Saturday, February 22, 2025, Zhouqin Burnikel

 Themeless Saturday by Zhouqin Burnikel

C.C. has a very challenging and mouth watering-entry for us with her 400th puzzle. I kept coming up to culinary clues and fill that were foreign to me but they all worked themselves out and I got a very satisfying "got 'er done!" As you can see by the graphic at the left, she had some very unique or 1 other long fill.

Across:

1. Seated asana?: CHAIR POSE 

         

10. Also: TOO.

13. Some transparent covers: GLASS DOMES.

14. Dove bars?: COOS.

15. Clearly embarrassed: RED AS A BEET.

16. Concert lineup: AMPS.

17. Skin care company with a Sanskrit name: AVEDA - From Ayurveda which is Sanskrit for "knowledge of life".

18. Smart Fiesta kit brand: OLD EL PASO.

20. Hill with no peak: MESA 😀

21. Bread like limppu: RYE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Finnish RYE bread

22. Track records: BETS.

23. Noodles: PASTA.

25. Brought up the rear?: STOOD 😀

27. Hymn associated with King David: PSALM.

30. Sound for silence: SHH 😀

32. The Grand Ole __: OPRY - We went to see the new Grand Ole Opry in Nashville but it was flooded out so we went to where the show originated - Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville to sit in the original pews.

33. Ticks away: ELAPSES.

35. Start without a key: HOT WIRE.

37. Juicy bits?: PULP.

38. Masked drama whose name means "skill": NOH.

40. Food that never decays: HONEY.

41. Not great at all: SMALL 😀

43. Real head-turner: BEAUT.

45. Rainbow eucalyptus, for one: TREE - Native to the Philippines 

46. Liquor in a dark 'n' stormy: RUM.

47. Run: TROT.

51. Play things for kids: TOY PIANOS - A vintage Schoenhut model over 100 years old

54. See-through fabric: GAUZE.

55. Whale that preys on seals: ORCA.

56. Total variety: RAISIN BRAN.

58. Go nowhere: STAY.

59. Frank Stella pieces: MINIMAL ART.

60. With it, once: HEP - Hip or Hep? My last fill was the ending vowel in 27. Rich fruit cake: PLUM TORTE.

61. Travel at night, maybe: SLEEP WALK 😀 Here's Dick Clark introducing the great old 50's instrumental with this title. 

Down:

1. AIDS Memorial Quilt designer Jones: CLEVE.

           

2. Dead zone?: HADES 😀

3. Taqueria option: ASADA - Grilled meat  in English

4. Emmy nominee Rae: ISSA.

5. Vitamin fig.: RDA.

6. New Orleans heros: PO'BOYS.

7. Gyeran-mari and tamagoyaki: OMELETS.

8. Acorn, for one: SEED 😀

9. One of the Haim sisters: ESTE - She is on the right

10. Red hot pizza: TOMATO PIE.

11. "My bad!": OOPS, SORRY.

12. Bone, in Italian: OSSO - Mi sono rotto un OSSO del braccio (I broke a bone in my arm)

13. Approximate weight of some large butterflies: GRAM.

14. City with views of Table Mountain: CAPETOWN.

19. Scale divs.: LBS.

21. Noodle dish with a tonkotsu variety: RAMEN - Tonkotsu is a Japanese word that refers to both a ramen broth made from pork bones and a fried pork cutlet dish. You're welcome.

23. "Thx" counterpart: PLS.

24. Patient sound?: AHH.

26. Turn blue, perhaps: DYE 😀

28. Top sports figure?: SALARY CAP - When you pay your QB a huge salary, it's hard to get good players for other positions and stay under the SALARY CAP.

29. Google Wallet alternative: APPLE PAY.

31. Lackluster: HO HUM.

33. Short records: EPS - Extended Play recordS play a little longer than a 45 rpm record and far less than a 33 1/3 rpm LP

34. Have a good cry: SOB.

36. Fry alternative: TOT 😀 - Tater TOTS are a good alternative to French fries.

39. Mulan, for one: HEROINE.

42. Ring around the collar: LEI.

44. Down Under one: AUSSIE - A nickname for Australia is OZ because it's pronunciation is close to its first syllable.

47. Sitar accompaniment: TABLA.

48. Like much of Maine: RURAL.

49. Netflix show set in Missouri: OZARK.

50. Farmer's market structure: TENT.

51. Peter of the Wailers: TOSH ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

52. Quintet for most starfish: ARMS - Creepy

53. Place for cuticle oil: NAIL.

54. Chew like a mouse: GNAW.

57. Naughty child: IMP.