Friday, December 8, 2023 - Lynn Lempel

Theme: "Cesium the day!" (Cs) or C ==> S

One of Lynn's entries that didn't make the cut? CLUE: When images of Lucky Charms are dancing in your head?: CEREAL TIMES (SURREAL TIMES)

If the THEME were K ==> N, then this cartoon would be appropriate:

Puzling thoughts:

More Friday wordplay as Ms. Lempel produces 5 homophonic phrases in which each of the homophones has a "C-word" that should begin with an "S" for the more common phrase or expression. Lynn Lempel's reputation as a Crossword puzzle constructor more than precedes itself. Having more than 100 puzzles @ the NY Times places her in a rareified class of puzzle producers

Hmm ... another wordplay just creeped into MY jumbled brain ... CLUE: Successor who lives above 10,000 feet?: RAREFIED HEIR

So let's examine each of the 5 phrases, "won" at a "thyme" ...

17 across. Odd remedy for an overhead crack?: CEILING WAX. Let's come clean for a second ... my first entry was CEILING FAN before realizing that this puzzle was heading in a homophonic direction. CEILING WAX isn't anything I'm aware of, but SEALING WAX most certainly is ... notice the red wax on the bottle below; it is hand-dipped at the distillery in Loretto, KY

25 across. Pennies that are a dime a dozen?: COMMON CENTS. "Let's throw in an idiom, too", said Lynn, as the phrase "dime a dozen" = COMMON; and after using a bit of COMMON SENSE, the Chairman (me) figured this one out

37 across. Percussion instrument for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?: RELIGIOUS CYMBAL. This one calls for a Moe-ku:

Zildjian has special
Religious collection that
Features creche cymbals

52 across. Sacrifice of some data storage space?: CLOUD CEDING. The most subtle in terms of humor of the five ... I am very familiar with the CLOUD for data storage: [wikipedia] "Cloud storage is a model of computer data storage in which the digital data is stored in logical pools, said to be on "the cloud". The physical storage spans multiple servers, and the physical environment is typically owned and managed by a hosting company"

CLOUD SEEDING is: [wikipedia] "... a type of weather modification that aims to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud". Or maybe, this:

61 across. Jewelry in the shape of a swan?: CYGNET RING. THIS was my favorite of the 5. Very clever. A CYGNET is a juvenile male swan. A SIGNET is a small seal (usually on the face of a stone on a ring) that authenticates; this, e.g.:

As opposed to this:

Here is a singular of (1 across. Short shot: PIC) showing today's completed grid; this will also show where I made my mistakes (see the crossing of 44a and 39d, as well as 35a and 27d). Due to the number of theme entries, the puzzle grid had to contain a large number (22) of 3-letter words. Adding together the time I spent solving and the complexity of today's puzzle (for me) puts this @ 8.2 on the MOES hardness scale. Well done Lynn! Hope you'll stop by and say hello!

Across:
5. Shocks: JOLTS; and its singular "clecho" (20 across. Shock:) STUN.

10. Gum balls?: WADS. When I was a kid, many baseball players chewed tobacco. They always had a distinctive WAD in their cheek. I "aped" that - in a way - by cramming multiple sticks of bubble gum into my mouth. Might be a good reason why all of my molars had cavities ...

14. Shade in a neutral palette: ECRU.

15. Nebraska rail hub: OMAHA. CSO to our Saturday blogger and daily poster, Husker Gary

16. Actor Guinness: ALEC.

19. Speak effusively: GUSH.

21. Rejections: NOS. And two additional homophones: NOSE and KNOWS

23. "You can't mean me!?": MOI.

24. Go downhill fast: SKI.

30. Super __: PAC.

31. Met favorites: ARIAS.

32. Truism: AXIOM.

33. Sundance Film Festival state: UTAH.

35. Club kin: BLT. This one got me, as I didn't associate "club" with a sandwich, and I didn't recognize the name in the crossing word clue (27 down. Ventimiglia of "This Is Us":) MILO, even though I watched all of the "This is Us" series' episodes. MILO played Jack Pearson. Worth watching if you haven't seen it

36. __ carte: A LA.

43. "Hardly!": NOT.

44. Same old same old: RUT. My mistake here was using the word "ROT" instead of RUT. My inner Norm Crosby must've appeared

45. Rational: SANE.

46. CX-5 and CX-50 automaker: MAZDA. Anyone else try HONDA first?

49. Olympian and actress Sonja: HENIE; and conveniently, Lynn Lempel found this (2 down. Gear for 49-Across: ICE SKATE) to complement

51. Decline: SAG.

54. Prefix with friendly: ECO.

55. Tanqueray product: GIN. Not the brand I normally drink; here is one of my (and Margaret's) current favorite:

56. Tofu, basically: SOY.

57. Munch Museum city: OSLO.

59. Really distasteful: ICKY. Glad this wasn't a five-letter answer ... 

66. Committed perjury: LIED.

67. Gochujang origin: KOREA. I love using this on fried or scrambled eggs, or in an omelete

68. Red's friend in "The Shawshank Redemption": ANDY. This filled in with perps as I did not remember the character's names; played by Tim Robbins

69. Boys: LADS.

70. More confident: SURER.

71. Baseball gripping point: SEAM. How to throw and two-seam fastball:

Down:
1. Delt neighbor: PEC. If this were a fraternity or sorority based clue, could the answer have been "EPS"?

3. Decisive: CRITICAL.

4. Chekov colleague: SULU. Original Star Trek, so technically it's not a CSO to Picard

5. Garfield's human: JON. The comic strip Garfield; not the US President. Any guesses as what Jon's last name is?? A LA Husker Gary, I will mention it at the end of my blog*

6. "Daaaang!": OMG. Text speak; Oh My Go...

7. Kim Wexler's field on "Better Call Saul": LAW. Am I the only one here who hasn't watched "Better Call Saul"? Thankfully, LAW was easy to perp into this spot. Reflecting back on ALL of the 3-letter's today, they were very fair

8. Marvel villain who collected the Infinity Stones: THANOS. I actually got this one, as Margaret introduced me to the Marvel Universe when we became a couple in late 2019. The Infinity Stones colors represent: Purple for Space, Yellow for Reality, Red for Power, Blue for Mind, Orange for Time, and Green for Soul. The stone colors were updated in the Marvel Legacy series to match the film versions. Here is an image of this dude with the 6 Infinity Stones:

9. Early invader of Great Britain: SAXON. Earlier invader of Great Britain: ANGLO. Otherwise, how else could they merge??

10. Jokester: WAG. See 9 down; that's Chairman Moe trying to be a WAG

11. Many college donors: ALUMNI. Many blood donors: O NEGATIVE

12. Bygone Chrysler: DESOTO. Bring back any memories?

13. Rupture in a church group: SCHISM. [Wikipedia] "A schism is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, such as the Great East–West Schism or the Western Schism"

18. Native of Peru's Urubamba Valley: INCA. [Wikipedia] "The Sacred Valley of the Incas or the Urubamba Valley, is a valley in the Andes of Peru, north of the Inca capital of Cusco"

22. Like a bass or a boa: SCALY. It's homoNYM time with the clues ... clearly, not these two:

24. Urge (on): SPUR. GOAD or PROD fits, too

26. Planetary path: ORBIT. Or if the clue were to somehow use a transitive verb we could have this Moe-ku:

Do we know planets
Are circular in shape? Or
Did we just ORB IT?

28. Ripened: MATURED. Margaret often tells me that I have not yet MATURED, but occasionally tells me that I am RIPE ... 藍

29. Chances to determine proficiency: EXAMS. I always liked multiple guess questions on EXAMS

34. Holi celebrant: HINDU. Another homonymic clue ... HOLI and HOLY are pronounced the same but have different meanings. [Wikipedia] "Holi is a popular and significant HINDU festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu"

If I were a betting man I would guess that Picard has some photos of this celebration to share with us today ...

36. Get credit for?: ACT IN.

38. Urges on: GOADS. Hmm ... didn't I just see this a few clues ago?? A plural clecho ...

39. Olympic gymnast Lee: SUNI. One of my two Naticks today. I didn't know this person, but her routine is pretty incredible:

40. Court boundary: BASELINE. This link provides several references to the term "BASELINE"

41. World's heaviest snake: ANACONDA. Now THIS boa is pretty SCALY

42. Component of some small castles: LEGO. Perps to the rescue but quite fair (and clever) as a clue

46. Montreal university: MCGILL. CSO to CanadianEh! Perhaps they can give us a bit more info on this fine institution

47. Garza who co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement: ALICIA. [Wikipedia] "Alicia Garza is an American civil rights activist and writer known for co-founding the Black Lives Matter movement. She is a recognized advocate for social and racial justice, with a particular focus on issues affecting marginalized communities, including Black women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and immigrants"

48. Utterly exhausted: ZONKED.

49. "Oh, hi!": HEY YOU.

