PUZZLES Thursday, January 27, 2022 RR Xing by Michael Schlossberg Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Ali ___ 5 Nudge 9 “Forever Your Girl” singer Paula 14 Beyond dry 15 Chicago mayor Lightfoot 16 Like myths about Asgard 17 *What a British chef says after botching a pasta topping? 19 Fluctuates wildly 20 ___-Wan Kenobi 21 Blast producer 22 Perfect basketball shot 24 Ancient Japanese assassins 26 *Earworm? 29 Stories that can be read backward? 30 Complete, as this puzzle 31 WOW upside down 32 Seat 34 Go to a diner, say 36 Letters before a texter’s POV 39 Time off, briefly ... or two letters dropped from each starred clue’s answer 41 Coffee dispensers 42 Lipton packet 44 Painter’s support 46 “... and the list goes on”: Abbr. 47 Stale-smelling 49 Sprays near waterfalls 53 *Build farm enclosures? 55 Mr. Peanut’s headwear 56 Zesty dip ... or dance 57 Corn serving 58 Tipper’s banknote, often 59 “Time is money,” e.g. 61 *Young cat’s Elizabethan collar? 64 Coyotes’ cries 65 Sandy shade 66 Nourish 67 Liability’s counterpart 68 Appear 69 10:9 or 8:7 DOWN 1 Conductors wave them 2 Saudi ___ 3 Sharp, like a cold wind 4 Name hidden in “lead actress” 5 Strategies 6 Beat decisively 7 Tolkien beast 8 What keeps a trucker going? 9 “Do you have a guess?” 10 Uplift 11 Deadpan comedy 12 G.I. entertainers 13 “___ Miz” 18 Squirrel away 23 Is indecisive 25 Twin of Esau 26 Charlotte hoopsters 27 Any thing 28 CPR pros 30 “Cheap Thrills” singer 33 Bickers 35 Flower in a 17th- century Dutch economic bubble 36 Tabloid twosome 37 Prefix with “physical” 38 Fine-toothed hand tools 40 February 29, 2020, but not February 29, 2022 43 Most abundant 45 University near Georgia Tech 48 Mambas and boas 50 Chased away 51 Sun-kissed 52 Mounts of yore 54 Two under par 55 Channing of “Magic Mike” 57 Raison d’___ 59 “Caught ya!” 60 Hairstyles, informally 62 Diamonds, slangily 63 Money exec Sounds Complicated by Adrian Johnson Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Make into a paper crane, say 5 22, for this constructor 8 Practices sawm during Ramadan 13 Cleveland’s lake 14 Hello, in Montevideo 16 Cottonwood relative 17 *Bits steeped in a bag (Theme hint: Say the first words of the starred clues’ answers in order) 19 Country where a 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles was found 20 Largest artery 21 Silent entertainer 23 Brewery barrel 24 *”Everyone good to go?” 28 Celebrity gossip site 31 Apt word within “GMC Savana” 32 Sisters, aunts, etc. 33 *Where to see a big E 36 Language in Iran 40 Overworks 41 Birthplace of Motown 43 Beachwear choice 44 *Marine gastropods with no shell 45 FedEx rival 47 Eats 48 Biblical possessive 49 *Necklace chain? 54 Word before “dog” or “banana” 55 Altar exchanges 56 “Another card, please” 60 Baseball’s “Hammerin’ Hank” 62 *”What’s the point?” 65 Lose a staring contest 66 Reader of the future 67 10.04 square miles, for Tuvalu 68 Small Business Saturday events 69 Genetic stuff 70 Wheel tracks DOWN 1 Greek cheese 2 Treat in 2012’s Daily Twist campaign 3 Polygraph target 4 The Nile’s includes Alexandria 5 “I see it now!” 6 www. medicare.___ 7 Tin or hydrogen 8 Procedures that reduce jowls 9 Volcanic emission 10 Sharp increase 11 Principle 12 Small holdup 15 Home to about 60% of people 18 Organ with a drum 22 Big initials in civil rights 25 “Dear ___ Hansen” 26 “Storage ___” (show in which bidders compete) 27 Boxer’s warning 28 Part of a “Jeopardy!” audition 29 Legend 30 20 - 20 34 Swedish Fish, e.g. 35 Boisterous fun 37 Shellacking 38 (It wasn’t meant to be) 39 Tiny, informally 41 Distribute cards 42 Worry-free feeling 44 Relative of a man cave 46 Headed, as a conga line 49 Down Under marsupial 50 Month of showers 51 Really impresses 52 Letter after pi 53 Raga instrument 54 Surfer’s accumulation? 57 By way of, on some signs 58 Swimmer’s event 59 Paleozoic and others 61 Number also written as “I” 63 Strong desire 64 Supportive garment East Oregonian A11 HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 Mercury’s Makeover Secret Improvement is a precarious aim. Once you start moving things around, you run the risk of ruining what was right about the situation. That’s why it’s safer to try to improve a complete disaster. This Mercury and Pluto conjunction lends luck for honing your makeover skills by attempting upgrades on situations that can’t get much worse. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You are not just one person. You are many people at once. You identify with several groups and even see yourself in these groups’ opposing groups. There’s freedom in accepting your complexity. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). “If you can’t be a good example, you’ll just have to be a horrible warning,” said novelist Catherine Aird. Today’s ambition will be served by such warnings. Research to get a better understanding of what could go wrong. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The veil of time conceals many facts. This will be an entry point for your imagination. Be careful not to fill in someone’s backstory in such a way that it glorifies and elevates them. Pedestals have a way of eventually toppling. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Someone who’s easy to be around will instantly relax you. All worry, resistance and thought will dissolve as you become absorbed into a natural shared rhythm. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll do for others what you wish someone had done for you. You’ll be generous when you don’t have to be and tend to those who have nothing to give you back. If you ever need evidence of your goodness, that last bit will do. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The words you long to hear represent a truth you wish was so. Perhaps it already is so. In that case, it will be just as true whether you hear the words or not. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll get encouraging signs that your investment is paying off. Chances are this isn’t a financial investment; rather, it deals in something much more precious, like your energy and time. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s something you’ve enjoyed numerous times, never losing your enthusiasm, only to show it to another person and see, for the first time, its flaws. There’s no teacher like sharing. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Commitment is not merely an agreement, it’s a mindset. Cost-benefit analysis, speculation and negotiation have no place in the attitude of commitment, which is based in one idea: The thing will be done, whatever it takes. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). While you’d love to come off smart, appropriate and attractive, any attempt to do this indicates your disbelief that you actually are these things. No need to sweat, stumble, cry or try. You’re fine as-is. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There are benefits to analyzing a past relationship as objectively as possible. Understanding why you made the choices that led you here will remind you of who you are and why you’re deserving of your own respect and compassion. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Just like all the imaginary things in the world, the monsters under the bed are only as real as you make them. Use the principle to your advantage today by mentally constructing the friends and environments you wish for. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 28). You’ll raise your energy with ease as you tend to your body like an animal, listening to what makes it happy and responding quickly when it’s not. Though you will have luck with a program or other new things you try, the best care isn’t rational, but intuitive. A professional breakthrough introduces you to a fun social circle. Aries and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 10, 3, 33 and 38. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022 Venus Power Moves Lady Venus makes her power move from the skyrise headquarters of Capricorn, reinstating the authority of love. This isn’t a hostile takeover -- more like a mass memo reminding us that love is in charge. There are benefits, perks and other rewards for following the heart and negative consequences for violating its rules. ARIES (March 21-April 19). “When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing,” said the comedian Georgie Jessel. You’ll joyfully and generously make up for the stinginess of those who can’t bring themselves to contribute. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re so well thought of, you’ll worry whether you can rise to the expectation, let alone return the same level of admiration. The truth is, you don’t have to do either right now; just enjoy! GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ll be pitched for this and that, mostly with uninspiring proposals. You can save yourself a lot of time with the simple phrase, “Thanks, but that doesn’t work for me.” CANCER (June 22-July 22). You can be as logical as a mathematician, but today’s solution can’t be found with equations of rationality. Instead, push your feelings into the situation and sense whether it will be good for you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Life gets unpredictable, just how you like it. This is partly true because you’ve become braver and more adventurous. You no longer need to be in familiar settings to feel safe. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The smartest people aren’t the surest. Intelligence flies on the wings of questions. An event will cause you to review what you thought you knew. On closer inspection, not all of it will hold up. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Mothers everywhere suggest, “There is no ‘bored,’ only ‘boring.’” You’ll let today’s restlessness stir your creativity toward one of the most exciting and promising pursuits you can think of: an escape. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). One new influence on the scene is all it takes to shake everything up. Suddenly your interests are broadened, slightly at first, then exponentially. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). One person’s attention and support makes life easier. It also brings attention to the ones who (SET ITAL) aren’t (END ITAL) supporting you and should be. What would it take to surround yourself with more supporters? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You receive special privileges because of a relationship or association. Regardless of whether you feel you deserve these benefits, just enjoy them now. It’s your turn. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You have an extra dose of daring at your disposal. Use it to approach new people, attempt a difficult task, perform publicly or knock on the door that was once closed to you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Tense situations settle into neutrality. Egos deflate. The unreasonable are now willing to negotiate. Anxieties will be allayed. All is working toward resolution. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 29). Your excitement grows through the first 10 weeks of the year as you realize that your vision of life is being fleshed out. Double down on your talents, play your advantages and leverage your strengths. You’ll make a big push, get lucky, then coast a while. Romance fills your life when you’re not working as hard. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 44, 20, 1 and 38. Universal SUDOKU SOLUTIONS