Themeless Saturday by Alan Massengill & Doug Peterson
Today is the first full day of Summer as the Solstice occurred at 9;42 pm (CDT) last night when the sun was directly over the Tropic of Cancer. We will have the greatest amount of daylight and, as you see at the left, this is where you will see the sunrise on this day at Stonehenge. For us here in Nebraska, the grackles will soon be moving on from our feeders and will not be missed.
Today's puzzle by Alan (left below) and Doug has a nice wide-open grid with only 27 blocks and 102 open squares. The long grid-spanners were very "gettable" and clever fill added to the fun. Hanging on to LEGIT too long was a speed bump. My potential Natick was at _AVI/_ONCE and for some reason, NONCE made some sense for one-off and the Congratulations window came up.
Across:
1. Ocean spray?: SEA SALT.
8. Sings the blues: ACTS SAD - I chose Buck's version over Ringo's.
15. Flurry: HUSTLE AND BUSTLE.
17. Particulars from behind closed doors: INTIMATE DETAILS - She should know.
18. Capital of Cambodia: RIELS - A Big Mac in Phnom Penh, the uh, capital of Cambodia, costs 23,938 REILS
19. States: AVERS 20. __ service: LIP - He AVERS that he will back me up but it turned out to be LIP service when I needed him.
21. Space that may be kind of a lot: ACRE π
22. Signs: OMENS - Get to the basement!
23. Numbers game: KENO.
24. Really chill: ZEN.
25. Highlands estate owner: LAIRD.
26. One duo and two trios: OCTET π (1 x 2) + (2 x 3) = 2 + 6 = 8
27. Works from home?: BATS π
28. Command performances?: SALUTES - What a private has to do to a general or...
QEII and the lads after a command performance
30. Nancy, to Fritzi Ritz: NIECE - 1944 edition
32. Surveyor's support: BIPOD.
33. Game for pick-y people: LOTTERY.
35. CLE team: CAVS.
36. Final challenge, perhaps: ESSAY π I always liked multiple choices better but knew there would probably be an ESSAY question near the end
37. Spark joy in: ELATE.
39. NL players since 2022: DH'S - The National League finally started using it 49 years later.
42. Groks: GETS - We solvers grok and suss
43. No-hit performance?: B-SIDE π - Hanging onto LEGIT too long and not knowing BRITE left me starting at _ S E D E for a while. Richie Valens' La Bamba was once a B-SIDE.
44. Drink choice: NEAT - We veterans here remember Tinbeni who refused to have ice in his scotch
45. "How To Triumph Like a Girl" poet LimΓ³n: ADA ¯\_(γ)_/¯ The poem
46. New York minute: TRICE.
47. One-off: NONCE
48. "It came back to me so easily!": LIKE RIDING A BIKE.
51. "Let me worry about that": I'VE GOT IT COVERED.
52. Signified: DENOTED.
53. Text-style workers: EDITORS - A fun play on the word textile
Down:
1. Red selection: SHIRAZ - I picked up on the clue for red wine but this wine naif needed a lot of help for this variety
2. Carol Burnett character: EUNICE - Eunice and her Mama had issues
3. Toward a paddle wheel: ASTERN.
4. Steps over a wall: STILE.
5. Element of the Third Pillar of Islam: ALMS.
6. Green span: LEA.
7. Tea ceremony surfaces: TATAMIS.
The mat is called a TATAMI
8. Plus ones?: ADDENDS - This math teacher deserves a time out for trying to see this as someone who is taken as date to an event instead of...
9. Many semi pros: CBERS - I quickly saw semi as a tractor/trailer combo, good buddy!
10. Sounds of contempt: TUTS.
11. Retirement income org.: SSA.
12. Lift provider on a runway: STILETTO - I'll admit my first thought was of supportive underwear.
Can be hazardous
13. Only Top 40 hit for actor/singer Jack Wagner: ALL I NEED - It reached #2 behind Madonna's Like A Virgin
14. Tyrants: DESPOTS.
16. "Give up?" comeback: NEVER - General McAuliffe had a different way to respond to a German demand to give up in 1944.
