Saturday, May 20. 2023 , Kate Chin Park

 Saturday Themeless by Kate Chin Park

Kate is a custom furniture maker who is a proud non-whiz when it 

comes to solving and wordplay. 

Originally from Spokane, she has lived in San Diego, Brooklyn, London, and Brooklyn again before settling down in Oakland. She began solving crosswords in 2019 and making them in 2021, and credits mentorship both formal and informal for her growth as a constructor. When not awash in words or sawdust, Kate loves to read, eat the food her partner cooks, snuggle with her hostile-to-everyone-else cat, and watch the Golden State Warriors. Here is her website 

This puzzle was a fun exercise where I ended up where I started, the NE. Kate's grid is eye-catching with 108 open squares.

Across:

1. Staying safe, in a way: MASKING UP.

10. Best effort: A-GAME - I don't know about you but these Saturday puzzles take my A-GAME

15. Request for multifactor authentication?: ASK ANYONE 😀

16. Gurira who plays Okoye in the MCU: DANAI - 0 for 3. I did not know DANAI, Gurira or what MCU (Marvel Comic Universe) stood for. DANAI filled herself.

17. Collective noun?: PHILATELY 😀- Stamp collection finally hit me and then I stumbled through the spelling.

18. Choose to join: OPT IN - Philately is not a hobby to which I would OPT IN

19. Hook, in journalism lingo: LEDE - Don't bury the LEDE! 12/7/41 "Visibility will be very limited today as you look out over Pearl Harbor."

20. Quench: SATE.

22. Deadly septet: SINS.

23. Chicane shape, on some racetracks: ESS - A tight sequence of corners in alternate directions.  Usually inserted into a circuit to slow the cars, often just before what had been a high-speed corner. We all know of chicanery but I was happy to learn this form of that root word.

24. "Well played": GOOD ONE.

27. Violent figure of Egyptian mythology: SET - Talk about yer Saturday cluing!

28. Explorer's code, hopefully: LEAVE NO TRACE.

30. Twisted: WRITHED.

32. Birthplace and subject of writer Vu Trong Phung: HANOI - This was pretty obvious after a letter or two

33. "Mais oui": BIEN SÛR: Granddaughter, who minored in French and  just finished her first year of grad school in D.C., told me this means, OF COURSE.

34. Seneca Falls Convention figure: STANTON - Elizabeth Cady STANTON was a big part of this convention supporting women's suffrage. 

36. Alpaca habitat: ANDES - Recently I told you of my former student who now lives in Colorado and makes hats of of the fleece of these animals that live mostly in the ANDES. This is Debbie's website: https://shoutoutcolorado.com/meet-deb-larsen-culig-from-design-marketing-advertising-executive-to-custom-hatter/

37. Tutsi or Hutu: RWANDAN - I once showed Hotel RWANDA as a substitute and I really learned of the barbarity between these two tribes.

38. Childish taunt: NEENER NEENER - Sheldon gets one from Stephen Hawking. Our lovely Lucina is polite enough to NOT send this to me in winter while I am freezing and she is luxuriating in the warmth of the desert.

41. Chats privately, briefly: DMS - Direct Message rather than a reply on social media.

42. Like some yoga socks: TOELESS.

43. FD employee: EMT - My friends son Grant, just became a fully certified EMT for the Bennington (NE) Fire Department, following in his dad's footsteps.

46. "Fortunately, the Milk" writer Gaiman: NEIL - Simon, deGrasse Tyson, Sedaka and the first man on the Moon did not make the Saturday cut.

48. Permafrost concern: MELT - Parts of the permafrost are melting under the AlCan highway which breaks up the roadway. Therefore some repair sections are getting insulation underneath to keep the ground colder and less susceptible to melting.

49. BBQ side: SLAW.

50. Scottish cattle: ANGUS - Some have made their way to this part of the world and fetch big money when sold at auction. 

52. Immeasurable regions of the universe: DEEP SPACE - Voyager 1 left Earth in 1977 and it took 35 years for it to leave our solar system and enter interstellar space in 2012 even traveling at ~ten miles/second. Real time Voyager data after nearly 46 years in space.

55. Nosh: MUNCH.

56. Hall addition: ENSHRINEE and 21. Brian who said ambient music "must be as ignorable as it is interesting": ENO. Brian was an ENSHRINEE in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a part of Roxy Music in 2019.

57. Composition: ESSAY.

58. Waiting periods?: DOT DOT DOT ...  - 8. Took off: UNLADED - We often see LADE as fill for filling up, so took off...

Down:

1. Tall, sappy type: MAPLE 😀 

2. Clambake debris: ASHES.

3. Starts to slip: SKIDS.

4. Curly cruciferous commodity: KALE - Today I learned "chicane" and "cruciferous". The names have vanished already.

5. Garten of earthly delights: INA 😀 - Garten is chef INA's last name

6. "She Said" paper, briefly: NYT - The trailer for the movie based on two New York Times reporters who investigated Harvey Weinstein.

7. Runs past: GOES OVER.

9. "Doogie Kamealoha, M.D." star __ Elizabeth Lee: PEYTON films on 25. Island with a state capital: OAHU.  Peyton Manning and Peyton Place? Not so much on Saturday 

10. Stir: ADO.

11. Breaks: GAPS - The famous Watergate tapes had an 18-minute GAP

12. Evil Christmas figure such as Krampus: ANTI-SANTA - I guess...

13. State cat in New England: MAINE COON.

14. "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" author: EINSTEIN - Oh, I see 😳

24. Prepares: GETS SET.

26. Some fracking byproducts: ETHANES - I suppose...

28. Summer material: LINEN.

29. Chilling episode?: R AND R - Rest and Relaxation 

30. Vintage collections: WINE MENUS 😀

31. Logo overhauls, e.g.: REDESIGNS.

33. Label for some musicians?:  😀 BAND NAME.

34. Most satisfying, as a victory: SWEETEST - The Huskers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes last year after losing to them 7 games in a row. They were still 4 - 8 but still...

35. They may be fake: TANS - Yeah, I know...

37. Chile __: stuffed dish: RELLENO.

39. Bucharest's nat.: ROM - Irishman Bram Stoker based his Dracula character on ROMANIAN prince Vlad the Impaler

40. Cried out for: NEEDED.

43. Runner in ancient African cave art: ELAND - It's just a week after Mother's Day, so...

44. Funk saxophonist Parker: MACEO - My grandson Parker is named after jazz great Charlie "The Birdman" Parker not this gentleman.

45. Chirp: TWEET.

47. 2021 Pixar film that premiered at the Aquarium of Genoa: LUCA.

49. Rotisserie part: SPIT.

51. Protected by an icy exterior, perhaps: SHY.

53. Degree of difficulty?: 😀 PHD.

54. B'way sign: SRO.

Friday, May 19, 2023, Alexander Liebeskind

Theme: "Double Entendre"

Sub-theme: "Are you trying to be a "Y's" guy??!"

Puzzling thoughts:

I thought the name Alexander Liebeskind looked familiar. This same blogger wrote his recap on the LAT Crossword Corner on Friday, October 21, 2022, just 7 short months ago

"Y" did I get Mr. Liebeskind again, you ask? Coincidence? Perhaps to be a bit more jocular than I was on that blog? (I was in the throws of moving, if you recall) ... I actually like that I am getting another stab at young Alexander, so let's see what I can conjure up ...

17-across. Building a fire without any charcoal or lighter fluid?: STICK(Y) SITUATION. Right off the bat, Alexander knocks one out of the park, achieving his double entendre with both STICK/STICKY being the correct adjective for SITUATION. Think about it ... no charcoal or lighter fluid to use to build a fire? Rub two STICKS together. But regardless, it creates a STICKY SITUATION for sure

Speaking of a STICKY SITUATION:

23-across. Mountain of comfy shoes?: SLIPPER(Y) SLOPE. Another winner! While I can't imagine, nor picture a mountain of SLIPPERS, a SLOPE of SLIPPERS would be quite SLIPPERY. This could almost be a triple entendre!

37-across. Artichokes eaten first thing in the morning?: HEART(Y) BREAKFAST. Maybe a bit of a stretch here, but when you have 5 "themers" in a crossword puzzle, there needs to be one "outlier". I never think of an artichoke HEART being HEARTY; nor do I consider it a BREAKFAST food, but I can't think of another "HEART" that would fit

Maybe this needs a Moe-ku:

Teen sleuths Frank and Joe
Eat artichokes each morning.
(Their) "HEARTY" Boys BREAKFAST

[boo!]

48-across. "Should this potted plant go in the dining room window or the bedroom window?," e.g.: SILL(Y) QUESTION!

[I threw in the exclamation point for added effect]

Of course a potted plant would go in the dining room window! On the SILL, naturally. What a SILLY QUESTION!

And last, but not least, 58-across. Relinquishing one's noble title?: EARL(Y) RETIREMENT. Technically speaking, an EARL cannot RETIRE; but they can be removed. After opening the link, scroll down a paragraph or two for the explanation

Well done, Alexander! If I may be so bold, I will summarize today's theme with the following Moe-ku (which starts out as a Moe-CLUE):

Likelihood of an
Eel solving today's puzzle?
Just a SLIM(Y) CHANCE

The grid:

Across:
1. College-level HS English course: AP LIT. Confession: I was never into reading novels and the like; nor was I a particularly good HS English student

6. __ and drop: DRAG. Could it have been clued: Favorite MS Word editing feature for a transvestite?

10. Party loot: SWAG. Rhymes with DRAG

14. Place for a bench warmer?: SAUNA. I like this clue. Lots of benches in a SAUNA. See for yourself!

15. Bag: EARN. Does the Thesaurussaurus like this synonym?

16. Melodramatic sigh: AH, ME.

20. Brain wave readout, for short: EEG. [electoencephologram] "An EEG is a test that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity of your brain cells" [Johns Hopkins website]

I am pretty sure, without taking one, that there are abnormalities in MY brain!! ;^)

21. Not bumpy: EVEN.

22. Hindu spiritual writing: SUTRA. Part of the KAMASUTRA. KAMA = kinky, weird, acrobatic sexual positions; SUTRA = weirdly wanting to write about them! ;^)

27. Only cardinal direction not in a state name: EAST. Of course, we have NORTH and SOUTH CAROLINA/DAKOTA and WEST VIRGINIA, but no EAST anything ... unless EAST JABIP counts!

Fun Fact: Oddly many college/university names DO contain this word; e.g, EAST CAROLINA, EAST TENNESSEE ST, EAST TEXAS ST; while others (IL, KY, MI, NM, OR, & WA) use the word "EASTERN"

28. Big lug: OAF.

29. Dirty word?: MUD. You knew this wasn't a cuss word, 'cause it didn't have 4-letters

32. Mesopotamian region where cuneiform was invented: SUMER. [Wikipedia] "Sumer is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia, emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC"

Moe-ku #3:

The season, and where
Cuniform was invented?
"Summer, in SUMER"

35. Missay, say: ERR. No one ever says, "To missay is human ... "

36. Prefix with dynamic: AERO.

41. Potato spots: EYES.

42. Dawn goddess: EOS. Could've been clued with two other familiar objects; here are all three

43. Specks: IOTAS.

44. Gesture-based communication syst.: ASL.

45. Ancient: OLD.

46. Designer Gucci: ALDO. [wikipedia] "ALDO Gucci was an Italian personality and the chairman of Gucci from 1953 to 1986. He was the eldest son of Guccio Gucci, who founded the company bearing the family name in 1921"

54. Many, casually: LOTSA.

56. "High Drama" singer Lambert: ADAM. "High Drama" is the album name; here is a video from KCAL TV in LA

57. Premier __: French wine designation: CRU. CRU literally means "growth". Premier CRU = "first growth", and usually means that the specific wine comes from a superior part of the region. There is a "level above" Premier CRU called "Grand CRU". To be called a GRAND CRU, the grapes are typically grown in a specific vineyard in a specific village within a region. Examples of this are in Chablis. FYI, Chablis is NOT a grape varietal; it's a region. The primary grape grown in Chablis is Chardonnay. Here is a list of both Premier and Grand CRUS in Chablis

62. Oxford, but not Cambridge: SHOE. Nice clue misdirection

63. Quod __ demonstrandum: ERAT. Also seen abbreviated in crossword puzzles as "QED"; and while we are at it, here is (12-down. Omnia vincit __:) AMOR, but I can't recall this being abbreviated as "OVA". EGGSactly, Moe!

64. Hilarious: A RIOT. I hope a few of you think that the Chairman is A RIOT (sometimes!!)

65. Basic math homework: SUMS. Hmm. Not a clue I'd use for this but I guess it works. YMMV

66. Autos: CARS.

67. Full of fluff: LINTY. Moe-ku #4:

1930's dance
Popular in laundromats
Is "The LINTY Hop"

Down:
1. Pack animals: ASSES. This word, in both its singular and now plural form, has been showing up a lot, lately in LAT puzzles. Coincidence?

2. "Lion" Oscar nominee Dev: PATEL. He was featured in a recent crossword puzzle here that used a Picture in a Picture theme; "SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" (with "LION" in circles), e.g.

3. "Super Mario" brother: LUIGI.

4. Fortune rival: INC. As in the magazine, "Fortune"

5. Share: TAKE PART.

6. Antarctica, for one: DESERT. Fun Fact: even though the word "DESERT" is thought of by this meaning: "a dry, barren area of land, especially one covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless, and without vegetation", the same definition applies to Antarctica (minus the sand)

7. Unlike a 6-Down: RAINY.

8. Quilting, e.g.: ART. Never thought of quilting as an ART, but why not?

9. Serengeti grazer: GNU. Moe-ku #5 (oldie, but a goodie):

Headline in the ORLANDO SENTINEL:

"Disney World built some
Imitation antelopes"
You think that's fake GNUs?

10. Broke out of a slump?: SAT UP. If this clue were a baseball reference, I am not sure that there are any five letter words/phrases that fit; cute clue

11. Poultry choice: WHITE MEAT. Not I; I am a thigh and leg man

13. Actress Rowlands: GENA. Actress Davis spells her's, GEENA

18. Part of YSL: YVES.

19. Starting on: AS OF. AS OF the first week of June, the Chairman will be on sabbatical

24. Equals: PEERS. As in the "EARL(s)" of the EARL(Y) RETIREMENT entry in today's puzzle

25. Like some subjects: SORE. Moe-ku #6 (double entendre):

British Count hurt leg
And can't kneel before the King;
Very SORE subject ...

26. "The Practice" actress __ Flynn Boyle: LARA. "The Practice" is an erstwhile TV Drama which aired on ABC. I never watched it. Here is Ms. Boyle (1997 pic):

30. __ Minor: URSA. Please bear with me; just a few more to parse for you ...

31. Colon units: DOTS. Neither RECTUM nor APPENDIX fit ... oh ... THIS colon ":"

32. __ butter: SHEA. The favorite spread of the NY Mets; formerly

33. One-eighties: UEYS. Is it UEYS or UIES? I've seen both ...

34. Violent vortex: MAELSTROM. Moe-ku #7:

"Black Friday" event
Caused turbulence. It was called:
"MAELSTROM at Nordstrom's"

35. Triage ctrs.: ERS.

36. In the offing: AFOOT. Why do podiatrist's and shoe salesmen make great detectives? They always know when something is AFOOT

38. Give a shout-out?: YELL. THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA KNOW THAT WHEN YOU USE ALL CAP'S IN A TEXT MESSAGE OR EMAIL, YOU'RE YELLing

39. Word with surf or shop: BODY. "Gin a BODY meets a BODY ... "

40. Restaurant offering that may have an age limit: KID'S MEAL. I think that the so-called "age limit" for these should be further defined to include those of us "septuagenarians and older" who can no longer eat such big portions ... the toy can be made optional ...

45. Skin care brand: OLAY.

46. Open-book exams?: AUDITS. Like this clue a lot

47. Prolific TV producer Norman: LEAR. [wikipedia] "Norman Milton LEAR is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning All in the Family as well as Maude, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, and Good Times." As of the date I wrote this blog, LEAR is alive and kicking at age 100

49. Caribbean spots: ISLES.

50. 2022 FIFA World Cup host: QATAR. Time Magazine article regarding QATAR/World Cup 2022

51. Strand during a ski trip, say: ICE IN. I guess if this happens, "apres ski" begins sooner? MalMan care to discuss?? (52-down. " ... never mind, then":) OR NOT?

53. Like brown butter: NUTTY. [according to Food Network dot com]: "Brown butter, also known as buerre noisette in French, is made by heating butter until the milk solids caramelize, imparting a golden color and toasted, NUTTY flavor. The French technique is an easy way to ramp up the flavor of regular butter without adding any extra ingredients"

54. Minus: LESS. I guess this clue is OK; more or less

55. Diamond Head locale: OAHU.

59. __ center: REC. Our local REC center is supported by Silver Sneakers - great place to work out

60. Stretch of history: ERA.

61. Sports doc's scan: MRI.

Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments below. Maybe the constructor will catch word of this blog and stop by to say "hello" ...

Thursday, May 18, 2023, Adam Wagner & Rebecca Goldstein

Today's constructors are veterans Adam Wagner and Rebecca Goldstein who challenge us with 4 themers embedded with

EMULSIFIED WORDS

While some of you will be delighted that these words aren't enclosed in little round things, the rest of us may need a little help finding them.  So to assist you, here's a brief tutorial on emulsification, its uses and techniques ...

... which should now make it quite easy to separate them from the fill ...

18A. *Pronoun for a spokesperson: EDITORIAL WE. 

23A. *Decorative touch made with a small paintbrush, e.g.: DETAIL WORK.

36A. *What "we are living in," per a Madonna hit song: MATERIAL WORLD.

51A. *Wraps at a spa: HAIR TOWELS.

Hair Towel

... still don't see them?   Luckily there's a reveal ...

57A. Substances that never mix, except in the answers to the starred clues?: OIL AND WATER. 

Not so fast!  There is another place where OIL and WATER mix: inside our bodies' cells!   Oils (aka lipids), water, and other substances such as proteins, sugars, and ions mix as a part of the exquisitely controlled metabolism of biological cells (e.g. 62A OVA).  Their entrance into, and exit from, cells is carefully regulated by the cell membrane, consisting primarily of a lipid bilayer. As the term implies, each layer has two parts consisting of a lipophylic end ("fat loving") and a hydrophilic end ("water loving").  This bilayer enables the cell to interact with both fatty and aqueous components ...  

... emulsion on the fly, you might say.

Here's the grid ...

Across:

1. Possesses: HAS.

4. Participate in the gig economy, say: TEMP.

8. Hornet's defense: STING.  The best STING defense is romance.  But you may have to deal with THORNS ...

13. Moody genre: EMO.  Or this Moody genre ...

Justin Haywood was just 19 when he wrote that song.


14. Added to the staff: HIRED.

16. Youngest Kardashian sister: KHLOE.  Khloé Alexandra Kardashian born June 27, 1984) is an American media personality and socialite. Since 2007, she has starred with her family in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Its success has led to the creation of spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami (2009–2013) and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons (2014–2015).

Khloé Kardashian

17. Legged it: RAN.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Missouri's __ Mountains: OZARK.  The rock band OZARK Mountain Daredevils are from Missouri, but I don't think they're especially skeptical.  Here's their If You Wanna Get to Heaven (lyrics)

22. Land by the sea: COAST.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Text incessantly: SPAM.

30. Mexico's national flower: DAHLIA.  One of my sisters' favorite flowers.  Here are some DAHLIA's in bloom at the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Jarrettsville, MD.

31. Upscale cosmetics chain: SEPHORA.

33. Boyos: LADS.

35. Time capsule object: RELIC.

36. [Theme clue]

41. Head-scratcher: POSER.  We get a lot of these every morning.  And some real toughies on Saturdays.

42. Polite title: MAAM.

43. "You free?": GOT A SEC.

46. Universal basic __: INCOME.   Pros and Cons of Universal Basic Income (UBI).

50. Symbol on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant cooling towers: ATOM.  Not the one in Springfield, IL, but the one where Homer Simpson works in sector 7G ...

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

51. [Theme clue]

54. Skin and bones: GAUNT.

56. Not satisfied: UNMET.

57. [Theme reveal]

62. Egg cells: OVA. 

63. Word with number or time: PRIME.  PRIME time is becoming an anachronism, as more people watch shows on demand via streaming.  A PRIME number is defined as a whole number greater than 1 that cannot be exactly divided by any whole number other than itself and 1 (e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11).  Primes have applications in information technology, such as public-key cryptography, which relies on the difficulty of factoring large numbers into their prime factors.  A CSO to -T, who is in his PRIME.

64. "Cats" poet: ELIOT.  In 1939, T. S. ELIOT published Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, book of light verse which served as the basis of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.  Here is the song Memory (lyrics).
 

65. Cartoonist Sorensen who was the first woman to win the Herblock Prize:JEN.  JEN Sorensen (born September 28, 1974, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American cartoonist and illustrator who authors a weekly comic strip that often focuses on current events.  In 2014 she became the first woman to win the Herblock Prize, and in 2017 she was named a Pulitzer Finalist in Editorial Cartooning.  Here's a selection of her cartoons.

Jen Sorensen

66. "Nothing gets past me": I KNEW.

67. Cravings: YENS.

68. Stuff in a pen: INK.

Down:

1. Judean king: HEROD.  Despite the negative evaluation of Herod in traditional Jewish sources, archaeological evidence seems to suggest that, with some notable exceptions, Herod saw himself as tied to the Jewish religion and tried, to a certain extent, to uphold its laws, even in his own lifestyle.

2. Gobsmacked: AMAZED.

3. Handel bars?: SONATA.  Here's the 3rd movement ("Passacaille") from Handel's Trio Sonata in G Major Op. 5 No.4 with the great Trevor Pinnock at the harpsichord.

4. "Mr. Brightside" band: THE KILLERS.  Thumper.

5. Holiday on which it's forbidden to fast, familiarly: EID.  Today's Arabic lesson #1. EID al-Fitr is an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day. It is the first time Muslims can eat during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. The translation of “Eid al-Fitr” from Arabic sums up the holiday as it means “festival of breaking the fast.”

6. Picture of health?: MRI.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI is a type of diagnostic test that can create detailed images of nearly every structure and organ inside the body.   MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer.  MRI does not use any radiation.  Images produced by an MRI scan can show organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels.
 
7. Place to buy fish: PETCO.  Not a place to buy sushi.  Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is an American pet retailer with corporate offices in San Diego and San Antonio. Petco sells pet food, products, and services, as well as certain types of live small animals.

8. Gear for Mikaela Shiffrin: SKIS.

9. "She's the one!": THAT'S HER.  E.g. Clara Bow, the original IT girl from 1927.
 

10. Not well: ILL.

11. "And make it snappy": NOW.

12. "Huh!": GEE.

15. Some portals: DOORS.  E.g. The DOORS of Perception, the 1954 autobiography by Aldous Huxley, which borrows it's title from a line in poet William Blake's 1793 book The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.  Huxley's book is the namesake for the 60's psychedelic band The Doors, here with their Crystal Ship (lyrics) ...

Shortly before his death from laryngeal cancer, Huxley requested that his wife Laura inject him with LSD, as related in her book This Timeless Moment.    Approximately 6 hours later he died at the age of 69 on  November 22, 1963.  Two other famous people died that day.

19. Lawn tool: RAKE.

21. Cheer syllable: RAH.

24. "I don't believe you!": LIAR.

25. Silicon __: Israel's counterpart to California's Silicon Valley: WADI.  Arabic lesson #2.  The term Silicon WADI is a pun on the similarly named high-tech center of technology in the US. The word "wadi" derives from the Arabic "واد", meaning 'valley'.

27. Opinion survey: POLL.

28. Parched: ARID.

29. Cheese partner: MAC.

32. Where teens are treated like royalty?: PROM COURTS.

34. Richardson of "The Afterparty": SAM.  The Afterparty is an American murder mystery comedy television series created by Christopher Miller that premiered on Apple TV+ on January 28, 2022. In March 2022 the series was renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere on July 12, 2023.  SAM plays the role of Aniq ...

Sam Richardson

36. Academic: MOOT.  See definition number 2.

37. Concerning: AS TO.

38. Bughouse chess, but not classic chess: TEAM GAME.  DNK this game.  Bughouse chess is a popular chess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two. Normal chess rules apply, except that captured pieces on one board are passed on to the teammate on the other board, who then has the option of putting these pieces on their board.

Bughouse Chess

39. Hibernation spot: LAIR.

40. Crave: WANT.

41. Org. with carts and drivers: PGA.

44. Barak of Israel: EHUD.  EHUD Barak (Hebrew: אֵהוּד בָּרָק‎, born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli general and politician who served as the tenth prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011. He previously held the posts of defense minister and deputy prime minister under Ehud Olmert and then in Benjamin Netanyahu's second government from 2007 to 2013.

Ehud Barak

45. "Let us!": CAN WE.

47. __ goal: bit of self-sabotage: OWN.  (in soccer) when a goal is scored inadvertently when the ball is struck into the goal by a player on the defensive team.  Not an EMPTY NET goal, just an ERROR.  Must be embarrassing.

48. iOS personal avatar: MEMOJI.  A portmanteau of ME and EMOJI?

49. Gridiron number: ELEVEN.  The number of people on a football team.

52. European boot?: ITALY.  Così ...

53. Wasn't fresh, in a way: STANK.

55. Fresh: ANEW.

57. Nail polish brand: OPI.

58. Bug: IRK.

59. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" songwriter __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  It's a catchy tune ...

This song is part of the sound track for the 2021 Disney movie Encanto about the adventures of the Madrigal family who live in Columbia, SA ...

This link can help clarify the meaning of We Don't Talk About Bruno (who can foretell the future)  but I think to understand him and the film completely, you'll have to see it yourself.

60. Connection: TIE.

61. Geological span: EON.


Cheers,
Bill

As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading, for her constructive criticism.

waseeley

Wednesday, May 17, 2023, Margaret Hurley & Barbara Lin

THEME: Awesome Sauce! (See 37 D)

16. Super: THE CATS MEOW.

23. Super: OUT OF SIGHT.

51. Super: PEACHY KEEN.

59. Super: CRACKER JACK.

36. "Nicely done!" and an apt description of 16-, 23-, 51-, and 59-Across: THAT WAS COOL. Also an apt description of the reveal, being right in the middle of the grid. (See image at bottom of post.)

Melissa here. The four theme answers are expressions referring to something that is considered outstanding; coined by American cartoonist Thomas A. Dorgan (1877–1929). Dorgan is also responsible for popularizing other well-known slang - see Wikipedia.

Across:

1. Numbered work: OPUS. An opus is a piece of classical music by a particular composer. Opus is usually followed by a number which indicates at what point the piece was written. The abbreviation op. is also used. Beethoven's Piano Sonata in E minor, Opus 90, below.

 5. Gushed (about): RAVED. RAVE is an interesting word that can mean either to enjoy oneself wildly or uninhibitedly, or to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium.

10. Employee badges, for short: IDS. Identifications, or the verb form, identifies.

13. 1953 Alan Ladd Western: SHANE. 

14. Former "Weekend Today" co-host Hill: ERICA. She left the show in 2016. and is now at CNN.

15. Put to the test: TRY.

18. "Bring It on Home to Me" singer Cooke: SAM. What a great tune, released in 1962. Fun fact: Lou Rawls provided backing vocals.

19. Scolds loudly: YELLS AT. First thing I heard in my head was Ron Weasley's howler, from Harry Potter.

20. Civil rights org. founded by a group that included W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells: NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Formed in 1909.

22. "Legally Blonde" role for Reese: ELLE.

27. Feature of an A-frame roof: SLANT.

29. Genesis drummer Collins: PHIL. After retiring in 2011 due to hearing loss he developed from a viral infection, he retired from performing. He came out of retirement in 2016, did a few more tours, and performed his last show in London in March of 2022.

30. Wheels for the well-heeled: LIMO. A car for the elite is a limousine. Why ‘well-heeled’ means well-to-do.

31. Feng shui force: CHI. Feng Shui 101: What is Chi?

33. North Carolina college town: ELON. Elon University's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #89. Its tuition and fees are $42,241.

35. The guy for ewe?: RAM. Great clue.

39. Gymnast Mary __ Retton: LOU. Probably many of us here remember her 1984 Olympics floor routine where she got a perfect 10.

41. Rapper who plays Fin Tutuola: ICE-T. On NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

42. Topeka's st.: KAN. Topeka is a city in the state of Kansas.

43. River of Florence: ARNO. In Italy.

45. "No __ done": HARM.

47. Start of an encrypted web address: HTTPS. When a website uses HTTPS, all communication between the client (such as your web browser) and the server is encrypted, including the URL.

54. Put on the payroll: HIRE.

55. Ish: SORTA. To some extent.

56. Dreamy state: REVERIE. A state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.

58. Wall St. debut: IPO. An initial public offering or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail investors. 

63. Nada: NIL. Used in both Spanish and English, most experts attribute the English use of nada to Ernest Hemingway, who borrowed it from Spanish, in which it means "nothing." The Latin root, nata, means "small, insignificant thing."

64. Arizona governor Hobbs: KATIE.

65. __ well: is a good sign: BODES.

66. Hair product: GEL.

67. Fantastic bargain: STEAL.

68. Toe the line: OBEY. According to Grammarist, the phrase "Toe the line" derives from track-and-field events in which athletes are required to place a foot on a starting line and wait for the signal to go. Race officials used to shout “Toe the line!” where now they shout “On your marks!” Since entering the language, the idiom has developed to mean do what is expected or act according to someone else’s rules or expectations.

Down:

1. "Blast it!": OH HELL.

2. Spanish rice dish: PAELLA.  A classic Spanish dish made with rice, saffron, vegetables, meat and/or seafood cooked and served in one pan.

3. Relax, as fists: UNCLENCH.

4. Sailing settings: SEAS.

5. Regain one's strength: REST UP.

6. Sleeve: ARM. 45 Different Types of Sleeves

7. Go head-to-head: VIE. Compete.

8. Prefix with footprint: ECO. What is your ecological footprint?

9. Occurs to, with "on": DAWNS.

10. Proclamation on some birth announcements: IT'S A GIRL.

11. Old Greek coin: DRACHMA.

12. Runny nose or headache, maybe: SYMPTOM. A physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient.

13. Eye sores: STYES.

17. Chinese philosophical concept: TAO. Tao is the way of acting in accordance with nature. It is a path, a road, a series of habits, a way of living. Chi or qi is a context-sensitive word for “that which makes living things do stuff.”

21. Have a runny nose or headache, maybe: AIL.

24. London's Globe, for one: THEATRE.

25. Liquids that may be herb-infused: OILS.

26. Group of sheep: FLOCK. I learned recently that a group of stingrays is called a fever, and a group of jellyfish is called a smack.

28. Pad __: stir-fried noodle dish: THAI. Stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food in Thailand as part of the country's cuisine.

32. Like cheap wool: ITCHY. From The Wool Room: As a general rule, the larger the diameter of the wool strands, the lower the quality and the itchier it will feel. Wool with smaller strands will feel softer. Many wool producers use cheap wool to lower product costs, but cheaper wool with thick fibers is often responsible for itching.

34. Trevor who hosted the "The Daily Show" from 2015 to 2022: NOAH.

36. Sushi option: TUNA ROLL.

37. __ sauce: WEAK. Slang for something inferior, ineffective, or unimpressive. Opposite of awesome sauce.

38. Like some training: ON THE JOB.

39. Expiring, as a subscription: LAPSING. When the term ends without being renewed or canceled, the policy has lapsed.

40. No-bake dessert with a cookie crust: OREO PIE.

44. Halloween mo.: OCT.

46. Former German chancellor Angela: MERKEL. November 2005 to December 2021.

48. Diatribe: TIRADE.

49. Expensive: PRICEY.

50. Goes after: SEEKS.

52. Emmy-winning series starring Jean Smart as a comedian: HACKS. She also played Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women.

53. Born, in Bordeaux: NEE. Originally called; born (used especially in adding a woman's maiden name after her married name). "Mary Toogood, née Johnson."

57. Online marketplace with holiday homes: VRBO.

60. Rodent or snitch: RAT.

61. Picnicked: ATE.

62. Spy org.: CIA. Central Intelligence Agency

Note: The incorrect grid with the wrong answer for 36a posted earlier has been corrected.