Mark McClain

Title:  Injured Reserve.

What a prescient title to our latest puzzle from a friend of the blog - Mark McClain. Mark is one of the many champions of those who want to create crossword puzzles, like our own C.C. and Jeff Chen. He publishes(d?) a blog discussing puzzling Mark's Blog. As you can see he refers people to facebook collaborative group Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory I applaud this effort and all the help the community gives newcomers.

I meanwhile have been off the team all week as I recover from a health issue which when I finally sat down to solve and write this blog did not slow me down. As you see, the letters IR are inserted into various phrases to create new an entertaining fill (the IRs). This is not a typical Friday with no long fill outside of the theme which allowed to complete in a very reasonable time. The sparkliest others are DAPPER, OTTAWA, PRONTO,  WEEDED, MILDEST and the fun NICE DOG.


20A. Deity worshiped by backyard chefs?: BARBECUE SPIRIT (13). BARBECUE SPIT. Not to be religious, but ancient cultures probably did.

36A. 7-10 split, to a bowler?: IRKING PINS(10). KING PINS. This is all Boomer and TTP.

44A. Distiller Walker's treatise about a whisky grain?: HIRAM ON RYE (10). HAM ON RYE. This may be the hardest of the theme fill as I am not sure how many know HIRAM WALKER the Massachusetts born founder of Canadian whisky brand Canadian Club and so much more. I am sure this was a gimme for Canadian Eh! and our Michigan solvers. It is also the most fun for me.

54A. Hester Prynne's trademark milk-producing farm?: RED LETTER DAIRY (13). RED LETTER DAY. The heroine (?) of the SCARLET LETTER bought a dairy farm- maybe? I reread the book a few years ago, meh.
The reveal:
65D. April 15 org., or, as a plural, a hint to four long puzzle answers: IRS. The puzzle would have especially great on 4-15.

On to the rest...

Across:

1. Crossed the mob, in a way: SANG. Sammy "the Bull" Gravano? BETRAY

5. Insignificant points: NITS. A Crossword Shout Out to all the commenters who focus on the minutiae.

9. When repeated, Second British Invasion band: DURAN. Their most famous https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJL-lCzEXgI

14. Second person of old?: THOU. Cute.

15. "No problems here": I'M OK. Or at least getting there.

16. "... the __ of defeat": "Wide World of Sports" phrase: AGONY. The skier's name is Vinko Bogataj.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2AZH4FeGsc

17. Steaming flow: LAVA. Sadly my first thought was completely inappropriate.

18. Casual eatery: CAFE. A quick reappearance.

19. One spun by a juggler: PLATE. Apparently, it is an ART.

23. July 4th show failure: DUD. The term descends from the Middle English dudde, originally meaning worn-out or ragged clothing, and is a cognate of duds (i.e., "clothing") and dowdy. Eventually dud became a general pejorative for something useless, including ammunition or firecrackers. Wiki.

24. Attach, in a way: TIE.

25. NFL scores: FGS. Field Goals.

28. Underground support: ROOT. Not politics, trees.

31. "ASAP!": PRONTO. Italian pronto means ready; Spanish pronto means soon.

39. Exploring toon: DORA. The Nickelodeon cartoon is not a live-action MOVIE.

40. Conceals: VEILS. Such as threats from mob bosses.

41. Support for driving and kicking: TEE. Golf and football in one clue.

42. Flying toys: KITES. Do you think of them as toys?

43. Dumbo's flying aids: EARS. Another live-action version of a famous cartoon character. LINK.

46. Home of the Senators: OTTAWA. A red-letter day for our Canadian players and a hockey reference.

48. Ruckus: STIR.

49. Double curve: ESS. Sounds like golfer Ernie...

50. Two-time U.S. Open champ: ELS.

52. Played the first card: LED.

62. So it could be heard: ALOUD.

63. Where I-90 and I-79 meet: ERIE. How many CSOs do they get?

64. Rock's Bon __: JOVI. The New Jersey band fronted by JON BON JOVI. All you need to know. LINK.

66. Fire sign: SMOKE. Where there is...

67. With 68-Across, words before "easy": EGGS. So much cutesy cross-referencing coming up.

68. See 67- or 69-Across: OVER.

69. With 68-Across, studied: PORED.

70. Army installation: POST.

71. Loch with a legend: NESS.


Down:

1. Baseball Cards: Abbr.: STL.

2. Melville captain: AHAB. Arrgh, ahoy Moby Dick is back.

3. 1960s-'80s Chevy: NOVA. MYTH busted.

4. Bank employee: GUARD.

5. Words to a growler: NICE DOG. I usually make it doggie.

6. Apple on a desk: iMAC.

7. Vegan staple: TOFU. Not for me.

8. Sport with disks: SKEET. Shoot, I should have thought of that/

9. Togged out: DAPPER. So cute next to...

10. Not-cute fruit: UGLI.

11. Large chorus of cheers: ROAR. This reminds me of a very famous PLAY on words.

12. Opposition prefix: ANTI.

13. Duma "Don't think so!": NYET. This is a legislative body in the ruling assembly of Russia and of some other republics of the former Soviet Union.

21. Uses for warmth, as wood: BURNS.

22. Dainty drinks: SIPS.

25. Cops as a unit: FIVE-O. It is actually 5-0 which comes from the TV show Hawaii 5-0 which was a cop show in the 1970s brought back to life and just started its 10th season.

26. Marvelous: GREAT.

27. Get around: SKIRT.

29. Eye-related prefix: OPTI. Did I mention my recent sub-conjunctival hemorrhage?

30. Layers: TIERS.

32. Father of Thor: ODIN.

33. French possessive: NOTRE. Damn, that was easy.

34. Low cards: TREYS. Threes.

35. Relief providers: OASES. Not just Tug McGraw

37. To whom Rick says, "We'll always have Paris": ILSA. Or a lion.

38. Orderly: NEAT.

42. Divided land: KOREA.

44. Put a stop to: HALT.

45. Least spicy: MILDEST. The version Oo prepares for me. Not mild, just in comparison to the 5 alarm version she eats.

47. Tidied the garden: WEEDED. What a sweet image.

51. A lot to pay: STEEP.

53. Tangy mustard: DIJON.

54. Filing tool: RASP.

55. Dagwood neighbor: ELMO.

56. Saloon __: DOOR. This is really random, though it is a type of Door. But WHY?

57. Third of four canonical gospels: LUKE. You can read about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John HERE but discuss them and all serious religious topics elsewhere according to the Canon of Zhooqin.

58. Thus: ERGO.

59. Fixes on the sly: RIGS. On the sly?

60. Wander: ROVE.

61. Part of YSL: YVES. Saint Laurent.

Kathy Wienberg & Lewis Rothlein

Title: Your serve, it is AD OUT.

A new pairing of constructors brings us a different variation on the remove letters theme. I wonder if Kathy and Lewis collaborated after a crossword tournament encounter?


AERIALS, AMASSED, ANNE RICE,  DEERSKIN, PINENUTS and, SOUL FOOD.

20A. What included a top hat, for Lincoln?: GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. (15).

26A. Unvarnished inventions?: BARE NAKED LADIES (13).

43. Citi Field catcalls?: FLUSHING MEADOWS (13).

53A. Joe-induced speaking clarity?: CAFFEINE ADDICTION.(15).
The reveal:
47D. Ubiquitous YouTube button ... and a hint to four long Across answers: SKIP AD.

Across:

1. "... harmony in the motion and magnitude of the __ ... ": Copernicus: ORBS. While Copernicus wrote extensively about orbs and the planets moving around the sun, I believe it was Kepler to whom the quote should be attributed.

5. Out, perhaps: A BED. He got home and he was out like a light.

9. Maintain: CLAIM. I maintain that I am unique in every way.

14. Stable newborn: FOAL. A baby horsie. Though they often aren't that stable in the stable. LINK.

15. Particle in a beam: MOTE. There is so much more to this than I knew - a game Destiny and reading from the Christian Bible as well as what I thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX8UU8UBQhw

16. Lifetime parent: A AND E. One of the most confused and confusing networks. LINK.

17. Asian tourist city: AGRA. Home of the Taj Mahal.

18. Initial game payment: ANTE.

19. Lengthy sentence: RUNON. I love RUNON sentences as has often been pointed out here at the blog both my detractors and my fans.

23. Prohibition __: ERA.

24. Support gp. founded under FDR: USO. While the UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS primarily bring to mind Bob Hope, they are so much more.

25. Like Yosemite's El Capitan: SHEER.

31. P&L report column: YTD.

32. Symbol of ease: PIE.

33. Part of a baby's repertoire: COO.

34. Stops lying?: RISES.

37. One often stands alone in a split: PIN. A quick CSO to Boomer and TTP and a reminder of the unknown to me -PIN OAK.

38. Devote, as time: SPEND.

40. Gp. inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017: ELO.

41. They're often seen on trees: KIN. Hah hah - family trees, not Pin Oaks.

42. Disposed of: ATE.

48. "The Night They Invented Champagne" composer: LOEWE.

49. Mentalist Geller: URI.

50. Sch. in Manhattan: KSU.

57. Get around: AVOID.

58. Food stamp?: USDA.

59. 67, for Beethoven's Fifth: OPUS.

60. Invisible turnout?: NOONE.

61. Unlikely: TALL.

62. Olive Oyl's mother: NANA.

63. Wound up: ENDED.

64. Goes after: SUES.

65. Go around in circles?: EDDY.


Down:

1. 18 or 21, typically: OF AGE.

2. Court rival of Rafael: ROGER.

3. Bill for shots: BARTAB.

4. Picket fence piece: SLAT.

5. Assembled: AMASSED.

6. Small chocolate-covered candy: BONBON.

7. Classic accusation: ETTU.

8. Moccasin leather: DEERSKIN.

9. Asked for ID: CARDED.

10. Victory wreath: LAUREL.

11. Lestat de Lioncourt creator: ANNE RICE.

12. Promises at the altar: I DOS.

13. YMCA part: MENS.

21. Mongolian tents: YURTS.

22. Butter used to deep-fry samosas: GHEE.

27. Agreement word: AYE.

28. Mimicry: APING.

29. Geological time span: EON.

30. Scandinavian roofing material: SOD.

34. Whistle-blower: REF.

35. Down with the flu: ILL.

36. Deep South cuisine: SOULFOOD.

37. Pesto ingredients: PINENUTS.

38. Poker-faced: STOIC.

39. Nave seat: PEW.

41. New Zealand bird: KIWI.

42. Reception aids: AERIALS.

44. 1959 Fiestas hit: SO FINE.

45. Followed: HEEDED.

46. Confused mess: MUDDLE.

51. Squeak or creak: SOUND.

52. Take back: UNSAY.

53. Prop for Chaplin: CANE.

54. The Bard's river: AVON.

55. Biblical hunter: ESAU. Jacob was a farmer, Esau a hunter.

56. Atmosphere: TONE.

Bruce Haight

Title: Football season is here once again.

One of my Friday regulars, Bruce Haight is back with his position paper on the NFL. All five of the themers are two-word phrases with the second word representing a football player's role. The clues all mention football players but the fill has an alternate meaning totally unrelated to the sport. It would have been super cool if he could have presented the offensive line in order, but hey I am feeling greedy. As always he fills in the blanks with some fun words and phrases like PANACHE, TAKEN TO, CLAM ROLL, FLIED OUT,  I AM TOAST, and ON COURSE. Well luckily DORIAN did not stay on course to destroy us, so let's solve a puzzle.

18A. Philanthropic football player?: GIVING BACK (10). I like the pseudo alliteration

24A. Football player who's PR-savvy?: MEDIA CENTER (11). Do people still have these central places for TV, music, DVDs, etc?

36A. Football player with a line?: FISHING TACKLE (13). Football players don't usually use a line, though form one.

50A. Football player with management skills?: BUSINESS END   (11). I associate that phrase with the barrel of a pistol.

57A. Football player at the beach?: COAST GUARD (10). I gre up near the Coast Guard Academy and was going to go there for college until they learned how blind I really was.

Across:

1. Source of seasonal color: LEAF. One of the things I miss about New England.

5. Like bubble baths: SUDSY. Silly.

10. Golfer at Royal Troon, often: SCOT. I want to go in the spring.

14. "I'm buying!": ON ME.

15. "America" soloist in "West Side Story": ANITA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSKk-cvblc

16. It parallels a radius: ULNA. He is trying hard to trick you, mathematics people.

17. Hot spot: OVEN. Not for a computer or a cellphone.

20. Varieties: KINDS.

22. "Diana" singer: ANKA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-zZ21iW9w

23. Stooge Howard: MOE. We all miss Chairman Moe and his contributions.

27. Head for the hills: RUN.

28. Spots: ADS.

29. Groovy cousin: RAD. More like an evil nephew.

30. Usher: ESCORT.

32. No different from, with "the": SAME AS. Same old, same old.

35. "One more thing ... ": ALSO. Remind you this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZOHmz3bfAI

40. Work out ahead of time: PLAN.

41. Appropriate: SEEMLY.

42. Targets: AIMS AT.

45. Fjord kin: RIA. Water, water everywhere.

46. Book jacket info: BIOgraphy.

49. Goal feature: NET. Soccer (futbol) basketball and more.

54. Hubbub: ADO.

55. Fictional hunchbacked helper: IGOR. Eegor, or Eyegor.

56. Like many windows: PANED. Also many bad puns -pained.

61. It's abuzz with activity: HIVE. Who doesn't love bee humor?

62. Cover for an ear: HUSK. And corny humor!

63. Ending with poly-: ESTER. Want a cracker.

64. Chills: ICES.

65. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MUilZpErlw

66. Monopoly stack: DEEDS.

67. Friend of Mary Poppins: BERT. Dick Van Dyke.

Down:

1. Start of a kid's show-offy cry: LOOK MA. Seen in many professional sporting events.

2. Painfully wished one had: ENVIED.

3. Changes, as a law: AMENDS.

4. Luxury handbag brand: FENDI. This BRAND.

5. Give somewhat: SAG.

6. Start to cycle?: UNI.

7. Backless sofa: DIVAN. This is a long low sofa without a back or arms, typically placed against a wall.

8. Period of work: STINT.

9. "Sandman" or "Joltin' Joe": YANKEE. CSO to Tinman.

10. Long sandwich: SUB. A mini-clecho with...

11. Seafood sandwich: CLAM ROLL.

12. Headed the right way: ON COURSE.

13. Fallen for: TAKEN TO.

19. Long-nosed fish: GARS.  Gar, any of seven species of large North American fishes of the genera Atractosteus and Lepisosteus, in the family Lepisosteidae. Gars, which are related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei, is confined chiefly to freshwater, though some of the species descend to brackish or even saltwater.

21. Joe's 2008 election counterpart: SARAH. I have almost forgotten her. Governor PALIN ?

25. Lingerie item, briefly: CAMI. LINK.

26. Blissful settings: EDENS.

31. Like dried mud: CAKY.

32. Govt. IDs: SSNS.

33. Time of one's life?: AGE.

34. Harsh: STERN. Howard?

36. Hit one that was caught on the warning track, say: FLIED OUT. Baseball for C.C.

37. Acknowledgment of being sunk?: I AM TOAST.  Slang meaning "a goner, person or thing already doomed or destroyed" is recorded by 1987, perhaps from the notion of computer circuits being "fried."

38. Parisian friend: AMIE. Just French.

39. Hold tight: CLASP.

40. Pizazz: PANACHE. What a fun word, meaning flamboyant confidence of style or manner.

43. Barely more than not at all: A BIT.

44. Pulled: TUGGED.

46. "No fighting, now": BE NICE.

47. "The nerve!": I NEVER.

48. Weird to the max: ODDEST.

51. Drunkard: SOUSE.

52. Ticked off: IRATE.

53. Indian title of respect: SAHIB.

58. Reggae relative: SKA.

59. Wine choice: RED. White? Rosé?  Another Moe, CSO.

60. No and J: DRS. The Bond movie and the basketball player.

Jeffrey

Title: I must P!

Hi, Lemonade here back with my Friday foil, Jeffrey Wechsler. It was fun to read Tom's slant on JW's last two Fridays. It reminded me of when marti was reviewing Jeffrey's Thursdays when he first appeared here at the LAT. But now I am back on the clock with another over-sized offering that no doubt was the product of (my guess) the inspired 16 letter fill - PART APPRECIATION (16). With Jeffrey's background as a  curator, I am betting that was where this gem started. Of course, he had to then make the rest of the themers grid-spanners, the middle two at 15 spaces and the outside two 16 spaces. He also introduced some unused fill, one with one prior appearance in any mainstream puzzle, and AHIAHI brand spanking new. We also ger to reveal EXTERNS, HOE CAKE, NYMPHET,  TITULAR, HANDKNIT, and PURLOINS.  There are some very fun words there.

17A. Gratitude for a well-played role?: PART APPRECIATION (16). A literal but funny clue/fill.

27A. Crackin', peelin' and fadin'?: PAINT MISBEHAVIN' (15). By far my favorite, as I could hear the music in my head as this filled.

45A. Couples therapist?: PAIR CONDITIONER (15). How many have ever tried couples therapy?

55A. Extreme example of layering for cold weather?: PANTS IN ONE'S PANTS (16). This is absurd which is its charm, though the second P is distracting.

Time to solve...

Across:

1. Irrigation need: PIPE.

5. '90s trade pact: NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement.

10. "Go no further!": HALT. Reminds of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

14. Heart: CRUX. The heart of the matter. Hey marti, hope you are well.

15. "... __ player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage": Macbeth: A POOR. Jeffrey's Shakespeare quote.

16. Lake near Carson City: TAHOE. It may be the perfect place on Earth.

20. Papal messenger: LEGATE. Now it is an ecclesiastic delegated by the pope as his representative. Historically it was a provincial governor of senatorial rank appointed by the emperor in ancient Rome.

21. On the other side of: Abbr.: ACRoss.

22. Enzyme suffix: ASE.

23. Unscrupulous: AMORAL. As opposed to Anthony Gael Moral.

25. Youthful maiden of myth: NYMPHET. I think of Lolita and Nabokov's words, ""Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as 'nymphets.' " - Part One, Chapter 5." Please no Jeffrey Epstein comments.

31. Clean, as greens: RINSE.

32. Newton honorific: SIR. Isaac.

33. LGBT History Mo.: OCTober.

34. '60s campus gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

35. Start growing: SPROUT.

37. Hem partner: HAW. Hee.

40. Asian language: LAO. Like THAI, just the beginning of the land.

42. Hammer site: EAR. These are the malleus, or hammer, the incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup.

43. Kofi Annan's birthplace: GHANA. His BIOGRAPHY.

49. Like Macbeth in "Macbeth": TITULAR. Like eponymous.

50. Jumpy: ON EDGE.

51. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra

52. HP product: INK.

53. Hit: STRUCK. No violence, please.

60. Discrete things: ITEMS.

61. Poetry Muse: ERATO.

62. Fruit with fuzz: KIWI.

63. First name in Latin bands: DESI. Arnaz.

64. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Yipes?

65. Venerable college that owns a river island: ETON. Did you know? Queen's Eyot (pronounced 'eight') is an island on the River Thames close to Windsor. The island has been owned by Eton College since 1923 and has a beautiful clubhouse used for weddings etc.

Down:

1. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. Phencyclidine.

2. Investment option, briefly: IRA.

3. Misappropriates: PURLOINS. There was a famous letter.

4. Nonresident doctors: EXTERNS. Intern ≠ extern.

5. Controversial combat material: NAPALM. This is a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasoline thickened with special soaps.

6. Cal. entry: APPT. Calendar - appointment.

7. Golf alert: FORE.

8. Golf club part: TOE.

9. Understood by few: ARCANE.

10. Seuss title top: HAT. Cat in the...

11. "Aloha __": Hawaiian "Good evening" that sounds like a repeated fish: AHIAHI. Not to be confused with AHI AHI.

12. Ease: LOOSEN.

13. Principle: TENET.

16. Lighting area?: TARMAC. My guess is this refers to the runway lights at airports. Very Friday clue/fill.

18. Patterned mineral: AGATE. This one is for sale at $4,200.00

19. Lidocaine brand endorsed by Shaq: ICY HOT. The second appearance of this brand, It was introduced to the LAT and all major newspapers by one C.C. Burnikel July 25, 2017.

23. Car loan nos.: APRS. An annual percentage rate (APR) is the annual rate charged for borrowing.

24. Hotel employee: MAID.

26. Mil. rank: PVT.

28. Comcast, e.g.: Abbr.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.

29. Warning sound: SIREN.

30. Wide-ranging: BROAD.

35. "You're not the only one!": SO CAN I.

36. Ocean State sch.: URI. The University of Rhode Island.

37. Like some homemade sweaters: HAND KNIT.

38. Rare blood type, briefly: A-NEG.

39. Word with hard or soft: WARE.

40. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Dr. Watson.

41. Bygone HBO series about a sports agent: ARLISS. You can now stream this series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K19-Q59gDjM

43. Generate: GIN UP. Not a phrase I know. The idiom gin something up means to increase something, to get something going, to stir something up, to agitate or perhaps make a little trouble, sometimes through less than honest means. grammarist.com

44. Southern cornmeal fare: HOECAKE. A hoecake is cornbread made minimalist—a thin, unleavened round made from the simplest batter (cornmeal, water, and salt).

45. "Ecce homo" speaker: PILATE. His Latin name was Marcus Pontius Pilatus. As a child, I heard him called Pontius Pilate (Pilot). It would have been said like the exercise.

46. Makes up (for): ATONES. A continguous clue with religious overtones.

47. Scottish archipelago: ORKNEY. You can READ ALL ABOUT. More arcane knowledge about Great Britain.

48. Ancient statuary fragments: TORSOS.

49. Unenthusiastic: TEPID.

53. Cinch: SNAP.

54. Parisian bean?: TETE. Bean as noggin or the like in French.

56. "That's quite enough": TMI. Too Much Information.

57. "Do it, __ will!": OR I. Sounds ominous.

58. What a V-sign probably means in a restaurant: TWO. I love this clue. Very visual.

59. Envy, say: SIN. One of seven supposedly deadly ones.

Where do al the Fridays go? Another gone, but not before some good old fashioned Jeffrey Wechsler challenge and humor. My two granddaughters are now going to school after a very fun summer. Labor Day approaches. Thank you, Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Alicia Bachman & Kurt Krauss , August 9

Title: Up the down staircase.

This is my fifth exposition of a Kurt Krauss' puzzle and his 26th overall. It appears to be the debut for Alicia. I found this to be a very easy Friday, but perhaps because I saw the gimmick as soon as I had solved the first stack of six. I do have the advantage of looking for this type of theme after many years of blogging. I have done many puzzles which require reading words backward, in this case from the bottom to top. Kurt ties this all together by having the phrases each involve one of the suits in a deck of cards. This is revealed by 25A. Gets ready for the big game ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: SUITS UP (7).

Generally, I get the puzzle partially solved and see a theme. I then look for the sparkly fill, which in this case revealed ARRIBA, BOLERO, TRALEE, ISHMAEL,  RETWEET,  ROYAL WE, and  TRACTOR. Then all that is left is the write-up, so let's go.

5D. Preliminary drudgery: KROW  EDAPS (9). SPADE WORK is defined as routine or difficult preparatory work.

10D. Layered lunch order: HCIWDNAS BULC (12). The CLUB SANDWICH was invented in 1894 at an exclusive gambling house in Saratoga Springs, New York, that was called the Saratoga Club House.

21D. Regal headpiece: ARAIT DNOMAID (12). A DIAMOND TIARA like Liz's 

37D. EKG reading: TAEB TRAEH (9).  The electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the HEARTBEAT.

Across:

1. i follower: POD. Since they market both an iPad and an iPod...

4. Cookout aid: SKEWER. We have our mini-theme of meat. Satay or shish kebab?

10. Butcher's assortment: HAMS. Also, bloggers.

14. Blond one in a bar: ALE. Why is there an "E" sometimes in that word? The ANSWER. Starbucks uses the term for its lightly roasted coffee.

15. Cry from a toon sombrero wearer: ARRIBA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOvyRjVQLjE

16. Scratcher: CLAW. The downside of kitty pets.

17. Dog star's first name?: RIN. TIN TIN.

18. Hang around: LOITER. This used to be a crime.

19. Hebrides isle: IONA. The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland.

20. King's self-allusion: ROYAL WE. The origin of this pronoun has been traced variously to 1169, when the English king Henry II used it to mean “God and I,” and to King Richard I, whose use of the pronoun bolstered his claim to be acting in concert with the deity and to be the ruler by divine right. I love the use of "allusion."

22. Share with followers, in a way: RETWEET. Do the Royals ever retweet?

24. Westchester County city known for its Playland: RYE. Clearly an invitation for some WRY HUMOR.

25. Pricey strings: STRADivariuses.

26. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. Her Q Score has gone way up recently.

29. Roman god: DEUS. The Latin word.

31. Put (out): SNUFF. A troublesome word for me as it is associated with the films in my head.

35. Others, to Ovid: ALII. More Latin.

36. "Exodus" hero: ARI. The movie version was Paul Newman.

37. Ad to lure you in: TEASER.

38. Windshield option: TINT. You can only tint a small area of the windshield.

39. Two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitová: PETRA.  There is more to her STORY than tennis.

41. Ward of "Sisters": SELA.

42. Sidesteps: EVADES.

44. Formally seek justice: SUE. More likely to seek money.

45. Take off: BOLT. Usain?

46. November 1 honoree: SAINT. All Saints' Day to many.

47. 24-Across, briefly: BURB.

