Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Dan Margolis

Theme: A Capital Idea

Dan has some gazetteer fun with us as he takes world capital city names and, using their pronunciation or a reasonable facsimile thereof, creates a fun gimmick. Each city is paired with another word to make an "in the language" phrase or "close enough" sound-a-like. Some theme answers are just one word and some are two. 

C.C. saw Dan and Me and decided to PARIS UP. :-) 

17. Irish city in a recession? : DUBLIN DOWN/DOUBLING DOWN  - Ireland's capital or Blackjack's elided strategy of doubling your bet after seeing first two cards (esp. with a 10 or 11)

27. Result of a Czech checkup? : PRAGUENOSIS/PROGNOSIS - Capital of the Czech Republic or a doctor's educated guess. Seven miles south of here, they pronounce it PRAYG, Nebraska

47. North African dieter's light fare? : TUNIS SALADS/TUNA SALADS - Capital of Tunisia and also a favorite of ours and our kitty Lily (sans celery).

63. South Korean sailors? : SEOUL MATES/SOUL MATES - Capital of the Korea that doesn't have a maniac running it and me with my SOUL MATE in Venice (Gondolier is reaching for his cell phone)

Across:

1. Volkswagen Type 1, familiarly : BUG - Designed for Hitler by Ferdinand Porsche (far left)

4. Yemeni neighbor : OMANI

9. Old-timey oath : EGAD

13. 1956 Gregory Peck role : AHAB - Many (including me) thought he was really miscast

15. Add a lane to, say : WIDEN

16. University of New Mexico athlete : LOBO

19. Watched warily : EYED

20. One with a stable job? : GROOM - The GROOM for Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah was Eduardo Luna

21. Like dotted musical notes : STACCATO - Abrupt, disconnected sounds when above or below the note (Think Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue). After a note, a dot means 1/2 more of a beat.

23. Cellphone accessories : EARBUDS

26. Body work, briefly : TAT - Tattoo shorthand

33. Catches some rays : SUNS - C'mon, you put TANS first too didn't cha?

37. Home ec alternative : SHOP - Industrial Tech today

38. Louisville's KFC Yum! Center, e.g. : ARENA - Home of the Cardinal basketball teams

39. Dessert pancake : CREPE - Pierre says Krep, Pete says Krape

41. Part of USDA: Abbr. : AGR - United States Department of AGRiculture

42. Spirited diversions : LARKS

43. Febreze targets : ODORS

44. It's on the house : ROOF - MIL needs a new one but hail avoids her!

46. Not as pricey : LESS

50. Originally called : NEE - Hillary (née  Rodham) Clinton

51. Jackhammer sound : RAT-A-TAT - Sometimes called the jackhammer of the forest

56. Malady : SICKNESS

61. Thrill to pieces : ELATE - I've used ELATED and ELATION but not the verb

62. Bibliog. catchall : ET AL - ...and some other guys

66. Cartoon maker of explosive tennis balls : ACME - I think Wiley Coyote had an ACME charge card

67. Pile up : AMASS

68. Jib or mizzen : SAIL - The site says this has a JIB, JIB topsail, Foresail, Mainsail, MIZZEN Mast and MIZZEN Topsail. I live 1,500 miles from an ocean but I think the Jib SAIL in the bow and the Mizzen SAIL is astern. Spitz?

69. Where to store hoes and hoses : SHED

70. Tense with excitement : WIRED  - Or on 65 Down

71. Genetic material : RNA
 
Down:

1. Western movie star? : BADGE - Gregory Peck looks better with this "Western movie star" than with a harpoon

2. Crewmate of Chekov and Sulu : UHURA - The Enterprise's communication officer is sending Spock a message

3. Eva or Zsa Zsa : GABOR - The Kardashian's of their day

4. Part of BYOB : OWN

5. Prefix with day or night : MID

6. Fusses : ADOS

7. Small salamander : NEWT

8. Present from birth : INNATE

9. Like a political "college" : ELECTORAL - By winning this vote but not the popular vote, we got Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison and George W. Bush

10. Fiesta Baked Beans maker : GOYA - I didn't know beans about this company but it is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S.

11. Collude with : ABET

12. Extinct bird : DODO - Alas, we lost our own DODO in April

14. Gooey clump : BLOB - Your movie career has to start somewhere

18. "It's not too late to call" : I'M UP - Joann's twin is up past midnight every night

22. Waterway with locks : CANAL

24. JAMA subscribers : DRS - Journal of the American Medical Association 

25. Much of Libya : SAHARA - Earth's largest "hot" desert 

28. "Diary of a Madman" author : GOGOL - I didn't know beans about this Russian either

29. Hubbub : UPROAR

30. Bone-dry : SERE - 25 Down and this...

31. 26-Across materials : INKS

32. Fresh talk : SASS

33. Craig Ferguson, by birth : SCOT - Former Late Late Show host on CBS

34. Pakistani language : URDU 

35. Eye-catching sign : NEON

36. Rained gently : SPRINKLED

40. City on the Ruhr : ESSEN - 90% of the town center was destroyed during WWII as the Krupp munition plant was a big target

45. Cosmetics-testing org. : FDA

48. Playground piece : SEESAW 

49. Originate (from) : STEM

52. Wistful word : ALAS

53. Golden Horde member : TATAR - A TATAR horseman

54. Ordered pizza, perhaps : ATE IN

55. Car named for a physicist : TESLA - Every physics teacher has used a TESLA coil

56. Wet septet : SEAS - Do you remember the song where wonderful Annie Lennox sang, "I travel the world and the SEVEN SEAS"? 

57. Scratching target : ITCH 

58. Attended the party : CAME - I hope they  RSVP'ed

59. Big Mack : SEMI - Mack The Transporter

60. Fly like an eagle : SOAR - Steve Miller band tune

64. "It's no __!" : USE

65. "Dropped" '60s drug : LSD - Ex combo rat friend of mine was no stranger to this stuff

I CANBERRA DNF sometimes but not on this one! 3...2...1...Comment...

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 Mike Peluso

Theme: "therein lies a tale" - to paraphrase Shakespeare.

18A. Ruthless adversary : MORTAL ENEMY

27A. Serious software problem : FATAL ERROR. Dreaded blue screen.

39A. '60s-'70s "Hollywood Squares" semi-regular : RUTA LEE. Her website.

49A. Wisenheimer : SMART ALECK

62A. Truth known only to a few ... and a hint to a word hidden in 18-, 27-, 39- and 49-Across : INSIDE STORY

Argyle here. A little twist; a synonym for STORY is what's hidden in the theme entries. All three ways to split TALE are used with two and two in the center. A step up from Monday.

Across:

1. Attorneys' degs. : JDs. (Juris Doctor)

4. Clipper or Laker, briefly : NBAer. Basketball player.

9. Up to now : SO FAR

14. Sup : EAT

15. Get up : ARISE

16. Jigsaw puzzle unit : PIECE

17. Norse war god : TYR

20. Planting ground : SOIL

22. Have debts : OWE

23. Joints often sprained : ANKLES

24. Words before card or lock : PICK A. Any card.

26. Precious : CUTE

30. "Rats!" : "DANG!"

34. Hyundai luxury model : AZERA. Currently the AZERA slots between the midsize Sonata and the Genesis sedan. Car and Driver were not impressed. Story.

35. Victor's cry : I WIN

37. Besides : TOO

38. Actress Hagen : UTA. Bio.

42. __ bind: stuck : IN A. The Devil was in a bind when he down to Georgia.

43. Video game letters : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

44. Circular imperfection in wood : KNOT

45. Slip-on shoes : PUMPS. Jimmy Choo's idea of pumps.

47. One with a killer serve : ACER

52. Obsessed whaler captain : AHAB

54. Boating stopover : ISLET

55. Half of the hip-hop duo Black Star : MOS DEF

58. Certain NCO : SGT.

59. Billions of years : EONS

65. Agcy. with narcs : DEA. (Drug Enforcement Administration)

66. Mark with a sale price, say : RETAG

67. Greek goddesses of the seasons : HORAE. ( literally translated as "the hours")

68. Vex : IRK

69. Airline seat choice : AISLE

70. Hinged fasteners : HASPS

71. McMahon and Sullivan : EDs

Down:

1. One of two MetLife Stadium NFL teams : JETS. The other's the Giants.

2. Belafonte hit : DAY O. (The Banana Boat Song)

3. Erotic dance : STRIP TEASE

4. "Platoon" war zone : NAM

5. WWI era English poet Rupert : BROOKE. Bio.

6. High-flying battles : AIR WAR

7. East, in Mexico : ESTE

8. "Michael Collins" actor Stephen : REA

9. Exhausted : SPENT

10. Made a pig of oneself? : OINKED

11. Have a hunch : FEEL

12. Summit : ACME

13. Husband-and-wife creators of Curious George : REYS. Margret and H. A. Rey

19. Doctor House portrayer Hugh : LAURIE. More links please.

21. Prevaricator : LIAR

25. Lewis' partner : CLARK. Can you believe I drew a blank here?

26. Monastic hood : COWL

27. Flora's partner : FAUNA

28. Ancient Mexican : AZTEC

29. Rodeo rope : RIATA

31. Life-ending season in Ecclesiastes : A TIME TO DIE

32. Socially insensitive, in a way : NON-PC

33. "__ your mother" : GO ASK

36. Tibet neighbor : NEPAL

40. More than a little risky : UNSAFE

41. Mausoleum : TOMB

46. 1997 movie beekeeper : ULEE

48. Tire type : RADIAL

50. Hardships : RIGORS

51. Letter-shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP

53. Line of shrubbery : HEDGE

55. Juan's "Look!" : "¡MIRA!"

56. "Dedicated to the __ Love" : ONE I

57. Grounded fast planes, briefly : SSTs. (Supersonic transport)

58. Spartan promenade : STOA

60. Techie, stereotypically : NERD

61. Fifth Avenue retailer : SAKS

63. Librarian's rebuke : "SHH!"

64. "Amen!" : "YES!". The end. After my write-up I realize this is harder than I originally thought.

           Dang me! I forgot to color the center TALE.

Argyle

Note from Mike Peluso:

"Joe Krozel helped me design the grid. It was quite tricky with a 7-letter word right in the middle, and I was having no luck designing the grid. I e-mailed Joe and he was happy to help me, and I was able to complete the puzzle. Thanks, Joe!"

Monday, October 12, 2015 Ron Toth & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Synonyms - Did you grasp the idea?

17A. *Strapless handbag : CLUTCH PURSE

38A. *Party favors holder : GRAB BAG

10D. *Runner-on-third play : SQUEEZE BUNT

25D. *Carpe diem : SEIZE THE DAY

63A. Warning in a roller coaster, and a hint to the first words of the answers to starred clues : HANG ON TIGHT

Argyle here. JzB and C.C. third time here. Pin wheel grid today with Monday level theme and fill. Eleven letter vanes with a seven letter hub. Very nice.

Across:

1. Frozen treat shown on its package with syrup : EGGO

5. Computer storage media : DISCS

10. Sunscreen letters : SPF. (Sun Protection Factor)

13. Maxwell House decaf brand : SANKA

15. From Taiwan, say : ASIAN

16. On the __ vive: alert : QUI. "on the qui vive", on the alert; attentive; from French, literally: long live who?, sentry's challenge. "Vive-le-roi!"

19. www address : URL

20. "Whoops!" : "OH, OH!"

21. "Get this away from me" : "I HATE IT!". Interesting pairing.

23. Former great : HAS BEEN. Still better than, "Never was".

26. Carolyn who created Nancy Drew : KEENE. The original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series, begun in 1930, was ended in 2004 and a new series, Girl Detective, was launched, in which the title character drives a hybrid electric vehicle and uses a cell phone.

27. "Aha!" : "I SEE!"

28. Home __: Lowe's rival : DEPOT

32. Old Russian autocrat : CZAR

33. Neglect, as duty : SHIRK

35. "Ten-hut!" reversal : "AT EASE". "I'll be in the area all day."

37. "Oh yeah? __ who?" : SEZ. Another interesting pairing.

41. Physique, briefly : BOD

44. __ Field: Brooklyn Dodgers' home : EBBETS. Ebbets Field, built by club owner Charlie Ebbets, was partially built on a garbage dump called Pigtown, because of the pigs that roamed there.

46. Piano practice piece : ÉTUDE

48. Sagan's sci. : ASTR. (astronomy)

50. Wined and dined : FETED

53. Frosty flakes : SNOW. Cute.

54. Physical therapy, briefly : REHAB. (Rehabilitation)

56. "Better luck next time!" : "NICE TRY"

58. Pizza seasoning : OREGANO

61. Like much fall weather : COOL

62. Very angry : MAD

68. Org. for shrinks : APA. (American Psychological Association) or (American Psychiatric Association)

69. Fur fortune-maker : ASTOR. John Jacob Astor (1763 – 1848)

70. "Everything all right?" : "YOU OK?"

71. Introverted : SHY

72. Start of a wish : I HOPE ...

73. Texter's goof : TYPO

Down:

1. PC undo key : ESC

2. 65-Down's lass : GAL; 65D. 2-Down's fellow : GUY

3. Bearded antelope : GNU

4. Bavarian "fest" month : OKTOBER

5. Novelist du Maurier : DAPHNE. Lady Browning DBE. Interesting LINK.

6. Ames sch. : ISU. (Iowa State University of Science and Technology)

7. "What can I help you with?" iPhone app : SIRI

8. __ cow: big income producer : CASH. Origins.

9. Go furtively : SNEAK

11. Dog Chow maker : PURINA

12. Coffeemaker insert : FILTER

14. Workout woe : ACHE

18. Cleared weeds, say : HOED

22. Nero Wolfe and Sam Spade, briefly : TECs. (de-tec-tives)

23. Snake's sound : HISS

24. "Off the Court" author Arthur : ASHE

29. Blue Ribbon brewer : PABST

30. Horseplayer's letters : OTB. (off-track betting)

31. Herbal brew : TEA

34. CIA Cold War foe : KGB. The Ruskies.

36. Mellow, as wine : AGE

39. NFL official : REF

40. Consumed : ATE

42. Smell : ODOR. Pigtown, so they said.

43. Damp at dawn : DEWY

45. Blow one's own horn : BRAG

47. "The Waste Land" poet : T.S. ELIOT

48. Kitchen allures : AROMAS

49. High-ranking angel : SERAPH

51. "Play another song!" : "ENCORE!"

52. Singer Celine : DION. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore"

55. Persian faith that promotes spiritual unity : BAHÁ'I

57. Perfume giant : COTY

59. Poet Ogden : NASH

60. Not fooled by : ON TO

64. George Bush's org. : GOP. (Grand Old Party)

66. Dance for teens in socks : HOP

67. Fight ender, briefly : TKO. (Technical Knock Out)

 Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Jazzbumpa (Ron) came up with this puzzle idea and the neat reveal entry. I went for a super smooth ride.

Sunday Oct 11, 2015 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Bringing Your 'A' Game" - Long E sound is changed into Long A sound.

21A. What echolocation is used for? : WHALE BEARINGS. Wheel bearings.

31A. Bit of theatrical thievery? : COPPING A PLAY. Copping a plea.

51A. Fight at the coffee shop? : CAFFEINE FRAY. Caffeine-free.

68A. Barbie and Ken's servant? : VALET OF THE DOLLS. Valley of the Dolls.

89A. Aversion therapy tool? : HATE DETECTOR. Heat detector. Two of the sound changes happen with the first words.

104A. Quick question at the building site? : WALL STRAIGHT? Wall Street.

121A. Cosmetics counter freebie? : SHOPPING SPRAY. Shopping spree.

I certainly did not have my A game today. My stupid loose tooth, the dental visit last Friday  and future periodontist visits have been bothering me endlessly.

I normally can sense the theme from get-go, at times by the puzzle title alone. Not many proper names today, but the few really got me. 

Across:      

1. "Ivy Mike" test weapon : H-BOMB. Never hear of the "Ivy Mike". Filled in ?BOMB and moved on.

6. Bush trip : SAFARI. Tricky area to disentangle. I kept thinking of the two presidents.

12. University of Idaho city : MOSCOW

18. Group at Asgard : AESIR

19. Listen to completely : HEAR OUT.  Big "thank you" to those who gave me advice & comfort last week.

20. Working parents' aid : DAYCARE

23. Spice up : ENLIVEN

24. Hound : NAG. Ah, OK.

25. Hayworth's second husband : WELLES. I know this trivia.

26. Shrek, notably : OGRE

28. Unaffiliated: Abbr. : IND. And  38. Liberal side? : ELL. This refers to the letter on either side of Liberal.

29. Strikes down : REPEALS

36. Dessert table vessel : URN

37. Acted indolently : LOLLED

39. First name in exploring : LEIF (Ericson)

42. Conn of "Grease" : DIDI. I can never remember her name.

45. Dismissals in a '70s-'80s game show : GONGS

47. __ Rock: Australian attraction : AYERS. Also known as Uluru.

54. Flair : ELAN

56. Go flat? : LIE. Lovely clue.

57. Hosp. titles : DRs

58. Ornamental shrub : SPIREA

59. Space travel meas. : LT-YR

60. Bubbly region : ASTI

61. Speak pompously : SPOUT. Not ORATE.

63. Lift charge : CAB FARE. Thanks to crosses.

66. Epic Trojan warrior : AENEAS

72. Garden feature : GAZEBO. Our Hmong neighbor built a gazebo in his backyard.

75. Banking control : AILERON. Plane's banking.

76. Sponsorship : AEGIS

80. It might be gray : AREA

81. Change one's mind about changing : STET. Another tricky clue.

84. "The Wizard of Oz" prop : TIN HAT

86. Maniacal leader? : EGO. Egomaniacal.

87. Punster : WIT

88. Passion : ZEAL

92. "The Family Circus" creator : KEANE

94. Passover month : NISAN

96. Hematology prefix : SERO. Had S??? earlier on, then waited.

97. Melissa Joan of "Melissa & Joey" : HART. Stranger to me.

98. The Snake R. runs through it : IDA
 

100. Pleasure trip : JUNKET

102. Oliver Stone's alma mater : NYU. Unknown trivia to me.

108. Catalog giant : SPIEGEL. Still in business?

112. Supermarket letters : IGA

113. Bangkok bread : BAHT. For Lemonade's Oo. So sweet. I love her flower crown.

114. Quakers in the forest? : ASPENS. The clue made me smile.  

116. Anago or unagi : EEL

118. One who puts you to sleep : SANDMAN.  Got via crosses also. Nice clue.

125. Seat of Washington's Snohomish County : EVERETT. What's it famous for?

126. Portuguese wine : MADEIRA

127. Beethoven dedicatee : ELISE

128. Fixes, as a seam : RESEWS

129. Stretchable, in product names : ELASTO. Learning moment to me also.

130. Collaborative 2012 Streisand album : DUETS

Down:

1. "Cactus Flower" Oscar winner : HAWN (Goldie). Have any of you watched the movie?

2. "The View" alum Joy : BEHAR

3. Missouri tributary : OSAGE

4. Part of a GI's URL : MIL

5. Craft __ : BREWER

6. Arctic barkers : SEALS

7. River to the Rhein : AARE

8. California city nickname : FRISCO. Two of my sisters-in-law live in Bay Area. They don't call it Frisco.

9. Chicago's __ Center : AON

10. Word after scatter or throw : RUG

11. "Come on in" : IT'S OPEN

12. Horsemanship school : MANEGE. New word to me.

13. Olive desired by Bluto : OYL

14. School subj. : SCI

15. Nitpick : CAVIL. I like this word.

16. Cutesy nickname for a former home of the Orlando Magic : ORENA. Short for Orlando Arena. This might stymie some.

17. Darling girl : WENDY

19. "'__ is empty / And all the devils are here'": "The Tempest" : HELL

20. Laura of "Jurassic Park" : DERN

22. Tortilla chip go-with : BEAN DIP

27. Role for Sally or Sandra : GIDGET. Needed crosses as well.

30. Bit of smoke : PUFF. Easy in retrospect.

32. Lingerie brand : OLGA. Never wore this brand.

33. Tricky tactic : PLOY

34. Severus Snape portrayer Rickman : ALAN

35. Work at : PLY

37. Hitchcock survival film : LIFEBOAT. My favorite Hitchcock movie is "To Catch a Thief". What's yours?

39. Some TV screens : LCDs

40. Morgan or Wyatt : EARP
 

41. Words often before "then" : IF SO

43. Way to pack fish : IN ICE. I could not get TIN/CAN out of my brain.

44. Emulate the Piper : DE-RAT

46. Breed of dog? : SLY. Nailed it as well.

48. End of a threat : ELSE

49. Poet Dove : RITA

50. Jaime's half-dozen : SEIS. I though "Jaime" indicates the answer is French?

52. Cornerstone abbr. : ESTAB

53. One-named children's singer : RAFFI. Another stranger to me.

55. Shrunken sea : ARAL

59. Most suspicious : LEERIEST

60. "As I Lay Dying" father : ANSE. No idea.

62. Iris holder : UVEA

64. Hawks, on NBA scoreboards : ATL

65. Butler of literature : RHETT

67. Lift up : ELATE

69. Throw a fight, say : LOSE

70. Where, in Juárez : DONDE. No idea. I can nail basic French words, but not Spanish.

71. "__ Majesty's Secret Service" : ON HER

72. Stare : GAWK

73. India born in Denver : ARIE. India Arie. I know her.

74. Sweater letter : ZETA

77. "__ grip!" : GET A

78. Inventor Sikorsky : IGOR

79. Laundry room step : SORT. I had SOAK first.

82. Beach shade : TAN

83. Seder prophet : ELIJAH

85. Penitent : ATONING. I'm sure atoning now for my misspent bar-hopping youth, D-Otto/Gary.

88. Puzzle pieces in Penzance? : ZEDS. Letter Z. (Thanks, Owen.)

89. Display, in a way : HANG. Lovely clue also.

90. Pharaoh's cross : ANKH

91. Big belt : CHUG. Simple entry, but completely got me. 

93. It means nothing at all : NIL

95. "No argument here" : SUITS ME

99. Turns up at home? : AT BATS. Home plate.

101. Troop encampments : ETAPES. Learned from doing crosswords.
 

103. Agreed with : YESSED

104. Older partner, hopefully : WISER. Hopefully.

105. Tequila source : AGAVE

106. Where to see x's in boxes : LANES. Strikes in bowling. Not tic-tac-toe.

107. Blog, at times : RANT. Rich must have fun cluing this one.

108. Predecessor of Gerald : SPIRO

109. Elizabeth of "La Bamba" : PENA. Another unknown figure.

110. Goosebump-inducing : EERIE

111. " ... to say the __" : LEAST

115. Hot rod : SPIT. Barbecue! Nice clue.

117. Strong alkalis : LYES. Guilty of using the plural myself.

119. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE

120. Persian plaint : MEW

122. Kubrick's out-of-control computer : HAL

123. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown : ODA. Fun character. I love "Ghost".

124. Like mice and men: Abbr. : PLU (Plural)

C.C.

Saturday, Oct 10th, 2015, Bruce Venzke

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing Q,V,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

 My experience with Mr. Venzke's puzzles has been tough, but do-able.  Today, however, I smoked through his construction in half my personal allotted time. Lots of "definitions" which helps avoid the names of people and places.  Triple 9-letter corners, two 10-letter climbers, and one spanner;

38a. House adjustment : REAPPORTIONMENT - The US House of Representatives; more here

16a. Calculated : TOTALED UP - straight up

36d. Pleasant : ENJOYABLE

55a. Nebraska tribe : WINNEBAGO

  

3d. Eroded : ATE AWAY AT

On(e)wa Rd ~!

ACROSS:

1. Ray in the water : SKATE - oops, not MANTA

6. Lasting consideration : SHELF LIFE - I find it peculiar that my bottled water has a shelf life....

15. Times in ads : NITES - this had to be right, so it made me take out MANTA

17. On one's toes : ALERT

18. Periodic synchronizations : LEAP YEARS

19. Key ingredient in a Bloody Caesar : CLAMATO - I vaguely remembered this, but where it comes from is new to me - the Wiki
 

21. High-fashion shoemaker Jimmy : CHOO - HeartRx is all too familiar with this brand

22. Royal Botanic Gardens locale : KEW

23. Chef's introduction? : SOUS - working in the restaurants, this was easy for me

25. Do a farm vet's job : DEHORN

27. Frank's cousin : BRAT - oh, that frank(furter)

29. Cried from a shelter : YIPPED

31. 1989 James Cameron film, with "The" : ABYSS - I did see it, but didn't recall it right off the bat

33. Discontinues : SURCEASES - my Latin helped me here

40. Initiates detailed plans : SETS A DATE - think wedding

41. 1932 Lake Placid gold medalist : SONJA - one of the few proper nouns in today's puzzle, this one was mostly perps

42. Least exciting : TAMEST - did not get my ta-DA~! because I had Lamest first

44. Rapper __ Moe Dee : KOOL - I went with Cool first, and knew it was wrong

45. Malting material : BARLEY - think beer

49. Itinerary elements: Abbr. : RTEs

51. Sometime substitute for 45-Across : RYE

52. Spread on the table : OLEO

53. Native whose land has an Atlantic and Caribbean coastline : HAITIAN

60. Don't disturb : LET BE

61. Sign, as an agreement : ENTER INTO

62. Challenge for a future doctor : ORALS - I threw in MSATS

63. Hit from behind : REAR-ENDED - happened to me in 1989; took 4 years to recover the money from the other insurance company

64. Items in a slush pile: Abbr. : SASEs - the envelopes included with the manuscripts

DOWN:

1. Bite sites : SNACK BARS

2. First recurring "SNL" character : KILLER BEE

4. Insurance policy datum : TERM

5. Spanish pronoun : ESTAS

6. Edward Jones Dome athlete : St. LOUIS RAM - mostly perps; glad to see we had a hockey-themed puzzle for the opening of the season this week.  Not so much the football season

7. Masonry tool : HOE

8. Seventh of 24 : ETA - Greek letters

9. Once around : LAP

10. 1986 Jeff Goldblum film, with "The" : FLY - the more graphic version - IMDb

11. It's hard to get rid of one : LEECH

12. Wyoming neighbor : IDAHO

13. Hubbub : FUROR

14. Big name in printers : EPSON - since I had the "O", XEROX seemed likely

20. Bichon Frise, e.g. : TOY - dogs, learned from doing crosswords

24. Sound flustered : SPUTTER - oooh, so close, I had sTutter

25. Chrysler Building style : DECO - Art Deco, and my favorite building of the NYC skyline - and here combined with one of my other favorites

26. Heavens : EDENS

28. Rx amts. : TSPS

30. Group of fathers : PRIESTHOOD

32. Sudden rush : SPATE - yeah, um spaLe was, uh, wrong....

34. Frenzily : AMOK

35. Misses at many bullfights : SENORITAS - the ladies, not the "close calls"; need to call in the Farm Vet from 25a.

37. Lack of originality : STALENESS

39. Jazz singer Anita : O'DAY - dredged from the nether regions of the mind

43. Word with caddy or ball : TEA - tea caddy I get, but a tea ball is new to me

45. Shaded recess : BOWER - reminds me of this Led Zeppelin song

Gallows Pole - lyric @ 2:18

46. Flared dress shape : A LINE

47. __-Wreck : RENT-A

48. Hardly an extrovert : LONER

50. Storage areas : SILOS - semi-clecho at 57d.

54. Prefix with hertz : TERA - went with MEGA - that's 50%, 100% correct

56. Poetic preposition : ERE

57. Storage place : BIN

58. Word between two ages : AND - ummm....

59. Onetime Bell Atlantic rival : GTE

Splynter