Happy Presidents Day, everyone! sumdaze here on another holiday Monday. Constructor Janice Luttrell gave us a puzzle with an Executive Branch-adjacent theme. Let's take a look:
17 Across. Chocolate treat from Reese's:PEANUT BUTTERCUP.
They were created in 1928 -- almost 100 years ago!
25 Across. Replacement on the mound:RELIEFPITCHER. In baseball, a RELIEF PITCHER is called up to enter the game after the starting pitcher (or another relief pitcher) has been removed.
From the MLB rulebook: Pitchers must either face a minimum of three batters in an appearance or pitch to the end of a half-inning, with exceptions for injuries and illnesses. If a pitcher faces one batter to end an inning, he may be removed, but if he is brought back for a second inning, he must still face two more batters for a total of three. Once removed, players are not permitted to return to the game in any capacity.
42 Across. Venue for summer concerts in Los Angeles:HOLLYWOODBOWL.
The HOLLYWOOD BOWL is an amphitheater and public park in the Hollywood Hills of Southern California. In case you were wondering, it did survive the recent fires. Anchors Aweigh (1945) In this scene, filmed at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL, Spanish conductor and pianistJosé Iturbi playsHungarian Rhapsody No.2 ...accompanied by 17 other pianists!
The reveal:
56 Across. High-level government post, and what the ends of 17-, 25-, and 42-Across may have?:CABINET POSITION. Established in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the CABINET's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.
Also, a CUP, a PITCHER, and a BOWL might all be found POSITIONed in a CABINET.
Works for me. Let's see how the other cluesstack up.
sort of like this
Across:
1. "Speak of the __!":DEVIL. 6. Pick up a newspaper:READ. 14. Singer Menzel of "Frozen":IDINA. John Travolta famously botched her name at the 2014 Oscars but she got him back the following year. 16. Culturally pretentious:ARTY. 20. NBC sketch show since 1975, familiarly:SNL.SNL 50: The Anniversary Special aired last night. Did anyone watch it? 21. "Disgusting!":GROSS. 22. Lady Gaga's instrument:PIANO. Earlier this month, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for this song,Die With A Smile. 24. One-named "Chandelier" singer:SIA. 31. Pampering place:SALON. 32. Tomato sauce brand named for a New York restaurant:RAO'S.pronunciation 35. Storyline:PLOT. 36. Put one's foot down:STOMP. 40. Molecule part:ATOM. 41. Slender woodwinds:OBOES. 46. Ginger __:ALE. 47. Partnership for Peace gp.:NATO.groupandNorthAtlanticTreatyOrganization 48. Dwelling:ABODE. 51. Actress Hayek Pinault:SALMA. (b. September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico) a scientific explanation of the 'green flash'
15. "Uh, that's wrong":UM, NO.
23. Many a restaurant owner:CHEF.
33. Chicken serving:LEG. CSO to Splynter!
38. "Dancing Queen" pop group:ABBA.
53. Civil rights monogram:MLK.
Salma began dating French businessmanFrançois-Henri Pinault in 2006.
They married in 2009.
59. Buffalo's lake:ERIE.
60. City near Phoenix:MESA.
62. Sinks out of sight, as the sun:SETS.
63. Ready for customers:OPEN. Led Zeppelin ~ Going to California ~ (1971)
64. California, for one:STATE. This puzzle is published in theLA Times, after all.
2. Biblical garden:EDEN. 4. B and B:INN.Bed &Breakfast 5. Classic TV show hosted by Rowan & Martin:LAUGH-IN. 7. Tall birds in some insurance ads:EMUS.
1. Salsa, and some salsa moves:DIPS. This was my favorite clue today. The firstsalsais of the edible variety.
Arte Johnson (1929-2019) was a regular on this sketch comedy program.
6. Wear away:RUB OFF.
Can you see its long tongue in the tube?
Actually I think this is an anteater, not an aardvark.
Anteatercannot be used to clueantbecause they share too many letters.
9. Ellipsis element:DOT. Let me think.... 10. Grammy winner Carey:MARIAH. 11. Killer whale:ORCA. 13. Keyboard blunder:TYPO. 19. Long stories:EPICS. 23. Form a clump:CLOT. 24. Hit the brakes:STOP. 26. Spanish Olympian's goal:EL ORO. 27. "Coming soon" ad:PROMO. 28. First words of "Green Eggs and Ham":I AM. Speaking of elementary poetry....
12. Shock:STUN.
Did you catch this one on Mal-Man's last blog? LOL! 
18. Genealogy chart:TREE. as in a family TREE
Hello dear Chairman!
Today's your birthday, so I
Wrote this Hi-Moe-Ku.
🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈
30. Defy authority:REBEL. 34. Highway sign:GAS.The Deets on the Blue Highway Signs 37. AAA service:TOW.
29. Macaroni shape:ELBOW.
38. Suffix with bug or peek: -ABOO.
Abugaboois something that causes fear, alarm, or worry.
Peekaboois a game played with children who have not yet developed an understanding of object permanence. 40. __ wrench: tool that comes with flatpack furniture:ALLEN. 
Flight of the Conchords ~ Ladies of the World ~ (2008) Flight of the Conchordswas an HBO comedy series in 2007-2009. 45. River barriers:DAMS. 48. The tops:ACES.Green's Dictionary of Slang 49. Plain:BARE. 52. Church recess:APSE. A four-letter church architecture word is going to be either APSE ornave. The former is the location of the altar while the latter is the seating area leading up to the altar. Memory trick: APSE begins with an A, as doesaltar andarc. 54. Baffled:LOST. Back in 2004 DH and I were driving on Oahu's North Shore. We saw small, red signs nailed to posts and trees, much like the signs people buy when they want to sell their own car. Someone had written "LOST" on the signs with an arrow pointing which way to turn. We wondered if maybe they were directions for someone who was potentially LOST on their way to a party. We followed them to a beach. There we found what looked like a plane wreck and suitcases strewn about. Upon closer inspection we could see that the plane was staged. We wondered if this was some sort of training exercise. The following Fall, ABC aired a new TV show calledLost. It ran from 2004 to 2010. 55. Leg joint:KNEE. Oops!LEGis the answer to 33-Across so it is not supposed to be in another clue. Perhaps it's OK tobendthe rules for KNEE. 57. Angsty music genre:EMO. 58. Tyke:TOT.
43. Women:LADIES.
44. Checked out, as a library book:ON LOAN. I am currently readingThe Wilderness Idiotby Ted Alvarez, ON LOAN from my library.
I like the looks of this 15-13-13-15 grid.
Enjoy your day!
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to our Friday blogger, Chairman Moe. Chris mentioned that he is doing well post-surgery and will have his second eye done in another week.
2) Happy 58th anniversary to the sweetest, most caring couple I've ever met: Husker Gary and his wife Joann. Here's a picture of us from 2014 when Gary attended a wedding here in Minnesota.
