Monday June 30, 2025 Amie Walker and Darby Ratliff

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Today's theme is:  

not that this is a test or anything....

20 Across. Place to see some spectacles?: GLASSES CASE.  A bit of misdirection is always fun. Perhaps you were thinking of a spectacular display?  

25 Across. "Abbott Elementary" star: QUINTA BRUNSON.  Congratulations to you if this one was a gimme. It was ESP for me. I checked our archives. Quinta's full name was a themed answer on 10/22/24;  she appeared in a clue on 5/29/25;  and she was mentioned in the write-ups on 10/25/23 and 10/29/24. It is time for me to remember her name. 

42 Across. Coach at a health club: PERSONAL TRAINER.  

You could say that Mr. Miyagi was a
PERSONAL TRAINER for the Karate Kid (1984).

52 Across. Manager who opens up a shop, or an apt description of 20-, 25-, or 42-Across: KEY HOLDER.  I was not familiar with this title. As the clue indicates, it is an employee with added responsibilities, such as arriving early to unlock a business.

Also, the circles spotlight three KEYs of another variety -- computer KEYs. Furthermore, the KEYs are held within the themed answers:  ESC, TAB, and ALT. I liked how our puzzle setter placed all the KEYs so that they span the two word answers. I noticed that these three keys are in the top-to-bottom order that matches my keyboard. I wonder if that was intentional.

Next, we will enter the other clues & answers:

Across:

1. Fashion mag known for quizzes: COSMO.  Magazine is shortened, so is COSMOpolitan. 

6. Dog's foot: PAW.

9. Fan out, as toes: SPLAY.  When dogs lay with their legs SPLAYed, it is called splooting.  

14. Proprietor: OWNER.  OWNERs are usually KEY HOLDERs.

15. Prefix with system: ECO-.

16. Self-assurance: POISE.

17. Media watchdog org. that focuses on queer inclusivity: GLAAD.  This organization was founded on November 14, 1985.  website

18. Big boat that held animal pairs: ARK.  

19. Answers an invite, briefly: RSVPS.

23. Korean car company: KIA.

24. Pizzeria order: PIE.  Dean Martin sang about one in 1953.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza PIE, that's amore.  ♪♪

32. Mom's sister: AUNT.

33. Neckwear worn by Mickey Mouse at Aulani Resort: LEI.  This is a Disney resort on the island of Oahu's leeward side. Their website says aulani means "messenger of a chief".  

34. Ladybug feature: SPOT.  Cute clue! A ladybug's spots are not random. They serve as a deterrent to predators.  more about ladybug's spots

36. Laser tag sound: PEW.

37. Runs at full speed: GALLOPS.  It is surprising how smooth it feels on a horse's back at full gallop.

41. "__ bit confused": I'M A.

45. Digital counterpart: ANALOG.

46. Beat in a hot dog contest, e.g.: OUT EAT.  This answer has four vowels and two T's.

47. Spots for facials: SPAS.

48. Tax season helper: Abbr.: CPA.

51. "__ la vie!": C'EST.  That's life! (French)

55. Opposite of 39-Down: ANTI.     and     39 Down. In favor of: PRO.

58. Major fad: MANIA.  

Beetlemania came to mind.

59. "I so agree with you": AMEN.

63. Vanilla __: BEAN.  It takes 9 months from pollination to bean; 9 months to cure the bean; and 9 months to enhance the flavor in a humidor.

64. Humidor item: CIGAR.  "Vanilla BEAN" did not fit.

65. __ sago: tapioca dessert served hot or cold: TARO.  Google says this is a Cantonese dessert.

66. Karaoke selection: SONG.  Karaoke translates to "empty orchestra" in Japanese.  

67. Came to the surface: AROSE.

68. Dutch semisoft cheese: EDAM.  made in the Netherlands

Down:

1. Gear tooth: COG.

2. Hooting bird: OWL.  I have always been fond of burrowing OWLs. They are less than 10 in. (25.4 cm.) tall and are active during the day. This video was made by someone with a trail camera.  Burrowing Owl Facts

3. Catch (on): SNAG.  It took me a bit to catch on that this was like when your sweater catches on a bench splinter.

4. HelloFresh product: MEAL KIT.  HelloFresh delivers meal components to your house.

5. Confer holy orders upon: ORDAIN.

6. Samosa vegetables: PEAS.  During the fall I stock up on Trader Joe's mini spicy pumpkin samosas; however, those do not have PEAS in them.

7. Land measure: ACRE.

8. Pans that might require special burners: WOKS.

9. Wrist injury: SPRAIN.

10. To have or to hold: POSSESS.  I like this allusion to wedding vows.

11. "I will never __ this down!": LIVE.

12. Nile snake: ASP.

13. "I accept!": YES.

21. Stayed put: SAT.

22. Apple core, for short: CPU.  This apple is a computer with a Central Processing Unit.

25. Largest borough of New York City: QUEENS.  I just needed one perp to guess at this one.  

26. Open, as a present: UNWRAP.

27. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.

28. Bike signal: BELL. I have a bell on all of my bikes. I use them to notify other Rec Trail users that I am about to pass but they are usually too busy looking at their phones to hear me.

29. Barrel of laughs: RIOT.

30. Weighs in: OPINES.

31. Vegetarian restriction: NO MEAT.

32. Dad, in Korean: APPA.  

35. Like sourballs: TART.

37. Canadian honker: GOOSE.  I recently learned about how the Artic Barnacle GOOSE builds its nest on a high cliff then the goslings do a freefall to meet their parents at the bottom. Apparently their bones are soft enough to survive the fall during a 36-72 hour window. This video is bananas!  

Spoiler alert: the chick survives!

38. "Life of Pi" director Lee: ANG.

40. Sriracha, for one: SAUCE.  

43. Satisfying, as thirst: SLAKING.  Def. (verb) (1.) <archaic> Subside; abate.  (2.) crumble.

44. Say over and over: ITERATE.  Is "reiterate" redundant?

48. Seat at the table: CHAIR.  Literally.

49. Father of many, many puppies in "101 Dalmatians": PONGO.  I pulled this one out of the punchbowl!

50. Ms. Marvel, for Kamala Khan: ALIAS.  

Canadian actress Iman Vellani played Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel
 in the 2022 Disney+ series.

53. Org. with a pool, often: YMCA.

54. Truth alternative in a party game: DARE.

55. Crunch muscles: ABS.

56. Prefix with classical: NEO-.

57. Beach vacation souvenir: TAN.  My old boss used to say that a vacation's good vibes fade at the same rate as the TAN.

60. Steamed: MAD.  

61. Notable span: ERA.

62. Snack, cutesily: NOM.  

Here's the grid. We do not usually see vertical symmetry on Mondays.

Two notes before I close:

1. Thanks to RustyBrain for covering for me last week!
2. Please join me in wishing our blogmistress C.C. a very happy birthday!  🎂 

Sunday June 29, 2025 Zhou Zhang & Mallory Montgomery

Theme: "News Splash!" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by its nautical homophone.

23. Weather: "Warning to Surfers During Storm Surge": TIDE UP IN KNOTS. Tied-up in knots.

38. Classifieds: "Isolated Waterfront Property Now Available": SEA FOR YOURSELF. See for yourself.

49. Op-ed: "Archipelago Expansion Has No Place in Our Waters": ISLE BE DARNED. I'll be darned.

68. Style: "World's Largest Jib Now Complete": SAIL OF A LIFETIME. Sale of a lifetime.

89. Culture: "Five Stars for the New Jetty": PIER-REVIEWED. Peer-reviewed.

97. Front page: "Waterway Corruption Exposed": THE STRAIT TRUTH. The straight truth.

Reveal: 

120. Component of some social studies classes, or the name of the newspaper sporting the headlines in this puzzle?: CURRENT EVENTS. 

I always like homophone theme, but this puzzle is more than just homophone replacement. The extra clue layer makes the puzzle so much more interesting. Great title also. 

Congrats to Zhou Zhang on her first LAT Sunday. And Mallory on her LAT debut. Zhou is also a common surname in China, as in Zhou Enlai. 

Across:

1. Activist Yoko: ONO.

4. Lose, as fur: SHED.

8. Sell: VEND.

12. "You've had enough of my antics": I'LL STOP. 

19. Stateroom window: PORTHOLE. Never been on a cruise. Stunning view.

21. Brazilian berry: ACAI. Tart and a bit bitter.

22. Flat-bottomed glassware: BEAKERS.

25. Items that often hang above cribs: MOBILES.

26. User profiles: IDENTITIES. 

27. IRA options: CDS.

29. Secret plan: PLOT.

30. Key contraction?: O'ER. Francis Scott Key.

31. Hide-and-__: SEEK.

32. That girl: HER.

33. Inbox clogger: SPAM.

35. Like a twangy voice: NASAL.

44. Map showing elevation, for short: TOPO. Topography.

47. Proper part of speech?: NOUN. Proper noun.

48. "¡Ay, caramba!": DIOS MIO. "My God!"

54. Penny: CENT.

55. "Srsly?": OMG.

56. Whole pizza: PIE.

57. Fern bump: SPORE.

58. Ore. neighbor: IDA.

60. Romantasy and dramedy, for two: GENRES.

62. Side squared, for a square: AREA.

64. __ the web: SURF.

65. Monogram pts.: INITS.

67. "The __ have it": AYES.

72. Get exactly right: NAIL.

74. Greta Thunberg, for one: SWEDE.

75. Disney's "The Princess and the __": FROG.

76. Warm up: THAW.

80. 2022 Beyoncé hit that won a Grammy for Best R&B Song: CUFF IT.

82. Paper cutters, for short: EDS.

83. Spooky: EERIE.

85. Lamb's maa-maa: EWE. Ha.

86. "What have we here?": OHO.

87. Brace (oneself): GIRD.

93. Stumbled: LURCHED.

95. Slugger Sammy: SOSA. Boomer once pulled an autographed card of Sosa. 

96. Philosopher Descartes: RENE.

101. Is aware of: KNOWS.

105. Commotion: FUSS.

106. Director Anderson: WES.

107. Clif Bar ingredient: OATS.

110. Architect born in Guangzhou: PEI. His family left for Hong Kong when he was one. He designed the Bank of China Tower in HK.

111. In-flight convenience: WI-FI.

113. Practically forever: EON.

114. All-powerful: OMNIPOTENT.

117. "My brother from __ mother": ANOTHER.

123. Broadcasts on Twitch, e.g.: STREAMS.

124. Wading bird: IBIS.

125. Suggest: ALLUDE TO.

126. Superstar with swagger: HOTSHOT.

127. Toy brick brand: LEGO.

128. Command post: HELM.

129. Put on: DON.

Down:

1. Possibility: OPTION.

2. "Beats me!": NO IDEA.

3. Waiting list?: ORDERS. Great clue.

4. Like a just-finished book: SHUT.

5. Native Arizonans: HOPIS.

6. First-class: ELITE.

7. Rejects as untrue: DENIES.

8. Sneakers with a checkerboard design: VANS.

9. Green prefix: ECO.

10. D.C. player: NAT.

11. Make out: DISCERN.

12. Early ThinkPads, e.g.: IBMS.

13. Summer sign: LEO.

14. Chocolate __: LAB.

15. Ticket for someone who needs a lift?: SKI PASS. Ski lift.

16. "Keep talking": TELL ME MORE.

17. Cookie with a Space Dunk flavor: OREO.

18. Start of a secret exchange, perhaps: PSST.

20. Top __ list: TEN.

24. Actress Palmer: KEKE. "Nope".

28. Parched: DRY.

32. Escape artist born in Budapest: HOUDINI.

33. Taking to court: SUING.

34. Jets, Mets, or Nets: PRO TEAM. Patti is a Mets fan.

36. Munched: ATE.

37. Soft tosses: LOBS.

39. Journalist Curry: ANN.

40. Rival: FOE.

41. Celebratory poem: ODE.

42. Mojito fruit: LIMES.

43. Obscures: FOGS.

45. Cola brand: PEPSI.

46. Brand of near beer: O'DOUL'S.

49. Craft beer letters: IPA.

50. 108-Down for a knight: SIR. 108. Honorific: TITLE.

51. "To Kill a Mockingbird" novelist: LEE.

52. Flew in a direct, fast line: ARROWED. Didn't know "arrow" can be a verb.

53. Officiated a game: REFFED.

54. One who serves a function?: CATERER. Social function.

59. Clash (with): DIFFER.

61. Russian "no": NYET.

63. "In your dreams!": AS IF.

65. Suffix with percent: ILE.

66. Stockpiling sort: STORER.

69. Lands: ALIGHTS.

70. Super Bowl breaks: AD SPOTS.

71. "Mercy!": I GIVE.
 
72. Childish disagreement: NU HUH.

73. "You did your best!": A FOR EFFORT.

77. Chop down: HEW.

78. Wonderment: AWE. My pretty Asiatic lilies survived again and are thriving.

79. Join: WED.

80. Young stallion: COLT.

81. Levels: TIERS.

84. Kindle tech: E INK.

88. Fig. on an OTC bottle: RDA.

90. Syr. neighbor: ISR.

91. __ de parfum: EAU.

92. Poetic dusk: EEN.

94. Highest corporate levels: C SUITES.

95. Precut pattern: STENCIL.

98. __ Jima: IWO.

99. Heavy book: TOME.

100. Waddingham of "Ted Lasso": HANNAH. She was born in London.

102. Was on first: OPENED.

103. Visited: WENT TO.

104. Doesn't release: SITS ON.

109. Go letter by letter: SPELL.

111. Scrub: WASH.

112. Gaga over: INTO. 

113. Formerly, once: ERST.

114. Roughly: OR SO.

115. Egg cell: OVUM.

116. Bill's partner in time travel: TED. "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure".

118. "Pshaw!": HAH.

119. Punk offshoot: EMO.

121. Yam in purple ice cream: UBE. Our local farmers markets have purple yams. 

122. 18-wheeler: RIG.

Happy 59th birthday to Barry G, who gave me invaluable feedback when I just started making crosswords. Hope all's well in your world, Barry!  

C.C.

Saturday, June 28, 2025, Ricky Sirois

Saturday Themeless by Ricky Sirois

Across:

1. Like Oscar winner Troy Kotsur: DEAF - I was thinking about a nationality for a while but it soon showed it was a characteristic. 

          

5. "Lasers" rapper __ Fiasco: LUPE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

9. Security concerns?: SAFES 😀 Hacks first came to my mind

14. Symbol of British divine right: EXCALIBUR - This is the mythical sword King Arthur either pulled from the stone or received from the Lady Of The Lake to show his divine right to rule Britain. 

16. Whitlock Jr. of "The Wire": ISIAH ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

17. Governed by fate: MEANT TO BE.

18. Drag one's feet: TARRY.

Reminds me of 
"The Little Red Hen"

19. Sum up: ADD.

20. Sweetheart __: DEAL.

21. Turning point in a DIY project?: SCREW 😀 "Screw up" better describes what I might do

22. French holiday: NOEL.

24. Cause trouble: STIR THE POT - Don't we all know people who like doing this?

27. "The Man in the Iron Mask" novelist: DUMAS The Story

29. Disney villain: SCAR.

30. Morass: MIRE.

31. Hamper: STYMIE.

33. Wrestling promoter Maivia whose grandson is Dwayne Johnson: LIA.

34. Online "I can relate": IT ME - Social media meme.

35. Like some steakhouses: BRAZILIAN - This one is in Omaha

38. Zenith: ACME.

41. McElhenney who co-owns Wrexham A.F.C.: ROB ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  On the left below

42. "Forget it": NO DICE.

46. "Paint the Town Red" singer __ Cat: DOJA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

47. On the fence: TORN.

49. Food brand with a Westie mascot: CESAR.

50. "Case closed": ENOUGH SAID.

53. Novelist Jaffe: RONA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

54. Cast iron, e.g.: ALLOY.

55. Aft: REAR - Titanic's AFT sank last

57. Quaint "True": TIS.

58. Only U.S. vice president born in Maryland: AGNEW.

59. Hit that's hardly felt: MICRODOSE - Research continues to see if a MICRODOSE hit of hallucinogenics like LSD can be helpful without big side effects

61. May of Queen: BRIAN - On the right with Freddie Mercury

62. Royal guard?: BEEKEEPER - Royal BEEKEEPER John Chappell on the right below was given the task of telling the bees that their Queen had died.

63. Grouses: CARPS - These two words become synonymous as verbs and not animals

64. Petrol name: ESSO.

65. Signs of victory: VEES - Cue Beethoven's 5th 

Down:

1. Exacts: DEMANDS.

2. Struck through: EXED OUT.

3. West Point, e.g.: ACADEMY.

4. Whiff: FAN - I know which one below that C.C. would have chosen

Whiff™ Ceiling FAN

In baseball, a batter who has struck out
is said to have whiffed or fanned

5. Some brews: LITES.

6. WWII fleet: U-BOATS.

7. Institutions "full of sunk treasure," per Virginia Woolf: PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

8. Poetic conjunction: ERE.

9. Circumstance, slangily: SITCH -When Kim Possible absolutely does not have enough time to say situation.

10. "In case you forgot ... ": AS A REMINDER - iCalendar allows me to set an alert for an event. I usually set it for an hour before a tee time.

11. Campsite warmer: FIRE PIT.

12. Tune that really catches on: EARWORM - Here are 50 of them. My Barbara Ann did not make the list. 

13. Shrinking: SHY.

15. Close of business, briefly?: LTD - Limited: It means a company has separated its personal assets from the business assets.

21. Filter: STRAIN.

23. Touchdown celebration in Green Bay: LAMBEAU LEAP.

25. Stability aid: RAIL.

26. Shirt tail?: TEE - The last (tail) letter in shirt is a TEE

28. Dame analogue: SIR - Dame Helen Mirren and SIR Ian McKellen

32. Like some reds: EARTHY.

36. Circuses: ZOOS.

37. NYC rep from the Bronx: AOC - The oft-photographed U.S Representative

38. Beverage suffix: ADE.

39. Food processing giant that began as a grain enterprise in Nebraska: CONAGRA - This giant company with many products acquired Swanson's who are famous for inventing the TV Dinner in Omaha.

40. Thor's hammer: MJOLNIR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  I can't spell or pronounce it. I suspect Ricky built around this word in his puzzle and did not just discover it to fill an area.

43. Variant in a lab: ISOTOPE - This huge plant in Oakridge, TN was built to process fissionable ISOTOPE U235 from U238 for the Manhattan Project. America recently attempted to prevent Iran from doing that.

44. Curious request: CAN I SEE.

45. Takeoff gear?: ERASERS 😀

48. Some siblings, to their parents' siblings: NIECES.

51. Red carpet garb: GOWNS - As I am typing this I am wearing Under Armor

52. Gyllenhaal title role: DARKO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Jake was the protagonist in this movie that featured a very odd looking rabbit.

56. Toast Skagen garnish: ROE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Toast Skagen är en populär Svensk förrätt (Toast Skagen is a popular Swedish appetizer) 

58. Disney channel?: ABC.

59. U.K. honor: MBE - Member of the Order of the British Empire 

Ed Sheeran with his medal

60. "Monkey Man" actor/director Patel: DEV ¯\_(ツ)_/¯