Monday December 8, 2025 Brian Gubin

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's theme is:  

This is constructor Brian Gubin's third LAT puzzle. We'll begin with the three themed clues and answers:  

18 Across. Sleuth for hire: PRIVATE EYE.  

28 Across. Important tool in weather prediction: DOPPLER RADAR.  This was my favorite of the three themers.  DOPPLER RADAR is named for the DOPPLER effect, which is named for Austrian physicist Christian Doppler [1803-1853]. He was "the first to describe how the observed frequency of light and sound waves is affected by the relative motion of the the source and the detector."

National Science Foundation info. about DOPPLER RADAR  

49 Across. Tour guide off the coast of Washington or Maine, e.g.: WHALE WATCHER.  

And now for the reveal:

62 Across. "Sounds about right," and what can be said about 18-, 28-, and 49-Across: THAT TRACKS.  This phrase means that something matches what one would expect it to be.

Also, the three themed answers all TRACK something. That is, they follow the trail of something with the intention of making a discovery. Works for me!

Next we'll follow the remaining clues:

Across:

1. Advertising award named for a Greek goddess: CLIO.  Clio was one of the nine muses. She was known as "the proclaimer, glorifier, and celebrator of history, great deeds, and accomplishments."

Clio on an antique fresco from Pompeii.

5. "It __ me to say ... ": PAINS.  

10. Apex: ACME.  

14. Rather wealthy: RICH.  

Pink Floyd     ~     Money     ~     1973

Hi unclefred!

15. Sound that clears a path in traffic: SIREN.  This made me think of carriage dogs. They were bred to trot alongside the horses pulling a carriage, both for protection and to help clear the path with their barking -- like a SIREN. Dalmatians were good at this so they were used for fire carriages.  

16. Alum: GRAD.  alumnus and GRADuate

17. Reddit Q&As: AMAS.  Ask Me Anythings  

From the reddit website:  It is an event where creators, celebrities, public figures, or regular folk with interesting experiences or specific knowledge, and the like can answer any questions the general public has within a certain timeframe. 

20. Heaven-sent food: MANNA.     and     22-Across. "For heaven's __!": SAKE.

23. Cargo weight: TON.

24. Binder flaps: TABS.  

26. Michael C. Hall crime drama with a "Resurrection" sequel series: DEXTER.  The original Dexter series consisted of 8 seasons on Showtime (2006-2013). The Resurrection sequel series premiered on July 11, 2025.

32. Tech sch. in upstate New York: RPI.  Technical school and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It is a private research university in Troy, New York. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere.

33. Sicilian volcano: ETNA.     and     64-Down. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA.

34. Rests one inside another: NESTS.  

38. Curved paths: ARCS.  

40. Like the bottoms of beach house pools, often: SANDY.

43. Aching: SORE.

44. Youngsters: TYKES.

46. "Pop! __ the Weasel": GOES.

48. Teeny-tiny: WEE.

53. Upload a new version to the cloud, say: RESAVE. to SAVE again, often in the same location  

55. __ Lee desserts: SARA.  

56. Long, slithery fish: EEL.  How long? This spotted moray EEL can grow up to 6.6 ft. (2 meters).  

I like how the inside of its mouth matches the outside. 

57. Storm relief org.: FEMA.  organization and Federal Emergency Management Agency

The FEMA website has some good winter weather preparedness tips.

59. "And yet ... ": BUT NO.  Thank you, perps!

66. Salon sound: SNIP.  ✂

Now, if the clue had been "Barbershop sound", we might have something like this video:  

67. "Toodles": TA-TA.  Both are casual ways of saying 'goodbye'.

68. Unkind smile: SNEER.  

69. Vocal quality: TONE.     and     31-Down1. Singer's span: RANGE.

70. Aid and __: ABET.  

71. Writing class writing assignment: ESSAY.  I recently came across this newspaper clipping from when I won a writing class assignment (but not for an ESSAY). I was in the 6th grade. My teacher was proud that my handwriting was so neat that they did not re-type it for the newspaper. (Taking notes in college later destroyed my handwriting.)

72. Graceful long-necked bird: SWAN.  SWANs are large birds. Just how large are they? The trumpeter swan is tenth on this list of 55 bird species ranked by size. They are about the same size as a Great Blue Heron but weigh 20 pounds (9 kg.) more. Mute swans are about a foot shorter than trumpeter swans. BTW, the collective nouns for SWANs is bevy, flock, game, lamentation, or wedge.

comparing a trumpeter swan (l.) to a mute swan (r.)

