Thursday August 20, 2026 Jeffrey Wechsler

Jeffrey Wechsler, my old friend, we meet again. His puzzles always land on Thursdays, once a month like clockwork. This is his fourth since April! I don't know why, but I suspect he likes my reviews. 😍

No reveal today, just a bunch of hard clues.

17. Hard stuff in rings: NATURAL DIAMONDS. Not just "hard stuff", but the hardest stuff!

26. Hard stuff in school: ROCKET SCIENCE. Just as hard as brain surgery, apparently.

40. Hard stuff in a bar: ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. Made from hard liquor.

60. Hard stuff for a sweet tooth: JAWBREAKER CANDY. They're hard as a rock. I haven't had one in years, but my jaw aches just thinking about them.

Jeffrey knows how to make a puzzle. He often creates unique grid designs, like this one, with mirror symmetry and multiple grid-spanners. And some of the best cluing this side of LA.

I hope the rest aren't as hard, but I doubt it.

Across:

1. Error: MISSTEP. I wrote MISTEAK, but that was a mistake.

8. Radio static sound: CRACKLE. Occasionally, you'll also hear a Snap or Pop.

Rice Krispies Treats radio!

15. Do the same as: IMITATE.

16. Peaceful getaway spot: RETREAT.

17. [theme]

19. "You said it!": AMEN.

20. Ignited: LIT.

21. Small floral bundle: POSY.

22. Robin Hood foe: SHERIFF. As a royal officer, the SHERIFF of Nottingham viewed Robin as a threat to his authority. Robin interfered with tax collection and outwitted his attempts to capture him.

26. [theme]

32. Gets even with: REPAYS. The SHERIFF of Nottingham was frequently embarrassed by Robin's exploits, so vowed to get even with him.

33. Relativity, for one: THEORY. That's one THEORY, anyway.

35. Bucks and does: DEER. 

36. Org. that oversees food recalls: FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

39. Half a sextet: TRIO. 

40. [theme]

45. Utterly exhausted: BONE-TIRED. As if your fatigue has seeped deep into your skeleton, reaching your core.

46. "How amusing": HEH. A sarcastic response to something mildly interesting. Like my review.

49. __ culpa: MEA. MEA culpa is "my fault" in Latin. 

50. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL. As the name implies, much of this town near Los Angeles is a marina.

51. Proper: APT.

54. Fuming: IRATE.

56. Nocturnal flapper: BAT. Could've been an OWL.

58. Word with circle and tube: INNER. An INNER tube is the INNER circle of a tire.

60. [theme]

63. Doesn't just assume: ASKS.

64. Licoricelike herb: ANISE. It is used in cooking and in health remedies, and may be distilled with natural spirits and sugar to produce Anisette.

65. Ore-rich vein: SEAM.

66. Appliance alert: BEEP.

67. Numbers for letters: RENTS. Great clue. Letters are renters, people who let an apartment.

68. Tollbooth pricing unit: AXLE. 

Down:

1. Sports analyst Kimes: MINA. MINA is an award-winning journalist, NFL analyst, and senior writer for ESPN.

2. Mosque leader: IMAM.

3. Place: SITE.

4. Leave speechless: STUN.

5. Fossil-preserving gunk: TAR. 

6. Unreliable stat from the fashionably late: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival. I've instructed RightBrain to wheel my coffin in a few minutes late at my funeral. Aside from that, I have no last wishes.

7. Bit of hamster food: PELLET.

8. One who always gives star treatment?: CRITIC. Another great clue.

9. Belfast-born actor Stephen: REA. The Irish Times ranked REA the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.

10. Bread machine: ATM. Fun clue for an Automated Teller machine...or a toaster.

11. Trim, as a photo: CROP.

12. Casino game: KENO.

13. Boyos: LADS. Oh, boyos. I take back what I said about great cluing.

14. Marketplace with personalized gifts: ETSY.

18. NNE, SSW, etc.: DIRS. This clue is asking for DIRections.

22. Contrail location: SKY. A contrail (short for condensation trail) is a line-shaped ice cloud that forms behind jet aircraft flying at high altitudes.

Busy day near an airport with planes flying in different DIRS.

23. Bucks, but not does: HES. A pseudo-clecho of 35A.

24. In shape: FIT.

25. Dismissive syllable: FEH. FEH is a Yiddish interjection used to express disgust, contempt, disapproval, or dismissive annoyance, similar to "yuck" or "bah", which is my reaction to this answer.

26. Bit of fishing gear: REEL.

27. Well-financed gp.?: OPEC. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is financed by oil wells.

28. Chocolate substitute: CAROB.

29. Online access username within universities, briefly: NETID. This shouldn't say "briefly." NetID is the full name of this service that provides a unique digital identity to students, faculty and staff for all their campus systems.

30. Grain ground to make masa: CORN. Since masa is a dough used in Latin America, I thought this should be MAÍZ, which is Spanish for CORN.

31. "The Devil in the White City" writer Larson: ERIK. Larson's book The Devil in the White City won the 2004 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, among other awards.

32. Nutritional amt.: RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowance.

34. Casual hellos: YOS. If you meet two people, it's a YOYO.

36. Flowering plant once believed to repel pests: FLEABANE. FLEABANE is a large group of native wildflowers in the aster family. Turns out that contrary to folklore, it doesn't repel insects but actually attracts beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Be gentle when you break this news to your grandma.

37. E, in Morse code: DIT. The sound of a DOT. 

38. Rigorous evaluation: ACID TEST. Ken Kesey’s psychedelic bus, immortalized in The Electric Kool-Aid ACID TEST, was in the news recently. It will be on display for the first time since the '60s as part of a Grateful Dead show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Furthur [sic] and the Merry Pranksters

41. Big hit at the ballpark: HOMER.

Homer Simpson

42. Unspecified person: ONE.

43. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE. Andre Romell Young, known professionally as Dr. DRE, is a legendary producer, billionaire entrepreneur, and cultural force in hip-hop.

44. Thing of the past: RELIC.

46. Muslim headscarf: HIJAB.

47. Create a clean slate?: ERASE. Anyone remember clapping erasers after class?

48. Ethan of the "Before" trilogy: HAWKE. Ethan is an American actor, director, and writer who has worked across film, stage, and independent productions.

He's been at this for a looong time.

51. Secondary structure: ANNEX.

52. "Bike faster!": PEDAL. 

Are you pedaling back there?

53. Defiant response to a threat: TRY ME.

55. Ingredient meas.: TBSP. Tablespoon measure.

57. Similar (to): AKIN.

59. Mars rover org.: NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

61. "My conscience whispers in your __": "King John": EAR.

62. High or low follower, in graphics: RES.

Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?

Be good. RB

Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Max Schlenker

Theme: What An Earthquake Might Do.  Here we have a jumbled hidden word theme.  Let's see what's going on inside this quivvering humble abode.  

17. Social pariah:.   One who does not fit in.  BLACK SHEEP.  Our jumbled word fits nicely into the fill.

25. "All Eyez on Me" rapper: TUPAC SHAKUR.   Tupac Amaru Shakur [1971 - 1996] also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He was one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century, and a prominent political activist for Black America.   On September 7, 1996, Shakur was murdered by an unidentified assailant in a drive-by shooting in Paradise, Nevada; he died six days later.  His name also includes our hidden word.

35. Laughs during an "SNL" appearance, say: BREAKS CHARACTER.   To break character means to stop acting like the person or role you are playing and act like your real self. This happens when an actor laughs, smiles, or loses focus during a play, movie, or show.  Have you deciphered the hidden word yet?

51. Drawing toy that uses aluminum powder: ETCH A SKETCH.   A classic mechanical drawing toy invented in 1959. It has a red plastic frame, a gray screen, and two white knobs. Turning the left knob moves the stylus left and right. Turning the right knob moves it up and down. Shaking the toy erases the picture.  By now, we've pretty thoroughly sketched out our hidden word.  What is left for the reveal to reveal?

59. Fast-food chain that began as a hot dog cart, and what this puzzle's circled letters do?: SHAKE SHACK.    An American multinational fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out asa hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew. In 2004, it received a permit to open a permanent kiosk within the park, expanding its menu from New York–style hot dogs to one with hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and its namesake milkshakes.   Shake Shack Inc. owns and operates over 400 locations globally.  And it now shows us what has been going on, shaking up a simple hovel.  

