Friday September 5, 2025 Patti Varol

While Malodorous Manatee relaxes under a pool umbrella sipping iced tea, I, RustyBrain, am toiling away on this review. However, I am also under a pool umbrella sipping iced tea (hey, it's still summer!).

Patti Varol, Patti Varol, hmm. Why does that name sound so familiar? Oh, I know! I've seen it atop every puzzle here for the past couple years along with someone named Ed. And LOOKY here! It's one of her own creations!

17. "Don't be impulsive," literally: LOOK YOU LEAP. → LOOK before YOU LEAP. In the answer, the word "LOOK " is placed before "YOU LEAP." This one was a bit of a poser. I had LOOKY- from the NW corner, but hadn't sussed the theme yet.

29. Find hidden meaning, literally: THE READ LINES. → READ between THE LINES. The word "READ" is in between "THE" and "LINES." This was my aha (oho?) moment. 

36. Requirement for many a private school, and an apt title for this puzzle?: PLACEMENT EXAM. → Advanced PLACEMENT EXAM. The revealer is also a themer! Very cool.

44. Risks missing a deadline, literally: SCHEDULE RUNS. → RUNS behind SCHEDULE. Another common phase reworked by placing "RUNS" behind the word "SCHEDULE."

60. Nearly identical pair, literally: A TWO PEAS POD. → TWO PEAS in A POD. I found this one the hardest to parse, even knowing the trick by now. The first letters ATWOP looked so odd it threw me. But "TWO PEAS" are definitely inside "A" and "POD." 

You've all heard of prepositional phrases, well these are just positional phrases where the position of the words in the answer is dictated by the clue. It's not the first time I've seen this type of theme, but this one is done very well - a straightforward switcheroo of common expressions...and there are five of them! The only downside to all this is an abundance of short fill. All in all, a fun outing. Thanks Patti.

Across:

1. Take off: SCRAM.

6. Piccata need: CAPER. In Italian cuisine, piccata is prepared using veal, whereas in American cuisine, chicken is more commonly used. Great either way. Here's a piccata pic:

11. Advanced deg.: PHD. Doctor of Philosophy = philosophiae doctor in Latin. Yes, "doctor" is actually a Latin word meaning "teacher" or "learned person."

14. Now, in Spanish: AHORA. 

15. Common fruit in 11-Down cuisine: OLIVE. Fruit in PROVENCAL cuisine: OLIVE. Next, you'll probably tell me that zucchini is a fruit. Ha ha...what's that? Zucchini really is a fruit?! I'll be darned.

16. Piglet pal: ROO.

17. [theme]

19. "!!!": OMG. TextSpeak for "Oh My God!" Oddly, it's rarely heard in church.

20. Absent: MISSING.

21. Timid person's lack: NERVE. I had "spine" first.

23. Gallery array: ART. Galley array: OARS.

24. Designer Jacobs: MARC. In fashion, he sits in the "affordable luxury" bracket. Out of fashion, I sit in the "affordable drudgery" bucket.

27. Covers for, maybe: ABETS.

29. [theme]

32. Garment worn with a choli: SARI. A choli in South India is a blouse or a bodice-like garment that is usually cropped leaving the midriff bare. A SARI is a draped dress.

34. Try (for): VIE.

35. Metal container: CAN. Metal container: ALBUM COVER (You knew I would squeeze one in somewhere!).

36. [theme]

41. Talk and talk: YAP.

42. Atmosphere: AIR.

43. Aromatherapy options: OILS.

44. [theme]

49. Take off: LEAVE.

50. Baking soda target: ODOR.

51. Comedian Samantha: BEE. BEE is an alumna of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and later became the first woman to host her own late-night satire show.

54. Radio-active truckers?: CBERS. Fun clue for users of Citizen's Band radios. During the CB craze in the 1970s, the novelty song "Convoy" was a big hit, reaching #1 on Billboard. It's young writer, Chip Davis, took his royalties and founded Mannheim Steamroller. 

56. Deep-fried appetizer: EGG ROLL.

59. Drink brand with Simbu Strawberry and Molokai Coconut flavors: BAI.

60. [theme]

63. Receipt fig.: AMT. Recipe fig.: also AMT. That's what it Amounts to.

64. One-named K-pop singer: IRENE. This name/clue is slowly is slowing sinking into my brain.

65. Party-planning site: EVITE. An online service for creating and sending digital invitations. See RSVP.

66. Photo __: OPS. Photo OOPS!

67. Concession speech deliverer: LOSER. Concession stand delivery: "Get your hot dogs here!"

68. Better suited for: APTER. Meh. APTER doesn't sound quite right.

Down:

1. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA. How many more last names does she have that I don't know about? 

2. Loft-y group?: CHOIR. I wanted "cloud."

3. Dove bar?: ROOST. Dove bar!

4. Holy chests: ARKS.

5. "Please?": MAY I.

6. Mountain predator: COUGAR. Especially the older females.

7. "I'm __ yours!": ALL.

8. Epitome of ease: PIE. The idiom "easy as PIE" is akin to "a piece of cake." The key insight is that eating a pie (or cake) is simple and requires little effort, as opposed to making one. In fact, the original phrase was "like eating pie." "Look ma, no hands!"

9. "Dear __ Hansen": EVAN. Dear Evan Hansen is a Tony Award-winning musical about a high school student with social anxiety who gets caught in a lie after a fellow student's suicide.

10. Void, in a way: REPEAL.

11. Like bouillabaisse: PROVENCAL. Originating from the Provence region on the Mediterranean in France. This answer took a while to fill in.

12. Squads that typically bat last: HOME TEAMS. I think I misread this clue...

13. Canine: DOG. Canine teeth are the pointy ones on either side of your incisors (front teeth) and are named for their resemblance to Dracula's a dog’s fangs.

18. "I got it": ON ME. Music to my ears!

22. Softball stat: RBI. Run Batted In, just like in baseball.

25. Held in high esteem: REVERED.

26. "Double Indemnity" novelist: CAIN. James M. CAIN was an American novelist, journalist and screenwriter. He is widely regarded as a progenitor of the hardboiled school of American crime fiction. Prior to that, he poached his work.

28. Fed. ID fig.: SSN. That's a lot of abbrev.! Federal Identification figure: Social Security Number.

29. Refrain syllable: TRA. So fa, sol good.

30. Juice box brand: HI-C.

31. Lions or Tigers, in recaps: DET. But not Bears! DETROIT. 

32. Destination for aspiring astronauts: SPACE CAMP. My eldest son went to summer camp at Kennedy Space Center. He had a great time and flew the shuttle (simulator). Although he didn't become an astronaut, he still shuttles to work.

33. "They're A, B, C, D-licious" cereal: ALPHA-BITS. Post was accused of being a cereal killer when they discontinued ALPHA-BITS in 2021. Now I'm at a loss for words. This is a box from when I was a kid. 

37. Lac contents: EAU. A little French pour vous.

38. Actor Ventimiglia: MILO. He played the dad in the TV series "This is Us." Spoiler alert - Jack died before the timeline in the pilot, yet he somehow managed to to appear in every episode for six seasons and become a fan favorite. 

39. Seemingly forever: EON.

40. Letters before omicrons: XIS. I wonder if the earliest version of Alpha-bits used Greek letters?

41. Couture monogram: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent's full name is Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent. That that, SALMA.

45. Anticipatory time: EVE.

46. Throw off topic: DERAIL.

47. Former "At the Movies" co-host: ROEPER. Richard ROEPER.

48. Hard-to-resist desire: URGE.

51. Hasbro toy that requires twisting and pulling: BOP-IT. Bop-it has sold over 30 million (!) units and has seen more than a dozen revisions and spin-offs since its original release. I'm still waiting for Santa to bring me mine.

52. Mexican street corn: ELOTE. A classic Mexican street food of corn on the cob charred on a grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chile, garlic, and Cotija cheese–spiked sauce.

53. Senior figure: ELDER. 

55. H-Town pro: STRO. Houston ASTROS, but H-town could also mean Hustle Town (right T?).

57. Mother of the Titans: GAEA. In Greek mythology, GAEA (or Gaia - depending on which Alpha-bits letter you can find in your bowl) is the goddess of the Earth, and is often referred to as "Mother Earth." Here she is on bowling night:

58. "Kindly let us know" letters: RSVP. "Répondez S'il Vous Plaît" literally means "respond if it pleases you." The French are so polite. They wouldn't want you to be inconvenienced after sending you an EVITE to something nice.

59. Stuffed bun: BAO. Same as on Tuesday's puzzle menu, except the Friday special comes with EGG ROLLs. 

61. "The Phoenician Scheme" director Anderson: WES. All his movies are quirky, but I especially liked Moonrise Kingdom. 

62. Number worn by Ozzie Smith: ONE. Three letters, so its ONE, two, six or ten. I know C.C. wouldn't have to wait for perps like I did.

Happy birthday to my brother Gary! He's an emeritus professor of marketing and statistics from the University of Iowa - the RealBrain in the family. And yes, he has a PHD.

Tuesday August 26, 2025 Susan Gelfand

What?! RustyBrain is now pinch-hitting for Hahtoolah? When will the madness end?!

If Susan Gelfand's first born puzzle had gone to class, it would be graduating from high school right about now. This one flowed nicely and was Tuesday appropriate. She obviously aced her lessons!

I had to dig deep in my record collection for this one. If it had been "Five Easy Pieces," well, then we'd be sitting with Jack Nicholson in a diner trying to order toast.

17. "Easy!": PIECE OF CAKE. Finally, an answer that's a real phase, not something convoluted.

28. "Easy!": LIKE CHILD'S PLAY. And another one!

46. "Easy!": A WALK IN THE PARK. Three in a row!

60. "Easy!": NOTHING TO IT. And this makes it a home run.

Nice job, Susan, you've restored my faith in constructors. Not much else to say about these except they're all common phrases that work well with the theme. I like these kind of puzzles where a singular clue leads to multiple answers. And unlike some other crosswords I've reviewed lately, each one is something you'd actually say. Easy does it!

Across:

1. Brother of Chico, Harpo, and Groucho: ZEPPO. It was either ZEPPO or Gummo. In the early Marx Brothers movies, ZEPPO played the straight man while Chico played the piano.

6. 1965 Alabama march site: SELMA.

11. Draft animal: ASS. I worked at the Williamsburg Busch Gardens, and occasionally had to bring bales of hay to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Up close, they were huge "draft" animals with shoes the size of dinner plates.

14. Earth Day month: APRIL. "There is no PLANet B."

15. Starting 11 in soccer, e.g.: A TEAM. Although Premier League matches traditionally start at 3pm, not 11.

16. Org. for Sharks and Ducks: NHL. Organization is abbrev. so the National Hockey League is also.

17. [theme]

19. "__ willikers!": GEE. "Looks like someone's been a bat boy."

20. Obama daughter: SASHA.

21. Shirt with a button-down collar: OXFORD. An OXFORD is a casual shirt that is typically made from heavier fabric than a dress shirt. Oddly, they're rarely worn with Oxfords. 

23. Scoreboard figs.: PTS. Scoreboard figures: POINTS. Scoreboard figs: SPONSOR.

25. Gold, in Mexico: ORO. So I don't confuse this with OSO (Spanish for bear) I think that ORO looks like ORE, which gold is.

27. Makes a wrong choice: ERRS. Dang, I wrote OSO instead of ORO. 

28. [theme]

34. Jungian inner self: ANIMA. I should know this, but I needed an assist from perps.

35. Set up for solitaire: DEALT. My mom said I was a card and needed to be DEALT with.

36. Quick learner: NATURAL. 

39. Pan-frying hazard: SPATTER.

43. Doesn't make the podium: LOSES.

45. Around about: CIRCA. "Roundabout" CIRCA 1972. Hit single from YES off their Fragile album. 

46. [theme]

50. Sulky mood: SNIT.

51. London lavatory: LOO.

52. Right on __: CUE. The opposite of wrong on queue.

53. Build some muscle: TONE UP.

56. Seize by force: WREST. WREST and wrestle are related and derive from the same root meaning "to twist."

59. Museum collection: ART. Because donations wouldn't fit in the slot.

60. [theme]

65. Happy hour haunt: BAR.

66. Cedar Rapids resident: IOWAN.

67. Movie legend Greta: GARBO. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's silent and early golden eras.

68. Rainbow's backdrop: SKY. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - his band after Deep Purple.

69. Flip-flop: THONG. I was relaxing on Haulover Beach in Miami when a woman near me slipped out of her thong! I was surprised to say the least, until she kicked the other one off as well. That's when I noticed a lot of people were going around bare foot.

70. Inception: ONSET.

Down:

1. Thaw in the microwave: ZAP.

2. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen": EPI.

3. Promotional packet released to the media: PRESS KIT. Here's a home version.

4. Printing measure: PICA. Back before word processors with their plethora of fonts, typewriters basically had two: PICA (wide) and Elite (narrow). Nowadays, printers measure how much toner is left so they can sell you more.

5. Cheers at the Bienal de Flamenco: OLES. The Flamenco Biennial (in English) is a major international flamenco festival that takes place in Seville, Spain, every two years.

6. Serengeti adventure: SAFARI.

7. "The list goes on," briefly: ETC.

8. __ & Perrins steak sauce: LEA.

9. Fastest known shark: MAKO. The "something new" I always learn from crosswords.

10. Discover or MC alternative: AMEX. A MasterCard alternative is American Express. For your convenience, I accept all of them. Send your money to me @ Crossword Corner, especially if you have an unlimited Black Card. Thanks in advance.

11. Soft sweater wool: ANGORA.

12. Fortified wine from Andalusia: SHERRY.

13. Winter coasters: SLEDS. Winter coasters: SNOWFLAKES.

18. "I got it! I got it!": OH OH. I know this one!
-

22. Soft pen type: FELT TIP.

23. Details shared before a night out: PLAN. 

24. Rock legend Turner: TINA.She's timeless.

26. "I was today years __ when ... ": OLD. The “I was today years OLD” meme began on Twitter in 2015, when users posted the phrase to express surprise or humor upon learning something new or realizing it for the first time.

29. Try to equal: EMULATE. 

30. "O Holy Night," for one: CAROL. As played by Carole:

31. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES.

32. Sticky stuff on a tree: SAP. It takes about 40 gallons of maple SAP to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. I guess that's what it all boils down to.

33. Finish second in a horse race: PLACE. Win, PLACE and Show = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

37. Inquire: ASK.

38. Hula dancer's garland: LEI.

40. Farm vehicles: TRACTORS. I have cousins who are third-generation dairy farmers in Upstate New York. They collect vintage TRACTORS. Or maybe they don't junk the old ones...

41. Light beige: ECRU.

42. Leaf gatherer: RAKE.

44. Skit show with musical guests, briefly: SNL. The show was originally known simply as NBC's Saturday Night because ABC was broadcasting a program titled Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. The opening announcer still says "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

46. Outerwear suitable for cold, frosty, and snowy conditions: ANORAK.

47. Cold, frosty, and snowy: WINTRY. I like when two clues share common words, almost like today's theme!

48. AAA service: TOWING.

49. Car instrument: HORN. I never played the HORN, but I did play the radio.

50. Uninformed guesses: STABS.

54. Group of troops: UNIT.

55. Eeyore's pal: POOH. Whenever I see "Eeyore", my mind sees eyesore.

57. Frozen waffle brand: EGGO. EGGO experienced a resurgence in sales after the Netflix series Stranger Things became a hit. The lead character, a girl named Eleven with psychic abilities, is obsessed with them.

58. Baseball Hall of Famer Musial: STAN. "STAN the Man" is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.

61. Number needed to tango: TWO.

62. "To All the Boys" series creator Jenny: HAN. One of many bestsellers that I haven't read, but I'm sure it's good. Her novels have been adapted into movies and TV series.  

63. "May __ excused?": I BE.

64. Youngster: TOT. Young spuds are tater TOTs.

May I be excused now?