QOD: There just isn’t any pleasing some people. The trick is to stop trying. ~ Robert Mitchum (né Robert Charles Durman Mitchum; Aug. 6, 1917 ~ July 1, 1997), American actor
Spin the Bottle. The last word or portion from each theme answer can be combined with Bottle to give us a new concept.
19-Across. Romantic involvement without defined parameters: SITUATIONSHIP. Ship in a Bottle. The dictionary defines Situationship as "a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established."
25-Across. Brand in a nursery: DIAPERGENIE. Genie in a Bottle.
49-Across. Email alternative: TEXTMESSAGE. Message in a Bottle.
And the unifier:
55-Across. Classic Jim Croce song, or a stretch for the ends of 19-, 25-, and 49-Across?: TIME IN A BOTTLE.
Across:
1. Atlas page: MAP.
4. Detective agency often outsmarted by Carmen Sandiego: ACME. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Carman is a fictional character in a video/computer game that is designed to teach children geography, math and other skills. [Name # 1, Fictional]
8. Hit the brakes: STOP.
12. Utter delight: GLEE. Also the name of a television series that ran from 2009 to 2015. Sadly, several of the young cast members have died.
14. Lets loose: FREES.
15. Cornmeal cake: PONE. Yummers!
16. "Right Here Waiting" singer Richard: MARX. Apparently Richard Noel Marx (b. Sept. 16, 1963) is an "adult contemporary" singer-songwriter. I don't recognize the name, nor do I recognize the song. [Name # 2.]
18. Cathedral area: APSE. A crossword staple.
22. Wi-Fi device: ROUTER.
24. Create a cartoon: ANIMATE.
28. __ Talks: lecture series: TED. Not a person's name, but a public-speaking presentation given at the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) annual event or one of its many satellite events around the world.
29. Designer Gucci: ALDO. Aldo Gucci (May 26, 1905 ~ Jan. 19, 1990) was the son of the founder of the Gucci fashion company. He ran the company for over 30 years, from the early 1950s until the mid-80s. [Name # 3.]
30. Japanese currency: YEN.
31. The "A" of LGBTQIA+, informally: ACE. Okay. LGBTIQA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and plus. Many other terms (such as non-binary and pansexual) that people use to describe their experiences of their gender, sexuality and physiological sex characteristics.
33. Cry upon stubbing one's toe: YELP.
35. Yoga studio accessory: MAT.
37. Parts of psyches: EGOs.
40. On the __: running: LAM. The possible origin of the expression On the Lam.
42. Fish and chips fish, often: COD. Yummers! I had some of the best Fish and Chips while in Iceland.
44. Get a grip on: GRAB.
46. Tony-winning singer/actress Salonga: LEA. I am not familiar with Lea Salonga (née Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga; b. Feb. 22, 1971). She is a Filipino singer and actress and is best known for her theater work. She has starred in Broadway musicals, including Miss Saigon and Les Miz. [Name # 4.]
52. Top player: ALL-STAR.
54. Rang out: PEALED.
58. Big celebrity: IDOL.
59. Red wine grape: SYRAH. Everything you wanted to know about the Syrah grape but didn't know to ask.
60. Figure skating leap: AXEL.
63. Hawaiian goose: NENE. When I first began working on crosswords, this Hawaiian Goose was a crossword staple. It would appear at least once a week.
64. Glum drops: TEARS.
65. Title for Emma Thompson: DAME. Dame Emma Thompson (b. Apr. 15, 1959) is a British actress. She gained the title "Dame" in 2018. [Name # 5.]
66. Throws into the mix: ADDS.
67. Sportsbook calculations: ODDS.
68. Cow's sound: MOO.
Down:
1. Film studio founded in 1924: MGM. MGM stands for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company is named after three companies which were combined in 1924: Metro Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and Louis B. Mayer Productions.
2. In the manner of: À LA. Today's French lesson.
3. Bring around: PERSUADE.
4. Vegas casino with a musical name: ARIA. I was just in Vegas last week attending a conference. We weren't staying at this hotel/casino, though. I did see the Aria casino and hotel.
5. Penny: CENT.
6. Middle of the road: MEDIAN. It's known as the Neutral Ground in New Orleans.
7. Tallinn's country: ESTONIA. I visited Tallinn several years ago. It is a beautiful city.
8. Muscle twitch: SPASM.
9. Part of a Willy Wonka costume: TOP HAT.
10. Not remote: ON-SITE.
11. Sounded like a baby bird: PEEPED.
13. Election Day survey of voters: EXIT POLL.
14. Commotion: FLURRY.
20. Short-sleeved shirt: TEE.
21. Sabrina, to Hilda and Zelda: NIECE. Okay. These names are totally unknown to me, although it was easy enough to suss out the word Niece. Sabrina (née Sabrina Spellman) is a character from the comic Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She apparently lives with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. Not only was Sabrina the Teenage Witch a comic strip, but was also a television series. [Names # 6, 7 and 8, fictional.]
22. Nutrition fig.: RDA. As in the Recommended Daily Allowance. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the RDA is the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of most healthy individuals in a particular gender and life stage group.
23. Like some garage floors: OILY.
26. Shining example: GEM.
27. Put into law: ENACT.
32. Sandwich filling with hard-boiled ingredients: EGG SALAD. Yummers!
34. "Godmother of Soul" LaBelle: PATTI. Patti LaBelle (née Patricia Louise Holte; b. May 24, 1944) began her singing career in the 1960s as the frontwoman for the band Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells. [Name # 9.]
36. Shiv's partner on "Succession": TOM. Succession was an HBO television series that centered on Logan Roy, an aging media mogul and his family. Tom Wambsgans was the son-in-law who was married to Logan's daughter, Siobhan "Shiv" Roy. [Names # 10 and 11, Fictional]
38. Challenge for a doctoral student: ORAL EXAM.
39. Wise: SAGE.
41. Has every intention of: MEANS TO.
43. Unexplored ocean regions: DEPTHS.
45. Place with pillows: BED.
46. "Gran Cocina __": Maricel E. Presilla cookbook: LATINA. If I cooked, I would probably like the recipes from this book. Maricel Presilla specializes in the foods of Latin America and Spain. She was he first Latin American woman to have been invited as a guest chef at the White House. She also holds a Ph.D. in medieval Spanish history. [Name # 12.]
47. Left out, as a syllable: ELIDED.
48. Energy bar nut: ALMOND.
50. Saw right through, in a way: X-RAYED.
51. Game, __, match: SET.
53. 1990s tennis great Monica: SELES. Monica Seles (b. Dec. 2, 1973) was the youngest champion of the French Open when she won at age 16 in 1990. [Name # 13.]
56. Small fastener: BRAD. It could be a name, but not in this case.
57. Rower's pair: OARS.
61. Taking Back Sunday genre: EMO. Apparently Taking Back Sunday is a rock band that was formed in the late 1990s.
62. Zodiac sign for one with an August 6 birthday: LEO.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
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