Theme: "EV Charging"
EV (electric vehicle) charging is much in the news these days, with most of us considering how we can support solutions to climate change. In today's puzzle, constructor Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel brings us a different kind of "EV" plug-in, inserting the letters EV into English phrases to create new phrases that match the clues.
23 Across. Televangelist's weekly staff meeting?: BUSINESS REVIVAL. Business rival.
30 Across. Gadget with all the bells and whistles?: LOADED DEVICE. Loaded dice.
 |
| loaded dice vs loaded device |
51 Across. Series of self-help books for really ambitious copy editors?: REVISE TO FAME. Rise to fame.
89 Across. Rum drink served exclusively in Vegas casinos?: NEVADA COLADA. Nada colada. A nada colada is a non-alcoholic piña polada: think coconut cream, pineapple, and lime juice.
100 Across. Blossom on a pair of 501 jeans femme?: FLEUR DE LEVIS. Fleur-de-lis. Also spelled fleur-de-lys. 501 is a classic Levis style with a button fly. 501 jeans femme would be women's 501 jeans, in French. If French 501 jeans for women were to be decorated with a flower, it might be a "fleur-de-lis," the stylized lily shape that represents France.
116 Across. Formally promised that a tax rate was accurate?: LEVIED UNDER OATH. Lied under oath. They made a promise about taxes under oath, but they lied!
37 Down. What winning lottery scratch tickets do?: REVEAL MONEY. Real money.
43 Down. Complete overhaul of a diary passage?: ENTRY REVAMP. Entry ramp.
As you know, an electric grid is a complex network of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution centers that delivers electricity to consumers. Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel's grid is another modern marvel. How does she come up with these things, and then arrange them symmetrically in the grid?
Since I can't solve that mystery, we'll move on to the rest of the clues and answers ...
Across:
1. April, May, and June:
NAMES. These days, I meet young women named September and October ... all the months are up for grabs!
6. Some briefs:
BVDS. BVD is a brand of men's underwear, which are commonly referred to as "BVDs." The brand was founded in 1876 and named after the three founders of the firm: Bradley, Voorhees, and Day. The brand is currently produced by Fruit of the Loom.
 |
| BVD magazine advertising insert, 1910's |
10. Street __: CRED. Street credibility. Respect earned in one's area.
14. Rack up, as expenses: INCUR.
19. Tea party guest: ALICE.
 |
| The Mad Hatter's tea party from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
20. Senate staffer: AIDE.
21. Expand the staff: HIRE.
22. Bang or whimper: NOISE.
23. [Theme clue]
26. Lavished love (on): DOTED.
27. Car emissions check: SMOG TEST.
28. "Borderlands" director Roth: ELI. Borderlands is a 2024 American science fiction film directed by Eli Roth, based on the video game series developed by Gearbox Software. It stars Cate Blanchett.
29. Martial art created by Morihei Ueshiba: AIKIDO. Aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a blend of martial studies, philosophy and religion. His goal was to create an art which could be used to defend oneself while also protecting attackers from injury.
30. [Theme clue]
35. Comes together: MERGES.
40. "When will u b here?": ETA. "Estimated Time of Arrival" in textspeak.
41. Flat fee?: RENT. The monthly fee for a flat (apartment).
42. Chaotic state: MESS.
46. Skating jumps with 1 1/2 air turns: AXELS.
47. Only known warm-blooded fish: OPAH. Opah (AKA moonfish) is often on the menu in Hawaii. In 2015, opah was discovered to have endothermy in which the entire core of the body is maintained at around 5 °C above the surrounding water. This is unique among fish, since most are entirely cold blooded, or are capable of warming only some parts of their bodies.
 |
| Opah or moonfish. They are large. |
49. Service station shops: MARTS.
50. From scratch: ANEW.
51. [Theme clue]
54. "But maybe I'm alone in thinking this?": OR IS IT ME?
56. Vessels on a frozen lake: ICE BOATS.
57. Beltway Series MLB team: NATS. The Beltway Series is the Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry series between the Washington Nationals (Nats) and the Baltimore Orioles. The series is named after the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Washington, D.C. and the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) in Baltimore, Maryland. The teams also refer to the series as "The Battle of the Beltways".
59. Vacationing: ON A TRIP. Sometimes I get a chance to write the Crossword Corner blog post when one of the regular bloggers is on a trip. I have almost as much fun as they do.
60. Cryptology org.: NSA. Cryptology is the art and science of making and breaking codes and ciphers. NSA (National Security Agency) is responsible for creating the systems that protect U.S. communications and for analyzing communications used by foreign powers.
61. Breaks down: ROTS.
63. Some pop: COLAS.
There are so many flavors of Coca Cola, who has time for Pepsi or RC?
