Theme: Addition can sometimes be better than subtraction ... OR ... am I adding or losing some (L)B's?
Puzzling thoughts:
First, this is my last recap/blog of 2025. Second, since we are one week before Christmas, my recap today will be more brief than usual
Now, with regards to today's puzzle, this is not the first Samantha Podos Nowak puzzle I've blogged. One of her earlier efforts was a collaboration with LAT assistant editor, Katie Hale. Samantha, like I, came into constructing puzzles after/during the Covid pandemic. In fact, she and I both had a puzzle that ran the same day (her's at WSJ and mine at LAT) but that's just a coincidence ...
Today's puzzle has an interesting theme, based on a famous line in a Shakespeare play:
36-across. Soliloquy dilemma, and a phonetic hint to 17-, 25-, 51-, and 61-Across: TO BE OR NOT TO BE. I checked a few sources, and surprisingly this entry has not been seen in a published xword puzzle in almost a decade, and obviously, not used with this set of entries:
17-across. "Pencils, down!" for one: TIMBERLINE. The "Be(B)" or Not to Be(B") is highlighted in the entry. Use the B and the entry means - literally - the upper limit of tree growth (usually in mountainous regions). Such as this:
But if you eliminate the B the clue fits the "not to be(B)" meaning. Think of when you were taking a timed test in school and the proctor calls out: "Pencils, down!" I guess (stretching one's imagination) that this would be a TIMER "LINE"
25-across. "What I did last summer" essay penned by a lifeguard?: POOL TABLE. A pool table should not be mistaken for a billiards table. Likewise, if you are working a summer part-time job as a lifeguard, you probably don't want to go off telling pool tales or this might happen:
51-across. Ice cream truck jingle, e.g.?: SUGAR CUBE. When was the last time you saw a sugar cube served in a restaurant?
Now lose the B and you get a semi-ridiculous answer that fits another semi-ridiculous clue ... I never thought of the jingle from an ice cream truck as a sugar CUE. You can thank me later for the earworm I am about to inject you with, once you click on the "play" button on the video below:
61-across. Fee for a reunion dinner?: ALBUM COVER. With the B you get this:
 |
| IMO, the best ALBUM, ever |
Without the B you get a goofy answer to a goofy clue. At my latest HS reunion, the "ALUM COVER" was $50 which included the cost of renting the venue and what turned out to be a pretty good buffet dinner. Here is a picture from mine this past September:
So, Moe, if you didn't like SUGAR CUBE entry, what would you have suggested, instead? Ok, here:
51-across. Preserves made by artisans from Wisconsin resort county? DOOR JAMBS - but alas, this one would be cut as the B in JAMBS is silent ...
How about: Comment from a Jewish kid when he realizes spring break is over? SCHOOLBOY
The Grid:
I will address the words I disliked or stumbled with in the other clues/answers, below
1. "Black Widow" singer Rita: ORA. She is not a singer that I listen to, so this one sat for a while before the perps appeared
4. Oodles: STACKS. Another that took some time to fill
10. Harvest: CROP. REAP also fits
14. Loonie currency, briefly: CAD. For some reason I thought CND would be the answer; but come on, even for a Friday the clue for cad should've been for a noun, not an abbreviation
15. Prestige: CACHET. It's interesting to note that when I asked the Thesaurusaurus for a synonym for cachet it provided me with prestige - but when I asked for a synonym for prestige it gave me this:
16. Lentil pancake: DOSA. This word has been used somewhat often @ both Universal Crosswords and USA Today. Mostly since 2020. Was this a food item that was introduced during COVID that C-Moe possibly ignored? I don't think I have ever had one (or two)
And of course, my puerile brain had to think of a Moe-ku:
Do Indian chef's
Like Square Dancing? They must. They
Do the DOSA-dough
[theme entry]
19. Scattered: SOWN. I originally spelled this SEWN; then, realized my mistake (which left me in stitches)
20. More than half of the world's population: ASIANS.
21. Courtroom figs.: D.A.s. Again, a clue for an abbreviation, when the clue could have been: German article (DER, DIE, and DAS) and have been just as difficult (IMO)
23. Brief read?: MAG. What's with all of the abbreviations? Sheesh
24. Curriculum __: VITAE. After watching this video, I am perfectly happy being retired!
[theme entry]
28. USN rank: ENS. Maybe I should have started counting abbr's ...
29. Hotel bar: SOAP. My mind immediately thought "MINI"
31. Burrito option: ASADA. As in "carne asada". Asada translates to the English "grilled". Personally, I prefer El Pastor burritos
32. Alien-seeking org.: SETI. Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - and the abbr's continue
34. Bind: TIE.
35. Class with pastels: ART.
[reveal of the theme]
41. Sculpture medium: ICE. Phil Conners was quite the ice sculptor, as depicted in this movie by (54-across. "Groundhog Day" writer/director) Harold RAMIS.
42. Bygone JFK carrier: TWA. I'm done panning all of the abbreviations ... if I see another one, I will ignore it and move on, FWIW
43. Silver State city: RENO. Silver State = Nevada
45. Fountain spot, perhaps: PLAZA.
48. Staffer: AIDE.
50. Keebler baker: ELF. Moe-ku:
Michael Bloomberg's one
Of the shortest billionaires
He's an ELF-made-man
[theme entry]
56. Slip: ERR.
57. __ Quixote: DON.
58. From the beginning: DE NOVO. Our Latin word-of-the-day
59. Luau strings: UKES.
[theme entry]
64. Bambi, for one: DEER. FAWN also fits
65. Afternoon trayful: TEA SET. SCONES also fits
66. QB mistake: INT.
67. Ish: OR SO. Ballpark estimate might have worked as a clue, too
68. Knight mares: STEEDS. While this definition doesn't specify, a steed can be either a stallion or a mare - and since it can be a female horse, it allowed Samantha (or maybe Patti) to use this witty clue
69. Season opener?: ESS. For those who don't "get" the wordplay, season opener usually refers to the first MLB game of the new year - but here, it's the starting letter in the word, season
Down:
1. So-so ranges?: OCTAVES. Sometimes clues go too far ... but I am guessing that whoever came up with this one was referring to the "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" range, which is also an octave
9. Take the wrong way?: STEAL. This word (steal) is among the more popular starting words for the online game, Wordle
10. Common PC inserts, once: CDS.
11. Floor model?: ROOMBA. Model, as in which model Roomba would you purchase for cleaning your floor. The one on the left below looks pretty functional, to me
12. The Penguin's first name: OSWALD. Seriously?
13. Supercontinent of the late Paleozoic Era: PANGEA. And if you just got over the previous clue/answer ...
18. Sheepish remark: BAA.
22. Tee off: START. As in the start of a golf hole
25. Two of a kind: PAIR. What's your favorite pair? These?
26. Bill with round numbers?: OPEN TAB. More wordplay in this clue ...
27. Mary of "The Maltese Falcon": ASTOR. Also known as Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke
30. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE. So, Otoe is also the plural?
33. Island near Majorca: IBIZA. Okay. I've been pretty lenient about the obscurity of many of today's words. And honestly, a couple of "odd" words for a Friday are OK if the puzzle venue specifies that. But the LA Times Friday puzzles lately have been anything but consistent. IBIZA, PANGEA, OSWALD, ROOMBA, KENDO, RAISINET, SETI, VITAE, DOSA (and I still have a few more words to recap ...)
35. Little bit: A TAD. You think I am a tad frustrated by today's puzzle? I don't think I will be the only one
37. Digital greeting: E-CARD.
38. Tot's bruise: OWIE.
39. Animated film in which Renée Zellweger voices a florist named Vanessa Bloome: BEE MOVIE. I wonder if one of the possible titles for this film was "To Bee or Not to Bee"?
40. Spices up: ENLIVENS. I suppose you could say that Moe-kus enlivens my recaps (44-down. In a way:) OF SORTS.
45. Ersatz: PSEUDO. Don't believe this answer; it's fake
46. Forum visitor who never posts: LURKER. How many lurkers do we have at this forum? I'm guessing it's in the hundreds - maybe more
47. Sees eye to eye: AGREES.
49. Raises: ERECTS.
52. Checked garments: COATS. Do restaurants still have coat check rooms?
53. Still in need of tenants: UNLET. Can we add unlet to the list of weird words today?
55. "That's __-brainer!": A NO. [see above] - maybe not
58. Contacted privately, briefly: DM'ED.
60. B'way sign: SRO.
62. Honeybunny: BAE.
63. Capitalize on: USE. Did anyone keep a count of how many abbreviated words there were today? Does anyone use many of these in their normal conversations, written or oral?
[theme entry]
56. Slip: ERR.
57. __ Quixote: DON.
58. From the beginning: DE NOVO. Our Latin word-of-the-day
59. Luau strings: UKES.
[theme entry]
64. Bambi, for one: DEER. FAWN also fits
65. Afternoon trayful: TEA SET. SCONES also fits
66. QB mistake: INT.
67. Ish: OR SO. Ballpark estimate might have worked as a clue, too
68. Knight mares: STEEDS. While this definition doesn't specify, a steed can be either a stallion or a mare - and since it can be a female horse, it allowed Samantha (or maybe Patti) to use this witty clue
69. Season opener?: ESS. For those who don't "get" the wordplay, season opener usually refers to the first MLB game of the new year - but here, it's the starting letter in the word, season
Down:
1. So-so ranges?: OCTAVES. Sometimes clues go too far ... but I am guessing that whoever came up with this one was referring to the "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do" range, which is also an octave
And for anyone here who learned/played their first scale (octave) on the piano - with "do" being middle C - I trust that you will "get" this Moe-ku:
"So-so ranges" was
The clue. I knew where to start.
Gee, I'm one sharp guy
2. Chocolate-covered bite: RAISINET. Did anyone else think that this chocolate-covered candy was spelled Raisinette?
3. Comes clean about: ADMITS TO. See 2-down for MY confession
4. Tantrums: SCENES. Having just returned from spending time with a 5-1/2 year old grandson, I endured more scenes than a Shakespeare play
5. Works on the road: TARS. Or, sailors on a ship
6. Knee pt.: ACL.
7. Home of the Cubbies and the Bears: CHI.
8. Martial art that began as sword exercises practiced by samurai: KENDO. In Japan, I hear that toy stores are selling a figurine by the same name (Kendo) that's equipped with a sword, a convertible, and a girlfriend named Barbie
2. Chocolate-covered bite: RAISINET. Did anyone else think that this chocolate-covered candy was spelled Raisinette?
3. Comes clean about: ADMITS TO. See 2-down for MY confession
4. Tantrums: SCENES. Having just returned from spending time with a 5-1/2 year old grandson, I endured more scenes than a Shakespeare play
5. Works on the road: TARS. Or, sailors on a ship
6. Knee pt.: ACL.
7. Home of the Cubbies and the Bears: CHI.
8. Martial art that began as sword exercises practiced by samurai: KENDO. In Japan, I hear that toy stores are selling a figurine by the same name (Kendo) that's equipped with a sword, a convertible, and a girlfriend named Barbie
9. Take the wrong way?: STEAL. This word (steal) is among the more popular starting words for the online game, Wordle
10. Common PC inserts, once: CDS.
11. Floor model?: ROOMBA. Model, as in which model Roomba would you purchase for cleaning your floor. The one on the left below looks pretty functional, to me
12. The Penguin's first name: OSWALD. Seriously?
13. Supercontinent of the late Paleozoic Era: PANGEA. And if you just got over the previous clue/answer ...
18. Sheepish remark: BAA.
22. Tee off: START. As in the start of a golf hole
25. Two of a kind: PAIR. What's your favorite pair? These?
26. Bill with round numbers?: OPEN TAB. More wordplay in this clue ...
27. Mary of "The Maltese Falcon": ASTOR. Also known as Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke
30. Oklahoma Natives: OTOE. So, Otoe is also the plural?
33. Island near Majorca: IBIZA. Okay. I've been pretty lenient about the obscurity of many of today's words. And honestly, a couple of "odd" words for a Friday are OK if the puzzle venue specifies that. But the LA Times Friday puzzles lately have been anything but consistent. IBIZA, PANGEA, OSWALD, ROOMBA, KENDO, RAISINET, SETI, VITAE, DOSA (and I still have a few more words to recap ...)
35. Little bit: A TAD. You think I am a tad frustrated by today's puzzle? I don't think I will be the only one
37. Digital greeting: E-CARD.
38. Tot's bruise: OWIE.
39. Animated film in which Renée Zellweger voices a florist named Vanessa Bloome: BEE MOVIE. I wonder if one of the possible titles for this film was "To Bee or Not to Bee"?
40. Spices up: ENLIVENS. I suppose you could say that Moe-kus enlivens my recaps (44-down. In a way:) OF SORTS.
45. Ersatz: PSEUDO. Don't believe this answer; it's fake
46. Forum visitor who never posts: LURKER. How many lurkers do we have at this forum? I'm guessing it's in the hundreds - maybe more
47. Sees eye to eye: AGREES.
49. Raises: ERECTS.
52. Checked garments: COATS. Do restaurants still have coat check rooms?
53. Still in need of tenants: UNLET. Can we add unlet to the list of weird words today?
55. "That's __-brainer!": A NO. [see above] - maybe not
58. Contacted privately, briefly: DM'ED.
60. B'way sign: SRO.
62. Honeybunny: BAE.
63. Capitalize on: USE. Did anyone keep a count of how many abbreviated words there were today? Does anyone use many of these in their normal conversations, written or oral?
I hoped my last puzzle to recap this year could've been more fun. But I have enjoyed doing these; hard to believe it's been 5-1/2 years since I volunteered to blog on C.C.'s LATCC site
Wishing everyone a safe and blessed holiday season - see you next year!
