Tuesday, September 23, 2025

QOD:  It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.  ~  Bruce Springsteen (né Bruce Frederick Joseph; b. Sept. 23, 1949), American musician

Ode to Joy.  Ode to Joy is the fourth and final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

20-Across. *  Lines on a family tree: RELATION SHIPS.  Elation

36-Across. *  Treated unseriously: MADE LIGHT OF.  Delight

42-Across. *  App with layered satellite images: GOOGLE EARTH.  Glee

And the unifier:

57-Across. Feeling euphoric, and what the answers to the starred clues literally are: FILLED WITH JOY.   Each theme answer is filled with a synonym for Joy.

Too soon?  The stores don't seem to think so.

Across:

1. Material for a "No. 1" finger: FOAM.

5. Squarish: BOXY.

9. Maddow's channel: MSNBC.  The company will soon be changing its name to MS NOW.  Rachel Maddow (née Rachel Anne Maddow; b. Apr. 1, 1973) is a television news program host and liberal political commentator.

14. Give the __-over: ONCE.

15. Mountaineer's goal: ACME.

16. "Word has it ... ": I HEAR ...

17. What "vintage" often means: USED.

18. Perlman of "Barbie": RHEA.  Rhea Perlman (née Rhea Jo Perlman; b. Mar. 31, 1948) is probably best known for her role as Carla on Cheers.  She portrayed Ruth Handler (née Ruth Marianna Mosko; Nov. 4, 1916 ~ Apr. 27, 2002), the creator of the Barbie doll, in the 2023 movie, Barbie.

Ruth Handler on the left; Rhea Perlman on the right.

19. "Impossible!": NO WAY!

23. Grimm offerings: TALES.  Fairy Tales.  The Brothers Grimm [Jacob (1785 ~ 1863) and William (1786 ~ 1859)] collected German folk tales and compiled them into the stories we sort of know.  Disney sanitized the gory parts out of most of the tales.

24. Life hack, e.g.: TIP.

25. Far from festive: SAD.

28. Fills fully: SATES.

31. Having limits: FINITE.

33. Gift topper: BOW.

38. Cornell University's namesake: EZRA.  Ezra Cornell (Jan. 11, 1807 ~ Dec. 9, 1874) and Andrew Dickson White (Nov. 7, 1832 ~ Nov. 4, 1918) were the co-founders of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.  Ezra Cornell was also the founder of Western Union.

He looks charming.

40. NAACP co-founder __ B. Wells: IDA.  Ida B. Wells (née Ida Bell Wells; July 16, 1862 ~ Mar. 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist and civil rights activist.

41. Fallon predecessor: LENO.  Jimmy Fallon (né James Thomas Fallon; b. Sept. 1974) took over The Tonight Show after Jay Leno (né James Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) retired.

47. Take a gander: SEE.

48. West Coast burger chain: IN-N-OUT.

49. Water nymph in Greek mythology: NAIAD.

51. Not pos.: NEG.  Not Positive, but Negative.

52. Setting for a mad scientist: LAB.

54. Writer's first effort: DRAFT.

62. British pop singer Lewis: LEONA.  I am not familiar with Leona Lewis (née Leona Louise Lewis; b. Apr. 3, 1985).

64. Get as a reward: EARN.

65. Unpartnered: LONE.

66. 2020 film about Shaggy's canine sidekick: SCOOB.

67. "The Star-Spangled Banner" topic: FLAG.

68. Really rankles: IRKS.  A crossword staple.

69. A little eccentric: DOTTY.

70. Doesn't gulp down: SIPS.

71. Driver on a movie set: ADAM.  Adam Driver (né Adam Douglas Driver; b. Nov. 19, 1983) is an American actor.  He portrayed Enzo Ferrari (né Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari; Feb. 18, 1898 ~ Aug. 14, 1988) in the 2023 movie Ferrari.

Down:

1. Final __: March Madness round: FOUR.  College Basketball.

2. First stage: ONSET.

3. Speedy Northeast Corridor train: ACELA.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

4. Olympian's haul: MEDALS.  A brief history of Olympic medals.

5. Worker with a daily grind?: BARISTA.

6. Nueve preceder: OCHO.  Today's Spanish math class.

7. Superheroes trained at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters: X-MEN.

8. Sourdough starter component: YEAST.

9. Little pet that may be pot-bellied: MINI PIG.  More than you ever wanted to know about Mini Pig varieties.

10. Boutique: SHOP.

11. Vox, Axios, Reuters, et al.: NEWS SITES.  I initially tried News Media.

12. Barnyard bleat: BAA.

13. React to a tearjerker: CRY.

21. Squad: TEAM.

22. Audiophile's apparatus: HI-FI.

26. Show remorse: ATONE.  The Day of Atonement is next Wednesday.

27. Crusoe creator: DeFOE.  Daniel Defoe (1660 ~ Apr. 24, 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy.  He is best known for his novel Robinson Crusoe, which was published in 1719.  This novel has been translated into over 100 languages!

29. Actress Falco: EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  She portrayed Carmela Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos.

30. Midsize car: SEDAN.

32. Org. with Kraken on ice: NHL.  The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in the National Hockey League.

33. Get the ball rolling: BEGIN.

34. Stratospheric shield: OZONE.

35. Metaphor for a bad start: WRONG FOOT.

37. Fictional archaeologist Croft: LARA.  Angelina Jolie (b. June 4, 1975) portrayed Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies.

39. In the past: AGO.

43. Newborn soother: LULLABY.

44. Citation abbr.: ET AL.  Today's Latin lesson.

45. Old news?: TIDINGS.  I bring Tidings of Joy.

46. Comedian Kevin: HART.  Kevin Darnell Hart (b. July 6, 1979) is also an actor.

50. Mexican flower: DAHLIA.  They are beautiful flowers.

53. Issues to gripe about: BEEFS.

55. Nordic cruise sight: FJORD.

56. Toy truck brand: TONKA.  We had a Tonka jeep when we were kids.

58. Playing to break a tie, briefly: IN OT.  As in In Over Time.

59. "Melting clocks" painter Salvador: DALI.  There is a Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, because a wealthy couple who were friends and patrons of Salvador Dalí (né Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí Doménech; b. May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989) donated their collection of his works to the city.

The Persistence of Memory

60. Lunch order in a wheat tortilla: WRAP.

61. Old-timey assent: YES'M.

62. Trippy drug: LSD.

63. Sustainability prefix: ECO-.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

And there you go, Jeremiah:

L'Shanah Tovah to all who observe.  May you have a sweet year.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Noelle Griskey

Come on Baby, Let the Good Times Roll.

17-Across. It's on a roll: SPICY MAYO.

24-Across. Who's on a roll: STAR STUDENT.

36-Across. They're on a roll: COLOR PHOTOS.

47-Across. They're on a roll: SESAME SEEDS.

57-Across. It's on a roll: RICE PAPER.  Rice Paper is the thin edible wrapper used for wrapping spring rolls in spring rolls in Southeast Asian foods.

Let's get Rolling ...

Across:

1. Does some light cleaning: DUSTS.

6. Brief "Holy cow!": OMG.  Textspeak.

9. Rand McNally publication: ATLAS.  The Rand is also the official currency of South Africa.

14. Like much pub ale: ON TAP.

15. Dim sum bun: BAO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about these Chinese steamed buns.

16. Construction site sight: CRANE.

19. "That's just my two __": CENTS.

20. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.

21. Punk subgenre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

22. Beyond mad: IRATE.

23. Strategic game with matchsticks: NIM.  I was not familiar with this game.  Apparently it is a mathematical game in which two players take turns removing (ie, "nimming") objects from distinct heaps or piles.  On each turn, a player must remove at least one object, and may remove any number of objects provided they all come from the same heap or pile.  Depending on the version being played, the goal of the game is either to avoid taking the last object or to take the last object.  Clear as mud.

27. Vintner's fruit: GRAPE.

29. Sugar suffix: -OSE.  As in Sucrose, or Maltose.

30. Genetic messenger: RNA.  As in RiboNucleic Acid, which is a biological molecule that carries genetic information and plays crucial roles in protein synthesis, gene regulation, and various cellular processes.

31. Research assistant, informally: LAB TECH.

35. Unforeseen hiccup: SNAG.

38. Left at sea?: PORT.  Port refers to the left side of a vessel when facing forward, while starboard refers to the right side.  The term starboard comes from the Old English word for the side of the ship where the steering oar was placed (the "steer-board").  Port was the side used to tie up to the dock.

40. Wright of "Black Panther": LETITIA.  Letitia Michelle Wright (b. Oct. 31, 1993) is a Guyanese-born British actress.

41. Expert: ACE.

42. Extra periods, briefly: OTs.  As in Over Times.

43. Operating principle: CREDO.

52. Race unit: LAP.  I initially tried Leg.

53. Like farm owners: ACRED.

54. Printer spec.: DPI.  As in Dots Per Inch.

55. Angry or achy: SORE.  //  And 35-Down. Take to the sky: SOAR.

56. Negro Leagues legend Buck: O'NEIL.  Buck O'Neil (né John Jordan O'Neil, Jr.; Nov. 13, 1911 ~ Oct. 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American Baseball League.

59. Shampoo step: RINSE.

60. Environmental prefix: ECO-.

61. Foam on un espresso: CREMA.

62. Good-sized band: OCTET.

63. Addams cousin: ITT.

64. Soup and salad: SIDES.

Down:

1. Administering medication: DOSING.

2. Disconnect, as a Bluetooth device: UNPAIR.

3. Mark of disgrace: STIGMA.

4. Part of Tuesday's dinner, maybe: TACO.

5. Asset with intel: SPY.

6. President born in Hawaii: OBAMA.  Barack Obama (b. Aug. 4, 1961) celebrated his 64th birthday earlier this month.

7. City hall leader: MAYOR.

8. Baby talk syllable: GOO.

9. Amass over time: ACCRUE.

10. Sneaker pattern: TREAD.

11. Some decorative outdoor lighting: LANTERNS.

12. Rabbit ears: ANTENNA.

13. Paris possessive: SES.  Today's French lesson.

18. Came together: MET.

22. "Crack a window, would you?": IT'S HOT.

24. Make airtight: SEAL.

25. Largest resort city in Russia: SOCHI.

26. Graffiti signature: TAG.

28. Scheme: PLOT.

32. Locked securely: BOLTED.

33. Curly lock: TRESS.

34. Clearblue alternative: EPT.  Both are home pregnancy tests.

36. Moon shape: CRESCENT.

37. Personal quirks: TICS.

38. Faux follower: PAS.  More of today's French lesson.

39. Part of NOAA: OCEANIC.  As in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  During hurricane season, we keep an almost daily look at activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Mississippi Gulf.

42. Spanish __: OMELET.  A traditional Spanish Omelet is made with eggs, potatoes, and onions. It may also include some meats and vegetables.  The difference between a Spanish Omelet and a "regular" omelet, is that the Spanish omelet is potato based and is thick, not fluffy.  Yummers!

44. Skipped the big wedding: ELOPED.

45. Response to "I bet you won't": DARE ME.

46. Works with arias: OPERAs.

48. Come to light: ARISE.

49. Official order: EDICT.

50. World Showcase theme park: EPCOT.  EPCOT is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

51. Sputter out: DIE.

55. Garment in Hindi cinema: SARI.  A crossword staple.

56. Acapulco gold: ORO.  Today's Spanish lesson.

57. "A Life Outdoors Is a Life Well Lived" co.: REI.  REI makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles.  It is an acronym for Recreational Equipment Inc.

58. Mac rivals: PCs.

We're on a Roll!  Here's the Grid/

חתולה