Saturday, January 18, 2025, Jess Rucks

 Saturday Themeless by Jess Rucks 

Jess returns after a nine month hiatus and brightens our Saturday with a wonderful puzzle. I sailed through in good time and was slowed only to be amazed and amused by her skill. I found Jess on FaceBook and can't tell you what a bright, engaging person she is. She and her family recently drove through Lincoln and wanted to make a connection with me but couldn't make it work.

Jess has separated from the Air Force after five years of service where she told me served as an Urdu linguist, not interpreter. She now lives in Colorado Springs with her husband who serves in the U.S. Space Force. This is a picture with her and her then 5-year-old son having a good time on the playground. Jess assures me this is Urdu for, "I hope you enjoyed Jess's puzzle."

                                         مجھے امید ہے کہ آپ نے جیس کی پہیلی کا لطف اٹھایا

Across:

1. Music genre with roots in swing: BEBOP. 

             

6. Observation deck?: TAROT 😀 Oh, a deck of TAROT cards!

11. Record label for P!nk and Cat Burns: RCA.

The RCA logo is in there somewhere.

14. Vegan beauty brand headquartered in Minnesota: AVEDA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

15. "Should I be worried about us?": ARE WE COOL?

17. Monopoly property based on a historical monopoly: READING RAILROAD - The READING (pronounced redding) RAILROAD became a huge company because it owned the mines in NE Pennsylvania and also the railroad that hauled it to Philadelphia and points south. This monopoly was broken up.

19. Write alot, say?: ERR 😀 Oops, nospace!

20. Hound: DOG.

21. Instrument whose name comes from the Latin for "heavenly": CELESTA.

Celesta are keyboard glockenspiels 

22. Anatomical pouches: SACS.

24. "Mary Poppins" chimney sweep: BERT.

 

26. Team that retired Willie Mays's No. 24: METS - Willie was one of the best to ever play the game but will always be a NY/SF Giant.

27. Banjo ridge: FRET.

29. Clear for takeoff?: DE-ICE.

31. Pong consoles: ATARIS - I remember being amazed with this "cutting edge" technology in the 70's!

33. Third of a cappuccino: FOAM.

34. Choose: OPT.

37. "Great, now I'm scared of this" hashtag: NEW FEAR UNLOCKED -it implies a sudden realization of a previously unknown vulnerability.

MY FIRST THOUGHT!

40. Not virtually, virtually: IRL - In Real Life, a shark is not likely to ever threaten you

41. Once menos ocho: TRES - In Mexico 11 - 8 = 3

42. Lilikoi and lychee: FRUITS - Lilikoi are also know as passion fruit 

43. Rips into: HAS AT.

45. Electric __: EELS.

46. Painter Thomas of the Hudson River School: COLE.

 

49. Entreaty: PLEA.

51. Gin berry: SLOE.

53. Island home of the Ka Hula Piko festival: MOLOKAI - The name intimated Hawaii and I just went through the names of the islands until one fit.

55. Tiny issue: NIT.

57. Coder's concern: BUG.

58. Elaboration intro: AND ANOTHER THING - Ya gotta love Clouseau! 

61. "Voilà!": I'VE DONE IT.

62. Best: OUTDO.

63. Scand. land: NOR.

64. Tries out: TESTS.

65. Garlic __: PRESS.

Down:

1. Uncovers: BARES and the opposite 12. Covers: COATS.

2. Drew Barrymore film promoted as "A Cinderella Story": EVER AFTER.

3. Strength exercise done on all fours: BEAR CRAWL.

4. "Huh": ODD.

5. Part of PTO: PAID - Out here in farm country, it will much more likely mean Power Take Off  than Paid Time Off

6. Reached a friend on the playground?: TAGGED 😀

7. Timetable abbr.: ARR.

8. Big stink, e.g.: REACTION  - George Brett had a bad REACTION when a home run he hit was declared illegal because of too much pine tar on his bat

9. Baby bump, in baby talk: OWIE.

10. Invitation to elaborate: TELL ME MORE - It's a four minute clip but this is a fun song and ear bug where TELL ME MORE is a oft repeated lyric.

11. Crow bar?: ROOST 😀

13. "Clear+Vivid" podcast host Alan: ALDA - Science and Alan ALDA, what's not to like?

16. "Spirit Rangers" voice actress Summer: CREE - She's very big in the voice actor genre 

18. Noodle: NOB - Euphemisms for someone's head

23. Peasant: SERF.

25. No: REFUSAL.

28. Join a union?: TIE THE KNOT - Very uniquely in some cases.

30. Leg muscle: CALF.

31. Righteous Babe Records founder DiFranco: ANI.

32. Singer-songwriter Bareilles: SARA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A Saturday SARA

34. Cautious invitation to elaborate: OK I'LL BITE 😀

35. 1966 pop album with cover art of band members feeding goats: PET SOUNDS.

36. Scores that often result in dances: Abbr.: TDS.

38. Timeouts: RESPITES 😀

39. Signs to act?: CUES.

44. Principles: TENETS.

46. Chat sesh: CONVO - Slang for conversation

47. "The __ I get, the better I used to be": John McEnroe: OLDER 😀

48. Mutual fund fee: LOAD.

50. Make public: AIR.

52. Some quick toasts?: EGGOS 😀

53. Primary: MAIN.

54. Prime: A-ONE.

56. Muscle car roof: T-TOP.

59. Hot single: HIT.

60. "Ben-__": HUR - An 1880 first edition with an autograph - $8,950.