(Note from C.C.: I'm excited to announce that constructor Katherine Simonson (Kat on our blog) has joined our blogging team. Our blog has covered eight of Kat's LAT puzzles. She's impressed us time and again with her keen eye as both a constructor and a blogger. I'm thrilled to have her on board.)
Prolific constructor Joe Deeney edits some film for us today, with highly entertaining results.
The title of the puzzle, "A+ in Film Studies", is a terrific hint for what is going on here. Each of the seven theme entries is the title of a reasonably well-known movie, with just one little change: the addition of the letter "A." This creates a new set of phrases, which are described in the clues. While straightforward letter insertion themes are fairly common crossword fare, the puzzle stands out to me for the quality of its execution. The theme set is remarkably tight and highly entertaining, and the fill includes lots of fresh and fun words. An altogether pleasant Sunday morning at the movies!
Theme entries as they appear in the grid are as follows:
22A. Public square that gets really sticky in the heat?: LICORICE PIAZZA. The movie Licorice Pizza is a 2021 coming-of-age film nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. While critically acclaimed, it struggled at the box office. However, it has since developed a significant following in indie film circles. A PIAZZA is an open square in an Italian town - and one made of licorice would certainly get sticky in the heat.
 |
Alana
Haim is the lead actress in Licorice Pizza. She is also well known for
playing with her sisters in the Grammy-nominated band Haim. |
39A. One who can only rasp quietly?: THE HOARSE WHISPERER. My favorite of the theme entries. The Horse Whisperer is a 1998 neo-western drama directed by and starring Robert Redford. The film is based on Nicholas Evans' 1995 novel of the same name. The term "horse whisperer" refers to a skilled practitioner who understands and interprets equine behavior, and uses gentle and empathetic training methods. A HOARSE whisperer would be difficult to hear.
48A. Spot in a store with toys, water bowls, and leashes?: AISLE OF DOGS. The movie Isle of Dogs
is a 2018 stop-motion animated science fiction comedy-drama written,
produced, and directed by Wes Anderson. The complex plot involves the
banishment of all dogs to an isolated island, and subsequent attempts at
their rescue. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated
Feature. An AISLE of dogs would contain items designed for use by dogs
and dog-owners.
 |
| Perusing goods in the Aisle of Dogs. |
68. Warning before a particularly scary monster flick?: BEAST IN SHOW. The quirky comedic mockumentary Best in Show was
released in 2000 to mostly positive reviews. The plot follows five dogs
competing in a prestigious dog show, along with their owners, trainers,
and handlers. It is credited with generating interest in the dog show
circuit, leading to the decision to televise the National Dog Show on
Thanksgiving Day every year since 2002. A monster flick might want to
warn would-be viewers that there was a scary BEAST in the show.
 |
Director Christopher Guest was also a member of Best in Show's ensemble cast. |
84. R-rated NASA event?: NAKED LAUNCH. The 1991 surrealist science-fiction drama film Naked Lunch
was based on William S. Burroughs's novel of the same name. While some
critical reviews were positive, the movie was a box office flop. It has
since found a cult fandom, which admires its surrealistic visual and
thematic elements. NASA does not do naked LAUNCHES. Crew survival suits
are, of course, needed to protect astronauts from outer space's vacuum,
along with temperature extremes and radiation.
 |
| Artemis astronauts in their launch suits - NOT their birthday suits! |
93A. Oak trees?: CHILDREN OF THE ACORN. Stephen King's short story Children of the Corn
has been adapted into several movies, including a horror feature film
franchise of the same name beginning in 1984. The 1984 film was
apparently quite gory, and neither critics nor audiences were
particularly enthusiastic. But they keep making sequels. An ACORN can
sprout and grow into an oak tree - unless a squirrel get it first.
116A. Glass ceiling-breaking event?: ASCENT OF A WOMAN. Al Pacino won the Best Actor Academy Award for the 1992 film Scent of a Woman,
which was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best
Adapted Screenplay. The film was adapted from the Italian novel Il buio e il miele
("Darkness and Honey") by Giovanni Arpino. A woman's ASCENT of the
career ladder might be an example of someone overcoming invisible
barriers to success.
1. Some latte orders: DECAFS. Some of us can't handle caffeine, and decaffeinated coffee lets us enjoy the aroma, taste, and warmth of coffee drinks without getting hopelessly wired.
7. Enemy of ancient Athens: SPARTA. The city-state of Sparta
became the prominent land military power in the ancient Greek world
during the 7th century BC and retained this status until defeated by the
Thebans 371 BC.
13. Alpaca kin: LLAMA. Llamas are domesticated (and often ornery) pack animals used by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era.
18. "Play slowly," in music: ADAGIO. Borrowed from the Italian.
19. Peanut butter and jelly: SPREADS. The earliest recorded mention of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared in Boston Cooking School Magazine in 1901. If you grew up in Massachusetts like I did, then you are probably familiar with the "fluffernutter", which replaces the jelly with marshmallow fluff. Delicious!
