L.A. Times Crossword - Wednesday, July 30, 2023 Rebecca Goldstein

Theme: CAFETERIA RUMBLE.  It's all about a lunch time brawl

Let's start with the unifier to make things clear.

62 A. Cafeteria combat epitomized by the actions in 17-, 36-, and 42-Across?: FOOD FIGHT.  This is a presumably not-too serious battle in which food stuffs are used as projectiles.  Serious or not, it's sure to make a mess.

17 A. Condiment often served with egg rolls: DUCK SAUCE.  This is a sweet-sour condiment made from plums or other fruit, with sugar, vinegar, ginger and chili peppers.  Its name may have originated from a similar sauce served with Peking Duck.  Here, though, DUCK is verb meaning to get low and out of the way, as from, perhaps, a thrown [or flying] DUCK.

36 A. Budget beef cuts: CHUCK STEAKS.   Or maybe the flung object could be  a rectangular cut of beef, about 2.5 cm thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones.  It could be CHUCKED, that is to say "thrown" of "heaved" from across the room.  [Such a waste.  Sad.]

42 A. Vegetables that rank high on the Scoville scale: FIRE PEPPERS.  Prairie fire peppers are a type of Capsicum Annuum, the same species that gives us jalapeño and bell peppers. However, unlike those mild peppers, prairie fire peppers are much hotter, with a Scoville heat range from 70,000 to 80,000 SHU. This heat is comparable to spicy Thai peppers, with a fruity flavor that sets them apart from your typical ornamental pepper.   These chilies are nine to thirty-two times hotter than jalapeño peppers.  To FIRE something is to throw or propel it with great force.  If a pepper hits you in the eye, let's hope it is of a mild variety.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to see if we can whip up some culinary delights, and get through the fray without any serious damage - or even a mess to clean up.

1. Arabic for "tower": BURJ.  As much as I like to give constructors a lot of leeway, and hate to start off on a sour note, I consider this entry to classify as a gratuitous obscurity.   Foreign words are, at best, second rate fill; and a word that is likely to be completely unknown to most solvers falls even lower.  Some grace could be given if the perps were easier than normal, but, alas, this is not the case.  Let's move on.

5. Hermana de la madre: TIA.  Your mother's sister is your aunt.  Another foreign word, but this one can be excused, as it's a word you could have encountered in daily life.  Plus, Spanish is a much more familiar language here in the USA.

8. "Skip me": I PASS.   It's my turn, but I don't want it.

13. State with Blue Jackets: OHIO.  The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team in the National Hockey League

14. Like bald tires: WORN.  A tire is WORN when the tread depth is depleted by use.  This can be dangerous, so get a new set.

16. Pastry in a pink box, in Los Angeles: DONUT.  A donut is a type of tire-shaped confection made from leavened fried dough.  No esta bien para los diabéticos.

19. "Drop it!": LET GO.  Either literally release your grip on something, or figuratively stop doing or thinking about something.

20. Extremely steep: SHEER.  Like a mountain cliff.

21. Circle or square: SHAPE.  The external form, contours, or outline of something.

23. Kings, on NBA scoreboards: SAC.  The Sacramento team in the National Basketball Association.

24. Queen Latifah's genre: RAP.  A type of popular music originating among African American communities in which words are recited rapidly and rhythmically over a prerecorded, typically electronic instrumental backing.

26. National Pickleball mo.: APR.  April.

Oh, yeah.. I LOVE this

27. Tined utensil: FORK.  In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to hold them to cut with a knife or to lift them to the mouth.

28. Loops in discreetly: BCCS.   Tricky clue.  Includes someone in a communication by Blind Copying them, i.e. eliminating their name form the published copy list

31. News letters: UPI.   United Press International, an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th century.  

33. Works for: EARNS.  Perceives a money payment for labor or services renderd.

35. NPR host Glass: IRA.    Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation.  I can't speak to the condition of his individual retirement account.

39. Cute nickname for a fuzzy pet: FUR BALL.   Self explanatory.

41. Reach new heights?: LEVEL UP.  A phrase from gaming meaning to finish one phase of the game and move on to the next, typically with new powers or abilities.  More generally, to improve one's self or some situation in a meaningful way.

44. "Yo," in Rio: OLA.  I recognize this word as informal greeting in English and Spanish.  The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, so let's assume it works there, as well..

45. Get a feeling: SENSE.  To have a thought about something based on real or imagined indirect clues, rather than factual information.

46. Go "vroom vroom": REV.  Increase the running speed of an engine or the engine speed of a vehicle by pressing the accelerator, especially while the clutch is disengaged.

47. Hideous: UGLY.  Unpleasant, especially in physical appearance.

48. Blow off steam: VENT.  The expression or release of a strong emotion, energy, etc.

49. Animal house?: ZOO.  Unlike the 1978 movie about a group a college misfits, this is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition, and often bred for conservation purposes.

51. Triage ctrs.: ERS.  Emergency Rooms, hospital departments that provides immediate treatment for acute illnesses and trauma.   Triage is the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required.

53. Rough calculation, briefly: EST.  Estimate.

54. Burdensome: HEAVY.  Oppressive or overwhelming, as of a task or situation.

56. Website with customizable RSVP options: EVITE.  A social-planning website for creating, sending, and managing online invitations. The website offers digital invitations with RSVP tracking. They also offer greeting cards, announcements, eGift cards, and party planning ideas. 

60. Performance platform: STAGE.  A raised floor or platform, typically in a theater, on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform.

64. Ski equipment: POLES.   Lightweight slender shafts used in skiing that have a handgrip and usually a wrist strap at one end and an encircling disk set above the point at the other end

65. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.  The Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge, is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque fishing villages and medieval castles. The largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from a mountainous interior. The town of Portree, a base for exploring the island, features harbourside pubs and boutiques.   MAP.

66. Fly high: SOAR.   As defined.

67. Church nooks: APSES.  Any large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.

68. Proterozoic or Hadean: EON.  An indefinite and/or very long period of time.  The Proterozoic Eon, meaning “earlier life,” is the eon of time after the Archean eon and ranges from 2.5 billion years old to 541 million years old. The Hadean Eon, named after the Greek god and ruler of the underworld Hades, is the oldest eon and dates from 4.5–4.0 billion years ago. This time represents Earth's earliest history, during which the planet was characterized by a partially molten surface, volcanism, and asteroid impacts.  Now - don't you suddenly feel young?

69. "Voyage to India" singer India.__: ARIE.  India Arie Simpson [b. 1975] also known as India Arie, is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Acoustic Soul, was released in 2001, and she has since released six more studio albums.   Voyage to India is an album.  You can listen to it here.

Down:

1. Figures, casually: BODS.  This had me thinking of numbers or geometry, but it refers to the shapes of human torsos - bodies, or BODS, informally.

2. "Nope": UH-UH.  Informal negation.

3. Sushi roll ingredient: RICE.  As a cereal grain, domesticated rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world's human population, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize.   A sushi roll is a type of sushi wrapped in seaweed; usually cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. Wild cards?: JOKERS.  A wild card is a playing card that can have any value, suit, color, or other property in a game at the discretion of the player holding it.  The Joker is a playing card found in most modern card decks, as an addition to the standard four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades).  it often acts as a wild card, but may have other functions such as the top trump, a skip card (forcing another player to miss a turn), the lowest-ranking card, the highest-value card or a card of a different value from the rest of the pack 

5. JFK hotel named for a defunct airline: TWA.   John F. Kennedy International Airport, colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK, is the main international airport serving New York City.   TWA is the only on-airport, AirTrain-accessible hotel at JFK  Trans World Airlines [TWA] was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until 2001 when it was acquired by American Airlines. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with Ford Trimotors. 

6. Chits: IOUS. An IOU (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging monitary debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as the time of repayment. 

7. Ancient: ARCHAIC.  Very old or old-fashioned - of an earlier eon, perhaps.

8. Waste time: IDLE.  This looks like an adjective, but here it's a verb, indicating doing nothing.

9. "The Raven" poet: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe [1809 - 1849] was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature.

10. Celery topped with peanut butter and raisins: ANTS ON A LOG.    A snack made by spreading peanut butter, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or another spread on celery, pretzels or bananas and placing raisins (diced olives, chocolate chips, etc.) on top. The snack and its name are presumed to be from the 1950s.   The classic peanut butter version of ants on a log is recommended as a healthy snack by the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

11. Day of the Dead symbol: SUGAR SKULL.   A sugar skull is a type of Calavera [any artistic representation of skulls or skeletons] or a representation of a human skull. These are called sugar skulls since they’re traditionally made of sugar. Today sugar skulls are often made of a variety of things like chocolate, nuts, and other treats. These skulls play a large role in the Day of the Dead. This holiday follows All Saints’ Day, and it’s a way for people to honor their dead. Families flock to gravesites, offering gifts and food for their ancestors. People join together to eat, drink, tell stories, and celebrate the circle of life.

