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 paddle.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)

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.: NSA. Snowden

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

Friday, November 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malordorous Manatee here hoping that everyone shared a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with family and friends.   Now, however, it is time to shake off those trytophan-induced food comas and take a look at a Friday puzzles by Wendy Brandes.  The theme of the puzzle seems appropriate both because yours truly has recently taken several days (weeks) off and because many people have today off from work/school.  Let's start with the unifier:

62 Across.  "You need some time away from work," and how to make the starred clues match their answers: TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF.

At three places in the grid (with their clues bearing stars) we need to drop an abbreviation for a day of the week from the clue in order to make the answers fit those clues.  The days of the the are consecuitve and we can only specultate as to whether or not that elegant twist was intended.

17 Across. *Bucket list entries?: LIFE LONG FRIENDS.  Drop the FRI(day) and the result is a group of life long ambitions.

27 Across. *Result of being left off a guest list?: SOCIAL SATIRE.  Drop the SAT(urday) and the result is SOCIAL IRE.  One might be angry for missing out on a social activity.

48 Across. *Big victory for the Mets or the Yankees, e.g.?: SUNNY DELIGHT.  Drop the SUN(day) and many folks in the Big Apple will be delighted with the win.  Without the "drop" it's a drink.

The completed grid looks like this:

Below are the rest of the clues and and answers.  Note that there are ten to thirteen names/proper nouns depending on what you wish to include (e.g. NASCAR) which seems to this blogger to be in line with current trends in the crossword world.

Across:

1. "Good to go!": ALL SET.

7. Happy dances: JIGS.

11. Spice mixture: RUB.  Common in BBQ circles.  Here's a link to one of the Manatee's favorite rubs:  Amazing Ribs - Memphis Dust Rub

14. Water heater: BOILER.

15. Again: ANEW.

16. Actress de Armas: ANA.

20. East, in Spanish: ESTE.

21. Had on: WORE.

22. Oft-turned things in a spy thriller: PAGES.

23. Implored: PLED.

25. Witty: CLEVER.

31. Show appreciation: THANK.

32. Jewel: GEM.

33. City choker: SMOG.

37. Broadcast: AIR.  Used as a verb.

38. Made secret, in a way: ENCODED.

42. Had oatmeal, say: ATE.  Clued this way there are countless substitutes for oatmeal.

43. Used cars?: RODE.  Used was used as a verb in the clue (and not used as an adjective).

45. B+, e.g.: ION.  B being the symbol for the element boron and the plus sign indicating an ION.

46. "High School Musical" actor Zac: EFRON.

52. Not commissioned: ON SPEC.  As in to speculate.

54. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.  Made famous by the Jula Roberts film.

55. "To repeat ... ": I SAID.  Don't you make Al repeat it . . .

56. Crowd sound: ROAR.

58. British tennis player Raducanu: EMMA.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

65. __ out a win: EKE.

66. Reusable shopping bag: TOTE.

67. Org. that might have a Mustang circling a track: NASCAR.  Not a horse racing reference.  A Ford Motor Company reference.

68. Irate: MAD.  My girlfriend  got mad at me because I wouldn’t stop singing “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. At first, I thought she was kidding.  But then I saw her face.

69. Peepers: EYES.

70. Indignant retort: DOES SO.


Down:

1. Qualified: ABLE.

2. "Number the Stars" novelist Lowry: LOIS.

3. Big moment in a pairs figure skating routine: LIFT.

4. Hit the snooze button, perhaps: SLEEP IN

5. Dragon roll fish: EEL.  With apologies to Dean Martin, Harry Warren and Jack Brooks:

When you swim in the creek, and an eel bites your cheek.  That's a moray.   When the moon hits the sand and an eel bites your hand  That's a moray.

6. Masonry tool: TROWEL.  What do you call a tech-savvy shovel?  An internet trowel.

7. Jaromír who is the oldest NHL player to record a hat trick: JAGR.

8. Passed on a bug to: INFECTED.

9. Eur. land: GER.  GERmany is in EURope.

10. Thief on "Dora the Explorer": SWIPER.

11. Spot for burners: RANGE.  As in what we cook on.

12. Below: UNDER.

13. Low voice: BASS.

18. Go-aheads: NODS.  Approvals.

19. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.  True but a bit of a stretch.

24. Winnebago, e.g.: LAKE.  RV was too short. 

26. Flavor of green Skittles: LIME.

27. Lead: STAR.  Hmm.  The clue/answer could be either a pair of nouns or verbs.

28. Home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: OHIO.

29. Part of a hand: CARD.  Palm would have fit.

30. Ecstasy's opposite: AGONY.

34. Actress Helgenberger: MARG.

35. Texter's "Let's look at this a different way": OTOH.  On The Other Hand

36. Fellow: GENT.

39. First number in Hawaiian ZIP codes: NINE.

40. Grounded in reality: CONCRETE.

41. Grocery section: DELI.

44. Always Morphing nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Some of us know ESSIE, Opi and Ulta well . . .but only from our puzzles. 

47. Delicacy: FINESSE.  Not something to eat.  Tact.  Looks sorta like ESSIE.

49. App release: UPDATE.

50. Out of power: DEAD.  Could have been clued Grateful ______ .

51. Entry on a to-do list: ERRAND.  Chore and task were both too short.

52. Honshu port city: OSAKA.

53. Bare: NAKED.

55. Tabloid pair: ITEM.

57. Needs to pay back: OWES.

59. Comfy shoes, for short: MOCS.  Moccasins

60. Some design degs.: MFAS.  Master of Fine ArtS

61. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.  The hairstyle is not really "natural" despite often being clued this way.

63. "The Crown" actress Claire: FOY.

64. NBA legend Ming: YAO.  A basketball reference.

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  For those who are interested, the travels went smoothly although we were surprised by this fellow upon turning a corner in Tokyo:

_______________________________________________