Friday, May 2, 2025, Kathy Lowden

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here, once again, after an extended sabbatical, with the recap of a Friday Puzzle by veteran constructor Kathy Lowden.  Let's jump right in with the reveal:

73 Across. Stop by unannounced, and how to make the starred clues match their answers?: DROP IN.  We are asked to drop (delete) the letters I and N from the starred clues.  What then remains are the clues-to-be-solved.

Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:

21 Across. *Hot point: SHABU SHABU.  Hot Pot.  Shabu-shabu is a Japanese hotpot dish of thinly sliced meat and vegetables boiled in water and served with dipping sauces. The term is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound – "swish swish" – emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot.

27 Across. *Main event: MOTHERS DAY.  Ma Event.  No, not the cellist YoYo.  Yo Mama.

50 Across. *Chain-chain-chain: CUBAN DANCE.  Hmm, a reference to Aretha Franklin?  Nope.  Cha-Cha-Cha.  But, wait . . .

56. *Rhino: PI FOLLOWER.  Rho.  A Greek Alphabet reference.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

. . . and the rest of the story:

Across:

1. Number with 101 digits: GOOGOL.  The number 1 followed by 100 zeros.  The tech behemoth got its name from a misspelling of GOOGOL.

7. Tenerife, por ejemplo: ISLA.  Spanish language clue, Spanish language answer.

11. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL.

14. Prisoner: INMATE.  When INMATEs fall in love do they finish each others sentences?

15. Speak indistinctly: SLUR.

16. Fish eggs: ROE.  Does the search for caviar require a ROE boat?

17. Cardiology implants: STENTS.

18. Song for one: SOLO.  Anybody first try ARIA?

19. "That tastes go-o-o-od": MMM.  Punt!

20. Work on one's abs, say: TONE.  As in to TONE up one's abdominal muscles.

24. Broccoli part: STEM.

26. Psyched: EAGER.

33. Wine category: REDS.  Reds, whites and rosé.

34. Disciplines: AREAS.  AREAS of study or expertise.

35. Hoped: WISHED.

37. Cross piece?: PEN.  Cross has several meanings and is also, as used here, a brand of writing implements.  One of those clues that "trades on" the convention that all the clues start with a capital letter.

38. Patti with a plaque on the Apollo Theater's Walk of Fame: LABELLE.

41. Rank in judo: DAN.  In judo, improvement and understanding of the art is denoted by a system of rankings split into kyū and DAN grades. These are indicated with various systems of colored belts, with the black belt indicating a practitioner who has attained a certain level of competence.

44. Within the realm of possibility: DOABLE.

46. Future oak: ACORN.

48. Bakery worker: ICER.  A specialist frequently found working in our puzzles

53. Mushroom with a honeycomb-like top: MOREL.

55. Burst of wind: GUST.

60. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.  Spanish language clue, Spanish language answer.

64. "It's __-brainer!": A NO.  This was an easy one.

65. European automaker: AUDI.  OPEL, MINI and FIAT would have fit the space (among others).

66. Benders: SPREES.  As in to go on a Shopping SPREE.

68. Lav: LOO.  Please excuse me.  I have to go powder my nose.

69. Hard-to-break plates: MAIL.  As in chain mail.

70. Van Gogh's "The Potato __": EATERS.

71. Fitting: APT.  Yes, it is.

72. Princess Anne, to Prince William: AUNT.  This solver will confess to not really following this family's activities in any detail.

Down:

1. Crux: GIST.  What do meteorologists, biologists, and archaeologists have in common?  They all get the GIST of their field.

2. Not fooled by: ONTO.

3. Portentous sign: OMEN.

4. Elephant-headed god: GANESHA.

5. Mel in the Baseball Hall of Fame: OTT.

6. Secondary: LESSER.  

How to choose the LESSER of two weevils.

7. Emmy nominee Rae: ISSA.  A frequent visitor.

8. Messy type: SLOB.  What’s the difference between a well dressed man on a bicycle and a slob on a unicycle?  A wheel and attire.

9. Doozy: LULU.

10. Came up: AROSE.  By any other name . . .

11. 1998 Michael Bay disaster film: ARMAGEDDON.

12. Systematically searched (through): COMBED.

As In "Comb The Desert"

13. Animals found only in Madagascar: LEMURS.

22. Letters for the Royal Navy: HMS.  His or Her Majesty's Ship.

23. Rabbit's larger cousin: HARE.

25. Inventor Nikola: TESLA.  The feud between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, known as the "War of Currents," revolved around their competing electrical systems: Tesla's alternating current (AC) and Edison's direct current (DC). This rivalry included public debates and business conflicts, ultimately leading to the widespread adoption of AC as the standard for electrical power transmission.

27. Document with a key: MAP.  "Document" is, perhaps, a bit of a stretch.

28. Vein contents: ORE.  A mining, and not a circulatory system, reference.

29. Novice: TENDERFOOT.

30. Dorky type: DWEEB.

31. Feel poorly: AIL.

32. Designer bag monogram: YSL.

36. Chairs: HEADS.  Not the things we sit in.  Leaders of a meeting, panel or group of people.

39. "The View" network: ABC.

40. __-ray disc: BLU.

42. Rainbow shape: ARC.

43. San Diego-to-Palm Springs dir.: NNE.

45. Sweet sandwich: OREO.  A pretty straightforward clue for this food very often found in our puzzles.

47. Indulge: CATER TO.

48. Zambezi Valley antelope: IMPALA.  Might have been clued with a Chevy reference.

49. Like many laundromats: COIN-OP.

51. "Just a number," so some say: AGE.  Would that it were true.

52. Breastfed: NURSED.  What kind of bees make milk?  Boo bees.

54. Alpaca kin: LLAMA.

57. Island banquet: LUAU.

58. Norse god of war: ODIN.  He's been around far longer than the Marvelverse.

59. Droop: WILT.  Might have been clued with the single-word -  Chamberlain.

61. Ooze: SEEP.

62. Garr of "Tootsie": TERI.  This solver would have referenced Young Frankenstein (but you probably already guessed that).

63. Org.: ASSN.  Abbreviated clue . . .

67. Nice round number?: PAR.  After first thinking that the constructor was employing the Nice, France misdirection it slowly dawned on me that the reference was to a round of golf.  

Well, that will wrap things up for now.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

____________________________________________________________

Thursday, May 1, 2025, Michael B. Berg

 Theme:  Way back when ...

Constructor/Professor of Psychology Michael B. Berg remembers way back when he was working crossword puzzles to pass time during the pandemic, and a friend suggested he make his own.  Since then, his puzzles have appeared in the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and most importantly, the Los Angeles Times, where I believe this is his second appearance.  Take us back in memory, Michael!

The theme answers appear symmetrically in rows Across.  The theme clues and answers are:

19. Old school?: BOSTON LATIN.  The Boston Latin School is a public school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it the oldest existing school in the United States. 

29. Old story?: GILGAMESH.  Incredible that we had this in the puzzle last Sunday.  In the Epic of Gilgamesh, our hero defeats gods and monsters.  Witnessing the death of a friend, Gilgamesh seeks immortality, only to realize it is unattainable.

Gilgamesh

39. Old timer?: SUNDIAL.  Want to visit the largest sundial in the Western hemisphere?  That title is disputed, but one contender is in the center of Carefree, Arizona, where my mom lives.  Sundials are amazing to modern folks who were raised to rely on electric clocks.

Carefree sundial

48. Old guard?: BEEFEATER.

Tower of London guards AKA Beefeaters

57. Old flame?: BURNING BUSH.  We were just telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt at Passover.  The burning bush is where Moses got the call.

Moses and the burning bush

But enough living in the past!  Let's look at the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Beehive, for one: COIF.  When I was growing up, older girls and young women sported beehive hairdos.  "Coif" is short for "coiffure," a word for hairdo borrowed from French.

These updos from the 1960s look like beehives on the wearers' heads.

5. Pussy foot: PAW.

8. Contractor's bid: QUOTE.

13. Antarctic swimmer: ORCA.

14. "Present!": HERE.  Accepted responses to roll call in class.

15. Called balls and strikes: UMPED.  Here, UMP is a verb meaning to perform the duties of an umpire, and because the clue is in the past tense, so is UMPED.

16. "__ waiting long?": BEEN.  Something you might say when you've agreed to meet someone and find that they've arrived before you.

17. Years and years: AGES.

18. "That is ... ": I MEAN.

19. [Theme clue]

22. Intelligence org. founded by Truman: NSA.  President Harry Truman established the National Security Agency in 1952.  Almost a month ago, another President whose name also starts with T-r-u-m fired the Director of the NSA, General Timothy Haugh.

23. Oldest part of Notre-Dame de Paris: APSE.  Our most frequently appearing church section.

24. Oscar nods, briefly: NOMS.  I could not find many examples of NOMS for nominations. 

You'll have to settle for the Grammys.

26. Break down, as a sentence: PARSE.

29. [Theme clue]

34. __ of London: LLOYDS.  Lloyd's of London is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body governed by the Lloyd's Act of 1871 and subsequent Acts of Parliament. It operates as a marketplace within which financial backers come together to pool and spread risk. 

36. Word in some alumna updates: NÉE.  Née is French for "born." He was born = Il est né. She was born = Elle est née. We tend to see née referring to the ladies because they often change their names.  Sally Jones née Smith is Mrs. Jones now, but was born Sally Smith.  An alumna is a female graduate, and having née in an update might help you recognize an old classmate.

37. __ Domani wine: ECCO.  Ecco Domani is the brand of an Italian wine company selling in the United States, Canada, and Northern Europe, with marketing and distribution by E & J Gallo Winery. Founded in 1996, it reportedly produces the top imported Italian pinot grigio in the United States.  DNK. 

38. Comfy shoe brand: UGG.

Eldest daughter used to live in these.

39. [Theme clue]

42. Like cold, damp weather: RAW.  DH and I learned this expression when visiting Massachusetts in the winter.

43. Island home of Kahului Airport: MAUI.  Had to be Maui or Oahu, but visitors to Oahu fly to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

45. Brand of flavored water: BAI.  Bai water starts with coffee fruit -- the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean -- and contains caffeine.  Another DNK for me.  Old school water is probably better for you.

46. High school for the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies: RYDELL.  I guessed (correctly) that this had to do with the musical movie Grease.  The filming location was Venice High School, near my good friend's house.

John Travolta in "Grease"

48. [Theme clue]

51. Wee bits: IOTAS.

52. Whispery YouTube genre, initially: ASMR.  An autonomous sensory meridian response is a tingling sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine, accompanied by feelings of euphoria. It can be triggered by specific auditory stimuli. The term ASMR can also refer to the audiovisual media meant to evoke this phenomenon.  I thought tingling sensations and feelings of euphoria were DH's job!

53. Dangle: HANG.

55. Grab __: BAG.

57. [Theme clue]

63. "The Godfather" brother: FREDO.  Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. Fredo is portrayed by John Cazale in the film adaptations.

John Cazale as Fredo Corleone

65. Cousin's mom: AUNT.

66. French for "sword": ÉPÉE.

67. Penalties: FINES.

68. __ gin fizz: SLOE.  Sloe gin is a red British liqueur made with gin and blackthorn fruits (sloes), which are related to plums.  Add lemon juice, sugar, and club soda to make a sloe gin fizz.

69. Hon: DOLL.

70. Indulges fully: SATES.

71. End of a texter's request: PLS.  Please.

72. Onesie closer: SNAP. I am buying these again for a forthcoming grandchild.

Down:

1. Ty who had a .366 career batting average: COBB.  I knew that batter Ty was Cobb!  🥳🎉

2. Treat with a Post Malone limited edition version: OREO.  OK, I know our crossword treats are often Oreos, but Post Malone?  Post Malone is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, known for his blending of various genres including hip-hop, pop, R&B, trap, and country.  Oreo.com says "Post Malone Taste Twist OREO Cookies are sweet snacks featuring never-before-seen swirled creme in limited edition snack cookies inspired by Post Malone. Posty’s Swirled Salted Caramel and Shortbread Flavor Creme is sandwiched between a bottom Golden OREO wafer and a top OREO chocolate wafer embossed with one of nine unique designs."

Post Malone with his Oreos.
There ought to be a crossword version.

3. Frosts: ICES.

4. Tomi Adeyemi genre: FANTASY.  Her website says, "Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Tomi Adeyemi is a Hugo- and Nebula Award–winning writer, actress, and model based in New York, New York. After graduating from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she wrote the groundbreaking, instant #1 New York Times-bestselling Legacy of Orïsha series, which includes Children of Blood and Bone, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, and Children of Anguish and Anarchy. Tomi’s trilogy is being developed into a feature film and has sold over 3 million copies around the world."  DNK.

Tomi Adeyemi

5. Pirate's prosthetic, perhaps: PEG LEG.

6. Gray __: AREA.

7. One direction: WEST.  That is one of the four directions, for sure!

8. Foodstuff known as "mother of all grains" to the Inca: QUINOA.  One of the few plant-based foods that provides all nine essential amino acids.

9. Hesitant murmur: UMM.

10. Poorly kept confidence: OPEN SECRET.

11. Genmaicha and matcha: TEAS.

12. Poet __ St. Vincent Millay: EDNA.  Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) was an American poet and playwright. A noted social figure and feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties, Millay won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was awarded the Frost Medal for her lifetime contribution to American poetry.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

14. "Die Hard" villain Gruber: HANS.  Hans Gruber is the fictional villain of the 1988 movie Die Hard starring Bruce Willis.  Gruber was Alan Rickman's first film role.  DNK.

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

20. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.  An op-ed piece is so named because this type of column often appears opposite the editorial page in a newspaper. It usually represents the strong, informed, and focused opinion of the writer on an issue of relevance to a targeted audience.

21. Out of neutral: IN GEAR.

25. Cannes Mrs.: MME.  French abbreviation for Madame.

26. Perfectly vertical: PLUMB.

27. Diet for aquarium snails: ALGAE.

28. Double-crossing spy: ROGUE AGENT.

30. Like many Sundance entries: INDIE.  Sundance is an annual festival featuring independent (indie) films, produced outside the major studios.

31. Garland sometimes given as a graduation gift: LEI.

Leis are becoming common at graduations around the country.

32. Milan's La __: SCALA.  La Scala is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy.

33. Bays (at): HOWLS.

35. Legacy creator: SUBARU.

40. Singer __ King Cole: NAT.  Nat King Cole (1919 - 1965) was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. His career as a vocalist started in the late 1930s and spanned almost three decades.  He recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts.

Nat King Cole

41. Bluffing: LYING.

44. Conditionals: IFS.

47. Boxers' mats: DOG BEDS.

49. Decorate with a raised seal: EMBOSS.

50. Savanna herbivores: RHINOS.

54. Upfront stake: ANTE.

55. Chums with matching bracelets, perhaps: BFFS.  A BFF is a Best Friend Forever.  

56. Number of divas: ARIA.  An aria is a musical "number" sung by divas (female opera singers).

58. Woodworking tool: RASP.

59. __ and void: NULL.

60. Over: UPON.  Physically above and in contact with something:. He placed a cloth over (or upon) the table.

61. Actress Ward: SELA. Sela Ward's acting credits include TV shows like House, CSI: NY, and FBI, and movies including Gone Girl and Independence Day: Resurgence.

Sela Ward

62. Release before "Rubber Soul": HELP.  "Help" and "Rubber Soul" were albums released by the Beatles in 1965.  "Help" was the soundtrack to the 1965 movie of the same name.  "Rubber Soul" contained some of the same songs, and others as well, all original creations of the band.

64. Not quite the worst grade: DEE.

Here's the grid:

Did this puzzle remind you of the good old days?

Or was it contemporary enough to keep you on your toes?

NaomiZ

Wednesday, Apr 30th, 2025 ~ Tim D'Alfonso

 TRAVELING RIVERSIDE BLUES

A "red" version of the Led Zeppelin cover

I have not had the pleasure of blogging a puzzle from Tim - this is his fifth construction for the LA Times - his last grid was almost a year ago.  An impressive collection of triple sevens in each corner, without being "Saturday" level difficult - and that's hard to do midweek.  I sailed though this one and I enjoyed it.  We have twelve seven-letter words, 18 fivers, 20 4LW, and 21 3LWs; a handful of names, but none that were too obscure, IMHO.  My first thought was we were looking at some "double letter" fills for a theme ( e.g. the Y-Y in 17A., and the R-R in 25A. ), but no - instead we have four places described by a shade of BLUE.  Three of the five themers are unique to crosswords, and the other two have only appeared one other time.  The themers & reveal;

17. Sites for shipbuilding: NAVY YARDS - navAL yards sounds more natural

25. Spots for guests to freshen up: POWDER ROOMS - there's only one bathroom in my house, and it's my yellow/orange/red "dragon" room - see 1 Down

39. Metropolitan area at the junction of three rivers, familiarly: STEEL CITY - officially known as Pittsburgh - but I found this list of several others ( not at a three-river junction )

55. Home for a king and queen: ROYAL PALACE

66. Geographic regions known for the longevity of their residents, and what 17-, 25-, 39-, and 55-Across are?: BLUE ZONES - the Wiki

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Oscar winner Sorvino: MIRA - her Wiki, name #1

5. __ moss: PEAT - what do you call a man in a bog~? see 22D.

9. Italian luxury brand: PRADA - name(ish)

14. Eden resident: ADAM - We've had similar three times this week now - it sucks when you're only one of two 'renters', and you get evicted . . . name #2

15. Bit of baby talk: DADA

16. Narrow margins of victory: HAIRS - semi-meh; I don't care for the plural in this instance - one does not win by hairS, but by 'A' hair

19. Fairy tale monsters: OGRES

20. Frito pie topper: CHILI

21. Itinerary approx.: ETA

23. "Yes," in Tokyo: "HAI."

24. Chicago's __ Center: AON - the Wiki

30. Flying geese formation: VEE

31. Venue for wraps and scrubs: SPA

32. Laptop alternative: TABLET - I now have three laptops, and one tower - the latest laptop is to be kept in the "music room" for playing songs and recording - see 1 Down

33. Feminine Italian pronoun: ESSA - sort of like contESSA

35. Early Peruvian: INCA - I'd like to see the ruins

38. Potential jurors: PEERS

42. Ferret relative: STOAT

45. Come across as: SEEM

46. Rogen of "Kung Fu Panda": SETH - name #3

50. "Shoulda listened to me!": "TOLD YA~!"

52. Bio class: LAB - I skipped Biology in high school

54. Once known as: NÉE

58. "Step away from my kibble": GRR - Dogspeak

59. Sofa headrest, for a napper: ARM

60. Classic record label: EMI

61. Racket: NOISE - how 'bout this Racket Noise~?

Alexander Bublik

63. View from Everest: NEPAL

69. Investment profits: GAINS

70. Doesn't keep pace: LAGS

71. Bits in citrus sorbet: ZEST - learned from doing crosswords

72. Spanish folk hero: EL CID - name #4 - Happy travels, Naomi~!  My parents honeymooned in Spain in 1966 - and attended a bullfight, no less

73. Fifth letter of the NATO alphabet: ECHO - We were challenged about this last Friday - I caught your Unicorn~!

74. "Salus populi suprema lex __": Missouri motto: ESTO - Latin; "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law" - shout-out to inanehiker~!

DOWN:

1. Sanctuary in the basement, maybe: MAN-CAVE - When I first told my coworkers at my last NY job that I was going to make the basement of my new CT home a "man-cave", they said the WHOLE house would be a man-cave - and this turned out to be quite true~!

My living room is my "blue" room - the office is the "green" room, ....

2. Some spuds: IDAHOES - sssss, close - I had IDAHOAN

3. Steep-sided gorges: RAVINES - I had CANYONS

4. __ acetate: banana-scented compound: AMYL - no clue, filled via perps - the Wiki - some interesting facts in this short article

5. Shared intimacy, briefly: PDA - Public Display of Affection

6. Musician's gift: EAR - I play by tablature - but I am getting better and knowing my guitar notes by name now, rather than positions, which means I am growing as a musician

Can anyone tell me what song this intro is from~?

7. Tossed in: ADDED

8. Personal style: TASTE

9. Soup with rice noodles: PHO - we've seen this before; I needed P_O to recall what it's called

10. New use for an old T-shirt: RAG - yup

11. Pet carrier opening: AIR HOLE - sounds like a soft insult - don't call me an air-hole~!

No new four-legged friend yet, but I'm a(n)- - - next clue/answer

12. Idealist: DREAMER 

13. Hockey stat: ASSISTS - the fast pace of the game results in TWO players getting points for assists

The Broadway Blueshirts failed to make the 2025 playoffs

18. High-pitched barks: YIPS - and golfer woes, too

22. Work on the wall?: ART - Ah.  Now that I see the answer ( filled via perps ), I get it.  Reminds me of names-that-can-be-nouns/verbs jokes - a list here

26. Andy Taylor's son, on classic TV: OPIE - speaking of funny names . . . .#5

27. Opposite of waxes: WANES - like the phases of the moon

Nice shade of  background blue - and there's a "BLUE" moon, too - more here

28. Intensely focused: RAPT

29. Falls into line: OBEYS

34. Carne __: taco option: ASADA

36. The Browns, on scoreboards: CLEveland - hardcore NFL rivals to Pittsburgh

37. Amtrak's fast service: ACELA - Here's a B1M construction channel clip as to why the service cannot get to European/Asian "bullet" speeds (name(ish))

40. Brief "Bye for now!": TTYL - textspeak, Talk To You Later

41. Apple variety: IMAC - not fooled by the fruit / computer ambiguity

42. Bizarre: STRANGE

43. "Scary how lifelike that is!": "TOO REAL~!"

44. Washington's __ National Park: OLYMPIC - I had to wait for crossings before I recalled this

47. "Start your __!": ENGINES - here's another YouTube clip about the facts behind the Ford vs. Ferrari movie - which I thought was a great film

48. Most succinct: TERSEST

49. Toast opening: "HERE'S TO..." - I better start thinking of something to say at my brother's wedding in July....

51. Mimic: APE

53. Auto pioneer Karl: BENZ - Dah~!  I put in OTTO, and should have known better; name #6

56. Stroll: AMBLE

57. Fragrant purple bloom: LILAC

62. Move like honey: OOZE

64. Singer DiFranco: ANI - crossword staple, name #7

65. Psychedelic initials: LSD - Not "L D S"

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home

67. "I hate it": "UGH~!" - I keep a daily journal ( a "captain's log", if you will ) and UGH makes frequent appearances, usually when I don't care for something, some statement, or some outcome

68. Spanish "that": ESO

Splynter