Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Emily Biegas and Sala Wanetick

A Menagerie in the House.  One word in each two-word theme answer is a Sound a Pet might make.

17-Across. American government official accused of Soviet espionage in the McCarthy era: ALGER HISS.  //  Snake (or a Cat).  Alger Hiss (Nov. 11, 1904 ~ Nov. 15, 1996) was and remains a controversial figure.  He was accused of spying for the Soviet Union, but was never convicted on these charges.  Instead, he was convicted of perjury. Whether or not he actually committed espionage remains unresolved.

25-Across. Arts and entertainment company known for large-scale interactive installations: MEOW WOLF.  //  Cat.  I was not familiar with Meow Wolf.

34-Across. Traditional canoe material: BIRCH BARK.  //  Dog.  A brief history of the Birch Bark Canoe.

48-Across. Kaleidoscope opening: PEEP HOLE.  //  Chick.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Beach Boys album that's No. 2 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and what can be found in 17-, 25-, 34-, and 48-Across: PET SOUNDS.

Across:

1. Chatted privately online, for short: DM'ED.  As in Direct Message(ed)

5. Smack: SLAP.

9. College mil. unit: ROTC.  As in Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

13. Meaty red sauce: RAGU.  Ragu a sauce typically made with ground meat, onions, tomato puree, and red wine, and served with pasta.  It is also the name of a commercially prepared pasta sauce.

14. Musical finale: CODA.

15. Belgian bills: EUROS.  The euro (€) is the official currency of 20 out of 27 European Union member countries.  The following countries use the euro:  Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

19. Curry who was the NBA MVP in 2015 and 2016: STEPH.  Steph Curry (né Wardell Stephen Curry II; b. Mar. 14, 1988) professional basketball player and is currently a point guard for the Golden State Warriors.

20. Subgroup: FACTION.

21. Golf peg: TEE.

23. Soccer star Hamm: MIA.  Mia Hamm (née Mariel Margaret Hamm; b. Mar. 17, 1972) is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996 and 2004) and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion (2001 and 2002).

24. Connects with: TIES TO.

27. Class for some immigrants: Abbr.: ESL.  As in English as a Second Language.  It's a crossword staple.

28. Anaheim MLB team: ANGELS.

30. Heaps: ALOT.

31. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL.  His full name is Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (b. Feb. 19, 1967).  He won an Oscar for his portrayal of a conflicted Mexican detective in the 2000 crime thriller Traffic. 

32. Pre-Easter period: LENT.

33. Plans secretly: PLOTS.

37. Colorado spot for hitting the slopes: ASPEN.

40. Daytime TV host Kelly: RIPA.  Kelly Maria Ripa (b. Oct. 2, 1970) has been co-hosting the Daytime show Live! since 2001.  She has had a number of co-hosts including: Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan, and Ryan Seacrest.  Her current co-host is her husband, Mark Consuelos (né Mark Andrew Consuelos; b. Mar. 30, 1971).

41. Indy 500 sponsor: STP.  Did you know that STP stands for Science, Technology, Performance?

44. Ballet class bend: PLIÉ.

45. Verse: POETRY.

47. Cartoon frame: CEL.

50. Break free: ESCAPE.  On May 16, 10 inmates escaped from a jail in New Orleans.  As of yesterday, 8 of the 10 had been recaptured.

52. Suffix with puppet: -EER.  As in a puppeteer.

53. Total: ADD.

54. Latvia's northern neighbor: ESTONIA.

55. Declares publicly: AVOWS.  A crossword staple.

59. Genuine, casually: LEGIT.

60. Wild and crazy: AMOK.

61. Brazilian soccer legend: PELÉ.  Pelé (né Edson Arantes do Nascimento; Oct. 23, 1940 ~ Dec. 29, 2022), was a Brazilian professional soccer player and is generally regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

62. One-__-fits-all: SIZE.

63. Comedian Love: LONI.  I am not familiar with Loni Love (b. July 12, 1971).  Before turning to show biz, she earned a degree as an electrical engineer and worked in that field until the early 2000s.

64. Ice cream brand: EDYS.

Down:

1. Chosen for the NFL, maybe: DRAFTED.

2. Coming-down-with-a-cold feeling: MALAISE.

3. Ovum: EGG CELL.

4. Songs for two: DUETS.

5. Fore-and-aft-rigged sailboat: SCHOONER.  What exactly is a Schooner, besides being a fore-and-aft-rigged sailboat?

6. Pork cut: LOIN.

7. App pop-ups: ADS.

8. Gentle shade: PASTEL.

9. Stitch again: RESEW.

10. Not fashionable: OUT.

11. Vibrating effect, in music: TREMOLO.

12. Cockpit partner: COPILOT.

16. Elevator passages: SHAFTS.

18. ADHD medication: RITALIN.

22. Lip balm brand: EOS.

25. "I'm in too!": ME THREE!

26. Stroll: WALK.

29. "Live Well" supplements retailer: GNC.  As in General Nutrition Center.

33. Connects with, as a higher power: PRAYS TO.

34. Microwave alert: BEEP.

35. Smidgen: BIT.

36. Relaxing time after hitting the slopes: APRÉS SKI.

37. Curb __: APPEAL.

38. Coffee cup insulators: SLEEVES.  Because Zarf was too short.

39. Polish dumplings: PIEROGI.  Yummers!

41. Read a barcode: SCANNED.

42. With little gusto: TEPIDLY.

43. Satisfies: PLEASES.

45. Pea holder: POD.

46. Bud from way back: OLD PAL.  I say, Old Pal!

49. Speed: HASTE.

51. Sporty car: COUPE.

54. British boarding school: ETON.  Eddie Redmayne and Prince William were classmates at Eton.

56. "Black and Yellow" rapper __ Khalifa: WIZ.  I am not familiar with Wiz Khalifa (né Cameron Jibril Thomaz; b. Sept. 8, 1987).

58. Moody genre: EMO.

חתולה

June 1 marked the beginning of Hurricane Season.

Monday June 9, 2025 August Miller

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a delivery from August Miller. August is more of a Wed.-Sat. kind of constructor. This is his first Monday LAT puzzle -- a 61-A. RARE TREAT for us solvers.

Theme:                    CSO to D-Otto!

Our very own desper-otto is a dedicated MEALS ON WHEELS volunteer. 

He even brings snacks for the dogs on his route. (T)His community is lucky to have him!

First, the themed clues and answers:

20 Across. Cozy spot for a morning repast: BREAKFAST NOOK.  This is a small space, often adjacent to the kitchen, used for casual dining. It generally fits a small table and comfortable seating.

Get it?  "NOOK & cranny" Haha!

34 Across. Not in the office, perhaps: OUT TO LUNCH.  

42 Across. Evening ringer: DINNER BELL.  

Snoopy improvises

55 Across. Nonprofit that delivers food to the elderly, or what can be found three times in this puzzle?: MEALS ON WHEELS.  Their mission is "to empower local community programs to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated."  How to Become a MEALS ON WHEELS Volunteer  

Also, three MEALS (BREAKFAST, LUNCH, and DINNER) appear to be placed ON WHEELS (actually letter O's). Notice that the WHEELS are consistently placed under the second and the second-to-last letters of each MEAL. I liked this purposeful use of circles!

Alternating the placement of the meal words (first, last, first)
helps the WHEELS to stand out.

Rolling along now....

Across:

1. Current locale of NASA's Perseverance rover: MARS.  NASA's Perseverance website

Perseverance has 6 WHEELS;
but, alas, delivered no MEALS to a hungry 38-A.

5. The Great Pyramid, for one: TOMB.  The Great Pyramid was a TOMB for Pharoah Khufu. It is the oldest and tallest of the three pyramids towering over Giza. It was constructed around 2551-2528 BCE and its height would compare to a 45-story building. There is surprisingly little 'open space' inside.

9. Feet and inches: UNITS.     and     9 Down. Forks and knives: UTENSILS.

I put these together because of the symmetry in the construction of the two clues, plus UNITS can be spelled with the letters in UTENSILS.

14. Cultivated: GREW.

15. "Search Party" star Shawkat: ALIA.  Although I have seen this actress in previous puzzles and I do remember her from Arrested Development, I spelled her name wrong today for a one-box FIW. I had ALeA crossing 7-D Nicki MeNAJ. Yes, Nicki MINAJ is an international star but I thought she spelled her name with an E. That is on me. However, I will say that this is the reason many solvers do not like to see crossing names in a grid. There is an abundance of flexibility in how people spell their names. Fortunately for me, this type of FIW does not really bother me. Perhaps if it did, I would try harder to remember the spellings for next time.

Funny note:  While proof reading this blog I saw that I had been misspelling "Nicki" as "Nikki". Good grief!

16. Domesticates: TAMES.  

A good pun can only take you so far.

17. Set a date, say: MADE PLANS.

19. __ Allen furniture: ETHAN.  One source said there are 169 Ethan Allen stores in the U.S.

22. Chooses: OPTS.

23. Delights: JOYS.  It turns out that both words can be either nouns or verbs.

24. Budget exec: CFO.  executive and Chief Financial Officer

26. Abbr. after a list: ETC.

28. Huffy state: PIQUE.  Def.:  (noun) a transient feeling of wounded vanity; resentment.  

PIQUE is also a fabric.

32. Part of a barn: LOFT.  

38. Sci-fi visitor: ALIEN.  

40. P-shaped Greek letter: RHO.  

41. "You and me both!": SO DO I.  I am still thinking about that ME, THREE answer from last Monday.

45. XPS laptop maker: DELL.  Translate:  It's a four-letter computer name.

46. Rising, as a ballerina: ON TOE.

47. Jar topper: LID.

49. Where Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds: RIO.  

She also won a silver!

50. In-game hint providers, for short: NPCS.  Non-player Characters. These are characters in a game that are not controlled by a human video game player.

53. Drink holders: CUPS.  ...but CUP holders are not drinks.

60. "My Ántonia" novelist Cather: WILLA.  [1873-1947]  This 1918 novel is about immigrant life in Nebraska.  goodreads link

61. Unexpected pleasure: RARE TREAT.  See ¶ #1.

63. Band's release: ALBUM.  Streaming has changed how music is released. If you are feeling a bit lost when it comes to music nowadays, perhaps this guide will help:  Types of Music Releases

64. Similar (to): AKIN.

65. See 35-Down: MENU.     and     35-Down. With 65-Across, 2022 black comedy film set in a restaurant: THE. 

This is the trailer for this 2022 film. Creepy alert! Also, Anya Taylor-Joy stars in it. We frequently see her crossword-friendly name. 

66. Stay in a heated yurt, perhaps: GLAMP.  We have become portmanteau obsessed. Glamour + Camp = GLAMP

67. "I'm down!": LET'S.

68. Casual eyewear: SPEX.  Casual means a slangy term for eyewear -- not eyewear to go with a casual look. SPEX is short for spectacles.  

Down:

1. Studio with a roaring mascot: MGM.  

2. Like a Bedouin: ARAB.  

The Distribution of Bedouins over Arabic Countries

3. Motel 6 competitor: RED ROOF INN.  Both are considered cheap hotels.

4. Gather dust, maybe: SWEEP.  Fun clue! Gather dust usually means you let the dust settle on you.

5. Chats with: TALKS TO.

6. Frozen "Frozen" character: OLAF.  I liked this clue, too.

Olaf is the snowman.

7. Rapper Nicki: MINAJ.  See 15-Across.

8. Low opera voice: BASSO.

10. Gp. whose newest member is Sweden: NATO. Sweden formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 7, 2024. There are 32 countries in the group.  

11. Short and modest "I think ... ": IMHO.  In My Humble Opinion  

12. Tropical wood: TEAK.  TEAK is a durable hardwood often used to make patio furniture since it is water resistant.

13. Fig. on Form W-2: SSN.  

18. Meaty spread: PÂTÉ.  Def. :(noun) a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat.

21. Featrue of this clue: TYPO.  Feature has a typing mistake in it.

24. Clothed (in): CLAD.     

This woman is CLAD in a Glad garbage bag and ready for her date with Vlad.
I wonder, does it comes in plaid?

25. First __: Shakespeare collection: FOLIO.  The First Folio is the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays. It was produced seven years after his death. Its title is Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies.

27. Where the sidewalk ends: CURB.  This was my favorite clue today. Did anyone else think of this book?  

29. The "Q" of QED: QUOD.  Quod erat demonstrandum is a Latin phrase which means "I showed you what I told you I was going to show you."

30. Not get enough rest: UNDERSLEEP.  I had the U so I quickly filled UP ALL NIGHT then patted myself on the back for sussing that one so easily.

31. Food safety concern: ECOLI.

33. Outdoor wedding rental: TENT.  Ahh, that's why we GLAMPed in a yurt instead of a TENT for 66-Across.

36. Per-axle fee: TOLL.  

37. City on the Big Island: HILO.  I used to go to Hilo a lot for work. It is so lush and green -- very different from the Kona side.

39. Many an orange-red indicator light: NEON LAMP.  According to M-W and Wiki this really is a thing so I must be wincing from the glare of a legitimate light.

