This is my fifth Saturday themeless blog this year for August Miller. He is a former physics Ph.D. candidate turned farmer who lives in Berkshire County, MA.
Here is part of a very nice interview with August: Once upon a time I was going to be a physics PhD. I studied physics in undergrad and tried graduate school (twice), but ultimately that environment just didn’t work for me. And now I come home at night smelling of cows and hay, and it feels so much better.
I was able to make good headway through August's puzzle and enjoyed the trip. Unlike Stella's 12/13/25 puzzle, the long fills were familiar and helpful. My last fill was a stab in the dark at "K" at TAI_A/S_A.
Across:
1. Squirrel away: STOW and 1. Squirrel away: STASH - It was fun to have the same clue in the far NW corner.
5. Barely usable pencils: NUBS.
9. "Kapow!": WHAM.
13. Snaps: TAKES A PIC - What we all can do now on a whim. Now when I was a kid...
15. Banchero who was the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year: PAOLO ¯\_(ใ)_/¯ I will have taken more time on this comment than I will watching any NBA games this season.
16. Manipulator of one of the four elements, in a classic animated series: AIR BENDER - This guy is in orange below. ¯\_(ใ)_/¯
17. Natural styles: AFROS.
18. __ punk: "Tragic Kingdom" genre: SKA and 2. Waititi of "Our Flag Means Death": TAIKA - I knew SKA was some form of music that was foreign to me and I took a flyer on a "K" where it crossed equally unknown TAIKA. Tada!
19. "All My Children" actress Kathleen: NOONE - She was there from 1977 - 1989
To the far left
20. "Failing that ... ": IF NOT.
21. Must: HAS TO.
23. Like some waiters: EARLY ๐ - You really want an iPhone 16 so bad you're willing to wait in line.
25. Hesitant sounds: ERS.
27. Mikey Day's show, for short: SNL - If you really care, you'll pick him out, if you don't care, just move on. ๐
28. Guests' guesses: ETAS - You can tell peeps when to arrive but...
31. Some boxing losses: SPLIT DECISIONS - Gane won this match because two judges gave him more points and one did not.
35. "And??": CARE TO ELABORATE.
36. "Who Shot Mr. Burns?," for one: TWO PART EPISODE - Remind you of anything? ๐
37. Glom __: ONTO.
38. Some humanities degs.: MAS.
39. Confession confession: SIN.
40. "The best in pests" company: ORKIN.
42. Attracted to more than one gender, informally: MSPEC - Multisexual Spectrum
46. Peak reward: VISTA - The VISTA from the peak of Everest
48. Stay at a 57-Across, perhaps: GLAMP - Today's portmanteau: GLAMcamPing at Indian Lake, NY which is a 57. Sustainable place to unwind: ECO RESORT.
52. "Hadestown" Tony nominee Noblezada: EVA - I'm guessing August has never heard of the Little EVA song Locomotion.
53. Big name in chips: INTEL - Would you like an Apple with your chips?
54. Hot bodies?: LAVA LAKES - This one is near the South Pole
56. Close call: SCARE.
58. Good listeners?: EARS - My 79-yr-old models need electronic assistance
59. __-eyed: DEWY.
60. Code breakers: KEYS.
Down:
3. Mallow family plants with edible seed pods: OKRAS.
Okra
4. Intricate trap: WEB.
5. Tech startup?: NANO.
6. Top knot, e.g.: UPDO.
7. "Trรจs __!": BIEN and a 14. Miss living in Mexico, say: SENORITA could say Muy BIEN.
8. Safari snap: SCREEN CAP - I made a SCREEN CAPture of the image below on my Safari Browser using this key combination
9. Array at a hotel breakfast bar: WAFFLE IRONS ๐
10. Lizard with defensive spines: HORNY TOAD - A variation of the name HORNED TOAD
41. Superfood whose "special power is tasting bad," per Jim Gaffigan: KALE ๐
43. Tea type: PEKOE.
44. Not just some: EVERY.
45. Gives a role: CASTS - This character from Breakfast At Tiffany's may be the worst CASTING decision in movie history. The Boston Globe called the Mr. Yunioshi "an irascible bucktoothed nerd and an offensive ethnic caricature"
46. Bench clamp: VISE.
47. Worshipper of the goddess Pachamama: INCA ¯\_(ใ)_/¯
Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday Puzzle by Joe Rodini. Unlike the puzzle of two weeks ago, the theme of this one is quite straightforward. Let's start with the reveal (and the clue even uses that word - nice touch):
38 Across . Revealing garment, or how to make 17-, 23-, 49-, and 53-Across match their clues: CROP TOP.
A CROP TOP is a sleeveless or short-sleeved garment that is cut short to show the midriff. However, in the case of todays puzzle we are required to crop, as in to cut or remove, the letters T O P (or the word TOP, if you prefer) from four filled-in answers in order to make that fill properly answer its respective clue.
17 Across. Can't and won't: CONTRACTOPTIONS. Contract Options being an acceptable term for choices in an agreement. However, crop the top, and we are left with CONTRACTIONS. Can't, of course being a contraction for can not and won't being a colloquial contraction for will not.
23 Across. Respectful title in "Bridgerton":TOPHERGRACE. Topher Grace is an actor who was in That 70's Show (among other gigs). Crop the top and we are left with the title HER GRACE - a form of address for royalty.
49 Across. Tribute band's set list: COVERTOPS. Covert Ops (operations) are a form of intel gathering. Crop the top and we are left with COVERS. When a band plays a song that was popularized by another band it is called a COVER of that song. Below, the Grateful Dead at Woodstock performing a COVER of Merle Haggard's song "Momma Tried".
53 Across. Decorator'ssamples: STOPWATCHES. SWATCHES A stop watch is a timer. Crop the top and pieces of cloth, or SWATCHES, appear.
This is how things appear in the grid:
Here are the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Personal space, perhaps: BLOG. A BLOG is a website that allows users to reflect, share opinions, and discuss various topics in the form of an online journal where readers may comment on posts. Does this sound familiar?
5. 1950s politico Stevenson: ADLAI.
10. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM. Often eaten in our puzzles.
14. All that's left of a spent apple: CORE. Spent as in used up. Apple, Inc (the giant tech company paid Apple, Corps (the Beatles company) over $600,000,000 to settle a trademark dispute.
15. Rings up: DIALS. A reference to the days when telephones looked like this:
16. Chianti o pinot grigio: VINO. Lezione di italiano di oggi. Chianti and Pinot grigio are both wines. VINO in Italian.
22. Call off a romance: END IT. Weird Al said it best:
26. Oracle: SEER. A man goes to consult a SEER. He knocks on the door and from the inside the seer shouts "Who is it?" Disillusioned, the man walks away.
31. Reiteration opening: I SAID. Anything I say here will be redundant.
33. Take off politely: DOFF.
37. Babe: HON. Terms of endearment.
40. __ culpa: MEA. Literally, my fault or my mistake.
41. Eco-friendly beauty brand: AVEDA. Known to this solver only through crosswords.
43. To the __ degree: NTH.
44. "Army of Darkness" director Sam: RAIMI.
46. Insulation resistance tester's unit: MEGOHM. MEG - is a slightly shortened prefix for mega, which is 1x10 6; - OHM is the basic unit of resistance, which is represented by the Greek letter omega (ฮฉ). A megohm, therefore, is an impedance measurement that represents one million OHMs.
48. Doorway: PORTAL. To another dimension?
55. Photo session: SHOOT. A bit of slang derived from "to shoot a photograph". The verb morphs into a noun.
57. Half and half?: ONE. Basic math
58. Put into effect: ENACT. As, for example, a law.
61. Sliced fruit in some salads: PEARS.
62. Metric weights, casually: KGS. Kilograms. Kilo, or sometimes "ki" (pronounced key), was a word commonly heard in the '60s.
63. Florida city that hosts an annual Pirate Festival: TAMPA.
64. Shows curiosity: ASKS. Why didn’t 4 ASK out 5? Because he was 2²
65. Match component: SET. A tennis reference - game, SET, match.
66. Sudden and jarring transition: LEAP. As in "a LEAP of faith".
Down:
1. Covertly includes on an email: BCCS. Blind Carbon Copy. Remember carbon paper?
2. Booty: LOOT. Buttocks would not fit.
3. "Welp, never mind": OR NOT.
4. "Amscray!": GET LOST.
5. Orthodontist's org.: ADA.
6. Hall of Famer Eric who was NFL rushing yards leader four times in the 1980s: DICKERSON. A football reference.
7. "Peace": LATER. Both are slang for "goodbye".
8. Accompanied by: ALONG WITH.
9. Web gateway co.: ISP. Internet Service Provider
10. Made plain to see: EVINCED.
11. Part of LED: DIODE. Light Emmitting DIODE. As in LED lamps.
12. Years of Caesar's reign: ANNI. Latin for years.
13. Guinness superlative: MOST. A reference not to the stout (beer) but to:
18. Stinky: RIPE. Slang
19. Wardrobe malfunction: TEAR. Wardrobe malfunction is a term (and a bit of a euphemism) popularized by an incident involving Janet Jackson.
NSFW ?
24. Beneficiary: HEIR.
25. Mulligan: REDO. The use has broadened from the origin in golf where a mulligan is a shot not counted as part of the score, granted sometimes in informal play after a poor shot is made.
28. Ersatz: SHAM. Which alcoholic drink can give you the illusion that you're hurt? Sham-pain.
29. Not just fancy: LOVE. Fancy as in the British English sense - to like something.
30. Universal donor's type, briefly: O-NEG. A reference to blood typing.
32. Germane: APT. Fitting.
34. Leave out: OMIT.
35. Disaster relief org.: FEMA.
36. Come to nothing: FAIL. What is it called when your knee transplant FAILs? Irony.
38. Partnership, informally: CAHOOTS. As in "to be in CAHOOTS with someone".
39. Oracle: PROPHET. ‘Atheism is a non-prophet organization.’ - George Carlin
42. __ Without Borders: DOCTORS. A reference to the group providing charity medical care around the world.
45. Tottenham's opponent in the North London derby: ARSENAL. A soccer reference.
47. Letters for a GOAT, perhap: MVP. Goat, in this case does not refer to an animal. Greatest Of All Time = Most Valuable Player
48. Abbreviation that refers to many racial identities: POC. Person Of Color
50. Tree hut dwellers on Endor: EWOKS. A "Star Wars" reference.
51. Kitchen fixture: RANGE. Something you might use to provide the heat for cooking.
56. Chaps: HES. Not what a cowgirl might wear. Chaps being slang for men.
59. Busy bee in Apr.: CPA. Certified Public Accountant
60. Draft source: TAP. In this clue it is a reference to beer as in "cold beer on TAP"
Well, that will wrap things up for this Friday. A belated Merry Christmas to all and, if Tom Lehrer is correct about when to start plugging a song, then today would be the day to start:
Today's crossword puzzle comes to us from Katie Hale, assistant crossword editor of the Los Angeles Times, who lives in London, England. Thanks, Katie, for spreading Christmas cheer from across the pond! We have some lovely, long theme answers today, and four circled letters. The circled letters are added to English phrases, transforming the meaning of those phrases so that they match the clues.
16-Across. Produces apian-themed bedroom decor?: MAKES A BEE LINE[N]. Original phrase: Makes a beeline, that is, goes quickly and directly toward a specific goal. Adding N gives us MAKES A BEE LINEN, which is apian (bee related) sheets, pillowcases, and other fabric items that decorate a bed.
23-Across. Brand stylization such as camel case?: BUMP ON A LOG[O]. Original phrase: Bump on a log, that is, someone who sits idle. Adding O gives us BUMP ON A LOGO. The reference is to "camel case," a writing format that eliminates spaces between words and indicates separation with capital letters: PowerPoint, iPhone, FedEx, eBay. The capital letter sticks up like the hump on a camel, and is often used in brand names.
40-Across. Creates cabernet with mallets?: HAMMERS OUT A WIN[E]. Original phrase: Hammers out a win, that is, achieves a successful outcome through intense effort. Adding E gives us HAMMERS OUT A WINE. Imagine using mallets, which are hammers with large heads, to beat grapes into wine.
51-Across. English noble with an eyebrow ring?: PIERCED EAR[L]. Original phrase: Pierced ear, that is, an ear in which a hole has been made to allow an earring to pass through. Adding L gives us PIERCED EARL, a nobleman with additional body piercings.
61-Across. End-of-year perk, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: CHRISTMAS BONUS. The circled letters spell NOEL, which means Christmas, and comes from the Latin natalis meaning birth or birthday. A Christmas bonus usually connotes extra money added to one's paycheck at the end of the year, but in this case, we get some extra meanings thanks to NOEL. The extra Christmas is a bonus!
What other Christmas treats does Katie have in store for us? Let's open all the gifts.
Across:
1. Extract in some dog treats, briefly: CBD. Cannabidiol (CBD) is an extract of Cannabis, and has been used to treat anxiety and pain, without much clinical evidence to support that usage. Still, anything to help Fido feel better.
4. Fare ways?: CABS. One way to get where you're going? Pay a fare to ride in a cab.
8. Blue Ribbon beer: PABST. Pabst claims that its beer was renamed Pabst Blue Ribbon following its win as "America's Best" at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Whether the brand actually won an award in 1893 is unclear, but the beer had won many other awards at other fairs, and Pabst had already started tying blue ribbons around every bottle. It was such a great marketing ploy that this was an easy answer for you today.
13. Mine material: ORE.
14. Tech gift-guide site: CNET. Check it out.
15. Uneasy feeling: AGITA. Agitation or anxiety.
16. [Theme clue]
19. Jessica of "The Better Sister": BIEL. Jessica Biel is an American movie and television actress. She co-starred with Elizabeth Banks in "The Better Sister," a 2025 Amazon limited series TV thriller. The premise: two estranged sisters, one married to and the other divorced from the same man, are forced together after he is murdered.
Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks
20. London's prov.: ONT. London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Not the same London where our crossword constructor resides.
21. Step up from amateur night: GIG. A gig is a paid performance.
22. Cal. column: MON. Calendar column: Monday.
23. [Theme clue]
28. "R u 4 real!?": OMG. Are you for real? Oh my god! (Text abbreviations.)
29. 1860s prez: ABE.
30. Before now: AGO.
31. PG Tips and Barry's: TEAS.
British and Irish tea brands
33. Odds partner: ENDS.
36. Contradict in court: REBUT.
40. [Theme clue]
43. Slumber: SLEEP.
44. Tip-top: ACME.
45. Element of cooled pudding: SKIN. Pudding skin is a rubbery film that forms on the surface of cooked puddings as they cool. In one episode of Seinfeld, George proposed to cut the skin off of puddings, wrap them in plastic, and sell them as "pudding skin singles," akin to Kraft Singles American cheese.
46. Objective: AIM.
48. "Tinker Bell" voice actress Whitman: MAE. Mae Whitman has been acting since she was six years old. She has a long list of movie and TV credits; you may remember her from Parenthood (2010-2015).
Mae Whitman, Lauren Graham, and Miles Heizer in Parenthood
50. Actress Mendes: EVA. Eva Mendes acted in a lot of movies before calling it quits in 2022, citing a lack of good roles that weren't specifically Latina. She has two daughters with Ryan Gosling.
Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling
51. [Theme clue]
56. 43-Across letters: REM. SLEEP letters? REM is a stage of sleep marked by -- you guessed it -- Rapid Eye Movement and vivid dreaming.
57. One point in gin rummy: ACE. Gin Rummy, or simply Gin, is a two player card game in which aces are always valued at one point.
58. DC villain Luthor: LEX. In DC comics, Lex Luthor is a supervillain with no superpowers. He's just a wealthy, evil genius, and he's the archenemy of Superman.
Even a supervillain can grow up to be President.
59. Tie to a dock: MOOR.
61. [Theme clue]
66. Actor/director Waititi: TAIKA. Taika Waititi is a New Zealnd filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and more recently directed Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
Taika Waititi
67. Beauty aisle brand: OLAY.
68. Unreliable stat from the chronically late: ETA. Adorable youngest daughter is not to be trusted regarding her Estimated Time of Arrival.
69. Like an intimidating climb: STEEP.
70. Eyelid issue: STYE.
71. Set: GEL. Gel as a verb is to change from a liquid into a thick, soft solid. Set is another way of saying the same thing. Are you thinking of 45-Across, pudding skin?
Down:
1. Burger, fries, and a drink, perhaps: COMBO MEAL.
2. Cognitive ability improver: BRAIN GAME. You're playing one!
3. Hockey feint: DEKE. A deceptive movement or feint that induces an opponent to move out of position. This seems to be an ice hockey specific term, and can be used as a noun or verb.
4. Includes, in a way: CCS. We used to do this with carbon copies! I still sometimes spell out the CCs at the end of an email when I want to the recipients to be aware of whose eyes will see a "reply all."
5. "Ballerina" actress de Armas: ANA. Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way. She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Ballerina was a 2025 thriller.
Ana de Armas
6. "__-a-Lula": classic Gene Vincent hit: BE-BOP. "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.
7. Real-time record-keeper, for short: STENO. A STENOgrapher's job is to transcribe speech, as it occurs, using shorthand writing or a stenographic machine, especially in courtroom settings.
8. Good bud: PAL.
9. Form 1040 amt.: AGI. Adjusted Gross Income belongs on Line 11 of Form 1040. It reflects your income from all sources, minus certain allowable expenses.
10. "That's exactly right!": BINGO.
11. "Doctor De Soto" writer/illustrator William: STEIG. I know William Steig mostly for a little picture book called CDB! (1968). Doctor De Soto (1982) won the National Book Award. The plot features a mouse dentist who wants to help a fox with a toothache, and yet not be eaten by him.
12. Dance with figure-eight steps: TANGO.
17. Idris of "Hijack": ELBA. Idris Elba appears frequently in the puzzle. He's a hugely successful actor who gained fame through his role in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2004). Hijack is an Apple TV+ thriller series that debuted in 2023; a second season is set to premiere in January 2026.
Idris Elba
18. Volcano where Bronte pistachios are grown: ETNA. Bronte, Sicily, Italy, is on the slopes of Mount Etna, the active volcano. The little pistachios grown there derive a sweet flavor from the volcanic soil.
Bronte, Sicily, with Mount Etna
22. Wool-loving pests: MOTHS.
24. __ Eats: UBER.
25. Society for smarties: MENSA.
26. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.
27. Luxury hotel chain: LOEWS.
32. Spread, as peanut butter: SMEAR.
34. Sleepy housemate: DOC. From Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
35. __ cum laude: SUMMA. I imagine that many cruciverbalists earned this distinction in college.
37. Trail for cyclists: BIKE ROUTE.
38. Covering everything: UNIVERSAL.
39. Brunch date hr.: TEN AM. In L.A., people will invite you to brunch at 1 PM. 1 PM!! Does the language mean nothing any more? On the other hand, sure, I can be ready by 1 PM.
41. Extraordinary: EPIC.
42. Feature of some distressed jeans: TEAR.
47. Turn to liquid: MELT.
49. Furry red Muppet: ELMO. The Tickle Me Elmo doll was a huge fad during the 1996 Christmas shopping season.
51. Promises between besties: PACTS.
52. Apple's old messaging app: iCHAT. iDON'Tchat. I'm not an Apple person.
53. Haunting: EERIE.
54. Short exhibitions: DEMOS.
55. Speak highly of: EXALT.
60. Pull felt on Earth: O NEG. Here I need your help. Are we dealing with gravity? With weightlessness? Is the first character a zero, that is, zero neg? Help, I'm falling! Or failing!
[The answer was ONE G -- the force of gravity on the surface of the earth, as pointed out by several commenters. NaomiZ experienced a blind spot here!]
62. 1950s prez: IKE.
Eisenhower and Nixon
63. Sucker: SAP.
64. Go: SAY. So I go, that movie is the best!, and Sharie goes, it was totally rad!
65. "Ta-ta": BYE. Ciao for now.
Here's the grid:
Solvers, did this BRAIN GAME give you AGITA? Did you survive by the SKIN of your teeth?
Or did your SUMMA cum laude and MENSA credentials earn you an EPIC win?
Your gift to the rest of us: a comment below!
If you don't have a Blogger handle, consider being super cool like Darren in L.A. and signing your Anonymous comment.
Merry Christmas!
-- NaomiZ
Notes from C.C.:
1)Happy birthday to dear Kathy (Yellowrocks)! I'm so happy to see you back on the blog. I hope you're having an extra-special day celebrating with your family.
Yellowrocks, Dec 10, 2020
2) Happy birthday to Lorraine (Fermatprime) as well! I hope you're doing well. And "Hello" to Malcolm too - he reads our blog regularly and keeps me posted on how Lorraine is doing from time to time.