21. Keeps occupied: TIES UP. Figuratively, not literally.
22. [Theme entry]
24. Would rather not: HATE TO. As in: "I hate to be the bearer of bad news."
25. Biblical suffix: ETH. Giveth, leadeth, overfloweth, etc.
26. Sp. address: SRA. Short for "Senorita", a single girl or woman.
27. Quite the commotion: ADO. A crossword puzzle standard.
28. Ski lift: T-BAR. Pulls two skiers up the mountain together. Don't sit on the bar. Easy once you get the hang of it.
 |
| Child's play! |
30. Actor Kilmer: VAL. The American actor Val Kilmer (1959 - 2025) played many iconic roles, including Iceman in the Top Gun films, Doc Holliday in Tombstone, and Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.
31. Chuckle syllable: HEH. Sometimes described as an "evil laugh."
33. Founded, as a co.: ESTD. Established. The use of "co." as an abbreviation for "company" in the clue tells us that the answer will also be a shortened form.
36. "Don't play," in music: TACET. Adapted from the Latin.
38. Phi __ Kappa: BETA. Established in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It aims to promote and advocate excellence in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
39. [Theme entry]
44. Title for Judi Dench: DAME. The acclaimed Dame Judi Dench is one of the highest-profile actresses in British popular culture. She won an Academy Award as the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love.
31. Chuckle syllable: HEH. Sometimes described as an "evil laugh."
33. Founded, as a co.: ESTD. Established. The use of "co." as an abbreviation for "company" in the clue tells us that the answer will also be a shortened form.
36. "Don't play," in music: TACET. Adapted from the Latin.
38. Phi __ Kappa: BETA. Established in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It aims to promote and advocate excellence in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
39. [Theme entry]
44. Title for Judi Dench: DAME. The acclaimed Dame Judi Dench is one of the highest-profile actresses in British popular culture. She won an Academy Award as the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love.
46. Fox or ox: ANIMAL. Pretty straightforward.
47. __ monster: GILA. A slow-moving, venomous lizard indigenous to the southwestern U.S. and the northern Mexican state of Sonora.
48. [Theme entry]
51. Castle-breaching explosive: PETARD. A petard is a small bell-shaped bomb. The Shakespearean expression "hoist on his own petard" means that the bomb-maker was blown off the ground by his munition.
53. Sandbox visitor: TOT. Kids love playing in the sand.
54. Rapper Dr. __: DRE. The American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor known as Dr. Dre was born Andre Rommel Young. He has won seven Grammy awards, four for his production work.
51. Castle-breaching explosive: PETARD. A petard is a small bell-shaped bomb. The Shakespearean expression "hoist on his own petard" means that the bomb-maker was blown off the ground by his munition.
53. Sandbox visitor: TOT. Kids love playing in the sand.
54. Rapper Dr. __: DRE. The American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor known as Dr. Dre was born Andre Rommel Young. He has won seven Grammy awards, four for his production work.
55. Matar paneer vegetables: PEAS. Peas are very common in Indian cuisine.
57. Cause friction: CHAFE. Synonymous with "abrade."
60. Cookie whose website has recipes for cheesecake and empanadas: OREO. Is there no limit to the versatility of oreos?
62. Derby-sporting Addams: ITT. The diminutive and hairy Cousin Itt is a character in the Addams Family television series and subsequent movie and stage adaptations.
57. Cause friction: CHAFE. Synonymous with "abrade."
60. Cookie whose website has recipes for cheesecake and empanadas: OREO. Is there no limit to the versatility of oreos?
62. Derby-sporting Addams: ITT. The diminutive and hairy Cousin Itt is a character in the Addams Family television series and subsequent movie and stage adaptations.
64. Ancient hulled wheat: SPELT. Also known as "dinkel wheat", spelt is high in protein.
66. Old Jutland resident: TEUTON. The Jutland Peninsula in Northern Europe forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany. It is believed that the ancient Teutonic people lived in Jutland until the Cimbrian Flood of around 114 BC forced their migration.
67. "Fiddlesticks": DARN. Both terms are used to express mild annoyance.
68. [Theme entry]
71. Lysol target: GERM. The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in Germany in 1889 to help end a cholera epidemic.
72. Chemist Mendeleev who created the periodic table: DMITRI. Russian chemist Dr. Mendeleev formulated the periodic law in 1863 and used it to correct the then-accepted properties of some known elements, and to predict the properties of three elements that were yet-undiscovered.
74. Castle trenches: MOATS. Water-filled trenches helped to keep invaders away from medieval castle walls, and prevented them from tunneling underneath.
75. Hit the slopes: SKI. Winter recreation at its finest!
66. Old Jutland resident: TEUTON. The Jutland Peninsula in Northern Europe forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany. It is believed that the ancient Teutonic people lived in Jutland until the Cimbrian Flood of around 114 BC forced their migration.
67. "Fiddlesticks": DARN. Both terms are used to express mild annoyance.
68. [Theme entry]
71. Lysol target: GERM. The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in Germany in 1889 to help end a cholera epidemic.
72. Chemist Mendeleev who created the periodic table: DMITRI. Russian chemist Dr. Mendeleev formulated the periodic law in 1863 and used it to correct the then-accepted properties of some known elements, and to predict the properties of three elements that were yet-undiscovered.
74. Castle trenches: MOATS. Water-filled trenches helped to keep invaders away from medieval castle walls, and prevented them from tunneling underneath.
75. Hit the slopes: SKI. Winter recreation at its finest!
76. Blackthorn berry: SLOE. The berries, which are very tart if eaten fresh, are instead used for making sloe gin, jam, chutney, and fruit pies.
77. Beyonce's "I Am... __ Fierce": SASHA. Title of a 2008 studio album. "Sasha Fierce" is Beyonce's on-stage alter ego.
78. In the mail: SENT. It's on the way!
77. Beyonce's "I Am... __ Fierce": SASHA. Title of a 2008 studio album. "Sasha Fierce" is Beyonce's on-stage alter ego.
78. In the mail: SENT. It's on the way!
79. Blunder: ERR. Our new silicon overlords will not have this problem.
81. Liberty Mutual's bus.: INS. Short for "insurance." Liberty Mutual is high on everyone's list of most annoying TV commercials.
82. Hybrid synth instrument: KEYTAR. Portmanteau: A KEYboard instrument that can be played like a guiTAR. News to me!
82. Hybrid synth instrument: KEYTAR. Portmanteau: A KEYboard instrument that can be played like a guiTAR. News to me!
 |
| Lady Gaga on the keytar. |
84. [Theme entry]
89. Pedal pushers: FEET. Propelling a bicycle by pushing on the pedals.
89. Pedal pushers: FEET. Propelling a bicycle by pushing on the pedals.
90. __ roll: KAISER. A type of round hard roll originating in Austria.
92. "What fun!": WHEE. An expression of joy.
93. [Theme entry]
99. Golfer McIlroy: RORY. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is a professional golfer who plays on the European and PGA tours. He is currently the #2 ranked player in the world.
 |
| Winning the 2026 Masters. |
100. Broadcast again: RE-AIR. Many television stations limit their content to re-broadcasts of older programs.
101. Hurdle for an aspiring JD: LSAT. Law School Admission Test.
102. Halloween mo.: OCT. Halloween is celebrated on October 31.
102. Halloween mo.: OCT. Halloween is celebrated on October 31.
105. Off-rd. wheels: ATV. Short for "all terrain vehicle."
106. "Stranger Things" actor Wolfhard: FINN. Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and film director. He and his Stranger Things cast mates won a 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
107. Hoppy fave: IPA. India Pale Ale. A beer style that has a strong flavor of hops.
110. Wireless std.: LTE. Long Term Evolution is a standard for wireless broadband communication for cellular mobile devices and data terminals.
112. "Midsommar" director Aster: ARI. American filmmaker Ari Aster's movies combine elements of dark comedy, horror, and graphic violence. No wonder I hadn't heard of him.
114. Minor flaw: FOIBLE. A frailty or moral weakness.
116. [Theme entry]
121. Musical weakness: TIN EAR. An insensitivity to music.
122. Invertebrate found in every ocean: SEA STAR. Five-armed marine invertebrates also known as starfish - although they aren't actually fish. Sea stars come in many colors, and can be quite lovely.
106. "Stranger Things" actor Wolfhard: FINN. Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and film director. He and his Stranger Things cast mates won a 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
107. Hoppy fave: IPA. India Pale Ale. A beer style that has a strong flavor of hops.
110. Wireless std.: LTE. Long Term Evolution is a standard for wireless broadband communication for cellular mobile devices and data terminals.
112. "Midsommar" director Aster: ARI. American filmmaker Ari Aster's movies combine elements of dark comedy, horror, and graphic violence. No wonder I hadn't heard of him.
114. Minor flaw: FOIBLE. A frailty or moral weakness.
116. [Theme entry]
121. Musical weakness: TIN EAR. An insensitivity to music.
122. Invertebrate found in every ocean: SEA STAR. Five-armed marine invertebrates also known as starfish - although they aren't actually fish. Sea stars come in many colors, and can be quite lovely.
123. Hackers' shout of success: WE'RE IN. Hackers are everywhere - practice good cyber hygiene.
124. Go out for a while?: SLEEP. Clever clue.
124. Go out for a while?: SLEEP. Clever clue.
 |
Take a nice little nap and all is right with the world. |
125. Beguile: ENTICE. To attract or tempt by arousing hope, interest, or desire.
126. Jaunty neckwear: ASCOTS. Apparently, ascots are reserved for formal wear with morning dress for daytime weddings. I only ever see Ascots in crosswords puzzles. Not really a thing in my social set.
Down:
1. Broad valley: DALE. The term is most frequently used in Yorkshire and the Southern Uplands of Scotland.
2. "Ethan Frome" novelist Wharton: EDITH. American writer and designer Edith Newbold Wharton (1862 - 1937) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence. She published the novella Ethan Frome in 1911.
