For those of you who do not like creative and difficult puzzles, this effort from University of Minnesota Professor Victor B. will not be pleasant. When you have clues such as AAEGIMRR, there are those who will pull out Thumper and move on. You have to assume the reveal is also the seed entry as the grid is a 16x15 presentation. Basically you are doing a big JUMBLE where you have to unscramble the clue and fit it with a word meaning to unscramble. Or looking at from the reveal, you take a word and or phrase and list the letters alphabetically. The challenge was to create three interesting 16 letter theme fill. Some will grouse because two answers are two words and one only a single word, but I had fun as this took me longer than most Fridays to suss. With 16 columns you have room for lots of sparkly fill. I loved EVANDER, INHALER, DAY TRIPPER, STAY ON HOLD and the three Bs BANISHED, BEEFCAKE and BEREAVED. We also had the challenging GALENA and SHARIA. Okay, let's hop on the solving train.
18A. AAEGIMRR : ARRANGED MARRIAGE (16). The word marriage is taken apart and re-imagined with its letters presented alphabetically.
28A. AACDEINNV : ORDERED IN ADVANCE (16).
47A. ADEHLNRTUY : SORTED THE LAUNDRY (16).
and the reveal:
62A. ILST ... and each of three other puzzle clues : ALPHABETIZED LIST (16).
Across
1. They're bought and soled : SHOES. Victor has had some very fun pun puzzles in the NYT. Those of us who also toiled away at the puns and anagram puzzles were prepared for today.
6. Educational foundation : ABCS.
10. Lowest part : BASSO.
15. Make like a tree, facetiously : LEAVE. More silliness.
16. "Uh-huh" : YEAH.
17. Butyl acetate, e.g. : ESTER. He is after all a professor in Biomedical engineering.
21. Balkan region : BOSNIA. We Americans are so weak in Geography, as seen nightly on Jeopardy.
22. Wild period : SPREE.
23. Edible tuber : YAM. Gotta love a good tuber. Can you name an inedible tuber?
24. __ Plantation, site of the world's largest maze : DOLE. A Pineapple Garden Maze in Hawaii.
26. Sun Valley locale : IDAHO. More potatoes.
35. Sea sound : ROAR.
36. One of Suetonius' "Twelve Caesars" : NERO.
37. Actor Hawke : ETHAN.
38. Youngest March sister : AMY.
39. Sent away : BANISHED
42. Make a selection : OPT
43. "I've got this one" : LETME
45. Wax on an envelope, say : SEAL
46. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER.
51. Structural opening? : INFRA.
52. Angler's prize : FISH. We had a discussion of the word angler recently.
53. Lack of continuity : GAP.
55. Old painting sites : CAVES. Nice clue.
58. More pinlike? : NEATER. Neater than a pin; does it mean orderly or shiny?
65. Not hold one's peace : SPEAK. Nearby the opposite 67A. Of few words : TERSE.
66. Domain : RULE.
68. Game that may involve complicated shots : HORSE.
69. Mediterranean feeder : NILE.
70. Three-layer treats : OREOS. Clue 900 for this cookie.
Down
1. Thick mass : SLAB
2. Rescuer, often : HERO
3. Marine propulsion aids : OARS
4. Heavyweight champ between Buster and Riddick : EVANDER
5. __ citizen : SENIOR
6. Mate's affirmative : AYE
7. Garden spots : BEDS
8. Like-minded group : CAMP
9. Islamic law : SHARIA
10. Mourning : BEREAVED
11. "Take me __ am" : ASI
12. Wait for help, perhaps too long : STAY ON HOLD
13. Genesis creator : SEGA
14. Home of Utah Valley University : OREM
19. Lead ore : GALENA
20. Comedian Foxx : REDD
25. First place? : EDEN
27. Porkpie, for one : HAT
28. Advanced tests : ORALS
29. "What light through yonder window breaks?" speaker : ROMEO
30. Other side of "We Can Work It Out" : DAYTRIPPER
31. Like Jameson whiskey : IRISH
32. Long time ending? : NOSEE
33. Heist, say : CAPER
34. Contest form : ENTRY
39. "Magic Mike" feature : BEEFCAKE
40. " ... on the sand, / __ sunk, a shattered visage lies": "Ozymandias" : HALF
41. Paige of British musical theatre : ELAINE
44. Map feature with an elev. : MTN
46. Asthma sufferer's relief : INHALER
48. Boring : DRAB
49. Ale seller : TAVERN
50. No longer bothered by : USEDTO
53. Severe wound : GASH
54. Dinner for Spot : ALPO
56. Little case : ETUI
57. Window frame part : SILL
59. Weary : TIRE
60. Canadian gas brand : ESSO
61. GPS info : RTES
63. Is down with : HAS
64. Zipper opening? : ZEE
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