Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Jeffrey was playing with a YoYo again!

Welcome to a double dose of me. Chris (MOE) thought it would be fun if I decifered another JW puzzle and the request really fit into my near future as I will be busy on the 22nd and 29th out of town. I was tasked with one of Mr. Wechsler's visual themes, which without the circles would have been a near impossible challenge, but we have them so here we go. 

 25A. With 38-Across, what the highlighted squares suggest: AROUND THE (9). 38A See 25-Across: WORLD (5).

47A. With 49-Across, author of the novel suggested by this puzzle's theme; the movie debuted 10/17/1956: JULES (5). 49A. See 47-Across: VERNE (5). 80 days anyone?

Oh and the circled squares (doesn't that remind you of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES?

 
Back to the puzzle...the circles spell the magic magellan word CIRCUMNAVIGATION! Nifty!

Of course now you have to solve the entire grid to fill in the circles so that leaves work to do and a grid to examine. This one is chockful of longer words AFFIRMS, CURE ALL, NAILS IT (a C.C. favorite) RUNAWAY, SNIDELY, SONATAS (for Waseely and JzB)  SWOLLEN, TAURINE (we all need vitamins and supplements) ADHERENTS, and MISJUDGED which has appeared only once before in puzzledom. HERE in one of Splynter's first blogs.  Also, DREFT making its LAT debut though we have seen it in reader comments HERE which includes one of Boomer's first blogs. We continue our trend of non-traditional Fridays, and I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Off to the races.

Across:

1. "More matter, with __ art": "Hamlet": LESS. This is obvious unless it isn't. Not one of Will's more famous quotations which some may find IRING at 1 Across.

5. Early music label: RCA. Radio Corporation of America.

8. Indulgent places: SPAS.

12. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON.

14. See 15-Across: OUT. I do not favor these reverse referentials.

15. With 14-Across, deal-breaking words: I WANT. Take you cup and clang it on the bars, works everytime.

16. Combined: IN ONE.

17. Play area: SET. Play as in production, not where you children go.

18. Partially, informally: SORTA.

19. Take off: RUN AWAY. A human would run away, and airplane would just yse the RUNWAY.

21. Gets an A+, say: NAILS IT. Yes, that is doing pretty well.

23. Cut back, in a way: DIETED. So much talk about diets...

24. Spite: MALICE. 

29. Added things: SUMS. simple clue/fill.

32. Brief alarm: SOS. Save Our Ship.

33. Parents can relax during them: NAPS. Anyone can.

37.  "Enough!": TMI. Too much information.

40.   Joanne of film: DRU. She was another Howard Hughes discovery.

41.  Daytona Beach-based sports org.: NASCAR.

44.  Bacon serving: RASHER.

50.  Bullish?: TAURINE.

52.  Validates: AFFIRMS.

55.  Quaint store sign word: OLDE.

56.  Tapir feature: SNOUT.

58.   Campus figure: DEAN.

59.   Try to expose: DIG AT.

61.   Sick: ILL.

62.   Prefix with meter: PENTA.

63.   Dagger-shaped symbols: OBELI.

64.   Bran type: OAT.

65.   Vary: ALTER.

66.   Sneak, maybe: SIDLE.

67.   Natl. park sights: RVS.

68. Disinfectant brand: LYSOL.

Down:

1. Scottish estate holder: LAIRD.

2. Been-there-done-that feeling: ENNUI.

3. Pit: STONE.

4. Brahms piano trio: SONATAS.

5. Optimistic: ROSY.

6. Prompt: CUE.

7. Routing abbr.: ATTN.

8. In danger of flooding, as a river: SWOLLEN.

9. Indian follower of Zoroastrianism: PARSI.

10. Bit of silliness: ANTIC.

11. City-__: STATE.

13. More of a surprise: NEWER.

15. NBA legend Thomas: ISIAH.

20. Disturbance: ADO.

22. Receipt fig.: AMT.

26. It offered soldiers Hope: Abbr.: USO. The capital H tells us it means Bob's TOURS 

27. Fish-fowl link: NOR.  This has a long HISTORY. 

28. Web transmission technology: Abbr.: DSL.  Digital Subscriber Line.

29. An express might skip yours: Abbr.: STN. 

30. Thurman on screen: UMA. Constructors love her letters, movie goers love her...

31. Didn't read right: MISJUDGED.

34. Followers: ADHERENTS. The stick to their guns.

35. Face front?: PRE. PREFACE.

36. Face front?: SUR. SURFACE. Nice misdirection for a clecho.

38. Small songbirds: WRENS.

39. P&G detergent brand: DREFT. It is interesting as we have had two references to this old-timey detergent recently but it never appeared as fill before.

42. Snake oil, purportedly: CURE ALL. Also an old-timey product that was marketed as a panacea. When I was very little I wondered where they found the "cea" to put in the pan. 

43. __ Ewoldt, first Asian-American to play Christine in Broadway's "Phantom": ALI.

45. Boxer's speech?: ARF. Three letters, it can't be woof.

46. Dudley's toon foe: SNIDELY. Mr. Whiplash.


48. __ moment: SENIOR.

49. Events for Biles: VAULTS.

50. Chore list items: TO DOS.

51. Criminal defense: ALIBI.

53. San __, Northern California city: MATEO.

54. Cur's warning: SNARL.

57. Name of five Norwegian kings: OLAV.

60. Secure (to): TIE.

62. Sidekick: PAL.

Jennifer Lee & Victor Galson

 

MICDROP, ODD JOBS, CAL STATE, SLOTHFUL, BINGE WATCH and TATA FOR NOW.

<b>Across:</b><br />

1. Nike competitor: <b>ASICS</b>.<br /><br />

6. "Don't mind __": <b>IFIDO</b>.<br /><br />

11. Popcorn buy: <b>TUB</b>.<br /><br />

14. Shroud: <b>CLOAK</b>.<br /><br />

15. Schlepped: <b>TOTED</b>.<br /><br />

16. Toon storekeeper who was once in a barbershop quartet: <b>APU</b>.<br /><br />

17. Call of the wild?: <b>HOWLINGWIND</b>.<br /><br />

19. Kennel club category: <b>TOY</b>.<br /><br />

20. Postings at ORD: <b>ETAS</b>.<br /><br />

21. Some are considered essential: <b>OILS</b>.<br /><br />

22. Pair to wear: <b>JEANS</b>.<br /><br />

24. Wielder of the hammer Mjölnir: <b>THOR</b>.<br /><br />

26. Sourdough unit: <b>LOAF</b>.<br /><br />

27. Call of the wild?: <b>BABBLINGBROOK</b>.<br /><br />

32. Popular chip: <b>FRITO</b>.<br /><br />

34. Arrests: <b>NABS</b>.<br /><br />

35. Density symbol, in physics: <b>RHO</b>.<br /><br />

36. "Superman" surname: <b>LANE</b>.<br /><br />

37. Vacancy sign: <b>TOLET</b>.<br /><br />

39. Uppity sort: <b>SNOB</b>.<br /><br />

40. Person who's usually good?: <b>EGG</b>.<br /><br />

41. Informal title used seven times in "Bohemian Rhapsody": <b>MAMA</b>.<br /><br />

42. Chap: <b>BLOKE</b>.<br /><br />

43. Call of the wild?: <b>WEEPINGWILLOW</b>.<br /><br />

47. Zippo part: <b>WICK</b>.<br /><br />

48. Barack's 2012 opponent: <b>MITT</b>.<br /><br />

49. Influencer's concern: <b>BRAND</b>.<br /><br />

51. New Orleans' __ Du Monde: <b>CAFE</b>.<br /><br />

53. Try to get the attention of: <b>HAIL</b>.<br /><br />

57. Chow down: <b>EAT</b>.<br /><br />

58. Call of the wild?: <b>ROARINGFIRE</b>.<br /><br />

61. Story __: <b>ARC</b>.<br /><br />

62. Heart, for one: <b>ORGAN</b>.<br /><br />

63. What captions can capture: <b>AUDIO</b>.<br /><br />

64. "I've seen better": <b>MEH</b>.<br /><br />

65. "Get Out" Oscar winner Jordan: <b>PEELE</b>.<br /><br />

66. Endow, as with talent: <b>BLESS</b>.<br /><br />

<b>Down:</b><br />

1. Want a lot, with "for": <b>ACHE</b>.<br /><br />

2. Schedule space: <b>SLOT</b>.<br /><br />

3. __ caucuses: <b>IOWA</b>.<br /><br />

4. Sch. with 23 campuses: <b>CALSTATE</b>.<br /><br />

5. What powderhounds do: <b>SKI</b>.<br /><br />

6. Celeb of the moment: <b>ITGIRL</b>.<br /><br />

7. Turkey, e.g.: <b>FOWL</b>.<br /><br />

8. Medical suffix: <b>ITIS</b>.<br /><br />

9. Super Bowl party site: <b>DEN</b>.<br /><br />

10. Big part of the gig economy: <b>ODDJOBS</b>.<br /><br />

11. Casual parting: <b>TATAFORNOW</b>.<br /><br />

12. In the know about: <b>UPON</b>.<br /><br />

13. Bargains: <b>BUYS</b>.<br /><br />

18. Gamer more likely to get pwned: <b>NOOB</b>.<br /><br />

23. Inner __: <b>EAR</b>.<br /><br />

25. "Last Week Tonight" airer: <b>HBO</b>.<br /><br />

26. Pride letters: <b>LGBT</b>.<br /><br />

27. Catch up on, in a way: <b>BINGEWATCH</b>.<br /><br />

28. Relative challenge for some: <b>INLAW</b>.<br /><br />

29. Half a 2010s dance craze: <b>NAE</b>.<br /><br />

30. "Yeah, sure": <b>OHOK</b>.<br /><br />

31. Asian beef city: <b>KOBE</b>.<br /><br />

32. Passed (by) fast: <b>FLEW</b>.<br /><br />

33. Latest thing: <b>RAGE</b>.<br /><br />

37. Drop precipitously: <b>TANK</b>.<br /><br />

38. Texter's "Wow!": <b>OMG</b>.<br /><br />

39. Lazy: <b>SLOTHFUL</b>.<br /><br />

41. [I'm out]: <b>MICDROP</b>.<br /><br />

42. Classic sandwich, for short: <b>BLT</b>.<br /><br />

44. One standing in an alley: <b>PIN</b>.<br /><br />

45. "Really, no damage": <b>IMFINE</b>.<br /><br />

46. Property claim: <b>LIEN</b>.<br /><br />

49. Gymnastics event: <b>BEAM</b>.<br /><br />

50. Like a double rainbow: <b>RARE</b>.<br /><br />

51. Guinea pig's pad: <b>CAGE</b>.<br /><br />

52. Disappearing Asian sea: <b>ARAL</b>.<br /><br />

54. Staffer: <b>AIDE</b>.<br /><br />

55. Van Gogh subject: <b>IRIS</b>.<br /><br />

56. Some summer newcomers: <b>LEOS</b>.<br /><br />

59. Resource in the board game Catan: <b>ORE</b>.<br /><br />

60. Dubious "gift": <b>GAB</b>.<br /><br />

Gary Larson

TITLE: Ruh Roh? Oh no! SCOOBY vs. ASTRO

Gary in his unstoppable move to take over the cyber crossword world is back with a sounds like puzzle based on a beloved cartoon dog. But which one? But first, lets examine the puzzle. It has a bunch of seven letter fill ANARCHY, AT LARGE, ATTESTS, BRIDGET, IT'S HERE, LAUGH IN, LOANERS, NEUTERS, PONTOON, RECASTS, TROLLEY and TSETSES which are a great basis to solve. The number of 3/4/5 fill are high - 57 and similar grids have appeared on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Those are the bland statistics, but for this effort the question is - was it fun to solve. It was for me and I will explain.

18A. Deception at a dog show?: ROVER RUSE (9). This filled very quickly as ROVER is a common dog name and a RUSE is a deception, making the clue/fill very simple. OVER and USE are both complete words that have the R added. So when I went to the next themer...

23A. Top-shelf whiskey?: REGAL RYE (8). This is obviously a reference to EAGLE EYE, but it does not follow the 18A pattern. EGAL YE are nothing. But the fill sounds good; hmm, look for more info.

34A. Food staple storage areas?: RICE RACKS (9). The perps gave me this pair, another Rxxx Rxxxx answer, but ICE ACKS (ICE AX?) does not make sense and despite my immersion in Thai culture, I do not know of RICE RACKS, as they dry their rice on mats, But I now have learned the Japanese method.

51A. Unexpected lopsided victory?: RARE ROUT (8). ARE OUT is another pair of real phrases but by this time I am convinced the puzzle is built aroud sound (not surround sound) and I am quickly provided a reveal.

56A. Cartoon canine whose speech patterns inspired four puzzle answers: SCOOBY DOO (9). Yes, Scooby Does start his words with the R sound, and now we are ready to move on to the rest of the story.

Across:

1. Musical collectible: ALBUM. My problem has been that they do not travel well or easily. I have ruined too many very valuable records from the heat.

6. Wit: CARD. Boring M-W: Synonyms for card; comedian, comic, droll, farceur, funnyman, gagger, gagman, gagster, humorist, jester, joker, jokester, wag, wit.

10. Cut: SLIT. A throat? More pirates hanging around...

14. Trunk with a chest: TORSO. This is a doubly cute clue/fill as it is tricky and combines TRUNK and CHEST which can be synonyms.

15. Mind: OBEY. Mind has so many permutations, mind your baby sitter, mind your manners, mind your ps and qs etc. but I find no etymology for mind to mean obey.

16. Is gentle with: PATS. This year they will be relying on Mac Jones the QB from Alabama's most recent national championship team. Bye bye Cam.

17. Denny who founded the Moody Blues and Wings: LAINE.
Biography

20. With 21-Across, odds follower: AND. 21A. See 20-Across: ENDS. Odds and ends.
22. Highest unstriped pool ball: EIGHT.  ❽

26. Washes up: BATHES.

27. Samsa of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis": GREGOR. If you have not read the story, it is interesting. I enjoyed the message. The name of the central character appears to derive partly from literary works Kafka had read. A character in The Story of Young Renate Fuchs, is named Gregor Samassa. The Viennese author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose sexual imagination gave rise to the idea of masochism, Venus in Furs (1870), a novel whose hero assumes the name Gregor at one point.  Gregor Samsa has hung a picture of a oman in furs on his bedroom wall that he is very sad to see taken away.

28. Roll in the grass: SOD. Wonderful clue/fill introduced to us HERE

29. Steamed state: IRE. I would say someone is irate but I get the idea.

30. Perfume compound: ESTER. Not ESTEE, a chemical answer.

31. Tees, say: TOPS. Yes, many kinds.


33. Video game letters: NES.  Nintendo Entertainment System.

38. Blame: RAP. This has so MANY origins.

41. Wranglers rival: LEES. Jeans, Gene.

42. Big name in health care: AETNA.

46. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO. His letters keep him popular.

47. It might be sticky: BUN.
It does not o well with...

48. Bordeaux wine: CLARET. Moe should have had this last week, but Claret is a British term used, unofficially, in reference to red Bordeaux wine. The red wines of Bordeaux are blends, mostly based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The term “claret” is sometimes used—unofficially, of course—to refer to Bordeaux-style red wines produced elsewhere, such as the United States.

49. Classic light provider: CANDLE. In the wind?

53. "Star Wars" name: ARTOO. R2D2.

54. Fishing boat: DORY. Also a lost blue tang.

55. Wireless standard initials: LTE.  Long Term Evolution.

58. Youngest French Open champ: SELES. To this day Monica, aged 16 and 6 months, is the youngest winner when she won the French Open, to become the youngext in the Open Era. She was surpassed by Martina Hingis seven years later who won the 1997 Australian Open aged 16 years, 3 months. Her career was cut short by a crazed fan.

60. Superhero with a hammer: THOR. He has has too much press lately.

61. Has something: EATS.

62. "At the Movies" co-host: EBERT. Siskel and...

63. Dict. entries: SYNS. The bloggers have discovered so many cute syonym sites.

64. Where Cisco has no "i," briefly: NYSE. I hate to be the one who complains but this company trades on NASDAQ: as CSCO. Be more careful Rich. 

65. Vast chasm: ABYSS.

Down:

1. Loose: AT LARGE. Sounds like aan escapee.

2. Auto repair perks: LOANERS. It certainly helps to have a car in our society. I have not been allowed to drive for 3 years plus and it sucks.

3. One of the Fondas: BRIDGET. 

4. "Top Gun" org.: USN. Navy, not Air Force; the sequel flies into theaters November 19, 2021. Isn't that pirate day not maverick day?

5. Homer's bartender: MOE. Another reference coming a week late.

6. Clichéd: CORNY.  Rustic, unsophisticated; ridiculously or tiresomely old-fashioned or sentimental; trite. colloquial. 

7. Quarters: ABODE. So quadraplex would be Dollars?

8. Guns: REVS. Engines, especially motorcycles and airplanes. See 4D.

9. Salon supply: DYE. A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color

10. Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT. sprit

11. '60s-'70s show with a Joke Wall, familiarly: LAUGH IN. A feature many loved.
                                               

12. "The parcel has arrived": IT'S HERE. 

13. African pests: TSETSES. More cutting remarks.

19. __ lips: READ.This comes in very handy.

21. Blunder: ERR. Is blundering divine also?

24. New __: AGER. An OPINION that may not reflect your ideas, but those of uswere efected by this concep

25. Loughlin of "Full House": LORI. More famous for her children and husband now. 

26. Pear variety: BOSC.

28. Getaway spots: SPAS.

31. Many a "Buffy" character: TEEN.

32. Vein contents: ORE.

35. Solving aid: CLUE.

36. Trendy kind of chips: KALE.

37. Lightly burn: SEAR.

38. Replaces actors for: RECASTS. 

39. Lawlessness: ANARCHY.

40. What may float your boat: PONTOON. Acute literal answer.

43. Transport on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": TROLLEY.

44. Fixes, in a way: NEUTERS. Ouch.

45. Certifies: ATTESTS. Hardly the same thing.

47. Oozy horror film menace, with "the": BLOB. Two versions; the CLASSIC and the REMAKE.

48. Shout: CRY. Cry out maybe, but not just cry.

50. Metaphorical opportunities: DOORS. If you call the Mayor she can open some doors for you.

51. Underground network: ROOTS. Hence the name of the mini-series.

52. Turned up: AROSE. Our dreaded A-word of the day.

54. WWII turning point: D-DAY. A LESSON for the children.

57. Strong desire: YEN. This etymology might surprise you but NOT C.C.

58. Watery expanse: SEA. Also one of my many great grand nephews by marriage. 

59. Point of decline: EBB. Go with the flow man as I am ebbing my way out of here.

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.