Tuesday December 16, 2025 Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick

Hear, Hear!  All ears are not used for hearing.

17-Across. Dog ears?: BOOKMARKS.

26-Across. Bunny ears?: SHOELACE KNOT.

42-Across. Elephant ears?: CARNIVAL FOOD.

56-Across. Mouse ears?: MICKEY HAT.

Across:

1. Sound of an eye-opening moment: AHA!

4. Unlikely to break the ice: TIMID.

9. Objects of worship: IDOLS.

14. Most populous city in Can.: TOR.  Toronto.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

15. Pointlessly silly: INANE.

16. Inter Miami captain Lionel: MESSI.  Lionel Andrés Messi (b. June 24, 1987) is an Argentine professional soccer player.  He has been with Miami since 2023.

19. Windshield sticker: DECAL.

20. Smoothie bowl berry: AÇAI.  This berry is a small, dark purple fruit that grows in the Amazon.  And you can purchase them from the other Amazon.

21. Start for giving and taking: MIS.  As in Misgiving and Mistaking.

22. Beefsteak, for one: TOMATO.  A beefsteak tomato is a large, meaty and juicy variety of tomato.  It is most common on burgers, sandwiches and salads.  Yummers!

23. Quickly don: THROW ON.

25. Regal home: MANOR.

30. Like walruses and wild boars: TUSKED.

33. Mo. with a spooky finale: OCT.  October has a spooky Halloween finale.

34. Gold, in Spanish: ORO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

35. Got up: AROSE.

36. Sailor's yes: AYE.

37. New York mascot with a baseball for a head: MR. MET.  Apparently there is a Ms. Met, too.

39. "Geaux Tigers!" sch.: LSU.  As in Louisiana State University.  If you watch college football, you know that LSU has been in the news a lot recently, and not for having a winning team.

Mike the Tiger, the mascot of LSU.

40. Four-time WNBA MVP Wilson: A'JA.  A'ja Riyadh Wilson (b. August 8, 1996) is an American professional basketball player.  She plays for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association.  Aja is also the name of a Steely Dan album.

41. Creamy chocolate dessert: MOUSSE.  Yummers!

46. Software-creating professional: CODER.

47. Riled up: ANGERED.

51. "Not all __ wear capes": HEROES.

53. French sailor's yes: OUI.  Today's French lesson.

54. Actress Headey: LENA.  I never watched Game of Thrones, was not familiar with this actress.  Apparently, Lena Kathren Headey (b. Oct. 3, 1973) portrayed Cersei Lannister on that show.

55. Greek alphabet ender: OMEGA.  It's all Greek to me.

58. Inbox message: E-MAIL.

59. Hightails it: FLEES.

60. Royal flush card: ACE.

61. Knighted women: DAMES.  That's Dame Helen Mirren (née Ilyena Lydia Mironoff; b. July 26, 1945) to you.  She was made a Dame in 2003.

62. "The Jetsons" dog: ASTRO.  A reference to the cartoon from the 1960s.

63. "Dynamite" K-pop group: BTS.

Down:

1. Chance for a hit: AT BAT.

2. Moonshine: HOOCH.

3. Thundering, as a crowd: AROAR.  Mike the Tiger and the Crowd Roar.

4. Minnesota governor Walz: TIM.  Timothy James Walz (b. April. 6, 1964) is the 41th governor on Minnesota.  He has been in office since since January 2019.

5. Irritable: IN A MOOD.

6. "Semper fi" shouter: MARINE.

7. Signs, as a contract: INKS.

8. Jardin __ Tuileries: public space near the Louvre: DES.  More of today's French lesson.  The Tuileries Garden is a public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.  Queen Catherine de' Medici had the garden made as part of the Tuileries Palace in 1564.  After the French Revolution, it became a public park.

9. "That's all for me": I'M DONE.

