It’s raining in Los Angeles! I imagine that means that there’s snow in the mountains. I’m Jewish, and while I appreciate the Chanukah sentiment I receive, I think it’s cool that there’s snow in LA on Christmas eve, as it’s a thing many people sing that they dream of.

I pulled out 23D There are more of these in the U.S. in October than any other month, surprisingly: BRIDES because it certainly is a surprise to me. I guess I don’t really think about October as a good month for weddings because that’s like when all the Jewish holidays are. To compound that with a wedding sounds nightmarish. As I think about it further, October is right after summer ends and is before the world turns to ice. I generally forget about the world getting colder than 45 degrees. Even with the rain today, it’s 62 outside.

Honorable mention to 59A Half of a 1960s folk/pop group: MAMAS, as I had mentioned their counterparts in a post a few days ago. Good for Will Shortz to be a counterexample to recent WSJ editorial misogyny.

I would not have been able to solve this puzzle without figuring out the theme first. And then it was even fun to solve the theme answers. So I’ll present it in that order.

52A Is unable to get away, say … or a hint to 17-, 24- and 40-Across?: CANTFINDTHETIME. Essentially,

17A Spill a shipment of bowling balls?: LETTHEGOODSROLL.

24A Works during a slow day at the restaurant?: WAITSFORNOONE.

The above tattoo picture came from going down a rabbit hole. I looked for a picture of time waits for no one. I then got to time waits for no one tattoo. This image appeared as part of that search. It’s kinda sad all around.

40A Go on a date with a honeybun?: TAKEONESSWEET.

Finished this Thursday puzzle in 26:21.