Friday August 15, 2025 Zachary David Levy

Well, it's RustyBrain again, Moe's alter ego for the third and final time, so let's call this a visit from the spirit of Chairman future!

Zachary David Levy is an assistant professor of neurosurgery and emergency medicine at Hofstra's Zucker School of Medicine on Long Island. He's also the crossword editor for Ocean City magazine. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to create crosswords, but it can't hurt!

No revealer today, so watch how HASTE makes WASTE, sorta:

17. Speed needed to harvest lilacs, violets, and lavender for dye?: PURPLE HASTE. Derived from "purple haze," slang for assorted varieties of pot or LSD (thus a fitting 60s song title).

28. "Waterfowl found to prefer celibacy"?: WILD GOOSE CHASTE. A twist on the familiar phrase "wild goose chase." 

 

44. Enigmatic pile of trash?: MYSTERIOUS WASTE. From "mysterious ways," describing things that are difficult to understand or explain, often divine or supernatural. (Must everything be a album cover with this guy?)

57. Fake gems that add sparkle to a gastropod shell?: SNAIL'S PASTE. "Snail's pace" is an idiom describing something moving very slowly, often to the point of being frustrating. Some snails don't know when to stop.

Most of these themers seemed a bit forced, rather than wacky, with a convoluted clue leading to an equally nonsensical answer. Only MYSTERIOUS WASTE rises to the occasion as a plausible thing. I used AI to make picture sense of a couple of them, and I didn't really like the the results so I resorted to my old standbys - album covers! 

The changed words all rhyme, but the original words they replace don't. So, while haze and ways rhyme, as do chase and pace, the two pairs don't match each other. Rhyming aside, the fill overall was decent, although a tad easy for a Friday. 

Are you braced for a taste?

Across:

1. Photo display option: ALBUM. A great way to display pics of four friends.

6. Early PC platform: MS-DOS. MicroSoft Disk Operating System. Bill Gates quickly needed an operating system for the new IBM PC, so he bought 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products for $25K. He renamed it MS-DOS and the rest is history.

11. NFL Hall of Famer Marino: DAN. This jersey gives you an idea of how long I've been a fan of "DAN the Man." In December 1985, I attended my first NFL game on a epic Monday night in the Orange Bowl vs. the then undefeated Chicago Bears. I was hoarse the next day from shouting so loud! Been a Dolfan ever since.

14. "CSI" city: MIAMI. Home to #13 Dan Marino and the MIAMI Dolphins.

15. Unescorted: ALONE.

16. Moody genre: EMO.

17. [theme]

19. Cry before a jump: BOO. Because "Geronimo!" didn't fit.

20. Tahini ingredient: SESAME. Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from crushed SESAME seeds. Cultivation of sesame began 3,500 years ago in the Tigris and Euphrates region of Mesopotamia, so check the expiration date on your tahini before you buy.

21. "Aw, rats!": CRUD. "The tahini has expired!"

22. Custard ingredient: EGG.

25. NYM rival: ATL. The New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves are both in the National League (NL) East division. Pictured is a Brave trying to give a Met a wedgie as they jockey for the pennant.

26. Sore: ACHING.

28. [theme]

32. Blue shade: AZURE. Another shot from my visit to the PNW a few weeks ago (seems like longer!). This is Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park. Look at that color!

33. Russian saint for whom an alphabet is named: CYRIL. The Cyrillic alphabet is used for several languages across Eurasia. It's based on the Greek Alphabet with additional letters developed to represent Slavic sounds.

34. Post-WWII gp.: NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a political and military alliance of countries in Europe and North America, founded in the aftermath of World War II.

35. Giggle syllables: TEHEE. I prefer tee-hee, but the usual response to my jokes is a groan. 

37. Hesitant denial: UM NO. UM NO, not wild about this one. 

41. Biblical song: PSALM. 

43. Yves Saint Laurent fragrance since 1977: OPIUM. One of RightBrain's favs. (BTW, my wife chose this name for my blogs because she's always...oh, you know.)

44. [theme]

49. "The Grass Harp" author: CAPOTE. Truman CAPOTE.

50. A Bobbsey twin: NAN. Oddly, her twin is also named NAN, but spelled backwards. As they are fraternal twins, the boy's name was later changed to MAN to avoid confusion...or so I heard.

51. 1040 fig.: SSN. Social Security Number. Wow, there are a lot of abbreviations in this puzzle!

52. Sleep apnea device, briefly: CPAP. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines use a hose connected to a mask or nose-piece to deliver steady air pressure to help breathing while asleep.

53. Saguaro National Park growth: CACTUS. The large saguaro CACTUSes (cacti in Latin) stand like silent sentinels in the desert. Reminds me a bit of Easter Island.

56. Car loan fig.: APR. Annual Percentage Rate

57. [theme]

62. Shipping charge, e.g.: FEE.

63. "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" writer Marie: KONDO. "Just thank an item for it's service and let it go." But I paid good money for it! 

64. Word in some bank names: TRUST. Your money is safe here <wink> TRUST me.

65. Publishing VIPs: EDS. Editors, or possibly famous newsmen like Ed Bradley and Edwin Newman.

66. Luggage attachment: ID TAG. TAG is short for...I mean ID is short for IDentification. I'm getting bleary-eyed keeping up with all these abbrev.

67. Cries in sties: OINKS. 

Down:
1. Psych (up): AMP. This one goes up to 11.

2. Simu of "Barbie": LIU. 

3. __ exam: BAR. And now, a BAR exam for you. (Hint: the correct answer is Almond Joy, because I'm nuts! I mean, I like nuts. I like all kinds of people, actually. I'm gonna stop now...)

4. Cricket officials: UMPS. Baseball is believed to have originated from older bat-and-ball games such as cricket and rounders, hense similar terms like UMPires. 

5. Line in some expense reports: MILEAGE. Yours may vary.

6. Hawaiian "thank you": MAHALO. I just started watching the Hawaiian historical drama "Chief of War" on Apple TV. Fascinating to see Hawaii in the late 18th century before being "discovered."

7. Criticize harshly: SLAM. "Boo! You can't end a poem with orange!"

8. Rx information: DOSE. The term "Rx" on a prescription originates from the Latin word recipe, meaning "to take."

9. Blue Jays prov.: ONT. The Blue Jays play in ONTario's capital city of Toronto.

10. "Happy now?": SEE. 

11. Remains: DEBRIS.

12. Specification in a recipe: AMOUNT. It could be a tsp. or even a tbsp. (adding some abbreviations of my own).

13. Annoying one: NOODGE.

18. This, in Spanish: ESTO.

21. Fried dish named for a small boat: CHALUPA. Here's a flotilla of CHALUPAs.

22. Actor McGregor: EWAN.

23. Home of the Grand Egyptian Museum: GIZA. Finally open after over a decade of delays, the GEM is the world's largest archaeological museum and features the 83-ton, 3200-year old statue of Ramesses II in the entrance hall.

24. Surplus: GLUT.

26. Farm unit: ACRE.

27. Chinese life force: CHI.

29. Convertible: DROP TOP. Once upon a time we had this beauty, a 1998 Jaguar XK8 Cabriolet (fancy name for a DROP TOP, so they could charge more). Unfortunately, the DROP TOP turned into a rag top under the intense Florida sun.

30. Knucklehead: SCHMO. Also a very popular Harley-Davidson V-twin motorcycle engine.

31. Contact site: EYE.

35. Container weight: TARE. To get an accurate weight of an object, especially one packed to ship (such as the knucklehead engine above), you first weigh the empty crate (or truck) to determine its TARE. Then you weigh them both together and subtract the TARE to find the item's actual weight. 

36. Civil War-era pharmacist Lilly: ELI. "When it says Lilly's Lilly's Lilly's on the label, label, label, you will like it, like it, like it, on your..." Wait a minute, that's not right.

38. Battleship cry: MISS. I once called an old battleship MISS and she hit me with her pocketbook.

39. "Aw, rats!": NUTS. 

40. Sign: OMEN.

42. Gel: SET.

43. Take responsibility for: OWN UP TO.

44. Maker of Baked Apple Pie K-Cups: MC CAFE. Sounds awful. Then again, I'm a black coffee kind of guy.

45. Prattled on: YAPPED. "...and as I was saying, the bunny hopped over my garden fence - I guess I should've made it taller - and maybe painted it. The fence, not the bunny, anyway..."

46. Extras: SPARES. Mom said always carry an extra pair of socks, just in case all the stores close right after you step in a puddle.

47. Clear: UNCLOG. Years ago, I used a pressurized drain cleaner in my apartment. Suddenly, the people downstairs started yelling as I created a geyser in their kitchen sink! Not the best way to meet the neighbors.

48. Hurdles for srs.: SATS. High school seniors take Scholastic Assessment Tests, which use to be called Scholastic Aptitude Tests but now SAT officially stands for nothing (actually true!).

53. "Sorry, busy": CAN'T.

54. Elton John musical: AIDA.

55. Dress at some Asian weddings: SARI. "Oops! I accidentally spilled wine on your dress." "SARI." "Yes, I am."

57. Slalom runner: SKI. 

58. Bobblehead's motion: NOD.

59. Great ball of fire: SUN.

60. Disapproving sound: TSK. Reminds me of my elementary school piano teacher for some reason. I quit after a year or so (I'm apparently not a childhood prodigy). It wasn't until high school that I got back into music, only this time on guitar. A number of years ago, I picked up keyboards again. It's amazing what you can learn on YouTube, but the rudiments from my youth came in handy. Thank you Mrs. Price, wherever you are!

61. Non-earthlings, for short: ETS. ExtraTerrestrialS. Are we finally done with all these initials and abbreviations?

Moe, please hurry back! Fridays are hard!!

Friday, August 8, 2025, Jess Rucks

Good Morning, Cruciverbalisits!  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Jess Rucks.  From Jess' website:

Jess Rucks (she/her) is a crossword constructor living Colorado; she is a Minnesotan at heart. Her puzzles have been published in The New York Times, Apple News+, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Universal, AVCX, AVCX+, Boswords, Puzzmo, and The Inkubator.  She runs the monthly Constructor Spotlight feature at Daily Crossword Links.  Jess is also a licensed school counselor and a licensed professional counselor candidate who provides clinical play-based therapy to elementary students in schools.

Today, Jess takes us on a visit to the third dimension.  Well, to 3-D anyway.  Each of the four themed-answers consists of words containing the letter D three times.  For those seeking an introduction to said letter:

Yep, that's it.  Simple and yet quite elegant.  Here are the places where the gimmick is employed:

16 Down:  3D film?: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.  A 1999 satirical mockumentary movie.

25 Down:  3D puzzle?: WORD LADDER.   A type of puzzle progression with which most crossword solvers are familiar.

47 Down:  3D animation?: DONALD DUCK.  No introduction needed.

59 Dow: . 3D printing?: DAVID COPPERFIELD.  Printing?  That threw this solver for a while.  Aha!  A book is printed.

This is how is all looks in the grid:

... and now for the rest of the story:

Across:

1. Blush wine: ROSE.  ROSE wines incorporate some color from the skins of the grapes but not enough to qualify as a RED wine.

5. Howling canine: WOLF.  Not a tooth ache.

9. [She said what!?]: GASP.  

13. Loot: BOOTY.  Not being used, in this instance, as in "to shake one's BOOTY".

14. Geometry calculation: AREA.  Width times length.

15. Harmonizer, often: ALTO.  See also 21 Across.  Very clever of Jess to work this pair, and 6/23 Down, and also 58/60 Down into the puzzles.  Brava!

19. Buffoons: OAFS.  What is the difference between a cat on a couch and a dim witted cow?  One is a cat loaf and the other is a cattle OAF.

20. Some ER pros: RNS.  Registered NurseS

21. Soprano's part, usually: MELODY.  See Also 15 Across.  Hmm, it's capitalized but it is not, this time, a reference to this guy:

Tony Soprano

22. Hairy Addams cousin: ITT.

23. Forever and a day: EON.  A time span often referenced in our puzzles . . . but, fortunately, not spent solving them.

24. Sweet start?: SEMI.

29. Fragrant latte: CHAI.  Frequently served up in our puzzles.

33. Drag icon with 14 Emmys: RU PAUL.

34. Throw on the floor: RUG.  Throw is not used in the clue as a verb.  A throw RUG.

35. D.C. summer hrs.: EDT.  Eastern Daylight Time

36. Globes: ORBS.  If the theme had been 2D instead of 3D I could have gone with the John Hartford song here.        Oh, 'common, I'm not the only one who thought of that!

37. Hieroglyph beetle: SCARAB.

40. __ Pueblo, New Mexico: TAOS.  A World Heritage Site.

41. "Seize the Awkward" spot, e.g.: PSA.  Public Service Announcement

42. Fix, in a bad way: RIG.  As in to rig an election.  There was also a line from Stan Freberg - "You mean to tell me that, on top of everything else, this ship is RIGged!?"

43. Hang out after checking for rain?: AIR DRY.  Hang something on the clothesline to dry.

45. Basic French verb: ETRE.  Être meaning "to be" and avoir meaning "to have" form the bedrock of French conjugation.

49. Step on someone's toes, perhaps: TRIP.  A clue to be taken literally and not idiomatically.  Still, a bit of a stretch.

51. Alias indicator: AKA.  Also Known As.

52. Cuban ingredient: HAM.  As in a Cuban sandwich.

54. Native Nebraskans: OMAHAS.  . . . and, without the S, an eponymous city.  Speaking of which:

57. Reggae kin: SKA.  Everything You Need To Know - Ska vs Reggae  See also 32 Down.

58. "Queen of Country" McEntire: REBA.

Fancy

63. Corp. bigwig: EXEC.  Abbreviated clue, abbreviated answer.  EXECutive

64. Boo-boo: OWIE.  Kidspeak.

65. Animal whose name means "eater of bark" in Algonquian: MOOSE.

Thanks, perps.

66. Entitled men?: SIRS.  Men with titles.

67. Snow day toy: SLED.  Hi, Calvin!  Hi, Hobbes!

68. Field for Kahlo y Burga: ARTE.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Art, in English.

Down:

1. High point of hospitality?: ROOF TOP BAR.  Another clue meant to be taken literally.

2. "My b!": OOPS.  "My bad!"  What’s the most terrifying word in nuclear physics?  Oops!

3. Norm: Abbr.: STD.  STandarD.

4. "What-ev-er!" expressions: EYE ROLLS.

5. Gum balls?: WADS.  My aunt always put a WAD of Copenhagen between her cheek and gun before swimming . . .  She liked taking a dip.

 

6. Nonprofit domain: ORG.  See also 23 Down.  A .ORG domain extension is short for organization, and it was initially intended for non-profit organizations. Over time, however, it has expanded to include other groups, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), charities, educational institutions, and community-driven projects. 

7. Nocturnal cat?: LEO.  You can see the LEO constellation at night.

8. Seed money investor?: FARMER.  Cute play on words.  FARMERS invest money in seeds.

9. Celtic language: GAELIC.  The only GAELIC that this solver knows is Sláinte !

10. Potatoes, in Urdu: ALOO.   And now for something completely different...

11. __ finder: STUD.  A handy device to have if one is hanging something heavy on the wall of their home.

12. Small bouquet: POSY.

13. Sausage that may be boiled in bier: BRATWURST.  Bier, with the German spelling, was the tip off.

16. "__ dare?": DO I.

17. Karenina of literature: ANNA.

18. Ruby, e.g.: GEM.  I need a good GEM related pun here but I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

23. Academic domain: EDU.  See also 6 Down.  The ending for an online domain associated with a school or university.

24. Creator of Sonic and Knuckles: SEGA.  A video game reference.

26. Dorm figs.: RAS.  Resident AdvisorS  or Assistants   Dormitory 

27. Sink hole: DRAIN.  Another clue to be taken literally.  A hole in the sink.

28. Hindu goddess whose name means "impassable": DURGA.  Unknown to this solver. Thanks, perps.  From Wikipedia:  

Durga is a principal Hindu goddess, worshipped as a central aspect of the supreme goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga is seen as a motherly figure and often depicted as a beautiful woman, riding a lion or tiger, with many arms each carrying a weapon and often defeating demons.

30. Dish that resembles a jellied meatloaf: HEAD CHEESE.  Despite its name it is neither cheese nor any type of dairy product.

31. Endearingly nerdy: ADORKABLE.  A portmanteau.  Adorable / Dork

32. Teeny: ITSY.

A ReggaeSka Cover

33. Lasso: ROPE.

38. __ rotation: CROP.

39. Many unhappy returns?: BAD KARMA

40. "Ur so right": TRU.  IMHO not the best moment in the puzzle.  TRU?

44. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA.  A frequent visitor.

46. Moral philosophy: ETHICS.  What do you call a guy who believes in ETHICal treatment of spiders?  PETA Parker.

47. Spots for hustlers: DISCOS.  Do the Hustle.

48. Tahoe, for one: LAKE.  Lots of ways to clue LAKE if one heads down this path.  That, though, is often an amusing part of these puzzles.  One has to figure out if the answer needs to be  something specific or general.

50. "Gnarly!": RAD.  Power Thesaurus lists 584 synonyms for gnarly.

53. Fit to be tied: MAD.

54. Some Keats works: ODES.  ODE to a cold:

When your nose is runny 

Some people think it's funny

But it'snot

55. Dress choice: MAXI.

56. Assert: AVER.  To AVER is to affirm and to AVOW is to openly declare.  

57. Ignored the signs, perhaps: SPED.

58. Real hoot: RIOT.  Idiomatic  See also 60 Down

60. Real hooter: OWL.  Literal  See also 58 Down

61. March 14 dessert: PIE.  March 14th, or 3/14 or 314 or 3.14 or 

62. Not against: FOR.  Straightforward.

. . . and, on that positive note . . . well, maybe not just quite yet.  If you've got six minutes to spare let Weird Al bracket today's journey through the third dimension:

______________________________________________

Postscript:  This marine mammal will be doing some traveling and will miss its next couple of turns in the rotation.  Be well, everyone!

M M OUT