Sunday May 4, 2025 Kelly Richardson & Amanda Cook

Theme: "At Any Rate" -  The last words of the theme entries form a logical movement sequence.

 23. *Old-fashioned establishment?: COCKTAIL LOUNGE. Resting rate.

 37. *Measurement unit on some graph-ruled paper: SQUARE INCH.

 46. *Commodity sold in board-feet: ROUGH LUMBER.

 52. *Charge up?: PRICE HIKE.

 66. *Annual upriver migration: SALMON RUN.

 82. *Group nearly eradicated in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": HUMAN RACE.

 90. *What may hang by a thread?: HEXAGON BOLT.

 98. *Invasive species that may be spotted in the garden?: LANTERN FLY.

Reveal:

112. Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BRING UP TO SPEED.

Steady progression, from stillness to fly.  Just like the reveal explains, the constructors are bringing things up to speed.

Across:

1. Subwoofer output: BASS.

5. Salsa partner on a dip platter, casually: GUAC. Tasty on the Seeduction bread.

9. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA.

13. The Beyhive, e.g.: FANDOM. Beyoncé's fan base.

19. Spark: IDEA.

20. Fully aware of: ONTO.

21. Tusked hog: BOAR.

22. Like Chamonix: ALPINE.

26. Features of New York's Guggenheim museum: CURVES.

27. Roller coaster material: STEEL.

28. Behind schedule: LATE.

29. [Cough cough]: AHEM.

31. Self or sheep suffix: ISH.

32. Smoked beef cuts: BRISKETS.

35. Writers with star power?: CRITICS. Because they rate in stars. Great clue.

40. Water cooler sound: GLUG.

41. "You rock!," facetiously: NOICE.  OK, it's exaggerated Nice, not NO ICE. Thanks, Anonymous!)

44. Rush: HURRY.

45. D.C. pro: NAT.

48. Memoji platform: IOS.

49. __-12: athletic org.: PAC.

50. "__ Maria": AVE.

51. Staunton of "The Crown": IMELDA. She played Queen Elizabeth.

56. Blueprint: DESIGN.

59. Dates: SEES.

60. Travel plaza fuel supplier: SUNOCO.

61. Villain's hideout: LAIR.

63. Japanese camera brand: NIKON.

65. Org.-wide message: MEMO.

69. Kitten cries: MEWS.

72. Small sound: INLET.

74. "American Fiction" actress Rae: ISSA. Super talented.

75. "Sure, that totally sounds credible": YEAH OK.

77. "Shoot to Thrill" band: AC/DC.

80. Polar dome: ICECAP. Hence NOICE rather than NO ICE earlier. Patti normally doesn't allow this type of dupe. 

85. Carving tool: CHISEL.

87. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.

88. Articulate: SAY.

89. Solder element: TIN.

93. Prevail: WIN.

94. Like slow lorises and snow leopards: ASIAN. Look at his eyes. Some live in China's Yunnan province.

96. Knicks legend Patrick: EWING.

97. Like some wine: OAKY.

100. Crux: ESSENCE.

102. Plovdiv's country: BULGARIA. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, 93 miles southeast of Sofia, a la Wikipedia.

103. Buffalo Bills gp.: AFC.

105. Out of control: AMOK.

106. "You" actor Badgley: PENN. Also in "Gossip Girl".

107. Email option: REPLY.

110. Muss: TOUSLE.

117. Single word on its own line, in typesetting: ORPHAN. Learning moment for me. The orphan and the last widow look the same to me.

118. "If it __ broke ... ": AIN'T.

119. Subscription level: TIER.

120. At any point: EVER.

121. "Kinda weird ... ": IT'S ODD.

122. "Sky Landing" artist Ono: YOKO.

123. Salty septet: SEAS.

124. Ceremony: RITE.

Down:

1. Pen brand: BIC.

2. Big bothers: ADOS.

3. Religious subgroup: SECT.

4. Place to sample Dassai: SAKE BAR. Dassai is a premium sake brand. It means "otter festival". Their website said there used to be many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers where the brewery is based.

5. Net asset?: GOALIE. Hockey net.

6. College, abroad: UNI.

7. Falcons city, briefly: ATL.

8. Gather: COLLECT.

9. Borders: ABUTS.

10. Unaccompanied: LONE.

11. Twitch streamer's headache: LAG.

12. Throw on the floor: AREA RUG. Noun "throw".

13. Jewel side: FACET.

14. Lightweight metal: ALUMINUM.

15. "Code Switch" network: NPR.

16. Capable of an even split: DIVISIBLE.

17. Vending machine bills: ONES.

18. Mosquito net fabric: MESH.

24. "Fresh Air" host Gross: TERRY. Used to listen to her often.

25. Pledge: OATH.

30. Lofty: HIGH.

33. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.

34. Natural talent: KNACK.

35. Puzzle hints: CLUES.

36. Approaches: COMES NEAR.

37. Impossibly bottled objects: SHIPS.

38. Minimum needed for action: QUORUM.

39. Bearlike: URSINE.

40. Serves the people: GOVERNS.

42. Formally yield: CEDE.

43. Notable periods: ERAS.

46. Ad with a jingle, maybe: RADIO SPOT.

47. Connection: LINK.

49. Vietnamese beef noodle soup: PHO.

53. Creative type?: COMIC SANS. Because the font has a creative vibe?

54. B-school course: ECON.

55. Tail end?: ELL.Just the final letter Tail.

57. Shiba __: INU.

58. Martini ingredient: GIN.

62. Not unkindly: AMIABLY.

64. Portent: OMEN.

66. Length of 24 film frames, briefly: SEC. 24 frames per second is the standard frame rate for movies.

67. Gobbled up: ATE.

68. Repeated syllable in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance": RAH.

70. "Let's say ... ": WHAT IF.

71. Gregarious: SOCIAL.

73. Stitch's friend: LILO.

75. "Woot woot!": YAY.

76. "Footloose" singer Loggins: KENNY.

77. Yearning: ACHE.

78. Think (on): CHEW.

79. Lemonade stand stackers: DIXIE CUPS.

81. Blow it under pressure: CHOKE.

83. Implementing: USING.

84. Big-brained ray: MANTA.

86. Deli sandwich filling: EGG SALAD.

91. Wearing white to a wedding, e.g.: NO NO.

92. Ritzy Boston neighborhood: BACK BAY. Tom Brady lived in this area for many years.

93. Carrot cake additions: WALNUTS.

94. Latin for "ram": ARIES.

95. Fish often served whole: SNAPPER.

98. Organ in the chest cavity: LUNG.

99. Blunders and bobbles: ERRORS.

101. Fix, as syntax: EMEND.

102. Lunch box with compartments: BENTO. Bento is derived from Chinese Biandang, literally "convenient".

103. Yours, in French: A TOI.

104. Cozy blanket structure: FORT.

106. "__ Pony Club": Chappell Roan hit: PINK.

108. 22nd U.S. vice president Morton: LEVI. Didn't know him. Under Benjamin Harrison.

109. Throw, slangily: YEET.

111. "Fellow Travelers" airer, for short: SHO.

113. Carnival city: RIO.

114. Dessert with a crust: PIE.

115. Rooibos, for one: TEA.

116. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE.

C.C.

Friday, January 10, 2025, Amanda Cook

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from an extended stay in the quite cold Colorado Rockies.  The cooling effects of that stay have worn off pretty quickly because today's constructor, Amanda Cook, has elected to take us in quite the opposite direction.  Would it be improper to say that, although I have never met the woman, Amanda has given me HOTS?  I know, I know.  A little context is required and here it is:

At the four corners of the puzzle, Ms. Cook has placed answers that can be preceded by the word HOT.  The reveal comes at:

35 Across:  Third base, in baseball lingo, or one of four in this puzzle: HOT CORNER.  It is commonly assumed that the term came about because of the hot shots aimed at the third baseman, but the explanation is not universally accepted. "Third base was so named about 40 years ago when most of the star sluggers were right-handed. Nowadays, however, with so many hard hitting left-handers, first base is equally 'hot'." - Fan And Family October, 1935

... and the theme is applied at:

1 Across:  Valued entity:  HOT COMMODITY.

10  Across:  Chances:  HOT SHOTS.  Chances as in "to take your best SHOT" at something.  Hot Shots, of course are what all solvers who hang out here are.

64 Across:  Breathes heavily:  HOT PANTS.  With HOT, a style of women's shorts.

65 Across:  See's Candies candy:  HOT CHOCOLATE.  After a career at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Valerie decided to work part time at Sees' Candies just for the fun of it.

