Friday, August 8, 2025, Jess Rucks

Good Morning, Cruciverbalisits!  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Jess Rucks.  From Jess' website:

Jess Rucks (she/her) is a crossword constructor living Colorado; she is a Minnesotan at heart. Her puzzles have been published in The New York Times, Apple News+, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Universal, AVCX, AVCX+, Boswords, Puzzmo, and The Inkubator.  She runs the monthly Constructor Spotlight feature at Daily Crossword Links.  Jess is also a licensed school counselor and a licensed professional counselor candidate who provides clinical play-based therapy to elementary students in schools.

Today, Jess takes us on a visit to the third dimension.  Well, to 3-D anyway.  Each of the four themed-answers consists of words containing the letter D three times.  For those seeking an introduction to said letter:

Yep, that's it.  Simple and yet quite elegant.  Here are the places where the gimmick is employed:

16 Down:  3D film?: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.  A 1999 satirical mockumentary movie.

25 Down:  3D puzzle?: WORD LADDER.   A type of puzzle progression with which most crossword solvers are familiar.

47 Down:  3D animation?: DONALD DUCK.  No introduction needed.

59 Dow: . 3D printing?: DAVID COPPERFIELD.  Printing?  That threw this solver for a while.  Aha!  A book is printed.

This is how is all looks in the grid:

... and now for the rest of the story:

Across:

1. Blush wine: ROSE.  ROSE wines incorporate some color from the skins of the grapes but not enough to qualify as a RED wine.

5. Howling canine: WOLF.  Not a tooth ache.

9. [She said what!?]: GASP.  

13. Loot: BOOTY.  Not being used, in this instance, as in "to shake one's BOOTY".

14. Geometry calculation: AREA.  Width times length.

15. Harmonizer, often: ALTO.  See also 21 Across.  Very clever of Jess to work this pair, and 6/23 Down, and also 58/60 Down into the puzzles.  Brava!

19. Buffoons: OAFS.  What is the difference between a cat on a couch and a dim witted cow?  One is a cat loaf and the other is a cattle OAF.

20. Some ER pros: RNS.  Registered NurseS

21. Soprano's part, usually: MELODY.  See Also 15 Across.  Hmm, it's capitalized but it is not, this time, a reference to this guy:

Tony Soprano

22. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

23. Forever and a day: EON.  A time span often referenced in our puzzles . . . but, fortunately, not spent solving them.

24. Sweet start?: SEMI.

29. Fragrant latte: CHAI.  Frequently served up in our puzzles.

33. Drag icon with 14 Emmys: RU PAUL.

34. Throw on the floor: RUG.  Throw is not used in the clue as a verb.  A throw RUG.

35. D.C. summer hrs.: EDT.  Eastern Daylight Time

36. Globes: ORBS.  If the theme had been 2D instead of 3D I could have gone with the John Hartford song here.        Oh, 'common, I'm not the only one who thought of that!

37. Hieroglyph beetle: SCARAB.

40. __ Pueblo, New Mexico: TAOS.  A World Heritage Site.

41. "Seize the Awkward" spot, e.g.: PSA.  Public Service Announcement

42. Fix, in a bad way: RIG.  As in to rig an election.  There was also a line from Stan Freberg - "You mean to tell me that, on top of everything else, this ship is RIGged!?"

43. Hang out after checking for rain?: AIR DRY.  Hang something on the clothesline to dry.

45. Basic French verb: ETRE.  Être meaning "to be" and avoir meaning "to have" form the bedrock of French conjugation.

49. Step on someone's toes, perhaps: TRIP.  A clue to be taken literally and not idiomatically.  Still, a bit of a stretch.

51. Alias indicator: AKA.  Also Known As.

52. Cuban ingredient: HAM.  As in a Cuban sandwich.

54. Native Nebraskans: OMAHAS.  . . . and, without the S, an eponymous city.  Speaking of which:

57. Reggae kin: SKA.  Everything You Need To Know - Ska vs Reggae  See also 32 Down.

58. "Queen of Country" McEntire: REBA.

Fancy

63. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.  EXECutive

64. Boo-boo: OWIE.  Kidspeak.

65. Animal whose name means "eater of bark" in Algonquian: MOOSE.

Thanks, perps.

66. Entitled men?: SIRS.  Men with titles.

67. Snow day toy: SLED.  Hi, Calvin!  Hi, Hobbes!

68. Field for Kahlo y Burga: ARTE.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Art, in English.

Down:

1. High point of hospitality?: ROOF TOP BAR.  Another clue meant to be taken literally.

2. "My b!": OOPS.  "My bad!"  What’s the most terrifying word in nuclear physics?  Oops!