Down:

1. Hit the books hard: CRAM.  Think, "CRAM for a test".

2. Peruvian city founded as Ciudad de los Reyes: LIMA.  Translation:  City of the Kings

Last Monday we learned that LIMA is the eponymous city for the beans.

3. "Both options are too good to take just one": I CAN'T PICK.   

Watch this 18 sec. video to see how a family's dog helped to PICK their baby's name.

@beaunosebones Who knew choosing a tennis ball could be this hard! #fyp #foryoupage #dogsoftiktok #namereveal ♬ Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez

4. "Sick burn!": OH SNAP.  an ESSAY on the origin of OH SNAP  

5. Bygone handheld game console, for short: PSP.  Handheld is supposed to be a hint that the answer is PlayStation Portable ... but I was still clueless. Sony released PSP in N. America in 2005. The introductory price was $250.

6. Balloon filler: AIR.  "Helium" is too long.

7. Early spring flower: IRIS.  

8. The Silver State: NEVADA.  This nickname is a reflection of silver's importance to Nevada's history and economy.  In 1859, two miners Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin discovered silver near Virginia City. Twenty thousand people followed, hoping to strike it rich. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864.

Do we have any Cornerites from Nevada?

9. Created a serpentine path: SNAKED.  

10. Sit in the cellar, perhaps: AGE.  Speaking of AGE, our part-time Wednesday blogger JazzBumpa has a new one today. Happy birthday, JzB!!  

11. Most populous Greek island: CRETE.  It is also the largest Greek island. As of this writing, the weather forecast for CRETE for today is 55-65°F with rain showers.

12. Big city bigwig: MAYOR.  When I was growing up, my dentist was our MAYOR. Yes, we had fluoridated water.  

13. Genesis garden: EDEN.  

19. Houston resident, for one: TEXAN.  Houston residents reside in the most populated city in Texas and the fourth most populated city the U.S.   more data

21. Up to the challenge: ABLE.

25. Tennis match units: SETS.  Ah yes, the bewildering world of tennis scoring! A SET consists of at least six games, but it can be more than six because the winner has to win by at least two games. For example a win of 6 to 0 means they played six games; a win of 6 to 4 means they played ten games; and a win of 7 to 5 means they played 12 games. In the last example, they were probably at 6 to 5 but they had to play another game so someone could win by two games. A match is usually the best out of three SETS.

Did I say that right, Big Easy?

27. Uno, dos, __: TRES.

28. "Fiddlesticks!": DRAT. These two expressions of frustration share the same vibe.  

Dick Dastardly and Muttley (8 sec.)

"Drat! Drat! Drat! and a double drat!"

29. The Grand Ole __: OPRY.

30. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA.

35. "Where do we go from here?": SO WHAT NOW.  

36. __ frog: TREE.  Tree frogs are a diverse family of amphibians that includes over 800 species. Not all tree frogs live in trees. Rather, the feature that unites them has to do with their feet—the last bone in their toes (called the terminal phalanx) is shaped like a claw. Tree frogs also have toe pads to help them climb and many have extra skeletal structures in their toes. Tree frogs can be a variety of colors, but most of the species found in the United States are green, gray, or brown. Some of them, like the squirrel tree frog (Hyla squirella), are chameleon-like in their ability to change color.  <source>  

red-eyed tree frog

37. Visionary: SEER.  Hear, hear! Steer clear if your SEER SNEERs!

39. Uses needle and thread: SEWS.

41. The "D" of DJIA: DOW.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) tracks thirty of America's biggest and most established companies, acting like a quick temperature check of the U.S. economy.  more from Investopedia

42. Pro votes: YEAS.

45. Elevator passage: SHAFT.  

47. Attempt: STAB.  as in "Let me take a STAB at it"

50. Opposed (to): AVERSE.  Do not vote YEA if you are AVERSE to the proposal.

51. French city known for a 24-hour car race: LE MANS.  While I'm not the sort of person who would know about car races, this one was in the punchbowl.

The Le mans 24h race takes place on a ~8.5 m. (13.6 km) circuit. All teams must rotate three drivers through the car during the race, with no single driver behind the wheel for more than 14 hours in total. They cleverly schedule it in June on one of the shortest nights during the year. The winner is the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours. There are different categories, but just to give you a rough idea, one of this year's winners managed 387 laps.

