Monday March 24, 2025 Janice Luttrell

  

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Janice Luttrell's fourth Monday puzzle in 2025. This time the theme is:  

These are the themed clues & answers:

18 Across. Completely recover from a hardship: BOUNCE BACK.  

23 Across. Seasonal cause of some flooding: SPRING THAW.  

52 Across. Play hooky: SKIP SCHOOL.  If your kids hear you bragging about ditching class 'back in the day', do not be surprised when they try it, too.  

58 Across. Buddy cop action franchise starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, familiarly: JUMP STREET.  21 Jump Street was a TV show starring (among others) Johnny Depp. It was about four LAPD young-looking cops who went undercover as high school students to combat crime. It aired from 1987-1991.

In 2012 a movie version came out starring Hill and Tatum. Its sequel, 22 Jump Street, came out in 2014. There may or may not be a 23 Jump Street 'in development'.  

21 Jump Street trailer with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum

(Coincidentally, I embedded a Jonah Hill movie clip last week.)

The reveal spans the equator:

37 Across. Successfully start a new project, and a hint to the starts of 18-, 23-, 52-, and 58-Across: GET OFF THE GROUND.  This idiom means, "To begin to operate or to proceed in a successful way."

Also, BOUNCE, SPRING, SKIP, and JUMP are all verbs used to describe feet GETting OFF THE GROUND.  

This was one of those puzzles where perps filled the squares quickly so I missed seeing several of the clues. (It was bound to happen.) Let's go through them now:

Across

1. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.  This is the name of a children's guessing game where one player chooses an object within sight then gives a clue so the other players can guess what it is.

5. Sonogram target: WOMB.  A sonogram is an image produced by an ultrasound -- so target might be a bit off.

9. __ from the past: BLAST.  

"Owen! Now there's a BLAST from the past." (1:28 min.)

A line well-delivered by Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias (1989).

Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, & Dolly Parton are also in the scene.

14. Sports org. with conferences: NCAA.  organization and National Collegiate Athletic Association

15. Cooking staple, initially: EVOO.  Rachel Ray uses this initialism when she adds some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to her recipes.  

I prefer the dark glass dispensers so I can see how much is left
but still protect the oil from light. However, I do like the shape of this one!.

16. Roof overhangs: EAVES.

17. Tortilla option: CORN.  I make all my flour tortillas using 15-A. I have never tried making CORN tortillas.

20. Stadium: ARENA.

22. Autocrats of old: TSARS.

26. Govt. agent: FED.  A FEDeral employee is a government agent.

29. Handy Scrabble tile: ESS.  A letter S is handy because you can add it to the end of another word. For example, on this board, you can add it to the end of antique. Even better, below your S add C, A, R to get Scar (another Disney character). That way you get the total for antique (without already-used bonuses) plus the points for Scar.

It turns out this example image has a Disney theme.

30. Stocking's end: TOE.  

31. Creator, writer, and star of HBO's "Insecure": ISSA RAE.  It was fun to see both her first and last names together this time.

34. George Eliot's "__ Marner": SILAS.  I thought this was the most boring book in the world when I was forced to read it as a high school freshman. Perhaps I should give it another chance.  🤔

36. "The Nutcracker" girl: CLARA.  The story of The Nutcracker revolves around Clara Stauhlbaum, a young girl who falls asleep after a Christmas party and dreams of a battle royale, a life-size Nutcracker, and a magical candy palace filled with new friends.  

CLARA dances with The Nutcracker

42. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO.  I just now looked to see if there was an ALAMO car rental company in ALAMO, TX. Their website directed me to Pharr, TX.  

43. Really annoy: EAT AT.

44. Small corner shops: BODEGAS.  Def:  (noun) a usually small grocery store in an urban area; specifically one specializing in Hispanic groceries.  

47. Turn bad: ROT.

48. Lingerie top: BRA.

51. USN rank: ENS.  United States Navy and ENSign

55. Travis Kelce's older brother: JASON.  (b. Nov. 5, 1987) Both brothers were/are in the NFL. Jason played Center for the Philadelphia Eagles for all 13 years of his professional career. Travis and Jason host a podcast together called New Heights.  

Jason & Travis

57. "__ luego": HASTA.  A direct translation from Spanish is "until then"; however, a better translation would be "Until later," or "See you then." It is close to Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line:  

63. Leave speechless: STUN.  

64. Useful quality: ASSET.  

65. "__ chic!": TRÈS.  It is borrowed from French and means "very stylish".

66. "Beloved" novelist Morrison: TONI.  (1931-2019)  This 1987 novel is widely regarded as her masterpiece.

