Saturday, May 8, 2021, Debbie Ellerin

 Themeless Saturday by Debbie Ellerin

Today I am happy to blog my 7th Saturday themeless puzzle from Debbie Ellerin. She is a retired computer programmer that has moved to Los Angles after tiring of Boston winters. 

SISTER ACT: In this picture she is seen with her sister and fellow LA Times puzzle constructor Sheryl Bartol. Here are Debbie's comments on our Saturday exercise:

Hi Gary -

Here you go...

This puzzle started with ZEITGEIST, which I thought was an interesting word, crossing with ZIGZAGGED. I liked the grouping of Z’s. 

I was happy with how most of the longer entries came together, like DUNEBUGGY, ENTOURAGE, RIDESHARE, GO ON STRIKE. I didn't realize until now how many women's names sound like two letters - that could be tricky.

I like the editor’s new clues for UNITS (Hands and feet) and MEMOS (Nonmusical notes). I’m glad that my clue made the cut for CRANE (BIrd at a construction site?) Hope you all enjoyed solving it.

As for me, your humble blogger, I got my start in the SE, moved right along and then as indicated in the grid, 11. Some scoops threw up a real speed trap. I had EDIE for 38. Woman's name that sounds like two letters which gave me the Scoops fill ending in SIDES which seemed possible. I hung on to that for dear life since I had no shot at ANCHO. Sigh, so as the Bard tells us: All's Well That Ends Well

Across:

1. TV's "Ozark," e.g.: DRAMA - It certainly looks dramatic to me

6. Comedy club regulars: MC'S.

9. Dodge: AVERT.

14. Pool service?: RIDE SHARE - No swimming or pocket billiards. Below is a scene from a great 1989 movie that featured a hilarious RIDE SHARE segment. Name this movie (Rotten Tomatoes = 91%) with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. *Answer at the bottom of the write-up

16. Bright, loyal breed: BOXER.

17. 1998 Academy Honorary Award-winning director: ELIA KAZAN - His IMDB

18. Dried chili pepper: ANCHO - The ANCHO Chili (wide chili) is the dried version of the Poblano Chili (chili of the people). That makes two chilis I did not know

19. Reason to shake: DEAL - Did you ever welch on a childhood bet/DEAL by saying, "We didn't shake on it!"

20. Brilliant: GENIUS.

22. Sky cat?: LEO - WARNING ASTRONOMY LESSON AHEAD: The stars of the big dipper can be used to find other points of interest in the sky including the backwards question mark that is LEO.

23. "Madam Secretary" star: TEA LEONI - I enjoy her work

25. Make calls at home, maybe: UMP - The pitcher and catcher both thought the UMP blew the call on this wicked curve ball

26. More shrewd: CAGIER.

29. Curling spots: RINKS - The U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials will return to RINKS in Omaha this year

31. Bike chain alternative: U-LOCK - It looks much more secure than using a chain to lock up the bike.

32. Word from the German for "spirit of the age": ZEITGEIST - ZEIT (German for time) and GEIST (German for ghost or spirit). Old TV shows vividly demonstrate the change in ZEITGEIST from my yute to now!

36. Corner piece: ROOK - It always starts in a corner

37. Guinness orders: PINTS.

38. Woman's name that sounds like two letters: EVIE - Not EDIE it seems.

39. Ride in the sand: DUNE BUGGY - You can rent one in Las Vegas if you're willing to 41. Drop, as dough: SPEND $299

42. Lionsgate premium cable subsidiary: STARZ.

43. Prince Harry's dukedom: SUSSEX - The Duke and Duchess of SUSSEX don't seem to take this royalty stuff as seriously as the Queen

44. NBA on __: TNT.

46. Dry deliveries: DEADPANS - Nobody does it better!

49. Game of luck: WAR - Top player wins this "battle" shown below

50. Generated again: REGREW - Five creatures that can regrow body parts

51. Little elephant: CALF.

55. "Hotel du Lac" author Brookner: ANITA - Even I figured out this was the Lake Hotel

57. Chaotic situation, in slang: GOAT RODEO - Speaking of my life...

59. Finish, as a tat: INK UP - Maybe I could take this one for a test drive

60. Posse: ENTOURAGE.

61. Putin's denials: NYETS.

62. "The Partridge Family" actress: DEY - She and David Cassidy were a big item during the run of that show

63. Nonmusical notes: MEMOS.

Down:

1. Scott in a landmark Supreme Court case: DRED - Not a great moment in American jurisprudence

2. Upset: RILE 

3. 1998 hit from the Sarah McLachlan album "Surfacing": ADIA - Here ya go!

4. Singer's voice, e.g.: MEAL TICKET - Sinatra's MEAL TICKET lasted over 60 years

5. Part of AMA, on Reddit: ASK - Me Anything

6. Yiddish fortune: MAZEL - Tov means "good" so MAZEL TOV is...

7. Bird at a construction site?: CRANE - They have a great view but how do CRANE operators go to the bathroom?

8. Asset on the corporate ladder: SENIORITY - INTEGRITY fit when I had _ _ _ _ _ R I T Y but is that always a necessary asset?

9. Taking down a peg: ABASING.

10. Word in many German names: VON - Snoopy frequently flew his Sopwith Camel  in combat with Manfred Albrecht Freiherr VON Richthofen.

11. Some scoops: EXCLUSIVES - As you read earlier I was trying to think what SIDES could be scooped before I saw that Debbie was referring to a media scoop!

12. Take up again, in a way: REHEM.

13. Brownie bunch: TROOP.

15. Horrible comic?: HAGAR.

21. Hands and feet: UNITS - One foot = three hands

24. Cry of dismay: EEK

26. Morsel for Miss Muffet: CURD.

27. Baseball brother: ALOU - The brothers ALOU are in our lineup frequently

28. Walk out: GO ON STRIKE - I'm sure Debbie did not mean GOON STRIKE!

30. Tallies: KEEPS SCORE.

32. Didn't go straight: ZIGZAGGED - Part of Debbie's harvest of "Z's"

33. Lang. of Belize: ENG - You might be surprised that English is an official language in these countries

34. Geometry calculation: SINE - If you know the SINE of 39°, you can find the depth of the water (d) using a 30 long anchor chain. **The solution is below

35. Acronymic term for some local talks: TEDX - Here 'ya go!

37. Baby food, usually: PUREE - That's probably what I'll get in the Old Teachers's Home

40. Undeserved charges: BAD RAPS - My good friend has a pit bull named Dexter and says the breed gets a BAD RAP.

41. Bask: SUN.

43. Took care of: SAW TO.

44. "When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade" writer: TWAIN - Sam Clemens and I would get along very nicely on this score

45. Household helper: NANNY.

47. Modern delivery vehicle: DRONE.

48. Boglike: PEATY.

52. Scott of "Big Little Lies": ADAM - Here's his IMDB. I'm more familiar with the Australian golfer with this name 

53. Danish toy maker: LEGO - Go barefoot and you have two LEGO finders

54. Ones at odds: FOES.

56. Mild rebuke: TUT.

58. Hurricane component: RUM - The recipe uses two different types of RUM and is served in a, uh, hurricane glass

• 

        

*That RIDE SHARE occurred in When Harry Met Sally

**

Friday, May 7, 2021, Jeffrey Wechsler

 Title: Jeffrey, you light up our lives.

Not Debby Boone!

In deference to Boomer, I just got a TURKEY . We have not talked about this that I remember, but since we have many newbies did you know in bowling a BOOMER is a big hooking ball; or a person that throws a big hooking ball? Now you do. 

Welcome back to the J and J Friday funnies, Jeffrey created this puzzle and I will try and electrify you with my wit and wisdom. There are power outages, so be prepared. This effort begins with a Fridayish grid with 72 words and all the long fill in the theme making it easy to spot what he had in mind. He folds in a fair amount of 7 letter fill, such as FROLICS, IN TOTAL, LEARNED, MAN-O-WAR, MONTANA, SCREAMS, SHALL WE, SIMILES, SPEEDER, and SPIN-OFF.

