Tuesday, January 9th, 2024, Freddie Cheng

 EEK~!

 OR

 - where to find a common rodent -

Today's puzzle consists of three theme fills of two 12- and one 13-letter spanners, with a 'broken' reveal of 9-letters across the bottom line.  Two 10-letter DOWN answers as well.  Not so many names today, but lots of abbreviations.  Some "meh" answers, IMHO, and an unusually longer than normal Tuesday solve time for me, but we FIR, so....

19. Home of Cinderella Castle: MAGIC KINGDOM - here's the "home" of a certain M. Mouse

Ominous

36. Unpretentious business: HOLE IN THE WALL - like a local bar, say

Thanks Hahtoolah~!

54. Pizza/arcade chain founded by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell: CHUCK E. CHEESE - HuskerG showed us how "Chuck" used to be a RAT; now he's a MOUSE~?

65. With 67-Across, desktop accessories, and a description of 19-, 36-, and 54-Across?: MOUSE
67. See 65-Across: PADS - PADS in the colloquial sense of home, crib, abode, castle, etc. - here's my blogging spot and desktop mouse pad....

And Away We Go~! ( see 39D.)

ACROSS:

1. Swimmer's exercise: LAPS - C.C. and I have a friendly challenge to push each other by Easter to an accomplishment - I would like to lose 10+lbs, and she would like to do a butterfly LAP in the pool without the aid of flippers - I hope we both succeed~!

5. __ shift: DAY

8. Venomous African snake: MAMBA

13. "Just doing my best": "I TRY"

14. Rough cut: DEMO - meh.  I suppose a raw recording of one's music~? And a  semi-abbr.

15. Is in neutral: IDLES

16. Eye lubricant: TEAR

17. Diamond dynasty: ALOU - baseball diamond....knew this from doing crosswords

18. Earns: MAKES

22. Standard: USUAL

23. Matches, in fashion: GOES - as in "that bag GOES well with that dress"

the shoes, too

24. __ green: PEA - I painted my "home office" in a shade of green called "Aquamarine" - what I really wanted was the official name/formula for the shade of green that the NY Bridge & Tunnel Authority paints their spans, e.g., the Throgs Neck Bridge, which the internet calls "grey green"; I wrote to them, and was told that they are "not allowed" to disclose that information....Really~?  I asked some friends who work for NY DOT, and one suggested finding the contractor who does the painting, and my brother said to go through FOIL - it's not that important  :7))

Two mile span between Long Island and the Bronx

27. "Get it?": SEE - so I suppose this paint color hassle could be called "GREEN TAPE"  - Get it~?

28. Gambling initials: OTB - Off-Track Betting - abbr. #1

31. Dollhouse dishes: TEA SETS - oh, those doll house dishes....uh, never mind....

33. Captivated: ENRAPT - yeah, Spellcheck is not happy about this, either....

35. Top out: PEAK - think hit songs; this one PEAKed at #1 the year I was born

 

Jeremiah was a bullfrog~!

40. Veal __: Italian entree, briefly: PARMesan - abbr. #2

41. "The way things stand ... ": "AS IT IS..."

42. From Moscow: RUSSIAN - I blogged the Nov 1st, 2023 puzzle with Moscow, IDAHO - not Russian

45. Did not get up: SAT - meh.  Stayed Seated, maybe

46. Orchestra home: PIT

49. "Can't Get It Out of My Head" gp.: ELO - Electric Light Orchestra - abbr. #3

50. Wharton degs.: MBAs - Master of Business Administration - abbr. #4

52. Computer problem: CRASH - meh - I think a problem could cause a crash...

57. Arctic dome: IGLOO - I once did a presentation for an architect with this massive build-up of the 'greatest piece of building engineering since the dawn of man, using local building materials to reduce its carbon footprint', then revealed a picture of an igloo - his partner praised me for my clever deception

60. Lie low: HIDE

61. One of 14 in a pro's golf bag: CLUB - oops, I had IRON - can you imagine the pitch on a 14-iron~?

These go to "eleven" ( 12, actually )

62. __ buddy: BOSOM -  TV show with Tom Hanks, way back in 1980

63. Passport fig.: ID No. - meh. - abbr. #5

64. Sheltered at sea: ALEE - crossword staple

66. Ad Council ad: PSA - Public Service Announcement - abbr. #6


DOWN:

1. Acid or base indicator: LITMUS - Dah~!  I tried Ph TEST first

2. "Relax, soldier": AT EASE

3. European capital with a medieval astronomical clock: PRAGUE - I knew this, but hesitated to fill in; I worked on a TV movie set back in 1997, and we used shots the director got of the ornate clock for some dramatic interludes

4. Aleppo's land: SYRIA - I nailed this one

5. Sandwich shop: DELI

6. "__ Us": multiplayer logic and deduction game: AMONG - 3/5ths perps, 2/5s WAG

7. Encouraging message: YOU GOT THIS

8. Brunch drink: MIMOSA

9. "House of Gucci" actor Driver: ADAM - he played Darth Vader's grandson, Kylo Ren

10. Civil rights monogram: MLK - abbr. #7

11. Spelling meet: BEE

12. Braying animal: ASS

14. Terr. that became two states: DAKota - abbr. #8

20. Replicant: CLONE - two blogging puzzles in a row with this word

21. Poor grade: DEE

24. Come off like old paint: PEEL - I had CHIP

25. Listing abbr.: ET. AL. - abbr. #9

26. "Go find out!": ASK

29. Tetra- minus one: TRI - four, less uni = three

30. Dried fruit in trail mix, perhaps: BANANA CHIP

32. Facial spots: SPAS - Dah~! I had ACNE; a clever clue

33. Targets of some bark beetles: ELMS - WAG; up here in CT, several of my ASH trees were killed by a beetle, and now I have a lot of firewood

my backyard on Sunday

34. FG's three: PTs - American Football, Field goal points - abbr. #10

He hits the post~!

36. Carry with effort: HAUL - TOTE, DRAG, HUMP, HEFT, etc.

37. Thereabouts: OR SO

38. Lyft status: ETA -abbr. #11

39. Glinda or Elphaba of "Wicked": WITCH  - the cartoon from which I get "And Away We Go"

40. Kin of ante-: PRE-

43. "Just got back from work!": "I'M HOME~!"

44. __ Dhabi: ABU

46. Rice dish from Valencia: PAELLA

47. Put into circulation: ISSUED

48. Ancient city whose ruins are in Luxor: THEBES

51. Overcomes friction: SKIDS - ah, in the negative sort of way....

53. Sum up: RECAP

54. Sounds like a dove: COOS

55. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay: EDNA

56. Org chart topper, typically: CEO - the Chief Executive Officer - abbr. #12

57. Watsonx's maker: IBM - technically, an abbr.

58. Sludge: GOO

59. Sch. with a Shreveport campus: LSU - Louisiana State University - abbr. #13

Splynter

Wednesday, January 3, 2024, Emma Oxford

PLAGIARISM

Happy Hump Day~!  Today's puzzle was relatively easy, but loaded with names; I find too many to be somewhat icky, and with two unknowns crossing, even more so.  And then there was the reveal - maybe I was digging too deep, but I just did not see the connection until "CLONE" popped out, and when I reviewed the other theme answers, I finally saw the 'hidden' synonyms for COPY, both verb and noun, at the RIGHT end.  Phew~! 

18. *Bureaucratic obstacle to environmental projects: GREEN TAPE (vb) - a playful take on the classic "red" tape of governmental hassles

24. *Extreme winter-weather event: BOMB CYCLONE (vb) - never heard of this phenomenon

40. *Nickname for a Mozart work in C major: JUPITER SYMPHONY (n) - name #1/2

49. *Writer of the 2023 legal thriller "The Exchange": JOHN GRISHAM (n) - name #1

61. Protection of intellectual property, and what the answer to each

      starred clue literally has: COPYRIGHT - parsed accordingly, COPY, RIGHT

EXIT, Stage LEFT

And Away We Go~!


ACROSS:

1. Mediterranean isle for which a style of pants is named: CAPRI

6. Periodic table's Pb: LEAD - from the Latin Plumbum, frequently used, in combination with other elements, to make organ pipes; due to its density and malleability, over the years, some pipes will actually 'sag'

Note how the pipe 'curves' towards the bottom

10. Female lobsters: HENS - I knew this, but it filled via perps - and - 16A. Lobster catcher: TRAP

14. Butcher's garment: APRON

15. Killer whale: ORCA - oddly, my 'spellcheck' doesn't like this word....

17. Takes hold: ROOTS - verb

20. Portuguese greeting: OLA

21. "Call Me by Your Name" name: ELIO - Even after I looked this one up, I don't recall anything about this movie; name #2, and a Natick

23. Declined, with "out": OPTED

28. Before, in verse: ERE

29. Dolly Parton hit: JOLENE - You'll excuse me if I don't provide a link to this one....name #3

33. Nonpoetic writing: PROSE

36. Phobia: FEAR - Gephyrophobia - do you know this one~?  ( Answer below * )

38. Daffy or Bugs: 'TOON

43. Pit: SEED - ah, that kind of pit

44. Tons: LOTS

45. Lather, __, repeat: RINSE

46. Aspirations: DREAMS

48. PC alternative: MAC

55. Tyler of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?": AISHA - I have seen the show, but I had no clue of the host's name, filled via perps - name #4

59. Cereal grain: OATS

60. Prefix with tourism: ECO

64. Boise's state: IDAHO - name~?

66. Couple of magazines?: ITEM - the juicy details of a romance between stars

67. Mayberry boy: OPIE - hey, I knew this one....name #5

68. When the sun rises in the west: NEVER - that'll be a cold day in hell....

69. Dishwashing brand used to clean animals after oil spills: DAWN - name~?

70. D.C. MLB team: NATionalS - name~?

71. Honking birds: GEESE


DOWN:

1. Chocolate substitute: CAROB - Dah~!  I entered COCOA to start

2. Speed skater Ohno: APOLO - knew from doing crosswords - name #6

3. Many a charity tournament: PRO/AM - professional / amateur

4. Go bad: ROT

5. Behind closed doors: IN SECRET - I tried SECRETLY first

6. Puzzle solver's skill: LOGIC - and sussing

7. Former "CNN Newsroom" anchor Barnett: ERROL - my last WAG, and disappointing for me, two proper names crossing - #7

8. Blackjack card: ACE

- and a gratuitous Daniel Craig to boot~!

9. Actor Daniel __ Kim: DAE - I did know name #8 - he appeared in "Lost", and the "Hawaii Five-O" remake; truly dismayed by the number of "remake" shows on TV - now I see "Frazier" is back  :7P

10. URL intro: HTTP

11. Q.E.D. part: ERAT - I just read "Death of a Doxy" ( see 54D. ) - one of the characters uses the alias "Thales" but that did not fool Nero Wolfe - and it made me look the man up on Wiki, and then further to his mathematical proof - and there in the middle of the page, Q.E.D.

12. Travel pillow spot: NAPE - I had NECK to start

13. Raced: SPED

19. Fielding of "The Great British Bake Off": NOEL - name #9

22. Caustic chemical: LYE  - and -  55D. Caustic chemical: ACID - pure clecho

25. Next to: BESIDE - not "B side"

26. "Love Train" group, with "The": O'JAYS - name #10

27. Convention: NORM - a collection of entries by "Norm" from "Cheers"

30. Law school course: ETHICS

31. Midday: NOON

32. Geological spans: EONS

33. Comfy attire that's rarely worn out?: PJs - I have 'worn out' my PJs, when I go to check the mailbox sometimes....

34. Regretted: RUED

35. Abbr. on old phones: OPERator

36. Future soph: FROSH - Sophomore, Freshman

37. Contractor's fig.: ESTimate

39. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE - name #11

41. Red "Sesame Street" resident: ELMO - name #12

42. Lauding: PRAISING

47. Somewhat open: AJAR

48. "Rocky III" actor with a mohawk: MR. T - I pity the fool~!  - name #13

50. Like three Justin Verlander games: NO HIT - no clue, but it sounded baseball - name #14

51. Stadium entries: GATES - or, say, airports....

52. Throw: HEAVE

53. __ and pains: ACHES

54. Boxing legend Archie: MOORE - not familiar with the boxer, but I am currently reading Rex Stout's "Nero Wolfe" series, narrated by "Archie Goodwin" - I even bought 43 books from eBay to proudly display on my future office shelves - and name #15

56. Little bit: IOTA

57. Gush: SPEW

58. Church song: HYMN - not quite a "hymn", but it made me think of this

 

Monty Python's Holy Grail

62. Charged particle: ION

63. Transcript fig.: GPA

65. Dead end?: DEE - DeaD, correct on two counts~!

Splynter

* Fear of Bridges and Tunnels

Tuesday, December 26th, 2023, Rebecca Goldstein

 PHYSICS 101

Hi there~! - A quick solve for me today, only four proper names, three of which I had no clue about, and a 'simple' theme/reveal.  Two each of 13- and 9-letter theme answers, with some chunky 8-, 9-, and 10-letter DOWN answers in the mix, again leading to several three-letter fills.  BTW, this puzzle featured many of what I think are 'typical' 4- and 5-letter answers, but with too many choices that potentially "fit".  The clues are marked "*", so you can see what I mean....

18. Make a real mess: SCREW THINGS UP

oops

33. Gymnastics rings position held with the body parallel to the ground: LEVER HANG - I will be able to do this by the end of 2024 - NOT~!

39. Feature of some espadrilles: WEDGE HEEL - I did not know an espadrille was a shoe; but I recognize them now~!

53. Force-multiplying device that can be found at the beginning of 18-, 33-, and 39-Across:

SIMPLE MACHINE - see the links in blue for examples

 
And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Finishes: ENDS

5. Spill the beans: BLAB

9. Chest muscle, for short: PECtoral - doesn't help with the lever hang....

12. In __ of: LIEU

13. Credit card user: PAYER - uh, well, not necessarily....

14*. "It follows logically that ... ": ERGO - THUS, too

15. Maintain: KEEP - I like this kind of KEEP

16. "Me too," more formally: "AS DO I"

17. State of mind: MOOD

21. Chillingly strange: EERIE

22*. "Pronto!": ASAP - or STAT~?

23. Many moons __: AGO

26*. Rightmost computer menu, often: HELP - HOME, FILE, EDIT, VIEW, DRAW - a great clue for a 'common' word - I had to think about the software I use before I could pick the correct one

 

AutoCAD

28. Cloak and __: DAGGER

30. Tortoise's fabled competitor: HARE

36. Norse god of war: ODIN

37. Collaborative sites: WIKIs

38. Another, in Spanish: OTRA

41. Witnessed: SEEN - I have SEEN images of guys wearing the next answer....

42. Swim team swimwear: SPEEDO - which brings to mind the word "UNSEE"....

43. Toward sunrise: EAST

46. Extra sports periods, briefly: OTs

47*. Per person: A POP - EACH, too

50. Chops, as an onion: DICES

57. Japanese noodle: UDON

59. Dog collar dangler: ID TAG

60. Notion: IDEA

61. Come to a stop: HALT

62. "You've got some __!": "NERVE~!"

 63. Shakespeare's mad king: LEAR

64. "Yellowjackets" network, briefly: SHO - No clue, but I had two-thirds via crossings

65. Mardi __: pre-Lenten festival: GRAS

66. Annoys: IRKS

DOWN:

1. Part of BPOE: ELKS - as usual, I started with the DOWNS clues first, and was on a roll quickly....

2. Nephew's sister: NIECE - check

3. Brand of riding mowers: DEERE - check

4. Ruins at Durrington Walls that once consisted of wooden posts, not stones: SUPERHENGE - ....but here I was denied STONE henge, so it had to be something else

5*. Giant party: BASH - FETE, GALA~?

6. Winona's "Beetlejuice" role: LYDIA - ya know, I have never seen this movie....and I don't plan to

7. Very long time: AEONS

8. Units led by colonels: BRIGADES - I'm not military, nor anyone in my family, but PLATOONS fit, as well; the Charge of the Light Brigade gives me a gratuitous opportunity to link Iron Maiden

 

The Trooper

9. Grow cuttings from a succulent, say: PROPAGATE - succulent~?

10. Alter __: EGO

11. Fish that may be black or blue: COD

13. Dev of "Lion": PATEL - perps

14. Down Under bird: EMU

19. Golfer Michelle __ West: WIE - perps

20. Practice in the ring: SPAR

24*. Bookstore section: GENRE - HOW TO was my first thought

 25. Liver, for one: ORGAN - I do have a "liver", but I deal with a different kind of "ORGAN"

Reinstalled six reed pipes, buried in a corner behind the chamber in the shot;

my 'boss' is packing up on the right

A pain in the a** to get to, I might add

 27. Ballet barre bend: PLIÉ

29. Pepper in extremely hot curry dishes: GHOST CHILI - no clue; the CHILI part filled in, but I WAGed the GHOST half

30. "Can you explain?": "HOW SO~?"

31. Skilled (at): ADEPT

32. Works alone: RIDES SOLO - meh.  Unless you're a cowboy~?

34. __ out a win: almost lose: EKE

35. Disgusting: VILE

37. Extraordinarily large: WHOPPING

40. Dutch cheese: EDAM

44*. "Better late than never," e.g.: ADAGE - AXIOM, IDIOM~?  I always forget which

45. [as per the original]: SIC

48. More mature: OLDER

49. Historic site in Jordan known as the Rose City: PETRA - Dah~! ( see 58D., below ) I shoulda known this from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"

51*. Duck down: EIDER -ha~! I read this clue as 'heads up'; AVOID, EVADE, ELUDE~? - Bzzzt~!

52. Go on tiptoe: SNEAK

54. Picked-off pass, for short: INTerception - football, which is a sport I do like....

55. Big D NBA squad: MAVs -  Thought it was the NUGgetS - but they're DENVER, not DALLAS - I am a total NON-basketball guy

56. Prominent feature of a fennec fox: EARS - I tried TAIL first

na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-NA - BATMAN~!

57*. Hesitation syllables: UHs - ERs, UMs~?

58. Lah-di-__: DAH - or, my clue, the "I shoulda got that" noise, like "D'Oh~!"


Splynter

Tuesday, December 19th, 2023, Joe Deeney

 PUNNY MONEY

Today's puzzle is very similar to the one I guest blogged last Tuesday - the first word of the theme answers 'rephrased' as a noun and not an adjective, creating a punny money theme.  Two 15-letter spanners and three more themers, generating a fair number of three-letter words as a consequence.  A good challenge for a Tuesday, a few unknown proper names, and I did have to cheat to figure out why I did not get my "ta-DA~!"; see below.  The theme answers;

16. The landscaping startup was financed via ...: HEDGE FUND - maybe money does grow on trees

21. The extreme tourism startup was financed via ...: VENTURE CAPITAL

31. The shrink-ray startup was financed via ...: MICROLOANS - according the spell-check, this is not a two-word phrase, making it the outlier in the group

41. The religious iconography startup was financed via ...: ANGEL INVESTORS

49. The agriculture startup was financed via ...: SEED MONEY

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Like a final exam in a language class, typically: ORAL

5. Religious offshoot: SECT

9. Nile reptile: ASP - No more Indiana Jones clip; every time I guest-blog....so I PASS on the "ASP"

12. Michael who plays Allan in "Barbie": CERA - filled via perps

13. Physics and chemistry Nobelist Marie: CURIE - and - 19A. Gas observed by 13-Across: RADON

14. __ date: deadline: DUE

15. Direct-hire alternative: TEMP

18. Boxer Muhammad: ALI

20. "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" memoirist Alan: ALDA - educated WAG

24. "You're important to me": "I CARE"

25. Conditional programming word: ELSE

26. Gillette brand: ATRA

27. Clicking sound?: SHORT i - C-L-i-C-K; I know there are some here at the corner that are not too fond of this type of clue, but I find them a clever challenge to suss out

34. Wasn't straight: LEANED - Here's the architectural countermeasures taken to save the most famous "LEAN"

35. Desert in northern China: GOBI

38. Social satirist Mort: SAHL - DAH!  I typed SAUL; if you look at my grid image, this is the one "cell" I had wrong

40. "The West Wing" creator Sorkin: AARON - Ooops, not AlleN

46. "Buona __": Italian "Good evening": SERA

47. West Yorkshire home of Kirkstall Abbey: LEEDS - I thought maybe this was a fictional reference, such as one from a popular TV series....but it's a spectacular set of ruins

The Wiki

48. On Soc. Sec., perhaps: RETired

51. __ one's time: wait: BIDE

52. Exist: ARE

53. __ guide: USERS

54. Perched upon: ATOP

55. Ed.'s stack: MSs - manuscripts

56. Disorganized state: MESS

57. Workout spots: GYMS

DOWN:

1. "Parable of the Talents" author Butler: OCTAVIA - another WAG

2. Word on an incumbent's campaign poster: RE-ELECT

RE-ELECT MAYOR GOLDIE WILSON - "I like the sound of that";

He gets my vote for best fictional mayor

3. Joined at the elbows: ARM-IN-ARM

4. Spot for a needy pet: LAP

5. Soft glove material: SUEDE

6. Hosp. trauma pro: ER DOC

7. Health insurance giant: CIGNA

8. Football kicker's aid: TEE

9. Accomplishes mundane tasks, facetiously: ADULTS - My friend Mark introduced me to this "21st century" term; we were discussing something like home-ownership responsibility, and he said he was stressed about all this "adulting" - I thought it was hysterical, and still do

10. Dessert with toppings: SUNDAE

11. Graduate from a balance bike: PEDAL - Never heard of a balance bike; in my day, you fell off, got hurt, and got back on again....

13. Blacken: CHAR

17. Unable to be successful with: FAILING AT

19. Bemoan: RUE - Bzzzt~!  I had CRY to start

22. Spot to begin a hike: TRAILHEAD - I knew it was trail something

23. Org. with a white rabbit in its logo: PETA

27. Mme., across the Pyrenees: SRA

28. Dearie: HON

29. La Liga chant: OLÉ

30. Word after hot or lightning: ROD - my CT home has several lightning rods - the LI house, not a one

32. Spreadsheet unit: CELL - I have a spreadsheet at work that calculates the ƒ(n) for determining organ pipe dimensions - something like the logarithm something of its wavelength, but it goes down the PETA hole quickly....

33. Part of campus Greek life: SORORITY

36. Nothing-to-do feeling: BOREDOM - Thought I had mono....

Wayne's World

37. Shoe parts: INSTEPS - I had shoe LAST last week

38. Sinister smiles: SNEERS

39. Gives a thumbs up: AGREES

40. Burro: ASS - followed by....

41. Breakfast tea variety: ASSAM - so the next answer should be ASS AM / FM ~?

42. "Guess you beat me": I LOSE - Nope.  I guess I lose....

43. Babies, in Spanish: NENES - I thought it was a Hawaiian bird....

 

A nene with a nene

44. Makes a sudden change in direction: VEERS

45. Freezer aisle brand: EDY'S

50. Not saying anything: MUM

51. Carry-on: BAG

MERRY CHRISTMAS -- HAPPY HOLIDAYS --

BEST IN THE NEW YEAR TO ALL~!!!

Splynter

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023, Kelly Richardson

Speed needed to reach your gate~?

 A clever, double-depth theme of not just words, but 'concluding' adjectives rephrased as nouns into a 'punny' answer; I missed the 'resulting' part until I went to use the word 'final' in one of my comments, and thought "I'd rather use 'last' here", and the "A-ha~!" moment occurred: see below.  I'm impressed, so I had to find an appropriate theme title, and I think I succeeded - the answer, if you haven't guessed, is below.  Several answers brought music to my mind, and I will now share those thoughts with you.  Two  ten-letter and two fourteen-letter theme answers; odd-numbered answers always seem to be more difficult to get into a grid, at least in my constructing experience.   Here they are; 

17. Spa for out-of-shape shoe forms?: LAST RESORT

33. Marking off the hours left to cram before the big exam?: FINAL COUNTDOWN - the first musical interlude

 

Europe - Ear-worm~!

41. Home-buyer's day-of-sale demand for a single window dressing?: CLOSING CURTAIN - I asked for nothing when I closed on my home here in CT

60. Effects of months of glute workouts?: END RESULTS - oh, so easy for me to add a raunchy photo here, but I will refrain....

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Sitcom pioneer Lucille: BALL

5. Taken __: startled: ABACK - can you be taken "A-forward~?"

10. Arthur __ Stadium: world's largest tennis venue: ASHE - crossword staple

14. "Titans" actor Morales: ESAI - crossword staple

15. __ Lama: DALAI

16. Great Basin people: UTES

19. Coffee brewing choice: DRIP - my preferred method, but I do have a one-cup K-cup coffee maker, and since I am hosting Christmas this year, I will suggest to my brother to bring his choice of coffee K-cups, just to be considerate.

20. French farewell: ADIEU

"Indiana Jones, Adieu" - @ 1:18

21. __ decorator: INTERIOR - I used to put in my dating app profile that I was looking for an interior decorator, but now that I am the sole owner of my home, it's a total man-cave...

23. Himalayan bovine: YAK - an oldie, 1958, before my time....

 

Yakety -Yak, The Coasters

24. Word with stone or marker: MILE

26. "Right now," in texts: ATM - Hey~!  A new clue for a crossword cliche - "at the moment"

27. Sit-up muscles: ABS - yesterday's theme

28. Ceiling metal: TIN - as interior decorating goes, I like the look, with the right tiles; might do this in my home - I plan on a pool table in the basement, and I like At Deco

30. Identity statement, briefly: BIO

38. Clenched hand: FIST

39. Major artery: AORTA

40. Writer Wiesel: ELIE - crossword staple

44. Animation frame: CEL

45. Commercials: ADs

46. Boat blade: OAR

47. Uru. neighbor: ARGentina

49. Spielberg film featuring a shark: JAWS

I SAID JAWS~!

51. Answer to an addition problem: SUM

54. Wore red at a wedding, say: STOOD OUT - if it ever happens for me again, I am totally hip to a red wedding dress ( my first marriage was a "medieval" one - in more ways than one.... )

57. Fluffy-eared marsupial: KOALA

59. Cancel, as a check: VOID

62. __ vera: ALOE -   ah, just for Hahtoolah....

63. Inbox message: EMAIL

64. Binary digit: ZERO - and - 32D. Binary digit: ONE

 65. Running with scissors, e.g.: NO-NO

66. Southwestern plateaus: MESAS - another Spielberg movie

 

It's not a MESA, but it's a "BUTTE"

67. Muscat's country: OMAN

DOWN:

1. Secure, as a ship's line: BELAY - as I've said in the past, I start with the DOWN clues, and I didn't know this answer, so not a good start

2. Carne __: steak dish: ASADA - but I knew this one, and we were on our way~!

3. Sharper image innovation?: LASIK - and then we weren't

4. Lo-cal: LITE - and I dropped in DIET here....sigh

5. Fruit drink suffix: ADE

6. Pesto herb: BASIL

7. Independently: ALONE

8. E-commerce icon: CART

9. Toy with a string and a tail: KITE

10. Sit in on, as a class: AUDIT

11. Calzone cousin: STROMBOLI

12. Beneficiary: HEIR

13. Telepathic letters: ESP

18. Afro-Cuban dance: RUMBA

22. Tirade: RANT

25. Manhattan, e.g.: ISLAND - cocktail wouldn't fit

27. CGI creatures in a superhero film series starring Paul Rudd: ANTS

28. Tulle skirt: TU-TU

29. Lined up: IN A ROW

31. Victorious cry: "I WIN~!"

33. Nail salon tool: FILE

34. Quarantine: ISOLATION

35. Gear teeth: COGS

36. Tolkien monster: ORC

37. Beloved: DEAR

38. Media-monitoring org.: FCC - I would link Eminem here for a musical interlude, since "the FCC" is mentioned in his rap "Without Me", but Google for yourself....

42. Shakespearean betrayer: IAGO

43. Assignments: TASKS

48. "This isn't my first __": RODEO

49. Biblical betrayer: JUDAS - another musical interlude, this time, JUDAS Priest

 

Judas Priest, Invincible Shield, 2024

50. Naturally lit courtyards: ATRIA

51. Capital of Oregon: SALEM

52. Extreme: ULTRA

53. Lawyer Perry of classic TV: MASON - another musical interlude:

 

Ozzy~! Perry Mason

54. Without help: SOLO

55. Judge to be: DEEM

56. "Lunch is __": "I'm buying": ON ME

58. Anise-flavored Greek liquor: OUZO - the "penultimate" musical interlude...

 

"I'd Like to See You in Black" - Blue Öyster Cult - ouzo @ 2:39

59. Vehicle with sliding side doors: VAN - I have a Dodge CaraVAN, and here's my LAST musical interlude, VAN Halen~!

 

Stay Frosty

61. Raised trains: ELs - <-- train, train ^

 Answer: TERMINAL VELOCITY 😁

Splynter

Wednesday, November 1st, Catherine Lammersen

A Clever Collection of Capitals

....of the world - quaintly contained in the continental United States; care to carry on~?  I know of at least two others - Berlin, CT, which we drive through on our way south via I-91, and Rome, New York - my buddy Matt D. from high school got his first 'gig' as a TV weatherman in that city - he is now the 'main man' in Richmond, VA....Anyway, this may be Catherine's debut, at least for the LA Times, and a fairly smooth solve for yours truly, with a bit of a slow-down around say, Oregon.  Two Across theme answers, and two Down theme answers - messed up my 'solve the downs first' method.  I also count five proper names in the grid, and a mini-theme of automotive references, too....

17. Capital of the Midwest?: ATHENS, OHIO

55. Capital of the South?: PARIS, TEXAS

10. Capital of the Northeast?: LISBON, MAINE

24. Capital of the Northwest?: MOSCOW, IDAHO

I also found this

And on tour we go~!

ACROSS:

1. Roulette wheel action: SPIN

5. "Brokeback Mountain" actor Ledger: HEATH - Name #1, but I got it

10. Edelstein of "The Kominsky Method": LISA - Name #2, but I knew her from "House, M.D."

14. Gimlet flavor: LIME

15. Sister company of Enterprise: ALAMO - auto theme #1; also - 

        26D. Sister company of Budget: AVIS - auto theme #2

16. As above, in a footnote: IDEM - Latin, 'the same'

19. "__ help you are!": SOME

20. "Eternally nameless" concept: TAO - not that I have heard of this, but a three letter "existential" clue~?

21. Hieroglyphic snakes: ASPS - my guest blogging is rare, but it's the second time I have had this

Very Dangerous

22. Employee-owned supermarket chain based in Florida: PUBLIX - nailed it; I once lived in Jacksonville, FL, and worked at the competition, Winn-Dixie

24. Marathon unit: MILE

25. Bone, in Italian: OSSO

26. Niche: ALCOVE

29. Power: POTENCY - see 56D.

32. Quran chapter part: VERSE

33. Steady look: GAZE

34. Not worth discussing: MOOT

36. Apple choice: iMAC - the computer, and - 47D. Apple choice: GALA - the fruit

37. More ironic: WRYER

38. German automaker: AUDI - auto theme #3

39. Padres slugger Juan: SOTO - Name #3

40. Düsseldorf dwelling: HAUS - I have never been to Düsseldorf, but see who I know lives there....

It's a Russian dating site, actually

41. Completely drained: WIPED

42. Smartphone source of daily headlines: NEWS APP - meh

44. In need of companionship: LONELY - uhh, not if I can get to Düsseldorf....

45. Antilles landmass: ISLE - and 

    44D. __ Antilles: Caribbean cluster: LESSER

46. Richard of "Chicago": GERE - Name #4

47. Actress Hawn: GOLDIE - Name #5

50. Kiss: BUSS

51. Cy Young stat: ERA - E - R - A, the most common crossword fill, ever, I believe

54. Locale: AREA

58. Mascara recipient: LASH

59. Zinc __: sunblock ingredient: OXIDE

He's got it covered....

60. Eight, on a sundial: VIII

Check this out, too

61. Middle harmony chorus part: ALTO

62. Discourage: DETER

63. Largest active volcano in Italy: ETNA

DOWN:

1. Picket fence piece: SLAT - Uh, isn't it called, ay, um, picket~?

2. Baba ghanouj bread: PITA

3. Texter's "I'm no expert, but ... ": IMHO - In My Humble Opinion....

4. Formerly named: NÉE

5. Big headache: HASSLE

6. Have no reception?: ELOPE - har-har

7. Satisfied sighs: AAHs - the dreaded two "A"s or two "H"s conundrum

8. "OMG, stop sharing!": TMI - Too Much Information

9. Cager: HOOPSTER - B-Baller was too short; it's all basketball slang

11. One inundated with fan mail: IDOL

12. Partly: SEMI

13. Green card co.: AMEX - oh, THAT green card....

Mr. Frost needs to cancel this card ASAP

18. None too worldly: NAÏVE - umlaut~!

23. Adopt: USE

25. Seeps: OOZES

27. Subpar car: LEMON - auto theme #4

28. Subpar car: CRATE - auto theme #5

29. "Fork it over!": PAY UP~! - see 51D.

30. Two-door vehicle: COUPE - auto theme #6

31. Alpine song: YODEL

33. Flavor of much children's medicine: GRAPE

35. Spruce (up): TIDY

37. Group of orcas, e.g.: WHALE POD

41. Superlatively bad: WORST

43. Means-tested govt. assistance program: SSI - this stumped me; never heard of this; Supplemental Security Income

46. Museum employee: GUIDE

48. Interview-style exam: ORAL

49. "__ we forget": LEST

50. One who may keep a spare tyre in a boot: BRIT - both my parents were born and raised in England

        and auto theme #7

51. Parking garage sign: EXIT - we worked on a pipe organ at the Riverside Church in NYC last week; here's a pic I took of the scale model in the elevator lobby, and one of the ornate bench carvings; our hotel was in Times Square, and we parked in a garage there, too - $73 overnight

52. Golf date ruiner: RAIN - it's not the rain, it's the lightning....

53. Bhutan's continent: ASIA

56. Splitting tool: AXE - I now own the 29A version....

57. Morn's opposite: EVE - and to all, a good night~!

Splynter