Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Lee Taylor

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here (from Crested Butte, Colorado this time) with the recap of a puzzle by Lee Taylor.

Today, Lee does not give us a reveal / unifier.   Instead he offers us clues in which portions of the answers are hidden in plain sight.  Those clues provide us with the letters comprising both beginning and the end of the sought-after answer.  In the clues, those pieces are combined into a single word.  In the answers, those pieces are split apart and each part is a portion of one of the two words that form the answer.   One way to approach answering the clues is to ignore the second part of each clue.  Another approach is to use the second part of each clue as a source of the beginning and end of each answer.  It's simpler than I have made it sound.  Take a look at the four themers to see:

18 Across:  Slasher flick actress on a split screen?: SCREAM QUEEN.  SCREEN has been split.

25 Across:  Merchant Ivory works featuring split peas?: PERIOD DRAMAS.  Merchant Ivory is a film production company.  PEAS has been split.

44 Across:  Auras around people with split ends?: ENERGY FIELDS.  ENDS has been split.

59 Across:  Lack of recognition for working a split shift?: SHORT SHRIFT.  SHIFT has been split.

This is how everything appears in the grid:

Other than the themed responses above, here are the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Place to retire: BED.  Retire as in sleep not as in stop working.

4. Let gravity do most of the work, perhaps: COAST.  Sled prices are too damn high but you can find a good deal if you're willing toboggan.

9. Estrangements: RIFTS.

14. "Rules __ rules": ARE.  The motto of my gym's Silver Sneakers instructors.

15. Infuriate: ANGER.  ANGER as a verb.

16. Salon abrasive: EMERY.

17. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.

20. Summer quaff: ICED TEA.

22. Links: COUPLES.  Not links as in golf course.  And not couples as in groups of two people.

23. Emmy and Grammy winner Burnett: CAROL.  See also 65 Across.

24. Sandwich shop: DELI.

32. Protective cover: TARP.  A group of bedazzled TARPs and a bunch of poles walk into a restaurant and order some stakes....Things became pretty tents.

35. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE.  Someone wrote a poem about the sounds made by dogs. It can only be read if you scan it first.  It's a bark ODE.

36. Slowly wear down: ERODE.  Slowly deconstruct.

37. Develops over time: EVOLVES.  Slowly create.  Nice juxtaposition.

39. Dish garnished with peanuts and lime: PAD THAI.

41. Marisa with a cameo in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day": TOMEI.  Perhaps best known for her work in the movie "My Cousin Vinny".

42. Have a cold, say: AIL.

43. Schools of thought: ISMS.  The suffix (pluralized).

48. Close by: NEAR.  "Work until" wouldn't fit the allotted space.

49. Chemistry class models: ATOMS.

53. Willing to wait a long time: PATIENT.

57. Sure thing: SAFE BET.

61. Nest egg letters: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account

62. Camp David Accords figure: SADAT.

Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat

63. Eight-related: OCTAL.

64. Start of a pencil game: TIC.

65. Oscar and Grammy winner Burnett: T BONE. T BONE Burnett is a legendary music producer and musician.   See also 23 Across.  Nice touch.  Among many other works, T BONE produced the sound track for the film "O Brother Where Art Thou".

66. Tabloid TV host Povich: MAURY.

67. Squalid space: STY.

Down:

1. No-frills: BASIC.

2. "I Luh God" singer Campbell: ERICA.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

3. Prevent: DETER.

4. Neuschwanstein __: CASTLE.  The model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

5. As soon as: ONCE.

6. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA.  Often visited in our puzzles and often clued with reference to the Taj Mahal.

7. "What'd I tell you?": SEE.  Get it?

8. Copied, in a way: TRACED.  Copied exactly.  Handy for forgery.

9. Not elective: REQUIRED.  Ah, college days !

10. "My turn!": I'M UP.

11. Have a hunch: FEEL.

12. Sequoia, e.g.: TREE.  Also the name of a Toyota SUV.

13. Thesaurus entries: Abbr.: SYNS.  SYNOMYMS

19. Blue part of blue cheese: MOLD.

21. __ radar: DOPPLER.  All You Might Want To Know

24. A deer, a female deer: DOE.

26. School of tomorrow?: ROE.  As in a school of fish - with ROE being fish eggs.

27. Puts a name to: IDS.  IDentifieS

28. Skilled performer: ARTISTE.  An "Artist" creates art, encompassing painters, sculptors, and more. An "ARTISTE" typically refers to a skilled performer, like a singer or dancer.

29. Mineralogist with a hardness scale: MOHS.  Not to be confused with Moe's Hardness Scale.

30. Scott of "Severance": ADAM.  ADAM also played Ben Wyatt in "Parks and Recreation".

31. Cuatro y dos: SEIS.  Lección de español y matemáticas de hoy.

32. Spot for un chapeau: TETE.  Leçon de français du jour.

33. Mary Kay rival: AVON.

34. City on the Tiber: ROME.

38. Brief scene: VIGNETTE.

39. Dessert for Little Jack Horner: PIE.

40. ATV component: ALL.  Not a component of an actual All Terrain Vehicle.  A component of the name ALL Terrain Vehicle.

42. Atmosphere: AIR.

45. Hankerings: YENS.  URGES was too long.

46. Fully grasp: FATHOM.  FATHOM has several meanings.  In this case, to understand.

47. In a senseless way: DAFTLY.  Not to be confused with DEFTLY.

50. Memorial bios: OBITS.  OBITUARIES

51. Warrant: MERIT.  Not a search or arrest warrant.

52. London of "What Not To Wear": STACY.  NIMW.  Thanks, perps.

53. Discreet summons: PSST.

54. Ishmael's captain: AHAB.  A monomaniacal sea captain who often visits our puzzles.

55. Brouhaha: TO DO.

56. Setting of the graphic novel "Persepolis": IRAN.

57. In __: as found: SITU.  In situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the place' or 'on site'.  The term refers to studying or working with something in its natural or original location rather than moving it elsewhere. 

58. Over yonder: AFAR.

60. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

Well, I guess that it is time to split.  Have a great Wednesday.

__________________________________

M.M. Out

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Derek Hinsey

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here (yes, you read that correctly) pinch hitting for our dear Hahtoolah with the recap of a Tuesday Puzzle by Derek Hinsey.  I did not find any prior references to Derek Hinsey when posting the recap so this might be his LAT debut.  If so, welcome Derek and congrats!

Derek has riffed on a theme where the compound word answers to the five themed clues can each be split into two parts.  Each of those now-separated words can be combined with the word POINT to form a common expression.  Let's start with the reveal:

58 Across:  Slam dunk's value, or what 16-, 23-, 34-, 36-, and 49-Across have: TWO POINTS.

 Here are the five places where the gimmick is employed:

16 Across:  Major multistate lottery: POWERBALL.  POWERPoint is a presentation program developed by Microsoft. It was originally released in 1987.  A BALL Point is, of course, a pen.

23 Across:  Opening bid: STARTING PRICE.  The STARTING point is when/where to begin and the PRICE point denotes the niche in the market price-wise (the price point of a Cadillac, for example, places it in competition with other luxury vehicles.

34 Across:  Final part of a chess match: END GAME.  The end point is where, well, something stops and GAME point is a sports reference for what might be the final play of a game.

36 Across:  Florida home of the Harry S. Truman Little White House: KEY WEST.  A KEY point is the gist of the matter and WEST Point is the U.S. military academy.

49. Cool way to keep food fresh?: FLASH FREEZING.  FLASH FREEZING is a rapid freezing process that uses cryogenic temperatures, such as liquid nitrogen at −196 °C (−320.8 °F), to quickly freeze an object and form many small ice crystals, minimizing cell damage for food and tissue preservation. It is commonly used in the food industry and for preserving biological samples. A FLASH point the origin of a conflagration (physical or intellectual) and the Freezing point is where water turns to ice.

This is how the completed grid appears:

Here are the non-themed clues and answers:

Across:

1. "Furthermore ... ": PLUS.

5. Moral transgressions: SINS.  Everyone knows Las Vegas is SIN City but are you familiar with Den City?  Mass over volume.

9. Picnic race bag: SACK.

13. + or - particles: IONS.

14. Need ibuprofen, say: ACHE.

15. Stash: CACHE.

18. Salsa ingredient: ONION.

19. Music genre with Jamaican roots: SKA.  A genre with which most regular solvers are quite familiar.

20. Japanese currency: YEN.

21. Began gradually: EASED IN.

26. __ Allen furniture: ETHAN.  All You Might Wish To Know

28. Dog's warning sound: SNARL.

29. Animation frame: CEL.  Back in the day when cartoons were hand drawn the movement was achieved by drawing and then photographing a series of individual slightly altered hand painted CELs.  Now it's all computer generated.

30. Sharp-witted: KEEN.

31. Short time?: SEC.  Shortened form of SECond

32. Break a fast: EAT.  Sometimes you can get two points on a fast break.

40. Buckeyes' sch.: OSU.

41. Way cool: RAD.  80's slang.  Bitchen.

42. __ vera: ALOE.  A plant that seems to thrive in our puzzles

43. Six-pack muscles: ABS.  ABdominal MuscleS

46. "Jurassic World" actor Chris: PRATT.

48. Demon: FIEND.

52. Let go: RELEASE.

53. Meh, slangily: MID.  New to this solver but it does make sense.

54. Viper in 43-Down: ASP.  How's your ASP been? (a skier's joke).

57. Volunteer's phrase: I WILL.

61. Long for: COVET.  As in "thou shall not long for."

62. Door fastener: HASP.

63. Important cards in solitaire: ACES.

64. Santa __: hot California winds: ANAS.  Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry winds that blow from inland desert areas across coastal Southern California, often bringing hot, dry conditions and very low humidity.

65. "Furthermore ... ": ALSO.

66. Small salamander: NEWT.

Down:

1. Domino spots: PIPS.  By definition.

2. "Check this out": LOOK.

3. Like dirty dishes: UNWASHED.

4. NNW opposite: SSE.  A directional reference.

5. Curved fencing sword: SABER.

6. "Down in front!": I CANT SEE.

7. Anaheim Ducks' org.: NHL.  National Hockey League

8. Gomez of "Only Murders in the Building": SELENA.

9. More rational: SANER.

10. Not basic, in chemistry: ACIDIC.

11. Beef grade below prime: CHOICE.

12. Animal shelter shelter: KENNEL.

15. Dress up at a fan convention: COSPLAY.  From COStume

17. Olympic swimmer Lochte: RYAN.

22. "I was thinking the same thing": AGREED.

24. Dramatic ballroom dance: TANGO.

25. LLC alternative: INC.  Forms of business organizations.

26. __ out a win: EKE.

27. Square root of 100: TEN.

31. Blue cartoon characters: SMURFS.

33. Creator of Finn and Sawyer: TWAIN.

35. Parking lot surface: ASPHALT.

36. Supermodel who is a contributing editor for British Vogue: KATE MOSS.

37. Refinement: ELEGANCE.

38. Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt: SON.

39. Apple TV's "__ Lasso": TED.

41. GPS suggestion: RTE.  RouTE

43. Continent with the most countries: AFRICA.  There are 54 countries in Africa according to the United Nations.

44. Tried to cool down, as hot soup: BLEW ON.

45. DNA sample source: SALIVA.

47. Soul legend Franklin: ARETHA.

48. Classic dog name: FIDO.  

The name FIDO comes from the Latin word "fidus," meaning "faithful." It became widely associated with dogs due to President Abraham Lincoln's pet dog, Fido, who was well-known during his time.

50. 1990s tennis star Monica: SELES.

51. Zilch: ZIPPO.  Slangy

55. Hearty meal: STEW.

56. Quiet "Hey!": PSST.  A sound frequently heard in our puzzles.

59. "The __-Mart Effect": 2006 economics book: WAL.

60. Bond novelist Fleming: IAN.

Well, that's all the points I have to make today.  

__________________________________________

That's Manatee, M. Manatee
MM Out

Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Zachary Gallardo

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle constructed by Zachary Gallardo.  Zachary recently had another LAT puzzle recapped here (on 24 May 20226).  

In today's puzzle, Zachary stacks the names of bands on top of types of seagoing ships.  In each case, the name of the band stands alone while the letters forming the type of vessel are consecutive parts of longer answers.  The reveal is both clever and playful:

59 Across:  "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP.  Or, in this instance, A BAND ON SHIP.  To help us recognize what the constructor and editor are up to, the grid contains those ever-polarizing circles.

It is also worth noting that the reveal does double duty as part of one of the four themed (pairs of) answers.

Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:

15 Across:  Camel's watering hole: OASIS (a British rock band) and 17 Across:  Programming problem: ENDLESS LOOP.    SLOOP (A sloop is a single-masted sailing vessel typically rigged with a fore-and-aft configuration)

25 Across:  Enclosed rhyme scheme in Petrarchan sonnets: ABBA  (the Swedish pop quartet) and 30 Across:  Clinton secretary of state: ALBRIGHT.  BRIG (a ship with two square-rigged masts)

Madeline Albright

41 Across:  "Exactly right!": YES, (an English band perhaps best known for the song "Owner of A Lonely Heart) and 45 Across:  Bible Belt state: ARKANSAS.  ARK  Ahoy, Noah!

54 Across:  Yellow brick road terrier: TOTO (formed in Los Angeles in 1977) and 59 Across:  "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP.  SHIP (in this case, generic)

The completed grid looks like this:

Here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Emerged: AROSE.  Emerged not from an eggshell or from hiding.  More like an issue that came up.

6. Korean-American grocery store: H MART.  Per Wikipedia, the chain was founded in 1982 and there are now 98 locations.

11. Dim sum brew: CHA.  IIRC, Dim Sum being Chinese dumplings and CHA being tea.       

14. Little solo break: ME DAY.  Hand up for first trying to think of something music-related.

16. "That'll leave a mark!": OOF.  Meh.

19. Scand. country: NOR.  Abbreviated.  Had to be NOR, DEN, SWE, or FIN.

20. Proboscis: NOSE.  By definition.

21. Feature of Canada's flag: LEAF.

22. Nove minus uno: OTTO.  Lezione di italiano di oggi.

23. Suspicious: SHADY.  Suspicious is used, here, as an adjective.

27. Turkish peak: ARARAT.  Often visited in our puzzles . . . and where the ARK came to rest.

34. Olympic gymnast with five moves named for her: BILES.

Simone Biles

35. 2025 Best Picture Oscar winner: ANORA.

36. Letters of liability?: IOU.  Liability as in a debt to repay.

37. Dongle, e.g.: ADAPTER.  A computer hardware reference.

39. Synagogue singers: CANTORS.  CANTORS lead the congregation in singing.

42. __ Sports Bureau: stats giant: ELIAS.  IIRC, I learned about this one from Vin Scully

44. "Punch-__ Love": Paul Thomas Anderson film: DRUNK.

47. Shelters: HOUSES.  From the general to the more specific.

48. Altar site: APSE.

49. Change: COINS.  Used as a noun.  Not as in the verb "to alter".  Loose, or spare change.

51. Prometheus's gift: FIRE.

53. "See ... ": WELL.  Something someone might say . . . and mean.

58. Aussie hopper: ROO.

62. Nocturnal bird of prey: OWL.

63. __ Gras: MARDI. 

64. Unlike the rest: OTHER.  With your kind indulgence, I will pass on a Kendrick Lamar video at this point.

65. Young lady: GAL.

66. Clique: POSSE.  POSSE has expanded from its context in old westerns to now indicate with whom one hangs out.

67. Vociferous: NOISY.  Due to noise complaints, they passed a law in Hawaii that you are no longer allowed to laugh above a certain decibel.  Now you can only use a low hah.

Down:

1. "Exactly right!": AMEN.  Why do they say AMEN instead of awomen in church?  Because they sing hymns instead of hers.

2. City north of Carson City: RENO.

3. Probabilities: ODDS.

4. Service promoter: SALES REP.

5. Cyclone center: EYE.

6. Swindled: HOSED.  Either way we've been had.

7. __ bear: Southeast Asian forest dweller: MALAYAN.

Photo by MM

8. Since: AS OF.  A time reference.  Not "because".

9. Animated film about Spix's macaws: RIO.

10. Baker's shortening?: TSP.  Shortened as in TSP for teaspoon.

11. Like laughter, sometimes: CONTAGIOUS.

12. 62-Across call: HOOT.

  Me: I don't wanna alarm anyone, but I think someone in this room might be an owl.

  Grandkid: Who? WHO?

  Me: gasp Oh no, it's worse than I thought!

13. Curly hairstyle: AFRO.

18. Bed frame board: SLAT.

22. Japanese sash: OBI.  Frequently worn in our puzzles.

24. Picks up the pace: HASTENS.

25. Pokémon that ultimately evolves into Alakazam: ABRA.

26. Jason's "Beverly Hills, 90210" role: BRANDON.

27. Modest Muslim robe: ABAYA.

28. Bus passenger: RIDER.

29. Sushi bite topped with salmon: ALASKA ROLL.

31. Hairstyle that may begin with comb coils: LOCS.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.  Seems to be a form of the word Dreadlocks.

32. "Stormy Weather" singer Lena: HORNE.

1943

33. Elephant pair: TUSKS.

35. Operatic solo: ARIA.

38. If-then-__ statement: ELSE.

40. Leaves in the care of: TRUSTS TO.  Often, ENTRUSTS

43. Climbs: ASCENDS.  What was it called when all the good dinosaurs ASCENDED to Heaven before the meteor struck.  The veloci-rapture

46. Big galoot: APE.

47. Big Island county seat: HILO.  A bit of Hawaiian geography.

50. Throwback hit: OLDIE.

51. Amphibious hopper: FROG.

52. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

53. Major conflicts: WARS.

55. "Didn't see you there!": OH HI.

56. Knots: TIES.  Which country is known for manufacturing TIES?  Tieland.

57. The Grand Ole __: OPRY.

59. Metal box?: AMP.  A reference to "Heavy Metal" music.

60. Dim sum bun: BAO.  See also 11 Across.

61. Persona __ grata: NON.

Well, perhaps, this reviewer has overstayed his welcome and become a Persona Non Grata (unwelcome).  So, this Manatee will now abandon ship.  One parting comment, however:  It was interesting to travel the world (sail the seven seas?) with this puzzle's references to Sweden, Arkansas, Korea, Africa, Norway, China, Japan, Canada, Turkiye, Australia, New Orleans, Malaysia, Reno, Hawaii, Alaska, and other places.

_____________________________________

MM Out