Theme: Garden variety.
Surprise! NaomiZ here on a wonderful Wednesday. Constructor Emet Ozar enriches the crossword grid with circles to help us find various types of gardens hidden in the long entries.
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| My native plant garden is for the birds! This Northern Mockingbird enjoys eating elderberries. |
The theme clues and answers are:
16-Across. "The," grammatically: DEFINITE ARTICLE. Tea garden.
24-Across. Baseball overtime: EXTRA INNINGS. Rain garden.
41-Across. Heavy-duty material for cutting boards: BUTCHER BLOCK. Herb garden.
55-Across. Frances Hodgson Burnett novel set at a country estate, or an apt title for this puzzle: THE SECRET GARDEN.
Let's dig into the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:
1. Trash receptacle: CAN.
4. Stringed instrument: HARP.
8. Some med. scans: MRIs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.
12. Just slightly: A TAD.
14. Large paper format: FOLIO. Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing. Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages. Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.
4. Stringed instrument: HARP.
8. Some med. scans: MRIs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.
12. Just slightly: A TAD.
14. Large paper format: FOLIO. Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing. Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages. Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.
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| The hands give you an idea of the size of Shakespeare's first folio. |
15. Number two: AIDE. The boss is number one; his aide is number two.
16.[Theme clue]
19. "Let You Love Me" singer: RITA ORA. Everything I know about Rita Ora, I've learned in the Crossword Corner.
20. Pet restraint: TETHER.
21. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI. Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist. She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).
23. __ Bradley bags: VERA. Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.
20. Pet restraint: TETHER.
21. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI. Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist. She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).
23. __ Bradley bags: VERA. Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.
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| Vera Bradley bags |
24. [Theme clue]
29. Predatory insect: MANTIS.
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| Praying Mantis preying on a lizard. |
32. Pa: DAD.
33. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.
34. Vote into office: ELECT.
35. 100%: ALL.
36. Greek fabulist: AESOP. Fabulist: a person who composes or relates fables.
38. Cured fish often topped with capers and lemon: LOX.
39. Aaron Judge stat: RBI. Aaron Judge is a right fielder for the New York Yankees. He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League MVP Award winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season.
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| Aaron Judge |
40. Reveries: DREAMS.
41. [Theme clue]
45. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA.
46. 3-Down signatory: Abbr.: USA. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and took effect on January 1, 1994. NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations. It was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, 2020.
47. Trans- opposite: CIS. Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender. The term is the opposite of transgender, which refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.
50. Tribute at a memorial: EULOGY.
53. New Mexico's "The City Different": SANTA FE. Santa Fe combines a number of Southwestern cultures and has a lively art scene. It adopted "The City Different" moniker in the early 1900s.
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| The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe was the seat of government for New Mexico from 1610 to 1901. |
55. [Theme clue]
58. Outstanding: A-ONE.
59. Flood-protection structure: LEVEE.
60. Affirmative votes: YEAS.
61. The one there: THAT.
62. "When will you __ learn?": EVER.
63. Italian three: TRE.
Down:
1. Core group: CADRE.
2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.
3. Commerce pact until 2020: NAFTA. See 46-Across for more information.
4. Bloviator's excess: HOT AIR. A bloviator is someone who talks at length in a pompous or boastful way, often saying very little of substance. The idiom "hot air" refers to empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk that does not reflect real intentions.
5. Foamy fare: ALE.
6. Small inlet: RIA.
7. Foreshadow: PORTEND.
8. Island cocktail: MAI TAI. Composed of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat (an almond syrup), the Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture.
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| Does anyone else remember Kelbo's tiki restaurant on Pico in West LA? My ex and I once enjoyed a big blue cocktail in a large bowl with two straws. |
9. Loaded with cream, say: RICH.
10. Taking it easy: IDLE.
11. Crystal ball consulter: SEER.
13. Domingo, for one: DÍA. Domingo is Spanish for Sunday. Día is Spanish for day.
14. Noteworthy events: FIRSTS.
17. Warning sign on a door: NO EXIT.
18. Coastal flyer: TERN. Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.
%20Long-billed%20Tern.jpg) |
| I took this photo of Long-billed Terns in the Amazon River. |
23. Apothecary container: VIAL.
24. List-ending abbr.: ETC.
25. Speak off-the-cuff: AD LIB.
26. Moon landing org.: NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
27. Grab, with "on to": GLOM. "Glom onto" is an informal American English phrasal verb that means to take something for one's own use, become strongly attached to something, or become aware of something. It can also mean to grab hold of something or to latch onto an idea or person.
28. Dainty tastes: SIPS.
29. Singer also known as Scary Spice: MEL B. Melanie Brown, known as Mel B, is an English singer, actress, author, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed "Scary Spice" for her energetic stage presence.
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| Mel B in 2025 |
30. Baseball family name: ALOU.
31. Deli counter cry: NEXT.
35. Syllables in an incantation: ABRA. Abracadabra is a magical incantation whose origin is a matter of debate.
36. Tarot card group: ARCANA. Tarot cards are generally divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
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| Tarot cards |
37. Startled cry at the sight of a mouse: EEK.
39. Give new life to something old: RECYCLE.
40. Prescription measure: DOSAGE.
42. Bedroom storage space: CLOSET.
43. Gargantuan: HUGE.
44. Glossy finish: LUSTER.
47. West Point student: CADET.
48. Apprehensive beginning: I FEAR.
49. Perception: SENSE.
50. Coup d'__: ÉTAT. A coup d'état (from French for 'stroke of state') is an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means.
51. "This is not good": UH OH.
52. "The Chi" creator Waithe: LENA. Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter from Chicago. She is the creative force behind the Showtime drama series The Chi, set in her hometown, and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties.
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| Lena Waithe |
54. Push to the limit: TRY. As in, the barking dogs try my patience.
56. Put the pedal to the metal: REV.
57. Precursor to a big event: EVE.
Here's the grid, but look out for an error! 35-Across should show ALL, not ALI:
Or was it A TAD TRYing for you?
NaomiZ
You know any puzzle
ReplyDeletethat refers to “Ali” as the actual legendary boxer is not going to be too difficult, and this one wasn’t. And do I have to turn in my man card by admitting that I’ve actually read “The Secret Garden”? Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThis one seemed easy enough, but it all came down to ABR_/LUC_. Guess who guessed wrong? Abracadabra never occured to me, and I've never seen a Pixar film. Just not in my wheelhouse. Thanx, Emet and NaomiZ.
FOR, but legal->FOLIO, and dio->DIA.
ReplyDeleteFour-letter word for "number two?" No, Jinx. Just NO.
Didn't like "push to the limit" for TRY at first, then remembered "tried and found wanting." Which is better than to want and be found trying, I guess.
Another automotive clue/fill that miss the mark. "put the petal to the metal in neutral for REV would make sense.
I learned yesterday that the female MANTIS often bites the head off her mate during sex, and that the torso of the male continues its gyrations until the act is complete. Then the carcass of the male provides the female with a MANTIS equivalent of a cigarette once the deed is done.
This was one of those unusual puzzles that wasn't particularly hard, and that I got correct, but didn't much enjoy. The bounty of A&E content was a fun suppressor for me. Thanks to NaomiZ for injecting some fun into this outing.
Took 5:39 today for me to BE IRate with the circles.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the writers (Esi & Lena) nor the book (TheSecretGarden).
I didn't know the Italian (tre) and struggled with spelling the French (etat), but knew the Spanish (dia).
This puzzle wasn't particularly fun for me either.
Oh joy, circles!
FIR. Circles and proper names, oh boy! My two least favorite things in a CW.
ReplyDeleteAnd the constructor's favorite book as the reveal to a lame theme. In retrospect the only garden I knew was herb. But then gardening is non-existent in my world.
All that aside this puzzle was very doable without the so-called theme. And the perps helped with all those proper names.
But overall this was not an enjoyable puzzle.
FIR but it took me 14:08, needed perps for the unknowns ARCANA, ESI, and LENA, last fill was a WAG at the A in the LUCA/ABRA cross. I don’t know how, but I did know VERA. Had to correct bin to CAN at the start, then roe to LOX. The theme would have been more “SECRET” sans the ⭕️’s. Usually we only have RITA or ORA as fill, today her full name, as last week we had the full name DUA LIPA. Thank you Emet for your creation, and to NaomiZ for your informative recap. Did you and Splynter swap days or will we read you again tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteHaving never heard of a Tea Garden nor a Rain Garden, and seeing a non-existent circle and not seeing an existing one in the third themer, I was perplexed as to what Tea, Rain, and Cher have to do with gardens, secret or otherwise. I just wasn’t on the author’s wavelength this morning and thought the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.
Thanks, Emet, and thanks, Naomi, for the great summary and the photo of Mr. Yankee, Aaron Judge.
Have a great day.
Easy breezy for a Wednesday when the puzzles start to lean ATAD toward the difficult. Never heard of a RAIN (like IM) garden, is that the SECRET one? Wikipedia: “Rain gardens are designed landscape sites that reduce the flow rate, total quantity, and pollutant load of runoff from impervious urban areas.
ReplyDeleteSaw “LUCA” cute story. Theme of once popular acceptance of individual differences and friendship
Inkovers: arcade, arcane/ARCANA
ATEIT means accepted a monetary/investment loss, (or what I say to DW when she asked me where the last piece of cake went)
Startled cry of a mouse at the site of a human “squEEK!”
Perp pause required at LUST(er, re?); betcha I know how it ended for Canada Eh.
”ABRAcadabra” Lady Gaga 2025
Happy Hump Day
You are correct that I wrinkled my nose as I entered the ER in LUSTER.
DeleteHola! THE SECRET GARDEN is one of my favorite childhood books. Thank you, Emet Ozar, for that long ago memory. I have been an avid reader since I could decode letters, and it continues to this day.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was easy enough and did not present a challenge. When I saw LUC emerge, I wondered if Pixar had made a movie about LUCY, but no, LUCA soon emerged.
Have a lovely day, everyone! Thank you, NaomiZ, for your lively narration.
Oh, no. Mice in my puzzle, too! I thought I'd seen the last of them.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle didn’t quite work for me. First, way too many names the majority of which I didn’t know, ESI, VERA, as clued, LUCA, MEL B, LENA,. I did know ALI and AESOP. RITA ORA has appeared in CWs often enough I got that name.
ReplyDeleteI was able to guess at the reveal entry though I didn’t know the author’s name but I couldn’t see the gardens for the trees. HERB, yes, RAIN, no. Here right now all our gardens are RAIN gardens since it’s rained every day.
In conclusion I FIR but didn’t care much for the experience.
Thank you NaomiZ for á terrific review. That perked me up.
Musings
ReplyDelete-An easy harvest this morning even with an obscure LENA replacing Ms. Horne
-VERA’s: I had heard of Ms. Wang but not Ms. Bradley and not the client base they are seeking. :-)
-LEVEES around our very flat town on the banks of the Platte River have been fortified since the “100-year” flood of 2019.
-HOT AIR: Iceland has a geothermal source and D.C. has politicians
-NEXT – Don’t you get upset when walk-ins get waited on before you when you’ve been waiting for quite a while?
"sigh* Another A&E crossNAME puzzle. Not very tough, but not very satisfying, either. Theme? Meh. Jinx, I was also sorely tempted at "Number two". Nice job on the recap, NaomiZ. Enjoyed it more than the puzzle!
ReplyDeleteA rather bland mid-week offering. A couple of possible Naticks, but guessed right there's that. ALL in ALL, an acceptable outing from Emet.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of ALL that, the posted grid has a mistake. 35A = ALL to cross with 23D VIAL.
Thanks, Namoi, I laughed at the deli cartoon! I also agree with your statement that ALL I know about some subjects, "I've learned in the Crossword Corner." Today's something was a RAIN garden, which sounds like a great way to conserve water.
RustyBrain at 11:00 AM -- I hope everyone see your correction! I'm not sure how the software let me get away with that typo in the grid. 33-Across is ALI, and 35-Across should be ALL, as you stated.
DeleteSorry I mistyped your name Naomi. Nobody's perfect!
DeleteThe names bogged me down.
ReplyDeleteBIN-->CAN. AYES-->YEAS. LYRE-->HARP. LUNA-->LUCA. LUNA-->LENA.
I noticed IDLE and REV.
This puzzle was A TAD TRYing for me.
Good reading you all.
Interesting Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Emet. And I enjoyed your helpful commentary, NaomiZ, and so thanks for that too.
ReplyDeleteWell, when I saw HARP I got excited that we were going to get a music theme in this puzzle, and I was ready to AD LIB my comments on this. But it never happened, except maybe in my DREAMS. Could a EULOGY be accompanied by a HARP? Maybe, if it was conducted in a SECRET GARDEN in SANTA FE. Then that event might even have some lovely LUSTER. Well, I'm done dreaming about all this and it's time for me get such lunch. I had some LOX and ATE IT, accompanied by some ALE. A pleasant morning, after all.
Have a lovely day, everybody.
Dang! Started off with a W/O= BIN:CAN. Too many names (13) DNK 7. Still, to my surprise I did FIR in 10. Another W/O= LEGAL:FOLIO. Did not know what a TEA GARDEN is, or a RAIN GARDEN. Thanx to ROS@ 9:22 for 'splainin' RAIN GARDEN. Still don't know what a TEA GARDEN is. I doubt it is a place you grow tea leaves, so....? I was with JINX @ 6:55 in that when I was growing up "Number 2" did NOT mean "AIDE". Also, with Jinx that putting the pedal to the metal in neutral is a great way to blow up your engine. Overall, not a bad Wednesday CW though, thanx for the entertainment EO, and thanx for the fine, fun and informative write-up, NaomiZ.
ReplyDeleteHey, RustyBrain at 11:00 AM -- I was able to add a note above the grid in today's post to point out the typo you found at 35-Across. Still not sure how I got that mistake past the software, but thanks to you, it won't puzzle future solvers.
ReplyDeleteToday I opted for brevity, and did not illustrate nor explain the various types of gardens. I see that was a mistake! Here in So Cal, we don't get much rain, and too much of it washes into the streets, so a RAIN garden that catches rain in basins or depressions and allows it to soak into the soil is a good thing. I think of a TEA garden as a serene garden with a Japanese tea house (often a pagoda) where tea and treats may be served. We have several examples in So Cal, including at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys which belongs to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, and Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. I don't need an herb garden, because in spite of being vegetarian, DH detests cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, mint, and all zesty green things.
Á RAIN GARDEN here in south Louisiana would be á spa for mosquitoes. LOL
DeleteA RAIN GARDEN would be so welcome here in the arid Southwest. Or just RAIN, no garden needed. It has been many, many months since our last rain.
ReplyDeleteI’ll try to send you some of ours. We have way too much.
DeleteWon't be long now - your monsoon season is now officially under way.
Delete"47. Trans- opposite: CIS. Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender." Wow!!
ReplyDeleteI thought the clue simply referred to chemical bonds… Otherwise some people get all bent out of shape.
DeleteCis: Two substituents are on the same side of the double bond or ring.
Trans: Two substituents are on opposite sides of the double bond or ring.
There were also two republics in the Alps at one time in N. Italy
The Cisapline Republic (same side of the Alps) and Transalpine Republic (across the alps)
Wonderful Wednesday (NaomiZ beat me!). Thanks for the fun, Emet and NaomiZ.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed with just a few crunchy areas, and saw the SECRET GARDEN theme.
Yesterday I commented about NARNIA in the play at the Shaw Festival that I took my daughter and two granddaughters to see last week. Last year, I took them to the Shaw to see THE SECRET GARDEN.
I moved from A Bit to dab to TAD.
Entering Tenth INNING left me with a blank space at the end. EXTRA INNINGS fixed things up.
Oh oh moved to UHuH and then to UHOH.
This Canadian is not on a first name basis with Ms Edugyan.
This Canadian will not comment on NAFTA and USA, as that would be too political.
I’ll take a CSO with VIAL and DOSAGE, although apothecary is an old term for pharmacist.
Wishing you all a good evening.
Not a “chemist” ?
DeleteSo luster or lustre?
Definitely Lustre. Luster looks like someone who needs to go to confession (think Jimmy Carter)
Delete