Saturday, December 15, 2018, Greg Johnson

Themeless Saturday by Greg Johnson

Today marks the celebration that is well appreciated by a man who has always had a cat in his household and has taught and traveled with adolescents for over 40 years - National Cat Herders Day!

One story credits the  genesis of this phrase to IT expert Dave Platt who remarked, "Managing senior programmers is like herding cats."  The site Wellcat took the phrase and declared it a national day.

Our constructor today is Greg Johnson and I can only find this [insert adjective] picture of him from my last write-up of his work and no other info

Let's see what Greg has conjured up to herd us cats here at our word sandbox:

Across:

1. Brakes: SLOWS UP - To SLOW UP from 17,000 mph the shuttle had to fire retro rockets ahead, enter the atmosphere whose friction made the bottom 3,000˚F, make big sweeping turns and then finally deploy drag chutes. The process began over Australia to land at KSC

8. Do a sauce preparation job: DEGLAZE - Adding wine or stock to particles in the bottom of the pan (called fond) after searing or cooking.

15. Wedding employee: LIMOUSINE DRIVER

17. One always looking up: ETERNAL OPTIMIST - Mitzi Gaynor as Nellie Forebush declared I'm A Cockeyed Optimist

18. Meander: WEND.

19. 42nd's second: GORE is closely associated with 31. Global warming concern: ICE CAPs

20. Food buyer's consideration: TASTE and 27. Pizza party purchase: SODA - Do all SODAS TASTE the same?

21. Polish removers: ACETONES  - We used Windex and elbow grease to get polish out of our carpet

24. One of 20 in many books: MATCH- For our striking friends 

28. Stress-free locale, ideally: SPA.

33. Private dining area: MESS TENT - Can you find this famous one?

36. "Death at a __" (2010 comedy): FUNERAL - Just check out the cast!

38. Cooling-off period: DETENTE - America's DETENTE with the U.S.S.R. has ebbed and flowed since the 60's

39. A, often: FRONT ROW - A hilarious Bob Uecker commercial 

41. Hemsley's role on the sitcom "Amen": DEACON - Maybe so, but this is the role Sherman played that helped change TV and the world

42. Hill climber: ANT.

43. What happy concertgoers want: MORE.

45. Perfect places: EDENS.

46. Deeply saddens ... or delights: MAKES CRY 

48. Parting sentiment: PEACE - The first Today Show host Dave Garroway's signature was saying PEACE with his hand upheld

52. Little, playfully: ITTY.

53. First name in late-night talk: DAVE and 61. First name in late-night talk: ARSENIO - Letterman and Hall worked the other side of the clock Garroway had worked

57. Bar association concern: AMBULANCE CHASER - Walter Matthau played AMBULANCE CHASER "Whiplash Willie" in this fun movie

60. Top dog?: PICK OF THE LITTER - How in the world could you pick from (let alone herd) this litter?

62. Shower components: METEORS

Down:

1. Host: SLEW - There's a SLEW of meteors shooting through the atmosphere above

2. For calorie counters: LITE.

3. Predictor, sometimes: OMEN.

4. Conduct may have it on either end: WORD ACCENT - With the WORD ACCENT up front - CON DUCT is how one behaves. With the WORD ACCENT at the back - CON DUCT is how electric wires behave. 

5. Bright star: SUN - The answer to an old bar bet, "What star is closest to the Earth?"

6. Data plan number: USAGE - Verizon has told me how many GB/month I can use without paying more but I can't remember the number

7. American workers: PILOTS - American was the first airline to fly the DC-3 which made it able to make a profit by only carrying passengers while others 8. Counted (on): DEPENDED on carrying mail and freight

9. August hrs. in Augusta: EDT.

10. Breakfast food mentioned in court in "My Cousin Vinny": GRITS - A very funny minute of video

11. Green bean: LIMA.

12. "It's Your Space" sloganeer: AVIS - Remember when it was, "We're #2, we try harder"

13. Cocktail garnish: ZEST - Here's a pile of lemon ZEST

14. Art Deco designer: ERTE - Great for crosswords not so much for Scrabble®

16. Space observation: NO ROOM - A great observation about the space in the Sistine Chapel

22. Pie __: CHART - Speaking of cell phone usage

23. Left carefully, with "out": EASED.

24. Tick off: MIFF.

25. Luxury auto: ACURA - I put my first guess of LEXUS back in the word garage

26. Carpentry joint component: TENON - We had TENON Saw last Friday

28. Bae or boo, to former generations: STEADY DATE - Saccharine pet names 

29. Pound parts: PENCE - A British pound equals 100 PENCE (1p) or 50 TUPPENCE (2p)

30. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON - Cultural idiot me is not familiar with ANTON's plays but I do know who Yogi Berra's backup catcher was (* see at bottom :-) 

32. Prosciutto di __: PARMA - Very thinly sliced cured ham whose superior taste is obtained by the wonderful air in Parma, Italy and 46. Fruit served with prosciutto: MELON

34. Direct: STEER.


35. Some bills: TENS - If you have this  1863 TEN, you should 37. Investigate: LOOK INTO  how much it is worth

40. "Amazing Grace" figure: WRETCH - John Newton, a former captain of a slave ship, wrote the poem in 1779 but never heard the melody which was applied to it 50 yrs later. It can be played using only the black keys.

44. Highly regard: ESTEEM.

47. Spin, say: CYCLE.

48. Storied bear: PAPA - A name I treasure 

49. 2018 White House visitor from Qatar: EMIR - Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the current EMIR of Qatar

50. Kids' curriculum: ABC'S

51. Garden veggie: CUKE - Our garden ranneth over!

54. Regarding: AS TO.

55. Suddenly turn: VEER - In the VEER FB offense, either the QB or one of the HB's will try to VEER through the defense 

56. Messes up: ERRS 

58. "100 Years...100 Movies" org.: AFI - American Film Institute 

59. Battleship success: HIT - How 'bout Battleship Beer Pong for the pool?

Now I'll try and herd all of you cats to the comment page:

* Yogi's backup had very few stats as Yogi hardly ever took time off.

Friday, December 14, 2018, Ed Sessa

Title: Fooey, we do not need them both. Why do we have PH and F both for the /f/ sound? The Greek letter φ (phi) started it. In Classical Greek this was pronounced as an aspirated [pʰ], which the Latins wrote as ph when they borrowed the words from Greek. Later this sound changed into an [f] in both Greek and Latin, and was passed as such into French, and then into English. Once the idea that ph was pronounced [f] was established, it spread to a few other areas, as well. Borrowings from Hebrew and other Semitic languages sometimes use ph, especially since the Hebrew letter פ can be [p] or [f] depending on context. (or depending on Ashkenazi versus Sephardic language) Vietnamese regularly uses ph for [f], because the modern Vietnamese orthography was designed by the French.

Hello everyone; hopefully, you are happy to see the puzzle author, our once again prolific retired Dr. Ed who plays beautifully and amusingly with sounds. In a very consistent theme, where F becomes PH, then PH - F, F - PH, PH - F and finally F - PH to complete the perfectly symmetrical and consistent theme. I loved the reversing of the PH/F F/PH as the puzzle gimmick, but I began looking for the A, also. To make the theme work, Ed had to widen the grid and place his grid-spanning central fill with a cheater square on each side to make this all work. Friday, home of the 16 x 15 grid. Also, it is the home of  IT WORKS. SLAMS ON, DOMESTIC, HOT WIRES, iPOD-MINI,  and UNION MAN. Ed is a pro, so let us appreciate this effort.

19A. Paramount paramour?: ALPHA ROMEO (10). ALFA Romeo automobiles.  Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. I had the hardest time of thinking past Paramount Pictures and the many leading early stars developed there, including Mary Pickford, Marguerite Clark, Pauline Frederick, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, and Wallace Reid.

24A. Greek goddess carrying a pick?: AFRODITE (8). APHrodite, was the ancient Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is identified with the planet Venus, which is named after the Roman goddess Venus, with whom she was extensively syncretized.

36A. Program for young readers, and a hint to five puzzle answers: PHUN WITH FONICS (14). A magnificent double-header which was stolen from Fun with Phonics both switched.

51A. Online scammer's tool?: PHISH NET (8). Fishnet will always bring to mind dear Splynter and his ladies. Can you name this lady? Anyway, PHISHING is not nice.

56A. Dispensers of horse pills?: FARMACISTS (10). PHarmacists might not find this amusing, but I do.

Across:

1. O on a stand, say: ISSUE. I am not sure I have the slightest idea what this means; music? My wife? Opposition?

6. "Pokémon: The Series" genre: ANIME. I like it when clues have their accents.

11. Ceremonial exchange: I DOS.

15. "The Nightmare Room" series author: STINE. R.L. who created the GOOSEBUMPS  phenomenon. Here is an INTERVIEW. The man has written an amazing number of BOOKS.

16. Misses without exception: WOMEN. Be careful Dr.Ed, gender is no longer that simple.

17. Dirty work?: PORN. I will not follow that thought up here.

18. Scuba diver's destination: WRECK. If you want to try, you can read THIS.

21. Sandwich title?: EARL.  As with the author of this ARTICLE, I grew up listening to Dusty Dick Summer on WBZ. He is a nice man with whom I have corresponded.  There is one named for 24A.

22. Watches kids: SITS. Interesting how this word developed, as little of the process involves sitting.

23. Sit tight: BIDE. Don't have a cow, but this does seem like an avoidable immediate dupe.

26. Applies with force, as brakes: SLAMS ON. I filled before reading the clue and was trying to think of a Samson reference that would make sense.

29. Jelly bean-munching president: REAGAN.

30. Color gradation: HUE. I didn't know they even went to school.

31. Modest acknowledgment: I TRY. If you do not laugh, at least...

32. Wolverine relative: WEASEL. Wait just one darn minute, you mean THIS is related to THAT? But what about HIM?

35. In the cooler: ON ICE. Not poured over ice, Tin, so this okay. Maybe you keep your chocolate there.

40. Some satellites: MOONS. Defined as a celestial body orbiting another of larger size

41. Back up anew: RESAVE.

42. European wine area: ASTI.

43. Mend, perhaps: SEW.

44. iHeartRADIO fare: OLDIES. All types of music, really.

49. Inventor's cry of success: IT WORKS.! Eureka!

53. Jones of film, familiarly: INDY.

54. Motley: PIED. The motley piper?

55. Real estate unit: ACRE.

59. Bop on the bean: BRAIN.

60. Bulb in a balloon?: IDEA. I like the alliteration, but this was tough. This EXPERIMENT? Or

61. Boffo Moffo performances: ARIAS. A bit misleading use of the rhyme for a wonderful song by

62. "No more for me": I'M SET.

63. Cap'n's mate: BOS'N. Boatswain is back.

64. Stroke in a parlor: MASSE. Billiard, not beauty, nor even massage.

65. Boxing family: BAERS. Maximilian Adelbert Baer (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was an American boxer who was the World Heavyweight Champion from 14 June 1934 to 13 June 1935. His fights were twice (1933 win over Max Schmeling, 1935 loss to James J. Braddock) rated Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Baer was also a boxing referee and had an occasional role on film or television. He was the brother of heavyweight boxing contender Buddy Baer and father of actor Max Baer Jr.

Down:

1. Start of an oath: I SWEAR. To uphold the Constitution...

2. Attack from above: STRAFE. If you have a plane and a machine gun.

3. __ Nevada: brewery: SIERRA. We went to their brewery in North Carolina in 2016

4. Clear, as a drain: UNCLOG. Long haired wives...

5. Reaction to a mouse: EEK. Scaredy cat wives...

6. Anticipate: AWAIT.

7. "A Walk in the Woods" actor: NOLTE.

8. Rowdy rug rats: IMPS.

9. "I couldn't care less": MEH. A classic Corner word.

10. Facilitate: ENABLE.

11. Early Apple audio player: iPod MINI.

12. Made at home: DOMESTIC. Not imported.

13. Mineral source: ORE.

14. __-Caps: candy: SNO.

Mini Nonpareils

20. Coastal inlet: RIA.

22. Tendon: SINEW. As nouns, the difference between sinew and tendon is that sinew is (anatomy) a cord or tendon of the body while tendon is (anatomy) a tough band of inelastic fibrous tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment.

25. Occurs to, with "on": DAWNS.

26. Early antibiotic: SULFA. Sulfonamide is a functional group that is the basis of several groups of drugs, which are called sulphonamides, sulfa drugs or sulpha drugs. The original antibacterial sulfonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents that contain the sulfonamide group.

27. Fictional flesh-eaters: ORCS. Orcs eat all manner of flesh, including men and horses, and there are frequent hints of cannibalism among Orcs. Grishnákh, leader of the Mordor Orcs, accuses Saruman's Uruks of eating Orc-flesh, which they angrily deny.

28. TV's "Science Guy": NYE.

30. Sly chuckles: HEHS. Heh heh.

33. Buenos __: AIRES.

34. Crock-Pot dish: STEW.

35. First-year law students: ONE LS. Thanks to Mr. Grisham.

36. Nutter Butter Cereal maker: POST.

37. Starts without a key: HOTWIRES.

38. True-blue teamster, say: UNION MAN. I was shop steward when I had my grocery store job.

39. Dumpty-shaped: OVOID. Humpty.


40. English R and B singer Ella __: MAI. She is an unknown for me, but sounds promising.

                                                                       LINK.

43. Overhead stadium equipment: SKYCAM.

45. Greg's sitcom wife: DHARMA. Jenna Elfman has not done much since, but Thomas Gibson had a good run on Criminal Minds.

46. To be safe: IN CASE.

47. More spooky: EERIER.

48. Angioplasty implants: STENTS.

50. Nutritional no.: RDA. Recommended Daily Amount.

51. Greek breads: PITAS.

52. "Steppenwolf" author: HESSE. Herman.

54. Greek letters: PSIS. We started with PHIS, now this Ψ.

56. Little lie: FIB.

57. It may be about nothing: ADO. Muchly.

58. 401(k) relative, briefly: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

59. Food collector, at times: BIB.  Until I had grandchildren, I was unfamiliar with these high tech bibs. Much neater.

Well, we have come to the end of another visit together. I am having such fun on Fridays, with so many skilled and creative and witty constructors pumping out puzzles. Now with a few more females in the mix and I am set. Thank you Dr. Ed and all who read and write. lemonade out.

Thursday, December 13th 2018 David Alfred Bywaters

Theme: Eying "OR" - we look and find an alternative within the theme entries:

17A. Should we name the kid after the eldest Brady son or the James Bond author?: GREGORIAN? Greg or Ian?  Mr. Fleming had rather a rakish look about him:

I worked for the family bank in London a number of moons ago - Robert Fleming & Co. are no longer with us. Not my fault, or at least, not all my fault.

26A. Should we roll this old piano away or put it in order?: WHEEL OF FORTUNE? Wheel off, or tune? This one was the standout of the theme answers - the OR is not in any way at all easy to parse.

45A. Should we read a religious pamphlet or watch a movie ad?: TRACTOR TRAILER? Tract or trailer?

61A. Should we work on the experiment or go for a swim?: LABOR POOL? Lab or pool? Fortunately for the US audience, "labour" has lost the apparently superfluous "U".

I liked this one. The OR appears mostly where you might expect, and then the "Wheel of Fortune" entry quite takes you by surprise. I wonder if this was the seed entry that David saw and then went looking for more?

I didn't speed through this, I had a more NW-SE progress, then worked back and across. The top right corner was tricky, I didn't know Ngaio Marsh, but the downs eventually filled that in for me.

Let's see what else we can find:

Across:

1. "__ just won't do": THIS

5. "What a relief!": PHEW!

9. New Zealand mystery author Ngaio __: MARSH. So far from my wheelhouse that the house didn't even have a place to put the wheel. I'll need to go and read some back catalog from one of the "Queens of Mystery".

14. Automaker whose name means "Hark!" in Latin: AUDI! Very festive. "Audi" is more literal than the more poetic "Hark!" - "Listen!" would more fit the bill. However, let's try this stab at translation - I probably butchered it, but I gave it my best grammar school shot:

Audi! En canentes angeli:

 "Gloria Regi infanti;"

15. Peace of mind: EASE. Crackly audio but this will never get old. I sounds like it did coming out of my cheap stereo when I was a kid.

16. Expiate, with "for": ATONE

19. Done in: SLAIN

20. "Cray" and "totes adorbs," e.g.: SLANG. Oddly, I know that it should be "cray cray" for completely crazy. Why "adorbs" means "adores" I'm lost. The "totes" part is obvs, being as I live in the Valley. Totally. Whatever. Talk to the hand.

21. Same old routine: RUT

22. Moans and groans: CARPS. "Totes Carps Deems". "Seizes the Day" in the Valley.

23. Trip letters: LSD. Bad trip, good trip, roll the dice. Interesting history for the drug though.

25. __ it coming: HAS. Jumped in with "HAS". Should have waited.

34. Word in many hymn titles: PRAISE!

35. Bit: IOTA

36. Unheard-of?: NEW

37. '50s-'60s car features: FINS. Cadillacs. If you want a fun read, "How the Cadillac got its Fins" by Jack Mingo is an old book I found in my Hilton hotel room back in 1994. Want to know how the Post-It note came about? It's all in there.

38. Continental currency: EUROS. Sneaky plural.

40. As it happens: LIVE

41. Swampy area: FEN

42. Places for me-time: SPAS

43. Some party reminders: EVITES. Usually annoying.

48. Operate: RUN

49. Neutral possessive: ITS. Not IT'S. Not sure? Learn from "It's an apostrophe". I love that, saved my grammatical life a few times.

50. Sharp: ACRID

53. Mass vestment: ALB. I paid enough attention as an Altar Boy to know which was what.

55. Swear words: OATHS

60. Self-reproach: SHAME

63. Low prime: SEVEN. 1, 3, 7, 11, 13 ...

64. Lying on: ATOP

65. Austen's aspiring matchmaker: EMMA. My eldest nephew is getting married in Winchester next week - site of Jane Austen's tomb and the home of my Alma Mater. I'll be blogging from the UK next week.

66. Unexpected pleasure: TREAT

67. Mailed: SENT

68. Move slowly: SEEP

Down:

1. License plates: TAGS. Really? I put my tags on my license plate, they stick in the upper-right corner. I just renewed mine.

2. Spew, as insults: HURL. Also a less-pleasant act into a handy receptacle.

3. Notion: IDEA

4. One finger for a fastball, say: SIGN

5. According to: PER

6. Salon creation: HAIRDO

7. Isaac's eldest: ESAU

8. Departed: WENT

9. It may run during a sad movie: MASCARA. This one I loved. Thank heavens I don't wear mascara, I'd be blotchy-cheeked most movies. I cry at the slightest provocation.

10. Classic song title words before "my love has come along": AT LAST! Etta James classic.

11. Bust a gut: ROAR 

12. Tonsorial sound: SNIP. A tonsure is a monk's haircut - the "pudding bowl and bald bit on top" look. Not the most fetching, in my humble opinion.

13. Cooped-up layers: HENS

18. Looks untowardly toward: OGLES

24. Consider overnight: SLEEP ON

25. Uncomfortable situation: HOT SEAT

26. More twisted, in a way: WRIER. There's usually one entry each week that I didn't see until I came to look back at the puzzle. This one filled itself in. Personally, I'd have tried WRYER first? This a new one on me.

27. Quick Draw's co-creator: HANNA. Quick Draw McGraw. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. I was honored to visit with Joe in his Orbit City office just off the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. It was furnished like an 18th century library. Quite an amazing experience. This was the front entrance, you would never have guessed what was behind it:

28. Oktoberfest cubes: EIS. You put ice in your beer? Not me!

29. Guinness adjective: FIRST. This had me for the longest while. I was fixated on the stout, not the Book of Records.

30. Rock's __ Fighters: FOO

31. Make one: UNITE

32. Not once: NEVER

33. Ovine animals: EWES

34. [It disappeared!]: PFFT!

39. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic, 1958-1971. Egypt and Syria.

40. Short, for short: LI'L. Quick - any offers other than Li'l Abner?

42. Campus figure: STUDENT

44. Sun screen: VISOR

46. Black Sea peninsula: CRIMEA

47. Colorful prize: RIBBON

50. Second: Abbr.: ASST.

51. Pop diva in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again": CHER

52. Wild party: RAVE

53. Word often said with a sigh: ALAS

54. Stuck in traffic, say: LATE. I hate being late, but I had to call just today and say "I'm stuck in traffic, I'll be there about ten minutes late", and this is when I allowed myself an hour for a 35 minute drive.

56. Big primates: APES

57. Weighty work: TOME

58. Browser button: HOME. I'm just looking at my browser as I type this and I don't see anything that looks like a "home" button? Can someone point it out for me?

59. Manual comeuppance: SLAP

62. Choose: OPT. Out or in?

And, there we are. A fun puzzle, I'm packing for my first two-week vacation in about 25 years or so, I'm going back to the UK for the wedding, Christmas and a lot of relaxation. I'm so used to travelling with a carry-on, I'm not sure what do to with a checked bag!

See you next week from the other side of the common-language divide. And here's the grid:

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Have a wonderful vacation, Steve!

2) D4E4H had his Pacemaker installed on Tuesday. He was feeling a bit weak when I talked to him yesterday, but he sounded cheerful. He'll be out of the hospital today. Hopefully he will show up on the blog once he gains his strength. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Jeff Stillman

Theme - TEA SET 

Delicate

-- OR --

JUST TEASING.  Several TEA varieties cross each other in this well brewed array.

17 A. Indian town in the Himalayas: DARJEELING. Once a summer resort for the British Raj elite, with Mt. Kanchenjunga in the background.  It is famous for the distinctive black tea grown on plantations that dot its surrounding slopes.

3 D. Like some shampoos: HERBAL.  These shampoos are infused with HERBS, based on traditional holistic medicine concepts, to cleanse the hair and maintain a balance among body, mind and spirit.  HERBAL TEAS are made from HERBS, spices and other plant materials, generally not including traditional tea, nor containing caffeine.

My evening choice

37A. There's always a hole in one: GREEN.  On a golf course, the GREEN is the target area, and the goal is to sink your ball into the hole in the fewest number of strokes.  Best, of course, is a hole in one.  GREEN TEA is made from the leaves and buds of Camellia Sinensis plants, like ordinary oolong and black TEA, but without the withering and oxidizing processes.

11 D. Massage therapy oil type: LAVENDER.   The distillate of this small, aromatic evergreen shrub of the mint family is used perfumes and to promote relaxation and healing.

LAVENDER TEA is made from the purple flower buds. It is purported to be relaxing, promote sleep, reduce inflammation and promote healing

68 A. Treated, as a sprain: ICED.  This can help to minimize swelling, reduce bleeding and reduce muscle spasms and pain.  ICED TEA can be any variety of tea served over ice.  Might I recommend LAVENDER when you have a sprain?

40 D. William IV's prime minister: EARL GREY.   Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, was a prominent Whig politician and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834, which tenure saw the passing of the Great Reform Act of 1832 and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833. In 1808, he also succeeded his uncle as third Baronet, of Howick. [Wikipedia]

The so-named TEA is flavored with oil of bergamot, a variety of orange grown in France and Italy.  It is my afternoon TEA of choice.

And the unifier: 66 A. Pay attention to detail ... and, homophonically, what three pairs of puzzle answers do: CROSS THE TS.  Along with cross -- I mean dot -- the eyes, to make everythign complete and tidy. Here the three pairs of TEAs cross, so the double meaning is clear.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, and not yet in my cups. So, armed with this bracing set of brews, let us venture forth, T's dotted and I's crossed, to solve this puzzle's remaining mysteries.

Across:

1. Israel Philharmonic music director Zubin: MEHTA. [b 1936] He also founded the Bombay Symphony.

6. Hook-shaped ski lift: J-BAR.  Pushes you uphill by the butt.

10. Calculator button: PLUS.  Addition function

14. Common Era starting date: ONE AD.  One C. E. I would think.  YMMV.

15. Hebrides language: ERSE.  A Gaelic tongue.

16. Low-tech leaf-blower alternative: RAKE.

19. "Best Song __": One Direction hit: EVER.

Watching this is optional - 6+ minutes

20. Flow's partner: EBB.  As of tides, frex.

21. The "P" of rock's ELP: PALMER. Along with Emerson and Lake.

Because Karn Evil 9 takes a half hour

22. Badlands landform: MESA. Table land -  an isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides.  MESA is the Spanish word for table.

23. Angles: SLANTS.  I have mine.  What's yours?

25. Spring singer: ROBIN.  This bird is traditionally the harbinger of Spring.

27. Prefix with graph: TELE-.  The long-distance transmission of textual or symbolic (as opposed to verbal or audio) messages without the physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pigeon post is not.

28. Glass of public radio: IRA. [b 1959] Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality and the host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.

