Sunday, June 25, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: SCUSE ME

Husker Gary reporting today where our brilliant LA Times Blogspot mistress C.C. Burnikel has given us a lovely Sunday puzzle with a fun theme and always clever cluing! The title and gimmick she used reminded me of this famous tag line for Steve Martin. She has given us eight, two-word themers where the first word starts with "S" and the second with "QU" which amounts to eight SQU's or phonetically: SCUSE. 

As you can see in the grid, six of the theme fills were horizontal and two more were vertical and intersected two of the horizontal fills. Last Sunday C.C. called this a "classic Gail Grabowski design".

There's  no SCUSE to not enjoy this puzzle and so let's first look at C.C. theme answers:

23. It begins in , April : SECOND QUARTER - Ah April, where I can make my final 2016 payment and fill out another lovely form and my first payment for 2017.

33. Yahoo! Finance offering : STOCK QUOTE - On June 16, a STOCK QUOTE for Yahoo! Inc. would have been $52.59

49. Jamie Lee Curtis or Fay Wray : SCREAM QUEEN - Jamie Lee was a great SCREAM QUEEN in the Halloween franchise. Her mommy was also pretty good at this skill in a Hitchcock classic. Fay Wray only had to contend with an animal that went, uh, ape over her!

86. Test for trivia fans : SPORCLE QUIZ - Probably obscure for most of you but I knew this from subbing. Some teachers let their kids take fun and/or educational quizzes at this online site and they stay occupied. Yay! Below, you must type in as many of the nine countries starting with "L" that you can in 60 seconds. Go!

100. California prison town : SAN QUENTIN - Perhaps you'd like to try the 9 mile swim from SAN QUENTIN to the other famous prison in the neighborhood

117. Pielike veggie dish : SPINACH QUICHE - Looks yummy to me!

15. What screen icons exude : STAR QUALITY - This show calls it the X-Factor

67. Granite excavation site : STONE QUARRY - This wonderful 1979 movie featured characters (including 101. "Far from Heaven" actor : Dennis QUAID)  who called their bike team the Cutters because of the STONE QUARRY industry in Bloomington, IN. They raced the Indiana University team. Guess who won.

Now let's look at the rest of the fill from this SUNDAY's QUEEN of the puzzle



Across

1. Mark Cuban's NBA team : DALLAS

7. Scene : LOCALE

13. Quaint light : GAS LAMP

20. Lizard with a "third eye" : IGUANA - The primitive white spot between his two eyes that only detects light and dark

21. Like grandfather clocks : ANALOG - Digital is just so wrong here

22. Tin mints : ALTOIDS

25. In an imposing manner : GRANDLY

26. Things on rings : KEYS

27. Lemons : DUDS

28. "__ Death": Grieg work : ASES -  Åse's Death from Peer Gynt. Yeah, I knew that and did not need the crossings. 😅

30. Dot follower : ORG

31. Grips : CLASPS

38. Went for a bite? : FISHED - A statue of a very famous "Gone Fishin'" trip in Mayberry, N.C. Okay it's in Mount Airy, N.C. but still...

41. Review using stars : RATE

43. In __ of : LIEU and 99. Inscribed tablet : PLAQUE - I have received several PLAQUES IN LIEU of cash

44. Glob : WAD

45. Punk rock icon Smith : PATTI - She performed in a benefit concert in 2011 with crossword's favorite Beatle wife

46. Poetic measure : METER

47. Trac II cousin : ATRA

48. Like Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 : IN G 

52. Steamed state : IRE


53. "Blue Sky" Oscar winner : LANGE - She made a controversial appearance before the House Agricultural Committee on the strength of her role in this 1980 film.

55. Bun contents : HAIR

56. Wish undone : RUE

57. Executed : DID

59. Legend in one's own mind : TIN GOD

60. Port of 79-Down : ADEN and 79. Nation across the gulf from Somalia : YEMEN

61. Brat's output : SASS

63. What some wallow in : SELF PITY

66. Give up the single life : WED

67. Prepared for a selfie : SMILED - This smile could be gone in a hurry

69. Dana of "Body of Proof" : DELANY

70. Smooching on the bus, for short : PDA - Have you ever chaperoned an adolescent dance?

73. Some studios : ATELIERS - Yeah, I knew that and did not need the crossings. 😅 400 sq. ft ATELIERS in the Robespierre district of Paris run about €800/month. 

75. Titles of respect : SIRS

76. Bath buggy : PRAM - Lady Mary could drive from 1 hr. west from Downton Abby to Bath, England to get a PRAM for her baby

77. Lidocaine brand : ICY HOT 

80. Sch. with a Harrisburg campus : PSU - Football scandals have rocked this fine school 

81. Summer in Provence : ETE

82. Burial isle of many Scottish kings : IONA Yeah, I knew that and did not need the crossings. 😅

83. Ersatz fat brand : OLEAN



84. Activity-tracking letters : GPS - "Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?"

90. Clyde cap : TAM - You might find one on IONA

91. Jacob's twin : ESAU

93. Poker pile : CHIPS

94. Charlotte __ : RUSSE - "Oh great! Another women's clothing store!" 😡

95. Is for two? : ARE - Stan  is one but Stan and Ollie ARE two

96. Stop : QUIT

97. Lyon lover's word : AIME - Je t'aime (I love you)

98. Golf phenom Jordan : SPIETH - Where are the golfers with personality?

103. Pennysaver revenue source : AD SALE

105. American rival: Abbr. : UAL - Give me the cheapest fare. End of discussion

106. Topps figure : STAT

108. Historic Tuscan city : PISA - After teaching about Galileo at PISA for decades, I had a breathless moment when I walked through the arch and saw the leaning tower for the first time

109. Wikipedia entries : BIOS - Isn't C.C. about due to have an entry?

113. "Right on!" : I HEAR YA

120. Prisoner's restraint : LEG IRON - I'll bet you know what character is trying to rid himself of said restraints here

121. __ à trois : MENAGE - What were you thinking?

122. Sophisticated : URBANE

123. Pain reliever : ANODYNE - Yeah, I knew that and did not need the crossings. 😅

124. Think highly of : ESTEEM

125. Eldest Dashwood daughter in "Sense and Sensibility" : ELINOR



Down

1. Pancake shape : DISK

2. Pulitzer novelist James : AGEE - I wonder if C.C. and Boomer have this AGEE card in their collection.

3. "Peanuts" fussbudget : LUCY

4. Golden Triangle country : LAOS

5. Taylor of fashion : ANN






6. Seat at Churchill Downs : SADDLE - Pretty Spartan

7. Heaps kudos on : LAUDS

8. Living it up : ON A SPREE

9. Budget choice : CAR - Once again, show me the price on your rental CAR

10. Ski resort near Snowbird : ALTA

11. "How to Succeed ... " composer Frank : LOESSER - Ya gotta dig pretty deep to find Music and Lyrics by Frank LOESSER.

12. Everglades bird : EGRET

13. Practical joke : GAG

14. "Today" weather anchor : AL ROKER

16. Future sound? : LONG U - FYOO' CHER - The first "U". Love it!

17. Help out : AID 

18. 16th-century date : MDL - July 7, 1550 is the traditional date chocolate is believed to have been introduced to Europe

19. Aspiring therapist's maj. : PSY

24. Squat beneficiary : QUAD - Wow!

29. Pool-heating option : SOLAR

31. __ seeds: omega-3 source : CHIA - From a silly gift to health food

32. Fill to the brim : SATE

34. Ticket for speeding, say : CITE - Oldest daughter got out of a speeding ticket in Lincoln but when the officer saw her then last name and  said he liked me as a teacher. "Dad, that's the only time it's been worth knowing you!"

35. Being in debt : OWING


36. Latin ballroom dance : TANGO - Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar doing the TANGO in Scent Of A Woman 

37. Barely beat : EDGED

38. False impression : FACADE

39. Words of resignation : I TRIED - no comfort when first words were 110. Volunteer's offer : I CAN

40. Strict : STERN

42. Looks after : TENDS

45. "Baloney!" : PSHAW

46. Granola cousin : MUESLI

50. Baseball mascot partner reintroduced in 2013 : MRS MET - They have both come and gone since the 1960's

51. California's state bird : QUAIL - You're my age if you know who sang, "Hey Bird Dog keep away from my QUAIL"

52. Remains in neutral : IDLES

54. "__ takers?" : ANY

58. Mil. roadside danger : IED - Improvised Explosive Device

59. Christmas strands : TINSEL

62. Escapes slowly : SEEPS

64. Mall handouts : FLIERS

65. Medicare program offered by private insurers : PART C 

68. Hosp. employees : DRS - Many DRS around here have abandoned their private practices to be "employees" of our hospital for legal reasons

70. "In Search of Lost Time" novelist : PROUST -The Guinness Book Of World Records says it is the longest novel of all time 

71. Breakfast pastry : DANISH

72. Blow away : AMAZE

73. "I knew it!" : AHA

74. It may be served with pickled ginger : SUSHI - I am not a big fan of ginger but it appears you can get it like this

76. Spark : PIQUE - These daily exercise never fail to PIQUE my curiosity

77. Tiny bits : IOTAS

78. Santa __ : CLARA

84. Dieter's setback : GAIN

85. Masters strokes : PUTTS

87. Strong cotton : PIMA

88. Where to see slanted columns : OP-ED PAGE - Where you might find Charles Krauthammer and Paul Krugman side-by-side

89. Lake bordering Ontario : ERIE - Last Sunday, Gail Grabowski's ERIES were The Cat Nation People

92. "Lolita" (1962) actress : SUE LYON - In ads the promo was, "How did they make a movie out of this?" The answer seems to have Nabokov's screenplay make Lolita 16 instead of 12 as in the novel and toned down the content

93. Happy hour offerings : CANAPES


98. Scout's accessory : SASH - His SASH runneth over

102. Response at the door : IT'S ME

104. Order to attack : SIC 'EM

107. Windshield option : TINT

109. Netanyahu of Israel, familiarly : BIBI

111. "This is horrible!" : OH NO - Ah, Mr. Bill!

112. Interpreter of signs : SEER

113. Wharf workers' org. : ILA - International Longshoreman's Association - Were they the bad guys who beat up Terry Malloy (Brando) in this gritty movie?

114. Egg source : HEN

115. Narcissist's problem : EGO

116. Hydrocarbon suffix : ANE

118. "Not gonna happen, lassie" : NAE - "Timmy is not in the well girl!"

119. Bing result : URL


Well, I SHOULD QUIT and let you guys hold forth with your pertinent and impertinent remarks.

Saturday, Jun 24th, 2017, Mark Diehl

Theme: None

Words: 66 (missing J,Q,V,Z)

Blocks: 26

Phew~!  I knew this was going to be a mental workout when I saw the constructor's name, and that certainly held true.  Lots of long entries, with a stagger step of 5 ten-letter answers up the middle.  Extremely deceptive cluing, and for me, unfortunately, some awful proper names (*) - and crossing, no less.  Still, I only red-letter cheated one square, which led to the discovery of one bad entry, and that held up the SW corner, my only problem area - and I managed to finish with one second left on my personal allotted time clock.  My brain is extra extra tired....like the 15-letter climber.  Here's that and some of the long fill;

8d. Like a trenta at Starbucks : EXTRA EXTRA LARGE - I don't 'do' Starbucks - it's my own coffee, or 7-11's

 I found this, too - funny

27d. Doesn't toss and turn : SLEEPS EASY - only with the A/C these days - and hold the trenta....

9d. The Beatles' "Help!" is one : TITLE TRACK - nice clue/answer

 In semaphore, that spells N U J V; half our missing letters

37. Certain racing vehicle : BURLAP SACK - nice. And if you've got the legs, you can rock a burlap sack dress....

27a. Poor working conditions : SWEAT BOXES - uh, like UPS these days - I won the hydration raffle yesterday, so here I am with Donna, our safety girl - she brings me lollipops.    Note my new scanner, which has added to the "poor" working conditions

 Hey now - that's just a crayon in my pocket....

Vacati-

ON-

Ward~!

