02.23 Wed

W E D N E S D A Y
February 23, 2011
Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Big Dummies

Theme answers:

• 1A: Court jester (FOOL).
• 17A: Country singer with the 1961 hit "Crazy" (PATSY CLINE).
• 56A: Shameful emblem in Genesis (MARK OF CAIN).
• 64A: Hammer or sickle (TOOL).
• 10D: Hockshop receipt (PAWN TICKET).
• 29D: Remora (SUCKERFISH).
• 38A: 1- and 64-Across, and the first words of the four longest puzzle answers (DUPES).

I really like this theme idea. It's cool that there are so many words that aren't exact synonyms but are close enough in meaning that they hang together pretty well. Unfortunately, even though they're symmetrical, they nonetheless have the feeling of being haphazardly placed all over the grid. Also, if the theme is already this all-over-the-place, I would have worked extra hard not to include another random entry that fits the theme but isn't included in the theme, i.e., NINNY (63A: Doofus). So, yeah. Just seems kind of disorderly to me.

The theme answers themselves are colorful phrases, so that's pretty cool. Other highlights for me include:

• 35A: Sudden ache (PANG).
• 45A: Fastening pin (COTTER).
• 62A: Reggae musician Peter (TOSH).
• 1D: Dandies (FOPS).
• 18D: 2009 Series winners (YANKS).

There were two clues that completely puzzled me. First, [10A: Sourdough's ground breaker] for PICK. Even now after having considered this for a good bit of time (relatively), I still don't understand what it means. Second, [48A: Sponge for grunge] for LOOFAH. To me, "grunge" means only one thing and that's late-80s, Seattle-based, Nirvana-Pearl-Jam-Etc. music so it was hard for me to shift gears and think of it as its former definition. Which I guess is, like, dirt? Only it sounds grosser than dirt. And speaking of gross, if LEPER COLONY never appears in the puzzle again I'll be okay with that. Totally okay.

Oh, and I've never heard the word "calaboose," which I guess is a slang word for "jail," thus [12D: Calaboose compartment] = CELL. I'm not saying that any of these entries aren't perfectly legitimate. I'm just saying that for a puzzle that already seemed kinda slapdash because of the theme, the clues that seemed strange to me were more irritating than enlightening.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 14A: Quint's boat in "Jaws" (ORCA).
• 16A: Yemen seaport (ADEN).
• 25A: Mine entrance (ADIT).
• 41A: Russia's __ Mountains (URAL).
• 55A: "The Time Machine" race (ELOI).
• 7D: Adidas rival (AVIA).
• 32D: Sharp ridge (ARETE).
• 49D: Hodgepodge (OLIO).
• 54D: First-year law student (ONE-L).

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Everything Else — 5A: Zoo barriers (MOATS); 15A: Polite (CIVIL); 19A: Trickery (WILE); 20A: __-mo replay (SLO); 21A: Vicinity (AREA); 22A: Submerge while sitting poolside, as one's feet (DANGLE); 24A: Australian folk hero Kelly (NED); 26A: 49th state (ALASKA); 30A: Like the son in a parable of Jesus (PRODIGAL); 34A: Bills of fare (MENUS); 36A: Heal (CURE); 37A: Old Norse mariner (ERIC); 39A: Retain (KEEP); 40A: Cranny relative (NOOK); 42A: "Beau __ " (GESTE); 43A: Kitchen areas, perhaps (DINETTES); 46A: Cereal grain (RICE); 47A: Also (TOO); 51A: Play a round (GOLF); 52A: Timing lead-in (TWO); 59A: Puppy bites (NIPS); 60A: Mindy, to Mork? (ALIEN); 61A: Teen bane (ACNE); 2D: Shouted, say (ORAL); 3D: Septi- plus one (OCTO-); 4D: Vegas opener (LAS); 5D: Joel who was the first actor to portray Dr. Kildare (MCCREA); 6D: No longer squeaky (OILED); 8D: Badge material (TIN); 9D: Snow pack? (SLED DOGS); 11D: Beatnik's "Got it" ("I DIG"); 13D: Pants part (KNEE); 23D: Lend a hand (AID); 25D: Synthetic fiber (ARNEL); 26D: Congressionally change (AMEND); 27D: The king of France? (LE ROI); 28D: Atom with a negative charge (ANION); 30D: Mamas' mates (PAPAS); 31D: Hotel client (GUEST); 33D: With 45-Down, Middle Ages quarantine area (LEPER); 35D: Put through a sieve (PUREE); 38D: "The Flying __": Wagner opera (DUTCHMAN); 42D: Explode (GO OFF); 44D: Padre's hermana (TIA); 45D: See 33-Down (COLONY); 47D: Memento (TOKEN); 48D: Pre-Easter period (LENT); 50D: "Uh-oh, I dropped it!" ("OOPS!"); 51D: Big smile (GRIN); 52D: Crisp, filled tortilla (TACO); 53D: Sot (WINO); 57D: Ring icon (ALI); 58D: Sylvester, e.g. (CAT).

THURSDAY, July 15, 2010 — Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Street Names — Theme answers are familiar names for various types of roadways, with the first word of each defined in a different way and clued accordingly.


Theme answers:

• 17A: Routes to work for a bell ringer? (TOLL ROADS).
• 32A: Routes to work for a water company engineer? (MAIN STREETS).
• 41A: Routes to work for a window treatment installer? (BLIND ALLEYS).
• 59A: Routes to work for a diet guru? (FAST LANES).

I really enjoyed this breezy little puzzle. The theme is clever and there's enough good stuff in the fill to distract from all the crosswordese. (And I don't mean that as a backhanded compliment. I honestly didn't notice all the crosswordese while I was solving. I only saw it afterwards and was kinda surprised.) Obviously, the LA Times puzzles are still ending up on the "Too Easy" end of the spectrum, but I have a feeling (oh God please) that I will be eating those words tomorrow and Saturday.

Talking points:

• 5A: "Fernando" singers (ABBA). I heard Mr. Big on the radio yesterday. Remember that sappy little hit they had, "I'm the One Who Wants to Be With You"? "Fernando" replaced it in my head for about two minutes and now it's back. Grateful I don't know any songs off YANNI's "Dare to dream" album (23A: New Ager with the album "Dare to Dream").
• 16A: Mayflower employee (MOVER). Were you thinking Mayflower the ship? Well this is Mayflower the big truck.
• 25A: View from la costa (AGUA). Spanish!

• 38A: Peace personified (IRENE). My very first thought was … Gandhi. And I hadn't even seen 49D yet! (49D: Widow of Rajiv Gandhi (SONIA)).
• 58A: Ornament (ADORN). Ooh, the old word-you-think-of-as-a-noun-used-as-a-verb trick. Well played, sir.
• 62A: Unlucky fisherman's catch, in comics (TIRE). I tried boot first.
• 2D: Nice school? (ECOLE). Again with the trickiness. Nice, of course, is a city in France. Maybe you remember when we talked about Nice a while back when we covered ÉTÉ in CW101.
• 10D: "The Teflon Don" (GOTTI). I lived in New York in the mid 80s, when GOTTI was in the news a lot, so this was a gimme for me.
• 12D: Emperor Atahualpa's land (PERU). My eyes sort of skimmed over the emperor's name while I was solving, but now that I have time to look at it — that's an awesome name.

• 30D: Like sap (OOZY). Has this word ever bugged me before? I can see where it might, but today it just made me laugh.
• 33D: Early Jesse Jackson do (AFRO). Problem here was that I pictured Jesse James instead of Jesse Jackson. (Jesse James the dirtbag motorcycle guy, not Jesse James the outlaw.)
• 46D: Who's on it (FIRST). Is it possible I've never used this clip on this blog? I know I've used it somewhere. Well, even if you've seen it before (and, honestly, why would I think you haven't seen it before?), enjoy it again! It's classic!

Crosswordese 101: And the award for Scrabbliest car name ever goes to … [drum roll] … XKE'S! Woo-hoo! The reason I picked this for CW101 today is that I always think there's going to be a J in there somewhere. So I figured if I had to write a little bit about it, I'll remember next time that there's no J. To reiterate: No J in the Class Jag XKE. So if you see the clue "Classic Jag," "Vintage Jac," or "Jaguar of the '60s," remember: The answer is XKE, which does not include a J.

Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:

• 19A: "SNL" alum Cheri (OTERI).
• 45A: Divided sea (ARAL).
• 3D: J.E.B. Stuart's boss (R.E. LEE).
• 5D: The whole kit and caboodle (A TO Z).
• 8D: 1950s political monogram (AES).
• 13D: The Auld Sod (ERIN).
• 50D: Hägar's dog (SNERT).
• 56D: City founded by King Harald III (OSLO).
• 57D: Proofer's mark (STET).

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Everything Else — 1A: Balkan native (SERB); 9A: Obviously impressed (AGAPE); 14A: Maker of Java Freeze (ICEE); 15A: No bull (TRUE); 20A: Mourned poetically (ELEGIZED); 21A: Leave in the dust (OUTRUN); 22A: Do an usher's job (SEE IN); 28A: Hood's heater (GAT); 29A: "Sour grapes" critter (FOX); 36A: Proceeding normally (A-OK); 37A: Rubs out (OFFS); 39A: Shipwright's tool (ADZE); 40A: Response to "Speak!" (ARF); 43A: Cracker Jack bonus (TOY); 44A: Tyler of "Jersey Girl" (LIV); 46A: Knocks for a loop (FAZES); 48A: Like a milquetoast's spouse, often (BOSSY); 52A: Wish for (DESIRE); 55A: Payload's place (NOSE CONE); 60A: Gadget on a pad (MOUSE); 61A: Bug and more (RILE); 63A: It's hard to run on it (EMPTY); 64A: Tons (A LOT); 65A: Chows down (EATS); 1D: Developer's offerings (SITES); 4D: Antwerp natives (BELGIANS); 6D: Scottish hillside (BRAE); 7D: One to hang with (BUDDY); 9D: Is equivalent (to) (AMOUNTS); 11D: State firmly (AVER); 18D: Audi logo quartet (RINGS); 21D: Painting the town red (ON A TEAR); 24D: Chairman's list (AGENDA); 26D: Put into play (UTILIZE); 27D: Make it big (ARRIVE); 29D: Lose vitality (FADE); 31D: Classic Jags (XKE'S); 32D: Zoo barrier (MOAT); 34D: Up in the air (IFFY); 35D: Bard's nightfall (E'EN); 39D: Parcel out (ALLOCATE); 41D: Flattery (BLARNEY); 42D: Bar code's place (LABEL); 47D: Spiral-shelled creature (SNAIL); 51D: Toadies' words (YESES); 52D: Title for Kiri Te Kanawa (DAME); 53D: Nation of Esau (EDOM); 54D: First course, sometimes (SOUP); 59D: Monk's title (FRA).

FRIDAY, Apr. 23, 2010 — Jerome Gunderson

THEME: add "W" to beginnings of familiar phrases, get wacky phrases, etc.


This is pretty low-end stuff. A cynical, pointless add-a-letter puzzle. It's Friday, so why not ... "W?" What's the rationale? Why "W?" You could do this puzzle again, with the same base phrases, with at least three different other letters (please, please don't). Personally, I like "F," if only for the answer you'd get at 48A, but "M" might make more sense. Whatever. The point is there's just zero ambition behind this. Crank it out. Here you go. On to the next. If this kind of forgettable cookie-cutter stuff gets published routinely, why *not* just crank it out?

Theme answers:

• 17A: Stonemason's goal? (WALL IN A DAY'S WORK)
• 27A: Flirt's mascara stains? (WINK BLOTS)
• 48A: Dermatology class videos? (WART FILMS)
• 62A: Inherited wealth? (WILL-GOTTEN GAINS)

Are they cute, charming, clever answers? Some, I guess. Maybe. But, in the words of this puzzle, HO HUM (31D: Boring).

It's hard not to like KRAKATOA (39D: Volcano in the Sunda Strait), and FABIO added a ray of sunshine to the experience as well (36D: One-named male model). I'm pretty sure kids can actually say the simple word "dog." The clue on BOW WOW suggests something a cutesy, baby-talking parent would say more than it does what an actual TYKE would say (10D: Certain pet, in totspeak). The overall fill, in general, is inoffensive. That's the best thing I can say about the puzzle today.

Crosswordese 101: ERSE (65A: Celtic language) — HA ha, how is this *not* on our list after more than a year's time??? Maybe that's a sign that it hasn't been used much, which is a very promising trend. ERSE is the worst kind of old school crosswordese (a valid answer, but one you don't want to trot out unless you are under duress). It's essentially another word for "Gaelic." With its obscenely common letters in unusual combination, it's a very handy piece of 4-letter fill. Too handy. Constructors should shun it. Except when they can't.

What else?

• 34A: "It's what's hot in pain relief" brand (BEN-GAY) — second GAY answer of my puzzle day (this one didn't make me laugh as much)
• 4D: Kelso and Funny Cide (GELDINGS) — this answer looks pretty good in the grid, and I like the clue, in that (at least for me) the answer wasn't immediately obvious. Needed crosses. Nice to have to do some work on a Friday.
• 15A: Bobby's informant (NARK) — NARK Matthews provided Bobby Kennedy with all kinds of important information when Bobby was Attorney General ...
• 52A: Chiwere speaker (OTOE) — I've got OTOE on speed dial. Four letters, even vaguely Native American-looking clue: OTOE. Now it could be CREE or HOPI, or even OTOS, dagnabbit, but OTOE (3/4 vowels) is a good bet. Use crosses if you're not confident.

See you Monday,

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Lively Cuban dance (CONGA); 6A: They can be loose or tight (ENDS); 10A: Shade of red (BEET); 14A: Sharon of Israel (ARIEL); 15A: Bobby's informant (NARK); 16A: Moisturizer brand (OLAY); 17A: Stonemason's goal? (WALL IN A DAY'S WORK); 20A: Word before or after dog (SLED); 21A: Islamic spiritual guide (IMAM); 22A: Contemptible people (SWINE); 23A: "Woe __!" (IS ME); 25A: Biography opener? (AUTO); 27A: Flirt's mascara stains? (WINK BLOTS); 30A: Fanciful idea (WHIM); 34A: "It's what's hot in pain relief" brand (BEN-GAY); 35A: Feudal estate (FIEF); 37A: Caesar's morning meal? (OVA); 38A: "Man is __ himself when he talks in his own person": Wilde (LEAST); 39A: Chain with pieces, briefly (KFC); 40A: Rose petal pest (APHID); 42A: PC program (APP); 43A: French 101 infinitive (ETRE); 45A: Bustle (with) (ABOUND); 46A: High-tech unit (BYTE); 48A: Dermatology class videos? (WART FILMS); 50A: With wild abandon (AMOK); 52A: Chiwere speaker (OTOE); 53A: End of a series (OMEGA); 56A: Regarding (AS TO); 58A: Curdle (CLOT); 62A: Inherited wealth? (WILL GOTTEN GAINS); 65A: Celtic language (ERSE); 66A: Whitecap formation (FOAM); 67A: Befuddled (AT SEA); 68A: Feat (DEED); 69A: Minnesota __ (FATS); 70A: Antares or Betelgeuse (M-STAR); 1D: Crow cacophony (CAWS); 2D: Like much lore (ORAL); 3D: River from Lake Victoria (NILE); 4D: Kelso and Funny Cide (GELDINGS); 5D: Frazier foe (ALI); 6D: Glossy paint (ENAMEL); 7D: Zip, to Zapata (NADA); 8D: Like many a rescue (DRAMATIC); 9D: Something to look up to (SKY); 10D: Certain pet, in totspeak (BOW WOW); 11D: Childlike Wells race (ELOI); 12D: Deserve (EARN); 13D: Kid (TYKE); 18D: "Build it somewhere else" acronym (NIMBY); 19D: Flier with a bent nose (SST); 24D: Shark or Penguin footwear (SKATE); 26D: Take advantage of (USE); 27D: Obviously sad (WEEPY); 28D: Unsuitable (INAPT); 29D: Buyer's proposal (OFFER); 31D: Boring (HO-HUM); 32D: Political columnist Molly (IVINS); 33D: Anti-DUI org. (MADD); 34D: Betray a confidence, perhaps (BLAB); 36D: One-named male model (FABIO); 39D: Volcano in the Sunda Strait (KRAKATOA); 41D: Skunk relatives (POLECATS); 44D: Company quorum? (TWO); 45D: "Sweet" river in a Burns poem (AFTON); 47D: Made 3 on a par-5 (EAGLED); 49D: Clan emblems (TOTEMS); 51D: Mad, e.g., briefly (MAG); 53D: Due (OWED); 54D: Bog down (MIRE); 55D: Word suggesting options (ELSE); 57D: Doc's "Now!" ("STAT!"); 59D: Tilt (LIST); 60D: Pre-military rank? (ONE-A); 61D: Royal Russian of yore (TSAR); 63D: Amiss (OFF); 64D: Pinup's leg (GAM).

TUESDAY, March 16, 2010 — Jerome Gunderson

Theme: "Tic Tac Toe" — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with the letter O and end with the letter X.

Theme answers:

• 18A: Rival of Staples (OFFICE MAX).
• 25A: Red Cloud's tribe (OGLALA SIOUX).
• 43A: Jane, to Dick, e.g. (OPPOSITE SEX).
• 57A: Pencil game that hints at this puzzle's theme, found in the first and last letters of 18-, 25- and 43-Across (TIC TAC TOE).

Happy Scrabbly Tuesday to you all! I noticed all the Xs right away, but didn't catch on that the theme answers started with Os until I got to the reveal. I'll give the theme a "meh," but the puzzle included decent fill, some tricky cluing, and the aforementioned Scrabbly letters. So, overall, it's a perfectly serviceable Tuesday.

Hmm…:

• 1A: Roaring group (CROWD). I stuck pride in here with no hesitation.

• 24A: Rides roughshod over (STEPS ON). When I was looking through the puzzle again, I read this is step-son.
• 37A: Make one of two? (UNITE). Not sure I understand the question mark here. Anyone?
• 1D: "Believe" singer (CHER).



• 10D: Nest noise (CHEEP). Tried chirp at first.
• 12D: South American plain (LLANO). This word always reminds me of Sammy Llana of the BoDeans.



• 29D: Jones of English architecture (INIGO).
• 47D: Paper measure (QUIRE). "A quire of paper is today used as a measure of paper quantity. The usual meaning is a set of 24 or 25 sheets of paper of the same size and quality. It might also be thought of as 1/20 of a ream." [wikipedia]

Crosswordese 101: There are basically two ways to clue ALF. First there's the wisecracking, furry, sitcom alien who apparently hails from the planet Melmac. Can't say as I've ever actually seen that show. the second one is ALF Landon, the 1930s Kansas governor who lost to FDR in 1936.

Everything Else — 6A: Bridge coup (SLAM); 10A: Boston NBAer (CELT); 14A: Act like a doting grandma, perhaps (HOVER); 15A: Hawaiian port (HILO); 16A: Healthy (HALE); 17A: Musical narrated by Che (EVITA); 20A: '40s-'50s paranoia that led to blacklisting (RED SCARE); 22A: "For Your Eyes Only" singer Easton (SHEENA); 23A: Island strings (UKE); 30A: Board with eerie messages (OUIJA); 31A: Neither's partner (NOR); 32A: Microwaves (ZAPS); 36A: Not guilty, for example (PLEA); 39A: Came down to earth (ALIT); 40A: Cowpoke's prod (SPUR); 41A: Petunia, e.g. (PIG); 42A: Serpentine (SNAKY); 46A: Fillies and foals (EQUINES); 50A: __ la la (TRA); 51A: Track athlete (RUNNER); 52A: "The Breakfast Club" actors are part of it (BRAT PACK); 59A: Conservative front? (ULTRA-); 60A: Perry's creator (ERLE); 61A: "Major" constellation (URSA); 62A: Grand __ National Park (TETON); 63A: Futurist (SEER); 64A: Seamstress's fold (TUCK); 65A: Not approximate (EXACT); 2D: Wander (ROVE); 3D: "Ars amatoria" poet (OVID); 4D: Antiprohibitionists (WETS); 5D: Count with a cape (DRACULA); 6D: Coastlines (SHORES); 7D: Family board game (LIFE); 8D: TV E.T. (ALF); 9D: Defogging target (MOISTURE); 11D: Chair maker Charles (EAMES); 13D: Houston pro since 2002 (TEXAN); 19D: Whole grain cereal brand (CHEX); 21D: Dossier letters (AKA); 24D: Flue filth (SOOT); 25D: "How clumsy of me!" ("OOPS!"); 26D: Big swig (GULP); 27D: Stead (LIEU); 28D: Slightly open (AJAR); 32D: Author Grey (ZANE); 33D: Quaint word of regret (ALAS); 34D: High-speed highway (PIKE); 35D: Underworld river (STYX); 37D: Pugilist's punch (UPPER CUT); 38D: Puppy bites (NIPS); 42D: Legislative act (STATUTE); 43D: Military service designation (ONE-A); 44D: Windex target (STREAK); 45D: Lyricist Gershwin (IRA); 46D: Art works by Romain de Tirtoff (ERTÉS); 48D: "I surrender!" ("UNCLE!"); 49D: Bury (INTER); 52D: Pear choice (BOSC); 53D: Suffix with cine (-PLEX); 54D: "__ boy!" (ATTA); 55D: Gator's kin (CROC); 56D: "Critique of Pure Reason" philosopher (KANT); 58D: Capote, on the stage (TRU).

MONDAY, Feb. 8, 2010 — Jerome Gunderson

THEME: SHOOTING STARS (55A: Meteors, and what 20-, 28- and 48-Across all are) — theme answers are people known for their various SHOOTING skills.

An adequate puzzle. Didn't ROCK (60D: Heavy metal is a subgenre of it). Didn't suck. MOSES MALONE is an entirely arbitrary example of a SHOOTING STAR in basketball. He scored a lot, but he never won a scoring title, and was at least as well known for his rebounding. GEORGE MIKAN, BERNARD KING, and (most obvious of all) LEBRON JAMES all won scoring titles and would all have made more more appropriate 11-letter answers here (LEBRON being the obvious choice for a Monday). Other issues: I don't play golf, so the clue on TEE TIME felt clunky to me (43D: Line on a golf course schedule). And AGNEWS (49D: Former V.P. Spiro and family)? If there is only one famous person with a particular name, then don't try to pass off the name as a viable plural. Ugh. Lastly, I've never seen STEP-IN either in the singular, or used to refer to anything other than women's undergarmnets (in the plural). [Intervene] would have been a much better clue there. Still, second-fastest LAT of the year for me.


Theme answers:

• 20A: Pool legend portrayed by Jackie Gleason in "The Hustler" (MINNESOTA FATS)
• 28A: NBA center who was a three-time MVP (MOSES MALONE)
• 48A: Wild West show markswoman (ANNIE OAKLEY)

Crosswordese 101: ODEONS (8D: Old music halls) — not usually seen in this plural form. ODEON (sing.) usually gets ODEA as a plural — actually, after looking it up in my actual, enormous, Webster's 3rd Int'l dictionary, I see that "ODEUM" is the preferred spelling there, a Latin word derived from the the Gr. Oideion (now ODEON). So there are two singulars — ODEUM (L.) and ODEON (Gr.) — each with its own plural — ODEA and ODEONS. With their substantial vowel quotient, the ODEON family are crossword regulars — the initial go-to answer for any kind of "theater" clue.

What else?

• 35D: Feng ___: Chinese aesthetic system (SHUI) — kind of surprised I don't see this more often, given its obvious use-value as an alternative to ETUI in many constructing situations.
• 3D: Arizonan's neighbor (NEW MEXICAN) — always find state inhabitant nouns clunky. OK, not always — "New Yorker" and "Californian" sound great. but "Utah(a)n" and "Michigander" and the like, ugh. In this case, NEW MEXICAN sounds like someone who just emigrated south-of-the-border.

• 57D: Algerian port (ORAN) — former Crosswordese 101 word. I put in OMAN instinctively ... but OMAN is a country, not a "port."
• 65D: Blowup letters? (TNT) — I had "ENL."

That's all. See you Friday.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

Everything Else — 1A: Grandmotherly nickname (NANA); 5A: Hershey's caramel candy (ROLO); 9A: John who married Pocahontas (ROLFE); 14A: The yoke's on them (OXEN); 15A: In the sack (ABED); 16A: Sci-fi staple (ALIEN); 17A: Small salamander (NEWT); 18A: Therapist's response (I SEE); 19A: Domesticated (TAMED); 20A: Pool legend portrayed by Jackie Gleason in "The Hustler" (MINNESOTA FATS); 23A: 1860s White House nickname (ABE); 25A: Midsection muscles, briefly (ABS); 26A: Pecan or cashew (NUT); 27A: Mingle at the party (MIX); 28A: NBA center who was a three-time MVP (MOSES MALONE); 34A: Big name in elevators (OTIS); 36A: Spider's creation (WEB); 37A: Shoe without laces, e.g. (STEP-IN); 38A: Emulate Rembrandt (ETCH); 39A: Holliday of the Old West (DOC); 41A: Lady's man (GENT); 42A: It's in the eye of the beholder (BEAUTY); 45A: Caveman Alley (OOP); 47A: Top draft status (ONE-A); 48A: Wild West show markswoman (ANNIE OAKLEY); 51A: __ Lanka (SRI); 52A: Food from a shell (EGG); 53A: Female sheep (EWE); 54A: Immigrant's subj. (ESL); 55A: Meteors, and what 20-, 28- and 48-Across all are (SHOOTING STARS); 61A: Dog from Wales (CORGI); 62A: Supermodel Macpherson (ELLE); 63A: Hops drier (OAST); 66A: Fire station signal (ALARM); 67A: Age, as tires (WEAR); 68A: "__, be a pal!" (C'MON); 69A: Actress Zellweger (RENEE); 70A: Stitches (SEWS); 71A: Mild-mannered Clark (KENT); 1D: Oui's opposite (NON); 2D: Gave the __: fired (AXE); 3D: Arizonan's neighbor (NEW MEXICAN); 4D: Naysayer (ANTI); 5D: Word with trout or sherbet (RAINBOW); 6D: Fixated (OBSESSED); 7D: Majors and Trevino (LEES); 8D: Old music halls (ODEONS); 9D: Sound from a woodpecker (RAT-A-TAT); 10D: Name of several Norwegian kings (OLAF); 11D: Peru's capital (LIMA); 12D: Tootsies (FEET); 13D: Conclusions (ENDS); 21D: War site during LBJ's presidency (NAM); 22D: Antacid brand (TUMS); 23D: One-celled organism (AMOEBA); 24D: Attacked by Dracula, say (BITTEN); 29D: Novel on the Net (EBOOK); 30D: Kid's interlocking block (LEGO); 31D: Ali Baba's magical command (OPEN SESAME); 32D: California NFL team, briefly (NINERS); 33D: Involve (ENTAIL); 35D: Feng __: Chinese aesthetic system (SHUI); 40D: Picnic side (COLE SLAW); 43D: Line on a golf course schedule (TEE TIME); 44D: Hindu mystic (YOGI); 46D: Tin alloys (PEWTERS); 49D: Former V.P. Spiro and family (AGNEWS); 50D: Affirmative vote (YEA); 55D: Al Capone feature (SCAR); 56D: Sock darner's target (HOLE); 57D: Algerian port (ORAN); 58D: Giant who's not jolly (OGRE); 59D: Joy (GLEE); 60D: Heavy metal is a subgenre of it (ROCK); 64D: Leif, to Eric the Red (SON); 65D: Blowup letters? (TNT).