Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Emet Ozar

Theme:  Garden variety.

Surprise!  NaomiZ here on a wonderful Wednesday.  Constructor Emet Ozar enriches the crossword grid with circles to help us find various types of gardens hidden in the long entries.

My native plant garden is for the birds!
This Northern Mockingbird enjoys eating elderberries.

The theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. "The," grammatically: DEFINITE ARTICLE.  Tea garden.

24-Across. Baseball overtime: EXTRA INNINGS. Rain garden.

41-Across. Heavy-duty material for cutting boards: BUTCHER BLOCK. Herb garden.

55-Across. Frances Hodgson Burnett novel set at a country estate, or an apt title for this puzzle: THE SECRET GARDEN.

Let's dig into the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Trash receptacle: CAN.

4. Stringed instrument: HARP.

8. Some med. scans: MRIs.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.

12. Just slightly: A TAD.

14. Large paper format: FOLIO.  Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing.  Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages.  Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.

The hands give you an idea of the size of Shakespeare's first folio.

15. Number two: AIDE.  The boss is number one; his aide is number two.

16.[Theme clue]

19. "Let You Love Me" singer: RITA ORA.  Everything I know about Rita Ora, I've learned in the Crossword Corner.

20. Pet restraint: TETHER.

21. Due-in hr.: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI.  Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist.  She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).

23. __ Bradley bags: VERA.  Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.  

Vera Bradley bags

24. [Theme clue]

29. Predatory insect: MANTIS.

Praying Mantis preying on a lizard.

32. Pa: DAD.

33. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.

34. Vote into office: ELECT.

35. 100%: ALL.

36. Greek fabulist: AESOP.  Fabulist:  a person who composes or relates fables. 

38. Cured fish often topped with capers and lemon: LOX.

39. Aaron Judge stat: RBI.  Aaron Judge is a right fielder for the New York Yankees.  He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League MVP Award winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season.

Aaron Judge

40. Reveries: DREAMS.

41. [Theme clue]

45. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA.

46. 3-Down signatory: Abbr.: USA.  The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and took effect on January 1, 1994.  NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations.  It was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, 2020.

47. Trans- opposite: CIS.  Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.  In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender.  The term is the opposite of transgender, which refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. 

50. Tribute at a memorial: EULOGY.

53. New Mexico's "The City Different": SANTA FE.  Santa Fe combines a number of Southwestern cultures and has a lively art scene.  It adopted "The City Different" moniker in the early 1900s.

The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe
was the seat of government for New Mexico from 1610 to 1901.

55. [Theme clue]

58. Outstanding: A-ONE.

59. Flood-protection structure: LEVEE.

60. Affirmative votes: YEAS.

61. The one there: THAT.

62. "When will you __ learn?": EVER.

63. Italian three: TRE.

Down:

1. Core group: CADRE.

2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.

3. Commerce pact until 2020: NAFTA.  See 46-Across for more information.

4. Bloviator's excess: HOT AIR.  A bloviator is someone who talks at length in a pompous or boastful way, often saying very little of substance.  The idiom "hot air" refers to empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk that does not reflect real intentions.

5. Foamy fare: ALE.

6. Small inlet: RIA.

7. Foreshadow: PORTEND.

8. Island cocktail: MAI TAI.  Composed of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat (an almond syrup), the Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture.

Does anyone else remember Kelbo's tiki restaurant on Pico in West LA?
My ex and I once enjoyed a big blue cocktail in a large bowl with two straws.

9. Loaded with cream, say: RICH.

10. Taking it easy: IDLE.

11. Crystal ball consulter: SEER.

13. Domingo, for one: DÍA.  Domingo is Spanish for Sunday.  Día is Spanish for day.

14. Noteworthy events: FIRSTS.

17. Warning sign on a door: NO EXIT.

18. Coastal flyer: TERN.  Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.

I took this photo of Long-billed Terns in the Amazon River.

23. Apothecary container: VIAL.

24. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

25. Speak off-the-cuff: AD LIB.

26. Moon landing org.: NASA.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

27. Grab, with "on to": GLOM.  "Glom onto" is an informal American English phrasal verb that means to take something for one's own use, become strongly attached to something, or become aware of something.  It can also mean to grab hold of something or to latch onto an idea or person.

