Sunday Jan 7, 2018 Pancho Harrison

Theme:  "According to Your Résumé ... " Each noun phrase is rephrased as a verb phrase related to the applicant in the clue:

22A. "... you've repaired planes for civilian pilots, but can you __?" : SERVICE ACES

34A. "... you've made indie films, but can you __?" : DIRECT HITS

40A. "... you've made decorative bowls, but can you __?" : FASHION PLATES

69A. "... you've conned small-time dealers with your forgeries, but can you __?" : SNOW FENCES

74A. "... you've monitored planets with your telescope, but can you __?" : TRACK STARS
 
100A. "... you've coached gymnasts, but can you __?" : TRAIN SPOTTERS

107A. "... you've run dining rooms, but can you __?" : HANDLE BARS

125A. "... you've written non-theatrical prose, but can you __?" : SUPPLY LINES

Notice that the first nouns all become verbs, the second nouns all change meaning drastically: tennis shots become fighter pilots, bomb hits to movie hits, clotheshorses to dinner plates, etc. Very consistent.

Train spotters is a new word to me. Google shows they're just train buffs.

Across:     

1. Join the cast of : ACT IN

6. Apt. listing unit : BDRM (Bedroom)

10. Golden __ : AGER

14. Biblical verb : DOST

18. Bara of the silents : THEDA. Nicknamed "The Vamp".

19. Exonerate : CLEAR

20. Judicious : SAGE

21. Sundance's sweetie __ Place : ETTA

24. One guilty of disorderly conduct? : SLOB. Ha ha.

25. Slightly : A TAD

26. Quasimodo's love : ESMERALDA. Great fill.

27. Trendy greeting : CIAO. Why "trendy"?

29. "The Optimist's Daughter" Pulitzer winner Welty : EUDORA

31. Biblical beast : ASS

32. Some Miles Davis groups : OCTETS

36. Govt. loan agency : SBA

37. Web page standard : HTML. Woo hoo, Misty, you rock!

39. Game show host : EMCEE

46. Lightweight hats : PANAMAS

50. It may be restricted : AREA

51. Artsy Manhattan neighborhood : SOHO

52. Latin clarifier : ID EST

54. Desert trial : N TEST. Some old North Koreans still can't believe that Chinese eat rice any time we want. During the Great Leap Forward when tens of millions of people died of famine, many Chinese escaped to North Korea for food.

55. Derring-do, e.g. : DEEDS

57. Disciplined, in a way : FINED

59. Many a Prado painting : GOYA

61. Windy City rail initials : CTA. Chicago Transit Authority.

62. Longtime Pro Bowl site : OAHU

64. Closer's stat : SAVES

66. B vitamin used to treat high cholesterol : NIACIN

76. Sparkly strands : TINSEL

77. Rhone tributary : SAONE

79. Standstill : HALT

80. Theater chain letters : AMC

81. "__ bigger than a breadbox?" : IS IT

83. Sprain site : ANKLE. My grandma used to rub hot alcohol on sprained ankle.

86. Like some coincidences : EERIE

90. Fairway adjoiner : ROUGH

93. Nike competitor : ASICS. According to Wiki, the name is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano: which translates as "a healthy soul in a healthy body".

95. Lang. of Livorno : ITAL

97. Kind : SORT

98. Cilium, to the layperson : EYELASH. Cilium sounds like a drug.

103. Tuckered out : ALL IN

105. Like falling off __ : A LOG

106. Frat letters : NUS

111. Thickets : COPSES

114. Actor Daniel __ Kim : DAE

117. Was crazy about : ADORED

118. Greeted the judge : ROSE

120. Prospector's disappointment : FOOL'S GOLD. Another sparkly fill.

122. Actress Delany : DANA. She made a puzzle for the NYT a long while ago.

123. "Oh, nuts!" : DANG

127. Spellbound : AGOG

128. Early role for Ronny : OPIE

129. Takes the Black Friday plunge : SHOPS. Tried once. Not fun at all. So rushed.

130. Sorbonne enrollee : ELEVE

131. Melanie's "Working Girl" role : TESS

132. Drive, for one : GEAR

133. Catch a glimpse of : ESPY

134. Pittsburgh product : STEEL

Down:

1. Between ports : AT SEA

2. Fischer's forte : CHESS

3. Contract conditions : TERMS

4. "If only __ known ... " : I'D'VE

5. African capital on its own river : NAIROBI. Vibrant night lights.

6. Ice skate part : BLADE

7. Summer Olympics event : DECATHLON

8. Actress Charlotte : RAE

9. "Happy Days" mom, to Fonzie : MRS C

10. Very, in music : ASSAI

11. In quantity : GALORE

12. Id controller : EGO

13. The first Mrs. de Winter, in fiction : REBECCA. The second one has no name. That was a scary movie.

14. Tie : DEAD HEAT

15. 10th-century emperor : OTTO I. First of four Holy Roman Emperors. Then the House of Otto decided to move to Roman Forest, Texas!

