Tuesday, December 9, 2025 Doug Peterson

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.

17-Across. *  Metaphorical container similar to Pandora's box: CAN OF WORMS.

24-Across. *  Result of serious core training: SIX PACK ABS.

50-Across. *  Advocate from a social agency: CASE WORKER.

60-Across. *  Pilot's aerobatic maneuver: BARREL ROLL.

And the Unifier:

38-Across. Trip to buy brewskis, or a sequence found in the starts of the answers to the starred clues: BEER RUN.  Notice that with each theme answer, the amount of beer grows from a mere Can to a full Barrel.

And, a hidden gem of an alcoholic beverage:

61-Down. Taproom pour: ALE.

Across:

1. Perfectly clear: LUCID.

6. Website with a Collectibles category: EBAY.  A Brief History.

10. Capture digitally: SCAN.

14. __ note: dictionary explanation: USAGE.

15. "Encore!": MORE.

16. Lymph __: immune system part: NODE.  Everything you need to know about Lymph Nodes, but didn't know to ask.

19. Having the resources: ABLE.

20. Crumbly Mexican cheese: COTIJA.  Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán. It is white and firm, with a salty, milky flavor.

21. Unpleasantly bitter: ACRID.

22. "Beat Bobby Flay" contestant: CHEF.  Bobby Flay (né Robert William Flay; b. Dec. 10, 1964) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and TV personality. He is an Iron Chef and the host of Beat Bobby Flay, a competitive cooking show.  Tomorrow is his 61st birthday.

27. Stay hidden: HOLE UP.

29. Unoriginal reply: ECHO.

30. Retired record holders?: iPODS.  I wish the iPod hadn't been discontinued.  I still use mine nearly every day.

31. Book before Amos: JOEL.  Biblical books.

33. Basketball Hall of Famer Steve: NASH.  Stephen John Nash (b. Feb. 7, 1974) played professional basketball for 18 seasons.  

37. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.  Lucy Liu (née Lucy Alexis Liu; b. Dec. 2, 1968) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  She celebrated her 57th birthday last Tuesday.

Lucy is on the right.

41. __-pitch softball: SLO.

42. Enthusiastic about: INTO.

44. Sporty trucks, briefly: UTES.  A brief history.

45. Schindler of "Schindler's List": OSKAR.  Oskar Schindler (Apr. 28, 1908 ~ Oct. 9. 1974) was a German industrialist, humanitarian, and member of the Nazi Party.  He was credited with saving the lives over 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories in occupied Poland and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

47. Tedious talker: BORE.

49. Reach: ATTAIN.

55. Stops on the road: INNS.

56. In the slightest: AT ALL.

57. Vein counterpart: ARTERY.  Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart under high pressure.  The veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart under low pressure.

59. Modest skirt: MAXI.

64. Lovers' god: EROS.  Eros is the Greek god and Cupid is its Roman counterpart.

65. Muppet with a sister named Daisy: ELMO.  Who knew Elmo had a sister?

66. Actress Mila: KUNIS.  Mila Kunis (née Milena Markovna Kunis; b. Aug. 14, 1983) had been married to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher since 2015.  She was born in Ukraine.  Her family moved to the United States in 1991.

67. "Click here" text: LINK.

68. "__ Diary ... ": DEAR.

69. Sprinter's asset: SPEED.

Down:

1. Enterprise captain Jean-__ Picard: LUC.  A reference to the fictional character in the Star Trek franchise.

2. Mex. neighbor: USA.

3. Neutralize: CANCEL OUT.

4. Acknowledgment of a screwup: I GOOFED.

5. Nimble-fingered: DEFT.

6. Face With Steam From Nose, for one: EMOJI.

7. 20 Mule Team laundry product: BORAX.

8. One-__ pushup: ARM.

9. "You guessed it!": YES.

10. Eat as a treat: SNACK ON.

11. Hooded serpent: COBRA.

12. Invent lines: AD LIB.

13. Requires: NEEDS.

18. Trace of smoke: WISP.

21. "__ du lieber!": ACH.  Good Heavens, it's today's German lesson.

22. Frito pie ingredient: CHILI.  It's corn chips.  What's not to like.

23. Uber driver's invitation: HOP IN.

25. Looks closely (at): PEERS.

26. Human rights org.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union, a brief history.

28. Plug-and-play port: USB.  As in Universal Serial Bus.

31. Derek whose No. 2 was retired by the Yankees: JETER.  Shortstop Derek Sanderson Jetter (b. June 26, 1974) spent his entire 20-year career with the New York Yankees.  His last appearance on the field was in September 2014.

32. Mined resource: ORE.  This is a crossword staple.

34. "Everybody will tell you the same!": ASK ANYONE.

35. Done in, as a dragon: SLAIN.

36. Trio on a triceratops: HORNS.  The word Triceratops comes from the Greek words meaning “three-horned face” because of the two horns on its brow and smaller horn above its mouth.

39. French money: EURO.

40. "Kidding!": NOT!

43. Tall monument that comes to a point: OBELISK.  The most famous obelisk in the United States is the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.  It is a 555-foot-tall monument honoring the first President, George Washington. 

46. Saddle attachment: STIRRUP.

48. Hooting hunter: OWL.

49. Museo del Prado display: ARTE.  The Museo del Prado is an art museum in Madrid, Spain.

50. Humped oasis visitor: CAMEL.

51. Activision rival: ATARI.

52. Early invader of Britain: SAXON.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Saxon invasion of Britain.

53. "__ Chameleon": Culture Club hit: KARMA.  The song that made Boy George famous.

54. Screwup: ERROR.

58. Grand Lodge group: ELKS.

60. Spot for bulbs: BED.

62. Prevarication: LIE.

63. Trippy drug: LSD.

Here's the grid:

חתולה

Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Susan (Hahtoolah), our beautiful Tuesday Sherpa. Thank you for the time, attention, and warmth you pour into each of your posts.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 Norman M Aaronson

I'm so SMART and BRIGHT!

16-Across. Whatever the outcome: WIN OR LOSE.  Wise.

24-Across. "Please lower your voice": KEEP IT DOWN.  Keen.

45-Across. Fabric piece for a sewing circle: QUILT BLOCK.  Quick.

55-Across. Cameo role, e.g.: SMALL PART.  Smart.

And the Unifier:

35-Acr0ss. "It's not all bad news ...," and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are?: ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

Here's the Grid so you can see how the circles, which spell a synonym for intellectually "bright", are on the "sides" of each theme clue.

What other bright clues and answers can be found?

Across:

1. Stick (out): JUT.

4. Raw fish dish: SUSHI.  Yummers!

9. Enjoy recess in a schoolyard: PLAY.

13. Darth Vader's childhood nickname: ANI.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

14. "Come on in!": ENTER.

15. Tylenol alternative: ALEVE.  They are not exactly the same.  Aleve is a NonSteroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug (NSAID) pain reliever.  It's effectiveness last longer than Tylenol, however it may have a greater risk for stomach issues.  Tylenol is better for fever reduction and pain but does not have anti-inflammatory properties. 

18. Fan frenzy: MANIA.

19. Hibernation spots: LAIRS.

20. Covering that keeps a pant leg dry: GAITER.

21. Copied: APED.

26. Edit: REVISE.

28. Purple garden flower: IRIS.

29. Idaho's capital: BOISE.  Do any of you play the daily puzzle on The Economist?  The theme of last week's puzzle was American State Capitals.  Boise, however, was not one of the answers.

30. Penny: CENT.  We learned recently that the last penny has gone to press.

32. "The Raven" poet Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allen Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1949) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

39. Pastrami bread: RYE.

40. Young blokes: LADS.

41. Mani-pedi place: SALON.

42. Stash away: STOW.

44. Fully enjoys: SAVORS.

50. Site with handmade goods: ETSY.

51. Loosens, as shoelaces: UNTIES.

52. "Such a tease!": OH, YOU!

54. Amy of "Enchanted" and "Disenchanted": ADAMS.  Amy Lou Adams (b. Aug. 20, 1974) is known for her dramatic and comedic roles.  Her first major role was in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can.  Her first leading role was Giselle in the 2007 film Enchanted.

59. Rented again: RELET.

60. Snorer's affliction, maybe: APNEA.

61. Piña colada liquor: RUM.  Yummers!

62. Walked (on): TROD.

63. Fisherman's __: waterfront district in San Francisco: WHARF.

64. Brimless hat with a tassel: FEZ.

Down:

1. Mandible: JAW.

Anatomy of an ant head.

2. College, to Aussies: UNI.

3. Word before can or Man: TIN.  The aluminum paint used to make the tin man appear tin, was actually quite toxic.  Buddy Ebsen (Apr. 2, 1908 ~ July 6, 2003) was cast as the Tin Man, however, the paint made him very ill and he was replaced by Jack Haley (Aug. 10, 1898 ~ June 6, 1979)

4. "Buona __": Italian "Good evening": SERA.  Today's Italian lesson.

5. Different from: UNLIKE.  You can also Unlike someone on Facebook.

6. Retail outlet: STORE.

7. "Steppenwolf" novelist Hermann: HESSE.  The band Steppenwolf is named after this 1927 novel by Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877 ~ Aug. 9, 1962).

8. Fury: IRE.

9. Tartan patterns: PLAIDS.  When I was in high school, my mother made me a MacLeod plaid skirt. 

10. Slowly, in music: LENTO.

11. Arthur Miller's "__ From the Bridge": A VIEW.

12. Be homesick (for): YEARN.

15. Rare and expensive Italian violin: AMATI.  The Amati family were violin makers in the 16th and 17th  century.  

17. Getting on in years: OLDISH.  When does one actually become "oldish"?  Isn't old age 10 years more than your actual age?

20. Circumference: GIRTH.  In addition to his six wives, Henry VIII (June 28, 1491 ~ Jan. 28, 1547) was known for his girth.

21. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR.  Ann Arbor is home of the University of Michigan.

22. Pink garden flower: PEONY.

23. Party notice sent with a click: EVITE.

25. Problematic engine sounds: PINGS.

27. "Get it?": SEE.

30. Move on all fours: CRAWL.

31. __ al-Fitr: end of Ramadan: EID.

32. Cockpit figure: PILOT.

33. Scents: ODORS.

34. Itty-bitty: EENSY.

36. Splotches: BLOBS.

37. Luggage-checking org.: TSA.

38. Put money away for the future: SAVE UP.

42. Covered in goo: SLIMED.

43. Statistical tool for checking a hypothesis: T-TEST.  A t-test is a statistical tool used to determine if the means of two groups are significantly different.

44. Anna's "Breaking Bad" role: SKYLER.  Anna Kathryn Gunn (b. Aug. 11, 1968) is best known for portraying Skyler White on Breaking Bad.

45. Two pints: QUART.

46. Lower than: UNDER.

47. Writer Calvino: ITALO.  Italo Calvino (Oct. 15, 1923 ~ Sept. 19, 1985) was an Italian novelist who was born Havana, Cuba.  He has been considered one of Italy's greatest writers.  

48. Extra zip: OOMPH.

49. __ masala: spiced chickpea dish: CHANA.  Yummers!  It looks delicious.

53. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF.

55. Wood-cutting tool: SAW.

56. Dog park sound: ARF.

57. Regret: RUE.

58. Celebrity gossip site: TMZ.  As in Thirty-Mile Zone.  Who knew?

חתולה