Tuesday, June 3, 2025 George Simpson and Zhouqin Burnikel

Dark Magic.  The first word of each theme answer, which are in the Circles, can all be associated with Darkness, whether literal (night, black) or figurative (evil, secret).  These "DARK CIRCLES" often carrying connotations of fear, danger, and hidden or negative aspects. 

17-Across. Seasoning in a grinder: BLACK PEPPER.

24-Across. Exorcist's target: EVIL SPIRIT.

35-Across. Phone setting that dims the screen: NIGHT MODE.

52-Across. Hush-hush agreement: SECRET DEAL.

59-Across. Signs of fatigue, and what can be found in 17-, 24-, 35-, and 52-Across: DARK CIRCLES.

Here's the Grid, so you can see all the Dark Circles.

Our very own Big Easy and our blog hostess, C.C., created this not-so-dark puzzle today.

Across:

1. Island in the Gulf of Naples: CAPRI.

6. Harbor vessels: SHIPS.

11. Cookie container: TIN.  //  And 6-Down. Cookie container: SLEEVE.  What!?  No cookie Jar?

14. "The Raven" poet Edgar ___ Poe: ALLAN.  The Raven is a poem that focuses on grief and loss.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ October. 7, 1849) wanted to use a talking bird, and originally considered a parrot.  He chose a parrot because of its ability to repeat words, which he needed for the poem's repeated refrain, "Nevermore."  He obviously changed changed the bird to a raven, because a raven is more somber, black appearance better suited the poem's overall tone and darker themes.

15. Put a cap on: LIMIT.

16. "One" prefix: UNI-.

19. Involuntary movement: TIC.

20. Baby garment: ONESIE.

21. Express feelings onstage: EMOTE.

23. Totally dominates: OWNS.

28. Word between surnames: NÉE.  This has become a crossword staple.

29. Defiant retort: ARE TOO!

30. Tragic Shakespearean king: LEAR.

31. More strange: ODDER.

33. Note between fa and la: SOL.

34. In an aimless way: IDLY.

39. Army post: FORT.

42. "Boo'd Up" singer Ella __: MAI.  Ella Mai (née Ella Mai Howell; b. Nov. 3, 1994) is an English singer.  She was named after Ella Fitzgerald.

43. Charlotte __: creamy dessert: RUSSE.  A charlotte is a type of bread pudding that uses ladyfingers to line a mold, which is then filled with a fruit puree or custard. The baked pudding could then be sprinkled with powdered sugar and glazed.

47. Smoothie bowl berry: ACAI.  These trendy berries have become a crossword staple.

48. Gym session dedicated to pushups, bicep curls, etc.: ARM DAY.  I was not aware that there is a specific day dedicated to training the muscles of the arms.

51. Gear tooth: COG.

54. "Yippee!": WHOO!

55. Off the market: TAKEN.

56. Niger or Nigeria: NATION.  Niger and Nigeria are adjacent African countries.

58. Dallas-to-Nashville dir.: ENE.  As in East NorthEast.  Or, you can take a more circuitous route and head south first.

64. Grab a chair: SIT.

65. "Hamilton" Tony winner Renée __ Goldsberry: ELISE.  Renée Elise Goldsberry (b. Jan. 2, 1971) is an  actress, singer, and songwriter.  She portrayed the original Angelica Schuyler in the musical Hamilton.

66. Compassionate words: I CARE.

67. Some Ph.D. students: TAs.  As in Teaching Assistants.

68. Gently protest: DEMUR.

69. Analyze, as a sentence: PARSE.  This brings back memories of junior high English class.

Down:

1. Truck driver's spot: CAB.

2. Not forbidden: ALLOWED.

3. Worked out in advance: PLANNED.

4. Dashes and triathlons: RACES.

5. Inserts for some printers: INKS.

7. Joined at the __: inseparable: HIP.

8. Little troublemaker: IMP.  These troublemakers make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

9. Round chart shape: PIE.

10. Throat affliction: STREP.  Strep throat an infection caused by infection a bacterium known as Streptococcus pyogenes.  The bacterium causes a sore throat and can be spread through respiratory droplets. It is typically treated with antibiotics, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent potential complications.  Please take this infection seriously.  My friend's son recently contracted Strep Throat, and even though he was under a doctor's care, he died from the infection and he was only 53 years old.

11. Taught one-on-one: TUTORED.

12. J, F, or K, for JFK: INITIAL.

13. "You almost tricked me!": NICE TRY.

18. Fishing spot: PIER.

22. Surroundings: MILIEU.  This is a fun word, but I have probably never used it in a sentence.

23. "Bag Piece" artist Yoko: ONO.  I can't believe Yoko Ono (b. Feb. 18, 1933) is 92 years old!

25. "No more stalling": IT'S TIME!

26. Weaving device: LOOM.

27. Flight student's milestone: SOLO.

29. D-backs, in box scores: ARI.  As in the American League Arizona Diamondback baseball team.

32. Whole: ENTIRE.

36. Exam for future MBAs: GMAT.  As in the Graduate Management Admission Test.

37. Like a coconut shell: HARD.

38. Like toast without butter: DRY.

39. Superlative for Usain Bolt: FASTEST.  Usain Bolt (né Usain St. Leo Bolt; b. Aug. 21, 1986) is a Jamaican sprinter who is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time, hence his nickname Lightning Bolt.  He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist.  He is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016).  He also won two 4 × 100 relay gold medals.

40. Fiji's region: OCEANIA.

41. Tennis paddles: RACKETS.

44. Erudite individual: SCHOLAR.

45. Oklahoma State rivals: SOONERS.  Why Oklahoma is called the Sooners.

46. __ surfing: EGO.  Ego Surfing is the practice of searching your own name on the internet.

49. Dasher's teammate: DANCER.  Think of Santa's reindeer.

50. Jai __: ALAI.

53. Reached a conclusion: ENDED.

54. Religion with covens: WICCA.

57. Stumble: TRIP.

60. Bitter pub drink: ALE.

61. Glass edge: RIM.

62. Sch. west of Topeka: KSU.  As in Kansas State University.  The school is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States.  The school opened as a college in 1863 and was the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas.  Apparently, it's logo is a wildcat.

63. "Didn't I tell you?": SEE.  See?  Didn't I tell you this wasn't a Dark puzzle!

חתולה

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, George Simpson, Zhouqin Burnikel

(Notes from C.C.: George Simpson is Big Easy on our blog.)

Theme:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  HAVE A BALL!

Today is the very last day of 2024.  What's on the agenda to mark the last minute of this day?

It's the big reveal:

23 Down. New Year's Eve tradition in the Big Apple, and what can be found in 3-, 8-, 33-, and 37-Down?: BALL DROP.  Yes, folks, if you stay up late enough, you can see the BALL DROP in New York City, replayed in various time zones, even here on the West coast.  Not sure why we watch it, since it happened hours earlier!  Regardless, you'll find two kinds of BALLs DROPping in each of the other theme answers.  

The rest of the theme clues and answers are:

3 Down. Parmesan, e.g.: HARD CHEESE.  Parmesan is a hard cheese.  HARDBALL refers to baseball (the game or the ball itself), or to forceful tactics.  CHEESEBALL can be an appetizer made of blended cheeses, an adjective meaning lacking taste or style, or a person who lacks taste or style.

This snow man is kind of a cheeseball.

8 Down. Speedy way to the top: FAST TRACK.  A course leading to rapid advancement is a FAST TRACK.  A FASTBALL is the most common type of pitch in baseball.  A TRACKBALL is a computer cursor control device.

Trackball.

33 Down. Succotash ingredient: BUTTER BEAN.  Succotash is a dish of corn kernels and lima beans.  BUTTER BEAN is another name for lima bean.  BUTTERBALL is a brand of turkey products, and has less common meanings, too, like chubby person.  BEANBALL is a ball thrown with the intention of hurting another person, specifically by hitting them in the head.

37 Down. Political campaign funding source: SOFT MONEY.  SOFT MONEY is a contribution to a political party that is not designated for a particular candidate, and thus avoids campaign contribution limits.  SOFTBALL is an adaptation of baseball, played with a larger ball, with underhand pitches, and on a smaller diamond.  MONEYBALL has a few meanings, but is most often identified with the 2003 book by Michael Lewis titled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, and with the 2011 film adaptation of the book.

DH says that he looks like Brad Pitt.  He does not.

Ready?  Let's play ball!

Across:

1. Sound softened by acoustic foam: ECHO.  Acoustic foam is a sound absorption material which reduces echo and improves sound quality within a room.

5. Hole-making tool: AWL.  Aw, it's our friend AWL again!

8. Gemstone surface: FACET.

13. Yonder item: THAT.  Yes, THAT item over yonder.

14. __ gin fizz: SLOE.  Sloe gin is made from ripe sloe drupes which are small fruits closely related to plums.  To make a sloe gin fizz, combine sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice; cover and shake, and then strain into a glass. Stir in club soda and garnish with a slice of lemon.

15. Supreme Being of Islam: ALLAH.  Allah is the Arabic word for God, in particular, the God of Abraham.

16. Golf rental: CART.

17. Place for suckers?: CANDY STORE.  The sweet kind of suckers:

19. Grotesque: HIDEOUS.

21. Settle the score: GET EVEN.

22. Mobile home?: CRIB.  My favorite part of a baby's room:  the mobile that hangs over the crib.

23. Visibly embarrassed: BEET RED.

24. Fire pit residue: ASH.

26. "Tra-__": LA LA.  Nonsense syllables standing in for song lyrics.

28. Grads-to-be: SRS.  Those about to be graduates are SenioRS.

29. Much of a sunflower: STEM.  Sunflowers do have very tall stems.

I photographed this sunflower in Slide Rock State Park near Sedona, Arizona.

31. Honolulu hello: ALOHA.

33. __ window: BAY.  A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a "bay" in a room. 

Exterior view of a bay window.

36. Floor plan calculations: AREAS.

38. Org. for Cubs and Tigers: MLB.  Major League Baseball.  Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.

39. Waterpark feature: CHUTE.  AKA water slide, flume, or hydroslide.  Great fun for kids.

41. Genre for "Dancing Queen": DISCO.  "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976).

42. Citrus drink suffix: ADE.  LemonADE, limeADE ... even orangeADE.  Fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.

43. Toys with strings: KITES.  Because YOYOS didn't work with the perpendicular entries.

44. Mimic: APE.

45. Like most house pets: FURRY.

47. Cardinals great Musial: STAN.  "Stan the Man" (1920-2013) Musial was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.  He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB.  If you have identified today's blogger, you know that STAN was all perps (perpendicular entries) for me.

Stan Musial

48. High-elev. place: MTN.  A high-elevation place is a mountain.

49. Scandinavian capital with many floating saunas: OSLO.  Imagine a wood-fired sauna, on a boat, with big windows for sightseeing, and refreshing dips in the fjord!  Brr!  Not on my list.  I do not love temperature shocks.

52. Punk music offshoot: EMO.  Thanks to crossword puzzles, I am not completely ignorant of this EMOtional type of punk music.

53. Seafood-based party food: CLAM DIP.

56. Actor Epps: OMAR.  Now, this fellow I remember from "House."

Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman on "House."

58. Empty, as a bottle: POUR OUT.

59. Math course with variables: ALGEBRA.  I wept with frustration through algebra classes, but I find it useful now to be able to solve for an unknown quantity.

62. Opinion survey completed with clicks: ONLINE POLL.

64. Greenish blue: TEAL.

65. Find a new purpose for: REUSE.

66. Knocks firmly: RAPS.

67. Billionth: Pref.: NANO.  The prefix "nano" means one-billionth, or 10-9 .  Teeny tiny.

68. Op-ed piece, e.g.: ESSAY.

69. Signs off on: OKS.

70. Poker pot starter: ANTE.

Down:

1. Engrave on glass: ETCH.

2. Cardamom-infused milky tea: CHAI.  My morning ritual.

3. [Theme clue]

4. Playful marine mammal: OTTER.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium has rescued sea OTTERs on display.  Some of the otters are raising orphaned youngsters for release into the ocean.

5. "Regrettably ... ": ALAS.

6. Got the gold: WON.

7. Perch for potted plants: LEDGE.  Always a challenge to find sunny spots for the indoor plants.  

8. [Theme clue]

9. Takes in, say: ALTERS.

10. Garlic bulb segment: CLOVE.

11. Lop-__ rabbit: EARED.  When my children were young, I purchased a lop-EARED (or floppy-eared) rabbit at a pet store.  The poor thing had ear mites that required immediate treatment.  Apparently, the breeding of rabbits for the cute but unnatural trait of floppy ears has resulted in serious ear and tooth disorders.  In nature, a rabbit needs its upright ears to avoid predators.  Luckily, our "Whiskers" didn't have any of those.

12. Afterward: THEN.

14. Diving acronym: SCUBA.  Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

18. "Wow, that's bad!": YEESH.

20. Squeaky wheel remedy: OIL.

23. [Theme clue]

24. Burrito option: ASADA.  Asada is Spanish for "roasted."  Carne asada is roasted meat.  

25. Bacon piece: STRIP.

27. University in Beaumont, Texas: LAMAR.  A public university and member of the Texas State University System, Lamar University has 17,850 students enrolled in 96 undergraduate, 50 master's and eight doctoral degree programs.  News to me -- all perps.

30. Apple variety: MAC.  Mac, which is short for Macintosh, is Apple Inc.'s line of personal computers. Personal computers were Apple's original business line, but as of the end of 2024 they account for only about eight percent of the company's revenue.

Apple MacBook Pro

32. Does as told: OBEYS.

33. [Theme clue]

34. First-string players: A TEAM.

35. Basic type of question: YES/NO.

37. [Theme clue]

40. He/him/__: HIS.  Male pronouns.

46. Not justified: UNDUE.

48. Actress Tomei: MARISA.  Marisa Tomei is an American actress who gained prominence for her performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992).  She's been in many movies since, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress three times.

Marisa Tomei

50. Lies around: LOLLS.

51. Shocked letters: OMG.  Oh My Gosh!  😲

53. Ice cream holders: CONES.

54. Doozies: LULUS.

55. Tech support whiz: IT PRO.  Information Technology Professional.  

57. Big name in health insurance: AETNA.

58. Skin opening: PORE.

59. Range crossing eight countries: ALPS.

60. Tirade: RANT.

61. Soothing ingredient in some toners: ALOE.

63. Flooring wood: OAK.

Here's the grid:

Let me know if I've DROPped the BALL anywhere in this review!

Wishing you all the best of years,

NaomiZ