Zaphod

Immediately entered “mybirthday” for 8/28/1963 clue - pretty sure it wasn’t going to stick :0)

Waterloo, Amana and Hawkeye - love it as a former Iowan. As we say on St Patty’s - “Kiss me, I’m Iowish!”

It was actually a surfer that invented the first echolocation system It was So Gnar

Lifelong tuxie adopter so I loved that one - especially crossing him with SANDBOX :0) Got my Cubs and Hawkeyes involved today as well

42 is always a correct answer Country Home Critter = MANORMOUSE

After getting the starting CA - I didn’t want to give up on CADDYSHACK for the most quotable movie ever :0)

Mini block of SHAM, LAME and WADUP could have been an appropriate theme. Ugh

Brilliant wordplay on the theme fill - that was fun

So wanted “Assistance for Short Drivers “ to have something to do with the front tee boxes Very tight puzzle - well done

Nerts to all you non-dice playing constructors but for the umpteeth time (39a) rolls of 2,3 and 12 are not losing/bad/bummer outcomes. Like all rolls they can win or lose. 30+ years as a box man and I can assure you players win far more money when these numbers are rolled

Very clever Gotta quit cluing craps as “losing” bets tho - 30 years dealing dice and I’ve seen plenty of money won when 2,3 and 12 rolls. Any of the eleven numbers can be winners or losers.

Annual rant time - NYTXW can’t go a week without mentioning a certain South American country my ex is from - double time today - Lima Peru and Senora today - couldn’t fit in alpaca or Inca?

Not a great puzzle but it made me think of Gary Gulmans skit on how the states got their abbreviations so bonus points for that.