Sunday September 22, 2019 Gary Larson

Theme: - "Film Openings" - Each familiar phrase is re-phrased as if the first word is a film.

22A. Review of a 2013 Disney musical?: FROZEN ACCOUNT.

39A. 1:58 for the duration of a 2016 Amy Adams sci-fi flick?: ARRIVAL TIME.
 
70A. Author of a 1990 Swayze/Moore fantasy romance?: GHOST WRITER.

101A. Box-office receipts for a 1988 Tom Hanks comedy?: BIG BUSINESS.
 
117A. First draft of a 1995 De Niro/Pacino thriller?: HEAT TREATMENT.

16D TV commercial for a 1983 Chevy Chase comedy?: VACATION SPOT.

62D. Pretentious chatter about a 1960 Hitchcock thriller?: PSYCHO BABBLE.

Lots of one-named films. Many are not workable as they can't be put in phrases. Argo, Goodfellas, etc.

Upper left and lower right have triple-stacks of 8s. Very themeless-like. Amazing.

Across:

1. DSL provider: ISP. Ours is CenturyLink.

4. MSNBC rival: CNN.

7. Living room piece: DIVAN.

12. Tennyson poem that begins, "I waited for the train at Coventry": GODIVA.

18. Extreme degree: NTH.

19. Sushi topping: ROE.

20. Saudi neighbor: OMANI.

21. Turkey's highest peak: ARARAT. Noah's Ark landed there.


25. Small shooter: MINICAM. Pic-shooter.

27. Green-winged night flier: LUNA MOTH.

28. Sudden air movement: GUST.

30. Olympic skater Baiul: OKSANA. 70. Medal for 30-Across: GOLD. She won a gold medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

31. Singer with numerically named albums: ADELE. "19," "21" and "25".

32. Vocalist Kitt: EARTHA.

35. Job for an actor: ROLE.

37. Hanoi holiday: TET.

38. Place for a béret: TETE. 63. Leader in a beret: CHE. Guevara.


41. QB's stat: INT.

42. Inventor Otis: ELISHA.

44. Macho guy: MAN'S MAN. Great fill.

45. Reduce bit by bit: ERODE.

47. U.S. Army medal: DSC.

48. Spoke at length: ORATED.

51. George who was VP for both Jefferson and Madison: CLINTON. Wiki says "Along with John C. Calhoun, he is one of two vice presidents to hold office under two presidents". Our local Lake Calhoun, where constructor Andrea Carla Michaels grew up,  is now named Bde Maka Ska. Hard to remember. Calhoun was pro-slavery.

Boomer, Lori, Andrea and Tom Pepper

53. Three-time Oscar-winning director: CAPRA.

54. Stand-in: SUB.

57. Closes securely: SEALS UP.

60. How some stock is sold: AT PAR.

65. Hammock rests: NAPS.

68. Star NFL player: ALL-PRO. And 99. West Coast NFLer: LA RAM.

69. Great, in slang: BOSS. Unfamiliar to me.

73. Many ages: EONS.

74. Prefix with currency or zoology: CRYPTO. Cryptocurrency is such a complex concept.

76. Tool for a duel: EPEE.

77. Pretentious talk: GAS. 78. Pretentious: ARTSY.

79. Events with tea, perhaps: SOCIALS. Cantonese love "Yum Cha", literally "Drink tea". Retired people often go to afternoon tea every day. Chitchat and eat dim sum.

81. Word on a dipstick: ADD.

83. Book IDs: ISBNS.

85. Not easily able: HARD PUT.

88. Expired: RAN OUT.

90. Cassis aperitif: KIR.

93. Performed with brilliance: SHONE.

95. High-spirited horse: ARABIAN.

98. Diva Dion: CELINE.

100. __ mentality: MOB.

104. Sugar bowl marchers: ANTS.

105. Professional org. since 1847: AMA.

106. Sans accomplice: LONE.

107. California wine valley: SONOMA. Also a Kohl's brand.

108. Titled rapper: DR DRE.

109. Immortal NBA first name: LEBRON.

111. Go yachting: SAIL.

113. By birth, what Professor Jones wasn't, surprisingly: INDIANAN. OK, I just found out he was born in Princeton, New Jersey.

115. West African country: LIBERIA.

120. Bordeaux wine: CLARET.

121. Houston player: ASTRO.

122. Host's invitation: SIT.

123. Perceive: SEE.

124. Conger catchers: EELERS.

125. Second-stringers: B TEAM.

126. General on a menu: TSO.

127. Benchmark: Abbr.: STD.

Down:

1. Blew up: INFLATED.

2. Pastries from the German for "whirlpool": STRUDELS. Fixtures at the annual Graybar Christmas luncheon.

3. Like the spelling "kuh-zin" for "cousin," e.g.: PHONETIC.

4. Oreo filling: CREME.

5. Laying-down-the-law item: NO NO.

6. More orderly: NEATER.

7. Holliday title: DOC.

8. Texting qualifier: IMO.

9. Jazz singer Sarah: VAUGHAN. For Wendy and Jack. We just had SARAH clued as "Vaughan of Jazz" two weeks ago.

10. Yearbooks, say: ANNUALS.

11. Tiny complaints: NITS.

12. School of whales: GAM. I only know POD.

13. Brightly plumed songbird: ORIOLE.

14. German thanks: DANKE.

15. Tennessee state flower: IRIS. Our delicate state flowers.

17. Finished: AT AN END.

23. "The Diamond Store": ZALES.

24. Blacken: CHAR.

26. Not a shiny finish: MATTE.

29. Courtroom event: TRIAL.

33. Winter coat: RIME. And 43. Winter coat: HOAR.

34. Super Bowl highlights?: TV ADS.  Sure in our household.

36. Old Dodges: OMNIS.

39. Group lobbying for lower drug prices: AARP.

40. HBO competitor: TMC.

45. Series-ending abbr.: ET AL.

46. Painting aids: ROLLERS.

49. St. Louis landmark: ARCH.

50. Western resort: TAHOE.

52. Within reach: NEAR.

53. Sea in two continents: CASPIAN. Asian & Europe.

55. Single: UNWED.

56. Tavern: BAR.

58. Footed vases: URNS.

59. Ring-around-the-rosy bouquet: POSY.

60. Beginner's class material: ABCS.

61. Corrida opponent: TORO.

64. Debatable ability: ESP.

66. Orwell's Napoleon, for one: PIG. "Animal Farm".

67. Unwanted spot: STAIN. D-Otto uses Spray 'n Wash. Mango stains are not easy to remove.

71. Wonderland drink: TEA.

72. Canadian tank filler: ESSO.

75. Container weight: TARE. A regular in our old Tribute Daily days.

78. Chip in chips: ANTE.

80. New World colonizer: SPAIN.

82. Exhaust: DRAIN.

84. Pittsburgh Pirates nickname: BUCS.

86. Prods: URGES.

87. Keyboard key: TAB.

89. __ Domini: ANNO.

90. Subject of some random acts: KINDNESS. Blessed to have so many kind souls on our blog.

91. Private info-sharing system: INTRANET.

92. Begrudged: RESENTED.

93. Wee: SMALL.

94. Hockey advantage: HOME ICE.

96. Most hectic: BUSIEST. And 103. Least out there: SANEST.

97. Quarantine: ISOLATE.

101. More scrawny: BONIER.

102. Qatari leader: EMIR.

106. Mr. Moto portrayer: LORRE.

108. "Same here": DITTO.

110. Honest-to-goodness: REAL.

112. Queequeg's captain: AHAB.

114. Speaker's spot: DAIS.

116. @ signs: ATS.

118. Musical syllable: TRA.

119. Cruise, for one: TOM. The best Toms are on our blog.

Here are a few photos from Hahtoolah's Capri trip. She said "The water here is crystal clear. Alas, no beaches, but it is great for boating."

Saturday, September 21, 2019, Evan Kalish

Themeless Saturday by Evan Kalish

Today's constructor is our old friend Evan Kalish who has gone "postal" by amassing over 30,000 pictures of post offices at his fun website. You may remember that in this picture Evan is holding a picture of the post office in Yellow Jacket, Colorado.

Evan's comments on today's puzzle: It’s easy to overlook 14-letter entries when constructing themeless crosswords. I thought it would be interesting to create a grid with comparatively few (66) words showcasing a couple of lively 14s in the middle, with “caption contest" being the seed. The grid layout is segmented though still fairly open, which enabled quite a few long, lively answers in the corners (my personal favorite being “I’ll be here!”)

His sixty-six word entry took longer than most for this solver as some fill that looked perfectly fine to me did not get Evan's "stamp" of approval. Hey, you had to see that coming.

Erin definitely did not simply "mail it in" today (enough already!):

Across:

1. Prepared for a shot: TOOK AIM - William Tell had nothing like this!

8. It dropped "Western" from its name in 1997: SAMOA - Not to be confused with American Samoa

13. By design: ON PURPOSE - My pedantic toes curl up when I hear "ON ACCIDENT"

16. Basic: PLAIN.

17. Come to one's senses: SEE REASON.

18. Not level: ATILT - There's this tower in western Italy...

19. Department store section: CARDS 

20. Pacific resort, popularly: CABO - Driving there from my house would involve using the Topolobampo Ferry to cross the Gulf of California

22. Some years ago: ONCE  

23. Like: ALA.

24. Westernmost African capital: DAKAR - The Obamas stand in the infamous "Door Of No Return" where many West African slaves boarded ships from Goree Island just two miles east of DAKAR, Senegal

25. Hardly Mr. Cool: NERD.

26. Commonly crumbled fare: SALTINES.

29. Word on Italian street signs: VIA - The VIAS (streets) on the west and east side of the Pantheon

30. Competition involving pictures: CAPTION CONTEST - The three finalists in The New Yorker Magazine CAPTION CONTEST #675 (and Evan's seed entry)

33. Hometown folks: LOCALS - What About Bob?

34. Portmanteau coin: TOONIE - Because Canada's $1 coin was called a Loonie because it had a Loon on the back, when Canada minted a $2 coin they conjoined Loonie and Two and got a TOONIE.

35. Longtime Warner Bros. output: ANIMATED SHORTS - They produced Looney (not LOONIE) Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that entertained me for hours in my misspent yute and still play well today

39. __ player: DVD - I think we have two somewhere

40. Calm: SERENITY.

41. Legendary Asian: YETI - Legend indeed

43. "War on Peace" author __ Farrow: RONAN - Is his real father Frank Sinatra and not Woody Allen?

44. Network for cinema lovers: TMC - Today's schedule there

47. Homecoming figure: GRAD.

48. Headline: STAR - Who would be the STAR if this facetious poster was for a real event?

49. Pinky __: SWEAR - The Seinfeld made a Pinky SWEAR for "The Contest"

51. Completely lost: AT SEA.

53. Waiting line: I'LL BE HERE - Evan's fav corner entry

55. Imply: GET AT

56. Some of Nixon's Plumbers, formerly: CIA AGENTS - They pulled the "Third Rate Burglary" that brought down a president

57. Simpson of fashion: ADELE -Here ya go!

58. "Aha!": THAT'S IT.


Down:

1. Puccini 3-Down: TOSCA and 3. See 1-Down: OPERA. An interesting way to pair these two

2. Magic star of the '90s: ONEAL - Shaq with a former girlfriend

4. Member of an Iraqi minority: KURD 

5. "Wonder Woman" (2017) villain: ARES - Here ya go!

6. Microbrew option: IPA - A crossword standard 

7. Asti wine grape: MOSCATO - Italian for the French Muscat grape

8. Pampering place: SPA.

9. Brown on the Food Network: ALTON - Sticks and stone may break my bones but names can really slow down my solving


10. Ring centerpiece: MAIN EVENT - This poster was way before Ali was the MAIN EVENT.  It even did 12. Come before: ANTEDATE when he became Ali.

11. Cause of many '70s lines: OIL CRISIS - I remember a former student telling me, "Sorry, Mr. Schlapfer, we're out of gas."

14. Really absorb: SOAK IN 

15. With all judges present, as at a Circuit Court: EN BANC - French for "in bench". 

21. Lower-calorie cookie since 2015: OREO THIN - 13 fewer calories than a regular OREO and 30 fewer than a double-stuff OREO

24. Hardly Hollywood's most wanted: D-LISTERS - Some Hollywood D-LISTERS

26. Filter target: SPAM - The father of a boy I has in class was in charge of the successful popularizing of edible Hormel SPAM in Beijing, China

27. World record?: ATLAS.

28. High-and-mighty sort: SNOOT - He's called a SNOOT because his is up in the air

30. Exchanged for an equivalent: CONVERTED - I still have a €5 note from 13 years ago I have yet to have CONVERTED to dollars

31. Pucker inducer: ACID TASTE

32. Revolutionary-era loyalist: TORY.

33. Super Bowl LI performer: LADY GAGA - Talk about an entrance!

36. Hot: EROTIC - See above

37. View from Anchorage: DENALI - You can see its 46. Peak: CREST in the background, NW across the Knik Arm of The Cook Inlet

38. Warn, watchdog-style: SNARL AT

42. Utopian: IDEAL.

44. Many Beliebers: TEENS 

45. Cuban hero José: MARTI - Here ya go!

49. Dreamcast maker: SEGA - If you're interested

50. Sharpen: WHET - A WHETstone 

52. Had: ATE.

54. "What a terrible idea!": BAH - Ebenezer's opinion of Christmas. "What, you want the day off?"

If you want to, you may mail in your comments from America's smallest post office in Ochopee, Florida (seen below) which of course is in Evan's collection. Or you may simply comment electronically here!

Friday, September 20, 2019, Kathy Wienberg and Lewis Rothlein

Title: Your serve, it is AD OUT.

A new pairing of constructors brings us a different variation on the remove letters theme. I wonder if Kathy and Lewis got together after a crossword tournament encounter? We have a take out two letter theme to allow for an amusing result, clued appropriately. I believe AD has been used before as the basic Bigram of constructors, but no example comes to mind. Of course, my mind has a mind of its own.

While this appears to be a first-time collaboration, it seems to be a seamless effort. Humor and variety. It has some sparkle with
AERIALS, AMASSED, ANNE RICE,  DEERSKIN, PINENUTS and, SOUL FOOD.

Time for the theme.

20A. What included a top hat, for Lincoln?: GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. (15). At 6' 4" tall, Abe made quite the impression at a time when people were shorter.

26A. Unvarnished inventions?: BARE NAKED LADIES (13). It is all lies, but you should get to know this entertaining Canadian group. LINK.



43. Citi Field catcalls?: FLUSHING MEADOWS (13). I love the kitty reference, and the Mets still haven't been the same since they moved into the new park.

53A. Joe-induced speaking clarity?: CAFFEINE ADDICTION.(15). Why is coffee called JOE?
The reveal:
47D. Ubiquitous YouTube button ... and a hint to four long Across answers: SKIP AD. Now it is time to skip to the puzzle.

Across:

1. "... harmony in the motion and magnitude of the __ ... ": Copernicus: ORBS. While Copernicus wrote extensively about orbs and the planets moving around the sun, I believe it was Kepler to whom the quote should be attributed.

5. Out, perhaps: A BED. He got home and he was out like a light.

9. Maintain: CLAIM. I maintain that I am unique in every way.

14. Stable newborn: FOAL. A baby horsie. Though they often aren't that stable in the stable. LINK.

15. Particle in a beam: MOTE. There is so much more to this than I knew - a game Destiny and reading from the Christian Bible as well as what I thought.

16. Lifetime parent: A AND E. One of the most confused and confusing networks. LINK.

17. Asian tourist city: AGRA. Home of the Taj Mahal.

18. Initial game payment: ANTE. Payment is a stretch but it is Friday.

19. Lengthy sentence: RUNON. I love RUNON sentences as has often been pointed out here at the blog both my detractors and my fans who are so kind.

23. Prohibition __: ERA.

24. Support gp. founded under FDR: USO. While the UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS primarily bring to mind Bob Hope, they are so much more.

25. Like Yosemite's El Capitan: SHEER.

31. P&L report column: YTD. Year To Date.

32. Symbol of ease: PIE.

33. Part of a baby's repertoire: COO. This verb is from 1660s, "to utter a low, plaintive, murmuring sound," echoic of doves. Compare, in the same sense, Danish kurre, German girren; also Hindi kuku "the cooing of a dove."

34. Stops lying?: RISES. Great misdirection.

37. One often stands alone in a split: PIN. A quick CSO to Boomer and TTP and a reminder of the unknown to me -PIN OAK.

38. Devote, as time: SPEND.

40. Gp. inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017: ELO.

41. They're often seen on trees: KIN. Hah hah - family trees, not Pin Oaks.

42. Disposed of: ATE.

48. "The Night They Invented Champagne" composer: LOEWE.
A classic movie and SONG.

49. Mentalist Geller: URI.

50. Sch. in Manhattan: KSU. Kansas State University is on the way to Denver.

57. Get around: AVOID.

58. Food stamp?: USDA.

59. 67, for Beethoven's Fifth: OPUS.

60. Invisible turnout?: NOONE.

61. Unlikely: TALL.

62. Olive Oyl's mother: NANA.

63. Wound up: ENDED.

64. Goes after: SUES. Meh.

65. Go around in circles?: EDDY. Whirlpool.


Down:

1. 18 or 21, typically: OF AGE.

2. Court rival of Rafael: ROGER. Nadal and Federer.

3. Bill for shots: BARTAB. Not inoculation.

4. Picket fence piece: SLAT.

5. Assembled: AMASSED.

6. Small chocolate-covered candy: BONBON.  This is what I see

7. Classic accusation: ET TU. Brute.

8. Moccasin leather: DEERSKIN.

9. Asked for ID: CARDED.

10. Victory wreath: LAUREL. I hope it is a Hardy one.

11. Lestat de Lioncourt creator: ANNE RICE. It started here...

12. Promises at the altar: I DOS.

13. YMCA part: MENS.

21. Mongolian tents: YURTS.

22. Butter used to deep-fry samosas:  GHEE. Ghee is a form of highly-clarified butter that is traditionally used in Asian cooking. Like butter, ghee is typically made from cow's milk.


27. Agreement word: AYE. We all missed yesterday's talk like a Pirate Day.

28. Mimicry: APING.

29. Geological time span: EON.

30. Scandinavian roofing material: SOD.

34. Whistle-blower: REF. Cute.

35. Down with the flu: ILL.

36. Deep South cuisine: SOUL FOOD.

37. Pesto ingredients: PINE NUTS. Today is the anniversary of my mother's birth so here is a story. When I bought first house in Gainesville, we had many pine trees and I had learned about the sweet nut inside the pinecones. My mother tasted some and had an immediate anaphylactic reaction. Sorry, Mother Dnaveear.

38. Poker-faced: STOIC.

39. Nave seat: PEW. You find them in the main part of the interior of a church.

41. New Zealand bird: KIWI.

42. Reception aids: AERIALS. I gave up cable and now use an HD antenna.

44. 1959 Fiestas hit: SO FINE. I hope you like it.

45. Followed: HEEDED.

46. Confused mess: MUDDLE. This is late Middle English (in the sense ‘wallow in mud’)

51. Squeak or creak: SOUND. Rhyme time.

52. Take back: UNSAY.

53. Prop for Chaplin: CANE.

54. The Bard's river: AVON. Finally, our Shakespeare!

55. Biblical hunter: ESAU. Jacob was a farmer, Esau a hunter.

56. Atmosphere: TONE.

I am worn out with all the music links I have followed. Hope you had a good time and welcome autumn. Also, I am dedicating this write up to my mother, may she rest in peace. Thank  you, Kathy and Lewis, see you again.