So, here we have the work SHACK shaken in each of the theme fill entries, with its letters in the circles.  This is a cleverly done, thematically rich puzzle.  Let's see what else we can shake out if it.

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here.  All is calm in my home, and I hope nothing is shaking in yours.  

Across:

1. Cherubic god: CUPID. Often pictured as a chubby winged infant, carrying a bow and arrows that inspire uncontrollable passion or repulsion in his targets. His name comes from the Latin word cupido, meaning "passionate desire". 

 6. Spot for pore strips: NOSE.  A place for deep cleansing adhesive strips. Your nose gets there before the rest of your face, and you want to make a good impression. 

 10. Jumbled mess: HEAP.  A disarrayed stack of things. 

 14. Stunt show setting: ARENA.   An enclosed space designed for sports, entertainment and public events.

15. Significant work: OPUS.   Generally said of the works of major composers.

16. Syllables for a stage magician: ABRA-.  -cadabra, to complete the phrase.

19. Social media spammers: BOTS.   Automated software programs that run tasks over the internet. They do repetitive jobs much faster than a person can. Bots can be helpful tools like search helpers, or bad programs like spammers.

20. Rectitude: HONOR.    Unshaken moral integrity, strict honesty, and righteousness. 

21. In flight: ALOFT.  Up in the air.

22. Union agreement?: I DO.  The marriage union vow.  Do people nervously shake while saying this?

28. Film technique derived from the French for "to assemble": MONTAGE.   A montage is an artistic technique that combines multiple separate images, video clips, or musical pieces into a single unified composition. In film and video, it is used to compress time, show the passage of days, or express a character's complex inner emotional state through a rapid sequence of shots.

30. "Not answering email," briefly: OOO.   Out Of Office [I assume.]

31. Foxy: SLY.   Clever in a sneaky, hidden, or quiet way.  Artful, maybe.

32. Capitol canvas for "The Apotheosis of Washington": DOME.   The Apotheosis of Washington is the fresco painted by Greek-Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The fresco is suspended 180 feet above the rotunda floor and covers an area of 4,664 square feet.

33. Jilt: SPURN.    To jilt is to suddenly and unkindly reject or abandon a romantic partner after having encouraged their love or commitment.  To spurn means to reject someone or something with hatred, pride, or deep dislike. It is a harsh way to say no because you feel the other person or offer is not good enough for you.  I don't see these as equivalent.

42. Settle, as a debt: REPAY.   Pay back what is owed.

43. Vibe: AURA.   A distinct atmosphere, feeling, or quality that seems to surround a person, place, or thing. 

44. "Future Nostalgia" singer Lipa: DUA.    Dua Lipa is a Grammy-winning English singer and songwriter known for her dance-pop hits like "Levitating", "Don't Start Now", and "New Rules". Her music blends pop, R&B, and disco, and she's known for her deep voice and confident persona. Lipa has won seven Brit Awards, including best British female solo artist and British breakthrough act. She's also known for her fashion sense, feminist views, and advocacy for refugee issues and women's rights. 

47. Some Eng. degrees: BAS. Bachelors of Arts, undergraduate university degrees focused on arts, humanities, or social sciences.  "Eng." here must mean English, and not Emgineering.

48. Truly fiendish: SATANIC.  An adjective meaning relating to Satan, extremely wicked, or tied to modern religious and philosophical groups known as Satanism

54. Opening day pitcher, typically: ACE.    A team's premier starting pitcher, typically the number-one starter on their pitching staff. Aces are elite hurlers expected to consistently deliver dominant, high-quality performances, control games, and start on Opening Day or during crucial postseason matchups

55. SAT prep subj.: VOCAB.  The SAT is a digital standardized college admission test created and managed by the College Board.  "Vocab" is a short, informal word for vocabulary. It means all the words a person knows, uses, or learns in a language.   It would be relevant to the reading and writing modules of the test.

56. "Thus with a kiss I die" hero: ROMEO.   From Shakespeare's play.  Romeo was badly shaken by Juliet's death.

58. Tirade in the Times, say: OP-ED.  An op-ed is a short essay published by a newspaper, magazine, or news website that shares the personal opinion of a writer. The term is short for "opposite the editorial page," because print newspapers traditionally place these guest essays on the page facing the publisher's official editorials.  Until I learned this, I thought it meant opinion-editorial. 

