Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Sala Wanetick

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a puzzle by Sala Wanetick.  Today, Sala offers us four themed-answers with a unifier that seems to this solver to be a little bit of a stretch (or, perhaps, I just did not understand the jargon):

62 Across:  Discussing business, or a punny description of the answer to each starred clue: TALKING SHOP.

The first word of each two-word answer conjures up the use of language, or if you will, TALKING.  The second words are evocative of places (but not really shops).  To this blogger, the theme would, perhaps have been "punnier" if TALKING SHOP had been part of the clue and an eleven-letter version of something along the lines of Business Discussion (or Discussing Business) had been the answer.  In any event the following are the four establishments where talking is what it is all about.

17 Across:  *Place to take an oral exam: LANGUAGE LAB.

24 Across:  *Program that hones public speaking skills: DEBATE CAMP.

38 Across: . *Spot for a "Good Hang" recording, say: PODCAST STUDIO.  A "good hang" refers to being a pleasant and enjoyable person to be around, especially in social or work situations.

53 Acros: . *Destination after speaking to a bot, perhaps: CALL CENTER.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. One of the Musketeers: ATHOS.  The names of the three musketeers are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They are joined by the main character, d'Artagnan, who aspires to become a musketeer himself.

6. Midrange choir voice: ALTO.  A friend of mine auditioned for The Sopranos... 

Unfortunately, she was an ALTO and didn't get the part.

10. Old Prizm maker: GEO.  An automobile reference.

1990 - 1992 Geo Prizm

13. Superfluous bits: FRILLS.

15. Bit of bait: WORM.

16. Under the weather: ILL.  

The phrase "under the weather" originates from nautical slang, referring to sailors who would go below deck to avoid rough weather and seasickness. It is a shortened form of the term "under the weather bow," which describes the side of a ship facing the storm.

19. Get 10/10 on, say: ACE.  Used as a verb.

20. Toronto's province: ONTARIO.  Canadian, eh?

21. Condiment drizzled on a taco: CREMA.  Not the first taco topping that came to mind.

23. Obama-era legislation, for short: ACA.

28. Béret spot: TETE.  Une des leçon des français d'aujourd'hui. A beret (hat) is worn on one's TETE (head).

30. Mined finds: ORES.  The dentist said that he could knock me out with gas, or he could use a big metallic rock.  I said ether/ORE.

31. Soul singer Redding: OTIS.  Perhaps best known for this song:

32. Kind: ILK.  Kind, in this case, is not meant as nice or caring.  Sort, type, ILK.

34. Basilica recess: APSE.

37. Letters that may end with a bang?: TNT.

42. Track that fills the dance floor: BOP.  Track as in a piece of recorded music.

43. Goes green?: DYES.  A bit of misdirection.  Not a reference to ecology.

44. Notable span: ERA.  What ERA is a musician in when he has no money?  Baroque.

45. Sad: BLUE.  The word "blue" was first used this way by Chaucer in about 1385, in his poem, Complaint of Mars. Washington Irving is credited with having first used the term "the blues" in 1807, as a synonym for sadness

47. Diaper bag item: WIPE.

49. Housekeeping staffer: MAID.  I suspect that my maid is stealing money from my drawer, but she won’t admit to it.  I just want her to come clean.

56. French article: UNE.  Encore une des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui

57. Club hit, perhaps: REMIX.  A REMIX, also sometimes called re-orchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph can be remixes. The only necessary characteristic of a remix is that it appropriates and changes other materials to create something new.

58. Breakfast spot: DINETTE.

61. Freight unit: TON.  

65. Editorial "Wasn't me!": SIC.  SIC is derived from the Latin adverb sīc, meaning "thus" or "so." It first appeared in English around 1856 and is used to indicate that a quoted text is reproduced exactly as it appears in the original, including any errors.

66. End of an ultimatum: ELSE.

67. Angler's exclamation: GOT ONE.  A fishing reference.

68. "__ to the Mets": The Strokes song: ODE.   We have seen ODE many, many, many times but I do not recall seeing it previously clued this way.

69. Gobsmack: STUN.  What do you call two false statements that are so bad they STUN you?  - Paralyze

70. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN.  Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855) was a Danish philosopher, Christian theologian, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. 

