Friday, November 8, 2024, David Alfred Bywaters

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where ... " 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's play-on-words Friday-level puzzle was offered to us by none other than David Alfred, "one if by land, two if" Bywaters!  This is now three-in-a-row for me recapping some of my favorite puzzlers (Rich, Patti, and now David).  As many of you know, one of my partners-in-crime, waseeley, is also a fan of David's and regularly shares with us his fortnightly, crossword cavalcade

David often comes up with a fiendish connection in his puzzles, so I reached out via email to him to confirm (or deny) that these entries had anything more than what appears on the surface.  David was honored to think that I had uncovered a secret code, perhaps ... but as he said, "it was by mere chance" that he came up with 5 phrases that have a double-meaning, all of which were framed by a clue question beginning with the words "where to find".  Did you have the wherewithal to figure them out?

Let's explore each one and see if we can find out the meaning behind the clues:

17-across. Where to find a dogcatcher at the end of the working day?: BY THE POUND.  David's first clue/entry was to explore the whereabouts of a dogcatcher (do these even exist anymore?) when his shift is over.  By the dog POUND of course!  Would this entry have been as exciting if it had been clued: "How bananas are sold?"  Nope

But speaking of bananas, I find it interesting that Trader Joe's is a retailer who sells bananas individually as well as in a bunch.  So, which is the better deal?  Individual or by the pound? Well, if you allow that a single banana - on average (with the peel) - weighs about 8 ounces, then their selling price of 19 cents each (maybe it's now a quarter) is a pretty good deal.  The by the pound price is usually around 69 cents per

31-across. Where to find a Tyrolean shepherd?: ABOVE THE FOLD.  Normally, C-Moe uses the Thesaurus-saurus (see 70-across in the recap) to confirm synonyms.  And while Moe has heard of the word fold in reference to a flock of sheep it took a while to confirm (open the link)

The phrase, above the fold, is a newspaper reference that applies to the headline (or major news story) that appears above the folded part of the paper.  Maybe as this one so erroneously did back in 1948?

Notice how the paper is folded

38-across. Where to find an Iowa farmer in late summer?: BEHIND THE EARS.  This was by far the corniest of the crop ... 😀 

Too bad, though, that David didn't have a few extra squares in the puzzle grid to allow him to add an adjective to the phrase.  Then the clue could've been:

How to find an Iowa farmer after a late summer thunderstorm?: ___ BEHIND THE EARS 💧💧💧

46-across. Where to find a Chicago suburbanite?: OUT OF THE LOOP. Fortunately for those who regularly visit the Crossword Corner, you are never out of the loop.  Even when we are faced with trying to figure out certain actors, authors, places, or things; the bloggers here are always eager to do the googling for you and offer it in our comments ...

So why a Chicago suburbanite?  Well, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the "landscape" "The Loop" is both a geographic reference as well as a pretty famous area in downtown Chicago (see the rectangular loop in the map below)

63-across. Where to find a lumberjack at lunchtime?: ON THE STUMP.  David ends his quintet of quirky quips with a reference to political speeches and rallies.  We steer clear of discussing politics here at the Corner ... but we do like to post cartoons! 

Today's grid is brought to you by Sharpie®:

The Grid - My first time using a highlighter 😂

As an aside, there were 24 3LW's today ... again, a result of having 57 of the 225 available squares occupied by the theme entries ... we'll soon learn if Irish Miss minded these, or not ... I'm guessing, not!

As a further aside, David provided me (through our email correspondence) a couple more of the entries he had for this puzzle that didn't make the cut:

Clue: Where to find the lighthouse keeper on foggy Fridays?: BESIDE THE POINT.

