Gary and CC

Title: Why don't you glasses fall off?

Almost as if planned, JzB lauded puzzles which use different definitions for the same word on Wednesday. So BOOM, C.C. and Husker \Gary are here with a classic example of that type of puzzle. Actually there are many other meanings for bridge - part of a musical composition - part of a guitar - and the above referenced nose. This team picked two grid spanners and two 13s to pack in the theme. All four definitions are fair and took time to come up with the symmetrical fill. THey managed some fun fill like INGEST, GO FAST,  G-SUITS, TOSTADA, THE WIRE, I GOTTA RUN and DUDE RANCH





17A. Bridge : CARD GAME FOR FOUR (15).

23A. Bridge : HELMSMAN'S POST (13).

52A. Bridge : RIVER CROSSING (13)

62A. Bridge : DENTAL APPLIANCE (15).



Across

1. Carnival Cruise Line headquarters : MIAMI. The ultimate gimme for me; I live in South Florida and I have been to their offices having owned a travel agency.

6. Net gain? : GOAL. Punny!

10. One often taking a bow : GIFT. Yes, this time it is BOW (o) not BOW (ow).

14. How many crosswords are solved : IN PEN.

15. Plot to plow : ACRE. nice!

16. Creepy look : OGLE.

20. Young Skywalker's nickname : ANI.

21. "At Wit's End" columnist Bombeck : ERMA.

22. Like Cheerios : OATEN. Entering the food zone.

27. Liked a lot, with "up" : ATE.

28. Taqueria order : TOSTADA.

31. A3 or Q7 : AUDI.

34. Leave : DEPART.

37. Whistle-blower : REF.

38. Way around the block? : SHUNT.

40. Luau band : LEI.

41. Meatball medium : SAUCE.

43. Roll in the yard : SOD.

44. Inn crowd option : RAMADA.

47. Cause of some closings : SNOW.

48. HBO drama set in Baltimore : THE WIRE.

50. __ Friday's : TGI.
.
58. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque prayer : OMANI.

60. Sci-fi navigator : SULU.

61. Gen __ : XER.

66. Number of times a horse can enter the Kentucky Derby : ONCE.

67. "Dies __" : IRAE.

68. Copy, in a way : TRACE.

69. Essen's region : RUHR.

70. Celebrate an anniversary, say, with "out" : DINE.

71. Secretly watch : SPY ON.

Down:

1. Hebrew prophet : MICAH.

2. Absurd : INANE.

3. __ fool : APRIL.

4. Club __ : MED.

5. Take in : INGEST.

6. Harmful ray type : GAMMA. Just ask Bruce Banner!

7. More than 70% of Earth's surface : OCEAN.

8. Lab greeting : ARF.

9. "Ars gratia artis" is written in an arc around his head : LEO. MGM Lion.

10. Zoom along : GO FAST.

11. "Time for me to split" : I GOTTA RUN.\

12. Smoke passage : FLUE.

13. Gull relative : TERN.

18. Carrying, so to speak : ARMED.

19. Hen holders : ROOSTS.

24. Common street name : MAIN.

25. Strait-laced : STAID.

26. __ ejemplo : POR. For example...not too hard

29. Geometric art style : DECO. Art is always fun. LINK.

30. Several : A FEW.

31. Start of a subordinate title: Abbr. : ASST.

32. "You meant 8 p.m. not a.m.?" : UH OH.

33. Vacation spot with horseback riding : DUDE RANCH.

35. Toon often seen in a hunting hat : ELMER.

36. Shelled veggie : PEA.

39. "Jeopardy!" staple : TRIVIA.

42. Flaws and all : AS IS. M
45. Is for everyone? : ARE. Really cute clue.


46. Bikini in the Pacific, e.g. : ATOLL. Well used by the military. 

49. It starts a bit before Christmas : WINTER. 4 days, C.E.

51. Astronauts' gear : G-SUITS. From our resident astronaut we have  an anti-gravity garment worn by fighter pilots. When they are pulling positive G's, the suit inflates and prevents blood from pooling in their feet and legs which would cause them to lose consciousness. NASA astronauts also wear g-suits when they experience Orthostatic Intolerance. LINK

53. Channel with a "Congressional Chronicle" online archive : C-SPAN.

54. Kolkata cash : RUPEE. No more Calcutta.

55. Slangy refusal : IXNAY. Pig latin...

56. Wafer brand : NECCO.  HG? Those of us of an age...



57. Place to find a flag : GREEN. Another HG moment with a golf course clue.

58. Le Pew's defense : ODOR.  Pepe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP7k4LXM1rE

59. Dish list : MENU.

63. Limit : LID. Put a lid on it!?!


64. Jackie O's second : ARI. Aristot;e Onassis.

65. "Shirt Front and Fork" artist : ARP. Jean Arp or Hans Arp (16 September 1886 – 7 June 1966) was a German-French sculptor, painter, poet, and abstract artist in other media such as torn and pasted paper. When Arp spoke in German he referred to himself as "Hans", and when he spoke in French he referred to himself as "Jean".

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: We play the game to WIN!

Returning to the perch he ruled in 2016 is JW with a superb reveal. With two grid spanners and two 13 letter fill, he packs 56 letters in the theme answers each of which has WIN inside twice. This would be a somewhat pedestrian theme for a wit like JW, but for the perfect 15 letter reveal. In life I am tired of people trying to talk me into WIN WIN situations but the puzzle was great, So much nice fill such as INNARDS,  EGOTIST, DISRAELI,  ESTONIAN,  SCARED OF,  THE PRADO, IS IT ENOUGH,  I WON'T DANCE.  Let's solve this puppy!

17A. Its B-side was "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" : BLOW'IN IN THE WIND (15). I really lucked out here as I was a big Bob Dylan fan when this came out. I saw the WIN WIN right away. I used sing Don't Think Twice, It's All Right to myself in my Junior year in high school. LISTEN.

25A. Portable ventilation option : TWIN WINDOW FAN (13). I was not positive THIS existed, but it had win/win, so....

43A. Repair shop vehicle features : TOWING WINCHES (13). Then we see this DEVICE.
The reveal!

57A. Mediator's goal ... and what's found in three puzzle answers : WIN WIN SITUATION (15).

Across:

1. British prime minister before and after Gladstone : DISRAELI. If you like history this was quite a RIVALRY.

9. Fifth-century conqueror : ATTILA. He is extremely popular in the Xword world.

15. Baltic native : ESTONIAN. Across the sea from Finland sits this COUNTRY.

16. A quarter of the time? : SEASON. Really fun clue and fill; one of the four seasons.

19. Flower part : SEPAL.

20. Actor Daniel __ Kim : DAE. From LOST to the reboot of Hawaii 5-0, he works. LINK.

21. Bony opening : OSTEO.

22. Arising from : BORN OF.

24. Miss, say : ERR.

31. 1976 African uprising site : SOWETO. This HISTORY is too political to discuss here, but....

32. Longtime NBC hit : SNL. Saturday Night Live.

33. Flip-flop revelations : TOES. What a cute way to clue feet and toes.

36. Armada leaders? : PROWS. Tehy stick out in front as they are the portion of a ship's bow above water

37. Bewilder : STUMP.

38. Email status : SENT.

39. Sallie __ : MAE. Student loan debt.

42. Bad mark : STIGMA.

46. Criterion: Abbr. : STD. Standard.

48. Cast components : ACTORS.

49. Overflowing (with) : AWASH.

51. Suffix indicating residency : ITE.

52. "Just like me" : AS AM I.

60. Los Angeles region bordering Tarzana : ENCINO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xkTN1Z1rTQ

61. Fearing : SCARED OF.

62. Judged : DEEMED. A favorite word in Orders.

63. Where to see Velázquez's "Las Meninas" : THE PRADO. The MUSEUM for art in Spain.

Down:

1. Aristocratic newcomers : DEBS. Debutantes.

2. Key : ISLE. A gimme for any Floridian.

3. Block : STOP.

4. Seats by the orchestra pit : ROW A.

5. Blue dye : ANIL.

6. A, in Augsburg : EIN.

7. Applied, as stucco : LAID ON.

8. Working parts : INNARDS. Does not sound like a real word but it IS.

9. Etna ejection : ASH. Volcanic by nature.

10. Irk : TEE OFF .3. Slang To make angry or disgusted: The impertinent remarks teed the speaker off.

11. Shooting marbles : TAWS. plural noun: taws, a large marble. Nope, not me.

12. "Can we do more?" : IS IT ENOUGH. Perps all the way.

13. Hardly a bon vivant : LONER. One who loves life is seldom alone.

14. Words with a slash : AND/OR.

18. Mortise partner : TENON. Y ou want know HOW?

22. CV section : BIO. The CurriculumVitae nas education, work and biographic information.

23. Symbol of wisdom : OWL. I see a mini-theme. The modern West generally associates owls with wisdom. This link goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece, where Athens, noted for art and scholarship, and Athena, Athens' patron goddess and the goddess of wisdom, had the owl as a symbol. Add this to 30D. Story of Greek origin : ATTIC. This was a nice twist to force us to recall that in ancient Athens where the dialect of Greek used and the chief literary form of classical Greek was Attic.

25. Kitchen amts. : TSPS.

26. Modeled : WORE.

27. Jerome Kern title lyric preceding "don't ask me" : I WON' T DANCE. Nit. The music was written by Mr. Kern but not the lyrics. There were two sets of lyrics with the one sung by Fred Astaire in the movie Roberta, the one that became famous. Sinatra also covered the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkV8fC5W0tw

28. Never before experienced by : NEW TO.

29. Oz. and lb. : WTS. Weights.

34. Soaps actress Rylan : EMME. We had her in September. Anyone remember?

35. Luxuriating locales : SPAS.

37. RR map dot : STN. Station.

39. __ drop : MIC. Filled by perps but it is POPULAR.

40. They're against it : ANTIS.

41. Tough person to bargain with : EGOTIST. You think it was accidental this clue is next to...

42. Kim, to Khloé : SIS.

44. "Hawaii Five-0" extra, perhaps : WAHINE.  All of our past corner Hawaii people know this is a Polynesian woman or wife.

45. Unfortunate sort : WRETCH.

46. Cut : SAWED.

47. It's often found in a ball : TWINE.

50. Part of an exercise regimen : SWIM.

52. Marketer of Medigap insurance plans : AARP.

53. Dump annex? : STER. Dumpster.

54. Opera set in Egypt : AIDA.

55. Disposition : MOOD.

56. It may be classified, briefly : INFO.

58. Okay : NOD.

59. Home of the Burj Khalifa: Abbr. : UAE. United Arab Emirate. There are SEVEN.emirates. THe Burj is the 163 story tallest structure at the moment.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: My exes are not all in Texas but in this puzzle.

We have the LAT debut of Mr. Bywaters who just had a publication on the 13th in the NYT. 63 theme squares left little room for long fill but METEORITE and IN LINE WITH were nice. The rest of the fill seemed a tad easy for a Friday




17A. Illicit buzzing in the hive? : BEE SEXTING (10). A plain old bee sting gets remodeled with the EX showing up.

24A. Slipshod building addition? : RAGGEDY ANNEX (12). The Raggedy Ann doll is next to get an EX.

40A. Beginning of a very thorough biography? : FETAL EXPOSITION (15).  Starting a biography at birth needs an EX added as well.

50A. Aerosol product that will help you fit in in Houston? : SPRAY ON TEXAN (12). Sraying on your tan gives you a Texan when you add the EX.

64A. Too much shooting at the table? : EXCESS POOL (10). We have single word having the EX added at the beginning.
And the reveal:

72A. They sometimes intrude at weddings, and also in this puzzle's theme : EXES.

Across;

1. Clever stroke : COUP.

5. Stage genre : DRAMA.

10. Secured, in a way : TIED.

14. Too : ALSO.

15. Actor Firth : COLIN.

16. Initial contribution : ANTE.

19. Surplus : GLUT.

20. Painful spots : SORES.

21. Speak or creak : VERB.

23. Altar promise : I DO.

28. Zodiac animal : RAM.

31. Aran Islands country: Abbr. : IRE.

32. Chopping tool : HOE.

33. Always : EVER.

35. Parker's rank in "McHale's Navy": Abbr. : ENS. This was my introduction to the great Tim Conway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Txz8EPsH2Q
The show was really a step child of the success of Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character. LINK.

37. Pincered insect : EARWIG. This what I think about when I see this WORD.

43. Strands at the lodge, maybe : ICES IN.

44. Six-pack set : ABS.

45. Jazz singer James : ETTA.

46. Nevada was the first st. to allow it : OTB. Off Track Betting.

47. Clickbait site, as of Sep. 2016 : OED.

49. Metaphorical hiding place : HAT. Keep it Under your hat. LINK.

56. Athlete lead-in : TRIathlete. 62A. Immune lead-in : AUTO.

57. French honey : AMIE. Girl friend in French.

58. Coffee shop order : MOCHA. Not sure why but I plunked this right in and ity stuck.

67. Thought : IDEA.

68. Architect Frank : GEHRY. Frank Gehry is a Canadian-American architect known for postmodern designs, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. ... he was born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto, Canada on February 28, 1929 and still lives.Various.

69. One of three in "To be or not to be" : IAMB. Short and long in a metric foot. Poetry 101.

70. Office staple : DESK.

71. Donkeys : ASSES.


Down:

1. Uber competitors : CABS. I think it is the other way around.

2. Margarine : OLEO.

3. Many a typist, nowadays : USER.

4. Fake : POSER.

5. Early 7th-century year : DCX. The random Roman numeral glue.

6. Go bad : ROT.

7. Still in play : ALIVE.

8. Like much ore : MINED.

9. Hot : ANGRY.
 One listen....
10. Identification method : TAG.

11. Conforming to : IN LINE WITH.

12. Chopin work : ETUDE. The entire STORY. One listen....hard not to love Chopin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQBFLJAIcY

13. Rehab process : DETOX.

18. Actor Morales : ESAI.

22. Religion founded in Persia : BAHAI. Another answer that went in and stayed. I learned about this from Vic Damone and Diahann Carroll.

25. Gullible : GREEN.

26. Group including some Brat Pack members : GEN-X.

27. Mazatlán-to-Chihuahua dirección : NORTE. Spanish.

28. Monthly pmts. reducer : REFInance.

29. "Voulez-vous coucher __ moi?" : AVEC.

30. Falling stars that reach the ground : METEORITES.

34. Many a reggae artist : RASTA.

36. Eponymous Belgian town : SPA.

37. English county on the North Sea : ESSEX.

38. Tiny bit : IOTA.

39. Airborne pest : GNAT.

41. OPEC member since 1962 : LIBYA.

42. High wind? : OBOE. My third word that I just put in.

48. Lake makers, at times : DAMS.

50. Unwavering : STAID. If overdon e can make you a ...

51. Goody two shoes : PRUDE.

52. End of a series : OMEGA. Alpha to....

53. Vetoes : NIXES.

54. They may deal with freezes : TECHS.

55. Fabled lost mittens punishment : NO PIE.

59. Cajole : COAX.

60. Residence : HOME.

61. Priestly garments : ALBS. Once a very common fill and I beleive the only four letter possibility for the plural.

63. Shade provider : OAK. Lots of oaks in Florida.

65. Poetic word of order : ERE.

66. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem.

Gail Grabowski

Title: what's your P/L like?

The ever prolific Gail G. is back with a letter substitution puzzle with an added twit. Two word phrases beginning PO become words which start LO. Limiting her word choice to LO made this a wonderful challenge. How many could come up with 4 such phrases. Looking at a list with 1800 words which begin PO, I could not anything appealing aside from the 5 here.




17A. "Don't waste your money on that pendant"? : LOCKET VETO (10). Pocket veto,

23A. Spinner in a numbers game? : LOTTERY WHEEL (12). Pottery Wheel.

51A. Hammock? : LOLLING PLACE (12). Polling Place.

64A. Pruning ideology? : LOP CULTURE (10). Pop culture.
And the reveal?

71A. Sport that hints at this puzzle's theme : POLO.

Across;

1. Bird that's a national symbol : KIWI. If you ever wondered WHY?

5. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTMyjTNBM8

10. Party time, casually : B-DAY. Do you all have parties

14. Eddie __, detective involved in the actual "French Connection" : EGAN. Played by Gene Hackman in the movie.













15. Spring bloomer : TULIP.

16. Former constellation that included Vela (the sails) : ARGO. For all you stargazer. LINK.

19. Insulated cable : CORD.

20. Thorough investigation : PROBE.\ Is this real SCIENCE?

21. Opposite of bumpy : EVEN.

22. Pants part : KNEE.

26. Elaborate in design : ROCOCO. How many of you have listened to Firesign Theater's the adventures of Nick Danger and the evil Rocky Rococo?

29. It's heard in a herd : MOO. Cute clue

30. Online service option : CHAT.

31. Daring exploit : GEST. I ususalyy see it with the spelling GESTE like Beau Geste..

35. One eschewing leather, perhaps : VEGAN. Love the esCHEWing got a vegan clue.

39. Satisfied sounds : AHS.

40. Pub pick : PALE ALE.

42. Presidential nickname : ABE.

43. Long bout : SIEGE. a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
Synonyms access, bout, case, fit, seizure, attack, spell, turn

45. Start of something big? : MAXI. Nicely phrased though for some reason it may think of maxipad.

46. Quiets, in a way : OILS. Ahh, the squeaky part

47. Quirky : ODD.

49. Hills of Rome, e.g. : SEPTET. Seven: The seven hills are:
Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)

57. Beginning : AS OF.

58. Square figure : AREA. Cute again.

59. Early or late hr., depending : ONE A.M.

63. Go on : LAST.

66. Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE.

67. Sure-footed critters : ASSES.

68. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM. And now for a musical interlude---doe the music sound familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRI   LINK

69. "What __ you thinking?" : WERE.

70. Not a hit, usually : B-SIDE.


Down:

1. Vegetation in underwater forests : KELP. The Beatles used this as their anthem when they became vegan. I bet the readers here could do better than THIS.

2. Aviation pioneer Sikorsky : IGOR. He moved to Connecticut and I had the pleasure of meeting him at my uncles house.

3. Chisholm Trail city : WACO.

4. Test pattern : INKBLOT. Another well clued fill.

5. U-verse provider : ATT.

6. Comforter : DUVET. French for DOWN.

7. Sorbonne student : ELEVE. French for student.

8. Large soda bottle label word : LITER. As in 2 or 3 liter size.

9. Henry Ford, e.g. : EPONYM. A fun word:a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named: name or noun formed after a person.

10. Excavating aid : BACKHOE.Glad we had the lesson a few weeks ago.

11. Hive member : DRONE.

12. Think alike : AGREE.

13. Mountain air : YODEL. a fun LINK.

18. Fair-hiring agcy. : EEOC.

24. Draped garment : TOGA.

25. Zigzagged : WOVE.

26. Some TVs : RCAS.

27. Offhand greeting : OH HI.

28. Discounted buy : CASE. I guess he is referring to bulk buying,

32. Split-resistant wood : ELM. Elm wood is valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The bodies of Japanese Taiko drums are often cut from the wood of old elm trees, as the wood's resistance to splitting is highly desired for nailing the skins to them, and a set of three or more is often cut from the same tree. Wiki.  Oo and I watched the drummers live, they are awesome.

33. See 61-Down : SEA. 61D, With  33-Down, part of it is now a desert : ARAL.

34. Stress : TAX. Don't tax yourself.

36. Trot, say : GAIT.

37. Skilled : ABLE.

38. Source of tweets : NEST.

40. Beginning to cure? : PEDI. Nicely

41. When repeated, Cult Jam singer : LISA.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5m8lj5DCtI  LINK.

44. Driver's gadget : GOLF TEE.

46. Source of flowing water : OPEN TAP.

48. "CSI" setting : DNA LAB.

50. Sci. concerned with biodiversity : ECOLolgy.

51. Multiple Emmy-winning legal drama : LA LAW.

52. Missouri river : OSAGE.

53. Usually disappointed one : LOSER.

54. Sales figure : GROSS.

55. Side in a decades-long war : PEPSI. The inside STORY.

56. Tied : LACED.

60. Peseta replacer : EURO.

62. Exec's reminder : MEMO.

65. Purpose : USE.

Tony Caruso and C.C.

Title 2 + 2 = 4.

In their third LAT collaboration of 2016, Tony (Anon-T) and C.C. take well known phrases or products which include a number and add 4 (four) to get the theme answer. The reveal is really cute, especially if you like golf. Not an easy puzzle, but it went smoothly except as noted below. It does feature quite a bit of interesting intermediate fill such as ALKALI,  DUELED,  ORTEGA,  B.B.KING,  AENEAS,  CLAUDE, EAT DIRT,  UPBRAID, COROLLA,  KNESSET, LIONS DEN, TENOR SAX...where do they all come fro?
 On with the show:

17A. Dutch vodka brand : KETEL FIVE (9). Ketel One plus four equals the joke.

24A. End of an Ernie Banks catchphrase about doubleheaders : LET'S PLAY SIX (11). Let's PLAY TWO showed the enthusiasm he always had for the game, and how nice tom see Mr. Cub so soon after the Series.

36A. Powerful Detroit group : THE BIG SEVEN (11). The old line automobile BIG THREE are back on top after Toyota and Honda peaked.

47A. NCAA hockey semifinal group : FROZEN EIGHT (11). The FROZEN FOUR are the four finalists who vie for the NCAA men's hockey championship.
The reveal -
57A. Traditional golf pants, and a hint to why certain puzzle answers are wrong : PLUS FOURS (9).
Plus-fours are breeches or trousers that extend 4 inches (10 cm) below the knee (and thus four inches longer than traditional knickerbockers, hence the name). As they allow more freedom of movement than knickerbockers, they have been traditionally associated with sporting attire from the 1860s and onward, and are also particularly associated with golf. wiki. Revived in golf by Orville Moody and the late Payne Stewart.

Across:

1. Photoshop maker : ADOBE. Perhaps more famous for PDF.

6. Late __ : FEE.

9. Average Joes, e.g. : MALES.

14. Fishing needs : LURES.

15. Bill's future, maybe : LAW. No not our bicycle riding, macchiato swigging,  Bill G., but a bill offered in congress.

16. Troy story : ILIAD. I love the simplicity and subtlety of this clue dredging up both the ancient myth and the modern myth - Toy Story.

19. Coin receivers : SLOTS. And that is why they are called slot machine.

20. Round orders : ALES. This round is on me!

21. Extraction target : ORE. There are no three letter teeth and SPY just did not work.

22. Hide in a crowd : BLEND. (in?)

23. Piano part : LEG. Piano leg has become a pejorative.

27. State bordering six others and the Canadian mainland : IDAHO. I was sorry to see the number in the clue. Canada gave away the answer for me.

29. Beam : RAY.

30. Beats Electronics co-founder : DRE. Only in America...BILLIONAIRE?

31. Rebuke : UPBRAID.

35. Checks out : VETS. In the strange history of American English, this term comes to us from horse racing. To vet was originally a horse-racing term, referring to the requirement that a horse be checked for health and soundness by a veterinarian before being allowed to race. Thus, it has taken the general meaning "to check" various.

38. Powerful pair : ACES. Bullets.

40. Parliament of Israel : KNESSET. They have a unicameral legislature. Formed in 1949, from Mishnaic Hebrew keneseth "gathering, assembly," from stem of Hebrew kanas "he gathered, assembled, collected."

41. Former Texas Rangers manager Washington : RON. He is the most successful manager in their HISTORY.

42. Grafton's "__ for Alibi" : A IS. The alphabet mysteries which started when she was 42 and have made it to X.

43. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. It was exciting then but NOW?

52. Chuckle online : LOL.

53. Borneo swinger : ORANG.

54. Jessica Rabbit feature : GAM.

55. Composer __ Maria von Weber : CARL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFU4wStcA_k          Not an expert on OPERA.


56. Mascot once awarded a Doctor of Bovinity degree : ELSIE. From the Ohio State University, I am told.

59. Santa __ : CLARA. Who lives there?

60. Charged particle : ION.

61. Bhopal locale : INDIA. Looks kind of dead center to me?

62. Burdens : TAXES.

63. Sitter's charge : TOT.

64. In dire straits : NEEDY.


Down:

1. Caustic potash, e.g. : ALKALI.  More than you need to KNOW.

2. Fought, in a way : DUELED.

3. Company with a Taco Club : ORTEGA. I have linked their bottle a couple of times.

4. Contests whose competitors stand in place : BEES. While they do stand in a spelling bee, not so much in a quilting bee.

5. Course for some U.S. arrivals : ESL. English as a Second Language was very important from my wife and I. Without it we would not have been able to successfully....

6. Tease : FLIRT.

7. Gutter sites : EAVES.

8. Woolly mama : EWE. Another sounds almost like clue (woolly mammoth).

9. Lose : MISLAY.

10. Way behind buildings : ALLEY.

11. Hostile place : LION'S DEN. The image comes from the Torah where Daniel is cast into the lions den by the Babylonians.

12. Swallow one's pride : EAT DIRT. A straight forward metaphor, but nice phrase.

13. Campus org. revived in 2006 : SDS. Popular once again.

18. Un-friend? : FOE. Another use of modern slang to beef up a simple fill.

22. Grass components : BLADES.

24. Bound : LOPE.

25. Finicky sort : PRISS.

26. Marks with two intersecting lines : XES.

28. Confused sounds : HUHS.

32. Blues singer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1987 : B. B. KING. Link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLAAzOBoBI

33. Word before repeat : RINSE. On every shampoo bottle.

34. Sensitive subject for some : AGE.

35. Reject : VETO.

36. Clinton's instrument : TENOR SAX. I thought Monica said it was a cigar...

37. A tie may be partly under one : VEST.

38. Pound sound : ARF.

39. Toyota model : COROLLA.

42. Trojan who survived the sack of Troy : AENEAS. Aeneas was the son of Anchises and Venus. He was a cousin of King Priam of Troy, and was the leader of Troy's Dardanian allies during the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, he led a band of Trojan refugees to Italy and became the founder of Roman culture (although not of the city of Rome itself). The story is told in this WORK.

44. First name in impressionism : CLAUDE. MONET.

45. Plain awful : HORRID.

46. "Amen to that!" : I'LL SAY.

48. Rumble in the Jungle setting : ZAIRE. Where Ali unveiled the "rope-a-dope" to defeat George Foreman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXeIoHQahbQ

49. Inuit home : IGLOO.

50. More than skinny : GAUNT.

51. Bounty title : HMS. His/her Majesty's Ship.  True STORY.

55. Pine __ : CONE. Tree fit too.

56. Outside: Pref. : ECT. Endo and ecto...

57. Casino area : PIT.

58. Shark feature : FIN. Fin is also French for the the end, which means it is time for us to say adieu. Always such fun to blog a puzzle from C.C. University. Thank you Tony, C.C. and  all of you.

Peter Koetters

Title: Over and Over Again

The odd clue ( - ) gave me a hint where I needed to look for the theme, but this was a challenge. It was great to have our LA pediatrician Peter back after a long absence. I blogged his debut puddle- I mean puzzle LINK and he has stopped by to talk with us some after his publications. With no fill longer than 9 letters, nothing jumped out. It was only by focusing on filling the downs that the light bulb came on and I 'saw' his theme in the sea of white. Very few short fill and so many interesting others like UP DRAFT,  NAVARRE,  SPLOTCH,  DEAD SEA,  SLEPT IN,  APHASIA, WHEEDLED,  UNWEANED, STEADIEST,  SLY AS A FOX. Lots of French, many witty clues and much to chew on. Welcome back Peter; we hope you stop by and give us some thoughts.

14A. Art critic's phrase, literally : STYLE (5). OVER
17A. - : SUBSTANCE (9). This CONCEPT  is called form over substance in the writing of legal briefs etc.

30A. Theme park near Dallas, literally : SIX FLAGS (8). OVER
36A. - : TEXAS (5). This THEME PARK was the response to Disneyland; it opened in 1961.

42A. Changes one's ways, literally : TURNS (5). OVER
47A. - : A NEW LEAF (8). This IDIOM appears to date back to the 1600s.

62A. Tumbles out of control, literally : FALLS HEAD (9). OVER
66A. - : HEELS (5). This PHRASE has its origin 700 years ago.

Across:

1. Test : ASSAY. I learned this word watching old westerns on TV when they brought their gold to the assay office.

6. Law degs. : JDS. Juris Doctor.

9. While-__: repair shop sign words : U-WAIT. These days they work on COMPUTERS.

15. Calendar pg. : OCTober. Random.

16. NBA's Jackson et al. : PHILS. Phil Jackson having a hard time succeeding in NY; week fill, Phil.

19. "10" co-star : DEREK. She is now with John Corbett from Cecily, Alaska






20. Send out : EMIT.

21. Pamplona's municipality : NAVARRE. I am confused, not only because I do not know geography but because I thought PAMPLONA is the city for this FESTIVAL..

23. Big stain : SPLOTCH.

25. Israeli border lake : DEAD SEA.

29. "Doubt it" : NAH.

31. "Conan" channel : TBS. Any of you watch him?

