Theme: Garden variety.
Our marvelous Monday maven, Janice Luttrell, has constructed a puzzle that is quite ordinary -- just your normal, basic, garden variety Monday grid. I kid, of course. Her theme entries end with words that are run-of-the-mill.
20-Across. Central green in a small town: VILLAGE COMMON.
27-Across. Plateau in England that's home to Stonehenge: SALISBURY PLAIN.
49-Across. Comedian's performance: STAND-UP ROUTINE.
The big reveal occurs here:
56-Across. Tom Jones hit, and what can be said about the end of 20-, 27-, or 49-Across: IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.
Our blogmistress, C.C., has explained that it's easier to write a difficult puzzle than an easy one. If today's puzzle seems simple, that's the result of exacting effort. Let's waltz through the rest!
Across:1. Actors in a sitcom: CAST.
5. Super Bowl org.: NFL. National Football League. An abbreviation in the clue suggests that there will be an abbreviation in the answer.
8. Combo pattern for mil. garb: CAMO. "Camo" is short for "camouflage," a pattern featuring a combination of shapes and colors, often used for military garments.
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| Camo patterns vary to match the environment. Here, an Australian soldier blends into the bush. |
12. "Stuff and nonsense!": PSHAW. A scoffing sound, pronounced puh-shaw or pshh.
14. Soothing lotion ingredient: ALOE.
16. Country singer Jackson: ALAN. Alan Jackson sings traditional country songs as well as many he's written himself. He has earned Grammy Awards, CMA Awards, and ACM Awards, and is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. Because he suffers from an inherited degenerative disease, he has scheduled a final concert on June 27, 2026. Here he is performing his original song, Five O'Clock Somewhere, with special guest Jimmy Buffet appearing near the end.
17. Hawaiian greeting: ALOHA.
18. Slips into, as clothes: DONS.
19. Fishhook attachment: LURE.
20. [Theme clue]
23. Summer beverage: ICE TEA.
25. __ Vegas Aces: LAS. A team in the Women's National Basketball Association.
26. Silent assent: NOD.
27. [Theme clue]
31. Bio information: AGE. "Bio" is not an abbreviation, but just a shortened version of "biography." Therefore, the answer is not an abbreviation.
32. Italian sparkling wine: ASTI. The Piedmont region of Italy produces Asti Spumante and Moscato d'Asti. Asti Spumante is more bubbly; Moscato d'Asti is less bubbly, sweeter, and lower in alcohol.
33. Many, many moons: EON.
34. Says "I do" to: WEDS.
36. Brief albums, briefly: EPS. Extended Play records are longer than a single, but not as long as a full length album.
38. Cash dispensers: ATMS.
42. Luau bowlful: POI. Steamed and pounded taro root, mixed with water.
 |
| Poi |
45. Beauty store chain: ULTA.
48. Kendrick Lamar genre: RAP.
49. [Theme clue]
53. Ewe said it: BAA.
54. Little tyke: TOT.
55. Stray hair: STRAND.
56. [Theme clue]
60. Windy day toy: KITE.
61. Minerals in mines: ORES.
62. Fast-food pork sandwich: MCRIB. McDonald's offers the McRib sandwich sporadically, for limited time periods. It features a minced pork patty shaped like a rack of ribs, covered in barbecue sauce. Availability corresponds to periods of low prices on bulk pork. Travel to Germany if you simply must have one; it's a permanent menu item at McDonald's there.
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| German McRib -- all year round |
65. You are, in Spanish: ERES. Eres un gran traductor! (You are a great translator!) One of the problems I have with Google translate is that it provides only familiar speech in Spanish. That might work in Spain, but in Mexico, it's important to use formal pronouns and verbs with people who are not your family or inferiors. "Usted es un gran traductor!" is more polite in most situations.
66. "Drinks are __!": ON ME.
67. Brain prefix: NEURO. Neuro- is from the Greek for "nerve," and is used to refer to nerves, the brain, or the nervous system as a whole.
68. Put one's feet up: REST.
69. Patch of lawn: SOD.
70. Hitch: SNAG.
Down:
1. Tax prep expert: CPA. Certified Public Accountant, of course.
2. Silent communication syst.: ASL. American Sign Language.
3. Did a snow day chore: SHOVELED.
4. Most populous island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Most populous? Still seems like a dream destination.
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| This is Tahiti. The blue lagoon and white sand beaches that show up in searches for Tahiti are really the nearby island of Bora Bora. |
5. Zilch: NADA.
6. Promote aggressively: FLOG. I'm familiar with flog meaning to beat or whip someone severely, but Google tells me it also means to sell something quickly or aggressively.
7. Needing a companion: LONELY.
8. Tranquil: CALM. Bora Bora, anyone?
6. Promote aggressively: FLOG. I'm familiar with flog meaning to beat or whip someone severely, but Google tells me it also means to sell something quickly or aggressively.
7. Needing a companion: LONELY.
8. Tranquil: CALM. Bora Bora, anyone?
 |
| Bora Bora. I like the idea of a lazy vacation, but in truth, I cannot sit still. Kayaking, though ... ! |
9. Reunion attendees: ALUMNI.
10. Dark red: MAROON.
11. Continuously: ON END. "It rained for days ON END." "The power was out for weeks ON END."
13. Polish Solidarity leader Lech: WALESA. Lech Wałęsa was president of Poland from 1990 to 1995. The first democratically elected president of Poland since 1926, he was also the first-ever Polish president elected by popular vote. An electrician, Wałęsa led the opposition Solidarity movement which ended Communist rule in Poland in 1989.
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| Lech Wałęsa |
15. Break free: ESCAPE.
21. Chem class rooms: LABS.
22. Scandinavian capital near the North Sea: OSLO.
23. "You don't have to tell me!": I SAW.
24. Pet canary's home: CAGE.
28. Sport-__: off-road auto: UTE.
29. Tear to pieces: RIP UP.
30. 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.
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| Ana de Armas |
35. Health resort: SPA.
37. Camera option, initially: SLR. Per Wikipedia, "a single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a mirror and prism system to allow photographers to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. ... When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path and allows light to pass through to the light receptor and the image to be captured."
39. Dress rehearsal: TRIAL RUN.
40. "Save Me" singer Aimee: MANN. You may remember Aimee Mann from her 1980s band "Til Tuesday." She wrote their top-ten single Voices Carry. She's been solo since 1990, and has also acted on TV and in films. She wrote "Save Me" for the 1999 film Magnolia; the song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
40. "Save Me" singer Aimee: MANN. You may remember Aimee Mann from her 1980s band "Til Tuesday." She wrote their top-ten single Voices Carry. She's been solo since 1990, and has also acted on TV and in films. She wrote "Save Me" for the 1999 film Magnolia; the song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
 |
| Aimee Mann -- now and then |
41. Floored it: SPED.
43. Not duped by: ONTO. As in, "I'm onto you, buster!"
44. "Same for me!": I DO TOO.
46. Soft throw: TOSS.
47. Leaf-peeping season: AUTUMN. DH and I visited New England in October 2019. It was spectacular.
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| "Height of Land" in Maine -- my photo |
49. Much political humor: SATIRE.
50. Tries a bite of: TASTES.
51. About-faces on the road: U-TURNS.
52. Tiny amounts: TRACES.
53. Harley-Davidson customer: BIKER.
57. Wild canary's home: NEST. As opposed to 24-Down. Pet canary's home: CAGE.
58. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.
59. Preowned: USED.
63. Savings plan letters: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
64. Cranberry-growing area: BOG.
Here's the grid:
Solvers,
Which of you SPED through this puzzle?
Did it BOG you down anywhere? Did it take hours ON END?
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL to hit a SNAG. Hope you didn't RIP UP the puzzle!
Tell us all about it in the comments.
-- NaomiZ
10 comments:
Despite the fact that
I never heard of the “Salisbury Plain”
(must be where the name of that savory steak comes from) I’d say this puzzle was “a walk in the park.”
We’ll see if you agree.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Zipped right through this one. In my ute EPS were distributed on 45 RPM records, two songs to a side. MIL informed us that in Germany McDonalds had to build their own bakery. No German bakery could produce the low-quality buns the brand demanded.
Rainy morning here in redneck land, but it should all clear out by 9AM, and become a typical steamy day.
Oops, I forgot to thank Janice and NaomiZ. Thanx for the easy romp and the informative expo. Your comments on the Spanish language and Tahiti were interesting.
FIR, but i am too->I DO TOO.
ESCAPE is the real name of the Rupert Holmes song that everyone calls "the pina colada song."
I'm not too sure about a sport-UTE being an off-road auto. They tend to have higher ground clearance than sedans and coupes, but most never leave the (crossword favorite) tarmac, and don't even have four-wheel drive. Crossover sport UTEs like the Honda CRV and the fabulous Toyota RAV4 are definitely not designed for off-road use. "Buggies for soccer moms" would have been a better clue.
Congrats to the Carolina Hurricanes on their fine Stanley Cup victory. Their defense overwhelmed the Golden Knights, at one point holding Vegas to only 2 shots on goal over a 30 minute stretch.
Thanks to Janis for another fun Monday pushover, and to NaomiZ for another fine tour.
FIR. I had no trouble with today's Monday presentation. However the answer for 6D, flog, did give me pause. Fortunately the perps were there to help.
At first I threw down village square and thought maybe shapes. But that soon became common, which along with plain made me think of places. Finally the reveal cleared things up.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Took 3:53 today, a little faster than my ... customary Monday time.
I agree with our pacesetter, SubG, about "Salisbury Plain" and with KS about "flog."
I knew the Actress of the Day (Ana, though I've only seen her in Knives Out) and the foreign language lesson of the day (eres).
"Voices Carry" is a great song. Thanks for the reminder (and fun write-up), NaomiZ. I'll have to play that today.
Lech Walesa doesn't strike me as a ... usual Monday-level name.
Leaf peeping season?! Leaves peep out in the spring, also six letters. I don’t peep at leaves in autumn. I glare at them with their bright colors. Leaves show themselves boldly in autumn. I don’t stealthily “peep” at them!
Rarely finish a crossword right, but did so today. I've been a CPA for over 40 years, and the only tax return I ever touch is my own. CPAs do more than taxes. A quick search finds that Dr. James Henry Salisbury, a Union civil war Dr. developed the recipe for Salisbury Steak.
Good Morning:
Seeing Janice’s byline on a Monday puzzle is pretty much a guarantee that you’re in for a fun and enjoyable solve. Janice’s grids are clean and filled with care and attention. She usually comes up with creative, yet accessible themes and pretty straightforward cluing and fill appropriate for the day’s difficulty level. She’s in the same class as the Queen of Mondays, Lynn Lempel, IMO.
Thanks, Janice, and thanks, Naomi, for another fact-filled review and commentary. I consider Mondays my learning days, thanks to your talent in not only explaining things so concisely but with that uncanny ability you have in choosing the entries that deserve (or benefit from) further definition.
Well darn, Irish Miss ☘️ stole my thunder.🤣🤣🤣. I agree with all she wrote.
And that goes for her remarks on NaomiZ’s excellent review.
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