SHHH~!
TurkiSHHH Delight
My first time covering a crossword from Mr. Marangell. His first LA Times was here, back in November 2024. Yes, circles, two days in a row, but very few names, and chunky triple sevens in all four of the Down corners; I think that's why my solve time was higher than usual - I got slowed up because I start with the Down clues. Overall, a tight group of four unspoken ways to express joy, anger, approval and indifference, "quietly" hiding in the circles;
17. Credit card promotion for frequent fliers: BONUS MILES - SMILE 😁 - I don't have any credit card with frequent flyer bonus miles - travel for me was always covered by the company; the pipe organ company did not take full advantage of this perk, go figure 🤔
Smile - it looks like it might a good trip; I should become a frequent flyer
24. Etsy purchase, perhaps: CUSTOM PRINT - STOMP 😡 - I don't make prints, but I do build wood furniture - I can see myself selling some pieces through etsy
This one is SOLD already, but I could make one just like it
34. Key partnership?: PIANO DUET - NOD 😉 - The internet says a piano duet is TWO pianos, not just two piano players, this "duet" is hysterical...and then there's this one;
Heart & Soul - "chopsticks"
50. Handwoven products at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar: TURKISH RUGS - SHRUG ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Colorful; I have an abstract-patterned one waiting for a place in my home
58. "Is that so?," or a hint to the communication methods found in this puzzle's circled letters: YOU DON'T SAY - tacit, non-verbal means of expressing one's response
And Away We Go~!
Across:
1. Tree with papery bark: BIRCH
6. Opera set in Memphis: AIDA - crossword staple
10. Part of a Cape Cod, familiarly: CRAN - "A" Cape Cod is a vodka cocktail with cranberry and a slice of lime; I noted that if one is not careful, when buying the Ocean Spray cranberry "cocktail", the amount of "added" sugar is insane; I buy the "diet" version ( ironic ) that has 1g of 'natural' sugar
14. Japanese lager brand: ASAHI - AND - 47D. Japanese dogs: AKITAS - our constructor must have an affinity for things "A" Japan, as AKIRA was in his first LA Times
15. Ignore: SNUB
16. Main character: HERO
19. Simplicity: EASE
20. Explosive sound: BLAM - I usually wait on perps, as there are dozens of "sounds" this could be
21. Blackjack card: ACE
22. Elizabeth __ cosmetics: ARDEN - the website
23. Hor. map line: LATitude
27. Latin catchall: Et Alii - and others, typically seen as "et al."
29. Annually: PER YEAR
30. Checkout option: DEBIT - I get 5% cash back/points with my Discover & Amazon credit cards - I use my debit card at the gas pump because credit is usually higher priced.
31. Sharp-witted: KEEN
33. Wily: SLY
38. HS exams for coll. credit: APs - Meh. I don't care for the plural abbrs in crosswords
41. Hit or __: MISS
42. Athlete who may run four laps: MILER - Ah- I was just a week too early with this fill . . . .
46. Takes a turn: ROTATES - Literally - not 'your move', during a game
49. Second-most-populated city in Oregon: EUGENE - behind Portland, I am guessing
53. Contribute: ADD
54. Amazon biz: eTAIL
55. U.K. constituent: ENGland - Nottingham was the place both my parents grew up
This image can be purchased on etsy
56. Upper hand: EDGE
57. Prime condition: MINT - I tried BEST
61. Actress Swenson: INGA - I knew her from "Soap" and "Benson" - her IMDb. My buddy's ex-wife chose this name for their second daughter, so that she could be nicknamed "Iggy"
62. "How __ can I put this ... ": ELSE
63. "Dragon Ball" genre: ANIME
64. Goes out with: SEES
65. Counterpart: PEER - KEEN, SEES and PEER today
66. Subsides: WANES
DOWN:
1. Talked excitedly: BABBLED
2. Keep away from others: ISOLATE - I prefer "solitude" to crowds; I am an introvert
3. Accumulated charges: RAN A TAB
4. Buddy: CHUM
5. That fella's: HIS
6. Nike competitor: ASICS
7. Shore recess: INLET - yeah, but meh; I grew up on Long Island, and the "inlets" were channels to the Great South Bay
8. Expected: DUE
9. Situp muscles: ABs - I do not work on the ABdominals at the gym yet - my trainer "Brett" says my "keg" is in the way - har-har....that's WHY I am going to the gym 😜
10. Manhattan garnish: CHERRY - Manhattan, the rye/vermouth cocktail
11. Prepares: READIES
12. Premier League club known as the Gunners: ARSENAL - oh, my dad would be so disappointed I did not know this immediately - he ate, breathed and slept "European" football - soccer
13. "Stay out": NO ENTRY - we had this identical entry also in the Down in his debut LA Times puzzle
18. Home of Haleakala National Park: MAUI - figured it was Hawai'i, I tried OAHU
22. Start of Q2: APR - The second quarter of the year is April, May, June
24. __ Field: home of the Mets: CITI - Knew this because I grew up on Long Island - but it was Shea back then
25. Sides of a paper?: OP-EDS
26. Restaurant offering: MENU - I WAGed this
28. Body part used in kissing and telling: LIP - cute
31. Kosher deli snack: KNISH - pronounced "Kuh - nish"
Looks tasty
32. Greek goddess of the dawn: EOS
35. City near the geographic center of Iowa: AMES
36. Big birds: EMUS
38. NASA moon exploration program since 2017: ARTEMIS
39. Dish with fries and gravy: POUTINE - Fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy
I made my own hash browns in the air-fryer this weekend
40. Offbeat: STRANGE
43. Shows through the door: LEADS IN
44. Checkmate phase: END GAME - Not "YOU LOSE"
45. Flights that may serve dinner and breakfast: RED-EYES
48. Shorthand for sharing a new realization: TIL - I was thinking in terms of text messages, like "FYI". Meh. I found this, so it's legit
49. Waffle choice: EGGO
51. Second word in an ecological mantra: REUSE - Reduce, - - -, Recycle
52. Working for: UNDER
56. Italian volcano: ETNA - Had this Monday. Etsy plus Etna today
58. "Uh-huh": YEP - AND - 60D. "Uh-uh": NAW - Slangy verbal communications
59. Flamenco cheer: OLÉ
Splynter
