Saturday, July 26, 2025, Malaika Handa

 Saturday Themeless by Malaika Handa

This is my third themeless puzzle by Brooklyn resident Malaika Handa. Malaika is a software engineer who has been making puzzles for three years. You can see an archive of all her puzzles on her website: https://www.girlbosswords.com/ 

Here is a link to a playful but instructive interview with Malaika that includes this wonderful quote from her: 

Also, when you’re solving, look up entries that you don’t know! It’s a game, not a test.

Across:

1. Healing process: AFTER CARE - My DW is as good as you can get!

10. Wedding traditions that involve rings: HORAS - Ah, rings of people not metal

15. Participated in a group ride: CAR POOLED.

16. Not sneaky: OVERT.

17. Shape that might resemble a hexagon sliced in half: TRAPEZOID - Slicing this hexagon yielded a TRAPEZOID, a parallelogram and a triangle. This math guy loved this idea!

18. Shelf: LEDGE.

19. Goddess believed to be the divine mother of the pharaoh: ISIS.

20. Part of JPY: YEN - You have to look very carefully to see the symbol for the JaPanese YEN ¥ in the picture to the left of the number. Security measures on these notes

       

21. Fund: ENDOW.

22. Zip around a soccer field?: NIL - NIL and zip are euphemisms for zero.

23. Texting tech: SMS - We do a lot of Short Message Service text for personal and professional contacts. Here, my grandson and I set up a golf date.

24. Some characters on the U.K. show "The Thick of It": MPS - Members of Parliament ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

26. "Entertaining Is Fun!" columnist Garten: INA.

27. Not likely to enjoy icebreakers: SHY.

28. Actress Issa: RAE - A regular in our crossword cast

29. Asterisk: STAR.

30. 1960s hit covered by Salt-N-Pepa: TWIST AND SHOUT - I'm sure Salt-N-Pepa did just fine, but c'mon...

33. Gradually losing a connection: DRIFTING APART.

34. Bases for some sandwiches: TOASTED BAGELS.

35. Homey lodgings: INNS.

36. "Star Wars" heroine who inspired an Ali Hazelwood romance novel: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ REY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

  

37. Bird associated with Athena: OWL.

38. Qt. halves: PTS.

39. __ admin: SYS.

40. Some TVs: LGS - We have several 

41. Key ring attachment: FOB - It took me a while to realize I don't have to insert or remove a key from the ignition to start my car.

44. Dessert brand with the early slogan "Delicate. Delightful. Dainty.": JELLO - From 1873 -  1932

46. Golden ratio symbol: PHI - More

47. Country name that has an accent called a síneadh fada: EIRE.

48. To no __: AVAIL.

49. Sauce made with a molcajete y tejolote: GUACAMOLE - Molcajete y tejolote is Spanish for mortar and pestle. Here is the cooking version made of volcanic rock where grinding ingredients  brings out more of the flavor.

51. Host of HGTV's "Ugliest House in America": RETTA - She's a hoot.

52. Age-old navigation aid: URSA MINOR - The end star of URSA MINOR (tail of the small bear) is the North Star. It is the one point in the sky that is in the same position all night and every night and you can always tell which direction in North. The "pointer" stars in the Ursa Major always point to the North Star.

53. Cynical look: SNEER.

54. HelloFresh options: MEAL PLANS.

Down:

1. Cellular protein in microfilaments: ACTIN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More than anyone wants to know

2. Language of the Asghar Farhadi film "The Salesman": FARSI.

                 

3. Lag: TRAIL.

4. Actor Omar: EPPS.

5. Spherical garnish: ROE.

6. Lilian Jackson Braun genre: COZY MYSTERY - These books are known for their lighthearted tone, focus on a small-town setting, and the absence of graphic violence or explicit content

7. Some xeriscaping plants: ALOES - Xeriscaping plants need very little water. Can you see some of our crossword ALOES in this landscape?

8. Pull (in): REIN.

9. "Double D" in a Cartoon Network trio: EDD ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Supposedly the "brains" of this group 

10. Features of many well-loved sweatshirts: HOLES.

11. Pizza place: OVEN.

12. Social media users who celebrate an annual "cake day": REDDITORS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

13. Sailor on Jason's quest: ARGONAUT.

14. "Twilight" star: STEWART.

Robert Pattison.   Kristen STEWART

 
23. Loose dress: SHIFT.

24. Anime source, often: MANGA - MANGA are Japanese comic books from which anime (animated versions) are made.

25. Related to teaching: PEDAGOGICAL - A well-known word to this educator 

27. Like fondue: SWISS.

28. Passed: RAN BY.

29. Formal will: SHALL - SHALL and will are alternate form of a future tense verbs. SHALL is more formal and less used. SHALL is much better in this instance.

30. Decode: TRANSLATE - I think we all know that some of the most important decoding in human history happened in this building in Bletchley Park, England during WWII.

31. Nautical table data: TIDES - When I used to take kids to Cocoa Beach, FL we would arrive around 3:30 pm. If you look at the chart. below, you can see we would be there at a very low TIDE if we were there today at that time. There would be a lot of beach showing and a lot of shells would be taken back to the bus.

32. Shoots out: SPEWS.

33. Stop order?: DON'T EVEN - Back off Cowboy!

34. Change places?: TIP JARS.

39. __ plexus: SOLAR.

40. __ apso: LHASA - For you Irish!

41. "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" singer Apple: FIONA - Lyrically, Apple reaches into her past to confront middle-school bullies and looks into her future for an imaginary lover. Wanna listen to this sad/angry song?

42. Acrylic material: ORLON.

43. Heady stuff?: BEERS 😀

45. Lo-cal: LITE.

46. Name of LaCroix's unflavored sparking water: PURE.

47. Track legend Zátopek: EMIL - A Czech runner who won three gold medals in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

 

49. Extra, e.g.: GUM - I chew Mentos sugar-free GUM

50. Concert piece: AMP.

Irish Miss sent me a lovely note asking me to share it with you and of course I am happy to do so.

As RCA appears so often in our puzzles and Nipper is so well known, I thought this article would be of interest to the Cornerites. It has special meaning to me as I worked for RTA (Radio Television Appliance) which was a distributor for RCA appliances for 16 years in this building in Albany . This iconic RCA Records dog is now a symbol of New York's capital city. More information. 

 

Saturday, July 12, 2025 Kyle Dolan

  Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan

This is the 19th Saturday puzzle by Dr. Dolan I have blogged. My first one was on May 26, 2018 and every one of his constructions has been a delight. This one was no exception as even Thimmamma  Marrimanu in Anantapur was only a minor annoyance. 😀

As you can tell by the colorful graphic, Kyle had a great many unique or nearly unique fills!

Across:

1. "Hold on to that one": IT'S A KEEPER - This occurred to me right off the bat and I was so 16. Confident: SURE I immediately put it in.

11. Periods: ERAS.

15. Have a heart-to-heart exchange?: FALL IN LOVE - Awww...❤️

17. Healthy dessert option: FRUIT SALAD.

18. "Whatcha waitin' for?": CMON.

19. Purple __: YAM.

20. Magnate: TITAN.

21. Rodeo circuit?: LASSO 😀

22. Second-largest landlocked country in Africa: NIGER - Yup, Chad is the largest

23. Jay-Z or Cardi B: RAPPER.

24. Glossy fabric: SATEEN.

27. German car, informally: BEEMER.

29. Hybrid since 1997: PRIUS.

30. Sense of achievement: SELF PRIDE.

33. Slangy contraction: AIN'T - Top 11 songs with AIN'T in the title. Bill Wither's song is my fav.

34. Dockers fabric: KHAKI.

35. "Can do!": ON IT.

36. Weak six-packs?: NEAR BEERS - LITE BEERS fit first.

38. Forum garb: TOGAS.

39. Line dance movement: TOE TAP - We all did it, didn't we?

40. Numerous: SO MANY.

41. Verbal shrug: I DUNNO.

43. Secret spots: LAIRS.

45. Ancient seafaring people: NORSE - Seeing them on the horizon did not usually engender joy!

46. Zest: GUSTO.

47. Closest one, briefly: BFF.

50. Family member: AUNT - I had four AUNTS I never got to meet.

51. Thimmamma Marrimanu in Anantapur, notably: BANYAN TREE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- Thimmamma Marrimanu is a BANYAN TREE in Anantapur, India. I filled it in and then looked it up.

53. Subject of a deal, say: PLEA.

54. Ad hoc groups of specialists: TIGER TEAMS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A tiger team is a specialized, cross-functional team brought together to solve or investigate a specific problem or critical issue.

55. Catherine who outlived Henry VIII: PARR.

56. Some ranch dressing: STETSON HAT 😀 Yes, I suppose someone dressing in ranch attire might wear a STETSON HAT.

Down:

1. Touch and go: IFFY.

2. Hill of __: historical site associated with the High Kings of Ireland: TARA More

3. Neglected area: SLUM.

4. Arabic name that means "elevated": ALI.

5. Pools: KITTIES - Every teacher's lounge I've ever been in has a game like this where you pay for a square and the money goes into the pool or KITTY. Winners below are determined by where the last number in the Colts score crosses the last number in the Bear's score.

6. Naval rank: ENSIGN.

7. Fill with joy: ELATE.

8. One way to break the ice?: POLAR BEAR PLUNGE - When a blizzard knocked out our power for three days in March, I couldn't even take a cold shower! 🥶

9. __ Rachel Wood of "Mildred Pierce": EVAN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

10. Color of diamonds: RED - I overthought this for a while

11. Activities that require exit strategies?: ESCAPE ROOMS.

12. Amish rite of passage: RUMSPRINGA - Rumspringa is a rite of passage in some Amish communities where teenagers, typically around 16, experience a period of relative freedom from traditional Amish restrictions before committing to that life as an adult. 

13. Got up: AROSE.

14. Caballero title: SENOR.

21. Prize in "A Christmas Story": LAMP.

22. Supernova remnant: NEUTRON STAR.

23. APR adjustment: REFI - REFInancing a loan.

24. Go over: SPAN - After you...

25. Racer Luyendyk known as "The Flying Dutchman": ARIE.

26. Aunty Entity player in "Mad Max 3": TINA TURNER - TINA was 45 when she did this film in 1985.

28. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS.

30. __ butter: SHEA.

31. Primatologist Fossey: DIAN.

32. Creative outlet?: ETSY.

34. Atkins variant: KETO.

37. Nota __: BENE - or N.B. which means "note well"

38. City founded as York in 1793: TORONTO - Look closely and you can see York which has been incorporated into the greater TORONTO municipality

40. Instruments that date to the Mughal Empire: SITARS - The empire ran from 1525 - 1857.

41. Like some purchases made on a phone: IN APP.

42. Help for a new mother: DOULA - New to me

44. Still: AS YET.

46. Run, e.g.: GAIT.

47. "My guy!": BRAH.

48. Storm recovery org.: FEMA.

49. Big do: FEST.

51. J-Hope's K-pop band: BTS.

52. Carl Lewis's Olympic medal count: TEN.