Wednesday, Aug 27th, 2025 ~ Aaron Ullman

 I SAID MINI SPLIT~!

I thought you said SKIRT

We last saw a puzzle from Mr. Ullman here at the LA Times in May 2024.  Today, Aaron gives us four phrases that have MINI, "split" across the fill, three of which are unique.  Yes, we do have circles, but a mere 9 3LWs, thirty 4LWs, some lengthy Down crossings, and just a handful of names.  The themers and the reveal;

17. Traditional social group: FAMILY UNIT

23. Historic hockey game at Lake Placid: MIRACLE ON ICE - the only non-unique themer

The Wiki

36. Dress blues, e.g.: MILITARY UNIFORM

48. Setting for amateur hour: OPEN MIC NIGHT

58. Zoned climate control options, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: MINI-SPLITS - pictured; I have just two window units in my home, and that was all I needed this summer, really - I plan on ultimately installing central air-conditioning, simply because there's a huge attic, enough to install the handler/ evaporator of a "macro" split A/C system and its dispersal lines

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Tropical flora: PALMS - I do the Downs first; filled in "GASP" for 1D., so this was "Galms" - Bzzzt~!

6. Site with handcrafted inventory: ETSY

10. Lhasa __: APSO - dog breed, seen on Sunday, too

14. Word after solar or lens: FLARE - Solar Flare, Lens Flare

15. Copy, informally: DUPE - short for DUPlicate

16. Vague reply to an ETA request: SOON - "Are we there yet~?"

19. "__ it ironic?": ISN'T - NOT ironic parts of this Alanis Morrisette song make it "ironic"

20. About 5 mL: TSP - TeaSPoon; there are three TSPs in a TaBleSPoon

21. Prima __: at first sight: FACIE - I learned this legalese term from the TV show Law & Order

22. 1:1, for one: RATIO - 1-2-1-4-1 - clever clue, get it~?

25. "Love is __, love is kind ... ": PATIENT - my first thought was song lyrics; turns out to be a Bible quote, I Corinthians 13:4-8, tho I did find this

28. CEO's aide: ASSistanT 

29. Couple: ITEM - Typically used in "rags" and tabloids - also known as the "Hot Sheets"

Here's a clip of the props used in Men in Black, including the "Hot Sheets"

30. What Diaper Genie filters trap: ODORS - I, sadly, have not had the pleasure/pain of rearing a child from birth, so while I knew the answer, I have not acutally gotten a whiff of what a Diaper Genie "does"

33. Long of "The Best Man Holiday": NIA - name #1 - her IMDb

40. Took a lunch break: ATE - very specific today

41. Genesis: ONSET

42. Overlying: ATOP - I agreed with some comments this past Saturday that "ATOP" is hardly synonymous with "ONTO", and was not thrilled with the clue/answer at all....

"

43. Deer dad: HART - I also agreed with Rusty last Friday about "STAGS" vis-à-vis "BAMBI"

45. Decreases: LESSENS

52. Drop out unexpectedly: FLAKE - Yeah, but Meh.

53. Starr on the skins: RINGO - Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles; his son Zak plays, too. Name #2

54. Distracted driving awareness TV spot, e.g.: PSA - Public Service Announcement

57. Plunge: FALL

60. Towel finisher: ETTE - as in 'moist' towelette

61. Dark skies, perhaps: OMEN

62. Alternative to a fidget spinner: POP-IT - A "reusable" bubble-wrap-mimicking toy

63. Encouraging cries: "RAHS~!!!"

64. Maritime hazard: BERG - The speculation about the world's most famous iceberg

65. Calendario starter: ENERO - Espaniol lesson #1; calendar / January

DOWN:

1. Incredulous sound: "PFFT~!" - "yeah, OK, as if~!"

2. "Pity, really": ALAS . . . .

3. Prop in "Aladdin": LAMP - uh, well, yeah, I suppose it would be called a "prop"

4. 3D diagnostic tool: MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

5. Pic taken at arm's length: SELFIE

6. Those responsible for class actions?: EDUCATORS - first of two nine-letter Down fills

7. Viking garment: TUNIC - I wore a tunic for my "Medieval" wedding

Me and my brother, defending the castle from the dreaded serpent

8. Sales pitch: SPIEL - I thought this was Yiddish/Hebrew, but according to the Web, it's from Old German "spielen"

9. To this point: YET

10. "Crazy Rich __": Jon M. Chu rom-com: ASIANS - name(ish) - the IMDb

11. Tacky method of communication?: POST-IT NOTE - Loved this; first of two 10-letter Down fills

12. Video game character who attacks by rolling into a ball: SONIC - ah, yes, now I remember

13. How many ballerinas perform: ON TOE - I am a bit meh about this, only because one of the themers is "ON" as well

18. Michaels purchase, perhaps: YARN - the art store; paint, canvas, paper - I did not think of knitting

22. "Scandal" actress Portia de __: ROSSI - I knew her, but still a name #3 - her Wiki

23. "Bosch" actress Rogers: MIMI - it's too bad this fill showed up in the puzzle, as well, leading from a theme "M" no less; it detracts from the purity of the construction, IMO - and name #4 - Bosch is one of my favorite book series; the Amazon adaptation, not so much, but still good

24. Take home, as pay: EARN

25. Soft, strong cotton: PIMA - filled via perps; not familiar with this

26. Still going: AT IT - watch how you parse this one . . . .

27. Option for long-distance medical consultations: TELE-HEALTH - 10-letter Down fill No.2

31. Easter purchase for 46-Down: DYE - AND - 46. Easter basket items: EGGS

32. Summarizing: OUTLINING - nine-letter downfill No.2

34. Element that makes blood red: IRON

35. Fires (up): AMPS

37. "The Christmas Song" composer Mel: TORME - name #5, but a familiar one

38. Body prefix: ANTI - Ah. I was looking for "endo-", not an actual prefix for 'body'

39. Like Formula One cars: FAST

44. Places for spats: ANKLES

47. "Ye Olde" boutique: SHOPPE - I did happen to like last Saturday's "sign language" clue for this 

48. Many a promotional email: OFFER

49. Silver, in Spanish: PLATA - Espaniol #2; somehow, I had ARGIO....NOT - argyro is Greek for silver

50. Focus of forensics shows: CRIME

51. Brock Purdy, for one: NINER - QB for the NFL's San Fransisco Forty-Niners; just signed a 5yr, $265mil contract - name #6

54. Half-__: skate park element: PIPE - I would not dare to work with this type of PIPE 

55. Use a spoon to homogenize: STIR - that's eight syllables for a four-letter fill....

56. Concerning: AS TO

58. Group of meerkats: MOB - animal groups; we had "parliament" for owls last Thursday

59. Chaney of old films: LON - name #7, but a crossword staple

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

 

Happy Birthday to Lemonade, our faithful Friday Sherpa for many years. Hope all's well in your world, Jason!  

 

Monday May 13, 2024 Aaron Ullman

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with an LAT debut for constructor Aaron Ullman. Congrats, Aaron!

Theme:  

We will begin with the four starred clues:

20 Across. *"I can't make sense of it": DON'T ASK ME WHY.  

Tell Me Why was the opening track on Neil Young's After the Gold Rush album (1970).

33 Across. *World Series of Poker game: TEXAS HOLD'EM.

Yes, it's a card game but it is also a song on Beyoncé's new country album, Cowboy Carter (released March 29). This album is getting a lot of attention. Perhaps you've heard about it. I decided to not embed the music video; but, if you are curious, you can catch it here.  Warning:  language, skin, and incorrect rope swinging (Do not hold onto the honda.)

41 Across. *Natural-horror film franchise featuring superintelligent sharks: DEEP BLUE SEA.

Not my genre but sussable. Here is the trailer: 

Warning:  It's Samuel L. Jackson intense!  (Yes, I just used SLJ as an adjective.)  

52 Across. *Catchphrase of the Three Stooges: OH A WISE GUY EH.

I just could not parse the first three letters of this one. That contributed to my loss of patience and a DNF in the southwest. Oof! I bet Chairman Moe knew it!  

The reveal is perfectly placed in the bottom, right corner:

67 Across. Disco classic spelled out with arm motions and by the ends of the answers to the starred clues: YMCA.  Sing it with me -- WHY   'EM   SEA   EH  ♪♪  

Well, now that we have that all sorted, let's take a look at the other clues:

Across:
1. "The Phantom of the Opera" prop: MASK.  In the 1909 novel by Gaston Leroux, the phantom was born disfigured. The 1943 film changed this explanation to say that he had acid splashed in his face.

5. Made, as a free throw or golf putt: SANK.  

9. Parroting: APING.  

14. Wrinkly citrus fruit: UGLI.     and     10. Large citrus fruit: POMELO.  

The UGLI fruits look easy to peel.

15. Slender wind instrument: OBOE.

16. Polite refusal: NO SIR.

17. Inspirational collage for designers: MOODBOARD.  more info.

19. Mental picture: IMAGE.

22. Crab or lobster catcher: POT.  From what I read online, it seems a lobster POT is another name for a lobster trap. This video explains how a lobster trap works.  

25. Told tales: LIED.

26. Feel poorly: AIL.  This one reminds me of an example my high school English teacher liked to use:  My boyfriend feels well.

27. Puts into law: ENACTS.

29. Losing candidate: ALSO RAN.

36. Brewpub pour: ALE.

37. Scissors sound: SNIP.

38. Spanish day: DÍA.

39. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" actress Kristen: WIIG.  Here's the trailer for this 2021 movie:  

40. Bowler's target: PIN.     and     64 Across. Bowler's place: LANE.

It makes me smile to see these clues on a Monday.  😊

45. African capital on the Mediterranean Sea: ALGIERS.  

47. Tab key function: INDENT.  Also, Shift+Tab will un-indent.

48. __-cone: icy treat: SNO.

49. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S.  This idiom is used to say that a person can forget about how unpleasant or difficult something was because everything ended in a good way. It is a line from Shakespeare:

All's well that ends well,

Still the fine's the crown:

Whate'er the course,

The end is the renown.

51. U-turn from NNW: SSE.

57. Euripides tragedy: MEDEA.  Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides. 

58. Many a charitable organization: NONPROFIT.  Generally speaking, the IRS filing due date is March 15 for S-Corps , April 15 for individuals, and May 15 for NONPROFITs. (That's just two days away!)

62. Common font: ARIAL.  Arial is the font, Ariel is the mermaid, and aerial is the antenna.

63. Actress Swenson: INGA.  (1932 - 2023) Inga was an American actress with a long list of credits from the screen and stage, including Hoss's mother on Bonanza and the housekeeper on Benson (1979-1986).

65. Sidles up to: NEARS.     and     12 Down. Close by, quaintly: NIGH.

66. Like pink hair: DYED.

Down:
1. Bluey and Bingo's parent: MUM.  If you do not watch cartoons targeted to 5-7 year-olds, you might not know that Bluey is a children's animated TV show on Disney+ about an Australian Blue Healer Cattle Dog (Bluey) and her little sister (Bingo). It does have some controversy. Here is a 1:25 min. clip:  

"Bluey" was also the name of the Australian cattle dog with the world record for longevity.

Bluey ---> Australia ---> + parent  =  MUM

2. Many moons __: AGO.  This is also the title of a song from the Broadway show Once Upon a Mattress. Here is Harry Snow as the Minstrel (1959-1960). You will likely recognize the first two names on the Playbill.

3. __-mo replay: SLO.

4. "The Mermaid Chair" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD.  goodreads link

5. Vague promise from a procrastinator: SOONISH.  The opposite of many moons ago???

6. Tail off, as a storm: ABATE.

7. U.S./Canada military acronym: NORAD.  The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.

Additionally, every Christmas Eve NORAD tracks Santa's flight around the world to ensure his safety. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to help man the phones in 2019.  #BestChristmasEveEver

8. Canvas shoe brand that makes bridal sneakers: KEDS.  

9. Belief that all beings have a spirit: ANIMISM.  You can read more here.

11. "__ it first!": "Dibs!": I SAW.  

It is just now occurring to Calvin that his no-nonsense babysitter will be coming over tonight.

13. __ Goose vodka: GREY.

18. Runs away fast: BOLTS.

An aptronym is a name that matches the occupation or character of its owner, often in a humorous or ironic way. One example is the Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt.  Wiki list

21. Leafy vegetable in a green smoothie: KALE.

22. Pampering place for furry friends: PET SPA.

23. Close soccer score: ONE-NIL.  Hand up for first having ONE-one.

24. Exhausting: TAXING.

28. Baseball hat: CAP.

29. Not much (of): A DAB.

30. Salary hikes: RAISES.

31. Sci-fi beings: ALIENS.  

32. Invalidate: NEGATE.  

34. Celebratory poems: ODES.  Jimmy Stewart shared this heartwarming ODE with Johnny Carson about a dog named Beau:  

35. Place for a piercing: LIP.

39. Married: WED.

41. "Wasn't me!" and "I didn't do it!": DENIALS.  It is a bit unusual to see two quotes in one clue but it works for the plural answer.

42. Greek god of love: EROS.

43. Perch for a frog in an ornamental pond: LILY PAD.  

44. Al or Bobby of auto racing: UNSER.  The Unser family has won the Indianapolis 500 a record nine times, with Bobby and Al Unser Sr. being the only set of brothers to win in the race's history.

46. "Pinkie promise!": I SWEAR.

49. Great pain: AGONY.  AGnst also fit ... for a while.

50. Fencing thrust: LUNGE.  

52. Muscat's land: OMAN.  

53. "Take this": HERE.  Well clued, Aaron!

54. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA.  Adia is a song by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, Surfacing (1997). It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand.

Oh, that song!

55. Oklahoma city west of Tulsa: ENID.

56. "__ guacamole!": HOLY.  

59. Closest peeps: FAM.  "Peeps" is short for "people" -- a hint that the answer will be a shortened word, too.

60. Company abbr.: INC.  INCorporated

61. Lipton drink: TEA.

The grid:  

C ya!