Friday October 17, 2025 Luke Nagel

At this point, MM is wondering if he should return early and stop RustyBrain's madness...but it's too late. Mwahaha!

This appears to be Luke Nagel's debut. Congrats! I hope it's not ONE AND DONE. Lets start with the revealer:

57. Like some NBA prospects, or like the answers to the starred clues: ONE AND DONE. This refers to the National Basketball Association's rule that requires players to be one year removed from high school to be eligible for the draft. Usually that means at least a year of college, but sometimes players opt to join foreign or minor leagues. For our purposes here, the phrase means that once you reach the letters "O-N-E," the answer is DONE and the remaining letter is deleted. I think. I tried to spell out the missing letters (T, D, S, S) to no avail. Let me know if you came up with something deeper.

17. *Camper's canopy: MOSQUITO NE. MOSQUITO NET.

24. *Whiskey cocktail: OLD FASHIONE. OLD FASHIONED.

36. *"Hackney Diamonds" rock band: THE ROLLING STONE. THE ROLLING STONES.

47. *Ford explorer?: INDIANA JONE. INDIANA JONES.

All the answers are straight forward, except for missing the final letter. Unfortunately, that mostly leaves us with nonsense words which I don't really like. If the last letters had spelled out a word like "DONE," it would have elevated this puzzle. It's Friday, so fun (tricky) clues abounded. Note my one caution square at the intersection of AMMAN and AIDAN - pick a vowel.

As players say in the NBA, "Show me the mone_."

Across:

1. Goes for a slice?: GOLFS. Or DUFFS - either way, a bad shot. Trickily, the clue suggests going to a pizzeria. 

6. Body wrap venue: SPA. Mrs. RightBrain tried out an new Egyptian SPA. I told her to go there again in two weeks before our Halloween party.

9. Honor roll figs.: GPAS. Grade Point Averages. I was an underwater student. All my grades were below C level.

13. WWII subs: U-BOATS. In World War II, German Unterseeboots (literally Under-sea Boats) were submarines that posed a significant threat to Allied ships.

15. Top: CAP. Baseball or bottle? You decide.

16. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC. Classic.children's picture book.

17. [theme]

19. Pestered persistently: RODE. Especially by a mother-in-law on the road.

20. Nectar collectors: BEES.

21. Dict. offering: DEF. The Definition of a Dictionary is a reference book that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning. You can look it up.

22. Mideast capital once named Philadelphia: AMMAN. AMMAN, Jordan is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Evidence of human habitation dates back to the Neolithic period of around 10,050 B.C. My, how time flies!

23. CIA predecessor: OSS. Office of Strategic Services.
 
24. [theme]

27. Party mix ingredient: CHEX. The CHEX Mix recipe first appeared on boxes in 1954 with the intent of selling more cereal. It's timing was fortuitous because as television usage grew, so did snacking in front of the small screen. It required a new snack that “could be eaten with your hands, offered a variety of flavors and textures, and was easy to put together.” Corn Chex, introduced in 1958, was later added to the mix. 

28. Elmo, for one: SAINT. A Muppet, for another.

29. Some parents: MAMAS. 

32. Blame (on): PIN. Blame the Tail on the Donkey! 

33. Fresh: AIRY. 

36. [theme]

40. Brine abundance: SALT. Actually, it's mostly water.

41. Take in: EAT.

42. Group that hosts an annual Mind Games board game competition: MENSA. I have the home edition:

43. "You've got to be kidding": OH MAN. 

45. Quit working: DIED. "Mac DIED this morning." "WHAT!?" "I mean he quit working to go to a doctor's appointment."

47. [theme]

50. Small shot: BBS. Big shot: BMOC.

53. Sweaters?: PORES. Where sweat pours out from.

54. Cy Young stat: ERA. Earned Run Average. A year after his death in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.

55. Spoken: ORAL. 

56. Norwegian royal name: OLAV. Famous for his smooth skin, his heirs later marketed his beauty secret: Oil of Olav.

57. [theme]

60. Stopping point?: DIME. Nowadays, I only stop for paper money.

61. Chop (off): LOP.

62. Brought out: EVOKED.

63. Swell places?: SEAS. Fun clue.

64. Pro-__: some tourneys: AMS. Where Professionals and Amateurs.team up and compete together.

65. Get into gear?: DRESS. Another fun clue.

Down:

1. Okra dish: GUMBO.

2. Orchestral group: OBOES.

3. Comes up short: LOSES. 

4. Online help pgs.: FAQS. A web page that answers Frequently Asked Questions, such as, "What does FAQ stand for?"

5. Fox Sports soccer analyst Holden: STU. Like many former players, he now sits in the booth as a color commentator providing expert analysis and insights. 

6. Jeer: SCOFF. 

7. Wok, e.g.: PAN.

8. Tailless simian: APE. AKA a Sans Simian.

9. Sprouted: GERMINATED. That gives me an idea...

10. Bump up: PROMOTION. I thought this clue should be "A bump up."

11. Gillen of "Mayor of Kingstown": AIDAN. I know him better as Lord Baelish, the conniving "Littlefinger" on Game of Thrones.

12. Cry from a high chair?: SCENE. "OUT!" Because it's higher that a director's chair! But the clue misdirect was for baby talk.

14. Crab-walk: SIDLE.

18. Local lecture series: TEDX. Part of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference series.

22. Steak choice: AHI. For those days when you don't feel like wagyu.

24. Quite: OH SO. Sounds OH SO British.

25. Clarifying phrase: AS IN. I like word games, AS IN crosswords.

26. Crooned: SANG.

27. Many "Gone in 60 Seconds" characters: CAR THIEVES. Some would argue that the cars were the stars, like "Eleanor" here, which recently sold for $852,000.

29. Chain pts.: MTS. Chain Points? Parts? It's MOUNTAINS, but I initially thought of island chains.

30. __ moment: AHA. Much better than an OHO moment.

31. Soap ingredient: MELODRAMA. Cute clue. It means that borax is out.

32. Avocado discard: PIT. 

34. Hosp. workers: RNS. Registered Nurses work in Hospitals, but some are better than others.

35. "About __ big": YEA. 

37. Unlike Wagyu: LEAN. Wagyu is special due to its intense marbling, which gives it a unique tenderness, buttery texture, and rich flavor. Basically, that means expensive. 

38. "Henry, Come On" singer Del Rey: LANA. This clue is ultra-current as her country hit was only released in April. 

39. Hook hand?: SMEE. Ha ha! It's his right hand man. It's not you, it's SMEE!

44. More, in Spanish: MAS. 

45. 21st century explorer: DORA. She knew the answer to the last clue.

46. Foolish: INANE. Hey! Why are you looking at me?

47. Bygone Apple gadgets: IPODS. I've never heard of these! (I'm so young, you see...)

48. "Honest!": NO LIE. I swear! I don't know what IPODS are.

49. Gladiators, e.g.: JEEPS. He doesn't look so tough.

50. In need of change?: BROKE. Another good clue.

51. Curses: BANES.

52. Uses a coaster, perhaps: SLEDS. Uses a coaster, perhaps: PLEASES MY MOM. I wasn't born in a barn, you know, although she sometimes disputed this.

55. Scent: ODOR. 

57. São Paulo greeting: OLA. Brazilian greeting in Portuguese.

58. Oscar nod, briefly: NOM. Nomination. Oscar nods to Cookie Monster for sharing with him.

59. __ player: DVD. Another device that was waaaay before my time.

OK, I'm DONE.

Wednesday, Oct 8th, 2025 ~ Amie Walker & Amanda Rafkin

 MAVERICK⁽'⁾S PACERS

I'll take one~! The AMC Pacer

I really enjoyed today's collaboration between two solid crossword constructors Amie & Amanda.  A sports teams theme we have seen before, where the monikers are combined to make a new, funny/punny answer. Today's team names are from the National Basketball Association, the professional organization of a game I have no interest in whatsoever - I'd rather watch golf.  I think it has to do with the squeak of sneakers on hardwood - that and the fact that one only needs tune-in to the last 30secs to see who wins, IMHO.  Lot's of 3LWs, only five(ish) names, and all the theme answers are unique; 

20. Peddles pearls of wisdom?: HAWKS NUGGETS - Atlanta / Denver - see below

28. Observes casual Friday at the office?: BUCKS BLAZERS - Milwaukee / Portland *¹

49. Gains barbers' equipment?: NETS CLIPPERS - Brooklyn / Los Angeles - *²

58. Microsoft virtual work gathering, and what can be found in 20-, 28-, and 49-Across: 

TEAMS MEETING - When I worked at Westhampton Architectural Glass, the only thing we used TEAMS software for was to plan lunch; someone would put up, about 11am, a hint about what they were interested in eating, e.g. "pizza?" - and for the next hour, we would debate what to eat and who was going to pick up the food 😜

The list of all NBA teams

Some other pairings - MAGIC WIZARDS is too easy;

Lightning Affect~? = SPURS THUNDER

Steals from NASA~? = KNICKS ROCKETS

*¹ - Technically, it's the TRAIL Blazers . . .
*² - Technically, a BOROUGH of NY, not the city . . .

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Annoy: IRK

4. Bridge action: BID - Not TIE, as in span - that's the wrong kind of bridge - I like this type - 19 bizarre bridges, 12 unusual bridges

Scary~?  Then you suffer from 66A., the Gephyro version

7. Floated in the air: WAFTED 

13. "Good Grief" director Levy: DAN - name #1 - I'm following the "Hahtoolah Convention"

14. Pros: ACES

16. Iggy the Beanie Baby, for one: IGUANA - AND - 29D. Humphrey the Beanie Baby, for one: CAMEL - I still have one Beanie Baby, and three Webkins; had a pet iguana Zeus, too - name(ish)

Yes, Iggy is supposed to be blue . . . 

17. Big fuss: ADO

18. Noodle with a sarashina variety: SOBA - I'm getting the hang of all these four-letter food-types; SOBA, NORI, UDON, MISO, etc

19. "Well, that came out of nowhere": RANDOM

23. "Never mind, I guess": "...OR NOT."

24. New prefix: NEO

25. Sword handle: HILT - not a week goes by without a Wed dupe of a Monday fill . . . .

32. Single-celled organism: AMOEBA

35. "__ Te Ching": TAO - name(ish) - the Wiki

36. Legend-ary achievement?: EGOT - The Grand Slam of Entertainment - Emmy (TV), Grammy (music), Oscar (Hollywood/movies) and Tony (Broadway/stage)

37. Fin. neighbor: NORway

38. Music box?: AMP - I liked this clue for a crossword staple

40. Emoji alternative: GIF

Now The Harlem Globetrotters I can watch~!

42. "Kings & Queens" singer Max: AVA - name #2 - I know the Aerosmith song

43. Like some faces: OVAL - I liked making my avatar on Facebook - but I have a "pear-shaped" face

45. Settings for some TV dramas: ERs - ER is an obvi example, plus tons of others seen here;

I'm not one for any hospital drama, but I did like House, MD

47. Many a suitcase: ROLLER - I "Van Halened" my roller suitcase

I'm on my way to Panama - get it~?

52. "Can I get a __?": "I messed up": "RE-DO~?" or a Mulligan, in golf-speak

53. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAO - name(ish)

54. Athlete Ledecky who went viral by swimming with a glass of chocolate milk on her head: KATIE - well, I did not know about this - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  - name #3

Yup, a glass of milk - but not a $5 Shake . . . .

61. Wyndham chain: RAMADA

64. Viral post: MEME

65. Sully: MAR - stain, dirty, damage, ruin, etc.

66. Exposure therapy target: PHOBIA - what's yours~? I am afraid to reveal mine - which, uh, by default, makes clear it's Phobophobia

67. Garment worn under a dress: SLIP

68. One who sounds just like you: EWE - ah, not APE - a very clever meta clue

69. Sitcom about a couple living in a haunted house: GHOSTS - I've only seen the ads for this show

70. Tense NBA periods, for short: OTs - and a bonus 'Easter Egg'

71. Good to go: SET - "got my go-bag, I'm set~!"

DOWN:

1. State that's home to the Museum of Clean: IDAHO - learning moment - the website

2. Weather tracker: RADAR

3. Not just assumed: KNOWN

4. Low-pitched brass instrument: BASS TUBA - this seems a bit redundant for me, but here's more - this clue/answer needed to show up on a Jazzbumpa trombone Wednesday~!

5. Screen symbol: ICON - clecho with - 31. Screen symbol: STAR - I filled them correctly the first time

6. Prove false: DEBUNK - the X-Files word

7. Pipe cleaner center: WIRE - Huh - I didn't know I had a wire at my center....how ironic, having left the pipe organ company, that I made the cover of  The Diapason magazine, and featured inside as well

That's Splynter in the overalls, 35lbs heavier - sheesh

8. "__ All Along": "WandaVision" spinoff: AGATHA - name #4 - more on IMDb

9. Like some small candy bars: FUN-SIZE - 'tis the season~!

10. Small amount: TAD

11. Musician Brian: ENO - name #5

12. Beaver project: DAM

15. Most wise: SAGEST

21. Expensive Japanese beef: KOBE - I tried WAGU, but it's Wagyu

22. Evacuation kit: GO-BAG - here's the 411 from 511 on what to have in yours

26. Following the rules: LEGAL

27. Treasure __: TROVE

30. Frawnche wine valley: LOIRE - Good WAG on my part; must have seen it in CWs before

32. Mystery writer?: ANONymous

33. Boxing pro: MOVER - I suppose this could be either "type" of boxer - the one who packs your stuff, and the "float like a butterfly" sparring expert

34. Give a speech: ORATE

39. Rainbow producer: PRISM - my brother has been reinvesting in classic albums on LP "vinyl" again

41. Permanently: FOR KEEPS

44. Papers needed for some trips?: LSD TABS - har-har~! Monster Magnet's first EP was "25...Tab", featuring a 32min trippy song - and a trippy video someone made here

Dave Wyndorf, lead singer, can be heard saying "make me a sa'mich" - among other things NSFW

46. Involuntary muscle movements: SPASMS - depends on the quality of the Acid, I guess~?

48. Future DA's exam: LSAT - LS 'dee' Acid Trip~?

50. Make changes with a collaborator: CO-EDIT - I'm guessing both "A" authors did on this one....

51. Large citrus fruit: POMELO - ORANGE fit as well; here's a cool image of a lot of citrus fruit

55. Multiplied by: TIMES - L x W = A; length TIMES width equals area

56. "I'm __": "You blow me away": "IN AWE~!"

57. "Snowy" bird: EGRET

59. Smallish batteries: AAAs

60. Give off: EMIT

61. D&D, for one: RPG - Roll Playing Game - in my youth, I was all about Dungeons & Dragons

62. "That hits the spot": "AHH~!"

63. Cow sound: MOO

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 84th birthday to dear Jayce! Your steady presence in our little crossword family means so much to all of us. 

May today bring you comfort, a few smiles, and the quiet joy of knowing how deeply you're valued. Sheng Ri Quai Le, John!

Jayce and his wife on their wedding day

Wednesday, Oct 1st, 2025 ~ Katherine Simonson

HERE'S A DOLLAR . . .

Get yourself a fig leaf, man~!

Katherine has had several puzzles published in the LA Times - her last was here, Friday Sep 12.  Today we have an odd-sized grid, 14 x 16, which allows for the "passing" of synonyms for "BUCK", as they progress from the start of the first themer, and shift by four letters to the last one - clever.  Yes, circles, but I think that it's for clarification purposes, not an anagram-like necessity.  I am even more impressed that we have barely a handful of names, most being crossword staples. 16 3LWs, an even 20 of four- and five-letter words, plus two new, unique* fills;

18. Enthralled by the theater: STAGESTRUCK - I have not heard of this ( usually, I'm STAR struck ) but in my search, I discovered a movie, and at least one company that does stage/exhibit production - I would like to work with a company like that, building sets, props, special effects, etc.

31. Green-and-yellow farm playthings for kids: JOHN DEERE TOYS* - I have a similar "toy", but it's a Massey Ferguson; here's the son of my friend Melina on his "tractor"

45. Folks who get creative in court: SKETCH ARTISTS* - I grew up seeing these renderings on the evening news, not knowing the reason why; I believe the first major "televised" court case I can recall, if I am not mistaken ( and I frequently am ) was the OJ trial - and now it's part of an exhibit of courtroom sketches

From a New York Times article

58. Shift responsibility to someone else, and an apt title for this puzzle: PASS THE BUCK

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Ill-fitting: INAPT - this word speaks awkwardly, IMO

6. Ground-breaking tool: SPADE - I showed you all my broken spade in the Sep 10th blog

11. Passed with flying colors: ACED

15. Zenith's opposite: NADIR

16. Stand in art class: EASEL

17. Theater box: LOGE

20. Apple variety: iMAC - the ol' computer/fruit deception

21. Outlets: EXITS - Doors, not electrical receptacles

22. Swimwear brand founded in Australia in 1914: SPEEDO - kinda like a 20th century "fig leaf" - and yeah . . . TMI clothing, IMO

24. Viola clef: ALTO - filled via perps

Relative position of Middle "C"

27. Scallions' kin: LEEKS

30. Squirming: ANTSY

34. Krauss of bluegrass-country: ALISON - Odd spelling; I know she collaborated with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant on the album Raising Sand in 2007, and again with Raise the Roof in 2021

Please Read the Letter

35. "One more thought ... ": "ALSO . . ."

36. Bubbly drink: POP - Soda, Cola, Coke - depends on your location/dialect

39. Fled: RAN

40. Frozen Four org.: NCAA - College ice hockey

43. Early bloomers: TULIPS

48. Quick bread at tea: SCONE - My parents were born & raised in England - I have had scones

51. Detective story?: ALIBI - and the name of my ex-GF's cat in Florida

52. Boundless: VAST

53. Smoothie fruit: PAPAYA - I mix in "berry medley" with chocolate protein powder, and "tropical" with vanilla - no papaya in my smoothies, but I'd try it

55. Lower back bones: SACRA - plural of sacrum

Why does this image make me think of the movie "ALIEN"~?

57. System operator: USER

64. Spot for curlers: RINK - These curlers

65. Lauder of cosmetics: ESTÉE

66. First Greek letter: ALPHA

67. Intrusive: NOSY

68. Veggies for chips: SPUDS

69. Intel job: RECONnaissance - The etymology of  this Frawnche word

DOWN:

1. LiMu business: INSurance - Most insurance advertising is extremely annoying, IMO - I am covered by Geico, and their commercials are the only ones that I can tolerate - and WHY is it such a huge presence in the market~? There's an INS ad every TV break

2. D.C. ballplayer: NATional - baseball for C.C.

3. 1990 accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disability Act - required knowledge for me as a commercial/residential drafter/designer.  The website has this section, which never occurred to me.

4. Statue toppers: PIGEONS - Ah.  That kind of "topper"

The caption: "I'm extremely conflicted here."

5. Dino with long teeth and short arms: T-REX

6. Small sofa: SETTEE - Check out the "legs" on this settee

The curvy ones - uh, well, that's not too distinctive

7. Text analyst: PARSER - a  bit meh.

8. Tempe sch.: ASU - Arizona State University - the region where my ex-wife now lives - not quite the whole continent away, but close enough....

9. Advent mo.: DECember

10. Community group with lodges: ELKS

11. Extraterrestrial visitors, perhaps: ALIENS

12. Extraterrestrial visitor, certainly: COMET - I just finished "Seveneves" by Neal Stevenson, a science fiction novel with a fair amount of the story involving a comet

13. "Yikes!": "EGADS~!"

14. Wooden duck, e.g.: DECOY

19. "Hush": "SILENCE~!" - I tried 'BE QUIET' first

23. Shareholder dividend: PAYOUT

24. Slightly cracked: AJAR - Again Doors, not minds . . . .

25. Title person in a Kinks hit: LOLA - I was never a fan of the song - this one was better, IMO

Come Dancing

26. Lean: THIN - oops, not TILT - see below

28. Mauna __: alphabetically first of two Hawaiian volcanoes with similar names: KEA - thanks for the hint~! The other is LOA

29. Mo. town: STL - Not "Detroit", which is related to the muscial Motown

32. Party animal?: DONKEY - as in "Pin the Tail On the. . ."

33. Big bird: OSTRICH - our second "Big Bird" of the puzzle - LiMu ads feature an Emu

36. Tuscan tower town: PISA

Saw this on FB under "Dad Jokes"

37. Makes a choice: OPTS

38. Covert summons: PSST~!

41. One step __ time: AT A

42. Knee stabilizer, for short: ACL - the ligament that is prone to injury

44. Suitable for habitation: LIVABLE

45. Snidely critical: SNARKY

46. Sounded like a 59-Down: HISSED - AND - 59. Nile snake: ASP

47. Becomes less intense: ABATES

48. Rebuff: SPURN

49. Label printer maker: CASIO

50. Blossoms: OPENS

54. Gibbons, e.g.: APES

56. Nurture: REAR

60. Early Beatles bassist Sutcliffe: STU

61. Scanned lines on a pkg.: UPC

62. Margaret of "Fire Island": CHO

63. Mo. neighbor: KANsas - who knew that Kansas lived next to Chairman "Moe"~?

Splynter