Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Friday Funderdome WITHOUT Steve Harvey!

Jeffrey is back with one of his specialties - adding a three letter (or more) word to an existing phrase. In this installment he adds FUN so we all have fun. The first splits into two words, the second splits one word and the third is added to the beginning of the phrase. With the three theme plus reveal JW really crafted a very balanced grid loaded with many new things, sparkly things and well clued fill.
GUN SHOT,  INCHING, REPO-MAN, SENSORS, TRAUMAS, ADAM'S RIB,  PAID RENT,
EAT TO LIVE and the wonderful IMMENSELY are among my favorites.

17A. Complain, "Don't I get anything to do around here?"? : DEMAND A FUNCTION (15).
Demand Action.

24A. Compensation for an incomplete sundae? : CHERRY REFUND (12). Cherry Red is a color, a record company, a song....

40A. When a restaurant offers its weekly mushroom specials? : FUNGAL FRIDAY (12). No idea about the resulting phrase,  but Gal Friday was very popular before we needed to choose our words to not offend, even unintentionally. 

The reveal:
51A. "It's party time!" ... or a hint to 17-, 24- and 40-Across : LET'S HAVE SOME FUN (15).


Across:

1. Asian priests : LAMAS. The one L ones.

6. Miso base : DASHI. If you appreciate Japanese cooking you need to read the LINK.

11. Zodiac critter : RAM. The symbol of the ram for Aries is based on the Chrysomallus, the flying ram that provided the Golden Fleece. (Atsma).

14. Town house, e.g. : ABODE.

15. How gourmands enjoy their food : IMMENSELY. A lovely double entendre that is not sexual.

19. Distressed sort? : DAMSEL.

20. Medium for much body art : HENNA.  These TATTOOS are very popular for people visiting Key West.

21. Crop planter : SOWER. Reap what you shall sow.

23. Slants : BIASES.

28. European luxury vehicles : AUDIS.

29. Atari release of 1972 : PONG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4VRgY3tkh0

30. Twaddle : PAP. Two words that are not popular where I live.

33. Rock quarry unit : SLAB. You can buy them DIRECT.

34. River feeder : BROOK.

36. It may involve cold calls : POLL. I am so glad I no longer have a landline.

37. Air-conditioning sound : HUM.

38. Territory east of the Philippines : GUAM. US Territory that is.

39. Dance performed with passion : TANGO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvDkKXl82Rg

43. Witless sorts : MORONS. Not always un-pc WORD.

46. Water nymph : NAIAD.

47. Diarist Nin : ANAIS.

48. Heads or tails : PLURAL.  Old fashioned puzzle trickery.

56. 2003 best-selling nutritional self-help book : EAT TO LIVE.

57. Raring to go : ANTSY.

58. Furtive : SLY.

59. x, in math : TIMES.

60. Condition : STATE.

Down:

1. Any Boy Scout : LAD. Every Boy Scout.

2. Not up : ABED.

3. NYC cultural attraction : MOMA. Museum of Modern Art. A wonderful place.

4. Tracy/Hepburn classic : ADAM'S RIB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ5NpJ81AY4

5. Burglar alarm devices : SENSORS.

6. Electronic telemarketing tool : DIALER.

7. Big initials in bowling : AMF. Brunswick and AMF, any comment Boomer?

8. Dallas campus: Abbr. : SMU. Southern Methodist University.

9. Chick magnet? : HEN.

10. Making slow progress : INCHING.

11. Jockey controls : REINS.

12. Isolated : ALONE.

13. Birds that may babble : MYNAS.

16. Stand (one) in good __: be useful to : STEAD.

18. Like a meadow in the morning : DEWY.

22. One taking things back? : REPOMAN.

23. Balderdash : BUNK.

24. Fives and tens, say : CASH. Again?

25. Netflix competitor : HULU.

26. Dutch export : EDAM.

27. Rock's __ Fighters : FOO. Very successful SUCCESSOR to Nirvana.

30. 31-Down environment : POND.

31. Bit of 30-Down life : ALGA.

32. Bit of subterfuge : PLOY.

34. Backyard cookout supply : BUNS. For Splynter I found this LINK.

35. Car wash item : RAG.

36. Leased, with "on" : PAID RENT. No idea what the "on" adds to this.

38. Crime drama sound effect : GUNSHOT. The sound alone can cause...

39. Psychological wounds : TRAUMAS.

40. Pass off (on) : FOIST.

41. Runs out : LAPSES.

42. Baklava dough : FILO.

43. Bulls and bucks : MALES. How cool to have a basketball misdirection just before...

44. Retired NBA center : O'NEAL. There are two that I know of. They were even teammates in Boston, when they were no longer stars, I think. Jermaine on the viewer's left, Shaquille on the right.

