Patti Varol

Across:

1. Like much of the Southwest : ARID
5. Summer music? : DISCO
10. Org. funded by FICA : SSA
13. Under-the-sink brand : COMET
15. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : ONEAL
16. Like ibuprofen, briefly : OTC
17. POINT : TAPERING END
19. Jiff : SEC
20. "Nothing planned that day" : IMOPEN
21. Engineering sch. on the Hudson : RPI
22. Sport with masks : EPEE
23. GAME : SAFARI ANIMALS
26. Move a finger or two, maybe : PEEK
28. Physics units : RADS
29. Signs over : CEDES
30. 1945 Pacific battle site, familiarly : IWO
31. Superfan : NUT
32. Superhero played by Chris Hemsworth : THOR
34. With 36-Across, question for the court : TENNIS
36. See 34-Across : ANYONE
40. Exercise woe : ACHE
42. Alex Dunphy, to Luke, on "Modern Family" : SIS
43. Mojito ingredient : RUM
44. "Not a problem" : ITSOK
47. Stuff in a backpack : GEAR
49. Little stretches : FIBS
50. SET : FILMING LOCALE
53. Captain Picard's counselor : TROI
54. Unexpectedly by itself, as in the dryer : ODD
55. Kenya neighbor : UGANDA
58. Storybook baddie : HAG
59. MATCH : FIRE STARTER
61. Programming pioneer Lovelace : ADA
62. Stopped lying : AROSE
63. Sphere : REALM
64. Common scale extreme : TEN
65. Org. chart headings : DEPTS
66. Crack up : SLAY

Down:

1. When Lear disinherits Cordelia : ACTI
2. "Home on the Range" verb : ROAM
3. Take unfair advantage of : IMPOSEON
4. "Quantum Healing" author Chopra : DEEPAK
5. Throw on : DON
6. Ilsa portrayer : INGRID
7. Overlook, as a fault : SEEPAST
8. "A Doubter's Almanac" novelist Ethan : CANIN
9. Dated : OLD
10. Under-the-sink brand : SOSPAD
11. "Remington __" : STEELE
12. Hacker's goal : ACCESS
14. Nonkosher : TREF
18. Pressed for time : INARUSH
22. Manicurist's tool : EMERY
24. Expose, with "on" : RAT
25. Desktop assortment : ICONS
26. Cherry center : PIT
27. Lamb parent : EWE
31. "Pink Friday" singer Minaj : NICKI
33. Coiffure : HAIRCUT
35. "The End of America" author Wolf : NAOMI
37. Avenue after Reading Railroad : ORIENTAL
38. Worn end : NUB
39. Scrabble three-pointers : EMS
41. Wonton alternative : EGGDROP
42. Brazilian map word : SAO
44. "Maybe less" : IFTHAT
45. Intemperate speech : TIRADE
46. Apple's "Think different," e.g. : SLOGAN
48. Like Meg March, in "Little Women" : ELDEST
49. Emergency signals : FLARES
51. Bete __ : NOIRE
52. Food thickener : AGAR
56. Poet Walter __ Mare : DELA
57. Large number : ARMY
59. Pokémon Go, e.g. : FAD
60. French possessive : SES

debbie ellerin

Title: Sounds like....







16A. Played hooky from the office? : DUCKED WORK (10).

26A. Was sorry to have set the alarm? : RUED AWAKENING (13).

46A. Made it through the Civil War? : PASSED HISTORY (13).

60A. Reached the 2016 Olympics the hard way? : ROWED TO RIO (10)

Across

1. Quick : RAPID.

6. Zurich-based sports org. : FIFA. Fédération Internationale de Football Association, not only the governing body of world wide futbol, but also beach soccer!

10. Dis : RIP.

13. Metaphorical title word in a McCartney-Wonder hit : EBONY. Ivory is suing SONY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoknwWYpL_A

14. Major composition : OPUS. We have seen this often lately.

15. Dr Pepper Museum city : WACO. I had no idea. LINK.

18. Journalist/author Larson : ERIK. A very talented author.

19. Telegram period : STOP.

20. Long in the tooth : OLD. which is how I am feeling, not being able to walk, unaided.

21. Texas-Louisiana border river : SABINE. now that clues must be PC, we get this river.
I am sure our cajun contingent jumped all over thIs CSO.

23. "Without further __ ... " : ADO.

25. Taco toppings : FIXINGS.

31. Random selection : ANY.

32. Give a halfhearted effort : DOG IT. We use dog in many ways. READ.

33. Gratified and then some : SATED.

36. Pizzeria staples : PIES.

38. Romantic dining spot : PATIO. Never thought of that as a romantic spot, but that is just me.

40. Bush advisor : ROVE. Karl. No politics but you can READ his slant.

41. You can skip it : STONE. One of many fun clues.

43. Piaggio transport : VESPA.

45. X or Y preceder : GEN.

49. Lunchbox container : THERMOS.

51. "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" airer : NPR.

52. Small creek : RUNLET.

53. Meet at the poker table : SEE. I'll see you $1,000,000.00 and raise you...does anybodt watch the WSOP ?

55. Hound sound : YELP.

59. Downwind : ALEE.

63. Joker, for one : CARD.

64. Continental divide : URAL.

65. "Buffy" spin-off : ANGEL. David Boreanaz has gone seamlessly from Buffy to Angel to Bones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgxne3tzZw

66. Superhero symbol : ESS.

67. They're fixed shortly after being intentionally broken : EGGS.  Convoluted but cute clue.

68. Crystalline stone : GEODE.

Down:

1. Bench mates? : REDS. Really fun deception, as Hall of Famer Juhnny Bench played for the Cincinnatti Reds.

2. Bump up against : ABUT. A great word for Cartman.

3. Little, to Luis : POCO.

4. Rubber stamp partner : INK PAD.

5. Highlight provider : DYE. Those nice highlights in your hair.

6. Barnyard regular : FOWL.

7. 2001 Apple debut : IPOD. How time flies.

8. Lab coat : FUR. We continue with witty cluing using the capital letter starting the clue to attempt to deceive.

9. Welcomes warmly, as a visitor : ASKS IN. Of course, ask sin might be a warm greeting.

10. Ready in a big way : RARING TO GO.

11. Cupcake cover : ICING. Alliteration.

12. Uses a fireplace tool : POKES. That is why it is called  poker.

15. Online workshop : WEBINAR. Very big in the law world.

17. The Platters' genre : DOO WOP. According to the dictionary it is a style of pop music marked by the use of close harmony vocals using nonsense phrases, originating in the US in the 1950s.

22. x or y follower : AXIS.

24. Senior, to Junior : DAD.

25. Amulet : FETISH. We tend to think more of behavioral fetishes.

26. Emulates Eminem : RAPS.

27. Meter or liter : UNIT.

28. Revelations : EYE OPENERS.

29. Plants used to make tequila : AGAVES.

30. Cashed, as a forged check : KITED. Sorry, kiting has nothing to do with forgery. Check kiting is a form of check fraud, involving taking advantage of the float to make use of non-existent funds in a checking or other bank account. In this way, instead of being used as a negotiable instrument, checks are misused as a form of unauthorized credit. (per wiki).

34. "... happily __ after" : EVER. The fairy title of life.

35. Say no to : DENY.

37. Tangled : SNARLED.

39. Put in one's two cents : OPINED.

42. Mrs. Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" : ESME. Played by Elizabeth Reaser.

44. Venomous snake : ASP.

47. "I know, right?" : SO TRUE.

48. Sign next to free samples : TRY ONE.

49. Hint : TRACE. Only reminds me of Hodgins.

50. Luau entertainment : HULAS.
https://m.popkey.co/2a64fa/jdooQ.gif

53. Gala giveaways : SWAG. The famous Hollywood swag bags now worth about $40,000.00 at the Oscars.

54. "Electric" swimmers : EELS.

56. "For that reason ... " : ERGO. Latin word coopted by English.

57. Told a fantastic story, perhaps : LIED.

58. North __ : POLE. A little late for Santa.

61. URL ending : ORG.

62. Identify on Facebook : TAG.

Bart Beisner

Title: Any PORT in a storm. Maybe we can go drinking at that place on the left in Oporto, where they hook you to an IV to get you the liquor quicker.

We return this Friday with another one clue fits all puzzle; this time the word is PORT and all four themers are 15 letters! There many other meanings for PORT in the DICTIONARY but Bart picked some entertaining ones.

We also continue our trend to bring back constructors from the past, this time with Lt. Col. (ret.) Beisner who had ONE previous publication that I have located.  He did stop by to say hello that day, perhaps he will again. With all the gridspanning you would expect little room for long sparkly fill, but we do have ESCROW,  TUNEUP,  FANNED, AWAY TEAM,  TARHEELS,  PRINCESS and  ROSE OILS. Now it is time to look at the theme:

20A. Port : CITY WITH A HARBOR (15).

25A. Port : AFTER DINNER WINE (15).

43A. Port : LEFT SIDE OF A SHIP (15).

48A. Port : CONNECTION POINT (15).

A nice set; now the rest.

Across:

1. Cabo's peninsula : BAJA.  Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars. Past the marina is Land's End promontory, site of Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs.

5. Stupefy : BESOT. Getting drunk with love.

10. Earthy shade : ECRU. They really do not agree on this simple ("Raw") color.

14. "Don't have __, man!" : A COW. Bart must be a fan of his namesake Simpson.

15. Jennifer Saunders' "Ab Fab" role : EDINA. The frumpy one; Patsy was Joanna Lumley who was a replacement for Mrs. Peele when they tried the New Avengers.

16. Room service challenge : SLOB.

17. Simba's mate : NALA. Disney's Lion King Queen.

18. Pack animal? : HIKER. This was hard for being so easy.

19. Shrewd : CUTE. I understand it now, nut also hard to suss.

23. Heavy weight : TON.

24. It may need a boost : EGO.

34. "Mean Girls" actress : LOHAN. Rumored to be trying to get a sequel going to reviver her now dead career.

35. Instrument heard in the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water" : VIOLA. THeir producer, the great Ted Templeton did not see it as a hit.

36. Lived and breathed : WAS.

37. Uncompromising : GRIM. Hmm.

38. __ nus: barefoot, in Bordeaux : PIEDS. High level French. A very pedestrian clue.

39. Hilarious one : RIOT.

40. Scotch datum : AGE. I pass this to the Tinman to explain.

41. Construct : ERECT.

42. Friend of Jerry and George : COSMO. Kramer.

46. Org. with a square-rigger on its seal : USN.

47. Jungle swinger : APE.

57. Ointment additive : ALOE.

58. De Valera of Ireland : EAMON.

59. "Dies __" : IRAE.

60. Array of options : MENU
61. Urban air problem : SMAZE
62. Reposed : LAIN
63. Rear deck : POOP
64. Blush-inducing H.S. class : SEXED
65. House meas. : SQFT

Down:

1. Judicial seat : BANC
2. Smoothie fruit : ACAI
3. Cola named for its intended effect : JOLT
4. Football squad in white jerseys, typically : AWAYTEAM
5. Lagging : BEHIND
6. Time change? : EDIT
7. Turbaned Punjabi : SIKH
8. Selective Service classification : ONEA
9. Blue Devils' rival : TARHEELS
10. Homeowner's account, perhaps : ESCROW
11. Kind of sandwich or soda : CLUB
12. Tiller opening? : ROTO
13. Taxi alternative : UBER
21. Unlike new clothes : WORN
22. Indian tourist mecca : AGRA
25. Like some pond growth : ALGAL
26. Blacksmith's need : FORGE
27. Copper? : THIEF
28. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED
29. Many a flower girl : NIECE
30. Acknowledge, in a way : NODTO
31. "It'd be a dream come true" : IWISH
32. Judd matriarch : NAOMI
33. Legally prohibit : ESTOP
38. One of Disney's official eleven : PRINCESS
39. Perfume staples : ROSEOILS
41. Forum infinitive : ESSE
42. Yokum cartoonist : CAPP
44. Garage service : TUNEUP
45. Agitated : FANNED
48. Where much tie-dyeing takes place : CAMP
49. Kitchen bar : OLEO
50. Prohibition : NONO
51. Tone down : TAME
52. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX
53. Move like honey : OOZE
54. Modern-day Mesopotamia : IRAQ
55. Newbie : NAIF
56. Commonly anchored shelter : TENT