L.A Times Cross Word, Wednesday, December 30, 2020 Hoang-Kim Vu

Theme: VELOCITY.  Theme answers contain words that indicate rapidly and efficiently getting from one place to another

18 A. Academy attended by James T. Kirk: STAR FLEET.  From the original Star Trek TV series: boldly going where no man has gone before.  A Fleet is a group of ships under a single command.  FLEET here is an adjective - as all the theme words are - indicating rapid motion.  Fleet is also an enema, but we'll just let that go.

24 A. Artist with a record 32 American Music Awards: TAYLOR SWIFT.  [b 1989]  She's has some success.  SWIFT is another synonym for FLEET.  It's also a bird that, appropriately, holds the record for the fastest confirmed level flight, at 69.3 mph.

34 A. Deeply hurt: CUT TO THE QUICK.  Literally, this means to cut through the skin to the living tissue; figuratively it means to be hurt and offended.  Here, it's another synonym for SWIFT.  It's also a brand name for flavored powders to make your cold glass or warm mug of milk a bit less bland.

49 A. Inviolable, as a rule: HARD AND FAST.  This means it is fixed and definitive, not to be modified or avoided.  The sense of fast in this expression, now otherwise obsolete, is "locked in place."  It's the root of the verb fasten, meaning to firmly attach.  In the puzzle, FAST is another synonym for QUICK.

56 A. With immediacy, or a hint to the four other longest puzzle answers: POST HASTE.  Yet another synonym for FAST.  From my brief examination, it seems that this can either be a single word, or a two-word phrase, with or without a hyphen.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here.  Hope your Christmas was happy and safe.  The holidays go by quickly.  The theme notwithstanding, let's not speed through this puzzle, but take it slow and steady.

Across:

1. Invents, as a word: COINS.  Devising a new word or phrase.  The phrase itselfe seems to have been coned in American Literature with the earliest recorded use being in the 'The Southport American' newspaper in 1848. 

6. Laugh-a-minute sort: RIOT.  Fun guy.

10. Lucas of "Raising Hope": NEFF.  [b 1985]  Most recently, he starred in the CBS sitcom Carol's Second Act.

14. Bandleader's exhortation: HIT  IT.  In all my decades of playing in all sorts of ensembles and venues, I don't remember ever hearing the leader say this.

15. Egyptian life symbol: ANKH.

Key of Life

16. Pest on a pooch: FLEA.  Dog annoyer

17. Red-tide contents: ALGAE.  The color is due to an algal bloom, often caused by an up-swelling of nutrients from the ocean floor following a storm.  

20. Shape, as clay: SCULPT.  Make it look like something other than a lump.

22. Mayberry lad: OPIE.  Young Ron Howard.

23. Org. in much recent news: CDC.  The Center for Disease Control.

26. "We'll let you know," on skeds: TBA. To Be Announced.

27. 18-Across jr. officer: ENS.  Ensign.

28. Threaded fastener: NUT.  To make a mechanical connection hard and fast.

29. Claw into: TEAR AT.  Rip apart

31. Fire truck alert: SIREN. Listen up!

33. Tourette syndrome symptoms: TICS.   Idiosyncratic and habitual features of a person's behavior.

39. Brooklyn Coll. is part of it: CUNY.  The City University of New York.

40. Double duty?: STUNT.  I had to think about this one.  Performing STUNTS - dangerous skilled maneuvers  in a movie scene - is the duty of a star's STUNT double.

41. Convent leader: ABBESS.  Head nun.

44. Shoelace, e.g.: TIE.  A tie is a type of fastener.

45. NBA's Heat, on scoreboards: MIA.  MIAMI's basketball team.

48. Inouye Airport arrival gift: LEI.   Hawaiian flower garland necklace.

53. Investment inits.: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

54. Common ointment ingredient: ALOE.  Extract of the ALOE vera plant, a succulent cultivated for tis medicinal uses.

55. Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil: NIEKRO.  [1939-2020]  He played for 24 years in the majors, from 1964 to 1987.  Sadly, he just passed the day after Christmas after a long battle with cancer.

59. Step: TREAD.  Stomping is optional.

60. Worked in a garden: HOED.  Used a hand-operated cultivating tool.  Or emulated Santa.

61. "Because You Loved Me" singer: DION.  Celine [b 1968]

62. Battle zone journalist: EMBED.  This was confusing.  I was expecting a specific name, not the category.  The answer is a bit awkward, since it is a noun that looks like a verb.

63. Criteria: Abbr.: STDS.  Standards.

64. Racy message: SEXT.   Portmanteau of SEX and TEXT.

65. Rotary phone features: DIALS.  Does anybody have one of these?

Down:

1. Unsullied: CHASTE. Refraining from sexual activity.  The Unsullied in Game of Thrones certainly did this.  But, in general, is this a good equivalence?  You decide.

2. Prop for the Tin Man: OIL CAN.  I still wonder how it happened that tin rusted.  Must be a Oz thing.

3. Men working on a network, informally: I. T.  GUYS.  Experts in Information Technology, aka nerds.

4. One Direction's "cute one" __ Horan: NIALL.  True?  You decide.

Cute?

5. "C'mon, we're in a hurry!":  STEP ON IT.  Go faster, referring to pressing a vehicles accelerator pedal.  Theme echo.

6. Late-summer orientation mtg. holders: RAs.  Resident Advisors:  students who are responsible for supervising and assisting other, typically younger, students who live in the same residence hall.  One of our granddaughters has this position in the honors dorm at her school.

7. Like many trailers: IN TOW.   Pulled by a vehicle

8. Giraffe relative: OKAPI.   An artiodactyl [ungulate with an even number of toes] mammal native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. 

Made from spare parts?

9. Frugality: THRIFT.

10. Patriots' org.: NFL.  National Football League.

11. Exciting, as an atmosphere: ELECTRIC.

12. Survey info: FEEDBACK.  Requested information.

13. Big shots with big balances: FAT CATS.  More specifically, rich political donors.  It is also commonly used to describe a rich, greedy person who, due to ownership of large amounts of capital, is able to "live easy" off the work of others. 

19. Honor in a big way: FETE. To honor or entertain (someone) lavishly.

21. Town near Provincetown: TRURO.  Two of the 15 towns surrounding Cape Cod Bay.

25. Editorial "let it stand": STET.  From Latin,  it is a form of the Latin verb sto, typically translated as "Let it stand."

30. Feuding: AT IT.  A multi-purpose phrase, depending on what the definition of "it" is.

31. Eyelid ailment: STYE.  An inflamed swelling on the edge of an eyelid, caused by bacterial infection of the gland at the base of an eyelash.

32. Smart students' org.: NHS.  National Honor Society.

34. Two, to eight, e.g.: CUBE ROOT.  To cube a number is to multiply it by itself twice.  That number is then the cube root of the product.

35. Impartial: UNBIASED.  

36. Sundance's sweetie: ETTA.  ETTA Place [dates uncertain]   Companion of Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, aka, the Sundance Kid.  Along with Butch Cassidy they were members of the outlaw gang known as Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. 

37. "Glee" cheerleader: QUINN.  Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the TV series Glee, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron.  

Cheer with Glee

38. Not yet corrected for publication: UNEDITED.  Having no STETs nor deles.

39. Islamic leaders: CALIPHS.  The chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Muhammad. The caliph ruled in Baghdad until 1258 and then in Egypt until the Ottoman conquest of 1517; the title was then held by the Ottoman sultans until it was abolished in 1924 by Atatürk.

42. 1979 exile: SHAH.  Mohammad Reza Pahlavi [1919-1980]  of Iran.

43. Soup followers: SALADS.  In multi-course meals.

45. Folk singer Miriam known as "Mama Africa": MAKEBA. [1932 - 2008]

46. Gal Gadot's birthplace: ISRAEL.  In case you were wondering about this woman.

Probably needed a STUNT double

47. Disagreeing: AT ODDS.  Loggerheads doesn't fit.

50. Riveting icon: ROSIE.

Probably not what you think

51. Rehab program: DETOX.  A process designed to remove addictive toxins leave the body.

52. 1938 Physics Nobelist: FERMI.  Enrico [1901-1954] An American physicist who created the first nuclear reactor.  He won the Nobel Prize for his work on induced radioactivity by neutron bombardment and for the discovery of transuranium elements. 

57. Six-pt. scores: TDS.  TouchDowns in American football.

58. Tolkien's Treebeard, e.g.: ENT.  

And thus does Fangorn bring our Wednesday to a slow moving close.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.  See you all next year.

Cool Regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday December 16, 2020 Brock Wilson

Theme: Happy Birthday! [Maybe?] Today might or might not be the birthday of the below identified composer.  Nobody really knows. In the theme, his name and some of his works or identified by either name or number.

17A. With 63-Across, musician born 12/16/1770: LUDWIG VAN.

63A . See 17-Across: BEETHOVEN.

Wikipedia

He was baptized on the 17th, so his birthday is assumed to be the 16th, but that is just a guess.  He could have been a week or a month earlier.  Anyway, later in life, he wrote some music. You can read more about him here.

39 D. 63-Across work: SYMPHONY. An elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form.

26 A. Nickname for a 63-Across 39-Down: CHORAL. Numerically, the 9th, and last.

 

Well, this set my write up back by 23 minutes, but it was time well spent.  Give it a listen if you have the time.  Schiller's poem is a hot, sappy mess, but I guess it works in the original German. And Beethoven's setting makes it truly heavenly.

40 A. Numerically, 63-Across' C-minor 39-Down: FIFTH.  Which gives us what is probably the most recognizable 4 note sequence in all of music.

50 A. Nickname for a 63-Across 39-Down: EROICA.  Numerically, the 3rd.

 

10 D. Nickname for a 63-Across 39-Down: PASTORAL.  Here is a Disneyfied excerpt.

 

Hi, gang.  Jazzbumpa here to conduct today's musical adventure.  Once upon a time, there was trombone themed puzzle, and by chance in landed on my blogging day.  This one is just about as fitting.  Beethoven was my introduction to what we call classical music, though he stood on the bridge between the classical and romantic periods.  Having him as my intro made it hard for me to appreciate the much simpler - and genuinely classical - music of his teacher Haydn.  But everything builds over time, and without Haydn and Mozart, there could have been no Beethoven.  Let's move on through this score, and hope there are no sour notes.

Across:

1. Quotable Yankee, familiarly: YOGI.  Berra [1925-1915] "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

5. "Yikes!": JEEZ.  Oh, my!

9. Fencing blades: EPEES.  A narrow-bladed sword with a blunted tip.

14. Tarzan raisers: APES.  I guess Jane was the gorilla his dreams.

15. Cher and Sade, vocally: ALTI.  Voices with  range above tenor and below soprano.

16. 16th-century English queen: MARY I.  "Bloody Mary" Tudor [1516 -1558]  in her 5 year reign, she had over 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake. 

19. North Sea county: ESSEX.  Located north-east of London.

20. German steel city: ESSEN. Eight of the 100 largest publicly held German corporations are head-quartered there.

21. Offered an arm to: ESCORTED.  As into a formal event.

23. Basics: ABCS.  

25. Ming most look up to: YAO.  Because he is 7'6" tall.  He started his basketball career in Shanghai, China, then played for the Houston Rockets from 2002-2011. He was an 8-time all star.

29. Literate: WELL READ.  

34. __ Vegas: LAS.  Sin City, it's been called.

35. Marks for removal: DELES.  To be deleted.

37. "Inferno" poet: DANTE. From whom we get out modern, and at best only marginally Biblical concepts of hell and the devil.

38. Story lines: ARCS.  

42. Tolkien trilogy, to fans: LOTR.  Lord Of The Rings.

43. Remains: STAYS.

45. It's usually not a hit: SIDE-B.  Now here is some nostalgia - referring to the presumably less popular song on one side of a 45 RPM phonograph record.
 
47. Toon crime fighter __ Possible: KIM.  An American animated action comedy-adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney Channel. The title character is a teenage girl tasked with fighting crime on a regular basis while coping with everyday issues commonly associated with adolescence.  It ran from 2002 to 2007, and was a favorite of our oldest granddaughter.

48. Spread throughout: PERMEATE.

52. Pipe plastic: PVC. PolyVinyl Chloride is the third most widely produced thermoplastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene.

53. Like cotton candy: SPUN.

54. Sticky stuff: ADHESIVE.  Glue

58. Facebook action: SHARE.

62. Unverified word: RUMOR.  A circulating story of uncertain or doubtful truth.

65. Tony winner Menzel: IDINA.  She originated the role of Elphaba Thropp in the Broadway musical Wicked in 2003.  Later she sang some songs in animated Disney movies.

 

 66. The M in BLT?: MAYO.   As an option.

67. Artist's quarters: LOFT.   An upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof, presumably with north light..

 
68. Record material: VINYL.  Here, phonograph records and PVC make another appearance - together.

69. Chopped side dish: SLAW.  Cabbage fragments, typically with a 66 A- based dressing.

70. Some traffic court cases: Abbr.: DWIS.  Driving While Intoxicated.

Down:

1. New Haven school: YALE. Where the Elis roam.

2. Musical work: OPUS.  These are given numbers, approximately in the order of publication date. 40 A is Beethoven's OPUS 67.

3. H.S. proficiency tests: GEDS.  General Educational Development, indicating an approximate equivalence to a high school diploma.

4. Oath beginning: I SWEAR.  And you'd better tell the truth.

5. XK-E, for short: JAG.  The Jaguar E Class, Marketed in the U.S. as the XK-E, was manufactured from 1961 to 1975.

6. Seasonal aides: ELVES.  Santa's helpers, also known as subordinate clauses.

7. Greek vowels: ETAS.  Notable, because they look like h's.

8. It makes cents: ZINC.  Usually when mixed with copper.

9. Important gem in Oz: EMERALD.  I was thinking in Australia, which would be the OPEL.  But it doesn't have enough letters.  In the wonderful land of OZ, there is the EMERALD city.

11. Gaelic language: ERSE. A Scottish or Irish language.

12. Watched closely: EYED.  Peered at.

13. Touchdown points: SIX.  The kicked extra point used to be automatic, but many have been missed this season.

18. __ humor: grumpy: IN BAD.  Irascible.

22. Bony Olive: OYL.  Popeye's often disloyal girlfriend.

Wikipedia

24. Musical symbol: CLEF.

26. Bracelet fastener: CLASP.  Hook and lock mechanism.

27. Gold rush storyteller: HARTE.  Francis Brett HARTE [1836-1902]  was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for his short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. 

28. "The Odd Couple" roommate: OSCAR. Madison and Felix Unger from the Neil Simon play and the resulting movie and TV series.

29. Group self-pic, in slang: WEFIE.  Everybody crowd in tight.

30. Started, as a co.: ESTD.  Established

31. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI.  Sounds like a minor Star Wars character.  But it is a  mushroom that naturally grows on the stumps of the Chinese hackberry tree (Celtis sinensis, "enoki" in Japanese) and on other trees, such as ash, mulberry and persimmon trees.

32. Web site: ATTIC.  Not the world wide web - the top floor of a house that seldom gets entered by a human.

33. Stuffed Jewish dish also called kishke: DERMA.  Make it here.

36. Itemize: LIST.   

41. Dickens sycophant: HEEP.   Uriah, a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his 1850 novel David Copperfield. Heep is one of the main antagonists of the novel. His character is notable for his cloying humility, unctuousness, obsequiousness, and insincerity, making frequent references to his own "'umbleness". 

44. A few: SEVERAL.  Less than many.

46. Salon item: BRUSH.  

49. Summer coolers, briefly: ACS.  Air Conditioners, not cooling drinks.

51. Indefinitely suspended: ON HOLD.  In limbo.

53. "Later!": SEE YA.  TTYL.

54. Autobahn auto: AUDI.  Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer that designs, engineers, produces, markets and distributes luxury vehicles.  It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.

55. Key of the 26-Across 39-Down: Abbr.: D-MINor.  Has one flat.  And should probably have been included with the theme entries.

56. System/360s, e.g.: IBMS.  Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems?  Nope. Just a family of mainframe computer systems from IBM that were delivered between 1965 and 1978.

57. Piccata meat: VEAL.  It is sliced, dredged in flour, browned, then served in a sauce containing lemon juice, butter, and capers.  Yum!

59. Openly declare: AVOW.  Or Aver.  Always needs perps.

60. Mortgagee's option, for short: REFInance.  Looking for a lower interest rate and/or monthly payments.

61. Laryngitis docs: ENTS.  Ear, Nose and Throat specialists.

62. Ohio or Mississippi: Abbr.: RIV.  River

64. Auto club service: TOW.  As, frx, when my transmission decided to stop transmitting 20 miles north of Muskegon, and 200 miles from home.  That was fun.

So we reach the coda of another Wednesday, melody complete and chords resolved.  And every day is somebody's birthday.  HBD, if it's yours.

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Cossword - Wednesday, Nov. 18 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Let's go to the unifier.

57 A. Rock genre ... and a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues: HEAVY METAL.  A blues influenced type of music developed in England ca. 1980, characterized by a dominant, repeating bass line, distortion, and extended guitar solos.  Heavy Metals are metallic elements that have high weight or density A few show up in the theme fill.  Some others are cadmium, mercury and gold.

17. *Mind reader's obstacle, some believe: TIN FOIL HAT.  The idea being that the metal will insulate the brain from electromagnetic radiation.  Also indicates belief in unscientific or conspiracy theory ideas.  As a foil wrapping material, TIN has long since been replaced by aluminum.

24 A. *20th-century political symbol: IRON CURTAIN.  A political and physical barrier that separated Counties with ties to the USSR from those that were independent or tied to NATO.  Iron is a common element and vital nutrient.

33 A. *Metaphor for a failure: LEAD BALLOON.  A heavy BALLON is doomed to sink.  LEAD is the basis for solder.

48 A. *Symbol of inherited wealth: SILVER SPOON.  To be born with it in ones mouth.  Silver isn't just heavy, it's a precious metal.

Hi gang.  JzB here.  Had some technical difficulty so this will be sketchy.  Lo siento.

Across:

1. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist: SADAT.  Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat was an Egyptian politician who served as the third President of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981.

6. Officiates: REFS.  Acts as an arbiter in sporting events.

10. Painter of limp watches: DALI.  Salvador [1904-1989] 

14. Spanish Olympian's goal: EL ORO.  The Gold.

15. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO.  Literal, in Spanish

16. Turkey neighbor: IRAN.  I was thinking mashed potatoes.  But this is geography, and that is next week

19. Expansive: VAST.

20. Caddie's bagful: TEES.  Wooden pegs that support the ball for the first stroke on a golf hole.

21. Cruel: MEAN. Nasty

22. Trigger, for one: HORSE.  With famous cowboy Roy Rogers.

23. St. whose name is part of its capital's name: IND.  Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

26. Tattoo tool: NEEDLE.  For body art

28. Took a time out: RESTED.  Had a nap

29. They're shifted often in cities: GEARS.  Due to stop and go traffic.

30. Vicinity: AREA. Region.

38. Ages and ages: EONS.  Forever, more or less.

39. Italian fashion house: PRADA.  Founded in 1913.

42. Port ENE of Cleveland, OH: ERIE, PA.  

47. Closed in on: NEARED.  Approached

52. Coke alternatives: RCS.  Royal Crowns.

53. Jazz drummer Cozy and a king: COLES.  And another King

 

 54. Reasons: WHYS.

55. FDR's dog: FALA.

56. Business envelope abbr.: ATTN.   Attention - somebody. Routing direction

59. Full of pizzazz: PERT.

60. Alleviate: EASE.

61. Dino's love: AMORE.  Of course.

 

 62. Slow Churned ice cream brand: EDY'S.  Founded in 1928.

63. Seals, to sharks: PREY.  Things they eat.

64. Elements in playground banter: DARES.  Double Dares and double dog dares.

Down:

1. Backdrop: SETTING.

2. Property recipient, in law: ALIENEE.  Strange legalese.

3. Fait accompli: DONE DEAL.  Finished.  The End!

4. Kennel sounds: ARFS.  Dog utterances.
 
5. Also: TOO.  In addition.

6. Loggers' contest: ROLEO.  Log rolling contest.

7. Actor Hawke: ETHAN. [b 1970] American actor, writer, and director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards and a Tony Award. 

8. Swiss capital: FRANC.  Money.

9. Lush: SOT.  Drunkard.

10. "Replace all __": golf course reminder: DIVOTS.  Little chunks of planet earth lifted with gold clubs.  They must be replaced before you chase your ball.

11. Mount in Genesis: ARARAT.  Where Noah landed.

12. Heroic TV dog: LASSIE.  From 1954 to 1973

13. Have in mind: INTEND.  Mean to.

18. '50s Hungarian premier Nagy: IMRE.  A Hungarian communist politician who served as Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Hungarian People's Republic from 1953 to 1955. In 1956 Nagy became leader of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 against the Soviet-backed government, for which he was executed two years later.

22. Longtime Eur. realm: HRE.  Holy Roman Empire

24. To whom Rick said, "We'll always have Paris": ILSA.  From the classic 1942 movie Casablanca.

25. Caspian Sea feeder: URAL.  River to sea.

27. Hip-hop Dr.: DRE.  Andre Romelle Young, known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, audio engineer, record executive, entrepreneur, and actor.

30. Blood-typing letters: ABO.  Types are A, B, AB, and O, based on the presence or absence of two genes.  It is important to match donor and recipient types for blood transfusions and organ transplants.

31. Hightailed it: RAN. Escaped, perhaps.

32. Over-the-street transports: ELS.  Above street level rapid transit systems.

34. Cherished: DEAR.  Beloved

35. Inviting store window sign: OPEN.  Come in and pend your money

36. U.K. singer Rita: ORA.  Rita Sahatçiu Ora (b.1990] is a British singer and actress. 

37. Ishmael, in "Moby Dick": NARRATOR.

40. Announce: DECLARE.

41. Much of Google's income: AD SALES.

42. Break out: ESCAPE.  High tailed it and ran.

43. Ran amok: RIOTED.  One person can act in an out of control and disruptive manner.  It takes a crowd to riot.

44. "Do your best" response: I'LL TRY.  Or not.

 

 45. Decathlon's 10: EVENTS.  This is a competition held over two days.  The events are: First day - 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m; Second day -  110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m.

46. Latin foot: PES.  Literal.

47. Like an eavesdropper, say: NOSY. Too interested in other people's business.

49. Talk a blue streak?: SWEAR.  A string of "blue" language.  Clever.

50. New moon, e.g.: PHASE.  The moon's phases change over 28 days.

51. Yiddish "Yikes!": OY VEY.  Expression of dismay, surprise or alarm.

55. Disaster relief org.: FEMA. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

57. Cool, once: HEP.  Is "cool" even cool thee days?

58. Bonkers: MAD.  Insane.

That wraps us another Wednesday [but not in TIN foil.]  Stay healthy and have a safe Thanksgiving.

Cool Regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword - Wednesday, November 4, 2020 Mike Peluso

Theme: Stay on the right track ~ or ~ We are well trained.

This is best explained by starting with the unifier.

59A. Engineer, brakeman and conductor ... and what the ends of the answers to starred clues comprise?: TRAIN CREW.  Those named professionals are indeed the CREW of a TRAIN.  The theme answers will make a TRAIN CREW of a different sort.

16 A. *Person to emulate: ROLE MODEL.  This is the person who is a standout at what s/he does, performing at the highest level, getting the most done, and showing the right way to do it.  A MODEL TRAIN is a scaled down representation of a real TRAIN, used in the hobby of Rail Transport Modeling, which can be extremely elaborate and realistic.  

23 A.  *Thanksgiving condiment: TURKEY GRAVY.   Gravy is a sauce often made from the juices of meat - in this case, TURKEY, that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with wheat flour or corn starch for added texture.  It is typically served in a GRAVY boat.  The GRAVY TRAIN is a situation where one can make a great deal of money with very little effort.

35. *Effective remedy with little downside: MAGIC BULLET.  A medicine or other problem solving remedy, especially one newly discovered or unexpected with wonderful or highly specific properties.  A BULLET TRAIN is a high speed passenger rail transport that uses an integrated system of specialized rolling stock and dedicated tracks. They run at least 160 miles per hour, and some systems exceed 200 miles per hour.

50 A. *A high-profile trial might become one: MEDIA CIRCUS.  This is any news event that attracts coverage that is excessive in degree and/or duration, or out of proportion to the event being covered.  This is often also magnified by sensationalistic reporting.  A CIRCUS TRAIN is transportation to take a CIRCUS company from one venue to the next.

 

Across:

1. Band with an electrical symbol in their logo: AC/DC.

 

  5. Youngest woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, familiarly: AOC.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [b 1989,] also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 14th congressional district.

8. Aromatic herb: SAGE.  Salvia officinalis is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It has a long history of culinary and medicinal use.

12. Church divide: AISLE.  The passage between the rows of seats, benches or pews.

14. Rapping MD?: DRE.  Andre Romelle Young [b. 1955,] known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, audio engineer, record executive, entrepreneur, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, 

15. Mariano Rivera's record 652: SAVES.  Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most of his career as a relief pitcher and served as the Yankees' closer for 17 seasons.  

A relief pitcher recording a save must preserve his team's lead while doing one of the following:

- Enter the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitch at least one inning.

- Enter the game with the tying run in the on-deck circle, at the plate or on the bases.

- Pitch at least three innings.  [Source]

18. LGBTQ part, briefly: TRANS. This designation, along with it many variants, refers to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender.

19. Wavelike pattern: MOIRE.  A large-scale interference pattern that can be produced when an opaque ruled pattern with transparent gaps is overlaid on another similar pattern. For the moiré interference pattern to appear, the two patterns must not be completely identical, but rather displaced, rotated, or have slightly different pitch. [Wikipedia]

20. "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" singer Kathy: MATTEA.   Kathleen Alice Mattea (b. 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reached No. 1.

 

 21. Arafat's gp., once: PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization.

26. Nigerian pop star: SADE.  Helen Folasade Adu [b 1959] known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade [pronounced Shad-day, don't ask me why] was born in Nigeria, but brought up in England. She has had an enormously successful career.

 

 28. Brief moments: SECS.  Seconds, briefly.

29. Notable times: ERAS.  Jazz, for example

30. Summer beverage: ICE TEA.  Brewed TEA served over ICE.  Let the ICE - ICED controversy commence.

33. "__ Tu": 1974 hit: ERES.

 

 39. Spoken: ORAL.  Communicated using vocal sounds.

40. Trickeries: FRAUDS.  Fakes, phonies, shams.

43. Tel __: AVIV.  Tel AVIV Yafo, to be complete, is a city on Israel's Mediterranean coast with a population of 460, 613.

47. Brown and blonde: ALES.  Less hoppy than IPAs.

49. Cream or Nirvana: TRIO.  Groups of three musicians.

54. Red Sox rivals, on scoreboards: NYY.  New York Yankees.

55. Literally, French for "again": ENCORE.  Makes sense.

56. Perot of politics: H ROSS.

 

  58. Memphis tourist street: BEALE.  One of the city's main tourist attractions.

 

 63. Gillette razors: ATRAS.

64. Carrier to Tokyo: ANA.  All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd is Japan's largest airline.

65. Hotel patron: GUEST.  Paying customer.

66. Lays down the lawn: SODS.  Puts rolls of grass in place.  Nice word play.

67. Time out?: NAP.  "Out" meaning asleep.  

68. Palm gadgets, briefly: PDAS.  Personal Data Assistants.  Mobile devices which function as personal information managers.  Now pretty much displaced by muti-functional smart phones.

Down:

1. Swiss river: AAR.  A tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.  Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about 295 kilometers (183 mi.)

2. Corp. tech exec: CIO.  The Chief Information Officer is the company executive responsible for the management, implementation, and usability of information and computer technologies.

3. Internet connector via phone line: DSL MODEM.  Digital Subscriber Line is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines.  A modem – a portmanteau of "modulator-demodulator" – is a hardware device that converts data from a digital format.

4. Jazz singer Laine: CLEO.   Clementine Dinah Bullock (b 1927) is an English jazz and pop singer and an actress, known for her scat singing and for her vocal range. 

 

 5. Venomous snakes: ADDERS.  Any of several groups of venomous snakes of the family Viperidae, fond in various parts of the world.

6. Tram load: ORE.  In mining.  

7. Disney frame: CEL.  A special or limited edition version of artwork from an animated cartoon.

8. "No Exit" dramatist: SARTRE.  Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre ]1905 –1980] was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. 

9. Personal user pic: AVATAR.  An electronic image that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user.

 
10. Lake on the French/Swiss border: GENEVA.

11. Op-ed pieces: ESSAYS. 

13. Send out: EMIT.  As, frex., radio waves or light. 

15. Alone, at a party: STAG.  

17. Christian sch. in Tulsa: ORU.  Oral Roberts University.

20. Whitman "53-Down" subject: MYSELF.   SONG of MYSELF is a poem by Walt Whitman (1819–1892) that is included in his work Leaves of Grass. It has been credited as "representing the core of Whitman's poetic vision."

21. 23rd of 24: PSI.  Psi (Greek) (Ψ, ψ), the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet. In both Classical and Modern Greek, the letter indicates the combination /ps/ (as in English word "lapse").

22. SupÈrieur, par exemple: LAC.  One of the Great Lakes, in French.

24. Company with spokes-elves: KEEBLER.  They make cookies.

25. Hose color: ECRU.  Originally, the natural color of unbleached linen.  It became more precisely defined as "a grayish yellow that is greener and paler than chamois or old ivory."  ECRU comes from the French word écru, which means "unbleached."

27. LAX posting: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival at Los Angeles International Air Port.

31. Star quality?: EGO.  Quality - I'm not so sure.  More precisely, a characteristic.

32. The Red Baron, for one: AIR ACE.   A flying ace, fighter ace or AIR ACE is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.  Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen [1892-1918,] known in English as the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories.

34. Canon initials: SLR. Single Lens Reflex, a type of camera.

36. Colombian metropolis: CALI.  Santiago de Cali, or CALI, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with an 2,227,642 residents.

 
37. Have: EAT.  Consume.

38. Gets embarrassed, maybe: TURNS RED.

41. Tinkerer's abbr.: DIY. Do It Yourself.

42. Versatile bean: SOY.

43. One-celled critters: AMEBAS.   Unicellular organisms which have the ability to alter their shapes, primarily by extending and retracting pseudopods.

44. Rome's Via __: VENETO.  One of the most famous, elegant, and expensive streets of Rome, Italy. The street is named after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (1918), a decisive Italian victory of World War I.

45. Bouncer's request: ID CARD.  Needed to bet in, or he will bounce you out.

46. Members of string 49-Acrosses: VIOLAS.  Remember, 49 A was a musical trio.  Violas are the alto voices of the viol family, pitched a fifth below the violin, and an octave above the cello.

This is the shortest example of a string trio I could find.  Takes a bit to get going, but is really quite beautiful.

 

 48. ESPN commentator Jeremy: SCHAAP.  Jeremy Albert Schaap (b.1969) is an American sportswriter, television reporter, and author. Schaap is an eleven-time Emmy Award winner for his work on ESPN's E:60, SportsCenter, and Outside the Lines.

51. Mars, to Greeks: ARES.  Two views of the God of War

52. Sch. with a Providence campus: URI.  University of Rhode Island.

53. Tune: SONG. Melody.  We have a few today.

57. Atlantic food fish: SCUP. The scup (Stenotomus chrysops) is a fish which occurs primarily in the Atlantic from Massachusetts to South Carolina.[1] Along with many other fish of the family Sparidae, it is also commonly known as porgy.  First I've ever heard of it.

59. Beach tone: TAN.  Could be the color of the sand; could be the darkening of hour skin from the sun's rays.

60. Genetic material: RNA.  Ribonucleic acid.  It's complicated.

61. That, to Pedro: ESA. Spanish

62. Pkg. measures: WTS.  Weights.

OK, folks, we've reached the end of the line.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.  You know how I love to link music vids.  We had a trainload of them today, and a lot of variety.  Adios, for now.  Stay safe, wear a mask, and wash your hands.  Winter is coming.

Cool regards,

JzB

Thinking About Jesus - and The Buddha

The women's book club [via Zoom] at our church recently finished Holy Envy, subtitled Finding God in the Faith of Others, by Barbara Brown Taylor.  My lovely wife enjoyed the book and passed it on to my with a positive review.

It's good, She writes well, thoughtfully and honestly.  But early in Chapter 2, these words comparing the Buddha and Jesus, brought me up short.

"Christianity and Buddhism both recognize the centrality of suffering in human life.  Both stress compassion.  Both seek lasting peace."

OK - so far, so good.  Then this happened.

"Beyond that, they could not see things more differently.  The Buddha shows his followers how to achieve salvation.  Jesus achieves it for his.  The Buddha says the problem is ignorance.  Jesus says the problem is sin.  The Buddha says the self is impermanent.  Jesus says it is destined for eternal life.  I am pretty sure those teachers could stay up all night talking  .  .  ."

Now, Ms Taylor is an ordained Episcopal Priest and I am just an old man.  But I think she is largely getting Jesus wrong.  He was a Jew in first century Roman occupied Palestine.  As I understand it, Jews then, and to this day, have between little and no concern for the afterlife.  So questions of salvation and eternal life almost certainly meant very little to him.  Jesus seems not to think about sin as rule breaking, but rather doing wrong to somebody.  Further, he isn't achieving our salvation [though, admittedly, this is the prominent Christian view,] rather, he is setting an example for how to live rightly. 

The Greek word in the NT that is translated as "eternal" is a modifier that also can raise the word it modifies to its highest level.  So, eternal life is the best possible life and eternal punishment is the most severe.  There is no need to bring in the non-Jewish concepts of heaven and hell.

Jesus was very much abut the here and now, and taking care of the other, most especially the needy and oppressed.  2000 years of Christian dogma have badly distorted what the Gospels say about him.

L.A. Times X-word Wednesday, October 21 Mike Peluso

Theme - The unifier says it all, so let's start there.

38. Cautionary workplace axiom ... or a hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues: SAFETY FIRST.  A statement advising caution to prevent accidents and injuries.  The word SAFETY combines with the beginning of each theme answer to yield an in-the-language phrase.

16. *Old bowling alley employee: PIN SETTER.  Before there were automatic pin setting machines,  this job was done by hand, and it was dangerous.  A SAFETY PIN is a pin with a point that is bent back to the head and is held in a guard when closed.

23. *Pass prevention strategy: ZONE DEFENSE.  In football, a strategy in which defensive players are responsible for certain areas of the field to deter passing into that area.  A SAFETY ZONE is a marked area at or near a roadway for pedestrians, such as a bus stop.

50. *Bad homes for critics?: GLASS HOUSES.  Figuratively, a position in which one's vulnerabilities with regard to a certain issue are exposed, used as an admonition to avoid hypocrisy.  SAFETY GLASS is a type of product designed to resist breakage, or be less likely to cause serious injury when broken.  I spent the majority of my professional life dealing with it, and could go on at great length, but will spare you all of that

61. *One-on-one golf competition: MATCH PLAY.  A type of play in which the score is determined by the number of holes won rather than the total number of strokes.  A SAFETY MATCH is one that will only light when struck against a specific surface.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on duty to keep up all safe today.  Let's see what hazards this puzzle presents.

Across:

1. "... where the sun / Came peeping in at __": Thomas Hood: MORN.  That's starting the day off right.

5. Willie Mays, twice: MVP.  Most Valuable Player - an honor bestowed upon an individual for outstanding performance.  

8. Bowler's test: SPLIT. A situation where the first ball of a frame knocks down the head pin, but leaves standing two or more non-adjacent pins.

13. Carpet calculation: AREA.  Total amount of floor to be covered.

14. China setting: ASIA.  The continent.

15. Soccer star Rossi: PAOLO. [b 1956] His career spanned from 1973 to 1987. He is regarded as one of the best Italian players of all time. 

18. Cry of dismay: OY VEY.  From German, via Yiddish.  The English equivalent is "Woe is me."

19. Country singer Womack: LEE ANN. [b1966] 

 

 20. Even things: ATONE.  Make amends or reparation.

22. Part of ESL: Abbr.: ENGlish as a second language.

28. Editor's change of heart: STET.  Indication that a correction or alteration should be ignored.

30. "I agree!": AMEN.  An utterance meaning "So be it."

31. It's north of Afr.: EUR.  The continents of Africa and Europe.

32. Not very exciting: HO-HUM.  Boring.

35. Seasickness symptom: NAUSEA.  Stomach upset with an inclination to vomit.

40. Elk: WAPITI.  From the Shawnee language.

42. Pre-discount prices: LISTS.  Manufacturers' suggested retail prices

43. Not well: ILL.  Sick

44. Dollop: GLOB. A lump of a semi-liquid substance.

46. Pacino's voice, at times: RASP.  Rough talk, talked roughly.

55. Golf standard: PAR.  The number of strokes a first-class played is expected to require to complete a hole.

56. Deal with: SEE TO.

57. Capitol feature: CUPOLA.  A dome.

59. Like four Sandy Koufax games: NO HIT.  A complete game in which the pitcher give up no hits to the opposing team.

64. It's good in Chile: BUENO.  Translation into Spanish

65. Agree with: ECHO.  Repeat the same thing.

66. Shoppe modifier: OLDE.

67. Shakespearean forest: ARDEN.  A wooded area in Warwickshire, Eng.

68. 2000s TV forensic technician, to pals: DEX. A show set in Miami in which Dexter, the eponymous hero, is a forensic specialist by day who by night hunts down and murders murderers who have escaped the law.

69. Fly high: SOAR.  Flew so high my arms are sore

Down:

1. Breakfast condiment sources: MAPLES.  Syrup suppliers.

2. Get one's bearings: ORIENT.  Align or position something relative to defined reference points.

3. Go back on a promise: RENEGE.  From medieval Latin meaning to deny. 

4. Org. in the biodrama "Hidden Figures": NASA. National Aeronautic and Space Administration. Tells the story of the African-American women who made outstanding contributions to the space program, while dealing with oppressive sex and race discrimination.

5. WY winter hrs.: MST. Mountain Standard Time.

6. Compete: VIE. Strive for victory or superiority.

7. Pre-Rose Bowl tradition: PARADE.

8. Many an "SNL" skit: SPOOF.  satirical skit

9. Two-time U.S. Open winner Stewart: PAYNE.

10. Illicit rendezvous site: LOVE NEST.

 

Close enough

 11. La Corse, par exemple: ILE.  The Island of Corsica, in French.

12. Play (with): TOY.  A verb that looks like a noun.  You can TOY with a TOY.

14. 53 for I, e.g.: AT. NO. The Atomic Number for Iodine.

17. Split __: New Zealand band: ENZ

. 

From 1980

 21. Court sport: TENNIS.  It's a racket.

24. Astro's finish?: NAUT.   They didn't quite get to the World Series, so, yeah - they're finished  But, sorry, this is a really ugly clue for an affix.

25. Harris of country: EMMY LOU.

 

 26. Take to court: SUE.  Institute legal proceedings against (a person or institution), typically for redress.

27. Stat for Justin Verlander: ERA.  Earned Run Average.  JV had a series of injuries this year,  the most recent requiring Tommy John surgery, which he had about 3 weeks ago.  He only pitched 6 innings this year, and will miss the 2021 season.

29. Spicy cuisine: THAI.  Available in a variety of heat levels.  I like to get something made with coconut milk.

33. Time and again, to Yeats: OFT.  Often, to me.

34. Driver's license datum: HEIGHT.  Not my first thought, but there it is.

36. Poetic verb: ART.  [archaic] As in thou ART . . . [fill in the blank.]

37. Cold War letters: USSR.  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  Our foes in those days, and the Russians still to this day. 

38. Made waves?: SPLASHED.  Moved water with your hands or feet.

39. Slight fabrications: FIBS.  At what point does a FIB become a lie?

40. Freak (out): WIG.  Go ape.

41. Every bit: ALL.  The whole enchilada.

45. Rose ominously: LOOMED.  Appeared in an impressively great form as an impending occurrence, usually in a dangerous or threatening manner.

47. Swing era Harlem hot spot: APOLLO.  Read about it here.

48. Tea since 1892: SALADA.  An innovation in foil packaging preserved freshness and a more uniform flavor.  This lead to great commercial success in the early 1900's.

49. Supplication: PRAYER.  Petition or entreaty from a position of humility.

51. River to the English Channel: SEINE.  It is 482 miles long and drains most of northern France.

52. Resolute about: SET ON.  Bound and determined, as the old phrase had it.

53. Danish shoe brand: ECCO.  It was founded in 1963, and now produces other leather goods.

54. NFL defensive end Ndamukong __: SUH. [b 1987] He has played for the Lions, Dolphins and Rams, and is currently with the Buccaneers.

58. Med. plan options: PPOS. Preferred Provider Organizations.  A PPO is a type of managed care program of medical service providers that offers reduced rates to clients.

59. Home to Kings: Abbr.: NBA. In the National Basketball Association, the Sacramento Kings finished 12th in the Western Division

60. "__ Gang": OUR.

62. Versatile card: ACE.  Can be the highest or lowest card in various games.

63. "Much appreciated," in texts: THX. Thank you!

That completes another Wednesday.  Stay SAFE out there - wear a mask, keep you social distance, and wash your hands

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A Times Crossword Wednesday, October 7, 2020 Ed Sessa

Theme: The unifier says it all.

63. Making a killing in Vegas ... or what happens in 17-, 28- and 47-Across: BREAKING THE BANK.  Winning a bigger pot than the house can pay.  Alternatively, buying things beyond your ability to pay for them.   Here in the puzzle, it's a book end theme, where the letters of the word BANK begin and and the theme answers.

17 A. Substantial return: BANG FOR ONE'S BUCK.  Getting a substantial return for your investment in time, money or other resources.

28 A. Color named for a dancer: BALLERINA PINK.  Not a particular dancer, but a category of dancer. 

Also available as a paint color

47. Bleeping: BLANKETY BLANK. In broadcasting, profanity and colorful language is often covered over with a bleep sound.  People sometimes substitute BLANKETY BLANK for similar wording n daily conversation.  Either way, the meaning and intent are usually pretty clear.

The first two split BANK down the middle, and the last one after the B.  It would have been more elegant to split them all the same, all different, or put the odd one in the middle; but sometimes life ain't easy.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, hoping today's puzzle isn't to costly.  Let's see what we can afford.

Across:

1. Something to pay: DEBT.  An old song has it: "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go."  

5. "Nothing's broken": I'M OK.  Words sometimes spoken after a fall.

9. Lawn game: BOCCE.  Read about it here.

14. Fir fellers: AXES.  Tools for cutting down trees.

15. Cool off in a shallow stream, say: WADE.  Walk through [ not on] water.  This should cool your feet.

16. Weasley family owl: ERROL.  From HARRY POTTER.

20. Popeye's nemesis: BLUTO.

This guy

21. Zagreb native: CROAT.  Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia.

22. Salon creations: DOS.  Something done to hair.

23. NCR product: ATM.  Automatic Teller Machine, a device for making deposits and withdrawals.  Not likely to break the bank.  Or this.

24. "You betcha": YAH.  For sure!

26. Mohel's rite: BRIS.  The Jewish circumcision ceremony performed on a male child on the 8th day after birth.

34. Dodger who befriended Jackie Robinson: REESE.  Harold Peter Henry Reese, aka Peewee [1918-1999] played shortstop for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers from 1940 to 1958.  He was a 10 time all star, and helped his team win 7 National League championships.  As a double play combination with Robinson at 2nd base, they became fast friends and remained so for the rest of their lives.

35. Peter of "The Maltese Falcon": LORRE.   László Löwenstein [1904 – 1964) was a Hungarian-American actor of Jewish descent.  He left Germany when Hitler came to power, and went on to a long career in the movies.  He was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960

36. Word of regret: ALAS.  It traces back to the Latin word lassus, meaning weary, coming into Middle English via old French.  

39. Sudden burst: SALVO.  A sudden aggressive act, or a simultaneous discharge of weaponry in battle.

42. 9/11 Commission chair Tom: KEAN. Thomas Howard Kean Sr. [b 1935] was the 48th governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.  After that he was president of Drew University until retiring in 2005.  He is most famous for chairing the  National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States in 2002.

 

43. Star transports: LIMOS.  Fancy wheels for celebrities of all types, as well as some prom attendees.

45. Emulated Van Winkle, after 20 years: AWOKE.  I had no idea I emulated this fictional character every morning.  The things you learn!

51. Toni Morrison novel: SULA.  Her second novel, published in 1973.

52. Reluctantly absorb, as a loss: EAT.  Causes indigestion.

53. Little bite: NIP.  

56. Admiral's rear: AFT.   Back end of a ship.

59. Toon duck triplet: LOUIE.  Huebert, Deuteronomy and Louis Duck are Donald's triplet nephews.  Packaged together, they are a box of quackers.

Duck, duck, duck

61. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE. [b 1962] is an American singer, song writer and actress.

66. Do the Thanksgiving honors: CARVE.  Turkey work, if you're a cut up

67. Start to scope: TELE.  Affix I'd like to tele to stop.

68. __ fixe: IDEE.  An idea or desire that dominates the mind - an obsession.

69. Pulled a fast one on: DUPED.  Deceived or tricked.

70. Beef bourguignonne, for one: STEW.  STEW for one?  Usually there are more diners.

 

 71. Old geopolitical states: Abbr.: SSRS.  Parts of the Soviet Union.

Down:

1. Flintstone word: DABBA.  Part of an expression of happiness or excitement.

 

 2. Hold in awe: EXALT.  From Latin, meaning to raise high.

3. Anesthetize: BENUMB.  More generally to deprive of physical or emotional feeling.

4. Air Force NCO: TSGT.  Technical Sergeant is the sixth enlisted rank (pay grade E-6) in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant.

5. __ Jima: IWO.  An island 750 miles south of Tokyo with 2 strategic airfields.  A major battle, eventually won by U.S. marine and naval forces, was fought there from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945.

6. Italian noblewoman: MARCHESA. 

7. Dump feature: ODOR.  You can smell it before you see it.

8. Jedi Master Obi-Wan __: KENOBI.  Mentor and friend to Aniken Skywalker [later Darth Vader] and as an older Jedi, mentor to Luke Skywalker.

9. Brutish: BESTIAL.  Nasty. 

10. Uranus, for one: ORB.  A planet, or, more generally, any sphere.

11. Scummy deposit: CRUD.  A dirty unpleasant substance.

12. Gabrielle Chanel, familiarly: COCO.  [1883 - 1971] A French fashion designer and business woman who founded the Chanel brand.

13. Fraternal order: ELKS.  The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order founded in 1868 originally as a social club in New York City.  The original purpose was to evade N.Y. restricting the hours for public taverns.  They now run various charitable activities,  including programs for youth and veterans.

18. British detective played by Michael Kitchen: FOYLE.

19. Deserve: EARN.  Merit via achievment.

25. Lager alternatives: ALES.  It's all beer to me.

27. Like many addresses: SPOKEN.  Not a street address unless you are speaking in the middle of the road.

29. Incendiary acts: ARSONS.  Starting fires criminaly.

30. Race for four, commonly: RELAY.  One runner at a time.

31. Dander: IRE.  Foul temper.

32. Gun lobby org.: NRA.  National Rifle Association.

33. "Jeopardy!" whiz Jennings: KEN.

36. Priest's white garment: ALB.  A full-length white linen ecclesiastical vestment with long sleeves that is gathered at the waist with a cincture.  From the Latin album, meaning white.

37. Unlike Abner, really: LI'L.  He was big

38. Geriatrician's gp.: AMA.  American Medical Association.

40. Bug on the road?: VW BEETLE.  The "people's car" was made from 1838 to 2003.  The New Beetle was introduced in 1997.  Production of another version continued until last year.

41. Dancing girl in "Return of the Jedi": OOLA.

 

She never looks happy

 

44. Moved stealthily: SKULKED.  Kept out of sight, typically with a sinister or cowardly motive.  From Scandinavian language into Middle English, similar to lurk. 

46. Journalist Couric: KATIE.  Katherine Anne Couric[b. 1957] is an American television and online journalist, presenter, producer, and author. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company.

48. Wells' sci-fi race: ELOI.  In the year 802701 A.D. they are a happy, simple people preyed up by the troglodyte-like Morlocks.  

49. Bully's array: TAUNTS.  Remarks made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone.

50. Works with dough: KNEADS.  Mixes the ingredients by hand.

54. Word with tube or circle: INNER.  

55. Some toys, briefly: PEKES.  Miniature dogs are referred to as toys.  This breed originated in China as a lap dog for royalty.

56. It's sung to the same tune as "Twinkle, twinkle": ABCD.  A alphabet song.

57. Lady of the Haus: FRAU.  Woman or wife in German

58. Md. athlete: TERP.  The University of Maryland was founded in 1856.  It's sport teams are called the Terrapins, or TERPS for short.

60. "__ a Kick Out of You": Porter song: I GET.

 

 62. Slugger's stats: RBIS.  Runs Batted In.

64. Latin greeting: AVE.  Hi, there!

65. Fell, as firs: HEW.  With AXES.

Hope you got your money's worth today.

Cool regards!

JzB