10. View as appropriate: DEEM OK.

11. Formal nods from the Academy, informally: OSCAR NOMS.  As in a nomination.

12. Future esq.'s exam: LSAT.  As in Law School Admission Test.  This appeared in Friday's puzzle, so I'll steal MM's accompanying image.

13. Rural storage tower: SILO.

18. Mall stalls: KIOSKS.

22. Diplomacy: TACT.

24. "This ride is fun!": WHEE!

25. Spice in pumpkin spice, often: MACE.  Mace is a spice from the nutmeg tree.  It is also a weapon.

27. Like a ride-or-die friend: LOYAL.

28. Metal-yielding rocks: ORES.  A crossword staple.

29. Checkout lane bag: TOTE.

30. Anticaking agent in table salt: TALC.  I was not aware that Talc was used in food products.  Apparently, the FDA has approved it in foods at a concentration of less than 2%.

31. Latin for "bear" in constellation names: URSA.  Also known as the Big and Little Dipper.

32. Common substitute for Greek yogurt: SOUR CREAM.

36. Slightly open: AJAR.  Not to be confused with 40-Across.

37. Electronic music pioneer Robert: MOOG.  The use of the Moog synthesizer was first used in the mid-1960s.  Robert Arthur Moog (May 23, 1934 ~ Aug. 21, 2005) was an American engineer and pioneer in electronic music.

38. Without manners: RUDELY.

40. St. crossers: AVES.  Streets and Avenues.  Sounds like a game of Chutes and Ladders.

41. Nickname: MONIKER.

43. Painful head rub: NOOGIE.

44. Lofty standards: IDEALS.

45. Sink fixture: FAUCET.

48. Home update, familiarly: REHAB.

49. Put into law: ENACT.

50. Candlelit dinners for two, e.g.: DATES.

51. Cleared weeds in the garden, say: HOED.

52. Jane Austen novel that inspired the movie "Clueless": EMMA.

53. Frying liquids: OILS.

56. Iowa Writers' Workshop deg.: MFA.  As in a Master of Fine Arts.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

57. That, in Tijuana: ESO.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

I'll be out next week, but I know you will be in good hands.  Wishing you a very Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.

Happy Chanukah to those who are celebrating.  May the memory of those who perished in Sydney be a blessing.

Monday December 15, 2025 Doug Peterson

  

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's puzzle comes to us from the prolific constructor Doug Peterson. The theme is:  

We'll begin with the themed clues and answers:

17 Across. *"Tennessee Waltz" singer: PATTI PAGE.  [1927-2013]  Patti's version was released in 1950. I like how the song itself is a waltz.

24 Across. *Bottoms worn as loungewear: PAJAMA PANTS.  

They're certainly cozy, but are they a smart choice for the airport?

40 Across. *Maneuvering into a tight curbside spot: PARALLEL PARKING.  This was not a requirement when I took my driving test. I can do it but it makes me nervous. I'd rather walk a couple of blocks. 

 51 Across. *Wide receiver's route: PASS PATTERN.  

Football fans already know this; but for those of you who do not ...
The guys with the yellow helmets are on offence.
The two guys I circled in red are wide receivers. 
The WRs will run their PASS PATTERNs (See the yellow and black arrows.)
 and the QB will throw the ball to whoever is open.
Did you catch that?

The unifier:

65 Across. Paul Reiser sitcom, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: MY TWO DADS.  My Two Dads was a TV sitcom that ran on NBC from 1987 to 1990. It is about a 12-year old girl whose mother dies and gives joint custody to two men whom she dated the summer she got pregnant. The girl's paternity was never revealed on the show. 

Paul Reiser is on the left.

I clocked the P* P* theme early -- or so I thought -- and eagerly looked forward to discovering what the unifier would be. As it turns out, I had failed to notice the A's next to the P's. The real gimmick is that all of the theme entries are in the pattern of PA*  PA*. 

PA is a synonym for "father". (Think of Laura Ingalls Wilder's father.) Putting together two PAs give us PA & PA or TWO DADS. Works for me!

Here are the remaining clues & answers:

Across:

1. First name of singers Levine and Lambert: ADAM.  

Levine (l.) [b. 1979] is known for being in the band Maroon 5
and for being a coach on The Voice.
Lambert (r.) [b. 1982] was a runner-up on Season 8 of American Idol.

5. Young fellows: LADS.  

Do you remember these LADS?
Hint:  That is Higgins in the middle.

9. Common merch table purchase: SHIRT.

14. Drop-down list: MENU.  Think "computers".

15. Many times: A LOT.

16. Brooklyn's __ Island: CONEY.  In 1867 Charles Feltman invented the hot dog at Coney Island. Learn more here:  Timeline of Coney Island (1609-1985)

This couple is riding the Brooklyn Flyer in Luna Park on Coney Island.

19. Open, as a vitamin bottle: UNCAP.  

20. Narrow openings: SLITS.

21. Shopping complex: MALL.  This time of year, it is where you can find Santa.  

23. Stack starter in solitaire: ACE.  I am particularly partial to alliterative clues.

28. "Quite possibly": IT MAY BE.  "Maybe" as one word, came easily. However, sussing the three-word answer took more thinking.

32. "Meant to tell you" shorthand: BTW.  By The Way

33. Honey liquor: MEAD.  Def.:  (noun) a fermented beverage made of water, honey, malt, and yeast.

34. In-flight figs.: ETAS.  figures and Estimated Times of Arrival

37. Island where "NCIS: Hawai'i" is set: O'AHU.  This is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands but it is also the most populated. The state's capital, Honolulu, is on O'AHU. About 70% of the state's population lives on this island.  

44. Brand that sells Braille Bricks: LEGO.  Braille Bricks are a play-based methodology that teaches braille to children who are blind or have a visual impairment. Cool beans!  

45. Paper quantity: REAM.

46. Finishes: ENDS.  

47. Source of sheep's milk: EWE.  

49. Put trust in: COUNT ON.  

Count von Count from Sesame Street 

56. Spigoted vessel: URN.  

This URN catches rainwater.

57. Cookie used in many desserts: OREO.  

recipe

58. Marisa of "The Big Short": TOMEI.  This is the trailer for that 2015 movie. Marisa did not make it into the trailer -- unless that is her at 1:35???  

63. Heat's home city: MIAMI.  I like this team's name because it suggests, "Bring on the heat," plus it fits the region's weather. As of this writing, the forecast for today is 78° F with a chance of rain.

68. "Evita" surname: PERON.

69. Bosc, for one: PEAR.  

(l. to r.)  Anjou, Asian, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, and Seckel

70. Foreboding sign: OMEN.  Some of you know that I'm a fan of Rhett Miller's wordplay in his song lyrics. This one fits:

Old 97's     ~     Curtain Calls     ~     1997

"I don't believe in cards, I don't believe in signs.

But I'll be leavin' soon, I'm here tonight."  🎵🎵  

71. Dozed: SLEPT.

72. Avant-garde: EDGY.  

73. Monopoly payment: RENT.

Down:

1. Concert boosters: AMPS.  Not people raising money to support the event but equipment to boost up the noise level.

2. Hand out cards: DEAL.  Think "casino DEALer".

3. Not for: ANTI.

4. Mixed-breed pooch: MUTT.  National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save, and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31 and December 2. If you've ever known one then you know they are ready to be your best friend. 

5. Once around a skating rink, e.g.: LAP.

6. Pie __ mode: À LA.  

7. Religious doctrine: DOGMA.  This is sort of random, but I was trying to think of Avril Levigne for 1-Across, ___ Levine and I sometimes mix her up with Alanis Morrisette who played God in the 1999 Kevin Smith movie Dogma.  

8. "Full __ ahead!": STEAM.  This phrase means to move forward with as much speed or energy as possible.  

Titanic    ~    1997    ~    1:11 min.

9. Artist with a chisel: SCULPTOR.  

Michelangelo's David is 17 ft. (5.17 meters) tall.

10. Sweetie: HON.

11. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.

12. Blink, say: REACT.  The blink reflex is an involuntary action to protect the eye.

13. Strikes keys: TYPES.

18. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.  This is a children's guessing game.

22. Chemist's workplace: LAB.  

25. Eve's second son: ABEL.  

Cain was a farmer. Abel was a shepherd.
They had to work because their parents were expelled from 61-Down.

26. 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Derek: JETER.  [b. June 26, 1974]  his Hall of Fame page  

Side note:  I noticed that Doug also put JETER in his grid last Tuesday. (See Hahtoolah's helpful commentary for 31-Down.) I am wondering if this was a coincidence or if Doug is a fan and assigned JETER a high word score in his constructing dictionary. 🤔

27. Rouse from slumber: AWAKEN.  

28. Devilish kid: IMP.

29. Greenish-blue color: TEAL.

30. Stallion's mate: MARE.  A MARE is a female horse of breeding age.

31. Wise old sayings: ADAGES.  From the Grammar Girl podcast:  ADAGES are similar to maxims. Both are often metaphorical, and both are rooted in universal truth. But adages are primarily distinguished by their age and traditional quality. In fact, many people consider the phrase "an old adage" to be redundant since adages are, by definition, traditional sayings.

For those of you who want to do a deep dive into the difference between proverbs, maxims, adages, dictums, and truisms, this is the episode link. Start at 7:50.

35. Taproom drink: ALE.

36. The "S" of NASA: SPACE.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration  

NASA was established in 1958 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

38. Helpful suggestion: HINT.  

39. "Go back!" computer command: UNDO.     and     50 Across. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.

41. Darkest hour: LOW POINT.  Also, Death Valley National Park is America's hottest, driest and lowest national park. Its LOW POINT in Badwater Basin is 282 ft, (85.5 meters) below sea level.

42. "__ Prohibido": 1994 Selena hit: AMOR.  [1971-1995]  Born Selena Quintailla, Selena was a Grammy-winning American performer who achieved huge success in the Latin music world before her tragic murder by the president of her fan club. I did not know the song but I did feel comfortable guessing the Spanish word for "love".

43. Channel with "Press Your Luck" reruns: GSN.  Game Show Network

48. Knack for music: EAR.  This definition of EAR is a sensitivity to musical tone and pitch.  

51. Machines at gas stations: PUMPS.  I overthought this one until a perp appeared.

52. Disney princess with red hair: ARIEL.  The font is spelled arial. Memory trick:  shE has an E.

53. Entrap: SNARE.

54. City near Phoenix: TEMPE.  Tempe is 10.3 mi. (6.4 km.) east of Phoenix.  some ideas for things to do in Tempe

55. Fiddled around (with): TOYED.

59. Scent: ODOR.

60. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.

61. Old Testament garden: EDEN.  Luckily for us, the internet never runs out of EDEN comics.

62. "My heart just __ in it": ISN'T.  ...said the Tin Man to Dorothy.

64. Messy head of hair: MOP.  From wikiHow (updated last week):

Also called the “mop top,” the wet mop haircut is a messy, medium-length cut with parted fringe. It was popularized by The Beatles and Justin Bieber, but it has recently resurfaced in popularity thanks to TikTok.  

66. Graffiti signature: TAG.  Perhaps one of the most famous graffiti artists is Banksy. This 1:03 min. video tells a fun Banksy story. In the TV show The Outlaws a major plot point in the finale involves Christopher Walken's character painting over an original Banksy artwork -- for real!!

 

67. Amusingly ironic: WRY.  See the Christopher Walken scene above.

The grid:  

Well, that was my two cents. You can add yours in the comments below.

Have a great week, everyone!