48. Señor's "some": UNAS. Hmm...algunos, algunas, algún, unos, unas, algo de all mean some.

49. Leading: ONTOP.

51. __ Aviv: TEL.

53. Melville narrator: ISHMAEL. The opening line is MOBY DICK.

56. County fair sight: TRACTOR.

60. Classic role for Carrie: LEIA. The late Carrie Fisher in STAR WARS.

61. Antique photos: SEPIAS.

63. Supermarket chain: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance. They operate franchises in 30 countries.

64. Four Tops frontman Stubbs: LEVI. A cornerstone of Motown and a rare baritone frontman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdEQQmO3sqY

65. Seat of County Kerry: TRALEE. This was not in my wheelhouse. As they say, it took 6 perps. Kerry's County town, Tralee is at the base of the majestic Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland.

66. Swelter: FRY. I did not see this for too long.

67. Didn't dillydally: SPED.

68. Vinny famously called them "utes" in a "My Cousin Vinny" courtroom scene: YOUTHS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBk3dJNSQks

69. Amount to pay: FEE.


Down:

1. Henry VIII's last wife: PARR. She is back again.

2. Assortment: OLIO. A regular CSO for C.C.

3. Reject: DENY.

4. Magnetic Field?: SALLY. "You like me!" A Friday deception.

6. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.

7. Joker: WIT.

8. "Roger __ Book of Film": 1996 publication: EBERT'S.

9. Harder to find: RARER.

11. Cream additive: ALOE. Aloe is often in the creams but I use it in its purest form.

12. Locks in a barn: MANE. Cute horse pun.

13. Whack: SWAT.

23. Zap: TASE. I've done "Don't tase me bro" enough.

26. Utility company listing: RATES.

27. '60s-'70s Twins star Tony: OLIVA. A bonus for C.C. - baseball and Minnesota Twins great.

28. Scene of frequent Middle East unrest: SINAI.

30. Before, before: ERE. Very cute clue/fill.

32. Apply to: USE ON.

33. "The Most Happy __": 1956 musical: FELLA. I know the songs, but not the play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwrqoZmW_K4

34. Toga party places: FRATS. FRATernitieS.

40. Robot play: RUR.

43. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_9JAsCmYIk

47. Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dILIdREylC0

50. Cantankerous: TESTY. Just relax. Let us provide a way that...

52. Facilitates: EASES.  Your...

53. Misfortunes: ILLS.

54. Flow slowly: SEEP.

55. Queen's home: HIVE. Bees, not royals.

56. Tower of Pisa feature: TILT. We just had the lean explained here, didn't we?

57. Bit of bickering: TIFF. Noun. 1727, "outburst of temper," later "petty quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."

58. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

59. Madcap Martha: RAYE. We share the same birthday though she had 32 years on me.

                                              LINK

62. Six-time NBA All-Star __ Gasol: PAU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaPmioFSqNw

Joe Schewe

Title: There is no "I" in "team" or this theme.

Joe is back for his fifth LAT publication, his first Friday and second 2019 publication. The concept is simple - remove the letter "I" from the first word of a two word in the language phrase and then clue the result for maximum humor. The icing on the Friday cake is the puzzle has both the puns created by removing the letter and a punderful reveal - 63A. Minimal red-removing amount ... and a phonetic hint to four long answers: ONE EYE DROP (10). So you drop one "I" to get the theme. The puzzle is a bit of an homage to our dear editor, who penned this Sunday Puzzle back in 2000.

There is some fun fill such as AMHERST, CISTERN, ELECTEE, MANATEE, OPEN-AIR, RENT OUT, SO AND SO, SOCKETS, TEENAGE, and UNDERGO. Nothing else new to the puzzle world, so let's get on with it. (BTW this is my Friday, we do every other- Lemonade).

17A. Airline category for hombres?: SEÑOR CLASS (10). The "I" disappears from the Senior Class which airlines still mention but no longer discount.

25A. Run in prison?: CON OPERATED (11). Here the I in "COIN" leaves.

37A. Sculptor, at times?: NOSE MAKER (9). This missing I made for the most amusing fill for me. Noise to Nose - very cute.

53A. VIP at royal banquets?: CHEF OF STATE (11).

And since I already gave the reveal, on to the rest.

Across:

1. Promotional giveaways: COMPS. COMPlimentaryS. Freebies.

6. Hard-to-sell wheels: HEAP. I believe it signifies a car ready for the scrap HEAP.

10. Muscles in a flex-off: PECS. Pectorals - chests.

14. Illusory pictures: OP-ART. Optical.

15. __ rug: AREA.

16. Mélange: OLIO. A favorite C.C. word.

19. Colorado's __ Verde National Park: MESA. Go see it. The LINK.

20. It's as low as it gets: NADIR. Apogee is the highest point.

21. Handy bag: TOTE.

23. USPS delivery: CTN. An abbreviation for a carton.

24. Fast no more: EAT.

28. Battle (for): VIE.  Old French: to challenge, provoke from the Latin invītāre to entertain, invite.

29. Menlo Park, N.J., notable: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison.

30. Surgical tools: LASERS. I had YAG laser capsulotomy after my cataract surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8EA8kxzGAc

31. Bellicose god: ARES.  Clearly not an airhead.
MYTHOLOGY

33. "__ the night before ... ": TWAS. And all through the blog...

