Adam Shapiro delivers a cute Tuesday puzzle which I find impressive since his 1st LAT was ~6mo ago (17 DEC 2025). I enjoyed the fresh clues for pedestrian fill and the new fill I've not seen before. Well done Adam.
Point of order - I can't figure out if Adam is related to NPR's Ari or not. If anyone knows better...
16. Disc-tossing team sport: ULTIMATE FRISBEE.
Ultimate Frisbee
The Game of Life
23. Contest played on a star-shaped board: CHINESE CHECKERS.
Chinese Checkers
Chess
41. Pool hall activity: POCKET BILLIARDS.
Pocket Billiards Table
Poker
54. Nintendo player's side quest, or what the circled letters of 16-, 23-, and 41-Across create: GAME WITHINA GAME. All I can come up w/ in the reveal is the NAME Game.
So, if you're not pickin' up what Adam's putting down... A side quest is a mini-adventure for your avatar to gain coin, information, or skills within the wider scope of the game #DnD. Ergo, a game within a game - exactly what Adam found in the spanners. Let's explore the rest of the grid.
Across:
1. Voting faction: BLOC.
5. Botanical transplant: GRAFT. All you wanted to know.
10. Post that's bigger than a gig: JOB. I saw "bigger" and "gig." My first two thoughts, "Tera" & "Peta," were too long.
33. South African language with click consonants: XHOSA. I knew the answer but not the spelling.
Trevor Noah
34. Tuna roll topper: ROE.
35. Some hazy brews, for short: IPAS.
36. Piano pieces for four hands: DUETS.
37. "You're not wrong": TRUE.
38. 28-Down amenity, maybe: SPA.
39. Ballet class rail: BARRE.
Degas' Dancers Practicing at the Barre
40. Plump pet, slangily: CHONK. Chonk: adj. fat in a pleasant way.
41. [See: Theme]
44. __ de la Cit : Notre-Dame home: ILE.
45. Coffee container: URN.
46. Not much: ALITTLE.
50. Spine-tingling artwork?: BACK TAT. Cute. A tattoo on the back would tingle the spine.
54. [See: Theme]
56. Cenozoic __: ERA. The last 66 million years and our current era.
57. Like alpacas: ANDEAN.
58. A bird flying into the house, say: OMEN. So I Googled this... Some say it's good luck others say death soon. I think it means your screen door is broken.
59. Cold War operative: SPY.
Spy Vs Spy
60. Agreements: YESES.
61. Bit of headway: DENT. I've made a DENT in this expo - I'm done w/ the acrosses.
Down:
1. Like dry champagne: BRUT.
2. Disney girl who teaches Stitch the meaning of ohana: LILO. Ohana is Hawaiian for family. I saw this movie w/ the Girls when they were so little. It's kinda hard to believe they're both in grad school now.
3. Prefix meaning "eight": OCTO.
4. Sequences of tight turns on racecourses: CHICANES. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A few Googles latter... A chicane is an "S" bend in the road that forces drivers to slow down. They're also used in urban settings to not only slow traffic but also increase the amount of public space. Seems like CHICANEry to me.
A chicane in Orlando
5. Frontier departure point?: GATE. Ha! The airline Frontier.
6. Marbled bread: RYE.
7. Italian sports car, briefly: ALFA.
'86 Alfa Spider
8. Unshaped: FORMLESS.
9. NYC nabe south of SoHo: TRIBECA. SoHo is SOuth of HOuston Street.
Yep, there's Tribeca South of SoHo.
10. Align (with): JIBE. Nice.
11. Roasting appliance: OVEN.
12. Red root vegetable used in some dyes: BEET.
14. Breezy goodbyes: TATAS.
17. Cocktails made with lime, vodka, and ginger beer: MULES.
18. Dishwasher's station: SINK.
23. Like tempura: CRISP.
Yummers!
24. River-dwelling mammal that can't swim: HIPPO.
25. Sci-fi writer Asimov: ISAAC.
26. Area far from downtown: EXURB.
27. French darling: CHERI.
Pepé Le Pew
28. Tourist's base: HOTEL.
29. __ in judgment: ERROR.
30. Tournament division: ROUND.
31. Tries to find: SEEKS.
36. NBC news show since 1992: DATE LINE. ///Lookup - 1 or 2 words?
37. "What a relief!": THANK GOD.
39. I-495 in Washington, D.C., e.g.: BELTWAY.
40. About, in dates: CIRCA.
42. Toy that may get stuck in a tree: KITE.
The Kite Eating Tree
43. Greg Evans comic strip: LUANN.
A Comic Strip since '85
46. Grows older: AGES.
47. In-person fantasy event, casually: LARP. Live Action Role-Playing GAME.
48. "Thinking about it": I MAY.
49. LAX projections: ETDS. Estimated Time of Departure.
50. Lack of objectivity: BIAS.
51. Unlikely to get out of hand: TAME.
52. "Darn straight": AMEN.
53. Sleeping bag spot: TENT.
55. "__ Haw": HEE.
The Grid:
The Grid
WO: FRIzBEE
ESPs: Spelling of XHOSA, CHONK Fav: It's a toss-up - my fav SciFi writer, ISAAC Asimov, or XHOSA just 'cuz I've never seen it in a puzzle before.
Well, do tell - how'd you enjoy Adam's little GAME? RISES to your definition of fun or you just gonna BLOC it out of your mind 'cuz #circles? :-)
BEDROOM DOOR - Double bed. Double room. Double door.
TAKE UP SPACE - Double Take. Double up. Double space.
First, the unifier -- 58 A. Impressive basketball feats, and what 20-, 36-, and 43-Across have: TRIPLE DOUBLES. A triple-double in basketball occurs when a player achieves double digits (10 or more) in three of the five main statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks, with points, rebounds, and assists being the most common combination
20 A. Artist with success in more than one genre: CROSS-OVER STAR. A celebrity who successfully moves from one entertainment field (like music) to another (like acting) or from a niche genre to mainstream success, broadening their appeal. The three doubles here are R, O and S, though the S's over-achieve.
36. What an angsty teenager may slam: BEDROOM DOOR. A bedroom door primarily provides privacy, security, and noise control for a personal space. The psychology behind door slamming involves expressing intense, often negative, emotions like anger, frustration, and helplessness when words fail, acting as a physical release or symbolic boundary-setting against overwhelming situations or people, and sometimes it's a learned behavior or a passive-aggressive way to signal displeasure without direct confrontation, serving as a powerful, non-verbal declaration of ending something or needing space. The three doubles here are D, R and O. The O's have a doubled double.
43. Be useless: TAKE UP SPACE. In a non-constructive way. The doubles here are A, E, and P.
Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here, with only two doubles, though they bookend the alphabet. Let's dig into this puzzle. I promise not to have a tantrum.
Across:
1. Biblical kingdom east of the Dead Sea: MOAB. A people and a land east of the Dead Sea, descended from Lot, known for their frequent conflicts with Israel but also for figures like Ruth, a Moabitess in Jesus's lineage, showcasing grace amidst rivalry.
5. "But there is __ in Mudville ... ": NO JOY. " . . .mighty Casey has struck out." I once had an occasion to write a parody of Ernest Lawrence Thayer's famous poem. It can be seen here.
10. Pack and send: SHIP. My lovely wife does this with her cookies to our grands in remote locations.
14. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay: EDNA. Edna St. Vincent Millay [1892 - 1950] was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She also wrote prose under the pseudonym Nancy Boyd.
15. Abruptly end an engagement?: ELOPE. Well - this is ending it in a hopeful way, getting married.
16. Nevada city on the Truckee River: RENO. A city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County. Reno is a tourist destination known for its casino gambling and proximity to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.
17. Pros and __: CONS. Good and bad points.
18. Relentlessly protect the line on the battlefield: MAKE A STAND. To adopt a firm position or opinion about an issue and be prepared to defend it, often in the face of opposition or a majority consensus.
22. To this point: AS YET. Until now.
23. Snacked: ATE. Consumed victuals, like those in 33 A.
24. Scratch, say: MAR. Cause a defect.
27. Fortuneteller's deck: TAROT. Tarot card reading is a form of cartomancy whereby practitioners use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into the past, present or future. The process typically begins with formulation of a question, followed by drawing and interpreting cards to uncover meaning.
31. Home for Sharks or Kraken: ARENA. This is kind of sneaky, since OCEAN also fits. but no - this refers to two west coast teams in the National Hockey League, located in San Jose and Seattle, respectively.
