Sunday July 27, 2025 Joe Rodini

Theme: "Three-point Line" - Each theme entry consists of three identical words with three different meanings. 

22. Cosmetics case designed to hold a concise agreement?: COMPACT COMPACT COMPACT.

34. Variety of thoughtful people?: KIND KIND KIND.

54. Give the gift of the moment?: PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT.

75. Prevailing attitude about electric flow?: CURRENT CURRENT CURRENT.

92. Precise penalty that works OK?: FINE FINE FINE.

111. Neurosis caused by a group of labyrinthine apartments?: COMPLEX COMPLEX COMPLEX.

All the meanings are distinct of course. Always including both noun and adjective senses. Layered. 

Four of the theme entries are grid-spanners. A bit challenging to fill. Yet Joe managed still two pairs of paralleled 10's, all sparkling. Congrats on your first LAT Sunday, Joe!

XWord Info

Across:

1. Speed reader?: RADAR. Fun clue to start.

6. "What a shame!": ALAS.

10. Service call: LET.

13. Garden retreat: ARBOR. Our Arb. 

18. Marry on a whim: ELOPE.

19. "The Firebird" outfit: TUTU. And 36. "The Firebird" composer Stravinsky: IGOR.

20. Crimson Tide, to fans: BAMA.

21. __ firma: TERRA.

26. Iconic Munch painting: THE SCREAM. Partnered with 108. Out of control situation: GOAT RODEO.

27. "Who am __ say?": I TO.

28. Group that's really on the ball?: OFFENSE. Football, right?

29. Western alliance since 1948: Abbr.: OAS. The Organization of American States.

30. Largest Chinese ethnic group: HAN. I'm one. We also have 55 ethnic minorities, including Koreans, Russians and Mongols. I grew up loving the Korean pickled veggies. 

31. Notre-Dame's river: SEINE.

33. Spills the __: TEA.

38. Freddy Krueger's haunting loc.: ELM ST.

42. Unanimously: AS ONE.

44. Freud's "The __ and the Id": EGO.

45. 48-Across nutrients, for short: CARBS. 48. Quaker grains: OATS.

47. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE.

49. Fireside treats: S'MORES. 

52. Langley org.: CIA.

53. "Don't Matter" singer: AKON.

59. __ the line: TOE.

60. Plunder: LOOT.

61. New Mexico art community: TAOS.

62. En __: together: MASSE.

63. Heidi Gardner's show, for short: SNL. Here with Michael Che.

64. Nile viper: ASP.

65. Buds: CHUMS.

67. Chill (out): VEG.

68. Yellowfin tuna: AHI.

70. Matchmaking app that asks "Do you keep kosher?": JDATE.

72. "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" subj.: MPAA.

73. Actress Skye: IONE.

74. Sitting room: DEN.

80. Together, in scores: A DUE.

81. Phoenix cager: SUN.

82. Pacers point guard Haliburton: TYRESE. Learning moment for me. Two-time NBA All-Star.

83. Othello's false friend: IAGO.

84. "Moonstruck" studio: MGM.

85. Kentucky college that doesn't charge tuition: BEREA. I wonder if it accepts international students.

87. __ de plume: NOM.

88. French city near the Belgian border: LILLE.

90. Nutty green sauce: PESTO.

96. "Notorious" SCOTUS justice: RBG.

98. Punch bowl item: LADLE.

99. Mens __: REA.

100. "20/20" network: ABC.

103. Poolside recliners: CHAISES. Been hot here in Minnesota. 

107. Vientiane language: LAO.

114. Santiago's country: CHILE.

115. Succumbs to gravity: SAGS.

116. __ rug: AREA.

117. Speak one's mind: OPINE.

118. Sat for a portrait: POSED.

119. Like some grins: WRY.

120. Hankerings: YENS. Finally tried Yami. They have all kinds of Chinese food for a decent price. 

121. Attire worn over pajamas: ROBES.

Down:

1. Page facing a verso: RECTO.

2. Word on a postcard from Hawaii: ALOHA.

3. Indoor stadium tops: DOMES.

4. Intro courses?: APPS. Appetizers. 

5. Defensive basketball foul: REACH-IN. I don't watch basketball. This is reach-in?

6. Go to: ATTEND.

7. Pixar film set on the Mediterranean coast: LUCA.

8. Elementary building block: ATOM.

9. Dim __: SUM.  Also 12. Tex-Mex street fare: TACO.

10. Brief: LACONIC.

11. BP checker: EMT.

13. Extra dough in bread boxes?: ATM FEES. Great fill/clue.

14. The 21st Amendment, e.g.: REPEAL.

15. Fiber source: BRAN.

16. Tolkien monsters: ORCS.

17. Insurance quote: RATE.

20. A dyeing art?: BATIK. Use wax and dye.

23. Paper bird: CRANE.

24. Colorfully blotchy: PIED.

25. Frequently, in verse: OFT.

31. "Bo-ring!": SNORE.