3. Browser storage: CACHE. A hardware or software component that stores data to speed future requests.
4. In the past: AGO. As in, "Four score and seven years AGO . . ."
126. Jaunty neckwear: ASCOTS. Apparently, ascots are reserved for formal wear with morning dress for daytime weddings. I only ever see Ascots in crosswords puzzles. Not really a thing in my social set.
Down:
1. Broad valley: DALE. The term is most frequently used in Yorkshire and the Southern Uplands of Scotland.
2. "Ethan Frome" novelist Wharton: EDITH. American writer and designer Edith Newbold Wharton (1862 - 1937) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence. She published the novella Ethan Frome in 1911.
3. Browser storage: CACHE. A hardware or software component that stores data to speed future requests.
4. In the past: AGO. As in, "Four score and seven years AGO . . ."
5. Many Christmas trees: FIRS. Fir trees are members of the pine family. They are found in mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa.
6. Fancy affair: SOIREE. A soiree is an evening party or reception. Since ASCOTS are reserved for morning dress, do not wear yours to a soiree.
7. NNW reversal: SSE. North-Northwest is 180 degrees from South-Southeast.
8. "Play very, very softly," in music: PPP. The instruction stands for pianississimo, played softly to add a sense of delicacy to the music.
9. Met highlight: ARIA. For any opera buffs in the Corner, the video below shows a wonderful stage performance of the seductive Habanera aria from George Bizet's Carmen. Tunisian-Canadian mezzo soprano Rihab Chaieb's facial expressions and body language are as delightful as her magnificent voice.
7. NNW reversal: SSE. North-Northwest is 180 degrees from South-Southeast.
8. "Play very, very softly," in music: PPP. The instruction stands for pianississimo, played softly to add a sense of delicacy to the music.
9. Met highlight: ARIA. For any opera buffs in the Corner, the video below shows a wonderful stage performance of the seductive Habanera aria from George Bizet's Carmen. Tunisian-Canadian mezzo soprano Rihab Chaieb's facial expressions and body language are as delightful as her magnificent voice.
If I love you - beware!
10. Assessment: READ. An analysis of the meaning or significance of something.
11. Lipton division: TAZO TEA. The Tazo Tea company was founded in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. After several changes of ownership, it became a part of Lipton Teas and Infusions in 2022.
12. Curved cutting tool: ADZ. An adz is similar to an axe, but the cutting edge is perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel.
11. Lipton division: TAZO TEA. The Tazo Tea company was founded in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. After several changes of ownership, it became a part of Lipton Teas and Infusions in 2022.
12. Curved cutting tool: ADZ. An adz is similar to an axe, but the cutting edge is perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel.
13. "Nothing you say is true!": LIAR. A common accusation in courtroom dramas.
14. Tennis do-over: LET. When a served ball hits the top of the net but still lands in the correct service box.
14. Tennis do-over: LET. When a served ball hits the top of the net but still lands in the correct service box.
15. Affectionate sign-off: AS EVER. More formal than "With Love", less formal than "Sincerely".
16. Change genetically: MUTATE. An alteration in an organism's DNA sequence.
17. Like molecules that cannot form permanent bonds: APOLAR. Charge is evenly distributed in apolar (or nonpolar) molecules, and unevenly distributed in polar molecules.
20. Nickname for Louis Armstrong: SATCH. Louis "Satch" Armstrong (1901 - 1971) was an acclaimed American jazz and blues trumpeter and vocalist. He won a 1965 Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance, and a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972.
16. Change genetically: MUTATE. An alteration in an organism's DNA sequence.
17. Like molecules that cannot form permanent bonds: APOLAR. Charge is evenly distributed in apolar (or nonpolar) molecules, and unevenly distributed in polar molecules.
20. Nickname for Louis Armstrong: SATCH. Louis "Satch" Armstrong (1901 - 1971) was an acclaimed American jazz and blues trumpeter and vocalist. He won a 1965 Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance, and a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972.
21. "There isn't anything else!?": THAT'S IT. "That's It" brand snack bars contain no ingredients other than dried fruit.
23. Lettuce or cabbage: CASH. Slang usage that was not familiar to me.
29. Neutral shades: BEIGES. When we re-stuccoed the house, we learned that there are endless ways to say "tan."
32. Web design code: HTML. Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language.
34. Warty amphibian: TOAD. It is a myth that handling toads causes warts.
35. Paul of "The Batman": DANO. Paul Dano is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He played villain the The Riddler in the 2022 movie The Batman.
37. Piercing tool: AWL. Used to pierce small holes in leather or wood.
38. Tight squeezes: BEAR HUGS. Mother bears and their cubs display affectionate behavior that resembles human hugs.
23. Lettuce or cabbage: CASH. Slang usage that was not familiar to me.
29. Neutral shades: BEIGES. When we re-stuccoed the house, we learned that there are endless ways to say "tan."
32. Web design code: HTML. Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language.
34. Warty amphibian: TOAD. It is a myth that handling toads causes warts.
35. Paul of "The Batman": DANO. Paul Dano is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He played villain the The Riddler in the 2022 movie The Batman.