Thursday, September 19th 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Squeaky Clean - who's washing your dishes?

17A. Tall display of dishwashing liquid?: IVORY TOWER.

27A. Global donation of dishwashing liquid?: JOY TO THE WORLD.

42A. Rock band's preferred dishwashing liquid?: DAWN OF THE DEAD. The Grateful Dead.

57A. Using dishwashing liquid in the shower?: SUN-BATHING.

A quiet sashay down Aisle 11 in the grocery store and dish washing options galore. I use Palmolive, so I was not represented here. Simple enough theme, but nicely done. As always, Jeffrey pays attention to the fill and makes sure there's nothing clunky to make you wince. Some nice longer downs as always - Jeffrey and C.C seem to be masters at that aspect of construction.

Across:

1. Barista's concoction: BLEND. I started on the wrong foot here with LATTE, and I still think it's a more appropriate answer to the clue. Baristas don't blend the coffee, they brew whatever beans are blended for them.

6. Domino dots: PIPS.

10. Rotating rod: SPIT. Barbecue! Food!

14. Construction rod: REBAR.

15. Square __: ROOT.

16. Skirt with a flounce: TUTU.

19. MiG developer: USSR. In an oddly non-Soviet personal recognition move, in 1939 the USSR named the MiG fighter airplane for its developers - Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich.

20. Wee: TINY.

21. Soy sauce taste: UMAMI. The fifth "taste" - salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami - savory or meaty. When I need an umami "bomb" to season a casserole, for example, I go with a mixture of soy sauce, anchovy paste and Marmite.

22. Sleuth of radio, movies and TV: CHAN. Jackie.

23. Sitcom star from Melmac: ALF. Crosses all the way, this series passed me by.

25. Sticker: DECAL.

32. Set in a golf bag: IRONS. Arnold Palmer was once asked what he did if he was caught in a lightning storm when he was out on the golf course. He responded "I walk down the fairway and hold a one-iron high in the air". When asked if that was wise, he told the interviewer "Yes, even God can't hit a one-iron".

34. TV exec Arledge: ROONE. Head of ABC Sports and later ABC News.

35. Barcelona bear: OSO.

36. Short dog, for short: PEKE.

37. Or so: ABOUT.

38. 1956 crisis site: SUEZ. A kerfuffle over a canal.

39. Chest-beating beast: APE.

40. Darts: FLITS.

41. Slow, to Ravel: LENTE. Here's a great excuse to revisit one of the great performances in Ice Dance from 1984 - Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean interpret Ravel's Bolero. The dance won them the Gold medal at both the 1984 Olympic Games and the World Championships.

45. "Supergirl" actor Jon: CRYER. He's most famous, I think, for his role in "Two and a Half Men".

46. It can be thin but not fat: AIR.

47. Glance through: SKIM.

48. Goaded, with "on": EGGED.

52. Seed used in smoothies: CHIA. Do the pets get smoothied too?

56. "O brawling love! O loving __!": Romeo: HATE. A tad conflicted, was our boy Romeo:

“Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O any thing, of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity,

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.”

59. "__ that a lot": I GET.

60. One likely to snap: CRAB. I've just finished the latest season of "Deadliest Catch". Those king crab are snappy little buggers, steer well clear.

61. Spree: BINGE.

62. Like everything in a she shed: HERS. Is a "she shed" really a thing? I've only encountered the expression on a rather lame insurance company commercial.

63. Ballpark figure: OUTS.

64. Aconcagua's range: ANDES. 22,841 feet and the highest mountain outside Asia.

Down:

1. Pram pusher: BRIT. A baby carriage, more formally a "perambulator".

2. Son of Leah: LEVI.

3. Black, to a bard: EBON.

4. Zero, quaintly: NARY A ONE.

5. Martini specification: DRY. The only way, in my book. Ice, gin (NOT vodka!). Shaken. Glass. Twist. Drink.

6. Dance with a queen: PROM. Nice clue, it took a while for me to see this.

7. Captain Kirk's home state: IOWA. We learn something every day.

8. Common greeting card content: POEM.

9. Far from soothing: STRIDENT.

10. Masonry finish: STUCCO.

11. Bully: PUSH AROUND.

12. "Everything's ready to go!": IT'S ALL SET!

13. Chance at the spinner: TURN. Wheel of Fortune? There are some grand "Wheel" bloopers, some of which are not fit for a family publication. I'll leave it at that.

18. Clump of dune grass: TUFT.

24. Fleur-de-__: LYS. Finally - I got my LIS/LYS mojo. Nailed it!

26. Baa ma: EWE.

27. One whose work is laughable: JOKE WRITER.

28. Heavenly path: ORBIT.

29. Gear bit: TOOTH.

30. Word with hot or dog: HOUSE.

31. Zonk out: DOZE.

32. Tablet with Air, Pro and Mini models: IPAD.

33. Update the look of, as a product: REPACKAGE.

37. Like some bistros: AL FRESCO.

38. 1957 Coasters chart-topper with the refrain "Gonna find her": SEARCHIN'. Crosses, but solid. No real problem.

40. Opponent: FOE.

41. Fragrant chain: LEI.

43. MLB team with Mr. and Mrs. mascots: N.Y. METS. Crosses, but solid. I think this might be the refrain of the day for me.

44. Duchamp genre: DADA. Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí play chess:

47. __ Tzu: SHIH.

49. Trusted advisor: GURU.

50. Pesky bug: GNAT.

51. Goes back: EBBS.

53. Rear: HIND.

54. "Picnic" playwright: INGE. Crosses, but solid, here we go again. A 1953 play by William Inge which, I suspect, would be long forgotten except it was the Broadway debut for Paul Newman.

55. Forever: AGES.

58. Placeholder abbr.: T.B.A. To Be Advised.

I'm going to give the rest of this blog over to the cryptic puzzle which appeared in the UK's Guardian broadsheet last Thursday while I was in the UK - the top and bottom rows spell out a quite forthright political opinion. I encourage you to read the resulting article and click the interview with the constructor, who is also a heart surgeon. (Puzzles in the Guardian and Telegraph are published under a pseudonym, the Times puzzles are published anonymously).

And now here's the grid in all its glory:

Steve

Wednesday September 18, 2019, Peter A. Collins

Theme:  AT ANY RATE. Each theme answer is the name of a hit song, the first word of which can be used to rate quality.

18. #1 hit for Jerry Lee Lewis: GREAT BALLS OF FIRE. Released in 1957, and also a 1989 film.

28. #1 hit for the Beach Boys: GOOD VIBRATIONS.

49. #1 hit for Johnny Rivers: POOR SIDE OF TOWN.

 

64. #1 hit for Jim Croce: BAD BAD LEROY BROWN.

Melissa here. I'm impressed with this GREAT theme - two grid-spanners and two near-grid spanners, and ALL hit songs. I wonder which was the seed - perhaps Peter A. Collins will pop in and enlighten us.

Across:

1. Starbucks orders, casually: JAVAS. Java is often used interchangeably with "coffee," although technically, it refers to arabica coffee beans of plants grown in Java, Indonesia that produce a usually full-bodied coffee of low to medium acidity. Now you know.

6. Carnival staples: RIDES. The first thing that popped into my head was cotton candy, so I was looking for some kind of food treat.

11. Chance: SHOT. Take one.

15. Perform better than: OUTDO.

16. Scandal-plagued energy company: ENRON.

17. Witness' promise: OATH. "To witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says."

21. Squealed on the bad guys: SANG.

22. Oscar winner Kazan: ELIA. Kazan won directing Oscars for 1947's Gentleman's Agreement and On the Waterfront, the 1954 film that starred Marlon Brando, and a controversial Special Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1999. There are lots of good movies about the Hollywood Blacklist.

23. Lemonlike fruit: CITRON.

24. Grocery chain with a red-and-white logo: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance.

26. Like the Ninja Turtles: MUTANT.

33. Vornado product: FAN. Never heard of this brand - logo similar to above.

34. Landscaping tree: PIN OAK. See here.

35. Peter was the first one: POPE.

37. Application: USE.

38. Federal retirement org.: SSA. Social Security Administration.

39. Couple of million?: ELS. Two L's.

42. Farm food: HAY.

43. Justice __ Bader Ginsburg: RUTH. Appointed by President Clinton and took the OATH of office on August 10, 1993. Health update.

45. Get going: BESTIR. Not sure I've heard this word before - tricky,

48. Have bills: OWE.

53. "Let's get together": MEET ME.

54. Best-liked, briefly: FAV.

55. Kite carrier: BREEZE.

58. Italy's Villa d'__: ESTE. So pretty.

60. One of 12 on a die: EDGE. Another tricky one.

67. Brit's kitchen floor: LINO. British LINO is same as American LINOleum.

68. Abates: EASES.

69. Threw in: ADDED.

70. Dispatch, as a dragon: SLAY.

71. Oboist's supply: REEDS.

72. Hired thugs: GOONS.

Down

1. Easy runs: JOGS.

2. General feeling: AURA.

3. Dodge Viper engine: V-TEN.

4. Slowly, in music: ADAGIO.

5. Drunkard: SOT.

6. Genuine: REAL.

7. Undecided: IN LIMBO. Interesting. The word is of Teutonic origin, meaning “border” or “anything joined on.”

8. Advice giver on SiriusXM Radio: DR. LAURA. Had no idea she was still on the air.

9. Canon camera named for a dawn goddess: EOS. Hm. Well ... Eos was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, but the Canon EOS stands for Electro-Optical System.

10. Winter vehicle on treads: SNO CAT.

11. Convertible type: SOFT TOP.

12. Tiny margin of victory: HAIR. Haha.

13. Another, in España: OTRO.

14. "__ what?": THEN.

19. One of a pair of cartoon slackers: BEAVIS.

20. It's over in France: FINI.

25. National econ. stats: GDPS. Gross domestic products.

27. Grow fond of: TAKE TO.

28. Go from E to F?: GAS UP.

29. __ a customer: ONE TO.

30. "Soon": IN A BIT.

31. Emphatic word of refusal: NOHOW. Didn't realize this was one word.

32. What salmon do upstream: SPAWN.

33. Stole from a coat store?: FUR. Very clever. Shawl, wrap, stole, scarf - what's the difference?

36. __ contact: EYE.

40. River through Dublin: LIFFEY. Flows through Dublin.

41. Span. miss: SRTA. Señorita. 

44. Neighborhood pal, in slang: HOMEBOY.

46. Attorney general under Ronald Reagan: ED MEESE.

47. Blows one's stack: SEES RED.

50. Mohammad __ Pahlavi: last shah of Iran: REZA. Perped.

51. Farm contraption: SEEDER. Used to plant seeds for beans, cotton, rice, wheat, canola and many types of vegetables.

52. Engage in to excess: OVERDO.

55. OPEC units: BBLS. Barrels. One barrel equals 42 US gallons

One barrel equals 42 US gallons

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/barrel-bbl.html

One barrel equals 42 US gallons

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/barrel-bbl.html

One barrel equals 42 US gallons

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/barrel-bbl.html

56. Mass transit option: RAIL.

57. Barry Humphries alter ego Dame __: EDNA. Australian comedian.

59. Mix, as salad: TOSS.

61. Extinct bird: DODO.

62. __ Stacy: Spider-Man love interest: GWEN.

63. They might be loose or tight: ENDS.

65. Ka __: southernmost Big Island point: LAE. The area is also known for its strong ocean currents and winds and is the home of a wind farm.

66. Purse: BAG.