"Hello.  How may I sweeten your day?"

 

1D. Gâteaux: HOT CAKES.  Plural French clue.

 

14D. Take off and run?: HOT STREAK.  As in take off one's clothes.  Remember the streaking fad?

 

43D. Trade secrets?: HOT GOSSIP.  Trade, here, is used as a verb.

 

 53D. Arrange for serving, as a meal: HOT PLATE. Used, here, as a verb.

 

 This is how all of the themers, and everything else, appears in the grid:

The rest of the clues and answers are:

Across:

15. Dodgy behavior: AVOIDANCE.  As avoidance is not always dodgy behavior,  this clue threw this solver off the scent for a bit.

16. Deck with Major and Minor Arcana: TAROT.  Cards frequently "read" in crossword puzzles.

17. Result of slaying it at the gym: KILLER ABS.

18. Smoldering bit: EMBER.  Did you hear about the baby coal that went missing?  They sent out an EMBER alert.

19. Conclusion: END.

20. Attempt: TRY.

21. Downfall: DEMISE.

22. Google rankings metric: Abbr.: SEO.  Search Engine Optimization  All You Might Want To Know

23. GI entertainers:  USAGE .

24. Bubblegum __: POP.  A music genre reference.  An example (listen at your own risk):

25. Radio host Charlamagne __ God: THA.  Lenard Larry McKelvey.   Humility is, apparently, not the attributes to which he aspires.

26. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.  A Disney movie reference.

28. Holds off: WAITS.

30. Just swell: A OK.

31. "Wicked" pair: ACTS.  A reference to the stage production.

33. Oahu garland: LEI.  Oahu being one of the Hawaiian islands.

34. Pub order: ALE.

38. C-suite member: CFO.  Chief Financial Officer.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.

40. Spanish gold: ORO.

41. Hardly cheerful: GRIM.  Bill and Ted's take on the subject:

43. Long-jawed fish: GAR.

Gar Brooks

44. Floating overhead: ALOFT.

46. __ of March: IDES.  Beware!

48. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

49. Innovative: NEW.

50. Mork's home: ORK.  A Robin Williams reference.

52. The __ Ministry: "Rest Is Resistance" organization: NAP.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

54. Some tuna cuts: STEAKS.  Tuna puns are fin-ally back in season.

56. Composers' rights org.: BMI.  This could have been clued with a reference to Body Mass Index.

57. Ego Nwodim's show, for short: SNL.

58. Magical symbol: SIGIL.  A learning moment for this solver.

59. Geographical region for a retailer: TRADE AREA.

62. Completely silly: INANE.

63. Quiz with bona fide answers?: LATIN TEST.  Bona fide being a Latin expression.


Down:

2. Sheep: OVINES.  Baaa,  Not to be confused with BOVINES.  Moo.

3. Landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania: MOLDOVA.

4. The Bucks, in sports crawls: MIL.  A professional basketball reference.

5. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.

6. Bolts: DARTS.  Not a hardware reference.  Used as a verb.

7. Lined up: IN A ROW.

8. Froyo chain: TCBY.  Originally called This Can't Be Yogurt but quickly altered to The Country's Best Yogurt because it served, of course, actual frozen yogurt.

9. "Affirmative": YES.

10. Brews: STEEPS.  As with tea.

11. "Grimsburg" voice actor Jon: HAMM.  More often clued with a reference to soccer star Mia HAMM.

12. Like a moon's path: ORBITAL.

13. Ballet slipper: TOE SHOE.

21. Overly affectionate: DOTING.

23. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.  As you would have them, or before, depending on your world view.

24. Beach town structure: PIER.

27. Reverberate: ECHO.  Co-opted by Amazon.

29. Emotionally detached: ALOOF.  What do you call a person unaware of whole wheat, whole grain, sourdough and rye?  ALOOF of bread.

32. Elegant wraps: STOLES.  Many of our mothers had one I suspect.

34. Dry: ARID.

36. Black bird: CROW.  A crow invited her friends over to hang out but they didn’t show up.  She was charged with attempted murder.