37. Piercing tool: AWL. Used to pierce small holes in leather or wood.
38. Tight squeezes: BEAR HUGS. Mother bears and their cubs display affectionate behavior that resembles human hugs.
 |
| Sweet - at a safe distance. |
40. Listen to: HEED. Pay attention.
41. Fix badly?: RIG.
42. Texting tech: SMS. Short message service.
43. Put a name to: PLACE. To identify by connecting with an associated context.
44. Natural history museum display: DIORAMA. A fun word not often encountered in puzzles.
 |
| Just ... no. |
43. Put a name to: PLACE. To identify by connecting with an associated context.
44. Natural history museum display: DIORAMA. A fun word not often encountered in puzzles.
 |
| Diorama at the wonderful Denver Museum of Nature and Science. |
45. "M*A*S*H" star?: ASTERISK. Clever clue!
48. Not on the same page: AT ODDS. In disagreement.
49. Savanna antelope: ORIBI. A small antelope found in eastern, southern, and western Africa.
50. Glam gala: FETE. A FETE is an elaborate party.
51. Trails: PATHS. Hiking paths the world over offer a way to experience natural beauty at your own pace.
48. Not on the same page: AT ODDS. In disagreement.
49. Savanna antelope: ORIBI. A small antelope found in eastern, southern, and western Africa.
50. Glam gala: FETE. A FETE is an elaborate party.
51. Trails: PATHS. Hiking paths the world over offer a way to experience natural beauty at your own pace.
 |
| New Zealand's Routeburn Track. |
52. Intro to many a newsreel: DATELINE. The dateline communicates the date, time, and location of the news reel's contents.
55. Calligraphy tools: PENS. Calligraphers take fine handwriting to the level of visual art.
56. Some city trains: ELS. Short for "elevated trains", whose tracks are above street level.
58. As a departure from the norm: FOR ONCE. An exception to the rule.
59. Snare: ENMESH. Can be used either literally or figuratively.
61. Without any planning: ON THE FLY. Spontaneously.
63. More family-friendly: TAMER. Suitable for all audiences.
64. Walks or runs: STAT. As a statistician myself, I appreciate stats humor!
56. Some city trains: ELS. Short for "elevated trains", whose tracks are above street level.
58. As a departure from the norm: FOR ONCE. An exception to the rule.
59. Snare: ENMESH. Can be used either literally or figuratively.
61. Without any planning: ON THE FLY. Spontaneously.
63. More family-friendly: TAMER. Suitable for all audiences.
64. Walks or runs: STAT. As a statistician myself, I appreciate stats humor!
65. Where some get tired quickly?: PIT. In an auto race, tires are quickly changed during a PIT stop. It took me a while to get this one!
66. Movement while asking "How do I look?": TWIRL. As perfectly executed below:
66. Movement while asking "How do I look?": TWIRL. As perfectly executed below:
69. Junior: SON. When a father and son share the same first, middle, and last names, the son is often referred to as "Junior."
70. Rubber-stamped: OKED. The term "okay" originated in Boston in the late 1830s during a fad for abbreviating misspellings. In this case, "oll korrect" was an intentional misspelling of "all correct."
73. Like a daisy: RAYED. In the sense of radiating out from a center.
78. Shiny fabric: SATEEN. Sateen has the characteristics of silk satin but is less expensive.
80. Sultry growl: RAWR. A slangy way to express affection.
83. Boston University athlete: TERRIER. Boston University is a men's ice hockey powerhouse, having won the national championship five times. They were the tournament's runner-up in 2025.
70. Rubber-stamped: OKED. The term "okay" originated in Boston in the late 1830s during a fad for abbreviating misspellings. In this case, "oll korrect" was an intentional misspelling of "all correct."
73. Like a daisy: RAYED. In the sense of radiating out from a center.
80. Sultry growl: RAWR. A slangy way to express affection.
83. Boston University athlete: TERRIER. Boston University is a men's ice hockey powerhouse, having won the national championship five times. They were the tournament's runner-up in 2025.
 |
| BU's Boston Terrier mascot. |
84. Trivial objection: NIT. A minor shortcoming.
85. Product of incomplete combustion: ASH. A crossword puzzle regular.
86. Ship stabilizer: KEEL. Interestingly, "keel" as a verb can mean to fall down suddenly - the opposite of stabilization.
87. Noted times: ERAS. Another crossword regular. Think Bronze Era, Jazz Era, Medieval Era.
88. "Um, think again": UH NO. "Sorry, not gonna happen."
90. Showy carp: KOI. Koi are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds or water gardens.
85. Product of incomplete combustion: ASH. A crossword puzzle regular.
86. Ship stabilizer: KEEL. Interestingly, "keel" as a verb can mean to fall down suddenly - the opposite of stabilization.
87. Noted times: ERAS. Another crossword regular. Think Bronze Era, Jazz Era, Medieval Era.
88. "Um, think again": UH NO. "Sorry, not gonna happen."
90. Showy carp: KOI. Koi are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds or water gardens.
93. Makes with skill: CRAFTS. Craft beer is produced at microbreweries nationwide.
94. Medium for deep-frying: HOT OIL. The Food Network lists corn oil as its top choice for deep-frying.
95. California city near Santa Ana: IRVINE. Irvine is a planned city whose layout was designed beginning in the late 1950s. Because the plan considered only automobile transportation, Irvine today is very car-dependent.
96. Grams: NANAS. Both are shorter words for "grandmother."
97. Young hippopotamus: CALF. The hippo calf at the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo is exceptionally cute.
98. Capital west of Montreal: OTTAWA. The Canadian national capital is located in the province of Ontario.
103. Brief appearance: CAMEO. The English film director Alfred Hitchcock famously made cameo appearances in 40 of his films.
104. Hair texture, e.g.: TRAIT. Natural hair texture is genetically determined. But with enough "product", anything is possible.
103. Brief appearance: CAMEO. The English film director Alfred Hitchcock famously made cameo appearances in 40 of his films.
104. Hair texture, e.g.: TRAIT. Natural hair texture is genetically determined. But with enough "product", anything is possible.
106. Dust jacket part: FLAP. A dust jacket is the detachable outside cover of a book; the flaps fold inside of the book.
108. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST. Beverly Cleary's beloved 1968 children's novel Ramona the Pest remains
popular with young girls learning to read (and their parents). Older
sister Beezus does not appreciate Ramona's free spirit.
109. Voting against: ANTI. "Pro" voters are in favor.
111. Short-horned bighorns: EWES. Bighorn rams have large curved horns, while ewe horns are smaller and straighter.
113. Some Tripadvisor recommendations: INNS. Generally considered more "cozy" than hotels and motels.
115. Buzzer?: BEE. As in bumblebee.
117. "Told you!": SEE. I like the phonetic sequence of "bee" and "cee."
118. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Short for Seattle-Tacoma.
119. Minecraft material: ORE. Minecraft is a video game in which players can discover and extract raw materials.
120. Battle of Helm's Deep combatant: ORC. A fictional race of humanoid monsters encountered in fantasy novels. Not my reading genre, so I only know about orcs through crossword puzzles.
That's it! Here is a picture of the completed grid, with theme entries highlighted:
I
am excited to be a part a blogging team that I have long admired!
Thanks to C.C. for inviting me to join, for patiently coaching me on all
of the mechanics of putting entries together, and for her encouraging
feedback on practice blogs. And thank-you to the full team for the
wonderfully warm welcome!
I hope that everyone has a nice Sunday.
- Kat
Welcome, Kat ! Based on today’s contribution, I’m sure you’ll do great! Now , to my comments : I’ve heard of Louis
ReplyDeleteArmstrong called “Satchmo” but not just “Satch.” And what in the world is a “keytar”?
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
I was wondering as I thought he was Satchmo also
DeleteDitto.
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteYay, d-o caught the add-an-A to the movie title from the puzzle's title, and we were off to the races. I was unaware that ASCOTS are strictly morning wear. I've never worn one. In fact, I haven't worn any type of necktie in over 30 years. (Why would anyone put a noose around the neck on purpose?) Guess who fell into the ALAN ALDA trap where ASTERISK needed to go? Yup, Wite-Out, please. I've only heard KEEL, as a verb, combined with "over." Thought it referred to a ship on it's side.
Creative theme answers, Joe. Welcome, Kat. Your first blogging effort is just the right mix of fun and information. You're gonna fit right in.
FIW. What a workout. This almost had the trappings of a Saturday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI was able to get all the theme answers except "aisle of dogs". Never heard of the movie. Also the crossing of keytar and rayed did me in. Even spellcheck doesn't like keytar.
Overall a so-so puzzle.
Just a terrible experience. A trivia-laden slog through and through. No, I don’t know the movie names. Jeez - CHILDREN OF THE ACORN is somehow supposed to be attractive or enjoyable to someone ? LICORICE PIAZZA ? Plus, you couldn’t swing a dead cat without bumping into a proper noun or some specialized musical term. Hopefully there is a constituency for this approach and I’m out of the mainstream, but I really didn’t enjoy slogging through this one.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe title and the first theme entry, Licorice Piazza, set the pace for a fun and fairly easy solve. Two of the movies were unknowns, i.e, Isle of Dogs and Naked Lunch, but were easily discernible because of the added A. Hand up for a DNF due to Keytar, Rayed, and Sasha, but I enjoyed the solve despite being defeated.
Thanks, Joe, and thanks, Kat, for your very detailed and informative commentary. Your blogging voice and style is equal to the talents of your constructing skills. Welcome to the Corner and thanks for being part of our family.
Have a great day.
FIW, missing with my eyeed (¯\_(ツ)_/¯) daisy instead of RAYED. Didn't catch it because 1) I know nothing about Bouncy's music, 2) DNK my chemists, period, and 3) I'm so speling-challenged that I should qualify for a parking hang tag.
ReplyDeleteIr would have been fun had Joe used Leppard in his clue for ANIMAL.
I had "cat" as the sandbox visitor, nut not for long.
Four-letter fill for "blah, blah, blah cookie" is gonna be OREO.
I loved Fred Willard as the Joe Garagiola character in Best In Show.
LTE isn't really a standard, it was an excuse for not meeting the full 4G standard. Think of it as "less than everything" instead of "long term evolution."
Hand up for only knowing Louis as SATCHmo.
They make protective cups to avoid damage if hit ON THE FLY.
KEELs do provide stability to ships. Traditionally this means that the keel exerts force to return to an upright position, but ships sometimes turn over due to wave action and become stable in an upside-down position, known as "turtle." My guess is that "KEEL over" reflects this undesirable condition.
The only thing I remember about IRVINE is seeing Yes and Jimmy Buffett concerts at IRVINE Meadows.
FLN - Thanks to Anarkie for the kind words. I actually write this drivel to amuse myself, but it's nice to read that someone else enjoys some of it as well.
Thanks to Joe for the fun Sunday workout. It would have been more fun had I known PIAZZA. I kept thinking maybe you mistook a lower case "L" for an "I," but then there would have been the extra "Z" to explain. My favorite was "M*A*S*H star" for ASTERISK. And thanks to Kat for stepping up to the plate! Love your puzzles and comments, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed your narrative too. One thing - SRA is short for "senora," not "senorita" which is SRTA. You probably should fix it before Lucina checks in. Being a former nun and school teacher as well as the Corner's Espanol expert, she might smack your hand with a ruler.
I very much enjoyed Joe’s entertaining puzzle, and Kat’s entertaining blog. Both very well done! Thanks. I got the theme right out of the gate, with pi[a]zza, and looked forward with eager curiosity for each offering. I never knew what an “petard” actually was 😮 - now I do! I did know “keytar” for seeing it/them played by Stephen Colbert show’s bands. Grateful for this site; and as always, wishing all a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteI got the first two themed answers quickly, but the middle west and east sides took me a while (KEYTAR?!!). I always mix up Mendeleev with Gregor Mendel (the pea heredity guy).
ReplyDeleteRe. HTML, some history. In the old days before WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get, pron. Whiz-ee-Wig, which is where you swipe and make something bold (like in Word) and you see it bolded), to format a long document, you manually inserted code in the text. IBM invented GML (Generalized Markup Language) in the 1960s with the set of codes you inserted (example .b to start bolding, .eb to end the bolding). In the mid-80s it got expanded to SGML (adding "Standardized"). HTML is an offshoot of SGML, where you insert in your text to start bolding, and to end it, and your browser interprets the code to show bolded text. Then we eventually got WYSIWYG web editors which act like Word (swipe and bold it, hey looks good) which still inserts that code under the covers which gets sent to your browser. Don't get me started on XML (Extensible Markup Language), another offshoot of SGML which I never quite got the hang of. I'm so glad I'm retired from all that!
LOL, I actually put the code in and it bolded it! So the code is put a period then a b to start the bolding, then a period and an eb to end the bolding. And correction the S in SGML is "Standard" not Standardized
DeleteDuh. For web pages the code I put in was a b between two brackets (above the comma and the period on the keyboard) and to end the bolding you put a slash (above the question mark) and a b between the brackets.
DeleteJust trying it on my laptop. .b Bolding .eb is easier this way than with the bracketed bs.
DeleteNo workie on my laptop.
DeleteWhoopee! Kat is here! And she's provided a tour de force review, and on a Sunday no less. That's a big order! So happy to have your pro insights as well.
ReplyDeleteJoe's theme was enjoyable and well done. He also gets an "A".
I also liked the musical mini-theme: ADAGIO, TACET, PPP, and the related ARIA, TIN EAR and KEYTAR. Fun Sunday all around.
Thank goodness I was familiar with the first movie, so I knew what to look for for the rest, although ISLE OF DOGS and NAKED LUNCH as a movie were unknown to me.
ReplyDeleteFor HEH I had HEe ruining the HTML fill, and the KEYTAR, SASHA, RAYED convention blew that space.
This CW was quite difficult for me, so many unknowns I had to wait for perps or taking WAGS to solve. The center was the best part reminding of this fun movie BEST IN SHOW, much better than I expected it to be. As a child I spent summers on the English Channel and would often see SEA STARs left on the beach as the tide went out.
Welcome and congratulations Kat, great review. I look forward to more.
17:59. No joy in this one at all. "Theme" was really lame but the topper was the incredibly bad fill.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joe and Kat. Welcome aboard!
ReplyDeleteNot my best effort. Misread clues. Typos. Entries in the wrong squares. Still, I managed to solve it w/o help in 37:25. Mainly because I got the theme early and knew most of the films.
Licorice Pizza was unknown, but the added A from ARIA that made the answer PIAZZA and the title told me what to look for in subsequent theme entries. It's a good thing too, because getting the themers corrected some of my typos and misplaced characters. I needed the add-an-A theme for Naked Launch as well.
SRA is the abbreviation foe SENORA
ReplyDeleteDang! I wish I had thought to point that out in my 9:30 post. Oh wait...
DeleteWell know movies? I've heard of the terms BEST IN SHOW for a dog show but all the movies except CHILDREN OF THE A-CORN and A-SCENT OF A WOMAN were unknown to this NON-movie person. But it was easy to FIR with just a few exceptions. After filling LICORICE PIAZZA by perps, I had no inkling there was an added 'A' because LICORICE PIZZA made zero sense to me. The HO-A-RSE WHISPERER spilled the theme for me.
ReplyDeleteAfter filling ALAN ALDA, getting ASTERISK took a while for *M*A*S*H.
PETARD, SASHA, KEYTAR, FINN, DANO, PEST- not known as clued.
SATCH-MO- people around here laugh when people say LEWIS Armstrong- it's LOU-E for LOUIS. But 50 miles away, it's Bay St. 'LEWIS'. Weird pronunciation for New Orleans. It's New "Orlins" but Orleans Parish is 'Orleens Parish'.
A lot of people in SoCal call the beautiful area north of Santa Barbara "San Louie Obispo," even though it's Spanish (San Luis,) not French.
DeleteB-E, I thought it was pronounced Nawlins.
Deleteotto- BE here-when I moved to NOLA in 72, there were many Irish Channel oldtimers who sounded like they lived in Jersey or Brooklyn, Motor 'earl' for oil, 'tar' for tire, and the pronunciations you'll never hear anywhere else. BerGUNdy St. in The Quarter, MYlan for Milan, and many others. NewAwlins as one slurred work.
DeleteA lot of the NAWLINS comes from companies' brand packaging but nobody I know of ever says it that way.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Joe never fails to entertain. CHILDREN OF THE ACORN and ASCENT OF A WOMAN elicited a HEH for me.
-Of course as a NASA educator, NAKED LAUNCH was fun too.
-I was happy to learn what a PETARD is and that one is blown up on one and not simply elevated by a pole or spear.
-We have a bird feeder attached to our dining area window via suction cups . My DW has an issue on whether the powdery residue left behind is CHAFF or CHAFE.
-I’ve never heard of SPELT but I just read that UNL does grow some for specialty uses
-I've taught about Mendeleev and his periodic table for decades but today I learned the second letter in his name is not a vowel.
-KE_TAR/RA_ED was a real speed bump. FRESH as a daisy was a no go.
-When we are in a new building, I check if we can get off LTE and get on the building’s WiFi
-A TIN EAR can also apply to non musical errors. Read the room!
-Does ASCOT remind anyone of a famous horserace in a musical. “Move your bloomin’ arse, Dover!”
-It took me a few seconds yesterday to get a READ on why I got a call from a former student. He said he’d love to visit but that was not why he called. Yup, it was about money.
-I think Joe was thinking of fixing an athletic contest
-Movies of my misspent yute had pre-show cartoons but not newsreels
-Welcome Kat and thanks for an informative and entertaining blog.
Gary, I had the word "SPELT" in Wednesday's puzzle, this past week. I used it as a homonym to create a Moe-ku ... interesting, though, that words such as these often appear in successive puzzles. Wonder if Patti does that on porpoise [sic]?!
DeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteJoe Deeney's puzzles are somewhat predictable so there was no real surprise, other than the fact that I knew hardly any of the movies. FTR, I rarely watch a movie at the theater and went about 10 years without watching one at all
I had to reveal the letter Y (even after doing an alphabet run) at the crossing of RAYED and KEYTAR (neither word is one that my spell-checker likes, BTW) so this was technically a FIW. Took me just over 30 minutes to solve it
Welcome, Kat, to the blogging team! Your first "at bat" was a solid, line drive for extra bases. As a fellow blogger I can only imagine how long it took to write this as Sunday puzzles contain so many more entries. I forgot, too, that your last LAT puzzle was on my birthday this year - getting old sucks!
I enjoyed Joe's theme, but the puzzle seemed hard for Sunday, and more of a slog than a walk in the park. Maybe I was just tired! I did Finish It Right in spite of some unknown names and name-ish entries (SASHA, DMITRI, RORY, and FINN among them). All in all, I'd say Joe did his job well.
ReplyDeleteLike Husker Gary, "I was happy to learn what a PETARD is and that one is blown up on one and not simply elevated by a pole or spear." I have lived all my life with the same misunderstanding.
Welcome, Kat. You did a beautiful job today. But please don't ever say "RAWR" to my DH as "A slangy way to express affection." RAWR is meant to ENTICE, which explains the clue, "Sultry growl." 😉 AS EVER, SRA NaomiZ
Oh, and thank you, Kat, for the ARIA from Carmen! That was an outstanding performance!
ReplyDelete