THE OPPOSITE EFFECT

ACROSS

1. Theater stage item

5. Cheek bling

9. Early PC platform (2,3)

14. Literary “scarlet letter” (3,1)

15. C-grade (2-2)

16. Throw for ___ (1,4)

17. “Believe ___ not, ...” (2,2)

18. Northbound driver’s mistaken turn to the east? (5,5)

20. “Fry” in English, “jump” in French

22. Cannot, despite trying (4,2)

23. Tumble taken in April? (6,4)

26. “The ___ Baltimore” (play set in a lobby)

29. “You rang?”

30. ___ long way (be very helpful) (2,1)

31. Was seeing someone with more class (5,2)

33. Timex timepiece

35. Black piecrust ingredients

36. Cow with a sharper-sounding moo? (6,5)

39. Steak shaped like South America (1-4)

41. Obsessively keep, as belongings

42. Had one’s sights on (5,2)

45. ___-Magnon

46. “Don’t know yet,” on a TV guide

49. “Nowhere With You” singer Plaskett

50. Is in the theatre business? (5,5)

53. Break out on one’s own (2,4)

55. Imperative on a Wonderland cake (3,2)

56. Chandelier that’s hard to lift? (5,5)

60. Canadian folk legend Rogers

61. Ichiban noodles, e.g.

62. Feeling evoked by “Skinamarink”

63. Spanish half dozen

64. Prosecuting lawyers’ clients

65. Where crafty people click?

66. Keep the motor running

DOWN

1. Overly delicate

2. Package more securely, in a way

3. Febreze targets

4. ___ Québécois (“péquiste” group)

5. U-turn from NNE

6. The “T” of Ontario’s GTA: Abbr.

7. “The good ol’” country to the south (1,1,2,1)

8. Kiefer Sutherland’s dad

9. Lime-rich soil

10. Moved like a mamba

11. One seeking brownie points (2-6)

12. “___ la-la!”

13. Cargo ship destination: Abbr.

19. Type of lizard “monster”

21. Anticipating a hitch?

24. Black lipstick style

25. Front of a 33-Across

27. Your, in Italy

28. Discs sold in sleeves

32. Waterskiing line

33. Cabernet connoisseur (4,5)

34. Letters before a king or queen

36. Event when local fans come out (4,4)

37. Caps ___ (angry typist’s key)

38. Lifeboat paddles

39. ___ Mahal

40. About-the-author bit

43. Unaccounted for soldier, for short

44. “L’chaim!”, in English (2,4)

46. Sporting a lot of ink, with “up”

47. How many vote during a pandemic (2,4)

48. Sort of, after “in” (1,5)

51. Noted thesaurus creator

52. Yogurt-based drink of India

54. Thesaurus entries: Abbr.

56. Time sheet tally: Abbr.

57. Water in Lac Saint-Jean

58. Is afflicted with

59. Frustrated reply to “I can’t”