Saturday, January 31, 2026, Mark Axel

 Saturday Themeless by Mark Axel

My OCD refused to let me give in and I got a hard earned "got 'er done"! The colored grid here shows that Mark had a plethora of unique fill, two 10-letter horizontal stacks or three,  two vertical 9-letter stacks of three and two very unique grid spanners. The informal horizontal grid spanner was fun and the impossible vertical one revealed itself one letter at a time.

Across:

1. Orbit City mom: JANE JETSON.

11. Throw (together): SLAP.

15. Home page?: AMAZON ECHO - As an iPhone user, I would page SIRI but PC users page ECHO

16. Crop from which the word "luau" originates: TARO - Four-letter Hawaiian food, what else?

17. Budget rentals: MOVING VANS.

18. Vegas team: ACES - WNBA

19. Fiber source: BRAN.

20. Nautical adverb: ALEE - In sailing, "ALEE" (or "leeward") refers to the side of the boat sheltered from the wind.

21. Terrarium pet: NEWT.

22. Tennis great who won three consecutive French Opens in the 1990s: SELES - Her first was when she was 16.

24. Boyos: LADS.

26. Sedge-friendly habitat: FEN.

27. "Preach!": SING IT.

30. 2024 LPGA Tour Player of the Year Nelly: KORDA - seen here with another pretty good golfer

32. Donkey: ASS.

35. Casual Japanese expression of thanks: DOMO.

36. Take hold again: REROOT.

37. Start of some casual advice: YOU'RE GONNA WANNA.

40. Big name in boxed mac and cheese: ANNIE'S ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

41. Dish often prepared with Maui onions: POKE - Ahi Hawaiian POKE with Maui onions

42. No. on a store awning: TEL.

43. Profile detail: HOBBY.

44. "Les Misérables" role: JAVERT.

Jean Valjean                       JAVERT

46. Tony winner Hagen: UTA.

47. Nobel Prize subj.: ECON.

49. Satirist Baron Cohen: SACHA.

53. Makes moves: ACTS.

55. Fundamentals: ABC'S.

57. Spiced tea: CHAI  - 

Chai tea, more accurately referred to as 

masala chai ("mixed-spice tea"), is a traditional South Asian beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture or aromatic spices, milk and sweetener. While "chai" simply means tea in Hindi, in the West, it has come to represent this specific, spiced, and often creamy drink. Your welcome.

58. Home of NYC's Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art: SOHO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It mainly collects, preserves and exhibits visual arts created by LGBTQ artists or art about LGBTQ+ themes, issues, and people.

59. "Forgive the imposition ... ": I HATE TO ASK.

62. Like many intramural leagues: COED.

63. Streaming accessory with a purple tag: ROKU REMOTE - I was stumped until I looked down in my hand.

64. "M*A*S*H" star: ALDA - One episode of M*A*S*H featured three ALDA's: Alan, his half-brother Antony and his dad Robert

65. Period of unchecked criticism: OPEN SEASON.


Down:

1. Vertical supports: JAMBS - The meaning of “door jamb” literally comes from the French word jambe, which means “leg” - a fitting name, since the jambs support the door like legs.

2. Italian endearment: AMORE - Cue Dean Martin...

3. Part of NCIS: NAVAL - NAVAL Criminal Investigative Service was a star vehicle for Mark Harmon and has engendered many spinoffs 

From Season One 2003

4. Some mags: EZINES.

5. "Garfield Minus Garfield" character: JON - JON Arbuckle

6. Lang. of Sierra Leone: ENG - The “official” language of Sierra Leone is English, but most of the population here can’t speak it. This is a nice allegory displaying how disconnected the government’s policies are from how people live here. Speaking English is a sign of wealth and aristocracy, and the locals will speak (usually poor) English to display their high level of education. You're welcome.

7. Maker of Tirra Sport hiking sandals: TEVA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

8. Pajeon or cong you bing: SCALLION PANCAKE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Pajeon (Korean) and Cong You Bing (Chinese) are both savory scallion pancakes. Pancake filled in and then I got SCALLION letter by letter.

9. "Look at that!": OH NEAT - OH SNAP was my first choice.

10. Edged (out): NOSED.

11. Fervent supporter, informally: STAN - Fervent supporters can be undesirable. STAN is a portmanteau for STalker and fAN. Yikes!

12. Like some natural wigs: LACE FRONT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It had to fill itself in 

13. "Anything else?": ARE WE DONE.

14. After birth: POST NATAL.

23. Subtle disapproval: SIDE EYE.

25. Kebab need: SKEWERS.

28. Eggy quaffs: NOGS.

29. Del Monte's Pinkglow pineapple, e.g., for short: GMO.

31. __ pro nobis: ORA - Pray for us

32. Brew in some healing ceremonies: AYAHUASCA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  From the Amazon region

33. Totally uncalled-for: SO NOT COOL.

34. Went for the bronze: SUNBATHED 😀

36. Part of a fall clearance event: RAKE 😀 A fun clue/fill

38. Rack unit: RIB 😀

39. Native American Heritage Mo.: NOV.

44. Change positions often: JOB HOP - A former relative has been dismissed by every architect firm in Lincoln 

45. Toyota pickup: TACOMA - The TAC in Seattle's SEATAC airport

48. Capital north of Memphis: CAIRO - Uh, that's not Tennessee 

50. "We adore __ because we love to produce order": M.C. Escher: CHAOS - This picture hung in the front of my room for years.

51. Can't refuse: HAS TO - Steve Martin in the wonderful movie Parenthood

52. Singer whose fans are called Claymates: AIKEN.

54. __ bread: SODA - Uses baking SODA instead of yeast

56. Floor: STUN.

60. Backpedaling sounds: ERS - ER, what I meant to say was...

61. "Fore!" site: TEE - Still at least two months away. My former partner has about given up the game and so I get to play with a new person.

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to Bill G.! Bill, we hope all is well and want you to know that your presence on the blog is missed.  

Sharing this lovely older photo of Bill with his wife Barbara and their three grandchildren. Such a beautiful family moment.

Friday, Jan 30th, 2026 ~ Zachary David Levy

E

N

O

R

D

STRIKE

The previous LA Times "Z-D-L" puzzle was one I blogged on Wednesday back in November - the Monty Python and the Holy Grail "just a flesh wound" masterpiece - if you happen to be a fan . . . Today Mr. Levy's construction features four themers that have a synonym for "speak" going UP the Down fills, but defined as its homonym; I was perplexed as to why I could not get the answer for 9D to gibe with the crossings, until - the V-8 can.  Not too difficult for a Friday, IMO, but we get a bit bogged down with the names again; a standard 15 x 15 grid, more than double the number of four-letter words to 3LWs, no circles, and missing only the "Q" for a pangram *.  The themers and reveal; 

4. Fast service: SSERPXE MAIL - Express is spelled "up" in the grid

9. Seize-the-day type: OG GETTER - here's where I sussed the theme, as I knew it had to be "GO"

27. Many a land-grant university: ETATS SCHOOL - State, going "up"

40. Hogwash: RETTU ROT - Utter, going "up"

25. Comment to a low talker, or what is found in 4-, 9-, 27-, and 40-Down: SPEAK UP - here's the collection of scenes from the "low talker" episode of  Seinfeld

She appeared in court for the finale, too

         's
         e
     t   r  e
t    i   e  r
u   a  h  o
B W T M

ACROSS:

1. Sticks (out): JUTS - AND it's crossing - 1D. Talked and talked: JAWED ( and a theme Easter Egg )

Now there's a juts/jawed combo

5. Site of an 1836 siege: ALAMO - starting with a geo name, #1

10. Got 100% on: ACED

14. Latin 101 word: AMAS

15. Enter again, as data: RELOG - a bit meh

16. Opera star: DIVA

17. Rouse: WAKE

18. Greg Maddux's record 18: GOLD GLOVES - I know so little about baseball, I started with NO HITTERS, but it didn't fit - name #2

20. "Self-Reliance" essayist: EMERSON - ah - Ralph Waldo; learning moment; more here - name #3

22. __ urchin: SEA

23. Sorta: "ISH" - many crossword clues/answers of late have drifted too far towards "ish"

24. Challenges, as a credit card charge: DISPUTES

26. Neutrogena product: T-GEL

It "appears" you need glasses to use the product

28. Crosses (out): X'ES - to "E" or not to "E"; that is the question - "X's" looks correct to me; but then again, "X'ed" seems OK

29. Stone fruit center: PIT - I've never eaten a stone - are they any good~?  Sounds crunchy

31. Lean: TILT

34. Department with direct marketing campaigns: SALES

37. __ noire: BETE - Frawnche, literally "black beast"; i.e., one's bane or bugbear

38. Côte d'__: AZUR - plus Frawnche; "azure ( blue ) coast" = French Riviera

39. Teen dance: PROM

40. Put on again: RE-AIR - pump in again; re-air

Now how's she gonna pedal in those shoes~?

41. Actress Garr: TERI - I liked her in "Young Frankestein" - name #4

Now listen very carefully . . . 

42. "Casablanca" role: ILSA - name #5

43. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS - no clue; Canadian Football League - more here - geo name(ish)

44. London's neighboring county: ESSEX - geo name #6

45. Terse denial: "NOT I."

46. Letter after sigma: TAU

47. __ Technica: tech news website: ARS - filled via perps and a WAG

48. Stick together: CLOT

50. Conveyances also known as tricycle rickshaws: PEDICABS

The Deluxe Model

55. Energizer size: AAA - ooof; not AAs

57. Run smoothly: HUM

59. Magenta kin: FUCHSIA - spelling moment for me - I had FUSCHIA

60. Spaceflight company based in Kent, Washington: BLUE ORIGIN

Captain Kirk was on a flight - the story here

63. Stalwart trees: OAKS - I could argue that all trees are "stalwart", by definition

64. In case: LEST

I like this 

65. Eye-shaped windows: OCULI - most of what I find online is round, not "eye" shaped; the Wiki

When I hear 'oculus', I think of the Pantheon

66. Possessive pronoun: ONE'S - e.g. "gird one's loins"

67. Org chart topper: EXECutive

68. Fundamental principle: TENET

69. Countess's title: LADY - Here's Tom Jones, now 85yrs old, married for 59(~!) years until the passing of his wife and lifetime love Melinda in 2016; I grew up listening to his baritone voice, as my parents were born & raised in England - more on Tom from Wiki here

"Never Had A Lady Before"

from "Rescue Me", his 1979 "disco" album; so many great songs

DOWN:

2. Savory quality: UMAMI

3. Views: TAKES - Friday cluing; as in "what's your ___ on this~?" but pluralized, meh

5. Jargons: ARGOTS - the "lingo" of a (usually secret) social group - the plural is again a bit 'meh'

6. Sierra __, Africa: LEONE - geo name #7

7. "__ set": ALL - vague; Friday

8. Online admins: MODS - moderators

10. Fuss: ADO

11. Makes more sophisticated: CIVILIZES - a weapon from a more "civilized age"

Your father's lightsaber

12. Festive nights: EVES - what are festive days~?  Adams~?

13. Run without saying goodbye, perhaps: DASH

19. Gamer's woe: LAG - think online gaming ( or someone taking too long to play a word in Scrabble )

21. Goes after, in a sense: SUES

30. Terse confirmation: "IT IS."

32. Entice: LURE

33. Cereal coveted by a silly rabbit: TRIX - name(ish) . . .

. . . are for kids~!

34. Whirl: SPIN

35. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO - name #8, crossword staple

36. Fruitless endeavor: LOST CAUSE - stone fruitless = LOST QUARTZ 😜

37. Dracula player Lugosi: BELA - Here's Bella - one of the other trainers at the gym, wearing the shirt I made for my trainer Brett - that's him on the shirt; he and some of the other members are always mocking me for calling the gym equipment "tools" - hey, I do "work"(out) with them . . . name #9

44. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC - Didn't recognize the name - #10 - filled via perps - but I do recognize his work; I see he passed in 2021 at age 91.  His website

47. Marketing space: AD UNIT - I tossed in AD PAGE

49. "What do we have here?": "O-HO~!"

51. IRS convenience: eFILE

52. Mat position: ASANA - yoga~! yoga~! yoga~!

Animal House announces toga party

53. Trained for part of a triathlon: BIKED - good WAG; running and swimming are the other two events

54. Not very respectful: SASSY

55. Up to the task: ABLE

56. Ken's "Jeopardy!" predecessor: ALEX - I watched Mr. Trebek growing up; have not watched any Jennings episodes - name #11

58. Maze runners: MICE - Dah~!  I put in RATS

61. Brief "Blah, blah, blah": etc.

62. Squirt __: GUN - I bought a pair that actually have a pretend, Glock-like "slide" 

You lock the slide back to expose the fill hole, thus "loading" it

Splynter

Grid Flow 43.2

* Which "Q" would you prefer~?

The "Q"s of James Bond, 007