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 ... 

Friday, July 4, 2025 - Zachary David Levy

 

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone"?

[only because she (Lisa LOEB) showed up at 68-across this past Tuesday]

Puzzling thoughts:

I will admit that after solving today's Zachary David Levy puzzle, I was a bit perplexed.  I kept looking and looking for some unifier that brought this puzzle's reveal (64-across. Goldarn, or a hint to making the starred clues match their answers: DOGGONE.) to an "aha" moment.  Maybe the reveal should be DOG GONE.  And then, like the proverbial can of V8 Juice, it hit me:  the "key" is to look at each of the four starred clues, find the canine (i.e., "dog"), get rid of the pooch, and then re-read the clue

Still stumped?  Let's look at all four individually and see where the little dog has gone

3-down. *Jet setter: PITCH BLACK.  In the clue, eliminate the word "setter" (a name of a dog breed) from "jet" and then match the phrase "pitch black" to the clue "jet".  Best thing I could find that ties the word "jet" to Pitch Black is shown in the video below

7-down. *Puget sound: PHONE HOME.  In the clue, remove the letters "p.u.g." (pug, another dog breed) from the word Puget, and you're left with the clue: "ET sound".  And for those who watched the eponymous movie, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial", the "phone home" line is well-known.  For those who haven't (or those who forgot) I've linked a short video clip below

Note:  for those who thought this clue and answer might refer to the body of water in Washington state, the word "sound" in the clue is not capitalized.  Additionally, this clue/answer was the one that gave it away for Chairman Moe.  I kept thinking, "phone home" is an E.T. catchphrase and sure enough ...

11-down. *Boxer brief: SHORT-LIVED. Once again, once the "dog word" boxer is gone from the word brief the clue/answer makes sense.  Something that is "brief" is definitely short-lived.  

53-across. *Labatt offerings: WIRELESS ROUTERS.  Similar to 7-down, the dog that disappears is in the first word of the clue, Lab.  And what is left behind is another abbreviation ATT, a communications company that also specializes in the sale of (offers) wireless routers

Like this one

So, there you have it.  Not so tough once you examine the clues closely.  I came "this close" to asking my fellow bloggers for assistance, but once I got the reveal it all made sense.  I'll comment further about some specific areas in the rest of the puzzle in the section below

The grid symmetry is somewhat unusual.  The blocks (black squares) in the center of the grid almost appear to be a smiley face with its tongue sticking out!  Not sure if this was Zachary's intention, but the grid pattern certainly allowed him to include all of the entries 

Here are a couple of clues/entries that ended up in the editor's waste basket:

Clue:  Rock hound: OUTCROPPING

Clue:  Joe Cocker: CUP OF COFFEE

For what it's worth, I was kind of hoping for an Independence Day themed puzzle, but no fireworks. So in lieu of none in the puzzle, I'll add this to the recap:

One year shy of 250 ...

I also thought about using "Who Let the Dogs Out" for my theme title.  For those who wanted that one instead, here is a brief clip:

The Grid

On to the rest ... 

Across:
1. "That's on me": OOPS.  In the words of my Crossword Corner buddy, desper-otto, "have I ever told you how frustrating it is not to solve 1-across?" This remained unsolved until perps came to the rescue

5. Ready for bed, briefly: IN PJS.  Not often seen (the answer, that is) in crossword puzzles but I like it. If I had to answer this personally, the answer would be IN MBS.  TMI??  Wait until you see 43- and 44-across ...

10. Invitation abbreviation: RSVP.  No RSVP needed to visit the Crossword Corner; just show up!

14. Ballet move: PLIE. I had so much trouble with the NW corner of this puzzle that I entered this word and erased it four times.  Should've trusted my instincts

15. Like seven Nolan Ryan games: NO HIT.  Ryan is #1 all-time in throwing the most no hitters

16. River that ends in Cairo: OHIO.  A very clever and misdirecting clue.  Cairo, IL is the general place where the OHIO river merges with the Mississippi River.  You think this is false?  Please don't be in denile [sic]

Technically, just south of Cairo

17. Some FD members: EMTS.  FD = Fire Department

18. Walk heavily: TROMP.  I'm sure that some folks breathed a sigh of relief when they saw an "O" as the vowel in this word entry ... 

19. Not all: MOST.  SOME also fits

20. Latte order: DECAF.  MOCHA was fitting this spot for way too long; hence my troubles in the NW corner

22. Demo letters: TNT.  Demo as in "demolition"; but my puzzle grid was far from being blown up

23. "No one __": CARES.  The phrase "Gives a $hit" had too many letters 😜

24. Average joe: SCHMO.  Average "Moe" would have given us Stooge 😀

25. "Good one": HEH.  "Hah" also fit

26. Unable to sit still: ANTSY.  This describes me at times

27. Name that also means "son of" in Hebrew: BEN.  I had to cheat to get this answer; my lack of Hebrew knowledge leaves me verklempt und verstumpft - does Yiddish count?

28. "Billions" network, for short: SHO.  I tried HBO to no avail

29. Nada: NIL. "Zip" fit

30. Ga. capital: ATL.  Also, the airport code for Hartsfield-Jackson Intl 

32. Got ready for school?: TUTORED.  This wasn't as hard to figure out as the clue might have suggested

35. Sort: ILK. Crossword-ese

38. Spot for rumination: LEA.  A bit of a stretch, IMO but I get it.  I don't know if I ever meditated in a LEA; maybe a wooded spot, though and certainly at the beach

39. Salon step: SHAMPOO.  Speaking of shampoo ... why do some (fill in the blank) exhaust an entire bottle of it while showering?  Because they take the directions on the bottle too literally.  It reads: "lather, rinse, repeat ..."

40. Vehicle on the move?: VAN.  Were you "moved" by this clue/answer?? 

41. Creatures that make Frodo's sword glow blue: ORCS. Thanks to Ms. Margaret (my partner) for helping me with this one

43. Liberates: FREES.  The Naturist Society celebrates two International "naked" days:  The first Saturday in May is World Naked Gardening Day;  the 21st of June is Naked Hiking Day.  Nothing FREES you like doing these activities in your birthday suit - but apply plenty of sunscreen and stay hydrated if you choose to participate in these events (next year)

[the links above do NOT show anyone naked; in case you were wondering ...]

44. Low-carb diet: KETO.  After this past hiatus I took (and certainly after the one coming up in July and August) the Chairman will need to adopt this diet (or one similar) to shed a few unwanted #s - so I continue to look good in mbs

45. Some Polynesian carvings: TIKIS.  This filled with perps and seemed appropriate

47. __ finger: INDEX.  "Ring" was too short; "middle" was too long; PINKY, also fit

48. Rattle off: NAME.  Great clue

51. Word on a cornerstone: ANNO.  ESTD fit until it didn't

[theme entry]

60. Drink suffix: ADE.  I also struggled a bit in the SW corner, but ADE was the logical answer.  A CSO to our former Friday Sherpa LemonADE714

61. Figure on the red carpet: A-LISTER.  Several hyphenated answers in today's puzzle

62. "This is the life": AAH.  What I as a retired person says quite often

63. Serene: ZEN.  The feeling after ruminating in a LEA perhaps?

[reveal / theme unifier] 

65. Hydrotherapy spot: SPA.  Doggone it!  If you insert a letter "C" into this answer you'd have SPCA 

66. Use up: EAT.  This consumed more time (to solve) than necessary

67. Gregory Peck's co-star in "The Paradine Case": ANN TODD.  A 1947 film with an actor most folks would not recall.  This one definitely took a Google search to confirm

68. Atty.'s title: ESQ.  Short for ESQuire

Down:
1. News stands?: OP-EDS.  In the words of my Crossword Corner buddy, desper-otto, "have I ever told you how frustrating it is not to solve 1-down?"

2. Native of Tabasco: OLMEC.  MAYAN fits, too, and that mistake made the NW corner nearly impossible to solve without a few "cheats"

[theme entry]

4. Word in a magical phrase: SESAME.  PRESTO fit, too

5. QB mishap: INT.  Short for "INTerception" - often thrown by QuarterBacks

6. Guiding principle, metaphorically: NORTH STAR.  Another great clue

[theme entry]

8. First Native American to win Olympic gold: JIM THORPE.  Now we know why Zachary used IN PJS for 5-across.  Needed the "J" to begin Jim.  BTW, I do like it when a constructor uses the full name of a person rather than just their first or last name

9. Gas additive brand: STP.  Question:  when was the last time anyone used STP as a gasoline additive? Not I.  Not since the 1970's for me.  Corner Quiz:  Who was the spokesman for STP back in the day? 

[Answer:  this guy]

10. Itinerant people whose flag depicts a wagon wheel: ROMANI.  All perps

[theme entry]

12. Shop clamps: VISES.  Using these when I was in shop class (woodworking) was one of my strengths; one of my devices I guess ... 

13. Hopscotch, in New York slang: POTSY.  Filled with perps.  My knowledge of New York slang is slightly less than my knowledge of Hebrew.  I guess that a clue that referred to a character on "Happy Days" would've been too easy for Friday

21. Text formatting array: FONTS.  I think the default text FONT for the blog is Georgia

23. "Count on me": CAN DO.  I tried "I AM IN" first

30. Tons: A LOT.  This is not one of my favorite entries, but it seems to show up a lot in crossword puzzles

31. Actress Polo: TERI.  Another word that filled with perps [from the Internet]: "Theresa Elizabeth Polo is an American actress. She starred as Pamela Martha Focker (née Byrnes) in the Meet the Parents trilogy, Helen Santos in The West Wing, and played the role of police officer Stef Adams Foster in the Freeform series"

Polo, c. 2012

33. Old TV dial letters: UHF.  I tried VHF first - a coin toss for sure

34. Dawn goddess: EOS.  Anyone ever wonder if there is a Palmolive goddess?  Oh!  There is!! Her name is Madge, and she's a manicurist

36. Past due: LATE.  Term used for library books and expectant mothers

37. Fort south of Indianapolis: KNOX.  Ft. KNOX is in Kentucky, but it is almost due south of Indianapolis if you check a map

42. Trig ratio: SINE. Moe-ku #1:

        Astrophysicist

        Used trigonometrics. They

        Were called "Old Lange SINEs"

44. Tangle: KNOT.

46. Canadian tea brand: SALADA.  I recall this tea brand, but it isn't a name I hear often; a mini CSO to Canadian Eh!  And of course, worthy of another commercial from the archives:

47. Toughened: INURED.  Did anyone else find this one too hard?

49. Noggin: MELON.  I put BRAIN in first 

50. Endorse remotely: E-SIGN.  My e-signature looks nothing like my written one

51. Nickname in "Star Wars": AR-TOO.  Cee Three Pee Oh didn't fit

52. Seemingly forever: NO END.  Not today's blog; finished it in record time

53. Google Maps alternative: WAZE.  Lots of tough entries today, including this one.  Definitely a Friday puzzle, finally!! Lucina must be pleased! 😉

54. Inkling: IDEA.  What I had for less than 1/2 of the answers

55. Studio figure: RENT.  Great clue - a "studio" is another name for an apartment for which one pays RENT

56. NCO rank: SSGT.  No problem

57. Facility: EASE. No problem

58. Uses a gavel: RAPS. Moe-ku #2:

        Musician Ice-T

        Decides to become a judge;

        He enjoys his RAPS (with his gavel)

59. Former NBAer known as "The Big Cactus": SHAQ.  His nickname when he played for the Arizona Suns.  Here are some of his other nicknames beginning with "The Big"

 

 

My "dogs" are tired.  Please add your comments and thoughts in the section below ... 

Friday, June 6, 2025 - Baylor Gallagher and Katie Hale

 

 Theme:  "No, No, Nanette"

 

 

ZaSu Pitts played Pauline Hastings in the film "No No Nanette"

Puzzling thoughts:

In all honesty, I found coming up for a "theme" for today's puzzle quite difficult.  I certainly "get" the concept of adding and/or subtracting a letter from a more or less familiar phrase, and then cluing it to provide a pun and/or humorous outcome.  But did you find this puzzle fun and/or enjoyable to solve?  Did the entries tickle your "facy"?  The Chairman is a bit "oplussed"

In checking "Google" for any references to the co-constructor (Baylor Gallagher) I found none.  So I am guessing that this is her/their debut puzzle.  Choosing the assistant editor of the LA Times Crossword Puzzle (Katie) to collaborate with was certainly not a bad idea.  Katie has been published quite often in other venues, and here, too.  And if I had to guess, the puzzle idea was Baylor's and Katie helped create the grid and many of the connecting words and/or clues

 

Reveal:

 

I will start with the "reveal" in case some of you were scratching your head trying to figure out what happened in the entries.  64-across. Out of the ordinary, or, parsed differently, what has been applied to the phrases in 18-, 24-, 41-, and 53-Across?: NON STANDARD (NO "N" STANDARD when parsed differently).  If you remove the letter "N" from a word in the four entry phrases it supports the clue.  But no "n" standard seems forced and a bit weak, IMO

 

Entries:

 

18-across. False claim about a DIY project?: ASSEMBLY LIE.  The first entry was probably the best of the four.  As most know, a Do It Yourself project requires a lot of "assembly".  The term "assembly liNe" dates back to the automotive industry and was a feature of the FORD Model T cars to make the building of them more efficient.  Without the "N" in the word "line", it fits the clue

 

24-across. Overall condition of steel girders and beams?: METAL HEALTH.  MeNtal health is a known phrase but had I been editing/choosing this I might have looked for something less serious to spoof

 

41-across. "Do you know who my father is?"?: I'M KID OF A BIG DEAL.  "I'm kiNd of a big deal" is a bit of a stretch (again, IMO) and why clue it as "male-related"?  Couldn't this question (the clue) be asked of King Charles in referring to his mother, Queen Elizabeth?  She was kind of a big deal ... 

53-across. "Just put the succulent down and go!"?: "LEAVE ME ALOE!".  "Leave me alone!" is the phrase that this is spoofing.  Meh.  We use aloe often here in the desert SW when we've been exposed to too much sun.  Not sure I would be so brazen if I requested some from a friend

 

The grid:

The rest of the answers to the clues:

Across:
1. Dashboard tech: GPS.  MPH and RPM were tried, unsuccessfully.  The first of 20 three-letter words and 12 abbreviations in today's puzzle

4. Queen with icy powers: ELSA. The fictional character from Disney's "Frozen"

8. Hands over: GIVES.  CEDES was tried, unsuccessfully

13. Daiquiri ingredient: RUM.  This clue was directed, I think, at we older solvers as I doubt that many Millennials and/or Gen Z's drink Daiquiris.  And another cocktail related clue/word was found at (30-down. Cognac cocktail with orange liqueur): SIDECAR.  This is another drink that probably escapes the younger generations

 

The sidecar became popular in Paris and London in the early 1920s

14. Purple hue: MAUVE.  LILAC was tried, unsuccessfully

16. Put on a pedestal: ADORE.

17. Rollover subj.: IRA.  Not so fun fact:  the Chairman did this once and the institution I had the IRA with forgot to report it as a "rollover" to another retirement fund.  The IRS spotted this and sent me a tax statement for a huge amount of $.  Moe had to make a lot of phone calls and collect a lot of paperwork to prove the rollover was legit

[a theme entry]

20. Word of thanks: MERCI.  Hmm.  I suppose that the word "merci" (although French) is commonly substituted for the word "thanks".  The clue didn't lead us to knowing this

22. "Thus with a kiss __": Romeo's final line: I DIE. Seemed kind of logical as I recall that Romeo dies in the final scene of Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet"

23. Fortune: LUCK.  I'm reminded of the negative phrase: "if it weren't for bad luck I would have none at all"

[entry]

27. "Industry Baby" rapper Lil __ X: NAS.

28. Intel org.: NSA.  An anagram of 27-across, too

29. Vane point: EAST.  Had to end in st; waited for the perps to determine whether it was 90° or 270°

31. Dry mop target: DUST.

34. __ large: LOOM.

38. Reunion attendee: NIECE.  And its clecho: (54-down. Reunion attendee): AUNT. In both cases the constructors were looking at family reunions rather than school reunions

[entry]

44. Invertebrate's lack: SPINE.

45. Greek house: FRAT.  Moe-ku #1:

        When transgender pledge

        Thought they joined sorority,

        They said, "I smell a FRAT"

46. Sea eagles: ERNS.  Crossword-ese; kind of surprised to see one in this puzzle, honestly

47. Tropical tree: PALM.

49. Business letter abbr.: ENC.  I somehow prefer the letters encl to refer to an enclosure in a letter

51. Commanders org.: NFL.  Erstwhile Washington Redskins

[entry]

60. "Oh, woe!": ALAS.

62. Hearts, e.g.: SUIT.  Could've used spades, clubs, or diamonds

63. Eat away at: ERODE.

[reveal]

67. Countdown start: TEN. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, ...

68. Large venue: ARENA.

69. Hit lightly: TAP ON.

70. Letters of urgency: SOS. 

71. Full of back talk: SASSY.

72. Gave temporarily: LENT.  Does this word have any particular significance when something is given temporarily during the time period from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday?

73. Indefinite amount: ANY.  Fun observation:  now that I have lived in the desert SW for almost 6 years and take many hikes, I have discovered that the number of rocks, pebbles, and boulders on this planet are not just indefinite, but they may be infinite

Down:
1. Fairy tale brother: GRIMM.  As in the brothers GRIMM

2. Step in making some soups: PUREE. 

3. Sharp: SMART.

4. Online letters: EMAILS.

5. Part of UNLV: LAS.  The "Running Rebels" is the sports team nickname for the University of Nevada @ Las Vegas

6. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes": SUSIE.  Susie Derkins is a little girl who makes her home in Calvin's neighborhood. She is his well-known neighbor and the only major character to have both a given name and a family name

Susie is an intelligent and polite 6-year-old girl, who in many ways is a foil to Calvin. She takes her studies seriously and doesn't slack off on her homework as Calvin does. She also takes piano lessons 

[this from the calvin and hobbes fandom page]

The three characters

7. Eco-friendly spa brand: AVEDA.

8. Lass: GAL.

9. Pastoral poem: IDYL.

10. Tennessee athlete: VOLUNTEER.  Or when written as the plural, VOLUNTEERS, a Jefferson Airplane song back in the Vietnam War era.  I could've chosen "Rocky Top" but I didn't

 

11. "I Luh God" gospel singer Campbell: ERICA. Sounds more like rap, to me

 

12. Is after: SEEKS.

15. Wakim of "SNL": EMIL.  This video violates politics and religion, but it was the only SNL video I could find on YouTube.  FTR, I haven't watched SNL since it first aired 50 years ago

 

19. __ noire: BETE.  From [Merriam-Webster]: "Bête noire is a French phrase meaning "black beast" or "bugbear". It refers to a person or thing strongly detested or avoided"

21. Saloon: CANTINA.  From [Merriam-Webster]: "Cantina is a noun that can mean a pouch or bag at the pommel of a saddle, or a small barroom or saloon"

25. Angelic glow: HALO.  AURA fit unsuccessfully

26. Suspend: HANG. 

[listed in across]

31. Insult: DIS.  Is it DIS or DISS??

32. Cricket official: UMP.  Similar to baseball I've heard

33. Some transports in the Arctic tundra: SKI PLANES.  They are real!

 

35. On vacation: OFF.  I suppose if they allowed 2-letter words in xword puzzles, the opposite clue would fit: OFF vacation = ON

36. Regatta tool: OAR.  When I think of a regatta I picture this:

But when you sort through enough images, you will find the picture of what today's clue describes: 

37. Exec's degree: MBA.

39. "__ it wait?": CAN.

40. High trains: ELS.  Also a transport for golfer Ernie?

42. Wooded valley: DELL.  GLEN fits too

43. Thing: ITEM.

48. Colorado's __ Verde National Park: MESA.  This is one of several dozen National Park sites that Ms Margaret and I have visited.  Well worth seeing

50. "You __ worry": NEEDN'T. I may have incorrectly counted this as one of the abbreviations ... technically it's a contraction

51. Mamas' mamas: NANAS.  Meemaws didn't fit but GRANS did

52. Vegetation: FLORA.  Place where many fauna hang out

[added in the across section]

55. "1876" novelist Gore: VIDAL.  Some info about the novel

56. Tour de France stage: ETAPE.  Definition

57. Many, casually: LOTSA.  Speaking of "casually", remember when Casual Fridays first appeared?

 

58. Classic Greek theater: ODEON.  Does anybody who is a senior citizen remember the name(s) of their town's movie theater as a child?  The two in our south-central Pennsylvania town were called the Strand and the Capitol

59. Minuscule: EENSY.

61. Hyphenated IDs: SSNS.  Have I ever mentioned before that certain pluralized abbreviations are not my cup of tea?

65. Swift nickname, when doubled: TAY.  As in TAYlor Swift.  I wonder if today's constructor follows her?  Moe-ku #2:

        Heard Ms. Gallagher

        Is a huge fan of Ms. Swift

        BAY BAY loves TAY TAY  

66. Emmy winner __ Cephas Jones: RON. Ron appeared on one of my favorite made for TV dramas This is Us

 

Summary:

 

Coming up with new and fresh puzzle ideas is getting more and more difficult.  I get it.  And while my sense of humor was not stimulated by today's puzzle I'm sure that others may like it.  But as the blogger/critic of each puzzle I solve and describe here, I don't want to sugar-coat something if I don't find it overly creative and/or enjoyable.  We can agree to disagree

Friday, May 23, 2025 - Marc Goldstein

 Theme:  "Play ball!"

Today, we played baseball

Puzzling Thoughts:

Today's puzzle seemed a bit more Friday-ish in difficulty; clues were more suited to an end-of-the-week puzzle and made for a more satisfying solve

I don't know much about today's constructor, other than this similar puzzle that appeared early in 2024, so this might be a debut for Marc.  There are scores of puzzles from Rebecca Goldstein ... unlikely that they're related, but who knows? 

Today's "theme" is all about baseball.  Five entries; a mixture of words and phrases that begin with a baseball reference and are supported by clever clues:

17-across. Tube on an automatic ball launcher?: PITCH PIPE.  A pitch pipe is actually the image shown below and is used by choral groups when singing a cappella:

25-across. Batter's decision not to bunt?: SWING VOTE.  A swing vote refers to a vote that is regarded as decisive to the outcome of an election because it is not predictable which candidate or party it will be cast for.  Or maybe it just refers to this?

34-across. "I got it!" or "Blazing fastball!," for example?: CATCH PHRASE. Great clue!  Here is a little whimsy

50-across. Tally entered on a scoreboard?: HIT RECORD. Of all the hit records out there, I chose the one below as my favorite ... listen to as much or as little as you desire as it's the "album" version ... 

The video I found, coincidentally, combines the song with (58-across. Instructional video about getting under a tag?:) a SLIDE SHOW, so enjoy both simultaneously

Pitch, swing, catch, hit, and slide.  All BASEBALL terms

Well done, Marc - and if this is your debut LAT puzzle, congratulations are in order.  Feel free to post here if you stop by 

The Grid

Here are the rest of the clues/answers

Across:

1. "Whip It" band: DEVO.

5. Substantial account: SAGA.

9. Mint family herb: BASIL.  learning Moe-ment but not surprised by it

14. Photoshop, say: EDIT.

15. __ hygiene: ORAL.

16. "My Brilliant Friend" novelist Ferrante: ELENA.  A bit tougher clue than to use the name of one of our Supreme Court justices - good Friday clue

17. [entry]

19. "Sorry, got other plans": I CAN'T.  I tried "I PASS" first

20. Ghost __ chance: OF A.  Partial phrase - thought these were "no-no's" for 21st Century crossword puzzles

21. Cry of discovery: OHO.  I tried AHA first

22. Polar vehicle: SNO-CAT®.  This spelling refers to the brand name of vehicles produced by Tucker Industries.  The actual "vehicle" is referred to as snowcat - a portmanteau of snow and caterpillar 

23. __-Leste: first new sovereign state of the 21st century: TIMOR.  More info

25. [entry]

28. Bygone boxy Toyota: SCION.  

Debuted in 2003 - discontinued in 2016

29. Art Deco designer: ERTE.  aka, Romain de Tirtoff

30. Flagon kin: EWER.  A good Friday clue - the word flagon is rarely used, but then again, so is ewer

31. Suffix similar to -ess: ENNE.  

32. Crushes, in a way: ACES.

34. [entry]

39. Stock option?: SOUP.  You make soup by using stock - here is one of our favorites:

40. Starring role: LEAD.

42. Whack: SWAT.

46. "A Death in the Family" writer James: AGEE. One of many 4-letter proper names that have one consonant and three vowels

48. Container allowances on scales: TARES.

50. [entry]

52. Not suitable: INAPT.

53. Sudden charge: ONRUSH.

54. Racket: DIN.

56. Rock & Roll HoF city: CLE.  Here is the list of the 2025 inductees (Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is in CLEveland, OH)

57. Perch: ROOST.

58. [entry]

61. Govt. security: T-NOTE.  T-BILL and T-BOND fit, until they didn't

62. Obedience school lesson: HEEL.  STAY fit until it didn't

63. "Present!": HERE.

64. Ribald nature spirit of Greek mythology: SATYR.  This one certainly fits the description

65. "Relax": EASY.  "CHILL" didn't fit

66. "New-to-you," perhaps: USED.  Nice clue

Down:
1. Storehouses: DEPOTS.

2. Imposing structure: EDIFICE.  The reason the image of my puzzle grid has one black triangle in the corner of the second letter "I" is because I spelled the word edifAce

3. Nutrient in citrus: VITAMIN C. 

4. Like 3-Down pills: Abbr.: OTC.  Over-The-Counter

5. Former frosh: SOPH.

6. Melodic: ARIOSE.

7. Opening: GAP.

8. Brewpub brew: ALE. IPA fits, too, but I didn't fall for it

9. "The Perks of __ a Wallflower": 2012 teen drama: BEING.  Sure, why not

10. Secluded spot: ALCOVE.

11. Dugong, for one: SEA COW. A CSO to my fellow Friday sherpa, Malodorous Manatee

12. Natural: INNATE.  Not to be confused with its homophone enate which refers to those relatives traced to the female side of the family

13. More recent: LATTER.  LATEST was inserted by me which made the NE corner take longer than it should have to solve

18. Insects in the genus Vespa: HORNETS.  More, from Wikipedia

22. Scornful expression: SNEER.

Younger generation's "sneer"

My generation's "sneer"

24. Actress Chaplin: OONA.  One of many 4-letter proper names that have one consonant and three vowels

26. Spot for a bar code, often: WRAPPER.  aka, a SKU ... 

One of my favorites

27. Hankering: ITCH.  URGE also fit until it didn't

33. Cracker served with 39-Across: SALTINE.

35. Whistle blower: COACH.  Good clue

36. "Les Misérables" novelist: HUGO.

37. English actor Bean: SEAN.

38. Maladies treated with drops: EARACHES.

41. Strongly regret: DEPLORE.

42. Gym bottoms: SHORTS.  As opposed to tennis and/or golf bottoms, for women, SKORTS

43. Ryder of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice": WINONA.  She was also in "Beetlejuice" (the original - which I liked better than the remake)

44. Fundamentally: AT ROOT.

45. Unlikely to be undependable: TRUSTY.

47. Swirls of water: EDDIES.  <=== this is one of the entries that I considered for a Moe-ku

49. Like some tomatoes and prunes: STEWED.  <=== this is another 

51. Organic compound: ESTER.  No "ku" here

55. Aimlessly: IDLY. 

58. Pop duo __ & Him: SHE.  Is it just me, or did this song sound a bit like the Beach Boys??

59. Thompson of "Back to the Future": LEA.  In "Back to the Future", Thompson plays the role of mother to Michael J. Fox's character, Marty McFly ... in real life, Lea is but 10 days older than Michael

60. Moo __ pork: SHU. Finally, a "Moe-ku":

        The Three Stooges coined

        A new Chinese restaurant dish:

        It's called:  Moo SHU Shemp