Friday, November 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malordorous Manatee here hoping that everyone shared a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with family and friends.   Now, however, it is time to shake off those trytophan-induced food comas and take a look at a Friday puzzles by Wendy Brandes.  The theme of the puzzle seems appropriate both because yours truly has recently taken several days (weeks) off and because many people have today off from work/school.  Let's start with the unifier:

62 Across.  "You need some time away from work," and how to make the starred clues match their answers: TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF.

At three places in the grid (with their clues bearing stars) we need to drop an abbreviation for a day of the week from the clue in order to make the answers fit those clues.  The days of the the are consecuitve and we can only specultate as to whether or not that elegant twist was intended.

17 Across. *Bucket list entries?: LIFE LONG FRIENDS.  Drop the FRI(day) and the result is a group of life long ambitions.

27 Across. *Result of being left off a guest list?: SOCIAL SATIRE.  Drop the SAT(urday) and the result is SOCIAL IRE.  One might be angry for missing out on a social activity.

48 Across. *Big victory for the Mets or the Yankees, e.g.?: SUNNY DELIGHT.  Drop the SUN(day) and many folks in the Big Apple will be delighted with the win.  Without the "drop" it's a drink.

The completed grid looks like this:

Below are the rest of the clues and and answers.  Note that there are ten to thirteen names/proper nouns depending on what you wish to include (e.g. NASCAR) which seems to this blogger to be in line with current trends in the crossword world.

Across:

1. "Good to go!": ALL SET.

7. Happy dances: JIGS.

11. Spice mixture: RUB.  Common in BBQ circles.  Here's a link to one of the Manatee's favorite rubs:  Amazing Ribs - Memphis Dust Rub

14. Water heater: BOILER.

15. Again: ANEW.

16. Actress de Armas: ANA.

20. East, in Spanish: ESTE.

21. Had on: WORE.

22. Oft-turned things in a spy thriller: PAGES.

23. Implored: PLED.

25. Witty: CLEVER.

31. Show appreciation: THANK.

32. Jewel: GEM.

33. City choker: SMOG.

37. Broadcast: AIR.  Used as a verb.

38. Made secret, in a way: ENCODED.

42. Had oatmeal, say: ATE.  Clued this way there are countless substitutes for oatmeal.

43. Used cars?: RODE.  Used was used as a verb in the clue (and not used as an adjective).

45. B+, e.g.: ION.  B being the symbol for the element boron and the plus sign indicating an ION.

46. "High School Musical" actor Zac: EFRON.

52. Not commissioned: ON SPEC.  As in to speculate.

54. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.  Made famous by the Jula Roberts film.

55. "To repeat ... ": I SAID.  Don't you make Al repeat it . . .

56. Crowd sound: ROAR.

58. British tennis player Raducanu: EMMA.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

65. __ out a win: EKE.

66. Reusable shopping bag: TOTE.

67. Org. that might have a Mustang circling a track: NASCAR.  Not a horse racing reference.  A Ford Motor Company reference.

68. Irate: MAD.  My girlfriend  got mad at me because I wouldn’t stop singing “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. At first, I thought she was kidding.  But then I saw her face.

69. Peepers: EYES.

70. Indignant retort: DOES SO.


Down:

1. Qualified: ABLE.

2. "Number the Stars" novelist Lowry: LOIS.

3. Big moment in a pairs figure skating routine: LIFT.

4. Hit the snooze button, perhaps: SLEEP IN

5. Dragon roll fish: EEL.  With apologies to Dean Martin, Harry Warren and Jack Brooks:

When you swim in the creek, and an eel bites your cheek.  That's a moray.   When the moon hits the sand and an eel bites your hand  That's a moray.

6. Masonry tool: TROWEL.  What do you call a tech-savvy shovel?  An internet trowel.

7. Jaromír who is the oldest NHL player to record a hat trick: JAGR.

8. Passed on a bug to: INFECTED.

9. Eur. land: GER.  GERmany is in EURope.

10. Thief on "Dora the Explorer": SWIPER.

11. Spot for burners: RANGE.  As in what we cook on.

12. Below: UNDER.

13. Low voice: BASS.

18. Go-aheads: NODS.  Approvals.

19. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.  True but a bit of a stretch.

24. Winnebago, e.g.: LAKE.  RV was too short. 

26. Flavor of green Skittles: LIME.

27. Lead: STAR.  Hmm.  The clue/answer could be either a pair of nouns or verbs.

28. Home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: OHIO.

29. Part of a hand: CARD.  Palm would have fit.

30. Ecstasy's opposite: AGONY.

34. Actress Helgenberger: MARG.

35. Texter's "Let's look at this a different way": OTOH.  On The Other Hand

36. Fellow: GENT.

39. First number in Hawaiian ZIP codes: NINE.

40. Grounded in reality: CONCRETE.

41. Grocery section: DELI.

44. Always Morphing nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Some of us know ESSIE, Opi and Ulta well . . .but only from our puzzles. 

47. Delicacy: FINESSE.  Not something to eat.  Tact.  Looks sorta like ESSIE.

49. App release: UPDATE.

50. Out of power: DEAD.  Could have been clued Grateful ______ .

51. Entry on a to-do list: ERRAND.  Chore and task were both too short.

52. Honshu port city: OSAKA.

53. Bare: NAKED.

55. Tabloid pair: ITEM.

57. Needs to pay back: OWES.

59. Comfy shoes, for short: MOCS.  Moccasins

60. Some design degs.: MFAS.  Master of Fine ArtS

61. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.  The hairstyle is not really "natural" despite often being clued this way.

63. "The Crown" actress Claire: FOY.

64. NBA legend Ming: YAO.  A basketball reference.

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  For those who are interested, the travels went smoothly although we were surprised by this fellow upon turning a corner in Tokyo:

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Friday, October 3, 2025, Alan Southworth

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle created by Alan Southworth.  Alan made his NYT debut in 2018.  I did not find a previous label for Alan on the Corner blog site so this may be his debut in the LAT.

Today's theme is pretty straightforward (as so many of them are once we "grok" them) so let's start with the reveal:

54 Across:  "I can't see through you!," and what's needed to complete 17-, 24-, 33-, and 45-Across?: DOWN IN FRONT.

We are asked to mentally add the word DOWN in front of the themed answers completed in the grid in order to derive the correct/complete answers to those clues.

Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:

17 Across:  Said, "Skipping school isn't a big deal," say?:  (DOWN) PLAYED HOOKY.

24 Across:  Australian-themed amusement park?:  (DOWN) UNDER WORLD.  Down Under being a nickname for Australia. . .

33 Across:  Unused vacation days, essentially?:  (DOWN) TIME TO SPARE.  Extra downtime.

45 Across:  Recession indicator?:  (DOWN) TURN SIGNAL.  An indicator of an economic down turn.

Here is the completed grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Cold nuggets: ICE.  Anyone misread this as Gold nuggets?

4. Fluffy accessory: BOA.  What’s the difference between a BOA and a Python?  A Python doesn’t have feathers.

7. Bus. type: LLC. Limited Liability Company

10. "Last four digits" ID: SSN.

13. Some Argentine reds: MALBECS.  MALBEC  is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine.

15. Lock insert: OAR.  Not a door lock reference.  A rowing reference.

16. GPS prediction that accounts for traffic: ETA.  Stands for Estimated Time of Arrival, but, much like SSN, now stands on its own.

19. Iran neighbor: Abbr.: PAK.  PAKistan

20. Fails to mention: OMITS.

21. Game cube: DIE.  Singular of dice.

22. Mother in a stable family?: MARE.  Stable as in where horses might reside.

23. Philosopher Descartes: RENE.  Along with RENE Magritte, a frequent visitor.

27. __ table: TRESTLE.

29. Online biz: ETAIL.  A portmanteau often seen in our puzzles.  Electronic retailing.

30. Berry touted as a superfood: ACAI.  Frequently consumed in our puzzles.

32. Crewmate of Sulu and Bones: SCOTTY.  A Star Trek reference.  Remember "The Monster Mash"?  Bobby "Boris" Pickett also came up with this in 1975:

Star Drek

36. Learn backward and forward: MASTER.

38. Laura Lippman genre: NOIR.  Laura Lippman is an American journalist and author of over 20 detective fiction novels. Her novels have won multiple awards, including an Agatha Award, seven Anthony Awards, two Barry Awards, an Edgar Award, a Gumshoe Award, a Macavity Award, a Nero Award, two Shamus Awards, and two Strand Critics Award.

39. Carrier renamed in 1997: US AIR.  All you (might) want to know:  Wiki - US Airways

40. Says grace over, say: BLESSES.  Here's one:

Heavenly Father, As we stand before this microwave-made marvel, we bow our heads and ask for a touch of guidance. Bless us with the wisdom to interpret cooking times without triggering popcorn explosions.  May our reheated leftovers be as satisfying as the first time around, and may our mealtime excitement far exceed our microwave’s ding. With gratitude for modern convenience and a sprinkle of humor, we pray, Amen

49. __ Scotia: NOVA.

50. Locale of the 2018, 2020, and 2022 Olympics: ASIA.  South Korea, Japan, China.

51. Murmur: COO.

52. Group of talking heads: PANEL.

53. Word with school or party: BUS.

57. Not long. for this world?: LAT.  Longitude and LATitude.  The dot after the long. abbreviation was the tip off.

58. Airbnb alternative: INN.

59. Whistle blower: REFEREE.  A clue to be taken literally and not idiomatically.

60. High trains: ELS.  Famous ones run through Chicago.

61. Ed.'s pile: MSS.  ManuScriptS

62. Having everything one needs: SET.  My record collection includes Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Tom Petty. It’s almost a full Heartland Rock SET . . . Close, but no Seger.

63. Go on to say: ADD.

Down:

1. Significance: IMPORT.  Not as in to bring goods into a country from abroad.  Used, here, as a noun.

2. Less windy: CALMER.  Also, how we may feel after completing the puzzle.

3. Paige known as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre": ELAINE.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

4. Some drones: BEES.  Not the kind of drones that deliver packages, spy on us and deliver explosives.

5. Med. condition with repetitive behavior: OCD.

6. Fire proof?: ASH.  Not fire resistant.  Evidence of a fire.

7. Sarge's superior: LOOIE.  Slang.  Sergeant and Lieutenant.

8. Luka Doncic, for one: LAKER.  A basketball reference.

9. Weep: CRY.

10. Not together: SEPARATE.  Apart.

11. Like a clear night: STARLIT.   A well known example by Van Gough:

12. With nothing to hide: NAKEDLY.  Hmmm.   Quite the job of teeing things up but we'll keep it safe for work by presenting, instead, a wonderful book that this solver read nearly thirty years ago.

14. Data units: BYTES.  A computer reference.

18. Like half the numbers on a 21-Across: ODD.

22. The "Mo" of Motown: MOTOR.  Detroit aka MOTOR City.

24. Stomach woe: ULCER.

25. Not on the rocks: NEAT.  A reference as to how alcohol might be served.

26. "You're important to us": WE CARE.

28. Big cat handlers: TAMERS.

31. Cyclotron particle: ION.

32. "__ the tea!": SPILL.  Colloquialism for gossiping.

33. Romanov supporters: TSARISTS.

34. Turner memoir: I TINA.  Not Nat Turner.  Not Ted Turner.

35. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA.

36. Not set in stone: MUTABLE.  More often seen as its opposite, IMMUTABLE.

37. Just like always: AS USUAL.  Not mutable, I suppose.

41. Catch: SNARE.

42. Hermosillo's state: SONORA.  This time the state is in Mexico (although it does border the USA).

43. Leveled (out): EVENED.

44. Like some peanuts and winter roads: SALTED.

46. Clicked images: ICONS.  A computer, or cell phone, screen reference.  What would happen if we were to click on a Pop Icon?

47. Met Gala interview topics: GOWNS.  . . .  and who are you wearing?

48. Starter start: NON.  A couple of weeks ago we had NAAN Profit.

52. Scoffing sound: PFFT.  Punt!

54. Not bright: DIM. I got tired of flipping the little switch on my rear view mirror to DIM the reflected headlights.  So I removed the whole mirror.  I haven’t looked back since.

55. E-file org.: IRS.

56. Once named: NEE.  As in Jacqueline Kennedy NEE Bouvier.

Well, we have now gone completely DOWN the list of clues so that will have to do it for today.  Yours truly will once again (what, again?) be taking some time off to  travel.  First to Japan "just for the halibut" and then to NYC for the Bat Mitzvah of a long-time friend's granddaughter.  

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Friday, September 19, 2025, Zhou Zhang

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from the Rocky Mountains with a recap of a puzzle by Zhou Zhang.  Hmm, both of our names are alliterative.  That and five dollars will get you a cup of coffee.

Let's jump right in with the unifier:

66 Across:  Fueled up before a big race, or a description of the answers to the starred clues?: CARBO LOADED.

Each of the following four theme answers references a form of carbohydrate:

19 Across:  *Earnings for a restaurant with a tandoor?: NAAN PROFITS.  FROM NON PROFITS.  With this erudite crowd there's no need to explain what NAAN is.

25 Across:  *Bun that's a really big hit?: STARRING ROLL.  From STARRING ROLE

43 Across:  *One who eats the same brand of corn flakes every morning?: CEREAL MONOGAMIST.  From SERIAL MONOGAMIST

55 Across:  *Ciabatta Chihuahua or pumpernickel Pomeranian?: PURE BREAD DOG.  From PUREBRED DOG.

This is how the completed grid looks:

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

Across:

1. __ second: LEAP.  Hand up for first thinking something along the lines of NANO second.

5. Percussion troupe since 1991: STOMP.

10. Prickly plants: CACTI.

15. Cream alternative: ECRU.  Not a reference to a dairy product.  Not a reference to a super group band.  Not slang for trouncing.  A reference to a color.

16. Eaglet's home: AERIE.

17. Astronaut Ochoa: ELLEN.  All You Might Want To Know

18. Tons: A LOT.

21. Handles: NAMES.  Handle, in this case, being slang for, well, NAME.

23. Bill: NOTE.  As in "C-note" or banknote

24. Each: A POP.  Slang for apiece.

29. Japanese artist and peace activist: ONO.  A frequent visitor.

30. Fuss: TODO.

31. Crocheter's stash: YARN.

33. Yearning: ITCH.

36. Large mammals in matrilineal groups: ORCAS.  "Large mammals" would have sufficed.

40. Paint option: MATTE.  Gloss.  Semi-gloss.  Flat.

46. Ages: YEARS.  It makes more sense in French.  Par exemple:  Quel age avez vous?  J'ai soixante-quinze ans.

47. Panache: STYLE.

48. Wasabi __: PEAS.  Tasty

49. Heroic deed: FEAT.  Finding Bigfoot would be no small FEAT.

51. Upfront stake: ANTE.  As in a poker game.

53. Beloved rock, e.g.: PET.  Remember the fad from the 1970's ?

62. Actor Idris: ELBA.  Another frequent visitor.

64. __ bean: LIMA.  Might have been clued as ____ , Ohio . . . or _____ Peru.

65. ID on a map: IDAHO.  Not a reference to identification.  A state's abbreviation.

70. Kiwi-shaped: OVAL.  Technically, OVOID.

71. Gobbled down: ATE UP.  Nice word play with down and up.

72. Backsplash installer: TILER.  The five florists I called earlier today knew absolutely nothing about laying carpet or tile.  And yet I’m the idiot....

73. Kite flyer's need: WIND.  If there's no WIND you must WIND up your kite string.

74. Grown efts: NEWTS.  Frequent amphibian visitors, both.

75. With a wink: SLYLY.

76. Confidentiality docs: NDAS.  Non Disclosure AgreementS have become a crossword staple.

Down:

1. Tends (toward): LEANS.

2. Pizzazz: ECLAT.

3. Feature of a rose garden in full bloom: AROMA.

4. "Shake on it": PUT 'ER THERE.

5. __ Diego: SAN.  It could have been DON Diego (de la Vega).

6. Leaves that might be red or read: TEA.  Nice word play with red and read.

7. Chimp kin: ORANG.  Chimpanzee / ORANGutan

8. Like a key that may evoke sadness: MINOR.

9. __-Bismol: PEPTO.

10. GM's Mary Barra, for one: CEO.  Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker.

11. Italian auto, familiarly: ALFA.  ALFA Romeo.

12. Neckwear suitable for a young child: CLIP ON TIE.  

13. Western Wyoming county: TETON.  How The Grand Tetons Got Their Name

14. Insta browsing goal, perhaps: INSPO.  INSPIRATION.  Meh . . . or maybe I am just of the wrong generation.

20. Depend (on): RELY.  

22. Sign of a packed house: SRO.  Standing Room Only

26. Adored celebrity: IDOL.

27. Benchmarks: NORMS.  If Al Yankovic wasn't weird he'd be called NORM Al.

28. Tibetan monk: LAMA.

32. Decreased: RAMPED DOWN.  Much more frequently used as RAMPED UP

33. Distant: ICY.  ICY what they tried to do here.

34. Wardrobe staple: TEE.

35. Concoction that might be pint-sized: CRAFT BREW.  Literally, pint sized.

37. Tent bed: COT.  If you sin 90 times, you'll only get caught 50% of the time because sin 90 = cot 45.

38. Vague amount: ANY.

39. Like a system that's revolutionary?: SOLAR.  A bit of a stretch but not completely off base.

41. PreCheck org.: TSA.

42. GRE org.: ETS.

44. "Stat!": ASAP.  As Soon As Possible

45. Inheritance factor: GENE.

50. Rock's Jethro __: TULL.  Fronted by Ian Anderson

52. __ chi: TAI.

53. Louisiana's state nut: PECAN.  Think pralines.

54. Overjoy: ELATE.  We are often ELATEd in our puzzles.

56. Hilarious folks: RIOTS.  An idiom that is often seen in our puzzles.

57. Username, often: EMAIL.

58. More than anything: BADLY. 

59. Naturalist Attenborough: DAVID.  Sir DAVID Frederick Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer.

60. Family, in Hawaiian: OHANA.  A straightforward definition.  Lilo and Stitch have popularized the word.

61. Gym chain that began in Venice Beach: GOLDS.  

63. Be next to: ABUT.  What does the seat of your pants ABUT?

67. Special __: OPS.

68. Fish that swims by generating waves: EEL.

69. Not sweet: DRY.  A wine reference.

. . . and always be sure to use an appropriate glass.

. . . Not a bad idea.  Cheers, everyone!

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