Theme: Unfettered vocabulary.
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| Prometheus Unbound by Carl Bloch |
Crackerjack crossword constructor (and our competent copy editor) Patti Varol brings us a wealth of wonderful words, while her four grid-spanning theme answers are unfettered by any formal reveal. They are:
17-Across. Get-up-and-go that never goes: BOUNDLESS ENERGY.
25-Across. Therapy technique that encourages a thoughtful flow of ideas: FREE ASSOCIATION.
42-Across. School organizer with three rings: LOOSE LEAF BINDER.
55-Across. Righteous Brothers hit in the film "Ghost": UNCHAINED MELODY.
Was anyone unmoved by Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost,
to the soundtrack of Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers?
In case you missed it, the four theme answers all begin with synonyms for "free."
And now, we are at liberty to review the rest.
Across:1. Table where Holy Communion is consecrated: ALTAR.
6. Play, as a guitar: STRUM.
11. Lifesaving skill, for short: CPR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
14. Yankees manager Aaron: BOONE. Aaron Boone is the manager of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009. He was a baseball analyst on ESPN from 2010 to 2017, and became the Yankees manager in 2018. He's led the team to the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons, and to the World Series in 2024.
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| Aaron Boone |
15. Make fun of: TEASE.
16. Scoffing laugh: HAH.
17. [Theme clue]
20. Crumb-carrying insect: ANT.
21. Toffee bar brand: HEATH.
22. Great Plains Natives: OTOES.
23. Quick look: PEEK.
24. Family nickname for some matriarchs: GRAN. (I tried GRAm at first, but it didn't work out.)
25. [Theme clue]
32. Sped: RACED.
33. Sound of relief: SIGH.
34. Forensic sci. specialty: CSI. Crime scene investigation (CSI) is a scientific discipline focused on the recognition, preservation, documentation, and collection of physical evidence at a crime scene.
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| Also a gripping TV series. |
35. Megastar: IDOL.
36. Tusked hogs: BOARS.
38. "Sounds like a __!": "Works for me!": PLAN.
39. "Hamilton" creator __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.
40. Corporal or private: RANK.
41. Feudal lord: LIEGE.
42. [Theme clue]
46. Extra helping: MORE.
47. Tenant's monthly payment: RENT.
48. App replaced by Microsoft Teams: SKYPE. In my home and office, we replaced Skype with Zoom. Guess it's time to join Teams.
50. __ the pot: causes trouble: STIRS.
52. Word before a maiden name: NÉE. French for "born." "Alicia Keys, née Cook" indicates the singer was born Alicia Cook. If you want to indicate a man's former name, the word is "né," for instance, "Nicolas Cage, né Coppola."
55. [Theme clue]
58. Feathery garland: BOA.
59. Comedy counterpart: DRAMA.
60. Otherworldly: EERIE.
61. Cello's sect.: STR. The cello's section in an orchestra is strings.
48. App replaced by Microsoft Teams: SKYPE. In my home and office, we replaced Skype with Zoom. Guess it's time to join Teams.
50. __ the pot: causes trouble: STIRS.
52. Word before a maiden name: NÉE. French for "born." "Alicia Keys, née Cook" indicates the singer was born Alicia Cook. If you want to indicate a man's former name, the word is "né," for instance, "Nicolas Cage, né Coppola."
55. [Theme clue]
58. Feathery garland: BOA.
59. Comedy counterpart: DRAMA.
60. Otherworldly: EERIE.
61. Cello's sect.: STR. The cello's section in an orchestra is strings.
62. Cloyingly sentimental: SAPPY.
63. Coins that can be screwdrivers in a pinch: DIMES. Dimes are handy because they are thin.
Down:
63. Coins that can be screwdrivers in a pinch: DIMES. Dimes are handy because they are thin.
Down:
1. "Dancing Queen" pop quartet: ABBA.
2. Canadian lake bird with a unique call: LOON. Loons make eerie calls, each with specific meanings.
Harry Collins makes exceptional videos of loons.
3. Promote loudly: TOUT.
4. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN.
5. One with hair like Little Orphan Annie: REDHEAD. Only 1-2% of the global population has naturally red hair. It is most prevalent in Scotland and Ireland.
6. T-bones, e.g.: STEAKS.
7. Sample: TEST.
8. Foolishly impulsive: RASH.
9. "__ it or lose it!": USE.
10. Hanukkah centerpiece: MENORAH. A Hanukkah menorah is technically a hanukkiah. The word menorah means "lamp" in Hebrew and usually refers to the seven-branched candelabrum used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. A hanukkiah celebrates the miraculous rekindling of the menorah when the Maccabees overthrew their Greek oppressors and rededicated the Temple to the one God.
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| Count the branches! The menorah was described by God to Moses. The chanukiah is a later invention, specific to one holiday. |
11. Told the story of: CHRONICLED.
12. Beep on a beeper: PAGE.
13. Actor Matthew of Netflix's "The Beast in Me": RHYS. Matthew Rhys is a Welsh actor. He played Kevin Walker in Brothers & Sisters (2006-2011) and Philip Jennings in The Americans (2013-2018). He played the title role in Perry Mason (2020-2023). In 2025, he appeared as antagonist Nile Jarvis in The Beast in Me. Rhys currently plays the lead role in the comedy-horror series Widow's Bay (2026).
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| Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys Co-stars on screen and off. |
18. Wine sediment: LEES. Lees are the natural sediments -- dead yeast cells, grape skins, and seeds -- that settle at the bottom of a wine vat. Winemakers remove the heavy lees after fermentation, but sometimes leave fine lees in the vat, and even stir them up to maximize the release of beneficial compounds into the developing wine. This is common in French Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Chardonnay, and Champagne. When "sur lie" appears on a wine label, it means the wine was aged "on the lees."
19. Coup d'__: ÉTAT. A coup d'état (French for "stroke of state") is a sudden seizure of power by a small group, such as military leaders or political elites.
23. Rind: PEEL.
24. Jobs for a band: GIGS.
25. Perk: FRILL.
26. "All Things Considered" medium: RADIO. All Things Considered, on National Public Radio since 1971, is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country.
27. Option for travelers on a budget, perhaps: ECONOMY CAR. I wanted ECONOlodge. Had to get a few perps in there to FIR.
28. Japanese port city: OSAKA.
29. Geometric fig. with a radius: CIR. A geometric figure with a radius is a circle.
30. Missouri River tributary: OSAGE.
31. Bay Area NFLer: NINER. The San Francisco 49ers (Niners) are a professional NFL team.
36. Hay bundle: BALE.
37. __ and only: ONE.
38. Ice cream purchase: PINT.
40. Goes over again, as a contract: REREADS.
41. Type of oil extracted from flax: LINSEED. Edible linseed oil is a nutritious oil from flax seeds, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but it must be cold-pressed and used cold as it spoils quickly. It should not be confused with boiled linseed oil used for wood finishes, which is treated with chemicals and is toxic.
31. Bay Area NFLer: NINER. The San Francisco 49ers (Niners) are a professional NFL team.
36. Hay bundle: BALE.
37. __ and only: ONE.
38. Ice cream purchase: PINT.
40. Goes over again, as a contract: REREADS.
41. Type of oil extracted from flax: LINSEED. Edible linseed oil is a nutritious oil from flax seeds, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but it must be cold-pressed and used cold as it spoils quickly. It should not be confused with boiled linseed oil used for wood finishes, which is treated with chemicals and is toxic.
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| Linseed oil AKA flaxseed oil |
43. Former frosh: SOPH. Frosh is for freshman, a first year student. Soph is for sophomore, a second year student.
44. Start of many long weekends: FRIDAY.
45. Natural sandbank: BERM. Berms can be built for landscaping purposes, but are also naturally occuring raised ridges of sand or pebbles on a beach, formed by wave action at high tide marks.
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| Beach berm |
48. Long sandwiches: SUBS.
49. Nautical speed unit: KNOT.
50. Simple fastener: SNAP.
51. Fill-in worker: TEMP.
52. Convention: NORM.
53. Emmy winner Falco: EDIE. Edie Falco was amazing in her role as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999-2007), and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for that show. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for playing the title role in the Showtime series Nurse Jackie (2009-2015). She has lots of other TV, film, and Broadway credits. Impressive.
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| Edie Falco |
54. Potato buds: EYES.
56. 401(k) rollover target: IRA. A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement account. An IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is an account you open yourself. When you leave an employer, you may wish to roll your 401(k) into an IRA under your own control. You can do the rollover without paying tax or early withdrawal penalties.
57. Tropical garland: LEI.
56. 401(k) rollover target: IRA. A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement account. An IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is an account you open yourself. When you leave an employer, you may wish to roll your 401(k) into an IRA under your own control. You can do the rollover without paying tax or early withdrawal penalties.
57. Tropical garland: LEI.
Here's the grid:
Solvers:
Were there any answers today that you DNK (Did Not Know)? I DNK Matthew Rhys.
Did perps (perpendicular entries) help you fill them in?
Or did you FWH (Finish With Help) by turning on red letters, searching Google, or asking a friend?
Maybe your DW (Dear Wife) or DH (Dear Husband) helped.
Maybe you FIW (Finished It Wrong) or DNF (Did Not Finish).
I FIR (Finished It Right) and enjoyed it, but everyone wants to know how YOU did.
Please comment, even if it's just WEES (What Everyone Else Said).
-- NaomiZ
