3. *Tough period in life: HARD TIMES. Hard Case - A tough person, such as someone that is hard to deal with. Or, a type of protective container, such as hard case luggage.
9. *Grade school presentation: SHOW AND TELL. Showcase - A glass container used to display merchandise. Or, in music and the arts, an exhibition of talent and creations.
24. *Slim-fitting Dior creation: PENCIL SKIRT. Pencil Case - A container used to hold pens, pencils, erasers and the like.
26. *Nuclear treaty subject: TEST BAN. Test Case - In law, a legal action brought to test the validity of a law, and perhaps set a precedent for deciding similar cases in the future.
35. Caps, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: UPPERCASE. Case can be added to the upper word of each starred answer.
Across:
1. "I'm clever" chuckle: HEH.
4. Take a broom to: SWEEP.
9. Rapscallion: SCAMP.
14. Pretty __ picture: AS A.
15. Main artery: AORTA. The great artery of the heart.
16. __ roll: student's achievement: HONOR. Learning isn't hard. Paying attention to something you have no interest in is.
17. Hawk, in the military sense: WARMONGER. Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun were the notable war hawks leading up to the War of !812.
19. Get the best of: OUTDO. Out as a prefix, meaning more than or better than.
20. In the buff: NUDE. Naked as a jaybird. In the altogether. Buck (or butt) naked. I'm sure there are other idioms.
21. Local residents, to local college students: TOWNIES. Matt and Ben were townies in the film, Good Will Hunting.
23. Draw sap from, as a maple: TAP. In bowling, leaving a "stone 8" (for right handers) is known as a True Tap.
25. "I haven't the foggiest": IT BEATS ME.
27. Grooming process: TOILETTE. Wiktionary says:
toilette (plural toilettes)
- (archaic) A dressing table, typically covered to the floor with cloth (originally, toile) and lace, on which stood a mirror, which might also be draped in lace.
- (archaic) Personal grooming, in other words washing, dressing, etc.
"F1 cars are at the cutting edge of motorsport technology and push the boundaries of technological design. Each team designs its own chassis and interprets the rules to best suit the ultimate design. Budgets are huge, and no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of development.
Indy cars, on the other hand, are much less developed. Each team has the use of the same Dallara chassis, which does not carry the same sort of funding as F1 operations. That in itself places greater emphasis on the job of the team and the driver, while one of F1's greatest criticisms is that it is so dependent on the performance of the car." - Bleacher Report Article
31. Casino convenience: ATM, and 42. "Casino" co-star Joe: PESCI.
32. Cacophonous: NOISY.
34. Prescription items: DRUGS.
38. Canapé garnish: ROE.
39. Competition: CONTEST.
41. Snap or split veggie: PEA.
44. Ease up: ABATE.
45. Toy with, cat-style: PAW.
46. Microbrewery product: ALE.
48. Studios for artists: ATELIERS. Their workshops.
50. Materials for babies' rugs: LAMBSKINS.
54. Paper size: Abbr.: LTR.
55. Consumed amounts: INTAKES.
56. Reverb in a chamber: ECHO.
59. Centipede game company: ATARI. The game was recently announced as a finalist for the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019.
60. Drambuie and Scotch cocktail: RUSTY NAIL. New to me, but the perps were solid. I guess it was popular in the '60s. Behind the Bar: The Rusty Nail
65. Closer to being harvested: RIPER.
66. Month before febrero: ENERO.
Enero, febrero, marzo, abril, mayo, junio, julio, agosto, septiembre, octubre, noviembre, diciembre.
Estos son los doce meses del año.
67. Get it: SEE.
68. "Alien" director Ridley __: SCOTT. Also, Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Martian.
69. Eggs purchase: DOZEN.
70. Juan's "that": ESO. Juanita's "that": ESA.
Down:
1. Goldie with a Golden Globe: HAWN. Can you believe she's 73 ? 9 nominations, 1 win in the 1969 romcom Cactus Flower, her first major film.
2. Founder of Edom: ESAU.
4. Brazilian map word: SAO. As in Sao Paulo.
5. Hit the jackpot: WON. Someone won a big one in Wisconsin last week.
6. Bit of energy: ERG.
7. Strasbourg summer: ETE. Strasbourg, France. Directly west across the Rhine river from the Black Forest in southwestern Germany. In German, summer is Sommer.
8. Second section: PART B. Medicare Part B premiums have risen by an average of 7.7% per year.
10. Come back (with): COUNTER. Rick Harrison on the History Channel's Pawn Stars program rarely buys anything at the asking price. Mike Wolfe on the History Channel's American Pickers sometimes counters the original asking price with an amount that is higher than asked.
11. Naysayers: ANTIS.
12. Web surfing tool: MODEM. Modulator / Demodulator.
13. Narrative writing: PROSE.
18. Event with courses: MEAL.
22. War on Poverty org.: OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity.
25. Singer Turner's memoir: I TINA. David Alfred Bywaters had the clue "Turner with numbers" in last Friday's puzzle that Hahtoolah reviewed. I thought that was a great clue.
27. Camper's cover: TARP. I started with tent, but the perps disagreed.
28. Plains native: OTOE.
29. Excessively: TOO. The entree was fine, but the dessert was (excessively, extremely, or too) sweet. Which adverb would you use ?
33. Irish poet who wrote "Easter, 1916": YEATS.
36. Drive or reverse: GEAR.
37. Toothed tools: SAWS.
40. Fr. holy woman: STE. Sainte.
43. Moulin Rouge, notably: CABARET. Yes, I know the setting for the movie was Berlin, but the answer afforded an opportunity to link Liza singing the song.
47. Squeeze (out): EKE.
49. Cross-country southern hwy.: I TEN. The southernmost of the cross-country interstate highways.
50. Some are compulsive: LIARS.
51. Shenanigan: ANTIC. I think of CrossEyedDave.
52. Philippines peak: Abbr.: MT APO. The highest point in the Philippines.
53. Looks flushed: IS RED.
57. Hurries, old-style: HIES.
58. Bread spread: OLEO. The Oleo Wars weren't just in Wisconsin. Vermont, New Hampshire and South Dakota also had various laws against the product. Wisconsin didn't allow yellow colored oleo until 1967, and still has laws about margarine for restaurants and schools. Butter must be served to students unless a doctor provides a valid health reason for not using butter.
61. 2018 National Toy Hall of Fame inductee: UNO. A synopsis of the Uno story.
62. "__ who?": SEZ. It's the correct pronunciation for says, here and across the pond.
63. Antonio's three: TRE. "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" Ciao Antonio ! In Italian, numbers from zero to ten are specific words, namely zero [0], uno [1], due [2], tre [3], quattro [4], cinque [5], sei [6], sette [7], otto [8], nove [9], and dieci [10]. More here.
64. That, old-style: YON. For example, "Beyond yon mountain."
