Wednesday, Jan 29th, 2025 ~ Rebecca Goldstein

 What~!?  No Country AND Western~!?

More Music Family Trees Here

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR~!  We move into the Year of the Wood Snake -- C.C. and I are Chinese Zodiac 'Pigs', but as far as I am concerned, the year ahead does not bode well;  all the horoscope reviews suggest I be cautious in everything I do - and I already hurt my knee.  Sigh.  

The full link here

ANYWAY, as for the crossword, it's been a while since I had an RG puzzle, but another 15 x 16 grid, with a melodious theme of "music" genres spanning four "rows" of the grid.  Forty-Two 4LWs, the circles were in yesterday's grid, and for a change very few names; I did not get my "ta-DA~!" right away, so it took a few minutes to find my error in the SE ( I'm looking at you LIBS ).  The centered reveal:

41A. Nashville district with historic recording studios, or what can be found four times in this puzzle: MUSIC ROW - there's a newsletter of the same name

The theme word rows alone:

SOUL  - - - - - ALTERNATIVE

BLUES - - -TRAP - - - SWING

METAL - - - FUNK - - - SALSA

ROCK AND ROLL - - - FOLK

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Fireplace fuel: LOGS - I raid the wood shop at work for scraps to make kindling, too

5. Bath and body work locations?: SPAS

9. Carne __: ASADA - Yummers~!

Most of the recipe sites were blown up with ads

14. Hardly working: IDLE - I have kept working, and kept aggravating my knee muscles

15. Bucks: CASH

16. __ roll: KAISER

17. Animating spirit: SOUL - soul music = The "other" OTIS; see 25D.

18. Backup plan: ALTERNATIVE - alternative music = growing up, there were so many choices in the 1980s that qualified as 'alternative' - the group in the clip below was among them, but this is their only song I PREFER

The Cure - Open

20. Like better: PREFER - hey, I just said I preferred . . . .

22. Personalizable cookie: OREO - I did not know this - here's the website to 'design your own'

23. Orator's platform: DAIS

24. __ facto: IPSO - Latin for "the fact itself"

26. Spot for a backyard barbecue: PATIO

28. St. Louis team: BLUES - blues music  = Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZTop, so many others; I am learning the solo in this masterpiece from 1969, a remake of classic Delta Blues with the AMP set to "eleven"

Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me

31. Catch in a cage: TRAP - trap music = The Wiki, which is the closest I get to this style of music

33. Playground fixture where pushing is encouraged: SWING - swing music = before my time, but I did enjoy this one as a "revival"

Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot

37. House mems.: REPS - oh, that House - in the Capitol; I was thinking BROs, DADs, etc.

38. Epitome of ease: PIE

39. Red-letter: BANNER - as in memorable, a " - " day

40. Tiebreakers, briefly: OTs - sports Over Times

44. Blvd. kin: AVE - abbrs for street-like pavings 

45. Titania's husband: OBERON - from Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream

47. Quick snooze: NAP - spent most of Saturday napping icing and resting my knee

48. Dart: FLIT - usually with "about"

49. Gold or silver: METAL - metal music = my most beloved genre, but to pick "a" song . . . hmm OK, as far as I am concerned, here are the Godfathers of Heavy Metal, what with the image on their first album, the opening rain and thunder, the church bell, the "devil's interval" of the diminished fifth in the main riff, and the dark lyrics - I give you BLACK SABBATH

Black Sabbath

50. Feature of some cheeses: FUNK - funk music = this is the song that comes to mind

Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie

52. Chip dip: SALSA - salsa music = Marc Anthony is cited as the best-selling Salsa Artist per Wiki

53. Some viral content: MEMES

55. Devilish: EVIL

57. Sheer delight: GLEE

Delightfully sheer

60. Bills tracked at WheresGeorge.com: ONES - Interesting; the website

62. Sunset hue: ORANGE

66. Get the show on the road: ROCK AND ROLL - This one was tough - I chose to narrow it down to a  three-minute length, with a catchy riff, lyrics you can sing to, and some hint at a guitar solo - and the winner is, well, self-titled

Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers - I Love Rock N Roll

69. People: FOLK - I will not do this injustice; folk music = you pick your favorite

71. "Sure about that?": "IS IT~?"

72. Coastal Pennsylvania town: ERIE - home to Organ Supply Industries - I did not have a chance to respond to some comments last week - T-Ken, I am working on the drawings for a NEW organ that is to be installed in the Nave triforium at the National Cathedral - an extremely narrow chamber of only 3ft.

73. Double take?: STUNT - the star of a movie's stunt double

74. Pointillism units: DOTS - I did a painting like this, using Q-tips . . . . 

More about the movement here

75. 2024 WNBA champs: LIBS - meh.  The New York LIBerty defeated the Minnesota Lynx


DOWN:

1. Speech therapy subject: LISP

2. Smell: ODOR

3. Modeling supply: GLUE - I tried CLAY first

4. Mirror images?: SELFIES - first time appearing in a crossword per the analysis site

5. Lasting signs of damage: SCARS

6. Buddy: PAL

7. Regarding: AS TO - or IN RE~?  I guessed correctly this time

8. Tibetan ethnic group: SHERPA - filled via perps

9. Org. offering tows: AAA - The American Automobile Association - I'm A guy in AA and AAA 😜

10. "This may be hard to hear": "SIT DOWN."

11. Most populous continent: ASIA  - AND - 70A. Second-most populous continent: AFRICA

12. Hindu goddess: DEVI - Literally "goddess" in Sanskrit

Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth fortune, prosperity - I might just pray to her this year

13. Fighting spirit?: ARES - meh.  The God of War -- or -- maybe this site~?

16. Shoelace tangle: KNOT

19. Cut and collect: REAP - I had SNIP, like coupons - I could add a bonus of (Don't Fear) The Reaper

21. Podcast installments, briefly: EPs - I am guessing episodes - I have never actually listened to one

25. Elevator name: OTIS - Elisha, the inventor of the safety "brake" on elevators 

27. "We were all there": "I SAW."

28. Dustpan partner: BROOM

29. Didn't bother: LET BE

30. One-seed loss, e.g.: UPSET - Did this happen~? I hope so

32. Outdoorsy outlet: REI - Crosswordese - Recreational Equipment, Inc

34. Taken together: IN ALL

35. St. Kitts and __: NEVIS - I did not know this name

36. Director Gerwig: GRETA - I had a tie-in to her last week with "Lady Bird" more here

38. Bit of wordplay: PUN

39. Catchy song: BOP - I pondered "HIT" 

41. Star-nosed __: MOLE - I have had this before in crosswords - here's a link, but it's not pretty

42. Channel HQ'd in Atlanta: CNN

43. Accessory for fall collections?: RAKE - har-har

46. Creme brulee dish: RAMEKIN - I was this years old when I learned that this is literally "the" dish

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

  48. Pita filling: FALAFEL - fried chickpeas and seasonings

50. Ward (off): FEND

51. Login need: USER I.D.

52. Round Table title: SIR

54. "A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs" essayist Simpson: MONA - biological sister of - more here

56. Electricity units: VOLTS - Dah~! I went with WATTS

57. Mardi __: GRAS

58. Raised bed, maybe: LOFT

59. Greige hue: ECRU - Grey / Beige portmanteau; the common color of McMansions

61. Only okay: SO-SO

63. Seaweed snack: NORI

64. Insincere: GLIB - we have GLEE, GLUE, GRETA, GRAS, GREIGE and GLIB today

65. Squeaks (by): EKES

67. Do something: ACT - "don't just do something, stand there~!"

68. Course with a long reading list, for short: LIT - as in "English Lit(erature)"

Or maybe this~?  I like this one better

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

 

1) Happy Year of the Snake!

2) ORCA season is here. Voting is now open until February 17th for the 1^3th ORCA. You can read more here and cast your ballot.

Wednesday, Jan 22nd, 2025 ~ Parker Higgins

CURSES~!

We had National Tin Foil Hat Day last month

Parker Higgins returns with a "conspiracy" construction - he has two previous LA Times puzzles, and I don't recall this one, but the theme was quite unique.   Today we have three incidents of being foiled more than once - I am kinda '"meh" on this one, sorry - having found a clever theme from just two years ago, have we started to run out of ideas~?  No circles - we had those yesterday - 25 TLWs, and a dozen names, pretty much what I would expect for a Wednesday grid.  The themers;

17. "Another layer of wrapping before I'm cooked!?": BAKED POTATO - Aluminum Foil

33. "Another touch point for my opponent!?": OLYMPIC FENCER - Sword Foil

39. "Another literary figure whose qualities contrast my own!?": MAIN CHARACTER - Literary Foil

59. "Another plan thwarted!," or another way to phrase three clues in this puzzle?: FOILED AGAIN

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Saweetie songs: RAPS - A name (#1) to start us off - thankfully, I do the DOWNS first - her Wiki

5. Japanese mat: TATAMI

11. Turf: SOD

14. Burn application: ALOE - I am breaking with tradition, Hahtoolah

15. Preplanned, as some viral videos: STAGED

16. Duo: TWO

19. Gun, as an engine: REV

20. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE - name #2 , but a Crossword staple

21. Designer Jacobs: MARC - name #3 - the website - and you can have a sack bag for just $550

22. Give over: CEDE

23. Private convos: DMs - Direct Messages - for users on a social media platform, i.e., Facebook, etc. Not my thing

24. Trans- opposite: CIS

26. Queens stadium eponym: ASHE - Shea~? Citi~? Ah - the tennis place - name #4

28. Corn core: COB

29. Throbbed: PULSATED

This is what my knees feel like after squats

35. "Mamma Mia" group: ABBA - Crossword staple, name #5

37. Fish used as currency in medieval England: EEL - 'tis true; at least according to this website

38. Soap unit: CAKE

44. Kids playing in the backyard?: PET GOATS - goat juveniles are kids; seems like a "forced" fill to me; but then again, I had "GOAT YOGA" not too long ago, and that is a "thing"

45. Blue: SAD

46. Remain unsettled: PEND - AND - 12D. Outstanding: OWED

47. Up to, briefly: 'TIL 

48. "Stay With Me" singer Smith: SAM - name #6

51. Hefty alternative: GLAD - Garbage bag wars; name(ish)

53. Bangers partner: MASH - Brit-speak for sausage and potatoes

Here's a recipe link - with gravy~!

56. Computer expert, briefly: IT PRO - Information Technology 'briefly' is "I.T."

58. Untrustworthy paper: RAG - hey, now, MiB read them on a regular basis

Let's check the hot sheets

61. Wide st.: AVE

62. Flowery, as prose: ORNATE

63. Frozen drink with a domed lid: ICEE

64. Some degs.: BAs - Dah~!  My overlooked error was an "M", not a "B" degree

65. Aquarium fighters: BETTAS

66. Muppet material: FELT - and ping-pong balls; more at this museum


DOWN:

1. Overzealous: RABID - Not EAGER

2. First smartphone alert of the day, for many: ALARM

3. Jabs: POKES

4. "I feel __": SEEN - this must be 21st century-speak, as I have said this never

5. Baking amt.: TSP - I wanted to make me some brownies with a peanut butter filling and fudge topping last weekend - went to use the electric beater I got from clearing out the parent's house, and discovered the beaters were NOT in the box - they were kept separately in a kitchen drawer - D'oh~!

6. Small matters?: ATOMS - cute

7. "Toodles!": "TA-TA~!" - I tried "CIAO" first

8. Food thickener: AGAR - LFDC

9. "Lady Bird" Oscar nominee Laurie: METCALF - name #7

10. Words one utters in an altar-ed state?: "I DO." - har-har

11. Transport largely replaced by light rail: STREETCAR

13. Peace sign: DOVE

18. Diversionary tactic: DECOY

22. Risked: CHANCED

25. ThinkPad maker before Lenovo: IBM

Vintage~!

27. NNW opposite: SSE

28. Sounded like heavy metal?: CLANGED - sounded like Heavy Metal~? - let me count the ways - OK, this one has some clever harmonics that sound like bending metal . . .

Blue Öyster Cult - Heavy Metal; The Black & Silver

29. Fishing spots: PIERS - I was recently contacted by two friends from high school for the first time in decades - one of them is the weatherman on TV in Richmond VA, and he has a podcast on fishing - but he prefers upstate NY to the pier

30. Sch. based in Westwood: UCLA - I'm East Coast

31. "A mouse!": "EEK~!"

32. Beats by __: DRE

33. Newspaper section with notable passages?: OBIT PAGES - forced

34. Bog makeup: PEAT

35. Source of feedback for a guitarist?: AMP - Clever clue, but not deceptive - one could argue there's no "abbr" in there, so it should be "amplifier"

36. Hon: BAE - Cringe.  But I did find . . . .

"Bae" clothing line from Shein; I could get to like this . . .

40. Mark against: CON - meh.

41. Went for seconds: HAD MORE - forced - but has been in another puzzle

42. Forensic drama with regional spinoffs: CSI

43. Actress Shire: TALIA - name #8

47. Eta follower: THETA - Greek letters 

48. Elbow room: SPACE

49. Mermaid played by Halle Bailey: ARIEL - name #9

50. "Water Lilies" painter: MONET - two weeks ( for me ) having to guess the "A" or "O"; name #10

51. Snag: GRAB - Ah.  The verb, not the noun

52. Floor material, in a children's game: LAVA - "don't touch the floor~!"; 'composition' or 'make up' would have been a better word than 'material', but I still got it - I would pretend to be Indiana Jones when we had this "exercise" in gym class

54. Casual contraction: AIN'T - I tried Y'ALL

55. Thin strip: SLAT - oops, not LATH

57. "Yay, the weekend!" letters: TGIF

Thank Grover It's Funny~?

59. Car remote: FOB

60. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES - LFDC

Splynter

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 Mark McClain

 Theme:  Yes, you can go back.  If you are in Reverse.  Each two word theme fill contains the name of a travel passage, spelt backwards and spanning the two words.  This is indicated with the circled letters.

17. Sticky stuff in a dispenser: SCOTCH TAPE.    Scotch is a brand name used for tape and related products developed by 3M.    A path is a way or track laid down for walking or made by continual treading.

22. Out of this world: TOTALLY AWESOME.   Extremely enjoyable or impressive.  A WAY is any track for traveling.

35. Cause of some springtime discomfort: POLLEN ALLERGIES.    A pollen allergy is an immune system reaction to pollen, a fine powder released by plants to fertilize other plants. Pollen allergies are also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever.   A LANE is a narrow road, especially in a rural area, or a division of a road marked off with painted lines and intended to separate single lines of traffic according to speed or direction.

45. Fruit from the Sunshine State: FLORIDA ORANGES.  These are simply oranges grown in the state of Florida. Go figure.  A ROAD is a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface which vehicles can use.  

53. Thoroughfare away from the main drag, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: BACK STREET.  This is a minor street remote from a main road.  Or, in the case of this puzzle, the name of any travel path concealed in a two word sequence and spelt in reverse.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here, your travel guide for the day.  Let's embark on this puzzle journey.  With a little luck, nobody will get lost.

Across:

1. Philosophy test component: ESSAY.  A written work that expresses the author's thought on a given subject.

6. Water conveyer: PIPE.  A tube used to carry a fluid.

10. Royal __: seabird native to the Americas: TERN. A sleek seabird of warm saltwater coasts, with a tangerine-colored bill and ragged, ink-black crest against crisp white plumage.

14. India's first prime minister: NEHRU.  Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964)  was an Indian statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was second only to Mahatma Gandhi in leading the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s, and upon independence from Britain in 1947 served as India's first prime minister until his death in 1964.

15. Four or five: A FEW.  A small number of people or things.

16. French god: DIEU.  Literal

19. Seckel, e.g.: PEAR.    A pear of a small sweet juicy brownish-red variety, grown chiefly in the US.

20. Normandy city: CAEN.   Caen is a port city and capital of Calvados department in northern France's Normandy region. Its center features the Château de Caen, a circa-1060 castle built by William the Conqueror. I

21. Competes in a regatta: SAILS.  Travels in a boat with sails, especially as a sport or recreation.

27. Least likely to be seen: RAREST.  Most uncommon.

28. Family men: DADS.  Male parents.

29. Middle East flyer: EL AL.   Meaning "Upwards" or "To the sky," it is the flagship airlines of Israel.

30. Triangular-stemmed marsh grass: SEDGE. Any of a family (Cyperaceae, the sedge family) of usually tufted monocotyledonous marsh plants differing from the related grasses in having achenes ( small, dry one-seeded fruits that do not open to release the seed) and solid stems.  

32. __ Dhabi: ABU.   Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Its focus on oil exports and commerce is reflected by the skyline’s modern towers and shopping megacenters such as Abu Dhabi and Marina malls. 

39. Tunisian tennis pro __ Jabeur: ONS.   Ons Jabeur (b. 1994) is a Tunisian professional tennis player. She has a career-high ranking by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) of world No. 2, achieved on 27 June 2022. Jabeur is the current Tunisian number one, and the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in WTA and ATP rankings history. She has won five singles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as eleven singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Circuit. 

40. Tied up in knots: TENSE.  Displaying anxiety or nervousness.

41. Country on the Arabian Sea: OMAN.  Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The capital and largest city is Muscat.

42. Sharpen: WHET.  Sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon.

43. The movie industry: CINEMA.  The art or industry of producing movies.

50. Museum piece: RELIC.   An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest.

51. Zero-star reviews: PANS.  Severe criticisms.

52. Drop out: OMIT.  Leave out or exclude someone or something, either intentionally or forgetfully.

59. Symbol of peace: DOVE.  A stocky seed- or fruit-eating bird with a small head, short legs, and a cooing voice. Doves are generally smaller and more delicate than pigeons.  They are typically docile and highly intelligent. 

60. Garfield's housemate: ODIE.Garfield, an orange cat, and Odie, a yellow dog, are the cartoon pets of Jon Arbuckle.

61. Cause for some recalls: E COLI.  Escherichia coli is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. They can cause infections when contaminating foods.

62. Small notes: ONES.  Dollar bills.

63. Some imitative software: BOTS.    Software programs designed to automatically perform repetitive tasks on the internet, often mimicking human behavior, like interacting with websites, chatting with users, or collecting data.  They and can be used for both helpful and malicious purposes depending on its design.

64. Flip out: PANIC.  Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior.

Down:

1. 34-Down grad: ENS.  Ensign is the junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

2. "Hold on a __!": SEC.  Requesting someone to briefely wait.

3. "Your Honor" airer, briefly: SHO.   Showtime Networks, Inc. is a television company owned by American media conglomerate Paramount Global under its networks division that oversees the company's premium cable television channels, including its flagship namesake service, The Movie Channel, and Flix.

4. Museum piece: ART.   Art describes a diverse range of cultural activity centered around works utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, beauty, and/or technical proficiency.

5. Desert bloomers: YUCCAS.   Plants of the agave family with stiff swordlike leaves and spikes of white bell-shaped flowers that are dependent upon the yucca moth for fertilization, found especially in warm regions of North America and Mexico.

6. Dev of "Hotel Mumbai": PATEL.  Dev Patel [ b. 1990] is an English actor and filmmaker. He has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and nominations for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Patel was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.

7. "Assuming there are some": IF ANY.  Anticipating the possible existance of a small quantity of something.

8. Frisky feeling: PEP.  Energy and high spirits.

9. Source of milk for manchego cheese: EWE.  Female sheep.

10. Completion worth six points, informally: TD PASS.  A ball thrown to an eligible receiver who is in or makes it into the end zone for a touchdown.

11. "Old MacDonald" letters: EI-EI-O.  Nonsense syllables in a children's song.

12. Monarch's territory: REALM.  Literally, the territory of a ruler.

13. Drink slowly: NURSE.   As defined, over an extended period.

18. Drill command: HALT.   Stop, soldiers!

21. Ceremonial feast during Passover: SEDER.  A Jewish ritual service and ceremonial dinner for the first night or first two nights of Passover.

22. Hawk's weapon: TALON.  The claw of a bird of prey.

23. Face-to-face exams: ORALS.  Spoken tests.

24. Spill the beans: TELL.  Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely.

25. Perplex: ADDLE.  Make someone unable to think clearly; confuse.

26. Minimum __: WAGE.   The lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid

27. Credit union seizure: REPO.   Repossess a car or other item when a buyer defaults on payments.

30. North Pole VIP: SANTA.   That jolly old elf.

31. Couple of fellows?: ELS.  The word "fellow" contains a double letter "l."  

32. Singer-songwriter Mann: AIMEE.  Aimee Elizabeth Mann [ b. 1960] is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often describing lost or lonely underdog characters.

33. Grins broadly: BEAMS.   Smiles with joy.

34. Annapolis inst.: USNA.   United States Naval Acadamy.

36. Code of conduct: ETHIC.  Aset of moral principles, especially ones relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct.

37. "__ a hand?": NEED.    Can I help you?

38. Large percussion instrument: GONG.  

42. Drops a line: WRITES.  Frex, a letter, post card or email.

43. Beer containers: CANS.    Small steel or aluminum containers in which food or drink is hermetically sealed for storage over long periods.
 
44. Foot part: INSTEP.   The part of a person's foot between the ball and the ankle.

45. Hobbit who inherits the One Ring from Bilbo: FRODO.   Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings and one of the protagonists in The Lord of the Rings. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly as "uncle", and undertakes the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. He is mentioned in Tolkien's posthumously published works, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

46. Shade of yellow: LEMON.   A vivid yellow color characteristic of the lemon fruit. 

47. Shade of green: OLIVE.  A dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. ...

48. Footnote abbr.: OP CIT.   Abbreviated form of opere citato (Latin, 'in the work cited'), a formula employed in scholarly footnotes and endnotes when referring to a quotation from a work of which the title has already been specified, this reference usually being preceded by the name of the work's author. 

49. Leaf collectors: RAKES.  An implement consisting of a pole with a crossbar toothed like a comb at the end, or with several tines held together by a crosspiece, used especially for drawing together cut grass or fallen leaves, or smoothing loose soil or gravel.

53. Weave's partner: BOB.   To bob and weave is to move quickly up and down and from side to side, usually in order to avoid hitting or being hit by something:

54. "Without further __ ... ": ADO.  A state of agitation or fuss, especially about something unimportant. Here, it is to do something without delay.

55. Classic TV brand: RCA.  The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Company. In 1932, RCA became an independent company after the partners were required to divest their ownership as part of the settlement of a government antitrust suit.

56. Long, long time: EON.  An indefinite and very long period of time.  

57. Arch Manning's uncle: ELI.   Archibald Charles Manning (b. 2005) is an American football quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. He is a member of the Manning family, the oldest son of Cooper Manning, himself the eldest son of Archie Manning, and nephew to Cooper's NFL quarterback brothers, Peyton and Eli.

58. Start of a pencil game: TIC.  Continuing with tac and toe.

So we have arrived at our destination.  

Not everyone is so lucky.  A month ago my daughter Karen was driving with her daughter Emily [18] an son Nate [22] to a concert where I was playing.  In a residential neighborhood at a 4-way stop, a drunk driver traveling at high speed with her lights off in the dark hit them broadside.  Karen got broken ribs and some other minor injuries.  Nate got scrapes and bruises and was relatively unharmed.  Emily was severely injured, with a shattered pelvis, broken arm, and internal injuries.  She is still in the hospital and will be for some time. The bones are knitting properly, but she has had some complications with the soft tissue damage.  She's in remarkably good spirits, and is angry, of course. I'm happy to see she is channeling that energy into determination.  She'll get better, eventually, but it will be a long road.

The lesson here is to wear your seat belt - and have it low and tight across your lap.  It can be a life saver.

Cool regards!

Ron

Wednesday, Jan 8th, 2025 ~ Catherine Cetta

 This is not a Pipe (organ)

This Is Not a Tool for Drilling

A new twist on a crossword puzzle idea that even I tried to construct - in that version, I inserted "Drill" into the song title "The Thrill Is Gone" - but that idea had been done more than once; in fact, the old editor, Rich Norris, was the constructor of one.  Our C.C. could tell you more - today's author is another "C.C.", whom I have not had the pleasure to blog - she appeared for the LA Times three times in 2024, two of them on Mondays.  No circles, a few names that filled via perps before I had the chance to read the clues, a run of 26 Five-Letter Words ( 5LW ), and several answers that I "Learned From Doing Crosswords" (LFDC).  Here's your "Do It Yourself" minimum requirements; 

17. Emphasize and then some: HAMMER HOME

24. Had an aha moment: SAW THE LIGHT

51. "Be brutally honest": LEVEL WITH ME

63. Some Expedia search results: PLANE FARES - I don't much like "plane", but it works - but Southwest came up before Expedia on my Google

39. "Remember your training, people!," and what can be said about the starts of 17-, 24-, 51-, and 63-Across: THIS IS NOT A DRILL - for those who don't recognize the paint job on the drill above, here's where it comes from

Van Halen - Poundcake

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Carve into: ETCH - I used letter punches to "ETCH" my name into this wood block for sanding

I whacked the "N" sideways the first time 😜

5. Multitasking, perhaps: BUSY

9. Chocolate canines: LABS - as in Labrador, the dog breed; Australian Shepherds are on their way to my local shelter, so I might just go with that breed for my new pet - I already know how much they shed, bark, weigh, and the amount of exercise they need~!

13. 22-Down city: TROY - AND - 22D. Epic poem featuring Patroclus and Achilles: ILIAD - Five-letter Epic poem blah-blah-blah = Ektorp

14. Turkish bigwigs: AGHAS - Learned from doing crosswords (LFDC)

16. Run __: AMOK - I do the DOWNs first; otherwise, I doubt I would have understood this clue

19. Written reminder: NOTE

20. Portents: OMENS

21. Glowing quality: RADIANCE

23. Me day place: SPA

27. Bearded garden figure: GNOME

I want one~!

29. NPR host Shapiro: ARI - name #1, filled via perps

30. "Don't get carried __!": "AWAY~!" - we have a lot of "quoted" clues today as well . . . .

32. Whisper receiver: EAR - different way to clue this answer

34. Book of maps: ATLAS

43. "Water Lilies" painter Claude: MONET - Is it mAnet, or mOnet~? - I can never remember; the "O" filled via perps

44. Little bit: TAD

45. Above: OVER

46. Slugger Mel inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951: OTT - name #2, Crossword Staple

49. Isabel Wilkerson work subtitled "The Origins of Our Discontents": CASTE - name #3, again, filled via perps

56. Financial daily, initially: WSJ - The Wall Street Journal

59. Speechmaker's story: ANECDOTE - "So there I was, in the middle of nowhere . . . "

60. Bonn's river: RHINE - or rhOne~?  This time, I was wrong with the "O"

62. Seethe: BOIL

66. Jazz legend Fitzgerald: ELLA - name #4, Crossword Staple

67. Canyonlands features: MESAS

68. Campfire output: HEAT

69. Stand the test of time: LAST

70. Credit card balance, e.g.: DEBT

71. Requests: ASKS


DOWN:

1. Belief system: ETHOS

2. Walk with heavy steps: TRAMP - I tried CLOMP first

3. "What?": "COME AGAIN~?" - reminds me of the "Wolf" scene from Pulp Fiction - NSFW

4. "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," for one: HYMN - no clue; again, perps; name(ish) #5

5. Forbid: BAR - I had BAN first; 67% correct

6. "How repulsive!": "UGH~!"

7. In the red: SHORT - OWES was not long enough

In the RED, and SHORT

8. Big name in electronic instruments: YAMAHA - an electric organ~?  Anathema~!

9. One of four islands in Maui County: LANAI - name #6, filled - oh, never mind

10. "You're __ friends": AMONG - ooof - not sure I would ever guess this answer

11. Bungle: BOTCH - I always associate "BOTCH" with plastic surgery - definitely NSFW - even the "success" stories look creepy

12. Shooting sport: SKEET

15. Passover meal: SEDER - LFDC

18. Canadian fuel giant: ESSO - LFDC

25. Iowa college town: AMES - name #7 - LFDC

26. Gradually ease off: WEAN

28. Org. with opening and closing bells: NYSE - check the $$$ of your IPO on the NYSE in the WSJ

30. PIN point: ATM - good change-up for this Crossword Staple

31. "__ knows?": "WHO~?"

33. "Rubbish!": "ROT~!"

35. Not quite run: TROT - another tough-to-relate clue/answer

36. Go-getters: LIVE WIRES - I have to put this one in

I love playing the drums to this - the cowbell fills are great
Mötley Crüe - Live Wire

37. India Pale __: ALE - Crossword Staple - seen as "IPA"

38. Pro's camera: SLR - a professional's Single-Lens Reflex 35mm (typically) tool

40. "Mom knows": "I TOLD." - you dirty rat . . . .

41. RPM gauge: TACH - abbr. for RPM = abbr for tachOMETER

42. Driver at the Oscars: ADAM - Ooops, not MINI ( which is actually Minnie ) - name #8

47. Early afternoon hr.: TWO PM

See what I mean~?

48. Named: TITLED

50. Feudal laborer: SERF

51. Laundry instructions spot: LABEL - my first thought was the lid of the washing machine 😜

52. "__ Holmes": Millie Bobby Brown film: ENOLA - name #9

53. Obscures: VEILS

54. Razzle-dazzle: ÉCLAT

55. Rib: TEASE

57. B-ball shoe: SNEAK - meh.  sneakER.  My first thought, and I said "there's no way that's the answer."

58. Makes jokes: JESTS

61. "That's funny!": "HA-HA~!"

64. Snag: NAB

65. Superlative ending: EST - as in the BESTEST, ever

Splynter

That's a PIPE~!

Notes from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the pipe guy's 20th continued sobriety. Reaching this milestone is a testament to your resilience and dedication to living your best life. Congrats, Splynter!

Wednesday, Jan. 1st, 2025 ~ Jay Silverman

 C CCC CC C
(rough "C"s)

Happy New Year~!  - Ah, circles - nothing like starting 2025 off with a familiar constructor, but the same old, same old . . . . nine or more names, depending on how you count, twenty more 4LW than TLW, and a reveal that explains how the WATER words are "chopped up".  The themers;

20. *Occasion to stay up late: SLUMBER PARTY - I recall playing Atari 2600 all night for my B-day sleep-over in 5th grade - and BAY

29. *Hard wear with links: CHAIN MAIL - I wore chain-mail at my "medieval" wedding - and CANAL

Yes - if you look closely, we had coconuts . . . 

38. *Team whose stadium is at the highest elevation in the majors: COLORADO ROCKIES - the  NHL's Colorado Rockies became the New Jersey Devils in 1982 - and LAKE

Barry went on to become a NY Ranger

45. *Ford Mustang, for one: MUSCLE CAR - I like the Mustang, but I'm partial to the '67 "10A." Cougar - and SEA

I actually had two, but '69s

53. Rough sailing, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: CHOPPY WATERS

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. "Hurry!" letters: ASAP - I believe most Cornerites are OK with "hurry" to define 'As Soon As Possible' - STAT, not so much

5. Post-marathon feelings: ACHES - post-beach hike, too; sloped sand is a tough surface for walking 

I prefer the beach when it's Christmas Day - and the Atlantic was not CHOPPY
Splynter with Cooper - there's SNOW on the sand~!

10. 88 Earth days on Mercury: YEAR - the planet "Spirographs" in its orbit

Want more confusion~?  Read more here

14. Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida __": LOCA - not really my thing, but there are some cool guitar licks

Co-written by Desmond Child - who has a long list of hits across several genres

15. Where the heart is: CHEST - Dah~!  We had TORSO last week, so I tried it again - Bzzzt~!

16. Like a literary duckling: UGLY

17. Gelcap, e.g.: PILL

18. Rodeo rope: RIATA

19. Spy: MOLE - I am reading the Lance Spector books by Saul Herzog, and guess what~?  Book #5 is called - The Spl(y)nter~!

The previous book, "The Sleeper", was a real page-turner

23. Anna's "Frozen" sister: ELSA - name #1

24. Cry of pain: "OUCH~!"

27. Protein source in Greek salad: FETA - AND - 68A. Second Greek letter: BETA; see 48D., too

34. "My gosh, you're right!": "SO IT IS~!"

36. Acr. from: OPP - 'across' , 'opposite' - a bit Meh.

37. Mrs. in Mexico: SRA - abbr.s

42. Actor Mahershala: ALI - not a clue; his Wiki; name #2

43. Head-slapping cry: "D'OH~!"

44. Glistens: SHINES - I guess; I think of it more as "sparkles"

49. Lovers' vows: "I DOs"

50. Branch of Islam: SHIA - name(ish) - and a note to the Noobs

51. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen: HANS - name #3

60. Mexican peninsula, informally: BAJA

63. Alpaca kin: LLAMA

Classic

64. Off-white shade: OPAL

65. Treated, as a sprain: ICED

66. Bamboozles: DUPES

67. Mythical cousin of Bigfoot: YETI

69. Big Broadway hit: SMASH

70. Come off as: SEEM


DOWN:

1. Much of Switzerland: ALPS

2. Gardener's purchase: SOIL  - I had SEED, only 25% correct

3. RBG employer in the 1970s: ACLU - RBG = Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the American Civil Liberties Union - I knew who the "notorious RBG" was, but not her history - the Wiki

4. South Carolina's state tree: PALMETTO

That's the state "shape" and its "flag", with the palmetto tree

5. Tracts of land: ACRES - whenever I hear "tracts of land", it reminds me of this scene

Monty Python @ 1:02 - "huge tracts of land"

6. Former French president Jacques: CHIRAC - no clue; Frawnche name #4

7. Haphazard pile: HEAP

8. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA - Spanish lesson; "How are you~?"

9. People person?: STAR - People, the magazine, that is

10. Syllables said while rubbing one's tummy: YUM-YUM

11. Sense of self: EGO

12. Everyone: ALL

13. Sandwich bread: RYE

21. Serena's frenemy on "Gossip Girl": BLAIR - no clue, again; name #5

Methinks I should start watching, tho

22. Cargo weight: TON

25. Reno venue: CASINO - a casino in reno - I'm a poet - and I know it

26. New staff members: HIREES - a good WAG on my part

27. Magic competition hosted by Penn & Teller: FOOL US - on TV, the IMDb, a rhyme you see

but I've never watched

28. "Bad Guy" singer Billie: EILISH - I have heard of her; name #6

30. Hullabaloo: HOO-HA

31. Busy IRS mo.: APRil  - I am still waiting for the Internal Revenue Service to resolve a dispute from 2022 . . . April 15th is a Tuesday - there will be no extensions

32. Wall St. debuts: IPOs - Initial Public Offering

33. Girl: LASS - I tried LADY - that's 50% correct

Check out this bagpipe LASS

34. Bogus deal: SCAM

35. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE - "Smooth Sailing"; name #7

there's a great little guitar solo before the sax solo

39. "What's up, __?": DOC - Bugs Bunny to me - I did not know it was also a movie (BTW, Splynter was born a mere year before its release)

40. Fine dishes: CHINA

41. Playroom detritus: KIDS TOYS

46. Noisy summer bug: CICADA - I'm not a fan of summer, sun, sand, sweating and insects

47. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH

48. Jay, Kay, and May, say: RHYMES - Ah, clever - the constructor's name is in there, but NAMES didn't fit - he even snuck "say" in there, as well

52. Inundated (with): AWASH

54. Poet Sharon: OLDS - never heard of her, and a departure from the 'car maker'; name #8

55. Purple fruit: PLUM - or sloe~?

56. Smurf with a white beard: PAPA - I guess it's a name, too - #9

He's the one with the, uh, beard . . . 

57. Olympian's weapon: ÉPÉE

I just learned there are specific "targets" in fencing

58. Hourly charge: RATE

59. Svelte: SLIM

60. High chair garb: BIB

There are times when I feel like I missed out, not having kids . . . .

61. Opening day pitcher, typically: ACE

62. Jacuzzi feature: JET - I plan to replace my "plain" tub with a Jacuzzi

Now that's choppy water

Splynter

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR~!

( DID YOU WATCH THE WINTER CLASSIC~? )