20. Cab alternative: ZIN - You might have a ZINfandel rather than a CABernet
21. Tic-__-toe: TAC - We had this in a Saturday puzzle two weeks ago.
22. Have in common: SHARE.
24. Slams the door on: STOPS.
26. India's neighbor on a Risk board: SIAM - SIAM on this board game encompasses several modern countries.
28. Just __ by: EKED.
29. Went up: ROSE.
30. Abundance during amateur hour?: ROOKIE MISTAKES.
34. Orchestra known for an annual Fourth of July concert: BOSTON POPS.
35. Some unicorns: TECH STARTUPS - Unicorn companies are those that reach a valuation of $1 billion without being listed on the stock market and are the dream of any tech startup.
38. Fruit with wrinkled skin: UGLI.
39. Court pro: STENO - Old and new machines
40. Intel org.: NSA.
43. Breaks open chests in Fortnite: LOOTS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
45. Pitch: TAR.
46. Baby: SPOIL - A verb
48. Oft-mispunctuated word: ITS - IT'S (contraction) very common to misuse the word ITS (possessive)
49. One hoping for a refund from an online return: E-FILER - I'm one of those hoping
52. Crime novelist Buchanan: EDNA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
53. "Elsbeth" star Carrie: PRESTON. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
55. Good standing with sailors?: SEALEGS 😀
57. Idle: SITTING.
58. Sir Ken Robinson's "Do Schools Kill Creativity?," notably: TED TALK.
59. Hammers: POUNDS.
60. "Heather Has Two Mommies" writer Newman: LESLEA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Down:
1. Groups of celebs who might bypass the line: A-LISTS.
2. Persian rugs?: CAT HAIR 😀
3. Place to enjoy krioyo cuisine: CURACAO.
4. Moriarty of "The Boys": ERIN - I read that she plays Starlight, a superhero that takes on "toxic masculinity" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
5. 411: DEETS - I need the details
6. Demise: END.
7. Got a bit extra, in a way: EARNED INTEREST 😀
8. "High Priestess of Soul" Simone: NINA.
9. Some restaurant clogs: CROCS - I've never owned or worn this footwear.
10. Typing letters?: ABO.
11. "Zounds!": GADZOOKS.
12. Figure in Kepler's first law: ELLIPSE - Piece 'o cake for me.
No where near being TO SCALE.
15. Concave or convex things: LENSES
17. One unsuited to battle a god?: MERE MORTAL.
19. Pre-wedding trials: CAKE TASTINGS.
23. Job at a bank: HEIST 😀
25. Yappers: TRAPS - Rude
27. Finale of "The Sopranos," maybe: MOB HIT - Creator David Chase's decision to fade to black rather than show what did or didn't happen was brilliant. He compared it to Schrödinger's cat. Tony is both alive and dead.
31. Heavy socks?: KO'S 😀
32. Did some politicking, say: SPUN - "Oh no, that is NOT what the candidate meant."
33. Traditional literary motif: TOPOS - TOPOS are stories from classical tradition weaved into modern American drama. Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under The Elms has been referred to as a modern retelling of Euripides' myth of Hippolytus and Phaedra. (Raise your hand if you thought I already knew that!)
35. Bulbs that may not need to be replaced: TULIPS 😀
36. Delusion of grandeur: EGO TRIP
37. Friendly with: CLOSE TO.
40. "Your terms are a joke": NO DEAL
41. Individual: SINGLE.
42. "The Great North" setting: ALASKA.
44. Become real: SET IN - It has finally SET IN that Husker FB has come to be mediocre at best.
47. Attacks, as with questions: PELTS - Despite the less than optimal video quality, this is a fabulous example:
50. Residue used to make pan sauces: FOND - I love these little "leftovers" but never knew there was a name for them
51. Instagram video: REEL - Make your own series of videos
Each of the theme answers is a recognizable person or thing, but does not match the clue until you SHOW THE word WAY at the beginning of the answer.
Here are the theme clues and answers, all of which are Across:
18. *Pop-up shop on the edge of the road?: SIDE HUSTLE. A side hustle is a job or occupation that brings in extra money beyond one's regular job. But a WAYSIDE HUSTLE might be a business at the edge of a road.
