Monday August 11, 2025 Mary Winslow

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with (what I think is) Mary Winslow's worldwide debut puzzle. Congratulations, Mary!!

Theme:  

Today's themers are all two-word phrases such that the first word can be combined with the word CUT to MAKE a new, in the language phrase.

18 Across. Hula dancer's bottom: GRASS SKIRT. I liked the three S's in a row.  

CUT the GRASS

23 Across. Yellow spice in tangy marinades: MUSTARD SEED.  

CUT the MUSTARD
(This one is figurative.)

36 Across. Lounger on an ocean liner: DECK CHAIR.  

CUT the DECK (of cards)
Well, not quite like Bugs is doing it. 

54 Across. Influencer with serious clout: POWER BROKER.  

CUT the POWER

Now for the unifier:

60 Across. Survive an audition, and what one may do to the start of 18-, 23-, 36-, or 54-Across?: MAKE THE CUT.  

<We are already inside that window. Yikes!>

Time to CUT to the chase. These are the remaining clues:

Across:

1. Split __ soup: PEA.

4. "Time to get up!" noise: ALARM.

9. Ceremonial accoutrement: SASH.  Accoutrement is an accessory, item of clothing, or equipment.  

13. Greek god of war: ARES.     and     

22 Across. Mount of Greek legend: OSSA.     and     

65 Across. "A Death in the Family" writer James: AGEE.     and     
67 Across. Director Preminger: OTTO.     and      
25 Down. Anna's "Frozen" sister: ELSA     and      

27 Down. Vietnamese celebration that welcomes spring: TET     and     
31 Down. Actress Sorvino: MIRA     and     
40 Down. Abstract artist Jean: ARP     and      
55 Down. Heroic knight of medieval Spain: EL CID     and      
62 Down. Music producer Brian: ENO. 

All of these proper nouns are known crossword staples. They are necessary to construction and help with perps. (They can be lifelines on Saturdays!) Unfortunately they rarely add any sparkle to a grid.

15. Called: NAMED.  This song seemed the obvious choice:  

Johnny Cash   ~     A Boy Named Sue   ~   recorded at San Quinten Prison in 1969

Those prisoners look like church ushers by comparison.

16. Not for: ANTI.

17. Not illuminated: DARK.

20. Evening parties: SOIREES.  evening  =  after DARK

"Oh, dahling don't you look mahvelous."

26. Wile E. Coyote's explosive: TNT.  

He's always scheming, that Wile E.

28. Spanish gold: ORO.

29. Classified ad shorthand: ISO.  In Search Of ___

30. With a scoop of ice cream, as pie: À LA MODE.  

32. Lunch spots: DELIS.

34. Cooling systs.: A/Cs.  Systems and Air Conditioners

35. Technical sch.: INST.  school and INSTitute

"The primary difference between an institute and a private school is their purpose and funding model, with institutes being focused on research, education, or social causes, and private schools being focused solely on education."

40. Cathedral recess: APSE.  

43. __ : raisin :: log : celery: ANT.  The colons in this clue are used to express an analogy. It is read, "ANT is to raisin as log is to celery." (That last colon is just our blogging format.) 

44. Slangy "For sure!": NATCH.  NATCH-urally 

48. Have another nibble of: RETASTE.  "eat more" Bzzzt. Try again.  

(See what I did there?)

50. __ kwon do: TAE.

52. "And you __?": ARE.  I'm a fan of nametags.

53. A pop: PER.

57. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.  

Rosa Parks Memorial

Veterans Courthouse, Essex County, New Jersey
Bronze and stainless steel, over life-size

59. Despised with a passion: LOATHED.

63. Egyptian fertility goddess: ISIS.  Also ... the name of the dog on Downton Abbey. We saw her bum at the beginning of every episode.  

66. Criticize pettily: SNIPE.  It's really not fair to the bird.  

Common Snipe

68. Worktable: DESK.

Are you familiar with NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts? It is a video series of live music performed in the All Songs Considered D.C. offices. This link goes to the Takács Quartet performance posted last month. Prepare yourself for some thrilling music! 

The Tiny Desk venue is quite cluttered!

69. Lymph __: immune system parts: NODES.  

Lymph NODES are part of your lymphatic system, which, along with your spleen, tonsils, and adenoids, help you fight off illness and infections. The number of lymph nodes varies from person to person. Adults generally have about 600-800 lymph nodes.

70. CIA forerunner: OSS.  Office of Strategic Services  

This famous American served in the OSS before she cooked on PBS.
Read about Julia Child in the OSS and see more photos here.

Down:

1. Push-up bra feature: PAD.  

Seinfeld     "The Bro"     (1:50 min.)

2. Mark of a correction: ERASURE.  

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.
info. on another one just like it

3. Spray starch dispenser: AEROSOL.  If you could identify the typewriter eraser above, you have probably sprayed starch on shirt collars when ironing -- or thanked someone else for doing that for you.  

4. Makes miffed: ANGERS.

5. Texas border city on the Rio Grande: LAREDO.  

home to a famous song

6. Stockpile: AMASS.

7. Hi-__ photo: RES.

8. Surgeons, e.g., for short: MDS.  Doctors of Medicine

9. __ Off 5th: discount fashion chain: SAKS.  This is an American off-price department store chain founded in 1990. It is a sister brand to the luxury department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue, founded in 1867 by Andrew Saks.

10. Jennifer of "The Morning Show": ANISTON.  The Morning Show is not a network news show. It is an Apple TV+ drama series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. I have not seen it. This is the trailer for Season 4.  

11. Hair pieces: STRANDS.  Toupees fit but did not perp.

12. Smashing success: HIT.  Think "Broadway".

14. Comedy sketch: SKIT.  Think SNL.

19. Club __: bar mixer: SODA.  

Hi C-Eh!

21. Pay increase: RAISE.

23. Forum admin: MOD.  administrator and MODerator

24. "To __ their own": EACH.  That's why they make different flavors of ice-cream.

33. Brainchild: IDEA.  

34. "__ your age!": ACT.  

37. Reformer of ancient Rome: CATO.  Cato's Britannica Bio

38. Was certain of: KNEW.  

(XKDC comic)

39. Motionless: INERT.  

It is interesting how the "IN" in INERT came from the prefix meaning "not".

41. British aristocracy: PEERAGE.  The British PEERAGE is a system of heredity and life titles of nobility in the U.K. They are expected to "act their peerAGE".

42. Paintbrush marks: STROKES.  Also ... here is a PSA on another definition of STROKES.  

45. Becomes smitten with: TAKES TO.

46. University units: CREDITS.  University classes are worth units, which are sometimes called hours or CREDITS. They are part of one's GPA calculation.

47. Feminine pronoun: HER.

49. Squabble: SPAT.  Also ... the past tense of spit. You can see where this is going....

50. Company that takes the show on the road: TROUPE.  Think "theater company."

51. Lets up: ABATES.  ABATE shares some etymology with abatis, "a defensive obstacle formed by felled trees with sharpened branches facing the enemy". That tracks. Both decrease the force of something.

56. The Buckeye State: OHIO.  

Ohio Buckeye vs Horse Chestnut

58. Participate in a scavenger hunt: SEEK.  Do you remember scavenger hunts? Teams had a list of ordinary things like paper clips, rubber balloons, or popsicle sticks. They had to knock on neighbors' doors and ask for the items. It is a race to see who can complete their list first.

60. Crazy (about): MAD.  This 3 min. clip is from a TV show called Mad About You (1992-1999), starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. They had great timing together! 

61. QVC alternative: HSN.  They are both TV networks dedicated to selling things you did not know you needed.

64. "Help!" letters: SOS.  

The grid:  

That's all for today. Next I have to go stack some CORD WOOD.

Monday August 4, 2025 Zhouqin Burnikel

  

Happy first Monday in August, everyone! I'm elated to be sharing with you this puzzle from our blogmistress, Zhouqin Burnikel. The theme is:  

These are the four themers:

17 Across. Future time: LATER DATE.  

26 Across. Tank often found near a furnace: WATER HEATER.  

40 Across. Like some raisins and truffles: CHOCOLATE COATED. Simply masterful! Not only was this one a grid-spanner but it is also mouthwatering!  

