Monday November 24, 2025 Joseph A. Ganji

  

Happy Monday-before-Thanksgiving, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle to whet your appetite. Theme:  

I had intended to insert the Norman Rockwell painting but this one caught my eye.

Constructor Joseph A. Gangi serves up these five themed answers:

17 Across. "Gee willikers!": GOOD GRAVY.  Both of these expressions of astonishment are generally associated with older generations and regional dialects.

25 Across. Lists of top students: HONOR ROLLS.

37 Across. Folks who do a lot of binge-watching: COUCH POTATOES.

48 Across. Get down to brass tacks: TALK TURKEY.  another idiom clued with an idiom

60 Across. Extremely simple: EASY AS PIE.

GRAVY, ROLLS, POTATOES, TURKEY, and PIE are all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving holiday feast. However, instead of merely listing  menu items, the foods are plated in our grid via non-food, in-the-language phrases. Bonus points for ending with dessert!

Next we will partake of the remaining clues & answers:

Across:

1. Music genre known for four-on-the-floor beats: DISCO.  Good start! I like a 1-A clue that takes a little sussing -- but not in a discouraging way.

Four-on-the-floor is drummer lingo for using a foot pedal to hit the bass drum on each of the four quarter beats in 4/4 timing. In other words, the drum just thuds 1-2-3-4. It is commonly used in dance music genres.  Example:  Dancing Queen by ABBA (released 1976)  

6. "__ we there yet?": ARE.  

9. Double-reed woodwinds: OBOES.  "Double-read" means an oboe uses a single, double-reed -- not two reeds.

14. Rack up, as expenses: INCUR.  

15. Young chap: LAD.  Both chap and LAD are more commonly used in British English.

16. All smiles: HAPPY.     and     22 Down. Flash a smile toward: GRIN AT.  😀

19. Pet pests: FLEAS.     and     23 Across. Pet pest: TICK.  

20. Road trip option: INN.

21. "I'm totally with you": SAME.

22. "Keep talking": GO ON.

29. Prepare, as bao buns: STEAM.  

They can be made with a variety of sweet or savory fillings.
A pork mixture is a common choice.

31. Sizable: BIG.

32. Tire filler: AIR.  Unlike bao buns, one should refrain from filling tires with a pork mixture.

33. Insta post: PIC.  Instagram is a PICure-sharing app.

35. Kitchen nooks: DINETTES.

40. Food storage rooms: PANTRIES.  I love an organized pantry. Today I found a can of olives in my pantry that expired two years ago.  

This is not my pantry ... but wouldn't it be nice?

41. Meadows of "Peacemaker": TIM.  his IMDb page

42. Land between Can. and Mex.: USA.

43. Zero's counterpart, in binary code: ONE.  It is time for today's math lesson. Binary code uses two digits, 0 and 1. This is handy for situations with only two states, such as ON or OFF with electricity. Another code with which you might be familiar is hexadecimal code. Hex gives us 6 and decimal gives us 10 so this code requires 6+10=16 digits. We have to be creative because we normally only have ten digits, 0-9. The solution is to use letters as digits. A hexadecimal code uses 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, and f. So a=10, b=11, c=12, d=13, e=14, and f=15. This saves a lot of space when dealing with really large numbers. One place you might have seen this is in Box d. Control number on a Form W-2. Here is an example:  

A1B2 is (2X16⁰) + (11X16¹) + (1X16²) + (10X16³) = 2+ 176 + 256 + 40,960 = 41,394

44. Give height to, as hair: TEASE.  This is a method of backcombing hair to make it puffier. It can also make knots that are difficult to comb out later.

53. Clever notion: IDEA.  

Rock the Boat    ~    The Hues Corporation    ~    1973

"So I'd like to know, where you got the notion"  🎵🎵

54. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.  

Earp's tombstone -- not the movie, Tombstone

55. Bread often brushed with ghee: NAAN.  Ghee is clarified butter and is often used in Indian cooking. In this clue, ghee is a hint that we are looking for a food in Indian cuisine.

57. Class that may send one back to the drawing board: ART.     and     51-Down. Support for a drawing board: EASEL.

58. Lose strength: ABATE.

62. Washroom fixture: BASIN.  We do not see this answer in XWDs as much as we see its semi-synonym:  nsync.

63. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, e.g.: EVE.  an apt Easter egg

64. Actor Dinklage: PETER.  [b. June 11, 1969] He has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Game of Thrones.  

