google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

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Jul 29, 2023

Saturday, July 29, 2023, C.C. Burnikel

 Saturday Themeless by C.C. Burnikel

   

A very nice puzzle by our beloved blogmistress! I asked her permission to use this picture and she said okay and remarked "that was when I had long hair." I had to abandon some fills that I thought were good but all's well that ends well. 

Across:

1. Winter sports park activity: SNOW TUBING.


11. National Humor Mo.: APR - Well, it starts with April Fool's Day so...  

14. Game that typically has hard-to-get tickets: HOME OPENER - The Twins HOME OPENER in Minneapolis was pushed back due to some, uh, unfriendly baseball weather.


15. California roll ingredient: CRAB - Crab or imitation crab and avocados


17. Line from one cutting it close: AM I TOO LATE? If you were TOO LATE to see Halley's Comet in 1986, it won't be back until 2061 (I'll be 115).


18. Emerald City visitor: TOTO - TOTO and Dorothy were definitely not in Kansas anymore

19. Scandal sheet: RAG - 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for this 1952 movie. 


20. Part of a bang-up job: TNT 😀 Oppenheimer did not fit.

21. Got ready for: AWAITED 


23. Promises that end engagements: I DO'S 😀

25. Fish with transparent babies: EELS.


27. Nancy, to Fritzi Ritz: NIECE - The last bid on this 1948 comic was $1,008.


28. Target area: AISLE 😀


30. Like the top of most refrigerators: DUSTY.

32. Part of a routine: GAG - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis didn't get along but they made millions with their GAGS. They ended their relationship ten years to the day from when they started and didn't talk for 20 years.


33. Ashram sound: CHANT.

35. Free __: REIN - Something veteran teachers do not give to a study hall full of kids.

36. Org. with an Office of Water: EPA.


37. Starting points for pro golfers: BLACK TEES - Golf holes can have many different colored markers for where you TEE off. The BLACK TEES are usually the farthest back and the red tees are usually closest.


40. Library warning: SHH.

43. Jelly in some boba: ALOE - This consists of aloe vera that is peeled, cut into mini cubes, and cooked with some sugar. 


44. Lab kit supply: SWABS - Many of us endured these SWABS in the last few years.


47. Talk sweetly: COO - WOO was a road block here for a while. BTW, what does "COO, COO, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson" mean? 😀

48. Parents: REARS - A verb. The toughest job in the world.

50. Bad blood: SPITE.

52. Remove identifiers, on social media: UNTAG - I might UNTAG you if you want to use FaceBook for political opinions.


54. Exam taken in "Legally Blonde": LSAT - Reece Witherspoon's character celebrating.


56. Bourguignon, for one: STEW - B
ore-green-YONE


57. Ingredient in many a 56-Across: BAYLEAF - Can you see any above?

59. Haul: LUG.
61. Apology starter: MEA.
62. Buckets: A LOT.

63. Court figures: LITIGATORS.

66. Company with a hedgehog mascot: SEGA.


67. Perk up?: PRIVATE JET 😀 This would be a "perk" when you need to go "up" in the air.

68. Shape of orecchiette pasta: EAR - Literally "small ear" in Italian. 
ôriˈkyedē or oh-reck-ee-ET-tay
69. Political staffer: SENATE AIDE.


Down:

1. Law in some Gulf States: SHARIA.

2. Like some Mongols: NOMADIC.


3. "Holy smokes!": OMIGOSH.

4. Just out of an onsen, say: WET.


5. Traffic sound: TOOT.

6. Barely ahead: UP ONE - If your team is only UP ONE in the ninth inning, a bad bullpen can doom you.

7. Socked: BELTED.

8. "Modern Comfort Food" writer Garten: INA.


9. Type of value calculated for mutual funds: NET ASSET.


10. Rose: GREW.

11. When Romeo and Juliet have their balcony scene: ACT II.


12. One under a wing: PROTEGE.

13. Cause of limited interest, perhaps: RATE CAP Here ya go

16. "In the Heights" shop: BODEGA.


  

22. Question of status: ANY NEWS?

24. Chunk: SLAB.

26. Sneaky types: LURKERS - or passive types

29. Make it big: ENLARGE.

31. No-win situations: TIES - The most famous/infamous TIE in college football history


34. Spinner's yarn: TALE.

38. Underground blaze that emits toxic gases: COAL FIRE - This one is burning underground in China 


39. Sentimental sorts: SAPS.

40. Takes a deep dive, maybe: SCUBAS.

41. Land where Puff and Jackie Paper played: HONALEE - I have sung this song that is set in "a land called HONALEE" many times.

42. Practice with sweaters: HOT YOGA.


45. Customizable avatar app: BITMOJI - One of mine is shown here and my usual one at the very bottom of this write-up.

46. Took control: STEERED - What the heck, I'll throw in another BITMOJI.

49. Spitball need: SALIVA.

51. Target of some recycling drives: E-WASTE.


53. Union station?: ALTAR 😀

55. Pull on: TUG AT.

58. New Zealand's Southern __: ALPS.


60. Flight assignment: GATE.

64. Element with the shortest name: TIN.

65. PG Tips, e.g.: TEA - A likely choice for our constructor who is also a TEA connoisseur 



Jul 28, 2023

Friday, July 28th 2023 Samantha Podos Nowak & Katie Hale

Theme: Try again?

Samantha and Katie are not new to the LAT, but I think new in a collaboration? Let's unpack what they've presented us with today.

So to the theme - add "TRY" in the middle of, or at the end of, a random phrase or noun. Hilarity ensures.

17. Feature of a jean jacket with a snowflake design?: WINTRY BACK. Win back.

24. French dessert for a romantic date?: PASTRY DE DEUX. Pas de Deux

37. Handwoven textile that's a big source of comfort?: SECURITY TAPESTRY. Security Tape

48. Group that oversees tablets?: IPAD MINISTRY. iPad Minis

60. "Go on, take a taste!" ... or an apt title for this puzzle?: GIVE IT A TRY.

Let's see what might entertain us in the fill. The long FIXED ASSET and I'M USED TO IT in the downs gave this some sparkle, but mostly I found it a bit of a trudge. See what you think.

Across:

1. Shred: TATTER.

7. Built-in part of a camisole, maybe: BRA.

10. Menu item: FILE

14. Mark who won the Masters and the British Open in 1998: O'MEARA.

15. __ Palmas de Gran Canaria: LAS.

16. Spanish tykes: NIÑOS.

19. Nerve fibers: AXONS.

20. Big heads: EGOS.

21. Center of operations: BASE.

22. Settle a score: AVENGE.

23. "Hotel du __": Anita Brookner novel: LAC.

26. Mortgages, e.g.: LIENS. Hand up for LOANS first.

28. Bear on a star chart: URSA. A couple of constellation-related fills today.

29. Scent: AROMA.

31. Introductory offer?: NAME.

33. Plus or minus: SIGN.

41. Fifth Avenue icon: SAKS.

42. Spool: REEL.

43. Assailed: BESET.

44. Overhead projection?: EAVE.

46. Needing a sweep: SOOTY.

53. Emeril catchword: BAM!

56. Get a move on: HASTEN.

57. Actress Dunaway: FAYE.

58. Latvian seaport: RIGA.

59. Hunter on a star chart: ORION.

62. Highlander's pattern: PLAID. A Scot would call it tartan, not plaid. Each clan has its own tartan (or tartans, there can be variations within a clan). If you're not a member of a clan, you can wear Royal Stewart tartan. 


63. Flamenco cry: OLÉ.

64. Places for addresses: DAISES.

65. Email status: SENT.

66. Part of a bridal quartet?: OLD. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

67. "In spite of all that ... ": AND YET.

Down:

1. Beach blanket, often: TOWEL.

2. Compañera: AMIGA.

3. Common time for local news: TEN O'CLOCK.

4. Needlework?: TATS.

5. Flub: ERR.

6. Wayfarer maker: RAY-BAN.

Tom Cruise in Risky Business apparently generated sales of more than 350,000 pairs after the 1993 movie release. He also did Ray-Ban a favor with the shameless Aviator product placement plug in "Top Gun".


7. Crater creator: BLAST.

8. Soap Box Derby entrant: RACER.

9. "Shoot": ASK.

10. Property that may depreciate, in accounting: FIXED ASSET.

11. Hole-__: IN ONE. The 17th hole at Royal Liverpool at the Open Championship last weekend featured a wicked par-three 17th hole which had scores ranging from one to six during the tournament. Great theater! 

12. Feature of "butte" but not "but": LONG U.

13. London's neighboring county: ESSEX. One of the clues I have a genuine issue with. "Neighboring county" implies one, there are actually many. Essex, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire. Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Sussex. Middlesex used to be on the list, but was absorbed into Greater London along the way.

16. Pew areas: NAVES.

18. __ sax: BASS.

22. Many a "Mad Men" role: AD REP.

24. Orchard fruit: PEAR.

25. Arizona city: YUMA.

27. "Eh, this happens a lot": I'M USED TO IT.

29. Burro: ASS.

30. "Michael Collins" actor: REA. Where's the first name? The answer to the clue as written is "Stephen Rea".

31. Dec. 31: NYE.

32. Georgia airport code: ATL.

34. Wee: ITSY-BITSY.

35. Higher ed. test: G.R.E.

36. Empire St. paper: NYT.

38. Monte of the 1950s Giants: IRVIN.

39. Frosh, probably: TEEN.

40. TikTok aesthetic: EBOY.

45. Change: AMEND.

46. Lid woe: STYE.

47. Brand named for two states: OREIDA. Oregon and Idaho pototoes.

48. Restaurants with stacks: IHOPS.

49. "Je __ français": PARLE.

50. Made in Japan, say: ASIAN.

51. Woodruff's co-anchor: IFILL.

52. Hit Ctrl-S: SAVED. Tricky one - I knew "SAVE" but left me a blank square to deal with, but then realized "hit" present tense and "hit" past tense are written the same. Nice misdirection.

54. Second something: AGREE.

55. Hath permission: MAYST.

58. Bust: RAID.

60. Ooze: GOO.

61. Sun shade: TAN.

I did my best with this one, but right now I'm pretty glad to post the grid and be done with it.

I hope your mileage varied!

See you all soon - Steve




Jul 27, 2023

Thursday, July 27, 2023, Jeffrey Wechsler

What's It All About?

Corner favorite Jeffrey Wechsler tries to stump us with a real POSER today.  Since the three theme clues all punt to the reveal we'll start with that ...

 55A. Profound philosophical subject, as defined by the answers to 21-, 32-, and 42-Across?: THE MEANING OF LIFE.  As you might imagine illustrating this was a real toughie, causing me to ponder several alternatives ...

Naturally the Monty Python film of the same name came to mind, but even the trailer was rated R! I then considered the "The Secret of Life" (the structure of DNA was published 70 years ago this past April 25) and the "The Theory of Everything" (physicists are still working on it), but rejected both as a bit too arcane.

I finally stumbled upon the incredible correspondence between the number for Jeffrey's third theme clue and this classic  revelation of  THE MEANING OF LIFE announced by the supercomputer Deep Thought in this trailer from the 2005 film A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, inspired by the magnum opus of British humorist Douglas Adams ...

Clever of Jeffrey to think of that.

So now that we've solved the question that has puzzled all of humanity since the beginning of civilization, what the heck do the following cryptic theme clues have to do with it?  Turns  out the answers are themselves clues to products all containing the word LIFE.

21A. See 55-Across: HISTORIC MAGAZINELIFE.  Here's the Life magazine cover published 10 years after the discovery of the structure of DNA. LIFE always was a little slow out of the gate (story starting on page 73) ...

If you want the real story I recommend this book ...
BTW LIFE's LIFE as a weekly magazine ended on December 8, 1972

32. See 55-Across: BREAKFAST CEREALLIFE is also a breakfast cereal produced by the Quaker Oats Company. Introduced in 1961, the cereal has a brown, checked square pattern and mainly consists of oat flour, corn flour, added sugar, and whole-wheat flour.
42A. See 55-Across: FAMILY BOARD GAMELIFE is also a board game. This collector's edition of The Game of Life in the original Tin box is available on Ebay for $110.00 (although I doubt that it's pure Tin (Sn)) ...
Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Electronic music duo __ Punk: DAFT.  A classic Wechsler clue for DAFT I'm sure. 😀  Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop.  Here's their Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.  Listen carefully, as you're not likely to hear this again ...


5. McEntire of country music (and old sitcoms): REBA.  I'm glad that parenthetical afterthought was included in the clue.  McEntire is a great musician, but apparently she's also quite a comedienne, and last week I didn't have room for two clips, so here's the funny lady today ...

9. Wetlands area: MARSH.  I grew up meandering along White MARSH run in Maryland before US 695 paved over most of it in 1962.  One of my most vivid memories of the area was all the dragonflies flying over our heads, which we called "Snake Doctors", and of which we were mortally afraid.

14. Uzbekistan's location: ASIAUzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a doubly landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest.
Uzbekistan in Asia
15. Yoked team: OXEN.

16. BP merger partner: AMOCO.

17. "A likely __!": STORY.

19. Noodle: BEAN.  Sorry, but I couldn't resist.  Just a little one ...
See also 36D.

20. Twangy: NASAL.

21. [Theme clue]

24. Physics particles: IONS.  An ION is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convention. The net charge of an ion is not zero because its total number of electrons is unequal to its total number of protons.  Two IONS with opposite charges attract one another and can form an ionic bond resulting in a molecule, e.g. Lithium Fluoride ...
Electron transfer between
lithium (Li) and fluorine (F).
Forming an ionic bond, Li and F
become Li+ and F− ions.

25. Some Hollywood workers: AGENTS. Recently other Hollywood workers -- writers and actors -- went on strike demanding higher pay and regulation of the use of AI for generating scripts and cinematic images.
26. "Don't make me laugh!": GOSH NO.

30. Move like molasses: OOZE.  Especially in February.

32. [Theme clue]

38. iPad assistant: SIRI.  I'm not into giving computers speech therapy.

39. Pound mix: MUTT.  A CSO to PAT.

40. Superficially fluent: GLIB.

42. [Theme clue]

47. Pine for: MISS

48. Smoothed (out): IRONED.

49. Plays, as a banjo: STRUMS.  Here's Whitewater, written and performed by BANJO virtuoso Bela Fleck with special guests from his album My Bluegrass Heart ...
 

53. Silk Road desert: GOBI.  The Silk Road was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.  It is also the moniker for the musical ensemble Silkroad conceived by cellist Yo Yo Ma in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together.  Here's their performance of the theme Going Home from Dvorak's New World Symphony ...

55. [Theme reveal]

62. "Game of Thrones" actor Gillen: AIDAN.  We've never seen GOT, but we did see AIDAN Gillen in the creepy English village thriller Mayday ...

63. Nose wrinkler: ODOR.

64. Subway need, once: TOKEN.

65. Reduces slightly: TRIMS.

66. Vatican's environs: ROMEA country within a city within a country.
St. Peter's Square
from the top of Michelangelo's dome
67. Shared one's poetry, say: READ.

68. Oscar winner Redmayne: EDDIEEDDIE Redmayne played physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything...

Astonishingly Stephen Hawking, who held the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University and who predicted the emission of Hawking Radiation by black holes, was never awarded a Nobel Prize.  Here's why.

69. Some half pints: ALESWatson and Crick are reported to have quaffed quite a few ALES in the Eagle Pub in Cambridge whilst "they" discovered the secret of life.

70. Grub: EATS.

Down:

1. Short run: DASH. Or half an EM DASH (--)

2. Italian city east of Turin: ASTI.

3. Verizon bundle: FIOS.  This review is being brought to you in part by the ISP known as VERIZON.

4. Like cranberry juice: TART.

5. Bird associated with spring: ROBIN.  The ROBINS in my back yard seem to be here year round these days.  Like everything in America, they're bigger than English ROBINS.
American Robin        English Robin
6. Suits: EXECS.

7. Roofing timber: BEAM.

8. Swedish golf champion Nordqvist: ANNAANNA Maria Nordqvist (born 10 June 1987) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. She has won three major championships: the 2009 LPGA Championship, the 2017 Evian Championship, and the 2021 Women's British Open. She is the only non-American woman to have won major championships in three different decades (2000s, 2010s and 2020s).
9. Supervisor: MANAGER.

10. Wow: AMAZE.

11. Violinist's aid: ROSIN.  Here's the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem singing Rosin up the Bow.  Apparently this substance loosens up the vocal cords (lyrics) ...
12. Meager: SCANT.

13. Boring outcomes?: HOLES.  If it turns out to be a Black HOLE, it might not be so boring (see 68A).

18. "Taking this!": YOINK.  DNK YOINKA sound effect created by Don Martin of Mad Magazine used to indicate the rapid pulling or removal of an object, much like 'Pow" or "Bam" would indicate a punch. ...

... Yiddish for YANK?

22. Certain sleigh's parking spot: ROOF.  That would be the one driven by SANTA CLAUS.

23. Wondering look: GAZE.

26. "Pygmalion" writer's monogram: GBSGeorge Bernard Shaw.  Shaw's play was based on the Greek myth about the sculptor Pygmalion who falls in love with a statue he has created called Galatea.  The story was basis for a 1956 Lerner and Loewe stage musical, later made into the 1964 hit musical comedy-drama film My Fair Lady. The story has inspired many other works of art, including the operetta The Beautiful Galatea, by Franz von Suppé.  Here's the overture ...

27. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name, / __ thou wilt not, be but sworn my love": Juliet: OR IF.   The line just before it is one of the oft most quoted lines in Shakespeare and  here serves as Jeffrey Wechsler's signature.

28. Blood fluids: SERA.

29. "Women in Music Pt. III" pop band: HAIMWomen in Music Pt. III is the third studio album by the sisters HAIM. It was released on June 26, 2020, in the United States by Columbia Records and internationally by Polydor Records. Here's Los Angeles (lyrics) ...

30. Director Preminger: OTTOOTTO Ludwig Preminger (5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor.  He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre.  He first gained attention for film noir mysteries such as Laura (1944) and Fallen Angel (1945), while in the 1950s and 1960s, he directed high-profile adaptations of popular novels and stage works. Several of these later films pushed the boundaries of censorship by dealing with themes which were then taboo in Hollywood, such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm, 1955), rape (Anatomy of a Murder, 1959) and homosexuality (Advise & Consent, 1962). He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. He also had several acting roles.
Otto Preminger
31. Four times bi-: OCTA.

33. Organic frozen-food brand: AMY'SLooks like good stuff.

34. Some sandwiches: SUBS.

35. Waffle brand: EGGO.

36. Rickman of "Love Actually": ALAN.  Here's the Necklace Scene with some familiar faces besides ALAN ...
37. Citrus fruit: LIME.

41. "The Princess and the Pea" prop: BED.  The PEA purportedly felt like this ...

43. Vast: IMMENSE.  See  above.

44. Simpson daughter: LISA.   LISA does the crosswords, while Homer rakes it in ...

45. Part of RNA: RIBO.  Prefix for RIBOSE, a sugar that forms the backbone of  RiboNucleic Acid, an important component of the cellular process for the synthesis of proteins.

46. Go with the flow: DRIFT.  Or CATCH somebody's meaning.

49. One of Mexico's 31: STATE.

50. Show place?: THIRD.  Clever clue. The THIRD in the sequence WIN, PLACE, and SHOW.

51. Overhauled: REDID.

52. Fish sauce taste: UMAMISweet, sour, salty, bitter, and UMAMI.

53. Fairy tale figure: GNOME. GNOMES are NICE figures.
Garden Gnome
54. Fairy tale figures: OGRES.  Some OGRES are NICE too, but misunderstood ...

Shrek
56. Romance writer Roberts: NORAA Marylander who made (very) good ...
Nora Roberts
57. Revered one: IDOL.

58. Ancestral knowledge: LORE.

59. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Could also be clued "Four letter furniture manufacturer:"

60. Heroic deed: FEAT.  Here's a less heroic FEAT performing Dixie Chicken with Emmy Lou Harris and Bonnie Raitt ...

61. Aims: ENDS.  ... and thus ENDS the review.


Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley 

Jul 26, 2023

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Alan Olschwang

Theme: BLAH BLAH BLAH


17. Watch straps: WRISTBANDS.

27. Chardonnay-based wine: WHITE BURGUNDY.

45. Reverse chin lock, for one: WRESTLING HOLD.

61. Verbose, and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are?: LONG WINDED.

Melissa here. See how WIND is stretched out LONG across the theme answers? AND Circles! I know some people don't like them, but I like an extra layer in a puzzle.

Across:

1. Moving at a snail's pace: SLOW.

5. Wedding invite enclosures: RSVPS. French phrase, "répondez s'il vous plaît," directly translates to "Respond, if you please."

10. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Oscar winner Michelle: YEOH. I've heard so many good things about this movie, but have yet to see it.

14. Campaign staffer: AIDE.

15. Not as sweet: ICIER. Cold as ice.

16. Event with demos: EXPO. In my area there is a home show every 3-4 months that is very popular. You can buy everything from professional quality blenders, to local spirits, to tiny homes on wheels, and they all have demos or tastings or tours.

19. A-line line: SEAM. Here is a pleated, a-line skirt.

20. Ed Asner's "Elf" role: SANTA.

21. Outdoor gear co-op: REI. Recreational Equipment, Inc., sells camping and hiking equipment and clothing. It's hard to get out of there without going broke.

22. Go by bike: CYCLE.

23. __ and cheese: MAC. So many restaurants have specialty versions now. A favorite lunch spot in Florence (on the Oregon coast) has add-ons of pesto, bacon, roasted veggies, pork chili verde, pot roast or fried brussel sprouts & sriracha.

25. Baja vacation spot, familiarly: CABO. Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.

33. Too clever __: BY HALF. I like this phrase. It means annoyingly proud of one's intelligence or skill and in danger of overreaching oneself. It was coined in George J. Whyte-Melville's 1858 book, ''The Interpreter.''

35. Many a Mideast native: ARAB. Originally from the Arabian peninsula and neighboring territories, inhabiting much of the Middle East and North Africa.

36. "You Only Love Me" singer Rita: ORA.

37. Oboe insert: REED.

38. TV spot seller: AD REP.

40. Eurasia's __ Mountains: URAL.

41. Paddle kin: OAR. Paddle Vs Oar: The Difference Between Oar And Paddle Explained

42. Continental currency: EURO.

43. Many a chalet: AFRAME. I feel claustrophobic just looking at some of them.


48. Poker stake: ANTE.

49. __ Center: Chicago skyscraper: AON. Chicago’s third-tallest building stands out in Chicago’s skyline, distinctively different from its steel-and-glass peers. Its history is rather more colorful than the stark white stone in which it is clad.


50. Old photo finish: SEPIA. Sepia is a reddish-brown color, named after the rich brown pigment derived from the ink sac of the common cuttlefish Sepia.

53. Pa: DAD.

55. Quai d'Orsay's river: SEINE.

60. Zero-shaped: OVAL.

63. Modest meal: BITE.

64. Accurately pitched: TUNED.

65. University list-maker: DEAN. The dean's list is a comparative award at many universities, awarded to the top percentage of students rather than everyone who earns a certain GPA. During a particularly competitive semester, where many students earn high grades, the GPA you need to qualify for the award may be higher.

66. Vehicle pulled by huskies: SLED.

67. Data for sabermetricians: STATS. From the Society For American Baseball Research (SABRE): As originally defined by Bill James in 1980, sabermetrics is “the search for objective knowledge about baseball.” James coined the phrase in part to honor the Society for American Baseball Research.

68. Singer-songwriter Bareilles: SARA.


Down:

1. Tree topplers: SAWS. No Nonsense Guide to Tree Felling. How to cut down a tree safely. 

2. Italian 42-Across predecessor: LIRA.

3. Norse god played by Anthony Hopkins: ODIN. Marvel: Sir Anthony Hopkins says Thor role was 'pointless acting.'


4. "__ Side Story": WEST.

5. Barbecue bone: RIB.

6. Hard to find: SCARCE.

7. Climbing plant: VINE.


8. Spa menu item: PEDICURE.

9. Next year's alums: SRS. Seniors.

10. "Who else would I be talking to?": YES YOU. That was a little tricky.

11. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.

12. Fall birthstone: OPAL. October.

13. "__ Front": Kristin Hannah novel about a military family: HOME. I've never read anything by Kristin Hannah but she sure is popular.

18. Sri Lankan language: TAMIL. Tamil is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia.

22. Bygone NYC punk venue: CBGB. Founded on the Bowery in New York City by Hilly Kristal in 1973; CBGB was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and new wave bands like the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Misfits, Television, Patti Smith Group, The Dead Boys, The Dictators, The Cramps, and Joan Jett.

24. Guilty: AT FAULT.

26. Indigenous people of Colorado and Wyoming: ARAPAHO. Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota.

27. "__ was I?": WHERE.

28. Owned: HAD.

29. Noble rank below viscount: BARON. A member of the lowest order of the British nobility. The term “Baron” is not used as a form of address in Britain. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, but lower than a viscount or count.

30. U.S./Canada defense letters: NORAD. North American Aerospace Defense Command is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection for Canada and the continental United States.

31. Small drink: DRAM. "A wee dram to ward off the winter chill."

32. New Haven university: YALE.

33. Forehead: BROW.

34. Calendar interval: YEAR.

39. Dehydrated: DRIED OUT.

40. Link letters: URL.

42. Sicilian peak: ETNA.

44. "Despacito" singer Luis: FONSI
. Puerto Rican singer.

46. Breezed (through): SAILED.

47. Thingamajig: GADGET. Whatsit. Doodad. Thingamabob. Gizmo.

50. Blubbers: SOBS.

51. Malicious: EVIL.

52. Mushroom spread: PATE. Usually made with meat. French term that loosely translates to paste. Paté is a savory filling of meat and fat that is baked in a terrine (an earthenware vessel) and served hot or cold. The most famous pâté is probably pâté de foie gras, made from the livers of fattened geese.

54. Paquin of "The Irishman": ANNA.

56. Wraps up: ENDS.

57. Concept: IDEA.

58. In the area: NEAR.

59. Novelist Ferber: EDNA.

61. Mil. officers: LTS. The time Gary Sinise first saw his missing legs in ‘Forrest Gump.’


62. OED entries: WDS. Oxford English Dictionary entries = Words.


Note from Melissa: Two pieces of NCR (Not Crossword Related) News:

Jaelyn and Harper will be joined by baby #3, also a girl, in late November or early December of this year. 

Some of you know I married in 2017. I met my husband Jacob through my work, he is an incarcerated activist in Washington state who I started working with in 2016, when he organized a fundraiser by prisoners (who make no more than 42 cents an hour) to raise money for our website. We recently received the wonderful and unexpected news that he is coming home soon, in time to meet our new grandlove.​ He is already being courted by various prison reform, legal, and legislative organizations that he has worked with over the last 10 years. We are over the moon.