36. 66-Down pro: EMT. // And: 66-Down. Life-saving proc.: CPR. The Emergency Medical Technician may be required to perform CardioPulmonary Resuscitation.
38. Sea, in Spain: MAR. Today's Spanish Lesson.
39. Result of too many six-packs?: BEER GUT.
41. Prestigious broadcasting award: PEABODY. The Peabody Award is named after George Foster Peabody (July 27, 1852 ~ Mar. 4, 1938), who was a banker and philanthropist.
44. Answer to "Who's hungry?": I AM!
45. Turndowns: NOs.
47. Makes right: AMENDS.
48. Messy roommates: SLOBS.
51. 'Neath opposite: O'ER.
53. Military academy student: CADET.
54. Decade in which many Gen Zers were born: NINETIES. Which Generation are you?
57. Cincinnati MLB team: REDS.
58. Snoopy is one: BEAGLE.
60. Poker-faced: STOIC.
62. Slips up: ERRs.
68. Tall hiking socks can protect against one: TICK. The Deer Ticks can carry the bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. It is a very serious disease if not caught early.
69. Qatari leader: EMIR. Qatar is a country in the Persian Gulf.
70. Sickeningly sweet: SAPPY.
71. Hurting after exercise: ACHY.
72. Tape type: DUCT.
73. Hardly in the dark: AWARE.
Down:
1. Mac alternatives: PCs.
2. Back muscle, briefly: LAT.
3. Card game cry: UNO. I had forgotten about this game. We played it a lot during the summer when we were at the summer cottage.
4. "Well done" award: GOLD STAR.
5. One having visions: SEER.
6. Visit at the penthouse: STOP UP. Meh! I don't think you can just pop in and visit someone living in a penthouse apartment.
7. Comedy special for which Hannah Gadsby won a 2019 Emmy: NANETTE. I am not familiar with Hannah Gadsby (b. Jan. 12, 1978) or her comedy special, Nanette. She is an Australian comedian
8. Mother lode stuff: ORE.
9. Howled: BAYED.
10. Commotion: UPROAR.
12. Pay to play: ANTE.
13. Company with toy trucks: HESS.
18. Shakespeare's fairy queen: MAB. Queen May can be found in Willie the Shake's play, Romeo and Juliet.
22. Word after hot or before drop: MIC.
23. Egyptian god of the afterlife: ANUBIS. Anubis is the jackel-headed deity who presided over the embalming process and guided kings and other royalty to the afterworld.
24. Disclose: REVEAL.
27. Pack (down): TAMP.
29. Texter's "Wow!": OMG. Testspeak for Oh My G~d!.
32. Like an exaggerated résumé: PADDED.
33. Secret meetings: TRYSTS.
35. Groaner, maybe: PUN.
37. Bubble __: Taiwanese drink: TEA. Everything you wanted to know about Bubble Tea, but didn't know to ask.
40. Quick honk: TOOT.
42. "Better Call Saul" channel: AMC. Better Call Saul was a television spin-off from Breaking Bad.
43. Pastry with an ursine name: BEAR CLAW. Yummers!
46. Earthquake-caused: SEISMIC.
49. Montana resort area: BIG SKY. Hi, Montana!
50. NBC skit show: SNL. As in Saturday Night Live. This has become a crossword staple.
52. "Are so!" or "Am not!": RETORT.
55. Sought morays: EELED.
56. Cain, to Eve: SON. A Biblical reference. Cain slew his brother Abel.
58. Alpha follower: BETA. It's Greek to me.
59. Stonestreet of "Modern Family": ERIC. Eric Allen Stonestreet (b. Sept. 9, 1971), is a comedic actor.
61. "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA. Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) is the star of her own HBO television series.
Theme: SILENT PARTNER
(54. Behind-the-scenes money source ... and a hint to the start of 20-,
35- and 43-Across) - The first word can follow "silent".
20. Youngster, metaphorically: SPRING CHICKEN. Silent Spring.
35. Toddler's monster deterrent: NIGHT LIGHT. Silent Night.
43. Morning awakener: ALARM CLOCK. Silent alarm,
Boomer here. Looks like another LA Times debut. Congrats, Michael!
SHH!
I'll be at the bowling center, silently knocking over pins. However I
might loudly proclaim that I received the second shot of Pfizer vaccine
12 days ago and I have no side effects. Well I have so many things
wrong with me I am not sure what a side effect might be.
Across:
1. What a regular often orders, with "the": USUAL. "It's not UNUSUAL." Tom Jones.
6. First of a cereal box trio: SNAP. I thought SNAPS were movie theater candy. I think Kramer dropped one into a patient while observing surgery.
10. Box score number: STAT. "Hurry up and do this puzzle STAT!!"
14. See 5-Down: MESSI. 5. With 14-Across, soccer's GOAT, to many: LIONEL. An electric train that I had as a kid. Back when Eisenhower was President.
15. Dorothy's dog: TOTO. "I'll get you my pretty, -- and your little dog too."
16. Distinctive vibe: AURA.
17. Sauce with basil: PESTO. I wonder if you can spray this for mosquitos?
18. Like many cars sold online: USED. Another crazy innovation of the 21st Century. Vroom? Carfax?
19. "Jurassic Park" predator: TREX.
23. Antlered Yellowstone beast: ELK. I was once a member of ELKS Lodge 2221 in Minnesota but I think my Antlers fell off somewhere.
24. Lao Tzu's "way": TAO.
25. __City: computer game: SIM.
28. Stick a stake in, as a vampire: IMPALE. Change the "E" to an "A" and you have a Chevrolet.
32. Dry-eyes solution: SALINE.
34. Manual filing target?: NAIL. I just clip mine.
39. Brings on board: HIRES. Root beer?
41. Luau neckwear: LEI. Hawaiian greeting.
42. He played Grant on "Lou Grant": ASNER. Of course I liked him on the Mary Tyler Moore show, but I was not too excited about his role on "Roots"
46. Poi source: TARO.
47. One of four in five: LETTER. "Gimme a ticket on an airplane, Ain't got time to take a fast train, My baby, just wrote me a LETTER. The Box Tops.
48. Theater walkways: AISLES.
50. Before, in poems: ERE. "And I heard him exclaim ERE he rode out of sight" You know the rest.
51. "__ Misérables": LES.
53. Hesitant utterances: UMS. I don't know if you watch "America Says" but it seems like every contestant starts their answer with a few "UMS".
61. Elton or Lennon: JOHN. Both Stars have a bathroom named after them?
63. Boxer's foursome: PAWS.
64. Garlicky mayo: AIOLI. Too many vowels.
65. CNN anchor Burnett: ERIN. Five minutes of yesterday's news, followed by five minutes of commercial ads.
66. Great Lake with the shortest name: ERIE.
67. King of rock 'n' roll: ELVIS.
68. Spinning toys: TOPS. Add a "P" and you might have a few baseball cards.
69. Apt word found in "accident": DENT. Our Santa Fe is free of DENTS.
70. Tenant's contract: LEASE.
Down:
1. Officials calling strikes: UMPS. They're always right and never wrong.
2. Trickle: SEEP. Spring is creeping into Minnesota. So far no SEEPS into anywhere there is not supposed to be.
3. Cold War initials: USSR.
4. Italian wine region: ASTI. Solar Tech Stock on the Big Board.
6. Experiencing writer's block, say: STUCK. Snow is nearly gone. Nothing to get stuck in.
7. Light snack: NOSH.
8. Bit the dust: ATE IT. "Another one gone, and Another one gone, Another one bites the dust" "Queen".
9. Online talk show: PODCAST. I never listen to any of them. I am too busy playing Pac-Man.
10. Fill until full: SATE.
11. Car's blinker: TURN SIGNAL. I got these figured out pretty
early on the Santa Fe, but we had to consult the huge Owner's Manual for
the windshield wipers.
12. "Roses __ red ... ": ARE. "Violets are not really blue!"
13. Collectors' item?: TAX. I think a Collector's item would be
something like a Harmon Killebrew autographed plaque. TAX is just one
of things due in about a month.
21. Secluded valley: GLEN.
22. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA.
26. Response from the next room: INHERE. "SHUT UP" is six letters but did not fit.
27. Urban transit systems: METROS.
28. Take a breath: INHALE. First take the cigarette out of your mouth. My last one was in 2001.
29. "The Naked and the Dead" author Norman: MAILER.
30. Hook's vessel: PIRATE SHIP. "PIRATE SHIPS would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name." Peter. Paul, and Mary.
31. Wide awake: ALERT. "Be A LERT!, America needs more LERTS."
33. Grocery shoppers' aids: LISTS. I usually have a LIST with about 5-6 items. But then why do I bring home about twenty ?
36. Sick: ILL.
37. Cable TV's Nat __ Wild: GEO.
38. Hyphenated fruit drink brand: HI-C. Drink enough and you might get HIC CUPS.
40. Incense-sensing sense: SMELL.
44. Scared, with "out": CREEPED.
45. Hindu god of desire: KAMA. Or add an "LA" and you have a Vice President.
49. Tel Aviv's land: ISRAEL.
52. Drum type: SNARE. I do not favor SNARE traps though.
53. Underdog's victory: UPSET.
55. Roadside lodgings: INNS.
56. Mary-Kate, to Ashley: TWIN. Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett to me. Not to forget Tony Oliva.
57. Mah-jongg piece: TILE. I am more acquainted with Scrabble, until C.C. started winning every game with me.
58. PBS science series: NOVA. Compact Chevrolet.
59. Yale students: ELIS.
60. Heed a bailiff's order: RISE. We have a heck of a trial
going on in Minneapolis for the next few weeks. They have only picked
half a jury so far. Good news, the demonstrators outside the courthouse
have not caused any problems so far.
61. Hot tub feature: JET. Also a feature of Delta, United, American, and others.
My first Sunday blog, and my first time not needing to try to create an appropriate but entertaining title. Today is March 14, which in our shorthand world is 3.14. Pi Day celebrates the mathematical constant π (3.14) and was coined by Physicist Larry Shaw in 1988 as it is also the birthday of Albert Einstein. Happy birthday, Al. HISTORY.Now it is a celebration of eating pies, not a bad thing.
As I have mentioned I went to boarding school for high school and my sophomore year I was paired with George Harvey who had a goal in life to memorize Pi to 100 places. He was at 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510.
On to JW's creation, he has taken 7 in the language expressions and inserted "PI" in various locations to bring us new and whimsical phrases. Obviously, with a 21 x 21 grid, there is room for a lot of nice words and we get ENDOWED, FINE TIP, OPACITY, PILES IN, SECRETE, SOJOURN, TIE DYES, BEST CASE, LAKE ERIE, LORRAINE, PRANCING, IN GENERAL, JUMPSTART, KEEPS AT IT, and YOU CAN TRY. LEANA and ESALE, are also new. We have much work to do so let's get started.
The theme:
24A. Shrimp dish ordered online?: INTERNET SCAMPI (14). I really liked turning the awful internet scam into a very popular dish.
34A. Not someone you'd want in the cockpit?: VACANT PILOT (11). I get the vacant lot, but I think "not something" you would want in the cockpit makes more sense.
45A. Candidate's concern after the latest poll?: OPINION DIP (12). A fun conversion from food this time. See 24A.
68A. Hook during a typically slow period?: OFF-SEASON PIRATE (15). Our friend the Captain is back without Peter or Smee.
93A. Physician for longshoremen?: PIER DOCTOR (10) An ER doctor might be what these hard workers need.
