My wife and I are in Ireland right now, for Christmas and to start off the New Year with family. I just managed to slip away to solve the puzzle, and write up this abbreviated post. I will get to the full post just as soon as I can.
1 ___ for apples (have some fall fun) : BOB
4 Start of the day, in poetry : MORN
8 Emmy or Grammy : AWARD
13 Prefix with center : EPI-
14 Off-limits : TABOO
15 Jazz great Count ___ : BASIE
16 Chicken piece that’s not a breast or a wing : LEG
17 Come up : ARISE
18 Director Welles : ORSON
19 The 2005 compilation “Killer Queen” is one for Queen : TRIBUTE ALBUM
22 Guided adventure in the Serengeti : SAFARI
23 Drill sergeant’s “Relax!” : AT EASE
27 Chemistry lab device : BUNSEN BURNER
31 Doesn’t have : LACKS
34 Attempts : TRIES
35 “___ Te Ching” (philosophical text) : TAO
36 Jazz great Fitzgerald : ELLA
37 Sounds from new instant messages : PINGS
38 Basic origami step : FOLD
39 U.S. spy org. : CIA
40 Who might grant you three wishes : GENIE
41 Present, past or future perfect : TENSE
42 Topper for a Whopper : HAMBURGER BUN
45 Liveliness, from the French : ESPRIT
46 Flower that vanilla comes from : ORCHID
50 Classic song about a soulmate … or a phonetic hint for repeated pairs of letters in 19-, 27- and 42-Across : IT HAD TO BE YOU
54 Fashion label from Milan : PRADA
57 ___ donna : PRIMA
58 “Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 ___ 9!” : ATE
59 Sun-related : SOLAR
60 No longer available, as a seat : TAKEN
61 Bit of body ink, for short : TAT
62 Rats (on) : TELLS
63 Kerfuffle : STIR
64 General on a Chinese menu : TSO
Down
1 Straps that go around the waist : BELTS
2 “La Bohème” or “La Traviata” : OPERA
3 It’s very unlikely to happen : BIG IF
4 Actor/comedian Steve : MARTIN
5 8-Across for some New York plays : OBIE
6 Civil rights icon ___ Parks : ROSA
7 Christmas carol : NOEL
8 Information header on a business’s website : ABOUT US
9 Higher in temperature : WARMER
10 ___-backwards (utterly wrong, in slang) : ASS
11 ___ de Janeiro : RIO
12 Thieves’ hangout : DEN
14 Ford model that’s also a zodiac sign : TAURUS
20 Loaf-shaped cake : BABKA
21 Innocent sorts “in the woods” : BABES
24 Playwright Chekhov : ANTON
25 Makes watertight, say : SEALS
26 Wear away : ERODE
28 Attack, as a bee might : STING
29 Muppet who loves his rubber duckie : ERNIE
30 Neighbor of Mali : NIGER
31 Milk, in Spanish : LECHE
32 Buffalo Bill, for William Cody : ALIAS
33 Gripping tool : CLAMP
37 Capital of Western Australia : PERTH
38 Engage in épée, e.g. : FENCE
40 Things with necks and frets : GUITARS
41 Head covering that’s wrapped : TURBAN
43 ___ shower (pre-wedding event) : BRIDAL
44 One born shortly after W.W. II, informally : BOOMER
47 Hotel chain whose name rhymes with “quiet” : HYATT
48 Scintillas : IOTAS
49 Because of : DUE TO
51 Many N.Y.C. dwellings: Abbr. : APTS
52 “Oh, nerts!” : DRAT!
53 Kind of bar with island-themed drinks : TIKI
54 Winter hrs. in L.A. : PST
55 Fish eggs : ROE
56 “___ roads lead to Rome” : ALL
