Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center - their labyrinth website page
Author Norman M. Aaronson had an LA Times crossword back in July on a Wednesday here. Today he returns with a puzzle that was, for me, not a very challenging Friday foray, despite a dozen names and a Natick. Four themers with 'a twist' in the clue, and nothing obscure in the answers; I don't know how this one got published so late in the week; perhaps the oversized 15x16 grid~? Not likely - or maybe I was on his wavelength, and most of the fill was in my wheelhouse; YMMV. ALOT of Twurds & names, not so many 3LWs, no circles, no outliers. Four themers, none spanning, no reveal;
18. Story told with a twist: MYSTERY NOVEL - I am currently reading the "Exoskeleton" series from Shane Stadler, an odd horror/sci-fi/existential series, but I am sticking with it
29. Party gift created with a twist: BALLOON ANIMAL
Bah-dum-tiss
50. Cocktail served with a twist: VESPER MARTINI - Ha~! I wondered if this was the James Bond drink, ordered in the 2006 Daniel Craig 007 movie Casino Royale - and a gratuitous scene for our C.C.
My friend, bring me one as well, keep the fruit . . ." - Felix Leiter
66. Feat performed with a twist: PLATFORM DIVE - but can you do the Triple Lindy~?
ACROSS:
1. Big horn: TUBA - "it's not a TUBA~!"
AAAAhnaaald~!
5. "Scoot!": AMSCRAY - Pig Latin for Scram - the 'language' formation "rules"
12. Winery tub: VAT
15. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL - I know who she is, could not recall the spelling, went with AMAN - Bzzzzt~! - name #1
Hey, I think I know that guy with her . . .
16. Bacon strips: RASHERS
17. Kerfuffle: ADO
20. Replayed tennis serve: LET
21. Gnats, termites, and the like: PESTS
22. River deposit: SILT
23. Timothée Chalamet trilogy set on a desert planet: DUNE - Tried reading this Frank Herbert novel back in middle school, but I just couldn't get into it, and I'm a Sci-Fi guy; I did watch some of the "new" series featuring this actor - and I like the dragonfly things . . . name(ish)
23. Believer in a noninterfering god: DEIST - I believe in "The Force" - I was on a 12-step spritual retreat this past weekend, and I walked the labyrinth pictured at the top on the grounds Sunday morning - now I want to make one in my back yard~!
25. Woes: ILLS
26. Thunder sound: CLAP - what's the sound of ONE thunder bolt clapping~? 🙄
One week to "Cooper"town, Irish Miss~!
28. Wild beast also called a wildebeest: GNU
30. Largest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA - Geo name #9, and a Saturday sherpa shout-out
31. Sesame Street's resident Grouch: OSCAR - name #10
32. Fit: ABLE
33. Country singer Lovett: LYLE - name #11, knew it
34. Patron saint of Norway: OLAV - name #12, knew it two ( too )
35. Uncommon: RARE
36. Pool equipment: CUESTICKS - Ah, that kind of pool . . . not the Monday one
40. Railroad station: DEPOT
42. This, in Spanish: ESTO - Español #2
43. Mix: STIR
46. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN - I remember he played a role on Law & Order, still, name #13
48. Early afternoon hr.: ONEPM - this, or TWO
51. Rummages (through): RIFLES
52. Big grinders: MOLARS - dental, not deli . . .
53. Sealed the victory: ICEDIT - Two words #4
56. Japanese dog breed: AKITA - name(ish)
57. Mars exploration vehicle: ROVER - could be your Akita dog's name, too . . . 😁
The full line of Diane von Furstenberg's crossword fashions clip
Rebecca Goldstein returns with a Friday foray into fashion - Five fills framed as (out)FITs, with their associated attire in the answers ( see what I did there~? ). This is Ms. Goldstein's sixth puzzle this year, and I blogged a streak of her constructions on Wednesdays in, Jan, Feb, and March of 2025. I found today's puzzle less difficult than yesterday's. For a change, we had no add-in/on letters as a theme, a standard grid - which is unusual for Rebecca - no 'outlier' squares, just a handful of names ( but a crossing pair, thus a Natick ), no circles, and 17 3LWs, one more than the 5-letter word count. The themers, with 38A. at the center, and no reveal;
17. Fit to eat?: LOBSTERBIB - You can eat the lobster, but not the bib
38. Fit for a king?: PAJAMAS - A king-sized bed, very clever
62. Fit for work?: SUITANDTIE - Thankfully, I've never had to wear a suit & tie for work
11. Fit to a tee?: GOLFSHIRT - Not the "T" shirt, the "tee" prop of a golf ball
34. Fit for service?: CHOIRROBE - Here's Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
with a full, robed choir and pipe organ ( in the background )
Perhaps you prefer a choir with real cannons - this one
But Wait - Get Dressed - There's More~!
ACROSS:
1. Diminish: WANE - Think the Moon, and thus - 32D. 1-Across opposite: WAX - now makes sense
5. "Too rich for my blood": I'M OUT." - Poker reference, but the "catch phrase" of Shark Tank, too
10. "My word!": "EGAD~!"
