Sunday June 1, 2025 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Symbolic Language" - Part of each theme clue is replaced by its keyboard symbol. 

22. Gets right to the .: TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. Gets right to the point. 

31. In the ***: MEANT TO BE. In the stars.

51. Balder-: HORSE FEATHERS. Balderdash. 

70. Dog #: ANIMAL SHELTER. Dog pound.

89. One %: THE UPPER CRUST. One percent.

102. Plays @: DABBLES IN. Plays at.

120. Non+: THROW A CURVEBALL. Nonplus. 

The dot in the first theme clue is subtle. The other symbols are easier to spot. 

Very fresh and creative theme from Paul. Very tight set with limited choices. 

Across:

1. Make the world a better place: DO GOOD.

7. Passed into law: ENACTED.

14. Poker pronouncement: I CALL.

19. Not necessarily against: OPEN TO. And 63. Words of likelihood: APT TO. 128. Meet: RISE TO. 16. "We __ please": AIM TO. 

20. Like cast iron and silicone: OVEN-SAFE.

21. Payoff: BRIBE.

24. Actor Jason: MOMOA. The Aquaman.

25. Small vortex: EDDY.

26. Hide out: LIE LOW.

27. Grenoble peak: ALPE.

29. PIN sites: ATMS.

30. Talkative bird: MYNA.

33. Pastoral people of Kenya and Tanzania: MASAI. Also spelled as Maasai. 

37. Tiny pest: ANT.

39. Pacific tuna: AHI. 33. Taco choice, on menus: MAHI.

41. Latin heart: COR. Learning moment.

42. Gentle skin care brand: AVEENO.

44. First name in jazz: ETTA.

46. Plunge after a workout: ICE BATH. 81. Steam after a workout: SAUNA.

55. Royal Shakespeare Company venue: THEATRE.

56. Data: INFO.

57. Handbill: FLIER.

58. Shorthand for a person who prefers platonic partners: ARO. Aromantic.

60. Sure to happen: FATED.

61. Former: PRIOR.

66. Trig function: COSINE.

67. Part of many Arab names: IBN. Son of.

73. USN rank: CDR. I miss our Spitzboov, Commander Al in real life, and Santa of course.

Al & Scott

74. Dairy din: MOOING.

76. Jane Curtin title role: ALLIE. Kate & Allie.

77. Movie credits and music charts: LISTS.

79. Dad: POPPA.

80. HMO alternative: PPO. Preferred Provider Organization.

83. Game with suspect tokens: CLUE.

87. Red disk hieroglyph: EYE OF RA.

93. Dogie catcher: LASSOER.

94. Has: OWNS.

95. Cheers: ELATES. JD just sent me this picture. Her oldest grandson Truman will be off college in the fall. He was just a little baby when JD joined our blog. 

Truman, Cameron, Dylan, JD, Bob and Grady (Truman's younger brother)

96. G7 member: USA.

97. Native people of Colorado: UTE.

98. Sinuous swimmer: EEL.

101. Copycatting: APERY.

107. Prone to snooping: NOSY.

109. Biblical birthright barterer: ESAU.

110. Fight like a knight: TILT.

111. Discarded devices: E-WASTE.

114. Role for Ingrid: ILSA. "Casablanca".

118. Ban alcoholic beverages: GO DRY.

123. Fish: ANGLE.

124. Clear French brandy: EAU DE VIE.

125. Bring out: ELICIT.

126. Informal farewell: SEE YA. 68. "That's how it's done!": BOO YA.

127. Displayed contempt: SNEERED.
 
Down:

1. Shower with love: DOTE.

2. "Say your piece" piece: OP-ED.

3. Neuter, as a horse: GELD.

4. "For your eyes __": ONLY.

5. Periods before soccer shootouts, briefly: OTS.

6. Embroidered mat: DOILY. 115. 6-Down material: LACE.

7. Wicked: EVIL.

8. Alt-country singer Case: NEKO. Beautiful.

9. Again: ANEW.

10. CBS forensic drama series: CSI.

11. Woven mat: TATAMI.

12. Paperless IRS option: E-FILE.

13. 2017 hit for Luis Fonsi: DESPACITO.

14. Co. with an iconic 8-bar logo: IBM.

15. Dalmatia native: CROAT.

17. Word dropped when things are getting serious, informally: L-BOMB.

18. Dealer's offer: LEASE.

20. Fat substitute brand: OLEAN.

23. "The Best" singer Turner: TINA.

28. Genesis patriarch: ENOCH.

30. Go for the gold?: MINE. Ha.

32. Backyard hideaway: TREE FORT.

34. Big name in cosmetics: AVON.

35. Feudal worker: SERF.

36. "The Ape and the Dolphin" fabulist: AESOP.

38. French crown: TETE.

39. Broke bread: ATE.

40. Hardy follower: HAR.

43. Foreseeable future: OFFING.

45. In the __ of: totally absorbed by: THRALL.

47. Lamb bleats: BAAS.

48. Creepy story?: ATTIC. Floor.

49. Blow up on social media: TREND.

50. "Blades of Glory" actor Jon: HEDER. Known for his role in "Napoleon Dynamite".

52. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.

53. Chart made from overhead photos: AIRMAP. Images from the plane.

54. Fill: SATE.

59. Act like a startled doodlebug: ROLL UP.

62. Violated, with "of": RAN AFOUL.

64. Air pump meas.: PSI.

65. Auspicious tarot card: THE SUN.

66. Opera singer Siepi: CESARE. Another learning moment.

67. Drive: IMPEL.

69. Slangy denials: NOPES.

71. Much of the time: A LOT.

72. Food sticker: TINE. Stick-er.

75. NYSE banner events: IPOS.

78. Deep-six or eighty-six: SCRAP.

80. Sponges: PARASITES.

82. Abbey area: APSE.

84. Mandolin cousin: LUTE. I was thinking of this. But it's spelled as Mandoline. 

85. Computer operator: USER.

86. Vintage etailer: ETSY.

88. Change after a blackout, as a clock: RESET.

90. All the rage: HOT.

91. Farm female: EWE.

92. Court material: CLAY.

97. "That's a lie!": UNTRUE.

99. Come after: ENSUE.

100. "The Hobbit" sequel series, for short: LOTR.

102. Impressionist Edgar: DEGAS.

103. All together: AS ONE.

104. Girl Scout's award: BADGE.

105. Big and strong: BURLY.

106. Minnesota representative Omar: ILHAN. Her daughter has a very crossword-friendly name: Isra Hirsi. 

108. Break, as ties: SEVER.

111. Decorative pitcher: EWER.

112. Surfing need: WAVE.

113. Battery contents: ACID.

114. Sacred Nile wader: IBIS.

116. Letter opener cut: SLIT.

117. Voice above tenor: ALTO.

119. Vote for passage: YEA.

121. Poem of tribute: ODE.

122. Connecticut collegian: ELI.

Robert (Picard) and his wife Merlie visited Splynter last Wednesday. Hopefully Splynter will tell you more of the visit next week. I chuckled when he told me about his 7-hour nap afterwards. Picard is the first blog regular Splynter met in real life, I think.

Picard and His Wife Merlie 

Saturday, May 31, 2025, Stella Zawistowski

 Themeless Saturday by Stella Zawistowski

Seeing our weight-lifting crossword aficionado from Brooklyn as the author can indicate we have a workout ahead. However, this puzzle provided for a very nice solve. Solving is greatly facilitated when the long fills come into focus. BTW, The Omaha World Herald carries her Commuter Crossword Puzzle everyday.

At the left you can see Stella with two trophies she won at an ACPT event and she said of herself:

 I was a "Constantly-About-to-Throw-Up Nervous Wreck." I did manage to make a trip to the hardware store with my second fifth-place finish in a row and first place in NYC (the latter made easier since Andy Kravis was attending a wedding):

Across:

1. "Paradise Lost" figure: SATAN.

6. Hamburger __: MENU - Not something you would see at McDonalds. It is set of shortcut icons that can be used in user interfaces. The name comes from the resemblance of some the icons to triple hamburger patties. More

10. Ennea- minus one: OCTO.

14. Honolulu Marathon landmark: ALOHA TOWER.

16. Blank space: VOID.

17. Step after reentry: SPLASH DOWN - Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins return to Earth on July 24, 1969.

18. Supermodel who wrote the kids book "What Are You Hungry For?": EMME.

19. Turf: SOD.

20. Is on the hunt: SEEKS.

21. Globally available sweets: OREOS - Just when you think you have read every clue for OREOS...

22. Renege (on): BAIL.

23. Question of desire: WANT IN - My one bad cell was where WANT I_ crossed TIMO_ 12. Shakespearean Athenian: TIMON. I first put WANT IT and TIMOT. 🤨 

25. Really clean: SCOUR.

27. "Inside the Actors Studio" host: LIPTON - Here he is trying to deal with Robin Williams

28. Rogan josh accompaniment: NAAN.

29. Slow roller across the infield: TARPAULIN 😀 It's a slow roller but you can get caught under it.

32. Word before mirabilis or horribilis: ANNUS - I think you can infer what annus horribilis would mean

34. Stylist's selection: HUE.

35. Miu Miu parent company: PRADA - I did find a Miu Miu purse online that was marked down to $4,200. 😳

36. Versatile rides: TEN SPEEDS.

38. Avalon, for one: ISLE - The Isle of Avalon is a mythical island featured prominently in Arthurian legends, often associated with healing, magic and the afterlife. 

39. Slips: ERRORS.

40. Wasabi product: PASTE.

42. "Grief Is for People" memoirist Crosley: SLOANE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

43. Short curls?: PERM - The curls can be short and are short-lived. 😀

44. French greeting: SALUT.

45. Unmoving: INERT.

47. End: AIM.

50. Nutrient in shellfish: IRON.

51. Heinz product: STEAK SAUCE.

53. Brie feature: RIND - the answer below is yes. It's a natural, bloomy rind that develops during the cheese-making process, and it's a key part of the cheese's flavor and texture. 

54. One who is just not having it: PICKY EATER 😀

55. Winged goddess: ISIS.

56. Sets as a price: ASKS.

57. "Which ones?": THOSE.

Down:

1. Flip response: SASS.

2. Purina brand: ALPO.

3. Related: TOLD.

4. "I knew you were bluffing!": AHA.

5. Capital on New Providence: NASSAU.

6. Virtual representation: MODEL.

7. Tree hut dweller on Endor: EWOK.

8. Up-to-the-minute media: NEWS WIRES - Newspapers are not up-to-the-minute.

9. Tapped container: URN.

10. Strain on local infrastructure: OVER TOURISM.

11. Get outdone by everyone: COME IN LAST - "Finished Last" worked at first.

13. Metered tributes: ODES.

15. Sometimes-singular possessive: THEIR.

21. Draftable?: ON TAP.

22. Game show extras: BONUS ROUNDS.

24. Messenger, e.g.: APP.

25. Sound: SANE.

26. Mexico : enchiladas :: Italy : __: CANNELLONI.

27. Heaps praise on: LAUDS.

28. 2019 W.S. champ: NAT - Then they traded away the heart of the team. In two years they were 65 - 97. First to worst.

29. "Just as I predicted": THERE IT IS.

30. Unmoving, perhaps: IDLE.

31. Scottish denial: NAE.

33. Lean cuisine consumer of yore: SPRAT 😀

37. Unimaginable span: EON.

40. Up a lot?: PERKY - I'm not a fan of morning TV

41. Creativity-inspiring gift: ART SET - So many ways for me to fail 😗

42. Garments that may feature gota patti embroidery: SARIS.

43. Range makeup: PEAKS - Mountain range

44. Speaker on some devices: SIRI. 

46. Violin section?: NECK.

47. Set-it-and-forget-it mode: AUTO - This might happen

48. Sweetens, in a way: ICES - ICE a bakery item.

49. __ mortals: MERE - I always say, "Everyone has a story"

51. Apt rhyme for 52-Down: SPA and 52. Apt rhyme for 51-Down: AAH. 😀