Monday August 10, 2020 Rob Gonsalves & Jennifer Lim

Theme: DOUBLE BOOK (62. Reserve twice in error, as an airline seat ... or a hint to the two-part answers to starred clues). Book can follow both parts of each theme entry.

17. *Often-digital commentary for a museum tour: AUDIO GUIDE. Audio book. Guide book.

23. *List of incoming and outgoing calls: PHONE RECORD. Phone book. Record book.

40. *Sunday liquor-buying ban, e.g.: BLUE LAW. Blue book. Law book.

 

51. *Experience section in a résumé: WORK HISTORY. Workbook. History book.

Boomer here.  

I remember in the Army, if we were out on the town or in the Top 5 club, when ready to leave we would say I have to BOOK.  However, I am not leaving, let's see what I can do and Happy Monday!!

Across:

1. Eyes, to a poet: ORBS.  You're a poet  and you don't know it but your eyes show it, they're ORBS.

5. Got together for lunch, say: MET UP.  A New York NLer comes to the plate.

10. Animal pouches: SACS.  Not the 5th Avenue kind.

14. "Check this out!": LOOK.  A magazine and competitor with Life.  I believe it stopped publication around early 1970s.

15. Big Apple restaurateur: SARDI.

16. Come again?: ECHO.  We have no big canyons in Minnesota that produce an ECHO.

19. Tiny bit of matter: ATOM.  Or A Dick or Harry.

20. Italian scooter: VESPA.  These were great!  About a 50 CC motor that would maybe give you 30 miles per hour.  I never owned one and have not seen one in awhile, but I think they are still around. 

21. Upper bod muscle: PEC.

22. Fairway warning: FORE.  I think this started in Scotland probably something Bryson has to holler a lot.

27. "Indochine" Oscar nominee Catherine: DENEUVE.

30. __-mo replay: SLO.

31. Country in a Beatles song: USSR.  "You don't know how lucky you are."  So sang the Beatles.  I have no idea what they were singing about.

32. Wheel shaft: AXLE.  When I was a kid, TV had "Axel's Treehouse"  starring Clellan Card.  He did a tremendous rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" In a Norwegian accent.

35. Second or sixth president: ADAMS.  There is a trivia question that I think I have seen on Jeopardy about "Who is the wife of one president and the mother of another?"  Of course John's wife Abigail was the correct answer but Jeopardy ignored Barbara Bush.

39. __ Bo: exercise method: TAE.

42. "I'm unimpressed": MEH.

43. State flower of New Mexico: YUCCA.  Some look rather pretty, but some look like a bale of hay.

45. Nostradamus, e.g.: SEER.  Yeah Right!  He never predicted any of the Super Bowl winners.  I wonder how he would do in Las Vegas if he were alive today.

46. Nevada slots spot: RENO. Or maybe in RENO.  By the way, the National USBC Bowling Tournament in Reno has been cancelled this year. I have been to five of them, cashed in only one.  The USBC likes to alternate between Las Vegas, Reno, and then maybe another city.  Believe it or not, I bowled it once in Billings, Montana.  It has not been to St. Paul, Minnesota since the 1960s.

47. Add-__: extras: ONS.

49. Fruit with milk: COCONUT.  I like the shredded stuff in the Mounds bar.  Of course I am not allowed to eat those anymore.

55. Classic clown: BOZO.

56. Rainbow shape: ARC. "Why are there so many songs about Rainbows, and what's on the other side."  (Kermit)

57. "Holy smokes!": EGADS.

61. Victor's cry: I WON.

65. Cat lives count, so they say: NINE.  Innings in a baseball game, or sometimes more, and sometimes seven this year.

66. Occur as a result: ENSUE.

67. Liking a lot: INTO.  So, you folks are INTO Crosswords, I am INTO Bowling. In 2021 it looks like.

68. Bug spray ingredient: DEET.  This is nasty stuff.

69. Flopping at a comedy club: DYING. I am known to give a short act at the Graybar retirees reunion each year. I am not dying, they keep asking me back.  Most people know that Alexander Graham Bell invented a phone and reached the patent office just a few minutes before Elisha Gray, co-founder of Graybar. Bell suggested that his invention be answered "AHOY" while Elisha suggested that his phone be answered "Good morning, Graybar!"

70. Swerve: VEER.

Down:

1. Norse royal name: OLAV.

2. Rakish sort: ROUE.

3. Physiques, briefly: BODS.  Watched Bryson DeChambeau playing in the PGA over the weekend.  I only have a 32 inch set.  His BOD does not fit in it.

4. Ship's captain: SKIPPER.  The boss of Gilligan.

5. Flavor-enhancing abbr.: MSG.

6. Water in the Seine: EAU.  "The Seine, The Seine, when will I again meet her there, greet her there on the moonlit banks of EAU CLAIRE."  The Kingston Trio, except the part that I made up.

7. Balderdash: TRIPE.  I think it's what's left after cleaning fish.

8. Organ with milk: UDDER.  If you cannot get milk out of one, try the UDDER one.

9. Jigsaw puzzle parts: PIECES.  I used to love spending time on Jigsaw puzzles.  My favorite was one of 1000 pieces that had about 1000 baseball cards that are older than me.

10. "Surf" served with "turf": SEAFOOD.  I guess it's Canadian lake food but our grocery had a sale on frozen Walleye.  Great with wild rice!

11. Kristen Bell or Kristen Stewart: ACTOR.  Or maybe ACTRESS?

12. A major, for one: CHORD.  Never learned to play anything.  Only sang while others played CHORDS.

13. Vague amount: SOME.

18. Waikiki's island: OAHU.

24. Egg-shaped: OVAL.  Golf ball after Tiger Woods hits it.

25. Focal point: NEXUS.

26. Lobster's weapon: CLAW.  Baron Von Raschke's sleeper hold.  A lot of people think that pro wrestling is fake but I know it's real.

27. Responsibility: DUTY.

28. Jacob's biblical twin: ESAU.  Jacob sold his birthright to Esau for a bowl of stew.  When I found out that's all it is worth, I decided to keep mine. 

29. Tiny part of a min.: N SEC.  Nanu Nanu, Mork from Ork.

33. __ Scoresby, Lin-Manuel Miranda's "His Dark Materials" role: LEE.

34. Choose by ballot: ELECT.  Coming Soon.

36. Prayer ending: AMEN.  I am still not asked to Mass.  Too old and too sick.

37. File, Edit or Help: MENU.

38. Jigger at the bar: SHOT.  Ours in Minnesota are still open.  Lots of rules.

40. Place for deposits: BANK.  I remember years ago I used to bank at a "Savings and Loan".  Not sure what happened to them.  Banks have more features but we also use a Credit Union.

41. Suffix with buck: AROO.  Buck or how about Kang.

44. Small crown: CORONET.

46. Colorful mnemonic: ROYGBIV.

48. Like a picnic area under a tree: SHADED.  And by a lake, at least 6 feet away from anyone else.

50. Canadian native: CREE.

51. Surprised cry: WOWIE.

52. Endangered layer: OZONE.

53. O. Henry hallmark: IRONY.  Oh Henry is a candy bar.

54. "Pardon me," in Parma: SCUSI.

55. Tie tightly: BIND.

58. Top-of-the-line: A ONE.  "and A TWO". Lawrence Welk.

59. Shower attention (on): DOTE.

60. Hershey toffee bar: SKOR.  I have never had one but I think Hershey copied Butterfinger.

63. Hamburger holder: BUN.  I remember when Burgers at McDonald's were 15 cents.  And that's the truth.  Edith Ann.

64. Relay race segment: LEG.  I have two but can no longer race.

Boomer

Sunday August 9, 2020 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Opening Act" - The opening part of each before/after phrase is a rock band.

 23A. Appreciative freeloaders?: GRATEFUL DEADBEATS.

37A. World conference participants?: TALKING HEADS OF STATE.

65A. "There's snowplace like home" or "I only have ice for you"?: COLD PLAY ON WORDS.

74A. Writing that's both flowery and thoughtful?: DEEP PURPLE PROSE. Not familiar with this band.

102A. Time anticipated by environmentalists?: GREEN DAY OF RECKONING.
 
123A. Bad dream about Cerberus?: THREE DOG NIGHTMARE.

Very consistent. All multi-word rock bands.

Only six theme entries. But they're all super long and takes up lots of space.

Across:

1. Savvy: SHREWD. Consonant-rich.

7. Degrees for corp. execs: MBAS.

11. Grates on: GALLS.

16. Couples' refuge?: ARK. Good old clue.

19. Come to a boil: SEETHE.

20. __ of office: OATH.

21. They have Mystery and Birthday Cake varieties: OREOS. So what's the flavor in the Mystery version?

22. It's tipped in a parlor: CUE.

26. English cathedral town: ELY.

27. Early mobile home?: TEPEE. Fun clue.

28. Merged telecom co.: GTE.

29. Brie coverings: RINDS.

30. Poems that glorify: ODES.

31. Entrust, as authority: DELEGATE.

35. Little bitty bits: ATOMS.

43. Platte River valley native: PAWNEE.

45. Spherical opening?: HEMI. Hemispherical.

46. Crews of "America's Got Talent": TERRY.

47. "__ something I said?": IS IT.

48. __ set: DESK.

52. Bad way to come on: STRONG.

56. Garfield's foil: ODIE.

57. 1993 Oscar nominee Rosie: PEREZ. For "White Men Can't Jump". She was on "Jeopardy!".

59. Longtime SeaWorld star: SHAMU.

61. Proof of ownership: DEED.

63. 'Neath opposite: O'ER.

64. Taco topping: SALSA.

69. FedEx alternative: UPS.

71. NFL's Gronk and others: TES. Tight Ends.

72. Special __: OPS.

73. Vietnam holiday: TET. February 12, 2021. Same day as Chinese Spring Festival.

80. Sketch starter: ETCH A.

84. U.K. locale: EUR.

85. Tolstoy title name: ANNA. "Anna Karenina". Such a complicated novel.

86. Goofs around: IDLES.

87. B in chemistry: BORON. Chemical symbol. 94. #30 on a table: ZINC.

88. Spare tire, perhaps: FLAB.

90. "Nausea" novelist: SARTRE.

93. Court cry: OYEZ.

95. Grade: MARK.

96. Sunset dirección: OESTE. And  134. Dakota del Norte, por ejemplo: ESTADO. And 106. Grado de examen perfecto: CIENTO.

98. Fictional captain with the middle name Tiberius: KIRK.

100. Hebrew prophet: ISAIAH.

109. Time-honored words: ADAGE.

110. It may be requested before a sentence: LENIENCE. How's different from "leniency"?

111. Much junk mail: SPAM.

114. WWI battle river: SOMME.

116. Time of preparation: EVE.

117. Take effect: SET IN.

122. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr.: UAR. United Arab Republic.

127. USMA part, briefly: MIL.

128. Beloved 1981 bride: DIANA.

129. Memo letters: ATTN.

130. Silver State NFLer: RAIDER. Starting this year. Las Vegas Raiders.

131. Sign of a hit: SRO. Standing Room Only.

132. Bier holder: STEIN.

133. Aussie hoppers: ROOS.

Down:

1. Marines NCO: SSGT.

2. "Over __!": HERE.

3. Gather: REAP.

4. Major suffix: ETTE. Majorette. And 30. Bony prefix: OSTEO. And 54. Prefix with con: NEO.

5. Cajole: WHEEDLE.

6. Rapper Mos __: DEF.

7. Like lava: MOLTEN.

8. Troublemaker: BAD EGG.

9. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE.

10. Doo-wop syllable: SHA.

11. Silk Road desert: GOBI. Their houses are called YURTS.

12. Big sporting spots: ARENAS.

13. Bring about: LEAD TO.

14. Much: LOTS OF.

15. Sound from a flat: SSS.

16. Breezed through: ACED.

17. __ of thumb: RULE.

18. Florida attraction: KEYS.

24. Hybrid citrus: UGLI.

25. Fantasized: DREAMT.

32. Just managed, with "out": EKED.

33. "This is so relaxing!": AHH.

34. Gets ready to drive: TEES UP. And 38. Pays to play: ANTES UP.

36. Winter setting in the Rockies: Abbr.: MST.

37. Show off a new outfit, say: TWIRL

39. Film set VIP: DIR.

40. Passion: ARDOR.

41. Gave it a whirl: TRIED.

42. Watchful ones: EYERS.

43. Lollapaloozas: PIPS.

44. In the Black?: ASEA.

49. Top row keyboard key: ESC.

50. Had success on the links: SHOT PAR.

51. Clark Kent, on Krypton: KALEL.

53. Post-Trojan War epic: ODYSSEY.

55. Fellow: GENT.

58. Frank of avant-garde rock: ZAPPA.

60. Whse. inventory: MDSE.

62. Geeky sort: DWEEB.

66. Voldemort's title: LORD.

67. Skating gold medalist Ohno: APOLO.

68. Certain footrest: OTTOMAN.

70. Pacific Division NBA team: SUNS.

74. Clear, as a windshield: DEFOG.

75. Calculus pioneer: EULER.

76. Clear the board: ERASE.

77. Genetic material: RNA.

78. Curie or Cardin: PIERRE.

79. Houston-to-Miami dir.: ESE.

81. Restaurant critic Claiborne: CRAIG. Not familiar to me.

82. Raised-chair dance: HORA.

83. Sarcophagus symbol: ANKH.

89. Second-stringers: B TEAM.

91. Ring ref's decision: TKO.

92. Ransacked: RIFLED.

97. Last word, say: END.

99. Author Kesey: KEN. I watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" ages ago. Very strange.

101. Tabasco time-outs: SIESTAS.

103. Brit's rats?: DASH IT. "rats!".

104. Greek markets: AGORAE.

105. Mocha native: YEMENI.

107. Bacon and Smith: KEVINS.

108. 10 C-notes: ONE G.

111. Adding results: SUMS.

112. Couple: PAIR.

113. 1968 self-named folk album: ARLO.

115. Have in mind: MEAN.

118. Send out: EMIT.

119. "Done!": TA DA. See my cucumber? I've harvested 14 this year. I'm a Joann wanna-be.

120. Ticked off: IRED.

121. Roman ruler of ill repute: NERO.

123. NFL scores: TDS.

124. Dinghy mover: OAR.

125. Muscle car in a '60s hit: GTO.

126. Where Charlemagne reigned: Abbr.: HRE.

C.C.

Saturday, August 8, 2020, Peter A. Collins

Themeless Saturday by Peter A. Collins

Today's constructor has 113 NYT puzzles published and many in other venues. He has been a math teacher in the Ann Arbor, Michigan school system since 1980 and  is now the department head at Huron Public High School in that city.

Peter was kind enough to offer these thoughts about himself and this puzzle:

Hi Gary,

I moved this over to my non-public school email.  Someday I might retire and when that happens, the other address will go up in a puff of smoke.

Thanks for reaching out.  I'd be happy to share my thoughts on my 8/8 LA Times puzzle, and a bit about myself.    

As you may or may not know, I submitted answers to an interview on the Crossword Corner site back in 2011.  Here's the link:

https://crosswordcorner.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-with-peter-collins.html

I'm still a high school math teacher in Ann Arbor, about to start my 41st year (albeit virtually).  I also still teach at the University of Michigan in the summer.  I'm still married with four daughters, but now we have two grandsons as well.  We're fortunate that everyone is still local, so we get to see the family a lot.

The seeds of this themeless puzzle were the two grid-spanning Across entries -- MOVING THE NEEDLE  and GOING OFF THE GRID.  From there it was just a matter of trying to keep the fill lively and the crosswordese to a minimum.  Looking back on it, I like most of the longer entries -- GOT MARRIED, MILLER LITE, MR ROGERS, MINIMART, I DIDN'T DO IT, LAID IT ON, SEVEN HILLS, and RON SANTO.  I think entries like ROKU can help keep a puzzle feeling a little more current -- for those who have no idea who RON SANTO was.

I always enjoy working with Rich and Patti, and I hope you found this puzzle a fun diversion in these strange times.

- Pete Collins.

Now let's see what this former Michigan Wolverine, now a Huron High River Rat,  has for us today:

Across:

1. Snatch, with "onto": GLOM - A few months ago many people tried to GLOM on to as much TP as they could

5. Low dams: WEIRS - A WEIR on the Russian River in Alaska used for a fish census

10. Party lineup: DIPS - Hopefully not the people you invited but sauces to enhance the flavor of your chips

14. Renaissance painter Guido: RENI and 2. "Blade Runner 2049" actor Jared: LETO - The E for R_NI crossing L_TO was my last fill

15. Terse denial: AM NOT - Ah, echoes of the playground 

16. Classic concert halls: ODEA - Plural for an ODEUM like this

17. Letters followed by a colon: ATTN.

18. Joined a union: GOT MARRIED - Fun cluing, Pete!

20. Making a noticeable difference: MOVING THE NEEDLE - like casting 36. 2019 Tom Hanks role: MR ROGERS.

22. Scrap: MELEE.

23. Hoot?: DAMN - As in Give a ___

24. Borgia who was the son of Pope Alexander VI: CESARE - Is said to be the inspiration for Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince

Machiavelli                          Borgia

27. Was effusive with flattery: LAID IT ON and 47. Full of smarm: OILY.- Nobody did it better than Eddie Haskell

31. Last Olds made: ALERO.

32. Harry's love: GINNY - Last Sunday we had his owl 

33. Translate, perhaps: DUB - I remember watching Who's The Boss DUBBED into Italian in Venice late one night

34. G.I. component: Abbr.: GOVT - Government Issue

35. 39-Across numbers: CENTS and 39. It's often on a tag: PRICE.

36. Homer Simpson's mom: MONA - Either you knew this or you're like me

37. "... __ the set of sun": "Macbeth": ERE - If Wyatt Earp had lived in 17th century England, "Receiveth out of town ERE sundown, you poisonous bunch-backed toad!"

38. "Treasure Island" pirate Billy: BONES - "A habitual drunkard, Billy BONES terrorizes the customers of the Benbow with his swearing, singing and general bullying"

40. Hall of Fame third baseman who spent 14 seasons with the Cubs: RON SANTO - His rookie card can fetch over $100 or perhaps you could 42. Trade: BARTER like C.C. and Boomer would

43. Sting, say: HURT.

44. En __: on a streak, in slang: FUEGO - Dan Patrick's catch phrase

46. Not staying connected, in a way: GOING OFF THE GRID.

52. Bud competitor: MILLER LITE.

53. Frankfurt article: EINE - How 'bout six minutes of EINE Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music)

54. For-care connector: ALL I

55. Trucking allowances: TARES - (5) below 

56. Big name in streaming players: ROKU - Here ya go!

57. Skin malady: CYST.

58. Hägar's hound: SNERT.

59. Indirect contributor to Achilles' vulnerable spot: STYX - Achilles' mother Thetis dipped her son in the river STYX to protect him but...

Down:

1. What "g" might mean: GRAM - Mass to this physics guy

3. Airing: ON TV.

4. Quick-stop shop: MINI MART.

5. Many a golfer's pre-swing move: WAGGLE - If you're a golfer, you probably know this movie and waggling actor (*if not, the answer is below)

6. Avoid being flat?: EMOTE.

7. At great risk: IN THE LINE OF FIRE - She was a good sport about getting caught IN THE LINE OF FIRE

8. 26-Down's city: ROME and 26. 8-Down feature: SEVEN HILLS - Here they are

9. Subs: STAND INS - Reese Witherspoon's

10. Musical start: DO RE MI.

11. Innocent response: I DIDN'T DO IT - The Alcatraz theme song

12. Take (off): PEEL.

13. "The Sweetest Taboo" singer: SADE - A very nice song by an artist whose name (shaw DAY) comes from her mother's home country of Nigeria 

19. Good to go: READY.

21. "Quo Vadis" role: NERO - A 1951 role for Peter Ustinov set in the Seven Hills of Rome

24. Blazer or Cav: CAGER and 30. Blazer or Cav: NBAER.A Portland or Cleveland pro basketball CAGER (basketball player). A twofer for Pete!

25. Ecuadoran province once famous for its gold: EL ORO - Now famous for exporting bananas

28. Word with red or army: ANTS.

29. Beverage unit: OUNCE.

32. Refined chap: GENT.

35. Twists: CONTORTS.

38. Canal craft: BARGE - A BARGE on cwd favorite Erie canal in 1919 ("Low bridge, everybody down!")

39. Document part: PAGE.

41. Bright, as a patio: SUNLIT.

42. Urgent request: BEHEST - Godfather - Senator to Willi Cici, "You kill people at the BEHEST of your superiors?"

45. Say: UTTER 

46. Ally Financial Inc., once: GMAC - Okay

48. Eggy dessert: FLAN.

49. Cut-up: RIOT.

50. Black: INKY - We had INK SACS Wednesday

51. First French prime: DEUX - DEUX est le premier nombre premier en français (Two is the first prime number in French)

Explanation of this Schrödinger puzzle below made by Pete. He said he started it when he saw  FRANK SINATRA and ELVIS PRESELY had the same number of letters and he worked for it over the years until it fell into place.

Comment at will or at Pete!

*That golfing waggler is Ted Knight as Judge Smails in Caddyshack 

Friday, August 7, 2020, Chuck Deodene

Title: Not easy to define

This is our 8th puzzle from Chuck, and my 5th time blogging his work. Chuck began making puzzles in the '90s with his first 33 publications in the NYT. His last appearance here was in 2019 on a Wednesday where I was pinch-hitting. We have had a number of "one word is the clue for the theme answers" puzzles before, but MONITOR made this effort unique. It can't be a spoiler to mention that the four grid spanning answers are all clued that way. I was surprised to learn that MONITOR had never been a clue in the LAT! Until today. It has only been used twice in the NYT, both in the '90s, and once in USA Today. I also still remember the story from the Civil War of the first battle of two ironclad warships. The Union Monitor, and the Rebel Merrimack (rechristened Virginia). HISTORY.

With 60 spaces committed to 4 answers, there was not much room for long sparkly fill, but we are treated to E-TAILED, SPATULA, BRIDGE TOLL, and LONG MEMORY, my favorite. It reminds me of the amazing phenomenon of a wife's ability to never forget a transgression, yet always needing help to find the keys. I have again highlighted in red the two entries that make their crossword puzzle debut.

Theme:

17A. Monitor: OLD WORLD REPTILE (15). They are now roaming here in FLORIDA.

26A. Monitor: HALLWAY OVERSEER (15). The human type of monster, at times.

46A. Monitor: COMPUTER DISPLAY (15). A CSO to so many here, but especially -T and TTP who are invaluable in bringing some of us into the 21st century.

60A. Monitor: IRONCLAD WARSHIP (15). Okay, I already did this one.

The rest.

Across:

1. Drops from a workout: SWEAT. A great visual start, though we are not ready to go back to the gym yet.

6. Singer who co-founded the AIDS-fighting Product Red: BONO.
The concept was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman and activist Bono, together with Bobby Shriver of the One Campaign and DATA.

10. Grand slam quartet: Abbr.: RBIS. Baseball.

14. Was obligated: HAD TO.

15. Aspire laptop maker: ACER. A Taiwanese computer company.

16. Danish architect Jacobsen: ARNE. This MAN.

20. Sold online: E-TAILED.

21. Progressive promoter played by Stephanie Courtney: FLO. We all know (love/hate) FLO but not STEPHANIE.

22. Accomplished: DID.

23. Sever, with "off": LOP.

24. Elegantly groomed: SOIGNÉ. A Friday French fill.

32. Brief "I think": IMO. In My Opinion.

33. "Meh": SO SO.

34. H.S. ordeal: SAT.

35. Bring together: SYNC.

37. Mozart title word meaning "all": TUTTE.

39. Fluctuate: YO YO.

42. Noir film weapon: GAT. The gun needed to shoot people.

44. Zig or zag: VEER.

45. Supervillain Luthor: LEX. Was he, or was he just misunderstood?

51. Common soccer tie: ONE-ONE. Nil-nil?

52. Suffix with propyl: ENE.

53. It may be glazed: HAM. Sorry, I am not a Ham expert, unless you mean acting.

54. Stipulations: IFS. Ands, or buts. My parents did not want any of them.

56. Hash house tool: SPATULA. My mind always goes here.

63. Outlying area, briefly: BURB.

64. Pod in Southern cooking: OKRA.

65. Civil penalties: FINES.

66. Novelist Seton: ANYA.  This PERSON.

67. German no: NEIN.

68. Nectarine center: STONE. LINK.


Down:

1. Enclosure for piggies?: SHOE. This little piggy went to market...

2. Basketball Hall of Famer Frazier: WALT. Now more famous for

3. Icelandic literary work: EDDA.

4. Whenever one's heart desires: AT WILL.

5. Like pitches in the dirt: TOO LOW.

6. Short on tread: BALD. Tires.

7. Monk's condition, in the TV show: OCD. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is a blessing and a curse for Monk.

8. Indoor ball brand: NERF.

9. Warning words: OR ELSE.

10. Pixar's aspiring chef Remy is one: RAT.
                                   

11. Fee for crossing: BRIDGE TOLL. Very common going in to or out of Manhattan.

12. Queued up: INLINE.

13. Farm equipment: SEEDER.

18. Meal: REPAST. Do you past again?

19. Possessive on a stock index: POOR'S. A Standard fill.

25. "Good gracious!": I SAY. Miss Molly?

26. Quick hellos: HIS.

27. "Making It" co-host Poehler: AMY. With Mr. Offerman.

28. Grudge holder's trait: LONG MEMORY. 'Nuff said.

29. "__ got this!": YOU'VE.

30. KitchenAid competitor: OSTER.

31. Cast a ballot: VOTED. Timely. Please vote, not endorsement included.

36. Mob boss: CAPO. Do they play the guitar?

38. Keystone St. port: ERIE PA. Our longtime CSO.

40. Word of support: YEA.

41. Clearasil shelfmate: OXY.

43. Roman top: TUNIC.

46. Caribbean cigar brand: COHIBA.

47. Practicing for the marathon, say: ON A RUN.

48. 1938 Dupont discovery: TEFLON. HISTORY.

49. Inhales at mealtime: SNARFS.

50. Watch a boxer, e.g.: PET SIT.

55. Advantage: SAKE.

56. "__ Lake": SWAN. EVERYTHING you need to know about the ballet.

57. "Hmm ... don't think so": UH NO.

58. It may be on the house: LIEN. I love the pun, but lien searches are not free.

59. Abbey area: APSE. This was introduced to the NYT by Chuck.

61. Org. with a February All-Star Weekend: NBA. They are playing again. The HEAT won their first game back.

62. Soft and __: deodorant: DRI. I love how Chuck began with SWEAT and ended with a deodorant. I hope you did not have to SWEAT the solve and have enjoyed the tour. In addition to introducing 2 new words today, Chuck has introduced 231 answers to the NYT- the LIST- including such favorites like ISAO and UZIS. Thank you Mr. Deodene and all who read and write.

I am a bit baffled by our new blogging format and incredibly busy at work, but I guess this is okay. Lemonade out.

Thursday, August 6th 2020 John Lampkin

Theme: Missplaced - like this puzzle's theme.

18A. *Scout leader's unit: BROWNIE TROOP.

35A. *Ragtime pianist's number: CAKE WALK. A great excuse to link Dire Straits and "Tunnel of Love" simply because it includes the words "cake walk". This was filmed at Wembley Arena in 1985 - I was there.

44A. *Analyst's infographic: PIE CHART.

12D. *Arbitrary error allowance: FUDGE FACTOR.

26D. *Boot sole material: CRÊPE RUBBER. But wait - is all crêpe rubber, or is all rubber crêpe? Or is there no overlap in the Venn Diagram of soles? Whichever way, "Rubber Soul" was a great Beatles album. "Crêpe Soul" didn't make the charts. Maybe it was cr ... not very good.

62. Appropriate reward, as often misspelled ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues might be: JUST DESSERTS.

Alrighty then, I think I might be a little off-base here, but I'm going to play the role of "The Editor" for today's puzzle:

Scene: The Editor's Office - Enter John

Ed: Hi John, what have you got for me?
JL: Nice theme, probably Thursday-level, and oh, it's a 16x15

Ed: Why the 16?
JL: Because I needed the extra room for the reveal, it's a 12-letter entry "JUST DESSERTS".

Ed: You know you spelled that wrong?
JL: Yep, but the clue tells you I spelled it wrong.

Ed: OK, so the theme entries are spelled wrong too?
JL: No, they're fine, but they're all desserts, not deserts.

Ed: You know that "deserts" in the phrase alludes to neither arid areas nor post-dinner sweet treats?
JL: I know, but ...

Ed: OK, let me look - wait. CRÊPE SOLES? I've had crêpes for breakfast - mushrooms and cheese if I recall - and PIE CHART? "Pie" isn't just a dessert, you can have steak pie, chicken pot pie, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, oyster p...
JL: I know, I know. I didn't mean that the reveal literally meant that the theme entries were "just" desserts.

Ed: But you misspelled "desert", the reveal says "just desserts" and you're telling me the themers aren't spelled wrong and they aren't only dessert dishes? And the grid is a funny shape?
JL: Yep, that's about the long and short of it. "Long" - see what I did there? A long across? That's funny! And I covered myself with the reveal clue, I said "might be", not "are".

Ed: John, I'm not sure that's a good excuse, maybe you've caught me at a bad time. And who is "TAL"?
JL: Aha! He's a famous Russian chess player who won the World Chess Championship in 1960 and held it for six months.

Ed: Does he have a famous defence named after him? Or a great attacking style? Or insisted on playing in Iceland and claimed he was an alien?
JL: Not really. He did blame his short "Champion" reign on his kidneys though. He was a superstar.

Ed: In 1960? I was one year old. How many people have heard of him? Other than crossword editors, not including me?
JL: LOTS of people know Tal. Ask any grandmaster chess player, they'll tell you all about him. They'll tell you he had bad kidneys and won a championship in 1960.

Ed: What's his first name?
JL: I've no idea, can I look him up on Wikipedia and get back to you?

Ed: OK John, thanks. We'll be in touch. I'm not sure how to explain this one away though.

Exeunt

Right, let's see what we can find in the rest of the puzzle.

Across:

1. Spirited French commune?: COGNAC. "Commune" in the sense of "region" in France. The Cognac commune sits predominantly on the left bank of the river Charente in Bordeaux. Santé!

7. Like Wicca, say: PAGAN.

12. Not many: FEW.

15. Dawn goddess: AURORA.

16. Coffeehouse draw: AROMA.

17. Hagen of the theater: UTA. Who? Thank you, crosses. A few of these today for me.

20. UPS rival: DHL.

21. Take top prize for: WIN AT.

22. Hauled: DRAGGED.

24. Specialized job: NICHE.

27. Try a new color on: RE-DYE. I parsed this as "red eye" first. I just had my annual eye exam today, I blame that.

29. Claudius' successor: NERO.

30. Another, in Acapulco: OTRA.

31. Excessive: UNDUE.

32. U.K. fliers: R.A.F. The Royal Air Force.

33. Father's Day pin: TIE TAC. I thought these were "tie tacks". I had a couple, back in the day of three-piece-suits in London's Financial District, the "City". To think I wore them and couldn't spell them. Shame on me.