31. Dug up dandelions, say: WEEDED.  Removed weeds from the lawn or garden

34. Scout's discovery: TALENT.  Some person with performing ability.

38. Hot state: IRE.  Hot under the collar.

41. Spy film poison: CYANIDE.  Polonium TEA would be more topical.

43. Record label for Pink: RCA.

Probably not Ira

44. Facebook option: SHARE.  Copy a post to your own page.

46. Surfer's gadget: REMOTE.  Channel surfing, not in the English Channel -- Traditional tool for couch potatoes, and now also everyone, since modern TVs don't have any dials.

48. Gourmet mushrooms: MORELS.  Morchella, the true morels, is a genus of edible sac fungi closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales. These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges with pits composing their cap. Morels are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly in French cuisine. [Wikipedia]

50. D.C. bigwig: SENator.

51. "Unique everything" website: ETSY.  Where people sell their craft items.

55. Peruvian pack animal: LLAMA.  South American camel analog.

57. Not quite spherical: OBLATE. Flattened at the poles.  Which one could also say of a candidate who loses in a landslide.  Wow - that election was really OBLATE!

59. Hence: ERGO.  Logically following.

61. Divination: AUGURY.  The interpretation of omens or signs to predict the future.  I interpret a red octagonal sign to mean I will be stopping soon.

64. Med. centers for former soldiers: VA'S.  Veteran's Administration facilities.

65. Actress Sorvino: MIRA. [b 1967] She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite.

69. Some jewelry stores, informally: KAY'S.  AKA Kay Jewelers

70. Chill-causing: EERIE. weird, spooky and frightening.

71. Small dogs: TOYS.

72. Lightly burn: SEAR.

73. Brings into harmony: SYNCS.  From SYNCHRONIZES.

Down:

1. Disinclined to brag: MODEST.  Unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements.

2. Provide power to: ENABLE. Grant or concede the authority or means to do something.

4. __ Mahal: TAJ.  Monument in Agra.

5. Highly skilled: ADEPT.  Proficient at some activity.

6. Take shape: JELL.  Firm up

7. Fedora feature: BRIM.  The protecting edge at the bottom of a hat.

Looking up

8. Ed with Emmys: ASNER.  In categories of Lead Actor,  Supporting Actor, Guest Actor, and Outstanding Single Performance.

9. Sprout anew: REGROW.  Like hair or fngernails.

10. English football's __ League: PREMIER.  We call it soccer.

12. Luau strings: UKES.

13. Blood bank fluids: SERA.   Plural from of the clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood.  The term "serum" also is used to designate any normal or pathological fluid that resembles serum as, for example, the fluid in a blister.

18. How a cinch is done: EASILY.

24. After-tax amount: NET.

26. Give rise to: BEGET.

29. Stern: REAR.  Back end of a boat.

30. Two of Henry VIII's wives: ANNES.  ANNE of Cleves and ANNE Boleyn.  Also, three Catherines and a Jane.

32. Common Market initials: EEC.  European Economic Community.

33. Genetic matter: DNA.

35. Big name in fast trains: ACELA.  Amtrak service along the North-East corridor.

36. Umpire's cry: TIME.   Granting a brief time out to either the batter or the pitcher.  Not the cry one would think of first.

38. Dogma: ISM. Suffix that has become an informal stand-alone.

39. Greek consonant: RHO.  Strangely, "your boat" in Greek - το σκάφος σας -  has no RHO.

42. Certain angels: DONORS.  Patrons.

45. Winds new film into: RELOADS.  As a movie reel.

47. Ribbonlike fish: EEL.   Slippery, too.

49. Slaps sharply: SMACKS.  Not SPANKS.

52. Bar: TAVERN.  Place to get a drink that is probably not ICED TEA.  [Except, perhaps, for Long island]

53. Harsh criticism: STATIC.  Angry or critical talk.

54. Toadies' answers: YESSES.  Sycophants' fawning agreements.

56. Subtle glows: AURAE.

58. Hard-drive units: BYTES.  Memory units

59. Put forth: EMIT. Let out, produce or discharge something.

60. P.R. part: RICO.  The other part is PUERTO.

62. "La maja desnuda" painter: GOYA.

Art

63. Cold War letters: USSR.  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, aka, the 20th Century Russian Empire

67. "Hold it!": HEY.  Just stop right there.  Because we're done!

There you have it.  That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope all your letters were in order.  Now - anyone for a nice cuppa?

Cool regards!
JzB