Theme: SEEING RED
59. Showing embarrassment ... or what the circles in three puzzle answers are literally doing : TURNING RED
18. Big commotion : HURLY BURLY. RUBY
28. It has only two possible answers : YES OR NO QUESTION. ROSE
46. Start of a teaching moment from grandpa : WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE. WINE
Melissa here. The "TURNING" made me expect an anagram - but after the first two circled answers were filled that was clearly not it. Turns out (see what I did there?), the circled letters, read backwards (turned), spell different shades of RED. So SLY, our C.C.
Across
1. eBay sale condition : AS IS. Not USED.
5. Nasal spray, e.g. : MIST
9. Guiding values of a group : ETHOS. Not ETHIC.
14. Funnyman Jay : LENO
15. Actress Falco of "Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders" : EDIE
16. Bench-clearing fight : BRAWL
17. Indonesian resort island : BALI
20. Assists with a felony : ABETS
22. River near the Egyptian pyramids : NILE
23. Podcast interruptions : ADS
24. Taxable profit : NET GAIN
26. Julep ingredient : MINT. Traditionally served in a silver cup. History.
33. Enjoy a pizza, say : EAT
34. Summer shades : TANS
35. Hosp. diagnostic chamber : MRI
36. Performs like Drake : RAPS
39. Have a bug : AIL
40. Pedal pushers : FEET. Tripped me up, was thinking clothing.
41. Lifeboat mover : OAR
42. Like cellars, typically : DAMP
44. "The Blacklist" government agcy. : FBI. HUAC didn't fit.
52. Australian isl. state : TASM. Tasmania.
53. Chose from a menu : ORDERED
54. Refuse to share : HOG. Amusing clue.
55. Imitated : APED
58. Hindu sage : SWAMI
62. Not much : A BIT
63. Thorny plant : BRIAR
64. Like eyesores : UGLY.
65. Snippet of poetry : LINE
66. Platform for a play : STAGE
67. Get ready for a selfie : POSE
68. __-back: relaxed : LAID
Down
1. Hudson River capital : ALBANY
2. Naval construction worker : SEABEE
3. Shoreline recesses : INLETS
4. "C'est la vie" : SO IT GOES. Makes me think of Linda Ellerbee, her famous sign-off line - and subsequent best-selling memoir. But also Kurt Vonnegut, and Billy Joel.
5. "I'm not impressed" : MEH
6. "Beats me" : I DUNNO
7. iPad voice-activated app : SIRI
8. Reveal : TELL
9. Fade away : EBB
10. One playing hooky : TRUANT
11. Difficulty, with "a" : HARD TIME. Not HARDSHIP.
12. Birds that can rotate their heads about 270 degrees : OWLS
13. Sneaky : SLY
19. Red Sea republic : YEMEN
21. Lee of desserts : SARA
25. QB's flub : INT. Not SAC.
27. Magazine unit: Abbr. : ISS
29. Ear cleaners : Q-TIPS
30. Carrier whose largest hub is O'Hare: Abbr. : UAL. The United Airlines stock exchange symbol is UAL, aka United Continental Holdings.
31. Mine extraction : ORE
32. Petty peeve : NIT
36. Information on a Broadway ticket : ROW
37. Satisfied sigh : AAH
38. University of South Africa city : PRETORIA
39. Org. for docs : AMA. Ohhh, doctors, not documents.
40. Computer network security system : FIREWALL
42. Bad-mouth : DIS
43. "Oh, drat!" : AW MAN
44. Word on a gift tag : FOR
45. Future blossoms : BUDS
47. "Get off my back!" : NAG NAG
48. Alpine songs : YODELS
49. "Lawrence of __" : ARABIA
50. The Twins of the Zodiac : GEMINI
51. Worked on text : EDITED
54. Injured : HURT
56. PC key used for scrolling : PGUP
57. "Logically, ... " : ERGO
59. Channel formerly called "Superstation" : TBS
60. Fury : IRE
61. Just For Men product : DYE
Here is a new picture of Melissa's beautiful granddaughter Jaelyn. Those eyes!
