Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Noelle Griskey

Come on Baby, Let the Good Times Roll.

17-Across. It's on a roll: SPICY MAYO.

24-Across. Who's on a roll: STAR STUDENT.

36-Across. They're on a roll: COLOR PHOTOS.

47-Across. They're on a roll: SESAME SEEDS.

57-Across. It's on a roll: RICE PAPER.  Rice Paper is the thin edible wrapper used for wrapping spring rolls in spring rolls in Southeast Asian foods.

Let's get Rolling ...

Across:

1. Does some light cleaning: DUSTS.

6. Brief "Holy cow!": OMG.  Textspeak.

9. Rand McNally publication: ATLAS.  The Rand is also the official currency of South Africa.

14. Like much pub ale: ON TAP.

15. Dim sum bun: BAO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about these Chinese steamed buns.

16. Construction site sight: CRANE.

19. "That's just my two __": CENTS.

20. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.

21. Punk subgenre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

22. Beyond mad: IRATE.

23. Strategic game with matchsticks: NIM.  I was not familiar with this game.  Apparently it is a mathematical game in which two players take turns removing (ie, "nimming") objects from distinct heaps or piles.  On each turn, a player must remove at least one object, and may remove any number of objects provided they all come from the same heap or pile.  Depending on the version being played, the goal of the game is either to avoid taking the last object or to take the last object.  Clear as mud.

27. Vintner's fruit: GRAPE.

29. Sugar suffix: -OSE.  As in Sucrose, or Maltose.

30. Genetic messenger: RNA.  As in RiboNucleic Acid, which is a biological molecule that carries genetic information and plays crucial roles in protein synthesis, gene regulation, and various cellular processes.

31. Research assistant, informally: LAB TECH.

35. Unforeseen hiccup: SNAG.

38. Left at sea?: PORT.  Port refers to the left side of a vessel when facing forward, while starboard refers to the right side.  The term starboard comes from the Old English word for the side of the ship where the steering oar was placed (the "steer-board").  Port was the side used to tie up to the dock.

40. Wright of "Black Panther": LETITIA.  Letitia Michelle Wright (b. Oct. 31, 1993) is a Guyanese-born British actress.

41. Expert: ACE.

42. Extra periods, briefly: OTs.  As in Over Times.

43. Operating principle: CREDO.

52. Race unit: LAP.  I initially tried Leg.

53. Like farm owners: ACRED.

54. Printer spec.: DPI.  As in Dots Per Inch.

55. Angry or achy: SORE.  //  And 35-Down. Take to the sky: SOAR.

56. Negro Leagues legend Buck: O'NEIL.  Buck O'Neil (né John Jordan O'Neil, Jr.; Nov. 13, 1911 ~ Oct. 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American Baseball League.

59. Shampoo step: RINSE.

60. Environmental prefix: ECO-.

61. Foam on un espresso: CREMA.

62. Good-sized band: OCTET.

63. Addams cousin: ITT.

64. Soup and salad: SIDES.

Down:

1. Administering medication: DOSING.

2. Disconnect, as a Bluetooth device: UNPAIR.

3. Mark of disgrace: STIGMA.

4. Part of Tuesday's dinner, maybe: TACO.

5. Asset with intel: SPY.

6. President born in Hawaii: OBAMA.  Barack Obama (b. Aug. 4, 1961) celebrated his 64th birthday earlier this month.

7. City hall leader: MAYOR.

8. Baby talk syllable: GOO.

9. Amass over time: ACCRUE.

10. Sneaker pattern: TREAD.

11. Some decorative outdoor lighting: LANTERNS.

12. Rabbit ears: ANTENNA.

13. Paris possessive: SES.  Today's French lesson.

18. Came together: MET.

22. "Crack a window, would you?": IT'S HOT.

24. Make airtight: SEAL.

25. Largest resort city in Russia: SOCHI.

26. Graffiti signature: TAG.

28. Scheme: PLOT.

32. Locked securely: BOLTED.

33. Curly lock: TRESS.

34. Clearblue alternative: EPT.  Both are home pregnancy tests.

36. Moon shape: CRESCENT.

37. Personal quirks: TICS.

38. Faux follower: PAS.  More of today's French lesson.

39. Part of NOAA: OCEANIC.  As in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  During hurricane season, we keep an almost daily look at activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Mississippi Gulf. 

42. Spanish __: OMELET.  A traditional Spanish Omelet is made with eggs, potatoes, and onions. It may also include some meats and vegetables.  The difference between a Spanish Omelet and a "regular" omelet, is that the Spanish omelet is potato based and is thick, not fluffy.  Yummers!

44. Skipped the big wedding: ELOPED.

45. Response to "I bet you won't": DARE ME.

46. Works with arias: OPERAs.

48. Come to light: ARISE.

49. Official order: EDICT.

50. World Showcase theme park: EPCOT.  EPCOT is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

51. Sputter out: DIE.

55. Garment in Hindi cinema: SARI.  A crossword staple.

56. Acapulco gold: ORO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

57. "A Life Outdoors Is a Life Well Lived" co.: REI.  REI makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is an acronym for Recreational Equipment Inc.

58. Mac rivals: PCs.

We're on a Roll!  Here's the Grid/

חתולה

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Noel Griskey

It's All Fun and Games Until ...  The last word of each theme answer is the name of a card game, unlike Chess, which is a board game.

17-Across. *   Wrestling contest where opponents hold hands: THUMB WAR.

25-Across. *   Homemade liquor during Prohibition: BATHTUB GIN.

39-Across. *  Marinated antipasto items: ARTICHOKE HEARTS.

51-Across. *   Isthmus: LAND BRIDGE.

And the unifier:

64-Across. Chess finales, and what the answers to the starred clues have: ENDGAMES.  The END word of each theme answer is a Card GAME.

Across:

1. Scoffer's laugh: HAH(toolah).

4. Shapes of some annexes: ELLs.

8. No longer feral: TAMED.

13. Kerfuffle: ADO.

14. Roll of fabric: BOLT.

15. Open declaration: AVOWAL.

19. Replace outdated connections, perhaps: REWIRE.

20. Sprinkler hookups: HOSES.

21. Georgia home of the Allman Brothers: MACON.

23. Poetry Out Loud org.: NEA.  As in the National Endowment for the Arts.

24. Top poker cards: ACES.

27. Fatherly nickname: PAPA.

29. __-friendly: USER.

30. Quilters' gathering: BEE.

32. Positive quality: ASSET.

35. "It's a cinch!": EASY.

43. [OMG!]: GASP.

44. Sticky pine product: RESIN.

45. Long, slithery fish: EEL.

46. "Humpty Dumpty" rhyme scheme: AABB.

49. Thompson who won four NBA championships with the Warriors: KLAY.  Klay Alexander Thompson (b. Feb. 8, 1990) currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.  He previously played for the Golden State Warriors for 13 seasons.

56. Money to repay: LOAN.

59. Reproductive cells: OVA.

60. __-Coeur Basilica: Paris tourist spot: SACRÉ.  Today's French lesson.  Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a minor basilica in Paris and is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

61. Pianist's practice piece: ÉTUDE.  More of today's French lesson.

62. Cocktail garnishes: OLIVES.

66. Experts: MAVENS.

67. Rum quaff: GROG.  There are several "origin" stories of how Grog came to be.  Here is one version.

68. Not mainstream, informally: ALT.  As in Alternative.

69. White of "The Golden Girls": BETTY.  Betty Marion White (Jan. 17, 1922 ~ Dec. 31, 2021) was a wonderful comedian and actress.  She also starred in the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

70. Filming locations: SETS.

71. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.  Anyone here from Iowa?  

Down:

1. Gentle yoga style: HATHA.  Everything you wanted to know about Hatha yoga but didn't know to ask.

2. Like some committees: AD HOC.  Today's Latin lesson.

3. Indoor cats, e.g.: HOUSE PETS.  //  And 63-Down. 3-Down doc: VET.

4. Flows out, as the tide: EBBS.

5. Close to the ground: LOW.

6. Camel kin in Peru: LLAMA.

7. Classic Fender, familiarly: STRAT.  Everything you wanted to know about Fender guitars.

8. Fortunetelling decks: TAROTS.

9. Utah or Maine, in Washington, D.C.: AVENUE.

10. Make a path in a field, say: MOW.

11. Former Knicks center Patrick: EWING.  Although Patrick Ewing (né Patrick Aloysius Ewing; b. Aug. 5, 1962) was born in Jamaica, he lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts during his childhood before being recruited by Georgetown, where he played college basketball.

12. "Is it worth the risk?": DARE I?

16. Like turkey chili: LEAN.

18. Flat-topped landform: MESA.

22. Skydivers' needs: CHUTES.

25. Wild party: BASH.

26. La __ Tar Pits: BREA.

28. Ms. __-Man: arcade classic: PAC.

30. Tote or duffel: BAG.

31. Pitching stat: ERA.  As in Earned Run Average.

33. Food preservative acid: SORBIC.

34. Scrape (by): EKE.

36. "Did I do something wrong?": ARE YOU MAD?

37. Fr. holy woman: STE.  A continuation of today's French lesson.

38. Fr. fashion brand: YSL.  More of today's French theme.  The company is a luxury fashion house founded 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent (né Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent; Aug. 1, 1936 ~ June 1, 2008) and Pierre Bergé (né Pierre Vital Georges Bergé; Nov. 14, 1930 ~ Sept. 8, 2017)

40. Apple Pencil device: iPAD.

41. Mountain trail activity: HIKE.

42. Made a JPEG bigger, briefly: ENL.  As in Enlarge.

47. Not at school: ABSENT.

48. Loud and shrill, as a trumpet: BRASSY.

50. Ski town in Utah's Wasatch Mountains: ALTA.

51. Weaver's device: LOOM.

52. Space for tech-savvy HS kids: AV LAB.

53. Clueless: NAÏVE.

54. Wine residue: DREGS.

55. Artistic category: GENRE.

57. "Skyfall" vocalist: ADELE.  Adele (née Adele Laurie Blue Adkins; b. May 5, 1988) English singer-songwriter known for her soulful ballads and mezzo-soprano vocals.  Yesterday she was drinking wine.

58. Cozy spots: NESTS.

61. Soufflé ingredients: EGGS.  Yummers!

65. Part of a URL: DOT.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה