dallas fletcher

No matter how inspired we may be, there are write-ups where there is no better title than the constructor's reveal. This is one of those.

Dallas is making his LAT debut though he started with a Universal collaboration with Christopher Adams in 2019, then a solo UC in 2020 and WSJ earlier this year,

40A. Magic trick that affects the answers to starred clues: DISAPPEARING ACT (15). Those three magic letters disappear in every one of the many themers, so before we discuss Dallas and his arrow making abilities, let's look them over.

17A. *Runs drills: PR{ACT}ICES (6).

22A. *Extremely demanding: E{ACT}XING (5).

23A. *Did a double-take, say: RE{ACT}ED (4). 

31A. *Produce milk: L{ACT}ATE (4).

59A. *Like two-humped camels: B{ACT}RIAN (5).

73A. *In a concise manner: COMP{ACT}LY (6).

12D. *Strategic maneuver: T{ACT}IC  (3).

41D. *Has an effect on: IMP{ACT}S (4).

65D. *Thing that matters: F{ACT}OR (3).

The grid: 

So we are left with: PRICES: EXING: REED: LATE: BRIAN: COMPLY: TIC: IMPS: FOR. If you can make more out of them as part of the theme I look forward to hearing the theory. 

Meanwhile, Dallas did include some nice long fill HAS A COW, 

FENG SHUI, NOAH'S ARK, SAILBOAT, SHAGGY D.A., STORY ARC, and UFO CULTS. The ones in red are new fill. He had some nice combinations like 14 - 18 across and 64 - 69 across. Overall, this does not really play like a Friday with so many three letter fill and so many fill in general. He does provide a reverse CSO to Shawn Corey Carter . On that note, on to the rest.

Across:

1. Let off: ACQUIT. This fits right in with earlier in the week mini-rant about our judicial system. There are innocent people who are charged with crimes and desrved to be acquitted. It is not being let off.

7. "Beats me," in texts: IDK.  I Don't Know.

10. Boozer: SOT. Everything you didn't know you wanted to know about SOT.

13. Its recipe often includes egg whites: MOUSSE. You guess how to make it work...

100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

4 egg whites

¼ tsp lemon juice

20g unrefined sugar

14. System used in home decor: FENG SHUI. This is  the ancient Chinese practice that charts the balance of energy, or chi, via scientific calculations.

18. It can unfold over many episodes: STORY ARC. TV Talk.

19. P.O. box item: ENVelope.

20. Canadian grazer: ELK. A deer relative and a CSO to CEh.

25. Sounds of relief: AHHS. Sometimes requiring more Hs. 

27. Simon of "Shaun of the Dead": PEGG. Very funny movie.

29. Screen legend Flynn: ERROL. He would not have appeared in the above movie.

33. "Indeedy": YUP. Slang.

35. One-time Nigerian capital: LAGOS. Abuja is a planned city and is relatively affluent. It was built from scratch in the 1980s and became the nation's capital in 1991. 

37. Thingamajig: DOODAD. A recent jumble solution.

44. Seales of HBO's "Insecure": AMANDA. This unlnown to me but multi-talented PERFORMER.

45. Feed a crowd, say: CATER. Well golly, that was who brought the food to my wedding.

46. Printer spec.: DPI. DOTS PER INCH. 

47. Singer Susan Boyle, e.g.: SCOT. Another of Simon Cowell's discoveries.

49. Outfit again: RERIG. Meh. 

53. Kind of sink: SLOP. A deep sink, usually set low, esp. used by janitors for emptying pails of dirty water.

56. Tot's bruise: OWIE. and 70A. "Ouch!": I'M HURT.

58. __ trap: SET A. 

61. Non-Rx: OTC. Over The Counter.

63. Form 1040 calc.: AGI. Adjusted Gross Income.

64. Religious groups that allegedly communicate with ETs: UFO CULTS. A more complicated GROUP.

67. Sweatshirt with a head cover: HOODIE.

69. Classic couples carrier?: NOAH'S ARK. I love this clue/fill.

71. Word with film or form: ART. 

72. Utter: SAY.

Down:

1. Electrical unit: AMPERE. Begins the down clues and they finish with a classic clecho 68D. Electrical unit: OHM.

2. Home plate edge: CORNER. That picher sure knew how to paint the corner. More baseball esoterica for our non-sports group.

3. Accessory for Katniss Everdeen: QUIVER. A self-SO to our constructor. 

4. Trojans' sch.: USC. Not the condoms.

5. "That makes sense": I SEE. That is why I am here.

6. Electric wheels: TESLA. My wife wants to drive one- but if she likes it, what do I do? 

7. Hypotheticals: IFS. Yes, it is only a thought and the idea is not one...

8. Not like at all: DETEST. I hate

9. Fort defended by Bond: KNOX. The classic 007 film GOLDFINGER starring Sean Connery as James Bond is set mainly in England and Switzerland, but it was partially filmed at Fort Knox. 

10. Disney film featuring a canine prosecutor, with "The": SHAGGY DA. Part of the Shaggy Dog series.

                                    

11. Lord's Prayer opener: OUR. Father...

15. Handlebar part: GRIP.

16. Last word in a holiday song: SYNE. That auld saw...

21. Kin of Kourtney: KHLOE. Kardashian krap.

24. __ Twins: online comedy duo: DOLAN. The INSIDE SCOOP if you care. This is very "modern" fill which many want to see more of in the 2020 decade.

26. Freaks out: HAS A COW. Not quite as new, but classic BART.

28. Quick dip?: GUACamole.

30. "Bosch" squad: Abbr.: LAPD. Lots of Southern California references in this puzzle.

32. Prep for publication: EDIT.

34. Calif. summer hrs.: PDT. Didn't I tell you.

36. Admissions depts. review them: GPAS.

38. Unique thing, to a Brit: ONER. Steve? Help.

39. Meanies: OGRES. Makes them sound almost cuddly.

40. __ joke: DAD. I had a good one but I forgot, maybe by morning.

42. Tot's tub toy: SAILBOAT.

43. 1:15, e.g.: RATIO. 

48. Against: CONTRA. Iran affair>

50. Study, with "on": READ UP.

51. Celebrity socialite: IT GIRL. Not my idea of an IT girl but what do I know.

52. Merriment: GAIETY. 

54. Theater ticket abbr.: ORCHestra.

55. Name of 12 popes: PIUS. You would hope they all were and had a well defined...

57. Value system: ETHIC. But, if not...

60. Old-style "Bummer!": ALAS what are you going to do.

62. Crooner Perry: COMO. He settled in So. Fla. for hsi golden years.

64. __ vez: once: UNA. Hola, Lucy. 

66. __-high: SKY. And to wrap up the week we have sky back, which leaves popping off rather than popping up. Have a safe and fun 4th of July week-end all. Thank you Dallas, please come by and share your thoughts. We are a bunch of fun curious people. lemonade out.

Paul Coulter

Title: As we approach summer it is time for PUN IN THE SUN!

One of our friends and a regular Paul Coulter is back. For those who do not remember, his first LAT TIMES PUBLICATION was 6 years ago.  It makes me a bit sad to these all those we do not see here any longer. It was very hard introductory puzzle but we did get to see wonderful pics of our own Lucy Dale. This puzzle was not as difficult if you have the 'proper' sense of humor, the themers are sound-alike puns. And like all of this type of puzzle, the humor is subjective, so you all might not be amused, but I was. Not to jump on the negative bandwagon, but this was not my favorite of Paul's puzzles. There were sacrifices to have the five long themers with 57 blocks dedicated to theme.  There was not much room for other sparkly fill. ISSUERS, MIDTOWN, UNCTION, NERVE ENDING and PAPER TRAILS do make the grid better but we do have an abundance of initialisms;  it is time to move to the theme.

17A. Winter wear made from tusks?: IVORY COATS (10). The Ivory Coast is both a pun and an anagram.

30A. Routines for barbecuing?: WIENIE ROTES (11). Wienie  Roast is a pun, but not an angram, but it does rhyme with 17A.

37A. Cuts back on one's livestock business?: GIVES UP THE GOATS (15). Gives up the Ghost must be the seed entry, and ta da also rhymes with...

46A. Carryalls made by Dior?: FRENCH TOTES (11). Many believe challah makes the best French Toast. 

60A. Useless castle defenses?: INNER MOATS (10). This also includes OATS, but is paired with yet a different rhyme Innermost. This an outlier, as it is one word, though I did find a clothing brand. I love that Paul found 5 different sounds that rhyme for his sound-alikes, but I am guessing some will say, "stop at four"and forget the outlier. But he would not have had the needed symmetry. Making puzzles is not for sissies. 

Across:

1. Jokers: WAGS. Unlike our Wild Ass Guesses, this goes back to the 1550s "person fond of making jokes,"  perhaps a shortening of waghalter "gallows bird," person destined to swing in a noose or halter, applied humorously to mischievous children.

5. Small ball on a string: PEARL. Our Friday cluing begins here.I needed the perps. Followed by a gimme...

10. Emulated: APED. Followed by personal poetry...

14. Classic Langston Hughes poem: I TOO. LINK.

15. Portmanteau metal producer: ALCOA. No, no, no! AL CO A, aluminum company of america is not words mashed together.

16. Alley unit: LANE. Now we insult Boomer with a bowling non-sequitur. 

19. __-FREE: contact lens solution: OPTI. Which actually may be a paortmanteau.

20. Asian holiday: TẾT  Tết short for Tết Nguyên Đán, Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. While Asian cultures celebrate the lunar new year, only Vietnam calls it by that name.

21. Publishers: ISSUERS. A bit of a pun and they issue issues. 

23. Onetime Tide competitor: RINSO. 

26. Less formal alternative to a toga: TUNIC. The toga was considered Rome's "national costume," but for day-to-day activities most Romans preferred more casual, practical and comfortable clothing; the tunic, in various forms, was the basic garment for all classes, both sexes and most occupations.

28. Like many AARP mems.: RETired. I guess 'mems' mean members...

29. "A Chorus Line" number: ONE. 

33. Blows it: ERRS. But it is human, unlike...

35. Mythical monster: ORC.

36. Airport abbr.: ARRivals

43. Classified ad abbr.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity 

44. Charged item: ION. I always pay cash when I buy ions.

45. Respectful group address: SIRS. Sexist, too.

51. PC linkup: LAN. Local Area Network. A CSO to all of our techies.

52. Long, long time: EON. The largest unit of time. era = A unit of time shorter than an eon but longer than a period.

53. Loudly laments: KEENS. We are back to Friday, not a proper noun but "lament loudly over the dead, bitterly wail," 1811, from Irish caoinim "I weep, wail, lament," from Old Irish coinim "I wail." Hence "to utter in a shrill voice" (1893). We have seen it a few times.

54. First signs of smoke: WISPS. 

56. Manhattan theater district locale: MIDTOWN. A MAP

58. Blame: PIN. You can't pin that on me!

59. Others, in Latin: ALII.

66. Advance: LEND. 

67. "Cool!": NEATO. With another similar made up word 38D. Smashing: SOCKO.

68. Google results: URLS. Uniform Resource Locators

69. Not at all cool: EDGY. I disagree, edgy can be way cool.

70. Midas' undoing: GREED. He had the touch.

71. What boors lack: TACT.

Down:

1. Popular console since 2006: WII. The active Nintendo console which you can buy used for $60.00 or so.

2. Off-roader's purchase, for short: ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

3. Muck: GOO.

4. Varieties: SORTS.

5. Dispute resolution: PACT. Maybe music will help.

6. "Do Ya" rock gp.: ELO. 

7. 2010 health law: Abbr.: ACA. Affordable Care Act. Not aqui.

8. Twisty pasta: ROTINI. It is Italian for twists, I believe.

9. Classic movie girl played by a boy: LASSIE. Fun and truthful clue. There are some very fun LASSIE FACTS.

10. 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty: ALOU. I can hear the grumbling already but the perps were fair.

11. Hard-copy evidence: PAPER TRAILS. If you watch Television crime drama the good guys are always looking for these.

12. Main course preceder, in France: ENTREE.  A typical French lunch will consist of: a starter (une entrée), such as a mixed salad, soup, some terrine or paté. A main course, (le plat principal), typically a choice of meat or fish, with potatoes, rice, pasta and/or vegetables; a cheese course (often a selection of local cheeses) and/or a dessert. Desserts are sometimes not detailed on the menu, so you have to listen to the waiter. 

13. Jefferson et al., religiously: DEISTS. The term is used chiefly of an intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries that accepted the existence of a creator on the basis of reason but rejected belief in a supernatural deity who interacts with humankind.

18. "Ouch!": YEOW. So many sounds...

