Tuesday April 29, 2025 Susan Gelfand

Favorite places.  Each profession in the theme clue has a favorite "to-go" place that relates to his or her job. 

20-Across. Journalist's go-to place for getting scoops?: ICE CREAM STAND.  A good Journalist would get Scoops on a story, then go to the Ice Cream Stand for a Scoop of Ice Cream.

31-Across. Novelist's go-to place for spinning yarns?: CRAFT STORE.  A good Novelist Spins Yarns for a story, the goes to the Craft Store for yarn for knitting.

40-Across. Screenwriter's go-to place for envisioning stories?: SKYSCRAPER.  A Screenwriter Envisions Stories, then might climb Stories in the Skyscraper.

52Across. Business writer's go-to place for establishing accounts?: BROKERAGE FIRM.  A Business Writer might Establish Accounts, which are at the Brokerage Firm.

Across:

1. Scallion kin: LEEK.  What's the difference, you ask.

5. Call at the plate: SAFE.  //  And 39-Across. Diamond experts?: UMPS.

9. Furniture in a cozy inn's common room: SOFAs.

14. Tehran's land: IRAN.

15. Colorful breakfast cereal: TRIX.  Trix are for rabbits.

16. Lyric poem: EPODE.  An Epode is a form of lyric poem written in couplets, in which a long line is followed by a shorter one.

17. Savory paste in Japanese cuisine: MISO.  It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus Aspergillus).

18. Tick off: RILE.

19. __ City, Iowa: SIOUX.

23. Movies that aren't silent: TALKIES.

24. Luxury watches such as Seamaster and Speedmaster: OMEGAs.  A brief history of the Omega watches.

This Speedster will set you back about $32,500.

27. Many a time, poetically: OFT.

28. Burlap fiber: JUTE.

30. Nutritional fig.: RDA.  As in the Recommended Daily Allowance.

35. "And not a moment too __!": SOON.

36. 50%: HALF.

37. Hankering: YEN.  Also the currency of Japan.

38. __ sock: TUBE.

43. "Doesn't do much for me": MEH!

44. Club membership charges: DUES.

45. Pillbox, for one: HAT.  Jackie Kennedy was known for wearing Pillbox hats.

46. Attach with a click: SNAP ON.

48. Open-sided garden shelters: GAZEBOs.

55. Steel girder: I-BEAM.

57. Tart: SOUR.

58. Theater box: LOGE.

59. Barista's brew: LATTE.

60. Bearers of gold, frankincense, and myrrh: MAGI.

61. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL.  Amal Clooney (née Amal Alamuddin; b. Feb. 3, 1978) married George Clooney in 2014.  She holds duel Lebanese-British citizenship.

62. Performed an optical procedure, perhaps: LASED.

63. Idyllic place: EDEN.

64. Well-mannered fellow: GENT.

Down:

1. Set a boundary: LIMIT.

2. CNN journalist Hill: ERICA.  Erica Ruth Hill (b. 1976) is an American journalist who has been with CNN since last year.

3. Painter's canvas holder: EASEL.

4. Merchandise that's not the real deal: KNOCK OFFS.   We had expensive Omega watches above.  Can you spot the knock off?

5. U2's "Where the __ Have No Name": STREETS.

6. Opera solos: ARIAS.  One of my favorite arias.

7. Festival showing: FILM.

8. Post-breakup pair: EXES.

9. Bagel variety: SESAME.

10. Express a viewpoint: OPINE.

11. Dairy or grains: FOOD GROUP.

12. Garage converted to rental space, e.g., for short: ADU.  Apparently this is short for Accessory Dwelling Unit.  Unknown to me.

13. Driver's license datum: SEX.

21. Falling-out: RIFT.

22. Reusable bag: TOTE.

25. Photoshop company: ADOBE.

26. More reasonable: SANER.

28. Baby kangaroos: JOEYs.  Kangaroos typically have one baby at a time. A female kangaroo can give birth to several joeys per year.  The word Joey comes from the aborigine language and joey means ‘small animal’. Joey is the collective norm for any small animals.

29. Caterer's coffee containers: URNS.

31. Pals: CHUMS.

32. Quick-cooking noodles: RAMEN.

33. Collections of letters: ALPHABETS.

34. Youngster: TYKE.

35. Waver over a capital building: STATE FLAG.  There is a mother pelican feeding her babies with her own blood in the center of the Louisiana state flag.  A white ribbon beneath the crest displays the state motto, "Union, Justice, Confidence" in blue. The flag was officially adopted on July 1, 1912, one hundred years after Louisiana became a state.  Louisiana joined the union in April 1812.

40. Done for: SUNK.  //  And 44-Down. Done for: DOOMED.

41. Embarrassment: CHAGRIN.

42. Bulldoze: RAZE.

47. Go on and on: PRATE.

48. Tire pressure indicator: GAUGE.

49. Ecological community: BIOME.  A biome is an area classified according to the species that live in that location.

50. Church pipes: ORGAN.  Hi, Splynter!

51. Silvery fish: SMELT.

53. Name in a Salinger title: ESME.  For Esme is a short story that was originally published in 1950.

54. Took the high __: ROAD.  The term Taking the high road means behaving in a moral and ethical way, even when faced  the temptation to act in a less honorable way.  It implies choosing a course of action that is righteous and upright.

55. Under the weather: ILL.

56. Sheep sound: BAA.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday April 28, 2025 Emet Ozar

  

Happy Monday, everybirdie! sumdaze here.

Theme:  

We will begin with the starred clues:

17 Across. *Defiantly petty retaliation: TIT FOR TAT.

21 Across. *Purchase when planning a train tour: RAIL PASS.

26 Across. *Figure used for counting: CARDINAL NUMBER.  

These are the Whole Numbers but not zero.

47 Across. *Wrecking ball swingers on a construction site: CRANE OPERATORS.

52 Across. *Ride the waves using wind power: KITE SURF.

And the reveal:

63 Across. Morning person, or a feature of the answer to each starred clue?: EARLY BIRD.

Each answer begins with a type of BIRD. In other words, the BIRD is EARLY in the answer.   

Grand TIT, Ridgeway's RAIL, Cardinal
Sandhill CRANE, and Swallow-tailed KITE

Kudos to constructor Emet Ozar for packing this grid full with six themed answers. I also liked how he used all of the bird names in a non-bird way.

Here is today's grid:  

Coincidentally, last night I started reading Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (author & illustrator).

Across:

1. Bank lobby conveniences: ATMs.  

5. Hot under the collar: SORE.     and     24 Down. Tantrum: SNIT.     and     59 Down. Work (up): RILE.  

9. Gets ready, briefly: PREPS.

14. Swat (away): SHOO.

15. "__ further reflection ... ": UPON.  

Get it? He could not see the vampire's reflection in his rearview mirror.

16. Fertile desert spot: OASIS.

19. Big name in blenders: OSTER.  "Vitamix" did not fit.

20. Amount of food consumed: INTAKE.  For example, a sea otter's food INTAKE is 25% to 30% of their body weight each day. They do not have a blubber layer like seals do so they need the calories to stay warm.  

After eating, they spend a lot of time cleaning their "tables".

23. Pros with strong opinions on style: EDS.  Professionals and EDitorS

Style might refer to an author's distinctive way of writing or perhaps it is referring to a style guide such as The Chicago Manual of Style. 

25. Company abbr.: INC.  INCorporated

34. Writer/actress Fey: TINA.  [b. Elizabeth Stamatina Fey on May 18, 1970]  Tina's IMDb page

Tina Fey created the TV series 30 Rock (2006-2013).

She also starred in it, playing head writer Liz Lemon.

In this scene she dresses up as XWD favorite Princess Leah to get out of jury duty

then later marries Criss Chros (James Marsden) in the same outfit. (2:25 min.)

35. __ sum: bite-sized Chinese fare: DIM.  

36. Close tightly: SEAL UP.  I started with SEcure.

37. Getting on in years: AGING.  

Click to enlarge.

39. Indent key: TAB.  Today I learned that TAB is short for tabulator or tabular. It advances the curser to the next stop. Most style guides require a paragraph indent to be 1/2".

41. Insincere compliments: SMARM.  obsequious flattery

When a roomful of people all shout out insincere compliments it can become a swarm of smarm.

42. Dorothy who was in many Hope/Crosby "Road" films: LAMOUR.  [1914-1996]

44. Heat in the microwave: ZAP.

46. Personal blurbs: BIOS.

50. Reggae kin: SKA.  Here's a fun SKA music video:  

Real Big Fish   ~   Sell Out   ~    1996

51. Post-dubbing title: SIR.  One definition of dub, as a verb, means to confer knighthood on. After you are dubbed a knight, people call you SIR.

57. Evening party: SOIREE.

62. "Know what __?": I MEAN.  ...jellybean.

65. Rodeo rope: LASSO.

66. Highest sudoku digit: NINE.  Sudoku is a puzzle in which missing numbers are to be filled into a 9 by 9 grid of squares which are subdivided into 3 by 3 boxes so that every row, every column, and every box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

Do we have any daily sudoku solvers on The Corner?

67. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE.  

68. Group of eight: OCTET.  Periodic Table fans will like this 3:41 min. video about the OCTET Rule.  

69. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY.  A 70-A uses one to carry a slice of pepperoni pizza, chicken nuggets, and carton of chocolate milk from the kitchen to the dining area.  #DormFood

70. Adolescent: TEEN.

Down:

1. Italian region known for wine: ASTI.  Its area is about 581 sq. miles (1,504.5 sq. kilometers). That is roughly the same size as American Samoa.

2. __ Mints: Girl Scout Cookies choice: THIN.  Contrary to wishful thinking, eating them will not make you THIN.

3. Big name in applesauce: MOTT.  The answer would be MOTT'S if the clue was "Big brand name in applesauce."

4. Spot for a catnap: SOFA.  

H-Gary's cat, Lily, demonstrates

5. Casual response to "You handled it?": SURE DID.

6. Choose (to): OPT.

7. Lion's sound: ROAR.  Would you rather be able to purr or ROAR? Big cats like lions and tigers can ROAR but they cannot purr. The hyoid bone in smaller cats vibrate against their larynx to created a purring noise. Big cats do not have a hyoid bone. Instead, they have a fleshy length of muscle and cartilage which is used for ROARing. 

8. Involve: ENTAIL.     and     48 Down. Mom or pop: PARENT.

Notice that both of these words cross three themers. Very challenging to construct! Locking in these two fill words likely dictated choices for other not-exactly-amazing fill. (I'm looking at you 5-D.)

9. Game sticks that are treated with chalk: POOL CUES.  

10. Quality of a scratchy voice: RASP.

11. "Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ.  Spanish speakers use this version of "How are you?" when they want to show respect for the listener.

12. Many Thanksgiving desserts: PIES.  This article reveals the results of a 2024 survey asking for America's favorite Thanksgiving pie. I like the line, "The correct answer is having half slices of three different kinds."  😝

13. Former geopolitical states: Abbr.: SSRs.  My guess is that USSR stands for the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. So, without the U we have individual (not united) geopolitical states. Alone, each is a Soviet Socialist Republic. The final s makes the abbreviation plural to match states in the clue. Your thoughts?

18. Signed off on: OKED.  Last month Grammar Girl did a podcast on OK. She said that OK and okay are both OK. The Associated Press style guide emphatically recommends the two-letter spelling. The New Yorker writes it as two letters with a period after each:  "O.K."

22. Quaint hotels: INNS.  The news reported on a hotel scandal. They outed the INNS.  (ba-dum-tss)

26. "Close, but no __!": CIGAR.  This idiom is used to say that a guess was almost correct or an effort was almost sufficient.  

27. Jung's inner self: ANIMA.  related article

28. Rambled for a while: RAN ON.

29. "You continue to __ me!": AMAZE.  This is what I say to C.C.

30. Cha-cha kin: MAMBO.  Both are dances.

31. Selma of "Legally Blonde": BLAIR.  She played Vivian Kensington, Warner's other love interest who ended up becoming friends with Elle.

32. Capital of Italy?: EUROS.  Clue writers love to trick us with the various definitions of capital.

33. Tachometer stats: RPMs.

34. Powdery mineral: TALC.

38. "So much for that": GUESS NOT.

40. Taverns: BARS.

43. Big name in media streaming: ROKU.  Roku is a streaming device that enables you to watch shows on your TV. It can search major streaming services so you do not have to go to each service. It will make finding shows on, for example, Netflix easier but you still have to pay for Netflix separately.

45. Tie pattern: PAISLEY.  

49. City on the Hudson in upstate New York: TROY.  CSO to some Cornerites!

52. Metric weight: KILO.  One KILOgram is about 2.2 pounds.

53. Apple desktop: IMAC.

54. Exam: TEST.

55. Relax, as restrictions: EASE.  let up on

56. Mediocre: FAIR.

58. "Yeah, right": I BET.  showing doubt

60. Celtic language: ERSE.

61. Utopia: EDEN.  I laughed at the caption on this one:

64. Genetic messenger: RNA.  

That's all. Time sure flew by today. I bird you farewell!

Sunday April 27, 2025 Landon Horton

Theme:  "Shear Madness" - The letters LITTLE are orderly removed from the top of each theme entry.

 3. *Body art of a beloved's silhouette?: LINKED IN PROFILE.

 5. *Advisors on robe or wand selection?: IMAGE CONSULTANTS.

 8. *Beer that belongs in a museum?: TALE AS OLD AS TIME.

11. *Faithful helpers who are less helpful after some time off?: TRUSTY SIDEKICKS.

14. *Practicing to be worthy of elite double Dutch equipment?: LEARNING THE ROPES.
 
16. *Sumerian king's image?: EPIC OF GILGAMESH.

Reveal:

105. With 108-Across, instruction given to a barber, or how the answers to the starred clues were literally formed: A LITTLE.

108. See 105-Across: OFF THE TOP.

Congrats to Landon Horton on his first LAT Sunday!

All the theme entries are placed on the very top to make the theme work. This requires a left to right grid rather than our normal symmetry. And of course, the reveal are symmetrically placed at the bottom also.

Across:

1. Mideast title: EMIR.

5. Upset with: MAD AT.

10. Heeded a wake-up call: AROSE.

15. Stratford-__-Avon: UPON. Birthplace & burial place of Shakespeare,

19. Top left Battleship coordinate: A ONE.

20. Saunter: AMBLE.

21. Required amount: QUOTA.

22. Actor Liu: SIMU. Born in Harbin, China. He was one of the Ken dolls.

23. Brand of smart TVs: ROKU.

24. Neon and xenon: GASES.

25. Wedding attendant: USHER.

26. Protective wound cover: SCAB.

27. Refutes: DENIES.

29. Turn to face the pitcher: AT BAT.

31. Captivate: ENAMOR.

33. Brake parts: DISCS.

34. Like a chimney: SOOTY.

35. Rice __: PILAF.

36. Melodic composition: ARIOSO. Literally "airy". Aria means "Air".

38. "As if!": YOU WISH.

40. Stable sounds: NEIGHS.

43. Musician Sean Ono __: LENNON.

44. Key for special characters: ALT.

45. Spy org.: CIA.

46. Good-natured: GENIAL.

47. See 17-Down: EPPS. 17. With 47-Across, "House" actor: OMAR.

48. NorCal law force, for short: SFPD.

50. Air carrier: DUCT.

52. Writer Wiesel: ELIE.

53. Boomer follower: XER. I'm one.

54. College treasurer: BURSAR. Third appearance this year.

56. "You __!": "Indeed!": BETCHA.

58. M.A. seeker's hurdle: GRE. 110. J.D. seekers' hurdles: LSATS.

59. Song often played at Dodger Stadium: I LOVE LA. Gimme.

61. Quivered: SHOOK.

63. A quarter after five of: TEN PAST.

65. Thief count in the Ali Baba folktale: FORTY.

66. Country singer Clark: TERRI.

67. Sound for imitating a car: VROOM.

68. "I'm baffled!": NO IDEA.

70. Cockney or Geordie: DIALECT. Geordie is the dialect from the Tyneside region of North East England.

72. Most unusual: ODDEST.

75. European peninsula: BALKAN.

76. Brief chats?: IMS.

77. Hit the slopes: SKI.

78. Iran, formerly: PERSIA.

79. Carpeting calculation: AREA.

80. Bonsai, e.g.: TREE.

82. Wise: SAGE.

84. Melville captain: AHAB.

85. "Mi __ es su __": CASA.

87. American acquisition: TWA.

90. "Just wait __!": A SEC.

92. Trades jabs: SPARS.

95. 1980s perm style: JHERI CURL. Pedro Martinez. Gosh, so long ago.

100. Greek moralist: AESOP.

104. Bluefin and albacore: TUNAS.

106. __-Roman architecture: GRECO.

107. By oneself: ALONE.

111. Tire abbreviation: PSI.

112. Bit of henna art: TATTOO.

114. Two-rod antenna: DIPOLE. Another new word.

116. Brain __: 2024 Oxford Word of the Year: ROT.

117. Spy-fi novelist Deighton: LEN.

118. Sprinkled: STREWN.

119. Brunch option: OMELET.

120. PC's "brain": CPU.

121. Garage fig.: EST.

122. Soup server: LADLE.

123. iPods that replaced Minis: NANOS.

124. In vogue: HIP.

Down:

1. The "E" of ENT: EAR.

2. Determining factor in playlist selection, perhaps: MOOD.

4. Homecoming events: REUNIONS.

6. Gather: AMASS.

7. Safeties in the NFL, briefly: DBS. Defensive Backs

9. Do a trial run on: TEST OUT.

10. Like some Summer Olympics events: AQUATIC.

12. "Amazing!": OOH.

13. Like some black diamond runs: STEEP.

15. Ship in 1898 news: USS MAINE.

18. Well-used pencil: NUB.

28. "That __ true!": IS SO.

30. Stern's counterpart: BOW.

32. Downwind: ALEE.

36. 1990s soccer star Lalas: ALEXI. Don't know him.

37. Ward off: REPEL.

38. Prattles on: YAPS.

39. __ monde: fashionable society: HAUT.

41. Some forensic evidence: HAIRS.

42. Icy rain: SLEET.

49. Skirmish: FRAY.

51. Security letters: CCTV. CCTV is also China's national broadcaster.

 

54. Kentucky college: BEREA.

55. Emu kin: RHEAS.

56. Fails to hold, in a way: BORES.

57. Battery bit: ANODE.

60. Drink also known as a Cape Cod: VODKACRAN. Vodka Cranberry.

62. 68-Down team in Fla.: ORL. 68. Org. for Suns and Rockets: NBA.

64. "Star Wars" sporting vehicles: PODRACERS. Unknown also.

69. Rowing blade: OAR.

70. Half of a craps pair: DIE.

71. Madre's hermana: TIA.

73. "Elastic Heart" singer: SIA.

74. Bygone soda in pink cans: TAB.

81. TV friend of Sheldon: RAJ.

83. "Red Notice" actress Gadot: GAL.

86. Favorable qualities: ASSETS.

87. Musical interval also called "the devil's interval": TRITONE. Googling result: a tritone is a musical interval of three whole tones (or six semitones) between two notes. In those pious days of the Middle Ages, the tritone was so unpleasing that it was considered the work of the devil, leading church authorities ban its use in ecclesiastical music.

88. Accompanied by: WITH.

89. Pursued, as a tip: ACTED ON.

91. Bald baby?: EAGLET. Cute. Also  97. Small nocturnal bird of prey: ELF OWL.

92. Basic need: STAPLE.

93. Throbs: PULSES.

94. Consecrate: ANOINT.

96. Furnished with a handle: HAFTED. Don't know the verb usage.

98. Final syllable: ULTIMA. Latin for "last".

99. Investigate anew, as a cold case: RE-OPEN.

101. Look online: SEARCH.

102. Ink squirters: OCTOPI.

103. Prepare for a pass, in basketball: POST UP.

108. Other, in Spanish: OTRA.

109. Sport with horses: POLO.

113. Delta HQ: ATL.

115. "__ Misérables": LES.

Belated Happy 91st Birthday to Parsan, who lives in the same area as Agnes (Irish Miss). Hope you had a great day yesterday celebrating, Parsan! 

C.C.