TV

11. Galaxy array: APPS - APPS for your Android phone

15. Home to Gotham City, Metropolis, etc.: DC UNIVERSE - Fictional home for some big comic book characters

16. Persian for "king": SHAH.

17. Technology term from the Greek for "far sight": TELEVISION  “TELEVISION won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night,” Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, 1946.

18. Rhode Island's motto: HOPE - Right on their State Flag

19. Factory problems: RECALLS 

20. Maintained: STATED.

22. Queen who sings, "The cold never bothered me anyway": ELSA - It takes seven seconds to say it

23. Holy one?: TERROR - I have never had a student I would call a Holy TERROR and they are all 54. Hardly a lost cause: CORRIGIBLE.

24. Church marriage notice: BANNS - These used to be in our church bulletin but not any longer

27. Red head of the 20th century: MAO - What? The Chinese leader and not Lucille Ball

29. Cut off: APART - "Isabel stepped away from Joanna and stood APART"

31. Fathom, e.g.: UNIT - Below is as low as you can go in the ocean in fathoms and feet

32. Old-timey proof of purchase: BOXTOP - 25¢ and one Grape-Nuts Flakes box top for this! 

34. Hawaiian for "long": LOA - Moana LOA (Long Mountain) runs for about 74 miles on the Big Island

36. Slangy "Please call": HIT ME UP - My use of this phrase is "It was not good when my relatives HIT ME UP for money"

37. Rough case: BUR - SaneBURS can be a challenge to remove

38. "The More You Know" segment, briefly: PSA - Public Service Announcement - Here's one

39. Tribute opening: A TOAST

40. Green roller: PUTT - Golf courses roll the greens with machines like this so your PUTT will roll nicely

41. "What a tragedy": SO SAD - This befits the horrible flooding that is going on in Eastern Nebraska right now

43. Messenger substance: RNA - Ribonucleic Acid is a frequent visitor

44. Play __: GAMES - Google Play GAMES Services

47. Subject of the 1975 film "Overlord": D-DAY - I better remember The Longest Day

49. Triangular pastry: SAMOSA - One of South Africa’s favorite treats, as popular as bobotie, boerewors and biltong. No, really!

50. Fair treat: CORN DOG - Featured at this Lincoln, NE eatery

53. Walk with effort: PLOD.

57. Pine product: CONE.

58. Jicama or rutabaga: EDIBLE ROOT - Them and more

59. Gets on: AGES.

60. Parts of a bigger picture: SUBSYSTEMS.

Down:

1. Colo. summer setting: MDT and 35. 1-Down part: Abbr.: MTN - MounTaiN Daylight Time

2. Dell alternative: ACER.

3. "Three Coins in the Fountain" composer Styne: JULE - Young Julius Kerwin Stein (he later changed the spelling of the last name and the pronunciation of the first to "Julie") 

4. The slightest change: ONE CENT - Very cute guys!

5. Watterson's Calvin and Susie, at times: RIVALS.

6. What Pandora released: EVILS.

7. Model X maker, before 2017: TESLA MOTORS - Samuel told me via email, 
"I think it’s because “Tesla Motors” formally shortened its name to “Tesla” in February, 2017."

8. "Divergent" heroine __ Prior: TRIS All you need to know

9. Spanish "that": ESO ¡ESO está en rompecabezas muy a menudo! (ESO is in puzzles very often!)

10. Contextual meaning: SENSE 

11. Note near B: A SHARP - A SHARP is a half step below B

12. Facebook upload: PHOTO ALBUM - Sometimes that album is TMI

13. One way to spread the news: PAPER ROUTE - This was a great way for me to learn about responsibility and capitalism

14. Lose: SHED

21. "The Sound of Music" name: TRAPP - These are the kids who played The Trapp Family Singers on Broadway in 1960 appearing on What's My Line. Arlene Francis correctly guessed who they were.

23. Squee-worthy: TOTES ADORBS - These three words will never pass my lips but here ya go: Squee is slang for squeal which is an expression of great joy, TOTES is Totally and ADORBS is Adorable. Thus something that is Squeal-worthy is TOTALLY ADORABLE. Constructor Samuel wrote, "Gary, For better or worse, I think I came up with this clue"

24. Goose __: BUMPS.

25. Snack that doesn't sound very appetizing: ANTS ON A LOG - There are several "ants" surrounding the log  here

26. "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" singer: NINA SIMONE Her Bio

28. Guitarist, slangily: AXMAN - A guitar is called an AX slangily thus... 

30. Wonderland trial evidence: TARTS - Of course, the Knave Of Hearts stole them!

32. Was fooled by the fake: BIT - Several defender "BIT" on these moves

33. Unsafe?: OUT - The baseball umpires decision 

36. Underworld: HADES.

40. Prospector's prize: PAYDIRT - Those 49er's looking for PAYDIRT in California mostly enriched only the suppliers 

42. Cell terminals: ANODES - An interesting way to connect an ANODE and a cathode

44. Sacred Indian river: GANGES.

46. Runs: RACES 

48. Deadpan: DRILY - 20 great ones from the master of deadpan

49. Spot saver?: Abbr.: SPCA - Here, Sally is saving Spot from Dick and Jane not the SPCA

50. Nursery item: CRIB.

51. Wind in a pit: OBOE - Fabulous clue! The OBOE is the wind instrument in the orchestra pit starts everyone off on with an A. (:23)

52. Grab (onto): GLOM.

55. Norfolk sch.: ODU - Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA

56. Search subjects for 100+ yrs.: ETS - Nevada has a good sense of humor about all this

Now you can rocket off to the comment section: