Sunday May 10, 2026 Katie Hale

 Theme: "GARDEN VARIETY" - Part of a familiar phrase is replaced by the name of a flower.

24. Show off very pale linseed plants?: WAVE THE WHITE FLAX. Wave the white flag. 

32. Monarch who wears an oxeye crown?: DAISY QUEEN. Dairy Queen.

53. Finds the best way to get thorns in one's hand?: STRIKES A ROSE. Strike a pose. 

70. "If you buy another showy pink bloom, so help me ... "?: NOT A PEONY MORE. Not a penny more. 

90. Throw a tantrum in a springtime meadow?: POUND POPPIES. Pound puppies. 

111. Fall wedding with a purple theme, perhaps?: ASTER PARTY. After party. 

Reveal: 

119. FTD Mother's Day slogan, or an alternate title for this puzzle?: SAY IT WITH FLOWERS.

Such a great reveal. Super consistent. Each theme entry has a one-letter change. That's a very tight constraint. The workable set is quite small.

I imagine this puzzle went through few clue changes. Katie is a pro at making smooth 21x21s. 

Katie Hale

Across:

1. Backpack, e.g.: BAG. 

4. "__ in Cincinnati": WKRP.

8. Go down: SINK.

12. Most eccentric: ODDEST.

18. Small matter: ATOM.

20. Grateful Dead co-founder Bob: WEIR. Another Grateful Dead guy who shows up from time to time is the bassist Phil LESH.

21. McFlurry cookie: OREO.

22. Nothing, in Italian: NIENTE.

23. "Tick that off my bucket list" hashtag: YOLO. You Only Live Once.

27. Eventually become: END UP.

29. Mandarin "hello": NI HAO. Ni = You. Hao = Good. 

30. Plunder: LOOT.

31. State of the __: ART.

34. Overwhelming desire: LUST.

36. Dramas set in Vegas and Miami: CSIS.

38. "Minaret" novelist Aboulela: LEILA. Sudanese writer. Born in Cairo and raised in Khartoum.

39. Collect copious amounts of: RAKE IN.

41. Swear: AVOW.

43. Like light yogurt: NON-FAT.

45. "That's so nice": AAH.

46. Advantage to get in competition: A LEG UP.

50. Sweetener in some 13-Down: SPLENDA. 13. Sugar-free soda: DIET COLA.

56. God of love: EROS.

57. Prized violin: AMATI. Paganini reportedly lost a valuable Amati violin because of gambling debts.

60. Chest muscles, briefly: PECS.

61. No. 2: VEEP.

62. Creamy drink: LASSI. Yogurt drink.

64. Major artery: AORTA.

67. "The Wild Robot" voice actor Ving: RHAMES. He also plays Luther Stickell in the "Mission: Impossible" films.

69. Caustic solution: LYE.

74. PD call: APB.

77. "Shabbat __": SHALOM.

79. "Same for me!": SO DO I.

80. Poolside need: TOWEL.

82. Baseball dynasty name: ALOU.

84. Farm cart: DRAY.

86. __ nous: ENTRE.

89. Cast a ballot: VOTE.

94. Future attorney's study material: CASE LAW.

96. Clay shaper: POTTER.

97. Old Hollywood studio: RKO.

98. "Fourth Wing" creature: DRAGON. Not famliar with the book, fantasy romance by Rebecca Yarros.

100. Nobel subj.: ECON.

102. Tiny, cutesily: EENSIE.

104. Wild West brothers: EARPS.

107. Farr co-star: ALDA.

109. Thessaly peak: OSSA.

114. Skater Midori: ITO.

115. Ephron who directed "You've Got Mail": NORA.

117. Ancient market: AGORA.

118. Give a start: SCARE.

124. "China Rich Girlfriend" novelist Kevin: KWAN. He also wrote "Crazy Rich Asians"

125. Go places: TRAVEL.

126. Promising letters: IOUS.

127. Shuffle cousin in the Apple family: NANO.

128. Fit of pique: SNIT.

129. Pre-Titans team: OILERS. The Houston Oilers later became the Tennessee Titans.

130. Wolfe created by Rex Stout: NERO.

131. Snapdragon Stadium sch.: SDSU. San Diego State University. 

132. Inspo for the Curtis Sittenfeld novel "Romantic Comedy": SNL.

Down:

1. Howled like a wolf: BAYED.

2. Like a composition without a key: ATONAL.

3. Oscar winner Hawn: GOLDIE.

4. Address bar letters: WWW.

5. Reeves of "Speed": KEANU.

6. Saint-Tropez region: RIVIERA.

7. Warm up: PREHEAT.

8. Old Compton Street's district: SOHO. Katie lives in London. 

9. Rage: IRE.

10. Fresh: NEW.

11. Department store chain with TV ads starring Ellie Kemper: KOHL'S.

12. Latch __: ONTO.

14. Rock's __ Leppard: DEF.

15. Zhou of China: ENLAI.  Zhou Enlai remains one of the most respected political figures in modern Chinese history.

16. Sky lights: STARS.

17. Send a message: TEXT.

19. Meek quality: MOUSINESS.

25. Go down: TANK.

26. Wee bit: IOTA.

28. Traffic cone: PYLON.

33. Post-presentation sesh: Q AND A.

34. "I don't buy it": LIAR.

