Tuesday May 20, 2025 Amie Walker & Jess Shulman

RustyBrain again, back by popular (?) demand. Actually, I fooled Hahtoolah into thinking I have everything under control. Shhh!

Our constructors, Amie Walker and Jess Shulman, have teamed up before, most recently in March with their TRASH TALK theme. Let’s see if they’ve cleaned up their act:

3D. Quick way to meet a bunch of people: SPEED DATING. Sitting across from someone for several minutes is a better way to judge personal chemistry than simply looking at pictures swiping left or right on an app.

7D. Right this second: HERE AND NOW. Really? How do you expect me to find a pic of HERE AND NOW that does justice to an instantaneous moment on the infinite time continuum? Dear Amie and Jess, please change this clue so I have an easier time. Thank you.

21D. Gotham City searchlight: BAT SIGNAL. For nights when he forgets his Bat Beeper.

29D. Spot for doodling: SCRATCH PAD. “Doodlepuff better not doodle on her new scratch pad!”

And the Unifier:

25D “Anything fun on the agenda today?” or a hint to the starts of 3-, 7-, 21-, and 29-Down: WHATCHA UP TO. Are you UP TO SPEED? I’ve had it UP TO HERE! Next, is UP TO BAT. And finally, it’s UP TO SCRATCH. The first and last are adjective phrases, while the middle two are idioms, but they all sound legit. The themers are vertical, which seems to be the case lately. It makes them a little harder to process, which can add to difficulty. Since it’s a Tuesday, and we don’t want to get too befuddled, we have a nice hint where to look, and UP TO which also leads us up to the top of each stack. Two chances to win!

Okay, we’re now UP TO date.

Across:

1. Core muscles worked by crunches: ABS. Never see this clued as Anti-lock Braking System.

4. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO. Hint: it’s the 3 letter one.

7. Assistant: HELPER.

13. Mario Kart circuit: LAP. I drive on I-95 everyday, so I don't need a video game to get my thrills.

14. Italian mountain: ALP. In the singular, an ALP is a high mountain pasture, like can be found in the Alps.

15. Accept as true: BELIEVE.

16. Shiver with fear: TREMBLE. Thunder claps cause our dog, FuzzyBrain, to TREMBLE. Unfortunately, we live in Florida, the lightning capital of the US, averaging 1.2 million strikes per year! We play soothing music during storms and that helps a little, but don’t get me started about the 4^th of July…

18. Put up, as a building: ERECTED. I loved my Erector Set as a boy. Pictured is young Otis, coming up (and down) with an idea.

19. Cookie with a Coca-Cola variety: OREO. When will these snack companies learn that nothing beats the original flavor? Except Doritos, of course, when they came up with Cool Ranch.

20. Podcast pause: AD BREAK.

22. "The Incredibles" supersuit designer Mode: EDNA. Pixar denied EDNA was modeled after the great (8 Oscars!) costume designer, Edith Head. Years later, the studio admitted, “Well, maybe...”

24. Like some solstice traditions: PAGAN. Many of our Christian holidays were originally part of ancient PAGAN rituals and festivals. Christianity was an easier sell to pagans by adapting their celebrations rather than tossing them out. “And you still get to decorate the tree.”

25. "SmackDown" org.: WWE. World Wrestling Entertainment – not my cuppa tea.

28. Took care of a friend's pup, say: DOGSAT. This seems like a good place to insert a pic of FuzzyBrain, sitting.

30. Laconic reply to 25-Down, perhaps: NOTHIN. Laconic means terse or concise, thus a one-word answer. But when I noticed that this answer (dropped the G), and the referenced Revealer (WHATCHA for What are you) were both elided, I thought that would figure into the theme. Figured wrong.

32. "It just clicked!": AHA. Oho!

34. Heart charts, for short: ECGS. ElectroCardioGramS aka EKGs (from the German spelling).

 
35. Hates the thought of: DREADS.

36. Head, in French: TETE. French lesson du jour.

38. Era in power: REIGN.

40. Latin "Not you too!?": ET TU. Spoken by Julius Caesar in Shakespeare's play as he is being assassinated and sees his friend Brutus among the conspirators. Little did he know his last words would become crosswordese.

41. Challenging riddle: ENIGMA. To Churchill in 1939, Russia was “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Nowadays, their motives are much more transparent.

43. "Money doesn't __ on trees": GROW. I can’t wait until fall when I’ll rake it in.

45. Revolutionary Guevara: CHE. Much more than just a face on a TEE shirt.

46. California burger joint: IN-N-OUT. Watch out Golden Arches, the Golden Archers are aiming for you.

47. Fairly recent: NEWISH.

49. Pester: NAG. NAG pesterers are horse flies.

50. "Get off my lawn!": SCRAM. “Please, mister, I just wanna get my Frisbee back.”

52. Kid-lit's "Frog and __ Together": TOAD. "But they'll look sweet, upon the seat, of a bicycle built for TOAD."

54. Surprised greeting: OH HELLO. “OH, HELLO, Othello.”

56. Wait in hiding: LURK. I LURKed on this blog for several years, enjoying everyone’s take on the daily puzzle, before finally deciding to join in on the conversation. I’m glad I did! And if you haven’t made the leap yet, please do. All the best people are here!

58. Rumormongers: GOSSIPS.

61. "Come on in!": IT’S OPEN.

63. Warm up before cooking: PREHEAT. Here’s my new “smart” oven either telling me it’s 10:11pm or time to change the oil.

64. To the __ degree: NTH.

65. "__ Te Ching": TAO. The Tao Te Ching is classic Chinese text that guides adherents in finding wholeness and inner tranquility in harmony with Tao. The three main beliefs of Taoism are compassion, frugality, and humility. We could all use more of that in this world.

66. Secretary of state who negotiated the Alaska Purchase: SEWARD. William Seward served under Lincoln. Although his purchase of Alaska from Russia was derided as a “folly” at the time, the US has reaped many benefits from the land, more than covering the 2 cents per acre we paid (understatement of the year).

67. __ sauce: SOY.

68. Texter's "I'll be there soon!": OMW. On My Way, a continuation of last week’s textspeak theme.

Down:

1. Choir voice: ALTO. To sing higher than that, you'll need a riser.

2. Support for a ballerina: BARRE. "National Endowment for the Arts" didn’t fit.

3. [Theme]

4. Research setting: LAB. "Come up to the LAB and see what's on the slab."

5. Jazz legend Fitzgerald: ELLA.

6. Newspaper section with views: OP-ED PAGE. I thought OP-ED was short for “Opinions & Editorials” but just learned it’s “Opposite the Editorial Page.”

7. [Theme]

8. "The Luminaries" Booker Prize winner Catton: ELEANOR. Unknown ELEANOR – her award-winning novel falls under “theater-fiction,” a genre that incorporates people, practices and settings from the stage.

9. Kiss from a 10-Down: LICK.

10. Fur baby: PET.

11. Night before: EVE. The anticipation is killing me!

12. "Colorful" Taylor Swift era: RED. One of her 16 (!) eras highlighted on tour. They correspond to her 11 albums plus some additional errors, er, eras.

15. Icy nautical hazard: BERG. Like with many other things, it’s the part you can’t see that gets you.
 

17. Prefix with chrome or tone: MONO. I prefer stereo. Especially one for $1 million.

21. [Theme]

23. Get older: AGE.

25. [Theme]

26. Area component: WIDTH. When multiplied by the height or length of a rectangular object. If the object is not rectangular? Well, then you’re on your own.

27. Come after: ENSUE. Reviews of my favorite movies often include, “Hilarity ENSUEs when…”

29. [Theme]

31. Casual top: TEE. TEE, which is short for T-shirt, which is short for TEE shirt, or something like that. Anyway, you can make your own by coloring this one in, then cutting it out. Probably should enlarge it first, though. Money saving tips from yours truly.

32. Had food at home: ATE IN.

33. Body dye in some wedding traditions: HENNA. A natural reddish dye derived from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It’s used to make intricate and beautiful temporary tattoos.

37. Alter __: EGO. RustyBrain is my alterEGO, kinda like Batman except I don't wear a cape.

39. Movie creatures that multiply if they get wet: GREMLINS. And remember, kids, never refuel them after midnight!

42. More sentimental: MUSHIER. Think any Hallmark Channel movie.

44. Cleverness: WIT. Brevity is the soul of WIT, so

48. Alone: SOLO. Han SOLO, alone.

51. Chill: REST. I usually think of “chill” to mean relax or remain calm, but not because you are tired and need a REST.

53. Atlanta WNBA team: DREAM. The name of this Women's National Basketball Association team was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech.

54. Job inspection org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. I'm a contractor (where I puzzle things out every day), and I hope funding cuts don’t have a negative impact on worker safety.

55. Director Preminger: OTTO. The influential director never won an Academy Award.

57. Not just guess: KNOW. I guess I already KNOW this.

58. Rte. provider: GPS. Global Positioning Satellite. So many satellites have been launched over the years that they are falling back to earth at the rate of a dozen per day. They mostly burn up in the atmosphere, but that still seems like an incredible number.

59. Mine find: ORE.

60. Use a needle and thread: SEW. This clue is so-so.

62. Timid: SHY.

Stay tuned for Hahtoolah’s triumphant return next week. Same bat-time; same bat-channel.

Monday May 19, 2025 Kathy Lowden

  

Happy Monday, everyone!  sumdaze here with a head scratcher from constructor Kathy Lowden. This is Kathy's fourth LAT puzzle and second one this month!

Theme:         

Use Your Noggin

   I also found this 1966 Soupy Sales song: 

The themed clues are:

16 Across. Picnic side that may contain chickpeas: BEAN SALAD.  

Chickpeas are often called "garbanzo beans" here on the West Coast
but we cannot have bean in the clue and the answer.

33 Across. Potluck dish often made with cream of mushroom soup: NOODLE CASSEROLE.  

This one also has chicken and peas.

40 Across. Tchaikovsky composition excerpted in Disney's "Fantasia": NUTCRACKER SUITE.  

Thank you, Kathy, for giving me a reason to revisit this beautiful film!

And the reveal:

61 Across. Advantage in a race, and what can be found in 16-, 33-, or 40-Across: HEAD START.

Here is an example of someone taking a HEAD START in a race:  

Oops!

Also... BEAN, NOODLE, and NUT are all slang terms meaning HEAD. Plus, they are at the START of each of the answers. The answers have a HEAD START!

After filling the first two themers I thought everything was going to be potluck food but NUTCRACKER SUITE told me otherwise. Maybe using three food nicknames for the human HEAD was purposeful or maybe it just turns out that food words do the job nicely. We might have had GRAPEFRUIT DIET or MELONY G. GRIFFITH (former MD State Senator).

It's time we made some headway on the remaining clues....

Across:

1. __ but not least: LAST.  This clue was first and foremost today.

5. Dino with short arms: T. REX.  Dinosaur is shortened, so is tyrannosaurus rex. Rex means "king" in Latin.  Why T. Rex has Tiny Arms

9. 12-Down, for one: CHEF.     and     12 Down. Food Network Emmy winner Bobby: FLAY.

13. Rights org.: ACLU.

14. Part in a film: ROLE.

15. "And never the twain __ meet": SHALL.  The Ballad of East and West is a poem by Rudyard Kipling. It was first published in 1889.  full poem

18. Inventor Nikola: TESLA.

19. Bus-catching spot: STATION.  

The Hollies   ~   Bus Stop   ~   (1966)

20. "__ away": "RuPaul's Drag Race" catchphrase: SASHAY.  

21. Misdeed: SIN.

22. __ and drabs: DRIBS.  DRIBS and drabs is an informal plural noun that means "small amounts that come or happen over a period of time".  

24. Tennis champion Swiatek: IGA.  I learned this one from Husker Gary. He said IGA is commonly clued this way or as the grocery stores. I think I remember seeing the IGA symbol on the paper bags at the grocery store back in the day. 

27. Hawaiian welcome garland: LEI.  

29. Clickable link: URL.  This is the URL of the page that explains how to post a comment on this blog:

https://crosswordcorner.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-post-comment.html

30. Gave a snack: FED.  

Bill Murray (well, his stunt double) FED a snack to an orca in
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2005).

37. Farmland measure: ACRE.

38. Tax-collecting agcy.: IRS.     and     62 Down. Syllable of disapproval: TSK.  

I wonder if this cartoonist knows that campaign contributions
are not tax deductible.

39. Landed: ALIT.

45. Clean air org.: EPA.  organization and Environmental Protection Agency

46. Tetris shape: ELL.  as in the letter L  

This example shows an orange ELL shape and
 a dark blue ELL shape in a Tetris game.

47. Tetley drink: TEA.  Tetley is a brand name of TEA.

48. Above, in odes: O'ER.  over

49. Low-power mode: SLEEP.  I liked this clueing angle. SLEEP mode on a computer is a power-saving state that stops all actions. Any open documents and applications are moved to its RAM.

51. Lead-in to gender: CIS-.  "Lead in" leads us to the prefix department.

53. One-on-one students: TUTEES.  This fill has some very useful letters. Last week we had 4-D. Solo scholar:  TUTEE.

56. In a state of shock: REELING.  This clue uses a verb definition of REEL meaning "to waver or fall back (as from a blow)".

60. Extraterrestrial: ALIEN.  

63. Unable to move: INERT.  While three-toed sloths are not completely INERT, they are pretty slow. They have the slowest digestion of any mammal. This 1:55 min. video explains why.  

64. Shrek, for one: OGRE.

65. Yard sale caveat: AS IS.

66. Boys: LADS.

67. A lot (of): TONS.

68. Major or general: RANK.  My friend went to the medical clinic on base and parked in front of a sign that said "General Parking". She thought it meant "parking for the general population", as in "not just for the pooh-bahs". The MPs were not amused.

Down:

1. Scientist's workplace: LAB.  

2. Gets a top score on: ACES.

3. Crosspiece on a bed frame: SLAT.

4. Albacore and yellowfin: TUNAS.

5. Apprentice: TRAINEE.  Which has higher status, a TRAINEE or a TUTEE?

6. Caramel-filled candy: ROLO.  

7. African antelope: ELAND.  ELANDs live in Africa. They can use their horns to bring food on branches within reach. They are both the largest and slowest antelopes in the world. (Don't tell the lions!) 

8. Crossed (out): X-ED.  

9. Game with rooks and pawns: CHESS.

10. Heavenly __ ice cream: HASH.  

It is a lot like rocky road but it has chocolate-covered almonds
instead of walnuts.

11. "__ Enchanted": Anne Hathaway film: ELLA.  

Anne was 22 years old in 2004 when this movie hit the theaters.

15. Horse's home: STABLE.  They are lucky to have a STABLE home life.

17. "Sparkling or __?": STILL.  A server at a restaurant might ask you this question if you request a glass of water. Sparkling water has added CO2 gas which gives it its fizz. 

Translate:  $6 per glass or free?  

20. Gentlemen: SIRS.

23. Baking potato: RUSSET.  

24. Silly: INANE.  CSO to inanehiker!

25. Coffee container at a drive-thru: GO-CUP.  

This???

26. Major artery: AORTA.

28. Eaves dripper: ICICLE.  I liked this one for its similarity to eavesdropper.

30. Shakespearean volume: FOLIO.  This should answer any questions you might have.

31. Top-notch: ELITE.  

32. Dissuade: DETER.

34. NYE month: DEC.  New Year's Eve and DECember

35. Noah's boat: ARK.  

36. French actress/model Ines: RAU.  

In 2017, Ines was Playboy's first transgender playmate.
 Apparently she is also an Iron Maiden fan.

41. Give in: RELENT.

42. Brews that may be pale: ALES.

43. Ebbs: RECEDES.

44. Mast attachments: SAILS.  Masts and SAILS were in the news this past weekend. I had the pleasure of going on board a similar Mexican tall ship when it visited Monterey 20 or so years ago. (Or maybe it was the same one???) I remember the sailors up on the masts when she left the wharf. It was a rousing experience. I am sad that such a positive gesture could end so tragically. (2:10 min.)  

49. Crystal ball consultors: SEERS.  

50. Marinara sauce brand: PREGO.

52. Indian lute: SITAR.

53. Long part of a kite: TAIL.  The TAIL is quite opposite of the HEAD.

54. Arm bone: ULNA.

55. Like a 1-1 score: TIED.

57. Work for: EARN.

58. Mars rover org.: NASA.  

Click to enlarge.

59. Big smile: GRIN.  

61. Like Scotch bonnet peppers: HOT.  I knew that the Scoville Scale tells us how HOT a pepper is but this week I learned what it actually measures. The short answer is it measures the number of sugar and water dilutions required to bring the capsaicinoids level down to that of a bell pepper. The long answer is found here.

SHU = Scoville Heat Units

Here is today's grid:  

That's all for today. It's time to make like a baby and head out....

Sunday May 18, 2025 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Work in Progress" - The last word of each common phrase has extra syllables added and becomes a profession.

26A. One minding everyone's p's and q's?: ALPHABET SUPERVISOR. Alphabet soup.

42A. Cruise ship physician?: FLOATING DOCTOR. Floating dock.

53A. Luncheonette worker?: COUNTER WAITER. Counterweight.

78A. Banker offering a penny for your thoughts?: MEMORY CASHIER. Memory cache.

89A. Artisan who specializes in life-size replicas of bison?: BUFFALO BUILDER. Buffalo Bill.

108A. Character in "Driving Miss Piggy"?: THE MUPPET CHAUFFEUR. The Muppet Show.

32D. One working with flower and dough?: BOTANY BAKER. Botany Bay.

42D. Couturier for Tinker Bell?: FAIRY TAILOR. Fairy tale.

This is not a simple *DRIVE then DRIVER transformation. All of them have spelling changes. Very creative. Hallmark of Ed's puzzles.

Loved the grid design also. I could picture the smile on Ed's face when he made four of the theme entries intersect.


Across:

1. Insurer with a fowl mascot: AFLAC.

6. LED screen alternative: LCD TV. 6. Unlike a 6-Across, say: LO-RES. Low resolution.

11. Fourth-yr. students: SRS.

14. Slice and dice, perhaps: PREP.

18. Stylish Geoffrey: BEENE.

19. Chicago hub: O'HARE.

20. Aim: GOAL.

21. Holiday lights spot: EAVE.

22. Trumpet sounds: BLATS.

23. Decor updates: RE-DOS.

24. Old school: ALMA MATER. We often just get ALMA. 

29. Most articles in The Onion: SATIRES.

30. Shaft on a unicycle: AXLE.

31. Place of rapid development: HOTBED.

35. Short, made shorter: LIL.

36. One of 30 in septiembre: DIA.

39. Pub order: PINT.

41. Aerial footage provider: DRONE.

46. British school since 1440: ETON. Rich Hong Kongese send their kids to Eton.

47. Bikini tops: BRAS.

49. Biblical prophet: HOSEA.

50. Hit the deck again?: RE-DEALT.

52. Palais figure: ROI.

58. "Magic 3" rapper: NAS.

59. Utterly destroyed: IN RUINS.

61. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE.

62. Happy cry: YAY.

64. Ancient pyramid builders: MAYANS.

65. Hair product that creates a wet look: GEL. I had this hairstyle for a short period. Preferred mousse. 

68. Formerly named: NEE.

69. Tiny listening device: EARBUD.

72. Beginning of time?: TEE. Time.

73. Tri-tip, e.g.: STEAK.

75. Balaclava: SKI MASK.

76. Barnyard bleat: MAA.

83. Doll once sold with mustache and sideburn decals: KEN.

84. Jack Ma's company: ALI BABA. The middle guy is Jack Ma, who speaks fluent English. Ma disappeared from the public spotlight for a few years after criticizing China's financial system. Back now.

86. Name on a rap sheet: ALIAS. 114. Letters before an 86-Across: AKA.

87. Inventor/actress Lamarr: HEDY.

88. Most populous city in southwest Colombia: CALI.

95. Asteroids named for a Roman god: AMORS.

97. Covered in gold: GILT.

98. Subj. for some immigrants: ESL.

99. Browser address: URL. 13. Punctuation in a 99-Across: SLASH.

100. Passed in tedious fashion: WORE ON.

102. Upswing: BOOM.

104. Finger painting?: NAIL ART. 4. Digs for bugs?: ANTHILLS. Great clues.

113. Idylls: PASTORALS.

116. Accounts: TALES.

117. Info on a museum placard: TITLE.

118. Seller of Storå loft beds: IKEA.

119. High-chair feature: TRAY.

120. Put on a pedestal: EXALT.

121. Sea eagles: ERNES.

122. NL East team with a "curly W" logo: NATS.

123. Rte. displays: STS.

124. Charmingly silly: DIPPY.

125. Beloved ones: DEARS.

Down:

1. Arafat's successor: ABBAS.

2. Guy: FELLA.

3. Navigated furniture in a game of the floor is lava, say: LEAPT.

5. Viola's false identity in "Twelfth Night": CESARIO. Learning moment for me.

7. Guitarist Atkins known as the "Country Gentleman": CHET.

8. Root beer brand: DAD'S.

9. Pants, in slang: TROU.

10. Scooter whose name means "wasp" in Italian: VESPA. Fresh clue!

11. Out of debt: SOLVENT.

12. Oscar winner Malek: RAMI.

14. Orchard figure: PEAR TREE.

15. Rodent in some zodiacs: RAT. Chinese and Vietnamese.

16. Sistine Chapel figure: EVE.

17. "As __ my last email ... ": PER.

20. Pasta sauce staple: GARLIC.

25. Subjunctive, e.g.: MOOD.

27. Banjoist Fleck: BELA.

28. "Star Wars" Celebration, e.g.: EXPO.

33. Sherlock's sister: ENOLA.

34. Big dings: DENTS.

36. Singer Celine: DION. "Because You Loved Me" is so beautiful.

37. Pt. of RIT: INST.

38. Outfielder Tommie who was AL Rookie of the Year in 1966: AGEE.

40. Rich layer cake: TORTE.

43. Therefore: THUS.

44. Mend with yarn: DARN.

45. Food writer Drummond: REE. "The Pioneer Woman".

 47. Cup edge: BRIM.

48. Novelist Jaffe: RONA.

51. Desert feature: DRY AIR.

53. Washington venue?: CINEMA. Oh, Denzel Washington.

54. Add-__: extras: ONS.

55. Finished first: WON. And 56. Finished off: ATE.

57. Outrage: IRE.

60. Dubai's country, briefly: UAE.

63. Sleeve: ARM.

65. 1960s muscle car: GTO.

66. Eternally, in verse: EER.

67. "__ it on me": LAY.

69. Squeeze (out): EKE.

70. Took advantage of: USED.

71. Big Apple fashion label: DKNY.

73. Tolkien dragon: SMAUG.

74. Heat meas.: KCAL. Kilocalorie.

75. Spanish "Yes, yes!": SI SI.

76. Bright parrot: MACAW.

77. Site of an 1836 siege: ALAMO.

79. Tidal movement: EBB.

80. Sunscreen additive: ALOE.

81. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, e.g.: SIBS.

82. Transport by semi: HAUL.

85. Caps worn during conclave: BIRETTAS.

87. Inferno of the damned: HELLFIRE.

90. Leg bones: FIBULAS.

91. Mopsy's sister: FLOPSY.

92. Perched upon: ATOP.

93. Affair with ti leaves: LUAU.

94. Stared off into space: DRIFTED.

96. London district near Oxford Circus: SOHO.

101. "Dagnabbit": NERTS.

103. Portioned (out): METED.

104. "So gross!": NASTY.

105. MetLife competitor: AETNA.

106. Tool that's made to measure: RULER.

107. Hair piece?: TRESS.

109. K or Wal finale: MART.

110. Cab: TAXI.

111. Give a hand: CLAP. And 112. Lend a hand: HELP.

113. Brooch: PIN.

115. Good to go: SET.

 

Going to have my first infusion on Tuesday. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Been feeling a bit anxious after having the phone call with the RA nurse last week. They'll keep me for extra 30 minutes for observation. Hopefully I don't have any of the side effects.

C.C.