22. Western: OATER.
23. Trademarked pods: K CUPS - I use them everyday but can't find any strong enough
25. Chabert of "Mean Girls": LACEY - She's on the left below. I did not know her name but her face was instantly familiar as my lovely bride is a big fan of her much different persona as Hallmark's Queen Of Christmas.
26. Fruit in caponata: OLIVE - Yeah, I guess it is a fruit but I usually don't thionk of it as one.
Caponata
27. Almost-ready versions: BETAS.
29. Ease up: ABATE.
30. Plummet: NOSEDIVE.
31. "Don't sit there": IT'S TAKEN - Not a pleasant chore
33. Passport, for one: LEGAL ID.
34. "Guilty as charged": YES I DID - Saying "Guilty as charged" can defuse a tense situation
35. Rhythmic flow: CADENCE - A fun way to keep it.
38. Permissible: LICIT - As I said, I had LEGAL here for way too long.
39. "Taxi Driver" Oscar nominee: DENIRO - His famous line from that movie
40. Cyberwarrior, sometimes: HACKER.
41. Lipizzans, e.g.: STEEDS - Horse lover General George Patton was instrumental in saving a large number of Lipizzans from the advancing Russians in 1945.
Good morning, campers, it’s RustyBrain. Summer
is upon us and Chairman Moe is taking some well-deserved time off.
I couldn’t find much about today’s constructor, Jeremy Venook, except he seems
to be a brilliant fellow. He’s published a number of scholarly articles, but this may
be his debut puzzle. If so, congrats! Let’s see if this one hits the spot.
17. Person who's always available to help: JOHNNY ON THE. The first themer is obviously missing SPOT, but instead is followed by a black square, i.e. a blank SPOT. Cool. JOHNNY ON THE SPOT
is a man who is there when really needed. “Johnny” (like Jack) being so common
a name it stood for “man.” Heeeere's the man:
27. Theater employee who follows the stars closely: LIGHT OPERATOR. This themer started with a black square, so I tagged SPOT onto the
beginning of LIGHT OPERATOR. A SPOTLIGHT OPERATOR uses a followspot to
keep the “stars” on stage well lit. So far, so good.
44. Portable Wi-Fi source: HOT CONNECTION. The blank SPOT on the last themer is at the end again, so HOT
CONNECTION SPOT? No, it’s a HOTSPOT CONNECTION. Turns out
the black squares were just red herrings, to me, at least. Commonly
known as a HOTSPOT, it’s a physical location or an antenna that people
use to access the
Internet, typically via Wi-Fi.
59. Comment to a less-than-thorough cleaner, or an apt title for this puzzle?: MISSED A SPOT.
The revealer is spot on! This is a common idiom, often used
jokingly, and fully explains what is happening here.
I tried to read the tea leaves hidden in the black squares, but to no
avail. The SPOT could be anywhere, which is fine. But let’s see what that
leaves us. A “LIGHT OPERATOR” is a real job. A “HOT CONNECTION” is a real
thing. A “JOHNNY ON THE” is…? I’d like the written part of the answer to be a
complete phrase on its own, then be modified by the revealer into something
fun. In the end, I guess I was looking for a little more out of a Friday.
And now, see Spot run:
Across:
1. Recklessly hasty: RASH.
5. Site that calls itself "the heart of the internet": REDDIT. I thought they were "the front page of the internet." In any case, REDDIT is a clever name suggesting "I read it" past tense.
11. Filmmaker Lee: ANG. Crossword's favorite director (don't tell Spike).
14. Fundamentals: ABCS. ABCs are the basic building blocks of many learned skills.
15. Declaration from a sure-handed player?: I RAISE. Also from a bluffer. Poker is the rare game where the best hand doesn't necessarily win.
16. __ shu pork: MOO. I like to roll my own, kinda like a Chinese fajita.
17. [Theme]
19. Total: ADD. If you "total" your car, it will ADD to your insurance premium.
20. Queerplatonic orientation, casually: ARO. ARO is the shortened version of "aromantic," which refers to individuals who experience little to no romantic attraction.
21. Lets up: EASES.
22. Narratives: TALES. Tall TALES are "yarns".
24. Stone-faced: STOLID.
26. __ and haw: HEM.
