Monday September 8, 2025 Zachary David Levy

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here.  

Theme:                  Based on Ball Teams

Constructor Zachary David Levy pitched four fun themers our way:

17 Across. Cheap wines at some restaurants: HOUSE REDS.  A HOUSE wine is generally less expensive than other wines on the menu but they often fit with the cuisine. 

Tip:  If the restaurant has red checkered tablecloths, try the HOUSE RED. 

25 Across. Large planets made mostly of hydrogen and helium: GAS GIANTS.  

We have four GAS GIANTS in our solar system.

52 Across. Some sinister siblings: EVIL TWINS.  I thought of The Shining (1980). 

62 Across. Emissions that turned Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk: GAMMA RAYS.  

The Incredible Hulk   ~   opening sequence to the 1977 TV series (1 min.)

Today's reveal spans the equator:

39 Across. Rough estimates, and what can be found at the ends of 17-, 25-, 52-, and 62-Across: BALL PARK FIGURES.  This U.S. English idiom refers to guesses that are close enough to be useful but not expected to be exact.

Sometimes we see this answer as a clue for "umps" or "refs". Today it points to players on MLB teams. 

 Next up, the remaining clues:

Across:

1. "While we're on the subject ... ": ALSO.

5. Georgetown athlete: HOYA.  Does this answer wander into foul territory?

9. Flower part: PETAL.

14. Business VIPs: CEOS.

15. Resigned expression: ALAS.  

16. Egg-producing organ: OVARY.

19. Big cat hybrid: LIGER.  Napoleon Dynamite 'pretty much' owns this one.

20. Loose organization unit: PILE.  This one makes me think of sorting laundry.  

21. Increasingly quaint phone sound: DIAL TONE.  Quaint is used here to mean "pleasingly or strikingly old fashioned".

23. Massachusetts city that becomes a tourist hot spot in October: SALEM.  

Hot Spot indeed

26. In the style of: À LA.

27. Set eyes on: SEE.

29. Pull behind: TOW.  

My dog does not like being left at home
so I TOW her behind my hybrid bike.

30. Discount grocery chain: ALDI.  

Click to enlarge.

32. Writer/actress Issa: RAE.  Rae's 2015 memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became a New York Times bestseller.

34. "Well, shucks!": OH, GEE.

43. Turtle cover: SHELL.  CSO to Misty and Gophie!

44. Impossibly long stretch: EON.     and     28-Down. Notable period: ERA.

45. Wrongful act: TORT.  Def.:  (noun) a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction.

46. Tiebreakers, briefly: OTS.  sports overtimes

49. UFO occupants: ETS.  An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.

51. Illegal turn, maybe: UIE.  

This one came from across the pond.

57. According to: AS PER.

59. Hibachi-style restaurant chain: BENIHANA.  Nice fill!  

Benihana owns 69 teppanyaki-style restaurants, one Samarai restaurant, and 13 RA Sushi restaurants. This link goes to their FAQs page. Below is a 1 min. video of a Benihana chef's performance.

60. Go downhill fast?: SLED.  SLED is a verb here, meaning to ride a SLED.

61. Pop singer Mars: BRUNO.  

66. Ford flop: EDSEL.

67. Neutral shade: ECRU.

68. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH.  The Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. It is salty because it does not have an outlet. Tributary rivers are constantly bringing in small amounts of salt dissolved in their fresh water flow. Once in the Great Salt Lake, much of the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Read more here, including which aquatic species it can support.

69. Big name in field equipment: DEERE.  

John Deere equipment in a corn field

70. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.  

71. Viral post: MEME.  Popular MEMEs often feature a recognizable image paired with a witty caption.  

Apparently MEME creators are above Copyright Infringement Law.

Down:

1. German "Bah!": ACH.  Bah is an interjection used to express disbelief or disgust.

2. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO.  Read as "Three-letter astrological sign:  LEO."

3. Scoop in a tureen: SOUP LADLE.  A tureen is something the hostess asks you to carry to the table and you are petrified you will drop it. More specifically, it is a deep and usually covered bowl from which foods (such as soup) are served. They are generally not for preparing foods.  

