Saturday, May 21, 2022, Jeff Chen and Christina Iverson

Saturday Themeless by Jeff Chen and Christina Iverson

Jeff Chen, our frequent puzzle collaborator/constructor from Seattle co-authors a fun Saturday themeless with Christina Iverson who is the LA Times editor Patti Varol's assistant. Christina lives here in the heartland, 2 1/2 hours east of me in the familiar cwd town of Ames, Iowa. Here is her note to us: 

 

Hi Gary,

Jeff forwarded me your email and here are a few notes on my themeless collaboration with him...

Jeff helped me get started in constructing a few years ago, and we made several themed puzzles together that have been in various outlets. This is our only themeless collaboration (so far!). I've been making quite a few themeless puzzles the last year and a half, but this is the first to see print. I have another coming out next week in AVCX as well, so it's fun to have two themeless puzzles that I made at very different times come out within a week.

Our seed entry for this puzzle was YOUR OTHER RIGHT. I'm not great at lefts and rights, and when I suggested YOUR OTHER RIGHT to Jeff as a seed, I pitched the clue "Left, rather rudely." I was really proud of the clue, until I told it to my husband and he pointed out that YOUR OTHER RIGHT still means RIGHT, not LEFT. Of course. I'm pretty sure Jeff was politely not mentioning this nonsensical clue, and was planning on gently suggesting other clues when we got to the clue-writing stage. 

Thanks :)

Christina Iverson

Here are Christina and Patti Varol

Across:

1. Support that's often rigged: MAST - It's great to get 1 Across.

5. Role, metaphorically: HAT - Others wear mom's hats for a day

8. Pair sharing a <3 b="" necklace="" probably:="">BFFS - Here's a bunch more

12. Instruments in some Gershwin works: ALTO SAXES - Anyone else think of CLARINETS featured in Rhapsody In Blue?

15. "I don't mind __ / Except as meals. / And the way they feels": Nash: EELS - Ogden Nash 

16. Tabula rasa: CLEAN SLATE - I first went BLANK for _ L _ _ _  SLATE

18. Joie de vivre: ELAN - A familiar French phrase follows a familiar Latin one above 

19. Susan who wrote, "The writer's first job is not to have opinions but to tell the truth": SONTAG - Susan's admonition is violated constantly today

20. Sources of fleeting joy?: YACHTS - Fun cluing! Here's a fleet of YACHTS

22. "Wrong hand, silly": YOUR OTHER RIGHT - See Christina's fun exchange with Jeff and her husband in her notes above

26. Active front?: RETRO. RETROACTIVE

27. Postulant: NOVICE - From Sisters Of Life

28. Grace period?: AMEN - What these novices proclaim after saying Grace. Fun clue!

31. "Toodles!": TATA.

33. Tree on the Lebanese flag: CEDAR - Fatima Dryad was the first Lebanese woman to scale Everest

34. Latin law: LEX - LEX Orandi, LEX Credendi (the law of prayer [is] the law of belief)

35. Place to get high and pass out?: TOP BUNK - Fun

37. Rx writers, often: DRS and 46. Line on a handwriting test: NEATNESS COUNTS - Digital prescription writing have significantly reduced errors

38. Device that requires spin control: LATHE.

40. Inoculation fluids: SERA.

41. Literary alter ego: HYDE - $9,000 will get you an 1886 first edition with the author's signature inside 

42. Self-consoling sigh: I TRIED.

44. Animal in Aboriginal cave paintings: DINGO.

50. One of two tarot card groups: ARCANA - There are 22 cards in the Major ARCANA group and 56 in the Minor ARCANA group

51. Went viral: BLEW UP - Will Smith's slapping of Chris Rock went viral on social media instantly  

53. State whose road signs feature 8-Downs: UTAH and 8. Symbol of 53-Across: BEEHIVE - Why the BEEHIVE?

54. Academic term: SCHOOL YEAR - It's over. No subbing for three months.

57. Nice parent: MERE - Cwd peeps see the French city first and knew of a French mom!

58. Dessert with a high point: SOFT SERVE.

59. Son of Hera: ARES - Here ya go

60. GRE org.: ETS.

61. Like a fly ball to the warning track: DEEP - As they say in baseball, "Just a long out."

Down:

1. Safari runners: MACS - Can you see the word Safari in this screen shot of my MACBook doing this blog?

2. Heterogenous union: ALLOY.

3. One working with a dictator: STENO.

4. Perfectly: TO A TURN - Getting a steak grilled TO A TURN takes some real monitoring.

5. Lacks options: HAS GOT TO - This golfer HAS GOT TO play the ball where it lies if he does not want to incur a penalty. He 9. Was awash in euphoria: FELT GIDDY if the ball went in the hole

6. Rose up on stage: AXL - AXL Rose of the band Guns 'N Roses. Cute clue!

7. Leaves in a pot: TEA.    

10. Study aid: FLASHCARD - I generated a slew of them online

11. Three-part fig.: SSN.

13. Bag: SNARE and 23. Bags: TRAPS.

14. Eyelid issue: STYE.

17. Make dough or bread: EARN - 100 Slang words for money

21. Earthenware vessel: CROCK - My lovely wife remembers taking her turn going to the well to fill the water CROCK at her one-room school.

24. Breeding grounds: HOTBEDS - Boston in the 1770's was a HOTBED of revolution

25. Clipped: TERSE - THERE. SHOULD. BE. NO. POLITICS. HERE.

28. Wiped out: ALL IN.

29. One having a cow?: MEAT EATER and 30. Not well-done in the least: EXTRA RARE.

32. Derived from gold: AURIC - The latin word for gold is AURUM and its chemical symbol is Au, so...

35. Brandon __: Hilary Swank's "Boys Don't Cry" role: TEENA - Based on true events in Humboldt, NE

Brandon Teena/            Hilary Swank
Teena Brandon                in that role

36. Tiny tech powering Iron Man and Black Panther's suits: NANOBOTS - Here ya go

39. Tours of duty: HITCHES.

41. Sweet: HONEYED.

43. Fox holes: DENS.

45. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" criers in "Finding Nemo": GULLS.

47. Small pouches: SACS.

48. Poetic contraction: TWERE - Can't go wrong with Tennyson 

49. Polished: SUAVE.

52. Get set: PREP.

53. Actress Thurman: UMA.

55. Rowing implement?: HOE - Oh that kind of row. Yeah right, I was the only one who put OAR! 😉

56. Many times o'er: OFT.

More from Christina:

I was so lucky to get to be judging at the ACPT (American Crossword Puzzle Tournament). I was welcomed into the community with open arms by constructors, editors, and solvers alike. I got to watch 500 people solve a puzzle that I made, which was quite an experience... as WSJ editor and fellow constructor Mike Shenk said, it felt like spending hours and hours making a gourmet meal, and then watching people eat it in a speed-eating contest. Thank you to everyone who went out of their way to welcome me and make me feel at home! Already can't wait for ACPT 2023

Friday, May 20, 2022, MaryEllen Uthlaut

 

Title: Welcome to the New Age

I am here for my second Friday for the Varol/Iverson regime today welcoming back MaryEllen Uthlaut who recently appeared here on March 6 with a Sunday (her specialty) discussed by C.C. ME burst on the constructor scene with a puzzle in the NYT followed by many LATs. My last count has this as her 35th over time. Her theme is one frequently used on Friday with a trigram (3 letters) removed from a phrase, re-clued for maximum hilarity. We do not have circles but we do have the asterisk which should have sped up the solve, if D-O noticed them. Nah. 

But first, there are some sparkly fill which include words longer than some of the themers. We have AGELESS, DISCORD, SPRAYER, CHARADES, ERUPTIVE, ELEMENTARY, and SKY MARSHAL all of which are worthy of some discussion. But not now, as it is time talk about the theme which is a classic Friday remove letters from known phrases to make new phrases which are then clued to promote hilarity. ME removed three letters (AGE) also known as a trigram, from the end of one word of four two word phrases. Generously we have a central reveal which is quite cute but makes this a somewhat easy solve. 

17A. *Appendage capable of kicking a 60-yard field goal?: RARE FOOTAGE.(8). The before and after of this fill mirror each other. We have the unique toeless foot of Tom Dempsey who kicked the first 60 yard field goal in 1970. We also have the rare video (FOOTAGE) of the accomplishment. 

