Friday, November 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malordorous Manatee here hoping that everyone shared a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with family and friends.   Now, however, it is time to shake off those trytophan-induced food comas and take a look at a Friday puzzles by Wendy Brandes.  The theme of the puzzle seems appropriate both because yours truly has recently taken several days (weeks) off and because many people have today off from work/school.  Let's start with the unifier:

62 Across.  "You need some time away from work," and how to make the starred clues match their answers: TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF.

At three places in the grid (with their clues bearing stars) we need to drop an abbreviation for a day of the week from the clue in order to make the answers fit those clues.  The days of the the are consecuitve and we can only specultate as to whether or not that elegant twist was intended.

17 Across. *Bucket list entries?: LIFE LONG FRIENDS.  Drop the FRI(day) and the result is a group of life long ambitions.

27 Across. *Result of being left off a guest list?: SOCIAL SATIRE.  Drop the SAT(urday) and the result is SOCIAL IRE.  One might be angry for missing out on a social activity.

48 Across. *Big victory for the Mets or the Yankees, e.g.?: SUNNY DELIGHT.  Drop the SUN(day) and many folks in the Big Apple will be delighted with the win.  Without the "drop" it's a drink.

The completed grid looks like this:

Below are the rest of the clues and and answers.  Note that there are ten to thirteen names/proper nouns depending on what you wish to include (e.g. NASCAR) which seems to this blogger to be in line with current trends in the crossword world.

Across:

1. "Good to go!": ALL SET.

7. Happy dances: JIGS.

11. Spice mixture: RUB.  Common in BBQ circles.  Here's a link to one of the Manatee's favorite rubs:  Amazing Ribs - Memphis Dust Rub

14. Water heater: BOILER.

15. Again: ANEW.

16. Actress de Armas: ANA.

20. East, in Spanish: ESTE.

21. Had on: WORE.

22. Oft-turned things in a spy thriller: PAGES.

23. Implored: PLED.

25. Witty: CLEVER.

31. Show appreciation: THANK.

32. Jewel: GEM.

33. City choker: SMOG.

37. Broadcast: AIR.  Used as a verb.

38. Made secret, in a way: ENCODED.

42. Had oatmeal, say: ATE.  Clued this way there are countless substitutes for oatmeal.

43. Used cars?: RODE.  Used was used as a verb in the clue (and not used as an adjective).

45. B+, e.g.: ION.  B being the symbol for the element boron and the plus sign indicating an ION.

46. "High School Musical" actor Zac: EFRON.

52. Not commissioned: ON SPEC.  As in to speculate.

54. Environmentalist Brockovich: ERIN.  Made famous by the Jula Roberts film.

55. "To repeat ... ": I SAID.  Don't you make Al repeat it . . .

56. Crowd sound: ROAR.

58. British tennis player Raducanu: EMMA.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

65. __ out a win: EKE.

66. Reusable shopping bag: TOTE.

67. Org. that might have a Mustang circling a track: NASCAR.  Not a horse racing reference.  A Ford Motor Company reference.

68. Irate: MAD.  My girlfriend  got mad at me because I wouldn’t stop singing “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. At first, I thought she was kidding.  But then I saw her face.

69. Peepers: EYES.

70. Indignant retort: DOES SO.


Down:

1. Qualified: ABLE.

2. "Number the Stars" novelist Lowry: LOIS.

3. Big moment in a pairs figure skating routine: LIFT.

4. Hit the snooze button, perhaps: SLEEP IN

5. Dragon roll fish: EEL.  With apologies to Dean Martin, Harry Warren and Jack Brooks:

When you swim in the creek, and an eel bites your cheek.  That's a moray.   When the moon hits the sand and an eel bites your hand  That's a moray.

6. Masonry tool: TROWEL.  What do you call a tech-savvy shovel?  An internet trowel.

7. Jaromír who is the oldest NHL player to record a hat trick: JAGR.

8. Passed on a bug to: INFECTED.

9. Eur. land: GER.  GERmany is in EURope.

10. Thief on "Dora the Explorer": SWIPER.

11. Spot for burners: RANGE.  As in what we cook on.

12. Below: UNDER.

13. Low voice: BASS.

18. Go-aheads: NODS.  Approvals.

19. Rainwater diverters: EAVES.  True but a bit of a stretch.

24. Winnebago, e.g.: LAKE.  RV was too short. 

26. Flavor of green Skittles: LIME.

27. Lead: STAR.  Hmm.  The clue/answer could be either a pair of nouns or verbs.

28. Home of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: OHIO.

29. Part of a hand: CARD.  Palm would have fit.

30. Ecstasy's opposite: AGONY.

34. Actress Helgenberger: MARG.

35. Texter's "Let's look at this a different way": OTOH.  On The Other Hand

36. Fellow: GENT.

39. First number in Hawaiian ZIP codes: NINE.

40. Grounded in reality: CONCRETE.

41. Grocery section: DELI.

44. Always Morphing nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Some of us know ESSIE, Opi and Ulta well . . .but only from our puzzles. 

47. Delicacy: FINESSE.  Not something to eat.  Tact.  Looks sorta like ESSIE.

49. App release: UPDATE.

50. Out of power: DEAD.  Could have been clued Grateful ______ .

51. Entry on a to-do list: ERRAND.  Chore and task were both too short.

52. Honshu port city: OSAKA.

53. Bare: NAKED.

55. Tabloid pair: ITEM.

57. Needs to pay back: OWES.

59. Comfy shoes, for short: MOCS.  Moccasins

60. Some design degs.: MFAS.  Master of Fine ArtS

61. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.  The hairstyle is not really "natural" despite often being clued this way.

63. "The Crown" actress Claire: FOY.

64. NBA legend Ming: YAO.  A basketball reference.

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  For those who are interested, the travels went smoothly although we were surprised by this fellow upon turning a corner in Tokyo:

_______________________________________________

Friday October 31, 2025 Wendy L. Brandes

BOO! MalMan here...not! That's your trick. It's actually RustyBrain and I hope the rest of this review is a treat!

In between constructing crosswords, Wendy L. Brandes uses her words to make sentences, them into whole books! But today she has offered us a Human Resources job. Wait a minute (or an hour), it's not that HR. It's the Halloween witching hour, in which we add "HR" to each answer to create a Humorous Result. 

20. Tees off closer to the hole in mini golf?: SHRINKS A PUTT. Sinks a Putt. I'd be teed off if I missed this tap-in. Since it's teed up, I probably should call it a drive-in.

28. Place to get rid of broken furniture and pictures of exes?: THROW AWAY ZONE. Tow Away Zone. This place is a dump.

42. Cars used to transport boxwoods and hydrangeas?: SHRUB COMPACTS. Sub Compacts. I think this used to be a Nissan Leaf.

48. Benefited from the end of daylight saving time, or a hint to 20-, 28-, and 42-Across: GAINED AN HOUR. Spring ahead; fall back. When you turn back the clocks in the fall, you get an extra hour's sleep. You're welcome. Don't forget to reset them this weekend! It's embarrassing to show up an hour late for church. (Don't ask me how I know.)

This puzzle has been haunting me into the wee hours of the night...

Across:

1. Oscar winner Sorvino: MIRA. MIRA Sorvino is an American actress, activist, and U.N. Goodwill Ambassador. She is best known for her Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning role in Mighty Aphrodite.

5. Tanqueray, Bombay, et al.: GINS. 

9. Rugby formation: SCRUM. Soap formation: SCUM. Here's where soap scrum comes from:

14. Scott Turow work: ONE L.

15. "Let me do it": I CAN. These aren't exactly equals. 

16. Word with party or guest: HOUSE. "Look, honey, there's light on. Maybe they have some gas. I'll be right back..."

17. Phishing line?: SCAM. What's your mother's maiden name? Just curious.

18. "99 Luftballons" singer: NENA. Lufballons are Air Balloons in English, but it was changed to Red Balloons since we simply call them "balloons" and an extra syllable was needed.

19. Country singer Keith: URBAN. 

20. [theme]

23. "Bad Romance" singer Lady __: GAGA.

24. Land on the sea?: REEL IN. Winner of "Best Clue" today...and 4th album in a row. It's a record!

28. [theme]

31. Borders on: ABUTS. 

33. Bedtime story, e.g.: TALE. I'm creating my own sub-theme for All Hallowed Eve. 

34. Catch: SEE. As in catch a movie.

35. More than a few: MANY.

36. Food for finches: SEEDS. This guy got dressed up but took his date to a seedy place and she's not impressed.

38. Cohort of cows: HERD. Or so I've heard.

39. "__ be an honor!": IT'D.

40. Actress Chaplin: OONA. I like the name OONA, it's fun and different.

41. Puts in order: SORTS. Better than being out of SORTS.

42. [theme]

46. Area around a fireplace: HEARTH.

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47. Woeful sigh: ALAS.

48. [theme]

54. "Is it too risky for me?": DARE I. Famous last words. Right up there with, "Watch this!"

57. Rowboat set: OARS. 

58. Ish: OR SO. 

59. Sue Bird's alma mater, for short: UCONN. The University of Connecticut Huskies are a perennial powerhouse in women's basketball. Although UCONN sounds like the Yukon where you find huskies, the mascot was chosen while the school was still named the Connecticut Agricultural College, so it's just a coincidence.

60. Arduous hike: TREK. 

61. Overflow (with): TEEM.

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62. Loo door sign: GENTS. 

63. Ice queen with more than 400,000 computer-generated strands of hair: ELSA. Amazing, considering the average person only has between 80,000 and 150,000 hairs on their head. Lament of the animator: "That's all I can't strand; I can't strand anymore!" 

64. Achy: SORE.

Down:

1. Rootless plant used in some street art: MOSS. Here's some appropriate "street moss."

2. Approximate diameter of a quarter: INCH. That's larger than a quarter-inch.

3. __ admiral: REAR. The term derived from the lowest-ranking junior admirals. They were assigned command of the REAR of the fleet, farthest from the action.

4. Omnipotent: ALMIGHTY.

5. Tree with fan-shaped leaves: GINKGO.

6. Arctic fishing tool: ICE SAW. ICE SAW one once.

7. Another name for Grandma: NANA. 

8. Insta post: SNAP. Just a quick pic on Instagram.

9. Z's: SHUTEYE. 

10. Nevada senator Catherine __ Masto: CORTEZ.

11. Barbecue blend: RUB. 

12. Letters on Katie Ledecky's suit: USA. Katie is the most decorated female swimmer in history. At the request of her competitors, the Olympic Committee keeps awarding her gold medals hoping to slow her down in the water. 

13. R&B's Boyz II __: MEN.

21. Luxury cosmetics brand: NARS. It's so exclusive that you can't even read their logo.

22. Eurasian mountain range: URALS.

25. Also-rans: LOSERS. First LOSERS try harder!

26. Like helium and xenon: INERT.

27. Has to have: NEEDS. Such as an occasional sip of blood!

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28. Arctic expanse: TUNDRA.

29. Starting five in basketball, e.g.: A TEAM.

30. Blob of gum: WAD. Most people hate when they step on a WAD on the sidewalk, but I don't mind.

31. Pennsylvania sect that embraces simple living: AMISH.

32. Take a dip: BATHE.

36. 2014 Winter Olympics city: SOCHI.

37. Ambient musician Brian: ENO. ENO's Music for Airports is recognized as the a seminal and influential release that defined the ambient aesthetic while providing a name for the genre. AKA background music.

38. Phenoms: HOTSHOTS. 

40. Procures: OBTAINS.

41. Read: SCAN. 

43. Requiring immediate attention: URGENT. I hope you have good insurance...

44. San Diego squad: PADRES.

45. State with no native snakes or lizards: ALASKA. Here's St. Patrick driving the snakes away during his visit to ALASKA.