67. Japanese comics: MANGA.  

A common feature of MANGA is Japanese onomatopoeia .
Here, gun gun (pronounced goon goon) means  "making progress". 
They are typically a repeated pair of syllables.

Here is another one. Kyu kyu is used to describe a squeaking or rubbing sound.
(The upper corner is just exhaling moist air on the cloth. haa~ ) 

68. "Halt!": STOP.  imperative verb     and     69 Across. Halts: ENDS.  verb

I am partial to a grid that ENDS with ENDS.

Down:

1. "__ of fire, break glass": IN CASE.  

2. Orgs. with a special tax designation: S CORPS.  I used to do taxes for a lot of S CORPorationS at my last job. An S Corp is a business structure that passes its taxable income, credits, deductions, and losses directly to its shareholders to be reported on their individual returns.  more from Investopedia

3. Apple-peeling tools: PARERS.

4. "Sensuous Chill" New Age pianist: YANNI.  Yanni released the album Sensuous Chill in 2016. This song, What You Get, is from that album.  

5. The last "w" in www: WEB.  World Wide WEB  

The Web was invented by English computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee while at CERN in 1989 and opened to the public in 1993.

I am currently reading Bill Gates' book, Source Code. I am at the part where he is a freshman at Harvard and the WWW has not yet been invented. 

6. Lacto-__ vegetarian: OVO.  This is someone who eats a vegetarian diet plus dairy and eggs.

7. Be sassy, with "off": MOUTH.  

Click to enlarge.

8. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI.  Years ago I had a lovely time visiting the BONSAI exhibit at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

(internet photo)

9. Budweiser, for one: BEER.  

When I was in school, I did a report on their Clydesdales.

10. Black or chocolate dogs, for short: LABS.  Oh, goodie, an excuse for a cute picture! (I know IM☘ will be expecting one.😊) 

11. Director DuVernay: AVA.  her impressive IMDb page

12. Jiffy: SEC.  Think:  "I'll be with you in a jiffy" and "I'll be with you in a SECond".

13. Cluck of reproof: TSK.  

19. Crow calls: CAWS.  Watch how this clever crow figures out how to get his snack. (1:45 min.)  

21. Like some eyeglass spray: ANTIFOG.  These sprays were in high demand when everyone was wearing covid masks.

24. Game with putting: GOLF.  ... and driving.

25. Udder part: TEAT.

26. German woman: FRAU.

27. Bring in, as pay: EARN.

28. Out of juice: DEAD.  Some classic Monty Python....  (50 sec.)

"I'm not DEAD!"

32. Minor abrasion: SCRATCH.  More Monty Python....  (2 min.)

"'Tis but a SCRATCH."

33. Bunches: A LOT.     and     34 Down. A few: SOME.     and     39 Down. Tiny amounts: TADS.

35. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  meaning & origin

37. Kaplan of 1970s TV: GABE.  (b. Mar. 31, 1945) He played the teacher in  Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).

38. North Carolina college: ELON.

40. Old West icon Wyatt: EARP.

41. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.

45. Helper: Abbr.: ASST.  assistant

46. Culottes kin: SKORTS.  Both culottes and SKORTS have individual leg holes but, from a distance, look like skirts.

culottes fashion history

48. New England city on the Charles River: BOSTON.  The Charles River—which English explorer John Smith named in 1614 to honor Prince Charles (later King Charles I)— is one of the three major rivers of metropolitan Boston. At eighty miles in length it is the longest river entirely within the borders of Massachusetts. Note:  The current king is Charles III.

49. Plump: ROTUND.  

Click here to read about the artist Fernando Botero (1932-1923).

50. "Ironic" singer Morissette: ALANIS.  This song:

 Is it ironic?

53. Motionless: INERT.  Def.:  (adj.)  lacking the power to move.

54. __ makes waste: HASTE.  This proverb tells us that rushing can lead to costly mistakes.

55. Digital image format: JPEG.  Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is a computer file format for the compression and storage of digital images. You will see it as ".jpg" in File Explorer. (See highlights below.) 

56. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.  ESP for me.

Skippy was a Wire Fox Terrier dog actor who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s
and is best known for the role of the pet dog "Asta" in the 1934 detective comedy.

58. Traffic problem: JAM.  Pro tip:  When planning an upcoming trip in Google Maps, after setting your destination and starting point, click on "Leave now" then choose either "Depart at" or "Arrive by" to set your desired time. This will help you see the usual traffic problem areas for the time of your travel.  

59. Can. neighbor: USA.  Both are abbreviated.

60. Yahoo! rival: MSN.  Both were early internet domains.

61. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity

62. Recipe amt.: TSP.  teaspoon

Today's grid:  

78 words -- the LAT  limit for M-F

Leaping lizards! We're finally finished! Enjoy your day!

