Monday, June 29, 2026, Zachary Edward-Brown

 Theme: So many greens!

I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things that I have never seen:

In every wood, in every spring, there is a different green.

-- Bilbo Baggins in Book II, Chapter 3 of The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Glacier National Park -- photo by NaomiZ

Zachary Edward-Brown is back and this time he's contemplating the many shades of green in the theme clues and answers, which are:

16-Across. *University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina: WAKE FOREST.

24-Across. *Hall of Fame wide receiver who was drafted by the Vikings in 1998: RANDY MOSS.

49-Across. *Person looking for employment: JOB HUNTER.

60-Across. *Major coin producer in Colorado: DENVER MINT.

And the big reveal, smack in the middle of the grid:

37-Across. Strive to reduce one's carbon footprint, or what the answers to the starred clues do?: GO GREEN.

Forest green, moss green, hunter green, mint green ... here are samples:

Hopefully these green hues put you in a relaxed mood to explore the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Tapioca pearls in some tea: BOBA.  Boba tea is a choking hazard!  Remove the tapioca pearls for young children and serve them in a bowl with a spoon.  You can remove mine, too!  Blech!

Boba tea

5. Trades jabs in the ring: SPARS.

10. WNBA stat: Abbr.: PTS.  NBA players also earn PTS.

13. Forget to mention: OMIT.

14. Cut equally: HALVE.

15. Spoiled kid: BRAT.  

16. [Theme clue]

18. Norse god of mischief: LOKI.  All I know about Loki, I learned from watching Vikings on the History Channel.

Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings

19. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  "That's All She Wrote" is a song written by Jerry Fuller, and recorded by various artists including Ernest Tubb, Johnny Mathis, and Ray Price.

Dearest baby may I thank you for being a friend of mine

And while you're reading these words I'll be gone like a bird in the winter time

And I'm taking with me the few sweet memories we made as my souvenirs

And it's a shame that the laughter couldn't outweigh all the tears

That's all she wrote

Everything that I own in a small envelope

Leaving me so alone that I wanted to die

The momеnt that I read her note

That's all shе wrote

20. Mountaintop: APEX.

21. Forty-__: NINER.  A prospector in the California gold rush of 1849, or a member of the San Francisco Forty-Niners, a professional football team.

22. Dry as a bone: ARID.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.

29. Production amount: OUTPUT.

30. Nearly five billion people: ASIANS.

33. Rugged ride, briefly: ATV.  All-terrain vehicles have agricultural, military, and recreational uses.

ATVs

34. Stanley Cup org.: NHL.  The championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoff champion.

Evolution of the Stanley Cup

36. Yoga roll: MAT.

37. [Theme clue]

40. Corp. head: CEO.  Chief Executive Officer.

41. "Thx" counterpart: PLS.  "Thanks" and "please" in text-speak.

42. Cherry center: PIT.

43. Handouts at a spa: TOWELS.

45. Nonreflective finishes: MATTES.

48. "Hey, over here!": PSST.

49. [Theme clue]

51. "Othello" villain: IAGO.  In Shakespeare's play, Iago is a soldier under Othello's command, and is very much trusted by Othello.  Iago is jealous when he is passed over for promotion and manipulates Othello into killing Othello's wife and commiting suicide.  Nasty guy.

Othello and Iago

54. Like new candles: UNLIT.

55. Italy's capital: ROME.

57. Astonishment: AWE.

59. __ queen: DRAG.  A drag queen uses extravagant clothing, wigs, and makeup to celebrate and exaggerate female gender attributes.

A drag queen in and out of a green costume

60. [Theme clue]

63. Talk effusively: GUSH.

64. Fire sign of spring: ARIES.  As the first sign of the astrological year, Aries represents creative spark, passion and initiative.  Isn't fire more destructive than creative?  Anyway, astrology ...

Aries

65. Load to bear: ONUS.

66. Middle-earth's Treebeard, for one: ENT.  J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings again!  Ents are giants who resemble trees, and Treebeard is their leader.

Treebeard in the green woods

67. Put on clothes: DRESS.

68. Athletic award: ESPY.  Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards produced by ESPN.

Down:

1. Gift toppers: BOWS.

A green bow

2. Nebraska city: OMAHA.

3. Motorcyclist: BIKER.

4. Grabbed a bite: ATE.

5. Boutique: SHOP.

6. Small kitchen knives: PARERS.

The paring knife is the little one at bottom.

7. Apple : Siri :: Amazon : __: ALEXA.

8. Motor homes, for short: RVS.  Recreational vehicles.  Jinx, is your rig moving with you?

9. Tennis match part: SET.

10. Sound out, as a word: PRONOUNCE.

11. Admits defeat, informally: TAKES THE L.  "Take the L" means to accept a LOSS.  I'm glad I solved 34-Across. Stanley Cup org.: NHL, because I would have had to take the L on this answer otherwise.  "Cup" in the Across clue had me thinking about sailing competitions instead of hockey.  Nearly sunk me!

12. Keeps from sticking to the pot, perhaps: STIRS.

15. Goodyear airship: BLIMP.

I took this photo from my front garden!

17. Growing dim: FADING.

21. Empire St. paper: NYT.  New York Times.  Famous for challenging crossword puzzles.

23. Hoppy beer letters: IPA.  India Pale Ale.

25. Post-it __: NOTE.

26. Bed covers: DUVETS.  I grew up ignorant of duvets.  Now I spend a good part of my life underneath one.

This duvet is ready for its cover.

28. Last Grand Slam event of the year: US OPEN.  Tennis tournament.

30. Concert device: AMP.  Amplifier.  Rusty, show us yours!

31. Upstream migration that feeds grizzly bears: SALMON RUN.

Unlucky leap

32. "This party rocks!": IT'S A BLAST.

33. Museum display: ART.

35. __ Angeles: LOS.  I had the home team advantage on this one.

38. Main point: GIST.

39. More meddlesome: NOSIER.

44. Tour gp. for Coco Gauff: WTA.  Cori "Coco" Gauff is an American professional tennis player.  She made her Women's Tennis Association Tour debut in 2019.

Coco Gauff on a green court

46. Quadriceps locale: THIGH.

47. "Tsk!" kin: TUT. Clicking tongue sounds of reproof.

48. Shows beyond doubt: PROVES.

49. Courtroom decision-maker: JUDGE.

50. Orange Muppet who sings "When Bert's Not Here": ERNIE.

Bert and Ernie with a green background

52. Obtains: GAINS.

53. Admit (to): OWN UP.  Take the L, perhaps?

56. State of disarray: MESS.

58. Site with vintage items: ETSY.  Known for handmade items, you'll find some vintage things as well.

60. Stereotypical teller of terrible jokes: DAD.

61. Make a goof: ERR.

62. Barkeeper who is a frequent target of Bart's prank calls: MOE.

Bart Simpson loves to prank call Moe.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did you ERR anywhere?  Did you find yourself FADING?  Did you throw in the TOWEL?

Or would you say of this puzzle that IT'S A BLAST and your flawless grid PROVES it?

GUSH all about it in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday June 28, 2026 Emet Ozar

 

Theme: "WRITE-UPS"- The first word of each theme entry is a newspaper.

3. Pride and joy of many an audiophile: RECORD COLLECTION.

8. One who takes the snap and the spotlight: STAR QUARTERBACK.

13. Insist on a debate, perhaps: PRESS THE ISSUE.

48. Memorization aid in math class: TIMES TABLE CHART.

56. Cultural movement of the 1960s and 1970s: POSTMODERNISM.

Reveal: 

41. Editorial essays, or what 3-, 8-, 13-, 48-, and 56-Down are: NEWSPAPER COLUMNS.

The theme answers are placed in Down slots, forming literal newspaper columns.

This puzzle only has 13 three-letter entries. Amazing. I often find myself with 24 or 25 before I know it.

Across:

1. Dragon roll wrap: NORI. Dragon rolls are typically inside-out rolls, with the nori hidden inside.

5. X-ray specs?: REMS. Radiation dosages. Great clue.

9. Sea anemone, e.g.: POLYP.

14. Spanakopita cheese: FETA.

18. Equally matched: EVEN.

19. Awards achievement completed by Steven Spielberg in 2026: EGOT. Only 22 people have achieved this status. 

20. Thin layer: VENEER.

21. Keen: AVID.

22. Suggestions, for short: RECS.

23. Fizzy beverage: SODA.

24. Chilling: AT EASE.

25. K, in the NATO alphabet: KILO.

26. Give up: DROP.

27. Layer: TIER.

28. Rogan josh bread: NAAN. Rogan Josh is a curried lamb or mutton dish.

29. Gets a whiff: SMELLS.

31. Caramel candies: ROLOS.

33. Feathery pen: QUILL.

35. Kaplan prep course subj.: PSAT. 53. Kaplan prep course subjs.: APS.

36. Up in the air, briefly: TBD. To Be Decided/Determined.

38. Biceps exercise: ARM CURL. 

40. Falcons city: ATLANTA. NFL.

44. Mysterious to many: ARCANE.

46. Marimba player: MALLET.

49. Black eyes: SHINERS.

50. Ecological community: BIOME.

51. FYI part: FOR.

52. Fly: AVIATE.

54. Whack, as a fly: SWAT.

55. Without a partner: SOLO.

56. 1492 ship: PINTA.

58. Damage: IMPAIR.

60. Pre-1991 atlas initials: SSR.

61. Teased: LED ON.

63. Escapes the notice of: ELUDES.

65. Lyric poet of Lesbos: SAPPHO. Lesbian comes from Lesbos.

67. Corrupt: DEBASE.

68. Landscaping tools: RAKES.

69. Off course: ASTRAY.

70. "That's impossible for us": WE CAN'T.

71. Missing class: ABSENT.

72. Prepare to play: CUE UP.

73. Canadian prov.: ONT.

74. Empire Builder operator: AMTRAK. The Empire Builder runs daily between Chicago and Seattle or Portland. 

76. Small sip: TASTE.

78. Target of a brood parasite such as the cowbird: NEST. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, leaving the host parents to raise the chicks.

81. Best-__ plans: LAID.

83. Mine vehicle: ORE CAR.

85. Mass transit option: BUS.

86. American Eagle Outfitters loungewear brand: AERIE. 

87. Home of Jupiter: FLORIDA.

89. Uses a prayer mat, e.g.: KNEELS.

91. Much of the heart: MUSCLE.

92. Powerfully built: SINEWED.

93. Gorillagram costume: APE SUIT.

95. Blesses: OKS.

96. Bluetooth device's lack, often: WIRE.

97. Bare-bones: BASIC.

99. Sneak around: PROWL.

101. Composer Bach: JOHANN.

104. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO.

105. "Very funny": HA HA.

107. Large lump: HUNK.

110. Declare: AVOW.

111. For nothing: IN VAIN.

113. Eager: AGOG.

114. Sign of things to come: OMEN.

115. Last name of sisters Rooney and Kate: MARA. Rooney Mara is married to Joaquin Phoenix.

116. Meshes in the kitchen: SIEVES.

117. Dominate: RULE.

118. In the know about: ONTO.

119. Crush it on the runway, say: SLAY.

120. "Circles Around This Town" singer Morris: MAREN.

121. Smidgens: TADS.

122. Hushed "hey!": PSST.

Down:

1. Deep member of a fandom: NERD.

2. Concluded: OVER.

4. Motivation, in hashtags: INSPO. Short for "inspiration".

5. Put back: RESTORE.

6. Extreme self-involvement: EGOISM.

7. Mean relative?: MODE. Another fun clue.

9. "She loves me, she loves me not" piece: PETAL. My little garden is thriving. I'm so happy to see Boomer's lilies flourishing again.

10. Lakers legend Shaquille: O'NEAL.

11. Like ground turkey: LEAN.

12. "100%!": YES.

14. Sunless glow-ups: FAKE TANS.

15. Wicked: EVIL.

16. Cultivate: TILL.

17. Ruckuses: ADOS.

20. Spice native to Mesoamerica: VANILLA. Pandan is often called "Asian vanilla".

30. Senegal neighbor: MALI.

32. "Stay in your __!": LANE.

34. Clickable link: URL.

35. Carbonara ingredient: PASTA.

36. Browser units: TABS.

37. Pizzazz: BRIO.

39. "Shake a leg!": C'MON.

42. Tawdry: TRASHY.

43. Houston pro: ASTRO.

45. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

47. Barefaced: EVIDENT.

51. "Whatever": FINE.

57. Fairbanks resident: ALASKAN.

59. Grade: RATE.

62. CNN anchor Bash: DANA.

64. Luau instrument, informally: UKE.

66. Dried plums: PRUNES.

67. Koyukon name of North America's tallest peak: DENALI.  Meaning "The Great One".

69. Play parts, or plays a part: ACTS.

70. Gobbles (down): WOLFS.

71. Exist: ARE.

75. Take stock?: TRADE. Stock here refers to "shares" rather than "inventory".

77. Work (out): SUSS.

79. Lingerie fabric: SILK.

80. Some gym tops: TEES.

82. Recoiled: DREW AWAY.

84. Works (out): REASONS.

86. Camera setting: AUTO.

88. "Victory is mine!": I WIN.

90. Prefix with Pen: EPI.

91. Desert deceptions: MIRAGES.

94. Sustain: UPHOLD.

97. Lionhearted: BRAVE.

98. Rocky of "Project Hail Mary," for one: ALIEN.

100. Joyful holler: WHOOP.

101. Preserves: JAMS.

102. Like some coffee tables: OVAL.

103. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

104. Declare: AVER.

106. Oaxaca water: AGUA.

108. Team that shares an arena with the Liberty: NETS. Same owner. Joe Tsai.

109. Binding loop: KNOT.

112. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": NIA.

C.C.

Saturday June 27, 2026 by Zhouqin Burnikel

 Saturday Themeless by Zhouqin Burnikel

Solving C.C.'s clever puzzle had me following a familiar pattern. I searched for a solid foothold which came up at the grid-spanning PLEASE BE PATIENT/AND YET HERE WE ARE and everything grew out from there. I had a very pleasant 29-minute exercise where C.C.'s construction skills always made me feel I would never COME UP DRY. Another lovely feature was that she only used six 3-letter words.

Across:

1. Early revolutions: WARM UP LAPS 😀 Tradition at the Indy 500 has a pace car leading the cars around for the last WARM UP LAP.

1964 Indy 500

11. Exam with a max score of 180: LSAT.

15. Only shopped at farmers markets, perhaps: ATE ORGANIC.

16. Set in stone: ETCH.

17. Help in obtaining top-shelf products: STEP LADDER 😀

18. "Educated: A Memoir" writer Westover: TARA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

19. Homes for some queens: HIVES. 😀

20. Instrument invented by Hermes: LYRE.

21. Bamia or sambar: STEW. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

22. Frosted: ICED.

23. "Fore!" site: TEE 😀

24. Bundles: WADS.

26. Earring parts: POSTS.

28. Ending of "Oedipus": SIGMA - Oedipus is spelled Οιδίπους in Greek. The last letter is the lower case Greek letter SIGMA

31. Put on a bashful front: ACT COY.

35. Overdrive: HIGH GEAR.

37. Line for waiters: PLEASE BE PATIENT - All these peeps are in line and waiting to get to the top of Mt. Everest

39. Cannes Film Festival prize: PALME D'OR - Golden Palm

40. Prankster with opposable thumbs: MONKEY.

41. Aisha of "Archer": TYLER.

42. Oman neighbor: YEMEN.

44. Go, to the dogs: MUSH - 😀 The comma in the clue made this my fav clue.

46. General concern: WAR.

47. Material for some biodegradable bags: HEMP.

51. Kitchen work: PREP.

53. St. __ Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub: IVES ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

55. "Brave" studio: PIXAR - It netted a $350 M profit at the box office

56. Zest source: RIND - I loved orange marmalade before I knew it was zest from the RIND that gave it such a distinctive flavor

57. "Great, now we're pouting": REAL MATURE.

59. Smell: ODOR.

60. Messages that something's gone wrong: ERROR CODES.

61. Word in skin care ads: DEWY.

62. One who has seen it all: EYEWITNESS.

Down:

1. Paper used in origami: WASHI ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

2. Unfinished story, perhaps: ATTIC 😀 Oh, the top story of a house

3. "Still Me" memoirist Christopher: REEVE - My favorite movie portrayer of Superman wrote this after his horse riding accident left him paralyzed.

4. Wore a long face: MOPED.

5. Addresses with dots: URLS. 😀

6. Org. with many excellent drivers: PGA - Fore!

7. Big scoops: LADLES.

8. "... somehow nothing has changed": AND YET HERE WE ARE.

9. Huntington Beach landmark: PIER.

10. Item that's often turned in: SCREW 😀

11. "Our food's getting cold!": LET'S DIG IN.

12. One who might crunch numbers for fun: STATS GEEK - Uh, I might be guilty 

13. Orchard unit: ACRE.

14. Spring break?: THAW.

23. Trifled (with): TOYED.

25. Running back Jeanty who was runner-up for the 2024 Heisman Trophy: ASHTON.

26. Tough puzzles: POSERS.

27. Nurse: SIP.

29. Thick hair: MANE.

30. Like some indie movies: ARTY.

31. Cal. entry: APPT.

32. Roland Garros surface: CLAY - The CLAY court in Paris is named for WWI air hero Roland Garros who died in combat in 1918 but never played tennis.

 

33. "I can't wait for an answer!": TELL ME NOW.

34. Left empty-handed, in a way: CAME UP DRY - In this state that depends heavily on irrigation this can be a big problem

36. Fortnite streamer, e.g.: GAMER ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  An online streaming game

38. Little dude: BOY.

43. Psychologist who created a notable hierarchy: MASLOW - I'm sure I memorized this list when I got my M.A. in Counseling.

45. New team member: HIREE.

47. Suddenly come up with: HIT ON - Dick Fosbury HIT ON the idea of high jumping with his face up and completely changed the sport.

48. Radiate: EXUDE.

49. Some stable parents: MARES 😀

50. Iron: PRESS.

51. Nudge: PROD.

52. Wheels: RIDE.

54. VIP member?: VERY 😀

55. Formal agreement: PACT.

58. Scan that may diagnose a torn ACL: MRI - “An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.”