Saturday, December 2, 2023, Kristian House

 Saturday Themeless by Kristian House 

This is Kristin's seventh LA Times puzzle as a sole and  co-constructor. His first entry was in late 2017 just a month before I started as the regular Saturday blogger in December of that year. I am now starting my seventh year at that post.

Kristian, of Oneta, NY, says he is a "Dad, Math Content Writer, Crossword Puzzle Creator and Supporter of the Infield Fly Rule"

Across:

1. Band that contributes to knee flexion, for short: ACL - Many an athletic career has been ended by an injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

4. Hot breakfast cereal: FARINA.

10. Beaker's syllable: MEEP - Beaker was the lab assistant to the wacky Muppet scientist Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. (Did anyone else think of MEEP being the call of the Roadrunner as he ran from Wiley Coyote?)

14. Ice cream novelties discontinued in 2022: CHOCOTACOS - The Good Humor Company discontinued this item as a cost saving move.

16. Concerning: IN RE.

17. House money, at times: CASH OFFERS 😀 It sure beats waiting for the prospective purchaser to sell his house first.

18. "Now!": STAT.

19. Tarantula legs, e.g.: OCTAD - Any group of eight 

20. Meadows on TV: TIM - A lot of us here probably first thought of Audrey  (addendum link - h.g.)

21. Like the air in a greenhouse: MOIST - Humid means the same thing and has six letters but...

22. Second-largest branch of Islam: SHIISM.

24. Zip: NADA - zero, bupkis, nil, naught, etc.

26. Mens __: REA.

27. Ink spot?: TAT.

28. Landry who was the first coach of the Cowboys: TOM - Always nattily attired 

30. "La Dolce Vita" star: EKBERG.

32. Capitol gains?: SENATE SEATS - It's a close proposition these days

35. Modest reply to a compliment: WHAT CAN I SAY.

36. Reeling feeling: SHAME SPIRAL.

37. Stare daggers (at): GLOWER.

38. Department of the Interior head Haaland: DEB - The first Native American cabinet member.

39. "The Simpsons" character once voiced by Hank Azaria: APU - Hank quit voicing the character because he said it was reenforcing stereotypes and he felt bad about it.

42. Many a Monet: OIL.

43. Doesn't keep: ROTS.

46. Johnson who won the 2020 Masters Tournament: DUSTIN - I didn't get the name of the gentleman on the right who is presenting the jacket. 😀

48. Simmers: STEWS.

50. Shake a leg, quaintly: HIE - I got, "Come here so I can tell you something."

52. Dark times, informally: NITES 😀

53. "Small world": OH HI.

54. Teased: MESSED WITH.

56. "Coming Home" singer Bridges: LEON.

57. "No one's being straight with me!": IT'S ALL A LIE.

58. AAA and BBB: ORGS 😀 - If the AAA doesn't treat you right, report them to the BBB

59. Like some park passes: DAY USE - So you want to go to Disney World...

60. Inclusive word: AND.

Down:

1. Confront: ACCOST - I had ACC_S_ and used another but incorrect word

2. Three-step process?: CHA CHA 😀 The dance characterized by the triplet Cha Cha Cha rhythm is commonly just called the CHA CHA. You're welcome.

3. Flipped: LOST IT - An unfortunate trait of Bobby Knight

4. Some Hamilton Beach appliances: FOOD STEAMERS - A double header

5. Org. for traffic cops?: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

6. Host: RAFT - Candidates will be making a RAFT (host) of promises next year.

7. Trap during February, maybe: ICE IN.

8. Kamali who uses silk parachutes in many of her designs: NORMA - This is her 1974 "parachute dress" in international orange.

9. Burro: ASS.

10. Umami-rich paste: MISO - Umami means "savoriness" in Japanese

11. Aggregate: ENTIRETY.

12. Things that get bad marks: ERASERS 😀

13. Collar attachment: PET TAG - We call them Lily's license plates

15. Cardamom-infused brew: CHAI.

21. Rakes it in: MAKES A BUNDLE - What many who go to Vegas delude themselves will happen to them.

23. Lil Nas X album with the hit "Industry Baby": MONTERO - Google if you must

25. Sought-after: DESIRED.

29. Safari runners: MACS - 😀 The browser on my MacBook

31. Canaanite idol: BAAL - Need more?

32. "Killing Eve" actress Fiona: SHAW.

33. Bug: TAP.

34. Oklahoma city: ENID.

35. Completely: WHOLE HOG.

36. Act like a snake: SLITHER.

37. Strike out?: GO SOLO - The story of why Diana struck out on her own is in the 12/1/69 Soul Magazine article

39. __ the Hun: ATTILA.

40. Cobbler pan: PIE TIN.

41. Held back, as tears: UNSHED - An uncommon but easily sussed word

44. __ rhythm: brain waves pattern: THETA.

45. Actress Spacek: SISSY - Was this 47-yr-old movie anyone else's first thought?

47. YouTube star JoJo: SIWA - Go to YouTube and search for her if you must

49. Lands: WINS - A boxer can land a punch, a gymnast can land a vault, a salesman can land a contract, a fisherman can land a fish...

51. Biblical twin of Jacob: ESAU.

54. Central: MID.

55. Half the characters in "Kill Bill"?: ELS - 😀 Last week we had the meta clue for two iotas in Illiad (Iliad in Greek is Ιλιάδα). Today we have four EL'S for half the eight letters in Kill Bill.