Ed Sessa

Title: 

IOU an A, E

Dr. Ed is back with a letter substitution (E to A) sound-alike puzzle that plays a little easy for a Friday. The themers are all pretty funny puns. Ed is a master of entertaining no matter what day of the week. The puzzle does not have much long fill - EMPERORS and FACELIFT are the only over 6 letter non-themers, though it is sprinkled with some difficulty.  

17A. Double vision?: TWIN PEEKS (9). TWIN PEAKS is a cult CLASSIC 

23A. What EEE signifies?: NO SMALL FEET (11).  No small feat is an expression that can be found in many FORMS.

39A. Cesar Millan's gift?: THE HEELING TOUCH (15). My favorite pun, as the dog whisperer substitutes for this TREATMENT.

49A. Blind date?: MYSTERY MEET (11). As someone who went to boarding school I have eaten more than my share of unidentifiable meat products.

61A. His-and-hers concert souvenir?: TEE FOR TWO (9). TEA for Two is a song composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics by Irving Caesar and written in 1924. 

The fun is done and now to work. 

Across:

1. Japanese car whose name means "reward" in early German: MIATA. Don't we all hate it when 1 across is an unknown. In Japan it is called Roadster, but here Miata which comes from the Old German 'miete' for reward.

6. Infielder in a comedy routine: WHO. He is on first!

9. Conviction: FAITH. A place for this FAITH  52D. Group's belief: TENET.

14. Joins, as a team: YOKES. Oxen anyone.

15. On fire: HOT.

En fuego!

16. Big name in foil: ALCOA. My June 18 comment was "15A. Portmanteau metal producer: ALCOA. No, no, no! AL CO A, aluminum company of america is not words mashed together!

19. Items often checked: COATS. A fun clue.

20. Flying Solo: HAN. While HARRISON FORD was killed off as Han, he has a new INDIANA JONES movie coming.

21. Brute's rebuke: ET TU. 

22. "Will it play in __?": vaudeville phrase: PEORIA. Origin- (1) The phrase originated during the vaudeville era and was popularized in movies by Groucho Marx, or (2) The question derives from a theme repeated by characters in Horatio Alger Jr.'s novel Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret, which was first published in 1890. 

25. Birthplace of St. Francis: ASSISI. Very common fill. 

29. "Who, me?": MOI? I really wanted a Miss Piggy GIF here.

30. Pound product: POEM. Ezra, not a personal hero. POUND HISTORY

31. Fabric with metallic threads: LAMÉ . The earliest historical records of lamé fabric date back to Ancient Assyria, which was a nation in the Middle East that existed between 2500 BC and 600 AD

34. Musical E equivalent: F FLAT. Ron can you explain why?

42. Doomed biblical city: SODOM. What Gomorrah can you say about this biblical city?

43. Calf-length skirt: MIDI. Midcalf.

44. See 36-Down: OAHU. The dreaded random referential set with 36D. Feast on 44-Across: LUAU.

45. Pot pie veggie: PEA. The recipes from Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Campbell's Soup all use frozen mixed vegetables - corn, carrots, green beans and peas. Nothing fresh.

47. Holds dear: VALUES. 

55. Films partly made in stages: OATERS. Another pun, this one relating to the stage coach scenes in Westerns.

56. Deal with creases: IRON. 

57. Audibly grieve: SOB.

60. Texas HQ of Frito-Lay: PLANO. Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE, PEP), which is headquartered in Plano, TX. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com. It was created initially by a merger of Frito and Lay.

63. Articulate: UTTER. The verb.

64. Company abbr.: INC.

65. Texans' neighbors: OKIES. Seems unbalanced as Texans are not a nickname and Okies are.

66. Old times: PASTS. 

67. WWII carrier: LST.

68. "Old" language that gave us "blunder": NORSE. mid-14c., "to stumble about blindly," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blundra "shut one's eyes," perhaps from Proto-Germanic *blinda- "blind."

Down:

1. Bit of fiction: MYTH. In college we debated the TOPIC myth is reality and reality is myth.

2. "The Music Man" setting: IOWA. The author Meredith Willson was inspired by his boyhood in Mason City, Iowa.

3. Related: AKIN.

4. First and __: TEN. A football concept and one of the very first HBO original series, I think. It began with JASON BEGHE and and UF graduate DELTA BURKE.

5. Quakers in Colorado?: ASPENS. Ha ha, tree humor.

6. Puts an edge on: WHETS. Sharpens with a stone, from the old days.

7. Poppycock: HOKUM. Derives from Hocus Pocus, but if you google you get all kinds of irreverent images. 

8. Extra NFL periods: OTS. OverTimes.

9. Cosmetic surgery procedure: FACELIFT. I like my face right where it is, but for those with more money than sense, be careful what you wish for. mirror, mirror

10. Distant: ALOOF. Did you know loof (now spelled luff) is the windward side of a ship. Smart sailors wanting to avoid a hazard on the leeward side, who go to the other side, holding themselves aloof.
 
11. Comforting affirmation: I CARE. I really cornerites about each and everyone of you.

12. Funny Fields: TOTIE. She died young.

13. Starts to fight: HAS AT. Meh.

18. Star over Paris: ÉTOILE. French lesson. 星位 Chinese lesson.

22. Abbas' gp.: PLO. PLO

24. Improve: AMEND.

25. Much urban housing: Abbr.: APTS. Apartments, and condos will probably not sell well in Florida for a while.

26. NYC art district: SOHO. South of Houston (howston in New York).

27. Apple core?: SEED. You think this was his seed entry?

28. Letters before a view: IMHO. In My Humble Opinion. Why Humble?

32. Revlon cosmetics brand: ALMAY. ALMAY 

33. Customizable Nintendo persona: MII.

35. Have on, to a Brit: FOOL.

37. Bleed (for): ACHE.

38. Consequently: THUS. Ergo.

40. Supreme monarchs: EMPERORS.

41. Provide generously, as one's time: GIVE OF.

46. Triage areas, briefly: ERS. Emergency Rooms.

48. When a classic film gunfight started: AT NOON.

49. Attend to a spill: MOP UP.

50. 1945 "Big Three" meeting site: YALTA. Didn't I just link this.

51. E and FG, in sports: STATS. Error and field goal both of which work in various sports.

53. Appearances: MIENS. Like its synonyms bearing and demeanor, mien means the outward manifestation of personality or attitude.

54. Build: ERECT. This name always reminds me of The Taj Mahal.

57. Recipe directive: STIR. Beat; Dice; Sear; Melt; Sift: Bake; Boil...

58. Is beholden to: OWES. More Gary Cooper?

59. Big name in audio systems: BOSE. My bedtime music comes from a Bose.

61. "Open 9 __ 5": TIL. Sing it Dolly!

62. Original "King Kong" film studio: RKO. This is part of the Kennedy family Legacy. LINK.

Ed Sessa

Title: It's all in where you cut it.

Dr. Ed returns to Friday for the first time since his mini-theme puzzle on November 1, 2019.



17A. What Dr. Frankenstein kept at his bar?: MONSTER'S ALE. I do not recall Boris Karloff drinking ALE, but it does repurpose MONSTER SALE.

24A. Sass from a therapist?: FREUDIAN'S LIP. Sigmund talking back to his old lady patients redoes FREUDIAN SLIP.

38A. Uncle Buck, perhaps?: DOE'S KIN. A central rework for DOE SKIN which is great for gloves.

52A. Dracula's haul in the poker game?: VAMPIRE'S TAKE. We get both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and the iconic VAMPIRE STAKE.

62A. Big cat's belly?: LEOPARD'S POT. I doubt there may fat Leopards but there all have a LEOPARD SPOT.








Across:

1. Mid-size Nissan: ALTIMA. They made the MAXIMA first, and I guess they liked the pseudo-Latin sound.

7. Ammo sold in rolls: CAPS. Almost tricky unless you played for hours every day with your cap gun when you were little.

11. By way of: VIA. Just a Latin word taken over by English.

14. Like many arcade games: COIN-OP.

15. Helter-skelter: AMOK.

16. Mantra syllables: OMS.

19. Fiddle player of rhyme: CAT.

20. North-of-the-border gas: ESSO.

21. Zany trio member: MOE. Our Chairman Moe has moved to Arizona and seems to be living well.

22. "See if __": I CARE.

28. "SNL" castmate of Gilda and Jane: LARAINE. The SCREEN TEST for Ms. Newman.

31. It "hath charms to soothe a savage breast": MUSIC. The phrase sounds Shakespearian but in fact comes to us from The Mourning Bride, a poem by William Congreve, 1697

32. Oak fruit: ACORN.

33. Marine mammal group: POD.

34. Bed foundation?: SOIL. Garden bed.

37. Specimen for 23-Down: DNA.

42. Broadcasting pioneer: RCA.

43. Religious offshoot: SECT.

45. Meddle: PRY.

46. City near the Golden Spike: OGDEN.

48. Veronica of "Hill Street Blues": HAMEL. I wonder if she is related to last week's constructor Debra or Ray.

50. Spurred on: AROUSED. Well- gee. That is a titillating turn.

55. Orchestras tune to them: OBOES.

56. One of Venus de Milo's two that are conspicuous for their absence: ARM. She is back so soon.

57. Drink brand with a lizard logo: SOBE. SoBe is the abbreviation for South Beach, the southernmost part of the manmade island.
LINK.

61. Leave in ruins: GUT. In all of SoFla. we are always tearing down to build up. Did you see the story on the news of the 95-year-old home that was moved to keep it from demolition? LINK.

66. Take advantage of: USE.

67. Parrot: ECHO.

68. Tater Tots maker: ORE-IDA. Sadly this region has some virus issues.

69. Sniggler's quarry: EEL. They catch them by hand; 1645–55; snig eel (late Middle English snygge + le).

70. It may be cracked open: DOOR.

71. Sweat inducer: DURESS.


Down:

1. Highest point: ACME.

2. Restrooms for blokes: LOOS.

3. Metal containers: TINS.

4. To such an extent: INSOFAR.

5. Bon __: MOT.

6. So-called missing links: APEMEN.

7. Checked out before a heist: CASED.

8. GP's gp.: AMA.

9. D.C. figure: POL.

10. Knitter's supply: SKEINS.

11. They help one speak one's mind: VOCAL CORDS.

12. Japanese porcelain: IMARI.

13. __ in the right direction: A STEP.

18. Scoundrel: ROUE.

23. Forensic TV episodes: CSIS. Meh.

25. Melon feature: RIND.

26. Reassurance after a fall: I'M OK.

27. A4 automaker: AUDI.

28. Youths: LADS.

29. Teen malady: ACNE.

30. Black Flag product: ROACH MOTEL.

33. Humanities subj.: PSY.

35. Cold drink brand: ICEE.

36. Come down: LAND.

39. Letters near zero: OPERater. On your telephone.

40. Creator of Perry and Della: ERLE. Stanley Gardner.

41. Kindle rival: NOOK. I believe Hahtoolah uses one.

44. Scotch roll: TAPE.

47. Hangman player, e.g.: GUESSER.

49. Took for a ride: MISLED.

50. First razor with a pivoting head: ATRA.

51. Force (through): RAMROD.

52. Popularity: VOGUE.

53. Treat badly: ABUSE.

54. Flavor: SAPOR.

58. Andy's catfishing partner: OPIE.

59. Beefcake features: BODS.

60. Flight deck data, briefly: ETAS.

63. Prefix with conscious: ECO.

64. "I see it now!": OHO.

65. R and B group __ Hill: DRU.

Ed Sessa

Title: It is ok DO, you didn't miss it, there is no theme today.

I heard a whisper we would have some repeat of the Friday mini-theme puzzle and my first puzzle back in the country appears to be such. Still being a bit jet-lagged, I do not remember the author of the first themeless Friday here, but I believe it was this year. While today's effort from Dr. Ed includes various pop culture references, the specific MAD MAGAZINE double-bill is key today.

30. One on many covers since 1954: ALFRED E NEUMAN. His complete (?) HISTORY. Paired with 17D. 30-Across catchphrase: WHAT ME WORRY?  Thus creating a mini-theme for this Friday themeless.

Without the constraint of a theme, there is much sparkly fill packed into this puzzle, highlighted by the introduction of grid spanner  THE NEWLYWED GAME paired with the classic TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The grid is then fattened up with ANOTHER, LAGASSE, SAPHEAD, SPEEDER, SPRUCED, TREACLE, AVON LADY, NAP TIMES (also a LAT debut word), OPEN AREA and PRETRIAL.
Let me know what you think of this addition to our rota.

Across:

1. Kia sedan: OPTIMA. The last car I owned and drove was an Optima and I enjoyed it very much.

7. Nincompoop: SAPHEAD. This is a TERM I have never heard. Of course, since it has only been around since 1691...

14. Made dapper, with "up": SPRUCED. Speaking of sap, its history likely has little to do with the TREE.

15. Syrupy stuff: TREACLE. A CSO to Steve and all our UK readers, this LINK makes it all make sense.

16. 1957 title role for Michael Landon: TEENAGE WEREWOLF. The original trailer...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADLfJk2267M

18. Lays to rest: INTERS.

19. Recipient of unearned income, perhaps: HEIR.

20. Teammate of Babe: LOU. Ruth: Gehrig.

21. Lash with a bullwhip: LARUE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGnwwXqZ4D8

22. Like jawbreakers: HARD. Well duh!

23. Mountain __: soft drinks: DEWS. A gratuitous way to get the S in.

24. "Wheel" deal: TRIP. Wheel of Fortune.

25. November honorees: VETS. Coming soon to a calendar near you.

26. Range rovers?: POSSE. Very fun clue; followed by...

27. Sub mission site: SEA. Don't ignore the space.

28. Law __: FIRM. Why are there no law pillow tops?

29. Mekong River native: LAO. This river is the 12th longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. It flows through six countries: China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We visited the Golden Triangle last year. The Mekong is on the right.

35. Showed the way: LED.

36. Cry: WAIL.

37. Some govt. hospitals: VAS. Veteran's Administrations.

39. Eponymous musical revue of 1978: EUBIE.  Eubie BLAKE was a born musician who continues to learn and entertain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBnGIfwPdg4

42. Downsides: CONS.

43. 1995 comet spotter Thomas: BOPP. He, along with another amateur astronomer, Alan Hale, spotted the now named Hale-Bopp Comet.

44. In a tussle: AT IT.

45. 10-year-old adventurer who was 7 when she debuted in 2000: DORA. Her movie appeared in a puzzle here recently.

46. Group taking power by force: JUNTA.

47. Sink: SAG.

48. Othello, for one: MOOR.

49. Lacking color: PALLID.

50. Show that has appeared in various versions for six decades: THE NEWLYWED GAME.

53. "Pork fat rules!" chef: LAGASSE. Early Emeril. +

54. Smokey's target: SPEEDER. Remember?

55. One way alternative?: ANOTHER. Or?

56. Square-burgers server: WENDY'S. The third mega-successful fast-food chain was founded by a high school dropout who began life as an adopted child. HISTORY. Dave moved to South Florida and became an important figure in children's education and the rights of the adopted. He also was a genuine and friendly man.


Down:

1. Place to go fly a kite: OPEN AREA. If you believe Charlie brown, it doesn't matter. There will be a kite eating tree waiting for you.

2. Like some hearings: PRE-TRIAL. In litigation almost every hearing is either pre or post-trial.

3. Cause of purring?: TUNE-UP. Not a furry friend but the practice of adjusting the automobile engine. MODERN MECHANICS.

4. Words of sympathy: I CARE.

5. Parts of gigs: MEGS.

6. Lemon finish: ADE. Talk about your straight to the point CSO; thank you, Dr. Ed.

7. Follows directions?: STEERS. Nice misdirection about the joy of driving.

8. Ban competitor: ARRID. Under-arm deodarants.

9. One in a jury box: PEER. From the British common law, and now a debated concept. Who are your peers?

10. Equivocate: HAW. Hmm, no hem?

11. They give lessons in French: ECOLES. Just the French word for school.

12. Permits: ALLOWS.

13. Neutralize: DEFUSE. We need more people who will be successful in defusing all the conflicts in the world.

14. Uplifting things: STILTS. A very nice visual of one of two poles each with a strap for the foot used to elevate the wearer above the ground in walking.

22. Trail mix?: HERD. More nice misdirection; not a snack.

23. Marvel doctor: DOOM. Did anyone dress up as Victor von Doom for Halloween this year?
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h_lSvSWZQSU/maxresdefault.jpg

25. Competed: VIED. Middle English, short for envien, from Anglo-French envier to invite, call on, challenge, from Latin invitare to invite

26. Simon with songs: PAUL.

28. __ ride: FREE.

29. Waikiki neckwear: LEIS.

31. Move like a hummingbird: FLIT.

32. Pan pooch: NANA. Did anyone dress up as Peter Pan this year?

33. Peripatetic bell ringer: AVON LADY.

34. Breaks for sitters: NAP TIMES.

38. "The Blacklist" star: SPADER. He is a wonderful actor who has matured as he has aged. I still watch, even after all the reveals.

39. Calif. barrio region: EAST LA.

40. Jazz fan?: UTAHAN. Basketball.

41. Problem in an ensemble: BIG EGO. Lebron James?

42. Tailgating sight: COOLER.

43. Stuck out: BULGED.

45. Seek out water: DOWSE.

46. Actor/rapper Smith: JADEN. Son of Will and Jada.

48. Dovetail: MESH.

49. First name in smelly romantics: PEPE. M. LePew.

51. __ Geo: cable channel: NAT.

52. Denver-to-Vegas dir.: WSW. Don't tell my son the way.

Ed Sessa

Title: Fooey, we do not need them both. Why do we have PH and F both for the /f/ sound? The Greek letter φ (phi) started it. In Classical Greek this was pronounced as an aspirated [pʰ], which the Latins wrote as phwhen they borrowed the words from Greek. Later this sound changed into an [f] in both Greek and Latin, and was passed as such into French, and then into English. Once the idea that ph was pronounced [f] was established, it spread to a few other areas, as well. Borrowings from Hebrew and other Semitic languages sometimes use ph, especially since the Hebrew letter פ can be [p] or [f] depending on context. Vietnamese regularly uses ph for [f], because the modern Vietnamese orthography was designed by the French.

Hello everyone; hopefully, you are happy to see the puzzle author, our once again prolific retired Dr. Ed who plays beautifully and amusingly with sounds. In a very consistent theme, where F becomes PH, then PH - F, F - PH, PH - F and finally F - PH to complete the perfectly symmetrical and consistent theme. I loved the reversing of the PH/F F/PH as the puzzle gimmick, but I began looking for the A, also. To make the theme work, Ed had to widen the grid and place his grid-spanning central fill with a cheater square on each side to make this all work. Friday, home of the 16 x 15 grid. Also, it is the home of  IT WORKS. SLAMS ON, DOMESTIC, HOT WIRES, iPOD-MINI,  and UNION MAN. Ed is a pro, so let us this effort.

19A. Paramount paramour?: ALPHA ROMEO (10). ALFA Romeo automobiles.  Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. I had the hardest time of thinking past Paramount Pictures and the many leading early stars developed there, including Mary Pickford, Marguerite Clark, Pauline Frederick, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, and Wallace Reid.

24A. Greek goddess carrying a pick?: AFRODITE (8). APHrodite, was the ancient Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is identified with the planet Venus, which is named after the Roman goddess Venus, with whom she was extensively syncretized.

36A. Program for young readers, and a hint to five puzzle answers: PHUN WITH FONICS (14).

51A. Online scammer's tool?: PHISH NET (8). Fishnet will always bring to mind dear Splynter and his ladies. Can you name this lady? Anyway, PHISHING is not nice.

56A. Dispensers of horse pills?: FARMACISTS (10). PHarmacists might not find this amusing, but I do.

Across:

1. O on a stand, say: ISSUE. I am not sure I have the slightest idea what this means; music? My wife?

6. "Pokémon: The Series" genre: ANIME. I like it when clues have their accents.

11. Ceremonial exchange: I DOS.

15. "The Nightmare Room" series author: STINE. R.L. who created the GOOSEBUMPS phenomenon. Here is an INTERVIEW. The man has written an amazing number of BOOKS.

16. Misses without exception: WOMEN. Be careful Dr.Ed, gender is no longer that simple.

17. Dirty work?: PORN. I will not follow that thought up here.

18. Scuba diver's destination: WRECK. If you want to try, you can read THIS.

21. Sandwich title?: EARL.  As with the author of this ARTICLE, I grew up listening to Dusty Dick Summer on WBZ. He is a nice man with whom I have corresponded.  There is one named for 24A.

22. Watches kids: SITS. Interesting how this word developed, as little of the process involves sitting.

23. Sit tight: BIDE.

26. Applies with force, as brakes: SLAMS ON. I filled before reading the clue and was trying to think of a Samson reference that would make sense.

29. Jelly bean-munching president: REAGAN.

30. Color gradation: HUE. I didn't know they even went to school.

31. Modest acknowledgment: I TRY. If you do not laugh, at least...

32. Wolverine relative: WEASEL. Wait just one darn minute, you mean THIS is related to THAT? But what about HIM?

35. In the cooler: ON ICE. Not poured over ice, Tin, so this okay. Maybe you keep your chocolate there.

40. Some satellites: MOONS. Defined as a celestial body orbiting another of larger size

41. Back up anew: RESAVE.

42. European wine area: ASTI.

43. Mend, perhaps: SEW.

44. iHeartRADIO fare: OLDIES.

49. Inventor's cry of success: IT WORKS.!

53. Jones of film, familiarly: INDY.

54. Motley: PIED.

55. Real estate unit: ACRE.

59. Bop on the bean: BRAIN.

60. Bulb in a balloon?: IDEA. I like the alliteration, but this was tough. This EXPERIMENT? Or

61. Boffo Moffo performances: ARIAS. A bit misleading use of the rhyme for a wonderful song by Anna Moffo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTGRnNA33Ww

62. "No more for me": I'M SET.

63. Cap'n's mate: BOSN.

64. Stroke in a parlor: MASSE. Billiard, not beauty, nor even massage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmin3exAQL0

65. Boxing family: BAERS. Maximilian Adelbert Baer (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was an American boxer who was the World Heavyweight Champion from 14 June 1934 to 13 June 1935. His fights were twice (1933 win over Max Schmeling, 1935 loss to James J. Braddock) rated Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Baer was also a boxing referee and had an occasional role on film or television. He was the brother of heavyweight boxing contender Buddy Baer and father of actor Max Baer Jr.

Down:

1. Start of an oath: I SWEAR. To uphold the Constitution...

2. Attack from above: STRAFE.

3. __ Nevada: brewery: SIERRA. We went to their brewery in North Carolina in 2016

4. Clear, as a drain: UNCLOG. Long haired wives...

5. Reaction to a mouse: EEK.

6. Anticipate: AWAIT.

7. "A Walk in the Woods" actor: NOLTE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suK1e_3zNHg

8. Rowdy rug rats: IMPS.

9. "I couldn't care less": MEH.

10. Facilitate: ENABLE.

11. Early Apple audio player: iPod MINI.

12. Made at home: DOMESTIC.

13. Mineral source: ORE.

14. __-Caps: candy: SNO.

Mini Non-pareils

20. Coastal inlet: RIA.

22. Tendon: SINEW.

25. Occurs to, with "on": DAWNS.

26. Early antibiotic: SULFA.

27. Fictional flesh-eaters: ORCS.

28. TV's "Science Guy": NYE.

30. Sly chuckles: HEHS.

33. Buenos __: AIRES.

34. Crock-Pot dish: STEW.

35. First-year law students: ONE LS.

36. Nutter Butter Cereal maker: POST.

37. Starts without a key: HOTWIRES.

38. True-blue teamster, say: UNION MAN.

39. Dumpty-shaped: OVOID.

40. English R&B singer Ella __: MAI.

43. Overhead stadium equipment: SKYCAM.

45. Greg's sitcom wife: DHARMA.

46. To be safe: INCASE.

47. More spooky: EERIER.

48. Angioplasty implants: STENTS.

50. Nutritional no.: RDA.

51. Greek breads: PITAS.

52. "Steppenwolf" author: HESSE. Herman.

54. Greek letters: PSIS. We started with PHIS, now this Ψ.

56. Little lie: FIB.

57. It may be about nothing: ADO. Muchly.

58. 401(k) relative, briefly: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

59. Food collector, at times: BIB.  Until I had grandchildren, I was unfamiliar with these high tech bibs. Much neater.

Ed Sessa

Title: It's November, and that means time to fall back.

A wonderful and timely puzzle from Dr. Sessa, as a reminder to set your clocks back one hour this Sunday, November 4, 2018.  In another Friday 16 x 15 supersized puzzle,  each of the three themers describes a time an hour earlier than the common expression. Dr. Ed works in 2 four-letter bonus fill as well as two 16 space grid-spanners. He also references so many things that are fun for me, if not for everyone. Hey, I am happy. It is nice to have Dr. Sessa back with clues like Make the cut and Off the plate and some sparkly fill HARPOON, PH SCALE, SCISSOR, and SNOOPER.  Well enjoy- time to get to work.


18A. Commonly bristly covering: FOUR O'CLOCK SHADOW (16). Five O'clock Shadow has a great HISTORY.

29A. Christmas celebration: ELEVEN PM MASS (12). Midnight Mass is a little more of a stretch. 

36A. With 37-Across, an apt reminder: FALL (4).

37A. See 36-Across: BACK (4).

51A. Last-minute deadline: THE TENTH HOUR (12). The Eleventh Hour is a phrase meaning at the last moment, taken from a passage in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in the King James Bible, didja know? 

And the reveal-

61A. "Things are different now" ... and an apt hint to three other answers: TIMES HAVE CHANGED (16). They haven't yet, but they are about to. 

Across:

1. Service calls: AMENS. Another fun clue/fill- not tennis.

6. Emotionally bother: GET TO.

11. Sonic the Hedgehog maker: SEGA. SErvice GAmes of Japan has had a troubled HISTORY.

15. Miller's salesman: LOMAN. Arthur, not the beer maker. I think Lee J. Cobb was the best.
ACT I 

16. Audibly awed: AGASP. A word.

17. Dirt handful: CLOD. It is the earth equivalent of a clot; "lump of earth or clay," Old English clod- (in clodhamer "the fieldfare," a kind of thrush), from Proto-Germanic *kludda-, from PIE *gleu- (see clay). Also, the pejorative from 1590s; that of "blockhead, dolt, stupid fellow" is from c. 1600 (compare clodpate, clodpoll, etc. in the same sense). And no you know.

21. "Settle down!": COOL IT.

22. Watch name: OMEGA. Bond, James Bond.

23. Black shade: JET. The clecho- 60D. Black shade: ONYX.

26. Positive aspects: PROS. This list- pros/cons.

27. Make the cut?: SCISSOR. Scissor as a verb (why is that "c" there?) transitive verb: to cut, cut up, or cut off with scissors or shears.

32. Sock part: TOE.

33. Innate abilities: FLAIRS.

34. Ginsburg colleague: ALITO. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader and Samuel.

39. Pile: HEAP.

43. Off the plate: EATEN. Literally true.

46. Mooch: SPONGE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30knrJBeyr0

48. SHO sister channel: TMC. The Movie Channel, which costs money; not Turner Classic Movies.

54. Whaling weapon: HARPOON. Think Moby Dick.

56. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

57. Friend of Frodo: SAM. Samwise "Sam" Gamgee is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the main characters of The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypal role as the sidekick of the primary protagonist, Frodo Baggins.

58. Red flag: ALARM.

59. World Heritage Site org.: UNESCO. LINK.

67. Long-billed wader: IBIS. Oddly the mascot of the Miami Hurricanes. Down here we have many Egrets which look very much like them.

68. Like Stout's Wolfe: OBESE. Nero is back. My favorite character and sidekick- Archie Goodwin.

69. Former National Endowment for the Humanities chair Cheney: LYNNE. This WOMAN is the wife of former VP Dick Cheney.

70. Great balls of fire: SUNS. You must listen to one of my all-time favorites who came to play at the Great Southern Music Hall when I lived in Gainesville.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjgZGhHrYY

71. Herd butters: GOATS. A little head-butting humor.

72. Radiate: EXUDE.

Down:

1. 1980s TV ET: ALF. Alternate Life Form.

2. Call from Mrs. O'Leary's barn: MOO.

3. Dingo prey: EMU.

4. Cop making a traffic stop?: NARC.
Drug traffic- well-done
misdirection.

5. Nosy sort: SNOOPER. Love Gladys.


6. Mustang's rate of speed, at times: GALLOP. The horse not the car.

7. Selfishness: EGOISM. Often is in conflict with...

8. Delicacy: TACT. Which causes people to express...

9. Sound of disapproval: TSK. Seldom just one.

10. Special __: OPS.

11. Ponzi schemes, e.g.: SCAMS.

12. Firstborn: ELDEST. And some famous ones. 40D. Genesis grandson: ENOS. Talk about literary license; Enos, son of Seth, grandson of Adam,  was ninety when he begat Cainan, his eldest. After Cainan, Enos had other sons and daughters and lived for another eight hundred and fifteen years. The Bible Timeline charts his birth at 3769 BC and death at 2864 BC.

13. Like lovestruck eyes: GOO GOO. I am told the phrase has something to do with the old comics (1919) character Barney Google, who had protruding eyes (I know, hardly a flattering version) called Googley eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LDRbOFkP0A

14. Pop-up source: ADWARE.

19. Reasons to take painful steps?: CORNS. What exactly are corns on the foot? Corns generally occur at pressure points, typically the bottom of the feet and the sides of toes. They can be painful. A hard corn is a small patch of thickened, dead skin with a central core. A soft corn has a much thinner surface and usually occurs between the 4th and 5th toes. WebMD.

20. Verb in the song "Sloop John B": HOIST. The chorus...
So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I want to go home, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home

23. Mutt's companion: JEFF. More old-time comic characters. 1907.

24. "First Lady of Song": ELLA. Hard to believe she has been gone more than 20 years. LINK.

25. Colorful duck: TEAL. Yes, but they taste terrible.

27. Polio vaccine pioneer: SALK. I have told my polio vaccine story too often, but it was a special time for my brothers and me.

28. TV forensic series: CSI. Crime Scene Investigation.

30. Nasty: VILE.

31. Cheese go-with: MAC.

35. "Trouble ahead!": OH OH.

37. "It's __ fun": BEEN.

38. Farm crawler: ANT.

41. Water en un lago: AGUA. Water in the Spanish lake.

42. Salon offering: PERManent. Those with straight hair want curls; those with curls want straight.

44. Scintillas: ATOMS.

45. Short still?: THO. Yet or again, short tells you it is not a full word.

46. Squirrel away: STASH.

47. Range on which 7 denotes neutrality: PH SCALE. Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe a chemical property chemical. Mixing acids and bases can cancel out or neutralize their extreme effects. A substance that is neither acidic nor basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Elmhurst Colleg.

48. Strictly speaking: THAT IS.

49. "Two and a Half Men" beach setting: MALIBU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypMtP5qfpfE

50. Pack without an inch to spare: CRAM IN.

52. First name of a literary "Papa": ERNEST.

53. Family reunion attendees: NIECES. The 29th was my first grandchild, Charlotte's birthday, and the day my newest grand-niece (by way of Oo) was born.

55. Persist, with "on": PRESS.

59. Pigmented eye area: UVEA. Did you know uveal pigment
Melanin in the choroid layer of the eye, the ciliary processes, and the posterior surface of the iris. Uveal pigment absorbs light within the eyeball to prevent glare.

62. "Sooey!" responder: HOG.

63. Blood classification letters: ABO. The HISTORY.

64. Beast that rhymes with zoo: GNU. Who knew?

65. Word with living or dead: END. The living dead are not the living end.

66. When doubled, a Ramone: DEE. Dee Dee and Joey Ramone TALK.

Ed Sessa

Title: Sub-chapter C? No, we need an S Corporation to solve this.

One of the many very successful constructors who emerged since we moved to the LAT, Dr. Sessa, a pediatrician presents us with his 86th LAT to go along with 36 NYT publications, hitting for the cycle in both venues. My first time blogging him was the same day his INTERVIEW with C.C. was published in 2011. Today we have a very simple and getable theme, merely adding a cedilla. It is a mark ( ¸ ) written under the letter c, especially in French, to show that it is pronounced like an "s" rather than a "k" (e.g., façade ). Here we just change the C to S. As Ed said in his interview, he wants to amuse and to make the theme an aha moment. I saw the theme with BRISK LAYER which made the solve much easier. As a seasoned professional, he adds a variety of sparkly fill. ACTUALLY, BATH SOAP,  COROLLAS,  DIAMETER,  OVERLAPS, and SHIMMIES. The themers-

17A. Eggs-uberant hen?: BRISK LAYER (10). My Uncle Harold taught BRICK laying in trade school. The clue is funny to me.

24A. Loon, at times?: DUSK CALLER (10). The change from DUCK caller would not help unless you know Loons (the official bird of the Corner) was famous for its night CALLING.

36A. Do some '80s Sochi sunbathing?: BASK IN THE USSR (13). This 1968 Beatles song -BACK IN THE USSR - is repurposed with memories of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

49A. Hitchhiking and texting?: THUMB TASKS (10). Thumb TACKS and hitchhiking are not as popular as they used to be, but it is amazing how fast young people maneuver their thumbs while texting. 

59A. What young elephants do for fun?: NIP AND TUSK (10). The first known usage of 'nip and TUCK' comes from the Arkansas Times and Advocate, August 1838: "It will be a close race in this county - Tully and Cummins, nip and tuck; and I don't know which will have it." 

The rest-

Across:

1. "Ta-ta!": SEE YA. I like this expression.

6. Kaput: SHOT.

10. Musical ending: CODA. JzB can say more about this as the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure

14. Ready for the operation: UNDER. The anesthesia.

15. Dance that may involve a chair: HORA. This is back again! Let's dance. We had a great Simchat Torah party this year with lots of dancing. It is not often you get to dance with a 99-year-old wonder , I was the one with the cane.

16. "Amores" poet: OVID. Publius Ovidius Naso, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. LINK.

19. Like used books: READ. Well-read I hope.

20. __ Xtra: cherry soda brand: PIBB.
No longer Mr. Pibb. I wonder if Dr. Pepper is next.

21. Apple on a desk: IMAC.

22. Word with ring or book: WORM. Sounds like a puzzle theme.

23. Rights org.: ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union.

27. Butler on a plantation: RHETT. Not the one who opens the door but the one who does'nt give a damn.

29. Like Colbert's show: ON LATE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU9fEm-6Z9w

30. Kiss: SMOOCH.

35. Summit: APEX. Or acme.

40. "The Well-Tempered Clavier" composer: BACH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezZdbzreNcs

41. Taking medication: DOSING. Does he mean taking LSD? I know he is trained, medical man.

42. Final flight destinations?: ATTICS. Wonderful clue.

44. Kitchen shelf array: HERBS.

54. Tick repellent: DEET. N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called DEET (/diːt/) or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents.

55. __ Club: SAMS.

56. When repeated, fish on a menu: MAHI.

57. "That being the case ... ": IF SO.

58. Letters after E?: COLI. Hard to parse.

61. The third Mrs. Roy Rogers: DALE. I had no idea the Leonard Slye had two prior marriages. LINK.

62. Airer of many NCAA games: ESPN.

63. Farm stray: DOGIE.

64. 1974 CIA spoof: S*P*Y*S. After the massive success of M*A*S*H, this movie which also starred Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland were marketed with the asterisks to make people think they had something in common.

65. Reasons: WHYS. Why not?

66. Cornered, in a way: TREED. Forced or chased up a tree: a treed raccoon.


Down:

1. Not up to snuff: SUBPAR.

2. Increase the value of: ENRICH.

3. Consumer-friendly?: EDIBLE. A stretch but it actually works.

4. Hedge opening: YES, BUT. Another tricky variation clue; well done.

5. Biblical traveler: ARK.

6. Former SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU.

7. Georgetown athletes: HOYAS.

8. Eponymous vacuum brand: ORECK.

9. Roofer's supply: TAR.

10. Popular Toyotas: COROLLAS.

11. Has in common: OVERLAPS.

12. Line through the middle: DIAMETER.

13. Include: ADD.

18. Pot top: LID.

22. Lacking color: WAN.

25. Ben of Ben & Jerry's: COHEN.

26. "Toy Story" dinosaur: REX.

28. Scolder's cluck: TSK.

31. In the __ of: MIDST.

32. Creator of Iceland's Imagine Peace Tower: ONO.

33. Ties may be broken in them, briefly: OTS.

34. Only half-pretentious?: CHI.

36. Bar by the tub: BATH SOAP.

37. If truth be told: ACTUALLY.

38. Does a ragtime dance: SHIMMIES.

39. "That's disgusting!": UGH.

40. Skeeter eater: BAT.

43. "60 Minutes" network: CBS.

45. One slightly changed this clue: EDITOR.

46. Storm shelter, say: REFUGE.

47. Blues great Smith: BESSIE.

48. Fired up: STOKED.

50. Sect in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County: AMISH.

51. Like maple trees and pigeons?: SAPPY.

52. Ruling descendants of Genghis: KHANS.

53. Thing to confess: SIN.

58. DJ's inventory: CDS.

59. Strange (to): NEW.

60. "Silent Spring" subj.: DDT. The novel by Rachel Carson was published in 1962. I remember it as being very controversial at the time.

Ed Sessa

Title: Babar where are you?

I apologize for an abbreviated write up but I was supposed to have surgery last Friday and then it got moved to Wednesday and then after waiting around the hospital it got cancelled again and I was quite bummed. Anyway, Ed Sessa a consistent pro has created a puzzle that seems to have only three theme fill, all grid-spanners and all related to elephants. I have always loved them since my mother read Babar to me and have about 75 images made from paper to jade.







BACK LINK,  DON ADAMS,  FENDS OFF,  NAME DROP,  SEXTANTS,  TAP DANCE,
IGNORAMUSES and  OVEREXCITED


17A. Ring heavyweights : CIRCUS ELEPHANTS (15).

33A. Makes next to nothing : WORKS FOR PEANUTS (15).

49A. Jack's spot : AUTOMOBILE TRUNK (15).

Across:

1. Innocents : LAMBS. A biblical metaphor.

6. Afternoon tea accompanier : CHAT. Not the French word for cat, but small talk.

10. Longtime shipboard scurvy preventative : LIME. Because lemon would not fit.

14. Piles (of) : A HEAP. Can you sing the song that includes this line, "To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality..."?

15. "Yo" : HI YA.

16. Matched, in Paris Match : EGAL. French for equality, as in liberté égalité fraternité, the motto of the French Revolution.

20. Big cheese : KRAFT. Cute clue/fill and a fascinating history of food in AMERICA.

21. NYC building that was Lennon's last home, with "The" : DAKOTA. Not far from Strawberry Fields at New York's Central Park. A nice walk the the Museum of Natural History.

22. Literary intros : PROLOGS.

25. "Real Time" host : MAHER. A run of the mill comic who reemerged as a political satirist from the left.

26. Western ambush site : RAVINE. I grew up on Gilman Street which connected to Ravine Street.

27. '80s voice of Inspector Gadget : DON ADAMS. Don is more famous as Maxwell Smart.

30. "You said it!" : AMEN.

31. Protest movement : MARCH.

32. Angus beef? : MOO. What a cow says when complaining - brilliant.

37. San Jose-to-Sacramento dir. : NNE.

38. Uncultivated land : HEATH. made famous by the Bronte sisters.

39. Regarding : AS TO.

40. Navigation tools : SEXTANTS. How do they figure these things out. LINK.

42. Grapefruit's bigger cousin : POMELO. You need to learn citrus TAXONOMY or remember the french word Pamplemousse.

44. Common bugs : COLDS. Another fun Friday misdirection.

45. Baroness Blixen's pen name : DINESEN. Isak Dinesen was the pen name for Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke most famous for Out of Africa and appearing in crossword puzzles.

46. Women's clothing chain founded on Florida's Sanibel Island : CHICOS.  They have three BRANDS.

48. Like Olympic racetracks : LANED.

54. Appear : SEEM.

55. Unnerve : FAZE.

56. Was successful in : WON AT.

57. "Nothing lived in him but fear and hatred" : HYDE. The dark side of Dr. Jekyll from the mind of Robert Louis Stevenson. He also wrote Treasure Island.

58. Become undone, in a way : FRAY. Cuffs on dress shirts e.g.

59. Gets down to business? : OPENS.

Down:

1. Senegal's pink-watered __ Rose : LAC. from the French for Pink Lake. LINK.

2. Sushi selection : AHI.

3. Cannes view : MER. The sea in French.

4. Website-to-website connection : BACK LINK. No idea but it fits.

5. Embolden : SPUR ON.

6. Ones doing the dishes : CHEFS. Not washing them, but creating them. Again, bravo!

7. Sword handle : HILT.

8. Maritime agreement : AYE aye cap'n.

9. Cagney does it on stairs in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" : TAP DANCE.  
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMPXHNrKye4
        
10. Came out somehow : LEAKED. Politics.

11. Dolts : IGNORAMUSES. I asked and the world answered.

12. Damon of the Bourne films : MATT.

13. Big cat of film : ELSA. Born Free.

18. Wise one : SAGE.

19. "Very funny!" : HA HA HA. The Thai word for the number 5 sounds like HA, so 555.

22. Seafood order : PRAWNS. I do not know but read prawns have claws on three of their five pairs of legs, shrimp have claws on two of their five pairs of legs. Their gills and body shape are different too. As far as cooking them goes, they are virtually identical and interchangeable

23. Punk rock surname : RAMONE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4P4ln781D0

24. Hyped-up : OVEREXCITED.

25. Transform : MORPH.

27. Pub entertainment : DARTS.

28. Mark with blotches : MOTTLE. Mottled skin, also known as livedo reticularis, is alone a harmless condition that is commonly seen with vascular issues and autoimmune diseases.

29. "Already?" : SO SOON.

31. Medieval barriers : MOATS.

34. Hebrew greeting : SHALOM. Shabbat shalom.

35. Drives back : FENDS OFF.

36. Make a personal connection? : NAME DROP. Great. How many name droppers do you know? Nor counting me.

41. On the way : TO COME.

42. Softwood tree : PINE.

43. Knockout couple? : ONE TWO. Give 'em the old one two.

45. Prominent mayor at the 1968 Democratic Convention : DALEY. The year of the riots, vote with your feet etc.

46. What's in your wallet : CASH. Not always.

47. News headliner Lewis? : HUEY. His band.  Their WEB-SITE.

48. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special : LIZA. I liked her in Cabaret, not much else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWURas7fYwk

50. Military band? : BAR.

51. A, in Avignon : UNE. Just French.

52. Photographer Goldin : NAN. I should have remembered this WOMAN.

53. Board jumpers: Abbr. : KTS. We end with an abbreviation I am unfamiliar with; the Knights in a Chess match.

Ed Sessa

Title: Are you crazy, you are acting ENOTS?

It has been a few years since I had the pleasure of writing up an Ed Sessa puzzles. This one made me miss Barry G., as the revealing circles do not exist on this Friday effort. After filling the first three theme answers, I had no clue where we were going. It did not take long to decipher the reveal, but finding the "stones" which were hidden was a challenge. Once RUBY was was revealed, it made me look for GEM stones, and poof.  Thank you my role model and mentor. With two 15 letter themers and two 12s, we have a full theme. We also have some very interesting fill -  JELLICLE, CEREBRAL, ISLAMABAD and  FRAGRANCE are each nice challenges.

17A. Last line of Dale Evans Rogers' "Happy Trails" : TILL WE MEET AGAIN (15). This was one of the first TV shows I saw in the mid 50's.

27A. Got laughs, hopefully : CRACKED A JOKE (12). I was trying to make something out of rearranging JOKE.

43A. Alternative for beef avoiders : TURKEY  BURGER (12). The this happened and I was lost, until the RUB met the Y.

57A. What's left by an ace investigator ... and in each of the four longest puzzle answers : NO ENOTS UNTURNED (15). NO STONE UNTURNED is the phrase that turns STONE to ENOTS,
ETAGA to AGATE; EDAJ to JADE and YBUR to RUBY. It is also what a good detective would do. Since solvers are in part detectives, I say- the game is afoot Watson!

Across:

1. Device used with a planchette : OUIJA. Really cool, hard first clue, which luckily comes from French. (little plank)

w

6. Hail in old Rome : AVE. Ave atque vale. Catullus.

9. 2000s Israeli prime minister Sharon : ARIEL. His END was a strange story.

14. Rip out stitchwork in : UNSEW. Legitimate word, but why do we need it.

15. "The Louisville __": nickname for Ali : LIP. Mostly when he was still Cassius Clay.

16. "Five Weeks in a Balloon" novelist : VERNE. This was his publication. LIST.

20. Puget Sound swimmer : SEAL.  These GUYS.

21. Bull pen locale : RODEO. Nice deception for the baseball people.

22. Sci. subject : ANATomy.

23. Recipe directive : MIX IN.

25. Cat of many colors : CALICO.

31. Stately : NOBLE.

32. Tomato type : ROMA. I mentioned this before, but they are not from Italy.  "It was developed by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Maryland in the 1950s as a fusarium wilt-resistant cultivar." Wiki.

33. Bird __ : FLU.

36. Scottish countryside sight : BRAE.

37. Northern Kentucky county : BOONE. Not far from Cincinnati.

39. Complain : CRAB. An odd dupe with this Simpson's star...56D. Krabappel of "The Simpsons" : EDNA. When actress Marcia Wallace died so did this CHARACTER.

40. Dancer Charisse : CYD. She born Tula Ellice Finklea and her baby brother called her "sid" trying to say sis. She was an amazing dancer, and her turn was a great part of Dancing in the Rain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YWBOfsXsDA

41. Stew veggies : PEAS. I never use them, but it does rhyme with....

42. Kid around with : TEASE.

46. Prepare for cooking, as sole : DEBONE. Fillet anyone?

49. One getting under your skin : VEXER. Okay Ed, you win. I know this is real from the French VEXER, but with CRAB, DEBONE it is a bit much.

50. From the top : ANEW.

51. Time server, usually : FELON.

54. Block in a barn : BALE. Hay, now many barns have you been to lately?

60. Mischievous : ELFIN. Because they were small they were not thought to be as dangerous.

61. Gloucester's cape : ANN. Not a garment but a New England site to see.

62. "The Heart of Georgia" : MACON. It is literally close to the center by the Ocmulgee River,

63. MS. enclosures : SASES. Self addressed stamped envelopes.

64. Strings for Israel Kamakawiwo'ole : UKE. The name was obviously Hawaiian so the fill was easy. I was not familiar with htis bigger than life performer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z26BvHOD_sg

65. Legislative assemblies : PLENA. While I know the Latin, I do not think this is accurate. I know it is the plural of PLENUM....anyway a tough beginning and end to the acrosses.

Down:

1. See 59-Down : OUTS. OOOO.

2. Combined, in Cannes : UNIE. Etats unis.

3. Capital NW of New Delhi : ISLAMABAD. Maybe for your next VACATION some time in Pakistan.

4. Type of cat in "Cats" : JELLICLE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7uTcYvoEbU

5. "How cute!" : AWW. Thank you, I was not feeling cute.

6. Marzipan staple : ALMOND. I am a FAN.

7. Competed : VIED.

8. Parrier's tool : EPEE.  To ward off a sword.

9. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GdJaV-kIo

10. Entertain lavishly : REGALE.

11. Tabriz native : IRANI. More mid-east geography.

12. "Giant Brain" unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC.

13. Slowly, to Salieri : LENTO.

18. Point Pelee's lake : ERIE.

19. In the future : TO COME.

24. Jag model : XKE.

26. Dossier shorthand : AKA.

27. "Squawk Box" airer : CNBC.

28. 2016 FedExCup winner McIlroy : RORY.

29. Came up : AROSE.

30. "The Daily Show" host before Trevor : JON. Stewart.

33. Chanel offering : FRAGRANCE. Or more officially- smell good.

34. Whack a mole? : LASE. All perps- no idea.

35. Lyft competitor : UBER.

37. Deprived (of) : BEREFT.

38. Whiskey barrel wood : OAK.

39. Highbrow : CEREBRAL.

41. "The lowest form of humor—when you don't think of it first": Oscar Levant : PUN. My kind of guy; he would tell all the starlets if they played their cards right they could take home an Oscar.

42. Prom rental : TUX.

43. Many an off-campus local : TOWNIE. As a product of private schools, I had many varied experiences with townies.

44. '60s Batgirl portrayer Craig : YVONNE. She was on the TV show. I remember best for this DANCE.

45. At an angle : BENT.

46. Some North Sea fishermen : DANES.

47. Name on a historic B-29 : ENOLA. The first A-bomb.

48. Squawks : BEEFS.

52. Genesis brother : ESAU.

53. Blockhead : LUNK.

55. "Coming Home" singer Bridges : LEON.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fILqqaYNOy4

58. Add-__ : ONS.

59. Caller of 1-Down : UMP. End where we began the downs.

Well, I am back this week with a challenge from Ed. I look forward to your thoughts as my mind is all over the place. Thank you all, and thank you Ed. Lemonade out.