Words: 70
Blocks: 27
Lots of proper names made this particular Silkie tough to get started, but a few WAGs and I was able to get a foothold in some places, and go from there. (BTW, foothold was what I wanted for 14D). Four sets of triple-sevens, and two sets of triple 10's, with what almost looks like an "S" (for Silk) in the central blocks....
Onward ~!
ACROSS:
1. It eases tension : ICE-BREAKER - "so, how 'bout those Rangers???"
11. Not kosher : TREF - I can hardly remember this word
15. Online identification : SCREEN NAME
16. Meteorological effect caused by refraction : HALO - here's one of the moon
17. Blue blood : ARISTOCRAT - Mud-bloods are from Harry Potter
18. Kennedy Space Center attraction : IMAX - I had ICBM to start, thought one might be on display there - hey, it is a rocket....
19. Orders : DICTA
20. Certain pilgrim : HAJI - Arabic, one who has completed the HAJJ (a crossword staple), the pilgrimage to Mecca
21. "Our House" songwriter : NASH - I had the wrong "Our House" in mind - generational thing, I must say - this is the Madness song of the 80's that I grew up with
22. Some ER admissions : ODs - I went to the hospital to detox, but not from an Over Dose
23. Campus letters : RHOs - the "P" in the Greek Alphabet, but the "R" sound
25. Must : NEED TO
27. Autos featured in the John Wayne film "Big Jake" : REOs - as seen at :29 of this trailer clip
29. Mine sight : ORE CAR
31. Hurt : AIL - had it, took it out, put it back in
32. Chubby Checker's real first name : ERNEST - one of those "you know it, or you don't" clues, but once I had _ _ ST, it was worth a WAG
34. Bond : ALLIANCE - last to fall; I had "RACE DAY" for 12D - 'fast time' - hey, sounded good, but the last "Y" messed me up
36. Yielding : MEEK
38. Its motto is Latin for "Always prepared": Abbr. : USCG - I had USMC at first; their Latin is Semper Fidelis, which I wrongfully thought meant Always Prepared; the proper translation in Always Faithful; Semper Paratus is "Always Prepared" more here
39. Measure of interpersonal skills : SOCIAL IQ - yeah, my IQ is high, but my SOCIAL IQ is lame....I found this link, but I did not take the test yet
43. Like the conjunction "since" : CAUSAL
47. "Bed-in for Peace" figure : ONO
48. Shock : TRAUMA
50. Cap-__: from head to toe : APIE -cap-a-pie, the definition
51. Subsidized grad student : FELLOW - new to me
53. Charge carriers : IONs
55. Subway under B'way : IRT - The NYC subway system, more here - over 100yrs old
56. Hill worker : AIDE - POL, DEM, REP, SEN are all too short
57. Zipped through : ACED
59. Bristles : TEEMS
61. Five-time 1970s Phillies All-Star shortstop : BOWA - yeah, baseball, I defer to C.C.
62. Cooking aid : NATURAL GAS - well, any fuel is really a "cooking aid"....
64. JFK postings : ETAs - Standard crossword fill; JFK was Idlewild in Queens prior to what happened Forty-Eight years ago
65. Singer/actress discovered by Mahalia Jackson : DELLA REESE - if one says so
66. Old Dodge : DART - tried OMNI to start, and I had a COLT, too
67. "Next?" : ANYONE ELSE~??
DOWN:
1. Joe Lieberman's middle name : ISADORE - again, you know it, or...and I do know Joe; he is sometimes a guest on WPLR's funny morning show from CT, which we get here on LI
2. 1957 Chuck Willis hit : C.C. RIDER - I'm, uh, just gonna link the song, here
3. 11th-century explorer : ERICSON
4. Letter sign-off : BEST - "All my Best", "Best Wishes", "Give my Best to..."
5. Do a road crew's job : RE-TAR
6. Roxy Music alum : ENO - another crossword staple
7. Linchpin : ANCHOR
8. Waters off Siberia : KARA SEA
9. Key with four sharps: Abbr. : E MAJor - JazzB knows this circle better than I do, I am sure
10. Biometric identification technique : RETINAL SCAN - funny, but this one came quickly - guess it's in my wheelhouse
11. Biblical possessive : THINE - Shakespeare (and AA) - "To Thine Own Self Be True"
12. Fast time for many : RAMADAN - ah, the holiday - see my opening quote
13. Flexible : ELASTIC
14. Front creation : FOXHOLE - military front, not to be confused with the weather front of 45D. It may follow a front : AIR MASS
24. 2004 historical film set in Africa : HOTEL RWANDA - this movie
26. Heath family shrub : ERICA - pretty images
28. Automatic opening? : SEMI - handguns, I believe
30. Actor Gulager : CLU - This guy
33. Defunct defense gp. : SEATO - South-East Asia Treaty Organization - more here
35. Eau across the Pyrenees : AGUA - yeah, I knew it was aGua, but my "C" from USMC was not letting it happen
37. Soul maker : KIA - the car, here
39. Convertible of a sort : SOFA BED - I had _ _ BE _, and WAGed BED from that
40. The least bit : ONE IOTA - Do I care? "NOT ONE IOTA ~!!"
41. Bygone CIA concern : COLD WAR
42. Without a fuss : QUIETLY - easy, once the Q from IQ showed up
44. Eponymous mail-order magnate : SPIEGEL - oh yes, but I was caught thinking about this catalog, since this actor hosted the Dog Show this Thanksgiving
46. "I'm thinking ..." : "LET'S SEE"
49. ___ operation: division calculation in computing : MODULO
52. Numerical extreme : LEAST
54. Gawk : STARE
58. Battle of Normandy city : CAEN - map
60. Part of a CSA signature : - Robert E. LEE
63. Bled : RAN - like clothes in the wash
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