It was not until 14 years later that there was another 60 yarder, but now the record is 66 yards in a LIST of 26 such feats. Haha!

23A. *Result of a computer virus?: INTERNET MESSAGE (12). Viruses in people and machines wreak havoc, and they computer variety are often malicious bugs planted by hackers. This LIST is maintained by those trying to protect computers.

54A. *Purpose of a phone booth, to Clark Kent?: GARBAGE DISPOSAL .(12). This both the funniest and an outlier as the AGE is added to the first of the two words. Making a kitchen device morph into where Superman changes was extra special.

65A. *LEGO minifigure of Emmet Brickowski, e.g.?: MICRO MANAGE (8).You have to RESPECT this Master Builder despite his lack of stature. I did not know his name despite watching the movies with the grands.

Then we have the Friday reveal which was witty, but seemed too much and too soon as it appeared at:

39A. Like someone who appears untouched by time, and like the answers to the starred clues?: AGELESS. If you did not notice the missing letters, this should tip the scales to SOLVED!

Now to dissect ME's clue/fill.

Across:

1. Routine: ACT. Mort Sahl did political satire, that was his routine, his act.

4. Agitate: RILE. Like Lenny Bruce it did upset some people as neither had any...

8. Snob __: APPEAL. Do you think the word come from the Latin  "Sine NOBilitate" which means without nobility? 

14. Guessing game: CHARADES. I do not know  either, just guessing.

16. Metal framework: GRILLE. Do you like this?

18. Successfully lure: ROPE IN.

19. List-ending abbr.: ET AL. Al is really busy.

20. "Act Like You Don't" country singer Brooke: EDEN.

22. Like a March hare: MAD. A little Lewis Carroll. 

28. Communications platform that began as a chat service for gamers: DISCORD. The ironic concept and its HISTORY.

31. Deck out: ADORN.

32. Calligraphy supply: INK. Do you have ink in your pen?

33. Latvian seaport: RIGA. This is very close to the Ukraine action so please read their NEWS.

35. Uneducated guess: STAB. 

38. Farm house: STY.

43. Blonde __: ALE.

44. Browser button: HOME.

46. China setting: ASIA. Where we can get some...

47. Maki topping: ROE. maki is the entire Sushi offering including the Nori, the rice and the filling.

48. Subside: ABATE.

52. Hose attachment: SPRAYER. Very important when washing the car or watering plants.

57. Uncertain sounds: UMS. Ah, ok. 

58. Quash: VETO. 

59. Be without: LACK.

63. Sweater wool: MOHAIR. Merino?

69. Slow-cook, in a way: BRAISE. This is to fry (food) lightly and then stew it slowly in a closed container.

70. Volatile: ERUPTIVE. A new clue/fill for the LAT. 

71. Cried out: YELLED.

72. "I __ to recall ... ": SEEM. Usually by some bigwig forced to testify after being recorded. 

73. Wet blanket: DEW. A nice but common clue/fill.

Down:

1. Animal Crossing unit: ACRE. Is there more here than I see?

2. Zoom option: CHAT.

3. Strong who voices Miss Minutes on "Loki": TARA.

4. U.K. fliers: RAF. Royal Air Force.

5. Binding words: I DO. And you had better

6. Zodiac sign: LEO. Part August part September.

7. Aromatic compound: ESTER. Perfume

8. "It's settled, then!": AGREED.

9. Right away: PRONTO.

10. Apple seed: PIP.

11. Miller/Liu TV drama: ELEMENTARY. The show was okay and Lucy Liu was a fun twist for Dr. Watson, but Johnny Lee Miller was even less Sherlockian than Robert Downey Jr.

12. Assumed name: ALIAS.

13. Takes interest, maybe: LENDS. A great clue/fill.

15. Museum item: RELIC.

21. Genetic letters: DNA.

24. Bollywood dancer/actress Fatehi: NORA. This Canadian (yes another one) born actress was endowed with much including Indian heritage and a career in Bollywood.

