Happy first Monday of 2025, everyone! sumdaze here. Brian Callahan has become a popular constructor on The Corner with six solo and five collaborations for the LAT since 2023. Jess Shulman has two LAT Friday collaborations. It was fun to see them team up on today's puzzle.
I'm going to give it the same title Merle Haggard gave this 1977 song,
The Running Kind
You may wonder what kind of running we talking about. A look at the three themers will answer that:
17 Across. *New job that's hardly a promotion: LATERAL MOVE. 
28 Across. *Honking collective: GAGGLE OF GEESE. 
45 Across. *Phenomenon of collective false memories: MANDELA EFFECT. This one was an interesting learning moment for me. Paranormal researcher Fiona Broome named this phenomenon after discovering that she and others possessed strong, yet false, memories about the death of Nelson Mandela. Britannica article (See 52-Down.)
Then the unifier:
1. Packs on muscle, with "up": BEEFS. I quickly threw down BulkS. What is it D-Otto likes to say? I wonder if he made the same error.
6. Aspect: FACET.
14. Super Breakout console: ATARI. Super Breakout is the sequel to a 1976 video game -- but all I really needed was "console that begins with the letter 'A'".
15. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.
16. Three, on a sundial: III. Roman numerals (as seen in 21-A)
19. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement
20. "Anything __?": ELSE.
21. WWII soldiers: GIs.
40. Grocery chain with a Winking Owl wine brand: ALDI. E&J Gallo produces ALDI's own, in-house brand labeled Winking Owl -- but all I really needed was "grocery chain that begins with the letter 'A'".
42. Texting titter: LOL. To titter is to laugh in a nervous, affected, or partly suppressed manner.
43. Future DA's exam: LSAT. CSO to my big bro who is a definitely amazing District Attorney who passed the Law School Admission Test on his first try!
49. Led: HELMED. "HEadED" almost fit. It took me a bit to let go of that one....
50. Constellation bear: URSA.
51. "Head over and take a look": GO SEE.
52. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA. We often see this clue, OR A version of it, on Mondays.
53. __ prep: weekend activity for some home cooks: MEAL. DH does this. Every Sunday he preps his lunches for the work week and puts them in containers, ready for the microwave.
57. Lip balm in egg-shaped containers: EOS. 
64. Gnats, flies, etc.: PESTS.
65. WNW's opposite: ESE. compass directions
66. "The Princess Bride" co-star Cary: ELWES. I should have this name memorized by now but I am still working on it.
67. Spaces: AREAS. ...as in, "Please clean up your work spaces."
Down:
1. Bundle of hay: BALE. The woman in this video does a good job of showing how to use hay hooks to move a BALE of hay (1:38 min.). It's true, one of my best birthday presents ever was my very own set of hay hooks.
2. Latin shorthand in a bibliography: ET AL. It means et alia which translates to "and others". (See 31-D.)
4. Thoroughfare without tolls: FREEWAY. I liked the without tolls clueing for FREEway.
58 Across. Vice presidential hopeful, and what the first part of the answer to each starred clue can be: RUNNING MATE.
LATE, GAG, and MAN can all be MATEd to (joined with) the word RUNNING to form these in-the-language phrases:
- RUNNING LATE is to be behind schedule.
- A RUNNING GAG is a joke that is repeated several times (often with slight tweaks) throughout a performance or literary piece. (See 14-A & 40-A.)
- The RUNNING MAN is a 1982 Stephen King Novel set in a dystopian United States in the year 2025 (This year!) In 1987 a movie version was released starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I liked how only a few letters were connected to the unifier. That helped the theme stay hidden until after I completed the grid.
Across:
1. Packs on muscle, with "up": BEEFS. I quickly threw down BulkS. What is it D-Otto likes to say? I wonder if he made the same error.
6. Aspect: FACET.
11. Q's keyboard neighbor: TAB. computer keys
14. Super Breakout console: ATARI. Super Breakout is the sequel to a 1976 video game -- but all I really needed was "console that begins with the letter 'A'".
15. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.
16. Three, on a sundial: III. Roman numerals (as seen in 21-A)
19. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement
20. "Anything __?": ELSE.
21. WWII soldiers: GIs.
 |
| a WWII GI Joe toy |
22. Big, big stars: IDOLS. This NASA site will teach you about even bigger stars. 😀
24. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA.
26. Pointy tooth: CANINE.
31. Axton of country music: HOYT. (1938-1999) This is a 1 min. clip of Axton doing a guest appearance on WKRP Cincinnati:
32. Pie __ mode: A LA.
33. Reader of a quick-start guide: USER. Great clue! Most tech today comes with a quick-start guide and a website for more details. Gone are the days of thick USER manuals in eight languages.
34. Pair: DUO.
35. SofÃa of "Modern Family": VERGARA. I know who she is but always forget how she spells her last name.
39. Consumes: HAS. and 3-Down. Consumes: EATS.
24. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA.
31. Axton of country music: HOYT. (1938-1999) This is a 1 min. clip of Axton doing a guest appearance on WKRP Cincinnati:
"It was Della and the dealer and a dog named Jake and a cat named Kalamazoo."
32. Pie __ mode: A LA.
33. Reader of a quick-start guide: USER. Great clue! Most tech today comes with a quick-start guide and a website for more details. Gone are the days of thick USER manuals in eight languages.
34. Pair: DUO.
35. SofÃa of "Modern Family": VERGARA. I know who she is but always forget how she spells her last name.
39. Consumes: HAS. and 3-Down. Consumes: EATS.
...as in, "He HAS a sandwich for lunch every day."
40. Grocery chain with a Winking Owl wine brand: ALDI. E&J Gallo produces ALDI's own, in-house brand labeled Winking Owl -- but all I really needed was "grocery chain that begins with the letter 'A'".
42. Texting titter: LOL. To titter is to laugh in a nervous, affected, or partly suppressed manner.
43. Future DA's exam: LSAT. CSO to my big bro who is a definitely amazing District Attorney who passed the Law School Admission Test on his first try!
49. Led: HELMED. "HEadED" almost fit. It took me a bit to let go of that one....
50. Constellation bear: URSA.
51. "Head over and take a look": GO SEE.
52. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA. We often see this clue, OR A version of it, on Mondays.
53. __ prep: weekend activity for some home cooks: MEAL. DH does this. Every Sunday he preps his lunches for the work week and puts them in containers, ready for the microwave.
 |
| DH's lunches |
62. Spin bike meas.: RPM. In Spin class, speed is measured in Revolutions Per Minute.
63. Name with Will and Frankie in sitcom titles: GRACE. This clue refers to two separate sitcoms: Will and GRACE (1998-2020) and GRACE and Frankie (2015-2022). It took a bit for the penny to drop because I am unfamiliar with the second show. I was trying to think of a show with Will & Frankie. I finally noticed that titles was plural.
63. Name with Will and Frankie in sitcom titles: GRACE. This clue refers to two separate sitcoms: Will and GRACE (1998-2020) and GRACE and Frankie (2015-2022). It took a bit for the penny to drop because I am unfamiliar with the second show. I was trying to think of a show with Will & Frankie. I finally noticed that titles was plural.
64. Gnats, flies, etc.: PESTS.
65. WNW's opposite: ESE. compass directions
66. "The Princess Bride" co-star Cary: ELWES. I should have this name memorized by now but I am still working on it.
67. Spaces: AREAS. ...as in, "Please clean up your work spaces."
Down:
1. Bundle of hay: BALE. The woman in this video does a good job of showing how to use hay hooks to move a BALE of hay (1:38 min.). It's true, one of my best birthday presents ever was my very own set of hay hooks.
2. Latin shorthand in a bibliography: ET AL. It means et alia which translates to "and others". (See 31-D.)
4. Thoroughfare without tolls: FREEWAY. I liked the without tolls clueing for FREEway.
You have likely heard that Californians use the word "the" before a FREEWAY name, as in "The 405". This is a Southern California thing. As a native Northern Californian, I can say the only people I know who speak that way are people who have spent time in Southern California. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
5. Knight's title: SIR.
6. Befitting an offspring: FILIAL. Def.: (adj.) having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.
7. Upper limbs: ARMS.
8. Corp. leader: CEO. Corporation and Chief Executive Officer
9. Pt. of SASE: ENV. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and ENVelope
10. Enraging, with "off": TEEING. "Teed off" is an informal English expression to say one is angry. I always thought it was short for "Ticked off". I suppose one might say, "He is TEEING off the entire committee," but something feels off about this one.
11. Show respect, in a way: TIP ONE'S HAT. If the clue said "Shows", we would answer TIPS ONE'S HAT.
12. Flight selection: AISLE SEAT. This is my preference.
13. Slant: BIAS.
18. Awestruck: AGOG.
23. French deity: DIEU.
25. "Love It or List It" channel: HGTV. I like this show but I would like it more if they were not so adversarial.
26. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.
27. Way off: AFAR.
28. "Heavens to Betsy!": GOODNESS ME. Both are quaint expressions of surprise or astonishment.
29. Bird on Mexico's flag: EAGLE.
5. Knight's title: SIR.
6. Befitting an offspring: FILIAL. Def.: (adj.) having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.
7. Upper limbs: ARMS.
8. Corp. leader: CEO. Corporation and Chief Executive Officer
9. Pt. of SASE: ENV. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and ENVelope
10. Enraging, with "off": TEEING. "Teed off" is an informal English expression to say one is angry. I always thought it was short for "Ticked off". I suppose one might say, "He is TEEING off the entire committee," but something feels off about this one.
11. Show respect, in a way: TIP ONE'S HAT. If the clue said "Shows", we would answer TIPS ONE'S HAT.
12. Flight selection: AISLE SEAT. This is my preference.
18. Awestruck: AGOG.
23. French deity: DIEU.
25. "Love It or List It" channel: HGTV. I like this show but I would like it more if they were not so adversarial.
26. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.
27. Way off: AFAR.
28. "Heavens to Betsy!": GOODNESS ME. Both are quaint expressions of surprise or astonishment.
29. Bird on Mexico's flag: EAGLE.
 |
| Mexico's national animal is the majestic golden eagle. |
30. Triage ctrs.: ERS. centers and emergency rooms
31. Toys to play around with?: HULA HOOPS. This one is for the Cornerites who turned me on to Ted Lasso (Irish Miss, -T, ET AL.). I just finished Season 2 and am next in line for Season 3 at my library. I would not have known about this clip two weeks ago. It's the HULA HOOP scene from Season 2 with Coach Beard (Brenden Hunt) and girlfriend Jane Payne (1:40 min.):
34. Beaver's construction: DAM.
36. French fashion magazine: ELLE. A print-version subscription for 2025 (10 issues) costs $25.
37. Map line: ROAD.
38. Some beers: ALES.
41. Not doing much: IDLE.
44. Con artist: SCAMMER. This article from the FTC gives advice on recognizing phone scams. Another huge red flag is when someone tells you to not tell anyone about your conversation.
46. Come forth: EMERGE.
47. Greek goddesses of vengeance: FURIES. ESP for me. "Nemesis" also comes up on a Google search but this clue specifies more than one goddess. more info.
48. Actress Drescher: FRAN. (b. Sept. 30, 1957) In 2023, during the Hollywood writer's strike, we learned that this star of The Nanny (1993-1999) is the president of SAG-AFTRA.
51. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
52. In the past: ONCE. Think, "I was a teenager ONCE." It is an interesting word because the clue, "In the future" works, too. Think, "ONCE you get to the stoplight, turn right."
31. Toys to play around with?: HULA HOOPS. This one is for the Cornerites who turned me on to Ted Lasso (Irish Miss, -T, ET AL.). I just finished Season 2 and am next in line for Season 3 at my library. I would not have known about this clip two weeks ago. It's the HULA HOOP scene from Season 2 with Coach Beard (Brenden Hunt) and girlfriend Jane Payne (1:40 min.):
This episode was quite the outlier. I'm still processing it. Your thoughts?
34. Beaver's construction: DAM.
36. French fashion magazine: ELLE. A print-version subscription for 2025 (10 issues) costs $25.
37. Map line: ROAD.
38. Some beers: ALES.
41. Not doing much: IDLE.
44. Con artist: SCAMMER. This article from the FTC gives advice on recognizing phone scams. Another huge red flag is when someone tells you to not tell anyone about your conversation.
46. Come forth: EMERGE.
47. Greek goddesses of vengeance: FURIES. ESP for me. "Nemesis" also comes up on a Google search but this clue specifies more than one goddess. more info.
48. Actress Drescher: FRAN. (b. Sept. 30, 1957) In 2023, during the Hollywood writer's strike, we learned that this star of The Nanny (1993-1999) is the president of SAG-AFTRA.
51. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
52. In the past: ONCE. Think, "I was a teenager ONCE." It is an interesting word because the clue, "In the future" works, too. Think, "ONCE you get to the stoplight, turn right."
Also, Once is a 2007 movie with an awesome soundtrack.
54. Simplicity: EASE. "Simplicity" is also a brand of sewing patterns -- suggesting how EASy it can be to make your own clothes.
55. "__ boy!": "Well done!": ATTA.
56. "More or __": LESS.
59. Bookmarked link: URL.
60. "Yep" opposite: NAW.
61. Report card no.: GPA. number and Grade Point Average
If You Want Me ~ Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard
Many people think they are a real-life couple, but they are not.
Perhaps this is an example of a 17-A MANDELA EFFECT.
54. Simplicity: EASE. "Simplicity" is also a brand of sewing patterns -- suggesting how EASy it can be to make your own clothes.
56. "More or __": LESS.
59. Bookmarked link: URL.
60. "Yep" opposite: NAW.
61. Report card no.: GPA. number and Grade Point Average
Today's grid: 
How did you do today? Did you run away with this one or did your luck run out?
