Saturday, May 31, 2025, Stella Zawistowski

 Themeless Saturday by Stella Zawistowski

Seeing our weight-lifting crossword aficionado from Brooklyn as the author can indicate we have a workout ahead. However, this puzzle provided for a very nice solve. Solving is greatly facilitated when the long fills come into focus. BTW, The Omaha World Herald carries her Commuter Crossword Puzzle everyday.

At the left you can see Stella with two trophies she won at an ACPT event and she said of herself:

 I was a "Constantly-About-to-Throw-Up Nervous Wreck." I did manage to make a trip to the hardware store with my second fifth-place finish in a row and first place in NYC (the latter made easier since Andy Kravis was attending a wedding):

Across:

1. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN.

6. Hamburger __: MENU - Not something you would see at McDonalds. It is set of shortcut icons that can be used in user interfaces. The name comes from the resemblance of some the icons to triple hamburger patties. More

10. Ennea- minus one: OCTO.

14. Honolulu Marathon landmark: ALOHA TOWER.

16. Blank space: VOID.

17. Step after reentry: SPLASH DOWN - Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins return to Earth on July 24, 1969.

18. Supermodel who wrote the kids book "What Are You Hungry For?": EMME.

19. Turf: SOD.

20. Is on the hunt: SEEKS.

21. Globally available sweets: OREOS - Just when you think you have read every clue for OREOS...

22. Renege (on): BAIL.

23. Question of desire: WANT IN - My one bad cell was where WANT I_ crossed TIMO_ 12. Shakespearean Athenian: TIMON. I first put WANT IT and TIMOT. 🤨 

25. Really clean: SCOUR.

27. "Inside the Actors Studio" host: LIPTON - Here he is trying to deal with Robin Williams

28. Rogan josh accompaniment: NAAN.

29. Slow roller across the infield: TARPAULIN 😀 It's a slow roller but you can get caught under it.

32. Word before mirabilis or horribilis: ANNUS - I think you can infer what annus horribilis would mean

34. Stylist's selection: HUE.

35. Miu Miu parent company: PRADA - I did find a Miu Miu purse online that was marked down to $4,200. 😳

36. Versatile rides: TEN SPEEDS.

38. Avalon, for one: ISLE - The Isle of Avalon is a mythical island featured prominently in Arthurian legends, often associated with healing, magic and the afterlife. 

39. Slips: ERRORS.

40. Wasabi product: PASTE.

42. "Grief Is for People" memoirist Crosley: SLOANE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

43. Short curls?: PERM - The curls can be short and are short-lived. 😀

44. French greeting: SALUT.

45. Unmoving: INERT.

47. End: AIM.

50. Nutrient in shellfish: IRON.

51. Heinz product: STEAK SAUCE.

53. Brie feature: RIND - the answer below is yes. It's a natural, bloomy rind that develops during the cheese-making process, and it's a key part of the cheese's flavor and texture. 

54. One who is just not having it: PICKY EATER 😀

55. Winged goddess: ISIS.

56. Sets as a price: ASKS.

57. "Which ones?": THOSE.

Down:

1. Flip response: SASS.

2. Purina brand: ALPO.

3. Related: TOLD.

4. "I knew you were bluffing!": AHA.

5. Capital on New Providence: NASSAU.

6. Virtual representation: MODEL.

7. Tree hut dweller on Endor: EWOK.

8. Up-to-the-minute media: NEWS WIRES - Newspapers are not up-to-the-minute.

9. Tapped container: URN.

10. Strain on local infrastructure: OVER TOURISM.

11. Get outdone by everyone: COME IN LAST - "Finished Last" worked at first.

13. Metered tributes: ODES.

15. Sometimes-singular possessive: THEIR.

21. Draftable?: ON TAP.

22. Game show extras: BONUS ROUNDS.

24. Messenger, e.g.: APP.

25. Sound: SANE.

26. Mexico : enchiladas :: Italy : __: CANNELLONI.

27. Heaps praise on: LAUDS.

28. 2019 W.S. champ: NAT - Then they traded away the heart of the team. In two years they were 65 - 97. First to worst.

