TODAY’S CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Stair alternative

5 Abs are below them

9 Temporary job

12 Canal of song

13 Mature

15 Music direction

16 Porter and stout

17 Where Damascus is

18 Poet’s black

19 Year divisions

21 Testing the air

23 Diving bird

25 Sailor’s pride

26 Daunted

30 Courtroom events

34 Fish eggs

35 Lucky number, to some

37 Jeans fabric

38 Surgeon’s attire

40 Concrete reinforcer

42 Rocket housing

43 Banana oil, e.g.

45 More discourteous

47 Rain slicker

48 Autocrat

50 Return (2 wds.)

52 Herr’s dwelling

54 Peeve

55 Nursed (2 wds.)

59 Sheet music words

63 A mule pulls it

64 Fountain in Rome

66 Certain gait

67 Writer — Oz

68 Mug with a lid

69 Tee-hee cousin (hyph.)

70 Actor — Shepard

71 Steel mill refuse

72 Type of appeal

DOWN

1 Squeeze oranges

2 Alice’s chronicler

3 Pose

4 Herb crusher

5 Fail to consider (2 wds.)

6 Ben & Jerry rival

7 Mongrels

8 Pussyfoot

9 Mongolian desert

10 Mouse target?

11 Percussion instrument

14 Sully

15 Southpaws

20 — d’oeuvres

22 “Sixteen Tons” singer

24 At no time

26 Coaxed

27 Rodeo gear

28 Salamanders

29 Troubleshoot

31 True inner self

32 Spring blossom

33 Painter’s garb

36 Rock bottom

39 Sister’s boys

41 Assailing

44 Freeway

46 Trust

49 Tassels

51 Docks

53 Prepares laundry

55 IRS employees

56 Diva — Gluck

57 Space

58 Get dizzy

60 Where to hear Farsi

61 Salmon variety

62 Iffy attempt

65 Through