Thursday, July 10, 2025, Zhou Zhang, Kevin Curry

 Theme:  Automatic replies

When I'm going to be out of the office, I set my work email to send automatic replies to anyone who sends email to me, assuring them that I will return on a given date and attend to their needs.  In today's puzzle, four well known characters craft automatic replies that let you know they're up to their usual behaviors.  The theme clues and answers are:

18-Across. Automatic email reply from Glinda?: GONE FOR GOOD.  If Glinda, the good witch from The Wizard of Oz, is gone, she must be up to something good.

28-Across. Automatic email reply from Lightning McQueen?: OFF TO THE RACES.  If Lightning McQueen, the anthropomorphic stock car from the Disney/Pixar Cars movies, is off, it must be to the races.

45-Across. Automatic email reply from Pigpen?: LEFT IN THE DUST.  If Pigpen has left, you can expect to find this character from Peanuts in a cloud of dust.

60-Across. Automatic email reply from the Tasmanian Devil?: OUT FOR A SPIN.  If Warner Bros.' Tasmanian Devil is out, you'll likely find him spinning like a tornado.

I think this is Zhou Zhang's third appearance as puzzle constructor in the LA Times, and Kevin Curry's second.  I like the symmetry of the theme answers in the grid, and the fact that each of the automatic email replies is a familiar phrase.  Zhou Zhang was co-author on Sunday, June 29, 2025, when C.C. described the News Splash! theme this way:  "One word in each common phrase is replaced by its nautical homophone."  Brevity is the soul of wit!  And yet ... here I go with the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Place: PUT.  You might place, or put, dishes on the table.

4. Nearly match: RIVAL.  "A photographer whose fame rivaled that of his subjects."

9. Impressive deeds: FEATS.

14. "Or so": ISH.  Let's meet for lunch noonish.

15. Savory food quality: UMAMI.  The tasty je ne sais quoi triggered by glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate.

16. Aptly named cooler brand: IGLOO.

17. Leaves in hot water: TEA.

18. [Theme clue]

20. __ and crafts: ARTS.

22. Rejects: NIXES.

23. Bear necessities?: DENS.

24. Wraps found in Delhi: SARIS.

26. Weep: CRY.

28. [Theme clue]

33. Water nymph of Greek myth: NAIAD.  Not to be confused with Dryads (tree nymphs), Oreads (mountain nymphs) and other specialized nymphs.  They are all female nature spirits.

Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse

34. Spiritual glow: AURA.

35. Buddy: PAL.

38. Itty-bitty: TINY.

39. Detests: HATES.

41. Many a Marvel character: HERO.

42. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA.  If you've been solving LA Times crossword puzzles, you know Rita Ora, at least by name.

43. Had on: WORE.

44. Sources of dates: PALMS.  Date palms are native to the Middle East and North Africa.  They need an arid climate with plenty of water at their roots.  A few species were transplanted to the Palm Springs area, where the fruit is popular with tourists, especially in the form of date shakes.  Yum!

45. [Theme clue]

49. Sound of a lightbulb turning on?: AHA.

50. Become edible: RIPEN.

51. Go at it: SPAR.

54. "In case you didn't hear me ... ": I SAID.

57. Slant: SKEW.

60. [Theme clue]

63. Decorate at a bakery: ICE.

64. Essential at a bakery: FLOUR.

65. Dazzled: SHONE.

66. Org. with up to 23 Senators: NHL.  The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa and competing in the National Hockey League. An NHL team roster has a maximum of 23 players, but only 20 players are allowed to dress for each game. All of this being news to me, of course.

67. McIntosh or Macintosh: APPLE.  McIntosh is a fruit: Macintosh is a computer.  The first is an apple; the second is an Apple.

68. __ fund: HEDGE.  A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that holds liquid assets and that makes use of complex trading and risk management techniques to improve investment performance and insulate returns from market risk.  In the U.S., only institutions and high net worth individuals are allowed to invest in hedge funds due to the risks involved. 

69. 41-Down, e.g.: GOD.

Down:

1. Wrap found in a deli: PITA.

2. App customer: USER.

3. "End of discussion": THAT'S FINAL.

4. Prayer __: RUG.  Muslims use a prayer rug for cleanliness during the various positions of Islamic prayer. These involve prostration and sitting on the ground.  Orthodox Christians and Baháʼís may also use prayer rugs.

5. "Consider this done!": I'M ON IT.

6. Disappear: VANISH.

7. MC alternative: AMEX.  MasterCard vs. American Express.  The crossing of AMEX with NIXES was a sticking point for me, especially because I did not recognize MC as an abbreviation for MasterCard.  

8. Word with partner or lesson: LIFE.

9. Christmas purchase: FIR.  This is a tree, not what cruciverbalists write in our comments section when they Finish It Right.

10. Easter purchase: EGG DYE.

11. Soothing ingredient: ALOE.

12. Bluey, for one: TOON.  Bluey is an Australian animated television series aimed at preschool children, available for streaming on Disney+.  Both the main character and the series can be called a TOON, short for cartoon.

13. Lays down turf: SODS.

19. Honors given to Walt Disney a record 26 times: OSCARS.

21. Kebab with peanut sauce: SATAY.  Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of skewered and grilled meat, marinated in a blend of spices and served with a peanut dipping sauce.  DH and I enjoy soy "chicken" satay from LA Vegan.

25. Divining __: ROD.

27. Co. that purchased Victor in 1929: RCA.

28. Not fooled by: ONTO.

29. Unbiased: FAIR.

30. Downed: EATEN.

31. Regret: RUE.

32. Cave man's hobby?: SPELUNKING.  Loved this clue and answer.  Spelunking is the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby.  

I took this photo in the caves of Nerja during my recent trip to Spain.

36. Cuttlefish's octet: ARMS.  Cuttlefish are marine molluscs in the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses.  We saw cuttlefish on restaurant menus in Spain.

37. Missing: LOST.

39. Windbag's output: HOT AIR.

40. Cards, to NFL fans: ARI.  The Arizona Cardinals are a professional football team based in Phoenix, ARIzona. The "Cards" compete in the National Football League.

My mom took this photo of a real Arizona Cardinal in her garden north of Phoenix.

41. Brother of Zeus and Poseidon: HADES.  Greek gods.

43. Status of remote employees, for short: WFH.  Work From Home.

44. Pizzazz: PEP.

46. Sharp scolding: EARFUL.

47. Three-footer?: TRIPOD.  One of my best friends adopted a tripod dog.

48. Concealing: HIDING.

51. Nap location: SOFA.

52. Orange juice option: PULP.

53. Perched on: ATOP.

55. Accessory in a homecoming court: SASH.

56. Arthur __ Courage Award: ASHE.  The Arthur Ashe Courage Award, presented by ESPN, is named for tennis player Arthur Ashe. The award is presented annually to individuals whose contributions "transcend sports."

58. Bounce off the walls, say: ECHO.

59. Fuse using heat: WELD.

61. NorCal neighbor: ORE.  Northern California abuts Oregon.

62. Formerly known as: NÉE.  French for "born," feminine.  My NÉE name is a couple of names behind me.

Here's the grid:

That's enough HOT AIR from me!  It's only FAIR that other solvers have a say!

Let us know what you thought about the puzzle in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Sunday June 29, 2025 Zhou Zhang & Mallory Montgomery

Theme: "News Splash!" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by its nautical homophone.

23. Weather: "Warning to Surfers During Storm Surge": TIDE UP IN KNOTS. Tied-up in knots.

38. Classifieds: "Isolated Waterfront Property Now Available": SEA FOR YOURSELF. See for yourself.

49. Op-ed: "Archipelago Expansion Has No Place in Our Waters": ISLE BE DARNED. I'll be darned.

68. Style: "World's Largest Jib Now Complete": SAIL OF A LIFETIME. Sale of a lifetime.

89. Culture: "Five Stars for the New Jetty": PIER-REVIEWED. Peer-reviewed.

97. Front page: "Waterway Corruption Exposed": THE STRAIT TRUTH. The straight truth.

Reveal: 

120. Component of some social studies classes, or the name of the newspaper sporting the headlines in this puzzle?: CURRENT EVENTS. 

I always like homophone theme, but this puzzle is more than just homophone replacement. The extra clue layer makes the puzzle so much more interesting. Great title also. 

Congrats to Zhou Zhang on her first LAT Sunday. And Mallory on her LAT debut. Zhou is also a common surname in China, as in Zhou Enlai. 

Across:

1. Activist Yoko: ONO.

4. Lose, as fur: SHED.

8. Sell: VEND.

12. "You've had enough of my antics": I'LL STOP. 

19. Stateroom window: PORTHOLE. Never been on a cruise. Stunning view.

21. Brazilian berry: ACAI. Tart and a bit bitter.

22. Flat-bottomed glassware: BEAKERS.

25. Items that often hang above cribs: MOBILES.

26. User profiles: IDENTITIES. 

27. IRA options: CDS.

29. Secret plan: PLOT.

30. Key contraction?: O'ER. Francis Scott Key.

31. Hide-and-__: SEEK.

32. That girl: HER.

33. Inbox clogger: SPAM.

35. Like a twangy voice: NASAL.

44. Map showing elevation, for short: TOPO. Topography.

47. Proper part of speech?: NOUN. Proper noun.

48. "¡Ay, caramba!": DIOS MIO. "My God!"

54. Penny: CENT.

55. "Srsly?": OMG.

56. Whole pizza: PIE.

57. Fern bump: SPORE.

58. Ore. neighbor: IDA.

60. Romantasy and dramedy, for two: GENRES.

62. Side squared, for a square: AREA.

64. __ the web: SURF.

65. Monogram pts.: INITS.

67. "The __ have it": AYES.

72. Get exactly right: NAIL.

74. Greta Thunberg, for one: SWEDE.

75. Disney's "The Princess and the __": FROG.

76. Warm up: THAW.

80. 2022 Beyoncé hit that won a Grammy for Best R&B Song: CUFF IT.

82. Paper cutters, for short: EDS.

83. Spooky: EERIE.

85. Lamb's maa-maa: EWE. Ha.

86. "What have we here?": OHO.

87. Brace (oneself): GIRD.

93. Stumbled: LURCHED.

95. Slugger Sammy: SOSA. Boomer once pulled an autographed card of Sosa. 

96. Philosopher Descartes: RENE.

101. Is aware of: KNOWS.

105. Commotion: FUSS.

106. Director Anderson: WES.

107. Clif Bar ingredient: OATS.

110. Architect born in Guangzhou: PEI. His family left for Hong Kong when he was one. He designed the Bank of China Tower in HK.

111. In-flight convenience: WI-FI.

113. Practically forever: EON.

114. All-powerful: OMNIPOTENT.

117. "My brother from __ mother": ANOTHER.

123. Broadcasts on Twitch, e.g.: STREAMS.

124. Wading bird: IBIS.

125. Suggest: ALLUDE TO.

126. Superstar with swagger: HOTSHOT.

127. Toy brick brand: LEGO.

128. Command post: HELM.

129. Put on: DON.

Down:

1. Possibility: OPTION.

2. "Beats me!": NO IDEA.

3. Waiting list?: ORDERS. Great clue.

4. Like a just-finished book: SHUT.

5. Native Arizonans: HOPIS.

6. First-class: ELITE.

7. Rejects as untrue: DENIES.

8. Sneakers with a checkerboard design: VANS.

9. Green prefix: ECO.

10. D.C. player: NAT.

11. Make out: DISCERN.

12. Early ThinkPads, e.g.: IBMS.

13. Summer sign: LEO.

14. Chocolate __: LAB.

15. Ticket for someone who needs a lift?: SKI PASS. Ski lift.

16. "Keep talking": TELL ME MORE.

17. Cookie with a Space Dunk flavor: OREO.

18. Start of a secret exchange, perhaps: PSST.

20. Top __ list: TEN.

24. Actress Palmer: KEKE. "Nope".

28. Parched: DRY.

32. Escape artist born in Budapest: HOUDINI.

33. Taking to court: SUING.

34. Jets, Mets, or Nets: PRO TEAM. Patti is a Mets fan.

36. Munched: ATE.

37. Soft tosses: LOBS.

39. Journalist Curry: ANN.

40. Rival: FOE.

41. Celebratory poem: ODE.

42. Mojito fruit: LIMES.

43. Obscures: FOGS.

45. Cola brand: PEPSI.

46. Brand of near beer: O'DOUL'S.

49. Craft beer letters: IPA.

50. 108-Down for a knight: SIR. 108. Honorific: TITLE.

51. "To Kill a Mockingbird" novelist: LEE.

52. Flew in a direct, fast line: ARROWED. Didn't know "arrow" can be a verb.

53. Officiated a game: REFFED.

54. One who serves a function?: CATERER. Social function.

59. Clash (with): DIFFER.

61. Russian "no": NYET.

63. "In your dreams!": AS IF.

65. Suffix with percent: ILE.

66. Stockpiling sort: STORER.

69. Lands: ALIGHTS.

70. Super Bowl breaks: AD SPOTS.

71. "Mercy!": I GIVE.
 
72. Childish disagreement: NU HUH.

73. "You did your best!": A FOR EFFORT.

77. Chop down: HEW.

78. Wonderment: AWE. My pretty Asiatic lilies survived again and are thriving.

79. Join: WED.

80. Young stallion: COLT.

81. Levels: TIERS.

84. Kindle tech: E INK.

88. Fig. on an OTC bottle: RDA.

90. Syr. neighbor: ISR.

91. __ de parfum: EAU.

92. Poetic dusk: EEN.

94. Highest corporate levels: C SUITES.

95. Precut pattern: STENCIL.

98. __ Jima: IWO.

99. Heavy book: TOME.

100. Waddingham of "Ted Lasso": HANNAH. She was born in London.

102. Was on first: OPENED.

103. Visited: WENT TO.

104. Doesn't release: SITS ON.

109. Go letter by letter: SPELL.

111. Scrub: WASH.

112. Gaga over: INTO. 

113. Formerly, once: ERST.

114. Roughly: OR SO.

115. Egg cell: OVUM.

116. Bill's partner in time travel: TED. "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure".

118. "Pshaw!": HAH.

119. Punk offshoot: EMO.

121. Yam in purple ice cream: UBE. Our local farmers markets have purple yams. 

122. 18-wheeler: RIG.

Happy 59th birthday to Barry G, who gave me invaluable feedback when I just started making crosswords. Hope all's well in your world, Barry!  

C.C.

Wednesday, Mar 26th, 2025 ~ Zhou Zhang

 HEAD to HEAD

This looks to be Zhou Zhang's solo debut for the LA Times - congratulations~!  I did some research and found he co-authored a WSJ crossword just last month.  We have just five (ish) names, no circles, no expanded grid, and three of his four themers are unique to crosswords.  So, too, is 33D - one of two 9-letter non-theme fills, the other being 3D, and that fill has only appeared in one other crossword.  Well done, sir.  The themers;

18. Chance to have a heart to heart?: ROYAL FLUSH

Suit of hearts

26. Spot to meet face to face?: MAKEUP MIRROR

I love the double image of this Def Leppard album cover

47. Professional who is willing to see eye to eye?: POTATO FARMER

website

61. Person who will go toe to toe?: PEDICURIST

I also found this

Better would've been having the answers in "body" order, "head to toe", but still a solid puzzle, IMHO

 
And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Crystal balls, e.g.: ORBS - ah. I do the downs first, so my 2D. was wrong

5. French cap: BERET - OK, to answer the oft asked question, "Frawnche" comes from this scene from the 80's movie Better Off Dead

And the water is from "Peru"

10. Greek earth goddess: GAIA - Crossword friendly 75% vowels; name #1

14. __ out: sing with gusto: BELT - I have been known to belt out a karaoke song or two

15. Quartz type: AGATE - I did not know this popular crossword fill was quartz ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

16. Branches: ARMS

17. Clever concept: IDEA - I am working diligently to finish one of my board games; I printed a prototype game board and showed it to someone I trust with the idea - and she suggested some clever and well-appreciated corrections for me

20. "Girl Crush" country singers Little Big __: TOWN - filled via perps - their Wiki, name #2

21. Cat's warning sound: HISS - Jonesy gave Brett - and the viewers - a heads up HISS that the full-grown "30A." was right behind 

22. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright: ALBEE - name #3, needed some perps

23. Some saxes: ALTOs

25. Rewards for a good dog: TREATS - I am reading a book from Robert Crais called "Suspect" with a traumatized USMC German Shepherd as a character - still no luck on my four-legged friend yet 😞

30. Unfamiliar: ALIEN - A what~?  A, a Xenomorph~?

James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens

31. New prefix: NEO

32. Trip around the sun: YEAR - yup, that's what it is - and they're going faster, I've noticed

36. Beast of burden: ASS

37. Puts to work: EMPLOYS - AND - 66A. Puts to work: USES

41. Gibbon or gorilla: APE

42. See 43-Down: MOSS -AND- 43. With 42-Across, hanging growth in Louisiana swamps: SPANISH

44. Beverage suffix: ADE - Hi, lemonADE ~!

45. "__ love": "LOTSA"

51. Cocktail party appetizer: CANAPE

54. Dude ranch greeting: HOWDY

55. Solo: ALONE

56. Sound from a fan: WHIR

I'm a "fan"

58. Wax-wrapped Dutch cheese: EDAM

63. Subterfuge: RUSE

64. Parted partners: EXES

65. Scuffle: MELEE

67. Result of a bug bite, perhaps: RASH

68. Pot payments: ANTES - in card games like the hand of poker above

69. School orgs. that may sponsor fundraisers: PTAs - Parent Teacher Associations

DOWN:

 1. Somber bio: OBIT - we are getting Spinal Tap II the movie this year; here's a cut from bassist Derek Smalls solo album

"She puts the b***h in obituary"

2. Ctrl+Y action: REDO - ctrl + C is 'copy';....ctrl + Z is 'UNDO' - yet there's a "Y" in copy, but no "Z"  in undo and no "Y" in redo. . . . never mind

3. Expressed affection from afar: BLEW A KISS - 😘

4. Marvel Comics legend: STAN LEE - Ah.  The "real" side of comics, not the "super" side. Name #4

5. Go around for rounds: BAR HOP - them days are behind me

6. Self-interest doctrine: EGOISM

7. Sunbeams: RAYS

8. Texts from a chronically late friend: ETAs - text implies an abbr. in this clue; at least it's different

9. Contact no.: TELephone

10. Place for portraits and prints: GALLERY

11. Island near Venezuela: ARUBA

12. "No more for me, thanks": "I'M SET"

13. Symbol on the first day of Lent: ASHES

19. Once-popular casino game: FARO - Just watched a clip about the tunnels dug for the Faroe Islands

24. Melody: TUNE

25. "Iliad" city: TROY

26. Counterpart of sir: MA'AM

27. As well: ALSO

28. Small bay: INLET

29. __ Speedwagon: REO

33. "You can't catch me!": "EAT MY DUST~!"

34. Church recess: APSE - I'm in this article from The American Organist magazine for our work on the new pipe organ at a church in Lynchburg, VA - I'm the one with the bald spot in the last image 😜

This is that same console that did not fit through the door 😆

35. __ admiral: REAR - Not just in charge of the "aft" or "stern" of a ship; here's the Wiki

38. Chess ending: MATE

39. Cuddling in the park, for short: PDA - Public Display of Affection

40. Barbecue side option: SLAW - I prefer fries

46. Phrase often heard in a restaurant kitchen: "ORDER UP~!"

48. Oil cartel letters: OPEC - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; I just learned that Norway is now at the top of the NON OPEC list; the YouTube clip

49. "That makes sense now": "OH I SEE."

50. Strengths: FORTES - Forte is my accountant's last name; he's good with numbers - it's his "forte"😜

51. Escapade: CAPER

52. Word said with an Echo?: ALEXA - I have to link this again, it was just too good - thanks, MM~!

Uh-huh....uh-huh....

53. Connection points: NODES

56. Small songbird: WREN - not the architect this time

57. Sword handle: HILT

59. Not on solid ground: ASEA

60. What a toddler might leave behind: MESS

62. Actress Thurman: UMA - name #5, crossword staple

Splynter