Theme: The Pressure Is On! Here we have an unusual theme where the entries are united by something that happens to them. Let's start with the unifier.
59 A. Feeling the squeeze, or what 17-, 23-, 37-, and 48-Across may be: HARD PRESSED. This means to face a lot of difficulty, distress, or burden—usually because you are lacking time, money, or resources. It is also frequently used in the phrase "hard-pressed to do something," which means you would find it very difficult or unlikely to achieve a specific task. More literally, it means to be subjected to physical pressure.
17 A. LP or 45: VINYL RECORD. These are old-style phonograph records that have recently made a comeback. My youngest granddaughter has some featuring her favorite modern artists.
This is how it is done
23 A. Emergency feature on a car's key fob: PANIC BUTTON. A key fob panic button is a safety feature, often labeled in red, that triggers a vehicle's horn and lights to blare continuously to attract attention during emergencies. You have to press it. I'm not sure how hard.
37 A. Ham-and-cheese concoctions with Florida origins: CUBAN SANDWICHES. Warm, pressed ham and cheese sandwiches featuring roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on crusty Cuban bread. Popularized by Cuban immigrants in Florida, it is typically grilled in a plancha (panini press) until the bread is crisp and the cheese melts.
48 A. Waterless treatment for some clothes: DRY CLEANING. Dry cleaning is a professional cleaning process that uses special liquid chemical solvents instead of water to remove dirt, stains, and oils from fabric. Despite the name, clothes do get wet, but they are never submerged in water, which prevents delicate fabrics from shrinking, swelling, or losing their shape. To finish the process, garments are expertly steamed and pressed using automated machinery or hand irons for a crisp, wrinkle-free finish.
Hi, Gang, JazzBunpa here to push us through this puzzle. The pressure is on, so let us press on.
Here is today's theme song, once available on a Vinyl Record.
Across:
1. Pesters: NAGS. Annoys, bothers, or persistently urges someone by constantly finding fault or making complaints. What is it called if you annoy an old and overworked horse?
5. "Break a leg" addressee: ACTOR. An actor is a performer in a play or movie. "Break a leg" is a theatrical idiom used to wish performers good luck before a show. Because actors are notoriously superstitious and believe wishing good luck directly will cause the opposite, they use this phrase instead.
10. Minor quibble: NIT. A minor or trivial complaint. Not to be confused with an insect's egg.
13. Regions: AREAS. Broad geographical, spatial, or conceptual areas defined by shared characteristics.
15. Sulu portrayer on "Star Trek": TAKEI. George Takei [b. 1937] is an American actor, author, activist, and director. He's best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, the USS Enterprise's helmsman in the original Star Trek series and several films.
16. Prior to today: AGO. Once upon a time.
19. Category: ILK. Type. Moose are not elks, but they are of the elk ilk. Oh, deer!
20. "From my point of view ... ": AS I SEE IT. IMHO.
21. Gin infusion berry: SLOE. A small, sour, bluish-black fruit that grows on the blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa). Because the raw fruit is highly astringently bitter, it is rarely eaten fresh but is famously used to make jams, preserves, and liqueurs like sloe gin.
22. Filmmaker Spike: LEE. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American filmmaker, actor, and tenured professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1957, Lee is known for his provocative and uncompromising approach to controversial topics. His films often explore themes of race relations, urban discontent, and diversity within Black communities.
27. The Falcons, on scoreboards: ATL. Atlanta, GA is home to the Falcons of the National Football League.. They also have a pretty good baseball team
28. Squabble: ARGUE. Quibble, perhaps pick nits.
29. Sandler of "Uncut Gems": ADAM. Adam Richard Sandler [b. 1966] is an American actor, comedian, producer, musician, and screenwriter. He's known for his comedic roles in movies like Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, and Little Nicky, but has also taken on dramatic roles like in Reign Over Me. His films often explore themes related to his Jewish heritage and range from romantic comedies to animated features like the Hotel Transylvania series.
32. Plywood sheet: PANEL. A flat, rectangular piece of building material (like plywood or sheet metal) used to form a surface or structure.
34. PC core: CPU. Central Processing Unit. The primary "brain" of a computer or smart device. It processes instructions, performs calculations, and manages the flow of data across all hardware and software.
41. Partner of flow: EBB. The movement of the tide going out or retreating from the shore. Metaphorically, it is used to describe a gradual decline, lessening, or weakening of something over time (such as energy, morale, or emotion).
42. Wee: EENSY. Teeny, itsey-bitsy. A non-word meaning tiny.
5. "Break a leg" addressee: ACTOR. An actor is a performer in a play or movie. "Break a leg" is a theatrical idiom used to wish performers good luck before a show. Because actors are notoriously superstitious and believe wishing good luck directly will cause the opposite, they use this phrase instead.
10. Minor quibble: NIT. A minor or trivial complaint. Not to be confused with an insect's egg.
13. Regions: AREAS. Broad geographical, spatial, or conceptual areas defined by shared characteristics.
15. Sulu portrayer on "Star Trek": TAKEI. George Takei [b. 1937] is an American actor, author, activist, and director. He's best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, the USS Enterprise's helmsman in the original Star Trek series and several films.
16. Prior to today: AGO. Once upon a time.
19. Category: ILK. Type. Moose are not elks, but they are of the elk ilk. Oh, deer!
20. "From my point of view ... ": AS I SEE IT. IMHO.
21. Gin infusion berry: SLOE. A small, sour, bluish-black fruit that grows on the blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa). Because the raw fruit is highly astringently bitter, it is rarely eaten fresh but is famously used to make jams, preserves, and liqueurs like sloe gin.
22. Filmmaker Spike: LEE. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American filmmaker, actor, and tenured professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1957, Lee is known for his provocative and uncompromising approach to controversial topics. His films often explore themes of race relations, urban discontent, and diversity within Black communities.
27. The Falcons, on scoreboards: ATL. Atlanta, GA is home to the Falcons of the National Football League.. They also have a pretty good baseball team
28. Squabble: ARGUE. Quibble, perhaps pick nits.
29. Sandler of "Uncut Gems": ADAM. Adam Richard Sandler [b. 1966] is an American actor, comedian, producer, musician, and screenwriter. He's known for his comedic roles in movies like Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, and Little Nicky, but has also taken on dramatic roles like in Reign Over Me. His films often explore themes related to his Jewish heritage and range from romantic comedies to animated features like the Hotel Transylvania series.
34. PC core: CPU. Central Processing Unit. The primary "brain" of a computer or smart device. It processes instructions, performs calculations, and manages the flow of data across all hardware and software.
41. Partner of flow: EBB. The movement of the tide going out or retreating from the shore. Metaphorically, it is used to describe a gradual decline, lessening, or weakening of something over time (such as energy, morale, or emotion).
42. Wee: EENSY. Teeny, itsey-bitsy. A non-word meaning tiny.
43. Most populous continent: ASIA. Asia is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area.
44. Online birthday greeting: E-CARD. A digital version of a traditional greeting card. Sent via email, text, or messaging app,
46. A billion years: EON. A unit of time representing an indefinitely long, immeasurable period. Might be a billion. But who counts?
52. Bullpen stat: ERA. Earned Run Average, representing the average number of runs an opposing team scores against them per nine innings .
55. Jam-packed containers?: JARS. Cylindrical glass or ceramic containers with wide openings, used for storing items like food, or food-like substances. Jam is a fruit spread that can be packed into a jar.
56. Like some work in a teacher's stack: UNGRADED. Refers to something has not been assigned a grade, score, or classification level. Alternatively, dirt or gravel roads that have not been leveled, smoothed, or paved.
58. Vow renewal vow: I DO. For marriage renewal. Did it not take the first time?
62. Actress Peeples: NIA. Virenia Gwendolyn Peeples [b. 1961], known professionally as Nia Peeples, is an American actress, singer, and producer. Peeples transitioned to acting in the early 1980s, gaining recognition for her role as Nicole Chapman on the TV show Fame. She's also known for her roles as Pam Fields on Pretty Little Liars, Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless, and Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger.
63. Proverb: ADAGE. A short, memorable saying that expresses a well-known truth or common observation about life. Frex: A bird in the hand saves nine.
64. Conchiglie pasta shape: SHELL. A conch is a marine snail with a spiral shell. I assume it is the eponym for this style of pasta, which comes in various sizes.
65. Zeus or Poseidon: GOD. Zeus was the chief god of the Greek pantheon. Poseidon, god of the sea, was his brother.
66. Saudi Arabia neighbor: YEMEN. Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Including the Socotra Archipelago, mainland Yemen is located in southern Arabia; bordering Saudi Arabia to the north, and Oman to the northeast. Yemen is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula by area, and the largest by population.
67. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE. This means that if every other planned action, preferred solution, or attempt you have tried is unsuccessful, you will move to your final fallback option or backup plan.
Down:
1. Part of USNA: NAVAL. United States Naval Acadamy.
2. Respond to reveille: ARISE. Wake up, Sad Sack.
3. "Aladdin" role for Robin Williams: GENIE. Spirit in a bottle. Don't rub it the wrong way.
4. Simon __: SAYS. "Simon Says" is a classic listening game where players follow the leader's physical commands only if the phrase begins with the words "Simon says".
5. Used Grubhub, say: ATE IN. Had a meal at home, in this case delivered from somewhere.
6. Some succulents: CACTI. Succulents are drought-resistant plants that store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, or roots. The term comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap". They are not one specific family of plants, but rather a survival adaptation shared across roughly 60 different plant families. Cactus plants are members of the succulent plant family Cactaceae, native primarily to the Americas. They are uniquely adapted to hot, arid environments, featuring thick, fleshy stems that store water, and sharp spines instead of traditional leaves to conserve moisture and deter animals
7. Ref's ring call, for short: TKO. Technical Knock Out, a term used in combat sports like boxing, MMA, and wrestling to describe the end of a match when a referee, ringside physician, or a fighter's corner stops the fight because a competitor can no longer safely defend themselves
8. Opposite of 'neath: O'ER. Beneath and over - realtive p'sit'ns.
9. Divest (of): RID. to strip, rid, or deprive someone or something of a possession, right, or quality. In business and finance, it specifically refers to the act of selling off assets, investments, or subsidiary companies, often for financial restructuring, ethical reasons, or to refocus on core operations
10. Mani-pedi pros: NAIL TECHS. Licensed beauty professionals who specialize in the cosmetic care, grooming, and beautification of fingernails and toenails.
11. Yeti rival: IGLOO. Brands of coolers - cases for keeping food and drinks cold.
12. Game piece: TOKEN. A physical or digital object used in games to represent value, assets, currency, or a player's standing.
14. Got some shut-eye: SLEPT. Cut a few Z's
18. Honest-to-goodness: REAL. Actual or truthful.
21. "Rugrats" dad: STU. Never watched it, and couldn't find a clip worth sharing.
24. Smarties and Nerds: CANDY. Not types of people. In the US, Smarties are a tart, sweet, and powdery tablet candy pressed into small, colorful rolls. Nerds are a popular American candy consisting of tiny, tangy, crunchy pebbles. Each piece is essentially a shaped sugar crystal coated in a thin, fruit-flavored layer.
25. Make, as beer: BREW. Make beverages like beer, ale, coffee, or tea by steeping, boiling, or fermenting.
26. Wrinkly citrus fruit: UGLI. A natural hybrid citrus native to Jamaica, made from a cross between a tangerine, a grapefruit, and an orange. The name is a play on the word "ugly," referring to its rough, wrinkled, and misshapen rind.
27. Org. whose symbol is a snake around a pole: AMA. American Medical Assosiation. It is the largest professional association and lobbying group for physicians and medical students in the U.S. Founded in 1847 and headquartered in Chicago, its core mission is to promote the art and science of medicine and improve public health.
29. Unreturned tennis serve: ACE. Like this.
30. Add new audio to: DUB. To add or replace the dialogue, music or sound effects in a video, movie, or broadcast.
31. Street on a 1969 Beatles album: ABBEY ROAD. The real Abbey Road is a famous thoroughfare located in St John's Wood, North London, UK. It runs through the City of Westminster and the borough of Camden. The street is universally famous for two main landmarks, which sit right next to each other: The Zebra Crossing: This is the exact crossing featured on the iconic 1969 Beatles album cover, Abbey Road. It has since been granted Grade II listed status for its cultural and historical importance.
32. Bamboo eater: PANDA. The giant panda, also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is rotund; adult individuals weigh 100 to 115 kg and are typically 1.2 to 1.9 m long.
33. Ques. response: ANS. Question and answer, abbrvd.
35. Architect I.M. __: PEI. Ieoh Ming Pei [1917 - 2019] was a Chinese-American architect. Born in Guangzhou into a Chinese family, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the garden villas at Suzhou, the traditional retreat of the scholar-gentry to which his family belonged.
36. Can. neighbor: USA. North American countries and hickey rivals.
38. Sci-fi author Stephenson: NEAL. Neal Town Stephenson [b. 1959] is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathematics, cryptography, linguistics, philosophy, currency, and the history of science.
39. Withered from drought: SERE. Dry, withered, or parched, typically used to describe landscapes, climates, or vegetation lacking moisture.
40. Is able to: CAN. Have the ability, right or permission to do something.
45. Shares an email with: CCS. Carbon Copies. Though the technology has moved on, the vocabulary hasn't.
46. Many a tech school grad: ENGR. Engineer.
47. Fairy tale monsters: OGRES. They're like onions.
31. Street on a 1969 Beatles album: ABBEY ROAD. The real Abbey Road is a famous thoroughfare located in St John's Wood, North London, UK. It runs through the City of Westminster and the borough of Camden. The street is universally famous for two main landmarks, which sit right next to each other: The Zebra Crossing: This is the exact crossing featured on the iconic 1969 Beatles album cover, Abbey Road. It has since been granted Grade II listed status for its cultural and historical importance.
Abbey Road Studios: Located at 3 Abbey Road, this legendary recording studio is where The Beatles and many other musical icons recorded their work.
You can listen to the entire album. It was originally available as a vinyl record.
32. Bamboo eater: PANDA. The giant panda, also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is rotund; adult individuals weigh 100 to 115 kg and are typically 1.2 to 1.9 m long.
33. Ques. response: ANS. Question and answer, abbrvd.
35. Architect I.M. __: PEI. Ieoh Ming Pei [1917 - 2019] was a Chinese-American architect. Born in Guangzhou into a Chinese family, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the garden villas at Suzhou, the traditional retreat of the scholar-gentry to which his family belonged.
36. Can. neighbor: USA. North American countries and hickey rivals.
38. Sci-fi author Stephenson: NEAL. Neal Town Stephenson [b. 1959] is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and baroque. Stephenson's work explores mathematics, cryptography, linguistics, philosophy, currency, and the history of science.
39. Withered from drought: SERE. Dry, withered, or parched, typically used to describe landscapes, climates, or vegetation lacking moisture.
40. Is able to: CAN. Have the ability, right or permission to do something.
45. Shares an email with: CCS. Carbon Copies. Though the technology has moved on, the vocabulary hasn't.
46. Many a tech school grad: ENGR. Engineer.
47. Fairy tale monsters: OGRES. They're like onions.
48. Working a dance party, say: DJ - ING. Working as a disc jockey, spinning vinyl records, maybe.
49. Marconi medium: RADIO. A technology that uses electromagnetic waves (radio waves) to transmit and receive signals through the air without connecting wires. It can refer to the underlying communication technology, the broadcasting industry, or the electronic device used to receive and play audio. Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi [1874-1937], 1st Marquess, was an Italian radio-frequency engineer, inventor, and politician known for his creation of a practical radio wave-based wireless telegraph system.
50. Elbow gently: NUDGE. A gentle touch, push, or subtle prompting used to attract attention or encourage someone toward a specific action. Less intense than a prod.
51. Confident way to solve a crossword: IN PEN. I had IN INK. Didn't work.
52. Famous Ford flop: EDSEL. The Edsel was an automobile marque produced by the Ford Motor Company for the 1958 through 1960 model years. Named after Henry Ford's son, Edsel Ford, it is infamous for being a massive corporate failure and a textbook case of ill-timed marketing and product design. But all these years later, it is a valued collector's item.
53. Highland dances: REELS.
They're reel good
54. Bewilder: ADDLE. To make someone feel confused, disoriented, or unable to think clearly.
57. Court legend Arthur: ASHE. Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. [1943 - 1993] was an American professional tennis player. He won three Grand Slam titles in singles and two in doubles. Ashe was the first Black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team, and the only Black man ever to win the singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open.
59. Stable staple: HAY. Hay typically refers to grass, clover, or alfalfa that has been cut and dried. It is primarily used as stored fodder (animal food) for livestock like cattle, horses, and sheep, or as nibble and bedding for smaller pets like rabbits and guinea pigs. I had OAT. That was not helpful.
60. Summer refresher suffix: -ADE. As in, frex., lemonede.
61. SoFi Stadium NFL player: RAM. The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League as a member of the National Football Conference West division.
This wraps up today's puzzle. I hope it made a good impression.
Steve Jopek has had puzzles accepted elsewhere but this is his first at the L.A. Times. Congrats, Steve!
Cool regards!
JzB