22. Scrawny one: SCRAG. One who is scraggly

23. "The Witches" (1990) director Nicolas: ROEG. His BIOGRAPHY; the movie 

24. Calvary inscription: INRI. Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm

25. Source of feelings: NERVE ENDING. No namby pamby emotion here, just the literal site of feeling.

26. Md. athlete: TERP. Maryland = Terrapin.

27. Religious fervor: UNCTION. This was very hard as I associate the word with the act of anointing, but a deep dive shows this connection for the word.

31. Chit: IOU. And I want to get my money!

32. Top medals, in Barcelona: OROS. There's gold in them there Olympics.

34. Caught in the act: SEEN. Caught you.

39. Have the __ for: HOTS. This idiom has no known origin, except perhaps the literal autonomic response to extreme sexual attraction.

40. Chicago-to-Lansing dir.: ENE. Going to Michigan!

41. Trick, in a way: TRAP. In a lie for example.

42. IRS IDs: SSNS. Social Security NumberS.

46. Doe, for one: FEMALE. She is back!

47. Stirred up: ROILED. Why not riled? If you roil someone you're stirring them up but not necessarily annoying them. To rile someone is to deliberately provoke or antagonize them. Vocab.com

48. Wielding an axe: HEWING. Or a new HOTEL in Minneapolis.

49. One percent of a G: TENNER. .01 x $1,000.00 = $10.00

50. Dip: SWIM. You must get wet!

55. Two-way, as a door: IN/OUT. Important in restaurants for the servers.

57. Like some sums: TIDY.  Some HISTORY.

58. Egg on: PROD.

61. Dumfries denial: NAE. Scotland.

62. Automne preceder: ETE. Simple French seasons

63. Altar in the sky: ARA. Moe just had it in his May 28 write-up.

64. Help for a sad BFF: TLC. Best Friends Forever /Tender Loving Care.

65. Retired flier: SST. SuperSonicTransport. I here they are coming back.

Don Gagliardo and Zhouqin Burnikel

 Title:

16A. Big house, hot water: CATS AND DOGS (11).

32A. Abstract concept, space needle: ARTS AND CRAFTS (13).

37A. Wee one, parlor game: BITS AND PIECES (13).

59A. Pepper jack, gold dust: POTS AND PANS (11).

Across:

1. Boxing legend Pacquiao: MANNY. He has held 8 world boxing titles and is still fighting at 42.

6. RxList selection: DRUG. So Don "HARD G" and C.C. are easing us into the solve.

10. Dad __: BOD. I knew it was going to be all right when I plunked this in immediately.

13. Roman playwright who advised Nero: SENECA. I told you guys all those years of Latin helped.  When Nero became emperor in 54, Seneca became his advisor and, together with the praetorian prefect Sextus Afranius Burrus, provided competent government for the first five years of Nero's reign. Seneca's influence over Nero declined with time, and in 65 Seneca was forced to take his own life for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero, in which he was likely to have been innocent. Per wiki.

14. Traveler's need, perhaps: VISA. The passport kind not the credit card.

15. Dr. Cornelius, in a sci-fi film series: APE. One of my favorites.

18. "I like that!": YUM. Is ir Onomotopoeia or from the Sanskrit YUM? The word has been in dictionaries since the late 1800s.

19. Recording session rarity: ONE TAKE. That depends on the budget and the Producer.

20. "__ 13": APOLLO. The ill fated flight and the MOVIE. 

22. Swimming aids: FINS. I never found them easy to use.

23. TV forensics letters: CSI. Crime Scene Investigations. There is a revival coming for the fall 2021 SEASON.

26. Wintry mix: SLEET. A popular fill. 

27. Mushy ground: FEN.  FENway Park, which was named ny Red Sox owner John I. Taylor who claimed the name Fenway Park came from its location in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, which was partially created late in the nineteenth century by filling in marshland or "fens."

28. Los Angeles birthplace of astronaut Sally Ride: ENCINO. No way I knew this trivia but perps to the rescue.

31. Scandinavian demonym: DANE. One from Denmark, as it is the name used for the people who live in a particular country, state, or other locality. For example, demonyms for the residents of Michigan are Michigander and Michiganian but not Michiggenuh.

35. Even one: ANY. Literal.

36. Game for an "it" girl?: TAG. Very cute, not relating to the showbiz it girls, just the kids game.

44. "This looks like trouble": UH OH. There is no known origin story.

45. Shire equivalent: COUNTY. Shire in England and Hobbitland.

46. Letters before an alias: AKA. Also known as.

49. Acidic, in Germany: SAUER. Kraut became a popular insult to Germans in WWI.

51. "Snowpiercer" channel: TNT. I knew nothing of the book, movie or SERIES but three letter channels are limited.

52. Just: EVEN. Meh, I think it needs even-handed.

53. Many a news team: TV CREW.

55. Clothing: RAIMENT. c. 1400, "clothes, an article of clothing, vesture" (archaic), shortening of arayment "clothing" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French araiement, from Old French areement, from areer "to array" (see array (v.)).

58. Grassy stretch: LEA. Popular in GB.

62. Augsburg article: EIN. Another German reference.

63. Lake fed by the Detroit River: ERIE. Oh goody, another was to clue the Lake.

64. London-based tea giant: TETLEY. A fascinating history of tea and the COMPANY.

65. City grid nos.: STS.

66. Mardi Gras follower: LENT. This year it began on February 17(Ash Wednesday) and ended on April 3, the day before Easter.

67. "Siegfried __": Wagner symphonic poem: IDYLL. A romantic STORY.

Down:

1. Nasty sort: MEANIE. Not George. 

2. Radio interface: ANTENNA. Interface? 

3. Cardinals' homes: NESTS. I thought they came from St. Louis.

4. Sports org. that evolved from one created under Teddy Roosevelt: NCAA. The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS), now known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), was formally established on March 31, 1906 to reform the rules and regulations of college sports. Early football games often resulted in injury and even death, prompting some colleges and universities to close their football programs. The reforms were encouraged by President Roosevelt in 1905, after his son was injured while playing football for Harvard.

5. Pull hard: YANK. Don't go there.

6. Data storage device: DVD. Digital Video Discs are obsolete I am told.

7. Kia subcompact: RIO. 

8. Golf rules org.: USGA. More organizations.

9. Expresses shock: GASPS. I wasn't so I did not.

10. Herb from the laurel tree: BAYLEAF. Be careful which Laurel Tree. LINK.  We always had Mountain Laurels in our yard- no no! The use of the leaves as a spice goes back to Roman Days where it was treasured and part of an...

11. Lavish: OPULENT. Lifestyle.

12. Downgrades: DEMOTES. Start with your basic PROMOTE and add "DE" take away "PRO." 

13. Sneeze (at): SCOFF. mid-14c., "jest, make light of something;" mid-15c., "make fun of, mock," from the noun meaning "contemptuous ridicule" (c. 1300), from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skaup, skop "mockery, ridicule."

17. U.S. record label since 1934: DECCA. Quite a history. LINK.

21. Gerontology focus: OLD AGE. Gerontology is multidisciplinary and is concerned with physical, mental, and social aspects and implications of aging. Geriatrics is a medical specialty focused on care and treatment of older persons.

24. Original __: SIN. Did anyone else watch this year's LUCIFER episodes?

25. Unaffiliated: Abbr.: INDependent.

28. Mediterranean tourist site: ETNA. Why go to an active volcano?

29. "It's Gonna Be Me" band: NSYNC.

30. Mendelssohn's Opus 20, e.g.: OCTET.

33. Bacon portion: RASHER.

34. Suggestive: RACY.

37. Is astir with activity: BUSTLES.

38. "Aha!": I HAVE IT.

39. Large-billed birds: TOUCANS.

40. URL component: DOT. How cute, the little period.

41. Carlin's "Atheism is a non-prophet institution," e.g.: PUN.

42. Prefix with dermal: INTRA.

43. Backup command: SAVE ALL.

47. Vacation rental?: KENNEL. Board the pets while you go frolic.

48. Pumped: ANTSY. In the pantsy.

50. Ward off: REPEL. So if you want the guy across the bar to pay attention you would PEL him?

52. Recycled item: EMPTY. You are supposed to empty them, budo you wash them?

54. Sported: WORE. Kim Kardashian sported the 7 carat ring.

56. Pro fighter: ANTI. Not a boxer just and ideologic opponent.

57. Pointed at, say: ID ED. Yeah, he did it!

60. Mint container: TIN. Altoid anyone.

61. Math group: SET. Like my algebra teacher has a nice set?

Bruce haight

 Title: AYE YI EYE! 

Bruce does a quick turnaround from last week's joint effort with Kevin Christian and delivers a 'sounds like' pun puzzle. The key to a successful pun puzzle is the wit involved and if any make you smile or laugh when you suss what they are parallelling. I have no intention of influencing your opinions, as I perceive my role to be that of guide, but I look forward to your feedback. Well I may suggest my favorite...I also have my nits, will they appear? Not if I use my nit medecine.

We can also find a variety of non-proper noun words sprinkled  in like HOLY SEE, IN A SNAP, LUCIDLY, LOCKSTEP and SODA LIME which an interesting chemical combination and the brand name SKI-DOOS.  So we start with the theme:

17A. Assorted caustic solutions?: PACK OF LYES (10). Pack of Lies. Of course we all know lye is a caustic, as are many of your criticisms.

23A. Receiving annoying questions?: GETTING WHYS  (11). Wise. With so many teachers in the audience, did you get 'annoying questions'? If so what took the cake? And why is it cake?

34A. Agreements just between us?: PRIVATE  AYES (11). Eyes. 

This cute fill, sadly reminds me and perhaps most of the longtime posters of a dear friend who died who signed on as Clear Ayes. 

48A. Quick and unexpected exits?: IMPULSE BYES (11). Buys.  I really enjoyed this pairing and confess that while I was always able to resist infomercial, now Amazon gets more of my money that it should.

57A. Pretense of being a brute?: TOUGH GUISE (10). Guys are supposed to be tough, or so we were taught. The ETYMOLOGY  reveals that this word is related to the root word for WISE. Many times you can just research too much.

Across:

1. Bill collectors?: TILLS. I was not fooled by the clue, but it did take the "T" in 1 down for for this to fill. I wonder if younger people know that the noun till means the same as "cash register?" 

6. "Get back to us" letters: RSVP. We get some French, but doubt you need to know répondez s'il vous plaît to understand the letters.

10. Not much: A TAD. One on Lincoln's chilcren?

14. Elitist: SNOOT. This  person who shows contempt for those considered to be of a lower social class, "looks down his nose at...

15. Resort WNW of Breckenridge: VAIL. There are many fine ski resorts in Colorado, with Vail and Aspen likely the most famous. 

16. '80s-'90s group, informally: GEN-Y. I started trying to think of a musical group. Now we call them MILLENIALS.

19. Very bright: NEON. During the 70s these colors became "dayglo."

20. Some snowmobiles: SKI-DOOS. Back in Colorado for a ride through the snow, the number one maker of snowmobiles was created in Canada (Eh!) back in the 50s. The story goes that the printer screwed up the promotional brochures which were supposed to say SKI-DOG, after the Dogs which pulled the sleds. He did not have the money for a reprint.

21. 2018 CVS Health acquisition: AETNA. CVS is a Rhode Island based company, Woonsocket, RI to be precise; and AETNA was about 70 miles west if you take Connecticut route 44 through my home town of Putnam. One of my uncles and many cousins live(d) in Woonsocket. Anyway, the PRESS RELEASE about the purchase explains it. 

22. Type units: ENS. But not EMS

26. Buccaneer's buds: MATEYS. I do not see Tom Brady calling up some of his Tampa Bay mateys.

28. Mil. category: NCO. Non-commisioned officer. This terminology always seemed oxymoronic to me, but I never was permitted to serve.

29. Vitals checker, briefly: EMT. Emergency Medical Technicians.

30. Letters seen between * and #: OPER. Only if you have a  landline. 

31. Prized smokes: CUBANS. You need to know the real deal.

38. Got on the board: SCORED. Tom Brady or Tom Cruise?

39. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS. Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, developed the scale in 1812. He selected ten minerals of distinctly different hardness that ranged from a very soft mineral (talc) to a very hard mineral (diamond). 

42. Singer/songwriter __ Mia: PIA. I never had heard of Pia Mia Perez who was born September 19, 1996 in Guam, which is a territory of the United States. She is of Chamorro, Italian, Dutch, and Hungarian descent. Watch the 

VIDEO and you decide.

45. Jungfrau, e.g.: ALP.  Literally "young maiden" perhaps if marti were still here she could tell us if this deserves is place as one of the best places in the Swiss mountains.

