Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Michael B Berg

Double Double, Boil and Trouble ...  Does food with a double name taste better?

17-Across. * Japanese hot-pot meal: SHABU SHABU.  Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish featuring thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water, served with dipping sauces, and cooked tableside, similar to fondue.  The name "shabu-shabu" means "swish-swish" in Japanese, referring to the sound of the ingredients being stirred in the pot.  Although I have never heard of Shabu Shabu, it sounds very similar to Chinese Hot Pot, which I have enjoyed.

26-Across. * French chocolate confection: BONBON.  Bonbon is a French chocolate candy which is round on top, flat at the bottom.  The outside shell is harder and made of chocolate, with few decorations. Inside is a softer filling.  I am familiar with Bonbons.

28-Across. * North African dish made with semolina: COUSCOUS.  Couscous is a traditional North African dish made small steamed granules of semolina that's typically steamed and served with stews or as a side dish.  It's a staple food in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and countries in the Middle East.  I am familiar with, and eaten, couscous.

48-Across. * Portuguese hot pepper sauce: PERI PERI.  The term "Peri Peri" refers to a type of chili pepper used in these sauces, originating from Portuguese-African culinary traditions, especially in Mozambique and Angola. The primary ingredient in these sauces is the Peri Peri chili, also known as the African bird's eye chili.  This is not a food I am familiar with.

50-Across. * Sichuan noodles: DAN DAN.  "Dan Dan" refers to Dan Dan Noodles, a spicy Sichuan noodle dish that translates to "carrying-pole noodles" because of the street vendors who once sold it from poles balanced on their shoulders.   I am not familiar with this dish.

And the unifier:

64. Event with two headliners, or a description of a restaurant check that includes any of the answers to the starred clues?: DOUBLE BILL.

I found today's puzzle had some extra crunch for a Tuesday.

Across:

1. Seven Sisters attendees, historically: WOMEN.  The Seven Sisters are a consortium of seven prestigious, historically women's colleges in the northeastern United States: Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Vassar, Radcliffe, and Wellesley.  The Seven Sisters were formed in 1926 to address the difficulties in women's colleges faced in raising endowment money and to served as female counterparts to the male Ivy League colleges.  the name, Seven Sisters, refers to the Pleiades, a constellation of seven sisters from Greek mythology.  Barnard College is affiliated with Columbia University.  Vassar College became co-ed in 1969.  Radcliffe College merged with Harvard University in 1999.

6. A third of the UAE?: ARAB.  As in the United Arab Emirates.

10. Rock blasters: AMPS.

14. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA.  This train (or 49-Down) appears with some frequency in the puzzles.  //  68.-Across Philadelphia commuter org.: SEPTA.  The latter stands for SouthEastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.  //  And 49-Down. 14-Across line: RAIL.

15. Song for a single voice: SOLO.

She should sing SOLO that no one can hear her.

16. Bruise: HURT.

19. Gobi Desert locale: ASIA.  The Gobi Desert is in northern China and southern Mongolia.  It's known for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. The sand dunes are said to sing when the wind blows. Many dinosaur fossils have been found in the Gobi.

20. Hash brown base: POTATO.

21. Planet simulated by NASA on Mauna Loa: MARS.  Everything you wanted to know about Life on Mars while still on earth.

23. Brief "Spare me the details": TMI.  Textspeak for Too Much Information.

24. "Sorta": -ISH.  This i also becoming a crossword staple.

33. Bassoon cousin: OBOE.

34. Sleep lab study: APNEA.  Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. These pauses, called apneas, can last for several seconds to minutes.

35. Subj. for a business major: ECON.  As in Economics.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

37. Like a swaddled baby: SNUG.

40. Window sticker: DECAL.

41. Pledge: VOW.

42. Grace under pressure: POISE.

43. Minor issue: SNAG.

44. Bit of good fortune: BOON.

45. One who is often on track?: RACER.

46. Nabe in L.A. and NYC: NOHO.  If you are in Los Angeles, the Neighborhood is North of Hollywood.  If you are in New York City, the neighborhood is North of Houston (Street).

52. Entered an election: RAN.

53. Medical pen prefix: EPI-.  Another crossword staple.

54. Antarctic floater: BERG.

57. Son of Daedalus: ICARUS.  He's Greek to me.  Icarus famous for his tragic death after flying too close to the sun on wax-and-feather wings, ignoring his father's warnings.

62. Baloney: LIES.  I think of the term Baloney as meaning more of foolishness than of lies.

66. Duty: TASK.

67. Crowd sound: ROAR.

69. Opposed to: ANTI.

70. JCC alternative: YMCA.  The Jewish Community Center might an alternative to the Young Men's Christian Association.

71. Kettle emanation: STEAM.

Down:

1. Ant-Man partner: WASP.  Comic super-heroes.

2. Diez menos dos: OCHO.  Spanish math.  10 - 2 = 8.

3. Charcuterie staple: MEAT.  Charcuterie is a branch of French cuisine devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.  It's really just a fancy word for cold cuts.

4. Idris of "The Wire": ELBA.  Idris Elba (né Idrissa Akuna Elba; b. Sept. 6, 1972) is a British actor who portrayed Stringer Bell in The Wire.

5. Like sextants and tide charts: NAUTICAL.

6. Bonfire residue: ASH.

7. Wander freely: ROAM.

8. Actress Jessica who co-founded The Honest Company: ALBA.  The Honest Company is known for its safe, eco-friendly products, particularly for babies.  The company was founded in 2012.  Jessica Alba (née Jessica Marie Alba; b. Apr. 28, 1981) was one of the co-founders.

9. Mint julep liquor: BOURBON.  Yummers!

10. "That's the answer!": AHA!

11. "How lovely for you": MUST BE NICE.  Said sarcastically.

12. Of the utmost quality: PRIMO.  This makes me think of Primo Levy (July 31, 1919 ~ Apr. 11, 1987), a Jewish-Italian chemist and Holocaust survivor.  He also wrote The Periodic Table, a collection of short stories based on elements in the periodic table.

13. Darken, as wood: STAIN.

18. Meh-worthy: SO-SO.  Another Double, but not a food.

22. Bawl: SOB.

25. Egg, in Ecuador: HUEVO.  More of today's Spanish lesson, but this time in the kitchen, not the math lab.

27. "Out of the question": NO SOAP.  I think of this as being an old-timey expression, although its origin is not clear.

28. Scoundrels: CADS.

29. Kick off: OPEN.

30. Most mysterious: UNCANNIEST.

31. Poseidon, for one: SEAGOD.

32. Rocky road serving: SCOOP.

36. Pet's human: OWNER.  It's actually the other way around.  The Pet is the human owner.

38. Library patron, e.g.: USER.   I couldn't live without my fabulous public library.

39. Mel B and Mel C bandmate: GERI.  Members of The Spice Girls.

42. Leia Organa title: PRINCESS.  Hand up if you knew Princess Leia's surname.

44. More than parched: BONE DRY.

47. Montreal NHLer, to fans: HAB.  The Montreal Canadiens, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League, are also known as the "Habs", which is short for "Habitants".

50. Follower of Charlie?: DELTA.  Letters in the NATO Alphabet.

51. Bee-related: APIAN.

55. Word with bed or head: ROOM.  Anyone remember Max Headroom?

56. Tostada topping, briefly: GUAC.  Yummers!

58. Plan a getaway for, perhaps: ABET.

59. Malodorous: RIPE.

60. Skin and hair care chain: ULTA.

61. Shut loudly: SLAM.

63. Enjoy Vail: SKI.

65. Bikini top: BRA.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday March 24, 2025 Janice Luttrell

  

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Janice Luttrell's fourth Monday puzzle in 2025. This time the theme is:  

These are the themed clues & answers:

18 Across. Completely recover from a hardship: BOUNCE BACK.  

23 Across. Seasonal cause of some flooding: SPRING THAW.  

52 Across. Play hooky: SKIP SCHOOL.  If your kids hear you bragging about ditching class 'back in the day', do not be surprised when they try it, too.  

58 Across. Buddy cop action franchise starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, familiarly: JUMP STREET.  21 Jump Street was a TV show starring (among others) Johnny Depp. It was about four LAPD young-looking cops who went undercover as high school students to combat crime. It aired from 1987-1991.

In 2012 a movie version came out starring Hill and Tatum. Its sequel, 22 Jump Street, came out in 2014. There may or may not be a 23 Jump Street 'in development'.  

21 Jump Street trailer with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum

(Coincidentally, I embedded a Jonah Hill movie clip last week.)

The reveal spans the equator:

37 Across. Successfully start a new project, and a hint to the starts of 18-, 23-, 52-, and 58-Across: GET OFF THE GROUND.  This idiom means, "To begin to operate or to proceed in a successful way."

Also, BOUNCE, SPRING, SKIP, and JUMP are all verbs used to describe feet GETting OFF THE GROUND.  

This was one of those puzzles where perps filled the squares quickly so I missed seeing several of the clues. (It was bound to happen.) Let's go through them now:

Across

1. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.  This is the name of a children's guessing game where one player chooses an object within sight then gives a clue so the other players can guess what it is.

5. Sonogram target: WOMB.  A sonogram is an image produced by an ultrasound -- so target might be a bit off.

9. __ from the past: BLAST.  

"Owen! Now there's a BLAST from the past." (1:28 min.)

A line well-delivered by Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias (1989).

Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, & Dolly Parton are also in the scene.

14. Sports org. with conferences: NCAA.  organization and National Collegiate Athletic Association

15. Cooking staple, initially: EVOO.  Rachel Ray uses this initialism when she adds some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to her recipes.  

I prefer the dark glass dispensers so I can see how much is left
but still protect the oil from light. However, I do like the shape of this one!.

16. Roof overhangs: EAVES.

17. Tortilla option: CORN.  I make all my flour tortillas using 15-A. I have never tried making CORN tortillas.

20. Stadium: ARENA.

22. Autocrats of old: TSARS.

26. Govt. agent: FED.  A FEDeral employee is a government agent.

29. Handy Scrabble tile: ESS.  A letter S is handy because you can add it to the end of another word. For example, on this board, you can add it to the end of antique. Even better, below your S add C, A, R to get Scar (another Disney character). That way you get the total for antique (without already-used bonuses) plus the points for Scar.

It turns out this example image has a Disney theme.

30. Stocking's end: TOE.  

31. Creator, writer, and star of HBO's "Insecure": ISSA RAE.  It was fun to see both her first and last names together this time.

34. George Eliot's "__ Marner": SILAS.  I thought this was the most boring book in the world when I was forced to read it as a high school freshman. Perhaps I should give it another chance.  🤔

36. "The Nutcracker" girl: CLARA.  The story of The Nutcracker revolves around Clara Stauhlbaum, a young girl who falls asleep after a Christmas party and dreams of a battle royale, a life-size Nutcracker, and a magical candy palace filled with new friends.  

CLARA dances with The Nutcracker

42. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO.  I just now looked to see if there was an ALAMO car rental company in ALAMO, TX. Their website directed me to Pharr, TX.  

43. Really annoy: EAT AT.

44. Small corner shops: BODEGAS.  Def:  (noun) a usually small grocery store in an urban area; specifically one specializing in Hispanic groceries.  

47. Turn bad: ROT.

48. Lingerie top: BRA.

51. USN rank: ENS.  United States Navy and ENSign

55. Travis Kelce's older brother: JASON.  (b. Nov. 5, 1987) Both brothers were/are in the NFL. Jason played Center for the Philadelphia Eagles for all 13 years of his professional career. Travis and Jason host a podcast together called New Heights.  

Jason & Travis

57. "__ luego": HASTA.  A direct translation from Spanish is "until then"; however, a better translation would be "Until later," or "See you then." It is close to Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line:  

63. Leave speechless: STUN.  

64. Useful quality: ASSET.  

65. "__ chic!": TRÈS.  It is borrowed from French and means "very stylish".

66. "Beloved" novelist Morrison: TONI.  (1931-2019)  This 1987 novel is widely regarded as her masterpiece.

67. Japanese comics: MANGA.  

A common feature of MANGA is Japanese onomatopoeia .
Here, gun gun (pronounced goon goon) means  "making progress". 
They are typically a repeated pair of syllables.

Here is another one. Kyu kyu is used to describe a squeaking or rubbing sound.
(The upper corner is just exhaling moist air on the cloth. haa~ ) 

68. "Halt!": STOP.  imperative verb     and     69 Across. Halts: ENDS.  verb

I am partial to a grid that ENDS with ENDS.