3. Norm: Abbr.: STD.  STandarD.

4. "What-ev-er!" expressions: EYE ROLLS.

5. Gum balls?: WADS.  My aunt always put a WAD of Copenhagen between her cheek and gun before swimming . . .  She liked taking a dip.

 

6. Nonprofit domain: ORG.  See also 23 Down.  A .ORG domain extension is short for organization, and it was initially intended for non-profit organizations. Over time, however, it has expanded to include other groups, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), charities, educational institutions, and community-driven projects. 

7. Nocturnal cat?: LEO.  You can see the LEO constellation at night.

8. Seed money investor?: FARMER.  Cute play on words.  FARMERS invest money in seeds.

9. Celtic language: GAELIC.  The only GAELIC that this solver knows is Sláinte !

10. Potatoes, in Urdu: ALOO.   And now for something completely different...

11. __ finder: STUD.  A handy device to have if one is hanging something heavy on the wall of their home.

12. Small bouquet: POSY.

13. Sausage that may be boiled in bier: BRATWURST.  Bier, with the German spelling, was the tip off.

16. "__ dare?": DO I.

17. Karenina of literature: ANNA.

18. Ruby, e.g.: GEM.  I need a good GEM related pun here but I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

23. Academic domain: EDU.  See also 6 Down.  The ending for an online domain associated with a school or university.

24. Creator of Sonic and Knuckles: SEGA.  A video game reference.

26. Dorm figs.: RAS.  Resident AdvisorS  or Assistants   Dormitory 

27. Sink hole: DRAIN.  Another clue to be taken literally.  A hole in the sink.

28. Hindu goddess whose name means "impassable": DURGA.  Unknown to this solver. Thanks, perps.  From Wikipedia:  

Durga is a principal Hindu goddess, worshipped as a central aspect of the supreme goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga is seen as a motherly figure and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons.

30. Dish that resembles a jellied meatloaf: HEAD CHEESE.  Despite its name it is neither cheese nor any type of dairy product.

31. Endearingly nerdy: ADORKABLE.  A portmanteau.  Adorable / Dork

32. Teeny: ITSY.

A ReggaeSka Cover

33. Lasso: ROPE.

38. __ rotation: CROP.

39. Many unhappy returns?: BAD KARMA

40. "Ur so right": TRU.  IMHO not the best moment in the puzzle.  TRU?

44. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA.  A frequent visitor.

46. Moral philosophy: ETHICS.  What do you call a guy who believes in ETHICal treatment of spiders?  PETA Parker.

47. Spots for hustlers: DISCOS.  Do the Hustle.

48. Tahoe, for one: LAKE.  Lots of ways to clue LAKE if one heads down this path.  That, though, is often an amusing part of these puzzles.  One has to figure out if the answer needs to be  something specific or general.

50. "Gnarly!": RAD.  Power Thesaurus lists 584 synonyms for gnarly.

53. Fit to be tied: MAD.

54. Some Keats works: ODES.  ODE to a cold:

When your nose is runny 

Some people think it's funny

But it'snot

55. Dress choice: MAXI.

56. Assert: AVER.  To AVER is to affirm and to AVOW is to openly declare.  

57. Ignored the signs, perhaps: SPED.

58. Real hoot: RIOT.  Idiomatic  See also 60 Down

60. Real hooter: OWL.  Literal  See also 58 Down

61. March 14 dessert: PIE.  March 14th, or 3/14 or 314 or 3.14 or 

62. Not against: FOR.  Straightforward.

. . . and, on that positive note . . . well, maybe not just quite yet.  If you've got six minutes to spare let Weird Al bracket today's journey through the third dimension:

______________________________________________

Postscript:  This marine mammal will be doing some traveling and will miss its next couple of turns in the rotation.  Be well, everyone!

M M OUT

Thursday, August 7, 2025, Joe Marangell

Theme:  Schoolwork.

Constructor Joe Marangell teaches us to read five familiar phrases as if they pertained to schoolwork.  The theme answers are placed symmetrically in Across rows, with one spanning the grid.  Very clever!  Give this man an A!  The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. Biology course content?: LIFE LESSON.  A life lesson is a piece of wisdom gained through experience -- or in this case, a course of study in biology, which is the scientific study of life and living organisms.

26-Across. Aviation course content?: PILOT STUDY.  A pilot study is a small-scale, preliminary research project conducted to assess the feasibility of a larger study or project -- or in this case, study materials for someone learning to pilot an aircraft.

38-Across. Basic training course content?: PRIVATE PRACTICE.  A private practice is a professional business (such as that of a lawyer or doctor) that is not controlled by the government or a larger company -- or in this case, the training course for an army recruit of the lowest rank.

46-Across. Government course content?: POWER DRILL.  A power drill is a handheld tool that uses an electric motor to rotate a drill bit or screwdriver tip -- or in this case, a training session in the use of authority, influence, or control.

57-Across. Sports management course content?: COACH CLASS.  Coach class is economy seating on an aircraft or train -- or in this case, a curriculum for persons responsible for the direction, instruction, and training of a sports team or athlete.

Across: 

1. Tiffs: SPATS.

6. Gym sets: REPS.  Repetitions of an exercise, usually called "reps" in a gymnasium.

10. "Pygmalion" playwright: SHAW.  Pygmalion is a 1913 stage play by George Bernard Shaw.  It is named for the Greek mythological figure Pygmalion, who fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life.  You may be more familiar with the 1964 American musical comedy film My Fair Lady which is based on Shaw's play.

Pygmalion and Galatea by Elisabeth Caren

14. "Is it really?": NO LIE.  A conversational response that I have never heard used.

15. Waikiki home: OAHU.  The island of Oahu is home to the neighborhood of Waikiki within the city of Honolulu.

16. Slim margin of victory: HAIR.  "Win by a hair" is an idiom meaning to win by a very small margin.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Slick: OILY.

20. Strength: ASSET.  One definition of asset is a useful or valuable thing, person, or quality, which could also be considered a strength.

21. Nerdy 1990s sitcom character: URKEL.  Steve Urkel was a fictional character on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters, portrayed by Jaleel White.  Originally slated for a single appearance, he became the show's most popular character and its protagonist.

Jaleel White as Steve Urkel

22. Engineered crops, for short: GMOs.  Genetically Modified Organisms are plants, animals, or microorganisms whose DNA has been altered, often by introducing genes from another organism or by altering existing genes, to express desired traits. 

26. [Theme clue]

28. Arrive onshore, as clouds: ROLL IN.

Time to head home, kids!

30. "Affirmative": YES.

31. Actor Quinn: AIDAN.  Aidan Quinn is an Irish-American actor. He has starred in over 80 feature films as well as in several television series.

Aidan Quinn

32. Candy Land surface: BOARD.

35. Go on the __: LAM.  Escape or run away, especially from the police.  The English pickpockets who created the expression did not leave notes about its etymology.

38. [Theme clue]

41. "__ Haw": HEE.  Hee Haw was a TV variety show featuring country music and humor, which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1993.  "Hee haw" can be the sound a donkey makes, or a loud laugh.  Given the capitalization in the clue, the TV show is probably meant here.

42. Arial, Times New Roman, etc.: FONTS.

43. Sailing: AT SEA.

44. Best New Artist Grammy winner Lipa: DUA.  A frequent crossword vocalist.

45. Josh of the "Dune" films: BROLIN.  Josh Brolin is an actor, and son of actor James Brolin.  Josh had early success with his role in The Goonies (1985), and then saw his career decline until he starred in the film No Country for Old Men (2007).  Since then, he's enjoyed a stellar career.

Josh Brolin

46. [Theme clue]

52. Furry companions: PETS.

53. "Success is counted sweetest" poet Dickinson: EMILY.  "Success is counted sweetest" is a poem by Emily Dickinson, written in 1859 and published in 1864. The poem uses images of a victorious army and one dying warrior to suggest that only one who has suffered defeat can understand success.

Success is counted sweetest,

By those who ne’er succeed.

To comprehend a nectar

Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host

Who took the Flag today

Can tell the definition

So clear of Victory

As he defeated – dying – 

On whose forbidden ear

The distant strains of triumph

Burst agonized and clear!

54. Great Plains people: OTOES.  A Native American tribe that lived in the Central Plains region, specifically along the Missouri River in parts of what are now Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri.

 
56. Toddler's pop: DADA.  Babies often say "dada" or "mama" as part of their early babbling, typically between 6 and 12 months of age.  The sound "dada" usually precedes "mama," which seems like a great survival mechanism for a mewling infant.

57. [Theme clue]

62. Nautical greeting: AHOY.

63. Puerto Rico, e.g.: ISLA.  The Spanish word for "island," pronounced EES-la.

64. Ed of "Lou Grant": ASNER.  Ed Asner (1929-2021) was an American actor, most noted for portraying Lou Grant on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) and on the drama Lou Grant (1977–1982).  He is the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven.

