Wednesday, Jul 23rd, 2025 ~ Wendy L. Brandes

 TALENT

Australian B-double, backing into Shed "B"

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 have personally 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

5. Bra part: STRAP

10. Three-person card game: SKAT

14. Actress Kendrick: ANNA - name #1; her IMDb

You can't see her bra strap

15. Clamor: NOISE

16. Crafted: MADE - there's an "Art Box" on my walk in front of a home, and I would like to contribute something - I have decided to do some origami

Going with a sloth theme today

17. Bigfoot kin: YETI

18. "E," at Fenway: ERROR - a C.C. clue - baseball box score

No "E"s, but still a blowout

19. Like the NYSE at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on most weekdays: OPEN - the NY Stock Exchange; see 42D.

23. Rocker Quatro: SUZI - name #2 - her website

24. Drinks made with steamed milk: LATTES

30. "You're a riot": "HA-HA."

31. Not slack: TAUT

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 puzzle at 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)

22. Women's suffrage leader Carrie Chapman __: CATT  name #5

25. "All __ and a bag of chips": THAT

Yup, she's "All THAT and a bag of chips~!"

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

Splynter

Friday, February 28, 2025, Wendy L. Brandes

 Theme:  Biased magazine movie reviews.

Today's theme clues from constructor Wendy L. Brandes involve real magazines and their supposed picks for the best movie of all time.  Each magazine chooses a movie whose title reflects the name of the magazine.

The theme clues and answers, all Across are:

18. Mad's pick for the best movie of all time?: RAGING BULL.

Mad is an American satire magazine, launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics.  Raging Bull is a 1980 film adaptation of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir Raging Bull: My Story. "Mad" is a synonym for "raging," so of course Mad magazine would have an affinity for the film.

24. The Atlantic's pick for the best movie of all time?: OCEAN'S ELEVEN.

Founded in 1857, The Atlantic is an American magazine featuring articles on politics, business, the arts, technology, and science.  Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 comedy film which is a remake of a 1960 Rat Pack film, and stars George Clooney as professional thief Danny Ocean.  Since "Atlantic" is the name of an ocean, naturally the magazine would favor a movie with "ocean" in the title.

39. Shape's pick for the best movie of all time?: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

Shape is an American monthly fitness magazine for women started by Weider Publications in 1981.  Circle of Friends is a 1995 film based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Maeve Binchy.  A circle is a shape, so the magazine might favor that movie.

53. Rolling Stone's pick for the best movie of all time?: SCHOOL OF ROCK.

Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine, founded in 1967, that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture.  School of Rock is a 2003 comedy film starring Jack Black.  Because Rolling Stone is concerned with popular music, especially rock 'n' roll, it would of course favor a movie about rock music.  And a "stone" is a "rock," so there's another connection.

63. The New Yorker's pick for the best movie of all time?: A BRONX TALE.

The New Yorker is an American magazine, founded in 1925, that features journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. A Bronx Tale is a 1993 film directed by and starring Robert De Niro, adapted from Chazz Palminteri's 1989 one-man show of the same name. The New Yorker might look favorably upon a movie whose title features a borough of New York City, like The Bronx.

Are you with me?  Time to move on?  OK, People!

Across:

1. Pic: SNAP.

5. Thread: FIBER.

10. Eye woe: STYE.

14. Ace in the __: HOLE.  In poker, this refers to an ace card which is dealt and kept face down until the deal is over.  Figuratively, it is any advantage held in reserve until needed.

15. "Rolling in the Deep" singer: ADELE.

16. Eurasian river: URAL.

17. "Leave that to me!": ON IT.  Blog the puzzle while Chairman Moe recovers from surgery?  I'm ON IT!

18. [Theme clue]

20. Lab's dish?: PETRI.  Laboratory's dish -- not Labrador Retriever's dish.

22. Meat-grading org.: USDA.  United States Department of Agriculture.

23. Get even with?: TIE.

24. [Theme clue]

28. "Bet you __ to doughnuts ... ": DOLLARS.  A favorite expression expressing certainty, but dollars were worth more than doughnuts when it originated.  At this point, it makes little sense, since doughnuts cost more than a dollar.  A "Krispy Kreme" original glazed doughnut goes for $2.69 at our nearest location.

Maybe a dollar will get you a doughnut hole.

31. Vicinity: AREA.

32. Smug cry: OHO!

33. Diet branding word: LITE.

35. Big name in sporting goods: VOIT.

39. [Theme clue]

44. Coke, e.g.: SODA.

45. Overflow (with): TEEM.

46. Animal featured on the Olympic National Park quarter: ELK.

47. Spring break?: THAW.  When ice breaks up in the spring -- and possibly road surfaces along with it.

51. Stockpiles: AMASSES.

53. [Theme clue]

57. Small digit?: TOE.  Digit can mean any of the numerals from 0 to 9, or a finger or toe.  Is that because we count on them?  

58. Surrealist Magritte: RENE.

59. Scott of NPR: SIMON.

63. [Theme clue]

67. Cordon (off): ROPE.

68. Blossomed: GREW.

69. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.

70. Orange or pear: TREE.

71. Move very slowly: EASE.

72. Minuscule amounts: IOTAS.

73. Delight: SEND.

Down:

1. Browse: SHOP.

2. Fewer than few: NONE.

3. Landed: ALIT.

4. Gas, to an Aussie: PETROL.

5. A ways away: FAR.

6. Mont. neighbor: IDA.  Montana and Idaho.

7. Kicked off: BEGUN.

8. Senator Slotkin of Michigan: ELISSA.

Elissa Slotkin

9. Give, as a verdict: RENDER.

10. Temp: SUB.  Shout out to Husker Gary, our Saturday blogger and substitute teacher extraordinaire.

11. Cable channel with reruns of sitcoms and reality shows: TRUTV.  TruTV is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It broadcasts reruns of comedy and reality shows, with a recent primetime focus on live sports.

12. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer: YALIE.  Another nickname for a Yale student that we frequently encounter here is "Eli."

13. Sigourney's "Alien" role: ELLEN.

Good on you if you remembered the character's name!

19. Beaufort scale rating: GALE.  The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land.  Ratings include conditions from Calm to Hurricane.

21. "Let's see your hand": I CALL.  Is this where your ACE IN THE HOLE comes in handy?

25. Lake that surrounds Kelleys Island: ERIE.

Kelleys Island is flagged, due east of Toledo, Ohio.

26. Regarding: AS TO.

27. Roof trim: EAVE.

28. Ob-gyns, e.g.: DOCS.  An OB/GYN, meaning obstetrician gynecologist, is a medical DOCtor.

29. Home of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: OHIO.  Ohio again!  Holy Toledo!  Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is a World Heritage Site preserving eight monumental earthworks constructed by the Hopewell Culture between approximately 0 and 400 AD along tributaries of the Ohio River.

30. "Bridgerton" title: LORD.  Bridgerton is an fantasized historical television drama set in the early 1800s in England.  It is based on a book series by Julia Quinn and appears on Netflix.

A scene from Bridgerton

34. Baby newt: EFT.

36. Tip jar wad: ONES.

37. Collecting dust: IDLE.

38. Judgy clucks: TSKS.

40. "The Censor" of ancient Rome: CATO.  Marcus Porcius Cato (234–149 BC) was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism.  Among other government positions, Cato served as censor, responsible for the census, for public morality, and for government finances.

Cato the Censor, AKA Cato the Wise, and Cato the Elder.

41. Phobia: FEAR.

42. San __, Italy: REMO.

43. Safari runners: IMACs.  Safari is a web browser used on Apple devices.

48. ESPN's "Around the __": HORN.  Around the Horn is an ESPN sports roundtable discussion show, conducted in the style of a panel game.

49. Russian political dissident Navalny: ALEXEI.

50. Is inadequate: WON'T DO.

52. Parts of some suits: SKIRTS.

53. Ride out of town, in a Western: STAGE.  In this case, "ride" is a noun -- a "vehicle" to get out of town.  

Stagecoach -- or "stage." 

54. Hooded snake: COBRA.

55. "__ to you": HERE'S.  Congratulations!  You've almost finished the puzzle.

56. Repast: FEAST.

60. Greedy cry: MORE!

61. Unbox: OPEN.  Unboxing is the act of taking a product out of its packaging, especially when it's recorded on video and shared online. Strangely, it's a popular trend that allows people to watch others unpack new products. 

62. Sine qua non: NEED.  Sine qua non can be translated literally from Latin as "Without which, not."  It indicates that "without (something), (something else) won't be possible."  Or a need.  I learned this in high school, when my friend's father dedicted his magnum opus to his wife:  "For Gloria, sine qua non."

64. Buy on credit, say: OWE.

65. Perrins's partner in steak sauce: LEA.  Lea & Perrins is a United Kingdom-based subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, originating in Worcester, England, where it manufactures Worcestershire sauce.

66. Couple of locals?: ELS.  There are a couple of ELS ("L"s) in the word LOCALS.

Here's the grid:

Did today's puzzle earn a BRONX cheer?  Or a call for MORE?

NaomiZ

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 Wendy L Brandes

The Art of Being Graceful.  In today's puzzle, an ODE gracefully slides down and across the grid.

20-Across. Wide receiver who was the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: ODELL BECKHAM, JR.  Odell Cornelious Beckham, Jr (b. Nov. 5, 1992) was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and played football at Louisiana State University.  His plays were Poetry in Motion.

33-Across. Literary movement for Vonnegut and Pynchon: POST-MODERNISM.  Postmodernism is a movement that challenged modernism in the arts, culture, and philosophy.  Postmodernism is known for its skepticism, irony, and critiques of objective reality and universal truths.  Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Nov. 11, 1922 ~ Apr. 11, 2007) was known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels.  The only Vonnegut novel I read was Slaughter House-Five.  Thomas Pynchon, Jr. (b. May 8, 1937) is known for his dense and complex novels.  I have never read any of his works.

40-Across. Pushes one's game to the next level: GOES BEAST MODE.

53-Across. Epitome of grace, and an apt title for this puzzle: POETRY IN MOTION.  See how the Ode (Poem) gracefully moves (Motion) down and across the grid.

See how the ODE gracefully moves down the Grid.

Across:

1. Long, long time: AGES.

5. Important ingredient in Toll House cookies: CHIPS.  Yummers!  The history of the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie.  My mother had a chocolate chip cookie that was ever so much better than the Toll House version.

10. Touch: ABUT.

14. U2 lead singer: BONO.  Bono (né Paul David Hewson; b. May 10, 1960) is also a founding member of the band.  He took his name, Bono, from an Irish hearing aid company.

15. "__ and Juliet": ROMEO.  What if Shakespeare wrote a different ending to Romeo and Juliet?  That's the premise of & Juliet.  We just saw the show and it was so much fun and very high energy.

16. Friction fighter: LUBE.

17. Indian flatbread: ROTI.  Not the expected Naan!  What's the difference?

18. No longer together: APART.

19. Neighborhood: AREA.

23. Show on television: AIR.

24. Photo __: OPS.

25. Punk subgenre: EMO.

26. Loved by: DEAR TO.

28. Protagonist: HERO.

30. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.  A brief history of Des Moines.

36. Bombard (with): PELT.

38. MSNBC host Melber: ARI.  Ari Naftali Melber (b. Mar. 31, 1980) is an attorney and a journalist.  He hosts The Beat with Ari Melber.

39. Roadie's gear: AMPS.  A crossword staple.

45. Actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas (née Ana Celia de Armas Caso; b. Apr. 30, 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress.  I first saw her in the 2019 film, Knives Out.

46. "General Hospital" actress Rylan: EMME.  Apparently, Emme Rylan (née Marcy Faith Behrens; b. Nov. 4, 1980) has appeared in a number of soap operas, including General Hospital and The Young and the Restless.

