Friday, May 29, 2026

Friday, May 29th, 2026 ~ Zachary David Levy

CASEICULTURIST

nah, just a cheesy blog writer

I had the "up" words Z-D-L puzzle in January and RB handled his last crossword back at the start of May.  Today our consistent constructor gives us a "redefinition" of what one's career might entail, but with a humorous twist (~?) - I have mixed feelings about this one; I found it Friday challenging, and therefore enjoyable, but as it's been said at The Corner in the past, the juice maybe not be worth the squeeze; YMMV.   Another over-sized 15 x 16 grid, chunky 9-letter corners, several, and some obscure, names, twenty-two 3LWs, and ALOT of Twurds.  The themers, followed by the centrally located reveal;

18. Photographer?: CHEESEMONGER - a one-word professional who selects, cares for, cuts and sells cheese; I linked a "How It's Made" episode on cheese making back in March

26. Police officer?: TICKET AGENT - I've never gotten a speeding ticket; I have, however, had two DUI arrests, one arrest & ticket for lapse of insurance, and two for operating a commercial vehicle in the HOV lane & illegally crossing the HOV buffer "line".  Sheesh.  This is what drinking cost me; once I stopped, so did the tickets - go figure . . . 

I was never THAT drunk . . . 

52. Carpenter?: FLOOR TRADER - in my carpentry work days of yore, I have done several ceramic tile floors, and a couple of Pergo ones - one could argue I "traded" the old linoleum for something better

Floor Cheese

63. Realtor?: STREET VENDOR - It's true, in a sense - David Cook, my Realtor here in CT, sold me a house while we were on the "street" I now call home . . .

The cheese on the street . . . 

38. "That's someone else's problem," or an apt title for this puzzle - NOT MY JOB - As a retail manager in the home improvement industry, I heard the reveal far too many times.  For those who read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the clue is a different "thing" altogether . . . 

But Wait - There's More Cheese~?


ACROSS:

1. Like some temples: MASONIC - Dah~!  I wanted to fill this in, hesitated

8. Epiphany trio: MAGI - I do the Downs first, already had the "G" in place

12. Maker of Sticking Point press-on nails: OPI - Nailed it, but this is a crossword staple

15. Tennis period since 1968: OPEN ERA - my one mistake; I had openerS at first

16. Make smooth: IRON - good one

17. NFL Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN - name #1, which I did actually know

20. Pester: IRK

21. Bandleader's command: HIT IT - It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses . . .

"Hit it."

22. Hosp. areas: ERs - Not ORs

23. Dry Italian whites: SOAVES - filled via perps

Swah-vay

25. Object of adoration: IDOL - this one's protected by the Hovitos . . . if only you could speak Hovitos

The Wiki on the Golden Idol's "history"

28. Sphinx, mostly: LION

30. mRNA vaccine maker: MODERNA - their website

31. Splashes gently against: LAPS AT - Twurd #2

34. Brit's cuppa: TEA

36. "How ya __?": "DOIN'~?"

37. Org. that issues Energy Star labels: EPA

42. Fella: LAD

43. Quayle follower: GORE - VPs in the 90s; name #2

45. Diamonds, slangily: ICE

46. Some big batteries: D-CELLS

48. Retro: OLD-TIME

51. Florida coastal city, informally: BOCA - Raton; Geo name #3

I lived in Jacksonville for two long years

55. Milk source: TEAT - I had GOAT, 50% correct

59. Skiffle singer Donegan: LONNIE - I heard this from my British parents growing up - name #4

"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavor~?"
I never heard all the lyrics - it's quite a fun rocker of a song

60. By way of: VIA

61. Jeff Tweedy's band: WILCO - no clue, more here, name #5

62. Vader, as a boy: ANI - Star Wars, Darth Vader né Anakin Skywalker, names #6

66. Hr. division: MINute

67. City west of Tulsa: ENID - Geo name #7

The Pipe Organ company finished this instrument before I started

68. Giggly outbursts: TITTERS - titters and teats in one corner, Hmmm . . . 

69. Sack: BAG - the verb definition "FIRE" was not going to fit

70. Drawn-out tale: SAGA

71. "I need an answer right now": "YES OR NO~?" - Thwurd 

"Let me sleep on it" lyric @ 6:00




DOWN:


1. Rice cake that may be filled with ice cream: MOCHI - new to me

The recipe here

2. Rose pest: APHID - I DID know this 

3. Handle: SEE TO - Twurd #4

4. Actor Ed and food writer Molly: O'NEILLs - I knew of Ed; the Wiki on Molly.  Names #8

5. Place to brood: NEST - didn't fool me

6. Anger: IRE

7. Entered: CAME IN - Twurd #5

8. Capital of Belarus: MINSK - Ah.  This filled via perps.  Geo name #9

9. Uru. neighbor: ARGentina - Geo name abbr

10. Attends: GOES TO - Twurd #6

11. Bit of hard-won progress: INROAD - according to the internet, this is one word

12. Bakery item dotted with kalamatas: OLIVE ROLL - good WAG on my second pass


13. Reliable plant: PERENNIAL - AND - 49D. Purple 13-Downs: IRISES

14. Quaint desk accessories: INK STANDS - I know of ink wells, not stands

Buy this one here

19. Tolkien baddie: ORC

24. Mature: AGED - the ambivalent tense of the clue made me try "RIPE"

26. Emerald City visitor: TOTO - the dog from the Wizard of Oz, still a name, #10

27. Key of Vivaldi's "Spring": Abbr.: Emaj - I knew the "m" would be correct . . . could have been Amin, etc.

29. "Amsterdam" novelist McEwan: IAN - name #11

31. Roasted entree that may be served with mint jelly: LEG OF LAMB - I knew this; once I had some crossings, the V-8 can flew

Leg of LamP

32. Kotero of "Purple Rain": APOLLONIA - I vaguely remember the movie, released in 1984 - before my HS days, and did not see - not a Prince fan back then - name #12, and a unique fill.  The IMDb

nylons don't do well with those shoes 

33. Letting off the hook: PARDONING - $2 word

34. SHO subsidiary: TMC - no clue, knew we needed a TV abbr - SHOwtime, The Movie Channel

35. __ contact: EYE - I am getting much better at this as I "mature"

39. Level: TIER

40. Fragrance: ODOR - IMHO, I don't think of a fragrance as an "odor"

41. Email covertly: BCC - Blind Carbon Copy

44. Collar named for an elite school: ETON - learned by doing crosswords

47. Erode: EAT INTO - Twurd #7

50. Active volcano in Eur.: Mt. ETNA - Iv'e had this "abbr full fill" once before 

51. Warren who played Dick Tracy: BEATTY - knew it, still name #13

53. Vegan body care brand: AVEDA - name(ish)


54. Fizzle out: DIE

56. Tribal leader: ELDER - Dah~! Not CHIEF

57. Oak tree, once: ACORN

58. Trunk: TORSO - Dah~!  Not CHEST

61. Dampens: WETS

64. 18-wheeler: RIG

65. Try (for): VIE

Splynter


Grid Flow 30.7

No comments:

Post a Comment