Tuesday, December 30, 2025 Susan Gelfand

Don't leave mad, just leave.  

20-Across. Departure instructions for an ornithologist?: LEAVE THE NEST.  Birds leave the Nest.

35-Across. Departure instructions for a railway worker?: MAKE TRACKS.  Railway workers leave the Tracks.

42-Across. Departure instructions for a student pilot?: TAKE FLIGHT.  Pilots leave when they take Flight.

And the unifier:

53-Across. Plan for ending involvement, or an apt title for this puzzle: EXIT STRATEGY. 

Here's the grid:

Across:
1. Closes, as a parka: ZIPS.

5. Animal that may sleep upside down: SLOTH.  Sloths are interesting creatures.  They are so incredibly slow that it can take them a month to digest a leaf.  Did you know that they can swim?  They are faster in water than on land.

10. Morning joe: JAVA.

14. Prepare for publication: EDIT.

15. Secret stash: CACHE.

16. Decorative pitcher in still lifes: EWER.

Still Life with Ewer, by Willem Kalf

17. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO.

18. Catchall option on a survey: OTHER.

19. Smartphone message: TEXT.

23. Keyboard key with an arrow: ENTER.

24. Behr product: PAINT.

28. Zodiac sign boundaries: CUSPS.

31. Green vegetable in a pod: PEA.

33. Soccer star Hamm: MIA.  Mia Hamm (née Mariel Margaret Hamm, b. Mar. 17, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. She played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004.

34. Not in support of: ANTI.

39. Box office bomb: FLOP.

40. Stadium: ARENA.

41. Eccentric fellow: COOT.  Also a water bird.

44. Play part: ROLE.

45. Blackjack card: ACE.

46. Spearheaded: LED.

47. Back tooth: MOLAR.

48. Gumption: NERVE.

50. Tiny bits: IOTAS.

59. Bowl over: STUN.

62. Unpleasant, as weather: NASTY.

63. Speck in the ocean: ISLE.

64. Machu Picchu country: PERU.  //  And 54-Down. Machu Picchu native: INCA.  Machu Picchu will really take your breath away.

65. Crossword hints: CLUES.

66. Old Testament brother: CAIN.  //  And 56. Old Testament brother: ESAU.  So many choices here.  I had to wait for the down answer to find Cain, who slew Abel.  This biblical story is the basic theme of John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden.  Esau was the fraternal twin brother of the patriarch, Jacob.  Jacob and Esau were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah.

67. Wheel shaft: AXLE.

68. Bright-eyed: ALERT.

69. Underwater vessels: SUBS.

Down:
1. Unbridled enthusiasm: ZEAL.

2. Loafing around: IDLE.  Not to be confused with Eric Idle, who is anything but.

Eric Idle (b. Mar. 29, 1943)

3. Bread with a pocket: PITA.

4. Hat worn by Abraham Lincoln: STOVE PIPE.

5. "Severance" star Adam: SCOTT.  Adam Scott (né Adam Paul Scott) also portrayed Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation.  I tried watching Severance, but quickly got bored.

6. Spinning shaper in a woodshop: LATHE.

7. Earthy pigment: OCHER.  This pigment contains ferric oxide, which gives it varying shades light yellow to brown or red.

8. Every now and __: sporadically: THEN.

9. Roll-call response: HERE.

10. Volkswagen sedan: JETTA.

11. Fill with wonder: AWE.

12. Irk: VEX.

13. Museum collection: ART.

 

21. Coast Guard rank: Abbr.: ENS.  As in Ensign.  The Coast Guard Ensign is the most junior commissioned officer rank.

22. Practice boxing: SPAR.

25. "That works for me": I'M COOL.

26. Inventor Tesla: NIKOLA.  Nikola Tesla (July 9, 1856 ~ Jan. 7, 1943) was a Croatian-American inventor and futurist.  He is best known for designing the AC electrical system, the global standard for power transmission. In 1898, he also invented a remote-controlled boat.

27. Many a winery visitor: TASTER.

28. Flowy robe with long sleeves: CAFTAN.

29. Loosen, as a shoe: UNLACE.

30. Novelist Bram who created Dracula: STOKER.  Bram Stoker (né Abraham Stoker; Nov. 8, 1847 ~ Apr. 20, 1912) was an Irish novelist.  He is best known for writing the 1897 novel Dracula, the Transylvanian vampire.   and the creator of the fictional character Count Dracula.  Stoker never went to Transylvania, but did a lot of research to create its environs.

31. Phnom __, Cambodia: PENH.  Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia.

32. Coup d'__: sudden regime change: ETAT.

35. Like green-headed mallards: MALE.

36. Extremely dry: ARID.

37. Beer barrel: KEG.

38. Word puzzles with hidden messages: ACROSTICS.

43. Move a muscle: FLEX.

47. Goat's bleat: MAA.

49. Event site: VENUE.  Radio City Music Hall is the venue of the Rockettes.  Did you know that the Rockettes are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year?  The dance troupe was actually founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925 before moving to New York in 1932.  They were first known as the Missouri Rockets.  The venue has a seating capacity of just under 6,000!

50. Magazine edition: ISSUE.

51. Furry swimmer: OTTER.

52. Lovers' meeting: TRYST.

55. Like skyscrapers: TALL.

57. Smooth-talking: GLIB.

58. Cravings: YENS.  Not to be confused with the currency of Japan.

59. Pampering place: SPA.

60. __-Mex cuisine: TEX.

61. Web address: URL.  As in Universal Resource Locator.  This has become a crossword staple.

~~~~~~~

Apropos of yesterday's puzzle, and of special interest to Lucina, Idris Elba has just been knighted.  According to the chart that Sumdaze provided, being a knight is a lower ranking noble, but still an honor to our dear actor.

We will miss you dearly, Sumdaze.  All the best to you and I hope you pop in to see us on occasion.

I make tracks now on this Penultimate day of 2025.  Wishing you all joy and health for 2026.  See you in January.

חתולה

Monday December 29, 2025 Keegan Edgar

  

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Keegan Edgar's second LAT puzzle. His debut was on Feburary 6, 2025. Today's theme is:  

We will begin with the four fin-tastic themers:

17 Across. Hangout with ramps and rails for boarders and bladers: SKATE PARK.  I liked the bit of misdirection with hangout the noun versus hang out the verb. In this case, it is the place where skateboarders and rollerbladers can practice their tricks.  

23 Across. Exclamation of surprise: HOLY MACKEREL.  This phrase goes back at least 200 years. It likely originated as a minced oath, substituting mackerel for "Mary" or the archangel "Michael".  

46 Across. Diving stance with bent hips and straight legs: PIKE POSITION.  

57 Across. A-OK: HUNKY-DORY.  This slang expression means "everything is quite satisfactory". It is believed to have Dutch origins and was first spotted in English in the mid-1800s.

(I get those mixed up but I think this mnemonic will help now.)

The reveal spans the equator:  

36 Across. "This doesn't seem right," or what can be said about 17-, 23-, 46-, and 57-Across: SOMETHING'S FISHY.  

In case you have not yet smelt the gimmick, there are four types of fish hidden in the themed answers, making them FISHY. 

(clockwise from top-left)  skate, mackerel, dory and pike

This puzzle earns a gold-starfish for its separation between the themed answers and the reveal. Additionally, note the alternating pattern of the fish word placement. Well done, Keegan! No trout about it!

Now, let's see what other clues we can catch....

Across:

1. "You snooze, you __!": LOSE.  ... said the tortoise to the hare.

5. Not doing anything: IDLE.  not the same as snoozing  

9. Data on baseball cards: STATS.  CSO to our former Monday sherpa, Boomer.

14. Consumes a 15-Across: EATS.     and     ↙

15. Lunch or dinner: MEAL.  

I love a good Venn diagram.

16. Cockpit figure: PILOT.  One of the noun definitions for figure is "bodily shape or form especially of a person".  

19. French "between": ENTRE.  

20. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

21. Hard drive capacity prefix: TERA-.  If you are truly curious, this article explains the basics.  

22. Gemstone with colored stripes: AGATE.  all about AGATE

26. British nobles with low ranking: BARONS.  By comparison, Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey was two steps up:  Earl.

It could be worse....

29. Scottish gal: LASS.  Have you heard of Ally Crowley-Duncan, aka Ally the Piper? She was a guest on WWDTM a while back. Ally was born in Latham, New York in 1995. She is known for playing songs from rock, pop, and metal music on the bagpipes. Although she is not from Scotland, her piper skills surely give her LASS cred. In this video, she plays The Session, the title track from her 2025 album.  

30. Grows older: AGES.  

31. __ pie: dish with corn chips: FRITO.  

recipe

33. Tennis server's success: ACE.  An ACE is a legal serve that is not touched by the receiver, winning the point for the server.

40. Self-image: EGO.

41. Aired again: RERAN.  Think "old TV shows".

42. __-Ball: target game in arcades: SKEE.  

43. Add to the payroll: HIRE.

44. Places for bracelets: WRISTS.  "Ankles" was too long.

51. Actress Tatum: O'NEAL.  [b. November 5, 1963]  Tablet claims her father Ryan named his daughter after the jazz pianist Art Tatum.  source

52. Convent residents: NUNS.  CSO to Lucina!

53. Spot for a facial: SPA.  

56. Blue-gray color: SLATE.  

These walls are painted with Glidden's blue-gray SLATE.

59. Guiding principle: TENET.

60. Length x width: AREA.  

61. Sunburn-soothing succulent: ALOE.  

62. Small earrings: STUDS.  Basically, they are earrings that do not hang down past the lobe.

63. Trial run: TEST.

64. Archery items: BOWS.  "Arrows" was too long.

Down:

1. Not as expensive: LESS.  

2. Acorn droppers: OAKS.  

3. "Thunderbolts*" actor Sebastian __: STAN.  Thunderbolts is a Marvel movie that came out earlier this year.

4. Approximate fig.: EST.  Another noun definition for figure is "value, especially as expressed in numbers".  In this case, that figure is an ESTimate.

5. Spurs to action: IMPELS.

6. Sweetie pie: DEARY.  

7. SoCal NFL player: LA RAM.

8. Large deer in the Rockies: ELK.

9. Talks about: SPEAKS OF.  

The Gossips   ~   Norman Rockwell  ~  1948

10. Touches of color: TINGES.  A TINGE of color is like a "splash of color", only more subtle.

11. "I do" venue: ALTAR.  

Notice what is in their hands.

12. Rich layer cake: TORTE.  

This one certainly has a lot of layers.

13. Construction girder metal: STEEL.

18. Historic British school: ETON.

23. Hydrant hookup: HOSE.  Hee!Hee!

24. Arrange in a row: ALIGN.  You know ... so they line up.

25. Purring pets: CATS.  

I have been cat-sitting for my neighbor.
This gray tuxedo looks sweet but she will not let me get any work done.

26. Acid counterpart: BASE.  This clue references the pH scale.

27. Eager: AGOG.  

28. San __, Italy: REMO.  Population ~55,000. Wiki says it is Sanremo in Italian but two words in English.  It is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. I was curious how many other municipalities fit the clue (but not the perps). Cono, Fele, Fili, Fior, Luca, Lupo, Rufo, Siro, and Vito all work.

31. "Little __ Everywhere": Celeste Ng novel: FIRES.  goodreads link

32. Genetic messenger molecule: RNA.

33. Queries: ASKS.

34. NBA player Holmgren: CHET.  [b. 2002 in Minneapolis, MN] He plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

35. Potato spots: EYES.  I always thought they were poisonous if ingested but the Idaho Potato Commission says otherwise. Nevertheless, do not take my word for it! Do your own research. 

37. Three siblings with the same birthday: TRIPLETS. This cute clue deserves a cute image.

St. Bernard TRIPLET puppies
(BTW, I recommend Googling "TRIPLET puppies images".)

38. One saving the day: HERO.  

Mighty Mouse made his debut in 1942.

39. "The proof __ the pudding": IS IN.  M-W explains this idiom

43. Like a sauna: HEATED.

44. Reassure that one's joking, in a way: WINK AT.  😉

45. Like pink cheeks: ROSY.

46. Sends with a stamp: POSTS.  To POST a letter is to mail a letter.

47. Small bay: INLET.

48. Actor Reeves who plays John Wick: KEANU.  [b. September 2, 1996] His mother was English; his father was American; he was born in Beirut, Lebanon because his mother was there for work; and yet Keanu is Canadian.  

There are four John Wick movies ... so far.

49. Become accustomed (to): INURE.  I found this example sentence online:  Does the violence on television INURE children TO violence in real life?

50. Adjusts a piano's pitch, e.g.: TUNES.  It was fun to see a verb meaning for TUNES instead of a plural noun.  

53. Brand of red plastic cups: SOLO.  When filmmakers include red SOLO cups in a scene they send the viewer a quick message about the characters and the gathering. It might be a message of formality, taste level, financial situations, group dynamics, age range, attitudes towards alcohol, or a combination of all those.  

Friends     ~     Phoebe is in charge of cups and ice.     ~     (1:26 min.)

54. Boat's front: PROW.  The bow is the front part of a boat. It includes the PROW, the stem, and the foremost part of the hull. the PROW is the part of the stem line above the waterline.  

55. Affirmative votes: AYES.

57. Part of a Santa costume: HAT.  

58. Apply gently: DAB.

The grid:  

That's all for this puzzle and that's all from me. Changes are afoot on The Corner. Beginning in 2026, another project will require my time and attention. I simply will not have enough free hours to continue in this role. I still intend to add to the comments most days. I will also be around as an occasional substitute blogger. So, I am not leaving -- just transitioning. I am thankful to C.C. for creating and maintaining this space where solvers can share a common hobby. It has been my pleasure to be a part of her team. I have learned so much! Speaking of the team, I happen to know you will be in excellent hands going forward! So long and thanks for all the fish!

~ sumdaze

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

I'm sad that today marks Sumdaze's final Monday blog post. Renee gives her all to every write-up. Her posts are always rich with images, video clips, and thoughtful, detailed explanations. Mondays won't be  the same without her.

That said, Mondays will remain in very capable hands. The incredible Naomi will begin covering Mondays starting next week. RustyBrain will take over Thursdays, and Splynter will blog Fridays, as both Chairman Moe and MM have decided to scale back and blog once a week. They'll now be sharing Wednesdays alongside Jazzbumpa and CrossEyedDave.

Hahtoolah and Husker Gary will continue their excellent work on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and Anonymous T (Tony) remains our ever-reliable pinch hitter.

I can't say how thankful I am for the dedication and generosity of our blogging team. Each post represents hours of care, often three or more, spent choosing the right words, finding just the right images, and tracking down helpful links. This blog simply wouldn't exist without them.