Saturday, July 8, 2023, Jamey Smith

 Saturday Themeless by Jamey Smith

This is my eighth Saturday Themeless Puzzle of Jamey's I have blogged. He is a former Texas University employe and always supplies a puzzle full of charm and learning.  I fished around for a while for a start and then the gimme long fills in the SE corner sent me firmly on my way to the finish. My only bad cell was at TOMAT_LLOS/CI_. I had no idea about that CIA school and my spin of the vowel roulette wheel failed me.

Across:

1. Mark for good: ETCH.

5. Toon canary's foe: PUDDY TAT - SYLVESTER had one two many letters for Tweety's nemesis

13. NYC nabe: SOHO - An area south of Houston (HOW stun) St. in Manhattan 

14. Grand Canal conveyance: VAPORETTO - We rode on a gondola and VAPORETTO (background) in Venice but had no idea of the name of the latter.

15. Fill: LOAD - Here are some railroad cars getting LOADED with coal that may wind up in my town to keep my a/c going. 🔌

16. Crime fiction by Jo Nesbo, e.g.: NORDIC NOIR - Little by little this unknown made sense to me. Spelling his name Nesbø might have helped. The title of this book translates to Cockroaches in Norwegian. 

17. Sushi order with avocado "scales": DRAGON ROLL.

19. Bankable vacation hrs.: PTO - Paid Time Off. Since we're not likely to see farm equipment here, I thought I'd offer a different PTO.

20. Book with "Solitude" and "The Pond in Winter" chapters: WALDEN - This classic Thoreau book struck me when I carefully reread the chapter names. Pond - duh!

21. Happy cry: YAY.

23. Wipe: ERASE - I love this drawing I found while subbing last year!

24. Pipe choice, initially: PVC - Poly Vinyl Chloride. Quite a difference.

27. Dangerous nestful: WASPS.

31. QB mishap: INT - One measure of good QB's is their Touchdown/Interception ratio. Here are the leaders through this past year

32. First name in the Basketball Hall of Fame: KAREEM - In high school, college and his first years as a pro Kareem Abdul Jabbar went by the name of Lew Alcindor.

35. River in a Best Picture title: KWAI - The Colonel Bogey March from Bridge On The River KWAI is one of the best movie themes ever and can be a genuine ear worm. 

36. After-dinner talk?: WHAT'S FOR DESSERT 😀

39. Time pieces: EONS.

40. Convincing: COGENT.

41. Spanish "here": ACA - I'm told either can be correct for "Don't put the chairs here": No pongan las sillas ACÁ. / No pongan las sillas aquí. 

42. Fighting words?: IT'S ON.

44. Govt. agent: FED.

45. Change one's pants?: ALTER 😀

47. G, in the key of C: SOL 😀 

49. Kicks back: CHILLS.

50. Sound of reproof: TSK.

53. Salsa verde base: TOMATILLOS - Despite the name (tomatillo means “little tomato” in Spanish), tomatillos are not tomatoes but a separate species

57. Bird that appears on the Australian $20 banknote: KOOKABURRA - No emus or ostriches here

     

59. Ceremonial promises: I DO'S

61. "Gorgeous!": OOH PRETTY.

62. Mar liquid: AGUA - Spanish for seawater is AGUA de mar

63. Skittish sorts on TV?: SNL HOSTS 😀 Some are definitely not ready for prime time but are simply the celebrity de jour. 

64. Catches: NETS.

Down:

1. Common adult ed offering: ESL.

2. Cole Porter song whose lyrics mention the Kinsey Report: TOO DARN HOT.

According to the Kinsey Report, ev'ry average man you know
Much prefers his lovey-dovey to court
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes 'way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister, pants for romance is not

3. Mountebanks: CHARLATANS - late 16th century: from Italian montambanco, from the imperative phrase monta in banco! ‘climb on the bench!’ (with allusion to the raised platform used to attract an audience). You're welcome. 

4. San Diego burger chain whose name comes from surfing slang: HODADS - Name for ones who don't surf but hang out on the beach pretending to be surfers.

5. Vikander's "Firebrand" role: PARR - Alicia Vikander plays Catherine PARR, the sixth wife of Henry VIII the only one who outlived him. Two weeks ago Catherine PARR was referenced here as one of the characters in the stage play Six.

6. High style: UP DO 😀 Hairdo

7. Lacy mat: DOILY.

8. Inspector Gadget's nemesis: DR. CLAW - I had no idea but it slowly worked itself out.

9. Craving: YEN.

10. Muscle car feature: T-TOP - I had TACH for a long time.

11. Quarreling: AT IT.

12. Fatty cut at a sushi bar: TORO - Toro in Japanese literally means the bluefin tuna's fatty, expensive belly region 

14. Word in some German names: VON.

16. Partisan leader?: NON - Is there a NONPARTISAN leader around?

18. "Freaks and __": short-lived sitcom with a cult following: GEEKS.

20. Multimedia artist and activist Ai: WEI WEI - In front of his work entitled Forever Bicycles.

22. Himalayan herd: YAKS.

24. Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play about a mathematical genius: PROOF - Synopsis

25. Periphery: VERGE.

26. Gave away: CEDED.

28. Structure for some Indigenous spiritual ceremonies: SWEAT LODGE - Here's a local one

29. Allocates: PARCELS OUT.

30. Raga instruments: SITARS - From July 4 puzzle: 58. Indian lute: SITAR.  Ravi Shankar (April 7, 1920 ~ Dec. 11, 2012) is probably the most well-known sitar player to many Westerners.

33. Titans' gp.: AFC - When we were in Memphis, the Cumberland River had flooded the American Football Conference Tennessee Titans' stadium.

34. Dudes: MEN.

37. Takeout menu possessive: TSO'S.

38. TV journalist Lesley: STAHL.

43. "One Mississippi" creator/star Tig: NOTARO.

46. "The Cat Who ... " series writer's first name: LILIAN - Here's a few

48. Spots for studs: LOBES - A spot for earrings not walls or horse stables

49. Sch. based in Hyde Park, N.Y.: CIA - A group of their chefs lined up outside the Culinary Institute of America. Who knew?

50. MMA calls: TKOS - Mixed Martial Arts is very brutal sport. It is one where you are allowed to continue to hit an opponent who has been knocked to the mat.

51. "Too __?": SOON.

52. Eyeliner option: KOHL - No idea.

54. Benji, e.g.: MUTT.

55. The "A" of STEAM: ARTS.

56. Attempt: TRY.

58. Metric speed meas.: KPH - This is in British Columbia and converts to 75mph

60. Carrier to Oslo: SAS - I could handle their business class accommodations to Oslo!

Friday, July 7, 2023, Hanh Huynh

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with today's recap.  I hope that everyone had a great (extended) Independence Day holiday.

Our puzzle setter is Hanh Nuynh for whom I see references on the Crossword Fiend site but not on the LAT site so, once again, this may be an LAT debut.

Today's puzzle theme consists of four entries and a reveal.   Within those entries, our constructor has inserted the letters AD into other words to create appropriate answers to the somewhat (of necessity) strained clues.

The reveal sums things up pretty clearly so let's start with that:

59 Across:  Words on an empty billboard, and a hint to how the answers to the starred clues were formed: YOUR AD HERE.  We've all seen this many times IRL, if not in our puzzles.

The four places (with the clues marked by asterisks for our convenience) where these insertions are to be found are:

17 Across:  *Abandoned in the shallow end?: LEFT WADING.  LEFT WING is transformed into the answer.  I came across this theme answer before the others and, at first, thought that the "riff" was going to be along the lines of changing WAITING to WADING.

23 Across:  *Group that oversees some sauces in the kitchen?: MARINADE CORPS.  My IT to D theory was clearly not going to work out here.

36 Across:  *Not fully self-indulgent?: HALF WAY DECADENT.  HALF WAY DECENT

49 Across:  *Job description for a private eye?: SHADOW AND TELL  What did you bring to share with the class today?

Here is how this all looks in the grid:

, . . .  and below are the rest of the clues and their answers:

Across:

1. "Mi __ es su ... ": CASA.  This could be cited as today's Spanish lesson but it seems like this expression has been adopted into American English vernacular usage (much like RSVP, below).  My house is your house.

5. Notice with a clickable 10-Across: E-VITE and 10. 5-Across letters: RSVP.  Invitation and reply to same.

14. Sitting on: ATOP.  The God of Thunder rode up the mountain ATOP his trusty steed. "I am Thor!" he cried.  "Of course you are," replied his horse, "You forgot your thaddle, thilly."

15. Romantic partner: LOVER.  Let Paul please explain . . .

16. Red Muppet: ELMO.  A frequent visitor

19. Shiny wrap: FOIL.

20. __ tai: MAI.

21. Long walk: HIKE.

22. Question of methodology: HOW.

28. Minecraft resources: ORES.  I have never played the Minecraft game but am familiar with the resources from solving crossword puzzles.

29. Plug: PROMOTE.  Neither an electrical nor a hair restoration reference.

31. Text that may have red squiggly underlining: TYPO.

34. Oscar winner Michelle: YEOH.  All you'd like to know about YEOH.  Michelle Yeoh - Wikipedia

35. Dennings of "WandaVision": KAT. . . . and about this actress, too.  Kat Dennings - Wikipedia

41. Skeleton prefix: EXO.

42. Brewpub pours: ALES.  IPAS would have fit the allotted space.

43. Olympus neighbor: OSSA.  We used to see Mt. OSSA often in our puzzles during what I sometimes refer to as the "age of snood".   We did see this last Sunday clued as "Thessaly Peak".

44. Criticized harshly: LIT INTO.

46. Nombre entre six et huit: SEPT.  Cours de français et de mathématiques d'aujourd'hui.  Seven is the number found between six and eight. (in French, SEPT).  

53. Chanted syllables: OMS.

54. Gear teeth: COGS.

55. Actor McShane: IAN.  Continuing the trend:  Ian McShane - Wikipedia

57. Pot-baking spot: KILN.  Not where you got to get "baked" on pot.  And not where you would place the pot to bake the food therein.  The place where you would "fire" the pot when you were making it out of clay.

62. Blizzard component, often: OREO.  Blizzard, in this case, is a blended milkshake-like drink from Dairy Queen.  The clue takes advantage (to mislead us) of the convention that has the first word all crossword clues capitalized.

What's In The Middle?  The White Stuff

63. Shift neighbor: ENTER.  A computer keyboard reference.

64. See 56-Down: EGGS with 56 Down. With 64-Across, retirement funds: NEST.  NEST EGGS  Idiomatic

65. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST.  A reference to the 1955 children's novel written by Beverly Cleary and subsequent media adaptations.

Ramona and her sister Beatrice, aka Beezus

66. Requires: NEEDS.  Whenever my girlfriend is upset I let her color in my black and white tattoos.  Sometimes she just NEEDS a shoulder to crayon.

67. Rendezvous: MEET.  Used as a verb.

Down:

1. Chill: CALM.  Idiomatic.

2. First-stringers: A TEAM.  I will skip the Mr. T reference.

3. "America's Got Talent" judge Vergara: SOFIA.  Look Up Proper Noun Here

4. Fitting: APT.

5. "Seinfeld" character with unusual dance moves: ELAINE.

Elaine Benes and Friends

6. Stoli and Smirnoff: VODKAS.  Stolichnaya and Smirnoff.

7. Like Wrigley Field's outfield walls: IVIED.

8. Messi's jersey number: TEN.  A soccer (football) reference.

9. Work unit: ERG.

10. Improve: REFORM.  A bit of a stretch.  Remember when kids talked about getting sent to IMPROVE School?  Not!

11. Sluggish ones: SLOWPOKES.  SLOW POKES are something else entirely.

12. The Keydets of the NCAA: VMI.

13. Party pro: POL.  Often seen.

18. Sound at a drone race: WHIR.   A modern reference for WHIR.

22. Commotion: HOOHA.  Usually we get ADO as the answer.

24. __ deck: ROOF.  Anyone go with POOP?

25. Olympic blade: EPEE.  A weapon frequently employed in crossword puzzles.

26. Colorful clog: CROC.  Shoes.  Often clued as a 'gator's cousin.

27. Worships to excess, in slang: STANS.  The act of being overly obsessed with an artist/person/character/etc.  STalker + fAN = STAN.  Used, here, as a verb.

  30. Jazz legend James: ETTA.  A frequent visitor.

31. Take __: admit defeat: THE L  Take the Loss or in crosswordese DNF?

32. Graph line: Y AXIS.

33. Continuity problems: PLOT HOLES.  Why didn't Kevin just call the cops in Home Alone?

34. Football meas.: YDS.  YarDS

37. Rabbit conjurers: WANDS.  Hand up for first thinking that this was going to be a person not an inanimate object.

38. Choir part: ALTO.

39. Pained cry: YEOW.  YEOH and YEOW in the same puzzle!

40. Lavish affection (on): DOTE.

45. Emphatic denial: I AM NOT.  I AM pretty certain that we can all think of others.

46. Was obviously asleep: SNORED.

47. Mystery awards named for a mystery writer: EDGARS.  Named for Edgar Allan Poe.

48. VA concern: PTSD.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

50. Like some angles: ACUTE.  Less than 90 degrees.

51. Medieval lord: LIEGE.  A bit of an odd word because LIEGE can also mean vassal.

52. Tee size: LARGE.  T-shirt 

57. Keystone __: KOP.  A throwback to an earlier era.

58. Isl. with four provinces: IRE.  The Island is IREland.  Don't get mad.

59. Hong Kong actor/director Donnie: YEN.  You know where to find the info.

60. Four quarters: ONE.  I was once asked "How many quarters are there in a basketball game?"

61. Tailored edge: HEM.

___________________________________________________

Thursday, July 6, 2023 Ed Sessa

  Forever Blowing Bubbles

Today marks the 140th puzzle that Dr. Ed Sessa has constructed for us.  Here's an email that Husker received from him on June 1, 2023 re his current plans ...

Hi Gary,
Thanks for asking. Penny and I traveled through northern Virginia trying to find a place, home or apartment that was somehow equidistant and closer to our kids but it was not to be for various reasons. All things considered we decided to stay in SW Florida, and will soon close on a home in Fort Myers. It's about 45 minutes from Sanibel so we can still maintain some friendships and connections from the past 20+ years and watch the island heal. We were very lucky that someone (turned out to be an ex-football player and contractor) bought what was left of our home, with plans to build an elevated home on the site. I appreciate all the work you and the whole crew do on the blog site - it must be a labor of love. If you are ever in the neighborhood let me know!
Regards,
Ed

As for today's construction, I think Dr. Ed must have gotten wind of the controversy that occasionally arises on the Corner, the one about whether or not circles are actually ever needed in theme puzzles.  Today he rises to the occasion, and presents a puzzle which not only uses circles, but absolutely requires circles, as they are a part of the theme.  Here are the themers, which are all DOWN clues, listed from WEST to EAST (use your imagination to circle the RED letters) ...

3D. Snooze: CATCH SOME ZS.   It's time for my afternoon nap ...

34D. Act as a matchmaker: PLAY CUPID.

14D. Got carried away: WENT OVER BOARD.  Goldie meets Kurt and mayhem ensues ...

8D. Whoopi Goldberg comedy with a "Back in the Habit" sequel: SISTER ACT.   Co-starring the Dowager Countess of Grantham from Downton Abbey ...

Time to burst the bubble on  what the circles reveal (when read from BOTTOM UP of course) ...

25D. Products of a child's wand, and what are literally rising in this puzzle's circles: SOAP BUBBLES.

Here are the SOAPS ...

ZEST
DIAL
DOVE
CARESS

Here's the grid ...
 

And here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Indy 500 leader: PACE CAR.  After 1911 the Indianapolis 500 auto PACE CAR led the assembled starting racers around the track for a predetermined number of unscored warm-up laps. Then if the officials deem appropriate, they'd release the field at a purposeful speed to start the race proper.  Prior to this date the cars began from a standing start.

The PACE CAR (a Chevrolet Corvette) leads the field past
an accident site at the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

8. "More or less": SORTA.  KINDA.

13. Regional measure: STATE LAW. 

15. One-dimensional: LINEAR.  À la A______________________________B

16. Make future plans: SET A DATE.

17. Not on the level: ASLANT.

18. Gumshoe: TEC.  My favorite TEC ...

19. "So be it!": AMEN.

20. Trough location: STY.

21. Prefix with scope: HORO.  A HOROSCOPE is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from the Greek words ōra and scopos meaning "time" and "observer".

A horoscope calculated for January 1, 2000
at 12:01:00 A.M. EST
in New York, NY, US
(Long: 074W00'23" – Lat: 40N42'51")
Hand up if you're an astrologer --
does this horoscope predict the end of the World?

23. Actress Catherine who played Donna Noble on "Doctor Who":TATE.   Dr. Who has been adventuring through time and space since November 23, 1963, always accompanied by one or more companions. Donna Noble was a companion of the 10th Doctor (David Tenant).  In this episode, called Partners in Crime, she has been re-united with the Doctor as they attempt to foil the evil machinations of Adipose Industries, led by the shady Miss Foster (Sarah Lancashire of Happy Valley).  Hand up if you know how to lip-read -- perhaps you can help us with some of the silent dialogue in this clip ...

25. Blue: SAD.

28. Reckless: RASH. 
 
30. Candymaker Russell: STOVER.  Russell Stover Chocolates, Inc. is an American manufacturer of candy, chocolate, and confections. Founded by Russell Stover, an American chemist and entrepreneur, and his wife Clara Stover in 1923, it is an independent subsidiary of Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli.

32. Poem of praise: ODE.  Hand up if you can name another 3 letter poem type?

33. Tread heavily: CLOMP.

35. Vegan brand owned by Estée Lauder: AVEDA.  Funny I'd never heard of this before, but the other day I turned around in the shower and there was a bottle of AVEDA shampoo on the shelf.  I use the 2 in 1 Goo on the shower rack.

36. Instant messaging pioneer: AOL.

37. Desert mount: CAMEL. 

"The camel has a single hump;

The dromedary, two;

Or else the other way around.

I’m never sure. Are you?"  -- Ogden Nash

38. Part of mph: PER.

39. __ pants: CAPRI.  They're back!

41. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

42. Golden __: AGERS.

44. Squeezable containers: TUBES.

45. "Supernova" singer Phair: LIZ.  Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American rock singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, California, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound. The tapes led to a recording contract with the independent record label Matador Records.  Here's her Supernova ...

46. "Count on it!": YOU BET.

48. Word with order or hour: RUSH.  Or this BAND (with thanks to -T for this inspiring recommendation!) ...

49. Donkey: ASS.

50. Guitarist's gadget: CAPO.  What's a capo and why you need it (if you're a guitarist that is)?

51. Uneducated guess: STAB.

53. Director's cry: CUT. 

54. Declare: AVER.

56. Pal to text emoji hearts to: BFF.  Best Friends Forever.

59. Party app: CANAPE.  SORTA synonymous with hor d’oeuvre.  Here are some recipes for easy Canapés.

Canapés

62. Merchant: RETAILER.

64. Unlikely Best Picture nominee: B MOVIE. How to see B-MOVIES with Dave Kehr of MOMA (and no Casablanca is not a B Movie) ...

65. Separate: DISCRETE.

66. Scattered, as seed: SOWED.

67. Thoughtful words: LETS SEE.

Down:

1. Furtive summons: PSST.

2. Suit to __: A TEE.
.
3. [Theme clue]

4. Greek vowel: ETA.

5. Wood for some dressers: CEDAR.  CEDAR oil is a moth repellent.  My father made CEDAR chests for each of his children.

6. Los __, New Mexico: ALAMOS.  The film Oppenheimer is set there.  It's opening in theaters beginning 7/21/23 and the buzz is that it's pretty scary ...

7. Charge per day, e.g.: RATE.

8. [Theme clue]

9. Rihanna's "__ Girl (In the World)": ONLY.  I wonder if this was the ONLY clue for ONLY that Dr. Ed could think of? 😀

Robyn Rihanna Fenty, NH (Order of National Heroes) born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Known as a hitmaker, she is widely considered one of the most prominent singers of the 21st century.  

10. Belfast-born actor Stephen: REA.  Stephen REA (born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor.  Rea has appeared in films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto. Rea was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Neil Jordan's thriller The Crying Game (1992) ,,,

11. Shade at the beach: TAN.

12. Painting, sculpture, etc.: ART.

14. [Theme clue]

15. Stood the test of time: LASTED.  Here are some things that have stood the test of time ...

22. "Heavens to Betsy!": OH ME.

24. Ill-disposed: AVERSE.

25. [Theme reveal]

26. Loves loads: ADORES.

27. "Yummy!": DELISH.

28. Dr Pepper alternative: RC COLA.

29. Seven-time Grammy winner Morissette: ALANIS.  ALANIS Nadine Morissette (born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two dance-pop albums. In 1995, she released Jagged Little Pill, an alternative rock-oriented album with elements of post-grunge, which sold more than 33 million copies globally and made her a cultural phenomenon.  

Alanis seems to have mellowed a bit since the early days.  Here's her song Missing the Miracle from her 2017 album Such Pretty Forks in the Road ...

31. Attend to, as a sprain, e.g.: TAPE UP.

34. [Theme clue]

40. Otherworldly glow: AURA.

43. Doodled beard on some pictures: GOATEE.  I resemble that remark!

47. __ fly: TSETSE.  TSETSE, are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. The tsetse is an obligate parasite, which lives by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals. Tsetse has been extensively studied, because of their role in transmitting disease. They have a prominent economic impact in sub-Saharan Africa, as the biological vectors of trypanosomes, causing human and animal trypanosomiasis ("sleeping sickness"). Scary looking ...

Tsetse Fly

52. Parcel of land: TRACT.

53. Totally give in: CAVE.

55. Concealing garb: VEIL.  Something we all wear, and a theme explored in W. Somerset Maugham's 1925 novel The Painted Veil, the basis for this movie starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts ... 

57. Big ball: FETE.

58. Unfettered: FREE.

59. "Young Sheldon" network: CBS.  Full disclosure: I've never seen TBBT.  But, just like The Simpsons, it's a learnable skill if you do crosswords ...

60. Latin primer word: AMO.  "I love".  Today's Latin lesson.  Also short for BBs.

61. Today: NOW.

63. Org. that takes many forms: IRS.  Or "Org. that doesn't have many fans".

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 76th birthday to dear Bill, our most kind, caring and thoughtful Thursday Sherpa. Bill and Teri's cards and emails provided me great comfort and love in the final year of Boomer's life. Thank you for being in my life, Bill!

 

 

Wednesday July 5th 2023 Alice Liang

Theme: Words of Caution - The first words of the first two theme entries are units of length, the third is "cut".

14. *Pampering massage after a long day: FOOT RUB.

21. *Neighborhood notice taped to a telephone pole: YARD SALE SIGN.

40. *Chinese takeout choice: CHOP SUEY.

56. With 66-Across, carpentry adage that also describes the first words of the answers to the starred clues: MEASURE TWICE.

66. See 56-Across: CUT ONCE.

C.C. here. Melissa (founder of Adopt an Inmate) could not blog today due to some unexpected family news. But it's the best I've heard this year. She probably will share with you in two weeks when she blogs the July 26 puzzle. I'm just so excited and happy for her.

Looks like Alice's debut. Congrats. Liang is also the surname of my best friend Carmen.

Across:

1. "I can't even!": UGH. 28. "Not you too?!": ET TU.

4. Red __ beet: AS A.

7. Fiscal exec: CFO.

10. Dozes: NODS.

16. Question that's an anagram of 35-Down: HOW. 35. Question that's an anagram of 16-Across: WHO.

17. S&L offerings: IRAS.

18. On the rocks: OVER ICE.

19. Many millennia: EON.

20. "Sommersby" star: GERE. Starring Richard Gere and Jodie Foster.

24. Fix, as a shoe: RE-SOLE.

27. High-end Apple tablet: IPAD PRO. Agnes loves her Minis.

29. Taiwanese tech giant: ACER.

30. Car wash cycle: RINSE.

33. Alternate nickname for the Windy City: CHI TOWN. And 36. Alternate nickname for the Big Easy: NOLA.

38. Oolong, e.g.: TEA. 42. First animal of the Chinese zodiac: RAT. Alice is a Chinese.

39. Rower's blade: OAR.

43. Networking connections: INS. 41. Looked through the window: PEERED IN. This type of tiny dupe is allowed in crossword-making.

44. Canvas bag: TOTE.

45. Altimas, e.g.: NISSANS.

47. Leave alone: LET BE.

49. Follow, as a warning: HEED.

51. Typesetting unit: PICA.

52. Successful batters: HITTERS.

54. Breakfast order: OMELET. And 67. Cookie grains: OATS.

58. Gloss targets: LIPS.

59. Thor, for one: GOD.

60. Disney film with a magic lamp: ALADDIN.

64. Sunburn-soothing plant: ALOE. I used the gel from the plant directly once and got allergic.

65. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

68. Hamilton: TEN.

69. Covert __: OPS.

70. Dossier letters: AKA.

Down:

1. ET vehicle: UFO.

2. Congressional email suffix: GOV.

3. Garden tool: HOE.

4. Default font in Google Docs: ARIAL.

5. Bolivian capital: SUCRE. LA PAZ is the de facto capital.

6. Under the covers: ABED.

7. Degrades: CHEAPENS.

8. Waste time: FOOL AROUND.

9. Didn't rent: OWNED.

10. Sushi bite that's raw fish atop hand-pressed rice: NIGIRI. No wrapping nori seaweed.

11. Old West route: OREGON TRAIL. 26. Creates drama: STIRS THE POT. Nice long 11's.

12. "Aw, shoot": DARN.

13. NNW opposite: SSE.

15. Audition: TRYOUT.

22. [Not my error]: SIC.

23. Uses a hose: SPRAYS.

24. Shrink back: RECOIL.

25. Natural gas component: ETHANE.

29. "This again!?": ANOTHER ONE.

31. Spirited session?: SEANCE. Good old clue.

32. Bothers a lot: EATS AT. 53. Yank on: TUG AT. My comment on 43A.

34. Pairs of four: OCTETS.

37. Hawaiian garland: LEI.

46. Swimwear brand: SPEEDO. Our Sumdaze used to be a lifeguard. And a yoga teacher. She just amazes me all the time.

48. Skewed perspectives: BIASES.

50. Brooklyn hrs.: EST.

54. Prepare to shine in a bodybuilding contest?: OIL UP.

55. Exams for future drs.: MCATS.

56. Actress Kunis: MILA.

57. Texas home of Baylor University: WACO.

58. Tonal language similar to Thai: LAO.

61. Genetic letters: DNA.

62. "Disgusting!": ICK.

63. Read Across America org.: NEA.

C.C.