Friday, March 28, 2025 - Katherine Simonson

 Theme: "PrEEEE-fix" - or - "Four E-'s [sic] a jolly good fellow ..."

Puzzling thoughts:  

First, thanks to NaomiZ for filling in for me while I was taking some time off of the puzzle boards to recover from my eye surgeries.  I appreciate the well-wishes from you readers, though I am still working towards better vision. Maybe I will have good news to share on my next blog ...

Second, with most eye surgery layoffs comes the need to refocus on the task at hand; that being, to clearly see what the constructor is trying to illustrate in her puzzle.  Cataract surgery or not, I re-viewed the puzzle after completing it in less than 10 minutes.  It seems that Ms. Simonson (owner of two published LAT puzzles) was merely trying to convey a witty (or is it, "wit-E-") connection between her clues and a common phrase/item that begins with the letter "E".  As follows:

16-across. Headquarters for a simulated space launch?: E-MISSION CONTROL.  An emission control system on a car, for example, might be a catalytic converter which converts noxious gases into a less harmful substance. (Note:  How come they haven't been able to develop something similar for the flatuant society?)

I digress ... the clue, however, refers to a "mission control center" - the facility that monitors and guides space flights, e.g.  The humor/wit is associated with how I've hyphenated the answer.  Items that begin with the prefix "E -" usually refer to something "electronic" or done "on-line" (e-commerce/e-mail/e-ticket).  If there ever existed a place where space-traffic control applicants could go to train in a simulator, it might be here ... @ e-mission control

29-across. Recognition for top cyber snoops?: E-SPY AWARDS.  I would hope that all who have solved crossword puzzles are familiar with the ESPY awards which honor professional and amateur athletes.  The word ESPY is very commonly used by crossword puzzle constructors. By hyphenating the "e" from the "spy" in this example, an on-line (cyber) recognition for top sleuths might be called the e-spy awards

47-across. Group of online church leaders?: E-RECTOR SET.  Hands up for how many of you Crossword Corner readers played with one of these when you were a kid?  A rector is defined in various ways, as the hyperlink shows.  Not sure if the American Anglican church is ready to hand over their priestly duties to an e-rector set just yet.  If they did, would they now be called: e-piscopalians?

62-across. Co-branding by web-based sellers?: E-MERGING MARKETS.  You seeee [sic] where this is going by now?  😉

I guess if I had to choose one of the four entries today that gave me a slight grin it would be the E-SPY AWARDS.  The others were kinda "meh" IMO, although E-RECTOR SET might be the best of the other three

As for the rest of the fill, it was actually quite tight.  No weird words, nor too many TLW's or abbrs.  Also, the inclusion of the words: TOE TAP, CORKER, and GREEN MEN added to its enjoyment.  All in all, I score it, ⭐⭐ - 3/4⭐, though I think a few solvers today might use the "juice/squeeze" analogy in their comments. It certainly was not very hard for a Friday puzzle, but that seems to be the norm these days

Here is the filled in grid with the "E-s" highlighted, then off to the rest ... 

The Grid

Across:

1. Legato symbol on a score: SLUR.  The arced line connecting the scale notes below

5. High flyer: JET.  Glad to see an actual word here instead of SST, for example

8. Medicinal or savory plants: HERBS.  Hand up for trying ALOES, first?

13. Prong: TINE.  As on a fork

14. "That was a long time __": AGO.  When C-Moe last blogged, maybe?

15. Fermented Japanese condiment: TAMARI.  Not familiar with this condiment

[themer]

19. Spunk: MOXIE.  I love this word! 

20. Like many shower stalls: TILED.  

This type of tile seems to be the current trend for shower stalls

21. NYC hrs.: EST.  Eastern Standard Time (only during late fall and winter hours, however)

22. Grocery department: DELI.  When I stop by there, they make me feel like a hero

24. Working diligently: AT IT.  What I found myself doing with today's blog! A bit rusty I admit

26. One of Padmé and Anakin's twins: LUKE.  Star Wars dude, Skywalker 

[themer]

34. Mil. branch: USN.  I waited for the perps to fill this

35. Dust speck: MOTE.  Seems synonymous - let's check with the thesaurus-saurus: 

Close enough

36. Jasper Johns genre: POP ART.

The artist and one of his images (pop art)

37. Cal State city: CHICO.  Here is a link to the Cal State dot edu website.  CHICO is in the north/central part of the state, between Sacramento (the capital) and Redding.  My partner Margaret was on the library staff of Cal State Channel Islands, once upon a time

39. Droop: SAG.  Gravity takes over on we older persons.  My extra bit of paunch is what I refer to as "Dunlop" disease ... my belly done lopped over my belt

41. Consideration when halving or doubling a recipe: RATIO.  I liked this clue!  3:1 = 6:2

42. Rehabilitate: REFORM.  There is no reforming C-Moe, I'm afraid 

44. Wearying trip: TREK.  @ Picard - would you define the journey of the Star TREK Enterprise to be wearying?

46. Brew in a mug: TEA. and its "clecho" @ 64-down. Brew in a mug: ALE.

[themer]

49. Anatomical sac: CYST.  Moe-ku: 

        How would the cheer go

        If an ovine's zit explodes?

        You'd say: "CYST", "BOOM", "BAAA ..."

50. __ fresca: AGUA.  CSO to Lucina

51. Sound reflection: ECHO.  Clue reflection = clecho

53. Science site: LAB.  Or for some owners, "lap site"

56. Martian, perhaps: ALIEN. and its "clecho" @ 40-down. Martians, perhaps: GREEN MEN.

58. Clear: ERASE.

[themer]

65. Silky fabric: SATEEN.

66. Hair-raising product: GEL.  This look would scare me; you?? 

How much GEL was used to create this whatever it is you'd call it?

67. Stretches often named for music genres: ERAS.  Any Disco ERA fans here? 

68. Some Central Europeans: SLAVS.  

69. Dollar: ONE.  Store, Tree, or General did not fit

70. Automation prefix: ROBO.  

Down:

1. Derive (from): STEM.  Or in 2020's speak, an acronym for Science Technology Engineering and Math

2. Prom conveyance: LIMO.  Or in my case, a 1964 Dodge Dart GT, equipped with a 225 cu in slant 6, and Chrysler's TorqueFlite push button transmission - I think the young lady that rode with me was named Debbie ... great car for driving: not so much for a prom date ... bucket seats ... 

3. Linux predecessor: UNIX.  I will defer to the resident computer geeks to better explain this clue and answer ... 

4. Dwell: RESIDE.

5. __ alai: JAI.  Here is an erstwhile popular crossword pair of entries - I think "Alai" appears more often then "Jai"

6. Narcissists: EGOTISTS. Nudists: ECOTISTS

7. Collette of "The Power": TONI. This link will tell you about her

8. Artisan's output: HANDIWORK. According to @CrosswordTracker, this entry word has shown up just once - also in 2025 - so kudos to Ms. Simonson for finding this

9. First aid pro: EMT.    

10. Not well-done: RARE.  The hyphenated "well-done" led me to think it referred to a temperature of steak.  Here is how I prefer my steak prepared:

"Pittsburgh" style; Rare +

11. Frat boys: BRO'S. [note: I added the apostrophe so you could see that it's an abbreviation] Fraternity members are called "brothers".  Moe-ku #2:

        The sorority

        XTP's* fraternity

        Partner: BRO's for Rho's

*X = Chi; T= Tau; P = Rho

12. Fine-grained soil: SILT. and its clecho (count 'em, three clechos today!) 18-down. Fine-grained soil: CLAY.

15. Keep time with one's foot: TOE TAP. Here is a golden oldie that includes tapping all five TOES  

17. Behold: SEE.

[cut and pasted next to 12-down]
 
23. Many an August baby: LEO.  The others are Virgos - hands up for any LEOs here? Not I

25. Taberna dish: TAPA.  Taberna: Spanish; Tavern: English ... tapas are small plate dishes (appetizers) that are offered by many tabernas 

26. Ill-gotten gains: LUCRE.  Crossword-y?? Not a word I use in everyday speak

27. Guide: USHER.  I like this clue, as the clue word and entry word mean both whether it's used as a noun or a verb.  "The guide ushered me to my seat, or the usher guided me to my seat" 

28. Kitchen block insert: KNIFE.  We have one of these kitchen blocks, but they contain a mis-matched set of knives a pair of food scissors and a meat fork

Picture this unbranded, for mine

30. Bog accumulations: PEATS.  Not sure that I like seeing the word "PEAT" pluralized; maybe a forced entry or something edited in?  Moe-ku #3

        Well-known model Kate

        Married tennis pro Sampras.

        She became Pete's Moss

31. Threadbare: RATTY.  This picture describes it perfectly!

Star of a new movie called "Ratty Toile"

32. Hangs on the line: DRIES.

33. Weasel with a black-tipped tail: STOAT.

35. Household expenses: MORTGAGES.  Another word that shouldn't be pluralized, IMO, given the context of the clue.  Unless, of course, you have two (or more) mortgages to pay.  One is enough for me/us, thank you!

38. __-Cola: COCA.  Is this really Friday?  Did anyone else think that the clues/answers were not "Friday-tough"

[cut and pasted next to 56-across]

43. __ Rouge: Paris cabaret: MOULIN.  Online reservations are available!

45. List shortener: ETC.  Et al had one too many letters

48. Picnic spoiler: RAIN.  ANTS fit until it didn't

49. Excellent joke: CORKER.  This brought back memories of the 15 odd years I lived in New England.  The word corker has its roots in the UK and means: a person or thing that is especially good, attractive, hilarious or funny.  The folks I knew in NE wouldn't pronounce this as it appears (Cork' - er), they would say: (Caw'-kuh)

Here's a real "corker"!

52. Pronoun option: HER.  HIM works, too

53. Minus: LESS.  Again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please

54. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL.  George Clooney's better half

55. Phi __ Kappa: BETA. Again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please

57. Waffle maker: EGGO. I suppose IRON would fit, but again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please

59. Prefix with dynamic: AERO. Again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please

60. Grab with a toothpick: STAB. Again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please

61. Canadian gas brand: ESSO. Again, it's Friday, folks! Tougher clues, please [CSO to Canadian Eh!]

63. Informal title for a clergyman: REV.  Short for Reverand

[cut and pasted alongside 46-across]

Please offer your puzzling thoughts in the Comments section.  I'll shake the blogging rust off next month, promise ... 

Friday, January 31, 2025, Ricky J. Sirois

 Theme:  Risible (rhyming) repetition 

Puzzling thoughts:

Just 12 short days ago, Ricky J. Sirois provided us with a Sunday puzzle: his 4th LAT submission, according to NaomiZ.  And as NaomiZ will be doing the Friday blog in Moe's absence while he heals, believe every word she says!! 😀 

So, let's explore Ricky's 5th LAT puzzle before I take a brief hiatus:

Today's offering, while not as tough as some Friday puzzles I've blogged, did have its Moe-ments.  Every time there is some play-on-words it takes a couple of solved ones before the theme reveals itself.  At least for me ... 

So how did today's theme of repetition come about?  Let's look at the entries:

21-across. Dorothy's musing before heading back to Kansas?: DO I HAVE TOTO?  

I am certainly curious to know how Ricky came to think of the four entries he offered today.  The first is a solid example of how both of the expressions work: "Do I have to?" is a lament that many kids use when they don't want to do something.  And maybe Dorothy didn't want to return to Kansas after spending her wonderful dream in Oz.  But I'm sure that she double-checked before she did return that her dog, Toto was by her side.  

A Moe-ku, perhaps?  Be sure to read this a couple of times to see the double meaning ... 

        "C'mon, Dorothy,

        Ship's leaving; TOTO can't come."
        Her Auntie Em barks

33-across. All-clear before the big dance competition?: GOOD TO GOGO.

Once again, Ricky found a clued entry that exemplifies both meanings.  "Good to go!" is an expression that means everything is ready, or all-clear.  The word go-go is synonymous with a style or type of dancing.  It also was a term used by Inspector Gadget when he wanted to summon something:

42-across. Advice on how to prevent undue interest from influencers?: MAKE IT SO-SO.

One of our regular board influencers is our one and only Picard.  Sometimes a picture captures more than my words can describe!

53-across. Enthusiastic reply from a certain bird impersonator?: INDEED I DODO.

What ultimately led to my rating this puzzle a bit lower was this entry.  If our resident grammarian, Yellowrocks happens to stop by today, I hope she will offer her comments and thoughts about it

The first part of the phrase could be written "I do indeed" as well as "Indeed, I do".  Maybe the word "enthusiastic" in the clue leads us to the proper position of the word, "indeed".  But I digress ... 

The whole concept of "indeed, I dodo" just seemed forced.  A dodo is not just a "certain" bird, but an extinct one.  And unlike the other three entries the plausibility of that phrase just isn't there

How might the fourth entry be a little more plausible?  Here is a possible substitute for 53-across:

"Words from a department store Santa on his first day on the job"? I AM GUNG HO HO

He does check out who's naughty or nice

Today, Ricky had some pretty good mojo.  I give this puzzle ⭐⭐⭐ and 3/4⭐s - congrats!!

The filled grid.  Notice the Natick at 1-down and 13-across

Across:

1. Decoupage, e.g.: CRAFT.  Knowing what the word decoupage means led to solving this

Decoupage: the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper, linoleum, plastic, or other flat material over which varnish or lacquer is applied

6. Stroller passenger: TOT.  

9. Substance: HEFT.

13. Dark matter?: HUMOR.  I stuck with rumor for too long in this spot.  I didn't get the play-on-words of its perpendicular (1-down. Ring leader?): CHAMP, either.  This was Moe's "Natick", as described in the grid image

14. Had regrets: RUED. I hope I won't rue having my cataracts replaced

16. Largest of seven: ASIA.  Seven = continents - can you name them all?

17. Suspect's story: ALIBI.  Really, I didn't make this up 

18. Plot size: ACRE.

19. Villain in "The Lion King": SCAR.  This guy:

20. Memory unit, informally: MEG.  Gig also fits - I had to erase it when some of the perps solved

24. Undertaking: PROJECT.

26. Persian Gulf nation: IRAN.  Iraq also fits but I used Iran, initially

Persian Gulf

27. Durham sch.: UNH.  My first thought was Duke - a university in Durham, North Carolina.  But since the word school was abbreviated in the clue, I knew the answer must contain initials.  The Wildcats of UNH reside in Durham, New Hampshire

28. Ellipsis trio: DOTS.  Something that C-Moe uses often when blogging ... would it surprise you to know that one of C-Moe's favorite movie theater candy is this?

30. Terr. divided in 1889: DAK.  My preferred clue for this would be: "Oft-injured QB Prescott of the Cowboys"

37. Stack: PILE.

38. Hierarchy levels: RUNGS.

39. Hockey's Bobby: ORR.  Oops - Ricky used one of the dreaded crossword-ese names

40. Civic, for one: SEDAN. Honda also fits, and I had to erase this before completing that section of the puzzle

41. "Ohhhh": I SEE.  Hopefully what Moe will say after he gets some new eyeball lenses

44. School org.: PTA.

45. Lean (on): RELY.

46. Foldable bed: COT.

47. Abbr. on an ESPN crawl: NCAA.  This usually applies to the NCAA as a whole. Right now, you'll see "WCBB" (for example) when ESPN is offering the scores of women's college basketball games on their "ticker" (crawl)

49. School papers: REPORTS.  The business world might refer to "reports" as those who work for their manager

57. One with a platonic partner, for short: ARO.  This was unknown by me but to be fair, it showed up recently in another LA Times puzzle

[ note: I wrote this recap before seeing ARO (in last Saturday's August Miller puzzle, e.g.) and then came back to edit it ... ]

58. Thoroughfare: ROAD. 

59. Leave out: OMIT.

60. Polling booth figure: VOTER.

62. Vegetable in the cabbage family: KALE.  I notice this vege being used in a lot of prepared salad mixes found at the grocery store 

63. Say hello quietly: WAVE.

  

64. __ planner: EVENT. 

65. Pizza joint in "Do the Right Thing": SAL'S. Sal's Pizza is a regional chain in NH and MA (surprisingly, there is none located @ UNH - see 27-across).  Sal's Pizzeria is found in Brooklyn, NY and was a venue in the movie, "Do the Right Thing".  And now you know, because prior to looking this up, I had no clue

66. Souvenir from an animated film: CEL.

67. Worshipper of Jah: RASTA.  I don't know about Jah but I do know that Joboo is for real.  Enjoy this clip! [rated PG-13 for a few choice words]

Down:

2. Help in keeping things straight: RULER.  I am guessing that Ricky/Patti meant one of these?

Notice the straight edge on the RULER

3. Compadre: AMIGO.  Would you use amiga if the clue was "Com-madre"??

4. Keyless key: FOB.  Moe-ku:

        Dick Van Dyke's TV 

        Wife said this before driving:

        "Lob me the FOB, Rob"

5. Weapons for Neptune and Shiva: TRIDENTS.  Many of us are aware of the god, Neptune 

I was unaware of the god, Shiva

6. Aspect: TRAIT.

7. "That sounds painful": OUCH.

8. Mega- squared: TERA.

9. "__ mañana": HASTA.

10. San Diego suburb whose name means "hidden": ESCONDIDO.

11. Italian automaker: FIAT.  Alfa fit but I didn't bite

12. Primary ingredient in poi: TARO.

15. Danny of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": DE VITO.  A series on FX network.  The trailer:

22. Cuatro y cuatro: OCHO. [translation from Spanish to English] Four and four = eight

23. Hosp. sections: ERS.  ORS also fit.  Again, I chose the correct one initially

25. 2022 and 2024 AL MVP: JUDGE.  "Here comes the JUDGE"!  As in, Aaron Judge the center fielder of the NY Yankees

28. Not at all cool: DORKY.

29. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

31. "Too bad": ALAS.

32. Casino game: KENO.  How to play, courtesy of WikiHow

33. Golf clinic topic: GRIP.  Step-by-step guide to the perfect golf GRIP

34. Depose: OUST.

35. Everybody: ONE AND ALL. Not a phrase that we see a lot of in crossword puzzles

36. Hoped-for result: GOAL. 

37. Sauce made with pine nuts: PESTO.  Here is a simple recipe:

40. Short stay: STOPOVER.

42. Grazing location: MEADOW.

43. Coffee order: ICED.

45. "Run Away With Me" singer Carly __ Jepsen: RAE.

48. Gives way: CEDES.

49. Brand of canned chiles: ROTEL. My favorite of theirs, and one I use often in a variety of recipes:

Try this with black-eyed peas

50. Going prices: RATES. 

51. Reznor with two Oscars for Best Original Score: TRENT. His biography, courtesy of Wikipedia

52. "More or less": SORTA.

53. Bothers: IRKS.

54. U.S. weather agency: NOAA.  NOAA and NCAA were a bit too close to each other in the grid for my liking ... 

55. Apple desktop: IMAC.  I am a PC guy (laptop) with an iPhone

56. Deep __: DIVE. 

61. Eggs, biologically: OVA.  Not sure how much they'd charge for an ova, but a dozen hen's eggs were $6.99 this past week, and that was for the "store" brand

I'll close with a -ku:

    Manicurist earned

    Vet School degree. She now can

    Give a pet a cure

The Chairman has left the building ... see you in March or April

Friday, January 17, 2025 - Amanda Cook and Katie Hale

 Theme:  It's snack time

 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's puzzle is a collaboration between two crossword puzzle assistant editors, Amanda Cook and Katie Hale.  Ms. Cook and Ms. Hale filled our goodies bag with five different types of snacks (although I would argue that NOODLES are not a snack) that are found at the end of five familiar phrases:

15-across. Internet cafe snacks?: BROWSER COOKIES.  [Microsoft dot com] describes cookies as "... bits of data that are sent to and from your browser to identify you. When you open a website, your browser sends a piece of data to the web server hosting that website. This data usually appears as strings of numbers and letters in a text file." How about a Moe-ku and cartoon to further explain?

        Beware logging on

        To the Girl Scouts' website; they

        Use BROWSER COOKIES

 

 

22-across. Billiard hall snacks?: POOL NOODLES. Pool noodles are flotation devices, or as this Moe-ku and cartoon describe:

        What might you call brains

        That work while swimming? Of course,

        They are POOL NOODLES

 

 

 

34-across. Arbitration snacks?: BARGAINING CHIPS.  [dictionary dot com] describes a bargaining chip as: "a potential concession or other factor which can be used to advantage in negotiations"; as described in yet another Moe-ku (and image):

        When Lay's and Pringles

        Decide to merge, I heard they

        Used BARGAINING CHIPS

 

 

44-across. Travel snacks?: AIRPORT BARS.  Despite the nearly flawless record of airplane travel, airport bars are still found in most concourses as a haven for nervous travelers to secure a drink (or two, or three) before boarding.  Or, as this Moe-ku and image suggest:

        Where might one find a

        Place to have a flight before

        A flight? AIRPORT BARS

 

 

 

 

 

53-across. Moving day snacks?: PACKING PEANUTS. Packing peanuts are those nut-shaped Styrofoam objects that help cushion your shipment by filling the voids in a package.  Or, as this Moe-ku and image might suggest:

        The preferred item

        Shippers use for elephants

        Are PACKING PEANUTS

 

 

 

They will cushion his trunk!

 

Perhaps this one was left on the editor's desk.  Clue: Bank heist snacks? SAFE CRACKERS.  Ok, so this one didn't make the cut but that doesn't mean there's no Moe-ku or cartoon!

        Parrot's owner is 

        A bank thief. I guess, Polly

        Wants a SAFE CRACKER

Here is the grid: 

 

My "score" for this puzzle is ⭐⭐⭐and 1/4⭐ It could have been higher, but there were far too many three-letter words (TLWs) and abbreviations.  I am sure they were needed to support the large number of entry letters (65), but many of the 17 TLWs were also abbr's (7).  I will point them out below. Also, there were a couple of forced entries (green paint) but again, the use of 5 entries which averaged 13 letters apiece creates filling problems 

Across:

1. Hoffmann of "Transparent": GABY.  I wonder if our Crossword Corner regular, desper-otto, found this 1-Across entry as a stumbling block today?  

Ms. Hoffmann's acting career began at an early age, and she's not that well-known now, methinks.  [wikipedia] lists this as her bio intro: "Gabrielle Mary Antonia Hoffmann is an American actress. She made her film debut in Field of Dreams (1989) and found success as a child actress in Uncle Buck (1989), This Is My Life (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and then later as a teenager with Now and Then (1995), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), All I Wanna Do (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999)"

5. Feature of the ROFL emoji: TEAR.  😂 <== this

9. Intel org.: NSA.  TLW #1; abbr. #1

12. Tony kin: OBIE. One of the EGOT categories

13. Foot massage target: ARCH. Who doesn't love a foot massage?

14. Does a bit of tailoring: SEWS.  Did this one leave you in stitches?

18. Vientiane's country: LAOS.

19. "Industry" network: HBO.  TLW #2; abbr. #2

20. Symbol that can mean "approximately": TILDE. ~  <== this

21. Blow up: Abbr.: ENL. TLW #3; abbr. #3

25. Lecture without caring if one's words are heard: TALK AT.  Green paint??  Rarely used entry; seems semi-forced

27. Flamenco cheers: OLES.

28. Show contempt: SNEER.

29. Elisabeth of "The Karate Kid": SHUE.

 

 

 

31. Cricket gear: BAT.  TLW#4

38. Start of something?: ESS.  TLW #5

39. Mercury and Neptune: GODS.  ORBS fits, too
  
40. Slangy "OK": AIGHT.  More green paint??  This, too, seemed forced

41. "Skedaddle!": SHOO.

43. Part of a relay team: ANCHOR.  Usually, the fastest runner on a four-person relay team, and the person who anchors (runs the final leg)

49. Gershwin brother: IRA.  TLW #6 (and if clued as an investment option, this, too could have been an abbr.)

50. __ mail: SNAIL.  The last time I bought a "Forever" stamp from the USPS it cost $0.69 - and when I send a letter from AZ to GA it usually takes a week or more to get there ... SMH

51. Fury: IRE.  TLW #7

52. Eyeliner perfector: Q-TIP.  Unusual clue for this item, but glad to know that Amanda and Katie didn't refer to it as an implement for removing ear wax 

57. Fencing gear: EPEE.

58. Voicemail cue: BEEP.

59. Latin day: DIEM.

60. Big podcast producer: NPR.  TLW #8; abbr. #4

61. Classical closing: CODA.  "Classical", as in classical music

62. Borrowing figs.: APRS.  Abbr. #5; and worse, it pluralizes a TLW

Down:

1. Celebrate wildly: GO BANANAS.  More oft used entry than I would have thought

2. Six-pack producers: AB ROLLERS. A debut entry for published crossword puzzles.  Congrat's, ladies

3. Playbill blurbs: BIOS.  Abbr. #6 - a Playbill is a program that is handed out at theatrical events

4. Longbow wood: YEW.  TLW #9

5. 1990s workout fad: TAEBO. 

6. Barnett of CBS News: ERROL.  Not the first Errol that comes to my mind

 

 

 

This is for all of the ladies who read the blog!

7. Stanford's athletic gp.: ACC. TLW #10; abbr. #7 - Atlantic Coast Conference.  And why is Stanford, a Pacific Coast university part of the ACC?? 

8. Sorority row letter: RHO.  TLW #11

9. "Peaky Blinders" actor Sam: NEILL.  Not one with which I am familiar

10. Rutabaga, to a Brit: SWEDE.  Learning moe-ment for me: Rutabaga is also known as swede (in the UK), Swedish turnip, wax turnip, or neep. It is a winter root vegetable with edible roots as well as leaves that's closely related to the turnip and the cabbage [everyday healthy recipes dot com]

11. Beasts of burden: ASSES.  I can't do a blog without at least one video!! Am I an "ass" for using this one?

14. Hydroplanes: SKIDS.

16. Cocktail measure: SHOT.  Nice use of the clue to soften an otherwise "nasty" word entry.  OTOH, when I measure alcohol in a cocktail (or when drinking neat) I use fingers (two are the minimum)

17. Chiwere speakers: OTOE.  I didn't know who the Chiwere speakers were, but this one filled via perps, IIRC

18. "__ real": LET'S BE.  OK.  That is usually what I am (real) when I blog a puzzle; there's no holding back!

22. Start to ski?: PARA.  As defined

23. Peas and carrots: NOUNS.  Forrest Gump would be happy to know that

24. Designer Cassini: OLEG.

26. Tavern delivery: KEG.  TLW #12

29. Boopable pet part: SNOOT. Another clue that was chosen to help soften a negative word

30. Played sardines, perhaps: HID.  TLW #13

31. Silver Slugger awardee: BIG HITTER.  Not sure that I fully agree with this. A big hitter, as defined, is an important or powerful person.  It can also refer - in baseball terminology - to a sportsperson who is capable of hitting the ball long and hard.  And while the Silver Slugger award is an honor given for the top position players on various baseball teams, it is not what I would define as a big hitter (YYMV)

32. "Better safe than sorry" and "Actions speak louder than words": APHORISMS.  My favorite is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

33. Feature of some dance shoes: T-STRAP.  Splynter gave me permission to use this image, but he removed the stockings:

35. "The Firebird" composer Stravinsky: IGOR.  My kids' HS sports teams were nicknamed the "Firebirds".  Both of my kids were in band, and of course the band director had to feature movements from this iconic symphony during performances, including halftime shows at football games.  Enjoy!  

BTW, the bassoon solo at around the 5:00 mark is one my daughter has played many, many times (and better than this one, IMO)

36. Tennis ball containers: CANS.  As this blog is being written, the Australian Open Tennis Tournament is underway - wonder how Ons Jabeur is doing? 

37. Juice box brand named for its vitamin content: HI-C. TLW #14; abbr. #8 (technically)

41. Sudden surge: SPIKE.  

42. Celebration on the last full moon of Phalguna: HOLI.  Another entry that filled via perps

43. District: AREA. 

44. Poplar kin: ASPEN.

45. Like some add-on purchases: IN APP.  I am betting that as crossword puzzles become more "modern", this phrase will become crossword-ese as well as the word "app"

46. Speed climbing entrant: RACER.

47. Kangaroo, e.g.: BIPED.  

48. Filled cornmeal flatbread: AREPA.

52. Bon mot: QUIP.  Final Moe-ku:

        A witty remark

        Made by certain cotton swab's

        Called: a Q-TIP QUIP

        

54. Network with a three-note chime: NBC. TLW #15; abbr. #9

55. Old Prizm maker: GEO.  TLW #16

56. "For your eyes only" contract, briefly: NDA. TLW #17; abbr. #10

See you on the 31st but will probably be on hiatus after that.  Gonna have cataract surgery and one of the recovery "no-no's" is working on a computer ... 

Friday, January 3, 2025 - Zachary David Levy

 

Theme:  So you like solving crossword puzzles, Eh?

A CSO to our own, CanadianEh!

Puzzling thoughts: 

Today's constructor, Zachary David Levy, selected a few common phrases and adds a phonetic "long a" syllable to them.  By doing so he creates some interesting play-on-words that also use a couple of homophones

P-O-Ws have become a common "theme" of Friday puzzles. Some are better than others, and after my "intro" you'll see how this one from ZDL grades.  We'll see if he brought his "A" game ...

Which segues right to the reveal (found at 37-across, in the center of the grid): Peak performance, and an apt title for this puzzle: A GAME. 

The themers:

17-across. Therapist's questionnaire?: SELF SURVEY.  This one plays off of the more familiar term "SELF-SERVE" which refers to that which you can help yourself without any assistance.  (see image below)  In this example, the word "survey" combines the phonetic "serve" with "ey" (which sounds like a "long a"), and completes the idea

 

I'm sure a lot of salad bars were not in use during COVID

30-across. Paper model of a wrinkly dog?: CARD SHAR-PEI.  This entry was a bit more literal than the first as it uses the word "Shar-pei", a wrinkly dog (see image below), without any phonetic or homo-phonic spelling.  The term card sharp is the lesser-used term for "card shark", but as you'll see when you open the hyperlink is the original one

 

This Shar-pei is actually playing cards!

46-across. Empty cup at Starbucks?: VACANT LATTE.  I was torn on this one as one of the cup sizes used at Starbucks is called a Grande.  And that word, too has a "long a" sound at its end.  But Grande is six-letters in length and Zachary only needed five.  The term "vacant lot" is the p-o-w connector here.  I'd show an image of one but it would be "empty", no? 😉

64-across. Celebration that involves rowdy games of Twister, facetiously?: BODY PAR-TAY. This entry resembles CARD SHAR-PEI as it uses the word par-tay literally.  The phrase "body part" connects with the game of Twister as you'll see in the image below:

 

************

Here is one that I came up with. Perhaps Zachary did, too, and it ended up on the cutting room floor:

"Muscular Asian islander with a dominant personality?" ATHLETIC TAIPEI 

Despite this being a clever puzzle, the overall effect (for me) was just OAK - AY 

I rate this ⭐⭐ and 3/4⭐

The Grid - just one mistake today for C-Moe

Across:

1. Spielberg thriller based on a Benchley novel: JAWS.  "We're gonna need a bigger boat"

 

 

5. Large reference: ATLAS.  Have fun clicking on the ATLAS

10. Pal: CHUM.  Another way of cluing this would be to refer chum as a way to attract "Jaws".

 

 

14. Snack sometimes referred to as a sandwich: OREO.  How do YOU eat an Oreo? I separate the two cookies and scrape the filling off with my teeth

15. Bounded: LEAPT.

16. Mata __: HARI.

19. Homemade website?: ETSY.

20. Peaceful greetings: SALAAMS.  Moe-ku #1:

 

        Some peaceful greetings

        In an Arab-run deli:

        Salami SALAAMS

         
21. Wide body: SEA.  Where "Jaws" lives

23. Father's hermana: TIA.  Spanglish?  Shouldn't this clue be "Padre's hermana"?

24. Sultanate on Borneo: BRUNEI.  Is this pronounced Broon AY or Broon Eye?

26. Keeping in the loop: CCING.  This is also how we keep our blog-mistress, Zhoquin Burnikel "in the loop" - Moe-ku #2:

 

        Ms. Burnikel stays

        Informed, when she sees that we're

        CCING C.C.

28. Loan fig.: APR.  This kind of fitting, in a way.  Some of us may need a loan in Apr. when it's tax time.  The IRS offers these with a low Annual Percentage Rate for taxpayers who can't pony up the full amount owed

33. Smelling a rat, so to speak: LEERY. Moe-ku #3:

 

        Psychedelic guru

        Got suspicious, and now's called:

        Timothy LEERY 

35. Nursery refrain: E-I-E-I-O.  Old MacDonald's line

36. Slowly go dark: FADE.

39. Members of Gil Grissom's team, briefly: CSIS. Short for Crime Scene Investigators.  I'm not a big fan of this entry; the clue was difficult enough for those who did not know that Gil Grissom was the night shift supervisor on the CBS hit series, CSI ... it also pluralizes an abbreviation

43. Bygone airline whose first flight was from Key West to Havana: PAN AM.  Read all about it here

45. Whisky name: DEWAR.  CSO to Irish Miss who likes her Dewar's on the rocks 🥃

51. Moody genre: EMO. Moe-ku #4:

 

        New flick, created

        For moody genre fans is

        Called: "Finding EMO" 

52. Daisy variety: OX-EYE.  Also known as, Leucanthemum vulgare

53. "The Secret of Monkey Island" figure: PIRATE.  This answer would have come to me if I knew what "The Secret of Monkey Island" is.  Apparently it's a video game ... not a clue for us "Boomers"

55. Tinkering inits.: DIY.  Good Friday clue

56. Captured: WON.  As in the game of chess; I captured the King and I won

59. Helped a cause, say: DONATED.  I usually look at organizations that use at least 90% of the monies donated (to the actual cause or cure) before I do so

62. Caffeine-rich nut: KOLA. I prefer the caffeine-rich berry, also known as coffee

66. Old Testament book: AMOS.  RUTH also fits

67. Trial site: VENUE.  Never heard a courtroom called a "venue", but whatever

68. Chapeau spot: TETE.  Today's Frawnch clue/entry.  We already had Spanglish

69. 403(b) IDs: SSNS. 

70. Is really good, songwise: SLAPS.  Had to go to Urban Dictionary to find this

71. Cheek: SASS.

Down:
1. __ stick: incense: JOSS.  Joss stick or incense stick is a substance burned for fragrant scent

 

 

2. Floor plan measure: AREA. 

3. Brought up with excellent manners, say: WELL BRED.  Moe-ku #5:

 

        The Cocker Spaniel

        Had excellent manners, and

        Is clearly, WELL BRED

4. To this point: SO FAR.  AS YET also fits

5. Figure at a reunion dinner: ALUMNA.  You'll notice her wearing a dress, skirt, or pants suit, perhaps

6. More succinct: TERSER.  Not an attribute of C-Moe's blog, usually, as they often contain run-on sentences, hyperlinks, YouTube videos, random images, cartoons, and Moe-ku's

7. Head, to a Brit: LAV.  LOO also fits

8. Big lugs: APES.  Moe-ku #6:

 

        Gorilla's car's wheels

        Have unique fastener bolts:

        They are called APE nuts

9. Lid affliction: STYE.

10. "Evita" narrator: CHE.

11. Genteel gesture: HAT TIP.  Moe-ku #7:

 

        At the restaurant,

        Guest checked his fez, and left a

        Generous HAT TIP

 

12. Bearish: URSINE.  This almost became a Major problem for me, but ended up being quite Minor

13. "The Karate Kid" mentor: MIYAGI.  I literally forgot the name.  Was it Miyaga?  Miyago? Miyagu? Perps to the rescue

18. Showing a bit of cheek: SAUCY.  I once showed a bit of cheek at a nude beach.  I wasn't called "saucy"; it was almost, Gross

22. Palm berry: ACAI.  I wonder if the Palm BlackBerry phone ever considered calling itself an acai?

25. Aid for brainstorming: IDEA MAP.  Moe's informational video

 

 

27. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" singer: CROCE. A Barbershop Quartet cover:

 

 

28. ET from the planet Melmac: ALF.

29. Pod filler: PEA.

31. City-building game franchise: SIM.

32. Bit of a giggle: HEE.  I tried "TEE" first, to no delight of this solver

34. Fulfill a debt: REPAY.

37. Little pest: ANT.

38. 128 oz.: GAL.

40. Southern pitcherful: SWEET TEA.  I could've sworn I had this entry once before, recently.  As I said then, and will say now, I am not a big fan

41. "Can confirm": I AM.  "Sam" confirms this, often

 

 

42. "Sold out" sign: SRO. Standing Room, Only

44. Once again: ANEW.

45. Carter of country: DEANA.  She could've gotten a wax, instead ... shaving her legs is never mentioned, interestingly

 

 

46. Bar shelf assortment: VODKAS.  Among all of the alcoholic beverages, vodkas are my least favorite, though they are OK in a Bloody Mary

47. Old saws: AXIOMS.  Moe-ku #8:

 

        The old woodworker

        Never told old saws; prefers

        AX-ioms, instead

48. Sri Lanka, once: CEYLON.  Here is a little bit of its history

49. Get ready for guests, perhaps: TIDY UP.  Where I grew up we called it "Ret(ting) up"

50. Familiar devices: TROPES.  The dictionary definition

54. Bakery treats: TARTS.  ROLLS fit, but they aren't what I would call a "treat"

57. "Well, duh!" shorthand: OBVS.  Another dictionary definition

58. Holiday time: NOEL.  Just passed.  Hope everyone had a joyous Noel

60. Grub: EATS. I'm glad that the ride-share company didn't call this service, "Uber Grubs"

61. Highlights, e.g.: DYES.  As in adding highlights to ones coif

 

 

Achieved with a hair DYE

 

 

63. Donkey: ASS.  No one, ever, uses the phrase, "Pain in the donkey"

65. Cheek swab molecule: DNA.

 

See you in a couple of weeks ...