google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday October 20, 2025 Matthew Stock

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Oct 20, 2025

Monday October 20, 2025 Matthew Stock

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here, struggling to keep up with Mathew Stock's clever clues. Is it just me and too much time off or was this one tricky for a Monday? Well, at least the theme was easy an easy order:  
The unifier spells it out:

54 Across. Combo meal component, and what the answers to the starred clues have: SIDE OF FRIES. All the themed answers have a type of French fries at the right SIDE of the answer. We have:

16 Across. *Breakfast chain founded in metro Atlanta: WAFFLE HOUSE.  I went to one once to see what it was all about. Not really my thing.  
This is the WAFFLE HOUSE scene from the 2010 movie Due Date
starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr. (4:18 min.)
Truthfully, I find this genre of movies too uncomfortable to watch.

18 Across. *Harlem Globetrotters legend known for his shaved head: CURLY NEAL. I loved the Globetrotters as a kid so I remembered CURLY but guessed "bEAL" for his last name as I was unfamiliar with 13-Down and thought it could have been an initialism.  
Here is #22 in action. 
I like the last clip where he does a bounce pass though his opponent's legs to himself.
1:12 min. (It's worth the click just to hear their theme song again!)

34 Across. *Dramatic snag in the outfield: SHOESTRING CATCH.  I was unfamiliar with this term but clocking the theme helped (as it should). It is when a baseball player catches a ball close to his feet, meaning very close to the ground.  
This video is just 12 seconds.

51 Across. *Feature of some blocky footwear: WEDGE HEEL.  Women's footwear -- finally something I can relate to!  

Here they all are:
(l. to r.) WAFFLE, CURLY, SHOESTRING, and WEDGE FRIES
We're going to need more ketchup!
Next, we'll dip into the remaining clues:

Across:

1. Prefix with gender: CIS-.

4. East Coast gas station chain with a goose logo: WAWA.  I used to live near one when I lived in Virginia back in the aughts. DH loved their coffee. I've never been a coffee drinker so....
Do you see the yellow goose?

8. Play group?: BAND.  
The question mark indicates word play. Think "musicians". 
I was trying to decide which BAND to link, then it hit me -- The BAND!  
The Band     ~     Up On Cripple Creek     ~     1969
Note:  Some of you might be disappointed I did not use The Weight.
I've used it in the past so I went with something different. You can hear that song here.

12. Little troublemaker: IMP.  CSO to our Cornerite IMP!

13. Purple flower: LILAC.  My old neighborhood in Colorado had several old LILAC bushes. I was told they were planted back when people had outhouses. Their fragrance helped mask the odor when  things began to thaw in the spring.

14. Wind instrument that typically has 23 tone holes: OBOE.

15. Hopping pal of Pooh: ROO.  

20. Florida freshwater springs mammal: OTTER.  
This is a 2:32 min. video about freshwater OTTERs in Montana.
(It is shorter plus it has better information than the Florida ones I viewed.)

21. Make it to: ATTEND.  Ah, as in, "Did you ATTEND the fundraiser?" / "Did you make it to the fundraiser?"
Trying to make ATTain work tied me up in the NW.

22. "Gracious!": OH, MY.     and     
25-Across. "Gracious!": WOWIE.

24. __ Diego Padres: SAN.

27. Ceiling spinner: FAN.  

30. Brief "We'll figure it out later": TBD.  TBDetermined

31. Jazz horn: SAX.  
Charlie Parker [1920-1955]     ~     All the Things You Are

32. Baseball apparel company: NEW ERA.  Gracious! I did not know this one either!

37. "Pick up the pace!": PRONTO.

38. Female 11-Down: DOE.     and     
11-Down. Buck or 38-Across: DEER.   
Here's a pic from my recent trip.
This wild buck let me hand-feed it an apple.
He and his buddies hang out in the orchard,
waiting for humans to pick the apples they cannot reach.
Yes, I was a bit nervous of those antlers!
39. "Go team!": RAH.  

40. Guffaw: YUK.  A guffaw is a loud or boisterous burst of laughter.

41. __ and aahed: OOHED.

43. Theater chain initials: AMC.  AMC originally stood for American Multi-Cinema.

44. Research on a rival, briefly: OPPO.  OPPOsition Research  more from the Political Dictionary

45. Tennis legend Gibson: ALTHEA.  Althea Neale Gibson [1927-2003] was an American tennis player and golfer. In 1956 she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam event.  more achievements

48. Cupcake topper: ICING.  Here are some fun ones for Halloween:  

56. Bard's before: ERE.  "Bard's" hints at Old English.

57. More than one can count: A TON.  

58. Some UNESCO World Heritage Sites: RUINS.  "UNESCO" stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its website says, "We strengthen ties between people to build peace." An example of an UNESCO RUINS site is the Ruins of Leon Viejo in Nicaragua.

59. Quoter's "I'm aware of the error": [SIC].

60. Join using heat: WELD.  
Welding for Beginners  (4:14 min.)

61. Singles: ONES.  Think "dollar bills".

62. Shriek of fear: EEK.  
Down:

1. Historian's word of approximation: CIRCA.  CIRCA is a preposition which means "at approximately". It is used especially with dates. It comes from the Latin circum, meaning around. In a roundabout way, it is related to circumference.

2. "Later": I'M OUT.

3. Gambling venue that may offer Super Bowl parlays: SPORTSBOOK.  A SPORTSBOOK is a place -- either a website or a building -- that accepts bets on sporting events, especially college and professional events. more from Investopedia
  Thanks, perps!
Coincidentally, Wiki sported this pic & caption. (See 16-Down.)

4. Elastigirl, to Mr. Incredible: WIFE.  
5. __ Romeo: ALFA.  CSO to -T!

6. Enjoy a mudhole: WALLOW.  When my dog was 3 years old, we went to a group picnic in the hills and she found a smelly, wild pig mudhole. She thought it was glorious! I cannot remember how many baths it took to get rid of the smell.  
7. Blackjack card: ACE.

8. Pirate riches: BOOTY.     and     9-Down. Sit beside: ABUT.  <snicker, snicker>
10. Won by a __: NOSE.  This idiom means to defeat an opponent by a very small margin. It is believed to have originated in horse racing.

13. __ Back: movement focused on ancestral sovereignty: LAND.  Learning moment for me. Of course it makes sense now that I see the answer....

16. MGM Grand rival: WYNN.  I did not know this one either but I knew that the MGM Grand was a casino so a homophone for "win" seemed plausible.
(See photo for 3-Down.)

17. HS course that taught practical skills: HOME EC.  I am wondering why this clue is in the past tense. Do they no longer teach HOME EConomics in High Schools?

19. Tough to move: LEADEN.  Trying to make LoADEd work added to my difficulties with 21-Across.

23. Dating app "designed to be deleted": HINGE.  This one was out of my wheelhouse as well. Apparently HINGE is a dating app geared more towards finding a serious relationship. "Designed to be deleted" probably means that you will find your true love in the first go-round and then no longer need the app so you will delete it from your phone.

25. Card game that requires no skill: WAR.  WAR is the Candy Land of card games. There is no mechanism for players to impact the results.  

26. Iron __: rust: OXIDE.  CSO to RustyBrain!
Here's a brief engineering science lesson:  Iron is a metal and metals have a crystalline molecular structure. The crystalline structure of iron oxide is less dense than that of iron so it flakes off in what we call "rust", exposing additional iron to even further rust. Contrast this with another metal, aluminum. Aluminum oxide has a more dense crystalline structure than aluminum. This means you get a denser surface but do not get the flaking. As a result, you will not have additional aluminum exposed to further oxidation. Now, think about why we use aluminum cans to store food.

27. Greek salad topper: FETA CHEESE.  It originates from Greece and is made from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's and goats' milk.
How to make FETA CHEESE at home

28. St. Louis landmark: ARCH.  
The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot-tall monument in St. Louis, Missouri. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible structure.  website

29. "Pass": NAH.

30. Drive-__ window: THRU.  
Click to enlarge.

31. Hunch over: STOOP.  SlOuch did not quite fit.

33. Campfire output: WARMTH.  This one took a minute, probably because I have been conditioned to think of "ash"-related words when we see campfire in a clue.

34. Mission-driven individual?: SPY.  Is this clue referring to the Mission Impossible films???

35. Slow-moving, as traffic: STOP GO.  STOP-and-GO???  
36. Silent "Go for it": NOD.

42. "Sounds like a blast!": HOW FUN.

43. Brewmaster brews: ALES.

44. Without stopping: ON END.  For example, "The sun shone for days ON END."

45. Many moons: AGES.  The Earth's moon's cycle repeats every 29.5 days.  

46. Spooky: EERIE.     and     
52-Down. Lake between Toledo and Buffalo: ERIE.

47. Smart __: ALECK.  I think I've always spelled this without the "K". Merriam-Webster says my spelling is a less common variant.

48. "That much was clear to me": I SAW.

49. Quote as a source: CITE.

50. Megastar: IDOL.

53. Commotions: DINS.

55. To's counterpart: FRO.  

Today's grid: 
We do not usually see themed answers on consecutive rows.

Many thanks to RustyBrain and Anonymous T for filling in these past five weeks! While I was away, I did two back-to-back bicycling trips. The first was centered around Bend, OR and the stunning Crater Lake. The second was a tent-camping trip through CA, NV, and UT. Here I am towing my dog, Meadow, in Goblin Valley State Park, UT.  

36 comments:

Subgenius said...

I’m am NOT giving this puzzle any “walk in the park “ labels. There were
just too many obscurities ; too many ways it was possible to go wrong.
Nevertheless, I avoided them all and got the win.
FIR, so I’m happy.

Subgenius said...

Let me try this again, without the bad grammar caused by the ever stupid autocorrect :

I am NOT giving this puzzle any “walk in the park “ labels. There were
just too many obscurities ; too many ways it was possible to go wrong.
Nevertheless, I avoided them all and got the win.
FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Sub, your revisions appear to be the difference between a duck -- one foot is both the same.

Whew. DNF avoided. CPL crossed by LOL had to yield to SPY/YUK, and I'M OFF to OUT. The only Harlem Globetrotter d-o would recognize is Goose Tatum, that might date me a bit. Saturday we drove to a neighboring town to ATTEND a protest. About 500 other like-minded individuals also showed up. The puzzle finally came down to two Ns, the ones in LAND and NEWERA. Thanx, Matthew for a tough Monday challenge. Welcome back, sumdaze. (That's quite a chariot that Meadow rides in. How many miles did you rack up on your trip?)

Anonymous said...

Look at the first two words, D-O.
“I’m am”
Like I said, bad grammar.

-SubG

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, getting my WAG @ CURLY NEAL x LAND. Also, cast->BAND, and ados->DINS.

Four letter "wind instrument blah, blah, blah" is gonna be OBOE. Two things I used to tell my certification test candidates: 1) read the entire question. They will present questions with a lot of data, implying that you have math to perform, then at the very end the question asks "is the project ahead, behind, or on schedule," and 2) learn to filter out superfluous information contained in the question. (Most had heard of the old "while I was going to Saint Ives" riddle, which demonstrates both concepts.)

One of my favorite songs by the Doors is Light My Fire, including the lyrics
The time to hesitate is through
No time to WALLOW in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
(Jose Feliciano did a great cover as well.)

STOP GO traffic? Are you sure 'bout that Jethro? I've only heard "stop-and-go" traffic.

Thanks to Matthew for the challenge, and to sumdaze for another excellent review. Welcome back!

Anonymous said...

Most famous Globetrotter has to be Meadowlark Lemon.

Anonymous said...

37A had. " prod to". Seemed to fit with leafed.

KS said...

FIR. Seems to be a pattern here as we have another Monday puzzle with more than a little bite to it. It took a lot longer to finish this one than it usually takes on a Thursday. But maybe that's just me. Or not!
I got the theme early on when curly plopped down right below waffle. From there the others fell into place nicely.
But overall, considering it's Monday, this was a so-so puzzle.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I really liked this theme and the very solid themers. It was well-hidden, at least to me, and the reveal was a pleasant surprise. However, I think the author’s cluing and some fill were beyond the usual Monday fare, based on some total unknowns plus a longer completion time. Also, like others have noted, the conversational phrases, as clues and/or answers, are becoming too prevalent and are not only annoying but also a distraction in solving, IMO: How Fun, Oh My, Wowie, Pronto, I’m Out, TBD, Rah, I Saw.

