Tuesday May 13, 2025 Rebecca Goldstein

RustyBrain here, pinch-hitting for Hahtoolah. This is my first time at bat. Many thanks to C.C. for calling me up from the minors to be on the best team in the sport!

Today, Rebecca Goldstein's grid features on-deck circles. Some people don't like circles on the playing field, but I don't mind them. Let's see how the game goes:

17A. "That was a great day": I REMEMBER IT WELL. On the day my first son was born, I watched the Winter Olympics in the waiting room (I don't know what was keeping my wife, RightBrain) as the Jamaican bobsled team came barreling down the track. The boy has always been tickled that they made a movie about his birthday. Circled letters are IRL = In Real Life.

22A. Wearable that can detect heart rate: SMARTWATCH. From science fiction to reality. Who'd a thunk? Circles spell SMH = Shaking My Head.

35A. Numbered element in a drawing: LOTTO BALL. Tricky! I like to paint outside the lines. Circled is LOL = Laugh Out Loud.

49A. Morsel in Hansel and Gretel's trail: BREADCRUMB. Something tells me that these two leave more than a trail of BREADCRUMBs behind them. Circles spell BRB = Be Right Back.

55A. Like someone who spends too much time on the internet, and like this puzzle's circled letters?: EXTREMELY ONLINE. EXTREMELY ONLINE usually refers to people who can't tear themselves away from the computer screen while surfing the internet. But in this case, it's because the circled textspeak is split to the EXTREMELY far ends ON the same LINE. Ta da! Pretty good although the circles made it easy to find the extremes, but that's Tuesday for you.

And here comes the first pitch:

Across:

1. Low-pH solution: ACID. Low-pH water can corrode your pipes. It's not great in your body, either.

5. Drastic haircut: CHOP. I think "crew" would be more drastic.

9. Bit of a stink?: WHIFF. "What's that lovely stench you're wearing?" SLAP!

14. Tortoise racer: HARE. Because "The Turtle and the Rabbit" doesn't have the same ring to it.

15. E-tron carmaker: AUDI. E-tron is a family of electric and hybrid cars by AUDI. The four rings of their logo each represent one of the car companies that formed Auto Union, the racing juggernaut of the 1930s. It later would be bought by Volkswagen and rebranded as AUDI, one of the original four brands.

16. Ancient Greek region: IONIA. Cruise destination for ancient Greeks on vacation.

17. [Theme]

20. Former student: ALUM.

21. Says loud and proud: ASSERTS.

22. [Theme]

26. Comfy top: TEE. This one is pretty soft. They get harder as the week goes on.

28. Skewered dish: SATAY. A staple of Thai cuisine, it's usually marinated chicken served with peanut sauce. Delish!

29. Muslim monarch: EMIR. Our crossword friendly ruler, right up there with "tsar."

31. Actor and advocate for science communication Alan: ALDA. Another crossword fav.

33. [Not my error]: SIC. I never make misteaks [sic].

34. Princess from the planet Alderaan: LEIA. I think Han Solo liked her buns.

 
35. [Theme]

38. Book that's hardly light reading: TOME. Fun clue.

39. Chest muscle, for short: PEC.

40. "RuPaul's __ Race": DRAG.

44. Bellicose god: ARES. The son of Zeus and Hera was the black sheep of the family. He lived in a humble abode atop Mount Olympus when not on vacay in IONIA.
 

45. References in a research paper: CITES.

47. "Yo," in Rio: OLA. Portuguese for "Hi." In Spanish (since we didn't have a lesson today) it's "Hola."

48. Galaxy brain?: CPU. Central Processing Unit. No relation to me.

49. [Theme]

51. Leftover schmutz: RESIDUE.

54. Self starter?: AUTO. A life story written by you about yourself is an AUTObiography.

55. [Theme]

60. "The Leftovers" producer Lindelof: DAMON. Aha! The something new I learn every day doing crosswords. I guess I don't watch enough TV.

61. Hang on to: KEEP.

62. Comes to a close: ENDS.

63. Signs of what's to come: OMENS. Also, a scary movie franchise.

64. Attempts or assists: STAT. Sport STATistics. Not, "Get down the court STAT! I'm attempting to make an assist!"

65. Relax: REST. Always nice to end the puzzle with a REST.

Down:

1. Sushi-grade tuna: AHI. AHI is the Hawaiian term for bigeye or yellowfin tuna. Yum!

2. Sweet sundae sauce: CARAMEL. Yum again! This is turning into a food blog!

3. Home country of novelist Sally Rooney: IRELAND. The acclaimed Irish author was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. Quite a feat as she was only 31 at the time.

4. Raise objections: DEMUR.

5. Pic taker: CAM. Small PICtures require small CAMeras.

6. Networking center: HUB.

7. "__ to Neptune": Phillis Wheatley poem: ODE. Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, unimaginable given that she was a slave. Her popular works help to dispel notions Black inferiority.

8. "Our Flag Means Death" subject: PIRACY. I thought this meant the Jolly Roger, but turns out it's a popular TV show about pirates. Arrrr!

9. Clever folks: WITS. RightBrain says I'm quite a wit! Well, half of one at least...

10. Gordie known as "Mr. Hockey": HOWE.

11. Lethargy: INERTIA. I first thought of the physics definition of INERTIA and couldn't see how it fit, so I was going to look it up. Then lethargy struck...

12. Coffee maker insert: FILTER. Which FILTER is better? Bleached or unbleached?

13. Not true: FALSE. That can't be true!

18. Ambulance staff: Abbr.: EMTS. Emergency Medical Technicians

19. "Or so": ISH. Kinda, sorta.

22. Restorative space: SPA. Ahhh...

23. Squander: WASTE.

24. Working hard: AT IT.

25. Tex-Mex-inspired casserole: TACO PIE. Not to be confused with Frito Pie, where chili is poured directly into a single serving bag of corn chips for a meal on the go! It's better than it sounds.

29. Unagi fish: EEL.

30. Not so hot: MILD. I've got some in a drawer if you need any.

32. Soothing salve: ALOE. Another old x-word friend.

34. Tied, as a corset: LACED.

36. Meditative mantras: OMS. This takes me back to one of my favorite progressive rock bands, the Moody Blues and their song "Om."

37. Testing phase: BETA. My high school English teacher made us memorize the Greek alphabet. I never knew why, but it's come in very handy over the years, even in crosswords oddly enough.

38. "Have I ever steered you wrong?": TRUST ME. "Should we ask for directions?"

41. Gymnast's floor performance: ROUTINE. It's a bird! It's a plane! It's amazing that they can do this!

42. Nuts with a high water footprint: ALMONDS. Growing ALMONDS accounts for approximately 15% of the total water usage in California. That's nuts! But they are nutritious and tasty, so I'm torn.

43. Chitchat: GAB. Is GAB a gift?

44. Test for coll. credit: AP EXAM. A good score in high school on an Advanced Placement EXAM may earn the student college credit.

45. Small streams: CREEKS. Now, where's my paddle?

46. Multifunction printer function: SCAN. "That's nice, but do you have one in a smaller size?"

48. Operating principle: CREDO.

49. Word after beach or ski: BUM.

50. One may be a foot long: RULER. I always carry a RULER with me when I go to lunch because you never know...

52. On board device?: IRON. Stumped me for a second, then I realized "on board" almost sounds like ironing board.

53. Rooms for movie night: DENS.

56. Allow: LET. Also, a LET in tennis (the ball touches the net but still goes in) "allows" you to take another serve.

57. Vote for: YEA. Make a choice.

58. Make a choice: OPT. Vote for.

59. No. from a contractor: EST. One thing I never hear from a contractor is "No." But his ESTimate number keeps growing.

Well, folks, it's bottom of the ninth and our constructor swings for the fences. It's going...going...gone! RB knocks it outta the park! 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

I'm so happy that the witty RustyBrain has agreed to join our team. He'll be pinch-hitting for a while. 

 

Here he is at the Truman Little White House in Key West a few years ago.

Monday May 12, 2025 Doug Peterson and Angela Kinsella Olson

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Doug Peterson is a frequent contributor to the LAT and we met Angela Kinsella Olson once before . Today they have teamed up for a notable puzzle.

Theme:  

Today's themed answers are all vertical entries -- a refreshing change for a Monday grid. We have:

3 Down. *Neighborhood where the Brooklyn Dodgers played: FLATBUSH.  Before moving to Los Angeles, the Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbets Field from 1913-1957. The ball park was located in FLATBUSH, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

While this answer might not be common knowledge, I like that it connects with Los Angelenos. After all, this is the LA Times.

Ebbets Field facts, figures, photos, & history

5 Down. *ZZ Top hit with the lyric "Silk suit, black tie": SHARP DRESSED MAN. Gotta love this song from 1983!  

9 Down. *Soil, water, or wind, e.g.: NATURAL RESOURCE.  

Now for the reveal:

40 Down. Initial perfume scents, or what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: TOP NOTES.

Perfume is a mixture of different scents. These scents are created through a combination of fragrance oils, essential oils, and other aroma compounds. Each perfume has a unique scent that is made up of different notes in perfume. These notes are divided into three categories: top notes (the initial scent that you perceive right after application), middle notes (the heart of the fragrance that develops after the top notes fade), and base notes (the perfume’s lasting aroma that lingers for hours).  source

Also, the three themers all have a type of musical NOTE at their TOP.  FLAT (♭), SHARP (♯) and NATURAL (♮) are collectively called accidentals (hence today's theme). They let us know if the note should be moved down half a step, up half a step, or unaltered.

Works for me! Here is the grid:  

Check out those suspenders!

Shall we play on?

Across:

1. U.S. president who wrestled at Yale: TAFT.  There were five presidents with four-letter last names:  Polk, Taft, Ford, Bush Sr., and Bush Jr. All but Polk attended Yale.

Taft was a wrestling champ at Yale. He was known for throwing his opponents hard with the "flying mare." A mare in collar and elbow is any throw that puts the adversary's feet above his head. As you can imagine, it's devastating. All you have to do is take a look at the size of Taft, and you can envision what his powerful wrestling capabilities were.  source

5. Reject: SPURN.

10. "How does that __ you?": GRAB.  

14. Beaut: LULU.  We had this one on May 2. I cannot tell if beaut is being used sarcastically. I think it is but some of these synonyms are compliments.  

15. Hebrew prophet: HOSEA.  I had mOSEs for a while because for some reason I was thinking the song was SmARt Dressed Man. Good grief!

16. Traditional tales: LORE.

17. "Nerts!": DRAT. Both are exclamations of exasperation...or so I am told.

18. Go with the flow: ADAPT.  

The print is tiny. It says,
"My ability to ADAPT is the key to my success."

19. "The Brutalist" actress Laird: EMMA.  The Brutalist received ten nominations at this year's Oscars. This is Emma's IMDb page.

20. Not for children: RATED R.  I had the first R so I tried R-rated. Nope.

22. "No problem!": I SURE CAN.

24. Paging device: BEEPER.  Pagers were popular from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. However, by the 2000s, smaller, more affordable cell phones with better battery life led most consumers to switch to cellular communication.  source

26. Dee Dee of punk rock: RAMONE.  [1951-2002] Born Douglas Glenn Colvin, Dee Dee Ramone was an American musician and founding member of the Ramones.  

Ramones   ~   Teenage Lobotomy   ~   1977

"Now I guess I'll have to tell 'em that I got no cerebellum."

27. Spike Lee's employer: Abbr.: NYU.  Director Spike Lee has taught at New York University for 30 years.

29. __ Bach: fictional "forgotten son" of classical music: P. D. Q.  He is a satirical persona used by composer Peter Schickele to parody classical music.  

Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach album cover (1977)

30. Droop: SAG.

31. Mediocre, in Gen Z slang: MID.  as in "MIDdle of the road"

32. The "T" of SAT: TEST.  But it's not only a TEST. 

34. Stole steers: RUSTLED.  

37. "So funny!": HA HA.

38. Lotus-__: EATER.  This one is a Greek mythology reference.  more info

39. Shopping cart unit: ITEM.  

43. Fashion magazine that went digital-only in 2022: INSTYLE.  I cannot show you this month's cover because they no longer do covers.

45. Home of Tulane University, for short: NOLA.  Let's take another musical interlude:  

Willie Nelson  ~  City of New Orleans   ~  1984

(Willie wrote over 300 songs but Steve Goodman wrote this one.)

46. Overwhelming feeling: AWE.

49. "__ it or lose it": USE.  <See the song for 26A.>

50. Winter hrs. in Las Cruces: MST.  hours and Mountain Standard Time

52. Domino dimple: PIP.

53. Mock mercilessly: DERIDE.  Def.:  (verb) to laugh at or insult contemptuously.

55. Unlace, say: LOOSEN.  

57. Bestowed upon: HANDED TO.  

59. Signify approval of, as a Reddit post: UPVOTE.  Def.: (noun) a vote made by clicking an onscreen icon to signify one's approval or agreement with an online comment or post.

62. Foil alternative: ÉPÉE.  

this type of foil                                 not this

63. Alma __: MATER.  This can mean the place you went to school or the school's song.

I remember how cool it felt to be a high school freshman singing the alma mater for the first time after a football game.

65. Slanted type: Abbr.: ITAL.  ITALics

I did not find this clue to be very bold.

66. Stephanie's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" role: ROSA.  The clue uses parallelism to tell us we only need the character's first name. 

I saw every episode of this TV show but still could not come up with a name.  

Rosa is second from the right.

67. San Diego State athlete: AZTEC.  This would be a gimme if SDSU is your 63A.

68. Six years for a U.S. senator, e.g.: TERM.

69. Docs who perform tonsillectomies: ENTS.

70. Disappointing turnout: NO ONE.  Yah, that's pretty rough.

71. Nile vipers: ASPS.  They are asp-olutely venomous.

Down:

1. Abbr. before a summary: TL;DR.  Too Long; Didn't Read

2. Mystical glow: AURA.  

4. Solo scholar: TUTEE.

6. Cacao container: POD.  

$67 from Miami Fruit

7. Old Pan Am rival: USAIR.

8. Union agts.: REPS.  agents and REPresentativeS

10. Electric toothbrush brand: GLEEM.  GLEEM also sold toothpaste in the U.S. from 1952-2014. Funny how sometimes things disappear and we do not notice.  

11. Date night flick: ROM-COM.  ROMantic-COMedy  

You've Got Mail   ~  (1998)   ~  "I wanted it to be you."   ~   (2:51 min.)

12. Italian fashion house: ARMANI.

13. Conked with a curveball: BEANED.  

21. Opp. of withdrawal: DEP.  Opposite and DEPosit  --  together a clueing composite!

23. Fury: RAGE.

25. Treat as the same: EQUATE.

27. To the __ degree: NTH.

28. Word of support: YEA.  Think "voting".

30. Patron of sailors: ST ELMO.  I knew this one from doing XWDs. 

AKA St. Erasmus, he is also the patron saint of stomach diseases and women in labor but those make for longer clues. His feast day is June 2.

33. Mai __: cocktail: TAI.  I learned from Good Job, Brain! that this cocktail was invented at the Trader Vic's restaurant in Oakland, CA in 1944.

35. Foul territory?: STY.  The clue is using sports terminology to talk about a place that smells foul.

36. Cacophony: DIN.

41. Yale grad: ELI.  Along with those listed in 1A, Bill Clinton is the fifth ELI U.S. president.

42. Hiker's graphic: MAP.  A MAP with elevation lines is preferable when hiking.  

44. Wearing nothing: NUDE.

46. Stick fast: ADHERE.

47. Clue category: WEAPON.  This one takes advantage of the capitalize-the-first-letter convention to distract solvers from thinking about the board game Clue.

48. Novelist Hemingway: ERNEST.

51. Amt. that may be "heaping": TSP.  amount and teaspoon

54. Mental flashes: IDEAS.  

55. State-run game: LOTTO.

56. Patti LuPone role: EVITA.  

So beautiful!

58. Brand with an Organic Blonde Tea Latte variety: TAZO.  

60. Rain delay cover: TARP.  

61. Colonnade trees: ELMS.

64. Poetic nightfall: E'EN.  EvENing

It's getting late. Time to sign out. Have a good week!

Sunday May 11, 2025 Matt Revis

Theme:  "Zero G" - G is removed from each common phrase.

 23. Judges in a best brie competition?: CHEESE RATERS. Cheese graters.

 31. Truly blessed commuter line?: THE HOLY RAIL. The Holy Grail.

 48. Tirade that begins, "Why can't those Sirens just shut up!?," e.g.?: ULYSSES' RANT. Ulysses Grant.

66. Rotate crops of corn?: SWITCH EARS. Switch gears.

 68. The weather forecast Snap, Crackle, and Pop were hoping for?: RAIN OF RICE. Grain of rice.

 84. Party debriefs?: HOST STORIES. Ghost stories.

 101. Intercom message when a young boy arrives at the office?: LAD TO SEE YOU. Glad to see you.

 115. Cause of longing in a long-distance marriage?: A BRIDE TOO FAR. A bridge too far. 

The last one is the only entry where G is removed from inside. Easier to drop it from the start.

Very impressive grid for a Sunday debut. Congrats, Matt!

He used 142 words and only 69 blacks squares. I always have to use up all the 78 black squares allowed for a 21x21 LAT.

 Across: 

1. Sporty Mazdas: MIATAS.

7. Kilt feature: PLEAT.

12. Covert org.: CIA.

15. Adobe exports: PDFS.

19. "It's five __ somewhere!": O'CLOCK.

20. Israeli port city: HAIFA.

21. "Ta-da!": AND VOILA. And 25. Lusty reaction: VAVA VOOM. Crossing the stack of 7's. Lovely.

26. Mata __: HARI.

27. "GoodFellas" Oscar winner: PESCI. He's also in "Casino", one of Boomer's favorite movies.

28. Small, in France: PETIT.

29. Dove sound: COO.

30. Env. directive: ATTN.

34. Michael of "Barbie": CERA.

35. 102-Down goddess: GAIA. 102. Realm of 35-Across: EARTH.

37. Party-planning site: EVITE.

38. Geographic pit: BASIN.

39. MMA org.: UFC.

42. Pinkberry rival: TCBY. Never been to this place.

44. Joan of folk music: BAEZ.

45. Insert marks: CARETS.

46. Gets on, as a horse: MOUNTS.

52. Phony: POSER.

53. Unite while away: ELOPE.

54. "The Yearling" animal: DEER.

55. Espy: SPOT.

59. Comics sound effect: THWACK. Consonants-heavy.

61. Roll on a field: TARP.

63. Soybean paste: MISO.

65. Buckeyes' sch.: OSU.

71. Philosophy associated with yin and yang: TAO. 72. New Mexico art hub: TAOS. Not dupe. Different roots.

73. Glasses, colloquially: SPEX.

75. Hardwired: INNATE.

76. Harmonized, with "in": SYNC.

78. Eats: SUPS.

80. Poe's middle name: ALLAN.

82. French __ soup: ONION.

87. In a crass way: RUDELY.

88. Dr. Evil's sidekick: MINI-ME.

91. "May I say ... ": AHEM.

92. Iowa college city: AMES.

94. Tabloid: RAG.

95. Mixed in with: AMONG.

96. Japanese beer: KIRIN. Same as Chinese Qilin. Mythical creature with a dragon's head, deer's body, and ox's tail. Symbol of good fortune & prosperity.

98. Follow the rules: OBEY.

100. Back muscles, to trainers: LATS.

105. Pillbox letters: AM PM.

109. Previously: AGO.

110. Prince of Troy: PARIS.

111. Cancel: ABORT.

112. Dance in "Lilo & Stitch": HULA.

113. Snack with green filling: MINT OREO.

118. Diamond in the rough, e.g.: UNCUT GEM.  I can't tell.

119. Hanukkah fare: LATKE.

120. Mysteriously alluring: EXOTIC.

121. Spec item: DEET.

122. Mantra syllables: OMS.

123. Musical theater legend Merman: ETHEL.

124. Hoedown go-round: DO-SI-DO.

Down: 

1. Chocolaty cafe order: MOCHA.

2. Bygone Apple messaging tool: ICHAT.

3. Heads-up: ALERT.

4. __ the line: TOEING.

5. Summer coolers, briefly: ACS. Gorgeous weather here in MN.

6. Doubters: SKEPTICS.

7. Segment: PHASE.

8. Gate closer: LATCH.

9. "With a moo moo here ... " preceder: E I E I O.

10. Sahara continent: Abbr.: AFR.

11. Prof aides: TAS.

12. Word of warning: CAVEAT.

13. How tic-tac-toe often ends: IN A TIE.

14. Motrin competitor: ADVIL.

15. PBS documentary film series: POV. 

16. Bishop's territory: DIOCESE.

17. Put the pedal to the metal: FLOOR IT.

18. Some Pacific Islanders: SAMOANS.

22. Large container: VAT.

24. Amy Winehouse hit: REHAB.

28. Highly valued: PRIZED.

32. Renter: LEASER.

33. Part of YSL: YVES.

34. Supermarket supply: CARTS.

36. Work like a magnet: ATTRACT.

38. Prohibit: BAN.

39. Official behind a catcher: UMP.

40. Walking path: FOOTWAY.

41. Chair softener: CUSHION.

43. "The King and I" star Brynner: YUL.

44. Avoid: BYPASS.

45. "The Tonight Show" icon: CARSON. Here's Johnny.

47. Small salamander: NEWT.

49. Tolkien epic, familiarly: LOTR. The Lord of the Rings.

50. Late tourney round: SEMI.

51. Control: REIN IN.

53. Barely manage, as a win: EKE OUT.

56. Actor/director Sidney: POITIER.

57. Seminole leader of the 19th century: OSCEOLA. We had him before. 

58. First pt. of many a short week: TUE. OK, Monday off. Tuesday is always my hardest day, as I took 4 methotrexate in the morning, then 4 in the afternoon. All my future SIMPONI ARIA infusions are on Tuesdays also. The first one starts on 5/20. Will see if I can hit the high notes soon. Expensive stuff. 

60. Gliding ballet move: CHASSE.

62. Early tourney round: PRELIM.

64. Futile: OF NO USE.

66. City map lines, briefly: STS.

67. Egyptian reptiles: ASPS.

69. Tricycle rod: AXLE.

70. Cape Town currency: RAND.

74. Aside containers, for short: PARENS. Parenthesis.

77. Does pull-ups: CHINS.

79. Beginnings: STARTS.

81. Light __ feather: AS A.

83. MetLife Stadium team, on scoreboards: NYG.

85. "Wowzers!": OMG.

86. Mississippi tributary: OHIO.

87. Countered, in a debate: REBUTTED.

88. "The Natural" novelist: MALAMUD. Roy Hobbs.

89. Visualize: IMAGINE.

90. Never, or at least twice: NOT ONCE.

93. Roger who played James Bond seven times: MOORE.

96. NBA legend Abdul-Jabbar: KAREEM.

97. Phrases that don't translate well: IDIOMS.

99. Some Swift characters: YAHOOS. Jonathan Swift. "Gulliver's Travels".

101. Key __: LARGO.

103. Plug-in transport: EBIKE.

104. Peak performance?: YODEL. Alpine peak.

106. Muslim cleric: MUFTI.

107. Kilt feature: PLAID.

108. Name called out in a swimming pool: MARCO. Polo.

110. Coffee unit: POT.

114. Scolding syllable: TUT.

115. Pub order: ALE.

116. Stand at the plate: BAT.

117. Kitchen brand: OXO.

C.C.