The themers:

16A. Tight deadlines may make an electrician's job __: GO DOWN TO THE WIRE (15). THE WIRE was a hugely popular TV show.

24A. An electrician who is testing results may become a __:  SWITCH HITTER (12). A switch hitter in baseball can bat both right-handed and left handed. In life it is a bit of a PERJORATIVE.

42A. An electrician resolves legal matters at __: CIRCUIT  COURT (12). In many jurisdictions (not NYS) the basic trial court for litigated matters. FLORIDA.

56A. A stressed electrician may need an __: EMOTIONAL  OUTLET  (15). One final plug for all the great skilled workers of America who did not need college to succeed, one of my nephews -Jonathan - is a master electrician.

Two grid spanners and no need for a reveal. On to the rest.

Across:

1. "Fear the Walking Dead," e.g.: SPIN-OFF. Most agree that the first TV spin-off was 77 Sunset Strip (1958–1964) which begot Bourbon Street Beat (1959–1960).  I was really into the original, not its progeny.

8. Fixed up: REDONE.

14. Legendary name in racing: MAN O' WAR. This legendary thoroughbred is an all time great LEARN MORE. Seabiscuit was a descendant.

15. Keeps away from: EVADES. Avoid, evades...

18. Reversal: UTURN. Now used beyond driving.

19. Picked up: LEARNED. I picked up some Spanish living is South Florida.

20. Leaves for a drink: TEA. To be witty with simplicity, nice!

21. How it looks, with "the": OPTICS. A 21st century word,

30. Schooner pole: MAST. Sail information for you all on SALE.

33. Where FDR was once governor: NYS. New York State. Following Teddy.

34. Face with courage: BRAVE. Syntax had me fooled for a bit.

35. Counting everything: IN TOTAL. I tried to make this one hard.

37. Poetic devices: SIMILES. I will leave you all up to your OWN, but I learned one called a Calligram - a poem in which the calligraphy, the formation of the letters or the font selected, represents an aspect of the poem’s subject.

39. Link to another story?: STAIR. Again, so sweetly misleading the reader. JW's?

40. "Shameless" network, briefly: SHO. Showtime has aired this irreverent soft-core show with a wonderful cast featuring WILLIAM H. MACY and the yummy EMMY ROSSUM just ending after an 11 year run. 

41. It may be raised at an outdoor wedding: TENT. Such fun cluing! You cannot possibly be...

46. Glum: MOROSE. 

47. Old AT&T rival: MCI. When they broke up Ma Bell (speaking of spin-offs) much of the credit went to MCI which had been born as Microwave Communications, Inc. The history of the 8 baby bells and where they are all now is fascinating, and MCI which became part of the WorldComm scandal is now part of VERIZON.

50. "Let's begin, okay?":  SHALL WE. Pray?

54. Doesn't hack it: FAILS.

59. They may be going around: RUMORS.

60. Saskatchewan neighbor: MONTANA. Our dear friend who many of us have had the pleasure of meeting in person as she travels to visit her farflung children; we met in Denver.

61. Patronize, as a motel: STOP AT.

62. Person well over 70, probably?: SPEEDER. Yay me! But where am I speeding to?

Down:

1. Executed, in Exodus: SMOTE.

2. City near Venice: PADUA. They say it is a GREAT DAY TRIP.

3. "Are you __ out?": IN OR. So many contexts come to mind...

4. "Don't take it so hard": NOW NOW. It is flexible; 1-used to tell someone not to be worried or unhappy: Now, now, don't cry. Everything will be all right. You'll see!

2 - used in speech to express criticism or disapproval in a gentle way

Now, now. There's no need to use that kind of language.

5. Take responsibility for: OWN. This is very 21st century speak

6. Butter component: FAT.

7. Kicks up one's heels: FROLICS. Middle Dutch vrolyc "happy," a compound of vro- "merry, glad" + lyc "like" (see like (adj.)). ... 1)), giving the whole an etymological sense akin to "jumping for joy." Similar formation in German fröhlich "happy."

8. Discuss ad nauseam: REHASH.

9. At any time: EVER. If ever you need me...I'll be there.

10. Vampire's curfew: DAWN. Old fashioned original vampires...

11. Comics dog that sounds like two letters: ODIE.                                                    

12. Bookish sort: NERD. I disagree- bookish synonyms: studious, scholarly, academic, literary, intellectual, highbrow or erudite. nerd synonyms: bore, dweeb, geek, anorak, spod or Poindexter.

13. Wichita-to-Memphis dir.: ESE.

16. __ feeling: GUT. Intuition.

17. Big field in Silicon Valley: TECH. Not a place to land an airplane

22. Cocktail word with a tilde: PIÑA . More music...

23. Texter's "Chat soon": TTYL. Talk to you later.

24. Dispassionate type: STOIC.

25. UPC bar code developer: IBM. I believe this is a half-truth/ HISTORY.

26. Travis of country music: TRITT. Sorry, I used up my country music link.

27. Account: TALE. That's may story and I am sticking to it.

28. Square: EVEN. We are all square, I paid you back. See 38D.

29. Sit a spell: REST.

30. Catchall abbr.: MISC.

31. Contradictory prefix: ANTI.

32. Marquee figure: STAR.

36. Capote nickname: TRU. Rhymes with...

37. "Leave me alone!": SHOO. Onomotopoeia.

38. Chits: IOUS. Onomotopoeia.

40. Roller coaster sounds: SCREAMS. Only from the wimps. I just sob quietly.

43. "Wait, what?": I'M LOST. Expliquez, s'il vous plait.

44. Dot on a map: TOWN.

45. Disprove: REFUTE.

47. Creator of an iconic bear: MILNE. Do not pooh pooh the importance of his creation.

48. Understood: CLEAR. Got it!

49. Musician's suffix: IST. Trombonist.

50. X-rated stuff: SMUT. Now come some questionable fill...

51. __ sapiens: HOMO. As a speices we are so humble..,

52. Surmounting: ATOP. This sounds obscene to me

53. Pre-euro currency: LIRA. 

55. Slightly: A TAD. A tad to the left

56. Critical-care ctrs.: ERS. Emergency Rooms

57. Chop (off): LOP.lop "to cut off," originally of branches of a tree, mid-15c. (implied in lopped; place name Loppedthorn is attested from 1287), a verb from Middle English loppe (n.) "small branches and twigs trimmed from trees" (early 15c.), which, along with Medieval Latin loppa, is of unknown origin.

58. Number of World Series wins for the Astros: ONE. What a fun way to clue this word, a CSO to our Houstonians and all of our baseball fans.

Another JW in the record books, more emotional roller coaster for me as well as my vision problems are not abating, it is the 2nd anniversary of the death of my first wife, my granddaughters call to chat with me on their own and the weather here is awesome. Life- live it. Lemonade out.

Thursday, May 6, 2021, Joe Deeney

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists !

If you are not proficient in reading sea creatures' lips, and there is really no reason why you should be, you might guess that my friend above is wishing all of you a very happy Seis de Mayo.  Because Cinco de Mayo fell in the middle of the workweek this year, perhaps only a few of you overindulged in cerveza or mescal or tequila.  If you are one of those who did, it's okay to go back to sleep and read this tomorrow because you certainly do not need to add to your morning headache.  Of course, if you celebrated last night and have already tackled today's puzzle then it might be time for some hair of the dog that bit you.

Those who are proficient in lip reading sea creatures will know that my friend is actually voicing her opinion on several aspects of today's puzzle - Something like twenty proper nouns.  Answers such as YOINK, INSPO, and TECHY.  Throw a handful of abbreviations and a dozen two-word answers into the mix and the bellowing, above, is quite understandable (pun possibly intended).

Today's puzzle setter is Joe Deeney who also created the recent March 18th & 31st and April 17th & 25th puzzles, among many others.  Being an accomplished constructor, we have to assume that Mr. Deeney's choices were well-thought-out and were intended to give us a worthy Thursday challenge even if they do, in places, leave us shaking our heads.

THEME:  DU YOU SEE WHAT I SEEST?

The answer at 63 Across provides one key to our eventual enlightenment:  At four places in the puzzle, Joe has placed two-word answers.  Each first word starts with DU and each second word ends with ST.  Thus, the center components of the theme answers are bordered by, JACKETed if you will, by DU and ST.

63 Across. Book protector ... and what 17- 24-, 39-, and 53-Across each has: DUST JACKET.  (It would have been jaw-droppingly impressive if the second word of this answer had also ended in ST).

The elements of this clever bit of construction are:

17 Across. Bridge relative for three players: DUMMY WHIST.  WHIST is a trick-taking card game usually played by four players.  If there are only three players then a DUMMY hand is dealt.

24 Across. NBA All-Star Weekend event, casually: DUNK CONTEST.  Each year, during the All-Star game break, the National Basketball Association holds a Slam Dunk Contest.  A slam dunk is a shot in which the player forcibly thrusts the basketball down through the basket.

39 Across. Equinox sunset direction viewed from the equator: DUE WEST.  By definition.  If the sun is directly overhead at noon on the equator it will be due west when it sets.  Interestingly enough, this could also have been the theme.  The DU of each theme answer falls on the left, west on most maps.  DU WEST.

53 Across. Sporty muffler option: DUAL EXHAUST.  Several manufacturers have come up with aftermarket devices that make your EV sound like a V-8 with glass packs (a V-E?).

We'll put the finished grid here for a better look:

Now, let us consider the rest of today's clues and answers:

Across:

1. Apple since 1998: IMAC.  We are used to seeing the clued Apple be an electronic device and not a piece of fruit and if Apple is the first word of the clue it will be capitalized either way.  So that's no help.  One day, some smart (ass) constructor will play on this and the answer will turn out to actually be a recent cultivar.  Apple since 2009:  ENVY

5. Doctor's order?: SAY AH.

Curious George

10. Large number: HOST.  In the biblical sense (no, not that way), a group or army.  צבאות‎

14. Dunn of "SNL" (1985-'90): NORA.  NORA Dunn was cast-member of the Saturday Night Live television show.

Nora Dunn

15. Food recall cause: E. COLI.

Escherichia Coli Bacteria

16. Not about to back: ANTI.  You can opt to back a cause or opt to oppose it.  When I was a kid, it was considered great fun to ask someone if they could spell Antidisestablishmentarianism let alone explain it.  Okay, so I hung with a bunch of weirdos.

19. Union foe: SCAB.  From the Latin scabere meaning to scratch.  For centuries, the term SCAB has been applied to people who were untrustworthy and/or despicable.  In 1816 the term was first used (by members of the Albany Typographical Union) to apply to strikebreakers.

20. Muse's gift, in modern slang: INSPO.  A riff on "inspiration", I suppose.  The muses must be quite amused that anyone has chosen to add this particular linguistic gift to their lexicon.

21. "Too Many Rappers" rapper: NAS.  NASir bin Olu Dara Jones.

22. Elephantine: HUGE.  Which came first, the animal's name or the adjective?  Apparently, the animal's name.  The adjective is said to have originated in the 1620's.  It derives from the Latin elephantinus meaning "pertaining to  elephants".

23. They're not from around here, briefly: ETS.  Extra TerrestrialS  In Maine, upon meeting an ET they might say, "You're from away.  Chuppta?"

28. TV's Arthur: BEA.  . . .  and then there's Maude . . . and before Maude:

Bea Arthur on the Perry Como Show circa 1960

29. MSNBC host Melber: ARI.  What do you call a cat's Italian sports car?  A fur ARI.

30. Irish New Ager: ENYA.  Alternatively, a four-letter singer who often appears in x-word puzzles.

31. Hawks' home: Abbr.: ATL.  The ATLanta Hawks are a professional basketball team.

32. 23andMe concern: DNA.  DeoxyriboNucleic Acid.   23andME is a company that provides direct-to-consumer DNA testing.

34. Everglades bird: EGRET.

A Great White Egret

38. Eugene-to-Portland dir.: NNE.  North North East or 22.5°

42. Flying phenom: ACE.  Not a UFO.  Not Rodan.  An expert pilot.

The Royal Guardsmen - 1966

43. Miso soup base: DASHI.  The Bon Appetite recipe for DASHI  uses only water, dried kombu and bonito flakes.

45. Sch. found inside hotel suites?: LSU.  A clue intended to be interpreted quite literally.  Louisiana State University -  HOTEL SUITES  

46. Scand. land: NOR.  NORway.  Neither Sweden nor Finland.

47. "Wonderfilled" cookie: OREO.  I had never heard of an OREO being "Wonderfilled" but Oreo is always a reasonable guess for anything cookie-related.  I gather that OREO built an advertising campaign around the Wonderfilled theme.

Owl City Commercial -2013

50. Actor Vigoda: ABE.  ABE Vigoda is best known for his role as Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and as Fish on the Barney Miller TV show.

Justice Delayed

52. U.S. number-issuing agcy.: SSA.  The Social Security Administration.  Not to be confused with 64 Down.

57. BOLO cousin: APB.  Be On the LookOut and All Points Bulletin are both "Heads Up" alerts from the police.

58. Lone: ONLY.  I first tried SOLE.  Interesting cross with 55 Down.

59. Constitution letters: USS.  Not to be confused with the US Constitution.   A ship . . . . and a pretty easily identified bit of misdirection.  If you go to Boston you can visit the ship.  It's where I learned why a ship's toilet is called the head.

USS Constitution

60. Like computer innovations, say: TECHY.  IMHO (In this Manatee's Humble Opinion) - Tacky.

62. Caiman kin: CROC.  CROCodile.  Oddly, caiman is spelled out and the answer is abbreviated.  Is one-half of a pair of Crocs a CROC?

66. Casino game: KENO.  The name has French/Latin roots meaning "five winning numbers"  (quine) or "five each" (quini).  Thanks, Wiki.

67. Remove entirely: ERASE.

68. "__ we go!": HERE.  And awaaaayyyy . . . . would not fit.

69. Eject: SPEW.  See 2 Down.

70. Malibu, e.g.: SEDAN.  Another bit of (less) easily identified misdirection.  The Chevrolet Malibu was manufactured from 1964 to 1983.  It was reintroduced in 1997 and continues to be part of the company's product line.

A 1964 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan

71. Spenser's "Epithalamion" and others: ODES.  I was familiar with neither the author nor the ode.  The poem was written to his bride by Edmund Spenser in 1594.

Down:

1. The Smiths, e.g.: INDIE BAND.  Formed in 1982 in England, Wiki says that the critics considered The Smiths to be one of the most important BANDs to emerge from the Independent music scene of that era.  I am not familiar with the group.  If I had been, then, perhaps, this answer would have been more quickly figured out.

2. Europe's highest active volcano: MOUNT ETNA.  Elevation -10,991 feet

February, 2020

3. Heat transfer subject?: ARMS SALES.  Carrying a gun is sometimes referred to as "packing heat" and a sale is a transfer or sorts.

4. Like-minded group: CAMP.  I first thought of  BLOC, then SECT.  Thanks, perps.

5. Use a Singer: SEW.

6. Augsburg "Oh!": ACH.  A German language lesson to which we have previously, and repeatedly, been exposed.

7. "I'm taking that!": YOINK.  This was (charitably) a learning moment for this marine mammal.  Other (quite strong) reactions preceded that of charity.  Coined by The Simpsons writer George Meyer and perhaps imitative of the sound effect (made by a violin) that accompanies something being snatched in classic comedies.

8. Treaty of Versailles region: ALSACE.  An area along the border of France and Germany that has been the impetus for several wars.  Under The Treaty of Versailles (at the end of World War One) the Germans ceded Alsace to the French.  This helped precipitate World War Two

9. Tries to pick up: HITS ON.

Daisy Duck

10. Tweet symbol: HASH TAG.  Being unable to text on social media with his flippers, this manatee still thinks that the # symbol means number, or pound, or higher by one semi-tone.

11. When expected: ON CUE.  When filming the original Star Wars, Peter Mayhew had to redo a scene because he missed his CUE.  It was a Wookiee mistake.

12. Does' beaux: STAGS.  The plural possessive and the X at the end of beaux (c'est français) tell us that the answer is going to be plural.

13. Starting point for an Everest ascent: TIBET.

18. "Size matters not" Jedi master: YODA.

Weird Al Yankovic Yoda

25. Pakistani tongue: URDU.  A language frequently seen, if not heard,  in x-word puzzles.

26. Important baseball number: NINE.  There are nine players in each baseball team's starting line up.

27. Nureyev negative: NYET.  Nureyev is a Russian ballet dancer and NYET is Russian for no.

33. Leatherwork tool: AWL.

35. Plundered: RANSACKED.  From Old Norse and Middle English.  Rann (house) + secan (seek).  Modern use of the word is not restricted to houses.

36. Closed system that includes all life on Earth: ECOSPHERE.  ECOSPHRE has evolved, over time, from a circumstellar habitable zone, to self-contained/completely enclosed aquaria to the way it is used in this clue.

37. Substantial storage units: TERABYTES.  A TECKY reference. 

39. Boding disaster: DIRE.  On this day in history, May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg dirigible burst into flames upon touching its mooring mast in New Jersey.  There had been no DIRE warnings.

40. Isaac's eldest: ESAU.

Got It?

41. Replacements: SUBS.  As in SUBStitutes.  Either Sandwiches or  U-boats could also have been made to work as a clues.

44. Phil Rizzuto catchphrase: HOLY COW.

¡Ay Caramba!

48. Radiates: EXUDES.

49. "Yeah, I bet!": OH SURE.

51. James of jazz: ETTA.  Alternatively, a four-letter singer who often appears in x-word puzzles.

53. Places to tie up: DOCKS.  If you are not yet familiar with the series of songs posted on YouTube by the organization Playing for Change, you should correct that oversight post haste.  You could do far worse than starting with Ripple, The Weight and Listen to the Music.

Dock of the Bay  - Playing For Change

54. Gen. Assembly member: UNREP.  United Nations REPresentative

55. Unaccompanied: ALONE.  It is interesting that it intersects with 58 Across.  Also, a great opportunity to slip this into the recap (I could have gone with Gilbert O'Sullivan.  Just kidding):

Arthur Lee & Love - Alone Again Or Circa 2003

56. Mideast ruling family name: ASSAD.  The current ruler of Syria was educated at medical school in Damascus and also trained in ophthalmology in London.  The empirical evidence seems to suggest that he skipped class the day they covered the Hippocratic Oath.

61. Make the same point as: ECHO.  Hey, Alexa!

Amazon Echo Silver

64. Bag-checking org.: TSA.  Transportation Security Administration. Not to be confused with 52 Across. 

65. Comedian Kirkman: JEN.  I was not previously familiar with JEN.

May the 6th Be With You!

______________________________________________

Wednesday, May 5, 2021, August Miller

Theme:  See the reveal 38A, can't come up with anything better.

 17. *Broadcast medium for major U.S. sporting events: NATIONAL TV.

25. *Request at a mom-and-pop store, maybe: CASH PAYMENT.

47. *NASA event: SPACE FLIGHT.

60. *Field trip transport: CHARTER BUS.

 38. Early ... or where the answers to the starred clues' ending words can be found: AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

Similar to last Wednesday's theme. SCHEDULE can be added after the second word of each theme answer:  TV SCHEDULE, PAYMENT SCHEDULE, FLIGHT SCHEDULE, AND BUS SCHEDULE.

Melissa here. BUS was also part of last Wednesday's theme. Coinkydink.

Across: 

1. Wife of Jupiter: JUNO. Mythology. Juno was a jealous wife. And Jupiter, when he got bored, liked to get into mischief. To hide his mischief from Juno, Jupiter covered the world in clouds, thinking she couldn’t find out what he was really up to. But Juno was very smart, and became suspicious about what might be going on under all those clouds. When she found out about her husband’s misdeeds, Jupiter was in trouble. 

 

5. Element #5: BORON. Essential for healthy bones.

10. Opening on Broadway: ACT I.

14. "I'm thinkin' no": UH UH.

15. First in a line of Russian princes: IVAN I.

16. Pastoral plaints: BAAS. Did ewe get it?

19. PC shortcut key: CTRL.

20. Teacher with a class of one: TUTOR.

21. Adrienne Rich work, e.g.: POEM.

23. Issa of "The Lovebirds": RAE. 2020 film.

24. Gymnast Raisman: ALY. Retired American gymnast, and two-time Olympian.

29. "The Sweetest Taboo" singer: SADE. Also the name of the band. Her full name is Helen Folasade Adu

30. Right direction?: EAST.

31. Developer's unit: ACRE. Too many letters for LOT.

34. Investment option: Abbr.: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

36. Align, as two signals: SYNC UP.

41. Brazilian port city: SANTOS. In São Paulo, and home of the  largest beach garden in the world.

 

42. 21st Greek letter: PHI.

43. Butcher's stock: MEAT. I was thinking stock, as in soup.

44. School gps.: PTAS. Parent Teacher Association.

45. Takes advantage of: USES.

51. Seller of Souls: KIA. The capital S was a good clue. Subcompact SUV.

54. Cartoon frame: CEL. Short for celluloid. The last film Disney produced using 100% traditional cel animation was Oliver and Company back in 1988. The plastic and paint degrades over time. Disney has a dedicated facility to keep their original cels at the optimal temperature and humidity while trying to halt their degradation. You can read an in-depth article on Disney’s process of cel storage here.

55. Chanel rival: DIOR. Fashion designers.

56. Laughs loudly: ROARS.

58. Utah ski resort: ALTA.

63. Bigfoot in photos, e.g.: BLUR.

64. Shade thrower: HATER.

65. Novelist Émile: ZOLA. French. 1840 - 1902. The Strange Death of Émile Zola.

66. Racy message: SEXT. Specifically, racy message delivered by text.

67. Adversary: ENEMY.

68. Fall in line: OBEY.

Down: 

1. Leadership after some coups: JUNTA.

2. DIY moving option: UHAUL.

3. Like some candy bar flavors: NUTTY. Why not just some candy bars?

4. Indiana neighbor: OHIO.

5. TSA checkpoint container: BIN.

6. Fertility lab cells: OVA.

7. Lauren of fashion: RALPH.

8. Victorious: ON TOP.

9. Skin care brand: NIVEA.

10. "The Rookie" network: ABC.

11. Organization that keeps "purr"-ps off the street?: CAT RESCUE. Haha.

12. Arachnophobe's nightmare: TARANTULA.

13. Comic strip landmass with a single palm tree: ISLET.

18. Penguin-hunting swimmer: ORCA.

22. "What baloney!": MY EYE.

26. "Until next time": ADIOS. Spanish for bye.

27. Feudal laborer: SERF.

28. Button-shaped candies: M AND M'S.

29. Airport near Puget Sound, for short: SEATAC. For Seattle-Tacoma.

31. Two-yr. degrees: AA'S. Associate of Arts.

32. Dave honored with a Mark Twain Prize in 2019: CHAPPELLE.

33. Common prom expenditure: RENTAL TUX.

35. African snake: ASP.

36. With 51-Down, skewered Middle Eastern dish: SHISH.

37. Puppy or kitten: PET.

39. Medicated: DOSED.

40. Down in one go: CHUG. Ohhh - I was thinking knocked down.

46. Raison d'__: ETRE.

47. Wound covers: SCABS.

48. Microfilm unit: FICHE.

49. "Mean Girls" star Lindsay: LOHAN.

50. Very hot: IRATE. More misdirection.

51. See 36-Down: KABOB. Tricky, since it's also spelled kebob and kebab.

52. "Yay me!": I RULE.

53. Test for purity: ASSAY. The testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients and quality. 

57. Pastina relative: ORZO.

59. Valuable oil, say: ART. As an oil painting.

61. Sleep letters: REM. Rapid Eye Movement. The dream state of sleep.

62. Have a go at: TRY.