QOD: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

QOD: Every journalist has a novel inside him. That’s a very good place for it. ~ Russell Lynes (né Joseph Russell Lynes, Jr.; Dec. 2, 1910 ~ Sept. 14, 1991), American journalist, photographer, and art historian

I'm so SMART!

16-Across. Whatever the outcome: WIN OR LOSE. Wise.

24-Across. "Please lower your voice": KEEP IT DOWN. Keen.

45-Across. Fabric piece for a sewing circle: QUILT BLOCK. Quick.

55-Across. Cameo role, e.g.: SMALL PART. Smart.

And the Unifier:

35-Acr0ss. "It's not all bad news ...," and what the circled letters in this puzzle literally are?: ON THE BRIGHT SIDE.

Here's the Grid so you can see how the circles, which spell a synonym for intellectually "bright", are on the "sides" of each theme clue.

What other bright clues and answers can be found?

Across:

1. Stick (out): JUT.

4. Raw fish dish: SUSHI. Yummers!

9. Enjoy recess in a schoolyard: PLAY.

13. Darth Vader's childhood nickname: ANI. A reference to the Star Wars movies.

14. "Come on in!": ENTER.

15. Tylenol alternative: ALEVE. They are not exactly the same. Aleve is a NonSteroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drug (NSAID) pain reliever. It's effectiveness last longer than Tylenol, however it may have a greater risk for stomach issues. Tylenol is better for fever reduction and pain but does not have anti-inflammatory properties.

18. Fan frenzy: MANIA.

19. Hibernation spots: LAIRS.

20. Covering that keeps a pant leg dry: GAITER.

21. Copied: APED.

26. Edit: REVISE.

28. Purple garden flower: IRIS.

29. Idaho's capital: BOISE. Do any of you play the daily puzzle on The Economist? The theme of last week's puzzle was American State Capitals. Boise, however, was not one of the answers.

30. Penny: CENT. We learned recently that the last penny has gone to press.

32. "The Raven" poet Edgar Allan __: POE. Edgar Allen Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1949) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

39. Pastrami bread: RYE.

40. Young blokes: LADS.

41. Mani-pedi place: SALON.

42. Stash away: STOW.

44. Fully enjoys: SAVORS.

50. Site with handmade goods: ETSY.

51. Loosens, as shoelaces: UNTIES.

52. "Such a tease!": OH, YOU!

54. Amy of "Enchanted" and "Disenchanted": ADAMS. Amy Lou Adams (b. Aug. 20, 1974) is known for her dramatic and comedic roles. Her first major role was in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. Her first leading role was Giselle in the 2007 film Enchanted.

59. Rented again: RELET.

60. Snorer's affliction, maybe: APNEA.

61. Piña colada liquor: RUM. Yummers!

62. Walked (on): TROD.

63. Fisherman's __: waterfront district in San Francisco: WHARF.

64. Brimless hat with a tassel: FEZ.

Down:

1. Mandible: JAW.

Anatomy of an ant head.

2. College, to Aussies: UNI.

3. Word before can or Man: TIN. The aluminum paint used to make the tin man appear tin, was actually quite toxic. Buddy Ebsen (Apr. 2, 1908 ~ July 6, 2003) was cast as the Tin Man, however, the paint made him very ill and he was replaced by Jack Haley (Aug. 10, 1898 ~ June 6, 1979)

4. "Buona __": Italian "Good evening": SERA. Today's Italian lesson.

5. Different from: UNLIKE. You can also Unlike someone on Facebook.

6. Retail outlet: STORE.

7. "Steppenwolf" novelist Hermann: HESSE. The band Steppenwolf is named after this 1927 novel by Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877 ~ Aug. 9, 1962).

8. Fury: IRE.

9. Tartan patterns: PLAIDS. When I was in high school, my mother made me a MacLeod plaid skirt.

10. Slowly, in music: LENTO.

11. Arthur Miller's "__ From the Bridge": A VIEW.

12. Be homesick (for): YEARN.

15. Rare and expensive Italian violin: AMATI. The Amati family were violin makers in the 16th and 17th century.

17. Getting on in years: OLDISH. When does one actually become "oldish"? Isn't old age 10 years more than your actual age?

20. Circumference: GIRTH. In addition to his six wives, Henry VIII (June 28, 1491 ~ Jan. 28, 1547) was known for his girth.

21. Ann __, Michigan: ARBOR. Ann Arbor is home of the University of Michigan.

22. Pink garden flower: PEONY.

23. Party notice sent with a click: EVITE.

25. Problematic engine sounds: PINGS.

27. "Get it?": SEE.

30. Move on all fours: CRAWL.

31. __ al-Fitr: end of Ramadan: EID.

32. Cockpit figure: PILOT.

33. Scents: ODORS.

34. Itty-bitty: EENSY.

36. Splotches: BLOBS.

37. Luggage-checking org.: TSA.

38. Put money away for the future: SAVE UP.

42. Covered in goo: SLIMED.

43. Statistical tool for checking a hypothesis: T-TEST. A t-test is a statistical tool used to determine if the means of two groups are significantly different.

44. Anna's "Breaking Bad" role: SKYLER. Anna Kathryn Gunn (b. Aug. 11, 1968) is best known for portraying Skyler White on Breaking Bad.

45. Two pints: QUART.

46. Lower than: UNDER.

47. Writer Calvino: ITALO. Italo Calvino (Oct. 15, 1923 ~ Sept. 19, 1985) was an Italian novelist who was born Havana, Cuba. He has been considered one of Italy's greatest writers.