28. Dainty tastes: SIPS.

29. Singer also known as Scary Spice: MEL B.  Melanie Brown, known as Mel B, is an English singer, actress, author, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed "Scary Spice" for her energetic stage presence. 

Mel B in 2025

30. Baseball family name: ALOU.

31. Deli counter cry: NEXT.

35. Syllables in an incantation: ABRA.  Abracadabra is a magical incantation whose origin is a matter of debate.

36. Tarot card group: ARCANA.  Tarot cards are generally divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

Tarot cards

37. Startled cry at the sight of a mouse: EEK.

39. Give new life to something old: RECYCLE.

40. Prescription measure: DOSAGE.

42. Bedroom storage space: CLOSET.

43. Gargantuan: HUGE.

44. Glossy finish: LUSTER.

47. West Point student: CADET.

48. Apprehensive beginning: I FEAR.

49. Perception: SENSE.

50. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.  A coup d'état (from French for 'stroke of state') is an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership.  A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means.

51. "This is not good": UH OH.

52. "The Chi" creator Waithe: LENA.  Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter from Chicago.  She is the creative force behind the Showtime drama series The Chi, set in her hometown, and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties. 

Lena Waithe

54. Push to the limit: TRY.  As in, the barking dogs try my patience.

56. Put the pedal to the metal: REV.

57. Precursor to a big event: EVE.

Here's the grid:

Did today's puzzle fulfill your crossword DREAMS?

Or was it A TAD TRYing for you?

NaomiZ

Thursday, June 12, 2025, Amie Walker, Amanda Rafkin

 Theme:  Love Of My Life

LOML and NaomiZ on their recent trip to Spain
checking out the Alcázar in Segovia where
Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon once held sway.

Constructors Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin team up today to give us a pleasant diversion with a puzzling theme.  There are no circles, but we are asked to look at the beginning of each of the starred entries to find a secret message.

17-Across. *Elixirs that stir passion: LOVE POTIONS.

27-Across. *Steinbeck novella featuring George and Lennie: OF MICE AND MEN.

48-Across. *Franchise whose characters have "cutie marks": MY LITTLE PONY.

63-Across. *"Appreciate every moment": LIFE IS SHORT.

62-Down. Romantic initialism spelled out by the starts of the answers to the starred clues: LOML.

I'm glad the ladies told us this was an initialism, because LOML did not look like an English spelling to me!  And I'm glad they said it was romantic, too.  That helped me to guess "Love Of My Life."  When I went online to confirm this solution, I found that according to Yahoo News UK, "The acronym LOML is universally believed to mean 'love of my life'. It is used in messages and comments constantly."  Not only that, but Taylor Swift released a song just last year titled "loml."  Learning new things is good mental exercise, and not a waste of precious brain cells, right?

On to the rest of the things we knew, or didn't:

Across:

1. Fire (up): REV.

4. Sound of an ungentle landing: THUD.

8. Ready to pour: ON TAP.

13. "Little Red Riding Hood" tool: AXE.

I had nightmares about this story for years.

14. Grey __ vodka: GOOSE.

15. Boatload: CARGO.

16. __ reel: GAG.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Fish sauce quality: UMAMI.  Umami is often described as a fifth taste sensation (not salty, sour, bitter, or sweet) that is savory and delicious.  Vague enough?  Oxford Languages says it corresponds to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.  Yum!

21. Takes a turn?: REVOLVES.

22. "Let's kick it up a __": NOTCH.

25. Worn-down pencil: NUB.

26. Jargon suffix: ESE.  Legalese, bureaucratese, journalese, computerese ...

27. [Theme clue]

31. Not post-: PRE.

32. Hindu festival: HOLI.  Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of spring in India and the blossoming of love. It is colorful!

33. Gave the star treatment to: RATED.  Oh, that kind of star treatment!  

37. Morrison who said, "The function of freedom is to free someone else": TONI.  Spoken at the Barnard College commencement ceremony, 1979.