36. Gregg user: STENO. Gregg is a system of shorthand used by many secretaries including all of the ones I employed when I practiced law.  Or a stenographer is a person who makes a written verbatim record using a unique shortened writing style called “steno” on a steno machine.

40. Old Nick: SATAN. Yes, the coach of Alabama football.

43. Massachusetts Bay city: LYNN. Was this a Natick for you?

44. "Little we see in Nature that is __": Wordsworth: OURS.
LINK.

48. Code of silence: OMERTA. Sicilian.


50. Freight weight: TON.

52. Born, in Bordeaux: NEE. Just French that used universally for the birth name of a woman.

56. Chain letters?: DNA. Cute clue; it has been a while since I received a chain letter, though I see many attempts on Facebook.

57. Author Kesey: KEN. And LSD pioneer. He is most famous for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. It reminds me of orange sunshine and purple owsleys.

58. Piece of farm equipment: PLOW?

59. Limited message: TWEET. Nope, I am not falling into that trap.

61. Historic periods: ERAS.

66. USAF NCO: TSGT. "TSgt" in informal parlance, is the sixth enlisted rank (pay grade E-6) in the U.S. Air Force, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant.

67. Gray's subj.: ANATomy.

68. Uninterrupted movement: SEGUE. Seg-way in its Italian root form.

69. Bit of choreography: STEP.

70. Youngster: TYKE. Etymology: 14th Century: from Old Norse tīk meaning bitch. What?

71. Govt. security: T-NOTE.


Down:

1. NYSE listings: COS. Companies.

2. Like outdoor theaters: OPEN AIR.

3. Dugong relative: MANATEE. Both manatees and dugongs, nicknamed "sea cows", are slow-moving herbivorous (mostly) marine mammals that belong to the Sirenian animal order.

4. Encourage: PROD. That is harsh. Probably a parent who is...

5. Rigid: STRICT.

6. Actor Holbrook: HAL. A wonderful actor who is famous for his portrayal of Mark Twain who is still with us as a 94-year-old.

                                                LINK

7. Sister of Euterpe: ERATO. The Nine Muses were: Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomeni, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania, and Calliope. The word museum also comes from the Greek Muses.

8. Writer with lessons: AESOP. A fabulous answer.

9. Soft shade: PASTEL.

10. Little dog: POMeranian.

11. Winner at the polls: ELECTEE. I do hate the EE words.

12. Water storage tank: CISTERN. A fun word.

13. Blankety-blank type: SO AND SO. A wonderful fill, usually dirty so and so.

18. Certain Slavs: CROATS.

22. Clear: ERASE.

24. Girl rescued by Uncle Tom: EVA. Uncle Tom's Cabin

26. Staircase post: NEWEL.

27. Member of MLB's 2017 champions: ASTRO. Watch the series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNrNwwDU1O0

32. 24-Across greedily: SNARF.

34. Acker of "The Gifted": AMY. LINK.

35. Nick working at night?: SANTA.

38. Good way to go out: ON TOP.

39. __ pine: KNOTTY. My childhood bedroom was knotty pine panels.

40. Light bulb holders: SOCKETS.

41. UMass town whose third letter isn't pronounced: AMHERST. I know many who say the "H" but they are wrong.

42. Like many new drivers: TEENAGE.

45. Experience: UNDERGO.

46. Charge to occupy: RENT OUT.

47. Red or Black: SEA.

49. Financially sound: AFLOAT.

51. Having collected the least dust: NEWEST. Meh.

54. Corleone brother: SONNY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz722F6Qu0I

55. Fine-tune: TWEAK.

60. Fall locale: EDEN. Wonderful misdirection, fall from grace the garden of Eden.

62. Indy letters: STP.

64. Automne follows it: ETE. En francais.

65. Protest leader?: PEE. Urine charge of this clue CED.

Bruce Haight

Title: Even STRANGER THINGS, Eleven's little brother Nine.

Bruce offers us a 15 x 16 puzzle where the theme is the grid which contains 72 words and uses only 9 letters in the alphabet!
We do have a reveal- 64A. Country spelled with the only nine letters used in this puzzle's answers: SINGAPORE (9). Gimmick puzzles can be a lot of fun but seldom have such perfect reveal. I was very impressed by the skill required to bring this home while maintaining the left/right symmetry. The only cheater squares are the three on each side of  SINGAPORE. The puzzle allowed for such sparkly fill as APENNINES, APPEASING, ENGAGES IN, PING PONGS, ASIAN PEARS, and REGRESSION. No doubt some of the fill was a bit obscure, but the final result was all doable once you understood you did not need any alphabet runs. We have some music, some tv, some food.... well it is time to work.

Across:

1. Getaway spots: SPAS. This was a good start for me.

5. Prefix with phobia: AGORA. Initially, I had left this blank, but when I had filled ARGO and ANGORA, I came back put AGORA in. I did not quite get the theme at that point, but it made sense.

10. 2012 Best Picture: ARGO. Ben Affleck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jP5LYTcfMk

14. Subside: EASE.

15. Place to start an IV: PREOP. Do you think it needs a hyphen? Pre-op. Nicely misleading clue because I was trying to decide where they were sticking me.

16. Accessories: GEAR.

17. Yeats' birthplace: ERIN. WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS appeared in a comment this week. Not only a well-respected poet, but he was also very proud of his Irish heritage.

18. Dissect in class, in a way: PARSE. A common crossword concept.

19. "To share, or not to share?" food brand: EGGO. No waffling on this answer.

20. Butters up, maybe: PRAISES. Unless it is your waffle...

22. Long-haired cats: ANGORAS.  This BREED.

24. Prefix with -gon: NONA. This is geometry -a plane figure with nine straight sides and nine angles.

25. Zip: NONE. Hmm, next to each other.

26. Fill in: APPRISE.

29. Wintergreen family herb: PINESAP. This is any of several yellowish or reddish parasitic or saprophytic herbs (genus Monotropa) of the wintergreen family resembling the Indian pipe. It has nothing to do with the SAP from a pine.


32. Once called: NÉE. For a female.

33. Assigning to, as blame, with "on": PINNING.

35. Multitude: SEA.

36. Hoppy brew, briefly: IPA. India Pale Ale. Very hoppy.

37. Search tools: ENGINES.

38. Apple platform: IOS.

39. Formal addressees: SIRS.

41. Factions in "West Side Story": GANGS.

42. Word in family business names: SONS.

43. Former CNN journalist David: ENSOR. I no longer watch any national news but seems like a NICE man.

45. Misunderstanding metaphor: GAP.

46. Pick up: SENSE.

47. Bird seen in only one state: NENE. CSO to our Hawaii readers.

49. Letters near zero: OPER. If you remember the classic telephone.

51. Germane: APROPOS.

54. Like some doubts and injuries: NAGGING.

58. Polish for "dumplings": PIEROGI. Food.

59. Less experienced: GREENER.

60. Football's "Boomer": ESIASON. A HOF quarterback, sort of.

61. Inflation-indexed U.S. savings bond: SERIES I. What is FOR SALE now.

62. __ Marino: SAN.

63. W-2 info: SSN.

Down:

1. Trickle: SEEP.

2. Last of three Catherines: PARR. She was an interesting woman, and here is a LINK to a wonderful historical website.

3. Far East fruit: ASIAN PEARS. This looks like an apple but tastes like a pear and is available in the street markets in Thailand and some large Asian markets here in Florida. Many of the fruits named in this THAI FRUIT LINK are grown in Homestead. Just be careful of the Durian.

4. Ranking: SENIOR. My card says "senior assistant" meaning I am old.

5. Settling down: APPEASING.

6. French fat: GRAS. Foie gras...a delicacy that extends back thousands of years, based on a rather barbaric CUSTOM.

7. Anthem word with an apostrophe: O'ER the ramparts we watched...

8. Parks in American history: ROSA.

9. Corno Grande's range: APENNINES. A complete unknown despite talking with my son and d-i-l about their time in Italy, but nothing here. Geography is clearly my weakest subject.

10. Early personal milestone: AGE ONE. Weird phrasing.

11. Word in medicine that sounds bad but is often good: REGRESSION. Another word that goes both ways - sometimes good, sometimes bad. re·gres·sion (rē-gresh'ŭn), such as shown:
1. A subsidence of symptoms.
2. A relapse; a return of symptoms.

12. Infatuated: GAGA.

13. Spanish medals or metals: OROS. Spanish Gold.

21. Take potshots: SNIPE.

23. Loud ringers: GONGS.

26. Biscotti flavoring: ANISE. Alphabetically first, but man they make many FLAVORS.

27. Jacques of PBS' "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home": PEPIN.
I did not know this SERIES or M. Pepin           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7mtEoMFJ60

28. Does: ENGAGES IN.

29. Goes back and forth: PING PONGS. A nice visual clue.

30. Long periods: AEONS.

31. So yesterday: PASSE.

34. 1493 Lisbon arrival: NINA. HEADLINE.

40. Only Mexican state that borders Baja: SONORA.

42. Composer Rachmaninoff: SERGEI. I really did not know his first name. Listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8l37utZxMQ

44. They get carried away: REPOS.

46. "Night Moves" singer: SEGER. Listen and watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4u6H4lXZiE

48. Scrubbed, as a launch: NO GO.

50. Cut back: PARE.

51. Parrots: APES. Funny, two animals used to mean imitates.

52. City on the Arno: PISA. You can see the river through the town.

53. Hold back: REIN. You need to control your joy at getting this Friday puzzle.

55. Supermodel Sastre: INÉS. This was the last of the total unknowns for me. She is quite pretty and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i1xLPlXAWo

56. Loch of note: NESS. No Eliot for Boomer.

57. Silly look?: GRIN. Yes, what my face looks like now that I made it to the end.

Bruce always delivers some fun and creativity, and today was a classic. I feel blessed to do Friday puzzles because they are so diverse and this was an incredible challenge to create without making it clunky. Thanks, Bruce. Lemonade out.