Sunday June 15, 2025 Gary Larson & Amy Ensz

Theme: - "Living in the Past" - One word in each common phrase is replaced its past tense. 

22. Totally wild bibliography text?: LIT SOURCE. Light source. 

24. Number jammed in an adding machine printout?: STUCK FIGURE. Stick figure.

45. Drink to toast the Apollo 11 landing?: SHOT FOR THE MOON. Shoot for the moon.

66. Cowardly FBI agent?: CHICKEN FED. Chicken feed.

70. Indictment based on falsified evidence? : MADE-UP CASE. Makeup case. 

91. Skirmish at sea?: SPAT IN THE OCEAN. Spit in the ocean.

115. Ballroom pro who spent all of their cash on costumes?: BROKE DANCER. Break dancer.

119. Tossed some hairpieces?: THREW RUGS. Throw rugs.

66A is the only entry where the last word has the tense change. Fun entry/clue though. I did a similar theme ages ago for the WSJ. Used CHICKEN FED also. 

Gary and Amy's set is quite focused. They avoided bear/bore, see/saw where the nouns & verbs share no roots.

Across:

1. Guitar clamps: CAPOS. So happy for Splynter's new lifestyle.

6. Special __: OPS.

9. Jewish scholar: RABBI.

14. Omar of "House": EPPS.

18. Ticket category: ADULT.

19. Hard swing, in baseball slang: RIP.

20. Agree to take part: OPT IN.

21. French Revolution journalist: MARAT. Jean-Paul Marat, who's killed in his bathtub. 

26. Hidden: LATENT.

27. Nutrient-rich berry: ACAI.

29. Cornmeal dish: POLENTA. I grew up eating plain steamed corn buns. 

30. Former Nair competitor: NEET.

32. Laugh behind one's hand: SNICKER.

36. Paper purchase: REAM.

37. German pronoun: ICH. Wo in Chinese. Wo ai ni.

40. Swelter: ROAST.

43. Hillary Rodham __: CLINTON.

49. Sage and dill: HERBS.

53. Hard work: LABOR.

54. Jewelry for a piggie: TOE RING.

55. Private eye: GUMSHOE.

57. God, in the Torah: ADONAI. Hebrew for "My Lord".

59. Movie lines?: PLOTS. Oh story lines. 

60. "Not long now!": VERY SOON.

61. Machu Picchu builder: INCA.

63. "I have read and agree to the above terms and conditions," often: LIE. Chuckled at the clue. Yes.

64. Sardine containers: TINS.

65. In-app convos: DMS.

73. Hee-__: HAW.

74. Housekeeping staffer: MAID.

75. Place for pennies: JAR.

76. Do well in a comedy club: SLAY.

77. Longtime "Masterpiece Theatre" host Cooke: ALISTAIR. Feels like he should have been a Sir.

80. Sealy rival: SERTA.

82. Chronicles: ANNALS.

86. Some deodorants: ROLL-ONS.

87. Draw in: ATTRACT.

89. Metric weights: KILOS. Infusion again next Tuesday. The total dosage is based on my weight. 

90. Letter-shaped opening: T SLOT.

93. Tires out: WEARIES.

96. Indian tea region: ASSAM.

97. S&L investments: CDS.

98. "Right now!": ASAP.

101. Big squeeze: BEAR HUG.

103. __ bene: NOTA.

106. Totally committed: DEVOTED.

108. Three-piece suit garment: VEST.

111. Removable locks?: TOUPEE. Locks?= hair. Always.

121. Like plant-covered walls: IVIED.

122. "Arsenic and Old Lace" director: CAPRA (Frank)

123. Pro vote: YEA.

124. Some iPods: NANOS.

125. British puzzle pieces?: ZEDS. Just the letter Z.

126. About to cry: TEARY.

127. Final chapter: END.

128. Brief scrap: SET-TO.

Down:

1. Phone: CALL.

2. Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA.

3. Stroke to hit par, often: PUTT. Putt for par. 

4. Pro Football Hall of Famer Merlin: OLSEN.

5. Avocado center: STONE.

6. Winner of eight consecutive Norris Trophies: ORR (Bobby). That's a record. Norris Trophy is awarded to the top defensive player. 

7. Typesetting unit: PICA.

8. Design detail, for short: SPEC.

9. Violin bow need: ROSIN.

10. Fitting: APT.

11. HVAC meas.: BTU.

12. Brand of 13-Down: BIC. 13. Writing implement: INK PEN.

14. "I can't wait!" feeling: EAGERNESS.

15. Cut back: PRUNE.

16. Medicare section: PART A.

17. Mirror fogger: STEAM.

21. Thousand thou: MIL.

23. In __: before birth: UTERO.

25. Military stronghold: FORT.

28. "Armageddon" threat: ASTEROID. An asteroid heading for Earth,

31. Material for a suit: TORT.

33. Toolbar symbols: ICONS.

34. Flow stopper: CLOG.

35. Close relations: KIN.

37. "Marge in Charge" writer Fisher: ISLA.

38. Neighbor of Sudan: CHAD.

39. __ bag: slouchy purse: HOBO.

41. Crowning: ATOP.

42. Ready to eat, as pistachios: SHELLED.

44. "Good heavens!": OH MY. Our whole neighborhood was super quiet yesterday. I live 2.2 miles miles away from the lawmaker's house. 

46. Drink with quinine: TONIC.

47. Open and honest: FRANK.

48. Tiny pest: MITE.

50. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff: RHODA.

51. Prosperous periods: BOOMS.

52. Perceive: SENSE.

55. Pool contents: GENES.

56. Disney's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" singer: URSULA. "The Little Mermaid". Learning moment for me.

58. Who "cometh" in a Eugene O'Neill play: ICEMAN.

60. Reels post, for short: VID.

62. Diarist Nin: ANAIS.

64. Highlands designs: TARTANS. And 116. Edinburgh no: NAE.

66. Data display: CHART.

67. Angels' crowns: HALOS.

68. "Let me do it": I WILL.

69. Tree at a Christmas tree farm: FIR.

70. Suited king and queen, in pinochle: MARRIAGE.

71. Tonkatsu ingredient: PANKO.  Tonkatsu is pork cutlet. Often paired with shredded cabbage.

72. Sour sort: CYNIC.

75. Rocker Joan: JETT.

78. Sidewalk impediments: SLOWPOKES.

79. Gift bag, often: TOTE.

80. Hiding place: STASH.

81. Is theatrical: ACTS.

83. "Lawrence of Arabia" co-star Guinness: ALEC.

84. "Get a __ of this!": LOAD.

85. Tax prep figs.: SSNS.

87. Parrot: APER.

88. Holier-__-thou: THAN.

91. "Gimme Love" singer: SIA.

92. Be theatrical: EMOTE.

94. Still not ready to get up: ABED.

95. Hide text in a document: REDACT.

98. Commercial trade, briefly: AD BIZ.

99. Wait tables: SERVE.

100. Sidestep: AVOID.

102. Vitamin D source: UV RAY. I probably do not need to take vitamin D supplement during summer months. 

104. Dots on a map: TOWNS.

105. Surrounding glows: AURAE.

107. Danson of "A Man on the Inside": TED.

109. Eyelid problem: STYE.

110. Consequently: THEN.

112. Special teams responsibility: PUNT.

113. Awards acronym: EGOT.

114. Canadian gas company: ESSO.

117. Tax return pro: CPA.

118. Botch: ERR.

120. "So cool!": RAD.

C.C.

Saturday, June 14, 2025, Adrian Johnson

 Saturday Themeless by Adrian Johnson

                    

Our Wyoming native who went to college in Minnesota is now doing great work for a startup group called BetterFi, a nonprofit working to end predatory lending in Tennessee.

This face below represents how surprised I was when DOLMA and ANARCH turned out to be correct and I got the congratulations message!

                   

Across:

1. Longtime Harmon role: GIBBS - Watching Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon as GIBBS on the left below) on NCIS is a guilty pleasure of mine. The good guys always win, there is a lot of technology and some very quirky but attractive characters.