47. Long-armed shaggy apes, familiarly: ORANGS.  As in an Orangutan.

50. Hon: BAE.  This is becoming a crossword staple.  It appeared in last Wednesday's puzzle.

51. E-file org.: IRS.  As in the Internal Revenue Service.

52. Sign of a hot ticket on Broadway: SRO.  Standing Room Only.

58. Slangy coffee: JAVA.

59. Irritated: GOT TO.

60. Oblong tomato: ROMA.  The Roma tomato is a plum tomato that is commonly used for tomato paste because of its slender and firm nature.  They grow well in the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Great Britain.

61. Receiving customers: OPEN.

62. Burstyn of "The First Lady": ELLEN.  Ellen Burstyn (née Edna Rae Gillooly; b. Dec. 7, 1932) has been in numerous films during her long career.  She earned an Oscar for her portrayal of Alice Hyatt in the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More.

63. Condo, e.g.: UNIT.

64. Places to find fuzzy navels: BARS.  Nice misdirection.  A Fuzzy Navel is a mixed drink made with peach schnapps and orange juice.

65. American Girls, e.g.: DOLLS.  American Girls is a line of dolls, many of which are based on historical characters or figures.

66. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

Down:

1. Overseas: ABROAD.

2. Unexpected treat: GOODIE.

3. Respond to court charges: ENTER A PLEA.

4. Bed component?: SOIL.

5. Underwater trap: CRAB POT.

6. Aspirations: HOPES.

7. Apple desktop: iMAC.

8. Free lunch on Fridays, e.g.: PERK.  Why Friday?

9. "Told ya!": SO THERE!

10. Budget competitor: ALAMO.  Both are car rental companies.  

11. __ Khalifa: world's tallest building: BURJ.  The Burj Khalifa stands at 2,717 feet.  The Burj Khalifa is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  The building is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Sept. 7, 1948 ~ May 13, 2022), the second president of the UAE.  The tallest building that I have ever been in is the third largest building, the Shanghai Tower, which stands at a mere 2,073 feet.

12. Big name in food delivery: UBER.  

13. Spills the __: gossips: TEA.  //  And 50-Down. Spills the __: blabs: BEANS.  While both idioms have similar meanings, “spill the tea” typically refers to gossip, while “spill the beans” typically refers to an unintentional disclosure of private or secret information.

21. Quite a few: LOTS.

22. Cupid's domain: AMOR.

27. Becomes compost: ROTS.

28. Seabiscuit, for one: HORSE.  Seabiscuit (1993 ~ 1947) was a famous American Thoroughbred.  He was born in 1933 and raced from 1935–1940.

29. Work periodically?: EDIT.  Cute clue.

30. Part of a design spec: DIMENSIONS.

31. Seer's gift: ESP.

32. Texting format: SMS.  As in Short Message Service.

34. Polite term of address: MA'AM.

35. Zippo: NADA.

36. Links org.: PGA.  As in the Professional Golfers' Association.

37. Long, long time: EON.

41. Edged out: BEAT.

42. Came out of hiding: EMERGED.

43. Church members who are encouraged to do missionary work: MORMONS.

44. Roughly: OR SO.

48. Wallace's claymation pal: GROMIT.  Wallace & Gromit is a British claymation comedy franchise.  The stories all come have a hidden meaning: they tell the story of a class struggle.  Wallace, the human, represents the privileged upper class, while Gromit, his faithful dog, represents the lower class that supports his master.

49. Hyundai sedan: SONATA.

51. Dirt dug up by moles: INTEL.  Good misdirection!  As intelligence gathered by a spy.

53. Grandad's nickname: PAPA.  This is just one of many of nicknames for Grandfather.

54. Finished: OVER.

55. "I'll never have this chance again, so why not!" letters: YOLO.  You Only Live Once.

56. "__ all work out": IT'LL.

57. Immodest response to "You're the best!": TRUE.

58. Occupation: JOB.

חתולה

Uluru, also known as Ayres Rock.