Alan Massengill and Jeff Chen +

Title: Follow the circles from end to end.

We have another new collaboration featuring regular constructor Jeff Chen and noob (newbie?) Alan Massengill who already has two solo Universal puzzles published. Jeff has about 70 puzzles in the LAT of which I think 27 are collaborations. He also has 111 NYT publications, of which 70 are joint efforts. That qualifies him as HOF mentor. This primarily a visual puzzle, which once you see one of the theme answers fills fairly easily for a Friday. Not much in the way in new fill, E-FILED, being the only introductory word.
There some sparkles in the fill like AWESOME, DESSERT (this time) LOAN OUT, PARTIAL (a cwd nono) PETALED, SWISHED
FAULKNER and  HINT HINT. I hope Jeff or Alan will stop by to tell us more about this puzzle and constructor.

On to the theme:

17A. Feeling upon being stretched thin: UTTER EXHAUSTION (15). THIN is stretched from the second letter to the last.

26A. Earth-shattering realization: THE AWFUL TRUTH (13).
EARTH is broken up.

44A. Cutting-edge fashion icon: COUTURE DESIGNER (13). Designers create their fashions by cutting up cloth.

59A. Exhibit widespread political appeal: WIN BY A LANDSLIDE (15). WI and DE = WIDE which are spread far apart.

Next.

Across:

1. OTC drug overseer: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.

4. Like a honeymoon couple's bed, perhaps: PETALED. Or this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6p8rjz9vqY

11. It may be brown or blonde: ALE. ASH was my first thought.

14. Realty unit: LOT. I like this better than "acre."

15. "Killer, dude!": AWESOME. Surfer talk.

16. Proponent's preposition: FOR. This and the next are just definitions.

20. Ill-suited: INAPT.

21. Two-time Seth MacFarlane title character: TED. Why not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbo_pQvU7M

22. Browses: SURFS. The other surfer,

23. Duplicity: DECEIT. No comment, too political.

25. Charges: SETS AT.

30. Actor-for-actor movie studio exchange: LOAN OUT. READ and discuss.

31. Closest buds, for short: BFFs. Best Friends Forever. The "s" is like an appendix in the human body. Followed by...

35. Open parenthesis, in some emoticons: FROWN. ಠ╭╮ಠ is what is listed in Unicode Emoticons. Also, 6D. Row of emoji, perhaps: TEXT.

36. Spiced tea: CHAI. This is generally a blend of black tea, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. There are variations throughout the world.

40. Cook in fat in a closed pot: BRAISE. This is to fry lightly and then stew it slowly in a closed container. Braising is used with larger or whole pieces of meat and very little liquid.

42. Cary Grant's chin dimple et al.: TRAITS. Our Charlotte has a chin dimple. Do you find them attractive or awful?

48. Zeppelin leader?: LED. Musical interlude? No.

49. Spare tire makeup: FAT. A little deception, but men of our age do fight the battle of the bulge.

50. Hoops hanger: NET. They hang at each end of the court. Also, they make the sound in 53A. Sank perfectly, as a jump shot: SWISHED.

51. Jan. honoree: MLK. Martin Luther King, Jr.

56. Top 40 song, e.g.: HIT.

62. Taiwanese tech giant: ACER.

63. Surprises in bottles: GENII. Back again.

64. Tip jar deposits: ONES. These days I see mostly quarters.

65. Tijuana Brass leader Alpert: HERB. Musical interlude. Hell yeah.

66. Fiat: EDICT. Not a car but from the Latin for "let it be done," the word fiat is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done."

67. ASAP in the ER: STAT. It is more compelling the As Soon As Possible. It comes from the Latin and is an abbreviation of the word statim, which has the meaning "instantly/immediately."


Down:

1. Word with gender or lighter: FLUID. I knew lighter fluid, but had not run across gender fluid which is is a gender identity. A gender fluid person may feel male on some days, female on others, both male and female, or neither. A gender fluid person might also identify as genderqueer.

2. ISP suffix: DOT NET. Many of these mixed answer spelling out punctuation.

3. Stick on: ATTACH.

4. Not all there: PARTIAL. The dreaded crossword faux pas.

5. Farm female: EWE. Only you...

7. ESPY Courage Award namesake: ASHE. Arthur has had a great career in puzzles.

8. Unit to be washed: LOAD. Sunday was a wash day for us.

9. Layer of dark green eggs: EMU. An Emu egg is the equivalent of approximately 10 chicken eggs. The shell has a beautiful teal color (sometimes darker in color) and is prized as a decorative piece. We recommend using a chisel and hammer or dremel-type tool to get into the egg. Emu eggs make an incredible omelet or frittata. Also, irritating commercials if you ask some.

10. Napoléon, for one: DESSERT. This was not a tribute dessert but the cake initially named mille-feuille (which means a "thousand layers" in French) was brought to Russia in the early 19th century and was widely cooked during the festivities after the victory against the French army of Napoléon Bonaparte in 1812.

11. Something never done before: A FIRST. This collaboration for example.

12. Exfoliating sponge: LOOFAH. Loofahs — sometimes spelled luffas — are popular shower accessories used for cleaning and exfoliating your skin. No relation to sea sponges;  natural loofahs are made from a gourd in the cucumber family.

13. Bond villain Blofeld: ERNST. He has appeared, played by many actors, in SEVEN Bond films. Can you name them?

18. Dueling sword: EPEE.

19. Fantasia hippo's outfit: TUTU.

24. BOGO offering: TWOFER. HYACINTH

25. Evel doings?: STUNTS. Knievel that Robbie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5LdesoNFpY

27. Not even close: FAR. Literal again.

28. Card game whose name is spoken during play: UNO. My maternal grandmother, may she rest in peace, traveled with a deck in her purse.

29. Dirty: LOW. Down rat!

31. English channel: BBC.

32. To and __: FRO.

33. Only Mississippi-born Literature Nobelist: FAULKNER.

34. Browsing target: SITE.

36. Animal house: CAGE.

37. Comment with a wink and an elbow: HINT HINT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kwh3R0YjuQ

38. Consumed: ATE.

39. Med. country: ISRael.

41. Like bubble baths: SUDSY. And generally covering bouncy boobies. Unlike...

43. Cantaloupe coverings: RINDS. Nutrition but then boobies can be melons.

45. Submitted returns online: E-FILED.

46. Water brand: DASANI. For some reason, my least favorite of the bottle brands.

47. Cultural, as cuisine: ETHNIC.

51. [Blown kiss]: MWAH.

52. Causes of some head-scratching: LICE. Very literal.

54. Minimum __: WAGE. The new reality.

55. Revise: EDIT.

57. A light bulb may symbolize one: IDEA.

58. Sample: TEST.

60. "Hang on a sec," in texts: BRB. Be Right Back.

61. __ Alamos, NM: LOS. We finish with Los Alamos and its  National Laboratory (LANL) is probably the most famous federal government laboratory. Synonymous with both clandestine and well-known paradigm-shifting research, it is most recognized as serving as the birthplace of the atomic bomb.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: PSST- S said to T

Like in the old days, Jeffrey is back for his every other Friday publication. Another simple but consistent theme; words which end SS are reparsed with the ending ST. Themers 1 and 4 have the first-word change 2 and 3 the last word. As usual, the puzzle is filled with much sparkly fill  AIRLINE, ALL HERE, APPLIES, ATTIRED, DIES OUT, ENCHANT, I CAN SAY, MAHALIA, MR. RIGHT, PASSION, PONTOON, SAD TIME, STRAFED,  THE RACK, and TREAT AS.


16A. Furniture maker's designated stock of wood?: CHEST PIECES (11).

31A. Accommodate Simba at one's hotel?: TAKE A WILD GUEST (14).

36A. Foggy playground vista?: A SWING AND A MIST (14).

57A. Shipment of nautical parts?: MAST TRANSIT (11).




Across:

1. 911 pro: EMT.

4. Like a certain elevated plane: ASTRAL.

10. Tack on: ADD.

13. "Ain't interested": NAH.

14. Present and accounted for: ALL HERE.

15. Word with honey or mud: PIE.

18. Bench press target: PEC.

19. Silent star of early talkies: HARPO.

20. Like the Grinch: MEAN.

21. "Sing it, Sam" speaker: ILSA.

22. Frightens: ALARMS.

24. Cherished activity: PASSION.

26. "Well-played!": NICE.

27. Notable period: ERA.

30. Indigenous Alaskan: ALEUT.

35. What may float your boat: PONTOON.

43. Be compatible: FIT IN.

44. __ Speedwagon: REO.

45. Rent-__: ACAR.

46. A real keeper, romantically: MR RIGHT.

49. Rant: TIRADE.

51. Bard's "Bummer!": ALAS.

52. Lack of impediments: EASE.

55. 1492 vessel: PINTA.

56. Brand "choosy moms choose," in ads: JIF.

59. Gender-neutral pronoun: ONE.

60. Not naked: ATTIRED.

61. Professional org. since 1847: AMA.

62. Old Glory hue: RED.

63. First word of Dorothy's last line in Oz: THERE'S. No place like home. But is it really two words?

64. "I'm interested": YES.


Down:

1. Fascinate: ENCHANT.

2. 1966 self-titled gospel album: MAHALIA.

3. Emotionally stressed, after "on": THE RACK.

4. Swiss peak: ALP.

5. Poor, as odds: SLIM.

6. What you might be in the Bible?: THEE.

7. Summary: RECAP.

8. Place for games: ARENA.

9. "__ Misérables": LES.

10. Submits one's résumé: APPLIES.

11. Wanes: DIES OUT.

12. Pour into a carafe: DECANT.

14. Quark place: ATOM.

17. Binge: SPREE.

21. Alcatraz, for one: ISLE.

23. Affix, as a shoulder patch: SEW ON.

25. Spa amenity: SAUNA.

28. One may be given at a 29-Down: RING.

29. See 28-Down: ALTAR.

32. Acting like: APING.

33. "Ta-da!": DONE.

34. Title character who is never onstage: GODOT.

36. Delta, for one: AIRLINE.

37. Fired on from above: STRAFED.

38. Units for gamers: WIIS.

39. County including the Muir Woods sequoias: MARIN.

40. "They've authorized me to report ... ": I CAN SAY.

41. Period of mourning, e.g.: SAD TIME.

42. Regard to be: TREAT AS.

43. Key of two Beethoven symphonies: F-MAJOR.

47. Baskerville Hall landscape: HEATH.

48. "Things sweet to __ prove in digestion sour": "Richard II": TASTE.

50. Air 2 or Pro: iPAD.

53. Move a bit: STIR.

54. To be, in Bordeaux: ETRE.

57. Calisthenics aid: MAT.

58. High-__ image: RES.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Y did we wait so long?

After an absence, our all-time Friday puzzle maker is back. Jeffrey has offered a traditional add-a-letter for humor theme. The letter is "Y." To which all I can say is Y Not?



18A. Escargot gatherer's bounty?: SLIMY PICKINGS (13).

21. Harvest worker needing a bath?: THE GRIMY REAPER (14).

40A. Much ado about nothing?: ARTIFICIAL FURY(14).

44A. Successful gem seeker's cry?: THERE'S THE RUBY (13).


Across:

1. Declare: ASSERT.

7. Domestic power connection, briefly: AC PLUG. Alternating current. DISCUSS.

13. Large envelope: MAILER. I think Boomer's stream of conscious comments have gotten to me. How else can I explain this?

14. One working on arrangements: FLORIST. This fooled me the first time I saw it.

15. Feature of communication with space probes: TIME LAG. I leave this topic for HG to explain better but will give you all this LINK.

17. Relevant: APROPOS. A morphed word from the French. 
20. Quebec neighbor: MAINE. A CSO  to Hahtoolah and our Canadian readers.

30. Chewbacca trait: HAIRINESS.

31. Club usually numbered: IRON. A CSO for our Golfers, Big Easy, Husker Gary and so many more.

33. Frisée is its curly variety: ENDIVE. I am not a fan.

34. Digestive aid: SALIVA. I need whenever I eat any type of endive.

36. Your alternative: ONE'S.




37. Flavored thirst quencher: LIMEWATER. This is an aqueous solution of slaked lime, used in medicine, antacids, and lotions, and to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Nothing to do with the lime juice and water my wife gives me in the morning.

43. Study aids: NOTES.

52. Butcher's staple: CLEAVER. I am not keen on this choice, but I guess it related to the usage of a regular and important part or feature of something. The black dress was an enduring staple of Diana’s wardrobe.

54. Horn of Africa country: SOMALIA. Traditional Somali food is determined by a socioeconomic context. In a nomadic settlement, camel or goat meat and camel or cow milk are common staples.

55. Little Debbie competitor: HOSTESS. The showdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHztqQ2KQoU

56. Blinker, e.g.: SIGNAL. Which almost no one in Florida uses.

57. Many a Sunday magazine: INSERT.

58. Kindly: PLEASE. Let's go to the downs.

Down:

1. Tsp. and tbsp.: AMTS. All abbreviated measures.

2. Sloop feature: SAIL. This is a one-masted sailboat with a fore-and-aft mainsail and a jib. Or...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAoEf1Ib58

3. __ Valley, Calif.: SIMI. Home of the Reagen library. A cost of living index above 100 means Simi Valley, California is more expensive. Simi Valley's cost of living is 149.9, almost 50% higher.

4. Pre-K follower: ELEM. I do not care for the fill, nor the clue. Kindergarten follows Pre-k.

5. Be dependent: RELY. A negative way to look at it.

6. Kisser: TRAP. Shut your trap or bust you in the kisser!

7. Type of skiing: ALPINE. Would you lie to learn? Visit Montana or try THESE.

8. Natural light refractor: CORNEA. CSO to me.

9. Sophisticated rock genre, briefly: PROGressive.
Progressive rock (often shortened to prog or prog rock) is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrsW--Sh7YE

10. Kissers: LIPS. See above.

11. It offered soldiers Hope: Abbr.: USO. Just prior to the onset of America’s involvement in World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to unite several service associations into one organization to lift the morale of our military and nourish support on the home front. Those entities – the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board - became the United Service Organizations or, the USO.

12. Some hot rods: GTS. GranTurisimos.

14. Muslim ascetics: FAKIRS. A Muslim religious ascetic or religious mendicant, especially one who performs feats of magic or endurance. Origin of fakir. From Arabic faqīr.

16. Easy putt, in casual golf: GIMME. I can hear all the players practicing.

19. Low isles: CAYS. A cay (also spelled key; both pronounced alike as "key" English pronunciation: /kiː/) is a small, low island consisting mostly of sand or coral and situated on top of a coral reef. The English word cay comes from the Spanish word cayo and this from the Taíno word cayo meaning "small island". Go visit Cay West.

21. Religious prefix: THEO. HISTORY.

22. Big-name in animation: HANNA. More than you ever wanted to know about the Hanna-Barbera legacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZjg3EXHCUo

23. Down for a pillow: EIDER. Somehow this makes perfect sense next to...

24. Mill fill: GRIST. This is the grain that is ground to make flour.

25. Snake or Gila: Abbr.: RIVer.

26. Analogue for -like: INE. The fun part is that this suffix has two distinct pronunciations. LINK. Unless you are British or maybe Canadian? Eh?

27. Rice dish: PILAF. Not in my house. We have jasmine rice, sweet rice, sticky rice, and blue rice.

28. Verdi baritone aria: ERI TU. Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwHjYIsQYAs

29. Relative of Fido: ROVER.

32. "You ain't gwyne to drink a drop--__ single drop": Twain: NARY. I am unfamiliar with the passage, though I have read HUCKLEBERRY FINN many times.

34. Word with lion or horse: SEA. Oo's mother's great-great-grandson name translates to SEA.

35. Leather punch: AWL. A well-timed CSO to

37. Gallon's 3.785: LITERS.

38. Summer treats: ICES.

39. They may drift over valleys: MISTS.

41. "You have some crust!": I NEVER. Well! I never!

42. It may have many ashes: FOREST.

44. Nickname for Esther: TESS.

45. __-watch: continue viewing a show you no longer like: HATE.

46. ICU or ER site: HOSP.

47. Expressionist painter Nolde: EMIL.

48. All the __: popular: RAGE.

49. Radius neighbor: ULNA.

50. Slant: BIAS.

51. School since 1701: YALE.

52. X as in Xerxes: CHI.

53. Chaney of film: LON.