Friday, November 7, 2025 - Joseph A. Gangi

 Theme:  You tell me!

Puzzling Thoughts:  

As a crossword puzzle solver for umpteen years, and a blogger here for 5+ years, I have probably seen just about every kind of theme used.  Wordplay; add/subtract a letter; circled letters; rebus; you name it.  Today's had circles.  I can just imagine an anonymous solver, jumping for joy! [not]

After seeing how the circled letters in today's puzzle spelled out the words TIME, DANGER, and DROP (all words that can precede the word "zone") I thought, well, what else is there?  How does it interact with the reveal?  

First, the reveal:  56-across. Focused and feeling unstoppable, or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: IN THE ZONE.  

The website [crossidiomas dot com] defines "in the zone" as: 

"Being “in the zone” is a term that describes a mental state where an individual is fully immersed in their task or activity. It’s a feeling of being completely present and engaged with what they are doing, without any distractions or interruptions. When someone is in this state, they may feel like time has slowed down or even stopped altogether"

"The benefits of being “in the zone” are numerous. For athletes, it can mean improved performance and better results. For workers, it can lead to increased productivity and better quality work. Creatives may find that they produce their best work when they are in this state of mind"

So now, we unfold the entries:

17-across. *Comments: TIRE MARKS.  Simply, when the circled letters TI are separated, the word "remarks" remains and defines the clue (comments) 

19-across. *Seasonal malady: FLUME.  Simply, when the other circled letter ME are separated, the word "flu" remains and defines the clue (seasonal malady).  When you read across the grid, the words "remarks" and "flu" are "within" the time zone

26-across. *Kinda-sorta: DANISH.  Remove the circled DAN from ISH you have "kinda-sorta" (ish) 

29-across. *Blacken on the grill: CHARGER.  Remove the circled GER and you have "char" which is term for blacken on the grill.  This spanner reveals "ish" and char" in the danger zone

42-across. *Mimic's talent: DRAPERY.  When I finally figured the theme out, the last two entries were easy to fill - "apery" supports the clue (mimic's talent) and 44-across. *American Girl buy: DOLLOP. "Doll" supports the clue (American Girl buy), and "apery" "doll" are in the drop zone

Interestingly, in the last pair, the word dollop is a "kinda-sorta" synonym for the word drop but that is the only entry word that even comes close to supporting the circled word in its zone.  I was looking for more.  It would have been way more cool if the words left within each "zone" supported the words time, danger, and drop

I dunno.  Not a puzzle that I feel is Friday-worthy, nor a puzzle that gave me much of an "aha" moment.  I think the constructor had an interesting theme/reveal but it was the "getting there" that left me nonplussed.  Sorry, Joseph if you read this.  Your "T-Square" puzzle from last December was much more enjoyable for me

Here is the grid and then the rest of the clues: 

The Grid

Across:

1. __ committee: AD HOC.  Moe-ku:

        The committee met

        To discuss making bean soup.

        Decided, AD HOC [sic]

6. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP. 

9. 34-Across lines: ROADS.  (34-across. GPS display): MAP.

  

Old school GPS

14. Statement of beliefs: CREDO.  Rhymes with Play-doh

15. Homer's tee: TAU.  Did anyone think about a Simpsons character playing golf?  I did!  Tau is the Greek letter for T; Homer is the Greek dude who is recognized for writing the Iliad and Odyssey. Or did he?  Open this link to find out 

16. Top monk: ABBOT.  As opposed to the top Monk, which would be Tony Shalhoub

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

20. Resort destination: SPA.

21. Attend without an invitation: CRASH.  Some of them are professionals ... 

22. Sacred object: TOTEM.  Moe-ku:

        Tribe chief wants to know

        If sacred object's revered.

        Took a TOTEM poll

23. Full of frills: LACY.  One of the more sophomoric movies that I've seen countless number of times had a character who was Judge Smails' niece; her name was Lacey 

24. "Ain't it the truth!": AMEN.  Listen carefully; this is a very short video clip

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

32. Happening: EVENT.

33. Plaintiffs: SUERS.  Moe-ku:

        Best plaintiffs work for

        Sanitation Department;

        Well-versed with SUERS [sic]

[see above]

36. Zero, for Aryna Sabalenka: LOVE.  Tennis term for this lady

37. Bug __: SPRAY. JUICE also fits

38. Lion locks: MANE.  

39. Fib: LIE.

40. Archaeologist's find: SHARD.  Also known as "sherd"

41. Adjoining hotel rooms: SUITE.  The same word has a musical meaning; here is a rendition of a song that contains this word in the title - CSN could still rock it as senior citizens (2012 concert) even without hitting all of the high notes

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

45. Theme park attraction: RIDE. Moe-ku:

        Theme park's admission

        Cost was huge. I felt I was

        Taken for a RIDE

      

46. The "S" of NSFW: SAFE.  The full acronym unveiled is: Not SAFE (Suitable) For Work.  It's become an internet slang term to indicate that an email, e.g., may contain sexually explicit text and/or photos.  But unbeknownst to some, it was also the name of a 2014 movie thriller

47. Home of Himeji Castle: JAPAN.  Google it 

50. Mocking tribute: ROAST.  The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts were pretty risqué for TV back in those days (note, you might have to rewind it to the start) ... here is a 4 minute clip starring Foster Brooks

52. "Shame on you!": TSK.  

55. Only coastal city in Jordan: AQABA.  Despite using a word with a Q in it (as well as a J, K, W, Y, and Z) Joseph ended up being an X short of having a pangram

[reveal / theme]

58. Staff writing: MUSIC.  Prose fits, too, if you use a different meaning of the word staff

59. Overalls component: BIB.  

60. "In your dreams!": NO WAY.  [spoiler] there's a clecho at 28-down

61. Pancake quantity: BATCH.  I tried STACK and it really screwed up that section of the grid

62. Place for pigs: STY.

63. "Hello" and "Bye Bye Bye": SONGS. Moe-ku (with an extra line thrown in for good measure):

        Justin Timberlake
        Lost his first golf match after
        A Tournament pass.
        Was a "BYE, BYE” BYE 

Down:
1. Does something: ACTS.  

2. Faucet annoyance: DRIP.  Moe-ku:

        An erstwhile actress 

        Came on set with runny nose;

        Cast scorned Fawcett's DRIP

3. Goddess whose symbol is a peacock: HERA.

 

 

4. Poem of praise: ODE.  Moe-ku:

        Gave myself some props.

        Wrote haiku about nothing,

        Called it ODE to Moe

5. Company whose symbol is a peacock: COMCAST.  Part of the NBC family

6. Many a shelter animal: STRAY.

7. Hardy trees: OAKS.  I guess some might have chosen ELMS

8. Press on: PUSH AHEAD. Only the second use of this clue/answer as I discovered when I searched Crossword Tracker.  And BTW, the certification for CrosswordTracker dot com has not been renewed, apparently, and I got all kinds of warnings about visiting their site.  Hence, I am not linking it today

9. Roof supports: RAFTERS.  TRUSSES also fits

10. Like plum tomatoes: OBLONG.  The clue could have said like Roma tomatoes, too

11. Be up against: ABUT.  "CRUNCH TIME" was not an option for this clue ... today

12. Top of many an indoor stadium: DOME.  ROOF fits, as well.  I am guessing the difference between them is that a dome is a permanent fixture; a roof can be retractable 

State Farm Stadium - home to the AZ Cardinals

13. Acronym on some educational toys: STEM.  If anyone wants to know which educational toys are, click this link

18. __ supports: ARCH.  Moe-ku:

        Social nerd erred twice;

        Put his foot in his mouth while

        Wearing ARCH supports

23. Security checkpoint formation: LINE.  

This is why I have Global Entry and Pre-Check

25. Steenburgen of "Parenthood": MARY.  Then and now photo

26. "Hi-ho, the derry-o" setting: DELL.  Or, as this version says, "hey-ho, the derry-o" ... if you watch it the lyrics "Farmer in the DELL" are sung just at the beginning of the song; nowhere else

27. Bypass: AVOID.  
 
28. "In your dreams!": NEVER.  "WHEN PIGS FLY" did not fit; that said:

29. B-baller Steph: CURRY.  Not sure why the abbreviation in the adjective (b-baller).  Is it because his full name is actually Wardell Stephen Curry II and he prefers to go by Steph?  

30. Common accumulation during vacation: E-MAIL.  Snail mail, too, accumulates for us when we disappear for a few weeks or longer.  Speaking of e-mail, does anyone else suffer from getting more email messages, even after you've unsubscribed from certain ones?

31. Cost: RAN TO.  I don't use this phrase often, so I looked it to confirm it was two words, not one

33. Pork slab on the grill: SPARERIBS.  Moe-ku: [warning: this has some religious context]

        When Adam and Eve

        Planned to have kids, who was it

        That gave their SPARE RIBS?

35. Small sound: PEEP.  Moe-l'ick: 

        Easter baskets were out, in plain view.
        We peeked in because that's what we do.
        Removed marshmallow treat
        As the one thing we’d eat.
        If we’re caught? Not one PEEP out of you!

37. Garden structure: SHED.  Are we over the "she shed" craze yet?

This one looks pretty posh

38. Moscow __: ginger beer drink: MULE.  Another ginger beer drink that I prefer is called a Dark 'n' Stormy

40. la Florentine green: SPINACH.  Fun fact: Spinach is one of my key ingredients when I make breakfast burritos for Ms. Margaret and me

Maybe I use spinach in the recipe because this cartoon character was one of my childhood heroes.  I dare you to watch the video and not continue to hum the song all day. 🤣 "I fights to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"

41. Makes less harsh: SOFTENS.  

43. Language spoken in 55-Across: ARABIC.  In Aqaba, remember??

44. 100-meter race, e.g.: DASH.  Technically, any race up to 400-meters in considered a dash (or SPRINT - which was too long to work).  This guy set a world-record 9.58 seconds, and during the final third of the race he was clocked at running 27.1 miles per hour! 

46. Didn't help: SAT BY.  Not Ms. Margaret; she proof-reads my blog each time for grammatical and spelling errrors [note, she missed this one 😂]

47. Door __: JAMB.  Moe-ku:

        Ray Manzarek's band's

        Greatest hits are played at Lowe's:

        Called: Doors JAMB sessions

             
48. Sea blue: AQUA.  This color 

49. Days of yore: PAST.  As opposed to a clue that read: "Days of Eeyore", in which the answer would be cloudy

51. "Right away, boss!": ON IT.  

Good old Ron Burgundy

52. 34-Across dot: TOWN.  I'm guessing that if you didn't get 34-across right away you'd have some fill issues

53. Minor setback: SNAG.  Did anyone find any snags in today's puzzle?  As I said in the intro, my major nit was not having entry words that matched the zones

54. A minor and A major: KEYS.  Musical term; as opposed to UrsA Minor and UrsA Major which are constellations

UrsA Major

57. Where the wild things are: ZOO.  WOODS didn't fit but it did inspire another Moe-ku:

        To attract more guests

        ZOO adds a wild golf course de-

        signed by Tiger Woods

Please comment below if you'd like ... 

Friday, October 24, 2025 - Katherine Baicker and Laura Dershewitz

 Theme: Where's _aldo?

Puzzling thoughts:

Well, this one didn't cause the Chairman to do shots at a bar, but it did take a while to figure out where (and why) the dubyas went.  When you examine the grid, you see that two of them exited as a homophone (WRAP and WHOLE) and the other two exited to fulfill the play-on-words, (WHIP and WHEELS) as these two use the "W" sound

The "reveal" can be parsed two different ways but I think the constructors were referring to this one: 

60-across. Accept victory, however dubious, and a hint to 17-, 24-, 37-, and 52-Across: TAKE THE W IN.  Taking the W in (or from) the highlighted letters (see grid below) support the odd clues. However, if you add a W to the highlighted letters (see grid below) the four entries take on a much different meaning - and are actually the names of a brand of salad dressing (Miracle Whip), a type of packaging material (Shrink Wrap), the start of a refrain from a kid's song (Wheels on the Bus), and a very expensive grocery store (Whole Foods)

It is a clever concept and puzzle, but the reveal seems a bit of a stretch.  I almost feel as if I wanted a fifth entry with both a whacky clue and answer that followed the vanishing double-u

Oh well.  Maybe next time!  Here are the four entries:

17-across. Replacement joint that's even better than new?: MIRACLE HIP.

24-across. Linguistic battle between psychologists?: SHRINK RAP.

37-across. Jerks riding public transit?: HEELS ON THE BUS.

52-across. Donuts, bagels, et al.?: HOLE FOODS.

So, Moe, if you were adding a fifth entry to this puzzle, what might it have been?

"What Hawaiian greeters do with a lei to an unruly visitor?": RING HIS NECK

For the record, I thought all of the entry clues were hilarious 

Here is the grid:

Across:
1. Many Chi-town homes: APTS.  There are some crossword puzzle editors who insist the word in 1-across be a complete word, not an abbreviation - this puzzle has nearly a dozen abbr's, if you are also counting contractions

5. Sore with: MAD AT.  Having an abbreviated first word in the puzzle??? 😂😉

10. Sleep under the stars: CAMP.  "What groupies do" was too long to fit into this space (re-read the clue!)

14. Grab and go?: LOOT.  Clever clue

15. 14th century Russian ruler: IVAN I. Aka, Ivan Moneybags

16. Not even close: AFAR.  "Cold" could fit, yes?

[theme entry]

19. __ Reader: UTNE.  "Read all about it!"

20. Common lease period for 1-Across: ONE YEAR.  Two-year also fits (without the hyphen, of course)

21. Support column: PILE.  This is what my co-pilot says:

23. Journalist Lesley: STAHL.  She, along with Walter Cronkite, provided the news in a very unbiased manner for CBS - I hear that they (CBS) are trying to revert back to that position with their newly appointed news editor in chief

[theme entry]

29. Location of une bouche: TETE.  Tête

30. Actor Bridges: BEAU.  

31. Safe havens: ASYLA.

32. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  Three-letter and an abbreviation

34. Informed Delivery org.: USPS.  United States Postal Service

36. Ref. that added "horror show" in 2024: OED.  Oxford English Dictionary

[theme entry]

41. Novelty lips stuff: WAX.  These? 42. "__ it obvious?": ISN'T.

43. Clinch: ICE.  Friday worthy clue

44. Marshmallow spread: FLUFF.

46. Bluish green: TEAL. <== this was as close as I could come

48. Howard, for one: Abbr.: HBCU.  Historically Black College or University

[theme entry]

54. "Oppenheimer" director: NOLAN.  Looks a bit like Alec Baldwin here

55. Word with stress, or a common source of stress: TEST.

56. One who might take a stand: WITNESS.  Can I get a Witness?  (2:15 through 2:35, but listen to it all)

58. Like some contracts: ORAL.  Unlike some toothbrushes that are ORAL B

[reveals the theme]

63. "La Brea" actress Skye: IONE.  

64. Dark doings: EVILS.

65. Tech company that owns the Chinese microblogging app Weibo: SINA.  Are there any Weibo followers here?  Not I

66. Fantasy franchise letters: LOTR.  Lord Of The Rings

67. Answer: REPLY.

68. Firebird roof option: T-TOP.

Down:
1. Nearly: ALMOST.  Here is a trailer to a movie with the word "Almost" in it

2. Ballet class: POINTE.

  

I hope Splynter doesn't sue me for showing some "leg" 😀

3. Attempted to rip open: TORE AT.  When I looked at crosswordtracker.com to see the frequency of the use of this phrase, the last 5 venues to accept it were LA Times Crossword - must be a favorite expression for Patti

4. "Don't leave!": STAY HERE.  From what I am told, the length of a Minnesota "goodbye" is measured in hours (or even days), not minutes ... 

5. Actress Kunis: MILA.  Her IMDB page

6. Unwilling (to): AVERSE. Moe-ku:

        You think the Chairman

        Dislikes other's poetry?

        I am not AVERSE 

7. Mark longer than a dit: DAH.  As in Morse Code characters ... the "dit" represents the dot, and the dah represents the dash

8. Padm 's beloved: ANI.  First off, the clue refers to a character in Star Wars - Padmé Amidala.  Don't follow Star Wars?  You're SOL, because you're likely then to not know that she was married to Anakin Skywalker (Ani is his nickname) and is the mother of both Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia

9. Hedren of "The Birds": TIPPI.  Quite the cast of actors

10. Doesn't let anything fall through the cracks?: CAULKS.  Hah Hah.  Moe-ku:

        "Home Alone" actor's

        Nickname inspires plumbers:

        Macaulay CAULKS-in

        

11. "Please, go first": AFTER YOU.  Just being polite

12. Guy: MAN. 

13. Start to check?: PRE-. If pre means before (as in pre-check), and post means after (as in post-script), what would it mean if both of these were used together? Why, it would be pre-post-erous 

18. Goofy frame: CEL.

22. "Be right there!": IN A SEC.

25. Plagued: HAUNTED.  Halloween is coming soon

26. Sign of aging: RUST.  As in rust bucket 

27. Drafts that are lighter than stouts: ALES.

28. Sketchy area?: PAD.

30. Striped __: BASS.  In the Cheasapeake Bay, these swimmers are known as Rockfish

33. Precipitous drops: CLIFFS.  Moe-ku:

        Book report grade took

        Precipitous drop. Teacher

        Found I used CLIFFS Notes

35. Alpine skier Mahre who won 27 World Cup races: PHIL.

37. Virtuous circle: HALO.

38. Thrilled: EXULTANT.

I suppose I can accept "thrilled" as a synonym (adj.)

39. Glom __: ONTO.  Seems to be a British phrase

40. "I can handle the truth!": BE HONEST.  

41. Skip the daily commute, for short: WFH.  [sigh] It seems that there is a text shortcut for everything these days ... Work From Home

45. Tentative inquiry: FEELER.  Moe-ku:

        Crustaceans would make 

        Great detectives. They're equipped

        With many FEELERs

47. Too: AS WELL.

49. Choked: BLEW IT.  Back when Europe actually lost the Ryder Cup (on American soil) this was known as one of the all-time choke jobs ... Langer would go on to become the most winning golfer on the Senior/Champions PGA Tour, and still regularly shoots a score lower than his age (68) for 18 holes.  The Chairman regularly shoots 68 or lower when golfing, but then has to play the remaining 5 or 6 holes

50. Sin City attraction: CASINO.  Sin City = Lost Wages, NV

51. Open up: UNSNAP.  I wonder how many takes that scene took?? 😀

53. Marine scamp: OTTER.

54. Some degree: NTH.  BFA fits, yes?

57. Teeny: ITSY. 

 

58. Frying need: OIL.  Make mine extra virgin olive

59. Kanga's kid: ROO.  Milne character

61. St. crosser: AVE.  BLVD was too wide to fit

62. Currency of Laos: KIP.  Do you remember how I felt about the clue/answer for 1-across?  No different for 62-down.  All perps

See you next month 

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 ...