45. Like shabby old clothes : RATTY.

49. Mennen lotion : AFTA.

50. "... prologue to the history of __ and foul thoughts": Iago : LUST.
"Lechery, by this hand, an index and obscure prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts." Act II, Scene 1, Othello by a regular visitor to JW puzzles.

52. Ring legend : ALI.

53. Get-up-and-go : VIM. And vigor.

54. Big night : EVE.

55. TV's "Science Guy" : NYE. My favorite SCENE.

Well it was a JW so it must be Friday; I hope you enjoyed his work and the guided tour.  Lemonade out.

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.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title:   'Ay you, let's switch.

Our Friday maven JW is back. Once again we have a letter switch puzzle, with the resulting fill clued whimsically.  We have five clues where an "A" is replaced with a "U." The initial three have the change in the first word, the remaining two in the second word. All of the new fill are witty BUNK Robber my favorite and Exhaust FUN the most poignant. With 61 theme squares, JW still manages to include ARTEMIS,  USED CAR, EPITHETS,  FORENSIC, SNATCHING and  WOOD SCREW to leave a satisfying grid.

17A. Thief at a sleepaway camp? : BUNK ROBBER (10). The BANK robber downsized.

24A. People who wear "I'm with stupid" T-shirts? : DUNCE PARTNERS (13). Perhaps they will become DANCE Partners.

37A. Fail a jewelry class lesson? : BUNGLE BRACELETS (15). Not my favorite, BANGLE Bracelet while alliterative, just does not excite.

48A. What drives a fashionista? : CLOTHES HUNGER (13). Clothes HANGERS have not changed much in my lifetime.

59A. Run out of amusing things to do? : EXHAUST FUN (10). Every stove has an Exhaust FAN.


Across: 

1. Itsy-bitsy critter : MITE. Dust mite anyone?

5. Caroler's accoutrement : SCARF. Accouterment is such a classy word!

10. Farthest from the hole : AWAY. This is for golfers, determining who plays next.

14. Slangy "Got that?" : Y'SEE?  This contraction of 'you see' is in the dictionary now.

15. Izu Islands city : TOKYO. Major learning moment for me. LINK.

16. Soda opener? : COCA. Cola.

19. Red cap? : CORK. Red wine - nice clue.

20. Vivid dye : AZO. The  wiki-chemist says "aryl azo compounds have vivid colors, especially reds, oranges, and yellows. Therefore, they are used as dyes, and are commonly known as azo dyes."

21. Kibbutz entertainment : HORA. The dance.  There are variations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GDVGpf2wxM

22. End sections of some Greek poems : EPODES. Epode, a verse form composed of two lines differing in construction and often in metre, the second shorter than the first. In Greek lyric odes, an epode is the third part of the three-part structure of the poem, following the strophe and the antistrophe. The word is from the Greek epōidós, “sung” or “said after.” Sure.

27. __ Cruces : LAS. The crosses, Spanish, is located in New Mexico.

28. It may be a lemon : USED CAR. A clear CSO.

31. Lhasa __ : APSO.

34. Range : AMBIT.

36. LP maker : RCA.

41. Bali or Hanes product : BRA. Any other three letter products?

42. Bridge call : I PASS.

43. Boo-boo : OWIE.

44. Deity with bow and arrows : ARTEMIS. The Greek goddess of the hunt, etc. She and Diana are similar but not the SAME. 56A. Superhero with a hammer : THOR. Now we have a Norse god added.

46. Bot., e.g. : SCI.

54. Go over : REHASH.

57. Natural resource : ORE.

58. Tissue box access : SLIT.

62. Forest climber : VINE.

63. Three-time 20-game winner for the '70s Red Sox : TIANT. I will never forget his WINDUP or his STORY.

64. Cried : WEPT.

65. Classifies (as) : PEGS.

66. Trig functions : SINES.

67. Fine things? : ARTS.

Down:

1. "I'm the culprit" : MY BAD. Mea culpa before the millennials came along.

2. Brand once hawked by an eponymous "Joe" : ISUZU. He was a STAR.

3. Joinery element : TENON. Splynter? You agree joinery is the wooden components of a building, such as stairs, doors, and door and window frames, viewed collectively?

4. "I sure don't want that" : EEK. Two weeks in a row.

5. Retrieves dropped keys, say : STOOPS.

6. Hooded snake : COBRA.

7. Mogul emperor, 1556-1605 : AKBAR. Interesting MAN.

8. Bakery offering : RYE. It was rye bread that led to the Salem witch trials.

9. Like "CSI" work : FORENSIC. Which I may have learned from CSI.

10. Agreement : ACCORD.

11. Item in many an IKEA kit : WOOD SCREW.  "Wood screws are better than drywall screws for woodworking projects. Drywall screws are made of hardened, brittle steel, and the shaft will often snap during installation, especially if they're screwed into hardwoods."

12. Lot division : ACRE. There are 64 acres in a Section, but mot lots are smaller than an acre.

13. Shoots the breeze : YAKS.

18. Carla portrayer on "Cheers" : RHEA.

23. Actress/author Holly Robinson __ : PEETE. Ex-Detroit Lion QB Rodney Peete's wife.
RODNEY did not have a great career, but he found a great WIFE.

25. Obstruct : CLOG.

26. Marching band section : TUBAS.

29. When "Kansas City" is sung in "Oklahoma!" : ACT I.

30. Knock down, in Nottingham : RASE. The British spelling of the word we spell raze.

31. "SOS" group : ABBA.

32. Run smoothly : PURR.

33. Pickpocket's activity : SNATCHING. Actually it seems more like stealing to me.

34. Humiliate : ABASH.

35. Union address? : MRS. Fun clue/fill.

38. Oscar night arrivals : LIMOS.

39. Peter the Great et al. : EPITHETS. They are not always nice, the Terrible, the Mad etc.

40. Butcher's offering : LOIN.

45. Brings great pleasure to : ELATES.

46. Shows anger, maybe : SHOUTS.

47. Ornery sorts : CURS.

49. Vermont patriot Allen : ETHAN. More famous for his furniture.

50. Oscar-nominated western : SHANE.

51. Menial assistant : GOFER.

52. Blow : ERUPT.

53. Flat fees : RENTS. Pun on British word for apartment.

54. "I'll be there" message, e.g. : RSVP.

55. Author Wiesel : ELIE.

60. Number on old dials : XII.

61. BOAC competitor : TWA. They both are gone.

Dave Cuzzolina & Patti Varol

Title: Add a letter - find an animal

Well it seems that we have a new Patti Varol (Rich's assistant) mentee debuting on a Friday. The gimmick is simple but I have not seen it before. The adding a letter to a word to make it into an animal related fill is skillfully done. CATTITUDE is my favorite and LAMBITION, not so much, but they are all good.




17A. Know-nothing swine? : PIGNORAMUS (10). Do people say Ignoramus any more? I guess so; LISTEN at your own risk.

22A. Puppet's desire to manipulate Shari Lewis for a change? : LAMBITION (9). This takes knowing LAMB CHOP was her lead sock puppet.

35A. Sass from a young lion? : CATTITUDE (9). I leave this for CED to go wild with.

51A. Lazy lady's man? : SLOTHARIO (9). Yes this is REAL.

58A. Cephalopod wizard's game? : SQUIDDITCH (10). The only one that has no google life. It is a portmanteau of SQUID and QUIDDITCH.

Finding five which could be placed symmetrically was great.


Across:

1. Actress Kaczmarek or Krakowski : JANE. It took me a minute, but I think the first was from Malcolm in the Middle and the latter from Ally McBeal and 30 Rock.

5. Friends abroad : AMIS. French.

9. Resigned words : AH ME.

13. Chihuahua cheers : OLES. Chihuahua, Mexico.

14. Point of view : SLANT.

15. Creep : TOAD. Not a meaning I know.

16. Woodshop tools : SAWS.

19. "Conan" channel : TBS. Turner Broadcasting System.

20. Baja vacation spot : CABO. Both spring breakers and high end travelers go HERE.

21. Co-owner of the Pequod : PELEG. I do know Moby Dick. But is he FUNNY?

25. Yale founder Yale : ELIHU. Hence Eli.

27. Come to light : EMERGE.

28. Cry of fright : EEK.

or 18D. Raise a stink? : REEK. Game of Thrones?

30. GoPro product, briefly : CAMera.

31. Before thou know'st : ANON. Popular Shakespeare word.

32. The teensiest bit : A TAD.

34. One filling in : TEMP. Temporary help.

38. Conceal : MASK. The movie?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phWOcrG7sCQ

41. Piano recital piece, e.g. : SOLO.

42. Marine predator : ORCA.

45. Lead-in to roll or spree : ON A.

46. Moll's leg : GAM. Two words from the gangster world; moll has meant gangster's girlfriend since the 1500's. Gam appeared in the 30's.

47. Fast entry : IN RUSH.

49. Mink relative : OTTER. I knew this, not sure why.

54. Long Island airport town : ISLIP. I flew into Islip with my wife two years ago on our trip to my childhood haunts.

56. __ Domani: Italian wine brand : ECCO. Where is Chairman Mao, our wine expert?

57. Issuer of nine-digit ID nos. : SSA.

60. Tale spinner : LIAR.

61. Sport whose champions are called "yokozuna" : SUMO. A great MATCH featuring two champions.

62. CoverGirl competitor : ALMAY.

63. Car rental giant : AVIS. We this more often than Hertz.

64. Suckling spot : TEAT. Oh My!

65. Come off as : SEEM.

66. Formally relinquish : CEDE.

Down:

1. Elbow one's way : JOSTLE.

2. "To Kill A Mockingbird" setting : ALABAMA.

3. Ones turning in stories : NEWSMEN.

4. Small opening? : ESS. The S starting Small.

5. "I was home alone," perhaps : ALIBI. That is not much of an alibi.

6. Myopic Mr. : MAGOO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8GTHXTEvIc

7. Roadside retreat : INN.

8. "Knock it off!" : STOP.

9. One bit : AT ALL. I used say that so much in the 70's and 80's.

10. Hockey advantage : HOME ICE. The cold version of home field advantage.

11. "The Razor's Edge" novelist : MAUGHAM. An interesting MOVIE as well.

12. Mad men? : EDS.

14. Flood : SPATE. I did not know this definition.

20. Aetna rival : CIGNA.

23. Lou who stole 938 bases : BROCK.

24. "Sweet!" : NEATO.

26. One working at a base : UMP.

29. Kin of gov : EDU.

32. Molecular particles : ATOMS.

33. Up to, briefly : TIL.

34. __ firma : TERRA.

36. Org. with body scanners : TSA.

37. "Tiny Bubbles" singer : DON HO.

38. Farm sound : MOO.

39. It's not new : ANTIQUE.

40. Asian citrus fruit : SATSUMA.

43. Gettysburg Address feature : CURSIVE.

44. "Let me repeat myself ... " : AS I SAID.

46. Graph paper design : GRID.

47. Like a mosquito bite : ITCHY.

48. Raspy : HOARSE.

50. "Adam Bede" novelist : ELIOT.

52. "Here, I'll do that" : LET ME.

53. Non-shaving razor name? : OCCAM.

55. BlackBerries, e.g. : PDAS.

58. Former JFK lander : SST.

59. French landmass : ILE.

60. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC.

John Lampkin

TITLE: Let's go camping!

John Lampkin is back with another delight. The theme answers in this letter exchange puzzle are all silly and clued with John's special wit. The base phrases are an odd set, but they work. The grid is a bit different with symmetrical 9 letter fill (NW- SE) around a 7 letter middle word and 11 letter downs set out in opposite corners. This makes one work a bit more. He also includes DEEP END, ALL TIME,  RATTLER,  FUSSPOT,   COURAGE,  LEAD DOG as sparkly fill.  Well, let us see how he built this Friday.

16A. Vermicelli for the greedy or lustful? : VICE-A-RONI (9). RICE-A-RONI the San Francisco TREAT.

38A. Energy drink? : VIMSHOT (7). RIMSHOT.  Who is your favorite comedian? LINK.

10D. Practical approach to preparing saltimbocca? : VEAL POLITIK (11). REALPOLITIK. You want to STUDY?

24D. Pamplona preeners, with "the"? : VAIN IN SPAIN (11). RAIN IN SPAIN. LISTEN.
the reveal
61A. Camper upgrade, literally seen in four puzzle answers : RV TRADE IN (9). A really fun reveal which tells us the we trade our beginning R for a V.

Across:

1. Clumps or chumps : CLODS. It takes a mind like JL to realize this relation.

6. Wall Street Journal co-founder Charles : DOW. Along with Messrs Jones and Bergestresser. LINK
They started the Dow Jones Bergestresser averages.

9. 2013 Zipcar acquirer : AVIS. Another sharing venture started in Miami. LINK.

13. Word on mail from Madrid : AEREO. Is there still airmail?

14. Have to shell out : OWE.

15. Break the silence of the lamb? : BLEAT. Such an appreciation for words and humor.

18. Get high : ELATE.

19. Get going : PROD. Like they do with cattle, or tigers.

20. Threat in old Westerns : RATTLER. My brother and I bought a house in Gainesville after law school. We were very surprised when we saw many diamondback rattlers sunning in the middle of the street. Turns out before it was leveled for development, the area was called rattlesnake hill.

John was nice enough to provide this pic.

22. Knuckle under : GIVE.

25. Bungler : OAF.

27. Import : SHIP IN.

28. Nutty : INANE.

30. Slam __ : DUNK.

32. Clever comment : MOT. Bon mot.

33. Word with gown or wreath : BRIDAL. I was not an expert on SPIREA.

35. Sandra's Supreme Court successor : SAMUEL. Ms. Day O'Conner and Mr. ALITO.

37. What's big in London? : BEN. Cute.

40. Texting qualifier : IMO. In My Opinion.

43. Glacial mass : ICECAP. Politics.

45. __ milk : MALTED. Malted milk shakes were very popular when I was young.

47. Dedicatee of Lennon's "Woman" : ONO. Not really up on Yoko years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyEn9LIR9cI

48. Barrel band : HOOP. And staves.

50. 1937 Shirley Temple title role : HEIDI. Do you remember the MOVIE? 80 years ago!

51. Cover, in a way : INSURE. Not put a top on.

53. Pot leaves : TEA. Not ASH.

55. Comparable : AKIN.

56. Subsequent edition with no changes : REPRINT.

58. Flew : SPED.

60. With 12-Down, Carnegie Hall icon : ISAAC. 12D. See 60-Across : STERN. Cue the VIOLINS.

66. Skeptical sound at Belmont? : NEIGH. Horsies.  The Belmont was a snooze fest this year.

67. Crude stuff : OIL.

68. Dry Italian white : SOAVE. Considered cheap wine when I was younger.

69. Sebaceous gland issue : ACNE.

70. One of several found in a golf cart : TEE.

71. Graceful wader : EGRET. More expertise from JL, beautiful bird.

Down:

1. James, for one, briefly : CAValier. 8 NBA championship appearances, 3 titles. He appears to be getting better and better but still not winning it all as much as he would like.

2. Hilo hello accompaniment : LEI. What beautiful alliteration!!!

3. Hobbit hunter : ORC.

4. Where it's not good to go off? : DEEP END. I am seeing more and more of this type of misdirection, like last week's " Bad thing to draw during a test."

5. Birds do it : SOAR. So do butterflies.

6. Thingy : DOODAD. Fun word.

7. Routinely trounce : OWN.

8. Small dam : WEIR. No relation to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CTuA5fXZHc

9. Never surpassed : ALL TIME.

11. Unwelcome response to "Where's the leftover pizza?" : I ATE IT. Who likes cold pizza?

15. Kiss classic : BETH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5RnWg5qehU

17. Milne marsupial : ROO. Kanga too.

21. Referral from dad? : ASK MOM. Such a wonderfully phrased clue.

22. The "Gee" in Bee Gees : GIBB. This is not true, as explained in wiki "They were introduced to leading Brisbane radio DJ Bill Gates by speedway promoter and driver Bill Goode, who had hired the brothers to entertain the crowd at the Redcliffe Speedway in 1960.... Gates renamed them the BG's (later changed to "Bee Gees") after his, Goode's, and Barry Gibb's initials—thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief

23. About : IN RE.

26. Fuddy-duddy : FUSSPOT. I have not heard this word in years.

29. Igloo's lack : EAVE. No shed dormers either.

31. "Nope" : NAH.

