L.A TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Adopted gradually, with “in”

7 Sandpiper family birds

13 One of two sound recommendations for a light sleeper?

15 Shunned one

16 African Queen, for one

17 “Don't doubt my abilities!”

18 January temps, often

19 Do lunch?

21 London's __ Gardens

22 Longtime senator Thurmond

23 Battery parts

25 History

26 Short on manners

27 Fraternal order

31 Coil in a garden

32 Prepares for takeoff

34 Extravagant

38 Lot

39 Buttonhole

40 Function

41 Campus figure

42 Storytelling singer Guthrie

43 Declared

47 Like some ornate doorways

50 Fixes tears

51 Firepit residue

54 Speak publicly

55 Advice from colleagues, say

56 With

58-Across, savory base for a canapé ... and the function of a black square in four puzzle rows?

58 See

56-Across

60 Afternoon service

61 One held for ransom

62 Force (upon)

63 Allowed paid use of

DOWN

1 Pre-euro coin

2 Critics who can't be pleased

3 Childish denial

4 Jerk, e.g.

5 West __: upscale store

6 Sufficient grounds for action, in law

7 Used bugs, perhaps

8 Shell material

9 Rollover acronym

10 __ lady: gin and grenadine cocktail

11 Fluency

12 Make an appearance

14 Starbucks size

18 Baking powder amt.

20 Sock part

24 Hot message

26 Beat decisively

28 Lucy of “Kill Bill”

29 Tennis great Rosewall

30 Orlando-to-Miami dir.

31 Main bases: Abbr.

32 Deere rival

33 Ararat craft

34 Shoddy

35 Top player

36 TV pioneer

37 Actress Chaplin

38 Utter nonsense

40 Deplorable sort

42 “Eureka!”

43 Some decafs

44 Lanvin scent since 1927

45 Accustomed (to)

46 Summer hrs.

48 Blush wines

49 Minos' kingdom

50 Formal decrees

51 When Lear disowns Cordelia

52 Young passenger on the

33-Down

53 Rattletrap

57 Spanish “that”

59 Enzyme suffix