Saturday, July 16. 2022, Malaika Handa

 Saturday Themeless by Malaika Handa

The string of new Saturday constructors marches on with this puzzle from Malaika Handa of Brooklyn, NY. Below is a link to a playful but instructive interview with Malaika that includes this wonderful quote from her: 

Also, when you’re solving, look up entries that you don’t know! It’s a game, not a test.

That's tough advice for us completion freaks but I think it is pretty sound advice. I always say of myself, "I'm smart enough to know how little I know." Exhibit A: I got the correct fill for "Kells artisan" but had no idea what it meant and my research on this fabulous volume led to an incredible amount of learning.

Interview with Malaika Handa

Did you have to get some help to complete Malaika's offering?

Across:

1. Devices that may shed some light on a situation: DESK LAMPS.

10. "4X2=8" rapper from Korea: PSY.  I knew of this name from his massive hit "Gangman Style" - I've posted the opening lyrics on the right.

13. Got credit, in a way?: OPENED A TAB.

15. Consumed: ATE.

16. Simple cocktail: GIN AND TONIC - Not as simple as you might think

18. Agcy. whose logo is an eagle holding a scale: IRS - A return address that can get your attention

19. Freelancer's info: SPECS - As a freelancer, you work on speculation 

20. Event that might be called "morp": GAY PROM - A "morp" is a prom students organize without school approval. The small school where I sub welcomes gay prom dates!

22. Two dry gallons: PECK.

23. "__ Mañanitas": Mexican birthday song: LAS - From our friend Lucina: "Literally it means the mornings and is usually sung at dawn and I assure you it is hugely popular for birthdays" Here it is with lyrics overlaid in Spanish.

26. Artisan at Kells: SCRIBE - This fabulous book was written and illustrated by three SCRIBES in Kells, Co Meath in Ireland around 800 A.D. The fascinating history of this treasure.

On display in a high security case
at Trinity College in Dublin

27. De Armas of "No Time to Die": ANA - On July 7, we had 42. Wonkette founding editor __ Marie Cox: ANA and Jeffrey Wechsler's July 8 puzzle had 1. Political commentator Navarro: ANA.

28. Semisolid dessert: JELLO.

30. Flax fabric: LINEN.

31. Fast tracks?: PUMP UP SONGS - Our high school Tigers' band used Eye Of The Tiger

33. Element of 1990s fashion: HAMMER PANTS - M.C. Hammer

34. Sticks in windows: BARBER POLES - Stick Candy History Stick candy, also called candy sticks, barber pole candy or barber poles have been in production since before the Civil War.

35. Stand in a painting class: EASEL.

36. Tries out: TESTS.

37. Handheld or holding hands, for short: PDA - You can see a Public Display of Affection in every school hallway

40. Performs brilliantly: SHINES.

42. __ Moines: DES.

43. Did some digging: HOED.

44. Many a Mugler garment: CATSUIT - "Frenchman Manfred Thierry Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture." You're welcome.

46. In the stars: FATED.

47. Reddit Q&A: AMA - Ask Me Anything 

48. Celebration where many are out on the streets?: PRIDE PARADE - Fun cluing for people who are "out" in another connotation 

52. Bestie: PAL.

53. Cry of horrible realization?: I'M A MONSTER.

54. Class for some immigrants: Abbr.: ESL.

55. Cool footwear: SNOWSHOES.

Down:

1. Place for some nail trims: DOG SPA.

2. Camp nurse's item: EPIPEN - I tried IPECAC for awhile 

3. Great Hill People: SENECA.

                                  

                            

4. Flair: KNACK.

5. __ flare: LENS - The first images back from NASA's James Webb telescope this week has them emanating from 13+ billion years ago.

 

6. Tally: ADD.

7. Pilates roll: MAT - I assume they roll them up after use

8. Employee's perk: Abbr.: PTO - Paid Time Off. I retired with 110 unused sick leave and personal leave days

9. Provided backup, in a way: SANG - CHERilyne Sarkasian on the right without Sonny Bono, in a rare photo with Phil Spector, SANG backup for The Ronettes 

10. Twosomes: PAIRINGS - Salvatore Sonny Bono and Cherilyne Sarkasian

11. Flashers in a club: STROBES.

12. Sycophants: YES MEN.

14. __-variance tradeoff: BIAS - Knock yourself out!

17. Brooklyn MiLB team: CYCLONES - Named for the famous CYCLONE roller coaster on nearby Coney Island in Malaika's home borough of Brooklyn.

21. Stripes, florals, etc.: PRINTS.

23. "I got this!": LEMME.

24. Herb honored with a National Medal of Arts in 2013: ALPERT - and the Tijuana Brass supplied music for The Dating Game. Here are two early contests on that show.

25. Sucked hard: SLURPED.

28. Cancel one's order?: JUMBLE UP.

29. Go against: OPPOSE.

31. Paired symbols, for short: PARENS 

32. Seasons, as pasta water: SALTS.

33. Wants for nothing: HAS IT ALL.

34. Nation in the Lucayan Archipelago: BAHAMAS.

35. __ room: ESCAPE - Click here and scroll down one screen to see how they work

Here's one in Omaha

37. Latke ingredient: POTATO - I've never had one but I'd love to try one.

38. "Dexter's Laboratory" older sister: DEE DEE - Seemed right. A DEE DEE POTATO

39. One of three snake species native to Britain: ADDERS - Had to be

41. Assistant who can control HomeKit accessories: SIRI.

43. Cruel: HARSH.

45. Sturdy tan work boots, slangily: TIMS - Short for TIMberlandS

46. Album buyers, presumably: FANS.

49. Auerbach of the Black Keys: DAN - Saturday cluing of a common name. Were you expecting Blocker of Bonanza, Rowan of Laugh-In or Aykroyd of SNL? 😉

50. Prefix with "pop" or "rock": EMO.

51. Hard-hitting sound: POW.

Malaika, we invite you to comment below.

Friday, July 15, 2022, Ben Tolkin

"I see nothing!"

Puzzling thoughts:

Chairman Moe here, doing his normal Friday blog ...

First off, just want to say that I FIR with minimal w/o's (if that is such a thing on a computer); and second, I want to commend Ben Tolkin on what I think is his LA Times debut. Seems that this blogger has had his share of first-time constructors to critique, but it seems, too, that the new editor(s) are providing ample opportunity to newcomers

And in my "Husker Gary" manner, I googled Ben and came up with this brief biography ... as well as what appears to be his "blog" to showcase his puzzles. I'm going to give them a try, when I get a Moe-ment

Today I am placing the "reveal" first, as it gives away the rather covert clues for the three entries: 48-across. Evolutionary mysteries, and a feature of three clues in this puzzle: MISSING LINKS.

So how does this tie into the three clues, you ask? Let's examine 20-across. S: MOVE SNEAKILY. If you add the word "LINK" to the letter "S", you get "SLINK", which means "MOVE SNEAKILY"

In 28-across. C: SOUND OF A TOAST, if you add "LINK" you get "CLINK". As your resident wine geek and erstwhile sommelier, this one makes perfect sense!

And last, but not least, 42-across. B: CLOSE ONES EYES, which offers us: "BLINK"

Very clever. So, Moe, what does the theme title have to do with this puzzle? Well, to those of you who watched sitcoms back in the '60's, you'll know that the only clue that Ben left out was, K: STALAG OBERST, or "KLINK"! [note, "KLINK" is a hyperlink ...]

So without further ado, let's SLINK into the other clues/entries, but don't BLINK; afterward we can all CLINK a toast to Mr. Tolkin!

Across:
1. Have over: HOST.

5. "A Land More Kind Than Home" novelist Wiley: CASH. OK, who - besides me - will be the next to comment about how much they hate having a proper name describe what should be described as an object? My "CASH" is on Irish Miss!!

9. Mary-in-mourning sculpture: PIETA.

14. 1968 self-titled live folk album: ARLO.

15. Baseball family name: ALOU. I'm one who thinks that this entry should be stricken from crossword puzzles. How many years has it been since the ALOU brothers played MLB? ALOU should not be ALOUd

16. Cruise stopovers: ISLES. PORTS also fit

17. More than a little unkind: MEAN. Was my comment in 15-across a bit MEAN?

18. Dozes off: NODS. Chairman Moe looks forward to his mid-afternoon NODs, aka, naps

19. Magazine featuring Pencil Pointers: GAMES. First off, has anyone other than a GEN Y or Millenial even heard of this magazine? C'mon Patti, don't play GAMES with us!! ;^)

23. "Gloria in Excelsis __": DEO. Second of the "biblical" words

24. Shelter adoptee: RESCUE. I liked this clue! We had a RESCUE in our home up until last November when Sadie crossed the rainbow bridge

32. Cornfield cries: CAWS. As in what a murder of crows might "say"

33. Total: RUIN. Totalling a car (in an accident) would definitely RUIN your day

34. Joe: MUD. Black coffee

35. Dilutes: THINS. Think of adding water or ice to whisky; something that neither I nor tinbeni (where has HE been?) would do

36. "The Street" novelist Petry: ANN. Of all the "ANNs" in the world, Ben chose this one. Good choice

37. Thoughts: IDEAS. My "thoughts" are always "puzzling"

39. Feel unwell: AIL.

40. Canine kiss: LICK. As per Wilbur Charles, this word could also be spelled L'ICK, and be a CSO to our Prince of Poetry, OwenKL, whose LimerICKs grace our blog most every day

Fun fact: The aforementioned Sadie (a cat) gave occasional LICKs. So the clue could also have been: "Feline kiss". This was Moe's first experience with a cat as a pet, and I did not know that they did this to their humans!

41. Not too keen: DULL. And if (38-down. Opposite sides of a rather pointed fight?:) DUELISTS were using EPEEs as their "weapons" of choice, the word DULL could also apply

46. Looking to add staff: HIRING. Post-pandemic, businesses were having trouble HIRING

47. 100%: ALL.

55. Swing for the fences: GO BIG. Is this a baseball metaphor?

58. Summer hangout: POOL. Brings back memories ... and fortunately, Chairman Moe and Margaret have a POOL in their backyard; a true God-send in this oppressive Arizona summer heat

59. Stock exchange membership: SEAT. [investopedia.com] "The term "SEAT" is a reference to a seat on a stock exchange from which a person can trade, either as a floor broker or a floor trader. Historically, owning a seat was possible only for the wealthy and the lucky as there were a limited amount of seats. The term seat was most commonly used in the context of the NYSE.

60. Tourney format: PRO-AM. These "events" are still widely conducted on the Wednesday of a weekly golf tournament

61. Boo-boo: OWIE. That hurts!

62. Flooring preference: TILE. Also found as a liner material for most POOLs

63. Hatha yoga posture: ASANA. Moe-ku:

Skirt steak's favorite
Pose at Yoga studio?
Carne ASANA

64. Patches potholes, say: TARS. Another clue could've been: Nickname for sailors, but that might have been in conflict with 28-down

65. Quick cut: SNIP. Not something I do anymore since I've gone "bald"

Down:
1. "Good Omens" actor Jon: HAMM. The only HAMM I knew is Mia

2. Cookie with a Cakesters variety: OREO

3. Balkan native: SLAV. As in SLAVic

4. Soft-pedal: TONE DOWN.

5. "1812 Overture" instrument: CANNON. These

6. Facial tissue additive: ALOE. I found that these are not very good at cleaning your eyeglasses

7. Pop: SODA. Here's a map showing which state's population calls it SODA or pop, or even Coke (to which they'll ask you "What kind of Coke do you want?"

8. Tamale wrapper: HUSK.

9. Milne friend who notes, "It is hard to be brave when you're a Very Small Animal": PIGLET.

10. "It's my call": I SAY SO. A baseball reference? Some of these "calls" are questionable

11. Blight-stricken tree: ELM. CSO to Lemonade714, a Connecticut native, who's state honors the ELM as their state tree

12. Bit of concert merch: TEE. Any "Dead Heads" in this community? Comment below, or better yet, show us your favorite TEE

13. Donkey: ASS. When I am referring to it as a body part, I spell it "A$$"

21. Sneetches creator: SEUSS. Is there a DR. in the house?

22. Nation that follows the Solar Hijri calendar: IRAN.

25. Caravan mounts: CAMELS. This was the last pack of cigarettes I smoked; quit in 1980

26. Customary: USUAL. Today's blog recap is not my USUAL ... see if you can figure out why ... comment below

27. Gate postings, briefly: ETDS.

28. "__ Moon": manga series: SAILOR. See 64-across for another name for SAILOR

29. Pull the plug on: DRAIN. Does anyone take a bath anymore? Just showers for me

30. Light weight: OUNCE. Would not have been the correct response if the clue was written: "Lightweight"

31. Squeals (on): FINKS. Here is a term for us "old-timers"! FINKS, as a verb, had its heyday in the 1800's (and before) and had a slight uptick back when I was a ute

32. Bowlful served with a cinnamon roll in the Midwest: CHILI. More specifically, in Cincinnati OH (where I lived for 17+ years). You could order it up to five "ways". What are the "five ways" you ask? [Skyline]"The most popular order is a "three-way", which adds shredded cheese to the chili-topped spaghetti (a "two-way"), while a "four-way" or "five-way" adds onions and/or beans before topping with the cheese." There is no "one-way", as that's reserved for a street that allows no on-coming traffic!! ;^)

Folks there debate whether Gold Star or Skyline is the best, but I liked only this one from a local CHILI parlor:

35. RPM gauge: TACH. Remember when a TACHometer was NOT a standard feature of a car's instrument panel, and was an add-on? Many "looked" like this:

37. Poem of rustic life: IDYLL. As defined [merriam-webster] "The meaning of IDYLL is a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace"

40. Record holders: LOGS. Nice misdirection with the clue; ties into the "nautical" entries. A ship's LOG records events that happened

43. Apelike: SIMIAN.

44. Challenging puzzle: ENIGMA. Not today's puzzle; quite easy for a Friday

45. Aerie nesters: EAGLES. Also the nickname for Boston College athletic teams, the Philadelphia NFL team, and one of the Chairman's favorite rock bands. Enjoy!

49. Espy: SPOT. AWARD didn't fit

50. Skunk River state: IOWA. IOWA fit, if only because OHIO and UTAH didn't. [According to Google] "The SKUNK River is a 93-mile-long (150 km) tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States"

51. Gritty film genre: NOIR. [Wikipedia] "Film NOIR is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas"

52. "Ja" opposite: NEIN. A CSO, in memoriam, to Spitzboov

53. Hindu goddess of destruction: KALI. I'm guessing that this was the only word that fit into these cells; not someone/something I knew of right away

And my final Moe-ku du jour:

The Hindu Goddess
Got a lei in Hawai'i.
Her KALI flowers?

54. Manual component: STEP. Another Friday clue? DIY'ers know all about STEPS to take when completing a project, and following along on a manual

55. Transcript fig.: GPA.

56. Hosp. areas: ORS.

57. Fluffy wrap: BOA.

That's all she wrote! Please enter any comments below ... see you in two weeks ... promise!

A final "CLINK" to Ben:

 

Here's the grid:

Thursday, July 14, 2022, Karen Lurie

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with today's recap.  It will be somewhat briefer than usual as as Valerie and I have been at Bass Lake (near Yosemite) this week with my grandchildren, a few good friends, and their grandchildren.

Our constructor today is Karen Lurie, or perhaps Karen Urie (see below).  Karen has had several puzzles previously reviewed here, most recently less than two weeks ago on July 5th.

Let's start with the reveal:

51. "Oh, admit defeat already!," and advice that was followed to form the answers to the starred clues: JUST TAKE THE L.  Just take the LOSS.  Or, as applied in the grid, remove the letter L from the start of three common phrases.  The results are three odd, but not nonsensical, phrases with entirely different meanings from the originals.

These are the starred clues and answers:

20. *Research on the ampersand?: AND MARK STUDY.  A Landmark Study is an important and influential report on a topic of interest.  An ampersand is this mark: &.  We use it to symbolize the word AND.  If you research the & symbol then you have have done an AND MARK STUDY.

31. *Ambien, for one?: AID TO REST.  The common expression is Laid To Rest.  From its funerary roots, the expression Laid To Rest is more often used to indicate that a situation has been resolved as in:  At the end of this recap I hope to have Laid To Rest any lingering questions about the clues and answers.  Ambien, of course, is a sleep medicine and, therefore an AID TO REST.

44. *Folds?: ENDS A HAND.  Lends A Hand is pretty self-explanatory.  Here, the clue is a poker reference.  To Fold is to drop out of the betting at which point you have forfeited any money that you have previously bet on the poker hand.

Here is what this all looks like in the grid:

. . . .  and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Karate match exchanges: BOWS.  Exchanging BLOWS would not fit.

5. Exams for coll. credit: APS.  A pluralization of the Advanced Placement exam.  Meh.

8. Hydro __: bottle brand: FLASK.

13. Perfect copy: EDIT.  Perfect, in this case is used as a verb (with the accent on the second syllable).  A perfect (adjective) copy could be a clone.

14. __-portrait: SELF.

16. Otherworldly: EERIE.  Things often get EERIE in our puzzles due to the word's high vowel content.

17. Wee: TINY.  Recently, we have seen oh so many instances of EENSY, TEENSY, WEENSY,  ITTY, ITSY BITSY and the like.

18. "Quite so": TRUE.

19. Without exception: EVERY.

23. Brief "If you ask me (and even if you didn't)": IMO.  In My Opinion.

24. Current: HIP.  Neither an electrical nor a hydraulic reference.

25. Rapper Lil __ X: NAS.  He appears often.

28. Wan: ASHEN.

34. Brazilian city: RIO.  RIO de Janeiro

35. Otherwise: ELSE.

37. World Heritage Site org.: UNESCO.

38. School units: CLASSES.  CREDITS was a pretty good, but incorrect, first thought.

40. Chest of drawers: DRESSER.  What did the Ikea DRESSER say to the aliens after landing on their planet?  "I come in pieces."

41. Valiant: HEROIC.

42. Sound like a pig: OINK.

43. Press coverage: INK.  A now somewhat outdated colloquialism as newspapers continue to lose subscribers.

46. Must-haves: NEEDS.

48. Shares again, on Twitter: RTS.  ReTweetS?  Meh.

49. Energy Star certifying org.: EPA.

50. Tammy Duckworth's title, briefly: SEN.  SENator.  Democrat from Illinois.

57. Shoyu __: noodle dish: RAMEN.  Scooby Doo finishing a prayer.

60. Fallon's predecessor: LENO.  Hosts of "The Tonight Show"

Jimmy Fallon and Jay LENO

61. Tire swing holder: ROPE.  TREE would have fit and the E would have worked.

62. Peabody, e.g.: AWARD.  The Peabody is an AWARD given for excellence in radio broadcasting.  The Sherman in an entirely different matter.

63. Shoots the breeze: YAKS.  Also, large, hairy animals.

64. Continent with 11 time zones: ASIA.

65. Insurance spokeslizard: GECKO.

66. Root word?: RAH.  To root, as in to cheer for a team.

67. "To Kill a Mockingbird" star: PECK.  Gregory.

Down:

1. Pre-release software version: BETA.

2. Asgard god: ODIN.  As I am sure that I have mentioned before, I first learned of ODIN and Loki and Thor from reading Marevel comic books as a child.

3. Leaf blower: WIND.  A bit of misdirection if one first thought of those noisy, but water saving, devices.  Also, the output of those devices.

4. Buffalo: STYMIE.  Not used as the animal but, rather, as the verb.

5. Intro to physics?: ASTRO.  Often clued with reference to the Houston, TX baseball team.*

6. Fringe benefit: PERK.  Short, and intentionally misspelled, slang for perquisite.

7. Frozen drink: SLUSHIE.

8. Nurture: FEED.

9. "Schitt's Creek" co-creator: LEVY.  Dan and Eugene LEVY.  Either one.

10. "__ we done here?": ARE.

11. Lancelot or Mix-a-Lot: SIR.  On the TV show "Two and a Half Men" it was SIR Craps-a-lot.

12. Vital: KEY.  Synonyms for necessary/essential.

15. Really stinky: FETID.

21. Unrealistically common affliction in soap operas: AMNESIA.  My girlfriend just told me that she has AMNESIA.  Who does she think she is!?

22. Positive shift: UPTURN.

25. Scottish monster, affectionately: NESSIE.  The Loch Ness Monster.

26. Rise: ASCEND.

27. Baby birds?: STORKS.  Not chicks.

28. Sagittarius symbol: ARCHER.

29. Mum: SILENT.

30. Stockpiles: HOARDS.  Why do dragons HOARD jewels and gold?  Because cash is flammable.

31. Beast of burden in many fables: ASS.  Karen and Patti have teed this one up.  Who am I to pass on the chance?

The Rolling Stones

32. Support for a proposal?: ONE  KNEE.  A marriage proposal.

33. Hi-__ graphics: RES.  RESolution.

36. Tres __ cake: dairy-soaked dessert: LECHES.

39. Sea plea, briefly: SOS.  A rhyming clue.

40. Took care of: DID.

42. Really hot: ON A TEAR.  Idiomatic for having success over a period of time.

45. In a fitting way: APTLY.

47. Set up: ENTRAP.  If you ask a cop what their favorite movie is they have to tell you.  Otherwise it's ENTRAPment.

50. Smidge: SKOSH.  From the Japanese word sukoshi (pronounced skoh shee).

51. Weightlifting move: JERK.

52. Reverse: UNDO.

53. "Eso Beso" singer: ANKA.  Paul ANKA wrote, and performed, many other songs but "Eso Besso" is the one that seems to appear most frequently in our puzzles.  I wonder why that is.  Lots of vowels and esses, I suppose.

54. Sprinkler attachment: HOSE.  I do not attach a hose to my sprinklers.  They must mean an attachment used for sprinkling.

55. "Awesome, dude!": EPIC.  Slangy clue.  Slangy answer.

56. Pipe problem: LEAK.

57. Tattered cloth: RAG.  Or a song by Scott Joplin.

58. Blow away: AWE.

59. Big name in laptops and lipstick: MAC.  We are all familiar with the Apple MACintosh computer, the actual MACintosh apple, MAC and Cheese and the Big MAC.  In keeping with recent trends, however, the author/editor elected to go with lipstick.   Oh, well.  What the L.

Big Mac Edition

Karen, you are invited to post whatever the L you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or anything else in the Comments section.  We'd love to hear from you.

___________________________________________

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 Alexander Liebeskind and Jeff Chen

 Theme:  A made to ORDER puzzle.    As you will soon see, there's a place for everything, and everything is in its place. 

20 A. *Fried fare traditionally wrapped in newspaper: FISH AND CHIPS.  A dinner ORDER at a sea food restaurant; typically breaded ocean fish served with French fries and coleslaw.

31 A. *Missing nothing: FROM A TO Z.  Not only thorough, but in proper ORDER.

37 A. *With 40-Across, defenders of the Holy Grail: KNIGHTS.  

40 A. See 37-Across: TEMPLAR.  A christian military ORDER that was founded in 1119, headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.  They became rich and powerful, and King Phillip IV of France was deeply in their debt.  He had many of them tortured to yield false confessions, and they were executed.  Under political pressure, Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312.

47 A. *Monkeys, e.g.: PRIMATES.  Not to be confused with British clergy, these are any members of an ORDER (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision resulting in stereoscopic depth perception, specialization of the hands and feet for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres, that include humans, apes, monkeys, the Librarian at Unseen University, and related forms (such as lemurs and tarsiers.)

54. "Do it now!," and what can be said about the answers to the starred clues: THAT'S AN ORDER! An emphatic statement from someone expecting obedience -- and the clever unifier for this puzzle.  Each theme answer describes a type of ORDER, and each is quite different from the others. 

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here to keep everything in ORDER as we wend our way through today's offering.  Let's wee what we can find.

Across:

1. Monastery figure: ABBOT.  The leader of an order of monks, not monkeys.  Certainly a primate, but not necessarily a primate.

6. Move quickly, as clouds: SCUD.  Move fast in a straight line because or as if driven by the wind.

10. Speak up?: PRAY.  Assuming that up is the direction in which prayers go.

14. Jazz singer Vaughan known as "The Divine One": SARAH.   Sarah Lois Vaughan (1924 – 1990) was an American jazz singer.  Nicknamed "Sassy" and "The Divine One", she won four Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.[2] She was given an NEA Jazz Masters Award in 1989.  Critic Scott Yanow wrote that she had "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century".

15. Despise: HATE.   Feel contempt or a deep repugnance for.

16. Lingerie trim: LACE.  A fine open fabric, typically one of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns and used especially for trimming garments.

Magnolia, Honey

17. Speak from a lectern: ORATE.  Make a speech, especially pompously or at length.

18. "C'est la vie": ALAS.  Oh, well  .  .  .

19. Bronze, Iron, et al.: AGES.   Distinct historical periods.

23. "Allow me": MAY I.  Watch, and learn.

24. Pal: AMIGA.  Female friend, in Spanish.

28. Rx: SCRIP.  A doctor's order to provide a specific medication to a certain patient.

34. Colorful South Asian garments: SARIS.  Garments consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia.

Source

35. Veer off course, as a rocket: YAW.  A twisting or oscillation of a moving ship or aircraft around a vertical axis.

36. __ Dhabi: ABU.   Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf.

43. Golf hole meas.: YDS.  Yards.

44. "Bingo!": AHA.  Eureka!

46. Straight up: NO ICE.   A way to serve hard liquor.

50. Pfizer rival: MERCK.  Drug companies.

51. Lightens up: EASES.

52. Grocery cart unit: ITEM.  Becomes easier or less strict.

61. __ carotene: BETA.  An organic, strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and fruits. It is a member of the carotenes, which are terpenoids, synthesized biochemically from eight isoprene units and thus having 40 carbons.

64. Travel aimlessly: ROAM.  Wander about.

65. Clamor: NOISE.   Racket

66. Depleted Asian lake: ARAL.     An endorheic [having no outflow to other bodies of water] lake lying between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up by the 2010s. 

67. Journey: TRIP.   Travel from hither to yon.

68. Familiar "Who's there?" reply: IT'S ME.  Do you recognize my voice?

69. Jokes: GAGS.   Jests, quips, japes.

70. __ cracker: SODA.  A thin, usually square cracker usually made from white flour, sometimes yeast, and baking soda, with most varieties lightly sprinkled with coarse salt. It has perforations over its surface, as well as a distinctively dry and crisp texture.

71. Like dry mud on cleats: CAKED.  Encrusted on a surface.

Down:

1. Starting from: AS OF.   Beginning at a certain date or time.

2. Italian port on the Adriatic: BARI. 

Possible destination

3. Garments with hooks: BRAS.   A bra, short for brassiere or brassière, is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover women's breasts. 

4. Part of a swearing-in ceremony: OATH.   The actual swearing part.

5. Community with barn raisings: THE AMISH.  a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins.  They are closely related to Mennonite churches, another Anabaptist denomination. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency.  [Wikipedia]

6. Suitable for hosta: SHADY.   Shetered from direct sunlight.

7. Turn to stone: CALCIFY.   Specifically, if it involves the presence or addition of calcium containing compounds.  A more general term would be petrify.

8. Four Corners state: UTAH.  The locality in the southwestern United States at the intersection of 37°N with 109°W where four states—Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah—come together, the only such place in the country.

9. Javier's "Being the Ricardos" role: DESI.  A role in the movie about Desi and Lucy Ricardo.

10. Flat panel TV type: PLASMA.    A television display technology in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma (charged gas). The plasma is encased between two thin sheets of glass. Plasma displays are generally considered to offer better dark-room viewing and wider viewing angles than LCD.

11. Ride (on): RAG. Not sure I understand this.  It might mean to harshly criticize someone.  Help me out if I'm missing something.

12. Card worth four points in evaluating a bridge hand: ACE.  Kings are 3, Queens 2, and Jacks 1.  Traditionally it takes 12 or more high card points and a sufficiently strong suit to open the bidding.

13. "Bingo!": YES.  You nailed it!

21. Snooze: NAP.  Daytime sleep session.

22. Cooking spray: PAM.  A mixture of vegetable oil and other ingredients intended to prevent cooking food from sticking to a pan or skillet.

25. Slanted, as some writing: ITALIC.   It looks like this.

26. "Retreat!!": GO BACK.  Withdraw from a position or location for strategic or tactical reasons.

27. Sky blue: AZURE.   Bright blue in color like a cloudless sky.

28. Oh of "Killing Eve": SANDRA. Sandra Miju Oh [b. 1971] is a Canadian–American actress. She has received numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations. In 2019, Time magazine named Oh one of the 100 most influential people in the world

From Grey's Anatomy

29. Urgent event: CRISIS.   A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.

30. Fix badly?: RIG.  Cobble up a non-standard way of repairing or constructing something.

32. Tell (on): RAT.  Sing, squeal.

33. Be in debt: OWE.  

34. Zoom alternative: SKYPE.   A computer program that you can use to make voice calls or video calls on the internet.

38. Tit for __: TAT.   An English saying meaning "equivalent retaliation".

39. __ shed: SHE.   Like man cave, she shed is a term used to describe a place a woman can escape to, usually a small building placed in the backyard.  Never hear this term before.

41. "Super heroes must eat oats" for the Great Lakes, e.g.: MNEMONIC.   A device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something.

42. __ favor: POR.  "Please" in Spanish.

45. "Let me repeat ... ": AS I SAID.  

48. Bronze, iron, et al.: METALS.  And a clecho!

49. Fire pit residue: ASH.  Burnt wood residue.

50. Chaps: MEN.  Dudes.

53. Super Bowl LV city: TAMPA.  In Florida.

55. The "A" in many degrees: ARTS.  As I'm B.A. or M.A.

56. Fatty tuna, at a sushi bar: TORO.   A pale, fatty cut of tuna used for sushi and sashimi.  Not to be confused with a lawn mower of the same name.

57. Personnel list: ROTA.   A list showing when each of a number of people has to do a particular job.

58. Spine component: DISK.    The soft pad positioned in between each of the vertebrae of the spine. The vertebral disc acts as a spacer, shock absorber, and part of the cartilaginous joints that allow movement in the spine.

59. "Twilight" vampire Cullen: ESME.  Ported by Elizabeth Reaser.  You can read about her here.

60. Wetlands plant: REED.   A tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family, which grows in water or on marshy ground.

61. Sack: BAG.  a flexible container made of a strong material such as burlap, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods.

62. "It's the end of an __": ERA.   A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.

63. Label: TAG.   A small piece of paper, fabric, plastic, or similar material attached to an object and giving information about it.

We can always count on Jeff for a quality puzzle.  Looks like this is Alexander's first entry in the L.A. Times - so congrats, good job, and we hope to see you again!

Cool regards,

JzB