43. House lawmakers, briefly: REPS.  Think "Civics class".

44. Organisms that are like tiny ecosystems: LICHENS.  I LICHENed this 1:22 min. video a lot.

48. Piano piece for four hands: DUET.  Splynter gave us this very funny piano DUET skit last Wednesday. I'm adding it here in case you missed it.  

51. With 52-Down, reptile with red, yellow, and black bands: CORAL.     and 🠟

52. See 51-Down: SNAKE.  

Red touches yellow, kill a fellow.
Red touches black, safe for Jack.

54. Curly hairdos: PERMS.  Remember this 43 sec. scene from That '70s Show?  

Kelso:  So that's permanent?

55. Pepper grinder: MILL.  Not a sandwich!  😉

56. Idris of "Luther": ELBA.  Lucina is another Cornerite who generously volunteers her time every Monday at her church. This one's for her:  

57. Reunion attendee: ALUM.  This SNL skit with Jack Black about old friends getting together to reunite but digress to one-upping is 64-A AKIN to a class reunion.  

58. Court order: WRIT.  A writ is a formal, legal document that orders a person or entity to perform or to cease performing a specific action or deed. Writs are drafted by courts or other entities with jurisdictional or legal power. Warrants and subpoenas are two common types of writs.

59. Sensible: SANE.

60. Tail motion: WAG.  

62. Prom rental: TUX.  

Too Cool for School

Time to roll....,

sumdaze

Sunday June 8, 2025 Jared Cappel

Theme: "Alien Sightings" - ET is added the end of each common phrase.

26. Existential question to a parking enforcer?: WHAT MAKES YOU TICKET. What makes you tick?

37. List of maritime court cases?: FISHING DOCKET. Fishing dock.

46. Hastily crafted water carrier?: QUICK BUCKET. Quick buck.

62. Attire suitable to get married in?: UNION JACKET. Union Jack.

84. Underground cumin trade?: SPICE RACKET. Spice rack.

92. Protest led by reviewers seeking higher wages?: CRITIC'S PICKET. Critic's pick.

101. Cry from an impatient attendee at a NASA launch ceremony?: LESS TALK MORE ROCKET. Less Talk, More Rock.

I'm not famliar with the base phrase of the last theme entry. Google shows that it's the second studio album by the Canadian punk rock band Propagandhi. 

This is Jared Cappel's Sunday debut. Congrats, Jared!

Across:

1. Snail-paced: SLOW.

5. Manually: BY HAND.

11. Oft-torn 103-Down pt.: ACL. 103. 11-Across locale: KNEE.

14. Wraps up: ENDS.

18. Assails: HAS AT.

20. Paul of "The Kominsky Method": REISER. I know him from "Mad About You".

21. Exit: CLEAR OUT.

23. Actor/activist Davis: OSSIE.

24. Ailment treated with an inhaler: ASTHMA.

25. In direct competition: TOE TO TOE.

29. Church nooks: APSES.

30. Understand: GROK.

31. Things thrown in a fight: FISTS.

35. Personal feats: BESTS. I missed only 2 days of journaling last year. Already missed 2 this year. 

41. "For __ strange reason ... ": SOME.

42. Includes in a card game: DEALS TO.

44. Sculling blade: OAR.

45. Red-hot anger: IRE.

49. With it: ALL THERE.

51. Fleecy boot brand: UGG. They also make flip-flops.

52. Simpson, née Bouvier: MARGE. 89. Daughter of 52-Across: LISA.

53. Baby elephant: CALF.

55. Buzzing with energy: WIRED.

56. Carrier based in Kuala Lumpur: AIR ASIA.

58. Revere: ADORE.

60. Lay down the lawn: SOD.

61. Driving platforms?: TEES. Golf. 
 
66. Omar of "Power Book III: Raising Kanan": EPPS. 50 Cent on the right.

70. D.C. VIP: POL.

72. Give a leg up: BOOST.

73. Head out to sea: SET SAIL.

75. Schmeared bread: BAGEL.

78. "Tiny Beautiful Things" star Kathryn: HAHN. So many consonants in her names.

79. Corners, as the king: MATES.

81. TurboTax alternative, briefly: CPA.

82. Like a welcoming policy: OPEN DOOR.

87. __ Jose: SAN.

88. Capote, familiarly: TRU.

89. Literary understatement such as "not unhappy": LITOTES. Learning moment for me.

91. Sharer's adjective: OURS.

95. Dice game: CRAPS.

97. Cook in a basket, perhaps: STEAM. That's how we make mantou in China. Always steamed.

98. Alleviate: EASE.

99. German mountains: ALPEN. The Alps.

 109. Like a competitive day on the course: UNDER PAR.

112. Father of Luke and Leia: ANAKIN. Skywalker

113. Sitcom starring Valerie Harper: RHODA.

114. Jazzy improv: HORN SOLO.

115. Like the lion killed by Hercules: NEMEAN. The Nemean Lion. 

116. Achieve greatness: GO FAR.

117. Out of business: SHUT.

118. Hamilton bill: TEN.

119. Fatal: DEADLY.

120. What "swish" shots miss: RIMS.

Down:

1. Exhibit: SHOW.

2. Curler's target?: LASH. Eyelash curler.

3. "Odyssey" peak: OSSA.

4. "Hold your horses!": WAIT A SEC. 

5. Panicked shout from a driving instructor: BRAKE.

6. Votes for: YESES.

7. Top tracks: HITS.

8. Pallid: ASHY.

9. Animated clownfish: NEMO.

10. British pub offering: DRAUGHT.

11. Director's call: ACTION.

12. Game played by hitting putts from 12 spots around a hole: CLOCK GOLF. Unfamiliar to me. 

13. Potato's partner, in a classic soup: LEEK.

14. Hot: EROTIC.

15. "Just kidding!": NOT.

16. Pair: DUO. 28. 16-Down plus one: TRIO.

17. Sault __ Marie: STE.

19. Allure: TEMPT. Very delicate smell. 

22. Dined while pregnant, facetiously: ATE FOR TWO.  Great fill.

27. Long-eared equine: ASS.

32. One on a slippery slope?: SKIER.

33. __ Haute: TERRE.

34. Fine mount: STEED.

35. Seemingly high-class, familiarly: BOUGIE. Avocado toast was once considered bougie. 

36. Asylum seeker: EMIGRE.

37. Sham: FAKE. 

38. Land in la mer: ILE.

39. Retired flier: SST.

40. Lentil dish: DAL. Never had dal before. 

41. Glute exercise: SQUAT.

42. When doubled, a New Wave band: DURAN.

43. Heartbeat check, for short: ECG.

47. Canadian units of distance, familiarly: KMS.

48. Olympic skater Oksana: BAIUL.

49. Sudanese model Wek: ALEK.

50. Camouflages: HIDES.

53. Groomer's concern: COAT.

54. Piece of a circle's circumference: ARC.

57. Rockies resort town: ASPEN.

58. Brief mystery writer?: ANON. Fun clue.

59. Turntable pros: DJS.

60. Direct: STEER.

63. Letter-shaped support: I BAR.

64. "Incredible!": OOH.

65. __ Park, Colorado: ESTES.

67. Prepare for shipping: PACK UP.

68. "Scotland the Brave" musicians: PIPERS. It's one of the three unofficial national anthems of Scotland, a la Wikipedia.

69. View from the bottom bunk: SLATS.

71. Experienced veterans: OLD TIMERS.

74. Wanders around LAX?: TSA. Wand-ers? Not quite sure I get this clue.

75. Bartlett cousins: BOSCS.

76. Distant: APART.

77. Robin Williams role in "Aladdin": GENIE.

78. Zillow listing: HOUSE SALE. I've been having three 3 weeks' weed-free life. The latest 5501 renters are gone. Bliss!

79. Fly catcher?: MITT. Fly ball.

80. Card in a royal flush: ACE.

83. Tolkien beast: ORC.

84. Nasdaq purchase: STK. Stock.

85. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author: POE.

86. News team member: CO-ANCHOR.

90. Country with many hot springs: ICELAND.

93. Scout's find: TALENT.

94. __ saint: PATRON.

95. EMT training subj.: CPR.

96. Corp. makeover: RE-ORG.

99. Calibri alternative: ARIAL.

100. Musician Kravitz: LENNY.

102. Uninspired name for a Dalmatian: SPOT.

104. Bear with a medium-sized chair: MAMA.

105. Sanctioned: OKED.

106. Ex-U.N. head Annan: KOFI. He graduated from Macalester College here in MN.

107. Dutch export: EDAM.

108. Repairs, as a driveway: TARS.

109. Hesitant sounds: UHS.

110. Classic Japanese drama: NOH.

111. R&B's __ Hill: DRU.

C.C.