I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band. If you can read backwards, you will see the circles spell out the name of a rock band, hence "back-up" bands.
17-Across. "This could've been a lot worse": IT'S NOT SO BAD. BOSTON. The American band Boston was formed in 1975 in Boston. What an original name.
31-Across. Jewel boxes: CD CASES. AC/DC. AC/DC is Australian rock band and was formed in Sydney in 1973, although the founding brothers, Angus (b. Mar. 31, 1955) and Malcolm Young (Jan. 6, 1953 ~ Nov. 18, 2017) were both Scottish.
37-Across. Antiwar gathering of world leaders: PEACE SUMMIT. MUSE. Muse is an English band that was formed in 1994. It's the youngster in this quartet.
44-Across. Hit that may go out of the park: HOME RUN. R.E.M. R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in 1980.
And the unifier:
59. Supporting musicians, or what can be found in 17-, 31-, 37-, and 44-Across: BACK-UP BANDS.
You can see the Backup Bands in the circles below.
Across:
1. Pantry platform: SHELF.
6. Contrail, essentially: VAPOR. A contrail, also known as a condensation trial, it is the line-shaped cloud formed by aircraft engine exhaust mixing with the cold, humid air at high altitudes.
11. Auction offer: BID.
14. Humped beast at a desert oasis: CAMEL. One hump or two? One-humped camels are Dromedaries. They are the ones that live in the Sahara desert. The two-humped camels are Bactrians. They can be found in the colder Central Asian steppes. The primary difference is their habitat. Both store fat in their humps for energy, not water, and have closeable nostrils to keep the sand out of their noses.
15. "Go me!": I RULE!
16. Eggs, to a biologist: OVA.
19. __ or nothing: ALL.
20. Draped dresses in Hindi films: SARIs. A brief history of the Sari.
21. Paleontologist's find: FOSSIL.
23. Tire gauge meas.: PSI. As in Pounds per Square Inch.
26. Schleps: TOTES. Anyone watch Elsbeth? She is always carrying tons of tote bags.
28. High point of a trip to Sicily?: ETNA. This volcano has become a crossword staple.
29. Play with, as a trampoline: JUMP ON.
34. Reject: SPURN.
35. Confident about: SURE OF.
40. "Women Talking" novelist Toews: MIRIAM. Women Talking is a 2018 novel by Miriam Toews (b. May 21, 1964). The book is based on actual events in a remote Mennonite community where women were drugged and sexually assaulted by men.
41. CNN journalist Hill: ERICA. Erica Ruth Hill (b. July 20, 1976) is a television journalist and has worked for CNN, CBS and NBC.
47. Alternative to "Yours truly": AS EVER. I think this phrase is now associated with Meghan Markle.
48. Extremely dry: ARID. In the arid desert, where you will find a one-humped camel.
49. Finish by: END AT.
52. "That's gotta hurt": OOF!
53. Sentra automaker: NISSAN.
56. Archer's projectile: ARROW.
58. Distress signal: SOS.
64. Tree with serrated leaves: ELM. I understand that street is a real nightmare.
65. Remove a wooden pin from: UNPEG.
66. Listless feeling: ENNUI. A word seen only in the crossword puzzles.
67. Filmmaker Ang: LEE. Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) often makes guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.
68. Warty hoppers: TOADS.
69. 28 of the cards in a Monopoly set: DEEDS.
Down:
1. __-fi: SCI.
2. Topper: HAT.
3. 911 responders, briefly: EMS. As in Emergency Medical Services.
4. Periscope part: LENS.
5. Experience elation: FLOAT ON AIR.
6. Pop in on: VISIT.
7. Came up: AROSE.
8. Trivia night venue: PUB.
9. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF.
10. Try again: REDO. A crossword staple.
11. Sings one's own praises: BOASTS.
12. Means to administer medication: IV LINE.
13. Texas city with the Cowboys and the Wings: DALLAS. The Dallas Wings are a professional basketball team in the WNBA.
18. Sci-fi franchise with "Legacy" and "Ares" installments: TRON.
22. Bioluminescence produced by marine microorganisms: SEAFIRE. Everything you wanted to know about marine microbes.
23. Garments that might have feet, familiarly: PJs.
24. Dine, quaintly: SUP.
25. Grumble from the recently roused: I'M UP.
27. Rugby play with tight formation: SCRUM.
30. Some organic chemistry students: PRE-MEDS.
32. Blue pol: DEM. As in Democrat. Enough said. No politics.
33. Joins one's partner in retirement?: COMES TO BED.
35. River through Paris: SEINE.
36. Mex. neighbor: USA.
38. Grand __: French wine classification: CRU. The term Grand Cru, which is French for "great growth", denotes the highest tier of vineyard classification for superior French wines.
39. DVR pioneer: TiVo. An archaic line of digital video recorders.
42. Corp. leader: CEO. As in Chief Executive Order.
43. Dog park sound: ARF.
44. Gretel's brother: HANSEL. In case you are unfamiliar with the German folktale, here is a brief history of of the story as depicted by the Brothers Grimm.
45. Baltimore ballplayer: ORIOLE.
46. "Did you notice I was gone?": MISS ME?
47. Org. working against age discrimination: AARP. As in the American Association of Retired People.
50. Unclothed: NAKED.
51. Pharmacy offerings: DRUGS.
54. Sit alongside: ABUT.
55. Billionth: Pref.: NANO-.
57. Taper off: WANE.
60. Tax prep pro: CPA. As in Certified Public Accountant. Tax season will be gearing up for these professionals.
61. SSW's opposite: NNE.
62. Disappointing firecracker: DUD.
63. Female sib: SIS. As in Sister.
That's all for this first Tuesday of 2026. Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2026.
Morton J. Mendelson at McGill University Convocation
Morton J. Mendelson joined the faculty of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in 1977. He served as the University’s first Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning from 2005 until 2013. When he retired, he devoted himself to family, good works, and crossword puzzle constuction. Dr. Mendelson was very successful in this last endeavor, with many puzzles published in these pages, in The New York Times, and elsewhere. It is my sad duty to report that Dr. Mendelson passed away suddenly in July 2025. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.
Sigh ... I thought we'd be off to a sad start this morning, as I take over the Monday spot held for so many years by the incomparable Sumdaze. But I didn't know how sad, until I looked into the biography of today's constructor. Let's honor Dr. Mendelson by enjoying the crossword puzzle he made for our pleasure.
Best to start with the big reveal:
39-Across. Time for extracurricular activities, or where the ends of 17-, 26-, 52-, and 62-Across literally are: AFTER SCHOOL. All sorts of extracurricular activities are scheduled after school, but in today's puzzle, the second word in each theme answer comes AFTER the name of a well-known SCHOOL. Together, the first and second words form a familiar English phrase.
The other theme clues and answers are:
17-Across. Sweetener used on a Providence campus?: BROWN SUGAR. BROWN University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. SUGAR is a sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrate. BROWN SUGAR contains a little molasses, a byproduct from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice.
26-Across. Horse that's saddled up for a tour of a Philadelphia campus?: TEMPLE MOUNT. TEMPLE University is a public "state-related" research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. MOUNT (as a noun) is another word for horse, or other animal that is ridden. TEMPLE MOUNT is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, once the site of two successive Jewish temples, and now home to the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
52-Across. Quad found on a Portland campus?: REED SECTION. REED College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. A quad is a SECTION of campus enclosed by buildings. A REED SECTION is the group of musicians in a band or orchestra who play instruments that use a vibrating reed to produce sound, such as saxophones, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.
62-Across. Kitchen appliance used at a Houston campus?: RICE COOKER. RICE University is a private research university in Houston, Texas. COOKER is an appliance used for cooking food. A RICE COOKER is specifically for cooking rice. Cooking rice is easy, but sometimes the appliance makes it easier.
Here's the grid, with its lovely symmetry:
Let's learn a little more from Dr. Mendelson's clues and answers.
Across:
1. Insurance company with a gecko mascot: GEICO.
6. "What __ is new?": ELSE.
10. Freeway exit: RAMP.
14. Heavy coat?: ARMOR.
15th century coat of armor
15. WhatsApp's parent company: META. Meta Platforms owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
16. Gumbo pod: OKRA.
17. [Theme clue]
19. See 12-Down: DASH. (The answer to 12-Down is MRS.) In 2020, the product was rebranded as "Dash," dropping the "Mrs." from its name. Too dowdy, I suppose. The original blend includes "Onion, Spices (Black Pepper, Parsley, Celery Seed, Basil, Bay Marjoram, Oregano, Savory, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Mustard, Rosemary), Garlic, Carrot, Orange Peel, Tomato, Lemon Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Oil of Lemon."
20. Restroom, to a Brit: LAV. Short for lavatory, as Brit is short for British.
21. Forearm bones: ULNAE. The long bones in your forearm are the ulna and radius.
Not humerus at all.
23. "__ dreaming?": AM I.
26. [Theme clue]
31. Hybrid orange fruit: TANGELO. A tangelo can be a hybrid of a Citrus reticulata variety, such as mandarin orange or tangerine, and a Citrus maxima variety, such as a pomelo or grapefruit. The name is a portmanteau of "tangerine" and "pomelo."
Cushman honeybells -- a type of tangelo
33. Physician: DOCTOR.
34. Oft-grilled fish, on menus: MAHI.
35. Flirts (with): TOYS.
38. Adventure novelist Cussler: CLIVE. Clive Cussler (1931-2020) was an American novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels have been listed on The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than 20 times. Cussler was the founder and chairman of the National Underwater and Marine Agency which has discovered more than 60 shipwrecks. He was the sole or main author of more than 80 books. And yet I Did Not Know.
Clive Cussler
39. [Theme clue]
42. Basil-based sauce: PESTO. DH is not a fan of pesto -- or of green herbs in general -- so we don't have it at home, and I like to order it when we eat out.
pesto pasta
44. Author Wiesel: ELIE. Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (1928-2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, including Night, which is based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust. I read the book half a century ago, and parts of it are still burned into my brain.
45. Hot spot service: WI-FI. Wi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves. Free at Starbucks!
48. Toward the back of a boat: ASTERN.
50. Supplied, as funds: FRONTED.
52. [Theme clue]
55. "Totally!": YES.
56. Australian marsupial: KOALA. Marsupials are mammals whose young are born in a relatively undeveloped state and then nurtured in a pouch on their mother's abdomen. We're all familiar with kangaroos, but the tree-dwelling koala is also a marsupial.
Koalas
57. Provisos: IFS. Provisos are conditions attached to agreements. Your rental agreement might guarantee you a certain rate for one year, with the proviso that the property be kept in good repair. IF the condition is met, THEN your rent won't rise.
59. With 27-Down, "The Substance" Oscar nominee: DEMI. (The answer to 27-Down is MOORE.) The Substance is a 2024 horror movie starring DEMI MOORE as a fading celebrity who uses a black market drug to create a younger version of herself. Critically acclaimed.
Demi Moore in The Substance
62. [Theme clue]
67. Wowed: AWED.
68. Genesis grandson: ENOS. Enos, or Enosh, was the son of Seth, and grandson of Adam and Eve. According to the Bible, he lived to be 905 years old!
69. Mediterranean oil source: OLIVE.
70. Beseeches: BEGS.
71. Take a break: REST.
72. Sacred carving: TOTEM. A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people. In North America, we are familiar with totem poles, the monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. The carvings may represent ancestors, legends, or historic events.
I took this photo of a totem pole in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a dozen years ago.
Down:
1. Chitchat: GAB.
2. Make a wrong turn, say: ERR.
3. "Seems to me" shorthand: IMO. In My Opinion. A texting abbreviation.
4. Monastic hood: COWL. A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. It can refer just to the hood, but usually means the entire robe. Outside of religious contexts, a cowl is a loose, draping neckline or circular scarf.
Carthusian Monk wearing a cowl
5. Elaborately decorated: ORNATE. Unlike the outfit pictured above.
6. Australian bird: EMU.
7. Boost: LEG UP.
8. Horse stable unit: STALL.
9. Brought home, as a salary: EARNED.
10. Performer in bull riding competitions: RODEO CLOWN. All I know about rodeo clowns, I learned from watching Zach Galifianakis in Baskets, which ran on FX from 2016 to 2019. It was weird.
Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets
11. Letters between names: AKA. Also Known As.
12. With 19-Across, salt-free seasoning brand: MRS. Ah yes, the late, great Mrs. Dash. You won't find this label in stores any more:
13. Dismissive sound: PAH. I don't think I've ever encountered this puff of air, conveying contempt or annoyance, but my Google search suggests that it is often clued this way in crossword puzzles.
18. Gracefully slim: SVELTE.
22. Gas brand with a torch logo: AMOCO. Amoco has a long history selling gasoline in the United States. The American Oil Company introduced both the gasoline tanker truck and the drive-through filling station. Now owned by British conglomerate BP, it is part of a huge multinational company. The closest one to my home in Los Angeles is in Lincoln, Nebraska ... but it appears they are spreading.
23. Spot for short people?: ATM. If you are short on cash, head to an Automated Teller Machine.
24. Barnyard bleat: MAA. Goat speak!
25. Without bothering to be careful: IN HASTE.
27. See 59-Across: MOORE. We've already talked about Demi Moore in The Substance.
28. __ knife: handy kitchen tool: UTILITY. A utility knife is smaller than a chef's knife and often serrated.
29. Thanksgiving mo.: NOV. An abbreviation in the clue (mo. for month) calls for an abbreviation in the answer.
30. Italian three: TRE. Uno, due, tre ...
32. Naturally talented youngsters: GIFTED KIDS.
36. French fashion monogram: YSL. Yves Saint Laurent.
37. Futuristic genre: SCI-FI. Science fiction.
40. Upper body: TORSO.
41. Brave and noble: HEROIC.
42. __ for the course: PAR. "Par for the course" means what is normal or expected in any given circumstances. It comes from golf, where par is the standard number of strokes a skilled player is expected to take to complete a hole or an entire course.
43. Opposite of WNW: ESE.
46. Extra charge: FEE.
47. Docs with DOBs, often: IDS. Documents with Dates Of Birth are often IDs (identification cards).
49. Not as far: NEARER.
51. By walking: ON FOOT.
53. Country singer Patsy: CLINE. Patsy Cline (1932-1963) was one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, and one of the first country music artists to successfully cross over into pop music.
54. Food truck fare: TACOS. Common sight here in Los Angeles.
58. Without backup: SOLO.
59. Pat gently: DAB.
60. Female sheep: EWE. And what do EWE say?
61. Actress Ryan: MEG. Meg Ryan is a successful actress who is probably best known for her role in the Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989).
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal
63. Ballpark fig.: EST. A "ballpark figure" is an estimate. It's somewhere in the ballpark ...
64. Baby beaver: KIT. Baby beavers are called kits. They are born with fur and open eyes, and can swim shortly after birth. And they are cute as buttons.
baby beaver AKA kit
65. Genesis matriarch: EVE. You may recall from 68-Across that Eve was the grandmother of Enos -- and more famously, the first human female, according to the Biblical account.
66. Sleep cycle letters: REM. Rapid Eye Movement sleep is marked by vivid dreams and muscle paralysis. If not for that paralysis, we might act out our crazy dreams.
Our blog mistress, C.C., has explained that Monday puzzles are the hardest to create, because the clues and answers have to be simple and straightforward. I would say that Dr. Mendelson's puzzle is very suitable. I certainly didn't have to illustrate the long list of minor celebrities that we often encounter later in the week. Well done, I'd say.
What about you?
Did you solve the puzzle IN HASTE and ERR along the way?
Did you have a LEG UP because of your particular expertise?
