Happy Tuesday, everyone! sumdaze here. For those of you keeping track, the enchanting Hahtoolah (our usual Tuesday blogger) is away this month so Anonymous T (aka, -T) has been covering the Tuesday puzzles. This week, however, -T and I switched days so he could review C.C.'s and my puzzle that ran yesterday.
Theme: 
The remaining letters are the "stuffing", as seen in the grid below:
27. Sense of self: EGO.
28. More miffed: SORER.
34. Noshes: EATS. Nosh means "to eat a snack".
38. "I'm well __": AWARE.
39. North Pole worker: ELF.
40. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.
41. Internet phenomenon: MEME. We know that a MEME is a humorous or interesting image, video, etc. that spreads quickly across the internet. This has led to the term meme stock to refer to a corporation that has a cult-like following on social media. GameStock is widely regarded as the first meme stock. Read more here.
44. Sci-fi robot: DROID. Science Fiction is shortened, so is anDROID.
46. Reuben bread: RYE.
47. Aliens, briefly: ETS. and 56 Down. Sci-fi saucers: UFOS.
50. Winter hrs. in Boston: EST. Eastern Standard Time
51. Quiet place to get a loan: LIBRARY. This was my favorite clue today! A LIBRARY loans books.
55. Arouses, as curiosity: PIQUES. Fun word!
57. Otherwise: ELSE.
58. Volcano opening?: VEE. and 57 Down. Mediterranean volcano: ETNA.
3. Courtroom fig. with a keyboard: STENO. Figure, in this case, is a human STENOgrapher.
4. Always, poetically: E'ER. a contraction for ever
5. Musical instrument named for its shape: TRIANGLE.
7. Legendary folk singer Joan: BAEZ.
8. Wrap up: END.
9. Deep-fried Japanese dish: TEMPURA. I first misread the clue as "fish" so I thought I was in deep water for a minute there.
10. Jazz sessions: JAMS.
11. Overact: EMOTE.
12. Medium's medium: TAROT. Fun wordplay! An expanded version of this clue could be a spiritual go-between's materials.
13. Fashion sense: STYLE.
18. Didn't ask for a card in blackjack: STOOD. In blackjack, once you are dealt your first two cards, you must decide if you are going to hit or stand. To stand means you are satisfied with the cards that you have been dealt and do not want any additional draw cards.
19. Limerick's land: EIRE.
24. Came close to: NEARED.
25. Warm and cozy: COMFY.
28. Waldorf __: SALAD. There are no TOMATOES in this SALAD. You can easily identify Waldorf SALADs at a buffet because they contain apples and mayonnaise. recipe
29. "Stranger Things" actor Paul: REISER. Paul is an actor and comedian. He was born in 1956 in New York, NY. You might remember him from the 1990s TV show Mad About You with Helen Hunt. In 2017-2022, he played Dr. Sam Owens in Netflix's Stranger Things. I saw Paul's stand-up show a few years back. He was very funny!
30. Los Angeles footballer: RAM.
31. Need to pay: OWE.
32. Sweet tuber: YAM.
33. Kindled again: RELIT. Def.: to light again.
35. FAQ entry: ANS. Frequently Asked Questions pages provide ANSwers.
36. Greek consonant that resembles a "T": TAU.
37. __ card: smartphone insert: SIM.
Tomatoes just might be my favorite food ever so I loved, loved, loved today's theme! Constructor Susan Gelfand has cleverly STUFFED three varieties of tomatoes with other letters to form two-word phrases. Did you see the TOMATOES? Here are the three themers:
17 Across. Fondly remembered moment: CHERISHED MEMORY. CHERRY
Close your eyes and one will appear.
30 Across. Netflix's "The Crown," for one: ROYAL DRAMA. ROMA
The Crown is a TV series that ran on Netflix from 2016-2023. It followed the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
42 Across. Pretend to be asleep: PLAY POSSUM. PLUM
There are many stories of people who were sure a possum was dead, went to get removal tools, then returned to find the possum had run away. Tricky, tricky!
The reveal was a fun surprise:
59 Across. Rice-filled appetizers with red shells, and a hint to the words that bookend 17-, 30-, and 42-Across: STUFFED TOMATOES.
Here is a recipe for rice-stuffed tomatoes.
"Rice" might be a red herring here for some. Instead, the focus is on how three types of tomatoes are spelled out in the bookends of the phrases.
 |
| Left to right: CHERRY, ROMA, and PLUM tomatoes. |
The remaining letters are the "stuffing", as seen in the grid below:
Great job, Susan! If your puzzle were a movie, it would get this Rotten Tomatoes score: 
Next we will ketchup on the other clues:
Across:
1. Change back to zero: RESET. This works if you think of RESETting the trip odometer in your car.
6. Aid and __: ABET. Doing this could get you in trouble.
10. Elton John's "Bennie and the __": JETS. Here you g-g-g-g-g-go!
14. Playful furry swimmer: OTTER.
1. Change back to zero: RESET. This works if you think of RESETting the trip odometer in your car.
6. Aid and __: ABET. Doing this could get you in trouble.
10. Elton John's "Bennie and the __": JETS. Here you g-g-g-g-g-go!
14. Playful furry swimmer: OTTER.
I am going to use this as an opportunity to tell you about Rosa, a beloved Southern Sea OTTER at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Rosa passed away earlier this month. At 24 years old, she was the oldest known member of her species. (Female sea otters in the wild live between 15 and 20 years.) During her time at the aquarium, Rosa served as a surrogate mother to 15 orphaned otter pups! This is a 1:35 min. video reflection on Rosa's life. You can see her teaching a pup important otter skills. If you would like to read more about Rosa, click here then read the post below the video.
15. Source of torment: BANE.
16. She loves, in Latin: AMAT.
20. Flesh and blood: KIN.
21. The whole nine yards: A TO Z. I like how the mood of the clue matches the answer.
22. Spirited person: PISTOL. My friend named her very spirited Goldendoodle PISTOL.
23. "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer Sinéad: O'CONNOR. (1966-2023) She was a singer, song writer, and activist from Ireland.
15. Source of torment: BANE.
16. She loves, in Latin: AMAT.
20. Flesh and blood: KIN.
21. The whole nine yards: A TO Z. I like how the mood of the clue matches the answer.
22. Spirited person: PISTOL. My friend named her very spirited Goldendoodle PISTOL.
23. "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer Sinéad: O'CONNOR. (1966-2023) She was a singer, song writer, and activist from Ireland.
Nothing Compares 2 U was named the
Top World Single of the Year by Billboard for 1990.
25. Mongrel: CUR.
26. Summer in Saint-Étienne: ETE. ETE means summer in French.
26. Summer in Saint-Étienne: ETE. ETE means summer in French.
 |
| Its sister city in the USA is Des Moines, Iowa. |
28. More miffed: SORER.
34. Noshes: EATS. Nosh means "to eat a snack".
38. "I'm well __": AWARE.
40. Egyptian peninsula: SINAI.
41. Internet phenomenon: MEME. We know that a MEME is a humorous or interesting image, video, etc. that spreads quickly across the internet. This has led to the term meme stock to refer to a corporation that has a cult-like following on social media. GameStock is widely regarded as the first meme stock. Read more here.
44. Sci-fi robot: DROID. Science Fiction is shortened, so is anDROID.
 |
| These DROID postage stamps came out in 2021. These ARE the DROID stamps you are looking for. |
46. Reuben bread: RYE.
47. Aliens, briefly: ETS. and 56 Down. Sci-fi saucers: UFOS.
50. Winter hrs. in Boston: EST. Eastern Standard Time
51. Quiet place to get a loan: LIBRARY. This was my favorite clue today! A LIBRARY loans books.
55. Arouses, as curiosity: PIQUES. Fun word!
57. Otherwise: ELSE.
58. Volcano opening?: VEE. and 57 Down. Mediterranean volcano: ETNA.
V is for "volcano".
I enjoy meta clues but I know some of you are not fond of them.
62. Hodgepodge: OLIO. a miscellaneous mixture
63. PlayStation maker: SONY.
64. Unsophisticated: NAIVE.
65. Rx orders: MEDS. "Rx" was a hint that the answer would be abbreviated.
66. Whole bunch: SCAD.
67. Agrees (with): SIDES. When used as a verb, SIDES can mean "to align oneself in a disagreement".
Down:
1. Young wallaby in a Nickelodeon animated series: ROCKO. ESP for me.
 |
| Another word for a volcano opening is a vent. |
62. Hodgepodge: OLIO. a miscellaneous mixture
63. PlayStation maker: SONY.
64. Unsophisticated: NAIVE.
65. Rx orders: MEDS. "Rx" was a hint that the answer would be abbreviated.
66. Whole bunch: SCAD.
67. Agrees (with): SIDES. When used as a verb, SIDES can mean "to align oneself in a disagreement".
Down:
1. Young wallaby in a Nickelodeon animated series: ROCKO. ESP for me.
 |
| This is ROCKO Wallaby. |
2. Moral standard: ETHIC.
3. Courtroom fig. with a keyboard: STENO. Figure, in this case, is a human STENOgrapher.
4. Always, poetically: E'ER. a contraction for ever
5. Musical instrument named for its shape: TRIANGLE.
This guy is the Yo-Yo Ma of the TRIANGLE! (1:55 min.)
6. Really hate: ABHOR.
7. Legendary folk singer Joan: BAEZ.
8. Wrap up: END.
9. Deep-fried Japanese dish: TEMPURA. I first misread the clue as "fish" so I thought I was in deep water for a minute there.
10. Jazz sessions: JAMS.
11. Overact: EMOTE.
12. Medium's medium: TAROT. Fun wordplay! An expanded version of this clue could be a spiritual go-between's materials.
18. Didn't ask for a card in blackjack: STOOD. In blackjack, once you are dealt your first two cards, you must decide if you are going to hit or stand. To stand means you are satisfied with the cards that you have been dealt and do not want any additional draw cards.
19. Limerick's land: EIRE.
24. Came close to: NEARED.
25. Warm and cozy: COMFY.
28. Waldorf __: SALAD. There are no TOMATOES in this SALAD. You can easily identify Waldorf SALADs at a buffet because they contain apples and mayonnaise. recipe
29. "Stranger Things" actor Paul: REISER. Paul is an actor and comedian. He was born in 1956 in New York, NY. You might remember him from the 1990s TV show Mad About You with Helen Hunt. In 2017-2022, he played Dr. Sam Owens in Netflix's Stranger Things. I saw Paul's stand-up show a few years back. He was very funny!
31. Need to pay: OWE.
32. Sweet tuber: YAM.
33. Kindled again: RELIT. Def.: to light again.
35. FAQ entry: ANS. Frequently Asked Questions pages provide ANSwers.
36. Greek consonant that resembles a "T": TAU.
 |
| TAU is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet. |
37. __ card: smartphone insert: SIM.
A SIM card, or Subscriber Identity Module, is a small, removable smart card that stores information about a mobile device's network plan, contacts, and other data. SIM cards are usually made of PVC and contain an embedded chip with integrated circuits (ICs) and semiconductors.
40. Protein-rich legumes: SOYBEANS.
42. Have in one's hands: POSSESS.
43. Light refractor: PRISM.
45. Snorkeling spot: REEF.
47. English derby town: EPSOM. I would have had this one quicker if it asked about the salts.
40. Protein-rich legumes: SOYBEANS.
 |
| Soy in Spanish means "I am". |
42. Have in one's hands: POSSESS.
43. Light refractor: PRISM.
45. Snorkeling spot: REEF.
47. English derby town: EPSOM. I would have had this one quicker if it asked about the salts.
The EPSOM Derby is a horserace comparable in significance to the Preakness Stakes on this side of the pond in that it is the second race in the English Triple Crown. A three-year-old bay colt named City of Troy won the Epsom Derby three Saturdays ago. 
48. Sports championship: TITLE. As in, "They won the TITLE".
49. Underwater ink squirter: SQUID. why squids squirt ink
51. Fallingwater architect Frank __ Wright: LLOYD. This is a 5:10 minute vlog (video blog) about Falling water. Listening to the water takes it up a notch from just looking at a photo.
48. Sports championship: TITLE. As in, "They won the TITLE".
49. Underwater ink squirter: SQUID. why squids squirt ink
51. Fallingwater architect Frank __ Wright: LLOYD. This is a 5:10 minute vlog (video blog) about Falling water. Listening to the water takes it up a notch from just looking at a photo.
52. Steer clear of: AVOID.
53. "Superman" actor Christopher: REEVE. (1952 - 2004) He first played Superman in 1978. My friends and I had super-crushes on him.
54. Positive responses: YESES.
60. "What's up, __?": DOC.
61. __ chi: martial art: TAI. Does anyone on The Corner do this? I used to see groups doing it in parks in Hawaii -- very zen. I hope to try it someday.
53. "Superman" actor Christopher: REEVE. (1952 - 2004) He first played Superman in 1978. My friends and I had super-crushes on him.
60. "What's up, __?": DOC.
61. __ chi: martial art: TAI. Does anyone on The Corner do this? I used to see groups doing it in parks in Hawaii -- very zen. I hope to try it someday.
 |
| That's all for today. See you next Monday! |
