PUZZLES
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Lower Extremities by Emily Carroll
Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg
ACROSS
1 Put up with
5 Helps badly?
10 Leave speechless
13 Roughly
14 Loosen, in
tailoring
16 Penguins’ and
Sharks’ org.
17 Missouri structure
that is 630 feet tall
19 Actor Robbins
20 Light-colored
wood
21 Expressive music
genre
22 Queens team
24 Rock band or
sleep stage
25 “___ story short ...”
27 Inactive
28 Follow behind
30 Fish commonly
served a la
Meuniere
34 Oslo’s country:
Abbr.
36 Paycheck
deduction
37 Defeat in
wrestling
38 React under
pressure, or a
hint to the ends of
17-, 30-, 47- and
65-Across
44
45
46
47
51
55
56
58
59
62
63
64
65
68
69
70
71
72
73
Cheerios grain
Bit of advice
___ eye to eye
Game called
“noughts and
crosses” in Britain
Some essays or
assays
Glorify
Dessert made
by changing
8-Down’s vowel
Spare bed,
perhaps
Pitfalls
Square dance
partner
Christ the
Redeemer’s
Brazilian city,
familiarly
End up in a cast?
‘50s sitcom
icon with two
Hollywood stars
Caps Lock
neighbor
Canine protector?
Alternative to a
foil or saber
Prez on Mount
Rushmore
Vacant
Attains
DOWN
1 Humphrey of
“The Big Sleep”
2 Pencil part that
may be chewed
3 Reason for
wheezing,
perhaps
4 Tobiko, for
example
5 San Antonio
tourist destination
6 Farther than
7 Waze calculation,
briefly
8 Civil wrong
9 “Parting is ___
sweet sorrow”
(Juliet)
10 “Home on the
Range” animal
11 Delicate
deception
12 Trees lining the
National Mall
15 Gender-neutral
possessive
18 “Hmm ... I guess”
23 OB-GYNs, e.g.
26 Deteriorate
29 Tired traveler’s
respite
31 UPS vehicle
32 Past partners
33 Tolkien tree
creature
35 Campus
recruitment grp.
38 One may be
potty-trained
39 Shout “Taxi!”
40 Incredulous
expression
41 Small complaint
42 Agree out of court
43 Tuition, for one
48 Hard jerk
49 “30” singer
50 Baby bird in an
aerie
52 Sticky situation
53 “Throne”
54 Expensive wraps
57 Come back from
behind
59 Cellphone plan
component
60 Mysterious
marking
61 Too-good-to-be-
true offer
66 Little terror
67 Say “Ple-e-ease,”
say
Alchemy by Henry Lin-David
Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg
ACROSS
1 Achy
5 Dot on a radar
screen
9 Asparagus unit
14 “You said it!”
15 Practice designed
to center the
mind
16 ___ Kitty (toon
with a hair bow)
17 *”Goodnight,
Irene” singer
(Note: The first
words of the
starred clues’
answers form a
sequence)
19 Bothered
20 Some supporters
of the LGBTQ+
community
21 Gross smells
23 Fourth Greek
letter
24 *Websites’ waiting
periods
28 Extremely dirty
room
29 ___ tai
31 Polite affirmative
32 Defective car
34 Soft food
35 *Dish featuring
Yorkshire pudding
and sausages
40 Beer ingredient
41 Skeletor’s foe
42 Skilled speakers
46 Wheel groove
47 Droop
50 *”Was I right or
was I right?!”
52 Escape the
attention of
54 MLB player
whose mascot is
an alien
55 2004 Will Smith
sci-fi flick
56 Elbow or
shoulder, e.g.
59 *Kindergartners’
rewards
61 Two tablespoons
62 Abbr. that
shortens a list
63 Word before
“farm” or “house”
64 One may pop a
wheelie
65 “Auld Lang ___”
66 Forcibly remove
DOWN
1 They get dressed
in the kitchen
2 Eggy breakfast
3 “Are you serious?”
4 Call off a
relationship
5 Tournament
exemptions
6 Texter’s guffaw
7 Frozen abode
8 What an
employee looks
forward to
9 Garments often
required for
service
10 Fruit used as a
Japanese New
Year decoration
11 Utah’s state
animal
12 Drink in a pint
glass
13 Reel’s partner
18 Grinned widely
22 Lyrical poem
24 Mane attraction
at the zoo?
25 Injure using
claws, perhaps
26 Simplicity
27 “Unbelievable,” in
a text
30 French pal
32 Inevitable
conclusion
to a wedding
reception
33 To the ___
degree
35 Fatty sashimi
option
36 “Uncut Gems”
gem
37 Courageous type
38 Bird on Australia’s
coat of arms
39 Unpleasant critics
40 Spicy
43 Pearl producer
44 Total nonsense
45 Intensifies
suddenly
47 Forester
automaker
48 Loves a bunch
49 “On your mark”
follower
51 Like unclean
chimneys
53 Numbers game
55 Not doing
anything
56 Bank heist, say
57 French
homophone of
“we”
58 Squid’s defense
60 PC connection
East Oregonian
A15
HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021 Pride of the Lunar Lion
Leo moon glows over our gatherings of family and
friends in these Capricorn-sun moments leading up to
the Christmas holiday. It will be tempting to try to impress
and compete with one another. While pride is attached to
achievement and status, pride’s egoless cousin dignity
can live inside of us regardless of our successes or
failures.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). The problem needs a
creative solution. Don’t skip the brainstorm. Write down
everything that comes to your mind on the subject:
good, bad, realistic, fantastic... Workable ideas are oddly
similar to ridiculous ones.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Getting yourself to do
what you know you should can be tricky. When you
resist your own self-discipline, assume you have your
reasons. Maybe your approach is too harsh. Go easy. Try
tenderness.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re in the mood to get
right to the point. It’s a style that will be appreciated by
efficient types who don’t need a lot of fluff and extras. As
for those with sweeter preferences, do it your way but add
lots of sugar.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). All your relationships
feed your soul. It’s just that some serve cake and others
serve vegetables. Today, your soul is most fortified by
solid types serving sandwiches.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Today’s success formula is
very simple: Recognize where you made a bad choice,
make a better one and enjoy the difference this creates
in your world.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). What would your life look
like if you didn’t have a worry in the world? Get a vision
of yourself as a completely carefree person, and then
analyze the vision for hints about your best next move.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Watch your words,
especially when you talk to yourself. Keep it sunny and
warm. Fortune is truly smiling on you, and recognizing
your good luck brings about even more of it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Look again at your
finances. You are paying someone to do what you would
have more satisfaction doing all by yourself. Can you cut
expense and do more with less?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ve been too
hard on yourself in some regard. A gentle approach will
reduce, if not erase, the hurt and tension. There’s much to
be gained by simply settling down.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). A paradox:
Sometimes you have to stop “doing you” in order to
become who you really are. You’re daring today and
will let go of a comfortable pattern for the sake of self-
knowledge.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Michel de Montaigne
wondered if he was playing with his cat or if he was a
toy to his cat. Such questions apply to your role in a
nonfeline relationship. You’ll be keenly aware inside the
games people play.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Aesthetics matter to
you more than usual, not just because you want to be
surrounded by beauty but because a greater sense of
order occurs around well-thought out environments.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 22). Appreciation is
your general attitude, which tunes you into experiencing
deeper levels of loveliness. Nuanced talents will send
you in a fresh trajectory and at the end of the solar cycle,
you’ll feel like a new person. Family additions will turn
up the energy levels; children and/or brainchildren will
reflect brilliantly on you. Aries and Leo adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 3, 25, 38, 11 and 4.
Universal SUDOKU
SOLUTIONS
HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021 Cosmic Answer Key
Scientists concur that the brains of modern humans are
biologically different from those of our predecessors. We’ve
evolved to solve modern problems. Saturn and Uranus offer
a conundrum we’ll be tempted to crack with an intellectual
approach our ancestors wouldn’t have understood. Cosmic
answer key: Don’t overthink it. Just be loving.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You wouldn’t mind things
staying the way they are for a while. There’s comfort in
knowing what’s likely to happen next. You’ll pick the option
that makes you feel relaxed and secure.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s an important
conversation on the horizon. Think of it as an interview, as it
will dictate the future of a relationship. To prepare, consider
the best way to talk about and highlight your strengths.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Being completely engaged
in an endeavor produces a state of flow powerful enough to
dissolve negative emotions, stave off hunger and delay the
need for sleep. The longer you can stay in flow, the happier
you’ll be.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The one who helps you isn’t
waiting for acknowledgement, however if that help goes on
for a while without recognition, it won’t last. Your enthusiasm
will be someone’s sweet reward.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll apply diligence to finish
a job before the day is done. And if you also apply some
laziness, you’ll likely think of the smartest and most painless
way to get it done.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The way you view people
will impact your experience. Lean into sunshine, trust and
positivity. Because whatever you think of people, they will
prove you right.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). What you now think of as a
need will soon be reduced to a want or a mere preference.
Realizing that you can happily get by with much less
will liberate you and make room for interesting new
developments.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Simple measures like
backing up your work will go a long way toward giving you
a sense of security. It’s not because you think things will go
wrong, it’s because you’re more confident when you know
your bases are covered.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your sharp wit
delights people and makes them feel safe. You’ll notice
what’s going on and your comments are on-point. Among
your many attractive qualities is your ability to live in the
moment.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Things seem out of
order. There will be advance praise and more oddly, hope
for the past. Expectations sent backward won’t change what
happened, but it can change how the story is told.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You have a talent for
seeing past your own anxieties and into a deeper empathy
with others in the world, an exercise in perspective that
brings ease in when you need it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your heart is not an
uncharted sea -- it’s been charted. The map is tested and
it’s sound. You know where you are and where you’re going.
Still, the experience of it can be disorienting. Keep an eye
trained to your lodestar.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 23). You’ll wield well the
powerful magnetic force called expectation. Anticipate felicity
in a wide range of forms. You’ll know it when you feel it. You
will be the recipient of much amorous attention. You’ll have
something to teach in a methodical, organized way. Loved
ones will blossom under your tutelage. Aquarius and Pisces
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 10, 22, 24 and 28.
Universal SUDOKU
SOLUTIONS