Saturday August 30, 2025, Brian Callahan & Matthew Luter

 Saturday Themeless by Brian Callahan & Matthew Luter

I had a very quick liftoff on Brian and Matthew's puzzle but there were a few, "Gary, we have a
problem" events that took some in-flight adjustments. Eventually, "Crossword base here, the puzzle has landed!" Too much space? 😀

Brian and Matthew are shown below l -> r.

 

Across:

1. Jimmy who plays Senator Bail Organa: SMITS - Five letter Jimmy actors are few and far between. Jimmy joined the Star Wars troupe

6. Luge, e.g.: SLED - 80mph on a lunch tray? Yikes!

10. Focus of a theme park that began in Billund, Denmark: LEGO.

14. Like the Igbo language: TONAL A dialect heard in Nigeria. One word can mean many things

15. Upbeat greeting: HI YA and 24. Upbeat greeting: HEY. Sup?

16. Brute: OGRE.

17. Unstable: ROCKY.

18. One reading supertitles, maybe: OPERA GOER - Translations projected above the stage.

Oh, that's what they're singing.

20. "Voyage to India" singer: ARIE and 7. "New Rules" singer Dua: LIPA - Both are often in concert in our puzzles.

  
 

21. Aggressive headspace: BEAST MODE.

22. Places for boxers to be washed: PET SPAS 😀

25. One who is a pro at getting into people's heads?: ENT - This one got me started on CPAP

27. Loved ones: DEARS.

28. Currency of Ont.: CAD - A Big Mac costs #7.81 CAD ($5.66 USD)

29. Emotion that leads to suffering, per Yoda: HATE.

30. Felt for: PITIED.

32. "Def!": TOTES - Using TOTES for totally and Def for definitely is cringy slang for me

33. "What bizarre behavior!": WHO EVEN DOES THAT.

37. Adjust, as a lock: REKEY.

38. Flap on a zebu: DEWLAP - Under his neck

39. "The Demon of Unrest" author Larson: ERIK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

40. Apple platform: IOS - My iPhone uses IOS and my MacBook uses OSX

41. Plagiarizes: CRIBS - Cheating by any other name is still the same

44. Winter libation: NOG.

45. "Yo te __": AMO.

I love you more!
No, I love you more!

46. Dupe: MISLEAD.

48. Letters in the sand?: BEACH READ 😀

51. New York stadium namesake: ASHE - I had to anagram SHEA to get to the correct fill
 
52. Doesn't travel far for fare: EATS LOCAL.

53. Plagiarize: STEAL - Plagiarize redux

54. Small deviation: BLIP.

55. "Crying in H __": Michelle Zauner memoir: MART ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

56. Numerical prefix: TETRA - Carbon TETRAchloride has four chlorine atoms bonded to one Carbon atom.

57. Short diner orders: BLT'S.

58. Amazon Handmade alternative: ETSY.

59. Literature exam component: ESSAY.

Down:

1. Guitar attachment: STRAP - Some are personalized.

2. Tied fast: MOORED - Fast is an adjective here

3. Provoke: INCITE.

4. Looks between one's fingers, perhaps: TAKES A PEEK.

5. Artful: SLY.

6. They're usually around two feet: SHOES 😀

8. Palette array: EYE SHADOW.

9. Flitted: DARTED.

10. Trademarked image: LOGO.

11. Phase of self-surrender in Joseph Campbell's hero's journey: EGO DEATH ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

12. Mochi option: GREEN TEA.

13. Whitman's "Gliding __ All": OER.

19. Acker of "The Gifted": AMY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  She's on the right

21. Keep moist, in a way: BASTE.

23. Head outside?: PRIVY 😀 A bathroom on a ship is called a head but I doubt if they are outside like this one. 

26. __ cricket: TEST - This is the most prestigious form of cricket. I don't understand that or the game at all.

28. Gives up: CEDES.

29. Baking exercise?: HOT PILATES - The same exercises done in a hotter room. 

31. Family member with a window to the world: INDOOR CAT - The tags on our Lily are superfluous now because she is a strict INDOOR CAT.

32. Pre-1917 rulers: TSARS.

33. Architect Christopher: WREN - A lovely two-minute bio

34. Flashy moves from a selfish hoopster: HERO BALL - A basketball player is said to be playing HERO BALL when he selfishly tries to take over the game especially at the end. I always think of James Hardin.

35. "Fine, you made your point!": OK I GET IT.

36. Castilian hero: EL CID.

40. Text after a long journey: I'M HOME.

42. Plagues: BESETS.

43. Bogart film set in the desert: SAHARA - 1943 vintage

45. Knee pt.: ACL - Tearing it has ended many athletic careers

46. Like brown ale: MALTY - Sounded right

47. Push back: DELAY.

49. Hieroglyphic animals: ASPS.

50. Hearing things: EARS 😀

52. Subside: EBB.

53. Fr. title: STE - An abbreviation. for a female saint 

Friday, January 24, 2025, Matthew Luter

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Matthew Luter.  Matthew has his own website:  Matthew Luter Crosswords .   

Let's start right off with the reveal:

60 Across:  Suffer disgrace, or what the starred clues must do as a set to match their answers?: LOSE FACE.

This solver had to ponder things for a while until the "gimmick" reared its not-so-ugly head.  It turned out to be quite straight forward.  We are asked to drop (LOSE) parts of the FACE from the following clues and to then use what remains as the hint.  All of the answers to the starred clues are comprised of two words:

17 Across:  *Evil eyes: SUPER BAD.

24 Across:  *Stuffy nose: STRAIT LACED.

36 Across:  *Smart mouth: WELL DRESSED.

50 Across:  *Double chin: MIRROR IMAGE.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

Here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Billiard table accessory: RACK.

Nice

5. Natl. Pizza Mo.: OCT.  Isn't every month?

8. Stay behind: SHADOW.  FOLLOW would have fit the space and the OW would have worked but sent the solver off on a tangent.

14. Sultanate on the Arabian peninsula: OMAN.   A frequent destination in our puzzles.

15. Massage: RUB.

16. Ford model named for a city: TORINO.

19. Less prosperous: POORER.

20. "Whenever you're done talking ... ": I'LL WAIT.

21. Word with cat or power: NAP.

22. Course for intl. students: ESL.  Abbreviated clue . . .  English as a Second Language

23. Driving aid: TEE.  A golfing reference.

27. Story that might be dark and creepy: ATTIC.  Not a ghost story.   The uppermost level of your house.

29. Unrefined resource: ORE.  What did the Wicked Witch of the West say when she extracted metal from ORE?  I’m smelting!  I’m smelting!

30. Pays to play: ANTES.  Amounts often paid up front in puzzles.

31. Closest pals: FAM.  Not sure if FAM-ily equates to pals.  Perhaps, slang-ily.

33. Channel that often airs films in letterbox format: TCM.

35. HS proficiency test: GED.

39. Cleveland pro: CAV.  An National Basketball Association reference.  Abbreviated clue . . .

40. Sketch on a dust jacket: BIO.  Not a work of art.   A brief description (sketch) of the author's life.

41. Semisolid hair product: GEL.

42. Render unreadable, in a way: SHRED.

44. Grasped: GOT.

46. Yogurt-based dip: RAITA.  Yogurt, cucumber, onion, herbs, spices.

53. Flash __: MOB.  A relatively recent phenomenon.

54. __ whim: ON A.

55. After expenses: NET.

56. Party bites: CANAPES.

58. Ride for a few days: RENTAL.  Hand up for first trying LOANER.

61. __ planning: ESTATE.

62. Electric guitarist's need: AMP.

63. Mathematician Turing: ALAN.  A frequent visitor.  ALAN Turing

64. Insect's legs, e.g.: SESTET.  By definition.

65. "As I __ saying ... ": WAS.

66. Riveted: RAPT.  Not as in Rosie The Riveter.

Down:

1. Guitar-playing "Sesame Street" Muppet: ROSITA.

2. Protective talisman: AMULET.

3. Coated pill: CAPLET.

4. "Who __?": KNEW.  We did.

5. Go around: ORBIT.  Scientists recently spent 24 hours observing the moon ORBIT around earth.  Then they got bored and called it a day.

6. Dos y dos: CUATRO.   Today's arithmetic lesson en español.

7. Short "We'll announce this later": TBD.  To Be Determined.  

8. Parade VIP: ST. PAT.  Abbreviated . . .

9. Brouhaha: HOOPLA.

10. Person who prefers platonic relationships, for short: ARO.  From AROmantic.  An ARO person may never develop a crush on a person, or envision themselves entering a romantic relationship with someone.

11. Led: DIRECTED.

12. Bracket favorite: ONE SEED.  A sports reference.

13. Best of both __: WORLDS.

18. Mischievous type: RASCAL.  A dog comes limping into the old west saloon.  The bartender asks if he can help the dog with anything.  The dog says, "I'm lookin' for the low down RASCAL  who shot my paw."

21. Female kin: NIECE.

25. School space that's full of drawers: ART ROOM.  Not drawers as in your kitchen or bathroom - or drawers as underwear.  Used here literally.   People who draw pictures,.

26. Actress Bassett: ANGELA.  One T is the hound.

28. "In the event that ... ": IF EVER.

32. Org. with a summer All-Star break: MLB.

34. Umami source, briefly: MSG.  Umami is the fifth basic taste (bitter, sweet, salt, sour, umami). It is a complex and savory flavor that comes from glutamate-rich foods like cheese, seaweed, and mushrooms (or added MonSodium Glutamate).

36. Calls for: WARRANTS.  As in this WARRANTS a closer look.

37. Numeral: DIGIT.  Choose any number between 2 and 8. Multiply by 4, and then add 3.  Now reverse the DIGITS and close your eyes.  Dark, wasn’t it?

38. Pleasantly calm: SERENE.

39. One official language of the U.N.: CHINESE.

42. Gooey sandwiches: S'MORES.

43. Act charitably: DONATE.

45. Seattle's airport-sharing neighbor: TACOMA.

47. Chevy model named for an animal: IMPALA.

48. Steel part of a work boot: TOE CAP.

49. __-minded: ABSENT.

51. Sublease: RE-LET.

52. Shocked sounds: GASPS.  A Tibetan monk was preparing his morning toast when he saw, in the margarine, the face of Jesus. He GASPED and said, "I can't believe it's not Buddha."

57. Nowhere near: AFAR.  Whence the three kings traveled.

59. Ink spot?: TAT.  ... and a good excuse for a song.

60. Grisham's field: LAW.

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