L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Saturday, April 11, 2026, Samuel A. Donaldson & Doug Peterson

2026-04-11T03:30:00.025-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Doug Peterson and Samuel A. Donaldson

These two veteran constructors provided a lovely solving experience.

Sam Donaldson

Doug Peterson

Across:
1. Orange belts found in some flutes: MIMOSAS - It's fun to break through the clever cluing and get off to a good start.

8. Occur to: DAWN ON - I was so pleased the the first two long grid-spanning fills below did DAWN ON me quickly

14. Song usually accompanied by pantomime: I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT short and stout..

17. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there": LET'S PLAY IT BY EAR.

18. Holds down the couch: LAZES.

19. Some fans of The Cure: GOTHS - Not familiar with any of their tunes

20. Pi follower: RHO.

21. Part of: IN ON.

22. Country named for Africa's second-highest peak: KENYA - Mt. KENYA is about 200 miles north of Africa's highest peak.

23. One-quarter of UTEP: PASO.

24. Some CGI creatures: ETS.

25. Animated sort: TOON.

26. Step on stage: TOE TAP 😀

28. "Your Friend & Jeweler" company: SHANE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

29. Ones in line: HEIRS 😀

30. Biles with five eponymous gymnastics skills: SIMONE.

32. Constant figure in quantum theory?: PLANCK - This physics guy knows both of these scientists

34. Ties: LACES - None for me any more.

35. "That really grinds my __": GEARS 😀

36. Egg foo young, e.g.: OMELET.

38. Davis canine: ODIE - Garfield's pal and foil

39. Dennings of "WandaVision": KAT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

42. Fling: CAST.

43. Picked one: OPTED.

45. Robe part: SASH.

46. Durham sch.: UNH - A little misdirection as more well-known Duke University is in Durham, N.C.

47. Portions (out): DOLES.

48. Folk legend Griffith: NANCI - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This folk music lover is not familiar with her work

49. Yellowstone's less predictable attraction: STEAMBOAT GEYSER.

52. Black aces and black eights: THE DEAD MAN'S HAND - The poker hand that is said to be what Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in Deadwood, S.D. in 1876.

53. Locking horns: AT ODDS - A common state in D.C.

54. Plucky Renaissance faire performers?: LUTISTS.

Down:

1. "Doctor Who" actress Gibson: MILLIE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2. Rephrasing words: I MEANT.

3. Seder servings: MATZOS.

4. Elizabeth of "WandaVision": OLSEN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Another cast member of a show I was not aware of

5. Nurses: SIPS.

6. City with more than 70 sts. named Peachtree: ATL - These variations include Peachtree Circle, Peachtree Lane, Peachtree Battle Avenue, and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, among others, causing significant navigation challenges for visitors and locals alike in ATLANTA

7. Initial phase: STAGE ONE - The fuel in STAGE ONE of the Apollo Moon Rockets got the astronauts about 40 miles above Earth.

8. Temple dedicatee, often: DEITY.

9. To boot: AT THAT - "The meal wasn't very good and pretty expensive AT THAT"

10. Fly catchers: WEBS 😀

11. Silly response to "Is that your horse?": NAY. 😀

12. Like many Bolshoi performances: OPERATIC - Bolshoi is Russian for big or grand.

13. Seafaring retreat for couples?: NOAH'S ARK 😀 - Two by two...

15. "Poker Face" star Natasha: LYONNE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

16. Scouting units: TROOPS.

22. Zen paradox: KOAN - KOH ahn. A paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment. You're welcome.

23. Ends used for shaping: PEENS.

25. The ones over there: THOSE.

27. Midway alternative: O'HARE.

28. Extract metal using heat: SMELT.

30. "Sex and the City" role: SAMANTHA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The lady in red

31. Arctic mass: ICE SHEET.

32. Setting for worship?: PEDESTAL - Works in our house! 😊

33. Like bricks and eggs: LAID 😀 - I've done the first and have collected the latter

34. Plague pest: LOCUST.

35. Cry from the stands: GO TEAM.

37. "Well, boo-hoo!": TOO BAD.

39. "Dust in the Wind" band: KANSAS - A song that where I might tell others in the car, "Please quiet down, I love his song!"

40. Uphill climb: ASCENT - 62% of deaths on Everest occur on the ASCENT and 38% on the descent.

41. Helping for the hungry: THIRDS - Hey, if it's for tater tots...

44. Moves with effort: PLODS.

45. Wave, maybe: SAY HI.

47. Contacted on the 'gram: D-MED - Some FaceBook posts might ask to be D-MED (Direct MessagED) to discuss more privately.

48. Location of a small kite: NEST.

50. Fuss of Shakespearean proportions?: ADO.

51. Shaggy grazer: GNU.

Friday, Apr 10th, 2026 ~ Lynn Lempel

2026-04-10T03:30:00.156-05:00

WRACK of LAMB

Ovine humor #1 - and a "rack" recipe

Today makes three solid Friday frolics in a row - Lynn Lempel ( see below ), a seasoned constructor who started making crosswords in the 1970s, now has a total of 104 puzzles published, the EGOT of one for each day, and a whopping 74 of those grids on Monday alone - typically the hardest ones to make, as the clues & answers need to be uncomplicated early in the week. Today we have the added, silent "W" to "R" words that completely change the definition of said words & phrases. A very clever, tight group of in-language phrases, and none of the tripe I do not care for in crosswords - nary a Twurd to be found. A standard 15 x 15 grid, no circles, a few more names than I would like, but most of them not so obscure, a 3LW count just two higher than the number of 5-letter words - and three ovine references. The four, all 11-letter themers;

17. Get-together before the holidays?: WRAP SESSION - Rap session

Goes well with 56 Across

30. Bicycles and airplanes?: WRIGHT STUFF - ( The ) Right Stuff, a movie - I had another play on the word/name 'Wright' in this crossword

45. Broken-down washing machine?: DEAD WRINGER - A washer's "rinse" cycle spins up to a speed high enough to "wring" out one's clothes. Dead Ringer - two meanings; the truth one, and the false(th) one - and a movie ( pluralized ) as well

61. "Good job on that coup you pulled off"?: WELL WRESTED - Well-rested, a slight outlier with the hyphen

But Wait, Thewre's Mowre~!

ACROSS:

1. Homes in the sticks?: NESTS - Har-har~! I reached out to sumdaze for an Eagle update; her words -

"As it turns out, the two chicks just hatched this [last] weekend so these are very exciting times on the nest! The parents are Shadow & Jackie. The two chick will not get names until they're much bigger."

6. Fabric for a fez: FELT - Alliteration

10. World Series org.: MLB - Major League Baseball - we're officially into the 2026 season

13. Puff piece?: ÈCLAIR

Nom-nom, yum-yum, win-win~!

15. Boba option: ALOE - filled via perps; #18 on the chart - see 44D. below

16. Wearable souvenir: TEE - T-shirt, like from a concert, and not "LEI" - TEE comes in at #43

19. By way of: VIA

20. Big band member?: TUBA - I think the "?" could have been left out on a Friday

21. Puss in Boots, for one: CAT - I am not having much success with finding a Schnauzer rescue, so now I am considering getting me a kitty-cat - I like the idea of a cat, and I have field mice that get into the basement on occasion ( though not this winter, and it was a cold winter ), but I need to "claw-proof" some things, and then I am going down to the shelter.

22. Like the members of BTS: KOREAN - These kids

24. Turn: SOUR - think milk, or relationships . . .

26. Gives a hoot: CARES - Our constructor is old school, like me

Woodsy says, "Give a hoot, don't pollute"

27. __-Man: PAC

34. "Killers of the Flower Moon" people: OSAGE - I do the Downs first, so I was 60% filled VIA perps

36. One who might make a ewe turn?: RAM - Sheep humor #2

37. Like avocados: OVAL

38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA - geo name #1

39. Brand of riding mowers: DEERE - name(ish); my tractor is a Massey Ferguson, and I got a flat last year - need to address this problem soon

41. Irk: RILE

42. Genesis plot: EDEN - a garden plot of dirt, that is . . .

43. Before, in verse: ERE - #4 on the list

44. Many a Chopin piece: ETUDE

49. Distress signal: SOS - #223

50. Word in some English place-names: SHIRE - The shire reeve came to be pronounced "sheriff"

No dagnubbit, the sheriff is a - . . .

51. College World Series org.: NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Assoc. - the Wiki

53. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI - I wanted CHICK PEA to fit, but I had two extra "beans"

55. Tower of note: AAA - Tow - er, like Flow-er = 'river'; the author got me this time - Triple A being this organization since 1902 - I did not know it was THAT old . . .

56. Ductwork sealer: TAPE - actually, it's the one thing Duct Tape is not good for - foil tape is better

60. __ Bravo: RIO - geo name #2, and slides into the top 100 at #99

64. Blow it: ERR - just misses the Top Ten at #12

65. Some long-term investments, briefly: IRAs - #27 in the singular

66. Considered: DEEMED

67. Hook's partner: EYE - in the plural, it's #439

68. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO - name #3

69. Like voices after a loud concert: RASPY

DOWN:

1. Terrarium critter: NEWT - "I got better . . ."

2. Beige shade: ECRU

3. Chunk: SLAB

4. Spanish apps: TAPAS - Dah~! I had taCOs to start - the appetizers, that is

5. Girl of the fam: SIS - abbrs

6. Observe Ramadan, say: FAST

7. "ManningCast" co-host: ELI - name #4, one of three Manning brothers - fill #5 on the Top Ten

8. Attention hog's cry: "LOOK AT ME~!" - first 8-letter Down

9. Choral section: TENORS

10. Pompeii destroyer, for short: Mt. VESUVIUS - Dah~! Got caught up thinking "ETNA"

11. Skywalker twin: LEIA - Star Wars name #5; LUKE fit, too

12. Three __ salad: BEAN

14. Happen again: RECUR

18. Wrapped silk dress: SARI - I would have reworked the dupe "wrap" out of the clue

23. Be short with, perhaps: RETORT - and . . .

25. Be short with?: OWE - in at #354, tied with ESC, IGOR, NNE & ODD

26. Scorch: CHAR

27. Propelled, as a punt: POLED - I had OARED, so, close, but no gondola gold

28. Parenthetical remark: ASIDE - [ I told them we already got one~! ]

The Frawnche taunting the silly English Kuh-nig-its

29. Returned to dry land: CAME ASHORE - the second 10-letter Down

31. Earth-friendly: GREEN - ah. I was thinking ECO, but what~?

32. Three-time Masters winner who was knighted in 2009: FALDO - golfer Nick, name #6

33. Skedaddles: FLEES - nailed it

35. Figure on some rupees: GANDHI - name #7

39. Behind: DERRIERE - the other 8-letter Down

My thanks to the author~! ( and I just saw the Sunday SO, CE:D )

40. Sandusky's lake: ERIE - geo name #8, but I knew it 'cuz lived in Cincinnati Ohio - and a Wed dupe

44. Historic time span: ERA - Crossword's #1 Top Twenty ( of a list of 500 ) fill word

46. Beneficial to both sides: WIN-WIN

47. Chew (on): GNAW - another dupe from Wednesday

48. BlueMountain.com product: eCARD - I thought this was a pet supplies company - Bzzzzt~!

52. Adrift: AT SEA - this fill makes the list at #439

53. Dendrologist's concern: TREE - I thought "dendr-" was nerves ( and I am not wrong ), so I tried AXON

54. Unsubstantial: AIRY

55. Furthermore: ALSO - comes in at #239 - ALTO is higher . . . #116

57. Bodega fixtures: ATMs - I was kinda surprised to find this ( non-plural word ) did NOT make the Top Ten - in fact, it's WAY down at 186 . . .

58. Chirp: PEEP - Peeps are SO last weekend . . .

59. Swirling current: EDDY

62. On the __: LAM - Sheep humor #3

"I'm on the Lam(b), But I Ain't No Sheep" -

from Blue Öyster Cult's debut album, 1972

63. Suffix with puppet: EER - and this one comes in at #325

Splynter

Grid Flow a low 22.2

Thursday April 9, 2026 Rebecca Goldstein

2026-04-09T03:30:00.057-05:00

Rebecca Goldstein has been creating square grids for a very long time, but today she has us going around in circles.

63A. Waste time and effort, in a way, or progress as this puzzle's circled letters do?: REINVENT THE WHEEL. Looks like we are going to build a WHEEL, one letter at a time.

:3D. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" novelist: L. FRANK BAUM. This gives us one letter of the word WHEEL.

6D. Smallest Central American country: EL SALVADOR. Now we have two letters, building a WHEEL from the bottom up.

9D. Durable material made from hagfish skin: EEL LEATHER. Three letters - we're halfway there!

Pacific hagfish are not eels, but they produce fine leather.

12D. Sideways jump flourishes: HEEL CLICKS. With the four letters, we've almost come full circle.

I thought this worked out ~~wheel~~ well. The letters built up like stacking blocks, each themer adding one more as you worked across the puzzle. I also liked that each partial WHEEL was the stand alone first word of its answer: L., EL, EEL, and HEEL. The fact that all the themers were the same length did my OCD good, and justified the unique layout.

Black hole department: I tried to discern some sort of image in all the black squares and large crosses, but they are simply part of the grid.

Mirror image department: Kudos to Rebecca for using the reflective symmetry to place INCAS opposite MAYAN, and the video game answers LUIGI and ATARI next to those.

All set? Let's roll!

Across:

1. Designation for some food carts: HALAL. HALAL is an Arabic term meaning "permissible" or "lawful" under Islamic law, governing all aspects of life including food.

6. Outer space?: EDGE.

10. Portal name with an exclamation point: YAHOO. YAHOO! was one of the Internet pioneers 32 years ago, but has lost relevance since. However, it's still worth $7.4 billion, so there's that.

15. Actress Woodard: ALFRE. I didn't know ALFRE, but she is very worthy. She has graced the stage and screen, winning four Emmy's, a Golden Globe, and three Screen Actors Guild awards. She's even been nominated for two Grammy's and and Oscar!

16. Tales as old as time: LORE.

17. Justice Kagan: ELENA. ELENA was appointed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and is the fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

18. Needing a nap: TIRED.

19. Pot filler: SOIL. Pot filler: ANTE.

20. Put in a seat, say: ELECT.

21. Travel approx.: ETA. Your Estimated Time of Arrival is an estimation and subject to change. I often drive to Miami, and the ETA is an hour. A half-hour later, I'm still an hour away as traffic builds up like I'm in a backwards time machine!

22. Crushes underfoot: TRAMPLES.

25. "__ Misérables": LES. "The Miserables" describes Russell Crowe's singing in the movie.

26. Orange variety: NAVEL.

28. Work __: ETHIC.

30. Kinds: ILKS.

32. Online image: AVATAR. Mine is a sunburst Fender Stratocaster. I have two from the 60s.

35. Poetry event: SLAM. A poetry SLAM is a competitive event in which poets perform original spoken-word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges.

38. Much-used pencils: NUBS. My dad always said, "Beware of people with long pencils and short erasers."

39. One with good taste?: PALATE.

40. Falafel bread: PITA. But it doesn't taste falafel.

41. Langley org.: CIA. I grew up in the Tidewater area of Virginia and my dad worked at Langley AFB, so when I hear Langley, the Central Intelligence Agency is not the first thing that comes to mind.

42. "The lady __ protest too much, methinks": DOTH. One of hundreds of quotes attributed to Shakespeare. "Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

43. Small island: CAY. CAY is pronounced "key" as in Key West.

44. Orinoco flow: AGUA. The Orinoco River flows through Columbia and Venezuela, hence the Spanish word for water. The phrase "Orinoco Flow" was made popular by a song from new-age artist Enya.

46. Having more wiggle room, say: LOOSER.

48. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA.

Oops! Wrong picture! This is an orca.

49. A lot alike: SIMILAR. I liked this a lot!

51. Arrives casually: ROLLS IN.

53. Free (of): RID.

54. Small tweak?: MOD. Just a little MODification.

55. Spots to let sleeping dogs lie: PET BEDS. This bed seemed so big when Buster was a pup. We adopted him during COVID, and he turns 6 today!

59. Small spot: SPECKLE. Small spot filler: SPACKLE

63. [theme]

66. Part of UAE: ARAB. United ARAB Emirates. The UAE has ARABs in it.

67. Not as grim: ROSIER. As in the Grim Reaper's kid sister, ROSIER Reaper.

68. Large vases: URNS.

69. Green carpet: MOSS.

70. Boggy places: SWAMPS. This one mired me down.

71. Teeny bit: MITE.

Down:

1. Abhor: HATE. This clue is detestable.

2. Settled: ALIT.

3. [theme]

4. "All bets __ off": ARE.

5. Streaming device, maybe: LED TV. This one seemed off, so I turned it on.

6. [theme]

7. Tragic fate: DOOM.

8. Strong hold: GRIP.

9. [theme]

10. "Oof": YEESH.

11. Every last one: ALL. ALL at ONCE.

12. [theme]

13. A single time: ONCE. ONCE and for ALL.

14. Quaker grains: OATS.

23. Sow's counterpart: REAP. Ah, the verb, not the noun. I wanted "boar."

24. To be, in Paris: ETRE.

Vous êtes ici.

27. Donkey: ASS.

29. Co. for surfers: ISP. An Internet Service Provider is a company that connects individuals and businesses to the internet.

30. Natives of pre-Columbian Peru: INCAS.

31. Super Mario brother: LUIGI.

33. Potatoes, in Urdu: ALOO.

34. Body art: TATS. People get TATS (tattoos) of the weirdest things...

36. Arcade pioneer: ATARI.

37. Like the ruins in Tulum: MAYAN.

45. Some short-term rentals: AIRBNBS. A very good friend lives just blocks from the Atlantic. Three houses surrounding him have become AIRBNBS, turning his quiet neighborhood into a party zone. Residential zoning laws need to be updated to prevent this.

46. Corporate structures: LADDERS.

47. Tots' playwear: ROMPERS. Tots' quandary - where should we wear our ROMPERS?

48. Buddy from way back when: OLD CHUM. OLD CHUM is also useful for luring orcas.

50. Actor Schreiber: LIEV. LIEV Schreiber is an acclaimed American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He's known for his roles as Sabertooth, Wolverine's brother, in the X-Men series and the titular Ray Donovan in the TV series.

52. Theater eponym: LOEW.

55. Brit's stroller: PRAM.

56. Wireless router brand named for a Finnish architect: EERO. EERO Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer, famous for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the TWA Terminal at JFK in NYC. He also designed iconic furniture. I guess if he were around today, he'd have come up with a router casing?

1956 Tulip Chairs and Pedestal Table

57. Spanish aunts: TIAS.

58. Winter coat?: SNOW.

59. Herding dog name: SHEP. Here's the most faithful border collie, SHEP. After watching his master's coffin leave on a train in Montana in 1936, he waited in vain for years at the station.

Now Buster wants a bronze statue!

60. Russell of "The Diplomat": KERI.

61. Mardi Gras follower: LENT. LENT follower: EASTERTIDE, the 50 days following Easter, culminating in Pentecost.

62. "How __ can I say it ... ": ELSE.

64. Org. that operates AIT scanners: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration primarily monitors aviation, but also does rail and mass transit. And until recently, the organization worked without pay as they were used as pawns by Congress.

Advanced Imaging Technology

65. Actor/comedian Meadows: TIM. Another SNL alum.

Rebecca spoke and now I'm tired. Wheel see you 'round!

Be good. RB

Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Kathy Lowden

2026-04-08T02:30:00.001-05:00

Lessee, Theme,, hmm,,,

I like AURORA, as in Sleeping Beauty... (As in, Her Prince has come...)

Or how bout: Favorite Pet Name.

Not sure if above is "Mia,"

Prince is also famously known for gifting a dog named God to Nicole Richie.

Or how about, Your Photos Are Ready, (As in, Your Prints Have Come...) ?

No, it seems to be three things that can all be an explanation of the clue "Prince."

17 Across. Prince: TENNIS BALL BRAND.

36 Across. Prince: HIS ROYAL BADNESS. Complete Splaining can be found here...

This Guy...

54 Across. Prince: HEIR TO THE THRONE. This simple answer is not as simple as you might think...

But which one is the true Heir?

You will have to watch the whole move to find out...

(Or, just read the book...)

I believe this is Kathy's 6th contribution to The L.A.Times, and is becoming quite the prolific Constructor. I look forward to seeing many more puzzles from her here in future... (if we can steal her away from The New York Times... : )

Across:

1. Island ring: ATOLL.

6. Skating venue: RINK.

10. "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" essayist Didion: JOAN. Considered a landmark in new journalism

14. Hogwash: TRIPE.

15. Job inspection org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

16. "Uh, I doubt that": UM, NO...

17. [ Theme }

20. Makes a request: ASKS.

21. "Yo!": HEY.

22. Warm welcomes?: ALOHAS. (I like this clue/answer...)

23. Part of UCLA: LOS.

24. Lacking scruples: AMORAL.

25. Many a social media pic: SELFIE.

A famous example.

29. Action in Uno: DRAW. Not Go Fish?

30. Egg-shaped: OVOID.

31. Tortellini filling option: MEAT. First choice, followed by Cheese, followed by anything you can imagine... A piece of curious trivia: In Italian regional slang, particularly in Bologna, "tortellino" (singular) or "tortellone" (large tortellini) is used to describe a person who is naive, not very bright, or slightly chubby. So if planning to visit Italy, please be very careful in your pronunciation at a restaurant. You don't want to accidentally insult your waiter...

32. Graph paper pattern: GRID.

36. [ Theme ]

39. Flamenco cheers: OLES.

40. Redding of R&B: OTIS. Best known for [sitting on] The Dock of the Bay. But has had so many more hits if you delve deeper.

41. Painter's prop: EASEL.

42. Long, long time: AGES. (I wanted Eons...)

43. Alloy in some decorative plates: PEWTER. Mostly Tin (92%) hardened with Antimony and Copper.

44. __ Sapphire gin: BOMBAY. I always thought Gin was just flavored Vodka, But it is much, much more...

47. Letters at the end of a proof: QED. AI Overview

Q.E.D. stands for the Latin phrase

quod erat demonstrandum, meaning "which was to be demonstrated" or "thus it is proven". It is used at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument to indicate that the theorem or proposition has been fully proven.

Doesn't work at Starbucks...

48. Fix for a noisy car: TUNE-UP. Being a DIY Mechanic, I would think of this as one word. However linguistically:

"Tune-up" is typically written as two words connected by a hyphen (

tune-up) when used as a noun or adjective, or as two separate words (tune up) when used as a verb.

49. First word of the Lord's Prayer: OUR.

50. DIY tutorial site: EHOW.

54. [ Theme ]

57. "Are you __ out?": IN OR.

58. Liu of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings": SIMU. His full Wiki, he has a long list of appearances.

59. Broadcaster: AIRER.

60. PlayStation maker: SONY.

61. Word in a vague ultimatum: ELSE.

62. Tied up in knots: TENSE. Guy goes to a shrink, says, "Doc' I can't tell if I am a Teepee, or a Wigwam." Doctor says, " Your two tents... "

Down:
1. Chapati flour: ATTA. Chapati is a simple, unleavened flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, made from whole wheat flour (atta) and water, cooked on a griddle (tawa).

2. Very, in Versailles: TRES. (French)

3. Sty sound: OINK.

4. ICU employees: LPNS. Licensed Practical Nurse.

5. Island ring: LEI. I didn't know there were so many types of Leis.

How to make a Haku Lei.

6. Spa attire: ROBES.

7. "By Jove!": I SAY. Or, "they are real, and they are spectacular!"

8. Org. whose members play at a 6-Across: NHL. National Hockey League.

9. Greek city with a namesake olive: KALAMATA. Cured in Brine, "and Red Wine Vinegar."

Explore the best places in 3 minutes? 4K

10. One of 12 in "12 Angry Men": JUROR.

Why I never get selected for Jury Duty...

11. Nebraska city that's home to the Great Plains Black History Museum: OMAHA. More Here...

12. Yearly record: ANNAL. A.I. Overview...

13. Signs of recognition: NODS. What happens when I read the A.I. Overview above...

18. Manolo Blahnik creation: SHOE.

This Guy.

19. "Let's __ this popsicle stand": BLOW. ("But not without new shoes above.")

23. __ deck: pool's spot on a cruise ship: LIDO.

But Wait! Where's the Poop Deck? (I have to go!)

24. Many Mecca residents: ARABS.

25. NYC nabe: SOHO. (South Of Houston Street.)

26. Like one twin in a soapy drama, typically: EVIL.

How and Why The Evil Twin was invented...

(Bring a towel...)

27. Shake: LOSE.

28. Trees at a Christmas tree farm: FIRS. As a whole, yes. But there is Douglas, Fraser, Noble, Scotch Pine, and many many more...

Douglas Fir is known to give heartburn...

29. Sub contractors?: DELI'S. (Very cute...)

31. Swabbie pal: MATEY. This is cute too...

Swabbie at 1st made me think of this guy,

Which had me imagining cotton ear swab imaginary friends,

But it was all just Sailors Jargon...

32. Chew like a beaver: GNAW.

33. Musical pause: REST.

34. Words of comprehension: I SEE.

35. High-end camera, for short: DSLR. Digital Single Lens Reflex.

37. Element of a Sun Salutation: YOGA POSE.

38. Property transfer need: DEED.

42. Border on: ABUT.

43. Cheeky: PERT.

44. Good, in Spanish: BUENO.

45. Pico de gallo ingredient: ONION. Turns out, onion is the only 5 letter ingredient. Unless you count "spice" as an optional ingredient, (Cumin, Black Pepper.) but of course, you would never use just one spice (singular). However, you could go all out, and add fruit! Fruit has 5 letters, (but which fruit...?)

46. In high spirits: MERRY. Hmm, could you add Gin to Pico de gallo?

47. Waiting line: QUEUE. Hmm, if you tried the above at your next party, would your guest wait in line?

48. Not that: THIS. (Or the other thing...)

49. Units of electrical resistance: OHMS.

50. Ohio border lake: ERIE.

I always think Ohio is where Illinois is...

51. Noisy car part: HORN. Unless your driving a piece of junk...

52. Column to the left of the decimal point: ONES.

53. "And __ off!": WERE. (This clue/answer is in the wrong place...)

55. Ending at, briefly: TIL. (Til we meet again...)

56. Cap: HAT. Yes, as a Noun, but if used as a verb...

And here's the Grid:

See you in the comments, I'm sure I must have left "something" out.

CE:D

(•˕ •マ.ᐟ

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Michael Hobin

2026-04-07T03:30:00.014-05:00

Chop, Chop. The first word of each theme answer describes a form of cutting.

3-Down. Yahtzee, craps, et al.: DICE GAMES.

9-Down. Mysterious designs in fields: CROP CIRCLES.

20-Down. Portable writing surface: CLIP BOARD.

23-Down. Fruit-filled breakfast treat: PRUNE DANISH.

And the unifier:

34-Down. On the next level, or what 3-, 9-, 20-, and 23-Down literally have: A CUT ABOVE. Notice that each theme answer is in the Down position, thereby allowing that the "Cutting" word is "Above" the rest of the answer.

Here's the Grid:

Across:

1. "One last thing ... ": AND, ALSO ...

8. Gadget for a seafood chef: SCALER. A fish scaler is a tool designed to remove inedible scales from fish while keeping the skin intact. A good one will have a lid to contain the scales instead of making a mess on the table.

14. Chewy bits in some oatmeal cookies: RAISINS. I would prefer chocolate chips in my cookies.

15. Estrogen, e.g.: HORMONE.

16. Noisy insects that emerge in summer: CICADAS. There is a species of cicadas, known as periodical cicadas, that live underground for years, only to appear every 17-years, make loud noises, mate, then die.

17. Small crustaceans: ISOPODS. Isopods are a diverse group of crustaceans, related to crabs and shrimp. They have segmented bodies, a hard exoskeleton, and seven pairs of legs. Some species can to roll into a ball for defense. Not all isopods are small. They can range in size from tiny to the giant deep-sea isopods, which can be over a foot long, and play important roles as scavengers in their ecosystems.

18. Luge, for one: SLED.

19. Get stuff ready for vacation: PACK UP.

21. Series of reps in the gym: SET.

22. Empty spaces: GAPS.

24. Sponged (off): LEECHED.

26. "__-ching!": CHA.

28. "Bohemian Rhapsody" Oscar winner Malek: RAMI. Rami Said Malek (b. May 12, 1981) portrayed Queen lead singer, Freddie Mercury (né Farrokh Bulsara; Sept. 5, 1946 ~ Nov. 24, 1991), in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

30. "O Sole __": MIO.

31. Target: AIM.

32. Sch. that hosts the Sun Bowl: UTEP. As in the University of Texas, El Paso. Before becoming a part of the University of Texas System, the school, which was founded in 1913, was known as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy. Hence, the they are the Miners.

33. To-do list trip: ERRAND.

37. Fuss at the mirror: PREEN.

39. "Euphoria" cable network: HBO. Home BoxOffice.

41. Chocolate source: CACAO. Everything you ever wanted to know about cacao and chocolate but didn't know to ask.

42. Made a cozy home: NESTED.

44. Not written down, as a contract: ORAL.

46. Official who calls balls and strikes: UMP.

47. Laudatory poem: ODE. These poems are crossword staples.

48. Ready, willing, and __: ABLE.

49. Driver's seat?: TEE. Think golf.

50. Snack brand named for a Roman moon goddess: LUNA BAR.

53. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a federal agency that ensures safe working conditions by setting standards and enforcing them.

55. Equinox mo.: SEP. Equinoxes occur twice a year, in March (around the 20th–21st) and September (around the 22nd–23rd). The equinox marks when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal day and night lengths all around the world.

56. Fool around (with): NOODLE.

58. Kimono sashes: OBIs.

61. Consider anew: RE-THINK.

63. Seasonal quaffs: EGG NOGS.

65. Awakens: AROUSES.

66. Take revenge: GET EVEN.

67. Electronic keyboards, informally: SYNTHS.

68. Appetizer-size burgers: SLIDERS.

Down:

1. Rainbow shapes: ARCS.

2. Get just right: NAIL.

4. Carne __ tacos: steak dish: ASADA. Yummers! Carne asada is a Mexican dish of marinated, grilled, and thinly sliced beef.

5. Tupperware top: LID. In the mid-1940s, Earl Tupper (July 28, 1907 ~ October. 5, 1983) came up with a flexible and airtight polyethylene plastic containers, famously featuring a "burping" lid. In the 1950s, Tupperware parties were all the vogue. It was a kitchen staple when I was growing up. I may still have some my mother's Tupperware pieces/

6. Gets short with: SNAPS AT.

7. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA. While it may be associated with Greek mythology, Mount Ossa, is a real mountain in Thessaly, Greece.

8. Offender's defiant challenge: SO SUE ME.

10. Concert device: AMP.

11. Start to change?: LOOSE.

12. Came to a stop: ENDED.

13. Sit for a spell: REST.

15. Long walk: HIKE.

25. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

26. Crunch's rank in the cereal aisle: CAP'N. Cap'n Crunch has been around since the early 1960s.

27. Fill a job opening: HIRE.

29. "It's alright, I suppose": MEH.

35. First entry on many a form: NAME.

36. Suss (out), informally: DOPE.

38. School attended by many English statesmen: ETON. Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) were classmates at Eaton.

40. Poetic sphere: ORB.

43. Fillets, as a flounder: DEBONES.

45. Soothing balm for a sunburn: ALOE GEL.

50. Suspicious (of): LEERY.

51. "The Jungle" writer Sinclair: UPTON. The Jungle is a novel that exposed the harsh realities of immigrant life and labor in Chicago's meatpacking industry. The 1906 novel was instrumental in Congress passing the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. Many books by Upton Sinclair (né Upton Beall Sinclair Jr.; b. Sept. 20, 1878 ~ Nov. 25, 1968) focused on social reform literature. He was considered a muckraker journalist and political activist. His novel Oil! is as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1926.

52. NASA go-aheads: A-OKs. NASA gave Artemis II the go-ahead just last week.

54. Made sharper: HONED.

55. Sp. titles: SRAs. Today's Spanish lesson.

57. Staying power: LEGS.

59. Disney CEO before D'Amaro: IGER. Just last month, Josh D'Amaro (b. Feb. 10, 1971) became the CEO of Disney. His predecessor was Robert Alan Iger (b. Feb. 10, 1951). Interestingly, Bob Iger is exactly 20 years older than Josh D'Amaro.

60. Hyphenated personal IDs: SSNs. As in Social Security Numbers.

62. Crude dwelling: HUT.

64. VW hatchback: GTI. GTI stands Grand Touring Injection. It refers to a performance-oriented, fuel-injected car, famously utilized by Volkswagen since the to signify a fast, practical "hot hatch" suitable for long-distance driving.

חתולה

Monday, April 6, 2026, Jodi Davenport

2026-04-06T03:30:00.004-05:00

Theme: Warm words.

What do I care how much it may storm?
I've got crosswords to keep me warm.

Constructor Jodi Davenport makes sure we're keeping cozy by finding warm garments hidden at the FRONTS of familiar phrases in the long answers.

The big reveal occurs here:

59-Across. Zones of air that bring less chilly weather, or what 17-, 23-, 38-, and 49-Across all have: WARM FRONTS. A warm front is the leading edge of an advancing warmer air mass that overrides a retreating colder air mass. But in the style of crossword themes, the clue suggests we look for something WARM at the FRONTS (or beginnings) of the listed entries.

17-Across. Manhattan thoroughfare known for ritzy residences: PARK AVENUE. PARKA.

23-Across. Endure a book just to write a scathing review, perhaps: HATE READ. HAT.

38-Across. Personal stakes: VESTED INTERESTS. VEST.

49-Across. Brian De Palma crime classic starring Al Pacino: SCAR FACE. SCARF.

That was a nice warm-up exercise! Now for the heavy lifting.

Across:

1. Canvas camping structures: TENTS.

6. Open just a crack: AJAR.

10. Twinge of hunger: PANG.

14. Ferret kin: STOAT. In winter, a stoat's brown coat turns white, and the white version of the animal is called an ermine. Weird, huh? Stoats and ferrets are closely related members of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters, and badgers.

Stoat Ermine

15. Misplaced: LOST.

16. Febreze target: ODOR. Testing your knowledge of home air and fabric fresheners.

I would try washing up first, and then opening a window.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Roused: WOKE.

20. Nobel-winning Mother: TERESA. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was a Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in India. As of 2012, the group was operating in 133 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns serving victims of AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, as well as running soup kitchens, clinics, orphanages, and schools. Their mission is free service to the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa

21. Giving ghostly vibes: EERIE.

22. Scold: CHIDE.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Coffee, in slang: JOE. Gotta love the way this clue intersects with 26-Down -- same clue, different answer. Some of our regular readers call that a "clecho" for "clue echo."

27. Paris's __ de Triomphe: ARC.

29. Big name in video streaming: ROKU. Roku is a popular streaming platform that brings TV shows, movies, and live TV to your television via the internet. It functions through dedicated streaming players, sticks, or as an operating system built into smart TVs.

30. Nautical "Halt!": AVAST. "Avast me hearties" is a classic pirate phrase meaning "stop/pay attention, my friends."

Speaking pirate is efficient.

32. Legal claim placed on a house: LIEN.

34. Former Cubs slugger Sammy: SOSA. Sammy Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. He hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history. Sosa is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs.

Sammy Sosa

38. [Theme clue]

41. Not in support of: ANTI.

42. Egyptian cross: ANKH. The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life." It was a widespread decorative motif in ancient Egypt. Copts (Egyptian Christians) adapted it as a variant of the Christian cross. Western culture has adopted the ankh as a symbol of African cultural identity, neopagan belief systems, and goth subculture.

Ankh

43. Black-and-white whales: ORCAS.

44. Round flatbread: ROTI.

46. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT. PC users press these three keys in combination to access the Task Manager.

48. Class with smocks: ART.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Chicago airport: O'HARE.

55. Cupid's partner on Santa's sleigh: COMET.

56. Shows again: RE-AIRS.

58. Passionate: AVID.

59. [Theme clue]

63. List of dishes: MENU.

64. Molecule part: ATOM.

65. Cause to chuckle: AMUSE. Here, "cause" is used as a verb.

66. Stage accessory: PROP.

67. Count (on): RELY.

68. Curved cavalry sword: SABER. My parents were antique hunters. They thought it was a good idea to give my brother a civil war era saber and scabbard, which hung above his bed. Luckily, he was a sane individual.

saber and scabbard

Down:

1. Common amt. of salt in a cookie recipe: TSP. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

2. GPS approximation: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

3. New England locale: NORTHEAST. Tricky clue. I thought the answer would be someplace in New England, but the answer has to do with where New England is within the United States.

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

4. George who played Sulu: TAKEI. In the original Star Trek TV series, George Takei played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu. Star Trek was noted for its portrayal of an integrated humanity of the future, with Sulu representing Asia.

George Takei as Sulu on Star Trek, 1966.

5. Sci-fi time standard: STARDATE. A stardate is a fictional system of time measurement used in the TV series Star Trek. It is impossible to convert stardates into equivalent calendar dates, especially since stardates were originally intended to avoid specifying exactly when Star Trek takes place.

6. Some pub pints: ALES.

7. Biblical man on the inside?: JONAH. Jonah, as you recall, was inside a whale for a while.

8. Sun Devils sch.: ASU. Arizona State University sports teams.

9. GPS display: RTE. 2-Down was a GPS approximation. Now here we are with another GPS feature: the display of a proposed RouTE.

10. One with advanced technical capabilities: POWER USER.

11. Cherish: ADORE.

12. Finnish telecom giant: NOKIA. My first mobile phone was a Nokia.

13. Avarice: GREED.

18. Change course suddenly: VEER.

21. Shriek of fear: EEK.

22. Group of witches: COVEN.

24. "Respect" singer Franklin: ARETHA. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Regarded as the "Queen of Soul," she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.

Aretha Franklin, 1968

25. "Don't use that __ of voice with me!": TONE.

26. Coffee, in slang: JAVA.

28. Medical center: CLINIC.

31. Worked into a state: STIRRED UP.

33. Pen filler: INK.

35. Slight during awards season: OSCAR SNUB. An Oscar snub occurs when a critically acclaimed film, actor, or director is overlooked and fails to receive an Academy Award nomination, despite widespread expectation, critical buzz, or recognition from previous industry awards.

36. Unblinking look: STARE.

37. Exec's helper: ASST. An executive may get help from an assistant.

39. Component of cellphone plans: DATA. Mobile (or cellular) data is internet connectivity delivered to your cellphone via a carrier's network, rather than via Wi-Fi.

40. Investment options with tax advantages: ROTH IRAS. A Roth IRA offers tax advantages by allowing after-tax contributions to grow tax-free, with qualified withdrawals in retirement being completely tax-free.

45. O'er and o'er again: OFT. Poesy!

47. Bread purchase: LOAF.

49. Rascal: SCAMP.

50. Put a blanket on, e.g.: COVER.

51. __ acids: protein components: AMINO. Meat contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own -- but there are also vegetarian sources for those amino acids. Soy, quinoa, and buckwheat are all complete proteins, as are eggs and dairy products. You can also combine incomplete proteins like rice and beans to get the full complement of amino acids. Just sayin.

52. "The Thin Blue Line" documentarian Morris: ERROL. Errol Morris is an American film director known for documentaries that investigate the belief systems of their subjects.  The Thin Blue Line exonerated an innocent man serving a life term for murder, who was universally believed to be guilty.

54. Fragrance: AROMA.

57. Television award: EMMY.

59. Tug-of-__: WAR.

60. Snacked on: ATE.

61. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE. T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright. He was a leading figure of modernist poetry. Who doesn't love The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?

62. Knight's title in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms": SER.  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a fantasy television series created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin. A prequel to Game of Thrones, it is an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas. The first season premiered on HBO in January 2026. As in other Game of Thrones stories, knights are addressed as "Ser."

Egg and Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
This viewer looks forward to Season 2.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did this puzzle AMUSE you? Did you ADORE it?

Or did you STARE at it, completely LOST?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday, April 5, 2026, Zhouqin Burnikel

2026-04-05T02:00:00.013-05:00

"MAKE SOME NOISE"

Well, let me be the first to "make some noise" by applauding our "Fearless Leader" for this Sunday contribution! I only wish my Across Lite App highlighted the acrosses that corresponded with the reveal, because I actually had some trouble figuring what went where... I can't say I DNF'd, because, obviously, I did finish (or this write up would not be making any noise at all...) but, here is my "almost" completed grid, with what got me to WAG mercilessly right at the end...

CE:D "Almost Crash and Burn..."

In hindsight, it should have occurred to me that the clues with the question marks were trying to make some noise...

22 Across. Corn?: KITCHEN EARS (Kitchen SHears) This is what started me off not knowing what the heck was going on without the reveal...

39 Across. Bailing out of a storied couples' cruise?: JUMPING THE SHARK. Very Clever, Couples Cruise... But when you add the missing "SH" it becomes:

How to bail out of a SitCom when you run out of plots...

54 Across. Toymakers who really help with the holiday rush?: STORE ELVES. Now, this is where i really got confused. Because this statement stands by itself... I would not have even thought this part of the Theme, but if you add SH, it becomes Store Shelves... Which makes me think I should type less, because some one out there is shouting Shhh! Like this is some kind of Library...

Well, I will not be silent!

Here's the full episode!

(Um, the excessive scotch consumption was an accident, i swear!)

81 Across. King Kong after his glow-up?: CHANGED APE. Ack! How can I splain this? I don't know what a "glow up" is... Hmm, Google says: A significant, positive transformation in a persons appearance, confidence, or lifestyle... Hmm, the only glow up I've ever had was after the excessive scotch consumption incident...

Oh, I forgot to add, "Changed SHape"... (hmm, makes me wonder what King Kong looked like after losing 200 pounds on that diet...)

94 Across. Unwilling to lace up skates?: RINK RESISTANT (reimagined SHrink resistant...) OK, I get it, but do we really want to be assaulted with this image again?

I think not...

112 Across. Material used to make Nuggets uniform tops?: JERSEY ORE. I had to take a break here, and come back, because this was confusing until I separated the twurds... Uniform Tops = Jersey. Nuggets come from Ore. Denver Nuggets are a team. I still am not sure why they would be at the Jersey SHore...

114 Across. Missions to obtain keepsakes?: SOUVENIR OPS. Ah! Of course! It is starting to make sense! Souvenir Ops! Excellent! I think I'm starting to see a Theme here... =Souvenir SHops!

(See, you didn't have to yell... I would have figured it out eventually...)

102 Down. Holler, or when parsed differently, an alternate title for this puzzle: SHOUT.

Ah! Here it is, hidden way down in the Downs! The Reveal that makes it all make sense! SH-out!

Ops become Shops, Ore becomes Shore, Rink becomes Shrink, Ape becomes Shape, Elves become Shelves, Ark becomes Shark, and Ears become Shears! So that's what all the shouting was about!

Unless your CrossEyed like me, and mix up a puzzle from a couple of days ago, that had "Hollar" instead of "Holler," and your shouts become hoots, and you have to WAG (Wild A** Guess) your way through...

Anywho! Onward!

Across:
1. Buckled accessories: BELTS. (I could have used a couple of these under my belt...)

6. Talk a big game: BRAG. (The above is not one...)

10. "Macbeth" quintet: ACTS. I wanted "Hags" getting confused with the trio of fates, Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos. Of course, if I had read the clue correctly, I would have been in a different play...

14. Pet rescue org.: S.P.C.A. I always wonder if it is A.S.P.C.A. or just S.P.C.A... I was this many years old when I discovered: The Difference: The ASPCA is a national charity with high-profile advertising, while your local SPCA is the shelter in your community helping local pets.

18. Dollar alternative: ALAMO. Rent A Car options...

19. Stuffed cornmeal snack: AREPA. Why have I never seen one of these?

20. Seasonal song: NOEL. I don't mean to opine, but I always wondered about this, so I Googled.

"Noel" is derived from the Latin word Natalis, meaning "birth" or "birthday." It specifically refers to the birth of Jesus Christ (the nativity,) evolving into the old French word Noel (or Nael) which became a standard French term for Xmas... Apparently, even Google does not know why Noel became a name for a seasonal song...

Um, er,, apologies... I blame Daughter #1, who said, "I should stop being so lazy, and research more for the benefit of others." So, here is what Google said when I "re-asked" :)

"The First Noel" is a traditional English Christmas carol from the 13th-14th century that tells the story of the Nativity, specifically the announcement of Jesus’ birth to shepherds and the journey of the Wise Men

. "Noel" comes from Latin/French roots meaning "birth" or "news," functioning as a shout of joy.

21. Give a ring: CALL.

22. [ Theme ]

24. "Naked Lunch" in a lunchroom, say?: TRAY NOVEL. This was my downfall... immediately after Kitchen Ears, and not yet having a clue, I left this for the end, and wound up trying to turn it into an aSHtray... Luckily, like the Phoenix, I arose from this mess....

26. Part of i.e.: EST. I.E. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase id est, meaning "that is," "in other words," or "namely." Used to define or restate a preceding statement, kind of like trying to make whole the explanation of my ashtray of a puzzle solving attempt...

27. More mature: OLDER. (Not today...)

28. "Happy __!": June greeting: PRIDE. I wanted Fathers Day, but, to each their own...

30. Cookie invented in Manhattan: OREO. What? This is another one of those Clue/Answers I never saw till the write up! More Research Needed! In a nut(sh)ell, the Chelsea Factory located at Ninth Avenue and 15th Street in NYC is on a Block now called "Oreo Way." (Who Knew?)

31. Instagram video: REEL. (I sincerely doubt there has ever been an Instagram video that was "ever" on a reel...)

33. __ school: MED. Actually, this 4 years is just a prerequisite. It takes 11 to 16 years to become a Doctor, depending on your specialty... For instance, it took me almost 70 years to learn how to post this kind of silliness on this venue...

34. Indigo Girls, e.g.: DUO.

35. Showbiz quartets: EGOTS. A rare achievement of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

37. Winged archer: EROS. I dunno, it's Greek to me.... (you might be more familiar with the Roman "Cupid.")

39. [ Theme ]

44. Scotland's national dish: HAGGIS. (Do you really want an image?)

Seeing is better than knowing what's really inside it...

47. Planned (out): MAPPED. No! I am not linking a recipe for Haggis! (I would rather jump a shark...)

48. Victim of Iago in "Othello": CASSIO. I am led to believe that "Cassio" is the definition of "Unwitting Pawn," but. To explain further would require more time, and tickets to The Globe Theatre...

49. Latish lunch hr.: ONE PM.

Nonsense!

I am sorry, but I can't let this go! Some one must teach you Americans why The Shire was The Happiest Place In Middle Earth! Late-ish Lunch? One PM? Gore BeGoren! I'm stewing in my Haggis!

Would you be a fine Gentleman, and pass the pitcher of Guinness...

50. Out of sight: GONE. Hmm, what happened to Lunch?

51. Noche's opposite: DIA. I would have thought this to be Italian, but Google says its Spanish... Idunno, it's all Latin to me... (or is it Night and Day...). Hmm, more research needed...

53. "Groovy!": NEATO. Nope, not going there...

54. [Theme?]

56. Offhand comment: REMARK. (Excuse me...)

59. Chum: PAL.

60. Sandcastle destroyer: TIDE. ( I really liked this one;)

61. Fragrant ring: LEI.

62. "Best wishes": GODBLESS. Now, I know I going to get reprimanded for not separating this into twurds, but where I come from, this is One Word!

64. Pros: ACES.

65. Mayflower vehicle: VAN. (As in "moving.") (surely, no pic needed...)

66. Catchy tune: BOP. (There has got to be a better 3 letter word for a catchy tune? A little help here?)

67. Silence a growling belly: EAT. (Pls see elevenses, above...)

68. Cheryl of "Charlie's Angels": LADD. Unlike Mayflower Vehicle, this one needs a pic...

This one's for you Splynter!

72. Tries to hit: SWINGS AT. Hmm, is this a twurd? I'm not sure... I tried to Splain it, but I missed...

75. Narrow inlet: RIA. Now, this one has bugged me for years. I always wanted somebody to post a picture of a Ria. I'm sure it would be beautiful... So I tried,

But they wanted Money...

76. At any point: EVER.

Jeepers! I thought I would never. See a Ria!

Hmm, but now I want to see what it looks like from that point...

77. In the style of: ALA. (The above is brought to you in the style of CE:D)

80. Debit card provider: ISSUER.

81. [Theme]...

84. Gold __ flour: MEDAL. This seems a little strained as a clue, surely there could have been something better. Maybe "King Biscuit Flour Hour..." in my opinion, award winning concerts back in the day...

86. Part of mph: PER. Lessee, what fits, Mile? Hour?

87. President of Brazil since 2023, familiarly: LULA. OK, this freaked me out,,, because I thought He was a girl... full name: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva And no, you do not want a pic...

88. Small combos: TRIOS. Smaller combos: Duo's... I wanted to post a clip from Yellow Submarine, where the Blue Meanies Bonk the band with apples, and our guide announces, the quartet is now a trio, then a Duo... But when I went to look for the pic, I was presented with THE ENTIRE MOVIE!...

Oh My Gosh! This has not been available for years!

Catch it while you can!

89. Take too far: OVERDO. I hope I didn't above, and overdo is not a twurd...

91. Pre-election event: DEBATE. (Oh please, Not again...)

93. Props for hillside homes: STILTS. Doesn't work, i have videos...

94. [Theme]

97. Go first: LEAD. (Not Lead, that would be the first to sink...)

98. Vital artery: AORTA.

99. Click of disapproval: TSK.

100. __ al-Adha: EID. Um, needs more space than I can provide here...

101. Best Play, for one: ESPY. I could use some help with this one, because, when I Google Espy, I get this... Um, Play? (You sure the "S" isn't for Shakespeare...?)

105. Zero-star reviews: PANS. My take on above...

107. Heartless monsters: OGRES. No I am not,, I just don't understand...

109. Record of the year?: ANNAL. Derived from the Latin, Annus. (Year) A historical record of events, listed in chronological order, by year...

111. Bit of a chuckle: HEE. (I'm not sure if this will transpose to the 3/22/26 Luann comic, but here goes...) La,La,,La...

112. [ Theme ]

114. [ Theme ]

117. Diva's time to shine: ARIA.

118. Such a long time: AGES.

119. Noted New York Judge: AARON. Oooh,,, I see what you did here! Very Sneaky! IT'S A BASEBALL REFERENCE!

120. Botch (up): LOUSE. ( I believe I apologized already...)

121. Signs of spring: BUDS. Ah, relationships grow from Best Buds, to Summer, Fall, Winter, Compost...

(Note, come back and fix this...)

122. Event for swimmers: MEET. Hmm, in retrospect, this should be obvious... But in trying to take Daughter #1's advice, I Googled, and Autocorrect changed my "meet" to "How did Meat become a name for a swimming contest..." The little A.I. Wheel is still spinning,,, I think I broke the Internet...

123. Dental exam picture: X-RAY. OK, OCD time out for a sec, but does anyone like those new fangled gizmos that they re-use, and have been in dozens of other peoples mouths before you? I dont' care how many times you sterilize the Dang Thingie, you could run that thingie thru the Fires of Hell, and you still would not be able to put it in my mouth... (and yes, my Dentist loves me, he works very well with children. And yes, I do get a toy, but these days its a toothbrush and floss in a baggie...)

124. Himalayan cryptids: YETIS. Learning moment: Cryptids. You will have to Google this yourself, because when I went to link the explanation, the internet went Kerflooie... (It might have something to do with Swimming Meat above...)

Down: (Finally!)
1. One who typically kneads the job?: BAKER. (Haha!)

2. Beethoven dedicatee: ELISE. (Bagatelle No.25 in A minor)

3. Milky espresso drink: LATTE. (Phooey! I like my espresso strong! With 3 coffee beans...)

{oh wait! Sorry! That's my Sambuca...}

4. Cinemax alternative: TMC. (Or TCM, or TNT,,, no wait,,, that's an explosive blockbuster...)

5. Gallery-rich area near Tribeca: SOHO. New Yorkers are well aware this refers to "South" of "Houston" street... However, since the growth of NYC over the years, there is now a NOHO, And a WOHO (if you like swimming in the Hudson,,, I hear they are having a "meat" there...) And, a soon to be new development, the EOHO... (right now a landfill in the East River, the "E" stands for "Eeeeuw...!)

6. Beagle or bulldog: BREED.

7. Back end: REAR. (Nope, not hoping there...)

8. Earth Day mo.: APR. Short for April, Lovely Girl,,, You should meet her Sister "Dawn..."

9. Premium location?: GASPUMP. Ack?!? There's a (?) Could this be a Themer? Lessee, Gas(space)pump... Hmm, Where would you put an SH here? (I swear, Ocifer,, I did'nt haves drink... it's this puzzle just got me confused...)

10. Counter: ANTI. No. Ante, and then counter with a raise...

11. "Carpool Karaoke" co-creator: CORDEN. Hmm, not sure about this one (and the internet went Kerflooie...)

12. Savory snack with a cracked shell: TEA EGG. (OMG! I wouldn't eat this, let alone Parse it...)

Image deleted due to breakfast rules...

13. Cunning: SLY. Just try to sneak in a Tea Egg pic, I dare You!

14. "Casino" director: SCORSESE.

15. Improve, as a dirt road: PAVE.

16. Geppetto's goldfish: CLEO. (See Pinocchio.)

17. "It's __ good": ALL.

19. Mountain range that's home to Aconcagua: ANDES. Ok, This one kinda P'd me off, because I thought the Aconcagua were a people that lived in the Andes... A Google Search reveals It is just a mountain.

But, what a Mountain...

23. Saint __ fire: ELMOS. OK, this goes back to the early Seafaring Days, when masts would light up with electrical energy. Freaked Sailors out! (Understandable) In today's modern explanation of things, it is really just a bigger version of rubbing a balloon, and making it stick on the wall... Static Electricity...

Except, Yikes! Whataya rubbing? The Hindenburg!

25. "Hard pass": NO THANKS. (Obligatory space between twurds...)

29. Theme park opening ritual: ROPE DROP. Now, this really P'd me off... I had to ask DW for help, and she was like, "oh, of course...". ( all I can think, is how much you wanted for admission to this freakin' thing...)

Apparently, this is a "thing."

I'm sorry, I just dont get it... Now "if" they had a rope drop to get into "The Budweiser School of Beers,"

I would be first in line...

32. Exercise that targets quads and glutes: LEG PRESS.

34. Hoodwinks: DUPES.

36. Available without an Rx: OTC. (Over The Counter...) What I wanted to do recently at CVS, when they wanted me to type into a giant screen, all my personal info, on a skeevey thingie that God Knows how many sick people had touched before me,... Yes, I will be that guy on the news, who jumped over the counter, to grab my meds, which belong to me anyway, before they tried to make me touch all their skeevey crap! (Dont get me started on $4-off over priced crap that doesnt apply because its on sale...)

38. Winter coat: RIME. Spring is here! Forget this clue/answer...

39. Primatologist Goodall: JANE.

40. "That was mortifying": IDIED. Ok, in our current political climate, this requires more "apostrophe" placement... Was it "I'Died", or was it, ID'ied. Either way, scary stuff...

A second look at this clue/answer begs the question of what was meant here. Mortifying describes something causes extreme shame, embarrassment, or humiliation. Or was it meant in the sense of a mortuary, (or funeral home.) that specializes in the storage, preparation, and care of human bodies before burial or cremation... in either case, I guess you could say, "I Died..."

41. "Quickly!" letters: ASAP.

42. Hayworth of the silver screen: RITA.

She was the first Poster, but got replaced by Racquel Welch when the hammer wore out...

(A Shawshank Redemption Reference...)

43. __ & the Gang: KOOL. Hmm,,,

44. Shade-loving plant: HOSTA.

45. Shenanigan: ANTIC.

46. Crystal-lined rock: GEODE.

Did you know you can buy and break open your own at Walmart?

47. Going places: MOVING UP.

50. Picks up bit by bit: GLEANS. (My CC puzzle solving strategy...)

52. Light suds: AMBER ALE. (I still prefer Lager...)

55. Graceland icon: ELVIS.

57. "Sitting Pretty on Top of the World" country singer Lauren __: ALAINA.

I have no idea what this even sounded like,

Because DW decided to Vacuum around me while I was working...

58. Put a new label on: RETAG.

62. Figured out: GOT.

63. Snowy day activity: SLED RIDE.

It's a Rite of Passage...

66. Hair clip: BARRETTE.

I had no idea...

69. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.

70. Train station: DEPOT.

71. Gown: DRESS.

73. Iowa's state flower: WILD ROSE. (A state Flower can be a Twurd? Who Knew?)

74. Core group?: SEEDS.

77. Love, to Bad Bunny: AMOR.

78. Denim pioneer Strauss: LEVI.

79. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN.

81. Clash heard in a swordfight: CLANK. Even more so if you get struck by lightning, and your Armor becomes magnetic...

But who has time for clanking when the poisons in the...

82. Jabba the __: HUTT.

OOPS! Sorry, wrong link...

83. "At Last" singer James: ETTA. (Crosswordese staple, over linked...)

85. The Natural State: ARKANSAS. Just try to say it, an spell it, there's nothing NAtural about it!

90. Contraction in some hymns: O'ER. A contraction of Over, but then they got even lazier, and left out the apostrophe. So now Oer is even more incomprehensible... (hmm, i wonder what a contraction of incomprehensible would be?)

92. Very low woodwind: BASS SAX. (Although, as one word, would be Basssax, hmm, kinda Bad A**...)

93. Car rental choice: SEDAN.

95. Curly, for one: STOOGE.

96. "So true!": I AGREE! (Needs an exclamation mark, so I added one...)

97. Wrinkle-prone fabric: LINEN. What irons were invented for...

100. Embassy go-between: ENVOY.

102. [ Theme ]

103. Sister brand of Aquafina: PEPSI.

104. Positive replies: YESES. Well, I can't be positive about this! You can't expect CrossEyedDave, who has trouble seperating twurds, to know if this needs an apostrophe... I mean, Even Google is conflicted...

105. Country where Inca Kola originated: PERU. What? I thought this was The Kola Nut in 7UP...

106. Like a vast, rainless plateau: ARID. (Or my mind, after learning Inca Kola...)

108. Take it easy: REST. (Yes, good idea...)

109. Radiant vibe: AURA.

110. Flower on a floating pad: LILY.

112. Poke: JAB.

113. Tuber in the Nigerian dish asaro: YAM. I would have clued this as "what Popeye is." (I yam what I yam,) but it probably would not make it past the editorial process...

115. Paddle kin: OAR.

116. Masago or tobiko: ROE. This was under the belt, (where most Sushi and Sashimi wind up...) Which begets the question, Is this Sushi, or Sashimi?

Anywho, you can all give CC a shout out in the comments for this Sunday Marathon.

(I, for one, yell "Thank You." And maybe throw in a Hoot and Hollar too...)

Ah yes,

The Completed Grid

CE:D (Quietly slipping out...)

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 85th birthday to dear Irish Miss (Agnes), who has brought so much joy and meaning to our lives. I'm deeply grateful for all the guidance and care she's given me through the years.

L-R: Anne, Agnes, Eileen, Mary, and Peggy. 3/17/2019

Saturday, April 4, 2026, Matthew Luter

2026-04-04T03:30:00.015-05:00

Saturday Themeless. by Matthew Luter

Dr. Matthew Luter is a writer and teacher in Jackson, MS. Originally from Laurel, MS, he is an alumnus of Millsaps College and of the University of North Carolina. He teaches courses in American literature at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

I got a great toehold in the NE, flew through the SE and then the SW and then the NW proved to be a swamp for this solver but I availed myself of a little help and got 'er done. Missing 1 Across for this NASA educator was a tough pill to swallow. There were some other fills in the NE that defeated me - MATT?, that Sister, RSS FEED? CLIOS as clued, A PLUS PLUS just seemed like green paint and that deodorant, really?. Yeah, I know, "It's a game not a test!!"

Across:

1. National Air and Space Museum relic: MOON ROCK - Houston, I had a problem, even with most of the letters filled. I went through all the vehicles I could think of but came up empty.

9. Coastal landmark: PIER.

13. "Better than perfect!": A PLUS PLUS - 🤨 I remember Mrs. Thomsen telling us sophomores that nothing can be better than perfect and I agree. Other non-comparable adjectives - Unique, Flawless, Ultimate...

15. Top spot: ACME.

16. 1990s deodorant brand whose name inspired a Nirvana song: TEEN SPIRIT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Ain't no way.

18. Harvest: REAP.

19. Cardinal pts.?: TDS - The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL not compass points. 😀

20. Helper in a Cinderella story: FOOTMAN.

22. Game cube: DIE.

23. Detective Monaghan in Laura Lippman novels: TESS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

24. Target that may have chalk marks: CUE BALL 😀

26. "Seconded": I AGREE.

29. Tam pattern: TARTAN.

30. Short strings?: STRAD - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My learned Lincoln friend Dr. Fred Ohles told me, STRAD is a common shortening among musicians for violins and violas made in Italy between about 1670 and 1730 by Antonio Stradivari and other members of his family. Highly prized, more than 600 of them are still being played today.

31. Part of a security check: VIRUS SCAN.

34. Tabloid duo: ITEM.

35. Sunders: RENDS - The more familiar use of that word is, "What God hath joined together, Let no man put asunder."

36. Extremely dry: SERE.

37. Crunchy legumes: SNAP BEANS.

39. "The Sound of Music" heroine: MARIA - A 4. Sister: NUN of whom the other sisters sang "How do you solve a problem like MARIA?"

40. With no sense of urgency: SLOWLY.

41. Seiko brand: PULSAR - PULSAR is not the same brand as Seiko, but they are closely related as Pulsar is a subsidiary brand owned and produced by Seiko Watch Corporation.

42. Future maple syrup: TREE SAP.

44. Symbol on a staff: NOTE.

45. Call the shots?: REF.

46. Maker of Scribble Scrubbie Pets products: CRAYOLA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

48. Low digit: ONE.

51. O'Keeffe flower: IRIS.

53. Water park?: DROP ANCHOR 😀 - Loved this one!

55. Remedy: CURE.

56. Final novel of Willa Cather's "Prairie" trilogy: MY ANTONIA - Nebraska's most famous author

57. Joint with crossed cruciate ligaments: KNEE.

58. "The Great Gatsby" term of endearment: OLD SPORT - Leo DiCaprio uses the phrase 55 times in the movie.

Down:

1. Actor Bomer: MATT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Due to his uncanny resemblance, MATT was selected to play Montgomery Clift in an HBO biopic but it was never made.

2. Page full of takes: OP-ED 😀 All right, this was really fun once I saw it was about the takes various people have on topics.

3. La Liga cheers: OLES - La Liga translates to The League in Spain which has 20 soccer teams.

5. Source of some updates: RSS FEED ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based format that allows users to automatically receive updates from websites, blogs, and podcasts without visiting each site individually

. You're welcome.

6. Antagonize: OPPOSE.

7. Perks of big promotions, maybe?: CLIOS - A CLIO Award is the perk for big ads or promotions.

8. Cobain of Nirvana: KURT.

9. Course standard: PAR.

10. Winter Olympics pairs: ICE DANCERS.

11. "Inbox zero" obstacle: E-MAIL - More if you must know

12. Ward off: REPEL.

14. Some chip holders: SIM CARDS - Where we frequently encounter them

17. Sign of spring: TAURUS - It appears CROCUS was wrong.

21. Clears: NETS.

23. Stomp all over: TRAMPLE - No aliens necessary for crop circles.

25. Beer whose logo was the U.K.'s first registered trademark: BASS ALE - 1876

26. Goddess of the Great Ennead: ISIS - If you must know...

27. Abbr. on a memo: ATTN.

28. Serious cooking mishap: GREASE FIRE - Don't use water to extinguish it!

29. Like cheap speakers: TINNY.

31. Italian entree, familiarly: VEAL PARM.

32. Covent Garden solo: ARIA -

The Royal Opera House is located on

Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

33. At hand: NEAR.

35. Poster heading: REWARD - The territory of New Mexico paid Sheriff Pat Garrett the bounty for killing William Bonney.

38. Pear variety: BOSC.

39. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters attendees: MUTANTS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

is a fictional, private educational institution in the Marvel universe founded by Professor Charles Xavier to train young mutants to control their powers and live in harmony with humans. You're welcome.

41. Marie Curie's homeland: POLAND.

42. Take in: TRICK.

43. Many an episode on MeTV: RERUN - Desi Arnaz insisted I Love Lucy use 35mm film instead of using crude kinescopes so the episodes could be rerun.

44. Pad in Mexican cuisine: NOPAL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

47. Ma who founded the arts organization Silkroad: YOYO.

48. "This can't be good!": OH NO - Mr. Bill and his catchphrase first appeared on SNL 50 years ago

49. Cain genre: NOIR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ His novels became the source for many film NOIRS.

50. Basic Latin verb: ERAT - We often see "Quod ERAT demonstrandum." (Which was to be demonstrated).

52. Last word of the first verse of "Amazing Grace": SEE - ...was blind but now I SEE

54. Procedural figure: COP -

police procedural is a sub-genre of crime fiction focusing on realistic, team-based investigations—including detectives, forensics, and patrol officers—rather than a single hero.

Friday, Apr 3rd, 2026 ~ Kyle Dolan

2026-04-03T03:30:00.079-05:00

GO TEAM

"Run Away~!" "Take off~!" "Beat It~!"

Crossword constructor Kyle Dolan frequently appears on Saturday; based on my research, this is his first Friday for the LA Times - all he needs now is a Thursday puzzle, and he gets the "EGOT" of grid making - yay~! ( see 36D. ). I have mixed feelings about today's offering; the theme is quite fresh and felt Friday-level, five phrases redefined as 'names' for a "collection" of other similar-use phrases, but was dismayed with a triple Natick in the vicinty of Minnesota ( but not Cedar Rapids ); two names dropping off an answer with a semi-vague clue; can't win 'em all, I guess. Standard grid, no circles, just 11 3LWs, two handfuls of names, two Wines, two Whiskeys. The themers;

17. "Pay attention," "Listen up," and "Eyes on the prize": FOCUS GROUP - "Focus~!" group of phrases

24. "Unbelievable!," "That's crazy!," and "What a coincidence!": WILD BUNCH - "Wild~!" bunch of synonymous words/phrases

38. "Gee whiz!," "Golly!," and "Holy cow!": BOY BAND - "Boy~!" band of words/phrases

49. "Sleep tight," "Sweet dreams," and "Don't let the bedbugs bite": NIGHT CREW - "(g)'night." crew of phrases

61. "Check this out," "I'll demonstrate," and "Eyes on me": WATCH PARTY - "Watch~!" party - the only one that I was not familiar with; the standard definition of "watch party" is 'friends who get together' to view, say, the Super Bowl

Don't "Hit the Road", There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Have a sudden inspiration?: [ GASP ] - , the "inhale" meaning of inspire, plus sudden = sharply

5. Less cockamamie: SANER - Meh. TAMER, SAFER~? - this is the "structure" of most of the words I have ever missed solving the Wordle - the "_ vowel _ E - R" type, where I simply run out of guesses; there are hundreds of words that fit. If my first five-letter guess doesn't give me anything, I immediately fill in "_ vowel _ E - R" for the maximum # of attempts

10. Hydropower sources: DAMS

14. "__, sing America": Hughes: "I TOO" - "I had" no poetic clue, filled via perps; name #1

15. Scent: AROMA

16. Rapper who plays Fin on "Law & Order: SVU": ICE-T - short for Odafin, name #2

19. Whiskey mixer: SODA - whiskey #1 - could have been CoLa - SODA was a good WAG on my part, as cola was the go-to choice ( usually diet ) for the Happy Hour crew when I worked at the night club/band bar Casanova's in Cincinnati, OH

20. Place for post-debate interviews: SPIN ROOM - makes sense after it filled, via perps, but then I went looking for some info, and realized it could be this kind of "Spin" room

21. Bug experts, for short: IT PROS - Information Technology professionals, e.g., "Geek Squad"

23. Work in a cast: ACT - work in a cast . . .

26. Implore: PLEAD

28. "That a fact?": "IS IT~?"

29. Tampa Bay team, familiarly: BUCS - the Buccaneers of the NFL - or the cost of corn these days . . .

30. Like folk tales: ORAL

33. Settle, as a debt: REPAY

37. Hospital dept.: ICU - Intensive Care Unit

40. Modeled on: À LA

41. Down source: GEESE - Geese "Up" is when they "take off"

43. Art __: DECO - I like Art Deco

44. Former quarterback Aikman: TROY - announcer with Joe Buck on NFL MNF games - name #3

24 seasons together

45. Winery purchase: CASE - Wine clue #1, you lush . . . then again, I bought beer in case quantity, so I will take that back

47. Pettiness: SPITE

54. Dusk, poetically: E'EN

55. Catch: ENMESH

56. Low-cal drink: LITE BEER - I do the Downs first; otherwise, this could have been DIET COLA

60. Singer Lambert: ADAM - filled via perps, don't know this artist - name #4

63. Ceremonial event: RITE

64. Responded to an alarm: AWOKE

65. Viking character: RUNE - ah. Not, say, "ERIK" - from this show - but . . .

66. Lip: SASS - a "lip" synonym on the edge again

67. Detect: SENSE

68. Getaway spots: SPAs

DOWN:

1. Motion pictures?: GIFs - good one; took me a minute, plus the "G" when I sussed "GASP"

A Graphic Interchange Format moving picture of "Run Away~!"

MP & the Holy Grail

2. Sitting on: ATOP

3. Nonverbal signal: SOCIAL CUE - I was thinking "HAND SIGN", but "sign/signal" was too close for a crossword clue/answer, and it didn't fit, anyway; not familiar with this phrase

4. Mimics a cat, perhaps: POUNCES - Friday vague

5. Starchy palm product: SAGO - one of the triple Natick that got me - not TARO

6. One-way symbol: ARROW

7. Swedish actress Rapace who plays Lisbeth Salander: NOOMI - I did not know who this was until I went to IMDb - she played Elizabeth Shaw in the 'Alien' franchise movie "Prometheus" - name #5

She did not look like this in that movie . . .

8. Bird in the bush: EMU - "Bush" being the quaint nickname for the hinterlands of Australia

9. Word after Grand and Cedar, in city names: RAPIDS - Grand in MI, Cedar in IA and MN

10. Row: DISPUTE - rOW, not rOE

11. Part of a squirrel's diet: ACORN

12. French red wine: MÈDOC - Wine clue #2, more here for the ~~lushes~~ connoisseurs

13. Hoard: STASH - the noun, not the verb - I tried AMASS - another good 'edge' word

18. Sp. miss: SRTA - Español abbr

22. Classic car, informally: T-BIRD

25. Light purple: LILAC - followed by . . .

26. Dark purple: PUCE

Tough to find on one palette - and that's a dark lilac

27. Scooby-__: DOO - name #6

29. Well-known: BIG - one of the bands that frequented Casanova's was "Big In Iowa", a sort of self-deprecating name drawn from a quote here - I was friends with Rick House, one of the guitarists; he, founder Bob Burns, and bassist/WEBN radio host Ken Glidewell have since passed away . . . sheesh

31. Winona of "Stranger Things": RYDER - name #7

32. Actor Vigoda: ABE - name #8

34. Work together: PARTNER UP - a unique fill

35. Skin soother: ALOE - very much NOT a unique fill

36. Happy cry: "YAY~!" - "yay, I finally got my ta-DA~!" when I filled in the correct word at 5A.

38. Heart throbs: BEATS

39. Figs.: NOs - abbr, figures & numbers

42. Plots: SCHEMES - nailed it

44. Haberdashery accessories: TIE BARS - There's two kinds - I wanted TIE TACkS - more here

The concrete rebar/epoxy connections on the left

46. Both sides of America?: SCHWAS - very clever - the phoneme, /ə/, when saying /ə/-MEH-rik-/ə/; it's the most common sound in the English language - more here

48. Tiny sound: PEEP

49. Gets warmer?: NEARS - think the guessing game, where someone is getting closer or further from some hidden item, and the other person says "colder, cold, warm, warmer, hot, HOT~!"

50. Birthplace of novelist Kiran Desai: INDIA - Sheesh. Friday. Half WAG on my part; name #9

51. Exams for future MBAs: GMATS - not LSATs, not MCATs, this test is for getting into schools for the acquisition of a Master of Business Adminstration degree

52. John with an EGOT: ELTON - I always get fooled by "John" being his last name, #10

53. Threads in tea lights: WICKS - Friday clue, but clever

57. You, once: THEE - Dah~! I tried THOU

58. Peak near Catania: ETNA - yada yada, I threw this volcano name in, and "ding~!"

59. Whiskeys that are typically more dry than bourbons: RYES - Whiskey #2, the basis for the drink called a Manhattan, which reminds me of the only time I ever tasted this liquor. Growing up, we had watered down iced tea; a treat was a can of full-sugar soda; the adults would have a "Manhattan" at holidays; I figured it must be even better than soda, the "nectar of the gods" - until I tasted it - blech~!

62. Speechless feeling: AWE - not knowing "why" the adults really drank Manhattans certainly left me speechless regarding its taste & lack of sweetness

Splynter

Grid Flow 29.2

Thursday April 2, 2026 Kiran Pandey

2026-04-02T03:30:00.056-05:00

Kiran Pandey has been constructing puzzles for a few years now, but this is his LAT debut. Congrats!
This grid features a less common mirror image symmetry, and that's a reflection of its creator.

55A. Some lead roles, or features of 3-, 7-, and 11-Down?: TITLE CHARACTERS. Each film TITLE has special CHARACTERS (like in a good password) that have been used to create a phrase found in movie reviews. Note that none of these movies actually fit the answer in the traditional sense, it's just the punctuation we're looking at.

3D. "M*A*S*H," in a way?: STAR VEHICLE. A STAR VEHICLE is a film specifically designed to showcase the talents of a well-known performer. The "stars" in this one are actually asterisks, but I still rate it 3★'s.

7D. "E.T.," in a way?: PERIOD PIECE. A PERIOD PIECE is a movie set in a specific, earlier historical era, often characterized by lavish production design, costumes, and settings that evoke that time. Period.

11D. "Face/Off," in a way?: SLASHER FILM. A SLASHER FILM is a sub-genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, often by use of blades or sharp tools. Lovely. I like horror films but not slashers with their gratuitous violence.

Fun theme. Kiran is new so he doesn't know that themers are supposed to go horizontally...kidding! I liked the mix of downward themers and discovering the revealer across near the end. He also includes several other nice long vertical fills, which add sparkle, but also leaves us will a lot of 3LW & 4LW. Overall, a good Thursday effort.

M0▽!N9 ()n:

Across:

1. Rae of "Barbie": ISSA. ISSA Rae is a popular American actress, writer, and producer. She is a living doll!

5. Baseball card giant owned by Fanatics: TOPPS.

10. Covert summons: PSST.

14. Court dividers: NETS. Court dividers: BARS.

15. Fast train in the Northeast: ACELA.

16. Hoppy drafts: ALES. The perfect brew for Easter week!

17. Insta post: SNAP. Instagram is a social media network featuring SNAPshots and short videos.

18. Untamed: FERAL.

19. Namesake of a speed ratio: MACH. Ernst MACH defined velocities compared to the speed of sound, commonly used as unit of air speed where MACH 1 is 761mph (the speed of sound at sea level).

When I'm in a hurry, I shave at 2,283 mph.

20. Cause of inflation: AIR.

21. Spotty?: STAINED.

23. __ Lanka: SRI.

24. Celestial explosions: NOVAE. Had to wait for perps for the final letter to determine if we were using the Latin or English plural.

26. "__ a chance": NOT.

27. Bygone anesthetic: ETHER.

29. Standing straight: ERECT.

30. Church headquartered in SLC: LDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

31. "Shrinking" actor/co-creator Goldstein: BRETT. BRETT Goldstein is an English actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer who is perhaps best known for his role as Roy Kent in the Apple TV+ sports comedy series Ted Lasso. I saw him in a stand-up special on HBO and he was surprisingly good.

32. The Phanatic's team, on scoreboards: PHI. The Phillie Phanatic is the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. He is one of the highest paid mascots in MLB, earning $200K per year! I'm green with envy.

33. Basket made on a rebound: TIP-IN. Part of the madness that is March. My alma mater, UVa, runs hot or cold. They once lost in the 1st round, then won it all the following year. This time they didn't make it past the 2nd round. Oh well, there's always next year...

35. Form 1099 agcy.: IRS. The Internal Revenue Service is the agency that is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes.

36. Dry as a desert: ARID. I guess we are going through my whole medicine cabinet today.

37. Soul singer Baker: ANITA. ANITA Baker is an American jazz and soul singer known for her sophisticated, romantic ballads.

38. Creative degs.: MFAS. Masters of Fine Arts are graduate degrees in visual arts, creative writing, film, or performing arts.

40. Campaign-funding gps.: PACS. Political Action Committees are groups that pool campaign contributions from donors to support or oppose political candidates, legislation, or ballot initiatives.

41. "The Hunger Games" ally of Katniss: PEETA. Katniss Everdeen and PEETA Mellark, the "star-crossed lovers" from District 12, evolve from reluctant allies in the 74th Hunger Games into a deeply bonded couple.

42. Trig ratio: SINE. Trigonometric should not be abbreviated because SINE is the full name of the function. Its abbreviation is SIN.

43. Weekly skit show, familiarly: SNL. Ye olde Saturday Night Live.

44. Symbol produced by pressing shift+5: PERCENT. % - hey, it works!

46. Cell service letters: LTE. Long-Term Evolution is a 4G wireless broadband technology that provides high-speed data for mobile devices.

47. Just make do: EKE BY. I'm not sure this is proper English. “To eke” can be used by itself meaning to stretch a limited resource. “She eked the meager budget to cover expenses.” Or, more commonly, it is used with “out” as in, “He managed to eke out a living.” Seems like he was going for "squeak by."

49. Spanish infinitive: SER. SER means "to be." An infinitive is the base form of a verb, often preceded by "to" (e.g., to walk), that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb within a sentence.

50. "Darn it!": AW MAN.

52. Add up to: ARE.

54. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer: ELI. A student from Yale in Saybrook, Connecticut.

55. [theme]

64. Hat part: BRIM.

65. Indulge: HUMOR.

66. Group of three: TRIO. Now you're checking out my vitamins?

67. Turn down: DENY.

68. "But of course!": OH YES.

69. Goes on and on: YAPS. FuzzyBrain YAPS when we get a delivery. Better than a doorbell!

Buster guarding the house.

Down:

1. Absurd, as a scheme: INSANE. That's crazy!

2. Shenanigans of the upper class?: SENIOR PRANK. This is a trick! "Shenanigans" is almost always plural, but seems odd with a singular answer.

3. [theme]

4. Nile viper: ASP.

5. 27th U.S. president: TAFT. As you can see, William Howard TAFT had a sweet tooth. They even named Salt Water Tafty after him.

6. Passenger ships: OCEAN LINERS.

7. [theme]

8. Temporary water provider: PLANT SITTER. A PLANT SITTER comes to your house while you are away. They typically charge $20/hr for just watering, but it can be more if they keep them company.

9. Red tag event: SALE.

10. Cooking spray brand: PAM.

11. [theme]

12. December tradition in some offices: SECRET SANTA.This is a tradition in which staff members are randomly assigned a coworker to whom they give a gift, often with a price limit.

13. Gym top: T-SHIRT. While gym is short for gymnasium, T-SHIRT isn't short for anything. It's just shaped like a T. The only way to shorten a T-SHIRT is to make it a crop top.

21. Ready: SET. In America, we say, "On your mark, get SET, go!" In Britain, it's often, "Ready, steady, go!"

Thank goodness we don't use starting pistols anymore.

22. Former Interior Secretary Haaland: DEB. DEB Haaland was the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. She is currently running for governor of New Mexico.

25. Litmus reddeners: ACIDS. This is a test.

28. Takes a little off the top, say: TRIMS.

33. Cassette: TAPE. A 90-minute cassette has about 440' of tape inside - that's 1-1/2 football fields long all over the seats of my car! Don't ask me how I know.

34. Bread baked in a tandoor: NAAN.

36. Church recess: APSE.

39. Observed: SEEN.

44. Combustible pile: PYRE.

45. Soft mineral: TALC. Can't stay out of my medicine cabinet, can you?

48. Pleasant, as a summer night: BALMY.

51. Good at banter, say: WITTY. Better than corny!

53. Parrot: ECHO.

54. "I'm all __!": EARS. ...said the field in Iowa. OK, that was corny.

55. Up in the air, briefly: TBD. To Be Determined.

56. Great vexation: IRE. I'm Really Enraged. Wait, that wasn't an abbreviation.

57. Soft metal: TIN. Like my old Band-Aid box, but stop snooping around my bathroom!

58. "You don't see that every day!": HUH.

59. Poehler who co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade: AMY. From SNL to Parks & Rec, AMY has always been a dependable comedienne.

60. Fish-to-be: ROE.

61. Bullpen stat: ERA. Another baseball clue, this is the Earned Run Average - the average number of earned runs a pitcher allows every nine innings, with lower numbers indicating better performance.

62. Fabric tear: RIP.

63. Request for a tropical getaway, perhaps?: SOS. Fun clue. SOS is not an abbreviation of anything, it's just the letters corresponding to a Morse code distress signal that are easy to remember and type.

Godspeed, Artemis!

Be good. RB

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Tara Holland

2026-04-01T03:30:00.001-05:00

Theme: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? ... "

Puzzling thoughts:

Whom else but the resident "Stooge" should be the reviewer of this raucously, racy, risque rhapsody of rapport? I can't think of anyone. And who's fooling who? Have I (46-across: MOI) ever led you folks down the path of presumptive prevarication? Pshaw!

So, let's have at it! Who's ready to be played the fool? I'll fill you in while describing the "fill"

BTW, kudos to Tara Holland - the puzzle constructor - who's been seen published at the LA Times twice in 2025

Across:
1. Tops (off): CAPS. As in limits the amount of in a drink/alcoholic beverage? 😕

5. Shopping aids: LISTS. A must for this Stooge when he goes grocery shopping

10. Loops in on the sly: BCCS. I am not that "sly", nor do I have a family stone

14. Tons: A LOT. I think I was approached by a realtor who once said: "I have tons for sale in this new housing development ..."

15. Foe: ENEMY. I don't think you could substitute the word enemy into the folktale when the Giant encounters Jack at the beanstalk: "Fee, Fi, [enemy]... I smell the blood of an Englishman"

16. "Excuse me ... ": AHEM. Pardon my interruption

17. "That's the last time!": NEVER AGAIN. But what about the first time?

19. __ monster: GILA. The "G" is pronounced like an "H"

20. Standard: NORM. Or, how about cluing it as a bar "fixture" at Cheers!?

21. Bright: CLEVER. Witty, perhaps; I don't think of "bright" with being clever

23. The Proclaimers hit subtitled "500 Miles": I'M GONNA BE. Never heard of this tune before

28. Watchful: ALERT. 3 cups of coffee in the morning makes Moe alert

29. D.C. figure: POL. I tried SEN first, but to no avail

30. Yardstick, e.g.: RULER. My ruler only went 12" in length, but I always was the shortest person in my class

32. Top no. in a blood pressure reading: SYS. Short for SYStolic Pressure - which measures the force in your arteries when your heart beats

33. Baby's bodysuit: ONE-SIE. I hear that the designers of these began making two-sies for parents who had twins

37. Some high-end insulated mugs: YETIS. A brand name for a drinking vessel, but literally, wouldn't a Yeti in the wild also have an insulated "mug"? See the "hairy expression" insulating this beast's mug:

39. Is apathetic: DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT. This reminded me of an old ad, featuring an owl that promoted good citizenship and environmental responsibility when he said: "Give a hoot; don't pollute!"

44. __ squash: ACORN. Hand's up from anyone who's been reading this blog so far, and thinks that Moe is just completely "nutty" today??

45. Balanced: STEADY. Getting more and more difficult for me as I progress through my seventies

46. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: MOI. Already used in my intro

49. "West Side Story" role for Rita and Ariana: ANITA. Actors Moreno and Grande played the role of Anita in the movie adaptation (original and remake). I thought MARIA was the role, but I was incorrect. According to a source I found on the Internet: "Anita's the girlfriend of Maria's older brother, Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican street gang at war with the Jets. The Jets are the white gang that was co-founded by Tony, Maria's love interest and the Romeo figure. Anita is Maria's friend and confidante, like an older sister to her"

51. With it, once: HEP. Hmm ... no Moe-ku's so far? Ok, let's try this one - if no one else gets it I know that my fellow blogger Splynter will:

Old-time hockey star

Will suss out the cool dudes, by

Giving (them) a HEP check

52. Bank nos.: ACCTS. My checking account number and SSN are the same: 123 45 6789

54. "Should've listened to me!": TOLD YOU SO. This could've been clued as the title of a Randy Travis hit song: "(I) Told You So"

58. Markets: STORES. See 5-across for what I bring to markets/stores. BTW, do you call the facility where you buy food items a supermarket or a grocery store?

60. One of many, in a string of pearls: BEAD. Don't let this one fool you

61. "Song of Solomon" novelist Morrison: TONI. She shows up a lot in crossword puzzles

62. [reveal] - save for later

68. Many a four-hour film: EPIC. I can barely stay alert for a two-hour movie

69. Actor Davis - known for "A League of Their Own": GEENA. Don't let this one fool you

70. Japanese wheat noodle: UDON. Or this one

71. [reveal] - save for later

72. Go-between: ENVOY. Or this one

73. [reveal] - save for later

Down:
1. Country with the world's largest moose population: Abbr.: CAN. CSO to CanadianEh! Can you attest that there are more moose in CANada than anywhere else in the world? Have you any moose encounters you care to share with us?

2. Craft brewer's brew: ALE. Let me tap into this one ...

3. Perspective, for short: POV. Point Of View

4. Courtroom fig.: STENO. Makes me think back to the old TV courtroom show, Perry Mason

5. Take in, in a way: LEARN. This clue/answer made me rethink my response to 21-across (CLEVER). I wonder if anyone else saw that a four-letter word for "take in" is in the word "learn"

6. Director Bergman: INGMAR. Note: The clue read "Director" Bergman, not Actor Bergman. Did anyone try to sneak Ingrid into the "grid"? Fun Fact: Ingmar Bergman is not related to the actor, Ingrid Bergman, but he did marry a woman named Ingrid ...

7. Body of water: SEA.

8. "That's enough!" letters: TMI. Too Much Information

9. Lip-__: SYNC. Here is a video that you might want to lip-sync the lyrics to

10. Bread traditionally boiled then baked: BAGEL. My favorite bagel is an onion one, toasted, and then adorned with some smoked salmon and a schmeer of cream cheese - capers, too, if available

11. Scallion relatives: CHIVES. Who else thought ONIONS fit here?

12. The "log" in the snack ants on a log: CELERY.

13. Really stings: SMARTS. As someone who has been stung by a baby scorpion I can attest that this REALLY, REALLY smarts

18. Actor Perlman: RON. I knew that Rhea could not be the answer as it had one too many letters in the name. Fun fact: Are Ron and Rhea Perlman related? "No, Rhea Perlman and Ron Perlman are not related. Despite sharing a last name, they are two separate actors with no family connection. Rhea Perlman is known for her role in Cheers and for being married to Danny DeVito, while Ron Perlman is known for Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy" [random Internet source provided by AI]

22. Ring in a rodeo ring: LARIAT.

23. Apple gadget: IPOD. Is an iPod really a "gadget"?

24. Part of MSG: MONO. Want to learn more about MonoSodium Glutamate? Click here

25. Merriment: GLEE. Chorus groups were originally called "Merriment Clubs" but someone shortened the name to Glee Club

26. Accept the truth of: BUY INTO. Heh, heh, heh ... 😈<== impish Moe. Are you buying into my blog, so far?

27. Mtn. stat: ELEV. Moe-ku:

French student mountain

Climber enjoys wordplay: They're

[an] Elev Élevé

31. Summers in France: ETES. Speaking of French ...

34. Govt. ID issuer: SSA. Again, mine is 123-45-6789. Feel free to use it

35. To be safe: IN CASE. But, just in case that SSN does NOT work please don't try it again .. 😀

36. __ mess: classic English dessert: ETON. New clue for me. This concoction:

38. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: SHE. Clecho - see 46-across

40. Moxie: GRIT.

41. Island known as "The Gathering Place": OʻAHU. It's also a place where lucky tourists get lei'd

42. Words of appreciation: ODES. This is almost a Friday-like clue

43. Form instead of from, e.g.: TYPO. The autocorrect feature on my technology devices gets a lot of work

46. Ibsen's "The __ Builder": MASTER. Moe-ku:

Renowned fisherman

Taught course on lures and hooks: He's

A MASTER baiter

47. Cuttlefish cousins: OCTOPI. With so many arms, why aren't they called a "cuddle" fish? 😏

48. Legendary: ICONIC. When something is iconic, what comes to mind for you?

50. An all-white animal with pink eyes, maybe?: ALBINO. Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

55. Airport flight condition: DELAY. Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

56. Initialism of Young Adult Fiction: YAF. Or this one

57. "Smell" in Scotland: ODOUR. Or this one

59. Herb or spiritual mentor: SAGE. Did this one fool you?

63. What only the most capable crossword puzzle solvers use: PEN. Surely you jest, Moe! "No, I don't, and please don't call me Shirley" <== Famous quote in the movie "Airplane"

64. Part of RPM: REV. I am so confused, Moe ... WTF is going on???

65. Dashboard image that is located between the Tach and the MPH dials: ODO. Is this just some kind of green paint??

66. A fitting text message that Moe sent to his alter ego while blogging this puzzle: LOL!

67. A TV show that would probably have classic 62-across skits: SNL

62 - across. What Chairman Moe did to his audience today: APRIL FOOLS!

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across. See 71-Across: ROLL.

WHAT? This grid didn't appear in your newspaper or AcrossLite / online edition???

Ok, Moe. You had your fun with us. Ha! Ha! Can you please give us the REAL version and explanation?

Well, since you asked politely, here goes. First, the real clues/fill that Tara used, and that I substituted for to make an alternate puzzle:

60-across. Like a turkey burger: LEAN. My burgers have an 80% LEAN / 20% FAT ratio. Turkeys are a holiday meat - for me, anyway

62-across. Began to relax: LOOSENED UP. Moe-ku:

Camper told his shrink

He dreamt of tepee and yurt.

Guess he's just two tents

69-across. Made a 43-Down, say: ERRED.

70-across. Pre-migraine experience, for some: AURA.

72-across. Financial obligations: DEBTS.

50-down. "Ready?": ALL SET.

55-down. Monopoly cards: DEEDS.

56-down. Celebrity chef Martin: YAN.

57-down. Like some headphones: ON EAR. The only kind that Moe will wear

59-down. Vehicle often steered with the feet: SLED. LUGE fits, too

63-down. Underground rock: ORE. I hear a good place to find ore is in ORE.

64-down. Round figure?: ORB.

65- down. Twosome: DUO.

66-down. Clickable link: URL. Part of today's prank

67-down. Bestie: PAL. BFF was tried and failed

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across. See 71-Across: ROLL.

What in the heck is going on here???

When you tried to click on all of the hyperlinks I used in my recap today, you were rickrolled. As [Merriam-Webster] defines:

"Rickrolled" (or rickroll) is an internet slang verb and prank where a user is tricked into clicking a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit song, "

Never Gonna Give You Up". It is a bait-and-switch tactic designed to annoy or humorously surprise the viewer

The five longest answers in the puzzle progressively "pull"/spell out the title in this song:

NEVER AGAIN

I'M GONNA BE

DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT

TOLD YOU SO

LOOSENED UP

And that's about as simple a way as I can explain it!

I highlighted below the left-to-right progression of the key words to the Rick Astley tune you heard today, ad nauseam, provided you clicked on the links. This puzzle was a real "hoot". The words used were all in-the-language and well-clued. The reveal was at first unknown to me, but when I googled the phrase "rickroll" it all made sense

Kudos again to Tara Holland for providing this blogger with his most favorite puzzle to date! This was truly amazing - I hope you all enjoyed both the real and the April Fools puzzles today

Here is the REAL grid!

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Rebecca Goldstein

2026-03-31T03:30:00.005-05:00

A Movable Feast. With everything but the kitchen sink. Each theme answer ends with a food course as we begin with Soup and end with Nuts. We have all heard the expression From Soup to Nuts, which means running the gamut from beginning to end, but where did the expression come from? Apparently, formal full-course meals started with soup and ended with nuts.

16-Across. Hot mixture of elementary particles: QUARK SOUP. We will begin our meal with Soup. Apparently, Quark Soup is a thing, but it's not an edible on our meal menu.

31-Across. Colloquial name of the Christian symbol the ichthus: JESUS FISH. The formal name is Ichthys. It is an ancient symbol forming a fish profile. The symbol oiginated in the 2nd century as a secret sign of faith and identification among Christians facing persecution in the Roman Empire. Calling it a Jesus Fish seems a bit irreverent, but then so is the Darwin Fish. Fish will be our main course in this movable feast.

52-Across. Head honcho: BIG CHEESE. After our main meal, we will have some Cheese.

4-Down. Yielded results: BORE FRUIT. Our meal will continue with some Fruit.

59-Across. Fasteners in a tyre change: WHEEL NUTS. The conclusion of the meal will be Nuts.

Here's the grid so you can see the food move through the grid.

Two other consumables in the puzzle are:

41-Across. Large utility pipe: WATER MAIN.

66-Across. Soybean paste: MISO.

A special thanks to my fellow bloggers who helped me suss out today's theme.

Across:

1. Formless mass: BLOB.

5. Vegan-friendly gelatin alternative: AGAR. Technically a consumable. Agar is a jelly-like, vegetarian substance derived from red algae (seaweed), commonly used as a gelling agent in foods. When I worked in a microbiology lab in college, we used agar for growing bacteria.

9. Many emailed docs: PDFs. As in Portable Document Format. This has become a crossword staple.

13. Relaxed aesthetic: BOHO. Boho is short for Bohemian. It is a style characterized by free-spirited and artistic. It's a bit 1960s retro-style.

14. Roman forum robe: TOGA.

15. Coped (with): DEALT.

18. Maker of Playmate coolers: IGLOO. We have one of these. It comes in handy for storing things in the closet.

19. Ambulance wailer: SIREN.

20. Match or Tinder: DATING APP. Could stretch to a food because App is sometimes used as an abbreviation for Appetizer.

22. Two-point football play: SAFETY.

24. "Allow me": MAY I?

25. Outdoor gear giant: REI. As in Recreational Equipment, Inc. This company appears in the puzzles with some frequency, but I can never remember what the initials stand for.

26. Texter's hedge: OTOH. Textspeak for On The Other Hand.

28. Wee boy: LAD.

35. Tiny, in tech: NANO. I really loved my iPod Nano.

36. Not in favor of: ANTI-.

37. __ point: center of attention: FOCAL.

39. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.

40. Dockworker's workplace: PORT.

43. 27-Down, in Spanish: ESO. // And 27-Down. Yonder thing: THAT.

44. Catch words?: HEAR. Cute clue.

46. Age group, for short: GEN. As in Generation.

47. Hair removal brand: NAIR.

And you thought it was just for women.

49. Vanish into thin air: GO POOF.

56. One making introductions, say: EMCEE. An abbreviation for Master of Ceremonies.

58. Former U.S. president Barack: OBAMA. The 44th American President.

Barak Hussein Obama (b. Aug. 4, 1961)

61. Artist's flat cap: BERET.

62. Sunrise direction: EAST.

63. World Cup cheers: OLÉS. Today's Spanish lesson.

64. Check-in places?: ATMs. You can put a check into your account at an ATM, but most people use the ATM to withdraw funds.

65. Outdoor storage structure: SHED.

Down:

1. Grillin' and chillin' events: BBQs.

2. Western writer L'Amour: LOUIS. Louis Dearborn L'Amour (Mar. 22, 1908 ~ June 10, 1988) was known for his Western novels, which he called his "frontier stories.

3. Catherine of "Home Alone": O'HARA. Sadly, we lost this talented comedian actress earlier this year. Catherine Anne O'Hara (Mar. 4, 1954 ~ Jan. 30, 2026) was in so many films, but my favorite film was Best in Show. She also starred in the television show Schitt's Creek.

5. @ signs: ATs.

6. Treat: GOODY.

7. __ fresca: Mexican beverage: AGUA. More of today's Spanish lesson. Fresh Water.

8. Completely engrossed: RAPT.

9. Elisabeth Moss's "Mad Men" role: PEGGY. Elizabeth Moss (b. July 24, 1982) portrayed Peggy Olsen on Mad Men. She was the Don Draper's secretary.

10. Tibetan spiritual leader: DALAI LAMA.

11. Failed film: FLOP.

12. "That's enough of that": STOP.

15. "Queen of the Blues" Washington: DINAH. Dinah Washington (b. Aug. 29, 1924 ~ Dec. 1963) was an American singer and pianist. She was one of the most popular Black female recording artists of the 1950s. In 1993, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sadly, she died very young, at age 39.

17. Joints worked in lunges: KNEES.

21. "If u ask me ... ": IMO. More textspeak. This time for In My Opinion.

23. Petty disagreement: TIFF.

26. __ the Grouch: OSCAR. A reference to Sesame Street.

29. Latin years: ANNI. Today's Latin lesson.

30. "How you __?": Joey's "Friends" catchphrase: DOIN'.

31. Funny prank: JAPE.

32. Eve's grandson: ENOS. According to Genesis, Enos was the son of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, We don't know who Enos' mother was.

33. Boss around: STRONG ARM.

34. State with more pigs than people: IOWA. Fun facts about Pigs in Iowa.

35. Cutesy "Delicious!": NOM, NOM, NOM.

38. Toymaker that introduced Smart Bricks in 2026: LEGO.

42. Drive away: REPEL.

44. Cymbals played by foot: HI-HAT. I learned about Hi-Hats from doing the puzzles.

45. Before, in old odes: ERE.

48. Topmost points: ACMES.

49. Honking birds: GEESE. Hi, Canadian, Eh!

50. Circular windows: OCULI.

51. Lavish celebrations: FÊTES.

52. Treat consumed with a wide straw: BOBA. This is becoming a crossword staple.

53. "Yeah, right": I BET.

54. Baaing mamas: EWES.

55. Persian for "king": SHAH.

57. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.

60. Flight takeoff hr.: ETD. As in Estimated Time of Departure.

And now it's time for me to Depart.

חתולה

March: In like a Lion, out like a Lamb.

Monday, March 30, 2026, Michael B. Berg, Brian Callahan

2026-03-30T03:30:00.004-05:00

Theme: C-O-P-Y right.

Crossword constructors Michael B. Berg and Brian Callahan enjoy a little wordplay. The big reveal of today's theme occurs at 50-Across:

50-Across. Protection of intellectual property, or a phonetic hint to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across: COPYRIGHT. Copyright laws grant exclusive RIGHTs to the originators of creative works, to COPY, distribute, perform, or display the work. But today, we are looking for something on the RIGHT side of the answers to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across. Something to do with phonetics, or speech sounds.

16-Across. Adrift after a storm, perhaps: LOST AT SEA. The word on the right sounds like C.

23-Across. Jodie Comer's "Killing Eve" co-star: SANDRA OH. The word on the right sounds like O.

30-Across. Stir-fry vegetable: SUGAR SNAP PEA. The word on the right sounds like P.

44-Across. "Let me explain ... ": HERE'S WHY. The word on the right sounds like Y.

Put the phonetic equivalents of the right-side words together, and you have the word COPY.

Do you copy? Let's see what other amusements Michael and Brian have prepared for us.

Across:

1. Bird that went extinct in the 1660s: DODO. The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The first recorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598. In the following years, the bird was hunted by sailors and other invasive species, while its habitat was being destroyed. The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662. A few specimens brought to Europe in the early 1600s, and subfossil materials found on Mauritius, prove the dodo existed. The extinction of the dodo less than a century after its discovery called attention to the problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species ... a problem that has accelerated ever since.

5. Auction site with a "newly listed" sort option: EBAY. My younger sister, of blessed memory, loved to shop for special occasion clothing on eBay. She taught me to include "NWT" (New With Tags) in my searches.

9. Carrier on rails: TRAM. A tram is an electric public transportation vehicle running on street-level rails.

DH and I were impressed by the tram system in Bordeaux.

13. Monumental: EPIC.

14. Herb in poultry stuffing: SAGE.

15. Purifying filter acronym: HEPA. A HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Happily __ after: EVER.

Psychologists argue that "happily ever after" does not just happen.
Successful relationships require continuing effort.

19. Weighing device: SCALE.

20. Cheddar shredders: GRATERS.

22. Collectively: AS ONE.

23. [Theme clue]

24. Subterfuge: RUSE.

25. Cone alternative at an ice cream shop: CUP. Americans are evenly divided on the issue of cone versus cup. Cones are crunchy, add flavor, and can be managed with one hand. Cups don't drip, don't detract from the pure flavor of the ice cream, and accommodate more toppings.

Where do you stand on this issue dividing the country?

26. Rebound: RALLY.

27. Triage pro: EMT. Emergency Medical Technicians provide basic emergency care and transport.

28. Detective Spade of "The Maltese Falcon": SAM. Sam Spade is a fictional character, the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon.

Sam Spade was memorably played by Humphrey Bogart in 1941.

29. Precious stone: GEM.

30. [Theme clue]

35. Band's sound booster: AMP.

36. Special __: some mil. missions: OPS. The abbreviation of "military" in the clue tells us to expect an abbreviation in the answer: "ops" for "operations."

37. Word before devil or dog: SLY.

39. Top-notch: PRIMO.

42. NNW opposite: SSE.

43. Maker of jet-powered pogo sticks, in cartoons: ACME.

ACME supplies Wile E. Coyote with tools to catch and eat the Road Runner.

44. [Theme clue]

46. "Hadestown" writer Mitchell: ANAÏS. Anaïs Mitchell is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including Hadestown (2010). She developed this album into a stage musical, the Broadway production of which won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical.

Anaïs Mitchell sporting emo hair.

47. Choppy, layered style with black bangs: EMO HAIR.

Cute!

48. Corp. shake-up: REORG. A corporate shake-up could be a reorganization.

49. Second to __: NONE.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Easy-Bake __: OVEN. The Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced in 1963, manufactured by Kenner and later by Hasbro. The old ones used light bulbs; the new ones have real heating elements. In the home of my youth, if we wanted to bake, we had to use the real oven.

If it was a popular toy, advertised on TV, Mom and Dad did not buy it.

54. Pilates target: CORE. The "core" refers to the muscles surrounding the spine, pelvis, and hips, that impact posture and stability. Pilates is a low-impact exercise method focusing on core strength, stability, flexibility, and proper alignment.

Reminded again of my younger sister, a Pilates instructor who passed away 15 years ago.

55. Short message: NOTE.

56. Pharmacy orders, informally: MEDS.

57. "The Music of Tori and the Muses" singer-songwriter: AMOS. Tori Amos is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. A child prodigy, Amos began formal classical piano training at age five, but left the institute at eleven, finding her place as a pianist in Washington, D.C. bars. Amos was the lead singer of the short-lived 1980s pop-rock group Y Kant Tori Read before achieving her breakthrough as a solo artist in the early 1990s. Her songs focus on a broad range of topics, including sexuality, feminism, politics, and religion.

Tori Amos

58. Texter's "So long!": TTYL. Talk To You Later.

Down:

1. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL. Benicio del Toro is a Puerto Rican actor. He's appeared in a long list of films, including Steven Soderbergh's crime drama Traffic (2000), for which he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Benicio Del Toro

2. American marsupials known for playing dead: OPOSSUMS.

3. "The Simpsons" character in a rhinestone suit: DISCO STU. We had Disco Stu in last Monday's puzzle!

4. Gas pump number: OCTANE.

5. East, in Spanish: ESTE. The four cardinal directions in Spanish are norte (north), sur (south), este (east), and oeste (west).

6. Some four-year degs.: BAS. Bachelor of Arts degrees.

7. Generational divide: AGE GAP.

8. Long (for): YEARN.

9. Lady's partner in an animated spaghetti scene: THE TRAMP.

10. Unmask: REVEAL.

11. Italian liqueur in a spritz: APEROL. I remember sitting at a table in a piazza in Florence, where my daughter was living, and being treated by her to my first Aperol spritz, served after work but before dinner, when Florentines take a break, nibble salty snacks, and drink: 3 parts Prosecco (sparkling wine), 2 parts Aperol (a bitter orange liqueur), and 1 part sparkling water or club soda. Delizioso!

12. Like wetlands: MARSHY.

17. Brewpub brew: ALE.

21. Pros who know all the hot spots?: AD REPS. Advertising representatives know all the hot advertisements or "spots." "Spot" can also refer to the time slot occupied by an ad.

22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE. Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. I'll be reading this to the newest grandchild when he stops putting everything in his mouth.

23. Basic arithmetic homework: SUMS. "Doing sums" is British English for doing basic arithmetic, or "maths" as Brits might say. A worksheet of addition problems might be called "sums" in the USA.

25. Goldfish, for one: CARP.

28. Pastry that may be deep-fried in ghee: SAMOSA. A samosa is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, often potatoes, onions, and peas. Ghee is butter that has been simmered to remove water and milk solids, which gives it a caramelized flavor and a high smoke point, making it ideal for high heat cooking.

Samosas fried in ghee.

29. Stare in amazement: GAPE.

31. Cornish roasts: GAME HENS. Small chickens, often roasted whole and served as individual portions.

32. Overly inquisitive: NOSY.

33. Snail commonly cooked in butter: ESCARGOT. In English, edible land snails are commonly called escargot, from the French word for snail. They are usually baked in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and served with bread. I'm pretty sure it's just as good if you dip bread in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and leave the snails out of it.

Escargot.

34. Supremely powerful: ALMIGHTY.

38. "That's correct": YES.

39. Promising youngster: PHENOM. A "phenom" (short for phenomenon) is a person with extraordinary talent or ability, often a young prodigy or someone of phenomenal promise, particularly in sports.

40. Get rid of: REMOVE.

41. Pressed, as clothes: IRONED.

42. Trippy fungus, informally: SHROOM. Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are consumed as recreational drugs, and may induce hallucinations. It's trendy now to microdose mushrooms to generate positive feelings without major effects.

43. Bless using oil: ANOINT.

45. Neo-pagan religion: WICCA. Wicca is a modern religious movement that embraces nature, magic, a goddess and a god. Introduced to the public in 1954 by a retired British civil servant, it has spread mostly in English speaking countries. Dear daughter was into it as a pre-teen or teenager. I opened her bedroom door one evening, and I swear, she was sitting cross-legged on her twin bed, eyes closed, with a circle of lighted candles around her, each balancing on the blanket without visible support. I backed out quickly, not wishing to startle her and burn the house down.

Not my daughter, but some other young woman "casting a circle."

46. Gassy prefix: AER. The prefix aer comes from the Greek word for air, and usually indicates processes involving gas, air circulation, or airborne substances. Examples of words with this prefix include aeration, aerial, aerobic, aerodrome, and aerosol.

48. Loaves that may be marbled: RYES. Marbled rye bread is created by rolling light rye and dark rye doughs together. Nice to look at, it also has contrasting flavors that are mild and robust.

Marbled rye bread.

51. Con's opposition: PRO.

52. Contact list no.: TEL.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you feel like a DODO when working the puzzle? Were you LOST AT SEA?

Or did you turn in a PRIMO performance and feel like a crossword PHENOM?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday, March 29, 2026 ~ Doug Peterson

2026-03-29T03:30:00.947-05:00

Theme: "DON'T STOP NOW"

Go Go Gadget Helicopter

Hi All!

I always enjoy solving a Doug Peterson puzzle and I was not disappointed with this effort. However, as I was solving, Inspector Gadget kept playing in my head so, I wasn't quite expecting the reveal:

117. Make it big, or a hint to the pairs found in the answers to the starred clues: GO PLACES.

22. *American Samoa's capital: PAGO PAGO. Capital of American Samoa.

29. *Dramatic ending for a tied hockey game: GOLDEN GOAL.

35. *Mohair source: ANGORA GOAT.

55. *"Stranger Things" monster: DEMOGORGON. Click at your own risk.

79. *Symbol often adorned with a "Doodle": GOOGLE LOGO.

Apropos for next Sunday

100. *Smugly sanctimonious sort: GOODY GOODY.

107. *Wasting time: GOOFING OFF.

15. *Martial arts-themed toy line: LEGO NINJAGO.

66. *Band with the 1998 hit "Iris": GOO GOO DOLLS. I have this CD but, post-solve, I had to Google to know the title of the song I've heard >100 times.

Iris

A fun theme, I think. Now let's get on to the rest of the fill before we get on with our day.

Across:

1. Invitation letters: RSVP. Répondez s'il vous plait or, in English, "respond if you please."

5. Three-striper: Abbr.: SGT. The rank of sergeant.

8. WNBA star Reese: ANGEL. She played for LSU (Geaux Tigers!) and Chicago Sky (which I think was in Thursday's puzzle(?))

Her WikiP

13. Archipelago parts: ISLES.

18. Prefix with space: AERO.

19. "Ni __": Chinese greeting: HAO. Hello in English. Mr. Di, who was the night supervisor at the lab where I worked in college, taught me that. //How am I doin' C.C.? :-)

20. __ Doone cookies: LORNA. This cookie is slowly replacing OREO :-)

21. Will of "BoJack Horseman": ARNETT. This was a Netflix animated series for adults that "aired" from 2014 to 2018.

BoJack Horseman

22. [See: Theme]

24. Pipsqueak: TWERP.

25. Half-baked?: DOUGHY.

If you've seen this movie, you weren't thinking DOUGHY

26. Shoulder wraps: STOLES.

27. __ Tomé and Príncipe: SAO. A tiny country off the coast of Africa.

Those two islands

29. [See: Theme]

31. Really annoy: GRATE ON.

33. Farm buildings: BARNS.

34. 180º from SSW: NNE. Compass points.

35. [See: Theme]

38. Instagram's parent: META.

39. Rhubarb treats: PIES.

A Prairie Home Companion

40. Preppy brand: POLO. POLO & IZOD make me think of the '80's.

41. Doomscrolling, perhaps: ONLINE. This stackexchange has arguments for and against online being one word or hyphenated. Oh, and as for Doomscrolling, that's the act of watching headline after headline (of usually bad news) in short-form media such as TikTok, Meta's Reels, or YouTube Shorts.

43. "Oh, rats!": AW DARN.

46. Program for aspiring docs: PREMED. Does this get a hyphen? ;-)

49. Readily apparent: OVERT.

51. Basic garage service: LUBE JOB. This is not hyphenated.

54. Texting tech: SMS. Short Message Service.

55. [See: Theme]

59. Sub meat: SALAMI. Add some pepperoni, mortadella, provolone - I'm getting peckish.

60. Inconsequential: MINOR.

61. Hate with a passion: DETEST. Or what Tattoo exclaims to Roarke at exam time? //Sorry for stealing your job, RayO :-).

63. Dry-__ beef: AGED.

64. Striped 96-Down, in Spanish: TIGRE. These kinda cross-reference clues can be fun. However, this one made me fast-forward to a corner I wasn't playing in and I got distracted from what I was there for.

67. Doorway piece: JAMB.

70. Plastic Clue weapon: ROPE. I thought all of the weapons in Clue were made with plastic.


Then	Now

71. Preppy jackets: ETONS. Back to the preppies again.

72. __ appeal: SNOB. Now we're really getting preppy :-)

73. Arizona neighbor: SONORA. To the south of AZ.

75. Tequila plant: AGAVE. Drink in 73a (and pretty much everywhere else).

77. In the area: AROUND. Tequila all around!

79. [See: Theme]

82. Electric jolt: ZAP.

85. Backslide: REGRESS.

87. Slight adjustment: TWEAK.

88. Gazpacho need: TOMATO. Yummers! More Italian food. Ok, we kinda appropriated [Read: stole] it from Spain but... Gazpacho is a wonderful cold "soup" for summer.

90. Does better than: ONE UPS.

92. Haudenosaunee Confederacy people: SENECA. One of the Six Nations' tribes.

95. Birthstone for some Scorpios: OPAL.

96. __ and hisses: BOOS.

98. Home of tennis's Italian Open: ROME. Four letter Italian city? The pen works itself.

100. [See: Theme]

103. "__ be nice if ... ": IT'D.

104. Canonized one: SAINT.

Father Guido Sarducci on March Saints

106. Not intended: UNMEANT. This feels like it needs a hyphen.

107. [See: Theme]

110. NYC subway org.: MTA. New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

111. Poet Amy who won a Pulitzer Prize posthumously: LOWELL.

114. Piña __: COLADA. If you like 'em (and getting caught in the rain), Escape.

Who knows any other songs by Rupert Holmes?

115. Engine booster, for short: TURBO. Wife's Alfa is a turbo, mine is five on the floor.

117. [See: Theme]

119. Geopolitical partners: ALLIES.

120. Pioneers in Philly soul, with "The": O'JAYS. For the younger solvers who've joined The Corner and weren't around in the '70's...

The O'Jays

121. Feel bad about: RUE.

122. Mauna Loa flow: LAVA.

123. Electricity pioneer Nikola: TESLA.

124. High-flying toys: KITES.

125. Assist: AID.

126. Make a shawl, maybe: KNIT. Young'uns seem to be getting into this "grandma" skill. Eldest started the craft at 12 yrs old and still does it when procrastinating her dissertation :-)

Down:

1. Performs like Kendrick Lamar: RAPS.

2. Flight assignment: SEAT. Are you aisle or window?

3. Immersive gaming gear, briefly: VR GOGGLES. There's only one (1) GO in this fill.

4. Spot for table games: POOL ROOM. Feels a bit forced(?) I call 'em a POOL hall (or just a dive bar). You?

5. California peak: SHASTA. Also the brand name of a diet soda my maternal grandfather drank.

6. Silly prank: GAG.

7. "I didn't wait long enough?": TOO SOON. Can we make Millard Filmore jokes yet?

8. Voice above tenor: ALTO. Eldest is a soprano but can do a great alto falsetto. One time, when she was 12 (or 13?), she blew away our local TexMex joint singing karaoke to Bohemian Rhapsody. On the "from me" high bit, the whole place went quiet and looked where it was coming from. Just my little shy kid belting out her voice. #ProudDad

9. This very second: NOW. STAT didn't fit.

10. Hall of Fame pitcher Maddux: GREG. I know he was with the Braves longer (where he secured a WS ring), but he'll always be a Cub to me.

11. Dress for a graduation ceremony: ENROBE. Not the dress you wear but the verb dress. Cute, Doug, cute.

12. City near Buenos Aires: LA PLATA. ?!? Is Buenos Aires also in the Texas panhandle? I'm kidding, it's the capital city of Buenos Aires province of Argentina.

13. Clubs with metal heads: IRONS. Oh, again not dive bars (with crank'd up music).

14. Tight-fitting: SNUG.

15. [See: Theme]

16. Compound in natural gas: ETHANE. A hydrocarbon which just got more expensive.

17. Does salon work: STYLES.

21. Yemeni port: ADEN. For the life of me, I can never remember this crossword staple.

23. Fruit in fruit cocktail: PEAR.

28. Like some watches: ANALOG. I made sure my kids could read a proper clock (with Roman Numerals too! :-))

30. Southern sound: DRAWL. Over 40 years in the south, I've developed a bit of one.

32. Freudian concept: EGO.

35. Slack and Signal: APPS. APPlications for you pocket communicator. Signal is actually pretty nifty if you're into privacy & security.

36. "Cheers" regular: NORM.

Best of Norm Peterson

37. Early DVR brand: TIVO. Two college buddies of mine worked for TiVo.

38. Corporate combination: MERGER.

39. Senior clergyman: PRELATE.

42. Square one?: NERD.

44. Coating on knickknacks: DUST. That's why DW & I have few.

45. Litigators' org.: ABA. American Bar Association.

47. Falco of "Avatar: Fire and Ash": EDIE.

48. Lair: DEN.

50. "Rosanna" band: TOTO.

According to popular myth, at the first recording sessions, in order to distinguish their own demo tapes from other bands' in the studio, Jeff Porcaro wrote the word "Toto" on them. In the early 1980s, band members told the press that the band was named after Toto the dog from The Wizard of Oz. After the completion of the first album, the band and record were still unnamed. David Hungate, after viewing the name on the demo tapes, explained to the group that the Latin words "in toto" translated to "all-encompassing". Another explanation was that singer Bobby Kimball's "real" name was Robert Toteaux, pronounced "toto". Because the band members played on so many records and so many musical genres, they adopted the name "Toto" as their own. - WikiP

Toto's Africa

52. Warning sign: OMEN.

53. Says "two no trump," e.g.: BIDS. I'm guessing the card game of Bridge ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

56. Magic charm: MOJO.

57. Sumatran primate, informally: ORANG.

58. Himalayan nation: NEPAL.

60. Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant: MR. BURNS. The Simpsons.

62. Lily variety: SEGO. It's the State Flower of Utah.

64. Bygone Russian title: TSAR.

65. Memo heading: INRE. IN REgards to:

66. [See: Theme]

68. Not worth debating: MOOT.

69. Look through casually: BROWSE. Leaf, skim, etc.

71. Acronym for a dressing base: EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's all I use.

73. Aztecs' sch.: SDSU. San Diego State University - Home of the Fightin' Aztecs.

74. "Peacemaker" actor Steve: AGEE.

76. Reality show hosted by Terry Crews, for short: AGT. I'm guessing America's Got Talent ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

78. Once known as: NEE.

80. "Auld __ Syne": LANG.

81. Barely manage: EKE OUT.

82. Mesoamerican language family common in Oaxaca: ZAPOTECAN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Read all about it here.

83. Just barely: A TAD.

84. Roly-__: POLY. AKA pillbugs or armadillidiidae.

86. Bit of rosemary: SPRIG.

89. Dance move also known as a backslide: MOONWALK. You can't not think of Michael Jackson here.

This looks AI he's that good

91. Majorly unacceptable: SO NOT OK. An HR violation, I'm thinkin'.

93. Packaged foods giant: CONAGRA. You may not know the company (I'm sure HG does), but you probably eat their food. I know I do.

Their Brands

94. USN VIP: ADM. Naval Admirals are Very Important People.

96. Jaguar or leopard: BIG CAT. Just like a TIGRE.

97. Peter of "The Lion in Winter": O'TOOLE.

99. "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" peak: Abbr.: MT FUJI.

101. Gave a sudden squeal: YELPED.

102. Hastings hoosegow: GAOL. Hastings is an English town (Battle Of in 1066) and GAOL is Old Norman French. The G in GAOL is soft like in gentle; so, aloud GAOL sounds like jail -- which is what the word means.

104. Better half?: SIDE A. Cute. But is Hey Jude really better than Revolution?

The Fab Four

105. Santa __: dry California winds: ANAs.

108. Blunder that might be epic: FAIL. #EpicFail

109. Greek house: FRAT.

Obligatory

110. Green trunk growth: MOSS.

112. Strauss of jeans: LEVI.

113. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. Youngest passed and is nearly done with her OneL.

116. "So long!": BYE.

118. Arles agreement: OUI. We started with French and we end with French, YES?

Well, that was fun. Now, here's the Grid:

The Grid

WO: laura -> LORNA
ESPs: ANGEL, LAPLATA (making that whole area a mess o' ink), ADEN, SAO, SENECA, LOWELL, ZAPOTECAN
Fav: MOJO

Dr. Evil steals Austin Powers' Mojo

I've missed playing with y'all the last few weeks. I've been busy catching up from my short vacation in DC to visit my daughters at school. These next few weeks, my attendance will also be sporadic as I'm attending a couple of cybersecurity conferences.

Play later!
Cheers, -T

Fin

Saturday, March 28, 2026, Grant Conley

2026-03-28T03:30:00.053-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Grant Conley

I found Grant on FaceBook and he was kind enough to share this:

This is only my second puzzle published, with the first being in the WSJ. (I'm currently waiting to see if the same paper will accept my latest themed puzzle.)
Outside of work and crosswords, I enjoy reading, bouldering (new to me hg), and participating in local trivia nights. I also bake a pretty good sourdough.

As for seed entries, DRUMROLLPLEASE and LANDSPEEDRECORD were the first set in this puzzle, though I originally had them in the opposite order; I thought it would make for a snappy solve with the "drum roll" leading into the big stunt. This was eventually sacrificed for a better grid flow and some easier letter pairings. Aside from these, I enjoyed creating the puzzle's few parallel entries, like DOODAD/NOODLE, since such a late-week grid really asked for a little playfulness to lighten it up.

Grant said he did not see the connection I made with the first three clues but for some reason they just came together.

Across:

1. Stratagem: ARTIFICE - Devices used to trick or deceive. One ARTIFICE used by the allies just before D-Day was Operation Fortitude. They assembled to be what appeared to be an actual army "commanded" by General George Patton to fool Hitler into thinking the invasion would take place further east near Calais and not Normandy. Interesting reading

9. Farce: SHAM - Operation Fortitude was a SHAM but it made Hitler divert a lot of firepower away from the Normandy beaches.

13. Phrase shouted after some extras?: READ ALL ABOUT IT - People selling newspapers the next day might be shouting, "Extra, Extra READ ALL ABOUT IT"

16. Critical component of fast response times: CAT LIKE REFLEXES.

18. Fall bloom: ASTER.

19. Chronicle: ANNAL - D-Day was one of the major events in all of the ANNALS of history.

20. Polo alternative: TEE - Better golf courses require players to wear collared shirts.

21. Common feature of a grandfather clock: DOOR.

22. Astaire and Rogers: FREDS - It was fun when I realized Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were really Fred Astaire and Fred Rogers! 😀

23. Hamlet, for one: DANE.

24. Capital One's virtual assistant: ENO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

25. Western outfit: POSSE.

26. Fatty compound: LIPID - Liposuction physically removes adipose tissue (fat cells/lipids)

27. Place for pints: BAR - PUB seemed to be more likely

28. Intern, often: TRAINEE - We educators call them student teachers or cadets

30. Closely affiliated with: WED TO.

32. Drops: SINKS.

33. Location without an outlet: DEAD END.

35. "L.A. Law" actress: DEY.

36. Like cappuccino: FOAMY.

37. Wind farm structures: VANES.

39. Tune paired with a silent movie, often: RAG.

42. "My bad!": OOPS.

43. Raptors, e.g.: DINOS.

44. "If This Is a Man" author Primo: LEVI.

45. Turmoil: ADO.

46. Podcast medium: AUDIO - Add two more vowels to previous fill

47. Gainbridge Fieldhouse player: PACER - It is home to the NBA Indiana PACERS and the WNBA Indiana Fever.

48. Achievement last set in 1997 in Nevada's Black Rock Desert: LAND SPEED RECORD.

51. Dramatic introduction: DRUMROLL PLEASE 😀 - One of Grant's seed entries

52. Olden days: YORE.

53. Two quarters, perhaps: SEMESTER - I got my B.A. from Wayne State College that was on a trimester schedule.

Down:

1. Location with an array of cabinets: ARCADE. 😀

2. Work (out): REASON - We solvers have to use REASON to work out tricky fill

3. Heart on one's sleeve, perhaps: TATTOO - I loved this when I finally worked out what Grant was going for.

4. One unlikely to have long to-do lists: IDLER - I was first looking for the opposite: Someone who had mostly already done the chores.

5. "Good point": FAIR 🤔

6. Kind: ILK.

7. Busses: CLEARS - The dent in my forehead will heal from when it got hit after I had my DOH moment. I thought I was being so clever with KISSES, then I tried to think what transport vehicle it might be and then the right answer jumped up.

8. From the heart: EARNEST.

9. Places to lounge: SOFAS.

10. Naval base: HULL 😀

11. Consumed: ATE.

12. Cassettes that may spark nostalgia: MIX TAPES 😀

14. Binges: BENDERS.

15. Adjective for a bikini, in a 1960s hit song: TEENIE - Chant it with me - "One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore..." I love 60's music but this would not make it onto my MIX TAPE.

17. Growing need?: SEED - My radish SEEDS are already sprouting in this record hot Nebraska weather.

22. Specialty: FORTE.

23. Less than impressive: DINKY - The aforementioned bikini might also add this adjective

25. Rice field: PADDY.

26. Most of a stick figure: LINES.

27. Part of a support system: BEAMS - This past Wednesday, Mutual of Omaha celebrated the "topping out of its new 44-story headquarters in downtown Omaha by placing the last BEAM.

29. Interns, often: AIDES - I suspect you can name this intern who started as an unpaid AIDE for Universal Studios in 1969.

30. Phaser banks on the Enterprise, e.g.: WEAPONRY.

31. Captured, in a way: ON VIDEO.

33. Whatsit: DOO DAD.

34. "Dumb & Dumber" co-star: DANIELS.

36. Little horse: FOAL.

38. Noggin: NOODLE.

39. Apply again, as paint: RECOAT.

40. Disinclined (to): AVERSE.

41. Part of a support system: GIRDER - A lovely spot for lunch in 1932

43. British cellist Jacqueline: DUPRE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

44. Corset tighteners: LACES.

46. Whispery genre, for short: ASMR -

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

(ASMR) is a calming, static-like tingling sensation triggered by soft sound like whispering, tapping or gentle visuals. It has become a frequent fill in our puzzles.

47. Brazilian soccer legend: PELE.

49. Pair: DUO.

50. Dashboard stat: RPM.

Friday, Mar 27th, 2026 ~ Yijing Chen

2026-03-27T03:30:00.007-05:00

JERKY WELLINGTON

A recipe for "beef" Wellington here

I asked C.C. about our constructor, and she told me that she needs to see the Chinese characters to know more about the author; as far as we can tell, this is a debut - congratulations, and if you are reading this, then please feel free to chime in here at our Crossword Corner. I loved this puzzle - a fresh, clever, and humorous theme of common 'food' phrases reworked to be the fermented and/or cured, and therefore, "processed", versions of the produce. Five fills, one a spanner - the one that unlocked the theme for me - two 14- and two 9-letter fills, my only nit for the puzzle being the number of names. Standard grid, no circles, a low count of 19 3LWs, two tastes, two bad fill-in clues ( for me ) and two cowbells~!
The themers;

17. Marine animal with a cylindrical body, once processed?: SEA PICKLE - this one is the outlier, with the "processed" part coming last - cucumbers, when processed ( in salt water, dill, etc. ) ferment and become "pickles - ergo, a Sea Cucumber would now be a Sea "Pickle" 😆😜

The Wiki

23. Dearly beloved, once processed?: CIDER OF ONE'S EYE = Apples, processed

36. Dolls that come with adoption papers, once processed?: KIMCHI PATCH KIDS = Cabbage, processed; more here, and a recipe - The dolls were the source of an insane toy stampede in the 80's

The frenzy they caused

46. Dust Bowl-era Steinbeck novel, once processed?: THE WINE OF WRATH = Grapes, processed

Star Trek humor

56. Earth's galaxy, once processed?: CHEESY WAY = Milk(y), processed

Everybody knows the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, is "42"

from Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

But Wait There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Bring a smile to: AMUSE - "I'm here to amuse you~? What's so funny about me~?"

6. Aspiring atty.'s hurdle: LSAT - Law School Admissions Test, crossword staple

10. Public health org.: CDC - Centers for Disease Control - something's cheesy . . .

13. Sri Lankan language: TAMIL - HINDI(U) is at 51D.

14. Sounds of realization: "A-HAs~!" - a bit 'meh' in the plural

15. Tart: SOUR - taste #1

16. Stone with a "crazy lace" variety: AGATE

Can be purchased at Etsy here

19. Turn down: DIM

20. Mastercard alternative: VISA - credit card companies

22. Put together: BUILT

27. Airport security containers: BINS

28. Check a final time?: MATE - Ah. I missed the chess reference; filled via perps, but very clever

29. Words of defeat: "I LOST." - That's exactly what the king🠅said . . .

31. Commotion: STIR

33. "I Think You Should Leave" star Robinson: TIM - No clue. The movie sounds humorous; name #1

40. Wane: EBB - Does Batman "ebb" to Bruce Wayne~?

41. Spits bars: RAPS - Friday cluing, and sorta clever - rap, the music genre

Intergalactic - Beastie Boys

42. "__ Burr, Sir": AARON - it's still a name, dame, #2

43. Trampled (on): TROD

45. Lock screen display: TIME - as on one's smart phone

52. Readied a putt: AIMED - LIV golf was on the TVs at the gym last weekend; some controversy

53. __ tube: BOOB - slang for the "telly" - does anyone remember the movie "Groove Tube"~? I have mentioned it here at the Corner before

54. Fix unlawfully: RIG - elections, e.g.

59. The Eras Tour venue: ARENA - Taylor Swift, was, sadly (not~!), missing from this year's 2026 Super Bowl, as her fiancé did not make the playoffs 😁 - sorry KC fans . . .

More about those legs . . .

61. Small racing vehicle: KART - think "Go-"

62. Capital on the Tiber: ROME - geo name #3

63. Boots up, as a program: LOADS

64. Messy room: STY

65. Reach great heights: SOAR

66. Was a prelude (to): LED UP - Led Zep - excluding the "solos", which song is John Bonham's best performance~? My choice is this song - track one, Led Zeppelin I - see also 47D.

"Good Times, Bad Times"

2:45 of non-stop drumming density - More cowbell #1~!

DOWN:

1. Little bit: A TAD - Atwurd

2. Hocus-pocus: MAGIC - one of my "co-trainees" at the gym suggested Sarah J Maas as an author, so I am currently reading "Throne of Glass"

3. Condiment that adds strong, rich flavor, informally: UMAMI BOMB - new to me, but it has appeared in one other crossword . . . taste #2

A recipe here

4. Reflect on, with "with": SIT

5. Like Matt Smith's Doctor, on "Doctor Who": ELEVENTH - Despite having British parents, and being a hard-core Sci-Fi guy, I have never seen, or liked, [GASP] "Dr. Who" - name(ish) - the LIST

6. Sudeikis role: LASSO - Ted, that is, but another show I have never seen - name #4

7. Barley bundle: SHEAF - good WAG on my part

8. MiLB level: AAA - I did not know that Minor League Baseball was abbr this way

9. Small baking meas.: TSP

10. Journalist Roberts: COKIE - her Wiki, name #5

11. With little inflection: DULLY - "dull-ly" - not a word I would use in everyday convo - and then, whilst reading "Throne of Glass", I find the word not once, but twice - here's the first instance . . .

12. Largest Greek island: CRETE - geo name #6

15. "__ me!": "Comin' through!": " 'SCUSE~!" - Eliding over the "EK" part of excuse; not unique; in fact, it's not even a "rare" crossword fill . . .

18. "Suuuuure": "I BET."

21. April 15 org.: IRS - My "CPA" has my paperwork

24. __ jockey: DISC

25. Forgets, maybe: OMITS

26. Snitch (on): NARC - I do the Downs first, threw in "TELL"

29. Actor Barinholtz: IKE - name #7

30. Ad-__: LIB - Dah~! Got the wrong one #1 - not HOC

31. Fashion designer Kate: SPADE - the one name I did know, #8

32. Spigot: TAP - My favorite "TAP"

Nigel Tufnel, lead guitar, Spinal Tap

33. Michelin surface: TIRE TREAD - I like this clue/answer. It's not unique, either

34. Words of avowal: "I DO." - I 'DID' have this last week, too - I hope it's a sign of things to come

35. Bing portal: MSN - Bing being the search engine of MicroSoft Network - the Wiki

37. Wrinkle remover: IRON

38. Unpopular pet product?: HAIRBALL - Ha~! Clever clue; I tried NECK CONE - this thingy

He's faking it - theres' no way he would be that happy . . .

39. __ Sutra: KAMA - You can find the 'crossword position', chapter 18, section 5, verse 2 - here

43. Bird's sound: TWEET

44. Disposes (of): RIDS

45. Number of prongs on a bident: TWO

She's a "two-tining" woman

46. Short nails: TACKS - oops, not BRADS

47. Drum kit cymbals: HI-HAT - I play the drums, and the clue being "plural", I went with "RIDES" - the larger cymbal that sits "opposite" the Hi-Hat - which is a paired set of cymbals - in a kit

I added my drum set below, "backwards" for a lefty, like Phil Collins in Genesis; he switches from the Hi-Hat to the Ride @ 1:00 - my RIDE cymbal is low & inside the crash cymbal. More cowbell #2~!

48. Nail file material: EMERY

49. Only U.S. president born after 1960: OBAMA - OK, I knew this one as well - name #9

50. Place for a hat rack: FOYER

51. Holi celebrant: HINDU - Learned by doing crosswords; it occurred 4 March this year

More here

55. [I'm surprised!]: GASP~!

57. Mos. and mos.: YRs

58. "__-hoo!": WOO - Dah~! I got the wrong one, #2 - not YOO

60. Sushi topper: ROE

Splynter

Grid Flow a low 25.6

Thursday March 26, 2026 Howard Neuthaler

2026-03-26T03:30:00.005-05:00

Howard Neuthaler is a former travel agent *checks notes* scratch that, he's a lawyer, but his puzzle is about taking a trip. Because he's been busy lawyering, he's pretty new to constructing, and this is his LAT debut. Yay!

"Time now for everybody's favorite guessing game, What's My Line? Brought to you by the Los Angeles Times. It's like news that has been printed on paper!"

17. Starting line?: I BETTER GET GOING. Something said at the outset of a trip.

24. Punch line?: TICKETS PLEASE. Asked by a conductor who will punch your TICKET.

43. Pickup line?: WELCOME ABOARD. Spoken by an attendant as one climbs ABOARD.

56. Trip line?: ADVENTURE AWAITS. A phrase from a traveler as one leaves the station.

I assumed all these phrases referred to train travel rather than by ship or plane, because they have a history of punching TICKETS, although they don't do that anymore. In any case, these lines are phases that one might hear when embarking on a trip. Some are said by the traveler, while others are from crew members. I like that they tell a little story.

Now, if you'll quickly find your seat, we're getting ready to go!

Across:

1. Language in the same family as Hindi: URDU. URDU has 230 million speakers worldwide, primarily serving as the national language of Pakistan and is a recognized official language in India.

5. Balance, for one: SENSE.

10. Spots for STEM classes: LABS.

14. Tap on the nose: BOOP.

15. Opening: WAY IN. This WAY IN is far out.

16. "Aha": I SEE. Hopefully we've seen the last of oho.

17. [theme]

20. Cravings: DESIRES. Yens. I DESIRE lots of yens.

21. Island country whose capital is St. George's: GRENADA.

22. __ and paste: CUT.

23. "Get Out" writer/director Jordan: PEELE. I knew him for years as a comedian, so was surprised when he became a writer and director of horror films. Good ones, too, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Get Out.

24. [theme]

29. Hoppy beers, briefly: IPAS. The ever popular India Pale Ales.

Hoppy beer

30. __ out a win: EKE.

31. Ivan the Terrible and Feodor the Bellringer: TSARS. I knew Ivan the Terrible, but Feodor didn't ring a bell.

34. Scand. land: NOR. Strictly, Scandinavia is comprised of NORway, Sweden and Denmark. Taken together with Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, they're as known as the Nordic countries because of shared heritage and love of colorful crosses.

I35. Vote against: NAY.

36. That, in Spanish: ESO.

38. Poseidon's realm: SEA. The counterpart to this Greek deity is the Roman god Neptune. SEA?

39. "Hello" singer: ADELE. There was a time when I could fill in any 5-letter singer I didn't know as ADELE. Now she's slowly getting bumped by Drake, Kesha, Lorde...and I'm in trouble.

41. "Too cute!": AWW. FuzzyBrain (aka Buster) as a pup.

42. Shade in four-color printing: CYAN.

43. [theme]

47. 49-Across, for one: ASANA.

48. B.A. Baracus player: MR T. I pity the fool that hasn't seen the A Team.

49. Spine-stretching yoga move: CAT POSE.

52. Warm jackets: FLEECES.

56. [theme]

58. Wood used to make some woodwinds: PEAR.

59. Seize without right: USURP.

60. James of "The Godfather": CAAN. In a lighter role, he played a book publisher/dad in Elf.

61. Edges: ENDS.

62. Hammer parts: PEENS.

63. "Bonanza" brother: HOSS. Some people remember there was a third Cartwright brother besides HOSS (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon). Adam (Pernell Roberts) left the hit show mid-run due to "creative differences." Mom always liked the other two best.

Little Joe, Hoss and Adam (not pictured)

Down:

1. Former eBay rival: UBID. UBID was an online shopping site for refurbished and overstock consumer electrionics. It's was valued at $1.8 billion at one point, but went bankrupt after the dot.com bubble.

2. Wrapped garment: ROBE.

3. Carries out: DOES.

4. Baby bumps?: UP TICKS. Trending in the right direction - unless they're talking about my weight.

5. Sugary pitcherful: SWEET TEA.

6. Hearing things: EARS.

7. Big Blue of the NFL, for short: NYG. The New York Giants of the National Football League.

8. Former NPR host Robert: SIEGEL. "Bob" SIEGEL held several news and production roles at National Public Radio, but is best known as a co-host of All Things Considered for many years. This is how I remember him:

9. Daily special, typically: ENTREE.

10. Sub-Saharan female: LIONESS. The Sahara desert spans all of northern Africa, so Sub-Saharan refers to everything south, which is most of the continent.

11. Forbidden City locale: ASIA. Really? That's as specific as you can get? It's like saying the White House is located in North America. Or on Earth.

Forbidden City in Beijing, China

12. Big __ National Park: BEND. Big BEND National Park is in western Texas bordering Mexico along over a hundred miles of the Rio Grande. Although huge (like everything in Texas, apparently) it only ranks 14th in area, with 7 of our largest national parks being in Alaska. In the lower 48, Death Valley (#5), Yellowstone (#8) and the Everglades (#10) round out the top 10.

13. Genesis creator: SEGA. This clue always seem like it wants a biblical answer.

18. "Valid point": TRUE.

19. Affogato scoop: GELATO. Affogato is a simple Italian dessert consisting of a scoop of vanilla GELATO or ice cream "drowned" (affogato) with a shot of hot espresso, creating a contrast of hot and cold, and sweet and bitter flavors. Can't believe I've never tried it.

23. Some EMT gear: PPE. Emergency Medical Technicians may wear Personal Protective Equipment.

24. Rock legend Turner: TINA. The "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" was pretty much timeless.

25. Discontinued Apple gadget: IPOD.

26. Hall of Famer Rod with 3,053 career hits: CAREW. Rod CAREW appeared in 18 consecutive All-Star games, basically his entire career. Among many accolades, he was named the recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his involvement in local community affairs in 1977.

27. Chicago hoops squad: SKY. The SKY of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

28. Undemanding class: EASY A. As has been discussed here before, when I was in college, we called this a gut course, or simply a gut.

32. __ admiral: REAR.

33. Zen garden rake target: SAND.

35. Country great Willie: NELSON. When a guitar is played for many years, it collects wear and tear which adds to its mojo. Modern guitar companies sometimes artificially "relic" their instruments for players that can't wait and will pay extra to look cool now. Personally, I dislike this, as every scratch and ding reminds me of a past moment, and is hard earned. Just think about all the stories that Trigger could tell...

Willie Nelson and Trigger

36. Feta source: EWE. Feta is a Greek cheese known for its salty, tangy flavor and crumbly texture, and is traditionally made from sheep's milk. But EWE knew that.

37. Worked out in the pool: SWAM LAPS.

40. Ten lords in a Christmas carol, e.g.: LEAPERS. I thought they should be LEAPING.

41. "I'm an open book" sesh: AMA. An Ask Me Anything session.

42. Split a course?: CO-TEACH. Although two teachers could CO-TEACH a classroom, or split it in half for smaller groups, more often one teacher leads instruction while the other circulates to offer individual support. This is known as One Teach/One Assist.

44. Total, as numbers in a ledger: CAST UP. New to me. It derives from the Middle English "casten" ("to throw") combined with "up." It originally meant ejecting/vomiting, which morphed into "throwing up" figures on a page. Etymology isn't always pleasant!

45. Like most straws: ONE USE. Millions of plastic straws are used daily, and even those that are disposed of properly may blow away from landfills and harm wildlife. Unfortunately, paper straws get soggy, so here's an idea. Don't use straws.

46. Concoct: BREW.

49. Wrapped garment: CAPE. I was sari I wrote "toga" first.

50. Arabian port: ADEN. ADEN, Yemen is strategically located at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula and serves as a gateway to the Red Sea. Due to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, the route to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal gains significance.

51. Spot on the small screen: TV AD. Not a pixel, but an AD spot.

52. Common houseplant: FERN.

53. "Toodles, dahling": CIAO. Because I can't imagine Eva Gabor saying, "Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya." Well, maybe in Hooterville.

54. Waze guesses, for short: ETAS. Waze is a navigation app that uses real-time traffic updates to provide Estimated Time of Arrivals.

55. Tax doc IDs: SSNS. Social Secuity Numbers are personal identifications on tax documents.

57. Word on a Paris map: RUE. Rue is "street" in French.

And that's the bottom line.
Be good. RB

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Mat Holmes

2026-03-25T03:30:00.034-05:00

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee, here, with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle by Mat Holmes. Mat has had puzzles published previously in other venues (The Atlantic, Universal, Defector) but I believe that this is his LAT debut. Congratulations, Mat and welcome to the asylum (er, community).

This morning's puzzle offering is perfect for those of you who are always looking for new ways to get your kicks. Now, despite the "spoiler" above, you might be thinking something along the lines of:

Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks

Or, perhaps:

Asleep At The Wheel - Route 66

Or, perhaps, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes or even a couple of Nissan automobiles.

But, no. KICKS here is used in the slang connotation of athletic shoes (Silver Kicks?). Perhaps not as much fun as any/all of the above but it works very well for the puzzle. Let's start with the unifier:

59 Across: Trusted companions, or what the sets of circled letters in this puzzle literally are: SIDEKICKS.

At five places in the grid Mat has place brand names for sneakers/tennis shoes/athletic shoes. These are referred to as KICKS in contemporary slang and each name abuts a side of the puzzles. Get it? Side kicks. To help us out, or to irk those who profoundly dislike them, circles have been utilized to help us see what is fairly obvious once the theme is grokked. . . if one is familiar with the brand names involved.

Here are the places where the gimmick is employed (deployed?):

16 Across: Mark Twain lad who falls in love with Becky Thatcher: TOM SAWYER.

22 Across: Exclamation in "Tommy Boy": HOLY SCHNIKES. This solver was not familiar with this exclamation. "Tommy Boy" is a 1995 buddy flick starring Chris Farley and David Spade.

32 Across: Some family vehicles: MINIVANS.

40. Wonder Woman publisher: DC COMICS.

47 Across: Talk to: CONVERSE WITH. When this solver was in Junior High School, CONVERSE All Stars were the cool (neat, bitchen) shoe to have.

This is how everything lays out in the grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Opera star Nellie with a peach dessert named for her: MELBA. Nellie MELBA (Helen Porter Mitchell) took the pseudonym Melba from her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

6. Commercial flop: DUD. Edsel was too long. So was BOMB.

9. Outer layer: RIND. As on a watermelon.

13. Celestial hunter: ORION. The constellation.

14. Squeeze bunt result: RBI. A baseball reference. Run Batted In

15. "Same here": ME TOO. We all got this one.

18. English derby town: EPSOM. Those of you who watched Rocky & Bullwinkle might remember this:

19. U.K.-based global bank: HSBC. All You Might Wish To Know

20. __ Lingus: AER.

21. Seat of power: THRONE. Both figuratively and literally. Also slang for toilet.

25. Big name in BoSox history: YAZ.

28. Chance to stand for a spell?: BEE. Spelling BEE.

29. Keep out of sight: HIDE. If you HIDE well enough then folks will find neither hide nor hair of you.

30. Cover story: ALIBI. Not as in the cover story of, say, Time Magazine. A CYA story.

36. "The Biggest Little City in the World": RENO. Self-proclaimed.

37. Umami, for one: TASTE.

39. Furry Endor denizen: EWOK. A Star Wars reference. Specifically a reference to the fictional planet Endor. EWOKs aren't meant to be left outside......they're Endor pets.

42. Japanese beer brand: ASAHI. KIRIN would also have fit the allotted space. Sapporo was too long.

43. Topple (over): KEEL. The phrase "KEEL over" originates from nautical terminology, referring to a ship capsizing or rolling so far on its side that its keel is visible.

44. Ocean Potion no.: SPF. Number is abbreviated as no. in the clue, so . . . A Sunscreen reference with a rhyming clue. Do we have a motion to salute that notion?

46. __ Kippur: YOM. The Day of Atonement. All You Might Want to Know

52. Chances for a hit: AT BATS. Another baseball reference.

53. Actor Kingsley: BEN. Actor #1

54. Facility: EASE. In 1953, Tom Lehrer used the word FACILITY in a similar context in the lyrics of this song:

58. "If __ Street Could Talk": film based on a James Baldwin novel: BEALE.

61. Pianist Schnabel: ARTUR. All You Might Want To Know

62. Scrape (out): EKE.

63. Elba of "Cats": IDRIS. A frequent visitor. Actor #2

64. In real time: LIVE.

65. Meditative discipline: ZEN. What did the ZEN master say to the hot dog vendor? Make me one with everything.

66. Connect with: TIE TO.

Down:

1. Grown-up silkworm: MOTH.

2. Greek Cupid: EROS.

3. Life partner?: LIMB. Not your soulmate. As in the expression:

4. KitchenAid alternative: BOSCH. Maybe not the first name to come to mind. Amana and Miele would both have fit the space.

5. "Blonde" star de Armas: ANA. Actor #3

6. Visine target: DRY EYE.

7. Rides with surge pricing: UBERS.

8. S, SW, or SSW: DIR. DIRection

9. Temporary stays: REPRIEVES.

10. Gentle reply to an apology: ITS OK. Several not-so-gentle replies come to mind.

11. Terrible turnout: NO ONE. The turnout cannot get much more terrible than this.

12. Geodesic structures: DOMES.

Buckminster Fuller

15. Body art that uses henna: MEHNDI. New to this solver. Thankserps.

17. Corduroy rib: WALE.

21. Yours, once: THINE. This above all....

23. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI. Another "Star Wars" reference

24. Debit slip: CHIT.

25. Football unit: YARD. An American Football reference.

26. Sir __ Guinness: ALEC. Actor #4

27. Nutrient in oysters: ZINC. The crossing YAZ helped. If y0u did not know that one then perhaps you tried IRON?

31. Car seller's concern: BOOK VALUE.

32. Ed.'s stack: MSS. Abbreviation for ManuScriptS

33. Not home: AWAY.

34. Nabe in L.A. and NYC: NOHO. Nabe = neighborhood. Abbreviated clue. Abbreviated answer. NOrth of HOuston Street in New York City. NOrth HOllywood in Los Angeles.

35. Take a little off the top: SKIM. Not a haircut reference (TRIM). A monetary (or milk) reference.

37. Ranking groups: TIERS. There can't be a TIER list for knots because they would all be tied.

38. Knee parts commonly viewed with MRIs: ACLS. Abbreviated clue . . . Plural clue . . .

41. Limo driver in the airport, e.g.: MEETER. Cute. Someone who meets someone at the airport. For some reason, MEETER made me think of greeter which led me to think of this Tim Hawkins song:

42. Astern: AFT. A nautical reference.

44. Norway neighbor: SWEDEN. It had to be either SWEDEN, Finland or Russia.

45. Evergreen tree: PINE.

47. Plotting group: CABAL. What do you call a secret CABAL of strippers who surreptitiously control the adult entertainment industry? The Illumi-naughty.

48. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI. Five letters, three of which are vowels. A constructor's friend. Actor #5

49. Channel for hoops fans: NBA TV. Hoops being a slang term for the game of basketball.

50. Motorized ride: E-BIKE.

51. Supermodel Klum: HEIDI. Actor #6

55. Farm unit: ACRE. 1 ACRE of land for sale, no house. That’s a lot.

56. Funny sketch: SKIT.

57. Canadian gas brand: ESSO. Derived from the initials of Standard Oil. S O

59. "__ who?": SEZ. Oh yeah?

60. Footballer's uniform: KIT. In the soccer world (or football as most of the world outside the USA calls soccer) KIT means the uniform that they players wear. So, the answer to this clue is "by definition" once one figures out the global nature of the clue.

Well, that will wrap things up for today. As it is a Wednesday, and not a Tuesday or a Thursday, I can take a day off from this:

_____________________________________

MM Out

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Victoria Fernandez Grande

2026-03-24T03:30:00.009-05:00

Until We Meet Again. Good Bye, Farewell, Adieu, Adiós, Au revoir, Ciao, Zàijiàn, Sayōnara, and Dasvidaniya.

20-Across. Jocular term for some close colleagues: WORK HUSBANDS. There are Work Wives as well.

33-Across. Achievements tracked by Guinness: WORLD RECORDS.

41-Across. Practice weapons that may be made of hickory: WOODEN SWORDS.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Goodbyes, or what 20-, 33-, and 41-Across are doing?: PARTING WORDS. The word Word is parted in each of the theme clues.

Here's the grid so you can see the parting of the words.

Across:

1. Many July 4 parties, for short: BBQs.

5. Some protective athletic gear: PADS.

9. Warms (up): HEATS.

14. Extend one's term: RE-UP.

15. Nashville's Grand Ole __: OPRY. The Grand Ole Opry began on November 28, 1925, as the WSM Barn Dance. It was originally a designed to showcase country fiddling. It formally became known the Grand Ole Opry in 1927.

16. Terse denial: AM NOT.

17. Smoothie berry: AÇAI. This berry has become a crossword staple.

18. Prickly __ cactus: PEAR. Everything you wanted to know about the Prickly Pear Cactus but didn't know to ask.

19. Like some candy: NUTTY.

23. Cosmetics company that owns CeraVe: L'OREAL. The CeraVe company focuses on dermatology.

24. Logan Roy's daughter on "Succession," familiarly: SHIV. Sarah Snook (b. Dec. 1, 1987) portrayed Siobhan Roy, who was know affectionately (?) know as Shiv. I say affectionately because if you watched Succession, you know that no one showed affection towards each other.

25. Rustic dwelling: HUT. // And 31-Across. Poolside 25-Across: CABANA.

28. Crafty: SLY.

29. Chocolate or yellow pooch: LAB.

36. Prefix meaning "all": OMNI-. Today's Latin lesson.

39. As well: TOO.

40. In a frenzy: AMOK.

46. Affectionate and familiar way to sign a note: LOVE, ME.

47. Not close by: FAR. // And 43-Down. Close by: NEAR.

48. Burst, as a balloon: POP.

51. Mexican Mrs.: SRA. Today's Spanish lesson

52. Big party: BASH.

55. Interstellar cloud: NEBULA.

59. Apple beverage: CIDER.

62. Sandwich cookie with many limited-edition flavors: OREO.

63. Seeds: PIPS.

64. Scoring 100% on: ACING.

65. Nevada gambling destination: RENO. I heard Johnny Cash went there once.

66. Memo phrase: IN RE.

67. Japanese lunchbox: BENTO.

68. Genesis garden: EDEN.

69. New Mexico skiing destination: TAOS.

Down:

1. Rumbles: BRAWLS.

2. Desperate whisper to a parent in front of one's crush, maybe: BE COOL.

3. Industrial site that may become a swimming spot: QUARRY.

4. Sharp increase: SPIKE.

5. All the rage: POPULAR.

6. Gorillas, e.g.: APES. The terms are not interchangeable.

7. Dribs and __: DRABS.

8. Red wine grape: SYRAH. Syrah, also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In the 1990s, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche.

9. Portable cleaner, for short: HAND VAC.

10. Outback birds: EMUS.

11. Colony insect: ANT.

12. Youngster: TOT.

13. Farm pen: STY.

21. Saintly glow: HALO.

22. "__ to Each Other": Olivia Dean hit: NICE.

25. Cause injury to: HARM.

26. Ctrl+Z, on a PC: UNDO.

27. Chore: TASK.

30. Simple sammies: BLTs. As a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich.

32. Feathery wraps: BOAS.

33. __-angle lens: WIDE.

34. __ Jones: DOW.

35. Skylight spot: ROOF.

36. Birds whose young sometimes face-plant to sleep: OWLS. Baby owls sometimes sleep on their tummies because their heads are too heavy to sleep in an upright position. Who knew?

37. Tie up, as a boat: MOOR.

38. __ Scotia, Canada: NOVA. Today's Latin lesson. Nova Scotia means New Scotland. It is on of the four Canadian maritime provinces. It was named in 1621 when King James VI of Scotland granted the land to Sir William Alexander for a Scottish colony.

42. Trade restriction: EMBARGO.

44. Crab __: fried appetizer filled with cream cheese: RANGOON. Crab Rangoon deep-fried appetizer made with wonton wrappers filled with a creamy mixture of cream cheese, imitation crab meat, and seasonings. It is typically served with a spicy sauce.

45. Did some doodling: DREW.

48. "Your Pet, Our Passion" food brand: PURINA.

49. Seasoned expert: OLD PRO.

50. Makes the grade: PASSES.

53. Shop: STORE.

54. Added to the staff: HIRED.

56. Hasbro toy that requires quick reflexes: BOP IT. I am not familiar with this toy. It doesn't look like much fun.

57. __-up emotions: PENT.

58. State bird of Hawaii: NENE. When I first began doing crossword puzzles, the Nene was a crossword staple. The nene is a species of bird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and Hawaii. Even before Hawaii became a state, the nene it was designated to be the official island bird.

59. Taxi: CAB.

60. Freezer cubes: ICE.

61. Clamor: DIN.

And my Parting Words: Until Next Week.

חתולה

Monday, March 23, 2026, Caroline Hand

2026-03-23T03:30:00.004-05:00

Theme: Rhymes with lolly.

Golly, Wally, it's jolly on the trolley!

Caroline Hand is getting to be an old hand at crossword construction. Today's little folly is a whole volley of actresses' names that rhyme with lolly. The theme clues and answers are;

17-Across. "The Piano" Best Actress Oscar winner: HOLLY HUNTER.

Passionate historical romance.

28-Across. Actress known for saying "Kiss my grits!" on the sitcom "Alice": POLLY HOLLIDAY.

Polly Holliday is at right in Alice.
DH knew the show, actress, and catchphrase.
Maybe it was more popular in the South?

48-Across. "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club" actress: MOLLY RINGWALD.

Molly Ringwald was a teen icon in the 1980s.

64-Across. Country music legend who founded the nonprofit literacy program Imagination Library: DOLLY PARTON.

This prolific singer songwriter is widely regarded as one of the kindest people alive.

Having solved the theme entries -- with help from perpendicular entries, especially for 28-Across in my case -- we cannot lollygag around. Grab your brolly and the collie and let's go to Bali -- or at least on to the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Venomous African snake: MAMBA. The bite of the black mamba is frequently fatal unless antivenom is administered. Those photos you've seen of a big, black snake with huge fangs? Not the mamba. It's a pale brown snake with an mouth that is black on the inside.

Black mamba

6. On __ nine: elated: CLOUD.

11. Celebrity chef Fieri: GUY. This rowdy restaurateur is a Food Network star.

Guy Fieri -- best known for the blond dye and hair gel?

14. Starting squad: A-TEAM.

15. Scoundrel: LOUSE.

16. Card game based on Crazy Eights: UNO.

17. [Theme clue}

19. Disco __ of "The Simpsons": STU.

20. Like a global corp.: INTL. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer. A global corporation is international.

21. Iowa college town: AMES. Ames is home to Iowa State University.

22. Loathe: ABHOR.

24. Numbered musical composition: OPUS.

26. "Aquarius" and "Good Morning Starshine" musical: HAIR. The soundtrack linked below starts slowly and quietly. Patience, grasshopper! Total time under 3 minutes.

28. [Theme clue]

33. Khaki kin: CHINO.

35. Ambient music composer Brian: ENO. Something recent from crossword favorite Brian Eno:

36. First word for some babies: MAMA.

37. Tyrannosaurus __: REX.

38. Money holders: WALLETS.

42. Nada: ZIP.

43. Region: AREA.

45. "The Bluest __": Toni Morrison novel: EYE. Her first novel, published in 1970.

46. Unwanted garden plants: WEEDS.

48. [Theme clue]

52. Animated character: TOON. This blogger first heard cartoon characters referred to as "toons" in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, in which human beings and toons co-exist in 1947 Los Angeles. Good movie.

53. Map publisher __ McNally: RAND.

54. American buffalo: BISON.

57. Clockwork part: GEAR.

59. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ. A polite or formal "How are you?" in Spanish. Informal would be "¿Cómo estás?"

63. Sci-fi ship: UFO.

64. [Theme clue]

67. East Lansing sch.: MSU. Michigan State University.

68. Bring to mind: EVOKE.

69. Toy (with), as an idea: FLIRT.

70. Champagne cork's sound: POP.

71. Less cooked: RAWER. Technically correct, but sounds like a lion. I'd say, "More raw."

72. Set of four on a British car: TYRES.

Down:

1. Fish tacos fish, familiarly: MAHI.

2. Loads (of): A TON.

3. Cheesy diner sandwich: MELT.

4. Inflatable party decoration: BALLOON.

5. Actress Poehler: AMY. From Second City and the Upright Citizens Brigade, to Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler has acted, written, and laughed her way into movie stardom, two Golden Globe Awards, and Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world (2011).

Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation

6. Bumbling: CLUMSY.

7. Unaccompanied: LONE.

8. Performed better than: OUTSHONE.

9. "__ as directed": USE.

10. Go off track: DERAIL.

literal derailment

11. Spew: GUSH.

Spew? Let me count the ways.

12. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.

13. "Ball's in __ court": YOUR.

18. Lug: HAUL.

23. Hat edge: BRIM.

25. Work the soil: PLOW.

27. Loads (of): A LOT.

28. Dot on a computer screen: PIXEL. The basic unit of programmable color on a computer display or in a computer image.

29. Oscar winner Mirren: HELEN. Helen Mirren is the only person to have achieved both the US and UK Triple Crowns of Acting -- the US version being crossword favorite "EGOT."

Dame Helen Mirren as The Queen (2006)

30. In a mental fog: DAZED.

31. Surrounded by: AMID.

32. Prattles on and on: YAPS.

33. Study all night: CRAM.

34. Long sandwich: HERO.

39. Flight-related prefix: AERO.

40. Staying away from the spotlight: LYING LOW.

41. Graceful lake bird: SWAN.

44. Palo __, California: ALTO. We had Palo Alto last Monday!

47. On in years: ELDERLY.

49. Over thataway: YONDER.

50. Less sunny: GRAYER.

51. Bend out of shape: WARP.

54. Jostle: BUMP.

55. "Should that be the case ... ": IF SO.

56. Dish eaten with a spoon: SOUP.

58. Actress Sommer: ELKE. Elke Sommer was one of the top film actresses of the 1960s.

Elke Sommer in the 1960s

60. Kerfuffle: STIR.

61. Moved very fast: TORE. A secondary meaning of tear/tore, as in "He tore down the hall in his rush to greet the guests."

62. Targets of Terro insect traps: ANTS. Not familiar with this brand, but who you gonna trap? ANTS!

65. Egg cells: OVA.

66. Toward the stern: AFT.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you BUMP into A TON of unknowns, leaving you DAZED?

Or were you a crossword HERO today, who TORE through the grid with no CLUMSY errors?

Let us know, down YONDER in the comments!

NaomiZ

Sunday March 22, 2026 Jeffrey Wechsler

2026-03-22T03:30:00.001-05:00

Theme: "WE DID IT!" - We is added to each theme entry.

22. Motto of an intrepid cotton farmer?: I WILL FEAR NO WEEVIL. I will fear no evil.

33. Presentation on professorial fashion trends?: TWEED TALK. Ted talk.

38. Light lunch in a haunted cafe?: COBWEB SALAD. Cobb salad.

66. Like text anyone is allowed to edit?: YOURS FOR THE TWEAKING. Yours for the taking.

96. Data from a middle school track meet?: TWEEN SPEEDS. Ten-speeds.

100. "I like the cut of your jib!"?: SWEET SAIL. Set sail.

117. Take new profile pics at the gym?: SWEAT FOR A PORTRAIT. Sat for a portrait.

So happy to see the great Jeffrey back! It's been over two years since we saw his byline.

Jeffrey is a master in this type of letter addition/deletion/swapping theme. Today is another strong example of his craftsmanship.

Across:

1. Some neutral tones in a designer's palette: GRAYS.

6. Jokers: WITS.

10. The "B" of RBG: BADER. The Notorious RBG.

15. "Dear old" family member: DAD.

18. Shakespeare hero in the lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Love Story": ROMEO. 49. Last words of 18-Across: I DIE. Then he died.

19. French cap: BERET.

20. Nimble: AGILE.

21. Patterned after: A LA.

25. "Fresh Air" broadcaster: NPR.

26. Abandons all hope: DESPAIRS.

27. Stuns: AMAZES.

28. Feathery, perhaps: AVIAN.

30. Hardly encountered: RARE.

31. Apple product: MAC.

32. For one: A PIECE.

42. Small crowns: TIARAS.

43. "Or so": ISH.

45. Gulliver of "Gulliver's Travels": LEMUEL. Don't think we had him before.

46. Paris's Paris's Musée d'__: ORSAY. Home to many Impressionist masterpieces.

47. Thing that may be open and shut: CASE.

49. Things: ITEMS.

50. Adages: SAWS.

54. Some guinea pigs: PETS.

55. Component of some firm-textured fabrics: WORSTED.

57. Turns red, say: DYES.

59. Sportage maker: KIA.

60. Matthew of "Stranger Things": MODINE. He played Dr. Martin Brenner.

62. First word of "Simple Gifts": TIS.

64. Winemaker's concern: AGING.

72. Thicket: COPSE.

73. __ milk: SOY.

74. Fencing sword: RAPIER. 70. Fencing sword: EPEE.

75. Assent asea: AYE.

76. Wise one: SAGE.

80. Harvested: GLEANED.

82. Accomplishes: DOES.

86. __ salt: ROCK. Lots of Chinese desserts feature rock sugar.

88. "Great performance!": BRAVO.

90. Lyft service: RIDE.

91. Concentrated: DENSE.

92. Act as an intermediary: LIAISE.

94. Big flower pot: URN.

95. Life, for one: CEREAL.

103. Bring back: REVIVE.

104. Grocery payment sys.: EBT. Electronic Benefits Transfer.

106. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

107. Goddess of peace: IRENE.

108. Angelic being: SERAPH.

111. With 116-Across, useful tool for some crossword solvers: ERASABLE. And116. See 111-Across: PEN.

120. __ Alamos, New Mexico: LOS.

121. Yankee manager between Showalter and Girardi: TORRE (Joe) 1996-2007. We also have 19. Yogi in the Hall of Fame: BERRA. That's Whitey Ford in the middle.

122. Transmit: RELAY.

123. Marsh wader: EGRET.

124. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO.

125. One-for-one deals: SWAPS.

126. Silly sort: TWIT.

127. Summer of disco: DONNA.

Down:

1. Crossword component: GRID.

2. Mike of "Dirty Jobs": ROWE. Some dirty jobs pay very well.

3. French friends: AMIS.

4. Site for maligning poor dining: YELP.

5. Basis for standard timekeeping: SOLAR DAY.

6. Ferret kin: WEASEL.

7. Not perfect, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular.

8. Midmorning hr.: TEN AM.

9. Tolerate: STOMACH.

10. Folk legend Joan: BAEZ.

11. "The African Queen" screenwriter James: AGEE. The original novel is written by C. S. Forester.

12. Pts. of sports leagues: DIVS. Divisions.

13. Yale grad: ELI.

14. Setback: RELAPSE.

15. Webster who had a way with words: DANIEL.

16. Andes grazer: ALPACA.

17. "Well, I'll be __!": DARNED.

23. Authoritative orders: FIATS.

24. Baylor University city: WACO.

29. Little bottles: VIALS.

32. Treat quite poorly: ABUSE.

33. Former Corvette option: T-TOP.

34. Send a telegram: WIRE.

35. Memphis-to-Chattanooga direction: EAST.

36. "In Praise of Folly" writer: ERASMUS. Google says Erasmus wrote the work in about a week while staying at Sir Thomas More's estate in England.

37. Mugs: KISSERS.

39. Alphabetical order?: BLT.

40. Garden invader: WEED.

41. "The Bear" award: EMMY. "Yes, Chef!"

44. Good to go: SET.

47. Do: COIF.

48. River of Florence: ARNO.

51. Similar (to): AKIN.

52. Improvise, with "it": WING.

53. Submit to gravity: SAG.

55. Dict. entries: WDS.

56. __ alcohol: ETHYL.

58. Sushi pairing: SAKE. We've also seen SOJU in the gird. It's the Korean liquor.

61. Useful minerals: ORES.

63. Uses a colander: STRAINS.

65. Skyscraper beams: GIRDERS.

66. Cellist Ma: YO-YO. Yo means "friend" in Chinese. Ma means "Horse".

67. Cartel founded in Baghdad in 1960: OPEC.

68. Like food truck orders: TO GO.

69. Lip gloss applicator: WAND.

71. Help: AID.

72. Saturn or Mercury: CAR.

77. Demean: ABASE.

78. Climber's asset: GRIP.

79. Fluency: EASE.

81. "To __ is human ... ": ERR.

83. Draft status: ONE A.

84. Actor Morales: ESAI.

85. Hawk: SELL.

87. Vox co-founder Ezra: KLEIN. He has a popular podcast.

89. Capital of Vietnam?: VEE. Vietnam.

91. Couldn't stand: DETESTED.

93. Takes stock?: INVESTS. Literally.

94. Basic interface for a PC: USB PORT.

95. Civil rights activist Chavez: CESAR.

96. Big hit: TRIPLE.

97. "It's time, everyone! Break a leg!": WE'RE ON.

98. "Despite that ... ": EVEN SO.

99. Part of CODA: DEAF. Child Of Deaf Adult.

101. Shed tears over: WEEP AT.

102. Judy Jetson's brother: ELROY.

105. Lost on purpose: THREW.

108. Organic fluids: SERA.

109. Wyatt of Tombstone: EARP.

110. GPS offerings: RTES.

112. Golden Fleece ship: ARGO.

113. Rural structure: BARN.

114. Bank claim: LIEN.

115. "Tell Mama" singer James: ETTA.

118. "Incredible!": WOW.

119. Journalist Velshi of MS NOW: ALI.

C.C.

Saturday, March 21, 2026, Kyle Dolan

2026-03-21T03:30:00.007-05:00

Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan

I liked Dr. Dolan's puzzle and never felt I was not going to solve it. My issue became trying to decipher what Kyle meant by his "off-the-wall"cluing. My experience was the frequent recitation of 48. Exasperated cry: DOH! once I saw what he intended, the fill was fun to enter and also unlocked big sections of the puzzle. Today's exercise had only 28 blocks which gave us 103 open squares and only six three-letter words. I'll share with you some of the circuitous thinking that I used to cut through Dr. Dolan's obfuscations. :-) As has become my custom, I did have a one-cell problem where you see the red cell in the grid, but I'll get over it. I thought ARE WE OK/ALAIK worked.

Across:

1. Shell station?: PASTA BAR - Just when I thought of every shell I could...

9. Yet: IN TIME.

15. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, e.g.: AUTO RACE - This great movie is about personal rivalries and corporate machinations but the climax is The 24 Hours Of Le Mans.

16. Networking aid: ROUTER - If we need a generator after a power loss, the order for plugging in would be fridge/freezers and then the modem and ROUTER. 😀

17. Exams with answers provided by parents: DNA TESTS 😀

18. World capital named for a river: OTTAWA - fun to learn

19. Headgear that sparked a riot in 1922 New York City: STRAW HAT - Really? Talk about your fashion police.

20. Christmas delivery?: NOEL 😀

21. Floral gifts for some graduates: LEIS - Three-letter (plural) floral gift? Ya gotta go Hawaiian!

22. American painter James __ Whistler: MCNEILL - Of course his famous work below was entitled Arrangement In Gray And Black No. 1 which we all know by its more famous name. A fascinating bio

25. Chef's coat?: TEFLON 😀 Well actually, Kyle, the coat is on the pan.

28. Is revealing: TELLS ALL.

29. Harlem Renaissance writer Locke: ALAIN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

30. Waiter's annoyance: DELAY - I never even thought it might be about a food server. The DELAY waiting in the line at Space Mountain was always very long and annoying.

31. Bucket brigade?: NBA Groan. A made basket in basketball is also called a bucket.

32. Flooring option: TILE - My first two floor coverings were

R U G S

T

33. Unbroken?: FIXED - Now that's funny!

34. "Estoy __": Spanish "I'm doing all right": BIEN.

35. Joint-stabilizing band, for short: ACL.

36. Gold __: PLATE - Sometimes all that glitters is not gold, it's gold PLATED

37. Tree cultivated for its seeds more than 5,000 years ago: CACAO.

38. Magic City residents: MIAMIANS - Not Orlandoans 😀

40. Grows darker: LATENS - If spellcheck is all right with this, so am I

41. Offer to treat: IT'S ON ME - A phrase a friend of mine never uttered

42. "The Leavers" novelist Ko: LISA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

43. Marvel hero Cage: LUKE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

44. Lines from the heart: LOVE NOTE - Ketty Lester had a beautiful 1962 song with this theme

48. Exhausts: DOES IN

50. Basis of some ratings: AGE LEVEL.

51. "Nearly there": ONE SEC - A familiar phrase I heard waiting for three women in the car

52. Reef denizen: MORAY EEL - Yikes!

53. "Knock on wood": HOPE SO.

54. "I won't ask again!": ANSWER ME.

Down:

1. Exaggerates, in a way: PADS - I had an expense account once that may have not been all that accurate 😁

2. Family member: AUNT.

3. Outstanding: STAR.

4. Blatant fabrication: TOTAL LIE - This is one of the worst.

5. Confirmation question: ARE WE ON.

6. Open, as a piñata: BASH IN.

7. Represent: ACT AS.

8. Musical pause: REST.

9. Battleship precursor: IRONCLAD - The Civil Wr featured the battle of the IRONCLADS, the Monitor and the Merrimac.

10. More than: NOT ONLY.

11. Contracted pupils, perhaps: TUTEES - Wow! I suppose a tutor would have a contract with TUTEES who are also pupils. No eyes involved!

12. Granita kin: ITALIAN ICE.

A Sicilian treat

13. Bit of Persian language?: MEW 😀

14. Young fig.: ERA - The winner of MLB's Cy Young Award usually has a low Earned Run Average.

22. Rumble: MELEE.

23. Outfitter with signature boots: L.L. BEAN.

24. Grassy plains: LLANOS - Pampas or LLANOS coin flip

25. Flooring option: TATAMI.

26. Bring out: ELICIT.

27. Go out: FALL ASLEEP 😀

28. Scholarship materials: TEXTS - As a teacher since 1968 I can tell you just seeing a student with a TEXT does not guarantee any scholarship is going on.

30. Designer von Furstenberg: DIANE.

33. Spanish steps?: FLAMENCO 😀

34. React: BAT AN EYE.

36. Small digits: PINKIES.

37. Guide for future rulings: CASE LAW - Not the actual law or statute but a compilation of how different jurisdictions have applied laws.

39. Do stuff?: MOUSSE - Oh, that kind of "do".

40. Natural detox centers: LIVERS.

42. Access, in a way: LOG ON - Remembering User Names and Passwords can be a real chore

44. Eastern priest: LAMA.

45. Simple wager choice: OVER - The OVER/Under for the recent Super Bowl was 45.5 points. The final score was 29 - 13 which adds up to 42 and that means you'd be a loser if you bet the OVER.

46. Swarm (with): TEEM.

49. Chef Jiro of the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi": ONO - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Jiro ONO is in the middle below

Friday, Mar 20th, 2026 ~ John Liber

2026-03-20T03:30:00.098-05:00

CROSS~~OUT~~WORD PUZZLE

No power(lift), no flower

It's the first day of Spring, which officially arrives at my house @10:46am EDT. Here's my strike-through clue review of the first puzzle of spring, from John Liber, whose name I could not find with regard to any crossword construction; if I'm correct, then congratulations on your debut~! The theme, however, is not vernal equinox related, but instead consists of "extra" words in the clues, specifically 'pain' and 'gain' - take those out, and the clues are straight defintions of the answers. Quaint, but for me, a long way to go for otherwise unrelated theme fills. An over-sized 15x16 grid, 26 3LWs, and a few too many names - one of which created a Natick - see 44A./42D. The themers, and reveal;

19. *One who's overly concerned with ~~pain~~ control: MICROMANAGER - take "pain" out of the clue = the def. of 'micromanager'; I once had a boss who left a Post-It note on everything we needed to work on, with exactly what steps needed to be taken; paint this🠆, fix this🠆, cut here🠆 . . . 🙄

The World's Most Interesting Micromanager

24. *~~Gain~~ ground, to a general: BATTLEFIELD - take "gain" out of the clue = . . .

39. *Capital ~~gain~~ recordkeeper: NATIONAL ARCHIVES - take "gain" out of the clue = . . .

51. *Highly effective ~~pain~~ relievers: BULLPEN ACES - take "pain" out of the clue = the baseball pitchers that come in to "relieve" the starter

59. Fitness mantra, and a hint to making the starred clues match their answers: NO PAIN, NO GAIN

How I feel after leaving the gym sometimes

But Gain Weight, There's More Pain

ACROSS:

1. Sack: BAG - I do the Downs first to have some perpendicular fills crossing the themers; it also gave me the "G" here, so this is the 'container', not the 'AXE', kind of sack

4. Dominated, in gaming: PWNED - 21st centuy-speak

9. Living __: LARGE

14. Copier tray abbr.: LTR - "letter", the 8-1/2" x 11", or 'A' paper size, if you're a drafter

15. "Do you think I was born yesterday?": "OH, SURE..." - a bit of a twurd

17. Ale hue: AMBER

18. Forever stamp letters: USA

21. Cheesemaking need: RENNET - I knew this from watching "How It's Made"

Swiss Cheese; the enzyme rennet is mentioned at 1:20

23. Jerry Rice, notably: NINER - NFL's San Fran wide receiver, name #1

27. Citation abbr.: ET. AL. - crossword staple, Latin "and others"

31. "That's strange": "HOW ODD."

32. Bright courtyards: ATRIA

33. Sounds of hesitation: UHs - I filled in UMs, and crossing the name at 34D., which I did not recognize, made it hard to find that I was, er, um, uh, . . . "wrong"

36. Unwelcoming: ICY -11-letters synonym for 3-letters

37. Help in making things go smoothly for furniture movers: CASTERS - I once "wished" that all the freight I handled at Roadway Express came with its own set of wheels; the next night, I got a 28ft trailer filled with 300 shopping carts - be careful what you wish for . . . .

43. Grungy clothing?: FLANNEL - back in the 90's, when "Grunge" was all the rage, members in bands of the genre were typically seen wearing some sort of flannel shirt

Not exactly flannel, but since it came up last Friday,

"The Man Who Sold The World", Nirvana from Mtv Unplugged

44. Country music's __ Brown Band: ZAC - the "Z" was a semiWAG; name, #2, but crossing a foreign language word = Natick for me. Not a fan of this genre, but I found this . . .

"Toes", typical country lyrics, but the video is worth it

45. Altar affirmation: "I DO." - I.D.~? - O, Nevermind ( that guy from 43A. again )

46. Skip over: ELIDE - typically syllables of words, as in "Y'all"

47. Unfair accusation: BUM RAP - skirts are a kind of "bum wrap"

In spring pastels~!

50. Disavow: DENY

56. Sphinx location: CAIRO

58. Australian currency: DOLLAR - it's a G'day to make a G'dollar

64. 24/7 hosp. areas: ERs - Emergency Rooms

65. "May I speak with you privately?": "A WORD..." - A Twurd

66. __-pants: SMARTY - half my family lives in England, and when I was kid, before there was internet, we would be treated to a delivery of British candy at the holidays - including Smarties ( like M&Ms ), Flake, and Crunchie, my favorite - I ordered a package from Amazon last week to give to my trainer Brett for his B-day on Friday, the 13th; he, of course, looked at the calories first . . . 😝

Oh, so good - honeycomb toffee centre

67. Coca-Cola HQ: ATLanta - UPS and several others are headquartered there, too

68. Long-necked birds: GEESE

69. Charley horse, e.g.: SPASM - AND - 37. Charley horse, e.g.: CRAMP - I've had both versions

70. Biblical possessive: THY

DOWN:

1. Message on a jacket: BLURB - jacket, that is, of a book, not an LP/album like I was thinking; I had pondered LYRIC

2. Clueless: AT SEA

3. 50s president?: GRANT - not HARRY ( and Ike is short a few $s), the 50s of US currency - name #3

4. Big citrus: POMELO - orange did fit . . . but that was SO yesterday . . . 🙄

5. Riesling, for one: WHITE WINE - I knew this

6. Foreign policy gp.: NSC - US National Security Council

7. Port. locale: EUR - Port(ugal) and Eur(ope) - in print, the period (.) might be hard to spot

🠅

8. Spoke in a monotone: DRONED - this got used in the write-up title here

9. Alley division: LANE - Bowling

10. Italian macaroons made with almonds: AMARETTI - They don't seem to be the same thing . . .

Let the controversy begin~!

11. SCOTUS justice who said, "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time": RBG - that's a lot of clue for a 3LW, yada yada yada Supreme Court = Ruth Bader Ginsburg - name #4

12. Grand opening?: GEE - the "G" that starts the word gRAND

13. Make a typo, say: ERR

16. Russian pianist Gilels: EMIL - name #5

Heavy Metal Rachmaninov - I dig the hair, man - he gets into it

What's on his finger~?

20. "Yes, __ ... ": improv principle: AND - never heard of this; here's a blog describing the theory

22. Extreme degree: Nth - crossword staple

25. __ point: FOCAL - Several fill-in-the-blanks today

26. Pastoral poem: IDYL - learned by doing crosswords

28. Roman district with a famous fountain: TREVI - yada yada five-letter Roman fountain~?

First & Second story regarding the fountain

29. Broadcast: AIRED - slight misdirection as the clue word's present and past tenses are the same

30. Wonder Woman weapon: LASSO

Wonder Woman remake - I grew up with this one

32. Firepit residue: ASH

33. Needing nourishment: UNFED

34. "The Little Mermaid" star Bailey: HALLE - I knew of the original animated Disney movie only - here's more on the 2023 live-action version from IMDb - name #6

35. Tough spot: STAIN - think laundry - Friday cluing

38. Certifies: ACCREDITS

40. Brickyard racers, casually: INDY CARS - Brickyard being the nickname of the Indianapolis 500 race track, the consequence of a repaving in 1909 with 3.2 million bricks

41. United: ONE - think "as"

42. Blue, in Peru: AZUL - Español lesson; I tried AGUA

47. Flourishes: BLOOMS

48. Banksy, for one: ANONYM - the basis for "anonymous", a kind of pseudonym - I have seen his art, but did not know his name, #7

There was a series of "Girl with Balloon" - the Wiki

49. Bud: PAL

51. Container: BIN

52. Self-serve servers: URNS - I tried EGOS - Bzzzzt

53. Spiked shoe: CLEAT

54. "Pale Blue Dot" subject: EARTH - Carl Sagan's 1994 book, and reference, to "home"

The photo taken by Voyager I, a mere 4 Billion miles away from home in 1990. Mark you calendars,

November this year, the spacecraft will be ONE LIGHT DAY from us - fascinating

55. "4 real?": SRSLY - 21st century textspeak = seriously~?

57. Hill staffer: AIDE

59. Hound: NAG - ah - the verb, not the noun; I tried DOG - 'hound' is a homonym

60. Have debts: OWE

61. "The Cask of Amontillado" writer: POE - name #8

62. Lacuna: GAP - Learning moment; more here; I tried "EAU", Frawnche water - Bzzzzt~!

63. Legendary coach Parseghian: ARA - crossword staple, but still, name #9

Splynter

Grid Flow 31.6

Thursday March 19, 2026 Shannon Rapp & Will Eisenberg

2026-03-19T03:30:00.145-05:00

Shannon Rapp has been a crossword constructor since 2021. She is also a co-director of the annual Midwest Crossword Tournament in Chicago. Will Eisenberg is a musician, music teacher, and puzzlemaker since 2019. Together, they're trying to bowl us over!

61. 1985 novelty hit for the Bears, with "The," or an apt title for this puzzle?: SUPER BOWL SHUFFLE. In 1985, the Chicago Bears were riding high when this song came out to benefit hungry families in the area. They went on to win the Super Bowl, having lost only one game* all season. For our purposes here, however, these BOWLs are the classic college football championship games - with their letters SHUFFLEd.

18. Ina Garten franchise: BAREFOOT CONTESSA. COTTON BOWL. Ina is famous for her dinner parties. Here she is preparing wine for the evening.

24. Video game series based on Dungeons & Dragons: BALDUR'S GATE. SUGAR BOWL. BALDUR'S GATE is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. I guess you've got to be into D&D to make sense of this.

38. Tomie dePaola book whose title evokes the Italian for "Grandma Witch": STREGA NONA. ORANGE BOWL. STREGA NONA is a 1976 Caldecott Honor-winning children's book about a kind "Grandma Witch" in a Calabrian town who uses a magical, ever-full pasta pot to help her community.

55. Cry after a triumphant return: WE ARE SO BACK. ROSE BOWL. WE ARE SO BACK is a popular phrase used to signal a comeback or relaunch.

Normally you don't see circles this late in the week, but in this case they are needed. I'm not great at anagrams, and without the heads-up, I never would've found them, or even understood what the revealer was trying to say. Luckily, COTTON popped out at me early on, but then I started looking for textiles until I got down to the revealer.

Well, I was bowled over, all right. BALDUR"S GATE and STREGA NONA were either "know them or you don't." They mostly filled in by perps, but where they both crossed another name (ARIE) left me scratching my head for the intersecting letters. That's always the problem with too many names.

The rest of this was more up my alley.

Across:

1. Mensa stats: IQS. Intelligence QuotientS are used in Mensa statistics. I don't mean to brag, but I'm a perfect 10...is that good?

4. Deprive (of): STRIP. I once went to a poor joint where the women were deprived of clothes. I left them a few dollars so they could buy some.

9. T's, in Morse code: DASHES. "T" in Morse code is simply ( – ) because it represents one of the most frequently used letters in the English language. You guessed it, "E" is just ( • ).

15. "Is the Pope Catholic?": DUH. A classic rhetorical question.

16. Hawaiian letter that resembles an apostrophe: OKINA. The ʻOKINA ( ʻ ) is a consonant letter in the Hawaiian language representing a glottal stop, similar to the pause between the sounds in "oh-oh". It is distinct from an apostrophe or reversed comma.

17. "In my view ... ": I THINK.

18. [theme]

21. Director Kurosawa: AKIRA. AKIRA Kurosawa was a Japanese writer-director and filmmaker known for his innovative storytelling and cinematic techniques.

22. Species known as the Evolution Pokémon: EEVEE. EEVEE evolves into eight distinct forms ("Eeveelutions") based on stones, friendship, time of day, or location. Crazy!

23. Sanskrit for "goddess": DEVI. DEVI is the term for "divine female," representing the supreme feminine energy in Hinduism.

24. [theme]

30. Receptionist, often: GREETER.

32. Reasons: MOTIVES. Why do you ask?

33. YMCA class: ESL. English as a Second Language class at a Young Men's Christian Association facility.

34. Sam of "Peaky Blinders": NEILL. Sir Nigel John Dermot “Sam” NEILL is an actor with dual New Zealand and British citizenship. He is also well know for his role in the Jurassic Park movies.

37. On deck: NEXT.

On deck at the DMV.

38. [theme]

42. "Not cool!": DUDE. Not, "That's not cool, DUDE," but "DUDE! That's not cool!"

45. Investment: STAKE. Investment: STEAK. Kobe Beef is the most expensive meat in the world due to its extremely high marbling and limited availability.

46. So-so, slangily: MID. Why not? We used to call this MOR, an abbreviation of Middle-Of-the-Road.

49. Cut without permission?: FAN EDIT. They tried to fool us with TRUANCY, but FAN EDITs are essentially unauthorized alternative versions of films made by fans.They may remove, reorder or add material in order to create a new interpretation of the source material.

53. Composer parodied in "Rabbit of Seville": ROSSINI. Gioachino Antonio ROSSINI not only composed the Barber of Seville opera, he was a friend and supporter of many of the greatest French chefs of his time, inspiring many dishes in his name. He was also believed to be an incredible cook and possess exquisite taste. Just like me! Not.

Beef Rossini - investment grade

55. [theme]

58. Burnt __: ENDS. Now, this is more my style!

Burnt Ends - ingestion grade

59. Comedy legend Burnett: CAROL. CAROL made a guest appearance a few years ago in Better Call Saul, and suddenly she's in demand again. She's presently starring in the Apple series Palm Royale, a period piece about the haves and have-nots in 1969 Palm Beach high society.

60. Toyota hybrid: PRIUS.

61. [theme]

67. Main dish: ENTREE. Like Beef ROSSINI or Burnt ENDS.

68. App for foodies: EATER. This puzzle is making me hungry!

69. Game review site: IGN. "In-Game Name" describes a player's identity in virtual worlds. IGN is a leading online destination for video game and entertainment news, reviews, and guides.

70. Untrustworthy sort: WEASEL.

71. Run for fun, say: RHYME. This one took a moment to jog my memory.

72. Receive: GET.

Down:

1. Workplace accessibility issue?: ID BADGE. IDentification BADGE. In the abbreviation, I stands for I, and D stands for -dentification. Doesn't seem fair.

2. Society of Friends: QUAKERS. The Religious Society of Friends, or QUAKERS, is a 17th-century English-originated tradition focusing on direct, personal experience of God (the "Light Within") rather than rigid doctrines. They believe everyone has capacity for divine access. Core beliefs include spiritual equality, peace (pacifism), simple living, and social justice. These seem like tenets that more of us should espouse, even if we don't eat oatmeal.

3. Dry (up): SHRIVEL.

4. Porch party fixture: SOFA. I guess porch parties are a thing now, building community support and generating momentum about local causes. Part of it is providing comfortable outdoor seating for potential prospects and donors, hence a SOFA.

5. Match stopper, briefly: TKO. Technical KnockOut.

6. Former Portuguese Royal Court city: RIO. From 1808 to 1821, RIO de Janeiro served as the capital of Brazil.

The Royal Palace in Rio de Janeiro today

7. Dirt from a bug, perhaps: INTEL. Basic spycraft.

8. Walked the floor: PACED. Worked the floor: MIXED, and mingled.

9. Mexican cheddar?: DINERO. "We're having queso (cheese) for DINERO (dinner)." Wait! That's not right. DINERO means money in $panish, as you remember from watching Westerns over the years.

10. Swear (to): ATTEST. Yes, I can ATTEST that DINERO means money.

11. __/her pronouns: SHE.

12. Casual hellos: HIS. Not him/HIS.

13. Outskirts of New Haven?: ENS. A letteral clue. New Haven starts and ends with ENS.

14. Reggae kin: SKA.

19. Canal that runs 351 miles: ERIE. That's scary long.

20. Egg cell: OVUM.

24. Taproom pour: BEER. Taproom poor: BROKE.

"Maybe you should get the next round."

25. "Acoustic Soul" singer India.__: ARIE. India ARIE is an American singer and songwriter.

26. "Jane the Virgin" star Rodriguez: GINA. GINA Rodriguez is an American actress and producer.

27. "__ Maria": AVE. It's just down the road from Hallelujah Court.

28. __-Mex cuisine: TEX.

29. Contractor's no.: EST. An ESTimate is a price quoted for a job. If it's too high, the contractor gets a "No."

31. Explosive stuff: TNT. We've blown this up many times before, so I won't spell it out.

35. Some kitchen appliances: LGS. LG uses the tagline, "Life's Good," but the Korean company's name is actually Lucky-Goldstar. Good marketing because otherwise it sounds like a Chinese restaurant.

36. Long. counterpart: LAT. Longitude and LATitude. My geography teacher helped us keep them straight by saying that LONGitudes are the LONG ones that go from pole to pole.

38. Oracle: SEER. I divined this answer.

39. Rat (on): NARC.

40. "Enough, I get it": OK OK.

41. Old console letters: NES. The Nintendo Entertainment System has a library of 1370 officially licensed games. I think I played Super Mario Bros. once.

42. Texas airport letters: DFW. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the 2nd busiest in the U.S. behind Hartsfield–Jackson in Atlanta.

43. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE. Abu Dhabi's federation is the United Arab Emirates.

44. Tiny twisted molecule: DNA. Though this clue is twisted, the answer is straightforward.

46. Lego character, informally: MINIFIG. Short for a MINIFIGure, it's a little plastic figurine that snaps onto Lego bricks. These guys look familiar, but I can't quite place them.

47. Humor: INDULGE.

48. Voice opposition: DISSENT.

50. Proclamation: DECREE.

51. "Violeta" novelist Allende: ISABEL. Violeta
(2022) is a sweeping historical novel by Chilean author ISABEL Allende.

52. Fatty tuna: TORO. TORO doesn't refer to the fish itself – just the fatty meat from the belly prized in sushi and sashimi for its buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich marbling. To me, TORO tuna sounds like a surf & turf entree - investment grade!

54. Vassal: SERF.

56. Shady garden spot: BOWER. New to me. Unlike a long, arched arbor, it's more akin to a covered garden seat.

57. God of Islam: ALLAH.

60. Unadulterated: PURE.

61. Use a Singer: SEW. Or HEM.

62. French article: UNE.

63. Book fair gp.: PTA. A Parent Teacher Association is a group that may run a book fair as a fundraiser. Maybe they should try a Porch Party!

64. Hesitant sounds: ERS.

65. Pigpen: STY.

66. Make shorter, maybe: HEM. Or SEW.

* The Bears only loss in 1985 was to Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in an epic Monday Night Football showdown. I was there in the old ORANGE Bowl and was so hoarse from shouting that I could barely talk the next day. The thunderous noise from the fans created unheard of game stoppages when Chicago had the ball. The more the refs tried to quiet the crowd, the louder we got (with our players encouragement) and helped preserve the 1972 Dolphin's perfect season - a feat no other major American league team in any sport has equaled.

Be good. RB

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Aaron Ullman

2026-03-18T02:00:00.001-05:00

heme: STRINGING ALONG or FACING THE MUSIC, or FEELING PLUCKY. The last word of in the language phrases is repurposed to suggest a guitar players activities.

20 A. *Some fruity sandwich spreads: RASPBERRY JAMS. Fruit jam is a spread made by cooking fruit, sugar, and lemon juice (for pectin and acidity) together until thick. It can be made with fresh, frozen, or foraged fruits, providing a concentrated sweet fruit flavor. In music a JAM session is a planned or impromptu event characterized by improvisation, that can exist in a variety of music genres, including those that feature guitars.

27 A. *Criticize harshly: RIP TO SHREDS. This means to severely tear or destroy a physical object, or to harshly criticize a person, argument, or performance. It indicates intense damage or total dismantling of something. It is also commonly used to mean completely refuting someone’s ideas in a harsh way. SHRED also means to play electric guitar with extreme speed, technical precision, and high-intensity, often using techniques like rapid alternate picking, sweep-picking, tapping, and legato.

36 A. *Long-handled, long-toothed combs: AFRO PICKS. Specialized, wide-toothed combs designed to lift, volumize, and shape curly, coily, and afro-textured hair from the roots. They were symbols of black power/excellence, especially in the 70s as a rejection of euro beauty standards and showing acceptance and empowerment for black beauty standards and unity.

Also, a PICK, or plectrum, is a small, typically triangular, flat tool held in the hand to pluck or strum stringed instruments.

49 A. *Hollow floaties: POOL NOODLES. Cylindrical pieces of flexible, buoyant polyethylene foam. Pool noodles are used by people of all ages while swimming.

NOODLING on guitar [or trombone, c'mon] is the act of playing aimlessly, improvising, or messing around on the instrument without a specific goal, structure, or song in mind.

56 A. Stirs emotions, or how a guitarist might interpret the ends of the answers to the starred clues?: STRIKES A CHORD. As defined - affect or stir someone's emotions, or perhaps invoke a memory. The idiom originated in the early 19th century from music, metaphorically referring to striking a chord on a stringed instrument to produce a resonant, harmonious sound that mirrors human emotions. Here is how you strike 3 basic guitar chords.

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here - as always, delighted to have a music-related theme to conduct. [Though I must admit the guitar thoroughly defeated me.] So let's tune up and get playing.

Across:

1. Tend the garden: WEED. Here, WEED is a verb, meaning to remove weeds from the garden and reduce the competition for soil nutrients.

5. Wound covers: SCABS. A protective, dried blood clot that forms over a wound within hours, acting as a natural, temporary biological dressing, it keeps out germs and debris while allowing new skin cells to form underneath.

10. Spanish 23-Across: NIÑO. A child - most likely a boy. A girl would be a niña.

14. Sicilian volcano: ETNA. An active stratovolcano found on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania, and in many crossword puzzles. It is located above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

15. Crème de __: CACAO. A sweet, cocoa-flavored liqueur commonly used in cocktails, typically containing 20–25% ABV (40–50 proof) and made from cacao beans, vanilla, and sugar. It comes in white (clear) or dark brown varieties,

16. Superstar: IDOL. A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.

17. Savoir faire: TACT. The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

18. "Just Mercy" actor __ Jackson Jr.: O'SHEA. O'Shea Jackson Jr., [b. 1991] also known by the stage name OMG, is an American actor, rapper and songwriter. He is the oldest son of Ice Cube and, in his feature film debut, he portrayed his father in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.

19. Unhip type: NERD. A person passionately devoted to intellectual, technical, or specific niche pursuits, often characterized by high expertise in fields like technology, academics, or gaming. While historically used as an insult for someone socially awkward or unstylish, the term has evolved into a badge of pride for intense, knowledgeable enthusiasm.

23. Lad: BOY. A male child or youth [niño] originating from 14th-century Middle English boy/boye (servant, knave).

25. Pod unit: PEA. A pulse or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species. Peas are eaten as a vegetable.

26. Bother a lot: EAT AT. To gradually destroy, erode, or consume something, or to cause persistent worry and anxiety.

32. WSW opposite: ENE. Compass directions : west-south-west and east-north-east.

33. Informal "but": ALTHO.  "Altho" is an informal, simplified spelling of the conjunction although, meaning "in spite of the fact that," "even though," or "though". It is primarily used in informal, casual writing or sometimes in American English, acting as a shortcut for the standard spelling.

34. Hawthorne Heights music genre: EMO. A style of rock music resembling punk but having more complex arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects. Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band formed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2001.

35. Cold War initials: USSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It was the world's third-most populous country, largest by area, and bordered twelve countries. A diverse multinational state, it was organized as a federal union of national republics, the largest and most populous being the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In practice, its government and economy were highly centralized. As a one-party state governed by its Communist Party, it was the flagship communist state. Its capital and largest city was Moscow.

40. Throw out a line: CAST. To throw, fling, or propel something with force, in this case a baited hook, lure, or fly out over the water using a fishing rod and reel.

43. Number of orbits around the sun Neptune has completed since its discovery: ONE. The eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun, located about 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion km) away. It is a vibrant blue ice giant with a thick, windy atmosphere composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane, featuring supersonic wind speeds up to 1,200 mph.  Discovered in 1846, it was the first planet located through mathematical predictions rather than regular observation.  Neptune takes approximately 165 Earth years (about 60,190 days) to complete one revolution around the Sun. It completed its first full orbit since its discovery in 1846 only in 2011.

44. Beer ingredient: YEAST. Yeast is a, if not the, crucial, single-celled microorganism in brewing that converts sugars in wort into ethanol (alcohol), carbon dioxide (carbonation), and aromatic compounds. The two main types are top-fermenting Ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for warmer, faster fermentation and bottom-fermenting Lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus) for cooler, slower, and cleaner fermentation.

48. Not cool: OUT. "Out" can indicate something is no longer in style, in stock, or currently available.

52. Carne option: ASADA.   Spanish term meaning "grilled," "roasted," or "barbecued," commonly referring to thinly sliced, marinated beef (carne asada) in Mexican cuisine.

54. Middle-earth denizen: ENT.  Ents are a race of ancient, sentient, tree-like beings in fantasy, most notably J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, known as "Shepherds of the Trees". Created to protect forests from dwarves and orcs, they are tall, deliberate, long-lived, and resemble the trees they guard. The name derives from an Anglo-Saxon word for "giant"

55. __ of luxury: LAP. In conditions of great comfort and wealth.

61. Hardy title character: TESS. Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a tragic novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891, about a poor young woman, Tess Durbeyfield, who is victimized by two men, Alec d'Urberville and Angel Clare, and ultimately destroyed by the rigid social and sexual morals of Victorian England.

62. Dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt: PLUTO. Pluto is a cold, distant dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt with a surface of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide ice. It has an average temperature of approximately --56 F. Its surface features a massive heart-shaped glacier (Sputnik Planitia) and mountains. With 5 moons, Pluto's gravity is very low, about 6% of Earth's gravity.

63. "Why the heck not" hashtag: YOLO. You Only Live Once - so why not do something profoundly stupid? It will make a good story when you get out of the hospital.

66. Actor Stoltz: ERIC. Eric Cameron Stoltz [b.1961] is an American actor, director, and producer. He's known for his roles as sensitive misfits in films like Mask, Kicking and Screaming, and The Waterdance. His portrayal of Rocky Dennis in Mask earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

67. Potpourri piece: PETAL. Potpourri is a mixture of dried petals and spices placed in a bowl or small sack to perfume clothing or a room. Petals are each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored.

68. "The Celts" singer: ENYA. Enya, born Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, [b. 1961] is a familiar crossword denizen and also an Irish singer and composer who has sold an estimated 80 million albums worldwide. Her distinctive style blends folk melodies, classical motifs, and synthesized backdrops, creating a sound that's closer to new age than her initial folk and Celtic influences. Here is MAY IT BE, from The Fellowship of the Ring.

The story behind it.

69. City near Tahoe: RENO. Reno is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County.

70. Shape of some cocktail picks: SWORD. Swords are bladed weapons designed for cutting or thrusting, historically used for combat, self-defense, and as symbols of status. Cocktail swords usually hold olives or pieces of fruit.

Bar Products

Shards of Narsil

71. Hunt for: SEEK. Attempt to find or obtain something.

Down:

1. Burrito option: WET. This is a standard burrito smothered in red or green enchilada sauce and melted cheese, requiring a fork and knife to eat. Often filled with ground beef, rice, and beans, it is baked until the sauce is bubbly, creating a saucy, comfort-food twist on the handheld version.

2. Landing hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival at the air port.

3. Secure, as 4-Down, perhaps: ENCRYPT. Convert information or data into a cipher or code, especially to prevent unauthorized access.

4. Facts and figures: DATA. Raw, unorganized facts, figures, and symbols (e.g., numbers, text, audio, images) that, when processed, provide meaningful information for decision-making and analysis.

5. Checks (out) in advance: SCOPES. To examine, investigate, or assess something carefully, particularly to gain information, evaluate a situation, or prepare for a task. It is commonly used informally to mean looking over a place or situation to understand it.

6. "Rock the __": hit song for The Clash: CASBAH. A traditional North African fortress, citadel, or fortified quarter within older cities, notably in Algeria and Morocco. Historically, these served as residential and defensive structures, often with labyrinthine, car-free streets. I decided not to link the vid from 1982. You can find it on Youtube if you're interested.

7. Hurt: ACHE. A continuous or prolonged dull pain in a part of one's body.

8. Boxer Max: BAER. Maximilian Adelbert Baer Sr. [1909 - 1959] was an American professional boxer and the world heavyweight champion from June 14, 1934, to June 13, 1935. He was known in his time as the Livermore Larupper and Madcap Maxie. Two of his fights were rated Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. He also acted in several movies and made many TV appearances, including his own variety show.

9. Take to the sky: SOAR. Let's fly away.

10. Big name in small appliances: NINJA. Ninja products are made by SharkNinja, an independent, publicly traded company that designs and sells innovative kitchen appliances, outdoor cooking gear, and other household items, known for popular brands like the Ninja Foodi and Shark vacuums, with manufacturing primarily in Southeast Asia.

11. Conceptualizes: IDEATES. Forms an idea of something; imagines or conceives.

12. Conquerors of England in 1066: NORMANS. The Normans were a medieval people who originated from Norse (Viking) settlers in Northern France, establishing the Duchy of Normandy in 911 under Rollo. They adopted French language, culture, and Romanesque architecture, becoming fervent Christians. Famous for the 1066 Norman Conquest of England led by William the Conqueror, they also established kingdoms in Southern Italy, Sicily, and fought in the Crusades.

13. Golden-ager: OLDSTER. An older person. Older than what or whom is not specified. At any rate, I qualify.

21. Parody: SPOOF. A humorous imitation of something, typically a film or a particular genre of film, in which its characteristic features are exaggerated for comic effect.

22. "Absolutely!": YES. For sure!

23. Honeylove purchase: BRA. They make several types of clothing and intimate apparel.

24. Substance in the Hanukkah miracle: OIL. The miracle of the oil, central to Hanukkah, tells that when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple, they found only one small jar of pure oil, enough for one day. Miraculously, this oil burned for eight days, allowing enough time to prepare new oil, representing the triumph of light and faith.

28. Yonder thing: THAT. Used to identify a specific person or thing observed by the speaker.

29. Deter: REPEL. Drive or force an attack or attacker to back or away.

30. Queen's record label: EMI. EMI Group/Records was a major British music conglomerate (the "Big Four") that launched the Beatles, Queen, and Pink Floyd. Following its 2012 breakup, its assets are now held by Universal Music Group (recorded music) and Sony Music Publishing.

31. Grumpy friend: DOC. Grumpy and Doc are two of Disney's Seven Dwarves from the Snow White movie. Tolkien hated them, and anything Disney. Still, a nicely misdirecting clue.

35. Like most Facebook Marketplace items: USED. I believe the preferred term is "pre-owned."

37. Piglet pal: ROO. From the Winnie the Pooh stories. More Disney.

38. Subject of the song "Oh Yoko!": ONO. Yoko Ono [b 1933] is a Japanese artist, musician, activist, and filmmaker who has influenced the international art scene since the 1960s. A pioneer in performance and conceptual art, Ono's work often challenges perceptions of beauty, sexuality, and femininity.

39. Former capital of Japan: KYOTO. Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It was founded in 794.

40. Bar mat: COASTER. A small tray or mat placed under a bottle or glass to protect the table underneath.

41. Spartan: AUSTERE. Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.

42. Leads the cast of: STARS IN. Said of the skilled performer who has the most prominent roll in a production.

45. "Ta-da!": ALL DONE. The project is finished.

46. Lighthouse view: SEA. The ocean, possibly with ships.

47. Abbr. on a measuring spoon: TSP. Teaspoon.

49. Intl. cricket powerhouse: PAK. Pakistan.  Cricket in Pakistan has a history predating the creation of the country in 1947. The first ever international cricket match in Karachi was held on 22 November 1935 between Sindh and Australian cricket teams. The match was seen by 5,000 Karachiites. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, cricket in the country developed rapidly and Pakistan was given Test match status at a meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference at Lord's in England on 28 July 1952 following recommendation by India,[

50. Drink of the gods: NECTAR. This refers to ambrosia and nectar, the fabled food and drink granting immortality in Greek mythology. It is commonly used as a metaphor for an exceptionally delicious drink.

51. Waiting for a representative, say: ON HOLD. The bane of anyone seeking customer service by telephone.

53. __ fries: poutine kin: DISCO. A classic New Jersey diner comfort food, consisting of crispy French fries smothered in melted mozzarella cheese and hot brown gravy. Popularized in the 1970s as a late-night snack for people leaving clubs, this dish is similar to Canadian poutine but uses shredded mozzarella instead of cheese curds.

57. Comedian Mike of "The Upshaws": EPPS. Michael Elliot Epps [b. 1970] is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and philanthropist. He's known for his roles as Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and Friday After Next, and "Black Doug" in The Hangover films. Epps is also a boxing fan who recently partnered with former World Heavyweight Champion Lamon Brewster to open a boxing gym in Indianapolis. The gym aims to use boxing's fierceness and footwork to help young men and teens find new paths.

58. Boatload: SLEW.  It is used informally to mean a large quantity, often with "a," e.g., "a slew of issues."

59. Part of an insurance bundle: AUTO. Sometimes bundled with home owner's insurance.

60. Marbled loaves: RYES.  Marble rye is a visually striking, artisan-style bread made by twisting or layering light rye and dark pumpernickel doughs together to create a distinctive marbled swirl. Known for its mild, earthy flavor and chewy texture, it typically features caraway seeds and is a favorite for reuben sandwiches, toasted with butter.

64. Soap chemical: LYE. Lye, primarily sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, is a strong, highly caustic alkaline compound crucial for soap making, drain cleaning, and food processing like curing lutefisk, pretzels, and ramen noodles. It is a white, corrosive solid that dissolves fats, requiring strict safety measures, including gloves, goggles, and ventilation.

65. Barrel wood: OAK. Oak is favored for barrels due to its structural strength, ability to bend without snapping, and unique porosity, which allows for controlled micro-oxygenation. It is watertight, durable against warping, and imparts desirable flavor compounds like vanilla, spice, and coconut to wine and spirits. It also mellows tannins over time.

Well, that it's for another Wednesday. This puzzle hit all the right notes, and had both a bit of astronomy and a Tolkien based min-theme. Hope it didn't give you anything to fret about.

Cool regards!

JzB