99A. No-brainer card game?: STUPID POKER (11). With all the varieties people make up like 3s and one-eyes kings are wild...
117A. Like most clouds, compared to cirrus clouds?: NONE THE WISPIER (14). I hope you know your CLOUDS.
No time to rest, on to the rest.
Across:
1. Yellow smoothie fruit: PAPAYA. A very important fruit in our home for ส้มตำไทย (som tum), which uses the papaya before it ripens.
7. Chick's sound: PEEP. Hence the expression, not a peep out of you.
11. Turin-based automaker: FIAT. FIAT is an acronym that stands for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino”, which means Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.
15. One going through an eyelet: LACE. Shoe, shoe.
19. Anthology compiler: EDITOR. He/she makes the selections as opposed to correcting them. Our Rich does some of each.
20. Loud sound: ROAR. A clue that needed perps because after all, it could have been BURP.
21. For the most part: IN GENERAL. Another fill you need to work for and wait.
23. Squeal on: RAT OUT. Since 1902 it has been a police informant, made more specific in 1934 when it became to turn traitor and act as an informant. Originally from rats off a sinking ship.
26. Equestrian action: PRANCING. Did you ever expect to see dressage to a foul-mouthed rap song? Viewer discretion advised.
28. Sticks in a parlor: CUES. Billiard parlors, not pool halls.
29. Gulf of California state: SONORA. We have seen this Mexican state often recently.
30. Simile words: AS A. We the young actor ASA Butterfield introduced as an alternate clue.
43. Effect, as a law: ENACT. A good way to explain Effect vs, Affect.
44. In its current condition: AS IS. Important real estate term.
51. Lows: NADIRS. Zenith was not only a TV.
53. Complete: UTTER. I hear "disregard."
55. French region associated with an eggy dish: LORRAINE.
56. Decorates tees: TIE-DYES. Most of us are of an age that has personal experience in both wearing and creating. According to the media it recently made a comeback as one of the biggest fashion trends of 2020.
58. Hurl insults (at): SNIPE. Another use a very "hot" word.
65. Hit with a water balloon, say: DOUSE. We had some multi-story buildings in high school and balloons...
67. Restaurant kitchen array: OVENS. I never thought of them as on display.
72. Russian milk drink: KEFIR. It used to be a SECRET not it is on sale at PUBLIX. More Russian influence a word I only know from solving puzzles 89A Ukase: EDICT.
75. Driver's target: SCREW. Really nice misdirection but I am not sure I would have it followed by...
76. Punctilious to the extreme: ANAL.
77. Shakespearean "Shake a leg!": HIE. JW sneaks a Will S in.
80. Online exchange: E-SALE. Made up word that is probably in the dictionary by now.
81. Carouse: REVEL.
83. Temporary stay: SOJOURN. They cannot agree where the word comes from but it sounds French to me. LINK.
86. Toledo is on it: LAKE ERIE. The official lake of the Corner.
92. Defensive castle feature: TURRET.
95. National symbol: FLAG.
98. Bawl: WEEP. So sad...
101. Soft drink options: SODAS. As opposed to the "hard" drinks of real men!
106. Humiliate: ABASE. An old-fashioned word which I saw often in books in school.
108. Discernment meas., in meteorology: VISibility. A link to our not so cirrius theme fill, and to THIS.
109. Tolerates: ABIDES.
111. Fish tank buildup: SCUM. I wonder how the red betta is doing.
112. Optimal: BEST CASE. Scenario.
121. Carried with effort: HAULED.
122. Doesn't give up: KEEPS AT IT. A very Jeffrey fill with multiple words.
123. Prayer wheel spinner: LAMA. Buddhists unite for the Prayer wheel, in Tibetan mani chos 'khor, a mechanical device the use of which is equivalent to the recitation of a mantra
124. Missing the mark: ERRING. I almost put this one red, but that would have been a red 'erring.
127. "The Killing" actress Mireille : ENOS. This ACTRESS has appeared in many shows, both evading zombies and dealing with polygamy, which is ironic as she is a Mormor. I like HANNA which is coming back for a third season.
