Thursday, October 9, 2025, Dan Caprera

Theme:  Tousled topknots. 

Some messy buns are truly casual, and others are carefully calculated, like the lovely coiffure pictured above.  Today's puzzle constructor has at least a couple dozen crossword puzzles under his belt, including six in the L.A. Times.  And he's a funny guy!  Dan Caprera:  Writer. Comic. Barrel-Aged to Perfection.  More at DanCaprera.com.

Today Dan has deliberately messed up some BUNS, scrambling them in the theme answers.

17-Across. *Vessel secretly ridden by Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark": GERMAN SUB.  The movie Raiders of the Lost Ark came out in 1981.  I don't remember many details from 44 years ago!  Perpendicular entries saved the day for me.

Indiana Jones and the U-Boat in the Marvel Comics adaptation

24-Across. *Hank Aaron's record 2,297: RUNS BATTED IN.  Wow!  That's a lot!  Famous baseball batter, not too hard to guess the statistic category.

1976 Topps trading card

39-Across. *Ursine critter with a distinctive orange patch on its chest: SUN BEAR.  This arboreal bear is found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia.

Sun Bear

50-Across. *Don't pull any shenanigans: MEAN BUSINESS.  Be determined and firm.

"I look like I mean business, and, by golly, I do!"

61. Casual updos, or what can be found in the answers to the starred clues?: MESSY BUNS.  An updo is a hairstyle in which the hair is swept up and fastened away from the face and neck.

Before the rage for messy buns, there were more formal buns:

Not being much of a hair hopper, I'll jump right into the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Distracted boyfriend and Surprised Pikachu: MEMES.  Folks put their own text to these popular images.

"Distracted boyfriend"

"Surprised Pikachu"

6. Giants slugger Mel: OTT.  Another famous batter.

9. Grows faint: DIMS.

13. Glorify: EXALT.

14. __ Beta Kappa: PHI.  The oldest academic honor society in the United States, founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

15. Waiting, as champagne: ON ICE.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Saw: MAXIM.

20. Brief fight: SET TO.

21. "X" and "Pearl" actress Goth: MIA.  Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 1993) is an English actress.  DNK.

Mia Goth

23. Loan option, for short: REFI.  Short for refinance.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Divine: FORESEE.  Divine as an intransitive verb.  Per Merriam-Webster:  to seek to predict future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers : to practice divination : prophesy

30. Clothing line: SEAM.

31. Instrument commonly made from African blackwood: OBOE.

32. Prefix with net or com: INTER.

35. Abate: EBB.  Abate is to decrease in force or intensity.  Ebb (as a verb) is to fall from a higher to a lower level.

38. Gym unit: REP.  Short for repetition, as gym is short for gymnasium.

39. [Theme clue]

41. Couple: DUO.

42. Go green, perhaps: DYE.

43. Shredded __: WHEAT.

44. Euro forerunner: LIRA.  Lira was the basic monetary unit of Italy, until replaced by the euro in 2002.

45. Actress Remini: LEAH.  Actress Leah Remini, know for roles on sitcoms The King of Queens and Kevin Can Wait, wrote a book about her upbringing in the Church of Scientology and produced an Emmy Award winnning documentary series on the same subject.

Leah Remini

47. LeBron James and Steph Curry, by birth: OHIOANS.  LeBron plays basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Steph for the (San Francisco) Golden State Warriors.  Steph's father also played on an NBA team.  LeBron's father was a criminal and not involved in his life, but LeBron moved into the home of a youth football coach who introduced him to basketball at age nine.  Sometimes the road is crooked.  

50. [Theme clue]

54. "Let There Be Rock" band: AC/DC.

55. Laid low: HID.

56. Rizzo of "Midnight Cowboy": RATSO.  Dustin Hoffman played "Ratso" Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy, the 1969 film that is the only X-rated film ever to win an Academy Award.  It won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy

59. Musical endings: CODAS.

61. [Theme clue]

64. Woeful words: ELEGY.

65. Flock sound: BAA.

66. Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts: NIECE.  Emma Roberts has played a number of roles in horror films and has a reputation as a scream queen.

Emma Roberts' hair color is in a constant state of flux.

67. Really ticks off: IRES.

68. PC key near Z: ALT.

69. City east of the Great Salt Lake: OGDEN.


Down:

1. "Family Guy" daughter: MEG.

