Wednesday, Jul 23rd, 2025 ~ Wendy L. Brandes

 TALENT

Australian B-double, backing into Shed "B"

Alright, let's see if I can get this straight - today's puzzle is from veteran author Wendy L. Brandes, who has at least sixteen LA Times crosswords, and I have personally blogged (just shy of a year ago) one of HER constructions.  Phew.  Middle of the week, middle of the road theme & grid; some good clues / answers, but some were Meh in my opinion.  Three out of four unique theme fills, 36 4LWs, over 4x the # of 3LWs, a handful of names, and the dreaded circles.  The themers and 'reversed' reveal:

20. "Hmm, is it possible for me?": WONDER IF I COULD - FIRE truck, backwards

Existential ponderings

25. Slow-moving forest-dweller: TWO-TOED SLOTH - TOW truck, backwards

42. Tale spun before lights-out: BEDTIME STORY - SEMI truck, backwards - Strangely, I was musing over the weekend WHY it's called a "semi" when it's typically more than half a vehicle ....😜 Read more here

It's a "semi" truck

50. "Wait, what did you just say?," or a hint to the circled letters in this puzzle:

"BACK UP THE TRUCK..." - This driver has some talent - I can't get my single boat trailer done right on the first try - but then again, they do this for a living - I hope you can watch the video, it's impressive

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Milk choice: SKIM - I start with the Down clues, had 2 & 3D. wrong, so my NW corner was a mess

5. Bra part: STRAP

10. Three-person card game: SKAT

14. Actress Kendrick: ANNA - name #1; her IMDb

You can't see her bra strap

15. Clamor: NOISE

16. Crafted: MADE - there's an "Art Box" on my walk in front of a home, and I would like to contribute something - I have decided to do some origami

Going with a sloth theme today

17. Bigfoot kin: YETI

18. "E," at Fenway: ERROR - a C.C. clue - baseball box score

No "E"s, but still a blowout

19. Like the NYSE at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on most weekdays: OPEN - the NY Stock Exchange; see 42D.

23. Rocker Quatro: SUZI - name #2 - her website

24. Drinks made with steamed milk: LATTES

30. "You're a riot": "HA-HA."

31. Not slack: TAUT

32. Fishing pole: ROD - could have been a name - I see ROD Stewart is on AARP magazine - Jeez, I am old . . . .

Still rockin' it at 80 yrs old

35. In need of a heating pad, say: ACHY - like me, about 1pm last Saturday

36. Online diaries: BLOGS - or crossword Corners~!

38. Run into a closet, say: HIDE - Then at some point, you'll have to come out of the closet

39. French pronoun: TOI - Frawnche for "You~!"

40. P.O. Box filler: MAIL

41. Box on a touchscreen: ICON - the icons of my touchscreen laptop

46. Prepares to run a marathon, say: TRAINS - I am not running any distance, any time soon, but I do like to walk my neighborhood every other day at 5am.  Here's me trying to show up my trainer at the gym; he was brutal this past Saturday 😜

That's me on the left - er, right - the other dude is Brett from Big Sky

49. Go offstage: EXIT

55. Fairy tale meanie: OGRE

56. Speak from a podium: ORATE

57. Gram, to some: NANA - it was Granny for me

59. Dark film genre: NOIR

60. Show, as an old show: RERUN

61. Always and always: EVER - My brother got married Saturday, July 12th - got to hang briefly with Cooper - I am going to pet-sit the last week of September when they honeymoon

bother Kevin, new wife Jacquie, her sister and husband

62. Odds and __: ENDS

63. Entice: TEMPT

64. Appear to be: SEEM

DOWN:

1. "You __ 'goodbye,' and I __ 'hello'": SAY - not overly complicated lyrically, but one of my personal favorite Beatles songs

The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye - Paul the Lefty bassist

2. Was aware of: KNEW - I had ON TO

3. Digging: INTO - wrong kind of digging, I had "AT IT"

4. Backbone: MAINSTAY - good clue/answer, sort of Saturday-ish

5. React to pepper, perhaps: SNEEZE

6. Hot and heavy: TORRID

7. "Diamonds" singer, to fans: RI RI - HA~!  I got burned by this in the May 28th 2025 puzzle at 11D. - I will not miss it again; Rhianna, more here - name #3

8. Since: AS OF - I tried FROM

9. Dangerous: PERILOUS - "I must face the peril~!  NO~!  It's too perilous~!" - Wendy had "PERIL" in the puzzle I blogged, and I posted this link then as well.

Monty Python & the Holy Grail

10. Like hair that's been flat-ironed: SMOOTH

11. No longer working: KAPUT

12. "Someone Like You" singer: ADELE - The constructor likes her; Adele appeared in Wendy's last LA Times construction; personally, I prefer "NO ONE Like You" . . . .name #4

Scorpions - No One Like You

13. Looks after: TENDS

21. The Bryan brothers of tennis, e.g.: DUO - name (ish)

22. Women's suffrage leader Carrie Chapman __: CATT  name #5

25. "All __ and a bag of chips": THAT

Yup, she's "All THAT and a bag of chips~!"

26. Texas city between Dallas and Austin: WACO - TX shoutout to Anon and D-Otto

27. "Didn't expect to see you here!": "OH, HI~!"

28. Vodka brand whose label features a sketch of a Moscow hotel: STOLI - I expected an "abbr" in the clue, as the brand is actually Stolichnaya - but it makes no difference - they filed for bankruptcy . . . .

29. Zoom delay: LAG - Zoom, the online meeting format/app

32. Puerto __: RICO - name, but easy enough

33. Emission from rotting fruit: ODOR

34. Say no to: DENY

36. Sore loser, for one: BAD SPORT

37. Like a fun party: LIT

38. Pop favorites: HIT TUNES - Dah~! - I had HIT SONGS; 62.5% correct

40. Grubhub link: MENU

42. Hog enthusiasts: BIKERS - HOG as in Harley Davidson - the company's NYSE stock symbol

43. Get together: MEET UP

44. Scope: EXTENT

45. Title for London's mayor: SIR

46. Steakhouse order: T-BONE

47. Tease mercilessly: RAG ON - not TAUNT - but we already had Monty Python

48. Bitter-tasting: ACRID

51. Yoga pose that requires good balance: TREE - My balance is horrible - Brett gives me one-legged exercises that strain muscles I didn't know I had, and need to improve

52. Damage: HARM

53. Batman's lair: CAVE - Wayne Manor didn't fit 😜

54. ACL joint: KNEE - I knew where the Anterior Cruciate Ligament was located . . . .

58. UCL limb: ARM - but learned today about the Ulnar Collateral Ligament

Splynter

Wednesday, Jul 9th, 2025 ~ Gerry Wildenberg

SQUA-RE RE-PAIR

gERry WildenbERg - doubled ER ER 

This is Gerry Wildenberg's debut for the LA Times - he has two other crosswords published in the NYT going back 10 & 11 years ago - and I checked again, just to be sure, because I was friends with a Geri, who was Geraldine; Gerry's a dude - a cool-looking older guy, and from his picture, I am guessing an outdoorsman, a hiker, a camper....Anyway, today's construction has "R-E" doubled in the theme answers, with the center being a grid-spanner, and no stray RE's anywhere else.  More 4LW than 3LW, but I felt, even with some being easy, there were again too many names ( a dozen by my count ) for my solving experience.  The theme answers, all unique, and the reveal;  

18. *Bills wide receiver who played in four consecutive Super Bowls: ANDRE REED - name #1

24. *Wildlife sanctuary: NATURE RESERVE - the first part was blank, but I did fill in "PREserve", which was close - can anyone offer a solution to the pesky gnats that hover around one's eyes & ears~?  I walk every other day, and they are so aggravating, I end up cutting the hike short - I practically bathe in Off! with DEET, but that's of no use - and I am going to try Picaridin as well - I do not want to wear a net....

36. *Meh evaluations: MEDIOCRE REVIEWS - I've had my share in my time blogging

49. *Like material that slows flames: FIRE RETARDANT

57. Made twice as great, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: "RE, DOUBLED"

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Clown's prop, maybe: STILT - yeah, but how about a drywall mudder~?

6. Criminally assist: ABET

10. Breakfast spot: NOOK

14. "Golly!": "OH GEE~!"

15. Angelic adornment: HALO

16. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI

17. Oscars host O'Brien: CONAN - name #2, but I know him

20. Paraguayan pals: AMIGOS

22. Airport pickup info: ETA

23. Acid initials: LSD - the "dropped" acid

28. Cry of insight: "I SEE~!" - I used Ghostbusters, now here's Die Hard . . . .

ya~! I SEE him~! @ 0:20

29. Fit, as matryoshka dolls: NEST

Irish Miss, I am still on the lookout for my four-legged friend; last week on my walk, a guy in my neighborhood came out with HIS Schnauzer, but he did not have much to tell me about where to get one :7(

30. Volcano near Catania: ETNA - four-letter volcano~?

33. Whiskey flavor: PEAT -  this week, I am trying "Ryze", the mushroom coffee that supposedly helps burn fat - I will let you know.  It has a distinct 'earthy', almost broth-like flavor, and I like it - I am down to 27lbs since May 1

34. Chewy mints: MENTOS

41. Only national park in New England: ACADIA - in Maine; knew this from solving crosswords

42. One of 14 in a sonnet: LINE

43. "u crack me up": ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing - textspeak

44. Part of a Rorschach test: BLOT

45. Operatic solo: ARIA

53. Artist Yoko: ONO - name #3, crossword staple

55. Boxing family name: ALI - name #4, crossword staple

56. Shelter with a sloping roof: LEAN TO

61. Urged (on): EGGED - 11D. is "egged", too

62. Cheese with an edible rind: BRIE

63. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA - name #5, crossword staple

64. Wicked one: FIEND - In honor of Black Sabbath's "Back to the Beginning" final show with Ozzy Osbourne last Saturday in their home town of Birmingham, UK, here's one from their debut album

Wicked World

65. Convinced: SOLD

66. Golf club choice: WOOD

67. Varieties: SORTS

DOWN:

1. Confident retort to a boast: SO CAN I~!

2. Inventor Edison: THOMAS - name #6, but not too obscure

3. Set off, as fireworks: IGNITE - thankfully, the folks of my neighborhood set off only a handful of medium-sized noise-makers about 9pm on July Fourth, and then it tapered off within the hour - another reason I am glad to be in CT.  Down on the Island~?  It's about who can waste the most money for a smoky backyard

4. Maritime measure: LEAGUE - Dah~!  Not FATHOM

5. Voice above baritone: TENOR

6. Cry of insight: A - HA~!

7. Abolish: BAN

8. Like Cain, of Adam's sons: ELDEST

9. Dense cake: TORTE

10. Neither's partner: NOR

11. Brunch option: OMELETTE - Ah.  The "extended" version of omelet

12. Change for a five: ONES

13. "The Secret Life of Bees" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD - filled via perps; I suppose 'Captain' was not Wednesday worthy - name #7

19. Linguist's asset: EAR - TONGUE did not fit - and EAR makes me think of muscians

21. __ Falls: women's suffrage convention site: SENECA - upstate NY, filled via perps, name #8

25. Tail end: REAR

26. Getty of "The Golden Girls": ESTELLE - second time this week the show was in a clue, still, name #9

27. Caesar's "I came": VENI - Julius Caesar boast, veni vidi, vici - I came, I saw, I conquered

31. "__ we're talking!": "NOW~!"

Naomi, these legs are "for the birds" ( BTW, how big IS  this Splynter file ~? )

32. Pack animal: ASS - What'd you call me~?  A pack animal~?

33. Taro-based staple: POI

34. __ block: MENTAL - Ah.  I could not make WRITERS or LEGO fit

35. Night for last-minute wrapping: EVE - could'be been a name . . .

36. Stain or tear: MAR

37. Italian scholar Umberto: ECO - obscure, for a 3LW that could be a "not" name, #10 - the editor~?

38. National flower of Wales: DAFFODIL - I did not know this

39. South Asian rice cake: IDLI - filled via perps - more here - name(ish)

40. Hilarious comedian: RIOT

44. S.O.S competitor: BRILLO - I have caught two field mice in glue traps over the last month - I though this was a "winter" problem; now I am thinking about investing in an ultrasonic repellant, but I really have to go around and seal up the places where the little buggers are getting in; it was suggested to stuff steel wool, or better, soap-infused steel wool pads around the pipes of my baseboard heaters.

45. "Slowly," on sheet music: ADAGIO - oops, I thought it was LEGATO - but that's tied notes

46. Madison Square Garden hockey player: RANGER - I knew this because I am a long-suffering NY Rangers fan; they never seem to have the tenacity, the drive, the desire to fight for the toughest trophy in sports - they're more like "eh, whatever", and that's very frustrating for fans

Igor Shesterkin is the exception

47. Purpose: INTENT - thie intent of playing an NHL season is to get to the Stanley Cup playoffs ...

48. In conflict: AT ODDS - but this seems to be AT ODDS with the NY Rangers

50. Novelist Santha Rama __: RAU - name #11 - more here

51. Jab with one's arm: ELBOW

52. Coral colonies: REEFS

53. Snow globes, e.g.: ORBS - good WAG on my part

54. Wolfe of detective fiction: NERO - I've read the whole series from Rex Stout, and the follow-up novels from author Robert Goldsborough - name #12

58. Uni reference: OED - we had this on Monday

59. Feeling of self-worth: EGO - semi Meh. Is it a "feeling~?"

60. June honoree: DAD

Splynter

Wednesday, Jul 2nd, 2025 ~ John Kugelman

 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

This is John Kugelman's debut puzzle for the LA Times, but HE ( I checked, just to be sure this time ) has had several published in other places - from what I can see, he has constructed mostly Sunday grids - today's puzzle is 15 x 16, with mirror symmetry; somewhat Saturday in nature, and all we are missing is the "Z" for a pangram~!  No circles, a fair number of names, 30 TLWs, and a geometrical theme of  'boxy' morsels for the three meals of the day - breakfast, lunch and dinner, in order.  Well done~!  The three polygonal treats and the reveal;

19. Breakfast: cereal: RICE CHEX

31. Lunch: fast-food sandwich: WENDY'S BURGER

52. Dinner: seafood pasta: LOBSTER RAVIOLI

Mmm-Mmm good~!

My plates are square, too - but don't rotate in the microwave :7((

63. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or what 19-, 31-, and 52-Across literally are:
        THREE SQUARE MEALS

Now that's my idea of a "Square Meal", but my trainer keeps telling me

I have to stop hanging with the baron - the Red Baron, that is

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Makeshift instrument: JUG - I had "JIG" to start, thinking of a woodworking instument - and they're usually makeshift

4. Chess champion Garry: KASPAROV - name #1 - I do the DOWN clues first, so half of this was already filled in

12. First down yardage amount: TEN - we're in July - just two months to football season~!

15. "Float like a butterfly" boxer: ALI - name #2, but a crossword staple

16. Forget to set the oven timer, maybe: OVERBAKE - surprised to find out this is a unique fill

17. Wrath: IRE

18. "Headbangers Ball" airer: MTV - I want my MTV~! This was about the only segment I could watch

Most of the intro clips were S.O.D. songs - I'd link "What's That Noise" - but NSFW

20. Gaping opening: MAW - ooops - I put in GAP, but those three letters start the clue

21. Made, as beer: BREWED

23. Reader's __: DIGEST

25. Malia's sister: SASHA - name(s) #3 - the Obama kids

26. "A Fine Romance" composer Jerome: KERN - name #4 - I have heard of this guy, despite never seeing/hearing anything from him - but I now know he wrote some classic musical pieces 

30. "No __": "Perfect!": NOTES - this is new for me; any review or evaluation with "no notes" is a good thing - e.g., a script

Autumn At Apple Hill - The Hallmark Channel

34. Gravitate (toward): LEAN

36. Camry competitor: ALTIMA - Japanese automakers Toyota and Nissan

I am partial to Toyota - I drive a Prius "C" 2, and I would definitely get THIS

37. Seemingly never-ending story: SAGA - I love Star Wars, but even I am getting overwhelmed with the amount of "universe" that is presented to us

40. Poison __: IVY - either this or OAK - I guessed correctly

41. Letter between pi and sigma: RHO

42. Cyclops feature: EYE

44. Sacred oath: VOW

45. Curriculum __: VITAE - Latin for 'course of life', it's a detailed resume, essentially

47. Backside: REAR

50. First-year cadet: PLEBE

55. "That's my experience too": "I CAN RELATE."

56. Like windshields on winter mornings: ICED UP - God bless the fact that I can NOT relate to this - my Prius and Dodge Grand Caravan ( I call them Pixie and Daphne ) are both parked in my garage; they no longer "ICE UP", and in the winter, get COLDER as I drive to work~!  I had one of the guys at the pipe organ place suggest leaving the van out for a bigger workshop - I never had a garage growing up, so I am using it for its intended purpose.

59. Like 1% milk: LOW-FAT

68. Org. chasing Jason Bourne: CIA - I have seen the movies, and I think they have the best edited fight scenes of any movie out there - this one from the Bourne Supremacy; I need to read the books now

WARNING~! - Some violence

69. Opening stage: ROUND ONE

70. Letters on Megan Rapinoe's jersey: USA - name(ish) - I had  _ S A, so . . . .

71. Contains: HAS

72. Heard things?: NOISES

73. Neither partner: NOR - or SWEdish partner~?

DOWN:

1. Places for mezuzahs: JAMBS - I learned this from working on a movie set back in 1997; I was tasked with making one that would crumble, indicating a "bad sign" to our Rabbi; a girl named Susan May came up with one she "OVER BAKED", the director loved it, and used hers instead; I was very jealous . . . .

The meaning/use of a mezuzah

2. Extreme: ULTRA

3. Steps aside for: GIVES WAY TO - $2 fill, but not a unique one

4. The "K" of K-drama: KOREAN - Figured it was the same as "K-POP"

5. Eager: AVID

6. "Wait just a __": "SEC~!"

7. Beginning of history?: PRE - PREhistory

8. Kimmel's network: ABC - Dah~!  I thought he was N - b - c

9. Rally cry: RAH~!

10. Approved: OKed

11. Like some brain teasers: VEXING - also a unique fill; huh.

12. Leap years?: TIME TRAVEL - yes, very clever

13. Rub out: ERASE

14. Stream skitterers: NEWTS - I tried ROCKS, as in skipping

22. Line on an invite: WHEN - my brother's wedding is when~?  The Saturday after next

24. "Who __ there?": GOES - "It is I, Arthur..."

"No, they'd have to have it on a line..."

26. Son of Han Solo and Princess Leia: KYLO REN - name #5, from the Star Wars sequels

27. Approximate fig.: ESTimate

28. Hitter's stat: RBI

29. Digit: NUMERAL - Ah.  I could not get NUMBER to fit

32. "Well, lah-di-__!": DAH~! - not the same as my "Dah~!" of poorly chosen fill . . . .

33. Cartilaginous fish that may have a whiplike tail: RAY - Dah~!  Not EEL

34. Tyler of "The Leftovers": LIV - name #6 - I figured it was HER, but waited on crossings

35. Really bad: EVIL

38. Mongolian desert: GOBI - name(ish)

39. Wonderment: AWE

41. One running toward disaster, presumably: RESCUER

43. Embodiment: EPITOME - the embodiment of beauty, IMHO

It's EPIc TO ME~!

46. Put up with: ABIDE

48. Goof up: ERR

49. "__ you sure?": "ARE~?"

51. Lerner's partner on Broadway: LOEWE - name(s) #7 - more here

53. Tests, as a microphone: TAPS ON - not CHECKS

54. "La Bamba" singer Ritchie: VALENS - name #8, but this one I knew

56. Hydrocortisone cream target: ITCH - oh, right, that's not for an ACHE

57. Kombucha seeds: CHIA - filled via perps

58. Presidential spans: ERAS

60. Half-man, half-goat: FAUN - I wanted Satyr, but this works too - the Wiki

61. "Plus ... ": ALSO...

62. Russian monarch: TSAR

64. Status __: QUO

65. Oxford, e.g., to locals: UNIversity - British, as opposed to American "college"

66. Podcast interrupters: ADS

67. Tobiko or masago: ROE - again, filled via perps; sort of Saturday cluing, IMO

Splynter