Ed Asner

65. Statutes: LAWS.

66. Texter's "Bye for now": TTYL.  Talk To You Later.

67. __-frutti: TUTTI.  Tutti frutti (Italian for 'all fruits') is a mixture of candied fruits, often used to flavor ice cream.  The mixture may include cherries, watermelon, raisins, and pineapple.  That doesn't sound so great, but you know what does?  Little Richard's song "Tutti Frutti" (1957).

Tutti Frutti

Down:

1. Chloe Fineman's show, familiarly: SNL.  Chloe Fineman is an American actress and comedian. She became a featured player on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live in 2019, and was promoted to repertory status in 2021.

Chloe Fineman

2. Luau dish: POI.  Poi is a staple food in the Polynesian diet, made from the root vegetable taro.  It shows up frequently at Hawaiian luaus.

Mashing taro to make poi.

3. Fuzzy 1980s sitcom character: ALF.  ALF is the title character of the American television series ALF, and its animated spin-offs.  ALF is short for Alien Life Form. Paul Fusco created and played ALF, and provided the voice for the character.  Here's another cultural touchstone that I've missed.

ALF

4. Twist __: TIE.  The bit of wire in a paper or plastic wrapper that you use to close a plastic bag.

5. Actress Ward: SELA.  Sela Ward is an American actress known for her work in TV series including the Fox medical drama House, and the CBS police procedurals CSI: NY and FBI.  She has also played supporting roles in a number of films.  

Sela Ward

6. Martini partner: ROSSI.  Chill gin in the freezer, pour into a cold glass, add a few drops of this extra dry vermouth, and call it a martini.  Add a twist of lime or a few olives if you like.

7. Canvas stand: EASEL.

8. Pic: PHOTO.

9. Phoenix pro: SUN.  The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the NBA as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.

10. Warm-weather wear: SHORTS.

11. Japanese poem: HAIKU.  A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry characterized by its three-line structure and specific syllable count: 5-7-5.

Words weave secret paths,

Meaning cloaked in clever clues—

The grid slowly speaks.

12. Felt unwell: AILED.  What some of us did after last weekend's wedding in the woods.  My brother in law apparently brought the gift of COVID from Florida.

13. With irony: WRYLY.

18. "Baseball Tonight" airer: ESPN.

21. Kelley Blue Book listing: USED CAR.  Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. (www.kbb.com) is an American vehicle valuation and automotive research company.  Great site to check if you are buying or selling a used car.

22. Sales meeting visual aid: GRAPH.

23. Wavy pattern: MOIRÉ.  In mathematics, physics, and art, moiré patterns are interference patterns produced when a partially opaque ruled pattern with transparent gaps is overlaid on a similar pattern. For the moiré interference pattern to appear, the two patterns must not be completely identical, but rather displaced, rotated, or with slightly different pitch.  I know the word from the silk fabric with a rippled appearance.  Moiré, or "watered textile," is made by pressing two layers of the textile when wet. The similar but imperfect spacing of the threads creates a wavy pattern which remains after the fabric dries.

Moiré interference pattern

Moiré fabric

24. Many a karaoke favorite: OLDIE.

25. Croat or Serb: SLAV.

27. Supermodel Banks: TYRA.  Tyra Banks is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. She began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first Black American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she appeared three times. By the early 2000s, Banks was one of the world's top-earning models, and she continues to act on television and in films.

Tyra Banks -- not in a moiré pattern, but equally eye catching!

29. Enraged: IN A FURY.

32. London's Big __: BEN.  Big Ben is a nickname for the clock and tower which stand at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.  It was completed in 1859.

Big Ben

33. Choose: OPT.

34. Talk Like a Pirate Day sounds: ARS.  International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate (that is, in English with a stereotypical West Country accent).  Here's a little vocabulary for you:

• Ahoy! Hello, a greeting.
• Avast! – "stop" or "pay attention."
• Aye! – "yes."
• Aye aye! – Often acknowledging an order.
• Arrr! – A versatile expression for excitement, anger, or agreement.
• Matey – A friend.
• Walk the plank – Who ate me last pickled egg?! Walk the plank!
• Me hearties – Refers to sailors or pirates as "my crew."
• Scallywag – A playful term for a rogue.
• Landlubber – A term for someone not skilled at sea; a non-sailor.
• Buccaneer – Another word for pirate, especially in the Caribbean.
• Plunder – To steal goods, often by force, in piracy.
• Swashbuckler – A daring, adventurous pirate or sailor.
• Davy Jones' locker – The bottom of the sea! (a euphemism for death at sea.)
• Bilge rat – An insult for someone seen as despicable.
• Booty – Treasure taken by pirates.
• Shiver me timbers! – An exclamation of surprise.
• Dead men tell no tales – A warning against betrayal.
• Parley – A request to negotiate, used in conflicts.
• Scurvy dog – An insult for someone seen as contemptible.

