Wednesday, Sep 24th, 2025 ~ Ricky J Sirois

 CAPTAIN'S LOG

STAR TREK: The Next Generation humor

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

The show's Wiki

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~!

9,036 pieces, about $1799 - that's 19￠a piece . . . .

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

His Wiki

62. Spa treatment, for short: MANIcure - also becoming a crossword staple

65. Yankee nickname of the 2000s: A-ROD - name(ish) - Alex Rodriguez

66. Paul who wrote the lyrics to "My Way": ANKA - name #6, but I knew this one

67. Burlap bags: SACKS

68. Land in the sea: ISLE

69. Home for a heron: NEST

70. Fencing blade: ÉPÉE

DOWN:

1. Brought back on board: REHIRED

2. Took in too much: OVERATE - not over-rate

3. World Cup superstar Lionel: MESSI- name #7

4. Hosp. areas: ERs

5. Squeal: BLAB

6. Canned brand often used in chili con queso: RO✯TEL - filled via perps, but I see this at my Big Y

7. Ghana's capital: ACCRA - geographic name(ish)

8. Japanese drama: NOH - I know noh, but it doesn't stay in my head

9. Some other place: ELSEWHERE - meanwhile, back on planet Earth . . . 

10. Woolen outer layer: PEACOAT

11. Small puncture: PINHOLE

12. Droop: SAG

13. Oodles: SCADS

17. "You __ be joking": "MUST"

21. Price addition: TAX

23. Cloud __: NINE - My buddy Cooper was on Cloud Nine when we went to the park

That's mybrother trying to get Cooper to sit before the ball toss

25. Kind of tide: NEAP

26. __ Moines, Iowa: DES - geographical name #2

29. Liu of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings": SIMU - Ah. Not "Lucy" - his IMDb, name #9

32. Sign at a convenience store: ATM INSIDE - good fill

34. Curtailed missions?: OPS - 'shortened' OPerationS 

35. "Bye-bye!": "TA-TA~!"

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

64. Purpose: USE - Dah~! Not AIM

Splynter

Hey, John Wick is on . . . .

Wednesday, Sep 10th, 2025 ~ Alex Stoneman

"PUN-TATHALON"

Body-checking sport for couples~?

TONSIL HOCKEY~!

After extensive online research, I have come to the conclusion that this is Alex Stoneman's debut puzzle anywhere - if I am wrong, I apologize - otherwise, congratulations on your first publication~!  My guess is he's the Alex I find at MIT with a love for crosswords - perhaps he will pop in here for a comment at the Corner.  An enjoyable "pentathalon" of five "sports" that are punny rewordings of non-sport phrases/things.  Three of the five are unique fills, and the other two have appeared one and two other times in other published puzzles.  No circles, a few more names than I would have preferred, one ( I'm looking at you, 36D ) which created a Natick, and a fair spread of 19 3LW and 22 4-letter words with no reveal.  The themers;

17. Boat sport for pilots?: FLIGHT CREW - Not an Apollo flight crew, this "crew" being athletes of the rowing team sport - I like working out on the rowing machine at the gym . . . .

24. Beach sport for the self-absorbed?: EGO SURFING - Surfing is, well, surfing

35. Running sport for academics?: TENURE TRACK - I don't DO running

"Little Chocolate Donuts"

49. Cue sport for children?: KIDDIE POOL - not a "sport" per se, but can be found on ESPN, therefore making billiards, or pool, an "entertainment"

Trick Shots

58. Combat sport for really tired people?: BEAT BOXING - boxing as in sparring, which we frequently see as a crossword clue/answer; I had to check to see if I was in fact, correct about what the "other" meaning is; the maufacture of drums, music, etc., with one's mouth only, like this guy. . . .

Tom Thum - and here's a full clip from TEDTalks

One last sport - the clue: Ice sport for Billy Idol~? - Answer below *

And Away We Go~!


ACROSS:

1. Drink with marshmallows: COCOA - I have been drinking Ryze mushroom coffee for 65 days ( they offer a journal with a quaint question in a text every morning ) and at night I have occasion to drink their mushroom COCOA as well - no marshmallows😜

6. Long-legged birds: EMUs

10. Belt: SWIG - Think shots of liquor

14. "We need to talk": "A WORD..."

15. Mars rover org.: NASA  - Here is me back in 2007(?) at the American Museum of Natural History

That's my step-daughter - for two years - she's 25 now

16. Play charades, e.g.: MIME

19. Reverse: UNDO

20. Negotiation-ending words: NO DEAL - I grew up with "Let's Make A Deal", but never watched "Deal or No Deal" - here is  the "Monty Hall 'problem'"

21. Shady plot: ARBOR

22. Xenon, for one: GAS

27. "Please, I'm on it": "ALLOW ME."- not quite one-to-one phrases, IMO

30. Key hit in panic: ESC - the upper left key of the computer's user interface; I am very familiar with it, as all AutoCAD functions are "released" when it's tapped - not so with Photoshop, which is annoying

31. "Gosh!": "GEE~!"

32. "Bleeding Love" singer Lewis: LEONA - never heard of her; name #1, more here

39. Tactics, in gamerspeak: STRATegy - Meh.  The "R" caused a Natick for me with 36D.; I would have preferred the guitarspeak instead

40. Notre Dame Fighting __: IRISH - a double shout-out to our Cornerite with 22D~!!!

43. Nail salon brand: OPI - gimme, as it's becoming a crossword staple

46. Female sib: SIS - sibling / sister

47. Stressful parts of French class?: ACCENTS - the "tiks" over letters in déjà vu, e.g.

52. Belly: GUT - I missed my weigh-in at the gym last week due to injuring my arm when I was digging up some nasty roots around the pine tree in my front yard, and did this

Ouch.

53. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN

54. Ogres: BRUTES

57. Era: SPAN

62. Merit: EARN

63. Oscar winner Stone: EMMA - name #2, but we've seen her before

64. "Zoom-Zoom" automaker: MAZDA - name(ish) - wow, a bit dated, but yeah

I've driven a 5spd manual Miata - it does go "zoom zoom"~!

65. Small whirlpool: EDDY - name # - oh, wait, never mind....

66. Soccer score: GOAL~!!!!!!!!!

67. Smudge: SMEAR

DOWN:

1. Half-__: coffee spec: CAF - Denis Leary on coffee flavored coffee

NOTE: a few F-bombs

2. One who gives a hoot: OWL

3. Something in need of change?: COIN SLOT - Ah yes, clever

4. Challenging chem course: ORGO - new to me; the "colloquial" term for Organic Chemistry; offered at UCONN, which makes sense, since they are an agricultural institution

5. Ritalin target, for short: ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - I believe that between TV commercial ads, the Internet and Social Media, staying focused is quite a challenge these days....

6. Confine: ENCAGE

7. "That Girl" star Thomas: MARLO - name #3, sumdaze linked her on Monday; I knew the show, even if  I was born a month after its run ended . . . .

8. Call upon: USE

9. Proverb: SAW - "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", for example

10. Blue character in a mushroom-shaped house: SMURF

La-LA-lala-la-la - Earworm~!

11. Hit the jackpot: WIN BIG - Powerball was $1.8billion this past Saturday

12. "All finished": "I'M DONE."

13. First president's first name: GEORGE - Wow.  I had to think about this - funny. Name #4

18. Abound (with): TEEM

21. Very old: ARCHAIC - Ah - not ANCIENT; only 3/7ths correct, ~42.85%

22. Miss: GAL - Oh, that Miss - I tried ERR for the 'other' kind of miss

23. Renaissance faire beverage: ALE - Served by the beer we-, uh, "Miss"

25. Solange's "A __ at the Table": SEAT - I had '_EAT', so an "S" made sense

26. KGB country: USSR - Russian espionage "equal" of the USA's CIA

28. Binary digits: ONES - the other digit is "ZEROS" or "ZEROES"

29. Meows at the door, perhaps: WANTS IN

33. Matching group: SET

34. Land unit: ACRE

36. Michael of "Shrinking": URIE - No clue - had to WAG the "R".  Arrr. Name #5 - IMDb

37. Coarse file: RASP

38. Like some beds and candy bars: KING-SIZE - Ah.  Clever - how 'bout both together~?

The candy bar bed linens website

41. "Rugrats" dad: STU - filled via perps - this cartoon, name #6

42. Pres. after FDR: HST - Fraklin Delano Roosevelt; Harry S - OR - S.~? Truman - more here

43. "Ah, it makes sense now": "OK, I SEE." - seeing more of this type of "phrase fill" lately

44. ATM input instrument: PIN PAD  - ATM on the Clue side for a change

45. Proof of legal age, often: ID CARD

47. Like some matters of the heart?: AORTAL - $2 word

48. __ sandwich: CLUB

50. Actor DeVito: DANNY - name #7, liked his "solo" in this video

When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean

51. First president born after 1960: OBAMA - AND - 33A. Younger 51-Down daughter: SASHA - since I do the Down clues first, I had the "father" filled in; names # 8 & 9

55. __ of Maine: personal care brand: TOMS - new to me; the Website - name(ish)

56. Midterm, e.g.: EXAM

58. "I __ to differ": "BEG"

59. My Chemical Romance genre: EMO - I am familiar with the band by name, but not their music - they hail from New Jersey, as do I - the Wiki

60. Secret-protecting doc: NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement; I need to retain a lawyer so I can move forward with my three board games - I need to protect my concept/design before I attempt to produce and market them

61. Long-jawed fish: GAR - ARR~!  Talk Like a Pirate Day is next Friday~!

*Answer - Lip Curliing~!

Splynter

Wednesday, Sep 3rd, 2025 ~ Michael Torch

 HEAD START

The Running of the Bulls~?  Or maybe this cartoon~?

This is my first time blogging a Michael Torch puzzle; he has two previous ones for the LA Times, the last when he paired up with constructor Kevin Christian back in March.  We have no circles (yay~!), an even distribution of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-letter words (~17), barely any names, and a mix of both Across and Down Themers with a centered reveal;

18A. *Extracts dirt from the carpet, maybe: STEAM CLEANS - I saw this on the Dan Aykroyd show "The Unbelievable" while on the elliptical at the gym this past Saturday

Crush, TX, 1896

59A. *California's "Eureka" and New York's "Excelsior": STATE MOTTOS - I knew these two mottos, the second because I lived in NY for most of my life😜.  Connecticut's is "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" - the translation here

3D. *Vidal Sassoon's expertise: HAIR STYLING - his Wiki , name #1

26D. *Low-carb sandwich: LETTUCE WRAP - using lettuce instead of bread

Actually looks quite tasty

39A. Leading, or, when parsed differently, what can lead into the starts of the answers to the starred clues: A/HEAD OF - two parsings; Ahead, and a Head - of; steam, state, hair, and lettuce

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Fireplace residue: ASH - AND - 44D. Fireplace residue: SOOT - Thank the maker this past August was colder & drier than I expected, so less A/C; I'm looking forward to the fall, football and a cozy fire

4. Laundry basket: HAMPER

10. Spice made from the husk of a nutmeg: MACE - I knew this; CT is nicknamed the "nutmeg" state due to this tale;  The spice is NOT in the defensive spray - that's a brand name of pepper spray

14. Indian beach destination: GOA - Three letters and Indian~? Ektorp = GOA (name #2)

15. Moon mission program: APOLLO - The memorable 11 and 13; makes me think of HuskerG

16. Subject of a chemistry diagram: ATOM

17. Stat boosted by a home run: RBI - Runs Batted In - a clue for our hostess C.C.

20. Countesses' counterparts: EARLS

22. Adds fuel to: STOKES - this reminds me of steam locomotives, too

23. Old Ford flops: EDSELS - haven't seen this crossword staple in a while (name(ish))

25. Resolved out of court: SETTLED

29. Ensnare: TIE UP

31. Bullfighting figure: TORERO - nailed it - they'll need one in the 10K cartoon

32. Vegetarian frozen-food brand: AMY'S - the website

34. Wells Fargo competitor: CITI - financial institutions; I have two credit cards from WF beause they once held my mortgage - now it's with "Mr. Cooper" - not related to my brother's dog

 

Me 'n Cooper are hangin' at the end of this month

37. Feel a sense of belonging: FIT IN - I have always felt like I have never "fit in" - I'm just a weirdo

38. 8 pts. or 4 qts.: GALLon - I started with AMT; I did not see that they were the same measurement

41. First number in many countdowns: TEN - nine - eight - seven . . . .

42. Japanese art genre: ANIME

45. Source of inspiration: MUSE - if there is a muse of "carpentry", then . . . .

46. Overlook: IGNORE - that Muse has been doing this, lately

48. Light purple: LILAC

50. NFLer who plays at the Meadowlands: NY GIANT - as do the long-suffering NY Jets of the NFL as well; the stadium is in the swamps of New Jersey no less

52. Opt for: SELECT

55. Viewpoint: STANCE

58. Home to the Ninja Turtles: SEWER - My screen-name comes not from Splinter, the TMNT rat "sensei", but from putting lumber away sans gloves at Grossman's Lumber many moons ago . . . 

The senior drafter at the Pipe Organ company started at Grossman's as well

63. Light beam: RAY - I blogged that Dan/C.C. puzzle in July

64. Junior staffer: AIDE

65. Online investment service: eTRADE - had some funny Super Bowl baby ads

Riding the dog like a horse is "frowned upon~!"

66. Beast of burden: ASS

67. "Quick, before we're late!": "C'MON~!"

68. Classroom unit: LESSON - AND - 49D. Decrease: LESSEN - I am sort of 'Meh' about this . . . ?

69. Parakeet or rabbit: PET - I have had the rabbit, not the bird

DOWN:

1. Shake hands (on): AGREE

Great Album Cover Art

2. "Just awful!": "SO BAD~!"

4. Pain in the neck: HASSLE - Lately, all my home projects have turned into huge hassles

5. Perfectly suitable: APT

6. "The Simpsons" bar: MOE'S - according to this site, it's a tavern, not a bar; name(ish)

7. Community developer's map: PLAT - its etymology derived from PLOT

8. Ticklish toys that caused a frenzy at Christmas in 1996: ELMOs - name(ish) -  my "generation" was obsessed with Cabbage Patch Kids, because they were oddly cute/ugly and could  be "legally" adopted 

9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" raccoon: ROCKET - I have not actually seen these movies - had to rely on perps; name #3

10. Opera conductors: MAESTRI - I figured it was the Latin plural, and not maestrOS

11. __ loss for words: AT A

12. Swindle: CON - Ooops, not ROB; 33% correct

13. CPR crew: EMS

19. Excuse from work: LET OFF - meh; I think of fireworks being "let off"

21. Luau loops: LEIS - alliteration

24. "I did no __ thing!": "SUCH~!"

27. Native Pennsylvanians: ERIES - This I should have figured out; Organ Supply Industries is located there - I was part of a road trip that visited the factory in ERIE, PA

28. "Death, be not proud" poet John: DONNE - name #4 - learning moment for me; more here

30. Fruit-filled desserts: PIES

32. Another time: AGAIN - not LATER

33. Unkempt: MANGY

35. Eastern philosophical path: TAO

36. Pop sensation: IDOL

39. Use a SodaStream: AERATE - this thing; I left mine back in NY

40. Big name in elevators: OTIS - crossword staple name #5

43. Lick, as an envelope: MOISTEN

45. Like peacocks: MALE - ah.  I was trying to think of a four-letter word for SHOWY

47. Nail polish, e.g.: ENAMEL

51. Govt. investment option: T-NOTE - I, of course, filled in T-BOND; 40% correct

53. Stop: CEASE

54. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST

56. Middles: Abbr.: CTRs

57. Greek vowels: ETAs

59. Cul-de-__: SAC - It's a dead end....

60. "Beetlejuice" director Burton: TIM - name #6

61. Big commotion: ADO

62. Prefix with meter: ODO - Odometer, the "clock" of your car's distance traveled

Splynter

Wednesday, Aug 27th, 2025 ~ Aaron Ullman

 I SAID MINI SPLIT~!

I thought you said SKIRT

We last saw a puzzle from Mr Ullman here at the LA Times in May 2024.  Today, Aaron gives us four phrases that have MINI, "split" across the fill, three of which are unique.  Yes, we do have circles, but a mere 9 3LWs, thirty 4LWs, some lengthy Down crossings, and just a handful of names.  The themers and the reveal;

17. Traditional social group: FAMILY UNIT

23. Historic hockey game at Lake Placid: MIRACLE ON ICE - the only non-unique themer

The Wiki

36. Dress blues, e.g.: MILITARY UNIFORM

48. Setting for amateur hour: OPEN MIC NIGHT

58. Zoned climate control options, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: MINI-SPLITS - pictured; I have just two window units in my home, and that was all I needed this summer, really - I plan on ultimately installing central air-conditioning, simply because there's a huge attic, enough to install the handler/ evaporator of a "macro" split A/C system and its dispersal lines

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Tropical flora: PALMS - I do the Downs first; filled in "GASP" for 1D., so this was "Galms" - Bzzzt~!

6. Site with handcrafted inventory: ETSY

10. Lhasa __: APSO - dog breed

14. Word after solar or lens: FLARE - Solar Flare, Lens Flare

15. Copy, informally: DUPE - short for DUPlicate

16. Vague reply to an ETA request: SOON - "Are we there yet~?"

19. "__ it ironic?": ISN'T - NOT ironic parts of this Alanis Morrisette song make it "ironic"

20. About 5 mL: TSP - TeaSPoon; there are three TSPs in a TaBleSPoon

21. Prima __: at first sight: FACIE - I learned this legalese term from the TV show Law & Order

22. 1:1, for one: RATIO - 1-2-1-4-1 - clever clue, get it~?

25. "Love is __, love is kind ... ": PATIENT - my first thought was song lyrics; turns out to be a Bible quote, I Corinthians 13:4-8, tho I did find this

28. CEO's aide: ASSistanT 

29. Couple: ITEM - Typically used in "rags" and tabloids - also known as the "Hot Sheets"

Here's a clip of the props used in Men in Black, including the "Hot Sheets"

30. What Diaper Genie filters trap: ODORS - I, sadly, have not had the pleasure/pain of rearing a child from birth, so while I knew the answer, I have not acutally gotten a whiff of what a Diaper Genie "does"

33. Long of "The Best Man Holiday": NIA - name #1 - her IMDb

40. Took a lunch break: ATE - very specific today

41. Genesis: ONSET

42. Overlying: ATOP - I agreed with some comments this past Saturday that "ATOP" is hardly synonymous with "ONTO", and was not thrilled with the clue/answer at all....

"

43. Deer dad: HART - I also agreed with Rusty last Friday about "STAGS" vis-à-vis "BAMBI"

45. Decreases: LESSENS

52. Drop out unexpectedly: FLAKE - Yeah, but Meh.

53. Starr on the skins: RINGO - Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles; his son Zak plays, too. Name #2

54. Distracted driving awareness TV spot, e.g.: PSA - Public Service Announcement

57. Plunge: FALL

60. Towel finisher: ETTE - as in 'moist' towelette

61. Dark skies, perhaps: OMEN

62. Alternative to a fidget spinner: POP-IT - A "reusable" bubble-wrap-mimicking toy

63. Encouraging cries: "RAHS~!!!"

64. Maritime hazard: BERG - The speculation about the world's most famous iceberg

65. Calendario starter: ENERO - Espaniol lesson #1; calendar / January

DOWN:

1. Incredulous sound: "PFFT~!" - "yeah, OK, as if~!"

2. "Pity, really": ALAS . . . .

3. Prop in "Aladdin": LAMP - uh, well, yeah, I suppose it would be called a "prop"

4. 3D diagnostic tool: MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

5. Pic taken at arm's length: SELFIE

6. Those responsible for class actions?: EDUCATORS - first of two nine-letter Down fills

7. Viking garment: TUNIC - I wore a tunic for my "Medieval" wedding

Me and my brother, defending the castle from the dreaded serpent

8. Sales pitch: SPIEL - I thought this was Yiddish/Hebrew, but according to the Web, it's from Old German "spielen"

9. To this point: YET

10. "Crazy Rich __": Jon M. Chu rom-com: ASIANS - name(ish) - the IMDb

11. Tacky method of communication?: POST-IT NOTE - Loved this; first of two 10-letter Down fills

12. Video game character who attacks by rolling into a ball: SONIC - ah, yes, now I remember

13. How many ballerinas perform: ON TOE - I am a bit meh about this, only because one of the themers is "ON" as well

18. Michaels purchase, perhaps: YARN - art store; paint, canvas, paper - I did not think of knitting

22. "Scandal" actress Portia de __: ROSSI - I knew her, but still a name #3 - her Wiki

23. "Bosch" actress Rogers: MIMI - it's too bad this fill showed up in the puzzle, as well, leading from a theme "M" no less; it detracts from the purity of the construction, IMO - and name #4 - Bosch is one of my favorite book series; the Amazon adaptation, not so much, but still good

24. Take home, as pay: EARN

25. Soft, strong cotton: PIMA - filled via perps; not familiar with this

26. Still going: AT IT - watch how you parse this one . . . .

27. Option for long-distance medical consultations: TELE-HEALTH - 10-letter Down fill No.2

31. Easter purchase for 46-Down: DYE - AND - 46. Easter basket items: EGGS

32. Summarizing: OUTLINING - nine-letter downfill No.2

34. Element that makes blood red: IRON

35. Fires (up): AMPS

37. "The Christmas Song" composer Mel: TORME - name #5, but a familiar one

38. Body prefix: ANTI - Ah. I was looking for "endo-", not an actual prefix for 'body'

39. Like Formula One cars: FAST

44. Places for spats: ANKLES

47. "Ye Olde" boutique: SHOPPE - I did happen to like last Saturday's "sign language" clue for this 

48. Many a promotional email: OFFER

49. Silver, in Spanish: PLATA - Espaniol #2; somehow, I had ARGIO....NOT - argyro is Greek for silver

50. Focus of forensics shows: CRIME

51. Brock Purdy, for one: NINER - QB for the NFL's San Fransisco Forty-Niners; just signed a 5yr, $265mil contract - name #6

54. Half-__: skate park element: PIPE - I would not dare to work with this type of PIPE 

55. Use a spoon to homogenize: STIR - that's eight syllables for a four-letter fill....

56. Concerning: AS TO

58. Group of meerkats: MOB - animal groups; we had "parliament" for owls last Thursday

59. Chaney of old films: LON - name #7, but a crossword staple

Splynter