Friday September 5, 2025 Patti Varol

While Malodorous Manatee relaxes under a pool umbrella sipping iced tea, I, RustyBrain, am toiling away on this review. However, I am also under a pool umbrella sipping iced tea (hey, it's still summer!).

Patti Varol, Patti Varol, hmm. Why does that name sound so familiar? Oh, I know! I've seen it atop every puzzle here for the past couple years along with someone named Ed. And LOOKY here! It's one of her own creations!

17. "Don't be impulsive," literally: LOOK YOU LEAP. → LOOK before YOU LEAP. In the answer, the word "LOOK " is placed before "YOU LEAP." This one was a bit of a poser. I had LOOKY- from the NW corner, but hadn't sussed the theme yet.

29. Find hidden meaning, literally: THE READ LINES. → READ between THE LINES. The word "READ" is in between "THE" and "LINES." This was my aha (oho?) moment. 

36. Requirement for many a private school, and an apt title for this puzzle?: PLACEMENT EXAM. → Advanced PLACEMENT EXAM. The revealer is also a themer! Very cool.

44. Risks missing a deadline, literally: SCHEDULE RUNS. → RUNS behind SCHEDULE. Another common phase reworked by placing "RUNS" behind the word "SCHEDULE."

60. Nearly identical pair, literally: A TWO PEAS POD. → TWO PEAS in A POD. I found this one the hardest to parse, even knowing the trick by now. The first letters ATWOP looked so odd it threw me. But "TWO PEAS" are definitely inside "A" and "POD." 

You've all heard of prepositional phrases, well these are just positional phrases where the position of the words in the answer is dictated by the clue. It's not the first time I've seen this type of theme, but this one is done very well - a straightforward switcheroo of common expressions...and there are five of them! The only downside to all this is an abundance of short fill. All in all, a fun outing. Thanks Patti.

Across:

1. Take off: SCRAM.

6. Piccata need: CAPER. In Italian cuisine, piccata is prepared using veal, whereas in American cuisine, chicken is more commonly used. Great either way. Here's a piccata pic:

11. Advanced deg.: PHD. Doctor of Philosophy = philosophiae doctor in Latin. Yes, "doctor" is actually a Latin word meaning "teacher" or "learned person."

14. Now, in Spanish: AHORA. 

15. Common fruit in 11-Down cuisine: OLIVE. Fruit in PROVENCAL cuisine: OLIVE. Next, you'll probably tell me that zucchini is a fruit. Ha ha...what's that? Zucchini really is a fruit?! I'll be darned.

16. Piglet pal: ROO.

17. [theme]

19. "!!!": OMG. TextSpeak for "Oh My God!" Oddly, it's rarely heard in church.

20. Absent: MISSING.

21. Timid person's lack: NERVE. I had "spine" first.

23. Gallery array: ART. Galley array: OARS.

24. Designer Jacobs: MARC. In fashion, he sits in the "affordable luxury" bracket. Out of fashion, I sit in the "affordable drudgery" bucket.

27. Covers for, maybe: ABETS.

29. [theme]

32. Garment worn with a choli: SARI. A choli in South India is a blouse or a bodice-like garment that is usually cropped leaving the midriff bare. A SARI is a draped dress.

34. Try (for): VIE.

35. Metal container: CAN. Metal container: ALBUM COVER (You knew I would squeeze one in somewhere!).

36. [theme]

41. Talk and talk: YAP.

42. Atmosphere: AIR.

43. Aromatherapy options: OILS.

44. [theme]

49. Take off: LEAVE.

50. Baking soda target: ODOR.

51. Comedian Samantha: BEE. BEE is an alumna of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and later became the first woman to host her own late-night satire show.

54. Radio-active truckers?: CBERS. Fun clue for users of Citizen's Band radios. During the CB craze in the 1970s, the novelty song "Convoy" was a big hit, reaching #1 on Billboard. It's young writer, Chip Davis, took his royalties and founded Mannheim Steamroller. 

56. Deep-fried appetizer: EGG ROLL.

59. Drink brand with Simbu Strawberry and Molokai Coconut flavors: BAI.

60. [theme]

63. Receipt fig.: AMT. Recipe fig.: also AMT. That's what it Amounts to.

64. One-named K-pop singer: IRENE. This name/clue is slowly is slowing sinking into my brain.

65. Party-planning site: EVITE. An online service for creating and sending digital invitations. See RSVP.

66. Photo __: OPS. Photo OOPS!

67. Concession speech deliverer: LOSER. Concession stand delivery: "Get your hot dogs here!"

68. Better suited for: APTER. Meh. APTER doesn't sound quite right.

Down:

1. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA. How many more last names does she have that I don't know about? 

2. Loft-y group?: CHOIR. I wanted "cloud."

3. Dove bar?: ROOST. Dove bar!

4. Holy chests: ARKS.

5. "Please?": MAY I.

6. Mountain predator: COUGAR. Especially the older females.

7. "I'm __ yours!": ALL.

8. Epitome of ease: PIE. The idiom "easy as PIE" is akin to "a piece of cake." The key insight is that eating a pie (or cake) is simple and requires little effort, as opposed to making one. In fact, the original phrase was "like eating pie." "Look ma, no hands!"

9. "Dear __ Hansen": EVAN. Dear Evan Hansen is a Tony Award-winning musical about a high school student with social anxiety who gets caught in a lie after a fellow student's suicide.

10. Void, in a way: REPEAL.

11. Like bouillabaisse: PROVENCAL. Originating from the Provence region on the Mediterranean in France. This answer took a while to fill in.

12. Squads that typically bat last: HOME TEAMS. I think I misread this clue...

13. Canine: DOG. Canine teeth are the pointy ones on either side of your incisors (front teeth) and are named for their resemblance to Dracula's a dog’s fangs.

18. "I got it": ON ME. Music to my ears!

22. Softball stat: RBI. Run Batted In, just like in baseball.

25. Held in high esteem: REVERED.

26. "Double Indemnity" novelist: CAIN. James M. CAIN was an American novelist, journalist and screenwriter. He is widely regarded as a progenitor of the hardboiled school of American crime fiction. Prior to that, he poached his work.

28. Fed. ID fig.: SSN. That's a lot of abbrev.! Federal Identification figure: Social Security Number.

29. Refrain syllable: TRA. So fa, sol good.

30. Juice box brand: HI-C.

31. Lions or Tigers, in recaps: DET. But not Bears! DETROIT. 

32. Destination for aspiring astronauts: SPACE CAMP. My eldest son went to summer camp at Kennedy Space Center. He had a great time and flew the shuttle (simulator). Although he didn't become an astronaut, he still shuttles to work.

33. "They're A, B, C, D-licious" cereal: ALPHA-BITS. Post was accused of being a cereal killer when they discontinued ALPHA-BITS in 2021. Now I'm at a loss for words. This is a box from when I was a kid. 

37. Lac contents: EAU. A little French pour vous.

38. Actor Ventimiglia: MILO. He played the dad in the TV series "This is Us." Spoiler alert - Jack died before the timeline in the pilot, yet he somehow managed to to appear in every episode for six seasons and become a fan favorite. 

39. Seemingly forever: EON.

40. Letters before omicrons: XIS. I wonder if the earliest version of Alpha-bits used Greek letters?

41. Couture monogram: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent's full name is Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent. That that, SALMA.

45. Anticipatory time: EVE.

46. Throw off topic: DERAIL.

47. Former "At the Movies" co-host: ROEPER. Richard ROEPER.

48. Hard-to-resist desire: URGE.

51. Hasbro toy that requires twisting and pulling: BOP-IT. Bop-it has sold over 30 million (!) units and has seen more than a dozen revisions and spin-offs since its original release. I'm still waiting for Santa to bring me mine.

52. Mexican street corn: ELOTE. A classic Mexican street food of corn on the cob charred on a grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chile, garlic, and Cotija cheese–spiked sauce.

53. Senior figure: ELDER. 

55. H-Town pro: STRO. Houston ASTROS, but H-town could also mean Hustle Town (right T?).

57. Mother of the Titans: GAEA. In Greek mythology, GAEA (or Gaia - depending on which Alpha-bits letter you can find in your bowl) is the goddess of the Earth, and is often referred to as "Mother Earth." Here she is on bowling night:

58. "Kindly let us know" letters: RSVP. "Répondez S'il Vous Plaît" literally means "respond if it pleases you." The French are so polite. They wouldn't want you to be inconvenienced after sending you an EVITE to something nice.