50. Versatile celeb's achievement: EGOT. EGOT is becoming a very popular Crossword Puzzle entry

53. Roosters: COCKS.

58. Some Mex. spouses: SRAS. CSO to Lucina

60. Quilting qty.: YDS. Nice alliterative clue

62. "Why, I oughta ... ": GRR.

63. Name-clarifying word: NEE. My screen name is Chairman Moe, NEE Moe Vedre ... feel free to ask why

64. Otoscope target: EAR. Friday-like clue

65. Workout spot: GYM. An easy one to finish on

Hope y'all liked the puzzle and the wordplay. Please comment below ... see ya again just before Christmas ... *ARBUCKLE

 

Note from C.C.:

Happy 77th birthday to dear Jazzbumpa (Ron)! Ron is taking the December off, but he'll be back in January. Ron has been our faithful Wednesday Sherpa since January 2011.

 

 

 

Thursday, December 7, 2023, Norman M. Aaronson

 

 Some Travelers

The Traveling Wilburys seem to enjoy traveling by train, but the travelers  in constructor Norman Aaronson's 4 themers appear to be suffering from various forms of hodophobia (fear of travel).  Here are some of their punny excuses for avoiding it  ...

18A. Some travelers won't tour the Corn Palace for fear that ...: THE WALLS HAVE EARS.  The Corn Palace, commonly advertised as The World's Only Corn Palace and the Mitchell Corn Palace, is a multi-purpose arena/facility located in Mitchell, South Dakota, United States.  The Corn Palace is a popular tourist destination, visited by up to 500,000 people each year.  A must see for corny cruciverbalists 😃...

 Corn Palace
Mitchell, SD

29A. Some travelers won't go to the top of the Eiffel Tower because they never ...: COME TO THE  POINT.  The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.  It was constructed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution.  It has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The summit of the Eiffel Tower is the highest observation deck in Paris. This floor is home to the restored Gustave Eiffel's office.  I don't think that anyone can actually get to the point ...

The Eiffel Tower

47A. Some travelers won't visit the La Brea Tar Pits for fear of being ...: STUCK IN THE PAST.  This particular type of travel has an added dimension, in that it involves travel through time.  This is a topic much in the news these days due to the 60th anniversary of the most celebrated time traveler of all time, Dr.Who (search for MISSY in my 10/30/2023 review). I don't recall whether the good Doctor ever traveled to La Brea, but if he did he would have had to be especially careful to avoid  running into this denizen of the pits -- the erroneously named "Smilodon", definitely nothing to smile about!

Smilodon Fatalis

62A. Some travelers won't get on the London Eye because they would just ...: GO ROUND IN CIRCLES.  The London Eye is a cantilevered observation wheel on the the River Thames in London. At the time it was completed in 2000 it was the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world (but due to the EYE RACE it isn't anymore more), and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually. It has made many appearances in popular culture, but I believe this may be its first appearance on the Corner ...

The London Eye

Another reveal-less Thursday.  Sorry about the circles. 😁  Have I missed anything?

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. See 57-Across: SEED.

5. Hilton heiress: PARIS.  Also where the tower in 29A is.

10. African snake: MAMBA.  The BLACK MAMBA, one of Africa's most feared and respected snakes, inevitably evokes reactions of fear, respect or awe - often merely by being mentioned.  Now that I have, here are some facts (and some myths) to allay your fears.

Black Mamba

15. Actor Alan: ALDA.  ALAN ALDA is best known  as the star of the TV series M*A*S*H , which ran for 11 years, ending with the final episode "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" on February 28, 1983. The episode was 2 1⁄2 hours long, had 106 million viewers, and  is purported to be the single most watched TV series episode in history. The show wasn't all laughs though, and it could get personal. Here's a scene he shared with a guest star, his father Robert ...

An in depth interview with Alan Alda

16. Do more than just apologize: ATONE.

17. __ Sports Bureau: statistics giant: ELIAS.   The ELIAS Sports Bureau is a privately-held American sports data company providing historical and current statistical information for the major professional sports leagues operating in the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 1913, Elias is considered a pioneering firm in the field of sports record keeping and has served as the longtime official statistician for Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL).

18. [Theme clue]

21. Unattached: SINGLE.

22. Promotion cost: AD RATE.

23. First Burmese prime minister: UNU.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this particular fill was needed just to cross 19D, 5D, and 24D, and as luck would have it Norman (or Patti) found it with a 9D ...

