Saturday, November 22, 2025, Dr. Ed Sessa

 Saturday Themeless by Ed Sessa

Seeing Dr. Sessa's byline made me feel confident that I would have a pleasant and engaging solve and that proved to be true for my 13th Sessa puzzle blog. Anything that was new or unusual had plenty of escape avenues and after a lovely 17 minute excursion I earned a "got 'er done".

Across:

1. Farmer's dozen: FRESH EGGS.

10. Brightly colored Arita ware: IMARI - IMARI porcelain is made in the town of Arita in Japan,  though it is named after the port of Imari where the wares were historically shipped.

  

15. Bubble Wrap alternative: AIR PILLOW.

16. Violet shade: LILAC.

17. Memorabilia from the Great White North: CANADIANA - We have Americana and Canada has Canadiana, a term used to describe things (e.g., books, historical documents, works of art, music and artifacts), ideas, or activities that concern or are distinctive of Canada, its peoples, and/or its culture, especially works of literature and other cultural products.

18. Guitar legend Van Halen: EDDIE.

19. Jolly pair?: ELS - Meta cluing, Jolly has two "L's"

20. "Mad Men" types: AD REPS.

22. Fuse with heat: WELD.

23. Popeye's __'Pea: SWEE - The original characters

24. Lawn machines: MOWERS.

26. Bouquets: AROMAS.

29. Some military caps: KEPIS - I always think of this guy

30. Pass on: RELAY - Sometimes it comes back to you

31. Near-perfect ballgame: ONE HITTER - In 1995 Paul Menhart of the Toronto Blue Jays pitched a ONE-HITTER but lost the game 1- 0 as the only hit was a home run by Oriole Harold Baines.

35. Day of March madness: IDES.

36. Russian refusals: NYETS.

37. Sine qua non: NEED.

38. Shelties' shelters: DOG HOUSES.

40. One-named singer dubbed the "First Lady of Crunk & B": CIARA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

41. __ in: intrudes: BUTTS.

42. Software shortcuts: MACROS.

43. Figure in the knight time?: SQUIRE 😀

45. Give credit to: CITE.

46. Figure on many a flag: STAR - Of course Texas features a lone star

47. Leafy spots: ARBORS - An ARBOR at the home of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of ARBOR Day,  in Nebraska City, NE.

49. Tallahassee inst.: FSU.

52. Argentine dance: TANGO.

54. Folks who are rotten to the core: BAD APPLES.

56. Tribal leader: ELDER.

57. Rare blood type: A-NEGATIVE.

58. Oft-poached fruit: PEARS.

59. Floral additive to Turkish delight and gulab jamun: ROSE WATER.

  

 

Down:

1. Portrait subject: FACE - Legend has it that this FACE belonged to Mona (my lady) Lisa (del Giocondo)

2. Capital of Oman: RIAL - $2.60 

3. Gray sea eagles: ERNS.

4. Massage center: SPA.

5. Secreted: HID AWAY.

6. Says "coulda, woulda, shoulda," say: ELIDES 😀

7. Intimidating look: GLARE.

8. Used up: GONE.

9. Free trade zones?: SWAP MEETS 😀

10. __-de-France: ILE - Literally, the name "Island of France" for the territory of Paris. It was derived from its being bordered by the rivers Seine, Oise and Marne (tributaries of the Seine) and Beuvronne (a tributary of the Marne), which surround it like an island.

11. Stereotype associated with a region of the United States: MIDWEST NICE - We tend to be that way

12. Tree with catkins: ALDER.

13. Small wading birds: RAILS - Miraculously, I recalled RAILS which kept me out of the possible natick at IMARI/RAILS. Hmmm... I wonder how many RIALS RAILS cost? 😀

14. Frosted: ICED.

21. Former frosh: SOPHS.

23. Order that requires a superhot griddle: SMASH BURGER - It starts as a round ball and then...

25. Nintendo game console: WII - WII golf in a nursing home

26. Saharan: ARID.

27. Let result, in tennis: REDO - If a serve hits but gets over the net in VB play continues and there is no REDO.

28. Cassini of fashion: OLEG - OLEG was Jackie's official designer but this suit she wore 62 years ago today was by Chanel. This famous pink dress is stored in the National Archives and will not be on display until 2103. Her pillbox hat has been lost.

29. End of a lap: KNEES 😀

31. Spot to order Kumamotos: OYSTER BAR - At 10 o'clock below

32. Rend: TEAR.

33. Architect Saarinen: EERO - Some of his many designs 

34. Iron reqs., e.g.: RDAS.

36. Dietary product prefix: NUTRA - 

"Nutra" is a common abbreviation for nutraceuticals

, which are products derived from food sources that provide extra health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease

39. "Okay by moi": OUI.

40. Dupe: CATS PAW - A fable where a monkey tricks the CAT into using his PAW to retrieve chestnuts from the fire while he eats them as they come out.

42. Sleight of land?: MIRAGE 😀 A nice play on words land/hand 

43. Like many bad jokes: STALE.

44. Post-lecture sesh: Q AND A - A Q AND A session with 7th graders will yield many hands. With seniors, not so much.

45. Programs: CODES - We have many CODERS in our merry little cwd bunch.

46. March part: STEP.

48. Baja bath: BAÑO - Sometimes you don't really need a bath...

49. Move like a monarch: FLIT 😀

50. Golf legend Ballesteros: SEVE - Seve Ballesteros est un golfeur professionnel espagnol.

51. One logging on: USER.

53. Scrubs ctrs.: ORS.

55. School org.: PTA.

Tuesday July 22, 2025 Ed Sessa

Let Them Eat Cake!  Although this phrase is attributed to Marie Antoinette, there is no historical evidence that she actually said this.  Today's puzzle was Easy as Pie.

20-Across. Indonesian archipelago now known as the Moluccas: SPICE ISLANDS.  Spice Islands is also name of a company that sells spices and herbs.  The Spice Islands are also known as Malaku or the Moluccas.

27-Across. Thorny garden flowers: TEA ROSES.  Tea roses are named for the fragrance of their flowers.  They are said to smell like a cup of freshly brewed tea.

35-Across. Shake, rattle, and roll at a concert: ROCK OUT.

45-Across. Absorb, as spilled milk: SPONGE UP.

And the unifier:

51-Across. "Nothing to it!," and what each circled letter literally is?: A PIECE OF CAKE.  Each circle is a Piece of the word CAKE.  We get SpiCe Cake, TeA Cake, RocK Cake, and SpongE Cake.  I think Rock Cakes are more like cookies.

Here's the Grid so you can see all the Pieces of Cake scattered about the puzzle.

Scottish Rock Cakes

There were a lot of names in today's puzzle, but they were all pretty easy to suss out.

Across:

1. Marx brother known for silent gags: HARPO.  The comedic Marx brothers make occasional appearances in the puzzles.  There were five brothers known for their vaudeville acts and movies.  Harpo Marx (né Adolph Marx; Nov. 23, 1988 ~ Sept. 28, 1964) was the second-oldest brother and rarely spoke but was known for blowing a horn.  He also was known for playing the harp, hence, his name.  [Name # 1.]

6. Laborious process: SLOG.

10. In style: CHIC.

14. "Rush Rush" singer Paula: ABDUL.  Paula Julie Abdul (b. June 19, 1962) got her start as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers.  [Name # 2.]

15. Uncontaminated: PURE.

16. Walesa of Poland's Solidarity movement: LECH.  In the late 1970s, Lech Wałęsa (b. Sept. 29, 1943) co-founded the Solidarity trade-union in Poland.  He later served as the President of Poland from December 1990 to December 1995.  He was award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.  [Name # 3.]

17. Burn with steam: SCALD.

18. Recedes slowly: EBBS.

19. __ Day vitamins: ONE-A-.

23. "Fiddlesticks!": OH, DARN!

26. Targeted, with "at": TOOK AIM.

30. Mardi Gras, for one: FEST.  Mardi Gras is early next year.  It falls on February 17, 2026.

31. Alpo rival: IAMS.  It is pet food for dogs, cats, rabbits, etc.

32. Tire inflation abbr.: PSI.  As in Pounds per Square Inch.

33. Currency of Montreal and Toronto: Abbr.: CAD.  As in the Canadian Dollar.  As of this writing, the Canadian Dollar is worth $0.73 US Dollars.  It is very colorful money.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

34. Fuel additive brand: STP.

37. Six-pack in a gym: ABs.  Abdominal Muscles are a crossword staple.

40. Vietnamese New Year: TET.  In 2026, the Vietnamese New Year falls on February 17.  It just happens to coincide with Mardi Gras.  It, too, would be considered a FEST.

41. Move like a kangaroo: HOP.

42. "Enchanted" girl in a fantasy comedy: ELLA.  [Name # 4, Fictional.]

43. Lab container: VIAL.

47. Blown sign of affection: AIR KISS.

50. Hybrid big cats: LIGERS.  A Liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger.  Did you know that if the mother is a lion and the father is a tiger, the offspring is known as a Tigon?

54. Egg container: NEST.

55. Soon, to Shakespeare: ANON.

56. Most suitable: IDEAL.

60. Teen sleuth Nancy: DREW.  Nancy Drew has been around since 1930.  I read a lot of Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a kid.  [Name # 5, fictional.]

61. Diet-friendly, on labels: LITE.  //  And 22-Down. Diet-friendly, on labels: LO-FAT.

62. Sculpture trunk: TORSO.

63. Canadian gas brand: ESSO.  Everything you wanted to know about Esso, but didn't know to ask.  Another shout out to Canadian, Eh!

64. Glaswegian, e.g.: SCOT.  Someone from Glasgow, Scotland is called a Glaswegian.

65. Feeling of dread: ANGST.

Down:

1. "Everything __ Changed": Taylor Swift song: HAS.

2. Alphabet starter: ABC.

3. Food stat: RDA.  As in Recommended Dietary Allowance.

4. Some neutron stars and analog watches: PULSARS.  What exactly are Pulsars?

5. Seasoned vet: OLD PRO.

6. Architectural detail, for short: SPEC.

7. Jiffy __: chain that specializes in oil changes: LUBE.

8. Once around the world: ORBIT.

9. Artist's primer: GESSO.  Not a Tuesday word.  Gesso prepares the surface for painting, making the surface slightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint. Without gesso, the paint would soak into the weave of the canvas.

10. Concealed: CLOAKED.

11. Reddish brown dyes used in body art: HENNAS.

12. Clinched the win: ICED IT.

13. Deep divide: CHASM.

21. Trendy place: IN SPOT.

23. R&B legend Redding: OTIS.  Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (Sept. 9, 1941 ~ Dec. 10, 1967) tragically died at age 26 in a plane crash.  [Name # 6.]

24. Frozen food directive: HEAT.

25. Like clothes put out to dry: DAMP.

28. Key near F1: ESC.

29. Many Punjabis: SIKHS.  A religion primarily practiced in the Punjab region of Southeast Asia.

33. Rounded roof: CUPOLA.

35. Artifact: RELIC.

36. Alley-__ pass: OOP.

37. Not aweather: ALEE.

38. Hazy shape: BLUR.

39. Drains: SAPS.

40. Second try on a movie set: TAKE TWO.

42. Encouraged: EGGED ON.

43. Venomous snakes: VIPERS.

44. Spring blooms with beards: IRISES.

Vincent Van Gogh was famous for his paintings of Irises.

46. Soviet premier Khrushchev: NIKITA.  Nikita Khrushchev (Apr. 15, 1894 ~ Sept. 11, 19971) was the first Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.  He served from 1953 to 1964.  Did he really bang a shoe on a desk at the United Nations?   [Name # 7.]

47. "Hoarders" airer: A AND E.  Usually depicted as A&E.

48. Aquatic barkers: SEALS.

49. Hedgehog mascot of Sega: SONIC.

52. Picture, informally: FOTO.

53. Gadget review site: C-NET.

57. Unit of energy: ERG.

58. Biblical beast: ASS.  You can read about of Balaam and his talking donkey in the Book of Numbers (Chapters 22-24).

59. Valet's milieu: LOT.

חתולה