Sometimes they have a slot for the SOUP LADLE's handle.

4. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE.  (1917 - 2005)

5. Big hopper: HARE.  I watched about a dozen videos about HAREs, bunnies, and rabbits to bring you the best one. Stay tuned for the final fun fact.  (3:22 min.)

6. The Grand __ Opry: OLE.

7. When repeated, "et cetera": YADDA.  Here's the famous Seinfeld clip (54 sec.):  

8. Lend a hand: ASSIST.

9. Tadpole: POLLIWOG.  I liked this 8-letter fill, too!  The terms tadpole and POLLIWOG can be used interchangeably.

10. Andrew Lloyd Webber musical set in Argentina: EVITA.  

Don't Cry for Me Argentina  ~  Madonna

1996 film adaptation

11. Include as an extra: TAG ON.  The travel industry has been known to TAG ON extra fees.

12. "__ you sweet!": AREN'T.

13. Ancient harps: LYRES.  I always feel better after listening to composer and harpist Mary Lattimore. This song is called We Wave From Our Boats (2021).  

18. Stately trees: ELMS.  ...especially the state of Massachusetts.  

22. Previously: AGO.

23. Bygone Swedish autos: SAABS.

24. God of Islam: ALLAH.

25. Equipment: GEAR.  

31. Down and out: ILL.

33. __ out a living: EKE.

35. Modest home: HUT.

36. Social outing for couples: GROUP DATE.

37. Otherworldly: EERIE.  This woman is playing the opening theme to Dark Shadows on a theremin.  (52 secs.)

38. Poly- ending: ESTER.  

40. Logical oversight in a story: PLOT HOLE.  20 Movies with the Biggest Plot Holes

The first film on the list (#20) highlights a literal HOLE in Shawshank Redemption. Film #2 points out something I never noticed about Cinderella's glass slipper.

41. Enemies: FOES.

42. Picked-off pass, for short: INT.  INTerception  

Goal line interceptions are especially exciting.

47. Carrier whose JFK terminal is now a landmark hotel: TWA.  The TWA Hotel opened in 2019, using space originally designed to contain TWA's flight center. The original architect may be familiar to solvers -- Eero Saarinen. Reading this Forbes article makes me want to stay there!

48. Scorches: SINGES.

50. Casa chamber: SALA.  This Spanish answer matches its Spanish clue. A SALA is a large room or hall.

52. Receded: EBBED.

53. Colorado's Mesa __ National Park: VERDE.  park website

54. Not available: IN USE.  Perhaps if you wanted to rent a specific vehicle but someone else had already rented it, it would be not available/IN USE.

55. Cruise ship: LINER.

56. Civil rights org.: NAACP.  An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.

58. Blood component: SERUM.  Blood SERUM is the liquid that remains after the blood has clotted. Plasma is the liquid that remains when clotting is prevented with the addition of an anticoagulant. Both are light-yellow to clear in color.

60. Filthy material: SMUT.

63. CT scan kin: MRI.  An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.

64. Orange tuber: YAM.  

65. That girl: SHE.  ALAS, "Marlo Thomas" is too long. Nevertheless, here is video is the opening scene for Season 5 of the TV show That Girl (1966-1971): 

How cute is SHE? Right?

Today's grid:

All four of the themers are nine letters long.

I am wondering if you will give Zachary's puzzle straight A's.  😄

I will be traveling when this blog is published. Fingers crossed everything goes OK. Please address any questions you might have to the regulars. They are a smart and helpful group!

Monday September 1, 2025 Lynn K. Watson and Katie Hale

  

Happy Labor Day, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's puzzle is a Lynn K. Watson and Katie Hale collaboration. This is Lynn's fourth LAT puzzle and her first collaboration with Katie, whom we know as the assistant crossword editor for the LAT. 

Theme:        CSO to C.C.  

An early peek at the grid explains it all:  

17 Across. *Grinning creature in Wonderland: CHESHIRE CAT.  

I bought this Coffee Cup the last time I visited Disneyland.
It is oversized so I use it for soup.

29 Across. *Only "Friends" star never nominated for an Emmy during the show's run: COURTENEY COX.  I did not realize she spelled her name that way.

She might not have won and Emmy but she did get a star. 

Courteney with co-stars Jennifer (l.) and Lisa (r.) in Feb. 2023
at Cox's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

48 Across. *Gingerbread shaper: COOKIE CUTTER.  This answer is a noun so no hyphen is needed. On the other hand, when used as an adjective as in "COOKIE-CUTTER houses", Merriam-Webster calls for a hyphen.  

65 Across. *"A Chorus Line" event: CASTING CALL.  A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater. It follows 17 dancers auditioning for spots.

The reveal is the last Across clue:

73 Across. "Oui! Oui!" in Oaxaca, and a phonetic description of the answers to the starred clues: SÍ! SÍ!.  

A French "Yes! Yes!" becomes a Spanish "SÍ! SÍ!" in Oaxaca, Mexico.  

The reveal tells us that each of the four starred clues is a two-word answer where both words begin with the letter C. Note that it specifies, "a phonetic description". Works for me! 

This is the cover of the 10th studio album by the British band, Madness (2012).
Ska fans can click here for a 4 min. video
about how the album was named plus more background.

Next we will look at the other Crossword Clues:

Across:

1. Life line location: PALM.  Coincidentally, last Wednesday's 1-A was PALMS.

Scientists call the lines on our PALM palmar flexion creases. They begin to form around the 12th week of gestation. They help the skin in our hands squeeze and stretch. 

5. Touches on an edge: ABUTS.  The two U.S. states with the most shared borders are Tennessee and Missouri. They each ABUT eight other states, including each other, sometimes leading to a Cultural Clash.  

10. Outfit for a lazy day at home, for short: PJS.

13. Chemistry test subject?: ACID.  I liked this play on ACID test.

14. Tropical verandas: LANAIS.     and     28-Across. Tropical garland: LEI.

16. Weeding tool: HOE.  Using one might turn up a Creepy Crawler.

19. Monogram on a Libre perfume bottle: YSL.  I was not familiar with this perfume but this monogram shows up frequently in crossword puzzles so I gave it a try.

20. Japanese pond fish: KOI.  6 Interesting Facts about KOI fish on PetMD

21. James of jazz: ETTA.

22. Tiny bit: MORSEL.  Did you ever notice the bag says MORSELs, not "chips"?  

Chocolate Chips

24. Whale locator: SONAR.  Captains use SONAR to locate whales for whale watching trips.  

26. "Uh ... ": ERM ....  a Communication Crisis???

34. Eases off: ABATES.

37. Half a laugh: HEE.

38. "Big Blue" tech co.: IBM.  This clue is a bit too close to 67-Down.

39. Classic Battleship game piece: CRUISER.  

41. "You look just like me!": TWINSIE.  

44. Dah's partner: DIT.  This clue refers to Morse Code. When expressed as sounds or light, they are DITs and dahs but are written as a series of dots and dashes. The duration of a dah is three times the duration of a DIT.  

45. Queen guitarist Brian: MAY.  Sir Brian Harold May was born July 19, 1947.  

Queen   ~   Keep Yourself Alive  ~   1973

(May is playing on stage left.)

<BTW, this video is brought to you through a Creative Commons license.>

47. Strong blackjack hand: ACE-TEN.  

10 + 11 = 21

52. Golfer's goal: PAR.  an admirable alliterative allusion

53. __-friendly: ECO.  

54. Monopoly surface: BOARD.

58. Zigzag on skis: SLALOM.

61. "Lonely Boy" singer Paul: ANKA.  He also composed Johnny's Theme, the theme song for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.  

63. Member of a slapstick trio: MOE.  a CSO to C-Moe!  

inspirations for many a Class Clown

64. Part of mpg: PER.  Miles PER Gallon

68. Have breakfast: EAT.  

69. Hand-to-hand combat style: KARATE.

70. Texter's "Or ... ": OTOH.  On The Other Hand ...  

Or, as they say in the KARATE dojo, OTOH2H.

71. Items in jewel cases: CDS.  Here we have a case of intentional misdirection. The plastic cases that CDs come in are called jewel cases or sometimes jewel boxes.  

If you put it in the fridge, you will have a Cold Case. (ba dum tss!)

72. Muscle-bone connector: SINEW.

Down:

1. Prepares for a trip: PACKS.  

2. Sneeze sound: ACHOO.

3. Hit snooze, perhaps: LIE IN.  

4. Health care pros: MDS.  An abbreviated clue hints at an abbreviated answer.

5. Fluttered down to a perch, say: ALIT.

6. Negotiate a trade: BARTER.

7. Dig up: UNEARTH.  

8. Tic __: mint brand: TAC.  Do you remember these commercials telling us that one Tic Tac had only two calories? It was a Madison Ave. miss. I always wondered:  (1.) They are so tiny, what do you expect? (2.) Who eats just one? and (3.) Are people concerned about gaining weight from breath mints?

9. "The King and I" kingdom: SIAM.  This story takes place in Siam during the early 1860s. Siam first changed its name to Thailand on June 5, 1939, changed it back in 1945, then became Thailand permanently on May 11, 1949.

10. Stephen Hawking, for one: PHYSICIST.  Stephen William Hawking (1942 - 2018) wrote A Brief History of Time. It was on the Sunday Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks.

11. "Feliz Navidad" singer Feliciano: JOSÉ.  José will turn 80 years old in nine days. Feliz cumpleaños, José!

12. Put on the market: SELL.  

15. Winter wrap: STOLE.  

I bought one of these with my Credit Card but someone STOLE it.

18. Epic protagonists: HEROES.

23. "Video Games" singer Lana Del __: REY.

25. Start of a play: ACT I.

27. "Nice to __ you": MEET.  

30. "I can help": USE ME.

31. Starting to learn: NEW AT.  It could not be "NEW to" because "to" is in the clue.

32. Theater award: OBIE.  Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards bestowed by The Village Voice newspaper for certain productions in New York City.

33. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN.  

The Caped Crusader (Batman) is in a different universe.

34. Band with a thunderbolt in its logo: AC⚡DC.

35. Pizzazz: BRIO.  Def.:  (noun) enthusiastic vigor; vivacity, verve.

36. Spark plugs, wiper blades, etc.: AUTO PARTS.  👍👍

40. The Indy 500, e.g.: RACE.

42. Swelling reducer: ICE BAG.  In movies, they use a bag of frozen peas.  

43. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO.

46. Mexican peninsula: YUCATAN.  

49. "House" actor Penn: KAL.  his IMDb page

50. Self-congratulatory cheer: I ROCK.

51. This evening, in ads: TONITE.  

55. Valued violin: AMATI.

56. Candies that resemble lampshades: ROLOS.  Lampshades and ROLOS have the shape of a conical frustum (also called a truncated cone).

(Click to enlarge.)

57. Indian metropolis: DELHI.  The weather forecast for Delhi today is 84°F/76°F (28.8°C/24.4°C) with periods of rain.

58. On __: without a contract: SPEC.

59. Main role: LEAD.  think "theater"

60. Barnyard bleats: MAAS.  

These goats are helping to clear potentially flammable brush.
I was fortunate to see similar working goats on my bike ride last Thursday,
 along with two Great Pyrenees dogs!
Their mouths were too full to say MAA.

62. More than guessed: KNEW.

66. __ Lanka: SRI.  Colombo, Sri Lanka is 1,490 mi. (2,398 km.), as the plane flies, from Delhi, India.

67. Businesses: Abbr.: COS.  Companies (Some, like IBM, are Cash Cows.)

We had a bit of a theater mini-theme with CASTING CALL, ACT I, OBIE, and LEAD so I will add some Closing Credits.  

I hope this puzzle is now Crystal Clear! Thank you for visiting the Crossword Corner!