This is the fourth collaboration between "Ironman" Dan ( see here - thanks HuskerG~! ) and our lovely hostess, C.C., plus their second crossword this month for the LA Times. A simple but enjoyable puzzle featuring four unique and different "Rays", with two 10-letter Down fills as well. Twenty 3LWs, Twenty-six 4LWs, a handful of names, and no circles. Yay~! The themers, with no reveal;
17. Place to catch some rays: SCI-FI MOVIE - classic "laser guns" type of "RAY" - I loved the original 1953 War of the Worlds movie - and despite being a huge fan of Speilberg's work and the stunning visuals, his remake was awful
Based on the H.G. Wells book
34. Place to catch some rays: ROOFTOP DECK
Now that's how to find 11D.~!
42. Place to catch a Ray: FOOD NETWORK - Rachel Ray, that is - struggling lately
6. Butter used in pantua: GHEE - Learned from doing crosswords
10. Lack of objectivity: BIAS
14. Wood that repels moths: CEDAR - I currently have a cedar bench in my kitchen, but I have plans to build a foyer on the front stoop of my house - the bench will move in there; item #28 on my self-inflicted "to-do" list . . . .
15. Covered with grease: OILY - I got covered in grease last week when I discovered the trailer ball on my minivan was rusted into the hitch bar; it took 70A. of penetrating oil, lying on the garage floor, and a sledgehammer to get the thing loose and free, dammit.
16. "Do __ others ... ": "UNTO" - The Golden Rule
19. Nose-in-the-air sort: SNOB
20. Set of the rosary: DECADE - I have it on good authority that this was the editor's clue; not familiar with a 'decade of the rosary' ( I'm not Catholic, just spiritual ), a "set" of ten Hail Marys - more here
21. Scavenging carnivore: HYENA
22. [This isn't my typo]: SIC
23. Like a locked door: SHUT
26. Visibly embarrassed: RED - or like lethal alien "Death rays"
27. Traffic report vehicles, briefly: COPTERS - Ironic when it creates the traffic and can't report it . . . .
1. Loops in on an email thread: CCs - a self-shout-out~?
2. Remote button with a red dot: RECord - or the "Death ray" button 😜
3. Response to "Anyone see that?": "I DID~!" - unparsed, it's "IDID"; looks Latin
4. Least dangerous: SAFEST - "don't push the button with the red dot~!"
5. More expensive: PRICIER
6. "No news is __ news": GOOD
7. Spots for queens: HIVES - oh, that kind of queen - bees; I was thinking chess board
I made this image with Revit; here's another cool chess image
8. "Hostel" director Roth: ELI - I was going to add a link, but it's horror, and NSFW - or me, really
9. Calm part of a storm: EYE
10. Unable to hang out: BUSY
11. State sought in meditation: INNER PEACE - OM - our first 10-letter Down fill
12. Right wrongs: ATONE - Dah~! Not AMEND; 40% correct, plus an "E"
13. Just terrible: SO BAD - like my War of the Worlds 2005 review
18. "Large" prefix: MACRO - Don McMillan, Technically Funny
Better than "Microsoft"
21. URL opener: HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol
24. Souped-up car: HOT ROD
25. __, dos, tres: UNO - Espaniol lesson dos
27. Hairdo: COIF - had it, took it out; my 29D was GOLF shirts, so the Across answers were not making any sense
28. Approximately: OR SO
29. Top choices for golfers: POLO SHIRTS - 'top' as in clothing; by default could NOT be "GOLF shirts", Duh. The second 10-letter Down fill.
30. Provide comfort to: SOOTHE
32. Say further: ADD
35. __ and far between: FEW
36. Family group: CLAN
37. Warmhearted: KIND
39. Toronto summer hrs.: EDT - Eastern Daylight Time - we need to scrap this nonsense
43. Catches a few z's: NAPS - I am up at 3 or 4am every day, and take a nap every day - I like this way of living
44. Adult ed class: ESL - Crosswordese, English as Second Language
45. Sticky pine secretion: RESIN
46. Stay in shape: KEEP FIT - Dah~! Not WORK OUT - I have grown to enjoy my workout at the gym - this past Saturday, my trainer was out ( he went to the ball game the night before ) and I had the opportunity to "play hookey", but I went in anyway; he sent me a text of what exercises I could do that morning
50. Spanish dish with rice and saffron: PAELLA - I enjoy this dish, but over the past few weeks, I have been perfecting my "chicken crust" pizza, where I use ground chicken, 93% lean, to make a 'pie' - it is so good, and good for me
51. Calculus calculations: AREAS - specifically the area under a curve
I prefer L x W . . . . 😁
52. Bathhouse hot spot: SAUNA
54. Singer's representative: AGENT - I'd like to be just famous enough to require an agent, whether for my music, games, or publications - I am still working on my Sci-Fi novel
57. "What __ it matter?": "DOES"
59. "Well, darn!": "RATS~!"
60. Enjoy a bubble bath: SOAK - I came home to soak last Saturday, partially due to being sore, and also due to the poison ivy - which I get every F*&%ing summer - aaah, Aveeno~!
62. Bird with piercing eyes: OWL - "WHO" has piercing eyes~?
Are you lookin' at me~?
63. Jensen Huang of Nvidia, e.g.: CEO - didn't recognize him, but it was easy enough to suss
64. Atomic number of hydrogen: ONE - the first, and most abundant element in the universe
Alright, let's see if I can get this straight - today's puzzle is from veteran author Wendy L. Brandes, who has at least sixteen LA Times crosswords, and I havepersonally blogged (just shy of a year ago) one of HER constructions. Phew. Middle of the week, middle of the road theme & grid; some good clues / answers, but some were Meh in my opinion. Three out of four unique theme fills, 36 4LWs, over 4x the # of 3LWs, a handful of names, and the dreaded circles. The themers and 'reversed' reveal:
20. "Hmm, is it possible for me?": WONDER IF I COULD - FIRE truck, backwards
Existential ponderings
25. Slow-moving forest-dweller: TWO-TOED SLOTH - TOW truck, backwards
42. Tale spun before lights-out: BEDTIME STORY - SEMI truck, backwards - Strangely, I was musing over the weekend WHY it's called a "semi" when it's typically more than half a vehicle ....😜 Read more here
It's a "semi" truck
50. "Wait, what did you just say?," or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle:
"BACK UP THE TRUCK..." - This driver has some talent - I can't get my single boat trailer done right on the first try - but then again, they do this for a living - I hope you can watch the video, it's impressive
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Milk choice: SKIM - I start with the Down clues, had 2 & 3D. wrong, so my NW corner was a mess
32. Fishing pole: ROD - could have been a name - I see ROD Stewart is on AARP magazine - Jeez, I am old . . . .
Still rockin' it at 80 yrs old
35. In need of a heating pad, say: ACHY - like me, about 1pm last Saturday
36. Online diaries: BLOGS - or crossword Corners~!
38. Run into a closet, say: HIDE - Then at some point, you'll have to come out of the closet
39. French pronoun: TOI - Frawnche for "You~!"
40. P.O. Box filler: MAIL
41. Box on a touchscreen: ICON - the icons of my touchscreen laptop
46. Prepares to run a marathon, say: TRAINS - I am not running any distance, any time soon, but I do like to walk my neighborhood every other day at 5am. Here's me trying to show up my trainer at the gym; he was brutal this past Saturday 😜
That's me on the left - er, right - the other dude is Brett from Big Sky
49. Go offstage: EXIT
55. Fairy tale meanie: OGRE
56. Speak from a podium: ORATE
57. Gram, to some: NANA - it was Granny for me
59. Dark film genre: NOIR
60. Show, as an old show: RERUN
61. Always and always: EVER - My brother got married Saturday, July 12th - got to hang briefly with Cooper - I am going to pet-sit the last week of September when they honeymoon
bother Kevin, new wife Jacquie, her sister and husband
62. Odds and __: ENDS
63. Entice: TEMPT
64. Appear to be: SEEM
DOWN:
1. "You __ 'goodbye,' and I __ 'hello'": SAY - not overly complicated lyrically, but one of my personal favorite Beatles songs
The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye - Paul the Lefty bassist
2. Was aware of: KNEW - I had ON TO
3. Digging: INTO - wrong kind of digging, I had "AT IT"
4. Backbone: MAINSTAY - good clue/answer, sort of Saturday-ish
5. React to pepper, perhaps: SNEEZE
6. Hot and heavy: TORRID
7. "Diamonds" singer, to fans: RI RI - HA~! I got burned by this in the May 28th 2025 puzzleat 11D.- I will not miss it again; Rhianna, more here - name #3
8. Since: AS OF - I tried FROM
9. Dangerous: PERILOUS - "I must face the peril~! NO~! It's too perilous~!" - Wendy had "PERIL" in the puzzle I blogged, and I posted this link then as well.
Monty Python & the Holy Grail
10. Like hair that's been flat-ironed: SMOOTH
11. No longer working: KAPUT
12. "Someone Like You" singer: ADELE - The constructor likes her; Adele appeared in Wendy's last LA Times construction; personally, I prefer "NO ONE Like You" . . . .name #4
Scorpions - No One Like You
13. Looks after: TENDS
21. The Bryan brothers of tennis, e.g.: DUO - name (ish)
26. Texas city between Dallas and Austin: WACO - TX shoutout to Anon and D-Otto
27. "Didn't expect to see you here!": "OH, HI~!"
28. Vodka brand whose label features a sketch of a Moscow hotel: STOLI - I expected an "abbr" in the clue, as the brand is actually Stolichnaya - but it makes no difference - they filed for bankruptcy . . . .
29. Zoom delay: LAG - Zoom, the online meeting format/app
32. Puerto __: RICO - name, but easy enough
33. Emission from rotting fruit: ODOR
34. Say no to: DENY
36. Sore loser, for one: BAD SPORT
37. Like a fun party: LIT
38. Pop favorites: HIT TUNES - Dah~! - I had HIT SONGS; 62.5% correct
40. Grubhub link: MENU
42. Hog enthusiasts: BIKERS - HOG as in Harley Davidson - the company's NYSE stock symbol
43. Get together: MEET UP
44. Scope: EXTENT
45. Title for London's mayor: SIR
46. Steakhouse order: T-BONE
47. Tease mercilessly: RAG ON - not TAUNT - but we already had Monty Python
48. Bitter-tasting: ACRID
51. Yoga pose that requires good balance: TREE - My balance is horrible - Brett gives me one-legged exercises that strain muscles I didn't know I had, and need to improve
52. Damage: HARM
53. Batman's lair: CAVE - Wayne Manor didn't fit 😜
54. ACL joint: KNEE - I knew where the Anterior Cruciate Ligament was located . . . .
58. UCL limb: ARM - but learned today about the Ulnar Collateral Ligament
Theme: A Tale of Tails. The circled letters combine to make a 4 letter word that can follow TAIL and make a new in -the-language word or phrase.
18A. New Jersey nickname: GARDEN STATE. New Jersey is nicknamed the "Garden State" due to its long history of agriculture and fertile land. The nickname was popularized in the late 19th century and has been associated with the state ever since.
The highlighted letters following TAIL refer to TAIL GATE, a phrase with several meanings: a hinged flap at the back of a truck that can be lowered or removed when loading or unloading the vehicle; to drive too closely behind another vehicle; a style of jazz trombone playing characterized by improvisation in the manner of the early New Orleans musicians; or social gathering at which an informal meal is served from the back of a parked vehicle, typically in the parking lot of a sports stadium.
30A. Vino that doesn't require a corkscrew: BOXED WINE.
The TAIL BONE is the small bone at the bottom of the spine. It is made up of 3-5 fused bones. Also called coccyx.
45A. Headwear at a 29-Down: COWBOY HAT. A hat with a broad, often curled brim and a high crown, typically made of felt. I understand that in Texas, this is just called a hat.
A TAIL COAT is a man's formal morning or evening coat, with a long skirt divided at the back into tails and cut away in front.
59A. Full house, at times: WINNING HAND. In poker, a full house is a 5-card hand containing three of a kind plus a pair. This powerful hand can only be beaten by a royal flush, a straight flush or four of a kind.
A TAIL WIND is literally a wind blowing from behind that can aid in forward motion. Figuratively, it means positive trends and developments that have the potential to support a company's progress toward growth and profitability.
2 D. Lifting a beer bottle with just a straw, e.g.: BAR TRICK. A "bar trick" typically refers to a trick or illusion performed by a bartender or someone behind a bar, often using items found in a bar environment like napkins, bottles, or glasses. These tricks are used for entertainment, to impress guests, or as a way to engage with customers and enhance the bar experience.
In American football, a TAILBACK is a type of running back who typically lines up furthest from the line of scrimmage, often behind the quarterback and fullback in a "T" or "I" formation. Tailbacks are known for their speed, agility, and ability to make explosive plays, often acting as the primary ball carrier on rushing plays.
And the unifier 40D. Final parts, and what this puzzle's circled letters create: TAILENDS. The last or hindmost part of something. Note that each TAIL END in this puzzle is made up from the first two and last two letters of each theme entry.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to take the lead and follow up on this excellent puzzle. Note also, the unusual symmetry, with 4 (!) of the theme fill in their normal horizontal positions, and the one remaining theme fill and unifier symmetrically vertical. That also makes this an extremely theme rich puzzle. Let's dig in.
Across:
1. "The Graham Norton Show" airer: BBC. British Broadcasting Company. Graham William Walker (b. 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show (2007–present).
4. Owner of a bed deemed too hard: PAPA. Bear, to be complete.
8. Puccini opera set in Rome: TOSCA. Not knowing opera, I took a guess. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dramatic play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800, with the Kingdom of Naples's control of Rome threatened by Napoleon's invasion of Italy. It contains depictions of torture, murder, and suicide, as well as some of Puccini's best-known lyrical arias. Fun? You decide.
13. "Homemade" pasta sauce maker: RAO. Tasty - also, relatively low carb. It's all we use.
14. __-garde: AVANT. Something that is innovative, experimental, and pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable or mainstream, particularly in art, culture, and fashion
16. Theme park with a geodesic dome: EPCOT. Adjacent to Disney World. Once I was examining windshields in the bus garage there. True story.
17. Globe: ORB. Figuratively, any spherical object.
20. Most faithful: TRUEST. Most loyal and faithful, as a friend.
22. Parking area: LOT. A flat surface. Sometimes it will be paved.
23. NYC bus org.: MTA. Metropolitan Transit Authority. Or, in Boston, maybe.
24. Many a Qatari: ARAB. Qatar is a country located on a peninsula jutting east from Saudi Arabia into the Persian Sea.
25. Young'uns: TYKES. Little children.
27. Mail ctrs.: GPOS. These are General Post Offices. The term is historical, and used more in Britain than America.
28. Trail sighting: HIKER. A trial walker. Som people would prefer a bear.
32. Health law since 2010, initially: ACA. Affordable Care Act.
33. Major work: OPUS. Of a major composer.
35. Diner pour: JOE. Slang for coffee. This likely comes from the term "jamoke," a slang word for coffee that was popular in the 1930s.
36. Young'uns: KIDDOS. Tykes. Moppets, maybe.
38. Yellowjacket kin: HORNET. Flying insects that hurt you, because they can.
41. Fish that can shock its prey: EEL. Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, Electric eels, are not Anguilliformes, which are 'true' eels. Instead, electric eels belong to the genus, Electrophorus, in the family Gymnotidae of the order Gymnotiformes, also known as knifefishes, and are more closely related to catfishes and carp. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts.
42. Desert that's home to the world's rarest bear: GOBI. The Gobi Desert is a vast, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. It's known for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. The Gobi bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis), known in Mongolian as the Mazaalai (Мазаалай), is a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) that is found in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. It is listed as critically endangered by the Mongolian Redbook of Endangered Species and by IUCN standards. Currently, there are only 51 bears left in the Mongolian Gobi Desert;
43. Grab: NAB. Grasp or capture.
49. Bounce: SPLIT. In slang, both of these words refer to leaving.
51. "I've got this!": ON IT. You can count on me.
52. Reacts to a tell-all, maybe: GASPS. Inhales suddenly with the mouth open, out of pain or astonishment.
54. Some fine art: OILS. Oil paintings.
55. Buzzing insect: BEE. More useful than hornets.
56. Dearie: HON. Sweetie.
57. Act as an intermediary: LIAISE. This uncommon verb means toestablish a working relationship, typically in order to cooperate on a matter of mutual concern.
62. Explosive stuff: TNT. TriNitroToluene is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagent in chemical synthesis, but it is best known as an explosive material with convenient handling properties. The explosive yield of TNT is considered to be the standard comparative convention of bombs and asteroid impacts.
64. Utopias: EDENS. Hypothetical idyllic places.
65. Stuffed to the gills: SATED. Fully satisfied.
66. Princeton URL suffix: EDU. The ".edu" suffix in a web address signifies that the site belongs to an educational institution, typically a university or college.
67. Exposes, as fangs: BARES. "Baring fangs" refers to an animal displaying its teeth aggressively, often in a threatening or hostile manner. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a person showing aggression or hostility.
68. Trees used for longbows: YEWS. Coniferous trees which have red berrylike fruits, and most parts of which are highly poisonous. Yews are linked with folklore and superstition and can live to a great age; the timber is used in cabinetmaking and (formerly) to make longbows.
69. Mar.-to-Nov. hrs.: DST. Daylight Saving Time, the period during which the time is adjusted in order to gain an extra hour of daylight in the evening during part of the year. Daylight-saving time begins in the spring, when clocks are set one hour ahead.
Down:
1. Certain sib: BRO. Brother.
3. "Karate Kid" spinoff series: COBRA KAI. An American martial arts comedy drama television series created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It serves as a sequel to the first three The Karate Kid films created by Robert Mark Kamen. Cobra Kai premiered on May 2, 2018, and concluded on February 13, 2025, after six seasons consisting of 65 episodes.
4. Diary sheet: PAGE. One side of a sheet of paper in a collection of sheets bound together, especially as a book, magazine, or newspaper.
5. Mariner's shout: AVAST. A command to stop or cease used by sailors.
6. Rental for a night of revelry: PARTY BUS. A large vehicle, often a converted bus or coach, designed to transport and entertain groups of people for recreational purposes, typically for celebrations or events.
7. "Then what happened?": AND. Do tell me more.
8. Lab procedure: TEST. A procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use.
9. Decline, with "out": OPT. To choose not to participate in something
10. Garlicky shrimp dish: SCAMPI. Large shrimp or prawns, especially when prepared or cooked.
11. Tee fabric: COTTON. A soft white fibrous substance that surrounds the seeds of a tropical and subtropical plant and is used as textile fiber and thread for sewing.
12. Not on edge: AT EASE. Free from worry, awkwardness, or problems; relaxed.
15. Fax forerunner: TELEX. An international system of telegraphy with printed messages transmitted and received by teleprinters using the public telecommunications network.
19. Rhinoplasty, informally: NOSE JOB. Cosmetic surgery focused on reshaping the nose for aesthetic or functional reasons.
21. Purple yam: UBE. A kind of bright purple yam used as a flavoring and coloring in sweet dishes.
24. "Oh, that's what you mean": AHA. Expression of sudden recognition.
26. Cris Cyborg stat: KOS. Cristiane Justino Venâncio (b.1985), known professionally as Cris Cyborg and formerly by her married name Cristiane Santos, is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer. "KO" means knockout, often used in sports like boxing to describe a situation where one fighter is rendered unable to continue due to a blow.
27. Longtime "Washington Week" journalist Ifill: GWEN. Gwendolyn L. Ifill (1955 – 2016) was an American journalist, television newscaster, and author. In 1999, she became the first African-American woman to host a nationally televised U.S. public affairs program with Washington Week in Review. She was the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and co-anchor and co-managing editor, with Judy Woodruff, of the PBS NewsHour, both of which air on PBS. Ifill was a political analyst and moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice-presidential debates. She authored the best-selling book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
29. Sport with roping and riding: RODEO. A competitive equestrian sport and public event that showcases the skills of cowboys and cowgirls, particularly in events like bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, and roping.
31. Historian __ Kearns Goodwin: DORIS. Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin (b.1943) is an American biographer, historian, former sports journalist, and political commentator. She has written biographies of numerous U.S. presidents. Goodwin's book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995.
34. Square, e.g.: POLYGON. A closed, two-dimensional shape formed by three or more straight line segments (sides) that connect to form a closed figure.
37. Tech __: coder's concern: DEBT. A concept in software development where choosing quicker, easier solutions over more robust, long-term solutions results in future rework and increased costs. Hence the aphorism: There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.
38. Camping appliance: HOT PLATE. A flat heated surface, typically portable, used for cooking food or keeping it hot.
39. Joined the military: ENLISTED. Enrolled or was enrolled in the armed services.
42. Shell product: GAS. Shell Oil is the US-based subsidiary of Shell plc, a global energy and petrochemical company. It's a major player in oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and marketing, as well as petrochemical manufacturing. Shell USA, also known as Shell Oil Company, has its headquarters in Houston, Texas.
44. "Butter" K-pop group: BTS. BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. K-pop is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western dance music, hip-hop, R&B and rock.
I guess I'm too old.
45. Spooky decoration: COBWEB. A spider's web, especially when old and covered with dust. That 'cob' in cobweb is a very old, and now forgotten, spider. The Old English word for spider was atorcoppe, with ator meaning 'poison' and coppe meaning 'head' – that's the same 'coppe' that probably gave us the word corncob
46. Upstate New York lake: ONEIDA. It's just a bit North-east of Syracuse.
47. __ dog: dachshund: WIENER. The term "weiner dog" is an informal, often humorous name for the Dachshund breed.
48. Puts up, as a painting: HANGS. Suspends something from above with the lower part dangling free.
50. Polynesian taro dish: POI. A Hawaiian dish made from the fermented root of the taro which has been baked and pounded to a paste.
53. Strength: SINEW. A piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone or bone to bone; a tendon or ligament. Hence, strength, power or resilience.
56. Cobra's warning: HISS. A sharp sibilant sound.
58. Does sums: ADDS. Performs the mathematical process of addition.
60. Coos Bay-to-Portland dir.: NNE. North-northeast. Refers to the compass direction that is halfway between north and north east, or NNE. It's 22.5 degrees east of north, and therefore 45 degrees away from an Alfred Hitchcock movie.
61. Stable fare: HAY. A stable is secure structure for housing horses or other livestock. HAY is livestock feed. Does that seem fair?
63. "Tsk!": TUT. Sounds expressing disapproval or annoyance. Less intense than "humbug." Maybe.
And that wraps it up for today. Hope you didn't end up too far behind.
Congrats to Sam Cordes for his L. A. Times debut. He has 3 published puzzles elsewhere, this this is his first here. Well done, Sam! Hope to see you again.
This is Gerry Wildenberg's debut for the LA Times - he has two other crosswords published in the NYT going back 10 & 11 years ago - and I checked again, just to be sure, because I was friends with a Geri, who was Geraldine; Gerry's a dude - a cool-looking older guy, and from his picture, I am guessing an outdoorsman, a hiker, a camper....Anyway, today's construction has "R-E" doubled in the theme answers, with the center being a grid-spanner, and no stray RE's anywhere else. More 4LW than 3LW, but I felt, even with some being easy, there were againtoo many names ( a dozen by my count ) for my solving experience. The theme answers, all unique, and the reveal;
18. *Bills wide receiver who played in four consecutive Super Bowls: ANDRE REED - name #1
24. *Wildlife sanctuary: NATURE RESERVE - the first part was blank, but I did fill in "PREserve", which was close - can anyone offer a solution to the pesky gnats that hover around one's eyes & ears~? I walk every other day, and they are so aggravating, I end up cutting the hike short - I practically bathe in Off! with DEET, but that's of no use - and I am going to try Picaridin as well - I do not want to wear a net....
36. *Meh evaluations: MEDIOCRE REVIEWS - I've had my share in my time blogging
49. *Like material that slows flames: FIRE RETARDANT
57. Made twice as great, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: "RE, DOUBLED"
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Clown's prop, maybe: STILT - yeah, but how about a drywall mudder~?
6. Criminally assist: ABET
10. Breakfast spot: NOOK
14. "Golly!": "OHGEE~!"
15. Angelic adornment: HALO
16. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI
17. Oscars host O'Brien: CONAN - name #2, but I know him
20. Paraguayan pals: AMIGOS
22. Airport pickup info: ETA
23. Acid initials: LSD - the "dropped" acid
28. Cry of insight: "I SEE~!" - I used Ghostbusters, now here's Die Hard . . . .
ya~! I SEE him~! @ 0:20
29. Fit, as matryoshka dolls: NEST
Irish Miss, I am still on the lookout for my four-legged friend; last week on my walk, a guy in my neighborhood came out with HIS Schnauzer, but he did not have much to tell me about where to get one :7(
30. Volcano near Catania: ETNA - four-letter volcano~?
33. Whiskey flavor: PEAT - Sunday fill, too - this week, I am trying "Ryze", the mushroom coffee that supposedly helps burn fat - I will let you know. It has a distinct 'earthy', almost broth-like flavor, and I like it - I am down to 27lbs since May 1st
34. Chewy mints: MENTOS
41. Only national park in New England: ACADIA - in Maine; knew this from solving crosswords, like this past Sunday
42. One of 14 in a sonnet: LINE
43. "u crack me up": ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing - textspeak
44. Part of a Rorschach test: BLOT
45. Operatic solo: ARIA
53. Artist Yoko: ONO - name #3, crossword staple, like Sunday - JEEZ
55. Boxing family name: ALI - name #4, crossword staple
56. Shelter with a sloping roof: LEAN TO
61. Urged (on): EGGED - 11D. is "egged", too
62. Cheese with an edible rind: BRIE
63. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA - name #5, crossword staple
64. Wicked one: FIEND - In honor of Black Sabbath's "Back to the Beginning" final show with Ozzy Osbourne last Saturday in their home town of Birmingham, UK, here's one from their debut album
Wicked World
65. Convinced: SOLD
66. Golf club choice: WOOD
67. Varieties: SORTS
DOWN:
1. Confident retort to a boast: SO CAN I~!
2. Inventor Edison: THOMAS - name #6, but not too obscure
3. Set off, as fireworks: IGNITE - thankfully, the folks of my neighborhood set off only a handful of medium-sized noise-makers about 9pm on July Fourth, and then it tapered off within the hour - another reason I am glad to be in CT. Down on the Island~? It's about who can waste the most money for a smoky backyard
11. Brunch option: OMELETTE - Ah. The "extended" version of omelet, just like on Sunday
12. Change for a five: ONES
13. "The Secret Life of Bees" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD - filled via perps; I suppose 'Captain' was not Wednesday worthy - name #7
19. Linguist's asset: EAR - TONGUE did not fit - and EAR makes me think of muscians
21. __ Falls: women's suffrage convention site: SENECA - upstate NY, filled via perps, name #8
25. Tail end: REAR
26. Getty of "The Golden Girls": ESTELLE - second time this week the show was in a clue, still, name #9
27. Caesar's "I came": VENI - Julius Caesar boast, veni vidi, vici - I came, I saw, I conquered
31. "__ we're talking!": "NOW~!"
Naomi, these legs are "for the birds" ( BTW, how big IS this Splynter file ~? )
32. Pack animal: ASS - What'd you call me~? A pack animal~?
33. Taro-based staple: POI
34. __ block: MENTAL - Ah. I could not make WRITERS or LEGO fit
35. Night for last-minute wrapping: EVE - could'be been a name . . .
36. Stain or tear: MAR
37. Italian scholar Umberto: ECO - obscure, for a 3LW that could be a "not" name, #10 - the editor~?
38. National flower of Wales: DAFFODIL - I did not know this
39. South Asian rice cake: IDLI - filled via perps - more here - name(ish)
40. Hilarious comedian: RIOT
44. S.O.S competitor: BRILLO - I have caught two field mice in glue traps over the last month - I though this was a "winter" problem; now I am thinking about investing in an ultrasonic repellant, but I really have to go around and seal up the places where the little buggers are getting in; it was suggested to stuff steel wool, or better, soap-infused steel wool pads in thr holes around the pipes of my baseboard heaters.
45. "Slowly," on sheet music: ADAGIO - oops, I thought it was LEGATO - but that's tied notes
46. Madison Square Garden hockey player: RANGER - I knew this because I am a long-suffering NY Rangers fan; they never seem to have the tenacity, the drive, the desire to fight for the toughest trophy in sports - they're more like "eh, whatever", and that's very frustrating for fans
Igor Shesterkin is the exception
47. Purpose: INTENT - thie intent of playing an NHL season is to get to the Stanley Cup playoffs ...
48. In conflict: AT ODDS - but this seems to be AT ODDS with the NY Rangers
50. Novelist Santha Rama __: RAU - name #11 - more here
51. Jab with one's arm: ELBOW
52. Coral colonies: REEFS
53. Snow globes, e.g.: ORBS - good WAG on my part
54. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO - I've read the whole series from Rex Stout, and the follow-up novels from author Robert Goldsborough - name #12
58. Uni reference: OED - we had this on Monday
59. Feeling of self-worth: EGO - semi Meh. Is it a "feeling~?"
60. June honoree: DAD
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
Happy
55th birthday to Anon-T, who's always there when I need a pinch-hitter.
Tony At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017
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