How interesting that after last week where Jeffrey inserted an acronym (IOUS) to create new fill, MJM uses initialisms as the introduction to a 15 letter in the language phrase. As someone who has used initialisms my entire life (e.g. DKDC), this was easier than it might have been, as getting a word from the perps got me started. When texting first was available, a friend and I would send each other
letter strings and try to solve them. The insane responses were usually better than the intended comment. Anyway, many fun words with interesting etymology. Off we go.
The themers:
17A. TW ... : DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT (15). Two Wrongs...
25A. DCYC ... : BEFORE THEY HATCH (15). Don't Count Your Chickens...
44A. CI ... : NEXT TO GODLINESS (15). Cleanliness Is...
58A. AGT ... : MUST COME TO AN END (15). All Good Things...
The rest:
Across:
1. Yanks' foes : JAYS. No they are playing....
5. Operation designed to hurt : STING. Hurt? To me they either defraud someone LINK or arrest someone.
10. Shipboard resident : SWAB. I think of swabbie/y, but the Urban dictionary says: "This term, frequently used by non-sailors to refer to sailors, is most likely a contraction of the term "swabbie" or "swabby", presumably derived from the notion of sailors "swabbing the deck". "Swabbie/y" is currently in use only among the elderly; 'swab' is the more common term among young people." Proving once again, I am elderly.
14. CFO, e.g. : EXEC.
15. Not as likely to mess up : ABLER.
16. Walk without getting anywhere? : PACE. I like this definition.
20. Shoelace site : INSTEP. Did you ever think about the origin of this word? Sounds like it is backwards as it is where you step in the shoe. But, MW says: "late Middle English: of unknown origin; compare with West Frisian ynstap ‘opening in a shoe for insertion of the foot.’"
21. Shipboard chums : MATEYS. Mini-clecho with 10A.
22. Tenn. neighbor : ALA. Abbr. - abbr.
24. Apartment listing abbr. : RMS.
34. Nice with? : AVEC. The Nice, France trick.
35. Gobs and gobs : SLEWS. More dictionary- from the Irish Slaugh.
36. Cart for heavy loads : DRAY. "for delivering beer barrels or other heavy loads, especially a low one without sides."
37. Filly's brother : COLT.
38. Fighter eulogized by Bill Clinton, among others : ALI.
39. Old-time teacher : MARM. Based on a variant pronunciation of ma'am.
40. "The Grapes of Wrath" figure : OKIE.
41. Beams : GRINS.
43. Prime real estate? : EDEN. I like this clue.
47. Downed a sub, say : ATE.
48. In-law's wife, possibly : SIS.
49. Refrigerates : CHILLS.
53. One of a biblical ten : PLAGUE. Commandments clearly did not fit.
62. Like quality beef : AGED.
63. One "sitting lonely on the placid bust," in a classic poem : RAVEN.
“But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’
Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.”
64. Course with relevant tangents : TRIG.
65. Regular guys : JOES.
66. Finals, e.g. : EXAMS.
67. Spot : SITE.
Down:
1. "Star Wars" warrior : JEDI. How many have seen THE Trailer.
2. Nerve cell part : AXON.
3. Cravings : YENS.
4. Ewan McGregor, for one : SCOT. More Star Wars.
5. They're often free : SAMPLES.
6. Sched. question mark : TBA.
7. Kind : ILK. A repeat.
8. Once called : NEE. Not FKA.
9. Sir Georg Solti's record 31 : GRAMMYS. Did you know? LINK.
10. Rotating rod : SPIT.
11. Conduct : WAGE. Like war.
12. Hurting : ACHY.
13. Puts money (on) : BETS.
18. Dash : TEAR.
19. Not at all reflective : RASH.
23. On the lam : AT LARGE.
24. Backs up a videotape : REWINDS. Backs up? Made me think of rerecording.
25. Cobb salad ingredient : BACON.
26. Bring to mind : EVOKE.
27. Composer Mendelssohn : FELIX. He looks like a young Gene Wilder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEkcP8lZvZA
28. Good-sized wedding band : OCTET.
29. Prefix for "sun" : HELIO. I know only this one. Hélio Castroneves
https://heliocastroneves.com/
30. Madison Ave. pitchers : ADMEN.
31. Carpentry, e.g. : TRADE. CSO.
32. Worries : CARES.
33. Church numbers : HYMNS.
41. Reacted to an arduous workout : GOT SORE.
42. Shoes without laces : SLIP ONS.
45. Gymnast's powder : TALC.
46. Ibiza, por ejemplo : ISLA.
49. Key of the finale of Brahms' Symphony No. 1 : CMAJ. Lots of classical music.
50. "Les Misérables" author : HUGO.
51. "Now it's clear" : I SEE.
52. Old Fords : LTDS.
54. Hard-working colonizers : ANTS.
55. Spice Girl Halliwell : GERI. Still recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmT2aSEayWQ&feature=youtu.be
56. Second, e.g. : UNIT.
57. Sharp side : EDGE.
59. Reach capacity, with "out" : MAX.
60. Actress Mendes : EVA. Many pretty pictures. For Splynter.
61. President pro __ : TEM. Pres·i·dent pro tem·po·re. Latin.
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