Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Dan Kamman and Zhouqin Burnikel

Broken Noses.  Today's puzzle is brought to us by our blog hostess C.C. and Dan Kammann.  A Beak is an informal term used to describe a nose, often a large nose.  Each theme answer begins with the letter B and ends with the letters EAK, thus the word BEAK is "nosing" around the answer.

18-Across. Fast talker's torrent: BLUE STREAK.

24-Across. Short mental rest: BRAIN BREAK.

My idea of the perfect brain break.

38-Across. British dish named for frying sounds: BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.  Bubble and squeak is a hearty, one-pan recipe that makes the left over potatoes, vegetables, and meat.

54-Across. Lean red meat choice: BISON STEAK.

And the unifier:

60-Across. Do some snooping, and a feature of 18-, 24-, 38-, and 54-Across: NOSE AROUND.  A Nosey Parker is one who noses around.

What else can we nose around and find?

Across:

1. Horse hoof sound: CLOP.

5. Chore: TASK.

9. Shade-tolerant plant with broad leaves: HOSTA.

14. Great __: big dog: DANE.  Is it also a Top Dog?

15. Amazon berry enjoyed by toucans: ACAI.  This berry is becoming a crossword staple.

16. Yarns: TALES.

There is some tale in that yarn.

17. The "S" of GPS: Abbr.: SYST.  Global Positioning System

20. Raison d'__: ÊTRE.  Today's French lesson.

22. Mouse catcher: TRAP.

23. Earthbound Australian bird: EMU.

27. Come to a halt: STOP.

28. Actor Cariou: LEN.  I didn't recognize the name, but I do recognize the face of this Canadian actor.  Len Cariou (né Leonard Joseph Cariou; b. Sept. 30, 1939) often appeared along side Angela Lansbury (Oct. 16, 1925 ~ Oct. 11, 2022) in Murder She Wrote.

29. "That hits the spot": AAH!

30. Dorky sort: NERD.

32. Hit "+" on a calculator: ADD.

33. Activist/filmmaker Newsome: BREE.  Bree Newsome (née Brittany Ann Byuarm Newsome; b. May 13, 1985) is best known for her act of civil disobedience when she removed a Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house in 2015.

35. Founded: Abbr.: ESTD.  As in Established.

43. Combustible heap in a funeral rite: PYRE.

44. God, in Notre-Dame: DIEU.  More of today's French lesson.

45. "Single Lady" comic Wong: ALI.  Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; Apr. 19,1982) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

46. Sale caveat: AS IS.

49. Word before a maiden name: NÉE.  A continuation of today's French lesson.

50. Utah's cap.: SLC.  This was my head-scratcher until I realized that the capital of Utah is Salt Lake City.

51. Beer ingredient: MALT.  To make beer, you need four basic ingredients: water, malted grains, hops, and yeast.  Malt is a cereal grain, most often barley, that has been steeped in water, allowed to germinate, and then dried, a process called malting. Malting converts the grain's starches into sugars, making it a key ingredient in beer.

57. Org. on tubes of toothpaste: ADA.  As in the American Dental Association.

58. Bonnet-sporting Berenstain Bear: MAMA.

59. Reseals, as a road: TARS.

64. Completely destroy: RAZE.

66. Cook on a barbecue: GRILL.

67. Campus sports gp.: NCAA.  As in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  Congratulations to the LSU baseball team the 2025 NCAA National Champions!  Geaux Tigers! 

Geaux Tigers!

68. Smell: ODOR.

69. Lower leg joint: ANKLE.

70. Watched warily: EYED.

71. General __ chicken: TSO'S.  One version of the origin of General Tso's Chicken.

Down:

1. LP successors: CDs.

2. Wore a hoodie over a sweater over a shirt, e.g.: LAYERED UP.

3. Ready when needed: ON STAND BY.

4. __ dish: shallow lab container: PETRI.

5. Soda can opener: TAB.

6. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL.  As in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, which is one of the major ligaments in the knee.  This injury appears often in the puzzles.

7. Fry in a pan: SAUTÉ.

8. "A Real Pain" Oscar winner Culkin: KIERAN.  I recognized Kieran Culkin (né Kieran Kyle Culkin; b. Sept. 30, 1982) from his portrayal of Roman Roy in Succession.

9. URL starter: HTTP.  HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

10. Rower's blade: OAR.

11. Icy rain: SLEET.

12. "I love you," in Spanish: TE AMO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

13. Invite to the roof deck, say: ASK UP.  //  And 31-Down. Ask for: REQUEST.

19. "For Pete's __!": SAKE.

21. Makes possible: ENABLES.

24. Spill the beans: BLAB.

25. Like many trees in winter: BARE.

26. Actress Perlman: RHEA.  Rhea Perlman (b. Mar. 31, 1948) is best known for her portrayal of Carla on Cheers.

27. SoCal home of the Aztecs: SDSU.  As in San Diego State University.

34. Put the kibosh on: END.  Kibosh is a fun word.

36. Promos intended to spark curiosity: TEASER ADS.

37. Texas attraction with lions and tigers: DALLAS ZOO.

39. Rotten kid: BRAT.

40. Purple pet on "The Flintstones": DINO.

41. Caught in the act: SEEN.

42. Field goal attempt: KICK.

47. Letter-shaped girder: I-BAR.

48. Gymnastics great Biles: SIMONE.  Simone biles (b. Mar. 14, 1997) has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.

51. "Tokyo Ghoul" genre: MANGA.

52. Deck out: ADORN.

53. Vision-improving surgery: LASIK.

55. Pert: SAUCY.

56. Deck with a Lovers card: TAROT.

58. Like brothers: MALE.

61. Building wing: ELL.

62. "Sorry, lassie": NAE.  Today's lesson in Scottish dialect.

63. Father: DAD.  We celebrated Father's Day earlier this month.

65. Hosp. triage areas: ERS.  As in Emergency Rooms.

Here's the grid:

חתולה

Saturday, May 10, 2025, Dan Kammann, Zhouqin Burnikel

 Saturday Themeless by Dan Kammann & Zhouqin Burnikel 

Today C.C. is joined by her hiking friend Dan Kammann and she sent me this short but very impressive bio of him:

Dan Kammann "Ironman Dan" is based in Champlin, MN. He's an avid runner and biker. He has run 5 official marathons and over 50 unofficial ones. He did the Century Ride 10 years ago amid mountain climbing. He visited the Antarctic in 2022 which is the picture he shared with us below. 

Across:

1. Plays for laughs: SKITS - SNL is famous for these. Here is part of my favorite: 

6. "Phooey!": AW HECK.

12. AMC model whose passenger's side door was longer than its driver's side door: PACER.

13. Herb also known as dragon's wort: TARRAGON.

15. Some geometry products: AREAS.

16. "Save your breath": DON'T ARGUE.

17. One looking for a deal?: NARC - Maybe not the best shirt to wear as an undercover NARC

18. Baroness address: LADY - Past Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher received the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.

19. Ready for a massage, say: PRONE.

20. White noise machine option: STEADY RAIN - Here is some for you

23. Like some MIA flights: INTL.

24. Barely gets wet?: SKINNY DIPS.

26. Speed's mysterious rival, in cartoons: RACER X ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

28. Hawk: SELL.

29. Reunion gp.: FAM.

32. Tickle: AMUSE.

33. Org. impersonated in some scams: SSA - We're smart enough around here not to give out our number to anyone saying they are from the Social Security Administration 

34. Broadcasting: ON AIR.

36. Take care of a gray area, perhaps: DYE 😀

37. Bloke: CHAP.

39. Lives (in): DWELLS.

40. Concert workers: STAGE CREWS - The vehicles needed by then STAGE CREWS for Taylor Swift's ERA Tour.

42. Faucet handle: MOEN 😀

45. Runner-up: SECOND BEST and 55. Admits defeat, informally: TAKES AN L. It can be very close!

48. Navel type: INNIE.

50. Home of the Imiloa Astronomy Center: HILO - It is at 14,000 ft. above sea level on an island and so the skies are very clear.

51. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.

52. Road warning: STOP AHEAD.

54. Monument to Balzac sculptor: RODIN - At 136 Bd Raspail, 75006 Paris, France

56. Still waters?: BOOZE - Andy and Barney break up a still used by two spinster sisters.

57. __-sense: SPIDEY.

58. Was unproductive: IDLED.

Down:

1. Part of BASE jumping: SPANS.

2. Gold standard: KARAT.

3. Answer to a cold call?: ICE RESCUE - A useful device they use

4. Treats with a cuppa: TEA CAKES.

5. SAT takers: SRS - There is a strong correlation between SAT scores and graduation rates.

6. Frame works?: ART 😀

7. Close on a set: WRAP - Or at a graduation

8. Country rock great Emmylou: HARRIS.

9. Push: EGG ON.

10. Run the numbers?: COUNT 😀

11. Prepare for camel pose: KNEEL.

13. Heading on a sidewalk chalkboard: TODAY'S SPECIAL - I love this one

14. "Got a clue?": ANY IDEA.

16. Make whole, in a way: DARN 😀 🧦 

18. Minnesota team with four championships: LYNX.

21. Set the scene?: DIRECT - Five famous ones

22. Nothing at all: NIL.

25. Worked in the fields, say: PLOWED - Plows are not seen much any more. Minimum or No Till are are very common around here to save water and fuel.

26. "Wicked!": RAD.

27. Evanescence lead singer Lee: AMY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

29. Object of worship in Exodus: FALSE IDOL.

30. French for garlic: AIL - Cette salade a besoin de plus d'ail. (This salad needs more garlic.)

31. Miss after a wedding: MRS 😀

33. Female grouse: SAGE HEN.

35. Recent recruits: NEW BLOOD.

38. Owns: HAS.

39. Bond villain with prosthetic hands: DR. NO.

40. Outbid at the last moment: SNIPED.

41. Like pizza for breakfast, often: COLD.

42. Rainforest phenomena: MISTS.

43. Eligible to be drafted?: ON TAP 😀

44. Mushroom in ramen: ENOKI.

46. Commandeer: SEIZE.

47. Ready to play: TUNED - A chore to perform every time before I played my guitar

49. Effortlessness: EASE.

53. Something that's cut and dried: HAY.

54. Squeeze bunt result: RBI.