33. Frito-__ snacks: LAY. Salty, crunchy, carby, bet-you-can't-eat just one delights, as in 23A.
39. Skin care brand: OLAY. A skincare brand owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G), that originated in South Africa in 1952 as "Oil of Olay". Founded by Graham Wulff, the brand was acquired by P&G in 1985. The brand offers moisturizers, cleansers, and serums, and is a market leader in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
41. Decorate: ADORN. Make more beautiful or attractive.
42. BMW competitor: AUDI. German cars. Audi of America, Inc., a subsidiary of Audi AG, markets Audi vehicles in the United States. The company, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, sells sedans, crossovers, coupes, SUVs, and convertibles.
46. Sum of the first three prime numbers: TEN. These primes are two, three and five. One looks like it should also be a prime, but for some technical reason, it isn't.
47. __ legend: URBAN. A humorous or horrific story or piece of information circulated as though true, especially one purporting to involve someone vaguely related or known to the teller. Or - such a story about country singer and former spouse of Nicole, Keith. Or [and this is a reach] a high-performance race car built as a 5/8-scale replica of 1930s and 1940s American automobiles, driven in the city.
48. Choose: ELECT. Opt for.
50. Big D sch.: SMU. Southern MethodistUniversity, a private research university in University Park, Texas, United States. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now part of the United Methodist Church—in partnership with Dallas civic leaders.
51. Org. that may confiscate liquids: TSA. Transportation Security Administration, a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency, secures U.S. transportation systems. Created in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, its main focus is airport security, preventing aircraft hijackings and other threats.
54. Torah teacher: RABBI. A spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. A person becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as semikhah—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts, including the Tanakh, Midrash, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, Halakha, and rabbinic commentaries thereon.
63. Find an extra level, ala Spinal Tap: GO TO ELEVEN. One more better higher louder.
65. Help (out): BAIL. Rescue someone from a bad spot, often financially or from trouble, by analogy to paying bail to get released from jail. One of my trombone buddies bailed me out with an extra stand light when mine went out in the middle of performing for a Christmas party on Sunday.
66. Innovator's first step: IDEA. A thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.
67. Like a baseball bat's symmetry: AXIAL. Symmetry around an axis or line (geometry). An object is said to be axially symmetric if its appearance is unchanged if transformed around an axis. In a bat, this axis is the center line along the length of the bat.
68. Squeeze (past): EDGE. To win or advance by a very small margin; or to narrowly slip by an obstacle.
69. Square figure: NERD. A nerd is a term for someone deeply passionate about intellectual, academic, or niche subjects, often seen as socially awkward. A square is someone uncool, conventional, old-fashioned, or out of touch with current trends.
70. Running total: TALLY. The current amount at any given moment.
71. Juicy bit of info: DEET. Slang for detail[s.]. They don't have to be juicy, so I have my doubts about this clue
Down:
1. Hajj destination: MECCA. A hajj the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place in the last month of the year, and that all Muslims are expected to make at least once during their lifetime. Mecca is Islam's holiest city, located in Saudi Arabia, known as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad.
2. Smells: ODORS. Aromas, if they're pleasant. If not, other synonyms may apply.
3. Pester: ANNOY. Bug or irritate someone, or make them a little angry.
4. Type of dog serenaded by Elvis on "The Steve Allen Show": BASSET. It's a hound.
6. Royal name of Norway: OLAV. The name of 5 Norwegian kings over the last 1000 or so years.
7. Card material: JOKE. In slang, "card" often means an amusing, eccentric, or unique person. Which card? The Joker, probably.
8. Jake Heggie's "Dead Man Walking," for one: OPERA. A renowned contemporary American opera by composer Jake Heggie with a libretto by Terrence McNally, based on Sister Helen Prejean's memoir about her spiritual work with death row inmates, exploring themes of justice, compassion, and humanity.
9. Beer foam producer: YEAST. Yeast makes beer foam by producing carbon dioxide during fermentation, which forms bubbles that get trapped by foam-stabilizing proteins from malt and yeast, creating the frothy head
10. Mex. miss: SRTA. A form of "señorita", a noun which is often translated as "young lady". "Srta." is an abbreviation which is often translated as "Ms.".
11. "I can explain": HEAR ME OUT. "Hear me out" means "listen to my full explanation or perspective before you judge or respond," asking for patience to fully convey an idea, often something unusual or potentially controversial, so the listener understands the complete thought.
12. Travel stop: INN. A place to spend the night in.
13. Orca family group: POD. A whale pod is a social group, usually of related whales (like orcas or dolphins), that travels, hunts, and lives together, often centered around a matriarchal line, providing protection and cooperative benefits.
19. Boiling water output: STEAM. Water vapor condensing in the air.
21. Guess: STAB. An attempt to answer, without a sound basis in knowledge or evidence.
25. Cathode's counterpart: ANODE. The negative and positively charged electrodes, respectively, of a device.
26. __ to go: RARIN'. Eager and enthusiastic.
28. Gather, as crops: REAP. Bring in the harvest.
29. Against all __: ODDS. Succeeding or happening despite extremely low chances, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, or expectations that it wouldn't happen, emphasizing perseverance and unlikely triumph over difficulty.
30. Familiar theme: TROPE. A writer's usage of commonly recurring or overused literary techniques and rhetorical devices (characters and situations), motifs, and clichés in a work of creative literature.
32. Nutrition fig.: RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowance, the average daily nutrient intake level that meets the needs of nearly all (97-98%) healthy people in a specific life stage and gender group, serving as a key guideline within Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) to ensure adequate nutrition
33. Seated meditation pose: LOTUS. An advanced yoga and meditation pose where each foot rests on the opposite thigh, creating a stable, upright seat with knees pointing out, resembling a lotus flower.
34. False follower?: ALARM. Misdirecting clue. The word "alarm" can follow the word "false." It means a warning given about something that fails to happen.
35. Calorific tea ingredient in Tibet: YAK BUTTER. Yak butter tea, or po cha, is a traditional, hearty Himalayan drink made from strong tea, yak butter, salt, and sometimes milk, providing essential fats and energy in harsh climates, often described as savory, oily, and creamy, serving as sustenance, a ritual drink, and even a skin moisturizer. It's prepared by boiling tea leaves, churning the strong brew with yak butter and salt, and sometimes milk, resulting in a frothy, soup-like beverage that's central to Tibetan culture and diet.
37. Like much medication: ORAL. Taken by mouth, rather than injection.
38. __ in a lifetime: ONCE. An event, experience, or opportunity that is extremely rare, special, and unlikely to happen again in a person's life. And this famous song.
40. Vote to pass a bill: YEA. All opposed say Nae.
44. Loosen, as a shoelace: UNTIE. Undo a knot.
45. Hosiery shade: ECRU. A pale, creamy, grayish-yellow or light brownish-beige color, named from the French word for "raw" or "unbleached" linen, describing its original natural state.
49. Like busy browser windows: TABBED. As I write this, I have 14 tabs open in my Chrome window.
52. Water balloon sound: SPLAT. A slappy, splashy sound.
53. Amazon assistant with regional accents: ALEXA. Amazon's cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) voice service that powers smart speakers (like Echo) and other devices, allowing users to control them with voice commands to play music, get news, manage smart home devices, set timers, and more. Alternatively, my 2nd oldest granddaughter.
55. Mandoline piece: BLADE. A mandoline slicer is a kitchen tool with a razor-sharp blade for quickly slicing fruits and vegetables into uniform shapes and thicknesses.
I'll admit I was baffled by this for a while, since I misunderstood the clue.
56. Hosiery shade: BEIGE. A pale, sandy, neutral color, like a grayish-tan or light yellowish-brown, named from the French for undyed, natural wool, offering a warm, subtle, and versatile backdrop often associated with dependability and relaxation, blending creamy off-white with light brown tones. And a clecho.
62. Hulu's "__ Murders in the Building": ONLY. No one or nothing more besides; solely or exclusively. The program is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. The show focuses on a trio of strangers (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) with a shared interest in true crime podcasts, who become friends while investigating a succession of suspicious murders in the Arconia, their upscale apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and producing their own podcast about the cases, titled Only Murders in the Building. It's been renewed for a 6th season. I never got around to watching season 4.
63. Gimlet liquor: GIN. A Gimlet is a classic, tart, and refreshing cocktail made with gin, lime juice, and a sweetener like simple syrup or lime cordial, traditionally shaken with ice and served up in a coupe glass, garnished with a lime wheel or twist. Gin is a clear, distilled alcoholic spirit defined by its primary flavoring: juniper berries, combined with other botanicals like citrus peels, coriander, and angelica root, creating a fresh, piney, and complex flavor profile, popular in cocktails.
64. Lines from an admirer: ODE. A lyrical, often ceremonial poem that praises or glorifies a specific person, place, thing, or idea.
That wraps up another Wednesday. Happy holidays, and a joyous and prosperous New Year to all. I'll be back in January.