25. Pre-calc course: TRIG. For all of out math people.

26. Periphery: EDGE.

27. Dash of flavor?: MRS. Do you splash a dash of Mrs. Dash in your dish?

28. Chef's creation: DISH.

29. Passionate about: IN TO.

30. In-flight officer: SKY MARSHAL.

34. __    provençale:  À LA.  Some fonts just do not cooperate. This mean a dish prepared prepared in the style of Provence typically with garlic and olive oil                                                                                                                     

36. The Body Shop balm: ALOE. For sunburn this is the bomb.

37. Ingredient in some batter: BEER.  A RECIPE for WASEELY and others who want what they but also want to be healthy.

40. Canadian gas brand: ESSO. Complicated? Esso is ExxonMobil's primary gasoline brand worldwide except in Australia, Guam, Mexico, Nigeria, and New Zealand, where the Mobil brand is used exclusively. In Canada (since 2017), Colombia, Egypt, and formerly Malaysia (until 2013, when Petron acquired ExxonMobil's Malaysian operations)[29] and Japan (until 2019), both the Esso and Mobil brands are used. In Hong Kong and Singapore, Mobil brand is applied on Esso fuel tank after Mobil service stations began to merge with Esso since 2006.

Mobil is ExxonMobil's primary retail gasoline brand in California, Florida, New York, New England, the Great Lakes and the Midwest. Exxon is the primary brand in the rest of the United States, with the highest concentration of retail outlets located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states

41. Nurses: SIPS. A drink or ?

42. Indie pop duo Tegan and __: SARA. Their website tells us Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta, composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin. Canadian Eh, on your playlist?

45. Flow back: EBB. EBB keeps coming back here as well.

49. Counsel: ADVISE. My first solo business card read, "Counselor and Adviser of Law."

50. In layers: TIERED. When I get tired I feel like a cake.

51. Superlative suffix: EST.

53. Dole out: ALLOT. 

54. Claymation character with a horse: GUMBY.  They are now support toys for kids.

55. Love, in arias: AMORE. Because the sing in Italian

56. Apples, pears, etc.: POMES. Not de terre

60. Surrounded by: AMID.

61. Finally give: CAVE.

62. Had down cold: KNEW.

64. Feel sick: AIL.

66. Fury: IRE.

67. Shuffleboard stick: CUE. We have a relatively new court (de rigeur for 55+ communities in SoFla) and I do play some. I never called the stick anything but a stick.

68. Record no.: RPM. We spin out of here on a nice deception, not a record number but the number of revolutions per minute for record being played.

If this is the future, I am in; we had many fun food and Asia clues as well as more female prominence. Get on the train or be left behind and my behind ain't what is used to be. Thank you ME and all who read and/or write. Continued prayers and best wishes for boomer and who are suffering both from the Corner and the world.

Thursday, May 19, 2022, Katherine Baicker

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists . . . and what a nice morning it is here!  What's happenin' wordsmiths?  What's in store for us today?  What's with this puzzle?  Exactly.

Malodorous Manatee here with the post-puzzle recap.  Today's puzzle setter, making (I believe) her LAT debut, is the highly accomplished Katherine Baicker.  Here is a link to her Wikipedia page:

Katherine Baicker Wiki

Despite the obvious depth and breadth of her experience, here, today, Katherine asks only a single, simple question.  That question is not Who, Why or Where (except, maybe, for 27 Across) but, simply, WHAT.  The reveal is found at 39 Across:

39 Across:  Rhetorical strategy of countering an accusation with another accusation, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: WHATABOUTISM.  It means to twist criticism back on the initial critic.  The short version:  "I know you are but what am I?"

The word WHAT is split evenly in half and the WH and AT bracket the multi-word themed answers.  The word WHAT could be said to be ABOUT the answers (as in "There are challenges all about (around) us.")  The structure of the theme is similar to last Thursday's puzzle but today's is simpler because the identical broken-up word pattern is repeated.  When I saw the IS of WHISKEY I thought, for a brief moment that we would find ISM in the middle of the bracketing.  That would have been quite impressive but 'twas not to be.

Here are the starred clues/answers:

18 Across:  *Easy order for a bartender: WHISKEY NEAT.  Nothing simpler to pour.  Straight.  No ice.  No mixer.  No lime wedge.  No umbrella.

27 Across:  *The place to be, informally: WHERE IT'S AT.  Let me show you . . .

The Dave Clark Five - 1965

55 Across:  *Toast choice: WHOLE WHEAT.  Not a wedding tradition.  Bread.  Not money bread but food bread.

64 Across:  *"Is it almost time for dinner?": WHEN DO WE EAT.

And now, with apologies to Paul Harvey, for the rest of the story:

Across:

1. First lady Biden: JILL.  Not to be confused with the first lady.  Eve.

5. Homeopathic treatment for bruises: ARNICA.

11. "Say that's true ... ": IF SO.  "Let's suppose . . ."

15. On a cruise: ASEA.  What do the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and reading have in common?  Both are literacy (litter ASEA).

16. Couple: PAIR UP.  Used as a verb.  To become a couple.

17. "Mon __!": DIEU.  Today's French lesson.  OMG!

20. Rare blood type, briefly: B NEG.  "Briefly" tips us off that neither NEGative nor POSitive will be called for.  Also, we can be pretty sure that the answer will start with A, B or O.

21. B'way passes: TIX.  Slang for tickets.

22. Blasting material: TNT.  TriNitroToluene.

23. "Oh, brother!": YEESH.  Just a wee bit of a punt.  Still, easier to suss out than its crossing partner, 23 Down.

24. "It __ meant to be": WASN'T.

29. "Invisible Man" novelist: ELLISON.

31. Galoot: OAF.

32. Bygone airline: TWA.  So many from which to choose but few with three letter.

33. Online journal: BLOG.  Meta? (yesterday's 58 Down)

34. __ Eats: UBER.  The food/restaurant delivery service.

37. "Happy now?": SEE.  "I told ya!"

43. Up to, in ads: TIL.  UnTIL

44. U2 lead singer: BONO.  A well known celebrity.

45. Mall event: SALE.  The sporting goods store at my local mall recently had a big SALE on rowing implements.  It was quite the oar deal.

48. Overly: TOO.  "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt."  Hamlet.

51. Tattle (on): RAT. . . and 69. Tattled (on): TOLD.  The first of two sets of clues paired this way.

53. Early stage: INFANCY.

59. Paul of "Bewitched": LYNDE.  Also known for his appearances on Hollywood Squares.

60. Some map dots: ISLES.

61. College domain: EDU.  An internet reference.

62. Playpen party: TOT.  Not party as in a celebration.  The party of the first part.

63. Lee with a posthumous cameo in "Avengers: Endgame": STAN.  Made a bit trickier because Lee could be either a first or last name.

70. In demand: WANTED.

71. Fragrant herb: SAGE.  Parsley?  Rosemary?  Thyme?

72. Mani-pedi spots: SPAS.  Oft' visited in puzzles.

73. "What a shame": IT'S SAD.  Might this refer to the number of things-people-could-say clues/answers used today?

74. Fig or olive: TREE.  TREE, clued this way, could have been clued with approximately sixty thousand other words.  Fortunately, we've seen this gimmick before.

Down:

1. Moose __, Saskatchewan: JAW.

Mac The Moose - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

2. "Give or take": ISH.  Punt

3. Floral wreath: LEI.

4. Yesterday evening: LAST NIGHT.

Traveling Wilburys

5. Climber's goal: APEX.  ACME was also a reasonable guess.

6. Blu-__ Disc: RAY.

7. Closer's inning: NINTH.  A baseball reference.

8. Adler called "the woman" by Sherlock Holmes: IRENE.  A not infrequent visitor.

9. Dos y dos: CUATRO.  Today's Spanish and math mashup.  2 + 2 = 4

10. Suitable: APT.  Anyone presently looking for an APT 2-bedroom apt.?

11. "__ on it": "You can be sure": I'D BET.

12. Best: FINEST.

Winston Churchill

13. Experience schoolyard highs and lows?: SEESAW.

The Moody Blues - Not 1968

14. Should, informally: OUGHTA.

19. Hobby shop buys: KITS.  Sometimes clued as young foxes.

23. Liu who plays the title role in 2020's "Mulan": YIFEI.  What?  Who?

24. Organic flytrap: WEB.  Spider WEB.

25. More than most: ALL.  All is certainly more than most.

26. Boring: SLOW.  If I had a dollar for every time someone called me a boring nerd I'd have a mean daily income of $6.54 with a standard deviation of $1.25.

27. Sparks org.: WNBA.  Women's National Basketball Association

28. Singer Sheena: EASTON.

30. Ban: OUTLAW.  Used as a verb.

35. Tidal movement: EBB and 54. Tidal movement: FLOW.  The second set of clues paired like this.  Brava.

36. Joey of kiddie lit: ROO.  Kanga's child.  A joey is a baby kangaROO

Kanga and Roo

38. Final thoughts?: ESSAY TEST.  A final exam might have an essay component.

40. Buenos __: AIRES.  Argentina.  Neither NOCHES, nor TARDES nor DIAS would have fit.

41. Hand or foot: UNIT.  Cute.  Body parts, too.  A hand is a unit, now standardized at 101.6 mm but based on the breadth of a human hand, used to measure the height of horses.

42. "Mental Illness" Grammy winner Aimee: MANN.

46. HDTV choice: LCD.  Liquid Crystal Display.  It could have been a brand name (e.g. NEC, JVC, RCA).

47. __ shadow: EYE.

48. Unexpected endings: TWISTS.

49. "I'm blushing!": OH STOP.

50. "Fancy!": OOLALA.  More often spelled this way:

52. Southern California chain known for pastrami: THE HAT.  I'm a native of SoCal and I have spent more than a few hours at the (pellet) grill but I had never heard of this restaurant.  Pastrami could also be savored in yesterday's USA Today puzzle constructed by C.C.

Photo and Pastrami by MM

56. Lets use for now: LENDS.

57. Ideal places: EDENS.

58. Some matriarchs: AUNTS.

62. "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck: TODD.  The show debuted in 1947 and there have been only eleven permanent moderators in all this time.

64. 1910s conflict, for short: WWI.  World War (Roman Numeral) One

65. Narc's org.: DEA.  Two

66. Unit of corn: EAR.  Three

67. Get on in years: AGE.  Four

68. Simple shirt: TEE.  Five.  The last of five three-letter answers to (almost) wrap things up.

_____________________________________________________

and to complete the theme and wrap things up . . .

___________________________________________________

Wednesday, May 18, 2022, Adrian Johnson

Theme: ROLL WITH IT

 

17. Investment option when leaving an employer: ROLLOVER IRA.

30. London fashion street: SAVILE ROW.

39. Leaving the state without permission, perhaps: PAROLE VIOLATION. Nice grid-spanner.

46. Goal at a film audition: MOVIE ROLE.

64. Dickens orphan, and what is found in each set of circles in this puzzle?: OLIVER TWIST.

Melissa here. Adrian is clever to think of this. The circled letters can be TWISTed to spell OLIVER. Crossword constructor's brains must be always ready to ROLL, to notice names and common phrases that could be used for crossword themes.

Across: 

1. Rapunzel's abundance: HAIR.

5. "Finally!": AT LAST.

11. Fashion monogram: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent.

14. "What __ is new?": ELSE. Yawn.

15. Dazed state: TRANCE. For Scorpions fans.

16. Punk subgenre: EMO.

19. Chem class: LAB. I loved my high school chem class.

20. Link to another story?: STAIR. Love this clue.

21. __ Sutra: KAMA. An ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life.

22. Botch: FLUB. D'oh.

23. Station with an eye on the TV: CBS.

25. Words of regret: APOLOGY.  The Five Worst Ways to Apologize. My pet peeve is #3.

27. __ and reel: ROD. Fishing.

33. Big Apple?: IMAC. Once I went Mac, I never went back.

35. Audio jack abbr.: MIC. I don't refer of the jack itself as a mic - maybe it just means related to the jack?

36. "It's a Wonderful Life" director: CAPRA. Frank Capra on making It's a Wonderful Life. I  know one person who hates this movie. I think there might be something wrong with her.

 43. Low joint: ANKLE. My first thought was a seedy bar.

44. Outer: Pref.: EXO. As in, exoskeleton.

45. Tizzy: SNIT.

50. Country quartet __ Young Band: ELI. Hadn't heard of them. My brother and I were having lunch at a restaurant where the tv was tuned to a daytime talk show doing a segment on celebrity gossip. I did not recognize ANY of the faces shown.