35. Cotton thread: LISLE.  Lisle is a lightweight, tightly twisted thread, typically made from long-staple cotton.

36. Earn a perfect exam grade: ACE IT.

37. Statistical averages: MEANS.

39. Pond hopper: TOAD.

40. Roof option for a classic Corvette: T-TOP.

Corvette T-Tops were produced 1968-1982.

44. Airport snags: DELAYS.

45. "Gross!": BLEH.

46. Piano part: PEDAL.

47. Nebraska city with four Fortune 500 companies: OMAHA.  To wit, ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha, and Kiewit Corporation.  Easy for me, as I can't think of any other cities in Nebraska.

48. "Black __": Marvel film directed by Cate Shortland: WIDOW.  Black Widow is a 2021 film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name.  The title character is played by Scarlett Johansson.

49. Bird's perch: ROOST.

50. Sophia Loren's birthplace: ITALY.

51. Nearby: LOCAL.

55. "Shoo!": SCAT.

57. Op. __: footnote abbr.: CIT.  Op. cit. is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase opus citatum or opere citato, meaning "the work cited."  It refers to a work previously cited.

58. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU.  Louisiana State University, known to me because of LSU's rivalty with DH's Tennessee Volunteers.

59. Colony insect: ANT.

60. Complete collection: SET.

61. __ Lanka: SRI.

Here's the grid:

AHOY there, me hearties!

Did you attack this puzzle and ACE IT?

Or did it leave you IN A FURY?

Let us know in the comments.  TTYL!

-- NaomiZ

Wednesday, Aug 6th, 2025 ~ Chandi Deitmer & Claire Rimkus

 CAKE-SNIFFER~!

Carmelita Spats, from a Series of Unfortunate Events

We had a Saturday puzzle last month from Chandi Deitmer, cowritten with Erik Agard; today she has teamed up with crossword constructor Claire Rimkus, who has puzzles published in the NYT, mostly Fridays.  While I found the reveal to be cute, the ridiculous number of names - person, place and thing - so many of them that I lost count, just drained the fun out of  the solve.  There were a few crossings that I did not appreciate, e.g. CATIO/CASABA, FARRO/SEURAT.  Big, chunky triple-seven(ish) corners, no circles, a balance of 3&4LWs, but overall, a "meh" for me - YMMV.  The themers, and the reveal;

16. Professional who makes a lot of scents?: PERFUMER - one of only two unique fills today, CATIO being the other.  I have linked this before, but I find it fascinating that not only is it a "thing", but I bought a sample, and happen to like the cologne.  Perfumer Xerjoff teamed up with Black Sabbath's riff master guitarist Tony Iommi to create a fragrance called "Scent of Dark"

The promotional video

25. Professional who sniffs out crime?: POLICE DOG - animal #1; couldn't decide which I liked more

No new friend yet, but I am Cooper-sitting while my brother is on his honeymoon next month

37. Professional who helps you breathe easy?: ALLERGIST - a physician who specially trained to diagNOSE, treat and manage allergies, asthma, etc.

53. Professional who stops to smell the rosés?: SOMMELIER - "Ro-zays", the 'pink' wines; a sommelier is a wine expert, knows how to pair them with food, etc.; my friend who runs three restaurants on Long Island started out as one; the "nose" of a wine is its scent in the glass - here's one website

64. Rhinoplasties, or an apt description of 16-, 25-, 37-, and 53-Across?: NOSE JOBS - each of the themers is a "job" related to a type of  'nose'

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Huge volume?: TOME - not enough to fool me, big book....