23. *Underground market for home goods?: FAIR TRADE. Fair trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect. But WAYFAIR TRADE might be taking furnishings from the online retailer Wayfair and trading them off market.
35. *Butcher's knife that's very hard to handle?: WARD CLEAVER. Ward Cleaver is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. But a WAYWARD CLEAVER might be a big knife that is difficult to control.
50. *Snuck up on a chicken coop to collect breakfast?: LAID AN EGG. Saying someone laid an egg means they failed at something. But WAYLAID AN EGG means they hid themselves and attacked an egg by surprise.
58. Give clear directions, or how to make the starred clues match their answers?: SHOW THE WAY.
Today's puzzle comes to us from Renee Thomason (our Monday blogger, known in the Corner as sumdaze) and frequent constructor Katie Hale. Allow me to SHOW THE WAY through the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:
1. State that's easy to draw: UTAH.
Because Wyoming and Colorado wouldn't fit!
5. South American bean: CACAO. Best bean ever. Thank you, South America!
10. Loyalty program level: TIER.
14. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.
15. Celebrity gossip source since 1991: E! NEWS. A late-night entertainment news program on the E! cable network.
16. Princess athlete in the 1976 Summer Olympics: ANNE. The Games of the XXI Olympiad took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, competed as part of the British equestrian team.
Princess Anne in the 1976 Olympics
17. Air quality factor: SMOG.
18. [Theme clue]
20. Device called a "cashpoint" in the U.K.: ATM.
21. Matching: SAME.
22. Stellar: ASTRAL.
23. [Theme clue]
26. Court tie: DEUCE. Apparently, tennis score keeping was originally done using a clock face, marking points as 15, 30, and 45 minutes, with 45 eventually being abbreviated as 40:
0 points = Love (Zero was "The egg" or "L'oeuf" in French, which in English became "Love.")
1 point = 15
2 points = 30
3 points = 40
Tied score = All
40-40 = Deuce
Server wins deuce point = Ad-In
Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out
27. Host: EMCEE. We used to say "Master of Ceremonies," which became MC or "emcee."
28. Forensic profiling material: DNA.
30. Solstice mo.: DEC. Also JUN, but it wouldn't work with the perpendicular entries.
31. Corp. head: CEO.
33. Ripe old __: AGE.
34. "__ we forget": LEST. This phrase was first used in an 1897 poem by Rudyard Kipling called "Recessional," written to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
35. [Theme clue]
38. Chop garlic, say: PREP. DH and I do the prep for each other, taking turns as head chef and sous chef. Assembling a recipe is easier if you prep first and get all the ingredients mise en place.
40. Address bar character: DOT. A web address includes a "dot" before the domain name, as in LATimes.com.
41. Car wheel part: RIM.
42. Coxswain's lack: OAR. A coxswain sits in the stern of a boat, facing the bow, and steering with the rudder while coordinating the efforts of the rowing team.
A coxswain at work.
43. Pressure meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.
44. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.
48. Feudal lord: LIEGE.
50. [Theme clue]
54. Bringing up the rear: IN LAST.
56. Hindu honorifics: SRIS. In South and Southeast Asia, Sri is used as a polite form of address, similar to the English "Mr.".
57. Truly regret: RUE.
58. [Theme clue]
60. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN. Evan Williams is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey distilled at the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. The product is aged for a minimum of four years (which is more than the two year minimum to be called 'straight' bourbon, but is the minimum requirement for a straight whiskey that does not have an age statement on the label). It has been ranked as one of the world's best selling whiskey brands.
A Kentucky bourbon distillery I visited with DH in 2016.
61. Ale holder: CASK.
62. Thrill to bits: ELATE.
63. Stitch up: MEND.
64. Supersmall: ITTY. Not "itsy" this time! Often itty-bitty or itsy-bitsy.
65. Many a forty-niner: MINER. Participant in the California gold rush.
66. Bank for mil. families: USAA. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank that is only available to military members, veterans, and their families.
Down:
1. In need of a Mr. Yuk sticker: UNSAFE. Mr. Yuk is a trademarked graphic image, created by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.
