Sunday July 12, 2026 Will Nediger & Beth Rubin

Theme: "OPPOSITE DAY" -  Each theme entry contains a pair of opposite words

26. Took unnecessary risks, in a British idiom: SAILED CLOSE TO THE WIND.

 
43. Backup for a proofreader, perhaps: ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES.

 

58. Grow increasingly recalcitrant: BECOME UNGOVERNABLE.

70. Suffer public humiliation: FALL FLAT ON ONE'S FACE.

85. 2010 animated film featuring Princess Fiona: SHREK FOREVER AFTER. And 115. 85-Across figure: OGRE.

Reveal:

100. Oxymoron, or what can be found five times in this puzzle: CONTRADICTION IN TERMS.

What a great follow-up to Paul Coulter's "Magnetism" puzzle. Paul's theme hid pairs of opposite words right next to each other (ON/OFF, HE/SHE, IN/OUT, etc.). Here, Will and Beth use the same basic concept but separate each pair, making the hunt a bit more challenging. 

This is Will and Beth's second collaboration for the LAT. Both are outstanding constructors. 

Across:

1. Option B precursor: PLAN A.

6. Creature in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": DODO.

10. Winter resort rentals: SKIS.

14. Supermodel Kate: MOSS.

18. Old Renault: LE CAR.

19. Apple tablet: IPAD.

20. Penny: CENT.

21. Each: A POP.

22. Not suitable: UNAPT.

23. Mandala medium, often: SAND. Many Tibetan Buddhist mandalas are painstakingly created from colored sand before being ceremonially dismantled.

24. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

25. Count (on): RELY.

30. WNW opposite: ESE.

31. Love, in Italian: AMORE.

32. Asian language: LAO.

33. Handel oratorio: MESSIAH.

37. Former: PRIOR.

38. All excited: ATINGLE.

42. Ginger __: ALE.

46. Lightweight fabric: LINEN. And 120. Woolen cloth: TWEED. Much prefer Japanese crepe fabric. Non-wrinkly. 

48. Romance: WOO.

49. "C'est la __!": VIE.

50. Trolley car: TRAM.

51. Celebrity couple: ITEM.

52. Pres. on a dime: FDR.

53. Imrie of "The Thursday Murder Club": CELIA. English actress.

57. Square things: ATONE. Nice clue.

63. 2028 Olympics host: Abbr.: USA. 74. 2024 Olympics host: PARIS.

64. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air": BEL.

65. __ acid: AMINO.

66. Apology starter: MEA. As in "Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa".

67. Male swan: COB.

77. Newark's county: ESSEX.

78. Permit: LET.

79. Burden: ONUS.

80. Lasting mark: SCAR.

81. Org. nicknamed "No Such Agency": NSA.

83. Owns: HAS.

84. Nimble: AGILE.

92. Singer __ King Cole: NAT.

93. Game for little batters: TEE BALL.

94. Hazardous gas: RADON.

95. Goes on and on: YAMMERS.

97. Finish: END.

98. OB test: AMNIO.

99. Reuben sandwich bread: RYE. I've become a fan of the New York rye bread sold at our local Hy-Vee.

109. __ of paradise: BIRD.

110. Flared skirt style: A LINE.

111. Voting group: BLOC.

112. Inbox message: EMAIL.

113. Demolish: RAZE.

114. Ice sheet: FLOE.

116. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

117. Rude one: BOOR.

118. Throw out: TOSS.

119. "Easier __ than done": SAID.

Down:

1. "And also ... ": PLUS.

2. Singer and civil rights activist Horne: LENA.

3. Palm berry: ACAI.

4. City where pizza was invented: NAPLES.

5. __ well: ARTESIAN. Water reaches the surface naturally because of underground pressure.

6. Frisbee, e.g.: DISC.

7. Birthstone between sapphire and topaz: OPAL.

8. Paul who played twins in "There Will Be Blood": DANO.

9. "Most likely ... ": ODDS ARE.

10. Annabella of "Tulsa King": SCIORRA.

11. __ cloth: Ghanaian textile: KENTE. Kente comes from the Akan word kenten, meaning "basket," referring to its woven pattern.

12. Move slowly: INCH.

13. Digital protection device?: STEEL TOE. Clever clue.

14. Figure that comes with strings attached: MARIONETTE.

15. Accepting customers: OPEN.

16. "Deal!": SOLD.

17. Intel gatherer: SPY.

24. Small porch: STOOP.

27. Campus leader: DEAN.

28. Mideast leader: EMIR.

29. Urchin: WAIF.

33. Beach city near Pepperdine: MALIBU.

34. Powerful groups: ELITES.

35. __ Falls Convention: SENECA. The first women's rights convention was held in Seneca Falls in 1848. Learning moment for me.

36. "What a bore": HOW DULL.

37. Soup often garnished with bean sprouts: PHO.

38. Nev. neighbor: ARI.

39. Wrap with tzatziki: GYRO.

40. Tilt: LEAN.

41. "Hanna" star Creed-Miles: ESME.

44. Having trouble deciding: TORN.

45. Physiologist Pavlov: IVAN.

47. Given to moping, maybe: EMO.

52. Sense: FEEL.

53. Unresponsive states: COMAS.

54. Party-planning site: E-VITE.

55. Massachusetts home of the Tanglewood Music Festival: LENOX.

56. Wrinkle remover: IRON.

57. Quaint word of despair: ALAS.

59. Many execs: MBAS.

60. Lasses: GALS.

61. Pardon: AMNESTY.

62. Vivid vegetable: BEET.

67. Pointy tooth: CANINE.

68. Eye-related: OCULAR.

69. Attacks from all sides: BESETS.

70. Figure who manipulates flames in a Nickelodeon fantasy series: FIREBENDER. Refers to "Avatar: The Last Airbender." In that universe, firebenders manipulate fire, one of the four classical elements.

71. Phobia: FEAR.

72. Villainous Count of kid-lit: OLAF.

73. Confused state: FOG.

74. Note-passer's utterance: PSST.

75. Head or heart follower: ACHE. I've been dealing with an awful RA flare-up and can't wait for my infusion next Wednesday.

76. Valuable to collectors: RARE.

81. Annual Player Selection Meeting, informally: NFL DRAFT.

82. Step on the scale?: SOL. Musical scale. Do–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La–Ti–Do.

83. Largest Chinese ethnic group: HAN. I'm one. 

84. Military encampment unit: ARMY TENT.

86. Philosopher Immanuel: KANT.

87. Winter stoats: ERMINES.

88. "Lovecraft Country" actor Courtney B. __: VANCE. Married to Angela Bassett.

89. Revise: EDIT.

90. Reddish-brown tea: ROOIBOS. Naturally caffeine-free.

91. Work hard for: EARN.

96. Grandma, to some: MEEMAW.

98. "Farewell, amigos!": ADIOS. And  100. "Farewell, amici!": CIAO.

101. Ricelike pasta: ORZO.

102. French greeting: ALLO.

103. Tokarczuk who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature: OLGA.

104. Onigiri wrapper: NORI.

105. Like cupcakes but not muffins, usually: ICED.

106. Compete against the clock: RACE.

107. Slimy mud: MIRE.

108. Toboggan, e.g.: SLED.

109. Texter's "Just a moment": BRB. Be Right Back.

C.C.

Saturday, July 11, 2026, Rafael Musa

 Saturday Themeless by Rafael Musa

Rafa, a software engineer for Airbnb in San Francisco. is a frequent constructor and collaborator. I started out looking for an on ramp and found several in the west columns and before I knew it, the entire west side was done. From ther, I was able to get up to speed and his lovely puzzle was done. I'll comment on some of Rafa's more clever entries as I blog. 

Across

1. Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, __": OTHER - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Published in 2019, exploring identity, race, class, sexuality, and the history of modern Britain across multiple generations.

     

6. Selfish kinds: HOGS.

10. "Get lost!": SCAT.

14. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO TOO.

16. Not one __: IOTA.

17. Where classes proceed on a case-by-case basis: LAW SCHOOLS 😀

18. "Oh, fudge": RATS.

19. Strong showing from 2012 to 2022, for short?: SNL - 😀 Capitalizing strong as the first word of the clue did not give away that it was a name.

Cicely Strong

20. Hole up: HIDEOUT.

22. Hissed admonishment: SHH.

23. Aired: RAN.

24. Southern brew: SWEET TEA.

26. Revenue metric: AD SALES - This ad, thought to be one of the best ever, announced the release of MacIntosh computers. It aired during the 1984 Super Bowl and generated huge initial sales. This entire 1984 ad

30. Matters of course?: MEALS 😀

31. Area most people can't stand to be in: CRAWL SPACE - Yeesh!

34. Handy accessory?: MITT 😀 - Early baseball players were considered to be "unmanly" if they wore a glove or mitt. Modern players now wear fielding, batting and sliding gloves.

36. Cares for: TENDS.

37. Foofaraw: ADO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

38. Island west of Maui: LANAI.

39. "Smooth Operator" singer: SADE.

40. Ding, maybe: E-MAIL ALERT 😀

42. Exams that begin with a Chemical and Physical Foundations section, for short: MCATS - My grandson passed his with flying colors but his roommate failed twice.

44. Ends up behind: LOSES TO.

45. Fried Mexican dishes: CHALUPAS.

48. "Yellowstone" star Bentley: WES ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

49. Todos __ días: every day, in Spanish: LOS - Hago el crucigrama todos LOS días. (I work the crossword everyday.)

50. Rep who is also the parent of a child star, perhaps: MOMAGER - Rosalind Russell played one of the first ones in this wonderful movie.

52. __ Fridays: TGI.

55. Lincoln, e.g.: AUTO - Here's the Lincoln Lawyer in one. One story arc concerned a dead body found in the trunk of that Lincoln.

57. Major annoyances: ROYAL PAINS.

59. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo: ISLA.

60. Defend aggressively: TRIPLE TEAM.

Steph Curry getting TRIPLE TEAMED

61. Convene: MEET.

62. Solidifies: SETS.

63. Creates a cozy home: NESTS.

Down:

1. Works in a museum: OILS - Our wonderful puzzle constructor Jeffrey Wechsler was an art curator who worked in a museum curating works therein. 

2. Comparison word: THAN - A beautiful Peruvian folk melody with lyrics by Paul Simon. Enjoy!

3. React to a riot, maybe: HOWL - A great comedian can make you do this

4. Short releases: EPS - Elvis made several with four songs on each.

5. Pool areas?: REC HALLS 😀

6. Under the __: HOOD.

7. Missouri River people: OTOES.

8. Play dirty: GO LOW - There are penalties in football for blocking below the waist 

9. "What are you gonna do about it?": SO SUE ME. 😀

10. Title for David Attenborough: SIR.

11. Areas affected by current events: COASTLINES.😀

12. Initially: AT THE START.

13. Gospel singer Cobbs: TASHA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

15. Lights up: SHINES.

21. Top choice: TEE - Many of my tops are TEE shirts with the NASA meatball on them

23. Short end of the stick: RAW DEAL.

25. Traditional Christmas fare for some Latinos: TAMALES.

26. Panto units: ACTS - Panto is short for pantomime 

27. Three-story abode in Barbie pink: DREAM HOUSE.

28. Structure affected by current events: SAND CASTLE 😀

29. Musubi meat: SPAM - A Hawaiian snack. It revealed itself.

32. Statute mandating curb cuts, for short: ADA.

33. Feature of type 4 hair: COIL - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

35. Bandleader Puente: TITO.

38. Pocket-size pointer: LASER PEN - I used mine a lot in my "lectures"

40. Field for a competitive Valorant player: E-SPORTS.

41. Former mill town in the Boston metro area: LOWELL.

43. Belly: TUM.

45. Progressive request: CLAIM 😀

46. Subject for Elena Ferrante: AMORE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A pseudonym for an Italian author who prefers anonymity

  

47. "Stop beating around the bush!": SAY IT.

51. Concerns for some orthodontists: GAPS.

52. Connections: TIES.

53. Minor annoyance: GNAT.

54. Belief systems: ISMS.

56. __ latte: OAT.

58. Put away: ATE.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to CanadianEh!, one of our longtime blog family members. She's been with us since 2012. I hope your day is filled with fun, laughter, and all your favorite things. Thank you for the kindness, insight, and thoughtful contributions you've shared with us over the years!

Friday, Jul 10th, 2026 ~ Mike Peluso

HEavy MEtal, the song from Blue Öyster Cult

This is my first puzzle from Mike Peluso - he has been contributing crosswords since before the Corner, I would guess; his last construction for the LA Times was here, in 2023, on a sumdaze Monday. A simple add-in of the symbol for the element Iron, 'Fe', from the Latin "ferrum".  The cluing was solid Friday-level, with just a hiccup for me at the crossing of two name-ish answers - that's YOU, square #5~!  Standard grid, no circles, less than ten names, no Twurds, and eight "elemental" songs.  The themers & reveal, which is what got me through the themers;

16. Slogan on a very thorough pet sitter's business card?: I WALK THE FELINE - The base phrase is from the Johnny Cash song "I Walk the Line" -  I walked canine Cooper, but not the "feline" cats . . . 

28. Upgrade one's cookie supply?: TRADE WAFERS - Trade Wars - no song for you~! - but think the outer layers of, say, 32A., an Oreo cookie . . .

48. Newest resident of the Land of Enchantment?: SANTA FE BABY - A Christmas Classic, the song "Santa Baby", tho I did not know that the "Land of Enchantment" was New Mexico - I DO know my ex-wife is down there, so it can't be that enchanted . . . 

62. Treatment for anemia, or a treatment given to 16-, 28-, and 48-Across?: IRON SUPPLEMENT - the periodic chart square for Iron, "Fe"

Thanks Bill Nye, Science Guy~!


ACROSS:

1. Places to feel kneaded?: SPAs - I could go for a massage . . .

5. Peter or Paul, but not Mary: TSAR - I do the Downs clues first, and this was my last fill; I had _S_R, yet it took a minute - ah, Russian rulers . . . I solved this one before Moe's Wednesday dupe; name(ish)

9. Vocal quality: TONE - plenty in today's write-up

13. Part of some forests: KELP

This image's website

14. Land parcel: ACRE

15. On the road: AWAY

19. "Exodus" Oscar nominee Sal: MINEO - crossword staple, name #1

20. Anger: INCENSE

22. Snap: PHOTO - Friday vague cluing

24. Carson successor: LENO - Johnny & Jay, the Tonight Show, name #2

26. iPhone platform: iOS

27. Checkers side: RED

The Red and the Black, an "Fe" Maiden song, almost 14mins long
- and - Blue Öyster Cult song #2

32. Sweet sandwich: OREO - the cookies part of OREOs can blended into my ice cream - see 3D.

34. Word on a bottle of Château Margaux: CRU - from the Frawnche for "growth"; more here

35. El Prado, por ejemplo: MUSEO - 'for example, museum', Español #1

36. Cause of statistical misrepresentation: BIAS - that's ALOT of clue for a four-letter answer . . .

38. Colon units: DOTS - Oh, that colon [:] . . . never mind . . .

40. Ordered from DoorDash, perhaps: ATE IN

43. Flight status abbr.: ARRivals

44. Part of many a lunch special: SOUP

"NO soup for YOU~!"

52. Mex. neighbor: USA - there's always that half second of hesitation when I think, "I don't know all those countries in Central America~!"

53. Green around the gills: ILL

54. From the top: ANEW

55. Late bloomer: ASTER

57. Toots and the Maytals, for one: SKA BAND - no clue, but I had perps; more here

Funky Kingston - not really my thing, but I can 'dig' it

60. Aptly named hybrids: UGLIs

66. Four-award acronym: EGOT - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony - somewhere last week I read that Steven Spielberg was a winner - so I wondered what he got his Grammy for; it's a bit of a stretch, but OK . . . the Wiki

Raiders March, Raiders of the Lost Ark

67. Plum kin: SLOE

68. Major disappointment: BLOW

69. Gym reps: SETS - For me, training at the gym is three times a week, two SETS of three exercises, and within those, somewhere between 8-16 "REPetitions"; not quite the same thing, IMHO

70. Actress Daly: TYNE - name #3

71. Bajo opposite: ALTO - 'low & high', Español #2

DOWN:

1. Word with lift or lodge: SKI - ski lift, ski lodge

2. Political research center: PEW - never heard of this; named after the Pew family - the Wiki

3. Dessert option: À LA MODE - look, I made protein ice cream - my trainer got me excited to buy and try the Ninja Ice Creami

The chocolate chips are an added indulgence 😁

4. Share, in a way: SPLIT - but not a banana split - bananas upset my stomach, and I don't know why . . .

5. "Doctor Who" actress Catherine: TATE - I know nothing about the series; it looks like she guest-starred in just three episodes; that's Friday vague - name #4

6. Think tank members, often: SCHOLARS - SCIENTISTS didn't fit

7. Modern art?: ARE - Shakespeare; "Where for art thou~?" - 21st century; "Where're you at~?"

8. Purify: REFINE

9. Softest mineral on the Mohs scale: TALC - This puzzle gets 4-1/2 of 5 ⭐ on the "other" Moe's Scale

10. Tot's scrape: OWIE

11. Childcare providers: NANNIES - There will be NO owies on this nanny's watch~!

12. Unsightly sight: EYESORE - Sightly sight - eye SURE~!

Spectacular view - and the city is pretty as well . . . 🙄

17. Celtic artwork feature: KNOT - Dah~! Not RUNE

This website

18. Sufficient, once: ENOW - ye olde sfelling of ENOUGH

21. Name on some Canadian pumps: ESSO - far right crossword-friendly letters, name(ish)

22. For: PRO

23. Pronoun option: HER - as last week, so again; YOU, OUR, SHE, HIS or HIM~?

25. College domain: EDU. - internet add-on for education

29. Sony record label: RCA - Eartha Kitt, "Santa Baby" was an RCA artist, and so are these girls

The Pointer Sisters, Neutron Dance - seems appropriate for an atomic theme . . .

30. Invoice no.: AMT - I charged $700 to build these custom maple pantry doors to fit an opening the previous contractor framed at 42"- 😖- too small for sliding doors, too big for bi-folds . . . and I always forget to take "before" pictures, and in this instance, would have been worth a laugh

Had to reconfigure the wood floor, too, as the other contractor's

wider opening left two wall-sized "gaps" in the T&G strips . . .🙄

31. Kerfuffle: FUSS

33. Passing thoughts?: OBITuary - Friday clever cluing

37. Food Network host Garten: INA - INA or UTA~?  I always get "her" wrong; name #5

38. Tap: DRAW UPON - Spigot and Faucet were all wet in this instance

39. Bard's sphere: ORB

40. Used car caveat: "AS IS"

41. Hollywood innovation of the 1920s: TALKIES - Ah.  Right.

42. Swell: ENLARGE - nailed it

43. Actor Vigoda: ABE - name #6

45. Generate more revenue than: OUTSELL

46. Tap: USE - Tap: Spinal . . . the "other" umlaut band name . . .

These guys still go to Eleven . . . Rock N Roll Creation

47. Target score at Augusta: PAR - Augusta being the PGA Tour's premier event in Georgia

49. Some coolers: FANS - I'm the "other" fan of PGA Augusta 2026 winner Rory McIlroy

50. Pledge rival: ENDUST - Pledge being the go-to cleaner for Consuela from Family Guy

No, no use Endust . . .

51. Second-oldest Ivy: YALE - There are only eight, and the list has only one four-letter entry . . . alright, maybe it could be PENN 😑

56. "The Lion King" lion: SIMBA - name #7, but I knew this one

58. Rolls-Royce trunk: BOOT - Brit-speak

59. Hill dwellers: ANTS - or POL(iticians)S~?  I picked the correct one this time

61. Joy: GLEE

63. Practice, as a trade: PLY

64. "__ on my watch!": "NOT . . ."

65. Cube root of eight: TWO - ∛8 = 2; geez, now we gotta do math on Fridays~?

Splynter

Grid Flow 19.6, low again