David Poole

Title: Austin Powers? LINK.

This is one of the rare puzzles where the write-up is harder than the puzzle. But before we go there, let's welcome back David P. (my second straight David constructor) who has his 52nd LAT publication here. He was the first constructor I wrote up when I switched to Fridays in 2010. I think this is my 11th DP puzzle. Like the most recent one published two years ago, I need to begin by sharing the reveal.

40A. Hotel room amenity ... or one of the configurations that resolve four puzzle answers: MINIBAR. In retrospect, this explained the missing "MINI" in 29A/30A and 47A/49A. 21A and 57A just fit with adding the "MINI."

21A. Cornerstone phrase: ANNO DO (MINI). Year of the Lord in Latin.

29A. In a humiliating way: IGNO (MINI) 30A. -: OUSLY. Literally.

47A. Resident at Ottawa's 24 Sussex Drive: PRIME (MINI) 49A. -: STER. The 10 Downing Street of Canada.

57A. Little versions: (MINI) ATURES. Literally.

With the limited number of theme letters, there is room for much long fill and some Friday challenge.
CATSPAW,  ENCORES, MARAUDS,  NOB HILL, CARL SAGAN, RED ALERTS, ALGORITHMIC, and ISOMORPHISM
So it is time to go to work.

Across:

1. Really big show: SMASH. What else comes to mind?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaW7Y-gTsw8

6. Sharp bark: YELP. This a very common clue/fill.

10. Software product with a cup-and-saucer logo: JAVA.

14. Addresses: TALKS. A commencement address for example.

15. Maintain: AVER. A favorite word of people who draft legal complaints.

16. Australian __: OPEN. Timely as the tennis is being played there now and the Williams sisters and the defending champion NAOMI OSAKA all lost in the first week. 

17. __ Marbles: historic sculptures: ELGIN. I did not know about this HISTORY. Though I know this ELGIN

18. Serious warnings: RED ALERTS. Why Red?  The phrase "Red Alert" comes from the naval tradition of "General Quarters" ("Action Stations" if you're British), where a ship prepares for battle. Much of the procedures are the same.

20. Narrow range: A TO B.

22. Plunders: MARAUDS. This is from the late 17th century: from French marauder, from maraud ‘rogue’.

24. Upper-class San Francisco area: NOB HILL.  HISTORY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTBFhKOYHMI

31. Old JFK lander: SST.

33. Takes pieces from?: UNARMS. Does he mean "Disarm" like taking a weapon or Aphrodite?

38. Beast hunted in Hercules' fourth labor: BOAR. I have a cute LINK that includes a Hercules crossword.

39. Can. sign letters: KPH. Kilometers Per Hour.

42. Fr. title: MME. The abbreviation for Mademoiselle. And the Spanish counterpart 69A. Span. titles: SRAS. Señoritas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-wqN2MXuCg

43. Arizona city: YUMA.

45. Horn of Africa native: SOMALI. It looks sort of like a Rhino horn, home to the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia, whose cultures have been linked throughout their long history.

46. W. alliance since 1948: OAS. Organization of American States.  MEMBERS.

51. Added numbers: ENCORES.

54. Unwitting tool: CATSPAW. Derived they say from this FABLE. Later used by Mark Twain.

59. Smoothie seed: CHIA.

60. "Cosmos" presenter: CARL SAGAN. He was so much more.

64. Baker's tool: WHISK.

65. Mayberry moppet: OPIE. I love me some alliteration.

66. 1920s chief justice: TAFT. He went to the Supreme Court after his Presidency. HISTORY.

67. Binary pronoun: HE/SHE.

68. 2001 Microsoft debut: X-BOX.

70. Financial guru Suze: ORMAN. Anybody watch her lectures?

Down:

1. Cook, as bao buns: STEAM. If you are not familiar, this dish originated in  Northern China, where wheat, rather than rice was more prominently grown

2. Smallest European Union nation: MALTA. We are the closing agent for a transaction between a client and a company from Malta.

3. Like search engine ranking systems: ALGORITHMIC. A Friday word that is very relevant in your life now even if you do not know it. LEARN.

4. Winter luggage item: SKI BAG. I don't know much about this winter item as my skiing days are long over, but I was shocked/amused seeing this AD.

5. QVC sister station: HSN.

6. Tall tales: YARNS.

7. Tied: EVEN.

8. Deceived: LED ON.

9. Museum with Goyas: PRADO.

10. 10-Across: JOE. I love how wheeled the "J." WHY IS IT CALLED JOE?

11. Boston Marathon mo.: APR.

12. Boxer's fixer: VET. Doggie pun.

13. "Jeopardy!" ques., actually: ANS.

19. Timber wolf: LOBO.

21. Dreamboat: ADONIS.

23. One for the money?: UNUM. A Latin lesson from the dollar bill.

25. Center: HUB.

26. Type of mathematical equivalence: ISOMORPHISM. A shout out to our Mathematics whizzes, derives from the Greek iso, meaning "equal," and morphosis, meaning "to form" or "to shape." Formally, an isomorphism is bijective morphism. Informally, an isomorphism is a map that preserves sets and relations among elements. Easy, right?

27. Parent of a cria: LLAMA. Or a baby alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco.

28. Minstrel strings: LYRES.

31. FaceTime alternative: SKYPE.

32. Disdainfully reject: SPURN. Harsh, but it is time that you...

34. "I'll take that as __": A NO.

35. Canyon edge: RIM.

36. Wharton deg.: MBA.

37. Latin dances: SALSAS.

41. "Norma Rae" director: RITT. I now know this MAN's HISTORY.

