Wednesday, Jul 31st, 2024, Zachary David Levy

 MY HEART'S CONTENT

It is peculiar that I blogged July 31st last year as well - that day was my second "debut" at the Corner as a blogger; 'tis unique to be able to blog the "same" day two years in a row.   Today's puzzle is from a familiar constructor here at the corner - his last grid appeared on MM's watch June 28th this year.  I do not think that I could be blessed with a theme any closer to my blogging heart - let me count the ways I can run amok using "little women" in my post.  But first, the theme answers;

17. Grand Ole Opry fixture from 1940 to 1991: MINNIE PEARL - mini

28. "If These Walls Could Talk" star: DEMI MOORE - demi

36. Actress who played Lucy on "Raising Hope": BIJOU PHILLIPS - bijou, is not "little" in Frawnche - turns out it's British - I am chagrinned

43. Singer born Emma Lee Bunton: BABY SPICE - well, baby, but still....

And the Reveal -

60. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy ... as well as 17-, 28-, 36-, and 43-Across?: LITTLE WOMEN

Never read it, and now I am curious.....

I was thinking more like this

The little (shortest) woman is the cutest

And Awow We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Snake charming snakes: COBRAS

7. Lacking pep: FLAT

11. Many a plaid cap: TAM

14. Damage, in a way: AMOUNT  - I usually refer to anything more than $100 as being "damage"; however, I was "accosted" this week at the supermarket my a strange woman who wanted to point out to me that a pound of butter was $7.49 - I so rarely buy butter, I told her I had nothing to compare it to....

15. Like notes that aren't sharp, briefly: LO-FI - FLAT was in the grid already - this is the "other" kind of "not" sharp, as in poorly defined

16. Fuming feeling: IRE - the blogger format is generating a tremendous amount of "IRE" in me

19. UFC sport: MMA - Mixed Martial Arts; not my thing; I did watch Table Tennis from Paris tho

Bernadette Szocs, Romania

20. Sources of jealousy, perhaps: EGOS

21. Avis rival: ALAMO - car rentals

22. Larry's housemate on "Curb Your Enthusiasm": LEON - never saw the show; filled via perps

23. Pilfer: ROB - pinch, swipe, boost, palm, the "five-finger discount".....

24. Estadio chant: OLÉ

25. State of matter: SOLID - the others being Liquid, Gas and Plasma - this last one being the state found in a fluorescent light - I did not know that; see here

26. Dress up: ADORN

Velma and "Danger-prone" Daphne

32. NL East city: ATLanta

34. Account: TALE - interesting; the theme of that Jul '23 puzzle was "Long Story"

35. "__ the fields we go ... ": O'ER - Jingle Bells - we're just 146 days from Christmas~!

40. Check writer's need: PEN

41. Mine, en français: AMOI - Les Frawnche

42. Pit stop brand: STP

46. Abates: EASES - I had WaNes - that's 60% 100% correct

50. Hound's sniffer: SNOUT

51. Driveway sealant: TAR - I was out using the tractor this weekend to try and fix my stone wall - but it's too far gone; I'd like to rebuild the whole thing, and TAR PAVE my driveway, but I can't afford it this year.

53. Special attention, for short: TLC - Tender Loving Care

54. Pond blanket: SCUM - my first thought, but considered ALGA, too

55. Kit filled with money and passports, in spy movies: GO-BAG

58. Film transition: FADE - also known as a WIPE

59. Nomadic invader: HUN - ah.  Not ANT.  Yeah - that's the picnic invader

62. MDW alternative: ORD - no clue, but when I was composing the blog, I realized these are the codes for Chicago's airports - Midway & O'Hare

63. Family name in baseball's only all-brother outfield: ALOU - Baseball crossword standard, for C.C.

64. On the house: NO COST

65. Thesis pieces, briefly: WDs - WORDS: a quaint play on Reese's Pieces; I like it. 

66. Lyric tributes: ODES - seems to be in at least one crossword a week lately

67. Unforeseen plot elements: TWISTS

DOWN:

1. Cell component?: CAMERA - cell PHONE; I was thinking JAIL cell at first

2. "Whoa": "OMIGOD~!"

3. Congo ape: BONOBO - there's also an electronica artist known as Bonobo

Flutter - my heart is a-flutter

4. Box score total: RUNS - more baseball

5. "The Phantom Menace" boy: ANI - Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader

 6. Absolute bargain: STEAL - see 23A.

7. Teeny circus performer: FLEA

8. Nutrient-rich soil: LOAM

9. Naturally curly style: AFRO

10. "Fake it __ you make it": TIL

11. Narrative device employed in "Russian Doll": TIME LOOP - I've heard of the show, but I don't have Nextflix - the IMDb

12. Some tall antiques: ARMOIRES

13. Wander aimlessly: MEANDER

18. Responded in court: PLED

22. Water closet: LOO

24. How caviar may be served: ON TOAST - I tried ON SUSHI first

25. Ore refinery: SMELTER

27. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ - I cannot stand this show.  Sorry.

29. Guiding principle: ETHIC

30. __ tai: MAI

Someone buy that woman a Mai Tai

31. Misfortunes: ILLS

33. Sum thing?: LUMP - lump sum, as in lottery winnings

36. Tofu, essentially: BEAN CURD - I tried SOYBEANS; I was also offered some fried tofu by a co-worker this past week, but she has not brought any in - yet.

37. Not out of play: INBOUNDS - as in football, tennis, golf, etc.

38. Luau bowlful: POI

39. Letters on some beer cans: IPA - getting to be like ERA and OREO; desperately trying to find new ways to clue this fill

40. "Wild Kratts," e.g.: PBS SHOW - PBS KIDS, actually; I had no clue, and when the " -SS -" appeared, and I figured something was wrong at first

44. "Love it": YUM 

I luv Chocolate Moose Tracks the best....

45. Citation abbr.: ET. AL.

47. John who played Blackie Parrish on "General Hospital": STAMOS

48. Most senior: ELDEST - just had to change my oldest "O" to "E"

49. Hound's trails: SCENTS

52. Book deal negotiator: AGENT

55. __ the lily: GILD

56. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE

57. AC measures: BTUs

58. Ellipse points: FOCI - I knew that the two "focal" points were used with a piece of string to male an ellipse - this is how I made the arch over my office shelf; I did not realize there's the "line method", too....

60. Language along the Mekong: LAO

61. Blow away: WOW - and one last image before I sign off

 I think I see "Little Women" on the shelf there....

Splynter

 

Wed, July 24th, 2024, Michael Schlossberg

 DOGHOUSE

I am pleased to see a puzzle that is a standard 15x15 grid, with no circles, a SLEW of "quoted" clues, only a handful of proper names - but - we have a balance of thirteen 3LWs in both the Across and Down clues still.  Mr. Schlossberg has appeared before at the corner, dating as far back as 2019, as far as I can see.  The construction itself is a bit odd, I must admit, with a "*" theme answer starting us off at 1A.; enclosed in the parentheses are the necessary "parts" one would assemble to complete the "project" for your pet.  Those theme answers, with the centered reveal to start;

38. Labors of love, perhaps, and what the answers to the starred clues are?: PET PROJECTS

1. *Messy place [wire mesh, posts, fasteners]: PIGPEN - I had PIG STY to start

20. *Area with little privacy [candy jar, rocks, aerator, water]: GOLDFISH BOWL - Geez, I hope that's a BIG candy jar

Klaus of American Dad !

57. *Dull and repetitive job [cardboard, dowel, popsicle sticks, glue, scissors]: HAMSTER WHEEL - this clue/answer doesn't quite jibe for me; not quite sure how to phrase it

A trippy Monster Magnet song; lyric @ 0:54

71. *Irresistible thing [seeds, soil, water, sunlight]: CATNIP - I think you all know my "catnip"

And one more "Doghouse" reference. . . .

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

7. Fuss: ADO

10. Barracks bosses: Abbr.: SGTs - I saw "Barack's" at first, so I thought "huh~?" Aliens~?

14. Verdi opera: OTELLO - the "Italian" adaptation of the Bard; Guiseppe Verdi = "Joe Green" ( thanks, Victor Borge )

15. Pride or lust: SIN - se7en was a great movie

16. Time in office: TERM - Barack did two "terms"

17. Lose feeling: GO NUMB - my bum went numb as I had to deliver and pick-up pipes 1100 miles round-trip; the place - a renovation shop in Alliance OH, A.R. Schopp's Sons Co., making organs and pipes for over 100yrs

18. Winter sport vehicle: ICE CANOE

22. Cuppa, to a Brit: TEA - I occasionally go for a "spot" of tea

25. "Get it?": "SEE~?"

26. Fair-hiring letters: EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity

27. Director Brooks: MEL - Comic movie genius

28. Genesis figure: ADAM

30. Michael of "Juno": CERA

32. Depend (on): RELY

33. Group summoned to a courthouse: JURY POOL - there's something "off" about the wording of this clue/answer, too - like jurOR would be better. . . .

36. Country duo Maddie & __: TAE - no clue; their website

41. Pup's bark: YAP - not YIP today

42. Landscape alternative: PORTRAIT - photos and printing orientation

45. Pine (for): ACHE - my first fill was LONG - Bzzzt~!

48. Uncork, say: OPEN - see 54D.

50. Gumbo pod: OKRA

51. "Please explain": "WHY~?"

52. Actress de Armas: ANA - filled via perps; her IMDb - once I looked, I realized she was the hot "Bond girl" in No Time To Die - I loved her scenes~!

53. Qty.: AMounT

56. Body part examined by an otolaryngologist: EAR - a long way to go for a 3LW; see 35D.

61. Insinuation: INNUENDO - OK, but what do you really mean~?

62. Dresser part: DRAWER

66. Shakespearean king: LEAR - more of the Bard

67. As well: TOO

68. Camden Yards ballplayer: ORIOLE - Waaay back when I was about 8yrs old, I thought this team had the coolest logo on their hats

69. French fashion magazine: ELLE

70. "Lisa From Temecula" sketch show, for short: SNL - crossword sketch show = Ektorp, and #13  for 3LW in the ACROSS

DOWN:

1. 1990s fad disc: POG - I was too old for this; essentially collectible cardboard discs

2. "How was __ know?": "I TO"

3. Lead-in to Xer, Yer, and Zer: GENeration

4. Stop (up): PLUG - I had CLOG, then STOP, duh, because of STY, and it messed up my NW

5. "__ World": "Sesame Street" feature: ELMO'S

6. Highborn: NOBLE

7. "You wish!": "AS IF~!"

8. More fraught: DICIER

9. Many a kayak: ONE-SEATER

 

may the "oars" be with you

10. Wild guess: STAB - or WAG, if you're doing the crossword

11. Biological map subject: GENOME

12. Mortar-spreading tool: TROWEL - and what some women use to apply makeup

13. Like some compost bins: SMELLY - I suppose it would "smell", but is it smell-Y~? The kitchen garbage, that's a different story. . . .

19. Comedian Margaret: CHO - becoming a crossword staple

21. Interior design: DÉCOR

22. __ Mahal: TAJ - I uploaded an image of my "Garage Mahal" sign a couple of months ago

23. College URL ender: EDU

24. 50+ group: AARP - technically, I qualify - but I am resisting the fact that I am "OLD"

29. "Nonsense!": "MY EYE~!"

31. Get hitched in Vegas, perhaps: ELOPE

32. Hip again: RETRO - I noticed that yoga pants are going "retro" now. . . .

Dare I say, "Bell Bottoms"~?

34. School org.: PTA

35. Foes: OPPONENTS - and a short way to get to a loooong answer

37. Play a part: ACT

39. "The Wolf of Wall Street" Oscar nominee Hill: JONAH - perps and WAGs

40. Sushi pairing: SAKE - Dah~!  I tried the NORI first

43. Golden yrs. fund: IRA - I have two; one is funded by the proceeds from my investment account to avoid taxation - works for me

44. Road goo: TAR

45. Some time: AWHILE

46. Big name in perfume: CHANEL

I am "intimidated" by these ads with ripped men;

I feel like I'm "not allowed" to wear this cologne

47. Church songbook: HYMNAL

49. "Excuse me?": "PARDON~?"

52. Noshed: ATE

54. French red wine: MEDOC - I quit drinking, ergo I don't drink wine; I was unfamiliar with this answer. . . .

 

. . . but 1971 was a great year to be "born". . . .

55. __ firma: TERRA

58. "Yeah, I guess so": "SURE."

59. Cold-weather fabric: WOOL

60. Milk, in French: LAIT - Frawnche, but I knew this

63. Came in first: WON

64. Yalie: ELI - Connecticut~!

65. Agt.: REP - #13 in the DOWN

Splynter

Wednesday, Jul 10th, 2024, Seth Bisen-Hersh

 FLEETING MOMENT

While I am pleased to see a constructor I have not blogged before ( I checked, and found two grids back in 2022, one in 2019 ), this was a real struggle for me, as it felt a little more than Wednesday-level.  Another 16x15 Grid, another set of circles (yay), another run of 26 Three-Letter Words, another set of some really vague people ( I'm looking at you, 56A. ) crossing names with vague clues, and I ended up with two bad squares - see the grid at the end.  I'm feeling "unsuccessful" with this puzzle - I didn't catch a BREAK, I just feel "broken"; Yem Beady.  Two 12-letter, two 10-letter themes, and a centered 8-letter reveal;

37. Opportunity for success, or what 17-, 29-, 45-, and 61-Across each have: BIG BREAK - synonyms for BIG, with a 'break' in between

17. Small, rustic house on a game reserve: HUNTING LODGE

Apparently, there's nothing "small" about Greystone Castle; I would say it's HUGE

29. Vacation spot in the Adirondacks: LAKE GEORGE - I once lived in upstate New York, so I got this; at 45 Sq. Mi., it's quite LARGE

45. Joins the table: GRABS A SEAT

Knights of the "unfound" table - they're not doing "GREAT"

61. Changing price: VARIABLE COST - oof.  A looooong way to go for VAST

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Stage name of actor Raiford Chatman Davis: OSSIE - I begin with the down clues, but even with perps this was still a non-starter for me (#1)

6. Spanish 53-Down: CARNE - AND - 53D. 24-Across, for one: MEAT - sometimes, I am not a big fan of circumreferential clues like this

11. Band also known as the Bangtan Boys: BTS - Their Wiki (#2)

14. Shapewear brand: SPANX - it should be no surprise that I knew this one

15. Trojan War hero: AENEAS - I could not recall this name (#3)

16. "Shine Ya Light" singer Rita: ORA - no clue about this name (#4)

19. Say "Bingo," say: WIN - Shout would have been better

20. "Another thing ... ": "AND ALSO..." - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy follow-up

Not Douglas Adams, but part "six" of "three"

21. Aired: RAN

22. Recurring TikTok post: VLOG - Video bLOG; ya know, I don't think I have ever visited TikTok, but I do have a friend on Long Island who uploads clips of car repairs/modifications

23. Mauna __: KEA - Dah~!  I had KEA, switched to LOA, had to switch back to KEA, missed the "K"

24. Antipasto choice: SALAMI

 "Yummers"  :7))

26. Wine sale units: CASES - Dah~!  Wine CasKs is a perfectly acceptable answer~!

33. Shaq's alma mater: LSU - it helped to know who Shaq is, but I still didn't know where he attended school - from his Wiki page (#5)

34. Meadow: LEA

35. Muppeteer Jerry: NELSON - No clue - his Wiki, and here's his most popular character (#6)

I had to do the pipe organ, of course

36. Cash provider: ATM

40. Large container: VAT - why isn't it Huge, Great, or Vast~?

41. Polite refusal: NO, MA'AM - I like this fill

43. Nobel winner Hammarskjöld: DAG - Died in a plane crash - or was it something more~? (#7)

Air Disasters

44. Gloves, gowns, and goggles in the ER: PPE - I had to take the "1D." 30-hr course to qualify for work at the National Cathedral; they used the term "PPE" about a thousand times in the tutorials - Personal Protective Equipment

48. Fabled hare, e.g.: LOSER - ah.  I was looking for a name - go figure.

50. "Star Wars" heroes: REBELS

May The Force Be With You

51. Andrew Lloyd Webber title: SIR - "Ektorp" (#8)

52. Actress Watson: EMMA - name, and it messed up my "LYFT" at 54D. (#9)

55. Green hotel opening?: ECO - something something crossword 'green' = ECO; again, Ektorp, but the whole clue seems 'meh' to me

56. Chinese American fashion icon: ANNA SUI - my apologizes, C.C., but I had no idea who she is; double digits, #10

60. Director Ang: LEE - I knew this one, but still name #11

63. Yield to gravity: SAG

64. Latin for "actually existing": IN ESSE - I got it because I took 4 years of Latin

65. "A Delicate Balance" playwright: ALBEE - gee, another name - #12

66. GPS guess: ETA - I hardly call it a "guess"; in fact, I notice that it is extremely accurate, and the longer the trip, the more accurate it gets; as a result, it's pretty clear that one simply cannot go any faster to get there sooner - as shown in this Mythbusters clip, the whole weaving in traffic shaves a mere two minutes off a 46 mile drive - so what do you plan to do with your "extra" two minutes~?

67. Will of "Blue Bloods": ESTES -ARGH~!  SIX names in just 10 clues = #13

68. Set a security system again: REARM - I'm a REBEL, about to take up arms in the fight against proper names~!


DOWN:

1. Div. of Labor: OSHA - well, whaddya know~?  BTW, the Organ renovation is scheduled to be finished in 2028, not 2029, but it's still going to take FOUR years; I am cleaning the biggest wood pipes this week

Low C of the Pedal Division

2. Played dreidel: SPUN - played~?  I thought it was the top, not the activity

3. Castle makeup: SAND - Dah~!  Got me.  I was too deep into real castles, like Greystone, and the beach kind never occurred to me

Wow. And I found a HUGE/LARGE/GREAT/VAST collection of others, too

4. Output opposite: INTAKE - intaLK seems like a very reasonable word in our text-speak society

5. Ostracizes: EXILES

6. Bambi still, e.g.: CEL - a single frame of animation

7. Winter hiker's coat: ANORAK - I knew this, but was not clear on the spelling at first

8. Irish brew: RED ALE - I know of Killian's, and here's the process, plus I found this one . . . .

Beer; it's not just for...uh, wait a minute....

9. "You always tell me what to do!": NAG NAG NAG - clever clue/answer

10. Jargon suffix: ESE - e.g. legal-ESE

11. Pitch, in cricket: BOWL - Dah~!  Another one got me - the verb pitch, but I have an excuse - my parents were born & raised in England, so I knew the (noun) "pitch" was the field.

12. Snap, Crackle, and Pop, e.g.: TRIO - oof.  Vague for Wednesday; ZZTop, Rush~? Better.

13. Performed an aria: SANG - nice to see ARIA in the clues, not the grid

15. Before today: AGO

18. SIGINT org.: NSA - I had no clue, but the perps gave me _SA; strangely, I can link their site

22. Baroque instrument: VIOL - Smile, it's a "VI-al"

24. Bygone Swedish carmaker: SAAB - I had one; buy now, "Saab" later - get it~?

25. Mouselike: MEEK

26. Trolley sound: CLANG - meh.  Trolley BELL . . . .

27. Fur tycoon: ASTOR

28. __ cum laude: SUMMA - MAGNA or SUMMA~?  I got it wrong; but 40% was 20% correct

29. Pants part: LEG - ooh~!  Another opportunity~!

Thanks for the shoutout Sunday, CanadianEh!

30. Attendance records?: RSVPs - in the plural noun, it just seems "meh"

31. Rant and rave: GO APE

32. [Run program]: ENTER - my WAG, but still a bit "meh"

34. Legumes from the Andes: LIMA BEANS - now that I see the answer, it seems obvious; some info from the USDA

37. Possible litmus test result: BASE - or ACID~?  Guess which one I picked.  Bzzzt~!

38. Nutritional stds.: RDAs - again, in the plural, a bit meh.

39. Snack: EAT - ah.  The verb again

42. Syllables for a stage magician: ABRA - is this not just ONE syllable~?

46. Like some alter egos: SECRET

47. Plaza Hotel girl: ELOISE - Never heard of this; the Wiki, and the Plaza site, too

48. Straight: LINEAR - like my thinking a lot of the time

49. Seer: ORACLE

51. Bowen Yang's show, for short: SNL - perps got me S_L; this clue/answer has shown up three days in a row.  sumdaze linked his Titanic iceberg skit Monday

52. "Can I get you anything __?": "ELSE~?"

54. Über relative: MEGA - ah.  Not the taxi service from yesterday, but the adjective

Kill Die~?  Oh, I see - the first "D" got damaged....phew

56. Only pres. to hold a patent: ABE - Dah~! I was looking for DDE, HST, FDR - his patent

57. Japanese noodle: SOBA - I can never remember which one this is NORI, ROTI, MISO - four-letters crossword something . . . .

58. Password keeper: USER - Fooled me; clever

59. Agenda listing: ITEM

61. Fight (for): VIE

62. Jack or jenny: ASS - second time this week, and speaking of which, we are at the "bottom"

Splynter

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024, Michael B. Berg

 ALL IN THE FAMILY

 I never knew the first line....

Splynter reporting for duty - another quick solve this Wednesday, albeit containing circles, but with very few names, a small number of 3LWs, and a theme that, while I don't use the term, was understandable - synonyms for family, "found" across two words in the theme answers.  I suppose AA would be my version of a 'found family', and certainly the 20 employees at the Pipe Organ company.  Some alliteration going on, as well - CLAN, KIN, CREW, KITH.  One eleven-, two thirteen-letter, and one spanner for the theme answers, and an 11-letter reveal;

16. Road division: TRAFFIC LANE - Keep your LaSalle between the lines~!

A GM/Cadillac Concept Car - very cool, and clearly where the Corvette came from

23. Task that's a piece of cake: WALK IN THE PARK

36. Home of Christopher Robin's friends: HUNDRED ACRE WOOD

46. Japanese dramatic form with elaborate costumes: KABUKI THEATER

Gene Simmons, before KISS

58. Closely knit community that provides social support, or what 16-, 23-, 36-, and 46-Across contain?: FOUND FAMILY

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Adele's "Water __ the Bridge": UNDER

6. Salsa choice: MILD - AND - 6D. Salsa choice: MELON - never heard of this variation

A recipe for you

10. Covertly include on an email: BCC - I get this a lot in crosswords

13. "Nope" and "Get Out" director Jordan: PEELE - filled via perps; his IMDb

14. Mountaintop nest: AERIE

15. Sound from a warm tub: AHH - I seriously want to swap my cast iron bathtub to a Jacuzzi

18. Reed of the Velvet Underground: LOU - before my time, but I know of him

19. Like most prime numbers: ODD

20. Thai neighbor: LAO

21. Band output: MUSIC - this is a song about "family", right~?

I crossed my old man. . . .Don't Take Me Alive, Steely Dan

28. Accurate: TRUE

29. Burgundies: REDS - quit wining - get it~?

30. Dough: MOOLA - bread, cheese, cash, fundage~!

31. Open a tad: AJAR

33. Fundraiser for STEM programs: PTA - STEM is "new" for me in crosswords; I don't recall seeing it during my last blogging stint - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

40. Gp.: ORG

41. Walkman maker: SONY - the original iPod

I still have one

42. Quite a distance: MILES

43. "Stat!": ASAP

45. AirPlay tablet: iPAD - I'm a PC

52. Soccer Hall of Famer Lalas: ALEXI - More here

53. Aardvark's snack: ANT

54. Vegan milk choice: OAT - I make my mac N cheese with Soy Milk

57. Streamlet: RIA - learned by doing crosswords

63. Apple on a teacher's desk, perhaps: MAC - clever - could be both computer AND fruit

64. Simmers with rage: FUMES - >😡<

65. Low point: NADIR

66. Pokémon trainer Ketchum: ASH - no idea, but glad to see a non-tree/bat clue for "ASH"

67. Small samples: SIPS

68. Pic-sharing app: INSTAgram - I am still planning to do a better Organ blog, and an Instagram page, too - here's the latest from The National Cathedral organ renovation

DOWN:

1. As many as: UP TO

2. One with deep knowledge of a subject: NERD - of what subject can you say you're proud to be a NERD~?

3. Completely mistaken: DEAD WRONG - I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken

4. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear" film: ELF - sorry, but I simply cannot stand this "holiday classic".  At All.  Period.  End of Comment.

5. NBA official: REFeree - also hockey, football, etc.

7. 401(k) alternative: IRA

8. Songwriter/actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN - Filled via perps

9. Considered: DEEMED

10. Model material: BALSA - oh, those models . . . .

11. Gospel singers: CHOIR - CHOIR is also a division/chamber of some pipe organs; the main divisions are Great, Swell, Pedal; and additionally, Choir, Solo, Positiv & Antiphonal

12. Toss away: CHUCK

14. Fruit from a Brazilian palm: ACAI

17. Sort: ILK

22. FedEx rival: UPS - UPS wins~!

Sumo Delivery vans

24. "__ Lang Syne": AULD

25. TV producer Norman: LEAR - Creator of "All in the FOUND Family"~?

26. "Fast Car" singer Chapman: TRACY

27. Munich mister: HERR - and the funny female equivalent. . . .

Blücher~!

28. Series of gigs: TOUR

30. Old electrical unit: MHO - learning moment for me - the Wiki

31. Bring home from the pound: ADOPT - I would SO love to adopt a dog - but if I am in the field for work, I'd need to find a dog-sitter, and I'm not a big fan of that idea

This would be my pick - a Schnauzer

32. Abbr. at the start of a day planner: JANuary

33. Pictures that don't need to be shaken: POLAROIDS - Ah.  This is true - the "instant" photos of old did NOT need to be shaken - more info here

34. Pigeon-__: TOED - I went with HOLE first; pigeon-TOED, like last week's "TOE-IN" of a car's alignment, describes someone who walks with their toes pointing "in"

35. Spots that may be classified: ADs - and advertisement is referred to as a "spot"

37. "Titans" actor Morales: ESAI - something something crossword Morales = ESAI

38. Radiate: EMIT

39. Diaper bag cloth: WIPE - oh, duh; I parsed it differently, and was trying to think of the fabric a diaper bag is made from

43. Stereo input letters: AUX

44. Flat-bottomed boats: SKIFFS

46. Cosmic fate: KARMA

47. Name on a false document: ALIAS

48. Sandy spot: BEACH - I am not a summer person, and having lived in a place made of, and surrounded by sand, desperately needed to move north - the irony is that I USED TO live in Connecticut, because Long Island was made by a glacier scraping off the surface of CT.

49. Jockey rival: HANES - possibly Splynter's most beloved product~?

I couldn't decide - but the center image includes a crossword reference

50. Loose __: ENDS

51. DOJ branch: ATF - Department of Justice, and the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms now includes Explosives in their wheelhouse - should they change the name to "FETA, FEAT"~? Or better yet, "FATE"!?

55. Touched down: ALIT

56. Supermodel Banks: TYRA

59. Yes, from Yves: OUI - Frawnche

60. Strike caller?: UMPire - Baseball for C.C.

61. Vader, as a boy: ANIkin - Skywalker, the father of the Star Wars "family"

62. Guy: MAN - and one last family "guy"

Since I can rarely get to read the comments on the day, I decided to add a "FLW" to the end of my blog. . . .

 

From Last Week - CED, I loved your "Laser Bird"~!  TTP - I watched the clip, but that's not the quite it; it really does sound like "pew-pew" - I have been waiting to capture a sound bite from my window, so I can add it here, but I think "mating season" may be over.  zzzzzzz - send me an email.

Splynter