Thanks, Matthew, and thanks sumdaze for the interesting review and commentary. I watched the Due Date video and was curious enough to research the story line. After reading the plot, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment on this type of movie. 👎👎 Welcome back. We missed you, but you left us in the very capable hands of RB and Anon T.

Have a great day.

Anonymous said...

Took 4:23 today to avoid the French.

"Land back" was new (and clunky). Took a while to remember Curly's last name. I didn't care for the grouping of "wowie," "oh my", and "hinge". My "play group?" was "cast" at first. I don't care for the clue for "a ton".

sumdaze, welcome back. I'm glad you saw and appreciated Crater Lake. It is stunning. And cold.

Monkey said...

I hate to be negative, but I really disliked this puzzle. I can’t believe it contained so many of the types of clues I object to such as all the paraphrases IM☘️ listed.

Welcome back sumdaze. Your trip sounds enchanting, and what fun to have your dog for company. Thanks for the great review.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-My love of FRIES and my weight are mortal enemies
-Some of CURLY’s “hot dogging” dribbling are part of the modern game
-Manatee was my first thought of a Florida freshwater mammal but…
-We have six ceiling FANS and they are usually going if someone is in a room with one
-Note from our “very straight laced” principal to my impish colleague, “See me, Pronto!” His reply, “Dear Pronto…”. He was shocked when he was denied a job later in his career.
-Solving “__ and aahed” was a surprise
-Pirate/BOOTY? I was outraged, Sumdaze, after I quit laughing! :-)
-HOME EC is now Family Consumer Science is schools. A rose by any other name…
-I have heard weather peeps describe “LEADEN skies”
-Iron OXIDE (rust) is a big component of the red planet Mars
-STOOP labor and I do not get along any more
-Always glad to see your write-ups Sumdaze! My biking is, uh, a little more limited.

CrossEyedDave said...

couldn't see the theme, but...

Anonymous said...

A tricky puzzle with some clever clues. That part I enjoyed….
Don’t care for the lame 😒 stuff that others have mentioned. It takes away from the constructive creativity.
This should of been a Thursday or Friday publication… IMO

Jinx in Norfolk said...

I think the difficulty level is consistent from the Rich Norris days. As a rule of thumb, I find the difficulty rising as follows:
Tuesday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Sunday
Friday
Saturday

Anonymous said...

Solved with no help, but definitely not a Monday puzzle. Probably the most difficult Monday one I have seen. Too much “obscure “ cluing.

Charlie Echo said...

Kept on until I managed to FIR, but for the life of me, I don't know why I bothered. The paraphrase non-clues sucked any hope of enjoyment right out the window. Guess I didn't want to toss in the towel on a Monday, for pity sake! This is time I'll never get back! At least Sumdaze was able to pump the joy back into the morning.

unclefred said...

Wow. I gotta take a DNF. After printing the CW and trying pen and paper, I was stymied by all the unknown names, many crossing. NW and N central convinced me to go online, turn on red letter help. Even then I needed a couple alpha runs. DNK 3D, 4D, 13D, 16D, or 18A. Did know WAFFLEHOUSE which eventually, with the alpha runs, filled this section. Also DNK OPPO. 15 names, DNK 7. This is a Friday-on-a-Monday CW. I did not like it. 27 across, "Ceiling spinner", "alcohol" did not fit. Overall, thanx, but no thanx, MS. Great write-u, Sumdaze, thanx. And welcome back. Looks like you had a great get away.

sumdaze said...

Thanks for the "welcome back"s! It's good to be reading everyone again.
DO@5:44. The Oregon trip was via airplane so no pup and ~200 cycling miles. The other trip was ~3,000 driving miles and ~225 "chariot" miles. I saw some beautiful country!
IM@9:11. I put "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" in that category, too.
H-Gary@9:30. Thanks for answering my HOME EC question.

CrossEyedDave said...

Just testing, I am still trying to get this newer iPad to do what the old one did.
For some stupid reason, I just cannot link a single picture link I used to. When I try to"share", I get the whole page. When I try to zero in on the exact image, I get taken to the website it was on, and that doesn't always allow you to copy an image.when I type here on the blog, half of it disappears and I have to scroll around t9 get it back, or turn my iPad sideways, or just throw it out the window!,!:(🙁.

Anywho, sorry for the rant: here is the image I was testing...
But after all that ranting, I can't remember how I got the image...

YooperPhil said...

About a typical Monday for me as I didn’t really find it laborious at all, FIR in 10:53. It helped to know CURLY and ALTHEA of the top of my head, the only real obscurity for me was the unknown HINGE. WAWA may have stated on the east coast, but now Florida on the south coast has more stations than any other state with 309 after getting the first one in 2012. One way they measure the severity of a hurricane is how many WAFFLE HOUSEs get shuttered or remain open. LILACs are probably my favorite flower, plentiful in Michigan, but they only stay bloomed for 2 or 3 weeks, wilt and fade and reappear the following spring. A fun, nicely themed puzzle for a Monday, thank you Matthew for that. And welcome back to sumdaze! You were missed but RB and T were very capable and excellent subs. I was curious as to how you were spending your time away, but not surprised at all by your adventurous travels by bike! Looks like a lonely stretch of road in Utah. Also, nice catch on BOOTY abutting ABUT. 🤣

sumdaze said...

Please keep at it, CED. Your links are too fun to go away. Case in point, French fry-coated corn dogs??? There are no words...

CrossEyedDave said...

Ok, still testing, in safari browser, in my updated iOS, I found on the right a clickable "tools", which I changed to usable free images (or something like that). And so, forgive the content, but this is another linkage test...

CrossEyedDave said...

Ah no! This is what I mean! It looked like a single image. But the link takes you to a page I did not intend!

NaomiZ said...

I am of the school of thought that ranks this puzzle as a late-in-the-week offering. FIR, but not my Monday cup of tea! What a delight to see sumdaze and her four-footed friend enjoying the great outdoors. Welcome home!

Misty said...

Very pleasant Monday puzzle, many thanks, Matthew. And your commentary and pictures are always a big help and a treat, Sumdaze, thanks for those too.

Well, as soon as I saw BAND and OBOE, I knew we might be headed to the WAFFLE HOUSE where one can sometimes ATTEND a Monday concert, if you're a FAN--which I am. It certainly did feel like a NEW ERA where lots of people OOHED and aahed over the melody, and were already shouting HOW FUN! Afterwards everyone was offered a SIDE OF FRIES and cupcakes with some ICING, along with a BOOTY of other treats. Can't wait to attend the night concert down the road, in EERIE ERIE!

Have a lovely week coming up, everybody.

CrossEyedDave said...


another test, hopefully this will fix everything...

CrossEyedDave said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CrossEyedDave said...

still testing

Prof M said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CrossEyedDave said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CrossEyedDave said...

this image was via chrome

CrossEyedDave said...

this is supposed to be a gif test

CrossEyedDave said...

Trying gif again

Anonymous T said...

From ORD, Hi All!

Yesterday was Pop's 75th so we all converged in SPI for his B-day bash on Saturday. Now that the epic parties (oh, yeah, there was an afterparty) are over, I'm headed back to IAH.

WEES re: Matthew's Monday Crunch. I got the FRIES which helped the fill.

Welcome back sumdaze! I enjoyed your expo esp The BAND pick.

WOs: I had NUNs in a mission b/f a SPY on ONE; ados b/f DINS
ESPs: LAND | NEAL was a reasonable WAG / ABC-run; ALTHEA
Fav: ALECK instead of phone @47d.

Y'all have a great afternoon.
Cheers, -T

CanadianEh! said...

Maverick Monday. Thanks for the fun, Matthew and sumdaze (welcome back).
Officially a DNF since I required some Google help to finish.
But I did finally get the theme, and went back to finish some of the themers.
What a workout! OH MY.

WAWA will always be “a town north of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario) to this Canadian. But it appears in CWs like ESSO.

I knew we would be in Vegas, but I had to Glenn WYNN.
Hand up for trying to fit Ash into WARMTH.
SPORTSBets held me up until I Googled BOOK.
Anyone have Ados before DINS, or Eons before AGES.

Ontario employers will have bleary-eyed employees again tomorrow as we cheer on our Blue Jays in this seventh game tonight.

Wishing you all a great day.