PUZZLES Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Nosy Pun Intended by Jeffrey Wechsler Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Title for Marie Curie 7 U.S. Women’s Open org. 11 Frank’s companion? 14 “Awake” singer Josh 15 Actor Rickman 16 “A Box of Smile” artist Yoko 17 Quaint address for a noble 18 Departs in a huff, say 20 High rollers’ dice game? 22 Irritating sort 24 Lime’s exterior 25 Soft shoe leather 26 Boxing legend Laila 27 Anger 28 Lengthy lunches and frequent breaks, for a certain guy negotiating his contract? 36 Contemptuous expressions 37 Ballet support? 40 Specialized employees at a flower shop? 44 Suffix for “puppet” 45 Munch on 46 Jell-O ___ (colorful party offerings) 51 Venture out to sea 53 Fitzgerald of jazz 54 Extraordinary ski trip, e.g.? 57 Single example 58 Nike competitor 61 Little one 62 Shape on Texas’ state flag 63 Concluding episode 64 Store door data: Abbr. 65 Females that may be free-range 66 Noticed in, as a given place DOWN 1 ___ Grand (hotel with a lion statue) 2 Name within “Paris” 3 Like Barbie Dreamhouse furniture 4 Approximately 5 Classic comedy’s ___ Brothers 6 Turn out to be 7 Legal drama roles 8 Short dramatic offering 9 Fundraising event, perhaps 10 Egyptian symbols of life 11 Hard liquor 12 Needing nourishment 13 Without a charge 19 Name that sounds like a hearty dish 21 Stallion controller 22 Buddies 23 Flair 29 Pro vote 30 Med. diagnostic procedure 31 Animal in the horse family 32 Recede 33 Brazilian carnival city, informally 34 Supermarket VIP: Abbr. 35 “Aja” group 38 Mouth-related 39 This, in Madrid 41 “That’s well within my abilities!” 42 Horseshoes that may rest against the stake 43 Like much of Libya’s climate 46 One working with an anvil 47 “Duty, ___, Country” (West Point motto) 48 Removes from power 49 Mining explosive 50 Private store 52 Is unproductive 53 Online reading material 55 A few chips, maybe 56 “Garfield” character with yellow fur 59 Chicken ___ king 60 Word after “chess” or “china” Rulemaking by Paul Coulter Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Inapt answer for 1-Across 4 Rear beef cut 8 Act in someone’s ___ 13 Bucks’ partners 15 “Got it” 16 “Faster!” 17 Restless desire 18 Goes down, like the sun 19 Give a speech 20 Business taxed separately from its ownership 23 Push forcefully 24 Auction offering 25 “Blondie” boy 29 Information unit 31 Where trapeze artists may meet 33 Hwys. 36 Sharing rearing 39 People who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 41 “I” problem? 42 South ___ (Gangnam District’s country) 43 Fishy health supplement 46 Sensitive ID 47 Intertwine 48 Make a little shorter 50 Appear to be 51 Hoops grp. 54 Like a small garage 58 Structural safety standards, and what the starts of 20-, 36- and 43-Across are doing? 61 Noh drama nation 64 “This is bad!” 65 “Here,” in obedience school 66 Book deal maker 67 Vegetarian protein source 68 Bone-dry 69 Hand-played drum 70 One might wear a kilt 71 Hog’s home DOWN 1 Decree 2 V-shaped cut 3 Designer’s concern 4 Creamy Italian dish often made with mushrooms 5 Computer operator 6 Nickel isn’t the main one in a nickel 7 Basil-based sauce 8 “Beat it!” 9 Sought help from 10 Big time? 11 Word before “car” or “dealer” 12 Candy’s color source, perhaps 14 Bush 21 One may know you’re solving a crossword right now 22 Slangy response to a relatable tweet 26 Hideouts 27 Places to go for the gold 28 Liver or kidney 30 Blunted blade 32 Glimmer of an idea 33 Reduces to bits, as potatoes 34 Go on and on, with “on” 35 Walk like a crab 37 Cabinet dept. concerned with farming 38 Carrot, e.g. 40 Excitingly fast- paced 44 “___, vidi, vici” 45 Resolve, as details 49 Muslim pilgrimage destination 52 Printing woes 53 Like some committees 55 Beer name 56 Acknowledge 57 High-pitched 59 “Do ___ others ...” 60 Wikipedia page contents, for short 61 The “one” in a one-two punch 62 Back in time 63 Confident solver’s tool East Oregonian A11 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 Taurus Moon Rules St. Patrick’s Day Saint Patrick of Ireland was kidnapped, enslaved and starved before finally being reunited with his family and ultimately helping thousands of Irish people survive horrific circumstances. The role of luck is debatable here, and perhaps as we celebrate the luck of the Irish, we can also celebrate the tendency of fortune to eventually favor perseverance. ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s no ideal condition for bringing out the best in a human. What works for one person is useless for another. Whatever condition makes you want to be where you are – that’s the right one for you today. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Whatever you do, get warmed up for it. When you’re warm, you’re supported internally. You can trust yourself. Just as cold muscles are prone to injury, cold states of being are prone to mistakes. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re that risk-taker who is beloved because you’re not afraid to be yourself. If they laugh, even better. You welcome levity whether you come by it accidentally or on purpose. All will be raised by you. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Maybe you’re not sure what you have to say, but you can be sure that you have something to say. Think and write about it. Talk it over. Others will benefit from hearing your unique take. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It makes you feel cool when you give recommendations that others turn out to love or spread awareness about a piece of culture that opens minds and brightens worlds. Guess what? You ARE cool. Share your good taste today. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You never know how loved ones are going to respond to your work. They might be jealous that the work got your attention and not them. Or they might be over the moon. Go forward, seeking neither permission nor blessing. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Even the hard-boiled pragmatist you know will soften and bend to your whimsical charms because, bottom line, you’re fun. Life is more interesting when you’re giving that carefree part of yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It doesn’t matter that some come by certain proficiencies easier than others. For the current task, what’s required is a willingness to break down the learning to the right- sized chunk and then practice until you know it well. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Fight your two biggest enemies: fear and distraction. You might also consider that distraction is fear in disguise. It’s an excuse that fear uses to keep you from dedicating yourself to what you really want. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When the environment is habit-forming, the person doesn’t have to be. Take pressure off yourself by being in the location that will do the heavy lifting for you because it’s structured and organized around a particular task. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). As humans, we have a limited understanding of our own motives. What you do know is that, at the very least, you’re trying to create unity, not discord. With this as your lodestar and the willingness to check yourself, move forward. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Solid organization helps you deal with the unexpected. And more importantly, it allows you to be confident and relaxed whether things are going to plan or not. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 17). You may not believe you have mystical power, but that won’t stop unexplained and wondrous events from happening to you. A secret wish will be answered. You’ll find a sort of treasure when you follow through on an uncanny feeling for where to “dig.” And you’ll be credited for making all the difference for someone. Libra and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 22, 14, 4 & 17. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 Split Moon As the moon moves from Taurus to Gemini, people buy and sell; groups gel; and the power shifts, seeking a settling place. What is the magnet drawing people together, and how strong is it? What is the force pulling them in different directions? Influence goes to the ones who stay aware of and seek answers to these questions. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Not only will you see what others overlook but you’ll also turn these details and aspects around in your mind until you start to see how they might fit together in a more useful, interesting or lucrative way. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You use your time well and your energy efficiently. As others observe how you focus yourself, they will decide straight away that you are not someone to trifle with. They’ll approach in a way that won’t waste your time. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). By using your time, energy and vitality very well, you let others know that you’re in control of your life. They will not try to derail you or distract you, because they see the futility in that. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Emotional and physical bruises work in the same way: They’re tender until healed. You avoid touching them until one day, you realize that there are no painful sensations associated with the area. Today brings such a realization. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your heart is open for business, and you’re in for lively exchanges until closing time brings the welcome lull. In solitude, you can rest, process and ready your heart for another round. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There is a thing you want because you’d like to see their faces when you get it. But if no one else could know, would you still want it? That’s the litmus test that will reveal your true heart’s desire. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You need humor. It’s not an option; it’s a requirement. Laughter releases the tension, elevates your point of view, lifts your mood and aligns you with the people who get you on a soul level. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Remember how noisy places allowed for a raucous time without the pressure of conversation? With your longing for such environments peaking, you’ll still seize the opportunity to work on developing communication skills. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If all the options that used to be readily available were on offer now, you wouldn’t see the golden opportunity of this day: to seize what is within your control. Don’t wait for the change. The change is you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). A new relationship will have you seeing an old relationship differently. Certain history will take on altered significance, meaning and scale as though you’re looking at it through someone else’s prescription glasses. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The excitement comes with a realization that you don’t have to stay stuck – you can let go of something and, suddenly, there’s wiggle room. Let go of something else and you can practically walk right out of that jam. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Most of the opportunities blend into the background with the stylish camouflage of people wearing suits made out of the wallpaper they are standing in front of. If you scan the scene, you’ll miss it. You have to really look. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 18). There’s the option of sticking with what’s expected of you, but you get better results when you forget about the “mature” move and fall into carefree moments, finding and making fun, letting go. You’ll take something you’re good at and raise it to such an exceptional level that an elite world will open to you. Taurus and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 5, 20, 14 & 28. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS