Winston Emmons

Title: Anagrams bug me!

So John Lampkin, my favorite entomologist, what do you think? We have what I believe is the second LAT for Winston Emmons who debuted on Agnes' birthday last month. We have a very consistent insect anagram theme, with what was for me an unnecessary and weak reveal.


SOMEDAY, TAVERNA, CONSISTS, and PACIFIER.



20A. Competition among insects?: GAME OF HORNETS (13). Game of THRONES.

29A. Rule by generations of insects?: GNAT DYNASTY (11). TANG Dynasty.

47A. Tiny but impressive insect?: HECK OF A MITE (11). Heck of a TIME.

57A. Deceptiveness of insects?: FLEAS PRETENSE (13). FALSE Pretrense. 

And the little reveal, 

56D. Ones that have infested four puzzle answers: PESTS.

Across:

1. Actress Gilbert of "The Big Bang Theory": SARA. More famous from Roseanne, where she first worked with Johnny Galecki. They DATED?

5. "Lucky Jim" author: AMIS. The first novel of KINGSLEY.

9. "Be silent," in scores: TACET. Musical scores (as a direction) indicating that a voice or instrument is silent.

14. Stagecraft aid: PROP. Clecho- 65A. Stagecraft arrangements: SETS.

15. Email category: SENT.

16. House: ABODE.

17. App opener: ICON. Click on the icon.

18. Director Preminger: OTTO. This Austrian born DIRECTOR was a major influence on Hollywood and film noir.  He was a big deal when I was young, and also was anactor.

19. 66-Across, e.g.: VENUE.

23. 2000 NBA MVP: O'NEAL. If you did not know or have forgotten, look at the statistics for SHAQ in the 2000 playoffs. He is one of the GOAT in basketball. Kobe was averaging 15 points a game.

24. Part of ENT: EAR. Nose and Throat are the rest.

25. Cartesian conclusion: I AM. Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. This is Dualism, as explained by Rene Des(cartes).

28. Pit stuff: TAR. Brea.

34. City north of Memphis: CAIRO. Memphis, city, and capital of ancient Egypt and an important center during much of Egyptian history. Memphis is located south of the Nile River delta, on the west bank of the river, and about 15 miles (24 km) south of modern Cairo

35. "The Lord of the Rings" actor: ASTIN. Samwise Gamgee became a fan favorite as played by Astin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-RC1REmzpg

36. Brand once pitched by Garfield, oddly: ALPO. It was for their CAT FOOD so it was not so odd.

39. Fabric-dyeing technique: BATIK. Batik is a "resist" process for making designs on fabric. The artist uses wax to prevent dye from penetrating the cloth, leaving "blank" areas in the dyed fabric. The process, wax resist then dye, can be repeated over and over to create complex multicolored designs. A complicated tie-dye.

42. "¿Cómo __?": ESTA. Hi Lucy, hope you feel all better.

43. Macy's competitor: SEARS. Really?

45. Minneapolis suburb: EDINA. When I started reading this blog, this was common fill. In fact, it appears in a PUZZLE from just over 10 years ago. As you can see the comments and the cast have changed.

50. One on first?: WHO. The complete routine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg

53. "__ tu": Verdi aria: ERI. Sung by a 27-year-old. LINK.

54. Fairy queen of folklore: MAB. You may need to READ this article.

55. Bee-related: APIAN.

62. Gathered intelligence: SPIED.

64. Israeli carrier: EL AL.

66. Barclays Center, for one: ARENA.  Clecho 2- 67A. Barclays Center team: NETS.Basketball in Brooklyn.

68. Cherry or pear: TREE.

69. Inclined to ramble: WORDY. Oops, was this here to shut me up? Just don't...

70. Stun, in a way: TASE. me, bro!

71. In __: aligned: SYNC.


Down:

1. Peg in a cask: SPIGOT. My ex-wife hated her name being shortened to Peg.

2. One of two tarot card groups: ARCANA. I am not up on Tarot, having learned fortune telling from my French grandmother using a regular deck of cards.

