L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Monday, November 9, 2026, Robin Stears

2026-11-09T03:30:00.000-06:00

Theme: Wham!

Robin Stears is a longtime pro at crossword construction. This marvelous Monday is my first opportunity to blog one of her puzzles.

The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. *Spinach eater who's smitten with Olive Oyl: POPEYE THE SAILOR.

26-Across. *"I Don't Like Mondays" new wave band: BOOMTOWN RATS.

48-Across. *"Mighty Morphin" heroes of 1990s television: POWER RANGERS.

63-Across. Has a thrilling opening, or what the answer to each starred clue does: STARTS WITH A BANG.

Every one of the starred clues opens with the sound of a BANG: POP, BOOM, or POW. This puzzle is banging! Popping! (Booming is not the same, and powing is not a thing!) Wham, bam, thank you, Robin!

Across:

1. "Forever Your Girl" singer Abdul: PAULA. Paula Abdul began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18, became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, and then choreographed music videos for Janet Jackson. She went on to become a very popular singer, talent show judge, and choreograher for films, television, and award programs.

Paula Abdul

6. Radio band toggle: AM/FM.

10. Rotating roasting rod: SPIT.

piggies on spits -- eww!

14. Online moderator, briefly: ADMIN. I'm an ADMIN for a Facebook group that shares daily photos of clouds around the world. Someone's gotta enforce the rules!

15. King, queen, or jack: CARD.

16. Hawaiian dance: HULA.

17. [Theme clue]

20. Office helper: Abbr.: ASST. The abbreviation for "assistant."

21. Self-storage rental: UNIT.

22. Looped rope at a 31-Across: LASSO.

23. Other, in Spanish: OTRO. I appreciate it when the answer is masculine, as it is today. When the answer turns out to be OTRA, as it often does, I think there should be a hint that we're looking for a feminine adjective. Otro hombre (other man), otra mujer (other woman).

25. Short choral compositions: MOTETS. Musical compositions in which various voices sing distinct words and melodies at the same time. Having evolved from the 13th century to the present, there have been tremendous changes in the form over time.

26. [Theme clue]

31. Official state sport of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas: RODEO. And Alaska has dog mushing as its state sport! In the category of sports not based on animal abuse, we have surfing (California), skiing (Colorado), outrigger canoe paddling (Hawaii), jousting (Maryland), archery (Missouri) and stock car racing (North Carolina), among others.

32. Lithium-__ battery: ION. A rechargeable energy storage device.

33. Lyft rival: UBER.

37. Mattel game with colorful cards: UNO. The goal is to be the first person to get rid of all the cards in your hand.

Uno

38. "The __ of the Opera": PHANTOM. The Phantom of the Opera is a story created by French novelist Gaston Leroux as a 1910 serialized novel. It follows a disfigured musical genius who lives in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House and becomes infatuated with a young chorus singer. There was a 1925 silent horror film version starring Lon Chaney, a 1935 Technicolor version starring Claude Rains, a 1986 Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and a 2004 film starring Gerard Butler.

Lon Chaney as the Phantom of the Opera, 1925

42. St. crosser: AVE. Streets are typically narrow roads with closely spaced buildings on both sides, whereas avenues are often wider thoroughfares with large scale landscaping, but this usage varies regionally. In Los Angeles, streets usally run east-west, and avenues run north-south. The house where I grew up was on a north-south avenue, but it was a narrow road with closely spaced houses, fitting the description of a street.

43. Skater Lipinski: TARA. Tara Lipinski was the 1997 U.S. national champion and world champion in women's singles figure skating, a two-time Champions Series Final champion (1997–1998), and the 1998 Olympic champion. She was the youngest single skater Olympic champion and World champion ever (at age 15), and is currently a commentator on the sport.

45. Have bills to pay: OWE.

46. Lubricated: OILED.

48. [Theme clue]

52. College grounds: CAMPUS.

55. Auth. unknown: ANON. An unknown AUTHor is ANONymous.

56. Opera solos: ARIAS.

57. Failed to float: SANK.

59. Slender woodwind: OBOE.

63. [Theme clue]

66. Heavy book: TOME.

67. Slowly grow dim: FADE.

68. Student of Socrates: PLATO. Socrates taught Plato; Plato taught Aristotle. The three of them are credited with creating the foundations of Western philosophy.

Three hard headed guys.

69. Garden dirt: SOIL.

70. Pundit piece: OP-ED. An op-ed (short for "opposite the editorial page") is a piece of opinion journalism written by an outside contributor who is not on a publication's editorial board. A pundit is a person who has deep knowledge about a specific subject and shares opinions, analysis, or commentary through mass media.

71. Mexican bucks: PESOS.

Down:

1. Smurf with a white beard and red hat: PAPA. The Smurfs is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. There was an American Saturday morning cartoon series from 1981 to 1989 which continued in reruns and TV specials for several years, and is still broadcast on the cable Boomerang channel.

2. Noisy commotions: ADOS.

3. Baseball officials: UMPS. Umpires also officiate at tennis, cricket, badminton, and field hockey games.

4. "I can't handle the truth!": LIE TO ME. In the TV drama series Lie to Me (2009-2011), crime solving psychologists detected deception by analyzing microexpressions, body language, and vocal tones.

5. "__ ideas?": ANY.

6. "Don't wait or you'll miss out!": ACT NOW.

7. Fish often grilled for tacos, informally: MAHI. The fish formally known as mahi-mahi.

human being with future fish taco filling

8. Ridge on a guitar fingerboard: FRET. Frets are usually thin metal strips inserted in the neck of a guitar, providing guidance for finger placement to create musical notes.

frets

9. Rx writers: MDS. Medical doctors can write a prescription (Rx).

10. Japanese massage technique whose name means "finger pressure": SHIATSU. Practitioners use thumbs, fingers, palms, elbows, knees, or feet to apply pressure along energy pathways called meridians.

11. Heart rate: PULSE.

12. "You beat me": I LOST.

13. Starchy roots used in poi: TAROS. Taro is a tropical plant grown for its starchy roots (tubers), which are a major food staple in the Pacific Islands, Africa, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia. In Hawaii, cooked taro roots are mashed into poi.

taro on the left, poi on the right

18. Continental currency: EURO.

19. Like crazy: A LOT.

24. Sporty car roof: T-TOP.

Corvette T-top

25. Spanish hand: MANO. Give me your hand: Dame la mano.

26. Dry, as champagne: BRUT. Sparkling wines are labeled according to the amount of residual sugar per liter after fermentation.

27. Actress Chaplin: OONA. Oona Chaplin is a granddaughter of English filmmaker and actor Charlie Chaplin, and great-granddaughter of American playwright Eugene O'Neill. She had roles in HBO's Game of Thrones, BBC's The Crimson Field and Taboo, and the Avatar films.

As Talisa Maegyr in Game of Thrones, Oona Chaplin got to be married to Robb Stark -- for a minute.
She was first to die at the Red Wedding (Game of Thrones, season 3, episode 9).

28. Febreze target: ODOR. Isn't it better to clean up the mess than to cover the odor with this sort of thing?

29. Bay Area NFLer: NINER. The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

30. Decompose: ROT. Febreze is not really the solution to that.

34. Hay bundle: BALE.

35. Penultimate word in many fairy tales: EVER. "... and they lived happily EVER after." Not the ultimate (last) word, but the penultimate (next-to-last) word.

36. Maroon, crimson, ruby, and the like: REDS.

39. "__ it going?": HOW'S.

40. Astonishment: AWE.

41. Stereo alternative: MONO. Monophonic audio recordings use one channel, and stereophonic recordings use two. Mono is great for voice recordings and public address systems. For music and movies, it's nice to have different sounds playing on separate channels to mimic a natural sound environment.

44. Clothes: APPAREL.

47. Dishonorable: IGNOBLE.

49. Depose: OUST.

50. __ and raved: RANTED.

51. Egyptian cross with a top loop: ANKH. The ankh is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that represents "life" or "breath of life."

A god offering the breath of life to a deceased pharoah?

52. Acting ensembles: CASTS.

53. Threepio pal: ARTOO. Artoo (technically R2-D2) and Threepio (technically C-3PO) are fictional droids in the Star Wars movies.

R2-D2 and C-3PO

54. "The Golden Girls" city: MIAMI. The Golden Girls, starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, aired on NBC from 1985 to 1992. The four older ladies shared a house in Miami, Florida.

57. Trade: SWAP.

58. Office helper: AIDE.

60. Sheep sounds: BAAS.

61. "I'm __ your tricks!": ONTO.

62. Inner selves: EGOS.

64. Bay Area hub, for short: SFO. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the primary international airport serving the San Francisco Bay Area.

65. iPad download: APP. An app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did you get A BANG out of today's puzzle?

Tell me in the comments section! But don't LIE TO ME!

ACT NOW!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday November 8, 2026, 2026 Katie Hale

2026-11-08T03:30:00.000-06:00

Theme: EMPTY WORDS - T is changed into M in each phrase.

22. Rowing teams that spread good cheer?: MERRY CREWS. Terry Crews.

40. Scampering after a letter caught by the wind?: CHASING ONE'S MAIL. Chasing one's tail.

47. Exhausted after cramming for a geography test?: ALL MAPPED OUT. All tapped out.

64. Trick to getting the cleanest floors?: MOP SECRET. Top secret.

71. Courthouse employee responsible for maintenance?: BAR MENDER. Bartender.

85. Solution when it's too hard to choose one Halloween costume?: MULTI-MASKING. Multi-tasking.

92. "Let's raise a glass to our favorite silent performers of yore!"?: FOR OLD MIME'S SAKE. For old time's sake.

115. Shop displays of long skirts?: MAXI STANDS. Taxi stands.

"Empty" sounds like "M-T," hence the title. Some letter changes occur in the first word, some in the middle, and a couple in the last word. No odd man out.

Across:

1. NYC home of Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory": MOMA.

5. Leader of the Aesir: ODIN. Aesir is the pantheon of Norse myth. Also 97. Home of 5-Across: ASGARD.

9. Use the Track Changes feature in a document, say: EDIT. Microsoft Word.

13. Roles, metaphorically: HATS.

17. At any moment: EVER.

18. Body lotion brand: NIVEA. I like Curel. Scent-free.

20. Places: PUTS.

21. Hebrew prophet: MICAH. One of the twelve minor prophets.

24. Solo at the Met: ARIA.

25. The Gem State: IDAHO. Idaho is home to more than 72 different types of precious and semi-precious gemstones.

26. Jealous: ENVIOUS.

27. Superlative suffix: EST.

29. From Laos, say: ASIAN.

31. NL East or AL West: DIV.

32. "Ciao!": BYE.

33. Afternoon TV fillers: RE-RUNS.

35. Clear plastic: LUCITE. Type of acrylic.

37. Mesoamerican fruit: CACAO.

43. "For You" singer Rita: ORA.

44. Take to court: SUE.

45. Insta profile part: BIO.

46. Killer whale: ORCA.

52. Ides of March utterance: ET TU.

53. Texas metropolis, for short: DFW. Dallas Fort Worth.

56. Jeep headquarters city: TOLEDO. Mud Hens.

57. Shortly after the big bang, e.g.: EONS AGO.

59. Orléans river: LOIRE.

61. Notable deeds: FEATS.

63. Title role for Benicio del Toro: CHE.

66. Collapsible bed: COT. 69. No longer in 73-Across: RISEN. 73. Place to be tucked in: BED.

67. Chobani competitor: OIKOS.

70. Took lunch: ATE.

74. Cacophonous: NOISY.

76. Starts a fresh pot: ANTES. Poker.

77. Leaves no room for doubt: ENSURES.

79. Bully: COERCE.

82. "It was fine": MEH.

83. Tax pros: CPAS.

88. Late-night TV pioneer: PAAR (Jack)

89. Prefix with dermis: EPI.

90. 2019 W.S. champ: NAT. World Series. National.

91. Corp. bigwig: CEO.

98. NHL legend Hull: BRETT. Son of Bobby Hull.

100. Image in a group chat, perhaps: AVATAR.

101. Runway figures: MODELS.

102. Hip-hop pioneer Kool __ Dee: MOE.

103. Blue rep.: DEM.

104. Lure: TEMPT.

106. Prayer __: RUG.

107. Airport areas with extra amenities: LOUNGES.

111. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

113. Self-involved: VAIN.

117. Contract addition: RIDER.

118. Ruse: PLOY.

119. Media coverage: PRESS.

120. "Heat" director Michael: MANN. He also directed "Ali".

121. "I need it now!": STAT.

122. Rational: SANE.

123. Normandy landing time: D DAY.

124. Round-about figs.?: ETAS. Oh, "round-about" here means approximate.

Down:

1. Image in a group chat, perhaps: MEME.

2. Busy spot at Thanksgiving: OVEN. Look at this pumpkin bar. Loaded.

3. "Wheel of Fortune" creator Griffin: MERV.

4. Up, in Spanish: ARRIBA.

5. Perfectly timed: ON CUE.

6. Short ways to go?: DIRS. Directions.

7. "__ seen enough": I'VE.

8. Cap company: NEW ERA.

9. Org. that regulates pesticides: EPA.

10. Chihuahua neighbor: DURANGO. Both are states in northern Mexico; Durango borders Chihuahua to the south.

11. "Affirmative": IT IS SO.

12. Ming who hosts the cooking show "Simply Ming": TSAI.

13. Camouflaged: HID.

14. National park near Bar Harbor: ACADIA.

15. Largest island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.

16. Sandbox toy: SHOVEL.

19. Burros: ASSES.

21. Wee: MINUSCULE.

23. Go up and down: YO-YO.

28. The Texas __: nonprofit media company: TRIBUNE.

30. "Nerd __!": ALERT.

34. Liters and meters: UNITS.

36. Nashville awards org.: CMA. The Country Music Association.

37. Polish layer: COAT.

38. "Heaven" singer Parks: ARLO. Born and raised in London.

39. Summon: CALL FORTH.

40. Measuring __: CUP.

41. Laugh syllable: HEE.

42. Closed for business: NOT OPEN.

44. Totally right: SPOT ON.

48. "Let's get together": MEET ME.

49. Lovelace of computing history: ADA. Daughter of Lord Byron.

50. Room designs: DECORS.

51. Cries of wonder: OOHS.

52. Self-images: EGOS.

53. Cajun dish cooked with giblets: DIRTY RICE.

54. No charge: FREE.

55. Like a martini with extra vermouth: WET.

58. Surrounded by: AMIDST.

60. Ric of The Cars: OCASEK.

62. Like many infield throws: SIDEARM.

65. Ski run vehicle: SNO-CAT.

66. Peppermint candy shape: CANE.

68. Some dolls: KENS.

69. Spool: REEL.

71. "Bang!": BAM.

72. Moving staircase: ESCALATOR.

73. Elle Woods' dog: BRUISER.

75. Apple platform: IOS.

78. Called someone out, perhaps: UMPED.

80. Tech coverage site: CNET.

81. Awards quartet: EGOT.

84. Fernando Tatís Jr., for one: PADRE.

86. Tattoo parlor supply: INK.

87. Astronaut Jemison: MAE.

88. Tea holder: POT.

89. Strong feeling: EMOTION.

92. Sliding volume controls: FADERS.

93. No longer interested: OVER IT.

94. Best Western rival: RAMADA.

95. Antelope with twisted horns: IMPALA.

96. Losing streak: SLUMP.

98. Session: BOUT.

99. File menu choice: RE-NAME.

102. Like green logs: MOSSY.

105. Some post-series interviewees, for short: MVPS. The latest World Series MVP: William Contreras.

107. Kudrow of "The Comeback": LISA.

108. Little pest: GNAT.

109. Writer Ferber: EDNA.

110. IDs on blue cards: SSNS.

112. Lunar festival in Vietnam: TET. Feb 6, 2027.

114. Dec. 31: NYE.

116. Marked (out): X'ED.

C.C.

Saturday, November 7, 2026, Adrian Johnson

2026-11-07T03:30:00.000-06:00

Themeless Saturday by Adrian Johnson

A funny thing happened on my way to a very quick solve. I sped through the SW, SE and NW but the fill in the NE mocked me. As you can see in the colored grid, there were some real obstacles there. Even a NASA guy like me struggled with SPACE WASTE (usually called space junk) and I flat did not know SHOJIS, ARBORIO, AGRABAH or suss out the sense of the word WEEPING. I'll struggle to get through the day, live with a couple of bad cells and try to stay out of the left over Halloween candy.

Across:

1. Tails the fox's creator: SEGA - Apparently our frequent crossword visitor, SEGA's Sonic The Hedgehog, has a friend.

5. Remains among the stars?: SPACE WASTE - OBVI the picture below is an exaggeration but there's a lot of junk up there. The first object in space was Sputnik in 1957 and it fell back to Earth after 3 months and burned up in the atmosphere.

15. Snake's target: CLOG.

16. Factor in some accidents: HUMAN ERROR.

17. One consulting a manual, perhaps: USER - After this HUMAN makes an ERROR, he then seeks out the manual which, fortunately because I threw out the one that came with the item, is almost always online.

18. Event with pros and cons: OPEN DEBATE.

19. Cactus League city: MESA - We paid $65 per seat to watch the Cubs play the Royals during spring training in MESA, AZ.

20. Puts together: JUXTAPOSES - One of my favorite words.

21. "Duh": OBVI - There seems to be poetic license to take any word and chop off a part and use it as slang these days. Totes adorbs! 🤨

23. Title for Mo Farah: SIR.

24. Impulse-ive path?: SYNAPSE 😀

27. "How cool!": OH NICE.

30. What hikers wear: PATHS 😀 Some of those PATHS that HIKERS wear can be very precarious!

31. Aspirational hashtag: LIFE GOALS.

34. Letter between pi and sigma: RHO - In Greek, Gary becomes Γκάρι

35. Berry quantities: PINTS.

36. Softball stat: RBI.

37. Formal address: YOUR GRACE.

40. Affix: TIE ON - "Affix a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree"

42. Chocolaty cereal brand: OREO O'S.

43. Leila Fadel's venue: NPR NEWS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

45. Brand on a racetrack: STP - Too slick for a sumo wrestler in this 1960's commercial

46. Austrian gent: HERR.

47. "Brake! Brake! Brake!": STOP THE CAR.

53. Not close enough: AFAR.

56. Name for five kings of Hawaii: KAMEHAMEHA.

57. Beyoncé voice role: NALA.

58. Structures at some winter carnivals: ICE CASTLES - Wisconsin's Magical ICE CASTLES

59. __ bag: GIFT - A welcome alternative for those of us who are very bad at gift wrapping.

60. "I'm in no mood": DON'T TEST ME.

61. Ballpark figs.: ERAS - Not EST'S today

Down:

1. Dirty film?: SCUM.

2. Term in conditional programming: ELSE.

3. Plays around?: GOES ON TOUR😀 After 60 years, Mike Love is the only original Beach Boy that still GOES ON TOUR (pink hat below)

4. Fictional city that's a magic carpet ride away from the Cave of Wonders: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ AGRABAH.

5. Sliding screens: SHOJIS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ $800 at Home Depot

6. __ platter: PUPU - It was my first thought and it turned out to be right

7. Centurion co.: AMEX.

8. Tilt: CANT - Lean and Bias didn't work.

9. Dating connections in some publications?: EN DASHES - My full time teaching gigs ran from 1968 - 2015.

10. Overcome with joy, perhaps: WEEPING - My first sense of overcome with joy was BEAMING

11. Rice named for a Piedmont municipality: ARBORIO - Grown in the Piedmont area in the far NW section of Italy.

12. Titles for mujeres casadas: Abbr.: SRAS - Married women in Español

13. __ bag: TOTE.

14. Part of a basic Spanish conjugation: ERES.

22. Seconds, for short: VPS - Vice Presidents can be the second person in charge. I went through many thoughts about what "seconds" meant in the clue

24. Moving with ease: SPRY.

25. "Huzzah!": YAHOO.

26. Big name in sports statistics: ELIAS - The ELIAS Sports Bureau is famous for hyper-specific sports nuggets for the media such as

There have been more than 4 million innings pitched in Major League history and Fernando Tatis is the only player to hit two Grand Slam home runs in the same inning.

27. Habitually: OFTEN.

28. Event intended to address trade deficits?: CAREER FAIR 😀 When you are looking for a new trade.

29. Pipe shape: ELBOW.

32. "Feel Good __": 2005 hit for Gorillaz: INC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

33. Trespasses: SINS.

35. Initial stage of mitosis: PROPHASE.

38. Abide by: RESPECT.

39. "Capisce?": GOT THAT - "ARBORIO is Italian rice. Capisce?"

40. Uno e due: TRE.

41. Close enough: IN RANGE - The arrival of the B29 Super Fortress put the home islands of Japan IN RANGE for bombing

44. Express: PHRASE - PHRASING can make all the difference

47. Shipping platform: SKID.

48. Qdoba snack: TACO.

49. Serious sign: OMEN.

50. Defib experts: EMTS - Many buildings now have defibrillator units in the hallways to use until EMT's get there.

51. Briton forebear: CELT.

52. "I'm still here": AHEM.

54. The "A" of NATO: ALFA - The NATO alphabet where I would be Golf Alfa Romeo Yankee.

55. "Phooey!": RATS.

Friday, Nov 6th, 2026 ~ Yijing Chen

2026-11-06T03:30:00.000-06:00

GO BIG. . .

Grand Opening~!!

Apple is planning a new building in downtown LA -

it's called the iSore 🙄

Yijing Chen - is back again; her last LA Times puzzle was the "no notes" musical theme back on Oct 16th that we either loved or hated. I loved that one, and today's construction, too - it might well be the epitome of a crossword, at least within the context of a themed, Friday-level one. A solid concept, four answers in a pinwheel, plus a grid-spanner, with each of the matching "?" clues beginning with "Go", but interpreted as "G and O" - the letters that start the matching two-word fills. A theme that even if solvers sussed out, only gives them two cells for "free". Plenty of deceptive and/or obscure clues, with almost no dreck for fill, a high Grid Flow, and four 9-letter Downs on top of the themers. My only 'nits' ( 58D. ) were the five additional "?" clues that were non-themers, used as a hint at punny answers, and of the mere four names ( one a themer ), one could have been clued differently; perhaps a change by the editor. The five themers, no reveal;

18. Go with the flow?: GIANT OTTER - This animal "weaseled" its way into the crossword . . . 🙄

38. Go wild?: GREAT OUTDOORS - An 80's movie I did not see - Dan Aykroyd, John Candy

I went as Dan Aykroyd's Ghostbusters character Ray Stantz at the gym on Halloween

59. Go vegan?: GREEN ONION - A.K.A. 'scallions', I liked the fact that "Go Green" was not used for any of the clues. I chop up and add the whole bunch when I make my Kung Pao Chinese chicken dish. Here's the musical version

Booker T & the M.G.s

3. Go blond?: GOLDEN OREO - I liked the cute clue for this version of our beloved crossword cookie

31. Go figure?: GARY OLDMAN - One of my favorite actors, I am fascinated how his appearance and demeanor changes drastically from role to role, with hardly any makeup; here he is in the Fifth Element as Zorg, then Sirius Black from the Harry Potter movies, and again as commissioner Gordon from one of the Batman triologies - name #1

But Wait - Go On - There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Wilts: SAGS

5. Lacking the knack: INEPT

10. Each, informally: A POP - OK, twurd(ish)

14. Monkey's fist, for one: KNOT - solid Friday obsure, if you're not into sailing - or crafts . . .

Here's how to tie one, and some history / uses

15. James of "North by Northwest": MASON - second of only four names today; didn't have to be one - he was the actor originally cast as "Drax" for the 007 movie "Moonraker"; here's more from YouTube . . .

Fact #9 @ 8:12

16. At its prime, in a way: RIPE - this is true, of fruit - B.O., not so much - see 56 Down

17. Online chat status: IDLE

20. Reduce the importance of: DEVALUE

22. Osso buco cut: SHANK

23. Early tourney rounds: PRELIMS - tournament & preliminaries both abbrs

25. Storage tower: SILO

27. German article: EIN - "a"

28. Clothes line: SEAM - We've seen this misdirection before

30. Herding breed that originated in Wales: CORGI - proper noun, not quite a 'name'

33. Sponsor, as a stretch of highway: ADOPT - Here's a link to the history, and how it works

I believe this is on a stretch of I-84

35. Exceed 21 at a casino, say: LOSE - Dah~! Not BUST

37. Legged it: RAN - my thanks to the constructor fo teeing this one up for me . . .

A leg, a run, a tragedy

41. Shrill cry: "EEK~!"

42. Part of AM: ANTE - Latin, ante meridian, before ( meri dies ) mid-day

43. Make quickly, as eggs: FRY UP - Also learned this is what Brits call a full breakfast

The YouTube video

45. Not just dreaming about: DOING

47. One, for two: HALF - another vague, yet great clue for Friday

49. It's mined, all mined!: ORE - Great new way to clue this old fill

"Mining" Nemo

50. Noun suffix: NESS - I read this as the suffix one puts on a noun - e.g. SOFT is an adjective - softness, however, is the noun . . . one can't put "ness" on a noun; I have never enjoyed the "deskness" of my office . . . 😜

52. Handout to a passerby: LEAFLET

54. Tempo slower than adagio: LARGO

57. Gulped down: INHALED - had this clue/answer two weeks ago

61. "Could not agree more": "AMEN~!" - two weeks in a row for Friday

64. Sting operators?: BEES - har-har; non-themer "?" #1

65. "Alice in Wonderland" instruction: "EAT ME"

66. Prefix with quit or bait: RAGE

67. Point of view: TAKE - as in, "what's your - - - on things~?"

68. Optional stair part: RISER - the vertical part between treads if they're NOT optional by code

Vertiginous

69. With 23-Down, stir-fry vegetable: SNOW - AND - 23. See 69-Across: PEA

. . . OR . . .

DOWN:

1. Compete in the super-G, e.g.: SKI - I start with the Down clues to give me some crossings at the themers, which was only 3/5ths effective today; I did not know what 'sport' this clue referred to

2. "Is there more to this story?": "AND . . .?"

4. __ wool: STEEL - Dah~! I shoulda known this one . . . 😖

5. "Sign me up!": "I'M GAME~!"

6. Paperless filing center?: NAIL SALON - "?" clue #2, very clever, and the first of four 9-letter Down fills; the place one can go to get your fingernails filed, trimmed, painted, etc.

7. Genesis sibling: ESAU - Dah~! I went with ABEL; CAIN, SETH, and even LEVI fit; name #3

8. Southern cornmeal cakes: PONES - A bit Meh in the plural

9. Letters on red Minecraft blocks: TNT

10. Hybrid subgenre for Ari Aster and Jordan Peele: ART HORROR - Down 9 #2, I have not heard of this type of film-making, and I only recognized ONE movie from this IMDb list; name(ish)

11. Kebab bread: PITA - Dah~! I filled in NAAN to start

12. Kick off: OPEN

13. Added benefit: PERK - I tried PLUS; 25% correct

19. Scandinavian city served by Gardermoen Airport: OSLO - Four letter yada yada Scandinavia~?

21. Far-reaching outlook: VISTA

24. Like Ruffles: RIDGED

26. Sugar-coated, in a way: ICED - another great clue, talking birthday cake, e.g.

29. Cave entrance: MOUTH - I pondered our more obscure crosswordese "ADIT"

32. Create a policy for: INSURE - spot on, but took me a while

34. Toy breed that originated in China: PEKINGESE - Down 9 #3

36. Touch base in an unusual way?: STEAL HOME - "?" #3, and Down 9 #4 - baseball, but it's a bit 'meh' as home is a 'plate', not a base . . .

39. License plates: TAGS - I see this in books and hear it in movies, but most of the people I am acquainted with on the East coast do not call them "tags" - it's just "the plates". Perhaps due to my time in New York where the registration is a sticker in the lower corner of the windshield, not on a corner of the plate

40. Ingredient used by nose-to-tail chefs: OFFAL - Another learning moment; I never realized that "offal" is the word/term/definition of the edible organs of an animal. More about the cuisine - also British - here in an LA Times article

44. Caress: PET - I put in PAT

46. Inert gas: NEON - second in the Noble gases class

48. More economical: LEANER - CHEAPER didn't fit, but I left in the "E R" and waited on perps

51. Red Sea peninsula: SINAI - More Bible, Geo name #4

53. Psychoanalysis topics: FEARS - nailed it - not the fingernail kind of hammering fear, either . . . 🙄

54. Pride Month letters: LGBT

55. Side by side?: AREA - a very clever, but fourth "?" non-theme clue

56. Raise a big stink?: REEK - our last, "?" clue #5

58. Minor complaints: NITS - see above

60. Poetic contraction: O'ER - in just a couple of weeks, we will be o'er the fields jingling bells . . .

62. I, to Claudius: EGO - Dah~! I went with "ONE", for the Roman numeral

63. Still in the box: NEW - "in mint condition" - I have these two original Star Wars toys, but they're pretty banged up, as I played with them when I was a kid . . .

. . .GO HOME~?

Game Over

Splynter

Grid Flow 62.6

Thursday November 5, 2026 Emily Biegas

2026-11-05T03:30:00.000-06:00

We last saw Emily Biegas on a Saturday in August. Today she has me seeing RED.

56. Many a house wine, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: RED BLEND. A RED BLEND is a domestic wine that is made from a range of grape varieties. It also reveals that each of the following themers features a RED wine inside circled letters that have been BLENDed (scrambled).

17. Destination for a team bus: AWAY GAME. GAMAY is an easy-drinking wine that’s light and refreshing.

25. Hair product that often contains cornstarch: DRY SHAMPOO. SYRAH is a robust red wine with intense fruity flavors.

34. Dried or fried fruity snacks: PLANTAIN CHIPS. CHIANTI is a dry, medium-bodied red wine made from Sangiovese grapes, Italy's most widely grown variety.

47. Extremely terse voicemail message: CALL ME BACK. MALBEC is a hearty wine that pairs well with meats.

Note: CHIANTI is made from the Sangiovese grape.

Unfortunately for Emily, I'm a teetotaler and wasn't familiar with most of these. I know they will be second nature to our oenophiles (wine connoisseurs) out there, but I only deciphered CHIANTI without help. The whole gist of this puzzle revolves around familiarity with wine, so all it's grapes are in one basket. I did an informal poll of friends during the week. MALBEC seems to be fairly common, and there was some familiarity with SYRAH, although a few confused it with Petite Sirah, which is different (See? I'm learning about wine!). But there was almost no recognition of GAMAY.

Sorry about whining today, but this one took way to long to unscramble after FIR. GRR! I had to dig into the Google to find these wine varieties, which wasn't fun. It just may be sour grapes, but this seems like an example of clever for the constructor doesn't equal pleasure for the solver. I'm sure others will find this more to their taste.

Let's pour over the rest:

Across:

1. "So mad!": GRR.

4. Fill up: SATE.

8. Curses: DOOMS.

13. Filmmaker Ang: LEE. This Oscar-winner's name is a favorite in the Crossword Hall of Fame.

14. Mosque leader: IMAM.

15. Hosts: EMCEES.

17. [theme]

19. "Don't panic": BE CALM.

20. Italian city with a big Fashion Week: MILAN.

21. Significant phase: ERA.

23. Pico de __: GALLO. Favorite salsa of Ernest & Julio?

But please don't drink and drive!

24. Proper partner: PRIM.

25. [theme]

27. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" writer David: SEDARIS. David SEDARIS is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor.

29. Faux follower: PAS. Literally a "false step," a faux PAS is a socially awkward or embarrassing act or remark - like ordering red wine with fish. The horror!

30. Furrow: RUT.

31. Ad __ committee: HOC.

32. Corral: PEN.

33. Anya's "The Queen's Gambit" role: BETH. Usually Anya is the answer, not the clue, because of the useful xword letters in her name (REFER to Ang LEE and Bobby ORR).

Anya Taylor-Joy

34. [theme]

38. Some pub pints: ALES.

39. "20/20" network: ABC. The American Broadcasting Company.

40. "Yikes": OOF. ACH!

41. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

42. "Give __ try!": IT A. OOF.

43. Bike alternative: SCOOTER.

47. [theme]

50. Show up: COME.

51. Central Plains people: OTOES. The tribe is simply the OTOE. In plural it means two or more of their members.

52. German "Bah!": ACH.

53. Sasha Obama's sister: MALIA. They're all grown up!

Sasha (27, on left) and Malia (25).

54. Emmy-winning drama with primarily Japanese dialogue: SHOGUN. This REFERs to the newest version of James Clavell’s 1975 bestselling novel. The 1980 mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain also won Emmys.

1980 vs. 2024

56. [theme]

58. El __ tequila: TESORO. El TESORO is "The Treasure" in Spanish. All these unknown alcoholic beverages today made this puzzle more difficult.

59. "Bugonia" actress Stone: EMMA. EMMA likes quirky characters, and so does the Academy. She's taken home two Best Actress Oscars.

Emma plays a CEO suspected of being an alien in Bugonia.

60. Mama deer: DOE. Not to be confused with Mommie Dearest!

Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in 1981.

61. Direct (to): REFER.

62. Min. parts: SECS. Seconds are minute parts of minutes.

63. Bruins great Bobby: ORR. The Hall-of-Famer is also in the Crosswords HOF for "Most Popular Hockey Name."

Down:

1. Stays in a heated yurt, perhaps: GLAMPS. I wanted SWEATS, but it turns out that GLAMPS is a portmanteau for "glamorous camping."

2. Alter, as neural pathways: REWIRE. I think I'll sign up for this.

3. Passport alternative for U.S. domestic travelers: REAL ID. A REAL ID is a federally compliant driver's license or state-issued identification card. A passport is still required for international travel.

4. Talk with one's hands?: SIGN. As one using ASL, American SIGN Language.

5. Reddit session with a celeb guest: AMA. Ask Me Anything.

6. Some big animal handlers: TAMERS. Here's the MGM lion being filmed for their classic movie intros. I hope TAMERS were nearby.

Open a little wider...that's it. Now give me a big roar!

7. Nail file material: EMERY.

8. Food blogger Perelman: DEB. DEB Perelman is a New York City-based writer and cook behind the beloved and unpretentious food blog, Smitten Kitchen.

I'll bet she knows her RED BLENDS.

9. Some fatty acids: OMEGAS.

10. Thinker with a "razor": OCCAM. The first metal razors appeared around 3000 BC. I think.

11. Cook for the week ahead, say: MEAL PREP. MEAL PREP is the practice of planning, cooking, and portioning meals ahead of time. I was thinking MEAL PLAN at first.

12. People accused of losing artistic integrity: SELLOUTS. Artists allegedly become SELLOUTS when they change their style or sound to appeal to a mainstream commercial audience. But the economic reality of making a living or shifting personal creativity often drives these changes.

16. Slick: SMOOTH.

18. Some motorcycles and keyboards: YAMAHAS. I'm impressed that YAMAHA can produce such a diverse line of products, including guitars, and they are all generally excellent.

22. Setting of the annual Food & Wine Classic: ASPEN. More wine! I almost wrote EPCOT, where their annual International Food & Wine Festival is a fun time, even for non-drinkers.

25. Use voice-to-text technology: DICTATE.

26. "Round Midnight" Oscar winner Herbie: HANCOCK. A child prodigy, Herbie has written numerous jazz standards, played with every jazz great, and has won every major award. He is a monster on keyboards. Looking him up today, I learned he graduated with degrees in music and electrical engineering. Amazing. No wonder he was an early adopter of synthesizers.

Herbie's 1973 jazz fusion record Head Hunters was instrumental in shaping my musical tastes.

28. Baseball analyst Darling: RON. Hawaiian-born RON Darling is a former Major League Baseball pitcher (Golden Glove in 1989) and a longtime Emmy Award-winning broadcaster.

32. Quick snapshot: PIC. "Quick" because the answer is an abbreviation of "picture."

33. Like some lenses: BIFOCAL.

34. Vegan-friendly fabric: PLEATHER. Another portmanteau, this time Plastic meets Leather. PLEATHER is synthetic material made from PVC, but if you're against cruelty to animals, why would you buy something that fools people into thinking you're wearing the real thing?

35. Blow off steam: LET LOOSE.

36. Addis __, Ethiopia: ABABA. Addis ABABA is the capital and largest city in Ethiopia.

37. "Oh, boo-__!": HOO.

38. Without markup: AT COST. I occasionally sell something to a customer AT COST. As a rule, that's not a successful business strategy, but sometimes it's worth the goodwill it creates.

42. "No doubt in my mind": I'M SURE.

43. Plot: SCHEME.

44. Lake Erie port: TOLEDO.

45. Key related to G major: E MINOR. Both keys share the same key signature with one sharp (F#). They just start on different places on the keyboard.

46. Bookworm: READER.

48. __ lamb: LEG OF. In the words of the immortal Splynter, this is a twurd.

49. Griffith Park's 4,210+: ACRES. Griffith Park, home to the Griffith Observatory, is famous for being one of the largest municipal parks and urban wilderness areas in North America, as well as a major cultural and film landmark in Los Angeles.

The iconic Hollywood Sign is inside the park

53. Wharton degs.: MBAS. A Master of Business Administration degree was once the springboard to an executive career, but it's automatic return on investment has declined due to high costs and shifting job markets, especially in the tech sector.

55. Neither partner: NOR.

57. Rap trio Run-__: DMC. Considered one of the most influential acts in the history of hip-hop, Run-DMC was created from the stage names of its founding members: Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels). Their third member was Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) who didn't get in on the title for some reason.

The angry one is Jay - because they didn't include his name?

Fun way to get your own rap name: Combine "Lil" + the last thing you ate. I'm Lil Banana. What's yours?

Be good. RB

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 - Ricky J. Sirois

2026-11-04T01:30:00.000-06:00

Theme: "Scary-go-round"

First off, my apologies for this recap being as brief as it is. I have been traveling across the country to meet with family and friends and had just a fleeting moment to throw this together before today ...

Puzzling thoughts:

Ricky J Sirois is no stranger to the followers of the LA Times Crossword Corner as he has had several puzzles published here as well as @ NY Times, and perhaps others. Not much out there on him via Google, but if you'd like to know how much $ he made as an assistant director of Library Sciences, please click on the hyperlink above

Today's puzzle is somewhat timely as the autumn provides many explorers and adventurers the opportunity to engage in exploring a corn maze, for example. And a corn maze may be considered a form of a:

52-across. Mysterious patterns in fields, or what 15-, 22-, 31-, and 44-Across are?: CROP CIRCLES

All of today's entries combine a kind of crop and a type of circle

15-across. Pungent breakfast choices: ONION BAGELS. This one works, as [according to Wikipedia] "Onions are a widely cultivated vegetable crop, produced in the second largest quantity after tomatoes. In 2021, the top global producers of onions were China, India, United States, and Turkey ..." and Bagels (while generally thought of as being round, like a circle) are geometrically known as a torus

22-across. Aids in makeup removal: COTTON BALLS. Cotton is often referred to as an "and crop" because a single harvest yields multiple commercial products—primarily textile fiber, alongside cottonseed oil for food and feed for livestock; top global producers include China, India, the United States, and Brazil [cottontoday dot com]. Balls are generally circular although YMMV

31-across. Alternatives to cinnamon buns: COFFEE ROLLS. Coffee is one of the world's largest produced crop - my AI computer identified these attributes:

Key Facts About Coffee as a Crop

Botanical Source: Coffee grows on woody, evergreen shrubs and small trees belonging to the genus Coffea and the family Rubiaceae.

The Fruit: The plant produces red or purple stone-fruit berries called coffee cherries.

The "Bean": What people call a coffee bean is actually the seed found inside the coffee cherry.

Global Scale: According to NOAA Climate.gov, coffee is one of the most valuable tropical export crops in the world, cultivated on over 27 million acres across more than 70 to 80 countries

Specialty Crop Designation: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explicitly classifies coffee as a specialty crop

Rolls are also generally round in shape unless it precedes the word "-Royce"

44-across. Car parts that may be repurposed as swings: RUBBER TIRES. As a crop "natural Rubber is an elastic polymer harvested mainly as milky latex sap by tapping the inner bark of the Hevea brasiliensis tree, which thrives in tropical climates across Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America" [Wikipedia]. But given the global demand for the use of rubber-based items, synthetic rubber is more widely produced. Tires are generally known to be round, except of course, when one goes flat

Here is the grid:

Thanks Ricky for the puzzle - and to honor you for your effort may I offer the following "Moe-ku":

Onions, cotton, joined

Rubber, coffee, socially;

Formed a crop circle

On to the rest of the clues and words!

Across:
1. Shot in the dark: STAB. A much gentler clue for this word, perhaps?

5. News story intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE. I imagine that many people misspell this word; according to [Webster's] the full definition is: "the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story" - it goes on to say that it is an alteration of "lead story" and was first used in 1947

9. Secondary social media acct.: ALT. According to AI, the number one reason for using an ALTernative account for social media is for "posting candid thoughts, joining niche communities, or venting without connecting the activity to a real-life identity"; maybe why we have so many "anonymous" users here

12. Drive: URGE. As a golfer, I was thinking of something else but TEE-OFF was too long to fit into 4 squares

13. Judy of "Scrubs": REYES. First time for me: I will count the proper names in today's puzzle - this is #1

14. Caviar: ROE.

[entry]

17. Time for many countdowns, briefly: NYE. Had Ricky chosen "TV Scientist Bill" instead, this would have been proper name number two - instead, he went for an abbr. for New Year's Eve

18. Making out while out and about, for short: PDA.  Public Display of Affection

19. Like some columns: IONIC. It was either this or DORIC

20. Great Lakes diving bird: LOON. My first sighting of a LOON was at one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes

21. Carol contraction: 'TIS.

[entry]

25. Mouths off to: SASSES.

27. February 29: LEAP DAY. I personally know just one person who was born on LEAP DAY but I have never asked him if he chooses to celebrate on February 28 or March 1 on the off leap years

28. Ablaze: LIT.

29. Grammy winner Estefan: GLORIA. Proper name #2

[entry]

35. Songs of praise: PAEANS. Moe-ku:

Group of laborers

Performed in their church choir;

Peons sang PAEANS

36. Calendar divs.: MOS.

38. Poor rating: ONE STAR. This doesn't fit my rating for today's puzzle; I think it deserves at least ⭐⭐⭐and 1/2 ⭐s

41. Subtle difference: NUANCE. Moe-ku:

Dad's brothers went through

A gender change; "old uncles"

Are now called NUANCE

[entry]

47. Tax-efficient fund, for short: IRA. Once again, Ricky chose the abbr. rather than use another proper name

48. Pinkberry rival: TCBY. This tells you how "out of touch" Moe is; I know of The Country's Best Yogurt but had no idea about Pinkberry

49. Home of the College World Series: OMAHA. Sort of a CSO to Husker Gary

50. Court divider: NET. Neither the word "LIBERAL" or "CONSERVATIVE" fit here ...

51. Ivy League nickname: ELI. Proper name #3, and a Moe-ku:

Harvard grads never

Play Three Dog Night. Who wants to

Know, ELI's Coming??

[reveal]

55. Intro to Xer, Yer, and Zer: GEN.

56. With passion: HOTLY. See 46-down for a similar clue/entry

57. Signify: MEAN.

58. Multinational insurance co.: AIG. American International Group

59. In need of a massage, say: ACHY.

60. Trees whose wood is used for lutes and bows: YEWS.

Down:
1. Old timer?: SUNDIAL. Key to this clue is the lack of a hyphen between old and timer. And for the record, if you ever wondered how these are "adjusted" for daylight savings time ...

Speaking of clocks ... my alter ego had a puzzle published this past Friday. Click on the link and chose October 30 for the date to solve ... the title is: It's That Time Again"

Newsday Crossword Puzzle October 30

2. Period during which mammals first appeared: TRIASSIC. Rumor has it that these mammals all had three rear-ends

3. In the past: AGO.

4. "No fighting!": BE NICE.

5. Bona fide: LEGIT.

6. Disparate features of someone with heterochromia: EYE COLORS.

7. Rehoboth Beach's st.: DEL. Located in the map below. As I kid I used to go to either Rehobeth Beach, Bethany Beach, or Ocean City, MD for my shore trips

8. End of most plural words: ESS.

9. "The Neighborhood" actress Tichina: ARNOLD. Proper name #4

10. Common name for a Jesuit school: LOYOLA. [Loyola Marymount Univ. website] "The name Loyola most commonly refers to private, Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)". Loyola University Chicago has the largest enrollment of the four primary Loyola colleges

11. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.

13. Leave a scathing review, perhaps: RANT. No rants from me today; maybe one of our posters will, though

15. Makes a selection: OPTS.

16. Responses to bad calls: BOOS. We aren't that far removed from either the World Series or Halloween to have heard a fair number of these. And another Moe-ku:

One thing I can’t stand:

A ghost, three sheets to the wind,

Who can’t handle BOOs

20. Home of Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in the Canary Islands: LA PALMA. This seems like the kind of clue that would require more than casual knowledge to solve without perps (closest to a RANT)

23. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO. Proper name #5

24. Take off: BAIL.

26. Visits: STOPS BY.

29. Clockwork bit: GEAR TOOTH.

30. NFL Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN. Proper name #6

32. Lot: FATE. Not THIS Lot

33. Cause of some tremors: FEAR.

34. Kin by marriage: SON-IN-LAW. I visited my s-i-l on this trip; along with daughter and grandson

37. Multitude in a multiplex: SCREENS.

38. "Wednesday" actress Jenna: ORTEGA. Proper name #7

39. Microbiology research centers?: NUCLEI.

40. On the decline: EBBING.

41. Classic soda brand: NEHI. Radar O'Reilly's favorite drink was a Grape NEHI

42. G.I.'s org.: U.S. ARMY. Radar was a corporal in the U.S. ARMY

43. Puts away: EATS.

45. Get at: IMPLY.

46. R-rated, say: RACY. See 56-across for a similar clue/entry

52. The Hornets, on a sports ticker: CHA. As in, CHArlotte

53. Retinol Correxion maker: ROC.

54. Middling grade: CEE. Or, a 2.0 on the GPA scale

A closing limerick (aka, Moe-'lick) for a final grin:

Sea cow sought a place that is turnkey

Where he hoped to spend eternity.

Help from skilled volunteers

Built his home; so now here's

A habitat for Hugh Manatee

See ya in December

Tuesday November 3, 2026 Kevin Shustack

2026-11-03T03:30:00.000-06:00

Peat and Repeat and Repeat and Repeat and Repeat.

20-Across. Marshy source of organic fuel: PEAT BOG. In Europe, archeologist have often found mummified bodies in peat bogs.

22-Across. Attempt to hit: SWIPE AT.

31-Across. Budget-friendly fare: CHEAPE ATS.

41-Across. Slip by unnoticed: ESCAPE ATTENTION.

And the unifier:

52-Across. Rare championship sequences, or what can be found in this puzzle's circles: FOUR PEATS. One of the four Peats is not like the other Peats.

Here's the Grid:

This was a very name-heavy puzzle. It didn't bother me, but I know many people don't like seeing so many names in a puzzle. The names here covered several generations, so there is probably at least one name for everyone to recognize.

Across:

1. Open-handed hit: SLAP.

5. Saudi neighbor: OMANI.

10. Reasons to cry "April Fools!": GAGS. // And 18-Across. "April Fools!": GOT YA!

14. Bull, in Spanish: TORO. Today's Spanish lesson.

15. Former One Direction member Niall: HORAN. Niall James Horan (b. Sept. 13, 1993) is an Irish singer and musician. His band, One Direction, was apparently one of the best-selling boy bands. [Name # 1.]

16. Actor Morales: ESAI. We haven't seen Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (b. Oct. 1, 1962) in a while. He used to appear in the puzzles with alarming frequency. Maybe he has aged out of the current demographics. [Name # 2.]

17. Upper limbs: ARMS.

When Octopus arms become Upper Limbs.

19. Epistles: Abbr.: LTRS. Today's Greek lesson. Epistles is a Greek word meaning Letters. Typically, when this word is used, it refers to a number of letters in the New Testament.

24. Touched down on a runway: LANDED. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

25. Come out: EMERGE.

26. "Middlemarch" novelist George: ELIOT. The given name of George Eliot (Nov. 22, 1819 ~ Dec. 22, 1880) was Mary Ann Evans. She was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. In addition to Middlemarch, she wrote several other novels, including The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner. She was well known and led a rather scandalous life. [Name # 3.]

27. Unfortunate: SAD.

30. Word before beauty or peace: INNER. As in Inner Beauty or Inner Peace.

34. __ tai: cocktail: MAI. Yummers!

37. Squeeze water from: WRING.

38. Show hosts, for short: MCs. As in the Master of Ceremonies.

46. Eighth Greek letter: THETA. It's all Greek to me.

47. "Science Guy" Bill: NYE. Bill Nye (né William Sanford Nye; b. Nov. 27, 1955) is a science "communicator." He is best known for being the host of the science education television show Bill Nye the Science Guy. His life has not been without controversy. [Name # 4.]

48. "Live at the Acropolis" musician: YANNI. Yanni (né Yiannis Chryssomallis; b. Sept. 14, 1954), is a Greek composer, hence the "Acropolis" in the clue. [Name # 5.]

49. Appear that way: SEEM SO.

51. Pass along, as an unwanted present: REGIFT.

56. Acid counterpart: BASE. Today's Chemistry lesson.

59. Auction warning: GOING.

60. Somewhat open: AJAR. When is a door not a door ...

64. Run in place: IDLE.

65. Opposite of double: HALVE. Today's Math lesson.

66. Zero, in tennis: LOVE. We've discussed the rational for Love meaning Zero in tennis in the past.

67. Planner pages: DAYS.

68. Long shots, in hoops lingo: TREYS. A reference to the game of basketball.

69. Black-__ Susan: EYED. How the flower got its name.

Down:

1. Paper clip alternative: STAPLE.

2. "Because you're worth it" cosmetics brand: L'OREAL. This tagline made its debut in the 1970s, although the company claims's it a mission and not a tagline.

3. Italian fashion house: ARMANI. The luxury fashion house was named after Giorgio Armani (July 11, 1934 ~ Sept. 4, 2025). [Name # 6.]

4. Scholar pursuing an advanced deg.: POST-DOC. As in Post Doctorate degree.

5. "Good Lord!": OH, G'D.

6. Big name in synthesizers: MOOG. The Moog Synthesizer was named after Robert Arthur Moog (May 23, 1934 ~ August. 21, 2005), who was an American electronics engineer and electronic music pioneer. In 1964, he founder the Moog synthesizer. [Name # 7.]

7. Museum display: ART. I recently visited the Detroit Institute of the Arts. It was an amazing museum.

8. Votes against: NAYS. Today is Election Day. Please exercise your rights and vote.

9. At a loss for words, perhaps: IN AWE.

10. Felt-tip alternatives: GEL PENS.

11. Toward the back of a boat: ASTERN.

Anatomy of a boat.

12. Parking structure: GARAGE.

13. Sorority member: SISTER.

21. Word in many temple names: BETH. The word Beth is a transliteration of the Hebrew word בית, which, in Hebrew is pronounced more like Beit, or Bayet. The word means House. I used to attend a synagogue called Beth Shalom, which means House of Peace.

23. "You found the one and only": I'M IT.

27. Kitchen wrap brand: SARAN.

28. Unfortunate: A PITY.

29. Al __: pasta specification: DENTE. Today's Italian lesson. The phrase al dente means to the tooth.

32. Female sheep: EWE.

33. Mature: AGE.

34. Queens baseball players: METS.

35. Queens tennis stadium namesake: ASHE. Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player. He won three Grand Slam singles titles in singles and two in doubles, [Name # 8.]

36. Slushy drink: ICEE. They can come on lots of different flavors.

38. Pocket-size: MINI.

39. NCAA div.: CONF. LSU, which frequently appears in the puzzles, is in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and competes in NCAA Division I.

40. Irritable state: SNIT.

42. Some convenience store inconveniences: ATM FEES.

43. El __, Texas: PASO.

44. Russian denial: NYET. Today's Russian lesson. And NO, I won't tell you what it means.

45. Neighborhood event with good deals: TAG SALE.

50. "This __ to be good": OUGHT.

51. Rants and raves: RAGES.

53. Lion's sound: ROAR.

54. Mound that grows until laundry day: PILE.

55. "Inside Out 2" emotion voiced by Ayo Edebiri: ENVY. [Name # 9.] // And 61-Down. "Inside Out 2" emotion voiced by Amy Poehler: JOY. [Name # 10.] Both Aye Edebiri (née Funmilayo Edebiri; b. Oct. 3, 1995) and Amy Poehler (née Amy Meredith Poehler; b. Sept. 15, 1971) are American comedians and actresses.

56. Auction action: BID.

57. Tooth care org.: ADA. As in the American Dental Association.

58. __ as a fox: SLY.

62. "__ Maria": AVE.

63. Like Clifford of kid lit: RED.

חתולה

Monday, November 2, 2026, Amanda Cook

2026-11-02T03:30:00.000-06:00

Theme: What's My Line?

Today marks Amanda Cook's fifth crossword constructor credit in the Los Angeles Times. What a great way to begin the week!

The theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. Minute Maid juice box option: FRUIT PUNCH.

24-Across. Catchphrase associated with hippies: FLOWER POWER.

34-Across. Occasion to wear a little black dress, perhaps: COCKTAIL PARTY.

50-Across. Tennis server's infraction: DOUBLE FAULT. A double fault occurs when the server makes two consecutive errors, and the point goes to the opponent. The errors might be hitting the net, hitting outside the service box, or stepping onto the court before contacting the ball.

58-Across. End of a race, or what's found at the end of 16-, 24-, 34-, and 50-Across?: FINISH LINE. I had to reach this FINISH LINE to see the theme: each of the listed entries finishes with a type of line! PUNCH LINE, POWER LINE, PARTY LINE, FAULT LINE. Bottom line: well done!

We have not come to the end of the line, though. Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Earth tremor: SEISM.

6. Quarterback Darnold who won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2026: SAM. As you might have guessed, Sam Darnold's line of work is playing quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL.

9. Tom or drake: MALE. A tom is a male turkey; a drake is a male duck.

13. Japanese breadcrumbs: PANKO. Have you ever purchased white bread or pastries in a Japanese grocery? The texture is incredibly light and fluffy! No wonder Japanese breadcrumbs are prized for coating fried foods.

14. Lose steam: TIRE.

15. 20-Down highlight: ARIA. An aria is an elaborate solo song with instrumental accompaniment featured in an opera.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Dressage gait: TROT.

19. The "D" of LED: DIODE. An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current flows through it.

20. Atmospheric layer with holes: OZONE. The ozone layer has a big seasonal hole over Antarctica, largely due to chemicals released from refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosol sprays. The hole allows harmful ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface, which raises the risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and immune system damage for humans and other creatures, and harms plants, including crops. Thanks to an international treaty (The Montreal Protocol) signed in 1987, which phased out chlorofluorocarbons, the hole in the ozone layer is gradually shrinking. Sadly, recent extreme weather due to human caused climate change appears to be slowing the recovery of the ozone layer.

The ozone hole over Antarctica

21. Knee pt. studied in an MRI, perhaps: ACL. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the main stabilizing ligaments in the knee.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Bedroom piece: DRESSER. You know ... bed frame, dresser, nightstand, mirror. Typical bedroom furniture.

29. Migrating geese formation: VEE. Each goose generates a wake of air behind and beneath its wings. A following bird gains upward lift from the air currents created by the bird in front. The goose at the front of the line doesn’t get any aerodynamic benefit and works the hardest. That’s why, when the first goose gets tired, it drops back into a trailing position, and another goose takes the lead.

Geese in V formation

30. Crafty: SLY.

31. Thoroughly cooked: DONE. Stick a fork in me, Jerry -- I'm done!

32. Pageant crown: TIARA.

34. [Theme clue]

40. Maid of honor speech, typically: TOAST.

41. Field of expertise: AREA.

43. PC key near the space bar: ALT. I went into a veterinary clinic today to pick up meds for darling daughter's dog, and saw these keyboards at the front desk PCs. I may need one.

Candy colored keyboard!

46. "What __ missing?": AM I.

47. Flagging down, as a cab: HAILING.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Bear, in Spanish: OSO.

54. Utterly confused: AT SEA.

55. Loud kiss: SMACK.

57. Leaning Tower city: PISA.

58. [Theme clue]

63. Notified: TOLD.

64. Opinion column: OP-ED. "Op-ed" is short for "opposite the editorial page." The essays that appear there are short opinion pieces that represent the views of outside contributors rather than the publication's editorial board.

65. Conger catcher: EELER.

66. Classic game console, for short: SNES. Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

67. Prohibit: BAR.

68. Airline based in Atlanta: DELTA.

Down:

1. Coppertone initials: SPF. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) measures how well a sunscreen protects your skin from ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which cause sunburn and contribute to skin cancer.

2. Unit of corn: EAR.

3. Shiba __: dog breed: INU. An ancient Japanese breed of hunting dog, the Shiba Inu is small: just 17-22 pounds. If you want an adorable, fox-like little dog that is independent, stubborn, and can't be trusted off-leash, here's your next pet!

Shiba Inu

4. Lose traction, as on an icy road: SKID.

5. Recurring themes: MOTIFS.

6. Connective tissue: SINEW. Also called a tendon, a sinew connects muscle to bone.

7. Curved path: ARC.

8. "Not my fave": MEH.

9. __ ball soup: MATZO. DH looks forward to my vegetarian matzo ball soup every year.

Here is Martha Stewart's vegetarian version.

10. Quiver contents: ARROWS. A quiver is a container used by archers to hold arrows.

A classic back quiver

11. "Hello" singer Richie: LIONEL. Lionel Richie is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. In the 1970s, he was a songwriter and co-lead singer of the Motown group The Commodores. In 1982, he launched his solo career with the album Lionel Richie. His second album, Can't Slow Down (1983), became one of the best-selling albums of all time, and included the number one singles "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello." He co-wrote the 1985 charity single "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson. His third album, Dancing on the Ceiling (1986), contained the number one single "Say You, Say Me" and the No. 2 hit title track. Wow. Strange video, though.

12. Dining establishment: EATERY.

14. Royal house of Elizabeth I: TUDOR. Henry VII was the first Tudor king of England, seizing the crown by force during a civil war. His son Henry VIII is remembered for separating the Church of England from the Catholic church to facilitate the dissolution of his first five marriages; his sixth wife outlived him. Henry VIII's son Edward VI reigned from age nine until his death at age 15. Next up, Mary I ("Bloody Mary"), a daughter of Henry VII, reigned for five years, during which she restored Catholicism and persecuted Protestants. And then came Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who had been beheaded for supposed treason. Elizabeth ruled for an amazing 70 years, restored the protestant church in England, and was the last of the Tudor monarchs. Merry Olde England.

Elizabeth I

17. Bit of trekking gear: POLE. These collapsible poles are lightweight and fit in your suitcase. Totally worth bringing if you're planning to hike on uneven terrain.

Trekking poles

20. La Scala production: OPERA. La Scala is an historic opera house in Milan, Italy.

21. Append: ADD.

22. Colorful clog with holes: CROC.

Croc with Croc

23. Longtime late-night host Jay: LENO. Jay Leno is a stand-up comedian who was chosen in 1992 to replace Johnny Carson as the host of NBC's The Tonight Show, which he did until 2009 when Conan O'Brien took over for a year. Leno returned to hosting The Tonight Show from 2010 to 2014, then hosted Jay Leno's Garage, and then the revival of You Bet Your Life. He currently writes a regular column in Popular Mechanics giving automotive advice.

Jay Leno

25. Nefarious: EVIL.

26. Gather, as crops: REAP.

28. Religious faction: SECT.

32. __ for tat: TIT.

33. North __ Sea: Kazakh lake: ARAL. The Aral Sea was once the world’s third largest lake. It started shrinking in the 1960s when the Soviet government diverted two of its main inlet rivers, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, to irrigate the surrounding desert region. The North Aral Sea was separated from the South Aral Sea in 1987-88 as water levels dropped. Independent Kazakhstan has addressed environmental degradation by again allowing the Syr Darya River to flow into the lake.

The Aral Sea is circled.

35. Eucalyptus lover: KOALA. The koala is native to Australia and eats little besides Eucalyptus, which is poisonous to most other animals. The low nutritional value of this diet leads koalas to sleep up to twenty hours a day. Hmm ... good life?

36. Like household pets: TAME.

37. "You wish!": AS IF.

38. Threesome: TRIO.

39. Cravings: YENS.

42. Long, long __: AGO.

43. Modifies to fit: ADAPTS.

44. Soothing cosmetic: LOTION.

45. Minor dustup: TUSSLE.

47. Muggy: HUMID. Like this past summer in Los Angeles. Brutal!

48. "What a shame": ALAS.

49. Irritated, in a way: ITCHED. Like the bites of the invasive Aedes mosquitoes (commonly known as "ankle biters") which have recently infested Los Angeles, thanks to the aforesaid humidity.

51. Common elements in Native American jewelry: BEADS.

52. Ed of "Elf": ASNER. Ed Asner (1929-2021) was an American actor, best known for playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) and the same character on the drama Lou Grant (1977-1982). He won seven Primetime Emmy Awards -- the most of any male actor -- and acted in a number of films as well. He played Santa Claus in New Line Cinema's Elf (2003) and voiced Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar animated film Up (2009).

Ed Asner is on the far right, with other cast members of
The Mary Tyler Moore Show

56. "Twittering Machine" painter Paul: KLEE. Twittering Machine is a 1922 watercolor with gouache, pen-and-ink, and oil transfer on paper by Swiss-German painter Paul Klee. It depicts a loosely sketched group of birds on a wire or branch connected to a hand-crank.

Klee's Twittering Machine

58. Keyless key: FOB. A key fob is a remote control device that uses radio waves to communicate with a car's computer, allowing drivers to lock, unlock, or start their vehicles with the press of a button.

59. Bitter beer letters: IPA. India Pale Ale was created when English brewers increased the amount of hops in beer, and increased the alcohol level, to preserve the brew for the hot, six-month sea journey to India, during the time that India was under the control of the British East India Company.

60. Unwell: ILL.

61. Take-home pay: NET.

62. Pitching ace's stat: ERA. Earned Run Average.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did Amanda's puzzle SMACK you in the face with the POWER of its brilliance?

Or did you find FAULT with it?

LINE up below to share your comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday November 1, 2026, 2026 Doug Peterson

2026-11-01T03:30:00.000-06:00

Theme: "READ THAT BACK TO ME" - Each clue needs to be read backwards.

23. Bonk?: DOOR HANDLE. Knob.

34. Laced?: WINDOW STICKER. Decal.

44. Pacer?: POSTGAME REPORT. Recap.

65. Drab?: MEDIEVAL POET. Bard.

74. Ergo?: FANTASY BEAST. Ogre.

93. Gulp?: BATHTUB STOPPER. Plug.

102. Mined?: JEANS MATERIAL. Denim.

121. Rebut?: FLESHY ROOT. Tuber.

I just learned that this type of word is called a "semordnilap," which is "palindromes" spelled backward.

There are plenty of other semordnilaps, like EVIL/LIVE and GOLF/FLOG. The challenge is finding solid in-the-language phrases.

Across:

1. Low voice: BASSO.

6. Out of fizz: FLAT.

10. Zoning measure: ACRE.

14. Expressed disdain: TSKED.

19. Room that often has a slanted ceiling: ATTIC.

20. Undoer of Othello: IAGO. He has more lines than Othello in "Othello".

21. Son of Noah: SHEM. Semite derives from Shem through the biblical genealogy. The other two sons were Ham and Japheth.

22. Absolut rival: STOLI. Originated in the Soviet Union. Absolut is a Swedish brand.

25. Considerate: KIND.

26. March 14 observance: PI DAY.

27. Classic record label: EMI.

28. Repetitive sonata movement: RONDO.

29. Trojan hero in a Virgil epic: AENEAS. He deserted Dido.

31. London art gallery: TATE.

32. Performer honored with a Billboard Icon Award in 2017: CHER. Do you believe in life after love?

37. One of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers: OHIO. The other two are the Allegheny and Monongahela.

39. Inked body art: TAT.

42. Monopoly token that replaced the iron: CAT.

43. Corned beef __: HASH.

49. "Jingle Bells" transport: SLEIGH.

53. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.

54. Picked out, in a way: ID'ED.

55. Los Angeles Philharmonic, e.g.: ORCHESTRA.

57. "My turn": I'M NEXT.

59. Sorceress whose aunt is the sorceress Circe: MEDEA. She helped Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece.

61. Exploits: USES.

62. Invalidated: NULLED.

68. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.

69. Cheer syllable: RAH.

71. Sticky pine product: RESIN.

72. Padmé's beloved: ANI. Anakin Skywalker is often called "Ani" by Padmé.

73. JFK predecessor: DDE.

77. Precisely correct: DEAD ON.

79. Egyptian cross: ANKH.

80. __ Hall: MONTY.

81. Princess introduced in season four of "The Crown," familiarly: LADY DI.

84. "So much for that plan": I GUESS NOT.

87. Norway home of the Munch Museum: OSLO.

88. Wreck: TRASH.

92. Carpentry tool: RIPSAW.

97. Shortly, shortly: ASAP.

99. She/__ pronouns: HER.

100. Consumed: ATE. Have you tried pumpkin bars before?

101. Goes (for): OPTS.

108. Once-sacred snakes: ASPS. Sacred to the Ancient Egyptians.

110. Within: AMID.

111. Schoolbook: PRIMER.

112. Shelter org.: ASPCA.

115. Poetic contraction: TIS.

118. Move like a crab: SIDLE.

120. "Voulez-Vous" pop group: ABBA.

123. Nondairy spreads: OLEOS. Short for oleomargarine, a name derived partly from Latin oleum ("oil").

124. Food plan: DIET.

125. Pet aisle brand: IAMS.

126. Maker of iComfort mattresses: SERTA.

127. Cozy spots: NESTS.

128. Hearing things: EARS.

129. Doofus: TWIT.

130. Endless expanse: OCEAN.

Down:

1. Commanded, quaintly: BADE.

2. Particle with an electron cloud: ATOM.

3. Philosophy stressing self-control: STOICISM. The most famous Stoic philosophers are Marcus Aurelius and Seneca.

4. Title for Idris Elba: SIR.

5. Earthy colour: OCHRE.

6. Literary Huckleberry: FINN.

7. Cheryl of "Charlie's Angels": LADD.

8. Radiant: AGLOW.

9. Digit covered by a sock: TOE.

10. Sent an invitation for: ASKED TO.

11. Khaki-colored cloth: CHINO. The name comes from Spanish for "Chinese," referring to the fabric's association with China.

12. Extend, in a way: RENEW.

13. Punctuation mark that may signal an abrupt change: EM DASH. I was going to text you—but then I changed my mind.

14. Minced garlic amt.: TSP.

15. Repairs with thread, as a torn pocket: STITCHES UP.

16. Classic camera brand: KODAK.

17. Make merry: ELATE.

18. One who may watch how-to videos online, for short: DIYER.

24. Vital artery: AORTA.

29. Take __: rest up: A NAP.

30. Save for later: STASH.

33. Deep conditioning choice for hair: HOT OIL. Not going to put oil in my hair.

35. Coffee specification: ICED.

36. __ of Wight: ISLE.

37. Short missions?: OPS. Operations.

38. Residential community org.: HOA.

40. Dijon companion: AMIE. The city Dijon.

41. Lecture series spinoff: TEDX.

45. Giant fire-breathing turtle in Japanese monster films: GAMERA. Godzilla's giant turtle rival.

46. Pt. of IRA: RET.

47. The Burghers of Calais sculptor: RODIN.

48. Plant with a trunk: TREE.

50. "Hmm, strange": IT'S ODD.

51. "Star Wars" bounty hunter shot by Han Solo: GREEDO. Learning moment for me.

52. Hotfoot it: HASTEN.

56. Spanish wine similar to Champagne: CAVA.

58. "Keep this private" docs: NDAS.

59. Stylike: MESSY.

60. Make a long story short?: EDIT.

62. "You cheated!": NO FAIR.

63. Congo River tributary: UBANGI.

64. Connect (with): LINK UP.

65. Veal or venison: MEAT.

66. "Toy Story" boy: ANDY.

67. Wasn't honest with: LIED TO.

70. Church song: HYMN.

71. Fashion designer Oscar de la __: RENTA.

75. Baseball movie with the line "You're killing me, Smalls!": THE SANDLOT. I need to watch this movie someday.

76. __ tube: BOOB.

78. Prepare a movie snack, perhaps: AIR-POP.

81. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU.

82. Actress and entrepreneur Jessica: ALBA.

83. "__ thou love me?": Juliet: DOST.

85. Attitude: SASS.

86. __ Thing: green DC Comics superhero: SWAMP.

87. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRA.

89. Place to buy games: APP STORE.

90. Matching group: SET.

91. Time sheet abbr.: HRS.

94. Menacing messages: THREATS.

95. Beneficiary: HEIR.

96. Do some school work?: TEACH. Real school work.

98. Show off: PARADE.

102. "Matlock" actor Ritter: JASON.

103. "Ratatouille" rat: EMILE.

104. West Wing staffers: AIDES.

105. Leg bone: TIBIA.

106. Live coal: EMBER.

107. Former TV drama set in SoCal: LA LAW.

109. Final word: SAY SO.

113. Sweet start?: SEMI. Semi-sweet.

114. Soft "Hey, you!": PSST.

116. Tiny bit: IOTA.

117. Big fan, in slang: STAN.

119. Curvy shape: ESS.

121. In shape: FIT.

122. Button for making a voice note, briefly: REC.

C.C.,

Saturday, October 31, 2026, Kelly Morenus

2026-10-31T03:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Kelly Morenus

Kelly provided a lot of nice treats and very few tricks with this fun puzzle.

Across:

1. Prince William, to Eddie Redmayne, at 51-Down 51. College founded in 1440: ETON.: SCHOOL MATE - The arrows point out Eddie and William, who is the very image of his mother.

11. Ask: POSE.

15. "This is news to me!": I HAD NO IDEA.

16. Quechua-speaking highlander: INCA.

17. Feeling that all roads lead to roam?: WANDERLUST.

18. Some Ivy Leaguers: ELIS.

19. Combine: ADD.

20. Some are plant-based: DIETS - Neither we nor our kitty Lily will ever be vegans

21. Winnow: SIFT - Letting a breeze help winnow the wheat from the chaff

22. Skye of "La Brea": IONE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think you can pick out Ms. Skye below

24. Prince of Moscow from 1325 to 1340: IVAN I.

26. "And there it is!": BOB'S YOUR UNCLE.

31. Helps out with a job: ABETS.

32. "Waiting for Godot" role: ESTRAGON - As I mentioned last week, Godot is a no show

35. "You don't say!": GOSH.

36. San Juan's __ de la Princesa: PASEO - A PASEO is a tree-lined public walkway

38. Took home: MADE - I took home less than $400/month in my first year of teaching

39. Reserved: SET APART - My son-in-law's architecture firm got four $2,300 reserved seats from a construction firm for a Husker VB earlier this month and took the entire family. The tix came with great parking and a prime rib buffet.

41. Many a "Hacks" guest star: COMIC - Here's a list. I don't know a lot of them.

42. Fixes a situation: STACKS THE DECK.

45. Needle: TEASE.

46. Strong: HALE.

47. Farm youngster: CALF.

48. Peter __ Steak House: LUGER - Here's the menu

51. Federal org. with a flower logo: EPA.

54. Dance in "Lilo & Stitch": HULA.

55. Topic for discussion: AGENDA ITEM.

58. Cartel headquartered in Vienna: OPEC.

59. List of attractions: PLACES TO GO.

60. Forward: PERT.

61. Fatal attractions?: SIREN SONGS - Sail on Odysseus!

Down:

1. "Boomerang" singer JoJo: SIWA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2. African lake in four countries: CHAD.

3. Assistance: HAND.

4. Suspicious: ODD - Don't we all know this Sesame Street Song: "Three of these belong together, three of these things are kind of the same..."

5. Number of former public defenders who have served on the Supreme Court: ONE.

6. "Perish the thought!": LORD NO!

7. Environs: MILIEU - Not a word you might use in every environ

8. Together, musically: A DUE.

9. Try out: TEST.

10. Starts to consume: EATS INTO.

11. Dishes that can be both hot and cold: PIES ALA MODE 😀

12. Minecraft, e.g.: ONLINE GAME - The ORE elements of this game are regularly used here.

13. "Dune" realm: SCI FI.

14. From Armenia to Azerbaijan: EAST.

22. "Oh, yeah?": IS THAT A FACT.

23. Kvetching cries: OYS.

25. Home entertainment staple, once: VCR.

26. Secures: BAGS - Hunters around here try to BAG a deer in season

27. Prominent instrument in "Swan Lake": OBOE - Here it is (1:01)

28. Novelist's goal: BEST SELLER.

29. Sits for a spell: RESTS.

30. Mistreat, maybe: USE.

33. Like much of Pindar's work: ODIC - I wonder if they were BEST SELLERS

34. Ukulele part: NECK.

36. Warmup stretches: PACE LAPS - The PACE CAR at the Indy 500 race a few years ago

37. Synagogue fixture: ARK.

40. Some med. professionals: PAS - My doctor and her PA are both former students

41. Film frame: CEL - The practice of making hand painted CELS ended in the late 1990's

43. From that point on: THENCE - As used by Emily Dickinson

44. Firm up: HARDEN.

45. Neutral tone: TAUPE.

47. Lamb cut: CHOP - Remember?

49. Citrus hybrid: UGLI.

50. Neutral, for one: GEAR.

52. Simon of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise: PEGG.

53. "The West Wing" actor John: AMOS.

56. Donkey: ASS.

57. Manga artist Junji: ITO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm off to get out the bags of candy for tonight's 250+ trick or treaters who I don't think will look much like ITO's images!

Friday, Oct 30th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

2026-10-30T03:30:00.000-05:00

AMERICA'S MOST HAUNTED

Wanted Dead, or . . . Undead~?

We have a Halloween-themed puzzle a day early; I was unaware that we would have a similar theme yesterday, as I wrote today's blog earlier in the week, but solve the rest of the week's puzzles as they come out . . . The LA Times editor, Patti Varol, is back again with a crossword that takes common in-language phrases and gives them a trick-or-treat-ment . . . 🙄 Five themers, including a grid-spanner, totalling 61 squares, that become "creepy" puns in a timely fashion. A solid Friday construction, maybe more names than I would care for, but I did some historical research, and found even our host & crossword master C.C. has "bemoaned" them - on Halloween, no less. Huh. Standard grid, no circles, no outliers, a Twurd, and thirteen names - we have a Friday the 13th coming in November. The themers, no reveal;

17. Suggestion at the start of a Halloween decoration workshop?: MAKE-A-WITCH - Make-A-Wish; I don't have a tree in my front yard, or I'd put one of these up . . .

Here's how to make "witch crash witch craft" 🙄

23. Expectation during a Halloween concert?: RHYTHM AND BOOS - Rhythm & Blues

Atlanta Rhythm Section - "Spooky" - but they weren't the original band

Bminor, same key as Hotel Cali- . . .

36. Apparition who only appears on Halloween in the Golden State?: CALIFORNIA GHOST - I had ghoul first - as in California girl, but no, it's the California Coast, which I see is currently threatened

Ghost, "Faith" 🠟

49. Got separated from a spooky friend at a Halloween party?: LOST ONE'S GHOUL - Lost One's Cool - the "nameless Ghouls" are the members of the Swedish rock band Ghost, behind "Papa Emeritus V". Now for a song about that vampire from Transylvania . . . not the Muppet, the other one

Nosferatu, off "Spectres", from Blue Öyster Cult

59. "My Halloween monster costume is so disappointing!"?: I DON'T SCARE - "I. Don't. Care."

"We're Ready to Believe You"

Buuuuuut Waaaaaait There's Mooooooan~!

ACROSS:

1. Oodles: ALOT - A Twurd to start us off

5. Mattress material: FOAM - I do the Downs first, had perps

9. Tablet downloads: APPs

13. Kidney-related: RENAL - my dad had a kidney transplant, so I heard this word ALOT growing up

15. Red inside, maybe: RARE

16. Victory lap speed: TROT

19. Depend (on): RELY

20. Sugar suffix: OSE - fructose, sucralose ( OK, that's fake sugar ), etc.

21. Shoreline shaper: TIDE - The King Tide is the threat to the west coast

22. Yaz's team from 1961 to 1983: BOSOX - abbr for abbr - Carl Yastrzemski, played for the Boston Red Sox - not a baseball fan, but I knew this name, #1

27. Athletic honor: ESPY - The award given out by ESPN, the sports network; I see our favorite crossword WNBA player made the list . . .

28. Horn of Africa nation: ERITREA - Geo name #2

31. Omnia vincit __: AMOR - Latin, "love conquers all"

34. "Right on!": "AMEN~!"

These Halloween tights are right on

35. Dragon boat steerer: OAR - Chinese "ship", but when I punched "Dragon Boat" into Google, I get more Chinese restaurants than rowers; more here

41. Meadow mouthful: CUD - cow candy - alliteration 😜

42. Turn off the security cameras for, maybe: ABET

43. Iowa college town: AMES - Geo name #3

44. Accessory that may match cuff links: TIE CLIP

46. Sportages and Tellurides: KIAs - autos

54. Copious: AMPLE

56. Covent Garden solo: ARIA - yada yada four letter solo~? ARIA - more about the centre here

57. Cold-sounding commercial prefix: SNO - Sno-cone, sno-caps, sno-balls, etc.

58. Rich soil: LOAM - AND - 53. Windborne sediment: LOESS - Both good for wine-making, it seems

62. Dough for pupusas: MASA

The website

63. Alaskan gold rush town: NOME - Geo name #4

64. __ fun at: POKES - hard to see the 'plural'

65. Mystery writer?: ANONymous - frequent visitors to the Corner comments section

66. "The Crying Game" writer/director Jordan: NEIL - Friday vague, and I did see the movie, back in 1992; name #5

67. Intervals: GAPS

DOWN:

1. Medieval museum display: ARMOR - When I build my castle, I'll have a suit of armor on display

2. Spot checker?: LEASH - Dog humor, har-har

Cooper-checker

3. Harmonious, in a way: ON KEY - a bit meh.

4. __ kwon do: TAE

5. End of the workweek, for some: FRIDAY - Technically, it's the "start" of my "work" week 😜

6. Like some breakfast bars: OATEN - I made my own granola, but the calories in a tray are outrageous

I divvy it up into 20 squares, 238cals each

7. Part of a circumference: ARC

8. Underwhelmed review: MEH - Friday's puzzles have been 50/50 Yeah/Meh of late

9. Intrinsically: AT ROOT

10. Briefing setting: PRESSROOM - Brief setting = Dressing room

For the ladies

11. See 24-Down: POLO - AND - 24. With 11-Down, "The Fosters" actress: TERI name #s 6 & 7

12. River that made Achilles (mostly) invincible: STYX - dipped all but his "heel", hence the "weak" term

14. Plastered strips: LATHS - Meh in the plural

18. Fraidy-cat: WIMP - fitting clue/answer

22. Sound of spring?: <<BOING>> - Har-har

25. Lovato with the 2025 album "It's Not That Deep": DEMI - name #8; her website

26. City near Anaheim: BREA - west coast, again - I get it - it's the LA Times . . . 😑Geo name #9

29. Smooth sailing: EASE - Dah~! I tried CALM

30. Newspaper section: ARTS - not op-ed

31. Checkbook no.: ACCT

32. Home of Kahului Airport: MAUI - sounded Hawaiian, tried OAHU to start - Geo name #10

33. Tex-Mex brand: OLD EL PASO - I usually buy their flat-bottom taco shells

34. Echidna snack: ANT - learning moment; did not think of Echidna as an animal, but a place . . . turns out it's another Greek mythology figure, and the mother of Cerberus, for one

37. "F" on a test: FALSE - Five letters, therefore, not "FAIL"

38. Notice in passing?: OBITuary - Standard crossword humor

39. Credit report blot: REPO - A repossession, typically of a vehicle - I own my two cars

40. Leftovers dish: HASH - I toyed with STEW but waited on perps

45. "The Favourite" Oscar winner Olivia: COLMAN - looks like it might be a funny movie; name #11

46. Seed: KERNEL - corn - candy corn

47. Skeptical reply: "IS IT~?"

48. Showing shock: AGASP - Dah~! Not AGAPE

The Scream

50. With 51-Down, 2019 and 2021 Australian Open winner: NAOMI - AND -

51. See 50-Down: OSAKA - tennis, a Corner shout-out, and name #12

52. General Assembly fig.: UN REP - United Nations representative - the list, here

54. __ mater: ALMA

55. Bellyache: MOAN - Bark at the Moan . . .

OZZY~!!!

59. Travel stop: INN - How about a stop at "The Stanley Hotel"~? it's the one from The Shining

60. Generic surname: DOE - lucky #13, didn't hafta be one . . .

61. Horologist's piece: COG - I was thinking astrology, but this is a watchmaker

Splynter

Grid Flow 24.1

Thursday October 29, 2026 Mat Holmes

2026-10-29T03:30:00.000-05:00

Mat Holmes is back and preparing us for Halloween...and it's "scary!" I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

62. Punctuation that expresses skepticism, or what the answers to the starred clues may be called?: SCARE QUOTES. SCARE QUOTES are quotation marks placed around a word or phrase to signal that the writer is using it in an ironic, skeptical, or derisive way, e.g., She conveniently "forgot" to send the invitation.

18. *"The Shining": HERE'S JOHNNY.

27. *"Frankenstein": IT'S ALIVE.

39. *"The Sixth Sense": I SEE DEAD PEOPLE.

53. *"Saw": GAME OVER.

I CONCUR! I caught on early to the famous lines from scary movies, but the revealer explained why they're there. Mat used a slightly wider 16-column grid to accommodate the quotes. All of these are iconic and conjured an image in my mind. Super fun and well done (except for two names in the NW). Here's looking at you, kid!

I'm a horror film (but not slasher) fan. Let's see what other scary movies I can conjure up:

Across:

1. "__ luego": HASTA. Spanish for "See you later." Or, as the Terminator would say, "HASTA la vista, baby."

6. Cold plunge preceder, sometimes: SAUNA.

11. Starboard's opposite: PORT. Starboard (from Old English steorbord, or steering side) meant the right as most people are right-handed and used an oar to steer. The opposite, larboard (ladebord, or the side facing the dock for lading) was replaced by PORT to denote the same thing but without the rhyming sound confusion when shouted in wind or battle.

15. "Stolen Car" singer Beth: ORTON. Beth who? This one is pretty weak as "Stolen Car" came out 27 years ago and only made it to #34 on the UK Singles Chart.

16. Fast-food item celebrated with multiple farewell tours: MCRIB. McDonald's McRIB is a restructured boneless pork patty shaped like a miniature rack of ribs, but contains no rib meat - or anything else edible.

17. Basic geometry calculation: AREA.

18. [theme]

20. Circle: RING.

21. Burma's first prime minister: U NU. Who knew? U NU. But I didn't know.

U Nu on the cover of TIME August 30, 1954.

22. Roused from sleep: WOKE.

23. Wolfgang Puck restaurant: SPAGO.

25. Large agricultural knife: MACHETE.

27. [theme]

30. Toffee candy bar: SKOR.

31. Formula One event: RACE. A Formula One (F1) RACE, officially called a Grand Prix, is considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. The word "formula" in the name refers to the set of rules all participant cars must follow.

33. Chatty starlings: MYNAS.

34. UFC sport: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts is the combat sport while the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a production company that organizes and broadcasts the events.

36. Ever so: VERY.

38. "The Simpsons" creator Groening: MATT. Mat even gave himself a shout-out! Portland, Oregon native MATT Groening has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards. The Simpsons has been in constant production since 1989, making it the longest running American sitcom.

39. [theme]

43. Laryngitis docs: ENTS. Ear, Nose & Throat doctors, formally titled otolaryngologists. Hence ENTs.

44. Tubular pasta: ZITI.

45. Tire gauge meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

46. Inbox party notice: EVITE.

48. South African currency: RAND. A gold coin introduced in 1967 was the KrugerRAND, and it became the first choice of investors worldwide.

50. Back talk: SASS.

53. [theme]

55. Formal agreement?: I CONCUR.

58. One of music's Allman Brothers: DUANE. Could've been his brother Gregg, who also has five letters. DUANE Allman is considered one of the best slide guitarists and reached the peak of stardom. Sadly, he was killed in a motorcycle crash at age 24. Today is the anniversary of his death in 1971.

Duane used an empty glass Coricidin medicine bottle for a slide.

59. Stipulation for some parties, briefly: BYOB. Bring Your Own Bottle (Beer, Booze, Beverage).

60. Metallic lode: ORE.

61. Combine: MELD.

62. [theme]

66. Rock's Mötley __: CRUE. Mötley CRÜE is an American heavy metal band that loves umlauts. I güess.

67. Pisa landmark: TOWER.

68. Pizza part: CRUST.

69. Cold War initials: USSR. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

70. Crock-Pot concoctions: STEWS.

71. Hops-drying ovens: OASTS.

Down:

1. Stale: HO HUM. Ironically, this is the first one down, but it was my last fill because ORTON and UNU were unknowns.

2. Big concert venues: ARENAS.

3. Word with love or thunder: STRUCK.

4. Tot's piggy: TOE.

5. "Say something!": ANSWER ME.

6. Barbecue apparatus: SMOKER.

7. Ibuprofen target: ACHE.

8. Catering container: URN.

9. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira NIN y Culmell was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Her given name is very long, but on the plus side, it has an umlaut. Perhaps she inspired Mötley Crüe.

10. Bottomless pit: ABYSS.

11. Elite wheelchair rugby player, maybe: PARALYMPIAN.

12. Fresh: ORIGINAL.

13. Get ready to flip, perhaps: RENOVATE.

14. Size indicator: TAG.

19. Put (down): JOT.

24. Nonstick spray brand: PAM.

26. One with a self-sufficient lifestyle: HOMESTEADER.

27. Stranded until a thaw: ICED IN.

28. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP. The university's athletic teams are called the TERPS. They're named after the diamondback terrapin, a turtle native to the Chesapeake Bay.

29. Approximate fig.: EST.

32. Online representative: AVATAR.

35. Woodworking tool that resembles an axe: ADZ. An ADZ (usually spelled ADZE) is like an axe except the blade is at right angles to the handle. It is used to scoop out or smooth wood.

37. "Reckon so": YEP.

39. Space trailer of the 1970s and '80s?: INVADERS. Trailer because INVADERS follows Space in the game's name. An Atari 2600 was our first home video console, and Space INVADERS was the hit game. However, it wasn't long after that I tired of video games and I don't play them at all now. Somehow, they grew into a multi-billion dollar industry without me.

40. Agent that produces a reaction: STIMULUS.

41. Word on Irish stamps: EIRE.

42. Dish whose name means "bone with a hole" in Italian: OSSO BUCO. "I'll have the bone with a hole, please."

43. Brain test letters: EEG. As we learned a week ago, I should use an ElectroEncephaloGram to see if I have any electrical brain activity. I sure hope so.

47. Long, long time: EON.

49. Handy types: DIYERS. Do-It-Yourselfers.

51. Fed. bench nine: SCOTUS. The Supreme Court Of The United States.

52. Most certain: SUREST.

54. Confers, as authority: VESTS.

56. __ au vin: COQ.

57. Takes a breather: RESTS.

59. Cauldron concoction: BREW.

61. CGI-heavy superhero franchise: MCU. Movies in the the Marvel Cinematic Universe use a lot of Computer-Generated Imagery. I know, you're surprised that it's not all real.

63. Hotel bonus bed: COT.

64. Fill with wonder: AWE.

65. __ pro nobis: ORA.

Hope you enjoyed going to the monster movie matinee! In the meantime, I think I'll slip into my handy Halloween costume.

Trick or treat!

Be good. RB

Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Sala Wanetick

2026-10-28T03:30:00.000-05:00

Good morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a puzzle by Sala Wanetick. Today, Sala offers us four themed-answers with a unifier that seems to this solver to be a little bit of a stretch (or, perhaps, I just did not understand the jargon):

62 Across: Discussing business, or a punny description of the answer to each starred clue: TALKING SHOP.

The first word of each two-word answer conjures up the use of language, or if you will, TALKING. The second words are evocative of places (but not really shops). To this blogger, the theme would, perhaps have been "punnier" if TALKING SHOP had been part of the clue and an eleven-letter version of something along the lines of Business Discussion (or Discussing Business) had been the answer. In any event the following are the four establishments where talking is what it is all about.

17 Across: *Place to take an oral exam: LANGUAGE LAB.

24 Across: *Program that hones public speaking skills: DEBATE CAMP.

38 Across: . *Spot for a "Good Hang" recording, say: PODCAST STUDIO. A "good hang" refers to being a pleasant and enjoyable person to be around, especially in social or work situations.

53 Acros: . *Destination after speaking to a bot, perhaps: CALL CENTER.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. One of the Musketeers: ATHOS. The names of the three musketeers are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They are joined by the main character, d'Artagnan, who aspires to become a musketeer himself.

6. Midrange choir voice: ALTO. A friend of mine auditioned for The Sopranos...

Unfortunately, she was an ALTO and didn't get the part.

10. Old Prizm maker: GEO. An automobile reference.

1990 - 1992 Geo Prizm

13. Superfluous bits: FRILLS.

15. Bit of bait: WORM.

16. Under the weather: ILL.

The phrase "under the weather" originates from nautical slang, referring to sailors who would go below deck to avoid rough weather and seasickness. It is a shortened form of the term "under the weather bow," which describes the side of a ship facing the storm.

19. Get 10/10 on, say: ACE. Used as a verb.

20. Toronto's province: ONTARIO. Canadian, eh?

21. Condiment drizzled on a taco: CREMA. Not the first taco topping that came to mind.

23. Obama-era legislation, for short: ACA.

28. Béret spot: TETE. Une des leçon des français d'aujourd'hui. A beret (hat) is worn on one's TETE (head).

30. Mined finds: ORES. The dentist said that he could knock me out with gas, or he could use a big metallic rock. I said ether/ORE.

31. Soul singer Redding: OTIS. Perhaps best known for this song:

32. Kind: ILK. Kind, in this case, is not meant as nice or caring. Sort, type, ILK.

34. Basilica recess: APSE.

37. Letters that may end with a bang?: TNT.

42. Track that fills the dance floor: BOP. Track as in a piece of recorded music.

43. Goes green?: DYES. A bit of misdirection. Not a reference to ecology.

44. Notable span: ERA. What ERA is a musician in when he has no money? Baroque.

45. Sad: BLUE. The word "blue" was first used this way by Chaucer in about 1385, in his poem, Complaint of Mars. Washington Irving is credited with having first used the term "the blues" in 1807, as a synonym for sadness

47. Diaper bag item: WIPE.

49. Housekeeping staffer: MAID. I suspect that my maid is stealing money from my drawer, but she won’t admit to it. I just want her to come clean.

56. French article: UNE. Encore une des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui

57. Club hit, perhaps: REMIX. A REMIX, also sometimes called re-orchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph can be remixes. The only necessary characteristic of a remix is that it appropriates and changes other materials to create something new.

58. Breakfast spot: DINETTE.

61. Freight unit: TON.

65. Editorial "Wasn't me!": SIC. SIC is derived from the Latin adverb sīc, meaning "thus" or "so." It first appeared in English around 1856 and is used to indicate that a quoted text is reproduced exactly as it appears in the original, including any errors.

66. End of an ultimatum: ELSE.

67. Angler's exclamation: GOT ONE. A fishing reference.

68. "__ to the Mets": The Strokes song: ODE. We have seen ODE many, many, many times but I do not recall seeing it previously clued this way.

69. Gobsmack: STUN. What do you call two false statements that are so bad they STUN you? - Paralyze

70. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855) was a Danish philosopher, Christian theologian, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher.

Down:

1. Above water: AFLOAT.

2. EDM genre with hypnotic melodies: TRANCE. A reference to Electronic Dance Music. Not sure why that was abbreviated in the clue.

3. Drop clues about: HINT AT.

4. Aunt in Pixar's "Elio": OLGA.

Olga Solis

5. Fail to enunciate: SLUR.

6. Feeling when overlooking a grand vista: AWE. Fair enough.

Photo By MM

7. "Hehe": LOL. Laugh Out Loud

8. Plot of land: TRACT.

9. Color technique for hair and nails: OMBRE. Ombré color is a gradual blend of one color hue into another, usually shifting from light to dark (or dark to light).

10. "The Holdovers" actor Paul: GIAMATTI.

11. Classic Chevy: EL CAMINO. Another automobile reference. The El Camino was car-like pickup truck adapted from the standard two-door Chevrolet station wagon platform and it integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body.

1969 El Camino

12. Spanish cheer: OLE. Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.

14. Gave the green light: SAID OKAY.

Red Light . . . Green Light

18. Concert or movie ending: GOER.

22. Mode on some washing machines: ECO. More often a feature of some automobiles.

25. Skedaddles: BEATS IT. We could have gone with Michale Jakson's "Beat It" here but we'll go with the send-up instead.

26. North African cobras: ASPS. Snakes frequently found in crossword puzzles.

27. Vegas winter hrs.: PST. Pacific Standard Time.

29. Ramadan ender: EID. Eid is a festival or feast in Islam that marks the end of a fast or pilgrimage.

33. Rock's __ Soundsystem: LCD. LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Brooklyn, New York. A sample:

35. Self-driving car's task: STEERING. Among other tasks.

36. Italy's cont.: EUR. Continent has been abbreviated in the clue so EURope has been abbreviated in the answer.

38. Photo that might be shaken: POLAROID. Actually, you should not.

39. Champagne lifestyle, e.g.: OPULENCE.

40. Stitched up: SEWN.

41. Beaver-built structure: DAM. I just watched a program about beavers. It was the best DAM program I've ever seen.

42. "The Graham Norton Show" airer: BBC.

Here With John Cleese

46. Stately tree: ELM. How can you tell a dogwood tree from an ELM tree? By the bark.

48. Short spa service?: PEDI. Short for PEDIcure.

50. Name on a byline: AUTHOR.

51. Chant: INTONE. Did anyone here solve the 22 October NYT puzzles where the construtor slipped OM into the middle of the themed answers? As if that wasn't enough of a challenge, the reveal was No Chance which, in this case, was a homonym and had to be sounded as No Chants.

52. Intensify: DEEPEN.

54. Refers to: CITES. What happens when two bibliographies go on a date? Love at first CITE.

55. Put on a pedestal: EXALT.

59. CARE and WWF: NGOS. Non Governmental OrganizationS

60. This, in Spanish: ESTO. Otra de las lecciones de español de hoy.

61. General with a chicken dish: TSO.

63. Tiger Stadium sch.: LSU. Louisiana State University

64. Filmmaker Burns: KEN. Too many credits to list here. But not here: Ken Burns Films

That's all the shop talk for today. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

__________________________________

Talking Shop
MM Out

Tuesday October 27, 2026 Adam Shapiro

2026-10-27T03:30:00.000-05:00

Up, Up, and Away ...

17-Across. Ecstatic, like a nursery rhyme cow?: OVER THE MOON.

24-Across. Ecstatic, like a tightrope performer?: WALKING ON AIR.

51-Across. Ecstatic, like a songbird?: HAPPY AS A LARK.

62-Across. Ecstatic, like a big pig?: IN HOG HEAVEN

And the unifier:

39-Across. Like exorbitant prices, and like 17-, 24-, 51-, and 62-Across?: SKY HIGH.

Here's the Grid:

Across:
1. Stories and Reels app, familiarly: INSTA.

6. 20s dispensers: ATMs. A crossword staple.

10. That woman: HER.

13. Tot, to a Scot: WEE'UN.

14. Bath accessory: LOOFA. A loofa is the fibrous skeleton of a tropical gourd plant.

16. Santa __, California: ANA.

19. North Atlantic fish: COD. For the definitive word on Cod and the Cod industry, I recommend Mark Kurlansky's book, Cod.

20. Weaken, in gaming slang: NERF. According to Webster's Dictionary, with respect to gaming, to nerf means to intentionally reduce the power, damage, range, or effectiveness of a character, weapon, ability, or item in a video game.

21. Low card in cribbage: ACE. *

22. Chicken __ masala: TIKKA. Yummers! Chicken tikka masala is a curried dish made with charred, marinated chicken chunks (tikka) simmered in a rich, spiced tomato and cream sauce (masala).

28. Volcanic rock: BASALT. Basalt is a dark, fine-grained, extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava. It is rich in iron and magnesium. Basalt makes up more than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth and forms the majority of the planet's ocean floors.

31. "... but I may be wrong": OR NOT.

32. Scare: ALARM.

33. Shark called the "cheetah of the ocean": MAKO. The Mako shark is fastest known species of shark, reaching moving speeds of 31 mph with bursts up to 46 mph. It looks pretty scary.

35. Larger __ life: THAN.

38. Animated response?: GIF. As in Graphics Interchange Format.

42. World Cup shout: OLÉ. A crossword staple.

43. Ladder rung: STEP.

45. Et __: and others: ALIA. Today's Latin lesson. Et alia is a Latin phrase that translates to and others.

46. "Li'l" resident of Dogpatch: ABNER. Li'l Abner was an American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonists Al Capp. It ran from August 1934, through November 1977.

48. Skin soother: SALVE.

50. Unfairly partisan: BIASED.

55. "Let me repeat ... ": I SAID.

56. Team transport: BUS.

57. Tardy: LATE.

61. Karaoke aid: MIC.

66. Sharon Olds' "__ to My Whiteness": ODE. I am neither familiar with Sharon Olds (b. 1942) nor her poem.

67. Tolerate: ABIDE.

68. "Worth __ penny!": EVERY.

69. Month, in Mexico: MES. Today's Spanish lesson.

70. Parroted: APED.

71. Cosmic fate: KARMA.

Down:

1. Victorious cry: I WON!

2. Campbell of "The Lincoln Lawyer": NEVE. Neve Adrianne Campbell (b. Oct.3, 1973) is a Canadian actress. She is probably best known for being a scream queen in many horror films. She portrays Maggie McPherson on the Netflix drama series The Lincoln Lawyer.

3. Prophetic one: SEER.

4. Power struggle within a company, e.g.: TURF WAR.

5. Kitchen pest: ANT.

6. Smart __: ALECK.

7. Oscar winner Marisa: TOMEI. Marisa Tomei (b. 1964) is a talented actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mona Lisa Vito in the 1992 comedy film My Cousin Vinny. I can't believe the movie came out over 30 years ago!

8. "I'm a cow!": MOO.

9. NorCal airport: SFO. As in the San Francisco/Oakland International Airport.

10. Collaborative coding events: HACKATHONS. Okay, it's a real thing.

11. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI.

12. Plane-tracking tech: RADAR.

15. Writer Chekhov: ANTON. Anton Chekhov (Jan. 29, 1860 ~ July 15, 1904) was a Russian playwright and physician. He wrote a number of plays such as The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, and The Seagull, that are still produced today. To aspiring writers, he is known for saying the following: "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there." This is known as Chekhov's Principle.

18. Sentry's shout: HALT.

23. Playing to break a tie, for short: IN OT. As in In Over Time.

25. Offerings to Buddhist monks: ALMS.

26. Pioneer in mobile phone technology: NOKIA. A brief history of Nokia.

27. Shipboard booze: GROG.

28. Reusable totes, e.g.: BAGS.

29. Came to rest: ALIT.

30. Judgment-free environments: SAFE SPACES.

33. NFLer Garrett who made a record 23 sacks in 2025: MYLES. Myles Lorenz Garrett (b. Dec. 29, 1995), plays for the Los Angeles Rams.

34. Poke bowl tuna: AHI. Yummers! One of our favorite restaurants prepared the most wonderful Ahi towers.

36. Not aweather: ALEE.

37. Trivia champion, perhaps: NERD. Not to be confused with 20-Across.

40. Intoxicating Polynesian drink: KAVA. A kava drink is a non-alcoholic, psychoactive beverage made from the crushed or powdered root of Piper methysticum, a pepper plant native to the South Pacific. I am familiar with neither this drink nor the pepper.

41. Brush target: HAIR.

44. Daddy, in Spanish: PAPI.

47. Layered pastry with honey and nuts: BAKLAVA. It's too sweet for me.

49. Golfer Ko in the LPGA Hall of Fame: LYDIA. That's Dame Lydia Bo-Gyung Ko (b. Apr. 24, 1997) to you. Until 2017, she was the youngest ever to win an LPGA Tour event. She won the event when she was just 15 years old.

50. Major shindig: BASH.

51. Classic handmade sign for TV cameras: HI, MOM!

52. Brief digression: ASIDE.

53. "Humble" quarters: ABODE.

54. Raced on a sled: LUGED.

58. Affirm as true: AVER.

59. Time in office: TERM.

60. Irish New Age singer: ENYA. Her given name is Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin (May 17, 1961). No wonder she goes by Enya.

63. Org. with Hornets and Bulls: NBA. As in the Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls in basketball.

64. Cool: HIP.

65. Shriek after a squeak: EEK.

~~~~~~

* Einstein and Bohr debate about G'd playing dice.

חתולה

Monday, October 26, 2026, Zhouqin Burnikel

2026-10-26T03:30:00.000-05:00

Theme: CAST your mind back ...

Zhouqin Burnikel -- our C.C.

Today's constructor, Zhouqin Burnikel, grew up in Xi'an, China, and moved to the Minneapolis area in 2001. She started this blog in 2008, and started making her own crosswords in 2010. Since then, she has become one of the most prolific and popular crossword constructors in the country. We know her in this space as C.C., where her band of bloggers collaborates to educate and entertain everyone enjoying crossword puzzles in the Los Angeles Times.

C.C. helped us out today with circled letters to highlight the theme. Note that the theme entries are symmetrically placed in the grid. That's elegant! The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. "Piece of cake!": IT'S A CINCH. Two ways of saying "easy!" -- just like a Monday puzzle.

29-Across. Airport screening spots: TSA CHECKPOINTS. Where the Transportation Security Administration scans for prohibited items and holes in your socks.

47-Across. Landmark antidiscrimination legislation of 1964: CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. Proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, this act outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

64-Across. Shoe with a strap behind the heel, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: SLINGBACK. Slingback shoes can be high- or low-heeled, but "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that sling." Did you see the circled letters, which if read BACKwards, spell CAST? CAST, as a verb, is a synonym for the verb SLING. In the theme answers, the SLING (or CAST) goes BACK.

Slingback shoe

It took this blogger a moment to grasp the theme. I was picturing my father, CASTing a fly fishing line, which involved SLINGing the entire line backward and forward before letting it settle on the water's surface, and eventually the synonyms hit me.

It is my duty and pleasure to TOSS a few more explanations of today's puzzle your way.

Across:

1. Mani-pedi spots: SPAS. Spas are nice places to get MANIcures and PEDIcures.

5. Muscles targeted by leg raises: ABS. You can do leg raises lying down, hanging from a bar, or in a "captain's chair" as shown below.

8. Pumpkin's place: PATCH.

13. Like a trusted mentor: WISE.

14. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

16. Windy City airport: O'HARE. O'Hare is a massive global hub in Chicago.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Harder to come by: RARER.

20. Stingray relative: MANTA. Manta rays can be as large as 29 feet wide. They have one of the highest brain-to-body ratios of all fish and exhibit self-awareness. They are endangered by overfishing.

Human diver and manta ray with suckerfish

21. Search for: SEEK.

23. "Well, golly!": GEE.

24. Vipers in the Sahara: ASPS. The asp, or Egyptian cobra, is highly venomous. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra committed suicide through the bite of an asp, reputed to bring on sleepiness and death without pain.

27. Feel the same way: AGREE.

29. [Theme clue]

34. Actor Lowe: ROB. Rob Lowe was a Brat Pack actor in the 1980s, and has achieved critical acclaim this century with roles in The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters, and other television productions.

Rob Lowe

35. "That sounds cool!": OOH.

36. Below, poetically: 'NEATH. Simon & Garfunkel used this shortened version of "beneath" in their 1964 song, The Sound of Silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

38. Individual: ONE.

39. Heartburn reliever: ANTACID.

42. Title for Louis XIV: ROI. "Roi" is French for "king."

43. Tennessee NFL player: TITAN. I knew this one only because DH is from Tennessee, and follows sports.

45. Snowboarding great Chloe: KIM. Chloe Kim is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Chloe Kim

46. German 101 article: EIN. "Ein" is German corresponding to the English article "a." Courses numbered "101" are usually introductory classes for college undergraduates.

47. [Theme clue]

52. Girl Scout Cookie with coconut: SAMOA. In some regions, Samoas are labeled Caramel deLites, but they're made by a different bakery and have key differences. Samoas have darker chocolate and more coconut. Caramel deLites have milk chocolate and less coconut. I wonder whether the deLites inspire the same level of devotion as the Samoas?

53. Relax in the bath: SOAK.

54. Oral health org.: ADA. American Dental Association. If you use one of the major toothpaste brands, you're probably used to seeing the ADA Seal of Acceptance on the package.

56. Line on a graph: AXIS.

58. Golf course halves: NINES. A full course has eighteen holes. Playing half the course takes less time and may benefit beginners.

62. Automaton: ROBOT.

64. [Theme clue]

67. "You had to be __": THERE.

68. Currency in Cyprus: EURO. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, and adopted the euro in 2008.

69. Woe after a long hike: ACHE.

70. Filled to the brim: SATED.

71. Shoot the breeze: GAB.

72. Shine from within: GLOW.

Down:

1. First leg of a traditional triathlon: SWIM. A triathlon is an endurance race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running.

2. Falafel bread: PITA. Falafel is a deep fried ball of chickpeas and/or fava beans, often served in pita bread.

Falafel in pita

3. Professional gp.: ASSN. "Gp." stands for "group." "Assn." stands for "association."

4. Closest airport to Mt. Rainier, familiarly: SEA-TAC. The 14,411-foot active volcano is about 60 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the state of Washington.

5. Mahershala of "Green Book": ALI. Mahershala Ali's acting has been rewarded with two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Ali won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Moonlight (2016) and in Green Book (2018). Green Book tells the true story of a 1962 tour of the deep south by African-American pianist Don Shirley, relying on The Negro Motorist Green Book to find restaurants and hotels accepting black customers.

6. Declare off-limits: BAN.

7. Sets the dogs (on): SICS.

8. Salty fried snack: PORK RIND.

9. "I get it now!": AHA.

10. Bull's-eye vicinity: TARGET AREA.

11. One of Canada's First Nations: CREE. The Cree are a North American indigenous people whose homelands occupy most of eastern and central Canada.

12. "Present!": HERE. Both are responses to roll call.

David? Here! Alice? Present!

15. Low-priced: CHEAP.

18. Fat wallet fattener: CASH.

22. Sense of self: EGO.

25. Laborer: PEON. A low ranking worker, or debtor bound to servitude.

26. Edinburgh native: SCOT. We encountered these good looking folks in Edinburgh last month:

Edinburgh natives

28. U-turn from WSW: ENE. Opposite points on a compass.

29. Slow and steady run: TROT.

30. Lightning-fast hedgehog of video games: SONIC. Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series for Sega which debuted in 1991.

31. "No weaseling out! Pay up!": A BET IS A BET.

32. Uniform color for some park rangers: KHAKI.

33. Showing no emotion: STOIC.

37. Helpful suggestion: HINT.

39. Like Pixar movies: ANIMATED.

40. Slangy smokes: CIGS. Short for cigarette, of course.

41. Intro to a texter's two cents: IMHO. IMHO stands for "in my humble opinion."

44. "Selma" director DuVernay: AVA. Ava DuVernay is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a BAFTA Film Award, and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee for an Academy Award and Golden Globe. Her Academy Award nomination was for the 2014 film Selma, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ava DuVernay

48. Fishy bagel topping: LOX. Lox is a fillet of raw salmon that has been soaked in salt water for at least several days and then thinly sliced. It is typically served on a bagel with cream cheese.

49. Reward for a job well done: RAISE.

50. Zesty flavor: TANG.

51. Carrier for poles, boots, and goggles: SKI BAG.

54. Bonsai and saikei: ARTS. Bonsai is the Japanese art of pruning trees or shrubs in shallow containers to create miniature versions of mature trees. Saikei goes a step further by adding stones, moss, gravel and other elements to create miniature landscapes.

Saikei

55. Gulf capital known for its futuristic skyline: DOHA. Doha is the capital of Qatar.

Doha

57. Slimy garden pest: SLUG.

59. Table salt, to a chemist: NACL. NaCl is the chemical formula for sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt.

60. Sound in an empty chamber: ECHO.

61. Distort, as data: SKEW.

63. Mined find: ORE.

65. 401(k) kin: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

66. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. An historic, affluent neighborhood in San Francisco, with steep hills, luxury hotels, and great views of the city and the bay.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Were you WISE to the theme today? Was it a CINCH for you?

Or did you encounter a rough PATCH?

We love to hear from you -- beginners and old-timers alike. All are welcome in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Notes from C.C.:

Here's a picture of CrossEyedDave, all dressed up for a fancy French restaurant. He said "This is my first time tasting Crepe Suzette. I don't like crepe Suzette any more than I like French in my crosswords..."

At least he didn't have to solve the dessert before eating it.

Sunday October 25, 2026, 2026 Pam Amick Klawitter

2026-10-25T03:30:00.000-05:00

Theme: "EASING DOES IT" - Long E sound is replaced by ING in each familiar phrase.

21A. Light fare after a breakup?: PARTING SNACKS. Party snacks.

51A. Like the first little pig?: STRAW BEARING. Strawberry.

69A. Best time of year to visit a pawn shop?: HOCKING SEASON. Hockey season.

84A. Golf club that's almost too heavy to swing?: TAXING DRIVER. Taxi driver.

116A. One who makes relocating even harder than it already is?: MOVING VILLAIN. Movie villain.

15D. Task for a haunted house after Halloween?: GHOST STORING. Ghost story.

63D. Youngest sibling's lot?: LIFE OF RILING. Life of Riley.

I actually read the title as "Easy Does It". Tough to come up with a title that sums up this theme gimmick.

The long E sound has various spellings in the base phrases: Y, EY, IE and I. The title itself demonstrates the change: EASY becomes EASING.

Across:

1. Muted hue: PASTEL.

7. "I'm off!": SEE YA.

12. Signs fraudulently: FORGES.

18. Queen of mystery: ELLERY. Ellery Queen is a joint pseudonym for the authors and the name of their most famous fictional detective character.

19. Like a major artery: AORTAL.

20. "South Pacific" song: BALI HAI. Sung by Bloody Mary.

23. Line judges?: EDITORS. Fun clue.

24. Ramen mushroom: ENOKI. I mostly put enoki in soup.

25. Caffeine-rich nut: KOLA.

27. Sleeveless tops: VESTS.

28. General vibe: MOOD.

32. Way out: ESCAPE ROUTE. 103. Over the moon: ON CLOUD NINE. Two 11's. It's OK to put them in Across slots as long as they're shorter than the shortest theme entries.

36. Archaic possessive: THY.

37. __ penguin: EMPEROR.

40. Tree on the Lebanese flag: CEDAR.

41. Curved paths: ARCS.

43. Haberdashery clip: TIE BAR.

44. Deal that generates interest: LOAN.

46. __ as a pin: NEAT.

48. Large med. facilities: CTRS. As in VA Medical Centers.

54. Save from ruin: BAILOUT.

56. Hit that clears the bases: TRIPLE. Rooting for the Brewers. 8. Bullpen stat: ERA. Here I am warming up in the Twins bullpen. Plenty of time to work on my ERA before Opening Day.

57. Blokes: LADS.

60. Enter traffic: MERGE.

61. Brazilian icon known as "The King of Football": PELE.

64. "Unstoppable" singer: SIA. That Wig.

65. Visual: IMAGE.

67. Longtime language columnist William: SAFIRE.

68. Bird: Pref.: AVI.

72. Afternoon refresher: NAP.

73. Pan coating: TEFLON.

75. Fancy pitchers: EWERS.

76. Genetic letters: DNA. 108. 76-Across strand shape: HELIX.

77. Some NCOs: SGTS.

78. Oscar winner Tatum: O'NEAL.

79. Play thing: PROP.

80. Will, given a chance: MEAN TO.

82. Chemical variant: ISOTOPE.

90. Like butter ready for whipping: SOFT.

91. Baby sheep: LAMB.

94. Dec. 25: XMAS. Two months away.

95. Charcuterie slice: SALAMI.

96. "Not That Fancy" writer McEntire: REBA.

98. "Tiny Alice" playwright: ALBEE (Edward)

100. Snippets of time: MOMENTS.

101. CBS forensic franchise: CSI.

107. Part of a classroom lineup: DESK.

110. Unflappable: COOL.

111. Drug cops: NARCS.

114. Put to work: UTILIZE.

123. Broadway honor: TONY NOD.

124. Paperless event notices: EVITES.

125. Over-the-top: TOO TOO.

126. Partake (in): ENGAGE.

127. Barber's tool: RAZOR.

128. "You'll love doing this!": IT'S FUN.

Down:

1. Friskiness: PEP.

2. Huntsville's st.: ALA.

3. Camera choice, initially: SLR.

4. Vietnamese celebration: TET.

5. Source of some lake-effect snow: ERIE.

6. Swann who won four Super Bowls with the Steelers: LYNN.

7. Sega hedgehog: SONIC.

9. Short "... need I go on?": ETC. And 10. Went on and on and on: YAKKED.

11. One who didn't get a seat: ALSO-RAN.

12. Rage: FAD.

13. "Last Week Tonight" host John: OLIVER.

14. Formal ceremony: RITE.

16. Habitat for humanity: EARTH.

17. Actress Spacek: SISSY.

19. Satisfies one's curiosity, in a way: ASKS.

20. Boyfriend: BEAU.

22. One on the move: GOER.

26. Legends: LORE.

28. Team whose mascot's head is a baseball: METS. Patti's team. Also 80. The Marlins, on scoreboards: MIA. Miami.

29. Skip over: OMIT.

30. Abbr. on old phones: OPER.

31. Primary event: DEBATE.

33. Smoothie berry: ACAI.

34. Teller's partner in magic: PENN.

35. Bye line: TA TA.

38. Flirty growl: RAWR.

39. "Only the Lonely" singer: ORBISON.

42. Staff symbol: C CLEF.

44. Player coached by JJ Redick: LA LAKER. Redick has coached the Lakers since 2024.

45. Resource in Minecraft and Catan: ORE.

47. Core muscles: ABS.

49. Toddler, slangily: RUGRAT.

50. Brews: STEEPS. 74. Hot drink with foam art: LATTE.

52. Like a large-scale tale or fail: EPIC.

53. Tumbler: GLASS.

55. Somali supermodel: IMAN.

58. Get old: AGE.

59. Numbs, as pain: DEADENS.

61. Local lingo: PATOIS.

62. "Despite that ... ": EVEN SO. And 67. Scoundrel: SO AND SO. Tiny dupe.

65. Likely to err: INEPT.

66. Ballpark fig.: MGR.

69. Graphic start: HOLO.

70. __ Jima: IWO.

71. Hidden hiccup: SNAG.

77. Ready for the laundry: SOILED.

79. Shell game pellet: PEA.

81. Zurich transport: TRAM.

83. Scheme: PLAN.

85. Chopped down: AXED.

86. Jean Grey's cohort: X MEN. Jean Grey is a founding member of the X-Men.

87. Wind indicator: VANE.

88. 911 responders: Abbr.: EMTS.

89. Board game played on a map: RISK.

92. Bueno's opposite: MALO. Bueno = good. Malo = bad.

93. Late __: BLOOMER.

97. Olympic sport since 1904: BOXING.

99. Luxury watchmaker bought by Citizen in 2008: BULOVA.

100. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin: MERV.

101. Laundry slide: CHUTE.

102. __ Hall University: SETON.

104. Included, in a way: CCED.

105. Baltimore's __ Harbor: INNER.

106. Bugs or badgers: NAGS. Verbs.

109. "Heated Rivalry" role for Connor Storrie: ILYA. Learning moment for me. There's a great swimmer called ILYA Kharun, who's going to make a big splash in 2028.

112. Big Four bank name: CITI.

113. Bank opening: SLOT.

115. "The Batman" actress Kravitz: ZOE.

117. To wit, for short: VIZ.

118. Skater Midori: ITO.

119. Word in many California place names: LOS.

120. DOJ division: ATF.

121. "We'll settle this later" letters: IOU.

122. __ sequitur: NON.

C.C.

Saturday, October 24, 2026, Rafael Musa

2026-10-24T03:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Rafael Must

Rafa, a software engineer at Airbnb in San Francisco, is a frequent constructor and collaborator. Although it took some time, I was delighted to receive a “got ‘er done” badge. Typically, there are clues or fills that can unlock a part of the puzzle, but it seemed like whenever I needed one, I was blocked by my lack of knowledge in areas where Rafa is much more knowledgeable. His FreshnessFactor Percentile was 97.3%.

Across:

1. Garage equipment: CAR RAMPS - $99 at Wal Mart

9. One who takes things the wrong way?: ROBBER 😀

15. Ancient Egypt's "plant of immortality": ALOE VERA - The plant was presented as a sacred gift at the burials of pharaohs and placed inside tombs to accompany rulers into the afterlife. Heck, all we want is some relief from a sunburn!

16. How donburi is served: ON RICE.

17. Parent who seems to do it all: SUPER MOM.

18. Umami-rich snack: TEA EGG - A TEA EGG is a Chinese savory food commonly sold as a snack, in which a boiled egg is cracked slightly and then boiled again in tea, and sauce or spices.

19. Audrey Tautou film: AMELIE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

20. Admits: SEES IN - This is a hoot!

22. RSVP part: SIL.

23. Chaps whose business is picking up?: BUSMEN - A very famous one from 50's TV. I had a mental coin flip between this and men who clear tables, but I am a huge Jackie Gleason fan.

24. Habitat for some gnomes: LAWN.

26. Groups with routine practice sessions: DANCE CREWS.

30. "Over there," in Portuguese: ALI - "Vá ficar ALI" (Go stand over there)

31. Small bluff: CRAG.

32. Dough: MOOLAH.

33. Billboard entries: SINGLES 😀 Here is the top of Billboard's Hot 100 SINGLES on April 12, 1964.

35. "Tell the truth!": DON'T LIE.

36. Proceeds without a pause: SEGUES 😀 - Nobody did them better!

37. Common tamale ingredient: LARD - It's not labelled below, but I think you can see it in the little black pan.

38. "__ help!": IT'D.

39. Ephemeral post, colloquially: INSTASTORY - INSTAGRAM STORIES are said to disappear after 24 hours but does anything really disappear from the web?

41. Terrarium growth: MOSS.

42. Pen: ENCAGE.

43. Go unused: SIT.

44. Porowski of "Queer Eye": ANTONI ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

45. Place to enter a security code: PIN PAD.

48. Jumped out of one's skin?: MOLTED 😀 - Two weeks ago, August Miller gave us 6. Drop down?: MOLT

50. What files can help with: NAIL CARE.

52. Preferring platonic connections, for short: ARO ACE.

53. University founded by Booker T. Washington: TUSKEGEE.

54. Reacts to a riot, say: LAUGHS 😀

55. "Sure, hon": OKAY DEAR.

Down:

1. Isabel Allende's "La __ de los espíritus": CASA - Even I could see this translates to The House Of The Spirits.

2. Grad: ALUM.

3. Means of access for some watering holes: ROPE SWINGS - A lot of the images were violent fails!

4. Attract: REEL IN.

5. "Complicated" singer Lavigne: AVRIL.

6. Part of a viral load?: MEME - If an internet posting goes viral, it can become a MEME

7. Maven: PRO - Not a common synonym for me but...

8. Korean company whose name means "three stars": SAMSUNG.

9. Capacity built via repetition: ROTE MEMORY 😀

10. "Be right with you!": ONE SECOND.

11. Low-quality internet content: BRAIN ROT.

12. Word in Spanish 101 and French 101: BIEN The play was well done. In Spanish: La obra estuvo BIEN hecha. In French: La pièce était BIEN réussie.

13. Diagnostic test, for short: ECG.

14. Bylaw, for short: REG - REGulations

21. Key part of an exit strategy: ESC.

23. "Be right with ewe!" sounds?: BAAS 😀

24. Drink that may be topped with cardamom: LASSI.

25. Strange: ALIEN.

26. Style guides?: DRESS CODES - Fair?

27. "Gaycation" co-host: ELLIOT PAGE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

28. Stands by: WAITS - BTW, Godot never shows up.

29. Saw places: SHEDS 😀

31. Green transport, gray water recycling, etc.: CLEAN TECH.

34. "Yo!" de Cologne?: GUTEN TAG - What a fun clue! Good day in Cologne, Germany.

35. "Just do it," e.g.: DARE.

37. Access, in a way: LOG INTO.

40. "Saving Fish From Drowning" novelist: TAN.

41. __ oath: MINCED.

43. Like flan: SILKY.

44. Six-time MLB All-Star Moisés: ALOU.

45. Tuscan city known for a campanile: PISA - Of course, a campanile is a bell tower and very common in Italy. However in PISA...

46. Painter's calculation: AREA.

47. Sacred animals in Nara, Japan: DEER.

48. __ educado: rude, in Spanish: MAL - MAL means bad in Spanish, so...

49. Pop singer Rita: ORA - We had a nice reference to RITA Hayworth yesterday.

51. North Sea bird: AUK.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 2026 ~ Winston Emmons

2026-10-23T03:30:00.000-05:00

UNDERSTAND A BLEAT

🙄

This is Winston's LA Times puzzle #15, and the first one I've had to blog - Chairman Moe had ths last one, here, back in April 2024. This one kinda fizzled on me; even owning up to a single cell mistake, I found the construction & theme to be bland - in fact, 30D. is not even a unique crossword answer. The rest of the fill contained little to make me go "RAH~!"; YMMV, but again, I think the editor is more to blame on this one - and not the first time I felt that way this week. Standard grid, no circles, no outlier letters, far too many proper nouns ( names ) & "foreign"clues, and the same count of 3LW to 5LWs. The Across themers and Down reveal:

18. Gospel music?: PRAISE BEAT - "Praise Be" being the base phrase; the addition of the "A T" does not really result in a 'punny' or 'alternate' themer, IMHO

The Yellow & Black attack of

Christian rockers Stryper, "To Hell with 9A."

30. Really, really sticky situation?: HONEY COMBAT - Honeycomb, a better redefining themer

46. Brag obnoxiously after winning a swabbing contest?: MOP AND GLOAT - Mop & Glo, the floor cleaning product

That'll work . . .

59. Generous Volkswagen promotion?: FREE PASSAT - Free Pass - I have a "free" VW Jetta in my backyard if you'll give me $1500 to get rid of it . . . 😜

48. "Finally!," or what can be found in 18-, 30-, 46-, and 59-Across: AT LAST - The theme answers all end with the additional letters A & T, or "at, last". I see Mr. Emmons was able to slide "ETTA" into the grid as well "@" 31D.

But@ Wait@ There's@ More@~!

ACROSS:

1. "Ring out the thousand __ of old": Tennyson: WARS - no clue, tough way to start a puzzle - the poem

5. Hat holders: PEGS

9. Figure in a Faustian bargain: SATAN - A.K.A. Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles

14. Name on a former lake in Central Asia: ARAL - Geo name #1, even if it's a crossword staple

15. Sandwich title: EARL - the Earl of Sandwich, credited with the "invention" of the meat-between-bread fare that now bears his name . . . and name(ish)

Wiki backs it up

16. __ keyboard: EMOJI - I do the Downs first, had E - - - I, so I got it, but didn't really "get it"

All I can say is 😝 or maybe 😖

17. Hayworth of "The Strawberry Blonde": RITA - name #2

20. Slogans: MOTTOS - If Nike came out with crossword apparel, the slogan would be "Just Clue It" 🙄

22. Ring topper: STONE

23. Screening org.: TSA - Transportation Security Administration

24. Chart-topper: HIT

26. High cloud: CIRRUS - made my "TRES" at 28D. wrong

34. Fiver: ABE - seen this before in crosswords; money, not moniker, but still, name (ish)

Hey, that's not Abe . . .

35. Uncomfortably honest: TOO REAL

36. Pulitzer winner James: AGEE - Popular in crosswords, still name #3

37. African language family: BANTU - "foreign" fill, first of many . . .

40. __ Atleos: big name in ATMs: NCR - Dah~! Didn't get my "ta-DA~!", could not find my mistake - I had ECR, yet I am familiar with this company, as they made cash registers, initially - in fact that's what "N C R" stands for - National Cash Register - the history

41. Oscar, but not Big Bird: AWARD - two Muppets, one trophy - very clever clue / answer

42. Vicinity: AREA

43. Tenor Pavarotti: LUCIANO - Italian, name #4

45. Molecule in some vaccines: RNA

50. Gymnast Olga with four Olympic gold medals: KORBUT - Belarusian, name #5

52. 128 oz.: GALLon

53. Colorado Plateau Native: UTE - Indigenous, name (ish)

54. Model/actress Kate: UPTON - American Michigander, name #6

That's hubby Justin Verlander, retired WS-winning baseball pitcher

57. Mortar's partner: PESTLE

63. Panache: ÉLAN - Frawnche

64. Mexican meat: CARNE - Español

65. Period after Shrove Tuesday: LENT - Christian 😉

66. Toy (with): MESS

67. Break the rules: CHEAT - not a themer, as in Che AT . . .🙄

68. Eight, in combinations: OCTO

69. Minuscule: ITTY - AND - 49D. Minuscule: TEENSY - straight clecho

DOWN:

1. Affection: WARMTH - another great single-syllable fill

2. Oratorio solo: ARIOSO - Italian, and a Sunday dupe

3. Material for some patio furniture: RATTAN - South Asian, another Sunday dupe

4. Board on some patio furniture: SLAT - Not a "sl AT" themer, either . . . 🙄

5. Gatorade owner: PEPSICO - Twice (25D.) this month that a "Pepsi" phrase has made the crossword

6. Orecchiette shape: EAR - Italian again, for "little ears" - nailed it, but knew it from doing crosswords

7. Foie __: GRAS - Frawnche again, heard of it, never actually knew it translates as "fatty liver"

The image's connected website

8. Buttonhole, e.g.: SLIT - SLAT & SLIT in the same grid

9. Veto on movie night: "SEEN IT."

10. Cautionary color: AMBER

11. Spot for a metti: TOE - South Asian Indian, learning moment - the Wiki

12. Two-time WNBA Finals MVP Wilson: A'JA - name #7, coulda been clued as a Steely Dan album

13. Picky criticism: NIT - I had a fair number of name "nits" in this grid today

19. Golden St. region: SoCal - Southern California - I am East coast, so this did not come readily to mind, but this song did after it filled in - I'd heard it growing up, but would've never guessed the artist

Albert Hammond

21. "Silly goose!": "OH YOU~!" - Oh, Twurd~!

25. Distraught: TORN UP - Dah~! I simply did not see the option of the past tense version of this phrase, and I blanked on the crossing ECR not being correct - I'll take the one-cell hit on this one . . .

27. Sitar piece: RAGA - Asian Indian - You don't want to go raga . . .

28. Very, informally: ÜBER - German - Dah~! I tried TRES

29. Pomegranate bit: SEED

31. "__ Is Betta Than Evvah!": 1976 album: ETTA - an Easter Egg. Etta James, crossword staple, and the singer associated with the muscial number that my future ex-wife chose for our wedding herself. It's certainly a "numb-er" for me - thus, I am not a fan of the "theme"; I wanted "Leather & Lace" which was 'dismissed', but my brother snuck it in during his best man speech. Name #8

32. Home of the Kaaba: MECCA - Arabic, Kaaba = 'cube', geo name #9

33. Revealing to all: BARING

36. Missing GI: AWOL - Absent WithOut Leave

37. Flavorful part of a cinnamon tree: BARK

38. View from the Uffizi: ARNO - No clue this was an art gallery; Italian again, geo name #10

Bottom center

39. Proximate: NEAR

41. Measurement given in degrees: ANGLE

43. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love": LOTTA - Whole lotta yes, please~!

Here's a cool story from Rick Beato's YouTube channel

about the recording of the track

44. Fit in with: ADAPT TO - Yeah, but Meh~?

46. Sesame Street denizen: MUPPET - see 41A

47. Current source: OUTLET

51. Lake __ Vista, Florida: BUENA - Español again, geo name #11

55. Capital west of Stockholm: OSLO - attempted obscurity, still got it, still Scandinavian, geo name #12

56. Fraction of a min.: NSEC - SEC was too short, filled it in and waited on perps

58. Big rig: SEMI

59. TV monitor: FCC - I almost went with CRT, but this is the "overseer" kind of monitor

60. Cheer syllable: "RAH~!" - I'm going with "MEH."

61. Poetic preposition: ERE

62. Pantry pest: ANT - we had ANT MAN on Tuesday

Splynter

Grid Flow 32.7

Thursday October 22, 2026 MaryEllen Uthlaut

2026-10-22T03:30:00.000-05:00

MaryEllen Uthlaut is no stranger to the Corner. Today, she takes us from port to port.

20. Port: AVIATOR'S LEFT. The directions and colors were borrowed from boats.

28. Port: RED DESSERT WINE. Turns out this this is the best way to stain a white tablecloth. Don't ask me how I know.

47. Port: CRUISE STOPOVER. Apologies to cruise fans, but it seems a bit overwhelming when several huge ships descend on a small island.

St. Maarten in the Caribbean

53. Port: COMPUTER SLOT. A port is a place to plug in something external to a COMPUTER, while a SLOT usually means a socket on the motherboard inside that holds various circuit cards.

Ports vs SLOTs

Well, this puzzle started off like a Monday, but ended like a Friday in the south-central area. U-EYS had to change to U-IES, but then I wrote AION instead of PION. There went my Greek poet out the window.

Maserati Quattroporte = 4 doors

No revealer, just four types of ports. The resulting theme answers are all reasonable phrases, which is always appreciated.

Here's the report on the rest:

Across:

1. Cartoon girl whose best friend is Boots the Monkey: DORA.

DORA & Boots

5. Brand of body wash: DIAL.

9. Meant but not said: TACIT.

14. Sigh of woe: ALAS.

15. Slip (past): EDGE.

16. Residence: ABODE.

17. Sharp taste: TANG. Ironically, TANG (the powdered drink) isn't tangy - it's over 90% sugar.

18. Russian blues, e.g.: CATS. A cat breed from northern Russia that is blue because it's so cold there. Or maybe it's just because of their thick silver/blue coat.

19. Foldable bed: FUTON.

20. [theme]

23. Kept on teasing: RODE.

24. Isl. with four provinces: IRE. Ireland is traditionally divided into four provinces - Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster.

25. Basic nutrient: FAT. FAT is a macronutrient, like proteins, carbohydrates and water. Needed in lesser amounts are the micronutrients vitamins and minerals.

28. [theme]

32. Wetland ecosystem: FEN. A FEN is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the four main types of wetlands, alongside marshes, swamps and bogs.

33. __ poker: DRAW. You can also paint poker.

34. Holy people: SAINTS.

35. Adapter letters: AC/DC. It converts Alternating Current to Direct Current.

37. "Okey-dokey": YEP. My cousin, who has the voice of an angel, hosts a singing and DJ service called Okey-Dokey Karaoke.

39. Breathing organ: GILL.

40. Moved with haste: RUSHED.

43. Formerly, quaintly: ERST.

46. Leaves in hot water?: TEA. Fun clue.

47. [theme]

50. Telepathic ability: ESP. ExtraSensory Perception is commonly known as a sixth sense, and is uncommonly known as cryptaesthesia. That just came to me.

51. Part of a pod cast?: PEA. Perhaps the trickiest clue. I had PEE for a while as it's the first letter of pod.

52. Whodunit game: CLUE. In this case, CLUE is the answer! Just ask Professor Plum.

53. [theme]

58. "Until we meet again, mon ami": ADIEU. "FAREWELL, my friend," in French.

61. Unstable subatomic particle: PION. I wrote AION, which made for an unstable answer.

62. "__ might say ... ": SOME.

63. Cough drop brand: HALLS.

64. Group driven to stay together?: HERD. Unless, of course, they're cats.

65. Neck and neck: EVEN.

66. Talus locale: ANKLE.

67. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA. Twin giants Otus and Ephialtes tried to pile Mount Pelion on top of Mount OSSA to scale Olympus! I couldn't find a photo of either giant.

68. Give temporarily: LEND.

Down:

1. Facts and figures: DATA.

2. Royal figure in Norwegian history: OLAV.

3. Royal figure in Indian history: RANI. They're the ones who performed the RANI Dance. Sort of. Indians do dance in the rain to celebrate the return of the monsoons which supply three-quarters of the water the country needs.

4. Home of Odin and Thor: ASGARD. It's the Mount Olympus of Norse mythology. No Viking twins, though.

5. Reader of secret messages: DECODER.

6. "Seems to me ... ": I DARE SAY.

7. Business reps: AGTS. Agents can be business representatives.

8. Nielsen of "Airplane!": LESLIE. There's a fine between movies that are a successful FARCE and ones that are simply inane. LESLIE Nielsen played it straight and made Airplane! a classic.

9. Stiff fabric: TAFFETA. I always thought that TAFFETA was delicate. But then again, most of my knowledge comes from FARCEs. Here's a touching (?) scene from Young Frankenstein.

"Taffeta, darling. The dress is taffeta. It wrinkles so easily."

10. Be against: ABUT.

11. Foldable bed: COT.

12. Promising words: I DO.

13. Oscar count for 1961's "West Side Story": TEN. This feat was only bested by three movies that won 11 awards: ~~Airplane!~~ Ben-Hur, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

21. "Hello It's Me" singer-songwriter Rundgren: TODD. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is considered a pioneer of electronic music, music videos, computer software, and Internet music delivery.

Todd playing "The Fool" - a 1964 Gibson SG he got from Eric Clapton

22. Flubs: ERRS.

25. Having measurable limits: FINITE.

26. Buck topper: ANTLER.

27. Electrical pioneer Nikola: TESLA. Nikola invented the TESLA coil, an electrical transformer that produces artificial lighting. It's mostly used by mad scientists.

Another scene from Young Frankenstein

28. Comes up again: RECURS.

29. Turns out to be: ENDS UP.

30. "Awesome!": SWEET.

31. Barrister's head covering: WIG. Horsehair WIGs are traditionally worn as a symbol of authority, and as way to soften individual identity in the courtroom.

32. Absurd situation: FARCE. See Airplane! and Young Frankenstein.

36. Letter between phi and psi: CHI. The Greek letter CHI looks like an English "X". Because it starts the Greek word for Christ, "X" is commonly used as an abbreviation for Christ, such as in "Xmas." Which reminds me, there are only 64 shopping days until Christmas - so I only have 63 days left to think about it.

38. "Time's up" callers: PROCTORS. PROCTORS are persons who supervise or monitor students and test-takers during an examination to ensure rules are followed and to prevent cheating.

Mr. Bean takes an exam in another FARCE.

41. Embrace, as a cause: ESPOUSE.

42. Judge to be: DEEM.

44. Sugar substitute with sucralose: SPLENDA. There are recipes to make TANG at home using SPLENDA, but the sugar-free variety in stores uses aspartame.

45. Series of gigs: TOUR.

48. Lyric poet of Lesbos: SAPPHO. SAPPHO was an ancient Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. She is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied by music. Once again, it's hard to find a photos of ancient Greeks for some reason. Maybe they need new AGTS.

49. Frigate, for one: VESSEL. In a modern navy, a frigate is a medium-sized war VESSEL primarily used to protect fleets, hunt submarines, and patrol waters.

53. Spreadsheet unit: CELL.

54. Informal reversals: UIES. I had UEYS at first, but made a U-turn and corrected it.

55. Emotion expressed with heart hands, perhaps: LOVE.

56. Gathering clouds, say: OMEN.

57. Lean (toward): TEND.

58. Triumphant cry: AHA. Much better than OHO. Thanks, MaryEllen!

59. Auerbach of the Black Keys: DAN. The Black Keys are an indie rock band from Akron, Ohio. DAN is noted for playing eccentric, budget-priced, and obscure vintage pawnshop guitars.

Dan with his ~~rusty~~ trusty 4-pickup (!) Tedesco

60. Sort: ILK.

"May the FARCE be with you."

Be good. RB

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 Kelly Richardson

2026-10-21T02:30:00.000-05:00

Theme: NON-AUSTRALIAN LANDS DOWN UNDER. The theme fill are vertical, and that usually indicates that the orientation is significant. We'll see shortly what that means.

3 D. New Mexico pepper: HATCH CHILE. Hatch Chile refers to any long green New Mexican chile pepper (Capsicum annuum) commercially grown within the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is not a pepper, but rather a country in the Southern Cone of southwestern South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. According to the 2024 census, Chile had an enumerated population of 18.5 million.

9 D. Sneaker with the Jumpman logo: AIR JORDAN. Air Jordan is a popular line of basketball shoes and athletic apparel created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan. On the other hand - or foot - Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and both Israel and Palestine (West Bank) to the west. The Jordan River, flowing into the Dead Sea, is located along the country's western border within the Jordan Rift Valley.

16 D. Ballot dangler in 2000 election news: HANGING CHAD. A hanging chad is a small, perforated piece of paper (a "chad") that fails to detach completely from a punch-card ballot after a voter pushes a stylus through it. On that topic, more than this I will not say. Hanging below Lybia is Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west.

32 D. All set: READY TO GO. Ready to go means you are completely prepared, equipped, or willing to start an activity, leave a place, or handle a task. Are you ready to go to Togo (officially the Togolese Republic) a narrow country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, Burkina Faso to the north, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south?

And the unifier: 28 D. Region of South Carolina and Georgia, or what can be found in 3-, 9-, 16-, and 32-Down: LOW COUNTRY. Though my first thought was The Netherlands in Europe. Oh, well. In Puzzleland, the country names are located in the low parts of the theme fill. Clever, I'd say.

Across:

1. Second-largest city in Pakistan: LAHORE. Lahore is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and 27th largest in the world, with a population of over 14 million.

7. Tells a fish story, maybe: BOASTS. Talks with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's own achievements, possessions, or skills, often in a way that exaggerates the truth or irritates others.

13. 40-Across layer: ENAMEL. The hard, mineralized outer layer of teeth in the human body, made of about 95% to 96% minerals formed from calcium and phosphate—along with water and proteins.

14. Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune covered by Perry Como: BALI HAI. This is from the 1949 stage musical South Pacific. It was made into a movie in 1958.

15. "Charge!": ATTACK. Conduct an aggressive action, physical assault, or forceful effort directed against a person, group, object, or system.

16. Bread for a bacon, egg, and cheese, often: HARD ROLL. A round, crusty yeast bread roll with a firm, golden exterior and a soft, airy interior.

17. Carved-out corner: NICHE. A specialized role, a shallow recess in a wall, or a targeted segment of an activity or market.

18. Gasp for breath: PANT. To breathe quickly, loudly, or in a labored manner, such as after running, exercising, or from excitement.

19. Triple espresso effect: JOLT. A sudden, sharp surge of energy, mental alertness, and physical stimulation caused by consuming caffeine.

20. Submit: HAND IN. To give something—such as a piece of work, a form, or a lost object—to a person in authority.

22. Before now: AGO. In the past.

24. Circle segment: ARC. A connected portion of a circle's circumference, classified into minor arcs (under 180°), semicircles (180°), and major arcs (over 180°).

26. Key lime pie feature: TANG. A strong, sharp taste or smell

27. Root ball wrapper: BURLAP. A coarse, heavy, plain-woven fabric made primarily from natural plant fibers such as jute, hemp, or flax.

31. Bert who played the Cowardly Lion: LAHR. Irving Lahrheim [1895-1967] known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.

33. Guest speaker's platform: DAIS. A raised platform or small stage located at the front or end of a room or hall.

35. Southwestern building block: ADOBE. A natural building material made from a mixture of sun-dried earth, clay, water, and organic fibers such as straw or grass.

36. Farewell that's bid: ADIEU. A French-derived word that means "goodbye" or "farewell."

38. Blasting material: TNT. Trinitrotoluene, a yellow, odorless, crystalline chemical compound (C₇H₅N₃O₆) that is widely used as a high explosive in military munitions and industrial demolitions.

39. Imitated a crow: CAWED. Made a loud, harsh, or rough cry characteristic of birds such as crows, ravens, or rooks.

40. Back tooth: MOLAR.   A large, flat back tooth used for crushing and chewing food.

41. Enthralled: AGOG. Very excited, eager, or curious to see, hear, or know more about something

43. March Madness org.: NCAA. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, a non-profit organization that regulates intercollegiate athletic programs in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. March madness is a basketball tounament held every spring.

44. Uptight: ON EDGE. Feeling nervous, tense, irritable, or unable to relax.

46. Chowder protein: CLAM. In a culinary context, protein refers to the primary, substantial center-piece component of a meal—such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, or tofu.

48. Fla. NBA team: ORL. The Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association, a North American professional league.

49. Vote in favor: YEA. Used in parliamentary, congressional, or organizational roll-call votes to mean a supportive vote ("yes"), contrasted with nay ("no").

50. "Yo!": HEY, YOU. An informal greeting used to say hello, get someone's attention, or establish a sense of familiarity and affection.

52. Help in wrongdoing: ABET. Help, support, encourage, or assist someone—most commonly in committing a crime, wrongdoing, or illicit act.

55. "Project Hail Mary" actor Gosling: RYAN.  Ryan Thomas Gosling [b. 1980] is a Canadian actor, singer, and musician. Known for his work in both independent films and major studio features, his films as a leading actor have grossed over US$4 billion worldwide.

57. Kirsten of "Melancholia": DUNST.  Kirsten Caroline Dunst [b. 1982] is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut in the anthology film New York Stories and has since starred in many film and television productions.

60. Lamented: BEMOANED. Expressed sorrow, grief, discontent, or dissatisfaction about something.

62. Get comfortable, with "in": SETTLE. Become familiar, comfortable, and relaxed in a new environment, routine, or situation.

63. Treat at New Orleans' Café du Monde: BEIGNET. A French-style deep-fried pastry made from choux pastry or a light yeast-leavened dough, typically cut into squares and dusted generously with powdered sugar.

64. Arts supporter: PATRON. A financial or moral supporter of an artist, cause, or institution,

65. Bit of progress: INROAD. A direct, noticeable advance or intrusion into a new territory, market, or problem

66. Like a raw hemline: FRAYED. Describes fabric, clothing, or rope with threads or fibers coming apart at the edges from wear, damage, or rubbing.

Down:

1. Like a chicken burger: LEAN. Low in fat.

2. Opposed to: ANTI. Against someone or some thing.

4. Nebraska home of the Durham Museum: OMAHA. Omaha is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha had a population of 486,051 at the 2020 census,

5. Fairly new: RECENT. Happening, starting, or done a short time ago, or newly created.

6. Bugling deer: ELK. A large hoofed mammal of the deer family (Cervidae.)

7. Rounds of the night table?: BAR TAB. A running total or bill for all the drinks and food you order during a single visit, allowing you to pay once at the end of the night instead of paying for each item immediately. Clever clue.

8. Not new: OLD. Primarily means having lived, existed, or been in use for a relatively long time or for a specified duration. Do I qualify? All my grandchildren are adults.

10. "Scram!": SHOO. Go away.

11. Like a giant redwood: TALL. An adjective that describes someone or something with a height greater than average or normal, or with a large vertical distance from bottom to top.

12. Delta deposit: SILT. A fine-grained granular sediment with a particle size falling between sand and clay

14. Outlaw: BAN. A legal, formal, or official prohibition that forbids an action, item, or person from being used, allowed, or happening.

18. Party animal?: PIÑATA. A decorated container— often in the shape of an animal, typically made of papier-mâché, cloth, or pottery—filled with candy, fruit, small toys, or treats.

21. Jerry Stiller, to Ben Stiller: DAD. Father and son.

23. Green blob on a taco, familiarly: GUAC. Short for guacamole, a traditional Mexican dip, spread, or condiment made primarily from mashed or pureed ripe avocados.

24. San Antonio school trip destination: ALAMO.  Originally built in 1718 as the Spanish mission Mission San Antonio de Valero in San Antonio, Texas, it later became a military fort.  The fort was named after the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras, a Spanish military unit from Santiago del Álamo that was stationed there.

25. Gas measured in a home inspection: RADON. A heavy, colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive noble gas (symbol Rn, atomic number 86) formed naturally by the decay of radium, uranium, and thorium in rocks, soil, and groundwater.

29. Build-__ Workshop: toy retailer: A BEAR. A global, interactive retail brand where customers design and customize their own stuffed animals, such as teddy bears, bunnies, and licensed character plushies.

30. Go by bike: PEDAL. To push the pedals of a bicycle, boat, or similar device with your feet to move it.

34. Pinched: STOLEN. Acquired with the 5-finger discount.

37. Exhort: URGE. To strongly encourage, advise, or earnestly try to persuade someone to do something..

42. Like some Pride Month celebrants: GAY. Refers to a person who is physically, romantically, or emotionally attracted to people of the same gender.

45. Did the work for: EARNED.  Earn is a verb that means to receive money, profit, or a reward in return for work, service, or effort, or to get something that you deserve through your actions.

47. Term of affection: MY DEAR. a term of affection, endearment, or polite address used to refer to someone you love, care about, or feel familiar with.

51. "Get __ here!": "Scram!": OUTTA. Go away.

52. "Broad City" star Jacobson: ABBI. Abbi Jacobson [b. 1984] is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and illustrator. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series Broad City with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name.

53. Has-__: BEEN. An informal, often critical term for a person who used to be famous, popular, powerful, or successful, but is no longer.

54. Qatar leader: EMIR. A title meaning commander, leader, prince, or ruler in Arabic and Islamic societies.

56. Still: YET. Up to the present time.

58. Gin infusion berry: SLOE. The small, dark, bluish-black drupe (stone fruit) of the blackthorn.

59. Watch over, as sheep: TEND.   To look after, minister to, supervise, or run something. A gentle, loving sheep watcher would be a tender tender.

61. The NHL's Ducks, on sports tickers: ANA.  The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Honda Center.

62. Block letters?: SPF. The surface meaning refers to a style of writing or printing in all uppercase (capital) letters where each character is drawn separately and clearly without cursive or joined-up strokes. The applied-to-a-[skin]-surface meaning is Solar Protection Factor, an indication of the uv blocking power of a sunscreen lotion.

Well, Summer is now long gone and, here in Michigan, we won't need sunscreen for the next several months. But here we have a puzzle with quite a few bright, shiny ideas, and some cleverly mis-directing clues. I have no nits. Hope you didn't get burned.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Joe Deeney

2026-10-20T03:30:00.000-05:00

The Private Eye is on Your Trail.

17-Across. Pregame activity in a parking lot: TAILGATING.

25-Across. Cursor control on some older laptops: TRACKBALL.

36-Across. Like a place with free treats and a full water dish, presumably: DOG FRIENDLY.

50-Across. Wells Fargo rival: CHASE BANK.

And the unifier:

59-Across. Point to future plot developments, or a feature of 17-, 25-, 36-, and 50-Across: FORESHADOW. The first word in each theme answer is another term for "shadowing" someone. This theme caught me off guard at first. The words Tail, Dog, and Chase, made we think we were looking at some type of animal, but how did Track fit into that? Then it dawned on me, I was being Shadowed

Here's the Grid.

What else is in today's puzzle?

Across:

1. Snack (on): NOSH. Today's Yiddish lesson. To Nosh means to take a bite of food.

5. Muscle twitch: SPASM.

10. Endure: LAST.

14. Really feel yesterday's workout: ACHE.

15. Country singer Tucker: TANYA. Tanya Denise Tucker (b. Oct. 10, 1958) was big in the country scene in the 1970s and 1980s. She had her first big hit in 1972 at age 13 with her rendition of Delta Dawn.

16. Suspecting: ON TO.

19. Place in the overhead bin, say: STOW.

20. Disconnect from work, colloquially: UNPLUG.

21. "__ the season ... ": TIS.

23. "The Simpsons" bartender: MOE.

24. Silky semisynthetic fabric: RAYON. A brief history of Rayon.

28. Oral health org.: ADA. As in the American Dental Association.

29. Indigenous language with Dakota and Lakota dialects: SIOUX.

31. Charged particles: IONS.

32. Ulrich of Metallica: LARS. Lars Ulrich (b. Dec. 26, 1963) is a Danish musician. He is the drummer and a founding member of the heavy metal band Metallica.

34. Well-worn pencil: NUB.

35. London's __ Gardens: KEW. Kew Gardens is a botanic garden in southwest London founded in 1759. It claims to house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world.

40. Language similar to Thai: LAO. Thailand and Laos are neighboring countries.

41. Couple: TWO.

42. __-care: SELF.

45. Senior-year dance: PROM.

47. Hilarious folks: RIOTS.

49. "U slay me!": LOL. Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud, or as some people think, Lots Of Love.

52. "Deck the Halls" plant: HOLLY. 'Tis the Season ...

54. Use oars: ROW.

55. Daily grind: RUT.

56. "The Situation Room" co-host Brown: PAMELA. Pamela Ashley Brown (b. Nov. 29, 1983) is currently CNN's chief investigative correspondent and anchor. Since March 2025, she has served, together with Wolf Blitzer, as the co-host of The Situation Room.

57. "Waterloo" pop group: ABBA. The Swedish band was formed in 1972. It took its name by using the first initial of each member: Agnetha Fältskog (b. Apr. 5, 1950), Björn Ulvaeus (B. Apr. 25, 1945), Benny Andersson (b. Dec. 16, 1946) and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (b. Nov. 15, 1945). Agnetha was married to Björn. and Benny was married to Anni-Frid.

62. Small glass container: VIAL.

A Vile Vial.

63. Energy sources: FUELS.

64. California wine region: NAPA.

65. __ Grey tea: EARL. I am not keen on Earl Grey tea. The addition of Bergamot oil gives this tea its distinctive flavor. The tea is named after Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey (Mar. 13, 1764 ~ July 17, 1845), He served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834.

66. Clown's perch: STILT.

67. Tiny: ITSY.

Down:

1. One with innate talent: NATURAL.

2. Anthem played at Blue Jays home games: O CANADA. A shout out to our very own CanadianEh!

3. Boat-building spot: SHIPYARD.

4. Word of welcome: HELLO.

5. Male deer: STAG.

6. Butter square: PAT.

7. Singer DiFranco: ANI. Ani DiFranco (née Angela Maria DiFranco; b. Sept. 23, 1970) has released more than 20 albums.

8. Grammar subject: SYNTAX. Syntax is the set of rules that govern how words, phrases, and symbols are arranged to form well-structured sentences.

9. Facetious response to "How did you do that?": MAGIC.

10. Part of LAX: LOS. The Los Angeles airport code

11. Marvel superhero who shrinks to the size of a bug: ANTMAN.

12. Bar seats: STOOLS.

13. Spa handout: TOWEL.

18. Revs, as an engine: GUNS.

22. Hit the slopes: SKIED.

25. Guided visit: TOUR.

26. Add insult to injury: RUB IT IN.

27. Soup dishes: BOWLS.

30. Deets: INFO. I need the Details!

33. Jam band highlights: SOLOS.

35. Pretzel shape: KNOT.

37. Fortnite enthusiast, e.g.: GAMER.

38. "Return of the Jedi" creature: EWOK. Ewoks are the fictional species of small, furry, critters that are native to the forest moon of Endor in the Star Wars movies.

39. Gave quite an earful: YELLED AT.

43. Bounces clumsily: LOLLOPS. Not to be confused with Lollipops. According to Webster's Dictionary, "Lollop is an intransitive verb meaning to move or run in an awkward, unhurried, bounding, or rolling way."

44. Take off: FLYAWAY.

Flyaway hair

45. Extreme fear: PHOBIA.

46. Venue that sells shellfish: RAW BAR.

47. Squeal on: RAT OUT.

48. Iranian ruler until 1979: SHAH. I just read Marjan Kamali's novel The Stationery Shop, which is about the 1953 uprising in Tehran. The Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in a coup d'état that strengthened the rule of the Shah.

50. Really yen for: CRAVE.

51. Enthusiasts: BUFFS.

53. Muscat resident: OMANI.

56. Hissed "Hey!": PSST.

58. __-purpose flour: ALL. Who knew there were so many types of flour.

60. Big name in camping gear: REI. This company makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles. REI stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc.

61. Pipe bend: ELL.

חתולה

Monday, October 19, 2026, Jackson Musker

2026-10-19T03:30:00.000-05:00

Theme: ABCs of ambulation.

Jackson Musker

In the last two months, Jackson Musker has published crossword puzzles in the Wall Street Journal and Universal Crossword. Today marks his debut in the Los Angeles Times. Congratulations, Jackson! You are on a roll! If you, dear reader, listen to public radio in Los Angeles, you may remember Jackson as a reporter on KPCC's Off-Ramp, or perhaps you enjoyed The Dinner Party Download, which Jackson produced for American Public Media. For updates on his audio career, see jacksonmusker.com. For more about today's puzzle, keep reading!

The theme clues and answers are:

18-Across. Enjoy a prime position: SIT PRETTY. The idiom "sitting pretty" means being in a favorable, comfortable, or financially secure position.

23-Across. Cramped areas under some houses: CRAWL SPACES. A crawl space is an unfinished, narrow space between the earth and the bottom floor of a building, typically measuring about 1 to 4 feet in height. Very common here in Los Angeles, where basements are rare.

36-Across. Ben E. King hit that begins "When the night has come / And the land is dark": STAND BY ME. Released in 1961, this song became a hit again in 1986 when it was used in Rob Reiner's movie of the same name, based on a Stephen King novel called "The Body."

51-Across. Biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter: WALK THE LINE. The 2005 movie stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.

57-Across. Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across: BABY STEPS. Aha! SIT, CRAWL, STAND, and WALK are stages in a baby's development. Our one-year-old grandson has completed the first three steps, but does not yet walk unsupported. That's okay. Baby steps!

Across:

1. Weeper's output: TEARS.

6. Aid and __: help on a heist: ABET.

10. Miles away: AFAR.

14. Planetary path: ORBIT.

15. Puzzle cube creator Rubik: ERNŐ. Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian architect known for creating the Rubik's Cube (1974).

Have you ever unscrambled one?

16. Tiny, in tech: NANO. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers. There are 25,400,000 nanometers in 1 inch.

17. Long-lived desert plants: CACTI.

18. [Theme clue]

20. Ration out: ALLOT.

22. "America's Got Talent" judge Mandel: HOWIE. Howie Mandel is a Canadian comedian, film and television actor, and producer. He voiced Gizmo in the Gremlins films; played an ER doctor on NBC's St. Elsewhere; is a judge on America's Got Talent; and hosts The Price is Right Tonight in Canada.

Howie Mandel through the ages

23. [Theme clue]

27. African antelope: GNU.

29. Turned down: DENIED.

30. Sci-fi blasters: RAY GUNS.

32. Grill briquettes: COALS.

33. Ukraine's capital: KYIV.

35. Be a bookworm: READ.

36. [Theme clue]

39. Danish shoe company: ECCO. ECCO has been making shoes since 1963, and opened its first retail store in 1982. The brand owns leather tanneries in the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia and China. ECCO shoes are sold in 101 countries. Their reputation is for comfort and durability.

ECCO Men's Nubuck Lace-Up Sneaker

42. Soft throw: TOSS.

43. Solemn promises: OATHS.

47. Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York: CORNELL.

49. Extremists: ULTRAS.

50. Classic Pontiac muscle car: GTO. The Pontiac GTO started the trend for "muscle cars" in the 1960s. Muscle cars are two-door, four passenger cars with powerful engines.

1966 Pontiac GTO

51. [Theme clue]

54. Many a middle schooler: TWEEN. BeTWEEN childhood and the TEENage years are the TWEEN years -- roughly ages 9 to 12.

56. Actress Tyler who voices Lana Kane on "Archer": AISHA. Aisha Tyler is an American actress, talk show host and director. She played Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer, Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds, Mother Nature in the final two The Santa Clause films, and voiced Lana Kane in Archer. She also had recurring roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Friends.

Aisha Tyler

57. [Theme clue]

59. Swedish stores with flatpack furniture: IKEAS.

63. Petri dish gelatin: AGAR.

64. Stratford's river: AVON. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, lived there with his wife and children, and is buried there in Holy Trinity Church.

NaomiZ-upon-Avon last month

65. Release: LET GO.

66. "A __ formality": MERE.

67. Colorful amphibian: NEWT.

68. Future JDs' exams: LSATS. Law School Admission Tests are required of those seeking Juris Doctor degrees.

Down:

1. List of chapters at the front of a book: Abbr.: TOC. Table Of Contents.

2. Chapter in history: ERA.

3. Alphabet starter: ABC.

4. Actress and philanthropist who has co-produced films with Tom Hanks: RITA WILSON. Margarita Wilson Hanks is an actress, singer, and producer with a long list of credits. With her husband, actor Tom Hanks, she supports women's cancer research, among other charities. They also support the Shakespeare Center of Los Angles. Bet they've been to Stratford-upon-Avon!

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks

5. Most calm: STILLEST. WordHippo.com says that other words for STILLEST include peacefullest, tanquilest, placidest, and silentest. None of these sound good to me.

6. Greek fable writer: AESOP.

7. Water filter brand: BRITA. I gave up using Brita pitchers years ago because they developed molds that were impossible to remove, and had to be replaced regularly. It turns out that a Brita pitcher filter does not remove most of what can make water unsafe, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, and dissolved solids. If you can afford to install a reverse osmosis system, it does a much better job. Activated charcoal filters and water softeners are also superior to Brita.

8. Sinus MD: ENT. ENT stands for ear, nose, and throat. It refers to a medical specialist who treats conditions in these areas

9. Likely to tip over: TOP HEAVY.

10. Over again: ANEW.

11. Exhaustion: FATIGUE.

12. Insect's feeler: ANTENNA.

13. "You Got It" singer Orbison: ROY. Roy Orbison (1936-1988) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his powerful voice and emotional ballads. He was popular in the early 1960s and again in the late 1980s when he performed as a member of the Traveling Wilburys: Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. What a group they made! Here's Roy Orbison, solo, performing "You Got It."

19. Pink, as cheeks: ROSY.

21. Psychedelics study subj.: LSD. LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), commonly known as acid, is a hallucinogenic drug derived from ergot, a type of fungus. Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect cognitive processes. They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. They may lead to countercultural revolutions, though!

As a TWEEN in the 1960s, I was concerned that being a young adult
would involve dropping acid regularly and having sex with random people.

23. Public health agcy.: CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

24. __ Speedwagon: REO. REO Speedwagon -- named for a brand of truck -- was an American rock band formed in Illinois in 1967. The band had great success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies. Take a listen to "Can't Fight This Feeling."

25. "Knives Out" actress de Armas: ANA. Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way. She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), nurse Marta Cabrera in the mystery film Knives Out (2019), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Ana de Armas

26. Nursery beds: CRIBS.

28. Amer. currency: USD. United States dollar.

31. North American quintet depicted on the Michigan quarter: GREAT LAKES.

This Michigan quarter was "colorized" by a private company
after issuance by the U.S. Mint.

33. Grassy mound: KNOLL.

34. Gridiron figs.: YDS. American football fields are called "gridirons" and are measured in YarDS.

37. Many a fan of the Hawks and the Dream: ATLANTAN. The Atlanta Dream are a women's team in the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Hawks are a men's team in the National Basketball Association. Makes sense that an Atlantan would cheer them on.

38. Bump that indicates a lawn infestation: MOLEHILL. If your lawn is full of adorable furry mammals, can you really call it an infestation?

Cute!

39. Heartbeat check, for short: ECG. Electrocardiogram.

40. Humble home: COTTAGE.

41. Prying tool: CROWBAR.

44. Uni- + bi-: TRI.

45. Chewie's co-pilot: HAN. Chewbacca and Han Solo are characters in the Star Wars films.

Chewie and Han

46. NNW reversal: SSE. Opposite points of a compass.

48. Meadow moms: EWES. Mama sheep.

49. Syllables of uncertainty: UHS. I tried UMS first.

52. Punch sound: KAPOW.

53. Naysayer's quaint contraction: 'TISN'T. An old fashioned way of saying "it isn't."

55. Charlotte Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE. Jane Eyre is the title of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, and the name of its heroine.

57. Punch sound: BAM.

58. Night before: EVE.

60. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

61. Writer's rep: AGT. A writer's representative is her agent.

62. Distress letters: SOS. SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ) designed for ease of use and recognition. SOS did not represent any words when first used. Later, backronyms were created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship."

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did any part of today's puzzle bring you to TEARS? Were you DENIED the coveted FIR (Finished It Right)?

Or was it just BAM, KAPOW, done?

We always look forward to your comments.

-- NaomiZ

Sunday October 18, 2026, 2026 Patti Varol

2026-10-18T03:30:00.000-05:00

Theme: "CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'" - CA is added to each common phrase.

25A. "12-Point Type: A History"?: LIFE OF PICA. Life of Pi.

27A. Prankster?: CAPER PERSON. Per person.

45A. Cut-rate vacation rentals?: BARGAIN CABINS. Bargain bins.

83A. Motto of a therapist who uses origami to teach anger management?: PAPER PLACATES. Paper plates.

98A. Morning-after-the-wedding stories?: UNION RECAPS. Union reps

104A. Useful tool in making some Thanksgiving pies?: PECAN KNIFE. Penknife.

35D. One with next-level skills in being thoughtful and compassionate?: CARING MASTER. Ringmaster.

40D. The dog days of summer?: CANINE MONTHS. Nine months.

Our first Patti Sunday puzzle in a few years. For those who don't know, long before Patti became the LAT crossword editor, she edited both the Uptown Puzzle Club and Crossword Club puzzles for many years. Those were all 21x21 puzzles.

I like how CA is inserted at different points in the phrases, sometimes at the beginning of a word, sometimes in the middle. The base phrases are all solid and familiar, which is essential for this type of letter-addition theme. Patti prefers constructors to keep the number of three-letter entries in the 20s or fewer. This grid has only 20.

Across:

1. Come & Get It! pet food brand: ALPO.

5. "Scrubs" role for Judy Reyes: CARLA. She was the head nurse.

10. Some language exams: ORALS.

15. Escalator part: STEP.

19. Large Hadron Collider org.: CERN. The European Organization for Nuclear Research. CERN comes from its original French name, Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire.

20. Orca habitat: OCEAN.

21. Upgrade, as machinery: RE-FIT.

22. Simplicity: EASE.

23. Fizzled out: DIED.

24. Versace parent company: PRADA. Prada acquired Versace on December 2, 2025.

30. Fortune: KISMET.

31. Corporate VIPs: CEOS.

32. Dance club version, say: REMIX.

34. Like fabric in a quilting kit: PRE-CUT.

38. Silver-white metal: NICKEL.

41. Audition hopeful: ACTOR.

43. Like a car made between 1919 and 1930: VINTAGE. After that, classic cars.

44. "You for Me" singer Rita: ORA. And 49. Issa of "Insecure": RAE. Friendly letter combo.

50. Chutney fruit: MANGO. I like Asian mangoes. Sweeter.

52. D-backs st.: ARIZ. And 95. H-Town ALer: STRO. And 105. Cy Young stat: ERA. Pattie is an avid Mets fan.

53. Chimp kin: ORANG.

54. Helsinki native: FINN.

55. Perform terribly: STINK.

56. Barbie's boo: KEN.

57. IRS convenience: E FILE.

58. Pickles: BINDS.

59. Rowlands with an Honorary Academy Award: GENA. Loved her in "The Notebook".

60. Poor grade: DEE.

61. Played a pipe in a parade: FIFED.

62. Figure in the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition: NORGAY. Tenzing Norgay reached the summit with Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.

63. Decorative jugs: EWERS.

65. Teams: SIDES.

66. Home network need: MODEM.

67. "MasterChef" host Gordon: RAMSAY.

69. Bank investment?: LEVEE. Clever clue. A levee protects a riverbank.

70. Word with brow or blow: LOW.

71. __ bean: FAVA.

74. Noisy, as a crowd: AROAR.

75. Driveway brick: PAVER.

76. With 16-Down, official cocktail of the city of Oakland: MAI. 16. See 76-Across: TAI. Associated with Trader Vic's in Oakland.

77. Shot in the arm, say: DOSED. Need another blood draw next Monday. That nurse always scares me, esp when she says "Oops!".

78. Eyelash treatment: TINT.

79. Basic framework: BONES.

80. Frames: RIMS.

81. Leftover: EXTRA.

82. Playpen denizen: TOT.

86. Cake mix need: EGG.

87. Traditional source of wood for baseball bats: ASH TREE. Maple is another popular choice.

89. On the periphery: OUTER. 113. Periphery: EDGE.

90. "No __!": SIRREE.

92. Had a snack: NOSHED. And 93. Fillable flatbreads: PITAS.

96. Gain back: RE-EARN.

108. Vedder of Pearl Jam: EDDIE.

109. Make mittens, perhaps: KNIT.

110. Winged archer: EROS.

111. Primer mes del año: ENERO. First month of the year,

112. PowerPoint unit: SLIDE.

114. Well-worn trail: PATH.

115. Showed again: RE-RAN.

116. Words to live by: TENET.

117. Short message of gratitude: TYSM. Thank You So Much.

Down:

1. Adapter letters: AC DC.

2. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope" speaker: LEIA.

3. Slice and dice, perhaps: PREP.

4. Coming right up: ON DECK.

5. "Priscilla" writer/director Sofia: COPPOLA.

6. Ranch units: ACRES.

7. Raise: REAR.

8. Some pub pals: LADS.

9. "Devious Maids" star: ANA ORTIZ. She played Marisol Suarez. Here she is with Susan Lucci.

10. Magic, on sports tickers: ORL. Orlando Magic.

11. Form of energy healing: REIKI. The Japanese ki is similar to the Chinese qi, meaning life energy.

12. Tack on: AFFIX.

13. "Not one word of this is true!": LIES.

14. Walking noisily: STOMPING.

15. The continents, e.g.: SEPTET.

17. PC "oops" key: ESC.

18. Split __ soup: PEA.

26. Forest plants: FERNS.

28. Hoka rival: REEBOK. I like Asics.

29. Highlighter hue: NEON.

33. Automatic drip-brew pioneer: MR COFFEE. A fixture in our home for many years.

36. Tanzania neighbor: UGANDA.

37. Wee: TEENSY.

38. Claim on some menus: NO MSG.

39. Mighty mad: IRATE.

41. Correspond: AGREE.

42. Adam's eldest: CAIN.

43. Ivy, for one: VINE.

46. Tools with teeth: RAKES. Leaf-raking season is here.

47. Zodiac ram: ARIES.

48. Un-locked?: BALD. 69. Strike zone?: LANE. Fun clues.

51. Really bothers: GNAWS AT.

54. Mozilla web browser: FIREFOX.

57. Down source: EIDER. The soft down of eider ducks is prized for bedding.

58. Figure, casually: BOD.

60. Towel off: DRY.

61. Fin: FIVE SPOT. Slang for a five-dollar bill.

62. "I don't have all day!": NOW.

64. Tuner's asset: EAR.

65. Cut: SEVER.

66. Damp: MOIST.

67. Lanai furniture material: RATTAN. Lovely woven furniture.

68. Melodic passage: ARIOSO. A vocal style somewhere between recitative and aria.

70. Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick: LAMAR.

72. Brink: VERGE.

73. Wise words: ADAGE.

75. Leader of the Holy See: POPE.

76. Attic pests: MICE.

77. Strong urge: DESIRE.

79. Big name in classic travel guides: BAEDEKER. Learning moment for me. Karl Baedeker was a German publisher whose detailed travel guides became so influential that his surname became synonymous with guidebooks.

80. Disorderly place: RAT'S NEST.

83. Primp: PREEN.

84. Island feast: LUAU.

85. Springsteen's __ Band: E STREET.

88. Clobber: THRASH.

91. "Guardians of the Galaxy" voice role for Bradley Cooper: ROCKET. Rocket Raccoon.

93. Overly inquisitive sort: PRIER.

94. Prefix with structure: INFRA.

95. Slyly cutting: SNIDE.

97. Hathaway of "The Odyssey": ANNE.

99. Just chilling: IDLE.

100. All-father of Norse myth: ODIN.

101. Roddick who was the last American man to win the US Open: ANDY. That was 2003. Holy cow!

102. __ in a blanket: PIGS.

103. Half note feature: STEM.

104. Energy: PEP.

106. Basic bed: COT.

107. Long time: EON.

C.C.

Saturday, October 17, 2026, Jess Rucks

2026-10-17T03:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Jess Rucks

It's always a pleasure to see Jess's byline. Here you can see a picture of her and me as we met for a fun supper in Lincoln on a cold February night.

Jess's long fills were the key to the solve and helped with some of the cleverness Jess supplied. Her Air Force job was as an Urdu translator and at least she did not use any of those words! 😊

Here's what our friend Jess had to say about this puzzle:

Hi Gary!

Yay, thanks! I don't remember if there was a seed for this one. LOOK MOM, NO HANDS was probably something inspired by my son Sigur! My goal was to keep the fill clean but also include interesting long answers that had the potential for fun cluing angles. To make up for having a few more shorter answers than is typical in a Saturday LAT themeless, I tried to up the difficulty a little bit in the clues!

I asked Jess how she came up with such a unique name for her son and I am quoting her reply because she actually used the word our cwd buddy EDDA in her answer:

We both have strong Scandinavian roots, so we looked to Nordic folklore. Sigurd is a hero in the Poetic EDDA, so we thought that name could be cool, but decided to drop the "d."

Across:

1. Aid in scratching an itch: CLAW.

5. Jeans choice: SLIM - Levi, Lees? Nope.

9. "What's wrong with u?": SMH - Get it?

12. Vader offspring: LEIA - Not her brother Luke this time

13. Southwestern casserole: TAMALE PIE.

16. "Same here": SO AM I.

17. "Let's do this!": IT'S GO TIME.

18. Forex benchmark: USD - FOReign currency EXchanges use US dollars for comparison

19. The old you: THEE - Not THOU

21. Like some kitchen herbs: POTTED.

22. Nullifies: NEGATES.

24. Tradition within Swedish coffee culture: FIKA.

25. Like some jobs: CUSHY.

26. Abound (with): TEEM.

27. Shengjian __: pan-fried pork bun: BAO - We seem to be learning a lot of bread products from around the world

30. Setting of Fox's "Best Medicine": MAINE.

31. Milanese dish traditionally served with risotto: OSSO BUCO.

33. With 47-Down, extra lives?: ALTER and 47. See 33-Across: EGOS - Clark Kent, Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne come to mind.

34. Service rep with a lack of humanity: BOT - I keep saying "Representative or pushing O" hoping I will get out of an annoying conversation with a BOT

35. David's "Baywatch" role: MITCH.

36. Eyes angrily: GLARES AT.

38. Takes down: NOTES.

39. Letters from a bygone empire: SSR.

40. Travels cross-country?: SKIS.

41. Wades through: FORDS.

42. Leave out: OMIT.

43. Nullifidian: ATHEIST - I had no idea but it makes sense

45. Cold treat: ICE POP.

48. National Farm Toy Museum locale: IOWA - It's about a 10 minute drive between these two attractions in tiny Dyersville, IOWA.

49. Whiz: ACE.

50. Home brewer's appliance: KEGERATOR.

52. Chute material: NYLON - American parachutes were mostly made from Japanese silk. As you can imagine, Pearl Harbor cut off that supply and DuPont came with a synthetic substitute called NYLON. The first person to test the new material was parachute rigger Adeline Gray. She made her historic jump on June 6, 1942, two years to the day before they were widely used on D-Day.

54. Resolved: IRONED OUT.

55. Exploit: DEED.

56. Court figs.: DA'S.

57. Nueva canción great Mercedes: SOSA - Nueva Canción means "New Song"

58. Singer who has six top 10 studio albums with her namesake band: SADE.

Down:

1. Scary-good moments?: CLOSE CALLS.

2. Role for one who picks the melody?: LEAD GUITAR.

Bass Drum Lead Rhythm

3. Asset in a snowball fight: AIM.

4. "You're telling me that's only part of the story?": WAIT THERE'S MORE - Remember pitchman Billy Mays?

5. Spots for muckety-mucks?: STIES 😀

6. Like someone who gets stuck in traffic, perhaps: LATE.

7. Pings online: IMS.

8. Birds that recognize faces and hold grudges: MAGPIES - Now there's a face a MAGPIE can remember.

9. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.

10. Expert in nonverbal communication: MIME - A MIME MEME?

11. Obey: HEED.

14. Cry for attention: LOOK MOM NO HANDS - Jess was thinking of her son when she thought of this.

15. James in the Blues Hall of Fame: ETTA.

16. Feature of Namibia's flag: SUN - It's in here:

20. "Yo!": HEY.

23. Ed of "Up": ASNER

24. End of Oktober?: FEST.

26. __ and the Maytals: TOOTS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

27. Rang up from down under?: BUTT DIALED - My favorite clue!

28. Opening sequence: ACCESS CODE.

29. Sounds amazed: OOHS.

30. Some off-the-rack purchases, briefly: MAGS - A recurring scene in this movie

32. "Free your pores" brand: BIORE.

34. Entice: BAIT.

37. Bypass online promos: SKIP ADS - I click on 'em every time I can.

41. "Victory!" letters: FTW - I'll take Leslie Uggams For The Win

42. Like a tips-only bar: OPEN - The booze is already paid for so...

43. Place for a stent: AORTA.

44. Point value of "five" in Scrabble: TEN - Find the letters and add 'em up

45. "Only joking": I KID - His material would never work today

46. Michael of "The Running Man": CERA.

48. Chits: IOUS.

51. As well: TOO.

53. "About __ big": YEA.

Friday, Oct 16th, 2026 ~ Yijing Chen

2026-10-16T03:30:00.000-05:00

"A Minor" COMPOSITION in "B#"

The Circle of FIFTHS - A minor = C major: C = "B#" - get it~?

This is Yijing Chen's fifth LA Times puzzle - I blogged her debut puzzle here, and today's offering may have led some Cornerites to a Circle of FITs, or even the fifth circle of hell - see 51A. I however, loved this puzzle - I enjoy the extra challenge of trying to figure out the hidden, underlying meaning of a crossword's theme. It took me about 8mins over my usual Friday time to finally figure out just the SW corner alone. Once I caught on to the reveal "NOTES" being the musical Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti vocalizations, it was enough to figure out that the theme answers were completely undefinable from the clues themselves - 45A being the most obscure & difficult to parse; I'm not even sure I am 100% correct, but there is no "sourson" word - the closest I could find was soursop - this fruit. The solution is to take out the duplicate "notes", ( which had to be doubled to match the plural reveal ) and Bob's your uncle. I am sure this construction is going to cause a fair amount of grumbling, but it's Friday, and it does have a theme, albeit a very cryptic one. An over-sized 15 x 16 grid, no outlier letters, several names, no Twurds, sixteen 3LWs, and no circles, but perhaps "*" on the themers would have helped, as they coincided with other same-length fills:

17. Female sib: DOSIDOS - SISter, abbr in the clue, abbr in the answer, no relation to the actual fill of do-si-do, the dance step ( and now I see, a strain of marijuana, plus the Girl Scout cookie ); the same non-relation goes for all of the themers . . .

18. Cozy eatery: CAREFREE - CAFE, not the 'care-free' attitude, e.g.

23. Man of La Mancha: SEMI MINOR - SEÑOR, Español for "man" in the Spanish city - which we also learned from last week's clue/answer "Dulcinea" fiasco; filled mostly via perps, and I did not know what the definition of "Semi Minor" was;

the Wiki

38. The complete set: ALFALFA - ALL - strangely, a sorta dupe from yesterday . . .

45. Big flowerpot: SOURS ON - URN - "loses interest in"; almost impossible to fill in without understanding the theme

57. Extemporizes: LAVA LAMPS - VAMPS - the "musical improvisation" definition. The green one in my office -

67. Low-level laborer: PETITION - PEON, my first thought, but was obviously too short for the eight-letter fill in the grid

69. "Perfect!," or how to make seven answers in this puzzle match their clues?: NO NOTES - D'Oh~! A deer, a female deer - if you were able to "Be Sharp" and remove the doubled Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do pairings ( and I know it's usually referred to as "SOL" ) from the answers, what you're left with are explanations for the clues 😁

ACROSS:

1. Barnyard call: MAA - cows go "moo", sheep go "baa", so this must be goats

4. A pop: PER

7. Compels: FORCES

13. Like some pickup-only deals: IN-STORE

15. Prehistoric hand tool: STONE AXE - A uniquie fill

19. "Ferrari" actor Driver: ADAM - name #1

20. Second singer to be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award: SINATRA - and the first singer was~? Answer at the end, name #2

22. Some laptops: PCs

25. Ernie's "Sing After Me" duet partner: ELMO - Good guess on my part; not BERT - name #3

28. Monument Valley formation: MESA

30. Winter layer: COAT - I was not fooled, didn't go with SNOW, RIME or HOAR

33. __ Nation: Jay-Z's conglomerate: ROC - name (ish)

36. Novelist Quindlen: ANNA - No clue, more here, name #4

40. Approximately: ABOUT

42. Many a K-pop singer: IDOL

44. Starting lineup: A-TEAM

47. Gaelic speaker: CELT

49. Cornerback Bly in the College Football Hall of Fame: DRÉ - No clue, name #5

50. Was gripping?: HELD - Har-har

51. Breathe fire, say: RAGE - the sin of the Fifth Circle of Hell

53. Inhale, maybe: EAT - slang for eating fast

55. Couple: DUAD - Not being DUET caused all sorts of grief

62. "Thrilla in Manila" boxer: ALI - Crossword staple, name #6

64. Approached bedtime: LATENED - "got late"

66. Wife of Zeus: HERA - name #7

71. Peppers in some mole sauces: POBLANOS - oof. I didn't know the name of this pepper, and it's a unique fill, so new to any crossword - more here

72. Writer/illustrator who often wrote in anapestic tetrameter: Dr. SEUSS - the rhyming 'pace', depicted as da - da - DUM. My blogs are written in all-a-puzzle octalmeter . . . name #8

73. Villainous looks: SNEERS - This fish, my S-i-L calls "Vegas", hovered in the corner of the tank and stared at me the whole time I was down on Long Island . . .

I'm watchin' you . . . Creepy

74. With 27-Across, big name in watercraft: SEA - AND - 27A. See 74-Across: DOO. Their website

75. Therapist's maj.: PSYchology

DOWN:

1. King with a touching story?: MIDAS - the golden touch of mythology - my first thought was ELVIS😜, #9

2. Battery part: ANODE

3. Breakfast tea variety: ASSAM - Dah~! Not PEKOE

4. Pea sheller's discard: POD

5. Canyon former: EROSION

6. Amber, once: RESIN

7. "Seriously?": "FOR REAL~?" - Rhymes with . . .

8. "Gorilla Warfare" artist Shaquille: O'NEAL - Name #10, but that's who I figured - not too many people named Shaquille - and his "art"

9. NWSL official: REF - abbr for the National Womens' Soccer League; I ventured a guess at something something Sports League . . . enough to take a WAG

10. Didn't ride solo: CARPOOLED

11. Corp. bigwig: EXECutive

12. Goes out with: SEES - Crossword friendly "E"s and "S"s on the edge

14. Retiring: TIMID - Dah~! Not IN BED, but an obscure definition

15. Shake: SCARE - Friday. Vague.

16. Ink spot, for short: TATtoo - so many ladies at the gym with ink art, but I just don't care for it; to me, it's like graffiti on the Venus De Milo

Yecht - looks "dirty"

21. Digital __: remote tech worker: NOMAD - I have not heard this phrase, but sounds like a great way to work in the 21st century

24. Deep defenses: MOATS - two weeks in a row on Friday

Caerlaverock castle, Scotland

26. MD-to-be's exam: MCAT - Medical College Admission Test

29. Clearance event: SALE

31. Not nearby: AFAR

32. No longer feral: TAME - this guy only gets feral when the FedEx guy pulls up . . .

Told you he was a licker . . .

33. Impetuous: RASH - I went with RUDE, only 25% correct

34. Clarinet kin: OBOE - about the only 'gimme' in the SW

35. "Do my eyes deceive me?": "COULD IT BE~?" - Solid, but tough to suss in the Down position, and no crossings to work with either

37. Totenberg of NPR: NINA - I don't listen, more here. Name #11

39. Like some flaws: FATAL

41. Linguistic cousin of Hindi: URDU

43. One of a geographic quintet: OCEAN - Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Antarctic & Arctic

46. Formally decrees: ORDAINS - that's the word I could not think of; I was stuck on ORATES

48. Galena, e.g.: LEAD ORE - I knew this, but for some reason, put in IRON - that's these ores

52. Bonny landscapes: GLENS

Aye, she's a bonny lass

54. Sierra Nevada lake: TAHOE - Geo name #12

56. Match point?: ALTAR - And I thought I was being clever with "FLAME" = tip, but this is the wedded bliss kind of point - the "location"

58. Sells: VENDS

59. Came together: MET UP

60. Olive oil maker: PRESS

61. Flip: SASSY - flip, the adjective, not the verb

62. Intro courses?: APPS - Ah. The restaurant menu appetizers, that is

63. Swimmer Marchand who won four gold medals at Paris 2024: LEON - oof. Friday. Frawnche. Name #13

65. "__ true!": TOO - I had "TIS" to start

68. __-de-France: Paris's region: ILE - Frawnche #2 - guessed it, put it in, took it out, put it right back in, and I shaked it all about . . . 🙄

70. Govt. cybersecurity monitor: NSA - No. Such. Agency.

Splynter

Grid Flow 29.0

answer to 20A << Bing Crosby >>

Notes from C.C.

Happy Birthday to our dear Dave (CrossEyedDave)! He's always there when I need a helping hand with the blog, and he never misses a chance to celebrate our regulars with his wonderful birthday cake pictures. Thank you for your kindness, thoughtfulness, and all the smiles you bring to our little crossword family. We're so lucky to have you in our corner, Dave!