"The Bitter End"

[Bird Lives]

Unlike our puzzle constructor, I have not fled to Florence nor am I sampling the other delights of County Chianti. I am struggling to keep an accurate tally and to come up with nudges that are helpful but not too helpful. On the former task, another 10 solvers have joined our ranks.

51. Snood
52. JeanneC
53. bhamren
54. Carolyn
55. HeadinHome
56. Magistra
57. kymike
58. lbray53
59. Jim Dean
60. Jade

As for nudges,
There are five theme entries, and they’re exactly the ones you think they are.

Each consists of two parts. Try splitting them up. Try making a list of them. Check it, twice if necessary, but vertically rather than horizontally.

Basically, you’re playing a game of categories,.

I don’t know about you, but I find the clue for 66A a bit odd.

Here’s a sentence I deleted from my Monday post regarding the large number of early solvers: “Apparently those Thanksgiving leftovers are good brain food.”.

Could there be a reason our Tuscan Traveler chose “Bird Lives” as the designated nudger? .

[DavyGravy]

Thanks for the nudges... but is there a typo in nudge 4?

[MarkWoychick]

Off the couch with the help of the nudges - thanks for the puzzle, Peter and for the nudges, Jay

[DavyGravy]

Off the couch. Thank you Peter for a fun one.

[Bird Lives]

Thanks for the nudges... but is there a typo in nudge 4?

Ooops. Now corrected. Thanks. I must have been looking at the last Across clue in some other puzzle.

[jhseeman]

Off the couch, didn't need the nudges.

But Pete just can't leave half pints out of it....

[Abide]

All’s well on the River ARNO

[ReB]

Off the couch - took a fresh look before starting on the nudges and a probable answer emerged from the meta ether, which I then confirmed with google to make sure it was really the title of a 1971 film.

[edestlin]

I fumbled all around the answer and between the nudges and Google I finally got there. Not a great week for me in metas, but I enjoyed the grid!

[DavyGravy]

Che bel paese!!!

[Bird Lives]

The Friday Update
Another sweet sixteen have come in from the cold:

61. DavyGravy
62. MarkWoychick
63. Rufus T Firefly
64. aldente
65. JHSeeman
66. ReB
67. LB800
68. cbarbee002
69. edestlin
70. SJMcK
71. Jim23809
72. emmie
73. edestlin
74. BethA
75. Richard
76. Jaclyn

The rest of you -- and we know you're out there -- have just over 36 hours to join the crowd.

[Abide]

Outside the north wall of Duomo at SIENA

[MatthewL]

Outside the north wall of Duomo at SIENA

Weird grid for a meta, but I guess I'll give it a go.

[whimsy]

Outside the north wall of Duomo at SIENA

87AB94E5-BF6D-44A3-B18F-E7AA9AF4573E.jpeg

Learned something today -- Thanks, Peter!

From wikipedia --
The square appears in several early and late medieval medical textbooks such as the Trotula, and was employed as a medieval cure for many ailments, particularly for dog bites and rabies, as well as for insanity.

[Bird Lives]

Outside the north wall of Duomo at SIENA

87AB94E5-BF6D-44A3-B18F-E7AA9AF4573E.jpeg

Learned something today -- Thanks, Peter!

From wikipedia --
The square appears in several early and late medieval medical textbooks such as the Trotula, and was employed as a medieval cure for many ailments, particularly for dog bites and rabies, as well as for insanity.

I'm feeling better already, and I've only read a quarter of the article. I'll read the rest when I have a few hours free.

[Bird Lives]

Another five solvers showed up, bringing the final tally to four score and one.

77. Charles Montpetit
78. Cate C
79. DIS
80. Craig Mazin
81. ultimodem

The answer is COLD TURKEY

The five theme entries were:

SNOWY OWL
ARCTIC FOX
SIBERIAN TIGER
POLAR BEAR
CHILI DOG

The first word of each referred to something COLD
The second word was an animal of some sort.
The clue for 66A, the final Across entry, was “Quit, as a bad habit.” The entry was SHED. What a terrible clue for that entry. But it does suggest something that matches the pattern of the five themers — another way to go in quitting a bad habit: COLD TURKEY (or if, like a certain puzzle constructor, you happen to be in Tuscany at the local trattoria, TACCHINO FREDDO).

Thanks to all.
.

Graphic courtesy of BrennerTJ.

[MarkWoychick]

I thought I saw a pattern and was chasing WHITE RABBIT and WHITE ELEPHANT for a while, but eventually got on the right track

[Abide]

Thanks Jay, and all who solved. Our Tuscan roads led to Rome, and the days have become more hectic. Tossed the coin at TREVI and I stopped counting APSEs and NAVEs after four.

Random winner is @BethA!

[JeanneC]

Initially thought the answer was “Ice Station Zebra”.
Nope! My favorite movie but came out in 1968!

[MikeM000]

The local TV station that is now a CW network affiliate used to run a movie every night at 8 when I was a kid; Cold Turkey was always in heavy rotation in the early 80s. A movie with both Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart? Who could resist?

JustWatch tells me it's up on Amazon Prime and (if you have access through your library card) Hoopla.

IN REN WE TRUST!