Wednesday, Sep 24th, 2025 ~ Ricky J Sirois

 CAPTAIN'S LOG

STAR TREK: The Next Generation humor

Splynter here, coming to you from the Village of (which is better than just) Babylon, Long Island, NY - down here visiting my super-pooch buddy Cooper~!  It would appear that this is Ricky J Sirois' debut for the LA Times - I see three of his puzzles in 'another' publication ;7))  Congratulations~!  A quick and easy solve, with the rare black square to start us off at "1A."  A handful of names, most of them not too obsure, no circles, more than double the # of 4LWs over 3LWs today, and only a couple of unique fills for the theme answers;

16. Battle over a board: CHESS MATCH

Check - that's a "mate" for me - I'd be game to play her in chess, mate

24. "Peyton Place" and "Diamonds Are Forever" actress: LANA WOOD - I have seen the James Bond movie - not the best 007 of the franchise, IMO - where she plays "Plenty O'Toole; the names they used in those films.... anyway, Peyton Place is before my time - Her IMDb

The show's Wiki

37. Semester-long writing assignment: TERM PAPER - never had to do one

53. Film hitman played by Keanu Reeves: JOHN WICK - whenever a "John Wick" movie is playing on TV, my brother and I will text each other 

Mostly gratuitous violence, but I will stay tuned and watch

63. Place for a nonurgent issue, and what can be found at the end of 16-, 24-, 37-, or 53- Across?: BACK BURNER - each theme answer has something to "burn" at the end, or, "back"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Home of the Colosseum: ROME - and now you can have one of your very own, in LEGO~!

9,036 pieces, about $1799 - that's 19￠a piece . . . .

5. Muffin fiber: BRAN - I prefer my "fiber" to be chocolate and/or chocolate chip - I had chocolate chip cream cheese on my egg everything bagel Sunday - and it was good

9. Actor Omar: EPPS - name #1, in crosswords all the time

13. Cut off: SEVER

14. In __ parentis: LOCO - not "crazy", but in "place" of an adult/teacher, though it might be hard to tell the difference . . . . last week my ex-wife sent me a friend request on Facebook - crazy.

15. "Star Wars" heroine: LEIA - name #2

ah, the stuggles of being a parent....

18. Performed at a karaoke party: SANG - I need to find a place to do some karaoke

19. Broadcasts: AIRS

20. Super-: UBER - the prefix, not the taxi service seen Monday

21. Pt. of some school names: TECH- I attended Rensselaer PolyTECHnical Institute up in Troy, NY, for one unpleasant semester; then Island Drafting and TECHnical Institute in Amityville on Long Island some 15 years later

22. Places for plugs: DRAINS - think sinks & tubs, not ads & ears😜

27. Filming location: SET - here's me "on set" back in 1997 making stones from chunks of foam

28. "__ go time!": "IT'S"

Hey, John Wick is on . . . 

30. Sigh, say: EXHALE - I am House/Dog/Cat/Fish-sitting for my brother and his new wife as they are on their honeymoon down at Cape May for the week; they are active THC 'consumers', and I discovered "instructions" on one of the "products" label;

Really~?!?!

31. School administrator: DEAN - don't let them catch you with that joint~!

33. Tiny bit: IOTA - I used to 'inhale', but just a tiny bit...

36. Summers on the Seine: ETES - Did you know that estivate is the opposite of hibernate~?  I'd do it every summer if I could get away with it

40. Be rife (with): TEEM

43. Bump from office: OUST

44. Baseball feature: SEAM

47. __ film: ACTION - Hey, John Wick is on . . . 

49. Apropos: APT

51. Plead: BEG

56. Dog star: LASSIE - not "Sirius" - name(ish)

Aye, there's a pretty lassie - Paul Kelley, The Gallerist

58. Shift key toggle: CASE - as in UPPER and lower 

59. Increase: RISE

61. 17-time WWE champion: CENA - crossword staple, name #4

His Wiki

62. Spa treatment, for short: MANIcure - also becoming a crossword staple

65. Yankee nickname of the 2000s: A-ROD - name(ish) - Alex Rodriguez

66. Paul who wrote the lyrics to "My Way": ANKA - name #6, but I knew this one

67. Burlap bags: SACKS

68. Land in the sea: ISLE

69. Home for a heron: NEST

70. Fencing blade: ÉPÉE

DOWN:

1. Brought back on board: REHIRED

2. Took in too much: OVERATE - not over-rate

3. World Cup superstar Lionel: MESSI- name #7

4. Hosp. areas: ERs

5. Squeal: BLAB

6. Canned brand often used in chili con queso: RO✯TEL - filled via perps, but I see this at my Big Y

7. Ghana's capital: ACCRA - geographic name(ish)

8. Japanese drama: NOH - I know noh, but it doesn't stay in my head

9. Some other place: ELSEWHERE - meanwhile, back on planet Earth . . . 

10. Woolen outer layer: PEACOAT

11. Small puncture: PINHOLE

12. Droop: SAG

13. Oodles: SCADS

17. "You __ be joking": "MUST"

21. Price addition: TAX

23. Cloud __: NINE - My buddy Cooper was on Cloud Nine when we went to the park

That's mybrother trying to get Cooper to sit before the ball toss

25. Kind of tide: NEAP

26. __ Moines, Iowa: DES - geographical name #2

29. Liu of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings": SIMU - Ah. Not "Lucy" - his IMDb, name #9

32. Sign at a convenience store: ATM INSIDE - good fill

34. Curtailed missions?: OPS - 'shortened' OPerationS 

35. "Bye-bye!": "TA-TA~!"

38. Rice-A-__: RONI - found not far from the  RO-TEL, usually

39. Spanish "this": ESTA

40. Blues guitarist __ Mahal: TAJ - not much difference between the place or the person, IMO - his Wiki - name #10

41. Green vehicles: ECO-CARS - meh.  I had HYBRIDS first

42. Gas additive: ETHANOL - usually 10%, and isn't good for small engines, like snowblowers and lawn mowers - so I have been told

45. Attendance record spoiler: ABSENCE

46. "Trust your keys with ... " car care chain: MEINEKE - I know this brand, but I don't recall this catch-phrase from the ads

48. Be in debt: OWE

50. Commoner: PLEB - seen it before in crosswords

52. Clock innards: GEARS

54. Origami figure: CRANE - I made a squirrel a couple of months back, left it in the "Art Box" that's in front of a house on my morning walks - I have left other creations in there before, too - and we have a "library" that's similar to the Art Box around the way in another part of the neighbothood, as well.

55. Shoes, casually: KICKS

Some zip-up, high-heel, high-top "kicks"

57. Consign to the dustbin: SCRAP

60. Three-player card game: SKAT

62. "Heart on My Sleeve" singer Ella __: MAI - no clue, filled via perps, name #11 - more here

63. Block: BAN- had to wait to see if it was baN or baR

64. Purpose: USE - Dah~! Not AIM

Splynter

Hey, John Wick is on . . . .

Wednesday, Sep 10th, 2025 ~ Alex Stoneman

"PUN-TATHALON"

Body-checking sport for couples~?

TONSIL HOCKEY~!

After extensive online research, I have come to the conclusion that this is Alex Stoneman's debut puzzle anywhere - if I am wrong, I apologize - otherwise, congratulations on your first publication~!  My guess is he's the Alex I find at MIT with a love for crosswords - perhaps he will pop in here for a comment at the Corner.  An enjoyable "pentathalon" of five "sports" that are punny rewordings of non-sport phrases/things.  Three of the five are unique fills, and the other two have appeared one and two other times in other published puzzles.  No circles, a few more names than I would have preferred, one ( I'm looking at you, 36D ) which created a Natick, and a fair spread of 19 3LW and 22 4-letter words with no reveal.  The themers;

17. Boat sport for pilots?: FLIGHT CREW - Not an Apollo flight crew, this "crew" being athletes of the rowing team sport - I like working out on the rowing machine at the gym . . . .

24. Beach sport for the self-absorbed?: EGO SURFING - Surfing is, well, surfing

35. Running sport for academics?: TENURE TRACK - I don't DO running

"Little Chocolate Donuts"

49. Cue sport for children?: KIDDIE POOL - not a "sport" per se, but can be found on ESPN, therefore making billiards, or pool, an "entertainment"

Trick Shots

58. Combat sport for really tired people?: BEAT BOXING - boxing as in sparring, which we frequently see as a crossword clue/answer; I had to check to see if I was in fact, correct about what the "other" meaning is; the maufacture of drums, music, etc., with one's mouth only, like this guy. . . .

Tom Thum - and here's a full clip from TEDTalks

One last sport - the clue: Ice sport for Billy Idol~? - Answer below *

And Away We Go~!


ACROSS:

1. Drink with marshmallows: COCOA - I have been drinking Ryze mushroom coffee for 65 days ( they offer a journal with a quaint question in a text every morning ) and at night I have occasion to drink their mushroom COCOA as well - no marshmallows😜

6. Long-legged birds: EMUs

10. Belt: SWIG - Think shots of liquor

14. "We need to talk": "A WORD..."

15. Mars rover org.: NASA  - Here is me back in 2007(?) at the American Museum of Natural History

That's my step-daughter - for two years - she's 25 now

16. Play charades, e.g.: MIME

19. Reverse: UNDO

20. Negotiation-ending words: NO DEAL - I grew up with "Let's Make A Deal", but never watched "Deal or No Deal" - here is  the "Monty Hall 'problem'"

21. Shady plot: ARBOR

22. Xenon, for one: GAS

27. "Please, I'm on it": "ALLOW ME."- not quite one-to-one phrases, IMO

30. Key hit in panic: ESC - the upper left key of the computer's user interface; I am very familiar with it, as all AutoCAD functions are "released" when it's tapped - not so with Photoshop, which is annoying

31. "Gosh!": "GEE~!"

32. "Bleeding Love" singer Lewis: LEONA - never heard of her; name #1, more here

39. Tactics, in gamerspeak: STRATegy - Meh.  The "R" caused a Natick for me with 36D.; I would have preferred the guitarspeak instead

40. Notre Dame Fighting __: IRISH - a double shout-out to our Cornerite with 22D~!!!

43. Nail salon brand: OPI - gimme, as it's becoming a crossword staple

46. Female sib: SIS - sibling / sister

47. Stressful parts of French class?: ACCENTS - the "tiks" over letters in déjà vu, e.g.

52. Belly: GUT - I missed my weigh-in at the gym last week due to injuring my arm when I was digging up some nasty roots around the pine tree in my front yard, and did this

Ouch.

53. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN

54. Ogres: BRUTES

57. Era: SPAN

62. Merit: EARN

63. Oscar winner Stone: EMMA - name #2, but we've seen her before

64. "Zoom-Zoom" automaker: MAZDA - name(ish) - wow, a bit dated, but yeah

I've driven a 5spd manual Miata - it does go "zoom zoom"~!

65. Small whirlpool: EDDY - name # - oh, wait, never mind....

66. Soccer score: GOAL~!!!!!!!!!

67. Smudge: SMEAR

DOWN:

1. Half-__: coffee spec: CAF - Denis Leary on coffee flavored coffee

NOTE: a few F-bombs

2. One who gives a hoot: OWL

3. Something in need of change?: COIN SLOT - Ah yes, clever

4. Challenging chem course: ORGO - new to me; the "colloquial" term for Organic Chemistry; offered at UCONN, which makes sense, since they are an agricultural institution

5. Ritalin target, for short: ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - I believe that between TV commercial ads, the Internet and Social Media, staying focused is quite a challenge these days....

6. Confine: ENCAGE

7. "That Girl" star Thomas: MARLO - name #3, sumdaze linked her on Monday; I knew the show, even if  I was born a month after its run ended . . . .

8. Call upon: USE

9. Proverb: SAW - "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", for example

10. Blue character in a mushroom-shaped house: SMURF

La-LA-lala-la-la - Earworm~!

11. Hit the jackpot: WIN BIG - Powerball was $1.8billion this past Saturday

12. "All finished": "I'M DONE."

13. First president's first name: GEORGE - Wow.  I had to think about this - funny. Name #4

18. Abound (with): TEEM

21. Very old: ARCHAIC - Ah - not ANCIENT; only 3/7ths correct, ~42.85%

22. Miss: GAL - Oh, that Miss - I tried ERR for the 'other' kind of miss

23. Renaissance faire beverage: ALE - Served by the beer we-, uh, "Miss"

25. Solange's "A __ at the Table": SEAT - I had '_EAT', so an "S" made sense

26. KGB country: USSR - Russian espionage "equal" of the USA's CIA

28. Binary digits: ONES - the other digit is "ZEROS" or "ZEROES"

29. Meows at the door, perhaps: WANTS IN

33. Matching group: SET

34. Land unit: ACRE

36. Michael of "Shrinking": URIE - No clue - had to WAG the "R".  Arrr. Name #5 - IMDb

37. Coarse file: RASP

38. Like some beds and candy bars: KING-SIZE - Ah.  Clever - how 'bout both together~?

The candy bar bed linens website

41. "Rugrats" dad: STU - filled via perps - this cartoon, name #6

42. Pres. after FDR: HST - Fraklin Delano Roosevelt; Harry S - OR - S.~? Truman - more here

43. "Ah, it makes sense now": "OK, I SEE." - seeing more of this type of "phrase fill" lately

44. ATM input instrument: PIN PAD  - ATM on the Clue side for a change

45. Proof of legal age, often: ID CARD

47. Like some matters of the heart?: AORTAL - $2 word

48. __ sandwich: CLUB

50. Actor DeVito: DANNY - name #7, liked his "solo" in this video

When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean

51. First president born after 1960: OBAMA - AND - 33A. Younger 51-Down daughter: SASHA - since I do the Down clues first, I had the "father" filled in; names # 8 & 9

55. __ of Maine: personal care brand: TOMS - new to me; the Website - name(ish)

56. Midterm, e.g.: EXAM

58. "I __ to differ": "BEG"

59. My Chemical Romance genre: EMO - I am familiar with the band by name, but not their music - they hail from New Jersey, as do I - the Wiki

60. Secret-protecting doc: NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement; I need to retain a lawyer so I can move forward with my three board games - I need to protect my concept/design before I attempt to produce and market them

61. Long-jawed fish: GAR - ARR~!  Talk Like a Pirate Day is next Friday~!

*Answer - Lip Curliing~!

Splynter

Wednesday, Sep 3rd, 2025 ~ Michael Torch

 HEAD START

The Running of the Bulls~?  Or maybe this cartoon~?

This is my first time blogging a Michael Torch puzzle; he has two previous ones for the LA Times, the last when he paired up with constructor Kevin Christian back in March.  We have no circles (yay~!), an even distribution of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-letter words (~17), barely any names, and a mix of both Across and Down Themers with a centered reveal;

18A. *Extracts dirt from the carpet, maybe: STEAM CLEANS - I saw this on the Dan Aykroyd show "The Unbelievable" while on the elliptical at the gym this past Saturday

Crush, TX, 1896

59A. *California's "Eureka" and New York's "Excelsior": STATE MOTTOS - I knew these two mottos, the second because I lived in NY for most of my life😜.  Connecticut's is "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" - the translation here

3D. *Vidal Sassoon's expertise: HAIR STYLING - his Wiki , name #1

26D. *Low-carb sandwich: LETTUCE WRAP - using lettuce instead of bread

Actually looks quite tasty

39A. Leading, or, when parsed differently, what can lead into the starts of the answers to the starred clues: A/HEAD OF - two parsings; Ahead, and a Head - of; steam, state, hair, and lettuce

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Fireplace residue: ASH - AND - 44D. Fireplace residue: SOOT - Thank the maker this past August was colder & drier than I expected, so less A/C; I'm looking forward to the fall, football and a cozy fire

4. Laundry basket: HAMPER

10. Spice made from the husk of a nutmeg: MACE - I knew this; CT is nicknamed the "nutmeg" state due to this tale;  The spice is NOT in the defensive spray - that's a brand name of pepper spray

14. Indian beach destination: GOA - Three letters and Indian~? Ektorp = GOA (name #2)

15. Moon mission program: APOLLO - The memorable 11 and 13; makes me think of HuskerG

16. Subject of a chemistry diagram: ATOM

17. Stat boosted by a home run: RBI - Runs Batted In - a clue for our hostess C.C.

20. Countesses' counterparts: EARLS

22. Adds fuel to: STOKES - this reminds me of steam locomotives, too

23. Old Ford flops: EDSELS - haven't seen this crossword staple in a while (name(ish))

25. Resolved out of court: SETTLED

29. Ensnare: TIE UP

31. Bullfighting figure: TORERO - nailed it - they'll need one in the 10K cartoon

32. Vegetarian frozen-food brand: AMY'S - the website

34. Wells Fargo competitor: CITI - financial institutions; I have two credit cards from WF beause they once held my mortgage - now it's with "Mr. Cooper" - not related to my brother's dog

 

Me 'n Cooper are hangin' at the end of this month

37. Feel a sense of belonging: FIT IN - I have always felt like I have never "fit in" - I'm just a weirdo

38. 8 pts. or 4 qts.: GALLon - I started with AMT; I did not see that they were the same measurement

41. First number in many countdowns: TEN - nine - eight - seven . . . .

42. Japanese art genre: ANIME

45. Source of inspiration: MUSE - if there is a muse of "carpentry", then . . . .

46. Overlook: IGNORE - that Muse has been doing this, lately

48. Light purple: LILAC

50. NFLer who plays at the Meadowlands: NY GIANT - as do the long-suffering NY Jets of the NFL as well; the stadium is in the swamps of New Jersey no less

52. Opt for: SELECT

55. Viewpoint: STANCE

58. Home to the Ninja Turtles: SEWER - My screen-name comes not from Splinter, the TMNT rat "sensei", but from putting lumber away sans gloves at Grossman's Lumber many moons ago . . . 

The senior drafter at the Pipe Organ company started at Grossman's as well

63. Light beam: RAY - I blogged that Dan/C.C. puzzle in July

64. Junior staffer: AIDE

65. Online investment service: eTRADE - had some funny Super Bowl baby ads

Riding the dog like a horse is "frowned upon~!"

66. Beast of burden: ASS

67. "Quick, before we're late!": "C'MON~!"

68. Classroom unit: LESSON - AND - 49D. Decrease: LESSEN - I am sort of 'Meh' about this . . . ?

69. Parakeet or rabbit: PET - I have had the rabbit, not the bird

DOWN:

1. Shake hands (on): AGREE

Great Album Cover Art

2. "Just awful!": "SO BAD~!"

4. Pain in the neck: HASSLE - Lately, all my home projects have turned into huge hassles

5. Perfectly suitable: APT

6. "The Simpsons" bar: MOE'S - according to this site, it's a tavern, not a bar; name(ish)

7. Community developer's map: PLAT - its etymology derived from PLOT

8. Ticklish toys that caused a frenzy at Christmas in 1996: ELMOs - name(ish) -  my "generation" was obsessed with Cabbage Patch Kids, because they were oddly cute/ugly and could  be "legally" adopted 

9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" raccoon: ROCKET - I have not actually seen these movies - had to rely on perps; name #3

10. Opera conductors: MAESTRI - I figured it was the Latin plural, and not maestrOS

11. __ loss for words: AT A

12. Swindle: CON - Ooops, not ROB; 33% correct

13. CPR crew: EMS

19. Excuse from work: LET OFF - meh; I think of fireworks being "let off"

21. Luau loops: LEIS - alliteration

24. "I did no __ thing!": "SUCH~!"

27. Native Pennsylvanians: ERIES - This I should have figured out; Organ Supply Industries is located there - I was part of a road trip that visited the factory in ERIE, PA

28. "Death, be not proud" poet John: DONNE - name #4 - learning moment for me; more here

30. Fruit-filled desserts: PIES

32. Another time: AGAIN - not LATER

33. Unkempt: MANGY

35. Eastern philosophical path: TAO

36. Pop sensation: IDOL

39. Use a SodaStream: AERATE - this thing; I left mine back in NY

40. Big name in elevators: OTIS - crossword staple name #5

43. Lick, as an envelope: MOISTEN

45. Like peacocks: MALE - ah.  I was trying to think of a four-letter word for SHOWY

47. Nail polish, e.g.: ENAMEL

51. Govt. investment option: T-NOTE - I, of course, filled in T-BOND; 40% correct

53. Stop: CEASE

54. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST

56. Middles: Abbr.: CTRs

57. Greek vowels: ETAs

59. Cul-de-__: SAC - It's a dead end....

60. "Beetlejuice" director Burton: TIM - name #6

61. Big commotion: ADO

62. Prefix with meter: ODO - Odometer, the "clock" of your car's distance traveled

Splynter