Down:

1. "__ of fire, break glass": IN CASE.  

2. Orgs. with a special tax designation: S CORPS.  I used to do taxes for a lot of S CORPorationS at my last job. An S Corp is a business structure that passes its taxable income, credits, deductions, and losses directly to its shareholders to be reported on their individual returns.  more from Investopedia

3. Apple-peeling tools: PARERS.

4. "Sensuous Chill" New Age pianist: YANNI.  Yanni released the album Sensuous Chill in 2016. This song, What You Get, is from that album.  

5. The last "w" in www: WEB.  World Wide WEB  

The Web was invented by English computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee while at CERN in 1989 and opened to the public in 1993.

I am currently reading Bill Gates' book, Source Code. I am at the part where he is a freshman at Harvard and the WWW has not yet been invented. 

6. Lacto-__ vegetarian: OVO.  This is someone who eats a vegetarian diet plus dairy and eggs.

7. Be sassy, with "off": MOUTH.  

Click to enlarge.

8. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI.  Years ago I had a lovely time visiting the BONSAI exhibit at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

(internet photo)

9. Budweiser, for one: BEER.  

When I was in school, I did a report on their Clydesdales.

10. Black or chocolate dogs, for short: LABS.  Oh, goodie, an excuse for a cute picture! (I know IM☘ will be expecting one.😊) 

11. Director DuVernay: AVA.  her impressive IMDb page

12. Jiffy: SEC.  Think:  "I'll be with you in a jiffy" and "I'll be with you in a SECond".

13. Cluck of reproof: TSK.  

19. Crow calls: CAWS.  Watch how this clever crow figures out how to get his snack. (1:45 min.)  

21. Like some eyeglass spray: ANTIFOG.  These sprays were in high demand when everyone was wearing covid masks.

24. Game with putting: GOLF.  ... and driving.

25. Udder part: TEAT.

26. German woman: FRAU.

27. Bring in, as pay: EARN.

28. Out of juice: DEAD.  Some classic Monty Python....  (50 sec.)

"I'm not DEAD!"

32. Minor abrasion: SCRATCH.  More Monty Python....  (2 min.)

"'Tis but a SCRATCH."

33. Bunches: A LOT.     and     34 Down. A few: SOME.     and     39 Down. Tiny amounts: TADS.

35. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  meaning & origin

37. Kaplan of 1970s TV: GABE.  (b. Mar. 31, 1945) He played the teacher in  Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).

38. North Carolina college: ELON.

40. Old West icon Wyatt: EARP.

41. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.

45. Helper: Abbr.: ASST.  assistant

46. Culottes kin: SKORTS.  Both culottes and SKORTS have individual leg holes but, from a distance, look like skirts.

culottes fashion history

48. New England city on the Charles River: BOSTON.  The Charles River—which English explorer John Smith named in 1614 to honor Prince Charles (later King Charles I)— is one of the three major rivers of metropolitan Boston. At eighty miles in length it is the longest river entirely within the borders of Massachusetts. Note:  The current king is Charles III.

49. Plump: ROTUND.  

Click here to read about the artist Fernando Botero (1932-1923).

50. "Ironic" singer Morissette: ALANIS.  This song:

 Is it ironic?

53. Motionless: INERT.  Def.:  (adj.)  lacking the power to move.

54. __ makes waste: HASTE.  This proverb tells us that rushing can lead to costly mistakes.

55. Digital image format: JPEG.  Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is a computer file format for the compression and storage of digital images. You will see it as ".jpg" in File Explorer. (See highlights below.) 

56. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.  ESP for me.

Skippy was a Wire Fox Terrier dog actor who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s
and is best known for the role of the pet dog "Asta" in the 1934 detective comedy.

58. Traffic problem: JAM.  Pro tip:  When planning an upcoming trip in Google Maps, after setting your destination and starting point, click on "Leave now" then choose either "Depart at" or "Arrive by" to set your desired time. This will help you see the usual traffic problem areas for the time of your travel.  

59. Can. neighbor: USA.  Both are abbreviated.

60. Yahoo! rival: MSN.  Both were early internet domains.

61. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity

62. Recipe amt.: TSP.  teaspoon

Today's grid:  

78 words -- the LAT  limit for M-F

Leaping lizards! We're finally finished! Enjoy your day!