59. Stuffed bun: BAO. Same as on Tuesday's puzzle menu, except the Friday special comes with EGG ROLLs. 

61. "The Phoenician Scheme" director Anderson: WES. All his movies are quirky, but I especially liked Moonrise Kingdom. 

62. Number worn by Ozzie Smith: ONE. Three letters, so its ONE, two, six or ten. I know C.C. wouldn't have to wait for perps like I did.

Happy birthday to my brother Gary! He's an emeritus professor of marketing and statistics from the University of Iowa - the RealBrain in the family. And yes, he has a PHD.

Thursday, September 4, 2025, Beth Rubin, Owen Bergstein

Theme:  Someone knocking at the door ...

Beth Rubin and Owen Bergstein last teamed up in these pages in January 2025.  Today they announce their return by making a racket at the door.  Let's examine the theme, starting with the reveal:

60-Across. "Let's hope so!," or what is found in this puzzle's circled letters: KNOCK ON WOOD.  Some ancient traditions call on tree spirits for luck, often by hitting or touching wood.  In today's puzzle, a knocking sound is literally placed ON a tree or wood name, indicated by circles.  Bless the circles!  How else would we find these hidden features?

17-Across. Consciousness-raising discussions: RAP SESSIONS.  You dig?

20-Across. West __: Williams-Sonoma subsidiary: ELM.  West Elm is a furniture store.

The knocking sound, RAP, is placed directly ON the name of the wood, ELM.

32-Across. Checkmate symbol: POUND SIGN.  Anyone here familiar with chess notation?

35-Across. Volcanic depression: CALDERA.

The knocking sound, POUND, is placed directly ON the name of the wood, ALDER.

45-Across. Member of the Syncopated Ladies, e.g.: TAP DANCER.  Syncopated Ladies is a tap dance group from Los Angeles.  Obvs I don't know the half of what goes on in this great city.

49-Across. Tennis icon Arthur: ASHE.

The knocking sound, TAP, is placed directly ON the name of the wood, ASH.

Need a break from the racket?  Let's see what the rest of the clues and answers have to offer.

Across:

1. Moves like a rabbit: HOPS.  This clue and answer make a very cute corner with 1-Down.

5. First film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize: EBERT.  DNK exactly, but name a celebrated movie critic!

10. Serving water in a dribble cup, e.g.: GAG.  What a clever prank, to serve your guest a beverage in a glass with slits in the side!  At least the suggestion is for water, not red wine.

13. Keep away from: AVOID.

15. Squabble: ARGUE.

16. "Sorry, but it's __ from me": A NO.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Pt. of USNA: NAV.  A part of United States Naval Academy is Nav. for Naval.  Would that be U.S. Nav. Acad.?  I did not find this particular abbreviation in a quick Google search.

20. [Theme clue]

21. Wags: WITS.  A cleverly humorous person may be called a wag or a wit.

22. Edge along: SIDLE.

24. Library patron: USER.  In my former career as a librarian, we did indeed refer to folks using the library as either patrons or users.

26. Start of a cycle?: TRI.

29. God whose chariot is pulled by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr: THOR.  Not only do the goats pull Thor's chariot, but Thor cooks and eats the goats every night, and then resurrects them using his hammer and their skins every morning, so that the goats provide daily transportation and a meal!  

Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr pull Thor's chariot

30. Always trying to get one's way: PUSHY.

32. [Theme clue]

34. Mideast leader: EMIR.

35. [Theme clue]

36. Entered quickly: RACED IN.

38. Brought (up) from the past: DREDGED.

42. Tamagotchi, e.g.: DIGIPET.   Tamagotchi is an example of a virtual or digital pet.

44. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.

45. [Theme clue]

48. Squirrel away: STASH.

49. [Theme clue]

50. Communication sys. at Gallaudet: ASL.  Gallaudet University is a private university in Washington, D.C., for education of the deaf and hard of hearing.  They use American Sign Language.  Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.

51. Musical note part: STEM.

52. The first "M" of MGM: METRO.  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is a film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Culver City, California

54. Spot in the agua: ISLA.  Agua is Spanish for water; isla is Spanish for island.

56. Genetic letters: RNA.  One had to solve 39-Down to know whether this would be DNA or RNA.  "Genetic messenger" would have been a more helpful clue.  But that's Thursday for you!

59. "__ Maria": AVE.  "Ave Maria" is Latin for "Hail Mary."  It is the first line of a Catholic prayer, and also the title of various musical compositions based on that prayer. 

60. [Theme clue -- the big reveal]

64. Hi-__ image: RES.  High-resolution images have greater detail and clarity than others.

65. Maui neighbor: LANAI.

The Hawaiian islands

66. Bones at the bases of spines: SACRA.  The sacrum (plural sacra) is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1–S5) between ages 18 and 30.

Note the sacrum in red at the base of the spine.

67. Works at a studio: ART.

68. "Get Smart" role: AGENT.  Get Smart was a television series parodying the secret agent genre that was popular in the early 1960s. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, and had five seasons from 1965-1970.

Agent 86 and Agent 99

69. Take from the top: SKIM.  One meaning of skim is to quickly and lightly remove something from the surface, like a cook who skims fat from the top of a stew, or a bird that skims the surface of water for food.

Down:

1. Critter that moves like a rabbit: HARE.

2. Like some hand mirrors: OVAL.

3. Chappell Roan genre: POP MUSIC.  Chappell Roan is the stage name of American singer-songwriter Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known for her drag queen-inspired aesthetic. Her lyrics often address relationships and lesbian identity.  I often want to use Husker Gary's emoticon:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Chappell Roan

4. Certain sib: SIS.  A sibling is a brother or sister -- and more choices, these days.

5. The right way to go on a map?: EAST.  East is usually to the right on a map.

6. City near Bath: BRISTOL.

7. Nwodim of "SNL": EGO.  Ego Nwodim has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2018.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ego Nwodim

8. Become messy, as mascara: RUN.

9. Model Holliday: TESS.  Ryann Maegen Hoven, known professionally as Tess Holliday and formerly known as Tess Munster, is a plus-size model, blogger, and make-up artist based in Los Angeles.  Oh, come on!   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tess Holliday on the cover of Cosmopolitan

10. Leader who was nominated for but never won a Nobel Peace Prize: GANDHI.  

Surely he's earned a photo on this page.

11. Like grandfather clocks: ANALOG.  Usually.

If you can have digipets,
you can have digigrandfather clocks.

12. Rule: GOVERN.

14. __ decimal system: DEWEY.  My career in librarianship started with shelving books in my elementary and middle school libraries using the Dewey decimal system.

18. Polite address: SIR.

23. "We're on!": IT'S A DATE.

25. Surfer who rips: SHREDDER.  Shredding or ripping is when a surfer makes a lot of spray with big turns that shred or rip the water on the wave using their surfboard.  Shredding displays impressive control of the board.

27. Steering option: RUDDER.

28. Like neon: INERT.

30. Pay-__-click: PER.  Pay-per-click is an online advertising model whereby advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.  It is commonly used on Google Search and social media networks.

31. Thurman of "Red, White & Royal Blue": UMA.  Uma Thurman plays a supporting role in this 2023 romantic comedy about a love affair between the son of the president of the United States and a British prince.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯   Happily, Uma is the only Thurman I know.

32. Loses it: PANICS.

33. "Black-ish" father: DRE.  Black-ish was a sitcom that aired on ABC for eight seasons from 2014 to 2022.  It followed the family of Andre "Dre" Johnson, a successful advertising executive, and his wife Rainbow "Bow" Johnson, an anaesthesiologist.  DH and I enjoyed the show, which tackled issues of race and identity along with the normal drama of family life.

35. Aetna rival: CIGNA.  Health insurance companies.

37. __ de los Muertos: DIA.  Dia de los Muertos is Spanish for Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday that pays homage to loved ones who have died.

39. Campy genre: GLAM ROCK.  Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians. 

40. Aboveground trains: ELS.

41. Morse mark: DAH.  Morse code is a telecommunications method which encodes text characters as sequences of two different signal durations, called dots and dashes, or dits and dahs.

