Wednesday, Aug 27th, 2025 ~ Aaron Ullman

 I SAID MINI SPLIT~!

I thought you said SKIRT

We last saw a puzzle from Mr Ullman here at the LA Times in May 2024.  Today, Aaron gives us four phrases that have MINI, "split" across the fill, three of which are unique.  Yes, we do have circles, but a mere 9 3LWs, thirty 4LWs, some lengthy Down crossings, and just a handful of names.  The themers and the reveal;

17. Traditional social group: FAMILY UNIT

23. Historic hockey game at Lake Placid: MIRACLE ON ICE - the only non-unique themer

The Wiki

36. Dress blues, e.g.: MILITARY UNIFORM

48. Setting for amateur hour: OPEN MIC NIGHT

58. Zoned climate control options, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: MINI-SPLITS - pictured; I have just two window units in my home, and that was all I needed this summer, really - I plan on ultimately installing central air-conditioning, simply because there's a huge attic, enough to install the handler/ evaporator of a "macro" split A/C system and its dispersal lines

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Tropical flora: PALMS - I do the Downs first; filled in "GASP" for 1D., so this was "Galms" - Bzzzt~!

6. Site with handcrafted inventory: ETSY

10. Lhasa __: APSO - dog breed

14. Word after solar or lens: FLARE - Solar Flare, Lens Flare

15. Copy, informally: DUPE - short for DUPlicate

16. Vague reply to an ETA request: SOON - "Are we there yet~?"

19. "__ it ironic?": ISN'T - NOT ironic parts of this Alanis Morrisette song make it "ironic"

20. About 5 mL: TSP - TeaSPoon; there are three TSPs in a TaBleSPoon

21. Prima __: at first sight: FACIE - I learned this legalese term from the TV show Law & Order

22. 1:1, for one: RATIO - 1-2-1-4-1 - clever clue, get it~?

25. "Love is __, love is kind ... ": PATIENT - my first thought was song lyrics; turns out to be a Bible quote, I Corinthians 13:4-8, tho I did find this

28. CEO's aide: ASSistanT 

29. Couple: ITEM - Typically used in "rags" and tabloids - also known as the "Hot Sheets"

Here's a clip of the props used in Men in Black, including the "Hot Sheets"

30. What Diaper Genie filters trap: ODORS - I, sadly, have not had the pleasure/pain of rearing a child from birth, so while I knew the answer, I have not acutally gotten a whiff of what a Diaper Genie "does"

33. Long of "The Best Man Holiday": NIA - name #1 - her IMDb

40. Took a lunch break: ATE - very specific today

41. Genesis: ONSET

42. Overlying: ATOP - I agreed with some comments this past Saturday that "ATOP" is hardly synonymous with "ONTO", and was not thrilled with the clue/answer at all....

"

43. Deer dad: HART - I also agreed with Rusty last Friday about "STAGS" vis-à-vis "BAMBI"

45. Decreases: LESSENS

52. Drop out unexpectedly: FLAKE - Yeah, but Meh.

53. Starr on the skins: RINGO - Ringo Starr, drummer for the Beatles; his son Zak plays, too. Name #2

54. Distracted driving awareness TV spot, e.g.: PSA - Public Service Announcement

57. Plunge: FALL

60. Towel finisher: ETTE - as in 'moist' towelette

61. Dark skies, perhaps: OMEN

62. Alternative to a fidget spinner: POP-IT - A "reusable" bubble-wrap-mimicking toy

63. Encouraging cries: "RAHS~!!!"

64. Maritime hazard: BERG - The speculation about the world's most famous iceberg

65. Calendario starter: ENERO - Espaniol lesson #1; calendar / January

DOWN:

1. Incredulous sound: "PFFT~!" - "yeah, OK, as if~!"

2. "Pity, really": ALAS . . . .

3. Prop in "Aladdin": LAMP - uh, well, yeah, I suppose it would be called a "prop"

4. 3D diagnostic tool: MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging

5. Pic taken at arm's length: SELFIE

6. Those responsible for class actions?: EDUCATORS - first of two nine-letter Down fills

7. Viking garment: TUNIC - I wore a tunic for my "Medieval" wedding

Me and my brother, defending the castle from the dreaded serpent

8. Sales pitch: SPIEL - I thought this was Yiddish/Hebrew, but according to the Web, it's from Old German "spielen"

9. To this point: YET

10. "Crazy Rich __": Jon M. Chu rom-com: ASIANS - name(ish) - the IMDb

11. Tacky method of communication?: POST-IT NOTE - Loved this; first of two 10-letter Down fills

12. Video game character who attacks by rolling into a ball: SONIC - ah, yes, now I remember

13. How many ballerinas perform: ON TOE - I am a bit meh about this, only because one of the themers is "ON" as well

18. Michaels purchase, perhaps: YARN - art store; paint, canvas, paper - I did not think of knitting

22. "Scandal" actress Portia de __: ROSSI - I knew her, but still a name #3 - her Wiki

23. "Bosch" actress Rogers: MIMI - it's too bad this fill showed up in the puzzle, as well, leading from a theme "M" no less; it detracts from the purity of the construction, IMO - and name #4 - Bosch is one of my favorite book series; the Amazon adaptation, not so much, but still good

24. Take home, as pay: EARN

25. Soft, strong cotton: PIMA - filled via perps; not familiar with this

26. Still going: AT IT - watch how you parse this one . . . .

27. Option for long-distance medical consultations: TELE-HEALTH - 10-letter Down fill No.2

31. Easter purchase for 46-Down: DYE - AND - 46. Easter basket items: EGGS

32. Summarizing: OUTLINING - nine-letter downfill No.2

34. Element that makes blood red: IRON

35. Fires (up): AMPS

37. "The Christmas Song" composer Mel: TORME - name #5, but a familiar one

38. Body prefix: ANTI - Ah. I was looking for "endo-", not an actual prefix for 'body'

39. Like Formula One cars: FAST

44. Places for spats: ANKLES

47. "Ye Olde" boutique: SHOPPE - I did happen to like last Saturday's "sign language" clue for this 

48. Many a promotional email: OFFER

49. Silver, in Spanish: PLATA - Espaniol #2; somehow, I had ARGIO....NOT - argyro is Greek for silver

50. Focus of forensics shows: CRIME

51. Brock Purdy, for one: NINER - QB for the NFL's San Fransisco Forty-Niners; just signed a 5yr, $265mil contract - name #6

54. Half-__: skate park element: PIPE - I would not dare to work with this type of PIPE 

55. Use a spoon to homogenize: STIR - that's eight syllables for a four-letter fill....

56. Concerning: AS TO

58. Group of meerkats: MOB - animal groups; we had "parliament" for owls last Thursday

59. Chaney of old films: LON - name #7, but a crossword staple

Splynter

Wednesday, Aug 13th, 2025 ~ Kaela Curry & Kevin Curry

ACES HIGH

 
Aces High - Iron Maiden

Kevin and daughter Kaela ( see here ) have teamed up to give us a mirror symmetry, FOURTEEN x 16 grid with horizontal Royalty in the themers, and a vertical Royal Reveal.  Kevin and wife Zhou Zhang paired up here for the LA Times back on July 10.  Because of the odd-sized grid, both 52A. and 57A. are unique fills.  Triple-five corners, 24 3LWs,  ten names, and no circles.  The themers and reveal;

19. Head of a hive: QUEEN BEE

29. Colorful bird with a daggerlike bill: KINGFISHER

52. Milkweed pollinator also called "common tiger": MONARCH BUTTERFLY

More from Wiki

10. With 39-Down, defenders over London, or an apt description of 19-, 29-, and 52-Across?: ROYAL

39. See 10-Down: AIR FORCE - I do the Down clues first, so I 'revealed the reveal' to start

Here's me back in 2006 at MacArthur Airport standing beside a fully functional P-51 Mustang

TWELVE cylinder monster - you felt it take off 

And in case you can't see the above link, here's a PS image of the same page.

And . . . . Happy Left-Hander's Day~!

YO DUDE, that's like, backwards, my man. . . .25A.

Up, Up, And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Weight-to-height meas.: BMI - Body Mass Index - my trainer has me do a "weigh-in" every two weeks; my fat % went from 40 down to 29.8 over the three months I have been working out - and we're steady holding at 30lbs lost, as well - the next 30 are going to be harder

4. Classic diner order: BLT - Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato, crosswordese

7. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU - Louisiana State University -shoutout~!

10. Big truck: RIG 

13. Go on the __: LAM - A little Blue Öyster Cult for you

I'm on the Lam....but I Ain't No Sheep

14. Slaps after shots: BAR FIGHT - my 8D. was "ENOUGH", so this section was all wrong

17. "I __ you one!": "OWE"

18. Verbal hesitations: UMs....ers, uhs, needed crossings 

20. __ and yang: YIN

21. Site with "gently used" items: eBAY

23. Buyer's incentive: REBATE - AND - 24A. Buyer's incentive: SALE

25. "My man!": "YO DUDE~!"

27. Frequent toddler mishaps: SPILLS

34. Gather: AMASS - we had this Monday

37. Nevada gambling city: RENO - name #1

38. Parting words: CIAOs - a bit meh.

42. "Cool" amount: MILlion - I have not made my first "cool" million - yet.

43. State between the Pacific Ocean and the Snake River: OREGON - name #2

45. Pen filler: INK

46. Announcement after a brief game stoppage: "PLAY ON~!"

49. Big name in hiking backpacks: OSPREY - not clued as the bird to avoid a theme conflict

57. Reluctant whine: "AWW, DO I HAVE TO~?" - cute 12-letter clue/answer

58. Winnie-the-Pooh's creator: MILNE - name #3

60. "Hot To Go!" singer Chappell: ROAN - don't know of her, more here - name #4

61. Join: MERGE

64. Runway worker: MODEL

65. Overly proud: SMUG

66. Implicit: TACIT - two "-cit" words

67. Complicated situation: SNARL

68. Snakelike: EELY

69. End of the Greek alphabet: OMEGA

DOWN:

1. TV dog whose mum and dad are Chilli and Bandit: BLUEY - I wonder who came up with this clue....

And name #5

2. Caribbean dance: MAMBO - I can never remember if it's SAMBA or MAMBO - I was wrong today

Perry Como Papa Loves Mambo from Ocean's Eleven - UH~!

3. [Crying emoji]: I'M SAD  😢

4. Cookout, for short: BBQ - Barbecue - no "Q" in the word, actually 

5. Fashion icon Ralph: LAUREN - name #6, but I have heard of him - he's worth a cool $11.9 Billion

6. Peach or beech: TREE - rhyme time

7. Pride parade inits.: LGBT - the acronym has expanded - more here

8. "OK, OK!": "SHEESH~!" - I tried ENOUGH, then STOP IT 

9. SLC athlete: UTE - the Utes, short for University of Utah sports players, and Salt Lake City

11. Volunteer's response: "I WILL."

12. Parental hand-me-downs: GENES

15. Black History Mo.: FEBruary

16. Two peas __ pod: IN A

22. Hardy-har-hars: YUKs

24. Speaker on an iPad: SIRI - I am PC - and nam(ish)

26. Put down: DIS - as in DISrespect

28. Delt neighbor: PECtorals, muscles of the chest

30. Watchdog's warning: GRR~!!! - argh~!  Not ARF~!

31. Service charge: FEE

32. Gerund suffix: ING - a form derived from a verb that acts like a noun

33. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO - name #7

34. Time toggle: AM/PM - nice alliteration in the clue

35. Venus de __: MILO - and now Spinal Tap, with their album, Intravenus De Milo -name #8

Spinal Tap album reviews - here

36. Hawkeye Pierce player on "M*A*S*H": ALAN ALDA - his whole crossword-friendly name ( #9 ) today

40. Law school newbie: ONE L - crossword staple

41. Absolut alternative: SKYY - Vodkas; here's some "JACK" for a Royal Flush 

43. Like audiobooks, once: ON CD

44. Child's punishment, maybe: NO TV - that was my generation; today I am guessing it's "no phone"

47. Snoozefest: YAWNER  - Booooooring~!

48. "Animal Farm" novelist George: ORWELL - Double Plus Ungood - his 'other' novel, name #10

50. Appear that way: SEEM TO

51. Image-cultivating group, informally: PR TEAM - Public Relations - the spin doctors

53. Carriage puller: HORSE - OK I was looking for a "10" horse team for the Royal Flush

Alas, we only have eight . . . .

54. Desert or tundra: BIOME - toyed with CLIME

55. Company for DIY movers: U-HAUL

It does say you can move a 2-3 bedroom house . . . .

56. Like some tartar sauce: TANGY

58. Ruler divs., casually: MMs - not "INs", which I didn't think was correct; not sure why we had the 'casually' in the clue, with 'divs.' already there for the abbr.

59. Non-neutral particle: ION

62. Short-term engagement: GIG

63. "When ru coming?": "ETA~?"

Splynter

Wednesday, Aug 6th, 2025 ~ Chandi Deitmer & Claire Rimkus

 CAKE-SNIFFER~!

Carmelita Spats, from a Series of Unfortunate Events

We had a Saturday puzzle last month from Chandi Deitmer, cowritten with Erik Agard; today she has teamed up with crossword constructor Claire Rimkus, who has puzzles published in the NYT, mostly Fridays.  While I found the reveal to be cute, the ridiculous number of names - person, place and thing - so many of them that I lost count, just drained the fun out of  the solve.  There were a few crossings that I did not appreciate, e.g. CATIO/CASABA, FARRO/SEURAT.  Big, chunky triple-seven(ish) corners, no circles, a balance of 3&4LWs, but overall, a "meh" for me - YMMV.  The themers, and the reveal;

16. Professional who makes a lot of scents?: PERFUMER - one of only two unique fills today, CATIO being the other.  I have linked this before, but I find it fascinating that not only is it a "thing", but I bought a sample, and happen to like the cologne.  Perfumer Xerjoff teamed up with Black Sabbath's riff master guitarist Tony Iommi to create a fragrance called "Scent of Dark"

The promotional video

25. Professional who sniffs out crime?: POLICE DOG - animal #1; couldn't decide which I liked more

No new friend yet, but I am Cooper-sitting while my brother is on his honeymoon next month

37. Professional who helps you breathe easy?: ALLERGIST - a physician who specially trained to diagNOSE, treat and manage allergies, asthma, etc.

53. Professional who stops to smell the rosés?: SOMMELIER - "Ro-zays", the 'pink' wines; a sommelier is a wine expert, knows how to pair them with food, etc.; my friend who runs three restaurants on Long Island started out as one; the "nose" of a wine is its scent in the glass - here's one website

64. Rhinoplasties, or an apt description of 16-, 25-, 37-, and 53-Across?: NOSE JOBS - each of the themers is a "job" related to a type of  'nose'

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Huge volume?: TOME - not enough to fool me, big book....

5. Animated pic: GIF - I tried "CEL" - but pic is an abbr, ergo GIF - Graphic Interchange Format

8. Model Delevingne: CARA - name #1 - how have I never heard of her~?

Her Wiki

12. Cameo shape: OVAL

13. Obama-era legislation, for short: ACA - Affordable Care Act

14. Canary melon kin: CASABA - never head of this fruit

18. Lion or tiger: ANIMAL - along with these two, we have six other animals in this puzzle today

19. Pt. of some gender-affirming care: HRT - Didn't know this one, either, at least as clued - Hormone Replacement Therapy - more here

20. "The Circus" painter Georges: SEURAT - name #2; his Wiki

22. "The Elephants" painter Salvador: DALI - name #3, animal #2 - I know the painter; had the "wrong" painting

I was thinking Swans Reflecting Elephants - this one

23. Puma rival: ASICS - name(ish) - footwear

27. Chorus section: TENORS

29. Make the cut?: LOP

30. Novelist Patchett: ANN - name #4

31. Cape Cod Bay mammal: SEAL - I did not know there was such an animal - #3

32. Mayberry boy: OPIE - name #5

35. Donkeys: ASSES - animal #4

40. Dahi-based drink: LASSI - NOT the animal, but a name all the same - more here

43. Clarinet insert: REED

44. Oklahoma city: ENID - place name #1

48. Poet Limón: ADA - name #6

49. Mega Man platform letters: NES - Nintendo Entertainment System; 1987 video game

51. Like plants that grow at high elevations: ALPINE

57. Cravat alternative: ASCOT - neckwear

58. "You got that right!": "TRUE~!"

59. Color on the Qatari flag: MAROON

61. Afore: ERE

62. Inspire 34-Down: ENRAGE

66. More treasured: DEARER

67. Kind of suffix?: "ISH"

68. Textbook section: UNIT

69. Old-timey television feature: DIAL

70. GPS approximation: ETA

71. Understands: GETS

DOWN:

1. Tall headgear: TOP HATS - I remember being appalled the first time seeing this guy on MTV, the "cousin Itt" of Rock N Roll, and his now famous "top hat"

Slash performing at Back to the Beginning - R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne

2. Supervise: OVERSEE

3. Tennis great Hingis: MARTINA - name #7 - her Wiki

4. Pixie: ELF - Pixie is the name of my 2014 Prius C-2; 40-50MPG, corners like it's on rails

5. Ready to dive in: GAME - this took me a while to suss; the phrase "I'm game~!"

6. Get a winter coat?: ICE UP - pondered "SLEET"

7. Grain that may be cooked like risotto: FARRO - never heard of this 

8. Preserve: CAN - the verb

9. Off-mic comment: ASIDE - meh.  I think of an 'aside' being an stage actor's comment to the audience

10. Open-sided shelters: RAMADAS - I was today years old when I learned this

11. Rock-clinging gastropod: ABALONE - A-buh-low-nee; animal #5 - I have heard of them, but never eaten one - the Wiki

14. Screened porch for an indoor pet: CATIO - I put in PATIO, figured there must be more to this; crossing an unknown melon didn't help - but it is a thing - animal #6

15. Sets straight: ALIGNS

17. Former country that included five -stan countries, for short: USSR - place name #2

21. Make a claim: ALLEGE

24. Sugary drinks: COLAS - I had SODAS - 60% correct

26. Filing pros: CPAs - Certified Public Accountants - crosswordese

28. La Tierra's star: SOL -Espaniol lesson; The Earth, and the Sun

33. Region in the Achaemenid Empire: PERSIA - place name #3 - sheesh, on Wednesday~?

34. Heated anger: IRE - these names are getting my IRE up, too many can  "62A." me

36. Pedometer units: STEPS - On my walk last week, I ventured down the railroad tracks to take this photo

38. Request from an underprepared actor: LINE - Pssst~! Line~! an unintended "ASIDE"

39. Ore. neighbor: IDA - plc nm #4 - Oregon & Idaho

40. Endured: LASTED

41. Covered in tinsel, maybe: ADORNED

42. Katana-wielding fighter: SAMURAI

45. "You nailed it!": "NICE ONE~!"

46. Circling: IN ORBIT - good clue/answer

47. Loathes: DETESTS - methinks most of the Cornerites despise "CrossNAMES" - I know I do . . . .

50. Bull on a glue bottle: ELMER - dont' care if I know it, name #8

52. Pool division: LANE - our blog hostess knows much about pool lanes

54. "The Stiller and __ Show": MEARA - names #9, tho I did know this one

55. Bert's roommate: ERNIE - names #10 - Muppets

56. Rule the __: ROOST

60. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration

63. Mani-pedi polish option: GEL - I thought it might be the new crosswordese "OPI", then I tried "RED" - Bzzzt~!

65. Instrument that might be played alongside spoons and a stovepipe: JUG

Splynter