Saturday, Dec 17th, 2011 Barry C. Silk

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: Saturday Silk

Words: 72

Blocks: 28

Well I just smoked through this puzzle today ~! A Saturday Silkie, with some answers made specially for us here at the corner ~! A smattering of single blocks in the center of a pinwheel of triple 9's and 10's. No spanners or climbers, and not too many obscure clues, I thought....how did you fare ???

Yes, No, Maybe, Not ??

Onward ~!

ACROSS:

1. Cause of a run, perhaps : WILD PITCH - Let's just start with a baseball answer for our host, C.C. - not a baseball fan myself: scoring a run on a WILD PITCH usually means it got a long way from the catcher, and the man on third was able to cross the plate

10. Benjamin : C-SPOT - I had C-NOTE to start, C designating 100, with Ben's mug on it



15. Two-time Best Situation Comedy Emmy winner : I LOVE LUCY - I did not know how many awards it did win; honestly, not a big fan - but I grew up with Tom & Jerry cartoons, so go figure

16. Still in contention : ALIVE

17. Scorned : DISDAINED

18. Oysterquartz maker : ROLEX - a WAG - makes me think of this line, @ 1:23

19. Agitates, with "at" : EATS

20. Physicist Ampère : ANDRE - the info on this man, who gave us the electrical term defining a unit of current in a circuit

22. New York Giants ownership family name : MARA - ah, I knew it was an "M" at the beginning, but even being from LI, NY, I am not that big of a fan to remember the name

23. Drink suffix : ADE - funny, but I went out with "the guys" tonight, and I don't drink, but when I read this, I was thinking Martini, Mai Tai, etc., - oh, yeah, like LEMONADE - get well, Mr. Friday ~!

24. Obstructs : OPPOSES - started with IMPEDES, was real proud of myself - but SLO-MO had to be right

26. Dilutes : THINS - as a painter, this one came easy

30. Locking blocks : LEGOs - Love this toy - I STILL have my collection, mostly the high-end kits that had some 'working' part, like the steering of the Go-Kart, the rotors of the helicopter....

32. Work with a shuttle : TAT - Dah~! I had SEW to start

33. Order of the British Empire, e.g. : HONOUR - knew this was an 'award', a 'medal', but ah, the British spelling of Honor

35. Butter up, perhaps : BE NICE TO - who are you BEING NICE TO now that Christmas is a week away ~!?!?

37. Film feline : ELSA - Lion King, right? Never saw it. (Correction: It's "Born Free".)

38. Key color : EBONY 50/50, EBONY or IVORY

40. Region : AREA

41. Antifreeze compound : METHANOL - again, all proud of myself for having ETHYLENE here

43. Some runners : MILERS

45. Result preceder : AS A - Never cut my finger off with a circular saw; AS A result, I still have ten digits

46. Like some waste : TOXIC

48. Center : MIDST - I was in the MIDST of some booty dancers tonight....

49. Something to use on leftovers : TIN FOIL - not that it's TIN, but the common phrase for aluminum wrap

51. Old dance : HOP - I had TAP to start

53. Fixed stake : ANTE - yeah, I was thinking TENT, but this is the betting, better version

54. Emphasize to excess : RUB IN - funny, I was doing the blog, and thought "Hey, I don't remember seeing the NAME "Rubin" in the grid..."

56. Composed : CALM - not WROTE, PENNED, or MADE

60. Fluffy : DOWNY

62. It "isn't what it used to be": Peter De Vries : NOSTALGIA - Har, har

64. In reserve : ON ICE - I had ON TAP here, not at 52D - what's On Ice, Tinbeni ??

65. Horror movie staples : CREATURES - And here's one directly for our own CREATURE

66. Get Mad again : RE-NEW - Ah, very good, the magazine, not the emotion

67. "I need a hand!" : "HELP ME OUT!"

DOWN:

1. Sweeping : WIDE

2. Pelvic parts : ILIA

3. Drama that began with a plane crash : LOST - was great to start, but I just couldn't stay with it

4. TCM merchandise : DVDs

5. Shell game need : PEA

6. Epic featuring Agamemnon : ILIAD - and ILIA in the same grid

7. Dig : TUNNEL - moles tunnel under the lawn

8. Kept in the loop, briefly : CCed - a little host hint again

9. It's always number one : HYDROGEN - on the periodic chart - I love this version

10. Ride : CAR

11. NFL review technique : SLO-MO

12. Featuring built-in columns : PILASTERED - tired BALUSTERED first

13. Jenny Craig targets : OVER-EATERS

14. Southern side : TEXAS TOAST - yeah, it's a Northern one, as well - I usually have it with a pasta dish

21. Karl Benz or Henry Ford : EPONYM - the 10D's are named after their makers, Ford, and Benz.

23. Grand Canyon State sch. : ASU - the "S" was in place, figured it was Arizona _ University

25. Chi follower : PSI

26. 2005 Brosnan/Kinnear film with a bullfight scene : THE MATADOR - never saw it - more here

27. Aces : HOLES IN ONE - I know Husker is a Duffer; anyone ever get a hole in one? I had a friend of mine who played every day ( retired, of course ) and his hole in one came on a day that he played alone - I believed him

28. Lottery draw : INSTANT WIN - I think more of the scratch-offs when I think of instant wins and lottery

29. Genesis builder : NOAH - a man and his Ark; Ancient Alien theorists believe this is a parable to some storage device for the DNA of every living thing on Earth - I am fascinated by these kinds of things

31. Town in Salerno : EBOLI - Do you think American tourism is down due to E. Coli, or Ebola?

34. "The Bathers" artist : RENOIR - here it is; such frolicking

36. Avianca airlines destination : CALI - oh, Columbia, South America map

39. Construction site sight : BOX LUNCH - yeah, OK, I was thinking BOOM CRANE

42. Words on some initial volumes : A TO - - like Encyclopaedia, "A to Amer", e.g.

44. Rap sca lli on : IMP - 3-2/3 times the letters, 4 times the syllables

47. Cheat : CHISEL - as in "he chiseled me out of a fiver"

50. One handling hot things? : FENCE - stolen items are "hot" - the fence takes it off your hands, at a discount, and puts it back in/on the market - here's my favorite fence

52. Ready : ON-TAP

55. Yawn inducer : BORE

56. Footprint, e.g. : CLUE

57. Field: Pref. : AGRO

58. Stead : LIEU

59. Clipper part : MAST - thought maybe SAIL - here's a Clipper - so named because it moved at a "clip", sez Wiki; Spitzboov was a sailor at one time, right?

61. Fine-grained wood : YEW - alternate to "bow-making wood"

63. Short-term funding source : ATM - ah, got me - took the AT_ before I figured out we were talking about our old favorite, the Automatic Teller Machine

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday Dec 16, 2011 Bruce R. Sutphin & Doug Peterson

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: HOODOO (45D. Bad luck, and a hint to the four longest across answers) - HOO is added to each common phrase.

20A. Anti-sweatshirt slogan? : NEVER SAY HOODIE. Never say die.

25A. Rabid B-ball fan's shout? : HOOPS, I LOVE YOU. P.S. I Love You. Very moving movie.

43A. Conspiracy resting place? : CAHOOT'S CRADLE. Cat's cradle.

50A. Harried photographer's wish? : RESHOOT IN PEACE. Rest in peace. The clue reminded me of Anna Wintour and her demanding style.

C.C. here. Lemonade will be back in his blogging seat next Friday. He was ready to go today, but I felt he needed one more week's recovery.

I don't quite get today's unifier HOODOO. What does DOO have anything to do with the HOO addition? Other than that, all is great. Very smooth fill.

I mentioned before that 14's are tricky to maneuver, esp if they're your first/last theme entries and you have 5 long Across theme entries. Today, we have 4. So no problem here.

Across:

1. Something to do between class and homework : MCJOB. Thought of outdoor sports rather than a part-time job.

6. "Animal House" house : DELTA. Never saw the movie.

11. Acting as : QUA. This little word always gives me trouble.

14. São __ : PAULO. So, their OK sign is not really OK.

15. Unfamiliar : ALIEN

16. Prefix with form : UNI. Uniform.

17. Auger shape : HELIX. I often confuse "auger" with "augur".

18. Globe fleck : ISLET

19. Green source, briefly : ATM. Lots of clever clues for ATM, unlike EKE or URAL.

23. Shogunate seat of power : EDO (1603-1806)

24. Major course : ENTREE. What do you want for your last meal? I want sashimi, freshly grilled unagi & mochi ice cream.

31. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. "Sweet Dreams are made of this..."

32. "__ only kidding!" : I WAS

33. Get-up-and-go : PEP. What Dennis has.

36. "Waverley" novelist : SCOTT. Sir Walter Scott. I've never heard of "Waverley", a historical novel.

37. Boston's Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM

38. Word of welcome : HELLO. Ni Hao! Literally "You good".

40. Push-up target : PEC

41. Progress measure : STEP. Tricky clue for me.

42. Two-dimensional products : AREAS

47. Guiding light : BEACON

49. Much of the daily paper : ADS. Esp on Sundays.

56. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI

57. Harry's Hogwarts nemesis : DRACO. Gimme for Argyle/Jazzbumpa. A draconian clue for me, a non-Harry Potter fan.

58. "The Office" airer : NBC TV

60. Uruguayan uncle : TIO

61. Saharan refuges : OASES. Lots of dates there. Fed to camels and horses. What a waste.

62. Use a short form of : ELIDE

63. __ master : ZEN. Doug Peterson is a grid master.

64. Not sharp, say : ON KEY. I need "or not flat" in the clue to think musically. Stupid!

65. Believer in the clockwork universe theory : DEIST. What is "clockwork universe theory"?

Down:

1. Daytona meas. : MPH. Nailed it, eddy? Daytona 500.

2. French city near the English Channel : CAEN

3. Styne of Broadway : JULE. "Funny Girl", "Gypsy", etc.

4. Greek salad leftover : OLIVE PIT. Have yet to finish my jar of olive pate. Incredibly salty, Steve!

5. Ardent fan's purchase : BOXED SET

6. Speaker's platform : DAIS

7. Supermodel Benitez : ELSA. Here she is. Your clue, Bruce?

8. Plant family including tulips : LILY

9. Giggles : TEEHEES

10. Caesar colleague : ANTONY (Marc). Cleopatra was a Wonder Woman.

11. Adjusted for a larger group, as a recipe : QUADRUPLED. I like this entry.

12. Free : UNTIE

13. Pop singer Mann : AIMEE

21. Dauphin's destiny : ROI. Dauphin was French ROI's oldest (eldest?) son.

22. Nebraska native : OTO

25. Door closer : HASP

26. "I'll try anything __" : ONCE. Will you, Desper-otto?

27. Irregularly : ON OCCASION. Nice answer also.

28. Not be up-front with : LIE TO

29. Nocturnal newcomer : OWLET. "Newcomer" made me laugh.

30. Improvises : VAMPS. New meaning of "vamp" to me. Jazz term.

34. Mideast flier : EL AL

35. Put forward : POSE

38. Got set : HARDENED

39. Subject to removal : ERASABLE

41. Desert bordering the Mojave : SONORAN

44. German grouse? : ACH. Lovely clue/answer for Kazie, Spitzboov and Misty, who is from Austria.

46. Ceiling : CAP

47. Lush-lipped doll brand : BRATZ. They all look quite pretty, except their "lush lips".

48. More than odd : EERIE

51. Thing to stay on : TASK. Stay on task.

52. Big name in slush : ICEE

53. Prying : NOSY

54. MX ÷ V : CCII. 1010/5= 202. I don't mind Roman numeral in a grid at all.

55. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. ETD = Estimated Time of Departure.

59. Thoroughly examine : VET. Vet a potential candidate for a Supreme Court Justice position, for example.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Thursday December 15, 2011 Mark Bickham

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: DF families

I will give the reveal first:

59A. Show since 12/17/1989 whose five main family members are hidden in this puzzle's other long across answers : THE SIMPSONS

...and then I'll introduce the leading characters:

17A. Tomato-based concoctions : CHILI SAUCES. Lisa, a precocious 8-year old activist.

20A. Do-it-yourselfers' projects : HOME RENOVATIONS. Homer, the father, who works as a safety inspector at a nuclear power plant (God help us!).

29A. Birthplace of the Bauhaus movement : WEIMAR GERMANY. Marge, the stereotypical housewife and mother.

41A. Mughal emporer, 1556-1605 : AKBAR THE GREAT. Bart, the 10-year-old troublemaker.

52A. Lone Star State collegiate athlete : TEXAS A AND M AGGIE. Maggie, the pacifier-sucking baby who never speaks.

Homer would say, "MEH"...This puzzle is packed with theme entries -nice! I have never watched the Simpsons, and only know their names from doing crosswords!

Marti here, so it must be Thursday already?

Across:

1. Goes on : LASTS

6. "Dude!" : MY MAN

11. Jamboree gp. : BSA. Boy Scouts of America.

14. Wise youngster? : OWLET

15. Dumas's Edmond Dantes, e.g. : COMTE. French count.

16. PC-to-PC system : LAN. Local Area Network.

19. Not safe : OUT. "Y'errrrrr out!!"

22. Lee org. : CSA. Confederate States of America, General Robert E. Lee.

23. Word after mess or media : KIT

24. End of the war : V-DAY. "Victory" Day

25. Lowdown : INFO

28. They may be tipped in acknowledgement : HATS

36. Totally dominate : OWN

37. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" actress : MIA SARA. A.K.A. Sloane Peterson in the movie.

38. High deg. : PH.D

44. Race invented about 800,000 years before its time : ELOI. From H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine"

45. Schools of thought : ISMS

46. Field workers : OXEN

47. End of many a riddle : AM I.
(I have an eye but cannot see. I am stronger and faster than any man alive but have no limbs. Who am I?)

50. Range part: Abbr. : MTN. Mountain.

58. Greek vowel : ETA

60. Dreamer's acronym : REM

61. Coastal safety measure : LEVEE. ..Not so safe in New Orleans in 2005, though.

62. Lincoln and Ford : AUTOS

63. Return adressee, briefly? : IRS. Internal revenue Service, where we must send all of our tax RETURNS

64. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright : ODETS

65. Sudden burst : SPATE

Down:

1. Ness, for one : LOCH

2. "Horton Hears ___" : A WHO

3. Not good, chance-wise : SLIM...to none!

4. BellSouth, for one : TELECOM

5. Moves a muscle : STIRS

6. Thom ___: Shoe brand : MCAN

7. Concerned query : YOU OK?

8. XCV years from now : MMCVI...do the math!

9. Troubled a lot : ATE AT

10. Leaves home? : NEST...OK, this one stymied me. Help?

11. A and B, e.g. : BLOOD TYPES. We had A NEG yesterday...

12. Hot spots : SAUNAS. When we were children, my father had a sauna every Saturday for his Finnish friends...us kids would have to wait until they were done, before we got to go into the sauna.

13. Not sitting well? : ANTSY

18. Noted septet member : SEA

21. Russian John : IVAN

25. ___ Jima : IWO

26. Mint : NEW. I bet Dennis and C.C. both have mint baseball cards in their colletions...

27. Reason for cramming : FINAL EXAMS

28. Den ___. Nederland : HAAG

30. Prefix with dexterity : AMBI

31. River inlet : RIA

32. Spearlike fish : GAR. Yes, they are spear-like!

33. Recordholder's suffix : EST

34. Word of support : RAH

35. G.I. chow : MRE. Meal, Ready to Eat.

39. One acting badly : HAM

40. Boozer's syndrome : DTS. Delirium tremens...not a nice thing to go through.

42. ___Coast, Hawaiian coffee district : KONA

43. Calls, in Chelsea : RINGS UP. One of my 'Brit friends used to say "I'll knock you up in the morning..." Nice Cuppa, is that a familiar phrase for you?

44. English cathedral city : EXETER

46. Former "SNL" regular : OTERI

47. Sounded content : AAHED

48. Novelist Binchy : MAEVE

49. Atlas enlargement : INSET

50. "Delicious!" : MMM

51. Spanish bar snacks : TAPAS. MMM!!

53. D-Day target city : ST LO

54. Fizzles out : DIES

55. "___ light?" : GOT A. First time I went to Germany, I needed a cigarette lighter and asked, "Haben sie ein licht?" The guy looked up at the ceiling light, quizzically wondering what I wanted! I think the correct way to say it would be "Haben sie feuer?" Maybe Kazie can correct me...

56. Trying to get untied, briefly? : IN OT. My favorite clue/ans of the day. In overtime, trying to break a tied score!

57. To be, to Brutus : ESSE

Answer grid.

Now it is time "to be" going.

Hugs,

Marti

Wednesday Dec 14, 2011 Richard F Mausser

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: Getting Nostalgic - All theme answers are vintage electronics.

17A. *Retro viewer : BLACK AND WHITE TV

28A. *Retro imager : POLAROID CAMERA

43A. *Retro recorder : EIGHT-TRACK TAPE

57A. *Retro dialer : ROTARY TELEPHONE

23D. Word that can bring the ends of the starred answers up to date : DIGITAL

Happy Holidays to all. Boomer here with a retro theme puzzle.

Wow, I have had all of those things in my lifetime. In fact, at one time, All TV was black and white, and all phones had rotary dials. Go back a little farther and they had magneto cranks. Eight track did not last too long, but I had plenty of tapes, and I still have a Polaroid in my desk cabinet. The company was nearly destroyed by Minnesotan Tom Petters. He went to jail, Polaroid went into bankruptcy, but I think they still bring some digital cameras to market.

Across:

1. One of the ABC islands : ARUBA in the Achilles (Correction: Antilles). The others are Bonaire and Curacao. (No I'm not that smart. I Googled it.)

6. Nail remover : CLAW - I first thought of file, because I was thinking of fingernails

10. Loaf, with "off" : GOOF - tough clue, but I get it.

14. Any "Friends" episode, now : RE-RUN - Ever notice how all of their episode titles start with "The One ...." ie: "The one with Smelly Cat."

15. Kunlun Mountains locale : ASIA - We always learn. Now I won't need Google map or GPS to find the Kunluns. (Asia isn't very big, is it??)

16. Toothed whale : ORCA - I though all whales had teeth.

20. Stand-up routine, usually : SOLO ACT - My first thought was comedy, but it didn't fit.

21. Lotion additive : ALOE - Or - What you said when you answered your rotary phone.

22. Demond's co-star in a '70s sitcom : REDD - Classic Mr. Fred (I'm coming Elizabeth) Sanford. My garage looks a little like his yard.

24. Mud nest builders : WASPS - Swallows make the sturdiest mud homes, wasps nests seem more like paper.

33. Aroused : WOKEN - A better clue may have been "Arisen".

34. Forward progress : GAIN

35. New Jersey casino, with "The" : TAJ - Newer casinos are frequently modeled after classic buildings or even entire cities. I prefer the retros - Sands, Dunes, Stardust, etc.

36. __-bitsy : ITSY

37. Tums targets : ACIDS

39. SEAL's school : USNA - Alma mater of former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.

40. Printer resolution meas. : DPI - This stands for dots per inch, on the retro dot matrix printers that are in your garage next to your rotary phones and black and white TV.

41. Lie flush with : ABUT

42. In need of a tow : STUCK - Has not happened yet here in the Northland. A mild winter so far, but it's still early.

47. Oscar winner Zellweger : RENEE

48. Path to the pins : LANE - A bowling baby boomer should have no trouble with this clue.

49. Drawn-out story : SAGA - not really too drawn out, but for a good story about computers and such, visit "My Nickel's Worth". This week's topic "Outhouse".

52. Hive material : BEESWAX - Always reminds me of Major Frank Burns saying "None of your beeswax"

61. Morales of "Jericho" : ESAI - I remember him better in NYPD Blue.

62. Seward Peninsula city : NOME - Alaska is still a frontier, but I've heard you can see Russia from there.

63. Frozen rope, in baseball : LINER - We could use a few more from Joe Mauer next year.

64. Pounds in London : QUID - British slang for one pound sterling. But quid pro quo is Latin for "this for that" So I guess I can give you this quid for that pound, but what does all that have to do with the Euro?

65. Shih __: Tibetan dogs : TZUS - I actually have a friend who has one of those dogs. Be careful how you pronounce it.

66. Online periodicals : E-MAGS

Down:

1. Wall St. traders : ARBS - Never heard of this. I think it's just a word someone made up for crossword puzzles.

2. Move, in Realtor lingo : RELO - Never heard this term either. Maybe I spend too much time in the bowling center

3. Russian river : URAL

4. Osso __ : BUCO

5. One of more than four million Turks : ANKARAN - Thank heaven for Across clues. This is the first down word I got.

6. Isn't capable of : CAN'T DO - First I had cannot, but Redd bailed me out.

7. Trip starter : LSD - Her I had leg. Never took an acid trip.

8. Bygone Japanese audio brand : AIWA - They made great reel to reel tape decks, another fazed out retro device.

9. Big name in grooming products : WAHL

10. Cheerleader's cry : GO TEAM - Also Rah Rah Rah for Sky - U - Mah

11. It's found in veins : ORE - Also found between CAL and WASH. Just sayin'

12. Last full U.S. DST month : OCT

13. Best-liked, in chat rooms : FAV - Have not heard of a FAV in Facebook. Although I recently heard of an anti-social website - In your face book.

18. Service expert : ACER - Wait. A service expert could be Evert, but nowadays it's a Geek. Acer is one of the device they service. Just sayin'

19. Hawkeye : IOWAN - Yup, just a bit south of me. Also Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce.

25. Frames badly? : SETS UP

26. Horse's strut : PRANCE - Also the strut of one of Santa's Reindeer, Prancer. (The one that ran over Grandma).

27. "I'll give the wheel a final spin" speaker : SAJAK - "Wheel of Fortune". Seems like it has been on as long as "Jeopardy".

28. Meal with a crust : POT PIE - These used to be 20 cents apiece. We would eat them while watching "Dragnet" on the black and white TV.

29. Thumbs-up : OK SIGN

30. Pewter with 80% tin : LEY

31. Paternal palindrome : DAD - Luckily I know what a palindrome is, so when I got the first two letters, it was a slam dunk.

32. Sue Grafton's "__ for Corpse" : C IS

33. Hygienist's request : WIDER - I never heard this from the Hygienist, I have a big mouth.

37. NYC dance co. : ABT - No no no - ABT stand for Amateur Bowlers Tour.

38. Junkyard dog : CUR

39. Hagen of Broadway : UTA

41. Go on __: rampage : A TEAR

42. Place for a belfry : STEEPLE - You don't see many of these any more either. Newer houses of worship have a digital sound of bells - now the bats need a new home.

44. Half a lover's quarrel : HE SAID - (The other half is She Said, which usually prevails, if he knows what's good for him)

45. San Francisco transit features : CABLES - Extremely unique. If you have never ridden a cable car, get out to SF in your lifetime and give it a try. Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

46. Support for a proposal? : KNEE - After the Humphries/Kardashian failure, our next new betrothal here in Twins territory is the recent engagement of Joe Mauer. Word is that everyone was worried that if he got down on one knee, he would not be able to get back up and would miss another three months of the season.

50. Ibsen's "Peer __" : GYNT

51. It covers everything : A TO Z - Or.... You could go see the Wizard AT OZ and he would cover anything.

53. Carpentry leveler : SHIM

54. Words with trophy or prize : WON A - My least favorite clue in this puzzle.

55. Uncommon blood type: Abbr. : A NEG - My second least favorite.

56. Boomers' followers : XERS - Indeed I am an original Baby Boomer. Most Gen Xers want to be Boomers so bad that they lie about their age.

57. Not opt. : REQ

58. Buckeyes' sch. : OSU - Looks like they have a great basketball team this year, as long as they don't trade their jerseys for tattoos or something.

59. __ chi : TAI

60. Ostrich kin : EMU

Answer grid.

Boomer

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 Mike Nothnagel

(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)

Theme: "Break a Leg" - The traditional wish that means "good luck", said to actors before they go on stage to perform seems like an appropriate title for these backstage terms from the Great White Way.

18A. *Strikers' formation : PICKET LINE. I did think of the queue in front of the theater but the 48-Down bonus puts it in the back; dialogue.

