Wednesday, Jan 29th, 2025 ~ Rebecca Goldstein

 What~!?  No Country AND Western~!?

More Music Family Trees Here

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR~!  We move into the Year of the Wood Snake -- C.C. and I are Chinese Zodiac 'Pigs', but as far as I am concerned, the year ahead does not bode well;  all the horoscope reviews suggest I be cautious in everything I do - and I already hurt my knee.  Sigh.  

The full link here

ANYWAY, as for the crossword, it's been a while since I had an RG puzzle, but another 15 x 16 grid, with a melodious theme of "music" genres spanning four "rows" of the grid.  Forty-Two 4LWs, the circles were in yesterday's grid, and for a change very few names; I did not get my "ta-DA~!" right away, so it took a few minutes to find my error in the SE ( I'm looking at you LIBS ).  The centered reveal:

41A. Nashville district with historic recording studios, or what can be found four times in this puzzle: MUSIC ROW - there's a newsletter of the same name

The theme word rows alone:

SOUL  - - - - - ALTERNATIVE

BLUES - - -TRAP - - - SWING

METAL - - - FUNK - - - SALSA

ROCK AND ROLL - - - FOLK

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Fireplace fuel: LOGS - I raid the wood shop at work for scraps to make kindling, too

5. Bath and body work locations?: SPAS

9. Carne __: ASADA - Yummers~!

Most of the recipe sites were blown up with ads

14. Hardly working: IDLE - I have kept working, and kept aggravating my knee muscles

15. Bucks: CASH

16. __ roll: KAISER

17. Animating spirit: SOUL - soul music = The "other" OTIS; see 25D.

18. Backup plan: ALTERNATIVE - alternative music = growing up, there were so many choices in the 1980s that qualified as 'alternative' - the group in the clip below was among them, but this is their only song I PREFER

The Cure - Open

20. Like better: PREFER - hey, I just said I preferred . . . .

22. Personalizable cookie: OREO - I did not know this - here's the website to 'design your own'

23. Orator's platform: DAIS

24. __ facto: IPSO - Latin for "the fact itself"

26. Spot for a backyard barbecue: PATIO

28. St. Louis team: BLUES - blues music  = Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZTop, so many others; I am learning the solo in this masterpiece from 1969, a remake of classic Delta Blues with the AMP set to "eleven"

Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me

31. Catch in a cage: TRAP - trap music = The Wiki, which is the closest I get to this style of music

33. Playground fixture where pushing is encouraged: SWING - swing music = before my time, but I did enjoy this one as a "revival"

Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot

37. House mems.: REPS - oh, that House - in the Capitol; I was thinking BROs, DADs, etc.

38. Epitome of ease: PIE

39. Red-letter: BANNER - as in memorable, a " - " day

40. Tiebreakers, briefly: OTs - sports Over Times

44. Blvd. kin: AVE - abbrs for street-like pavings 

45. Titania's husband: OBERON - from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream

47. Quick snooze: NAP - spent most of Saturday napping icing and resting my knee

48. Dart: FLIT - usually with "about"

49. Gold or silver: METAL - metal music = my most beloved genre, but to pick "a" song . . . hmm OK, as far as I am concerned, here are the Godfathers of Heavy Metal, what with the image on their first album, the opening rain and thunder, the church bell, the "devil's interval" of the diminished fifth in the main riff, and the dark lyrics - I give you BLACK SABBATH

Black Sabbath

50. Feature of some cheeses: FUNK - funk music = this is the song that comes to mind

Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie

52. Chip dip: SALSA - salsa music = Marc Anthony is cited as the best-selling Salsa Artist per Wiki

53. Some viral content: MEMES

55. Devilish: EVIL

57. Sheer delight: GLEE

Delightfully sheer

60. Bills tracked at WheresGeorge.com: ONES - Interesting; the website

62. Sunset hue: ORANGE

66. Get the show on the road: ROCK AND ROLL - This one was tough - I chose to narrow it down to a  three-minute length, with a catchy riff, lyrics you can sing to, and some hint at a guitar solo - and the winner is, well, self-titled

Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers - I Love Rock N Roll

69. People: FOLK - I will not do this injustice; folk music = you pick your favorite

71. "Sure about that?": "IS IT~?"

72. Coastal Pennsylvania town: ERIE - home to Organ Supply Industries - I did not have a chance to respond to some comments last week - T-Ken, I am working on the drawings for a NEW organ that is to be installed in the Nave triforium at the National Cathedral - an extremely narrow chamber of only 3ft.

73. Double take?: STUNT - the star of a movie's stunt double

74. Pointillism units: DOTS - I did a painting like this, using Q-tips . . . . 

More about the movement here

75. 2024 WNBA champs: LIBS - meh.  The New York LIBerty defeated the Minnesota Lynx


DOWN:

1. Speech therapy subject: LISP

2. Smell: ODOR

3. Modeling supply: GLUE - I tried CLAY first

4. Mirror images?: SELFIES - first time appearing in a crossword per the analysis site

5. Lasting signs of damage: SCARS

6. Buddy: PAL

7. Regarding: AS TO - or IN RE~?  I guessed correctly this time

8. Tibetan ethnic group: SHERPA - filled via perps

9. Org. offering tows: AAA - The American Automobile Association - I'm A guy in AA and AAA 😜

10. "This may be hard to hear": "SIT DOWN."

11. Most populous continent: ASIA  - AND - 70A. Second-most populous continent: AFRICA

12. Hindu goddess: DEVI - Literally "goddess" in Sanskrit

Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth fortune, prosperity - I might just pray to her this year

13. Fighting spirit?: ARES - meh.  The God of War -- or -- maybe this site~?

16. Shoelace tangle: KNOT

19. Cut and collect: REAP - I had SNIP, like coupons - I could add a bonus of (Don't Fear) The Reaper

21. Podcast installments, briefly: EPs - I am guessing episodes - I have never actually listened to one

25. Elevator name: OTIS - Elisha, the inventor of the safety "brake" on elevators 

27. "We were all there": "I SAW."

28. Dustpan partner: BROOM

29. Didn't bother: LET BE

30. One-seed loss, e.g.: UPSET - Did this happen~? I hope so

32. Outdoorsy outlet: REI - Crosswordese - Recreational Equipment, Inc

34. Taken together: IN ALL

35. St. Kitts and __: NEVIS - I did not know this name

36. Director Gerwig: GRETA - I had a tie-in to her last week with "Lady Bird" more here

38. Bit of wordplay: PUN

39. Catchy song: BOP - I pondered "HIT" 

41. Star-nosed __: MOLE - I have had this before in crosswords - here's a link, but it's not pretty

42. Channel HQ'd in Atlanta: CNN

43. Accessory for fall collections?: RAKE - har-har

46. Creme brulee dish: RAMEKIN - I was this years old when I learned that this is literally "the" dish

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

  48. Pita filling: FALAFEL - fried chickpeas and seasonings

50. Ward (off): FEND

51. Login need: USER I.D.

52. Round Table title: SIR

54. "A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs" essayist Simpson: MONA - biological sister of - more here

56. Electricity units: VOLTS - Dah~! I went with WATTS

57. Mardi __: GRAS

58. Raised bed, maybe: LOFT

59. Greige hue: ECRU - Grey / Beige portmanteau; the common color of McMansions

61. Only okay: SO-SO

63. Seaweed snack: NORI

64. Insincere: GLIB - we have GLEE, GLUE, GRETA, GRAS, GREIGE and GLIB today

65. Squeaks (by): EKES

67. Do something: ACT - "don't just do something, stand there~!"

68. Course with a long reading list, for short: LIT - as in "English Lit(erature)"

Or maybe this~?  I like this one better

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

 

1) Happy Year of the Snake!

2) ORCA season is here. Voting is now open until February 17th for the 1^3th ORCA. You can read more here and cast your ballot.

Friday, December 13, 2024, Rebecca Goldstein

 Theme:  Less is less.

The theme clues and answers are:

18. Flat sea urchin: SAND QUARTER.  Instead of sand DOLLAR.  

29. Period covered in a midterm exam, maybe: ACADEMIC DIME.  Instead of an academic QUARTER.  When I was in college, a midterm exam covered the first half of an academic quarter.  I suppose an academic dime is a little less than half.

45. Tattles (on): DROPS A NICKEL.  Instead of drops a DIME.  "Drop a dime" is an idiom that means to inform on or betray someone, especially to the authorities.

57. Dense, dark rye bread: PUMPER PENNY.  Instead of pumperNICKEL.

And the reveal ...

36. Form of downsizing, and what has affected 18-, 29-, 45-, and 57-Across?: SHRINKFLATION.  Shrinkflation is a business practice by which a company reduces the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same. Fewer Cheerios in the Cheerios box. The value of your DOLLAR is now a QUARTER.

On to more ... or less!

Across:

1. Makeup of an oyster bed?: ICE.  Raw oysters are stored and served on crushed ice.

4. Ordering aid: MENU.

8. Superlatively smart: WISEST.

14. Sanskrit honorific: SRI.  In India, Sri is a title of respect used before the name of a man, a god, or a sacred book.

15. Second word in many fairy tales: UPON.  Once upon a time ...

16. Member of the Seven Council Fires: OGLALA.  The Oglala are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Seven Council Fires.

Thomas White Face, Oglala Lakota, 1899.

17. Ducked, maybe: HID.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Mouth-puckering: TART.

22. Mate mate?: SOUL.  DH is my soul mate.  Or perhaps, my better half.  

23. Altar answer: I DO.  That's essentially what I said to DH!  But it was more like, "Behold, by this ring you are made holy unto me."

Best day ever.

24. Small storage unit: KILOBIT.  A unit of computer memory or data equal to 1,024 (2¹º) bits.  Kilobytes measure storage capacity or data size, while kilobits measure data transfer rates or transmission speeds.  I'm sure you knew this, but I sure didn't!

26. Assumes: ADOPTS.  "Adopt" in the sense of "assume" means to take on or accept something as your own, like an idea, attitude, or position.

29. [Theme clue]

31. Cap: LID.  What do caps and lids conjure up for you?

Caps and lids ... or caps and lids?

32. Hosp. ward: ICU.  Intensive Care Unit in a hospital.  Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.

33. South Indian rice cake: IDLI.  Crossword cuisine.

Idli

36. [Theme reveal]

41. __ squeeze: MAIN.  Uh, oh.  TMI today about DH!

42. Peaty wetland: FEN.

43. Singular: ONE.

45. [Theme clue]

50. Fresh air, say: BREEZE.

52. "Maybe give it a pass": NO STARS.  A no star rating is a rating that indicates there is no redeeming quality about something.  A reviewer might say "maybe give it a pass" about a bad movie or museum.

53. 401(k) kin: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

54. Flying start?: AERO.  A Greek prefix relating to flight and air, as in aerodynamics and aeroplane (British for airplane).

56. Graphic __: ARTS.  The graphic arts include drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking -- all of which are produced on flat surfaces -- and are often associated with visual communication and advertising.

57. [Theme clue]

61. Vote for: YEA.  As opposed to nay.  In a sensible language, these would be yea and nea, or yae and nae, or yay and nay.

63. Wet weather wear: ANORAK.  A usually pullover hooded jacket long enough to cover the hips.

64. Reddit Q&As: AMAS.  Reddit AMAs (which stands for “Ask Me Anything”) are Q&As designed to bring an authority on a subject to a community of interested people.  News to me.

65. Stale, in a way: OLD.

66. Names on some college buildings: DONORS.

67. Toy brand with a 3,955-piece "Home Alone" set: LEGO.  The level of detail in this set is astonishing.

68. Phenomenon that may be explained by NASA: UFO.  Unidentified Flying Object (commonly abbreviated as UFO) is the popular term for any apparent aerial phenomenon whose cause cannot be easily or immediately identified by the observer.

Down:

1. In a way: ISH.  The suffix "-ish" is used to form adjectives from nouns or other adjectives to indicate an approximation.

2. Pulitzer category since 1970: CRITICISM.  The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated "distinguished criticism."

3. Muslim festival that precedes the Tashreeq days: EID AL-ADHA.  Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of the two main holidays in Islam.  The Days of Tashreeq are the three days after Eid al-Adha.

4. "There's no other explanation": MUST BE.

5. AQI monitor: EPA.  The Air Quality Index is the Environmental Protection Agency's tool for communicating about outdoor air quality and health. 

6. Like some cookware: NONSTICK.

7. Take back: UNDO.

8. Eager agreement: WOULD I.  DH:  Would you marry me?  Me:  Would I?!  (Not the actual words that were uttered.  Proposal-ISH.)

9. Grocery store franchise based in Chicago: IGA.  The Independent Grocers Alliance was founded in 1926 to bring family owned, local grocery stores together under the IGA brand.

10. Shutterbug's initials: SLR.  A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) typically uses a mirror and prism system that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured.  I like to point my SLR at birds in the backyard.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, a fall and winter resident in my Los Angeles garden.

11. Hit the deck: EAT IT.  "Hit the deck" means to suddenly fall to the ground, usually to avoid danger. One meaning of "eat it" is to fall down.

12. Para ice hockey gear: SLEDS.  Para ice hockey is an adaptation of ice hockey for players who have a lower body physical disability.  A specialized sled (or sledge) is substituted for skates.

A para ice hockey player handling the puck.

13. Boba tea flavor: TARO.  Taro root has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor with vanilla undertones that goes well with the milk, sugar, and black tea used to make boba tea. Or so I've read!  I'm not a fan of the tapioca bubbles (AKA pearls, AKA boba) in boba tea.

19. Campus square: QUAD.  In architecture, a quadrangle (or colloquially, a quad) is a space or a courtyard, usually rectangular, the sides of which are mainly occupied by parts of a large building, or several smaller buildings.  Often associated with college campuses.

The original quad at UCLA is bordered by the first four campus buildings, dating to 1929:  

the Library, Royce Hall, the Physics Building and the Chemistry Building.  Pictured here is Royce Hall.

21. Staff: ROD.  Psalm 23:4 speaks of God as a good shepherd:  "Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."  The shepherd's rod warded off predators; the staff (with a hook on one end) was used to gently guide the sheep.  Although the two English words are sometimes equated, that is probably an error.  At least in this instance, the Hebrew text uses two distinct words.

24. Actor Penn: KAL.  Kalpen Suresh Modi, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. 

Kal Penn

25. "Name the time and place": I'M IN.

27. Conveniently forget, maybe: OMIT.

28. Treatment for tootsies: PEDI.  A pedicure makes your toes pretty.

30. Results of rolling up one's sleeves?: CUFFS.

34. "Great job, friend!": LOOK AT YOU.

35. Private parts?: INNER SELF.  Ha ha!

37. Roller coaster, e.g.: RIDE.

38. Subject line phrase: IN RE.  In re, Latin for "in the matter [of]," is a term with several different meanings.  I always assumed it meant "in regard to ...."

39. Bill Withers hit that begins, "Sometimes in our lives / We all have pain": LEAN ON ME.  What a great song!

Lean on Me

40. Civilization-building video game series set in various years: ANNO.  Did not know this, but guessed the name, since "anno" is Latin for "in the year."

44. Half of roll call: ELS.  The letter L (spelled "el") constitutes half of the letters in "roll call."

46. Range whose highest point is Wahzhazhe Summit: OZARKS.  The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, is a region in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as the southeastern corner of Kansas.

47. Marshmallow treat: PEEP.

These do not look like good eats.

48. "It's my decision": I SAY SO.  Did your parents give you this answer to "Why?"

49. QB feeder: CTR.  Football *and* abbreviations!

50. "Encanto" uncle: BRUNO.  I saw the 2021 animated film by Walt Disney Studios, but had to guess at this character's name.

51. Rodriguez of "Will Trent": RAMON.  Ramón Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican actor known for his current role as the title character in the ABC series Will Trent.  Well, known to some -- not to me!

Ramón Rodríguez

53. Apple tablet: IPAD.

55. Honest-to-goodness: REAL.

58. Major leaguer: PRO.  A member of a major-league baseball team is a PROfessional ball player.

59. Maize unit: EAR.  Corny!

60. Remind repeatedly, say: NAG.  Dr. Laura Schlessinger says not to do this to our Dear Husbands.

62. Fuss: ADO.  Nagging DH would constitute Much Ado About Nothing.

Here's the grid:

I had one bad cell in the solve, thanks to that small storage unit at 24 Across.

Did you have more?  Or LESS?

NaomiZ

Wednesday, Oct 16th, 2024, Rebecca Goldstein

  INGREDIENTS

Today's construction from RG was not a great one for me - I find the theme answers to be vaguely tied to the reveal at best, and we had a handful of names again, one of which was an 'ingredient' in the recipe for my disaster.  20 TLWs and 24 four-letter words, but we get a reprieve from circles, at least.  Sadly, I 49A. "flubbed" the middle left of the grid today, so I have to admit to cheating; though in hindsight, I shoulda known - maybe that's why I am not a fan of this puzzle.  The Themers;

16. Fruit given to Snow White by the Evil Queen: POISON APPLE

21. Rabble-rouser: BAD EGG

He's been "sEGGregated"

26. Youthful rebelliousness: WILD OATS - I missed my error here - I had Wild Rats, the "R" from DRS, which didn't jibe, and then a Wild Cats "C", which made no sense at all in the Down

45. Unrefined petroleum: CRUDE OIL

I cave in and put gas in my Prius once every six weeks

50. With 58-Across, conditions likely to lead to catastrophe, or what 16-, 21-, 26-, and 45-Across are ingredients for?: RECIPE - AND - 58A. See 50-Across: FOR DISASTER - with these "four" ingredients, I think you end up with a McDonald's Apple Pie

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Rapid transit vehicles?: RAFTS - Rapid(s) as in white water, and "rafting" upon them

6. "Dancing Queen" quartet: ABBA - CrossWord Staple, still a name - #1

10. Weep loudly: SOB

13. Introverted, maybe: ALOOF - I am definitely introverted

14. Watering can part: SPOUT

15. Actress Thurman: UMA - CWS, still a name - #2

18. Write: PEN

19. Bombard, as with snowballs: PELT

20. Cribside coos: AWS - Meh.  I would have preferred "Amazon Web Services" for this clue; plus, it's usually AWW in crosswords

23. Tosses in: ADDS - AND - 34A. Much of magazines: ADS - meh on the semi-dupe

25. Turkish dough: LIRAS

 $1 US = 34.31 Lira

30. __ party: sudsy celebration: FOAM - I am not familiar with this "type" of party, but it makes sense - I stopped drinking 20yrs ago, and essentially stopped partying the same time as well. . . . Sigh

31. Literature Nobel laureate Bashevis Singer: ISAAC - No clue, waited on perps, and that didn't help either - note my little black triangles in the cel corners in the grid below; I just could not be bothered to think about finding the answers - just cheat and reveal the letters. . . . AND name - #3

32. Off-balance: ATILT

AWW, cute

37. Put down: DISS - Meh.  Usually has just one "S", as in DISrespect

38. Comrade: CRONY

39. First Nations people of Canada: CREE - had the last "E", but it's not OTOE - CWS and name #4

40. Rough no.: ESTimate

41. Hits upon the answer: HAS IT

42. Relaxed: CHILL

43. Look to be: SEEM

47. Gush with naches: KVELL - All I can say about seeing this in a Wednesday crossword is "What?!?"  21st century-speak for spewing pride.  P.S. naches is also the rump of a cow, and one might say I am leaning towards that definition in context. . . .

49. Flubs: ERRS

52. Prefix with -logue: EPI - epilogue, the wrapping up,  "last chapter", in a novel - this does SEEM to be trying too hard to avoid being the 'usual' crossword clue/answer. e.g. Epi Pen

53. Fries or tots: SIDE

57. Latin for "I": EGO

61. End of many superhero names: MAN  - let me count the ways. . . .

62. Reversed: UNDID - I am truly grateful for the "UNDO" button on several pieces of software, including the Blogger

63. Home of the Kaaba: MECCA - no clue, but I had M_C_A, so...name #5

64. Come to a close: END

65. Future AG's exam: LSAT

66. Oldest of the Three Musketeers: ATHOS - name #6

DOWN:

1. Reneé of "Mean Girls": RAPP - no clue, name - #7 - her IMDb

2. Succulent genus: ALOE - A shout-out to Hahtoolah

3. Wrap for leftovers: FOIL  - SARAN didn't fit

4. Open-faced dishes with crispy tortillas: TOSTADAS - my last fill, and I toyed with the last vowel - "A" or "O"~? even tho I knew it was an A

5. Hub across the Bay from OAK: SFO - San Francisco airport code; my closest airport code is BDL

6. Starters, casually: APPS - APPetizerS, trying again to NOT be typical, but it just doesn't work on Wed, IMHO

7. Danceable song: BOP - we (I) just learned this last Friday

8. Glowing object on a marquee: BULB - Meh.  IN a marquee seems better

9. Went back for thirds, maybe: ATE A LOT - Ugh.  I don't care for ALOT in puzzles to begin with

10. Nintendo platform game series: SUPER MARIO

11. Seamaster watchmaker: OMEGA - it was either this or ROLEX, as Audemars Piguet doesn't fit - I was a CAD designer for their Southampton store, which required bullet-proof glass - their most expensive piece is $430K, almost twice the cost of my house

NOTE: the website selling this watch is

offering $100 off your first order - ooh, good deal~!

12. Fringe on some foreheads: BANGS - A shout-out to our host C.C.

She likes the BANGS in this picture

14. Reacted to something striking?: SAW STARS

17. Absolutely nothing: NADA

22. San José day: DIA - Spanish lesson

24. OB or GYN: DOCtor - I knew DRS (plural) didn't match with the "or" in the clue

26. Broad: WIDE

27. Egyptian goddess: ISIS - name, #7

28. Stressful time for a procrastinator: LAST SECOND

29. Showing no fear, maybe: STOIC

30. Wing it?: FLY

33. Boldly brave: INTREPID - and then we have great fill like this

35. Market with a pickle barrel: DELI - Um, OK - when I did an internet search, I expected to find A LOT of B&W images, but no

36. Move merchandise: SELL

38. Laptop lens: CAMera - I have one at work for Teams meetings

39. Drawing board?: CHESS SET - a "draw" in chess is rare, but not unheard of; I plan to make a table for my living room with a chess board in the center

41. Advantageous: HELPFUL

42. Sr. officer: CDR - commander; I happen to know it's the abbr. for these, too

44. Nickname that drops -jah: ELI - again, trying to NOT be the typical "Yale" clue/answer

46. Novelist Leon: URIS - name #8

47. Krispy __: KREME - Mmmm, Donuts. . . . 

48. Plant-based: VEGAN - Do donuts count~?  I mean, the sugar comes from a plant, right~?

51. Many millennia: EONS - or AGES~?

52. Resolve a tense disagreement?: EDIT - correcting verb tenses - clever

54. Burning desire: ITCH - I have a "burning desire" in the form of poison ivy (oak, sumac) all over my arms from the yard work I did two weeks ago.  Yay.

55. Miami Beach style: DECO - Had something similar yesterday

56. Distinct periods: ERAS - is it going to be ERAS or AGES~?

59. Dietary amt.: RDA - Recommended Daily Allowance - my Daily Allowance these days is totally UN-recommended; I need to stop eating and start exercising - this is my New Year's Resolution

60. 24-Down's org.: AMA - American Medical Association

Splynter

Notes from C.C.

1) Happy Birthday to dear Dave (CrossEyedDave), the best birthday cake maker in the world. Your posts always brighten up our day, Dave!

CrossEyedDave

2) Happy Birthday also to Blue Hen. Hope all's well!