Saturday March 1, 2025, Dr. Ed Sessa

 Saturday Themeless by Dr. Ed Sessa

What a fun puzzle by the good doctor. How cool is it that he has three horizontal and three vertical grid spanners? Wow! As you can see in the colored grid, those spanners were pretty unique. 

You might remember that Dr. Sessa had his house on Sanibel Island wiped out by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Since then he has moved back to the mainland and this is what he told me.

Hi Gary,

We live now in Fort Myers just east of I75 which is out of the flood zone from the Gulf and Caloosahatchee River. Returning north just proved too much of a major move at this point in our lives. Warm regards to everyone at Crossword Corner.

Ed and Penny

Across:

1. Part of an underground network: SEWER.

6. HQs for F-16s: AFBS - These are parked at a Turkish AFB

10. Miles off: AFAR.

14. Opt out of a traditional union: ELOPE 😀

15. Plant: MOLE - Klaus Fuchs was a MOLE for the USSR at Alamogordo, NM where the Manhattan Project was building the atom bomb.

16. Lone: SOLE.

17. Like a land baron: ACRED - Hmmm...

18. Former attorney general Holder: ERIC - This first black US Attorney General called himself Obama's "wingman".

19. Chi-town pub: TRIB - This pub means publication 

20. Comes on the scene: MAKES AN ENTRANCE - Chandler and Joey do just that (:07)

23. Unlikely donor: MISER - A famous one in literature.

Bah Humbug!

24. Device with a rotating handle: VISE. 😀

25. Cruet filler: OIL and perhaps vinegar

26. Storage container: BIN.

27. Word on a coeur de bonbon: AIME - My granddaughter's translation of the text below is, "I love you more than candy"

29. Punic tunics: TOGAS - Love the rhyme!

31. "Young Frankenstein" role: INGA - It's mandatory to include this scene

33. Vassal: SERF.

35. Yoko from Tokyo: ONO - Things were falling apart for The Beatles before she showed up but she accelerated it.

36. Parlor choice: DOUBLE SCOOP CONE - I first got the word DOUBLE and thought this was about a betting parlor but not so much. Butter brickle is my favorite. 

41. Chess, for one: PIE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

42. Pahlavi dynasty title: SHAH.

43. Cheese often served with pale ale: EDAM.

44. Ranchero rope: RIATA.

46. Designer Schiaparelli: ELSA - She and Salvador. Together they made the famous (to someone) Lobster Dress.

 

48. Road houses?: RVS 😀

49. Anthology series that begins with "Murder House," familiarly: AHS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

50. Option in Hawaiian-style fried rice: SPAM - A pineapple, fried rice and SPAM. What says Hawaii more than this? 😀

53. London road of pop fame: ABBEY.

55. Workplace perk for pet owners: PAWTERNITY LEAVE - Some companies allow employees to get time off to adopt a pet or take one to the vet.

59. Concept: IDEA.

60. Danish shoe brand: ECCO.

61. Stand in front of an audience: EASEL 😀 Stand as a noun.

62. Citation abbr.: ET AL.

63. Herring kin: SHAD.

64. Coin collectors: SLOTS 😀

65. Learning method: ROTE - Sometimes it is good but sometimes...

66. Brought on board: SOLD - If you are SOLD on something you might be brought on board.

67. Like fans during a tight championship game: TENSE.

Down:

1. Clothes line: SEAM.

2. "Breaking Bad" epilogue: EL CAMINO - The sequence.

3. Toiling away: WORKING UP A SWEAT.

4. Pentathlon gear: EPEES.

5. Waters in the Great Rift Valley: RED SEA 

6. Devotional period?: AMEN The end of a printed prayer can be a period 😀

7. Pervasive environmental hazard: FOREVER CHEMICAL.

8. Smoked salmon accompaniers: BLINI.

9. Schism units: SECTS.

10. "Black Clover" action hero: ASTA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Nick and Nora's dog? Not so much...

11. Just because: FOR NO GOOD REASON.

12. Vikander of "Irma Vep": ALICIA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

13. Enemies of the Galactic Empire: REBELS.

21. Pop up: ARISE.

22. Pave over: RETOP.

26. Use a paddle, perhaps: BID - Yeah, I'm the only one who first put in ROW

28. MASH potatoes, etc.: MESS - M*A*S*H was where we had an army MESS that served mashedpotatoes 😀

30. As soon as: ONCE - Do it at ONCE!

32. Not too much: A BIT.

34. One with a stable upbringing: FOAL 😀

37. Rental agreement: LEASE.

38. "Y'know, I've been thinking ... ": OH SAY.

39. O'Hare and JFK, e.g.: NAVY VETS - Edward (Butch) O'Hare and JFK are two NAVY VETS who had major airports named after them

40. Pair in gin rummy?: EMS - Meta clue ruMMy

44. Slender sword: RAPIER.

45. "What other choices were there?": I HAD TO.

47. Most fit: ABLEST.

51. Clear clothes lines, in a way: PRESS 😀

52. Dried poblano: ANCHO - When a poblano pepper is dried, it becomes an ANCHO pepper

54. Memphis street of blues fame: BEALE - You'll find this statue of Elvis at 117 BEALE Street

56. Fish story: TALE - "You should'a seen the one that got away!"

57. Maiden name of an 1860s first lady: TODD.

Mary TODD Lincoln

58. "Or __ what?": ELSE.

Sunday December 8, 2024 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Gee Whiz!" - Gee sound is added to the start of the first word, changing spellings as needed.

22A. IQ test?: GAUGE OF REASON. Age of Reason.

35A. Schlemiels on wheels?: GOOBER DRIVERS. Uber drivers.

53A. Million-dollar smile?: GLAM CHOPS. Lamb chops.

74A. Fully understand and appreciate a night at the Met?: GROK OPERA. Rock opera.

90A. Set where Geico commercials are shot?: GECKO LOCATION. Echolocation.

109A. Took on divine roles?: PLAYED THE GODS. Play the odds. (Error earlier)

16D. "Hollywood Squares"?: GAME FOR THE STARS. Aim for the stars.

42D. French connection?: GAUL IN THE FAMILY. All in the family. 

So happy to see Ed's byline. He's so original and innovative. 

All the words have spelling changes. This really needs creative thinking.

Across:

1. Tiny tot: MOPPET.

7. Snakes with hoods: COBRAS.

13. __ Empire: Genghis Khan's realm: MONGOL. "The Legend of the Condor" is my favorite TV series. The main character Guo Jing grows up in Mongolia under the care of the Genghis Khan. 

19. Get out of a bind?: UNLASH. Not a word I use.

20. Child's coveralls?: APRONS. Julia Child. 

21. Laments: BEMOANS. 

24. Fearing the worst: ALARMED.

25. __ Valley: Reagan Library site: SIMI.

26. Mara of "Women Talking": ROONEY.

27. Compadres: CRONIES.

28. Rock musical set in New York's East Village: RENT.

30. 74-Down suggestion: Abbr.: RTE. 74. Navigation tech: GPS.

31. Los Angeles mayor Bass: KAREN.

33. Shark's appendage: FIN. When I lived in Guangzhou, shark fin soup was often featured in our annual New Year's company dinner. 

39. Goo: OOZE.

40. Droop under pressure: SAG.

43. Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN.

44. Abated: WANED.

45. Like pastrami: CURED.

46. "I Will Never Let You Down" singer Rita: ORA.

47. Intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE.

48. Rowing machine, familiarly: ERG. Short for "ergometer".

49. Unstated: TACIT.

51. Gets more life out of: RE-USES.

56. Lid: HAT.

59. Bona fide: VALID.

60. __ du jour: bistro special: PLAT.

62. Give the slip: ELUDE.

63. None: ZERO.

64. "Let's do this!": I'M IN.

65. Spoken: ORAL.

66. "Such a pity!": ALAS.

67. Former name of Exxon: ESSO.

68. Prefix with gram or second: NANO.

69. Lena Dunham TV series: GIRLS.

71. Horse-pulled cart: DRAY.

72. Expedia search results: RATES.

73. Elect (to): OPT.

76. The "D" of FDR: DELANO.

77. Really wound up: HYPER.

79. Fertility clinic cells: OVA.

80. Balkan native: SLAV.

82. Copacabana setting: RIO.

83. Sets loose: FREES.

85. Sean of "The Lord of the Rings": ASTIN. Sam.

87. Towering: TALL. Here's a picture me and my brother Andy, who's 4 years younger than me. Taken in 2002, the last time I saw him.

88. Male offspring: SON.

89. Dexterous: DEFT.

94. Poet laureate Limón: ADA.

95. __ to go: fixin' for a fight: RARIN'.

96. Caustic chemical: LYE.

97. Gestures of recognition: NODS.

100. Dubai, for one: EMIRATE.

103. "... if you say so": I GUESS.

106. Part of a putter: GRIP.

108. Formed a union: SAID I DO.

112. Spilling salt, perhaps: ILL OMEN.

113. Salon creation: HAIRDO. 115. Worked in a salon: STYLED.

114. Dresses with a certain flare: A-LINES.

116. Partake of: DINE ON.

117. "You should believe me!": HONEST.

Down:

1. Clowns in front of a camera: MUGS.

2. "Don't interrupt!" studio sign: ON AIR.

3. Large feather: PLUME.

4. Summoning, in a way: PAGING.

5. Language suffix: ESE.

6. 2011 Marvel film directed by Kenneth Branagh: THOR.

7. Pumpkin pigment: CAROTENE. I tried Renee's stuffed acorn squash. So good.

 

 

8. Series starter: OPENER.

9. Highland hill: BRAE.

10. Flushed, as cheeks: ROSY.

11. "Yeah, that's __ from me": A NO.

12. ID with nine digits: SSN.

13. Fruit salad fruit: MELONS.

14. Muscat's country: OMAN.

15. Tuna roll seaweed: NORI.

17. Like adjustable hats and most scarves: ONE-SIZE.

18. Drug in Michael Pollan's "How to Change Your Mind": LSD.

21. Less covered: BARER.

23. Proscribe: FORBID.

27. Rep on the street: CRED.

29. Hand-__ leather: TOOLED.

31. Checkers demand: KING ME.

32. "__ Maria": AVE.

34. Actor Beatty: NED.

36. Estadio cheers: OLES.

37. Lived, to a Brit: DWELT.

38. __ avis: RARA.

39. "Sí," in Paree: OUI.

40. Mira of "Shining Vale": SORVINO. She speaks Chinese.

41. AAA offering: AREA MAP.

45. Includes in an email: CCS.

49. "No more putting this off!": TODAY.

50. Parrots: APES.

52. __-Tibetan languages: SINO. Prefix for China.

53. Big name in California viticulture: GALLO.

54. Santa __: Silicon Valley city: CLARA.

55. Luau performance: HULA.

57. Hall of TV fame: ARSENIO.

58. "Don't joke about that yet": TOO SOON.

60. Earlier: PRIOR.

61. Carefree adventure: LARK.

63. Ardor: ZEAL.

65. Shrek, for one: OGRE.

70. Absolutely correct: SPOT ON.

71. Pipe-clearing brand: DRANO.

72. Maker of ColorStay cosmetics: REVLON. Great foundation.

75. Bad to the bone: EVIL.

76. "Melting clocks" painter Salvador: DALI.

78. Nonetheless: YET.

80. Decided not to retire: STAYED ON.

81. Up-to-the-minute: LATEST. Poor Connie had her gallbladder removed last week. She also had pneumonia again. 

83. Rx overseer: FDA.

84. Corrected a distribution error: RE-DEALT.

85. Farm division: ACRE.

86. Master moguls: SKI. The ski bump "moguls".

90. Like students and sidewalks: GRADED.

91. Stationery brand: EATON.

92. British name for a murder mystery board game: CLUEDO.

93. Gourd: NOGGIN.

98. Source of some aerial photography: DRONE.

99. Fries, tots, slaw, etc.: SIDES.

101. Swift, to Swifties: IDOL.

102. Winter coat: RIME.

103. "Young Sheldon" actor Armitage: IAIN.

 

104. Circular current: GYRE. We had this fill before.

105. Former Iranian ruler: SHAH.

107. Attention-getting hiss: PSST.

108. Bro kin: SIS.

109. Prof's deg., often: PHD.

110. Poem of medieval France: LAI. Learning moment for me.

111. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.

Happy 78th birthday to dear Jazzbumpa (Ron), who's been our Wednesday Sherpa since January 2011.