Sunday September 7, 2025 Chandi Deitmer

Theme: "SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES" - A chemical element is added to each common phrase. This element pairs nicely with the following word to form a valid phrase also. 

22. *Cowardly Lion or Scarecrow, probably?: TIN MAN'S BEST FRIEND. Tin Man. Man's best friend. 

33. *Question on a history test about westward migration in the 1840s?: WHY THE BIG GOLD RUSH. Why the big rush. Gold rush. 

49. *Surviving Victorian society, for a Dickens character?: COPPERFIELD GOAL. Copperfield. Field goal. 

65. *Useful download for archaeologists?: CARBON DATING APP.  Carbon dating. Dating app. 

87. *Plea for a way to advertise a business that is open all night?: GIVE ME A NEON SIGN. Give me a sign. Neon sign. 

100. *Primate habitat banner when the zoo acquires a new gorilla?: WELCOME SILVERBACK. Welcome back. Silverback. 

Reveal:

112. Unexpected twist, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.

Husker Gary mentioned a while ago that Chandi is a full-time puzzler out of Cambridge, MA. Her puzzles are always fun and witty. 

Have any of you solved the Slate crosswords? Chandi is one of the regular constructors there. 

Across:

1. Climb: ASCENT.

7. Fancy car upgrades: RIMS.

11. One who's crossed a line?: SCAB. Picket line.

15. Old AOL missives: IMS.

18. How crêpe suzette is served: FLAMBE.

19. Stew-thickening pod: OKRA.

20. __ platter: PU PU. Never heard of this until I started solving crosswords.

21. Wray of "King Kong": FAY.

26. Feminine concept in Taoism: YIN. I eat a ton of Yin food in the summer: cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Time for Yang food now: sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, etc.  

27. Whirling water: EDDY.

28. MMA decision: TKO.

29. Hit the jackpot: WIN.

30. Kevlar creator: DUPONT.

32. Marina del __, California: REY.

38. Surface: ARISE.

40. Solemnly swear: AVOW.

41. Cease and __: DESIST.

42. Used a "Safe!" word?: UMPED. Also loved this clue: 59. Square figure?: AREA. 

44. Kapoor of Hindi cinema: ANIL. Wikipedia says he has appeared in more than 100 films. 

45. Membership fees: DUES.

47. Actress Kate or Rooney: MARA.

53. Tinkered (with): TOYED.

54. Laze about: LOLL.

55. Stately 110-Downs: ELMS. 110. Shade provider: TREE.

56. Words of warning: OR ELSE.

58. __ trombone: SAD.

60. __ check: GUT.

61. Some critical care pros: EMTS.

63. Witch costume props: BROOMS. I saw a few guys digging stuff near our post office. The company is called "Ditch Witch".

70. Eager student's cry: ME ME ME.

73. Preternatural glow: AURA.

74. Poetic preposition: O'ER. This is the only word where V's is contracted, right?

75. Parliament members?: OWLS.

79. Language suffix: ESE.

80. Font option: ITALIC.

83. Cat's "Thanks for petting me": PURR.

84. Mule, e.g.: SHOE.

85. Group of eight: OCTAD.

91. "Storage __": reality TV show: WARS.

92. Document option: SAVE.

93. Omar of "House": EPPS.

94. Exposed: OUTED.

95. Many a soda can: POP TOP.

97. Without charge: FREE.

98. Tundra or taiga: BIOME.

104. Scot's denial: NAE.

107. Glinda portrayer: ARIANA. Ariana Grande. Ethereal. 

108. Savings option, for short: IRA.

109. Computing pioneer Lovelace: ADA.

110. Word in sloth names: TOED. Three-toed sloth. 

111. Peyton or Eli, to Archie: SON. Time for Arch to shine.

118. "Lenore" poet: POE.

119. Shortcut image: ICON.

120. One who's really trying?: BRAT. Stressful "trying".

121. Applies to: USES ON.

122. Texting tech: SMS.

123. High-grade: A ONE.

124. Organization that chases Carmen Sandiego: ACME.

125. Makes tea: STEEPS.

Down:

1. Renovation photo caption: AFTER.

2. Waterpark feature: SLIDE.

3. Sticky carnival treat: CANDY APPLE. We eat candied hawthorns during Chinese New Year. 

4. Primetime award: EMMY.

5. Org. for James and Durant: NBA.

6. Dimes, to dollars: TENTHS.

7. Alicia Vikander's "Ex Machina" role: ROBOT. Learning moment for me. 

8. 1950s prez: IKE.

9. "And here's to you, __ Robinson": MRS.

10. Parked it: SAT.

11. Bit of thyme: SPRIG.

12. Prompting an actor: CUING.

13. Chimp, e.g.: APE.

14. Heaps: BUNDLES.

15. "Suuuuure": IF YOU SAY SO. And 16. Opposite of indie: MAINSTREAM.  71. Activity where people are really locked in?: ESCAPE ROOM. 72. Subway network: METRO LINES. Two pairs of paralleled 10's. Amazing grid work. 

17. EDM instrument: SYNTH.

23. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.

24. Texter's "This might be useful": FWIW. For What It's Worth. 

25. Getup: DUDS.

31. Top-ranked: PRIMO.

33. Like a panoramic view: WIDE.

34. Fruit of the Loom rival: HANES.

35. Very bad: EVIL.

36. Font option: BOLD.

37. NFL star __ Beckham Jr.: ODELL.

39. Swap out: REPLACE.

42. Jackie Robinson Stadium sch.: UCLA.

43. Tie up, as a boat: MOOR.

44. Have the objective of: AIM TO.

45. Latissimus __: back muscle: DORSI.

46. Fed. with artificial archipelagos known as the Palm Islands: UAE. This looks surreal.

48. Contributes: ADDS.

50. Feel sorry for: REGRET.

51. Drop the ball: FLUB.

52. "You __ try this!": GOTTA.

53. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP.

57. Food court pizza chain: SBARRO.

61. Evoke: EDUCE.

62. Make a dent in: MAR.

64. American marsupial: OPOSSUM.

66. Among: AMID.

67. Not world-weary: NAIVE.

68. People, places, things, etc.: NOUNS.

69. "Sommersby" star: GERE. Not familiar with the movie.

70. Cat's "Please pet me": MEOW.

76. Neutral sound that may be a sleep aid: WHITE NOISE. Been a blissful few months. No weed. No noise. The company that owns 5501 decided to sell the house. Pending right now.

77. Theater section: LOGE.

78. Chat box button: SEND.

81. Visibly shocked: AGAPE.

82. Actress Tyler: LIV.

83. Rock, __, Scissors: PAPER.

86. Rescue rehoming org.: ASPCA.

88. Game show creator Griffin: MERV.

89. Fencing option: EPEE. The pride of Hong Kong: Vivian Kong. She won gold in women's epee in Paris.

90. Cozy reading spot: NOOK.

92. Kenya neighbor: SOMALIA.

96. "Don't you take that __ with me!": TONE.

97. Custard dessert: FLAN.

98. Singer Erykah: BADU.

99. High-flying guy of myth: ICARUS. His wings melted. 

100. Winged stingers: WASPS.

101. Pegg of "The Boys": SIMON.

102. Sherlock adversary Adler: IRENE.

103. Roast turkey instruction: BASTE.

105. Greek fabulist: AESOP.

106. Unblemished spots: EDENS.

113. Green prefix: ECO.

114. Abbr. on an unfinished schedule: TBA.

115. Hobbit enemy: ORC.

116. Nearest and dearest, colloquially: FAM.

117. Oregon hrs.: PST.

C.C.

Sunday August 31 , 2025 Amie Walker & Wendy L. Brandes

Theme:  "GET THE BALL ROLLING" - From left to the right, the letters spell out BINGO.

4. *Request for greater detail: BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.

9. *"Really, Captain Obvious?": GEE YA THINK.

12. *"C'mon, quit pretending to be confused!": OH YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.

50. *"Free Your Mind" group: EN VOGUE.

74. *Visionary physicians?: EYE DOCTORS.

Reveal: 

3. With 70-Down, "Never would've predicted this scenario," and what can be said about the first word of the answer to each starred clue?: THAT WASN'T ON.

70. See 3-Down: MY BINGO CARD.

Did I miss anything extra? I had to google "How to play Bingo". So a Bingo card has the letters BINGO on top. This 14, 27, Free, 56, 66 doesn't make any winning sense to me. 

 

Amie and Wendy have collaborated on a few puzzles for the LAT. This is their first Sunday together. 

Across:

1. Rollaway bed: COT. 

4. Sweetie: BABE.

8. "Totally ready for the weekend!": TGIF.

12. Muppet who lives in a recycling zone: OSCAR.

17. Letters for a monarch: HRH. His/Her Royal Highness.

18. Nook's format, e.g.: E TEXT.

20. Incessantly: NO END.

21. "Hungry hungry" animal in a kids game: HIPPO.

22. Porto greeting: OLA. Porto is the Portuguese wine capital. 

23. Religious platform: ALTAR.

24. Where Penguins play on ice?: ARENA. Pittsburgh Penguins.

25. Raising agent: YEAST.

26. Lotus part: PETAL.

28. Hotel gym, e.g.: AMENITY.

30. Groups of friends: POSSES.

31. Deemed suitable: SAW FIT.

33. Rice dish cooked in a wide pan: PAELLA. Looks delicious.

34. [I didn't get my way!]: POUT.

35. 1990s treaty acronym: NAFTA.

36. Inc., in Britain: LTD.

37. Spots that might smear: ATTACK ADS. Amazing clue.

41. Some send-ups: SATIRES.

43. Question after a photo finish: WHO WON?

44. "The penny drops!": AHA.

46. Dull, figuratively: VANILLA.

48. __ kwon do: TAE.

51. Wash. neighbor: IDA.

52. Exudes: OOZES.

54. __ nous: ENTRE.

55. Disdain: SCORN.

57. Small complaint: NIT.

58. Bring about, as mayhem: WREAK. Only Havoc.

59. Classic muscle car: GTO.

60. Partner: MATE.

62. Conjure up: EVOKE.

64. Fin. neighbor: SWE.

65. Taken together: IN TOTAL.

67. KenKen figs.: NOS.

68. Return from vacation: FLY HOME. Someday I will. 

72. Before, in poems: ERE.

73. "Stop hogging it!": LET GO.

75. Mount also known as Kissavos: OSSA.

76. Peruvian singer Sumac: YMA. Have not seen her in our grid for a long while.

78. Accept terms: AGREE.

81. "I don't __ it": BUY.

82. Très très: ULTRA.

84. Soccer star __ Heath: TOBIN.

86. Pure joy: BLISS.

87. Pub brew: ALE.

88. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.

89. College in Dublin: TRINITY. Ireland's oldest university.

91. "Stop filming!": CUT.

92. Pride event: PARADE.

95. Epiphany figures: WISE MEN.

97. Listen clandestinely: EAVESDROP.

99. Autograph seeker's tool: PEN.

100. Utility bill data: USAGE. Did you know that they charge you a higher rate for your power usage between 5:00pm to 7:00pm?

102. Coats with ganache, e.g.: ICES.

103. Baseless rumor: CANARD.

105. Conditional release: PAROLE.

107. "Good 4 U" singer Rodrigo: OLIVIA.

110. Culinary school dough?: TUITION. Another fun clue.

112. Orgs. that may serve as alternatives to hostels: YMCAS.

113. Recurring theme: MOTIF.

114. Ring around a lagoon: ATOLL.
 
116. Rapace of "Prometheus": NOOMI. She was also in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

118. First words of many an alphabet book: A IS.

119. Central Asian mountain range: ALTAI. Extends to China where Xinjiang is.

120. "No __!": SIREE.

121. React to a bad joke: GROAN.

122. Vaccine molecule: RNA.

123. "It's Gonna Be Me" band: NSYNC.

124. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST.

125. Unexpected problem: SNAG.

126. Susan of "The Partridge Family": DEY.

Down:

1. Slices and dices: CHOPS.

2. "The Library Book" writer Susan: ORLEAN.

5. Georgia airport code: ATL.

6. Early app edition: BETA.

7. Lead by __: EXAMPLE.

8. Field where accidents are common?: TORT LAW.

10. Cozy lodging: INN.

11. Rx regulator: FDA.

13. Afternoon snooze: SIESTA.

14. Pros who try to stay balanced?: CPAS. Nothing athletic. Pros indicates an abbreviated answer.
 
15. Abbey space: APSE.

16. Goes bad: ROTS.

19. Buys for, as a birthday dinner: TREATS TO. The nice church couple treated me for a papaya salad. Mild. Still hot for me. 

20. Ace: NAIL.

27. Romance: AFFAIR.

29. Nancy Drew's boyfriend: NED.

30. "Un __ Loco": "Coco" song: POCO.

32. Shadow: TAIL.

34. Try to hit, as a cat might a laser beam: PAW AT.

38. Exquisite: TO DIE FOR. Cantonese soup. That red thing is goji berry. Not anything hot. 

39. Groggy state: DAZE.

40. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA.

42. Follower of Jah: RASTA.

45. "Fire away": ASK.

46. Relax on the sofa: VEG.

47. Not backing: ANTI.

49. "__ we all?": AREN'T.

53. Brand with a Selena Gomez limited edition version: OREO.

56. __ phone: CELLULAR.

61. Swallowed: ATE.

63. "__ mio": O SOLE.

64. Lead-in to "op": SYS.

66. Some concert merch: TEES.

69. Aspiring J.D.s' exams: LSATS.

71. Give off: EMIT.

77. In __ event: ANY.

78. "Shark Tank" network: ABC.

79. Cause of a sticky situation: GLUE. I've learned to wear a glove every time I use Super Glue.

80. "Poison" singer Ora: RITA.

81. Poetic performers: BARDS.

83. Reaching great heights: TOWERING.

85. Like show-offy pushups: ONE-ARM.

90. Enlist again: RE-UP.

93. Cruising the Caribbean, maybe: ASEA.

94. Uniform adornment: EPAULET.

96. Not alfresco: INDOORS.

98. Vance of "I Love Lucy": VIVIAN.

99. Butter portion: PAT.

101. Stritch of Broadway: ELAINE.

104. Egyptian river: NILE.

106. Input for some plagiarism detectors: ESSAY.

107. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

108. Haha alternatives: LOLS.

109. Wee: ITTY.

111. End of a.m.: NOON.

114. Egyptian viper: ASP.

115. Connection: TIE.

117. Goat's bleat: MAA.

C.C.

Sunday, August 24, 2025 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Ship Building

This Sunday, C.C. meticulously builds a ship in a puzzle like the puzzle of a ship in a bottle.

23. "Don't wait to sign up!": REGISTER NOW. The STERN is the back of a ship.

25. Rolling aid at a sushi bar: BAMBOO MAT. The BOOM is perpendicular to the MAST.

Mmm... Sushi

36. Places to see turkeys: BOWLING ALLEYS. The GALLEY is the boat's kitchen. Note: Boomer said lanes; BOW is highlighted 'cuz, um... see 111a ;-)

58. Tree blight spread by bark beetles: DUTCH ELM DISEASE. The HELM is the ships wheel. Dutch elm disease is caused by sac fungi spread by bark beetles.

78. Christmas carol set to "Greensleeves": WHAT CHILD IS THIS. The HATCH is the door to the hold or cargo area. I'll admit I had to write this with out the circles in order to NOT parse it as WATCH ILDIST HIS.

95. "Mood Indigo" composer: DUKE ELLINGTON. The KEEL is ship's backbone.

Nice.

111. Boss at a hot spot: CLUB OWNER.

113. Like a blanket fresh from the dryer: WARM AS TOAST. The MAST is the center pole.

Not to be buttered.

And, just to keep us all on the same boat:

Ship's Bits

Across:
1. Father of Rosemary's baby: SATAN.

6. State tree of Texas: PECAN. My old neighborhood had pecan trees shading the streets. Every year, folks walk down the medians bagging them up.

11. Lhasa __: APSO.

Cousin Itt dogs.

15. Mlle., in Mexico: SRTA. Short for señorita.

19. Affordable, in brand names: ECONO. Economic or easy on your wallet.

20. Red Velvet leader: IRENE. Red Velvet is a female K-pop group. You can read about them here or listen below:

YMMV

21. Bring up: REAR. Not bring up the rear but bring up as child to adult.

22. Many a babysitter: TEEN.

23. [See: Theme]

25. [See: Theme]

27. Beach on a film set: ADAM. Canadian actor.

Rotten Tomatoes Bio

28. Hardly an angel: BRAT.

Calvin could be a real stinker.

29. Love to pieces: ADORE.

31. Sussex strollers: PRAMS.

32. In progress: AFOOT.

34. Some breakdancers: BGIRLS. B-Girls are breakdancing females.

35. Slip of the fingers: TYPO.

36. [See: Theme]

40. "SNL" actor Wakim: EMIL.

Emil on Weekend Update

42. Miracle-__: garden brand: GRO.

YMMV

43. Store with hiking gear: REI. Recreational Equipment Inc.

44. Sculling tool: OAR.

45. Chopping tool: AXE.

46. Sacred bird of the Nile: IBIS.

50. Share a viewpoint: AGREE.

52. Swindler's scheme: CON.

53. Cosmopolitan place?: BAR.
 

A Cosmo

55. Most exquisite: FINEST.

57. Shopping centers: MALLS.

58. [See: Theme]

61. Winds down: ENDS.

62. Top gear?: HATS.
 

Similar to my topper.

63. Tapestry creature: UNICORN. So, this was a thing [WikiP].
 

The Unicorn Purifies Water

64. Time out?: NAP.

65. __ press: small appliance: PANINI.

67. Dated: OLD. Think fashion.

68. Shade-loving plants with broad leaves: HOSTAS.

70. Come up short, maybe: OWE.

72. Largest fog desert in the world: ATACAMA. Atacama is a desert in Chile.

74. Street food vendor's need: CART. I've seen tamale sellers outside of bars with just a 5-gallon bucket.

75. Links org.: LPGA. Ladies Professional Golf Association.

78. [See: Theme]

81. Sensitive spots: SORES.

82. Setting: LOCALE.

83. Take a course?: EAT. Cute.

84. "__ Missing Hearts": Celeste Ng novel: OUR.

85. Dog, cutesily: POOCH. Cf. 121a.

86. Built on __: SPEC.

87. Blog feed letters: RSS. Really Simple Syndication. It's a protocol to update you without needing to constantly visit all of your subscribed websites to know if they've updated.

89. QB misfire: INT. An interception is a quarterback's error.

90. Drink in a growler: ALE.

About 4 pints

92. Luau instrument, briefly: UKE.

93. Don't throw away: KEEP.

95. [See: Theme]

99. Best buds: PALS.

101. Continental divides?: OCEANS.

103. Speak in public: ORATE.

104. Labyrinthine puzzles: MAZES.

A maize maze at nearby Dewberry Farm

105. "Gosh!": OH GEE.

106. Movie ending?: GOER. A moviegoer sees films.

107. Tom yum cuisine: THAI. Tom yum is a hot (as in spicy) and sour soup. WikiP says, "Tom yam [alt.] is composed of two words in the Thai language. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam means mixed."

Yummers!

111. [See: Theme]

113. [See: Theme]

116. Prefix with space: AERO.

117. Roll-call call: HERE.

118. Like some college walls: IVIED. Also like Wrigley's outfield walls.

Two early ground-rule doubles.

119. Monument Valley land formation: BUTTE.

120. "__ hates pushups": message on a silly tee: T-REX.  Me parsing: "What's a TREX? Oh, a T-Rex!"

LOL!

121. Garfield's frenemy: ODIE.

122. Baby bear?: TEDDY. #Roosevelt

123. Mist in a sauna: STEAM.

Down:
1. "Buona __!": SERA. "Good night" in Italian.

2. Totally crushed, as a test: ACED.

3. Classic dorm party costume: TOGA.

Animal House

4. Cat or mouse: ANIMAL.

5. Thumbs-downs: NOS.

6. Dumplings often served with sour cream: PIEROGI.

Yummers!

7. Printed slips: ERRATA. Ha!

8. Bit of change: CENT.

9. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

10. Crystal collector, maybe: NEWAGER. A newager is into new age crystal healing.

11. Shady spots: ARBORS.

12. Tapioca unit: PEARL.

13. Like some couples: SAME SEX.

14. Space ball?: ORB.

15. Thread that unfolds in a courtroom drama: STORY LINE.

16. Craft a new plot: REMAP.

17. Phrase heard before un beso, at times: TE AMO. I love you followed (at times) by a kiss.

18. Six-legged social workers: ANTS.

24. Cut from the short loin: T-BONE.

26. __-Free: contact lens solution: OPTI.

30. Handy letters: DIY. Do It Yourself.

33. Camp cracklers: FIRES.

34. Sauvignon __: BLANC. A dry, herbal, white-grape wine.

36. Second-best effort: B-GAME. A-Game is a thing... B-Game, not so much(?).

37. Brain or heart: ORGAN.

38. Global harmony: WORLD PEACE.

John Lennon's Vision ;-)

39. Takes inventory?: LOOTS. Ha!

41. Selfish shout: ME FIRST.

45. __ quarterback: ARM CHAIR. During the game as opposed to Monday-Morning around the watercooler.

47. Shoot added to pho: BEAN SPROUT. They add a bit of crunch to your soup.

48. Rae of "Barbie": ISSA.
 

President Barbie

49. "Take a __ back": STEP. And look at the bigger picture.

51. Queen with a frosty touch: ELSA. Disney's Frozen movie.

52. Manicure targets: CUTICLES.

53. Be flexible: BEND.

54. "Aladdin" prince: ALI. Another Disney reference.

56. Ain't right?: ISN'T. Cute.

58. Gurira of "Black Panther": DANAI.
 

Danai Gurira

59. Luau dances: HULAS.

60. Access points: DOORS.

62. "Well, hello!": HI THERE.

66. Salt formula: NACL. Sodium [Na] Cloride [Cl].

67. Fail to include: OMIT.

69. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO. Even though I enjoy Indian cuisine often, it's crosswords that have taught me potato is aloo.

70. Hooting birds: OWLS.

71. Hit with force: WHOP.

73. Orthodontist's org.: ADA.

74. Skydiver's need: CHUTE. You only need a chute if you expect to skydive more than once.

76. Lizard with sticky toe pads: GECKO.

77. Visibly frightened: ASHEN.

79. Container with lures and worms: TACKLE BOX. I have a tackle box filled with IC [integrated circuit] components ;-)

80. Strengthens, as muscles: TONES.

81. Totally wiped: SPENT.

88. Cuddled in bed: SPOONED.

89. "Told ya so!": I KNEW IT.

90. "So soon?": ALREADY.

91. Make-up artists?: LIARS.

94. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

95. Academic goal: DEGREE.

96. Dubai's fed.: UAE.

97. Was imminent: LOOMED.

98. "Beat it!": GET OUT.

99. Lighter in color: PALER.

Procol Harum's 1967 A Whiter Shade of Pale

100. Shade of blue: AZURE.

102. Darling, in Dijon: CHERI.

Pepé Le Pew

104. Aspiring doc's exam: MCAT. The Medical College Admission Test.

106. Aid in solving a logic puzzle: GRID.

108. "Stop the __": HATE.

109. Hammett dog: ASTA.

110. Article: ITEM.

112. "__ told you?": WHO.

The WHO who told(?)

114. Blvd. kin: AVE.

115. Conan's former network: TBS. Originally, the Turner Broadcasting System.

The Grid:

The Grid (for the visually impaired)

WO: HaSTAS
ESPs: SATAN (as clued), IRENE, ADAM, ATACAMA | DANAI, T-REX (as clued)
Fav: LOOTS' clue.

Well, what do you think? (I know, I know, "circles")
I say this was a another fun Sunday puzzle by our hostess C.C..

Now it's time for me to SHIP out.
Cheers, -T