46. Soap dish?: TV IDOL. A fun clue/fill combo.

52. Sisters pop duo __ & AJ: ALY. More young woman music which I would never have known in a million years but I recently binge watch a 2001-2004 Simon Baker series called  The GUARDIAN. To make a short story long it is about a young lawyer who gets in trouble with the law and because his father is a very successful Pittsburg attorney, he does not go to jail but has to do community service at a free clinic that helps abandoned or troubled children. (hi Moe). The father, played by the awesome Dabney Coleman gets 'involved' with a troubled woman (Farrah Fawcett in one of her final roles) who has a young daughter who is left alone when her mother dies. Whew. The daughter was played by AJ Michala, who with here older sister Aly make up the pop duo. 

53. Con artist's aide: SHILL. This is  "one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc.," 1916, probably originally circus or carnival argot, probably a shortened form of shillaber. Which brings us back to Simon Baker, whose character in THE MENTALIST grew up in a carnival.

54. With a sound mind: LUCIDLY. Basically this means clear headed with its origins from the Latin for "shine." A CSO to Lucina.

56. Romeo or Juliet: TEEN. Another fun red herring.

60. Doomed boat in "Jaws": ORCA. I did not recall this but it was easily inferable.

61. Longtime syrup brand: KARO. I think it has been more popular in the south and west.

62. Celebs: NAMES.  Friday difficult. 

63. Look the wrong way?: LEER. Rather a wrong look.

64. Space balls?: ORBS.  Love the movie.

65. Power-saving mode: SLEEP. For both computers and humans.

Down:

1. Five-mL medicine dose: TSP. A Conversion LINK.

2. Just like that: IN A SNAP. in a trice, in a twinkling, in two shakes of a lamb's tail, twinkling etc.

3. Rigid pattern: LOCK STEP. A standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality as opposed to...

4. Trickster in "American Gods": LOKI. I know Loki from THOR and mythology, but I have not sampled this show. I may now. 

5. Stick-in-the-mud: STODGY. Not LOKI.

6. Motorhome stopover, for short: RV LOT. But maybe a visitor to an RV Lot.

7. Speak, as thou might: SAYST. Biblical, which was full of...

8. Battle: VIE. This word.

9. Polite texting letters: PLS.

10. "Nattering nabobs of negativism" speaker: AGNEW. Our dishonest but educated vice-president under Mr. Nixon; I think from Maryland.

11. Raise canines?: TEETHE. Funny.

12. Assumed moniker: ANONYM. Without the ITY it is the "AN" prefix like from ANODE, so it means 'not the name'. Six years of Latin helps .

13. Hereditary ruler: DYNAST. Without the Y, it is the person.

18. Nemeses: FOES.

21. Intense suffering: AGONY. Ah, but wait for the ecstasy, not MMDA.

22. Kind of rock: EMO.

24. Retired, maybe: IN BED. Not yet.

25. Sports scholarship org.: NCAA.

27. Isn't right: ERRS.

31. Seize like Caesar: CARPE. DIEM bro' 

32. Pac-12 athlete: UTE. Utah athletes.

33. Prefix with arid or dry: SEMI.  Random.

35. Words that might expose a bluff: I CALL. Very fun.

36. Lady __: Tenn. college team: VOLS. Volunteers,

37. Gas-absorbing mixture: SODA LIME. Soda lime absorbs carbon dioxide which is invaluable in rebreathing machines like spacecrafts.

40. Vatican jurisdiction: HOLY SEE. The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes), also called the See of Rome, is the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, which includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome with universal ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the worldwide Catholic Church, as well as a sovereign entity of international law, governing the Vatican City.

41. Like some winks: SLY.

42. One traditionally drawn at dawn: PISTOL. Love this wit.

43. Incoming words: I'M HERE. But we are nearing the finish line.

44. Distribution word: APIECE. Two words or one?

46. Stock sector: TECH.

47. Churchillian gestures: V-SIGNS.

49. Type of nerve or artery: ULNAR. Also random

50. Jacket material?: BLURB.On a book.

51. Short-lived '80s-'90s cars that sounded like they should always work: YUGOS. You go Hugo.

55. Twin: DUAL. Not duel.

57. Fight decision: TKO. Technical Knock Out.

58. Blade in the water: OAR.

59. Medium strength?: ESP. And the final witicism, what a medium must have.

jeffrey w

Title: Jeffrey, you light up our lives.

In deference to Boomer, I just got a TURKEY . We have not talked about this that I remember, but since we have many newbies did you know in bowling a BOOMER is a big hooking ball; or a person that throws a big hooking ball. 

Welcome back to the J and J Friday funnies, Jeffrey created this puzzle and I will try and electrify you with my wit and wisdom. There are power outages, so be prepared. This effort begins with a Fridayish grid with 72 words and all the long fill in the theme making it easy to spot what he had in mind. He also folds in a fair amount of 7 letter fill, such as FROLICS, IN TOTAL, LEARNED, MAN-O-WAR, MONTANA, SCREAMS, SHALL WE, SIMILES, SPEEDER, and SPIN-OFF.

The themers:

16A. Tight deadlines may make an electrician's job __: GO DOWN TO THE WIRE (15). THE WIRE was a hugely popular TV show.

24A. An electrician who is testing results may become a __:  SWITCH HITTER (12). A switch hitter in baseball can bat both right-handed and left handed. In life it is a bit of a PERJORATIVE.

42A. An electrician resolves legal matters at __: CIRCUIT  COURT (12). In many jurisdictions (not NYS) the basic trial court for litigated matters. FLORIDA.

56A. A stressed electrician may need an __: EMOTIONAL  OUTLET  (15). One final plug for all the great skilled workers of America who did not need college to succeed, one of my nephews -Jonathan - is a master electrician.

Two grid spanners and no need for a reveal. On to the rest.

Across:

1. "Fear the Walking Dead," e.g.: SPIN-OFF. Most agree that the first TV spin-off was 77 Sunset Strip (1958–1964) which begot Bourbon Street Beat (1959–1960).  I was really into the original, not its progeny.

8. Fixed up: REDONE.

14. Legendary name in racing: MAN O' WAR. This legendary thoroughbred is an all time great LEARN MORE. Seabiscuit was a descendant.

15. Keeps away from: EVADES. Avoid, evades...

18. Reversal: UTURN. Now used beyond driving.

19. Picked up: LEARNED. I picked up some Spanish living is South Florida.

20. Leaves for a drink: TEA. To be witty with simplicity, nice!

21. How it looks, with "the": OPTICS. A 21st century word,

30. Schooner pole: MAST. Sail information for you all on SALE.

33. Where FDR was once governor: NYS. New York State. Following Teddy.

34. Face with courage: BRAVE. Synytax had me fooled for a bit.

35. Counting everything: IN TOTAL. I tried to make this one hard.

37. Poetic devices: SIMILES. I will leave you all up to your OWN, but I learned one called a Calligram - a poem in which the calligraphy, the formation of the letters or the font selected, represents an aspect of the poem’s subject.

39. Link to another story?: STAIR. Again, so sweetly misleading the reader. JW's?

40. "Shameless" network, briefly: SHO. Showtime has aired this irreverent soft-core show with a wonderful cast featuring WILLIAM H. MACY and the yummy EMMY ROSSUM just ending after an 11 year run. 

41. It may be raised at an outdoor wedding: TENT. Such fun cluing! You cannot possible be...

46. Glum: MOROSE. 

47. Old AT&T rival: MCI. When they broke up Ma Bell much of the credit went to MCI which had been born as Microwave Communications, Inc. The history of the 8 baby bells and where thry are all now is facinating, and MCI which became part of the WorlComm scandal is now part og VERIZON.

50. "Let's begin, okay?":  SHALL WE. Pray?

54. Doesn't hack it: FAILS.

59. They may be going around: RUMORS.

60. Saskatchewan neighbor: MONTANA. Our dear friend who many of us have had the pleasure of meeting in person as she travels to visit her farflung children; we met in Denver.

61. Patronize, as a motel: STOP AT.

62. Person well over 70, probably?: SPEEDER. Yay me! But where am I speeding to?

Down:

1. Executed, in Exodus: SMOTE.

2. City near Venice: PADUA. They say it is a GREAT DAY TRIP.

3. "Are you __ out?": IN OR. So many contexts come to mind...

4. "Don't take it so hard": NOW NOW. It is flexible; 1-used to tell someone not to be worried or unhappy: Now, now, don't cry. Everything will be all right. You'll see!

2 - used in speech to express criticism or disapproval in a gentle way

Now, now. There's no need to use that kind of language.

5. Take responsibility for: OWN. This is very 21st century speak

6. Butter component: FAT.

7. Kicks up one's heels: FROLICS. Middle Dutch vrolyc "happy," a compound of vro- "merry, glad" + lyc "like" (see like (adj.)). ... 1)), giving the whole an etymological sense akin to "jumping for joy." Similar formation in German fröhlich "happy."

8. Discuss ad nauseam: REHASH.

9. At any time: EVER. If ever you need me...I'll be there.

10. Vampire's curfew: DAWN. Old fashioned original vampires...

11. Comics dog that sounds like two letters: ODIE.                                                    

12. Bookish sort: NERD. I disagree- bookish synonyms: studious, scholarly, academic, literary, intellectual, highbrow or erudite. nerd synonyms: bore, dweeb, geek, anorak, spod or Poindexter.

13. Wichita-to-Memphis dir.: ESE.

16. __ feeling: GUT. Intuition.

17. Big field in Silicon Valley: TECH. Not a place to land an airplane

22. Cocktail word with a tilde: PIÑA . More music...

23. Texter's "Chat soon": TTYL. Talk to you later.

24. Dispassionate type: STOIC.

25. UPC bar code developer: IBM. Sorry JW and/or Rich, this is another half-truth/ HISTORY.

26. Travis of country music: TRITT. Sorry, I used up my country music link.

27. Account: TALE. That's may story and I am sticking to it.

28. Square: EVEN. We are all square, I paid you back.

29. Sit a spell: REST.

30. Catchall abbr.: MISC.

31. Contradictory prefix: ANTI.

32. Marquee figure: STAR.

36. Capote nickname: TRU. Rhymes with...

37. "Leave me alone!": SHOO. Onomotopoeia.

38. Chits: IOUS. Onomotopoeia.

40. Roller coaster sounds: SCREAMS. Only from the wimps. I just sob quietly.

43. "Wait, what?": I'M LOST. Expliquez, s'il vous plait.

44. Dot on a map: TOWN.

45. Disprove: REFUTE.

47. Creator of an iconic bear: MILNE. Do not pooh pooh the importance of his creation.

48. Understood: CLEAR. Got it!

49. Musician's suffix: IST. Trombonist.

50. X-rated stuff: SMUT. Now come some questionable fill...

51. __ sapiens: HOMO. As a speices we are so shy...,

52. Surmounting: ATOP. This sounds obscene to me

53. Pre-euro currency: LIRA. 

55. Slightly: A TAD. A tad to the left

56. Critical-care ctrs.: ERS. Emergency Rooms

57. Chop (off): LOP.lop "to cut off," originally of branches of a tree, mid-15c. (implied in lopped; place name Loppedthorn is attested from 1287), a verb from Middle English loppe (n.) "small branches and twigs trimmed from trees" (early 15c.), which, along with Medieval Latin loppa, is of unknown origin.

58. Number of World Series wins for the Astros: ONE. What a fun way to clue this word, a CSO to our Houstonians and all of our baseball fans.

Jeffrey

 Title: We must eliminate CR gas (dibenzoxazepine).

Once again I am blogging a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle. (Thank you Moe for graciously offering to let me blog the April 2 and you would blog the the 9th and 16th so we would be on schedule for sharing the duties 50/50) and it turned out the 23rd is another JW).

Also, like last time, I am assigning a meaningful title to the puzzle, whether intended or not, because if you know of the risks of CR TEAR GAS  which is 10 times stronger than the original tear gas, you will understand the importance of a ban. I am very much against violence. Particularly if the often irreverent, sometimes entertaining comments offend and you want to beat the crap out of me. Back to real entertainment, as Jeffrey has removed the bigram - CR - from the beginning of four/five in the language phrases and the resultant phrases are clued to amuse. There are none better at this style. Once again to meet the creative need, Jeffrey uses a non-square grid this time 15 columns by 16 rows. I guess that the extra row was the result of double themers in the middle, but that is just a guess. This lead to a plethora of 5 and 6 letter fill and left the theme fill as the only long word or phrases. Which means it is time...

15A. Judicious use of an Egyptian goddess?:  {CR}ISIS MANAGEMENT  (14). I am not sure how you "use" a goddess but she was an interesting deity, the daughter of GEB and NUT.

20. Source of some cruise ship beer?:  {CR}AFT BREWERY (10). I think there are actual ships with breweries on board. CARNIVAL VISTA.

35A. With 40-Across, good advice for correcting a manuscript?: {CR}EDIT WHERE (9).

40A. See 35-Across:  {CR}EDIT IS DUE (9). Giving credit where credit is due. 

52A. What a theater hopes its "Bus Stop" revival will be?:  {CR}INGE WORTHY (10). William Motter Inge the author of BUS STOP was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broadway productions, including PICNIC, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize.

58A. Audiophile's flat, say?: {CR}AMPED APARTMENT (14) Now that the theme is out there, I am amped to get to the rest, so away we go. 

Across:

1. Opening for recorded music: CD-SLOT. I hear the grumbling already when 1A is not simple. (Sorry D-O). The term seems clunky but it has about 76,200,000 results from Google. 

7. Pass: ELAPSE. Time, oh good good time

13. Placid: SERENE. Hopefully while the time passes.

14. Cheese-making sites: DAIRIES. Yes, you need milk.

                                  

17. In concert: AS ONE. We acted together.

18. Scott who played Danno on "Hawaii Five-0": CAAN. Son of James Caan this 5'5" actor has made his own way in Hollywood.

25. Caesar's last gasp: ET TU. I should have et only one.

26. Most exposed: BAREST. Maybe like THIS?

27. Like microbes, before microscopes: UNSEEN. Sneaky little guys.

29. Lover of Aphrodite: ARES. The war god; she was the ISIS of her people.

30. 39.37 inches, in Ipswich: METRE. Where are the Duke and Duchess hiding? SUFFOLK COUNTY. 

33. Really enjoy: SAVOR. No dinosaur but LINK.

42. Some brass: TUBAS. Don't confues them with the SOUSAPHONE.  

43. Frisbees, e.g.: DISCS. Do you remember the PLUTO PLATTER? Growing up in Connecticut I knew that the Frisbee's name is a spin-off from a defunct Connecticut bakery, Frisbie Pie Co. New England college students often tossed empty pie tins around for fun, a habit that led them to refer to the Pluto Platter as a "frisbie."

44. Salon supply: GELS. Not for me.

45. One on a regimen, perhaps: DIETER. Or maybe a PILOT.

49. Mountain guide: SHERPA. A clear CSO to C.C. and her affectionate appellation for us.

51. Cornerstone word: ANNO. Latin year placed in building cornerstones. 

56. Evidence of surgery: SCAR.

57. Soffits are under them: EAVES. 

65. Big 12 rival of the Longhorns: SOONERS. Texas and Oklahoma.

66. Knowledgeable (in): VERSED. OKL is well versed along with others here.

67. Indications of humanity?: ERRORS. Who said "to err is human, to forgive divine" ? Answer below if I remember. 

68. Upper crust groups: ELITES. 

Down:

1. Franchise whose opening themes are songs by The Who: CSI.

2. Paris' Rue __ Martyrs: DES. Street of martyrs

3. Indian honorific: SRI. Not Indian but a Hindu honorific, do you think it is related to 41D. "Hey" assistant: SIRI?

4. Guitarist Paul: LES. Mr. Electric Guitar

5. Where Mark Watney was stranded for about 560 sols, in a 2015 film: ON MARS. Played by Matt Damon. Interesting movie.

6. Wonderland service: TEA SET.

7. Raring to go: EAGER.

8. Rest: LIE. 

9. Tentacle analog: ARM. Back in the day my young female friends would complain that their date was like and octopus.

10. Fragments: PIECES.

11. Law group: SENATE. Oddly this was hard.

12. Passed-down property: ESTATE. A common misconception.

14. Kierkegaard, e.g.: DANE. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (b. 1813, d. 1855) was a profound and prolific writer in the Danish “golden age” of intellectual and artistic activity. I kept trying to find a 4 letter word that meant philosopher. Eventually after rejecting many incorrect 4 letter words of frustration, the correct one surfaced.

16. "Get on it!": NOW. Make it so!

19. Field role of early TV: NUN. Silly Sally role.

20. Demean: ABASE.

21. Capacitance unit: FARAD. Named after Michael Faraday, thisis the SI unit of electrical capacitance, equal to the capacitance of a capacitor in which one coulomb of charge causes a potential difference of one volt. Huh?

22. Roman fountain: TREVI. Much nicer than the one by our pool.

23. Stupefy: BESOT.

24. Nomadic shelter: YURT. 

28. Mature eft: NEWT. Cute reversal clue/fill. 

30. Just what the doctor ordered: MEDS. Nice!

31. U.S. Cabinet-level dept.: EDUC.

32. Family __: TIES. Poor Michael J. Fox, from Teen Wolf to physical struggles.

34. Theme park offering: RIDE. Charging a $100.00+ per day, sounds like being taken for a ride.

36. More vast: HUGER.

37. "The Great Movies" series author: EBERT.  His OBITUARY.

38. Actor Fiennes: RALPH. Actor Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. See 30A if you do not believe how much thought goes into finding entertaining fill.

39. One of ten in Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son": ESSAY. A book I found profoundly moving while in college, and now, in my dotage I ponder his words as I observe the division in our people. “You can not describe anything without betraying your point of view, your aspirations, your fears, your hopes. Everything.” This may be what keeps us apart.

45. Court figs.: DAS. District Attorneys.

46. If: IN CASE. My little Georgia boys learned "for case."

47. Captivate: ENAMOR. 'N AMOR? The Submariner?

48. Lethargy: TORPOR."lethargy, listlessness," c. 1600, from Latin torpor "numbness, sluggishness," from torpere "be numb, be inactive, be dull" (from PIE root *ster- (1) "stiff").

49. Sharp turn: SWERVE. Onomotopoeia? LIST. I left out the fifth O until the final run through.

50. Hiker's stopover: HOSTEL.

53. Gets closer to: NEARS. Relax, I am almost done.

54. Openings: GAPS.

55. Mendes of fashion: EVA.  To SPANK or not?

59. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO. ENOugh is ENOugh!

60. "__ Rosenkavalier": DER. Literally the red knight (Spitzboov?) a complcated OPERA with Strauss' music.

61. CT scan relative: MRI. Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Mine for later today has been canceled as the blood work showing my levels for Bun and Creatinine was not reported in writing.

62. January Ga. hours: EST. Eastern Standard Time.

63. Previously called: NÉE. Only if you are a female; so many languages are gender specific. Does that make it harder for the new generations?

64. NFL scores: TDS. Or FGS.

JW

 Title: Bite the bullet, it's over

Today we have a strong moralistic puzzle from Jeffrey that uses his writing mentor, Will Shakespeare, as the inspiration for this self-contained sermon. After Macbeth kills King Duncan for his wife, she tries to soothe him with, "Things without all remedy Should be without regard: what's done, is done." This is never as easy to do as to say, but JW comes up with a theme that fell into place (I would guess) when he realized that -what's done is done- is exactly 15 letters long. That has occurred to a few other constructors, but none used Jeffrey's approach. Where we get his unique style is gridding this as a 15x16 puzzle, a tall order by any measure. This choice allows him to insert 4 great fill BLOW A FUSE, HEARTACHE, MANIFESTO and ON HIS BACK. To me it elevates the whole experience.

The themers:

17A. "Take my advice: no use crying over spilled milk ... ": WHAT'S DONE IS DONE (15). Especially if you have a cat or dog that will happily lap it up.

34A. With 36-Across, "There's no going back ... ": YOU CANT (7). 36A. See 34-Across: CHANGE THE PAST (13). The eternal question of the space-time continuum.

48A. "Put everything behind you ... ": FORGET ABOUT IT (13). Said with an accent and feeling, an anthem for mobsters.

61A. "And look ahead.": IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON (15). Which thoughtfully is the perfect segue to discussing the rest of the puzzle. Let us repair to the minutia.

Across:

1. Honshu drama: NOH. Kan'ami and his son Zeami started this ART FORM in the 14th century.

4. Words before a recap: AS I SAID. Very often by bosses, teachers, and parents to those they control.

11. Audi rival: BMW. We have many cars lately.

14. Boise-to-Billings dir.: ENE. Standard-fill for a puzzle, but who really cares.

15. "Raging Bull" boxer: LAMOTTA. He was a brawler who fought the best and won half of the  time.

16. Infamous Vietnam War site, My __: LAI. If you can bear the ignominy, the horror, and the pictures. The LINK.

20. Compact part: MIRROR. It was the key to the Guardian solving a mystery on the LIBRARIANS.

 

21. Greet warmly: SHOW IN. I guess this depends on how effusively you greet your guest.

22. Spumante source: ASTI. The bubbly faux champagne region in Italy. Moe can provide much more information.

23. PC core: CPU. 

26. Spot to get a bite on the street: CAFE. Especially if there are many mosquitoes around.

27. Rockets' org.: NBA.

28. Low cloud: STRATUS. Didn't I do clouds last week?

32. Two-__: half-price opportunity: FER. Here we do the BOGO.

33. Pouch: SAC.  Very important in the insect world,

35. Ship letters: USS. United States Ship (abbreviated as USS or U.S.S.) is a ship prefix used to identify a commissioned ship of the United States Navy and applies to a ship only while it is in commission.

39. Brewery vessel: KEG. Not to be confused with vestal. 

40. Celestial feline: LEO. We have one of our own, welcome.

41. Snoots put them on: AIRS. Nice clue/fill- to give oneself airs: to assume an unnatural or affected manner, esp. an unjustified air of superiority. 1701 T. Baker Humour of Age ii. 29 

45. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO. Or otra.

53. Sigma follower: TAU. Learn the alphabet for Greek? You need many alphabets and more to communicate. LINK.

54. Shorebirds related to stilts: AVOCETS. 

55. Crux: NUB. 

57. Cards: WITS.

59. Up on the latest: AWARE.

60. Sax type: ALTO.

64. Force featured on "Bosch," for short: THE LAPD. Los Angeles Polic Department is home to many shows.

65. "So close!": NICE TRY.

66. Oodles: TONS.

67. They often take turns: CARS.

Down:

1. __ Own Organics: NEWMAN'S. Paul, may he rest in peace.

2. Where "The Man With the Hoe" carried the world, in an Edwin Markham poem: ON HIS BACK.  

                               

                                  The Man With the Hoe

3. Great sadness: HEARTACHE.  I don't do dinosaurs... heartache; agony, bitterness, despair, grief, heartbreak, misery, pang. sadness, suffering, torment, affliction, dejection, depression, despondency, distress, dolor, hurting, remorse, torture, etc. I do rely on 28D. Roget entry: Abbr.: SYNonym.

4. Plus: ALSO.

5. Iraq's __ City: SADR. Some recent HISTORY.

6. Brief "I think": IMO. In My Opinion

7. Oceanus, to Gaia: SON. So many myths, so many THEORIES.

8. Snacked: ATE.

9. "How sweet __!": IT IS. 

10. Sprint: DASH.

11. Lose it: BLOW A FUSE. The expression blow a fuse came into use in the early twentieth century and is related to the use of electricity in the average home. A fuse protects an electrical item from a sudden surge of electricity that may start a fire.

12. Public policy declaration: MANIFESTO. This is a public declaration of policy and aims, usually in writing, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.

13. Cookout fare: WIENERS. Oddly this nickname for sausages in a bun came from the image of dachshunds.

18. One less than tetra-: TRI. 4 to 3.

19. OB or ENT: DOC. Obstetrician and Ear Nose and Throat.

23. Rock's Mötley __: CRUE. A very successful 80's band that AXE toured with during the 80s before one of the band's guitarists got killed in a car accident.

24. Formal agreement: PACT.

25. Four Corners state: UTAH. Naturally there are FOUR of them

29. Dress, with "up": TOG.

30. Le Monde article: UNE. Just French.

31. Auto additive with a red oval logo: STP. Andy Granatelli and Mario Andretti

37. Seaweed product: AGAR. The SCIENCE.

38. Quite often: A LOT.

42. Supermarket chain with a red oval logo: IGA. It did not start out that way. 1960 vesrion...

43. Overhauls: REVAMPS.

44. Put away: STOWED.

45. Titania's husband: OBERON. A tiny bit of Will Shakespeare.

46. Serving as a symbol: TOTEMIC. Totem is a fun word, making it and adjective is...creative?

47. Fin. neighbor: RUS. Finland and Russia.

48. Loyalty: FAITH. 

49. Start: OUTSET.

50. "Human beings ... may hide their feelings, but __ does not": Hemingway: A CAT. This is such a wonderful quotation and so apt here where we have our coterie of cat connessieurs like HG. I can visualize Lily agreeing.

51. Fjords, e.g.: INLETS. Back to Scandanavia.

52. Teach privately: TUTOR.

53. Foolish sort: TWIT.

56. Superskinny: BONY.  My choice...

58. Battle of Normandy town: STLO. This has appeared hundreds of times in the major puzzles since it was first used in 1953, including last Friday.

60. Claim: AVER. Law word, silly.

62. Actor McKellen: IAN. A wonderful actor and best friends with another...

63. Andean root vegetable: OCA. Don't you want to learn to GROW THEM?