34. Dayan of Israel : MOSHE. He was a storybook hero for Israel.

LINK

37. Giants manager before Bochy : ALOU. Felipe, the oldest brother.

39. Like non-oyster months, traditionally : R-LESS. Try explaining this concept to a Thai woman where the letter that looks like "R" sounds like "L."

41. Ration (out) : DOLE.

44. "The Deep" director Peter : YATES. He directed BULLITT as well. The movie was based on a book by Peter Benchley, who also wrote JAWS. Jacqueline Bisset set the gold standard for a wet t-shirt SCENE.

46. Bottom line : NET.

49. Closing sequence : XYZ.

51. They're often numbered : STREETS. Random.

52. Bench warmers? : JURISTS. More legal misdirection.

56. Loss of speech : APHASIA. Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language (typically in the left half of the brain).  Growing up around a doctor and a nurse I heard this term when I was very young.

58. Drive-__ : THRU.

59. Before, in Brest : AVANT. Literal French. No Brest milk.

64. "In the Bedroom" Oscar nominee : TOMEI. I never saw this movie, but Marisa is always a pleasure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STbngNl_m2s
LINK

65. Passé : OUT.

67. "Surprise Symphony" composer : HAYDN. Wiki says it better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ftrysaMHU

68. Big tees : XLS. Not in a world of XXXL.

69. Matrix, e.g. : ARRAY.

Down:

1. Some jennies : ASSES. A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny or jennet; a young donkey is a foal. Jack donkeys are often used to mate with female horses to produce mules; the biological "reciprocal" of a mule, from a stallion and jenny as its parents instead, is called a hinny. Or...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzOJhcsO4B0

2. Baffle : STUMP.

3. Prophetess : SYBIL. This is not a name but a description. There is much to learn if you like HISTORY and MYTH.

4. Longtime Dodger manager : ALSTON. Along with Tommy Lasorda, this MANAGER led the Dodgers through 4 world championships and the only one won in Brooklyn. If you love baseball you know this man.

5. Still : YET.

6. Whale of a guy? : JONAH. More of the wit in the cluing.

7. Half of MCDX : DCCV. Peter has used Roman Numerals as glue before.

8. Most constant : STEADIEST.

9. Kite aid : UPDRAFT. Soaring!

10. Cajoled : WHEEDLED.

11. Whistle blower? : AIR. Literal but deceptive!!!

12. Key for Fauré? : ILE. French for Island. hmm lots of French.

13. "For shame!" : TSK.

18. Run at the end : ANCHOR. The relay team in the race.

22. "Toy Story" dinosaur : REX.

24. Highland lid : TAM.

26. Ancient Germanic invader : SAXON.

27. Even, in Évian : EGALE. French mostly associated with equal. Liberté, égalité, fraternité (French pronunciation: [libɛʁte eɡalite fʁatɛʁnite]), French for "liberty, equality, fraternity", is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto.W.

28. Valuable team member : ASSET.

30. Field unit : SHEAF.

31. Byes : TATAS. See below.

32. Not sharp : BLUNT.

33. More ticked : SORER.

35. Cunning : SLY AS A FOX. This new stuff, only one other LAT appearance back in 2006.

38. Still breast-feeding : UNWEANED. Boobies next to...

40. __ orientation : SEXUAL.

43. Ignored the alarm : SLEPT IN. Good idea after sex.

45. Civil war site since 2011: Abbr. : SYRia.

48. E. African land : ETHiopia.

50. Dulcimer kin : ZITHER.

52. Crushes an altar ego? : JILTS. Very witty clue. You never know, but this sounds like some of Peter's earlier cluing.

53. Utter : SHEER.

54. Part of a skipping refrain : TRALA. LALA. I hope Linda is well.

55. Like some heads : SUDSY. Beer, both kinds.

57. King anointed by Samuel : SAUL.

59. Sports fig. : ATHlete. There is only one A in athlete.

60. U.S. govt. broadcaster : VOA. The fifth appearance this year in the LAT and the thrid on a Friday.

61. Acker of "Person of Interest" : AMY. She reappears soon enough that I recalled her.

63. Doo-wop syllable : SHA. Na Na after last weeks No no? No!

What a  work out with some of the most fun cluing of the year. If you do not see the visual you lose the joy. I hope you all are having a wonderful December. Lemonade out.