Today makes three solid Friday frolics in a row - Lynn Lempel ( see below ), a seasoned constructor who started making crosswords in the 1970s, now has a total of 104 puzzles published, the EGOT of one for each day, and a whopping 74 of those grids on Monday alone - typically the hardest ones to make, as the clues & answers need to be uncomplicated early in the week. Today we have the added, silent "W" to "R" words that completely change the definition of said words & phrases. A very clever, tight group of in-language phrases, and none of the tripe I do not care for in crosswords - nary a Twurd to be found. A standard 15 x 15 grid, no circles, a few more names than I would like, but most of them not so obscure, a 3LW count just two higher than the number of 5-letter words - and three ovine references. The four, all 11-letter themers;
17. Get-together before the holidays?: WRAP SESSION - Rap session
Goes well with 56 Across
30. Bicycles and airplanes?: WRIGHT STUFF - ( The ) Right Stuff, a movie - I had another play on the word/name 'Wright' in this crossword
45. Broken-down washing machine?: DEAD WRINGER - A washer's "rinse" cycle spins up to a speed high enough to "wring" out one's clothes. Dead Ringer - two meanings; the truth one, and the false(th) one - and a movie ( pluralized ) as well
61. "Good job on that coup you pulled off"?: WELL WRESTED - Well-rested, a slight outlier with the hyphen
But Wait, Thewre's Mowre~!
ACROSS:
1. Homes in the sticks?: NESTS - Har-har~! I reached out to sumdaze for an Eagle update; her words -
"As it turns out, the two chicks just hatched this [last] weekend so these are very exciting times on the nest! The parents are Shadow & Jackie. The two chick will not get names until they're much bigger."
6. Fabric for a fez: FELT - Alliteration
10. World Series org.: MLB - Major League Baseball - we're officially into the 2026 season
13. Puff piece?: ÈCLAIR
Nom-nom, yum-yum, win-win~!
15. Boba option: ALOE - filled via perps; #18 on the chart - see 44D. below
16. Wearable souvenir: TEE - T-shirt, like from a concert, and not "LEI" - TEE comes in at #43
19. By way of: VIA
20. Big band member?: TUBA - I think the "?" could have been left out on a Friday
21. Puss in Boots, for one: CAT - I am not having much success with finding a Schnauzer rescue, so now I am considering getting me a kitty-cat - I like the idea of a cat, and I have field mice that get into the basement on occasion ( though not this winter, and it was a cold winter ), but I need to "claw-proof" some things, and then I am going down to the shelter.
26. Gives a hoot: CARES - Our constructor is old school, like me
Woodsy says, "Give a hoot, don't pollute"
27. __-Man: PAC
34. "Killers of the Flower Moon" people: OSAGE - I do the Downs first, so I was 60% filled VIA perps
36. One who might make a ewe turn?: RAM - Sheep humor #2
37. Like avocados: OVAL
38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA - geo name #1
39. Brand of riding mowers: DEERE - name(ish); my tractor is a Massey Ferguson, and I got a flat last year - need to address this problem soon
41. Irk: RILE
42. Genesis plot: EDEN - a garden plot of dirt, that is . . .
43. Before, in verse: ERE - #4 on the list
44. Many a Chopin piece: ETUDE
49. Distress signal: SOS - #223
50. Word in some English place-names: SHIRE - The shire reeve came to be pronounced "sheriff"
No dagnubbit, the sheriff is a - . . .
51. College World Series org.: NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Assoc. - the Wiki
53. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI - I wanted CHICK PEA to fit, but I had two extra "beans"
55. Tower of note: AAA - Tow - er, like Flow-er = 'river'; the author got me this time - Triple A being this organization since 1902 - I did not know it was THAT old . . .
56. Ductwork sealer: TAPE - actually, it's the one thing Duct Tape is not good for - foil tape is better
60. __ Bravo: RIO - geo name #2, and slides into the top 100 at #99
64. Blow it: ERR - just misses the Top Ten at #12
65. Some long-term investments, briefly: IRAs - #27 in the singular
66. Considered: DEEMED
67. Hook's partner: EYE - in the plural, it's #439
68. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO - name #3
69. Like voices after a loud concert: RASPY
DOWN:
1. Terrarium critter: NEWT - "I got better . . ."
2. Beige shade: ECRU
3. Chunk: SLAB
4. Spanish apps: TAPAS - Dah~! I had taCOs to start - the appetizers, that is
5. Girl of the fam: SIS - abbrs
6. Observe Ramadan, say: FAST
7. "ManningCast" co-host: ELI - name #4, one of three Manning brothers - fill #5 on the Top Ten
8. Attention hog's cry: "LOOK AT ME~!" - first 8-letter Down
9. Choral section: TENORS
10. Pompeii destroyer, for short: Mt. VESUVIUS - Dah~! Got caught up thinking "ETNA"
11. Skywalker twin: LEIA - Star Wars name #5; LUKE fit, too
12. Three __ salad: BEAN
14. Happen again: RECUR
18. Wrapped silk dress: SARI - I would have reworked the dupe "wrap" out of the clue
23. Be short with, perhaps: RETORT - and . . .
25. Be short with?: OWE - in at #354, tied with ESC, IGOR, NNE & ODD
26. Scorch: CHAR
27. Propelled, as a punt: POLED - I had OARED, so, close, but no gondola gold
28. Parenthetical remark: ASIDE - [ I told them we already got one~! ]
The Frawnche taunting the silly English Kuh-nig-its
29. Returned to dry land: CAMEASHORE - the second 10-letter Down
31. Earth-friendly: GREEN - ah. I was thinking ECO, but what~?
32. Three-time Masters winner who was knighted in 2009: FALDO - golfer Nick, name #6
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