Tag Archives: monday crossword

NYT Crossword 12-5-22 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 15A Last car on classic trains: CABOOSE because it reminded me of the time I went to the CMSt.P&P railyard in Cle Elum, Washington. I’ve written about it before, but as a reminder, I was in Cle Elum for the financial audit of a resort, and I got to see this park that had a bunch of old cabooses. Some had platforms to walk up to them, and I tried the doors without success. Only years later–when I was writing the blog post about it–did I learn that the doors I had been trying were the doors to hotel rooms. I don’t know if anyone was in those hotel rooms on the snowy December day, but that was a thing I did.

Theme!

16A ‘Bama rival: OLEMISS.
25A Bit of banking documentation: DEPOSITSLIP.
39A Cause of many California earthquakes: SANANDREASFAULT.
50A N.B.A. commissioner starting in 2014: HONEYBOOBOO.

62A “Oopsie!”… and a hint to the ends of 18-, 25-, 39- and 50-Across: MYBAD. MISS, SLIP, FAULT, BOOBOO.

Finished this one in 4:24.

DayThis WkBestAverage4-Wk AvgStreak
Monday4:243:49—4:247
Tuesday4:25———
Wednesday7:38———
Thursday12:12———
Friday10:29———
Saturday16:33———
Sunday15:11———

NYT Crossword Puzzle 1-24-22 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 8D Breakout movie role, say: STARTURN because I’ve never heard this term before. Maybe I have, and maybe it was a crossword answer before. If so, I’ve solved it only from the cross words.

Theme!

16A It doesn’t need time to rise before baking: QUICKBREAD.
29A One of two “royal” sleeping options: QUEENBED.
35A Social crafting event: QUILTINGBEE.
42A ATV with four tires: QUADBIKE.

59A Key member of a football team, in brief … or a feature of 16-, 29-, 35- and 42-Across?: STARTINGQB.

Nyah-nyah, Tom Brady. LFGR.

Finished this one in 6:23.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 1-17-22 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 28D ” _, James _”: BOND because as Calah and I have been going through the Bond movies in order, we saw one where James Bond went under the pseudonym James Stock. I found that to be very funny, especially as said by Roger Moore. Still my opinion is that Pierce Brosnan is the worst James Bond. Sean Connery is the best.

Theme!

17A Teenage military leader canonized in 1920: JOANOFARC -> JOANOFARC.
21A Not inclined to reveal one’s feelings: RETICENT -> RETICENT.

40A Insignificant amount … or hint to this puzzle’s shaded squares: ADROPINTHEOCEAN -> ADROPINTHEOCEAN.
45A Actress Rigg of “The Avengers”: DIANA -> DIANA.

58A Big-dollar election-influencing grp.: SUPERPAC -> SUPERPAC.
64A “Tell someone who gives a hoot”: ASIFICARE -> ASIFICARE.

OCEANS
17A + 21A ARCTIC
40A + 45A INDIAN
58A + 64A PACIFIC

Finished this one in 6:25.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 1-10-22 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 3D Perennial embarrassments for teens: PARENTS because today would have been my grandfather’s birthday. He passed away back in 2014, but he would have turned 99 today. He made custom kitchens in his sheet metal shop in Los Angeles, and I have a table that he made out of butcher block scrap that was excess from a butcher block countertop build and a stainless steel base he welded together.

Theme!

17A Where to get one’s Kix?: CEREALBOWL.
25A Singer/songwriter nicknamed “Piano Man”: BILLYJOEL.
31A Forlorn, directionless type: LOSTSOUL.
40A Survey of Election Day voters: EXITPOLL.
47A Greener energy source: CLEANCOAL.


56A Categorize simplistically: PIGEONHOLE.

I don’t see a linking clue, but these all rhyme.

Finished this one in 4:37.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 1-3-22 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 9D Hose holder, or a kind of snake: GARTER because I absolutely thought that a garden snake was a thing. I didn’t know there was a garter snake. And I guess there still is. I didn’t even realize until writing this that the hose in question was for the legs and not for the plants.

Theme!

17A Telepathic sort: MINDREADER -> MIN(D)(R)(E)(A)(D)ER -> DREAD.
27A Embedded spy awaiting a mission: SLEEPERAGENT -> SLEEPE(R)(A)(G)(E)NT -> RAGE.
37A Scattered here, there and everywhere: ALLOVERTHEPLACE -> AL(L)(O)(V)(E)RTHEPLACE -> LOVE.
45A “Quit arguing, kids!”: STOPITYOUTWO -> STO(P)(I)(T)(Y)OUTWO -> PITY

61A Intuition without logical explanation, or a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters: GUTFEELING. DREAD, RAGE, LOVE, PITY. But the real crime is that the theme clues all ended in 7 except for the fourth one. Kind of annoyed at that.

Finished this one in 5:12

NYT Crossword Puzzle 12-27-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 37D Pollution in city skies: SMOG because early in the pandemic, Los Angeles had pretty good air quality, but now even after a heavy rain, the smog comes back really quickly. I’m staying pretty much inside now anyway. Outside is too cold and wet, and omicron, you know? I just found out about yet another friend who has been vaccinated, boosted, and had covid early on who has caught omicron. Like, what is going onnnnnnnnnn. Be safe, plz!

Theme!

17A *TV remote inserts, often: AABATTERIES.
21A *Sobriety support group session, informally: AAMEETING.
30A *Animal whose name means “earth pig” in Afrikaans: AARDVARK.
40A *”Winnie-the-Pooh” writer: AAMILNE.
47A *4.0 on a transcript: AAVERAGE.
53A *Three-time Emmy winner for “Breaking Bad”: AARONPAUL.

63A Tennessee Smokies or Portland Sea Dogs … or what the answers to the starred clues comprise?: DOUBLEATEAM.

Finished this one in 7:01.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 12-20-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 6D Title girl in a bygone MTV cartoon: DARIA because it’s a show that my sister and I used to watch. I found out about it because she was watching it. It had a lot of 50D Frequent teenage sensation: ANGST. The music in the show was amazing, and I remember they even had the band Garbage on, and Garbage did a TV commercial for Daria. In cartoon form, of course. I hope I’m right about that.

Theme!

20A Prompt action when things are unraveling: STITCHINTIME.
32A Beat around the bush: HEMANDHAW.
42A “Oh, blast!”: DARNITALL.

54AWhat ties everything together, including 20-, 32- and 42-Across?: COMMONTHREAD. Stich, hem, darn. All use thread.

Finished this one in 8:11.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 12-13-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 37A Figure skater Harding: TONYA because I spent a while trying to figure out where I’d gone wrong. I’d spelled the name Tanya, but clearly that was incorrect. I found it by way of 26D Gait for a horse with a buggy: TROT, which clearly isn’t TRAT.

Theme!

17A Grand Central, for one: RAILROADSTATION. If we’re talking about Grand Central Terminal and not Grand Central Station.
29A Event of October 1929: MARKETCRASH. Appropriately numbered 29.
49A Pastry with a swirl: CINNAMONBUN. That reminds me that I still don’t know why Saul Goodman works at Cinnabon. I think I’ll find out in the next season of Better Call Saul? No spoilers, plz.

65A Fire safety technique … or 17-, 29- and 49-Across together: STOPDROPANDROLL. Station->Stop; Crash->Drop; Bun -> Roll.

Finished this one in 5:03.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 12-6-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 17A Toward the back: AREAR because 16A _ 51 (U.F.O. landing site? … hmm): AREA is sloppily close to that. I just think it should be better. There’s no theme tying the two together. There are so many other words that are mostly vowels. Why not have like 10D Covers with black goo: TARS be Secret web browsers: TORS, 13D Equal _ for equal work: PAY be One way to settle?: POS, and 18A Rule by a small group: OLIGARCHY be Group of leaders: OLIGARCHS. Then you’d have OREO instead of AREA. All’s right with the world that way. Other than TORS. Maybe have that one be: With RAP, Canadian basketball team? I don’t know. But I don’t like this one.

Finished this one in 6:21.

NYT Crossword Puzzle 11-29-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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I pulled out 4D Mouth-puckering green drink: LIMEADE because I haven’t had limeade in a long time, but I used to have it in summertime, and I like it way more than I like lemonade. I don’t know what it is about the drink, but I find it to be way more refreshing. Why is it not as popular as its yellow brother?

Theme!

20A Hoped-for experience at a casino: STREAKOFLUCK.
28A Sprinkle often paired with salt: DASHOFPEPPER. I made latkes last night and tonight. I made the recipe last night, though. Cooked more today. Anyway, I added salt and pepper, but I feel like I could have done more pepper. It would have benefitted from more pepper.
45A Fashion designer’s purchase: BOLTOFFABRIC. Just like how fabric is sold in bolts and there are bolt ends that are sold for less as scrap, that’s how I get my pieces of wood for my woodworking projects! But scrap from the hardwood store. Not from the fabric store.

54A Early advantage … or what 20-, 28- and 45-Across each have?: RUNNINGSTART. Streak, dash, bolt.

Finished this one in 4:55.