27. [Theme]
34. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" painter Hieronymus: BOSCH.
The Dutch painter's macabre imagery is often interpreted as a visual
translation of metaphors found in the Bible. I'd love to see the
original 7ft x 13ft triptych (3 panels depicting Paradise, The Garden,
and Hell) to see all the intricate details. Hard to believe it's over
500 years old!
36. Range between Europe and Asia: URALS.
37. Messenger molecule: RNA. RiboNucleic Acid, in case you want to impress someone at your next party.
38. Missouri River Native: OTOE.
39. Coke or Pepsi: BRAND. And the cola war battles on...
40. Stay out all night: CAMP. My first thought was a rave, an all-night dance event.
41. Hilton-owned hotel chain: TRU. The name came about because they leave Capote novels in the drawers instead of Gideon Bibles. TRU story.
42. Tortuga's country: HAITI. "Tortuga" is Spanish for "turtle." This island, part of HAITI, was named La Tortuga by Christopher Columbus due to its turtle-like shape.
43. Backs (away): SHIES.
44. [Theme]
47. Large deer: ELK. Similar to Moose, they often meet at a watering hole.
48. Defiant confirmation: I DID SO.
51. Lure: DECOY. I was visiting Orlando and saw this duck being
attacked by a bird. On a return visit, I noticed the duck was still
there. I guess the bird wasn't the only one fooled.
54. Gala, for one: APPLE. It wouldn't be a gala without APPLE bobbing!
57. Sprite: ELF.
58. Mined material: ORE.
59. [Theme]
62. The Brewers, in box scores: MIL. The Milwaukee baseball team, named after "the beer that made Milwaukee famous,"
sorta. CC knows much more about this than I do (about baseball, not
drinking). Anyway, they have a clever logo using their initials to look
like a glove.
63. Real __: ESTATE.
64. Browser button: HOME.
65. Long fish with no pelvic fins: EEL. One of many ways to clue this popular x-word fish.
66. Invisible pollution: NOISES. Good clue. Have I mentioned that RightBrain and I hate going to noisy restaurants?
67. Alma mater of many British prime ministers: ETON.
Down:
1. Indian royals: RAJAS.
2. Call off, as a mission: ABORT.
3. Cry at the beginning of summer break: SCHOOL'S OUT. When the
kids were young, I cued up the Alice Cooper song and played it when they
walked in the door on the last day. We'd dance a silly jig and it
became an annual tradition, because that's what cool dads do (or so I'm
told).
4. Sales channel: HSN. Home Shopping Network, which I now call "Amazon."
5. Capital of Saudi Arabia: RIYADH. Awesome skyline.
6. Greek matchmaker: EROS.
7. Great __: DANE.
8. Morse taps: DITS. DITS and dahs are dots and dashes. Ta da!
9. "Or so": ISH. ~ (see TILDES below).
10. Wavers: TEETERS.
11. International lawyer Clooney: AMAL. Seen here with her little-known husband.
12. Lymph __: NODE.
13. Deities: GODS.
18. Speak horse-ly: NEIGH. I used to live next to a horse farm. They were noisy NEIGHbors.
23. Tell-all sesh on 5-Across: AMA. Sesh is short for session, so on REDDIT, AMA is short for Ask Me Anything.
25. Targets of insecticidal shampoo: LICE. I have a nit to pick with this one.
26. Contained: HELD.
28. Shrouded locale?: TURIN. This relic, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus, is shrouded in mystery.
29. Speechify: ORATE.
30. Lose one's cool: PANIC.
31. End of the line: TRAIN DEPOT. Actually, a DEPOT can be
anywhere along the line, the one at the end is the "terminal." Here's
one at local Tradewinds Park that we frequented when the kids were
little. The models are one-eighth life-size and the track is over a mile
long! Note: this isn't Gulliver's family traveling, it's the trains that are
small.
32. "I'm buying": ON ME. My two favorite words (when someone else says them).
33. Performs like Ice Spice: RAPS.
34. Ideal option for the indecisive: BOTH. The eternal question - like Coke vs. Pepsi.
35. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO. Today's lecciΓ³n de espaΓ±ol (Spanish lesson).
39. Rely (on): BANK.
40. "Parasite" star Woo-shik: CHOI. I also saw him in the zombie
thriller "Train to Busan." South Korea is producing a lot of popular
movies, TV and music these days.
42. Some saints: HOLY MEN.
43. Record half: SIDE A. Had to wait to see which side we were on.
45. Corp. VIP: CEO. A Chief Executive Officer is a Very Important Person, that's why he/she is worth 1000 times more than everyone else?
46. Symbols indicating similarity, in geometry: TILDES. In mathematics, TILDES (~) often indicate "approximately" or "about." For example, "~20" would mean "approximately 20".
49. Sportscast tech: SLO-MO. Sloooow Mooootion...
50. Over and over: OFTEN. Not this one again!
51. Common mosque feature: DOME. A DOME, called qubba in Arabic,
can improve the acoustics within the mosque, helping the Imam's voice
resonate effectively. The onion-shaped ones are especially beautiful.
52. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. Hint: it's the four-letter one.
53. Nucleus holder: CELL. Wanted "atom" at first.
54. Italian bubbly: ASTI.
55. Unpaid TV ads: PSAS. Public Service Announcements.
56. Mets slugger Alonso: PETE. The 6'-3" first baseman is nicknamed "Polar Bear." I'm not sure why.
60. Equi- kin: ISO. An equilateral triangle has three equal length sides, while an ISOsceles triangle has just two.
Theme: I GET A ROUND. The first word of each theme entry homophonically represents a factor in the formula for the circumference of a circle.
And, in honor of Brian Wilson, who left us a few days ago, here is today's theme song.
17 A. Annoyingly shrewd: TOO CLEVER BY HALF. A bit of smart-assery, perhaps. Note the first word.
37 A. Unrealistic enterprise: PIE IN THE SKY. Something that is pleasant to contemplate but is very unlikely to be realized. Note the first word.
I hated this song when it came out in 1959, but it was very popular, so I must be wrong.
Yeah - I still hate it.
42 A. "Hello?": ARE YOU THERE? A common phrase used to check if someone is present, listening, or available to respond. Note the first word.
58 A. Returns to the beginning, as suggested by the phonetic formula found at the starts of 17-, 37-, and 42-Across: COMES FULL CIRCLE. Returns to a past position or situation, especially in a way considered to be inevitable. Or more literally, scopes the circumference.
OK. Let's put this together [Nobody promised there wouldn't be any math.]. And I won't give you the run around. The formula for the circumference of a circle is 2*Ο*r, phonetically represented here by TOO, PIE and ARE. The value of Ο is 3.14159 and r is the radius. Thus, we COME FULL CIRCLE. But wait -- there's more!
24 D. Sundial three, and a loose depiction of the last part of the geometry formula hinted at in this puzzle: III. To understand this subtle clue, you have to think about the center of the grid in a way that is literally figurative. Note that the black squares inscribe a circle about as perfectly as can be done in this medium. The vertical I-I-I then represents a radius [r] of that circle. I have seldom been this impressed by a puzzle feature. Bravo!
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to lead us on this circuitous route.
Across:
1. Package closer: TAPE. Sticky ribbon that seals the box shut.
5. Closed, as drapes: DREW. I drew my drapes, then drew my bath, then put away my colored pencils.
9. Skilled: ABLE. Having a certain skill set.
13. "You beat me": I LOSE. Concession of defeat.
15. Second helping: MORE. If the first wasn't enough.
16. Place for some finger painting?: NAIL. Clever clue, leading us to a nail salon.
22. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob: PETTIT. Robert Lee Pettit Jr. [b. 1932] is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks. In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award and he won the award again in 1959. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times.
26. Reunion attendees: AUNTS. Mom's or dad's sisters.
30. Wine shop order: CASE. A box, usually of 12 bottles.
33. __ away from: SHIES. Avoids something because of fear, nervousness, or dislike.
35. SeaWorld performer: SEAL. Any of numerous carnivorous marine mammals (families Phocidae and Otariidae) that live chiefly in cold regions and have limbs modified into webbed flippers adapted primarily to swimming.
36. Invoice no.: AMT. Amount, per item, and total due.
39. Singer Flack: ROBERTA. Roberta Cleopatra Flack [1937-2025] was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm radio format. She also won record of the year for 1973 and '74. Sadly, she left us in February.
This might be her most famous song.
41. Tried to win over: COURTED. Attempted to win someone's favor, affection, or attention, often with the intent of forming a romantic or committed relationship. It can also mean to try to please or improve relations with someone, often to achieve a specific goal.
44. London facilities: LOO. What we politely call the rest room or comfort station. I would have clued this as "John in London."
45. Grow dim: FADE. Lose luster, strength or brightness.
46. Pink perennial: PEONY. Peonies are a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Paeoniaceae, and are known for their large, showy flowers. They are popular garden plants, especially in temperate regions, and are also widely cultivated as cut flowers. They come in a wide range of colors, including red, pink, purple, white, and yellow.
47. __ shui: FENG. An ancient Chinese practice focusing on aligning environments with the natural world to promote harmony and balance. It involves arranging objects and spaces to optimize the flow of qi (vital energy). The practice aims to create a positive and beneficial environment for occupants.
48. To-be: ELECT. In politics, a candidate who hs been elected, but not yet inaugurated.
50. Not wholesale: RETAIL. Wholesale is the pricing level used between suppliers and commercial sellers. The sellers' pricing is retail.
52. Chest bone: RIB. Each of a series of slender curved bones articulated in pairs to the spine (twelve pairs in humans), protecting the thoracic cavity and its organs.
54. MLB sluggers: RBI MEN. Batters who generate RBIs [runs batted in] This is accurately descriptive, but I'm not aware of this as an in-the-language phrase.
64. Mystique: AURA. The distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place.
65. Like the center space on a bingo card: FREE. Purpose: The free space acts like a "wild" square or a "joker". It doesn't have a number, but it's automatically considered marked for all players from the start of the game. It's free in the sense that player did nothing to earn it
66. Wild guesses: STABS. Making attempts or tries, especially when you might not be very confident about succeeding. It implies a willingness to try despite potential challenges or lack of certainty. This describes me playing Wordle.
67. Hat part: BRIM. The projecting edge at the bottom of a hat.
68. __ machine: SLOT. A coin-operated gaming machine that generates random combinations of symbols on a dial, certain combinations winning varying amounts of money for the player.
69. "Make it snappy!": STAT. Without delay : immediately — used chiefly in medicine. Get this patient to the operating room, stat!
Down:
1. Salsa star Nieves: TITO. Humberto "Tito" Nieves [b. 1958] is a Puerto Rican-born, bilingual salsa singer and actor with a career spanning over four decades. Born in RΓo Piedras, Puerto Rico, Nieves started his professional career in 1975 with Orquesta CimarrΓ³n, replacing Rafael De Jesus.
2. Saag __: spinach and potatoes dish: ALOO. Saag aloo is a popular Indian and Pakistani side dish made with saag (a variety of greens, including mustard greens), potatoes and spices.
3. Hotel amenity: POOL. For swiming.
4. Slip away: ESCAPE. Break free from confinement or control.
5. Real ID issuer: DMV. Department of Motor Vehicles.
6. Caviar: ROE. Processed eggs from a large fish, such as a sturgeon, considered a delicacy. I had shad roe once. Once.
7. Drop the ball: ERR. Fail to complete something, or live up to expectations.
8. Halloween decor: WEBS. Suggestive of spiders.
9. Busch brewing partner: ANHEUSER. Famous for their horses.
10. Call to Bo Peep: BAA. They cried out, sheepishly.
11. Short, for short: LI'L. So to speak
12. One with a pole position?: ELF. North pole laborer. Well played!
14. Allure competitor: ELLE. Fashion magazines
18. Falls for something hook, line, and sinker: EATS IT UP. Something fishy here. Still - going for something in a big way. Alternatively, enjoying something immensely, like attention or entertainment
19. Favorable vote: YEA. As opposed to neigh - the usual response from horses.
23. Staging area: THEATER. Usually this means a location in which people, vehicles, equipment, or material are assembled before use. Here it a place where plays are produced. Clever mis-direction.
