Saturday Themeless by Brian Callahan & Matthew Luter
I had a very quick liftoff on Brian and Matthew's puzzle but there were a few, "Gary, we have a problem" events that took some in-flight adjustments. Eventually, "Crossword base here, the puzzle has landed!" Too much space? 😀
Brian and Matthew are shown below l -> r.
Across:
1. Jimmy who plays Senator Bail Organa: SMITS - Five letter Jimmy actors are few and far between. Jimmy joined the Star Wars troupe
6. Luge, e.g.: SLED - 80mph on a lunch tray? Yikes!
10. Focus of a theme park that began in Billund, Denmark: LEGO.
15. Upbeat greeting: HI YA and 24. Upbeat greeting: HEY. Sup?
16. Brute: OGRE.
17. Unstable: ROCKY.
18. One reading supertitles, maybe: OPERA GOER - Translations projected above the stage.
Oh, that's what they're singing.
20. "Voyage to India" singer: ARIE and 7. "New Rules" singer Dua: LIPA - Both are often in concert in our puzzles.
21. Aggressive headspace: BEAST MODE.
22. Places for boxers to be washed: PET SPAS 😀
25. One who is a pro at getting into people's heads?: ENT - This one got me started on CPAP
27. Loved ones: DEARS.
28. Currency of Ont.: CAD - A Big Mac costs #7.81 CAD ($5.66 USD)
29. Emotion that leads to suffering, per Yoda: HATE.
30. Felt for: PITIED.
32. "Def!": TOTES - Using TOTES for totally and Def for definitely is cringy slang for me
33. "What bizarre behavior!": WHO EVEN DOES THAT.
37. Adjust, as a lock: REKEY.
38. Flap on a zebu: DEWLAP - Under his neck
39. "The Demon of Unrest" author Larson: ERIK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
40. Apple platform: IOS - My iPhone uses IOS and my MacBook uses OSX
41. Plagiarizes: CRIBS - Cheating by any other name is still the same
44. Winter libation: NOG.
45. "Yo te __": AMO.
I love you more! No, I love you more!
46. Dupe: MISLEAD.
48. Letters in the sand?: BEACH READ 😀
51. New York stadium namesake: ASHE - I had to anagram SHEA to get to the correct fill
52. Doesn't travel far for fare: EATS LOCAL.
53. Plagiarize: STEAL - Plagiarize redux
54. Small deviation: BLIP.
55. "Crying in H __": Michelle Zauner memoir: MART ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
56. Numerical prefix: TETRA - Carbon TETRAchloride has four chlorine atoms bonded to one Carbon atom.
57. Short diner orders: BLT'S.
58. Amazon Handmade alternative: ETSY.
59. Literature exam component: ESSAY.
Down:
1. Guitar attachment: STRAP - Some are personalized.
2. Tied fast: MOORED - Fast is an adjective here
3. Provoke: INCITE.
4. Looks between one's fingers, perhaps: TAKES A PEEK.
5. Artful: SLY.
6. They're usually around two feet: SHOES 😀
8. Palette array: EYE SHADOW.
9. Flitted: DARTED.
10. Trademarked image: LOGO.
11. Phase of self-surrender in Joseph Campbell's hero's journey: EGO DEATH ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
12. Mochi option: GREEN TEA.
13. Whitman's "Gliding __ All": OER.
19. Acker of "The Gifted": AMY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ She's on the right
21. Keep moist, in a way: BASTE.
23. Head outside?: PRIVY 😀 A bathroom on a ship is called a head but I doubt if they are outside like this one.
26. __ cricket: TEST - This is the most prestigious form of cricket. I don't understand that or the game at all.
28. Gives up: CEDES.
29. Baking exercise?: HOT PILATES - The same exercises done in a hotter room.
31. Family member with a window to the world: INDOOR CAT - The tags on our Lily are superfluous now because she is a strict INDOOR CAT.
32. Pre-1917 rulers: TSARS.
33. Architect Christopher: WREN - A lovely two-minute bio
34. Flashy moves from a selfish hoopster: HERO BALL - A basketball player is said to be playing HERO BALL when he selfishly tries to take over the game especially at the end. I always think of James Hardin.
