Universal has TOEBEANS and CATEYES, so that automatically wins puzzle of the week. It also has some fun entertainment with a DRAGSHOW and SOAPOPERAS. Hopefully you don't need a SIDEHUSTLE to pay all those cover charges and streaming fees. I'll forgive it RAWDATA, even if I get too much of that in the day job.

The highlight of the LAT is the clue on 43A for PETS.

The Stumper definitely tried to stump. Really wanted the "Early influence on Asimov" to be VERNE or WELLS, but I suppose PULPS is accurate as well. That central pairing of INCAN DESCENT and INCANDESCENT is wild.

The Newsflash has me wondering why OREOs are the official cookie of the NBA? I am glad that Chrome has gotten reliable enough that I'd almost forgotten the AWSNAP message. I hadn't heard Disney+ was planning a new PETERPAN. Hope it's good.

#crosswords #SaturdayStumper #LATXword #UniXword #FireballNewsflash

Kind of jolting to have BEACHREAD in the NYT on one of the coldest days we've had this year (I'm late posting, but I did that one on Saturday when it was 11F out).

Universal reminded us that SHARINGISCARING. I hope y'all enjoy my posts :)

LAT was unusually tricky, but you have to love any puzzle that leads off with PEPPAPIG. I enjoyed learning that Cape Canaveral's AREACODE is 321. And that clue on GAYBARS is fabulous. But EARLAP crossing a tough clue for ASTA was a rough finish.

The Stumper featured favorite vehicles DIRIGIBLES. And the retro DIALO for 411 was a fun trick. But CALUMNIATE and the obscure battery size AAAA made the SW tough.

#crossword #NYTXword #LATXword #UniXword #SaturdayStumper

Stumper stumped me today. Had to give up and google for ASYNDETON to get going in the SE. I was not expecting the SHILLELAGH in the Celtics logo, but at least that I could get through crosses. ALABROCHE was new to me, too. At least SHIBBOLETH was easy, since that was one of my favorite Bible stories as a kid.

LAT had some fun answers with RAGTAGARMY and OCEANARIUM. I don't think I've ever had a CHELSEABUN, but they look yummy. Also pleased to see the Chicago representation, even if the MAGNIFICENTMILE was always one of my less favorite parts of town (too high rent for any of the good pizza places).

Universal continues their nice Saturday themelesses. PRDISASTER is a fun entry, and THATSAMORE was stuck in my head for a while after solving.

The NYT was solved after SLEEPINGIN until noon, and I approve of any puzzle with a CAT.

#crossword #NYTXword #LATXword #UniversalXword #SaturdayStumper

The Stumper today was a tough one thanks to a bunch of fake-outs, obvious ones with BART for MATT (who knew that Matt Groenig's real parents were Marge and Homer?) and SHREK for FIONA, then I also wanted AEONS for "Long divisions" instead of FEUDS, and then the biggest hold-up was POCKETPARK for "Small space in big cities". We have a bunch of pocket parks in our neighborhood, of which our favorite is Greenacre Park with its artificial waterfall (though it's closed for the season at the moment). And obviously we do not care for the rich bastards with PIEDATERREs driving up rental prices...

Edward got to help with the LAT again, confirming the YALU River. Apparently it was an important battle site, so he had to memorize that one in school. I also enjoyed the LOCALCOLOR.

#crossword #NewsdayXword #SaturdayStumper #LATXword

Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
Stole a pig, and away did run;
The pig was eat
And Tom was beat,
And Tom went crying
Down the street.

The Saturday Stumper returns from vacation with a tough one, starting with remembering the "porcine plunderer's pop" from an old nursery rhyme. Then there was OTHER clued as "recently past," a sense it only has in phrases like "the other day." And TAE hiding Thomas Alva Edison, who unexpectedly is an inductee into the NJ Music Hall of Fame. And it's a bit weird to think of an NES as a VCR add-on. I was glad I knew that WNYC is an NPRSTATION. I did love "Ground force" for ONEG.

The LAT was fun, with HORSIES and a SILLYGOOSE.

#crossword #NewsdayXword #SaturdayStumper #LATxword