5. Animated pic: GIF - I tried "CEL" - but pic is an abbr, ergo GIF - Graphic Interchange Format

8. Model Delevingne: CARA - name #1 - how have I never heard of her~?

Her Wiki

12. Cameo shape: OVAL

13. Obama-era legislation, for short: ACA - Affordable Care Act

14. Canary melon kin: CASABA - never head of this fruit

18. Lion or tiger: ANIMAL - along with these two, we have six other animals in this puzzle today

19. Pt. of some gender-affirming care: HRT - Didn't know this one, either, at least as clued - Hormone Replacement Therapy - more here

20. "The Circus" painter Georges: SEURAT - name #2; his Wiki

22. "The Elephants" painter Salvador: DALI - name #3, animal #2 - I know the painter; had the "wrong" painting

I was thinking Swans Reflecting Elephants - this one

23. Puma rival: ASICS - name(ish) - footwear

27. Chorus section: TENORS

29. Make the cut?: LOP

30. Novelist Patchett: ANN - name #4

31. Cape Cod Bay mammal: SEAL - I did not know there was such an animal - #3

32. Mayberry boy: OPIE - name #5

35. Donkeys: ASSES - animal #4

40. Dahi-based drink: LASSI - NOT the animal, but a name all the same - more here

43. Clarinet insert: REED

44. Oklahoma city: ENID - place name #1

48. Poet Limón: ADA - name #6

49. Mega Man platform letters: NES - Nintendo Entertainment System; 1987 video game

51. Like plants that grow at high elevations: ALPINE

57. Cravat alternative: ASCOT - neckwear

58. "You got that right!": "TRUE~!"

59. Color on the Qatari flag: MAROON

61. Afore: ERE

62. Inspire 34-Down: ENRAGE

66. More treasured: DEARER

67. Kind of suffix?: "ISH"

68. Textbook section: UNIT

69. Old-timey television feature: DIAL

70. GPS approximation: ETA

71. Understands: GETS

DOWN:

1. Tall headgear: TOP HATS - I remember being appalled the first time seeing this guy on MTV, the "cousin Itt" of Rock N Roll, and his now famous "top hat"

Slash performing at Back to the Beginning - R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne

2. Supervise: OVERSEE

3. Tennis great Hingis: MARTINA - name #7 - her Wiki

4. Pixie: ELF - Pixie is the name of my 2014 Prius C-2; 40-50MPG, corners like it's on rails

5. Ready to dive in: GAME - this took me a while to suss; the phrase "I'm game~!"

6. Get a winter coat?: ICE UP - pondered "SLEET"

7. Grain that may be cooked like risotto: FARRO - never heard of this 

8. Preserve: CAN - the verb

9. Off-mic comment: ASIDE - meh.  I think of an 'aside' being an stage actor's comment to the audience

10. Open-sided shelters: RAMADAS - I was today years old when I learned this

11. Rock-clinging gastropod: ABALONE - A-buh-low-nee; animal #5 - I have heard of them, but never eaten one - the Wiki

14. Screened porch for an indoor pet: CATIO - I put in PATIO, figured there must be more to this; crossing an unknown melon didn't help - but it is a thing - animal #6

15. Sets straight: ALIGNS

17. Former country that included five -stan countries, for short: USSR - place name #2

21. Make a claim: ALLEGE

24. Sugary drinks: COLAS - I had SODAS - 60% correct

26. Filing pros: CPAs - Certified Public Accountants - crosswordese

28. La Tierra's star: SOL -Espaniol lesson; The Earth, and the Sun

33. Region in the Achaemenid Empire: PERSIA - place name #3 - sheesh, on Wednesday~?

34. Heated anger: IRE - these names are getting my IRE up, too many can  "62A." me

36. Pedometer units: STEPS - On my walk last week, I ventured down the railroad tracks to take this photo

38. Request from an underprepared actor: LINE - Pssst~! Line~! an unintended "ASIDE"

39. Ore. neighbor: IDA - plc nm #4 - Oregon & Idaho

40. Endured: LASTED

41. Covered in tinsel, maybe: ADORNED

42. Katana-wielding fighter: SAMURAI

45. "You nailed it!": "NICE ONE~!"

46. Circling: IN ORBIT - good clue/answer

47. Loathes: DETESTS - methinks most of the Cornerites despise "CrossNAMES" - I know I do . . . .

50. Bull on a glue bottle: ELMER - dont' care if I know it, name #8

52. Pool division: LANE - our blog hostess knows much about pool lanes

54. "The Stiller and __ Show": MEARA - names #9, tho I did know this one

55. Bert's roommate: ERNIE - names #10 - Muppets

56. Rule the __: ROOST

60. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration

63. Mani-pedi polish option: GEL - I thought it might be the new crosswordese "OPI", then I tried "RED" - Bzzzt~!

65. Instrument that might be played alongside spoons and a stovepipe: JUG

Splynter