U Nu

25. Fort Collins sch.: CSU.  Colorado State University (CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded in 1870 as Colorado Agricultural College, it is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. 

26. Digital water tester?: TOE.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Mail in a box: SHIP.

36. "No Ordinary Love" singer: SADE  The secret to runaway success in the music business is mononymity (no ordinary word 😀).  Here's a list of the 100 best mononymous singers -- SADE comes in at #32 ...

37. Gift list addressee: SANTA. If you're not relying on SANTA to deliver them then you have only 17 shopping day's left until Christmas ...

Christmas Light Nativity Scene

38. Light bulb unit: WATT.  There are a lot of light bulbs in the preceding scene.  If you take the trouble to count them you can calculate the approximate number of WATTS they consume per hour.  The guy across the street from us has so many Christmas lights on his house that he has a generator to power them.  They're beautiful, but very noisy. 

39. Protect: SHIELD.  Don't wait until it's too late! ...

42. Squabble: SPAT. Also the past tense of SPIT.

43. Actor Elba: IDRIS. Two vowels + endings for a past tense, a comparison, and a plural.  Gotta love this guy.

45. Eyelid affliction: STYE.

46. Pajama parts: TOPS.  BOTTOMS won't fit (unless you have two heads 😁).

47. [Theme clue]

51. "Help!" letters: SOS.

52. Anger: IRE.

53. Liberal arts maj.: SOC.  Sociology.  The science of friendly people.

54. Pub __: CRAWLS.  I went on a PUB CRAWL once with some of my English cousins.  I really don't remember much about it.

57. With 1-Across, bun topper: SESAME. 

62. [Theme clue]

66. Kitchen cover: APRON.

67. Underway: AFOOT.  The word AFOOT first entered our language in Shakespeare's in Henry V and was later popularized by Sherlock Holmes.

68. "Stat!": ASAP.  I believe that STAT is medical parlance for IMMEDIATELY!.   OTOH ASAP means As Soon As Possible (or when you get a ROUND TOIT 😀). 

69. Fringe benefits: PERKS.  Free coffee?

70. Obligations: DEBTS.

71. Scrawny: BONY.

Down:

1. College Board exams: SATS.   Scholastic Aptitude Tests

2. K thru 12: EL HI.  Kindergarten through 12 grade (when you take your SATS).

3. Genesis spot: EDEN.  Peter Gabriel left that spot in 1975 to  go solo ...

4. Dippy __: original name of Disney's Goofy: DAWG.   Goofy first appeared in Mickey's Revue in 1932 as Dippy DAWG, and in Orphan's Benefit in 1934 as Goofy ,,,

Goofy

5. Lack of color: PALENESS.

6. Scoreboard abbr. for the 2023 NL East champions: ATL.

7. Congressional Gold Medal honoree Parks: ROSA.  In December of 2019 The Library of Congress began a special exhibition about ROSA PARKS.  The website created to archive this event had a selection of manuscripts of her speeches, revealing that she was more than just a seamstress who "sat down" on a bus to stand up for the rights of African Americans.  The LOC exhibited the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the U.S. executive branch, presented to Rosa by President Clinton on September 15, 1996 ...

... and the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Legislative Branch on June 15, 1999, also presented by President Clinton.

8. Sharp, as a TV broadcast: IN HD.  High Definition Video.

9. Google: SEARCH.

10. Informal gatherings: MEET UPS.

11. Not aweather: ALEE.  Another adjective created by appending an A to A NOUN.

12. Soccer great Hamm: MIA.  We had this clue recently, so I was able to recycle this jpeg ...

Mia Hamm

13. Snack or salad follower: BAR.

14. Beast of burden: ASS.  And when their burdens become too great, they can be BADA**ES.

19. Last year's sr.: ALUM. Or a hydrated sulfate salt of ALUMinum and usually one other metal.

20. Bouquet holder: VASE.  Here's a nice bouquet holder from Song Dynasty, China, 11th - early 12th century AD.

Song Dynasty Vase
Freer Gallery
Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

24. Locale of Snowbird and Alta: UTAH.

26. Two-bit: TINPOT.  Given the current price of TIN Oxide (SnO2), used to opacify white ceramic glazes ($130.76/lb), I wouldn't call POTS glazed with them "Two-bit". 🙄

27. Ready to flow: ON TAP.

28. Les __-Unis: ETATS.

29. Kumquat, for one: CITRUS.  Kumquats are a group of small, fruit-bearing trees in the family Rutaceae. The edible fruit closely resembles the orange in color, texture, and anatomy, but is much smaller, being approximately the size of a large olive. The fruit is often eaten whole by humans, and has a taste which is sweet, tart and also somewhat sour.

Kumquats

30. Vision-related: OPTIC.

31. Lyric poet: ODIST. KEATS and BYRON fit but didn't perp.

32. Saw things?: TEETH. 😁

33. Brewery ovens: OASTS.  An OAST,  oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning (drying) hops as part of the brewing process.  In America they are called "Hop houses".  They consist of a rectangular one- or two-story building (the "stowage") and one or more kilns in which the hops are spread out to be dried by hot air rising from a wood or charcoal fire below. Without them we would be unable to maintain a steady supply of ALES and IPAS, essential ingredients in many crossword puzzles.

Oast house
Frittenden, Kent, UK

34. Gruyère, e.g.: SWISS.  Gruyère is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), which became the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) as of 2013.  These sound similar to the standards used to protect European wines, although apparently when it comes to cheese the U.S. doesn't recognize them.

Gruyère Swiss Cheese

35. Couldn't say no: HAD TO. 

40. Caustic agents: LYES.  Not as caustic as some LIES.

41. Money in the bank: DEPOSITS.

44. Locales at Snowbird and Alta: SKI RUNS. A CSO to MalMan

48. Country of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi: IRAN. Narges Mohammadi (born 21 April 1972) is an Iranian human rights activist and Nobel laureate. She is the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC), headed by her fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shirin Ebadi.  She has been imprisoned for her crimes and at last report she is being kept in solitary confinement.

Narges Mohammadi

49. First-time father: NEW DAD.

50. Tech giant that purchased Gateway: ACER.

54. Diner employee: COOK.

55. Quaker cereal: LIFE.

56. __ appeal: SNOB.

58. Strike underminer: SCAB.  The recent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have now been settled.  There were relatively few SCABS (strike breakers) but the unions did allow a number of exceptions to this designation.  But here are 13 celebs and influencers who were called out for scabbing.

59. In addition: ALSO.

60. Nasty: MEAN.

61. Best Play, for one: ESPY.  Not a Tony, but a sports play.  The 2023 ESPY Awards, the 31st annual ceremony of the ESPY Awards, was held on July 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and broadcast by ABC.  For the first time, the ceremony forewent a single host due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

62. Empty space: GAP.

63. Reveal, to a poet: OPE.

64. 2022 Telugu-language film directed by S.S. Rajamouli: RRR.  RRR (subtitled onscreen as Roudram Ranam Rudhiram ("Ferocious, War, Blood") is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli.  The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, et. al.  It revolves around the fictional versions of two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), their friendship, and their fight against the British Raj.  Rotten Tomatoes rated it a 95% ...

65. Tent bed: COT.

Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 78th birthday to Windhover, who met with Lucina on July 24, 2015. Hope all's well with you and Irish, Larry!

 

Wednesday December 6, 2023 ~ Wendy L. Brandes & Taylor Johnson

What's My Line?

What's My Line?

(Elizabeth Taylor (1954) [@16:13 of 25:44])

Happy Wednesday, Cornerites. Today, Wendy and Taylor provide us some "folks on a LINE." Let's take a look:

17. Sure-footed circus performer: TIGHT ROPE WALKER. A person who walks the high-wire, er LINE.

26. Gridiron position: DEFENSIVE END. A DEFENSIVE LINEman (in football)

41. Call center worker: TELEMARKETER. Someone on a TELEphone LINE interupting dinner.

54. Web-based group, or a collective descriptor of 17-, 26-, and 41-Across?: ONLINE COMMUNITY. Hey, that's us at The Corner!

Impressive execution with two grid-spanners and some fun fill. Let's let the fill "lay it on the line" to ensure we get a nice Wednesday Puzzle.

Across:
1. Thai cuisine herb: BASIL.

Thai Basil

6. Therefore: THUS. Ergo.

10. Surrounded by: AMID.

14. Beyoncé venue: ARENA.

15. Stockings: HOSE.

16. Mauna Loa flow: LAVA.

Floor is Lava

17. [See: Theme]

20. More intoxicating: HEADIER.

21. Hotel patron: GUEST.

22. Pipe bend: ELL.

23. List of spa services, e.g.: MENU.

25. Tall instrument with strings and pedals: HARP.

26. [Seed: Theme]

30. Fiscal execs: CFOS. Chief Financial Officer(s)

32. Sole: LONE. All by my self.

33. Source of remote power?: AAA. Small batteries for the clicker.

34. Irrelevant: MOOT.

35. Deke: FEINT.

37. Phisher's plan: SCAM.

38. "Law & Order" spinoff, familiarly: SVU. Special Victims Unit. I watched maybe 1/3 of a show before shutting it off 'cuz, "eww yuck."

39. Big pistachio exporter: IRAN. California was too long.

40. Carriage: MIEN. Synonyms.

41. [See: Theme]

45. "It's __ a Minute": NPR podcast hosted by Brittany Luse: BEEN. I listen to this show every week; Brittany took over as host in '22.

Brittany Luse

46. Iditarod racer: SLED. Iditarod is a dog race thorough Alaska (which I'm told is beautiful - but only for the lead dog).

47. Convenience store convenience: ATM.

50. Small crown: TIARA.

52. Ultimate tool?: FRISBEE.

I played it a lot in HS. Fun.

54. [See: Theme]

58. Money drawer: TILL.

Cha-Ching

59. Green sage of film: YODA. Star Wars.

60. Familia member: MADRE. Spanish.

61. Marketplace with handmade gifts: ETSY.

62. Unimprovable place: EDEN.

63. Piece of broccoli or asparagus: SPEAR.

Down:
1. Soak: BATHE.

2. Redheaded Disney princess: ARIEL.

Ariel

3. George of "Just Shoot Me!": SEGAL.

4. Presented with great resolution: IN HD.

5. "Discover the West Coast Perspective" pub.: LA TIMES. I was thinking pub == brew-house for far too long #SierraNavadaBeer ;-)

6. Sportscaster Gary who called Orioles games from 2007 to 2020: THORNE.

7. Compete in a potato sack race, say: HOP.

8. Put to work: USE.

9. Suture, say: SEW.

10. Seductive power: ALLURE.

11. Come to terms (with): MAKE PEACE.

12. Pulitzer-winning composer Charles: IVES. Here's the WikiP.

13. Tavern projectile: DART.

18. Snorkeling site: REEF.

19. Tequila source: AGAVE.

24. Disconnects: UNLINKS.

25. Soupçon: HINT.

26. Half a colon: DOT. Also half a semicolon.

27. Junior: SON.

28. Bread served with saag paneer: NAAN.

Recipe

29. Salmon ladder spot: DAM.

30. Beach recess: COVE.

31. Souvenirs caught at stadiums: FOUL BALLS. In 40 years of going to basaeball games, I've never caught an MLB FOUL.

34. Taos winter hrs.: MST. Taos, New Mexico is in Mountan Standard Time zone during DST (Daylight Standard Time).

35. SAG-AFTRA president Drescher: FRAN. She was oft in the news over the summer.

She played "The Nanny"

36. Maize unit: EAR.

37. Title for Mo Farah: SIR.

39. "Just to clarify ... ": I MEAN. "I mean, I mean, [...] I'm sittin here on the Group W bench 'Cause you want to know if I'm moral enough join the army [...] after bein' a litterbug." -Arlo Guthrie

40. Ouija users: MEDIUMS.

42. In a spooky way: EERILY.

43. Film composer Danny: ELFMAN.

44. Glossary entry: TERM.

47. Tolerate: ABIDE.

48. Aquarium fish: TETRA.

49. "Twilight" author Stephenie: MEYER.

50. Nature Conservancy giveaway: TOTE.

51. Still alive for the semis, say: IN IT.

53. Lose one's cool: SNAP.

55. Look at: EYE.

56. Cape __: COD.

57. O'Shaughnessy poem that begins, "We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams": ODE.

Yep, a nice Wednesday puzzle with no intersecting names ;-). Post your puzzling thoughts below.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: I ink'd only one M in COMMUNITY for a second
ESP: MIEN, THORNE, ELFMAN, MEYAR
Fav: Ultimate FRISBEE

Cheers, -T

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 86th birthday to Lucina! Here's a 2011 picture of Lucina and our old California blog regulars JD, Chickie, Clear Ayes and Garlic Gal and Dodo. Our deepest condolences for the loss of your niece, Lucina.

L-R back row: Chickie, Clear Ayes, Garlic Gal
   Front: JD, Lucina, Dodo (June 23, 2011)