2. Instrument also known as a chau gong: TAM-TAM. The Tam-Tam is a huge metal percussion instrument which makes a booming sound. When you strike the tam-tam, the sound gets louder and louder, building up to a climax before fading away.
3. Infinitesimal: ATOMIC.
4. Selfish type: HOG.
5. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.
6. Inner self, to Jung: ANIMA.
7. Surrendered: CEDED.
8. Veneration: AWE.
9. Mae's sister on "Star Wars: The Acolyte": OSHA. "Star Wars: The Acolyte" is a television series created for the streaming service Disney+. An obscure clue! What ever happened to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?
10. Decorator's asset: TASTE.
11. Unwelcome visitor: INTRUDER.
12. Intertwines: ENLACES.
13. Word on some campaign posters: RE-ELECT.
19. MyPlate org.: USDA. The United States Department of Agriculture produced this guideline for nutritious eating -- while supporting various types of food production that are anything but healthy.
21. Heifer's brother: STEER.
24. Summary: RECAP. A summary of what has been said; a recapitulation.
25. Polygon part: EDGE.
29. Not far: NEAR.
32. Probability calculations: ODDS.
33. Key not found on a Mac: ALT.
34. Finger bowl slice: LEMON. A finger bowl is a small bowl with water (and perhaps a slice of lemon) for rinsing fingers during a meal.
35. "Let's check the map": WE'RE LOST.
36. Spiral: COIL.
37. Exchange program papers: VISAS.
38. Future Hill worker's maj., maybe: POLI SCI. Someone who hopes to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC might study Political Science.
39. Slicker accompaniment: RAIN HAT. In this case, a slicker is a rain coat.
43. Wasp, for one: PEST. Wasps eat spiders, flies, roaches, and caterpillars. They pollinate at least 960 different plants, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them. They disperse seeds. They are responsible for the growth of figs! But sure, they're pests.
45. Jitters: NERVES.
46. Tropical lizard: IGUANA.
47. Meeting list: AGENDA.
49. Nervously clumsy: GAWKY.
51. Egyptian market city: ASWAN.
52. Furious: IRATE.
53. Person eager to tackle home improvement projects, briefly: DIYer. Do-It-Yourselfer.
55. Those folks: THEM.
59. New Haven student: ELI. Elihu Yale was the primary benefactor of Yale University, and students at Yale are called Elis in his memory.
60. Petting zoo bird: EMU. This seems to be a thing, but is it really safe to have a small child pet an emu?
This was the first issue of the original run of the comic book/magazine series Action Comics. It features the first appearance of several comic-book heroes—most notably the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation, Superman—and sold for 10 cents (equivalent to $2 in 2023). On April 7, 2024, a copy of Action Comics #1 was auctioned for $6 million, becoming the most expensive comic book ever. In the intervening years since 1938 the market for comics, animation, and gaming that originated with that $2.00 publication has exploded, and will reach an estimated $400 billion dollars by the end of this year.
Today our veteran constructors Gary Larson and Amy Ensz take us on a brief tour of the super hero universe that got its start on that day in June 2023 (although I doubt that they'll be getting any of the aforementioned largesse!). Each themer is clued with a punny reference to the alter ego of a famous super hero and then filled with a two word play on the superhero's name, the first word of which can be followed by MAN or WOMAN giving the hero's name ...
17. Window treatment for Tony Stark's house?: IRONCURTAIN. Tony Stark is the alter ego for the superhero IRON MAN.
Iron Man
29. Factory owned by Peter Parker?: SPIDERPLANT. Peter Parker is the alter ego for the superhero SPIDER MAN. (see also Easter Egg at 14A).
Spider Man
48. Salary for Diana Prince?: WONDERBREAD. Diana Prince is the alter ego for the superhero WONDER WOMAN.
Wonder Woman
64. Vivid mental image for Clark Kent ?: SUPERVISION. Clark Kent is the alter ego for the superhero SUPERMAN. Here are the opening credits and some snippets from the 1953 series starring George Reeves ...
Here's the grid ...
Here's the rest ...
Across:
1. Digital whiz: TECHIE. A CSO to Tony.
7. Greeting on deck: AHOY.
11. "Bright Dead Things" poet Limón: ADA. Ada Limón became the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States in July of 2022. She is the author of several poetry collections, including The Hurting Kind (2022); The Carrying (2018), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry; and Bright Dead Things (2015), a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Books Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Here are 5 poems from Bright Dead Things.