35A. *Severe reprimand, in metaphor : RIOT ACT

3D. *Where evidence is gathered : CRIME SCENE

28D. *Extremely easy task : CHILD'S PLAY. "The play's the thing ..."

55A. 1963 hit for the Drifters ... or where you can see the ends of the starred answers : "ON BROADWAY". Clip.(3:01)

Bonus: 48D. Setting for this puzzle's theme : STAGE

Argyle here. The theme seems tight but the fill is eclectic and there is nothing wrong with that. Even JACOBI(49A) filled in nicely. The four 8's and five 7's are all pretty solid.

Across:

1. Baroque composer of the "Goldberg Variations" : BACH. The Goldberg Variations is a work for harpsichord, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. Aria.(2:12)

5. Civil rights activist Parks : ROSA

9. Online money : ECASH

14. Hairdo that's picked : AFRO

15. Barely manages, with "out" : EKEs

16. "I'm not kidding!" : "NO LIE!"

17. Corner Monopoly space : JAIL

20. Soldiers' shelter : ARMY TENT

22. Most restricted, filmwise : X-RATED

23. TV oil family name : EWING. 1978–1991 CBS

24. Thoroughfare : ROAD

25. Volcanic rock : BASALT

27. Futuristic personal transport devices : JET PACKS

31. "Filthy" money : LUCRE

32. Pastrami seller : DELI

33. Former Mideast leader : SHAH

34. Were in the present? : ARE

38. Simpson judge : ITO

39. Indian breads : NANS. "Authentic (i.e., delicious) naan must be cooked by slapping it against the side of a TANDOOR - a very hot oven originally dug into the ground. One of those things you cannot replicate at home." - Nice Cuppa

41. Prehistoric threat, for short : T-REX

42. Kate's TV roommate : ALLIE. 1984-1989 CBS

44. Pollution legislation goal : CLEAN AIR

46. 13-piece suit? : SPADES

47. Tenn. athletes : VOLS. The Volunteer State is the State of Tennessee nickname.

48. Train schedule listings : STOPS

49. "I, Claudius" star Derek : JACOBI. Image.

52. Not draw any cards : STAND PAT. Poker.

57. Mixed bag : OLIO

58. Demander's words : "I NEED ..."

59. "Othello" conspirator : IAGO

60. Fund-raising dinner, often : GALA

61. Like pocket protector wearers : NERDY

62. Cyclops and Wolverine, e.g. : X-MEN. Comics and movies.

63. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST. Columbia Broadcasting System.

Down:

1. Tijuana's region : BAJA. Déjà vu. Almost the same position as yesterday's.

2. Requiring binoculars to see : AFAR

4. Faith-based battle : HOLY WAR

5. Show contrition : REPENT

6. Giving the go-ahead : OKing

7. Splinter group : SECT

8. Pose, as a question : ASK

9. Trick into wrongdoing : ENTRAP

10. Piña __: rum drinks : COLADAs

11. Got down : ALIT

12. Trig class ratio : SINE

13. Be mindful of : HEED

19. Mysteriously unusual : EXOTIC

21. Flooring craftsman : TILER

24. "Chill out!" : "RELAX!"

25. Mel who voiced Bugs : BLANC. The Voices of Mel Blanc (2:53)

26. Like an otological test : AURAL

27. Teammate of Rivera and Posada : JETER. New York Yankees.

29. Actress Holmes : KATIE. Appeared in a episode of How I Met Your Mother, CBS TV show.

30. Pumps and clogs : SHOES

32. Day at the movies : DORIS

36. Milano's land : ITALIA

37. Strike lightly : TAP ON

40. Enjoyed every bite of : SAVORED

43. Teacup poodles, e.g. : LAP DOGS

45. Unimportant person : NOBODY

46. Remain a little longer : STAY ON

49. Become a member : JOIN

50. Author Tyler : ANNE. List of her novels.

51. "Good buddy" : CBer

52. Emulated Michael Phelps : SWAM. Fermatprime? He has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008.

53. Is out sick : AILs

54. With perfection : TO A 'T'

56. New Jersey fort : DIX

Answer grid.

Argyle