52. Sandwich leftovers on many a kid's plate: CRUSTS.  Were you ever told by an adult that the CRUSTS are the healthiest part of your sandwich? The jury is still out on this one. A 2002 study found that bread CRUST contained more cancer-fighting antioxidants than bread crumbs. Then another report said the extra heat that forms the CRUST may form a carcinogenic chemical.  Read more here.  

crusty bread

53. Postop therapy: REHAB.

54. Make happy: ELATE.  

56. Jazz great James: ETTA.

58. Las Vegas WNBA team: ACES.  

60. Singer Simone: NINA.  [1933-2003]  She was known as "the high priestess of soul".  National Women's History Museum page

61. "__ sesame!": OPEN.  

63. Skin pic: TAT.   If you are thinking of getting a TATtoo, you might want to consult this picture showing the areas of the body that will hurt the most.

65. Texter's "My bad": SRY.  sorry

The grid:  

That's all for today. I gotta go catch a train!  

Note from C.C.:

As Renee mentioned earlier. today is the birthday of dear Jazzbumpa (Ron), our faithful and cool Wednesday Sherpa. Ron never fails to entertain us with his humor and wits. 

 

Sunday December 7, 2025 John Andrew Agpalo

Theme: "APPENDIX" - Ix sound is added to the end of each theme entry, changing spellings as needed.

22. Compensation for those expecting bad outcomes?: THE WAGES OF CYNICS. The wages of sin.

32. Gem that's been photoshopped?: BRUSHED UP ONYX. Brushed up on.

50. Class that teaches the science behind flair bartending?: SLOE GIN PHYSICS. Sloe gin fizz.

70. Paper jam?: PRINTERS REMIX. Printer's ream.

90. Well-worn long tops?: FAMILIAR TUNICS. Familiar tune.

105. Genetic makeup of a Trojan war hero?: ACHILLES HELIX. Achilles' heel.

117. Message to a graduating class at an occult school?: YOU WILL BE MYSTICS.  You will be missed.

When I read the title, I figured IX is added to each theme entry, like Pie/Pixie, Par/Pixar, etc. John's approach is more creative. Consistent too. 

Lots of fun clues in this puzzle. 

Across:

1. "The Count of Monte Cristo" novelist: DUMAS.  The former French president Sarkozy said he would bring this book to prison to read.

6. Gallagher of Oasis: LIAM.

10. Sour taste: TANG.

14. Queue before Q: LGBT.

18. "Didn't we just see this?": AGAIN.

19. Meat dish topped with mashed potatoes: COTTAGE PIE. Have some.

21. Ohio border lake: ERIE.

24. Like some parks: Abbr.: NATL. National.

25. Coat flaps: LAPELS.

26. Receipt fig.: AMT.

27. This evenin': TONITE.

29. Quick chats?: IMS. Instant messaged.

31. Iguana, to some: PET.

36. LuPone of "Agatha All Along": PATTI. 

38. Croc, but not gator: SHOE.

40. Jalapeño kin: SERRANO.

41. Front covers?: APRONS. More clever clues: 10. Column that's beside the point?: TENTHS. 81. Hairstyles that many pick?: AFROS. And  89. Turner once big in the music industry?: CD PLAYER. 

43. Cartography collection: ATLAS.

46. Poetic contraction: NE'ER.

47. Browning's "__ Lippo Lippi": FRA.

53. Periods of inactivity: STASES. Plural of stasis. 

55. Kinda-sorta: SEMI.

56. Rep. group: GOP.

57. Pottery supplies: CLAYS.

59. Went down: SANK.

60. Dramamine target: NAUSEA.

63. Yale grad: ELI.

64. Shoulder ornament: EPAULET.

67. Vegan sammie: PBJ.

73. Pair: TWO.

74. Stuffed meat dish: ROULADE. Never had this either.

76. Tattle (on): RAT.

77. Tiltrotor military aircraft: OSPREY. Tiltrotor is a new word to me. Tilt-rotor.

79. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.

80. Boondi __: spiced yogurt dish: RAITA.

82. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.

83. Alleviate: EASE.

87. With all judges present: EN BANC.

94. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.

95. Smell: ODOR.

97. Glinda, to Elphaba, at first: ENEMY.

98. Snare: ENTRAP.

99. Secondary thread: SUBPLOT.

102. Ikebana vessel: VASE.

104. Gleefully spiteful: CATTY.

109. Lentil dish: DAL.

111. Pack animal: ASS.

112. LASIK target: CORNEA.

113. Lennox of R&B: ARI.

114. Hindu god with the head of an elephant: GANESH. God of wisdom.

116. Create a narrative out of reality show footage, e.g.: EDIT.

124. Tibetan monk: LAMA.

125. Sine qua nons: ESSENTIALS.

126. Kevin McHale's "Glee" role: ARTIE.

127. Serpents on sarcophagi: ASPS.

128. Frost's "The __ Not Taken": ROAD.

129. Race goal, sometimes: SEAT. Senate race, e.g.

130. Damp: MOIST.

Down:

1. Who __ Nation: Saints fans: DAT.

2. Disgusted sound: UGH.

3. Turbulent situation: MAELSTROM. Terrific entry.

4. Japanese consumer electronics brand: AIWA.

5. __ turtle: SNAPPING.

