Constructor's notes: this is a revamped version of a puzzle I made back in 2013 when I used to work at a dental office as an assistant. I had to learn and memorize the name of the different dental instruments such as the "sickle" for removing plaque or the "spoon" for excavating decay. My boss would always yell "they're instruments, not tools!... you wouldn't want a TOOL in your mouth, would you?"
Airport I live the closest to (but prefer to fly out of JFK instead... and would rarely consider EWR unless I'm super desperate or the flight is mad cheap)
14A
Forearm bone
15A
Airline based in Seoul
16A
Magic, on scoreboards (Shaq's first NBA team)
17A
TV series inspired by "The Twilight Zone" that touches upon contemporary social issues (you can try their interactive film "Bandersnatch" on Netflix where you choose your own adventure)
19A
Drumstick
20A
International peace group that designates "World Heritage Sites": Abbr.
21A
World capital closest to the equator
23A
Cross swords or exchange cross words
26A
Make dirty money appear clean
28A
Symbol of communism
32A
Female reproductive cells
33A
"Star Wars," for example
34A
Baton Rouge campus: Abbr. (where Shaq played college basketball)
35A
Himalayan legend
37A
Snap, crackle, or pop
39A
With 40-Down, "Ouch!"
43A
___ and cheese
45A
Strives for victory
47A
Actor Tognazzi of "La Cage aux Folles"
48A
Fictional adventurer with a map and a talking backpack
53A
___ set (toy that a future civil engineer might play with although as a kid I played with LEGO and K'Nex... shout out to all my civil engineering friends - hi Alyssa!)
54A
One-up
55A
Clergyman's residence
56A
Breakfast dish with a Denver variety
60A
One by one?
61A
One being cuddled
66A
One being coddled, perhaps
67A
Puzzle
68A
"Whoops"
69A
Kiki who sang "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Elton John
70A
Arizona city nicknamed "The Old Pueblo"
71A
Drill, to a dentist, or what the last word of 17A, 28A, 48A, or 61A is, in the world of dentistry
Verticales
1D
Place to raise your spirits?
2D
Right-angled plumbing pipe
3D
Single-helix genetic material: Abbr.
4D
Sucky appliance?
5D
"Ditto"
6D
"Warts and all," at a garage sale
7D
Magazine audience statistic: Abbr.
8D
He and Kumar went to White Castle and ordered 30 sliders, 5 fries, and 4 large cherry cokes each (diet coke for Kumar)
9D
Ambient music pioneer Brian who composed the "Microsoft sound"
10D
French nobleman like de Sade (who wrote "it is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure" and from where we get the term "sadism" from)
11D
"Haha... no freakin' clue" in textspeak ¯\__(ツ)_/¯
12D
She and her brother got lost in the woods because birds ate the trail of breadcrumbs they left behind
13D
Former vice president known for environmental activism (and is super cereal about ManBearPig in "South Park")
18D
Kicks in the groin, perhaps
22D
Like pure cocaine
23D
Chips ___ (nautically named cookie brand)
24D
Dance party in an abandoned warehouse
25D
Future MBA's exam
27D
Living the dream?
29D
___ Cucamonga (California city where "Flamin' Hot" Cheetos were created)
30D
"A long time ___ in a galaxy far, far away..."
31D
Born yesterday, so to speak
36D
They're non-PC?
38D
It shares a key with a caret
40D
See 39-Across
41D
Like quality steak or whiskey
42D
El ___, wooden roller coaster in Six Flags Great Adventure whose name is Spanish for "the bull"
44D
Decorative metal skewer for serving hors d'oeuvres (No idea this was a thing... way too fancy for me, I just use toothpicks)
46D
Gin flavorings
48D
Brought out to show, as new software
49D
Self-descriptive fruit
50D
Go back on one's word (like when you accept a job offer elsewhere but change your mind because your current company offers you even more money to stay)
51D
Like XXX-rated material
52D
Yield
57D
Staff gatherings: Abbr. (why do we even have them if most of them can be summed up in an email?)
58D
"Sesame street" character with a "tickle me" toy
59D
First word in a "fighting machine" phrase
62D
Shiba ___ (Japanese dog breed)
63D
Ending for two four-letter NYC neighborhoods, one North of Houston St and one South of Houston St
64D
The Land of ___ is the setting for Finn and Jake's Cartoon Network show "Adventure Time" (or counterpart of XXX in either "tic-tac-toe" or "hugs and kisses")