Saturday Themeless by Taylor Johnson
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Taylor had this to tell us when he and Christina Iverson had a Saturday Themeless here earlier this year:
I’m a 32-year old crossword constructor living in Minneapolis, MN. By day I work for a food co-op, and by night, (and really all the time), I hang out with a couple of small humans that call me dad.
I first got into solving crossword puzzles around five years ago. I began constructing around the time my daughter was born, in the spring of 2021. I strive to make puzzles that everyone can enjoy solving, from the seasoned vets, t0new sovlers just starting out. I want my puzzles to be approachable, fresh, full of life and zest, a healthy dose of pop culture, and a focus on representation and inclusivity. I want my puzzles to be
I had a picture of Taylor and Christina together for their collaborative puzzle and asked Taylor if he wanted to submit a solo picture and he sent this "way cool" one you see above.
Because I choose to work these advance puzzles online I get the Congratulations box when I put in the final correct cell. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised when I got that message where AM_RETTI crossed FL_ORISLAVA and I had correctly put in an "O". Yay me!
Across:
1. Qdoba choice: SOFT TACO - I prefer the crunch of the hard taco
9. Some polytheists: PAGANS - The Greek and Roman polytheists provide a lot of crossword content
15. Leia's message to Obi-Wan, for one: HOLOGRAM.
16. Spanish cheer: ARRIBA.
17. Little cherubs: AMORETTI - Modern AMORETTI by Hans Market
18. Indulgent outing: SPA DAY.
19. Winds: SPOOLS - SPOOLS as a verb
20. Full of moxie: GUTSY.
22. Changes the pitch on a roof, say: TARS 😃 This took some time but finally hit me. Pitch is another name for tar so...
23. End: CLOSE and 29. End: CEASE.
25. Calif. home of the Harvey Milk terminal: SFO.
28. Sushi option: AHI - Eel and Roe? Not so much.
30. Breezing through: ACING - I knew which kids would ACE my tests and so I corrected their tests first to make sure my questions were fair and the key was correct.
32. Big stink: STENCH.
34. React to sad news: TEAR UP.
35. Comedian who voices Spider-Ham in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse": MULANEY - John
37. Like a naked mole rat: FURLESS.
38. Goes with the flow: ADAPTS.
39. Ones waiting for bottle openers?: GENIES - Not lamp openers?
40. Old Chevys: NOVAS.
41. Subtle glows: AURAE - One AURA, two AURAE
42. See 53-Down: TAC and 53. With 42-Across, Wash. hub: SEA - Where you can take off with Mt. Rainier in the background
45. "Cherry Wine" rapper: NAS
46. Namesake of Ohio State's track-and-field stadium: OWENS - Neither Hitler nor FDR shook this great athlete's hand in 1936.
47. Deep cut: GASH.
48. 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year: BILES - Simone BILES of course
50. Loath: AVERSE.
52. Mythical realm watched over by Heimdall: ASGARD - Heimdall is described as all-seeing and all-hearing and is the sole protector of the Bifröst in Asgard. Okay...
55. Picked one: SELECTEE - Choosing up sides on the playground can be a traumatic event for some, especially if you are the last SELECTEE
57. "Brewski! Now!": BEER ME.
58. Snuggies, e.g.: SLANKETS - A portmanteau of SLeeve and blANKET
59. "Planet of the Apes" role for Andy Serkis: CAESAR - Talk about yer Saturday cluing for a common name!
60. Language of the Eddas: OLD NORSE - Edda is a crossword staple.
Down:
1. Drink that comes in California Dreamin' and Grapefruit Zazz flavors: SHASTA - They're both in here:
2. Oktoberfest blast: OOMPAH.
3. Netflix show based on a children's game: FLOOR IS LAVA - The kid's game and the Netflix game
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4. Bilbao bulls: TOROS - The bullfighting arena in Bilbao, Spain
5. Neutrogena product: T-GEL.
6. Cultural spheres: ART SCENES - The Omaha Art Show takes up several city blocks and has representation from about every ART SCENE you could imagine.
7. Meowth of Pokémon, for one: CAT - The Spanish Mewoth Pokémon card
8. "Jeepers": O MI GOSH.
9. Product many stick with: PASTE - What, it's not edible?
10. Dadaist collection: ARPS - Hans ARP among some of his work of the Dada ART SCENE
11. Smartphone setting that may help reduce screen time: GRAY SCALE - Research has shown that switching your phone to GRAY SCALE as opposed to full color reduces your interest and therefore your screen time
12. Band follower?: AID.
13. Sixth Man of the Year Award org.: NBA - Back when I followed the NBA, I knew Kevin McHale won that award two years in a row
14. Utter: SAY.
21. Function: USE.
24. Like some gowns: LACY.
26. Drew Barrymore's third film: FIRE STARTER - 9-yr-old Drew had the 27. Weight: ONUS. to carry this film of a Steven King novel. It made a very small profit and got a 38% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
29. Pennies: CENTS - Don't we all have some squirreled away?
30. American Eagle Outfitters subsidiary: AERIE - AERIE is short for American Eagle lingerie and is an intimate apparel and lifestyle retailer and sub-brand owned by American Eagle Outfitters. You're welcome.
31. Travel guide: GPS - How a GPS would get you from London to Highclare Castle that was used in Downton Abbey
33. Spots to order calamares with un cóctel: TAPAS BARS - Fried calamare (squid) with a un cóctel (a cocktail).
34. Filling option for stuffed avocados: TUNA SALAD.
35. "Hoo boy": MAN!
36. Wheat noodle: UDON - There's this wonderful lady in Minneapolis we all know who really knows her Asian noodles...
37. "Charlotte's Web" girl: FERN - We just had Drew Barrymore in Firestarter and here is 12-yr-old Dakota Fanning as the human protagonist FERN Arable in Charlotte's Web. This movie made big money and got a 78% from Rotten Tomatoes.
39. "Sure seems like it": GUESS SO.
41. Reverence: AWE,
43. Financial heading: ASSETS.
44. Robert Cormier's "I Am the __": CHEESE - The last line of a children's song is "The cheese stands alone." So by saying "I am the cheese", Adam is saying that he knows he is alone. Without parents, friends, or anyone who truly cares for him, he is by himself in the world, even in the world of his imagination.
46. More mature: OLDER.
47. Spokescritter with a British accent: GECKO - Adman David Hulin came up with the Geico gecko and sales for that company took off.
51. Logician known for overlapping diagrams: VENN.
52. Block letters?: ABC - Didn't we all have these in some iteration?
56. Leader of Louisiana?: ELL - Ah, another meta clue. ELL is the first letter of Louisiana
