Wednesday, February 20, 2019 George Jasper

Theme: THIS IS REALLY CONFUSING, MAN!  And would be even more so if you didn't get the circles.  Each quartet of circles - and there are five such - contains letters which, when read properly, spell out a synonym for "some guy."  At first glance, the letters appear to be mixed up; but, as we shall see later, there is a bit more to it than that. The circles occur, two each, in adjacent rows, and all contiguous, so there are ten theme- related entries, plus a unifier.

1 A. Gaping mouths: MAWS.  From the Old English word for stomach.
14 A. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Holocaust survivor and author of 57 books.
Together they give us the letters of MALE, who, if adult and human, is a man.

5 A. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" composer: DUKAS. Paul [1865-1935] Composer and music critic who was intensely self-critical and destroyed many of his own works.
15 A. Official mandate: EDICT. A decree issued by someone in political or religious authority.  The Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. proclaimed religious tolerance and stopped the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
DUDE stems from the late 19th century, indicating a dandy.  Now it seems to be mostly used ironically, or in contempt.

48 A. Large goblet: CHALICE. Typically a wine vessel, used in a Christian ritual.
54 A. Bamboo lover: PANDA. Genetic studies reveal that it is a true bear that differentiated from other ursine stock about 19 million years ago. Bamboo is the major portion of it's diet, but it will eat just about anything.
CHAP refers to any man or boy, not to be confused with the winter-time condition of my chops.  Evidently derived from chapman, a 16th century designation for a peddler.

58 A. Military expert, say: STRATEGIST. one responsible for formulating and implementing an action plan to achieve some goal.  This involves defining the goal, determining an action plan and mobilizing resources.
63A. Language of Pakistan: URDU.  A variant of Hindustani also having official status in Nepal and 6 States of India.
A STUD is a man who is believed to have above average sexual prowess.  This is no doubt derived from animal husbandry, where a STUD is a male domestic animal used for breeding.

62 A. Canadian fliers: GEESE.

65 A. Govt.-backed bond: T-NOTE.  The T stands for the U. S. Treasury, which issues 3 types of securities, all of which can be broadly characterized as bonds. T-Bills have maturities of 4. 13, 26 and 52 weeks. T-NOTES currently have maturities of 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. Long bonds mature in 30 years.

And the centrally located, grid-spanning unifier -- 37 A. Typical MLB pitching alignment, and a hint to this puzzle's circles: FIVE MAN ROTATION.  Most professional baseball teams have 5 starting pitchers who routinely appear in a specified order, though this can be disrupted by injuries or other considerations.  And this tightly nails down the theme - there are five different synonyms for a MAN, and each set of four letters is to be read in a clockwise fashion, starting at the upper left - hence the "rotation."

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here.  I'm not overly fond of circled letter themes, but they seem to be firmly entrenched in the crossword world, so here we are.  This one is thematically rich and well executed.  Let's take a spin through the rest of it, and see if George has thrown us any curve balls.

Across:

10. States in an outdated atlas: Abbr.: SSRS.  Soviet Socialist Republics, the once great [or perhaps just pretty good, or maybe not at all] Communist Russian Empire.

16. Analogous (to): AKIN. Related in some way, or of similar character.

17. One way to ride a horse: SIDE SADDLE. This awkward mode of travel was started by Princess Anne of Bohemia in 1382 when she made her way across Europe to marry King Richard II.  After that event, the practice spread, so to speak, and it became vulgar for a lady to ride astride a horse. I have to wonder why she didn't ride in a carriage.  Anyway, according to legend, the ride of Lady Godiva took place at least a century earlier, so depictions of this type might be more or less accurate.

19. Stereotypical pooch: FIDO.  The name is derived from the Latin word meaning "faithful."  The eponym for all subsequent FIDOS was a real dog who lived up to his name in an amazing and extraordinary manner.

20. D.C.'s Pennsylvania, e.g.: AVE.  This route runs for 5.8 miles within Washington D.C.  Notable sites include the White House, the Capitol Building and the John Phillip Sousa Bridge.

21. Named, briefly: IDED.  Identified.

22. Shop talk: LINGO.  The jargon or argot specific to a particular subject or group of people.

23. One in a hundred?: SENATOR.  Somewhere on Pennsylvania AVE. about 1.2 miles from the White House at 1600, we can find the Capitol, where these people are supposed to be working.  It appears that this building has no actual numbered street address - or, at least, none that I can find.

25. Cafeteria worker's cover: HAIR NET.  Worn to prevent contaminating food.  It is also part of formal attire for females in dressage and other varieties of horsing around.  The oldest known evidence of use is from the 3300-year-old grave of a Danish girl.

27. Affleck of "Gone Girl": BEN.  Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt [b 1972] is an American actor and film maker.  He has received two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

28. "Downton __": PBS show: ABBEY.  A period drama set in Yorkshire, England and spanning from 1912 to 1926. It has received numerous nominations and awards.

29. Dramatic opening?: ACT I.

32. Many an emailer: AOLER.  Are there many AOL user these days?  Aren't most of us G-mailers?

34. '50s political monogram: DDE.  Dwight David Eisenhower was the Supreme commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during WWII, and then President of the United States from 1953 to 1961.

41. Train stopping at every sta.: LOC. Local, as opposed to express, which makes few intermediate stops.

42. They turn litmus paper red: ACIDS.  Litmus is a water soluble dye mixture extracted from certain lichens. It exhibits a color change depending on the acidity or alkalinity of a solution to which it is exposed, turning red in the presence of an acid, or blue in the presence of a base.

43. Does impressions of: APES.  Mimics.

44. Grazing groups: HERDS. As of cattle, frex.

46. "Gimme a __": SEC.  A short time increment.

50. "Haven't the foggiest": BEATS ME.  I really have no idea.

55. Alternative to fries: TOTS.  'Tater TOTS.  Grated potatoes that are formed into a shape and deep fried.  They were invented in 1953 to use up the left over slivers of sliced potatoes.  Waste not, want not, I guess.

56. Korean automaker: KIA.

57. Script fraction: LINE. An actors line in a play or movie.

61. Sun Devils' rival: UTES.  Arizona State and Utah University sports teams, respectively.

64. Riverbank residue: SILT. A fine mineral material deposited by running water.

66. "Freeze!": STOP.  Halt!

Down:

1. Small plateaus: MESAS.   Table land formations - literally table in Spanish.  These are flat topped hills with steep cliff sides.

Monument Valley

2. Still in contention: ALIVE.  Still having a chance.

3. Alleviate traffic on, perhaps: WIDEN.  As a thoroughfare.

4. "Told you": SEE.  Rubbing it in.

5. Exactly right: DEAD ON.  Completely and precisely correct.  I'm not able to trace an origin.

6. Milk source: UDDER.  The mammary gland in cattle, sheep, goats, etc.

7. 10-time NBA All-Star Jason: KIDD. [b 1973] In his 19-year career he played for Dallas [twice], Phoenix, New Jersey and New York.  He has since coached the Nets and Bucks.

10. "On Language" columnist: SAFIRE.  William Lewis SAFIRE  [1929- 2009] American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speech writer.

11. Barely enjoy the pool?: SKINNY DIP.

Look before you leap

12. First Homeland Security secretary: RIDGE. Tomas Joseph RIDGE [b 1945] was a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2001.  He was the Secretary of Homeland Security from Jan. 2003 to Feb. 2005.

13. Condescending one: SNOOT.  I'm guessing because this one looks down her/his nose at others.

18. Place: SITE.  A specific location.

22. First sign of fall: LIBRA.  Zodiac sign, typically from Sept. 32 to Oct. 23.

24. Rose's Broadway beau: ABIE.  ABIE's Irish Rose was a  play that debuted on May 23, 1922 and ran for 2327 performances.  It was made into movies in 1928 and 1946.  The premise involves a young Irish Catholic woman who marries a Jewish man over the objections of their famiies.

25. Saintly glows: HALOS. Generally represented as a circle of light above or behind the head of a sacred peron.

26. Drive the getaway car, say: ABET.  Assist in the commission of a crime.

29. Partner of 30-Down: AFL. American Federation of Labor.

30. Partner of 29-Down: CIO. Congress of Industrial Organizations.  The organizations combined in 1955 after a long estrangement.  Together, they are made up of 55 national and international unions, representing over 12 million active and retired workers.

31. Remote choice: TV CHANNEL. Make your selection from the vast wasteland.

32. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE.  Pimpinella anisum, a flowering plant native to the eastern mediterranean regions with a flavor similar to licorice.

33. MDW : Midway :: __ : O'Hare: ORD.  The 3 letter codes for two Chicago area airports.  Some explanation here.

35. Anonymous Jane: DOE.

36. Peyton Manning's four?: ENS.  He has 4 N's in his name to my mere one.  I detest these self-referential clues.

38. Educator Montessori: MARIA.  Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori [1870-1952] was an Italian physician and educator, and eponym for a specific philosophy of education.

39. Adapter letters: AC/DC.  This is definitely not in my wheelhouse.  You can read about it here.

40. Delicate handling: TACT.  Adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.

45. Firstborn: ELDEST.  Of a group of siblings.  My baby sister will be 66 this summer.

46. Parlor piece: SETTEE.  Typically a seating place for two, with a slimmer profile than a sofa.

47. Let up: EASE.  Become less intense, serious or severe.

48. Just above average: C PLUS.  The high end of mediocrity.

49. One side of Hispaniola: HAITI.  The other side of the island is the Dominican Republic.

50. Talk oneself up: BOAST.  Talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's abilities, possessions and accomplishments

51. School uniform part, perhaps: SKIRT. Why are they always plaid?

St. Rita School, Sierra Madre, CA

52. Foul up: MISDO.  Looks odd as a present tense verb form.  Action word for a schlemiel or evil-doer.

53. Thoroughly enjoy: EAT UP.

55. Early smartphone: TREO.  Nineteen different models were released between 2002 and 2008.

58. Rank above cpl.: SGT. Corporal and Sergeant military ranks.

59. Coffee break time: TEN.  In the morning.

60. Mercury astronaut Grissom: GUS.  Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom [1926-1967] was one of the seven original National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Project Mercury astronauts.  He was a veteran of WW II and the Korean War, and an Air Force test pilot who received several awards, including the Congressional medal of Honor.  He died, along with fellow astronauts White and Chaffee, in a command module fire on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral.  There were many lethal hazards and design flaws in the cock pit and in the conduct of the pre-launch test that took their lives.

That's a sad note to end on, but reality can be that way sometimes. The rest of the puzzle was enjoyable.

Cool regards,
JzB signing out.

L.A. Times Crossword. Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: THE TANGLED STRAP.  Each theme entry has circled letters spanning two words, which, when untangled can spell the word STRAP, though I might have that backwards.

17. Does really well, for a weekend golfer: SHOOTS PAR.  Each golf hole has a par rating, between 3 and 5 strokes, depending on tee to green length.  Typical par for 18 holes is 72. The letters of STRAP occur at the end of the phrase.

22. "Next time's for real": JUST PRACTICING.  I practice a lot, but have a hard time coming up with a real life situation where one might utter these words.  There are, however, memes that use the phrase, if you care to look for them.  The letters of STRAP span the two words, and are internal.  Same as in the next two entries.

36. Cardiologist: HEART SPECIALIST.  A specific kind of medical doctor. 

46. Jewish deli meat: KOSHER PASTRAMI. Read all about it.

56. "America's Got Talent" judges' concern: STAR POWER.  That elusive combination of poise, talent, stage presense, sex appeal and a certain je ne sais quoi, perhaps. Here, the letters occur at the beginning of the phrase, offering a nice symmetry, where the first shall be last, and the last first.

58. With 62-Across, handyman's assortment, and a hint to what's in each set of circles: LOOSE.

62. See 58-Across: PARTS.  Here we have a rare two-part unifier, in which it is revealed that the circled letters represent a scrambled word, as indicated by the suggestive modifier LOOSE, and that STRAPS is PARTS. 

Very thematically rich array, with a central grid spanner, two others just a letter short, and even the shorter entries having nine letters each. And the initial - central - final placement of the circled letters is an elegant touch.

But there are a couple problems.  First, LOOSE PARTS does not appear to be an in-the-language phrase meaning what the clues suggest. Or, if it is, I'm failing to find any evidence of it.   Instead, it indicates a group of resources that provide children with an intellectually stimulating outlet for creative play.

Second - and this might be just a nit - but KOSHER PASTRAMI can also be parsed this way, with the PARTS not straddling both words.  Is anyone else bothered by this?

Hi gang, It's JazzBumpa, perhaps in an overly-critical mood.  Grab your STRAPS and PARTS and lets see what we can uncover.

Across:

1. Area with pews: NAVE.  The central area of a church.

5. It's saved for a rainy day: TARP.   Covering to protect the infield of a baseball stadium from rain.

9. Monster party: BASH.  A better than average party, with more excitement or better accessories.

13. Constrain: HEM IN.  Enclose something, or prevent it from moving.

14. Singer Adams: EDIE.  Her husband was Ernie Kovacs.

Having way too much fun

15. Spanish "this": ESTA.  Literal.

16. In first place: AHEAD.  At the head of the pack.

19. Sophs, come Sep.: JRS.  2nd and 3rd Yr students, respectively.

20. "Who Dat Girl" rapper __ Rida: FLO.  It's on You Tube, if you're interested.

21. Corkscrew pasta: ROTINI.  Descriptive name - Italian for "spirals.".

Anybody hungry?

26. Hurry, old-style: HIE.  To rush or hasten, from Old English hīgian "strive, pant", of unknown origin.

27. Leaf-clearing tool: RAKE.  To clean them up when they fall in the Fall.

28. Hairy spider: TARANTULA.   I refuse to post a picture.

33. It stings: BEE.  I was always told that if I leave them alone then it will leave me alone.  Opinions?

40. Energy unit: ERG.  A minuscule unit of energy equal to 10⁻⁷  Joule.  An erg is the amount of work done by a force of one dyne exerted for a distance of one centimeter.  One of my college profs described it as the amount of energy exerted when one fly does one push up in one second.

41. Looks through, as a keyhole: PEERS INTO.  Sounds sneaky.

42. Tennis immortal: ASHE.  Arthur [1943 - 1993]  He won 3 grand slam titles and retired in 1980.

45. Spanish "that": ESA.  Also literal

53. Learn from A to Z: MASTER.  Have complete knowledge and facility in some activity or endeavor.

54. Little newt: EFT.  It's a strange life cycle

From water to land to water again

55. Bloke: GUV.  Types of British slang for a man.

60. Latvian seaport: RIGA. Latvia's capital, on the Baltic sea at the mouth of the Daugava River.

61. De __: again: NOVO.  Anew, from the beginning.

63. Cocktail garnish: PEEL.  Typically of an orange or lemon

64. Gets the picture: SEES.  Comprehends.  Not necessarily a visual reference.

65. Keep up (with): STAY.  Be like an electrician, and  STAY on top of  current events.

Down:

1. '60s jacket style: NEHRU.  The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, with a mandarin collar, and with its front modeled on the Indian achkan or sherwani, a garment worn by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964.   [Wikipedia .]

Fashion statement

2. "What __!": "Ick!": A MESS.  A situation or thing in a condition of disarray, and possibly unsanitary.

3. By way of: VIA.  From the same word in Latin meaning "way" or "road."

4. See 28-Down: END.  But, as you can see we still have a ways to go. Vide infra.

5. Musk's electric car brand: TESLA.  Named for this guy.

Sales of this model to begin next year

6. Limited in scope, as a committee: AD HOC.  Latin, literally, "to this, " designating a committee assembled for a specific purpose.

7. Grande opening: RIO.  Together these words make the name of a border river separating Texas from several Mexican States.  Lame clue.

8. Illinois city that symbolizes mainstream America: PEORIA.

But will it play there?

9. Lifelong pal: BESTIE.  From Best Friend.

10. Clinton's first Defense secretary: ASPIN.   Leslie Aspin, Jr. [1938 - 1995] was a representative from Wisconsin from 1971 to 1993, and Defense Secretary from January, 1993 to February, 1994.

11. Sporty Ford, to devotees: 'STANG.  Mustang.  I am not familiar with this slangy abbrv. but I guess it's real.

12. Big name in spydom: HARI. Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod [1876 - 1917] better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and executed by firing squad in France. [Wikipedia]

13. Pilgrimage to Mecca: HAJJ.  This takes place in the last month of the year, something all Muslims are expected to complete.

18. Clock sound: TOCK.  Or TICK

20. Guitar neck features: FRETS.  Metal strips inserted into the fingerboard to divide it into fixed segments.  Each fret represents one semi-tone in standard western equal tempering.  If you don't know about tempering and tuning systems, believe me, you are far better off.

Don't fret - it's just music

23. Whaling direction: THAR.  Evidently meaning "there."

Cetaceans don't get any privacy

24. Pub order: PINT.  Half a quart, or 0.473 liter.

Is anybody thirsty?

25. Copy on a transparent sheet: TRACE.

28. With 4-Down, fairy tale's last words: THE. Vide supra.  Anyway, I thought it was "They lived happily ever after."  But hang on; we're still not finished!

29. Fizzy prefix: AER-.  Indicating something to do with air, in this case inducing bubbles.

30. Tattered cloth: RAG.  

31. Word with class or case: UPPER.  UPPER class indicates having lots of money, irrespective of actual classiness. [Funny how that works.] Upper case indicates THIS KIND OF LETTERING.

32. Blues legend John __ Hooker: LEE.

Classic

33. Storage container: BIN.  Of Celtic origin, via Old English, indicating a container of no specific type.

34. Approximate fig.: ESTimate.

35. WWII arena: ETO.  European Theater of Operations.

37. "__ my case": I REST.  An indication that you [believe that you have] done enough to prove your point, and no more argument is necessary.  The origin is from courts of law, indicating that an attorney has finished presenting her case to the judge and/or jury.

38. Exec's hire, perhaps: ASST.  Assistant.  N.B. Abbrv.

39. "Tell the truth!": LIAR.  A command presumably issued with no sense of irony to someone you don't believe.

42. Starlike: ASTRAL.  From the Latin astrum, meaning "star."  Relating to actual stars in the sky; or to a supposed nonphysical realm of existence to which various psychic and paranormal phenomena are ascribed, and in which the physical human body is said to have a counterpart.

43. Fox News anchor Smith: SHEP.  [b 1964] He serves as the channel's chief news anchor and as managing editor of the breaking news division.

44. Wading birds: HERONS.  There are 64 known species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns.

I got this pic of a great blue heron on the grounds where my mom was in hospice in 2015.

46. Five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ledecky: KATIE.

From Bethesda

47. Missouri river: OSAGE.   A 276-mile-long tributary of the Missouri River in central Missouri, draining a mostly rural area of 15,300 square miles.

48. "Pet" irritation: PEEVE.  We all have one, right?  My petty pet PEEVE is gratuitous verberization - the morphing of perfectly fine nouns into completely unneeded verbs.  "Parenting" frex.  Grrrrrrr!   What's yours?
49. High dos: AFROS.  Hair dos, a la Jackson Five.

50. Greek marketplace: AGORA.  A public space used for assemblies and markets.

51. Smelling of mold: MUSTY.  A damp, vaguely unpleasant odor associated with mold, mildew or decay.

52. Lithographer James: IVES. [1824 - 1895]  He oversaw the business and financial side of the Currier and Ives print-making firm.

53. No. on a new car window: MSRP.  Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.

57. Misery: WOE.  Great sorrow or distress.

58. CD predecessors: LPS.  Differently formatted discs for recording and playback of music or other audio presentations.

59. Breakfast grain: OAT. A cereal grain, Avena Sativa, grown for its seed.  It is suitable for both humans and livestock.

On that nutritious note, our journey ends.  A very well constructed, thematically rich puzzle, though I had my nits.  Hope it gets your Wednesday off to a good start.

Cool regards, 
JzB

L. A. Times Crossword Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Roland Huget

Theme: Every Snowflake Is Different!  What I love about this claim is that it is not testable.  In today's puzzle, the claim is that for each multi-word theme entry, every letter is different.  This is testable, so let's get our deerstalker hats and magnifying glasses and have a go at it.

20 A. 2011 Steve Carell romcom: CRAZY STUPID LOVE.  Careful inspection confirms that each letter is, indeed, unique.  I am not a fan of the genre.  The presence of Jennifer Aniston in a movie's cast is enough to make me say, "No, thanks," no matter how cute she is.  But this movie has Julianne Moore supported by an all-star cast.  I'm actually rather fond of this flick.

34 A. Rickety abode: TUMBLE DOWN SHACK.  Not a phrase you're likely to encounter in daily conversation, but the meaning is clear enough. Reminds me of my mom's humble beginning in rural south-east Ohio. Searching through all the rooms - and even the outhouse - I was unable to find even one duplicated letter.  So far, so good,

41 A. "Stop whining!": DON'T BE SUCH A WIMP.  Do WIMPS duplicate letters?  Not here they don't! Not on my watch! Does this phrase foster toxic masculinity? I'll just leave that as food for thought.

53 A. Neither 20-, 34- nor 41-Across has any: REPEATED LETTERS.  Is it my hyper-active sense of irony that notes the repeated Rs, Es and Ts in the unifier?  Well - be that as it may, we do have a clever and unique theme, aptly described, with four grid-spanning entries, and that is only a J and a Q away from being a pangram. Yes, I also love run-on sentences.

Hi, Gang.  Inspector JazzBumpa here looking under cushions and dusting for prints.  Let's see what we can find.

Across:

1. Soft ball: NERF.  A toy brand created by Parker Brothers and now owned by Hasbro.  The product line is mostly foam-based items, like balls and weaponry.  Mostly harmless, I suppose.

5. Berkshire Hathaway headquarters city: OMAHA.  A multi-national conglomerate run by Warren Buffet.  Note the repeated A.

10. Greenish-yellow pear: BOSC.  A European cultivar that originated in France, now grown in many locations in Europe and North America.

14. Mine, in MontrÈal: AMOI. They speak French there.  I visited the city once, back in the early 80's.  It was wonderful.

15. Chicano rock band Los __: LOBOS.  It means The Wolves.

16. "Enchanted" girl in a 2004 film: ELLA.  Not your typical RomCom.

17. Hors d'oeuvre cracker: RITZ.  Nabisco product introduced in 1934, the depth of the depression, to offer their customers "a bite of the good life."

18. Lose tautness: DROOP.  Sag, limply hang down.

19. Logician's error, maybe: LEAP.  One step should lead logically to the next.

23. Slangy affirmative: YEH. Unhuh.

24. Light beam: RAY.  Heavy beams are used in construction.

25. Poseidon's realm: SEA.  In Greek mythology, the god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.  Horses?  How did they get in there?  Anyway, He was one of the most ill-tempered, moody and greedy Olympians.

28. Lav, in Bath: LOO.  Comfort station, to be delicate.

30. Zero in: AIM.  Focus attention on something.

31. Federal bldgs. with mailboxes: POS.  Post Offices.  Though I imagine other Fed bldgs. might also have mailboxes.

38. Diva's time to shine: ARIA.  Solo vocal feature in a longer musical work such as an opera or oratorio.

39. Savings plan inits.: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

40. Fair-haired sci-fi race: ELOI.  One of two post-human races of the far distant future in The Time Machine, from 1895 by H. G. Wells

46. Chinese menu surname: TSO.  Generally speaking.

47. Put away: EAT.  Consume at the dinner table.

48. Pine-__: cleaning brand: SOL.  A registered trade mark of Clorox.  From its inception in 1929 until 2016 it contained pine oil.  Then the product was cheapened to increase profitability.

49. Old Nintendo game console: Abbr.: NES.  The classic Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985.

50. UFO pilots, supposedly: ETS.  Extra-Terrestrials.  I suspect they took one look at us, shook their hairless, crenellated heads, and just kept on going.

51. Nintendo game console: Wii.  The letters don't stand for anything.  Instead, the two lower case is are intended to represent gamers together, reinforcing the "we" pronunciation of the item's name

62. Similar in nature: AKIN.  Derived from the word "kin" meaning related by blood.

63. Online biz: E-TAIL.  Electronicized retail.  Is this a portmanteau?

64. Compete for the America's Cup: SAIL.  This Cup is the prize awarded to the winer of a race between yachts, so named because the original winner in 1851 was the schooner America.  Any qualifying yacht club can challenge the current cup holder, at a place and time determined by mutual agreement.  The winner retains the cup until defeated.

65. Fish catchers: NETS.

66. Art class subjects: NUDES.   Unclothed models.

67. Stubborn sort: MULE.  A sterile beast of burden, bred from a male donkey and a female horse.  By extension, a person who acts as stubborn as one.

68. Aussie greeting: G-DAY.  Short mouth for "good day."

69. Part of LED: DIODE.  An electrical component that only allows current flow in one direction.

70. Marked for deletion: EXED. X marks the spot - and not in a good way.

Down:

1. DEA operative: NARC. The Drug Enforcement Agency employs NARCotic agents to enforce the relevant laws.

2. House of Saud bigwig: EMIR.  A title for various rulers of Arabic Muslim countries.

3. Duty roster: ROTA.  Derived from the Latin word for wheel.  I imagine this might indicate that the jobs rotate.  But I'm just guessing.

4. Like soda pop: FIZZY.  Bubbly, due to carbonation.

5. Part of a comfort simile: OLD SHOE.  I found a proverb I wasn't familiar with: "Old shoes are easy, old friends are best."  So, an OLD SHOE is something you are unquestionably at ease with.

6. Mad Magazine cartoonist Drucker: MORT.  He was born in 1929, started with Mad Mag in 1956 and continued with them for 55 years.  I loved Mad when I was a kid, and his satirical drawings of pop culture icons was a part of it.

7. Leigh Hunt's "__ Ben Adhem": ABOU.  A poem with a sweet message, that you can read here.

8. Earring style: HOOP.  A round dangling ornament.

Too much of a good thing?

9. "Take two __ and call me ... ": ASPIRIN.  Cliched expression representing being shrugged off by an uninterested doctor.

10. Kind of dancer: BELLY.

A brief how-to video

11. Breakfast spread: OLEO.  An ersatz butter substitute made from vegetable oil, also called margarine.

Also a jazz standard written by Sonny Rollins in 1954, to the same chord progression as the Gershwin classic tune I've Got Rhythm.

12. Balkan native: SLAV.   Members of an Indo-European ethnolinguistic group.  There are three geographic sub-groups, Eastern, Western and Southern.  Balkan natives are in the Southern sub-group.

13. Superman accessory: CAPE.  Dracula, too - but not always a good idea.

21. Holler: YELL.  Produce a loud vocalization.

22. Beaver creations: DAMS.

25. Town, in Germany: STADT.  Literal.

26. Irish banknotes: EUROS.  Unaffected by Brexit, Ireland remains in the E. U.

27. Protein-building acid: AMINO.  An organic compound containing both amine and carboxylic acid functionality. These are active groups that can react with each other, and therefore build long chain molecules.  Due to its alternating vowels and consonants, it is also a frequently useful building block for crosswords.

29. Poet with dedication?: ODIST.  One who writes an ode - a lyric poem, usually in an elevated style, in the form of an address to a particular subject.

30. Military plane acronym: AWACS. Airborn Warning and Control System - designed to detect various kinds of vehicles at long distances and perform command and control functions in a battle engagement.

31. McCain's running mate: PALIN.  'Nuff said.

32. "__, all ye faithful ... ": O COME.  Opening of a famous Christmas carol.

33. Decides not to attend: SKIPS. As a school class or social event.

35. Baseball club: BAT.  The smooth, tapered wooden club used to strike the ball.  An ambiguous clue, since an organized team is also called a club.

36. Tulsa sch. named for an evangelist: ORU.  Oral Roberts University, an interdenominational Christian university founded in 1963, and named for its founder.

37. Use an axe on: HEW.  Chop.

42. Test version: BETA. A software version with a limited distribution for testing, prior to public release.

43. London area that includes Canary Wharf: EAST END.  You can read about it here.

44. "Is there another way?": HOW ELSE.  Searching for alternatives.

45. Landed: ALIT.  Descended from above.

50. Itty: EENSY.  Teeny tiny.

52. Answer at the door: IT'S ME.  Truthful, no matter who says it.

53. Pealed: RANG.  Loudly, as in a bell in a bell tower.

54. Scratched (out): EKED.  Got by with difficulty.

55. Pocket bread: PITA.  From the Greek word for a pastry.  In this context, a flat, hollow, unleavened bread that can be split open and filled.

56. Small decorative case: ETUI.  From an Old French word meaning: something shut up, as a prison; then by the 17th century, a small container.

57. Carpentry groove: DADO.  A flat-sided groove cut into a board so that it may be attached to the edge of another board.

58. Wasn't honest: LIED.  Made an intentionally false and misleading statement.

59. French waters: EAUX. Literal.

60. Stir up: RILE.  Early 19th century variant on ROIL, meaning to aggravate, bother, annoy, or make water muddy by disturbing the sediment.

61. Malamute's burden: SLED.  The malamute is a large domestic dog bred for strength and endurance to haul heavy loads, and therefore dog SLEDS.  It is closely related to the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Husky, but not the Canadian Eskimo dog nor the Greenland dog.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  And true to the theme, every answer was unique.

Cool Regards,
JzB

L.A.Time Crossword Blogging Wednesday January 9, 2019 Debbie Ellerin

Theme: Comedy, in the end, is where you find it.  Today you can find it at the end of the theme entries, indicated by the asterisks in their clues.  Let's check it out.

16 A. *"Righto!": YOU BETCHA.  Emphatic vernacular agreement, with some merriment at the end.

20 A. *Big boss: HEAD HONCHO.  Vernacular nomenclature for a corporate executive.  I've laughed at several - from behind.

34 A. *2005 Emma Thompson magical role: NANNY MCPHEE.   She is the grotesque looking woman who shows up in the home of widower Cedric Brown to bring order to his 7 unruly children.  Each time the children learn a lesson, she becomes a bit less ugly.  I won't give away any more of the plot - mainly because I don't know it.  It ends with comedy - at least in the context of this puzzle.

51 A. *Cold-water salmon-like fish: ARCTIC CHAR.  This fish lives in the far north, in rivers, lakes or the ocean, and always spawns in fresh water.  It is variable in color, and closely related to both salmon and lake trout, displaying characteristics of each. This is not only fishy, but also a fish with a funny tail.

And the unifier -- 56 A. Ultimate satisfaction, and a hint to the answers to starred clues: LAST LAUGH.  The early bird gets the worm; but the second mouse to the trap gets the cheese.   So the early LAUGHER might not be the one who ultimately prevails. There could be a moral here about delayed gratification.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here as your MC at the comedy club today.  Let's see if this puzzle is anything to LAUGH at.

Across:

1. Fall sign: LIBRA.  The 7th Zodiac sign, generally spanning from September 23 to October 23. 

6. Medic: DOC. Physician.  That's what I would name my dog, if I had one, so I could say, "Physician, heel thyself."

9. 6-Across's "Pronto!": STAT.  Quickly, with urgency, from the Latin statum, meaning immediately.

13. Keep clear of: AVOID. Or EVADE.  Always needs perps.

14. Sorta cousin: -ISH.  Suffix indicating in the manner of, or approximately similar to.

15. "Leaving on a Jet __": PLANE.  Peter Paul and Mary classic.

18. "Nick of Time" singer Bonnie: RAITT.

19. Enters the wrong area code, say: ERRS.  To err is human, and not just in baseball.

22. Unburdened (of): RID.  No longer having to deal with some unpleasant person or thing.

23. "Mean Girls" screenwriter Tina: FEY.   Of SNL fame

24. Coder's conditional construct: IF-THEN.  A hypothesis followed by a conclusion, noted as p -->q.  If p is true, then q is also true.  If this is the case, then the conditional statement is true.

25. Navy builder: SEABEE.  Derived from C. B. for Construction Battalion.  I'm trying to decide if this qualifies an an acronym.  Thoughts?

27. Ink spot?: TAT. Body art.  Can be found on almost any SPOT on the body.  I'll admit that the fascination with ritual mutilation baffles me.  In keeping with todays theme, I went in search of funny ones.  They are mostly not very laughable.  Here's one I'm willing to share.

54 more found here

29. Uses Google Hangouts, briefly: IMS.  Sends Instant Messages using the communication platform developed by Google which includes messaging, video chat, SMS [short message system] and VOIP [Voice Over Internet Protocol] features.

30. Apple's virtual assistant: SIRI.  Apple acquired SIRI in 2010.  The original development team had various explanations for the name.  Dag Kittlaus, the Norwegian-American CEO of SIRI, once considered using SIRI as the name of his child and liked the Norse meaning "beautiful woman who leads you to victory." It also means "beauty" in Sinhalese, and "secret" in Swahili.

31. Lose one's shirt: GO BUST.  To lose all of an investment.  More literally, expose one's bust.  Hmmm.

37. Hurricanes and blizzards: STORMS.  Violent disturbances of the atmosphere involving some combination of strong winds, thunder, lightening rain and/or snow.

38. Enjoy, as benefits: REAP.  Expanded from the original meaning of gathering a harvest.

40. Mauna __: KEA.  Or LOA, again requiring perp help.  Mauna KEA is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, and at 4207 m. above sea level, the highest point in the State.  Muana LOA, another of the 5 volcanos that make up the island, is only slightly shorter at 4169 m.  It's most recent eruption was in 1984.

43. Mattel product: TOY.  Child's plaything.

44. Tippi of "The Birds": HEDREN.  Nathalie Kay Hedren [b 1930] is an American actress, animal rights activist and former fashion model.  Her daughter, Melanie Griffith, later married Tiipi's The Harrad Experiment costar, Don Johnson.

46. Parkway feature: ON RAMP.  Entrance to a limited access roadway.

49. Spring sign: BUD.  An emerging leaf, flower or shoot.

50. Con's opponent: PRO.  Against and for something or someone, respectively.

54. Summer sign?: PLUS.  "+"  Found in math, not the Zodiac, contra 1A.

55. High-tech eye surgery: LASIK.  Using a laser to correct vision by reshaping the cornea.

58. Far from klutzy: AGILE.  Dancing granddaughter Amanda is supple, limber, acrobatic and fleet of foot.  She also walks into walls.  Go figure.

59. Refuge for very old couples?: ARK.  Not old as in aged, but rather as in having been around a long time ago, as in this Old Testament story of a family saved from flooding on their ARK.

60. 1973 Stones ballad: ANGIE.  It characterizes the end of a romance.  There is speculation as to whether the title refers to an actual person, and what her identity might have been.

61. Dropped in the mail: SENT.  Using actual physical mail, SENT via the Postal Service.  How quaint.

62. Oui or hai: YES.  Affirmative declarations in French and Japanese, respectively.

63. Western flatlands: MESAS.  A flat topped hill with sheer sides.  Mesa is the Spanish word for table, and these are also called table lands.

Down:

1. Features of lasagna and tiramisu: LAYERS.  Alternating quantities of different component ingredients.

2. They may be tickled: IVORIES.  Refers to playing the piano.

3. Late host of "Parts Unknown": BOURDAIN.  Anthony Michael BOURDAIN [1956 - 2018] was an American TV personality, author, traveler and celebrity chef.

4. Corduroy ridges: RIBS.  Corduroy is a durable fabric made from parallel cords that are stitched together.

5. Citrus suffix: - ADE.  A drink made form a citrus fruit.

6. Unpredictable: DICEY.  Said of something uncertain, risky, and perhaps dangerous.

7. Whistleblower-protecting org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

8. Landlocked African nation: CHAD.  The Republic of CHAD is surrounded by Lybia, Sudan, The Central African Republic, Camaroon, Nigeria and Niger.  Lake Chad, for which the country is named, and it's capital, N'Djamena, are both located along the western border, where the thin northern projection of Camaroon  separates it from Nigeria.

Troubled country

9. Bias: SLANT.  Both literally and figuratively

10. Meditative exercise regimen: TAI CHI.

11. Country music?: ANTHEM.  Every country has one.

12. "Grand" mountains: TETONS.  Google translate tells me this means "big nipples."

Imagination failure maybe, but I'm not seeing it

15. Duke VIP: PROF.  College PROFESSOR.

17. "How do I love __?": Browning: THEE.  Let me count the ways.

21. Ask (for), as money: HIT UP.   Not to be confused with HIT ON, which is a different kind of request.

23. Deceptive move: FEINT.  A deceptive or distractive move in boxing, fencing, or other activities, intended to create an opening that can be exploited.  In hockey, it's called a deke.

26. Tops in a lingerie catalog: BRAS.  Undergarments that cover and support a lady's bosom.  That is as delicate a description as I can contrive.

Mini-theme developing?

27. "Pinball Wizard" show: TOMMY.

28. Basic skills: ABCS.  Fundamentals of any discipline.

31. Greek lamb sandwich: GYRO.  Pronounced yeero, it is a sandwich on a pita made from a dense lamb meatloaf cooked on a vertically rotating skewer.  For my money, the best GYRO in the region is from the Senate Coney Island at the corner of Stark and Plymouth in Livonia.  They also have the best chicken-lemon-rice soup.  This has been an unpaid, unsolicited testimonial.

32. Rip to pieces: SHRED.  Cut up, tear up, grate, mince, macerate or grind.

33. Really annoyed, with "off": TEED. Couldn't come up with a sensible derivation, and that really bugs me.  First known use in this sense [rather than a golf stroke] is from 1951.

35. Unacceptable to some, for short: NOT PC. To be Politically Correct is to attempt to be neutral, sensitive and anodyne. Ironically, some people get TEED ODD by this behavior.

36. Protection from snorers: EAR PLUGS.  Inserts for the ear to eliminate or reduce external sounds.  I wear them as protection from the trumpets.  They don;t help with tinnitus.

39. Italian city that hosts the annual Eurochocolate Festival: PERUGIA.  The capital city of Umbria in central Italy.  The festival started in 1993, and draws over 1 million people each year.  Next event is Friday, Oct. 18 to Sunday, Oct.29, 2019, so plan ahead.

40. Eucalyptus munchers: KOALAS.  The eucalyptus provides the vast majority of the meager nutritional needs of these asocial, sedentary, arboreal Australian marsupials.

41. Really rile: ENRAGE.  Is this worse than TEEING someone OFF?

42. Inverse trig function: ARC SIN.  I'm not going to try to explain it.

44. Offended: HURT.  Cause someone to feel upset, annoyed or resentful.  A different sort of negative emotional reaction than being TEED OFF.  Perhaps as a reaction to something NOT PC.  Is this another mini-theme?  Is it annoying?

45. Snacks: NOSHES. Munchies.

47. Not straight up: ATILT.  Leaning, caused by a SLANT.

48. Greenberg or Golic of sports-talk radio: MIKE.  Both of ESPN, among other things.

49. Catches some rays: BASKS. Lies exposed to, as the warmth of the sun.

52. Potter's medium: CLAY.

53. His nap cost him the race: HARE.  From one of Aesop's fables.  Choose your nap time carefully.

54. Stained-glass piece: PANE.  Any sheet of flat glass, actually.

57. Felon's flight: LAM.  Flee and escape.

Well, I had a few smiles along the way.  Hope you found the experience to be somewhat amusing.

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword December 26, 2018 David Poole

Theme - It's In The Cards -- You Can Bet On It.  The final letters of the theme answers spell out the names of playing cards that, when taken together, will surely give you the winning hand.  And they are presented in ascending order  - a nice, elegant touch.

17 A. Bullied: BROW BEATEN.  Intimidated, coerced, pressured, terrorized, usually into doing something.  The card rank and hand description explanations will follow.  Vide infra.

23 A. Breakfast fare: FLAPJACK.   Here in the U.S. this is another term for the pancake, and that is the intended sense of the clue.  In the U. K. this terms refers to a tray-baked bar made of rolled oats, butter and brown sugar - which sounds like a pretty good granola bar.

29 A. "12 Years a Slave" director Steve or "Bullitt" star Steve (not the same person): MCQUEEN.  Steven Rodney McQueen [b 1969] is a British film director and screen writer.  Terence Steven McQueen [1930-1980] aka "The King of Cool" was nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Sand Pebbles.  He appeared in several block-buster films, and is probably best know for Bullit.  He lived hard and fast and passed too young at the age of 50.  This pair of QUEENs also gives us a small branch off the main theme.

43 A. Stirring up, as resentment: STOKING.  literally, to STOKE means to add fuel to a fire. So, by extension, the word also means to fire up emotions - especially those that are hot anyway, like resentment or anger.

47 A. Commoners: POPULACE.  A collective noun for the inhabitants of a region or country.  A "commoner" is an ordinary person, without rank or title.  It's a bit of a stretch to see equivalence here.

And the unifier:  54. What's hidden at the ends of 17-, 23-, 29-, 43- and 47-Across--if all are in, say, 38-Across: ROYAL FLUSH.  In poker, hands are ranked in reverse order of the probability of their occurrence. Thus, the least probable holding in any round of play will be the winner.  A STRAIGHT is any hand containing five cards in order, say 3-4-5-6-7, frex.  A higher ranking hand is a FLUSH, in which all of the cards are in the same suit. Next, in ascending order are the full house - three of a kind plus a pair; and four of a kind. Ranking above all of them is the STRAIGHT FLUSH - five cards, not only in order, but also all in the same suit.  Within a suit, cards are ranked by their numbers, with face cards above, and the the ACE highest of all [usually.]  So, a STRAIGHT FLUSH consisting of TEN, JACK, QUEEN, KING, and ACE of any suit, aka a ROYAL FLUSH, is the highest ranking example of the least likely, and therefore most powerful holding.

Plus, we get a nice, centrally-located theme extra -- 38 A. See 54-Across: CLUBS.  These are cards in one of the four suits in which a ROYAL FLUSH might occur; the others being diamonds, hearts and spades.

Stock image

In each of the major theme clues, the hidden card name has a completely different meaning than it does in the context of the unifier - another nice touch.  So - a really well constructed puzzle.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here wishing you all a happy Kwanza, Boxing Day and/or feast of St. Steven.  Let's see what other gifts this puzzle offers.

Across:

1. Campus VIP: DEAN.  the head of faculty in a department

5. __ East, Chicago-based pizza chain: GINOS.  Started in 1966 by two taxi drivers.

10. Remove politely, as one's hat: DOFF. Late Middle English contraction of "do off."  Contrast "don," as, frex, gay apparel.

14. Entreat: URGE.  Attempt to convince someone without resorting to actual BROWBEATING.

15. "__ Mio": O SOLE. A Neapolitan song written in 1989 by Giovanni Capurro, Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi, and usually sing in the original Neapolitan language.  The title translates as "My Sunshine."

16. Malevolence: EVIL.

19. Word processor command: SAVE.

20. World Golf Hall of Famer Aoki: ISAO.  [b 1942] He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

21. Used TurboTax, perhaps: E-FILED.  Submitted your tax return electronically.

27. Actor Mineo: SAL.  Salvatore Mineo, Jr. [1939-1976] was an American singer and actor nominated for Acadamy Awards for best supporting actor in Rebel without a Cause and Exodus.

28. Take to a new planter: REROOT.  Plant in a new pot?  To reroot means to generate a new, identical plant from a stem cutting.  Not the same thing at all.

33. Farewell that is bid: ADIEU.  Buh-bye.

34. Pumps and platforms: SHOES.  Different shoe styles.

36. Sorbonne article: UNE.  I suppose it means "The."

37. Black-plumed pond swimmer: COOT.  Coots are small water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica, the name being the Latin for "coot".  Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water. They are close relatives of the moorhen. [Wikipedia]

39. "__ glad to!": I'D BE. Expressing eager willingness to do something - without being BROW BEATEN.

40. Hung. neighbor: AUS.  Hungary and Austria, two Eastern European Countries.

41. Gives the heave-ho: BOOTS.  Kicks out of something

42. Rebuke: SCOLD.  Harsh verbal criticism - could also involve BROW BEATING.

45. Solid alcohol: STEROL.  A complex organic alcohol, C17H22O, found in plants and animals.  It is the eponym for a class of chemical compounds with related molecular structures.  Cholesterol is one example.

46. Circle segment: ARC.

49. Like Dagwood's wife: BLONDE.

Blondie

52. Ottawa-based flying gp.: RCAF. Royal Canadian Air Force.

53. Material flaws: RIPS.  Tears and/or holes.

60. "Fantastic Beasts" actor Miller: EZRA.  [b 1992] Portraying Credence Barebone.

Trailers here

61. Twitter troublemaker: TROLL.  One who invades comment sections for the purpose of disrupting conversations and causing general mayhem.  Also found on FaceBook and Blogs.

62. "Off the Court" autobiographer Arthur: ASHE.  Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. [1943-1993] was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam titles.

63. __ and means: WAYS.  The methods and resources at someone's disposal for achieving something.  Also the name of the chief tax writing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

64. Gumbo pods: OKRAS.  The edible seed pods of a flowering plant of the mallow family.

65. Cameo stone: ONYX.  A variety of the silicate mineral chalcedony having parallel bands of various colors.

Down:

1. Name: DUB.  Provide an unofficial or nickname to someone or something.  Traces back via late Old English, meaning to make someone a knight, to Old French adober - to provide with armor.

2. Throw wildly, say: ERR.  In baseball, any mishandling of a batted ball by a fielder is considered to be an error.

3. Fourth word in the "Star Wars" intro: AGO.  "A long time  .  .  . "

4. Part of four state names: NEW.  - Hampshire, -Mexico, -Jersey, and -York.

5. Attacks: GOES AT.  A physical or verbal attack.  May involve BROW BEATING or actual BEATING about the head and shoulders.

6. Fashion designer Mizrahi: ISAAC.  [b 1961] An American fashion designer, TV presenter, and eponym for a line of clothing since 1987.

7. Unacceptable: NOT OK.  Incorrect, inappropriate, inadmissible, or simply not good enough.

8. World Cup cry: OLE.  Among Spanish-speaking fans.

9. Grows old: SENESCES.  Not just that, but deteriorates with age.  As old as I am [and to be honest, that's pretty old] I don't believe I have ever encountered this word before, and had to rely completely on perps.

10. Arnaz-Ball production company: DESILU.  Founded by the husband and wife team of Desi and Lucy, best known for the TV shows I Love Lucy, Star Trek and The Untouchables.

11. Racecourse shape: OVAL.

12. Dave Brubeck classic "Take __": FIVE.  In the unusual time signature of 5/4, it was originally released on the 1959 album TIME OUT, which featured other songs in odd or mixed meters, and is the only song on the album written by Paul Desmond.  Two years later, it became a hit, and is the biggest-selling jazz single ever.  According to Desmond, "It was never supposed to be a hit. It was supposed to be a Joe Morello drum solo." Yes, I have played this song -- improvised using the 4th mode of the harmonic minor scale.  Might not have been your choice.   It worked OK.

Pretty aggressive tempo in this live performance

13. Took off: FLED.  Or FLEW.  Needed perp help.

18. Exquisite trinket: BIJOU.  Something small and elegant,  French - from Breton bizou, finger ring, from biz, finger.

22. Web help pgs.: FAQS.  Frequently Asked QuestionS.

23. Skirmish: FRACAS. A noisy disturbance, brawl or quarrel, from Italian fracassare, to make an uproar.

24. Escorted to the exit: LED OUT. Or SAW OUT, needed even more perps.  Does LED OUT suggest the exit might not be voluntary?

25. Melodic passage: ARIOSO.  A solo instrumental or vocal piece occurring in an opera or oratorio.

From Cantata No, 156 by J.S. Bach

26. Auden, Blake or Coleridge: POET.  Versifiers.

29. Tough crowds: MOBS.  An large, unruly, disorganized crowd, that might be prone to causing trouble, mayhem or violence.

30. "Why I Live at the P.O." author Welty: EUDORA.  Eudora Alice Welty [1909 - 2001] was an American short story writer and novelist who wrote about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of the South. [Wikipedia]

31. As a whole: EN BLOC.  Doing something all together, or separately, but at the same time.  More French.

32. Acupuncture tool: NEEDLE.  Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. The theories and practices of TCM are not based upon scientific knowledge, and acupuncture is a pseudoscience. [Wikipedia]

34. Tough going: SLOG.  Like a trek, but worse.

35. Crude shelter: HUT.  A small, roughly constructed structure serving as poor-quality lodging.   Alternatively, a place to get pizza.

38. Any one of Bach's Brandenburgs: CONCERTO.  The Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721. [Wikipedia]  It is unlikely that the Margrave would have had the complement of musicians necessary to perform these works, so they sat unused for a long period.

There's no such thing as too much Bach

39. Most sparsely populated Eur. country: ICELand.  I have a little difficulty considering this remote island nation to actually be a part of Europe.

41. Owl or osprey: BIRD.  Raptors, to be more specific.

42. Odds and ends: STUFF.  This and that.  Things.

44. "Dust in the Wind" band: KANSAS.

Bach did NOT write this in 1977

45. Stone chips: SPALLS.  We also use that word for chips and flakes off of glass or ceramics.  Anyway, potato chips might be less crunchy, but they taste better.

47. Richard who played "The Wiz" in 1978: PRYOR.  [1940-2005] American stand-up comedian, actor, and social critic.

48. City west of Daytona Beach: OCALA.  'Cuz "De Leon Springs" doesn't fit.

49. Make, as beer: BREW.  Via a process of soaking, boiling and fermentation.

50. Oscar winner Minnelli: LIZA. [b 1946]  Judy Garland's daughter.  The oscar is for her performance in the 1972 movie Cabaret.

51. Nashville venue: OPRY.  The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM.

55. Mork's planet: ORK.  Mork was exiled to Earth from ORK, where humor is not permitted.

56. Vientiane language: LAO.  Lao is the language of Laos.  Vientiane is it's capital and largest city.

57. Org. with admirals: USN.  United States Navy.

58. Far from forward: SHY.  Reserved, timid or nervous in the company of other people.

59. Jinx: HEX.  A jinx is a curse or spell cast on someone to cause bad luck.  A Hex is more general, and not necessarily negative, but potentially much more severe.

I had some nits wit the cluing, but overall, a fine puzzle and a fun, rather challenging solve.  Hope you didn't think it was NOT OK.

Cool regards!
JzB