Monday November 17, 2025 Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle from seasoned constructor, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano. Enrique's puzzles are known for their sparkly fill. We have some fun examples of that today. Let's get into it!

Theme:        Geological Time Scales  

The circles in each of today's themers alerted solvers that a three-letter word for a geological unit of TIME could be found twice in the full answer.

20 Across. *Overseer of a theatrical production: STAGE MANAGER.  

26 Across. *Law that governs interstate electricity transmission: FEDERAL POWER ACT.

45 Across. *Little Free Library instruction: TAKE ONE LEAVE ONE.  

As an added bit of fun, notice that AGE, ERA, and EON are in order from shortest to longest.  

Sussing 20-Across meant that I had six gimmes waiting. That helped to make for a smooth solving experience. No complaints from me. This is a Monday, puzzle, after all.

I won't waste any more time. Here is the reveal:

51 Across. Repeatedly, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: TIME AND AGAIN.  I smiled a smile of recognition and quickly typed in "TIME After time" but ran out of boxes -- which momentarily perplexed me. Nevertheless, I found Enrique's reveal to be equally delightful. Well done!

Now that we know the gimmick, it's about TIME we look at the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Tea infuser material: MESH.  I am a tea drinker so I have a few of these. (I am sure I would find more if I opened more drawers.) I bought the top, right one at Sally Lunn's in Bath, UK. It has a metal MESH. The green one has a plastic MESH. The other one just has little holes, no MESH. 

5. Give a poke: PROD.  

9. __ and pains: ACHES.  

14. Inkling: IDEA.

15. Like some overcooked meat: ROPY.  The more I tried to find a fitting definition, the more grossed out I got. "Viscous" is pretty close.

16. Accessory used by Woody in "Toy Story": LASSO.  

Riders in the Sky     ~     Woody's Roundup

album:  Toy Story 2 (Original Soundtrack) (1999)

17. Indication: SIGN.     and     18 Across. Portentous 17-Across: OMEN.  

19. Very much so: TRULY.  

Also, Truly Scrumptious was the name of the lead female character in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang played by Sally Ann Howes. I think you already know that the movie was based on the book by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame.

23. Little bit: TAD.

24. Part of a good story?: MORAL.  Good one! We are not talking about any old above-average story. We are talking about a story that promotes making good (MORAL) choices. Such stories usually end with, "And the MORAL of this story is...."

33. Come to deserve: EARN.  

34. Knotted accessory: TIE.  Here's a 2:28 min. video on how to TIE a Windsor knot. I like the camera angle.  

35. Croc kin: GATOR.  Crocodile and alliGATOR are both shortened.

36. "Just __ thought!": AS I.  

Honest John from Pinocchio

37. Declared for the NBA draft, e.g.: WENT PRO.  National Basketball Association is shortened, so is PROfessional. "Going pro" or "turn pro" refers to when an athlete relinquishes their amateur status, as would be the case when being drafted to a PROfessional team.

40. Yale student: ELI. Yale University students are nicknamed ELI after benefactor Elihu Yale.

41. Techno keyboard: SYNTH.  A SYNTHesizer is an electronic musical instrument. They are typically played with keyboards.

43. "__ you decent?": ARE.  Translation:  Do you have clothes on?

44. "Don't come any closer!": STOP.  

The Supremes     ~     Stop! In the Name of Love     ~     1965

49. Enjoy thoroughly: SAVOR.  

50. "Eternals" actress McHugh: LIA.  Lia will celebrate her 20th birthday tomorrow. 🎂 Eternals was a 2021 movie that was external to my radar. Lia played the character Sprite.

57. Gem that may be natural or cultured: PEARL.  What's the difference?

60. First Nations people: CREE.

61. Pakistani language: URDU.

62. Spur into action: IMPEL.  

63. Prong: TINE.  Def.:  (noun) a slender pointed projecting part.

64. Melodic vocal quality: LILT.

65. Blender setting for baby food: PUREE.

66. Ooze: SEEP.

67. Big name in potato chips: LAY'S.  As it turns out, just last month Lay's announced it's biggest rebranding in nearly a century. In its news release, Lay's said that 42% of people who eat Lay's potato chips do not realize they are made with real potatoes (I am not making that up.) so they want to show more potatoes on the bag. Read all about the big changes and see the new bag design here.  

Lay's bags 1944-2025 (but not the new one)

Down:

1. Fail to notice: MISS.

2. Revise, as prose: EDIT.  EDIT's etymology says that it is a back-formation from editor, meaning that the word editor predates the word EDIT. I found that surprising.

3. Sonic the Hedgehog game company: SEGA.  Sonic the Hedgehog started out as a video game. It was later made into a TV series and a movie.

4. Surf with one's toes off the board: HANG TEN.  Fifty years ago, this surfing maneuver was a symbol of West Coast lifestyle. It requires a longer board than surfers use nowadays.

On a related note, in 1960 the Hang Ten clothing company was launched in Seal Beach, CA. Their merchandise featured the bare feet logo. In my neck of the woods, it was the Izod crocodile of the 1970's. more Hang Ten company history  

5. One sharing a limo ride to a formal dance: PROM DATE.  This is the "ride to the prom" scene from Napoleon Dynamite (2004). It's 4 min. long. Be patient or fast-forward.  

6. Slender tomato: ROMA.

7. Up for new experiences: OPEN.

8. Bundle of energy: DYNAMO.

9. Catwoman, for Selina Kyle: ALTER EGO.  While you might not know who Selina Kyle is, pouncing from "Catwoman" to "super hero" to the answer was not too much of a stretch.

10. Italian city known for marble: CARRARA.  Do you want to know what a Carrara marble mountain looks like? Or perhaps you want to know how to pronounce this word? Watch this 2-min. video.  

11. "The Wild Robot" voice actress Stephanie: HSU.  Stephanie will celebrate her 25th birthday a week from tomorrow. 🎂  The Wild Robot is a movie that came out last year.

12. Night school subj.: ESL.  subject and English as a Second Language

When I lived in Japan, I was grateful for the city-sponsored Japanese language classes. My fellow students represented many countries.

13. Source of tofu and tempeh: SOY.  I have both in my refrigerator. If you are OPEN to learning more, read this article.  

tofu (l.) & tempeh (r.)

21. Unit of corn: EAR.

22. Pai __: casino game with tiles: GOW.  wikiHow says that this "is a Chinese betting game that uses tiles instead of cards."

25. Not punctual for: LATE TO.  

White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

26. Decadent meal: FEAST.  In WHOVILLE, their FEAST was "Who-pudding and rare Who-roast-beast, which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!"  

27. Course that should boost a GPA: EASY A.

28. Beverages: DRINKS.

29. Songwriter/actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  Can you believe it's been 10 years since Hamilton opened on Broadway?

30. Poppy part: PETAL.  This is California's state flower. Each flower has four PETALs. I took this picture last May.  

31. Double-dot symbol: COLON.  

32. Menudo ingredient: TRIPE.  TRIPE is stomach tissue used for food. Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made with TRIPE. 

37. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" town: WHOVILLE.  In this clip the Whos sing their joyous Christmas song even though the grinch took all of their presents.

38. Not post-: PRE-.

39. Oh-so-profound: REAL DEEP.  

Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

42. Source of a medicinal oil: TEA TREE.  A tree that is a member of the myrtle family. Oil from the tea tree is used in shampoos and skin care products and to treat skin infections. It has been used in some cultures to treat other skin conditions, including acne, burns, and insect bites. The scientific name is Melaleuca alternifolia.  source

44. Beach bird: SEAGULL.  

46. __ de plume: NOM.  This is a name a writer uses instead of their legal name.

47. Raises, as a monument: ERECTS.

48. Routing word: VIA.

52. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE.  [b. Oct. 3, 1975]  This singer/songwriter performs in our puzzles often. I wonder if she has ever sung an ARIA.

53. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.  The NENE is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island, but you can also see these beautiful birds at the zoo in Waikiki on Oahu.

54. Opera highlight: ARIA.

55. With no particular purpose: IDLY.

56. Trail mix ingredients: NUTS.

57. Dice-y spot?: PIP.  The dots on dice are called PIPs.  

Also, Gladys Night hung out with three cool Pips.

58. Source of green eggs: EMU. ... but not ham.

When I was teaching at a one-room school, I made green eggs and ham with my students on Dr. Seuss' birthday. I had Araucana hens at the time so I brought in a few of their green eggs. When the kids were not looking, I put a drop of green food coloring in a bowl. Then I let the kids crack the eggs into the bowl which was just above their eye level. When they whisked it together they oohed over the green mixture. Next we cooked it up with some ham cubes. So fun!

59. Boston Marathon mo.: APR.  It is traditionally held on the third Monday in the month of April. Cruciverbalists will be interested to know that the race course includes four miles through Natick, MA.  details here

The grid:  

Enrique's grid has two 12-letter and two 15-letter themed answers.

That's all for today. See you next time!

 

 Notes from C.C.:

Our dear blog friend Inanehiker (Nina) lost her mother last Tuesday. You can read Jorae's obituary here. Please keep Nina and her family in your thoughts during this difficult time. 

Thursday, May 8, 2025, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

 Theme:  Neighboring states

How exciting to have the opportunity to blog a puzzle by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano!  On Saturday, April 5, 2025, Enrique co-authored a puzzle in the L.A. Times with Erik Agard in which they used the clue & answer:  Brown bread specialist: BURSAR.  In the comments section of our Corner, it was the most hated puzzle I can remember.  Enrique had a solo puzzle in the L.A. Times on Saturday, February 15, 2025, which I liked, but some loathed.  Enrique has also published in the New Yorker and in the New York Times.  Is he closer to our wavelength and abilities today?  I think so!  And you know what else is close today?  The circled abbreviations for neighboring states.

The theme clues and answers are:

18. Guest spot in a studio, perhaps: FOLD OUT COUCH.  In a studio apartment, a guest might sleep on a fold out couch.  The circled letters are UT (Utah) and CO (Colorado).

fold out couch

31. Denim option: ACID WASH JEANS.  Acid wash jeans are soaked in chlorine bleach, then washed with pumice stones. The bleach removes the indigo dye, while the stones create a pattern of dark and light patches.  The circled letters are ID (Idaho) and WA (Washington).

acid wash jeans

49. Spot for a home bartender's stash: LIQUOR CABINET.  Some folks keep the booze in a cabinet, some display it on a little cart.  The circled letters are OR (Oregon) and CA (California).

liquor cabinet

65. Big name in money transfers, and a hint to the neighbors found in this puzzle's circled letters: WESTERN UNION.  Western Union was a pioneer in telegraph technology, but today focuses on helping folks send money hither and yon.  It hints at the relationship of the circled letters in the theme answers:  they are all Western states, and they form a union with the state next door by virtue of being placed right next to it in the circles.

Looks like Enrique has come back to be a good neighbor.

The rest of the puzzle goes like this:

Across:

1. Network in Venice: CANALS.  Venice, Italy, is famously crisscrossed by a network of canals.  

Venice is a marvel of engineering.
Built on wood stakes driven into muddy islets in a lagoon,
it has survived for 1600 years.

7. Tire pattern: TREAD.

12. LGBTQ History Mo.: OCT.  DNK but perps helped.

15. "Well, I guess so": UM YEAH.  Some of our solvers hate these conversational equivalents.  This one wasn't easy. Again, perps to the rescue.

16. 32-Down need: VODKA.  32-Down is a COSMO cocktail:  vodka, cointreau or triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice.  I don't do vodka.  Nope.

Cosmopolitan cocktails were the drink of choice on "Sex and the City"

17. Travel to or from 67-Down: FLY.  67-Down is an airport, so you would FLY to or from there.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Smart dresser: FOP.  A man who is concerned with his clothes and appearance in an affected and excessive way; a dandy.

21. Natural hairstyle, for short: FRO.  Short for Afro.

Afro hairstyle

22. Tempest: STORM.

23. Periodical release: ISSUE.  A periodical is a magazine or newspaper.  From time to time, it releases an issue.

25. Text status: SENT.

27. Came across as: SEEMED.

30. "__ Lasso": TED.  Looks like we're all going to have to subscribe to Apple TV again, as season 4 is in the works.  

31. [Theme clue]

35. Guiding light: BEACON.

38. Couldn't keep a secret: TOLD.

39. Transgression: SIN.

40. Leaves out: OMITS.

41. Nouveau réalisme artist Klein: YVES.  Yves Klein (1928-1962) was a leading member of the French artistic movement called Nouveau réalisme. In the 1950s, he focused on monochrome paintings, eventually settling on International Klein Blue.  People bought this stuff.

Yves Klein, IKB 191, 1962

43. Without help: ALONE.

45. "This means __!": WAR.

46. Many a viral GIF: MEME.

48. Music app on old Macs: iTUNES.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Tote: LUG.

54. Coastal city in Andalusia: MÁLAGA.  Málaga was founded around 770 BCE by Phoenicians. It has been under the rule of Ancient Carthage, Rome, the Visigoths, the Byzantine Empire, Islamic caliphates, the Spanish Catholic monarchy, and today's constitutional monarchy.

Málaga in the south of Spain

55. Breakfast burrito proteins: EGGS.

59. WordPress sites: BLOGS.

61. Word derived from the Japanese for "a bit": SKOSH.

63. Sign of summer: LEO.

64. Hoppin': LIT.  "It's lit" is a slang term meaning something is really good, fun, exciting, or intense,  similar to other terms like "poppin'," "hoppin'," or "off the chain."

65. [Theme clue]

69. Put into practice: USE.

70. Fill in the blanks, in a way: INFER.  To infer is to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises.  Deduce is a near relative.  We do a lot of this in crossword solving.

71. Meeting outline: AGENDA.

72. UFO pilots: ETs.  Extraterrestrials pilot Unidentified Flying Objects.

73. "Music" from a cat organ: MEOWS.  That organ being the larynx.

74. Tin alloy used in ancient Egypt: PEWTER.

Down:

1. Slaps: CUFFS.  ​ To cuff is to hit someone with your hand in a light, joking way.

2. Love, in Firenze: AMORE.

3. Parachute fabric: NYLON.

4. Lifesaving device for an EMT: AED.  An Automated External Defibrillator can be used by an Emergency Medical Technician to treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped working.

5. Vietnam neighbor: LAOS.

6. Closes the door on: SHUTS IN.

7. Network news team: TV CREW.

8. Casual movie night partner: ROOMMATE.

9. Howard URL suffix: EDU.  Colleges and universities use .EDU domains for their websites.

10. Pedigree org.: AKC.  American Kennel Club.  There's a place for purebred dogs, but I miss our mutts.

Daphne and Huxley, 2008-2024

11. Yogurt in lassi: DAHI.  Dahi is a traditional Indian yogurt.  Lassi is a yogurt-based beverage.

12. Time for travel deals: OFF SEASON.  There are things to be said for traveling in the off season, especially fewer crowds and lower prices.  But sometimes the weather is a challenge!

13. State of bliss: CLOUD NINE.

14. Sort: TYPE.

19. Three-__ sloth: TOED.  Three-toed sloths live in the tropical forest canopy in Central and South America.  Their algae-covered fur is an ecosystem unto itself.

24. Fr. holy title: STE.  Sainte (abbreviated Ste) is the feminine form of "saint" in French.  We've all heard of Sainte Jeanne d'Arc (Ste Jeanne d'Arc) or Joan of Arc.

26. Social finesse: TACT.

28. Those, in Spanish: ESOS.  Used for masculine or mixed gender persons or objects.  Those men = Esos hombres.  Those men and women = Esos hombres y mujeres.

29. UPS competitor: DHL.  UPS (United Parcel Service) and DHL (Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn) offer shipping and delivery services.

32. Pink cocktail, familiarly: COSMO.  Short for cosmopolitan.  See 16-Across.

33. Matchmaking app available in Hebrew: JDATE.  I know several young people who have looked for love on JDate, but I think their eventual matches occurred through unplanned encounters.

34. Donkey Kong Country console, for short: SNES.  Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  It helps to be a certain age, or to have children or grandchildren of a certain age.  SNES was sold in North America from 1990 to 1999.

35. Get the ball rolling?: BOWL.

36. Need for a marketing blast: EMAIL LIST.

37. Punctuation made with bunny ears: AIR QUOTES.

41. Community gym org.: YMCA.

42. Hearty beef dish: VEAL STEW.

44. Pear-shaped instrument: LUTE.

Lute

47. Hesitant sound: ERM.  I think "erm" is British for "um."

48. Just like that: IN A SNAP.

50. Comfy boot brand: UGG.

51. Patisserie staff: BAKERS.  Patisserie is French for "pastry shop."

52. "Petrushka" composer Stravinsky: IGOR.

56. Flicker of light: GLINT.

57. Glittery rock: GEODE.

A geode's glitter is all on the inside.

58. Shipwreck-finding tech: SONAR.

59. Smurf-colored: BLUE.

Would Yves Klein have appreciated their blueness?

60. Take a dip: SWIM.

62. Bigger than big: HUGE.

66. WSW opposite: ENE.  Directions.

67. Second-busiest Calif. airport: SFO.  San Francisco International Airport.

68. Top condition on eBay listings: NEW.  My younger sister, of blessed memory, liked to buy fancy dresses on eBay, and taught me to look for the abbreviation NWT -- new with tags.

Here's the grid:

Would you say Enrique's puzzle SEEMED better than the last one?

Would you say it's LIT?  Were you on CLOUD NINE while solving?

Did I like it?  UM YEAH!

NaomiZ

Thanks in advance to Anonymous T, who's going to blog the next three Thursdays.

À bientôt.  Hasta pronto.

Saturday, April 5, 2025, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano and Erik Agard

Saturday Themeless by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano and Erik Agard

 

Erik Agard

Enrique and Erik presented a real big boy puzzle with occasional obscure-to-me fill and insidious cluing. The northeast corner provided me with too many alternate fills, the worst of which was XOXO replacing TATA. Arrrggghhh. A bad cell cost me a 100% but once I got what the guys were after in a section, everything cascaded to completion. Somewhere, Enrique and Erik have to be snickering about the cluing for BURSAR and PADS.

Across:

1. Activist Lee known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth": OPAL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

5. Fakémon images, e.g.: FAN ART - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Fakémon are fan-designed fictional creatures based on the Pokémon franchise, ofter created as FAN ART or to be mistaken for real Pokémon. Google at your pleasure.

11. "What's __ deal?": HIS.

14. Pitcher's start: HERE'S AN IDEA - I went to ad pitcher's right away. Uh, some are not so great.

16. [raises index finger]: ONE.

17. Boundary-breaking home concept: OPEN KITCHEN.

18. Pithier version of lorem ipsum text: TBA - 😀 Lorem Epsom is a standard place holder in a graphic design until the text To Be Announced is inserted.

19. __ and gentler: KINDER.

20. Sonic, notably: HEDGE HOG - The Drive-In restaurant possibility kept me guessing.

22. Even a skosh: AT ALL.

23. Canadian conservative: TORY.

24. Repetitive email sign-off: XOXO - As I mentioned, TATA was repetitive but not correct and overstayed its welcome.

25. "__ queen!": YAS - A phrase that might be heard at a 51. Fierce competition: DRAG PAGEANT.

26. Send a return over the net: E-FILE - 😀 Turbo Tax does it for me every year

28. Made less sharp: TUNED 😀

29. Signs of safe traffic flow: STOPS 😀 Our recent blizzard/blackout made every traffic light intersection into four-way STOP SIGNS.

30. Oaxacan sauces that can have more than 30 ingredients: MOLES - We've had this a couple of times recently but it still took me time. 

31. Set available at thenounproject.com: ICONS - See for yourself

32. Two score: FORTY - Abe used "four score and seven" (80 +7) so...

33. Rep: AGENT.

34. Mutual aid groups: BLOCS 

Europe 1914

35. Gets hot under the collar, say: IRONS 😀

36. Ken's job, in "Barbie": BEACH - Coach and teach were briefly in Ken's CV

37. Fun time: GAS.

40. Dish (out): METE.

41. Remove from a 46-Down: OUST and 46. Headquarters: SEAT. You're fired!

42. Struck down: SMOTE - There's a lot of SMOTING in the Bible.

44. Deep-fried South Asian street food: PANIPURI ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

46. Calm: SOOTHE - Serene, the six-letter adjective was replaced by the six-letter verb

47. "And you __?": ARE.

48. Ugly duckling anthem of 1975: AT SEVENTEEN - I've been around teens my entire adult life and I have never had a song reach out and touch me like this Janis Ian's.

50. Unit of illuminance: LUX.

52. Competition with a Golden Buzzer, to fans: AGT.

53. Supremely miffed: SOREST 😖

54. "i cant w/ u": LMAO - The phrase "I can't with you" is a casual way of expressing exasperation or frustration with someone's behavior or actions suggesting the speaker finds them overwhelming or intolerable. Therefore, its absurdity might drive one to Laugh My Ass off.

Down:

1. "If you say so": OH, OKAY.

2. Seed in some 30-Across: PEPITA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Where to see the stars: ARENAS - In this case, athletic stars

4. 1980s US Open three-peater: LENDL.

5. Word with job or craft: FAIR.

6. Formicarium dweller: ANT.

7. Uhura player: NICHOLS - I knew the character instantly but not her real name

8. Stick: ADHERE.

9. Like some voices and wetlands: REEDY - Abe Lincoln's voice was said to be REEDY and we have all heard the REEDY voice of Barney Fife.

10. Sharp flavor: TANG.

11. Sweet, chili-infused condiment: HOT HONEY.

12. What highly motivated people may have zero goals for?: IN-BOXES 😀 

13. One making waves: SEA GOD 😀

15. Zoology class figures: SKELETONS - SPECIMENS hung around a long time

21. Does a happy dance: EXULTS - ELATES hung around a long time

23. Bill-collecting label: TIPS 😳  I was really taken aback the first time I had to make a decision on a TIP while the wait person was holding the iPad.

27. Nunito sans, for one: FONT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  - Word on my computer has a ton of FONTS but not his one.

Not on my computer!

28. Lyrical story of unrequited love: TORCH SONG - There are so many good ones but nobody does it like Frank.

29. Act opener: SCENE I - Name the musical that had its opening scene on a train. (Answer below*)

30. Class offered by MITx, e.g.: MOOC - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  MITx is MIT online

31. Court call: I GOT NEXT - What you'd say to challenge the winner for a one-on-one game. Name this movie (Answer below **) No more movie quizzes, I promise.

32. Lacking sparkle: FLAT.

33. Under-the-table purchase: AREA RUG 😀

34. Overwhelm: BESIEGE.

35. Animal also known as a rooibok: IMPALA.

36. Brown bread specialist: BURSAR -  😳 Wow, talk about an all-time twisted clue! Bread is of course slang for money and the specialist for collecting money at Brown University is the BURSAR Michael C. White. 

37. "We did good!": GO TEAM - Yay us!

38. Angela Bassett's "9-1-1" role: ATHENA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

39. Taken care of: SEEN TO - I have SEEN TO blogging this fun puzzle.

41. Album ender: OUTRO - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  An "outro" (a blend of "out" and "intro") refers to the concluding track of an album, or an instrumental solo played as the song fades out.  

43. Rest stop along a highway: MOTEL.

45. Some legal places to make records: PADS - 😀 This is the runner-up to the cluing for BURSAR.

49. Some execs: VPS.

*That is the opening scene from The Music Man. The entire scene

** Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes are going one-on-one in White Men Can't Jump

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 84th Birthday to dear Irish Miss (Agnes), my creative puzzle collaborator and close friend, who has guided me through so many life issues. So grateful to have her in my life.