18. Last one in, so they say : ROTTEN EGG. Swimming pool/hole cry, and a nasty sulfurous odor.
29. Bad thing to end on : SOUR NOTE. Indeed, the first rule of the musician's code is to always end on a good note. A sour note in the middle of a tune might be forgotten, or better yet, not noticed. But at the end - it's a poor statement that might be remembered. By analogy, can apply to any situation that ends badly.
34. Serious carelessness, in tort law : GROSS NEGLIGENCE. Per Wikipedia, the "lack of slight diligence or care" or "a conscious, voluntary act or omission in reckless disregard of a legal duty and of the consequences to another party." In a different, more vernacular, sense, something GROSS is disgusting.
43. Place at the very bottom : RANK LAST. To have an unsuccessful competitive season or tournament. Somebody has to end up there. In a different sense, RANK describes an offensive odor.
55. Trait of one given to obscenities : FOUL MOUTH. A person with a FOUL MOUTH utters what we used to call "bad words." Odors and struck baseballs can also be FOUL.
And, tucked deep into the far corner [but I can still smell it] the unifier: 67. Reaction to the starts of the five longest puzzle answers : YECCH. A vocalized expression of disgust.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty. Let's set the unpleasantness aside, and and seek the good stuff in this puzzle. With 5 theme entries, including a grid-spanner, plus the unifier, it's thematically rich.
Down
1. Minty Derby drink : JULEP. Now this more like it! Bourbon, crushed ice, sugar and fresh mint, typically served in a tall frosty glass. A Kentucky Derby tradition.
6. Shopping extravaganza : SPREE. An event of self-indulgence, carousal, or extreme activity.
11. ABC show for early risers, briefly : Good Morning America. A news and pop-culture program shown from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in all time zones, live in the Eastern Zone and on broadcast delay in the others.
14. "Ditto," more formally : AS AM I. Me too.
15. "Can't win 'em all" : I LOST. Somebody always goes home disappointed. Wish it were the other guy.
16. Conniving "2001" computer : HAL.
17. Copperfield's field : MAGIC. David Seth Kotkin [b 1956] aka David Copperfield is an American illusionist who has grossed [in yet another sense of the word] over $4 billion in ticket sales, more than any other solo entertainer in history. He also owns 11 islands in the Bahamas, called Musha Bay, which he uses as a private resort.
20. Complain : KVETCH. Something I assume Mr. Kotkin would have little cause to do.
22. __ extra cost : AT NO. It's all included.
23. Banged shut : SLAMMED. As a door, frex.
27. Cover the spread? : CATER. My first reaction was - eh? But a CATERER provides the victuals, aka "the spread," for an event. Clever!
28. More unsure : WARIER. More cautious, actually. Is a person who is less unsure under wary?
32. Feels lousy : AILS. Hurts or has a tummy ache.
33. Casual "You game?" : WANNA. "Do you want to?" in short mouth.
41. Westminster landmark : ABBEY. The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, opened in 1090 C. E., is a large, mostly gothic structure located in the City of Westminster, London.
42. Indifferent responses : MEHS. I'm not impressed.
47. Letter-shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP. A description that fits to a T.
49. Tablet download : E-BOOK. Electronic Book to be read on your portable device. I have sheet music on mine.
50. Becomes depleted : RUNS DRY. Gets all used up.
51. "Tickle Me" toy : ELMO. Fuzzy red muppet.
52. Tries one's hand (at) : HAS A GO. This always reminds me of the scene in Raymond Carver's short story, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" when Mitchell Anderson asks Marian, "Would you like to HAVE A GO at it?" And she does.
57. Held the deed to : OWNED.
62. Dawn goddess : EOS. The rosy-fingered goddess who opens the gates of heaven so that the sun may rise.
63. Naturally lit lobbies : ATRIA. A large open air or sky light covered space surrounded by a building.
64. Connect with : TIE TO. Make an association between
65. Apt. divisions : RMS. Rooms, with or without views.
66. Oyster bead : PEARL. A more or less spherical calcium carbonate object produced within the soft tissue of a mollusk. They have long been prized as gem stones.
Down
1. Traffic snarl : JAM. I deal with it several times a week.
2. Mex. neighbor : USA. Los Estados Unidos de Mexico and the United States of America.
3. Fall behind : LAG.
4. Old U.K. record label : EMI.
5. Hand raiser's cry : PICK ME. There's always that one kid in the back of the classroom . . .
6. Fathered : SIRED. Begat.
7. Devious scheme : PLOT.
8. Campus cadets' org. : ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corp.
9. Bk. before Job : ESTHer.
10. Summer on the Seine : ETE. French
11. "In the __": Elvis hit : GHETTO.
12. Refrigerator art holder : MAGNET. We currently have several photos in place.
13. Climate Reality Project chairman : AL GORE. ]b 1948] Former congressman, senator, vice president and presidential candidate.
19. Indian flatbread : NAAN. A leavened oven-baked flat bread common in south and central Asia.
21. Bible transl., e.g. : VERsion. Who knew there were so many?
23. Party loot : SWAG. Things given away as gifts, usually for promotional purposes.
24. Den : LAIR. Where the Lions live. They'll need to be better than they have been against the Vikings tomorrow, and I'm not a liar.
25. Guthrie of folk : ARLO. Who provided us with another Thanksgiving Day tradition. [Warning: it's a little over 18 minutes.]
26. __ Piggy : MISS. And her handsome beau, Kermit. It's a match made in a bog. Or maybe a sty.
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27. Rock climber's handhold : CRAG. In rock climber's lingo, a crag is any climbable cliff. But I think the intended meaning here is an outcropping that can be grasped.
29. "Full House" actor : SAGET. Bob [b 1956] as Danny Tanner from 1987-95. He's also done several other TV and movie projects.
30. Like a child without siblings : ONLY. I was one for 6 1/2 years. It's almost like my parents raised to ONLIES.
31. Start of a cycle? : UNI-. Half a bicycle. I'm not fond of cutsie affix clues.
33. Woven traps : WEBS. The work of spiders. Here is one of my better haiku.
on the silken strands
sad fly plays a minor chord
orb weaver's delight
36. Kevin Durant's org. : National Basketball Association.
37. CPR specialists : Emergency Medical TechnicianS.
38. Geek : NERD. Call him/her for your computer or cell phone issues.
39. Sear : CHAR. Burn or blacken the surface of something.
40. Award for athletes : ESPY. Granted by sports TV network ESPN.
43. Sailor's jacket : REEFER. A thick, close-fitting, double breasted coat. I believe this word might also have another meaning.
44. Flowering : ABLOOM. Buds are busting out all over.
45. Half a rhyming "easy to do" phrase : NO MUSS. No fuss, no bother.
46. Menthol cigarette brand : KOOL. First introduced in 1933.
47. Harbor helper : TUG. A boat that moves other larger boats by pushing or towing them in hard to maneuver places.
48. Highfalutin : SNOOTY. Elitist.
50. 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL. [b 1953] Winner of 3 championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series.
52. Table d'__: fixed menu : HOTE. Meal with a fixed price and few options. You get what you get.
53. Mystical glow : AURA. A supposed emanation surrounding living creatures, allegedly discernible by certain adept individuals.
54. Cookbook verb : STIR. What ya got cookin'?
56. "The Amazing Race" prop : MAP. To determine the next leg of the adventure.
Hope you enjoyed this adventure, and escaped with your senses and sensibilities unscathed.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. We'll have 10 family members joining us to celebrate.
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