3. Small-space renter: ROOMER. I was thinking of storage units.

4. Sleep disorder: APNEA.

5. Starting: AS OF. May 25, 2018.

6. "Breaking Bad" contraband: METH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re0yU2s-Uw8

7. Enthusiastic about: IN TO.

8. Saved: STORED.

9. Greek restaurant: TAVERNA. Greek: ταβέρνα is a small Greek restaurant, similar to a tavern, that serves Greek cuisine. Who does not love tzatziki: yogurt with cucumber and garlic purée, used as a dip?

10. Help badly?: ABET. I think we have seen this before, but it is still cute misdirection.

11. Is made up: CONSISTS. Not fabricated, but fabricated.  Needed an"of."
1. to make by art or skill and labor; construct:
2. to make by assembling parts or sections.
3. to devise or invent (a legend, lie, etc.).
4. to fake; forge (a document, signature, etc.).

12. Vanderbilt domain: EDU. The domain for Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

13. Where many a drive begins: TEE. Some golf for HG and others.

21. Memorable first name in Olympic gymnastics: OLGA. Ms. Korbut.

22. Vote against: NAY.

26. Arguing: AT IT.

27. Mimic on a perch: MYNA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpfF1xUqbOE

30. Pen part: NIB.

31. Coach Parseghian: ARA. He won NCAA football titles with Notre Dame; how long will puzzle solvers remember this man? Lou Holtz is already fading.

32. Tribal symbol: TOTEM.

33. Whaling, say: ASEA.

34. Ireland's largest county: CORK. Did n't we have this recently?

36. Tennis legend: ASHE. Arthur appears often on Friday.

37. Lascivious look: LEER. In this modern environment, not a good idea.

38. Binky: PACIFIER. My youngest used to keep one in his mouth and one in each hand.

40. Uganda's Amin: IDI. The last King of Scotland is back.

41. Modeling enthusiast's purchase: KIT. A CSO to past pparticipants?

44. Eventually: SOMEDAY.

46. Picked-up: NEAT.

48. Runway safety org.: FAA.  Federal Aviation Administration.

49. Away: ABSENT.

50. Vintage locale: WINERY. Cute clue, not an old location.

51. Hurry: HASTEN. Hasten Jason...

52. "Hold on": ONE SEC. This is one of those phrases which should be banned, it is never just one second.

58. Advance: LEND. Dad, can I get an advance on my allowance?

59. Court bargaining chip: PLEA. I guess the prosecutor uses the offer of a plea as a bargaining chip.

60. "Darn!": RATS.

61. Otherwise: ELSE.

62. Adage: SAW. Most often seen as "old saw."

63. Ace: PRO.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title- D-lete! D-lightful.

D is for David Alfred Bywaters who removes himself from the theme answers by ejecting the letter "D" from a word in a common phrase. The symmetry with D at the end of three of the fill and at the beginning of the last two is great. The wit of the resulting phrases is also very pleasing. Parsing the D from dejection into d-ejection was also very impressive. Like most of the DAB Friday efforts, there are many short fill, especially here where he has six theme answers. He does offer OIL BASE,  PRESOAK,  SEE HERE  and TROTSKY as long fill. I seldom nitpick but I wish he had not used
ADD at 45 across. If we had AWL (leatherworking tool) crossed by WISC. (Minn. neighbor) and MOLE (Mexican sauce) the only D in the puzzle would have been DEJECTION/DIM. That would have been elegant.

16A. Shakespeare's riverside haunt?: BARD OF AVON(9). Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District, in the county of Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon, 101 miles (163 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham, and 8 miles (13 km) south west of Warwick. Wiki.

24A. Snow-day play?: SLUSH FUND (8). I know I never found slush enjoyable to play in.

35A. Essential pig?: KEY BOARD (7). Pig, hog and boar essentially describe the same animal, but there are some distinctions. A boar is an uncastrated male domestic pig, but it also means a wild pig of any gender. A hog often means a domestic pig that weighs more than 120 lbs. (54 kilograms). Pigs are also called swine. Wiki

38A. Biblical voyage serving that probably upset some passengers?: DARK MEAT (7). Myoglobin is the hemoprotein (an oxygen-carrying protein) responsible for giving dark meat its reddish color. The more myoglobin, the darker the meat and the richer the nutrients. Myoglobin provides muscles with the oxygen they need during exercise or movement. Since chickens are flightless birds, they use their legs and thighs to get around, making them darker than the breast or wings. Various. 

47A. Poor wig maintenance?: DRUG ABUSE (8). The funniest of the theme fill, as the picture of someone abusing their toupee, is pretty rib-tickling.

And the reveal- 

59A. Sadness ... or, read another way, what five puzzle answers have in common: D-EJECTION.

Across:

1. IMDb listing: CAST. I like it when a puzzle begins with a hidden anagram.

5. Sylvester and others: CATS.

9. Biblical voyager: NOAH. Did you all like this version?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdu10cX3pWA

13. Put out in the open: AVOW.

14. Predecessors of much email: Abbr.: LTRS.



15. Pasta tubes: PENNE. Penne is the plural form of the Italian penna, deriving from Latin penna (meaning "feather" or "quill"), and is a cognate of the English word pen. Wiki.

18. Spanish wine region: RIOJA. Our own Chairman Moe could explain it; all I have is this LINK.

19. On fire: LIT.

20. Irresistible desire: LUST.

21. Plead to be given: BEG FOR.

22. Overjoys: ELATES. A favorite word of C.C.

26. Need to return the favor to: OWE. To all of our teachers, I think the "to" in the clue is unnecessary.

27. Decks: KAYOS. K. O., informal - knock (someone) to the ground with a punch.

28. Fake: SHAM.

31. Ambitious sort: TYPE A. Type A personality behavior was first described as a potential risk factor for heart disease in the 1950s by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman. It is a personality type characterized by ambition, high energy, and competitiveness, and thought to be susceptible to stress and heart disease. Wiki.

32. H.S. course: SCI.

40. Cork's place: Abbr.: IRE. The largest county in Ireland  - LINK. The county is in dark green.

41. "There's no choice for me": I MUST.

43. Takes responsibility for: OWNS. To all of our teachers, I think the "for" in the clue is unnecessary.

44. Shut: CLOSE.

45. Tack on: ADD.

50. Nap: SIESTA.


54. Kind of family: ONE CAR. Oo and I have decided to listen to this ADVICE.

55. World's most cultivated avocado, named for its developer: HASS. The LINK.

57. Roleo surface: LOG. This is the rodeo inspired name for the SPORT of log-rolling.

58. Goes down: SINKS. In the early days of the blog, this would have generated many DF comments.

61. Steps over a fence: STILE. Definition: an arrangement of steps that allows people but not animals to climb over a fence or wall.

62. Line 32 items on 1040 forms: IRAS. A new clue for one of the most common crossword words. I do not have the FORM memorized.

63. Not working: IDLE.

64. "Ah, right": I SEE.

65. Cousteau's milieux: MERS. French for seas.



66. Not as much: LESS.


Down:

1. Internet provider: CABLE.

2. Help: AVAIL.

3. In a way, in a way: SORTA.

4. __-faced: TWO. Worse than a one car family.

5. Sentence component: CLAUSE.

6. Off-road rec equipment: ATVS.

7. Lenin frenemy: TROTSKY. Two weeks in a row - what are the odds?

8. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

9. Horseplay outbursts?: NEIGHS.

10. Switch words: ON/OFF.

11. Pear variety: ANJOU.

12. Basketball Hall of Fame announcer Chick: HEARN.

15. Treat before washing: PRESOAK.

17. Went really fast: FLEW.

21. Seller's need: BUYER. Such a simple concept.

23. Sepulcher: TOMB.

25. Wash against gently: LAP AT. The waves from the ocean here in Pompano Beach are usually quite gentle.

28. __ patrol: SKI.

29. QE2 designation: HER. Spitzboov will remind us why ships are shes.

30. Word of assent: AYE. Aye aye, good juxtaposition.

31. Bridge support: TRUSS. I had this fill less than a month ago on April 22, 2018.

32. Finalize, with "up": SEW.

33. Cylindrical container: CAN.

34. Word often improperly punctuated: ITS.

36. Kind of paint: OIL BASE.

37. Pepé Le Pew's pursuit: AMOUR. Un autre chat comme Sylvester.

39. Fashion: MODE.

42. "Wait a minute!": SEE HERE.

44. Barnyard sound: CACKLE.

45. Gauge: ASSESS.

46. Pancake, for one: DISC.

47. Martini partner: ROSSI. Not a nice Caprese salad, but the vermouth partner.

48. Apartments or condos: UNITS.

49. "Friend Like Me" singer in "Aladdin": GENIE. The late great Robin Williams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw

51. Arrive at a base, maybe: SLIDE. A baseball reference for C.C.

52. Trade things: TOOLS.

53. Keats' "The Eve of St. __": AGNES. The first stanza of a long poem (the indents are the authors)
St. Agnes' Eve—Ah, bitter chill it was! 
       The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold; 
       The hare limp'd trembling through the frozen grass, 
       And silent was the flock in woolly fold: 
       Numb were the Beadsman's fingers, while he told 
       His rosary, and while his frosted breath, 
       Like pious incense from a censer old, 
       Seem'd taking flight for heaven, without a death, 
Past the sweet Virgin's picture, while his prayer he saith.

56. Open slightly: AJAR.

59. Badly lit: DIM.

60. Shop __ you drop: TIL.\

C.C. Burnikel

Title: A tall order from C.C.

Not a tall, but A↠ TO↠ LL. Well, we continue adjusting, and I am comforted by the task of unraveling one of our dear leader's creations. I do not get to blog C.C. often, but this puzzle is a perfect example of why C.C. has become an Icon of modern crossword construction. While seeing the great reveal, ATOLL being reparsed as A TO LL was impressive; finding four meaningful phrases that would make sense when the ending "A" in the first word of the phrase was replaced with "LL" was awesome.  The rest of the fill was chock full of sparkle - ARSENAL EDAMAME,  SALT COD,  SPUMONI,  TROTSKY,  VERTIGO, DESOLATE,  GET ANTSY, IDRIS ELBA, and LET ME KNOW. And the cultural references for a non-US born person highlights how much C.C. has incorporated into her mental database. "Nuff said, enjoy.

18A. Spread served in concave pasta?: SHELL BUTTER (11). SHEA Butter has nothing to do with the Mets old ballpark.

32A. Laid-back cats and dogs?: CHILL PETS (9). CHIA pets are hanging in as an absurd gift.

44A. Revealing sweat remover at the poker table?: TELL TOWEL (9). TEA Towel may not be a phrase to which you are familiar; mine are all linen.

59A. What Royal Caribbean reps do?: SELL CRUISES (11). SEA cruises can be distinguished from river cruises.
And the reveal:

53D. Island ring ... or, in three parts, a hint to 18-, 32-, 44- and 59-Across: ATOLL.(5).

Across:

1. Cow, for one: SHE. The old simple misdirection. DUH!

4. Cancel, in a way: ABORT. The space race gave this old word new meaning.

9. Food fight noise: SPLAT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9hxYG-vWuE

14. "U R 2 funny!": LOL. Textspeak Laugh Out Loud (or Lagh ot lod?).

15. "On the Media" medium: RADIO. A podcast from our friends at NPR.

16. Michelangelo carved it from a single slab of marble: PIETA.  I did not know this fact. I am in...

17. Circus reaction: AWE.

20. Statuette site: NICHE.

22. Sushi bar appetizer: EDAMAME.

23. Start to pace, say: GET ANTSY. This word has followed me recently.

26. Stood: ROSE.

27. Polite address: MA'AM.

28. "We'll Meet Again" host Curry: ANN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr5DN-_AOGM

29. Documentarian Burns: KEN. A very prolific and important documentary filmmaker. His body of WORK.

36. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA. You should brush up on this HISTORY.

38. Teased: RODE.

39. Word of welcome: ALOHA.

41. 1993 Literature Nobelist Morrison: TONI.

42. Law school subject: TORTS. One of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries was solved when Wolfe asked a suspect who was talking about his experience in law school if he had learned drafting torts.

46. Sliding runner: SKI.

47. Sounds of contentment: AHS.

49. Name associated with the Gateway Arch: EERO.  We see this DESIGNER often thanks to the three vowels.

50. Only: SOLE.

52. Like ghost towns: DESOLATE.

56. Hitchcock classic set in San Francisco: VERTIGO. The inspiration for Mel Brooks' High Anxiety. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHhsEYDg8GI

58. Colorful tank addition: TETRA. Sometimes called neon this is  a small tropical freshwater fish that is typically brightly colored. Native to Africa and America, many tetras are popular in aquariums.

62. Move on a lake: OAR. ?

63. Forbidden: TABOO.

64. For fun, with "on": A LARK. Or an old cigarette brand.

65. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN. He is very busy these days.

66. Spiral-horned creature: ELAND.

67. Sinatra standard: MY WAY.
https://vimeo.com/91950808

68. Sgt.'s superiors: LTS.

Down:

1. Urban Dictionary focus: SLANG.

2. Mandel of "Deal or No Deal": HOWIE. A bald germaphobe comedian who has made his mark in reality TV, with this show that once had princess to as a suitcase girl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R-N5_TKlVI

3. Give a seat to: ELECT.

4. Premier League powerhouse: ARSENAL. the FOOTBALL CLUB.

5. "Humph!": BAH.

6. Celebratory work: ODE.

7. One with an easy life: RILEY. A memory from my early years, this SITCOM was Mr. Bendix' starring role.

8. Spilled the beans: TOLD.

9. Layered ice cream: SPUMONI.

10. Deli pockets: PITAS.

11. "I'll be waiting to hear from you": LET ME KNOW. LMK, a favorite phrase.

12. Suit to __: A TEE.

13. Street cover: TAR.

19. Raised building?: BARN. A New England TRADITION.

21. Play with a ghost: HAMLET. Ah, play WITH, not play with.

24. Taberna tidbit: TAPA. Simple Spanish.

25. Refines, as ore: SMELTS.

28. "Pieces of Me" singer Simpson: ASHLEE. Jessica's sister.

30. Bonn article: EINE.

31. Polish target: NAIL.

32. Older PC screens: CRTS. Cathode Ray Tube.

33. Errant golf shot, usually: HOOK.

34. "Luther" star: IDRIS ELBA.  I know the actor, but not the SERIES.

35. Golf club part: TOE.

37. "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) star: O'TOOLE. Peter.

40. Taproom array: ALES.

43. Dried fish used in brandade: SALT COD. Not familiar with this DISH or Portuguese cooking in general.

45. October Revolution leader: TROTSKY.

48. Next in line: HEIR.

51. Wrinkle-resistant fabric: ORLON.

52. Lacy table mat: DOILY.

54. Black hair, e.g.: TRAIT.

55. Deserves: EARNS.

56. Saltimbocca meat: VEAL. This is Italian for jumps in the mouth, and you can make it at HOME.

57. Largest of the Mariana Islands: GUAM.

59. Sault __ Marie: STE.

60. Tool with teeth: SAW.

61. Cy Young Award stat: ERA.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: F-f-f-f-friday!

A little déjà vu as David is back again with an add a letter puzzle. This variation has the letter "F" added to the first word in a two word in the language phrase. We have five themers plus a reveal using 62 squares. This placed my restrictions on the grid, and there was no room for long sparkly fill. But there was quite a bit of humor in theme fill and cluing.  FLAB COAT and FACTION FIGURE  both tickled my Fancy and I did not feel ANTZY, or is it ANTSY?




17A. Origami academy?: FOLD SCHOOL (10). A bit of foreshadowing.

23A. Exhaust from the carnival food tent?: FAIR POLLUTION (13).
You can watch this VIDEO.

32A. Scary beach phenomenon?: FIN SIGHT (8).
You can watch this VIDEO.

41A. Garment tailored to flatter your waist?: FLAB COAT (8). Well, flatter is asking too much. VIDEO.

47A. Divisive politician?: FACTION FIGURE (13). No politics, no link.

59A. Boldness, and a hint to five long puzzle answers: EFFRONTERY (10). I like this reveal. with EFF (the word for the letter F) which is put on the front.

Okay, to work.

Across:

1. Like many superheroes: CAPED. And crusaders. I watched AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR last Friday. No spoilers but we enjoyed the 2 1/2 hours.

6. Paper items: NEWS. I struggled with this at first, trying to think of things made of paper.

10. Rock-blasting equipment: AMPS. I nailed this; all the years on the road paid off.

14. Kind of acid used in food flavoring: AMINO. You like reading, hee is the LINK.

15. Dos x dos x dos: OCHO. Spanish multiplication.

16. Indian garb: SARI. This picture wraps up this garment.

19. Chimney liner: SOOT. How true, and deceptive.

20. Victorian, e.g.: ERA.

21. Erelong: SOON. Before long.

22. Physicist who left Italy in 1938 to protect his Jewish wife: FERMI. The "wife" was a remarkable woman in her own RIGHT.

27. Hand over: CEDE.

28. Small wake maker: OAR. Another simple, but cute clue/fill.

29. Cowboy, at times: ROPER. Mmm.

37. Pitcher with no arms: EWER. The old baseball misdirection. My grandmother had some Roseville.

38. Backbone: SPINE.

40. Forest grazers: DOES. A heteronym.

43. Growing things: FLORA.

44. Quotable boxer: ALI.

45. Story: TALE.


53. Filmmaker born Konigsberg: ALLEN. Better know as Woody. Based on the virulent hatred of this man, I am surprised he is still in puzzles. Is Bill Cosby coming next?

54. Barbarian: OGRE.

55. Nickname derived from "Mortgage Association": MAE. FNMA. GNMA. SLMA.

58. Glasses, in adspeak: SPEX. Not wrong, just meh.

62. Yonder thing: THAT.

63. Hawaiian island: MAUI.

64. She turned Odysseus' crew to swine: CIRCE. The inspiration for Game of Thrones?

65. Antoinette preposition: SANS. We had this "without" this week.

66. Highland hats: TAMS. This would fit in the hat puzzle.

67. Toys on strings: YOYOS. I go up and down on this toy.


Down:

1. Tea and cake purveyor: CAFE.

2. Deity with a bow: AMOR. The same number of letters as EROS.

3. Rice dish: PILAF. Stir in onion and cook until onion becomes translucent, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the rice and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Finish: END.

5. Set of related documents: DOSSIER. This is late 19th century: from French, denoting a bundle of papers with a label on the back, from dos ‘back,’ based on Latin dorsum.

6. Optimism opposite: NO HOPE.

7. Prefix suggesting affordability: ECONO.

8. Journalist's question: WHO.

9. Fa-la link: SOL.

10. Factory equipment, e.g.: ASSET.

11. "The Piano" extra: MAORI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdhCBuHgfWQ

12. Publicity video: PROMO.

13. Peaceful protest: SIT IN. My brothers and I were in graduate school in Storrs for the EVENTS depicted here. But we never considered a 47D. Some protests: FASTS.

18. Electrical supply: CORD.

22. Symbols of wealth: FURS.

24. Bitter: ACERB. I like acerbic better.

25. Meat cut: LOIN. Pork loin is a cut of meat from a pig, created from the tissue along the dorsal side of the rib cage.

26. Exit __: LANE.

29. Penalty caller: REF.

30. Talkative "Winnie the Pooh" character: OWL. Like Rabbit, he was not a stuffed animal that was brought t life, just a character created by Milne. He has been voiced by Craig Ferguson (Winnie the Pooh); Hal Smith (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh); Jack Warden (Alice in Wonderland) and Andre Stojka (The Tigger Movie)

31. Edible sphere: PEA.

32. Able: FIT.

33. Lazybones: IDLER.

34. Unappealing viscous material: GOO.

35. The Beatles' "I Saw __ Standing There": HER.

36. Org. using wands: TSA. Transportation Security Administration. And, 60D. Airport org.: FAA. Federal Aviation Administration.

38. Aria, usually: SOLO.

39. Royal annoyance?: PAIN. Rhymes with...

42. Biblical brother: CAIN.

43. Orator's skill: FLUENCY.

45. Fertile Crescent waterway: TIGRIS.

46. Farming prefix: AGRO. Sounds like 56D. With the bow, on a score: ARCO. A musical score; usually used as a direction in music for players of stringed instruments.

48. Top dog: ALPHA.

49. Unarmed, to a cop: CLEAN.

50. Modern messages: TEXTS.

51. End of a giant sequence: FO FUM. Fee fi

52. Nail-filing abrasive: EMERY. I am board with this clue/fill. It rubs me the wrong way.

57. Watchers: EYES.

59. Life-saving pro: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician.

61. Spanish uncle: TIO. My grandchildren have learned some Spanish, and call some of their uncles Tio.

I found this a fairly fast finish. I hope you enjoyed it and welcome to May. Lemonade out.