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