Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center - their labyrinth website page
Author Norman M. Aaronson had an LA Times crossword back in July on a Wednesday here. Today he returns with a puzzle that was, for me, not a very challenging Friday foray, despite a dozen names and a Natick. Four themers with 'a twist' in the clue, and nothing obscure in the answers; I don't know how this one got published so late in the week; perhaps the oversized 15x16 grid~? Not likely - or maybe I was on his wavelength, and most of the fill was in my wheelhouse; YMMV. ALOT of Twurds & names, not so many 3LWs, no circles, no outliers. Four themers, none spanning, no reveal;
18. Story told with a twist: MYSTERY NOVEL - I am currently reading the "Exoskeleton" series from Shane Stadler, an odd horror/sci-fi/existential series, but I am sticking with it
29. Party gift created with a twist: BALLOON ANIMAL
Bah-dum-tiss
50. Cocktail served with a twist: VESPER MARTINI - Ha~! I wondered if this was the James Bond drink, ordered in the 2006 Daniel Craig 007 movie Casino Royale - and a gratuitous scene for our C.C.
My friend, bring me one as well, keep the fruit . . ." - Felix Leiter
66. Feat performed with a twist: PLATFORM DIVE - but can you do the Triple Lindy~?
ACROSS:
1. Big horn: TUBA - "it's not a TUBA~!"
AAAAhnaaald~!
5. "Scoot!": AMSCRAY - Pig Latin for Scram - the 'language' formation "rules"
12. Winery tub: VAT
15. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL - I know who she is, could not recall the spelling, went with AMAN - Bzzzzt~! - name #1
Hey, I think I know that guy with her . . .
16. Bacon strips: RASHERS
17. Kerfuffle: ADO
20. Replayed tennis serve: LET
21. Gnats, termites, and the like: PESTS
22. River deposit: SILT
23. Timothée Chalamet trilogy set on a desert planet: DUNE - Tried reading this Frank Herbert novel back in middle school, but I just couldn't get into it, and I'm a Sci-Fi guy; I did watch some of the "new" series featuring this actor - and I like the dragonfly things . . . name(ish)
23. Believer in a noninterfering god: DEIST - I believe in "The Force" - I was on a 12-step spritual retreat this past weekend, and I walked the labyrinth pictured at the top on the grounds Sunday morning - now I want to make one in my back yard~!
25. Woes: ILLS
26. Thunder sound: CLAP - what's the sound of ONE thunder bolt clapping~? 🙄
One week to "Cooper"town, Irish Miss~!
28. Wild beast also called a wildebeest: GNU
30. Largest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA - Geo name #9, and a Saturday sherpa shout-out
31. Sesame Street's resident Grouch: OSCAR - name #10
32. Fit: ABLE
33. Country singer Lovett: LYLE - name #11, knew it
34. Patron saint of Norway: OLAV - name #12, knew it two ( too )
35. Uncommon: RARE
36. Pool equipment: CUESTICKS - Ah, that kind of pool . . . not the Monday one
40. Railroad station: DEPOT
42. This, in Spanish: ESTO - Español #2
43. Mix: STIR
46. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN - I remember he played a role on Law & Order, still, name #13
48. Early afternoon hr.: ONEPM - this, or TWO
51. Rummages (through): RIFLES
52. Big grinders: MOLARS - dental, not deli . . .
53. Sealed the victory: ICEDIT - Two words #4
56. Japanese dog breed: AKITA - name(ish)
57. Mars exploration vehicle: ROVER - could be your Akita dog's name, too . . . 😁
Happy October from Cameron Barr and Annabel Blitzer! Cameron is student writer and puzzle constructor for The Riverdale Review, the student-run newspaper of the Riverdale Country School where they serve milk in the cafeteria. Along with co-constructor Annabel, they've published crosswords for the paper's game section. Today, they usher in the fourth quarter with their joint entry into the big time LAT. Woohoo!
17. "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" actor: VAL KILMER. VAL reprised his role as Iceman despite having throat cancer requiring the use of AI to alter his voice.
25. Insect such as Bombyx mori: SILK MOTH. As everyone (?) knows, Bombyx mori is the scientific name for a SILK MOTH.
36. "The Kiss" painter: GUSTAV KLIMT. The Austrian symbolist painter depicted a couple embracing in 1908.
51. Appear as: SEEM LIKE. This creates an impression.
61. Ice cream treat, or what can be found in 17-, 25-, 36-, or 51-Across?: MILKSHAKE. The revealer tells us that the letters in the word "MILK" are SHAKEn (not stirred) in all the theme answers.
Being Thursday, the scrambled letters M, I, L and K are not circled. Usually, in this kind of puzzle, the theme is of no help in the solve - once revealed, you look back and see how it all fits. But in this case, I couldn't come up with GUSTAV's last name and had blanks until I saw the letters of MILK had to be in there somewhere and then it clicked. The rest was uneventful short fill that went quickly. Overall, a fine first effort.
Continuing through the Milky Way:
Across:
1. Pride letters: LGBT. This abbreviation is almost an abbrev. itself as it's often appended with Q, as in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.
5. Latch (onto): GLOM.
9. Pricey strings, familiarly: STRAD. I wanted STRAT, of course. David Gilmour's 1969 Fender "Black Strat" sold for $14,550,000 in March 2026, breaking all previous records. This Stratocaster was used on the classic Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
14. Geometric calculation: AREA.
15. Spiritual energy: AURA.
16. Canines, e.g.: TEETH. Buster has an underbite that we sometimes wonder if other dogs see as a snarl.
Our canine showing his canines.
17. [theme]
19. Spy collection: INTEL. Everyone's favorite British spy not named Bond, James Bond.
20. Do-nothing: IDLER.
21. Fastest qualifier in auto racing: POLE CAR. From my exhaustive research (I used the Google) a POLE CAR is not a proper term. It is the polesitter who starts in the pole position.
23. Welcomes: SEES IN.
25. [theme]
28. Possesses: HAS.
29. All ready: SET. On your mark, get SET, go!!
31. "I disagree": NAY. As in a "no" vote.
32. Word with flat or late: FEE. Flat FEE; late FEE.
33. Plemons of "The Power of the Dog": JESSE. He made a good first impression on me in Breaking Bad (recently voted the #1 Best TV Show of the 21st Century by the NYT) and has since seen his star rise.
35. Lends a hand: AIDS.
36. [theme]
40. Without a date: STAG. "STAG" historically meant an adult male deer, which became a slang term for an all-male gathering.
42. Like many a chimney sweep: SOOTY.
43. Resistance unit: OHM.
44. Show stoppers?: ADS. Fun clue.
47. Org. overseeing LA28: IOC. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is overseen by the International Olympic Committee.
48. Part of B&B: BED. When RightBrain and I go on vacation, we usually pick a BED & Breakfast to stay at. The last one we enjoyed was the Forsyth Park Inn in Savannah, GA. A grand old house with large rooms and 12ft ceilings located across from a beautiful park.
51. [theme]
54. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. PHOEBE was played by Lisa Kudrow.
56. Lady Gaga, for one: POP DIVA. Lady Gaga dressed so outlandishly, I initially thought she was just a curiosity. But I soon realized that she is a very fine musician, and used her whimsical persona to break through. Costumes may open the door, but talent keeps it open.
Her raw meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
58. Moral standard: ETHIC. PETA condemned the meat dress but others saw it as a statement against women being seen as a piece of meat.
59. Burp: BELCH.
61. [theme]
63. Nebraska city: OMAHA.
64. Fancy party spread: PATE. PATE may be fancy, but I usually don't like it.
65. Like leap years: EVEN.
66. Some sushi fish: TUNAS. On the other hand, I like TUNA. My mom said it made her ill, so I rarely got it for lunch (ref. PBJs last week). Other kids in the cafeteria would bemoan, "TUNA again," while I thought it was a special treat. With MILK, of course.
67. Lock lips, in London: SNOG. SNOG means to kiss, and shag means to...
68. Musical pause: REST.
Down:
1. Extravagant: LAVISH.
2. Top-notch: GRADE A.
3. Some ball attendees: BELLES.
4. Opinions, informally: TAKES.
5. Lass: GAL.
6. Gravy imperfection: LUMP. On special occasions growing up, I was tasked with whipping the potatoes. In an attempt to make them LUMP-free, I overworked them creating a gluey texture. Fortunately, no one complained.
7. Cookies with many limited-edition flavors: OREOS. As many flavors as ways to clue them.
8. Miami baseball player: MARLIN. I was at the first Florida Marlins game in 1993. They were renamed the Miami Marlins in 2011 after moving to their new stadium in Miami.
A spring training program from 1994
9. Like flypaper: STICKY.
10. Brunch hr.: TEN AM.
11. Supply with updated parts: RETROFIT. Part 4?
12. Feasted on: ATE.
13. UPS competitor: DHL. United Parcel Service vs. Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn, named after the three founders who started the company in 1969.
18. Van Gogh flowers: IRISES. The IRISES were originally purple, but researchers found the red pigment he used was sensitive to light and faded to blue over time.
The original on left with a restored version on right.
22. She, in Portuguese: ELA.
24. Tree house?: NEST.
26. Danson of "The Good Place": TED. People seem to like this show, but me? Not so much.
27. Bucks and rams: HES. Attendees at a STAG party.
30. ID checkers at an airport: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration is actively considering allowing TSA PreCheck passengers to bring water bottles through security. Yay! After 20 years of making us throw our water away, they are finally coming to their senses.
33. Big container: JUG. It's not like I'm trying to bring a JUG of moonshine aboard a plane!
34. Chargeable autos, for short: EVS. Electric Vehicles.
35. "Good Hang" podcaster Poehler: AMY. AMY always delivers good content, starting with her stint on SNL.
36. Locker room strategy: GAME PLAN.
37. Fish that turns into a dragon, per myth: KOI.
38. Roller coaster feature: LOOP. My favorite roller coaster is the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg where I used to work summers.
The only coaster in the world with interlocking LOOPs
39. Desires: ITCHES.
40. "Help us!": SOS. As I've mentioned before, SOS does not stand for anything. It's just easy to type in Morse Code (▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄).
60. Animal mascot for Liberty Mutual: EMU. Liberty Mutual is sometimes abbreviated as LiMu, which rhymes with EMU. Of the big three insurance mascots, I like the gecko best.
LiMu EMU, GEICO Gecko, AFLAC Duck
62. Beer dispenser: KEG.
BTW, I'm not a huge Austin Powers fan, but the references just seemed to fit so I milked it for all it's worth!
Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here (from Crested Butte, Colorado this fine fall day) with the recap of a puzzle by Lee Taylor.
Today, Lee does not give us a reveal / unifier. Instead he offers us clues in which portions of the answers are hidden in plain sight. Those clues provide us with the letters comprising both beginning and the end of the sought-after answer. In the clues, those pieces are combined into a single word. In the answers, those pieces are split apart and each part is a portion of one of the two words that form the answer. One way to approach answering the clues is to ignore the second part of each clue. Another approach is to use the second part of each clue as a source of the beginning and end of each answer. It's simpler than I have made it sound. Take a look at the four themers to see:
18 Across: Slasher flick actress on a split screen?: SCREAM QUEEN. SCREEN has been split.
25 Across: Merchant Ivory works featuring split peas?: PERIOD DRAMAS. Merchant Ivory is a film production company. PEAS has been split.
44 Across: Auras around people with split ends?: ENERGY FIELDS. ENDS has been split.
59 Across: Lack of recognition for working a split shift?: SHORT SHRIFT. SHIFT has been split.
This is how everything appears in the grid:
Other than the themed responses above, here are the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Place to retire: BED. Retire as in go to sleep not as in to stop working.
4. Let gravity do most of the work, perhaps: COAST. Sled prices are too damn high but you can find a good deal if you're willing toboggan.
9. Estrangements: RIFTS.
14. "Rules __ rules": ARE. The motto of my gym's Silver Sneakers instructors.
15. Infuriate: ANGER. ANGER as a verb.
16. Salon abrasive: EMERY.
17. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.
20. Summer quaff: ICED TEA.
22. Links: COUPLES. Not links as in golf course. And not couples as in groups of two people. Used as a verb. To link, or COUPLE, things together. Think, for example, railroad cars.
23. Emmy and Grammy winner Burnett: CAROL. See also 65 Across.
24. Sandwich shop: DELI. I went to a deli and said, "I'd like to buy a bagel with cream cheese." The kid behind the counter replied, "Sorry we only take cash or credit cards."
32. Protective cover: TARP. A group of bedazzled TARPs and a bunch of poles walk into a restaurant and order some stakes....Things became pretty tents.
35. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE. Someone wrote a poem about the sounds made by dogs. It can only be read if you scan it first. It's a bark ODE.
36. Slowly wear down: ERODE. Slowly deconstruct.
37. Develops over time: EVOLVES. Slowly create. Nice juxtaposition.
39. Dish garnished with peanuts and lime: PAD THAI.
41. Marisa with a cameo in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day": TOMEI. Perhaps best known for her work in the movie "My Cousin Vinny".
42. Have a cold, say: AIL.
43. Schools of thought: ISMS. The suffix (pluralized).
48. Close by: NEAR. "Work until" wouldn't fit the allotted space.
65. Oscar and Grammy winner Burnett: T BONE. T BONE Burnett is a legendary music producer and musician. See also 23 Across. Nice touch. Among many other works, T BONE produced the sound track for the film "O Brother Where Art Thou".
66. Tabloid TV host Povich: MAURY.
67. Squalid space: STY.
Down:
1. No-frills: BASIC.
2. "I Luh God" singer Campbell: ERICA. New to this solver. Thanks, perps.
3. Prevent: DETER.
4. Neuschwanstein __: CASTLE. The model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
5. As soon as: ONCE.
6. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA. Often visited in our puzzles and often clued with reference to the Taj Mahal.
7. "What'd I tell you?": SEE. Get it?
8. Copied, in a way: TRACED. Copied exactly. Handy for forgery.
9. Not elective: REQUIRED. Ah, college days !
10. "My turn!": I'M UP.
11. Have a hunch: FEEL.
12. Sequoia, e.g.: TREE. Also the name of a Toyota SUV.
26. School of tomorrow?: ROE. As in a school of fish - with ROE being fish eggs.
27. Puts a name to: IDS. IDentifieS
28. Skilled performer: ARTISTE. An "Artist" creates art, encompassing painters, sculptors, and more. An "ARTISTE" typically refers to a skilled performer, like a singer or dancer.
29. Mineralogist with a hardness scale: MOHS. Not to be confused with Moe's Hardness Scale.
30. Scott of "Severance": ADAM. ADAM also played Ben Wyatt in "Parks and Recreation".
31. Cuatro y dos: SEIS. Lección de español y matemáticas de hoy.
32. Spot for un chapeau: TETE. Leçon de français du jour.
33. Mary Kay rival: AVON.
34. City on the Tiber: ROME.
38. Brief scene: VIGNETTE.
39. Dessert for Little Jack Horner: PIE.
40. ATV component: ALL. Not a component of an actual All Terrain Vehicle. A component of the name ALL Terrain Vehicle.
42. Atmosphere: AIR.
45. Hankerings: YENS. URGES was too long.
46. Fully grasp: FATHOM. FATHOM has several meanings. In this case, to understand.
47. In a senseless way: DAFTLY. Not to be confused with DEFTLY.
50. Memorial bios: OBITS. OBITUARIES
51. Warrant: MERIT. Not a search or arrest warrant. Earned.
52. London of "What Not To Wear": STACY. NIMW. Thanks, perps.
53. Discreet summons: PSST. A sound often heard in our puzzles.
54. Ishmael's captain: AHAB. A monomaniacal sea captain who often visits our puzzles.
55. Brouhaha: TO DO.
56. Setting of the graphic novel "Persepolis": IRAN.
57. In __: as found: SITU. In situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the place' or 'on site'. The term refers to studying or working with something in its natural or original location rather than moving it elsewhere.
58. Over yonder: AFAR. Not in the Dickensian sense.
60. Color TV pioneer: RCA.
Well, I guess that it is time to split. Have a great Wednesday.
.png)
