Saturday, November 29, 2025, Joe Marangell

Saturday Themeless by Joe Marangell

Joe Marangell is the social studies instructional leader for East Haven Public Schools in East Haven, Connecticut, where he has worked since 2001 focused on inquiry-based learning, literacy, and student engagement. He has an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction and is a Crossword puzzle constructor!

I made what I think is an intelligent mistake at 64. Across. I thought Melodramatic movie scenes might have LENTO MUSIC and MOIRA ROLE (no idea) and TANS (they end at cuffs and sleeves sometimes), but not so much. Couple that with some "new to me" fill, and it made for some skating around to finish.

Joe was nice enough to tell me this: My name is pronounced with a soft g, like Mare-an-jell. My favorite entries in the puzzle were VIBE CODING and MOIRA ROSE. I was in a meeting about artificial intelligence at school, and the tech director told us about vibe coding, which I had never heard of before at that point. I made a note of the phrase since I thought it was an interesting-sounding one. Moira Rose is the hilarious character portrayed by Catherine O'Hara on the TV show Schitt's Creek, so when I saw that fit in the grid, I had to keep it.

My favorite clues were [Cave man?] for Plato and [Pop of vibrant color?] for ORANGE SODA. (The clues in the actual puzzle may have been changed from these since that happens with some of them during the editing process.) Also, I completely agree with Malaika Handa's advice of "It's a game not a test!"! I look up things all the time when I do crosswords, and I have no shame in doing that!

Across:

1. "Cav/Pag" opera combination, notably: DOUBLE BILL - What a start! 

"Cav/Pag" is the common pairing of two Italian

 operas: Mascagni's Cavallerie Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, presented together as a "double bill". The tradition began in 1893 at the Metropolitan Opera and continues today because the two operas, despite being by different composers, share a similar style of intense, realistic, and often violent, stories about common people. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Going to one opera would be hard enough for me, so two, I don't think so but I did suss this out.

11. Electrical carriers: IONS.

15. Indignant denial: IT'S ALL A LIE.

16. Surface crack: CHAP - Like on your lips

17. App development using A.I. and natural language: VIBE CODING ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

18. New Age singer from Donegal: ENYA - A hit song by an Irish girl that has a South American River in the title. Enjoy:

19. Braying animal: ASS.

20. Cave man?: PLATO - Explanation

21. Designer Hugo: BOSS.

22. Cookie with 90 ridges per wafer: OREO.

24. Title for a fictional rabbit: BRER.

26. Limited offer: PROMO.

29. Way of checking lines after they're cast?: TABLE READ - The cast of Seinfeld goes through a TABLE READ for the next script

34. Two-wheel carriage: HANSOM.

36. Sporting phrase: GOOD GAME.

good game, good game, good game
good game, good game, good game...

37. Loving poem: ODE.

38. Taylor Swift, typically: SOLO ACT - She is a SOLO ACT, but it takes a huge crew and a convoy of semis to set her up.

40. [Error in original]: SIC.

41. Comparatively cozy: TOASTIER.

43. Seijin-shiki garment: KIMONO - Seijin-shiki is a "coming of age" ceremony in Japan

45. Traveling: ON THE ROAD - Didn't you think of this?

47. Generous one: DONOR.

48. Atmosphere: AURA - Not VIBE this time 

49. Steve of "Peacemaker": AGEE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

51. Power unit: WATT.

53. Expression of probability: RATIO.

56. __ name: PET.

59. Drama honor: OBIE - This is what our frequent cwd award visitor looks like

60. Pop of vibrant color?: ORANGE SODA - My fav drink 70 years ago

63. "Ratatouille" culinary genius: REMY.

64. Like melodramatic movie scenes: SET TO MUSIC.

65. "Twittering Machine" artist: KLEE.

66. "Annie" song that's a counterpoint to "It's the Hard-Knock Life": EASY STREET.

Down:

1. Demanding star: DIVA.

2. Los Angeles Times co-founder Eliza Ann __: OTIS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Some PC ports: USB'S.

