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

Wednesday, Dec 18th, 2024 ~ Daniel Hrynick

 SKYFALL

I prefer THIS opening & theme song, however, but

a gratuitous Daniel Craig for C.C.

A clever puzzle from a constructor I've had the pleasure to blog before, Juneteenth this year.  The same "word" moving - that is, falling - through the grid, yet always in the same position relative to the edge of the puzzle.  Not an easy task to accomplish without using the "word" as itself and stay within the vernacular, too.  The grid has mirror symmetry, four unique fills (*) a handful of names ( but ones we see constantly in crosswords ) the same # of TLW & 4LWs (22), and a Moe ( per Splynter ) rating of 4 out of 5⭐.   The theme fill falls thusly;

20. "Take time to consider ... ": *                                                                                ASK YOURSELF

 

40. 1983 Tom Cruise teen comedy: *                                                                        RISKY BUSINESS

47. Hangout for a long-distance couple: *                                                                SKYPE DATE

60. Chicken Little's warning, and an apt title for this puzzle?:                           THE SKY IS FALLING

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Lawyer Goodman in the "Breaking Bad" franchise: SAUL - With the spin-off series "Better Call Saul" - I have watched neither series, and reduced my TV bill from $105/mo. to $20/mo. by "dropping" Disney and ESPN - I just don't watch much TV

5. Brazen: BRASH - a bit 'meh' with both words starting with 'B-R-A-'

10. Deliberate loss: DIVE - TANK did not fit with my DOWNS

14. Workforce addition: HIRE - usually with "new"

15. New __, India: DELHI

16. Gulf States title: EMIR

17. Actor Idris: ELBA - name #1, but we see it all the time

18. City in Provence: ARLES

Bottom left on the map

19. Energizer options: AAAs - I just got a 12-pack from Amazon

23. "Tiny Bubbles" singer: DON HO - we had this recently; name #2

25. Scepter companion: ORB - The Crown Jewels of the UK - more here

"I am your king"/"well I didn't vote for you."

26. Under-the-sink piece: P-TRAP

29. "Looking for" shorthand: ISO - In Search Of . . . . also a TV series hosted by Leonard Nimoy and "Skinner" from the X-files, with its own spin-off  (if you will ) called "Ancient Aliens"

30. Bandleader of the Electric Mayhem on "The Muppet Show": DR. TEETH - name #3

"Animal" on the drums

33. Fitting: APT

34. Sunday __: dread of returning to work on Monday: SCARIES - I had the Sunday Scaries for school when I was a youngster - hearing the theme of the PBS show "All Creatures Great & Small" starting up for the closing credits meant bedtime, and I knew I hadn't done my book report . . . .

The theme song

36. Fossil-preserving spots: TAR PITS

38. Fast-__ restaurant: CASUAL - never heard of this; filled via perps

39. Shaped: MOLDED - I had FORMED first

44. NNW opposite: SSE

45. Tempe sch.: ASU - Arizona State University

46. Automated spammer: 'BOT

52. "Pokémon" protagonist Ketchum: ASH - no clue; the "S" was my last fill; name #4

55. "Mangia!": "EAT~!"

56. Newcastle Brown __: ALE

57. Shearing day sound: BAA

64. Code with dits and dahs: MORSE

65. "The Batman" actress Kravitz: ZOE - Daughter of Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet; name #5

66. Barista canvas: LATTE - canvas as in the "art" in the cream/froth atop an espresso

67. Imminently: SOON

68. Stop: END

69. Pollinators that can see in the ultraviolet spectrum: BEES


DOWN:

1. Feminine pronoun: SHE -or "HER"~?  I do the DOWNS first, but I WAGed correctly

SHE's got legs

2. Feel rotten: AIL

3. Green spot in a concrete jungle: URBAN OASIS * - I see this is an HGTV show, too

4. Obedience school item: LEASH - I'm going to need me some dog food & supplies soon

5. Dec. 25, for Justin Trudeau: BDAY - Dah~!  I was going to fill in "B-DAY", but I thought I was the only one who abbreviated it this way....

6. Digs into new digs, say: REROOTS - not MOVES IN

7. Magnetic power: ALLURE - my buddy Adam owns a restaurant of this name, sorta

A Lure, Southold, NY - the "SKY" is very blue

8. Frozen dessert: SHERBET - I read this as DESERT, and TUNDRA did not fit . . . .

9. Radiator sound: HISS - my house has baseboards, but they still "radiate" - much preferred over the forced-air system in my parents house

10. Gave a hand: DEALT - not AIDED  -- a "hand" as in a poker game.  Very clever

11. "Sorry, but it's true": "I'M AFRAID SO." - two of the last three clues fooled me~?  I'm afraid so. . . .

12. Passing through: VIA

13. Hosp. triage units: ERs

21. Alaskan bear: KODIAK

22. Filmmaker Nora: EPHRON - I am sure you've seen at least ONE of her movies - her IMDb; name #6

23. __ jockey: DISC

24. Academy honors: OSCARS - I had the wrong academy in mind - see below, 37D.

27. Subj.-specific exam for the college-bound: AP TEST - Advanced Placement - I took the classes, but only one of the tests

28. Condition that may be treated with exposure therapy, for short: PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - George Carlin's take on the "words" - ** WARNING** may be considered "political" 

31. Count (on): RELY

32. Roman of "The Ms. Pat Show": TAMI - no idea; filled via perps; her IMDb; name #7

35. Sly tactics: RUSES

37. Academy cadet: PLEBE

41. Christen: BAPTIZE

42. Play for a pawn: USE

43. Decongestant brand: SUDAFED

48. Palmer of "Nope": KEKE - also no clue, her Wiki; name #8

49. "Woo-hoo!": "YAY~!"

50. __ mode: À LA

51. Bluffer's giveaway: TELL - more poker

52. Cash dispensers: ATMs

53. Wave away: "SHOO~!"

54. Foot-long sandwich: HERO - I just had one for the first time in a looong time for lunch Friday

57. Orthodontist's instruction: BITE - yeah. but meh.

58. Poker game starter: ANTE - and yet more poker

59. Range listed on board games: AGES - ah; did not make sense until it filled in 

Parker Brothers RISK is appropriate for AGES 10 to Adult

61. Tax form ID: SSN - Social Security Number

62. Daughter's brother: SON - did you have to "think" about this~?  I did - too funny.  How about this~?  My aunt married the brother of her mother's second husband - try and figure that one out . . . .

63. Bunsen burner setting: LAB - ah. Not "LOW"

Splynter

One Week 'til Christmas~!

Wednesday, Jun 19th, 2024, Daniel Hrynick

 DON'T EAT THE FISH~!

 

Today's puzzle, I believe, is Daniel's debut, at least for the LA Times.  Way to Go~!  And - it's NOT from Rebecca, and NOT 16x15 - but still about food. Hey, I'm getting there, slowly but surely - "and don't call me Shirley".  Five foods, or "snacks", with movie title adjectives, and no reveal.  The themers: 

17. Wrapped movie snack for a Rowan Atkinson comedy?: BEAN BURRITO

23. Spicy movie snack for a Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze fantasy romance?: GHOST PEPPERS

38. Roasted movie snack for a Leslie Nielsen disaster comedy?: AIRPLANE PEANUTS

 

The best comedy movie ever~?   Airplane~! Trailer

50. Cold movie snack for a Disney princess musical?: FROZEN YOGURT

62. Sweet movie snack for an Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy?: JUNIOR MINTS

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Like a bad Goodyear: BALD - and, unfortunately, a "good" Splynter's fate, as well

5. Media network based in Ontario: THE CBC - the Wiki, and a shout-out to our friends up north

11. Tanqueray liquor: GIN

14. After-lunch sandwich: OREO - I really like BJs chocolate-chip cookies

15. Nickelodeon toon tyke: RUGRAT

16. Blackjack card: ACE

19. Not quite break, as a record: TIE

20. Seasonal mall worker: SANTA

21. Exam: TEST

22. Slough off: SHED

26. Monastery leaders: ABBOTS - I recommend the "Cadfael Chronicles" by Ellis Peters, Cadfael being a Crusader turned Benedictine monk, set in 1100 England, and a great set of mystery novels

29. Christian name?: DIOR - Christian Dior, designer, very clever

30. __ Lanka: SRI

31. "Very funny": HA-HA

35. Shasta and Fanta: SODAS

42. __ dish: lab container: PETRI - Spellcheck doesn't like this

43. Graph lines: AXES

44. Ready to go: SET

45. LP player: Hi-Fi

 

I don't think the music has the dog's attention

47. Eases: ABATES

55. Passed-down tales: LORE

56. Mower brand: TORO - Mine is a Massey-Ferguson, and I am getting better at driving it~!

57. On the open ocean: AT SEA - I ordered a piece of art from China, and the website supplied the tracking info for the vessel it was loaded on, then I found this site, which is incredible - the number of ships AT SEA. . . .

61. Not even: ODD

64. Itty-bitty: WEE

65. Apply a cipher to: ENCODE

66. "__ quote you on that?": "CAN I~?"  OK boys, let's get some pictures

67. Den. neighbor: NORway - sorta; Sweden is much more "neighborly"

top left corner - Norway is peekin' a teensy bit

68. Itty-bitty: TEENSY - Spellcheck doesn't care for this, either

69. Bridge distance: SPAN

DOWN:

1. "And __ your uncle": Brit's "Voilà!": BOB'S - my parents were born and raised in England; while I did not hear this phrase often, one that did come up on a day of thunderstorms was "It's a bit black over Bill's mother's" = more here

2. Field: AREA - think "expertise"

3. Favor one side: LEAN - like that tower in 25D.

4. "Stay!": "DON'T GO~!"

5. Hilton brand: TRU - On my first trip with the pipe organ company to Lynchburg VA, we had to stay at a different hotel for ONE night due to some convention at the usual place; the second spot was a "Tru", sort of like the "trendy", wacky color scheme, odd art, Millennial vibe version of Hilton

6. Causes pain: HURTS

7. Wading bird found in salt- and freshwater marshes: EGRET

8. Crunchy: CRISP

9. Swung for the fences, maybe: BATTED

10. Engineering exec at a startup, e.g.: CTO - Chief Technology Officer

11. Sit untouched: GATHER DUST - my drum set has been sitting untouched the whole time I have lived in CT; I am planning a music room in the basement - complete with pipe organ - once my new kitchen is done - but that can't happen until the side porch gets done, and so on and so on....

12. More slick: ICIER

13. Requires: NEEDS

18. Thai currency: BAHT

22. Sour cream utensil: SPOON - I prefer the newer squeezee bottle

A dollop of 63D.~?

24. Plant inspection org.: OSHA - the National Cathedral insisted on steel-toe boots for all who work with the pipe organ company, so we went shopping at Skechers last week, and I got some new, free kicks~!

25. Tuscan tower town: PISA

26. Rush job letters: ASAP

27. "The Marvels" star Larson: BRIE - no clue, filled via perps

28. Factor in sibling relationships: BIRTH ORDER - I am first born, have but one sibling, a brother, and he has some sort of inferiority issue with me - so he comes across as the Alpha male in most instances; it doesn't make any difference to me

32. The NHL's Ducks, on sports tickers: ANAheim - Florida could have hoisted the Stanley Cup last night, but they're going back to Edmonton

33. Bad spell: HEX - ah.  Missed this.  A "?" would have helped.

34. Large primate: APE

36. Fit to __: A TEE - Crosswordese

37. Old fleet fleet: SSTs - I am fascinated by the TV Show "Air Disasters", mostly because of how the show depicts the investigation progresses, and how a very tiny part failure can make a very big tragedy

39. Cherish: PRIZE - Dah~! not ADORE

40. Word with hack or coach: LIFE - Life-hack, Life-coach; I like watching the mini Life Hacks and carpentry tips on Facebook

41. Biblical twin: ESAU

46. Not sharp or flat: IN TUNE - Meh.  "Natural" did not fit.  Being musical, I am not entirely in agreement with this clue; e.g. Van Halen songs are all tuned a half-step down, or "flat", but they are "in tune"; pipe organs can be sharp and/or flat and still be "in tune" - the temperament Wiki

48. Gothic horror novelist Stoker: BRAM

49. Rooms that often have little room: ATTICS - Meh.  My attic is huge, and I plan to make it into a loft one day; I prefer the "top floor" kind of clue for this answer

50. __ the coop: escaped: FLOWN

51. Event with clowns and bulls: RODEO

52. Part of the Queen Bey song "Partition": YONCÉ - Beyoncé - her Wiki, and that's as far as I go

53. Hunter in the night sky: ORION - this is more like my musical tastes

R.I.P. Cliff Burton, bass player, Metallica - Orion

54. Merchandise: GOODS - I tried WARES first

58. Pic: SNAP - semi Meh.

59. Volcano on Sicily's east coast: ETNA - ah, trying to throw us for a loop with the whole "east coast" thing~?  I wasn't fooled~!

60. Q __ Quebec: AS IN - more Canadien, Eh~?

62. East Coast NFLer: JET - yes, us long-suffering NY Jets fans. . . . can we get a quarterback in here~?

63. Daisy Ridley's "Star Wars" role: REY - I am a huge Star Wars fan - saw the original at a drive-in when I was six - but the last trilogy was lacking, sadly

Splynter

And a Juneteenth to all~!

Good Luck, we're all counting on you....