Saturday, December 30, 2023, Zhouqin Burnikel

 Saturday Themeless by Zhouqin Burnikel 

Our gracious blogmistress offers us a challenging and clever puzzle on this last Saturday of 2023. Her long fills in the pinwheel pattern were very helpful but SAPOR and DULE along with some alternate fills were speed bumps for me. However, I persisted and earned a "got 'er done!"

Across:

1. Carne __: ASADA - I was all over Roast Meat even with the Spanish adjectives following the noun.

6. Pull: SWAY - Sometimes you need someone with real pull or SWAY

10. __-relief: BAS - This is one of many on the capitol building in Lincoln, NE

13. Short-lived business: POP UP STORE - Hickory Farms has had these for years at Christmas time

15. Minesweeper unit: CELL - Haven't we all played this addictive game?

16. Delicious desserts?: APPLE TARTS.

17. Della Warrior's heritage: OTOE - the first and only woman to date to serve as the chairperson and chief executive officer for the Otoe-Missouria Tribe

18. Romeo or Juliet: ROLE - TEEN and NAME came and went

19. Group originally called the "Jolly Corks": ELKS - Here ya go

20. Magnificent: GRAND.

21. Rugby score: TRY.

22. Orange coat: PEEL 😀

23. One paying a flat rate: RENTER 😀 

24. Sings again: REPRISES - 76 Trombones is REPRISED for the big finale in Music Man

26. Fig. affected by traffic: ETA.

27. Word with ring or swing: MOOD.

29. Achievement: FEAT.

30. [I know this is wrong]: SIC - This was a grate [SIC] puzzle by our lovely hostess

31. "I have more to say": DON'T INTERRUPT ME.

35. Short chats?: IMS.

36. 1936 Cooperstown inductee: COBB 

This ball signed in 1939
by the first 11 members 
3 years after the original 6
sold for over $600,000

37. Obeyed a court order: ROSE - "All RISE" - Name this movie. (* answer below)

38. Place with soothing music: SPA.

39. Like some potential: UNTAPPED.

42. Magnetism: ALLURE.

44. Rough positions: LIES - Good luck in this rough 

45. Punch sound: POW.

48. Witherspoon of "The Morning Show": REESE - An Apple+ series

Reese                  Jennifer Anniston

49. Dough for pupusas: MASA - A wonderful Guatemalan restaurant makes them here in our town. I told the owner  to give me something good and she got me some tasty pupusas!

50. Background for a portrait: BLUR - As seen here in this painting of Mona (Lady) Lisa Gherdinini, the wife of Francesco Del Giocondo.

51. Locks in the zoo?: MANE 😀 - Here's one in Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with the tram going overhead.

52. "Never been in that situation myself": CAN'T RELATE.

54. Those, in Toledo: ESOS.

55. Shell stations?: TACO STANDS ¿A quién pertenecen ESOS puestos de tacos? (Who owns those TACO STANDS?)

56. Drops in the morning: DEW 😀

57. Eclipse, in the ancient world: OMEN.

58. Gig for a model: SHOOT.

Down:

1. Split up: APART.

2. Lethargy: SOPOR - I never have seen this word and so I first had SLOTH

3. Put on: APPLY.

4. Hill of "The Wonder Years": DULE - He plays the father in the updated version of the 1988 original.

5. Dr. Zaius, for one: APE - From 1968 movie

6. Not as newsworthy: STALER.

7. Professional challenge?: WORK LIFE BALANCE.

8. Part of STEAM: ARTS.

9. No other choice?: YES 😀

10. Trials for errors: BETA TESTS - Hopefully all the bugs will appear to be fixed

11. Solo stretch: ALONE TIME.

12. The American Dog Derby, for one: SLED RACE - Started in 1917, it is the oldest dog SLED RACE in the lower 48. It is run in Ashton, ID in the shadow of the Tetons

