Friday July 18, 2025 Tracy Gray

Hi everyone, it’s RustyBrain on the first of three fortnightly visits. Our illustrious Chairman is no Scrooge, but you may think of these reviews as the spirits of Moe past, present and future!

Tracy Gray serves up a double scoop of goodness today. She's a veteran constructor so we expect nothing less. Let's get started on the double with the revealer: 

53. Request to a bartender, and what must be done to the last words of 20-, 30-, 36-, and 47-Across for the answers to match their clues: MAKE IT A DOUBLE. By doubling the last word of each answer, we end up with wacky phrases.

20. Casual departure from a pub crawl after just one drink?: FIRST ROUND BYE. → FIRST ROUND BYE-BYE. In a tournament, the top seeded players often get to skip the preliminary rounds. Here, it's re-imagined as a bar-hopper who drops out early. Good thing, too, as you'd have to be drunk to follow this map!

30. Big name in transparent Band-Aids for toddlers?: PEEKABOO. → PEEK A BOO-BOO. Cute! And a good idea for bandages that match any skin color instead of generic flesh-tone. 

36. Confident shout from a Moulin Rouge dancer?: OH YES I CAN. → OH YES, I CANCAN. My favorite of the bunch! It's rare that I actually chuckle at an answer, but this one conjured up a delightful image. She sure cancan!

47. Question of quality?: IS THAT SO. → IS THAT SO SO. Odd to see this posed as a question, but then again, everyone's a critic.

Double your pleasure, double your fun! A bit easy for a Friday, but I'm traveling in the Pacific Northwest (beautiful vistas everywhere!) so I'm a happy camper. Okay, let's go-go:

Across:

1. Chill (with): HANG. Cool beans.

5. Storied meanies: OGRES. I like the use of "storied" here.

10. Au naturel: BARE. My one erasure, I had nude. 

14. Ancient theaters: ODEA. Plural of odeum, the theaters of Greece and Rome. 

15. Steaming mad: IRATE.

16. Limburger feature: ODOR. Does anyone remember a children's story called "Giant Grummer's Christmas"? He planned to steal presents but Prince Toppsy Turvy knew he liked Limburger, the smelliest cheese. The prince outsmarted the giant by delivering wheels of the stinky cheese that he ate then fell asleep and missed Christmas. Since childhood, the thought of the world's smelliest cheese has intrigued me - although not enough to actually try it!

17. __ history: ORAL. It's something my dentist keeps track of. 

18. Get connected: LOG ON.

19. Blu-ray kin: DVDS. These are two types of optical discs for storing data, usually movies.

20. [theme]

23. Easily fooled sort: SAP.

24. Mai tai liquor: RUM. Just add a fruit salad and an umbrella!

25. Celebrity with a book club: OPRAH. Counterintuitively, while her book club increased sales of individual titles, it caused a short-term overall decrease in sales for the book industry as a whole. Since Oprah's selections were often longer and more difficult classics that demanded greater time and energy to read, those people who were reading from her list were not buying their usual fare of books.

28. "Rub-a-dub-dub" location, in a classic rhyme: IN A TUB. How many of you know the next lines?

30. [theme]

33. Cartomancy deck: TAROT. Cartomancy is a form of divination using cards, TAROT being one type of deck. It involves interpreting the symbols and meanings associated with each card to provide guidance or predict outcomes.

34. O'Reilly purchase: PART. O'Reilly's is a huge chain of auto PART stores.

35. Bora Bora, e.g.: ISLE.

36. [theme]

39. "Stop living in the __!": PAST. Also, a classic Jethro Tull album. Hey, I had to include at least one!

42. Olympic event with masks: EPEE. I dream that someday they'll come up with a sword that is spelled with all E's to help our constructors out of tight corners.

43. Crete's highest pt.: MT IDA. Point is abbrev. so Mount is MT. Speaking of mountains, here are some I'm looking at - the Olympics in Washington State. Pictures don't do it justice; their scope is almost too vast to comprehend.

47. [theme]

49. Decathlon equipment: DISCUS. Essay question for extra credit: What other equipment is needed for a decathlon? Please DISCUS.

50. "Chopped" contestants: CHEFS. I like "The Bear," a TV series about a restaurant in Chicago. Everyone in the kitchen addresses each other as CHEF. Now I have some friends that also call each other CHEF! 

51. "Corduroy" writer/illustrator Freeman: DON. "Corduroy" is a childhood classic that tells the heartwarming story of a teddy bear and a little girl finding friendship.

52. Center of Dallas?: ELS. They're letterally in the middle!

53. [theme]

58. Prefix with conductor: SEMI. This guy's a full conductor.

60. Banjo sound: TWANG.

61. __ plaid: fabric also known as Prince of Wales check: GLEN. Don't stare at it too long...you are getting sleepy...very sleepy...

62. "Your turn," in radio lingo: OVER. 

63. Decadent dessert: TORTE.

64. Blow hard: GUST. Not unlike a windbag at your party. He's an uninvited GUST.

65. "Downton Abbey" title: LADY. Not my cup of tea.

66. Got in on a deal: ANTED. Better clue than usual for this crosswordese.

67. Gels: SETS. 

Down:

1. Travels on foot: HOOFS IT. Fun answer.

2. Girls in Tech founder Gascoigne: ADRIANA. ADRIANA Gascoigne is an American technology executive and activist. Girls in Tech is a global non-profit dedicated to empowering, educating, and mentoring women in the technology industry.

3. Decent, in golf: NEAR PAR. I don't play golf, mainly because when I hit a ball, I like someone to try and hit it back, not for me to go chase after it. In any case, NEAR PAR seems better than "decent."

4. "Archie's Pals 'n' __": classic comic book series: GALS. One of the GALS from the long running comic was Josie, who later went on to fame as the leader of the Pussycats. 

5. Massage option: OIL RUB.

6. Stable figure: GROOM. The happy couple.

7. Newman's Own rival: RAGU. I don't know how they fare in a taste-test, but Newman's donates most of their profits to charities if that helps you pick one. 

8. Historic British school: ETON.

9. Pop in the mail: SEND. Pop up in the mail: SPAM

10. Temporary art media: BODY PAINTS.

11. Some modifiers: ADVERBS. This is totally correct.

12. Eye cell that plays a role in night vision: ROD. The photo-receptor counterpart of a ROD is a "cone," which provides color perception.

13. Hosp. areas: ERS. Emergency Rooms aka the waiting area.

21. "Facts!": TRUTH.

22. __ choy: BOK. BOK choy is a type of Chinese cabbage that is sometimes called spoon cabbage because of its shape.

26. Early ISP: AOL. America On-Line has been chugging away as an Internet Service Provider since 1989.

27. Garden tool: HOE.

29. Visitor who leaves money under a kid's pillow: TOOTH FAIRY. What's the current exchange rate?

30. Public walkway: PASEO. PASEO means "stroll" in Spanish, but I'm more familiar with the Toyota model which, now that I think about it, is a rather uninspiring name for a car. 

31. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.

32. "The rest is obvious" abbr.: ETC.

34. Spices (up): PEPS. "Let's take it up a notch!"

37. Still: YET.

38. __ acid: AMINO.

39. Snap: PIC.

40. Bat wood, once: ASH.

41. Like some glasses: STEMMED. I wanted STEaMED, like when I walk out from air conditioning into Florida humidity and my glasses fog up.

44. Glacial hue: ICE BLUE. Shades of blue in July on Mount Rainier as we flew into Seattle.

45. Least exciting: DULLEST.

46. Says yes: ASSENTS.

48. "Shoot!": ASK. "Shoot" also means "darn," but not like socks - unless you shoot yourself in the foot.

49. Managed to avoid: DODGED. 

51. "Inferno" poet: DANTE.

54. James of blues: ETTA. OK, you twisted my arm. One more album because she is sooo good!

55. Victor's shout: I WON. Another Victor shouted, "It's alive!"

56. Acerbic: TART.

57. Fleecy boots: UGGS.

58. Santiago sun: SOL. 

59. "Hadestown" Tony nominee Noblezada: EVA. I thought she was nominated for the Noble-zada Prize. Seriously, though, why didn't this clue mention any of the awards she actually won? Like the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album?

And remember, kiddies, never double dip your chip!

Friday, March 21, 2025, Tracy Gray

  Theme:  Precision steering!

In today's puzzle, constructor Tracy Gray challenges us to turn on a dime -- a maneuver that requires precison and flexibility.  Each theme answer begins going Across or Down, and then TURNS on the D in DIME to head the other direction.  

Here are the theme clues and answers:

5 Across. Collection of matching cruets: COND.  With 8 Down. --: DIMENT SET.  Condiment set. The answer reads across and then down, turning on the D of DIME.

A matching cruet set.

1 Down. "Happy our paths crossed!": GLAD. With 19 Across. --: D I MET YOU.  Glad I met you.  The answer reads down and then across, turning on the D of DIME.

32 Across. Violinist recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986: YEHUD. With 33 Down. --: DI MENUHIN.  Yehudi Menuhin.  The answer reads across and then down, turning on the D of DIME.  Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), was an American-born violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century.

Yehudi Menuhin

41 Down. With 69-Across, change quickly, and a hint to completing three other long answers in this puzzle: TURN ON A D.  With 69 Across. See 41-Down: DIME.  Turn on a dime.  This revealing clue spells out what's been going on with the other themers; they all turn on the D of DIME.

It's neat how the theme answers alternate starting Across or Down.

Let's see how these tight turns look in the grid: 

Okay, if we haven't TURNed you off yet, let's look at the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Fare topped with tzatziki: GYRO.  A Greek sandwich of grilled meat, tomato, onion, and yogurt sauce (tzatziki) on pita bread.

Veggie gyros for me, please!

5. [Theme clue with 8 Down]

9. "__ we cool?": ARE.  Some of our solvers object to conversational prompts like this one.

12. Like some handwriting: LOOPY.

Apparently, the style of your loops says something about you.

14. Deer friend of Thumper: BAMBI.

Bambi and Thumper.
Thumper's wisdom is frequently cited in our Comments section.

15. WC: LAV.  In British English, "WC" (short for water closet), "lav" (short for lavatory) and "loo" are common terms, all referring to a room with a toilet. 

16. Striped stone: AGATE.

17. Silk region of India: ASSAM.

18. Word with breaker or maker: ICE.  An ice breaker is usually a ship designed for breaking a channel through ice, or something that relieves tensions between people or starts a conversation.  An ice maker is found in the freezer compartment of most modern refrigerators.

19. [Theme clue with 1 Down]

21. Lasting memory of an old flame?: EMBER.  Cute.  The remains of an actual flame, not a romantic attachment.

23. One of three in bunco: DIE.  Die is the singular form of dice.  The game of Bunco uses 3 of them.

24. Pharyngeal tissue: ADENOID.  Adenoids are masses of lymphatic tissue located at the back of the nasal cavity, behind the roof of the mouth.  The pharynx is a hollow, muscular tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and opens into the larynx and esophagus. Pharyngeal means relating to, located in, or produced in the region of the pharynx.  Don't you feel better?

27. Vis-à-vis: AS TO.  French for "face-to-face," we use vis-à-vis to mean "with regard to."

30. Painter's board: PALETTE.  Typically, a wooden board on which an artist keeps paint handy while painting, and mixes paints to obtain desired hues.

32. [Theme clue with 33 Down]

34. Future JDs' exams: LSATS.  Someone who wants to obtain a Juris Doctor (law degree) has to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test).

35. Aromatic tree: FIR.  Well known to anyone who has had a fir tree in the house for the holidays.

38. Expressing feeling: EMOTIVE.

40. Eventually, with "in": DUE TIME.

42. Honorific for 32-Across: SIR.  Indeed, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Yehudi Menuhin.

43. Simpson with a blue beehive: MARGE.

Marge Simpson

45. Turkey's national flower: TULIP.

46. London district that includes Shaftesbury Avenue: WEST END.  Fancy shops, restaurants, and theatre.

48. Home facelift, informally: RENO.  Short for renovation.

49. Heartfelt: EARNEST.

51. Legged it: RAN.

53. High-priced Japanese beef: WAGYU.  Wagyu is the collective name for the four principal Japanese breeds of beef cattle. All wagyu cattle originate from cross-breeding between native Japanese cattle and imported stock, mostly from Europe.

Wagyu cow -- prized for the fatty streaks in her muscles.

54. Support neighborhood shops, say: BUY LOCAL.

59. Bungle: ERR.

60. Ask (for): HIT UP.  Youngest is getting married.  She is going to HIT us UP for wedding funds.

63. Novelist Shreve: ANITA.  Anita Hale Shreve (1946-2018) was an American novelist.  One of her first published stories, Past the Island, Drifting was awarded an O. Henry Prize in 1976.  In 1999, Oprah Winfrey selected Shreve's novel The Pilot's Wife for her book club.  Three of Shreve's novels were made into movies:  The Weight of Water, Resistance, and The Pilot's Wife.

64. The "A" of 61-Down: ALE.  IPA is India Pale Ale.

65. "That's not for me": I PASS.  Answer to "Wanna join us for karaoke?" and many other invitations.

66. Held back for now: SAT ON.  As in, officials SAT ON evidence that might have exonerated (or incriminated) a person.  Or, I sat on my response to the karaoke invitation.

67. Pastrami bread: RYE.  Pastrami and rye go together like hummus and crudités.

68. __ a one: NARY.  "Nary a one" means not a single one.

69. [Theme clue with 41 Down]

Down:

1. [Theme clue with 19 Across]

2. Hatha practitioner: YOGI.  Hatha yoga is a traditional form of yoga that focuses on physical postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama).  A yogi is a practitioner of yoga.

3. Incur cellphone charges, maybe: ROAM.

4. Unsubscribed: OPTED OUT.  We opt out of unwanted email blasts by unsubscribing.

5. Informal duds: CASUALS.  Do you refer to your casual wear as casuals?  I don't!

6. Mantra syllables: OMS.  Om is a sacred sound in Hinduism, representing the divine.  It can be used as a mantra, which is a sacred sound or a group of sounds or words, used as a tool in meditation.

7. Org. that includes nets and Nets: NBA.  The National Basketball Association has nets on hoops, and also the Brooklyn Nets as a team.

8. [Theme clue with 5 Across]

9. Story backed up by a witness, hopefully: ALIBI.

10. Zoomed: RACED.

11. "Best. Day. __!": EVER.  Woo hoo!

13. Igloo rival: YETI.  Igloo and Yeti make coolers to keep food cold when camping.

14. Bun cooked in a bamboo steamer: BAO.  Bao are a type of soft, steamed bun that originated in China and are widely enjoyed across East Asia. They're a popular street food due to their versatility and ease of preparation. Bao can be served either filled or unfilled, making them adaptable for various recipes.  Waseeley showed us some meaty ones yesterday.

20. "You got that right!": YEP.

22. Stooge with the shortest name: MOE.  A shout out to our Chairman Moe, who alternates Friday blog duties with the Malodorous Manatee.

Moe Howard of the Three Stooges

25. Muffle: DEADEN.

26. Caesarean delivery?: ET TU.  Perhaps the last words of Julius Caesar, as he was assassinated by Roman senators:  Et tu, Brute? (You too, Brutus?).  

Detail from The Death of Julius Caesar (1806) by Vincenzo Camuccini.

27. Yes votes: AYES.

28. Big rig: SEMI.  A semi-trailer truck is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight.  They are known by various names, including "semis," "semitrailers," "tractor-trailers," "big rigs," "semi-trucks," "eighteen-wheelers," and "semi-tractor-trailers."

29. Brother of Balder: THOR.  In Norse mythology, Baldr is the brother of Thor, and in Marvel Comics, Balder the Brave is the half-brother of Thor.

Thor, I recognize.  Balder, not so much.

31. Tips off: ALERTS.

33. [Theme clue with 32 Across]

35. Mani-pedi tool: FILE.

36. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!": I'M IN.  Substituting one phrase for another is a pet peeve of some of our solvers.

37. Collector's item?: REPO.  If you default on payments for property, the debt may be referred to collections.  Part of that process may involve the REPO man (repossession agent) coming to get the unpaid for item, often a car, which itself may then be called a REPO.

39. Mantel piece: VASE.  A vase is a piece of decoration that you might display on a mantel.

41. [Theme clue with 69 Across]

44. "Stop dawdling!": GET BUSY.  Another substitution of one phrase for another.

46. Like some humor: WRY.  Humor that is sarcastic, cynical, biting, or ironic.

47. Like some humor: DRY.  Humor delivered with a straight face and a serious tone.

49. In advance: EARLY.

50. Say yes: AGREE.

52. Sad sigh: ALAS.

53. Sport: WEAR.  As in, he showed up sporting CASUALS.

55. FedEx rival: UPS.  United Parcel Service.

56. Amex rival: CITI.  American Express and Citibank both offer credit cards.

57. Bohr model subject: ATOM.  Niels Bohr developed a model of the atom from 1911 to 1918.  It improved on earlier models, but was replaced by the quantum atomic model in the 1920s.

58. Assignment for a swimmer or a sprinter: LANE.  Our blog mistress, C.C., says she is assigned to lane one because she's not the faster swimmer in the pool.  She is, however, swimming faster than everyone who is *not* in the pool.

61. Brewpub brew: IPA.  India Pale Ale.  See 64 Across!

62. Road or roof goo: TAR.

I hope you enjoyed the twists and TURNs of Tracy's puzzle, and that my exposition was not too

NaomiZ

Sunday September 24, 2023 Tracy Gray

Theme: "Exchanging Words" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by X.

21. Big name in health insurance associations: BLUE X BLUE SHIELD. Blue Cross Blue Shield.

35. Quaint emporium: FIVE AND X CENT STORE. Five-and-ten-cent store.

47. Preschool activity with crayons: COLOR X NUMBER. Color by number.

67. Go it alone: X OUT ON ONE'S OWN. Strike out on one's own.

87. Hopeful expression after two failures: THIRD X A CHARM. Third time's a charm.

96. Tony Award-winning musical based on a Manuel Puig novel: X OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Kiss of the Spider Woman.

116. Irving Stone novel about Michelangelo: THE AGONY AND THE X.  The Agony and the Ecstasy.

We've had a few puzzles in which X has different meanings. I don't recall such a replacement approach.

Hard to believe, but this is Tracy's first LAT Sunday. She's a veteran constructor known for her creative themes. 

Low-word count. Only 138 entries. Our average is between 142 and 144.

 

Across:

1. Beach community near Tourmaline Surfing Park: LA JOLLA.

8. Bear claw or beaver tail: PASTRY. Unfamiliar with beaver tail. 

14. Hunk of granite: SLAB.

18. Seething: AT A BOIL.

19. Former first lady, familiarly: JACKIE O. Often see musty Life & Look magazines at our local flea market. So many articles about her.

20. Room: SPACE.

23. Foam art medium: LATTE.

24. Lacking: SANS.

25. Like many Etsy shops: ARTSY.

26. "Don't change a thing!": I ADORE IT.

28. Mirror fogger: STEAM.

31. Old Pontiac muscle car: GTO.

32. Long time: EON.

34. Tabloid twosome: ITEM.

41. "The Voice" coach Gwen: STEFANI. No Doubt.

45. Measles symptom: RED DOT.

46. Pop star: IDOL.

51. Bogus: NOT REAL.

53. Big exporter of saffron: IRAN. Vidwan probably has this from time to time.

54. Tart-tasting fruit: SLOE.

55. Firewood protector: TARP.

58. Nintendo princess: ZELDA.

59. Sheet type: FITTED.

62. Mmes., in Mérida: SRAS.

64. Electronic control mechanisms, briefly: SERVOS. Learning moment for me.

66. Base for some sashimi: ICE.

 

70. Actress Vardalos: NIA.

73. Squanders: WASTES.

74. Entwined: WOVE.

75. Line that intersects a circle in two places: SECANT.

77. Three-dimensional: CUBIC.

80. 61-Down follower: TRES. 61. 80-Across preceder: DOS.

82. Belgian surrealist Magritte: RENE.

84. "Hold __ your hat!": ON TO.

85. Like pedi-showing shoes: OPEN TOE.

91. Lemon drinks: ADES.

92. European capital known as the "City of a Hundred Spires": PRAGUE.

95. Melodic passages: ARIOSOS.

101. Like the Atacama Desert: ARID.

102. __ port in a storm: ANY.

103. Mork's planet: ORK.

104. Software test versions: BETAS.

108. "__ Files": long-running true-crime series: FORENSIC.

111. Structural girder: I BEAM. And 115. WWII sub: U BOAT.

113. __ snuff: UP TO.

121. Where Ducks and Penguins play?: RINKS. Great clue.

122. Diehards: ZEALOTS.

123. Same old same old: ROUTINE.

124. Garlands of okika or pikake: LEIS. Did you know that the plural of lei is still lei in Hawaiian language?

125. Star-shaped bloomers: ASTERS.

126. Prodded: EGGED ON.

Down:

1. Culture centers?: LABS. Nice clue also.

2. Book replaced by GPS: ATLAS.

3. Short excursion: JAUNT.

4. Like Nero Wolfe: OBESE.

5. Cured salmon: LOX. Also 76. Silver salmon: COHO. 

6. Ad follower: LIB.

7. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.

8. Turn down: PASS ON.

9. Heading for the whirlpool, say: ACHY.

10. Enjoy Stowe: SKI.

11. Knotted accessory: TIE.

12. Repaired, as car brakes: RE-LINED.

13. Jedi who said, "Always in motion is the future": YODA.

14. Extras in trunks: SPARE TIRES. And 15. Newer, as an automobile: LATE MODEL. 19. Passat alternative: JETTA. 65. 19-Down and others, briefly: VWS.

16. When Alexander meets Eliza, in "Hamilton": ACT I.

17. Borscht base: BEET.

20. Roulette wheel components: SLOTS.

22. Craving: URGE.

27. "Same for me!": DITTO.

29. Many miles off: AFAR.

30. Cable series about an erotic magazine for women: MINX. Unknown to me.

32. Put forth, as energy: EXERT.

33. Med. condition portrayed on "Monk": OCD.

36. French wines: VINS.

37. Beats by __: DRE.

38. Amateur: NON-PRO.

39. Map line: ROAD.

40. Spanish "she": ELLA.

41. Hugo Award genre: SCI-FI.

42. Cheerio-shaped: TORIC.

43. Make happy: ELATE.

44. Arial, for one: FONT.

48. Belfast's province: ULSTER.

49. Despondent: MOROSE.

50. "Ivy and __": kid-lit series by Annie Barrows: BEAN.

52. Breakout area, to dermatologists: T ZONE. Real thing, guys.

56. "Yours" alternative: AS EVER.

57. Deal with an email error message, maybe: RESEND.

60. On the money: EXACT.

63. Farm noun or verb: SOW.

68. Speaks: UTTERS.

69. Onigiri wrapper: NORI. Cute.

70. Grannies: NANAS.

71. Prologue: INTRO.

72. Bohr model subjects: ATOMS.

73. Series of successes: WIN STREAKS. And 79. Chef Boyardee concoction: BEEFARONI. Nice stack here.

77. Cable cable, familiarly: COAX.

78. Off-the-neck hairstyle: UP DO.

81. Prepare for an 83-Down, say: STUDY. 83. Apt rhyme for "cram": EXAM.

86. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.

88. Laugh half: HEE.

89. Many a Saudi native: ARAB.

90. French film: CINE.

93. Southwestern people: APACHES.

94. Negroni need: GIN.

97. Help for those at sea: HINTS.

98. Many "Westworld" characters: ROBOTS.

99. Builders of dome-shaped nests: WRENS.

100. "Works for me!": OKAY.

105. Mozart's "Così fan __": TUTTE.

106. Peony pest: APHID.

107. __ pad: STENO.

108. Roll up: FURL.

109. Stage honor: OBIE.

110. Chichén __: pyramid site: ITZA.

111. Grammy-winning album for Tyler, the Creator: IGOR.

112. Female horse: MARE. And 114. Yoked bovines: OXEN.

117. Scarf down: EAT. Plenty of food and drinks in this grid.

118. Hoppy quaff: ALE. And 119. Eggy quaff: NOG.

120. Sought buried treasure, perhaps: DUG.

C.C.