Sunday May 4, 2025 Kelly Richardson & Amanda Cook

Theme: "At Any Rate" -  The last words of the theme entries form a logical movement sequence.

 23. *Old-fashioned establishment?: COCKTAIL LOUNGE. Resting rate.

 37. *Measurement unit on some graph-ruled paper: SQUARE INCH.

 46. *Commodity sold in board-feet: ROUGH LUMBER.

 52. *Charge up?: PRICE HIKE.

 66. *Annual upriver migration: SALMON RUN.

 82. *Group nearly eradicated in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": HUMAN RACE.

 90. *What may hang by a thread?: HEXAGON BOLT.

 98. *Invasive species that may be spotted in the garden?: LANTERN FLY.

Reveal:

112. Loop in, and a hint to the progression found at the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BRING UP TO SPEED.

Steady progression, from stillness to fly.  Just like the reveal explains, the constructors are bringing things up to speed.

Across:

1. Subwoofer output: BASS.

5. Salsa partner on a dip platter, casually: GUAC. Tasty on the Seeduction bread.

9. Pasta __ Norma: ALLA.

13. The Beyhive, e.g.: FANDOM. Beyoncé's fan base.

19. Spark: IDEA.

20. Fully aware of: ONTO.

21. Tusked hog: BOAR.

22. Like Chamonix: ALPINE.

26. Features of New York's Guggenheim museum: CURVES.

27. Roller coaster material: STEEL.

28. Behind schedule: LATE.

29. [Cough cough]: AHEM.

31. Self or sheep suffix: ISH.

32. Smoked beef cuts: BRISKETS.

35. Writers with star power?: CRITICS. Because they rate in stars. Great clue.

40. Water cooler sound: GLUG.

41. "You rock!," facetiously: NOICE.  OK, it's exaggerated Nice, not NO ICE. Thanks, Anonymous!)

44. Rush: HURRY.

45. D.C. pro: NAT.

48. Memoji platform: IOS.

49. __-12: athletic org.: PAC.

50. "__ Maria": AVE.

51. Staunton of "The Crown": IMELDA. She played Queen Elizabeth.

56. Blueprint: DESIGN.

59. Dates: SEES.

60. Travel plaza fuel supplier: SUNOCO.

61. Villain's hideout: LAIR.

63. Japanese camera brand: NIKON.

65. Org.-wide message: MEMO.

69. Kitten cries: MEWS.

72. Small sound: INLET.

74. "American Fiction" actress Rae: ISSA. Super talented.

75. "Sure, that totally sounds credible": YEAH OK.

77. "Shoot to Thrill" band: AC/DC.

80. Polar dome: ICECAP. Hence NOICE rather than NO ICE earlier. Patti normally doesn't allow this type of dupe. 

85. Carving tool: CHISEL.

87. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.

88. Articulate: SAY.

89. Solder element: TIN.

93. Prevail: WIN.

94. Like slow lorises and snow leopards: ASIAN. Look at his eyes. Some live in China's Yunnan province.

96. Knicks legend Patrick: EWING.

97. Like some wine: OAKY.

100. Crux: ESSENCE.

102. Plovdiv's country: BULGARIA. Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, 93 miles southeast of Sofia, a la Wikipedia.

103. Buffalo Bills gp.: AFC.

105. Out of control: AMOK.

106. "You" actor Badgley: PENN. Also in "Gossip Girl".

107. Email option: REPLY.

110. Muss: TOUSLE.

117. Single word on its own line, in typesetting: ORPHAN. Learning moment for me. The orphan and the last widow look the same to me.

118. "If it __ broke ... ": AIN'T.

119. Subscription level: TIER.

120. At any point: EVER.

121. "Kinda weird ... ": IT'S ODD.

122. "Sky Landing" artist Ono: YOKO.

123. Salty septet: SEAS.

124. Ceremony: RITE.

Down:

1. Pen brand: BIC.

2. Big bothers: ADOS.

3. Religious subgroup: SECT.

4. Place to sample Dassai: SAKE BAR. Dassai is a premium sake brand. It means "otter festival". Their website said there used to be many otters frolicking in the nearby rivers where the brewery is based.

5. Net asset?: GOALIE. Hockey net.

6. College, abroad: UNI.

7. Falcons city, briefly: ATL.

8. Gather: COLLECT.

9. Borders: ABUTS.

10. Unaccompanied: LONE.

11. Twitch streamer's headache: LAG.

12. Throw on the floor: AREA RUG. Noun "throw".

13. Jewel side: FACET.

14. Lightweight metal: ALUMINUM.

15. "Code Switch" network: NPR.

16. Capable of an even split: DIVISIBLE.

17. Vending machine bills: ONES.

18. Mosquito net fabric: MESH.

24. "Fresh Air" host Gross: TERRY. Used to listen to her often.

25. Pledge: OATH.

30. Lofty: HIGH.

33. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.

34. Natural talent: KNACK.

35. Puzzle hints: CLUES.

36. Approaches: COMES NEAR.

37. Impossibly bottled objects: SHIPS.

38. Minimum needed for action: QUORUM.

39. Bearlike: URSINE.

40. Serves the people: GOVERNS.

42. Formally yield: CEDE.

43. Notable periods: ERAS.

46. Ad with a jingle, maybe: RADIO SPOT.

47. Connection: LINK.

49. Vietnamese beef noodle soup: PHO.

53. Creative type?: COMIC SANS. Because the font has a creative vibe?

54. B-school course: ECON.

55. Tail end?: ELL.Just the final letter Tail.

57. Shiba __: INU.

58. Martini ingredient: GIN.

62. Not unkindly: AMIABLY.

64. Portent: OMEN.

66. Length of 24 film frames, briefly: SEC. 24 frames per second is the standard frame rate for movies.

67. Gobbled up: ATE.

68. Repeated syllable in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance": RAH.

70. "Let's say ... ": WHAT IF.

71. Gregarious: SOCIAL.

73. Stitch's friend: LILO.

75. "Woot woot!": YAY.

76. "Footloose" singer Loggins: KENNY.

77. Yearning: ACHE.

78. Think (on): CHEW.

79. Lemonade stand stackers: DIXIE CUPS.

81. Blow it under pressure: CHOKE.

83. Implementing: USING.

84. Big-brained ray: MANTA.

86. Deli sandwich filling: EGG SALAD.

91. Wearing white to a wedding, e.g.: NO NO.

92. Ritzy Boston neighborhood: BACK BAY. Tom Brady lived in this area for many years.

93. Carrot cake additions: WALNUTS.

94. Latin for "ram": ARIES.

95. Fish often served whole: SNAPPER.

98. Organ in the chest cavity: LUNG.

99. Blunders and bobbles: ERRORS.

101. Fix, as syntax: EMEND.

102. Lunch box with compartments: BENTO. Bento is derived from Chinese Biandang, literally "convenient".

103. Yours, in French: A TOI.

104. Cozy blanket structure: FORT.

106. "__ Pony Club": Chappell Roan hit: PINK.

108. 22nd U.S. vice president Morton: LEVI. Didn't know him. Under Benjamin Harrison.

109. Throw, slangily: YEET.

111. "Fellow Travelers" airer, for short: SHO.

113. Carnival city: RIO.

114. Dessert with a crust: PIE.

115. Rooibos, for one: TEA.

116. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE.

C.C.

Friday, February 7, 2025, Kelly Richardson

  

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Kelly Richardson.  Kelly has had several puzzles previously published by the LA Times and made her NY Times debut in July, 2024.  Today's puzzle contains many answers that we have seen before as well as quite a few proper nouns - many music-related.  

While there is no reveal" in today's grid there is a theme.  At four places Kelly has created punny word play employing the names of U.S. states.  At three of those places she uses abbreviations for the states' names (although not the official USPS abbreviations) and for the fourth she truncates the name by dropping the word NEW.

Here are the four places where the gimmick appears:

16 Across:  Play staged by Boston's Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?: MASS PRODUCTION.  From Massachusetts.

