Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Dan Kamman and Zhouqin Burnikel

Broken Noses.  Today's puzzle is brought to us by our blog hostess C.C. and Dan Kammann.  A Beak is an informal term used to describe a nose, often a large nose.  Each theme answer begins with the letter B and ends with the letters EAK, thus the word BEAK is "nosing" around the answer.

18-Across. Fast talker's torrent: BLUE STREAK.

24-Across. Short mental rest: BRAIN BREAK.

My idea of the perfect brain break.

38-Across. British dish named for frying sounds: BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.  Bubble and squeak is a hearty, one-pan recipe that makes the left over potatoes, vegetables, and meat.

54-Across. Lean red meat choice: BISON STEAK.

And the unifier:

60-Across. Do some snooping, and a feature of 18-, 24-, 38-, and 54-Across: NOSE AROUND.  A Nosey Parker is one who noses around.

What else can we nose around and find?

Across:

1. Horse hoof sound: CLOP.

5. Chore: TASK.

9. Shade-tolerant plant with broad leaves: HOSTA.

14. Great __: big dog: DANE.  Is it also a Top Dog?

15. Amazon berry enjoyed by toucans: ACAI.  This berry is becoming a crossword staple.

16. Yarns: TALES.

There is some tale in that yarn.

17. The "S" of GPS: Abbr.: SYST.  Global Positioning System

20. Raison d'__: ÊTRE.  Today's French lesson.

22. Mouse catcher: TRAP.

23. Earthbound Australian bird: EMU.

27. Come to a halt: STOP.

28. Actor Cariou: LEN.  I didn't recognize the name, but I do recognize the face of this Canadian actor.  Len Cariou (né Leonard Joseph Cariou; b. Sept. 30, 1939) often appeared along side Angela Lansbury (Oct. 16, 1925 ~ Oct. 11, 2022) in Murder She Wrote.

29. "That hits the spot": AAH!

30. Dorky sort: NERD.

32. Hit "+" on a calculator: ADD.

33. Activist/filmmaker Newsome: BREE.  Bree Newsome (née Brittany Ann Byuarm Newsome; b. May 13, 1985) is best known for her act of civil disobedience when she removed a Confederate flag from the South Carolina state house in 2015.

35. Founded: Abbr.: ESTD.  As in Established.

43. Combustible heap in a funeral rite: PYRE.

44. God, in Notre-Dame: DIEU.  More of today's French lesson.

45. "Single Lady" comic Wong: ALI.  Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; Apr. 19,1982) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

46. Sale caveat: AS IS.

49. Word before a maiden name: NÉE.  A continuation of today's French lesson.

50. Utah's cap.: SLC.  This was my head-scratcher until I realized that the capital of Utah is Salt Lake City.

51. Beer ingredient: MALT.  To make beer, you need four basic ingredients: water, malted grains, hops, and yeast.  Malt is a cereal grain, most often barley, that has been steeped in water, allowed to germinate, and then dried, a process called malting. Malting converts the grain's starches into sugars, making it a key ingredient in beer.

57. Org. on tubes of toothpaste: ADA.  As in the American Dental Association.

58. Bonnet-sporting Berenstain Bear: MAMA.

59. Reseals, as a road: TARS.

64. Completely destroy: RAZE.

66. Cook on a barbecue: GRILL.

67. Campus sports gp.: NCAA.  As in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  Congratulations to the LSU baseball team the 2025 NCAA National Champions!  Geaux Tigers! 

Geaux Tigers!

68. Smell: ODOR.

69. Lower leg joint: ANKLE.

70. Watched warily: EYED.

71. General __ chicken: TSO'S.  One version of the origin of General Tso's Chicken.

Down:

1. LP successors: CDs.

2. Wore a hoodie over a sweater over a shirt, e.g.: LAYERED UP.

3. Ready when needed: ON STAND BY.

4. __ dish: shallow lab container: PETRI.

5. Soda can opener: TAB.

6. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL.  As in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, which is one of the major ligaments in the knee.  This injury appears often in the puzzles.

7. Fry in a pan: SAUTÉ.

8. "A Real Pain" Oscar winner Culkin: KIERAN.  I recognized Kieran Culkin (né Kieran Kyle Culkin; b. Sept. 30, 1982) from his portrayal of Roman Roy in Succession.

9. URL starter: HTTP.  HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

10. Rower's blade: OAR.

11. Icy rain: SLEET.

12. "I love you," in Spanish: TE AMO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

13. Invite to the roof deck, say: ASK UP.  //  And 31-Down. Ask for: REQUEST.

19. "For Pete's __!": SAKE.

21. Makes possible: ENABLES.

24. Spill the beans: BLAB.

25. Like many trees in winter: BARE.

26. Actress Perlman: RHEA.  Rhea Perlman (b. Mar. 31, 1948) is best known for her portrayal of Carla on Cheers.

27. SoCal home of the Aztecs: SDSU.  As in San Diego State University.

34. Put the kibosh on: END.  Kibosh is a fun word.

36. Promos intended to spark curiosity: TEASER ADS.

37. Texas attraction with lions and tigers: DALLAS ZOO.

39. Rotten kid: BRAT.

40. Purple pet on "The Flintstones": DINO.

41. Caught in the act: SEEN.

42. Field goal attempt: KICK.

47. Letter-shaped girder: I-BAR.

48. Gymnastics great Biles: SIMONE.  Simone biles (b. Mar. 14, 1997) has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.

51. "Tokyo Ghoul" genre: MANGA.

52. Deck out: ADORN.

53. Vision-improving surgery: LASIK.

55. Pert: SAUCY.

56. Deck with a Lovers card: TAROT.

58. Like brothers: MALE.

61. Building wing: ELL.

62. "Sorry, lassie": NAE.  Today's lesson in Scottish dialect.

63. Father: DAD.  We celebrated Father's Day earlier this month.

65. Hosp. triage areas: ERS.  As in Emergency Rooms.

Here's the grid:

חתולה

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 George Simpson and Zhouqin Burnikel

Dark Magic.  The first word of each theme answer, which are in the Circles, can all be associated with Darkness, whether literal (night, black) or figurative (evil, secret).  These "DARK CIRCLES" often carrying connotations of fear, danger, and hidden or negative aspects. 

17-Across. Seasoning in a grinder: BLACK PEPPER.

24-Across. Exorcist's target: EVIL SPIRIT.

35-Across. Phone setting that dims the screen: NIGHT MODE.

52-Across. Hush-hush agreement: SECRET DEAL.

59-Across. Signs of fatigue, and what can be found in 17-, 24-, 35-, and 52-Across: DARK CIRCLES.

Here's the Grid, so you can see all the Dark Circles.

Our very own Big Easy and our blog hostess, C.C., created this not-so-dark puzzle today.

Across:

1. Island in the Gulf of Naples: CAPRI.

6. Harbor vessels: SHIPS.

11. Cookie container: TIN.  //  And 6-Down. Cookie container: SLEEVE.  What!?  No cookie Jar?

14. "The Raven" poet Edgar ___ Poe: ALLAN.  The Raven is a poem that focuses on grief and loss.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ October. 7, 1849) wanted to use a talking bird, and originally considered a parrot.  He chose a parrot because of its ability to repeat words, which he needed for the poem's repeated refrain, "Nevermore."  He obviously changed changed the bird to a raven, because a raven is more somber, black appearance better suited the poem's overall tone and darker themes.

15. Put a cap on: LIMIT.

16. "One" prefix: UNI-.

19. Involuntary movement: TIC.

20. Baby garment: ONESIE.

21. Express feelings onstage: EMOTE.

23. Totally dominates: OWNS.

28. Word between surnames: NÉE.  This has become a crossword staple.

29. Defiant retort: ARE TOO!

30. Tragic Shakespearean king: LEAR.

31. More strange: ODDER.

33. Note between fa and la: SOL.

34. In an aimless way: IDLY.

39. Army post: FORT.

42. "Boo'd Up" singer Ella __: MAI.  Ella Mai (née Ella Mai Howell; b. Nov. 3, 1994) is an English singer.  She was named after Ella Fitzgerald.

43. Charlotte __: creamy dessert: RUSSE.  A charlotte is a type of bread pudding that uses ladyfingers to line a mold, which is then filled with a fruit puree or custard. The baked pudding could then be sprinkled with powdered sugar and glazed.

47. Smoothie bowl berry: ACAI.  These trendy berries have become a crossword staple.

48. Gym session dedicated to pushups, bicep curls, etc.: ARM DAY.  I was not aware that there is a specific day dedicated to training the muscles of the arms.

51. Gear tooth: COG.

54. "Yippee!": WHOO!

55. Off the market: TAKEN.

56. Niger or Nigeria: NATION.  Niger and Nigeria are adjacent African countries.

58. Dallas-to-Nashville dir.: ENE.  As in East NorthEast.  Or, you can take a more circuitous route and head south first.

64. Grab a chair: SIT.

65. "Hamilton" Tony winner Renée __ Goldsberry: ELISE.  Renée Elise Goldsberry (b. Jan. 2, 1971) is an  actress, singer, and songwriter.  She portrayed the original Angelica Schuyler in the musical Hamilton.

66. Compassionate words: I CARE.

67. Some Ph.D. students: TAs.  As in Teaching Assistants.

68. Gently protest: DEMUR.

69. Analyze, as a sentence: PARSE.  This brings back memories of junior high English class.

Down:

1. Truck driver's spot: CAB.

2. Not forbidden: ALLOWED.

3. Worked out in advance: PLANNED.

4. Dashes and triathlons: RACES.

5. Inserts for some printers: INKS.

7. Joined at the __: inseparable: HIP.

8. Little troublemaker: IMP.  These troublemakers make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

9. Round chart shape: PIE.

10. Throat affliction: STREP.  Strep throat an infection caused by infection a bacterium known as Streptococcus pyogenes.  The bacterium causes a sore throat and can be spread through respiratory droplets. It is typically treated with antibiotics, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent potential complications.  Please take this infection seriously.  My friend's son recently contracted Strep Throat, and even though he was under a doctor's care, he died from the infection and he was only 53 years old.

11. Taught one-on-one: TUTORED.

12. J, F, or K, for JFK: INITIAL.

13. "You almost tricked me!": NICE TRY.

18. Fishing spot: PIER.

22. Surroundings: MILIEU.  This is a fun word, but I have probably never used it in a sentence.

23. "Bag Piece" artist Yoko: ONO.  I can't believe Yoko Ono (b. Feb. 18, 1933) is 92 years old!

25. "No more stalling": IT'S TIME!

26. Weaving device: LOOM.

27. Flight student's milestone: SOLO.

29. D-backs, in box scores: ARI.  As in the American League Arizona Diamondback baseball team.

32. Whole: ENTIRE.

36. Exam for future MBAs: GMAT.  As in the Graduate Management Admission Test.

37. Like a coconut shell: HARD.

38. Like toast without butter: DRY.

39. Superlative for Usain Bolt: FASTEST.  Usain Bolt (né Usain St. Leo Bolt; b. Aug. 21, 1986) is a Jamaican sprinter who is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time, hence his nickname Lightning Bolt.  He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist.  He is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016).  He also won two 4 × 100 relay gold medals.

40. Fiji's region: OCEANIA.

41. Tennis paddles: RACKETS.

44. Erudite individual: SCHOLAR.

45. Oklahoma State rivals: SOONERS.  Why Oklahoma is called the Sooners.

46. __ surfing: EGO.  Ego Surfing is the practice of searching your own name on the internet.

49. Dasher's teammate: DANCER.  Think of Santa's reindeer.

50. Jai __: ALAI.

53. Reached a conclusion: ENDED.

54. Religion with covens: WICCA.

57. Stumble: TRIP.

60. Bitter pub drink: ALE.

61. Glass edge: RIM.

62. Sch. west of Topeka: KSU.  As in Kansas State University.  The school is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States.  The school opened as a college in 1863 and was the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas.  Apparently, it's logo is a wildcat.

63. "Didn't I tell you?": SEE.  See?  Didn't I tell you this wasn't a Dark puzzle!

חתולה