128. Exclusive date: STEADY. I never tried it, I either married them or I did not.
Down:
1. One in cuffs, maybe: PERP. A Corner favorite word.
2. Month after Shevat: ADAR. It ended today giving us Nissan and the PESACH holiday in two weeks.
3. Filled food truck buy: PITA. So many food trucks.
4. Very much: A TON.
5. "Take a shot at it": YOU CAN TRY. Another classic JW fill.
6. Con __: ARTIST. Another time?
7. Puritan: PRIG. "a conceited, narrow-minded pragmatical person; a dull, precise person; one who cultivates or affects propriety and offends or bores others," 1753, originally in reference to theological scruples (1704
8. Very long time: EON.
9. Celebrate an anniversary, say, with "out": EAT. Where you might start with...
10. Like veggies in platters: PRECUT. Crudites.
11. Marker choice: FINE TIP.
12. Supermodel Sastre: INES. She has appeared in puzzles often but not MOVIES.
13. FBI figure: AGT.
14. Hardy title teenager: TESS.
15. CNN medical analyst Wen: LEANA. A nice change from sebaceous cysts but still controversial.
16. Protective suit: ARMOR.
17. Blue Grotto isle: CAPRI.
18. Sewing machine inventor Howe: ELIAS. Appropriate after highlighting Mr. Singer.
22. Army sgts., e.g.: NCOS.
25. Flee: RUN.
27. Valley known for viticulture: NAPA. Viticulture- wow? I think it means vines?
31. Small opening: SLIT. Not necessarily...for you Richard.
32. Talk show VIPs: HOSTS. Yeah, right/
34. HVAC system openings: VENTS. No vents. you die/
45. Betelgeuse's constellation: ORION. We have not seen this clue since April 24, 2015.
46. Negative afterthought: OR NOT. I love you so much ...
47. Unworldly: NAIVE.
48. Water container?: DIKE.
49. Aware of: IN ON.
50. Bank conveniences: PENS. They stopped attaching so they could not be stolen and now give away thousands; they about a week's worth of ink, but hey it is free!
52. Word with interest: SELF. Made tricky by being near banks.
54. Gave money for: ENDOWED. Mostly Universities.
57. Figure (out): SUSS. A very common word in our write-ups and comments.
59. Part of a moth's life cycle: PUPA. John Lamkin, where are you?
63. Hide: SECRETE. Add an "E" to create a verb.
64. March __: HARE. Sure that was my first thought, not!
66. Significant times: ERAS. EONS and ERAS?
68. NFL Titan, when in Houston: OILER. The original team was the Houston Oilers led by quarterback George Blanda.
69. Let go: FREED. Goes with...
70. Break, as ties: SEVER.
71. Very much: A LOT. Of there is of...
72. Growth in a wet forest: KELP. In the oceans.
73. Actor Morales: ESAI. They do love his vowels.
74. Expert's discovery: FAKE. How do you "discover" a fake? You may reveal it...
78. Goddess of peace: IRENE. My mother's name and she was all of that.
79. Shift key neighbor: ENTER.
82. Elevates: LIFTS.
84. Give fresh energy to: JUMPSTART. Your car?
85. Nabisco brand: OREO. Nice clue.
87. Noisy disturbance: ROW. Not a boat.
88. Bar supply: ICE. Tin, look away.
90. Game that might end in a library: CLUE. With Miss Scarlett and the knife.
91. Dance genre: TAP.
94. Murkiness: OPACITY. I know all too much about opacity especially as it relates to post-cataract surgery. LINK.I did include the gruesome part but I did suffer from this after my surgery and despite YAG laser surgery to fix it, my eye has never been the same. Last Saturday, I awoke with no usable vision from that eye, which has always been my "good eye." So please forgive any errors or deficiencies.
96. With 97-Across, words before "good reason": GIVE. 97A. See 96-Down: ME ONE. Give me a good one for using this kind of referential cluing?
99. Free thing to try: SAMPLE.
100. Something done after a meal: DISHES.
101. Pioneering decaf brand: SANKA. Orange is the new black pioneer?
102. Orchestral pair, at a minimum: OBOES. Please explain why.
104. Skillful: ADEPT.
105. Drill bit purchases: SETS. I always have gotten mine as part of other purchases.
107. __ stop: BUS.
110. Chase, as flies: SHAG.
111. Exercise activity: SWIM.
112. Bali products: BRAS.
113. Medical breakthrough: CURE.
114. Et __: and others: ALIA.
115. Transmit: SEND.
116. Avant-garde: EDGY.
118. Touchdown hr. calculation: ETA.
119. Holm of "The Hobbit": IAN. Played Bilbo in the LOTR trilogy.
120. Punk subgenre: EMO.
I am worn out, but I hope the sojourn was fun; thank you Jeffrey and C.C., and all who read. Lemonade out.
Today our constructor is Mary Lou Guizzo. She and her retired science teacher husband met at Dayton University and now live in Oakwood, OH which is a suburb of Dayton. Last time she told us: I am a retired medical technologist with a Specialty in Blood Banking (SBB). I’ve worked in hospitals, private labs and the Community Blood Center for many years. She further said she knew of C.C. and knows our moderator is a "rockstar constructor!" Here's what she told me about this puzzle:
Mary Lou and Grandson
Thanks for your kind words Gary. Glad to hear you enjoy the photography as well as the puzzles (Husker: I see her pix on FaceBook). They both make me look at the world in a different way and serve as good diversions. A shout out to my husband who helps me in both these endeavors.
I was happy to feature two strong women in this puzzle, GRETA THUNBERG and the NOTORIOUS RBG aka Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It's not easy to pave the way in perilous circumstances and times, but they have both done that well and with such grace.
To answer your question about the clues, roughly 20% are different, with 80% being the same or very similar to my submitted clues. I hope the solvers have enjoyed the puzzle and it has brought them some respite during these trying times.
Best,
Mary Lou
Husker Gary Addendum: When I saw the clue/fill 21. Impish: ELFIN - I asked Mary Lou if she would mind if I referred to her as ELFIN. She got a big laugh out of that and said "Go ahead!"
Across:
1. Wrap up: SWATHE - Changing a noun SWATH to a verb by adding an "E" like cloth and clothe. Here's a Corflex universal sling has also been SWATHED
7. Game-watching, maybe: ON SAFARI.
15. "Y Is for Yesterday" sleuth Millhone: KINSEY - Our frequent cwd author and her female sleuth
16. One skilled at spelling: SORCERER - or his apprentice
17. __ of: address words: IN CARE.
18. Rocky time?: STONE AGE - MOUNTAIN (standard time) didn't cut it
19. Slow-witted Bergen puppet: SNERD.
20. 8-Down, e.g.: BIO and 8. 2015 best-selling 20-Across: NOTORIOUS RBG - A clever play on rapper NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
22. Boo follower: HISS - The Harbor Playhouse Melodramas will cue you in
23. Key contraction: OER - "O'ER the land of the free..." Renee Fleming nailing the last word of this Francis Scott Key phrase at Super Bowl XLVIII
24. "Likewise": SAME.
25. Elect: OPT - What did you OPT for at 4. Nicholas II et al.: TSARS or CZARS?
26. Attributive term: ALA - Today's puzzle is ALA Guizzo!
28. One presented for payment: IOU.
31. Driver's aid: TEE.
32. Legal show for 40 years, with "The": PEOPLE'S COURT - It's biggest fan!
36. Youngest-ever "Time" Person of the Year: GRETA THUNBERG.
39. Formal seizure: CONFISCATION - I confiscated some interesting items as a teacher over the years
41. Tyke: TOT.
44. Early Beatle Sutcliffe: STU - STU quit the band to go study art. The Beatles put him on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper album. He is to the extreme left peeking over a blue hat.
45. "The Last Jedi" villain Kylo: REN - Here ya go!
46. Sticky substance: GOO - Yeah, I'm the only one who put TAR
47. Pique: WHET - "The design of the restaurant did PIQUE my curiosity and the aromas deWHETTED my appetite."
49. Tennis strategy: LOB - How 'bout a between-the-legs LOB shot?
51. Brits' luxury cars: JAGS - In Britain, the full name has three syllables
56. Riviera resort, briefly: ST TROPEZ - French major granddaughter says the two T's kind of blend together into SANTROPAY
58. President, at times: VETOER - FDR leads the league with over 600 VETOES
59. "__ Wins By a Hare": Bugs Bunny cartoon: TORTOISE.
60. Dog on a bun: WEENIE - Guy Fieri swears there's a WEENIE under there
61. Throw that anticipates the receiver's timely arrival: SPOT PASS - QB, "I'm throwing this PASS to that SPOT, so be ready!
62. Puck: SPRITE - I'll bet you recognize this 14-yr-old who played Puck in the 1935 production of A Midsummer's Night Dream without looking at his name at the bottom of the picture
Down:
1. Business concerned with going downhill: SKI SHOP.
2. Jets' home: WINNIPEG - NHL not NFL
3. Great-grandmother, say: ANCESTOR
5. Round up: HERD.
6. Word with chart or color: EYE - Here's a CHART on EYE COLOR
7. Actor Davis: OSSIE - OSSIE and wife Ruby Dee
9. Full house sign: SRO - Not so much these days
10. Bad marks: ACNE
11. Touches: FEELS.
12. Co-Nobelist with Rabin and Peres: ARAFAT.
13. Ruling period: REGIME.
14. The "I" in "E.I. du Pont": IRENEE - Éleuthère IRÉNÉE du Pont
20. Hot air: BOASTFULNESS - My speed bump! B _ A S T F U _ N _ _ _ sure looked like BLAST FURNACE to me.
26. Some saxes: ALTOS.
27. Listed in Liverpool?: LEANT - I wrote to Mary Lou to make sure I had this right and she agreed that Listed is the past tense of List (usually heard as a listing or leaning boat) and LEANT is a British past tense for LEAN, hence the Liverpool reference. Very cool clue!
29. Cup fraction: OUNCE - My science lab never strayed into the labyrinth of English measures. How many milliliters are there in a liter is infinitely easier than how many ounces are in a cup.
30. NFL coach Meyer: URBAN - URBAN has not coached in the NFL yet but will this year. He leaves a very successful but checkered past in the college coaching ranks. 38. Modern-day checking suggestion: GOOGLE IT if you must
33. Chest muscle, briefly: PEC and 34. Phi follower: CHI and 35. Vietnamese festival: TET - Familiar cwd puzzle veterans.
37. Pasta order: RIGATONI.
40. "Nuh-uh!": NO SIREE
41. Citrus garnishes: TWISTS - I had TWISTS and ZESTS in Saturday puzzles very recently
42. "C'mon, I'm not that good!": OH STOP.
43. Italian playhouse: TEATRO - A 1778 playbill from the very first production in a very famous TEATRO
48. Pulitzer-winning "The Goldfinch" novelist Donna: TARTT - Here ya go! Not to be confused with Goldfinches in our backyard.
50. Inches: OOZES.
51. Yankee whose #2 was retired in 2017: JETER - Derek was a class act!
53. Fowl area: COOP.
55. Cherokee on wheels: JEEP and 58. Golfs on wheels, briefly: VWS
57. __ mater: PIA - The innermost layer enveloping the brain