39. Like cereal sitting in milk: SOGGY.

42. Clip: PACE.  Clip is usually used when speaking of a rapid pace:  a good clip, a fast clip.

43. Compress: SMUSH.  Informal for mash or push.  

45. Warmth: HEAT.

47. Pro's opposite: CON.

48. [Theme clue]

52. Rapper __ Nas X: LIL.  By now you all know him.

Lil Nas X

55. Particle: BIT.

56. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIS.

57. "That was off topic ... ": I DIGRESS.

60. Cultured __: PEARL.

63. [Theme clue]

66. WC: LOO.  WC (water closet) and loo are British terms for toilet or lavatory.

67. Put some chips on the table: ANTED.  Not snacks!  He put some chips (gaming tokens) on the table to play a round of cards.  In other words, he anted (sounds like ANTEED) up.

68. Capitol Hill staffers: AIDES.

69. Cash dispenser: ATM.

70. Wine vessels: CASKS.

71. Some "Modern Family" figures: DADS.

72. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL.  The other end of "the 90" from our place.  Speaking of which, save the 90!  Los Angeles city planners want to repurpose this short freeway by putting apartment buildings and businesses on it.  It's not continually jammed, so it must be ripe for further development.

Down:

1. Italian meat sauce: RAGÙ.  Yes, ragù (with a grave accent, leaning left) is a meat sauce typically served with pasta.  But RAGÚ (with an acute accent, leaning right) is a trademarked brand of bottled pasta sauces.  I counted 25 varieties of RAGÚ on their website, and only one contained meat.  

2. Test: EXAM.

3. List that may include black bean chili and mushroom pot pie: VEGAN MENU.  Traveling in Europe can be challenging for us.  We were happy to find places like Roots & Rolls in Barcelona, Mad Mad Vegan in Madrid, and Wild Food in Granada, where the menus are entirely vegan.

4. All __ well: TOO.  I know all TOO well that vegetarian options are limited in some places!

5. __ lane: HOV.  We can use the High Occupancy Vehicle lane in California if there are two or more people in the car -- or if it's a Clean Air Vehicle with a required decal.  To qualify for a decal, the vehicle must be: 1) 100% electric or hydrogen fuel cell powered, or 2) plug-in hybrid-electric meeting certain standards, or 3) compressed natural gas meeting state and federal emission standards.

6. Tech support caller: USER.

7. Rely (on): DEPEND.

8. National Black Cat Day month: OCTOBER.  Sure, but:

National Black Cat Appreciation Day is August 17th.

National Black Cat Day is October 27th.

October is Black Cat Awareness Month.

All of these events are meant to raise support for black cat adoptions and to dispel superstitions.

9. Get just right: NAIL.

10. Treasure stash: TROVE.

11. Nosy neighbor in "WandaVision": AGNES.  WandaVision is a TV miniseries created for Disney+, based on Marvel Comics, featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff (whose alter ego is Scarlet Witch) and Vision.  Nosy neighbor Agnes is secretly a witch herself, and an antagonist.  If we are going to get into complex fictional worlds, I'd rather listen to my granddaughter describe the tribes of dragons in the Wings of Fire books:  SkyWings, IceWings, NightWings, SeaWings, MudWings, SandWings, RainWings, HiveWings, LeafWings, SilkWings ....

12. Entourage: POSSE.

14. Bug: GLITCH.

18. Reproductive cell: OVUM.

20. Pronoun used in mock outrage: MOI.  Made famous by Miss Piggy, it's Frawnche for "Who, ME?"

23. Co. leaders: CEOs.  Company leaders are Chief Executive Officers.

24. Angel hair topper: HALO.  You were thinking ragù, right?  Not that kind of angel hair.

27. Elects (to): OPTS.

28. Gift tag word: FROM.

29. "See ya in the morning!": 'NIGHT.

30. __ trapped: stuck at home because of a tot's sleep schedule: NAP.  The clue defines this very well.  I'm not sure this phrase existed when I had little children, but I may experience the situation with the upcoming grandson.

34. Tex-Mex dish with an edible bowl: TACO SALAD.  I always called the salad in a fried tortilla bowl a tostada, though I'm aware that some skimpy tostadas are built on flat, fried tortillas.  Extremely brief research suggests that the meal in the yummy bowl is actually a TACO SALAD. 

El Pollo Loco calls this a Classic Tostada.  They're on my side!

35. Nobel Prize subj.: ECON.  Also phys., chem., med., lit., and peace.

36. Say no to: DENY.

38. Belief system: ISM.

40. Obtains: GETS.

41. Home of Grace Hopper College: YALE.  Grace Hopper College is a residential college of Yale University, opened in 1933 as one of the original eight undergraduate residential colleges.  It was originally named Calhoun College after US Vice President John C. Calhoun, but renamed in 2017 in honor of computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper.  If you knew this, you just might be a Yalie, AKA Eli.

44. Some Subarus: HYBRIDS.

46. Lures: TEMPTS.

49. "Completely false!": LIES.

50. "Such a shame": IT'S SAD.

51. Food in "Sweeney Todd" and "Waitress": PIE.  In the penny dreadful stories about Sweeney Todd (1846/47), the villainous barber of Fleet Street, Todd kills his customers, and his neighbor bakes their flesh into meat pies, which she sells.  Waitress was a 2015 stage musical and 2023 musical comedy movie, in which a waitress who bakes pies eventually finds a way to leave her abusive husband and run her own business.

52. Lavender kin: LILAC.

53. Tony winner Menzel: IDINA.  Idina Menzel is an American actress and singer. She has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence and powerful mezzo-soprano voice.  Having achieved mainstream success across stage, screen, and music, her accolades include a Tony Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.

Idina Menzel

54. Elevates: LIFTS.

58. __ chic: GEEK. According to Collins English Dictionary, geek chic is a fashion style believed to be characteristic of geeks, including the wearing of heavy-rimmed glasses and T-shirts with humorous slogans.

59. Branch of Islam: SHIA.

61. Repetitive learning method: ROTE.

62. [Theme clue]

64. Out of the ordinary: ODD.

65. Hi-__ graphics: RES.

Here's the grid:

One of the Loves Of My Life is solving the crossword puzzle with all of you here in the Corner ... the bloggers, the commenters, and those who read along.  

So ... was this puzzle a rare PEARL?  Or did it land with a THUD?

NaomiZ

Thursday, June 5, 2025, Roland Huget

 Theme:  There and back.

NaomiZ here with many thanks to the great Anonymous T for blogging the last three Thursdays.  I made a ROUND TRIP and have come back to work the crossword puzzle with you all.  Today, constructor Roland Huget clues us in on the theme with a big reveal:

61-Across. There and back, or a progression found in 17-, 25-, 35-, 51-, and 61-Across: ROUND TRIP.

The word TRIP appears in each theme entry.  The first time, TRIP is spelled normally.  In each subsequent appearance, the last letter from the previous appearance moves to the front of the word.  In the final appearance, TRIP has come back to the beginning.

17. Hair removal option: WAX STRIPS.  Ouch.

25. Underhanded move: CHEAP TRICK.  And for the rockers among us ...

35. Growth also known as yellow poplar: TULIP TREE.  Liriodendron tulipifera -- known as the tulip tree or yellow poplar -- is native to eastern North America.

51. Noncommissioned screenplay: SPEC SCRIPT.  A spec script is a screenplay written on speculation, meaning without a guaranteed payment. It may be written with the goal of selling it to a production company or studio.

61. There and back, or a progression found in 17-, 25-, 35-, 51-, and 61-Across: ROUND TRIP.

Across:

1. Former "Doctor Who" star Capaldi: PETER.  Peter Capaldi is a Scottish actor, director, singer and guitarist, who portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 2013 to 2017.

6. "Quit crying, ya big baby!": WAH.  

9. Latches (on to): GLOMS.

14. Breakout publisher: ATARI.  Breakout is an arcade video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. and released in 1976. Eight rows of bricks line the top portion of the screen, and the player's goal is to destroy the bricks by repeatedly bouncing a ball off a paddle into them. 

Breakout starting screen

15. Punk offshoot: EMO.  Thank goodness for frequent fill EMO to get me started on this puzzle.

16. Make merry: REVEL.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Get around: EVADE.

20. Shot: PIC.  We took many shots on our three week adventure, and need to sort through them.

21. Apex predator with feathers: EAGLE.  

22. 21-Across nest: AERIE.

23. Homecoming attendee: ALUM.

25. [Theme clue]

27. Blotter target: WET INK.  An ink blotter is either a handheld rocking device or simple blotting paper, both used to absorb excess ink when writing with a fountain pen. 

29. Emblem on a dol.: US SEAL.  Abbreviated "dollar" in the clue lets US know there will be an abbreviation in the answer.

30. "4 real?": SRSLY.  Text speak:  seriously?

31. So-so poker hand: PAIR.

One pair ranks just above I got nuthin'.

34. Conniving: SLY.

35. [Theme clue]

39. Stand __: PAT.  "If you stand pat in draw poker you're betting on the cards in your hand being better than any you're likely to draw. It didn't take long for stand pat to move from the poker table, where it first appeared in the late 1800s, to the realm of politics; by the early 20th century, to stand pat was to oppose any change in U.S. tariff policy. The term continues to be used mainly in U.S. English, where it's applied to everything from a coach's decision not to change out players during a game to a homeowner's decision not to refinance." -- www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat

42. Really liking: INTO.

43. Brings up: REARS.  As in brings up, or rears, children.

47. Fireplace receptacle: ASH PAN.

fireplace grate and ash pan

50. __ Sea: saline lake in California's Sonoran Desert: SALTON.  Although there were salt lakes in the area millions of years ago, the current lake was formed by accident in 1905 when an irrigation canal broke, and water flowed into the Salton Basin for two years.  Over the course of the 20th century, the lake became an important resting stop for migrating birds, but as the lake shrank and agricultural runoff poisoned the fish, it became an ecological disaster.

51. [Theme clue]

55. Dreamcast maker: SEGA.  Sega introduced its Dreamcast video game console in 1998/99, replacing the Saturn, and the earlier Genesis.  The Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001, ending Sega's 18 years as a console maker.

56. "Bosch" star Welliver: TITUS.  Titus Welliver is an American actor, best known for his portrayals of the Man in Black in Lost, Silas Adams in Deadwood, Jimmy O'Phelan in Sons of Anarchy, and the title role in the television series Bosch and Bosch: Legacy. He is also known for his collaborations with Ben Affleck, starring in his films Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo, and Live by Night.  I clearly need to watch more television.  I did watch Sons of Anarchy, though!

57. Place for HS filmmakers: AV LAB.  High School is abbreviated; so is Audio Visual Laboratory.

59. Gown partner: CAP.

60. Wipe out: ERASE.

61. [Theme clue]

63. Compare: LIKEN.  Shall I "liken" thee to a summer's day?  Shakespeare used the word "compare," and the lady being compared came out ahead:  But thy eternal summer shall not fade!  To liken is to assert a similarity, but to compare is to examine similarities and differences.

64. Hesitant response: ERM.  Here's that British "um" again.

65. With a single voice: AS ONE.

66. Hägar's dog: SNERT.  Hägar the Horrible is the title and main character of a comic strip created by Dik Browne, which first appeared in 1973.  Following Browne's retirement in 1988, his son, Chris Browne, continued the strip until his own death in 2023.  The strip is a caricature commenting on life in the United States through a loose interpretation of Viking Age Scandinavian life.

67. Deli choice: RYE.

68. Deviated from a straight course: YAWED.  (A moving ship or aircraft) twisted or oscillated around a vertical axis.

Down:

1. Green-skinned fruits in the custard-apple family: PAWPAWS.  I only know this fruit from the old song, "Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch."  Asimina triloba is a small deciduous tree native to the eastern United States and southern Ontario, Canada, and it yields the largest native fruit of North America.

2. Always-open merchant: E-TAILER.  An internet retailer.

3. Campaign promises directed at wage earners: TAX CUTS.

4. Triage ctrs.: ERs.  Triage centers are Emergency Rooms.

5. Liturgical act: RITE.

6. Consider the pros and cons of: WEIGH.

7. Copious: AMPLE.

8. Hebrew prophet: HOSEA.

9. Hall of Famers: GREATS.

10. Simple machines: LEVERS.   A lever is a simple machine that amplifies an input force to provide a greater output force, which is said to provide leverage, which is mechanical advantage gained in the system.  Components of the machine are fulcrum (or pivot), load, and effort.

11. Egg cell producers: OVARIES.

12. Insurance category: MEDICAL.

13. In an aerodynamic way: SLEEKLY.

18. Pool triangle: RACK.  Pool as in billiards.

This carbon fiber rack will set you back $895.00 plus tax and shipping.

24. Jackson of the Modern Jazz Quartet: MILT.  Milton "Bags" Jackson (1923-1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist.  He is especially remembered for his solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Milt Jackson at the vibraphone.

26. Ragdoll sound: PURR.  The Ragdoll is a breed of cat whose silky coat is dark on top and light below, with blue eyes. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. The name Ragdoll comes from the tendency of these cats to go limp when picked up. Ragdolls are considered  dog-like because they follow people around, are receptive to handling, and are not aggressive toward other pets.

Ragdoll cat

28. Alma mater of Spike Lee and Ang Lee: Abbr.: NYU.  Filmmakers Spike Lee and Ang Lee (no relation) earned their MFAs from New York University.  

31. Map marker: PIN.

32. Well-suited: APT.

33. Skater Midori: ITO.  Midori Ito is a Japanese figure skater. She was the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist.  She was the first woman to land a triple Axel in competition.  Midori Ito continues to compete:  in 2024, she won the International Skating Union Adult Figure Skating Competition's Masters Elite Women III + IV Artistic Free Skating category.

Midori Ito at the 1992 Olympics

36. "The Mod Squad" role: LINC.  Clarence Williams III (1939-2021) played the character of Linc Hayes in the police television series The Mod Squad from 1968 to 1973.

The Mod Squad:  Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III

37. Bullpen stat: ERA.  In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also called the bullpen.  A statistic relevant to pitchers is their Earned Run Average -- the number of earned runs they have allowed, divided by the number of innings pitched, and multiplied by nine (the usual number of innings in a game).  Lower is better.  

38. Anago and unagi: EELS.

39. Some Degas works: PASTELS.  French artist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) did much of his work in pastels, which are powdery sticks of pigment with very little binder, resulting in beautiful works of art that are very fragile.

Edgar Degas, "Waiting" (c. 1882), pastel on paper

40. Medicine cabinet staple: ASPIRIN.

41. Bad thing for an official to be on: THE TAKE.  To be "on the take" is to accept bribes or other illegal income.

44. Was humiliated: ATE CROW.

45. Hair growth option: ROGAINE.  According to the manufacturer, "ROGAINE® minoxidil products are the first FDA-approved topical treatment that is clinically proven to help regrow hair."  Rip it out with WAX STRIPS, grow it with chemical treatments ... or maybe just get comfortable with your hair.

46. Replied sharply: SNAPPED.

48. One who may download Microsoft software: PC USER.

49. Green light: ASSENT.  Since a green traffic light gives permission to proceed, by extension, to "green light" a project is to give permission to go ahead with it.  To assent is to express approval.

50. Diehard fan, in slang: STAN.  A "stan" is an obsessed fan.  The term comes from the song Stan by Eminem, which describes a fan who is excessively fixated on the rapper.

52. Harder to come by: RARER.

53. Creamy white: IVORY.

54. Decorative feather: PLUME.

58. Annual celebration, briefly: BDAY.  Easier to write in the tiny spaces of my pocket calendar.

62. Passenger-screening org.: TSA.  Transportation Security Administration.  

Here's the grid:

While I was away, I was able to briefly scan most of the blog posts here and many of the comments as well.  What struck me was how very difficult the puzzles seemed to be, and how very clever all of you were to solve them.  I hoped I would be able to keep up with you upon my return!  I managed to complete today's puzzle on paper, no cheating, but it took a moment to get started, and there were quite a few entries solved by perps.  Anyone who made it through the grid deserves AMPLE praise.  I hope you all got to REVEL in your success, and that no one ATE CROW.