44. Latin trio word: AMO. Amas, amat.

48. Jazz and Swing: ERAS.

50. Artist known for optical illusions: ESCHER. Maurits Cornelis Escher.

52. Les __-Unis: ETATS. USA.

53. 10-Down sweetener: SUGAR. The third reference for all of you who are drinking your coffee as you solve. I have my cup at hand.

54. Euro fractions: CENTS.

55. Tyler of "Criminal Minds": AISHA. Dr. Tara Lewis on the show. LINK.

56. Rouse: WAKEN.

58. Tennis nickname: RAFA. Nadal.

60. Crew chief: COX. A coxswain is also the helmsman of a racing crew, like a rowing crew in a competition. The swain part is from a word meaning "servant," and cox is from cok, meaning "a small boat."

61. PD heads-up: APB.

62. Kia subcompact: RIO.

63. Latin law: LEX. The translation and root word for Legal and many others. Or Superman rival Luthor.

64. Dr. Seuss' Cindy-Lou, e.g.: WHO. They lived in Whoville.

David Van Houten

Title: A tribute to our own Melissa B. As we hold our noses and hear the sound change.

This is the LAT debut for Mr. Van Houten, who did have a puzzle published in the David Steinberg's Universal crossword October of last year. Here is the LINK to the FIEND write-up. Oddly we have had a spate of "B" puzzles but this one is not intended as a letter substitution but as a sounds-sort of-like puzzle.




17A. What dogs do to set a tempo?: BARK TIME (8). I like this visual, with a Boston Terrier leading the band.

24A. Bartender's lager-serving skill?: BUD SLINGING (11). Mudslinging was an old fashioned political strategy.

40A. Convenience for a fish traveling around the city?: BASS TRANSIT PASS (15).

52A. Annoyed answer to "How's your jobless roommate working out?"?: BUMS THE WORD (11).
And the reveal:

65A. Malady that accounts for four Across puzzle answers: HEAD COLD.



Across:

1. "__ Is Betta Than Evvah!": 1976 R&B album: ETTA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLPY3HuGkDg

5. "Disgusting!": UGH.

8. "The Real Housewives" series airer: BRAVO. Do you WATCH?

13. Sprat's choice: LEAN. Jack was an early Keto supporter.

14. Slice of pizza?: ZEE. Did you fall for this?

15. Consuming: EATING. True but not my first thought.

19. One making amends: ATONER. Another literally correct fill, but even during Yom Kippur I would not use this word.

20. __ dog: ALPHA. A 2007 movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPWjDJmbrak

21. Uproars: DINS.

23. Miler Sebastian: COE. Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 meters gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. Take that Frank Shorter.

28. "Just __": BECAUSE. Did the quotation marks help you solve?  DO you prefer ELVIS; DIDO; or, JANE's ADDICTION?

32. Creepy glance: LEER.

33. Word said with a sigh: ALAS.

34. School subj.: SCIence.

36. Self-service bar offering: SALAD. That is a cop-out

44. Join: ENTER.

45. Excavation: DIG.

46. Green subj.: ECOL.

47. Barflies: SOTS.

50. Works free: LOOSENS.

56. Beer choice: IPA.

57. Prefix with byte: TERA.

58. Name on Re-Nutriv cosmetics: ESTEE.

63. Sport played on a variety of surfaces: TENNIS.

68. V-8, for example: ENGINE.

69. 1979 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee: ORR.

70. Brest bestie: AMIE.

71. Mild oaths: DANGS.

72. Feed bit: OAT.

73. Coffee __: BEAN.


Down:

1. Italy's Isola d'__: ELBA.

2. Blue-green shade: TEAL.

3. Cover during a delay: TARP.

4. Pharaoh's symbol: ANKH.

5. Gun designer __ Gal: UZI.

6. Beloved person: GEM.

7. Follows: HEEDS.

8. Babies leader?: BEANIE.

9. Total mess: RATS NEST.

10. Words on the first of a set, perhaps: ATO.

11. Leonardo's birthplace: VINCI.

12. Situation after a leadoff double: ONE ON.

16. One of the Bradys: GREG.

18. House of Dana fragrance: TABU.

22. Down (with): ILL.

25. Old map abbr.: USSR.

26. Octa- plus two: DECA.

27. Sour __: GRAPES.

28. 1995 Oscar-nominated animatronics film: BABE.

29. Pizazz: ELAN.

30. Credits heading: CAST.

31. Rate: ASSESS.

35. Like Brahms' Symphony No. 2: IND.

37. Tie (up): LACE.

38. "... __ is given": Isaiah: A 
SON.

39. PC connections: DSLS.

41. Palomino pace: TROTTING.

42. Missile site: SILO.

43. Hunchbacked assistant: IGOR.

48. Dissertations: THESES.

49. Preacher's msg.: SER.

51. Binged (on): ODED.

52. Quick meal: BITE.

53. Capsize: UPEND.

54. Japanese comics: MANGA.

55. Large mackerel: WAHOO.

59. Union member's nemesis: SCAB.

60. Great work: TOME.

61. Academy award-winning director Kazan: ELIA.

62. Fall site: EDEN.

64. Diarist Anaïs: NIN.

66. History book chapter: ERA.

67. Fine print, say: ART. A little humor to finish the grid.

Kevin Conway

Title: What the  'L is going on here?

Lemonade here beginning 2020 welcoming another new constructor who begins with an "add-a-letter" theme which was easier for me than the reveal. I hope Kevin stops by to explain his take. There are numerous Kevin Conways in the world, so I will wait to hear from him. In my ongoing discussion of solving themed puzzles, I mentioned two weeks ago that first I look to clue/fill 17A. Today I saw -
17A. Lawyer's missing text?: LOST CLAUSE (10) [LOST CAUSE].
Then I look for the mirror fill, here it is:
54A. Another name for the five-second rule of dropped food?: MORSEL CODE [MORSE CODE] (10).
The pun is better in 54 A, and it certainly reveals the theme.
The rest -
22A. Offer from one unwilling to negotiate?: STICKLER PRICE  [STICKER PRICE](13) and its mirror -
44A. Military directive?: BATTLING ORDER [BATTING ORDER](13) fit together nicely Then we have the bonus of a reveal:
35A. Calendar period that 17-, 22-, 44- and 54-Across are celebrating?: L-WEEK. My only thought as shown in the Title I chose was HellWeek, the time when pledges make their final pitch for membership in fraternities/sororities. But a reveal that needs a reveal would be new.

The puzzle itself is a classic Friday.
The distribution is fair.

Stats		Average Values by Day of Week — 15 x 15 only						21 x 21 only
This puzzle		Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Blocks	34	37.5	37.3	37.4	36.8	31.4	30.7	73.9
Words	72	77.0	76.8	76.3	74.8	69.6	68.9	139.3
Open Squares	83	69.3	69.4	69.7	72.9	91.3	94.7	122.7
Scrabble Avg	1.52	1.57	1.58	1.59	1.58	1.56	1.56	1.55
Avg Word Length	5.31	4.87	4.89	4.92	5.06	5.59	5.66	5.28
Freshness Factor™ Percentile	77.2	18.5	26.2	30.7	46.1	78.1	84.3	62.6

The green highlighted squares show which daily puzzle average is closest to this puzzle for each statistical category.

Across:

1. Sports headwear retailer: LIDS.


5. Joplin's "Me and Bobby __": MCGEE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iX-EcRKXJw
"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free, no no..."

10. Charlie Brown's "Darn!": RATS.
  
14. Comic strip dog: ODIE.Garfield's pet.
Not related to 59A. Tributes in verse: ODES.

15. Variety: ARRAY.

16. Poetic black: EBON. 1350–1400; Middle English eban, ebyn ebony < Anglo-French eban(ne), Old French eban, ebaine < Medieval Latin ebanus, for Latin (h)ebenus < Greek ébenos, of Semitic orig.

19. Prepare to fly, maybe: TAXI. On the runway.

20. Type of battery: ALKALINE. ALL you want to know.

21. Coherent: LUCID.

25. Chicago Outfit gangster: CAPONE. Not called the mob nor the mafia in Chicago - just the "Outfit."

27. One for the road: SIGN. Cute clue.

28. Be flexible: ADAPT.

29. Saves up: SETS ASIDE. The way we were taught to save.

34. Hot __: MIC. Another name for a microphone that is turned on, in particular, one that amplifies or broadcasts a spoken remark that is intended to be private.

36. Wooden shoe sailor: NOD. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night. Sailed off in a wooden shoe,— Sailed on a river of crystal light. Into a sea of dew. By Eugene Field.

37. Create opportunities: OPEN DOORS.

40. First owner of the expansion Los Angeles Angels: AUTRY.
Gene Autry was a singing cowboy who became a movie star and rich enough to be awarded the expansion baseball franchise. This time of year his Christmas contribution - he was the first to record Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), and Frosty the Snowman. Additionally, he co-wrote Here Comes Santa Claus.

42. Travel prefix with méxico and perú: AERO. National airlines.

43. Monks' homes: ABBEYS.

49. Spring time: APRIL. Notice that it is two words.

50. Support: UNDERPIN.

53. Makeshift blade: SHIV. Thank you to the gypsy population, this is from chive, chieve, chife, chiv (“knife”), from Romani chive, chiv, chivvomengro (“knife, dagger") from 1915.

56. Group of online pages: SITE. What a perfect description of so many sites.

57. Of past times: OLDEN.

58. Garage sale term: AS IS.

60. Greet with howls, as the moon: BAY AT. Or is it bays at?

61. Restaurant menu heading: REDS. Whites, or rosés?

Down:

1. Showgirl of song: LOLA. It is actually a very sad SONG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeplUHZsHfo

2. Worshipped object: IDOL. Originally from Latin idolum ‘image, form.’  Hence the Hebrew law against worshipping graven images.

3. Modern capacity measure: DISK SPACE. Alternatively referred to as disk space, disk storage, or storage capacity, disk capacity is the maximum amount of data a disc, disk, or drive is capable of holding. Disk capacity is displayed in MB (megabytes), GB (gigabytes), or TB (terabytes). All types of media capable of storing information have a disk capacity, including a CD, DVD, floppy disk, hard drive, memory stick/card, and USB thumb drive.

4. Put on, as a high shelf: SET ATOP.

5. Bad intentions: MALICE.

6. Street organ feature: CRANK. Monkey not included.

7. "Oliver Twist" food: GRUEL.

8. Warning service co-coordinated by FEMA: EAS. The Emergency Alert System is used by alerting authorities to send warnings via broadcast, cable, satellite and wireline communications pathways.

9. Part of a needle: EYE.

10. Investment gains: RETURNS.

11. Old calculators: ABACI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E85BSWIkSbg

12. Like guilt-trippers, say: TOXIC. There are so many KINDS.

13. Nasty: SNIDE. My favorite.

18. He played Dirty Harry: CLINT. Unlike John Wayne or other famous western stars, his real name is CLINT EASTWOOD, Jr.

21. Women's links gp.: LPGA. Ladies Professional Golf Association.

23. __ Park, Colorado: ESTES. A very small town at the base of Rocky Mountain Park Northwest of Denver. A gimme since my son moved to Denver. I went there for a moment.

24. Actuary's specialty: RISK.

25. Army gear, briefly: CAMO. Camouflage
 is the use of any combination of materials,
 coloration, or illumination for concealment,
either by making animals or objects hard to
see (crypsis), or by disguising them as something else (mimesis).

26. Take __: swim: A DIP.

29. Pass out: SWOON.

30. Always, to a poet: E'ER.

31. Put between: INTERPOSE.

32. "Finding __": 2016 sequel: DORY. A blue tang from the earlier Finding Nemo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhvrQeY3doI

33. Dreyer's, east of the Rockies: EDYS. I scream you scream...

35. Loughlin of "Full House": LORI. Perhaps in bad taste, while she remains at the center of the College Admissions Scandal.

38. Indigenes: NATIVES. Indigenous people.

39. Lenovo rival: DELL. More computer talk.

40. Egyptian president __ Fattah el-Sisi: ABDEL.
This MILITARY MAN who is only 5'5" tall.

41. Ride available via mobile app: UBER CAR. I have never heard anyone use this term...just UBER.

43. Passionate: ARDENT.

44. Bartolo in "The Barber of Seville," e.g.: BASSO.

45. Ladybug's lunch: APHID.

46. Overdone: TRITE.

47. Half a stringed instrument: GURDY. Hurdy Gurdy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwyznoWJDHI

48. Southend-__: ON-SEA. Southend-on-Sea is a resort town on the Thames Estuary in Essex, southeast England.

51. "Already taken care of": I DID.

52. Fabled loch: NESS. Do you like this clue better than Eliot?

54. Flash __: MOB.

55. Old ending for "Motor": OLA. We still have a factory here.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: LET IT BE CHRISTMAS

It is not often I am inspired to begin a puzzle write-up with a musical link but 'tis the season. Chanukah (Hannukah or however you want to spell it in Roman letters) begins this year on Sunday at sundown and Christmas is next Wednesday. The world is loaded with HOLIDAYS and I hope you all enjoy yours. I don't want to forget Festivus or Kwanzaa.

On to our delightful puzzle from DAB. When I started blogging here more than a decade ago, the first thing I learned was to look at 17 Across for a hint to the theme.  This week that is SAYCHEESE. Then HAIRSALON also has to be part of the theme. That left me a BIGMESS. The second thing I learned from C.C. was "don't panic", so next is to look around the edges or at the Down fill. TA DAH! I found the rare Friday reveal: 26D. Disappointment ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: LET DOWN (7). So we need four fill with the trigram LET heading down from L-T.  The rest was interesting mental pictures.

3D. That one curl that makes the whole hairdo work?: KEY RINGLET (10). A Key Ring...

9D. Perfectionist butcher's pride?: CUTLET CORNERS (13).
The meat man does not Cut Corners.

18D. Breakfast theater offering?: HAMLET AND EGGS (13). Our Shakespeare fill, Ham and Eggs.

30D. Hollywood's latest canine discovery?: DOG STARLET (10).
Dog Star following in Lassie's paw steps.

There was one serious Friday clue/fill difficulty - ALBEDO - I am looking at you

Across:

1. Work with dough: BAKE. We kneaded to start with a pun.

5. Cylindrical granary: SILO. Hmm, silo (n.) 1835, from Spanish silo, traditionally derived from Latin sirum (nominative sirus), from Greek siros "a pit to keep corn in." It sounds like some Asian influence.

9. City in Illinois' Little Egypt region: CAIRO. I did not know the current status of the Southernmost CITY in Illinois.

14. Blessing ender: AMEN.

15. Letter-shaped auto feature: T-TOP. I like it near 19A. Chophouse choice: T-BONE.

16. Stomach trouble: ULCER. Stomach ulcers, which are also known as gastric ulcers, are painful sores in the stomach lining. ... This allows the digestive acids to eat away at the tissues that line the stomach, causing an ulcer. Stomach ulcers may be easily cured, but they can become severe without proper treatment. I will not post pictures.

17. Words before snapping: SAY CHEESE. Pictures not tempers. It perhaps comes from former Ambassador Joseph E. Davies and is guaranteed to make you look pleasant no matter what you’re thinking. Mr. Davies disclosed the formula while having his own picture taken on the set of his “Mission to Moscow.” It’s simple. Just say “Cheese,” It’s an automatic smile. “I learned that from a politician,”

20. Estonia, once: Abbr.: SSR. Soviet Socialist Republic.

21. Inlet: ARM. Meh.

22. Eases up: RELENTS.

24. Self-conscious question: IS IT ME? Yes, it is!

26. Performed eye surgery on, maybe: LASED. A mini-CSO to me as I have had YAG Laser surgery, not the popular one.

27. Win-win: NO LOSE. A partial?

29. Not getting along: AT ODDS.

33. Troll's cousin: OGRE. Are they REALLY related?

34. Code of conduct: ETHIC.

36. "Wow!": OOH. It needs an "AAH" to make sense to me. It has a clecho - 39A. "Wow!": OH GEE.

37. Dark: UNLIT.

38. Stir: ADO.

41. Really dug, with "up": ATE.

42. Hard wear: ARMOR. Very funny clue.

44. Antarctic explorer James: ROSS.
This famous MAN.

45. Spiral pasta: ROTINI.

47. Tree used for furniture and food: WALNUT. In case you want some nuts or syrup HOW TO RECOGNIZE a Black Walnut Tree.

49. Jingle-writing guy: ADMAN. Don Draper.

51. Render fizzy: AERATE. Like some others, I think of golf courses and greens.

54. Difficult and confusing situation: BIG MESS. I told you NO POLITICS!

57. Source of animal protection: FUR.

58. Sushi garnish: ROE. I am not caviar or other fish egg lover.

59. Script you can eat: ICING. We can't write in script here but Happy Birthday.

60. Permanent purveyor: HAIR SALON. Nice alliteration.

63. Obscure: BEFOG.

64. Magazine with a pronoun for a title: ELLE. A French pronoun.

65. Baseball team whose original full name is rarely used: METS. They were officially named the New York Metropolitans, after an 1883 short-lived team.

66. Outplays: BESTS. Like Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy.

67. Speculator's panicky cry: SELL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDI6SEIzwNM

68. 53-Down synonym: ITSY. Teeny weeny? 53D. 68-Across synonym: EENSY.

Down:

1. Low voices: BASSI.

2. Gather: AMASS. Like Uncle Scrooge- a fortune.

4. Letter abbr.: ENClosure.

5. Man cave setup: STEREO. Surround sound?

6. Bag of chips at checkout, say: ITEM. Random.

7. __ Altos, California: LOS. They have many very pretty and very expensive houses there.

8. __ house: OPERA. It was the only five letter fill that came to mind.

10. Planetary reflected-light ratio: ALBEDO. After reflecting on this clue, I realized I did not know it was the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, typically that of a planet or moon. The word comes from the Latin  ALBUS.

11. One who is more than just famous: ICON. Same start and length as IDOL.

12. Monthly check: RENT. Somewhat random.

13. Mine products: ORES. No, they are mine!

23. Actor Morales: ESAI. The first crosswordese fill I learned.

25. Bagels and donuts, shapewise: TORI. I like bagels and donuts, but I feel like some music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnK0X_1OLTU

28. Tailor's task: SEAM.

31. "That __ it!": DOES.

32. That girl: SHE. This show predated the Mary Tyler Moore Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoh1LGADKI8

33. Not taken by: ON TO.

35. Group dance with hand-holding: HORA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGTho2a9t9k

37. Nasser's org.: UAR.

40. Happy __: HOUR.

43. Lens holders: RIMS.

46. "You're wrong about me!": I AM NOT.

48. Poet's honor: LAUREL.


50. Hearth sweepings: ASHES.

52. Sweetie: TOOTS. This term is no longer pc to call a female. Spencer still calls Dr. Silverman "toots" at times.

54. Lettuce type: BIBB.

55. Frozen drink brand: ICEE.

56. Computer images, briefly: GIFS.

57. Sate: FILL.

61. Tankard contents: ALE.

62. Athos, vis-à-vis Aramis: AMI. They were French after all, just like M. Dumas.

JW

Title: Change the channel?

We are back under the magic spell of the creative mind of Jeffrey Wechsler. For this opus, he has combined two favorite themes - letter substitution and sound-alike. Of course, his goal is humor with the cluing. He pulls it all together with a very classic grid-spanning reveal smack dab in the middle [etymology is a bit vague- LINK] of the puzzle. Since JW's mind works differently than most, I am not sure what came first, the "T" changing to "V" or the sound changes in the new phrases. Such is the joy of solving. As is usual  with JW,  he builds a consistent grid with the change in the first word in themer 1/5 and the second word for 2/4. Overall, the puzzle is not one of his most difficult ones with many 3 and 4 letter-fill to keep the solving going. He does add GYM SHOES, VANTAGES and SALES SLIP and introduces LINE C and PAPARAZZO to our vocabulary list. JD, if you are solving, do you still keep a list?
The theme:

17A. Street stand with full permits?: LEGAL VENDOR (11). Legal TENDER is the base phrase.

23A. "Who wants to visit Muscle Beach?"?: VENICE ANYONE (12). TENNIS anyone. Venice Beach California.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG8WlZH9DlE

45A. Dumps litter in the woods, e.g.?: VEXES RANGERS (12). Baseball's TEXAS Rangers.

57A. King's pulse, BP, etc.?: ROYAL VITALS (11). Royal TITLES.
And the reveal:

37A. Got ready to binge-watch ... or a hint to phonetic changes in four puzzle answers: SWITCHED ON THE TV (15).
On to the specifics:

Across:

1. Skip: BYPASS. Not the easiest of starts, but straight forward once you see it. The word has morphed from simply not doing something (I will bypass dessert) to become a significant medical term and procedure.

7. Say good things about: LAUD. Straight from the Latin laudare: to praise. We get our academic cum laude but not Lauderdale.

11. Umami source, briefly: MSG. MonoSodium Glutamate. We have discussed this new taste sense recently.

14. City grid feature: AVENUE. Perps are streets, among others.

15. Detective's need: INFO. A bit unfair as the phrasing does not suggest an abbreviation, but CLUE.

16. "So there it is!": AHA. Our moment.

19. Filch: ROB. Played by Dick van Dyke when he was young.

20. Tee preceder: ESS. ARR ESS TEE

21. Sufferer cleansed by Jesus: LEPER. Too clearly a religious topic but can find it in the KJV, Mark 1:40-45

22. See 35-Down: GIRL. 35. With 22-Across, proud parent's cry: IT'S A. One of two for those who hate this paired fill.

26. AFC South athletes: TITANS.

29. Sen. Warren, e.g.: DEM. Senator - Democrat,

30. "... for none of woman __ / Shall harm Macbeth": BORN.

31. Receipt: SALES SLIP.

40. Shutterbug who bugs: PAPARAZZO. The singular of Paparazzi and the topic surrounding the death of Princess Di.

41. Brewer's kiln: OAST. Owen will host a poem about a boast from a brewer's oast?

42. VW Golf model: GTI.

43. Considered to be: SEEN AS.

51. Stout choices: ALES. Some beer punning.


52. Violate a truce: REARM.

53. Onetime part of Portuguese India: GOA. There much to learn about Portuguese Estado da Índia

56. Drug injector: PEN. Linked to 18D. 56-Across prefix: EPI.

60. Tokyo-born artist: ONO.

61. Group with pledges: FRAT.

62. "Quit it!": ENOUGH.

63. Was the boss of: RAN.

64. Numbers game: KENO. Sid Caeser in a Chevy Chase Vacation Movie, or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4mr7S_UNI

65. Pinball wizard's reward: REPLAY.

Down:

1. Farm storage unit: BALE. Not related to Christian.

2. First name in couture: YVES. St. Laurent.

3. Categorizes: PEGS.

4. Carrier with Tokyo HQ: ANA. All Nippon Airways.

5. In a dark mood: SULLEN.

6. Winning slot machine line: SEVENS. More gambling. Hmm JW lives near Atlantic City?

7. Where to claim a W-4 head-of-household allowance: LINE-C.
Form W-4 2020
Employee’s Withholding Certificate
Enter Personal Information
(a) First name and middle initial Last name
Address
City or town, state, and ZIP code
(b) Social security number
▶ Does your name match the name on your social security card? If not, to ensure you get credit for your earnings, contact SSA at 800-772-1213 or go to www.ssa.gov.
(c) Single or Married filing separately
Married filing jointly (or Qualifying widow(er))
Head of household (Check only if you’re unmarried and pay more than half the costs of keeping up a home for yourself and a qualifying individual.)

8. Author Gide: ANDRE.

9. Airborne mystery: UFO.

10. Palme __: film award: D'OR.

11. Super __: MARIO. The co-star of the great NES games.

12. Cut off: SHORN.

13. Gothic architecture feature: GABLE. Yes, they use Clark's picture on all the throwback buildings.

22. Fitness training apparel: GYM SHOES.

23. Superior positions: VANTAGES. Ad?

24. Port SSE of Sana'a: ADEN.

25. Source of tweets: NEST. Not the one from Google, but nature.

26. Culinary meas.: TBSP.

27. "Field of Dreams" locale: IOWA.

28. Vacation option: TRIP.

31. "__ who?": SEZ.

32. Hatchet relative: ADZ.

33. John in Albert Hall: LOO.

34. Steakhouse order: LEAN.

36. Low mil. ranks: PVTS. And part of a Howard Stern book title.

38. Old PC monitors: CRTS. Cathode Ray TubeS.

39. '60s musical: HAIR. A musical that began in 1968 reflected the hippies and anti-war and NUDITY! Still talked about it was a show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNbtAID5wM

43. Sommelier, e.g.: SERVER. In America often called the Wine Steward.

44. White weasel: ERMINE.  White weasel, while alliterative, does not sound appealing. Popular in the pre-PETA days and appearing twice this week in the LAT.

45. Steam, for one: VAPOR. Hence vaping.

46. John Paul's successor: ELENA. Justice Stevens and Justice Kagan. Not Popes.

47. Element from the Greek for "strange": XENON. Also, Xenophobia.

48. Indo-__ languages: ARYAN. How many have watched MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE on AMAZON? Tiny spoiler alert.

49. "Peachy!": NEATO. Keen!

50. 128 fl. oz.: GAL. Right next to...

53. Conquest for Caesar: GAUL. "Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est." Six years of Latin should not go to waste.

54. Lingerie brand: OLGA. This is a deja vu moment for me, but perhaps I saw their products while shopping at Kohls with my wife.  LINK.

55. Grayish: ASHY. We have many variations of this word lately.

57. '60s A.G.: RFK. Robert F. Kennedy was the Attorney General of the US-appointed by his brother.

58. Natural resource: ORE. A natural resource is defined as a resource that cannot be replaced in our lifetime. They include metal ores, fossil fuels, earth minerals, and in some in certain situations groundwater

59. Word with dollar or dog: TOP. Once again we reach the bottom of the puzzle, but come out on top from a very entertaining roller coaster ride.

JW

Title: Come right in - no queue here.

Jeffrey is back on schedule with me and delivers another of his letter substitution puzzles. The letter "W" replaces "QU" in a varied group of common phrases. As I solved it seemed he was going for another group well all of the switched letters preceded the same vowel, but that was not to be. Instead, he ramped up the difficulty by adding some very original fill and his usual witty cluing. His long non-theme fill shows three introductions, highlighted in BLUE and one second-appearance highlighted in GREEN. He packs all of this into a 70-word gem. AIR TANK,  ALGIERS, ALL TAKEN, APHELION, MAGNOLIA, TIRE CARE, TRAIN SET and TSUNAMIS.

16A. Colbert et al.?: WITS FOR THE NIGHT (15). JW, which comes first, the idea of QU to W or does a specific fill pop into your head?

29A. Part of a candlemaker's design process?: WICK DECISION  (11). I am glad he didn't clue this with a reference to this MOVIE. Definitely R-rated for violence.

34A. Outdoor wedding guests on a steamy day?: WILTING PARTY (11). When my son married they chose June in Florida for an outdoor wedding at the Miami Botanical Gardens.

51A. What a hiker might do after a nap on the trail?: WAKE IN ONE'S BOOTS (15). I always take mine off before sleeping in the forest.

Across:

1. New England's only National Park: ACADIA.  In Maine.

7. Eponymous explorer of Australia: TASMAN. I do not think ABEL TASMAN was much of a devil, just an explorer.




13. Pressure sensors attached to buoys are parts of their warning systems: TSUNAMIS. A learning moment.

15. Recorded, in a way: ON TAPE.

18. Useful thing: ASSET.

19. Additionally: TOO.

20. Coastal raptor: ERNE. Also known as the SEA EAGLE. They are a link to the Dinosaurs but not vegetarians.

21. Something to file: NAIL. Why do we file files?

22. Frond source: PALM. They are lot of old fronds of mine here.

23. With 53-Down, maxim: OLD. 53D. See 23-Across: SAW. A proverb or maxim, as in "Mom's always repeating the old saw, "Haste makes waste". This term uses saw in the sense of saying, and old in the sense of wise rather than old-fashioned.

25. Ob-__: GYN.

26. Jacket fabric: DENIM.

27. First name in a 2010s first family: MALIA. Means "Mary" in Hawaiian. Perfect for Hawaiian born father.

31. Subarctic forest: TAIGA. Taiga, also called a boreal forest, biome (major life zone) of vegetation composed primarily of cone-bearing needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees, found in northern circumpolar forested regions characterized by long winters and moderate to high annual precipitation.

33. Hawke of "Boyhood": ETHAN. Two weeks ago, it was ETHAN ALLEN.

38. "Over the Rainbow" composer: ARLEN. Somewhere was not in the title, and it was written specifically for the movie. Harold Arlen only wrote the music but is a classic sung by so many. HISTORY. Judy Garland's version is embedded in the link.

39. Bowling venue: ALLEY. Another CSO to Boomer and TTP.

40. PD alert: APB. It has taken me a while to adjust to PD not meaning PUBLIC DEFENDER. With all the police procedurals on TV, I finally got it.

43. Understand: GET.

44. Oil equipment: RIGS.

45. "Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself" org.: ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union.

46. Meditation goal: CALM.

49. Keurig Dr Pepper brand: BAI. "Bai's mission is to share the powerful antioxidant goodness of coffee's superfruit and always move toward optimum, healthy living." I missed the $18,700,000,000.00 acquisition by Keurig in 2018. Their list of brands in very impressive and hard to avoid. LIST.

54. December decor: WREATH. It's beginning to smell a little like Christmas. The trees are already out for sale and it isn't even Thanksgiving.

55. Gift with tracks: TRAINSET. We took the family on a BRIGHTLINE train ride, and my 2-year-old grandson loved. He now owns a beginner train set.

56. Absinthe herb: FENNEL. Traditional absinthe is made of anise, fennel, and wormwood (a plant), and various recipes add other herbs and flowers to the mix. Did you hallucinate when you tried it?

57. Chocolates, e.g.: SWEETS.

Down:

1. "You've heard this from me before ... ": AS I SAY.

2. Replaces a dancer: CUTS IN.

3. Adams with negatives: ANSEL. This PHOTOGRAPHER.

4. Bonkers: DAFT. Two old terms for mentally unwell.

5. "Here's a thought," briefly: IMO. In My Opinion.

6. Reef diver's need: AIR TANK. Most divers use scuba tanks filled with simple compressed air (filtered and dehumidified).

7. Sock part: TOE.

8. Prince Harry's aunt: ANNE. Elizabeth II children are Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

9. Ado: STIR. About nothing?

10. Early Mississippi flag symbol: MAGNOLIA.

11. Farthest-from-the-sun orbital point: APHELION. The perihelion is the point on the orbit of a planet or comet that is closest to the sun. The point on the orbit farthest from the sun is the aphelion. The speed of a body in the solar system is greatest at the perihelion and least at the aphelion.

12. Monarch catcher: NET. Butterflies. Hey- CSO to John Lampkin, who was the constructor that introduced APHELION to the crossword world.

13. Country music sound: TWANG.

14. Unexcitable: STOLID.

17. Marseille man: HOMME.

22. Pie-topping nut: PECAN.

24. Newscaster Rather: DAN.

26. Invitation to eat: DIG IN.

27. Daydreaming Walter: MITTY.

28. Wan: ASHY.

29. Bic's __-Out: WITE.

30. First known asteroid: CERES.

31. Car manual topic: TIRE CARE.

32. Like the seats in an SRO performance: ALL TAKEN.

34. Funny one: WAG.

35. She never went to 50-Across ceremonies: GARBO. 50D. 1954 Honorary Award for 35-Down: OSCAR.

36. Flexible: PLIANT.

37. North African capital: ALGIERS.

40. Confront boldly: ACCOST.

41. China pieces: PLATES.

42. Pop: BURST.

45. Together: AS ONE.

47. Corned beef order: LEAN.

48. Tiny insect: MITE.

50. "Hamilton" award: OBIE.

51. Scrabble-like app, briefly: WWF. Words With Friends.

52. Puckish org.?: NHL. Punishing pun dropped here.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: To B? Yes!

A quick turn around for me with another Friday JW special. This is an add a letter puzzle with the simplicity and consistency that are hallmarks of his work. "B" is added to the first word of the 1st and 3rd theme fill and to the last word of the 2nd and 4th. And the




ADULATE, BANK JOB, CRUELLA, ETERNAL, FLEECED, GO BELOW, HINGE ON, HOWARDS, LAST ONE, MODESTY, RETORTS, SANDFLY, and READ A POST

17A. Total confusion at the creamery?: BUTTER CHAOS (11).
This is a fun image with all kinds of slapstick being churned up.

30A. Foot condition seen in oaters?: WESTERN BUNION (13).
The slight outlier, as the pronunciation of the added B-word is changed. I was in my 40s before I knew a bunion is a painful bony bump that develops on the inside of the foot at the big toe joint.

35A. Comparison of a motor coach to all other travel options?: BUS VERSUS THEM (13). I also think this is pretty funny.

52A. Barista's occupational hazards?: COFFEE BURNS (11). Our local Starbucks staff are more careful than that.

Across:

1. Long-nosed fish: GAR. Gar, is any of seven species of large North American fishes of the genera Atractosteus and Lepisosteus, in the family Lepisosteidae.

4. Took to the cleaners: FLEECED. A subtle CSO to me and the Golden Fleece.

11. With 29-Down, anticipates potential trouble: HAS. 29D. See 11-Across: AN OUT. The escape route.

14. Burns wrote one on a louse: ODE.  This POEM talks about how we are all equal to a louse.

15. "After this, no more questions": LAST ONE. Is this your clue Jeffrey? See how demanding I am now that he cooperated one.

16. Tahiti, to Gauguin: ILE. French.

19. Actor Cage, casually: NIC. He changed his name to Nicolas Cage (no H, just like his birth name Nicolas Coppola) after the comic book anti-hero LUKE CAGE who you may not know.

20. Avoided a family affair, perhaps: ELOPED. Very nice clue/fill.

21. Fabled beast: ASS. I wonder which one this refers to? Buridan's Ass?

22. Golden __: AGER. That's us, baby.

23. Carefree adventure: LARK. Not sure why, but this popped into my head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sox5JVZ0teQ

24. Little tunneler: ANT. Hey, John Lampkin how are you?

25. "The L Word" co-creator Chaiken: ILENE. I did not know of this successful PRODUCER with a varied background from the Fresh Prince of Belair to Empire and Stumptown.

26. Giant among Giants: OTT. A nice clue for some old-time crossword glue.

27. Alicia Keys record label: RCA. Who really knows or cares? I think she is very talented and attractive but who buys records?

29. Without markup: AT COST.

34. Checked the latest blog entry, say: READ A POST. A nice CSO to each and every one of you.

39. Gershwin classic: SWANEE. The PERFORMANCE is very un-pc.

41. Ike's WWII command: ETO. Eastern Theater of Operations.

42. Prefix with laryngology: OTO.

43. Throws the game: TANKS. No doubt written for all the Dolphin fans. Of course, they ruined their [erfect season by beating the Jets last Sunday.

44. O'er and o'er: OFT. Archais synonyms.

46. Thunderstruck: AWED.

47. Synagogue storage cabinets: ARKS. Where the Torahs stay when not in use. A fancy one at our synagogue.

48. T'ai __: CHI. Tai chi, short for T'ai chi ch'üan or Tàijí quán, is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training, its health benefits, and meditation.

49. Compassionate words: WE CARE. Do you really?

51. TX library honoree: LBJ. There are a few.

54. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxELf7F5xlY

55. Fur-loving de Vil: CRUELLA.

56. "Who __?": New Orleans Saints chant: DAT. Re

57. Lee follower: REB.

58. Beach pest: SANDFLY.

59. "You __ devil!": SLY.


Down:

1. Visit the engine room, perhaps: GO BELOW.

2. Put on a pedestal: ADULATE.

3. Sharp answers: RETORTS.

4. Head for the hills: FLEE.

5. Frying medium: LARD. Two weeks in a row with pork fat.

6. It's NW of QWERTY: ESC. Literal look at the keyboard.

7. Allen of Vermont: ETHAN.

8. "See the ___ clear'd, and then we will depart": "King Henry VI": COAST. JW's weekly Will Shakespeare clue. Act I, Scene 3.
Lord Mayor of London.
See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart.
Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear!
I myself fight not once in forty year.

9. Grandson of Adam: ENOS. Enos or Enosh (Hebrew: אֱנוֹשׁ ʾĔnōš; "mortal man." Son of Seth.

10. __ Arc, Arkansas: DES. The obscure Friday clue. Thank you for the perps.

11. Require for success: HINGE ON.

12. Ones from afar: ALIENS.

13. It may be hard to keep: SECRET.

18. State hwy., often: TPK.

22. "Jo's Boys" author: ALCOTT.

24. "Storage Wars" network: A AND E.

25. "I speak the truth": IT IS SO.

27. Brand munched by E.T.: REESES. Pieces.

28. Want badly: CRAVE.

31. Boxer's boxers: TRUNKS. Cute clue. Is it your clue Jeffrey?

32. Gold __: BAR. Very random- -BUG, CUP, BAR...

33. Agitated: UPSET.

35. Many a heist: BANK JOB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB3oylmcFzg

36. E.M. Forster's "__ End": HOWARDS. No apostrophe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3o4t9ATM6w

37. Opposite of momentary: ETERNAL.

38. Reason for a cover-up?: MODESTY.  Do you all recall BLAISE?

39. Less fresh: STALER.

40. Emulate a nightingale: WARBLE. Maybe "(of a person) sing in a trilling or quavering voice."

44. "Whoop-de-doo": OH FUN.

45. Played a piccolo-like instrument: FIFED. (verb) ARCHAIC
play the fife.

46. Needle front?: ACU. This was very hard to parse. Once the lightbulb came on with acupuncture, it seemed to right.

48. "Downton Abbey" countess: CORA.

49. Deftly: WELL.

50. StubHub parent: EBAY. They bought the ticket exchange company for $310,000,000.00 in 2007. Now the PLAN has changed.

52. IV units: CCS. Also measured in mLS, milliliters. They have a one to one ratio.

53. 2003 holiday film: ELF. We end with an early Christmas classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW9wRNqQ_P8