Sunday December 7, 2025 John Andrew Agpalo

Theme: "APPENDIX" - Ix sound is added to the end of each theme entry, changing spellings as needed.

22. Compensation for those expecting bad outcomes?: THE WAGES OF CYNICS. The wages of sin.

32. Gem that's been photoshopped?: BRUSHED UP ONYX. Brushed up on.

50. Class that teaches the science behind flair bartending?: SLOE GIN PHYSICS. Sloe gin fizz.

70. Paper jam?: PRINTERS REMIX. Printer's ream.

90. Well-worn long tops?: FAMILIAR TUNICS. Familiar tune.

105. Genetic makeup of a Trojan war hero?: ACHILLES HELIX. Achilles' heel.

117. Message to a graduating class at an occult school?: YOU WILL BE MYSTICS.  You will be missed.

When I read the title, I figured IX is added to each theme entry, like Pie/Pixie, Par/Pixar, etc. John's approach is more creative. Consistent too. 

Lots of fun clues in this puzzle. 

Across:

1. "The Count of Monte Cristo" novelist: DUMAS.  The former French president Sarkozy said he would bring this book to prison to read.

6. Gallagher of Oasis: LIAM.

10. Sour taste: TANG.

14. Queue before Q: LGBT.

18. "Didn't we just see this?": AGAIN.

19. Meat dish topped with mashed potatoes: COTTAGE PIE. Have some.

21. Ohio border lake: ERIE.

24. Like some parks: Abbr.: NATL. National.

25. Coat flaps: LAPELS.

26. Receipt fig.: AMT.

27. This evenin': TONITE.

29. Quick chats?: IMS. Instant messaged.

31. Iguana, to some: PET.

36. LuPone of "Agatha All Along": PATTI. 

38. Croc, but not gator: SHOE.

40. Jalapeño kin: SERRANO.

41. Front covers?: APRONS. More clever clues: 10. Column that's beside the point?: TENTHS. 81. Hairstyles that many pick?: AFROS. And  89. Turner once big in the music industry?: CD PLAYER. 

43. Cartography collection: ATLAS.

46. Poetic contraction: NE'ER.

47. Browning's "__ Lippo Lippi": FRA.

53. Periods of inactivity: STASES. Plural of stasis. 

55. Kinda-sorta: SEMI.

56. Rep. group: GOP.

57. Pottery supplies: CLAYS.

59. Went down: SANK.

60. Dramamine target: NAUSEA.

63. Yale grad: ELI.

64. Shoulder ornament: EPAULET.

67. Vegan sammie: PBJ.

73. Pair: TWO.

74. Stuffed meat dish: ROULADE. Never had this either.

76. Tattle (on): RAT.

77. Tiltrotor military aircraft: OSPREY. Tiltrotor is a new word to me. Tilt-rotor.

79. Writer Bombeck: ERMA.

80. Boondi __: spiced yogurt dish: RAITA.

82. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.

83. Alleviate: EASE.

87. With all judges present: EN BANC.

94. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.

95. Smell: ODOR.

97. Glinda, to Elphaba, at first: ENEMY.

98. Snare: ENTRAP.

99. Secondary thread: SUBPLOT.

102. Ikebana vessel: VASE.

104. Gleefully spiteful: CATTY.

109. Lentil dish: DAL.

111. Pack animal: ASS.

112. LASIK target: CORNEA.

113. Lennox of R&B: ARI.

114. Hindu god with the head of an elephant: GANESH. God of wisdom.

116. Create a narrative out of reality show footage, e.g.: EDIT.

124. Tibetan monk: LAMA.

125. Sine qua nons: ESSENTIALS.

126. Kevin McHale's "Glee" role: ARTIE.

127. Serpents on sarcophagi: ASPS.

128. Frost's "The __ Not Taken": ROAD.

129. Race goal, sometimes: SEAT. Senate race, e.g.

130. Damp: MOIST.

Down:

1. Who __ Nation: Saints fans: DAT.

2. Disgusted sound: UGH.

3. Turbulent situation: MAELSTROM. Terrific entry.

4. Japanese consumer electronics brand: AIWA.

5. __ turtle: SNAPPING.