16. Get cracking : START

17. "Yay me!" shouts : TADAs

19. Breton or Gael : CELT

23. Chocolate trees : CACAOS. I bought a bag of cocoa nibs out of curiosity. Then I ground them into cocoa powder.

28. Was in a jam? : IDLED

30. Sch. in Knoxville : U TENN

33. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STA

35. Insincere, as a promise : EMPTY

36. Sunny-day shapes : SHADOWS. Awfully cold the past two weeks, thankfully Sun has been visiting us daily.

38. Crete's highest elev. : MT IDA

40. Hula hoops, say : FAD

41. "__ we good?" : ARE

42. Spot : SEE

43. Party-pooperish : NO FUN

44. Honor society letter : PHI

45. "Turn the Page" rocker : SEGER. Also 60. "Diana" singer : ANKA

47. Hajji's destination : MECCA

48. Up and at 'em : ASTIR

49. Kenton and Getz : STANs

53. Cubs' all-time home run champ : SOSA. Shunned by the Cubs these days.

56. Burglar's challenge : SAFE

58. Exxon, formerly : ESSO

63. Prefix with port : HELI

65. Powerful engine : V TEN

67. Man, but not woman : ISLE. Isle of Man.

68. Swears to : ATTESTS

69. Rubberneck : STARE

70. Spock portrayer : NIMOY

71. Well-timed : ON CUE

72. Forensic detectives, for short : CSIs

73. Take the loss : EAT IT

75. Chintzy : CHEAP

78. Like Willie Nelson vocals : NASAL. Boomer listens to his "On the Road Again" often.

82. Indian title : SAHIB

84. Michael Jackson compilation album : KING OF POP

85. Many OCS grads : LTS

87. Salmon-to-be : ROE. I enjoyed TTP and Yellowrock's continued miso and miso soup discussions. Dashi too.

88. Discount abbr. : IRR

89. Some "X-Files" characters : ETs

91. Fancy threads : GLAD RAGS

92. Oscar winner Berry : HALLE

94. Unrefined : CRASS. My Dashi is very unrefined, just dried anchovies, but good enough to make a simple Ramen noodle broth. No appetite for miso soup these days.

96. Remote : LONELY

99. Iditarod team member : SLED DOG. This race might end soon.

101. Winter Games org. : IOC

102. Grapples : TUSSLES. Next year I'm getting the flu shot.

104. Whence Aslan : NARNIA

107. Went after : HAD AT

108. Saw : ADAGE

109. Taboos : NO-NOs

110. NFL commissioner Goodell : ROGER. Powerful guy.

112. Flanders Fields flower : POPPY

113. Beethoven's fifths? : SOLs. Got via crosses.

114. Beneficiary : DONEE. Spell check does not like this word.

115. Naproxen brand : ALEVE. Heal quickly, Chairman Moe!

116. Ford finned flop : EDSEL. All alliterative.

119. In __: existing : ESSE

121. Snazzy coating : GILT

124. Barbary beast : APE

126. Hesitant speaker's sounds : UHs

Saturday, January 6, 2018, Daniel Nierenberg

THEMELESS SATURDAY

Daniel has offered a real challenge on this first Saturday in '18. I needed a fill to unlock each corner with the NE being the last to fill. This clue immediately below was not in the vocabulary for this science/space guy but... 

13. Plot devices for sci-fi travelers : TIME SLIPS - Spontaneous instances of time travel that Marty McFly discovered at 88 mph

Across

1. Vaudeville show, e.g. : VARIETY ACT - Old vaudevillians who brought their VARIETY ACTS to TV are given credit for selling thousands of sets. 10 point penalty if you don't know these two!

11. Cuban pronoun : ESTA

15. Group formed in Cairo in 1945 : ARAB LEAGUE - The original group of 7 now numbers 22

16. Make muddy : ROIL - A frequent political trick if they do not want to answer the question 


17. Reactionary '60s genre : MINIMAL ART - This piece sold for over $100M





18. Unfeeling : NUMB - Have you seen the weather around the country this week?

19. Identifies : PEGS

20. Just : MERE

21. Great canines? : DANES - My favorite DANE is Victor Borge 

22. Tart fruits : SLOES -And their famous product

24. Is bothered : MINDS - People that mind don't COUNT and people who count don't mind!

25. More or less, informally : SORTA - just about, nearly, kinda... 


29. Brightly plumed songbird : ORIOLE - All of these have graced our yard and the ORIOLE certainly stands out

31. Banned chem. contaminant : PCB

34. Most lascivious : LEWDEST - This is a hard description to obtain these days

36. Mess with : KID

37. Super Bowl MVP after Peyton : ELI - One of Eli's Super Bowl wins was greatly aided by David Tyree's (#85) famous catch that he pinned to the top of his helmet 

38. Final hour? : EXAM DAY - Teachers today soon learn that they had better be teaching to the EXAM

39. Galoot : APE

40. Big automotive initials : REO - Isn't this REO Speedwagon a beauty?

41. Like some observant Jews : HASIDIC - They'd stand out in my 'hood

42. Designing initials : YSL - Yves St. Laurent 

43. Place for porcelain, possibly : MANTEL - Here's a beautiful porcelain MANTEL clock 

45. Stuffed fare : TACOS

47. Zero, to Nero : NIHIL - Latin for nothing and the root for NIHILISM

48. Opposite : POLAR - My loving wife and I are POLAR opposites on some issues but not anything really important to us

52. Come to pass : OCCUR

53. Cryotherapy offerers : SPAS - Exposure to -200F air for a couple minutes is supposed to be a great treatment for pain

57. Give significance to, in a way : NAME - CITI paid $400M over 20 years to NAME this stadium home of the NY Mets

58. Travel in no particular direction : ROAM

59. Trial records : STENO NOTES - I'll bet she did!

61. Niggle : CARP - Niggle seems like a fun little word

62. Collectible, maybe : OUT OF PRINT - A Gutenberg Bible might be a tough find 

63. Charity : ALMS

64. Double helix pair : DNA STRANDS - We share 96% of our DNA with chimps.


Down

1. Improvises : VAMPS - Keep VAMPING, we're trying to get the show headliner sober!

2. King Triton's daughter : ARIEL

3. 2011 title cowboy chameleon : RANGO - RANGO and his "voicer" Johnny Depp

4. Sacred birds : IBISES

5. Stately street adornment : ELM 

6. __ spirit : TEAM 

7. School named for a Welsh merchant : YALE - Some of that merchandise he traded in was slaves but the movement to change the college name is going nowhere 

8. Ingredient in the Japanese jellied dessert yokan : AGAR - AGAR is the "gelatinizing" agent in this lovely dessert

9. Means of correction : CURE

10. Some action in "Full Metal Jacket" took place on it : TET - I  learned the abandoned Beckton Gasworks in East London was where the battle scenes were filmed.

11. 1844 Verdi opera : ERNANI - ERNANI was a bandit in this opera by Giuseppe Verdi (Joe Green according to Victor Borge)

12. Seem reasonable : SOUND OKAY - "Let's attack the center of the line on cemetery ridge at Gettysburg and split the Yankees!"

14. Liturgical dress : ALBS

21. Surprise bad guy : DIRTY COP

23. One who gets it all : SOLE HEIR - She was his SOLE HEIR upon his death

24. Assembled artwork : MOSAIC - We saw fabulous MOSAICS in the Vatican

26. Longtime pharmacy chain : REXALL - The REXALL of my misspent yute kept Playboys and condoms under the counter out of sight

27. Christmas poem opener : TWAS - A great holiday tradition. Now where is my sleep cap?

28. Let in : ADMIT

30. Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon : EDEL - If I feel interested enough, I'll post a picture of him...

31. Wave generator? : PERM - Getting one in 1935 with the Gallia Machine

32. Controversial technology involving carbon capture and storage : CLEAN COAL - It purports to extract CO2 from burning coal exhaust gases and store it securely underground

33. Part of a fictional six-million-dollar repair : BIONIC ARM 

35. Ancient Icelandic text : EDDA

46. Chihuahua neighbor : SONORA - Just south of Tucson 

49. Ipso facto, e.g. : LATIN

50. Fix : AMEND

51. Breaks in scores : RESTS

52. Killer whale : ORCA - I'm sure  54. Org. promoting veganism : PETA is not in favor of having ORCAS do this but might have felt the animal got some measure of justice at the end of this sequence as he 53. Surprise big-time : STUNNED the trainer as he 44. Hits hard : THUMPS her

55. Years in Granada : ANOS - Me? Tengo 71 años de edad

56. __ light : SOFT

59. Land development aid : SOD

60. "On Point" syndicating org. : NPR

A tough but eminently fair test to me. You?

DA GRID:

Friday, January 5, 2018, C.C. Burnikel

Title: Letters rip.

My 2018 begins with a C.C. special in which initial-isms are unwound to create whimsical new clues and fill. I think this is my 4th or 5th Friday from C.C. solo, though she has done some Friday collaborations. It is interesting to watch her growth as a constructor, and the layers of subtlety she now includes in every effort. She makes clues difficult without making them either unfair or the fill obscure. I also think her exposure to other editors and styles of puzzles has helped that growth. Let me know what you think.

ALFREDO, ATE DIRT, KARAOKE, PANACEA, RADIATE, SEDATED and NICE GOING are all fun fill, but TEARSTAIN is wonderful.

The themers:

17A. Attire with a spreadsheet design? : EXCEL SHIRT (10). XL SHIRT gets repurposed.

24A. Disreputable court proceeding? : SEEDY CASE (9) C.D. CASE gets repurposed.

50A. Extracts from Wrigley Field's walls? : IVY FLUIDS (9). I.V. FLUIDS gets repurposed.

61A. Transports for fertilizer? : PEATY BOATS (10). P.T. BOATS gets repurposed.

Across:

1. Fey of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot": TINA. A spectacularly hidden hint to the type of puzzle.

5. Ready to rock: EAGER. The "E" was my last fill. Sometimes we make the easy hard.

10. Mug shot subject: PERP. C.C. slipped in a Corner word.

14. "I got this!" : ON IT.

15. Wheels since 1986: ACURA. This car was in Monday's first puzzle of the year.

16. Adidas rival: AVIA. I think Nike is a bigger rival.

19. Minor points: NITS. The lifeblood of much puzzle discussion and another C.C.inside joke.

20. Under: SEDATED. Good Friday deception; I can hear the doctor asking, "Is he under yet?"

21. More than tickles: ELATES. I think this is one of C.C.'s favorite words.

23. Liquor in a Singapore sling: GIN. I have had this before - I will always remember Albany.

26. Unskilled in: POOR AT.

29. Hebrides tongue: ERSE. Scottish Gaelic spoken HERE.

30. Arrived, in a way: ALIT.

31. Hardly an original: APER.

34. Office administrations: OATHS. I love this clue/fill; perfect deception. At every level government officials are sworn in; after a while, many are sworn at.

38. Superstation that broadcasts some Cubs games: WGN. TV independent owned by the people who syndicate the LAT.

39. Old Testament prophet: EZEKIEL. I spent way too much time trying to squeeze this into being a theme fill, but "KIEL" just did not fit the pattern of the others.

41. Creature for whose shape Anguilla was named: EEL. Named by COLUMBUS?

42. "Broca's Brain" author: SAGAN.  The entire BOOK.  Or WIKI.

44. Speed away, with "out": PEEL.

45. Syrup brand since 1902: KARO.

46. Cuts (off): LOPS.

48. Sacred crawler: SCARAB. Do you remember this SCENE?

55. Monopoly quartet: Abbr. : RRS.

56. __ network: NEURAL. Good solid Friday clue/fill and a mini-theme with 42A.

57. Emit: RADIATE.

60. Greased auto part: AXLE. I am so not an auto mechanic type.

64. Scholarship consideration: NEED. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it?

65. Umbilical variety: INNIE. I was an innie, but now I have an umbilical hernia.

66. Lover's greeting: KISS.

67. Old U.S. pump sign: ESSO.

68. Bluto and Pluto: TOONS. I like the rhyme but it took me a while to see what a sailor from Popeye and a Disney dog had in common.

69. "Echoes in Rain" singer : ENYA.

Down:

1. Ring site: TOE.

2. Sydney band originally called The Farriss Brothers: INXS. If you want to listen- do so HERE.

3. "Good work!" : NICE GOING.

4. Swallowed one's pride: ATE DIRT. Hmm.

5. Needle point? : EAST. Simple, but this took so long as I to get away from sewing.

6. Soreness: ACHES.

7. Museum offering: GUIDE. Another good example of Friday deception in clue/fill.

8. Miss on "Jeopardy!," e.g.: ERR. Pretty much amiss anywhere.

9. Involving nudity, maybe: RATED-R. The rating can be earned by hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above. MPAA.

10. Cure-all: PANACEA. I have always loved this word. Panacea comes from a Greek word meaning "all-healing", and Panacea was the goddess of healing.

11. 1980 Tony winner for Best Musical: EVITA.

12. Bat mitzvahs, e.g.: RITES.

13. So yesterday: PASSE.

18. Superboy's girlfriend: LANA.          Pretty girl. LINK.

22. Disinfectant brand: LYSOL.

25. Like many "Buffy" settings: EERIE.

26. Kittens play with them: PAWS. Again, a small head fake- not toys.

27. Lingerie brand: OLGA.  HISTORY.

28. Whirling toon: TAZ.

32. Drink with a Zero Sugar variety: PEPSI.

33. __ out a meager existence: EKE.

35. Mark on a Dear John letter, perhaps: TEAR STAIN. Fabulous clue/fill.

36. Zeus' jealous wife: HERA. She is back.

37. One who doesn't pick up much: SLOB. Not a dolt, but a messy one.

39. __ Gay: ENOLA. I am tired of this reminder.

40. "The Complete Short Game" author: ELS. How many three-letter named golfers are there?

43. Fettuccine sauce: ALFREDO. I add tuna and peas for a complete meal.

45. Bar attraction: KARAOKE. Kara 空 "empty" and ōkesutora オーケストラ "orchestra"); the same kara as in karate (empty hands).

47. Ministry: PULPIT. Is this a stretch?

49. Bed with enclosed sides: CRIB. I hope no other answer came to mind. They are getting fancy.

50. Absurd: INANE.

51. Annoys: VEXES.

52. Celebrated seasons: YULES.

53. Pipe cleaner: DRANO. Not the one you fill with tobacco.

54. Chemise fabric: SATIN.

58. Salon assortment: DYES. Beauty salon, not parlor.

59. Site for handicrafts: ETSY. Another HISTORY.

62. "Reflection" musician: ENO. Last week it was emo.

63. Issuer of five million-plus IDs annually: SSA. Social Security Administration.

This puzzle was so clean, I really do not have much to say, or maybe I am just tired. Thank you C.C. and my official Happy New Year to you all.

Thursday, January 4th 2018 Robert & Marlea Ellis

Theme: Four by Fore! Golf-related punning.

17A. Duffer's flaw from the tee? : RECKLESS DRIVING. That's me. I've lost count of the times I've walloped my first drive out of bounds and onto the road at my local club.

26A. Duffer's impossible dream? : ACE IN THE HOLE. I've hit the flagstick a couple of times and holed-in-one once on a Par-3 course for my single career ace.

48A. Duffer's cry after botching a putt and settling for par? : BYE BYE BIRDIE. I think I've birdied every hole on my course, just not all in the same round. I've also double-bogeyed or worse every hole, on a bad day all at in the same round.

63A. Duffer's sad 18th-hole reply to "Bogey for you?" ... and 19th-hole request to the bartender? : MAKE MINE A DOUBLE. See above.

Nice enough theme, maybe your mileage may vary depending on your knowledge of the golf game and the lingo. It took me a couple of laps around this one, there were a few unfamiliar proper names and some challenges in other places, but as long as the crosses are solid I can usually figure everything out. Let's see what attracts further attention:

Across:

1. Waldorf __ : SALAD. Does "Astoria" have anything to do with the Astor family? I need to go and look that up.

6. Crawford of the Timberwolves : JAMAL. Tried JALEN for no good reason at all. Wrong last name, wrong team.

11. Rx watchdog : FDA

14. Cast out : EXILE

15. Where glasses may be raised? : OPERA. Technically, it should be "the opera" but I'll let this one slide, I'm feeling charitable today.

16. Standee's lack : LAP. Nice. It's why you can't use a laptop standing up. There's no lap to top.

20. Wingless parasite : FLEA. Two "wingless" clues today.

21. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES. I never associate him with Cheers. I saw him on stage in London in an adaptation of a quite amazing treasure-hunt book called "Masquerade" by writer and artist Kit Willliams. Williams created a bejeweled gold sculpture of a hare and buried it in a ceramic container beyond the reach of metal detectors. The book contained the clues to find it. It went undiscovered for more than three years. Many of the audience went to see the production hoping to get some additional clues.