12. Market share?: STOCK.   This is a nice word play and misdirection.  Market share means the portion of a commercial market controlled by a particular company or product.  A stock is a security that represents a fractional ownership in a company. When you buy a company's stock, you're purchasing a small piece of that company, called a share.  Shares of stock are bought and sold on the stock market.  Very tidy.

15. Semimonthly tide: NEAP.   This is a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water.

18. Mexican Mrs.: SRA.   Abbreviation of Señora, a title or form of address used of or to a Spanish-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.

22. Save for later, in a way: PRESERVE.  Assuming this is referring to food stuffs [and why not]  to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use.   Otherwise to keep something safe or intact.

25. "Gimme a break": PUH-LEEZE.   Used to express exasperation, protest, or disbelief.

27. Available: FREE.  As a day or time when one has unscheduled time, or unoccupied, as of a rest room.

28. "Back to the Future" bully: BIFF.

29. Port of call: CRUISE STOP.  Scheduled locations for the ship to dock so that passengers can have excursions on the land.  Granddaughter Amanda is on her 3rd cruise ship gig, traveling to stops in Alaska.

30. Wheels away?: CAR RENTALS.  Typically, this would indicate a rapid departure by vehicle.  But "Wheels," as a noun, is an also slang term for a vehicle, usually an automobile.  So  this clue refers to a CAR RENTAL when you are are away from home.  Clever.

32. Juicer discard: PULP.  The stringy fibre or crushed mass which is often removed from fruit juice

34. Dune buggies, e.g.: Abbr.: ATVS.  All Terrain Vehicles.

36. Lids offerings: CAPS. Lids or Hat World, Inc. is an American retailer specializing in athletic headwear. It primarily operates under the Lids brand with stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom plus various websites.  I did not know that.

37. Artist whose name is a homophone of a sculpture medium: KLEE.  Paul Klee [1879 - 1940]was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism.

38. Fix, as a dog: SPAY.   Sterilize a female animal by removing the ovaries.

40. Dog-eared, say: BENT.   The folded down the corner of a page of a book or magazine, typically to mark a place.  Collectors and librarians hate this.  Cf next entry.

43. Get a rise out of: PROVOKE.  Stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one, in someone.  

47. Document from an Amer. embassy: US VISA.  An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country, issued by the United States.

48. Milanese moped: VESPA.   Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from the vehicle's body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.

50. Bumblers: OAFS.   Stupid, uncultured, or clumsy persons.

52. WNBA official: REF.   Referee - an official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play.   Here, one such in the Women's National Basketball Association.  There are also Refs in many other leagues and sports.

54. Collectible toy truck brand: HESS.  Created as a way to provide a fun, high-quality, and affordable toy for families during the holiday season, the first Hess Toy Truck was introduced in 1964. Ever since, the annual release of a new toy truck is a highly anticipated event and a treasured holiday tradition for millions of families.

55. Toy with an Eiffel Tower trick: YO-YO.  A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE.

57. Rangers goalie Shesterkin: IGOR.  Igor Olegovich Shestyorkin (Russian: Игорь Олегович Шестёркин, commonly spelled as Shesterkin; born 30 December 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round, 118th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In his first 82-game season in 2021–22, Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.

58. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI.  Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai food, observes that unlike many other cuisines, Thai cooking is "about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all."

59. Raison d'__: ETRE.  The most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.

61. "Golly!": GEE.   A multi-purpose room in a home that can be used as a secondary living space, an office, an at-home library, a games room, a kid's playroom, and much more. It can be distinguished from other rooms like the living room and dining room because it functions as a more private and informal space. 

And so we end on that informal note.  I had my not, but despite that blemish this was a good puzzle with a tight theme and some lever clues.  Nope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, August 16, 2023 MaryEllen Luthlaut

Theme: Right on time.  In the language phrases are repurposed to describe arrivals in a way that relates to the thing that is arriving.   Let's have a look.

20 A. The ice cream truck arrived __: LICKETY SPLIT.  This phrase is of uncertain origin, but its meaning is clear - to achieve something very rapidly.  I'm guessing the relevant ice cream treat is a banana SPLIT. I would more likely LICK a cone, but OK.

33 A. The food truck arrived __: IN SHORT ORDER.  Another phrase that means to do something quickly. In a culinary sense, a SHORT ORDER is a dish which can be prepared and served quickly. So it fits.

42 A. The newspaper delivery van arrived __: WITH DISPATCH.  This phrase means quickly and efficiently.  A DISPATCH is a news report sent by a correspondent, often from a foreign land.  So the connection is perfect.

58 A. The race car arrived __: STRAIGHT AWAY.  This phrase means immediately.  A STRAIGHTAWAY is a straight section of a road or race track.  Another solid connection.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to register all these timely arrivals.  The levels of meaning here are impressive. Let's see what it takes to arrive at the end of this puzzle.

Across:

1. Pub hardware: TAPS.  A device to control the flow of liquid from a container.

5. Rotisserie rods: SPITS.  Thin pointed rods for holding meat over a fire. 

10. Peace and quiet: CALM.  A placid state, not showing anxiety or strong emotion.

14. Gaelic tongue: ERSE.  The Scottish or Irish Gaelic language.

15. Forearm bones: ULNAE.   The thinner and longer of the two bones in the human forearm, on the side opposite to the thumb.

16. Little of this, little of that: OLIO.   A miscellaneous collection of things.

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

18. Former first lady Bush: LAURA.  Laura Lane Bush [b. 1946] is the wife of former President George W. Bush and was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as the first lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. She is also the daughter-in-law of former president George H. W. Bush.

19. Voice above tenor: ALTO.  In typical 4 voice harmony, the alto is the voice pitched below soprano, and above tenor and bass

23. Firepit residue: ASH. The solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned 

24. Stop on the way home?: BASE.  In the game of baseball, a run is scored by progression from home plate, though 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base, and back to home late again.  I love this clever clue.

25. State strongly: ASSERT. State a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.  See my previous sentence.

29. Squish: STEP ON.  Specifically on something soft and -- well - squishy, so as to make a soft, squelching sound.

31. Echidna snack: ANT.   Echidnas, sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae. The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the only surviving members of the order Monotremata. The diet of some species consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the Americas, which (along with sloths and armadillos) are xenarthrans. Echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea.

32. Cultural org. with annual Jazz Master Fellowships: NEA.  The National Education Association is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers.

37. Not ajar: SHUT.   Closed tight, as a door.

40. Chest-beating beast: APE.  Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.  Unlike. monkeys, Apes do not have tails due to a mutation of the TBXT gene. 

41. Meat inspector's org.: USDA.   The United States Department of Agriculture is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food

47. Part of IPA: ALE.   Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to balance the malt and act as a preservative.

48. Baseball official: UMP.  Short for umpire.

49. Listening aid: EAR BUD.   A very small headphone, worn inside the ear.

53. Girl with a missing flock: BO PEEP.   The original story is about a little shepherdess who loses her sheep. Her name may have come from a 16th-century children's peek-a-boo game in England known as “Bo-Peep.” 

55. Alternative to fries: TOTS.  Potato products. 

57. Make a mistake: ERR.  Be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake.  Hey - it's only human.

61. Seats for the congregation: PEWS.   A long bench with a back, placed in rows in the main part of some churches to seat the congregation.

64. Get around: EVADE.  Escape or avoid, especially by cleverness or trickery.

65. Round of applause: HAND.  Informal usage of the word.

66. Diva's solo: ARIA.   A self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompaniment, normally part of a larger work. 

67. More resentful: SORER.  Angrier.  A clumsy word that you're unlikely to encounter in conversation.

68. Lakefront city between Cleveland and Buffalo: ERIE.  Erie [population ca. 94000] is a city in Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. Presque Isle State Park, a peninsula with beaches and trails, curves around Presque Isle Bay. Nearby, Waldameer Park & Water World has roller coasters and waterslides. The Erie Maritime Museum traces the history of Lake Erie and is the home port of the US Brig Niagara, an updated 19th-century ship. 

69. Oodles: MANY.  A whole big bunch.

70. Slim-necked swimmers: SWANS.   Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus Cygnus. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. 

Wikipedia

71. Cruel: MEAN.  Unkind, spiteful or aggressive in behavior.

Down:

1. Some electric cars: TESLAS.   Tesla, Inc. is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles, stationary battery energy storage devices from home to grid-scale, solar panels and solar roof tiles, and related products and services.

2. Skillful one: ARTIST.   A person skilled at a particular task or occupation.

3. Maiden loved by Cupid: PSYCHE.   the Greek goddess of the soul and often represented as a beautiful woman with butterfly wings. The name Psyche means "soul" in Greek.   She was born a mortal woman eventually granted immortality, with beauty that rivaled even Aphrodite, goddess of love.

4. Aim (to): SEEK.   Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve something.

5. Ottoman rulers: SULTANS.   A position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun sulṭah, meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty (i.e., not having dependence on any higher ruler) without claiming the overall caliphate, or to refer to a powerful governor of a province within the caliphate.

6. Stage performances: PLAYS.   Examples of a type of literary work that is designed for performance in a theater in front of an audience. A play is composed of dialogue between various characters and divided into acts and scenes to increase the dramatic effect. 

7. Not vacant: IN USE.  As, for example, a public rest room.

8. Weatherproof canvas: TARP.    A large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene.

9. Weatherproofing application: SEALANT.  Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through openings in materials, a type of mechanical seal. In building construction sealant is sometimes synonymous with caulk and also serve the purposes of blocking dust, sound and heat transmission. 

10. Layers: COATS.  Plies or applications of material to cover an object.

11. 100%: ALL.  Completely.

12. On: LIT.   Powered, as a light bulb.

13. Cow sound: MOO.  The deep vocal utterance of a bovine.

21. Jet, in poems: EBON.  Deep black.

22. Analogy phrase: IS TO.  A way of indicating a relational comparison.   A is to B as X is to Y 

26. Halts: ENDS.  Comes to a conclusion.

27. Marsh plant: REED.  Any of the tall, grass-like plants of wet places. They occur in reed beds. Reeds are many polyphyletic species, which have all adapted to this wet habitat by convergent evolution. It is a "form" name, not a technical botanical term.

28. Voice actress Strong: TARA.  Tara Lyn Strong [b. 1973] is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games.

30. __ helmet: safari accessory: PITH.  A lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of sholapith. The pith helmet originates from the Spanish military adaptation of the native salakot headgear of the Philippines.  Sholapith is dried milky-white spongey plant matter from Aeschynomene species.

31. Sphere: AREA.  An area of activity, interest, or expertise; a section of society or an aspect of life distinguished and unified by a particular characteristic.

34. Trunk hardware: HASP.  A slotted hinged metal plate that forms part of a fastening for a door or lid and is fitted over a metal loop and secured by a pin or padlock.

35. Like up and down: Abbr.: OPP.  Opposites.  

36. German mining region: RUHR.   A polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km² and a population of over 5 million, it is the largest urban area in Germany.

37. Forensic evidence collector: SWAB.   An absorbent pad or piece of material, often on a stick or rod, used in surgery and medicine for cleaning wounds and skin, applying medication, or taking specimens.

38. Largest city on Hawaii's largest island: HILO.  Hilo is on the Island of Hawaii.  The devastating wild fires on on the Island of Maui, to the north-west.   [Map]

39. Sch. near the Rio Grande: UTEP.   University of Texas at El Paso.

43. Composition for two: DUET.  A piece of music performed by two singers or instrumentalists.

44. Dazzle: IMPRESS.  Baffle them with your awesomeness.  

45. Ties in place: TETHERS.  Physically connects something to something. 

46. Slight coloring: CAST.   Tint, hue.

50. Ides of March word: BEWARE.   A cautionary admonition.  From an old PLAY.
  
51. Muse of astronomy: URANIA.   Meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven," she was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass.

52. England's first poet laureate: DRYDEN.  John Dryden [1631 - 1700] was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.

54. Composition: ESSAY.   An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. 

55. Headpiece worn by kid-lit's Fancy Nancy: TIARA.  Fancy Nancy is a 2005 children's picture book series written by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Its first book entry spent nearly 100 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, resulting in the launch of a series that now spawns over 100 titles, with sales of more than 50 million volumes.   A tiara (from Latin: tiara, from Ancient Greek: τιάρα) is a jeweled head ornament. Its origins date back to ancient Greece and Rome. In the late 18th century, the tiara came into fashion in Europe as a prestigious piece of jewelry to be worn by women at formal occasions. 

Wikipedia

56. City near the Great Salt Lake: OGDEN.   Ogden [population 87000] is a city north of Salt Lake City, in Utah. It’s a gateway to ski resorts like Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley. George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park features life-size models and a paleontology lab. Historic 25th Street, once home to Prohibition-era speakeasies, is now a shopping and dining hub. 

59. Admit frankly: AVOW.   Assert, declare, affirm, protest, avow mean to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection

60. "Can I get a word in?": AHEM.  Used to represent the noise made when clearing the throat, typically to attract attention or express disapproval or embarrassment.  "Ahem, excuse me . . ."

61. "The Office" role for Jenna: PAM.   Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer [b. 1974] is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom The Office, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007. She was also a producer for the show's final season.

62. Notable period: ERA.  A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.

63. Finish first: WIN.   Be victorious at the end of a contest or campaign.

OK, Gang.  We made to the end.  Hope you all got a win.  Happy Wednesday.

Cool regards!

JzB