51 Across. Chamber that sends laws to the governor: STATE SENATE.  

Click to enlarge.

And now for the perfect unifier:  

64 Across. Dined with a bun in the oven, or what can be found in 17-, 26-, 40-, and 51-Across: ATE FOR TWO.  "Bun in the oven" and "eating for two" are idioms that mean a person is pregnant. I like the parallel construction of using an idiom in the clue to match the answer.

Furthermore ... all of the themed answers have ATE TWO times. If you are going to choose letters that must appear at least nine time in a puzzle, A, T, and E are good ones to pick. They help to disguise the pattern before arriving at the reveal.

As today's moderater, I will now relate the remaining clues....

Across:

1. Delicate trim on a gown: LACE.     and     62 Across. Flared dress shape: A-LINE.

an A-LINE wedding gown with LACE

5. "The __ have it": "Motion carries": AYES.

9. Worshipper of Tláloc and Xolotl: AZTEC. The letters in those names point us towards a S. American civilization.

14. Norwegian saint: OLAV.  

Memory trick:
OLAV is the Very serious saint
OLAF is the Fun snowman

15. Cardinal's home: NEST.     and     13 Down. Apple gadget: CORER.

Both of these clues take advantage of the capitalize-the-first-letter-of-the-clue convention to possibly mislead the solver towards interpreting the first word as a proper noun.

Did anyone else first think of the MLB team?

16. Grand Canyon donkey: BURRO.  As it turns out, I am currently reading Kevin Fedarko's book about the Grand Canyon.  

19. Lipstick mishap: SMEAR.  

20. Country club figure: PRO.  This is what I found regarding the difference between a Club Pro and a Pro Golfer: 

Club professionals are employed by a club for the purpose of running the operation, teaching, directing tournament operations, or any other duties the club requires. They are employees of the club and their primary duties include any of the above. Professional golfers, by comparison, are independent contractors whose sole concern is their game. The vast majority of their days are dedicated entirely to practicing and playing golf.

21. Goes out with: SEES.  

23. High-pH substance: BASE.  "Alkaline" and "basic" are virtually synonymous in chemistry.

24. Suffix for Gator or hater: -ADE.  I was unfamiliar with haterade. It is slang so it has different definitions for different demographics; but, to my understanding, it is a dark version of "drinking the Kool-Aid". That is to say, it is a figurative beverage representing a modality of thought that is filled with hate. 

29. One of three in a triangle: VERTEX.  

A VERTEX is the point where two line segments (sides) meet.
Do you remember what the sum of the three interior angles is?

31. Key left of F1: ESC.

32. Disney queen born on the winter solstice: ELSA.  She is friends with Olaf.  

33. Biblical paradise: EDEN.  

37. Lost traction: SLID.  

Whoohooooooooo!

44. Aware of: IN ON.

45. Cry like a baby: BAWL.

46. Rock from side to side: SWAY.  It's also a song:

Dean Martin     ~     Sway     ~     1954

47. Bill Nye's subj.: SCI.  Subject is abbreviated and so is SCIence.

49. At a discount: ON SALE.  

PRO tip: Try to get the top 50%.

57. Some GPS lines: STS.  STreetS

58. Wild feline also called a catamount: PUMA.  Today I learned that the PUMA holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the mammal with the most names in English. We call them mountain lions where I live. They sometimes show up on Ring cams.

59. Walk wearily: PLOD.

60. Most Grindr users: MEN.  From their website:  Since 2009, Grindr has grown into the world’s largest network for gay, bi, trans, and queer adults.

68. Comedian Kaling: MINDY.  

You might recognize her as Kelly Kapoor from The Office (2005-2012).

69. Mah-jongg piece: TILE.  The standard Chinese set has 144 TILEs.

70. In the thick of: AMID.

71. Informal "What if ... ": S'POSE.

72. Slowest form of fencing: ÉPÉE.  I looked up why ÉPÉE is "slowest". I learned that it is the only form of fencing which does not enforce the 'right of way'. In foil and saber only the 'aggressor' can score a point because they have the right of way. However, in ÉPÉE, if both fencers score a 'touch', they can both receive points. In other words, being the aggressor risks allowing the opponent to score. This leads to more hesitant attacks and slower action.

73. Drop in the mail: SEND.  

When People Used the Postal Service to 'Mail' Their Children

Down:

1. "U r 2 funny!": LOL.  Texting in the clue hints at a textspeak answer.

2. Boeuf __ mode: French dish of wine-braised beef: À LA.

3. Parent of a fur baby, perhaps: CAT PERSON.  

4. At any point: EVER.

5. "Your point being?": AND?.

6. Ingredient in challah: YEAST.  Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine.  

7. Cosmetics icon Lauder: ESTÉE.

8. Guide: STEER.  A bum STEER is an idiom which means to provide information, intentionally or unintentionally that is incorrect, was unhelpful, or caused one to be led astray. I would be giving you a bum STEER if I told you this idiom was cattle-related.

9. Muscles worked while planking: ABS.  I cannot recall anyone saying planking when referring to holding a plank pose. Perhaps I am blanking on that.  😕

10. Dance-based fitness session: ZUMBA CLASS.  Nice fill!

11. Reward for a pet: TREAT.  

12. Backspace over: ERASE.

18. "Dirty Jobs" host Mike: ROWE.  Michael Gregory Rowe was born March 18, 1962 in Maryland. Both of his parents were teachers. Now that's a tough job!

22. __/her pronouns: SHE.

24. French "with": AVEC.  

Oui! Oui!

25. New __, India: DELHI.  At 33.8 million people, it is the most populous city in India.  

27. Figure skating leap: AXEL.  

Memory trick:
AXEL has the vowels twisted around the X.
Axle has the vowels outside the L, sort of like tires on an axle.

28. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

30. Places to go for al pastor: TACO STANDS.  Al pastor is a traditional Mexican meat dish that may be served in TACOs.

34. Dollop: DAB.

35. Due-in hr.: ETA.  hour and Estimated Time of Arrival

36. Never-before-seen: NEW.  

38. "I'm not to blame": IT WASN'T ME.

39. Handed out cards: DEALT.  Clues and answers must be consistent when it comes to tense. Since handed is past tense, we needed the past tense of deal.

41. Some time ago: ONCE.   Some time ago, 18 years to be more precise, many of us fell in love with the film Once. You might be interested to know that Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, and The Swell Season put out new music this past March.

This song is entitled People We Used to Be :

42. Form a clump: CLOT.

43. Turns blue, say: DYES.  

48. AOL or MSN: ISP.  Internet Service Provider

50. Lost fish found by Dory: NEMO.  Finding Nemo was a 2003 Pixar film. They later came out with Finding Dory in 2016.  

Memory trick:
Dory has Yellow fins.
Dora is an Adventurous explorer.

51. Pesters with junk messages: SPAMS.  So annoying!

52. Flower from a bulb: TULIP.  I took this photo this morning. They are not tulips but they are bulbs. Pink ladies, aka naked ladies, are bulbs in the amaryllis family. They grow foliage in early Spring. After that dies off they use the energy stored in the bulb to send up long, bare stalks with big, pink flowers. (The green leaves around their stems in this photo are different plants.) 

53. __ acid: AMINO.  I like how this article uses a letters in the alphabet analogy to explain AMINO acids.

54. More than just tickle: ELATE.  half of an Easter egg???

55. Option on a coffeehouse payment screen: NO TIP.  

56. "Someone Like You" singer: ADELE.  It feels like we get a lot of Adele on Mondays. I'm OK with that. This video was filmed in Paris.  

61. Divisions in time: ERAS.

63. Calm center of a cyclone: EYE.  A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation. The weakest tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions.

Click to enlarge.

65. Extra charge: FEE.  Wouldn't it be nice if every ONCE in a while it said FREE?

66. Come out on top: WIN.

67. Like a quirky "duck": ODD.  

The grid:  

"Farewell matey", said the pirate!