Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Rebecca Goldstein

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

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