Saturday, September 24, 2022, Adrian Johnson

 

Saturday Themeless by Adrian Johnson

Our Wyoming native who went to college in Minnesota is now doing great work for a startup group called BetterFi, a nonprofit working to end predatory lending in Tennessee.

The NW corner wasn't blank, it was just wrong but I persevered and finished there. Stacks of triple 10's always impress me. Ferreting out EMILIO gave me the big finish. 

Across:

1. "No offense": JUST SAYING.

11. Get better: HEAL.

15. Italian for "entrepreneur": IMPRESARIO and the one below is famous for his 17. Revue element: VARIETY ACTs like jugglers, puppets, plate spinners, et al.

16. Banks on a runway: TYRA - Ms. Banks is on our runway here often 

18. Not at all assertive: MEEK.

19. Music producer Estefan: EMILIO - Yeah, I'm the only who put in his wife GLORIA's name first

20. Valleys: HOLLOWS - Twill soon be the season for one

22. Squelch: SIT ON - Media members have been known to SIT ON a story that shows a favorite of theirs in a bad light 

23. __ pad: STENO  

25. Gravel size: PEA.

26. So-so effort: B-GAME - If you don't bring your A-GAME...

28. Soothed: EASED.

30. "Didn't think I'd see you here!": OH HI.

33. Audition dismissal: NEXT 

35. "Tsk" evokers: NO NOS.

37. Etymology concern: ROOT - “Etymology” derives from the Greek root word etumos, meaning “true.”

38. List on a concert T-shirt: DATES.

40. Actress Headey: LENA - Her IMDB

41. City near Nīmes: ARLES - Of course two teams that are 32 minutes from each other in the south of France play each other in soccer, uh, football

43. Collection that often happens by default: REPO.

44. "The Secret of the Old Clock" sleuth: DREW was a 57. 44-Across, for one: TEEN. You can have this 1931 Nancy Drew first edition for $1,000

45. Food service giant: SYSCO.

47. Asian peninsula: SINAI.

49. Make ends meet?: SEW.

50. Felt lousy: AILED.

52. Label on some bean bags: DECAF - Oh, those beans

56. Empty words: PRATTLE which might cause you to say 13. "Is that all?": ARE WE DONE?

58. Comoros capital: MORONI - Crosswords can really expand your knowledge of geography. I had no idea about these islands that are between Mozambique and Madagascar.

59. Stuck in traffic, say: LATE.

60. Early aircraft navigation system: RADIO RANGE - Its fascinating history

63. Frozen treat with Mermaid and Baby Narwhal flavors: ICEE - No really!

64. Caver's cry: I SURRENDER - No spelunking here, just someone caving in to pressure

65. Bird found on all seven continents: TERN.

Migration pattern of the Arctic TERN

`
66. Spirited tale: GHOST STORY - Best lead-in to a commercial ever made

Down:

1. Gets into swing: JIVES - Not "Get into a swing" or "Get into the swing"

2. Taste found in shrimp paste: UMAMI - I first thought it was an ingredient like AIOLI and not a class of taste our mouth detects

3. Diagonal spar: SPRIT 

4. Paleozoic marine arthropods: TRILOBITES - A 3-D printer model

5. Believing, so they say: SEEING.

6. Phrase that may start a verdict: AS TO -AS TO the matter of the people of the state of California vs. Orenthal James Simpson case No. BA097211, we the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant Orenthal James Simpson not guilty of the crime of murder...

7. "Yesss!": YAY.

8. Plan for the future, in a way: IRA.

9. Recess: NICHE.

10. Happy cry on a fishing boat: GOT ONE - After four hours of no luck fishing in Lake La Ronge in Saskatchewan, I finally yelled this

11. Building site code?: HTML - For the question above: 10. Happy cry on a fishing boat: <b>GOT ONE </b>- After four hours of no luck fishing in Lake La Ronge in Saskatchewan, I finally could yell this.<br /><br />

12. Dose of reality, perhaps: EYE OPENER - The Husker's 1 - 3 start 

14. Southeast Asian spicy noodle soup: LAKSA.

21. Front: LOAN - Every summer my bank would loan (FRONT) me enough money to start up my detasseling business 

23. Application error, perhaps: SMEAR.

24. Informal language that includes many abbreviations: TEXTESE - Here's 50 of 'em

27. "Then what happened!?": AND 

29. Colonial protector?: SOLDIER ANT.

30. "Let You Love Me" and "You for Me" singer: ORA.

31. Close political contest: HORSERACE.

32. Symbol of purification: HOLY WATER that is hopefully 34. Not so hot: TEPID below

36. Prop for a classic magic trick: SAW.

39. Junior: SON.

42. "Git!": SCAT.

46. Groundbreaking technology?: OIL RIG - Of course that ground might be under a few miles of ocean

48. Digs a lot: ADORES.

49. Left: SPLIT - "Let's SPLIT daddio!"

51. Chow line?: LEASH - Adrian!

53. Complex part?: CONDO.

54. Emotion voiced by Lewis Black in "Inside Out": ANGER.

55. Like some emotional speeches: FIERY - Omaha's Malcolm X gave many

58. Lemur in the "Madagascar" films: MORT - Today I learned that MORONI is very near Madagascar. 

61. Pair: DUO.

62. Org. led by Charles P. Rettig: IRS - He seems to like his job.

Friday, September 23, 2022, Taylor Johnson

Theme: "I'M OUTta here!"

The reveal: 37-Across. "Peace!," and a hint to how the answers to the starred clues were formed: I'M OUT.

17-Across. *Blazer to wear to Cub Scout meetings?: DEN JACKET. When you add the "IM" into DEN JACKET you get "DENIM JACKET"

23-Across. *Music for couch potatoes?: SEDENTARY ROCK. Place the "IM" into SEDENTARY and you get "SEDIMENTARY ROCK"

45-Across. *Professional who helps name timeline segments?: AGE CONSULTANT. In this case, the IM goes in front of AGE to provide "IMAGE CONSULTANT"

54-Across. *Stance taken by a Marvel character, perhaps?: SUPER POSE. And last but not least, when you add an IM to this entry, you get "SUPERIMPOSE"

Puzzling thoughts:

Hi, folks. C-Moe here providing you with today's blog. Sorry I've been OUT for awhile. Packing for the big move has taken most of my free time, and then - to add my stress - I contracted gOUT a couple weeks ago, and since it settled into my right thumb joint, I've not been able to do a lot of typing or solving puzzles on a computer. But through rest and the proper medication, my abilities returned, so here I am.

Taylor Johnson provides us with some interesting word play today. The puzzle was OK, but didn't make me smile or laugh. It wasn't difficult to see how the reveal fit into the entries; wished it (the reveal) was clued differently, as "Peace!" for "I'M OUT" wasn't that clever. I usually think of "I'm out" to mean "I'm leaving". And the only entry I thought clever was the SEDENTARY ROCK, which also had the "IM" well-hidden. But the editor(s) may have felt otherwise.

Actually, this puzzle could just be a CSO to our own Irish Miss!!

The puzzle DID have a couple of clever/fresh entries in SOFT PRETZEL and PANTOMIMIST, but ER DOC and RE-INK seemed weak for a Friday offering, as did the twenty-one 3-letter entries (one of Irish Miss' pet peeves) and all of the easy clues. So here's the grid, and then off to the rest of the clues/entries

Across:
1. "More or less": SORTA. This was SORTA a good puzzle, and then I saw this at 8-Down. (Much, casually:) LOTSA. I think only one entry ending in -A should be acceptable

6. Communication syst. used in the film "CODA": ASL. American Sign Language. The clue and reference did not make this any tougher as the perps came to my rescue

9. Start to cut?: UPPER. This? [CAUTION: LOTS OF PUGILISTIC UPPER CUTS]

14. Flawless: IDEAL.

15. __-mo: SLO.

16. Withering look: GLARE.

19. Language that gives us "pajamas" and "shampoo": HINDI. URDU wouldn't fit

20. Most arid: DRIEST. ARIZONA wouldn't fit

22. __ collar: ETON. Hello? ETON collar? Another trite clue/entry, IMO

26. Pad sharer: ROOMIE. Margaret and I are technically ROOMIEs, but I know we are much more than that

28. Quaint affirmative: YES'M. Contraction for YES, MA'AM

29. "Sounds like a good time": OH FUN. This puzzle? Your comments are welcomed ...

30. Acute anxiety: ANGST. Even though it took me a "normal" Friday time to solve, I had no ANGST solving today's puzzle

33. Bus. letters: INC. Abbr for INCorporated

36. Convenes: SITS. The thesaurussaurus doesn't agree ... but I'M pretty certain it fits

38. Clooney Foundation for Justice co-founder: AMAL. Was he a night visitor?

39. Absorb, with "up": SOP. Does a SOT SOP up booze?

40. Etching supply: ACIDS. Another easy Friday clue

41. Curly-tailed dog: AKITA. Never "met" one of these dogs ... Japanese, I believe ... they drink AKIRA beer I hear

42. Malek of "Mr. Robot": RAMI. This was my lone error in today's puzzle (look at the grid I posted above). It formed my lone Natick, too, with (43-Down. Musical introduction?): ACT ONE.

44. Synchronicity: UNISON. This is what I thought of with Synchronicity, and POLICE did fit!

50. Golf stroke that can be practiced in a hallway: PUTT. I've been known to do this. HG? Boomer? TTP?

51. Charitable: GIVING. Over my adult life I have been quite GIVING/charitable, but I tend to support/GIVE to those organizations that use my donation at or above 90% toward the cure/purpose

52. Stubble remover: RAZOR. Did Occum have stubble to remove?

59. Happening: EVENT. What someone who says "I'M OUT" may be attending?

60. Undefeated boxer Laila: ALI. We rarely see Muhammad anymore as the clue for this, and he is her dad

61. Put two and two together?: ADDED. Really? For a Friday? Meh

62. Pitching area: SALES. MOUND fits, too, but in this case it's for a SALES pitch

63. Fellow: LAD.

64. Cross with: MAD AT. I will occasionally get MAD AT someone or something but it doesn't last

Down:
1. PBS "Science Kid": SID. This:

2. Literary homage: ODE.

3. "The Villain in Black" rapper MC __: REN. But what I want to know is, does he have a partner, MC STIMPY? This rapper was a complete unknown to me. And please note, the embedded video has lots of expletives, but I couldn't find any examples of MC REN's work that wasn't rife with cuss words ... I'm SORTA surprised that our new editor would accept a reference to this person in her puzzles ... [DO NOT CLICK ON THIS UNLESS YOU WANT TO HEAR A TON OF "S-BOMBS" & "F-BOMBS"]

4. __ Mahal: TAJ. "Crown worn by an Indian prince of high rank" would've been a more appropriate Friday clue, IMO

5. "A Whole New World" film: ALADDIN. Disney love song

6. Invite to enter: ASK IN. Easy clue

7. Freezing rain: SLEET. Easy clue

9. Annoyed sound: UGH. Easy clue

10. Toolbox item: PLIERS. WRENCH fits, too

11. Specialist in body language?: PANTOMIMIST. Fresh fill and a fresh clue. Kudos

12. Triage M.D.: ER DOC. I already said what I thought of this in my intro

13. Freshen, as a stamp pad: RE-INK. Ditto, 12-Down

18. First Nations people of Canada: CREE. CSO to CanadianEh!

21. Rendezvous best not posted on Facebook: TRYST. Use Snapchat, instead ...

23. Ballpark snack: SOFT PRETZEL. Fresh fill, and the clue was OK

24. Outback flock: EMUS. Again, too easy for a Friday

25. "Although ... ": YET. See my response above

26. "Dress for Less" clothing chain: ROSS. If you add a G to the front of this, you have my real last name

27. River connecting Pittsburgh to the Mississippi: OHIO. "Where the Allegheny meets the O HI O, in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh ..."

This is the more modern version of the intro to the fight song, "Hail to Pitt". As a University of Pittsburgh grad, this one was a cinch. The Pitt Panthers are the reigning ACC Football Champs. Hail to Pitt!

Here are the lyrics, and here is the song:

30. "What __ missing?": AM I. zzzzzzz

31. Drift off: NOD. Oh, sorry; I just NODded off there for a second ...

32. Mercury Seven astronaut Grissom: GUS. Does anyone name their male child GUS anymore??

34. Brussels-based gp.: NATO. Easy

35. Family group: CLAN. Easy

37. Pastry bag filler: ICING. Easy

38. Related: AKIN. Easy

40. Word in a Spanish love poem: AMO. CSO to Lucinda

41. Cried for cider?: ANAGRAM. Good clue. When you re-arrange the letters in the word "cried" you get "cider"

44. "Cure Ignorance" online anthology: UTNE. This answer filled with perps when I solved, but I had heard of this. [Wikipedia] "UTNE Reader (also known as Utne) (/ˈʌtni/ UT-nee) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and DVDs"

45. __-ski: APRES. Throwback clue and fill - the French are all about celebrating the "APRES" (or "after") when it came to skiing, and I don't think it meant having a cup of cocoa

46. Preserves fruit: GUAVA. You won't find GUAVA preserves in C-Moe's fridge; PEACH (which fits) maybe, but not GUAVA

47. Rope fiber: SISAL. Easy

48. Soft palate part: UVULA. This word seemed funny in my pre-pubescent years. Anatomy Academy (a sister show to Science Kids) gives us the full report:

49. Fatty compound: LIPID. [Wikipedia] "Although the term "LIPID" is sometimes used as a synonym for fats, fats are a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides"

53. ACLU concern: RTS. Abbr for RIGHTS

55. Kissing on the kiss cam, say: PDA. Public Display of Affection at a sporting event

56. Peculiar: ODD. This puzzle?

57. Kraken's home: SEA. Or in my bar; it makes a pretty tasty Dark and Stormy

58. NYC summer hrs.: EDT. Five straight three-letter "down" words, and another easy one to end on

Hey, sorry that this puzzle didn't tickle my funny bone, and you got a bit of "Curmudgeon Moe" today. But speaking of funny bone, I thought I'd end on a haiku (OMK)/Moe-ku (WC):

Learned the funny bone
Is not a bone. Which I found
Rather humerus

I'M OUT ...

Thursday, September 22, 2022, Garrett Herzfeld

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, with today's recap of a puzzle constructed by Garrett Herzfeld.  As his name does not appear in the list of previously-used labels, this may be his L A Times debut. Today's puzzle does not have a "reveal" but it does contain four themed answers and the theme could be dubbed, simply, COUPLES.  Or, perhaps even more simply, AND.  At four places in the grid, the answers are commonly used expressions that consist of two things each of which directly relate to the topic of the clue. In keeping with the theme, these four clues all contain only a couple of words . . . one of which is, of course, couple.  Here are the themed clues and answers:

17 Across:  Married couple?: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.  The traditional (Western Christian norms) marriage ceremony contains the phrase "to have and to hold".  A couple of marriage-related things.

26 Across:  Perfect couple?: PRIM AND PROPER.  Both PRIM and PROPER could refer to a condition of perfection (seemingly, a wee bit of a stretch, clue-wise).  A couple of perfection-related things.

42 Across:  Celebrity couple?: RICH AND FAMOUS.  Celebrities are often both rich and famous.  A couple of celebrity-related things.

56 Across:  Power couple?: BIGGER AND BETTER.  Again, just a bit of a stretch, clue-wise.  A couple of power-related things?  Let us know if you come up with a BETTER way to clue this. 

Here is how all of this appears in the grid:

. . . and here are the rest of the entries:

Across:

1. "Calvin and Hobbes," for one: COMIC.  Bill Watterson's classic.  My kids grew up with the characters . . . and I grew along with them.  Watterson famously walked away from drawing the comic strip rather than head down the licensing path.  Neither a Hobbes plush toy nor a McDonald's happy meal tie-in was going to happen.

Calvin is the one on the left

6. Cave __: ART.   Punting on second down (no pun intended 'cause it's across)?  Lots of other ways to clue ART.  See, for example, 38 Down.

9. Church bell sound: CHIME.

Manfred Mann Sings About Bells Chiming

14. Catherine of "Schitt's Creek": O'HARA.

15. Ultrasound goo: GEL.  Often clued with something relating to hair care.

16. Enter one's credentials: LOG ON.  Ah, the old "log in" vs "log on" hesitation.

20. Navigate black diamond slopes: SKI.  Black (diamond), Blue (square) or Green (circle)?  Advanced, Intermediate or Beginner?

21. Telephone no. addition: EXT.  EXTension

22. Destinations in some getaway plans?: RESORTS.  A nice bit of word play.

23. Craters of the Moon locale: IDAHO.  Not our planet's satellite.

25. "Big whoop": MEH.  Slang and slang.

31. Basic bagel order: PLAIN.  Not onion, sesamee, poppy seed or everything.

33. Uber __: EATS.

34. Many a Monopoly sq.: AVE.  AVEnue

35. Forever, seemingly: EONS.  What do you call a smell that lasts for a very long time?  EON musk.

36. Sonic explosions: BOOMS.

38. Kitchen job: PREP.  PREParation.

39. "Pressure" singer Lennox: ARI.  ANNIE Lennox was not going to fit.

40. Artificial grass: TURF.  Astro TURF was first installed in 1964 at Fieldhouse at the Moses Brown School in Providence Rhode Island.  The subsequent (1966) installation at the Houston Astrodome gave it fame, and its name.

41. City north of Memphis: CAIRO.  Cairo, IL is north of Memphis, TN.  Cairo, Egypt is north of Memphis, Egypt.  Take your pick.

46. Large deer: ELK.  What do you call a well-known ELK?  Famoose.

47. Olfactory sense: SMELL.  Tautological.

48. Holds carefully: CRADLES.

52. Not feeling well: ILL.  It makes me sick when people forget to add an apostrophe.  If it happens again, I'll be  ILL.

53. Mobile download: APP.  Mobile phone.

59. Uses Liquid Nails, say: GLUES.  Useful stuff.  Great for re-setting bricks if you don't want to chip out and reinstall mortar.

60. Rapper Lil __ X: NAS.  Yet another visit from this guy.

61. Pond honker: GOOSE.

What's In The Bag, GOOSE?

62. Brute: BEAST.

63. Procure: GET.

64. Ready for a refill: EMPTY.

Down:

1. Camp beds: COTS.

2. "Aw, what the heck": OH OK.  I suppose.

3. Fish tacos fish, on menus: MAHI.

4. Sportswriter Berkow: IRA.  He shared in a Pulitzer Prize in 2001.

5. Collapsed: CAVED IN.

6. Kathryn's "WandaVision" role: AGATHA.  I have never seen the show.  Thanks, perps.

7. Kylo of the "Star Wars" sequels: REN.  It helped that the clue referenced the source.

8. Letters before a summary: TLDR.  Too Long, Didn't Read.  SMH.

9. Bullpen aces: CLOSERS.  A baseball reference.  The best relief pitchers.

10. Santa's laugh: HO HO HO.  Oh, ok.

11. Archetypal lab assistant: IGOR.

That's Eye-gore

12. Shed feathers: MOLT.

13. Burnt __: ENDS.  The trimmings from a smoked brisket.

18. Checkup: EXAM.

19. Dangles a carrot in front of: TEMPTS.  The old Carrot and the Stick dichotomy.

23. Fashion icon Apfel: IRIS.

24. Singular events: ONE-OFFS.

26. "Pray for the Wicked" band __! at the Disco: PANIC.

27. Reservoir creator: DAM.  BEAVER would not fit.

28. Musée d'Orsay city: PARIS.  An art museum housed in a former railroad station, the Gare D'Orsay.  I preferred the Jeu de Paume mais c'est la vie.

29. At any point in time: EVER.

30. Credit report blot: REPO.  It is tough to get around if the bank has REPOssessed your car.

31. Bottom-heavy fruit: PEAR.  Or, person . . .

32. Chicago mayor Lightfoot: LORI.

36. "All in the Family" surname: BUNKER.

Archie and Edith Bunker

37. Chicago airport code: ORD. code for Chicago O'Hare International Airport.  The airport used to be called Orchard Field.  Ah, that explains it.

38. Simon & Garfunkel half: PAUL.  Not Art.  Did you know that PAUL wrote this song?

Not The Cyrkle

40. Like Denali, among North American peaks: TALLEST.  20,310 feet

41. Morehouse, e.g.: COLLEGE.  I first thought that it said Moorehead, as in Agnes.

43. Shrubbery: HEDGES.

44. In the thick of: AMIDST.

45. Former Spice Girl who was a judge on "America's Got Talent": MEL B.

48. Longtime NYC punk rock club: CBGB.  The letters stood for Country, BlueGrass and Blues. . . but it became the birthplace of Punk.

49. Stir up: RILE.

50. Desierto's lack: AGUA.  La lección de español de hoy.  A desert lacks water.

51. Belted out a tune: SANG.

53. Situated on: ATOP.  

54. Vexation: PEST.  Interesting cluing.

55. 2022 prequel film in the "Predator" franchise: PREY.  Hollywood  does like to recycle ideas.  They call the bodies of work franchises.

57. Scottish no: NAE.

58. Spider-Man player Holland: TOM.

Well, that's it for today. . . and for a while.  57 Down is a fitting send off as I will be in Scotland next month (with brief visits to both Spain and Portugal, also).  I will be able to read the blog but I will nae be available to write up the puzzles.   Slainte!

Garrett, you are invited to post anything that you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever in the comments section below.  We would love to hear from you.

_____________________________________________

Wednesday, September 21, 2022 Bonnie Eisenman

Theme: A DASH OF HABERDASHERY - or - YOU'RE PUTTING ME ON.  Theme answers are not quite homonyms for in-the-language phrases, and refer to articles of apparel. Let's try them on for size.

But first, today's theme song.

 

20. Impractical way to get dressed?: SHOES ON FIRST.  They're likely to get caught up in one's pant legs.  I assume everyone gets the reference.

31. Planning meeting for the costume department?: CLOTHES CALL.  I guess it's a Zoom meeting, not face to face, since it'a CALL.  Anyway, this is a narrow escape

42. Disappointing sign on a store selling warm-weather garments?: OUT OF SHORTS.  So, alas, we are forced to wear long pants.  That has us feeling not quite right.

53. Really pulls off a jacket?: ROCKS THE COAT.  Not removing it, but rather to wear, display, or feature it in a striking, distinctive, or attractive manner.  Not like rocking the boat, which means disturbing the status quo.

 

Hi Gang, JazzBunpa here to escort you to the fitting room. Looks like this might be Bonnie's first entry in the LA Times.  If so, a big CONGRATS! for a fine effort.  Let's find out if anything needs alteration.

Across:

 1. Thwack: SLAP.  Strike with the palm of the hand or a flat object.  Ouch!

5. Informed (of): AWARE.  On to.

10. Compensation: WAGE.  Regular payment for a steady job.

14. Tuck out of view: HIDE.  Conceal something.

15. Wrinkled: LINED. Having undesired slight folds.

16. Many a univ. donor: ALUM.  Grad.  Note abrvs.

17. 365 days: YEAR.  One solar circuit.

18. Rub ingredient: SPICE.  An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavor food, 

19. HBO political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus: VEEP. 

 

23. Barack and Michelle's eldest daughter: MALIA.  Lots of pics here.

26. Family room: DEN.  A room in a house or apartment, used for activities not involving work:

27. Impatient: ANTSY.  Agitated; a blend of eager and anxious.

28. Lives: EXISTS.  Is alive.

30. Cookie fruit: FIG.  The edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world, both for its fruit and as an ornamental plant. 

35. "Stop filming!": CUT.  This signifies the end of a take and a call to stop the action. It's crucial for the actor to keep the acting and action going until the director calls “cut” or they risk messing up a great shot. It is never up to the actor to stop what they're doing without the “cut” call from the director.

38. Broody sorts?: HENS.  They sit on their eggs until they hatch. Not sure what mood they are in.

39. Sir or sri: TITLE.   Words designating rank, office, or nobility; terms of address (Mr., Mrs.); initials for an academic degree (MBA, Dr), or terms of respect.

40. More than dislike: HATE.   An intense or passionate negative feeling.

41. Donkey: ASS.  Beast of burden. 

44. GPS display: MAP.  "The map is not the territory."  -- Ned Stark

45. Small village: HAMLET.  Derived from Old French, meaning a settlement smaller than a village.

46. Food cart snacks in South Asia: CHAAT.   A family of savoury snacks that originated in India, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.  Now you know.

49. Texting letters: SMS.   SMS, or "Short Message Service," refers to standard text messages that are sent using a cellular signal instead of an internet connection, unlike iMessage or other web-based messaging services. SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, which is why longer SMS messages are typically broken into parts.

52. Swerves: VEERS.  Sharply changes direction.

56. Initial poker bet: ANTE.  Pay to play.

57. Japanese noodle dish: RAMEN.   Quick-cooking noodles, typically served in a broth with meat and vegetables.

58. Carried debt: OWED.   Was in the red.

62. Appear to be: SEEM.  Give the impression of being a particular kind of person or thing. 

63. "You __ kidding!": ARENT.  Contraction of. are not.

64. Grow tiresome: WEAR.   Exhaust one's patience or tolerance.

65. Jekyll's counterpart: HYDE.  A duel-personality character featured in a Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886. 

66. Basil-based sauce: PESTO.   A sauce originating in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy. It traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Sardo, all blended with olive oil.

67. Yields, as a profit: NETS.   Gain determined by income less expenses.

Down:

1. Bashful: SHY.   Being reserved or having or showing nervousness or timidity in the company of other people.

2. Blip on a polygraph, maybe: LIE.   This is properly regarded as pseudo-science, but sadly is credible in legal proceedings.

3. Hugo-nominated novelist Palmer: ADA.   She is an American historian and writer and winner of the 2017 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her first novel Too Like the Lightning was published in May 2016. The work has been well received by critics and was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. 

4. Continues: PERSISTS.  Continues firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure.

5. "One more thing ... ": ALSO.   Besides that; in addition . . .

6. Totally beat: WIPED.  Exhausted.

7. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE.   Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is one of the oldest known spice plants. It grows in the Mediterranean, Spain, West Asia, Mexico, Egypt, and the Middle East. Anise contains chemicals that might have estrogen-like effects, decrease swelling, and help fight off insects.   Does it taste god or awful -- you decide.

8. Scouting mission, briefly: RECON.   Short for reconnaissance, the military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features.

9. Garden with forbidden fruit: EDEN.   Original home of Adam and Eve, as the story goes.  Sadly, it was snake infested.

10. Fluttering in the wind: WAVING.   Moving to and fro with a swaying or undulating motion while remaining fixed to one point.

11. Warning signal: ALERT.   A warning of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

12. Ballpark figure: GUESS.   Should be a closer estimate than a mere guess.

13. Like cans in a recycling bin, hopefully: EMPTY.  You don't generally throw them out when they're full.

21. Doth own: HATH.  Possesses, old style.

22. Fall flat: FAIL.   be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.

23. Anime genre featuring giant robots: MECHA.   Anime in Japan is any animated work, regardless of style.  Mecha is anime featuring robots in battle.

24. Wheel-connecting rods: AXLES.    A central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. 

25. NFL team whose mascot is named Roary: LIONS.  See him here.  They hung on for the win this week.

29. Punchline lead-in: SETUP.   A lead-in line that prepares the listener for the joke, often with misdirection.

30. __ and blood: FLESH.  Used to emphasize that a person is a physical, living being with human emotions or frailties, often in contrast to something abstract, spiritual, or mechanical.  Fire doesn't fit.

32. "Pull up a chair": SIT.  Take a load off our feet.

33. Corp. computer exec: CTO.   Chief Technical Officer.

34. Fuzzy sitcom star of the 1980s: ALF.  Acronym for Alien Life Form.   Gordon Shumway [aka ALF] is an alien from the planet Melmac who follows an amateur radio signal to Earth and crash-lands into the garage of the Tanners, a suburban middle-class family who live in the San Fernando Valley area of California. 

35. "The Grouchy Ladybug" writer/illustrator: CARLE.   The Grouchy Ladybug, also known as The Very Grouchy Ladybug, is a 1977 children's book written by Eric Carle, best known as the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and published by Greenwillow Books.  Eric Carle [1929 - 2021] was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books.

36. Out-and-out: UTTER.   Complete; absolute.

37. Tries, as one's patience: TESTS.   Persists in annoying behavior.

40. Place of origin: HOMETOWN.   Straight forward.

42. Cheerios grains: OATS.   The oat, sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name. While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed.

43. "__ Nagila": Israeli folk song: HAVA.  Let us rejoice - a song of celebration.

44. Defiant retort: MAKE ME.   Force me, if you can.

46. Cymbal sound: CRASH.  This one is pretty lame.

47. Bee product: HONEY.    S sweet, viscous food substance made by honey bees and some other bees.  Bees produce honey from the sugary secretions of plants (floral nectar) or from secretions of other insects (such as honeydew), by regurgitation, enzymatic activity, and water evaporation. 

48. Performed: ACTED.   Portrayed a character in a presentation.

49. Open up, in a way: SHARE.   To tell (thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc.) to others. 

50. Fast-spreading social media posts: MEMES.   An idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.

51. Fragrance: SCENT.   These sound better than odor and smell.

54. Hip hop genre: TRAP.   A subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the early 2000s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. It features drum machines and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence.  

55. "I'm __ your tricks!": ON TO.   You can't fool me.

59. Pint-size: WEE.  Tiny.

60. "Mangia!": EAT.  In Italian.

61. Many profs: DRS.  Mostly PhDs.

That's it for the middle of this week.  Hope you're looking and feeling dapper.

Cool regards!

JzB