Friday November 14, 2025 Ben Wildman-Tobriner & Stephanie Wildman

MalMan needed one more week off, so the call went out for RustyBrain. The call is similar to the Bat-Signal except it's shaped like a brain, which unfortunately looks like a blob in the sky. Never going to be iconic.

Ben Wildman-Tobriner and his mother Stephanie Wildman aren't as wild as their name implies in this, their LAT debut. In fact, they display their fine upbringing and good manners by doffing their hats when in proper company - which all of us are (except me, of course).

39A. Genteel gesture, or what can be found five times in this puzzle: TIP OF THE HAT. The revealer tells us that each themer is a type of hat that "tips" (is bent at the end and continues downward). Between the beginning of the answer and it's matching unclued down, that's 10 lines - a lot of real estate for a theme. Add in the revealer, and we're up to 11 on a weekday grid. To their credit, Ben and Stephanie did a good job of keeping dreck to a minimum, and even added a GUITAR SOLO! A TIP OF THE HAT to you both and I hope to see more from you. 

1A. Headgear often worn by Kate Middleton: FASCI. Along with 5D. -: INATOR. FASCINATOR. The word FASCINATOR comes from the Latin word "fascinare," meaning to "enchant" or "captivate." It apparently worked like a charm as she snagged a future king!

6A. Headgear worn by Abraham Lincoln: STOV. Along with 9D. -: VEPIPE. STOVEPIPE. In addition to splitting logs, Abe repaired potbelly stove flues. He needed a new hat one day, and the rest is history.

10A. Headgear often worn on Easter: BONN. Along with 13D. -: NET. BONNET. A little bit (or a lot) of springtime in every BONNET. Bees are optional.

48A. Headgear worn at graduation: MORTAR. Along with 49D. -: RBOARD. MORTARBOARD. When an apprentice mason became the first member of his guild to graduate from Oxford in the Middle Ages, the master of his shop took an old MORTARBOARD and created a hat for the occasion. Thus began the longest running tradition in the history of higher education. The second longest? "My dog ate my homework."

63A. Headgear worn by Captain Hook: TRICO. Along with 66. -: ORN. TRICORN. Growing up near Colonial Williamsburg, it was common to see costumed employees in their TRICORNs shopping at the supermarket. They mostly wore plain black hats, not gaudy ones like Captain Hook's.

I didn't know what a FASCINATOR was, so a "FASCI" as some odd headpiece didn't bother me much (I have no fashion sense). But the STOVEPIPE hat was obvious and the scheme was revealed. 

Hold on to your hat! Here we go...

Across:

1. [theme]

6. [theme]

10. [theme] Three themers in a row...that's a hat trick!

14. Investor Carl believed to have inspired the film character Gordon Gekko: ICAHN. Gordon "Money Never Sleeps" Gekko was portrayed by Michael Douglas in Wall Street.

15. Secret system: CODE.

16. "Voyage to India" Grammy winner: ARIE. India ARIE is an American singer/songwriter. She rose to fame after her 2002 debut album, Acoustic Soul, was nominated for seven Grammy awards, winning none. After "the worst snub in Grammy history," she was the most talked-about performer of the night and went on to stardom.

17. Salami type: GENOA.

18. Each: A POP. Just like 24D.

19. Bouncy tune: LILT. 

20. Show signs of life: STIR.

22. Rummage (through): RIFLE.

24. Place for large headlines: PAGE ONE. The largest headline font of the NYT, 96-point, has only been used for five major events in its history: the moon landing, Nixon's resignation, January 1, 2000, September 11th, and Barack Obama's election win. This is the first time, from July 21, 1969:

27. Support pieces: SPLINTS.

30. University extension: EDU. 

31. Underwriter's concern: RISK.

33. SoCal home of Soledad Church: EAST LA. Our Lady of Solitude, or Soledad Church, opened in 1925 in East Los Angeles. It is a cornerstone of the local Mexican/American community, but not particularly famous for a crossword clue. 

34. Sneak attack: RAID. You gotta sneak up on those buggers.

36. Nanny __: GOAT.

38. Fashion icon London: STACY. Even she has an occasional bad hair day...unless this is a new fashion trend. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

39. [theme]

42. Take down a notch: ABASE.

44. Top row center key: F-SIX. The function key F6 on a computer keyboard, but nobody knows what it does.

45. Weary sound: SIGH.

48. [theme]

50. Yard, for one: UNIT. 

52. Underground rock: ORE. The most famous underground rock:

53. Incorporates: ABSORBS.

55. Soft tissue: KLEENEX. Although often used to designate any facial tissue, KLEENEX is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark. When a brand becomes so widely recognized that its name is used to refer to the entire product category, it risks "genericization" and losing trademark protection. So, corporations must advertise aggressively to continually educate the public, or else lose the name like DuPont did with "cellophane."

57. Acrylic fiber: ORLON. DuPont learned their lesson with ORLON.

58. Phobia: FEAR. 

59. Preservative used for thousands of years: SALT.

61. Opera that premiered in Cairo: AIDA.

63. [theme]

67. Therapeutic plant: ALOE.

68. Nutrition figs.: RDAS. Recommended Dietary Allowances. 

69. Turbine part: ROTOR. Turban part: CLOTH. Some are parted in the middle.

70. Mental health concern at the VA: PTSD. At the Department of Veterans Affairs, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

71. Fender blemish: DENT. Every DENT on a Fender tells a story and adds to it's mojo.

72. Welles who directed a radio adaptation of Wells: ORSON. I heard it went well.

Down:

1. Pear-shaped fruit: FIG. They have a similar appearance. 

2. Top club in Atlantic City?: ACE. *Winner* today's best clue.

3. __ Fernando Valley: SAN.

4. Opted for: CHOSE.

5. [theme]

6. Frightens away: SCARES OFF. I have a way with women...far away!

7. Dreidel, e.g.: TOP.

8. Smells: ODORS. This clue stinks.

9. [theme]

10. Ancient weapons that resemble giant crossbows: BALLISTAS.

11. Stretch for a new college student: ORIENTATION.

12. Love of soccer?: NIL. Love is zero in tennis, but it means nothing in soccer.

13. [theme]

21. Montoya of "The Princess Bride": INIGO. I barely recall the movie, but was surprised that INIGO Montoya was played by Mandy Paninkin. 

23. Instant: FLASH. Who remembers the Kodak Instamatic with its nifty FLASHcube?

24. Each: PER. A recluesive (my term for a clecho) of 18A.

25. Poet Limón: ADA. ADA is the first Latina to be named Poet Laureate of the United States by the Library of Congress.

26. Opportunities for shredders to shine: GUITAR SOLOS. A long-time friend has a music studio in his house, and a group of us meet there regularly for jam sessions. RightBrain calls it my "bowling night." Since we're just playing for our own amusement, GUITAR SOLOS abound. We're legends in our own minds! We have three guitarists but no full-time bassist. In this pic, it was my turn to play bass.

28. 1990s girl group: TLC. Having sold over 60 million records worldwide, TLC is one of the five best-selling American girl groups of all time. Their name is derived from the initials of their nicknames: Tionne"T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chili" Thomas. 

29. State: SAY.

32. Japanese cutlet: KATSU. 

KATSU

is a Japanese dish of crispy, fried cutlets that are coated with crunchy panko breadcrumbs. It's usually pork, but other meats like chicken are occasionally used.

35. Misrepresented: DISTORTED.

37. "Heads up!": THINK FAST.

40. Bit of wisdom: "A penny saved is a penny earned." At least it used to be.

41. Banish: EXILE.

42. Physicians' org.: AMA. American Medical Association.

43. Short cut: BOB. "How'd you get here so fast?" "I found a BOB."

46. Higher ed hurdle: GRE. Graduate Record Examinations.

47. Curse: HEX. 

49. [theme]

51. Italian opera house: TEATRO. "These are great seats, dear. May I borrow your opera glasses?"

54. Biting: SNIDE.

56. Subject of a pop-up: ERROR.

59. Exhaust: SAP. "We've exhausted our maple syrup and there's no more SAP!" 

60. Elev.: ALT. Elevation: ALTitude. Elevator: ALTernate to stairs.

62. Levy of Homes.com commercials: DAN. DAN starred alongside his real-life dad, Eugene Levi, in Schitt's Creek, a Canadian riches-to-rags comedy that won 111 awards (153 nominations). I liked it, too!

64. Word often edited to add or remove an apostrophe: ITS. ITS spelled wrong.

65. Dove's call: COO.

66. [theme]

All done at the drop of a hat!

Thursday, November 13, 2025, Stella Zawistowski

Theme:  Typography.

Stella Zawistowski is a super crossword constructor who is consistently ranked in the top ten solvers at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.  She loves a hard puzzle and used to run a website called Tough as Nails.  Stella has resolved to take it a little easier on solvers these days, and for me, this one went well until I hit a couple of crossing unknowns in the far southeast.  Let's dig into it and see how everyone else did.

The theme clues and answers, in symmetrically placed rows, are:

17-Across. Raised type?: STILT WALKER.  You may have imagined embossed letters on a page, but this is the TYPE of person who is raised up by stilts.

24-Across. Against type?: DEBBIE DOWNER.  You may have imagined someone opposed to the printing process, but this is the TYPE of person who is pessimistic and dampens the mood of others.

38-Across. Movable type?: NOMAD.  You may have imagined the individual metal letters used to print books, but this is the TYPE of person who moves from one place to another without a permanent home.

47-Across. Blood type?: COUNT DRACULA.  You may have imagined one of the classes of human blood distinguished by the presence of antigens on red blood cells, but this is the TYPE of person -- or really just one person -- who thrives on the consumption of human blood.

57-Across. File type?: OFFICE CLERK.  You may have imagined a filing cabinet, or a tool with ridges to smooth rough surfaces, but this is the TYPE of person who files documents in an office.

So far, you're thinking, my TYPE of puzzle, right?  Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Sega hedgehog: SONIC.  Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series developed by Sega to compete with Nintendo's Mario. The first Sonic game was released in 1991 and the franchise continues to be a flagship for Sega.

Sonic the Hedgehog

6. Mark of approval: STAMP.

11. Posed (for): SAT.

14. Cause of some food recalls: E. COLI.  Escherichia coli are bacteria: some good for us, some bad.

15. Wispy streaks in the sky: CIRRI.  Plural of cirrus, a wispy cloud formation at high altitude.

16. Blubber: CRY.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Regatta blade: OAR.  A regatta is a series of boat races, and depending on the type of boat, an oar might be required.

20. "That ship __ sailed": HAS.  Speaking of boats, "that ship has sailed" means the time for a particular opportunity has passed.

21. Connecticut university founded in 1701: YALE.

22. One of the four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ARUBA.  The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.  The last three of these are Caribbean islands.

24. [Theme clue]

28. Gentleman's opposite: LOUT.

29. Snide snickers: HEHS.

30. Corset components: STAYS.  The stays of a garment are stiff pieces meant for shaping.  DH wears collar stays with his dress shirts.

Vertical stays are sewn into the fabric of this corset.

32. Catching in an ambush: WAYLAYING.

37. "Yuck!": EWW.

38. [Theme clue]

39. Short time out: NAP.

40. Opening-night event, often: CAST PARTY.

43. Realty ad count: BATHS.  ROOMS and ACRES would also have fit.  Or BDRMS if we're abbreviating.

45. Sad sigh: ALAS.

46. Mood: VIBE.

47. [Theme clue]

51. Abruptly cut contact with: GHOST.  This sort of thing didn't happen so much when human relationships were mostly in person.  

53. "Chill, will ya?": EASY.

54. Some TVs and fridges: LGS.  LG is a brand of electronic appliances.

56. Slam (into): RAM.

57. [Theme clue]

61. Intention: AIM.

62. "Go, me!": I ROCK.  I am filling in this puzzle!  I am such a smarty pants!

63. Chabert of "Party of Five": LACEY.  OK, whoops!  Who, now?  Party of Five aired on Fox from 1994 to 2000, with a total of six seasons.  Lacey Chabert played one of five siblings whose parents died in a car accident.  I have never heard of this show.

That's Lacey perched on her brother's lap at right.

64. Garment that rarely works with a backless gown: BRA.  Not a good look, unless you get creative like the lady in the picture below.

65. Doesn't shy from: DARES.  Who dares to do the Down clues?

66. "Come on in!": ENTER.  Let's enter the final phase of this puzzle.

Down:

1. Short meeting?: SESH.  "Sesh" is modern shorthand for "session," which could be a meeting.

2. Legs on a spider, e.g.: OCTAD.

3. Legal deterrents to loud parties: NOISE LAWS.

4. Feeling feverish or not so hot: ILL.  The wrong kind of E. coli can do this to you.

5. Commuting option: CITY BUS.

6. Get to the top of: SCALE.  Think of scaling Mount Everest ...

7. Like many New York City subway stations: TILED.  In recent years, white subway tile -- horizontal rectangles -- has been a big trend in home kitchens and bathrooms.  Don't ask me why!  I have never ridden the NYC subway system and am not acquainted with its charms.

8. Vessel in Genesis 7: ARK.

9. Emergency food ration, for short: MRE.  Meal Ready to Eat.  Used by the US Armed Forces where other food is not available.

10. Orinoco biter: PIRANHA.  The Orinoco river flows through Venezuela and Colombia, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.  It is home to over 1,000 fish species, one of which is the black spot piranha.  Not to worry:  more people eat piranhas than piranhas eat people.

Pygocentrus cariba, or black spot piranha

11. Clean with elbow grease: SCOUR.

12. Many a Moroccan: ARAB.

13. Banks with style: TYRA.  Tyra Banks is a supermodel, actress, producer, and writer.  She broke color barriers on the covers of Sports Illustrated and GQ, appeared in a host of TV shows and movies, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show for The Tyra Banks Show.

Tyra Banks

18. Hostess's estimate: WAIT.  Oh, a restaurant hostess!  

23. OpenTable alternative: RESY.  OpenTable and Resy are software companies that sell reservation and table management systems to restaurants.  If you've made a restaurant reservation online recently, you've probably used one or the other.

25. Son: BOY.

26. "Wunderbar!": OH YAY.

27. Join together: WELD.

30. Crimson Tide org.: SEC.  The University of Alabama (Crimson Tide) is in the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

31. Pan Am rival: TWA.  Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and Trans World Airlines (TWA) were American airlines that once dominated global air travel.  

32. "Do your __!": WORST.  Go on!  Let's see if you DARE.

33. Invoice fig.: AMT.  A figure on an invoice is probably an amount.

34. Brainy one: INTELLECT.

35. "Not my thing": NAH.

36. Waymo tech: GPS.  Waymo, the self-driving rideshare vehicle, uses a Global Positioning System.  We have lots of them in West Los Angeles, and they are great drivers.

38. Bread served with raita: NAAN.  Yummy Indian food.

41. Volkswagen that shares a name with a New Mexico town: TAOS.

42. Faraway dwarf planet: PLUTOID.  A plutoid is a dwarf planet that orbits the sun farther than Neptune.  Eight objects are classified as plutoids: Pluto, Orcus, Haumea, Makemake, Quaoar, Sedna, Gonggong, and Eris.

43. Commuting option: BICYCLE.

44. __ Simbel, Egypt: ABU.  Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two enormous rock-cut temples in Upper Egypt.  Carved out of a mountainside in the 13th century BC, they feature rock relief figures of Ramesses II.

Abu Simbel

46. Ming collectible: VASE.

47. One in 1,000?: COMMA.  Yes, there is one comma in 1,000.

48. Clear, as a windshield in winter: DE-ICE.

49. Holders of barbells: RACKS.  A handy way to keep your barbells off the floor.

barbell rack

50. Feel similarly: AGREE.

51. Screen __: GRAB.  A screen grab is a still image of a frame from a video, whereas a screenshot is an image of a computer or mobile device's screen at a particular moment.  

52. Subject of the r/Tressless subreddit: HAIR.  This online discussion group is actually devoted to issues of hair loss.

55. Icelandic dairy product similar to yogurt: SKYR.  I have purchased skyr and should have known it, but I could not recall the vowel.  I tried A, E, I, O, and U, forgetting that Y sometimes acts as a vowel.

58. __ diavolo sauce: FRA.  This spicy tomato sauce takes its name from an 18th century Italian guerrilla leader nicknamed Fra Diavolo or Brother Devil.

59. In favor of: FOR.

60. "The Wheel of Time" role: LAN.  The Wheel of Time is a 14-volume series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.  It was adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series which aired for three seasons from 2021 to 2025.  Lan is a warrior and last survivor of a fallen kingdom.  All of which is even further from my knowledge base than LACEY in "Party of Five."

Here's the grid.  The red triangles mark the ones I flubbed.

Dear Reader, did you have the INTELLECT to solve this puzzle correctly?  Did you find it EASY?

Or did you think it was the WORST puzzle ever?

In either case, you'll find someone to AGREE with you in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy birthday to Big Easy (George), husband of Louisiana Tennis Hall of Famer Diane! George has been such a caring friend, always checking in on my RA and housing worries. Hope it's a beautiful day where you are, George!

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Wednesday, Nov 12th, 2025 ~ Zachary David Levy

 "YOUR ARM'S OFF~!"

Including the majestik møøse

This crossword could only appear on a Splynter Wednesday - I am one of those few people who "get" the humor and cleverness of the 1975 ( 50years ~! ) Monty Python & the Holy Grail movie, and have linked its various scenes several times here at the Corner in the past.  For those who do NOT "get it", my apologies for the following "homage" write-up; but for those who do....This was a pleasant puzzle from Zachary, with no circles - though a lot of names - and a standard grid with an even distribution of 3- & 4LWs.  Four themers, two of them 15-letter spanners, and each depicting a "skin surface injury"; 

17. Beach Boys hit that imagines Santa Claus in a hot-rod sleigh: LITTLE SAINT NICK - "Ni~!"

We had them on Monday, too - before my time, not my thing - only 2m15s

24. Extract information online: DATA SCRAPE - more here

38. Like some baked goods: MADE FROM SCRATCH - I make pizza from scratch now, using ground chicken for the crust, mixed with some cauliflower, then add my own healthy-choice toppings, like chicken pepperoni and low-fat mozzarella cheese

52. Notch on an analog watch: MINUTE MARK

James Bond (Daniel Craig ) wears Omega

and the 15-letter spanning reveal:

63. Iconic line from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," or what can be said about the ends of 17-, 24-, 38-, and 52-Across?: "JUST A FLESH WOUND"

The entire Black Knight scene with the iconic line @ 2:08

And Away To Camelot~!

ACROSS:

1. Milestone foods for an infant: SOLIDS

7. Rotten: BAD

"I feel fine~!"

10. Model Delevingne: CARA - We've had this "new" CARA in crosswords before - here's a link to the British model's mansion in LA - name #1

What a set of legs - I'm talking about the ones on the piano. . . maybe the dog's, too
 

14. Commemorative tablet: PLAQUE - found on teeth, and in arteries, too, but not commemorative . . . 

15. __ out a living: EKE - in an anarcho-syndicalist commune - and maybe truth; more here

Bloody peasant~!

16. Prayer ending: AMEN

A møøse once bit my sister

20. Info from covert ops: INTEL - "...and then leap from the rabbit, and taking the Frawnche by surprise"

if we build a large wooden badger . . . 

21. Belly button type: OUTIE - the alternative is an INNIE - like mine - is that TMI~?

22. Lass: GAL - "A Witch~!"

I got better . . . 

23. Some pajama tops: TEES - with fleece bottoms, under an electric blanket - so, so warm & cozy on cold winter nights~!😊

26. New Mexico town north-northeast of Santa Fe: TAOS - geo name #1

28. Meeting, informally: SESH - 21st-century-speak for session

29. Can. neighbor: USA

32. Ballet garb: TUTU

34. On a grand scale: EPIC - It IS the rabbit~!  That's no ordinary rabbit~!

 "I warned you...just a harmless little bunny..."

43. Adapter letters: AC-DC - not the Australian band this time

44. Careless eater: SLOB - AND - a clever crossing with 40D. Drinks carelessly: SLURPS

45. Yes vote: AYE - "...by a two-thirds majority, in the case of more major issues." - Dennis, 37yrs old

46. Wine list heading: REDS - also 'heads' the Cincinnati baseball teams list - fills it, and ends it, too.

50. Exhort: URGE - "I order you to be quiet~!" "Help~! Help~! I'm being repressed~!"

56. Hamlet, for one: DANE - Shakespeare - I toyed with SCOT, but that's Macbeth 

60. "It's __-win situation": "A NO" - "Ni~!" The behind-the-scenes making of the movie

Or 20 weird facts you didn't know - link

61. Image Awards gp.: NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - today is the dealine for submissions for the Awards; more here

62. Jordan's capital: AMMAN - geo name #2

66. Cakesters cookie: OREO - sigh, crossword staple

67. Bracket shape: ELL - I am going to use "L" brackets to secure a set of shelves I am building to my office wall, then trim the top with crown - hopefully, it will be done by the time this publishes - I throw down this gauntlet ( at my own feet ) as a challenge~! - I'll post a pic in the comments - if I succeed

68. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI 

One that looks nice, and not too expensive

69. Breather: REST - my trainer Brett has moved me on to some bigger equipment, and the exercises are getting more difficult.  My weight has not changed, but I dropped another 1% of body fat.  I started at 43%; he wants me down to 18%, and this past Saturday it was 29%, so more than half-way there~!

70. Cryptography org.: NSA - National S--- Agency; if I tell you, "...then. you. shall. die. - Right~!"

71. Most senior: OLDEST

DOWN:

1. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT - Run Away~!

oh, not that kind of split . . .

2. Group of NFL blockers, in brief: O-LINE - the Offensive Line

3. Foamy coffee drink: LATTE

4. Measure of sharpness: IQ TEST - what is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow~?

I don't know that - aaaaaaaaah~!

5. Not sharp: DULL - clever clue adjacency

6. Understand: SEE 

7. Real humdinger: BEAUT - he's already got one, you see~?

( I told them we already got one~!)

8. Japanese dogs: AKITAS

9. Richards of "The Bold and the Beautiful": DENISE - name #2

10. Is able to: CAN

11. Latina friend: AMIGA - Espaniol feminine lesson

12. Go over again: RECAP - "Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right~?"

It could grip it by the husk . . . 

13. Joint above a foot: ANKLE

18. In order that: SO AS TO - a bit clunky, but it works

19. Private eyes, in pulp slang: TECS - deTECtives

24. Sullen: DOUR

25. "Cheers" star Perlman: RHEA - name #3

27. DOJ agency: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms + Explosives, now - "Three sir~!"

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

29. "Dexter: Resurrection" actress Thurman: UMA - yada yada 3LW Thurman = Ektorp name #4

30. Anatomical pouch: SAC

31. __ fuel to the fire: ADD

33. Hesitant syllables: UMs - could've been ERs, but a good WAG on my part

35. Fundraising org.: PTA

36. Showing no warmth: ICY - I'd rather just . . . sing~!

You're not going into a song while I'm 'ere~!

37. Nickname for Ernesto Guevara: CHE - Name #5

39. Beige hue: ECRU

41. Wine stopper: CORK - so UNcork is the starter~?

42. SCOTUS initials from 1993 to 2020: RBG - The Notorious RBG - SCOTUS = Supreme Court of the US, and one of its members, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, until 2020 - name #6

47. Sicilian volcano: ETNA - Crossword staple, geo name #3

48. Overpower with noise: DEAFEN - how I like my rock concerts

49. Biggie __: 1990s rap moniker: SMALLS - filled via perps, but I remembered him - better known as The Notorious B.I.G., and the inspiration for 42D above - name #7

51. Astronomer Halley with an eponymous comet: EDMOND - If I make it to its next pass through the inner solar system, I will be 90yrs old - name #8

52. Groundbreaking: MAJOR - Spamalot, the Broadway adaptation of MP and the Holy Grail, co-written by Python member Eric Idle, won Best Musical and more in 2005

53. Toughen: INURE

54. Schnozzes: NOSES

55. Amtrak option: ACELA - name(ish)

57. Entertain: AMUSE - "...and there was much rejoicing . . . yay."

"silly English kuh-nig-its"

58. Some maternal babysitters: NANAS

59. Call the whole thing off: END IT - I had ABORT; this is a breakup, not a mission

62. AFB no-show: AWOL - Air Force Base and Absent WithOut Leave

64. Tater __: TOT

65. "Task" network: HBO - Never seen the show, as I don't have Home Box Office streaming - I used to enjoy going to my aunt's duplex in the Bronx on Thanksgiving - they had cable HBO~!

Splynter

And now for something completely different . . . .

Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Jeff Stillman

Hello Cruciverbalists! CrossEyedDave here to fill in for the irreplaceable Hahtoolah, who could  not be here today. This is my first time trying this, (on an Ipad no less...) so bear with me. I hope I don't drive you further askew with my slant on things.

Ready to see if we can learn something new? Here we go!

First Themer:

20A. Output of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions: PARTY NOMINEES.

(Um, no politics... So I can't describe how i feel about the above are running.)

Second Themer:

29A. Hose that may have a seam up the back: NYLON STOCKINGS.

(Hmm, maybe Splynter should have Blogged this puzzle...)

Third Themer:

46A. Common conveyances between suburbs and cities: COMMUTER TRAINS.

(Now we are getting somewhere...)

And, The Reveal:

56A. "Three Blind Mice" line, or what can be said of 20-, 29-, and 46-Across: SEE HOW THEY RUN.

Across:

1. Sound from an angry cat: HISS.

5. Veil material: LACE. (What are you trying to hide?)

9. Venom-dispensing tooth: FANG. (Or, Phyllis Dillers Husband...)

13. Like draft beer: ONTAP.

Did you know you can get one for your home?

It's called a Kegerator!

(Get one & I'll come visit you...)

15. Division d'une nation: ETAT. French, it is in my "do not discuss file." Like Religion & Politics.

16. Simpson kid who plays the sax: LISA. My fav episode:

17. Small egg: OVULE. Hmm, seems to be getting bigger. Didn't it used to be Ova?

18. Claptrap: BOSH. One of the rarer synonyms, along with blather, blether, tripe, but its all hogwash to me...

19. Face-to-face exam: ORAL.  Reminds me i have a dentist appt.

20. [Themer]

23. Punk musician Vicious: SID.

I'm only familiar with this Sid...

24. Pull from behind: TOW. Pull from behind means something completely different to me:

25. Soccer score: NIL.

26. Apple mobile platform: IOS. I'm working on one. It would be nice if they didn't change everything with every update...

29. [Themer]

33. Ramen mushroom: ENOKI. My Sushi place has them wrapped in bacon!

Yummers!

34. Sassy: SMART. (I am not... :(

35. Blast from the __: PAST.

38. Sounds of regret: SIGHS.

41. Baked desserts: PIES.

42. Group of ships: FLEET.

44. Instruction on a Wonderland cake: EATME.

Or an Animal House Parade Float

46. [Themer]

51. Twice tre: SEI. Now, here you guys are going to have to help "me" out...  I thought it might be French, but Google is not helping. And why don't they have "twice" in its foreign language anyway? Sheesh,         I have enough trouble with English...

52. Pt. of USNA: NAV. Not Uni, Stat, or Aca, but "navy." Although, while it's commonly United States Naval Academy, some definitions have this as United States National Army. (Just be glad its not in French.)

53. Prince, to a king: SON. (Or a smaller idol to Elvis?)

54. Flamenco shout: OLE.

56. [Theme Reveal]

60. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. (I wanted nail...)

62. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Four letters, what else could it be...

63. Skittish: TIMID. Reminds me of this PSA

64. Radio switch letters: AMFM. Clock switch letters AMPM Did you change your clocks Sunday?

65. Cousin of a gull: TERN. (Why does this sound like an insult?)

66. Wiggle room: SPACE. (I need all i can get.)

67. Analogy part: IS TO. (Apropos of...)

68. Named, informally: IDED. Now, I am supposed to space out words when they are crammed together. Like IsTo above. But when i space this one, it comes out "Id Ed'?

69. Winter transport: SLED. (Perfect Segway to slide into the Downs...)

Down:
1. Some round earrings: HOOPS.

2. Fruitlessly: IN VAIN.

3. Built to last: STURDY.

4. Sidewalk ice melter: SALT. Magnesium chloride is considered the least toxic, but a Google search reveals vinegar will work! Or if you want to track it through the house, cat litter, coffee grounds, sand, and, wait? What's this? Beet Juice???  (Imagine tracking that thru the house...)

5. "Big" name in the Coen brothers' filmography: LEBOWSKI. 

The Dude Abides

6. Small building block: ATOM.  Aren't you glad they don't hurt when you step on them, like Legos...

7. House of cards?: CASINO. Now this was a clever clue

8. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC.

9. Sheet of ice: FLOE. Kinda sounds like when you slip on it. Yes/no?

10. Cairo-based carrier from 1982 to 2021: AIR SINAI. I guess El Al wouldn't fit...

11. Govt. intel org.: NSA. (Shhhh...)

12. Actress Gadot: GAL. If you say so?

14. Reed who directed three "Ant-Man" films: PEYTON. (Also if you say so...)

21. Forbidden acts: NONOS. Not putting a spaces between words are No Nos on the Blog

22. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS. ( i really wanted Oilers, its the only Canadian team i know.)

27. Shrek, for one: OGRE. (With three, count em, three movies!)

28. Phased-out fast planes, for short: SSTS.  (Because they weren't shhhh...)

30. Casual "They can do what they want": LETEM. Ok, now this one I'm not sure. Do I put in a space or what?

31. Princeton athlete: TIGER. I dunno, the way they change team names these days, tomorrow it might be  something else.

32. Hong Kong's Bank of China Tower architect: I.M. PEI.

35. Sarge's charges: PFCS. Private First Class

36. Soothing additive in some cosmetics: ALOE. No. I am "NOT" posting "that" pic...

37. Like Muenster and Monterey Jack: SEMISOFT.

39. Spot for a bowler to hang: HAT STAND. Hmm, see "the dude abides" above...

40. Detroit beer baron Bernhard: STROH. New too me, I tried to research what their beer was called, but all i got was the trivia that they were known as The Lion Brewing Company from 1875 to 1885.  After all that Googling, i could really use a brewsky...

P.S. auto correct changed brewsky to brew sky. I think the universe is telling me to cut out the space in the words jokes...

43. Prepare to play, as a piano: TUNE. This could have been a lot of things, but did you know that in order to tune a piano, you need a hammer? How to videos available upon request...

45. Some French Impressionist works: MANETS. (Not Monets.) and not what spellcheck wanted either. Monteys? Really?

47. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Ahhh yes, perfectly cozy for a winter puzzler...

48. Conjured up: EVOKED. Tahiti evoked me in a hammock, sipping cocktails on the beach.

49. Unexceptional: NORMAL. What me? Never!

50. Artificial water channel: SLUICE. There are a lot of images to choose from, but this little one saves a lot of work when panning for gold

55. Shut down: ENDED.  Nope, not yet...

57. Patron saint of sailors: ELMO. This was before the cuddly toy, see St.Elmos fire:

58. "Where __ we?": WERE.

59. Sounds in pounds: YIPS. (Not Arfs...)

60. __ chi: martial art: TAI.

61. Meditation sounds: OMS.

And here's the Grid:

Hope to see you in the comments section.

CE:D out...

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

1) Welcome aboard, dear Dave! Thank you for sticking with it and learning the ropes on the iPad. Your persistence really shows.

 

2) Inanehiker and her husband Mark visited me on Sunday. Such a joy to finally meet Nina in person and share stories beyond the blog. We were also joined by my crossword collaborator and friend Tom Pepper. 

 

Left to Right: Tom, Mark, Nina and C.C.