6. Solutions-oriented support group?: LAB TECHS - They prepare chemical solutions and can provide solutions to problems. 

14. "The Misfits" star: MONROE - Her husband Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for his wife Marilyn but her marriage and life fell apart during the shooting of this last film for her and Gable. More about this troubled film

15. Emphatic phrase in an accusation: I MEAN YOU.

16. Raise, in a way: UPTILT - An unfamiliar word to me whose meaning is obvious

17. Course layout: SYLLABUS.

18. Timepiece useful in lunar gardening: MOON DIAL - If you believe the success of your garden depends on what the phase of the Moon is when you plant...

20. Reach: ACCESS.

21. Pandora selection: SONG.

22. Opposite of pos.: NEG - Does anyone remember Erik Agard's "Negative post/PRE" from a few Saturdays ago?

24. Image on the Lebanese flag: TREE.

25. Showing gumption: FEISTY.

28. "The Low __ Theory": A Tribe Called Quest album: END ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

31. Bankroll: WAD.

32. "Shame": THAT'S TOO BAD - Standard sarcasm on Seinfeld 

35. Banker who fills and empties pockets?: POOL HUSTLER - Oh, those pockets that can be targets of banked shots! A classic, gritty b/w 1961 film that got 94% on the Tomatometer!

36. "Tell the truth": DON'T LIE TO ME.

37. Clear dishes: BUS.

38. Brief, for short: Abbr.: SYN - Meta clues are always a challenge. Brief is a SYNONYM for short

39. Disorder organizer: ANARCH - From Greek an- "not" + arkhon "ruler," meaning "leader of leaderlessness," a paradoxical term used since the 1660s for "anarchist"

42. Source of some plant-based milk: OATS.

44. Shock-absorbing component of some running shoes: GEL.

46. Branch of Islam: SHIA.

48. High winds: FLUTES.

51. Disorder organizers: NEATNIKS - A Hawkeye line from M*A*S*H

54. Liquidation event: FIRE SALE.

56. Some bees: DRONES.

57. Family time at the Y: OPEN SWIM.

58. Chestnut kin: AUBURN.

59. "Alas ... ": SAD TO SAY.

60. Outdoor tables?: MESAS 😀

Down:

1. Disappear suddenly: GO POOF.

2. Chant: INTONE.

3. "Challenge accepted!": BRING IT ON - You can be pretty 4. Willing to accept a challenge, perhaps: BOLD  from the balcony.

5. "Are we alone?" org.: SETI - A trailer for a fav movie of mine, Contact, about the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence 

6. Hosiery thread: LISLE - LISLE is a type of finish that was applied to obtain smooth and even yarns. More

7. "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" writer/illustrator Tan: AMY.

8. New Grass Revival icon Fleck: BELA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

9. One on the Mohs scale: TALC.

10. Put into law: ENACT.

11. Offensive actions online: CYBER WAR.

12. Promotion from within: HOUSE AD - A HOUSE AD refers to advertising content that a website or media outlet uses to promote itself for its own offering rather than external products or services.  

13. Figured (out): SUSSED - A skill we solvers must have

14. "__ the word": MUM'S.

19. "Updates to share?": ANYTHING.

23. Age poorly: GET STALE.

26. Takes on set: SHOTS.

27. Running figure: TALLY.

29. Off: NOT ON.

30. Stuffed dish from Turkey: DOLMA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Stuffed grape leaves

33. Perkins who co-hosted "The Great British Baking Show": SUE - Not only had I never heard of Ms. Perkins, she is no longer with the show. In the picture below, SUE is on the left.

34. People with strong opinions on draft picks?: BEER SNOBS.

35. Copped an attitude: POSTURED.

36. "Radical Optimism" singer: DUA LIPA - She, and her helpful vowels, have been on our cwd playlist for quite a while now.

37. West End smashes: BOFFOS - Indicates a big hit in London's West End theatre district

40. "Things Fall Apart" novelist Achebe: CHINUA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

41. Folks who walk on the wild side?: HIKERS 😀

43. Surgical tube: STENT.

45. Foe: ENEMY.

47. Professional gp.: ASSN.

49. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.

50. Maxims: SAWS.

52. DeVine of "The Righteous Gemstones": ADAM - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

53. "Can't argue with that": TRUE.

55. "Weetzie Bat" writer Francesca __ Block: LIA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