Catchphrases: Each of the starred answers is a catchphrase, although they are not what I would generally consider as such. Here is a listing of what I think of as being catchphrases.
17-Across. * Carpe diem: SEIZE THE DAY.
23-Across. * Be the first to begin: GET A HEAD START.
38-Across. * Party gifts container: GRAB BAG.
52-Across. * Act in desperation: GRASP AT STRAWS.
62-Across. Familiar slogan ... and what each answer to a starred clue is?: CATCHPHRASE. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Catchphrase is defined as (1) word or expression that is used repeatedly and conveniently to represent or characterize a person, group, idea, or point of view; or (2) a slogan. The first word of each theme answer has a "Catch" component. [Thanks, Anonymous@6:43. I missed this completely!]
Across:
1. Morse code component: DASH.
5. John Wick, for one: HITMAN. John Wick is a fictional character is a series of action-thriller films. He was an orphan taken in by the Russian mafia and trained as an assassin. John Wick is portrayed by Keanu Reeves (né Keanu Charles Reeves; b. Sept. 2, 1964) in the movies.
11. Wedding reception VIPs: DJs. As in Disc Jockeys. We had a live band at our wedding.
14. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo: ISLA. Today's Spanish lesson. Puerto Rico is an Island.
15. Blueprint: SCHEMA. Not a Tuesday word or concept.
16. Legendary bird of prey: ROC. All your questions of the mythical ROC can be found here.
19. Rap sheet letters: AKA. As in Also Known As.
20. "Zip your lip!": CAN IT!
21. Lust or greed: SIN. Two of the Seven Deadly Sins. The other five are: Sloth, Envy, Pride, Wrath, and Gluttony.
22. "And how!": AMEN. An interesting history of the word Amen.
27. Hug: EMBRACE.
29. Mom's mom: NANA. We called my mom's mom Nana. Dad's mom was called Grammy.
30. Extended pd. away from work: LOA. As in a Leave of Absence.
31. Notable period: ERA.
33. Commercial charge: AD FEE.
37. U.K. network: BBC. As in the British Broadcasting Corporation. The BBC dates back almost 100 years.
41. Coffee dispenser: URN.
42. Invite for: ASK TO.
44. Aggregate: SUM.
45. Container cover: LID.
What my Tupperware lid drawer looks like.
46. Escape clauses: OUTS. An Escape Clause in a contract, sometimes known as a Clawback, is a clause that lets a party out of the terms of the contract without a penalty.
They had an Escape tunnel. Of course, there was a fatal penalty if they were caught.
49. Letters in alphabet soup: NOODLES. Yummers!
56. Retinal cells: RODS. Today's anatomy lesson.
57. Fannie or Ginnie follower: MAE. Fannie Mae is short for the Federal National Mortgage Association. Ginnie Mae is short for the Government Mortgage Association. Mae was the name of both my grandmother and hubby's grandmother.
58. Silently understood: TACIT.
61. Dismissal metaphor, with "the": AXE.
65. A-lister: VIP. As in a Very Important Person.
66. Wind instruments: FLUTES.
67. Biter on a pooch: FLEA.
68. Nonetheless: YET. Any Yet, ...
69. Corporate jet maker: CESSNA. You, too, can own a Cessna.
70. Hide partner: SEEK.
Down:
1. Frisbee, for one: DISC. The Frisbee started out as a pie pan.
2. Befuddled: ASEA.
3. Shoe with a strap that nearly encircles the ankle: SLINGBACK.
4. More smoke-filled: HAZIER.
5. FDR's successor: HST. Harry S Truman (May 8, 1884 ~ Dec. 26, 1972) became the 33rd American President upon the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 ~ Apr. 12, 1945).
6. German pronoun found in half of Munich?: ICH. This clue made me laugh: Munich.
7. What we have here: THESE.
8. Highway divider: MEDIAN. Concrete medians are cropping up all over my city.
9. Actress Seales of "Insecure": AMANDA. Insecure is an HBO comedy series. Apparently, Amanda Ingrid Seales (b. July 1, 1981) caused a bit of a scandal over an Emmy after-party.
10. Opposing vote: NAY.
11. Emmy category: DRAMA.
12. Phoenix's 2019 Best Actor role: JOKER. Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (b. Oct. 28, 1974) portrayed the Joker in the movie of the same name. I opted not to seek this film.
13. Few and far between: SCANT.
18. "At Last" singer James: ETTA. Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.
22. Hardly any: A TAD.
24. Taiwanese PC maker: ACER. I learned of this computer manufacturer from doing the crossword puzzles
25. Queen of Olympus: HERA. Hera is the queen of the Greek gods. // And 40-Down. Eros, in Rome: AMOR. Mythological gods of love.
26. Reel trouble: SNAG.
27. Napoleon's 1814 place of exile: ELBA. When Napoleon was exiled on St. Helena, there may have been a plot to rescue him by submarine.
28. Unruly crowds: MOBS.
32. Tummy muscles: ABS. As in the Abdominal muscles.
34. Comprehensive: FULL SCALE.
35. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. And a shout out to our dear friend, Abejo.
36. Goals: ENDS.
38. Rise, as prices: GO UP.
39. Batter's job in a squeeze play: BUNT.
43. Discard: TOSS.
47. Husk-wrapped cantina food: TAMALE. CSO to Lucina!
48. Something to update on Facebook: STATUS.
50. Solemn vow: OATH.
51. "Whistle While You Work" septet: DWARFS.
52. Turkey topper: GRAVY.
53. "Chicago" showgirl Hart: ROXIE.
54. Highly skilled: ADEPT.
55. Splinter groups: SECTS.
59. Understanding words: I SEE.
60. Hardwood tree: TEAK. Everything you wanted to know about Teak Trees.
62. Ozone-depleting chemical: CFC. As in Chlorofluorocarbon, which is actually a class of chemical made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, Chlorine and Florine.
63. Farm layer: HEN.
64. Free TV spot: PSA. As in a Public Service Announcement.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
P.S.: Thank You, Chefwan!!
Stay safe, everyone. I see the snow is still falling this morning in many parts of the country. I guess the groundhog didn't see his shadow this morning, so maybe spring will come early this year.
Happy Ground Hog Day!