65. Oohed and __: AAHED.

66. "Kenan & __": former Nickelodeon sitcom: KEL.  IMDb link

67. Full of attitude: SASSY.

Down:

1. Fingers and toes: DIGITS.

2. Party to the conspiracy: IN ON IT.  Here we have an example of solver-friendly clue writing/editing.  IN ON = "Party to" but the "IT" was aided by a noun object in the clue.

3. Wall-mounted light: SCONCE.  

Pro tip:  They can sometimes be used to open a secret door.

4. Cow's chew: CUD.  If you have ever observed the contented faces of cows chewing their CUD, you would be like me and wish humans could do that, too. Alas, we only have one stomach.

5. Assns.: ORGS.  Associations and ORGanizationS

6. San Antonio mission: ALAMO.

7. Bird in a Poe poem: RAVEN.  Precisely:

8. Name in the ice cream aisle: EDY.  

9. "Ugh, never mind!": OH FORGET IT.

10. "The Jungle Book" bear: BALOO.  

11. Welcome sign for a hungry night owl: OPEN LATE.  In this case, the night owl is not a bird but a person who often stays up late. Do we have any night owls on The Corner? 

12. Ecol. monitor: EPA.  Ecology and Environmental Protection Agency

13. Method: Abbr.: SYS.  SYStem

18. Pep squad cheer: RAH.  

24. Out of order: KAPUT.  This is a fun word. It comes to us from the French word capot, via the German word kaputt. I was surprised to see that Merriam-Webster does not classify it as a slang term.

26. Somber bio: OBIT.  biography and OBITuary

27. Falsehoods: LIES.  When I Googled "OBIT" and "LIES" I learned about hoaxer Alan Abel who died for real in 2018 but in 1980 he persuaded the New York Times to report his death.

28. Former jrs.: SRS.  juniors and SenioRS

30. Fleeting fad: MICROTREND.  I could not find this word in Crossword Tracker. It might be a first-time use.

A MICROTREND is "a niche or industry specific consumer behavioral trend which is mass market ready and actionable." Some attribute the rise in MICROTRENDs to social media and especially, to influencer marketing posts. Another article said this has led to overconsuming in order to "keep up".  

Tomato Girl Summer is now oh, so last season. 😀

34. Body-lifting exercise that may be done in a doorway: CHIN-UP.  

35. Buns, bobs, and beehives: DOS.  I am pretty sure you have to 44-Across your hair to make a beehive hairDO.

36. "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winner Marisa: TOMEI.

37. Spanish house: CASA.  Casa translates to "house" in Spanish. Also, kasa translates to "umbrella" in Japanese. My memory trick for this was that they both provided a 'roof' over one's head.  You can see it in the kanji.  

There is no "c" in Romanji (English letters for Japanese words).

38. Tethered: ON A LEASH.  

Resident Alien fans will recognize this from the handbook.

39. __ pressure: PEER.  This happens when a group hug is too tight.

40. "To __ it mildly": PUT.  The mechanic said, "To PUT it mildly, your engine is KAPUT."

45. Changes with the times: ADAPTS.

46. Story told in installments: SERIES.  For example, David Copperfield was published as a serial from May 1849 through November 1850. Then it was published in book format in 1850.

47. Bistro, e.g.: EATERY.

49. Olympic swimmer Ledecky: KATIE.  [b. March 17, 1997]

There just are not enough superlatives for this athlete.

50. Ye olde rascal: KNAVE.

52. "Huzzah!": YAY.  Merriam-Webster lists huzzah as a noun that is often used interjectionally to express joy or approval.

56. Short snoozes: NAPS.  

Scott Metzger creates the best pet comics.

58. Old hoops gp.: ABA.  The American Basketball Association was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. more about the relaunch

59. "Hello, ewe!": BAA.  Cute clue.  

Translation:  Hi mom!

60. Startled cry: EEK.

61. Watery expanse: SEA.  About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered. That's quite expansive!

The grid:  

Joseph did not have a lot of wiggle room constructing this grid.
Ending with PIE meant the only two themers
he could switch around were the two 10-letter answers. Well done!

Now it is time to clean up the dishes. Have a great-ful week, everyone!

Friday, November 7, 2025 - Joseph A. Gangi

 Theme:  You tell me!

Puzzling Thoughts:  

As a crossword puzzle solver for umpteen years, and a blogger here for 5+ years, I have probably seen just about every kind of theme used.  Wordplay; add/subtract a letter; circled letters; rebus; you name it.  Today's had circles.  I can just imagine an anonymous solver, jumping for joy! [not]

After seeing how the circled letters in today's puzzle spelled out the words TIME, DANGER, and DROP (all words that can precede the word "zone") I thought, well, what else is there?  How does it interact with the reveal?  

First, the reveal:  56-across. Focused and feeling unstoppable, or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: IN THE ZONE.  

The website [crossidiomas dot com] defines "in the zone" as: 

"Being “in the zone” is a term that describes a mental state where an individual is fully immersed in their task or activity. It’s a feeling of being completely present and engaged with what they are doing, without any distractions or interruptions. When someone is in this state, they may feel like time has slowed down or even stopped altogether"

"The benefits of being “in the zone” are numerous. For athletes, it can mean improved performance and better results. For workers, it can lead to increased productivity and better quality work. Creatives may find that they produce their best work when they are in this state of mind"

So now, we unfold the entries:

17-across. *Comments: TIRE MARKS.  Simply, when the circled letters TI are separated, the word "remarks" remains and defines the clue (comments) 

19-across. *Seasonal malady: FLUME.  Simply, when the other circled letter ME are separated, the word "flu" remains and defines the clue (seasonal malady).  When you read across the grid, the words "remarks" and "flu" are "within" the time zone

26-across. *Kinda-sorta: DANISH.  Remove the circled DAN from ISH you have "kinda-sorta" (ish) 

29-across. *Blacken on the grill: CHARGER.  Remove the circled GER and you have "char" which is term for blacken on the grill.  This spanner reveals "ish" and char" in the danger zone

42-across. *Mimic's talent: DRAPERY.  When I finally figured the theme out, the last two entries were easy to fill - "apery" supports the clue (mimic's talent) and 44-across. *American Girl buy: DOLLOP. "Doll" supports the clue (American Girl buy), and "apery" "doll" are in the drop zone

Interestingly, in the last pair, the word dollop is a "kinda-sorta" synonym for the word drop but that is the only entry word that even comes close to supporting the circled word in its zone.  I was looking for more.  It would have been way more cool if the words left within each "zone" supported the words time, danger, and drop

I dunno.  Not a puzzle that I feel is Friday-worthy, nor a puzzle that gave me much of an "aha" moment.  I think the constructor had an interesting theme/reveal but it was the "getting there" that left me nonplussed.  Sorry, Joseph if you read this.  Your "T-Square" puzzle from last December was much more enjoyable for me

Here is the grid and then the rest of the clues: 

The Grid

Across:

1. __ committee: AD HOC.  Moe-ku:

        The committee met

        To discuss making bean soup.

        Decided, AD HOC [sic]

6. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP. 

9. 34-Across lines: ROADS.  (34-across. GPS display): MAP.

  

Old school GPS

14. Statement of beliefs: CREDO.  Rhymes with Play-doh

15. Homer's tee: TAU.  Did anyone think about a Simpsons character playing golf?  I did!  Tau is the Greek letter for T; Homer is the Greek dude who is recognized for writing the Iliad and Odyssey. Or did he?  Open this link to find out 

16. Top monk: ABBOT.  As opposed to the top Monk, which would be Tony Shalhoub

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

20. Resort destination: SPA.

21. Attend without an invitation: CRASH.  Some of them are professionals ... 

22. Sacred object: TOTEM.  Moe-ku:

        Tribe chief wants to know

        If sacred object's revered.

        Took a TOTEM poll

23. Full of frills: LACY.  One of the more sophomoric movies that I've seen countless number of times had a character who was Judge Smails' niece; her name was Lacey 

24. "Ain't it the truth!": AMEN.  Listen carefully; this is a very short video clip

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

32. Happening: EVENT.

33. Plaintiffs: SUERS.  Moe-ku:

        Best plaintiffs work for

        Sanitation Department;

        Well-versed with SUERS [sic]

[see above]

36. Zero, for Aryna Sabalenka: LOVE.  Tennis term for this lady

37. Bug __: SPRAY. JUICE also fits

38. Lion locks: MANE.  

39. Fib: LIE.

40. Archaeologist's find: SHARD.  Also known as "sherd"

41. Adjoining hotel rooms: SUITE.  The same word has a musical meaning; here is a rendition of a song that contains this word in the title - CSN could still rock it as senior citizens (2012 concert) even without hitting all of the high notes

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

45. Theme park attraction: RIDE. Moe-ku:

        Theme park's admission

        Cost was huge. I felt I was

        Taken for a RIDE

      

46. The "S" of NSFW: SAFE.  The full acronym unveiled is: Not SAFE (Suitable) For Work.  It's become an internet slang term to indicate that an email, e.g., may contain sexually explicit text and/or photos.  But unbeknownst to some, it was also the name of a 2014 movie thriller

47. Home of Himeji Castle: JAPAN.  Google it 

50. Mocking tribute: ROAST.  The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts were pretty risqué for TV back in those days (note, you might have to rewind it to the start) ... here is a 4 minute clip starring Foster Brooks

52. "Shame on you!": TSK.  

55. Only coastal city in Jordan: AQABA.  Despite using a word with a Q in it (as well as a J, K, W, Y, and Z) Joseph ended up being an X short of having a pangram

[reveal / theme]

58. Staff writing: MUSIC.  Prose fits, too, if you use a different meaning of the word staff

59. Overalls component: BIB.  

60. "In your dreams!": NO WAY.  [spoiler] there's a clecho at 28-down

61. Pancake quantity: BATCH.  I tried STACK and it really screwed up that section of the grid

62. Place for pigs: STY.

63. "Hello" and "Bye Bye Bye": SONGS. Moe-ku (with an extra line thrown in for good measure):

        Justin Timberlake
        Lost his first golf match after
        A Tournament pass.
        Was a "BYE, BYE” BYE 

Down:
1. Does something: ACTS.  

2. Faucet annoyance: DRIP.  Moe-ku:

        An erstwhile actress 

        Came on set with runny nose;

        Cast scorned Fawcett's DRIP

3. Goddess whose symbol is a peacock: HERA.

 

 

4. Poem of praise: ODE.  Moe-ku:

        Gave myself some props.

        Wrote haiku about nothing,

        Called it ODE to Moe

5. Company whose symbol is a peacock: COMCAST.  Part of the NBC family

6. Many a shelter animal: STRAY.

7. Hardy trees: OAKS.  I guess some might have chosen ELMS

8. Press on: PUSH AHEAD. Only the second use of this clue/answer as I discovered when I searched Crossword Tracker.  And BTW, the certification for CrosswordTracker dot com has not been renewed, apparently, and I got all kinds of warnings about visiting their site.  Hence, I am not linking it today

9. Roof supports: RAFTERS.  TRUSSES also fits

10. Like plum tomatoes: OBLONG.  The clue could have said like Roma tomatoes, too

11. Be up against: ABUT.  "CRUNCH TIME" was not an option for this clue ... today

12. Top of many an indoor stadium: DOME.  ROOF fits, as well.  I am guessing the difference between them is that a dome is a permanent fixture; a roof can be retractable 

State Farm Stadium - home to the AZ Cardinals

13. Acronym on some educational toys: STEM.  If anyone wants to know which educational toys are, click this link

18. __ supports: ARCH.  Moe-ku:

        Social nerd erred twice;

        Put his foot in his mouth while

        Wearing ARCH supports

23. Security checkpoint formation: LINE.  

This is why I have Global Entry and Pre-Check

25. Steenburgen of "Parenthood": MARY.  Then and now photo

26. "Hi-ho, the derry-o" setting: DELL.  Or, as this version says, "hey-ho, the derry-o" ... if you watch it the lyrics "Farmer in the DELL" are sung just at the beginning of the song; nowhere else

27. Bypass: AVOID.  
 
28. "In your dreams!": NEVER.  "WHEN PIGS FLY" did not fit; that said:

29. B-baller Steph: CURRY.  Not sure why the abbreviation in the adjective (b-baller).  Is it because his full name is actually Wardell Stephen Curry II and he prefers to go by Steph?  

30. Common accumulation during vacation: E-MAIL.  Snail mail, too, accumulates for us when we disappear for a few weeks or longer.  Speaking of e-mail, does anyone else suffer from getting more email messages, even after you've unsubscribed from certain ones?

31. Cost: RAN TO.  I don't use this phrase often, so I looked it to confirm it was two words, not one

33. Pork slab on the grill: SPARERIBS.  Moe-ku: [warning: this has some religious context]

        When Adam and Eve

        Planned to have kids, who was it

        That gave their SPARE RIBS?

35. Small sound: PEEP.  Moe-l'ick: 

        Easter baskets were out, in plain view.
        We peeked in because that's what we do.
        Removed marshmallow treat
        As the one thing we’d eat.
        If we’re caught? Not one PEEP out of you!

37. Garden structure: SHED.  Are we over the "she shed" craze yet?

This one looks pretty posh

38. Moscow __: ginger beer drink: MULE.  Another ginger beer drink that I prefer is called a Dark 'n' Stormy

40. la Florentine green: SPINACH.  Fun fact: Spinach is one of my key ingredients when I make breakfast burritos for Ms. Margaret and me

Maybe I use spinach in the recipe because this cartoon character was one of my childhood heroes.  I dare you to watch the video and not continue to hum the song all day. 🤣 "I fights to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"

41. Makes less harsh: SOFTENS.  

43. Language spoken in 55-Across: ARABIC.  In Aqaba, remember??

44. 100-meter race, e.g.: DASH.  Technically, any race up to 400-meters in considered a dash (or SPRINT - which was too long to work).  This guy set a world-record 9.58 seconds, and during the final third of the race he was clocked at running 27.1 miles per hour! 

46. Didn't help: SAT BY.  Not Ms. Margaret; she proof-reads my blog each time for grammatical and spelling errrors [note, she missed this one 😂]

47. Door __: JAMB.  Moe-ku:

        Ray Manzarek's band's

        Greatest hits are played at Lowe's:

        Called: Doors JAMB sessions

             
48. Sea blue: AQUA.  This color 

49. Days of yore: PAST.  As opposed to a clue that read: "Days of Eeyore", in which the answer would be cloudy

51. "Right away, boss!": ON IT.  

Good old Ron Burgundy

52. 34-Across dot: TOWN.  I'm guessing that if you didn't get 34-across right away you'd have some fill issues

53. Minor setback: SNAG.  Did anyone find any snags in today's puzzle?  As I said in the intro, my major nit was not having entry words that matched the zones

54. A minor and A major: KEYS.  Musical term; as opposed to UrsA Minor and UrsA Major which are constellations

UrsA Major

57. Where the wild things are: ZOO.  WOODS didn't fit but it did inspire another Moe-ku:

        To attract more guests

        ZOO adds a wild golf course de-

        signed by Tiger Woods

Please comment below if you'd like ... 

Friday, December 6, 2024, Joseph A. Gangi

Theme:  It's hip to be square

Puzzling thoughts:  Calling all nerds!   

The "reveal" today gives the solver the chance to look back and see how the symmetric quartet of "T's Squared" are the feature of today's crossword puzzle:  40-across. Drafting tool, and a feature found four times in this puzzle: T-SQUARE.  When you look below at the image of the completed grid, you'll see that I've highlighted the four "t-squares" 

I think this Joseph Gangi's debut puzzle @ LAT, but I could be mistaken

Here is a look at Joseph Gangi's NYT puzzle dates and his biography

Not sure that this was a "Friday-tough" puzzle, but it was fun to solve.  Several trite entries (ALOU, ALOE, EDIE, ODOR, EENIE, OLE, SLOE, EEN, ADO) but not a lot of proper nouns nor 3LW's.  Since there are too many word entries that intersect to form the "t-squares", I won't describe them in my intro

The Grid

Overall rating for the puzzle: ⭐⭐⭐ + 1/3 ⭐

On to the clues and other entries:

Across:

1. 2023 title role for Chalamet: WONKA. Actor Timothée Chalamet

 

 

6. Mournful sounds: WAILS.  CRIES was not mournful enough for this clue.  Odd to see that a word that is in a clue is also an entry today: 45-down. Grieve: MOURN.


11. __ of the land: LAY. Moe-ku #1:

 

        The free-range chicken

        Checked out her food source to get

        The LAY of the land

14. How zeppole are fried: IN OIL. Italian doughnut

 

 

15. Classified charge: AD FEE.

16. Fútbol cheer: OLE. Trite entry #1

17. Small brawl: SET TO. 

 

18. Folded fare: SOFT TACOS. My favorite way to order tacos is with a soft tortilla shell - nice clue

20. Glib pitch: PATTER.  Moe-ku #2: 

 

        Star hurler for Mets

        Threw an insincere fastball:

        The hitter PATTER

22. Rare-earth element whose atomic number is 39: YTTRIUM.  I was surprised to find that this word has been used quite often in crossword puzzles

23. Blackthorn: SLOE.  Trite entry #2

24. Run out of power: DIE.

27. Tree with serrated leaves: ELM.  OAK fits, too

28. "To victory!": ONWARD.

30. Activate again, as a tab: RE-OPEN. I do this often when I am blogging my recap.  A similar word was used in 38-across. Try again: REDO.

34. Western band?: POSSE.  Friday clue

36. French friar: ABBE.

39. Part of a valedictorian's address: EDU.  Cute clue.  As in their email address: valedictorian@pitt.edu

43. Clear (of): RID.

44. Average: NORM.

46. Like a schnauzer's coat: WIRY. This canine breed: 

 

 

47. Casual eateries: CAFES.

49. Cactus bump: AREOLE.  These:

 

 

51. Small lump: NODULE.

53. Federation in OPEC: UAE.

54. __-dried tomatoes: SUN.

55. Clicked pic: ICON. Moe-ku #3:

 

        A smart camera

        Uses a clickable app

        Called: Nikon ICON

58. Web-integrated den fixture: SMART TV.

62. Intermission follower, perhaps: ACT TWO.  In many puzzles we see this entry as: ACT II

64. Destined: MEANT TO BE. It is destined that in Moe's blogs there will be several "ku's"

67. Swimming mammal in Native American totems: OTTER.

68. "This is the worst!": UGH.  Glad this wasn't a five-letter entry that revealed "GROSS"

69. "__ Meenie": 2010 pop single: EENIE.  Trite entry #3

70. Narrow valleys: GLENS.  DALES also fit

71. Natural __: GAS.

72. Kept going, as a sentence: RAN ON.  I can be criticized for using many sentence that ran on but not this one ...

73. Impression: SENSE.

Down:
1. Strands of smoke: WISPS.

2. Oscar winner Tatum: O'NEAL. For her role in Paper Moon

3. On the fence: NOT TOO SURE.

4. Mini mewlers: KITTENS.

5. Lotion additive: ALOE. Trite entry #4

6. Once cost: WAS.

7. Hustle and bustle: ADO. Trite entry #5

8. Questionable: IFFY. Moe-ku #4: 

 

        Rudyard Kipling wrote

        A poem about courage. 

        It wasn't IFFY

9. Comic book writer?: LETTERER.  This was the image I saw: 

 

Stan Lee was Marvel-ous

10. Wrap up: SETTLE.  Not as a present; as an agreement

11. Centers of activity: LOCI. HUBS also fit

12. Outfielder Matty who played 15 seasons in the MLB: ALOU.  Trite entry #6

13. Quaint affirmative: YES'M.

19. Strong suit?: ARMOR.

21. Nutrition fig.: RDA.

25. Najaf native: IRAQI.

26. Writer/producer who frequently collaborates with David Simon: ED BURNS.

29. Sauced up, to a pitmaster: WET. A pitmaster is a person who oversees the barbecue.  When you "sauce up" the ribs, they're wet.  And now you know how this fits

31. Score for Comaneci and Retton: PERFECT TEN.  Olympic gymnasts

32. Actress Falco: EDIE. Trite entry #7

33. Dozes (off): NODS.

34. "Ant-Man" actor Michael: PENA.  

35. Distinctive feature of a corpse flower: ODOR. Trite entry #8

37. Ecosystem susceptible to eutrophication: BAYOU.  I wondered if SWAMP would also fit here.  Turns out that A bayou is a type of creek or river, while a swamp refers to low-lying land that is often saturated and spongy with water but can still have some species of tree growing in the area

 

  

41. Sugary Southern brew: SWEET TEA.  I'm not a true Southerner as I like my tea un-sweetened

42. Old French coin: ECU.  This could've been another trite entry, me thinks

48. Somewhat: A LITTLE.

50. Second of a pair: LATTER.  Moe-ku #5, and a pun on the entry word:

 

        Some firemen formed

        New religious cult called "Church

        Of Ladder-Day Saints"

 
52. 23andMe stuff: DNA.

56. Dana Elaine __: Queen Latifah's given name: OWENS.  Her
 

57. Like some gods: NORSE.

58. Like some gods: SMUG. Clecho

59. Huge: MEGA. 

60. Massage sighs: AAHS.

61. Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey: VONN.  Former Tiger Woods girlfriend

63. Machine parts: COGS.

65. Short life story?: BIO.  OBIT didn't fit

66. Poetic dusk: EEN. Trite entry #9

See you in a couple of weeks

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 87th birthday to Lucina! Here's a 2011 picture of Lucina and our old California blog regulars JD, Chickie, Clear Ayes and Garlic Gal and Dodo.

L-R back row: Chickie, Clear Ayes, Garlic Gal
   Front: JD, Lucina, Dodo (June 23, 2011)

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Joseph A. Gangi

Theme - The opposite of hanging by a thread.  To explain, let's start with the unifier.

10 D. Remain uncertain until the very end, and what the answers to the starred clues do?: GO DOWN TO THE WIRE.  As explained by the clue, there's some question how things may turn out.   This term comes from horseracing, where it was long the practice to stretch a wire across and above the track at the finish line. It was extended to figurative use about 1900.  A wire is a flexible strand of metal.  Let's see how that is relevant to the other clues.  The theme entries are all vertical, so the use of "DOWN" in the unifier clue is key. 

3 D. *"You should be ashamed!": THATS DESPICABLE.  Said to someone who did something beyond the pale.  Real life incidents of this sort are plentiful.  There are different types of CABLES, but some types are wires used as electrical or communications connections.  So we can see that the vertical fill does, indeed, go down to the WIRE.  Pretty clever, eh!

5 D. *Ability to show restraint: SELF DISCIPLINE.  This is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.  A LINE is a length of cord, rope, wire, or other material serving a particular purpose.

15 D. *Recent entry in Guinness, say: NEW WORLD RECORD.  This is the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity.   A CORD is a thin, flexible string or rope made from several twisted strands.  

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to unravel the skein.   Each theme fill ends in a synonym or near synonym for a WIRE.  This is an extremely clever hidden word them, and a nut I had to get some help to crack.  So thanks to my fellow blogger for the assistance.

Let's get down to it and see what other paths we will be led down.

Across:

1. Address letters: HTTP.  Hyper Text Transfer Protocol - The beginning of an Internet web address. 

5. Skyrocket: SOAR.  Here, "skyrocket" is a verb meaning to fly high.

9. Old-timey "OMG!": EGAD.  This is a softened oath, dating from the late 1600's, probably derived from "Oh, GOD!"

13. "Fancy seeing you here!": OH - HI.  One of my long ago work colleagues told the story of his brother who was walking through a shopping mall holding hands with his girl friend, when his wife came walking in the other direction.  This is what he said.

14. Disgraced energy firm: ENRON.  The corporation, founded in 1985, engaged in massive fraud, and got away with it for years.  This house of cards came tumbling down from 2000 to 2001.  You can read all about it here.

16. Zigzagged: WOVE.  Moved in a side to side forward motion.

17. Ring loudly: PEAL.  As a bell.

18. Do not disturb: LET BE.  Leave it alone.

19. Barbara who played a TV genie: EDEN.  Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970).   IIRC, Jeannie's belly button was always covered.  

20. Trip, as an alarm: SET OFF.  Actuate.

22. Cry of pain: YOWL.  Owie!

24. Goblin kin: ORC.  Tolkien monters.  Here is more info, if you're that kind of nerd.  [Full disclosure - I am.]

25. Simple earrings: STUDS.  A stud earring features a gemstone or other ornament mounted on a narrow post that passes through a piercing in the ear or earlobe, and is held in place by a fixture on the other side. 

That is a diamond

27. Number of players in a chess game: TWO.  

Wikipedia

28. Cry from a crib: WAH.  Baby's complaint.

Alternatively

29. Say further: ADD.  Tell us more.

31. Problems picky people pick: NITS.  Little issues of little import.

33. Outstanding: OWING.   As an unpaid debt.

35. Word after film and before cut: CREW.  A film CREW is a group of people working off camera to make a motion picture, such as the producer, camera operators, stage managers, etc.   A CREW cut is a type of haircut in which the upright hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair that forms a short pomp (pompadour) at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crown so that in side profile the outline of the top hair approaches the horizontal.

37. Energy option involving roof panels: SOLAR.   Solar power works by converting energy from the sun into power. There are two forms of energy generated from the sun for our use – electricity and heat. Both are generated through the use of solar panels, which range in size from residential rooftops to 'solar farms' stretching over acres of rural land.

39. Branch out (from): STEM.   To derive from some origin.

41. Steep-walled formation: MESA.  Also known and table land.  Mesa is the Spanish word for table.

42. Move at a snail's pace: CRAWL.  Literally, move forward on the hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground.  Figuratively, move forward or make progress very slowly.

43. Personal charisma: MOJO.  Literally, a magic charm, talisman, or spell.  Figuratively, a powerful personality.

44. "College GameDay" network: ESPN.   Originally, in 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, shortened to ESPN in 1985.

Alternatively

 
45. "That makes my blood boil!": I'M MAD.  Expression of anger.

46. Word to opt out of a text subscription: STOP.  Unless it's ignored.

47. Ab-crunching exercise: SIT UP.   The last time this came up in a puzzle I blogged, I pointed out that it is a worthless, and potentially harmful exercise.  I got some push back.  I guess anything can be a controversy.  Anyway, here it is again.

49. Many a retired racehorse: SIRE.  Used to produce the next generation of horses from a valuable blood line.

51. Snicker syllable: HEE.  Along with TEE.  Comic book laughter.

52. PC panic key: ESC.  On computer keyboards, the Esc key (named Escape key in the international standard series ISO/IEC 9995) is a key used to generate the escape character (which can be represented as ASCII code 27 in decimal, Unicode U+001B, or Ctrl+[). The escape character, when sent from the keyboard to a computer, often is interpreted by software as "stop"

53. Org. for Twins: MLB.  The Minnesota Twins team of Major League Baseball.

55. Poke fun at: TEASE.  Have fun at someone's expense.  Often not nice.

57. "I knew it!": AHA.  Syllable of recognition or enlightenment.

58. Spot to fish from: PIER.   A platform supported on pillars or girders leading out from the shore into a body of water, used as a landing stage for boats.

60. Stands too close to: CROWDS.  Violates one's personal space.

63. Cries noisily: SOBS.  Nobody looks good doing it.

65. "Super cool!": NEATO.  That's rad, man!

67. Quite urgent: DIRE.   Extremely serious or urgent, possibly dangerous.

68. App with crowdsourced reviews: YELP.   Yelp Inc. is an American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app, which publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses. It also operates Yelp Guest Manager, a table reservation service. It is headquartered in San Francisco, 

69. Diamond flaw?: ERROR.   Not a mar in a gemstone, but a misplay on a baseball field - usually misplaying a batted or thrown ball or throwing inaccurately.

70. Neck of the woods: AREA.   Nearby region.

71. Cruising, say: ASEA.  On a ship.  Our oldest granddaughter is wrapping up her third gig entertaining on a Disney Cruise Ship. This time she got to dance on the main stage.

72. __ money: startup funds: SEED.  Money allocated to initiate a project.

73. Stitched together: SEWN.  Attached by using thread and needle.

Down:

1.  Short flights: HOPS.   Boing!

2. "Beautiful Mistakes" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE.  Megan Jovon Ruth Pete [b. 1995] known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her freestyling became popular on social media platforms such as Instagram.

4. Flight school graduate: PILOT.  One in control of an aircraft.

6. Undivided: ONE.  Unified.

7. Pseudo-sophisticated: ARTY.  Making a strong, affected, or pretentious display of being artistic or interested in the arts.

8. High-tech worker: ROBOT.  A machine that does a job formerly done by a person. 

9. Farm female: EWE.  Lady sheep.

11. Everyman: AVERAGE JOE.  Typical guy, man on the street.

12. Judi who plays Queen Victoria in "Mrs Brown" and "Victoria & Abdul": DENCH.  Dame Judith Olivia Dench [b. 1934] is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage.  Inexplicably, she also wound up in this thing.

21. Amusing: FUN.  Providing mirth and/or enjoyment.

23. Blue: LOW.  Sad.  possibly prone to sobbing.

26. Seattle's WNBA team: STORM.  The Seattle Storm is an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerley and her husband Barry ahead of the 2000 season.

29. Highest point: ACME.  Apex.

30. Formal footwear: DRESS SHOES.  

32. Shuts with a bang: SLAMS.  A forceful exit, perhaps.

34. Philosophies, informally: ISMS.  Belief systems.

36. Have a yen for: WANT.  Desire something.  Alternatively - I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the yen to travel.

38. Look for: AWAIT.  Anticipate.

40. Have the blues: MOPE.  Be blue or low.

48. Ballpark figure?: UMP.  Not a statistic.  Short for umpire - a person with no clear idea of where the strike zone is located.

50. Musician's gift: EAR.  Melodic ability.

52. GPA booster: EASY A.  A class that is not challenging.

54. Stout and porter: BEERS.  Beer varieties.

56. Cola and ginger ale: SODAS.  Carbonated soft drinks.

59. Red in the center: RARE.  As cooked beef.

61. Did some doodling: DREW.  Made random sketches.

62. Actor Gunn who plays Kraglin in the MCU: SEAN.   Sean Gunn [b. 1974] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kirk Gleason on The WB series Gilmore Girls, and Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

64. Hot tub: SPA.   A large tub filled with hot aerated water used for recreation or physical therapy.

66. Stubbing victim: TOE.  Any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.  They exist to locate furniture in dark rooms.

A lot of puzzles have their ups and downs.  This one was mostly down - in a good way.  It didn't let us down, and I'm down with that.

Cool Regards!

JzB