Thursday, November 6, 2025, Ilana Levene, Scott Hogan

Theme:  Not the real thing, but an amazing FACSIMILE!

Ilana Levene is a British neonatal intensive care physician who started working on US crossword puzzles as a distraction, and has now published several, including one previous puzzle in these pages.  Scott Hogan is a patent attorney in Michigan who has collaborated with others to construct crosswords -- often Katie Hale -- and published one in the NYT with Ilana Levene.  Today Ilana and Scott treat us to some close copies or spitting images, and they manage to cross them in the grid.

Ilana Levene        and        Scott Hogan

The big reveal is:

55-Across. Betray, or what can be found three times in this puzzle: DOUBLE CROSS.  

      All of the words for which "copycat" is the clue are a kind of "double."

25-Across. Copycat: REPLICA.  A close reproduction of an original item.

27-Across. Copycat: STAND-IN.  A person who substitutes for another.

5-Down. Copycat: FACSIMILE.  An exact copy.

9-Down. Copycat: LOOK-ALIKE.  A person who greatly resembles someone else.

40-Down. Copycat: CLONE.  A genetically identical copy.

Those are the DOUBLEs.  How do they CROSS?  Here's the grid:

We have six words for "double" (including DOUBLE), and they CROSS in three places.  It's a nifty structure, with lots of lovely words and phrases.  Let's take a DEEPer look.

Across:

1. Bundle of wheat: SHEAF.

6. Social media annoyance: BOT.  A bot is an automated program designed to simulate human interaction on social media platforms.  Some are malicious.

9. Endures: LASTS.

14. Accord, for one: HONDA.

15. Dazzle: AWE.

16. Earthy colour: OCHRE.  DH and I were sitting in a cafe in Pernes-les-Fontaines in Provence, when a local couple told us we should see the village of Roussillon.  I understood them to say it was very colorful.  So a day or two later, there we were, and completely astonished by the ochre cliffs and quarries.  I grew up knowing OCHRE as a crayon color, and had no idea that it was a natural clay pigment, mined in Roussillon from the late 18th century until 1930.

I took this photograph of the OCHRE cliffs of Roussillon in 2019.

17. Urgent care specialist, briefly: ER DOC.

18. Work of fiction?: LIE.

19. Was part of a row: OARED.

20. End of an academic address: EDU.  Website or email address.

21. Start to knock?: SILENT K.

24. Actress Noblezada: EVA.  Eva Noblezada is an American theatre actress and singer. Her accolades include a Grammy Award and two Tony Award nominations.  Besides roles in stage productios of Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, The Great Gatsby, and Cabaret, she has earned some film and television credits.  News to me, but good for her.

Eva Noblezada

25. [Theme clue]

27. [Theme clue]

29. Pinged online: IM'ED.  Instant Messaged.  To ping a device is to send a quick signal and then measure the response time as a way of assessing network performance.  But for the average person, "ping" has come to mean sending a quick message to get someone's attention or to see if they are available.

30. "Carpe diem" hashtag: YOLO.  "Carpe diem" is Latin for "seize the day."  YOLO is an acronym for "you only live once."  Both suggest you should do something impulsive.

31. Like streets in Dickens novels: GASLIT.  Streets were lit by gas lamps before electric lighting. 

gaslit street

34. Lobster claw: PINCER.

A lobster's front pincers are considered to be legs.
They are used for self-defense and for grabbing and tearing prey animals.

38. "__ we meet again": UNTIL.

39. German pronoun: ICH.  In 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech in West Berlin, in which he spoke the famous words, "Ich bin ein Berliner" or "I am a Berliner."  It was an anti-communist speech delivered at the height of the Cold War.

42. Arboreal marsupial: KOALA.

43. Kin of equi-: ISO.  Equi- and iso- are prefixes meaning equal or same.

44. Oft-pierced body part: EARLOBE.

47. __-fi: SCI.

48. "The Idol" star Lily-Rose: DEPP.  Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of American actor Johnny Depp and French singer/model/actress Vanessa Paradis.  She starred in the HBO television drama series The Idol and in the 2024 film Nosferatu.  If you solved Marc Goldstein's puzzle in the LA Times this past Sunday, you've met her already.

Lily-Rose Depp

50. Bread: MOOLA.  Both are slang for money.

51. Comics icon Lee: STAN.  Stan Lee wrote and published comic books, and helped create Spider Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, and others.

52. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

53. Like some monologues: INNER.

54. Pom sounds: YAPS.  Pomeranian dog -- a miniaturized German Spitz.

Pomeranian

55. [Theme clue -- the big reveal.]

58. Home for lanternfish: DEEP SEA.  Lanternfish may account for 65% of all deep-sea fish biomass.  They use bioluminescence to emit pale blue, green, or yellow light.  Most are less than 6 inches long.

Lanternfish

60. Broadcast hour: AIR TIME.

63. How a detective might work: ON A LEAD.

64. Drew back: RECEDED.

65. Motive for a cover-up?: MODESTY.  A bathing suit cover-up will get a woman from the hotel room to the beach or pool without feeling like she is walking around in her underwear.  Depending on the style, it may also offer some protection from sunburn.

Cover-up at the shore

66. Genre portmanteau: DRAMEDY.  A portmanteau blends the sounds and meanings of two words.  In this case, two entertainment genres are blended:  drama and comedy.

Down:

1. Like chiffon: SHEER.  Originally a French fabric made of silk, chiffon is now mass produced with synthetic fibers.

2. Swarm: HORDE.

3. Land: END UP.  "Land" can be a verb meaning "end up" or "arrive at a final place or situation."  For instance, they landed in a real mess -- or better -- they landed in paradise.

4. Hustle and bustle: ADO.

5. [Theme clue]

6. "The Hunger Games: The __ of Songbirds & Snakes": BALLAD.  If you know, you know -- or you make a good guess based on perpendicular entries.

7. Scrape covered by a Welly Bravery Bandage, e.g.: OWIE.

8. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.

9. [Theme clue]

10. Spanish "here": ACÁ.  The Spanish words "aquí" and "acá" have almost the same meaning.  Aqui is right here, next to me, and acá is in my general vicinity.  Lucina, any additional notes?

11. Create ribbons: SHRED.

12. Rome's __ Fountain: TREVI.

13. Accord, for one: SEDAN.  Same clue as for 14-Across, but with a different answer.  That makes this a clecho, or clue echo.

22. "Gangsta Rap" rapper: ICE T.  Yes, the same Ice T you know and love as NYPD detective/sergeant Odafin Tutuola on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

23. Partly removable roof: T-TOP.

26. Reinhart of "Riverdale": LILI.  Lili Reinhart is an up and coming actress known for her roles in the teen drama series Riverdale, the crime film Hustlers, and the romantic drama Chemical Hearts.  Look for her in next year's horror film, Forbidden Fruits.  Or so I read.

28. Taboo: NO NO.

31. Manual: GUIDE.

32. Adams who photographed 36-Down: ANSEL.  Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West.

Ansel Adams circa 1950

33. Freezes: STOPS DEAD.

35. Put out of one's mind: CAST ASIDE.

36. Yosemite summit, informally: EL CAP.  An Ansel Adams photograph of El Capitan:

El Capitan, Sunrise, Yosemite National Park

37. Falls from the sky: RAINS.

39. Thatcherism creator, familiarly: IRON LADY.  Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.  She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position.  As prime minister, she implemented economic reforms that came to be known as Thatcherism.  A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady," a reference to her leadership style.

Margaret Thatcher

40. [Theme clue]

41. Undisclosed advantage: HOLE CARD.  Per Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, a HOLE CARD is:

1 : a card in stud poker that is properly dealt facedown and that the holder need not expose before the showdown

2 : something (such as a reliable advantage) that is held in reserve especially for use at a strategic moment

45. "Stick a fork in me!": AM I BEAT.  The saying goes, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done!"  It means that the speaker is exhausted.  I imagine this comes from cooking, where we stick a fork into a potato or other food item to test for doneness.

46. Obstacle: BARRIER.

49. Third word of the Constitution: PEOPLE.  "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

51. Buddy __: SYSTEM.

56. Exploits: USES.

57. Largest member of the dolphin family: ORCA.

58. __ Pérignon: DOM.

59. Musician Brian who used a Mac to compose "The Microsoft Sound": ENO.  Brian ENO and Yoko ONO are our favorite musicians in the Crossword Corner.  

61. Rx order: MED.  Prescription order : medication.

62. Big name in ice cream: EDY.

The grid again, because I'm used to putting it here:

Solvers, did you END UP with the correct entries in the grid?

Or did you encounter a TEENSY problem along the way?

Inquiring minds want to know.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ

Wednesday, Nov 5th, 2025 ~ Terry Sun & Shannon Rapp

  GO FEED YOURSELF

Oh, that kind of GOLF club

Today's crossword has almost all the cliché trappings of a Wednesday puzzle; an odd-sized 15 x 16 grid, the cursed circles, 28 3LWs - but just a mere half-dozen names, depending on how one counts, so it turned out to be an enjoyable solve.  This looks to be Terry Sun's debut for the LA Times - I found this pic of  him, if I am not mistaken - and I usually am, when it comes to constructors names; Shannon Rapp is a regular contributor.  The theme answers have a type of 'club' that, when split to the ends, makes up the 'bread' of a sa'mich; the themers and reveal;

18. "Little chance of finishing soon": "NO END IN SIGHT" - I once worked in a NIGHT club out in Cincinnati, OH named "Casanova's"; they had live bands on Friday & Saturday nights

25. Chicken soup or ginger tea: COLD REMEDY - COMEDY club; my go-to remedy is Alka-Seltzer

41. Performer who often plays a protagonist's best friend: CHARACTER ACTRESS - I was briefly in the CHESS club in high school; once I was introduced to "opening gambits", I lost interest . . . .

52. Without wheat, rye, or barley: GLUTEN FREE - I don't recall there being a GLEE club in my high school; in retrospect, I might have succeeded in film-making had I been part of the DRAMA club - and where is the A/V club themer~?

62. Triple-decker lunch, or what can be found in 18-, 25-, 41-, and 52-Across: CLUB SANDWICH

'Tis the season~!  Here's a video link to making the sa'mich~!"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Name in fairy tales: GRIMM - name # . . . .oh, never mind 

6. Tropical fruit tree: PAWPAW - Filled via perps

Here's a link to this site

12. Occupant of a virtual city: SIM - I love to play mayor of my virtual city - I even had alien-created crop circles at my farm . . . 

Sim City, game #1

15. Ancient Greek region of Asia Minor: IONIA - and the origin of the Ionic column

16. Anxious feeling: UNEASE - DREAD was too short

17. "Rules __ rules": ARE - ...and made to be broken

20. "Made me giggle!": LOL - I had lunch with a co-worker from the pipe organ company last Thursday; he suggested Moe's, but Autocorrect had other ideas;

21. First place?: EDEN - Har-har; "The Garden of..." = crossword humor

22. Afore: ERE - had this fill last week as well

23. Musical group: BAND - I have been watching this guy, who has suggestions for new BANDs that have that 70s & 80s classic heavy metal sound, played with real instruments recorded on tape

24. Cards swiped at work: IDs - I hear they have to punch-in now at the pipe organ shop; used to be on the honor system

29. Accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disability Act - I have shared about this before

30. Indent key: TAB

31. Erupt: SPEW - AND - 45. Burst: POP - messy

32. Line of mountains: RANGE - pick-up line of mountains~?  "Nice Peaks" 

Geology humor

34. Hoppy beer: IPA - typical 3LW

37. Lake that feeds the Mississippi River: ITASCA - learning moment for me today

Hey - I know someone from Minnesota~!

44. "That'd be swell": "HOPE SO~!"

46. Jumps: LEAPS

47. "__ got a situation here": "WE'VE" - I'd link this song, but some of the clip is NSFW

A collaboration supergroup

49. With 66-Down, pronoun pair: SHE - AND - 66. See 49-Across: HER

51. Rested in a chair: SAT

56. Café __ leche: CON - Espaniol lesson; coffee with milk

57. Ginger cookie: SNAP

58. Run out of battery: DIE

59. Introduce to solid food, say: WEAN

61. Stir-fry pan: WOK - see 53D.

67. Contacts on Discord, e.g.: IMs - I am on Discord, but NSFW the Corner

68. Accept a staff position: HIRE ON - I applied as a traveling carpenter to the Nelson Treehouse company - those guys on TV - but they "moved on in the hiring process".  Too bad - it would have been a really cool opportunity.

Spectacular view

69. Magic lamp dweller: GENIE

70. __ culpa: MEA

71. Go too far with: OVERDO

72. Mystery writers' award: EDGAR - Allan Poe, that is - I did not know there was a statuette

 more from Wiki

DOWN:

1. Negroni liquor: GIN - Dah~!  I thought it was RUM

2. Small resident of the Hundred Acre Wood: ROO - Ah - there's our Monday dupe; Winnie the Pooh

3. "That was exhausting!": "I NEED A NAP~!" - I loves me a nap~! - one of two 9-letter Downs

4. Babysits: MINDS

5. Whipped up: MADE

6. Many a dad joke: PUN - Five ants moved in with five ants paying rent; now they're tenants.

7. Photographer Adams: ANSEL - crossword staple; his B&W photography work is beautiful

8. Strange: WEIRD - not EERIE

9. Beepers: PAGERS - in the days gone by; I had one when I worked on the movie set in 1997

10. Firepit residue: ASH - 'tis the season~! I brought up my first crates of firewood~!

11. Rainy: WET - we had wind & rain for Halloween - now all the "leaf peeper" color is gone

12. Light lunch: SALAD - Having been reduced to fewer calories by my trainer, I have rediscovered tuna salad - it's so good, I wolf it down every time

13. Dramatic device: IRONY

14. Rummikub action: MELD - I have played this tile game, but didn't recall this "action". Game #2

The game's history - I need to take notes and watch that NPR clip, too

19. Tawantinsuyu resident: INCA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - look what I found - a board game, #3 . . . YouTube link

. . . and one of my games has a similar "theme"

23. Watch out for: BEWARE - I need to BEWARE of a company trying to scam me out of my game

24. The Potato State: IDAHO - no surprise there

26. Memorial piece: OBITuary

27. __ Games: Fortnite developer: EPIC - more games, #4 - filled via perps; more here

28. Guts: METTLE

29. Eyebrow shape: ARCH

30. Dishes for a dollhouse social: TEA SET

33. Became an adult: GREW UP - I refuse to "grow up"; I am not a fan of "adulting"

35. __ squad: PEP - I tried MOD; Bzzzt~!

36. Preferring platonic relationships, informally: ARO - becomming a crossword staple 'Aromantic'

38. Cast iron coat: SEASONING - Oh, that kind of coat - a cast iron coat would be really heavy

An "iron" maiden has fallen, and can't get up from the weight of that coat

39. House coverage network: CSPAN

40. Mgr.'s right hand: ASST - their left hand is "sinister"

42. Shoreline recess: COVE

43. Church recess: APSE - I spent a fair amount of time working in church apses

48. Survive: ENDURE

50. Axed: HEWN - in the true sense of the word, and not the inverse of 68A

52. Garden figure: GNOME

53. Coconut milk noodle soup: LAKSA - If you have an Amazon Echo, what happens when you say Alexa, whats a Laksa~?  Total confusion . . . .

54. __-optic cable: FIBER - offered in my area, but no cheaper than basic cable

55. Patch, as a lawn: RESOD

56. Spoke like a crow: CAWED

this cartoon "murders" me~!

57. Triathlon part: SWIM - Running and Cycling are the other two tasks one has to ENDURE

60. Border: EDGE

62. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO - crossword 3LW staple - and basically Ektorp now; three letter Margaret~?

63. Arwen player Tyler: LIV - another crossword name; yada yada 3LW Tyler~? Ektorp

64. "So that's __?": "A NO~?"

65. Spy org.: CIA

Today's construction has a Grid Flow of 37.8, higher than the median; I am starting to understand that it's the 'connectivity' of one section of the grid to another.

Splynter

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 Robert S Gard

Smile and Say Cheese!

17-Across.  *  Belt taken with lime and salt:  TEQUILA SHOT.

24-Across.  *  Challenge for an antsy toddler:  SITTING STILL.

39-Across.  *  Problematic backward pass in football:  BAD SNAP.

51-Across.  *  Spotted pattern on faux fur, say:  LEOPARD PRINT.

And the unifier:

62-Across. Close call in a race, or what the answer to each starred clue has: PHOTO FINISH.  The word that "Finishes" the two-word phrase in each of the theme answers is related to a photograph.

Across:

1. Blue Ribbon lager:  PABST.

6. Source of some memes:  IMGUR.  No a clue!  Apparently, Imgur is an online image-hosting and  sharing community founded by Alan Schaaf (b. Oct. 21, 1987) in 2009. It allows users to upload and share photos, GIFs, and images.

11. Sandwich known by its initials:  BLT.  

14. Shady picnic spot:  ARBOR.

15. Stop: CEASE.

16. Use oars: ROW.

19. Here, en français: ICI.  Today's French lesson.

20. Slotted fastener: HASP.

21. Useful connections: INs.

22. To be, en español: ESTAR.  Today's Spanish lesson.  I believe there are two forms of the verb "to be" in Spanish ~ Ser and Estar.  The former describes formal characteristics and the latter is used for temporary conditions and emotions.  I'll let Lucina expound on these subtleties of these two verbs.

28. Mapped biological sequence: GENOME. A Genome is the complete set of genetic material in an organism.

31. Specks: IOTAS.

32. Revise, as text: AMEND.

33. Numerous: MANY.

35. Poet's "by way of": THRO.

38. Jaguar competitor:  BMW.  //  And 67-Across. Jaguar competitor: LEXUS.

42. As __ usual: PER.

43. Simple: EASY.

45. Fix, at the vet:  SPAY.

46. Piano exercise:  ÉTUDE.  More of today's French lesson.

48. One measurement of a rectangle: WIDTH.  //  And 2. Length x 48-Across, for a rectangle: AREA.

50. Owie: BOO-BOO.

55. Marketing dept. employee: AD REP.

56. [facepalm]: OOF!

57. Beers like Smooth Hoperator, briefly: IPAs.  A brief history of India Pale Ale.

61. Satirist's gift: WIT.

66. Unspecified degree: NTH.

68. Inspirational word or phrase: MOTTO.

69. Reluctant to socialize: SHY.

70. Simply be: EXIST.

71. Actor/activist Davis: OSSIE.  Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis, b. Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist.  In 1948, he married fellow actress Ruby Dee (née Ruby Ann Wallace, Oct. 27, 1922 ~ June 11, 2014).

Down:

1. Off the beaten __: PATH.

3. Patio cookouts, casually: BBQs.

4. "Grub's up!": SOUPS ON!

5. Prefix with -athlon: TRI-.

6. Terse turndown: I CAN'T.

7. Soccer star Lionel: MESSI.

8. "Oh, come on!": GAH!

9. GI show gp.: USO.  As in the United States Organizations.  When I see USO, I think of Bob Hope.

10. Give an exam again: RE-TEST.

11. Spot to order bangers and mash: BRITISH PUB.  You can bet a pint of 57-Across to go with your bangers and mash.

12. Train that makes lots of stops: LOCAL.

13. Spin, as a baton: TWIRL.

18. With fewer calories, on a label: LITE.

23. "Pronto!": STAT.

25. Film buff's online resource: IMDB.  As in the Internet Movie DataBase.

26. Doofus: NINNY.

27. Spanish painter Francisco: GOYA.  This artist usually goes by just Goya, although is full name is Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Mar. 30, 1746 ~ April. 16, 1828).

28. "Welcome Back, Kotter" actor Kaplan: GABE.

29. Stone of "Poor Things": EMMA.

30. Interesting enough for the front page, say: NEWSWORTHY.

33. Hybrid grad program for physician-scientists:  MD-PhD.  As in a Medical Doctor and a Doctor of Philosophy.

34. Loose __ goose: AS A.

36. Start over: REDO.

37. Dunk Club cookie: OREO.

40. Subj. for Neil deGrasse Tyson: ASTR.

41. Low-level worker: PEON.

44. "Eek!": YIPE.

47. Big name in pizza snacks: TOTINOS.

49. Make a pattern using light and shade: DAPPLE.

A Dapple Dog.

50. Punch, slangily: BIFF.

51. Mower targets: LAWNS.

52. "The Buccaneers" writer Wharton: EDITH.

53. Exec. branch head: POTUS.  As in the President of the United States.

54. Hen's perch: ROOST.

58. Cherry centers: PITS.

59. Sparkling Italian wine: ASTI.

60. Croc, e.g.: SHOE.

63. Malicious spell: HEX.

64. __Clean: stain remover: OXI.

65. Texter's "I'd say": IMO.  Textspeak for In My Opinion.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

I know this was an abbreviated commentary, however, due to a family emergency, we were called out of town on short notice.

Monday November 3, 2025 Ajay Bhargava

  

Whassup Cornerites! sumdaze here. Our theme is:            

Today we run up against four themed clues:

17 Across. Lunch combo component, perhaps: CUP OF SOUP.  This was my favorite themer today because it was the least rhyme-y.

25 Across. Out of this world: SUPER-DUPER.

36 Across. Classic Connie Francis song with the line "I'd like to clip your wings so you can't fly": STUPID CUPID.  

50 Across. Spanish candy brand whose logo was designed by Salvador Dal : CHUPA CHUPS.  Did anyone know this one without perps?

Next up, the unifier:

59 Across. Forming couples, or a feature of 17-, 25-, 36-, and 50- Across: PAIRING UP.

UP does not point to a vertical grid feature (as it sometimes does). Instead we have PAIRs of UPs in each themed answer.

It would have been fun to see the gimmick applied to the reveal. By changing the reveal clue to "Forming pairs ....," we could have had the reveal COUPLING UP. (Making 17-Across plural would have preserved the grid symmetry.)

Let's see what else Ajay has gotten UP to....

Across:

1. Baseball hat: CAP.

4. Ran a towel over: WIPED.

9. Inter Miami star Lionel: MESSI.  People say he is the most famous active footballer in the world.  

14. Post-OR area: ICU.  Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit

15. Baghdad resident, e.g.: IRAQI.

16. Sean of "Rudy": ASTIN.  [b. February 25, 1971] He was also Mikey from The Goonies and a hobbit (not The Hobbit) in TLOTR.

Here is Sean Astin when he appeared in this 1993 movie.  

19. Media mogul Winfrey: OPRAH.  [b. January 29, 1954]

20. Enough: AMPLE.

21. Brewpub letters: IPA.

23. April or May: NAME.  "June", too

24. Monopoly card: DEED.  

28. Picnic invader: ANT.

29. Gerund ending: -ING.  Learning about language is fun!

Click to enlarge.

30. Camping gear retailer: REI.     and     7-Down. Supply with gear: EQUIP.

REI stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc.  

31. Air pump fig.: PSI.  "Figure" is abbreviated, so is "Pounds per Square Inch".

32. Like figure skaters: AGILE.

34. Toga costume, in a pinch: SHEET.  

39. Rapper/actor __ Jackson Jr.: O'SHEA.  [b. Feb. 24, 1991] He is Ice Cube's oldest son.

41. Old Testament figure who is instructed by a burning bush: MOSES.     and     46-Across. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL.  [b. June 28, 1926]  

Notice that MOSES sits above MEL in the grid. Nice one, Ajay!

Mel Brooks played Moses in this 1:10 min. scene from

  History of the World: Part 1  (1981).

42. Piglet pal: ROO.  

Pooh, Roo, and Piglet

43. Peacock network: NBC.  

Can you see the peacock in its logo?

47. Wet dirt: MUD.

53. Crunch target: CORE.

54. Loathe: HATE.

55. Pic taker: CAM.  Picture and CAMera

56. Not improving: WORSE.  

57. Off-white hue: IVORY.

62. Tennis tie: DEUCE.  Here's a song for the car lovers on The Corner:  

The Beach Boys     ~     Little Deuce Coupe     ~     1963

This video includes some scenes from American Graffiti (1973).

63. Write to online: EMAIL.     and     44-Down. Secretly 63-Across: BCC.

64. Every bit of: ALL.

65. Browser history list: SITES.

66. Swiss chocolatier: LINDT.  If you are unfamiliar with this brand, consider yourself lucky. Knowing Lindt is eating too much Lindt.  

67. Anti vote: NAY.

Down:

1. Noisy insect: CICADA.  This 1-min. video says they are the loudest insects on Earth.

2. Mental sharpness: ACUMEN.  My first guess was ACUity.  

3. Sock __: PUPPET.

4. Marital partner, perhaps: WIFE.

5. Return-processing org.: IRS.  Oh, those types of returns. The IRS processes tax returns.

6. Kung __ chicken: PAO.

8. Big or Little formation in the night sky: DIPPER.     and     48 Down. "Earthsea" series writer __ K. Le Guin: URSULA.  

9. Card game with unspoken rules: MAO.  This game is new to me. From what I can tell, it is sort of a hybrid of Crazy Eights and Uno but new players are not told the rules. Here is a 2-min. video from wikiHow:  

10. Broadcaster of some NCAA games: ESPN U.

11. Low on funds, say: STRAPPED.  The idiom STRAPPED for cash means to be without money, especially temporarily.

12. Cat breed with blue eyes: SIAMESE.  I have been fortunate to have been the human for two SIAMESE cats. If you have ever been around a SIAMESE cat, you know that they have very special and distinct personalities.

H-Gary's cat Lily (l.) and my cat (r.) who has since crossed the Rainbow Bridge

13. Acquire from a will: INHERIT.

18. Like a nonagenarian: OLD.  Ninety-nine-year-OLD Mel Brooks is a nonagenarian.

22. "__ you serious?": ARE.  

25. Scissors sound: SNIP.  "While scissors go “snip” in English, the noise translates into “su-su” in Chinese, “cri-cri” in Italian, “riqui-riqui,” in Spanish, and “katr-katr,” in Hindi."  more foreign language onomatopoeias

26. Hybrid tangelo: UGLI.

27. Put to rest, as rumors: DISPEL.

29. Lizard with a spiny crest: IGUANA.  

I took this photo of a gorgeous IGUANA in Costa Rica.

32. Munched: ATE.

33. Genre at a rave: EDM.  Electronic Dance Music

35. That guy's: HIS.

36. Public message of appreciation: SHOUT-OUT.  Example:  I just want to give a SHOUT-OUT to C.C. for keeping this blog going since 2008.  

Here is another example from last week's news.

37. Provide for free: COMP.  COMPlimentary

38. Puts to work: USES.

39. Prom flowers: ORCHIDS.  

I learned so much about ORCHIDs from this book.

40. "Me too!": SO HAVE I.

45. Place for prayer: CHAPEL.  

The Dixie Cups     ~     Chapel of Love     ~     1964

47. Freeman of "Glory": MORGAN.  [b. June 1, 1937] Here is some trivia:  Morgan Freeman was not nominated for his role in Glory; however, he was nominated that same year for Best Actor for his work in Driving Miss Daisy. Denzel Washington won best supporting actor for playing Pvt. Silas Trip in Glory and Daniel Day-Lewis took home the Best Actor award.

Here is Morgan Freeman when he appeared in this 1989 movie.
Denzel Washington is standing behind him.

49. From the bottom of one's heart: DEEPLY.

51. Nez __ tribe: PERCE.

52. Savory taste: UMAMI.

53. Fool: CON.  Both are verbs here.

56. Droop: WILT.

58. "Absolutely!": YES.  a more formal version of yup

60. Bond novelist Fleming: IAN.  [1908-1964]

61. Free (of): RID.  

If you use this product, you will be free of lice.

The grid:  

That about sums up today's puzzle. If you have questions, we have an amazing SUPPORT GROUP here on The Corner to help you out.