6. Source of grief: LOSS.

7. Skater Midori: ITO.

8. Org. with bomb-sniffing dogs: ATF.

9. One spelling of an Asian gambling hub: MACAU. Carmen has been there a few times. She just loves the real jade there. 

11. Bee fore?: API.  Prefix for "bee". 

12. Actor Cage, casually: NIC.

13. Hand motions: GESTURES.

14. McCartney's songwriting partner: LENNON.

15. Application for dubious advice: GRAIN OF SALT. Partnered with 69. Cocktail ingredient: JUMBO SHRIMP. Love both.

16. Wee: BITTY.

17. Email ancestor: TELEX.

19. Irish speakers, e.g.: CELTS.

20. Press rooms?: GYMS. Bench press, etc.

23. "Isn't that something": GEE.

28. Visual style that tricks the eye: OP-ART.

29. Card table declaration: I PASS.

30. __ syrup: MAPLE.

32. Greedy choice: BOTH.

33. Depend (on): RELY. Thanks for saving me last Sunday, Brian! Got the precious infusion on Tuesday, now I'm good for another 8 weeks. Grateful for the good days and the people who help me get to them.

34. Wee: EENSY.

35. Rapper Dr. __: DRE.

37. Front-wheel alignment: TOE IN.

39. Occur: HAPPEN.

42. Brynhild's beloved, in Norse myth: SIGURD. Learning moment for me also. Google AI says Sigurd is the beloved of Brynhild. Their love story is a tragic one, marked by a love potion that caused Sigurd to forget Brynhild, leading him to marry another woman and indirectly causing Brynhild to orchestrate his death. Ultimately, Brynhild takes her own life to be reunited with Sigurd in the afterlife

 

44. Find out: ASCERTAIN.

45. Places for small herb gardens: SILLS.

48. Option for a library book: RENEW.

49. Invite for: ASK TO.

51. More meddlesome: NOSIER.

52. African capital: CAIRO.

54. Tempe sch.: ASU. They still have a good swimming team after Bob Bowman left for Texas. This guy is their star Ilya Kharun. 

58. Start of the Marine Corps motto: SEMPER. Fidelis. 

61. Therapists' org.: APA.

62. Bright spots?: ATRIA.

65. Unlicensed radio broadcaster: PIRATE.

66. Body spray brand: AXE.

67. Fuss in the mirror: PREEN.

68. Carried: BORNE.

71. Wonderland cake words: EAT ME.

72. Contents of college blue books: ESSAYS.

75. Trout's team, on scoreboards: LAA. Mike Trout. LA Angels.

78. Gossipy person: YENTA.

84. Carrier in French Polynesia: AIR TAHITI.

85. Performs like Ella: SCATS.

86. Awards for excellent plays and players: ESPYS.

88. Aristocratic: NOBLE.

91. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI.

92. Big-screen movie format: IMAX.

93. 119-Down figure: UNCLE SAM. 119. Country that turns 250 years old in 2026: Abbr.: USA.

96. Spanish cheer: OLE.

100. Range that includes Utah's Kings Peak: UINTAS.

101. Sat on the kitchen counter, perhaps: THAWED.

103. Cheeses from the Netherlands: EDAMS.

105. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA.

106. Musical conclusions: CODAS.

107. Pam's successor on "The Office": ERIN.

108. Cheerful ditties: LILTS.

110. Whichever: ANY.

114. Coins in a game of dreidel: GELT.

115. Houston MLBer: STRO.

118. Spanish bear: OSO.

120. Whopper: LIE.

121. [Stop shearing me!]: BAA.

122. Not trans: CIS.

123. Fixed: SET.

Happy 80th birthday to Windhover (Larry), who used to comment on our blog years ago. I still think of you often, Larry. Hope all's well with you and Irish. Here's a picture of Windhover with Lucina. 

  

Windhover & Lucina, July 24, 2015

Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emily Biegas

Saturday Themeless by Emily Biegas

Emily               Sala

Emily and her friend Sala Wanetick have had several LA Puzzles published, and this appears to be Emily's first solo effort. The picture on the left is of Sala and Emily after they had one of their puzzles accepted in the NYT.

I had a fun time with Emily's solo effort that even included two math terms.

Across:

1. __ curtains: CAFE.

5. __ operandi: MODUS - Usually seen as M.O. or method of operation.

10. Depop's parent company: ETSY.

14. Libation made with skin-contact grapes: ORANGE WINE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Unlike traditional white wines, where the juice is immediately separated from the skins after pressing, orange wine ferments with the skins for a period that can range from a few days to many months. You're welcome.

16. Geodesic structure: DOME - The Desert DOME at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is amazing.

17. Main, often: STREET NAME.

18. Subj. of some food labeling laws: GMOS - Geneitecally Modified Foods

19. Currency exchanged for GBP, perhaps: EUR.

20. Singer __ Marie: TEENA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

21. Bird feeder?: BEAK 😀

22. Angry: CROSS.

24. Spreadsheet specification: RANGE - =SUM(B13:B17) will add up the numbers in the RANGE from cell B13 to cell B17.

26. Quirk: TIC.

28. Record holders: LOGS.

30. Half-baked, say: NOT DONE 😀

32. A-one: PRIMO.

34. Educated: LETTERED.

35. American, for one: PROCESSED CHEESE - I know Velvet is a PROCESSED CHEESE product, but it's great for a toasted cheese sandwich to accompany tomato soup... 

   

37. Home of the Glastonbury Festival: SOMERSET - It is held in Pilton, which is a town near Glastonbury in the county of SOMERSET in SW England.

38. Grazing groups: HERDS.

39. "Whew, that was close!": I MADE IT - Name the movie with this scene (* answer at bottom)

40. Unadorned: BARE.

41. Trig ratio: SIN - Opposite/hypotenuse = SIN

42. "__ me!": SPARE.

44. Digression: ASIDE.

48. Editorial override: STET.

50. "Mangia!": DIG IN - An Italian invitation to chow down

52. Small inlet: RIA.

53. Common pendant on a graduate's tassel: YEAR.

54. Talisman: MAGIC CHARM.

56. "I __ sorry": AM SO.

57. Enigmatic rock group: STONEHENGE 😀 15 days from now, on the winter solstice, this is what the sunrise will look like at STONEHENGE. 

58. Jangling set: KEYS - Tools for every custodian

59. Laconic: TERSE.

60. Brick oven output: PIES.

Down:

1. Trig ratio: COSEC.

2. Fischer who invented the plastic drywall anchor: ARTUR - I've used them a lot but as for the inventor ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Grain bowl ingredient with a nutty flavor: FARRO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  An ancient wheat grain

4. GPS heading: ENE.

5. Dole (out): METE.

6. Possessive types: OWNERS.

7. Kristen's "Spencer" role: DIANA.

8. Part of UAV: UNMANNED - UNMANNED Aerial Vehicle 

9. "What'd I tell you?": SEE.

10. Browser with a blue-and-green wave logo: EDGE.

11. Natural shade produced by lycopene: TOMATO RED.

12. Mezcal quality: SMOKINESS.

13. Celebratory cry: YES.

15. "You should take a break": GET SOME REST.

21. Put all of one's eggs in one basket: BET THE RANCH.

23. Like some packaged produce: SLICED.

25. "Copy": GOTCHA or...

27. Give up: CEDE.

29. Buzz: GOSSIP.

31. Some riding mowers: DEERES.

32. "Pinky swear!": PROMISE ME.

33. Genre for novelists Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros: ROMANTASY - I filled this in and then it took a while to see the portmanteau: ROMANCE and FANTASY.

34. Court call: LET - Tennis court

35. Trident-shaped letters: PSIS.

36. Make plans to tie the knot: SET A DATE.

40. Sets off: BEGINS.

43. Fastidiousness: RIGOR.

45. From Tehran: IRANI 

46. Requiem: DIRGE.

47. Big name in midcentury modern design: EAMES.

49. Archer in Greek mythology: EROS.

51. Brand that once had a licensing deal with 7-Eleven: ICEE - They now call them Slurpees

53. __ butter: YAK - The source 

54. DEN airport zone: MST.

55. Like a cool cat: HEP.

*Whew! That scene was of Gordie and Vern escaping the train in the wonderful "coming of age" movie Stand By Me.

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 88th birthday to dear Lucina, who visited Minnesota in 2012. Here's a picture of me, Lucina and her three sisters at Mall of America.   

C.C., Lucina, Marge, Yoli & Juanita