Saturday, May 31, 2025, Stella Zawistowski

 Themeless Saturday by Stella Zawistowski

Seeing our weight-lifting crossword aficionado from Brooklyn as the author can indicate we have a workout ahead. However, this puzzle provided for a very nice solve. Solving is greatly facilitated when the long fills come into focus. BTW, The Omaha World Herald carries her Commuter Crossword Puzzle everyday.

At the left you can see Stella with two trophies she won at an ACPT event and she said of herself:

 I was a "Constantly-About-to-Throw-Up Nervous Wreck." I did manage to make a trip to the hardware store with my second fifth-place finish in a row and first place in NYC (the latter made easier since Andy Kravis was attending a wedding):

Across:

1. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN.

6. Hamburger __: MENU - Not something you would see at McDonalds. It is set of shortcut icons that can be used in user interfaces. The name comes from the resemblance of some the icons to triple hamburger patties. More

10. Ennea- minus one: OCTO.

14. Honolulu Marathon landmark: ALOHA TOWER.

16. Blank space: VOID.

17. Step after reentry: SPLASH DOWN - Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins return to Earth on July 24, 1969.

18. Supermodel who wrote the kids book "What Are You Hungry For?": EMME.

19. Turf: SOD.

20. Is on the hunt: SEEKS.

21. Globally available sweets: OREOS - Just when you think you have read every clue for OREOS...

22. Renege (on): BAIL.

23. Question of desire: WANT IN - My one bad cell was where WANT I_ crossed TIMO_ 12. Shakespearean Athenian: TIMON. I first put WANT IT and TIMOT. 🤨 

25. Really clean: SCOUR.

27. "Inside the Actors Studio" host: LIPTON - Here he is trying to deal with Robin Williams

28. Rogan josh accompaniment: NAAN.

29. Slow roller across the infield: TARPAULIN 😀 It's a slow roller but you can get caught under it.

32. Word before mirabilis or horribilis: ANNUS - I think you can infer what annus horribilis would mean

34. Stylist's selection: HUE.

35. Miu Miu parent company: PRADA - I did find a Miu Miu purse online that was marked down to $4,200. 😳

36. Versatile rides: TEN SPEEDS.

38. Avalon, for one: ISLE - The Isle of Avalon is a mythical island featured prominently in Arthurian legends, often associated with healing, magic and the afterlife. 

39. Slips: ERRORS.

40. Wasabi product: PASTE.

42. "Grief Is for People" memoirist Crosley: SLOANE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

43. Short curls?: PERM - The curls can be short and are short-lived. 😀

44. French greeting: SALUT.

45. Unmoving: INERT.

47. End: AIM.

50. Nutrient in shellfish: IRON.

51. Heinz product: STEAK SAUCE.

53. Brie feature: RIND - the answer below is yes. It's a natural, bloomy rind that develops during the cheese-making process, and it's a key part of the cheese's flavor and texture. 

54. One who is just not having it: PICKY EATER 😀

55. Winged goddess: ISIS.

56. Sets as a price: ASKS.

57. "Which ones?": THOSE.

Down:

1. Flip response: SASS.

2. Purina brand: ALPO.

3. Related: TOLD.

4. "I knew you were bluffing!": AHA.

5. Capital on New Providence: NASSAU.

6. Virtual representation: MODEL.

7. Tree hut dweller on Endor: EWOK.

8. Up-to-the-minute media: NEWS WIRES - Newspapers are not up-to-the-minute.

9. Tapped container: URN.

10. Strain on local infrastructure: OVER TOURISM.

11. Get outdone by everyone: COME IN LAST - "Finished Last" worked at first.

13. Metered tributes: ODES.

15. Sometimes-singular possessive: THEIR.

21. Draftable?: ON TAP.

22. Game show extras: BONUS ROUNDS.

24. Messenger, e.g.: APP.

25. Sound: SANE.

26. Mexico : enchiladas :: Italy : __: CANNELLONI.

27. Heaps praise on: LAUDS.

28. 2019 W.S. champ: NAT - Then they traded away the heart of the team. In two years they were 65 - 97. First to worst.

29. "Just as I predicted": THERE IT IS.

30. Unmoving, perhaps: IDLE.

31. Scottish denial: NAE.

33. Lean cuisine consumer of yore: SPRAT 😀

37. Unimaginable span: EON.

40. Up a lot?: PERKY - I'm not a fan of morning TV

41. Creativity-inspiring gift: ART SET - So many ways for me to fail 😗

42. Garments that may feature gota patti embroidery: SARIS.

43. Range makeup: PEAKS - Mountain range

44. Speaker on some devices: SIRI. 

46. Violin section?: NECK.

47. Set-it-and-forget-it mode: AUTO - This might happen

48. Sweetens, in a way: ICES - ICE a bakery item.

49. __ mortals: MERE - I always say, "Everyone has a story"

51. Apt rhyme for 52-Down: SPA and 52. Apt rhyme for 51-Down: AAH. 😀

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