Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Hide a noun, hide a verb.

Jeffrey uses the contrasting meanings of the verb -  to put out of sight, and the noun - the skin of an animal to create a puzzle where synonyms of the noun are hidden in the theme fill. To accomplish this we once again are presented with a 15x16 puzzle. It all is tied up with a ribbon with a wonderful reveal in another classic 3/5/8/11/13 placement of themers. The bigger size allows for additional wonderful sparkly answers such as INCLINE, IT SEEMS, LATCHES, ORDERED, BEDSPREAD, MERCURIAL, NON-PUBLIC, and SPRING DAY. As always with Jeffrey on Friday there are very difficult sections, but the overall puzzle, but the wit and the head slap moments are a joy.

18A. "Bummer!": THAT'S KIND OF A DRAG (16). SKIN gets right to the heart of the animal hide.

24A. An unquestionable fact: THE GOSPEL TRUTH (14). The trading in pelts was very important for the trek west in our nation's history. A pelt is a skin and fur together. 

39A. Hershey's collectible: COCOA TIN (8). We associate coat with domesticated animals like horses and dogs, and generally not removed. 

53A. Pressing feeling: SENSE OF URGENCY (14). Fur can be either be still attached or removed and made into an article of clothing. 

And the reveal, 

62. What words concealed by the other four longest Across answers do ... and also, what each of them is: HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT (16). Hide is usually cured skin and hide and go seek is a game we all have played.  The clue is perfect. 

Across:

1. Bar rooms?: JAILS. BY making this two words, we get this punny clue.

6. Organic jewelry source: AMBER. Made most famous by Jurrasic Park.

11. Nation west of Mumbai: OMAN. There are many countries west of Mumbai but Oman is directly across the Arabian Sea.  I do not know my geography but I can now find Thailand.

15. Part of a John Williams quintet: OSCAR. A most amazing COMPOSER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lo6MLSCcbw

16. High-end German appliance brand: MIELE. I never heard of this COMPANY.

17. Overhaul: REDO.

21. Harmony: SYNC. You want some?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZcmuKsyvzg

22. Odds partner: ENDS. This expression may have originated as odd ends in the mid-1500s, meaning “short leftovers of some material” (such as lumber or cloth) (dictionary).

23. Bench press target: PECtoral. Your chest muscle.

30. In the past, once: ERST. We just had this archaic word on July 2, 2018.

31. Nutritional abbr.: RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.

32. Northern terminus of I-79: ERIE. Yeah guys, a big CSO.

33. Operatic villains, often: BASSI. More than one bass voice.

36. Veto, in Vienna: NEIN.

37. Actress Meyer of "Johnny Mnemonic": DINA. I remember this ACTRESS first from an early superhero show BIRDS OF PREY  but she has worked steadily the last 25 years. For whatever reason, two roles I recall were as a Dominatrix on CASTLE and a Madam interested in Gibbs on NCIS.

38. Matterhorn, e.g.: ALP. Wheel of Fortune had their Switzerland trip this week.

43. Field concerned with fields: Abbr.: AGRiculture. I think this is a debut for this witty clue.

44. Alexa counterpart: SIRI.

46. Fishing hole site: POND.

47. Kept from squeaking: OILED.

49. Sweater fabric: KNIT. Is this a fabric? Oh, damn that was a nit!

50. What may come to those who wait: TIP. Another example of a creative wit.

51. "... that struts and frets his hour __ the stage": Macbeth: UPON. I look forward to JW's quotes from Shakespeare. This quote was very inferrable but the passage is wonderful. Act V, Scene V.
"The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

57. Salon application: GEL. Did you know that it was a British company, in 1929, Chemico Works invented Brylcreem, which became the market leader in hair styling products in both the U.K. and the U.S. during the following decades. In the 1960s, modern hair gel was invented in the United States, by what would later be renamed the Dep Corporation. (wiki)

58. Rancor: BILE.

59. Get rid of: LOSE.

67. West of Gotham City?: ADAM. Gotham City was/is the fictional home of Batman, played in the 60s camp version by the late Adam West.

68. Privileged group: ELITE.

69. Western __: UNION.

70. Giant great: MAYS. The say hey kid!
Baseball legend.

71. How many commute: BY CAR.

72. What Italians may use to commute: VESPA. A little clecho especially if the car is a Fiat.


Down:

1. Notes: JOTS. Another unexpected verb - synonym.

2. Grayish: ASHY. Defined as of a pale grayish color; ashen. "the ashy shadows of the mountains"

3. "__ even!": I CAN'T. I can’t even is an emotional exclamation in response to an event. Its abrupt ending implies something is too amazing, frustrating, surprising, exciting (or any other adjective imaginable) to handle, which renders a person speechless because they’re so incredulous

4. Gate closers: LATCHES.

5. Yearbook gp.: SRS. Seniors.

6. Self-affirming query: AM I NOT. The expression aren’t I is often used in place of am I not, particularly in conversational speech. Example 1 (incorrect usage): I’m going with you on vacation, aren’t I?
Although the use of this phrase is widespread, it is atrocious English that could be considered equivalent to you is, a phrase which most educated people abhor (although for some reason, these same people have no qualms about saying aren’t I). The correct form of the sentence in Example 1 is as follows:  Example 2 (correct usage): I’m going with you on vacation, am I not?

7. Watches: MINDS. The young-uns.

8. Something fit for a king?: BEDSPREAD. King sized bed, very cute.

9. Symphonic rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.

10. Call the game: REF.

11. Called for takeout, say: ORDERED.

12. Fickle: MERCURIAL. Mercury went retrograde Wednesday, for those who care.

13. Org. promoting fluoridation: ADA. American Dental Association.

14. Rich quaff: NOG.

19. Pub inventory items: KEGS.

20. Proper: APT.

25. "South Park" kid: ERIC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AjaenKd5ac

26. Find better words, say: EDIT.

27. Civil rights theorist Guinier: LANI. A most accomplished Yale Law graduate working at HARVARD.

28. Trace amount: TINGE.

29. Got wind (of): HEARD.

33. Luxuriates: BASKS.

34. Dior dress: A-LINE.

35. Amy Lowell poem of a "fresh-washed and fair" time: SPRING DAY. The poem is made up of 5 parts of the day, with Bath first, and opening line, " The day is fresh-washed and fair, and there is a smell of tulips and narcissus in the air."

36. Private: NON-PUBLIC.

40. Eye-related prefix: OPTO. For example, the optometrist.

41. Salon product: COIF.

42. Common lunch hour: NOON.

45. "Indications are ... ": IT SEEMS.

48. Lean: INCLINE.

51. More nasty, as weather: UGLIER.

52. Hammer part: PEEN. 
54. Yale figure: ELI.

55. Gear for a gaucho: RIATA.



56. Meditative ones: YOGIS.

60. Small business: SHOP.

61. Mediterranean mount: ETNA. The Sicilian mountain.

62. Baked __: HAM. Very random.

63. Director Lupino: IDA. This actress became a pioneer for female DIRECTORS.

64. S.D. neighbor: NEBraska. CSO to HG.

65. Work at: PLY. Like a trade.

66. Cherokee, e.g.: SUV. Jeep.

Bruce Haight

Title: There is no "I" in  TEAM and no ME in this "puzzle"!

Bruce returns to the Friday stage with a letter extraction effort. Seeing the commonality for this theme was very tricky as the remaining words- GAS, ROO, CODY, and  E.T.S do not help. This is why he included the reveal which I hope was enough to get you going. I enjoyed the whole effort very much. To make all of this happen, he uses a 16 column grid and has two grid spanners resulting in a grid only an X away from a pangram. With 4 theme fill and a reveal, he uses the customary 3rd/13th row, with a word in the middle. And the extra words in the bigger format allowed for such fun fill like AS A TEAM,  BAR SEAT, BIG ASKS, KEEPERS,  ON A DIET, OSMOSED, QUE PASA,  ROADIES, ROSE TEA, SEASIDE, TRINITY, and WIG SHOP. So let's see what it all added up to.

18A. Torch fuel?: GAMES OF THE OLYMPIAD (16). The Olympic torch starts the Games and this puzzle.

25A. Tragedy involving a Milne character?: ROMEO AND JULIET (12). You have to love seeing that taking the ME out of ROMEO left ROO, the baby kangaroo in the Winnie the Pooh stories. ROO and Juliet was a fun image.

37A. Drawing by Buffalo Bill?: COMEDY SKETCH (9). You need to recall his last name was Cody and work backward to get this one.

53A. Spectator sport aboard a UFO?: WRESTLING MEETS (12). This one was hard knowing the gimmick, as picturing E.T. wrestling took some imagination.

And the reveal

61A. "No comment!" ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS(16). A very fair reveal. 

Across:

1. Looking to start something new, maybe: BORED. I hope this did not leave any of you bored.

6. Syria's Bashar al-__: ASSAD. Obviously to discuss this man would involve politics.

                                                                          LINK.

11. Ed. promoters: PTAS. Parent Teacher Associations.

15. Combined: IN ONE. The first of much multi-word fill.

16. Some Strads: CELLI. I did not know Stradavarius made a Cello, but you can still BUY one.

17. Minor overhead?: URSA. Our astronomy clue of the day.

21. Refreshing drinks: ADES. Yea me. There is a "me" in this puzzle, it is a CSO.

22. Georgetown athlete: HOYA. The team name is derived from the mixed Greek and Latin chant "Hoya Saxa" (meaning "What Rocks"), which gained popularity at the school in the late nineteenth century. The name "Hoyas" came into use in the 1920s.

23. Is not wrong?: AIN'T. Is not = ain't.

24. Rest, in a way: SIT.

29. Things to hang onto: KEEPERS.

31. Suffer: AIL.

32. Can opener: TAB. Sadly, this brings to mind the recent demise of this teen idol.

                                                                               LINK.
33. Reserved: STAID.

34. Noble title: EARL.

36. Sylvia of jazz: SYMS. I have no memory of this SINGER who died while performing at the Oak Room at the Plaza. Apparently, she was a favorite of Sinatra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hDZXqzBMsE

41. Spit spots, for short: BBQS. This is what I think of.

44. Smidge: IOTA.

45. "In what way?": HOW SO?

49. Greek cross: TAU.

50. Decline: SAG.

51. Amp transporters: ROADIES. Some of my favorite people were the workers who made rock and roll work.

57. Whale group: GAM. I read the definition (rare) a school of whales, porpoises, or dolphins. I have always thought of this word from noir detective fiction book covers. Hey Splynter.

58. Fix, as a toy: SPAY.  Poor puppy.

59. A pop: EACH.

60. Gulf Canada alternative: ESSO.

65. Facility: EASE.

66. 1951 Reagan co-star: BONZO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVd5xiA8_QY


67. Cell terminal: ANODE. Not A NODE, but it is...

68. Slightly: A TAD.

69. Burden-bearing beasts: ASSES.

70. Supported, as a weak ankle: TAPED. It does not have to be weak.


Down:

1. Major requests: BIG ASKS.

2. Losing purposely: ON A DIET.

3. Floral brew: ROSE TEA. My mother, may she rest in peace worked as an OB-GYN nurse for many years and recommended this tea for her patients for its HEALTH BENEFITS.

4. Son of Seth: ENOS. Grandson of Adam reappears a few weeks after being in a Friday JW. C.C. clued using Mr. Slaughter of baseball.

5. Dict. offering: DEFinition.

6. Ones bringing blessings?: ACHOOS. I like this clue/fill even if it is been done many times before.

7. "Later!": SEE YA.

8. "McSorley's Bar" artist: SLOAN. I did not remember the ARTIST but do the BAR.

9. From A to Z: ALL.

10. Handy initials: DIY. Do It Yourself. Not I.

11. Star __: PUPIL. This was so random, but it was already filled by the perps.

12. Fundamental doctrine of Christianity: TRINITY. Three in one.

13. Together: AS A TEAM. I love this being in this puzzle.

14. Down: SAD.

19. Superhero with a hammer: THOR.

20. Spike __: railroad worker's tool: MAUL. This word is back again in a new context.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLNq8c6lock

25. More than fix up: RE-DO.

26. Take the plunge: DARE.

27. Dump: JILT.

28. "Conan"channel: TBS. Does anyone watch him any more?

30. Snaps: PICS.

34. No. from a builder: ESTimate.

35. Sometimes called, for short: AKA. Also Known As.

36. Booted, say: SHOD.

38. Lifebuoy competitor: DIAL. Soap.

39. Classic Yankee nickname: YOGI. Mr. BERRA.

40. Chuck alternative: CHAS.

41. "Incidentally," in texts: BTW. By The Way.

42. It's often a high chair: BAR SEAT. Barstool is the more common term and it has only been clued before as "Stool typically (or often).

43. Granada greeting: QUE PASA. A reference to this Spanish CITY.

46. Top secret store?: WIG SHOP. The idea is that you do not let people you know you are wearing a wig- a secret about your top. Witty.

47. Coast: SEASIDE.

48. Diffused through a membrane: OSMOSED. Do we all remember OSMOSIS from high school?

50. Ophthalmologist's concern: STYE. This common infection in the eyelid normally does not require a specialist, as most styes do not require medical care and tend to go away on their own,

51. Right-hand pages: RECTOS. We have had this TERM recently.

52. Second emperor after Nero: OTHO. I only know this obscure man from my oldest son's education. Otho was Roman emperor from January to April 69 CE. Immediately after the assassination of Galba, Otho, the governor of Lusitania, was proclaimed emperor by the army. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.

54. Backed up: SAVED.

55. Bright signs: NEONS.

56. First-aid kit item: GAUZE.

60. Sicilian tourist attraction: ETNA.

61. Field: LEA.

62. Finance deg.: MBA. Master of Business Administration.

63. Sister of the moon goddess Selene: EOS. There was a time when I had this goddess of the DAWN often in my Friday write-ups.

64. Thick: FAT. A tough way to end.


Bruce never disappoints; he makes us work but entertains as we go. We are already a month into summer, and more than halfway through 2018. Wow. Thank BH and all of you. Lemonade out.

Jim Quinlan

Title: Is that Splynter I see back in brown? No, it is just UPS.

Mr. Quinlan is back for his 4th LAT and second Friday. I had the pleasure of blogging the debut of this middle-school teacher here in April 2015. He quickly had his first NYT that May. His most recent here was last October which featured controversy about his fill FIVE-O and the introduction of a celebrity solver RB. Jim who has been kind enough to stop by and clarify his work, uses a Friday staple - add letters. Today the trigram UPS, which is confirmed in a reveal. With 63 letters in the theme, there was not much room for long sparkly fill but I SAY SO, IT IS SO (?), ODD LOT, TEE HEE, BEER CANS  and UNLISTED added to the challenge.



18A. Calendar model's argument?: PINUPS POINT (11). I doubt that it is easy to pinpoint an argument a calendar model was putting forth.

24A. Ones who curry favor in Cannes?: FRENCH KISS-UPS (13). French kissing is nice, but ass kissers are not. 

41A. Booms in the poultry industry?: CHICKEN UPSWINGS (15)

51A. Northern New York gallery, say?: UPSTATE MUSEUM (13)

And the reveal:

61A. Package on the porch ... or what's been brought to 18-, 24-, 41- and 51-Across: UPS DELIVERY.

Across:

1. Adobe extension: PDF. Portable Document Format is a keystone to all modern law work, for saving, transmitting,  and studying documents, eliminating the incompatibility of word perfect (the favorite of legal writers) and word.

4. Food: EATS.

8. Formal affirmation: IT IS SO. This must be the appropriate response to Captain Jean Luc Picard.

14. Amazement: AWE.

15. "Logan" superheroes: X-MEN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo

16. Bib, essentially: NAPKIN. One I would not have thought of, but it is true.

17. Cooking acronym: PAM. Learning moment! PAM is a cooking spray currently owned and distributed by ConAgra Foods. Its main ingredient is canola oil. The name PAM is an acronym for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff. Wiki.

20. First word of The Beach Boys' "Kokomo": ARUBA. The first stanza.
Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go, Jamaica...

22. David Caruso starred in the Miami version: CSI. It crashed and burned after 10 seasons and 232 episodes. Before that, in 2006, BBC News published an article stating that CSI: Miami was the world's most popular television series, featuring in more countries' top ten rankings for 2005 than any other series. BBC online.

23. __ periculo: at my own risk: MEO. This is inferable from the clue, sort of. Just Latin- periculum = danger. Friday challenge.

29. Jackie portrayer on "Nurse Jackie": EDIE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6XZu7Eav8

30. Spike TV, once: TNN. The Nashville Network.

31. He finished hosting "The Tonight Show" 12 years before Fallon was born: PAAR. Jack.

34. Tool points: NIBS. I think of pens not tools.

37. Long past: OLDEN.

44. Wrap label: SARAN. When we were kids we had Alcoa Aluminum foil, Cut-rite wax paper and Saran. In 1949, it became the first cling wrap designed for commercial use. It was sold for household use in 1953. SC Johnson acquired Saran from Dow in 1998. SC Johnson had some concerns about the safety of PVDC and subsequently took steps to eliminate it from Saran's composition. The popularity of the product, as well as sales, suffered as a result. If you’ve noticed recently that Saran isn't much different than Glad or Reynolds products, that’s why.

45. Isaac's eldest: ESAU.

46. Extended tale: SAGA.

47. "Just joking!": NOT. Popular response for  while.

49. Narrow cut: SLIT.

57. Latin lover's word: AMO. I love you.

58. Cup holder?: BRA. Cute, and then 66A. Main man: BRO.

59. Seller of spots: ADREP. Advertising Representative.  Like Mad Men.

67. Snicker: TEE HEE.

68. Anticipatory times: EVES.

69. Beauty preceder?: AGE. Age before beauty. The phrase is often given as part of a supposed exchange between the U.S. writer, politician and diplomat Clare Booth Brokow, who later became Clare Boothe Luce, and Dorothy Parker. It is said that, in the archetypal circumstances for uttering the phrase, that is, while holding a door open for Parker, Brokow said "Age before beauty". Parker's reply was "Pearls before swine".

70. Small stock purchase: ODD LOT.  Mulitples of 100 shares of stock is the normal lot.

71. Pudding starch: SAGO.

72. Amount realized: NET.

Down:

1. Smurf with a red hat: PAPA.  I think he was a derivative from the seven...

2. Fictional miner: DWARF.

3. Longest human bone: FEMUR.

4. Open a satellite shop, say: EXPAND.

5. Bizet's buddy: AMI.

6. Base __: TEN.

7. Moved furtively: SNUCK.

8. Demand: INSIST.

9. One in a pub lineup: TAP.                                                      21D. Six-pack makeup: BEER CANS.

10. Google's was in 2004, briefly: IPO. Initial Public Offering.

11. Be very thrifty: SKIMP.

12. Trig functions: SINES.

13. In the know about: ON TO.

19. Penultimate Greek letter: PSI.

25. Picture at Cannes: CINE.

26. "Die Lorelei" poet: HEINE.

27. __ day: school contingency: SNOW.

28. Not in the book: UNLISTED.

31. Cubicle fixtures: PCS.

32. "I got it!": AHA.

33. It's all around you: AIR.

35. School __: BUS.

36. Unavoidable jerk: SPASM.

38. What might reveal the answer to "Who's your daddy?": DNA.

39. Custard base: EGG.

40. Org. that abhors leaks: NSA.

42. Windsor, for one: KNOT.

43. "Star Trek" lieutenant: SULU.

48. Smartphone alternative: TABLET.

50. Parental words of finality: I SAY SO. But why? Because...

51. Decided on a diamond: UMPED. Baseball.

52. Sat: POSED.

53. Start to cycle?: TRI.

54. Wasp nest sites: EAVES.

55. __ Dictionary: URBAN.

56. Road sign with a double-tailed arrow: MERGE.

57. One on a driveway: AUTO.

60. One who works with feet: POET.

62. FedEx alternative: DHL.

63. Want ad abbr.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity.

64. Actress Gabor: EVA.

65. Gas pump spec.: REG.

Susan Gelfand

Title: Dress your automobile for success.

Susan returns for her second 2018 puzzle, 6th LAT, and first Friday. She found four standard automobile components with the second word being a type of apparel. Then she clued them to reflect the clothing, not the part. Her definition of TIMING BELT is pretty funny and the others witty. She then packages it all in a pinwheel grid loaded with some nice 7/8 letter fill - ANALYST, HOKIEST, LOSES TO, PIGS OUT, STRIPES,  ZIPPERS, ARBITRATE and  SNEEZED AT. Oddly, neither ZIPPERS nor RUBBED has ever appeared in a LAT puzzle.

17A. *Footwear that slows you down?: BRAKE SHOES (10). We start with a  part that gets 70,900,000  HITS.

38A. *Satchels with vents?: AIR BAGS (4). Can you believe 771,000,000 hits for THESE?

60A. *Headwear with a power supply?: BATTERY CAP (10). There were 170 million hits for THIS.

11D. *Leg covering with a warmer?: HEATER HOSE (10) There were 42 million hits for this part. LINK.

29D. *Trouser support with rhythm?: TIMING BELT (10). 81,700,000 hits HERE.

And the reveal which seemed unnecessary:

57D. What the answers to starred clues are part of: CARS.(4)

Across:

1. Kid: JOSH. Not your nephew Josh, but "to make fun of, to banter," 1845 (intransitive), 1852 (transitive), American English; according to "Dictionary of American Slang.

5. Affected: ARTSY. It is interesting how culturally an appreciation for the fine arts has some negative connotation.

10. Layered hairstyle: SHAG. Speaking of connotations, Austin Powers, where are you? LINK.

14. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO. This man was the most important figure in 19th century Europe.

15. Capital on the Aar: BERNE.  An Old CITY.

16. Relate: TELL.

19. Pro __: RATA.

20. Fancy pillow material: SATIN.

21. Takes a gander at: EYES. Always will remind me of Splynter and legs.

LINK

22. Urban extensions?: ITES.

23. Dutch export: EDAM. A repeat from last Friday. Cheesy!

25. Backpack features: ZIPPERS. Why backpacks?

27. Prepare: GET SET. On your mark...

30. Clipped to a greater extent: TERSER. This original clue was very hard to parse

31. Ramp sign: EXIT.

32. Glorify: LAUD.

34. Virtually can't be beaten: IS HOT.

37. Flee: LAM.

40. Big Ten sch. with eight national football championships: OSU.

41. Request before a shot: SMILE.

43. Diminish: BATE.

44. "In your dreams!": AS IF.

45. "Walker, Texas Ranger" star: NORRIS. Chuck, not our editor Rich.

47. Name on the cover of "Death in the Afternoon": ERNEST. Hemingway by the way.

49. Goes overboard, in a way: PIGS OUT.

51. Furniture giant: IKEA.

52. Jewelry location: LOBE.

53. Muffin choice: BRAN.

55. "But I don't want to go among mad people" speaker: ALICE.



59. Singles: ONES.

62. What flowers may do: WILT.

63. Kitchen additions?: ETTES.

64. LPGA golfer __ Pak: SE RI. The single most influential golfer in the history of women's golf, who paved the way for all the Korean stars who took up the game. LINK.

65. 1974 Peace Nobelist from Japan: SATO.

66. Passes out cards: DEALS.

67. Hardy title teenager: TESS.


Down:

1. Positions: JOBS.

2. Other, in Oviedo: OTRA.

3. Stolen bases, e.g.: STAT.

4. Most contrived: HOKIEST.

5. Hunk's pride: ABS.

6. Bring up again?: RE-HEM.

7. Horse victim?: TROY.

8. Treated as unimportant: SNEEZED AT. My mother was big on using this phrase- " that $2.85 an hour is nothing to be sneezed at."

9. Polite affirmation: YES SIR.

10. Highway markings: STRIPES.

12. Make changes to: ALTER.

13. Wine __: GLASS. A toast-

18. Köln closing: ENDE. We call this city Cologne.

24. Hun king, in Norse legend: ATLI. Maybe you will want to read this VERSION.

26. Pitchfork-shaped letters: PSIS.

27. Some goop: GELS.

28. Knowledge determinant: EXAM.

30. Big brass: TUBAS.

33. Resolve, in a way: ARBITRATE.

35. Medical suffix: OSIS.

36. Clump: TUFT.

38. Space beginning: AERO.

39. Computer whiz: GEEK.

42. Finishes behind: LOSESTO.

44. Wall Street figure: ANALYST.

46. Massaged: RUBBED.

48. Tail: REAR.

49. Farm equipment: PLOWS.

50. Ancient Greek region: IONIA.

51. Debriefing info: INTEL.

54. "__ girl!": ATTA.

56. Cold drink brand: ICEE.

58. Christian denom.: EPIScopalian.

61. Curved shape: ESS.

Morton J. Mendelsohn

Title: Somewhere Under the Rainbow.

This is puzzle number 6 here at the LAT for retired PROFESSOR MENDELSOHN a well-published Psychology researcher from McGill University in Montreal. He first published twice in the NYT followed by 5 LATs last year with one being a Friday. MJM uses a theme which we have seen before, where words in the down fill are clued to represent B(under)A phrases. He makes it his own by locating 4 unique to the puzzle world phrases that work. He adds triple stacks of 6 letter words in the NW and SE corners, with doubled up 8 letter fill in the NE and SW which include the sparkly LOOKED IN, MERE HINT and USO SHOWS. He sprinkles some amusing word combos and some geography.  So, we have:

4D. Carefully consider, literally: ADVISEMENT TAKE (14).  Take UNDER Advisement.

8D. Add to the list of possible perps, literally: SUSPICION PUT (12). Put UNDER Suspicion.

16D. Ail, literally: THE WEATHER FEEL (14). Feel UNDER the Weather.

20D. Rein in, literally: CONTROL BRING (12). Bring UNDER Control.

Across:

1. Fix: ATTACH. Not an easy start for me.

7. Egyptian symbols of royalty: ASPS. All you need to know about these SNAKES.

11. Fitness stat.: BMI. Body Mass Index. Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (6'5" 262 pounds)  comes in as "obese" with a reading of 31.1.

14. Greeted casually, with "to": SAID HI. I did not need the "to."

15. Grill: QUESTION.

17. Classic London theatre: OLD VIC. The Old Vic, originally named the Royal Coburg Theatre, was designed in 1818 by Rudolph Cabanel, where it stands now south-east of Waterloo Station.

18. They raise camp spirit: USO SHOWS. SO? Hmm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KoybhArM6A

19. Arrive on an air taxi: FLY IN. Air Taxi?

20. Cereal box rank: CAP'N. I guess this makes this puzzle crunchy.

21. North-of-the-border gas: ESSO. We have all this week showing up in this puzzle.

22. "Could be better": SO SO. Cute next to ESSO.

24. Second of a Caesarean three: I SAW. VIDI.

26. Undressed: BARE.

29. "Squawk Box" channel: CNBC.

31. Feinted: DEKED. We hockey fans know this term,

35. Cheese town: EDAM. Edam is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Packed in red.

36. Abruzzi bell town: ATRI. Long ago there was a king in Italy who was known for his goodness and wisdom. King John of Atri believed in justice, and so one day he purchased a great bell to hang in a tower in the village square...

37. The Congo, formerly: ZAIRE.

38. Tune (out): ZONE.  Not related to 33D. White out: ERASE.

39. Agonize (over): BROOD. This verb was originally used with an object, i.e., ‘to nurse (feelings) in the mind’ (late 16th century), a figurative use of the notion of a hen nursing chicks under her wings.

41. Catching strategy: TRAP. For C.C. What is Trapped? A baseball term that describes the state of a fly ball or line drive that touches the ground just prior to being concealed and secured by a player's glove.

42. Key wood: EBONY. It took a moment too long for me to see this LINK.

44. Hyatt competitor: OMNI. The one in Miami closed but THESE are still open.

45. Horde: HOST.

46. Slow movement: LENTO. In music. 58A. Major relative to F minor: A-FLAT. JzB, help me!

47. Canter: LOPE.

48. Pre-event periods: EVES.

49. Pyramid, to Tut: TOMB.

51. Kindle reader, say: USER. One who uses the Kindle not the device.

53. Quartet named for its members: ABBA. Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

56. Q.E.D. word: ERAT. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

62. Checked (on): LOOKED IN. With so many oldsters living here, we look in and bring homecooked treats to them.

64. Mock: PSEUDO.

65. Barely a trace: MERE HINT. Like good perfume.

66. Party to a search: SEEKER.

67. Is for some: ARE. Cute, think about it.

68. Declines: SAGS. nothing but un-pc comes to mind.

69. Least well: ILLEST. Not a favorite.

Down:

1. Dating from: AS OF.

2. Hard to believe: TALL. Tale. The HISTORY?

3. Not like a sty: TIDY.

5. Slacks material: CHINO.  Versus KHAKI?

6. Kool-Aid alternative: HI-C.

7. Marine opening?: AQUA.

9. Lowly laborers: PEONS. Not since the serf days?

10. Cooking-burger sound: SSS.



11. Dust jacket blurbs: BIOS.

12. Manicures, in a way: MOWS. The lawn, or for Steve and NC and others, the garden.

13. __ many words: IN SO.

23. One who crosses the line: SCAB. From blemish … to strikebreaker, the history of the word scab … shows a displacement of meaning from the visceral or physical to the moral register … Just as a scab is a physical lesion, the strikebreaking scab disfigures the social body of labor—both the solidarity of workers and the dignity of work.

25. Wood dresser: ADZ.

26. Gem mounting: BEZEL. Bezel settings use a type of elevated collar which wraps the rim of the diamond in a complete metal edging

27. Pueblo building material: ADOBE.

28. Talked nonstop: RAN ON. Like many of my sentences.

30. Stomach relief, briefly: BROMO.

32. Bolshoi rival: KIROV.

34. Firm parts: Abbr.: DEPTS.

40. Runs out of juice: DIES.

43. Hoo's first?: YOO. Chocolate drink.

50. Social __: MEDIA.

52. Brainstorming staple: EASEL. Whiteboard these days.

53. Operatic Gluck: ALMA.

54. Dutch colonist: BOER. More cute pairing with...

55. Put to sleep: BORE.

57. Unwanted workers: ANTS.

59. Uncle to Ben Solo: LUKE. Ben Solo, Princess Leia's son. A dark warrior strong with the Force, Kylo Ren commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber.

60. Vitamin C sources: ADES. Yay! CSO for me!!!!!

61. Libel or slander: TORT.   A civil wrong.

63. Doubtful interjections: EHS.

64. Tire shop meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Duck, Duck GOOSE?

Jeffrey is back again with a pre-tribute to a new MOVIE that comes out in August. Okay, probably not, but this is a really impressive creation as we have a 15 x 16 grid (to leave room for 59 across) with only one cheater square in the grid! We have the word "DUCK" implied but not written in eight (8) answers, and they are set up in lines (rows) 1, 6 and 9 with a two-part reveal in 12 and 14. Again pushing the no rebus envelope at the LAT we are presented with a pretty easy Friday that glows with its originality. I think this may be a combination to appeals to many, but YMMV. I loved the visual appeal of the grid, which reminds me of the old Atari game SPACE INVADERS. As always, we have a goodly mix of sparkly fill, this time BEATLES, DIGNIFY, LONG RUN, NO RULES, OREGANO, SONNETS, CANARY CAGE and  FAT-BUSTING.

1A. *Sparkling wine: COLD DUCK. (4). Red wine and sparkling wine mixed. LINK.

5A. *Classic Chinese dish: PEKING DUCK. (6). Never Beijing LINK.

11A. *Defeated incumbent: LAME DUCK. (4) No politics  LINK.

27A. *Toon with a speech problem: DAFFY DUCK (5) Daffy first appeared in Porky's Duck Hunt, released on April 17, 1937. The cartoon was directed by Tex Avery and animated by Bob Clampett. Porky's Duck Hunt is a standard hunter/prey pairing for which Leon Schlesinger's studio was famous, but Daffy (barely more than an unnamed bit player in this short) was something new to moviegoers: an assertive, completely unrestrained, combative protagonist.

30A. *Goner: DEAD DUCK. (4). This phrase is very similar to Lame Duck. The phrase “dead duck” is an Americanism from the 1830s, originally it was political slang referring to a person who has lost influence or power and was therefore useless. 

34A. *Charmed one: LUCKY DUCK.(5) Lucky duck is a saying meaning someone has good fortune. It likely was derived solely from the rhyme. 

46A. *Bath toy: RUBBER DUCK (6) Perhaps the most famous ONE.

48A. *Fictional uncle of triplets: DONALD DUCK (6) Donald Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is most famous for his semi-intelligible speech and his mischievous and temperamental personality.

59A. With 69-Across, organizational process implied by eight answers in this puzzle: GETTING ONE'S DUCKS (16) 69A. See 59-Across: IN A ROW(6).

62 theme squares!

Across:

15. Trendy berry: ACAI. I think the bloom is off this berry.

16. Critter: ANIMAL. Daffy and Donald are both anthropomorphic critters.

17. Natural resources: ORES.

18. Fillmore's party: WHIG. Lucky 13, Millard Fillmore was the last Whig President. When my son and d-i-l were in graduate school in Buffalo we went to the cemetery where he is buried. Interestingly, both of his wives are buried there. I include a nice SUMMARY of the WHIG Party.

19. Hyundai sedan: SONATA. Hmm. Etymology: past participle of sonare "to sound," from Latin sonare "to sound," 21A. Browning works: SONNETS.  Etymology: directly from Italian sonetto, literally "little song," from Old Provençal sonet "song," diminutive of son "song, sound," from Latin sonus "sound"

20. Tide table term: NEAP. This is a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water.

23. Pizzeria jarful: OREGANO. And parmagianno.

25. Martinique, e.g.: ILE. Our regular French for Island. If you have not been, it is a wonderful place to visit. The food is great and you can get Paris fashions for reasonable prices. But it is not designed for a long vacation.

26. Always, in 21-Across: E'ER.

38. Former Half.com owner: eBAY. Half.com was a subsidiary of eBay. eBay shut down the service on September 1, 2017. It was a website where sellers offered items for sale at fixed prices. The items available on half.com were limited to books, textbooks, music, movies, video games, and video game consoles.

39. "Not guilty," e.g.: DENIAL.

41. Second start?: NANO.

42. Home security giant: ADT. The company started as American District Telegraph and has a very diverse HISTORY.

43. Take into account: REMEMBER.

45. Just issued, in Innsbruck: NEU. Kazie,  Spitzboov-what are the differences between Austrian/German?

50. Swung about: SLUED. slew verb: past tense: slued; past participle: slued turn or slide violently or uncontrollably in a particular direction. "the Chevy slewed from side to side in the snow"

51. Places for notes: PADS. Not music.

55. Iberian Peninsula city: PORTO. A new tourist destination in PORTUGAL.

56. Blue: SAD.

57. Fit to __: A TEE.

58. Mock conclusion?: ERY.

65. Either of two Monopoly sqs.: UTIL.

66. Like boxers: CANINE. Doggies.

67. Parrilla of "Once Upon a Time": LANA. Never heard of this actress, but then again I do not watch the show. She actually has been very BUSY.

68. Debussy subject: LUNE. I love good PIANO.

70. Self-images: EGOS.

71. Overdoes it, with "out": PIGS.

72. Lawgivers: SOLONS. A fun Friday fill. Solon, (born c. 630 BCE—died c. 560 BCE), Athenian statesman, known as one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece (the others were Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mytilene, and Periander of Corinth).


73. Son of Eve: SETH. The third son, but The Works of Josephus states: "The number of Adam's children, as says the old tradition, was 33 sons and 23 daughters." TITUS FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS was a prolific scholar. Historic reading, no religion.

Down:

1. Cornfield calls: CAWS. Cute continued alliteration.

2. Tres y cinco: OCHO. Spanish math.

3. Placed: LAIN.

4. Give due respect: DIGNIFY.

5. Scrapbooker's supply: PASTE.

6. Son of 73-Across: ENOS. Or Enosh is a link in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but that would be religion.

7. Holiday guests, often: KIN.

8. Bread's "Baby __ Want You": I'M A. A forgotten band from the early 70's?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tQC_z4zLQA

9. Org. led by Jens Stoltenberg: NATO.

10. Driving hazard: GLARE.

11. Broadway producer's desire: LONG RUN.

12. Region: AREA.

13. Nasty: MEAN.

14. Hockey's Phil, to fans: ESPO.

22. Historic Nevada city: ELY.

24. Sushi roll fish: EEL. A C.C. favorite.

27. Darlings: DEARS.

28. Former "Idol" judge: ABDUL. A successful dancer who has fought bulimia.

29. Adjective in some diet ads: FAT-BUSTING. These ads probably cause onset of bulimia.

30. JFK or LBJ: DEMocrat.

31. Chemical suffix: ENE.

32. Intention: AIM.


33. Apply carefully: DAB.

35. Pet bird's home: CANARY CAGE.

36. Lowered oneself?: KNELT. “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.”
--Danny Thomas founder of St. Jude's children's hospital.

37. "Really?": YOU DO?

39. German article: DER.

40. Was first: LED.

43. __-wip: REDDI.

44. Cordoned (off): ROPED.

47. '60s pop group: BEATLES.

49. Free-for-all situation: NO RULES.

51. 2010s Colts head coach Chuck: PAGANO. The first use of this clue/fill combo.

52. Without a key: ATONAL.

53. Hathaway's "The Intern" co-star: DE NIRO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU3Xban0Y6A

54. "As __ TV": SEEN ON. So many stores have their sections devoted to the variety of products sold 'only' on TV.

59. [Yikes!]: GULP.

60. Notions case: ETUI. This was a common fill because of the vowels.

61. CBS maritime drama: NCIS. Oo and I watched the first few seasons on Netflix. They were really good.

62. Finishes (up): SEWS.

63. Celtic __: KNOT. This is not as simple as it sounds. LINK.

64. Merit badge site: SASH.

Ethan Cooper

Title: I'm bored and from the 50's. Are there any magazines around here?

This looks like another Friday debut puzzle, and I do not have any info on the constructor. This is the only  ETHAN COOPER of whom I have heard. We have a consistent placement of the magazine- the first two in the first word, the last two in the second word. And the joy of a grid spanning reveal which is cute if you do not think about how annoying those stupid inserts that keep falling out of the magazines are. I find some real wit in the ROYAL WINCE. Ethan was limited in his magazine choices because they had to be 3 or 4 letters. Life, Jet, Mad and Teen the only others that came to mind.  The best part of this debut shows in the glittery fill like AT ISSUE, CARED TO, EURASIA, MEMO PAD, SILENT N, AGE LIMITS and NERD ALERT. Well done.

17A. Literary agents who sold "Catch-22"?: HELLER REPS (10). Joseph Heller wrote the book, and Mike Nichols (we had Elaine May last week) wrote the MOVIE. Both were excellent. ELLE magazine is inserted into the phrase HR REPS.

27A. Defective Chatty Cathys?: RASPING DOLLS (11). RAGDOLLS incorporates SPIN into that phrase.

45A. Hanging out by the lockers, etc.?: HALL PASTIMES (11). HALL PASS is needed in many high schools to explain absence from the classroom. TIME  in its 95th year is added. 

62A. Uncomfortable look from the queen?: ROYAL WINCE (10). The ROYAL WE = an accepted tradition, and adding INC leads to this bizarre but fun fill. 

The reveal:

37A. Perfume samples, maybe ... or what this puzzle's circles are: MAGAZINE INSERTS (15).

on to the rest...

Across:

1. "__ talks!": "Anna Christie" tagline: GARBO.

6. Pond floater: SCUM.

10. Fox Business competitor: CNBC.

14. 2015 boxing film: CREED.  The sequel is coming soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ9OhBYjTds

15. Ditty: TUNE.

16. Total: REAL.

19. Cuyahoga River outlet: ERIE. A CSO to our own.

20. Still unresolved: AT ISSUE. Lawyers and Judges use this all the time.

21. Were so inclined: CARED TO. Interesting definition.

23. Gumshoe: TEC.

24. Dates: SEES.

26. They test the waters: Abbr.: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

32. "Six Feet Under" creator Ball: ALAN. He also wrote TRUE BLOOD and the movie American Beauty.

35. Like metal concerts: LOUD.

36. ___ de parfum: EAU. A bit of a dupe with 37A.

42. NYC's Lex, e.g.: AVE.

43. Steam producer: IRON.

44. 42-Across et al.: RTES.

50. Note from someone in a hole: IOU.

51. Gerald R. Ford Award org.: NCAA.

52. Dadaist Jean: ARP.

55. Note taker's need: MEMO PAD.

59. Home to Iberia and Siberia: EURASIA. Eurasia is a combined continental landmass of Europe and Asia. The term is a portmanteau of its constituent continents (Europe and Asia).

61. "Oh, ri-i-ight": AS IF.

64. Casual farewell: TATA. TTFN.

65. Party mix staple: CHEX.

66. Sorbonne concepts: IDEES. French for ideas, idées. And, 2D. Glacial ridge: ARETE.  A semi-regular Friday word from the French a·rête.

67. "Can it!": HUSH.

68. "My only love sprung from my only __!": Juliet: HATE. Act 1, Scene V. Our Friday Will S.
My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!
Prodigious birth of love it is to me
That I must love a loathèd enemy.

69. Swashbuckler's word: GARDE.


Down:

1. Popular IM service: G-CHAT. Not to be confused with the g-spot.

3. Museum piece: RELIC.

4. Units named for ATT founder: BELS. You are probably more familiar with the decibel. LINK.

5. Ukrainian port: ODESSA.

6. "The Deer Hunter" actress: STREEP.

7. Reminder: CUE.

8. Insensitive, briefly: UN-PC.

9. Erosion formation: MESA.

10. Shudder-inducing sort, slangily: CREEPO. Like

11. "Check out the brain over here!": NERD ALERT. Big Bang has made Nerd popular.

12. Part of a sting: BAIT.

13. 1963 Liz Taylor role: CLEO. Elizabeth/Cleopatra.

18. Is sorry about: RUES.

22. Fruity ale brand: REDDS.

25. Column part that's strictly ornamental?: SILENT N. Really well thought out and structured deceptive clue/fill as there ornamental columns, but it is the letter "N" that has no purpose in the word column.

27. Genetics lab subject: RNA.







28. "__ won't back down": Tom Petty lyric: NO I. Verse 1. May he rest in peace.
Well, I won't back down
No, I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down

29. __-shy: GUN.

30. Rushing, perhaps: LATE.

31. Work (out): SUSS. I critically important word for all solvers.

32. Indian nanny: AMAH. Not to be confused with amas or amat.

33. Volcanic flower: LAVA. Too timely with all that is flowing in Hawaii.

34. Features of many kids' menus: AGE LIMITS. Tuesdays kids eat free.

38. Close, as a duffel: ZIP UP.
https://media1.tenor.com/images/570d97c52c0d407977c6be7f7a125fcf/tenor.gif?itemid=8036277

39. Glass of "This American Life": IRA. He gets paid to talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZk88gUdsBw

40. Primes, e.g.: Abbr.: NOS.

41. Hectic hosp. zones: ERS. Emergency Rooms.

46. Shower tool: LOOFAH. If you use a loofah to get clean, it may be time to rethink your shower routine. That spongy, handheld scrubber meant to exfoliate and lather suds around your naked body is actually the perfect home for bacteria.

47. Mountaineering tool: ICE AXE. Some violence with this image, and the next.

48. Hammering tool: MAUL. 
This is a tool with a heavy head and a handle, used for tasks such as ramming, crushing, and driving wedges; a beetle.




49. Crop-eating insect: EARWIG. This EPISODE od Rod Serling's NIGHT GALLERY is one of the most frightening things ever shown on television.

52. He played a TV newsroom boss: ASNER. A rare double, playing the same character (Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show - a comedy, and then on LOU GRANT where he returns to his newspaper roots in a drama.

53. Cut to bits: RICED. This sounds much less dramatic than cut to bits.

54. Country, in Italy: PAESE. Paesan, countryman. Yiddish, lanceman.

55. Course where kids check products?: MATH. Nice trickery and CSO to Bill G. and others; in mathematics, a product is a result of multiplying.

56. Old Testament redhead: ESAU. With a substantial beard.

57. Prefix with rival: ARCH.

58. City where Al Jazeera is headquartered: DOHA. We had our own DOHA Doc as a regular for a while. He moved around but apparently has moved on.

60. Verdi princess: AIDA. Aida is actually the Ethiopian slave of Princess Amneris, the king’s daughter. However, she is the daughter of the King of Ethiopia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTRlX54OCjI

63. To this time: YET.