google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday

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Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts

Dec 19, 2025

Friday, December 19, 2025 - Samantha Podos Nowak

 Theme:  Addition can sometimes be better than subtraction ... OR ... am I adding or losing some (L)B's?



Puzzling thoughts:

First, this is my last recap/blog of 2025.  Second, since we are one week before Christmas, my recap today will be more brief than usual

Now, with regards to today's puzzle, this is not the first Samantha Podos Nowak puzzle I've blogged. One of her earlier efforts was a collaboration with LAT assistant editor, Katie Hale.  Samantha, like I, came into constructing puzzles after/during the Covid pandemic.  In fact, she and I both had a puzzle that ran the same day (her's at WSJ and mine at LAT) but that's just a coincidence ...

Today's puzzle has an interesting theme, based on a famous line in a Shakespeare play:

36-across. Soliloquy dilemma, and a phonetic hint to 17-, 25-, 51-, and 61-Across: TO BE OR NOT TO BE.  I checked a few sources, and surprisingly this entry has not been seen in a published xword puzzle in almost a decade, and obviously, not used with this set of entries:

17-across. "Pencils, down!" for one: TIMBERLINE. The "Be(B)" or Not to Be(B") is highlighted in the entry.  Use the B and the entry means - literally - the upper limit of tree growth (usually in mountainous regions).  Such as this:



But if you eliminate the B the clue fits the "not to be(B)" meaning.  Think of when you were taking a timed test in school and the proctor calls out:  "Pencils, down!"  I guess (stretching one's imagination) that this would be a TIMER "LINE"


25-across.
 "What I did last summer" essay penned by a lifeguard?: POOL TABLE.  A pool table should not be mistaken for a billiards table.  Likewise, if you are working a summer part-time job as a lifeguard, you probably don't want to go off telling pool tales or this might happen:




51-across. Ice cream truck jingle, e.g.?: SUGAR CUBE.  When was the last time you saw a sugar cube served in a restaurant?


Now lose the B and you get a semi-ridiculous answer that fits another semi-ridiculous clue ... I never thought of the jingle from an ice cream truck as a sugar CUE.  You can thank me later for the earworm I am about to inject you with, once you click on the "play" button on the video below:



61-across. Fee for a reunion dinner?: ALBUM COVER.  With the B you get this:


IMO, the best ALBUM, ever

Without the B you get a goofy answer to a goofy clue.  At my latest HS reunion, the "ALUM COVER" was $50 which included the cost of renting the venue and what turned out to be a pretty good buffet dinner.  Here is a picture from mine this past September:




Oh, and those of you who wanted to know why Moe thinks that Led Zeppelin IV is the best ever, here is the full album on YouTube - starting with one of my top 5 favorite songs ever:




So, Moe, if you didn't like SUGAR CUBE entry, what would you have suggested, instead?  Ok, here:

51-across. Preserves made by artisans from Wisconsin resort county? DOOR JAMBS - but alas, this one would be cut as the B in JAMBS is silent ... 

How about: Comment from a Jewish kid when he realizes spring break is over? SCHOOLBOY

The Grid:  



I will address the words I disliked or stumbled with in the other clues/answers, below


Across:

1. "Black Widow" singer Rita: ORA.  She is not a singer that I listen to, so this one sat for a while before the perps appeared

4. Oodles: STACKS.  Another that took some time to fill

10. Harvest: CROP.  REAP also fits

14. Loonie currency, briefly: CAD.  For some reason I thought CND would be the answer; but come on, even for a Friday the clue for cad should've been for a noun, not an abbreviation

15. Prestige: CACHET.  It's interesting to note that when I asked the Thesaurusaurus for a synonym for cachet it provided me with prestige - but when I asked for a synonym for prestige it gave me this:



16. Lentil pancake: DOSA.  This word has been used somewhat often @ both Universal Crosswords and USA Today.  Mostly since 2020.  Was this a food item that was introduced during COVID that C-Moe possibly ignored?  I don't think I have ever had one (or two)


And of course, my puerile brain had to think of a Moe-ku:

        Do Indian chef's
        Like Square Dancing? They must. They
        Do the DOSA-dough

[theme entry]

19. Scattered: SOWN.  I originally spelled this SEWN; then, realized my mistake (which left me in stitches)

20. More than half of the world's population: ASIANS.

21. Courtroom figs.: D.A.s. Again, a clue for an abbreviation, when the clue could have been:  German article (DER, DIE, and DAS) and have been just as difficult (IMO)

23. Brief read?: MAG. What's with all of the abbreviations? Sheesh

24. Curriculum __: VITAE.  After watching this video, I am perfectly happy being retired! 
 


[theme entry]

28. USN rank: ENS.  Maybe I should have started counting abbr's ...

29. Hotel bar: SOAP.  My mind immediately thought "MINI"

31. Burrito option: ASADA.  As in "carne asada".  Asada translates to the English "grilled".  Personally, I prefer El Pastor burritos

32. Alien-seeking org.: SETI.  Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - and the abbr's continue

34. Bind: TIE.  

35. Class with pastels: ART.  

[reveal of the theme]

41. Sculpture medium: ICE.  Phil Conners was quite the ice sculptor, as depicted in this movie by (54-across. "Groundhog Day" writer/director) Harold RAMIS.




42. Bygone JFK carrier: TWA.  I'm done panning all of the abbreviations ... if I see another one, I will ignore it and move on, FWIW

43. Silver State city: RENO. Silver State = Nevada

45. Fountain spot, perhaps: PLAZA.  

48. Staffer: AIDE

50. Keebler baker: ELF.  Moe-ku:

        Michael Bloomberg's one
        Of the shortest billionaires
        He's an ELF-made-man

[theme entry]

56. Slip: ERR.  

57. __ Quixote: DON.

58. From the beginning: DE NOVO.  Our Latin word-of-the-day

59. Luau strings: UKES

[theme entry] 

64. Bambi, for one: DEER.  FAWN also fits

65. Afternoon trayful: TEA SET.  SCONES also fits

66. QB mistake: INT

67. Ish: OR SO.  Ballpark estimate might have worked as a clue, too




 
68. Knight mares: STEEDS.  While this definition doesn't specify, a steed can be either a stallion or a mare - and since it can be a female horse, it allowed Samantha (or maybe Patti) to use this witty clue

69. Season opener?: ESS. For those who don't "get" the wordplay, season opener usually refers to the first MLB game of the new year - but here, it's the starting letter in the word, season

Down:
1. So-so ranges?: OCTAVES.  Sometimes clues go too far ... but I am guessing that whoever came up with this one was referring to the "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" range, which is also an octave  

And for anyone here who learned/played their first scale (octave) on the piano - with "do" being middle C - I trust that you will "get" this Moe-ku:

        "So-so ranges" was
        The clue. I knew where to start.
        Gee, I'm one sharp guy

2. Chocolate-covered bite: RAISINET.  Did anyone else think that this chocolate-covered candy was spelled Raisinette?

3. Comes clean about: ADMITS TO.  See 2-down for MY confession

4. Tantrums: SCENES.  Having just returned from spending time with a 5-1/2 year old grandson, I endured more scenes than a Shakespeare play

5. Works on the road: TARS.  Or, sailors on a ship

6. Knee pt.: ACL

7. Home of the Cubbies and the Bears: CHI.

8. Martial art that began as sword exercises practiced by samurai: KENDO.  In Japan, I hear that toy stores are selling a figurine by the same name (Kendo) that's equipped with a sword, a convertible, and a girlfriend named Barbie 

9. Take the wrong way?: STEAL.  This word (steal) is among the more popular starting words for the online game, Wordle

10. Common PC inserts, once: CDS.
 
11. Floor model?: ROOMBA.  Model, as in which model Roomba would you purchase for cleaning your floor.  The one on the left below looks pretty functional, to me



12. The Penguin's first name: OSWALD.  Seriously?

13. Supercontinent of the late Paleozoic Era: PANGEA.  And if you just got over the previous clue/answer ...

18. Sheepish remark: BAA.

22. Tee off: START.  As in the start of a golf hole

25. Two of a kind: PAIR.  What's your favorite pair? These?





26. Bill with round numbers?: OPEN TAB.  More wordplay in this clue ... 

27. Mary of "The Maltese Falcon": ASTOR.  Also known as Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke

30. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE.  So, Otoe is also the plural?

33. Island near Majorca: IBIZA.  Okay.  I've been pretty lenient about the obscurity of many of today's words.  And honestly, a couple of "odd" words for a Friday are OK if the puzzle venue specifies that.  But the LA Times Friday puzzles lately have been anything but consistent.  IBIZA, PANGEA, OSWALD, ROOMBA, KENDO, RAISINET, SETI, VITAE, DOSA (and I still have a few more words to recap ...)

35. Little bit: A TAD.  You think I am a tad frustrated by today's puzzle?  I don't think I will be the only one

37. Digital greeting: E-CARD.  

38. Tot's bruise: OWIE.

39. Animated film in which RenĂ©e Zellweger voices a florist named Vanessa Bloome: BEE MOVIE.  I wonder if one of the possible titles for this film was "To Bee or Not to Bee"?

40. Spices up: ENLIVENS.  I suppose you could say that Moe-kus enlivens my recaps (44-down. In a way:) OF SORTS.

45. Ersatz: PSEUDO.  Don't believe this answer; it's fake

46. Forum visitor who never posts: LURKER.  How many lurkers do we have at this forum?  I'm guessing it's in the hundreds - maybe more

47. Sees eye to eye: AGREES.  

49. Raises: ERECTS.

52. Checked garments: COATS.  Do restaurants still have coat check rooms? 




53. Still in need of tenants: UNLET.  Can we add unlet to the list of weird words today?

55. "That's __-brainer!": A NO.  [see above] - maybe not

58. Contacted privately, briefly: DM'ED.

60. B'way sign: SRO.

62. Honeybunny: BAE.

63. Capitalize on: USE.  Did anyone keep a count of how many abbreviated words there were today?  Does anyone use many of these in their normal conversations, written or oral?

I hoped my last puzzle to recap this year could've been more fun.  But I have enjoyed doing these; hard to believe it's been 5-1/2 years since I volunteered to blog on C.C.'s LATCC site

Wishing everyone a safe and blessed holiday season - see you next year!

Dec 12, 2025

Friday, December 12, 2025, Harit Raghunathan & Joah Macosko


EXERCISING OUR MINDS



Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of today's puzzle.  That recap consists of but a single word - Oy!  Okay, see y'all in a couple of weeks.

Alternatively, as Desi famously said to Lucy, "You've got some 'splainin to do".  I shall try my best.  Please bear with me as sorting this one out requires taking several distinct steps and describing those steps in prose seems, at the time of this writing, a bit daunting.

To suss out what is going on we have to go through various physical exercises (pull-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, push-ups), cope with life's inevitable ups and downs, and then knit together fractured answers.  Not satisfied with these challenges, today's puzzle-setters provide no unifier.  That said, the ", literally" appended to the end of the themed clues did provided a sort of guideance.  Also, we do get circles and the circles indicate the points at which we need to rearrange things.  Let's take a look at the first pair of themed clues and answers:

7 Down.  Lats-working exercise, literally: LLUP.  
20 Across.  Lift system that offers a mechanical advantage: ROPEANDPEY.

WTF would not be an inappropriate reaction.  However, try this:  First, read the answer to the Down clue from bottom to top.  Literally, P  U  L  L going/reading upwards.  As a result, we get PULL as in PULL-UP which does answer the clue

Next, at the location of the circle, insert PULL into the answer for the crossing Across clue.  Finally, at the end of the Down clue's answer (read upward that would be the top, in this case the second L) return to the Across answer, et voila, we get:

ROPE AND PULLEY  - which is an appropriate answer to the Across clue

The next pair (numerically):

22  Down.  Abs-working exercise, literally: TIS.  . . . becomes SIT  when read from the bottom to the top (as in sit-up, the answer to the clue)
27 Across.  Puts everything on the line: RISKSALL.

This one was a bit different because both RISKS ALL and 'TIS could stand on their own whereas the others answers are, standing alone, nonsensical.  Still, after taking the necessary steps, we end up with a perfectly reasonable solution to the across clue:

RISKS IT ALL

Continuing along these lines:

31 Down.  Pecs-working exercise, literally: HSUP.  . . . which becomes PUSH (push-up)
46 Across.  Challenging HS class that covers Reconstruction and Prohibition: APISTORY.

Stitched together the result is:  AP US HISTORY

Similarly:

44 Down.  Biceps-working exercise, literally: NIHC. . . . becomes CHIN (chin-up)
57 Across.  Summer forecast in the Southwest: SCORCGHEAT.

Stitch 'em together to get: SCORCHING HEAT

The completed grid looks like this:




. . . and after a well-earned rest from all that exercise we'll take a look at the rest of the clues and answers:


Across:

1. Concocts: BREWS.



6. "O Captain! My Captain!," for one: ELEGY.  Walt Wh9tman's ELEGY for Abraham Lincoln.

11. Org. with Falcons and Ravens: NFL.



14. Navel type: OUTIE.  We can go ahead and fill in the I and the E before we know if it will be an INNIE or and OUTIE.

15. Outdoor screen annoyance: GLARE.  Not a reference to the screen on your window.  The screen on your electronics (e.g. cellphone or laptop).

16. Part of IPA: ALE.  Frequently imbibed here in the crossword world.

17. Collect: AMASS.

18. Busiest port in South Korea: BUSAN.  A bit obscure for many solvers.

19. Chaps: MEN.  Not a reference to Western Wear.



22. Schoolbook: TEXT.  As in textbook.

23. Fantasize about: DREAM OF.  Hmm, now just what was it that Major Nelson was fantasizing about?


 
24. Open the door for, say: SEE IN.  Sometimes we get ASK IN or ASK UP as answers.

26. Cartoon frame: CEL.

30. The "Thunder" of Marvel's "Love and Thunder": THOR.



33. "Thank you," in Swahili: ASANTE.  Also, a bit obscure.

35. "Excusez-__": MOI.  leçon de français d'aujourd'hui

36. Clambake leftovers: ASHES.  Shells was too long.

38. Smack: HIT.

39. Bit of witchcraft: SPELL.

41. "Everybody knows that!": DUH.  Well, duh!

42. Like some patches: IRON ON.  Versus sew-on.

45. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT.

48. __ Jima: IWO.  The site of a famous WWII battle and a well-known photograph.



50. Pay for: TREAT.

51. "Guilty as charged": THAT'S ME.  To be read as THAT WAS ME, I suppose.

55. Plant inspection org.: OSHA.



59. Lobster eggs: ROE.  I went to a sushi bar and ordered the salmon roe...It was a spawn-taneous decision.

60. Condition: STATE.  As in "a fine STATE of affairs".

61. __ Dakota: NORTH.  We can fill in the O and the TH before we know the full answer.

62. Wheels: CAR.  Slang.  As in "that's a nice set of wheels".

63. Tea option: PEKOE.

64. Top-notch: ELITE.

65. "Rules __ rules": ARE.   And, some would say, they are meant to be broken.

66. Sets loose: FREES.



67. Allude (to): REFER.  Is it hard to find a two letter pronoun that can be used to refer to oneself as an object?  Or is it just me?


Down:

1. Surf shop purchase: BOARD.

2. Hearsay: RUMOR.

3. Tour de France stage: ETAPE.  Literally "stage" in French.

4. Smart aleck: WISEACRE.

(n.) "one who thinks himself wise, one who makes pretension to affects wisdom," 1590s, a partial translation of Middle Dutch wijssegger "soothsayer" (without derogatory connotation).

The deprecatory sense of "one who pretends to know everything" may have come through confusion with obsolete English segger "sayer," which also had a sense of "braggart" (mid-15c.).

5. Halvah flavor: SESAME.

6. Staff lines with a notable mnemonic: EGBDF.  A musical reference.




8. Enters, as a hot tub: EASES INTO.

9. Most overcast: GRAYEST.  At least they didn't clue this one with a reference to age.

10. Japanese money: YEN.  156 JPY = 1 USD

11. "Who put you up to this?": NAME NAMES.



12. Show off at the gym: FLEX.  I flexed my glutes and got a cramp.  That was a pain in the butt.

13. Period after Ash Wednesday: LENT.  Tom Lehrer gave up LENT for her . . .



21. Po'boy city: NOLA.  New Orleans, Louisiana

25. Squeezes (out): EKES.

27. Hardly fair: RAINY.  Not a reference to a concept of ethics.

28. "Copacabana" showgirl: LOLA.  LOLA and NOLA.  Nice.  No, not the city.

I Have Used This Clip Before But It Is A Classic

29. Singsongy cadence: LILT.

30. Unveiling shout: TADA.




32. "Didn't expect to see you!": OH HI THERE.

34. Dessert with a sconelike texture: SHORTCAKE.

37. Location: SITE.

40. Narrative incongruity: PLOT HOLE.

43. Oven pan: ROASTER.

47. Sp. honorific: SRA.  SenoRA

49. Honus whose baseball card is one of the rarest and most expensive in the world: WAGNER.





51. Orchard makeup: TREES.  Today, we'll take all the easy ones we can get.

52. Font flourish: SERIF.

53. Not glossy: MATTE.

54. Upper regions of space: ETHER.  Before an operation, my doctor gave her patient the option to be knocked out with gas or a boat paddl
e.It was an ether/oar situation.

55. Killer whale: ORCA.

56. Fly high: SOAR.

58. __-Missouria Tribe: OTOE.  Frequent visitors.

60. Beach bottle no.: SPF.


________________________________________

M M Out
(with a CSO to Chairman Moe for the graphic)

Dec 5, 2025

Friday, December 5, 2025 - Brian Callahan & Taylor Johnson

 Theme:  "Pocket change"


And here is a YouTube clip of one of the songs from this album




Puzzling thoughts:

The reason I chose "Pocket Change" as the theme title is because, well, I found that cool album cover photo and an equally cool song from that album.  So there!  But if we use it to describe today's puzzle, it fits; we see four entries that are all created from the letters in the word "pocket", so in a sense, we have (a) pocket "change"  

In the grid image below, I highlighted the word P-O-C-K-E-T in each of the entries. I was hoping that the remaining letters in each entry would have some added meaning, so I reached out to Taylor Johnson (one of the co-constructors) to further define what this puzzle's all about: 

Taylor replied, "It's essentially a letter-bank theme! Basically, the reveal is saying that each of those entries is "made OUT OF POCKET," meaning that the only letters used to make those entries are the letters in (the word) POCKET.  Some letters are repeated in some entries, but overall, the only letters that appear are P-O-C-K-E-T. I hope this clears things up! Thanks!"

Taylor said nothing more about whose idea this was, his or Brian's.  Both of these gentlemen have scores of published crossword puzzles between them; not sure if this was their first collaboration though

Entries:

17-across. *Odist with a passion for the culinary arts?: COOKTOP POET.  Might this inspire the Chairman to embrace this entry?  Why not!  How about a Moe-l'ick for a change?

        Former chef just decides to embark
        Doing stir-fry.  He went on a lark
        Opened restaurant in town
        Near the green; what a clown!
        'Cause he calls it: "A Wok in the Park"        

24-across. *Eight-member band from Seoul, perhaps?: K-POP OCTET.  How about another Moe-l'ick?

        K-Pop octet conducted a poll
        And the question was painfully droll:
        "Just because that we lack
        Any singer who's black
        Do you think that we ain't got no Seoul?"

37-across. *Social media community obsessed with quick kisses?: PECK TOK.  Sorry, nothing in this one inspired the Chairman, poetically ... and to be honest, I thought this entry could have been left out
 
However, after I wrote today's blog, I got an email from the constructors and explained (to this old Boomer) what this meant.  Apparently, people who love reading (for example) might have a "community" on Tik Tok that refers to all the people who make videos about books; and they are then known as "Book Tok".  I suppose that those who do kissing videos might resemble this one:



 
 
48-across. *Beverage sold at a Florida theme park?: EPCOT COKE.  I dunno if Brian and Taylor checked first, to see if Disney World features Coca-Cola products, but they do.  So, I guess I can let this one slide.  And because Disney serves Coca-Cola products, this one inspired a Moe-ku:

        Disney hired Coke
        To build a new attraction
        Called:  Fanta - Sea Land

Reveal:

59-across. Like some expenses, and how the answers to the starred clues are made?: OUT OF POCKET.  (Described above)


Here's the grid, and then off to the rest of the clues and answers:




Across:
1. Casual top?: CAMI.

5. __ page: website introduction: SPLASH.  Would've preferred ___ pool for this one; fun!




11. Spanish infinitive: SER.  To be in Espanol

14. Stratford-upon-__: AVON.  Birthplace of Shakespeare



15. Cause: LEAD TO.

16. Hullabaloo: ADO.  Does anyone remember this Hullabaloo?




[theme entry]

19. "Snowden" org.: NSASnowden

20. Morsel: TIDBIT.

21. Flavor of some purple ice cream: UBE.  I would not want ice cream to taste like this

22. Condition that affects one's ability to focus, briefly: AD/HD.

23. Pastoral: IDYLL.

[theme entry]

26. Word on a shoppe sign: OLDE.  Here is a shoppe where you can buy olde signs

28. "Yes __!": SIRREE.

29. Soft "Hey, you": PSST.

32. Great Basin people: UTES.

35. Gets warmer, in a way: NEARS.

36. Prefix in some genre names: ALT.

[theme entry]

39. Jazz guitarist Metheny: PAT

 



40. Paris river: SEINE.

42. Catch: HEAR.

43. IDs on tax forms: SSNS.  Mine is 123-45-6789.  Yours? [don't reply!] 

44. Star associated with Venus: SERENA.  Her sister; former tennis stars, Venus and Serena Williams.  The movie, King Richard, talks about their rise from Compton, CA to being the best sister act in sports





46. Expand: GROW.

[them entry]

51. Catch: HITCH.  



55. Infielder played by Bernsen in the "Major League" films: DORN.  An interview with Roger Dorn





56. Weep: CRY.

57. Eritrea's capital: ASMARA.



58. Egg cells: OVA.

[theme reveal]

61. Hat similar to a songkok: FEZ.  Songkok?  What the *?!# is that?  Oh, this:




62. "The way things stand ... ": AS IT IS.

63. "Je t'__": French "I love you": AIME.  

64. Get too much sun: FRY.
  



65. Change from residential to commercial, say: REZONE.  

66. Educational spots, briefly: PSAS.

Down:
1. Arizona flora: CACTI.  CSO to Lucina, Yuman, and yours truly - any other Arizonans I've missed? Here is a picture of a very rare cactus 

Crested Saguaro


2. Steer clear of: AVOID.

3. Mercurial: MOODY.

4. Image that's subject to interpretation: INK BLOT.


5. Opening: SLOT.

6. Verve: PEP.

7. Relish: LAP UP.  "Condiment" did not fit

8. Vinegary sauce: ADOBO.  Maybe one of our posters can share a recipe? 




9. Brews: STEEPS.  As in tea

10. Word with tip or take: HOT.  Hot tip; Hot take

11. Driving challenges?: SANDTRAPS.  The ones in the photo below are known as "The Church Pews" and were last seen in this past June's U.S.Open Championship held at Oakmont CC outside of Pittsburgh




12. "Thinking Out Loud" singer: ED SHEERAN.  Ed and I share the same birthday.  Here are some others who were born on this date.  And below you can listen to a seasonal song from Mr. Sheeran




13. Driving challenges?: ROAD TESTS.  If I recall, I passed on the first go around.  Had to parallel park; serpentine through cones; and do it all in a car with a manual gear box.  Apparently this is what the PA test involves nowadays




18. Register: TILL.  This:



22. Lot unit: ACRE.

24. Fore-and-aft rigged boat: KETCH.

25. [I'm a pig!]: OINK.

27. Outstanding: DUE.

29. Sent along (to): PASSED OFF.

30. Pajama party: SLEEPOVER.  Is this a song video you'd play at a sleepover? [contains a few nasty words so beware]




31. Suffering from cabin fever: STIR CRAZY.

33. Pull (out): EKE.

34. Play area: STAGE.

37. Cooped (up): PENT.

38. Bobby of the Bruins: ORR.  The best NHL player to wear the #4 sweater? 



41. Quite bright: NEON.

43. Pool wear: SWIM CAP.  What do you think of this one?




45. Point the finger at: ACCUSE.  




47. Very, very: OH SO.

49. Ana of "Love, Victor": ORTIZ.  This person: 




50. Onetime capital of Japan: KYOTO.  Maybe my co-blogger MalMan can comment about Kyoto?

52. Brand of rolled tortilla chips: TAKIS. Total unknown to me.  Don't think that I have ever tried them.  To those who have, are they any good?




53. Taco topping: CREMA.  It's the Mexican version of cream cheese

54. Abhors: HATES.

57. Cathedral area: APSE.  Crosswordese

59. Dory propeller: OAR. and 60-across. Dory propeller: FIN. Are clechos.  

59 across DORY





60 across DORY


Since I don't have deep pockets, this is all you get for today!  Have fun with your comments and/or questions.  See you in two weeks