35. "Fine, you made your point!": OK I GET IT.
36. Castilian hero: EL CID.
40. Text after a long journey: I'M HOME.
42. Plagues: BESETS.
43. Bogart film set in the desert: SAHARA - 1943 vintage
45. Knee pt.: ACL - Tearing it has ended many athletic careers
46. Like brown ale: MALTY - Sounded right
47. Push back: DELAY.
49. Hieroglyphic animals: ASPS.
50. Hearing things: EARS 😀
52. Subside: EBB.
53. Fr. title: STE - An abbreviation. for a female saint
Theme: Dorothy was FLAT OUT WRONG! There are lots of places like home.
17 A. *Completely and utterly incorrect: FLAT OUT WRONG. Like the beliefs of flat earthers, I suppose. A FLAT is also an apartment. This is more common in British than in American usage, I think.
24 A. *Cheat sheets: CRIB NOTES. Written notes used as an aid in "remembering' things, sometimes used to cheat on a test. I vaguely remember a prof allowing us to have a crib sheet in a physics test once upon a time. I had to google to learn that CRIB could also be ones house of apartment. I don't recall ever seeing or hearing it use in this way. Then, within a couple of hours of typing this, I did see it. Irony strikes again.
35 A. *Tries to uncover old scandals, say: DIGS UP DIRT. Searches for negative information in order to damage someone's reputation, or influence public opinion. DIGS also refers to a person's place of residence.
47 A. *Thai dish also called "drunken noodles": PAD KEE MAO. This is a Thai stir-fried noodle dish. Anecdotally, its name refers to it being popular among the inebriated; alcohol is not part of the ingredients or preparation. PAD also refers to someone's home.
And the unifier -- 56 A. Change for a dollar, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues: FOUR QUARTERS. QUARTERS refers to rooms or lodgings, especially those allocated to people in military or domestic service.
So, my homies, the four stared clues all indicate someone's living QUARTERS. I'd give 25 pennies for your thoughts.
Hi Gang -- Jazzbumpa here, reporting from the cozy comfort of my own living quarters. We've had lots of cold and snow, so I'm happy to not be anywhere else
Across:
1. Reading while propped up by pillows, say: ABED. Getting comfy in the coziest part of one's quarters.
5. Peach __: MELBA. A dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream. It was invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London, to honor the Australian soprano Nellie Melba.
10. Casual greetings: HIs. Hi, and Hi again. I'm not fond of this. It's a tortured plural you are very unlikely to ever see or hear in the real world. And it is spelt like the singular male possessive pronoun.
13. Black bird: RAVEN. Any large black bird, of which the RAVEN is one example.
15. "It's our time to shine!": WE'RE ON. It's our turn to perform or present something.
16. German cry: ACH. An exclamation or interjection. It is similar to the English “Oh.”
19. Quilting party: BEE. A gathering of people for a specific purpose
20. Texas city that forms the Petroplex with Midland: ODESSA. Odessa is a city in western Texas. Downtown, Jack Ben Rabbit is an 8-foot-tall statue of a jackrabbit. Another 37 Jamboree Jackrabbits dot the city. The Presidential Archives and Leadership Library exhibits presidential memorabilia. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin's Stonehenge is a replica of the famous English site. To the southwest, meteorite fragments are on display at the Odessa Meteor Crater.
21. Activist Yoko: ONO. Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, musician, singer, author, filmmaker, and peace activist. A pioneer of conceptual and participatory art in the 1960s, her work is known for its political messages, feminist themes, and audience participation.
22. Venue: SITE. A specific location for an event or meeting.
23. Worldwide social welfare org.: UNICEF. Originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.
26. Lease: RENT. Pay someone for the use of (something, typically property, land, or a car). A lease is a legal contract regarding the details of a rental agreement.
27. Meadow: LEA. An open area of grassy or arable land.
29. Expression of awe: OOH - AAH. An informal idiom that means to express pleasure, surprise, or both.
30. NFC East team, on scoreboards: NYG. The New York Giants are an American Football team competing in the East Division of the National football Conference.