Clue: Where to find the scientist who created the abbreviations for silver (Ag) and gold (Au)?: UNDER THE TABLE 

My "grade" for this puzzle is a solid, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Across:

1. Home of Minor League Baseball's Storm Chasers: OMAHA.  CSO to Husker Gary.  I did not know this and chose TULSA as my first guess

6. Oscar season oversight: SNUB.  

10. Org. concerned with lab safety?: SPCA.  Cute clue; DAB's or PV's?  In this case the "lab" is a dog; not a room for science experiments 

14. Not haram: HALAL.  Here's the difference

15. Potential London flat?: TYRE.  Lots of play-on-words today!  The London "flat" refers to an automobile tyre; not a rental unit (apartment)

16. Broccoli unit: HEAD.  My partner, Margaret, advised me last week that broccoli is a man-made vegetable - Cauliflower, too as it turns out

19. Goals: AIMS.  

20. Brief indication of flexibility: OBO.  Or Best Offer.  As in an ad (you'll see this on eBay) where an item is listed for sale for a price of, say, $50.00, OBO

21. Slender fish: EEL.  GAR also fit, and it's a pretty slender fish IIRC

24. Quaint assent: YES'M.  Contraction for yes, ma'am (also a contraction)

26. Out of harm's way: SAFE.  Which supports (5-down. Away from the wind:) ALEE

29. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

34. Opening stake: ANTE.

36. Pitching superstar: ACE.  Walker Buehler may have been the ACE in this year's World Series

37. Marker: IOU.  PEN also fit

43. Rx provider: DOC.  With 24 3LW's you're bound to get several that are abbrs.

44. Delighted cry: OOH.

45. In addition: ELSE.

51. Not just glance: STARE.  How good are YOU at a starting contest?? 

52. Many a Saudi: ARAB.

53. Jazzy improvisation: SCAT.  Ella was one of the best

57. Attempts: TRIES.

59. Coded plea for help: SOS.  Morse code.  Dit dit dit, dah dah dah, dit dit dit (... --- ...)

61. Nev. neighbor: ARI.  CSO to me, Lucina, Yuman, et al

62. "Despicable Me" voice actress Kristen: WIIG.  This actress pronounces her last name the same as an artificial hairpiece: "wig".  But if you look at it again, what if she pronounced it like a video game platform + the last letter, might you get this?:

Wii - G

67. Beginning for potent or present: OMNI.  A prefix meaning "all; everywhere"

68. Core supporters: BASE.  This term was used ad nauseum during the Presidential campaign

69. "Booped" body parts: NOSES.  

70. Acute: KEEN.  The Thesaurus-saurus agrees!

71. Roe source: SHAD.  I prefer mine from sturgeon

72. Down-at-the-heels: SEEDY.  Merrium-Webster agrees

Down:

1. Enthusiastic or impatient cry: OH BOY.  Enjoy this little ditty from a performer who left us way too soon

2. Perhaps: MAYBE.  Do you think maybe there'll be a Moe-ku today?  Perhaps ...

3. Some flutes: ALTOS.

        The fife producer

        Took today off; celebrates

        (the) Flutes of his labor

4. "Caught you!": HAH.  See!  There was a Moe-ku; hah!

6. Norwegian king in hagiographies: ST OLAV.  Learning moment for me, today regarding the clue

7. Greenwich Village sch.: NYU.  Right in the heart of Greenwich Village  

Washington Square Arch near NYU

8. Large container: URN.  A large-sized container (urn) is often used for coffee; a small-sized container (urn) is often used as an alternative to a coffin

9. Hotel capacity: BEDS.  Same answer applies to a hospital's capacity

10. "Doctor Zhivago" star: SHARIF.  Aka, Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub

11. Lingerie array: PEIGNOIRS.  I wondered if this word had been used before in a major crossword puzzle - apparently, yes

12. Almost had it: CAME CLOSE. For some reason, this brought to mind a quip I wrote some ten years ago (October 2014).  Not sure if those here are familiar with the racehorse I reference, so when you get to the last word click on the link ... 

Famous actress Glenn mourned the recent death of a Breeders Cup winning racehorse. She even went so far as to attend the horse's funeral. Unbeknownst to her, the horse's owners cancelled the funeral and had the horse cremated instead.  She came to the funeral, anyway.  TMZ followed her and published this headline the next day on their website: 

CLOSE, but no Cigar

13. Spots: ADS.  So here, all along, the images on a Dalmation's coat are actually ads?? 😉

18. Uruguayan coin: PESO.  We had this word entry on Tuesday; Susan gave us the list of those other countries who use the peso as their currency of choice ... 

23. Call upon: USE.

25. Class that brings problem after problem?: MATH. Why is it that I have a problem with this clue and its answer??  Maybe, because I couldn't find a Moe-ku to fit the answer ... how about a Moe-l'ick instead, that is sorta related ...

        The young mermaid showed quite a big flaw,

       While committing a fashion faux pas.

       She was kicked out of MATH

       After showing some wrath

       When she wore her see-through Algae-bra

27. Part of a boa: FEATHER.  SPLEEN and SCALE didn't fit.  And when I found this image, I couldn't see any feathers ... 

Where the heck are its feathers???

28. Inscribe with acid: ETCH.  Could've been clued: "___ a Sketch"

30. Part of a prof's address: EDU.  Only since 43-across (DOC) was already used

32. "__ mir bist du schoen": 1937 hit: BEI.  Who here remembers the Andrews Sisters?  Let's see.  In 1937 my future parents were in grade school ... 

33. Little snicker: HEE.  We gave out these little "snickers" for Halloween this year 

34. "At last!": ABOUT TIME.  This clue/entry would've been more appropriate if it were at the end of my blog!! 😂😂

35. Peach kin: NECTARINE.  Here's the difference between the two

39. "Au contraire!": NOT.  The clue was in Frawnch

40. Qatar's capital: DOHA.  Coin flip here:  If you chose the capital as in currency, then rial fits.  But in this case it refers to the government center

41. Job listing letters: EEO.  Except on Old MacDonald's farm, where jobs there are listed E-I-E-I-O

42. Italian ski destination: ALPS.  Where you just might run into that Tyrolian shepherd fellow from 31-across

43. Bobs and buns: DOS.  I hear that pre-Windows computer technicians chose MS-DOS for their haircut styles ... 

47. Root: ORIGIN.

48. Charge: FEE.  The noun; not the verb form

49. __ out at: LASHED.  My twisted brain saw this image as someone who might resemble this: 

50. Slender woodwind: OBOE.  Played by that slender fish in 21-across, maybe??

54. Make happen: CAUSE.  How did this happen?  Just 'cause

55. On, as an alarm: ARMED.  Once again, my brain went in a different direction when I saw the word armed.  I wondered if there were any cartoon images of an octopus holding 8 alarm clocks, but this one is funnier:

56. A bit buzzed: TIPSY.  I swear I was cold stone sober when I wrote this blog ... (which, FTR, was done on Monday the 4th)

58. Sounds of woe: SOBS.  "There's no crying in crossword puzzle blogging!"

60. U.S. IDs: SSNS.  See 65-down; you need one of these to apply 

62. Stir-fry need: WOK.  How about another Moe-l'ick?

        When the pastry chef went to embark

       New position, I heard him remark,

        “I’ll be good at stir-fry.”

        “Piece of cake!” I replied.

        He said, “no, just a WOK in the park.”

64. "Pass": NAH.  Oh, you don't want another Moe-l'ick or Moe-ku??

65. PreCheck org.: TSA.  PreCheck for frequent travelers is a must - I got mine as part of Global Entry

66. Foot part: TOE.  Toe, which rhymes with Moe, who is now going to bid you à bientôt! 😃

Thursday, November 7, 2024, Simon Marotte, Trenton Lee Stewart

  

Making Ends Meet

 

As near as I can tell today's constructors Simon Marotte and Trenton Lee Stewart are both making their debuts in the LA Times, although they have previously published with the NYT here and here.  Their 4 themers remind us that even famous people had to take odd jobs to make ends meet when they were starting out.  Each clue consists of two famous people, tells us what their (fictional) side hustle was, and plays on it to give us a punny two word fill ...

17A. Earnhardt and Andretti work as ushers?: DRIVERS SEAT.  Ralph Dale Earnhardt (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series.  Sadly, Earnhardt died in a racing accident in 2001.

Dale Earnhardt

Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1982.

