Friday, October 10, 2025 - Shannon Rapp & Will Eisenberg

 

Theme:  Taking a dive

Puzzling thoughts:

Thankfully I was on my "A" game today while solving this puzzle.  Unlike my last blog attempt, when I was completely stumped, this clever puzzle collaboration between Ms Rapp and Mr Eisenberg was a breeze

The reveal (63-across. Avian that plunges for prey, or what can be found in 14-, 28-, 52-, and 60-Across: DIVING BIRD) tells us all we need to know to solve the theme.  As the clue indicates, each of the 4 entries has a diving bird featured once you realize that the actual bird of prey "dives" at a 90° angle.  How?  Well, let's take a deep dive and explain

14-across. "Frasier" brother: NILES C and 15-down. Hoisting device: CRANE - As you look at the entire grid (see image below) you will notice that the character's name Niles Crane is highlighted by the perpendicular position of the diving bird

The filled grid

28-across. "All I Wanna Do" singer-songwriter: SHERYL C and 30-down. Brag: CROW. Just as in the first entry, Sheryl Crow is revealed when the bird species, crow, is added in the down position of her last name's initial.  As I scanned the website about crows I really didn't see how it fits as a diving bird.  This may have been the weakest of the flock, but it also inspired a Moe-ku (missing element from last blog):

        Singer Sheryl was

        Fearful of the Oz straw man;

        Did he just scare Crow?

52-across. Time's Person of the Year in 2023: TAYLOR S and 55-down. Rapid: SWIFT.  Check out its feeding habits to see how the swift fits the diving bird category.  And of course, the 2023 Time Magazine's Person of the Year, Taylor Swift, is perhaps the most popular singer on the planet.  According to Spotify the song featured in the video below is her most popular song

60-across. Pro skater of the Pro Skater video game franchise: TONY H and 62-down. Sell: HAWK.  This one I had trouble with.  In the first go 'round of solving (before I figured out the theme) I put Apolo (erstwhile Olympic speedskater) in this spot, as I had no idea about the video game "franchise"

What I further liked about this puzzle was how the constructors clued the entries.  The acrosses (14, 28, 52, and 60) all gave a straightforward representation of the person (Niles Crane was in Frasier; et al) while the downs all gave a completely different meaning of the word that depicted a bird of prey.  This must have been a really difficult puzzle to create let alone think up.  As I take a further "deep dive" into the remainder of the clues/answers I will identify those that were borderline green paint; but in the case of this puzzle, I am pretty sure that Patti allowed a few outliers to make sure it all came together

 

Across:
1. Nobel winner Niels: BOHR. This guy

5. "Moon and Half Dome" photographer: ADAMS.  The photographer's first name, Ansel, also fit the space but usually it's the last name the constructor is after

In Yosemite National Park

10. Starbucks seasonal drink with pie flavors, for short: PSL.  Pumpkin Spice Latte 

13. Specialty: AREA.  

[partial theme entry]

16. Pi follower: RHO.  16th letter (π) followed by 17th letter (ρ).  The next in the series are: ς, ⲧ, υ, φ, ᵪ, ᴪ, and ѡ?  Not clear?  Is it all Greek to you? [sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, and omega, all in lower case]

17. Harvest: REAP.

18. Chain with Two Buck Chuck wine: TRADER JOE'S.  As the resident sommelier, I will attest that the Two Buck Chuck series of wine (which now sells for $3.99 per bottle, I think) is pretty ordinary.  But there are many "diamonds in the rough" at TJ's and the Chairman is quite fond of them.  Send me an email if you're wanting some advice as what to buy at this iconic supermarket chain

20. Flourless cake: TORTE.  Which reminded me of this spoonerism/riddle:

What is the difference between a heavy weight and guests at a party avoiding a rich cake?  One is a SHORT TON, while the other is a TORTE SHUN

22. Uni- + bi-: TRI.  Just the opposite order of numeric prefixes used by most cyclists.  Start out on a TRIcycle, advance to a BIcycle, and if you're really coordinated you graduate to a UNIcycle

23. "Emmy in the Key of Code" author Lucido: AIMEE.  I will admit to asking Siri to provide this answer.  I had a couple of the letters but was too impatient to wait for the perps.  She is also a crossword puzzle constructor

24. Airplane __: MODE.  Funny fact:  on the day I solved this I had just returned home from my trip to my 55th HS reunion.  I was on board a Delta flight and of course had to set my phone to Airplane Mode. Why use that setting?  See the video for some answers ... 

26. Central parking facility: MAIN LOT.  My first entry that felt like green paint

[partial theme entry]

31. Divisive feature of some racket sports?: NET.  The net divides the two sides of the tennis court as well as pickleball, et al

32. Try to win over: WOO.  Moe-ku #2:

        Owl and Pussycat

        Had love language. The cat purred;

        The owl? A WOO Hoo

33. Woven poncho: SERAPE.

36. Mlle., in Spain: SRTA.  I almost Miss'd this

40. Sun Devils sch.: ASU. CSO to both me and Lucina.  Arizona State University has two campuses in our area:  Tempe and Phoenix.  My partner's son is an instructor there

41. Use crayons: COLOR.  I thought this was a cute clue.  

Fun fact:  The Chairman's crayon box (as a kid) had just 8 colors - and speaking of colo(u)rs here is one of my favorite tracks in the YouTube video below.  Terry Kath sang vocals; Robert Lamm was on keyboards; Walter Parazaider played the flute solo; and trombonist James Pankow wrote and composed the song.  Enjoy!

42. Eternity: EON.
 
43. Cold-weather cryptid: YETI.  Helps to know what the word cryptid means.  Interesting that the first use of the word was in 1983.  Moe-ku #3:

        Cryptid is a word

        I don't know.  I looked it up,

        YETI'm still perplexed

45. Nestling chirps: TWEETS.  Cheeps also fit

47. Get weepy: CRY.  Sob also fits

48. First-aid subj.: CPR.  A tip of the hat to our first responders/emergency medical technicians

50. Herbal infusion: MINT TEA.  The entry isn't green paint; the clue seemed to be, though, IMO

[partial theme entry]

56. Audio brand: AIWA.  Sony also fits 

57. Former "Top Chef" host Lakshmi: PADMA.  Her website

58. Be in debt: OWE.  My only OWEment is for the house in which we reside.  All else is paid off, month-to-month

[partial theme entry]

[reveal] 

66. __ fresca: AGUA.  Translation is either "cool water" or "fresh water".  Water from the ocean (aka, seawater) in Spanish is Agua de Mar

67. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

68. Low-speed personal iPhone video: SLOFIE.  I am sure this was one that Patti let slip by but maybe it is a real thing; too lazy to google it and insert one

69. Part of a plushie-stocked arcade game: CLAW.  When I put in claw and found it correct, I was gobsmacked.  I don't think the odds are your favor when playing this "game"

I also found a video about Claw machines that, while almost 10 years old, gives some good info

70. WashU's city: STL.  Washington University is located in St Louis, MO

71. Abalone eater: OTTER.

72. Many a charity run: TEN K.  For those who are metrically challenged, a ten-kilometer race is about 6.2 miles in length.  In my youth I could run one of these in about 40-45 minutes.  Now I could walk one in about one hour and 40-45 minutes

Down:
1. Simpson who says, "Eat my shorts!": BART.  I thought this cartoon was funny

2. Cookie with a blueberry pie flavor: OREO.  There are so many random clues out there with regards to an Oreo cookie.  I rarely buy them but if/when I do I usually go for the double-stuffed version

3. "I promise it's not as weird as it sounds ... ": HEAR ME OUT.

4. Blue of "Jurassic World," for one: RAPTOR.

5. Leafcutter __: insect whose colony grows a fungus garden: ANT.

6. Stuff in a vacuum: DIRT.  Dust also fits

7. Dream disrupter: ALARM.  Cute clue

8. Film and television: MEDIA.  

9. Minneapolis-to-70-Across dir.: SSE.  At first this didn't seem correct to me, as I mistakenly put SEA in as WashU's location.  The U of Wash is located in SEAttle; Wash U is in ST Louis.  Fun fact:  there is another pair of universities with a similar outcome:  Miami University is in Oxford, OH whilst University of Miami is in Coral Gables, FL

10. Teaser ad: PROMO.

11. Word with rock and music: SHEET.  This clue was pretty clever.  Sheet rock is a nickname for Gypsum Board - the panels used by home builders for interior walls; Sheet music is the name for written songs/lyrics presented in a paper format

12. Come up short: LOSE.

[partial theme entry]

19. Leaves painfully: JILTS.

21. Extra Caramel Churro brand: EDYS.

25. Spider-Man foe who was struck by lightning: ELECTRO.  A description of Electro is in here somewhere

27. Subject of Newton's first law: INERTIA.  A few real life examples

28. Pull: SWAY.  While the thesaurussaurus may not agree, when the word "pull" is defined as a noun (meaning "the ability to exercise influence) the word sway fits

Thesaurussaurus was thinking of the verb definition of "pull"

29. Vacuum part: HOSE.

[partial theme entry]

34. Tavern quaff: ALE.  Whilst visiting the area nearby my hometown (for my HS reunion) I found a really good brewpub and an equally good taproom where I had several quaffs.  Ale, Porter, Stout, and a Lager

35. Cinquain, e.g.: POEM.  In 43 across I confessed that I didn't know the word "cryptid" - the clue for YETI.  I didn't know the definition of cinquain either.  And for someone who has been given the power of Moetic Justice you'd think I'd know this ... should I try my hand at a "Moe-quain"??  Why not!  The "rules" for writing a cinquain are in the hyperlink above

        Puzzles

        I can solve them

        And can also blog them

        When I construct them, I provide

        Cross words

37. Colorado or Wyoming, but not Utah: RECTANGLE.  Interesting "Friday-like" clue.  It is referring to the state's approximate shape - Colorado and Wyoming are rectangular - but so is Utah.  Count the number of sides ... it's four, just like the other two.  Strange ...

 

Every google for
"the shape of Utah" said "Rectangle"

 

38. Broke bread, say?: TORE.

39. Chess grand master Corke: ANYA.  Seriously?  Any hands up for recognizing this person?  Not I.  Here is some information about her

44. "Don't overlook this news" letters: ICYMI.  In Case You Missed It

46. Tizzy: SNIT.  I am still in a snit about the clue for 37 across

49. Schemes: PLANS.

51. Like many plays: TWO ACT.  ONE ACT also fits - and it was what Moe entered, initially 

52. Contaminate: TAINT. I am not going to touch this one ... 

53. Ibuprofen brand: ADVIL.  Do you recall when I said that for 70 across my first answer was SEA?  Well, guess what that did for 53 down?  I literally swallowed three Ibuprofen caplets to calm my headache when I tried to figure out which brand of that pain reliever ended in an "A"

54. Captcha target: ROBOT.  Hah!  Yup, Captchas are still being used to prove that you're a human

[partial theme entry]

57. Shared intimacies, briefly: PDAS.  Another entry that sparkled of green paint.  Wouldn't you commonly say Public DisplayS of Affection?  Not public display affections.  This is why you shouldn't pluralize an abbreviation

59. City on a lake with the same name: ERIE.  Easiest clue/solve today

61. Dough used for bao?: YUAN.  This clue/solve had some real punch to it!  For those who saw this and scratched their head:  A bao is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun that is seen in several Chinese cuisines.  The play-on-word in the clue refers not to the starch, but to a nickname for currency - which in China is the Yuan

[partial theme entry]

64. __ Worm: 1980s bedtime toy: GLO.  I don't recall my daughter having one of these; she is a 1980's kid.  I'll have to call her and ask

Sleeping with this would give me nightmares

65. German article: DER.  Ich habe Deutsch in beide Hochschule und Universität studiert. Mein Spitzname war "Chris der Grosse" 🤣

Ist alles gut? Ausgezeichnet! Bitte, unten kommentieren. Bis später; tschüss!

Ps:  If you want to know what I said the last few lines, here is a link to a German/English translation tool

Friday, September 26, 2025 - Ariana Borut

 Theme: ???? 

Puzzling thoughts:

Ok, despite solving this puzzle quickly and easily, I have no idea what the reveal has to do with the entries (themers).  And maybe there is nothing beyond the obvious.  Look, I may be one of the designated bloggers here, but that doesn't mean that I always "get" what the constructor is after

Today's constructor, Ariana Borut (if indeed this is she) indicates on her LinkedIn profile that she "worked with Patti Varol and Katie Hale; I reviewed crossword submissions to the LA Times, test solved accepted puzzles and constructed a crossword to be published in the Times."  The dates for this activity were May 2025 to July 2025, so the appearance of her puzzle today seems to validate her identity.  Her other crossword-related position is constructing puzzles for the Friday printed edition of the Yale Daily News.  This may be Ariana's major publication debut; if so, congratulations

The reveal today - at least to me - seems ambiguous to the entries:

59-across. Go over the top, or a hint to 17-, 23-, 37-, and 48-Across: PUT ON A SHOW.  I inserted the YouTube video above to try to see if there is some explanation I am missing.  Maybe someone who follows this blog can enlighten me in the comments section

The themers (entries):

17-across. Extremely popular puddle jumper?: HOT AIR TAXI.  Ok, I am familiar with a hot air balloon but I don't think that's in play here.  I found a link to a site that describes the present and future of air taxis.  But how does this connect?  Where is the hint that the reveal describes?  Is it the fact that the promise of using an air taxi for commuting is "full of hot air?"  The phrase "puddle jumper" in the clue (to me) refers to a commuter air service that makes frequent stops 

23-across. Soon-to-be buds?: NEXT BEST FRIENDS. Again, there can be two pairs of phrases:  next best which refers to something that can be an alternative if the best option is not available; best friends which refers to a group of acquaintances that are all well-connected and well-liked by each other.  Where (again) is the hint, and what does this have to do with "putting on a show"?

37-across. Beach race outcome?: QUICKSAND CASTLE. Can I not see the forest for the trees? How is a quick sand castle (however you want to connect the words) related to a beach race outcome?  Is it that there is a race to build a sand castle the fastest?

48-across. Four-bed, three-bath digs in the backyard?: FAMILY TREEHOUSE.  A family tree is simply the charting of ones ancestors and showing it as a "tree" to indicate the branches from one generation to the next.  A treehouse is simply a structure built into the network of branches and limbs of a tree and used as a getaway (secret hiding place, maybe?) for kids

Maybe it's time for me to retire - both from doing crossword blogs and creating crossword puzzles.  I hope the future generations of solvers and constructors are at least getting some entertainment from this.  Maybe after somebody reveals the "aha" I will see what's so clever ... 

The Grid

Across:

1. Settles: CALMS.

6. Assess: RATE.

10. Lens option: TINT.  Here is a link to reasons why to tint eyeglass lenses

14. 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner: OBAMA.  Ariana Borut is an undergrad @ Yale University.  Barack Obama graduated (law school) from Yale's biggest rival, Harvard

15. Like a lemon: OVAL.  Nice misdirection clue - I thought tart was the answer; oval never registered but indeed, a lemon is oval in its shape

16. Seth's first son: ENOS.

[themer]

19. Soul singer James: ETTA.

20-across. 12/31, for one: EVE.  This clue is written as a date (in this case, New Year's Eve falls on December 31st.  (50-down. 12:31, for one): RATIO.  This clue is written as a ratio which made me wonder why the use of a colon?  Here is one explanation

21. "Despacito" singer Fonsi: LUIS.  I think this is the correct video

22. Pep rally chant: CHEER.  

[themer]

27. Shakespearean exclamations: AYS.  An actual William Shakespeare quote: "What, gone without a word? Ay, so true love should do; it cannot speak, For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it." 

Why AY?

28. Batman and Robin, e.g.: ROLES.  Another interesting, misdirected clue 

29. Coyote call: HOWL.

32. Hispaniola nation: HAITI.  Two choices, and Dominican Republic was too large to fit into the five cells

34. Charged particle: ION.  

[themer]

41. "Un Verano __ Ti": Bad Bunny album whose title translates to "A Summer Without You": SIN.  The word "sin" in Spanish means "without".  Fun fact: the literal translation for an erstwhile high-end strain of marijuana (sinsemilla) means "without seed"

42. Perplexed: AT SEA.

43. Jekyll's alter ego: HYDE.

44. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.

46. Barnyard sound: MOO.

[themer]

55. National alternative: ALAMO.  Rental car 

56. Vegan-friendly gelling agent: AGAR. All you need to know about AGAR

57. Cello's sect.: STR. Abbreviation for strings

58. Durham university: DUKE.  Not an Ivy League school (such as Yale or Harvard) but one that ranks highly in its academics 

[reveal]

62. Pt. of EMS: EMER.  Emergency Medical Service

63. Curriculum segment: UNIT. I was thinking of a college credit, rather than a unit, so I found this link that explains the difference

64. Italian fountain at the junction of three roads: TREVI.

65. Bygone pol. divisions: SSRS.

66. Angry chorus: BOOS.  

67. Warning often accompanied by flashing lights: SIREN.

Down:
1. Andy of "The Real Housewives" franchise: COHEN.  Not a tv franchise that I watch so I had to wait for the perps to fill this in

2. All of the __: ABOVE.

3. Swim cap material: LATEX.  The clue:  "Examination glove material" would also work.  I wonder - since every time I fill out my medical "history" the question is there - if one is allergic to latex and were a swimmer, what kind of swim cap would they use?

4. Combat sport, for short: MMA.  Mixed Martial Arts

5. Pass on the water: SAIL BY.  I thought this would be a debut word, but Crossword Tracker shows three other times used [by the way, if you get a warning about Crossword Tracker not being "safe", I can attest that it is.  They haven't updated their website]

6. Flatbreads cooked on a tawa: ROTIS.  I am guessing that the word "tawa" gave this away.  I was thinking NAANS but again, waited for perps

7. Nautical shout: AVAST.

8. Assess: TAX.  We just got our 2025 tax assessment for our house.  Didn't go up too much

9. "Lux et Veritas" collegian: ELI.  Our constructor's school

10. Light laugh: TEE HEE.

11. Strong quality: INTENSITY.

12. "Understood": NOTED.

13. Pre-1917 rulers: TSARS.

18. Regrets: RUES.

22. Paramecium hairs: CILIA. 

 

24. Makeup powder: TALC.  What the American Cancer Society has to say about TALC

25. With 38-Down, Mexican artist known for self-portraits: FRIDA  (38-down. See 25-Down:) KAHLO.  As a fellow constructor I noted that while the two names are proximate on the grid, they are not in the same symmetric location.  Close

26. Univ. scholarship program: ROTC.

29. Control ctrs.: HQS. 

30. "Certainement!": OUI.  A bit of French 

31. One familiar with the aging process: WINEMAKER.  I obviously enjoyed seeing this word for the given clue.  I met a few winemakers during my California vacation trip

32. "It __ been easy": HASN'T.

33. Hydrocarbon suffix: ANE.

35. Out of style: OLD.

36. Maiden name intro: NEE.

39. Lab request?: STAY.  As in a Labrador Retriever 

40. "Scram!": SHOO.

45. Treadmill features: TIMERS.  Once upon a time I used to frequent treadmills at the gym.  My walking regimen now is to speed walk in the neighborhood or go for hikes in the desert

46. Spiteful: MEAN.

47. "Darn it!": OH RATS.

48. Slowly disappears: FADES.

49. Reunion attendees: ALUMS.  As this blog is being published, I am one day away from attending my HS reunion, so if I don't respond to any of the comments today it's due to my traveling

51. "Grand slam" awards, for short: EGOTS.  In this case, the "Grand slam" is for the quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.  Awards for TV, Music, Motion Pictures, and Theater, respectively 

52. One who walks you down an aisle: USHER.

53. Heated counter point?: STOVE.  If this referred to a debate or argument, the word counterpoint would be one word, not two words.  Strange clue, IMO, as I never think of a stove as being a "point" along the counter, but it made for a decent Friday clue

54. Theoretical physicist Schrödinger: ERWIN.  One of my favorite clips from TBBT:

59. Crawl stop: PUB.  I think that a few of my fellow HS alums are planning on visiting a brew pub or two, as our hometown has become a place where a number of these have popped up.  I don't plan on "crawling" though; will take Uber or Lyft

60. Game based on Crazy Eights: UNO.  New rules

61. Sanskrit title of respect: SRI.  Rearranged, this group of letters can also make the word sir - another title of respect

Comment below if you like ... 

Friday, September 12, 2025 - Katherine Simonson

 Theme:  "Bride"-al path ... 

 

As seen in the hit film, "Sire of the Bride"

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's puzzle was summed up with the reveal entry:

54-across. Rom-com starring Julia Roberts, and a feature of 20-, 32-, and 41-Across?: RUNAWAY BRIDE.

As you'll see in each of the three entries, the BRIDE has RUN AWAY from the movie title listed (as clued):

20-across. Gurinder Chadha adaptation of a Jane Austen novel: AND PREJUDICE.  The movie was not a box-office "biggie", nor a fan favorite, but it did cause the Chairman to wonder what was to follow as I was thinking PRIDE and Prejudice, Jane Austen's actual novel.  As it turns out, what's "missing" is the word BRIDE from the title (BRIDE AND PREJUDICE) - open the hyperlink to learn more

32-across. Fantasy adventure starring Cary Elwes and Robin Wright: THE PRINCESS.  The movie was not a box-office "biggie" but at least garnered an 80% approval rating.  Once again, the word BRIDE was missing from the puzzle entry (THE PRINCESS BRIDE)

41-across. Spencer Tracy comedy with a remake starring Steve Martin: FATHER OF THE.  The movie earned the most $ of the three but was still regarded as a "stinker" by Rotten Tomatoes.  BRIDE was missing from the movie title (FATHER OF THE BRIDE)

OK, without sounding too ignorant, what am I missing here?  I can honestly say that "Father of the Bride" is the only one of the three movies I've seen.  And it came out in 1991 so my memory of it is pretty foggy.  IIRC, the father, aka, George Banks, is more concerned about the cost of the wedding rather than the fact that he is losing his daughter Annie to his future son-in-law

Did any of the three entry movies feature the BRIDE running away?  Having "cold feet" perhaps?  If so, then this was a brilliant discovery by the constructor.  Three movies whose titles include the missing word "BRIDE" and whose story lines include the BRIDE actually "running away".  If not, then I don't know if this registers very high on my creativity list of puzzles

Guess I will have to wait at the altar (or watch the three movies to find out) 

Kudos Katherine to being published again (debuted October 2024) as I know from personal experience just how difficult it is to have a puzzle go to print

A small "nit" to pick:  In the first movie title, the word "BRIDE" was the missing from the first word in the title.  In the other two movies, the word "BRIDE" was missing from the last word of the title.  Perhaps if Katherine had thought of this movie (in which the word BRIDE is the second word in the title) I might have enjoyed this more, as the BRIDE would have run away from three different spots 

For some odd reason (maybe my weirdness) this whole "runaway bride" thing made me think of a fitting Moe-ku:

       Home, Home on the Range

       Features a runaway BRIDE: 

       "The deer and the ant elope ... "     

Here, then, is the grid and then off to the rest of the puzzle words

 

Across:

1. Burdened: BESET.

"Burdened" didn't make the top ten

6. Puff: WISP.  See 6-Down ... we have WISP crossing WASP

10. Grifter's game: SCAM. If the word "game" had been capitalized the answer might have been "BOOK"

14. French honey: AMOUR.  "Honey" as in dearie - French word for "my love"

15. Org. co-founded by Helen Keller: ACLU.  American Civil Liberties Union

16. Angelic ring: HALO.

17. Semper __: Space Force motto: SUPRA.  All you need to know about the US Space Force 

All you need to know about Semper Supra

18. Spotted: SEEN.  Not this spotted:

19. Enthusiastic: AVID.

[entry]

23. Oscar winner Tomei: MARISA.  One of my favorite clips from the movie, "My Cousin Vinny".  Marisa in her role as Mona Lisa Vito

26. Pickleball need: PADDLE.

27. Some pyramid-topped monuments: OBELISKS.  

Unlike 50-Down, this Luxor is an obelisk

30. Scare word: BOO.  Irish Miss must be pleased today as Katherine only used 11 three-letter words in her puzzle (if I counted correctly)

31. Scottish cap: TAM.  And of course, another three-letter word appears right afterwards ... 

[entry]

37. Long-billed wader: IBIS.  Also, the mascot of the University of Miami Hurricanes 

Sebastian, the IBIS

39. Mexican kinsman: TIO.  Would the clue "Uncle in Uruguay" have been any easier?

40. Cabbage cousin: KALE.

[entry]

46. B'way passes: TIX.  Moe-ku:

        Can dogs that have fleas

        Get into a theater

        Without having TIX?             

47. Exclamation of discovery: AHA.

48. Formidable: FEARSOME.  Any football fans remember the "FEARSOME" foursome?
 
50. Off-road vehicles?: LEMONS.  When was the term "lemon" first used to describe an "off" car?

How about a lemon-colored lemon??

53. Done for: RUINED.  

[reveal]

57. Teammates who really pull for you?: OXEN.   Clever clue

58. Small ensemble: TRIO.  Duo and quartet didn't fit

59. Wrinkle removers: IRONS.  Thankfully as a retiree I no longer need to worry about removing wrinkles from my dress shirts, as I used to when I worked in the corporate world ... 

63. Pop singer Amos: TORI.

  

64. Haughty manners: AIRS.

65. Part of one's inheritance: TRAIT.  My good looks, I'm told ... 😀

66. Clog decorated with Jibbitz charms: CROC.  Not familiar with this?  Watch below:

67. Invited: BADE.  Friday clue

68. Primitive: EARLY.  Friday clue

Down:

1. __-relief: BAS.  Moe-ku:

        A professional

        Fisherman mounted his catch:

        His bass bas-relief

2. Australian source of some cosmetic oil: EMU.  Johnny Bench is a spokesman for this brand:

3. Soak (up): SOP.

4. Continental train pass: EURAIL.  All you need to know about Eurail passes

5. Part of BART: TRANSIT.  Bay Area Rapid Transit

6. Queen mother?: WASP.  All you need to know about a Queen WASP

7. Cake shop artist: ICER.  Moe-ku:

        What bakery does

        When bride carps on wedding cake?

        Of course, they ICER

8. With 13-Down, laptop setting: SLEEP.  [13-Down. See 8-Down]: MODE.  Moe-ku:

        Breyer's IT staff

        Equipped their computers with

        SLEEP a la MODE 

9. Most prevalent language of Pakistan: PUNJABI. [Brittanica dot com says] "Punjabi language, or Panjabi language, Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab in India and Pakistan. Punjabi has about 26 million speakers in India and more than 60 million in Pakistan—nearly half the population of the latter—but linguists have sometimes considered the dialects of southwestern, western, and northern Punjab province in Pakistan a different language. Inhabitants of southern Punjab province have agitated for consideration of their speech, Siraiki (with more than 12 million speakers), as a distinct language, though Siraiki and Punjabi are mutually intelligible"

10. Pomelo: SHADDOCK.  [Wikipedia says] "The pomelo , also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia and Malaysia."

11. Kvetch: CAVIL.  What's the difference between Kvetch and CAVIL?

12. Chez Panisse owner Waters: ALICE.  Anyone here familiar with this woman and/or restaurant? Here is a conversation I found on YouTube

21. Vague amount: DASH.  Moe-ku:

        Recipes are vague;

        How salty should the dish be?

        Just ask Mrs. Dash

22. Japanese noodle: UDON.  The vagueness of the clue could have steered you toward SOBA, too.  Want to know the difference?  I'll also compare ramen noodles to them

23. Repeated pattern: MOTIF.  Moe-ku:

        What boxer said when

        He saw his incisors gone:

        "I just want Motif"

24. Addis __, Ethiopia: ABABA.  Addis-Ababa translates to "New Flower"

25. Pay: REMIT.  The word REMIT has a boatload of definitions 

28. Low-carb regimen: KETO.  Diets are just fads 

29. Polish (up): SPIFF.  My friend the Thesaurussaurus agrees; sort of

Again, "polish (up)" didn't make the top ten

33. Tedious learning method: ROTE.  I wonder if this is how actors learn their lines?

34. Brand of fine stationery: EATON.  I remember using this brand of stationery when I prepared my work resume, as it added both quality and professionalism to the document 

35. Goopy stuff: SLIME.  When the Ghostbusters got slimed ... "why am I drippings with goo?"

36. Sch. health class: SEX ED.  Click here for a preview of an article on SEX EDucation

38. Like some New Agey practices: SHAMANIC.  According to [shamanichealing.org.uk]: "Shamanic healing is an ancient spiritual practice that focuses on restoring balance and harmony to an individual's mind, body, and spirit through various techniques and rituals.  According to [Urban Dictionary]: New Agey is an adjective used to describe a new age type individual, i.e., someone who has a crystals collection, has many self-improvement books, believes in alternative medicine, practices yoga and meditation, eats organic, wears socks and sandals, and/or believes in auras and energy fields. Can also be used to describe new age practices such as shamanic healing"

42. Online instruction site: E-HOW.  Moe-ku:

        Old MacDonald song

        Lyrics are found online at

        "E-I-E-I How"

43. Deferred payment: RAN A TAB. Moe-ku:

        The teetotaler

        Who drank unsweetened cola

        Just ran a Tab® tab 

44. Mata __: HARI.  If you have 24 minutes to spare, please watch this video as it tells the story behind the woman known as Mata Hari

45. Scholarly: ERUDITE.  I've never been confused with someone who's erudite; glib, maybe 😉

49. Jagged-looking range: SIERRA.  Literal translation for the word sierra is a jagged mountain range.  Go figure!  Here is a look at a very small portion of the Sierra Mountains at a very famous lake that borders CA and NV ... taken by the Chairman when he was on sabbatical ... 

Along the western edge of Lake Tahoe

50. Vegas hotel whose rooms have slanted windows: LUXOR.  The Luxor Hotel resembles a pyramid from its exterior.  If you book a room there your windows will look like this

Yes, the windows are slanted

51. Month when it's not chilly in Chile: ENERO.  Hah! Enero is the Spanish word for January; Chile is located in the Southern Hemisphere where the month of January is the start of their summer season.  Now, if you were located here in Chile, in Enero, you would definitely be chilly unless you were wearing a warm jacket

52. Ancient Palmyra's land: SYRIA.

54. Campus mil. group: ROTC.  Reserve Officers' Training Corps

55. Blue-footed booby, for one: BIRD.  I wonder if the blue-footed characteristic of the booby indicates a male, and the females are pink-footed?  Actually, the blue feet are the male's way of attracting a female for mating ... 

If you were a female booby, would you find this guy attractive?

56. Neither red nor white: Rosé.  Speaking of pink, I'm guessing this clue/answer refers to wine.  If so, here's a fun fact from your resident sommelier:  Rosé wines are generally made from red grape varietals and are not a result of blending a white wine with a red wine, though that is an option.  During fermentation, especially with red and/or darker skinned grapes, the longer the pressed grape "juice" stays in contact with their skins, the darker the color of the wine.  When making rosé, many winemakers will leave the skins in contact with the fermenting wine for mere hours.  That is generally long enough to provide a tinge of color and create a pink-colored wine. Here are a just a few of the red-grape varietals that can make rosé: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel

60. Coxswain's lack: OAR.  The coxswain is the person at the front of the boat yelling the cadence to the rowers

This is for our cat-loving Cornerites

61. Nothing at all: NIL.  At some point (maybe it's already happened) this word might also be clued as: NCAA athlete compensation acronym

62. Barnyard dwelling: STY.  What lives in a STY?  Why, little piggies I'm told.  Here's a cut from the White Album to lead you towards the comments ... see you in a couple ...

Oh, I have a post-script to add as I found a picture recently of a spud that resembles my blogging partner, Malodorous Manatee.  He will provide the jocularity next week

Quite the resemblance, eh?

Friday, August 29, 2025 - Jeffrey Martinovic

 Theme: "Will it go round in Circles"

Puzzling thoughts:  

First off, a big thank you to RustyBrain for taking my turns (pun intended, given today's puzzle) while Ms Margaret and I took a spin around the state of California and part of southern Oregon.  3,600 miles in 28 days. We got to check off four more National Parks (Channel Islands, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, and Redwoods) and also see some of the California State Parks (Humboldt, Burney Falls, et al) during our trip.  Throw in some wine tastings and a lunch visit with a smelly sea cow (aka Malodorous Manatee), and we had a glorious vacation.  Every day was at least 15 degrees cooler than where we live, and when we were admiring the view from Mendocino, it was 55 degrees cooler!

But enough about my absence ... back to blogging.  And, as one of the many Anonymous posters likes to say, "Oh, joy; circles!!"  Yup, first puzzle back and I have to make sense out of every circled word in today's entries; of which, there were 7

Normally the circled letters in a crossword puzzle will be anagrams or maybe hints to a revealed phrase.  Not today.  Today they were, literally, circles and/or synonyms for a circle that helped the clue make sense.  How?  Let's explore:

16-across. Programming sequences that don't end, literally: INFINITE.  As in infinite "LOOPS".  And if you can imagine a circle as a loop, you'll "get" today's theme (the word infinite is contained within "loops"/circles on the grid)

In computer programming, an infinite loop (or endless loop) is a sequence of instructions that, as written, will continue endlessly, unless an external intervention occurs, such as turning off power via a switch or pulling a plug. It may be intentional [per Wikipedia]

22-across. Puzzling field formations, literally: CROP.  As in, crop "CIRCLES" [According to Wikipedia] "The term (crop circles) was first coined in the early 1980s".  Further into the article it also said that while many people (fringe theorists) believe crop circles to be linked to aliens, "there is no scientific evidence for such explanations, and all crop circles are consistent with human causation"

30-across. Containers for a comic character's internal monologue, literally: THOUGHT.  As in thought "BUBBLES" - look at the cel where Charlie Brown is thinking "I'll kick it out of sight" to see the thought bubbles connecting from his brain to the statement ...

35-across. Bling for successful MLB teams, literally: WORLD SERIES.  As in World Series "RINGS".  Yogi Berra was the MLB player who sported the largest number of world series rings, 10

42-across. Exercise devices for pet rodents, literally: HAMSTER. As in hamster "WHEELS"

51-across. Toys that are quite hip, literally: HULA.  As in hula "HOOPS".  This is not an "exercise" that the Chairman can do

59-across. Weights used for strength training, literally: MEDICINE. As in medicine "BALLS". 

Moe-ku #1:

        You literally 

        Need courage to work these. Takes

        A big set of balls ... 

LOOPS, CIRCLES, BUBBLES, RINGS, WHEELS, HOOPS, and BALLS became the round objects that completed the clues connected to the entry words.  I'm thinking, though, if Jeffrey and Patti really wanted to avoid using a phrase that contained the word "circle", could they not have used this, instead for 22-across: 

22-across. "Decorative objects that depict winter scenes, literally?" SNOW

Maybe Jeffrey thought of this, or couldn't make it fit, but I digress ... 

Here is the grid and then we are off to the other clues/entries:

The Grid

Across:

1. Celebrate emphatically: DO A JIG.  It's been a while since C-Moe has worked an LA Times crossword puzzle.  For the record, today's puzzle took me 15:15 to solve.  And it took me about 4:15:00 to write the blog.  1-across slowed me down at the start.  I ultimately finished but I don't recall celebrating the way the dog in the image below did:

7. Root with red skin: RADISH.  They also come in other colors

13. Gum choice: CINNAMON.  Hmm - odd clue but it ended up being "Friday tough"

15. Invitation on a sealed envelope: OPEN ME.

[theme entry]

17. Moral of the story: LESSON.

18. "The Matrix" protagonist: NEO.  And the first of 19 three-letter words 

19. Crown material: ENAMEL.  As in a tooth crown.  I have both gold and enamel crowns in my mush

21. Skater Midori: ITO.  

[theme entry]

24. __ sequitur: NON.  Non sequitur is from the Latin: "it does not follow".  One might refer to my "Moe-kus" as non sequiturs

25. Chelsea apartments: FLATS.

27. Exercise in a heated studio: HOT YOGA.  The history of hot yoga

[theme entry]

32. Sigma preceder: RHO.  From the Greek alphabet - more on this, later

33. Eurasian border river: URAL.  Why do I always have to wait to enter the A or the U?  You'd think by now that I would know the difference between ARAL and URAL ... ARAL is the dry sea; URAL is the name of the mountain range and/or river

34. Ability to see what others can't: ESP.  Could those of us who solved the theme today claim to have ESP?

[theme entry]

38. Ante-: PRE.  I misread the clue (thought it said "anti") and entered PRO - which really doesn't make sense

40. Together, in music: A DUE.

41. Little one: TOT.

[theme entry]

44. Instant coffee brand: NESCAFE.  I entered FOLGERS first before correcting

48. Cameo shapes: OVALS.  This entry would not have made sense in today's puzzle to be circled 😁

49. Many moons __: AGO.  As a septuagenarian I am legally allowed to use this phrase  

[theme entry]

52. NAACP co-founder __ B. Wells: IDA.

53. Tequila plants: AGAVES.  One of the restaurants we dined at during our trip (in Santa Barbara) was called "Los Agaves".  It was "muy bueno"

56. 'Twas, now: TIS.  Somehow the line "My country, 'twas of thee ... " just doesn't sound right

57. Word with license or justice: POETIC.  Moe-ku #2:

        My non sequiturs

        Exist because I have a

        MOE-tic license

[theme entry]

61. Paying customer: CLIENT.

62. Holier-than-thou sorts: ELITISTS.  SNOBS fits the clue but not the number of grid squares ...

63. Winter Paralympian apparatus: SIT SKI.  Some information on this device

64. Cooks dim sum, say: STEAMS.  Friday-ish clue

Down:
1. Moola: DINERO.  Moe-ku #3:

        There's no difference

        Between Robert and moola:

        They're both "money" 

[used Moe-tic license here ...  Robert De Niro vs dinero ... get it?!]     

2. Walking or running: ON FOOT.

3. Darth Vader's childhood nickname: ANI.

4. __ Doe: JANE.  Why are unidentified people called John or Jane Doe?

5. "Let's do it!": I'M IN.  I entered C'MON instead 

6. Passed with flying colors: GOT AN A.  My personal grade for solving today's puzzle was an A minus.  Made a couple of errors.  My grade for solving today's puzzle theme was a solid A

7. Take a turn in Yahtzee: ROLL.  This has nothing to do with Yahtzee, but I thought it a worthy video when it comes to a roll of the dice ... 

8. Copycat: APE.  

9. Original "Star Trek" studio: DESILU.  Learning moe-ment today.  I did not know this before solving the puzzle.  There was even a video I found about this (FTR, Ms. Margaret knew this, but she's a Trekkie)

10. Step-by-step: IN STAGES.

11. Evens (out): SMOOTHS.

12. Barnyard mother: HEN.  I tried COW.  EWE, too? 

13. Guaranteed victory: CINCH.  

14. Verne captain: NEMO.  Moe-ku #4:

        Three Stooges were cast

        In a Jules Verne film. Curly's

        Role was to NEMO

20. Between, in Spanish: ENTRE.  Two doses of Spanish today:  DINERO and ENTRE

23. Fireworks prefix: PYRO.  Moe-ku #5:

        Fireworks in Greece

        Are set off by folks known as:

        Pi-RHO maniacs

25. Large books: FOLIOS.  TOMES did not fit

26. Pit stop brand: STP.  I want to believe that my last blog also had the word "STP" in the grid.  I asked it then, and will ask it now: does anyone other than a racecar driver use this stuff??

28. "Nuts!": OH RATS.  Seems to be a "Peanuts" theme in here - one of Charlie Brown and Snoopy's favorite phrases.  And this cartoon also features a reference to 23 down:

29. "Fiddler on the Roof" wife: GOLDE.  Chaim Topol as Tevye and Norma Crane as GOLDE [copyright United Artists]

31. Gold rush storyteller Bret: HARTE.

33. Take advantage of: USE.

35. "Success!": WE MADE IT.

36. Tight-fitting lid: DURAG.  Is this the correct spelling of the tight-fitting lid? Turns out, it is

37. Scratch the surface?: ETCH.  Not to be confused with "scratch the serf" which would be ITCH

38. Soup with rice noodles: PHO.  Moe-ku #6:

        Vietnamese moms

        Say this to their whining kids:

        "PHO crying out loud!!"

39. Filled pasta: RAVIOLI.

43. Roof tiles: SLATES.  Our roof has these.  Very common here in the Valley of the Sun

44. Storied works: NOVELS.  NOVELS tell a story

45. Condition measured on a spectrum: AUTISM.  Information on this from the Mayo Clinic

46. Spark producers: FLINTS.  Making fire is a critical skill for those who participate in the reality show, Survivor.  Heidi was un fuego

47. Alleviates: EASES.  Moe's hope is to ease/alleviate your concerns about the puzzle

50. Clue, e.g.: GAME.  The name of a board game from Hasbro.  "Colonel Mustard - in the Library - with a Rope"

53. Dramatic beginning: ACT I.  The first lines in a dramatic play begin in Act I, Scene I

54. Revise: EDIT.  As I look back to my preamble, I really wish that Patti had edited Jeffrey's 22-across entry to use a reference to GLOBES and not actually used a reference to CIRCLES.  But that's why she has a paying job in the crossword business, and I am just a blogger who does this for free ...

55. Location: SITE. 

57. Mac alternatives: PCS.  I have always used PCS for my desktop and/or laptop computers, but I use an iPhone for my mobile device.  Go figure

58. HP supply: INK.  HP = Hewlett Packard.  Why would it be abbreviated in the clue when the word INK is not an abbreviation? 

60. Langley org.: CIA.  NSA and OSS fit; fitting that this puzzle ends on a 3-letter word

So, how did you all manage to circumnavigate the entries?  Comment below if you like ... 

***A post-script from earlier in the week ... Lucina mentioned on Tuesday's blog about the haboob that engulfed much of the Phoenix valley area.  I captured just a brief video of it as it approached my place (from the ESE) - in this century, Phoenix is now on a 7-year cycle of having severe haboobs (2011, 2018, and now 2025).  I hope it loads properly ...