14. Brew: STEEP - Zhoquin is also a tea connoisseur 

15. Ear pieces?: CORN 😀

20. Waves, say: GESTURES.

22. Digital service: PEDICURE 😀

23. Nurture: REAR.

24. Spoil: ROT.

25. Spanish infinitive: SER.

27. "Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?": MOM PLEASE 😀

28. Spot line: ON SALE NOW.

31. Turned off, in a way: DISARMED 😀

32. Zip: NONE.

33. Hashtag for retro pics: TBT - I could use this retro pic for Throw Back Thursday

 Jim        Linda           Gary
circa 1956

34. Place for new calves: POD 😀

40. Slide whistle part: PISTON.

41. Sliced pieces on top of bibim naengmyeon: PEARS - A Korean PEAR on top.

43. Purposes: USES.

45. Texas home of Frito-Lay: PLANO.

7701 Legacy Dr., PLANO, TX

46. Better or best: OUTDO - Verbs

47. Seize by force: WREST.

49. Address with an apostrophe: MA'AM.

50. Vanilla: BLAH - Plain label unlike 49. "Eww!": BLEH we had recently

52. Exec concerned with network security: CTO - Chief Technology Officer

53. Nonprofit that administers Praxis assessments: ETS - Educational Testing Service. I had never heard of this test.

*If you can handle the truth, that is a scene from the great movie A Few Good Men 

Friday, December 29, 2023, Zachary David Levy

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with today's puzzle recap.  As you read this I am in Utah helping to celebrate a very good friend's 70th birthday.  After that, it is on to Colorado, wind and weather permitting.  Many small towns in Colorado have become "Zoom Towns" over the past few years so, if the internet "pipeline" is not overtaxed, I should be able to work on my next couple of blogs remotely.

Today's constructor is frequent-visitor Zachary David Levy who presented us with quite a bit to ponder, theme-wise.  There was no "reveal".  In the electronic version from which I was working, there were no asterisks.  There were no circles.  There was, seemingly, no common thread.  There were helpful questions marks but those, as we all know, can serve various purposes.  This solver will admit to rereading what were pretty obviously the five themed answers several times without finding that elusive common thread.

Then I recalled the words of Lisa Simpson.  Lisa has/had been known to hang out with Will Shortz and Merl Reagle (RIP) so it pays to check in with her now and then.  As a result of her inspiration, it dawned on me that the last two words (and in one case, three words, when you include the A) of each clue were anagrams of the answers (or, if you prefer, vice versa):

17 Across:  The worst description of poor purses?:  PROSPEROUS.  PORO yields POOR, RSPEUS yields PURSES.  Prosperous being an antonym of poor.

25 Across:  Completely unlike a docile man?:  DEMONIACAL.  A yields A, DEOICL yields DOCILE, and MNA yields MAN.  A demoniacal man is not likely to be docile.

36 Across:  The furthest thing from tidier rooms?: DORMITORIES.  DITRIE yields TIDIER, and ORMOS yields ROOMS.  Dormitories are, stereo-typically, messy.

50 Across:  The opposite of one who is not against?:  ANTAGONIST.   ONT yields NOT, and ANTAGIS yields AGAINST.  Double negative.  Triple?

59 Across:  Treated with a decided lack of due respect?:  PERSECUTED.  EUD yields DUE, and PRSECTE yields RESPECT.

 

After that DAMNED clever (if a bit MADDENing) start, let's have a look at the rest of the clues and the answers:

Across:

1. Sponge (off): MOOCH.  Clued as a verb.

6. Degs. for CFOs: MBAS.  Some Chief Financial Officers hold Master of Business Administration degreeS.  Most MBAs are not CFOs.

10. 1040 ID figs.: SSNS.  A reference to the IRS Form 1040.  Social Security NumberS

14. Place to perform: VENUE.  Some hold more people than do others.

Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium - 1978

15. Additionally: ALSO.  MORE, STILL, PLUS ?

16. Shiny sticker?: EPEE.  Not a sticker that you would put on e.g. a notebook.  Not a reflector sticker.  You can stick someone with a sword.

