The Theme is the PUN NEXT DOOR; each of the four theme clues are answered literally, describing things which are not far apart, but which provide a new phrase which is a common expression in the language.

17. Young woman next door?: NEAR MISS, perhaps this ONE .

24. Adjoining floor?: TOUCHING STORY. In addition to SHADOWLANDS watch another true story, THE BLIND SIDE .

53. Proximate coins?: CLOSE QUARTERS. For all you city people, there is always a SUBWAY RIDE .

66. Chess piece within reach?: HANDY MAN, since I do not have access to pictures of Windhover, would you settle for HIM ?

Happy September all, and it is the return of Lemonade and Mark Bickham, who has started to appear as a regular contributor, and whose last puzzle was the first puzzle blogged by C.C. as an American citizen.

To me this puzzle was a contradiction, with many new words, and almost a pangram, but also lots of three and four letter fill. This is the nature of the puzzle, I guess, somewhere there is sacrifice.

ACROSS:

1. Energy: ZIP. A “Z” in the first word, a hint at a scrabbly puzzle that is missing only the letter J, hmmm. J?

4. It's an example of itself: ABBR. very clever.

8. Pure: CHASTE. They are often chased, and need to remember to use PROTECTION . Which kind of fits with 59A. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE.

14. Suffix with verb: OSE.

15. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI. DEANNE was on The Next Generation.

16. Bring about sooner: HASTEN. When I was little, one of the torments of my little friends was this fine poetic turn, “Hasten Jason, get the Basin; Oops, Plop, Get the Mop.”

19. Green light: ASSENT. What you do not get from the CHASTE girl above.

20. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

21. Earth pigment : OCHER. From the Greek, meaning yellow.

23. Hide-hair link: NOR. Never understood the phrase.

28. Fireside emanation: WARMTH. Do things ever really change FIRESIDE CHAT ?

30. "__ me!": DEAR.

31. '50s White House nickname: IKE.

32. Certain fisherman: EELER.

35. Annoys: MIFFS.

39. __ Piper: PIED. Loved the 60s .

41. Police sting, say: SETUP.

43. Grimace: MOUE, which rhymes with 44. Happen as a result: ENSUE, which follows.

46. "Who Can It __?": Men at Work hit: BE NOW and of course the 80s.

48. Exhaust, with "up": USE.

49. [see other side]: OVER. So simple, but also clever.

51. Brought up: REARED.

58. Spell: HEX. Did anyone see the MOVIE ?

60. Emerald City visitor: TOTO. My ex-wife owned a Cairn terrier, who could have been the stunt double. Yes, she called him TOTO; I said she was my ex!

63. List of things to discuss: AGENDA.

68. Dividend, e.g.: PAYOUT.

69. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO. An underappreciated historic LEADER .

70. Letter opener?: ELL. Did anyone fall for this old trick?

71. "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy __ : SLEDGE. Oh yes, this is a SONG .

72. Insolence: SASS.

73. Generous limit?: SKY. Not sure why it is generous, but certainly ambitious.

DOWN:

1. Area: ZONE.

2. "Got it" : I SEE.

3. Bosc sources : PEAR TREES. Which come near by 6D. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist: BOSCH, who 600 or so years ago saw lots of nakedness in his Eden, but no partridges.

4. 24-hr. cash source: ATM. I had trouble with this one, because around my house the three letter word that fits is DAD.

5. French breads: BRIOCHES. If you want, here is a RECIPE .

7. Hindu poet: RISHI. This was my lesson for the day. HISTORY .

8. Old battlefield shout: CHARGE. Old? Still very common at the war zone called the mall.

9. Is suffering from: HAS.

10. Beast of burden: ASS. Okay, I will control myself.

11. Court figure: STENO; I was thinking more along these lines after watching the US Open CENTER COURT .

12. Pavarotti, notably: TENOR. Sometimes my brain is crooked, but my first thought was OBESE, sorry Luciano.

13. Datebook notation: ENTRY.

18. Part of a Clue accusation: ROOM. I amy be the world’s best Clue player.

22. Football play also called a sweep: END RUN; which is balanced nicely by 33. Charles __, major decorator of the Palace of Versailles : LEBRUN, of whom I had no knowledge.

25. Adaptable truck, for short: UTE. Oh, sure, I am going to out my UTE and convert it back.

26. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM. So BEAUTIFUL .

27. Request to a barber: TRIM.

28. Use a napkin on: WIPE, good thing we did have than next to 10D.

29. Like, with "to" : A KIN, not CLAY .

34. Somme season: ETE.

36. Links groups: FOURSOMES. Don’t tell me I am the only one who thought of THESE .

37. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.

38. Future plant: SEED.

40. Couples: DUOS. After foursomes, I wanted FRED.

42. Omens: PORTENTS, not to be confused with 56D. Pal of Porthos: ATHOS.

45. "The Three Faces of __": 1957 film : EVE.

47. Very small: WEE.

50. Treat as the same: EQUATE.

52. Affectedly cultured: ARTY.

53. Biker leggings: CHAPS.

54. Corporate department: LEGAL. Okay, one clue for me.

55. Daisy variety: OXEYE. This is more properly knows as Leucanthemum vulgare, which does not sound very PRETTY .

57. Calf catcher: RIATA.

61. Chitchat:TALK.

62. Part of SRO: ONLY.

64. Doze: NOD.

65. Grooved on: DUG.

67. Elaborate affairs: DOS.

Well I am outta here; like they say in Florida Click It or Ticket. Ciao