WEDNESDAY, April 14, 2010—Gary Steinmehl

THEME: "Wash Your Bits"—Four phrases and a word end with brands of soap

The first theme entries I ran into in this puzzle began with GOLD and EBONY, so I started out thinking the theme had something to do with, I dunno, expensive things. 68-Across straightened me out pretty quickly, though.

Theme entries:

• 16A: [Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings] ORANGE ZEST. Who doesn't like a reference to ORANGE?
  
• 30A: [Dashboard tuner] (RADIO DIAL). This one is pretty flat. Most dials are round, but the typical radio's doodad is linear. Also, not sure "radio dial" quite meets the standards for crossword-worthy phrases.
  
• 37A: [1982 McCartney/Wonder hit] (EBONY AND IVORY). Video time!
  
  
  
  
• 44A: [It became Ghana in 1957] (GOLD COAST). The country called Ivory Coast uses its French name, Cote d'Ivoire. Also, Chicago's got a Gold Coast. No gold mines, but plenty of wealth all the same.
  
• 62A: One of two in a Christmas song (TURTLEDOVE). Nice use of a humorous quote to enhance the theme-revealing answer.
  
• 68A.:This puzzle's theme (SOAP). Zest, Dial, Ivory, Coast, and Dove are all brands of soap or, if you believe marketers, moisturizing bars.
  

The theme is nothing new—I've seen at least two previous soap themes. There might've also been a laundry detergent theme. But these are readily accessible to most solvers thanks to the über-familiarity of such brand names, so editors don't mind when constructors draw from that well again.

Listen, people of the internet: I hate to do this to you, but I had a weird case of the itchies so I took a Benadryl—just one! not even a full dose of two tablets!—and it is making me so sleepy. As I write this, the sun hasn't even set yet, but I'm useless here. See you in the comments lounge.

Everything Else — 1A: Talk back to (SASS); 5A: Super Bowl XXXIV winners (RAMS); 9A: Dance move (STEP); 13A: Super stars? (NOVAE); 14A: Singer Brickell (EDIE); 15A: Land of the Incas (PERU); 16A: Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings (ORANGE ZEST); 18A: Bring in (REAP); 19A: Land a plane (SET DOWN); 20A: Charlie of "Two and a Half Men" (SHEEN); 22A: Morales of "Jericho" (ESAI); 23A: Classified letters (EOE); 25A: Ming things (VASES); 28A: Throat problem (STREP); 30A: Dashboard tuner (RADIO DIAL); 33A: Hood's "piece" (GAT); 35A: Drum effect (ROLL); 36A: That, in Toledo (ESO); 37A: 1982 McCartney/Wonder hit (EBONY AND IVORY); 41A: Carte lead-in (ALA); 42A: Sanctuary section (APSE); 43A: Elongated swimmer (EEL); 44A: It became Ghana in 1957 (GOLD COAST); 47A: American revolutionary who recruited Lafayette (DEANE); 51A: Conductor Previn (ANDRE); 52A: Rice or Curry (TIM); 54A: War deity (ARES); 55A: Chicago Eight defendant Bobby (SEALE); 58A: Gold diggers? (PANNERS); 60A: "NFL Live" airer (ESPN); 62A: One of two in a Christmas song (TURTLE DOVE); 64A: Political group (BLOC); 65A: Bond's first movie foe (DR. NO); 66A: Fax predecessor (TELEX); 67A: Bad thing to take in Vegas? (BATH); 68A: This puzzle's theme (SOAP); 69A: Ladies in Mex. (SRAS.); 1D: Hurting the most (SOREST); 2D: 2009 film set in 2154 (AVATAR); 3D: City known for its zoo (SAN DIEGO); 4D: Bell-shaped lily (SEGO); 5D: Nine Inch Nails founder Trent __ (REZNOR); 6D: Punch cousin (ADE); 7D: Overlook (MISS); 8D: Father of Enos (SETH); 9D: Large ranch, say (SPREAD); 10D: More minuscule (TEENSIER); 11D: Significant time (ERA); 12D: Litter yipper (PUP); 13D: They're rubbed in Eskimo kissing (NOSES); 17D: Lea lady (EWE); 21D: Slowly developed (EVOLVED); 24D: Heartfelt (EARNEST); 26D: "Piece of cake!" ("EASY!"); 27D: __-mo replay (SLO); 29D: It'll cure anything (PANACEA); 31D: Pentagon tenant, briefly (DOD); 32D: "Would __?" (I LIE); 34D: Secretary's slip (TYPO); 37D: Tar Heel State university (ELON); 38D: Comb-over target (BALD SPOT); 39D: Big-house link (AS A); 40D: Poisonous ornamental (OLEANDER); 41D: Ottoman VIP (AGA); 45D: Soak (DRENCH); 46D: Of the highest quality (TIPTOP); 48D: Ring of color (AREOLA); 49D: Reason for shaking hands? (NERVES); 50D: Devereux's earldom (ESSEX); 53D: Prefix with content (MAL-); 56D: 1960s-'80s Fords (LTDS); 57D: Continental money (EURO); 59D: Circus safety features (NETS); 60D: Go out (EBB); 61D: Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst (SLA); 63D: Genetic initials (RNA).