19. __ chips: PITA.  What did the PITA chip say to the hummus when she was ill?  I falafel.

20. Breading choice: PANKO.

21. Has quite a kick: ZINGS.  This one seemed a bit off to me having never heard anyone say "this zings."  I mean,  the hot sauce or the whiskey might have a quite a kick but it ZINGS?  Still, it made a great song in the 1930's (without that S):

22. Rx writer: DOC.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer:  DOCtor.  Zachary/Patti could have gone with the rabbit.

28. Investment firm figure: ANALYST.

Only Buy Me Stocks That Go Up

31. Agent, informally: REP.  Not a secret agent.  A business agent.  REPresentative.

32. Simu of "Kim's Convenience": LIU.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, again, perps.

33. Italian birthplace of Paganini: GENOA.  Anche, Cristoforo Colombo.

34. Element in some smoky whiskies: PEAT.  Ah, this one is near and dear.  Distilleries use hot smoke from burning PEAT to stop the germination of barley at a certain point resulting in malted barley that is then used to make whisky.  The PEAT smoke imparts a distinctive, if polarizing, flavor.

A Peat-Burning Oven.  Laphroaig Distillery

Island of Islay,  Scotland

Malting Floor, Laphroaig Distillery

Isle of Islay, Scotland 

(photos by MM)

35. Filmmaker Lee: ANG.  Spike would not fit.

40. Call (out): CRY.

42. Swimmer Torres who won 12 Olympic medals: DARA.

43. Literary form: ESSAY.  Hand up for first thinking PROSE.

46. Consists of: HAS.  This puzzle HAS 225 squares,

47. Letters before a pen name: AKA.  Also Known As

48. Spartan: AUSTERE.  Not a reference to MSU.

53. Patch, perhaps: SEW.  I tried to think of something witty to say here but I ran out of material.

54. Size for fries: LARGE.  Supersize me.

55. Cut a rug: DANCE.  Idiomatic from an earlier era.

Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) In "Top Secret"

58. Gloating cry: I WIN.  Sometimes it's I WON.

64. Promontory: CAPE.  A geographical reference (Cape Ann, Cape Horn, Cape Cod, etc.).  Often clued with references to comic book superheros.

65. Pennsylvania city across from Presque Isle State Park: ERIE.  Four letters.  Three vowels.  An often-used constructor's friend.

66. Sports news: TRADE.  Some have, supposedly,  lead to curses.

67. Seers?: EYES.  Not SEERS as in tellers of the future.  What we see with.

68. Over and done with: PAST.  The PAST, the present and the future walked into a bar.  Things got a little tense.

69. Madonna hit that begins, "Strike a pose": VOGUE.  Not the Madonna celebrated earlier this week.

Down:

1. 2023 World Series honor for Corey Seager: MVP.  Most Valuable Player.  It would have been nice if the Dodgers had re-signed Corey.

2. Poetic contraction: O'ER. As in "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

3. "Double Fantasy" singer: ONO.  Many ways to clue Yoko Ono.  Some would go with breakerupperofthebeatles.

4. Astrological delineation: CUSP.  Is your moon in Fresno?

5. __ filter: HEPA.  HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air, and a HEPA filter is a specially designed air filter that excels at capturing tiny particles in the air.

6. Word with fish or meat: MARKET.  Or with stock (but that would have been more of a giveaway).

7. Sign of spring: BLOOM.  I might have gone with a clue along these lines:

8. Tempe sch.: ASU.

9. Scouring brand: SOS.

10. Retro tone: SEPIA.  For photographs.

11. SoulCycle offering: SPIN CLASSES.  This solver was not familiar with SoulCycle but the "cycle" part was helpful and the perps made it clear.