65. Secret rendezvous: TRYST.
66. "I'm game!": LET'S.
69. "Go ahead, I'm listening": OK SHOOT.
71. Draft choice?: BEER.
72. Fallon of late-night: JIMMY. Host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC.
 |
| Jimmy Fallon |
74. Malice: SPITE.
75. Not mucho: POCO. A little Spanish.
77. Defib expert: EMT. An Emergency Medical Technician can perform defibrillation, using electrical current to restore a normal heart rhythm when a person is experiencing a potentially fatal arrhythmia.
80. Fried pastry filled with mashed potatoes: ALOO PIE. Crossword enthusiasts are familiar with aloo, the Indian word for potatoes. Put potatoes in fried dough, and you have aloo pie, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago.
82. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA. Baba ghanoush is a middle eastern dip made of eggplant, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (sesame seed paste). You'll want to scoop it up with pita. Yum!
84. Lack of approval: DISFAVOR.
87. Stuff inside: CONTENTS. Stuff is a noun in this instance. The "stuff inside" an envelope is the contents of the envelope. When it comes to another crossword favorite, Oreos, "double stuf" is an option.
89. [Theme clue]
91. Place for a pad: KNEE.
92. At an impasse: STUCK.
94. "One more thing ... ": ALSO.
95. Directed (at): AIMED.
96. Puts into words: SAYS.
97. Ceramic stewpot: OLLA. A little more Spanish! But "olla" has been adopted into English to mean a wide-mouthed earthenware pot. In Spanish, it's pronouned OY-yah. In English, the pronunciation is all over the map.
98. " Dios __!": MIO. More Spanish! "My God!"
99. Pass by: ELAPSE.
100. [Theme clue]
104. Ninja in a shell: TURTLE. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The stories follow Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtles trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. My son liked the animated series on TV.
 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
108. Kirigami or origami: ART. Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper. Kirigami is a variation that involves cutting the paper so that it stands away from a page.
 |
| Basic Kirigami |
109. Loan repayment figure: INTEREST.
115. Pong Quest developer: ATARI. Video game.
116. [Theme clue]
120. Cookie cutter?: BAKER.
121. Give and take: SWAP.
122. Not again: ONCE.
123. Perez of "Birds of Prey": ROSIE. Rosie Perez is an American actress whose breakthrough came at age 24 in the film "Do the Right Thing" (1989), followed by "White Men Can't Jump" (1992). Perez's performance in "Fearless" (1993) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her starring film roles since include "It Could Happen to You" (1994), "The Road to El Dorado" (2000), "Pineapple Express" (2008), and "Birds of Prey" (2020).
 |
| Rosie Perez |
124. One in a notepad: SHEET.
125. Homes for foxes: DENS.
126. Cereal in party mix: CHEX.
127. Like a disciplinarian: STERN.
Down:
1. Catches red-handed: NABS.
2. Many a school donor: ALUM. A graduate of a particular school is an alum. An alumnus is a male graduate, an alumna is a female graduate, alumni is plural for males or mixed genders, and alumnae is plural for females. Alum saves you from all that gender specificity; the plural is alums.
3. Soybean paste similar to doenjang: MISO. Japanese miso paste is made by fermenting steamed soy beans with salt, grains (usually rice or barley) and koji, a type of fungus. Korean doenjang is made by fermenting steamed soy beans with salt alone. "Soybean paste" was enough to give me "miso."
4. Vaper's choice: E-CIG. Electronic cigarette AKA e-cigarette AKA e-cig AKA vape.
5. No longer in the drafts folder: SENT. An email reference.
6. Deep opera voice: BASSO.
7. Panoramic view: VISTA.
8. Arcade game featuring colorful floor arrows: Abbr.: DDR. Dance Dance Revolution is a music video game series produced by Japanese brand Konami. I did not know (DNK) DDR.
 |
| DDR arcade game |
9. "What did I say!?": SEE!?
10. Minor character: CHILD. A minor is a person under a legal age limit, which varies. In California, anyone under the age of 18 is a minor.
11. Nice beach area: RIVIERA. Nice (pronounced NEESS) is a city on the French Riviera, quite close to the border with Italy. I'm sure it's very nice.
12. Important stretch: ERA.
13. Tierra __ Fuego: archipelago in South America: DEL.
14. Not mainstream: INDIE. Independent -- describing a musical group, record label, or film company not associated with a major corporation.
15. Cozy corner: NOOK.
16. New York's __ Field: CITI. A baseball stadium in Queens, New York City. The naming rights were purchased by Citigroup, a New York financial services company, for $20 million annually.
17. Secondhand: USED.
18. Make over: REDO.
24. Snaky fish with transparent babies: EELS.
25. Sanskrit scripture: VEDA.
29. Is a cast member of: ACTS IN.
31. Part of CODA: DEAF. CODA is an acronym for "Child of Deaf Adults."
32. Actor Hawke: ETHAN. Ethan Hawke is an American actor with many film, television and stage credits for acting, directing, and writing. He was married for five years to actress Uma Thurman, with whom he has two children. After the divorce, he married the nanny.
 |
| Ethan Hawke |
33. __ Beach, Florida: VERO. Palm Beach would also fit.
34. Opening remarks: INTROS.
35. County north of San Francisco: MARIN. Marin County is north of San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. It includes the giant redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument and the incredible coastline of Point Reyes National Seashore.
 |
I took this photo of Caspian Terns and Brown Pelicans at Point Reyes in 2023.
|
36. Corporate VIPs: EXECS.
37. [Theme clue]
38. Supremely superficial: GLIB.
39. Fuel sponsor of Hockey Canada: ESSO. Esso is how “SO,” for Standard Oil, sounds when pronounced. The Esso brand is still used outside the USA.
42. __ d'hôtel: MAÎTRE. A maître d'hôtel (French for "master of the house") is a restaurant manager responsible for supervising the wait staff, welcoming guests, assigning tables, taking reservations, and ensuring that guests are satisfied.
43. [Theme clue]
44. Tourney rounds: SEMIS.
45. Won every game: SWEPT.
47. Quattro x due: OTTO. Four times two in italiano makes eight.
48. Like surgery rehab: POST OP.
49. "Samesies!": ME TOO.
52. Hearing things?: EARS.
53. Coconut vendor's tool: MACHETE.
55. Completely gratify: SATE.
58. Pig's supper: SLOP.
62. Pass over: SKIP.
64. In disagreement: AT ODDS.
67. Chews the scenery: EMOTES. Strange idiom for overacting.
68. Dating preference: TYPE. The men in my life have been wildly different from one another; I don't have a "type." But DH is the clear winner!
70. Smell awful: STINK.
71. Brown-skinned pear: BOSC.
72. Lowest face cards: JACKS.
73. Rugby star Maher: ILONA. Ilona Maher is an American rugby player. She debuted for the United States women's national rugby union team against Japan in 2018, and represented the U.S. in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
 |
| Ilona Maher |
74. Resolve out of court: SETTLE.
76. "See ya!": CIAO. More italiano.
78. Video game settings: MODES.
79. Fantasy maneuver: TRADE. OK, sports fans! My understanding is that real live sports aren't enough to satisfy you, so you make up fantasy teams of famous players. There are even online calculators that let you analyze the costs and benefits of trading one player for another.
81. Oxford part: INSOLE. Oxford, the shoe style, not the university.
83. Be of use to: AVAIL. We often use the negative: an effort was of no avail.
85. Newborn horse: FOAL.
86. "RRR" actress Bhatt: ALIA. This 2022 Indian film featuring two heroes is so over-the-top, it's spectacular.
 |
| Actress Alia Bhatt |
88. Shipmate of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk: SULU. Surnames of crew members on the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series.
90. __ vera gel: ALOE.
93. Group of travelers: CARAVAN.
98. Allocate, with "out": METE.
99. East, in Ecuador: ESTE. Spanish!
100. Tease playfully: FLIRT.
101. Tap problems: DRIPS.
102. Vaughn of "Bad Monkey": VINCE. Vince Vaughn is an American actor known for his roles in film and TV comedies.
 |
| Vince Vaughn |
103. Textbook section: INDEX.
104. Bar pickups: TABS.
105. Snowbasin's state: UTAH.
106. Landscaping tool: RAKE.
107. China fir, e.g.: TREE.
110. Makes a misstep: ERRS.
111. Ginseng, e.g.: ROOT.
112. Lack of difficulty: EASE.
113. Mix with chopsticks: STIR.
114. Subsequently: THEN.
116. Psychedelic drug first synthesized in 1938: LSD.
117. Mama sheep: EWE.
118. Grumpy friend: DOC. Grumpy is one of the Seven Dwarfs in the story of Snow White. Doc is another of the dwarfs.
 |
| Grumpy and Doc |
119. Granite State sch.: UNH. University of New Hampshire.
Here's the grid:
So ... was this puzzle a tour de force? Or torturous?
NaomiZ
Our friend C.C. gave us a fun puzzle for today but left me flummoxed at the bottom right as you see here where my two empty cells were. I made the right guess for someone named NASIM but had no shot at the name for the nesting Russian figurines. I knew of their existence but could not come up with the correct vowel. I also had no shot at the tofu dish. I'll take one bad cell and soldier on. 
Across:
