Joe E. Ross's signature phrase as Gunther Toody from Car 54 Where Are You? serves as prolog for Jeff's wonderful Wednesday puzzle where he has six entries that start with OO, four across and two down. Jeff's amazing incorporation of six of them at a Wednesday level further impresses this humble blogger.
Jeff Wex has also requested "that this puzzle, based on its theme, should be dedicated to Lemonade's wife, Oo". I am happy to do so!!
Husker Gary here, gladly summarizing a puzzle with a lot of OOMPH!
Theme Entries
17. Butterfingers' comment : OOPSY DAISY - A variant of Upsy Daisy that is said when a child stumbles or is being lifted. Or before and after this...
23. Comet-filled region of space : OORT CLOUD - Far out, man!
48. Chinese beverage literally meaning "black dragon" : OOLONG TEA - After withering, rolling, shaping and firing
54. Plays it like Cary Grant : OOZES CHARM - Of Zoltan Karpathy, Professor Higgins proclaimed, "OOZING charm from every pore, he oiled his way across the floor"
11. Wonka worker : OOMPA LOOMPA - Don't they seem to be a little creepy?
23. Expressions of delight : OOHS AND AAHS - C'mon, you know you say it!
Across
1. Fast-arriving letter : E-MAIL - After face-to-face, my preferred method of communicating
6. Leaping parasite : FLEA
10. Verne protagonist : FOGG - Nemo in the sub, FOGG in the balloon
14. "It Happened One Night" director : CAPRA - I could watch it again today!
15. Equestrian strap : REIN
16. Collected knowledge : LORE
19. See 22-Down : AMIN and 22. With 19-Across, Oscar-winning Forest Whitaker role : IDI - A completely despicable man
21. "Win one for the __": Reagan : GIPPER
27. Have more birthdays : AGE - The only thing worse than AGING is not AGING
28. Circuit components : DIODES
30. "Ah, Wilderness!" playwright : O'NEILL - Notice the top-billed actor in this Broadway cast
32. Needed Advil, say : ACHED
33. Investor's concern : LOSS
34. Little bit : IOTA
37. Interfere (with) : MESS
38. Soda purchases : COKES
39. 1980s surgeon general : KOOP - Apropos on an OO day!
40. Education orgs. : PTA'S
41. Take ten : REST
42. "Philadelphia" director Jonathan : DEMME - Stereotypical director activity where DEMME is setting up a shot for Philadelphia
43. "Whatever your heart desires!" : NAME IT
45. "Always," in a military slogan : SEMPER
46. Imogene's comedy partner : SID
50. Saws : ADAGES
52. Juillet's season : ETE
53. Brunch, e.g. : MEAL - As long as there's bacon...
61. Pearl Harbor site : OAHU
62. Headed for overtime : TIED - Talk about your overtimes!
64. Staff mem. : ASST
65. Bit of river turbulence : EDDY
66. The Washington Monument's 897 : STEPS - Climbing these is no longer permitted but the record is 6.7 minutes set in 2007
Down
1. Green start? : ECO
2. Red Guard leader : MAO
3. Waze or Uber : APP
4. Agcy. with collectors : IRS
5. Like a parfait : LAYERED - Poirot often uses the word "Parfait" (Perfect) on the eponymous British TV Series when his "little grey cells" have made a discovery
6. Old Belgian currency : FRANC
7. Tourist gift on 61-Across : LEI
8. Stuttgart cubes : EIS
9. "Care to take a stab at the answer?" : ANY GUESS - Can you guess the 6-letter word (not 5-letter as posted earlier) that connects these four pix? (*Answer below by grid)
10. Kerfuffle : FLAP
12. "Peer Gynt Suite" composer : GRIEG
13. Bromance or romcom : GENRE
18. Fiji has three : DOTS - Or tittles
24. Ukrainian port : ODESSA
25. Regards with anticipation : LOOKS TO
26. Starting point : ONSET
28. Soggy : DAMP
29. "O.G. Original Gangster" rapper : ICE-T - First hip-hop album with the warning you see
31. "... just as I am" : LIKE ME
33. Trompe __ : L'OEIL - French for Trick the eye. I love these chalk drawings that do just that
35. Weighty volume : TOME
36. Mimic : APER
38. Chimney cleaner's target : CREOSOTE
42. Becomes aware of : DETECTS
44. "The Simpsons" beer server : MOE
45. PD ranks : SGTS - It was interesting to see SGT Joe Friday pre and post Miranda Rights
46. Polynesian nation : SAMOA
47. Planning session fodder : IDEAS
49. Hard up : NEEDY
51. Excess : GLUT
55. Suffix with fact : OID - Here's one from the King Of FACTOIDS!
56. Zoo opening in London? : ZED
57. What a red "H" often indicates : HOT
58. Bunyan tool : AXE
59. __ Van Winkle : RIP
60. Mic wielders : MCS
A scout troop's short a child, Krushchev due at Idewild, LA Crossword comments where are you?
*CHANGE
THE GRID
