Theme: Blue Christmas - My wish is that none of you are affected by these conditions for Christmas.
21A. Hitchhiked : BUMMED A RIDE
39A. Aid in driving uphill : LOW GEAR
57A. At some future date : DOWN THE LINE
3D. Deplorably bad effort : SAD ATTEMPT
30D. Sharp-billed game fish : BLUE MARLIN
Santa here but I feel a bit like Scrooge; there's no reveal for you today. Gail and Bruce didn't even provide stars...but it is a fine present anyway. A tight theme, very little dross and several CSO's (and no ice). Several entries were definitely déjà vu.
Across:
1. Hushed "Hey!" : "PSST!"
5. PC image file format : JPEG. (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
9. Quaint word of dismissal : PSHAW
14. Obsessed whale hunter : AHAB
15. Guthrie of "Alice's Restaurant" fame : ARLO. A Thanksgiving song.
16. Mozart's "Don Giovanni," e.g. : OPERA
17. Cribs and cradles : BEDS
18. Navy mascot : GOAT
19. Prey grabber : TALON
20. Place for a flock : LEA and around the corner, 24D. Meadow mom : EWE
23. Big name in taco sauce : ORTEGA
25. Remote button : MUTE
26. Handles deftly, as a baton : TWIRLS
29. __ Sapphire: gin brand : BOMBAY. Acceptable, Tinbeni?
33. Joyful shout : CHEER
35. Like wines aged in certain barrels : OAKY
37. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan : ELIA
38. Sing without words : HUM
42. Address in an online favorites list, e.g. : URL. (uniform resource locator)
43. Chalet backdrop : ALPS. One for Marti.
45. Tiny chirp : PEEP
46. Past pudgy : OBESE
48. Sound of little feet : PATTER. For all those grandkids out there.
50. "2 Broke Girls," for one : SITCOM. (situation comedy)
52. Pre-med subj. : ANAT.
54. "Shoot!" : "OH DARN!"
62. Fish delicacy : ROE
63. Fill with wonder : AMAZE
64. Silent approvals : NODS. "...And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!"
65. Singer Fitzgerald : ELLA
66. Control tower device : RADAR
67. Eins und zwei : DREI. Something in German.
68. Harbor structure : PIER
69. Bit of salon litter : TRESS
70. Freezer bag feature : SEAL
71. "What You Need" band : INXS. What you need is more Blue Christmas/Buon Natale.
Down:
1. Painter Picasso : PABLO
2. Like some cliffs and stockings : SHEER. We know who this is for.
4. "Cougar Town" network : TBS. (Turner Broadcasting System)
5. Rain forest cat : JAGUAR
6. Senior moment? : PROM
7. Jack of old oaters : ELAM. Just one of the many screen deaths of Jack Elam.
8. Informal response to "Did you buy those items I asked for?" : "GOT 'EM"
9. Picnic salad ingredient : POTATO
10. "Skip the sordid details" : "SPARE ME". TMI
11. Prefix with port or pad : HELI
12. 14-time A.L. All-Star : A-ROD
13. Diminish slowly : WANE
21. Old nightclub employee : B GIRL
22. 2000s White House nickname : DUBYA. George "Dubya" Bush
27. Rob of "Parks and Recreation" : LOWE. He has some strange DirecTV ads on the air now.
28. Learned ones : SAGES. Three sages from the East doesn't sound right.
31. Broadcasts : AIRS
32. Prestigious New England law school : YALE. It was hard to believe Splynter missed Yale Men's Ice Hockey, 2013 NCAA Champions, last Saturday's puzzle.
33. Fellow : CHAP
34. Hippy dance : HULA. Even a shout out to our Islanders.
36. Foreign Legion cap : KEPI
40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH
41. Valium maker : ROCHE
44. Poem divisions : STANZAS
47. Gym specimen : BOD
49. Types into the database : ENTERS
51. Throat tissue : TONSIL
53. Looks after : TENDS
55. High-end watch : ROLEX
56. Gets within a stone's throw of : NEARS
57. Sticker in a tavern target : DART
58. Actor Sharif : OMAR
59. Cross a creek, say : WADE
60. Anecdotal wisdom : LORE
61. Brainstorming contribution : IDEA
65. Prefix with center : EPI
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
I'm excited to share with you three gorgeous pictures from Lemonade's wedding. They're such a beautiful couple.
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