35. Not hot and not cool: UNHIP. Fun clue.

37. Veer: SWERVE.

40. Snack: EAT.

42. Poughkeepsie college: VASSAR. Notable alumni include Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, who later co-starred in "The Devil Wears Prada."

44. Some group chat members, for short: FAM.

47. Takes unofficial R&R: GOES AWOL. Rare in the Chinese military because penalties are historically very severe.

48. Find purpose for: USE.

49. __ rally: PEP.

50. Trading floor call: SELL.

51. Say grace, say: PRAY.

52. Misses the cut: LOSES OUT.

53. Fathers: SIRES.

54. "Rainbow Connection" singer: KERMIT.

55. Warehouse sound: ECHO.

58. Road trip aid: AAA MAP.

59. Spinning toy: TOP.

63. "Be My Guest With __ Garten": INA. Her voice is so calming.

65. Plus: TOO.

66. Llama habitat: ANDES.

68. Chanced upon: MET.

71. Experienced expert: OLD PRO.

72. Sushi bar tuna order: TORO. The cut from the belly. Melt-in-your-mouth.

73. Hither's partner: YON.

75. Animal rights org.: PETA.

76. Huffed and puffed: BLEW.

78. Looked (for): HUNTED.

81. Cookie sheet holders: OVEN RACKS.

82. iPhone download: APP.

83. Bath facilities: LOO.

85. WWI Belgian battle site: YPRES. Google AI says this city witnessed four years of near-continuous, intense fighting and over 1 million total casualties across five major battles.

87. Classic TV brand: RCA.

88. More than ready: EAGER.

91. Sommelier's prop: DECANTER.

92. Flatpack furniture chain: IKEA.

93. Long, long time: EON.

95. Dial, Dove, and Irish Spring: SOAPS.

98. Denies any association with: DISOWNS.

99. Go back over: RETREAD.

101. Tuna roll wrap: NORI. We call it "zicai" in Chinese, literally "purple veggie". Nori turns dark green when it's roasted. 

103. Palm stem product: SAGO.

105. Shrimp kin: PRAWNS.

106. Drain in a sieve: STRAIN.

107. Pitfall! platform: ATARI.

108. Unwaveringly true: LOYAL.

110. Ballet slipper material: SATIN.

112. Brings home: EARNS.

113. Streisand title role: YENTL.

114. Analogy words: IS TO.

116. Barn birds: OWLS.

117. Plus: ALSO.

120. "__ never been better": I'VE.

121. Plot device?: HOE. Garden plot.

122. Calico coat: FUR.

123. Small amount: SOU.

C.C. 

Saturday, May 9, 2026, Sarah Sinclair and Erik Agard

 Saturday Themeless by Sarah Sinclair and Erik Agard

Agard alert, Erik is back co-constructing. This time he pairs up with Sarah Sinclair and the product has what seems to be some Agrardian entries like the fill for Super Duper which I'll discuss later. 

About Sarah:  I currently live in Seattle where I work as a product manager for Microsoft. I also freelance as a crossword puzzle constructor and have had puzzles published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, and the Universal Crossword.

One added note: On the day that Sarah had this picture taken, she wore a dress that she made herself! Cool!

Across:

1. Catalyst: IMPETUS - Caitlin Clark was a true catalyst who 8. Prompted: SPURRED - many changes in her sport.

15. Generational tendency to delay speaking on video recordings: MILLENNIAL PAUSE - New to me. The "millennial pause" is a habitual, brief hesitation, often accompanied by a thoughtful gaze, that many millennials make at the start of a video before they begin speaking. Originating from early, slower video technology like Snapchat or Instagram, it serves as a self-assured check to confirm recording has actually begun.

17. Something taken by a teller?: DRAMATIC LICENSE - Fred Hayes was one of the actual astronauts on Apollo 13 and he told our group, "The director, Ron Howard, said we are going to have to punch some things up or we won't sell any popcorn!!" Astronaut Jim Lovell actually said, "Houston, we've had a problem here." The screenwriters changed it to the more dramatic line below:

 

18. Hosp. areas: ORS.

19. Settings: LOCALES.

20. Like pitching machines and dinner guests: FED 😀 Pitching machines do indeed have to be FED!

21. "Ya es suficiente": NO MAS - Roberto Duran is reputed to have said this when he quit against Sugar Ray Leonard.

23. 2015 NL Rookie of the year Bryant: KRIS - He was a big factor in breaking the Cubs' 106 year World Series drought.

24. Sole: LONE.

25. Focuses of some museums: ERAS - A beautiful but, in one sense, sad museum in Kansas City

26. Start to some health consultations?: TELE - T E _ _ led me to believe a TEST might start a medical consultation 

27. __ of nature: FORCE - Continuing with my sport's references.

28. Fencing defense: PARRY - Deflect your opponent's attack. 

30. Call into question: BELIE - The facts BELIE. your story.

31. Rigs: FIXES.

32. Angular: GAUNT.

33. Traps, in a way: MIRES.

34. Place that has rooms and a board: CONDO 😀 - A CONDO has rooms and usually a CONDO board that makes and enforces policy.

35. Garments often adorned with metallic thread called zari: SARIS.

36. Big name in comfort footwear: TAOS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

37. "As if": PFFT.

41. "What she said": AMEN.

42. Hit the runway: LAND.

43. Stiller's partner: MEARA - I remember this husband and wife act on The Ed Sullivan Show and then reunited to be in the King Of Queens sitcom.

  

44. Software vehicles, once: CDS.

45. "Hello __": classic barbershop song: MARY LOU - This will always be Ricky Nelson's song from the 60's but I love barbershop too.

47. Garage occupant: CAR.

48. When one might find a blowout sale?: HAIR APPOINTMENT 😀

51. Pulitzer-winning play chronicled in the oral history "The World Only Spins Forward": ANGELS IN AMERICA - The Connection

52. Headspring?: RINGLET -This is really "out there"! A headspring is an acrobatic move to switch from a head stand to springing into standing up. Sarah and/or Erik and/or Patti switched this to RINGLETS of hair springing from a head.

  

53. Feature of the logos of Heineken and Macy's: RED STAR.

Down:

1. Finish line: I'M DONE.

2. Source of a good self-image: MIRROR 

3. Composition of most of the observable universe: PLASMA More

4. West __: upscale furniture store: ELM.

5. Some dabbling ducks: TEALS 😀

6. __ itself: UNTO.

7. Candy named for a Mars family horse: SNICKERS.

8. Big name in loans: SALLIE - SLMA - Student Loan Marketing Association 

9. French dips?: PLIES 😀

10. Short lines at the register?: UPCS 😀 They spelled the doom of this clerk's machine 

11. "Diet Pepsi" singer Addison: RAE shrug The only mention in the song is 

Break all the rules 'til we get caught
Fog up the windows in the parking lot
Summer love (ah, ah), sexy
Sitting on his lap sippin' Diet Pepsi

12. Scram: RUN FOR IT.

13. Magazine whose first editorial director was Gordon Parks: ESSENCE - Gordon was also the first black photographer for Life Magazine

  
 

14. One of the Ramones: DEE DEE.

16. Miranda Cosgrove sitcom: I CARLY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

22. Popular tablet: ASPIRIN - I have an iPad tablet and when I was 8 I had a Big Chief tablet 😀

24. "Haha, u wish": LOL NOPE 😀

26. Chic accessory?: TRES - Here or in Paris I would never be described as being TRES chic. 😀

27. Bitter rivalry: FEUD.

29. Pair o' graphs?: AXES - We math people use them a lot

30. Prohibits: BANS.

31. Sagittarius, for one: FIRE SIGN - My belief in astrology is lower than minimum.

32. Super duper?: GOOD LIAR - Someone who dupes people by lying could be called a duper. If they are really good at it, they'd be a super duper.😳

33. Zohran who walked the length of Manhattan on June 20, 2025: MAMDANI - NYC's current mayor.

34. Gorge: CANYON.

35. "Holes" novelist Louis: SACHAR.

36. Trinidad's Pitch Lake, for one: TARPIT.

38. "Be honest with yourself": FACE IT.

39. Lingua __: FRANCA - A common language for people who do not speak the same language. English is the most common and all international airline pilots are required to speak English 

40. __ sauce: TARTAR.

42. Coverage issue: LAPSE.

43. Subtle, as colors: MUTED.

45. King of Prussia attraction: MALL - The King Of Prussia, PA MALL has over 450 stores

46. Statement after putting down a card: ON ME.

49. On the __: chronically, casually: REG - "On the reg" is an informal phrase meaning regularly, frequently or consistently. My Saturday blogging is on the reg.

50. Title for some spouses: MRS.