QOD: People who love reading are often called bookworms ~ but that’s the wrong way around. It’s not you that worms into a book; it’s books that worm into you. ~ Amanda Craig (b. 1959), British novelist
You're just a Hop, Skip, and a Jump away from completing today's puzzle. The first word of each theme answer can follow a word in the unifier (in the order of Hop / Skip / Jump) to provide a new concept.
18-Across. * Whisky with ice, say: SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS. HopScotch.
28-Across. * Course for a first-year student, maybe: INTRO CLASS. Skip Intro.
52-Across. * Decathlete who throws a metal ball: SHOT PUTTER. Jump Shot.
And the unifier:
67-Across. Trivial distance, or what can be paired, in order, with the starts of the answers to the starred clues: A HOP, SKIP, AND A JUMP.
Across:
1. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA. Everything you wanted to know about Koala bears but didn't know to ask.
6. "Oh, come on!": PSHAW.
11. Chutzpah: GALL.
15. Baltimore's __ Harbor: INNER. Finding your way around Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
16. Like baggy pants: LOOSE.
17. Off-Broadway award: OBIE. The Obie Award is more formally known as the Off-Broadway Award.
21. Mailed: SENT.
22. Molecule part: ATOM.
23. Wild West search parties: POSSES.
24. Ballpark fig.: EST. Origin of the idiom Ballpark Figure.
26. Rubella spot, familiarly: MEASLE.
32. Sunny spot for a potted plant: LEDGE.
36. Monopoly cube: DIE.
37. P-like Greek letter: RHO.
38. Sunblock letters: SPF.
40. The Bee __: "Saturday Night Fever" group: GEES. I'll spare your ears. [Name # 1.]
41. Fretting: IN A STEW.
43. Tastefully stylish: ELEGANT.
45. Pixar clownfish: NEMO. [Name # 2.]
46. Hi-__ monitor: RES.
48. Dot or rom follower: .COM
49. Untruth: LIE.
50. Tiling job supply: GROUT.
55. [Is this microphone working?]: TAP TAP.
57. Tire inflation abbr.: PSI. Another Greek letter ... or Pounds per Square Inch?
58. Vietnamese sandwich: BÂNH MÌ. Bánh mì is Vietnam's answer to the submarine sandwich. You can get a good bánh mì in New Orleans.
61. Donburi grain: RICE. While we are still eating Asian food, let's now move to Japan for a nice Donburi bowl. I make these all the time, I just didn't know what they were called.
63. Black-eyed __: PEAS.
70. Fiery volcanic output: LAVA.
71. Top-tier: ELITE.
72. Educator Montessori: MARIA. Although Maria Montessori (née Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori; Aug. 31, 1870 ~ May 6, 1952) was a physician, she is best known for developing a new philosophy of teaching young children. [Name # 3.]
73. Caesar's "vidi": I SAW. Today's Latin lesson.
74. Sport with clay targets: SKEET. This must be the word of the day. Yesterday it was just a Shooting Sport.
75. Nudges: PRODS.
Down:
1. Foil-wrapped Hershey's chocolate: KISS.
2. __ and for all: ONCE.
3. Mystery writer, briefly?: ANON. Fun clue.
4. Pen pal product: LETTER.
5. Curved shape: ARC.
6. "The __ thickens!": PLOT.
7. California wine valley: SONOMA.
8. Chaotic yet appealing person: HOT MESS.
9. Blonde shade: ASH.
10. Cries: WEEPS.
11. Slangy zero: GOOSE EGG.
12. Pre-K basics: ABCs.
13. Take a shine to: LIKE.
14. __ is more: LESS. Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Mar. 27, 1886 ~ Aug. 17, 1969) adopted the philosophy of Less is More in his designs.
19. Actress Teri: HATCHER. Teri Hatcher (b. Dec. 8, 1964) appeared on Seinfeld. [Name # 4.]
20. Breadbasket item: ROLL.
25. Arrange by color, say: SORT.
27. Characteristic: ASPECT.
28. Naming names, briefly: ID'ING.
29. Bay Area NFLer: NINER. [Name Adjacent]
30. Spanish "I love you": TE AMO. Hi, Lucina!
31. Most shameful: LOWEST.
33. Gave out, as cards: DEALT.
34. Wish-granter in Aladdin's lamp: GENIE.
35. Perfume compound: ESTER. Esters are organic compounds that are derived from carboxylic acids. Want to know more?
39. Went belly-up: FLOPPED.
42. Lefty: SOUTHPAW.
44. Kangaroo Island birds: EMUs. Even if you never heard of Kangaroo Island, I bet you knew it was off Australia. Much of the island is protected in nature reserves and is home to sea lions, koalas and numerous species of birds, including Emus.
47. Marker brand: SHARPIE. They come packages Sorted By Color.
51. Scottish hats: TAMS.
53. Morphine, for one: OPIATE.
54. Container near a cash register: TIP JAR.
56. Colorado's __ Peak: PIKES. Pikes Peak was named in honor of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Jan. 5, 1779 ~ Apr. 27, 1813). He was a United States Army officer who led two expeditions in the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase. It was on his second expedition that he traversed through what is now Colorado. He was later killed in the War of 1812. [Name adjacent.]
58. Indonesian island: BALI.
59. "I got it!" cries: AHAs!
60. __ Scotia: NOVA. Nova Scotia, which means New Scotland, is one of Canada's Maritime provinces. My family used to vacation in Nova Scotia when I was a kid. There was a massive explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia in December 1917. If you want more information about this event, I highly recommend the book The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism, by John U. Bacon.
64. Continental currency: EURO. The Euro coin has been in use for over 20 years. The coins have a common reverse side, which outlines a map of Europe. Each country using the Euro has its own design on the obverse side.
65. Surrounded by: AMID.
66. Mani-pedi spots: SPAs. Hi, Lucina!
68. Category: ILK.
69. Band's sound booster: AMP.
And now for the Grid:
חתולה
Happy Purim to those who celebrate.
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