43. Image on Louisiana license plates: PELICAN.  The Brown Pelican is the state bird of Louisiana.

45. Tunie of "Beyond the Gates": TAMARA.  Tamara Tunie is a film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns and as medical examiner Melinda Warner in the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯   Not to diminish her career achievements, but I just can't with all the entertainers today!  

Tamara Tunie

46. "Sincerely" alternative: AS EVER.

47. Acidity check: PH TEST.

48. Huge supporters, in slang: STANS.  Learned in crossword puzzles.

51. __-mo: SLO.

53. Ark. neighbor: OKLA.

55. Short routine: SKIT.

57. Makimono layer: NORI.  Makimono can be a Japanese scroll, or a type of sushi.  The latter would be sushi rice and other ingredients wrapped in nori (thin sheets of seaweed) and sliced.  DH and I gobble up the vegan versions at Planta Cocina.  

Makimono

58. Scott of "Severance": ADAM.  Severance is an intriguing TV series about employees at a large corporation who have had a medical procedure that ensures they retain no memories of the outside world while at work and have no recollection of their jobs once they leave.  Adam Scott is excellent in the lead role.  You can watch Severance on Apple TV+.

Adam Scott as Mark S in Severance

61. Really bug: NAG.

62. "I, for __ ... ": ONE.

63. Had the job of: WAS.  She was a singer, songwriter, actress ...

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did all that KNOCKing ON WOOD bring you luck?

Or were you at your WITS' end with all the celebrities?

Let us know in the comments.

And BTW, apologies/thanks to Husker Gary.  I stole your adorable shrugging emoticon today!

-- NaomiZ

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Jayce sent me this loving picture of him and his wife Christina. The picture was taken in 1997. 

 

 

Wednesday, Sep 3rd, 2025 ~ Michael Torch

 HEAD START

The Running of the Bulls~?  Or maybe this cartoon~?

This is my first time blogging a Michael Torch puzzle; he has two previous ones for the LA Times, the last when he paired up with constructor Kevin Christian back in March.  We have no circles (yay~!), an even distribution of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-letter words (~17), barely any names, and a mix of both Across and Down Themers with a centered reveal;

18A. *Extracts dirt from the carpet, maybe: STEAM CLEANS - I saw this on the Dan Aykroyd show "The Unbelievable" while on the elliptical at the gym this past Saturday

Crush, TX, 1896

59A. *California's "Eureka" and New York's "Excelsior": STATE MOTTOS - I knew these two mottos, the second because I lived in NY for most of my life😜.  Connecticut's is "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" - the translation here

3D. *Vidal Sassoon's expertise: HAIR STYLING - his Wiki , name #1

26D. *Low-carb sandwich: LETTUCE WRAP - using lettuce instead of bread

Actually looks quite tasty

39A. Leading, or, when parsed differently, what can lead into the starts of the answers to the starred clues: A/HEAD OF - two parsings; Ahead, and a Head - of; steam, state, hair, and lettuce

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Fireplace residue: ASH - AND - 44D. Fireplace residue: SOOT - Thank the maker this past August was colder & drier than I expected, so less A/C; I'm looking forward to the fall, football and a cozy fire

4. Laundry basket: HAMPER

10. Spice made from the husk of a nutmeg: MACE - I knew this; CT is nicknamed the "nutmeg" state due to this tale;  The spice is NOT in the defensive spray - that's a brand name of pepper spray

14. Indian beach destination: GOA - Three letters and Indian~? Ektorp = GOA (name #2)

15. Moon mission program: APOLLO - The memorable 11 and 13; makes me think of HuskerG

16. Subject of a chemistry diagram: ATOM

17. Stat boosted by a home run: RBI - Runs Batted In - a clue for our hostess C.C.

20. Countesses' counterparts: EARLS

22. Adds fuel to: STOKES - this reminds me of steam locomotives, too

23. Old Ford flops: EDSELS - haven't seen this crossword staple in a while (name(ish))

25. Resolved out of court: SETTLED

29. Ensnare: TIE UP

31. Bullfighting figure: TORERO - nailed it - they'll need one in the 10K cartoon

32. Vegetarian frozen-food brand: AMY'S - the website

34. Wells Fargo competitor: CITI - financial institutions; I have two credit cards from WF beause they once held my mortgage - now it's with "Mr. Cooper" - not related to my brother's dog

 

Me 'n Cooper are hangin' at the end of this month

37. Feel a sense of belonging: FIT IN - I have always felt like I have never "fit in" - I'm just a weirdo

38. 8 pts. or 4 qts.: GALLon - I started with AMT; I did not see that they were the same measurement

41. First number in many countdowns: TEN - nine - eight - seven . . . .

42. Japanese art genre: ANIME

45. Source of inspiration: MUSE - if there is a muse of "carpentry", then . . . .

46. Overlook: IGNORE - that Muse has been doing this, lately

48. Light purple: LILAC

50. NFLer who plays at the Meadowlands: NY GIANT - as do the long-suffering NY Jets of the NFL as well; the stadium is in the swamps of New Jersey no less

52. Opt for: SELECT

55. Viewpoint: STANCE

58. Home to the Ninja Turtles: SEWER - My screen-name comes not from Splinter, the TMNT rat "sensei", but from putting lumber away sans gloves at Grossman's Lumber many moons ago . . . 

The senior drafter at the Pipe Organ company started at Grossman's as well

63. Light beam: RAY - I blogged that Dan/C.C. puzzle in July

64. Junior staffer: AIDE

65. Online investment service: eTRADE - had some funny Super Bowl baby ads

Riding the dog like a horse is "frowned upon~!"

66. Beast of burden: ASS

67. "Quick, before we're late!": "C'MON~!"

68. Classroom unit: LESSON - AND - 49D. Decrease: LESSEN - I am sort of 'Meh' about this . . . ?

69. Parakeet or rabbit: PET - I have had the rabbit, not the bird

DOWN:

1. Shake hands (on): AGREE

Great Album Cover Art

2. "Just awful!": "SO BAD~!"

4. Pain in the neck: HASSLE - Lately, all my home projects have turned into huge hassles

5. Perfectly suitable: APT

6. "The Simpsons" bar: MOE'S - according to this site, it's a tavern, not a bar; name(ish)

7. Community developer's map: PLAT - its etymology derived from PLOT

8. Ticklish toys that caused a frenzy at Christmas in 1996: ELMOs - name(ish) -  my "generation" was obsessed with Cabbage Patch Kids, because they were oddly cute/ugly and could  be "legally" adopted 

9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" raccoon: ROCKET - I have not actually seen these movies - had to rely on perps; name #3

10. Opera conductors: MAESTRI - I figured it was the Latin plural, and not maestrOS

11. __ loss for words: AT A

12. Swindle: CON - Ooops, not ROB; 33% correct

13. CPR crew: EMS

19. Excuse from work: LET OFF - meh; I think of fireworks being "let off"

21. Luau loops: LEIS - alliteration

24. "I did no __ thing!": "SUCH~!"

27. Native Pennsylvanians: ERIES - This I should have figured out; Organ Supply Industries is located there - I was part of a road trip that visited the factory in ERIE, PA

28. "Death, be not proud" poet John: DONNE - name #4 - learning moment for me; more here

30. Fruit-filled desserts: PIES

32. Another time: AGAIN - not LATER

33. Unkempt: MANGY

35. Eastern philosophical path: TAO

36. Pop sensation: IDOL

39. Use a SodaStream: AERATE - this thing; I left mine back in NY

40. Big name in elevators: OTIS - crossword staple name #5

43. Lick, as an envelope: MOISTEN

45. Like peacocks: MALE - ah.  I was trying to think of a four-letter word for SHOWY

47. Nail polish, e.g.: ENAMEL

51. Govt. investment option: T-NOTE - I, of course, filled in T-BOND; 40% correct

53. Stop: CEASE

54. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST

56. Middles: Abbr.: CTRs

57. Greek vowels: ETAs

59. Cul-de-__: SAC - It's a dead end....

60. "Beetlejuice" director Burton: TIM - name #6

61. Big commotion: ADO

62. Prefix with meter: ODO - Odometer, the "clock" of your car's distance traveled

Splynter