Saturday, November 18, 2023, Tom Pepper, Zhouqin Burnikel

  Saturday Themeless by Tom Pepper and Zhoquin Burnikel 

Tom has been a great friend of C.C.'s for years and after she suffered the loss of Boomer, he really stepped up and helped her through those hard days. Tom is also a constructor and has collaborated with C.C. on previous puzzles. This one was full of cleverness from top to bottom and it took me 30 fun minutes to earn my "got 'er done".

This is a lovely picture from June of 2019 of Tom's wife Terri, Boomer, Tom and C.C. Our lovely blogmistress told me that Tom is 6'5" and would probably beat me at golf. Tom is the finance director for the city of Egan, MN and here is a nice interview with him.

Across:

1. Online confirmation: I'M NOT A ROBOT - Look familiar?

12. __ sum: DIM - Dim sum is a large range of small Cantonese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch.

15. Keyboard solo with several movements: PIANO SONATA - I only know of Beethoven's SONATA No. 14 better known as he haunting Moonlight Sonata 

16. Lab eggs: OVA.

17. "Thoughts?": ANY COMMENTS - At the bottom of all my write-ups.

18. Auction gesture: NOD.

19. Out of juice: DEAD - The indication of the problem and the solution

20. Some two-yr. degrees: AAS.

21. Leave no doubt about: ASSURE.

23. Yearbook gp.: SRS.

24. Covered with beads?: SWEATY 😀

25. Chai spice blend: MASALA - To most Westerners, it is a little known fact that the word 'chai' simply means 'tea' in Hindi. Therefore, all teas are technically chai. In America, the word 'chai' has come to mean tea with a generous amount of spices often served as a deliciously sweetened latte. You're welcome.

29. Sound quality?: HEALTH 😀 Would "Sound as a dollar" be a good thing these days?

30. Try to get in: APPLY.

31. Place where people might exchange rings: PAWN SHOP 😀

33. Utah's state rock: COAL - Info on Utah's state mineral, rock and gem

34. Trees rich in terpenes: PINES - Terpine info

Conifer resin like in
this PINE can be used
to make terpines

35. "This Is Us" director Ken: OLIN.

37. Field that involves drawing and folding: PRO POKER - 😀 I got the POKER reference right away but had to play around with the rest of the fill

39. Bring up to date, say: AMEND - Augusta National did AMEND its membership policy in 2012. More info

40. Does taxing work online?: E-FILES - Turbo Tax finds all the right forms, remembers what I put in last year, does the computations and E-FILES for me. 

41. Pamplona party: FIESTA - No Pamplona bulls here 😀; just the Spanish word for party.

42. Froths: SPUMES.

43. "I w-wish I'd brought a sw-sweater!": BRR.

44. "Don't rush me!": IN A SEC.

45. __ chi: TAI - Would you like to learn?

46. Post production?: NEWS - 😀

50. Title in "Game of Thrones": SER.

51. Undeveloped expanse: NATURAL AREA.

54. Body image?: TAT 😀

55. Prehistoric beast with a large bony frill: TRICERATOPS - There was a sick one in Jurassic Park

56. Sanctions: OKS.

57. Crystal and Rock, notably: OSCARS HOSTS - Here they are plus someone else...

Down:

1. Tablet with Procreate: IPAD.

2. Go for the gold?: MINE 😀 

3. Brand whose name derives from the Greek for "water nymph": NAYA.

4. Like much music of the 1990s: ON CD.

5. Besides: TOO.

6. Capital north of Addis Ababa: ASMARA - A 21 hour drive north 

7. Marinara ingredients: ROMAS - 

8. Binary digits: ONES - My age in Binary (base 2)

9. Secret rival: BAN 😀 I'm a Mennen Speed Stick man myself. TMI?

10. Senators' supporters, most likely: OTTAWANS - These are not in the capital building

11. Fringe elements: TASSELS.

12. Sweet centers: DONUT HOLES.

13. Shade similar to eggshell: IVORY.

14. Arrived just in time for: MADE - Hopefully they MADE the flight

22. Didn't go out: SAT HOME.

23. Calculating: SLY.

24. Pipes down?: SEWER 😀

25. Apple variety?: MAC - We have one with a 21" monitor.

26. Per person: A POP - These Super Bowl tickets went for $900 A POP at face value

27. Garage stock: SPARE PARTS 😀

28. The whole gang: ALL OF US.

29. Beefy-T brand: HANES - Made of heavier fabric

31. Medieval spears: PIKES - The protectors of the Pope, the Swiss Guard, carry one today

32. Bloodmobile unit: PINT.

34. Some racing leaders: POLE CARS - The POLE CAR has earned the right to be in the front row nearest the inside for the start. Historically they win the Indy 500 about twenty per cent of the time 

36. Confidentiality doc: NDA - All of Taylor Swift's employees sign a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement.

38. __ cheese: PIMENTO - A favorite of mine for over 60 years

39. Get out in the open: AIR.

41. Men following an order: FRIARS - 😀

42. Creep: SNEAK - Pink Panther music leapt to my mind

43. More exposed: BARER.

44. Colon, at times: IS TO - My guesses at the bottom

45. "__ & Bertie": animated series starring Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong: TUCA.

      Ali and Tiffany     

46. Gp. whose alphabet includes Romeo and Juliet: NATO - From Gary Alpha Romeo Yankee

47. God with wings: EROS.

48. Broke down: WEPT.

49. Fresh answers: SASS 😀

52. Classic game opener: TIC - Tac Toe

53. __-di-dah: LAH.

My analogy guesses are 1 E and 2 B.

Friday, Niovember 17, 2023, Jamey Smith

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here, after an extended absence, with today's recap.  Together with Valerie and two close friends, I traveled to Berlin, to the Puglia region of Italy and to Rome.  Berlin was not as interesting as the last time that I was there because, at that time, it was still a divided city.  Yes, it had been that long.  Puglia was nice but not as interesting (to me) as other regions of Italy.  Rome was as crowded as I have ever seen it.  We did eat well so now it's back on a diet and on to the puzzle.

Today's puzzle setter is Jamey Smith who has previously had many puzzles  published in the L.A. Times.  IIRC, Husker Gary recently noted that he (Gary) had reviewed eight of Jamey's theme-less Saturday puzzles.  Today, Jamey gives us five themed answers.  He takes familiar names and items and adds the letter Y to them to create puny, homo-phonic answers.  In each case, the "real" item or name would have an E preceding the Y.

17 Across:  TikTok videos made by athletes?: JOCKY SHORTS.  From "athletes" we derive JOCK and from "videos" we drive SHORTS.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

JOCKEY SHORTS

25 Across:  Small flute made from reclaimed farm wood?:  BARNY FIFE.  From "farm wood" we derive BARN and from "flute" we derive FIFE.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

BARNEY FIFE

35. Across:  Beachcombers' off-season hopes?: SHELLY WINTERS.  From "beachcombers' hopes" we derive SHELL and from "off-season" we derive WINTERS.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

SHELLEY WINTERS

48 Across:  Taverns in cloisters and abbeys?: MONKY BARS.  From "cloisters and abbeys" we drive MONK and from "taverns" we derive BAR.  Add a Y and we get the answer.

MONKEY BARS

57 Across:  Banquet celebrating Ottoman culture?: TURKY DINNER.  From  "Ottoman" we derive TURK and from "banquet" we derive DINNER.  And a Y and we get the answer.

A TURKEY DINNER

Here is how all of this appears in the grid:

... and here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Become more approachable, say: THAW.  A bit of a challenge to start the puzzle . . .

5. "Let me demonstrate ... ": LIKE SO . . . . followed by another answer that could have been many other things.  Thanks, perps.

11. Rx watchdog: FDA. Rx = drug prescription.

14. Palindromic pop quartet: ABBA.  Frequent visitors with almost as many ways to clue it as OREO.

15. God often depicted with green skin: OSIRIS.  I didn't know about the green skin.

16. "Snowy" bird: OWL.  EGRET was too long.

A Snowy Owl

19. Veer back: ZAG.  ZIG being the first movement.

20. Quite the card: RIOT.  Neither a business identifier nor (for example) a poker card.  A humorous person.

21. Wine and dine, maybe: WOO.  What's step one when WOOing a geologist?  Make sure that you smell gneiss.

22. Vox co-founder Klein: EZRA.  An American "progressive" journalist.

23. Spot for a donut: TRUNK.  Eh?  Not the first thing that came to mind but legitimate.  A spare tire that is more compact, lighter (and less expensive) for manufacturers to provide.

27. Broad hat, lotion, shades, etc.: SUN GEAR.

29. Slangy turnarounds: UIES.  U-turns.

30. Tat spot, perhaps: PEC.  Pectoral.

31. Barbara Gordon's alter ego: BATGIRL.

40. Bribes: BUYS OFF.  Hand up for PAYS OFF.

41. Palindromic pop trio: AHA.  a-ha ist eine norwegische Popgruppe.  Completely unfamiliar to this solver.

43. Secular: LAIC.  Of, or relating to, laypersons as opposed to the clergy.

45. Got fit: TONED UP.

52. Like lambs and rams: OVINE.  As opposed, I suppose, to BOVINE.

53. Photoreceptor cell: CONE.  In your eye.

54. Japanese sash: OBI.  Frequently worn in crosswords.

55. Vicinity: AREA.

56. Tempe sch.: ASU.

61. Herbal beverage: TEA.

62. Meandered: SNAKED.

The In-Laws (1979)

63. Optimist's words: I CAN.

64. Weekly skit show, familiarly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live

Trailer for 40th Anniversary

65. Doesn't turn away: ADMITS.  As in allowing entry not as in fessing up.

66. Cheese in a Greek omelet: FETA.

Down:

1. Arabic for "crown": TAJ.  Taj Mahal can be translated as "the best" (crown, epitome) of buildings.

2. Network with programming streamed on Max: HBO.

3. Core workout rep: AB CRUNCH.  I tried to do an intense workout that consisted of 500 sit ups per day but my body could not take the AB use.

4. Coming to: WAKING.  Not as in arriving.

5. Baffled: LOST.  We see ASEA, too.

6. "... or thereabouts": ISH.

7. Native language in Oklahoma: KIOWA.  Less often seen than OTOE, UTE or CREE. . . none of which were going to fit.

8. Possible cause of an unearned run: ERROR.  A baseball reference.

9. Hold back for now: SIT ON.

10. CIA predecessor: OSS.

11. Muppet bear in a pork pie hat: FOZZIE.

12. Overshadows: DWARFS.

13. Pond growth: ALGAE.

18. Join the team?: YOKE.  Nice word play.  Join the team of oxen together.

22. Submit taxes online: E-FILE.  The first of two E-answers.

23. Cough syrup meas.: TSP.  TeaSPoon

24. Feels remorse: RUES.  You will RUE the day that the French name a street after you.

25. Donkey cries: BRAYS.

26. Shelter on the Asian steppes: YURT.

28. Without fumbling: ABLY.  Not a football reference (although it could be).

32. Deuce: TWO.  Not a tennis-score reference.  A card game reference.

33. Natural talents: GIFTS.

34. Deets: INFO.  Slang.  Details.  INFOrmation.

36. Motorized ride: E-BIKE.  The second E-answer.

37. Liu of "Charlie's Angels": LUCY.  A reference to the movie, not the TV show.

38. Bright quality: RADIANCE.

39. Blackball: SHUN.  What can you call an ant that has been SHUNned by its community?  A socially dissed ant.

42. Tailless primate: APE.   What do you call it when APEs battle?  Gorilla warfare.

43. Let out a bit: LOOSEN.

44. Many a garden flower: ANNUAL.  As opposed to a PERENNIAL.

46. Sushi wrapper: NORI.  Frequently consumed in crossword puzzles.

47. Supposing: EVEN IF. 

48. Hurdles for aspiring drs.: MCATS.

49. Like hardcovers: BOUND.

50. TV carpenter Norm: ABRAM.  From the shows This Old House and New Yankee Workshop.

51. Kipling's "__-Tikki-Tavi": RIKKI.

55. Chimes in: ADDS.

57. Airport safety org.: TSA.

58. Thus far: YET.

59. Nosh on: EAT.

60. Genetic molecule: RNA. 

______________________________________________

Thursday, November 16, 2023 Bruce Venzke

 Help Me,
I think I'm Falling!

Here veteran constructor Bruce Venzke is interviewed by C.C. in 2011 (note the number of puzzles already under his belt by then!).  Today he presents us with a classic word ladder, accelerating from zero to sixty in just eight STEPS.  I don't know about you, but I found this puzzle a tad crunchy for a Thursday.  But the easily identified 4 letter themers did help, because once you got the first one you knew that the next one differed by only one letter.  Here's the reveal which helped a lot ...

35A. Hurried, and what this puzzle's word ladder literally did in eight steps?: PICKED UP THE PACE.  -- from 16A SLOW to 57A FAST.

I'll just leave the themers in place, because listed here they don't tell you very much.  Here's the grid ...

I'm still a little wary of Bruce -- that his reveal may conceal an extra layer of meaning.  But if there is one, I couldn't find it.  Please feel free to chime in with comments if you spot any more layers.

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Smartphone software: APPS.

5. Air Force hotshot: ACE.

8. New Jersey city south of Paramus: LODI.  I visited Paramus for work several times, so I must have past the exit to LODI off of US 80, but I don't recall it ...

12. Take risks: DARE.

13. Club __: SODA.

15. "Climb aboard!": HOP IN.

16. #1: SLOW.

17. Forming a tight group: CLUSTERING.  Sort of the opposite to the Corner, which is a pretty LOOSE group ...😁

19. #2: SLOT.

21. One learning the ropes: TRAINEE.  We are forever TRAINEES.

22. Rebel, in a way: ACT OUT.

25. #3: SOOT.

26. E-file org.: IRS.

27. Roger Rabbit and Bugs Bunny: TOONS .  Both are members of the family Leporidae.  Here's some selected CELS from Who Framed Roger Rabbit ...

... and Bugs Outwits Rocky and Mugsy ...

28. Hindu sage: GURU.  Not an Indian HERB, but rather a teacher of the Vedanta or one of the other schools of Hindu philosophy.  A CSO to Vidwan to stop by and enlighten us further on this topic ...

29. #4: LOOT.

30. Home of the NCAA's Buckeyes: OSU.  Ohio State University.

31. Hamilton notes: TENS.

33. Smile that may be silly: GRIN. 😀

35. [Theme reveal].

40. Mata __: HARI.  A Dutch femme fatale who met her fate by a French firing squad after passing secrets to the Germans in WWI ...

Mata Hari
née Margaretha Geertruida Zelle

41. Get (into) carefully: EASE.

42. Wearable souvenir: TEE.

43. #5: LOST.

45. Careful phrasing, perhaps: TACT.

47. Feature of some 42-Acrosses: V NECK.

49. Flight coordinators: Abbr.: ATC.  Air Traffic Controller

50. #6: POST.

51. Crystal-lined stones: GEODES.  We saw one 2 weeks ago.

52. False testimony: PERJURY.

54. #7: PAST.

55. Metaphor for a fresh start: CLEAN SLATE.  Today's English lesson. The original Latin was TABULA RASA,  a philosophical position on nature vs. nurture.

57. #8: FAST.

61. All eyes and ears: ALERT.

62. North __ Sea: Kazakh lake: ARAL. Suffering from a lack of 63A - going, going, ...

63. Desierto's lack: AGUA.  Today's Spanish lesson: WATER.

64. Oodles: TONS.

65. Useful Scrabble tile: ESS.  Also useful to constructors and solvers.

66. Easy win: ROMP.  The Baltimore Ravens recently scored a 37 to 3 ROMP over the Seattle Seahawks, but then lost a 33 to 31 HEART BREAKER to the Cleveland Browns.

Down:

1. Pitches: ADS.

2. Intimate: PAL.  I guess it depends on how well you know her/him.

3. Debate side: PRO.  Not the PRO who hangs around the greens or the tennis courts (or around jets -- see 5A)

4. Attaches, as a button: SEWS ON.

5. Fancy neckwear: ASCOT.

6. Future stallion: COLT.  A future mare is called a FILLY.

7. Dean's email suffix: EDU.

8. Petty of "Orange Is the New Black": LORI. Lori Petty (born October 14, 1963) is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is noted for her roles in the films Point Break (1991), A League of Their Own (1992), Free Willy (1993), the title role in Tank Girl (1995), and Lolly in Orange is the New Black.  I think she hears voices ...

9. Stubbornly clinging to preconceived notions: OPINIONATED.  MOI? Never!

10. Cabbage for tacos?: DINERO.  More Spanish: MONEY.  I've had shredded lettuce on tacos, but never cabbage. 😀

11. Gulp down: INGEST.

14. Wealthy New York family on HBO's "The Gilded Age": ASTOR.  The trailers for The Gilded Age were all pretty stuffy and the acting looks like it is no where near as good as Downton Abbey, to which it's a prequel.  IIRC the Brit series begins with the news of the sinking of the Titanic, the most famous casualty of which was John Jacob ASTOR IV.  Aside from Jack Dawson of course. 😀

15. Furnace output: HEAT.

18. Farm structures: TROUGHS.

20. Sheen: LUSTER.

22. On: ATOP.

23. Start of a Mozart opera title: COSI. As in Così fan tutte ("They all do it"), an opera that probably wouldn't get past the #METOO censors today.  The overture's not too controversial though ...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 - 1791

24. ATM feature: TOUCHSCREEN.

25. Questionable: SUSPECT. A "perp" in detective stories.  But the more perps we get in crosswords, the less SUSPECT potential fill becomes.

28. African grazer: GNU.  Also a free computer operating system.  A CSO to  -T -- he'll explain it.

GNU Logo
It's Not Unix!

29. Gloss recipient: LIP.

32. Copy cats?: EDITORS.

34. Keanu of "The Matrix": REEVES.  I've never seen The Matrix, but some people believe we live in one.  The trailer for this was so bizarre that I decided to skip it.

36. "WandaVision" actress Dennings: KAT.  Katherine Victoria Litwack (born June 13, 1986), known professionally as KAT Dennings, is an American actress. She is famous for her starring roles as Max Black in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls (2011–2017) and as Darcy Lewis in various Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films including the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021).  I suspect that if you're not a fan, none of the trailers I viewed would make any sense to you either.

Kat Dennings

37. Parlor art, informally: TAT.  A "tattoo parlor" that is.

38. Gospel singer Winans: CECE.  A CSO to our C.C.  Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans (born October 8, 1964), is an American gospel singer. Winans has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards, the most for a female gospel singer; 31 GMA Dove Awards, 17 Stellar Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, along with many other awards and honors to her credit including being one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Winans is one of the greatest gospel artists of all time, and is the most-awarded and best-selling gospel act of all time. Here she sings Alone in the Presence ...

Lyrics

39. Surprised cries: EEKS.

43. Purring snuggler: LAP CAT. 

44. Verdi opera set in Cyprus: OTELLO.  Verdi's penultimate opera.  A very sad story about jealousy, suspicion, and human evil.  The prelude paints a tone poem of this story ...

46. Safe havens: ASYLA.  These days millions of people all across the globe are seeking ASYLA.

48. Within walking distance, say: NOT FAR.

50. Pre-euro Irish coin: PUNT.  The Irish PUNT, worth one Irish pound (£1), was used in Ireland from 20 June 1990 until the formal adoption of euro currency in 2002. The last issue was minted in 2000.

1990 Irish Punt

51. Iona University athletes: GAELS.  Speaking of the Irish (hello Irish Miss!), the Iona Gaels are the athletics teams of Iona University, in New Rochelle, New York. They compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and participate in 21 NCAA Division I programs.

53. Disturbs: JARS.

54. K-12 fundraising gps.: PTAS.

56. "__ you for real?": ARE.  After meeting Nina, I know for sure she is.  I guess I shouldn't extrapolate from a sample of one, but I have to assume that the rest of you Cornerites are too -- although I'm still not so sure about CrossEyedDave.  😁

58. Before now: AGO.

59. Total: SUM.

60. Activate, as a 24-Down: TAP.  Or a dance made famous by this guy ...

Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley

Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Barbara Lin & Carly Schuna

Theme: In the style of the old game show $20K Pyramid game show: Things that can be ripped.

20. Present surroundings?: WRAPPING PAPER. Great clue.

29. Audio cassette successor: COMPACT DISC. No one uses CDs any more. When you RIP music from a CD, you're copying songs from an audio CD to your PC.

36. Jeans option: DISTRESSED DENIM. 

44. One with pressing needs?: BODY BUILDER. Another good clue - press as in bench press.

55. Shredded, or an apt description of 20-, 29-, 36-, and 44-Across: TOTALLY RIPPED.

Melissa here. Theme-heavy with a grid-spanner at 36A, and no real troubles today. Some will be pleased with the few proper nouns. Once the long answers filled in the rest just fell into place. How'd everyone else do?

Across:

1. Crunchy sandwiches with mayo: BLTS. Make my bacon chewy, please.

5. Prepare, as avocados for guacamole: MASH.

9. Impulsive speed: HASTE.

14. Uncommon: RARE.

15. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO. Cauliflower & potato curry.

16. Grouch on TV: OSCAR.

17. Off-Broadway award: OBIE. The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.

18. Prefix with second or bot: NANO. Unit prefix meaning one billionth.

19. Beach shoe: THONG. Flip-flop.

23. Taco topping: SALSA.

24. Lav: LOO. The Difference Between Bathroom, Restroom, Washroom, Toilet, Lavatory & More

25. Faux __: PAS. Faux pas is a loan phrase from French that’s been used in English since the seventeenth century—the 1670s, to be more precise. The two words that constitute the phrase are faux, which means “false,” and pas, which means “dance step.” Over time, faux has also acquired the meaning “fake,” which is the sense we’re familiar with from the phrase faux fur. But in faux pas, it means false, and the whole phrase means “false step,” or “misstep.” Faux Pas: Definition and Examples 

 

28. Sci-fi aviators: ETS. Extra terrestrials.

34. Common __: SENSE. Not so common.

35. Little bit: IOTA.

42. Away from shore: ASEA.

43. Nose-in-the-air type: SNOOT. 5 Great Snoots of the Animal Kingdom

 48. Fuss: ADO.

51. Horn-heavy genre: SKA.

52. Communication syst. in which an ILY gesture means "I love you": ASL. American Sign Language.

53. Rubber-__ shoes: SOLED.

60. Slacks alternative: SKIRT.

62. Sweetheart: BEAU.

63. Ductwork sealer: TAPE.

64. Frenemy, maybe: RIVAL.

65. Start of a German count?: EINS. Ein, Eine, and Einen – What is the difference?

66. Decorates, as cookies: ICES.

67. "Hello" Grammy winner: ADELE.

68. Film scene shot without interruption: TAKE.

69. Amazon icon: CART.

Down:

1. Window-shop: BROWSE.

2. Animal in many 3-Down: LAB RAT.

3. Experiments: TRIALS.

4. Trickles (in): SEEPS.

5. Finger painting, for short?: MANI. Nice clue. Manicure.

6. Ruck of HBO's "Succession": ALAN. He also played Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

7. "Hello," for one: SONG. Lots of famous Hello songs besides Adele's. Neal Diamond, Lionel Ritchie, Louis Armstrong, The Doors, and The Beatles, to name a few.

 8. Hullabaloo: HOOPLA.

9. Communal Asian meal with simmering broth: HOT POT.

10. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.

11. Desert stinger: SCORPION.

12. Beach tone: TAN.

13. Unit of energy: ERG. The erg is a unit of energy equal to 10⁻⁷ joules.

21. Indiana cager: PACER. Basketball.

22. NYC rep since 2019: AOC. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019.

26. Italian wine region: ASTI.

27. Bamboozle: SCAM.

30. Four quarters: ONE.

31. Bks. in progress: MSS. Manuscripts.

32. "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" novelist Marisha: PESSL. “Part Huck Finn, part Holden Caulfield, part Fran Leibowitz, and part Nora Ephron.” - Harper’s

 33. Food plan: DIET.

34. Airbnb visit, say: STAY.

36. Finger-paints, perhaps: DABS.

37. Doesn't seem to be hurt: IS OK.

38. Tranquilizer: SEDATIVE.

39. Cut off: END.

40. Mama deer: DOE.

41. Latissimus __: back muscle: DORSI.

 45. Skirmish: BATTLE.

46. Team with four Women's World Cup titles: USA.

47. "Yeah, right!": I'LL BET.

48. Vicuña descendant: ALPACA. Vicuna Vs Alpaca (8 Main Differences And Similarities!)

49. More meaningful: DEEPER.

50. Most peculiar: ODDEST.

54. Eye-related: OPTIC.

56. __ history: ORAL.

57. A Skywalker twin: LEIA.

58. Hard pull: YANK.

59. Subterfuge: RUSE.

60. Mme., in Madrid: SRA.

61. Minor character?: KID. Nice.