37. Composer Satie: ERIK.  A frequent visitor.

38. Mexican bar: CANTINA.  Alternatively, a Star Wars reference.

39. One who practices minimal consumption: FREEGAN.  New to this solver.

42. Awareness of wrongdoing, in criminal law: MENS REA.

44. Low joints: ANKLES.  Not a dive bar.  A joint to be found low on one's body.

45. Shakshouka base: TOMATO. Shakshuka is a dish made of eggs poached in a spicy tomato and bell pepper sauce, often seasoned with spices like cumin and paprika. To make it, sauté onions and bell peppers, add garlic and spices, then stir in crushed tomatoes, simmer, and finally crack eggs into the sauce to poach them. 

47. Most realistic: SANEST.

51. Totes absurd: RIDIC.  RIDICulous.  My sentiments, exactly.

 

55. Colloquial contraction: AIN'T.

56. "Duuuude ... ": BRAH.

59. "No Scrubs" group: TLC.  

60. Ambient musician Brian: ENO.  Another frequent visitor.

61. Georgia airport code: ATL.  ATLanta's Hartsfield Airport.

Continuing with the baseball references (e.g. Hot Corner), a big "Thank You!" to NaomiZ for "pinch hitting" for me during my sabbatical.

___________________________________________________

Sunday June 9, 2024 Amanda Cook & Kelly Richardson

Theme: "DJ Remix" - D and J are swapped in each common phrase.

22. College administrators who never skip gym class?: RIPPED DEANS. Ripped jeans.

28. Mistake a bluebird for a blue bird?: CALL IT A JAY. Call it a day.

41. Finally breaking up with that no-good, pool hall hustler?: DUMPING THE SHARK. Jumping the shark.

64. Tiny bells added to an ugly Christmas sweater?: JANGLING MODIFIERS. Dangling modifers.

85. Honorific for San Francisco's top athlete?: THE JOCK OF THE BAY. The Dock of the Bay.

103. Beaver construction party?: DAM SESSION. Jam session.

111. "Good news! The animals living under the deck aren't skunks!"?: JUST BUNNIES. Dust bunnies.

Ah, I grokked the theme immediately. I bet many regulars did also.

I suck at this type of letter change themes and I always admire how others clue their wacky theme entries.

Love the fill today. So smooth and clean.

Across:

1. Center: HEART.

 6. Visibly nervous: SHAKY.

11. BCBS offering: HMO. Blue Cross Blue Shield.

14. Beaker's sound: MEEP. OK, Beaker the Muppet.

18. Wabbit hunter Fudd: ELMER.

19. Like a foggy graveyard: EERIE.

20. Brim (with): TEEM.

21. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR. Most famous Minnesotan in crossword world.

24. Panache: ELAN.

25. Score symbol: NOTE.

26. Mattel product: DOLL.

27. Whoops: YELLS.

30. Harder to hike: STEEPER. Nothing beats the thrill of climbing Huashan, world's deadliest hiking route. My hometown.

32. "Big yikes": HOO BOY.

34. Court orders: WRITS.

35. __ Talks: TED.

36. Shinbone: TIBIA.

37. Podcast equipment: MIC.

38. Iverson in the Basketball Hall of Fame: ALLEN.

48. Nintendo Switch precursor: WII.

49. Carolyn Bertozzi, notably: CHEMIST. Did not know her. She received the Nobel in 2022.

51. One with niblings: AUNT. Google shows that "Nibling is a gender-neutral term used to refer to a child of one's sibling as a replacement for "niece" or "nephew". Learning moment for me also.
 
52. Regret: RUE.

53. Massachusetts state tree: ELM.

54. "__ Nagila": Hebrew folk song: HAVA. And 6. Occasion to read the Haggadah: SEDER.

55. Made brownies, say: BAKED.

57. Crafty platform: ETSY.

58. Gwen of No Doubt: STEFANI.

60. Penalty shot defender: GOALIE.

63. Queues up: WAITS.

68. Still-life subject, often: FRUIT.

70. Man cave locale, maybe: GARAGE. Not in MN. Too cold in winter.

71. In the spotlight for bad behavior: ON BLAST.

74. Freight option: RAIL.

75. Nick of "Cape Fear": NOLTE.

77. Purple bloom: IRIS.

78. Once called: NEE.

79. "Exit full screen" button: ESC.

80. "Toodles": CIAO.