22. Approximately : CIRCA

23. Speech characteristic of Dustin on "Stranger Things" : LISP

25. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" newsman : BAXTER

31. Family dinner entrée : ROAST

32. __ de guerre : NOM. An assumed name.

33. It may be sharp : NOTE

37. Pageant VIPs : MCS. Masters of Ceremonies.

38. Handyman's tasks : ODD JOBS

42. Each : PER

43. Bean used in Asian sauces : SOYA

45. Classic auto : R.E.O. 

46. Cutting : ACERB

52. Yelp piece : REVIEW

55. Move, in Realtor lingo : RELOcation

56. They have pHs below 7 : ACIDS

57. "Let It Go" singer in "Frozen" : ELSA. Known from crosswords.

59. Landing : QUAY. Took me a while to see the clue wanted a noun, not a verb. Nice.

66. Miner concern : ORE

67. Make __: rake it in : A MINT

68. Deal with : SEE TO

69. '60s activist gp. : S.D.S. Students for a Democratic Society. I can never seem to remember this. The first S was my last fill, crossing an unknown actress in Sarah Ramos.

70. Help for the graveyard shift, maybe : NO-DOZ

71. Slurpee insert : STRAW

Down:

1. Lowly worker : SERF

2. Winter Olympics jump : AXEL. The Winter Olympics are coming soon. Matt Lauer appeared in almost all of the promo spots that had been produced, NBC spent quite a chunk of change reshooting or editing them.

3. Wingless parasites : LICE

4. They have pHs above 7 : ALKALIS. Very nice job to get ACIDS in the puzzle as well.

5. Second-smallest U.S. state : DELaware. It's quite a bit bigger than Rhode Island, the smallest.

6. Nativity figure : JOSEPH. I tried SERAPH when I had the PH. I'm not quite sure why I sometimes overlook the totally obvious sometimes.

7. Church area : APSE

8. Rx specifications : MEDS. I was looking more for something along the "dosage" lines at first.

9. Itinerary abbr. : ARR.

10. Not of the cloth : LAICAL. Slow to emerge. I was thinking on the right lines, but neither LAIC nor LAITY was working.

11. Toy (with) : FLIRT

12. Hula or hora : DANCE

13. __ score: neonatal measure : APGAR. New one on me. I now learn it is "a method to quickly summarize the health of newborn children. Dr. Virginia Apgar, an anesthesiologist at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, developed the score in 1952 in order to quantify the effects of obstetric anesthesia on babies.". Thank you, Wikipedia.

18. Once, quaintly : ERST

19. Kit's mom : VIXEN. A kit is another word for a fox cub. I didn't know that until today. Cute little guys, aren't they?

24. Absorbed by : INTO

25. Fall flat : BOMB

26. Readies for battle : ARMS

27. 2017 Pixar film set in Mexico : COCO. I was looking at "LOCO" first. ALE IN THE HOLE is another thing entirely.

28. Like Sunday morning, in a Commodores title : EASY

29. "Have a nice time!" : ENJOY

30. "Woo-__!" : HOO!

34. Newspaper page : OP-ED

35. Actress Garr : TERI

36. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." : ERBE. Another unknown.

39. Used charcoal pencils, say : DREW

40. Society newcomer : DEB. Debutante, to use the posh term.

41. Glide (through) : SAIL

44. Bear : ABIDE

47. Alice had to play it with flamingos as mallets : CROQUET

49. Sycophant : YES MAN

50. Not authentic : ERSATZ

51. Rosary unit : BEAD

52. "Parenthood" actress Sarah : RAMOS

53. Digital greeting : E-CARD

54. Twin Cities team, familiarly : VIKES. Minnesota's Vikings.

57. Oklahoma city : ENID. Nailed it, due to crosswords past.

58. Carson's successor : LENO

60. Taxi alternative : UBER. No umlaut on the company name.

61. Utah ski resort : ALTA. I always forget this one too, then kick myself when the rather obvious answer emerges.

62. "Ouch!" : YEOW!

64. Texting qualifier : IMO. In My Opinion. My opinion is always humble, therefore IMHO.

65. CIA predecessor : OSS.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done!

Steve