29. "Just as I predicted": THERE IT IS.

30. Unmoving, perhaps: IDLE.

31. Scottish denial: NAE.

33. Lean cuisine consumer of yore: SPRAT 😀

37. Unimaginable span: EON.

40. Up a lot?: PERKY - I'm not a fan of morning TV

41. Creativity-inspiring gift: ART SET - So many ways for me to fail 😗

42. Garments that may feature gota patti embroidery: SARIS.

43. Range makeup: PEAKS - Mountain range

44. Speaker on some devices: SIRI. 

46. Violin section?: NECK.

47. Set-it-and-forget-it mode: AUTO - This might happen

48. Sweetens, in a way: ICES - ICE a bakery item.

49. __ mortals: MERE - I always say, "Everyone has a story"

51. Apt rhyme for 52-Down: SPA and 52. Apt rhyme for 51-Down: AAH. 😀

Friday, May 30, 2025, Joe Deeney

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday Puzzle by veteran LAT and NYT constructor Joe Deeney.

This solver will admit to being quite unsure about the nature of the theme after first completing the puzzle.  After a while, though, the cob webs cleared and the double entendre nature of the clever theme became clear.  There is no reveal to guide us down this path so let's jump right in with the themed answers, of which there are five, and see how they "hang together":

17 Across:  Designation for who or what, perhaps: LEADING QUESTION.  The "perhaps" is crucial here as it is also in the following four clues/answers.  Either of the two interrogatories in the clue might LEAD (start) a question.  In this case, though, there is also the "angle" that they might be deemed by some to be the best type of question.  LEADING, here, more or less equals favorite choice.

23 Across:  Designation for tri tip or flap steak, perhaps.  TOP SIRLOIN  This one was misleading because, per Wikipedia, tri tip is the bottom of the subprimal cut and flap steak is from the muscle of the bottom sirloin.  In this case, though, either might be your favorite, or TOP, choice (but not in the sense of USDA Choice).

37 Across:  Designation for "Unforgiven" or "Tombstone," perhaps: BEST WESTERN.  Both of the titles in the clue are, as we say in crossword-ese, oaters.  BEST WESTERN is a chain of motels but one of the aforementioned titles could also be somebody's best/favorite western movie.

49 Across:  Designation for mozzarella or cheddar, perhaps: GOAT CHEESE.  Hmm, both types of cheese are made from cow milk.  In this case, though, GOAT is used as in Greatest Of All Time and one of the cheeses in the clue might be someone's favorite.

57 Across:  Designation for Ticonderoga or Faber-Castell, perhaps: NUMBER ONE PENCIL.  A #1 pencil is softer than the ubiquitous #2 pencil.  In this instance, though, either the Ticonderoga or the Faber-Castell (both brand-named pencils) might be someone's favorite.

Now that we have completed our work with our favorites, here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Rash reaction?: ITCH.  Not rash as in impulsive or not well thought out.  Literally, a rash on your skin.

5. Pool float: RAFT.

9. Tune in: WATCH.  Tune in - not in the Timothy Leary sense.  As in to watch on TV.

14. Branch of Islam: SHIA.  SHIITE was too long.

15. Santa __: California winds: ANAS.

16. "Here for you": I CARE.

20. Couple of dollars?: ELS.  One of "that" type of clue,  like Head of state =  S.  The are a couple of L's in dollars.

21. Chapel vow: I DO.

22. Cosmetics brand with a So Fierce! collection: REVLON.  This solver is unfamiliar with So Fierce! but did know some cosmetics brand names so, after a few perps, the answer was sussed out.

27. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA.  Their music is often labeled "ska punk, a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music. 

28. Eye ailment: STYE.  We'll skip the photo.

29. Fitting: APT.  Indeed

30. "Not all heroes wear __": CAPES.  But Batman and Supergirl, among others, do.

32. Yellow __: LAB.  This solver, had he any input, would have suggested a way to work Labrador retrievers into the themed answers.

Rustler

35. Potential auction winner: HIGH BID.  Potential??

39. True to life: FACTUAL.  . . . but it may be cruel

Everybody Plays The Fool

40. "Big" and "Bang Bang" singer Rita: ORA.  A frequent visitor.

41. Minor tussle: SETTO.

42. Actress Zadora: PIA.  Haven't thought of her in years.

44. "Curses!": DRAT.  DARN or DANG or RATS would have fit the allowable space.

48. Furry foot: PAW.  Having previously used the "the man who shot my paw" pun we will go with this:  It is always a good thing to occasionally PAWs and reflect.

52. Principal dancer in a ballet company: ETOILE.  French for STAR.

55. Hundred Acre Wood hopper: ROO.  A Winnie The Pooh reference.  Roo is Kanga's child.

56. Beach bottle no.: SPF.  On sunscreen.  Sun Protection Factor

61. Tire out: DRAIN.

62. Stand up: RISE.  Business at the bakery is on the RISE.

63. Second-most-traded currency in the world: EURO.  That the answer was four letters helped.

64. Asks (for): SENDS.  As in "Send for the midwife!"

65. Basic sammies: BLTS.  with mayo

66. Frosh, probably: TEEN.  Frosh = Freshman

Down:

1. Bits of green in blue: ISLETS.  A stumper for a while but it does make sense.  Islands in the ocean.

2. Whole kit and caboodle: THE LOT.  Slangy clue.  Slangy answer.

3. U.S. operative: CIA SPY.  One of those answers where you go back over the grid you find yourself asking "What's a ciaspy?"

4. Possessed: HAD.

5. Shore leave, informally: R AND R.  Rest and Recreation.

6. Second-largest Portuguese-speaking country: ANGOLA.  40% as a native language.  60% total.

7. Page to check before contacting customer service: FAQ.  Frequently Asked Questions.

8. Historically Black school in Houston, briefly: TSU.

9. Sensible: WISE.

10. When Miranda says, "O, brave new world / That has such people in 't!": ACT V.  Even if one had not idea about the play being referenced, one could guess that the first part of the answer was ACT and then it was only a question of which Roman Numeral it would be.  See also 18 Down.

11. Severe decline: TAILSPIN.

12. Not on the up-and-up: CROOKED.

13. Dyes used for some body art: HENNAS.  Not often seen as a plural noun.

18. XXX divided by X: III.  Roman numerals.  Easy math  30 / 10 = 3

19. Directional suffix: ERN.  As in westERN.

24. Choose: SELECT.  Used as the verb.  But as an adjective:  What philosopher appealed to only a Select group of people?  Frederick Niche.

25. One of the two women in "Hamlet": OPHELIA.  One would have to be at least somewhat familiar with the play to know this one.

26. Terse assurance: IT IS.  It is.

30. "Strong Enough" diva: CHER.  This official video is pretty weird.

31. Rub the wrong way?: ABRADE.

33. Regarding: AS TO.

34. AC meas.: BTU.  British Thermal Unit

36. Classic Pontiac: GTO.  Ronny And The Daytonas were from Nashville!  Who knew.

37. Alter ego of DC's Kate Kane: BATWOMAN.

38. D.C. daily: WAPO.

39. Spotlight: FEATURE.  As in to shine the spotlight on someone or something.

41. Forks out: SPENDS.  Idiomatic clue.

43. Immobile: AT REST.  This solver has always thought of immobile as could not move.

45. Shelter adoptee: RESCUE.  A pet shelter reference.

46. Set lofty goals: ASPIRE.  What do you call a chicken that ASPIRES to become food?  A consommé  professional.

47. Nonstick coating: TEFLON.

49. Cologne's land: Abbr.: GER.  GERmany

50. Gets by: COPES.  What did the carpenter say about his broken saw?  I can't COPE with this.

51. Groundbreaking tool: HOE.

53. As above, in a footnote: Abbr.: IBID.  Ibid is a short way of saying "in the same place", which is helpful when citing.

54. Perspective, metaphorically: LENS.

58. Planet, e.g.: ORB.

59. Love of another sport?: NIL.  In soccer scoring NIL is zero and in Tennis scoring LOVE is zero.

60. Basket part: NET.  A basketball reference.

Have a great weekend.  Do some of your favorite things!

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