81. Indian flatbread: CHAPATI.

84. Some undergrad degs.: AAS.

89. Churchyard peals: TOLLS.

91. Scrape (by): EKE.

92. Opera solos: ARIAS.

93. Muscle mag muscle: PEC.

94. Space Invaders console: ATARI.

97. Marzipan nut: ALMOND. Never had Marzipan.

99. Abandons: DESERTS.

105. Concert platform: RISER.

108. Heavenly glow: AURA.

109. NYC drama award: OBIE.

110. Vegan pho protein: TOFU. This is my favorite Tofu brand at the moment.

113. Bridesmaid's handful: POSY.

114. Tinnitus docs: ENTS.

115. Balance sheet entry: ASSET.

116. Sty sounds: OINKS.

117. Lob: TOSS.

118. Director Anderson: WES. Prolific. "Asteroid City" is his latest hit.

119. Big bangs: WHAMS.

120. Like a windbag: GASSY.

Down:

1. Ranch groups: HERDS.

2. "Daniel Deronda" novelist: ELIOT (George)

3. Bountiful: AMPLE.

4. Brimming (with): REPLETE.

5. Three, in Trieste: TRE. Port city in Italy.

7. Tap location: HEEL.

8. North __ Sea: Central Asian lake: ARAL.

9. Bonds between friends: KINSHIPS.

10. "Absolutely!": YES.

11. "Are you even listening?": HELLO.

12. Like overripe apples: MEALY.

13. Hyatt competitor: OMNI.

14. Orange-and-black butterfly: MONARCH.

15. Fire in a text?: EMOJI. Fire emoji.

16. Patronize, as a bistro: EAT AT.

17. Hunts, with "on": PREYS.

20. Rooibos pouch: TEA BAG.

23. Made an egg into an Easter egg: DYED.

28. Invent, as a word: COIN.

29. Chocolate-and-vanilla soft serve: TWIST.

31. Inclination: PENCHANT.

33. Memorial piece: OBIT.

36. "Ew, stop talking!": TMI.

37. Resew, maybe: MEND.

38. Dazzles: AWES. 

39. Jaunty tune: LILT.

40. Ceviche marinade: LIME JUICE.  Looks yummy.

41. Crafty sort: DEVIL.

42. Hindu goddess also known as Parvati: UMA. Another learning moment.

43. Activist known for his time aboard the Enterprise: TAKEI.

44. Tinge: HUE.

45. Small-batch: ARTISANAL.

46. Used car concern: RUST.

47. Florida __: KEYS.

50. Get together: HANG.

55. Online journal: BLOG. And 63. Squarespace creations: WEBSITES.

56. Assistant: AIDE.

57. Former Chief Justice Warren: EARL.

59. Word in many a YouTube title: FAIL. Like makeup fails.

60. Little pest: GNAT.

61. D&D monster: OGRE.

62. "I'm an open book" Reddit sesh: AMA. Ask Me Anything.

65. Heavy-duty cooler brand: IGLOO.

66. Venture: FORAY.

67. "What's __ for you?": IN IT.

68. Sitar ridge: FRET.

69. Hasty: RASH.

72. Wax closure: SEAL.

73. Harper of "No Country for Old Men": TESS.

75. French Riviera city: NICE.

76. Iowa state tree: OAK.

77. Many a Lagunitas brew, briefly: IPA.

80. Roberts who was one of NPR's "Founding Mothers": COKIE.

81. Helmet clip spot: CHIN.

82. Result of standing up too fast: HEADRUSH. Low blood pressure.

83. Six-packs, sometimes: ABS.

86. Game day tops: JERSEYS.

87. Nathan's __ hot dogs: FAMOUS.

88. Jumbo suffix: TRON.

90. Papua New Guinea region: OCEANIA. Guess how many languages in this island nation?

93. Cuzco's country: PERU. 100. Cuzco attraction: RUINS.

94. Rescue, as a pet: ADOPT.

95. Don't: TABOO.

96. Off: AMISS.

97. In concert: AS ONE.

98. Rides: LIFTS.

99. Balance sheet entries: DEBTS.

101. Does the Tour du Mont Blanc, say: TREKS.

102. Bold: SASSY.

 104. Crockpot recipe: STEW.

106. "The Lovebirds" actress Rae: ISSA.

 107. Derive (from): STEM.

 111. Chatter: JAW.

 112. Holiday party serving: NOG.

 

Here are two great pictures from Lemonade, our faithful Friday Sherpa for many years. That's his sweet wife Oo taking the selfie. The other two are his granddaughters Charlotte and Harper. The little boy in the second picture is his cute grandson Owen. You can click here to see more pictures.  

C.C.