PUZZLES Tuesday, March 15, 2022 Slide to the Left, Slide to the Right by Paul Coulter Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 One thing after another? 5 Drugstore chain 8 Seize 12 Frozen drink brand 13 Acreage, e.g. 14 Establish 15 Dentist’s back tooth responsibility? 17 Certain religious Jamaican 18 Four quarters 19 Like an unmatched sock 20 Pronoun pair 22 Fall from grace 23 Spanish for “Hooray!” 24 “Ah, yes” 25 More serene along a shore? 31 Tummy muscles 32 Dorm VIPs 33 Word before “a wash” or “a wrap” 34 Name that anagrams to “adorn” DOWN 1 Cars that may 38 Judi of “Belfast” have bars 40 Ecological org. 2 Widely 41 Accelerate recognized quickly 3 One-named Tejano music 42 Aspiration legend 43 Brief come-on? 4 Contents of some kitchen bags 49 Ivy in Connecticut 5 Less refined 50 Historic time 6 Chow examiner 51 Approx. 7 Comes out with 53 On the line 8 Colonel Sanders’ beard 56 Tomato problem 9 Enters hastily 57 Speedometer 10 Some chips, abbr. sometimes 58 Mindless 11 MLK’s was in Jan. followers 13 Confuses 59 Hollywood history 14 Sassy and such? 16 It gathers dust 62 Eye drops? while in motion 21 Slugs 63 “Oh, su-u-ure” 26 Young fellow 64 Arguing 27 “Fantastic!” 65 As recently as 28 Thanksgiving root 66 “My country, ___ vegetable of thee ...” 29 And more: Abbr. 67 Kind of blocker 30 Volcanic output 37 Ewe’s mate 34 Whistle blower in sports 35 Big name in nail polish 36 Elite fighter at sea DOWN 1 Moscow moola 2 Freeway entrance 3 Never at a loss for words 4 Dee who sang “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” 5 Stimulate the economy 6 Cry of frustration 7 Privy to 8 Shrek creator William 9 Inventor who designed a coil 10 Will practice? 11 Went swimming 12 Capital of the Peach State 13 Texter’s chuckle 18 Mogadishu native 25 Shankar’s strings 27 Pizza portion 28 Down for the count, briefly 31 Was overly fond 33 Electronic banks? HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2022 Virgo Lunar Question No one likes a nag. What constitutes nagging is a combination of tone and repetition. It’s a day to avoid grating tones, especially when talking to yourself. Go where people are cheerful and the action is varied and interesting. The moon floats a question from nurturing Virgo: “How can I help?” she asks. We would be wise to ask the same. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You are less reactive to the goings-on around you. This is by design. You see certain interactions as the means to an end. You keep your eye on the prize and avoid getting snagged into dramas of the ego. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re a giver and are very likely to feel more obligated than is appropriate today. Though you find it easy to serve others, it shouldn’t be an automatic default for you to do so. Consider other roles as well. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A lot of life can be effectively processed with critical thinking, yet it is also possible for an overactive mind to ruin things. To examine every angle is tiring and unnecessary, so just choose one to appreciate. CANCER (June 22-July 22). One definition of confidence is self-trust. It doesn’t mean you trust yourself to be perfect. It means you know who you are and what you can do so you can relax into fully embodying those purposes. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). People talk -- that will be a good thing for you. You’ve been doing good things, and your reputation will get even better. The respect you earn will pave the way for smooth interactions in the future. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Compassion cannot be wielded in one direction like a laser. It’s a kind of love that radiates spherically. You cannot have compassion with one person over the next or be loving with someone else but not with yourself. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It is said that the truth doesn’t blush. So perhaps it is the discrepancy between what we’d like people to think and the stark reality of the situation that is to blame for today’s pink cheeks. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). While it will be frustrating to tackle a puzzle alone, you’ll be amazed at what you can solve together. Shared goals will be quickly reached. It’s lucky to celebrate before you move on to the next challenge. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll steer a relationship so gently your influence will be undetected. It’s as though the fates are carrying the responsibility. You think about what you want a relationship to be like and drift toward that reality. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Whether or not you win the battle is beside the point. To play with valiant intentions and handle the struggle with grace is the real triumph. In the end, it’s the fight that you’ll remember. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Isaac Newton noted that objects in motion tend to stay in motion, and objects at rest tend to stay at rest. You’ll tune into the nature of all the “objects” in your environment and adjust your expectations accordingly. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). When you fear losing something, there’s a temptation to hold it too tight. Instead, build bonds by weaving together shared interests and good feelings, then let those ties work for you. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 16). It’s the teachers of the world who mold the future. You’re such a person, whether or not teaching is your official role. Money comes easier to you between now and June. You’ll reinvest with excellent results. A late-summer pivot has you finding your niche. You’ll hone your strengths and ultimately come into your own. Leo and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 3, 33, 14 and 16. Universal SUDOKU 38 Widen, like pupils 39 It’ll never fly in Australia 41 Smell awful 42 Skillful SOLUTIONS 44 Diner 45 High five sounds 46 Butterflies 47 Mute button’s device 48 Liveliness 52 Letter before iota 53 On the matter of 54 In that case 55 Give off 60 Kimono closer 61 Chem class component Universal Crossword edited by David Steinberg 37 Headwear that helps an auto mechanic stay cool? 39 Taper off 41 Film critic’s piece 42 Courtroom proceeding 43 Bit of moisturizer 44 55, say, for a truck: Abbr. 47 Waist accessory that transmits an auto mechanic’s movements? 50 Autumnal equinox’s mo. 52 Exist 53 Actress Long 54 Objective 56 Big bore 58 Mid-March date 59 Leg covering that prepares an auto mechanic for winter? 61 Thorny bloom 62 Duo plus one 63 Apple centers 64 Insects in a colony 65 “___ that special?” 66 Done in a rush A15 37 ___ room (game night site) Make and Model by Susan Gelfand ACROSS 1 Cocktail coolers, informally 6 Essence 10 Abbr. for shortening a list 14 Behind the times 15 Entrance fee in poker 16 Nationals outfielder Juan 17 Footwear that makes an auto mechanic stop? 19 Ring, as a bell 20 Panamanian man, perhaps 21 Zippo 22 Alias letters 23 CPR pro 24 Parts of a private chat on Insta 26 Casual top that keeps an auto mechanic fueled up? 29 Secret agent 30 Lend a hand 32 Resulted in 33 Bond portrayer Timothy 36 Homer classic East Oregonian 34 “Rolling in the Deep” singer 35 Spectacular stars 37 Having the most precipitation 38 Steakhouse selection HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY MATHIS THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 Luck o’ the Irish Saint Patrick of Ireland was kidnapped, enslaved and starved before finally being reunited with his family and ultimately leading his people to overcome horrific circumstances. With such heroic grit at the heart of the story, the role of luck is debatable here. In celebrating the luck of the Irish, we also celebrate fortune’s favoritism of perseverance. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Anger is a searing emotion that is dangerous to wield yet hurts to hold on to. Sometimes you just have to drop it like it’s hot. It is! Don’t get burned. What would it take to cool this off? TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The challenge gets harder. This is happening right on time -- you were in danger of becoming bored, or worse, letting your skills get dull. Now you have something to sharpen yourself on and exciting reason to try your best. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). As you are well-aware, things are not always what you expect. Anticipation can be half the fun -- sometimes it’s 90% of it. For this reason, you savor these moments of not knowing what’s coming next. CANCER (June 22-July 22). When life messes with your confidence, you see it as an opportunity to get stronger. Avoid seeking validation, acceptance or other forms of external security. Real security comes from within. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You won’t get everyone’s approval and that’s a good thing. It’s better to consider many different points of view. The most successful plans and solutions will come out of a diverse team. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There are advantages to being less available. What’s in short supply is more desirable. When people don’t know where they stand with you, they will work to win you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Evidence tells the story of the detective who collected it. True facts can be arranged to form untrue stories. Just because a thing can be proven doesn’t mean it’s the only or the fullest version of the truth. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The backup plan is taking up too much room. It’s like an unused computer program occupying valuable megabytes that could be spent on a program you do use. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll use resources in creative and fun ways. When it’s time to be compensated, though, you tend to undercut yourself. Let friends and mentors help you set your price. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The amount of energy you have to throw at a problem will have a lot to do with last night’s sleep, your nutritional intake and the current emotional demands. Address these areas to set yourself up for future success. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You expect things to go a certain way, though oddly you may not even be aware of these expectations until things do, in fact, not. Unpack it. An exploration into deeper levels of your psyche will be a game changer. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Feelings run deep; you’ll speak from the heart, words flowing faster than you can process them. Consequently, even you may be surprised at what you have to say. What seems true in the moment isn’t always so. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 17). You know what you want; this is a blessing to celebrate. You’ll use your talent for interacting with people of different generations. You’ll be enriched by an encompassing understanding of different worldviews; you’ll be paid well for your expertise. You’ll be proud as those close to you thrive and your group remains tight. Libra and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 19, 3, 34 and 39. Universal SUDOKU 39 DOJ division 40 Brenda’s twin brother in “Beverly Hills, 90210” 44 Impressive houses 45 Program in advance 46 Religious dissent 48 Emmy winner Christine 49 Stadium sections 51 Completely dry out 55 Primary 57 Word that stops a horse 58 401(k) relative 60 One in a stroller SOLUTIONS