Wednesday, Dec 3rd, 2025 ~ John Harrington

  BRAIN CRAMP

I'm a fan of the Canucks, like Bert  - or perhaps you know of this card game

I do the DOWN clues to start, so I quickly discovered that the theme was DOWN, as well - and I know there are a few visitors to the Corner who are not fond of this type of construction, and now, combined with the always admired circles - just like yesterday~!.  Sigh.   John had one other contribution to the LA Times in the past, almost four years ago to the day with a similar theme that Boomer covered.  I have not had the pleasure of blogging one of his puzzles; I am totally impressed with the theme fills, and their clever arrangement, but some of the other clue/answers didn't thrill me.  A handful of names, 24 each of four- and five-letter words - more than the 17 3LWs - a 15x15 grid, and three unique (*) fills; 

5. The Guess Who song covered by Lenny Kravitz: AMERICAN WOMAN* - I never cared for the original, so the remake did nothing for me - sorry.  

10. Principle that anything that can go wrong will go wrong: MURPHY'S LAW - There are more now;

I have proven the Workshop law too many times to count - hardware as well as tools

19. Comedian's self-deprecating assurance: "I'M HERE ALL WEEK.~!"* - Ba-dum-tiss

29. Unseen collective character on "The Office": CAMERA CREW

I so wanted to link the "best of" this phrase, but it's NSF Work - ironically

7. Routine before a race, or what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters: 

WARM UP STRETCHES* - The circles denote the letters W A R M that s-t-r-e-t-c-h "up" the theme answers - one needs to limber up the noggin before working a crossword puzzle . . . .

Grid Flow is 35.2, roughly the average

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. __ lines: mysterious geoglyphs in Peru: NAZCA - I like watching "Ancient Aliens", and the Lines are a frequent topic on that show - the Wiki; geo name#1

And now A I has discovered 300+ more glyphs - the website

6. Couple: TWO

9. Love, in Spanish: AMOR

13. Geometry class statement: AXIOM - here's an explanation, sort of . . . 

14. Ink pouches: SACS

16. Knockoff version: DUPE - no abbr indicated for "duplicate"

17. Chop finely: MINCE - my AXLE/IRON made this  - L O C - , so I knew something was not right

18. Some Hollywood red-carpet events: PREMIERES - Solid fill

20. Go along with: ESCORT

Air Force One with a fighter "escort"

22. Formal address: MA'AM

23. Con's opposite: PRO - Corrections Officer was too long 😜

24. Celebratory gesture after a success: AIR PUNCH

'tis the season~!

26. "You __ one job!": "HAD~!"

27. TV network based in Central London: BBC - network #1, the "beeb"

30. Complain: CARP

A goldfish carp - get it~?

31. "Claws" actor Jack: KESY - No clue, filled via perps; his IMDb; name #2

33. In the style of, on French menus: À LA

34. Sailor's "Halt!": "AVAST~!"

36. Puts one's feet up: RESTS

39. Instant noodles option: RAMEN - I made my mac N cheese for Thanksgiving, but when I opened this box of Penne, it had Rotini in it

It's an "im-pasta"

41. Ultimate degree: Nth

42. Razzle-dazzle: ÉCLAT - more Frawnche, "burst out"

43. "Sullivan's Crossing" channel: THE CW - network #2 , never watched, filled via perps - name (ish)

44. Caribbean island near Venezuela: ARUBA - geo name #2

46. Blackjack card: ACE - see also 63D.

47. Crucifix: ROOD - My US History teacher in high school was Mr. Rood; he claimed his "rock band" went by the name "Merchants of Death", from the historical WWI pejorative - and he would tell us on Fridays to "make it a better weekend for someone else.", which I always appreciated.

49. Track legend Zátopek: EMIL - name #3

50. __ factor: WOW

51. AIT scanner org.: TSA - three days in a row now; Advanced Imaging Technology, Transportation Security Admin.

53. Spaghetti topper: MEATBALL

Looked so good when I wrote the blog, I went and made more "Ro-Penne" with meatballs

Or is it Pen-tini~?

56. "Monsters, __": INC.

57. With, on French menus: AVEC - more more Frawnche; without = sans

58. Dives like a hawk: SWOOPS

62. Taylor Swift hit that aptly spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100: FORTNIGHT

65. Easy-to-spot jigsaw pieces: EDGES - I had a picture of Cooper made into a jigsaw puzzle as a present for my sister-in-law last year; she and my brother are tackling it now to be done before this Christmas

Me 'n Cooper, loungin' on the couch

66. Release: FREE - messed up my "SPATS" @ 51D.

67. In __ of: LIEU - send donations to the Splynter board game fund in lieu of flowers . . . .

68. Everglades wading bird: EGRET - showed up in Monday's puzzle, too - I lived in Florida for two years, don't  rEGRET moving 😜

69. Threaded together: SEWN

70. Form 1099 fig.: SSN - IRS didn't work

71. Falls (over): KEELS

DOWN:

1. Topic of conversation for parents-to-be: NAME - #. 1. name.  Ha~!

2. Turning point?: AXIS - I put in AXLE, but in retrospect, an axle is not really a "point"

3. Multivitamin element: ZINC - Dah~!  Not IRON

4. Drinkable chocolate: COCOA - I like Ryze mushroom cocoa, but it does not make me as sleepy as advertised

6. Cook's meas.: TSP - a "tisp" is smaller than a tibble-spip, ( TBSP ) amounts I am working with when following a 'ree-sype'

8. One of a geographic quintet: OCEAN - Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Antarctic - which is now called Southern

9. Summery drink suffix: ADE - hi Lemonade~!

11. "Tosca," for one: OPERA

12. Fill in, as a bare spot in a yard: RESOD

I think I see a "bare spot" in the yard

15. Noisy kiss: SMACK

21. Chiefs star Kelce, to fans: TRAV - Since I am so NOT a Chiefs fan, I had no clue; this season, no NFL team seems to be the run-away favorite, as far as I can tell - name #4

25. Sanskrit for "life force": PRANA - ooops, not ASANA - that's a hatha yoga posture

27. Oldest Simpson kid: BART - Lisa, & Maggie haven't aged a day in almost 40 years - name #5

28. Ho-hum: "BLAH."

32. Min. fraction: SEC

35. Stick out like a sore __: THUMB

37. Food truck fare: TACO

38. Nurse a grudge, say: STEW - we already had several 'food' clues & answers

40. Green prefix: ECO

45. Slant: BIAS

48. New Jersey NHL player: DEVIL - I lived in Albany, NY, which is home to their farm team, the River Rats

51. Petty quarrels: TIFFS - my answer was Bzzzt~!

52. "Zzz" sound: SNORE - I prefer this ZZ sound

A post-Thanksgiving "TV Dinners", ZZ top

54. Protection: AEGIS - filled via perps; the OE dictionary says it's of Greek origin meaning "shield"

55. Ski resort building: LODGE - A-FRAME didn't fit

59. Fantasy heavy: OGRE

60. Banana skin: PEEL

61. Retired jets, briefly: SSTs - Super-Sonic TransportS - The Concorde, e.g. - this fill has been making a comeback, lately

63. Royal flush card: TEN - had to change my ACE here due to its showing up for Blackjack @ 46A.

64. Winery vat: TUN - filled via perps; etymology here

Splynter

Wednesday, Nov 26th, 2025 ~ Daniel Hrynick

 U HAUL

This is my third installment blogging an LA Times crossword from Daniel - the one I reviewed almost a year ago had a similar symmetry, being mirrored on the Y-axis.  I have a mixed opinion about this one; on the one hand, it's clever, with a meta-clue reveal, but then I seem to think that either the "shape" of the puzzle's symmetry needed to somehow 'reflect' the "U" shape as well - OR - perhaps more than just three "U" entries~?  It feels as though the answers to 22- and 42A., 9- & 11-letter fills, might have been part of the theme as well.  YMMV.  I count eight names, NINE abbrs, with twenty-three 3LWs but no circles in a standard-sized grid.  The themers and reveal; 

17. *Device whose poles are close together: HORSESHOE MAGNET

24. *Polish sausage: KIELBASA

28. *Commuter's cushion: NECK PILLOW

31. Ed Sheeran hit, and a phonetic hint to the answers to the starred clues: SHAPE OF YOU - Not my "thing" - all I know about this artist is that at one time he was the biggest name in music - here in the 21st century - with a #1 album and singles ( his Wiki ), but I can't listen to most of the material coming from "musicians" lately; it all sounds digitized and just lacking depth, IMHO.  Here's the video, which happens to mention "magnet";

the "attraction" @ 0:59

And Away U Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Deep purple berry: ACAI - Deep Purple "Blackmore" berry

Closer to my "thing"

5. Worker with lots to attend to?: VALET - parking lots, har-har

10. Actor Guinness: ALEC - name #1, but "U" know he portrayed "Obi Wan"

14. Primer, e.g.: COAT - paint, not reading

15. "Who gives a hoot?" response: "I CARE."

"What do U think of her~?" - Luke's respone to Princess Leia

16. "De __": "Gracias" response: NADA - Espaniol #1, translates to "Of Nothing" = U R Welcome

20. Rio Grande city: EL PASO - name #2

21. Fusses with feathers: PREENS

22. Find a valuable deposit underground: STRIKE OIL - Great fill, but how 'bout BIKE LOCKS~?

26. Rage: MANIA

29. Actress Long: NIA - name #3, this actress

30. Compact __: DISCS - CDs

34. "You said it!": "AMEN~!" - "U" said it~?

35. Once-__: quick studies: OVERS

37. Spiced tea: CHAI

38. Snap: PIC

39. Lattice for vines: TRELLIS

41. Starter course, informally: APPetizer - not going smart phone this week

42. Chess piece on f1 or f8: KING'S BISHOP - another great fill, just not what U'd expect

45. Home __: DEPOT - HD is like my second home . . . .

47. Khaki kin: TAN

48. The Most Stuf cookies: OREOS - and there U are, in a crossword again

51. Actor/director Ken: OLIN - name #4 

52. Misplaces: LOSES

54. NYSE listing: CORPoration

55. 128 oz.: GALLon - could have saved an abbr here and gone with

a GAL in turkey socks~!

56. Wipe data from: ERASE - Are U sure~?

57. Medication-approving gp.: FDA - Food and Drug Administration

58. Exercise similar to yoga: PILATES

61. Floofy canine breed: SAMOYED - Not sure I would have understood "floofy", but I do the Down clues first, had most of the crossings, and the rest was easy to fill out on this one

I will be seeing my buddy Cooper tomorrow~!

Still no luck with a pet of my own, but I am not giving up

64. Battery terminals: ANODES

65. Spanish title: SENORA - Espaniol #2

66. Cry after a successful team effort: "WE WON~!" - there's no "U" in TEAM . . . 

67. Plain awful: LOUSY - probably how the other team feels . . . .

DOWN:

1. Tooth trouble: ACHE

2. "Sweet!": "COOL~!"

3. Lobby group for seniors: AARP - American Association of Retired Peoples - I qualified in February four years ago, at least in terms of age - but - I am a looooong way from being able to retire.

4. "What a terrible thing to do": IT'S A SIN - It's A Song - from Pet Shop Boys, classic 80s, which is more my "thing" - but even better, here's Ghost doing a metal-style cover

5. Helmet attachment: VISOR - I tried SPIKE - hey, it's attached, too...and it's called a pickelhaube

6. German cry of dismay: ACH - Ach~! I put my helmet on upside down~!

7. Southeast Asian language: LAO - spoken in, uh, Laos . . .name(ish)

8. Before, in ballads: ERE

9. Arrangement speed: TEMPO - not how fast U can deliver flowers . . . .

10. Remarkably well-behaved: ANGELIC - I do not recall being referred to as this when growing up

11. Bowling assignment: LANE

12. Garden that needs no improvement: EDEN - Uh, well, perhaps the fruit should have been kept out of reach~?

13. Pets with toe beans: CATS - I tried DOGS

18. Spanish pronoun: ESTA - Espaniol #3

19. Very dry: ARID - like my humor

23. Wall Street figures: INVESTORS - I was thinking BROKERS

25. Tendency of an eager beaver, maybe: EARLINESS - I'll get up at 4am on Black Friday for these

26. Poster on a subway wall: MAP - my first thought was ADS

27. Friend who likely celebrates Bastille Day: AMI - that friend would be Frawnche

32. Topper in a Super Mario costume: CAP

33. Taste: SIP - don't overdo the spirits this weekend

35. Alternative to com: ORG - internet domains; COMpany and ORGanization

36. Member of the fam: SIS - based on its location in the grid, I figured it was SISter

39. Blast letters: TNT 

40. Cable TV abbr.: SHOwtime - abbr #10

43. Cyclotron particle: ION

44. Lumbering Tolkien creature: ORC - or ENT~? name(ish) #5

45. Apt tattoo for a lover of pooches: DOG PAW - I see so many twenty- and thirty-something girls at the gym, covered in tats - legs, arms, whole sleeves - looks "dirty" to me . . . . just my humble opinion

Subtle, and more appealing

46. "Seinfeld" role for Julia: ELAINE - yada yada yada name #6

49. Calls for takeout: ORDERS - I caved in and got General Tso's chicken last Friday

50. "Me time" outing: SPA DAY - I figure my gym trainer is gonna let me slide this weekend 😜

52. Winery discard: LEES

53. Sail the seven __: SEAS - Rhyming answers, LEES and SEAS

59. "Without further __ ... ": ADO - Let us, tomato . . . . 

60. Decimal base: TEN

62. Voice artist Blanc: MEL - name #7 - Pork Pig's history

Well, not quite . . . . ono more clue

63. Singer Yoko: ONO - name #8

Splynter

Today's puzzle has a "Grid Flow" of 41.8 - by comparison, the Holy Grail puzzle two weeks ago was low - only 15.9 - basically, it's the crossings that give you connectivity to a section with more than a single letter . . . .

And the solution with low Flow:

Just a curiosity

HAPPY THANKSGIVING~!

Wednesday, Nov 12th, 2025 ~ Zachary David Levy

 "YOUR ARM'S OFF~!"

Including the makestik møøse

This crossword could only appear on a Splynter Wednesday - I am one of those few people who "get" the humor and cleverness of the 1975 ( 50years ~! ) Monty Python & the Holy Grail movie, and have linked its various scenes several times here at the Corner in the past.  For those who do NOT "get it", my apologies for the following "homage" write-up; for those who do, this was a pleasant puzzle from Zachary, with no circles - though a lot of names - and a standard grid with an even distribution of 3- & 4LWs.  Four themers, two of them 15-letter spanners, and each depicting a "skin surface injury"; 

17. Beach Boys hit that imagines Santa Claus in a hot-rod sleigh: LITTLE SAINT NICK - "Ni~!"

We had them on Monday, too - before my time, not my thing - only 2m15s

24. Extract information online: DATA SCRAPE - more here

38. Like some baked goods: MADE FROM SCRATCH - I make pizza from scratch now, using ground chicken for the crust, mixed with some cauliflower, then add my own healthy-choice toppings, like chicken pepperoni and low-fat mozzarella cheese

52. Notch on an analog watch: MINUTE MARK

James Bond (Daniel Craig ) wears Omega

and the 15-letter spanning reveal:

63. Iconic line from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," or what can be said about the ends of 17-, 24-, 38-, and 52-Across?: "JUST A FLESH WOUND"

The entire Black Knight scene with the iconic line @ 2:08

And Away To Camelot~!

ACROSS:

1. Milestone foods for an infant: SOLIDS

7. Rotten: BAD

"I feel fine~!"

10. Model Delevingne: CARA - We've had this "new" CARA in crosswords before - here's a link to the British model's mansion in LA - name #1

What a set of legs - I'm talking about the ones on the piano. . . maybe the dog's, too
 

14. Commemorative tablet: PLAQUE - found on teeth, and in arteries, too, but not commemorative . . . 

15. __ out a living: EKE - in an anarcho-syndicalist commune - and maybe truth; more here

Bloody peasant~!

16. Prayer ending: AMEN

A møøse once bit my sister

20. Info from covert ops: INTEL - "...and then leap from the rabbit, and taking the Frawnche by surprise"

if we build a large wooden badger . . . 

21. Belly button type: OUTIE - the alternative is an INNIE - like mine - is that TMI~?

22. Lass: GAL - "A Witch~!"

I got better . . . 

23. Some pajama tops: TEES - with fleece bottoms, under an electric blanket - so, so warm & cozy on cold winter nights~!😊

26. New Mexico town north-northeast of Santa Fe: TAOS - geo name #1

28. Meeting, informally: SESH - 21st-century-speak for session

29. Can. neighbor: USA

32. Ballet garb: TUTU

34. On a grand scale: EPIC - It IS the rabbit~!  That's no ordinary rabbit~!

 "I warned you...just a harmless little bunny..."

43. Adapter letters: AC-DC - not the Australian band this time

44. Careless eater: SLOB - AND - a clever crossing with 40D. Drinks carelessly: SLURPS

45. Yes vote: AYE - "...by a two-thirds majority, in the case of more major issues." - Dennis, 37yrs old

46. Wine list heading: REDS - also 'heads' the Cincinnati baseball teams list - fills it, and ends it, too.

50. Exhort: URGE - "I order you to be quiet~!" "Help~! Help~! I'm being repressed~!"

56. Hamlet, for one: DANE - Shakespeare - I toyed with SCOT, but that's Macbeth 

60. "It's __-win situation": "A NO" - "Ni~!" The behind-the-scenes making of the movie

Or 20 weird facts you didn't know - link

61. Image Awards gp.: NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - today is the dealine for submissions for the Awards; more here

62. Jordan's capital: AMMAN - geo name #2

66. Cakesters cookie: OREO - sigh, crossword staple

67. Bracket shape: ELL - I am going to use "L" brackets to secure the facade of a set of shelves I am building, then trim the top with crown - hopefully, it will be done by the time this publishes - I throw down this gauntlet ( at my own feet ) as a challenge~! - I'll post a pic in the comments

68. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI 

One that looks nice, and not too expensive

69. Breather: REST - my trainer Brett has moved me on to some bigger equipment, and the exercises are getting more difficult.  My weight has not changed, but I dropped another 1% of body fat.  I started at 43%; he wants me down to 18%, and this past Saturday it was 29%, so more than half-way there~!

70. Cryptography org.: NSA - National S--- Agency; if I tell you, "...then. you. shall. die. - Right~!"

71. Most senior: OLDEST

DOWN:

1. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT - Run Away~!

oh, not that kind of split . . .

2. Group of NFL blockers, in brief: O-LINE - the Offensive Line

3. Foamy coffee drink: LATTE

4. Measure of sharpness: IQ TEST - what is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow~?

I don't know that - aaaaaaaaah~!

5. Not sharp: DULL - clever clue adjacency

6. Understand: SEE 

7. Real humdinger: BEAUT - he's already got one, you see~?

( I told them we already got one~!)

8. Japanese dogs: AKITAS

9. Richards of "The Bold and the Beautiful": DENISE - name #2

10. Is able to: CAN

11. Latina friend: AMIGA - Espaniol feminine lesson

12. Go over again: RECAP - "Listen, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right~?"

It could grip it by the husk . . . 

13. Joint above a foot: ANKLE

18. In order that: SO AS TO - a bit clunky, but it works

19. Private eyes, in pulp slang: TECS - deTECtives

24. Sullen: DOUR

25. "Cheers" star Perlman: RHEA - name #3

27. DOJ agency: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms + Explosives, now - "Three sir~!"

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

29. "Dexter: Resurrection" actress Thurman: UMA - yada yada 3LW Thurman = Ektorp name #4

30. Anatomical pouch: SAC

31. __ fuel to the fire: ADD

33. Hesitant syllables: UMs - could've been ERs, but a good WAG on my part

35. Fundraising org.: PTA

36. Showing no warmth: ICY - I'd rather just . . . sing~!

You're not going into a song while I'm 'ere~!

37. Nickname for Ernesto Guevara: CHE - Name #5

39. Beige hue: ECRU

41. Wine stopper: CORK - so UNcork is the starter~?

42. SCOTUS initials from 1993 to 2020: RBG - The Notorious RBG - SCOTUS = Supreme Court of the US, and one of its members, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, until 2020 - name #6

47. Sicilian volcano: ETNA - Crossword staple, geo name #3

48. Overpower with noise: DEAFEN - how I like my rock concerts

49. Biggie __: 1990s rap moniker: SMALLS - filled via perps, but I remembered him - better known as The Notorious B.I.G., and the inspiration for 42D above - name #7

51. Astronomer Halley with an eponymous comet: EDMOND - If I make it to its next pass through the inner solar system, I will be 90yrs old - name #8

52. Groundbreaking: MAJOR - Spamalot, the Broadway adaptation of MP and the Holy Grail, co-written by Python member Eric Idle, won Best Musical and more in 2005

53. Toughen: INURE

54. Schnozzes: NOSES

55. Amtrak option: ACELA - name(ish)

57. Entertain: AMUSE - "...and there was much rejoicing . . . yay."

"silly English kuh-nig-its"

58. Some maternal babysitters: NANAS

59. Call the whole thing off: END IT - I had ABORT; this is a breakup, not a mission

62. AFB no-show: AWOL - Air Force Base and Absent WithOut Leave

64. Tater __: TOT

65. "Task" network: HBO - Never seen the show, as I don't have Home Box Office streaming - I used to enjoy going to my aunt's duplex in the Bronx on Thanksgiving - they had cable HBO~!

Splynter

And now for something completely different . . . .