31. Pre-GPS navigation aid: AAA MAP. A paper map obtained from the American Automobile Association
34. Rugrats: TOTS. Very young children. I fondly remember those days. Most of our grands are adults now.
37. Wineglass part: STEM. True story -- One time a few years ago we were eating at one of those small plate restaurants when the waitress accidentally dropped a utensil. It hit my wine glass, breaking the bowl from the stem. The bowl landed upright on the table and didn't spill a drop. I felt like I witnessed a miracle.
39. Pricey property: ESTATE. An extensive area of land in the country, usually with a large house, owned by one person, family, or organization.
40. Gas additive brand: STP. STP® Gas Treatment claims to improve the quality of gas by adding powerful cleaning agents that help fight the accumulation of harmful deposits in the fuel system that can reduce performance.
43. Like meat rubs: SPICED. Seasoned with various flavorful spices.
45. Air marshal's org.: TSA. Transportation Security Administration, a US agency that protects the country's transportation systems. The TSA was created after the 9/11 attacks to prevent future attacks.
46. Formal address: SIRE. An archaic form of respectful address for someone of high social status, especially a king.
50. More svelte: LEANER. More slender and elegant.
52. Midmonth time: IDES. In the ancient Roman calendar, a day falling roughly in the middle of each month (the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months) from which other dates were calculated.
53. As well: TOO. Also.
54. Groom-to-be: FIANCE. A man to whom someone is engaged to be married.
55. Knock: RAP. As knuckles on a door, to gain entrance.
59. "The Bear" Emmy winner Edebiri: AYO. Ayo Edebiri [b. 1995] is an American actress, comedian, and television writer who has solidified her star status in recent years. Since 2022, she has played chef Sydney Adamu in the comedy-drama series The Bear, winning a Golden Globe Award for her performance.
60. "Sense and Sensibility" novelist Jane: AUSTEN. Jane Austen [1775-1817] was an English novelist known for her six novels that critique and comment on the English landed gentry in the late 18th century. Her works are celebrated for their social commentary, particularly on class, status, and gender barriers.
61. __ Lawrence College: SARAH. Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York, United States. Founded as a women's college in 1926, Sarah Lawrence College has been coeducational since 1968. The college's campus in Yonkers maintains a Bronxville mailing address and sits roughly 20 miles from New York City. Founder William van Duzer Lawrence named the college for his wife, who was a bog proponent of higher education for young women
My son went to Lawrence Technological University here in Michigan. No relation.
62. Acid: LSD. Lysergic acid diethylamide is a psychedelic drug that can cause hallucinations and alter thoughts and emotions. It's considered a soft drug, which means it's not thought to be as addictive as harder drugs. However, LSD is still considered unsafe.
63. Dough: BREAD. Synonyms for money.
64. Actor Rogen: SETH. Seth Aaron Rogen (b.1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award.
Down:
1. Sound in a vet's office: ARF. Canine utterance. Perhaps a reaction to a lab test.
2. "My eye!": BALONEY. Expression of unbelief or disdain. There are more colorful alternatives.
3. Ducking: EVADING. Slipping away from, especially by cleverness or trickery,
4. Catch a hint of: DETECT. Discover or identify the presence or existence of something.
5. Sound in a vet's office: MEW. Feline utterance, and a clecho. Perhaps a reaction to a cat scan.
6. Blunder: ERROR. A blunder is a particularly dumb or careless mistake.
8. Chimpanzee kin: BONOBO. The bonobo (Pan paniscus) is a great ape that lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are endangered and have experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Bonobos are distinguished from common chimpanzees by relatively long limbs, pinker lips, a darker face, a tail-tuft through adulthood, and parted, longer hair on their heads.
9. "Sense and Sensibility" director Lee: ANG. Ang Lee OBS is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and numerous accolades including three Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.
Since :Sense and Sensibility" is another clecho, here is a little bit about the movie based on the novel. When Elinor Dashwood's (Emma Thompson) father dies, her family's finances are crippled. After the Dashwoods move to a cottage in Devonshire, Elinor's sister Marianne (Kate Winslet) is torn between the handsome John Willoughby (Greg Wise) and the older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman). Meanwhile, Elinor's romantic hopes with Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant, aka "that annoying British guy") are hindered due to his prior engagement. Both Elinor and Marianne strive for love while the circumstances in their lives constantly change. But, then, don't we all.
10. Savanna or steppe: HABITAT. The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism, like the bonobo.
11. Lipton offerings: ICE TEAS. Drinks made by infusing the dried crushed leaves of the tea plant in boiling water, and then chilling. Shall we revive the ice tea - iced tea controversy? I vote no.
12. "Puh-leeze": SHEESH. Exclamations of disbelief or exasperation.
14. __ ring: NOSE. A hooplike piece of jewelry worn on the nose, either through a pierced hole or held by a clasp.
15. Aryna Sabalenka's org.: WTA. Aryna SiarhiejeÅna Sabalenka (b. 1998) is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She is currently ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and is a former world No. 1 in women's doubles.
18. Pinned item on many a pol's lapel: US FLAG.
22. Ãœbertrendy: SO HOT. "Very trendy" or "extremely fashionable." Some of us are too old to care.
24. Literature Nobelist Albert: CAMUS. Albert Camus(1913 – 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His works include The Stranger, The Plague, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Fall and The Rebel.
The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame) is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Catholic religious order of priests and brothers, the main campus of 1,261 acres has a suburban setting and contains landmarks such as the Golden Dome main building, Sacred Heart basilica, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the 134 foot tall Word of Life mosaic mural (nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus" because of the Christ figure's upraised arms), and Notre Dame Stadium.
28. Simplicity: EASE. Simplicity is the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do.
31. Pop singer Mann: AIMEE. Aimee Elizabeth Mann [b. 1960] is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often describing lost or lonely underdog characters.
From the comments under the Youtube vid, this song is deeply meaningful to some people who were struggling.
32. Likely will, with "is": APT TO. Describing a presumed high probability expectation.
33. Old-school organizers, briefly: PDAs. Personal Data Assistants. Now we can do it all with our phones.
35. Knocks to the canvas: DECKS. Delivers a punch that knocks an opponent or adversary down.
36. Roma's land: ITALIA. Both words rendered in their native language: Italiano.
37. Times for pampering: SPA DAYS. A SPA DAY is a day of pampering and relaxation at a a commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatment through such means as steam baths, exercise equipment, and massage. It's a chance to escape daily stresses and rejuvenate.
38. Procter & Gamble detergent pack: TIDE POD. Tide PODS are laundry detergent pacs that contain detergent, stain remover, and color protector. They are designed to work in any washing machine, including high-efficiency machines.
40. Genuine: SINCERE. Free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from legitimate feelings.
41. Squirrel, in slang: TREE RAT. "Tree rat" can refer to a number of rodents that live in trees, including roof rats, spiny rats, and other tree-dwelling rodents -or squirrels.
42. Each: PER. Relative to a single unit of something.
43. Feature of a well-thrown football: SPIRAL. A ball thrown so that it rotates around its axis in flight.
44. Way out of the way?: DETOUR. Rerouted travel in order to avoid some obstacle or difficulty.
46. Seasonal mall workers: SANTAS. Don't fall for it, they're impersonators.
48. Menu opener: MOUSE. A computer accessory used to actuate applications and processes.
49. Major artery: AORTA. The main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. In humans it passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone.
51. Corn units: EARS. The spiked part of a corn plant that contains kernels.
54. Good times: FUN. Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.
56. Terrif: FAB. Slangy indications of fun or something of high quality.
57. Logician's letters: QED. QED is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, which means "what was to be demonstrated". It's used to indicate that a proof or argument is complete.
58. [Finger on lips]: SHH. A plea for silence.
So, on this quiet note we arrive at home.
If you recall from my blog last month, our 18-year-old granddaughter Emily was badly injured when the car she was riding in got struck broadside by a drunk driver on December 16. She is still in the hospital, and has had some complications to deal with, but has made significant recovery. She gets 3 hours of physical and occupational therapy every week day. She was healed enough to stand up - with assistance - a few days ago, and can now pivot while standing. We are very proud of her for the progress she's making and her determined efforts to fully recover. This kid has a lot of grit.
Happy first Monday of 2025, everyone! sumdaze here. Brian Callahan has become a popular constructor on The Corner with six solo and five collaborations for the LAT since 2023. Jess Shulman has two LAT Friday collaborations. It was fun to see them team up on today's puzzle.
I'm going to give it the same title Merle Haggard gave this 1977 song,
The Running Kind
You may wonder what kind of running we talking about. A look at the three themers will answer that:
17 Across. *New job that's hardly a promotion: LATERAL MOVE.
28 Across. *Honking collective: GAGGLE OF GEESE.
45 Across. *Phenomenon of collective false memories: MANDELA EFFECT. This one was an interesting learning moment for me. Paranormal researcher Fiona Broome named this phenomenon after discovering that she and others possessed strong, yet false, memories about the death of Nelson Mandela. Britannica article (See 52-Down.)
Then the unifier:
58 Across. Vice presidential hopeful, and what the first part of the answer to each starred clue can be: RUNNING MATE.
LATE, GAG, and MAN can all be MATEd to (joined with) the word RUNNING to form these in-the-language phrases:
RUNNING LATE is to be behind schedule.
A RUNNING GAG is a joke that is repeated several times (often with slight tweaks) throughout a performance or literary piece. (See 14-A & 40-A.)
The RUNNING MAN is a 1982 Stephen King Novel set in a dystopian United States in the year 2025 (This year!) In 1987 a movie version was released starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I liked how only a few letters were connected to the unifier. That helped the theme stay hidden until after I completed the grid.
Across:
1. Packs on muscle, with "up": BEEFS. I quickly threw down BulkS. What is it D-Otto likes to say? I wonder if he made the same error.
6. Aspect: FACET.
11. Q's keyboard neighbor: TAB. computer keys
14. Super Breakout console: ATARI. Super Breakout is the sequel to a 1976 video game -- but all I really needed was "console that begins with the letter 'A'".
15. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.
16. Three, on a sundial: III. Roman numerals (as seen in 21-A)
19. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement
20. "Anything __?": ELSE.
21. WWII soldiers: GIs.
a WWII GI Joe toy
22. Big, big stars: IDOLS. This NASA site will teach you about even bigger stars. 😀
24. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA.
26. Pointy tooth: CANINE.
31. Axton of country music: HOYT. (1938-1999) This is a 1 min. clip of Axton doing a guest appearance on WKRP Cincinnati:
"It was Della and the dealer and a dog named Jake and a cat named Kalamazoo."
32. Pie __ mode: A LA.
33. Reader of a quick-start guide: USER. Great clue! Most tech today comes with a quick-start guide and a website for more details. Gone are the days of thick USER manuals in eight languages.
34. Pair: DUO.
35. SofÃa of "Modern Family": VERGARA. I know who she is but always forget how she spells her last name.
39. Consumes: HAS. and3-Down. Consumes: EATS.
...as in, "He HAS a sandwich for lunch every day."
40. Grocery chain with a Winking Owl wine brand: ALDI. E&J Gallo produces ALDI's own, in-house brand labeled Winking Owl -- but all I really needed was "grocery chain that begins with the letter 'A'".
42. Texting titter: LOL. To titter is to laugh in a nervous, affected, or partly suppressed manner.
43. Future DA's exam: LSAT. CSO to my big bro who is a definitely amazing District Attorney who passed the Law School Admission Test on his first try!
49. Led: HELMED. "HEadED" almost fit. It took me a bit to let go of that one....
50. Constellation bear: URSA.
51. "Head over and take a look": GO SEE.
52. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA. We often see this clue, OR A version of it, on Mondays.
53. __ prep: weekend activity for some home cooks: MEAL. DH does this. Every Sunday he preps his lunches for the work week and puts them in containers, ready for the microwave.
DH's lunches
57. Lip balm in egg-shaped containers: EOS.
62. Spin bike meas.: RPM. In Spin class, speed is measured in Revolutions Per Minute.
63. Name with Will and Frankie in sitcom titles: GRACE. This clue refers to two separate sitcoms: Will and GRACE (1998-2020) and GRACE and Frankie (2015-2022). It took a bit for the penny to drop because I am unfamiliar with the second show. I was trying to think of a show with Will & Frankie. I finally noticed that titles was plural.
64. Gnats, flies, etc.: PESTS.
65. WNW's opposite: ESE. compass directions
66. "The Princess Bride" co-star Cary: ELWES. I should have this name memorized by now but I am still working on it.
67. Spaces: AREAS. ...as in, "Please clean up your work spaces."
Down:
1. Bundle of hay: BALE. The woman in this video does a good job of showing how to use hay hooks to move a BALE of hay (1:38 min.). It's true, one of my best birthday presents ever was my very own set of hay hooks. 2. Latin shorthand in a bibliography: ET AL. It means et alia which translates to "and others". (See 31-D.)
4. Thoroughfare without tolls: FREEWAY. I liked the without tolls clueing for FREEway.
You have likely heard that Californians use the word "the" before a FREEWAY name, as in "The 405". This is a Southern California thing. As a native Northern Californian, I can say the only people I know who speak that way are people who have spent time in Southern California. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
5. Knight's title: SIR.
6. Befitting an offspring: FILIAL. Def.: (adj.) having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.
7. Upper limbs: ARMS.
8. Corp. leader: CEO. Corporation and Chief Executive Officer
9. Pt. of SASE: ENV. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and ENVelope
10. Enraging, with "off": TEEING. "Teed off" is an informal English expression to say one is angry. I always thought it was short for "Ticked off". I suppose one might say, "He is TEEING off the entire committee," but something feels off about this one.
11. Show respect, in a way: TIP ONE'S HAT. If the clue said "Shows", we would answer TIPS ONE'S HAT.
12. Flight selection: AISLE SEAT. This is my preference.
13. Slant: BIAS.
18. Awestruck: AGOG.
23. French deity: DIEU.
25. "Love It or List It" channel: HGTV. I like this show but I would like it more if they were not so adversarial.
26. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.
27. Way off: AFAR.
28. "Heavens to Betsy!": GOODNESS ME. Both are quaint expressions of surprise or astonishment.
29. Bird on Mexico's flag: EAGLE.
Mexico's national animal is the majestic golden eagle.
30. Triage ctrs.: ERS. centers and emergency rooms
31. Toys to play around with?: HULA HOOPS. This one is for the Cornerites who turned me on to Ted Lasso (Irish Miss, -T, ET AL.). I just finished Season 2 and am next in line for Season 3 at my library. I would not have known about this clip two weeks ago. It's the HULA HOOP scene from Season 2 with Coach Beard (Brenden Hunt) and girlfriend Jane Payne (1:40 min.):
This episode was quite the outlier. I'm still processing it. Your thoughts?
34. Beaver's construction: DAM.
36. French fashion magazine: ELLE. A print-version subscription for 2025 (10 issues) costs $25.
37. Map line: ROAD.
38. Some beers: ALES.
41. Not doing much: IDLE.
44. Con artist: SCAMMER. This article from the FTC gives advice on recognizing phone scams. Another huge red flag is when someone tells you to not tell anyone about your conversation.
46. Come forth: EMERGE.
47. Greek goddesses of vengeance: FURIES. ESP for me. "Nemesis" also comes up on a Google search but this clue specifies more than one goddess. more info.
48. Actress Drescher: FRAN. (b. Sept. 30, 1957) In 2023, during the Hollywood writer's strike, we learned that this star of The Nanny (1993-1999) is the president of SAG-AFTRA.
51. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
52. In the past: ONCE. Think, "I was a teenager ONCE." It is an interesting word because the clue, "In the future" works, too. Think, "ONCE you get to the stoplight, turn right."
Also, Once is a 2007 movie with an awesome soundtrack.
If You Want Me ~ Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard
Many people think they are a real-life couple, but they are not.
Perhaps this is an example of a 17-A MANDELA EFFECT.
54. Simplicity: EASE. "Simplicity" is also a brand of sewing patterns -- suggesting how EASy it can be to make your own clothes.
55. "__ boy!": "Well done!": ATTA.
56. "More or __": LESS.
59. Bookmarked link: URL.
60. "Yep" opposite: NAW.
61. Report card no.: GPA. number and Grade Point Average
Today's grid:
How did you do today? Did you run away with this one or did your luck run out?
I had a very quick liftoff on Brian and Matthew's puzzle but there were a few, "Gary, we have a
