Friday, September 19, 2025, Zhou Zhang

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee, here, back from the Rocky Mountains with a recap of a puzzle by Zhou Zhang.  Hmm, both of our names are alliterative.  That and five dollars will get you a cup of coffee.

Let's jump right in with the unifier:

66 Across:  Fueled up before a big race, or a description of the answers to the starred clues?: CARBO LOADED.

Each of the following four theme answers references a form of carbohydrate:

19 Across:  *Earnings for a restaurant with a tandoor?: NAAN PROFITS.  FROM NON PROFITS.  With this erudite crowd there's no need to explain what NAAN is.

25 Across:  *Bun that's a really big hit?: STARRING ROLL.  From STARRING ROLE

43 Across:  *One who eats the same brand of corn flakes every morning?: CEREAL MONOGAMIST.  From SERIAL MONOGAMIST

55 Across:  *Ciabatta Chihuahua or pumpernickel Pomeranian?: PURE BREAD DOG.  From PUREBRED DOG.

This is how the completed grid looks:

... and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. __ second: LEAP.  Hand up for first thinking something along the lines of NANO second.

5. Percussion troupe since 1991: STOMP.

10. Prickly plants: CACTI.

15. Cream alternative: ECRU.  Not a reference to a dairy product.  Not a reference to a super group band.  Not slang for trouncing.  A reference to a color.

16. Eaglet's home: AERIE.

17. Astronaut Ochoa: ELLEN.  All You Might Want To Know

18. Tons: A LOT.

21. Handles: NAMES.  Handle, in this case, being slang for, well, NAME.

23. Bill: NOTE.  As in "C-note" or banknote

24. Each: A POP.  Slang for apiece.

29. Japanese artist and peace activist: ONO.  A frequent visitor.

30. Fuss: TODO.

31. Crocheter's stash: YARN.

33. Yearning: ITCH.

36. Large mammals in matrilineal groups: ORCAS.  "Large mammals" would have sufficed.

40. Paint option: MATTE.  Gloss.  Semi-gloss.  Flat.

46. Ages: YEARS.  It makes more sense in French.  Par exemple:  Quel age avez vous?  J'ai soixante-quinze ans.

47. Panache: STYLE.

48. Wasabi __: PEAS.  Tasty

49. Heroic deed: FEAT.  Finding Bigfoot would be no small FEAT.

51. Upfront stake: ANTE.  As in a poker game.

53. Beloved rock, e.g.: PET.  Remember the fad from the 1970's ?

62. Actor Idris: ELBA.  Another frequent visitor.

64. __ bean: LIMA.  Might have been clued as ____ , Ohio . . . or _____ Peru.

65. ID on a map: IDAHO.  Not a reference to identification.  A state's abbreviation.

70. Kiwi-shaped: OVAL.  Technically, OVOID.

71. Gobbled down: ATE UP.  Nice word play with down and up.

72. Backsplash installer: TILER.  The five florists I called earlier today knew absolutely nothing about laying carpet or tile.  And yet I’m the idiot....

73. Kite flyer's need: WIND.  If there's no WIND you must WIND up your kite string.

74. Grown efts: NEWTS.  Frequent amphibian visitors, both.

75. With a wink: SLYLY.

76. Confidentiality docs: NDAS.  Non Disclosure AgreementS have become a crossword staple.

Down:

1. Tends (toward): LEANS.

2. Pizzazz: ECLAT.

3. Feature of a rose garden in full bloom: AROMA.

4. "Shake on it": PUT 'ER THERE.

5. __ Diego: SAN.  It could have been DON Diego (de la Vega).

6. Leaves that might be red or read: TEA.  Nice word play with red and read.

7. Chimp kin: ORANG.  Chimpanzee / ORANGutan

8. Like a key that may evoke sadness: MINOR.

9. __-Bismol: PEPTO.

10. GM's Mary Barra, for one: CEO.  Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker.

11. Italian auto, familiarly: ALFA.  ALFA Romeo.

12. Neckwear suitable for a young child: CLIP ON TIE.  

13. Western Wyoming county: TETON.  How The Grand Tetons Got Their Name

14. Insta browsing goal, perhaps: INSPO.  INSPIRATION.  Meh . . . or maybe I am just of the wrong generation.

20. Depend (on): RELY.  

22. Sign of a packed house: SRO.  Standing Room Only

26. Adored celebrity: IDOL.

27. Benchmarks: NORMS.  If Al Yankovic wasn't weird he'd be called NORM Al.

28. Tibetan monk: LAMA.

32. Decreased: RAMPED DOWN.  Much more frequently used as RAMPED UP

33. Distant: ICY.  ICY what they tried to do here.

34. Wardrobe staple: TEE.

35. Concoction that might be pint-sized: CRAFT BREW.  Literally, pint sized.

37. Tent bed: COT.  If you sin 90 times, you'll only get caught 50% of the time because sin 90 = cot 45.

38. Vague amount: ANY.

39. Like a system that's revolutionary?: SOLAR.  A bit of a stretch but not completely off base.

41. PreCheck org.: TSA.

42. GRE org.: ETS.

44. "Stat!": ASAP.  As Soon As Possible

45. Inheritance factor: GENE.

50. Rock's Jethro __: TULL.  Fronted by Ian Anderson

52. __ chi: TAI.

53. Louisiana's state nut: PECAN.  Think pralines.

54. Overjoy: ELATE.  We are often ELATEd in our puzzles.

56. Hilarious folks: RIOTS.  An idiom that is often seen in our puzzles.

57. Username, often: EMAIL.

58. More than anything: BADLY. 

59. Naturalist Attenborough: DAVID.  Sir DAVID Frederick Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer.

60. Family, in Hawaiian: OHANA.  A straightforward definition.  Lilo and Stitch have popularized the word.

61. Gym chain that began in Venice Beach: GOLDS.  

63. Be next to: ABUT.  What does the seat of your pants ABUT?

67. Special __: OPS.

68. Fish that swims by generating waves: EEL.

69. Not sweet: DRY.  A wine reference.

. . . and always be sure to use an appropriate glass.

. . . Not a bad idea.  Cheers, everyone!

____________________________________________________

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.