Thursday, October 2, 2025, Tara Holland

Theme:  Punny professions.

Today's constructor, Tara Holland, had a puzzle published in these pages on March 19, 2025.  I find no others under her name, so she appears to be new to the craft.  Good for her!  We need all the crossword puzzles we can get.  In today's puzzle, Tara interprets common phrases as punny professions, arranged in symmetrically placed rows across.  Elegant silliness.

The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. Peculiar anesthesiologist?: ODD NUMBER.  We all know that odd numbers are numbers that cannot be divided evenly by 2.  But an odd number might be a person who makes one feel numb.  This pun works in print, but would be hard to pull off in spoken form, because number sounds like nummer, not number.  It's the only one of the theme answers that has this limitation.

24-Across. Sad maker of simple dresses?: DOWN SHIFTER.  A shift is a simple dress, and a person who feels "down" is sad, so a down shifter might be a sad person who makes dresses, as opposed to a person who puts a vehicle in a lower gear, or someone who leaves a demanding job for a less stressful lifestyle.

37-Across. Slightly loopy purveyor of Scottish attire?: OFF KILTER.  Off kilter usually means out of balance, but it might also be an ecccentric person who makes or sells kilts.

55-Across. Highly critical grain producer?: SHARP CORNER.  A sharp corner is where two edges of an object meet in an angular juncture.  But sharp also means intelligent or even harsh, as in "sharp criticism."  Apply that to someone who makes corn, and you have a sharp corner.

63-Across. Deadpan mathematician?: DRY SUMMER.  We've had a dry summer here in So Cal (as usual), but if a person works with sums, and their wit is dry, you might call them a dry summer.

If you want to imitate Tara's puns, you have to go looking for nouns that end in -er, and what you find are a lot of nouns that already describe certain people or professions, like achiever or adjuster.  The words that Tara turned into jobs did not start out that way.  Well, maybe "shifter" is a person, but "number," "kilter," "corner," and "summer" are not.  And then you have to think of a common phrase which includes that -er noun.  It's not easy to come up with these phrases, let alone have them match in length to fit the grid.  My best attempt is "car bumper," but I am unable to redefine that as a profession.  Having failed to match Tara at this game, I'll move on to the rest of Tara's clues and answers.

Across:

1. Soup noodles: SOBA.  Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour.

5. Touch: ABUT.

9. "Heavens, no!": PSHAW.  An interjection used to express irritation, disapproval, contempt, or disbelief.

14. Baked custard: FLAN.  Yummy dessert common in Spanish speaking countries.

15. Fibrous, as roots: ROPY.  Resembling a rope, especially in being long, strong, and fibrous.

16. Stradivarius alternative: AMATI.  Amati is the surname of a family of Italian violin makers who lived in Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Dish with a vinegared rice base: SUSHI.

20. "You know you wanna!": C'MON.  C'mon is used in writing to represent the sound of "come on" spoken quickly, especially when urging someone to do something, or expresssing surprise or skepticism.

21. Like taupe: NEUTRAL.

23. Noodle soup: PHO.  A Vietnamese broth with noodles.

24. [Theme clue]

28. Components of a square meal?: RAVIOLI.  Ravioli are stuffed pasta that are usually square.

30. Exit key: ESC.

31. Social follower?: ITE.

32. Receptive (to): OPEN.

33. Aardvark snack: ANT.

35. Loathed: HATED.

37. [Theme clue]

41. Pelvic bones: SACRA.  Oh, I get to use this GIF again!

44. Shy: COY.

45. Paper clip for an attachment, e.g.: ICON.  Most email programs have a paper clip icon a user clicks to attach a file to a message.

Your paper clip icon may vary.

49. Somewhat: ISH.

50. Football VIPs: QBS.  Quarterbacks are Very Important Persons in football.

53. Luxurious: OPULENT.

55. [Theme clue]

58. Root word?: RAH.  A cheer.  Rah rah sis boom bah.

59. Molasses relative: TREACLE.  Treacle is a thinner, sweeter version of molasses.  Both are byproducts of refining sugar from cane or beets.

60. Trade: DEAL.

62. Bond actor: CRAIG.  English actor Daniel Craig got his start on stage, and then had several supporting roles in films before playing James Bond in Casino Royale (2006) made him an international star.

Daniel Craig as James Bond

63. [Theme clue]

67. Grasslike plant: SEDGE.  Sedges have solid, triangular stems, and their leaves and flowers are arranged in threes.  Grasses have hollow, round stems with swollen nodes, and their leaves are arranged in two ranks.  When in doubt, "sedges have edges," that is, triangular stems.

68. Narwhal feature: TUSK.  The narwhal is a species of whale native to the Arctic.  Males of this species have a 5-10 foot long tusk, which is a protruding left canine tooth, thought to function as a weapon, a tool for feeding, or for just being a sexy narwhal.

69. Stick in the mud: MIRE.  Mire as a verb means to cause something to become stuck in mud.  

70. Chilly temps: TEENS.

DH used to live there.  He's not leaving So Cal now.

71. Sole: ONLY.

72. When Romeo says, "Thus with a kiss I die": ACT V.  Well, you knew he didn't die in Act I, and Act X would have made for a very long play.


Down:

1. Calif. hub: SFO.  San Francisco International Airport.  

2. English gent: OLD CHAP.

3. Poor decision: BAD MOVE.

4. Part of A.D.: ANNO.  "Anno Domini" is Latin for "in the year of the Lord."  It refers to the years following the presumed birth year of Jesus Christ, with "AD 1" marking the first year of this era.  We are now, of course, in AD 2025.  The Hebrew calendar year 5786 began at sundown on September 22, 2025, counting years since the creation of the world according to Genesis and subsequent Bible stories.  I was raised by a paleontologist who thought in terms of geologic time, which puts us at about 4.6 billion years since formation of the earth.

5. Branch: ARM.

6. "Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama" memoirist Odenkirk: BOB.  Bob Odenkirk is an actor, screenwriter, comedian, and producer.  He started his career writing for Saturday Night Live, wrote and acted in The Ben Stiller Show, and also wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  As a dramatic actor, Odenkirk gained recognition for playing Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. DH and I recently saw him star in the action film Nobody, which he also produced.  He's a pretty great actor.

Bob Odenkirk

7. Sch. with a Quaker mascot: U PENN.  AKA University of Pennsylvania.

8. Gibson of the "Fast & Furious" films: TYRESE.  Tyrese Gibson is a singer and actor from Los Angeles, California.  His 1998 debut single hit the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.  His debut album the same year went platinum.  His fifth album, Open Invitation (2011) received a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.  He's appeared in several films, and plays Roman Pearce in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

9. Artistic style that imitates another: PASTICHE.  A pastiche can be an artwork that imitates the style of another work, artist, or period.  Another meaning of pastiche is an incongruous combination of materials or styles.

The Lego Lisa -- pastiche?

10. Part of a blue crew: SMURF.

11. Gives an enthusiastic try: HAS AT IT.

12. Olympian, for one: ATHLETE.

13. Switch predecessor: WII.  WII and Switch are Nintendo video game consoles.

18. Take back command?: UNDO.

22. Hesitation sounds: UHS.  Who else tried UMS first?

23. All for: PRO.  

25. Character who says, "Some people are worth melting for": OLAF.  Olaf is an enchanted snowman in Disney's Frozen movies.

Olaf

26. ;): WINK.

27. Crimson or carmine: RED.

29. "Are you __ out?": IN OR.

34. Muscle spasm: TIC.

36. Edible part of a pomegranate: ARIL.  A fleshy seed covering.

38. Web sections for the curious or confused: FAQ PAGES.  Frequently Asked Questions pages.

39. Great Lakes diving bird: LOON.  Loons in western Canada and Alaska migrate to the Pacific Coast to avoid the northern winter.  Loons from the Great Lakes region migrate to the Gulf of Mexico or to the Florida coast.  Loons from eastern Canada migrate to the Atlantic coast.  I love the way they sit low in the water, and the eerie calls they make.

Common Loon

40. Kind: TYPE.

41. Girl of the fam: SIS.

42. Growth threatened by an emerald borer: ASH TREE.  The emerald ash borer is a green beetle, native to northeastern Asia, that feeds on ash trees.  In its native range, it is found at low densities and does not cause significant damage. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America.

See the ash borer on the coin for actual size.

43. Pretense: CHARADE.

46. Like some tile: CERAMIC.

47. Vigilant: ON ALERT.

48. Last in a long series: NTH.

51. Secretly loop in: BCC. Blind Carbon Copy.

52. "__ the highest bidder!": SOLD TO.

54. Pakistani language: URDU.

56. Dominion: REIGN.

57. Episode shown after the series finale: RERUN.

61. Austen protagonist: EMMA.  One of our favorite crossword actresses, Anya Taylor-Joy, played the title role in the 2020 film based on the 1815 novel by Jane Austen.  I love a good costume drama.

Anya Taylor-Joy (on the right) as Emma

62. Wisc. winter hrs.: CST.  Central Standard Time.

64. Fashion logo initials: YSL.  Yves Saint Laurent.

65. Sun spot: SKY.  Yes, a very good spot for the sun is in the sky.  Stay there, sun!

66. Step (up): REV.  Increase speed or activity.

  

Here's the grid:

What did you think?  Are you PRO punny puzzles?  Or perhaps you HATED it?

Let us know in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

 

Wednesday, Mar 19, 2025 Tara Holland

div>Theme:  Each theme clue today is the same word, in search of different ways of expressing its meaning.  This is called a definition theme, or, in Corner parlance, a clecho [clue echo.]. The theme word here is MOLE.  Let's dig into it.

17. Mole: BEAUTY MARK.  A benign (non-cancerous) growth on the skin, often appearing as a small, dark spot. It is formed by clusters of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes, and can be brown, tan, black, blue, red, or pink.  I've had one on my left cheek forever.  It does not make me feel pretty.

23. Mole: SLEEPER AGENT.  A sleeper agent is a spy or operative who infiltrates a target country or organization, living undercover for an extended period, often years, to act as a potential asset if activated in the future.  A mole is a person who works for an organization or government and secretly gives information to its competitor or enemy.  These are related ideas of someone working under cover, but not really identical.

37. Mole: UNIT OF SUBSTANCE.   It's the base unit in the International System of Units (SI) for the amount of a substance, representing 6.022 × 10²³  of elementary entities (atoms, molecules, etc.). of that substance (Avogadro's number).  It is used to express the concentration of substances in solutions (moles per liter).   The molecular weight of a substance is the weight of one mole of molecules.

59. Mole: GARDEN PEST.  A small, burrowing mammal with velvety fur, small eyes and ears, and powerful forelimbs adapted for digging.   Moles live in tunnels underground, primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia.  They are insectivores, feeding on earthworms and other small invertebrates.   They aerate the soil and help control insect populations, while messing up your lawn.

48. Mole: MEXICAN SAUCE.   In contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar.  They can contain fruits, nuts, chili peppers, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to disambiguate the various meanings of today's repeated theme clue.  Let's see what else we can uncover.

Across:

1. Maker of the first graphing calculator: CASIO.  This was the model FX-7000G, introduced in 1985.  

6. Mediterranean volcano: ETNA.  This is an active volcano that erupted just last month.

10. Tournament passes: BYES.  In a tournament, a "bye" means a player or team advances to the next round without playing a match in the current round, often awarded to top-seeded participants or when there's an uneven number of competitors. 

14. Acrylic fiber: ORLON.  My first thought was Nylon, but that's a polyamid.   Orlon is known for it's  known for its softness, durability, and resistance to sunlight, chemicals, and mildew.  Alternatively, an R&B group that formed in 1960.

Probably not 1960

 
15. Blistex targets: LIPS.  Blistex Medicated Lip Balm helps prevent dryness and chapping. They tell us that its easy glide formula also soothes irritated lips.

16. Goddess born to the Titans Coeus and Phoebe: LETO.  In Greek mythology, Leto is the Titan goddess of motherhood, childbirth, and modesty. She is the mother of Artemis and Apollo, 

19. Lots and lots: A TON.  A non-specific large quantity.

20. Wager: BET.  Risk something, usually a sum of money, against someone else's on the basis of the outcome of a future event, such as the result of a race or game.

21. Declare with confidence: AVER.  Assert that something is true.

22. Pressing into service: USING.   Taking, holding, or deploying something as a means of accomplishing a purpose or achieving a result;

27. Not as expensive: LESS.  Not costing as much.

28. "U slay me!": LOL. Expressions of mirth.

29. Ornamental pond fish: KOI.   In Japan, the koi is a symbol of luck, prosperity, and good fortune, and also of perseverance in the face of adversity. Ornamental koi are symbolic of Japanese culture and are closely associated with the country's national identity.

32. 6-Across output: LAVA.  Molten rock.  Refer to the video above.

35. Pines, e.g.: CONIFERS.   Trees that bear cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically evergreen. Conifers are of major importance as the source of softwood, and also supply resins and turpentine.

41. Rose up: REBELLED.  Rose in opposition or armed resistance to an established government or ruler.

42. Wine quality: NOSE.  The "nose" of a wine is the wine's aroma or smell. It's a term used by wine experts and enthusiasts to describe the scents that come from the wine. 

43. Wool producer: EWE.  A female sheep.

44. Not exactly talkative: MUM.  "Be silent," 1560s, from a verb mum (Middle English mommen) "make silent" (c. 1400); "be silent" (mid-15c.), from mum, mom (late 14c.), "an inarticulate closed-mouth sound" indicative of unwillingness or inability to speak, probably imitative. As an adjective meaning "secret" or "silent" from 1520s. Phrase mum's the word is recorded by 1704.

45. "Hold on!": WAIT.  I'll be right there.

53. Open mic night figure: COMIC.  Stand up comedian.

56. Palo __, California: ALTO.   Palo Alto (Spanish for 'tall stick') is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.  The city of Palo Alto was incorporated in 1894 by the American industrialist Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford, when they founded Stanford University in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr. 

57. Skillet: PAN.  A skillet is a type of pan, often called a frying pan, characterized by a flat bottom, slightly sloped or flared sides, and a long handle, making it suitable for various cooking methods like frying, sautéing, and searing. 

58. North __ Sea: Central Asian lake: ARAL.  The Aral Sea was an endorheic [has no outflow to the sea or ocean, instead, water is lost primarily through evaporation or seepage into the ground] lake lying between Kazakhstan to its north and Uzbekistan to its south, which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up into desert by the 2010s. It was in the Aktobe and Kyzylorda regions of Kazakhstan and the Karakalpakstan autonomous region of Uzbekistan.   The North Aral Sea is the portion of the former Aral Sea that is fed by the Syr Darya River. It split from the South Aral Sea in 1987–1988 as water levels dropped due to river diversion for agriculture.

62. Demolish: RAZE.  Completely destroy a building, town, or other site.   Etymologically "to scratch, slash, scrape, erase," from Old French raser "to scrape, shave," from Medieval Latin rasare.

63. Advantage: EDGE.  An improved position or advantage in some sort of competition.

64. Soeur de la mére: TANTE.  The clue indicates the mother's sister.  The fill indicates a mature or elderly woman who is related or well known to the speaker (often used as a respectful form of address).  None of tis was known to me.

65. Cold drafts: ALES.  Move away from the window and enjoy one sitting by the fire.

66. Once in a blue __: MOON.  Rarely.  Alternatively,  a wheat beer brewed with tangerine peel. Not an ale.

67. General delivery?: ORDER.  Hmmm.  An authoritative command issued by a high ranking military officer. 

Down:

1. Some hearty salads: COBBS.  An American garden salad typically made with chopped salad greens (authentically romaine lettuce), tomato, bacon, chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chives, blue cheese or other cheeses and red wine vinaigrette.

2. Staggering: AREEL.  Walking unsteadily - perhaps from too many ales.

3. Roof option: SLATE.  A roof made of natural stone tiles

4. Letters for debtors: IOU.  A phonetic acronym of the words "I owe you," that is a document that acknowledges the existence of a debt. 

5. Recorded: ON TAPE.  In the language, but probably anachronistic by now.  Does anybody actually record on tape these days?

6. Big name in glue: ELMER'S.  Elmer's Products, Inc. or simply Elmer's, is an American-based company that has a line of adhesive, craft, home repair, and office supply products. 

7. Diadem: TIARA.  Each is jeweled head band.  A diadem can also be more crown- like, symbolizing royalty. 

8. "Fresh Air" airer: NPR.  National Public Radio.

9. "That's a pretty big __": ASK.  Something you request someone to do that will be difficult for them.

10. Really fun time: BLAST. An enjoyable experience or lively party.

11. Himalayan recluse: YETI.    A mythical creature that's said to live in the Himalayan mountains.

12. Historic English school: ETON.   Eton College is a public school providing boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated prime ministers, world leaders, Nobel laureates, Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning actors, and generations of the aristocracy, and has been referred to as "the nurse of England's statesmen"

13. "Call Me" or "Call Me Maybe": SONG.  

18. __ Saint Laurent: YVES.   Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent 1936 – 2008)better known as Yves Saint Laurent or YSL, was a French fashion designer who, in 1962, founded his eponymous fashion label. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century.

22. Like birthday candles during dinner: UNLIT.  This assumes the dinner precedes the dessert, which the natural order of things.  But somebody once said - life is uncertain, eat dessert first.

24. Absolutely delight: ELATE.  Make someone ecstatically happy.

25. Goopy lump: GLOB.  An amorphous and possibly sticky mass.

26. Ages and ages: EONS.  A long, non-specific time period.

29. Lotto game: KENO.   Keno is a lottery-like gambling game often played at modern casinos, and also offered as a game in some lotteries.

30. Middle-earth menaces: ORCS.   

31. "Understood": I SEE.  Got it.

32. Fishing aid: LURE.   An artificial bait, often made of plastic or metal, designed to attract fish by mimicking prey or triggering their instincts, and is used to catch fish during angling

33. Once more: ANEW.  Starting over.

34. General feeling: VIBE.  The overall feeling, atmosphere, or energy of a place, person, or situation, often used to describe a positive or negative feeling or mood. 

35. Bovine mouthful: CUD.   Partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing.

36. Crush alternative: FANTA.  Fanta is an American-owned brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks.  Crush is a brand of carbonated soft drinks owned and marketed internationally by Keurig Dr Pepper, originally created as an orange soda, Orange Crush. Crush competes with Coca-Cola's Fanta.

38. Early Mesoamerican civilization: OLMEC.   he Olmec were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in the Gulf Coast states of Veracruz and Tabasco, modern-day Mexico, between roughly 1200 and 400 BCE.  The Olmec are often considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica because their practices and beliefs influenced later civilizations like the Maya and Aztec. 

39. __ capacitor: "Back to the Future" device: FLUX.   A piece of technology in the 1985 time-travel film Back to the Future and its sequels. Although it's described as the thing that makes time travel possible, the precise mechanism it works by isn't ever explained.  It's a bit of fun sci-fi technobabble made up of two pieces of genuine scientific terminology. In physics, flux is the amount of something (like electricity) that’s passing through a given object’s surface and a capacitor is a device that stores electronic charge.

40. Final Four game: SEMI.  The two winners advance to the final, to determine the champion.

45. Thoreau work subtitled "Life in the Woods": WALDEN.  An 1854 book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and—to some degree—a manual for self-reliance

46. Stake: ANTE.   The initial wager in a poker game.

47. Can't be fooled by: IS ON TO.  Has it figured out.

48. Marathon units: MILES.  A unit of linear measure equal to 1,760 yards (approximately 1.609 kilometres).

49. __ pants: CARGO.  Loosely cut pants originally designed for rough work environments and outdoor activities, distinguished by numerous large utility pockets for carrying tools.

50. Overturn: UPEND.  Turn something over so that it ends up upside down; alternatively, to abolish, invalidate, or reverse a previous system, decision, situation, etc.

51. Isabel Wilkerson book that inspired the Ava DuVernay film "Origin": CASTE.   A nonfiction book by the American journalist Isabel Wilkerson, published in August 2020 by Random House. The book describes racism in the United States as an aspect of a caste system—a society-wide system of social stratification characterized by notions such as hierarchy, inclusion and exclusion, and purity. 

52. "Come in!": ENTER.  Go into a building or other structure.

53. "Scars to Your Beautiful" singer Alessia: CARA.  Alessia Caracciolo, known professionally as Alessia Cara, is a Canadian singer and songwriter who was discovered on YouTube at age 13 for her covers and impressions of artists like Lorde and Alanis Morissette. She has won 25 awards out of 74 nominations, including being Canada's first Grammy winner for Best New Artist. Cara is known for encouraging support for real music and artists. 

54. Spoken: ORAL.  As opposed to written.

55. Puzzle with paths: MAZE.  a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way.

59. Peridot, for one: GEM.   A precious or sometimes semiprecious stone cut and polished for ornament

60. Fuss: ADO.  And now, without further ----

61. __ for the course: PAR.  An average or normal amount or result; just what one might expect.  This term comes from golf, where it refers to the number of strokes needed by an expert golfer to finish the entire course.

That finishes another Wednesday.  Hope you enjoyed the adventure.

Cool Regards!

JzB