Meg Griffin      

2. Awkward people to run into, perhaps: EXES.

3. Frutti di __: Italian seafood dish: MARE.  Seafood in Italian is "fruits of the sea."

Fettuccine ai Frutti di Mare

4. One of many in Boston Common: ELM TREE.  The Boston Common is the oldest city park in the United States, established in 1634.  Its Great Elm Tree was destroyed by a storm in 1876, but many others grow there today.

Boston Common

5. Position: STATUS.

6. Black __: OPS.  Black ops, or black operations, refers to secret missions that are hidden from public knowledge, and sometimes even from personnel of the organizing agency.  The CIA is said to conduct black ops to protect national security.

7. Flip (through): THUMB.

8. Leg bone: TIBIA.  The tibia, also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee; it connects the knee with the ankle.

Or, as you may have learned:

The foot bone's connected to the leg bone

The leg bone's connected to the knee bone

The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone

Doin' the skeleton dance

Tibia -- frontal view.

9. Abbey title: DOM.  Monks are called "'Dom,'" an abbreviation of "Dominus" which means "Lord."  Let us all recall fondly Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk whose labors in the vineyard were focused on Champagne.

NaomiZ and DH on pilgrimmage in 2018

10. Covered by one's insurance: IN AREA.  Insurance is often limited to a particular geographic coverage area.

11. Found object art, often: MIXED MEDIA.

12. N.K. Jemisin genre: SCI-FI.  N. K. Jemisin is an American science fiction and fantasy writer.  She is the first African American author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first author to win that award in three consecutive years, and the first to win it for all three novels in a trilogy.  Guess we'd better read her Broken Earth series.  She went on to win a fourth Hugo for Best Novelette, and a fifth for Best Graphic Story.  Wowza.

N. K. Jemisin

16. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E MIN.  E minor.

18. Zero: NONE.

22. Totally stumped: AT SEA.  Idiomatically, to have lost one's bearings, to be bewildered.

25. River to the English Channel: SEINE.  The Seine originates northwest of Dijon, flows through Paris, and northward into the English Channel at Le Havre.

26. Region: Abbr.: TERR.  Territory.

27. Expedition maker: FORD.  A full-size SUV.

28. Comply: OBEY.

29. Obstacle course component, often: ROPE LADDER.

33. Org. for LeBron James and Steph Curry: NBA.  See 47-Across.

34. Grand __ National Park: TETON.

36. Aloe target: BURN.

37. Fluffy accessories: BOAS.  A boa is a fluffy fashion accessory, worn around the neck like a scarf, and often made of feathers.  Let's go faux for the sake of the birds.  These are pretty costumey anyway.

39. Deckhand: SWAB.  A ship's crew member may be a deckhand, whose duty is to mop or "swab" the deck of the ship, and is therefore called a swab or swabbie.

40. "Totally!": UH HUH.  Yep, I agree with you.

44. Got clobbered: LOST BIG.

46. Coop up: ENCAGE.  Not a word we use every day.  

48. Feminine possessive: HERS.

49. "My vote is to skip it": I SAY NO.  Want to go see the new Superman movie again?  I SAY NO.  DH says yes.  He happily accepted younger son's invitation without mentioning he'd seen it already.

50. Scotch cookie spice: MACE.  Scotch spice cookies are made with molasses, cinnamon, and mace, which is the outer coating of the nutmeg seed.  In 2019, a Reddit user was investigating a murder that occured in their Maine home in the 1930s, and happened upon a contemporary cookie recipe in the course of the investigation.  The cookies have become an internet sensation of sorts, called "murder cookies" because of the source.  Another Reddit user explains, "They're KILLER!"  All news to me.

another item for our crossword picnic

51. Biotech bacteria: E. COLI.  Most Escherichia coli strains are part of the normal microbiota of the gut.  These bacteria are harmless or even beneficial to humans.  Some types cause food poisoning, mostly through fecal-oral transmission.  (Don't eat poop.)  E. coli is easy to grow in a laboratory and is used in biotechnology and microbiology as the host organism for recombinant DNA.

52. Disney lion: SIMBA.  The title character of The Lion King (1994).

Simba as a cub and as an adult lion

53. Perfect: IDEAL.

57. Courted?: SUED.  Took to court.

58. As soon as: ONCE.  I'll be ready once I finish the crossword puzzle, darling!

60. Pt. of GPS: SYS.  Global Positioning System.

62. Convened: SAT.  

63. Capitol fig.: SEN.  A figure you encounter in the capitol might be a senator.

Here's the grid:

I cannot FORESEE what the comments will be.

Will our cruciverbalist crowd EXALT today's puzzle and constructor?

Or will they THUMB their noses if they LOST BIG?

Please weigh in!

-- NaomiZ

Wednesday, Oct 8th, 2025 ~ Amie Walker & Amanda Rafkin

 MAVERICK⁽'⁾S PACERS

I'll take one~! The AMC Pacer

I really enjoyed today's collaboration between two solid crossword constructors Amie & Amanda.  A sports teams theme we have seen before, where the monikers are combined to make a new, funny/punny answer. Today's team names are from the National Basketball Association, the professional organization of a game I have no interest in whatsoever - I'd rather watch golf.  I think it has to do with the squeak of sneakers on hardwood - that and the fact that one only needs tune-in to the last 30secs to see who wins, IMHO.  Lot's of 3LWs, only five(ish) names, and all the theme answers are unique; 

20. Peddles pearls of wisdom?: HAWKS NUGGETS - Atlanta / Denver - see below

28. Observes casual Friday at the office?: BUCKS BLAZERS - Milwaukee / Portland *¹

49. Gains barbers' equipment?: NETS CLIPPERS - Brooklyn / Los Angeles - *²

58. Microsoft virtual work gathering, and what can be found in 20-, 28-, and 49-Across: 

TEAMS MEETING - When I worked at Westhampton Architectural Glass, the only thing we used TEAMS software for was to plan lunch; someone would put up, about 11am, a hint about what they were interested in eating, e.g. "pizza?" - and for the next hour, we would debate what to eat and who was going to pick up the food 😜

The list of all NBA teams

Some other pairings - MAGIC WIZARDS is too easy;

Lightning Affect~? = SPURS THUNDER

Steals from NASA~? = KNICKS ROCKETS

*¹ - Technically, it's the TRAIL Blazers . . .
*² - Technically, a BOROUGH of NY, not the city . . .

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Annoy: IRK

4. Bridge action: BID - Not TIE, as in span - that's the wrong kind of bridge - I like this type - 19 bizarre bridges, 12 unusual bridges

Scary~?  Then you suffer from 66A., the Gephyro version

7. Floated in the air: WAFTED 

13. "Good Grief" director Levy: DAN - name #1 - I'm following the "Hahtoolah Convention"

14. Pros: ACES

16. Iggy the Beanie Baby, for one: IGUANA - AND - 29D. Humphrey the Beanie Baby, for one: CAMEL - I still have one Beanie Baby, and three Webkins; had a pet iguana Zeus, too - name(ish)

Yes, Iggy is supposed to be blue . . . 

17. Big fuss: ADO

18. Noodle with a sarashina variety: SOBA - I'm getting the hang of all these four-letter food-types; SOBA, NORI, UDON, MISO, etc

19. "Well, that came out of nowhere": RANDOM

23. "Never mind, I guess": "...OR NOT."

24. New prefix: NEO

25. Sword handle: HILT - not a week goes by without a Wed dupe of a Monday fill . . . .

32. Single-celled organism: AMOEBA

35. "__ Te Ching": TAO - name(ish) - the Wiki

36. Legend-ary achievement?: EGOT - The Grand Slam of Entertainment - Emmy (TV), Grammy (music), Oscar (Hollywood/movies) and Tony (Broadway/stage)

37. Fin. neighbor: NORway

38. Music box?: AMP - I liked this clue for a crossword staple

40. Emoji alternative: GIF

Now The Harlem Globetrotters I can watch~!

42. "Kings & Queens" singer Max: AVA - name #2 - I know the Aerosmith song

43. Like some faces: OVAL - I liked making my avatar on Facebook - but I have a "pear-shaped" face

45. Settings for some TV dramas: ERs - ER is an obvi example, plus tons of others seen here;

I'm not one for any hospital drama, but I did like House, MD

47. Many a suitcase: ROLLER - I "Van Halened" my roller suitcase

I'm on my way to Panama - get it~?

52. "Can I get a __?": "I messed up": "RE-DO~?" or a Mulligan, in golf-speak

53. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAO - name(ish)

54. Athlete Ledecky who went viral by swimming with a glass of chocolate milk on her head: KATIE - well, I did not know about this - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  - name #3

Yup, a glass of milk - but not a $5 Shake . . . .