34. Fungus/alga symbiosis : LICHEN.

36. Bryce Canyon locale : UTAH.

39. Red Guard leader : MAO.

41. Prefix with -terranean : MEDI. Sub?

42. Master of the Valkyries : ODIN.

44. Grit, but not grits : COURAGE. Too true. How many like eating grits? Shrimp and grits are popular.

46. It's never a poodle in the Iditarod : LEAD DOG.

47. "Be right there!" : ONE SEC.

49. Chef's crusher : PESTLE. My wife has two like below. Very important for Papaya Salad.

51. "The Three Sisters" sister : IRINA. Olga and Masha were older.

52. Loaded : RICH.

54. Busy time for CPAs : APRil.

57. Relaxed pace : TROT. A mini-clecho.

59. Relaxation : EASE.

62. Strive : VIE.

63. Temple neighbor : EAR. Cute, not the University where Bill Cosby graduated.

64. Mass ending? : IVE. Because  neither Adoro te devote nor -pike fit.

65. A daredevil might eschew it : NET. Yes, neither C.C nor any of her minions ever works with a NET, even though we might fall. But it is summer now, so enjoy. Lemonade out.

Christopher Shaw

Title: Friday quip

Our first new constructor in a while presents us with a quip puzzle. This one has 60 spaces and nice symmetry with 4 seven letter fill. I like Mitch Hedberg who is a regular on the comedy channels on Sirius XM so the humor of the quip appealed, but YRMV.  Not much room left for long fill, but we do get POOL CUE,  SWAHILI, LET'S DO IT and DRUMMING.  There were some learning moments and some old memories dredged up. As Christopher says, LET'S DO IT. I love the the sevens.

20A. Start of a one-liner by 54-Across : MY FAKE PLANTS (12).

25A. One-liner, part 2 : DIED (4).

29A. One-liner, part 3 : BECAUSE (7).

38A. One-liner, part 4 : I DID NOT (7).

40A. One-liner, part 5 : PRETEND (7).

46A. One-liner, part 6 : TO WATER (7).

49A. End of the one-liner : THEM(4).

54A. Standup comic known for one-liners : MITCH HEDBERG (12). A very funny man in the Steven Wright mold. LINK.

Across:

1. Snake, footwise : APOD.  noun. zoology. an animal with no feet or whose feet are rudimentary. 

5. Instagram and Pinterest : APPS.

9. Bad thing to draw during a test : BLANK. Cute clue.

14. Saboteur, e.g. : MOLE. Am infiltrator.

15. Fruit used in alcohol flavoring : SLOE. Used in a sloe gin fizz and a singapore sling.

16. Home for 66-Across : AERIE. I wonder if they really do, or the sea eagle nickname made this answer seem correct. I am no expert on Erns. 

17. Criticism : FLAK. So don't give me any....

18. Wedding dress insert : HOOP. Are they still worn? 

19. Impatient : ITCHY.

23. Tiresome type : PILL. This is a very old fashioned word. 

24. Cavaliers, on scoreboards : CLE. Amazing.

32. Paella pot : OLLA.

33. NFL receivers : TES. Tight Ends, like Gronk.

36. Actress Skye : IONE. She used to be a crossword regular for the three vowels in her name. While she has worked professionally for more than 25 years, she will always be the daughter of  Donovan (Leitch). LINK.

37. Upset : RILED. From roil, getting the waters all turbulent.

42. Stands for funerals : BIERS.

43. Black and Red : SEAS. You needs perps to get this.

44. "__ of Light": 1998 Madonna album : RAY. This was very infer-able even if you do not like Madonna. The ALBUM was well received. 

45. Words to a traitor : ET TU. Brute.

50. Andean root vegetable : OCA.  It is available in a range of colors, including yellow, orange, pink, apricot, and the traditional red.(Wiki). Very popular in New Zealand, where they refer to it as a yam.

51. California tourist attraction : NAPA. Where is the "Valley?"

59. Stereotypically haunted area : ATTIC. Not so much in Florida.

62. One-eighties : UIES.

63. Flash, maybe : IDEA.

64. Absorbed eagerly, with "in" : DRANK.

65. It may affect a sentence : PLEA. An attempt to misdirect the grammarians. 

66. Sea eagles : ERNS.

67. "__ Stardust": David Bowie song : ZIGGY. The album, the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was a concept album that reflected Bowie's self-image.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXq5VvYAI1Q

68. Chihuahua sounds : YIPS.

69. Afternoon fare : SOAP. Ah the fading operas.

Down:

1. Switch letters : AM FM.

2. Tentacled creature : POLYP. While familiar with polyps in the colon, this was either a learning moment or something I forgot. A polyp is a solitary or colonial sedentary form of a coelenterate such as a sea anemone, typically having a columnar body with the mouth uppermost surrounded by a ring of tentacles. (dictionary).

3. Start of a Norwegian line : OLAF I. Not and NCL ship but monarchs.

4. Northern Illinois University city : DEKALB. See it?

5. "Off the Court" memoirist : ASHE. Tennis great who died so sadly after a blood transfusion.

6. Splash sound : PLOP. From my youth...

"Hasten Jason

Get the Basin

Oops, Plop

Get the Mop"

7. A pro brings his own to the table : POOL CUE. This took lots of work, but I love it.

8. Flower parts : SEPALS. Petals, sepals, stamens....

9. Switch partner : BAIT. Car dealer staple,

10. "Ready if you are" : LET'S DO IT.

11. Circle segment : ARC.

12. Med. research agency : NIH. National Institutes of Health.

13. One in, or on, a chain : KEY. Island?

21. Calvin and Anne : KLEINS. Poor Robert gets forgotten. 

22. Born, in France : NEE.

26. Not as healthy : ILLER. Are you all sick of this fill?

27. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. SCOTUS.

28. Source of some issues? : DADDY. Psychobabble.

30. Comforting sound : COO.

31. Bad picnic omen : ANT. Omen?

33. Area sometimes called "The Roof of the World" : TIBET. Learning moment. READ.

34. "Downton Abbey" lady : EDITH. Edith Pelham (nee Crawley) has her own FANS.

35. Number of Maravillas del Mundo : SIETE. Seven Wonders of the World. 

37. Email again : RESEND.

39. Showing impatience, digitally : DRUMMING.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mez2yxGips1rwp47j.gif

40. __ shooter : PEA.

41. Fink : RAT.

43. Linguistic origin of Kwanzaa : SWAHILI. A complicated LANGUAGE with influences from Arabic.

46. Wee one : TOT.

47. Live in : OCCUPY. Hence all the mail to "OCCUPANT."

48. Hydrophobia : RABIES. Not sure why but I have known this term since I was little. 

52. "Napoleon Dynamite" sidekick Sánchez : PEDRO.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9ojkiom2I1qh5n42o1_500.gif

53. Hockey setting : ARENA.

55. Repulsive : ICKY. My brain went HERE. 

56. Dickens schemer : HEEP. Uriah. He later was reincarnated as THIS.

57. Those, in Chihuahua : ESAS.

58. [Horrors!] : GASP.

59. Woodworker's tool : ADZ.

60. Prefix with cycle : TRI. Uni? 

61. It's game : TAG. And now you are it, as my work here is done. I hope you all have a wonderful father's day weekend, and come catch us next week. Lemonade out.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Gee, take T and see!


Our second puzzle from David, with his LAT debut a Friday in December last year. He began then by adding "EX" to phrases, and returns with a replace a letter - G becomes T -  which is revealed by the perfect G IS T (gist).  We have no other consistency, with three 3 letter second words, one with the first letter changed in the first word, one with the last letter in the first word and one with a middle letter.  We have six themers and the reveal to give us a packed puzzle, with little room for long sparkly fill.  This filled without any complete unknowns and the long non-theme fill, CRAYOLA, SEATTLE, RAMPANT, SARCASM, PRECINCT and IT'S A DEAL were all gettable.  let's look at the puzzle.

17A. Sports geek get-togethers? : STAT PARTIES (11). StaG Parties are no longer PC.

25A. Halloween decoration? : PAPER BAT (8).  Paper BaG. Want to make your own?

32A. Longhair cat's monotonous routine? : PERSIAN RUT (10). Persian RuG.  Very cute.

43A. Last one left angrily carrying on? : LONE RANTER (10). Lone RanGer. 

48A. Imperfection in a pointillist painting? : STRAY DOT (8). Stray DoG. 

61A. Moral? : TALE WARNING (11). Gale warning. 
The reveal
69A. Essence ... and, read differently, a hint to six puzzle answers : GIST (4). 62 theme squares.


 Across: 

1. Dirt removal method : BATH. Very fun clue, so simple but like the soap, very slippery.

5. Like much religious music : CHORAL. Choral, chorale, choir, and chorus stand in obvious relationship to one another and are in some respects used interchangeably when a body of singers, for example, is referred to as a choir, a chorus (Latin noun derived from the Greek word choros), or a chorale, which properly is a Lutheran hymn tune. (Britannica).

11. Uncooked : RAW.

14. It replaced the Cypriot pound : EURO. I did not even know Cyprus used the Pound.

15. Go back : RENEGE. A word I learned paying bridge, which has nothing to do with the clue here.

16. Stumble : ERR. To stumble is human, just does not have the same ring.

19. Gardening tool : HOE. I wonder if Santa uses one in his garden.

20. Upper part : TOP. Tempting to link something, some would like to...

21. Keep an __ : EYE ON.

22. Pesters online, in a way : SPAMS.

24. Wall St. event : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

27. Western city named for a Suquamish chief : SEATTLE. Apparently he was Chief of this TRIBE.

31. Witness : SEE.

35. Throw : CAST. Your bread upon the water....

39. Early computer : ENIAC. You must know this by now.

40. Hound over a debt : DUN. Do people still refer to dunning letters?

41. Agile : LITHE.

42. Group of two : DYAD. From Latin and Greek root.

45. Job ad abbr. : EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer.

47. Feature of many negative reviews : SARCASM. Sarcasm is not always negative.

53. Corp. leaders : MGT. Management.

54. Greets : HAILS.

55. Feel around : GROPE.

57. Printemps month : MAI. French for Spring and May.

60. Addams family cousin : ITT. I could not find one with Fester wearing a Fez.

64. Tasseled hat : FEZ.

65. Pair of ones? : ELEVEN. I have seen it before but still tricky.

66. Wary of : ON TO.

67. Test : TRY.

68. Fight against : RESIST.


Down:

1. Leading : BEST. The beginning was slow for such easy words, but the nearby fill was fiar.

2. Car : AUTO.

3. Door in the floor : TRAP. Did any of you fall for this clue?

4. Sweating, maybe : HOT. Perfect clue for summer.

5. Tropical Rain Forest seller since 1993 : CRAYOLA. Is this a single color or a set of greens?

6. "__ we go!" : HERE.

7. Leading : ON TOP. See 20A, 21A, 66A....

8. Spanish queen : REINA. I learned this Spanish word from puzzles.

9. Birthday count : AGE. How many put the correct number of candles nthe cake?

10. Car user, maybe : LESSEE.

11. Detox locale : REHAB. I guess, since people are always going to rehab.

12. Draw from the oven : AROMA.

13. Take forcibly : WREST.

18. Digestive : PEPTIC. "...relating to digestion, especially that in which pepsin is concerned." Pepesin being a key digestive enzyme.

23. Administrative district : PRECINCT. There are voting precincts, police precincts....

24. Words spoken while shaking : IT'S A DEAL. Handshaking. Nice clue.

26. Winter hrs. in Berkeley : PST. Pacific Standard Time.

27. Went fast : SPED.

28. Bitty : EENY. My thought...LINK.

29. "Nessun dorma," e.g. : ARIA. I never saw this clue until i was doing the write up; as stated it means nothing so...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovcNw8xr64

30. Prefix with scope : ENDO. Endoscopy is a very important tool in modern medicine.

33. Race : RUN.

34. Quelques-__: a few, in French : UNES. If you do not speak French this is difficult.

36. "__ boy!" : ATTA.

37. Females : SHES.

38. Period : TERM.

41. Like L vis-à-vis XL, in some cases : LARGER. Did you size this one up?

43. Set the pace : LED. In the race...

44. Widespread : RAMPANT.

46. Bivalve at a bar : OYSTER. I spent way too much time trying to come up with the punch line to, " A bivalve burrowed in to an oyster bar...."

48. Nine to five, e.g. : SHIFT.

49. Spud : TATER.

50. Posh : RITZY.

51. Looks at in a bad way? : OGLES. Okay this matches with 57A. Revealing attire : MINI. LINK.

52. Rome's Fontana di __ : TREVI. This has appeared in many movies.
https://images2.alphacoders.com/471/thumb-350-471259.jpg

56. Is indebted to : OWES.

58. Social climbers? : ANTS. More like anti-social.

59. "__ Rhythm" : I GOT.. This was one of the musicals my sons appeared in during high school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m94SxmkohvQ

62. Pub offering : ALE.

63. Frothy quaff : NOG. Frothy? RECIPE.