Monday March 3, 2025 Janice Luttrell and Katie Hale

  

Happy Monday, everyone!

Theme:  

Today we have three themed answers. Each begins with a type of HUMBLE ABODE (modest home):

16 Across. Choose as a live-in romantic partner: SHACK UP WITH.

24 Across. Loose frocks with wide bottoms: TENT DRESSES.

38 Across. Count in a marching command: HUT, TWO, THREE, FOUR.

These are tied together with a two-part reveal:

47 Across. With 59-Across, what one might say when entering the starts of 16-, 24-, and 38-Across?: WELCOME TO MY.

59 Across. See 47-Across: HUMBLE ABODE.

These add up to an impressive 59 themed letters!

Sidebar: Do people say "Welcome in" when you enter a shop in your town? I mostly hear it in retail stores but last month the greeter at an art museum said it to me. It always throws me for a bit. Humorist and author David Sedaris in not a fan. In his book The Best of Me, he wrote about going shopping after the Covid lockdown:

The clerk said, "Welcome in". Civilization as we know it ends, but "Welcome in" survives? I realized I should have been grateful everyday I didn't have to hear that. 

Across:

1. "Why __ I think of that?": DIDN'T.

6. Word after folk or fairy: TALE.  The Dewey Decimal System assigns 398.2 to both folk TALEs and fairy TALEs.

10. PD alert: APB.  Police Department and All Points Bulletin

13. Frozen drinks with spoon-straws: ICEES.

14. __ boom: SONIC.

15. Big bucks or the Bucks, for short: MIL.  a MILlion dollars or the MILwaukee basketball team  

18. Logger's tool: AXE.

19. New Year's popper: CORK.

20. Fashion designer Anna: SUI.  unknown to me

This is her Spring line.

21. Desert watering hole: OASIS.

23. Hosp. areas: ORS.  I spent several hours waiting outside of a hospital's Operating Room last Monday. I found a chair next to a window with a view of a beautiful pepper tree. That helped.

27. Med. condition treated by Ritalin: ADHD.

29. Board game played on a map: RISK.  I noticed RISK crossed 26-Down RISE.

30. Sleep study subject: APNEA.

32. Foamy lather: SUDS.

34. Winter flakes: SNOW.

41. Letter-shaped beam: I-BAR.

42. Flower holder: VASE.  

Still Life:  Vase with Twelve Sunflowers  (1888)
Vincent van Gogh
more info.

43. Dorothy nickname: DOTTY.

44. Share a border with: ABUT.

46. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

52. Fall over: TIP.

55. Simply must: HAS TO.

56. Sundial numeral: III.  The II other possibilities were VII and XII.

57. Short skirt: MINI.

58. "Kings & Queens" singer Max: AVA.  unknown to me

This is the 2020 song referenced in the clue:  

63. Replayed tennis serve: LET.

64. Great Plains Natives: OTOES.

65. "Zip your lip!": CAN IT.  Neither of these exhibit good manners.

66. Mag staff managers: EDS.  Magazine EDitorS

67. Brewer's oven: OAST.

68. Book report, e.g.: ESSAY.

Down:

1. 1970s music genre: DISCO.

2. Blood of the Greek gods: ICHOR.  This one was another learning moment for me. Merriam-Webster's first definition is "(noun) a thin watery or blood-tinged discharge". The second definition is "(n0un) an ethereal fluid taking the place of blood in the veins of the ancient Greek gods." The adjectival form is ichorous. I wondered if it was connected to Icarus (the character who flew too close to the sun), but I did not find a connection (in my very brief search).

3. Start of a letter to the North Pole: DEAR SANTA.

4. Head twister: NECK.  Fun clue!  

5. Scolding sound: TSK.

6. "Namely ... ": TO WIT.

7. Singer DiFranco: ANI.  Today we had SUI, ANI, AVA, and UTA ... but not Uma.

8. Like an amazing party, slangily: LIT.

9. Canyon comebacks: ECHOES.

10. Accumulate: AMASS.

11. Playful sprite: PIXIE.

12. "__ your heart": BLESS.

14. Like a spiderweb: SPUN.

17. Like most donated clothing: USED.

22. Requests: ASKS FOR.

24. Defrost: THAW.

25. Beats Electronics co-founder: DR DRE.  AVA sports a pair of this brand of headphones in the 58-Across video.

26. Get out of bed: RISE. ...and shine! 🌞

28. Take away (from): DETRACT.

30. Tuna variety: AHI.

31. Alehouse: PUB.

32. Illinois or California: STATE.  Hmmmm, could these be Janice's and Katie's home states?

33. Sounds of uncertainty: UHS.

35. Jottings in the margins: NOTATIONS.  article about doodles in medieval margins

36. No longer cool: OUT.  The answer was not hot because hot would also be cool.

37. Dryly humorous: WRY.

39. Egg cell: OVUM.

40. Jittery: EDGY.

45. Sarcastic "So sad": BOO-HOO.

46. Parisian friend: AMIE.

47. Ocean giant: WHALE.  This video of a mother humpback WHALE and her calf was taken in Monterey Bay last October.  

48. Like a roof with an overhang: EAVED.

49. Exams for future attys.: LSATS.

50. Bhutan neighbor: TIBET.     and     53-Down. Bhutan neighbor: INDIA.  

51. Spa supplies: OILS.

54. Saintliness: PIETY.

57. Degs. sometimes paid for by corps.: MBAS.

60. Tony Award winner Hagen: UTA.  (1919-2004)

61. Mar. and Sept.: MOS.  Hmmmm, could these be Janice's and Katie's birthday MOnthS?

62. Low card in gin rummy: ACE.

The grid:

My apologies for the slim pickings today. DH had (crossword favorite) ENT surgery last Monday for a deviated septum. All went well but my priority this past week was to be a good caregiver so I did not have much time for solving, commenting, or blogging. Today I am taking him back to (another crossword favorite) Palo Alto so his doctor can remove the little breathing tubes in his nose -- which I expect will unleash more ICHOR.  😬

Have a good day! I'll read you later....

Monday February 17, 2025 Janice Luttrell

  

Happy Presidents Day, everyone! sumdaze here on another holiday Monday. Constructor Janice Luttrell gave us a puzzle with an Executive Branch-adjacent theme. Let's take a look:

17 Across. Chocolate treat from Reese's: PEANUT BUTTER CUP.  

They were created in 1928 -- almost 100 years ago!

25 Across. Replacement on the mound: RELIEF PITCHER.  In baseball, a RELIEF PITCHER is called up to enter the game after the starting pitcher (or another relief pitcher) has been removed.

From the MLB rulebook:  Pitchers must either face a minimum of three batters in an appearance or pitch to the end of a half-inning, with exceptions for injuries and illnesses. If a pitcher faces one batter to end an inning, he may be removed, but if he is brought back for a second inning, he must still face two more batters for a total of three. Once removed, players are not permitted to return to the game in any capacity. 

42 Across. Venue for summer concerts in Los Angeles: HOLLYWOOD BOWL.

The HOLLYWOOD BOWL is an amphitheater and public park in the Hollywood Hills of Southern California. In case you were wondering, it did survive the recent fires.  

Anchors Aweigh  (1945)

In this scene, filmed at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 

Spanish conductor and pianist José Iturbi plays Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 

... accompanied by 17 other pianists!

The reveal:

56 Across. High-level government post, and what the ends of 17-, 25-, and 42-Across may have?: CABINET POSITION.  Established in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the CABINET's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

Also, a CUP, a PITCHER, and a BOWL might all be found POSITIONed in a CABINET.  

sort of like this

Works for me. Let's see how the other clues stack up.

Across:

1. "Speak of the __!": DEVIL.

6. Pick up a newspaper: READ.     and     50 Down. Solemn bio: OBIT.  

10. __ Valuable Player: MOST.

14. Singer Menzel of "Frozen": IDINA.  John Travolta famously botched her name at the 2014 Oscars but she got him back the following year.

15. "Uh, that's wrong": UM, NO.

16. Culturally pretentious: ARTY.

20. NBC sketch show since 1975, familiarly: SNL.  SNL 50: The Anniversary Special aired last night. Did anyone watch it?

21. "Disgusting!": GROSS.

22. Lady Gaga's instrument: PIANO.  Earlier this month, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for this song, Die With A Smile.  

23. Many a restaurant owner: CHEF.

24. One-named "Chandelier" singer: SIA.

31. Pampering place: SALON.     and     31 Down. Pampering place: SPA.

32. Tomato sauce brand named for a New York restaurant: RAO'S.  pronunciation

33. Chicken serving: LEG.  CSO to Splynter!

35. Storyline: PLOT.

36. Put one's foot down: STOMP.  

38. "Dancing Queen" pop group: ABBA.  

39. Spring mo.: APR.  month and APRil

40. Molecule part: ATOM.

41. Slender woodwinds: OBOES.

46. Ginger __: ALE.

47. Partnership for Peace gp.: NATO.  group and North Atlantic Treaty Organization

48. Dwelling: ABODE.

51. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA.  (b. September 2, 1966 in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico)

Salma began dating French businessman François-Henri Pinault in 2006.
They married in 2009.

53. Civil rights monogram: MLK.  

59. Buffalo's lake: ERIE.  

60. City near Phoenix: MESA.  

61. Viking language: NORSE.  

62. Sinks out of sight, as the sun: SETS.  

a scientific explanation of the 'green flash'

63. Ready for customers: OPEN.  

64. California, for one: STATE.  This puzzle is published in the LA Times, after all.  

Led Zeppelin   ~   Going to California   ~  (1971) 

Down:

1. Salsa, and some salsa moves: DIPS.  This was my favorite clue today. The first salsa is of the edible variety.

2. Biblical garden: EDEN.  

3. Lab container: VIAL.

4. B and B: INN.  Bed & Breakfast

5. Classic TV show hosted by Rowan & Martin: LAUGH-IN.  

Arte Johnson (1929-2019) was a regular on this sketch comedy program.

6. Wear away: RUB OFF.

7. Tall birds in some insurance ads: EMUS.  

8. Aardvark snacks: ANTS.  

Can you see its long tongue in the tube?
Actually I think this is an anteater, not an aardvark.
Anteater cannot be used to clue ant because they share too many letters.

9. Ellipsis element: DOT.  Let me think....

10. Grammy winner Carey: MARIAH.

11. Killer whale: ORCA.  

Did you catch this one on Mal-Man's last blog? LOL!

12. Shock: STUN.

13. Keyboard blunder: TYPO.  

18. Genealogy chart: TREE.  as in a family TREE

19. Long stories: EPICS.

23. Form a clump: CLOT.

24. Hit the brakes: STOP.  

25. Designer Lauren: RALPH.

26. Spanish Olympian's goal: EL ORO.

27. "Coming soon" ad: PROMO.

28. First words of "Green Eggs and Ham": I AM.  Speaking of elementary poetry....

Hello dear Chairman!

Today's your birthday, so I

Wrote this Hi-Moe-Ku.

🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈🎂🎈

29. Macaroni shape: ELBOW.

30. Defy authority: REBEL.

34. Highway sign: GAS.  The Deets on the Blue Highway Signs  

36. Eyelid problem: STYE.

37. AAA service: TOW.  

38. Suffix with bug or peek: -ABOO.  

A bugaboo is something that causes fear, alarm, or worry.

Peekaboo is a game played with children who have not yet developed an understanding of object permanence.

40. __ wrench: tool that comes with flatpack furniture: ALLEN.  

41. Gets: OBTAINS.  It took me a bit to get this one because we have been trained to associate this clue with the answer SEES.  

43. Women: LADIES.  

Flight of the Conchords   ~   Ladies of the World   ~   (2008)

Flight of the Conchords was an HBO comedy series in 2007-2009.

44. Checked out, as a library book: ON LOAN.  I am currently reading The Wilderness Idiot by Ted Alvarez, ON LOAN from my library.

45. River barriers: DAMS.

48. The tops: ACES.  Green's Dictionary of Slang

49. Plain: BARE.  

51. Ladder rung: STEP.

52. Church recess: APSE.  A four-letter church architecture word is going to be either APSE or nave. The former is the location of the altar while the latter is the seating area leading up to the altar. Memory trick:  APSE begins with an A, as does altar and arc.

53. Actress Sorvino: MIRA.  (b. 1967)  her IMDb page

54. Baffled: LOST.  Back in 2004 DH and I were driving on Oahu's North Shore. We saw small, red signs nailed to posts and trees, much like the signs people buy when they want to sell their own car. Someone had written "LOST" on the signs with an arrow pointing which way to turn. We wondered if maybe they were directions for someone who was potentially LOST on their way to a party. We followed them to a beach. There we found what looked like a plane wreck and suitcases strewn about. Upon closer inspection we could see that the plane was staged. We wondered if this was some sort of training exercise. The following Fall, ABC aired a new TV show called Lost. It ran from 2004 to 2010.

55. Leg joint: KNEE.  Oops! LEG is the answer to 33-Across so it is not supposed to be in another clue. Perhaps it's OK to bend the rules for KNEE.

57. Angsty music genre: EMO.

58. Tyke: TOT.  

I like the looks of this 15-13-13-15 grid.

Enjoy your day!

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to our Friday blogger, Chairman Moe. Chris mentioned that he is doing well post-surgery and will have his second eye done in another week.

 

2) Happy 58th anniversary to the sweetest, most caring couple I've ever met: Husker Gary and his wife Joann. Here's a picture of us from 2014 when Gary attended a wedding here in Minnesota.