12. Bottom line: NET GAIN.

13. Shell-less gastropod: SEA SLUG.  Some are far more visually intriguing than the land varieties.

18. Comes to a halt: ENDS.  What starts with W and ENDS with T.  Really, it does.

21. Some plastic fasteners: ZIP TIES.  Very useful for oh so many applications.

22. Peace Nobelist Hammarskjöld: DAG.  Secretary General of the United Nations (1953 - 1961).

23. Single: ONE.

One

24. Peppermint pattern: CANDY STRIPE.

26. Ice cream cookie: OREO.  Clue-able in oh so many ways.

27. In the ballpark: NEAR.  Idiomatic.

29. Liverpool lav: LOO.  In London, if you pay money to live in a bathroom you can tell your friends that you are a LOO tenant.

30. Gridiron stat: YARDAGE.  A football reference.  Inspired by the lines on the football field.  Gridiron derives from griddle and grid.  It was also a medieval instrument of torture.

34. Educational org.: PTA.

37. Shortfin shark: MAKO.  The K from 47 across was a big help with this one.

38. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.  YAMS would have fit.

39. NYC hrs.: EST.  Eastern Standard Time

40. Ceremonial goblet: CHALICE. The film, "The Court Jester" with Danny Kay taught me this one at an early age.

41. Bolted: RAN AWAY.  Not a hardware reference.

44. Equal: ARE.  As in two and two ARE four.

45. Evergreen shrub: YEW.  Often clued with a reference to archery.

48. How cutlery is typically sold: AS A SET.

49. Alternative magazine name: UTNE.  The "UTNE Reader" is oft cited in crossword puzzles.

51. Hong Kong politician and social activist Chow: AGNES.

52. "Luther" star Elba: IDRIS.  This solver did not know "Luther" but IDRIS Elba has been a frequent visitor the past few years.

56. Video surveillance letters: CCTV.  Closed Circuit TeleVision

57. Irish capital: EURO.  Not the capital city.  Money.

59. Oomph: PEP.

60. Bullpen fig.: ERA.  A baseball reference.  Relief pitchers, a subset of whom are called "closers" warm up in the "bullpen".  Earner Run Average.  Roughly, how many runs, on average, the pitcher gives up for every nine innings he pitches (ERA excludes runs the pitcher would not have allowed had somebody not messed up).

61. __ sale: TAG.  AKA Yard Sale or Garage Sale.

62. Georgetown closer: EDU.  Not a baseball reference.  The ending of an email address.

63. Barely passing mark: DEE.  A  B   C   D   F   Aren't we grading on the curve here?

Here is the completed grid:

That will wrap things up for today.  Thanks, again, Lisa (and friends).

________________________________________________

Thursday, December 28, 2023, Adam Vincent

 

 A Place for Everything

As this is the Thursday of the Octave of Christmas, I thought The Place Where I Belong by singer/songwriter Leroy Sanchez would be a good place to start ...

Today's constructor, veteran Adam Vincent, reminds us that there is a place for everything, or as he puts it, an "Apt spot to ...?".  He does this with 4 multi-level themers (2 Across and 2 Down) ...

46A. Apt spot to do the running man?: POLITICAL PARTY.  It could be a man running for election, or the title song from the 1987 dystopian film The Running Man, performed here by Ghost Town DJ ...

55. Apt spot to breakdance?: WRECKING BALL.  A contemporary torch song by Miley Cyrus ...

4D. Apt spot to swing dance?: GOLF CLUB.  If a ballet on the links doesn't get you in the mood, maybe this will ...

11D. Apt spot to do the moonwalk?: SPACE BAR.  Not just the long key on the keyboard that I just pressed 8 times, but a dive on the desert world of Tatooine during in the first Star Wars movie ...

No stars, no circles, no reveal.  Here's the grid ...
 

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Buck: STAG.

5. Condiment often applied with chopsticks: WASABI.  I think of SUSHI as a condiment to put on WASABI.

11. Out of harm's way: SAFE.

15. Quite: OH SO.

16. Howard who has two Oscars for Best Original Song: ASHMAN.  Baltimore born Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director.  He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan Menken composed the music. His work included songs for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.  Here's the trailer for the 1989 film, The Little Mermaid, based on the original Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale ...

17. Thank God, maybe: PRAY.  It really helps.  And a lot helps a lot.

18. Cut out early: BAIL.

19. Backless furniture: STOOLS.

20. Crop unit: ACRE.

21. Walking stick: STAFF.

23. Non-neutral particles: IONS.  This guy moves fast ...

24. Is sore: ACHES.

25. Actor whose final film role was in 1961's "The Misfits": CLARK GABLE.  Starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Cliff ...

28. Piano exercise: SCALES.  ETUDES would have fit and they're a lot more interesting, e.g. Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor, played here by Evgeny Kissin.

31. Endows (with): IMBUES.

35. Refers (to): ALLUDES.

37. Hallelujah kin: HOSANNA.  As in the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah ...

38. Shallot, for one: BULB.

39. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.

42. Wedding invite request: RSVP.

43. Pro who wears a Star of Life emblem: EMT.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the "Star of Life" and holds priority rights to the use of this registered certification mark.

44. Genuine: REAL.

45. Canon SLR camera: EOS.  Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an auto-focus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS IX was released using the new and short-lived APS film. In 2000, the D30 was announced, as the first digital SLR designed and produced entirely by Canon.  In 2018 the system was further extended with the introduction of the EOS R camera, Canon's first full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens system.

Canon EOS R SLR

46. [Theme clue].

53. James Blunt's "__ Beautiful": YOU'RE.  A song by James Blunt that you can find on YouTube.

54. Helps in a bad way: ABETS.

55. [Theme clue]

60. Long hike: TREK.

62. __ of New York: photoblog with street portraits and interviews: HUMANS.  Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of Humans of New York, a photoblog and book. He was named to Time magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list.

63. Afflicts: AILS.

66. River through Aswan: NILE.  Aswan is a busy market and tourist center located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the NILE at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.

Monastery of St. Simeon
Aswan Old Town

67. Respond impatiently: SNAP AT.

68. Gadget review site: CNET.

69. Let the cat out of the bag: TOLD.  Let's “Let the Cat Out of the Bag” about the origin of  this phrase.

Hi Hahtoolah!

70. Pre-MBA hurdle: GMAT.  The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive test (CAT) intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

71. Like custard: EGGY.  Here's a recipe.

Vanilla Custard

Down:

1. Cries and cries: SOBS.

2. "How about __!": THAT.

3. Cambodia's continent: ASIA.

4. [Theme clue].

5. Used to be: WAS. 

6. Moving: ASTIR.

7. Trembled: SHOOK.

8. Mixed in with: AMONG.

9. Model wood: BALSA.  Today's Spanish lesson -- BALSA is the word for "raft". Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the Balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density.

Balsa Tree
Royal Botanical Gardens
Richmond, UK

 

10. __ and outs: INS.

11. [Theme clue]

12. Part of the St. Louis skyline: ARCH.  It's called the Gateway Arch because St. Louis is also called "The gateway to the West".  Hand up if you've taken the TRAM to the top and back down?  We did when we visited one of my sisters in St. Louis.  Definitely not for the claustrophobic.  The Arch was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947, and construction began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.  It uses a catenary arch design, the same as the first kiln I ever fired circa 1972. 🔥.

 

St. Louis Gateway Arch

13. Cost of a ride: FARE.

14. Spots on spuds: EYES.

22. Got the heck out of Dodge: FLED.

24. Poor offering: ALMS.  ALMS giving peaks around this time of year, but it is never enough.

26. On a cruise: ASEA.

27. "About us" blurbs: BIOS.

28. "¿Quién __?": Spanish "Who knows?": SABE. 

29. Not smooth: CLUMPY.

30. More than one would like: ALL TOO WELL.  A song by Taylor Swift about her memories of a  relationship long ago (short version) ...

32. Disturbing: UNSETTLING.

33. Official messengers: ENVOYS.  Apparently the US has a lot of them.

34. Weakens: SAPS.  Or a noun connoting marks for scams.

36. Apple virtual assistant: SIRI.

37. Much of a shipwreck: HULL.

40. Cam button: REC.

41. Easy for ewe to say?: BAA.

47. Stuck to the shadows: LURKED.  LURKING is also cyber-slang for read/only participation in social media.

48. Galway's isl.: IRE.

49. Some lab workers: TECHS.

50. Part of PBR: PABST.  Pabst Blue Ribbon, commonly abbreviated PBR, is an American lager beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1844 and currently based in San Antonio. Originally called Best Select, and then Pabst Select, the current name comes from the blue ribbons tied around the bottle’s neck between 1882 and 1916.

51. Lawyers' org.: ABA.

52. Do up again, as a corset: RELACE.  The jury seems to be out as to whether corsets are bad for women, or good for them.

56. "__ Fu Panda": KUNG.  Kung Fu Panda is an American media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, produced by DreamWorks Animation.  Here's the 2023 trailer ...

57. Quran scholar: IMAM. An IMAM (/ɪˈmɑːm/; ) is an Islamic leadership position. Like many things related to religion, the significance of the term depends on which sect one belongs to.

Imams discoursing

58. Wine-producing valley: NAPA.

59. Minute annoyance: GNAT.

60. Dynamite kin: TNT.  Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was first prepared in 1863 by German chemist Julius Wilbrand and originally used as a yellow dye. Its potential as an explosive was not recognized for three decades, mainly because it was too difficult to detonate because it was less sensitive than alternatives. This wily fellow seems to be able to detonate it with ease ...

61. __ Grande: RIO.  Just how grand is the RIO GRANDE?

64. Drumstick: LEG.  Yum Yum! Dark meat!

65. Hog's digs: STY.

Cheers,
Bill

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

waseeley

And a Happy New Year to all!  🎆🧨🍾🥂🎇

Wednesday, December 27, 2023 ~ Amanda Cook and Katie Hale

Department of Transportation

Happy Wednesday, Cornerites. Today Amanda and Katie give us some common words/phrases where the last part in each is also a mode of transportation.

17. Transport for loudmouths?: VOCAL COACH. A vocal coach is someone who helps/coaches singers. Eldest, the opera major, had a vocal coach for years; DW & I would to drive her by motor-coach [car] to lessons.

26. Transport for nanobots?: MICROPLANE. A microplane is a grater with finer teeth.
 

Lemon zest for the win!

36. Transport for the army's best poker players?: SHARK TANK. A card sharp or card shark is a deft poker player; a military one would likely motor about in a TANK. //Or, if caught cheating, sleeps with the fishes in the TANK ;-)

51. Transport for rural golf instructors?: PROTRACTOR. This themer made me LOL; the image of the golf Pro out on his Tractor.

Hand-up: You had one in your pencil box.

60. Transport for seminary students?: CROSS-TRAIN. You cross-train staff so they can do each others' major functions. A seminary student probably doesn't need much training with the Cross but, if new to the city, would need commuter-rail train training.

A fun play on transports, I thought. Let's see how Cook & Hale round out the 15x15.

Across:
1. Parakeet's pole: PERCH. Roost fit but perps disagreed. //Perch is better fill anyway.

6. Margarita flavor: LIME. And tequila!

10. Roughly: OR SO.

14. Nebraska city: OMAHA. Hi HG!

15. "Make it snappy" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

16. 29-Across, for one: JOEY.

Kanga and Roo

17. [See: Theme]

19. Many 4WD autos: SUVS. Sport Utility Vehicles.

20. Fizzy fountain drink: COLA.

C-O-L-A Cola [The Kinks' Lola live]

21. Car loan figs.: APRS. Annual Percentage RateS.

23. Allow: LET.

24. Singer-songwriter Tori: AMOS.

26. [See: Theme]

29. Young character in Milne stories: ROO. The joey in 16a's image.

30. Not pos.: NEG. Negative.

31. Being tracked, in a way: ON RADAR. e.g. Santa by NORAD Sunday night.

32. Little sandwich treat: MINI OREO.

35. Express checkout units: ITEMS.

36. [See: Theme]

39. __-knit sweater: CABLE.

