Wednesday, Nov 26th, 2025 ~ Daniel Hrynick

 U HAUL

This is my third installment blogging an LA Times crossword from Daniel - the one I reviewed almost a year ago had a similar symmetry, being mirrored on the Y-axis.  I have a mixed opinion about this one; on the one hand, it's clever, with a meta-clue reveal, but then I seem to think that either the "shape" of the puzzle's symmetry needed to somehow 'reflect' the "U" shape as well - OR - perhaps more than just three "U" entries~?  It feels as though the answers to 22- and 42A., 9- & 11-letter fills, might have been part of the theme as well.  YMMV.  I count eight names, NINE abbrs, with twenty-three 3LWs but no circles in a standard-sized grid.  The themers and reveal; 

17. *Device whose poles are close together: HORSESHOE MAGNET

24. *Polish sausage: KIELBASA

28. *Commuter's cushion: NECK PILLOW

31. Ed Sheeran hit, and a phonetic hint to the answers to the starred clues: SHAPE OF YOU - Not my "thing" - all I know about this artist is that at one time he was the biggest name in music - here in the 21st century - with a #1 album and singles ( his Wiki ), but I can't listen to most of the material coming from "musicians" lately; it all sounds digitized and just lacking depth, IMHO.  Here's the video, which happens to mention "magnet";

the "attraction" @ 0:59

And Away U Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Deep purple berry: ACAI - Deep Purple "Blackmore" berry

Closer to my "thing"

5. Worker with lots to attend to?: VALET - parking lots, har-har

10. Actor Guinness: ALEC - name #1, but "U" know he portrayed "Obi Wan"

14. Primer, e.g.: COAT - paint, not reading

15. "Who gives a hoot?" response: "I CARE."

"What do U think of her~?" - Luke's respone to Princess Leia

16. "De __": "Gracias" response: NADA - Espaniol #1, translates to "Of Nothing" = U R Welcome

20. Rio Grande city: EL PASO - name #2

21. Fusses with feathers: PREENS

22. Find a valuable deposit underground: STRIKE OIL - Great fill, but how 'bout BIKE LOCKS~?

26. Rage: MANIA

29. Actress Long: NIA - name #3, this actress

30. Compact __: DISCS - CDs

34. "You said it!": "AMEN~!" - "U" said it~?

35. Once-__: quick studies: OVERS

37. Spiced tea: CHAI

38. Snap: PIC

39. Lattice for vines: TRELLIS

41. Starter course, informally: APPetizer - not going smart phone this week

42. Chess piece on f1 or f8: KING'S BISHOP - another great fill, just not what U'd expect

45. Home __: DEPOT - HD is like my second home . . . .

47. Khaki kin: TAN

48. The Most Stuf cookies: OREOS - and there U are, in a crossword again

51. Actor/director Ken: OLIN - name #4 

52. Misplaces: LOSES

54. NYSE listing: CORPoration

55. 128 oz.: GALLon - could have saved an abbr here and gone with

a GAL in turkey socks~!

56. Wipe data from: ERASE - Are U sure~?

57. Medication-approving gp.: FDA - Food and Drug Administration

58. Exercise similar to yoga: PILATES

61. Floofy canine breed: SAMOYED - Not sure I would have understood "floofy", but I do the Down clues first, had most of the crossings, and the rest was easy to fill out on this one

I will be seeing my buddy Cooper tomorrow~!

Still no luck with a pet of my own, but I am not giving up

64. Battery terminals: ANODES

65. Spanish title: SENORA - Espaniol #2

66. Cry after a successful team effort: "WE WON~!" - there's no "U" in TEAM . . . 

67. Plain awful: LOUSY - probably how the other team feels . . . .

DOWN:

1. Tooth trouble: ACHE

2. "Sweet!": "COOL~!"

3. Lobby group for seniors: AARP - American Association of Retired Peoples - I qualified in February four years ago, at least in terms of age - but - I am a looooong way from being able to retire.

4. "What a terrible thing to do": IT'S A SIN - It's A Song - from Pet Shop Boys, classic 80s, which is more my "thing" - but even better, here's Ghost doing a metal-style cover

5. Helmet attachment: VISOR - I tried SPIKE - hey, it's attached, too...and it's called a pickelhaube

6. German cry of dismay: ACH - Ach~! I put my helmet on upside down~!

7. Southeast Asian language: LAO - spoken in, uh, Laos . . .name(ish)

8. Before, in ballads: ERE

9. Arrangement speed: TEMPO - not how fast U can deliver flowers . . . .

10. Remarkably well-behaved: ANGELIC - I do not recall being referred to as this when growing up

11. Bowling assignment: LANE

12. Garden that needs no improvement: EDEN - Perhaps the fruit should have been kept out of reach~?

13. Pets with toe beans: CATS - I tried DOGS

18. Spanish pronoun: ESTA - Espaniol #3

19. Very dry: ARID - like my humor

23. Wall Street figures: INVESTORS - I was thinking BROKERS

25. Tendency of an eager beaver, maybe: EARLINESS - I'll get up at 4am on Black Friday for these

26. Poster on a subway wall: MAP - my first thought was ADS

27. Friend who likely celebrates Bastille Day: AMI - that friend would be Frawnche

32. Topper in a Super Mario costume: CAP

33. Taste: SIP - don't overdo the spirits this weekend

35. Alternative to com: ORG - internet domains; COMpany and ORGanization

36. Member of the fam: SIS - based on its location in the grid, I figured it was SISter

39. Blast letters: TNT 

40. Cable TV abbr.: SHOwtime - abbr #10

43. Cyclotron particle: ION

44. Lumbering Tolkien creature: ORC - or ENT~? name(ish) #5

45. Apt tattoo for a lover of pooches: DOG PAW - I see so many twenty- and thirty-something girls at the gym, covered in tats - legs, arms, whole sleeves - looks "dirty" to me . . . . just my humble opinion

Subtle, and more appealing

46. "Seinfeld" role for Julia: ELAINE - yada yada yada name #6

49. Calls for takeout: ORDERS - I caved in and got General Tso's chicken last Friday

50. "Me time" outing: SPA DAY - I figure my gym trainer is gonna let me slide this weekend 😜

52. Winery discard: LEES

53. Sail the seven __: SEAS - Rhyming answers, LEES and SEAS

59. "Without further __ ... ": ADO - "Let us, tomato . . . . "

60. Decimal base: TEN

62. Voice artist Blanc: MEL - name #7 - Pork Pig's history

Well, not quite . . . . ono more clue

63. Singer Yoko: ONO - name #8

Splynter

Today's puzzle has a "Grid Flow" of 41.8 - by comparison, the Holy Grail puzzle two weeks ago was low - only 15.9 - basically, it's the crossings that give you connectivity to a section with more than a single letter . . . .

And the solution with low Flow:

Just a curiosity

HAPPY THANKSGIVING~!

Thursday, July 31, 2025, Daniel Hrynick

Theme:  Sticking to the recipe.

Earlier this year -- on Valentine's Day -- I wrote the blog post for another Daniel Hrynick crossword puzzle, which also had a food theme.  How nice to be able to come back for seconds!

In today's puzzle, circles help us locate four food items that may be grilled when pierced with sticks or metal rods.  Let's look at the reveal, and then at the answers where the food items appear.

14-Down. Stick on a grill, or what passes through this puzzle's circled words?: BARBECUE SKEWER.  A barbecue skewer can be pushed through the food items in the theme answers.

16-Across. Rating scale on a film review site: THE TOMATO METER.  The circled word is TOMATO, but the reference here is to https://www.rottentomatoes.com/ where movies are rated based on the percentage of positive reviews received from critics.

27-Across. Drink with zero calories and a blend of 23 flavors: DIET DR PEPPER.  The circled word is PEPPER, but the clue refers to a soft drink.  Diet Dr Pepper and regular Dr Pepper have the same 23 flavors, none of which are discernable to me.

50-Across. Wedding reception activity with flapping and clapping: CHICKEN DANCE.  The circled word is CHICKEN, but the clue refers to a dance that became popular at American Oktoberfest events in the 1980s, and at weddings where polka music is played.  

I was blissfully unaware of this activity until just now.

63-Across. Devices that test internet security: WIFI PINEAPPLES. A WiFi Pineapple is a small, black device with several spikes, developed by Hak5.  Positioned between your computer and router, it can inspect all the data moving from one to the other.  On the downside, a hacker might use one to see the data moving from a server to a private device.

WiFi Pineapple -- who knew?

Well, that was a tasty start to the puzzle, and I hope Misty thinks so, too!

Let's see what else is on the menu ...

Across:

1. Pub delivery: ALE KEG.

7. Festoons: ADORNS.

13. Hailed lift: TAXI CAB.

15. Deeply religious: DEVOUT.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Biceps locale: ARM.

19. __ on the side of caution: ERR.  Better safe than sorry!

20. Roam: ROVE.

21. Battleship piece: PEG.  The game was originally played on paper grids, but Milton Bradley introduced a version with plastic boards and pegs in 1967.  A player cannot see his opponent's fleet, but takes turns calling shots by grid location, with the objective of destroying the opposing player's ships.

24. Setting: BACKDROP.

27. [Theme clue]

31. Rest stop in a high-fantasy game: INN.  I was thinking of Dungeons & Dragons, with various inns where characters meet, rest, and recover, but it turns out there are also fantasy games focused on running an inn, where a player can manage staff, upgrade the facility, and improve the menu.  

Now I have to work in my fantasies, too.

32. Seven-layer dip layer, for short: GUAC.  Guacamole.  This sort of thing used to be popular at potlucks.

33. Darth Vader's first name: ANAKIN.

37. Like a bubble bath: SUDSY.

39. Tease (out): SUSS.  To inspect or investigate so as to gain more knowledge; figure out.

41. Burkina __: West African country: FASO.

42. Harvested plants: CROP.

43. "The Last of Us" protagonist: JOEL.

Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller

44. Certain Fender, casually: STRAT.  The Fender Stratocaster is a model of electric guitar manufactured by The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation since 1954.  The shape and the modular components of the guitar were revolutionary at the time.

45. Iroquois nation: SENECA.

47. Decidedly meh: SO-SO.  Neither very good nor very bad.

49. Pink Mr. Potato Head piece: EAR.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Steel on library racks: DANIELLE.  Any Danielle Steel readers here?  I haven't read her novels, but I found someone who did, and who summarized each one in 140 characters or less:

56. Young fellow: LAD.

57. Former NHL goalie Kölzig: OLAF.  Currently coaching for the Washington Capitals.

Olaf Kölzig

58. Shoemaker's tool: AWL.

60. Genetic testing material: DNA.

63. [Theme clue]

68. Goes in: ENTERS.

69. Skynet in "The Terminator," e.g.: ROGUE AI.  When Artificial Intelligence goes awry.

70. Rental agreements: LEASES.

71. George's "Gravity" co-star: SANDRA.  George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.

Down:

1. Chapati flour: ATTA.  Atta girl (or boy) if you remember this word from previous puzzles.

2. Bert of "The Wizard of Oz": LAHR.

Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

3. Spared (from): EXEMPT.

4. First-aid __: KIT.

5. Good for the planet, for short: ECO.

6. Risk or Trouble: GAME.  When you're tired of playing Battleship, take a Risk on Trouble.

7. Big fuss: ADO.

8. JFK's party: DEM.  John F. Kennedy was a Democrat.

9. Account action that may result in a fee: OVERDRAFT.

10. Drone part: ROTOR.

Drone with six rotors.

11. New, in Mexico: NUEVO.

12. __ throat: STREP.

14. [Theme clue]

17. Atlanta hip-hop genre: TRAP.  Trap is a subgenre of hip-hop music that gets its name from the Atlanta slang term "trap house," a house used exclusively to sell drugs.  Nice.

22. Boundary-pushing: EDGY.

23. "Despicable Me" role for Steve Carell: GRU.  Another cultural touchstone I've missed.  But I like Steve Carell, best known for his role as Michael Scott on the NBC sitcom The Office from 2005–2011.

25. IRS form experts: CPAs.

26. Jeong of "Community": KEN.  Ken Jeong is an American stand-up comedian and actor who rose to prominence for his roles in The Hangover film series (2009-2013) and in the NBC sitcom Community (2009-2015).  He's been in a bunch of other films, too.  Did you see Crazy Rich Asians (2018)?

Ken Jeong

27. Burned items: DISCS.  "Burning a disc" refers to the process of writing data onto a recordable or rewritable disc, such as a CD or DVD, using a laser. The process is called "burning" because it uses a laser to physically alter the surface of the disc, creating a pattern of marks that represent the data. 

28. Accustom: INURE.

29. Finish with: END ON.

30. El __, Texas: PASO.

34. Actress Gillan: KAREN.  Karen Gillan is a Scottish actress and filmmaker, who gained recognition for roles in the Doctor Who series, and eventually Hollywood films including some Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Jumanji, and others.  

Karen Gillan

35. Novelist Asimov: ISAAC.

36. "The Hunchback of __-Dame": NOTRE.

38. Indicates precisely: SPECIFIES.

40. Gin infusion fruit: SLOE.

43. Monopoly corner: JAIL.  More fun and games!

44. Pop: SODA.  Dr Pepper, anyone?  23 flavors!  Where else are you going to get that many?

46. "Weekend Update" co-host: CHE.  Michael Che is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He's best known for his work on Saturday Night Live as co-anchor of "Weekend Update" with Colin Jost since 2014. From 2017–2022, the two were also co-head writers for the show.

Colin Jost and Michael Che

48. "Weekend Update" program: SNL.  See the previous entry -- Saturday Night Live.

51. Group with a tartan: CLAN.

52. Confused: ADDLED.

53. Wooden pin: DOWEL.

54. Flared skirt style: A-LINE.  A skirt with a silhouette that is narrower at the top and gradually widens towards the hem, resembling the shape of a capital letter "A."

55. International pact until 2020: NAFTA.

59. China neighbor: LAOS.

61. Just around the corner: NEAR.

62. 59-Down's continent: ASIA.  Laos's continent.  China's, too.

64. Start to fix?: PRE.  A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to produce a related word.  

65. Research facility in orbit: Abbr.: ISS.  The International Space Station (ISS) orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers). It travels at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour), completing one orbit every 90 minutes. This means the ISS circles the Earth about 16 times a day. 

66. Links gp.: PGA.  A links golf course is built on sandy coastal land that offers a firmer playing surface than inland courses.  PGA is the Professional Golfers' Association of America.

67. Many a one-liner: PUN.  When this blog post is published, I'll be getting ready for our youngest daughter's wedding weekend.  Everyone will be so emotional, even the cake will be in tiers.

Here's the grid:

Did you enjoy today's GAMEs and snacks?

Or did the experience END ON a sour note for you?

Let us know in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Friday, February 14, 2025, Daniel Hrynick

  Theme:  Darling, food is love!

Constructor Daniel Hrynick treats us to a Valentine's Day feast, introduced by terms of endearment.

The theme clues and answers, all Across, are:

17. "My love, borscht for the first course of our Valentine's dinner!": SUGAR, BEETS!  Hey, Sugar, I prepared SUGAR BEETS in a delicious Russian soup!

23. "My love, ruby spuds as a side": BABY, RED POTATOES!  Hey, Baby, I boiled BABY RED POTATOES to go with our main dish!

49. "My love, sweet-and-sour chops for our entree": HONEY, GLAZED PORK!  Hey, Honey, I made HONEY GLAZED PORK for dinner!

56. "My love, I didn't forget dessert!": PUMPKIN, PIE!  Hey, Pumpkin, I baked PUMPKIN PIE!

I like how the terms of endearment are part of the names of the food.  Food is love.

Across:

1. Clipped: TERSE.

6. Per: EACH.

10. Binary pronoun: SHE.

13. __ trail: VAPOR.  Contrails (short for "condensation trails") or VAPOR TRAILs are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure. They are composed primarily of water in the form of ice crystals. Unfortunately, these high altitude clouds absorb thermal radiation from the Earth and then warm the atmosphere.

14. March Madness org.: NCAA.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association organizes this annual basketball tournament in -- you guessed it -- March.

15. Aviation prefix: AERO.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Avian mimic: MYNA.  MYNA (or mynah) birds are prized as pets because of their ability to mimic human speech.  They are perching birds in the starling family, native to Iran and Southern Asia.  The common MYNA (AKA Indian Myna) has been declared one of the world's most invasive species and is one of only three birds listed among "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species" that pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests.

Common Myna

20. D.C. figure: POL.  Short for politician.  Some of these also pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests!  In this neutral space, we shall not opine as to which ones.

21. Site traffic stat: PAGE HIT.  Website owners like to see PAGE HITs.  It means someone is looking.

23. [Theme clue]

28. __ loss: AT A.  Puzzled or uncertain what to think, say, or do.

29. Balkan natives: SERBS.

30. Cybergiggle: LOL.  Texting shorthand for Laugh Out Loud.

31. "Whipped Cream" musician Alpert: HERB.

33. Ceremonial pile: PYRE.  A ceremonial pyre is a structure of combustible material that is set on fire for a variety of purposes, including funerals, celebrations, and executions.

34. Strong cleaners: LYES.  LYE is a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing.

36. Princeton team: TIGERS.  The Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of Princeton University. The school sponsors 35 varsity teams in 20 sports.  

38. Ease: SOOTHE.  

40. Actor Corddry: NATE.  Nathan Corddry is an American actor best known for his roles as Adam Branch in the NBC drama series Harry's Law and for his role as Gabriel in the first two seasons of the CBS sitcom Mom.  Sorry, NATE, all perps for me.  Glad I didn't have to spell your surname.

Nate Corddry

41. First name in animation: WALT.  WALT Disney.

44. Touchpad toucher: USER.

45. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

46. Filmmaker Kurosawa: AKIRA.

48. Moo goo __ pan: GAI.  Moo goo gai pan is a Chinese-American dish that translates to chicken with mushrooms.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Taking five: ON BREAK.

54. __ mode: A LA.  "À la mode" is a French phrase that means "according to the fashion".  It is used to describe something that is stylish or fashionable, or something served with ice cream.

55. Free __: REIN.  Free REIN is the freedom to do or say what you want.  The expression comes from horseback riding:  when you give a horse free rein, you hold the reins loosely so that the animal may wander where it wants. In contrast, if you keep a tight rein on something, you control its every move.

56. [Theme clue]

62. Prefix between micro- and pico-: NANO.

63. Colossal: EPIC.

64. Digestive aid brand: BEANO.

65. Winter hrs. in Utah: MST.  Mountain Standard Time.

66. "Last four digits" IDs: SSNs.

67. Change channels?: SLOTS.  I think the clue refers to coin slots -- where you insert your "change."

Down:

1. Hotel room sets: TVs.

2. __ Claire, Wisconsin: EAU.  The name of this city in Wisconsin is French for "clear water."

3. WoW or D&D: RPG.  World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons are Role Playing Games.

4. Like the taste of cilantro, to some: SOAPY.  I love cilantro.  DH hates it.  My love language involves keeping cilantro out of the house.

5. Blunders: ERRORS.

6. Chemistry suffix: ENE.  A suffix used to form the names of hydrocarbons having one or more double bonds, such as benzene.  

7. Expert: ACE.

8. Spine-stretching asana: CAT POSE.  An āsana is a body posture, originally a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended to any type of yoga exercise position.

Above:  CAT POSE.  Below:  Cow pose.  Good stretches to alternate.

9. Attacks: HAS AT.

10. "Likewise!": SAME TO YOU.

11. Repeated line in "Blitzkrieg Bop": HEY! HO! LET'S GO!  Blitzkrieg Bop was the opening track on the Ramones' self-titled debut album, 1976.  The line "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" became a rallying cry at sporting events.

The song came out first as a single with this cover art.

12. Orange Muppet who tries to learn the saxophone: ERNIE.

16. Stout grains: OATS.

18. Censors: BLEEPS.

22. Pico de __: taco topper: GALLO.  Pico de GALLO (Spanish for "rooster's beak") is a roughly chopped Mexican salsa made from tomato, onion, peppers, salt, lime juice, and cilantro.  Sorry, DH!  Cilantro is a key element.

23. Thai coin: BAHT.

24. Ordered room service, say: ATE IN.

25. Spots for priced-to-sell items: BARGAIN BINS.

26. Not at all humid: DRY.

27. Beer letters since the 1800s: PBR.  Pabst Blue Ribbon.

32. "Actually, bad idea": BETTER NOT.

35. Cut close: SHEAR.

37. Touch up, as a fading salon job: RE-DYE.

38. Barely run?: STREAK.  To STREAK is to run bare naked through a public place for publicity, for fun, as a form of protest, or to participate in a fad.  It was a big fad in the 1970s.

39. Actor Estrada: ERIK.  Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American actor and police officer.  He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983.

41. Buildings without elevators: WALK-UPs.

42. Alias letters: AKA.  AKA is an abbreviation for Also Known As, which might precede an alias.

43. Fashion's Claiborne: LIZ.  Liz Claiborne's success was built on stylish but affordable apparel for career women featuring tailored separates that could be mixed and matched.  I loved wearing her clothes during the decades I spent as a college librarian.  She left this mortal coil in 2007.

47. Improvises: AD-LIBs.

49. Instrument in a toot suite?: HORN.  Silly!  Horns "toot."  "Tout de suite" (which sounds like "toot sweet") is French for "right away."  And of course, a suite in music is a collection of short musical pieces that are played in sequence. Maybe it's a French HORN for a toot suite!

50. Wee hour: ONE AM.

51. Stares slack-jawed: GAPES.

52. Advisory group: PANEL.

57. Max. opposite: MIN.  Maximum vs MINimum.

58. Dells, e.g.: PCs.  Dells are Personal Computers ... Dell being a brand name.

59. Kung __ tofu: PAO.  More good eats!  

60. QB misfire: INT.  Interception.  The quarterback gets the blame if his throw is intercepted by a member of the opposing team.  Amirite?

61. Goddess of the dawn: EOS.  In Greek mythology, Eos is the goddess and personification of the rosy-fingered dawn, who drives a chariot each morning from her home at the edge of the river Oceanus to deliver light and dispel the darkness.

Eos AKA Aurora (in Roman mythology)

Here's the grid:

If you were old enough to listen to popular music in 1969, you might remember a song by The Archies that became the most successful "bubblegum pop" single of all time.  Today's puzzle brings that old ear worm to mind:

Sugar

Oh, honey, honey

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

Honey

Oh, sugar, sugar

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you

With love to all you lovers,

NaomiZ