25. Like paperback novels, once: TEN CENT. Once, long, long ago, they cost one thin dime. But not any time in my memory, and I'm old.
27. Toll House chocolate chips maker: NESTLE. A Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 2014
28. Acquire: TAKE ON. Take on has many meanings, from hire an employee to accept a task or meet an adversary, to accept a thing or responsibility.
Marginally relevant. Maybe.
29. Foxy one: SLY DOG. A person who is very secretive and sly about their activities, though the creatures in the clue and fill are both canines.
30. Wine bar order: CARAFE. An open-topped glass flask typically used for serving wine or water.
31. Unprincipled: AMORAL. Lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something.
32. "Venerable" monk of Eng. history: ST. BEDE. Bede [672-735] was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages,
34. Multiepisode narrative: STORY ARC. This is inexact. It is the overarching structure and progression of a story, guiding the sequence of events and plot progression. It can also relate to a single episode of a TV series, a movie, novel or even a short story.
37. Maven: PRO. One with expertise in a certain field.
38. Tinge: HUE. Tinge refers to a slight degree of coloration in something, while hue is a specific color or shade. They don't seem equivalent.
40. Application for crow's-feet: EYE CREAM. A specialized skincare product formulated to target the delicate skin around the eyes.
43. Turn the soil: HOE. To labor with a long-handled gardening tool having a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding and breaking up soil. Careful, though - Santa might laugh at you.
47. Toys (with): FLIRTS. Behaves as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions. Seems rather heartless.
49. Poetic contraction: 'TIS. Meaning "It is."
51. Everglades bird: IBIS. A large wading bird with a long down-curved bill, long neck, and long legs.
53. Lifetime pals, briefly: BFFS. Best Friends Forever
55. Future doc's exam: MCAT. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized, computer-based exam used by medical schools in the United States and Canada to assess applicants' problem-solving, critical thinking, and scientific knowledge.
56. Idris of "The Wire": ELBA. Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE [b. 1972] is an English actor and musician. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.
57. Twigs digs: NEST. A domicile constructed from small tree parts? It's for the birds!
58. Uber alternative: CAB. Modes of urban vehicular transportation - the modern and the traditional. Either way, you pay.
59. First word of the Lord's Prayer: OUR. I think we all know this.
60. Source of inside info?: MRI. An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the body's organs and tissues - the "inside information."
62. Sign for most of August: LEO. The fifth sign of the zodiac, typically spans from July 23rd to August 22nd. It's associated with the constellation Leo and is symbolized by the lion. Leos are known for their confidence, charisma, and natural leadership abilities. They are often described as passionate, loyal, and creative individuals.
63. Tennis call: LET. A "let" occurs when a serve hits the net but still lands within the service box. This results in the serve being replayed, according to various tennis resources. Essentially, a let means the point is replayed, offering the server a second chance at serving.
And with that, we have come FULL CIRCLE.
As usual, I had my nits, but overall, this is a superb puzzle.
Special thanks to those gave me technical and temporal assistance. You know who you are.
If you're in Plymouth, MI this evening, come to the Concert Band Performance at 7:00 pm in Kellogg Park. Say hi to me before or after, and I'll buy you an ice cream.
The weekend is almost upon us. Hope we all get around to having some fun.
Surprise! NaomiZ here on a wonderful Wednesday. Constructor Emet Ozar enriches the crossword grid with circles to help us find various types of gardens hidden in the long entries.
My native plant garden is for the birds! This Northern Mockingbird enjoys eating elderberries.
24-Across. Baseball overtime: EXTRA INNINGS. Rain garden.
41-Across. Heavy-duty material for cutting boards: BUTCHER BLOCK. Herb garden.
55-Across. Frances Hodgson Burnett novel set at a country estate, or an apt title for this puzzle: THE SECRET GARDEN.
Let's dig into the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:
1. Trash receptacle: CAN.
4. Stringed instrument: HARP.
8. Some med. scans: MRIs. Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.
12. Just slightly: A TAD.
14. Large paper format: FOLIO. Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing. Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages. Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.
The hands give you an idea of the size of Shakespeare's first folio.
15. Number two: AIDE. The boss is number one; his aide is number two.
16.[Theme clue]
19. "Let You Love Me" singer: RITA ORA. Everything I know about Rita Ora, I've learned in the Crossword Corner.
20. Pet restraint: TETHER.
21. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI. Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist. She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).
23. __ Bradley bags: VERA. Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.
Vera Bradley bags
24. [Theme clue]
29. Predatory insect: MANTIS.
Praying Mantis preying on a lizard.
32. Pa: DAD.
33. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.
34. Vote into office: ELECT.
35. 100%: ALL.
36. Greek fabulist: AESOP. Fabulist: a person who composes or relates fables.
38. Cured fish often topped with capers and lemon: LOX.
39. Aaron Judge stat: RBI. Aaron Judge is a right fielder for the New York Yankees. He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League MVP Award winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season.
Aaron Judge
40. Reveries: DREAMS.
41. [Theme clue]
45. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA.
46. 3-Down signatory: Abbr.: USA. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and took effect on January 1, 1994. NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations. It was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, 2020.
47. Trans- opposite: CIS. Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender. The term is the opposite of transgender, which refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.
50. Tribute at a memorial: EULOGY.
53. New Mexico's "The City Different": SANTA FE. Santa Fe combines a number of Southwestern cultures and has a lively art scene. It adopted "The City Different" moniker in the early 1900s.
The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe was the seat of government for New Mexico from 1610 to 1901.
55. [Theme clue]
58. Outstanding: A-ONE.
59. Flood-protection structure: LEVEE.
60. Affirmative votes: YEAS.
61. The one there: THAT.
62. "When will you __ learn?": EVER.
63. Italian three: TRE.
Down:
1. Core group: CADRE.
2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.
3. Commerce pact until 2020: NAFTA. See 46-Across for more information.
4. Bloviator's excess: HOT AIR. A bloviator is someone who talks at length in a pompous or boastful way, often saying very little of substance. The idiom "hot air" refers to empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk that does not reflect real intentions.
5. Foamy fare: ALE.
6. Small inlet: RIA.
7. Foreshadow: PORTEND.
8. Island cocktail: MAI TAI. Composed of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat (an almond syrup), the Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture.
Does anyone else remember Kelbo's tiki restaurant on Pico in West LA? My ex and I once enjoyed a big blue cocktail in a large bowl with two straws.
9. Loaded with cream, say: RICH.
10. Taking it easy: IDLE.
11. Crystal ball consulter: SEER.
13. Domingo, for one: DΓA. Domingo is Spanish for Sunday. DΓa is Spanish for day.
14. Noteworthy events: FIRSTS.
17. Warning sign on a door: NO EXIT.
18. Coastal flyer: TERN. Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.
I took this photo of Long-billed Terns in the Amazon River.
23. Apothecary container: VIAL.
24. List-ending abbr.: ETC.
25. Speak off-the-cuff: AD LIB.
26. Moon landing org.: NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
27. Grab, with "on to": GLOM. "Glom onto" is an informal American English phrasal verb that means to take something for one's own use, become strongly attached to something, or become aware of something. It can also mean to grab hold of something or to latch onto an idea or person.
28. Dainty tastes: SIPS.
29. Singer also known as Scary Spice: MEL B. Melanie Brown, known as Mel B, is an English singer, actress, author, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed "Scary Spice" for her energetic stage presence.
Mel B in 2025
30. Baseball family name: ALOU.
31. Deli counter cry: NEXT.
35. Syllables in an incantation: ABRA. Abracadabra is a magical incantation whose origin is a matter of debate.
36. Tarot card group: ARCANA. Tarot cards are generally divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
52. "The Chi" creator Waithe: LENA. Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter from Chicago. She is the creative force behind the Showtime drama series The Chi, set in her hometown, and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties.
Lena Waithe
54. Push to the limit: TRY. As in, the barking dogs try my patience.
56. Put the pedal to the metal: REV.
57. Precursor to a big event: EVE.
Here's the grid, but look out for an error! 35-Across should show ALL, not ALI:
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