Loose Connections

Tight; thanks!

Whew! Thank you for not having a step 3!

Nice one -- I actually remembered one of my cardinal meta solving rules early this time -- if you don't see anything else, look at the clues. Thanks for the puzzle, Darth!

Thanks, Darth

I did what I suspect Hoover also did --- looked for two words in the grid that would be synonym for Loose Fitting. Oh well, as they say, Claire Booth was Luce, but Lautrec was Toulouse.

Good puzzle - thanks, Darth!

The electricity and excitement were building as I solved... Shockingly good puzzle, Darth!

Almost submitted CUTTING LOOSE til I saw the actual mechanism. Thanks!

I saw ELM “loosely connected” to LEAF, LICK to TONGUE, ROLLICK to LIVING (very loosely) and I was off to the races until I was just OFF. Finally figured out what to do. Good one!

Very nice! Got step 1 but couldn’t find alternatives BUT then had to remember to look at THE clues for step 2 !! Thanks, Darth. Very fitting!

Good one, thanks!

What a fitting puzzle! Darth has rapidly become a favorite constructor. Why this could not be better if it had been done by Claire Booth Luce.

Nicely done. Thanks.

So I see that there are 7 words that can be preceded by loose. I see they don't spell anything. I try alternatives and weird connections. I try looking in the clues but the first letters of the clues don't spell anything. So I wait two days for clues. The first four clues are all what I did and the fifth clue tells me what I've got is correct so far but strongly suggests I try the clues which confuses me because I tried that and it spelled nothing. So I try it a again, and dang it if those universe reality fairies didn't come in the night and change things just to spite me because this time the first letters of the clues spelled a simple word.

Thanks for the hints!

Yep, I overthought this for way too long! Thanks for the fun puzzle!

I had all the words from the start, but kept trying to find alternate answers. Why find an easier mechanism when you can spend hours trying to make it harder?? Very nice aha moment! Thanks, Darth!

Tried to do the right thing pre-nudges but had dismissed LIVING as not one of the themers ('Loose LIVING' didn't really click for me), and didn't think to include TRANSLATION since I didn't expect it to do double duty as revealer and themer (which is my bad ). So I only had 5 of the 7 and was missing one of the two vowels. Definitely needed the course correction, but then it was straightforward. Thanks. :)

Got so excited with sussing out fitting, forgot the loose - early acceptance anyway! In the immortal words of REO Speedwagon: You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Thanks, Darth!

Great puzzle!

Finally got around to solving this one, Darth, and I'm glad I did! Great mechanism and well-constructed!

Solution: Based on the puzzle title, first find words in the grid with a "loose" connection. There are seven, listed here in grid order:4A. Feature of a "daredevil" circus act = (loose) CANNON19A Investigation outcomes = (loose) ENDS24A Tip jar contents = (loose) CHANGE37A Textual rendering... = (loose) TRANSLATION52A "I'm __ it up!" (expression of indulgence) = (loose) LIVING57A Notebook paper, or "true" tea = (loose) LEAF68A Gossip spreader? = (loose) TONGUE

Now what? Take the first letter of these clues to spell an "appropriate" word = FITTING! Then add "loose" to complete the two-word pun: LOOSE FITTING