14. Fusses: ADOs
15. Bay area on the East Coast: TAMPA - Kinda vague, kinda Friday, Geo name #1
16. Olden times: YORE
19. Enthusiasm: ELAN - "E"lliteration . . . 🙄
20. Uno e uno e uno: TRE - Español: English - 1 and 1 and 1 is three - I only saw "uno" = Italian 😜
The Beatles, lyric @2:42
21. Arabian aristocrat: EMIR - we're "A & E"ing all over this blog . . .
22. Hurled: LETFLY - e.g., insults
24. Nintendo princess: ZELDA - the original video game is now 40 years old; name #2
26. Archrivals: NEMESES - the plural spelling
28. __ Minor: URSA
30. Event that may have drawings: ARTSHOW - very clever clue / answer; LOTTERY fit, too
33. Single ant, say: SCOUT - I tried DRONE to start - had just the "O", but "totes" correct . . . 🙄
35. Hon: BAE - cringe. I don't care for this abbr at all, even IRL, not just crosswords . . . 😖
OK, the Shein "Bae" outFITs are pretty attractive . . .
36. "Proud Mary" singer Turner: TINA - name #3
37. "Don't think so": "NAH."
41. Nero Wolfe creator Stout: REX - I read the whole series, have a boxful of the paperback books I am still waiting to display, as the shelves I have planned still need to be built; name #4
42. Book jacket blurbs: BIOs - a biography, in a few words
44. Lip-smacking word: YUM~!
45. Air ways: DUCTS
47. Masterful demonstrations: CLINICS - typically related to sports professionals, musicians, etc.
49. Capital city with a Museum of the Viking Age set to open in 2027: OSLO - I'd like to visit that kind of place - still, a geo name, #5
50. Home body?: REALTOR - Har-har
52. Diving aquatic birds: LOONS
56. One sister in "King Richard": SERENA - The "S" being a Natick crossing with another name, #6, I had no clue, was thinking Shakespeare's "Richard III", then King Lear, but no - this is the story of "Richard", the father of sisters Venus & Serena, and his drive for making them successful tennis pros
58. Treadmill setting: PACE - I finished 45mins at level 5 on the Stairmaster; this week I started level 6
60. D.C. MLBer: NATional
61. The whole shebang: ATOZ
65. Broccoli __: RABE
66. Law of __: trigonometry equation: SINES - for the math geeks; for the Law(yer) of SIGNS . . .
69. "Tough crowd!": "YEESH~!" - I usually spell it "SHEESH" in my journal
70. Zoomed: SPED
DOWN:
1. Flounce: WALTZ - "you think you can just come ___ing in here dressed like that~?!?"
2. Be wild about: ADORE
3. Prize first awarded in 1901: NOBEL - name(ish) - the 'explosive' & tragic life of Alfred Nobel
4. Slow start?: ESS - metaclue, "S" starts the word sLOW
5. Object: ITEM - nailed it, but wondered if it might be the legalese verb, "I object, your honor~!"
6. Yacht spot: MARINA - and SERENA, look at us rhyming~!
7. Color gradient technique: OMBRE - never heard this term, usually related to hair, and of Frawnche origin, meaning "shadow"; I found this "Fire" version, and while I've not seen it IRL, it's mesmerizing. . .
8. News initials: UPI - United Press International, and it's American, too . . . 😁
9. Rehearsals a cast generally won't stand for?: TABLEREADS - made me think of a Family Guy episode; Seth MacFarlane and cast have done live ones at Comic Cons, but they're definitely NSFW
10. Reason to look one's best?: EYETEST - very clever, that kind of "look"
Can you read line seven~?
12. Central Asia's North __ Sea: ARAL - Geo name #7
13. Say "It wasn't me," say: DENY
18. Start to cry: TEARUP - start to cut a rug; TEAR it UP~!
Gramatik, Tearin It Up
23. Rough fig.: ESTimate
25. Pair: DUO - Dah~! Not TWO
27. "M'lady": MA'AM
29. Sarcastic response to rude behavior: STAYCLASSY - Yeah, or Meh~?
31. Individuals: ONES
33. Travel as the wind blows: SAIL - ah, another good clue / answer; if you're on a submarine, does one still "set sail~?" - I'm reading a book that involves U-Boats, and I thought this description a bit odd . . .
LA Times editor Patti Varol is back again on Friday - this is her fourth that I have blogged in 2026. Another tack-on theme, with two of the fills grid-spanners, this time adding '-TON' to some common things / phrases, resulting in some punniness, and a 'defining' reveal. I breezed through today, just one sticky square, and I was on this Patti puzzle wavelength with most of the proper names being in my wheelhouse. Standard grid, no outlier squares, no circles, thirteen 3LWs, and ten names. The themers & reveal;
24. Lazy way to soothe hurt feelings?: NOOFFENSEBUT...TON
43. Take tiny crustaceans out for a stroll?: WALKTHEPLANKTON
49. Getting heavier, or an apt title for this puzzle: GAININGWEIGHT - in this case, the answers gain a "TON", or about 2000lbs - I, on the other hand, am losing weight. I did a weigh-in with my trainer last Thursday - the same 190lbs, but down to 26.5% body fat, originally at 43% - Yikes~! I keep pushing him to feature me in the Big Sky gym "spotlight" email, but everytime I ask, he tells me "when you get to X" - this time, I have to be down to 24% body fat . . . the carrot at the end of the stick . . . 😖
Button Waiton, There'ston Moreton~!
ACROSS:
1. Band: STRAP
Ankle strap shoes
6. Primer lesson: ABCs
10. Printer refills: INKS
14. Provençal sauce: AIOLI - I do the Downs first, so this corner self-filled in the Across
15. Bread from a tandoor: NAAN - common crossword crust
16. Many a techie or Trekkie: GEEK - Dah~! Not NERD
17. Fruit with a thick rind: MELON
18. Thing that has away with words?: DELETEKEY - I had "I gOt it" crossing, but once that changed, I saw the clever misdirection with 'away', and not "a way" in the clue
22. Raft: SEA - the "other" noun definition, #3 - a large collection or number
23. Fish that's a symbol of Children's Day in Japan: KOI
33. "Wow, nice!": "OHCOOL~!" - Twurd(ish)
34. Approach: WAY
35. Rite answer: "IDO." - well, you'd better give the right answer, or . . .
36. Constant critic: HATER
37. Like fresh nail polish: WET
38. Bridget's daughter in the "Bridget Jones" series: MABEL - never saw it, no clue, IMDb; name #1
40. "Big" and "Bang Bang" singer Rita: ORA - Crossword staple, just about every week now, along with Dua Lipa. Name #2
41. "Happy now?": "SEE~?"
42. Old Spanish coin: PESETA
47. Scand. land: NORway - part of ScandINAVIA - Geo name #3
48. Routine: ACT
56. One who's in it for the money: MERCENARY
"I care . . ."
57. Nebraska rail hub: OMAHA - Friday cluing, still geo name #4
59. Fun run distance, for short: ONEK - my gym is hosting a 5K in October, or, you can just walk it
'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday, Sep 19th
Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count. My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago. Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it. I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction. ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs. The themers;
17. Copperhead?: SEASERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"
25. Timeout?: TEABREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"
35. Immunologist?: EYEDOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"
49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"
58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"
But Wait, There's More;
Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )
Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz
Oh boy~? = Oliver
Quill~? = Cue stick
Umbilical~? = YouTube
Vault~? = Vee formation (OK, meh.)
Yourself~? = Why me
ACROSS:
1. Per person: APOP - ugh. Starting with one of the worst Twurds - not "EACH"
5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one
10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'
14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2
15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA
16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday ( Happy B-day HuskerG~! ), and the email thread, too.
19. Large amount: SCAD
20. Official order: EDICT
21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh. It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word
23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol
24. Grab: SNATCH
27. Become peeved: GETSORE - Twurd #2
29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY
30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3
31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .
34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .
. . . uh, OK, it's for "cat", too 🙄
38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4
40. Trade punches: SPAR
41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word
44. Chip in, in a way: ANTEUP - Poker #1, two words #3
46. Squalid digs: RATHOLE - Two words #4
52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen
53. Be decisive: OPT
54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . .
55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."
Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12
56. Glorify: LAUD
61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey
62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2
63. Words before a start date: ASOF - Two words #5
64. Mine finds: ORES
65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE
66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL
DOWN:
1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague
2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated
3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ONADATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!
More like IN a date . . .
4. Puts forward: POSITS - I tried OFFERS
5. Short hole on a golf course: PARTHREE - Good fill, still two words, #6
Leif Olson wins a BMW
6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's
7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's
8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE
9. Vexes: EATSAT - Two word #7
10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website
11. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT - Name #5
12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)
13. Morning omen for sailors: REDSKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time
Still a two word, #8
18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6
22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBOGo - Twurd, #9. The Wiki
24. Mil. rank: SGT
26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR
28. Brings to a close: ENDS
32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme
33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?
35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric
36. "Is everything all right?": "YOUOK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now
37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAINSET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still two words, #11
The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad
38. Paltry poker holding: ONEPAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start
39. Prominence: STATURE
41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers
42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~? the Wiki
43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked
At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer
because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -
the bridges are fine, the knobs, not so much . . .
send me an email LA Darren~!
44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions
45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY
47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie
48. Chop shop wheels: HOTCAR - Twurd #13
50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state, and I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890
51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs
57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh. I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .
59. Consume: USE - I used C.C.'s suggested recipe and made Kung Pao chicken . . .
. . . and then consumed some - it's got some zing~!
60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .
Grid Flow 19.3
9/11, 25 Years Later
I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane
enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'
Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!
Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014)
.jpg)