39. AOL or MSN: ISP. Internet Service Provider

40. A lot of hooey: CLAPTRAP.

43. Hoodwink: CON.

46. A bit much: TOO, TOO. Is this a thing? I would say that "too, too" was a lot too much, not a bit,

48. Manta __: RAY.

49. Like some perfume: MUSKY. These are the ones that hang around like an unwelcome house guest.

52. Blog entry: POST. This! Yay!

53. One of the basic tastes: SOUR. Sweet, sour, salt, bitter and that extra "savoriness" usually referred to nowadays as "umami", mostly by food writers who can't stop saying "umami".

55. Sans-serif font: ARIAL. Not this font. We're Times New Roman on this blog and proud.

56. Tackle box assortment: LURES.

57. Warm greeting: EMBRACE. Not right now. I know it's been a few months since I've seen you, but a polite elbow-tap is as close as I'm getting.

59. Tibet neighbor: NEPAL.

61. Capture: NAB.

67. That yacht: SHE. This beauty? She. That lovely yacht over yonder? She. That rusty hulk messing up the view on the riverbank over there? It. or He.

68. Pianist Rubinstein: ARTUR.

69. Comparable to a pin: AS NEAT. It's pretty hard to be an untidy pin. What do you have to do to attain scruffy-pin status? We should be told.

70. Bud's place: EAR. Behind the ear? Just ready to be fired up by ....

71. Many a Bob Marley fan: RASTA. Ya man. Respect.

72. They're often at the bottoms of columns: TOTALS.

Down:

1. Popular red: CAB.

2. Group possessive: OUR.

3. Garden adspeak word: GRO. I fed my kitchen basil plant Miracle-Gro a few weeks ago to perk it up a little. It should be called "Miracle-Eradicate". The plant was not impressed at all.

4. "Another problem?!": NOW WHAT?

5. Golf icon Palmer: ARNIE. Strictly, Arnold. If you're going to refer to a nickname, then "Golfer with an Army" would be better. In my humble opinion.

6. Genesis farmer: CAIN. Thank you, crosses.

7. Stroked gently: PATTED. I tried "PETTED" first. Not quite right.

8. Flight info abbr.: ARR.

9. Michelin rival: GOODYEAR. I had a weird dream last night that the Goodyear Blimp was performing aerobatics and crash-landed upside-down in front of Winchester Cathedral where I was watching. I helped the crew turn it the right way up, they inflated it again and took off. I've NO idea what that was all about.

10. Love, in Pisa: AMORE.

11. Source of much 1-Down: NAPA.

13. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER.

14. Guy found in kids' books: WALDO. Nice clue this one, made me smile. "Where's Waldo?"

19. Bring home: EARN.

23. Chew (on): GNAW.

24. Payback for lousy service: NO TIP. I'm torn. It would have to be truly terrible service for me to leave no tip at all. The only time I can recall doing it was eating at a restaurant in LA shortly after it opened, and the previous night George Clooney had eaten there. The wait staff were so buzzed by the prospect of maybe having another "star" visit that us mere mortals were completely ignored. The only person who paid attention to us was the busser. He got a cash tip which the wait person would have got, the wait person got nothing, I did explain why, but I fear due to the eye-rolling the explanation fell on deaf ears. Whatevs.

25. Formal "Just me": IT IS I.

28. Tear dispenser: DUCT.

31. Pac-12 team: UCLA.

32. Default takeback: REPO. Another nice clue. Default on your loan, we take back your car.

34. Sore from a workout: ACHY.

36. Singer Perry: KATY.

37. __ cannon: LOOSE.

38. Rustic pine features: KNOTS.

41. Loveseat sides: ARMRESTS. I found this a little odd, but OK.

42. Spitting sound: PTUI. Gross.

45. Novelist Caleb: CARR. Who? Thank you, crosses.

47. Swank: OPULENT.

50. Oh of "Killing Eve": SANDRA.

51. "Cat and Bird" artist: KLEE. Who? Thank you, crosses.

53. Taste, for one: SENSE. Umami? Say it one more time, I dare you.

54. Nebraska city: OMAHA.

55. High-end Honda: ACURA. The last car I owned in England before I moved here was a Honda Integra. When I got to LA, it was called an Acura. That was different.

56. Cowboy rope: LASSO.

58. Slightly open: AJAR.

60. Exam for jrs.: PSAT.

63. Tsk relative: TUT.

64. "The Crying Game" actor Stephen: REA.

65. 1960-'61 chess champ: TAL. Who? Thank you, crosses.

66. GPS displays: STS. I'm assuming "States" which you might get displayed on a map on your GPS device, but that is a total stab in the dark from me. I'll be prepared to be entirely wrong on this one, but it seems an appropriate clue/answer combo to finish this on.

Here's the grid - I didn't highlight the "desserts", I figured there's no need today.

Steve.