Tuesday July 22, 2025 Ed Sessa

Let Them Eat Cake!  Although this phrase is attributed to Marie Antoinette, there is no historical evidence that she actually said this.  Today's puzzle was Easy as Pie.

20-Across. Indonesian archipelago now known as the Moluccas: SPICE ISLANDS.  Spice Islands is also name of a company that sells spices and herbs.  The Spice Islands are also known as Malaku or the Moluccas.

27-Across. Thorny garden flowers: TEA ROSES.  Tea roses are named for the fragrance of their flowers.  They are said to smell like a cup of freshly brewed tea.

35-Across. Shake, rattle, and roll at a concert: ROCK OUT.

45-Across. Absorb, as spilled milk: SPONGE UP.

And the unifier:

51-Across. "Nothing to it!," and what each circled letter literally is?: A PIECE OF CAKE.  Each circle is a Piece of the word CAKE.  We get SpiCe Cake, TeA Cake, RocK Cake, and SpongE Cake.  I think Rock Cakes are more like cookies.

Here's the Grid so you can see all the Pieces of Cake scattered about the puzzle.

Scottish Rock Cakes

There were a lot of names in today's puzzle, but they were all pretty easy to suss out.

Across:

1. Marx brother known for silent gags: HARPO.  The comedic Marx brothers make occasional appearances in the puzzles.  There were five brothers known for their vaudeville acts and movies.  Harpo Marx (né Adolph Marx; Nov. 23, 1988 ~ Sept. 28, 1964) was the second-oldest brother and rarely spoke but was known for blowing a horn.  He also was known for playing the harp, hence, his name.  [Name # 1.]

6. Laborious process: SLOG.

10. In style: CHIC.

14. "Rush Rush" singer Paula: ABDUL.  Paula Julie Abdul (b. June 19, 1962) got her start as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers.  [Name # 2.]

15. Uncontaminated: PURE.

16. Walesa of Poland's Solidarity movement: LECH.  In the late 1970s, Lech Wałęsa (b. Sept. 29, 1943) co-founded the Solidarity trade-union in Poland.  He later served as the President of Poland from December 1990 to December 1995.  He was award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.  [Name # 3.]

17. Burn with steam: SCALD.

18. Recedes slowly: EBBS.

19. __ Day vitamins: ONE-A-.

23. "Fiddlesticks!": OH, DARN!

26. Targeted, with "at": TOOK AIM.

30. Mardi Gras, for one: FEST.  Mardi Gras is early next year.  It falls on February 17, 2026.

31. Alpo rival: IAMS.  It is pet food for dogs, cats, rabbits, etc.

32. Tire inflation abbr.: PSI.  As in Pounds per Square Inch.

33. Currency of Montreal and Toronto: Abbr.: CAD.  As in the Canadian Dollar.  As of this writing, the Canadian Dollar is worth $0.73 US Dollars.  It is very colorful money.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

34. Fuel additive brand: STP.

37. Six-pack in a gym: ABs.  Abdominal Muscles are a crossword staple.

40. Vietnamese New Year: TET.  In 2026, the Vietnamese New Year falls on February 17.  It just happens to coincide with Mardi Gras.  It, too, would be considered a FEST.

41. Move like a kangaroo: HOP.

42. "Enchanted" girl in a fantasy comedy: ELLA.  [Name # 4, Fictional.]

43. Lab container: VIAL.

47. Blown sign of affection: AIR KISS.

50. Hybrid big cats: LIGERS.  A Liger is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger.  Did you know that if the mother is a lion and the father is a tiger, the offspring is known as a Tigon?

54. Egg container: NEST.

55. Soon, to Shakespeare: ANON.

56. Most suitable: IDEAL.

60. Teen sleuth Nancy: DREW.  Nancy Drew has been around since 1930.  I read a lot of Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a kid.  [Name # 5, fictional.]

61. Diet-friendly, on labels: LITE.  //  And 22-Down. Diet-friendly, on labels: LO-FAT.

62. Sculpture trunk: TORSO.

63. Canadian gas brand: ESSO.  Everything you wanted to know about Esso, but didn't know to ask.  Another shout out to Canadian, Eh!

64. Glaswegian, e.g.: SCOT.  Someone from Glasgow, Scotland is called a Glaswegian.

65. Feeling of dread: ANGST.

Down:

1. "Everything __ Changed": Taylor Swift song: HAS.

2. Alphabet starter: ABC.

3. Food stat: RDA.  As in Recommended Dietary Allowance.

4. Some neutron stars and analog watches: PULSARS.  What exactly are Pulsars?

5. Seasoned vet: OLD PRO.

6. Architectural detail, for short: SPEC.

7. Jiffy __: chain that specializes in oil changes: LUBE.

8. Once around the world: ORBIT.

9. Artist's primer: GESSO.  Not a Tuesday word.  Gesso prepares the surface for painting, making the surface slightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint. Without gesso, the paint would soak into the weave of the canvas.

10. Concealed: CLOAKED.

11. Reddish brown dyes used in body art: HENNAS.

12. Clinched the win: ICED IT.

13. Deep divide: CHASM.

21. Trendy place: IN SPOT.

23. R&B legend Redding: OTIS.  Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (Sept. 9, 1941 ~ Dec. 10, 1967) tragically died at age 26 in a plane crash.  [Name # 6.]

24. Frozen food directive: HEAT.

25. Like clothes put out to dry: DAMP.

28. Key near F1: ESC.

29. Many Punjabis: SIKHS.  A religion primarily practiced in the Punjab region of Southeast Asia.

33. Rounded roof: CUPOLA.

35. Artifact: RELIC.

36. Alley-__ pass: OOP.

37. Not aweather: ALEE.

38. Hazy shape: BLUR.

39. Drains: SAPS.

40. Second try on a movie set: TAKE TWO.

42. Encouraged: EGGED ON.

43. Venomous snakes: VIPERS.

44. Spring blooms with beards: IRISES.

Vincent Van Gogh was famous for his paintings of Irises.

46. Soviet premier Khrushchev: NIKITA.  Nikita Khrushchev (Apr. 15, 1894 ~ Sept. 11, 19971) was the first Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.  He served from 1953 to 1964.  Did he really bang a shoe on a desk at the United Nations?   [Name # 7.]

47. "Hoarders" airer: A AND E.  Usually depicted as A&E.

48. Aquatic barkers: SEALS.

49. Hedgehog mascot of Sega: SONIC.

52. Picture, informally: FOTO.

53. Gadget review site: C-NET.

57. Unit of energy: ERG.

58. Biblical beast: ASS.  You can read about of Balaam and his talking donkey in the Book of Numbers (Chapters 22-24).

59. Valet's milieu: LOT.

חתולה

Monday July 21, 2025 Zachary David Levy

  

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Today's theme is:  

Constructor Zachary David Levy gives us four themed clues and an earworm reveal that might very well stick with you all day. Let's take a closer look:

17 Across. Film edition typically longer than its theatrical release: EXTENDED CUT.

EXTENDED FAMILY are relatives beyond a nuclear family such as grandparents and cousins.

24 Across. Big name in nonprescription reading glasses: FOSTER GRANT.  

A FOSTER FAMILY provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their biological parents due to various circumstances.

39 Across. Opinion formed when shaking hands, perhaps: FIRST IMPRESSION.

The FIRST FAMILY is the family of the president of the United States.  

49 Across. Wrestling event with a series of combatants: ROYAL RUMBLE.  This is a WWE event available on pay-per-view.

A ROYAL FAMILY is an EXTENDED FAMILY with titles. 

62 Across. Sister Sledge classic whose second line is "I got all my sisters with me," and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 39-, and 49-Across: WE ARE FAMILY.

The starts of the themed clues are all types of families. Works for me!

Here is the song from 1979:  

Yes, the four singers in Sister Sledge are real sisters! 

Their names are Joni, Kim, Debbie, and Kathy Sledge.

Next we'll look at the members of this FAMILY grid seated at the kiddie table:

Across:

1. Sounds from a chicken coop: CLUCKS.   Here you go....

7. Spew forth, as oil: GUSH.  

It's a GUSHer!

11. Cleverness: WIT.  WITty clues are appreciated.

14. Sell every last copy: RUN OUT.  ... as in "Did the newsstand RUN OUT of copies of today's paper?"

15. Not for: ANTI.  ANTI can be a stand-alone word or a prefix.

16. Slip up: ERR.  To ERR in the Tour de France peloton (large group of riders) can have disastrous outcomes as seen in this crash from Stage 7. We later learned that Joao Almeida from Portugal broke a rib in this crash. He continued to ride but ultimately left the race during Stage 9. This was a tough blow since he placed 4th in last year's Tour and was the #2 man in this year's top-seeded team. 

19. Female sheep: EWE.

20. Performing: DOING.  ... as in "She is performing a tracheotomy."

21. Mardi Gras city nickname: NOLA.  New Orleans, LA  

House of the Rising Sun     ~     The Animals     ~     1964

<The authorship of this traditional folk song is uncertain.>

22. Et __: and others: ALIA.  Latin  

23. Mine output: ORE.  What's mine is (y)OREs.

27. "I inhaled it!": YUM.  Perhaps the clue writer was thinking:  "It tasted so delicious that I ate it all up quickly."

28. Little kiddos: TOTS.     and     33 Down. Little scoundrel: IMP.

29. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.  I had an advantage on yesterday's puzzle because I had already researched this for today's blog. Mame is a Broadway musical based on a 1955 novel entitled Auntie Mame. Angela Lansbury played Mame Dennis in 1966. The song We Need a Little Christmas is from that musical.

Auntie and 11-Down are Easter eggs.

32. Courteous: NICE.

36. Dance venue with a mirror ball: DISCO.  

This one cracks me up!