Ada Limón
14. Goddess challenged by Arachne to a weaving contest: ATHENA. A tangled tale from Ovid's Metamorphosis that teaches us about the fickle nature of the gods and the consequences of mortal arrogance – serving as a stark reminder of our place in the grand scheme of life.
Arachne and Athena
15. Easy run: LOPE.
16. Not gross: NET.
17. [Theme clue]
19. ISP option: DSL. Digital Subscriber Line is a family of telecommunications hardware and protocols for transmitting Internet Services over telephone lines.
20. "Bleeding Love" singer Lewis: LEONA. Leona Louise Lewis OBE (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. She won the British talent show The X Factor in 2006, and was awarded a £1 million recording contract. The following year her debut studio album Spirit was certified 10× platinum in the UK and became the fourth best-selling album of the 2000s, and one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. Here's the lead song from the album, Bleeding Love, which spent seven weeks at number one in the UK and was the best-selling single of 2007 ... 21. Make: EARN.
31. Singer Celine: DION. Céline Marie Claudette Dion CC OQ (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer (CSOCanadianEh!). Referred to as the "Queen of Power Ballads", she is noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals. Her music has incorporated genres such as pop, rock, R&B, chanson, and classical music. Her recordings have been mainly in English and French, although she has also sung in several other languages including Japanese, Italian, German, Mandarin, Spanish and Neapolitan. She has had a number of health problems in recent years, but recently returned to center stage at this year's Paris Olympics with a stunning performance of Hymne à l'amour. But the biggest hit of her career was My Heart Will Go On from the 1997 film Titanic. 33. Merch item: TEE.
34. Wrap (up): SEW.
35. Prepared to sing the national anthem: STOOD.
37. Broadcast-monitoring org.: FCC. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security. It does not however have jurisdiction over content transmitted over the Internet. Tis a pity.
39. Merch item: DECAL.
43. Alley-__: OOP. A very versatile clue ...
An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player passes the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and dunks or lays it in before touching the ground;
And from the sublime to the ridiculous (and with apologies to all the musicians cited above and below) ... a 1957 song by the Hollywood Argyles based on the comic ...
45. Cereal grain: OAT.
47. Qdoba bite: TACO. Qdoba (kew-DOH-bə), operating under that name since 1999, is a chain of fast casual restaurants in the United States and Canada serving Mexican-style cuisine.
Qdoba Mexican Eats
48. [Theme clue]
53. Gym unit: REP.
54. Asylum seeker, perhaps: EMIGREE. If perhaps one is granted asylum, only then does one become an EMIGREE.
55. NPR weekend host __ Simon: SCOTT. Scott Simon, was born in Chicago, Illinois, in March of 1952. He has been with NPR for over four decades, beginning in 1977 as Chicago bureau chief. His career also encompasses writing and television. He has hosted the Saturday edition of Weekend Edition since its inception in 1985, excepting a period in 1992 and 1993 when Alex Chadwick hosted the show.
Scott Simon
57. Croupier's tool: RAKE. I guess that's where the term "rake in the money" comes from.
Croupier's Rake
58. Video game giant: SEGA.
60. __ cotta: TERRA. Today's Italian lesson: "Baked Earth" -- low-fire, typically unglazed pottery, aka EARTHEN WARE. Fired terra cotta is porous and is ideal for flower pots and planters ...
Terra cotta planters
63. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO. In addition to his major contributions to crosswordese, Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno is for some reason a member of the mononymous entertainers club😀 Eno is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist. While he describes himself as a "non-musician" he has experimented with many musical genres, and has been a major influence on other musicians. Eno co-produced The Unforgettable Fire (1984), The Joshua Tree (1987), Achtung Baby (1991), and All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) for U2, with his frequent collaborator Daniel Lanois. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2019 for his contributions as a synthesizer sideman to the band Roxy Music. Here is one of early experiments with minimalism -- By This River from his 1977 album Before and After Science ... 64. [Theme clue]
66. Engine need: OIL.
67. Handwriting on the wall: OMEN. This phrase originated from the Biblical story in Daniel 5, where, during a feast held by King Belshazzar, a hand suddenly appears and writes on a wall the following Aramaic words: מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין (mənē mənē təqēl ūp̄arsīn, “numbered, numbered, weighed, and they are divided”). It was not a good OMEN for King Belshazzar, who was killed that very same night.
Belshazzar's Feast National Gallery, London Rembrandt, 1635
68. Happening place: IN SPOT. Every day on the Corner!
69. Secretive group, initially: NSA. If this keeps up they'll be investigating the LA Times next. 😀
70. Pointy-headed Muppet: BERT. Bert and his buddy Ernie go fishing ...
71. Tennis great who won four Australian Opens between 1995 and 2003: AGASSI. You can read all about those matches and many others in Andre Agassi's 2011 entry in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Andre Agassi
Down: 1. Part of a cat costume: TAIL.
2. Raison d'__: ETRE. Today's French lesson #1: "Reason for being". Some people think we have none, but IMHO we do.
3. Tot's name for a train: CHOO CHOO.
4. Medium for the body art of mehndi: HENNA. Henna is a reddish dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi (or "henna tattoo") resulting from the staining of the skin using dyes from the henna plant. After henna stains reach their peak color, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks.
6. __ de parfum: EAU. Today's French lesson #2: "Perfumed water".
7. Wasatch Mountains ski resort: ALTA. Alta is a ski area in the western United States, located in the town of Alta in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, in Salt Lake County. With a skiable area of 2,614 acres (10.58 km2), Alta's base elevation is 8,530 ft (2,600 m) and rises to 11,068 ft (3,374 m) for a vertical gain of 2,538 ft (774 m). One of the oldest ski resorts in the country, it opened its first lift in early 1939.
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta
8. Having said too much, perhaps: HOARSE.
9. Editorial writers, e.g.: OPINERS. A fancy name for "talking heads" -- which reminds me of this song by the eponymous band, a cover of the Al Green classic ...
10. Urge: YEN.
11. "We Need To Talk" co-host Kremer: ANDREA. Andrea Kremer (born February 25, 1959) is a multi-Emmy Award-winning American television sports journalist. In 2014, Kremer joined the team of We Need to Talk, the first all-female nationally televised weekly sports show. Airing in prime time, the weekly show featured a rotating group of female panelists discussing all topics and news in sports. At the conclusion of the program's inaugural season, the show won a Gracie Grand Award for On Air Talent: Sports Program.
38. Salad often made with anchovies: CAESAR. Here's Natasha's recipe for a CAESAR salad.
Caesar Salad
40. Road excursions: CAR TRIPS.
41. Untouched serve: ACE. Andre Agassi scored 4,082ACES during his career.
42. Hack (off): LOP. This week's dose of Monte Python (WARNING: the following scene contains acts of violence and loss of blood😧) ... 44. Suppose: PRESUME.
46. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the primary international airport serving Seattle and its metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington.
Seattle Tacoma International Airport
48. "That's our cue!": WERE ON.
49. Muscat residents: OMANIS. Muscat is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1.72 million as of September 2022.
50. Inventor Tesla: NIKOLA. Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American engineer, futurist, and inventor. He is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system and for the invention of an early AC induction motor, the patents for which made him a wealthy man.
Nikola Tesla
51. Paging device: BEEPER. My immediate reaction to this answer was that BEEPERS are obsolete, having been supplanted by cell phones -- but in fact millions of them are still in daily use. Hand up if you have ever (or still do!) carried a pager? ✋
52. Overly indulgent: DOTING. I know a grandmother to whom this adjective might be applied. Hint -- if the preceding statement doesn't appear in the final copy, you'll know who it is.😀
56. Thompson of "Westworld": TESSA. Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College, appearing in productions of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. Following her role in Veronica Mars (2005–2006), her breakthrough came with leading roles in Tina Mabry's independent drama film Mississippi Damned (2009) and Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls (2010). The trailer for Westworld was Rated R, so you'll just have to settle for this JPEG ...
Tessa Thompson
59. Gallant fellow: GENT.
61. Outback hoppers: ROOS. Like this denizen of the Hundred Acre Wood ...
Roo
62. Against: ANTI. These days everyone seems to be defined by what they're against. 😠
64. Cry noisily: SOB. Often because of abuse by some SOB!
65. By way of: VIA. Today's Latin lesson: "By way of".
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
It would appear that today's crossword from Marshal Herrmann is his debut for the LA Times, and it's the closest we are going to get to a "Halloween" themed puzzle, as far as I can tell. Three Across theme answers, plus the reveal, with two equally long 11-letter non-theme fills in the Down as well. Double the number of four-letter words over TLWs, no circles, and a mere handful of names - though I did not know half of them. I note, too, that several answers are straight definitions of the clues. The theme answers;
20. Chiles near the top of the Scoville scale: GHOSTPEPPERS
36. Hard-boiled hors d'oeuvres: DEVILED EGGS
42. Citrus with red pulp: BLOOD ORANGE 56. Gordon Ramsay cooking competition that sounds like it should involve 20-, 36-, and 42-Across?: HELL'S KITCHEN - Devils, yes; Ghosts, likely; Blood, not so much . . . .
I actually watched the show, way back when it first aired
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Supermodel Banks: TYRA - name #1, but learned from Crosswords
30. One of a set needed for a monopoly in Monopoly: DEED
This is the first time I have paid attention to the "Connecticut" square since
I moved to the state - right next to "jail"
33. Landform generally bigger than a gully but smaller than a valley: RAVINE
35. Curved path: ARC
38. Ernie's bestie: BERT - name #2, but who doesn't know this duo~?
40. Halloween night, to All Saints' Day: EVE - it's the Eve of the Eve - but not the theme
41. "Hot Girl Summer" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE - no clue, filled via perps, name #3
47. Not close: FAR
48. "Honest!": "I SWEAR~!"
49. Arise (from): STEM
50. Gallery collection: ART - I am slowly building a collection of art in my home
51. Fictional coach Lasso: TED - name #4, I know, but never watched the show
52. Light touch: TAP - not DAB
54. Pine for: MISS
61. Off the cuff: AD LIB
64. Comparable (to): AKIN
65. Word on an Irish passport: EIRE - AND - 7D. Symbol on an Irish passport: HARP
66. Small crown: TIARA
67. Casserole pasta: ZITI
68. Eggy seasonal drinks: NOGS - with EGGS in a theme answer, I would have preferred a different clue for this fill
69. Taxi fare calculator: METER
70. Primatology subjects: APES
71. Grandson of Adam: ENOS - name #5
DOWN:
1. Common sitcom rating: TV-PG - I figured it was a little more mature; TV-MA . . . .
2. "Sure," informally: "YEAH..."
3. Feature of a 2023 women's volleyball match at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium: RECORD CROWD - they moved the game to the football stadium to beat another record; watch to hear why . . . .
Did you make it to the game, HuskerG~?
4. Playground retort: "ARE SO~!" - oops, not AM TOO
5. Rescued dog, e.g.: ADOPTEE - I SO want to adopt a dog, but going on the road to install Pipe Organs, like I did for the last two weeks, this week, and next week, is not fair to the animal, even with a dog-sitter. Here is the progress of the organ we are installing at St. Peters in Harwich, MA
Note the bourdon wood pipes laying flat against the back wall
6. Hockey feint: DEKE - I'd like to find a deck hockey league and play goalie again
8. Hang, as a curtain: DRAPE
9. Watch what one says?: LIP READ - great clue / answer
10. Notable times: ERAS
11. Neon or xenon: GAS - noble, no less
12. Educ. testing data: IQs
13. Deadlock: TIE
21. Welker's "Meet the Press" predecessor: TODD - name #6, no clue
22. Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE - name #7, but a crossword standard
25. Haute couture: HIGH FASHION - Frawnche for "high sewing", according to Google translate
26. Ready to go: IN GEAR
27. Climate for Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks: DESERT - the website for Utah parks
28. Protein in a traditional paella: RABBIT - ah. Not SHRIMP - rabbit in Spanish is coneja
29. Vague warning: OR ELSE - or else what~?
31. At any point: EVER
32. Prima donnas: DIVAS
34. Nov. honoree: VETerans Day - The History of why it's the 11th
