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.

Wednesday, Jan 22nd, 2025 ~ Parker Higgins

CURSES~!

We had National Tin Foil Hat Day last month

Parker Higgins returns with a "conspiracy" construction - he has two previous LA Times puzzles, and I don't recall this one, but the theme was quite unique.   Today we have three incidents of being foiled more than once - I am kinda '"meh" on this one, sorry - having found a clever theme from just two years ago, have we started to run out of ideas~?  No circles - we had those yesterday - 25 TLWs, and a dozen names, pretty much what I would expect for a Wednesday grid.  The themers;

17. "Another layer of wrapping before I'm cooked!?": BAKED POTATO - Aluminum Foil

33. "Another touch point for my opponent!?": OLYMPIC FENCER - Sword Foil

39. "Another literary figure whose qualities contrast my own!?": MAIN CHARACTER - Literary Foil

59. "Another plan thwarted!," or another way to phrase three clues in this puzzle?: FOILED AGAIN

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Saweetie songs: RAPS - A name (#1) to start us off - thankfully, I do the DOWNS first - her Wiki

5. Japanese mat: TATAMI

11. Turf: SOD

14. Burn application: ALOE - I am breaking with tradition, Hahtoolah

15. Preplanned, as some viral videos: STAGED

16. Duo: TWO

19. Gun, as an engine: REV

20. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE - name #2 , but a Crossword staple

21. Designer Jacobs: MARC - name #3 - the website - and you can have a sack bag for just $550

22. Give over: CEDE

23. Private convos: DMs - Direct Messages - for users on a social media platform, i.e., Facebook, etc. Not my thing

24. Trans- opposite: CIS

26. Queens stadium eponym: ASHE - Shea~? Citi~? Ah - the tennis place - name #4

28. Corn core: COB

29. Throbbed: PULSATED

This is what my knees feel like after squats

35. "Mamma Mia" group: ABBA - Crossword staple, name #5

37. Fish used as currency in medieval England: EEL - 'tis true; at least according to this website

38. Soap unit: CAKE

44. Kids playing in the backyard?: PET GOATS - goat juveniles are kids; seems like a "forced" fill to me; but then again, I had "GOAT YOGA" not too long ago, and that is a "thing"

45. Blue: SAD

46. Remain unsettled: PEND - AND - 12D. Outstanding: OWED

47. Up to, briefly: 'TIL 

48. "Stay With Me" singer Smith: SAM - name #6

51. Hefty alternative: GLAD - Garbage bag wars; name(ish)

53. Bangers partner: MASH - Brit-speak for sausage and potatoes

Here's a recipe link - with gravy~!

56. Computer expert, briefly: IT PRO - Information Technology 'briefly' is "I.T."

58. Untrustworthy paper: RAG - hey, now, MiB read them on a regular basis

Let's check the hot sheets

61. Wide st.: AVE

62. Flowery, as prose: ORNATE

63. Frozen drink with a domed lid: ICEE

64. Some degs.: BAs - Dah~!  My overlooked error was an "M", not a "B" degree

65. Aquarium fighters: BETTAS

66. Muppet material: FELT - and ping-pong balls; more at this museum


DOWN:

1. Overzealous: RABID - Not EAGER

2. First smartphone alert of the day, for many: ALARM

3. Jabs: POKES

4. "I feel __": SEEN - this must be 21st century-speak, as I have said this never

5. Baking amt.: TSP - I wanted to make me some brownies with a peanut butter filling and fudge topping last weekend - went to use the electric beater I got from clearing out the parent's house, and discovered the beaters were NOT in the box - they were kept separately in a kitchen drawer - D'oh~!

6. Small matters?: ATOMS - cute

7. "Toodles!": "TA-TA~!" - I tried "CIAO" first

8. Food thickener: AGAR - LFDC

9. "Lady Bird" Oscar nominee Laurie: METCALF - name #7

10. Words one utters in an altar-ed state?: "I DO." - har-har

11. Transport largely replaced by light rail: STREETCAR

13. Peace sign: DOVE

18. Diversionary tactic: DECOY

22. Risked: CHANCED

25. ThinkPad maker before Lenovo: IBM

Vintage~!

27. NNW opposite: SSE

28. Sounded like heavy metal?: CLANGED - sounded like Heavy Metal~? - let me count the ways - OK, this one has some clever harmonics that sound like bending metal . . .

Blue Öyster Cult - Heavy Metal; The Black & Silver

29. Fishing spots: PIERS - I was recently contacted by two friends from high school for the first time in decades - one of them is the weatherman on TV in Richmond VA, and he has a podcast on fishing - but he prefers upstate NY to the pier

30. Sch. based in Westwood: UCLA - I'm East Coast

31. "A mouse!": "EEK~!"

32. Beats by __: DRE

33. Newspaper section with notable passages?: OBIT PAGES - forced

34. Bog makeup: PEAT

35. Source of feedback for a guitarist?: AMP - Clever clue, but not deceptive - one could argue there's no "abbr" in there, so it should be "amplifier"

36. Hon: BAE - Cringe.  But I did find . . . .

"Bae" clothing line from Shein; I could get to like this . . .

40. Mark against: CON - meh.

41. Went for seconds: HAD MORE - forced - but has been in another puzzle

42. Forensic drama with regional spinoffs: CSI

43. Actress Shire: TALIA - name #8

47. Eta follower: THETA - Greek letters 

48. Elbow room: SPACE

49. Mermaid played by Halle Bailey: ARIEL - name #9

50. "Water Lilies" painter: MONET - two weeks ( for me ) having to guess the "A" or "O"; name #10

51. Snag: GRAB - Ah.  The verb, not the noun

52. Floor material, in a children's game: LAVA - "don't touch the floor~!"; 'composition' or 'make up' would have been a better word than 'material', but I still got it - I would pretend to be Indiana Jones when we had this "exercise" in gym class

54. Casual contraction: AIN'T - I tried Y'ALL

55. Thin strip: SLAT - oops, not LATH

57. "Yay, the weekend!" letters: TGIF

Thank Grover It's Funny~?

59. Car remote: FOB

60. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES - LFDC

Splynter

Wednesday, Jan 8th, 2025 ~ Catherine Cetta

 This is not a Pipe (organ)

This Is Not a Tool for Drilling

A new twist on a crossword puzzle idea that even I tried to construct - in that version, I inserted "Drill" into the song title "The Thrill Is Gone" - but that idea had been done more than once; in fact, the old editor, Rich Norris, was the constructor of one.  Our C.C. could tell you more - today's author is another "C.C.", whom I have not had the pleasure to blog - she appeared for the LA Times three times in 2024, two of them on Mondays.  No circles, a few names that filled via perps before I had the chance to read the clues, a run of 26 Five-Letter Words ( 5LW ), and several answers that I "Learned From Doing Crosswords" (LFDC).  Here's your "Do It Yourself" minimum requirements; 

17. Emphasize and then some: HAMMER HOME

24. Had an aha moment: SAW THE LIGHT

51. "Be brutally honest": LEVEL WITH ME

63. Some Expedia search results: PLANE FARES - I don't much like "plane", but it works - but Southwest came up before Expedia on my Google

39. "Remember your training, people!," and what can be said about the starts of 17-, 24-, 51-, and 63-Across: THIS IS NOT A DRILL - for those who don't recognize the paint job on the drill above, here's where it comes from

Van Halen - Poundcake

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Carve into: ETCH - I used letter punches to "ETCH" my name into this wood block for sanding

I whacked the "N" sideways the first time 😜

5. Multitasking, perhaps: BUSY

9. Chocolate canines: LABS - as in Labrador, the dog breed; Australian Shepherds are on their way to my local shelter, so I might just go with that breed for my new pet - I already know how much they shed, bark, weigh, and the amount of exercise they need~!

13. 22-Down city: TROY - AND - 22D. Epic poem featuring Patroclus and Achilles: ILIAD - Five-letter Epic poem blah-blah-blah = Ektorp

14. Turkish bigwigs: AGHAS - Learned from doing crosswords (LFDC)

16. Run __: AMOK - I do the DOWNs first; otherwise, I doubt I would have understood this clue

19. Written reminder: NOTE

20. Portents: OMENS

21. Glowing quality: RADIANCE

23. Me day place: SPA

27. Bearded garden figure: GNOME

I want one~!

29. NPR host Shapiro: ARI - name #1, filled via perps

30. "Don't get carried __!": "AWAY~!" - we have a lot of "quoted" clues today as well . . . .

32. Whisper receiver: EAR - different way to clue this answer

34. Book of maps: ATLAS

43. "Water Lilies" painter Claude: MONET - Is it mAnet, or mOnet~? - I can never remember; the "O" filled via perps

44. Little bit: TAD

45. Above: OVER

46. Slugger Mel inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951: OTT - name #2, Crossword Staple

49. Isabel Wilkerson work subtitled "The Origins of Our Discontents": CASTE - name #3, again, filled via perps

56. Financial daily, initially: WSJ - The Wall Street Journal

59. Speechmaker's story: ANECDOTE - "So there I was, in the middle of nowhere . . . "

60. Bonn's river: RHINE - or rhOne~?  This time, I was wrong with the "O"

62. Seethe: BOIL

66. Jazz legend Fitzgerald: ELLA - name #4, Crossword Staple

67. Canyonlands features: MESAS

68. Campfire output: HEAT

69. Stand the test of time: LAST

70. Credit card balance, e.g.: DEBT

71. Requests: ASKS


DOWN:

1. Belief system: ETHOS

2. Walk with heavy steps: TRAMP - I tried CLOMP first

3. "What?": "COME AGAIN~?" - reminds me of the "Wolf" scene from Pulp Fiction - NSFW

4. "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," for one: HYMN - no clue; again, perps; name(ish) #5

5. Forbid: BAR - I had BAN first; 67% correct

6. "How repulsive!": "UGH~!"

7. In the red: SHORT - OWES was not long enough

In the RED, and SHORT

8. Big name in electronic instruments: YAMAHA - an electric organ~?  Anathema~!

9. One of four islands in Maui County: LANAI - name #6, filled - oh, never mind

10. "You're __ friends": AMONG - ooof - not sure I would ever guess this answer

11. Bungle: BOTCH - I always associate "BOTCH" with plastic surgery - definitely NSFW - even the "success" stories look creepy

12. Shooting sport: SKEET

15. Passover meal: SEDER - LFDC

18. Canadian fuel giant: ESSO - LFDC

25. Iowa college town: AMES - name #7 - LFDC

26. Gradually ease off: WEAN

28. Org. with opening and closing bells: NYSE - check the $$$ of your IPO on the NYSE in the WSJ

30. PIN point: ATM - good change-up for this Crossword Staple

31. "__ knows?": "WHO~?"

33. "Rubbish!": "ROT~!"

35. Not quite run: TROT - another tough-to-relate clue/answer

36. Go-getters: LIVE WIRES - I have to put this one in

I love playing the drums to this - the cowbell fills are great
Mötley Crüe - Live Wire

37. India Pale __: ALE - Crossword Staple - seen as "IPA"

38. Pro's camera: SLR - a professional's Single-Lens Reflex 35mm (typically) tool

40. "Mom knows": "I TOLD." - you dirty rat . . . .

41. RPM gauge: TACH - abbr. for RPM = abbr for tachOMETER

42. Driver at the Oscars: ADAM - Ooops, not MINI ( which is actually Minnie ) - name #8

47. Early afternoon hr.: TWO PM

See what I mean~?

48. Named: TITLED

50. Feudal laborer: SERF

51. Laundry instructions spot: LABEL - my first thought was the lid of the washing machine 😜

52. "__ Holmes": Millie Bobby Brown film: ENOLA - name #9

53. Obscures: VEILS

54. Razzle-dazzle: ÉCLAT

55. Rib: TEASE

57. B-ball shoe: SNEAK - meh.  sneakER.  My first thought, and I said "there's no way that's the answer."

58. Makes jokes: JESTS

61. "That's funny!": "HA-HA~!"

64. Snag: NAB

65. Superlative ending: EST - as in the BESTEST, ever

Splynter

That's a PIPE~!

Notes from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the pipe guy's 20th continued sobriety. Reaching this milestone is a testament to your resilience and dedication to living your best life. Congrats, Splynter!

Wednesday, Jan. 1st, 2025 ~ Jay Silverman

 C CCC CC C
(rough "C"s)

Happy New Year~!  - Ah, circles - nothing like starting 2025 off with a familiar constructor, but the same old, same old . . . . nine or more names, depending on how you count, twenty more 4LW than TLW, and a reveal that explains how the WATER words are "chopped up".  The themers;

20. *Occasion to stay up late: SLUMBER PARTY - I recall playing Atari 2600 all night for my B-day sleep-over in 5th grade - and BAY

29. *Hard wear with links: CHAIN MAIL - I wore chain-mail at my "medieval" wedding - and CANAL

Yes - if you look closely, we had coconuts . . . 

38. *Team whose stadium is at the highest elevation in the majors: COLORADO ROCKIES - the  NHL's Colorado Rockies became the New Jersey Devils in 1982 - and LAKE

Barry went on to become a NY Ranger

45. *Ford Mustang, for one: MUSCLE CAR - I like the Mustang, but I'm partial to the '67 "10A." Cougar - and SEA

I actually had two, but '69s

53. Rough sailing, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: CHOPPY WATERS

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. "Hurry!" letters: ASAP - I believe most Cornerites are OK with "hurry" to define 'As Soon As Possible' - STAT, not so much

5. Post-marathon feelings: ACHES - post-beach hike, too; sloped sand is a tough surface for walking 

I prefer the beach when it's Christmas Day - and the Atlantic was not CHOPPY
Splynter with Cooper - there's SNOW on the sand~!

10. 88 Earth days on Mercury: YEAR - the planet "Spirographs" in its orbit

Want more confusion~?  Read more here

14. Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA - not really my thing, but there are some cool guitar licks

Co-written by Desmond Child - who has a long list of hits across several genres

15. Where the heart is: CHEST - Dah~!  We had TORSO last week, so I tried it again - Bzzzt~!

16. Like a literary duckling: UGLY

17. Gelcap, e.g.: PILL

18. Rodeo rope: RIATA

19. Spy: MOLE - I am reading the Lance Spector books by Saul Herzog, and guess what~?  Book #5 is called - The Spl(y)nter~!

The previous book, "The Sleeper", was a real page-turner

23. Anna's "Frozen" sister: ELSA - name #1

24. Cry of pain: "OUCH~!"

27. Protein source in Greek salad: FETA - AND - 68A. Second Greek letter: BETA; see 48D., too

34. "My gosh, you're right!": "SO IT IS~!"

36. Acr. from: OPP - 'across' , 'opposite' - a bit Meh.

37. Mrs. in Mexico: SRA - abbr.s

42. Actor Mahershala: ALI - not a clue; his Wiki; name #2

43. Head-slapping cry: "D'OH~!"

44. Glistens: SHINES - I guess; I think of it more as "sparkles"

49. Lovers' vows: "I DOs"

50. Branch of Islam: SHIA - name(ish) - and a note to the Noobs

51. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen: HANS - name #3

60. Mexican peninsula, informally: BAJA

63. Alpaca kin: LLAMA

Classic

64. Off-white shade: OPAL

65. Treated, as a sprain: ICED

66. Bamboozles: DUPES

67. Mythical cousin of Bigfoot: YETI

69. Big Broadway hit: SMASH

70. Come off as: SEEM


DOWN:

1. Much of Switzerland: ALPS

2. Gardener's purchase: SOIL  - I had SEED, only 25% correct

3. RBG employer in the 1970s: ACLU - RBG = Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the American Civil Liberties Union - I knew who the "notorious RBG" was, but not her history - the Wiki

4. South Carolina's state tree: PALMETTO

That's the state "shape" and its "flag", with the palmetto tree

5. Tracts of land: ACRES - whenever I hear "tracts of land", it reminds me of this scene

Monty Python @ 1:02 - "huge tracts of land"

6. Former French president Jacques: CHIRAC - no clue; Frawnche name #4

7. Haphazard pile: HEAP

8. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA - Spanish lesson; "How are you~?"

9. People person?: STAR - People, the magazine, that is

10. Syllables said while rubbing one's tummy: YUM-YUM

11. Sense of self: EGO

12. Everyone: ALL

13. Sandwich bread: RYE

21. Serena's frenemy on "Gossip Girl": BLAIR - no clue, again; name #5

Methinks I should start watching, tho

22. Cargo weight: TON

25. Reno venue: CASINO - a casino in reno - I'm a poet - and I know it

26. New staff members: HIREES - a good WAG on my part

27. Magic competition hosted by Penn & Teller: FOOL US - on TV, the IMDb, a rhyme you see

but I've never watched

28. "Bad Guy" singer Billie: EILISH - I have heard of her; name #6

30. Hullabaloo: HOO-HA

31. Busy IRS mo.: APRil  - I am still waiting for the Internal Revenue Service to resolve a dispute from 2022 . . . April 15th is a Tuesday - there will be no extensions

32. Wall St. debuts: IPOs - Initial Public Offering

33. Girl: LASS - I tried LADY - that's 50% correct

Check out this bagpipe LASS

34. Bogus deal: SCAM

35. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE - "Smooth Sailing"; name #7

there's a great little guitar solo before the sax solo

39. "What's up, __?": DOC - Bugs Bunny to me - I did not know it was also a movie (BTW, Splynter was born a mere year before its release)

40. Fine dishes: CHINA

41. Playroom detritus: KIDS TOYS

46. Noisy summer bug: CICADA - I'm not a fan of summer, sun, sand, sweating and insects

47. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH

48. Jay, Kay, and May, say: RHYMES - Ah, clever - the constructor's name is in there, but NAMES didn't fit - he even snuck "say" in there, as well

52. Inundated (with): AWASH

54. Poet Sharon: OLDS - never heard of her, and a departure from the 'car maker'; name #8

55. Purple fruit: PLUM - or sloe~?

56. Smurf with a white beard: PAPA - I guess it's a name, too - #9

He's the one with the, uh, beard . . . 

57. Olympian's weapon: ÉPÉE

I just learned there are specific "targets" in fencing

58. Hourly charge: RATE

59. Svelte: SLIM

60. High chair garb: BIB

There are times when I feel like I missed out, not having kids . . . .

61. Opening day pitcher, typically: ACE

62. Jacuzzi feature: JET - I plan to replace my "plain" tub with a Jacuzzi

Now that's choppy water

Splynter

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR~!

( DID YOU WATCH THE WINTER CLASSIC~? )

Wednesday, Dec 25th, 2024 ~ Samantha Podos Nowak

 THE STOCKINGS . . .

. . . . HANG in Splynter's "Family Room"

This would be the third publication from Samantha for the LA Times, but my first blog for her as my puzzle constructor.  Not a holiday theme as I expected, but I did my best to add in a seasonal reference.  A 'normal' grid for a change, no circles, a handful of names, and more 4LW than TLW.  The themers;

17. Work space?: ART GALLERY - "Works" of art HANG in a gallery

25. Brew house?: COFFEE SHOP - "Friends" characters would HANG at "Central Perk"

49. TV station?: FAMILY ROOM - watch cartoons and HANG out in the den

59. Jacket pocket?: COAT CLOSET - my jacket, hoodies and heavy coat HANG over the radiator in my kitchen; the clue refers to where one ( at least, I do ) keeps the seasonal hat and gloves - in the "coat closet" - and that pleasant surprise I get every December when I would find a $5 bill jammed in a pocket from last winter

I love putting on a warm coat in the morning

36. "Don't give up," and a suggestion that can apply to 17-, 25-, 49-, and 59 Across?:
HANG IN THERE - Luke says, "Leia, hear me~!"

You weren't expecting a cat, were you~?

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Cherry-picks, perhaps: CULLS - this word had a different connotation when I was an employee at Grossmans Lumber - we would CULL the bowed, cupped, crooked, & checked "27D.'s", etc., so not really "cherry-picking", more like "unsellable" merchandise

6. Exam for HS jrs.: PSAT - the practice SAT

10. Classic road trip game: "I SPY" - "I spy" something in red - Ho-Ho-Ho~!

14. Pickled garnish in a Gibson: ONION - if it didn't start out pickled . . .

. . . swimming in gin & vodka will certainly do it

15. Dayton's state: OHIO - I worked for a cleaning company when I lived in Cincinnati, but on occasion we had some "new construction" homes to tidy up in Dayton as well

Bottom left - not "180° from SSW"

16. Readily available: NEAR

19. Ballpark figures?: FANS - no "abbr", therefore no "ESTS", etc., so I waited 

20. Harden, as glue: SET 

21. Fancy fete: GALA

22. Sneeze inducer: DUST

23. Like a giant redwood: TALL

I'd like to visit

29. What a new parent often craves: SLEEP - I never had the pleasure of sleepless nights and potty-training

31. Spot for the first caller, perhaps: LINE ONE - think landline business phones; "lumber department, pick up line one."

32. PBS funder: NEA - I liked the newbies highlight idea from sumdaze, so I am going to adopt it, too; Public Broadcasting Service, and the National Education Association

34. Bugs: NAGS

35. Account exec: REP

39. Big name in pasta sauce: RAO - never heard of this brand; these onions are getting around....

Does look good

41. Inlet: COVE

42. Chinese menu general: TSO - It's my go-to when I order Chinese - no onions, though

43. Interlace: ENTWINE

45. Where the heart is?: TORSO - um, yeah

53. Tarot reader: SEER

54. Blue or red part of 3D glasses: LENS - reminds me of this secondary character ↙

I did not know that the guy between Biff and George was played by Billy Zane

55. Salon sound: SNIP

57. "Lover" or "Red," for Taylor Swift: ERA

58. Reddish-brown horse: ROAN

62. Jamaican citrus fruit: UGLI

63. Seltzer starter: ALKA - plop-plop, fizz-fizz . . . .

64. Dunne of "Love Affair": IRENE

65. IPO option: NYSE - a dupe from yesterday; Initial Public Offering, and the New York Stock Exchange

66. Tide type: NEAP

67. Abated: EASED


DOWN:

1. Moves effortlessly: COASTS - SLIDES, GLIDES~?  Bzzzt.

2. "That's wild!": "UNREAL~!"

3. Itty-bitty: LITTLE - I was expecting something like "TEENSY"

4. Fireplace fuel: LOG - Ah.  Not "GAS"

5. Fly in the ointment: SNAG

6. __ al ajillo: Spanish chicken dish: POLLO - a recipe, if you care

These onions are everywhere....

7. Bunch of papers: SHEAF

8. Pool float filler: AIR

9. Item on a tot's Christmas list: TOY - but you'll get coal if you're naughty

10. Make chili oil, perhaps: INFUSE - I had to find out more - the Wiki

11. Sandcastle building site: SEASHORE

12. Company whose Color of the Year 2024 is Peach Fuzz: PANTONE - a list of colors in years past

13. Decade divs.: YRs

18. Body of water in the French Alps: LAC - Frawnche for "lake"

22. Like osmium compared to all other stable elements: DENSEST - learning moment for me - the Wiki

24. Olin of "Chocolat": LENA

26. No longer fizzy: FLAT - I can drink flat soda, but flat seltzer is just "weird water"

27. Two-by-four?: EIGHT - literally, 2x4 = 8

28. Zest: PEP

30. Golf course freebies: PENCILS - Mulligans didn't fit . . . .

33. "The __ and the Ecstasy": novel about Michelangelo: AGONY - Goodreads link

34. 180º from SSW: NNE

36. Soup kitchen offerings: HOT MEALS

37. Indie folk artist Bon __: IVER - no clue, 3 of 4 letters filled via perps, and the "V" was my last entry; the Wiki

38. Oz hoppers: ROOS - Kanga - roos -  Oz = Australia

39. Make calls on the court: REF

40. Explanatory tool: ANALOGY - Kissing her was like a garbage truck getting hit by an onion train.   The onions again.  

44. Danica's role on "The Wonder Years": WINNIE

w/Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold

46. __ Peanut Butter Cups: REESE'S - I loves me some PB & chocolate - I bought the "trees"

47. Like a meditation spot, hopefully: SERENE - ah. Not "SILENT", but I was 50% correct

48. Stumped: ORATED - Ah.  That kind of stumped

50. Japanese port city: OSAKA - good WAG on my part: WAG = Wild A** Guess

51. Readily available: ON TAP - Samantha had this answer in her first puzzle

52. Karaoke need: MICrophone - and a little nerve, or liquid confidence

56. Basic barre bend: PLIÉ

58. Manage: RUN

59. __-do attitude: CAN

60. Cheer after un gol: OLÉ

61. Rita featured on DJ Fresh's "Hot Right Now": ORA - note the headline

Rocking the Stocking(s)

From last week: YooperPhil, we do tune those NYC instruments, and we had the opportunity to "bid" on the upkeep of the Radio City Wurlitzer - the man who started my company has a Wurlitzer in his house, so he's partial to those ( they run on higher pressure than most church organs ); Irish Miss - I check weekly to see what dogs have arrived at the local rescue shelter; it's still in the works~!; unclefred, I saw the "60 Minutes" report on Notre Dame - when we rebuild an organ, we wash every pipe - for the National Cathedral, some of those pipes are huge

Pedal Bourdon, 32ft

Splynter

!~ MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ~ !

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy birthday to dear Kathy (Yellowrocks). Hope you're having a wonderful day with your sons and grandson.

 

Yellowrocks, Dec 10, 2020

2) Happy Birthday to Lorraine (Fermatprime) also. Her good friend Malcolm reads our blog regularly and gives me update on her life from time to time.

Fermatprime, Thanksgiving, 2015