Monday December 22, 2025 Rena Cohen

  

Happy Monday everyone! sumdaze here with the penultimate 2025 Monday puzzle.

Theme:    

Go to the back of the line.
(Note that the girl in blue is "in front", even though she is to the right in the photo.)

We will begin with the three themed clues and answers:

20 Across. Basic lunch choice: CHEESE SANDWICH.  

definitely basic 

26 Across. Art activity that comes with a key: COLOR BY NUMBER.  I am more familiar with paint BY NUMBERs but apparently this is a thing. Below is an example from a book that does not tell you what the finished image will be. It is a mystery until you fill it in. (The top part is the legend or key, if you will.) 

46 Across. 1986 film teen with a poor attendance record: FERRIS BUELLER.  This clue references the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, starring Mathew Broderick. Here is a 1:14 min. clip documenting Ferris' poor attendance.

That is Ben Stein playing the teacher. 

The unifier:

55 Across. Driving a car, or an apt description of the ends of 20-, 26-, and 46-Across: BEHIND THE WHEEL.  This is an idiomatic phrase that refers to the act of driving a vehicle.

Also, the ends of the themed clues can be placed BEHIND ("after") THE (word) WHEEL to create new phrases. We now have:  WHEEL CHEESE, WHEEL COLOR, and WHEEL FERRIS.

[record scratch] Wait, that cannot be right. I am pretty sure the intention was:  

CHEESE WHEEL, COLOR WHEEL, and FERRIS WHEEL

So I had to think about this differently. Suppose I first wrote the word

WHEEL

Then I added the word fifth like this

FIFTH WHEEL

One could say that I added the word FIFTH behind the word WHEEL. In today's puzzle, BEHIND  does not mean "after". It means "in front of" ... on the printed page, that is. You might think of it as " to get in line behind" as seen in my theme illustration above.

Still not convinced? Just roll with it!

One more note... Props for FERRIS as being a word with no connection between the themed answer and the reveal.

Are you ready to bet your fortune on the remaining clues?

Across:

1. Apple Pay alternative: CASH.  I was thinking of on-line purchases so CASH was the last thing on my mind.

5. Egg on: GOAD.  

9. Spills the beans: BLABS.  

14. Blue Buffalo competitor: ALPO.  Both are brands of pet food.

15. Opposed to: ANTI.  Also, ANT I was the first ruler of the colony.  😜

16. Lounges: LOLLS.  Def.:  (intransitive verb) to act or move in a lax, lazy, or indolent manner; lounge.

Quoting from Merriam-Webster:  LOLL has origins similar to another soothing verb, lull, which means "to cause to rest or sleep."

17. "Just keeping you on your __": TOES.  Please enjoy this seasonal manifestation of on your TOES.

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy from The Nutcracker

18. Yoga studio supply: MATS.

19. Large body of water: OCEAN.     and     34-Down. Dot in the 19-Across: ISLE.  

The British island group of Tristan da Cunha
is the most remote inhabited island on Earth.
The nearest landfall is South Africa (1,750 miles / 2,816 km. east).
In case you are wondering, there is no airstrip on the island.

23. Owned: HAD.  

24. Rock concert sound booster: AMP.

25. Ages and ages: EON.

33. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.  Pope Pius XXII passed in 1958.

35. Narc's org.: DEA.  Narcotic and Drug Enforcement Administration are both abbreviated.

36. Diet that shuns processed foods: PALEO.  Also known as the "caveman" diet, this eating plan centers on whole foods such as lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It avoids grains, legumes, dairy, sugars, and processed foods.

37. Standard connector for electronic devices: USB C.  Anything I have purchased recently has this style of connector. I am glad they are moving away from the little, trapezoidal-shaped ones. I was always plugging those in up-side down. Oof!

38. Minuscule: EENSY.  This category broadens when I am not wearing my glasses.

41. Site with a Write a Review button: YELP.

42. Pet collar targets: FLEAS.     and     67-Across. Exterminator's target: PEST.  

Get it?  "Collar" also means to arrest someone. LOL!

44. Tea, in French: THÉ.  

45. Military outpost: BASE.  This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but the Navy, Air Force, and Marines generally have BASEs and the Army has forts.

50. The Marlins, on scoreboards: MIA.  

I like the use of negative space in their logo.

51. __-mo video: SLO.

52. "I accept!": YES.  

60. Cry to someone learning to ride a bike: PEDAL.  PEDAL is used as an imperative sentence here. Note the influence from the Latin word for foot as in pedestrian, expedition, and podiatrist. 

61. Wetlands plant: REED.     and     65-Across. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy: REID.

62. Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE.  This novel was published in 1847. It follows the life of the title character, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Edward Rochester, the master of Thornfield Hall.

63. Middle Schuyler sister in "Hamilton": ELIZA.  Eliza is the central female character from this 2015 musical.

64. Alan of "M*A*S*H": ALDA.

66. Change: ALTER.

68. Poems of praise: ODES.

Down:

1. Little Leaguer's warm-up activity: CATCH.  Little League Baseball players begin practice by pairing up and playing an easy game of CATCH. They know if they throw a ball with full effort without first warming up, they could pull a muscle. 

2. "__ 'Oe": "Lilo & Stitch" song: ALOHA.  Translation:  Farewell to Thee

While you might not be familiar with the song, it is fair to say that solvers would know this movie is set in Hawaii -- making ALOHA a reasonable guess.

3. Competitive puzzler with quick fingers: SPEEDCUBER.  They solve combination puzzles such as a Rubik's Cube. Two of the categories are fastest time and fewest moves.  History of Speed Cubing

4. Garden spigot attachment: HOSE.  

5. Esports player's computer setting: GAME MODE.  Esports is short for "electronic sports". They are organized, multi-player video game competitions. This 2:50 min. video gives us a taste of how huge these competitions can be.

6. Spending like mad: ON A SPREE.  

7. Roti flour: ATTA.  I only know this one from XWDs.

8. Mickey Mouse operation?: DISNEY.  Cute.

9. Like beach balls and bouncy castles: BLOWN UP.  

pink bouncy castle with slide

10. Sets of points, in math: LOCI.  LOCI is the plural of locus. In math, locus is defined as the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions.

For example, the green area of this diagram shows all of the points that are closer to  Line AB than to Line AC. We can see this because a bisecting line shows us the half-way points. If you cross that half-way line, you will be closer to Line AC and will not longer satisfy the stated condition.

11. Actor Guinness: ALEC.  [1914-2000]  His memoir, Blessings in Disguise, was published in the UK in 1985.

12. Boring: BLAH.

13. ID fig. often hidden by x's: SSN.  

Remember when these were printed on checks and medical bills?

21. Spanish seasoning: SAL.  

salt

22. Put on, as clothing: DON.  

Deck the Halls 

🎵 "Don we now our gay apparel,

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la, la."  🎵

27. "I Love Trash" singer on "Sesame Street": OSCAR.  

Who else could it be?

28. Language family that includes Zulu: BANTU.   

link to the article that goes with this map
(and a larger version of the map)

29. Noncommittal reply: MAYBE.  MAYBE 15-A. ANTI; MAYBE 52-A. YES

30. Feeling the effects of studying all night, say: BLEARY-EYED.

31. Snakelike swimmers: EELS.

32. Tug-of-war need: ROPE.  Please do not play this game with EELS.

33. __ pastry: PUFF.  Just in time for holiday baking, Martha discusses the difference between PUFF pastry and Phyllo Dough

39. Man cave counterparts: SHE SHEDS.  A SHE SHED is a small building that has been converted into a space where a woman can be alone to do a hobby. Some are used for practicing yoga, painting, doing crafts, or reading books. They are similar to man caves in that one can go there to unwind in private.

40. Scolded loudly: YELLED AT.  

Can you guess who this USMC  Sergeant is yelling at?

43. Like: SIMILAR.  

47. Moral wrong: SIN.

48. Unfair reputation: BAD RAP.  an undeserved, negative reputation

49. Close to the floor: LOW.  

53. Like a haunted house: EERIE.

54. Snow day toys: SLEDS.  

55. End-of-class signal: BELL.  

Carol of the Bells performed by LIBERA (2019)

56. Menu heading often next to File: EDIT.

57. Foggy state: HAZE.

58. Prefix with health: TELE-.

59. Gallant one: HERO.  Do we have any other Big Hero 6 fans on The Corner? (2:32 min.)

60. Split __ soup: PEA.  Some people make this with their leftover holiday ham.

The grid:  

Rena gave us several fun answers for the Down fill.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Monday December 15, 2025 Doug Peterson

  

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's puzzle comes to us from the prolific constructor Doug Peterson. The theme is:  

We'll begin with the themed clues and answers:

17 Across. *"Tennessee Waltz" singer: PATTI PAGE.  [1927-2013]  Patti's version was released in 1950. I like how the song itself is a waltz.

24 Across. *Bottoms worn as loungewear: PAJAMA PANTS.  

They're certainly cozy, but are they a smart choice for the airport?

40 Across. *Maneuvering into a tight curbside spot: PARALLEL PARKING.  This was not a requirement when I took my driving test. I can do it but it makes me nervous. I'd rather walk a couple of blocks. 

 51 Across. *Wide receiver's route: PASS PATTERN.  

Football fans already know this; but for those of you who do not ...
The guys with the yellow helmets are on offence.
The two guys I circled in red are wide receivers. 
The WRs will run their PASS PATTERNs (See the yellow and black arrows.)
 and the QB will throw the ball to whoever is open.
Did you catch that?

The unifier:

65 Across. Paul Reiser sitcom, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: MY TWO DADS.  My Two Dads was a TV sitcom that ran on NBC from 1987 to 1990. It is about a 12-year old girl whose mother dies and gives joint custody to two men whom she dated the summer she got pregnant. The girl's paternity was never revealed on the show. 

Paul Reiser is on the left.

I clocked the P* P* theme early -- or so I thought -- and eagerly looked forward to discovering what the unifier would be. As it turns out, I had failed to notice the A's next to the P's. The real gimmick is that all of the theme entries are in the pattern of PA*  PA*. 

PA is a synonym for "father". (Think of Laura Ingalls Wilder's father.) Putting together two PAs give us PA & PA or TWO DADS. Works for me!

Here are the remaining clues & answers:

Across:

1. First name of singers Levine and Lambert: ADAM.  

Levine (l.) [b. 1979] is known for being in the band Maroon 5
and for being a coach on The Voice.
Lambert (r.) [b. 1982] was a runner-up on Season 8 of American Idol.

5. Young fellows: LADS.  

Do you remember these LADS?
Hint:  That is Higgins in the middle.

9. Common merch table purchase: SHIRT.

14. Drop-down list: MENU.  Think "computers".

15. Many times: A LOT.

16. Brooklyn's __ Island: CONEY.  In 1867 Charles Feltman invented the hot dog at Coney Island. Learn more here:  Timeline of Coney Island (1609-1985)

This couple is riding the Brooklyn Flyer in Luna Park on Coney Island.

19. Open, as a vitamin bottle: UNCAP.  

20. Narrow openings: SLITS.

21. Shopping complex: MALL.  This time of year, it is where you can find Santa.  

23. Stack starter in solitaire: ACE.  I am particularly partial to alliterative clues.

28. "Quite possibly": IT MAY BE.  "Maybe" as one word, came easily. However, sussing the three-word answer took more thinking.

32. "Meant to tell you" shorthand: BTW.  By The Way

33. Honey liquor: MEAD.  Def.:  (noun) a fermented beverage made of water, honey, malt, and yeast.

34. In-flight figs.: ETAS.  figures and Estimated Times of Arrival

37. Island where "NCIS: Hawai'i" is set: O'AHU.  This is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands but it is also the most populated. The state's capital, Honolulu, is on O'AHU. About 70% of the state's population lives on this island.  

44. Brand that sells Braille Bricks: LEGO.  Braille Bricks are a play-based methodology that teaches braille to children who are blind or have a visual impairment. Cool beans!  

45. Paper quantity: REAM.

46. Finishes: ENDS.  

47. Source of sheep's milk: EWE.  

49. Put trust in: COUNT ON.  

Count von Count from Sesame Street 

56. Spigoted vessel: URN.  

This URN catches rainwater.

57. Cookie used in many desserts: OREO.  

recipe

58. Marisa of "The Big Short": TOMEI.  This is the trailer for that 2015 movie. Marisa did not make it into the trailer -- unless that is her at 1:35???  

63. Heat's home city: MIAMI.  I like this team's name because it suggests, "Bring on the heat," plus it fits the region's weather. As of this writing, the forecast for today is 78° F with a chance of rain.

68. "Evita" surname: PERON.

69. Bosc, for one: PEAR.  

(l. to r.)  Anjou, Asian, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, and Seckel

70. Foreboding sign: OMEN.  Some of you know that I'm a fan of Rhett Miller's wordplay in his song lyrics. This one fits:

Old 97's     ~     Curtain Calls     ~     1997

"I don't believe in cards, I don't believe in signs.

But I'll be leavin' soon, I'm here tonight."  🎵🎵  

71. Dozed: SLEPT.

72. Avant-garde: EDGY.  

73. Monopoly payment: RENT.

Down:

1. Concert boosters: AMPS.  Not people raising money to support the event but equipment to boost up the noise level.

2. Hand out cards: DEAL.  Think "casino DEALer".

3. Not for: ANTI.

4. Mixed-breed pooch: MUTT.  National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save, and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31 and December 2. If you've ever known one then you know they are ready to be your best friend. 

5. Once around a skating rink, e.g.: LAP.

6. Pie __ mode: À LA.  

7. Religious doctrine: DOGMA.  This is sort of random, but I was trying to think of Avril Levigne for 1-Across, ___ Levine and I sometimes mix her up with Alanis Morrisette who played God in the 1999 Kevin Smith movie Dogma.  

8. "Full __ ahead!": STEAM.  This phrase means to move forward with as much speed or energy as possible.  

Titanic    ~    1997    ~    1:11 min.

9. Artist with a chisel: SCULPTOR.  

Michelangelo's David is 17 ft. (5.17 meters) tall.

10. Sweetie: HON.

11. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.

12. Blink, say: REACT.  The blink reflex is an involuntary action to protect the eye.

13. Strikes keys: TYPES.

18. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.  This is a children's guessing game.

22. Chemist's workplace: LAB.  

25. Eve's second son: ABEL.  

Cain was a farmer. Abel was a shepherd.
They had to work because their parents were expelled from 61-Down.

26. 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Derek: JETER.  [b. June 26, 1974]  his Hall of Fame page  

Side note:  I noticed that Doug also put JETER in his grid last Tuesday. (See Hahtoolah's helpful commentary for 31-Down.) I am wondering if this was a coincidence or if Doug is a fan and assigned JETER a high word score in his constructing dictionary. 🤔

27. Rouse from slumber: AWAKEN.  

28. Devilish kid: IMP.

29. Greenish-blue color: TEAL.

30. Stallion's mate: MARE.  A MARE is a female horse of breeding age.

31. Wise old sayings: ADAGES.  From the Grammar Girl podcast:  ADAGES are similar to maxims. Both are often metaphorical, and both are rooted in universal truth. But adages are primarily distinguished by their age and traditional quality. In fact, many people consider the phrase "an old adage" to be redundant since adages are, by definition, traditional sayings.

For those of you who want to do a deep dive into the difference between proverbs, maxims, adages, dictums, and truisms, this is the episode link. Start at 7:50.

35. Taproom drink: ALE.

36. The "S" of NASA: SPACE.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration  

NASA was established in 1958 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

38. Helpful suggestion: HINT.  

39. "Go back!" computer command: UNDO.     and     50 Across. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.

41. Darkest hour: LOW POINT.  Also, Death Valley National Park is America's hottest, driest and lowest national park. Its LOW POINT in Badwater Basin is 282 ft, (85.5 meters) below sea level.

42. "__ Prohibido": 1994 Selena hit: AMOR.  [1971-1995]  Born Selena Quintailla, Selena was a Grammy-winning American performer who achieved huge success in the Latin music world before her tragic murder by the president of her fan club. I did not know the song but I did feel comfortable guessing the Spanish word for "love".

43. Channel with "Press Your Luck" reruns: GSN.  Game Show Network

48. Knack for music: EAR.  This definition of EAR is a sensitivity to musical tone and pitch.  

51. Machines at gas stations: PUMPS.  I overthought this one until a perp appeared.

52. Disney princess with red hair: ARIEL.  The font is spelled arial. Memory trick:  shE has an E.

53. Entrap: SNARE.

54. City near Phoenix: TEMPE.  Tempe is 10.3 mi. (6.4 km.) east of Phoenix.  some ideas for things to do in Tempe

55. Fiddled around (with): TOYED.

59. Scent: ODOR.

60. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.

61. Old Testament garden: EDEN.  Luckily for us, the internet never runs out of EDEN comics.

62. "My heart just __ in it": ISN'T.  ...said the Tin Man to Dorothy.

64. Messy head of hair: MOP.  From wikiHow (updated last week):

Also called the “mop top,” the wet mop haircut is a messy, medium-length cut with parted fringe. It was popularized by The Beatles and Justin Bieber, but it has recently resurfaced in popularity thanks to TikTok.  

66. Graffiti signature: TAG.  Perhaps one of the most famous graffiti artists is Banksy. This 1:03 min. video tells a fun Banksy story. In the TV show The Outlaws a major plot point in the finale involves Christopher Walken's character painting over an original Banksy artwork -- for real!!

 

67. Amusingly ironic: WRY.  See the Christopher Walken scene above.

The grid:  

Well, that was my two cents. You can add yours in the comments below.

Have a great week, everyone!