49. Scribbled reminder: NOTE. That reminds me...

50. __ Grey tea: EARL. Charlie Grey became an EARL for inventing the tea bag. Later generations made them smaller.

51. Crumbled cheesecake topping: OREO. Seems like an OREO goes with anything nowadays. 

52. __ error: USER. 

53. City on the Tiber: ROME.

54. Was into: DUG. 

55. Good draw in blackjack: ACE. Just don't let the dealer catch you.

56. Pitcher Guidry who won a Cy Young in 1978: RON. RON Guidry, nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator," played 14 seasons for the New York Yankees.

Happy Halloween!

Sunday August 31 , 2025 Amie Walker & Wendy L. Brandes

Theme:  "GET THE BALL ROLLING" - From left to the right, the letters spell out BINGO.

4. *Request for greater detail: BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.

9. *"Really, Captain Obvious?": GEE YA THINK.

12. *"C'mon, quit pretending to be confused!": OH YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.

50. *"Free Your Mind" group: EN VOGUE.

74. *Visionary physicians?: EYE DOCTORS.

Reveal: 

3. With 70-Down, "Never would've predicted this scenario," and what can be said about the first word of the answer to each starred clue?: THAT WASN'T ON.

70. See 3-Down: MY BINGO CARD.

Did I miss anything extra? I had to google "How to play Bingo". So a Bingo card has the letters BINGO on top. This 14, 27, Free, 56, 66 doesn't make any winning sense to me. 

 

Amie and Wendy have collaborated on a few puzzles for the LAT. This is their first Sunday together. 

Across:

1. Rollaway bed: COT. 

4. Sweetie: BABE.

8. "Totally ready for the weekend!": TGIF.

12. Muppet who lives in a recycling zone: OSCAR.

17. Letters for a monarch: HRH. His/Her Royal Highness.

18. Nook's format, e.g.: E TEXT.

20. Incessantly: NO END.

21. "Hungry hungry" animal in a kids game: HIPPO.

22. Porto greeting: OLA. Porto is the Portuguese wine capital. 

23. Religious platform: ALTAR.

24. Where Penguins play on ice?: ARENA. Pittsburgh Penguins.

25. Raising agent: YEAST.

26. Lotus part: PETAL.

28. Hotel gym, e.g.: AMENITY.

30. Groups of friends: POSSES.

31. Deemed suitable: SAW FIT.

33. Rice dish cooked in a wide pan: PAELLA. Looks delicious.

34. [I didn't get my way!]: POUT.

35. 1990s treaty acronym: NAFTA.

36. Inc., in Britain: LTD.

37. Spots that might smear: ATTACK ADS. Amazing clue.

41. Some send-ups: SATIRES.

43. Question after a photo finish: WHO WON?

44. "The penny drops!": AHA.

46. Dull, figuratively: VANILLA.

48. __ kwon do: TAE.

51. Wash. neighbor: IDA.

52. Exudes: OOZES.

54. __ nous: ENTRE.

55. Disdain: SCORN.

57. Small complaint: NIT.

58. Bring about, as mayhem: WREAK. Only Havoc.

59. Classic muscle car: GTO.

60. Partner: MATE.

62. Conjure up: EVOKE.

64. Fin. neighbor: SWE.

65. Taken together: IN TOTAL.

67. KenKen figs.: NOS.

68. Return from vacation: FLY HOME. Someday I will. 

72. Before, in poems: ERE.

73. "Stop hogging it!": LET GO.

75. Mount also known as Kissavos: OSSA.

76. Peruvian singer Sumac: YMA. Have not seen her in our grid for a long while.

78. Accept terms: AGREE.

81. "I don't __ it": BUY.

82. Très très: ULTRA.

84. Soccer star __ Heath: TOBIN.

86. Pure joy: BLISS.

87. Pub brew: ALE.

88. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.

89. College in Dublin: TRINITY. Ireland's oldest university.

91. "Stop filming!": CUT.

92. Pride event: PARADE.

95. Epiphany figures: WISE MEN.

97. Listen clandestinely: EAVESDROP.

99. Autograph seeker's tool: PEN.

100. Utility bill data: USAGE. Did you know that they charge you a higher rate for your power usage between 5:00pm to 7:00pm?

102. Coats with ganache, e.g.: ICES.

103. Baseless rumor: CANARD.

105. Conditional release: PAROLE.

107. "Good 4 U" singer Rodrigo: OLIVIA.

110. Culinary school dough?: TUITION. Another fun clue.

112. Orgs. that may serve as alternatives to hostels: YMCAS.

113. Recurring theme: MOTIF.

114. Ring around a lagoon: ATOLL.
 
116. Rapace of "Prometheus": NOOMI. She was also in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

118. First words of many an alphabet book: A IS.

119. Central Asian mountain range: ALTAI. Extends to China where Xinjiang is.

120. "No __!": SIREE.

121. React to a bad joke: GROAN.

122. Vaccine molecule: RNA.

123. "It's Gonna Be Me" band: NSYNC.

124. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST.

125. Unexpected problem: SNAG.

126. Susan of "The Partridge Family": DEY.

Down:

1. Slices and dices: CHOPS.

2. "The Library Book" writer Susan: ORLEAN.

5. Georgia airport code: ATL.

6. Early app edition: BETA.

7. Lead by __: EXAMPLE.

8. Field where accidents are common?: TORT LAW.

10. Cozy lodging: INN.

11. Rx regulator: FDA.

13. Afternoon snooze: SIESTA.

14. Pros who try to stay balanced?: CPAS. Nothing athletic. Pros indicates an abbreviated answer.
 
15. Abbey space: APSE.

16. Goes bad: ROTS.

19. Buys for, as a birthday dinner: TREATS TO. The nice church couple treated me for a papaya salad. Mild. Still hot for me. 

20. Ace: NAIL.

27. Romance: AFFAIR.

29. Nancy Drew's boyfriend: NED.

30. "Un __ Loco": "Coco" song: POCO.

32. Shadow: TAIL.

34. Try to hit, as a cat might a laser beam: PAW AT.

38. Exquisite: TO DIE FOR. Cantonese soup. That red thing is goji berry. Not anything hot. 

39. Groggy state: DAZE.

40. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA.

42. Follower of Jah: RASTA.

45. "Fire away": ASK.

46. Relax on the sofa: VEG.

47. Not backing: ANTI.

49. "__ we all?": AREN'T.

53. Brand with a Selena Gomez limited edition version: OREO.

56. __ phone: CELLULAR.

61. Swallowed: ATE.

63. "__ mio": O SOLE.

64. Lead-in to "op": SYS.

66. Some concert merch: TEES.

69. Aspiring J.D.s' exams: LSATS.

71. Give off: EMIT.

77. In __ event: ANY.

78. "Shark Tank" network: ABC.

79. Cause of a sticky situation: GLUE. I've learned to wear a glove every time I use Super Glue.

80. "Poison" singer Ora: RITA.

81. Poetic performers: BARDS.

83. Reaching great heights: TOWERING.

85. Like show-offy pushups: ONE-ARM.

90. Enlist again: RE-UP.

93. Cruising the Caribbean, maybe: ASEA.

94. Uniform adornment: EPAULET.

96. Not alfresco: INDOORS.

98. Vance of "I Love Lucy": VIVIAN.

99. Butter portion: PAT.

101. Stritch of Broadway: ELAINE.

104. Egyptian river: NILE.

106. Input for some plagiarism detectors: ESSAY.

107. Saudi Arabia neighbor: OMAN.

108. Haha alternatives: LOLS.

109. Wee: ITTY.

111. End of a.m.: NOON.

114. Egyptian viper: ASP.

115. Connection: TIE.

117. Goat's bleat: MAA.

C.C.