64. Antler point: TINE.   A slender, sharp-pointed prong or spike on a tool, implement, or animal horn. 

65. FX drama about New York City's ball culture: POSE.   Set in the 1980s, `Pose' is a dance musical that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, and the downtown social and literary scene. 

66. Magazine release: ISSUE.   One copy of a magazine or newspaper from a specific day or month.

67. Has a meal: EATS.  Ingests victuals.

68. Serve a meal to: FEED.   Provide the victuals.

69. Like a toddler mid-bath: SOAPY.   Covered with suds, maybe.

Down:

1. Zin alternative: CAB.   Zinfandel and Cabernet are red wines.

2. Link destination: URL. Universal Resource Locator - a web site's unique address.

3. Storied cause of royal insomnia: PEA.  From the Princess and Pea story by Hans Christian Anderson.  There's a PEA the bed joke in there somewhere, but I'm avoiding it.

4. Progress slowly: INCH.  Make progress in small increments.

5. Actress Fanning: DAKOTA.   Hannah Dakota Fanning [b. 1994] is an American actress and model known for her roles in both blockbuster and independent films. Born in Conyers, Georgia, she started her career in local productions at the Towne Lake Arts Center. Fanning has received critical acclaim for her performances, earning nominations for four Emmys, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

6. Pessimist's words: NO HOPE.  All is lost.

7. "Fire Shut Up in My Bones," e.g.: OPERA.    Composer Terence Blanchard turned Charles M. Blow's memoir of the same name into an opera with a libretto by Kasi Lemmons. It made history in 2021 as the first opera by a Black composer ever performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  Fire shut up in my bones" is a famous Bible phrase from the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:9). It describes an unstoppable, burning urge to share a message or truth. 

8. Litigate: SUE.   Initiate a legal proceeding.

9. Ability to see what others can't: ESP.   Extra Sensory Perception.   A claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind.   I experienced this at a pivotal moment in my life.

10. "Se __ español": HABLA.  "I speak Spanish," in Spanish.  

11. Paperless reads: E-BOOKS.   Digital books that you can read on a screen like a phone, tablet, computer, or e-reader.

12. Foxy: ARTFUL.   Being clever and skillful, often in a crafty, cunning, or sneaky way to get what you want.  Possibly sly.

13. Bakery offering: PASTRY.    A baked food made from a dough of flour, water, and a high amount of fat like butter or shortening. 

18. Nesting cozily: SNUG.    Fitting closely and comfortably, or feeling warm, safe, and cozy in a protected space.

21. Now, in Nicaragua: AHORA.   Mas Español.

22. Cinephile's site: IMDB.   The Internet Movie Data Base - a popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. 

23. Cuckoo clock part: DOOR.   Cuckoo bird's portal.

24. "I'll pay this time": ON ME.  An offer to buy something, like a round of drinks.

26. Manilow's "hottest spot north of Havana," familiarly: COPA.  Reference in his 1978 song to the Copacabana night club in New York City.

27. Like a gooseberry: SOUR.  Having a sharp acidic taste.  

29. Feature of some happy and sad emoji: TEAR.  Crying, either way.

33. Slow to open up: SHY.  Being timid, bashful, or uncomfortable when meeting new people or talking in groups.

34. Org. for Sarah Strong and Hannah Hidalgo: NCAA.  These ladies are college basketball players for Connecticut and Notre Dame, respectively.  College sports are under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

36. Shish __: KEBAB.  Skewered and grilled cubes of meat.

37. Ice bath spots: SPAS.   Business offering health, beauty, and relaxation treatments like massages, facials, and baths. 

38. Bourbon barrel: CASK.    A large, strong, barrel-shaped container made to hold liquids, especially alcoholic drinks like wine, beer, or whiskey.

39. Protein in some melts: TUNA.   A grilled sandwich containing tuna, condiments and cheese.

40. Comedian Andrè: ERIC.  Eric Samuel André [ b. 1983] is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer, musician, and television host. He's best known for creating, hosting, and co-writing the surreal Adult Swim comedy series The Eric Andre Show, which blends stand-up, live events, and controlled chaos. The show opens with André destroying the set and often features celebrity impersonators. 

41. "RuPaul's Drag __": RACE.   "RuPaul's Drag Race" is a reality show in which a group of talented drag queens compete in challenges to impress host RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, to win a cash prize along with a crown and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. 

44. Dedicate, as time: DEVOTE.    To give your time, money, energy, or love completely to a specific person, activity, or cause. 

45. Harmonious society: UTOPIA.   An imaginary place or state where the government, laws, and social conditions are completely perfect.   The word, made up by Sir Thomas More in 1516, comes from Greek roots meaning "no place."

46. Brogue, for one: ACCENT.    A distinct way of pronouncing a language that shows where a person comes from, their social group, or their background. 

48. Amped up: STOKED.    Feeling very excited, happy, or thrilled about something.

49. Peak: ACME.  Apex, zenith, pinnacle, summit.

50. Grad school hurdle: THESIS.   An academic research paper  - a long, formal written project required for a university degree.

52. Disney villain with hair of blue flame: HADES.   Hades is the main antagonist of Disney's 1997 animated feature film Hercules. He is the fast-talking god of the Underworld, known for having a fiery temper and a vendetta against his oldest brother, Zeus.

53. Wipe: ERASE.    To rub out, remove, or delete something written, recorded, or stored. 

57. Quite a bit: OH SO.   A phrase that acts as an intensifier meaning very or extremely, usually placed right before an adjective to add strong feeling or emphasis.

59. Tanning oil letters: SPF.   Solar Protection Factor.    A measure of how well a sunscreen blocks UVB rays, which cause sunburn and skin cancer.  

60. Weeding tool: HOE.   an ancient and versatile hand tool used in farming and gardening to shape soil, clear dirt, and remove weeds. It features a long handle with a flat metal blade set at a right angle to the end.

61. Red __ beet: AS A. "Red as a beet" is a common English idiom used to describe someone whose face has become bright red because of strong emotions like embarrassment, anger, shyness, or extreme physical exertion.  Or of any body part exposed to strong sunlight with insufficient SPF.

62. Chalice, e.g.: CUP.     A large drinking cup or goblet raised on a stem with a base. It is used most often in Christian religious services to hold the sacramental wine for the Eucharist, but it also appears in other traditions and everyday language.

63. Decryption need: KEY.    A piece of digital information or a string of characters used in an algorithm to turn scrambled text, or ciphertext, back into readable data.    Today's reveal provided one.

So ends another Wednesday.  Hope you were able to shake some enjoyment out of today's offering.

Cool Regards!

JzB

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 Seth Bisen-Hersh

Puzzle Arrangement in Black and White.

17-Across. *  Be a little nosy: POKE AROUND.

32-Across. *  Music, dance, drama, and the like: PERFORMING ARTS.

39-Across. *  Squeeze-box instrument with a keyboard: PIANO ACCORDION.  A piano accordion features a piano-style keyboard for the right hand to play the melody and multiple rows of buttons on the left hand for bass notes and pre-set chords.

58-Across. *  Public relations manager: PRESS AGENT.

And the unifier:

66. Bamboo-loving bear, or, when parsed in three parts, a feature of the answers to the starred clues: PANDA or  P AND A.  There is a Panda Research Center in in Chengdu, China.  Note that each of the theme answers is a two-word phrase where the first word begins with the letter P and the second word begins with A.

Here's the Grid:

Across:

1. Ed of "Lou Grant": ASNER.  Before he had his own TV show, Lou Grant (alter ego of Ed Asner [Nov. 15, 1929 ~ Aug. 29, 2021]), was Mary Tyler Moore's boss.  The former was a drama series, and the latter was a sit-com.

6. Flower holder: STEM.

10. Baseball officials: UMPs.  As in Umpires.

14. Stir up: STOKE.

15. Bar mitzvah dance: HORA.

16. Bean fermented to make miso: SOYA.

19. __ a living: EARN.

20. Yale student: ELI.  Why Eli, you ask.  The name is derived from the first name of the university's early benefactor, Elihu Yale.  Elihu Yale (Apr. 5, 1649 ~ July 8, 1721) was a British colonial administrator. Although he was born in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Yale lived in America only as a child, and spent the rest of his life in England, Wales, and India.

21. Song for two: DUET.

22. Apple Music predecessor: iTUNES.

24. Whys and wherefores: REASONS.

26. Invitation letters: RSVP.  Today's French lesson:  Répondez S'il Vous Plaît.

27. Toward the stern: AFT.

28. Store: SHOP.

29. Acai bowl grain: OAT.

36. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.  Today's Italian lesson:  Penne pasta with a vodka-based sauce.  Yummers!

37. + or - atomic particle: ION.

38. Self-referential: META.  A word derived from the Greek.

44. "__-Hur": BEN.  Before it was a movie, Ben-Hur was an 1880 novel by Lew Wallace (Apr. 10, 1821 ~ Feb. 15, 1905).

45. Move like a spooked horse, maybe: BUCK.

46. McKellen of "X-Men": IAN.  That's Sir Ian Murray McKellen (b. May 25, 1939) to you!

47. Alien-hunting subj.: SETI.  As in the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence.

48. Royalties, e.g.: PAYOUTS.

52. Deli order: NO MAYO.

55. Ultrasoft mineral: TALC.

56. More, on a music score: PIÙ.  A continuation of today's Italian lesson.  Although it is on a musical score, it is not generally used alone.  Composers put it in sheet music right before another musical term to tell the musician to do more of that action.  For example, Più forte means Play louder.

57. "Growing Pains" actor Thicke: ALAN.  Alan Willis Thicke (Mar. 1, 1947 ~ Dec. 13, 2016) was a Canadian-American actor.  Sadly, he died after suffering a sudden ruptured aorta while playing hockey with his son.

61. Suppressed, with "up": PENT.

62. Toward sunrise: EAST.

63. Ore finder: MINER.

64. On a trawler, say: ASEA.

65. Gains after taxes: NETS.

Down:

1. According to: AS PER.

2. Took without asking: STOLE.

3. Big name in brick phones: NOKIA.  Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation.  Did you know that the company began as a pulp mill in 1865?

4. __ out a living: EKE.

5. List, as names during roll call: READ OFF.

6. Footwear: SHOES.

7. Sell aggressively: TOUT.

8. Directional suffix: -ERN.  As in Eastern or Western or Southern or Northern.

9. Wisconsin's capital: MADISON.

10. Drain completely: USE UP.

11. Kvetch: MOAN.

12. Funeral pile: PYRE.

13. Comic __: informal typeface: SANS.  A Brief History of Comic Sans.

18. Reach a cost of: RUN TO.

23. Rating for many shows aired at 8 p.m.: TV-PG.

25. Plastic wrap brand: SARAN.

26. Big horned animal: RHINO.

28. Recommended garment when using glitter glue: SMOCK.

29. Double Stuf cookie: OREO.

30. Env. directive: ATTN.

31. Bag-screening org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.

32. Part of a glissade, in ballet: PLIÉ.

33. Dynamism: ELAN.

34. Christina who played Wednesday Addams and appeared on "Wednesday": RICCI.  Christina Ricci (b. Feb. 12, 1980) is known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge.  She portrayed Wednesday in the Addams Family movies.

35. __ acid: AMINO.

36. PD alert: APB.  As in All Points Bulletin.

40. Listen to: OBEY.

41. Signature replicator: AUTOPEN.

42. Iranian currency: RIALS.

43. Summer childcare option: DAY CAMP.

47. Christmas cookie receiver: SANTA.

48. Histories: PASTS.

49. Philly Ivy League sch.: U PENN.

50. Like a fork: TINED.

51. "Kama __": SUTRA.  The Kama Sutra is an ancient Hindu Sanskrit guide written by the philosopher Vātsyāyana around the 3rd century CE.

52. West Coast wine region: NAPA.

53. Fútbol cheers: OLÉS.

54. Locks on a mustang: MANE.

55. Exam: TEST.

59. "Insecure" star Issa: RAE.  Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Insecure was a sit-com about two best friends deal who dealt with their own real-life flaws.

60. Supermodel Carangi: GIA.  Gia Marie Carangi (Jan. 29, 1960 ~ Nov. 18, 1986) was an American supermodel who brought an edgy look to fashion modeling in the 1980s.  Sadly, she was unable to cope with the lifestyle of a top model and became addicted to heroin.  She died at age 26.

That's it for now.  I will be taking a brief hiatus, but you will be in good hands during my absence.

חתולה