4. Boo: BAE - Not a fan of either term of endearment 

5. Business letters: LLC.

6. Participate in a secret exchange: ELOPE 😀 - I learned that this is the term nursing homes use for residents leaving without permission.

7. Scoundrel: BAD LOT - 

"He's a bad lot" means he is a bad, untrustworthy or unpleasant person. 

The phrase is often used in British English and is considered old-fashioned. It describes someone who is morally bad, a troublemaker, or unreliable. You're Welcome. 

8. Pelvic bones: ILIA.

9. __ roller: LINT - We cat owners have a supply!

10. Construction piece: LEGO BLOCK 😀

11. Wedge salad base: ICEBERG - A crunchy offering made with ICEBERG lettuce

12. "Just curious": OH NO REASON - Yeah, right!

13. Votes against: NAYS.

14. Restorative sites: SPAS.

22. Chanting syllables: OMS.

23. Low-tech alarm: ROOSTER 😀

25. Harmful algal bloom: RED TIDE.

26. Common ID component: PHOTO.

27. Element considered in a home inspection: RADON.

28. Admonishment to waiters: ONE AT A TIME - For people waiting in line

30. Ancient assembly space: AGORA.

31. Drag strip?: BOA 😀

32. __ acids: AMINO.

33. Home magazine topic: DECOR.

35. "Schitt's Creek" character who tells her son to "stop acting like a disgruntled pelican": MOIRA ROSE. We had her in the 11/21/25 puzzle by Emet Ozar. There's even merch! 

39. Summer sign: LEO - Astrology: Leo is a summer sign. Astronomy: Leo is a winter constellation. Guess which one I give the most credence?

42. Rest: SHUT EYE.

44. Springfield barkeep: MOE - Another member of the Simpson cast.

46. Delicate: DAINTY.

50. "Our Lips Are Sealed" band: GOGOS - A hit from 44 years ago.

51. Succeed: WORK.

52. Second son of Adam and Eve: ABEL.

54. Field of study: AREA.

55. Some sleeves and cuffs: TATS - These are $13.95 online

56. Put forward: POSE.

57. Actress/model Sedgwick: EDIE. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

58. Conflict resolution skill: TACT.

61. Defib expert: EMT - Here an EMT is training to use an Automated External Defibrillator

62. Begin to charge?: SUR - Some businesses assess a SURCHARGE for paying by credit card.

 

Friday, November 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malordorous Manatee here hoping that everyone shared a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with family and friends.   Now, however, it is time to shake off those trytophan-induced food comas and take a look at a Friday puzzles by Wendy Brandes.  The theme of the puzzle seems appropriate both because yours truly has recently taken several days (weeks) off and because many people have today off from work/school.  Let's start with the unifier:

62 Across.  "You need some time away from work," and how to make the starred clues match their answers: TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF.

At three places in the grid (with their clues bearing stars) we need to drop an abbreviation for a day of the week from the clue in order to make the answers fit those clues.  The days of the the are consecuitve and we can only specultate as to whether or not that elegant twist was intended.

17 Across. *Bucket list entries?: LIFE LONG FRIENDS.  Drop the FRI(day) and the result is a group of life long ambitions.

27 Across. *Result of being left off a guest list?: SOCIAL SATIRE.  Drop the SAT(urday) and the result is SOCIAL IRE.  One might be angry for missing out on a social activity.

48 Across. *Big victory for the Mets or the Yankees, e.g.?: SUNNY DELIGHT.  Drop the SUN(day) and many folks in the Big Apple will be delighted with the win.  Without the "drop" it's a drink.

The completed grid looks like this:

Below are the rest of the clues and and answers.  Note that there are ten to thirteen names/proper nouns depending on what you wish to include (e.g. NASCAR) which seems to this blogger to be in line with current trends in the crossword world.

Across:

1. "Good to go!": ALL SET.

7. Happy dances: JIGS.

11. Spice mixture: RUB.  Common in BBQ circles.  Here's a link to one of the Manatee's favorite rubs:  Amazing Ribs - Memphis Dust Rub

14. Water heater: BOILER.

15. Again: ANEW.

16. Actress de Armas: ANA.

20. East, in Spanish: ESTE.

21. Had on: WORE.

22. Oft-turned things in a spy thriller: PAGES.

23. Implored: PLED.

25. Witty: CLEVER.

31. Show appreciation: THANK.

32. Jewel: GEM.

33. City choker: SMOG.

37. Broadcast: AIR.  Used as a verb.

38. Made secret, in a way: ENCODED.

42. Had oatmeal, say: ATE.  Clued this way there are countless substitutes for oatmeal.

43. Used cars?: RODE.  Used was used as a verb in the clue (and not used as an adjective).

45. B+, e.g.: ION.  B being the symbol for the element boron and the plus sign indicating an ION.

46. "High School Musical" actor Zac: EFRON.

52. Not commissioned: ON SPEC.  As in to speculate.

54. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.  Made famous by the Jula Roberts film.

55. "To repeat ... ": I SAID.  Don't you make Al repeat it . . .

56. Crowd sound: ROAR.

58. British tennis player Raducanu: EMMA.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

65. __ out a win: EKE.

66. Reusable shopping bag: TOTE.

67. Org. that might have a Mustang circling a track: NASCAR.  Not a horse racing reference.  A Ford Motor Company reference.

68. Irate: MAD.  My girlfriend  got mad at me because I wouldn’t stop singing “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. At first, I thought she was kidding.  But then I saw her face.

69. Peepers: EYES.

70. Indignant retort: DOES SO.


Down:

1. Qualified: ABLE.

2. "Number the Stars" novelist Lowry: LOIS.

3. Big moment in a pairs figure skating routine: LIFT.

4. Hit the snooze button, perhaps: SLEEP IN

5. Dragon roll fish: EEL.  With apologies to Dean Martin, Harry Warren and Jack Brooks:

When you swim in the creek, and an eel bites your cheek.  That's a moray.   When the moon hits the sand and an eel bites your hand  That's a moray.

6. Masonry tool: TROWEL.  What do you call a tech-savvy shovel?  An internet trowel.

7. Jaromír who is the oldest NHL player to record a hat trick: JAGR.

8. Passed on a bug to: INFECTED.

9. Eur. land: GER.  GERmany is in EURope.

10. Thief on "Dora the Explorer": SWIPER.

11. Spot for burners: RANGE.  As in what we cook on.

12. Below: UNDER.

13. Low voice: BASS.

18. Go-aheads: NODS.  Approvals.

19. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.  True but a bit of a stretch.

24. Winnebago, e.g.: LAKE.  RV was too short. 

26. Flavor of green Skittles: LIME.

27. Lead: STAR.  Hmm.  The clue/answer could be either a pair of nouns or verbs.

28. Home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: OHIO.

29. Part of a hand: CARD.  Palm would have fit.

30. Ecstasy's opposite: AGONY.

34. Actress Helgenberger: MARG.

35. Texter's "Let's look at this a different way": OTOH.  On The Other Hand

36. Fellow: GENT.

39. First number in Hawaiian ZIP codes: NINE.

40. Grounded in reality: CONCRETE.

41. Grocery section: DELI.

44. Always Morphing nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Some of us know ESSIE, Opi and Ulta well . . .but only from our puzzles. 

47. Delicacy: FINESSE.  Not something to eat.  Tact.  Looks sorta like ESSIE.

49. App release: UPDATE.

50. Out of power: DEAD.  Could have been clued Grateful ______ .

51. Entry on a to-do list: ERRAND.  Chore and task were both too short.

52. Honshu port city: OSAKA.

53. Bare: NAKED.

55. Tabloid pair: ITEM.

57. Needs to pay back: OWES.

59. Comfy shoes, for short: MOCS.  Moccasins

60. Some design degs.: MFAS.  Master of Fine ArtS

61. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.  The hairstyle is not really "natural" despite often being clued this way.

63. "The Crown" actress Claire: FOY.

64. NBA legend Ming: YAO.  A basketball reference.

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  For those who are interested, the travels went smoothly although we were surprised by this fellow upon turning a corner in Tokyo:

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