32. Turns into law: ENACTS.

34. Big name in headphones: KOSS.

35. Tidily arranged: KEMPT. Unkempt is more common.

37. Plumbing problem: DRIP.

39. Shakes on it: MAKES A DEAL. And 40. Megaliths in Wiltshire, England: STONEHENGE. And 42. Yankees slugger who wears No. 99: AARON JUDGE. 43. Metal percussion instruments: STEEL DRUMS. Stunning gridwork here. 

41. Pitcher's concern?: TENT. Not baseball pitcher. 75. Sleep in a 41-Down: CAMP.

46. Drinks list: BAR MENU.

48. Chooses: OPTS.

49. "Uncle!": STOP.

50. Place where salt and fresh water mix: ESTUARY.

51. Clothing label spot: SEAM.

53. Equine worker: ASS. And 109. Bovine workers: OXEN. Indeed "workers".

55. Fill with delight: ELATE.

56. What poorly written instructions make: NO SENSE.

57. Sudoku figs.: NOS.

58. Champing at the bit: EAGER.

65. PC data base: CPU.

66. Hind counterpart: HART.

67. Sotto __: VOCE.

69. A big fan of: INTO.

71. "We __ Family": ARE.

72. __ Laboratories: Tylenol developer: MCNEIL. Learning moment also. Named after the chemist Robert McNeil, father of this guy.  

73. "I'm here!": IT'S ME.

76. Stomping ground: TURF.

77. 123 Sesame Street resident: ERNIE.

78. Gas used in lasers: NEON.

79. Nettle: RILE.

85. Winter team racer: BOBSLED.

86. Illuminating comparison: ANALOGY.

88. Deceive: LIE TO.

89. Wearing chain mail: IN ARMOR.

91. __ Crown: TRIPLE.

93. Red-coated cheeses: EDAMS.

94. Hit's opposite: FLOP.

95. Donnybrook: FRACAS.

97. "My word!": GEE.

100. Deviate from the script: AD LIB.

101. Designer Geoffrey: BEENE.

102. Directs a crew, informally: COXES. Rowing crew. 

103. Initials on Yuri Gagarin's helmet: CCCP.

104. Hostess snack: HO HO.

105. Bordeaux buddies: AMIS.

106. Austin festival, briefly: SXSW. South by Southwest.

108. "Chicago" star Richard: GERE.

110. Intel on a campaign rival: OPPO. Opposition. 

112. Road runner?: CAR.

113. Install, as tiles: LAY.

C.C.

Saturday, July 26, 2025, Malaika Handa

 Saturday Themeless by Malaika Handa

This is my third themeless puzzle by Brooklyn resident Malaika Handa. Malaika is a software engineer who has been making puzzles for three years. You can see an archive of all her puzzles on her website: https://www.girlbosswords.com/ 

Here is a link to a playful but instructive interview with Malaika that includes this wonderful quote from her: 

Also, when you’re solving, look up entries that you don’t know! It’s a game, not a test.

Across:

1. Healing process: AFTER CARE - My DW is as good as you can get!

10. Wedding traditions that involve rings: HORAS - Ah, rings of people not metal

15. Participated in a group ride: CAR POOLED.

16. Not sneaky: OVERT.

17. Shape that might resemble a hexagon sliced in half: TRAPEZOID - Slicing this hexagon yielded a TRAPEZOID, a parallelogram and a triangle. This math guy loved this idea!

18. Shelf: LEDGE.

19. Goddess believed to be the divine mother of the pharaoh: ISIS.

20. Part of JPY: YEN - You have to look very carefully to see the symbol for the JaPanese YEN ¥ in the picture to the left of the number. Security measures on these notes

       

21. Fund: ENDOW.

22. Zip around a soccer field?: NIL - NIL and zip are euphemisms for zero.

23. Texting tech: SMS - We do a lot of Short Message Service text for personal and professional contacts. Here, my grandson and I set up a golf date.

24. Some characters on the U.K. show "The Thick of It": MPS - Members of Parliament ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

26. "Entertaining Is Fun!" columnist Garten: INA.

27. Not likely to enjoy icebreakers: SHY.

28. Actress Issa: RAE - A regular in our crossword cast

29. Asterisk: STAR.

30. 1960s hit covered by Salt-N-Pepa: TWIST AND SHOUT - I'm sure Salt-N-Pepa did just fine, but c'mon...

33. Gradually losing a connection: DRIFTING APART.

34. Bases for some sandwiches: TOASTED BAGELS.

35. Homey lodgings: INNS.

36. "Star Wars" heroine who inspired an Ali Hazelwood romance novel: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ REY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

  

37. Bird associated with Athena: OWL.

38. Qt. halves: PTS.

39. __ admin: SYS.

40. Some TVs: LGS - We have several 

41. Key ring attachment: FOB - It took me a while to realize I don't have to insert or remove a key from the ignition to start my car.

44. Dessert brand with the early slogan "Delicate. Delightful. Dainty.": JELLO - From 1873 -  1932

46. Golden ratio symbol: PHI - More

47. Country name that has an accent called a síneadh fada: EIRE.

48. To no __: AVAIL.

49. Sauce made with a molcajete y tejolote: GUACAMOLE - Molcajete y tejolote is Spanish for mortar and pestle. Here is the cooking version made of volcanic rock where grinding ingredients  brings out more of the flavor.

51. Host of HGTV's "Ugliest House in America": RETTA - She's a hoot.

52. Age-old navigation aid: URSA MINOR - The end star of URSA MINOR (tail of the small bear) is the North Star. It is the one point in the sky that is in the same position all night and every night and you can always tell which direction in North. The "pointer" stars in the Ursa Major always point to the North Star.

53. Cynical look: SNEER.

54. HelloFresh options: MEAL PLANS.

Down:

1. Cellular protein in microfilaments: ACTIN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More than anyone wants to know

2. Language of the Asghar Farhadi film "The Salesman": FARSI.

                 

3. Lag: TRAIL.

4. Actor Omar: EPPS.

5. Spherical garnish: ROE.

6. Lilian Jackson Braun genre: COZY MYSTERY - These books are known for their lighthearted tone, focus on a small-town setting, and the absence of graphic violence or explicit content

7. Some xeriscaping plants: ALOES - Xeriscaping plants need very little water. Can you see some of our crossword ALOES in this landscape?

8. Pull (in): REIN.

9. "Double D" in a Cartoon Network trio: EDD ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Supposedly the "brains" of this group 

10. Features of many well-loved sweatshirts: HOLES.

11. Pizza place: OVEN.

12. Social media users who celebrate an annual "cake day": REDDITORS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

13. Sailor on Jason's quest: ARGONAUT.

14. "Twilight" star: STEWART.

Robert Pattison.   Kristen STEWART

 
23. Loose dress: SHIFT.

24. Anime source, often: MANGA - MANGA are Japanese comic books from which anime (animated versions) are made.

25. Related to teaching: PEDAGOGICAL - A well-known word to this educator 

27. Like fondue: SWISS.

28. Passed: RAN BY.

29. Formal will: SHALL - SHALL and will are alternate form of a future tense verbs. SHALL is more formal and less used. SHALL is much better in this instance.

30. Decode: TRANSLATE - I think we all know that some of the most important decoding in human history happened in this building in Bletchley Park, England during WWII.

31. Nautical table data: TIDES - When I used to take kids to Cocoa Beach, FL we would arrive around 3:30 pm. If you look at the chart. below, you can see we would be there at a very low TIDE if we were there today at that time. There would be a lot of beach showing and a lot of shells would be taken back to the bus.

32. Shoots out: SPEWS.

33. Stop order?: DON'T EVEN - Back off Cowboy!

34. Change places?: TIP JARS.

39. __ plexus: SOLAR.

40. __ apso: LHASA - For you Irish!

41. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" singer Apple: FIONA - Lyrically, Apple reaches into her past to confront middle-school bullies and looks into her future for an imaginary lover. Wanna listen to this sad/angry song?

42. Acrylic material: ORLON.

43. Heady stuff?: BEERS 😀

45. Lo-cal: LITE.

46. Name of LaCroix's unflavored sparking water: PURE.

47. Track legend Zátopek: EMIL - A Czech runner who won three gold medals in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

 

49. Extra, e.g.: GUM - I chew Mentos sugar-free GUM

50. Concert piece: AMP.

Irish Miss sent me a lovely note asking me to share this with you and of course I am happy to do so.

As RCA appears so often in our puzzles and Nipper is so well known, I thought this article would be of interest to the Cornerites. It has special meaning to me as I worked for RTA (Radio Television Appliance) which was a distributor for RCA appliances for 16 years in this building in Albany . This iconic RCA Records dog is now a symbol of New York's capital city. More information.