Down:

1. Above water: AFLOAT.

2. EDM genre with hypnotic melodies: TRANCE.  A reference to Electronic Dance Music.  Not sure why that was abbreviated in the clue.

3. Drop clues about: HINT AT.

4. Aunt in Pixar's "Elio": OLGA.

Olga Solis

5. Fail to enunciate: SLUR.

6. Feeling when overlooking a grand vista: AWE.  Fair enough.

Photo By MM

7. "Hehe": LOL.  Laugh Out Loud

8. Plot of land: TRACT.

9. Color technique for hair and nails: OMBRE.  Ombré color is a gradual blend of one color hue into another, usually shifting from light to dark (or dark to light).

10. "The Holdovers" actor Paul: GIAMATTI.

11. Classic Chevy: EL CAMINO.  Another automobile reference.  The El Camino was car-like pickup truck adapted from the standard two-door Chevrolet station wagon platform and it integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. 

1969 El Camino

12. Spanish cheer: OLE.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.

14. Gave the green light: SAID OKAY.

Red Light . . . Green Light

18. Concert or movie ending: GOER.

22. Mode on some washing machines: ECO.  More often a feature of some automobiles.

25. Skedaddles: BEATS IT.  We could have gone with Michale Jakson's "Beat It" here but we'll go with the send-up instead.

26. North African cobras: ASPS.  Snakes frequently found in crossword puzzles.

27. Vegas winter hrs.: PST.  Pacific Standard Time.

29. Ramadan ender: EID.  Eid is a festival or feast in Islam that marks the end of a fast or pilgrimage.

33. Rock's __ Soundsystem: LCD.  LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Brooklyn, New York.  A sample:

35. Self-driving car's task: STEERING.  Among other tasks.

36. Italy's cont.: EUR.  Continent has been abbreviated in the clue so EURope has been abbreviated in the answer.

38. Photo that might be shaken: POLAROID. Actually, you should not.

39. Champagne lifestyle, e.g.: OPULENCE.

40. Stitched up: SEWN.

41. Beaver-built structure: DAM.   I just watched a program about beavers. It was the best DAM program I've ever seen.

42. "The Graham Norton Show" airer: BBC.  

Here With John Cleese

46. Stately tree: ELM.  How can you tell a dogwood tree from an ELM tree?  By the bark.

48. Short spa service?: PEDI.  Short for PEDIcure.

50. Name on a byline: AUTHOR.

51. Chant: INTONE.  Did anyone here solve the 22 October NYT puzzles where the construtor slipped OM into the middle of the themed answers?  As if that wasn't enough of a challenge, the reveal was No Chance which, in this case, was a homonym and had to be sounded as No Chants.

52. Intensify: DEEPEN.

54. Refers to: CITES.  What happens when two bibliographies go on a date?  Love at first CITE.

55. Put on a pedestal: EXALT.

59. CARE and WWF: NGOS.  Non Governmental OrganizationS

60. This, in Spanish: ESTO.  Otra de las lecciones de español de hoy.

61. General with a chicken dish: TSO.

63. Tiger Stadium sch.: LSU.  Louisiana State University

64. Filmmaker Burns: KEN.  Too many credits to list here.  But not here:  Ken Burns Films

That's all the shop talk for today.  I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

__________________________________

Talking Shop
MM Out

Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Lee Taylor

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here (from Crested Butte, Colorado this fine fall day) with the recap of a puzzle by Lee Taylor.

Today, Lee does not give us a reveal / unifier.   Instead he offers us clues in which portions of the answers are hidden in plain sight.  Those clues provide us with the letters comprising both beginning and the end of the sought-after answer.  In the clues, those pieces are combined into a single word.  In the answers, those pieces are split apart and each part is a portion of one of the two words that form the answer.   One way to approach answering the clues is to ignore the second part of each clue.  Another approach is to use the second part of each clue as a source of the beginning and end of each answer.  It's simpler than I have made it sound.  Take a look at the four themers to see:

18 Across:  Slasher flick actress on a split screen?: SCREAM QUEEN.  SCREEN has been split.

25 Across:  Merchant Ivory works featuring split peas?: PERIOD DRAMAS.  Merchant Ivory is a film production company.  PEAS has been split.

44 Across:  Auras around people with split ends?: ENERGY FIELDS.  ENDS has been split.

59 Across:  Lack of recognition for working a split shift?: SHORT SHRIFT.  SHIFT has been split.

This is how everything appears in the grid:

Other than the themed responses above, here are the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Place to retire: BED.  Retire as in go to sleep not as in to stop working.

4. Let gravity do most of the work, perhaps: COAST.  Sled prices are too damn high but you can find a good deal if you're willing toboggan.

9. Estrangements: RIFTS.

14. "Rules __ rules": ARE.  The motto of my gym's Silver Sneakers instructors.

15. Infuriate: ANGER.  ANGER as a verb.

16. Salon abrasive: EMERY.

17. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.

20. Summer quaff: ICED TEA.

22. Links: COUPLES.  Not links as in golf course.  And not couples as in groups of two people.  Used as a verb.  To link, or COUPLE, things together.  Think, for example, railroad cars.

23. Emmy and Grammy winner Burnett: CAROL.  See also 65 Across.

24. Sandwich shop: DELI.  I went to a deli and said, "I'd like to buy a bagel with cream cheese."  The kid behind the counter replied, "Sorry we only take cash or credit cards."

32. Protective cover: TARP.  A group of bedazzled TARPs and a bunch of poles walk into a restaurant and order some stakes....Things became pretty tents.

35. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.  Someone wrote a poem about the sounds made by dogs. It can only be read if you scan it first.  It's a bark ODE.

36. Slowly wear down: ERODE.  Slowly deconstruct.

37. Develops over time: EVOLVES.  Slowly create.  Nice juxtaposition.

39. Dish garnished with peanuts and lime: PAD THAI.

41. Marisa with a cameo in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day": TOMEI.  Perhaps best known for her work in the movie "My Cousin Vinny".

42. Have a cold, say: AIL.

43. Schools of thought: ISMS.  The suffix (pluralized).

48. Close by: NEAR.  "Work until" wouldn't fit the allotted space.

49. Chemistry class models: ATOMS.

53. Willing to wait a long time: PATIENT.

57. Sure thing: SAFE BET.

61. Nest egg letters: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account

62. Camp David Accords figure: SADAT.

Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat

63. Eight-related: OCTAL.

64. Start of a pencil game: TIC.

65. Oscar and Grammy winner Burnett: T BONE. T BONE Burnett is a legendary music producer and musician.   See also 23 Across.  Nice touch.  Among many other works, T BONE produced the sound track for the film "O Brother Where Art Thou".

66. Tabloid TV host Povich: MAURY.

67. Squalid space: STY.

Down:

1. No-frills: BASIC.

2. "I Luh God" singer Campbell: ERICA.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

3. Prevent: DETER.

4. Neuschwanstein __: CASTLE.  The model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

5. As soon as: ONCE.

6. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA.  Often visited in our puzzles and often clued with reference to the Taj Mahal.

7. "What'd I tell you?": SEE.  Get it?

8. Copied, in a way: TRACED.  Copied exactly.  Handy for forgery.

9. Not elective: REQUIRED.  Ah, college days !

10. "My turn!": I'M UP.

11. Have a hunch: FEEL.

12. Sequoia, e.g.: TREE.  Also the name of a Toyota SUV.

13. Thesaurus entries: Abbr.: SYNS.  SYNOMYMS

19. Blue part of blue cheese: MOLD.

21. __ radar: DOPPLER.  All You Might Want To Know

24. A deer, a female deer: DOE.

26. School of tomorrow?: ROE.  As in a school of fish - with ROE being fish eggs.

27. Puts a name to: IDS.  IDentifieS

28. Skilled performer: ARTISTE.  An "Artist" creates art, encompassing painters, sculptors, and more. An "ARTISTE" typically refers to a skilled performer, like a singer or dancer.

29. Mineralogist with a hardness scale: MOHS.  Not to be confused with Moe's Hardness Scale.

30. Scott of "Severance": ADAM.  ADAM also played Ben Wyatt in "Parks and Recreation".

31. Cuatro y dos: SEIS.  Lección de español y matemáticas de hoy.

32. Spot for un chapeau: TETE.  Leçon de français du jour.

33. Mary Kay rival: AVON.

34. City on the Tiber: ROME.

38. Brief scene: VIGNETTE.

39. Dessert for Little Jack Horner: PIE.

40. ATV component: ALL.  Not a component of an actual All Terrain Vehicle.  A component of the name ALL Terrain Vehicle.

42. Atmosphere: AIR.

45. Hankerings: YENS.  URGES was too long.

46. Fully grasp: FATHOM.  FATHOM has several meanings.  In this case, to understand.

47. In a senseless way: DAFTLY.  Not to be confused with DEFTLY.

50. Memorial bios: OBITS.  OBITUARIES

51. Warrant: MERIT.  Not a search or arrest warrant.  Earned.

52. London of "What Not To Wear": STACY.  NIMW.  Thanks, perps.

53. Discreet summons: PSST.  A sound often heard in our puzzles.

54. Ishmael's captain: AHAB.  A monomaniacal sea captain who often visits our puzzles.

55. Brouhaha: TO DO.

56. Setting of the graphic novel "Persepolis": IRAN.

57. In __: as found: SITU.  In situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the place' or 'on site'.  The term refers to studying or working with something in its natural or original location rather than moving it elsewhere. 

58. Over yonder: AFAR.  Not in the Dickensian sense.

60. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

Well, I guess that it is time to split.  Have a great Wednesday.

__________________________________

M.M. Out

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Derek Hinsey

 

Good Tuesday Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here (yes, you read that correctly) pinch hitting for our witty and insightful Hahtoolah with the recap of a Tuesday puzzle.  That's twice in one week for this blogger bringing new meaning to semi-retirement.  I know that you all will miss, among other things, the wonderful cartoons that Hahtoolah finds, sorts through, chooses and shares with us but I will try to make up for that lack somehow.

In this, his LAT debut, constructor Derek Hinsey has riffed on a theme where the compound word answers to the five themed-clues can each be split into two parts (duh, M.M, that's why they call them compound words).  Each of those now-separated words can be combined with the word POINT to form a common expression.  Let's start with the reveal:

58 Across:  Slam dunk's value, or what 16-, 23-, 34-, 36-, and 49-Across have: TWO POINTS.  A basketball reference that is used here, instead, to indicate that each answer contains two "pointed" references.

Here are the five places where the gimmick is employed:

16 Across:  Major multistate lottery: POWERBALL.  POWERPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft. It was originally released in 1987.  A BALL Point is, of course, a type of pen.

23 Across:  Opening bid: STARTING PRICE.  The STARTING point is when/where to begin and the PRICE point denotes the niche in the market price-wise (the price point of a Cadillac, for example, places it in competition with other luxury vehicles.

34 Across:  Final part of a chess match: END GAME.  The END point is where, well, something stops and GAME point is a sports reference for what might turn out to be the final play of a game.

36 Across:  Florida home of the Harry S. Truman Little White House: KEY WEST.  A KEY point is the gist of the matter and WEST Point is the U.S. military academy.

49. Cool way to keep food fresh?: FLASH FREEZING.  FLASH FREEZING is a rapid freezing process that uses cryogenic temperatures, such as liquid nitrogen at −196 °C (−320.8 °F), to quickly freeze an object for food and tissue preservation. A FLASH point the origin of a conflagration (physical or intellectual) and the FREEZING point is where water turns to ice.

This is how the completed grid appears:

Here are the more numerous non-themed clues and answers:

Across:

1. "Furthermore ... ": PLUS.  Hand up for first thinking of ALSO which we then got at 65 Across.

5. Moral transgressions: SINS.  Everyone knows Las Vegas is SIN City but are you familiar with Den City?  Mass over volume.

9. Picnic race bag: SACK.

13. + or - particles: IONS.  I went online and ordered some atoms but received IONS  instead.  They replaced them free of charge.

14. Need ibuprofen, say: ACHE.

15. Stash: CACHE.  The juxtaposition with ACHE is interesting.  Should CACHE be pronounced like CAKE?

18. Salsa ingredient: ONION.

19. Music genre with Jamaican roots: SKA.  A genre with which most regular solvers are quite familiar. . . at least in name.

20. Japanese currency: YEN.

21. Began gradually: EASED IN.

26. __ Allen furniture: ETHAN.  All You Might Wish To Know

28. Dog's warning sound: SNARL.

29. Animation frame: CEL.  Back in the day when cartoons were hand drawn the movement was achieved by drawing and then photographing a series of individual, slightly altered hand painted CELs.  Now it's all computer generated.

30. Sharp-witted: KEEN.

31. Short time?: SEC.  Shortened form of SECond

32. Break a fast: EAT.  Sometimes you can get two points on a fast break.

40. Buckeyes' sch.: OSU.

41. Way cool: RAD.  80's slang.  Bitchen.  Far out.  Groovy.  Boss.

42. __ vera: ALOE.  A plant that seems to thrive in our puzzles

43. Six-pack muscles: ABS.  ABdominal MuscleS

46. "Jurassic World" actor Chris: PRATT.  Thanks, perps.

48. Demon: FIEND.

52. Let go: RELEASE.  Ever hear Eddie Izzard riff on this guy's name?

53. Meh, slangily: MID.  New to this solver but it does make sense.

54. Viper in 43-Down: ASP.  How's your ASP been? (a skier's joke).

57. Volunteer's phrase: I WILL.

61. Long for: COVET.  As in "Thou shall not COVET."

62. Door fastener: HASP.

63. Important cards in solitaire: ACES.  Important in many card games.

64. Santa __: hot California winds: ANAS.  Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry winds that blow from inland desert areas across coastal Southern California, often bringing hot, dry conditions and very low humidity.

65. "Furthermore ... ": ALSO.  See ALSO 1 Across.

66. Small salamander: NEWT.

Down:

1. Domino spots: PIPS.  By definition.

2. "Check this out": LOOK.

3. Like dirty dishes: UNWASHED.

4. NNW opposite: SSE.  A direction/navigation reference.

5. Curved fencing sword: SABER.

6. "Down in front!": I CANT SEE.

7. Anaheim Ducks' org.: NHL.  National Hockey League

8. Gomez of "Only Murders in the Building": SELENA.

9. More rational: SANER.

10. Not basic, in chemistry: ACIDIC.

11. Beef grade below prime: CHOICE.

12. Animal shelter shelter: KENNEL.

15. Dress up at a fan convention: COSPLAY.  From COStume

17. Olympic swimmer Lochte: RYAN.

22. "I was thinking the same thing": AGREED.

24. Dramatic ballroom dance: TANGO.

25. LLC alternative: INC.  Forms of business organizations.

26. __ out a win: EKE.

27. Square root of 100: TEN.

31. Blue cartoon characters: SMURFS.

33. Creator of Finn and Sawyer: TWAIN.

35. Parking lot surface: ASPHALT.

36. Supermodel who is a contributing editor for British Vogue: KATE MOSS.

37. Refinement: ELEGANCE.

38. Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt: SON.

39. Apple TV's "__ Lasso": TED.

41. GPS suggestion: RTE.  RouTE

43. Continent with the most countries: AFRICA.  There are 54 countries in Africa according to the United Nations.

44. Tried to cool down, as hot soup: BLEW ON.

45. DNA sample source: SALIVA.  SWAB was too short.

47. Soul legend Franklin: ARETHA.

48. Classic dog name: FIDO.  

The name FIDO comes from the Latin word "fidus," meaning "faithful." It became widely associated with dogs due to President Abraham Lincoln's pet dog, Fido, who was well-known during his time.

50. 1990s tennis star Monica: SELES.

51. Zilch: ZIPPO.  Slangy

55. Hearty meal: STEW.

56. Quiet "Hey!": PSST.  A summons frequently heard in our puzzles.

59. "The __-Mart Effect": 2006 economics book: WAL.

60. Bond novelist Fleming: IAN.

Well, there are only two more points to make today . . .

__________________________________________

That's Manatee, M. Manatee
MM Out