Friday August 1, 2025 Kyle Beakley & David Levinson Wilk

Here's the ghost of Chairman present - as envisioned by RustyBrain. Two Friday's down; one to Moe!

Kyle Beakley is a TV writer who has teamed up with 30-year veteran constructor David Levinson Wilk, who also writes for TV. I may not be the sharpest spoon in the drawer, but I'll bet they met working on a TV show. 

The theme of this one is easy in retrospect, but hard to describe. Each answer is an unclued famous battle. Hidden inside circles(!) is the actual answer. The list of battles made for a rather somber puzzle. With Purple Heart Day coming up on August 7th, let's remember the brave men and women who have been wounded or killed in action while serving in the U.S. military.

31. With 42-Across, encouraging words to someone making a good effort, and an apt description of this puzzle's circled letters: THAT'S HALF THE BATTLE. The revealer is stretched across two lines, and informs us that some sort of battle is involved. Cleverly, exactly HALF the letters of each themer are circled to form the clued word. HATS off for finding four battles that hide words that fit this constraint.

17. Zooplankton eaten by whales: BUNKER HILL. → KRILL. The Battle of BUNKER HILL, Mass. is from the American Revolutionary War - June 17, 1775.

25. Berets, bonnets, etc.: HASTINGS. → HATS. The Battle of HASTINGS was between Norman-French and English Anglo-Saxons - October 14, 1066.

52. More than a few: NORMANDY. → MANY. The Battle of NORMANDY was an Allied invasion of German-occupied France during World War II, beginning on June 6, 1944 (D-Day).

59. Art museum named for an oil magnate: GETTYSBURG. → GETTY. The Battle of GETTYSBURG, PA was a turning point in the American Civil War - July1-3, 1863.

While I appreciate the symmetry of the revealer in the center, I prefer the "aha" moment to be at the end, assuming I haven't figured it out already. In this case, I was at sea with 17A, wanting Beluga kill or something. Then, with the start of 25A in place, I wanted Hat ___ or Haberdash, and moved on. Nothing fit until the revealer, when it became obvious. Unfortunately, once I knew the trick, I filled in all the circles (the clues were very straightforward) and that immediately led to their matching battle. If the reveler had been at the end, it would have made for a tougher Friday. 

Battling on:

Across:

1. Pyramid city with the Great Sphinx: GIZA. Pyramid game with the Great Strahan: Hollywood.

5. Carry (off): CART. This is a grocery CART, unless you're from the South, then it's a buggy.

9. Border: EDGE.

13. Full house components, perhaps: ACES. The infamous "Dead Man's Hand" would be a full house if jacks were wild. 

14. See-through dish: ASPIC. I don't find the see-through aspect of aspic appealing.

16. Shelved item: BOOK.

17. [theme]

19. Hidden mic: WIRE. This one bugged me.

20. Waste time: DALLY.

21. Make a beeline for: DASH TO. These are a little different. When I dash to the store, I don't necessarily travel in a straight line. But close enough for crosswords.

23. Sidewalk artist's supply: CHALK. I'm always amazed by the talents of these street artists and their willingness to create such temporary showpieces.

25. [theme]

27. Belafonte song starter: DAY-O. "Daylight come and me wanna go home."

28. Educational ad: PSA. Public Service Announcement.

30. Didn't play: SAT OUT. I had a radio that SAT OUT in the rain. It didn't play after that.

31. [theme]

34. Banister post: NEWEL. If you're lucky enough to have two of these, the second one is called a re-NEWEL post.

35. Email pioneer: AOL. My oldest brother still uses his American On Line account. If it ain't broke...

36. Snack brand based in Hanover, Pennsylvania: UTZ. Ruining appetites before dinner for over 100 years (according to moms everywhere).

38. "Forrest Gump" role, for short: LT. DAN. Although various CGI effects were used to erase Lieutenant DAN's legs, some scenes used a modified wheelchair with a slanted seat so actor Gary Sinise could fold his legs underneath.

42. [theme]

48. Some silver cups: AWARDS. Get some plates, too, so you can have tea and scones.

50. St. with 14 HBCUs: ALA. ALAbama is home to the most Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There are 101 HBCUs in total, mostly in the South.

51. Shoe support: HEEL. 

52. [theme]

54. Full-bosomed: BUXOM. I'd better leave this one up to your imagination.

55. Sunflower shade: YELLOW. Flowers are safe though. Yes, I can show you flowers.

56. Gush: SPURT.

58. Mexican coin: PESO.

59. [theme]

63. Info in a bank: DATA. Here's DATA in a snow bank.

64. City served by Incheon International Airport: SEOUL. Located in the capital of South Korea, Incheon is one of the busiest airports in the world. In addition to outstanding architecture, it features indoor gardens, a golf course, spa, ice skating rink, casino, a video game center and a museum. That would take some of the sting out of a cancelled flight!

65. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's lake: ERIE. The R&R HOF is in Cleveland, Ohio. "Ain't never been there, they tell me it's nice." - Joe Walsh (inducted in 1988 with the Eagles).

66. Three-time AL MVP in the 2000s: AROD. Heeee's back...great players with short nicknames will be with us forever!

67. Fossil, perhaps: BONE.

68. Comedian Foxx: REDD. The popular actor and stand-up comedian was know for his raunchy nightclub act. Amazingly, he put out over 50 records. (Hey! I managed to squeeze in an unlikely album!)

Down:

1. Yak: GAB. I guess, I never spoke with one. 

2. Hosp. area: ICU. Intensive Care Unit in a hospital. 

3. "Dune" actress: ZENDAYA. She's one of a handful of celebs that go by a single name.

4. Make demands (of): ASK A LOT.

5. Planetary scientist Sagan: CARL. "That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

6. Wan: ASHY.

7. Tech sch. in upstate New York: RPI. My dad's alma mater, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A wonderful father and engineer, his pencil holder still sits on my desk. (I wonder if Irish Miss has seen one of these?)

8. Oscar winner Swinton: TILDA. She signs her name: ~ Swinton (probably).

9. Writer who studied under William Strunk Jr. at Cornell: E.B. WHITE. Elwyn Brooks WHITE was the author of highly popular books for children, including Stuart Little, and his masterpiece, Charlotte's Web.

10. "Why are you waiting!?": DO IT NOW. "And if you're the first caller, we'll throw in another piece of garbage at no extra cost!"

11. Ignore orders: GO ROGUE.

12. Squeeze (out): EKE. Always used with earning a living and never with earning the last bit of toothpaste in the tube.

15. "__ dismissed!": CLASS. Wanted "case(s) dismissed" at first.

18. Great Plains grazer: ELK. Great Plains geezer: also an ELK (sometimes).

22. Poem part: STANZA.

23. Summer hrs. in 26-Down: CDT. Central Daylight Time in St. Louis, Mo.

24. Derisive laugh: HAH. We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you. Yeah, right.

25. Actor Holbrook: HAL.

26. Mo. town: STL. St. Louis, Missouri, the "Gateway to the West." Mo. town is a fun misdirect to Detroit, the Motor City.

28. Vietnamese soup: PHO. Pronounced "fuh", PHO has taken our area by storm, with new restaurants opening everywhere. It comes in many varieties and is delish! Where has it been my whole life?

29. Pretzel topping: SALT. And a little mustard doesn't hurt.

32. Birkenstock product: SANDAL. Wear them with socks! [see DWEEB]

33. Stoke: FUEL.

37. Scheduling abbr.: TBA. To Be Announced, similar to "TBD" - To Be Determined.

38. PC hookup: LAN. Local Area Network. Not to be confused with a Politically Correct hookup which is between two consenting adults.

39. 24-month: TWO YEAR. 

40. Bravely decides one can: DARES TO. 

41. Carrying capacity: ARMLOAD. I hope I got her enough. Don't want to appear cheap.

43. __ fever: HAY. 

44. 9-Down's "Is Sex Necessary?" collaborator James: THURBER. Who'da thunk? White and Thurber wrote alternate chapters, combining them into a spoof of popular books about Freudian sexual theories. Being fledgling authors, they held little hope of publication but Harper's, which had published White's first book of poetry, came out with a small printing of 2,500 copies in November 1929. The humorous book became a bestseller and launched both their careers.

45. Feel: TEXTURE.

46. Papal name chosen by Robert Prevost: LEO. Not a summer Zodiac sign this time!

47. Shade tree: ELM.

49. Southampton smooches: SNOGS.

53. Nerdy type: DWEEB. Of course, I live in Florida where we never wears socks, so this couldn't happen to me.

54. City vehicle: BUS.

56. Amaze: STUN.

57. Gomer of 1960s TV: PYLE. Played to perfection by actor Jim Nabors, his stint in the Marines was a spin off of the Andy Griffin Show. Shazam!

58. Smooching at the movies, say: PDA. Public Display of Affection, although I remember being in the back of a darkened theater and thinking we were virtually in private. What I can't remember is what movie was playing...

60. Overly: TOO.

61. Purge (of): RID.

62. HS equivalency test: GED. General Educational Development test. I thought it was Graduate Equivalency Diploma, or something like that. I would have failed the test!

Notes from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the 81st birthday of Tehachapi Ken. Wishing you a wonderful day, Ken!

Thursday, July 31, 2025, Daniel Hrynick

Theme:  Sticking to the recipe.

Earlier this year -- on Valentine's Day -- I wrote the blog post for another Daniel Hrynick crossword puzzle, which also had a food theme.  How nice to be able to come back for seconds!

In today's puzzle, circles help us locate four food items that may be grilled when pierced with sticks or metal rods.  Let's look at the reveal, and then at the answers where the food items appear.

14-Down. Stick on a grill, or what passes through this puzzle's circled words?: BARBECUE SKEWER.  A barbecue skewer can be pushed through the food items in the theme answers.

16-Across. Rating scale on a film review site: THE TOMATO METER.  The circled word is TOMATO, but the reference here is to https://www.rottentomatoes.com/ where movies are rated based on the percentage of positive reviews received from critics.

27-Across. Drink with zero calories and a blend of 23 flavors: DIET DR PEPPER.  The circled word is PEPPER, but the clue refers to a soft drink.  Diet Dr Pepper and regular Dr Pepper have the same 23 flavors, none of which are discernable to me.

50-Across. Wedding reception activity with flapping and clapping: CHICKEN DANCE.  The circled word is CHICKEN, but the clue refers to a dance that became popular at American Oktoberfest events in the 1980s, and at weddings where polka music is played.  

I was blissfully unaware of this activity until just now.

63-Across. Devices that test internet security: WIFI PINEAPPLES. A WiFi Pineapple is a small, black device with several spikes, developed by Hak5.  Positioned between your computer and router, it can inspect all the data moving from one to the other.  On the downside, a hacker might use one to see the data moving from a server to a private device.

WiFi Pineapple -- who knew?

Well, that was a tasty start to the puzzle, and I hope Misty thinks so, too!

Let's see what else is on the menu ...

Across:

1. Pub delivery: ALE KEG.

7. Festoons: ADORNS.

13. Hailed lift: TAXI CAB.

15. Deeply religious: DEVOUT.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Biceps locale: ARM.

19. __ on the side of caution: ERR.  Better safe than sorry!

20. Roam: ROVE.

21. Battleship piece: PEG.  The game was originally played on paper grids, but Milton Bradley introduced a version with plastic boards and pegs in 1967.  A player cannot see his opponent's fleet, but takes turns calling shots by grid location, with the objective of destroying the opposing player's ships.

24. Setting: BACKDROP.

27. [Theme clue]

31. Rest stop in a high-fantasy game: INN.  I was thinking of Dungeons & Dragons, with various inns where characters meet, rest, and recover, but it turns out there are also fantasy games focused on running an inn, where a player can manage staff, upgrade the facility, and improve the menu.  

Now I have to work in my fantasies, too.

32. Seven-layer dip layer, for short: GUAC.  Guacamole.  This sort of thing used to be popular at potlucks.

33. Darth Vader's first name: ANAKIN.

37. Like a bubble bath: SUDSY.

39. Tease (out): SUSS.  To inspect or investigate so as to gain more knowledge; figure out.

41. Burkina __: West African country: FASO.

42. Harvested plants: CROP.

43. "The Last of Us" protagonist: JOEL.

Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller

44. Certain Fender, casually: STRAT.  The Fender Stratocaster is a model of electric guitar manufactured by The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation since 1954.  The shape and the modular components of the guitar were revolutionary at the time.

45. Iroquois nation: SENECA.

47. Decidedly meh: SO-SO.  Neither very good nor very bad.

49. Pink Mr. Potato Head piece: EAR.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Steel on library racks: DANIELLE.  Any Danielle Steel readers here?  I haven't read her novels, but I found someone who did, and who summarized each one in 140 characters or less:

56. Young fellow: LAD.

57. Former NHL goalie Kölzig: OLAF.  Currently coaching for the Washington Capitals.

Olaf Kölzig

58. Shoemaker's tool: AWL.

60. Genetic testing material: DNA.

63. [Theme clue]

68. Goes in: ENTERS.

69. Skynet in "The Terminator," e.g.: ROGUE AI.  When Artificial Intelligence goes awry.

70. Rental agreements: LEASES.

71. George's "Gravity" co-star: SANDRA.  George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.

Down:

1. Chapati flour: ATTA.  Atta girl (or boy) if you remember this word from previous puzzles.

2. Bert of "The Wizard of Oz": LAHR.

Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

3. Spared (from): EXEMPT.

4. First-aid __: KIT.

5. Good for the planet, for short: ECO.

6. Risk or Trouble: GAME.  When you're tired of playing Battleship, take a Risk on Trouble.

7. Big fuss: ADO.

8. JFK's party: DEM.  John F. Kennedy was a Democrat.

9. Account action that may result in a fee: OVERDRAFT.

10. Drone part: ROTOR.

Drone with six rotors.

11. New, in Mexico: NUEVO.

12. __ throat: STREP.

14. [Theme clue]

17. Atlanta hip-hop genre: TRAP.  Trap is a subgenre of hip-hop music that gets its name from the Atlanta slang term "trap house," a house used exclusively to sell drugs.  Nice.

22. Boundary-pushing: EDGY.

23. "Despicable Me" role for Steve Carell: GRU.  Another cultural touchstone I've missed.  But I like Steve Carell, best known for his role as Michael Scott on the NBC sitcom The Office from 2005–2011.

25. IRS form experts: CPAs.

26. Jeong of "Community": KEN.  Ken Jeong is an American stand-up comedian and actor who rose to prominence for his roles in The Hangover film series (2009-2013) and in the NBC sitcom Community (2009-2015).  He's been in a bunch of other films, too.  Did you see Crazy Rich Asians (2018)?

Ken Jeong

27. Burned items: DISCS.  "Burning a disc" refers to the process of writing data onto a recordable or rewritable disc, such as a CD or DVD, using a laser. The process is called "burning" because it uses a laser to physically alter the surface of the disc, creating a pattern of marks that represent the data. 

28. Accustom: INURE.

29. Finish with: END ON.

30. El __, Texas: PASO.

34. Actress Gillan: KAREN.  Karen Gillan is a Scottish actress and filmmaker, who gained recognition for roles in the Doctor Who series, and eventually Hollywood films including some Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Jumanji, and others.  

Karen Gillan

35. Novelist Asimov: ISAAC.

36. "The Hunchback of __-Dame": NOTRE.

38. Indicates precisely: SPECIFIES.

40. Gin infusion fruit: SLOE.

43. Monopoly corner: JAIL.  More fun and games!

44. Pop: SODA.  Dr Pepper, anyone?  23 flavors!  Where else are you going to get that many?

46. "Weekend Update" co-host: CHE.  Michael Che is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He's best known for his work on Saturday Night Live as co-anchor of "Weekend Update" with Colin Jost since 2014. From 2017–2022, the two were also co-head writers for the show.

Colin Jost and Michael Che

48. "Weekend Update" program: SNL.  See the previous entry -- Saturday Night Live.

51. Group with a tartan: CLAN.

52. Confused: ADDLED.

53. Wooden pin: DOWEL.

54. Flared skirt style: A-LINE.  A skirt with a silhouette that is narrower at the top and gradually widens towards the hem, resembling the shape of a capital letter "A."

55. International pact until 2020: NAFTA.

59. China neighbor: LAOS.

61. Just around the corner: NEAR.

62. 59-Down's continent: ASIA.  Laos's continent.  China's, too.

64. Start to fix?: PRE.  A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to produce a related word.  

65. Research facility in orbit: Abbr.: ISS.  The International Space Station (ISS) orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers). It travels at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour), completing one orbit every 90 minutes. This means the ISS circles the Earth about 16 times a day. 

66. Links gp.: PGA.  A links golf course is built on sandy coastal land that offers a firmer playing surface than inland courses.  PGA is the Professional Golfers' Association of America.

67. Many a one-liner: PUN.  When this blog post is published, I'll be getting ready for our youngest daughter's wedding weekend.  Everyone will be so emotional, even the cake will be in tiers.

Here's the grid:

Did you enjoy today's GAMEs and snacks?

Or did the experience END ON a sour note for you?

Let us know in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Wednesday, Jul 30th, 2025 ~ Dan Kammann & Zhouqin Burnikel

X(word)-RAY 

EYES

Blue Oyster Cult - X-ray Eyes, from Heaven Forbid, 1998

which refernces the movie starring RAY Milland

This is the fourth collaboration  between "Ironman" Dan ( see here - thanks HuskerG~! ) and our lovely hostess, C.C., plus their second crossword this month for the LA Times.  A simple but enjoyable puzzle featuring four unique and different "Rays", with two 10-letter Down fills as well.  Twenty 3LWs, Twenty-six 4LWs, a handful of names, and no circles. Yay~!  The themers, with no reveal;  

17. Place to catch some rays: SCI-FI MOVIE - classic "laser guns" type of "RAY" - I loved the original 1953 War of the Worlds movie - and despite being a huge fan of Speilberg's work and the stunning visuals, his remake was awful

Based on the H.G. Wells book

34. Place to catch some rays: ROOFTOP DECK

Now that's how to find 11D.~!

42. Place to catch a Ray: FOOD NETWORK - Rachel Ray, that is - struggling lately

62. Place to catch a ray: OCEAN FLOOR

More on Rays here

And A-Ray We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Like just-cut radish slices: CRISP

6. Butter used in pantua: GHEE - Learned from doing crosswords

10. Lack of objectivity: BIAS

14. Wood that repels moths: CEDAR - I currently have a cedar bench in my kitchen, but I have plans to build a foyer on the front stoop of my house - the bench will move in there; item #28 on my self-inflicted "to-do" list . . . .

15. Covered with grease: OILY - I got covered in grease last week when I discovered the trailer ball on my minivan was rusted into the hitch bar; it took 70A. of penetrating oil, lying on the garage floor, and a sledgehammer to get the thing loose and free, dammit. 

16. "Do __ others ... ": "UNTO" - The Golden Rule

19. Nose-in-the-air sort: SNOB

20. Set of the rosary: DECADE - I have it on good authority that this was the editor's clue; not familiar with a 'decade of the rosary' ( I'm not Catholic, just spiritual ), a "set" of ten Hail Marys - more here

21. Scavenging carnivore: HYENA

22. [This isn't my typo]: SIC

23. Like a locked door: SHUT

26. Visibly embarrassed: RED - or like lethal alien "Death rays"

27. Traffic report vehicles, briefly: COPTERS - Ironic when it creates the traffic and can't report it . . . .

I found this shocking and incedible Wiki article

31. Readily available: ON TAP

33. Guatemala gold: ORO - Espaniol lesson #1

38. __ of Skye: ISLE

40. Not 'neath: O'ER - poetic contractions

41. "Basket of Bread" painter Salvador: DALI - there are TWO, actually - Basket and THE Basket

47. Pepsi holder: CAN

48. Hide from prying eyes: STASH

49. Pool section with diving boards: DEEP END - falls between DEPEND and DEEPENED when unparsed

51. Residue in a fire pit: ASH

53. Desperate request: PLEA

55. Jellyfish home: SEA

56. Midnight fridge visits: RAIDS - If I raid the fridge now, it's for a handful of air-fried shrimp 

58. Petty complaints: GRIPES

61. Coin in the Trevi Fountain: EURO - one day I hope to toss a coin . . . .

66. Penny-__: ANTE - low-cost poker

67. "What __ wrong?": "WENT"

68. "Broad City" star Glazer: ILANA - only name I did not know; filled via perps

Her IMDb

69. Bratty back talk: SASS

70. Tons: LOTS

71. Like reserved seats: TAKEN

DOWN:

1. Loops in on an email thread: CCs - a self-shout-out~?

2. Remote button with a red dot: RECord - or the "Death ray" button 😜

3. Response to "Anyone see that?": "I DID~!" - unparsed, it's "IDID"; looks Latin

4. Least dangerous: SAFEST - "don't push the button with the red dot~!"

5. More expensive: PRICIER

6. "No news is __ news": GOOD

7. Spots for queens: HIVES - oh, that kind of  queen - bees; I was thinking chess board

I made this image with Revit; here's another cool chess image

8. "Hostel" director Roth: ELI - I was going to add a link, but it's horror, and NSFW - or me, really

9. Calm part of a storm: EYE

10. Unable to hang out: BUSY

11. State sought in meditation: INNER PEACE - OM - our first 10-letter Down fill

12. Right wrongs: ATONE - Dah~!  Not AMEND; 40% correct, plus an "E"

13. Just terrible: SO BAD - like my War of the Worlds 2005 review

18. "Large" prefix: MACRO - Don McMillan, Technically Funny

Better than "Microsoft"

21. URL opener: HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol

24. Souped-up car: HOT ROD

25. __, dos, tres: UNO - Espaniol lesson dos

27. Hairdo: COIF - had it, took it out; my 29D was GOLF shirts, so the Across answers were not making any sense

28. Approximately: OR SO

29. Top choices for golfers: POLO SHIRTS - 'top' as in clothing; by default could NOT  be "GOLF shirts", Duh.  The second 10-letter Down fill.

30. Provide comfort to: SOOTHE

32. Say further: ADD

35. __ and far between: FEW

36. Family group: CLAN

37. Warmhearted: KIND

39. Toronto summer hrs.: EDT - Eastern Daylight Time - we need to scrap this nonsense

43. Catches a few z's: NAPS - I am up at 3 or 4am every day, and take a nap every day - I like this way of living

44. Adult ed class: ESL - Crosswordese, English as Second Language

45. Sticky pine secretion: RESIN

46. Stay in shape: KEEP FIT - Dah~!  Not WORK OUT - I have grown to enjoy my workout at the gym - this past Saturday, my trainer was out ( he went to the ball game the night before ) and I had the opportunity to "play hookey", but I went in anyway; he sent me a text of what exercises I could do that morning

50. Spanish dish with rice and saffron: PAELLA - I enjoy this dish, but over the past few weeks, I have been perfecting my "chicken crust" pizza, where I use ground chicken, 93% lean, to make a 'pie' - it is so good, and good for me

51. Calculus calculations: AREAS - specifically the area under a curve

 I prefer L x W . . . . 😁

52. Bathhouse hot spot: SAUNA

54. Singer's representative: AGENT - I'd like to be just famous enough to require an agent, whether for my music, games, or publications - I am still working on my Sci-Fi novel

57. "What __ it matter?": "DOES"

59. "Well, darn!": "RATS~!"

60. Enjoy a bubble bath: SOAK  - I came home to soak last Saturday, partially due to being sore, and also due to the poison ivy - which I get every F*&%ing summer - aaah, Aveeno~!

62. Bird with piercing eyes: OWL - "WHO" has piercing eyes~?

Are you lookin' at me~?

63. Jensen Huang of Nvidia, e.g.: CEO - didn't recognize him, but it was easy enough to suss 

64. Atomic number of hydrogen: ONE - the first, and most abundant element in the universe

The other elements artistically rendered

65. Competed in a relay, say: RAN - I like to walk my neighborhood; I don't "get" running - JMHO

Splynter