I have not had the pleasure of blogging a puzzle from Tim - this is his fifth construction for the LA Times - his last grid was over a year ago. An impressive collection of triple sevens in each corner, without being "Saturday" level difficult - and that's hard to do midweek. I sailed though this one and I enjoyed it. We have twelve seven-letter words, 18 fivers, 20 4LW, and 21 3LWs; a handful of names, but none that were too obscure, IMHO. My first thought was we were looking at some "double letter" fills ( e.g. the Y-Y in 17A., and the R-R in 25A. ) for a theme, but no - instead we have four places described by a shade of BLUE. Three of the five themers are unique to crosswords, and the other two have only appeared one other time. The themers & reveal;
17. Sites for shipbuilding: NAVY YARDS - navAL yards sounds more natural
25. Spots for guests to freshen up: POWDER ROOMS - there's only one bathroom in my house, and it's my yellow/orange/red "dragon" room - see 1 Down
39. Metropolitan area at the junction of three rivers, familiarly: STEEL CITY - officially known as Pittsburgh - but I found this list of several others ( not at a three-river junction )
55. Home for a king and queen: ROYAL PALACE
66. Geographic regions known for the longevity of their residents, and what 17-, 25-, 39-, and 55-Across are?: BLUE ZONES - the Wiki
32. Laptop alternative: TABLET - I now have three laptops, and one tower - the latest laptop is to be kept in the "music room" for playing songs and recording - see 1 Down
33. Feminine Italian pronoun: ESSA - sort of like contESSA
35. Early Peruvian: INCA - I'd like to see the ruins
38. Potential jurors: PEERS
42. Ferret relative: STOAT
45. Come across as: SEEM
46. Rogen of "Kung Fu Panda": SETH - name #3
50. "Shoulda listened to me!": "TOLD YA~!"
52. Bio class: LAB
54. Once known as: NÉE
58. "Step away from my kibble": GRR- Dogspeak
59. Sofa headrest, for a napper: ARM
60. Classic record label: EMI
61. Racket: NOISE - how 'bout this Racket Noise~?
Alexander Bublik
63. View from Everest: NEPAL
69. Investment profits: GAINS
70. Doesn't keep pace: LAGS
71. Bits in citrus sorbet: ZEST - learned from doing crosswords
72. Spanish folk hero: EL CID - name #4 - Happy travels, Naomi~! My parents honeymooned in Spain in 1966 - and attended a bullfight, no less
73. Fifth letter of the NATO alphabet: ECHO - We were challenged about this last Friday - I caught your Unicorn~!
74. "Salus populi suprema lex __": Missouri motto: ESTO - Latin; "Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law" - shout-out to inanehiker~!
DOWN:
1. Sanctuary in the basement, maybe: MAN-CAVE - When I first told my coworkers at my last NY job that I was going to make the basement of my new CT home a "man-cave", they said the WHOLE house would be a man-cave - and this turned out to be quite true~!
My living room is my "blue" room - the office is the "green" room, and so on
2. Some spuds: IDAHOES - sssss, close - I had IDAHOAN
3. Steep-sided gorges: RAVINES - I had CANYONS
4. __ acetate: banana-scented compound: AMYL - no clue, filled via perps - the Wiki - some interesting facts in this short article
5. Shared intimacy, briefly: PDA - Public Display of Affection
6. Musician's gift: EAR - I play by tablature - but I am getting better and knowing my guitar notes by name now, rather than positions, which means I am growing as a musician
Can anyone tell me what song this intro is from~?
7. Tossed in: ADDED
8. Personal style: TASTE
9. Soup with rice noodles: PHO - we've seen this before; I needed P_O to recall what it's called
10. New use for an old T-shirt: RAG - yup
11. Pet carrier opening: AIR HOLE - sounds like a soft insult - don't call me an air-hole~!
No new four-legged friend yet, but I keep looking
12. Idealist: DREAMER
13. Hockey stat: ASSISTS - the fast pace of the game results in TWO players getting points for assists
The Broadway Blueshirts failed to make the 2025 playoffs
18. High-pitched barks: YIPS - and golfer woes, too
22. Work on the wall?: ART - Ah. Now that I see the answer ( filled via perps ), I get it. Reminds me of names-that-can-be-nouns/verbs jokes - a list here
26. Andy Taylor's son, on classic TV: OPIE - speaking of funny names . . . .#5
27. Opposite of waxes: WANES - like the phases of the moon
Nice shade of background blue - and there's a "BLUE" moon, too - more here
28. Intensely focused: RAPT
29. Falls into line: OBEYS
34. Carne __: taco option: ASADA
36. The Browns, on scoreboards: CLEveland - hardcore NFL rivals to Pittsburgh
37. Amtrak's fast service: ACELA - Here's a B1M construction channel clip as to why the service cannot get to European/Asian "bullet" speeds (name(ish))
40. Brief "Bye for now!": TTYL - textspeak, Talk To You Later
41. Apple variety: IMAC - not fooled by the fruit / computer ambiguity
42. Bizarre: STRANGE
43. "Scary how lifelike that is!": "TOO REAL~!"
44. Washington's __ National Park: OLYMPIC - I had to wait for crossings before I recalled this
47. "Start your __!": ENGINES - here's another YouTube clip about the facts behind the Ford vs. Ferrari movie - which I thought was a great film
48. Most succinct: TERSEST
49. Toast opening: "HERE'S TO..." - I better start thinking of something to say at my brother's wedding in July....
51. Mimic: APE
53. Auto pioneer Karl: BENZ - Dah~! I put in OTTO, and should have known better; name #6
56. Stroll: AMBLE
57. Fragrant purple bloom: LILAC
62. Move like honey: OOZE
64. Singer DiFranco: ANI - crossword staple, name #7
65. Psychedelic initials: LSD - Not "L D S"
Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home
67. "I hate it": "UGH~!" - I keep a daily journal ( a "captain's log", if you will ) and UGH makes frequent appearances, usually when I don't care for something, some statement, or some outcome
EYE believe we are looking at a debut puzzle for both constructors - congrats~! In a strange semi-duplicate of my previous blog, we have several repeat clues/answers and the dreaded circles, but in this puzzle, they appear in five Down fills and enclose four gems, or "rocks", and rise, or "climb" up the answers. Four out of five fills are unique to crosswords, two of them being 15-letter spanners ( which, in the past, I actually called "climbers" when vertical ). Contrarily, the names came back, but not too badly, and we had 22 3LWs as well. The themers;
3. Meatless barbecue patties: SOY BURGERS - RUBY - this was what EYE expected the answer to be, but "VEGGIE" was too long
5. Light punishment: A SLAP ON THE WRIST - OPAL - EYE figured this one out, too
9. "Au revoir": TILL WE MEET AGAIN - AGATE - Knew we were looking for a phrase for "Good B-EYE"
30. Former Samsung smartphone with a stylus: GALAXY NOTE - ONYX - My choice of smart device is an Android S22 - not an EYE-phone
17. Athlete who might have a "belayed" reaction, and what 3-, 5-, 9-, and 30-Down each contain?: ROCK CLIMBER - belaying is how one runs a rope (line) around a cleat, pin, rock - or perhaps through an EYE hook
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Broad views: VISTAS - During which Windows version was your kid born~?
Don McMillan, tehnically funny
7. Metaphor for a wearying work routine: RAT RACE - can't seem to JOG in the human race
Spinal Tap - the embedded lyrics don't reflect the intent of the song - or the band
14. Person who's self-obsessed: EGOIST
15. Frequent flyer: AVIATOR
16. "Casino __": Bond film: ROYALE - one of the best Bond films, IMHO, and THE best theme song
Chris Cornell, You Know My Name
17. Live, as footage: REAL TIME
18. Texter's "Just a moment": BRB - Be Right Back
19. Nerf darts, e.g.: AMMO - Nerf appeared last Wednesday, too; EYE was down on Long Island last weekend, and my buddy's son takes archery lessons; gave it "a shot", found my bow arm to be weaker than my drawing one - not what I expected
21. Cuts in a pie crust: SLITS
22. MLB official: UMPire - MLB abbr, answer abbr
24. Play part after the first intermission: ACT TWO - usually fills as "ACT II" - with two EYES
26. Super __ Bros.: MARIO - easy enough, but still a name, #1
28. Ring victory, for short: TKO - Technical Knock-Out; based on the decision that a boxer is in no condition to continue the bout
29. NBC foreign correspondent Richard: ENGEL - no clue, filled via perps, name #2
33. Skin and bones: ORGANS - yes, the skin is an organ, so this is a very clever clue
35. Pre-exam session: CRAM
37. __ carte: À LA
38. Informal clothing option: TEE - Just got this one
Never Say Die~! Black Sabbath
39. Slogan: TAGLINE
41. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ - name #3; her clothing website
42. Sticky roadway substance: TAR
43. Colorful Hindu spring observance: HOLI - more here
Vibrant, and messy
44. Match wits with: DEBATE
46. "Jungle Fever" actor Davis: OSSIE - name #4
48. Long-legged bird: EMU
50. Formal options, informally: TUXES
51. Nerds: DWEEBS - Two weeks in a row; it's not on the chart . . .
53. "__ takers?": ANY
54. Middle Eastern leaders: EMIRS
56. Vaping device: eCIG
58. "Planet Money" producer: NPR
61. Coin collector?: CREDITOR - Har-har; I don't recall seeing a Coinstar in my Big Y store
63. Seaside city in Italia: NAPOLI - the EYE-talian spelling of Italy and Naples; name #5
65. "Let me look!": "CAN I SEE~?" - This REVEAL is EYE Catching
mesmer-EYE-zing
66. Best of the best: TIP-TOP
67. Move like an old jalopy: STUTTER - meh. Move like a stick shift in the hands of a new driver = more better-er
68. Odin feature: ONE EYE - Went onl-EYE-ne to see if he had one EYE, not just one "i" in o - d - I - n
DOWN:
1. Action word: VERB
2. Fictional lab assistant: IGOR - "No, EYE gor"
4. Aunt, in Mexico: TIA
6. Part of a winesap or a wineglass: STEM
7. "Hair Love" voice actress Issa: RAE - just about every other puzzle these days; name #6
8. Nautical "Halt!": "AVAST~!" - p-EYE-rate speak falls on Friday, September 19th this year
10. Mete out: RATION
11. Toiling away: AT IT
12. Rom-, dot-, or sit- enders: COMS
13. Prior to, poetically: ERE
20. Yoga roll: MAT - SUSHI didn't fit 😜
23. "Mamma __!": MIA - name(ish), but a crossword staple, and this song appeared last week
25. "Silent All These Years" singer Amos: TORI - name #7
26. Slogan: MOTTO - twice in two weeks, also, so "lather, rinse, repeat" is m-EYE motto
27. Fields of study: AREAS
31. Best of the best: ELITE - Dah~! Not 'A-TEAM' . . . there's no EYE in TEAM, but one in e-l-i-t-e
32. Lounges (about): LAZES
34. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO - name #8
36. "On top of that ... ": AND . . . . another thing~!
That's no misprint - it is the sixth book in the trilogy
40. "Squee!" feeling: GLEE - Have to admit to never feeling the feeling "squee" 😝
45. Hairdo for General Leia: BUN - semi-meh; more like "bunS"
First driving lesson in the T-EYE Fighter
47. Words following a great accomplishment: "I DID IT~!" - EYE did a thing~!
Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear & Clarkson's Farm
49. The Trojans of the NCAA: USC - Don't follow college sports; filled via perps
52. First name in cosmetics: ESTÉE - Lauder - her Wiki, name #9
54. QED part: ERAT - Quod... Demonstrandum - Latin-speak "that which was to be shown"
55. Host's handout: MENU
57. Really digging: INTO
59. Devious maneuver: PLOY
60. __ for the picking: RIPE
61. Adds to an email chain: CCs - C.C.'s involved in the crossword, again
62. Above, in poetry: O'ER
64. Safety gear for hosp. workers: PPE - OSHA-speak; Personal Protective Equipment; the long way to describe "mask & gloves" - maybe some goggles for the EYEs
I had the pleasure of blogging Catherine's puzzle back on January 8th, on my 20yr AA anniversary; we had one other from her last month, with the ascending do-re-mi theme. Today we have four theme answers ( two that are unique to crosswords ) containing scrambled synonyms for MAD in the dreaded circles; just a couple of names, twenty-one 3LWs, but then again 18 five-letter words. A standard 15x15 grid, and nothing too obscure for a Wednesday; just the one word highlighted in the grid below for me. The themers;
18. Nerf squirt gun in the National Toy Hall of Fame: SUPER SOAKER - SORE
24. Emergency evacuation rehearsal: FIRE DRILL - RILED
38. Inequality in access to technology: DIGITAL DIVIDE - LIVID - one source of inequality info
51. Piano larger than a spinet: BABY GRAND - ANGRY - large piano~? Pffft
Proposed Organ for a church in Rhode Island
57. Frantic, last-minute rush, and what can be found in each set of circled letters in this puzzle?:
MAD SCRAMBLE
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Like a texter who sends a crying emoji: SAD - 😢 Blogger does not have a simple "sad" : - (
4. Frittata ingredients: EGGS - filled via perps; I have heard of this dish, but . . . .
...now methinks I want to make one - but eggs are pricey right now
8. Words to live by: MOTTOS - "Don't be a troll" is what us Cornerites like to say 😜
14. Green prefix: ECO
15. Simple fastener: SNAP
16. Wayward: ERRANT
17. Took off: RAN
20. Pop star: IDOL - Billy Idol, still rocking at 70; a quiet remake of his 1984 hit
Eyes Without A Face - the chorus is in Frawche ( les yeux sans visage * )
22. Grassy meadow: LEA
23. Himalayan Bigfoot: YETI - Sasquatch~!
28. Compare prices: SHOP
29. Texas team in the American League since 2013: ASTROS - I know we are into the 2025 baseball season now, and our hostess C.C. is a huge fan, but I just don't care for the sport - boooring . . . . and I did not know Huston moved to the "other" league
30. Approves: OKs
33. Dawn goddess: EOS - not the makeup this time
34. Kia crossover SUVs: SOULS
36. Instant noodles option: RAMEN
41. Wear away: ERODE
42. Place of refuge: OASIS
43. Bioengineered food initials: GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms - the "dot gov" site
44. Sp. woman: SRA
46. On deck: UP NEXT - a little baseball lingo, as well
49. Christian period after Carnival: LENT - I 'gave up' giving a S#** for Lent - best 40 days ever; try it
54. Length x width: AREA
55. Pre-K sequence: A B C
56. Winter blanket: SNOW - CT got a "wintry mix" yesterday, but I'm putting the snow blower away
62. Responded to a rumbling tummy: ATE
63. For the time being, in some titles: PRO TEM - Literal Latin, pro tempore
64. Looks at: EYES - yeux again~!?!
65. Barely passing grade: DEE - A, B, C, and now D
66. With reason: SANELY
67. Leak out slowly: SEEP
68. Thumb drive port: USB
DOWN:
1. Stroke that some fonts are "sans": SERIF
2. National park near Bar Harbor: ACADIA
3. GoFundMe contributors: DONORS - I am contemplating starting a page like this for my board game production; I can make a prototype easy, and sell through Amazon ( or Etsy, etc. ) - BUT - if I need to "mass produce", I don't know where to turn for manufacturing, and it will cost money - I'll offer a free game to those who donate, say, $20~?
4. The last of us?: ESS - very clever; only two letters - - first you, then ess
5. Bearded beast: GNU
Gn-no Gn-news, is Good Gn-news, with Gary Gnus
6. Banana Republic parent company: GAP
7. Hex: SPELL
8. Home of two Cactus League stadiums: MESA
pre-season MLB baseball in the Phoenix, Arizona area
9. __ y plata: phrase on Montana's state flag: ORO - Gold and Silver
10. Cafeteria carriers: TRAYS
11. Pay attention: TAKE HEED - alright, there are some circles I pay attention to . . . .
12. Low tie score: ONE TO ONE - I put in ZERO ZERO
13. Formats for funnies: STRIPS - comic STRIP
19. Move, in brokerese: RELOcate
21. "C'mon! It's time!": "LET'S GO~!"
25. iPhone alternatives: DROIDS - ANDROID didn't fit; the "abbr" didn't occur to me
26. Networking device: ROUTER
27. Land in the agua: ISLA
31. __ Kreme donuts: KRISPY
32. Building a nest egg: SAVING - I like to think I am "diversified"
35. __-mo replay: SLO
37. Tightwads: MISERS - it IS one way of "SAVING"
38. Natural brown sugar: DEMERARA - never heard of this; a unique crossword fill, too. More here
39. Like some patches: IRONED ON - I typed in IRON, but ON didn't finish the fill. . . .Ah.
40. Apply haphazardly: DAUB
43. Stays in a luxury yurt, say: GLAMPS - popular in crosswords; Glamorous Camping
Hey, they at least built a fire . . .
45. "Mamma Mia!" band: ABBA - saw them on Monday along with "LENT"
47. Eden in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan": XANADU - no clue; filled via perps
48. Govt. securities: T-NOTES - The "dot gov"; my cash gets 4% INT at Robin Hood and Discover
50. Flavor: TASTE
52. Pinnacles: ACMES - Third time this puzzle intersected with Monday and sumdaze's very punny write-up; I like to think ACME is a singular word, implying the ONE place to reach - better yet, an online store for great anvils, bird seed, etc.
Wait~! It gets better - check out this ACME detonator~!
53. Nerdy type: DWEEB - It's not on the chart
Don McMillan, Technically Funny
55. Navy's college football rival: ARMY
58. Animation buff's collectible: CEL
59. "See ya!": "BYE~!"
60. Gymnast Suni with six Olympic medals: LEE - Learned from doing crosswords
61. Mind reader's gift: ESP - what do you call a mind reader who knows what your favorite sports teams are ~? . . . . ESPN
* I discovered while writing up this blog that it's also the title of a Frawnche horror movie - NSFW
I struggled with this one - while Stella masterfully gives us four theme fills that are all unique crossword entries, and none of the usual Wednesday construction attributes we usually see - bigger grids, circles, a plethora of names - I stumbled in the west, had to do an alphabet run to get the "red square" you see in the completed puzzle grid at the end of the blog, and the effort was not rewarding, IMHO - a bit of a let down, rather than a clever or funny theme. Sigh. The themers;
20. Leg day exercises performed while holding dumbbells: SUITCASE LUNGES
A selfie - NOT
28. Rectangle-shaped football formation: BOX DEFENSE
46. Stephen King novel about a graveyard curse: BAG OF BONES - I did not read this book
54. Therapist's statement, or what can be said about the first parts of 20-, 28-, and 46-Across?:
LET'S UNPACK THAT - I've heard the phrase, but I must be getting "brittle" as I age because I don't care for this "euphemism", as it were - nor do I care for 21st century-speak buzzords like "circle back" and the rest on this list - when one steps back from them, they do have a cringe factor
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Cloth that protects waves: DURAG - A "do" rag - this thing - that is more likely to be seen on a rapper's head than a "permanent wave"
6. Jazz pattern: RIFF - the master of the heavy metal riff - Tony Iommi
16. Córdoba coin: EURO - Dah~! I always think "PESO", and even that's not right - peseta is better
17. Sired, biblically: BEGAT - there was a LOT of "begatting" in the Bible
18. "You __ me?": "FEEL~?"
19. Marching insects: ANTS
23. "Uh-uh": NAH
24. "¿__ te llamas?": "COMO~?" - I am IRON MAN~!
25. Pipe material, for short: PVC - actually stumped me - but then again, I don't work with "those" pipes any more . . . . PolyVinyl Chloride - the Wiki
33. "So cool!": "OOH~!"
34. Marvel's God of Mischief: LOKI - learned by doing crosswords, not from the movies
35. Breakfast or brunch: MEAL - I had breakfast with my brother on Saturday, which means I got to visit with my buddy Cooper again~! I'm still looking for my four-legged friend 😞
Cooper~!
37. Close shave: SCARE
39. This __ up: END
41. Natural fence: HEDGE - if there's a bustle in your hedgerow....
42. Seize: TAKE
43. Not here anymore: GONE
45. In the style of: À LA
50. Homer's wholesome neighbor: NED
PFFFT - Flanders
51. "In my opinion ... ": "I SAY..." - meh.
52. Not trans: CIS
61. Skip over: OMIT
62. __ bean: FAVA - Dah~! not LIMA
63. Nest on a cliff: AERIE - crossword word - AND - 32. 63-Across nester: EAGLE
65. Santa Monica landmark: PIER - filled via perps
66. "That true?": "IS IT~?
67. Itty-bitty: TEENY
68. Site with handmade stock: ETSY
69. Crop-sharing orgs.: CSAs - also a unique crossword fill, but I had no clue; Community Supported Agriculture - the USDA website
70. Wipe data from: ERASE
DOWN:
1. Passport info, briefly: DOB - I do not have a passport, so I went with SSN - bzzzt~!
2. Avails oneself of: USES - the verb, not the noun
3. Rao's rival: RAGU - stumped; it was only after I had R A G _ that I WAGed the "U"
4. Excited toddler's cry: "AGAIN~!"
5. Not beyond one's solving skills: GETTABLE - I found a few clues "non-gettable" for Wed.
6. Nadal's nickname: RAFA - I thought it was "RAFI", so that didn't help
7. Coats with frosting: ICES - I started typing "RIMES", but it's not THAT frosting
I actually made a cake like this - simple, really - here's the website
8. Warm jacket lining: FLEECE
9. Stuffed with: FULL OF - e.g., BEANS
10. "When you're not strong" song: LEAN ON ME - a song that was #1 twice from two different artists - the Wiki
11. Like operas and oratorios: SUNG
12. Opere e oratori: ARTE - I did like the redundant, albeit foreign, cluing
13. Chuck: TOSS - the verb, not the Texas Ranger
21. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO - an internet connection (and a minimum of $750) will get you here
Get it~?
22. Japanese plum: UME - no clue, filled via perps - pickled
25. Drop in the mail: POST - not SEND, so this slowed me down in the west
26. Language learner's topic, for short: VOCAB - yeah, but meh
27. R&B singer Khan: CHAKA - now this I did know; name # - oh wait, never mind . . . 😜
29. Classic Jaguar model: XKE - the official model name of the "E-Type"
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