LA TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Big butte 5 Michael of “Superbad” 9 Timetable: Abbr. 14 Cartel acronym 15 Gravy base 16 Writing that isn't poetry 17 *Top dog 19 Surrounding glows 20 Chicken 21 Prepares to serve, as melon 23 Textbook division 25 Stadium attendance counter, perhaps 26 Fill with freight 29 Spam producer, for short 31 Squabbles 34 Versatile blackjack cards 35 Hibernation spot 37 Egg cream ingredient 38 Former “Great American Baking Show” co-host Vardalos 39 *Beef 41 Azores' ocean: Abbr. 42 Build an extension on 44 Strong desires 45 Verdi princess who sings “O patria mia” 46 Specks in the sea 48 __ room: play area 49 Mail opening in a door 50 Big name in stationery 52 “__ #1!”: winners' cry 54 Very brave 57 South Florida city 61 Away from the office 62 Racer's advantage ... and what each part of the answers to starred clues can be 64 Prepare to talk to a child, maybe 65 Doing nothing 66 Comparison words 67 “My bad” 68 Show the way 69 Enjoy, as gum

DOWN 1 Black Friday crowds 2 Grand-scale tale or grandscale fail 3 Arcade name 4 Builds up 5 Trustworthy 6 Non-discrimination letters 7 Former Wisconsin senator Feingold 8 Skating jumps 9 Most ditzy 10 The “C” of SPCA 11 *Equestrian's path 12 Jacob's twin brother 13 __-dish pizza 18 Farm squawker 22 “Live from New York, __ `Saturday Night!'” 24 Apple-polisher 26 Hawaiian island 27 Litmus reddeners 28 *Undeliverable bit of mail 30 Oven buzzer 32 Perform better than 33 Wet impact sound 36 Extend a subscription 39 In a nasty manner 40 Climbed 43 Needing more tissues, probably 45 Sterile 47 Soak (up), as gravy 51 Nothing, in Latin 53 Univ. dorm overseers 54 Calligraphy supplies 55 Taboo 56 “__ Dinah”: 1958 Frankie Avalon hit 58 Eyelid hair 59 One-named Deco artist 60 Stash in a hold 63 Pie __ mode