David Alfred Bywaters

Title: HBDTMe

David (DAB) exploded on the 15x15 puzzle scene in December 2016 with a publication in both the NYT and the LAT. I count this to be his 120th puzzle in the major venues NYT, LAT, UC and UCS but my eyes started to cross trying to count them all so YMMV. Add to that all of his work on his own website A little DAB'll Do you and you a creative and dedicated man making his mark. I blogged his initial PUZZLE HERE .   

This theme to me is one of the trickier as it has both verbal and visual aspects. But is Friday so we must work a little harder. This is especially so since all of my fellow bloggers have upped their game so much. 

I wonder if Mr. Bywaters planned this as a Friday, as there are not his usual amount of sparkly non-theme fill with DIADEMS, DINETTE,  MAHALIA and  GIVE OVER the lot. We also have 52 of the 74 words at 5 letters or less and 40 blocks which are many for a 15 x 15. But I liked it and did not find it easy which is my favorite combination for a Friday. Off we go...

7A. Hi?: THIN SKINNED (11). If you take the word THIN and skin it, which is taking its outside layer off, it become HI.

24A. A?: REDUCED FAT (10). This time if you reduce the word FAT, all that is left is A. Again, the outside layer is removed. 

36A. In?: CLIPPED WING (11). Now picture clipping the word WING and remove the ends...

51A. Lower?: CUT FLOWERS (10). If you take away the F and the S... This is consistent, but for me CUT is not as precise as the others.  

58A. Lea?: CLEAN SHAVEN (11). Also clearly part of the theme, and the perfect compliment to 7A, with the work being done to the first word. The 11/10/11/10/11 symmetry also is preserved. 

I also spent some time trying to find a meta from the remaining parts of the butchered words, but nothing came to mind. I hope David stops by again as he often does.       

Across:

1. Ending of a Greek story?: OMEGA. The final letter of the Greek alphabet which we are seeing often.

6. Not just bad: AWFUL. When I was in high school we used to go Friendly's a New England specialty restaurant and order the AWFUL AWFUL. Since fall is approaching it seems a good time to see this drink's HISTORY.

11. Italian word that becomes its English synonym when "h" and "e" are added: TRE. THREE.

14. May and others: CAPES. Using the first letter capital trick made this a very Friday clue/fill. I liked it.

15. Way to go: ROUTE. A literal one to follow just to throw us off.

16. Veer off course: YAW. Didn't we recently discuss THIS?

19. Org. that began as the National Congress of Mothers: PTA. History LESSON. 

20. Head turner: ADONIS. 

Obviously not Jewish.

21. Ways to go: GAITS. Another tricky one as your gait is how you move.

23. Guilty, at times: PLEA. Not guilty, nolo contendre or guilty are the only choics in criminal courts.

28. Purpose: AIM.  

29. Jewish deli specialty: KNISH. An eastern european jewish, or yiddish, snack food consisting of a dumpling stuffed with potato, kasha or other delights.

30. Bit of force: DYNE. This is a unit of force that, acting on a mass of one gram, increases its velocity by one centimeter per second every second along the direction that it acts. Also great for dine puns.

31. Dickensian objects of pity: WAIFS. Meaning "person (especially a child) without home or friends" first attested 1784, from legal phrase waif and stray (1620s), from the adjective in the sense "lost, strayed, homeless."

34. "Fab!": NEATO. Very 60s. 

40. Common bike-lock design: U-BOLT. No, not Usain; or is it?

41. Brief digression: ASIDE. But I digress...

44. "Not likely!": AS IF. Also a popular valley girl phrase of the 80s.

47. Annie who voiced Bo Peep in "Toy Story 4": POTTS. The former Designing Woman, Ghostbusters' receptionist is now:

50. Word on Italian street signs: VIA.

53. Stuff: GEAR. Random.

54. Low bones: TARSI. I always loved when Bones would play with the baby's phlanges.

55. Barefoot: UNSHOD. A hint to the feet?

57. "The Blacklist" agcy.: FBI. What next for Red Reddington?

63. Cheering word: OLE.

64. Mall booth: KIOSK.

65. One can be public or sworn: ENEMY. Or a frenemy.

66. Cabernet or merlot: RED. Quit whining, some have it too easy.

67. Process parts: STEPS.

68. Analyze, in a way: PARSE. My life's work.

Down:

1. It was eighth in old Rome: Abbr.: OCTober. 

2. First name in gospel: MAHALIA.

3. Happening all over: EPIDEMIC. An all too timely clue/fill.

4. Ligurian Sea city: GENOA.

5. Pt. of 19-Across: ASSN.

6. Come up: ARISEN.

7. Captured: WON.

8. Amusement: FUN.

9. Eponymous people of the Southwestern U.S.: UTE.

10. Pigeon's perch: LEDGE.

11. Be exemplary of: TYPIFY.

12. Wicker material: RATTAN. In case you wondered, the word rattan is derived from the Malay "rotan", the local name for climbing palms.

13. Old computers and cellphones, say: EWASTE. Like this fill.

18. Michael Douglas' middle name: KIRK. That makes sense since his father, Issur Danielovitch, had taken the name to become Kirk Douglas.

22. Extras: ADD ONS. Crossing ADONIS.

23. "Give me your __": PAW. How sweet, but I don't know you well enough.

25. Kitchen set: DINETTE.

26. Sold for less, as a rule: USED.

27. Tobacco wad: CHAW.

32. Blown lines, say: FLUFFS.

33. Bro, e.g.: SIB.

35. Hermana de la madre: TIA. Sister of your mother in Spanish.

37. Cops, in slang: POPO. Originally from Southern California, where bicycle police, beginning in the 1980s, wore T-shirts marked 'PO', for 'police officer', in block letters. As these officers rode in pairs, their shirts would read 'POPO' when side by side. 

38. Furrow maker: PLOW.

39. Abandon: GIVEOVER.

42. Glittering headgear: DIADEMS.

43. Musical skill: EAR.

44. Represent: ACT FOR.

45. Subject to litigation: SUABLE.

46. Consolatory post-failure reflection: I TRIED.

48. Swimming __: TRUNKS.

49. "Last four digits" IDs: SSNS.

52. The home team gets the last ones: LICKS.

53. Togo neighbor: GHANA.

56. Apt collie name: SHEP.

59. On fire: LIT.

60. Fair-hiring abbr.: EOE.

61. Deadly viper: ASP.

62. Bill promoting science?: NYE.

Bryant White

Title: Sign him up to a long term contract.

Little did I know when I was solving Sunday's puzzle and telling Bryant I was looking forward to his next effort that it would be this puzzle. 

18A. L[INK]: CHAIN SEGMENT (14).

27A. M[INK]: LUSTROUS FUR.(11).

39A. F[INK]: POLICE INFORMER (14).

56A. R[INK]: SKATING AREA (11).

64A. Secret message technique ... and a hint to four puzzle clues: INVISIBLE INK (12).

Across:

1. Suitable for growing crops: ARABLE. Arable land is the land that can be used for agriculture. The term is derived from the Latin word “arare” meaning, to plough. Non-arable land is the land unsuitable for agriculture. For some reason I know this word.

7. Rain unit: DROP. 

                                   

11. 4x4, for short: UTE. ICK

14. Song with a story: BALLAD. 
                                

15. Ephesus' region: IONIA. The HISTORY of [EF][UH][SUHS].

17. Hamburger Hill setting, briefly: NAM. Not our finest HOUR.

20. Long order: SUB. Cute, submarine sandwiches are often long.

21. Teacher's note: SEE ME. Not a note you want to receive.

22. Sparkling flapper accessory: TIARA. Gatsby?

24. Cobblers' tools: AWLS. Not if you are making peach.

31. Dumbledore and Snape, in brief: PROFS. As long we don't see them in their brief; sadly they are both dead.

33. Range rover: STEER. A great alliterative misdirection; everyone join in, "Home, home on the range..."

34. Military meal: MESS. mess (n.). From 1300, "a supply or provision of food for one meal," from Old French mes "portion of food, course at dinner," from Late Latin missus "course at dinner," literally "a placing, a putting (on a table, etc.)," Meaning "a communal eating place" (especially a military one) is attested by 1530s, from the earlier sense of "a company of persons eating together at the same table" (early 15c.),

35. __ rasa: TABULA. The bank slate, more Latin.

37. Clarinet, e.g.: REED. Because you need one to make music with it? Ron?

45. Somewhat, to Salieri: POCO.  This is difficult in so many ways, first ANTONIO SALERI is not as well known as others and POCO means little in both Spanish and Italian.

46. "Circus Sideshow" pointillist: SEURAT.            Georges Seurat, (born December 2, 1859, Paris, France—died March 29, 1891, Paris), painter, founder of the 19th-century French school of Neo-Impressionism                

48. General vibe: AURA.

52. Traditional doings: RITES. Tradition, tradition...hit it Zero!

55. Skylit lobbies: ATRIA.

59. George Harrison's "__ It a Pity": ISN'T. 

60. Kit Kat component: WAFER. It's back

61. Capital served by the Queen Alia International Airport: AMMAN. Jordan.

63. Ballpark fig.: EST. Crowd count.

71. Pulitzer novelist Harper: LEE. From 10 days ago.

72. Strainer: SIEVE. Not Ballesteros. Though I am sure he usually flew on...

73. Madrid-based airline: IBERIA. It is a Peninsula thing.

74. Vehicle for some trips: LSD. Since July 1:

Universal Crossword - Aug. 11, 2021

WSJ Daily - Aug. 2, 2021

Universal Crossword - July 28, 2021

USA Today - July 22, 2021

WSJ Daily - July 20, 2021

LA Times - July 16, 2021

Universal Crossword - July 14, 2021

USA Today - July 12, 2021

USA Today - July 1, 2021

75. It has a head and hops: BEER. Harvey, Jimmy Stewart's friend?

76. Ankle-related: TARSAL. Is this one of those new fangled META clues?

Down:

1. Simple comparison: ABC. In Sunday's effort he used an Agatha Christie Poirot title.

2. Fan noise: RAH. Rah, sis boom bah; rah rah ree , kick em in the knee, rah rah rass, kick em in the other knee

3. Like: A LA.

4. Like ignorance, at times: BLISSFUL.

5. "Stay in your __!": LANE. Clark!

6. Ranger or Corsair: EDSEL. 

7. Compilation: DIGEST. Readers being the most famous.

8. Bulg. neighbor: ROMania.

9. Half of eleven?: ONE. 1    1. see it now?

10. Wall map insert: PIN.

11. Nader's "__ at Any Speed": UNSAFE.

12. Alphabetically penultimate zodiac sign: TAURUS. Next to last, with VIRGO (my sign) last.

13. Places in a cell: EMBARS.Yuck!

16. Alaskan site of the only WWII battle on U.S. soil: ATTU. HISTORY .

19. Layers of big eggs: EMUS. We cannot escape LIMU or his family

23. School of thought: ISM.

24. Quick: APT.

25. Stop shooting: WRAP. 

26. Timber wolf: LOBO. A CSO to OMK and his New Mexico roots. 

28. Fork-tailed flier: TERN. Very aerodynamic

29. Coral habitat: REEF. Staying near the ocean, we have:

30. Some Blizzard ingredients: OREOS. Yummy.

32. Place to park a clipper: SLIP.
More seafaring stuff.

 He is a squirrel...

36. Scrat's obsession in "Ice Age" films: ACORN.

38. De Matteo of "The Sopranos": DREA. I have had this actress amny times. No literally ofcourse, just in puzzles.

40. Juul product, briefly: E-CIG. Probably more dangerous than the cigarettes they are replacing. 

41. Ninth Greek letter: IOTA. abc def ghi in Greek.

42. Fletcher Christian, for one: MUTINEER. Where? On 
the 

43. Does as humans do?: ERRS. But forgiving is divine.

44. Sprinkle, perhaps: RAIN. Purple?

47. Skin pic: TAT.Ooo Ooo

48. In addition to that: AS WELL.

49. Czar's decrees: UKASES. 1. (Historical Terms) (in imperial Russia) an edict of the tsar

50. Traveled like Huck and Jim: RAFTED.

51. Bolted down: ATE. Rush, rush, rush.

53. Tip for fixing mistakes?: ERASER. So cute, tip of the pencil.

54. Highway behemoth: SEMI. How big would a whole one be?

57. Camera part: IRIS. Designed by using the EYE.

58. Gamut: AMBIT.

62. Daughter in "The Time Traveler's Wife": ALBA. The actress who played the 9 year old version, HAILEY McCANN has already retired.

65. Spoonbill's bill: NIB.  The word nib comes from a 16th century word meaning the beak of a bird. 

66. Angled formation: VEE. More birds.

67. "__ gotta run!": I'VE. Not yet, I must finish first.

68. Collection agcy.: IRS. The biggest.

69. Peeples seen in People: NIA. This multitalented multi cultural beauty from her mother Elizabeth Peeples of Filipino, German and Spanish descent and her father Robert has Italian, Scottish, Irish and Native American Heritage. 

70. Actor Penn: KAL. Fascinating young man who 

worked as a real-life White House staffer (as Associate Director of the Obama administration's White House Office of Public Engagement) and played one on TV (as Seth in the TV series Designated Survivor).

Michael Dewey and Kevin Christian

 Title: Watch the bouncing I. 

Michael has been publishing puzzles since 2012, mostly here at the LAT. This is his first collaborative effort, but certainly not for Kevin who is not only prolific, but generously stops by to share his insights here at the Corner. Once I accepted the placement of a random I in the middle of the theme fill, I was prepared for the reveal at 52D, which was part of every theme clue. 52D. Chain with an alternate 28-letter name ... and what you need to write five puzzle  answers? : IHOP (4). INTERNATIONAL (13) HOUSE (5) OF (2) PANCAKES (8). I guess the image is to be of the I hopping into the middle. Creative, but still a bit puzzling to me but the solve went well. The only non-theme long fill are BRIBE MONEY and LIKE  A CHARM both of which are introduced to major puzzle publications here and are placed symmetrically in the grid. -+

The theme:

18A. Item served at 52-Down: POACHED I EGG (11). I have eaten their poached eggs on toast. 

24A. Item served at 52-Down: FRENCH I TOAST (12). They use thick cut French Bread and have many varieties. 

38A. Item served at 52-Down: BANANA I PANCAKES (15). A grid spanner with the central I, and along with chocolate chip very popular. 

47A. Item served at 52-Down: TURKEY I BACON (12). For those of us who do not eat pork it is a great menu addition.

57A. Item served at 52-Down: HASH I BROWNS (11). Always an iffy choice, but they also breakfast potatoes, potato pancakes and french fries.

They also have a nice 55+ menu if you eat out, and they have kids eat free days but I have not been in about 20 years so my comments may not be helpful. On to the puzzle.

Across:

1. Surfing venue: WEB. Not a sea, but a sea of words.

4. Tapered off: ABATED. You be careful about being too proficient about tapering off.

10. Yankees' foes: JAYS. Or the CUBS, METS, RAYS, REDS ...

14. Nautical pronoun: HER. The HISTORY.

15. Chowder chunk: POTATO. Chowdah again so soon?

16. Wind in the reeds: OBOE. The tuning one.

17. Ring star: ALI. Muhammed.

20. 1988 self-titled country album: REBA. McIntyre.

22. Three, in Bari: TRE. Italian from this CITY in Southern Italy.

23. One of the "Emerging 7" nations: INDIA.

28. Word associated with Denver: MILE. Mile high, both literally and with all the legal marijuana smoked, eaten, etc. First I flew there was on a learjet and it semi-unreal to the altimiter at 7000 feet as we were about to land. 

29. Govt. health org.: CDC. Center for Disease Control. No comment - way too political.

30. Flight: LAM. An ARTICLE for thought?

33. Kitchen draw: AROMA. Not a storage area, but what brings people there.

35. Mum of Charlotte, George and Louis: KATE. She is tall.

37. Queen's home: HIVE. How nice to have this next to a possible future Queen.

41. Stuntman Knievel: EVEL. 

42. Like Vassar since 1969: COED. Of the original Seven Sisters, 4 are still women's colleges. Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Wellesley College decided against adopting coeducation. 

43. Lift providers: UBERS. Not LYFT?

44. Mystery writer Josephine: TEY. Her first novel was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. As a mystery writer, she was a MYSTERY. 

45. "Can I help you?": YES. No way, leave me alone!

46. Orange County city: BREA. Did you lose your LA?

52. More unfriendly: ICIER. Ah ha, maybe that is Tin's idea?

55. Heckle: BOO. Hiss, or Jeckle?

56. One-horse ride: SHAY. According to the dictionary, it derived from the word chaise, French for chair. It also was Tyrion's favorite whore, and when we solved our dance puzzle this week, it reminded my of Lucina and her sashaying.

61. Non-verbal syst.: ASL. American Sign Language.

62. Tony kin: OBIE. Not Tigger but the award for theatrical productions. Broadway / off-broadway

63. Begin to associate (with): FALL IN. Generally a bad crowd,

64. 2016 Olympics host: RIO. And now 5 years later we have the 2020 olympics in Tokyo.

65. Prepare for a pic: POSE. 
                                                
66. Dumpster fire: FIASCO. The LINK.

67. ISP option: MSN. Micro Soft Network

Down:

1. Landing: WHARF. For a boat, silly.

2. Conger chaser: EELER. A big meh.

3. Loot to keep mute?: BRIBE MONEY. I love the clue and the fill, a rhyme and an introduction.

4. Smartphone software: APP.

5. "The Women" playwright Clare __ Luce: BOOTHE. Boy, is the old timey fill. If you do not here STORY, you must at least read the link. She was a very powerful woman as I was growing up. 

6. Millipede maker: ATARI. the game maker and 13D. 6-Down rival: SEGA.

7. Musical "don't play": TACET. MUSIC

8. E. African land: ETH.  ETH is the three-letter country abbreviation for Ethiopia. so now you know.

9. Buck's mate: DOE. Oh, Deer. More sexual innuendo.

10. Combined: JOINT. There they are cavorting, joined at the hip!

11. In the sack: ABED. What did I tell, sex, sex sex.

12. Hindu ascetic: YOGI. Not Berra, not Bear. The word is from the  Sanskrit - yogi 'one who performs yoga. But historically they were much more. Did you ever read or watch Marvel's in Hindi?

19. Clay pigeon, e.g.: DISC. 

21. __ kingdom: ANIMAL. Why? and why is the Lion the King? 

25. Scottish family: CLAN.

26. Group of eight: OCTAD.

27. Port on its own gulf: ADEN.
                                

30. Best way for something to work: LIKE A CHARM. The other special clue fill combo, I hope they are your MD and KC. 

31. Declare: AVER. I avow that I hate to aver. Or to 33D. Help, as a hood: ABET. Or even to 36D. Imitate: APE a friend. It could lead to an...

32. Untidy situation: MESS.

34. Wild, all-night party: RAVE. Do raves need to be all-night? IDK. 

Maybe. Just don't need a 37D. Writ of __ corpus: HABEAS to get home.

35. Newspaper stand, e.g.: KIOSK. A lovely word like Khaki

39. Taiwanese laptop brand: ACER.

40. Street border: CURB. Not to be confused with the Rave credo PLUR.

45. __ Gagarin, first human in outer space: YURI. Back in the day also

46. Jaime Sommers, TV's "__ Woman": BIONIC.

47. Chuckle: TEHEE.

48. Congo River tributary: EBOLA.

49. Feline complaints: YOWLS.

50. Refuge from the heat: OASIS.

51. Early seat belt material: NYLON.

53. Mexican resort, for short: CABO.

54. Sister of Osiris: ISIS.

58. Lifelong bud, initially: BFF.

59. Italian counterpart of the BBC: RAI.

60. __-cone: SNO.

Ed Sessa

Title: 

IOU an A, E

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fun is done and now to work. 

Across:

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

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

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

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

15. On fire: HOT.

En fuego!

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

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

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

21. Brute's rebuke: ET TU. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

43. Calf-length skirt: MIDI. Midcalf.

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

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

47. Holds dear: VALUES. 

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

56. Deal with creases: IRON. 

57. Audibly grieve: SOB.

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

63. Articulate: UTTER. The verb.

64. Company abbr.: INC.

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

66. Old times: PASTS. 

67. WWII carrier: LST.

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

Down:

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

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

3. Related: AKIN.

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

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

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

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

8. Extra NFL periods: OTS. OverTimes.

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

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

12. Funny Fields: TOTIE. She died young.

13. Starts to fight: HAS AT. Meh.

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

22. Abbas' gp.: PLO. PLO

24. Improve: AMEND.

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

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

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

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

32. Revlon cosmetics brand: ALMAY. ALMAY 

33. Customizable Nintendo persona: MII.

35. Have on, to a Brit: FOOL.

37. Bleed (for): ACHE.

38. Consequently: THUS. Ergo.

40. Supreme monarchs: EMPERORS.

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

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

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

49. Attend to a spill: MOP UP.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?