42. "Barefoot __": Ina Garten cooking show: CONTESSA.

46. Overdue debt: ARREARS.

49. QB stats: TDS. Quarterbacks stats: Touchdowns.

50. Beach ball filler: AIR.

51. [See: Theme]

53. Doomed: SUNK.

54. Rocker Vicious portrayed by Gary Oldman: SID.

Sid And Nancy [Trailer]

55. Bygone Russian ruler: TSAR.

56. Has a meal: EATS.

58. Hall of Fame catcher Rodriguez nicknamed "Pudge": IVAN.

60. [See: Theme]

64. Letter after epsilon: ZETA. It's all Greek to me.

65. Overture follower: ACT-I.

66. __ Carta: MAGNA.

67. Utopia: EDEN.

68. For fear that: LEST.

69. Exhausted: SPENT. Not yet, we've the downs to go...

Down:
1. Perspective, for short: POV. Point of View.

2. My Chemical Romance genre: EMO.

Watch 60 seconds and you won't forget MCR is EMO.

3. Critter also called a trash panda: RACCOON.

4. Complete disorder: CHAOS. Not KAOS.

We don't do za Holiday Partiez?

5. Edvard Grieg's "In the __ of the Mountain King": HALL.

6. Asian language: LAO.

7. "Foundation" series writer Asimov: ISAAC. In HS, I read everything I could find from Asimov.

8. Powerful Apple: MAC PRO. Apple Computers.

9. Filmmaker Nora: EPHRON.

10. Citrus drinks, for short: OJS. Orange JuiceS

11. French meat dish: ROULADE. Food. Specifically, rolled food.

Beef Roulade

12. Start time for some morning shows: SEVEN AM.

13. Shellfish served with mignonette sauce: OYSTERS. More Food!

Center red sauce: shallots, red wine vinegar, and pepper pickled for about 2 hours.

18. GoPro product: CAMERA.

22. Legs it: SPRINTS.

24. Common injection site: ARM.

25. Me, in Marseille: MOI.

27. Disney CEO Bob: IGER.

28. Hanukkah pancake: LATKE. Food!

30. Problem for the Tin Man: NO HEART.

Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man that he didn't already have.

33. Dot in the ocean: ISLET.

34. Thunder's city, for short: OKC. Oklahoma City Thunder is an NBA team.

37. "Africa" rock band: TOTO. If you listend to Monday's "Straight No Chaser" 12-Days of Christmas that sumdaze linked, you may have noticed at 1:57 they break into Toto's Africa rhythm .

[the "not from Kansas"] Toto - Africa

38. "We Feed People" chef Jose : ANDRES. He's a (burgeoning) Thanksgiving Tradition on Colbert.

A take on [6a's] Margarita

39. Flip over at sea: CAPSIZE. Not to be confused with your head's circumference.

40. Got somewhere: ARRIVED.

41. Night out for straight guys: BRODATE. Since our wives had no interest, BIL & I went on a brodate to see Facing Nolan #Baseball

43. Bangers and mash protein: SAUSAGE. Food!

Traditional(?)

44. Serious misdeed: SIN.

45. Biblical evacuation vessel: ARK.

47. Scamp: RASCAL. Imp.

48. Hardly plentiful: SCARCE.

52. Dressage paces: TROTS.

53. Interchangeable watch component: STRAP.

57. PIN points: ATMS. Personal Identification Number; Automatic Teller Machine.

59. Brit's grandma: NAN.

61. Command to a collie: SIT.

62. Travel stop: INN.

63. __ Geo Wild: NAT.

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: ade->OJS but not before inking evaS(?) at 19a; ISLan -> ISLET
ESPs: HALL (as clued), ROULADE(sp)
Fav: ISAAC Asimov.

If I don't post before the 1st (we leave for SFO tomorrow), Happy New Year!

Cheers, -T