Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Get the "F" out of here!

Two weeks, so it must be time for another Jeffrey Jem. The concluding "F" in the final word in a known phrase is removed leaving a new phrase humorously but correctly clued. After all of the add a letter puzzles, here we have one with a disappearing letter. I was most impressed that he found 5 such phrases and each of the resulting new ones are very evocative and reasonable. Like the comment C.C. made last Sunday about Melanie's W, I found it unfortunate we have the MFA/FLESH crossing leaving a single F in the grid. I see the problem since the placement of two of the theme fill restricted the choices, but in a perfect world...We have a nice mini-theme of singer songwriters, as well as many interrelated concepts.

Not much in the way of long fill, ACCENT,  AUBURN,  EXCELS,  POLLEN,  SAVIOR,  SULLEN, UNREAL,  VENEER, ELEVATES,  SCENE TWO but plenty of road blocks. Let us get going....


18A. USDA-approved cheese? : LEGAL BRIEF (9). This is a theme and answer where you need the perps to get started with the first themer, but once you "see" the missing "F" it all makes sense.

24A. Query when a certain queen goes missing? : WHERE'S THE BEEF (12). This I found to be a particularly fair clue, because the Q is not capitalized leaving queen bee as one of a very limited few possible answers. I hope everyone remembers dear Clara Peller.

40A. Plow one's recently purchased field? : TURN OVER A NEW LEAF (15). Very nice use of the word LEA.

50A. Revolutionary as a successful businessman? : EXECUTIVE CHEF (12). Great visual of cigar smoking, beret wearing Che Guevera running a vape store in SoFla.

62A. Improved sci-fi computer? : BETTER HALF (10). Well almost any computer not trying to kill the humans would be nice.

On that rather special note let us move on....

Across:

1. Activities for seniors : PROMS. High school, not for me and you.

6. Cinematographer's deg. : MFA. Master of Fine Arts.

9. __ Summer: U.S. Naval Academy training program : PLEBE.

14. "Service at the Speed of Sound" franchise : SONIC. We have them here, but I am more familiar with Freaky Fast.

15. Not just some : ALL.

16. Ran very slowly : OOZED. Sadly, I associate the word with wounds...

17. Selassie of Ethiopia : HAILE. This was once a regular in puzzles, but his fame has dimmed, but this week a comeback?

20. Actor's study, perhaps : ACCENT. Are you all as amazed as I am at how well non-Americans like Stephen "Bill" Moyer, Simon "Jane" Baker, Hugh "House" Lawrie and oodles more are so believable with their accents? They often practice on a  64D. Studio __ : LOT.

22. King David's predecessor : SAUL.  and some more bible, 11D. Book of __ : EZRA. This is the story of the first return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian diaspora and the rebuilding of the temple, and 31D. Genesis wife : LEAH. Along with her sister Rachel, she married Jacob.

23. Gothic novelist Radcliffe : ANN.A Friday obscurity, this reclusive AUTHOR was a Gothic pioneer.

27. Head of the Greek Titans? : TAU. Cute.

28. "I can't believe my eyes!" : UNREAL. Like many Gothic Novels.

32. Angled pipe : ELBOW. Almost right next to 39A. North Sea feeder : ELBE

36. Atomic theory pioneer : BOHR. What I know about this MAN was begun from reading Margaret Grimes' Inspector Jury mysteries.

43. Obi-Wan portrayer : ALEC. great actor, Mr. Guiness

44. Early romantic figure : EROS. The boy god.

45. Controlling chain : LEASH. Below LEA.

46. Morose : SULLEN.

48. Named period : AGE. So many un-PC thoughts....

57. Org. concerned with smog : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

60. Firm bosses : CEOS. Chief Executive Officers

61. One who delivers : SAVIOR. Not Jimmy John. Not my favorite clue/fill.

65. :50, another way : TEN TO.

66. London __ : BROIL. I always marinate before the broiling. It is a matter of...

67. Source of pride : EGO.

68. Wrapped on a set : ENDED. On a movie, or tv series set.

69. Family and economy : SIZES. I just love how companies change products from 32 oz to 28 oz, keep the price the same and think we are too stupid to notice the price increase. That is why our grocery stores now post the price per ounce,

70. Big top item : NET. Unless they are real daredevils, working without one is then the norm. That would show great...

71. Way : STYLE.

Down:

1. "Baloney!" : PSHAW. Old timey expressions.

2. Orkin target : ROACH.

3. In abeyance : ON ICE. A non-CSO for Tin.

4. Track competitor : MILER. And, 53D. Relay or dash : EVENT. At the track meet.

5. Theatrical division : SCENE TWO.

6. Wrong at the start? : MAL. The prefix, from the Latin meaning bad, e.g. LINK.

7. Crayola color renamed Peach in 1962 : FLESH.

8. Some microflora : ALGAE. Micro meaning tiny -flora plant

9. Floral dispersion : POLLEN. More flora(l). I love how these clues are together.

10. Part of an alley-oop play : LOB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHnsEwpZ2bo

12. Flower children's gathering : BE IN. Been there....

13. "Gates of __": Bob Dylan song : EDEN. Not his biggest hit. 34D. "The Song of Old Lovers" songwriter : BREL Jacques. 51D. "Hallelujah" songwriter Leonard : COHEN. My mini-theme.
LINK 1. LINK 2. LNK 3.

19. Georgia rival since 1892 : AUBURN. A small town in Alabama but home to a national football power for years.

21. Org. that issues "Known Traveler" numbers : TSA. Transportation Security Administration

25. River floater : TUBER. Not a lost potato, but one of the memorable parts of going to law school in Gainesville, Florida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAuz_Pf3lp8

26. "Maid of Athens, __ part": Byron : ERE WE.

"Maid of Athens, ere we part,
Give, oh, give back my heart!
Or, since that has left my breast,
Keep it now, and take the rest!
Hear my vow before I go,
Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ."

29. Self-titled 1969 jazz album : ELLA. Always fun to showcase Ms. Fitzgerald.

30. Five-spots : ABES. Five dollar bills.

32. LAX postings : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrival.

33. Humdinger : LULU.

35. Rouen relative : ONCLE. Le mari de ma tante.

37. Valuable elemento : ORO. Gold!

38. Attacks : HAS AT.

41. Dental treatment : VENEER. Interesting that veneers were first used with wood and now we have porcelain ones for teeth, which were also wood at one time.

42. Improves : ELEVATES. Announcers are forever talking about athletes elevating their game, like LeBron, to the point where he....

47. Has no peer : EXCELS.

49. USO show audience : GIS.

52. Dictionary information : USAGE.

54. ___ Lou, Who girl who interrupted the Grinch's burglary : CINDY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjqq3ElVYlg
55. Travelocity option : HOTEL.

56. Slowly reduce : ERODE. Everything from rocks to confidence.

57. Recedes : EBBS. Well my energy is in fact...

58. Prefix with meter : PERImeter. This is a Friday usage, fer shure.

59. Familiar gamut : A TO Z.

63. Clip-on, maybe : TIE.I guess I am one of the few who still wears ties regularly, but no clip ons. But it is time to move on, as another week comes to an end. Next time I see you all it will be summer and the says will be getting shorter. Hope you enjoyed our biweekly visit with JW, Lemonade out.