23 Across: . Demand policy changes from lawmakers in Olympia?: PRESSURE WASH.  From Washington.  Tell those politicians what you want.

53 Across:  Digits starting with 908?: JERSEY NUMBER.  908 is the (telephone calling) Area Code for New JERSEY.

62 Across:. Fortunes made in Chicago?: ILL GOTTEN GAINS.  From Illinois.

This is how everything appears in the grid:

.... and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. One of Islam's five pillars: HAJJ.

5. Avocado dip, for short: GUAC.  GUACamole.

9. Truckful: LOAD.

13. Margarine: OLEO.  A spread frequently slathered in (on?) our puzzles.

14. Not fooled by: ON TO.

15. General vibe: AURA.  Anybody need a crystal?

19. Value: ESTEEM.  Used as a verb.

20. Johnny of "Point Break": UTAH.  A fictional character.

21. Audio jack abbr.: MIC.  MICrophone

26. Trails: PATHS.

29. Vegetable in bamia: OKRA.

30. DOL division: OSHA.

31. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp.: ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra

32. Second sight, for short: ESP.  A "talent" frequently displayed in our puzzles.

34. Robed ruler: EMIR.  A position frequently occupied in our puzzles.

36. Steinem who co-founded Ms. magazine: GLORIA.

I know.  I know

38. More repulsive: ICKIER.

42. Betting figures: ODDS.

44. Issa of "American Fiction": RAE.  A frequent visitor.

45. Sunshine bit: RAY.  Cute.  RAY following RAE.

I know.  I know.

46. Blots: DABS.  DAB ton.  Not the best joke but it's not bad when you read it backwards.

49. 2018 Best New Artist Grammy winner Dua __: LIPA.

51. Sew loosely: BASTE.

56. __ Lanka: SRI.  Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972 when it became a republic, reflecting a desire to shed colonial ties and embrace a name rooted in the local languages. The name "Sri Lanka" means "resplendent land" in Sinhalese, emphasizing the country's cultural identity.

57. Little pest: GNAT.

58. Prince Harry's son: ARCHIE.  

I know.  I know.

65. Jelly that may be added to boba tea: ALOE.  How do I clue thee?  Let me count the ways.

66. Tear: REND.

67. Let go of: DROP.

68. Window-rattling: LOUD.  If Dan could scream very loudly how LOUD would Daniel?

69. Contributes: ADDS.

70. So small: EENY.  EENY.  Meeny.  Miny.

Down:

1. Last word of "The Wizard of Oz": HOME.

2. Woeful cry: ALAS.  My experiment of cross breeding a hen with a Slinky has failed.  ALAS, I've no spring chicken!

3. Quip: JEST.

4. Soul and gospel singer Margie: JOSEPH.  Great name.

With An Assist From Sir Paul McCartney

5. Grammy winner Eydie: GORME.  Eydie won the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance in 1966.  A year later the times certainly were a changin'.

6. Card game cry: UNO.  Frequently played in our puzzles.

7. Just before nightfall: AT DUSK.

8. High fashion: COUTURE.  From the French.

9. Woodworking tool: LATHE.

10. "Mais __!": OUI.  Une autre des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui.

11. Bakery by-products: AROMAS.

12. Coffee pastry: DANISH.  Culinary Misnomers

17. __ meteor: many an August streaker: PERSEID.

18. Italian term of affection: CARA MIA.

22. Chinese tea: CHA.  This solver first learned this when reading Noble House by James Clavell.

24. Mop (up): SOP.

25. Stop __ order: bad news on a construction site: WORK.

26. Cribbage marker: PEG.  Fifteen two, fifteen four and a pair is six.

27. More than most: ALL.  ALL would, indeed be more.

28. Additionally: TOO.

33. Rueful reply: SADLY NO.  Alas.

35. Glacial calving result: ICE BERG.  Sometimes clued with reference to a salad.

37. "I'm Coming Out" singer: ROSS.

39. USDT division: IRS.

40. Take off the table?: EAT.  Not a negotiation reference.

41. Reuben bread: RYE.

43. "Strangers in the Night" crooner: SINATRA.

44. Dodge pickup: RAM.

46. Supplies tunes, briefly: DJS.  Used here as verb . . . and what this blogger seems to be doing today.

47. Like drone footage: AERIAL.

48. Kitchen pad: BRILLO.

50. Got the ball rolling?: PUTTED.  A golf reference.

52. Game point?: ARCADE.  Not a tennis reference.  The point (place) where one plays pinball and other games.

54. Spurred (on): EGGED.

55. Stripes: BANDS.  As in BANDS of color.

59. Employ: HIRE.

60. Hip to: IN ON.

61. Athletic honor: ESPY.  Frequently awarded in our puzzles.

63. "The Incredible Hulk" star Ferrigno: LOU.

64. Aim: END.  As in "the ENDs justify the means" and, in another sense, a fitting final answer.

_________________________________________________________

Tuesday September 3, 2024 Kelly Richardson

If April Showers bring Mayflowers, what to Mayflowers bring?  The word Shower can follow the last word in each theme to give us a new concept.

20-Across. Winter weather caused by cold air moving over warm water: LAKE EFFECT SNOW.  Snow Shower.

I can't recall hearing the term Snow Shower, but according to NOAA, a Snow Shower is: is a short duration of moderate snowfall. Some accumulation is possible.

32-Across. Hopping African primate: BUSH BABY.  Baby Shower.

39-Across. Malady that causes the sniffles: HEAD COLD.  Cold Shower.  Maybe this is where one has shower thoughts.

51-Across. Mundane musings, or what the last words of 20-, 32-, and 39-Across have in common?: SHOWER THOUGHTS.  I don't believe I have ever heard the expression Shower Thoughts.  According to Collins Dictionary, a Shower Though is "a sudden idea that occurs to a person during an unconnected mundane activity."  It doesn't have to be a thought or idea you had in the shower, however

Across:

1. Many a home in the Italian countryside: VILLA.  A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. 

6. Automotive historian Jay: LENO.  Although best known for being a stand-up comedian and television host, Jay Leno (né Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) is also know for having a huge collection of cars and motorcycles.  [Name # 1.]

10. Friends: PALS.

14. Flawless: IDEAL.

15. Smell: ODOR.

16. Bryce Canyon state: UTAH.

17. Undertaking: DOING.

18. "O patria mia" opera: AIDA.  This opera appears often in the puzzles.  I have given its history on several occasions.

19. Old Roman garb: TOGA.

23. "Downton __": PBS historical drama: ABBEY.  This television show was a favorite Dudley, one of one of our early commenters.

24. Ancient strings: LUTES.

25. Seize: NAB.

28. "Totally sweet!": RAD.

29. Philippine money: PESO.  1 US Dollar is worth approximately 56.16 Philippine pesos.

30. Like many parking garage ramps: ONE WAY.

36. "__-Hero": Taylor Swift hit: ANTI.  I'll spare your ears.  [Name # 2.]

37. Cup on a hook: MUG.

38. Director Kazan: ELIA.  Elia Kazan (né Elias Kazantzoglou; Sept. 7, 1909 ~ Sept. 28, 2003) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  He became a controversial figure in Hollywood for naming names in before House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s.   [Name # 3.]

42. Highway divider: MEDIAN.  In New Orleans, it's called the Neutral Ground.

44. A long, long time: EONS.

45. "Scrunch out the crunch" hair product: GEL.

46. "You should know better": TSK.

47. Begin: START.

49. Principle: TENET.

55. Caitlin Clark's college team: IOWA.  Caitlin Clark (née Caitlin Elizabeth Clari; b. Jan. 22, 2002) now plays professional basketball for the Indiana Fever.  [Name # 4.]

56. Like Big Bend National Park: ARID.  Big Bend National Park is in southwest Texas.  Much of the park in in the  Chihuahuan Desert, hence it is ARID.

57. No-frills font: ARIAL.  This is Arial.  This is Times.  Everything you wanted to know about the origin of the Arial font but never cared to ask.

59. Summer top: TANK.

60. Preserve with salt: CURE.

61. Guts: NERVE.

62. Otherwise: ELSE.

63. Canvas shoe with a Monster High collaboration: KEDS.  I'll pass on these shoes.  [Name adjacent.]

64. Coarse fabric: TWEED.  We saw the Tweed fabric in the Tuesday August 20, 2024  puzzle.  See 20-Across in that puzzle.

Down:

1. TikTok post, briefly: VID.  Short for Video.

2. Object of adoration: IDOL.  Idol has become a frequent Tuesday guest.  See 6-Down in last week's puzzle.

3. Heroine from Alderaan: LEIA.  Alderaan is a fictional planet in the Star Wars franchise.  It was the home planet of Princess Leia, portrayed by Carrie Fischer (Oct. 21, 1956 ~ Dec. 27, 2016).  See 12-Down in last Tuesday's puzzle.  [Name # 5, fictional.]

4. "Sri __ Matha": South Asian national anthem: LANKA.  The name of the anthem translates to Mother Sri Lanka.  Sri Lanka is the tear-drop shaped country at the tip of India.

5. Subject with an "x" factor?: ALGEBRA.  More than you ever wanted to know about Algebra.

6. Lounged around: LOAFED.

7. Enlighten: EDIFY.

8. Lymph __: NODE.

9. Ancient prophets: ORACLES.

10. Finalizes for printing, as a newspaper: PUTS TO BED.

11. Back up an apology, say: ATONE.

12. Burial place of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti: LAGOS.  Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì (Oct. 15, 1938 ~ Aug. 2, 1997) was a Nigerian musician and political activist.  Not your usual Tuesday guest.  [Name # 6.]

13. "Killing Eve" actress Fiona: SHAW.  Fiona Shaw (née Fiona Mary Wilson; b. July 10, 1958) is an Irish actress.  Killing Eve is a British spy television series.  [Name # 7.]

21. Modern trading post: EBAY.

22. Bottom: TUSH.  Today's Yiddish lesson.

25. "Barbie" co-writer Baumbach: NOAH.  Noah Baumbach (b. Sept. 3, 1969) is an American filmmaker and is married to Greta Gerwig (née Greta Celeste Gerwig; b. Aug. 4, 1983), who was the other co-writer of Barbie.  Today is his 55th Birthday.  [Name # 8.]

26. Green Gables girl: ANNE.  Anne of Green Gables is a 1908 children's novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Anne Shirley is an 11-year-old orphan girl Anne Shirley sent by mistake to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who wanted to adopt a boy to help them on their farm.  The story takes place in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  You can visit the Anne of Green Gables museum.  [Name # 9, fictional.]

27. __ carotene: BETA.  Beta Carotene, also written as β-Carotene, is an organic, colored red-orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and fruits.

29. Short-muzzled dog: PUG.

31. Not at all sleepy: WIDE AWAKE.

32. __ vase: BUD.

33. Dismounted: ALIT.

34. Lack of objectivity: BIAS.

35. Tug sharply: YANK.

37. Chicago Fire org.: MLS.  Chicago Fire is a soccer team, hence, MLS stands for Major League Soccer.

40. Apple part: CORE.

41. Likely to succeed: ON TRACK.

42. Cafe reading: MENU.

43. Like an ingeniously simple mathematical proof: ELEGANT.  More than you ever wanted to know about Beautiful and Elegant Math proofs.

45. Stardew Valley mine finds: GEODES.

47. Underwater bank: SHOAL.  I grew up near the Isle of Shoals, a group of small islands and tidal ledges located about 6 miles off the east coast between Maine and New Hampshire.

48. Mini cities: TOWNS.  Really?  Towns are just mini cities?

49. Last stop before home?: THIRD.  Think baseball.  Third base is the last stop before running into home base.

50. Purposefully lost: THREW.

51. Location: SITE.

52. "You aren't wrong": TRUE.

53. Tucker out: TIRE.

54. Rescue: SAVE.

58. Captained: LED.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה