Wednesday, Apr 16th, 2025 ~ Jeffrey Martinovic & Evan Park

 CAT'S EYE

CHATOYANCY

EYE believe we are looking at a debut puzzle for both constructors - congrats~! In a strange semi-duplicate of my previous blog, and a reflection of yesterday's puzzle, we have several repeat clues/answers and the dreaded circles, but in this puzzle, they appear in five Down fills and enclose four gems, or "rocks", and rise, or "climb" up the answers.  Four out of five fills are unique to crosswords, two of them being 15-letter spanners ( which, in the past, I actually called "climbers" when vertical ).   Contrarily, the names came back, but not too badly, and we had 22 3LWs as well.  The themers;

3. Meatless barbecue patties: SOY BURGERS - RUBY - this was what EYE expected the answer to be, but "VEGGIE" was too long

5. Light punishment: A SLAP ON THE WRIST - OPAL  - EYE figured this one out, too

9. "Au revoir": TILL WE MEET AGAIN - AGATE - Knew we were looking for a phrase for "Good B-EYE"

30. Former Samsung smartphone with a stylus: GALAXY NOTE - ONYX - My choice of smart device is an Android S22 - not an EYE-phone

17. Athlete who might have a "belayed" reaction, and what 3-, 5-, 9-, and 30-Down each contain?: ROCK CLIMBER - belaying is how one runs a rope (line) around a cleat, pin, rock - or perhaps through an EYE hook

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Broad views: VISTAS - During which Windows version was your kid born~?

Don McMillan, tehnically funny

7. Metaphor for a wearying work routine: RAT RACE - can't seem to JOG in the human race

Spinal Tap - the embedded lyrics don't reflect the intent of the song - or the band

14. Person who's self-obsessed: EGOIST

15. Frequent flyer: AVIATOR

16. "Casino __": Bond film: ROYALE - one of the best Bond films, IMHO, and THE best theme song

Chris Cornell, You Know My Name

17. Live, as footage: REAL TIME

18. Texter's "Just a moment": BRB - Be Right Back

19. Nerf darts, e.g.: AMMO - Nerf appeared last Wednesday, too; EYE was down on Long Island last weekend, and my buddy's son takes archery lessons; gave it "a shot", found my bow arm to be weaker than my drawing one - not what I expected

21. Cuts in a pie crust: SLITS

22. MLB official: UMPire - MLB abbr, answer abbr

24. Play part after the first intermission: ACT TWO - usually fills as "ACT II" - with two EYES

26. Super __ Bros.: MARIO - easy enough, but still a name, #1

28. Ring victory, for short: TKO - Technical Knock-Out; based on the decision that a boxer is in no condition to continue the bout

29. NBC foreign correspondent Richard: ENGEL - no clue, filled via perps, name #2

33. Skin and bones: ORGANS - yes, the skin is an organ, so this is a very clever clue

35. Pre-exam session: CRAM

37. __ carte: À LA - saw this Tuesday

38. Informal clothing option: TEE - Just got this one

Never Say Die~! Black Sabbath

39. Slogan: TAGLINE

41. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ - name #3; her clothing website

42. Sticky roadway substance: TAR

43. Colorful Hindu spring observance: HOLI - more here

Vibrant, and messy

44. Match wits with: DEBATE

46. "Jungle Fever" actor Davis: OSSIE - name #4

48. Long-legged bird: EMU

50. Formal options, informally: TUXES

51. Nerds: DWEEBS - Two weeks in a row; it's not on the chart . . . 

53. "__ takers?": ANY

54. Middle Eastern leaders: EMIRS

56. Vaping device: eCIG

58. "Planet Money" producer: NPR

61. Coin collector?: CREDITOR - Har-har; I don't recall seeing a Coinstar in my Big Y store

63. Seaside city in Italia: NAPOLI - the EYE-talian spelling of Italy and Naples; name #5

65. "Let me look!": "CAN I SEE~?" - This REVEAL is EYE Catching

mesmer-EYE-zing

66. Best of the best: TIP-TOP

67. Move like an old jalopy: STUTTER - meh.  Move like a stick shift in the hands of a new driver = more better-er - we had MANUAL yesterday for "car with a clutch"

68. Odin feature: ONE EYE - Went onl-EYE-ne to see if in fact, he had one EYE, not just one "i" as in o - d - I - n - and yesterday we had ONE BAR

DOWN:

1. Action word: VERB

2. Fictional lab assistant: IGOR - "No, EYE gor"

4. Aunt, in Mexico: TIA

6. Part of a winesap or a wineglass: STEM

7. "Hair Love" voice actress Issa: RAE - just about every other puzzle these days; name #6

8. Nautical "Halt!": "AVAST~!" - p-EYE-rate speak falls on Friday, September 19th this year

10. Mete out: RATION

11. Toiling away: AT IT

12. Rom-, dot-, or sit- enders: COMS

13. Prior to, poetically: ERE

20. Yoga roll: MAT - SUSHI didn't fit 😜

23. "Mamma __!": MIA - name(ish), but a crossword staple, and this song appeared last week

25. "Silent All These Years" singer Amos: TORI - name #7

26. Slogan: MOTTO - twice in two weeks, also, so "lather, rinse, repeat" is m-EYE motto

27. Fields of study: AREAS

31. Best of the best: ELITE - Dah~!  Not 'A-TEAM' . . . there's no EYE in TEAM, but one in e-l-i-t-e

32. Lounges (about): LAZES

34. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO - name #8

36. "On top of that ... ": AND . . . . another thing~!

That's no misprint - it is the sixth book in the trilogy

40. "Squee!" feeling: GLEE - Have to admit to never feeling the feeling "squee" 😝

45. Hairdo for General Leia: BUN - semi-meh; more like "bunS"

First driving lesson in the T-EYE Fighter

47. Words following a great accomplishment: "I DID IT~!" - EYE did a thing~!

Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear & Clarkson's Farm

49. The Trojans of the NCAA: USC - Don't follow college sports; filled via perps

52. First name in cosmetics: ESTÉE - Lauder - her Wiki, name #9

54. QED part: ERAT - Quod... Demonstrandum - Latin-speak "that which was to be shown" 

55. Host's handout: MENU

57. Really digging: INTO

59. Devious maneuver: PLOY

60. __ for the picking: RIPE

61. Adds to an email chain: CCs - C.C.'s involved in the crossword, again

62. Above, in poetry: O'ER

64. Safety gear for hosp. workers: PPE - OSHA-speak; Personal Protective Equipment; the long way to describe "mask & gloves" - maybe some goggles for the EYEs

EYE goggles

Splynter

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 ~ Catherine Cetta

 CURSES, CIRCLES~!

It's the way the cat looks back at the camera

I had the pleasure of blogging Catherine's puzzle back on January 8th, on my 20yr AA anniversary; we had one other from her last month, with the ascending do-re-mi theme.  Today we have four theme answers ( two that are unique to crosswords ) containing scrambled synonyms for MAD in the dreaded circles; just a couple of names, twenty-one 3LWs, but then again 18 five-letter words.  A standard 15x15 grid, and nothing too obscure for a Wednesday; just the one word highlighted in the grid below for me. The themers;

18. Nerf squirt gun in the National Toy Hall of Fame: SUPER SOAKER - SORE

24. Emergency evacuation rehearsal: FIRE DRILL - RILED

38. Inequality in access to technology: DIGITAL DIVIDE - LIVID - one source of inequality info

51. Piano larger than a spinet: BABY GRAND - ANGRY - large piano~?  Pffft

Proposed Organ for a church in Rhode Island

57. Frantic, last-minute rush, and what can be found in each set of circled letters in this puzzle?: 

MAD SCRAMBLE

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Like a texter who sends a crying emoji: SAD - 😢 Blogger does not have a simple "sad"  : - (

4. Frittata ingredients: EGGS - filled via perps; I have heard of this dish, but . . . . 

...now methinks I want to make one - but eggs are pricey right now

8. Words to live by: MOTTOS - "Don't be a troll" is what us Cornerites like to say 😜

14. Green prefix: ECO

15. Simple fastener: SNAP

16. Wayward: ERRANT

17. Took off: RAN

20. Pop star: IDOL - Billy Idol, still rocking at 70; a quiet remake of his 1984 hit

Eyes Without A Face - the chorus is in Frawche ( les yeux sans visage * )

22. Grassy meadow: LEA

23. Himalayan Bigfoot: YETI - Sasquatch~!

28. Compare prices: SHOP

29. Texas team in the American League since 2013: ASTROS - I know we are into the 2025 baseball season now, and our hostess C.C. is a huge fan, but I just don't care for the sport - boooring . . . . and I did not know Huston moved to the "other" league

30. Approves: OKs

33. Dawn goddess: EOS - not the makeup this time

34. Kia crossover SUVs: SOULS

36. Instant noodles option: RAMEN

41. Wear away: ERODE

42. Place of refuge: OASIS

43. Bioengineered food initials: GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms - the "dot gov" site

44. Sp. woman: SRA

46. On deck: UP NEXT - a little baseball lingo, as well

49. Christian period after Carnival: LENT - I 'gave up' giving a S#** for Lent - best 40 days ever; try it

54. Length x width: AREA

55. Pre-K sequence: A B C

56. Winter blanket: SNOW - CT got a "wintry mix" yesterday, but I'm putting the snow blower away

62. Responded to a rumbling tummy: ATE

63. For the time being, in some titles: PRO TEM - Literal Latin, pro tempore

64. Looks at: EYES  - yeux again~!?!

65. Barely passing grade: DEE - A, B, C, and now D

66. With reason: SANELY

67. Leak out slowly: SEEP

68. Thumb drive port: USB

DOWN:

1. Stroke that some fonts are "sans": SERIF

2. National park near Bar Harbor: ACADIA

3. GoFundMe contributors: DONORS - I am contemplating starting a page like this for my board game production; I can make a prototype easy, and sell through Amazon ( or Etsy, etc. ) - BUT - if I need to "mass produce", I don't know where to turn for manufacturing, and it will cost money - I'll offer a free game to those who donate, say, $20~?

4. The last of us?: ESS - very clever; only two letters - - first you, then ess

5. Bearded beast: GNU

Gn-no Gn-news, is Good Gn-news, with Gary Gnus

6. Banana Republic parent company: GAP

7. Hex: SPELL

8. Home of two Cactus League stadiums: MESA

pre-season MLB baseball in the Phoenix, Arizona area

9. __ y plata: phrase on Montana's state flag: ORO - Gold and Silver 

10. Cafeteria carriers: TRAYS

11. Pay attention: TAKE HEED - alright, there are some circles I pay attention to . . . .

How about a montage of hoop gymnastics~?

12. Low tie score: ONE TO ONE - I put in ZERO ZERO

13. Formats for funnies: STRIPS - comic STRIP

19. Move, in brokerese: RELOcate

21. "C'mon! It's time!": "LET'S GO~!"

25. iPhone alternatives: DROIDS - ANDROID didn't fit; the "abbr" didn't occur to me

26. Networking device: ROUTER

27. Land in the agua: ISLA

31. __ Kreme donuts: KRISPY

32. Building a nest egg: SAVING - I like to think I am "diversified"

35. __-mo replay: SLO

37. Tightwads: MISERS - it IS one way of "SAVING"

38. Natural brown sugar: DEMERARA - never heard of this; a unique crossword fill, too.  More here

39. Like some patches: IRONED ON - I typed in IRON, but ON didn't finish the fill. . . .Ah.

40. Apply haphazardly: DAUB

43. Stays in a luxury yurt, say: GLAMPS - popular in crosswords; Glamorous Camping

Hey, they at least built a fire . . . 

45. "Mamma Mia!" band: ABBA - saw them on Monday, along with "LENT"

47. Eden in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan": XANADU - no clue; filled via perps

48. Govt. securities: T-NOTES - The "dot gov"; my cash gets 4% INT at Robin Hood and Discover

50. Flavor: TASTE

52. Pinnacles: ACMES - Third time this puzzle intersected with Monday and sumdaze's very punny write-up; I like to think ACME is a singular word, implying the ONE place to reach - better yet, an online store for great anvils, bird seed, etc.

Wait~!  It gets better - check out this ACME detonator~!

53. Nerdy type: DWEEB - It's not on the chart

Don McMillan, Technically Funny

55. Navy's college football rival: ARMY

58. Animation buff's collectible: CEL

59. "See ya!": "BYE~!"

60. Gymnast Suni with six Olympic medals: LEE - Learned from doing crosswords

61. Mind reader's gift: ESP - what do you call a mind reader who knows what your favorite sports teams are ~? . . . . ESPN

* I discovered while writing up this blog that it's also the title of a Frawnche horror movie - NSFW

Splynter

Wednesday, Apr 2th, 2025 ~ Stella Zawistowski

CONTENTS MAY HAVE SETTLED

AFTER PACKAGING

Van Halen, Dead or Alive, Lyric at 1:15

I struggled with this one - while Stella masterfully gives us four theme fills that are all unique crossword entries, and none of the usual Wednesday construction attributes we usually see - bigger grids, circles, a plethora of names - I stumbled in the west, had to do an alphabet run to get the "red square" you see in the completed puzzle grid at the end of the blog, and the effort was not rewarding, IMHO - a bit of a let down, rather than a clever or funny theme.  Sigh.  The themers;  

20. Leg day exercises performed while holding dumbbells: SUITCASE LUNGES

A selfie - NOT

28. Rectangle-shaped football formation: BOX DEFENSE

46. Stephen King novel about a graveyard curse: BAG OF BONES - I did not read this book

54. Therapist's statement, or what can be said about the first parts of 20-, 28-, and 46-Across?: 

LET'S UNPACK THAT - I've heard the phrase, but I must be getting "brittle" as I age because I don't care for this "euphemism", as it were - nor do I care for 21st century-speak buzzords like "circle back" and the rest on this list - when one steps back from them, they do have a cringe factor

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Cloth that protects waves: DURAG - A "do" rag - this thing - that is more likely to be seen on a rapper's head than a "permanent wave"

6. Jazz pattern: RIFF - the master of the heavy metal riff - Tony Iommi

How the Black Sabbath ( and Heavy metal ) sound was born

10. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT - crossword staple

14. Native people of Missouri: OSAGE

15. Campaign for Smart Justice org.: ACLU

16. Córdoba coin: EURO - Dah~! I always think "PESO", and even that's not right - peseta is better

17. Sired, biblically: BEGAT - there was a LOT of "begatting" in the Bible

18. "You __ me?": "FEEL~?"

19. Marching insects: ANTS

23. "Uh-uh": NAH

24. "¿__ te llamas?": "COMO~?" - I am IRON MAN~!

25. Pipe material, for short: PVC - actually stumped me - but then again, I don't work with "those" pipes any more . . . . PolyVinyl Chloride - the Wiki

33. "So cool!": "OOH~!"

34. Marvel's God of Mischief: LOKI - learned by doing crosswords, not from the movies

35. Breakfast or brunch: MEAL - I had breakfast with my brother on Saturday, which means I got to visit with my buddy Cooper again~!  I'm still looking for my four-legged friend 😞

Cooper~!

37. Close shave: SCARE

39. This __ up: END

41. Natural fence: HEDGE - if there's a bustle in your hedgerow....

42. Seize: TAKE

43. Not here anymore: GONE

45. In the style of: À LA

50. Homer's wholesome neighbor: NED 

PFFFT - Flanders

51. "In my opinion ... ": "I SAY..." - meh.

52. Not trans: CIS

61. Skip over: OMIT

62. __ bean: FAVA - Dah~!  not LIMA

63. Nest on a cliff: AERIE - crossword word - AND - 32. 63-Across nester: EAGLE

65. Santa Monica landmark: PIER - filled via perps

66. "That true?": "IS IT~?

67. Itty-bitty: TEENY

68. Site with handmade stock: ETSY

69. Crop-sharing orgs.: CSAs - also a unique crossword fill, but I had no clue; Community Supported Agriculture - the USDA website

70. Wipe data from: ERASE


DOWN:

1. Passport info, briefly: DOB - I do not have a passport, so I went with SSN - bzzzt~!

2. Avails oneself of: USES - the verb, not the noun

3. Rao's rival: RAGU - stumped; it was only after I had R A G _ that I WAGed the "U"

4. Excited toddler's cry: "AGAIN~!"

5. Not beyond one's solving skills: GETTABLE - I found a few clues "non-gettable" for Wed.

6. Nadal's nickname: RAFA - I thought it was "RAFI", so that didn't help ( I blogged Sunday, before the Monday puzzle and write-up posted )

7. Coats with frosting: ICES - I started typing "RIMES", but it's not THAT frosting

I actually made a cake like this - simple, really - here's the website

8. Warm jacket lining: FLEECE

9. Stuffed with: FULL OF - e.g., BEANS

10. "When you're not strong" song: LEAN ON ME - a song that was #1 twice from two different artists - the Wiki

11. Like operas and oratorios: SUNG

12. Opere e oratori: ARTE - I did like the redundant, albeit foreign, cluing

13. Chuck: TOSS - the verb, not the Texas Ranger

21. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO - an internet connection (and a minimum of $750) will get you here

Get it~?

22. Japanese plum: UME - no clue, filled via perps - pickled

25. Drop in the mail: POST - not SEND, so this slowed me down in the west

26. Language learner's topic, for short: VOCAB - yeah, but meh

27. R&B singer Khan: CHAKA - now this I did know; name # - oh wait, never mind . . . 😜

29. Classic Jaguar model: XKE - the official model name of the "E-Type"

Gorgeous - the Wiki

30. Wild dog of the Australian Outback: DINGO

31. Car rental option: SEDAN

36. Head up: LEAD

38. Wedding couple's wish list: REGISTRY - my brother & fiancée have set the date - July 12th

40. Get into: DON - Dah~!  Not DIG - this is the actual get into, as in clothing . . . .

41. Pause before deciding: HESITATE - PONDER was too short

44. Violin or guitar section: NECK - section~?  Meh; PART, more better-er.  I'm starting a Black Sabbath cover band

My latest acquisition - a Gibson SG - I'm a lefty, like Tony Iommi 

47. Columbus sch.: OSU - I distracted myself thinking of the school in NYC - that's Columbia

48. Genre with unofficial sequels, familiarly: FANFIC - Ugh.  Meh.  Period.  The Wiki

49. Skip over: BYPASS

53. See-through: SHEER

They're for "bloggers"

54. Easy running pace: LOPE

55. Give off: EMIT

56. Draw scores: TIES

57. Nike rival: AVIA

58. Sphynx and Siamese: CATS

59. Carpeting measurement: AREA

60. Sardine containers: TINS

64. Organ with a retina: EYE - a long way to go for a 3LW

Splynter

Wednesday, Mar 26th, 2025 ~ Zhou Zhang

 HEAD to HEAD

This looks to be Zhou Zhang's solo debut for the LA Times - congratulations~!  I did some research and found he co-authored a WSJ crossword just last month.  We have just five (ish) names, no circles, no expanded grid, and three of his four themers are unique to crosswords.  So, too, is 33D - one of two 9-letter non-theme fills, the other being 3D, and that fill has only appeared in one other crossword.  Well done, sir.  The themers;

18. Chance to have a heart to heart?: ROYAL FLUSH

Suit of hearts

26. Spot to meet face to face?: MAKEUP MIRROR

I love the double image of this Def Leppard album cover

47. Professional who is willing to see eye to eye?: POTATO FARMER

website

61. Person who will go toe to toe?: PEDICURIST

I also found this

Better would've been having the answers in "body" order, "head to toe", but still a solid puzzle, IMHO

 
And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Crystal balls, e.g.: ORBS - ah. I do the downs first, so my 2D. was wrong

5. French cap: BERET - OK, to answer the oft asked question, "Frawnche" comes from this scene from the 80's movie Better Off Dead

And the water is from "Peru"

10. Greek earth goddess: GAIA - Crossword friendly 75% vowels; name #1

14. __ out: sing with gusto: BELT - I have been known to belt out a karaoke song or two

15. Quartz type: AGATE - I did not know this popular crossword fill was quartz ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

16. Branches: ARMS

17. Clever concept: IDEA - I am working diligently to finish one of my board games; I printed a prototype game board and showed it to someone I trust with the idea - and she suggested some clever and well-appreciated corrections for me

20. "Girl Crush" country singers Little Big __: TOWN - filled via perps - their Wiki, name #2

21. Cat's warning sound: HISS - Jonesy gave Brett - and the viewers - a heads up HISS that the full-grown "30A." was right behind 

22. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright: ALBEE - name #3, needed some perps

23. Some saxes: ALTOs

25. Rewards for a good dog: TREATS - I am reading a book from Robert Crais called "Suspect" with a traumatized USMC German Shepherd as a character - still no luck on my four-legged friend yet 😞

30. Unfamiliar: ALIEN - A what~?  A, a Xenomorph~?

James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens

31. New prefix: NEO

32. Trip around the sun: YEAR - yup, that's what it is - and they're going faster, I've noticed

36. Beast of burden: ASS

37. Puts to work: EMPLOYS - AND - 66A. Puts to work: USES

41. Gibbon or gorilla: APE

42. See 43-Down: MOSS -AND- 43. With 42-Across, hanging growth in Louisiana swamps: SPANISH

44. Beverage suffix: ADE - Hi, lemonADE ~!

45. "__ love": "LOTSA"

51. Cocktail party appetizer: CANAPE

54. Dude ranch greeting: HOWDY

55. Solo: ALONE

56. Sound from a fan: WHIR

I'm a "fan"

58. Wax-wrapped Dutch cheese: EDAM

63. Subterfuge: RUSE

64. Parted partners: EXES

65. Scuffle: MELEE

67. Result of a bug bite, perhaps: RASH

68. Pot payments: ANTES - in card games like the hand of poker above

69. School orgs. that may sponsor fundraisers: PTAs - Parent Teacher Associations

DOWN:

 1. Somber bio: OBIT - we are getting Spinal Tap II the movie this year; here's a cut from bassist Derek Smalls solo album

"She puts the b***h in obituary"

2. Ctrl+Y action: REDO - ctrl + C is 'copy';....ctrl + Z is 'UNDO' - yet there's a "Y" in copy, but no "Z"  in undo and no "Y" in redo. . . . never mind

3. Expressed affection from afar: BLEW A KISS - 😘

4. Marvel Comics legend: STAN LEE - Ah.  The "real" side of comics, not the "super" side. Name #4

5. Go around for rounds: BAR HOP - them days are behind me

6. Self-interest doctrine: EGOISM

7. Sunbeams: RAYS

8. Texts from a chronically late friend: ETAs - text implies an abbr. in this clue; at least it's different

9. Contact no.: TELephone

10. Place for portraits and prints: GALLERY

11. Island near Venezuela: ARUBA

12. "No more for me, thanks": "I'M SET"

13. Symbol on the first day of Lent: ASHES

19. Once-popular casino game: FARO - Just watched a clip about the tunnels dug for the Faroe Islands

24. Melody: TUNE

25. "Iliad" city: TROY

26. Counterpart of sir: MA'AM

27. As well: ALSO

28. Small bay: INLET

29. __ Speedwagon: REO

33. "You can't catch me!": "EAT MY DUST~!"

34. Church recess: APSE - I'm in this article from The American Organist magazine for our work on the new pipe organ at a church in Lynchburg, VA - I'm the one with the bald spot in the last image 😜

This is that same console that did not fit through the door 😆

35. __ admiral: REAR - Not just in charge of the "aft" or "stern" of a ship; here's the Wiki

38. Chess ending: MATE

39. Cuddling in the park, for short: PDA - Public Display of Affection

40. Barbecue side option: SLAW - I prefer fries

46. Phrase often heard in a restaurant kitchen: "ORDER UP~!"

48. Oil cartel letters: OPEC - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; I just learned that Norway is now at the top of the NON OPEC list; the YouTube clip

49. "That makes sense now": "OH I SEE."

50. Strengths: FORTES - Forte is my accountant's last name; he's good with numbers - it's his "forte"😜

51. Escapade: CAPER

52. Word said with an Echo?: ALEXA - I have to link this again, it was just too good - thanks, MM~!

Uh-huh....uh-huh....

53. Connection points: NODES

56. Small songbird: WREN - not the architect this time

57. Sword handle: HILT

59. Not on solid ground: ASEA

60. What a toddler might leave behind: MESS

62. Actress Thurman: UMA - name #5, crossword staple

Splynter