July 30, 2024

QOD:  A luxury, once enjoyed, becomes a necessity.  ~  C. Northcote Parkinson (né Cyril Northcote Parkinson; July 20, 1909 ~Mar. 9, 1993), British naval historian and author

It's A Man's Man's Man's Man's Man's World.

17-Across. Spa combo: MANI-PEDI.  Guy # 1.

24-Across. Technique for closing a seam: LADDER STITCH.  Guy # 2.  A Ladder Stitch is an invisible seam.  It is used to close seams on stuffed items, such as pillows, or stuffed toys, where, after the stuffing is added.

30-Across. Like many consignment store items: GENTLY USED.  Guy # 3.

41-Across. North Carolina college town: CHAPEL HILL.  Guy # 4.

48-Across. Metaphor for a repetitive person: BROKEN RECORD.  Guy # 5.

And the unifier:

60-Across. Hamburger franchise, and what can be found at the starts of 17-, 24-, 30-, 41-, and 48-Across: FIVE GUYS.  The first few letters of each of the FIVE theme answers is a synonym for a GUY.  I have never eaten at a Five Guys burger joint.

Across:

1. Roadie's cargo: AMPS.

5. Barrel wood: OAK.  Why Oak Barrels?

8. A flat equivalent: G SHARP.  Good misdirection.  I was thinking that the "Flat" was an apartment.  Nope, it's a musical reference.  Everything you wanted to know about Sharps and Flats but didn't know to ask.

14. Bus route, often: LOOP.

15. Bid the most, say: WIN.

16. Grows tired: STALES.

19. In an overly curious way: NOSILY.

20. Fix up, as hair: STYLE.

21. Gee preceder: EFF.  A B C D E F G ...

23. Room under the roof: ATTIC.  //  31-Down. Call from the 23-Across, perhaps: UP HERE!

27. Knightley of "Atonement": KEIRA.  Keira Christina Knightley (b. Mar. 26, 1985) is a British actress who also starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean series of films.  [Name # 1.]

29. Painter's prop: EASEL.

33. Not imaginary: REAL.

36. Fur baby: PET.

37. Happy Valley sch.: PSU.  As in Pennsylvania State University.  Louisiana State University has a Death Valley, which sounds so much more fierce.  The former is a region in Pennsylvania and the latter is the football stadium.

38. Author info: BIO.  As in Biography.

39. Schedule opening: SLOT.

45. Hawaii Senator Hirono: MAZIE.  Mazie Keiko Hirono (b. Nov. 3, 1947) has served Hawaii in the United States Senate since 2013.  [Name # 2.]

47. Farm animals with horns: GOATS.

52. Jobs: ROLES.

53. Pipe bend shape: ELL.

54. Ramen soup broth: DASHI.  Not a Tuesday word.  Everything you wanted to know about Dashi but didn't know to ask.

58. Suspects: IS ON TO.

62. NCAA group that will add four new members in 2024: BIG TEN.  The Big Ten Conference is the oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States.

63. "__ been wondering ... ": I'VE.

64. Verdi opera: AIDA.  Aida is a tragic opera by Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813 ~ Jan. 27, 1901).   It is set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt and was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House.  The opera premiered in Cairo in December 1871.  There is a modern rock musical version of Aida that was written by Elton John and Tim Rice that premiered in 1998.  [Name adjacent.]

65. Dolorous donkey: EEYORE.  A reference to a pal of Winnie the Pooh.  [Name # 3, fictional.]

66. Barclays Center baller: NET.  The Barclay Center is home to the NBA team the Brooklyn Nets.

67. Seethe, as over a slight: STEW.

Down:

1. Pillar of Islam known as Zakat: ALMS.  The Five Pillars of Islam.

2. Castle protection: MOAT.

3. Pay (up): PONY.

4. "Tell us!": SPILL IT!

5. Be a tad short with?: OWE.  Cute clue.

6. Assisted: AIDED.

7. Place setting piece: KNIFE.

8. "People Puzzler" airer: GSN.  As in the Game Show Network.

9. Weasel cousins: STOATS.  Everything you wanted to know about the difference between Weasels and Stoats but didn't know to ask.

10. More hurried: HASTIER.

11. Slightly: A LITTLE BIT.

12. Shrine centerpiece: RELIC.  The Right Hand of St. Stephen of Hungary is housed in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Budapest.

13. Course where one might study Jung, familiarly: PSYCH.  Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 ~ June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology.  Carl Jung vs. Sigmund Freud.  [Name # 4.]

18. June birthstone: PEARL.

22. Make available: FREE UP.

25. Tomorrow, for one: DAY.

26. Texting :-(, perhaps: SAD.

27. Ship stabilizer: KEEL.

28. Study of bugs: ENTOMOLOGY.

30. Tech that might repeat "Make a U-turn": GPS.  As in Global Positioning System.

32. Org. with a Popular Baby Names page: SSA.  I was not aware that the Social Security Administration had a page with popular baby names.  The top name in 2023 was Liam for boys and Olivia for girls.

34. Comes down with something: AILS.

35. "ur so funny!": LOL.  Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.

40. Become smitten with: TAKEN TO.

41. Bengals, on scoreboards: CIN.  Joe Burrow (b. Dec. 10, 1996), who played football for the LSU (Bengal) Tigers now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.  

42. Brand of battery-powered lawn equipment: EGO.  I was not aware of this brand of lawn mowers, although it bills itself as being rated #1.  [Name Adjacent.]

43. "Royals" singer: LORDE.  Lorde is from New Zealand.  Her full name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (b. Nov. 1996).  [Name # 5.]

44. Enjoyed oneself immensely: HAD A GAS.

46. Gadget scraped on a peel: ZESTER.

48. Corrupt kickback: BRIBE.

49. Perez of "Do the Right Thing": ROSIE.  Do the Right Thing is a movie that makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  Rosie Perez (née Rosa Marie Perez; b. Sept. 6, 1964) got her start with this film which is a film about race relations in New York City.  I saw this film when I was living in France.  The theme did not translate well.  [Name # 6.]

50. Petite and playful: ELFIN.

51. "Closer" actor Owen: CLIVE.  Clive Owen (b. Oct. 3, 1964) is a British actor.  Closer was a 2004 romantic comedy that also starred Julia Roberts.  [Name # 7.]

55. Wedding dress, perhaps: SUIT.

56. Jekyll's counterpart: HYDE.  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic Gothic horror story by Robert Louis Stephenson (Nov. 13, 1850 ~ Dec. 3, 1894).  Hand up if you have actually ever read the story.  [Names # 8 and 9, fictional.]

57. "It didn't escape my notice": I SAW.

59. Small square: ONE.  Okay, if you say so.

61. Nov. honoree: VET.   Veteran's Day is celebrated on November 11.

Here's the Grid:

 

חתולה