Sunday, August 24, 2025 ~ Zhouqin Burnikel

Ship Building

This Sunday, C.C. meticulously builds a ship in a puzzle like the puzzle of a ship in a bottle.

23. "Don't wait to sign up!": REGISTER NOW. The STERN is the back of a ship.

25. Rolling aid at a sushi bar: BAMBOO MAT. The BOOM is perpendicular to the MAST.

Mmm... Sushi

36. Places to see turkeys: BOWLING ALLEYS. The GALLEY is the boat's kitchen. Note: Boomer said lanes; BOW is highlighted 'cuz, um... see 111a ;-)

58. Tree blight spread by bark beetles: DUTCH ELM DISEASE. The HELM is the ships wheel. Dutch elm disease is caused by sac fungi spread by bark beetles.

78. Christmas carol set to "Greensleeves": WHAT CHILD IS THIS. The HATCH is the door to the hold or cargo area. I'll admit I had to write this with out the circles in order to NOT parse it as WATCH ILDIST HIS.

95. "Mood Indigo" composer: DUKE ELLINGTON. The KEEL is ship's backbone.

Nice.

111. Boss at a hot spot: CLUB OWNER.

113. Like a blanket fresh from the dryer: WARM AS TOAST. The MAST is the center pole.

Not to be buttered.

And, just to keep us all on the same boat:

Ship's Bits

Across:
1. Father of Rosemary's baby: SATAN.

6. State tree of Texas: PECAN. My old neighborhood had pecan trees shading the streets. Every year, folks walk down the medians bagging them up.

11. Lhasa __: APSO.

Cousin Itt dogs.

15. Mlle., in Mexico: SRTA. Short for señorita.

19. Affordable, in brand names: ECONO. Economic or easy on your wallet.

20. Red Velvet leader: IRENE. Red Velvet is a female K-pop group. You can read about them here or listen below:

YMMV

21. Bring up: REAR. Not bring up the rear but bring up as child to adult.

22. Many a babysitter: TEEN.

23. [See: Theme]

25. [See: Theme]

27. Beach on a film set: ADAM. Canadian actor.

Rotten Tomatoes Bio

28. Hardly an angel: BRAT.

Calvin could be a real stinker.

29. Love to pieces: ADORE.

31. Sussex strollers: PRAMS.

32. In progress: AFOOT.

34. Some breakdancers: BGIRLS. B-Girls are breakdancing females.

35. Slip of the fingers: TYPO.

36. [See: Theme]

40. "SNL" actor Wakim: EMIL.

Emil on Weekend Update

42. Miracle-__: garden brand: GRO.

YMMV

43. Store with hiking gear: REI. Recreational Equipment Inc.

44. Sculling tool: OAR.

45. Chopping tool: AXE.

46. Sacred bird of the Nile: IBIS.

50. Share a viewpoint: AGREE.

52. Swindler's scheme: CON.

53. Cosmopolitan place?: BAR.
 

A Cosmo

55. Most exquisite: FINEST.

57. Shopping centers: MALLS.

58. [See: Theme]

61. Winds down: ENDS.

62. Top gear?: HATS.
 

Similar to my topper.

63. Tapestry creature: UNICORN. So, this was a thing [WikiP].
 

The Unicorn Purifies Water

64. Time out?: NAP.

65. __ press: small appliance: PANINI.

67. Dated: OLD. Think fashion.

68. Shade-loving plants with broad leaves: HOSTAS.

70. Come up short, maybe: OWE.

72. Largest fog desert in the world: ATACAMA. Atacama is a desert in Chile.

74. Street food vendor's need: CART. I've seen tamale sellers outside of bars with just a 5-gallon bucket.

75. Links org.: LPGA. Ladies Professional Golf Association.

78. [See: Theme]

81. Sensitive spots: SORES.

82. Setting: LOCALE.

83. Take a course?: EAT. Cute.

84. "__ Missing Hearts": Celeste Ng novel: OUR.

85. Dog, cutesily: POOCH. Cf. 121a.

86. Built on __: SPEC.

87. Blog feed letters: RSS. Really Simple Syndication. It's a protocol to update you without needing to constantly visit all of your subscribed websites to know if they've updated.

89. QB misfire: INT. An interception is a quarterback's error.

90. Drink in a growler: ALE.

About 4 pints

92. Luau instrument, briefly: UKE.

93. Don't throw away: KEEP.

95. [See: Theme]

99. Best buds: PALS.

101. Continental divides?: OCEANS.

103. Speak in public: ORATE.

104. Labyrinthine puzzles: MAZES.

A maize maze at nearby Dewberry Farm

105. "Gosh!": OH GEE.

106. Movie ending?: GOER. A moviegoer sees films.

107. Tom yum cuisine: THAI. Tom yum is a hot (as in spicy) and sour soup. WikiP says, "Tom yam [alt.] is composed of two words in the Thai language. Tom refers to the boiling process, while yam means mixed."

Yummers!

111. [See: Theme]

113. [See: Theme]

116. Prefix with space: AERO.

117. Roll-call call: HERE.

118. Like some college walls: IVIED. Also like Wrigley's outfield walls.

Two early ground-rule doubles.

119. Monument Valley land formation: BUTTE.

120. "__ hates pushups": message on a silly tee: T-REX.  Me parsing: "What's a TREX? Oh, a T-Rex!"

LOL!

121. Garfield's frenemy: ODIE.

122. Baby bear?: TEDDY. #Roosevelt

123. Mist in a sauna: STEAM.

Down:
1. "Buona __!": SERA. "Good night" in Italian.

2. Totally crushed, as a test: ACED.

3. Classic dorm party costume: TOGA.

Animal House

4. Cat or mouse: ANIMAL.

5. Thumbs-downs: NOS.

6. Dumplings often served with sour cream: PIEROGI.

Yummers!

7. Printed slips: ERRATA. Ha!

8. Bit of change: CENT.

9. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

10. Crystal collector, maybe: NEWAGER. A newager is into new age crystal healing.

11. Shady spots: ARBORS.

12. Tapioca unit: PEARL.

13. Like some couples: SAME SEX.

14. Space ball?: ORB.

15. Thread that unfolds in a courtroom drama: STORY LINE.

16. Craft a new plot: REMAP.

17. Phrase heard before un beso, at times: TE AMO. I love you followed (at times) by a kiss.

18. Six-legged social workers: ANTS.

24. Cut from the short loin: T-BONE.

26. __-Free: contact lens solution: OPTI.

30. Handy letters: DIY. Do It Yourself.

33. Camp cracklers: FIRES.

34. Sauvignon __: BLANC. A dry, herbal, white-grape wine.

36. Second-best effort: B-GAME. A-Game is a thing... B-Game, not so much(?).

37. Brain or heart: ORGAN.

38. Global harmony: WORLD PEACE.

John Lennon's Vision ;-)

39. Takes inventory?: LOOTS. Ha!

41. Selfish shout: ME FIRST.

45. __ quarterback: ARM CHAIR. During the game as opposed to Monday-Morning around the watercooler.

47. Shoot added to pho: BEAN SPROUT. They add a bit of crunch to your soup.

48. Rae of "Barbie": ISSA.
 

President Barbie

49. "Take a __ back": STEP. And look at the bigger picture.

51. Queen with a frosty touch: ELSA. Disney's Frozen movie.

52. Manicure targets: CUTICLES.

53. Be flexible: BEND.

54. "Aladdin" prince: ALI. Another Disney reference.

56. Ain't right?: ISN'T. Cute.

58. Gurira of "Black Panther": DANAI.
 

Danai Gurira

59. Luau dances: HULAS.

60. Access points: DOORS.

62. "Well, hello!": HI THERE.

66. Salt formula: NACL. Sodium [Na] Cloride [Cl].

67. Fail to include: OMIT.

69. __ gobi: vegetarian curry dish: ALOO. Even though I enjoy Indian cuisine often, it's crosswords that have taught me potato is aloo.

70. Hooting birds: OWLS.

71. Hit with force: WHOP.

73. Orthodontist's org.: ADA.

74. Skydiver's need: CHUTE. You only need a chute if you expect to skydive more than once.

76. Lizard with sticky toe pads: GECKO.

77. Visibly frightened: ASHEN.

79. Container with lures and worms: TACKLE BOX. I have a tackle box filled with IC [integrated circuit] components ;-)

80. Strengthens, as muscles: TONES.

81. Totally wiped: SPENT.

88. Cuddled in bed: SPOONED.

89. "Told ya so!": I KNEW IT.

90. "So soon?": ALREADY.

91. Make-up artists?: LIARS.

94. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

95. Academic goal: DEGREE.

96. Dubai's fed.: UAE.

97. Was imminent: LOOMED.

98. "Beat it!": GET OUT.

99. Lighter in color: PALER.

Procol Harum's 1967 A Whiter Shade of Pale

100. Shade of blue: AZURE.

102. Darling, in Dijon: CHERI.

Pepé Le Pew

104. Aspiring doc's exam: MCAT. The Medical College Admission Test.

106. Aid in solving a logic puzzle: GRID.

108. "Stop the __": HATE.

109. Hammett dog: ASTA.

110. Article: ITEM.

112. "__ told you?": WHO.

The WHO who told(?)

114. Blvd. kin: AVE.

115. Conan's former network: TBS. Originally, the Turner Broadcasting System.

The Grid:

The Grid (for the visually impaired)

WO: HaSTAS
ESPs: SATAN (as clued), IRENE, ADAM, ATACAMA | DANAI, T-REX (as clued)
Fav: LOOTS' clue.

Well, what do you think? (I know, I know, "circles")
I say this was a another fun Sunday puzzle by our hostess C.C..

Now it's time for me to SHIP out.
Cheers, -T

Monday August 4, 2025 Zhouqin Burnikel

  

Happy first Monday in August, everyone! I'm elated to be sharing with you this puzzle from our blogmistress, Zhouqin Burnikel. The theme is:  

These are the four themers:

17 Across. Future time: LATER DATE.  

26 Across. Tank often found near a furnace: WATER HEATER.  

40 Across. Like some raisins and truffles: CHOCOLATE COATED. Simply masterful! Not only was this one a grid-spanner but it is also mouthwatering!  

51 Across. Chamber that sends laws to the governor: STATE SENATE.  

Click to enlarge.

And now for the perfect unifier:  

64 Across. Dined with a bun in the oven, or what can be found in 17-, 26-, 40-, and 51-Across: ATE FOR TWO.  "Bun in the oven" and "eating for two" are idioms that mean a person is pregnant. I like the parallel construction of using an idiom in the clue to match the answer.

Furthermore ... all of the themed answers have ATE TWO times. If you are going to choose letters that must appear at least nine time in a puzzle, A, T, and E are good ones to pick. They help to disguise the pattern before arriving at the reveal.

As today's moderater, I will now relate the remaining clues....

Across:

1. Delicate trim on a gown: LACE.     and     62 Across. Flared dress shape: A-LINE.

an A-LINE wedding gown with LACE

5. "The __ have it": "Motion carries": AYES.

9. Worshipper of Tláloc and Xolotl: AZTEC. The letters in those names point us towards a S. American civilization.

14. Norwegian saint: OLAV.  

Memory trick:
OLAV is the Very serious saint
OLAF is the Fun snowman

15. Cardinal's home: NEST.     and     13 Down. Apple gadget: CORER.

Both of these clues take advantage of the capitalize-the-first-letter-of-the-clue convention to possibly mislead the solver towards interpreting the first word as a proper noun.

Did anyone else first think of the MLB team?

16. Grand Canyon donkey: BURRO.  As it turns out, I am currently reading Kevin Fedarko's book about the Grand Canyon.  

19. Lipstick mishap: SMEAR.  

20. Country club figure: PRO.  This is what I found regarding the difference between a Club Pro and a Pro Golfer: 

Club professionals are employed by a club for the purpose of running the operation, teaching, directing tournament operations, or any other duties the club requires. They are employees of the club and their primary duties include any of the above. Professional golfers, by comparison, are independent contractors whose sole concern is their game. The vast majority of their days are dedicated entirely to practicing and playing golf.

21. Goes out with: SEES.  

23. High-pH substance: BASE.  "Alkaline" and "basic" are virtually synonymous in chemistry.

24. Suffix for Gator or hater: -ADE.  I was unfamiliar with haterade. It is slang so it has different definitions for different demographics; but, to my understanding, it is a dark version of "drinking the Kool-Aid". That is to say, it is a figurative beverage representing a modality of thought that is filled with hate. 

29. One of three in a triangle: VERTEX.  

A VERTEX is the point where two line segments (sides) meet.
Do you remember what the sum of the three interior angles is?

31. Key left of F1: ESC.

32. Disney queen born on the winter solstice: ELSA.  She is friends with Olaf.  

33. Biblical paradise: EDEN.  

37. Lost traction: SLID.  

Whoohooooooooo!

44. Aware of: IN ON.

45. Cry like a baby: BAWL.

46. Rock from side to side: SWAY.  It's also a song:

Dean Martin     ~     Sway     ~     1954

47. Bill Nye's subj.: SCI.  Subject is abbreviated and so is SCIence.

49. At a discount: ON SALE.  

PRO tip: Try to get the top 50%.

57. Some GPS lines: STS.  STreetS

58. Wild feline also called a catamount: PUMA.  Today I learned that the PUMA holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the mammal with the most names in English. We call them mountain lions where I live. They sometimes show up on Ring cams.

59. Walk wearily: PLOD.

60. Most Grindr users: MEN.  From their website:  Since 2009, Grindr has grown into the world’s largest network for gay, bi, trans, and queer adults.

68. Comedian Kaling: MINDY.  

You might recognize her as Kelly Kapoor from The Office (2005-2012).

69. Mah-jongg piece: TILE.  The standard Chinese set has 144 TILEs.

70. In the thick of: AMID.

71. Informal "What if ... ": S'POSE.

72. Slowest form of fencing: ÉPÉE.  I looked up why ÉPÉE is "slowest". I learned that it is the only form of fencing which does not enforce the 'right of way'. In foil and saber only the 'aggressor' can score a point because they have the right of way. However, in ÉPÉE, if both fencers score a 'touch', they can both receive points. In other words, being the aggressor risks allowing the opponent to score. This leads to more hesitant attacks and slower action.

73. Drop in the mail: SEND.  

When People Used the Postal Service to 'Mail' Their Children

Down:

1. "U r 2 funny!": LOL.  Texting in the clue hints at a textspeak answer.

2. Boeuf __ mode: French dish of wine-braised beef: À LA.

3. Parent of a fur baby, perhaps: CAT PERSON.  

4. At any point: EVER.

5. "Your point being?": AND?.

6. Ingredient in challah: YEAST.  Challah is a special bread in Jewish cuisine.  

7. Cosmetics icon Lauder: ESTÉE.

8. Guide: STEER.  A bum STEER is an idiom which means to provide information, intentionally or unintentionally that is incorrect, was unhelpful, or caused one to be led astray. I would be giving you a bum STEER if I told you this idiom was cattle-related.

9. Muscles worked while planking: ABS.  I cannot recall anyone saying planking when referring to holding a plank pose. Perhaps I am blanking on that.  😕

10. Dance-based fitness session: ZUMBA CLASS.  Nice fill!

11. Reward for a pet: TREAT.  

12. Backspace over: ERASE.

18. "Dirty Jobs" host Mike: ROWE.  Michael Gregory Rowe was born March 18, 1962 in Maryland. Both of his parents were teachers. Now that's a tough job!

22. __/her pronouns: SHE.

24. French "with": AVEC.  

Oui! Oui!

25. New __, India: DELHI.  At 33.8 million people, it is the most populous city in India.  

27. Figure skating leap: AXEL.  

Memory trick:
AXEL has the vowels twisted around the X.
Axle has the vowels outside the L, sort of like tires on an axle.

28. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

30. Places to go for al pastor: TACO STANDS.  Al pastor is a traditional Mexican meat dish that may be served in TACOs.

34. Dollop: DAB.

35. Due-in hr.: ETA.  hour and Estimated Time of Arrival

36. Never-before-seen: NEW.  

38. "I'm not to blame": IT WASN'T ME.

39. Handed out cards: DEALT.  Clues and answers must be consistent when it comes to tense. Since handed is past tense, we needed the past tense of deal.

41. Some time ago: ONCE.   Some time ago, 18 years to be more precise, many of us fell in love with the film Once. You might be interested to know that Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, and The Swell Season put out new music this past March.

This song is entitled People We Used to Be :

42. Form a clump: CLOT.

43. Turns blue, say: DYES.  

48. AOL or MSN: ISP.  Internet Service Provider

50. Lost fish found by Dory: NEMO.  Finding Nemo was a 2003 Pixar film. They later came out with Finding Dory in 2016.  

Memory trick:
Dory has Yellow fins.
Dora is an Adventurous explorer.

51. Pesters with junk messages: SPAMS.  So annoying!

52. Flower from a bulb: TULIP.  I took this photo this morning. They are not tulips but they are bulbs. Pink ladies, aka naked ladies, are bulbs in the amaryllis family. They grow foliage in early Spring. After that dies off they use the energy stored in the bulb to send up long, bare stalks with big, pink flowers. (The green leaves around their stems in this photo are different plants.) 

53. __ acid: AMINO.  I like how this article uses a letters in the alphabet analogy to explain AMINO acids.

54. More than just tickle: ELATE.  half of an Easter egg???

55. Option on a coffeehouse payment screen: NO TIP.  

56. "Someone Like You" singer: ADELE.  It feels like we get a lot of Adele on Mondays. I'm OK with that. This video was filmed in Paris.  

61. Divisions in time: ERAS.

63. Calm center of a cyclone: EYE.  A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation. The weakest tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions.

Click to enlarge.

65. Extra charge: FEE.  Wouldn't it be nice if every ONCE in a while it said FREE?

66. Come out on top: WIN.

67. Like a quirky "duck": ODD.  

The grid:  

"Farewell matey", said the pirate!