I would reference I.C.E. since the IC replaces E, but that would end up being political. I think I may have exhausted the topic of blindness, but Jeffrey never seems to exhaust his library of wit. In another letter replacement version, he packs in 65 spaces of theme with a central grid-spanner. He uses cheater squares for the 14s, but the rest is just a nice puzzle. Such skill to include IS IT SO, CIERAS, RARE COIN, I'VE GOT TO, TENON SAW all of which are uncommon or brand new for the LAT and the fun word FLAMENCO. The cluing which apparently is too much for CED was fun throughout, so...
16A. Art class model, say?: STATIC EMPLOYEE (14). The STATE employee gets to stand still while being sketched. Some sat they standstill while waiting on you.
25A. Homeowner's extreme reaction to a hailstorm?: WINDOW PANIC (11). Here we all have hurricane-proof window PANES or shutters.
34A. Ancient Roman's suggestion to a sweat-drenched pal?: CHANGE YOUR TUNIC (15). I wonder if finding this grid spanner made JW change his TUNE?
46A. Where sick con victims seek help?: PATSY CLINIC (11). But do they play her hits over the loudspeaker?
59A. Stand-up invited to a holiday meal?: COMIC FOR DINNER (14). Look who is COMING for dinner? I understand most professionals do not like 'performing' for relatives. I am glad I am not a professional.
A really nice set of themers
1. City in which much of "Moonlight" is set: MIAMI. Academy Award winner; oops. LINK.
6. Lively display of stamps?: FLAMENCO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRW4J0HyeiY
14. Long range: ANDES. One of those clues CED spoke of, nit far but an extended mountain range.
15. Valuable collectible: RARE COIN. This fill has been in the LAT twice before, introduced to us by Paul Coulter on a Friday I blogged HERE. That puzzle write-ups has two very interesting aspects; pictures of Lucina added by C.C. and the TONSURE of Buddhist monks which I participated in this trip.
18. Singer Jones: TOM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2TtzDmCQ9s
19. Ashes not caused by fire: TREES. Another deceptive one, where we wanted fire and needed Fraxinus, English name ash, a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae.
20. Notable times: ERAS.
22. Genesis twin: ESAU. When your name is 4 letters and has three vowels, you will live on in xwords.
23. Volcanic rock: BASALT. This is a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that sometimes displays a columnar structure. It is typically composed largely of plagioclase with pyroxene and olivine. The dictionary makes that so clear, right?
30. Calculating: SLY.
31. Lot unit: ACRE.
32. Sucker of sorts: LEECH. Not the victim, but THIS.
41. Wise guys, maybe: SAGES. Using 'guys' to lead you to mobsters, not smart people. If you notice it is clued as two words, and not as wiseguys, you will not fall in his trap.
42. Hotel worker: MAID.
43. Asian holiday: TET. As the celebration of the lunar new year, Tet is the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar.
50. Went from 50 to 40: SLOWED. Because lying about his/her age would not fit.
52. "Put __ on it!": A LID.
53. Bust size?: KILO. Stop looking for boobie, all we have here is a drug bust. Why do we use pounds/ounces for most things but 'keys' for heroin and cocaine?
54. Flynn of film: ERROL. He is back; no buckling a swash today.
56. Attorney's org.: ABA. American Bar Association. A CSO to Susan and others.
63. "It's my duty": I'VE GOT TO. If you must, you must.
64. Really irk: EAT AT.
65. Cutting tool for making joints: TENON SAW. This full name appeared only once, in 2005, in the LAT. It has never been used in an NYT.
66. Works on a batter: STIRS. No baseball, but cooking. Sorry CED.
Down:
1. It's often rigged: MAST. Another fun clue, right CED?
2. Fascinated by: IN TO.
3. Biblical exile: ADAM. It is so easy to put in CAIN and be wrong. JW! And a mini-clecho 22D. Delightful places: EDENS.
4. Came across: MET.
5. "Can this be true?": IS IT SO? A challenging parse.
6. Clear, as a schedule slot: FREE UP.
7. Fabric with a glint: LAMÉ. You do not get the accent in the clue making it hard to see this fabric with interwoven gold or silver threads.
8. Some dadaist works: ARPS.
9. Brooks with lines: MEL. Not bubbling streams but a shout out to this awesome PUZZLE.
10. Green prefix: ECO.
11. British poet Alfred: NOYES.
12. '80s-'90s Olds models: CIERAS.
13. Score early in the set, maybe: ONE ALL. Tennis anyone?
17. Bird crop: CRAW. Anything about this puzzle stick in your...?
21. Muddy enclosure: STY.
23. Stuttgart suds: BIER. Beer by any other name...German 1.
24. Bank holding: Abbr.: ACCT. Cking or sving?
25. WWII female: WAC.
26. Gigi : je :: Greta : __: ICH. German 2.
27. Org. with frequent firings: NRA.
28. See 57-Down: A LOSS.
29. Fresh, to Franz: NEU. German 3.
33. Like a rainforest: HUMID.
35. Show awe: GAPE.
36. Quaint "Yikes!": EGAD.
37. Equivalent of OTOH: YET. In didactic discourse, perhaps.
38. Photographer Goldin: NAN.
39. Sundial marking: III. Another use of Roman numerals to fill difficult places.
40. Health org. with HQ in Atlanta: CDC. What happened to the "P"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
43. "Naughty!": TSK. Generally in pairs.
44. Draw out: ELICIT.
45. Queen's "Somebody __": TO LOVE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA2IRoPFIn0
47. Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary: YARROW.
48. Lump of earth: CLOD.
49. Easter display: LILIES.
51. Many suffragists: WOMEN. Hmm, yes women led the movement for women to vote.
54. Young newts: EFTS.
55. "The Godfather" composer Nino: ROTA.
56. Opposition member: ANTI.
57. With 28-Down, persevere despite hardship: BEAR. Did you write an essay in school about the cross-eyed bear?
58. Liberal follower?: ARTS. JW will go to any degree to confound and amuse.
60. "Can __ forward when my heart is here?": Romeo: I GO.
61. Fool: CON.
62. D.C. ballplayer: NAT. Will Bryce Harper remain a Washington National?
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