42. Scent: AROMA.

43. British baby stroller: PRAM.

44. French head: TÊTE.     and     55 Down. French "Hi": SALUT.  

45. Café au __: LAIT.  ... more French. This time we have a coffee with hot milk added.

47. Anger: IRE.

54. PC "oops" key: ESC.  One might use the ESC key to close an unwanted window.

57. "Your Friends & Neighbors" actor Jon: HAMM.  I was unfamiliar with this show. It first aired this past April on Apple TV+.

58. Insurance co. for mil. families: USAA.  To take out a policy with USAA, one must be a current or past military member or their FAMILY member.

59. "Inside Out" studio: PIXAR.  I was unfamiliar with this 2015 animated film. 

61. Medium's claim, for short: ESP.  

64. Sundial three: III.

65. Busy, busy, busy: AT IT.  

66. Increasingly rare web access method: DIAL-UP.  

I sometimes wonder what "latest tech"
will soon seem terribly outdated.

67. Surveillance org.: NSA.  Perps inform us on whether it will be CIA or NSA.

68. Gets into, as clothes: DONS.  🎵 "DON we now our gay apparel...." 🎵

69. "BoJack Horseman" voice actor Will: ARNETT.  I have not seen this one either. BoJack Horseman was an animated Netflix TV show for adult audiences that ran from 2014-2020. I do know Will Arnett from his Smartless podcast. He is quick-WITted.

Down:

1. Set of beliefs: CREDO.

2. Pyramid-shaped hotel in Las Vegas: LUXOR.  Every time I Google something about Las Vegas for this blog, I get Vegas ads on my computer for weeks.

3. Open, as a knot: UNTIE.  Or, as those of us who are spelling-challenged might say, "Open, as a not: unite."

4. "Fargo" filmmakers Ethan and Joel: COEN.  These brothers wrote, directed, produced, and edited this 1996 movie.  BTW, I did see this movie ... and liked it a lot!

5. Martial art practiced by a panda in an animated franchise: KUNG FU.  "Kung Fu Panda" rings a bell but I somehow missed seeing these movies, too.

6. Time zone wd.: STD.  word and standard

7. Actress Gal: GADOT.  (b. April 30, 1985)  her IMDb page

8. Dad's brother: UNCLE.  Easter egg!!!

9. E.B. White's "__ Little": STUART.  (1899 - 1995)  E.B. White was born in Mount Vernon, New York. His three most popular children's books are Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte's Web (1952), and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970).

10. Punch: HIT.  If you watched Saturday morning cartoons in 1975, you might remember this commercial:  

11. Little girl, in the Highlands: WEE LASSIE.

12. "Crocodile Hunter" Steve: IRWIN.  (1962 - 2006)  He was an Australian TV personality who hosted a show on Animal Planet. His untimely death was caused by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary in the Great Barrier Reef.

13. Pay for: TREAT.

18. Nav. rank: ENS.  Naval and ensign

22. Adept performer: ARTISTE.  What is the difference between and artist and an ARTISTE?

25. Potent prefix: OMNI-.  Def.:  universally.

26. Divine beings: GODS.

27. Polite affirmation: YES MA'AM.  An 18-Down might say this to an adjuster at 58-Across.

29. Painter's deg.: MFA.  degree and Master of Fine Arts

30. Run on TV: AIR.  If you RUN OUT of clues, you might have to reuse a word from the grid.

31. Bodybuilding competition for men since 1965: MR. OLYMPIA.  This one was in the punchbowl because I remembered that Arnold Schwarzenegger was one. He won six years in a row from 1970 to 1975 then again in 1980.  

1971

34. EMT skill: CPR.  

35. Notable time: ERA.

37. Camper's bed: COT.  This RV bed takes camping up a notch.  

38. Single: ONE.     and     62 Down. Bundle of dollars: WAD.

40. Kite extension: TAIL.  I wanted to pair this with 56-Down but it was the wrong type of tale.

41. Actor Jannings: EMIL.  (1884-1950)  He was a Swiss-German actor. Hollywood historians would know him for sure. 

46. Always there for: TRUE TO.

48. Put back together: REPAIR.

49. Deutschland river: RHEIN.  Native spellings are used in the clue and, therefore, in the answer.

50. Caravan refuge: OASIS.

51. Sprinter Bolt: USAIN.  (b. Aug. 21, 1986)  In 2025 he became Jamaica's global tourism ambassador.  

52. Small shops: MARTS.

53. Sweetie: BAE.

54. Kick out: EXILE.  

"An English sea captain being asked if he had read The Exile of Erin replied, 'No, sir, but I should like to anchor on it.' Years afterwards, when he had been hanged as a pirate after a career of unparalleled atrocities, the following memorandum was found in the ship's log that he had kept at the time of his reply, 'Aug. 3d, 1842. Made a joke on the ex-Ile of Erin. Coldly received. War with the whole world!'"

56. Burial chamber: CRYPT.  

60. Somali-born supermodel: IMAN.  (b. July 25, 1955)  Happy almost-70th birthday to IMAN!  🎂

63. HHS agency: FDA.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is abbreviated, so is the Food and Drug Administration.

The Grid

That's all for this FAMILY reunion. Wishing everyone a pleasant week ahead!