61. Wyndham chain: RAMADA

64. Viral post: MEME

65. Sully: MAR - stain, dirty, damage, ruin, etc.

66. Exposure therapy target: PHOBIA - what's yours~? I am afraid to reveal mine - which, uh, by default, makes clear it's Phobophobia

67. Garment worn under a dress: SLIP

68. One who sounds just like you: EWE - ah, not APE - a very clever meta clue

69. Sitcom about a couple living in a haunted house: GHOSTS - I've only seen the ads for this show

70. Tense NBA periods, for short: OTs - and a bonus 'Easter Egg'

71. Good to go: SET - "got my go-bag, I'm set~!"

DOWN:

1. State that's home to the Museum of Clean: IDAHO - learning moment - the website

2. Weather tracker: RADAR

3. Not just assumed: KNOWN

4. Low-pitched brass instrument: BASS TUBA - this seems a bit redundant for me, but here's more - this clue/answer needed to show up on a Jazzbumpa trombone Wednesday~!

5. Screen symbol: ICON - clecho with - 31. Screen symbol: STAR - I filled them correctly the first time

6. Prove false: DEBUNK - the X-Files word

7. Pipe cleaner center: WIRE - Huh - I didn't know I had a wire at my center....how ironic, having left the pipe organ company, that I made the cover of  The Diapason magazine, and featured inside as well

That's Splynter in the overalls, 35lbs heavier - sheesh

8. "__ All Along": "WandaVision" spinoff: AGATHA - name #4 - more on IMDb

9. Like some small candy bars: FUN-SIZE - 'tis the season~!

10. Small amount: TAD

11. Musician Brian: ENO - name #5

12. Beaver project: DAM

15. Most wise: SAGEST

21. Expensive Japanese beef: KOBE - I tried WAGU, but it's Wagyu

22. Evacuation kit: GO-BAG - here's the 411 from 511 on what to have in yours

26. Following the rules: LEGAL

27. Treasure __: TROVE

30. Frawnche wine valley: LOIRE - Good WAG on my part; must have seen it in CWs before

32. Mystery writer?: ANONymous

33. Boxing pro: MOVER - I suppose this could be either "type" of boxer - the one who packs your stuff, and the "float like a butterfly" sparring expert

34. Give a speech: ORATE

39. Rainbow producer: PRISM - my brother has been reinvesting in classic albums on LP "vinyl" again

41. Permanently: FOR KEEPS

44. Papers needed for some trips?: LSD TABS - har-har~! Monster Magnet's first EP was "25...Tab", featuring a 32min trippy song - and a trippy video someone made here

Dave Wyndorf, lead singer, can be heard saying "make me a sa'mich" - among other things NSFW

46. Involuntary muscle movements: SPASMS - depends on the quality of the Acid, I guess~?

48. Future DA's exam: LSAT - LS 'dee' Acid Trip~?

50. Make changes with a collaborator: CO-EDIT - I'm guessing both "A" authors did on this one....

51. Large citrus fruit: POMELO - ORANGE fit as well; here's a cool image of a lot of citrus fruit

55. Multiplied by: TIMES - L x W = A; length TIMES width equals area

56. "I'm __": "You blow me away": "IN AWE~!"

57. "Snowy" bird: EGRET

59. Smallish batteries: AAAs

60. Give off: EMIT

61. D&D, for one: RPG - Roll Playing Game - in my youth, I was all about Dungeons & Dragons

62. "That hits the spot": "AHH~!"

63. Cow sound: MOO

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 84th birthday to dear Jayce! Your steady presence in our little crossword family means so much to all of us. 

May today bring you comfort, a few smiles, and the quiet joy of knowing how deeply you're valued. Sheng Ri Quai Le, John!

Jayce and his wife on their wedding day

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 Matthew Stock and Mark Valdez

Steal  My Heart. 

16-Across. Replace a player on the basepath: PINCH RUN.

20-Across. Comedian who co-created the Netflix animated series "Big Mouth": NICK KROLL.

32-Across. Ski resort pass: LIFT TICKET.

43-Across. "RuPaul's Drag Race" segment featuring celebrity impressions: SNATCH GAME.

57-Across. Reject, on a dating app: SWIPE LEFT.

63-Across. Go on a break, or what the starts of 16-, 20-, 32-, 43-, and 57-Across can be called: TAKE FIVE.  Five examples of stealing.

Across:

1. Scrabble piece: TILE.

5. Come to a close: END.

8. Small fruit pie: TART.

12. Beyoncé, to the Beyhive: IDOL.  Before she went out on her own, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (b. Sept. 4, 1981), she was the lead singer of Destiny's Child.  Her ardent fans are known as the Beyhive.

13. Caviar: ROE.

14. "Makes sense now": AH, I SEE!

18. Sibling's daughters: NIECES.  //  Lots of family relationships in today's puzzle.  We also saw 24-Across. Unlike 18-Across: MALE.  //  And we have 40-Across. Mama's hermana: TIA.

19. Critical time: D-DAY.

22. October birthstone: OPAL.  Many opals are found in Australia.  Hi, Kazie!

25. Bag-checking org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

26. Dana Bash's channel: CNN.  Dana Ruth Bash (b. 1971) is an American journalist, news anchor, host of Inside Politics and co-anchor of State of the Union on CNN.

28. Loose-leaf beverage: TEA.  //  And 3-Down. Drink made with Earl Grey tea and steamed milk: LONDON FOG.  I thought London Fog was a clothing manufacturer.

30. Fly or fish, for example: VERB.  //  And 6-Down. Fly or fish, for example: NOUN.

35. Top poker cards: ACES.

39. Houseplant that seldom needs watering: ALOE.

41. Iditarod town: NOME.  A brief history of the Iditarod sled race.

42. Prefix with watts: MEGA.-  So fraught with meaning ...

46. Bread served with biryani: ROTI.  Let's travel to India for today's meal.  Roti is a simple, unleavened flatbread and biryani is an elaborate, aromatic mixed rice dish.  Yummers!

48. Body of water: SEA.

49. Glum: SAD.

50. Orbiting facility: Abbr.: ISS.  As in the International Space Station.

53. __ de gallo: PICO.  Now let's travel to Mexico for our next meal.  Pico de gallo is a Mexican salsa.  Yummers!

55. Dethrone: OUST.

60. Informed: TOLD.

62. Bemoan: LAMENT.

66. Add a raised design to: EMBOSS.

67. Younger "ManningCast" host: ELI.  Eli Manning (né Elisha Nelson Manning; b. Jan. 3, 1981) is the son of Archie (né Elisha Archibald Manning, III; b. May 19, 1949) and the younger brother of Cooper (né  Cooper Archibald Manning) and Peyton (né Peyton Williams Manning; b. Mar. 24, 1976).  The sons were all born in New Orleans.  Cooper's dreams of following the family into a football career were dashed when he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis.  His son, Arch (Archibald Charles Manning; b. Apr. 27, 2004) plays college football.

68. Reverse: UNDO.

69. Stretch across: SPAN.  Bridge building is an engineering feat.

70. Earn after taxes: NET.

71. Loch with a legend: NESS.

Down:

1. Helpful pointer: TIP.

2. Terse confession: I DID.

4. Yosemite Valley landmark, for short: EL CAP.  It's formal name is El Capitan and it is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park.  Sadly, just last week a young climber, Balin Miller (Jan. 12, 2002 ~ October 1, 2025), fell to his death attempting a climb up the face of this rock formation.

5. Use bleach on a load of colored laundry, say: ERR.

7. Jeans fabric: DENIM.  A brief history of Denim.

8. Cake layer: TIER.

9. Posh neckwear: ASCOT.

10. Film spools: REELS.

11. Unit of magnetic flux density: TESLA.

14. Belly dancer's jewelry: ANKLET.

15. Someone to trail behind?: HIKER.

17. Luxury hotel chain: HYATT.

21. Warnings: CAVEATS.

23. "Lilo & Stitch" costume accessory: LEI.

26. Chowder morsel: CLAM.  New England or Manhattan?

27. Cairo's river: NILE.

29. "Smile and be on your best behavior!": ACT NICE!

31. Sharp noise: BANG.

33. Origami slipup: TEAR.

34. Korean automaker: KIA.

36. Boundary between land and water: COASTLINE.

37. Actress Thompson: EMMA.

Emma Thompson, b. Apr. 15, 1959

38. Bird feeder filler: SEED.

43. Tall circus performer's pair: STILTS.

44. Corp. leader: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

45. High in the Alps?: HAUTE.  Today's French lesson.  A portion of the Alps are in France.

47. Works the first shift at a café, say: OPENS.

50. Cruise stopovers: ISLES.

51. Shrek's home: SWAMP.

52. Lion hoisted skyward during "Circle of Life": SIMBA.  A reference to The Lion King.

54. Not infrequently: OFTEN.

56. "Whee!": SO FUN!

58. Laborer: PEON.

59. Story: TALE.

61. Box set units: DVDs.

64. Baby fox: KIT.

65. Lip balm brand: EOS. Although EOS is the name of the Greek Goddess of Dawn, in the realm of lip balm, it refers to the Evolution Of Smoothness.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה