Splnyter stepping for our Sunday Bloggess C.C., who takes the honor of being today's constructor. I usually skip Sunday's puzzle and work on the Wed blog, but it was a JazzB week, so here we are. My solve had lots of "well, it fits, but it's wrong" answers ⁽⁺⁾ today. No circles, a fair number of names, a balanced spread of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-letter words, 88 squares ( if my math is correct ) of theme fill - but - they're 'missing' the "L" and "A" from in-the-vernacular phrases, leading to some humorous, unique fill. The themers, and the reveal in the final Across;
23A. *Ensemble for finals week?: (LA)TEST FASHION
28A. *Slug made from an old can?: (LA)TIN QUARTER
58A. *Christmas tree in an atelier?: ARTISTIC F(LA)IR
83A. *Courses full of twists and turns?: (LA)MAZE CLASSES - birthing technique
110A. *Organizer for a nail tech?: MANI(LA) FOLDER
119A. *Treadmill setting for a Roman emperor?: CAESARS PA(LA)CE
32D. *Pride of a jacked security guard?: ANTI-THEFT A(LA)RM
43D. *Thanksgiving stuffing dishes that aren't up to snuff?: SA(LA)D DRESSINGS
130. Mardi Gras city nickname, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: NOLA - New Orleans, LouisianA, or, parsed for the theme, "No L A"
And "L A" We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Layer outside the germ: BRAN - I do the DOWN clues first; I had B - - N to start
5. Like a perennial: HARDY - durable - they keep coming back~!
10. LAPD alerts: APBs - No LA~! #1
14. No. 1 pals: BFFs - Text-speak, Best Friends Forever
18. Sacred flower in Buddhism: LOTUS
I'll take this Lotus - the Turbo Esprit
20. In the know: AWARE - toyed with ALERT⁽⁺⁾ because this cluster was a bit messy
21. Helpful hint: CLUE
22. Ontario lake: ERIE
25. Purple boba tea flavor: TARO
26. Roof overhang: EAVE
27. Hit lists: TOP TENS
30. Playing surface that favors topspin: CLAY - I so wanted FELT here, as in pool tables
33. Video camera button: RECord - I am making a table for my brother for Christmas, and I am thinking about shooting a video of the process - I bought this thing for holding my phone:
34. Bro or stepbro: SIBling
36. Total score: TALLY
37. "Mulan" invader: HUN
38. Maker of off-road vehicles: TONKA - HONDA⁽⁺⁾ fit, and a good 60% correct, but Bzzzt
40. Guitar licks: RIFFS - I am very familiar with this concept - it's good to go back to songs that were once difficult for me to play, and I now find easier from practice and learning scales
42. Runner-up: LOSER
46. Visiting the area: IN TOWN - I had planned to drive to Cincinnati, OH at the end of the month for the 25th anniversary of "The Golem", the made-for-TV movie I worked on, but now I'm told it's just a showing in a theater - no cast or crew were invited to attend - 12hrs is a long way to drive to sit in a cinema.
48. Mall pizza chain: SBARRO
50. Striped stone: AGATE
51. Egyptair hub city: CAIRO
52. David of "ABC World News Tonight": MUIR - filled via perps
54. LED component: DIODE - Light-Emitting, that is
57. Focalin target, briefly: ADHD - no clue, had ADHG via crossings
61. Greeting to a mate: G'DAY - an Aussie, mate~!
62. Genetic material: DNA
63. Application in some massages: HOT OIL - the subject of massages came up at the gym last week; they are offered in my club, but I have never actually HAD a massage - perhaps I should treat myself this Christmas
64. Creole chef Chase: LEAH - again, filled via perps; more here
66. Holds nothing back: LETS RIP
69. Course track for a future JD: PRE-LAW - "JD" being a learning moment for me - the Wiki
71. Falcons city: ATLANTA - their NFL team
74. Marathon setting: GREECE - I had AVENUE - but this is the city, not the run
75. Person who calls the shots: REFEREE
77. Quindim ingredient: YOLK - with YOL -, I WAGed the "K"
78. Kale and cabbage: GREENS
80. Traditional mo. for a Bavarian beer festival: OCTober - happening NOW
81. Sultry growl: RAWR - I recall having this fill just recently, and not too many people cared for it
87. Make airtight: SEAL
89. Strip in the kitchen: STEAK - with - 24D. Cook wear?: APRON - cute misdirections
How's that for an apron - care for some (un)dressing with that salad~?
91. Parks of Alabama: ROSA
92. Crocheted mat: DOILY
93. "Snowfall" actor Damson __: IDRIS - my final fill; good to see an alternative to "ELBA"
95. Like most awards: ANNUAL
97. Mount __: Washington estate: VERNON - my gym is located in Vernon, CT . . .
98. Arizona State's city: TEMPE - my ex is located in Arizona . . .
99. Some choral singers: ALTOs - and my voice is located in the baritone range.
100. Harsh: ACRID
103. Classic muscle car: GTO - "Goat" - here's where the name G T O comes from
104. Doll with neon hair: TROLL
106. Dorm VIPs: RAs - Resident Assistants
108. Hack (off): LOP
109. Secondhand: USED
114. Tofu nutrient: PROTEIN - I have "plateaued" at the gym; my trainer has now dropped my calorie intake to 1900/day, with 30-35% Protein, 30-40% Carbs, and 25-35% Fat
117. 50-50: EVEN
118. Persian greeting?: MEOW - Persian, the cat, that is
123. Religious subgroup: SECT
124. Bend at a barre: PLIE
125. Minor key?: ISLET - Minor = small :: Key = island
126. Underground worker: MINER - the "other" MINOR
It's the key of "B sharp"
127. Inquires: ASKS
128. Straight people, casually: HETS - Clunky, sorta meh; Heterosexuals - don't usually hear it spoken
129. Love, in arias: AMORE
DOWN:
1. Club alternative: BLT - sa'miches
2. Eggs in ikura sushi: ROE
3. Tags on social media: ATS - more commonly "@"s
4. Like some brownies: NUTTY - I like my PB chunky, but not my brownies
5. Light a fire under: HASTEN - ah. Not IGNITE⁽⁺⁾
6. "Doggone it!": "AW HECK~!"
7. Desert rarity: RAIN
8. Smeltery waste: DROSS - SLAG was too short
9. Currency at pachinko parlors: YEN - in retrospect, this makes sense
11. Nursery nutrients: PLANT FOOD; the set of 8- & 9-letter down fills; 14D. Poses done in a taproom: BEER YOGA; 82D. "Happens to everyone": "WE ALL DO IT"; 88D. Some light cosmetics: LIP TINTS
12. Head-to-toe garments: BURQAS - I had the "K", not the "Q" at first
13. Han River capital: SEOUL
15. Campus group: FRAT - Not ROTC⁽⁺⁾
16. __-second rule: FIVE - I frequently adhere to this phenomenon, despite what Mythbusters proved
The Five-Second Rule tested
17. Oracle: SEER
19. OAK alternative: SFO - I was stumped by this - I am not West coast, so I did not recognize the airport codes of California's Bay Area tarmacs - and now there's controversy . . .
28. Classic Ford: T-BIRD - I had the less-than-classic, but still way-cool, 1986 Turbo Coupe
29. Ristorante menu preposition: ALLA - penne ALLA vodka, e.g.
30. Spanish girl: CHICA
31. Like some eclipses: LUNAR - Not TOTAL⁽⁺⁾
35. Fund that might grow for decades: IRA
38. Like some rear admirals: TWO-STAR
39. "Yeah, right!": "AS IF~!"