Mario Andretti

27A. Gerwig and DuVernay work at the barbershop?: DIRECTOR'S CUT.  Greta Celeste Gerwig (born August 4, 1983) is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director.  She is most famous for directing the 2023 film Barbie, from which we featured a brief clip with Issa Rae as President Barbie just last week.

Greta Gerwig

Ava Marie DuVernay (born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and Golden Globe.

Ava DuVernay

44A. Austen and Morrison choreograph a play?: WRITERS BLOCK.  I started off on the wrong track trying to determine what "choreography" had to do with plays and sent an SOS to C.C. who discovered that     blocking is the precise staging of actors to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera.  Jane Austen and Toni Morrison are not well known for their plays, but did in fact write some. 

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was of course the famous English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century.

Jane Austen

Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (née Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987); she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993

Toni Morrison

59A. Hook and Kirk haul timber?: CAPTAINS LOG.  In this case not only is the side hustle fictional, but our famous people are as well.  Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. 

Captain Hook

James Tiberius Kirk, commonly known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds and "boldly go where no man has gone before". 

Captain Kirk

Here's the grid ...

Here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Mobile app for staying mobile: UBER.  Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and operates in approximately 70 countries and 10,500 cities worldwide.

5. "In your face!": BOOYA.  This fill was not the first thing that popped into my mind for this clue.  It's really an expression of enthusiasm or exuberance.  In fact my researches didn't uncover any connection between the clue and the fill.  What I did uncover was this homophonic recipe and this (automated) exclamation by the famous financial adviser Jim Cramer ...

10. Draw: TIE.

13. __-gazing: NAVEL.  Pejorative slang for meditation.  OTOH NAVAL-gazing is something done by ship captains.

15. "Funeral Blues" poet: AUDEN.  An expression of profound grief by W. H. Auden.

16. Short expression of surprise: OMG.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Snub-nosed dog: PUG.  

Pug puppy

20. Lyricist Gershwin: IRA.  Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love", and "Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess.  Here's Ella Fitzgerald singing Embraceable You ...

Lyrics

21. Assays: TESTS.

22. Mispronounces esses, maybe: LISPS.

24. "Gracias" response: DENADA.  Today's Spanish lesson: "Thank you!"; "You're welcome!"

26. Parcel (out): METE.

27. [Theme clue]

33. "We are not amused" type: PRUDE.  The story behind the song.

36. Potential queens: PAWNS.  Yes, but they're the cannon fodder of  chess board and have many obstacles to overcome (being sacrificed, en passant capture, etc.) before they can ascend to the throne. Here's how it works ... 

37. Sorority letter: RHO.

38. Texted titters: LOLS.  Laughing Out Louds.

39. Eyelashes, anatomically: CILIA.  Cilia is the plural form of  cilium (from the Latin for 'eyelid'), a short hair-like membrane protrusion from many types of eukaryotic cell. (Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea) The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projection that extends from the surface of the much larger cell body. The cilia lining the lungs provide an important function in keeping them free of microbes and debris ...

40. Cry of pain: YEOW.

41. Açai  bowl grain: OAT.  Açaí na tigela (lit. 'Açaí in the bowl') is a sweet Brazilian snack food from Pará and Amazonas. It is a dish made with the frozen and mashed fruit of the açaí palm, described as having an "earthy" or creamy taste. Its texture is granular before blending and it has a tartness from a high acidity content, making its taste appealing. It is served as a smoothie in a bowl, usually mixed with guaraná syrup, and is commonly topped with granola and banana.

Açaí bowl

42. Daytona entry: RACER.

43. Swear words: OATHS. 

44. [Theme clue]

47. Surrounds in a rush: MOBS.  Being surrounded by a MOB can be a scary thing, but these people were unexpectedly delighted by one ...

48. Fools (with): MESSES.

52. Chihuahua, for one: STATE.  A state of Mexico that is ...

Chihuahua, Mexico

The Chihuahua dog breed is named for this state.

54. "Haters __ hate": GONNA.  "Haters gonna hate" is slang for expressing consolation, voicing encouragement, or dismissing criticism. The phrase implies that criticism says more about the critic, or “hater,” than the person being criticized, i.e., that they are making judgements out of jealousy or their own negativity.  -- Dictionary.com.  It's also the title of this song by the band Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! (presumably inspired by Jackson Pollack 😀) ...

57. Pop star Rita: ORA.  Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she was featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Right Now", which peaked atop the UK singles chart.  Here's her 2023 hit You & I ...

58. Statues, paintings, etc.: ART.

59. [Theme clue]

62. Mirror image?: YOU.  A selfie that doesn't require a cell phone?

63. Word from the Greek for "chasm": CHAOS.  Also a homophone for the BAD GUYS in the Get Smart series ...

64. Fashion designer Kate: SPADE.  Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan Spade (born Katherine Noel Brosnahan; December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. She was the co-founder and co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York.

Kate Spade

65. Total: SUM.

66. Valuable one: ASSET.

67. Aphrodite's consort: ARES.   Here's the dish on this famous couple -- the love story of Ares & Aphrodite: their romance, affairs, children.

Ares and Aphrodite

Down:
 
1. Overturned: UNDID.

2. Dance studio rail: BARRE.  

Barre

3. Dasani alternative: EVIAN.

4. Fire (up): REV.

5. Barbershop quartet part: BASS .  Here's an update on an old classic.  I think the BASS is the third from the left ...

6. Boot from power: OUST.

7. Praiseful poems: ODES.  An ODE in praise of the tongue.
.
8. Affirmative vote: YEA.

9. Moose feature: ANTLERS.  All about moose antlers ...

Moose with antlers

10. Upper-level clearance level: TOP SECRET.  Here's the process for obtaining a TOP SECRET clearance.  For your eyes only!

11. Cry from the recently roused: I'M UP.  Good!  Don't cry about it -- get to work!

12. Spurs (on): EGGS.  -- "to incite, urge, encourage, instigate," c. 1200, from Old Norse eggja "to goad on, incite," from egg "edge". 

14. Allow to peter out: LET DIE.  A good way to clear out the gas in a lawnmower at the end of the summer -- let it run until the engine dies.  

18. Caboose: REAR.  Slang -- here are some other synonyms for "caboose".

23. "__ not for me to say": IT'S.  An old standard by Robert Allen and Al Stillman made famous by Johnny Mathis ... 

25. Puts in: ADDS.

26. Title at the Louvre: MONA.  Today's Italian lesson -- MONA is a contraction of MA DONNA, "My Lady", and is the title for the woman depicted in the most famous painting in the world.

Mona Lisa
Leonard Da Vinci

28. Heroic accounts: EPICS.  The Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia is one of the oldest.  Some scholars believe may have been the origin of the Old Testament story of Noah's Flood.

The Deluge tablet
inscribed in in Akkadian

29. McLaughlin of "Stranger Things": CALEB.  Stranger Things is an American television series set in the 1980s.  The series centers on the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they are plagued by a hostile alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, after a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between Earth and the Upside Down. 

Caleb McLaughlin
aka Lucas Sinclair 

30. Take for a spin?: TWIRL.

31. "Whoops!": UH OH.

32. Tugs along: TOWS.

33. Ground-breaking invention: PLOW.  Also spelled PLOUGH. 

Farmer ploughing a field

34. Crowd eruption: ROAR.

35. Demand that rarely ends in compromise: ULTIMATUM.  "OR ELSE" was too short.

39. Pixar film set in Radiator Springs: CARS.  Here's the original 2006 trailer ... 

40. Hairy beasts: YAKS.  We hear from YAKS frequently in crossword puzzles.

42. Only Hitchcock film to win Best Picture: REBECCA.  Rebecca is a 1940 American romantic psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay was based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier.  The film stars Laurence Olivier as the brooding, aristocratic widower Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine as the young, never-named woman who becomes his second wife.  Maxim's first wife Rebecca, who died before the events of the film, is never seen. Her reputation and recollections of her, however, are a constant presence in the lives of Maxim, his new wife and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.  Here is the original trailer ...

43. Current locations?: OCEANS.  FJORDS fit but didn't perp.

45. Young'un: TOT.

46. Prefix with -vore: OMNI.  CARNI and HERBI didn't fit.

49. Geothermal alternative: SOLAR.  Geothermal resources are reservoirs of hot water that exist or are human-made at varying temperatures and depths below the earth's surface and the heat can be converted for use as energy sources.  Investment in SOLAR arrays has many advantages, but also has some disadvantages.

50. Wear away: ERODE.

51. Learned ones: SAGES.

52. Utters: SAYS.

53. Pants, informally: TROU.  Short for TROUSERS.  Hand up if you've ever heard anybody use this IRL?

54. College figs.: GPAS.  DEANS were too long.

55. Great Plains people: OTOE.  At one time the Otoes and Missourias, along with the Winnebago and Iowa Tribes, were once part of a single tribe that lived in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. In the 16th century the tribes separated from each other and migrated west and south although they still lived near each other in the lower Missouri River Valley.  This article on the history of the Otoe-Missouria tribe will tell you why their name in the native language is a CSO to Husker Gary.
 

The Seven Tribes

56. Cond __: NAST.  Condé Nast is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast (1873–1942) and now owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

60. Sounds heard at a 61-Down: AHS.

61. Massage locale: SPA.

Cheers,

Bill

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

waseeley

Wednesday, Nov 6th, 2024 ~ Sala Wanetick

  CRISS-CROSS-EYED

This appears to be Sala Wanetick's first solo effort for the LA Times - I found three other puzzles with a co-constructor, Emily Biegas.  The grid is size 15 x 16, and the theme is two-word formations known as reduplication.  Some really vague clues/answers today, 18 TLWs, just two less than the number of four letter words, and a handful names, some of them totally obscure.  The themers;

18. Drag one's feet: DILLY-DALLY

27. Idle banter: CHIT-CHAT

40. Indecisive: WISHY-WASHY

57. Mixed bag: MISH-MASH

69. Tchotchke: KNICK-KNACK - I learned the word "tchotchke" ( CHOCH-key) from the terminal manager at Roadway Express - he was referring to the truckload of Home Interiors goods we had to sort every Friday night

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Loose-fitting: BAGGY

6. Hiker's snack mix: GORP  - AND -  32A. Tidbit in 6-Across: NUT - Good Ol' Raisins & Peanuts

10. New England fish: SCROD

15. Tunisian couturier Azzedine __: ALAÏA - Wow.  On a Wednesday.  Beyond obscure.  His Wiki.  Name #1

16. Is short: OWES

17. __ Troopa: Mario Bros. turtlelike foe: KOOPA - I grew up with Atari 2600; 

this was the "next generation" of video gaming - Name #2

Sort of theme-ish, too

20. "All good here": "I'M SET."

21. Italian sub slice: SALAMI

22. Unleash (on): SIC

23. Management level: TIER

24. Seeking, in ads: ISO - the old newspaper classified dating section - In Search Of . . . .

25. Organic lip balm brand: EOS

30. Cabinet-level div.: DEPartmenT

34. Drops in on: VISITS

35. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO - Name #3, but a common fill

36. Play areas?: STAGES

39. __ rally: PEP

44. "Silent Sunday Nights" cable network: TCM - filled via perps

47. Hangs loose: CHILLS - how 'bout some Chillaxing music~?

Rapture At Sea

48. Presidential terms, maybe: ERAS - did we go back to another era~?

52. "Got it": "OH, I SEE" - a bit meh.

54. Secret agent: SPY

56. Knitting loop: PURL - I used to watch several women in AA meetings knit, to the point where my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked Carol to teach me. 

60. Slangy greeting: 'SUP

I made my own UPS logos, too

62. NYC bus org.: MTA - the Metropolitan Transit Authority - some history

63. Like those on a world cruise: ASEA - Rapture~?

64. Float filler: AIR - I was not sure what "float" this referred to - I am guessing this . . . .

My brother once participated in the parade, holding on to Garfield

66. Out of this world: COSMIC - AND - 11D. Funny pages: COMICS - same letters

68. Hybrid piece of flatware: SPORK

71. Neutral shade: TAUPE

eBay Vintage

72. Easter haul: EGGS

73. Aerie nester: EAGLE

74. Counterpart of "ser," in Spanish: ESTAR - I had no idea - I used Google translate; both mean "be"

75. "Save me a __!": SEAT

76. Track athlete's asset: SPEED


DOWN:

1. Less photogenic angle: BAD SIDE - my "top side" is bad; the field manager is obsessed with taking pictures of my bald spot

My "bad side" at Washington National Cathedral

2. Names on falsified papers: ALIASES

3. Runs fast: GALLOPS

4. __ monster: GILA

5. Self-congratulatory cheer: "YAY ME~!" - cute, but a bit meh.

6. Smallest state in India: GOA - learned by doing crosswords; name #4

7. Parliament birds: OWLS - a 'parliament' being a group of owls - very clever

8. Piece of history: RELIC - this was my nick-name when I worked at Winn-Dixie; I was 27yrs old, roughly 10 years older than the rest of the stock crew - I was actually enamored of the moniker

9. "Gotcha!": "PSYCH~!"

10. Like some newly rescued dogs: SKITTISH - understandable

12. Fruit from a flowering shrub: ROSE HIP

For more, here's the Wiki

13. Manage: OPERATE - manage/operate is more Saturday clue/answer, IMO

14. Who __ Nation: New Orleans Saints fans: DAT - I have heard of this; it appears from the Corner map that Hahtoolah and Big Easy might be fans of this NFL team . . . .

19. Pop diva Celine: DION - Name #5, but I knew this one

26. Food that may be served via conveyor belt: SUSHI - I did not understand this clue; when I did an internet search, I discovered that there are restaurants that have sushi dishes going around on a belt - fascinating~! 

Here's a site about eating at one

28. St. __ Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub: IVES - fresh cluing for an old fill

29. Seasoning amt.: TSP - teaspoon

31. Auto club service: TOW - I toyed with AAA first, but that would be the club, not the service

33. Texting farewell: TTYL - text-speak, Talk To You Later

37. Knob-handled stickers: AWLS - stickers has different meanings in different places.  I was asked by an associate of the Pipe Organ company to get a couple of "stickers"; growing up on Long Island, "stickers" are the self-adhesive images that went on your books and binders - here in New England, it would seem that they are the "chocks" for under lumber stacks.  Go figure.  In this clue/answer, the term "sticker" is more like "poke-r"

Get it~?

38. Sounds of awe: GASPS - Like your reaction to the above image

41. Spot with falling rocks?: ICEMAKER - very clever clue / answer

42. Former home of the Mets: SHEA - name #6, but I grew up a Mets fan on Long Island, so . . . . 

43. "Reckon so": "YEP."

44. Actor Holland: TOM - name #7; his IMDb

45. Mexican state bordering Guatemala: CHIAPAS - name #8, no clue; tough for a Wednesday

Bottom right-hand corner

46. Lose an opportunity: MISS OUT - YOLO, ICYMO

49. Riffle (through): RUMMAGE

50. Thing: ARTICLE - ITEM was way too short

51. Didn't bring one's A game, say: SLACKED

53. Ethnic group native to Nepal and Tibet: SHERPA

55. "Ew! Gross!": "YUCK~!"

58. Fermented brews often served warm: SAKES - Sock-EEs, to drink with your conveyor belt sushi

59. Shutter hardware: HINGE - Shutters SHUT; I have "fake" shutters that would not come close to protecting the windows on my house

The "shutters" on the picture window are absurd -

they will come off when I do stucco in the future

61. Prods: POKES - you mean, with a sticker~?  Or an awl~?

65. Latvia's capital: RIGA - learned by doing crosswords

67. Onesie feature: SNAP

I just don't know who - yet

68. Sault __ Marie: STE - crossword staple

70. Winter hrs. in Tulsa: CST - the clocks are "normal" again

Splynter