51. Trattoria frozen dessert: GRANITA. Semi-frozen dessert, like a snowcone for adults. What’s the Difference Between Sorbet, Sherbet, and Granita?

53. Delay: LAG.

55. "Darn!": RATS.

56. Physics entity: ATOM. The basic building block of chemistry. It is the smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles. Atom.

59. Goes it alone: SOLOS.

63. Be in the picture?: ACT. Nice.

66. Gym shirt: TEE.

67. Wee: MINUTE. Minute (my NOOT) is an adjective that means very small, tiny, infinitesimal, insignificant. Minute vs Minute.

68. Mardi Gras locale, familiarly: NOLA.

69. Pour hamster food into the dog's bowl, say: ERR. That's not the worst. Once I walked into the kitchen to find my aunt (with dementia) filling the coffee maker with water from the dog's bowl!

70. Guy who writes jokes: GAGMAN.

71. Elitist sort: SNOB.

Down:

1. Like everything in a she shed: HERS.

2. Boatloads: A LOT. The alot is better than you at everything.

3. Land in the agua: ISLA. Spanish agua = water; isla = island. Lucina, can you confirm this: in slang aguas means be careful or look out!

4. Ancient artifact: RELIC.

5. Off-roader, for short: ATV. All-terrain vehicle.

6. Long slog: TREK.

7. Fictional archaeologist Croft: LARA. From the movie and video game Tomb Raider.

8. Critter: ANIMAL. My Texas-born aunt referred to all our pets as critters.

9. Minor injury: SCRAPE.

10. Steeped beverage: TEA.

11. Evergreen wood used for flooring: YELLOW PINE. From lumber.com: Southern yellow pine wood is one of the principal sources of softwood products in the United States. Not only is it strong, stiff, and dense, but it also has the ability to hold nails and other fasteners particularly well, which makes it a great choice for residential and commercial construction.

12. "The Hobbit" dragon: SMAUG. LOTR fans: 16 Things You Didn't Know About Smaug.

13. L, in a hotel elevator: LOBBY.

18. Planets, to poets: ORBS.

22. Ice cream concoctions: FLOATS.

24. "Ditto": SAME.

26. Killer whale: ORCA.

27. TV host Kelly: RIPA.

28. Mideast sultanate: OMAN. 1: a state or country governed by a sultan. 2: the office, dignity, or power of a sultan. Oman.

29. Hypothetical cosmic stuff: DARK MATTER. Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Wikipedia.

31. "Tom & __": biopic about T.S. Eliot and his first wife: VIV.

32. Less approachable: ICIER.

34. Analogy punctuation: COLONS. The colon stands for the phrase is to. Example - hammer : nail :: comb : hair.

37. Make muddy: ROIL. I'm more familiar with the meaning, to make someone annoyed or irritated. But the first definition is make (a liquid) turbid or muddy by disturbing the sediment.

38. Against: ANTI.

40. "Shazam!" actor Zachary: LEVI. Levi was praised for his performance as Billy Batson's alter ego Shazam. The sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods is scheduled to release on June 2, 2023.

41. Good Grips gadget brand: OXO.

42. Lounge around: LOLL. Funny word.

47. Napoli's home: ITALIA. "In Napoli where love is king, when boy meets girl, here's what they say ..."

48. Out to lunch, say: EATING.

49. Sunrise locale: EAST.

51. Rub harshly: GRATE.

52. Indy entrant: RACER. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or simply the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Scheduled this year on Sunday May 29th.

54. Prom wear: GOWNS.

57. Fertility clinic egg: OVUM.

58. Like a podcast about recording a podcast: META. Greek for beyond or transcending. Pertaining to or noting a story, conversation, character, etc., that consciously references or comments upon its own subject or features. Sometimes called "breaking the fourth wall." Ten Incredibly Meta Films about Films Within Films.

60. Detroit pro: LION. NFL team.

61. Capital city served by Gardermoen Airport: OSLO. Capital of Norway.

62. Wild guess: STAB. Good one.

64. "!!!": OMG.

65. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rapper MC __: REN. From Compton. First name LoRENzo.