Wayne's World
41. Heebie-jeebies: FRIGHT - not CREEPS⁽⁺⁾
44. Sharing a cultural identity: ETHNIC
45. Orangutan: RED APE - I tried BIG APE⁽⁺⁾
47. Warbler lookalike: ORIOLE
49. Scouring brand: BRILLO
52. Wii Sports avatar: Mii - how you appear in the game; this is my Facebook Avatar
53. Golden State sch.: UCLA - No LA~! #2
55. Lentil dish: DAL
56. Product that may reduce dark circles: EYE GEL
59. Castle structures: TOWERS - I loves me a castle, especially with towers
60. Domain: REALM - Not ARENA⁽⁺⁾
65. Capital city in Anatolia: ANKARA
67. Like new tires: TREADED - But what about F1 racing~?
68. Motion detector, e.g.: SENSOR
69. Toast at a Bavarian beer festival: PROSIT - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - crossing IDRIS, a bit of a Natick
70. Go back: RECEDE - Not RETURN⁽⁺⁾
72. Ruthless ruler: TYRANT - Not DESPOT⁽⁺⁾
73. Forever and a day: AGES - Not EONS⁽⁺⁾
76. Put away: EAT
79. TV pioneer: RCA
84. French novelist Émile: ZOLA - seen this name in Crosswords before
85. Cotija-covered corn: ELOTE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
86. Council of clerics: SYNOD
90. Bouillon brand: KNORR - they make sides dishes in bags, too
94. Feudal laborer: SERF
96. Miss. home: USA - I was not fooled by this, but I did hesitate - Mississippi is in the US of A
97. Deadly snake: VIPER - not ADDER⁽⁺⁾
99. Gene arising from mutation: ALLELE
101. End-of-game pitcher: CLOSER - Not RELIEF⁽⁺⁾
102. Revolve: ROTATE
105. Extra pep: OOMPH
107. Twitch: SPASM - I had a SPASM in my last puzzle blog
109. Let fall, as hair: UNPIN
That's a BIG PIN
110. Steep-sided plateau: MESA
111. Urban rtes.: AVEs
112. Giraffe feature: NECK
They're "necking"
113. Fleecy mamas: EWES
"Youse" got to check out this mama in fleece-lined tights~!
I really enjoyed today's collaboration between two solid crossword constructors Amie & Amanda. A sports teams theme we have seen before, where the monikers are combined to make a new, funny/punny answer. Today's team names are from the National Basketball Association, the professional organization of a game I have no interest in whatsoever - I'd rather watch golf. I think it has to do with the squeak of sneakers on hardwood - that and the fact that one only needs tune-in to the last 30secs to see who wins, IMHO. Lot's of 3LWs, only five(ish) names, and all the theme answers are unique;
20. Peddles pearls of wisdom?: HAWKS NUGGETS - Atlanta / Denver - see below
28. Observes casual Friday at the office?: BUCKS BLAZERS - Milwaukee / Portland *¹
49. Gains barbers' equipment?: NETS CLIPPERS - Brooklyn / Los Angeles - *²
58. Microsoft virtual work gathering, and what can be found in 20-, 28-, and 49-Across:
TEAMS MEETING - When I worked at Westhampton Architectural Glass, the only thing we used TEAMS software for was to plan lunch; someone would put up, about 11am, a hint about what they were interested in eating, e.g. "pizza?" - and for the next hour, we would debate what to eat and who was going to pick up the food 😜
The list of all NBA teams
Some other pairings - MAGIC WIZARDS is too easy;
Lightning Affect~? = SPURS THUNDER
Steals from NASA~? = KNICKS ROCKETS
*¹ - Technically, it's the TRAIL Blazers . . . *² - Technically, a BOROUGH of NY, not the city . . .
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Annoy: IRK
4. Bridge action: BID - Not TIE, as in span - that's the wrong kind of bridge - I like this type - 19 bizarre bridges, 12 unusual bridges
Scary~? Then you suffer from 66A., the Gephyro version
7. Floated in the air: WAFTED
13. "Good Grief" director Levy: DAN - name #1 - I'm following the "Hahtoolah Convention"
14. Pros: ACES
16. Iggy the Beanie Baby, for one: IGUANA - AND - 29D. Humphrey the Beanie Baby, for one: CAMEL - I still have one Beanie Baby, and three Webkins; had a pet iguana Zeus, too - name(ish)
Yes, Iggy is supposed to be blue . . .
17. Big fuss: ADO
18. Noodle with a sarashina variety: SOBA - I'm getting the hang of all these four-letter food-types; SOBA, NORI, UDON, MISO, etc
66. Exposure therapy target: PHOBIA - what's yours~? I am afraid to reveal mine - which, uh, by default, makes clear it's Phobophobia
67. Garment worn under a dress: SLIP
68. One who sounds just like you: EWE - ah, not APE - a very clever meta clue
69. Sitcom about a couple living in a haunted house: GHOSTS - I've only seen the ads for this show
70. Tense NBA periods, for short: OTs - and a bonus 'Easter Egg' for the theme
71. Good to go: SET - "got my go-bag, I'm set~!"
DOWN:
1. State that's home to the Museum of Clean: IDAHO - learning moment - the website
2. Weather tracker: RADAR
3. Not just assumed: KNOWN
4. Low-pitched brass instrument: BASS TUBA - this seems a bit redundant for me, but here's more - this clue/answer needed to show up on a Jazzbumpa trombone Wednesday~!
5. Screen symbol: ICON - clecho with - 31. Screen symbol: STAR - I filled them correctly the first time
6. Prove false: DEBUNK - the X-Files word
7. Pipe cleaner center: WIRE - Huh - I didn't know I had a wire at my center....how ironic, now that I left the pipe organ company, I made the cover of The Diapason magazine, and featured inside as well
That's Splynter in the overalls, 35lbs heavier - sheesh
8. "__ All Along": "WandaVision" spinoff: AGATHA - name #4 - more on IMDb
9. Like some small candy bars: FUN-SIZE - 'tis the season~!
10. Small amount: TAD
11. Musician Brian: ENO - name #5
12. Beaver project: DAM
15. Most wise: SAGEST
21. Expensive Japanese beef: KOBE - I tried WAGU, but it's Wagyu
22. Evacuation kit: GO-BAG - here's the 411 from 511 on what to have in yours
26. Following the rules: LEGAL
27. Treasure __: TROVE
30. Frawnche wine valley: LOIRE - Good WAG on my part; must have seen it in CWs before
32. Mystery writer?: ANONymous
33. Boxing pro: MOVER - I suppose this could be either "type" of boxer - the one who packs your stuff, and the "float like a butterfly" sparring expert
34. Give a speech: ORATE
39. Rainbow producer: PRISM - my brother has been reinvesting in classic albums on LP "vinyl" now
41. Permanently: FOR KEEPS
44. Papers needed for some trips?: LSD TABS - har-har~! Monster Magnet's first EP was "25...Tab", featuring a 32min trippy song - and a trippy video someone made here
Dave Wyndorf, lead singer, can be heard saying "make me a sa'mich" - among other things NSFW
46. Involuntary muscle movements: SPASMS - depends on the quality of the Acid, I guess~?
48. Future DA's exam: LSAT - LS 'dee' Acid Trip~?
50. Make changes with a collaborator: CO-EDIT - I'm guessing both "A" authors did on this one....
51. Large citrus fruit: POMELO - ORANGE fit as well; here's a cool image of a lot of citrus fruit
55. Multiplied by: TIMES - L x W = A; length TIMES width equals area
56. "I'm __": "You blow me away": "IN AWE~!"
57. "Snowy" bird: EGRET
59. Smallish batteries: AAAs
60. Give off: EMIT
61. D&D, for one: RPG - Roll Playing Game - in my youth, I was all about Dungeons & Dragons
Katherine has had several puzzles published in the LA Times - her last was here, Friday Sep 12. Today we have an odd-sized grid, 14 x 16, which allows for the "passing" of synonyms for "BUCK", as they progress from the start of the first themer, and shift by four letters to the last one - clever. Yes, circles, but I think that it's for clarification purposes, not an anagram-like necessity. I am even more impressed that we have barely a handful of names, most being crossword staples. 16 3LWs, an even 20 of four- and five-letter words, plus two new, unique* fills;
18. Enthralled by the theater: STAGESTRUCK - I have not heard of this ( usually, I'm STAR struck ) but in my search, I discovered a movie, and at least one company that does stage/exhibit production - I would like to work with a company like that, building sets, props, special effects, etc.
31. Green-and-yellow farm playthings for kids: JOHN DEERE TOYS* - I have a similar "toy", but it's a Massey Ferguson; here's the son of my friend Melina on his "tractor"
45. Folks who get creative in court: SKETCH ARTISTS* - I grew up seeing these renderings on the evening news, not knowing the reason why; I believe the first major "televised" court case I can recall, if I am not mistaken ( and I frequently am ) was the OJ trial - and now it's part of an exhibit of courtroom sketches
58. Shift responsibility to someone else, and an apt title for this puzzle: PASS THE BUCK
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Ill-fitting: INAPT - this word speaks awkwardly, IMO
6. Ground-breaking tool: SPADE - I showed you all my broken spade in the Sep 10th blog
11. Passed with flying colors: ACED
15. Zenith's opposite: NADIR
16. Stand in art class: EASEL
17. Theater box: LOGE
20. Apple variety: iMAC - the ol' computer/fruit deception
21. Outlets: EXITS - Doors, not electrical receptacles
22. Swimwear brand founded in Australia in 1914: SPEEDO - just a 20th century "fig leaf" - yeah . . . TMI clothing, IMO
24. Viola clef: ALTO - filled via perps
Relative position of Middle "C"
27. Scallions' kin: LEEKS
30. Squirming: ANTSY
34. Krauss of bluegrass-country: ALISON - Odd spelling; I know she collaborated with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant on the album Raising Sand in 2007, and again with Raise the Roof in 2021
Please Read the Letter
35. "One more thought ... ": "ALSO . . ."
36. Bubbly drink: POP - Soda, Cola, Coke - depends on your location/dialect
39. Fled: RAN
40. Frozen Four org.: NCAA - College ice hockey
43. Early bloomers: TULIPS
48. Quick bread at tea: SCONE - My parents were born & raised in England - I have had scones
51. Detective story?: ALIBI - and the name of my ex-GF's cat in Florida
52. Boundless: VAST
53. Smoothie fruit: PAPAYA - I mix in "berry medley" with chocolate protein powder, and "tropical" with vanilla - no papaya in my smoothies, but I'd try it
55. Lower back bones: SACRA - plural of sacrum
Why does this image make me think of the movie "ALIEN"~?
57. System operator: USER
64. Spot for curlers: RINK - These curlers
65. Lauder of cosmetics: ESTÉE
66. First Greek letter: ALPHA
67. Intrusive: NOSY
68. Veggies for chips: SPUDS
69. Intel job: RECONnaissance - The etymology of this Frawnche word
DOWN:
1. LiMu business: INSurance - Most insurance advertising is extremely annoying, IMO - I am covered by Geico, and their commercials are the only ones that I can tolerate - and WHY is it such a huge presence in the market~? There's an INS ad every TV break
2. D.C. ballplayer: NATional - baseball for C.C.
3. 1990 accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disability Act - required knowledge for me as a commercial/residential drafter/designer. The website has this section, which never occurred to me.
4. Statue toppers: PIGEONS - Ah. That kind of "topper"
The caption: "I'm extremely conflicted here."
5. Dino with long teeth and short arms: T-REX
6. Small sofa: SETTEE - Check out the "legs" on this settee
The curvy ones - uh, well, that's not too distinctive
7. Text analyst: PARSER - a bit meh.
8. Tempe sch.: ASU - Arizona State University - the region where my ex-wife now lives - not quite the whole continent away, but close enough....
9. Advent mo.: DECember
10. Community group with lodges: ELKS
11. Extraterrestrial visitors, perhaps: ALIENS
12. Extraterrestrial visitor, certainly: COMET - I just finished "Seveneves" by Neal Stevenson, a science fiction novel with a fair amount of the story involving a comet
13. "Yikes!": "EGADS~!"
14. Wooden duck, e.g.: DECOY
19. "Hush": "SILENCE~!" - I tried 'BE QUIET' first
23. Shareholder dividend: PAYOUT
24. Slightly cracked: AJAR - Again Doors, not minds . . . .
25. Title person in a Kinks hit: LOLA - I was never a fan of the song - this one was better, IMO
Come Dancing
26. Lean: THIN - oops, not TILT - see below
28. Mauna __: alphabetically first of two Hawaiian volcanoes with similar names: KEA - thanks for the hint~! The other is LOA
29. Mo. town: STL - Not "Detroit", which is related to the muscial Motown
32. Party animal?: DONKEY - as in "Pin the Tail On the. . ."
33. Big bird: OSTRICH - our second "Big Bird" of the puzzle - LiMu ads feature an Emu
36. Tuscan tower town: PISA
Saw this on FB under "Dad Jokes"
37. Makes a choice: OPTS
38. Covert summons: PSST~!
41. One step __ time: AT A
42. Knee stabilizer, for short: ACL - the ligament that is prone to injury
44. Suitable for habitation: LIVABLE
45. Snidely critical: SNARKY
46. Sounded like a 59-Down: HISSED - AND - 59. Nile snake: ASP
47. Becomes less intense: ABATES
48. Rebuff: SPURN
49. Label printer maker: CASIO
50. Blossoms: OPENS
54. Gibbons, e.g.: APES
56. Nurture: REAR
60. Early Beatles bassist Sutcliffe: STU
61. Scanned lines on a pkg.: UPC
62. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO
63. Mo. neighbor: KANsas - who knew that Kansas lived next to Chairman "Moe"~?
Splynter here, coming to you from the Village of (which is better than just)Babylon, Long Island, NY - down here visiting my super-pooch buddy Cooper~! It would appear that this is Ricky J Sirois' debut for the LA Times - I see three of his puzzles in 'another' publication ;7)) Congratulations~! A quick and easy solve, with the rare black square to start us off at "1A." A handful of names, most of them not too obsure, no circles, more than double the # of 4LWs over 3LWs today, and only a couple of unique fills for the theme answers;
16. Battle over a board: CHESS MATCH
Check - that's a "mate" for me - I'd be game to play her in chess, mate
24. "Peyton Place" and "Diamonds Are Forever" actress: LANA WOOD- I have seen the James Bond movie - not the best 007 of the franchise, IMO - where she plays "Plenty O'Toole; the names they used in those films.... anyway, Peyton Place is before my time - Her IMDb
37. Semester-long writing assignment: TERM PAPER - never had to do one
53. Film hitman played by Keanu Reeves: JOHN WICK- whenever a "John Wick"movie is playing on TV, my brother and I will text each other
Mostly gratuitous violence, but I will stay tuned and watch
63. Place for a nonurgent issue, and what can be found at the end of 16-, 24-, 37-, or 53- Across?: BACK BURNER - each theme answer has something to "burn" at the end, or, "back"
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Home of the Colosseum: ROME - and now you can have one of your very own, in LEGO~!
5. Muffin fiber: BRAN - I prefer my "fiber" to be chocolate and/or chocolate chip - I had chocolate chip cream cheese on my egg everything bagel Sunday - and it was good
9. Actor Omar: EPPS - name #1, in crosswords all the time
13. Cut off: SEVER
14. In __ parentis: LOCO - not "crazy", but in "place" of an adult/teacher, though it might be hard to tell the difference . . . . last week my ex-wife sent me a friend request on Facebook - crazy.
15. "Star Wars" heroine: LEIA - name #2
ah, the stuggles of being a parent....
18. Performed at a karaoke party: SANG - I need to find a place to do some karaoke
19. Broadcasts: AIRS
20. Super-: UBER - the prefix, not the taxi service seen Monday
21. Pt. of some school names: TECH- I attended Rensselaer PolyTECHnical Institute up in Troy, NY, for one unpleasant semester; then Island Drafting and TECHnical Institute in Amityville on Long Island some 15 years later
22. Places for plugs: DRAINS - think sinks & tubs, not ads & ears😜
27. Filming location: SET - here's me "on set" back in 1997 making stones from chunks of foam
28. "__ go time!": "IT'S"
Hey, John Wick is on . . .
30. Sigh, say: EXHALE - I am House/Dog/Cat/Fish-sitting for my brother and his new wife as they are on their honeymoon down at Cape May for the week; they are active THC 'consumers', and I discovered "instructions" on one of the "products" label;
Really~?!?!
31. School administrator: DEAN - don't let them catch you with that joint~!
33. Tiny bit: IOTA - I used to 'inhale', but just a tiny bit...
36. Summers on the Seine: ETES - Did you know that estivate is the opposite of hibernate~? I'd do it every summer if I could get away with it
40. Be rife (with): TEEM
43. Bump from office: OUST
44. Baseball feature: SEAM
47. __ film: ACTION - Hey, John Wick is on . . .
49. Apropos: APT
51. Plead: BEG
56. Dog star: LASSIE - not "Sirius" - name(ish)
Aye, there's a pretty lassie - Paul Kelley, The Gallerist
58. Shift key toggle: CASE - as in UPPER and lower
59. Increase: RISE
61. 17-time WWE champion: CENA - crossword staple, name #4
38. Rice-A-__: RONI - found not far from the RO-TEL, usually
39. Spanish "this": ESTA
40. Blues guitarist __ Mahal: TAJ - not much difference between the place or the person, IMO - his Wiki - name #10
41. Green vehicles: ECO-CARS - meh. I had HYBRIDS first
42. Gas additive: ETHANOL - usually 10%, and isn't good for small engines, like snowblowers and lawn mowers - so I have been told
45. Attendance record spoiler: ABSENCE
46. "Trust your keys with ... " car care chain: MEINEKE - I know this brand, but I don't recall this catch-phrase from the ads
48. Be in debt: OWE
50. Commoner: PLEB - seen it before in crosswords
52. Clock innards: GEARS
54. Origami figure: CRANE - I made a squirrel a couple of months back, left it in the "Art Box" that's in front of a house on my morning walks - I have left other creations in there before, too - and we have a "library" that's similar to the Art Box around the way in another part of the neighbothood, as well.
55. Shoes, casually: KICKS
Some zip-up, high-heel, high-top "kicks"
57. Consign to the dustbin: SCRAP
60. Three-player card game: SKAT
62. "Heart on My Sleeve" singer Ella __: MAI - no clue, filled via perps, name #11 - more here
63. Block: BAN- had to wait to see if it was baN or baR