Coin A Phrase by Zhouqin Burnikel
Once again, C.C. has authored the Sunday puzzle and asked me to blog it for her which, of course, I am happy to do. Her puzzle was fun but did take some real cogitation in areas before the slap to my forehead happened. Not only was the fill a hoot but the subtlety of the her title, Coin Phrase", was very clever: She put "CO" IN A Phrase to make something silly and clever.Obviously her invented phrases show up in red which means a unique crossword entry. Here is a look at her her various insertion points.. She also has two other unique entries in the vertical! Cool!
Let's start with her fun phrases:
22. Church official who can't walk in a straight line?: DIZZY DEACON - I don't think it's an accident that C.C.'s first gimmick had a baseball theme.
28. Bottom part of a San Diego Chicken costume, e.g.?: HALF MASCOT/HALF MAST
42. Dupes with a Florida twist?: KEY LIME COPIES/KEY LIME PIES
65. Experts in core conditioning?: TUMMY COACHES/TUMMY ACHES
71. Snake with a healing bite?: MIRACLE COBRA/MIRACLE BRA
93. Jackpot for a pork lover?: LIFETIME BACON/LIFETIME BAN
112. Near misses in regime changes?: CLOSE COUPS/CLOSEUPS - Bonus: Name the movie and the three fabulous actors that had these extreme CLOSE UPS. *Answers below.
120. Quiet type with unexpected punchlines?: HIDDEN COMIC/HIDDEN MIC - Be careful what you say.
Across:
1. Lethal African reptile: MAMBA.
6. Go the distance: LAST - Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) saw this message in Fenway Park in Field Of Dreams.
10. Without: SANS.
14. Urban honors, for short: CMAS - C. C.!! Kieth Urban and The Country Music Awards
18. Once more: AGAIN.
19. Brand fit for a queen?: SERTA.
20. Painter with a "Magic Square" series: KLEE - Here's one in the series
21. Speech therapy focus: LISP.
24. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRA - "Necesito OTRA pluma, esta estΓ‘ sin tint." ("I need another pen, this one is out of ink."
25. Opposed to: ANTI.
26. Tavern quaff: ALE.
27. Genre for FKA Twigs: ART POP ¯\_(γ)_/¯
32. Fifth of August?: ESS - Hmmm... What is the fifth letter in August?
33. Movement sparked by Stonewall, for short: GAY LIB - June 28, 1969
35. "Finally done!": THERE π
36. Reiwa __: Japanese calendar designation since 2019: ERA Need more info?
36. Reiwa __: Japanese calendar designation since 2019: ERA Need more info?
38. Gift that may contain a GIF: E-CARD.
40. Tried a bit of: TASTED.
47. String along: LEAD ON.
49. Praise highly: EXALT.
50. Sign of approval: NOD.
51. Shrub in the olive family: LILAC - Both are members of the Oleaceae family
53. Help out: AID.
55. "Invisibilia" network: NPR ¯\_(γ)_/¯
56. Humana rival: AETNA.
58. Get better: HEAL.
60. Rough drawing: SKETCH - This one is pretty rough
62. Covers with grass: SODS π
64. Quick clip: VID.
67. Meh poker hand: PAIR.
69. Damages: HARMS.
70. Hit Ctrl+Z: UNDO.
75. Bart's grandpa: ABE - He's in here
76. Clownfish with a lucky fin: NEMO.
80. "On the double!": PRONTO.
81. Crafty etailer: ETSY and 31. Put on 81-Across, say: SELL.
82. Move effortlessly: GLIDE.
84. Writer's block?: PAD - Here's one on my cluttered side table
85. Dallas sch.: SMU.
86. Plentiful: AMPLE.
88. "White Girls" author Hilton: ALS.
89. Pancakes sometimes topped with caviar: BLINI.
91. One who's gone fishing: ANGLER.
98. Sources of aerial shots: DRONES - Here's a DRONE tour of my home golf course (8:43)
100. Hami or honeydew: MELON.
101. Drug taken on some trips: LSD π I might have used "for" instead of "on"
102. Judge who swings for the fences: AARON.
104. Capital with a namesake 101-floor skyscraper: TAIPEI.
106. Bozo: OAF.
108. Foot part: SOLE.
114. Welsh dogs: CORGIS - Royal favorites
117. Pizza choice: HAM.
118. Bones in a cage: RIBS.
119. Seal hunter: ORCA.
122. "The Lost Bookshop" novelist Woods: EVIE ¯\_(γ)_/¯
123. Ran out of juice: DIED.
124. Knight's mount: STEED.
125. In the know: AWARE.
126. Ship out: SEND.
127. Listening devices?: EARS.
128. U.N. member until 1991: USSR.
Down:
1. Respectful address: MADAM - My daughter was taken aback the first time a student addressed her as MAAM.
2. Like parkour athletes: AGILE.
3. Cornfield challenges: MAZES - Here's a MAZE in a field of, uh, maize
4. Industry, casually: BIZ.
5. "The Menu" star Taylor-Joy: ANYA 88% on Rotten Tomatoes
6. Tiny tweak to an atomic clock: LEAP SECOND - If you're really that interested...
7. With the bow, musically: ARCO.
8. Temporary fix: STOP GAP - A motel in our town and STOP GAP fixes after a big April hailstorm.
9. Sandy shade: TAN.
10. Danish toast: SKOAL.
11. Fiction genre that may use chat logs and social media posts: ALT LIT Here ya go
12. Squishy indoor toy: NERF BALL.
13. A-line line: SEAM.
14. Locked horns: CLASHED.
15. "Jiminy Cricket," e.g.: MINCED OATH - When you hold back from coarser language
16. Tycoon on the Titanic: ASTOR.
17. Ill will: SPITE.
19. Match components: SETS - This Wimbledon scoreboard shows Henman and Ivanisevic have each one 2 SETS and Ivanisevic has has won 3 games in the fifth set to Henman's 2 games and Henman is ahead 30 -15 in the current game.
23. Bedtime story?: DREAM.
28. Mr. with a dark side: HYDE.
29. Negative spot: ATTACK AD - Omaha has just finished a bitter mayoral race that featured many of these.
34. "The Mole" host Shapiro: ARI.
37. Stage and screen legend Moreno: RITA - An EGOT winner!
39. Marlee Matlin Oscar winner: CODA.
A classic scene with Marlee on Seinfeld
42. Salad dressing choice: KENS.
43. Trade show: EXPO.
44. Mower's target: YARD.
45. Complete: ENTIRE.
46. Poetry showdowns: SLAMS.
48. "Good going": NICE.
52. Letters of affection: ILY I ❤️ U
54. Some MLB batters: DHS - After decades, the NL finally adopted the DH
57. Sign of trouble: EVIL OMEN.
58. "Get a move on!": HURRY.
59. "Cruella" star Stone: EMMA.
61. Class for a future exec: ECON.
63. Bridge measure: SPAN.
65. Pop-tops: TABS.
66. "Guernica" style: CUBISM.
 |
| Picasso 1937 |
68. Have no help: ACT ALONE.
69. Place with key cards: HOTEL.
71. Can. lawmakers: MPS - Here's one that just got elected
72. "It's Raining" singer Thomas: IRMA.
73. Tournament format: ROUND ROBIN - Every team plays every other team
 |
| This is a ROUND ROBIN schedule for 10 teams |
75. Shipshape: ALL IN ORDER.
77. Totally amazing: EPIC.
78. Burrito holder?: MANO - Tengo mi burrito en mi MANO (I hold my burrito in my hand)
79. Norse god who drinks from Mimir's well: ODIN.
82. Purring pet, in Peru: GATO - GATO is also Spanish for car jack
83. Dwindles: EBBS.
87. South Africa's "Jacaranda City": PRETORIA.
90. Young fellas: LADS.
92. Brought in: GROSSED.
94. Little rascals: IMPS.
95. Price to pay: FEE.
96. Draws out: ELICITS - Remember...
97. Pixielike: ELFIN.
99. Dish at a tea party: SAUCER.
102. Land parcels: ACRES.
103. Still in the game: ALIVE.
105. Tablets with passcodes: I-PADS.
107. Like sharp cheddar: AGED.
109. "Bummer": OH MAN.
110. Wildlife refuges: LAIRS.
111. Host of a roast: EMCEE.
113. Honor system: CODE.
 |
| At West Point |
115. Sonnets' more adoring kin: ODES π
116. "Get lost!": SCAT.
120. Stephanie of "Joy Ride": HSU ¯\_(γ)_/¯
121. Get behind: OWE.
*The movie with the extreme CLOSEUPS was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and the three actors are Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleeve
24 comments:
I enjoyed this
offering from C.C. I note “art pop” and “alt lit” however as two expressions I don’t see very often. Other than that, I didn’t have too much trouble with this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
The perps were kind for the many unknown names. It all came down to KE_S/_PR. D-o WAGged an N -- he doesn't spend much time in the salad dressing aisle. Yay. Thanx, C.C. and Husker.
Now, off for that bike pedal around the 'hood.
Took 17:24 today.
Good puzzle. Several unknowns, including one of today's actresses (Hsu).
Gotta run.
DIZZY DEA-CO-N and PeeWee Reese. Best and certainly the most entertaining baseball announcers. I think Dizzy was drunk on the set, advertising his Falstaff beer.
I noticed the extra CO immediately. C.C.'s puzzle had some unknown A&E proper names and a couple I knew, especially IRMA Thomas. She's been singing in NOLA for 60 years. Her biggest hit was "Time Is On My Side", which was copied by the Stones. She was on the same cruise as us and in DW's line dance class.
ART POP, GAY LIB, ERA, NPR, ALS, EVIE, ANYA, ALT LIT, ARI, HSU, KENS,- came from perps.
One night, we went to a play at Le Chat Noir and then went to eat at the El Gato Negro restaurant. My cat is black and white.
FIR. A few too many proper names for my liking, but the perps were well placed to overcome them. Several learning moments for me with alt lit and art pop, but hopefully I will remember them for the next time.
I liked the theme and picked up on it early on. This helped a lot with the solve.
So overall this was a very enjoyable puzzle .
FIW, missing my WAG @ CwAS x wINCED OATH. Really should have known Keith Urban as readily as SERTA, but didn't.
DNK Ms. Woods, but EVIE's is my favorite place in Sarasota. I used to drop off my car to be detailed the car wash next door, hit a bucket of balls at EVIE's driving range, then have a burger and a beer, and the car would be just about ready then. Doesn't hurt that EVIE's is the unofficial Florida home of University of Kentucky sports fans, and that the UK banner is equally displayed with the one from University of Florida.
Thanks to CC for the fun fill. I suspect that most of the clues I disliked (ALS, for example) were Patti's misdeeds. More people would probably know "navigation pioneer Bowditch" for Nathaniel, but that wouldn't be a sterling clue either, IMO. At least Nathaniel is a commonly encountered name. And thanks to H.Gary for back-to-back tours.
FIR with a real battle in both the SW and NE. A generally enjoyable challenge, despite what could be the worst clue ever for the answer ERA.
Best Dizzy Dean story: After being hit by a line drive, the next day’s headline said something like “Dean hit in head; x-rays show nothing.” I once had the misfortune of requiring an MRI of my head and the good fortune of the results “showing nothing.” I was ready with my quip!
I had a similar experience after getting an MRI of my brain. The report described it as "unremarkable." π‘
I found this puzzle entertaining and not too difficult but with just enough crunch to satisfy Γ‘ lazy Sunday morning. There were several unknowns, mainly names or esoteric ERA, but perps and WAGS easily took care of them.
The SW is loaded with pork what with the LIFETIME BACON and HAM pizza. I liked the bones in Γ‘ cage, RIBS or the brand fit for Γ‘ queen, SERTA.
Thank you HG for reviewing again today. Loved all your links, especially the Seinfeld video.
Working a fun puzzle by CC was a nice start to my Sunday afternoon.
Zhouqin showcases her constructing talent and creativity with this Sunday treat, even the puzzle title “Coin a Phrase” required us to parse it as “CO in a Phrase” for it to make sense, nicely done! The unknowns, as usual, were the unfamiliar names, HSU, IRMA, EVIE and ALS (didn’t know man or woman? first name or last? till the expo), or the CODA movie. Had no idea what FKA Twigs was, and I would guess I’m not alone on that. Can never remember the difference between EXALT and exult, so perps needed there. Last week elfish today ELFIN. I currently have KEN’S Greek dressing in the fridge, good stuff! Today I learned the word “parkour” and the definition. Thanks C.C. for the Sunday fun (btw, your name is spelled correctly in the puzzle byline, incorrectly in the Comments heading). Thanks to HG for your double duty this weekend!
That was a quick correction! π
Valerie and I enjoyed solving this morning's challenging puzzle. It took a couple of rounds to figure out the clever title's meaning which then helped with the solve. We had to pause for a bit before realizing that DISH meant what one could eat off of and not what one could eat. Valerie was not fooled by the Urban riff and figured it out while I was still thinking about a city. Thanks for the fun C.C. (did I spell that correctly?).
I very much enjoyed this puzzle. The last cell I filled was the M crossing CMAS and MINCED OATH, because I was thinking city for Urban and had never heard of that type of oath. That's one learned item that I might even remember.
I think it was pretty smart to see how ACHES could be turned into COACHES by adding CO.
Good reading you all.
Great Sunday puzzle but I missed the theme. Duh. Thanks Gary for doing double duty. Nice job. I liked "Jiminy Cricket". I remember when I was a kid listening to Dizzy Dean announcing baseball. They wanted to get rid of him because his language was incorrect. "And he SLUD into third. "
Keeps changing me to anonymous
Hola! Thank you, C.C.., for the fun! I stumbled around a bit but then hit my stride and ran with it. I really laughed at MIRACLE (CO) BRA! And I was sad to recall the late Queen Elizabeth and her beloved CORGIS.
The clue for RIBS was the best, IMO. Even though I don't exactly recall her name, I'm sure I have read "The Lost Bookshop" by EVIE Woods.
What made this puzzle so enjoyable were the many puns, too many to list, but really funny.
Thank you, Gary, for doing double duty today. Enjoy your day, everyone!
Super Sunday. Thanks for the fun, C.C. and HuskerG.
I FIRed eventually after several runs through the Across and Down clues. Perps were fair, and eventually all the unknowns filled.
Plus, I searched for the theme about midway through the solve, and found the COin a Phrase. Brilliant.
I see that RIBS filled with perps. I had been wondering about that clue.
MINCED OATH was not familiar to me. An alphabet run gave me the M, and gave me CMAS for Keith Urban, not a city.
My LILAC and the lily-of-the-valley underneath it have just finished blooming. That corner of the garden has had the most wonderful fragrance.
Wishing you all a good evening.
Thanks to C.C. for today's entertainment! I loved, loved, loved the title! FAV was clue for RIBS (Hi Lucina!)
Thanks to H-Gary for taking on double duty this week -- the two toughest days, no less! It was fun seeing some of your golf course (I admit to not watching the whole thing. Does the water along Hole #1 freeze in the winter?) I also enjoyed the parkor gif. LEAP SECOND video, and learning what a MINCED OATH is.
Full day so just getting around to the crossword- most of my thoughts would echo those of other Cornerites, so I won't repeat those
"Jacaranda City" was a misdirection as the the flowering plants were originally from South America and the name was a mixture of Portuguese and the indigenous Guarani language - but the answer of PRETORIA is a South African city. These flowers are all over the world now with prominent displays in Pakistan and India among others
When one of our sons went to the Air Force Academy they have the cadet honor code ramp which you walk through from the cadet area to the parade field
The words were: Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do
--https://www.usafa.edu/app/uploads/Mission_02.jpg
Thanks HG for covering the weekend, and CC for the creative puzzle
The water on #1 can freeze but is more likely to go dry in the heat of the summer and have nothing to freeze. Center pivot irrigation is big around our course.
And here I am staggering into last place after everyone else has gone home because I fell into every trap that C.C. laid...and some of my own making!
Had MINCED OATs (oatmeal?) for breakfast.
For lunch, I had Eviction for a "sign of trouble."
At dinnertime, I had Nursing COBRA for the "snake with a healing bite." What a MESS!
Ultimately FIR even though I found it more difficult than a typical Sunday. Thanks C.C. for the challenge! And thanks to Gary for another exceptional review (and amazingly colorful grid!). Great to see two masters at work.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to sneak a piece of pie that RightBrain was saving for our cookout tomorrow. It's the real deal, not KEY LIME COPIES!
I guess it is all relative, but the NIST-F4 atomic clock counts more than nine billion cycles to measure a second. At that scale a leap second is hardly a 'tiny' tweak!
https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2025/04/new-atomic-fountain-clock-joins-elite-group-keeps-world-time
Had to watch the Indy 500 and handle some honey-do’s, so I’m the taildragger tonight…but this puzzle by Ms. Zhouqin was well worth the midnight run — loved the hook with the added CO’s π€π½
And there was obviously quite a bit of overtime devoted to these clues — I’m with the crowd in giving the Best Clue prize to “Bones found in cages”, with honorable mentions going to “Urban honors” (I first thought of “props”…but no fit) and to “Writer’s block”. Brilliant stuff!
Plus we got a Spanish lesson today as a bonus; MANO up for having “Hand” in there initially π and our purring GATO rounded out the SET.
I do have a couple of “puzzling” questions (sorry…I can get overly punny when it’s late). First of all, does anyone really get pizza with HAM on it? Canadian or regular BACON, yes (a Hawai’ian pizza) but never had the other. Finally, I always thought that what one “Brought in” (92D) was what one netted, not GROSSED. But I suck at accounting, so please feel free to correct me!
Sunday Funday, both from C.C. and Gary (thanks for the Marlee Marlin vid on “Seinfeld” and the lesson on Artpop, weird as it is).
====> Darren / L.A.
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