6. Source of grief: LOSS.

7. Skater Midori: ITO.

8. Org. with bomb-sniffing dogs: ATF.

9. One spelling of an Asian gambling hub: MACAU. Carmen has been there a few times. She just loves the real jade there. 

11. Bee fore?: API.  Prefix for "bee". 

12. Actor Cage, casually: NIC.

13. Hand motions: GESTURES.

14. McCartney's songwriting partner: LENNON.

15. Application for dubious advice: GRAIN OF SALT. Partnered with 69. Cocktail ingredient: JUMBO SHRIMP. Love both.

16. Wee: BITTY.

17. Email ancestor: TELEX.

19. Irish speakers, e.g.: CELTS.

20. Press rooms?: GYMS. Bench press, etc.

23. "Isn't that something": GEE.

28. Visual style that tricks the eye: OP-ART.

29. Card table declaration: I PASS.

30. __ syrup: MAPLE.

32. Greedy choice: BOTH.

33. Depend (on): RELY. Thanks for saving me last Sunday, Brian! Got the precious infusion on Tuesday, now I'm good for another 8 weeks. Grateful for the good days and the people who help me get to them.

34. Wee: EENSY.

35. Rapper Dr. __: DRE.

37. Front-wheel alignment: TOE IN.

39. Occur: HAPPEN.

42. Brynhild's beloved, in Norse myth: SIGURD. Learning moment for me also. Google AI says Sigurd is the beloved of Brynhild. Their love story is a tragic one, marked by a love potion that caused Sigurd to forget Brynhild, leading him to marry another woman and indirectly causing Brynhild to orchestrate his death. Ultimately, Brynhild takes her own life to be reunited with Sigurd in the afterlife

 

44. Find out: ASCERTAIN.

45. Places for small herb gardens: SILLS.

48. Option for a library book: RENEW.

49. Invite for: ASK TO.

51. More meddlesome: NOSIER.

52. African capital: CAIRO.

54. Tempe sch.: ASU. They still have a good swimming team after Bob Bowman left for Texas. This guy is their star Ilya Kharun. 

58. Start of the Marine Corps motto: SEMPER. Fidelis. 

61. Therapists' org.: APA.

62. Bright spots?: ATRIA.

65. Unlicensed radio broadcaster: PIRATE.

66. Body spray brand: AXE.

67. Fuss in the mirror: PREEN.

68. Carried: BORNE.

71. Wonderland cake words: EAT ME.

72. Contents of college blue books: ESSAYS.

75. Trout's team, on scoreboards: LAA. Mike Trout. LA Angels.

78. Gossipy person: YENTA.

84. Carrier in French Polynesia: AIR TAHITI.

85. Performs like Ella: SCATS.

86. Awards for excellent plays and players: ESPYS.

88. Aristocratic: NOBLE.

91. __ Strauss & Co.: LEVI.

92. Big-screen movie format: IMAX.

93. 119-Down figure: UNCLE SAM. 119. Country that turns 250 years old in 2026: Abbr.: USA.

96. Spanish cheer: OLE.

100. Range that includes Utah's Kings Peak: UINTAS.

101. Sat on the kitchen counter, perhaps: THAWED.

103. Cheeses from the Netherlands: EDAMS.

105. Fast Amtrak train: ACELA.

106. Musical conclusions: CODAS.

107. Pam's successor on "The Office": ERIN.

108. Cheerful ditties: LILTS.

110. Whichever: ANY.

114. Coins in a game of dreidel: GELT.

115. Houston MLBer: STRO.

118. Spanish bear: OSO.

120. Whopper: LIE.

121. [Stop shearing me!]: BAA.

122. Not trans: CIS.

123. Fixed: SET.

Happy 80th birthday to Windhover (Larry), who used to comment on our blog years ago. I still think of you often, Larry. Hope all's well with you and Irish. Here's a picture of Windhover with Lucina. 

  

Windhover & Lucina, July 24, 2015

Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emily Biegas

Saturday Themeless by Emily Biegas

Emily               Sala

Emily and her friend Sala Wanetick have had several LA Puzzles published, and this appears to be Emily's first solo effort. The picture on the left is of Sala and Emily after they had one of their puzzles accepted in the NYT.

I had a fun time with Emily's solo effort that even included two math terms.

Across:

1. __ curtains: CAFE.

5. __ operandi: MODUS - Usually seen as M.O. or method of operation.

10. Depop's parent company: ETSY.

14. Libation made with skin-contact grapes: ORANGE WINE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Unlike traditional white wines, where the juice is immediately separated from the skins after pressing, orange wine ferments with the skins for a period that can range from a few days to many months. You're welcome.

16. Geodesic structure: DOME - The Desert DOME at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is amazing.

17. Main, often: STREET NAME.

18. Subj. of some food labeling laws: GMOS - Geneitecally Modified Foods

19. Currency exchanged for GBP, perhaps: EUR.

20. Singer __ Marie: TEENA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

21. Bird feeder?: BEAK 😀

22. Angry: CROSS.

24. Spreadsheet specification: RANGE - =SUM(B13:B17) will add up the numbers in the RANGE from cell B13 to cell B17.

26. Quirk: TIC.

28. Record holders: LOGS.

30. Half-baked, say: NOT DONE 😀

32. A-one: PRIMO.

34. Educated: LETTERED.

35. American, for one: PROCESSED CHEESE - I know Velvet is a PROCESSED CHEESE product, but it's great for a toasted cheese sandwich to accompany tomato soup... 

   

37. Home of the Glastonbury Festival: SOMERSET - It is held in Pilton, which is a town near Glastonbury in the county of SOMERSET in SW England.

38. Grazing groups: HERDS.

39. "Whew, that was close!": I MADE IT - Name the movie with this scene (* answer at bottom)

40. Unadorned: BARE.

41. Trig ratio: SIN - Opposite/hypotenuse = SIN

42. "__ me!": SPARE.

44. Digression: ASIDE.

48. Editorial override: STET.

50. "Mangia!": DIG IN - An Italian invitation to chow down

52. Small inlet: RIA.

53. Common pendant on a graduate's tassel: YEAR.

54. Talisman: MAGIC CHARM.

56. "I __ sorry": AM SO.

57. Enigmatic rock group: STONEHENGE 😀 15 days from now, on the winter solstice, this is what the sunrise will look like at STONEHENGE. 

58. Jangling set: KEYS - Tools for every custodian

59. Laconic: TERSE.

60. Brick oven output: PIES.

Down:

1. Trig ratio: COSEC.

2. Fischer who invented the plastic drywall anchor: ARTUR - I've used them a lot but as for the inventor ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Grain bowl ingredient with a nutty flavor: FARRO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  An ancient wheat grain

4. GPS heading: ENE.

5. Dole (out): METE.

6. Possessive types: OWNERS.

7. Kristen's "Spencer" role: DIANA.

8. Part of UAV: UNMANNED - UNMANNED Aerial Vehicle 

9. "What'd I tell you?": SEE.

10. Browser with a blue-and-green wave logo: EDGE.

11. Natural shade produced by lycopene: TOMATO RED.

12. Mezcal quality: SMOKINESS.

13. Celebratory cry: YES.

15. "You should take a break": GET SOME REST.

21. Put all of one's eggs in one basket: BET THE RANCH.

23. Like some packaged produce: SLICED.

25. "Copy": GOTCHA or...

27. Give up: CEDE.

29. Buzz: GOSSIP.

31. Some riding mowers: DEERES.

32. "Pinky swear!": PROMISE ME.

33. Genre for novelists Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros: ROMANTASY - I filled this in and then it took a while to see the portmanteau: ROMANCE and FANTASY.

34. Court call: LET - Tennis court

35. Trident-shaped letters: PSIS.

36. Make plans to tie the knot: SET A DATE.

40. Sets off: BEGINS.

43. Fastidiousness: RIGOR.

45. From Tehran: IRANI 

46. Requiem: DIRGE.

47. Big name in midcentury modern design: EAMES.

49. Archer in Greek mythology: EROS.

51. Brand that once had a licensing deal with 7-Eleven: ICEE - They now call them Slurpees

53. __ butter: YAK - The source 

54. DEN airport zone: MST.

55. Like a cool cat: HEP.

*Whew! That scene was of Gordie and Vern escaping the train in the wonderful "coming of age" movie Stand By Me.

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 88th birthday to dear Lucina, who visited Minnesota in 2012. Here's a picture of me, Lucina and her three sisters at Mall of America.   

C.C., Lucina, Marge, Yoli & Juanita