ACROSS:

1. It can affect where you stop on a road trip : GAS PRICE - similar answer to last week's start - GAS PUMPS

9. Three-legged table : TEAPOY - new term for me - however when I Googled images, they seem to be more than just "three-legged" tables now

15. Customary : ORTHODOX - Orthorunics~!

16. How old radios are heard : IN MONO - total WAG, but it stayed

17. Fed with a wand : TSA AGENT - another dupe from last week

18. Plugged away : TOILED

19. Botched, with "up" : MESSED - hesitated, seemed to easy for the puzzle

20. Tiny stream : RILL

22. Milk source : EWE - not SOW, but that's 0% 33.3% correct

23. Detail on a map : INSET

24. Judicious : SANE

25*. "I Lost It at the Movies" author : KAEL - perps

26. Took part in a cover-up : LIED

29. __-Tiki : KON

30*. One with all the answers? : ALEX TREBEK - funny, I tried SMART ALEC, which didn't fit

31. Company car advantage : FLEET RATE

32. Identity verification system : BIOMETRICS

34*. Hodges of the Dodgers : GIL - hey, I knew this one~!

38. Baskin-Robbins order : CONE

39. Breezed through : ACED

40. It's under a foot : SOLE - oops, not INCH

41. Eighth of 24 : THETA - oh, got me - not THREE, but the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet

42. Many ATM deposits : CKS - ugh.  Checks are all that I deposit, but this was the weakest of the answers lot

43*. Part of a hip-hop trio name : PEPA - argh~!  I had PE-A, and was thinking peee - a, not peh-pa - as in Salt N' Pepa

44. Makes a good living : DOES OK

45*. Keys on a piano : ALICIA - deceptive; I tried BLACKS

47. Give new life to : RECREATE

49. Abs strengtheners : LEG-UPS - Argh~!  not SIT ups, my bad entry

50. It's rarely taken home : GROSS PAY

51*. Inspector in Elizabeth George mysteries : LYNLEY

52*. Two-time British Open champ : ERNIE ELS - good WAG on my part - did not get out on the course or the driving range this week - but I do want to check out that "Downhill Lie"

DOWN:

1. Ad campaign almost dismissed by its creators for grammatical inaccuracy : GOT MILK~?

2*. Hall of fame : ARSENIO - clever misdirection, but I got it

3*. Nine-time presidential candidate : STASSEN

4. Introduced in stages, with "in" : PHASED

5*. He had a way with words : ROGET - thesaurus guy

6. Named : IDed

7. Bamboozle : CON - semi 'eh' with KON in the puzzle, too

10. Organic compound : ENOL

11. "What __ bid for ... " : AM I - not in my wheelhouse

12. Weapon similar to a halberd : POLEAXE

13. Salary period : ONE WEEK

14. Off-peak calls? : YODELS - that kind of off (the) peak call - har-har

21. Quicker than quick : IN A TRICE

24. Fruit also called a sugar apple : SWEETSOP - never heard of or seen one - I guess I don't get out much (to the tropics)

25. __ beef : KOBE

28. Santa Anita action : BETS - west coast clue - I never heard of the place

30. Michigan city or college : ALMA

31. Decide not to call : FOLD - Poker terms

32*. "Firing Line" host : BUCKLEY

33. Parting words : "I RESIGN."

34. Has a cow : GOES APE

35. All told : IN TOTAL

36. Olduvai Gorge paleontologists : LEAKEYS - not a clue - this is what I found when I went Googling after I finished

37*. "Applause" Tony winner : BACALL

38. Jack in a box lunch : CHEESE - Monterey, that is

41. Tanks cover them : TORSI - tank tops, and upper bodies - nice deception

43. Frosty feature : PIPE - oh, the Christmas character - got me for a long time

We're halfway to UPS Christmas season already

44. Raid shelfmate : D-CON

46. __-de-sac : CUL

48. Muck it up : ERR

Splynter

Friday, June 23, 2017, John Lampkin

TITLE: Let's go camping!

John Lampkin is back with another delight. The theme answers in this letter exchange puzzle are all silly and clued with John's special wit. The base phrases are an odd set, but they work. The grid is a bit different with symmetrical 9 letter fill (NW- SE) around a 7 letter middle word and 11 letter downs set out in opposite corners. This makes one work a bit more. He also includes DEEP END, ALL TIME,  RATTLER,  FUSSPOT,   COURAGE,  LEAD DOG as sparkly fill.  Well, let us see how he built this Friday.

16A. Vermicelli for the greedy or lustful? : VICE-A-RONI (9). RICE-A-RONI the San Francisco TREAT.

38A. Energy drink? : VIMSHOT (7). RIMSHOT.  Who is your favorite comedian? LINK.

10D. Practical approach to preparing saltimbocca? : VEAL POLITIK (11). REALPOLITIK. You want to STUDY?

24D. Pamplona preeners, with "the"? : VAIN IN SPAIN (11). RAIN IN SPAIN. LISTEN.
the reveal
61A. Camper upgrade, literally seen in four puzzle answers : RV TRADE IN (9). A really fun reveal which tells us the we trade our beginning R for a V.

Across:

1. Clumps or chumps : CLODS. It takes a mind like JL to realize this relation.

6. Wall Street Journal co-founder Charles : DOW. Along with Messrs Jones and Bergestresser. LINK
They started the Dow Jones Bergestresser averages.

9. 2013 Zipcar acquirer : AVIS. Another sharing venture started in Miami. LINK.

13. Word on mail from Madrid : AEREO. Is there still airmail?

14. Have to shell out : OWE.

15. Break the silence of the lamb? : BLEAT. Such an appreciation for words and humor.

18. Get high : ELATE.

19. Get going : PROD. Like they do with cattle, or tigers.

20. Threat in old Westerns : RATTLER. My brother and I bought a house in Gainesville after law school. We were very surprised when we saw many diamondback rattlers sunning in the middle of the street. Turns out before it was leveled for development, the area was called rattlesnake hill.

John was nice enough to provide this pic.

22. Knuckle under : GIVE.

25. Bungler : OAF.

27. Import : SHIP IN.

28. Nutty : INANE.

30. Slam __ : DUNK.

32. Clever comment : MOT. Bon mot.

33. Word with gown or wreath : BRIDAL. I was not an expert on SPIREA.

35. Sandra's Supreme Court successor : SAMUEL. Ms. Day O'Conner and Mr. ALITO.

37. What's big in London? : BEN. Cute.

40. Texting qualifier : IMO. In My Opinion.

43. Glacial mass : ICECAP. Politics.

45. __ milk : MALTED. Malted milk shakes were very popular when I was young.

47. Dedicatee of Lennon's "Woman" : ONO. Not really up on Yoko years.

48. Barrel band : HOOP. And staves.

50. 1937 Shirley Temple title role : HEIDI. Do you remember the MOVIE? 80 years ago!

51. Cover, in a way : INSURE. Not put a top on.

53. Pot leaves : TEA. Not ASH.

55. Comparable : AKIN.

56. Subsequent edition with no changes : REPRINT.

58. Flew : SPED.

60. With 12-Down, Carnegie Hall icon : ISAAC. 12D. See 60-Across : STERN. Cue the VIOLINS.

66. Skeptical sound at Belmont? : NEIGH. Horsies.  The Belmont was a snooze fest this year.

67. Crude stuff : OIL.

68. Dry Italian white : SOAVE. Considered cheap wine when I was younger.

69. Sebaceous gland issue : ACNE.

70. One of several found in a golf cart : TEE.

71. Graceful wader : EGRET. More expertise from JL, beautiful bird.

Down:

1. James, for one, briefly : CAValier. 8 NBA championship appearances, 3 titles. He appears to be getting better and better but still not winning it all as much as he would like.

2. Hilo hello accompaniment : LEI. What beautiful alliteration!!!

3. Hobbit hunter : ORC.

4. Where it's not good to go off? : DEEP END. I am seeing more and more of this type of misdirection, like last week's " Bad thing to draw during a test."

5. Birds do it : SOAR. So do butterflies.

6. Thingy : DOODAD. Fun word.

7. Routinely trounce : OWN.

8. Small dam : WEIR. No relation to- did you think of this as well HG and Big Easy?

9. Never surpassed : ALL TIME.

11. Unwelcome response to "Where's the leftover pizza?" : I ATE IT. Who likes cold pizza?

15. Kiss classic : BETH.

17. Milne marsupial : ROO. Kanga too.

21. Referral from dad? : ASK MOM. Such a wonderfully phrased clue.

22. The "Gee" in Bee Gees : GIBB. This is not true, as explained in wiki "They were introduced to leading Brisbane radio DJ Bill Gates by speedway promoter and driver Bill Goode, who had hired the brothers to entertain the crowd at the Redcliffe Speedway in 1960.... Gates renamed them the BG's (later changed to "Bee Gees") after his, Goode's, and Barry Gibb's initials—thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief

23. About : IN RE.

26. Fuddy-duddy : FUSSPOT. I have not heard this word in years.

29. Igloo's lack : EAVE. No shed dormers either.

31. "Nope" : NAH.

34. Fungus/alga symbiosis : LICHEN.

36. Bryce Canyon locale : UTAH.

39. Red Guard leader : MAO.

41. Prefix with -terranean : MEDI. Sub?

42. Master of the Valkyries : ODIN.

44. Grit, but not grits : COURAGE. Too true. How many like eating grits? Shrimp and grits are popular.

46. It's never a poodle in the Iditarod : LEAD DOG. Really? MUST READ.

47. "Be right there!" : ONE SEC.

49. Chef's crusher : PESTLE. My wife has two like below. Very important for Papaya Salad.

51. "The Three Sisters" sister : IRINA. Olga and Masha were older.

52. Loaded : RICH.

54. Busy time for CPAs : APRil.

57. Relaxed pace : TROT. A mini-clecho.

59. Relaxation : EASE.

62. Strive : VIE.

63. Temple neighbor : EAR. Cute, not the University where Bill Cosby graduated.

64. Mass ending? : IVE. Because  neither Adoro te devote nor -pike fit.

65. A daredevil might eschew it : NET. Yes, neither C.C nor any of her minions ever works with a NET, even though we might fall. But it is summer now, so enjoy. Lemonade out.

Thursday, June 22 2017 Peter A. Collins

Theme: Office Space - Four corners, four varieties of offices - as the reveal succinctly explains:

38A. With 41-Across, corporate status symbol ... and a hint to the circled letters : CORNER

41A. See 38-Across : OFFICE

Four corners, four offices and two paired reveals across the center. The four offices are clockwise from noon: HOME, TICKET, POST and OVAL. Quite lovely. A couple of years ago I tried to construct a circle puzzle based on OFFICE in an oval shape. I messed around with that idea for way too long and then abandoned it. Peter went in another direction and nailed it.

A "hidden" theme like this is extremely hard to pull off. Kudos to Peter for that - and let's see what else jumps out.

Across:

1. Sheepish? : OVINE. Bugger. Why do I always confidently go with USINE which has nothing to do with sheep? First misstep at 1A. Go Steve! Now this is a thing of beauty! Those border collies are quite amazing,

6. Seeks information : ASKS. "Excuse me, what is the descriptive adjective for sheep?"

10. Wave back? : ECHO. Nice. Was playing with EVAW for a while.

14. Fashion flap : LAPEL

15. Eliza Doolittle's creator : SHAW. George Bernard. "Pygmalion" and thence "My Fair Lady". The wonderful Audrey Hepburn.

16. Noah's firstborn : SHEM. Confidently tried SETH first. That didn't help a lot.

17. __ blank (was stumped) : DREW A

18. Big East hoopster : HOYA. If you'd have told me 25 years ago I'd even know that there was a thing called College Basketball I'd have been stumped. 25 years later, not even a thought about the Georgetown U athletics program.

19. One of many on a sweater? : PORE. Great clue. That was me yesterday at my periodontist. Google British Dentisty 1960's and you'll know why my pores were getting a workout. My first dentist (I was five years old) drilled my teeth with a foot-treadle-operated drill and no anesthetic. This was way before Novocaine was available.

20. Headshot, e.g. : PIC

21. Rapper-turned-actor in "NCIS: Los Angeles" : LL COOL J

24. Tiny, made tinier : LIL. Rapper designate also. 'Sup, Cool J?

25. Collect : REAP. As ye sow. so ye shall reap ....

27. Cake grain : OAT ... cake grain? No thanks, I'm inventing vodka!

28. Decadent : EFFETE

30. Perceived Hollywood oversight : OSCAR SNUB. Loved this. Unhappy that Daniel Day Lewis decided this week to hang up his boots. What a fantastic actor. Never snubbed.

33. Gold standard : KARAT

34. Univ. aides : TAS

35. Luau fare : POI. FOOD! It's really good if it's made well. That's a big caveat.

37. Joyful dances : JIGS

43. Hindu title : RANI

44. Modeled for a portrait : SAT

46. See 54-Across : OUT. Cross-reference haters rejoice! Here's one with the second word first! Have at it in the comments section!

47. Tennyson's "__ Arden" : ENOCH. Crosses all the way.

49. Character who debuted in "First Blood" : JOHN RAMBO. I can never remember his first name.

54. With 46-Across, quit working : CONKED. See 46A. Personally, I like it.

56. Fam. member : REL. We say "relation" here. Brits say "relative". Discuss.

57. Spotted : SEEN

58. Terminate : END

59. Genuine, for real : SYNONYM. LOVED this clue. I wish I was so original when I'm cluing a crossword.

62. Bloke : LAD

63. "Rich men sin, and __ root": "Timon of Athens" : I EAT. Obscure? Yes. Gettable with crosses? Yes.

65. Princes, but not princesses : SONS

66. Advice to sinners : ATONE. Not "Don't be a knucklehead and don't it again"? That would be my advice before starting the whole atonement process.

68. __ stick : POGO

69. "Beetle Bailey" pooch : OTTO

70. Slice-and-dice product suffix : -MATIC. Don't. REALLY don't. REALLY DON'T order anything from the TV called -MATIC anything. Period.

71. Crimean War leader : TSAR

72. Lamp gas : NEON

73. Walter White's Pontiac model in "Breaking Bad" : AZTEK Easily one of the ugliest cars designed - ever.

Down:

1. Hardly a neophyte : OLD PRO

2. Fluctuates : VARIES

3. Emetic drug : IPECAC. Completely ineffective and, as it transpires, quite dangerous.

4. Never used : NEW

5. Airline since 1948 : EL AL. "To the skies" et al. Sorry, I meant el al.

6. Rubbish bin : ASH CAN. Do we have these anymore? Genuine question.

7. Have a growth spurt : SHOOT UP

8. Drop to the canvas : KAYO. Variations on Knock Out, KO or crosswordese KAYO. Sorry, didn't like this.

9. Marshy hollow : SWALE. I'm not seeing this. A marsh is flat, wet and reedy. A swale is a lovely dry haven in a meadow. Ne'er the twain shall meet.

10. Mentalist's gift : ESP

11. Ill-tempered : CHOLERIC. Word of the day.

12. Ancestry : HERITAGE. Wine style of the day: Meritage. C'mon, I have to get my food/wine hat on sometimes!

13. Morning orders : OMELETS. Food! Mushrooms, cheddar cheese, spinach. Thank you.

22. Setbacks : LOSSES

23. 35th pres. : JFK

26. Indy racer Danica or sportscaster Dan : PATRICK. I watch the Dan Patrick Show most mornings on NBC Sports. Dan has a life-sized stand-up of Danica in his studio. There was an ongoing debate about whether it was Danica, or a stock model of a guy with Danica's face Photoshop'ed onto it, due to the size of the hands. The jury was out - either it was Danica, who has "Man Hands", or it was a Photoshop fake. Very entertaining.

29. Sizzling Tex-Mex dish : FAJITAS. Food! SoCal favorite.

31. Conducted : RAN

32. Didn't say __: had no comment : BOO

36. Words of regret : IF ONLY

38. Camera named for a goddess : CANON EOS. I gave my daughter one for Christmas one year, I made sure it worked first, She almost didn't get it.

39. Five Nations tribe : ONONDAGA. Thank you, crosses

40. "The Big Bang Theory" astrophysicist : RAJ. Thank you, crosses, I know this is a show I should have watched but .....

42. Pelt : FUR

43. Register printout : RECEIPT

45. Home city of Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper : TORONTO. One of those two better be syndicating the LA Times puzzle, or there will be trouble, eH? Don't have any doot aboot it. Canadian Eh! may need to mediate..

48. Cock and bull : HES. Masculine plural - wasn't sure how to punctuate it, so you get it in the raw form.

50. Muppet master : HENSON

51. Giant in Cooperstown : MEL OTT

52. Small cap : BEANIE

53. Next up : ON DECK. Lemonade, tomorrow

55. Bagless vacuum pioneer : DYSON. I love how he sounds so British. And all balls, too.

60. Staff member? : NOTE

61. Crib cry : MA-MA

64. Craggy peak : TOR

67. Tornadic Looney Tunes spinner : TAZ

It's been a long day, so I'm done (put a fork in me) . Grid below. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thursday. Those of you in tornado territory - be careful. Those of you in insanely hot territory - look after yourselves.

Steve