Wednesday, Nov 26th, 2025 ~ Daniel Hrynick

 U HAUL

This is my third installment blogging an LA Times crossword from Daniel - the one I reviewed almost a year ago had a similar symmetry, being mirrored on the Y-axis.  I have a mixed opinion about this one; on the one hand, it's clever, with a meta-clue reveal, but then I seem to think that either the "shape" of the puzzle's symmetry needed to somehow 'reflect' the "U" shape as well - OR - perhaps more than just three "U" entries~?  It feels as though the answers to 22- and 42A., 9- & 11-letter fills, might have been part of the theme as well.  YMMV.  I count eight names, NINE abbrs, with twenty-three 3LWs but no circles in a standard-sized grid.  The themers and reveal; 

17. *Device whose poles are close together: HORSESHOE MAGNET

24. *Polish sausage: KIELBASA

28. *Commuter's cushion: NECK PILLOW

31. Ed Sheeran hit, and a phonetic hint to the answers to the starred clues: SHAPE OF YOU - Not my "thing" - all I know about this artist is that at one time he was the biggest name in music - here in the 21st century - with a #1 album and singles ( his Wiki ), but I can't listen to most of the material coming from "musicians" lately; it all sounds digitized and just lacking depth, IMHO.  Here's the video, which happens to mention "magnet";

the "attraction" @ 0:59

And Away U Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Deep purple berry: ACAI - Deep Purple "Blackmore" berry

Closer to my "thing"

5. Worker with lots to attend to?: VALET - parking lots, har-har

10. Actor Guinness: ALEC - name #1, but "U" know he portrayed "Obi Wan"

14. Primer, e.g.: COAT - paint, not reading

15. "Who gives a hoot?" response: "I CARE."

"What do U think of her~?" - Luke's respone to Princess Leia

16. "De __": "Gracias" response: NADA - Espaniol #1, translates to "Of Nothing" = U R Welcome

20. Rio Grande city: EL PASO - name #2

21. Fusses with feathers: PREENS

22. Find a valuable deposit underground: STRIKE OIL - Great fill, but how 'bout BIKE LOCKS~?

26. Rage: MANIA

29. Actress Long: NIA - name #3, this actress

30. Compact __: DISCS - CDs

34. "You said it!": "AMEN~!" - "U" said it~?

35. Once-__: quick studies: OVERS

37. Spiced tea: CHAI

38. Snap: PIC

39. Lattice for vines: TRELLIS

41. Starter course, informally: APPetizer - not going smart phone this week

42. Chess piece on f1 or f8: KING'S BISHOP - another great fill, just not what U'd expect

45. Home __: DEPOT - HD is like my second home . . . .

47. Khaki kin: TAN

48. The Most Stuf cookies: OREOS - and there U are, in a crossword again

51. Actor/director Ken: OLIN - name #4 

52. Misplaces: LOSES

54. NYSE listing: CORPoration

55. 128 oz.: GALLon - could have saved an abbr here and gone with

a GAL in turkey socks~!

56. Wipe data from: ERASE - Are U sure~?

57. Medication-approving gp.: FDA - Food and Drug Administration

58. Exercise similar to yoga: PILATES

61. Floofy canine breed: SAMOYED - Not sure I would have understood "floofy", but I do the Down clues first, had most of the crossings, and the rest was easy to fill out on this one

I will be seeing my buddy Cooper tomorrow~!

Still no luck with a pet of my own, but I am not giving up

64. Battery terminals: ANODES

65. Spanish title: SENORA - Espaniol #2

66. Cry after a successful team effort: "WE WON~!" - there's no "U" in TEAM . . . 

67. Plain awful: LOUSY - probably how the other team feels . . . .

DOWN:

1. Tooth trouble: ACHE

2. "Sweet!": "COOL~!"

3. Lobby group for seniors: AARP - American Association of Retired Peoples - I qualified in February four years ago, at least in terms of age - but - I am a looooong way from being able to retire.

4. "What a terrible thing to do": IT'S A SIN - It's A Song - from Pet Shop Boys, classic 80s, which is more my "thing" - but even better, here's Ghost doing a metal-style cover

5. Helmet attachment: VISOR - I tried SPIKE - hey, it's attached, too...and it's called a pickelhaube

6. German cry of dismay: ACH - Ach~! I put my helmet on upside down~!

7. Southeast Asian language: LAO - spoken in, uh, Laos . . .name(ish)

8. Before, in ballads: ERE

9. Arrangement speed: TEMPO - not how fast U can deliver flowers . . . .

10. Remarkably well-behaved: ANGELIC - I do not recall being referred to as this when growing up

11. Bowling assignment: LANE

12. Garden that needs no improvement: EDEN - Perhaps the fruit should have been kept out of reach~?

13. Pets with toe beans: CATS - I tried DOGS

18. Spanish pronoun: ESTA - Espaniol #3

19. Very dry: ARID - like my humor

23. Wall Street figures: INVESTORS - I was thinking BROKERS

25. Tendency of an eager beaver, maybe: EARLINESS - I'll get up at 4am on Black Friday for these

26. Poster on a subway wall: MAP - my first thought was ADS

27. Friend who likely celebrates Bastille Day: AMI - that friend would be Frawnche

32. Topper in a Super Mario costume: CAP

33. Taste: SIP - don't overdo the spirits this weekend

35. Alternative to com: ORG - internet domains; COMpany and ORGanization

36. Member of the fam: SIS - based on its location in the grid, I figured it was SISter

39. Blast letters: TNT 

40. Cable TV abbr.: SHOwtime - abbr #10

43. Cyclotron particle: ION

44. Lumbering Tolkien creature: ORC - or ENT~? name(ish) #5

45. Apt tattoo for a lover of pooches: DOG PAW - I see so many twenty- and thirty-something girls at the gym, covered in tats - legs, arms, whole sleeves - looks "dirty" to me . . . . just my humble opinion

Subtle, and more appealing

46. "Seinfeld" role for Julia: ELAINE - yada yada yada name #6

49. Calls for takeout: ORDERS - I caved in and got General Tso's chicken last Friday

50. "Me time" outing: SPA DAY - I figure my gym trainer is gonna let me slide this weekend 😜

52. Winery discard: LEES

53. Sail the seven __: SEAS - Rhyming answers, LEES and SEAS

59. "Without further __ ... ": ADO - "Let us, tomato . . . . "

60. Decimal base: TEN

62. Voice artist Blanc: MEL - name #7 - Pork Pig's history

Well, not quite . . . . ono more clue

63. Singer Yoko: ONO - name #8

Splynter

Today's puzzle has a "Grid Flow" of 41.8 - by comparison, the Holy Grail puzzle two weeks ago was low - only 15.9 - basically, it's the crossings that give you connectivity to a section with more than a single letter . . . .

And the solution with low Flow:

Just a curiosity

HAPPY THANKSGIVING~!

Wednesday, Nov 12th, 2025 ~ Zachary David Levy

 "YOUR ARM'S OFF~!"

Including the majestik møøse

This crossword could only appear on a Splynter Wednesday - I am one of those few people who "get" the humor and cleverness of the 1975 ( 50years ~! ) Monty Python & the Holy Grail movie, and have linked its various scenes several times here at the Corner in the past.  For those who do NOT "get it", my apologies for the following "homage" write-up; but for those who do....This was a pleasant puzzle from Zachary, with no circles - though a lot of names - and a standard grid with an even distribution of 3- & 4LWs.  Four themers, two of them 15-letter spanners, and each depicting a "skin surface injury"; 

17. Beach Boys hit that imagines Santa Claus in a hot-rod sleigh: LITTLE SAINT NICK - "Ni~!"

We had them on Monday, too - before my time, not my thing - only 2m15s

24. Extract information online: DATA SCRAPE - more here

38. Like some baked goods: MADE FROM SCRATCH - I make pizza from scratch now, using ground chicken for the crust, mixed with some cauliflower, then add my own healthy-choice toppings, like chicken pepperoni and low-fat mozzarella cheese

52. Notch on an analog watch: MINUTE MARK

James Bond (Daniel Craig ) wears Omega

and the 15-letter spanning reveal:

63. Iconic line from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," or what can be said about the ends of 17-, 24-, 38-, and 52-Across?: "JUST A FLESH WOUND"

The entire Black Knight scene with the iconic line @ 2:08

And Away To Camelot~!

ACROSS:

1. Milestone foods for an infant: SOLIDS

7. Rotten: BAD

"I feel fine~!"

10. Model Delevingne: CARA - We've had this "new" CARA in crosswords before - here's a link to the British model's mansion in LA - name #1

What a set of legs - I'm talking about the ones on the piano. . . maybe the dog's, too
 

14. Commemorative tablet: PLAQUE - found on teeth, and in arteries, too, but not commemorative . . . 

15. __ out a living: EKE - in an anarcho-syndicalist commune - and maybe truth; more here

Bloody peasant~!

16. Prayer ending: AMEN

A møøse once bit my sister

20. Info from covert ops: INTEL - "...and then leap from the rabbit, and taking the Frawnche by surprise"

if we build a large wooden badger . . . 

21. Belly button type: OUTIE - the alternative is an INNIE - like mine - is that TMI~?

22. Lass: GAL - "A Witch~!"

I got better . . . 

23. Some pajama tops: TEES - with fleece bottoms, under an electric blanket - so, so warm & cozy on cold winter nights~!😊

26. New Mexico town north-northeast of Santa Fe: TAOS - geo name #1

28. Meeting, informally: SESH - 21st-century-speak for session

29. Can. neighbor: USA

32. Ballet garb: TUTU

34. On a grand scale: EPIC - It IS the rabbit~!  That's no ordinary rabbit~!

 "I warned you...just a harmless little bunny..."

43. Adapter letters: AC-DC - not the Australian band this time

44. Careless eater: SLOB - AND - a clever crossing with 40D. Drinks carelessly: SLURPS

45. Yes vote: AYE - "...by a two-thirds majority, in the case of more major issues." - Dennis, 37yrs old

46. Wine list heading: REDS - also 'heads' the Cincinnati baseball teams list - fills it, and ends it, too.

50. Exhort: URGE - "I order you to be quiet~!" "Help~! Help~! I'm being repressed~!"

56. Hamlet, for one: DANE - Shakespeare - I toyed with SCOT, but that's Macbeth 

60. "It's __-win situation": "A NO" - "Ni~!" The behind-the-scenes making of the movie

Or 20 weird facts you didn't know - link

61. Image Awards gp.: NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - today is the dealine for submissions for the Awards; more here

62. Jordan's capital: AMMAN - geo name #2

66. Cakesters cookie: OREO - sigh, crossword staple

67. Bracket shape: ELL - I am going to use "L" brackets to secure a set of shelves I am building to my office wall, then trim the top with crown - hopefully, it will be done by the time this publishes - I throw down this gauntlet ( at my own feet ) as a challenge~! - I'll post a pic in the comments - if I succeed

68. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI 

One that looks nice, and not too expensive

69. Breather: REST - my trainer Brett has moved me on to some bigger equipment, and the exercises are getting more difficult.  My weight has not changed, but I dropped another 1% of body fat.  I started at 43%; he wants me down to 18%, and this past Saturday it was 29%, so more than half-way there~!

70. Cryptography org.: NSA - National S--- Agency; if I tell you, "...then. you. shall. die. - Right~!"

71. Most senior: OLDEST

DOWN:

1. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT - Run Away~!

oh, not that kind of split . . .

2. Group of NFL blockers, in brief: O-LINE - the Offensive Line

3. Foamy coffee drink: LATTE

4. Measure of sharpness: IQ TEST - what is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow~?

I don't know that - aaaaaaaaah~!

5. Not sharp: DULL - clever clue adjacency

6. Understand: SEE 

7. Real humdinger: BEAUT - he's already got one, you see~?

( I told them we already got one~!)

8. Japanese dogs: AKITAS

9. Richards of "The Bold and the Beautiful": DENISE - name #2

10. Is able to: CAN

11. Latina friend: AMIGA - Espaniol feminine lesson

12. Go over again: RECAP - "Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right~?"

It could grip it by the husk . . . 

13. Joint above a foot: ANKLE

18. In order that: SO AS TO - a bit clunky, but it works

19. Private eyes, in pulp slang: TECS - deTECtives

24. Sullen: DOUR

25. "Cheers" star Perlman: RHEA - name #3

27. DOJ agency: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms + Explosives, now - "Three sir~!"

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

29. "Dexter: Resurrection" actress Thurman: UMA - yada yada 3LW Thurman = Ektorp name #4

30. Anatomical pouch: SAC

31. __ fuel to the fire: ADD

33. Hesitant syllables: UMs - could've been ERs, but a good WAG on my part

35. Fundraising org.: PTA

36. Showing no warmth: ICY - I'd rather just . . . sing~!

You're not going into a song while I'm 'ere~!

37. Nickname for Ernesto Guevara: CHE - Name #5

39. Beige hue: ECRU

41. Wine stopper: CORK - so UNcork is the starter~?

42. SCOTUS initials from 1993 to 2020: RBG - The Notorious RBG - SCOTUS = Supreme Court of the US, and one of its members, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, until 2020 - name #6

47. Sicilian volcano: ETNA - Crossword staple, geo name #3

48. Overpower with noise: DEAFEN - how I like my rock concerts

49. Biggie __: 1990s rap moniker: SMALLS - filled via perps, but I remembered him - better known as The Notorious B.I.G., and the inspiration for 42D above - name #7

51. Astronomer Halley with an eponymous comet: EDMOND - If I make it to its next pass through the inner solar system, I will be 90yrs old - name #8

52. Groundbreaking: MAJOR - Spamalot, the Broadway adaptation of MP and the Holy Grail, co-written by Python member Eric Idle, won Best Musical and more in 2005

53. Toughen: INURE

54. Schnozzes: NOSES

55. Amtrak option: ACELA - name(ish)

57. Entertain: AMUSE - "...and there was much rejoicing . . . yay."

"silly English kuh-nig-its"

58. Some maternal babysitters: NANAS

59. Call the whole thing off: END IT - I had ABORT; this is a breakup, not a mission

62. AFB no-show: AWOL - Air Force Base and Absent WithOut Leave

64. Tater __: TOT

65. "Task" network: HBO - Never seen the show, as I don't have Home Box Office streaming - I used to enjoy going to my aunt's duplex in the Bronx on Thanksgiving - they had cable HBO~!

Splynter

And now for something completely different . . . .

Wednesday, Nov 5th, 2025 ~ Terry Sun & Shannon Rapp

  GO FEED YOURSELF

Oh, that kind of GOLF club

Today's crossword has almost all the cliché trappings of a Wednesday puzzle; an odd-sized 15 x 16 grid, the cursed circles, 28 3LWs - but just a mere half-dozen names, depending on how one counts, so it turned out to be an enjoyable solve.  This looks to be Terry Sun's debut for the LA Times - I found this pic of  him, if I am not mistaken - and I usually am, when it comes to constructors names; Shannon Rapp is a regular contributor.  The theme answers have a type of 'club' that, when split to the ends, makes up the 'bread' of a sa'mich; the themers and reveal;

18. "Little chance of finishing soon": "NO END IN SIGHT" - I once worked in a NIGHT club out in Cincinnati, OH named "Casanova's"; they had live bands on Friday & Saturday nights

25. Chicken soup or ginger tea: COLD REMEDY - COMEDY club; my go-to remedy is Alka-Seltzer

41. Performer who often plays a protagonist's best friend: CHARACTER ACTRESS - I was briefly in the CHESS club in high school; once I was introduced to "opening gambits", I lost interest . . . .

52. Without wheat, rye, or barley: GLUTEN FREE - I don't recall there being a GLEE club in my high school; in retrospect, I might have succeeded in film-making had I been part of the DRAMA club - and where is the A/V club themer~?

62. Triple-decker lunch, or what can be found in 18-, 25-, 41-, and 52-Across: CLUB SANDWICH

'Tis the season~!  Here's a video link to making the sa'mich~!"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Name in fairy tales: GRIMM - name # . . . .oh, never mind 

6. Tropical fruit tree: PAWPAW - Filled via perps

Here's a link to this site

12. Occupant of a virtual city: SIM - I love to play mayor of my virtual city - I even had alien-created crop circles at my farm . . . 

Sim City, game #1

15. Ancient Greek region of Asia Minor: IONIA - and the origin of the Ionic column

16. Anxious feeling: UNEASE - DREAD was too short

17. "Rules __ rules": ARE - ...and made to be broken

20. "Made me giggle!": LOL - I had lunch with a co-worker from the pipe organ company last Thursday; he suggested Moe's, but Autocorrect had other ideas;

21. First place?: EDEN - Har-har; "The Garden of..." = crossword humor

22. Afore: ERE - had this fill last week as well

23. Musical group: BAND - I have been watching this guy, who has suggestions for new BANDs that have that 70s & 80s classic heavy metal sound, played with real instruments recorded on tape

24. Cards swiped at work: IDs - I hear they have to punch-in now at the pipe organ shop; used to be on the honor system

29. Accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disability Act - I have shared about this before

30. Indent key: TAB

31. Erupt: SPEW - AND - 45. Burst: POP - messy

32. Line of mountains: RANGE - pick-up line of mountains~?  "Nice Peaks" 

Geology humor

34. Hoppy beer: IPA - typical 3LW

37. Lake that feeds the Mississippi River: ITASCA - learning moment for me today

Hey - I know someone from Minnesota~!

44. "That'd be swell": "HOPE SO~!"

46. Jumps: LEAPS

47. "__ got a situation here": "WE'VE" - I'd link this song, but some of the clip is NSFW

A collaboration supergroup

49. With 66-Down, pronoun pair: SHE - AND - 66. See 49-Across: HER

51. Rested in a chair: SAT

56. Café __ leche: CON - Espaniol lesson; coffee with milk

57. Ginger cookie: SNAP

58. Run out of battery: DIE

59. Introduce to solid food, say: WEAN

61. Stir-fry pan: WOK - see 53D.

67. Contacts on Discord, e.g.: IMs - I am on Discord, but NSFW the Corner

68. Accept a staff position: HIRE ON - I applied as a traveling carpenter to the Nelson Treehouse company - those guys on TV - but they "moved on in the hiring process".  Too bad - it would have been a really cool opportunity.

Spectacular view

69. Magic lamp dweller: GENIE

70. __ culpa: MEA

71. Go too far with: OVERDO

72. Mystery writers' award: EDGAR - Allan Poe, that is - I did not know there was a statuette

 more from Wiki

DOWN:

1. Negroni liquor: GIN - Dah~!  I thought it was RUM

2. Small resident of the Hundred Acre Wood: ROO - Ah - there's our Monday dupe; Winnie the Pooh

3. "That was exhausting!": "I NEED A NAP~!" - I loves me a nap~! - one of two 9-letter Downs

4. Babysits: MINDS

5. Whipped up: MADE

6. Many a dad joke: PUN - Five ants moved in with five ants paying rent; now they're tenants.

7. Photographer Adams: ANSEL - crossword staple; his B&W photography work is beautiful

8. Strange: WEIRD - not EERIE

9. Beepers: PAGERS - in the days gone by; I had one when I worked on the movie set in 1997

10. Firepit residue: ASH - 'tis the season~! I brought up my first crates of firewood~!

11. Rainy: WET - we had wind & rain for Halloween - now all the "leaf peeper" color is gone

12. Light lunch: SALAD - Having been reduced to fewer calories by my trainer, I have rediscovered tuna salad - it's so good, I wolf it down every time

13. Dramatic device: IRONY

14. Rummikub action: MELD - I have played this tile game, but didn't recall this "action". Game #2

The game's history - I need to take notes and watch that NPR clip, too

19. Tawantinsuyu resident: INCA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - look what I found - a board game, #3 . . . YouTube link

. . . and one of my games has a similar "theme"

23. Watch out for: BEWARE - I need to BEWARE of a company trying to scam me out of my game

24. The Potato State: IDAHO - no surprise there

26. Memorial piece: OBITuary

27. __ Games: Fortnite developer: EPIC - more games, #4 - filled via perps; more here

28. Guts: METTLE

29. Eyebrow shape: ARCH

30. Dishes for a dollhouse social: TEA SET

33. Became an adult: GREW UP - I refuse to "grow up"; I am not a fan of "adulting"

35. __ squad: PEP - I tried MOD; Bzzzt~!

36. Preferring platonic relationships, informally: ARO - becomming a crossword staple 'Aromantic'

38. Cast iron coat: SEASONING - Oh, that kind of coat - a cast iron coat would be really heavy

An "iron" maiden has fallen, and can't get up from the weight of that coat

39. House coverage network: CSPAN

40. Mgr.'s right hand: ASST - their left hand is "sinister"

42. Shoreline recess: COVE

43. Church recess: APSE - I spent a fair amount of time working in church apses

48. Survive: ENDURE

50. Axed: HEWN - in the true sense of the word, and not the inverse of 68A

52. Garden figure: GNOME

53. Coconut milk noodle soup: LAKSA - If you have an Amazon Echo, what happens when you say Alexa, whats a Laksa~?  Total confusion . . . .

54. __-optic cable: FIBER - offered in my area, but no cheaper than basic cable

55. Patch, as a lawn: RESOD

56. Spoke like a crow: CAWED

this cartoon "murders" me~!

57. Triathlon part: SWIM - Running and Cycling are the other two tasks one has to ENDURE

60. Border: EDGE

62. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO - crossword 3LW staple - and basically Ektorp now; three letter Margaret~?

63. Arwen player Tyler: LIV - another crossword name; yada yada 3LW Tyler~? Ektorp

64. "So that's __?": "A NO~?"

65. Spy org.: CIA

Today's construction has a Grid Flow of 37.8, higher than the median; I am starting to understand that it's the 'connectivity' of one section of the grid to another.

Splynter