Wednesday, May 6, 2026 - Sita C. Palepu & David Y. Lin

 

Theme:  Texas "Fold'em"

Puzzling thoughts:

Chairman Moe here for his monthly recap.  Unlike the April Fool's Day puzzle, the first Wednesday of May puzzle is a bit more straight-forward.  Maybe too easy as I don't recall having much difficulty solving it

 

Today's constructors appear to have had one other collaborative puzzle published (@ WSJ last August). A Google search for their names did not offer much additional information; perhaps one or both will stop by, read the blog, and offer their comments

 

The puzzle's reveal was probably unnecessary as the starts to 18-23-37-47 Across are all very common POKER terms.  Maybe using CHECK as a fifth term would have made more sense, and eliminate the reveal completely.  Also, POKER NIGHT sometimes consists of playing DRAW POKER and/or 5-card and 7-card STUD POKER - all of which do not feature an "ALL-IN" play as does TEXAS HOLD EM.  But I bet they didn't think of that ... care to wager if they did or didn't? 

 

The entries and reveal:

 

18 Across. "I say we're square now": CALL IT EVEN.  Sounds like a compromise, to me

 

23 Across. Set new, higher standards: RAISE THE BAR.  Sometimes, after reading a few of my fellow blogger's recaps, I wonder if they (or I) have raised the bar for how clever or unique.  Today's recap will definitely "lower" the bar 😀

 

37 Across. Versatile home office device: ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER.  Good choice of entry as the term "all-in" (for Texas Hold em) is hyphenated

 

47 Across. Do a wash day chore: FOLD LAUNDRY.  As my cartoon depicts, folding a fitted sheet should be part of a contest.  Miss M and I choose to make the bed with the sheets we wash, thereby avoiding the dreaded fold of the bottom sheet

 

55 Across. Evening when one hopes to get a good deal, and when one might hear the starts of 18-, 23-, 37-, and 47-Across: POKER NIGHT.  As I said in my "puzzling thoughts", poker night is not just playing Texas Hold em.  But hey, everything fit into place and after reviewing each additional word or phrase in today's puzzle we can comment on how fun it was to solve

 

Here is the GRID: 

 

 

Across:
1. Copious quantity: SEAS.  Not an often used clue for this word; I have seen the clue used to describe the word "OCEANS", though

5. Kiss or slap: SMACK.  Sometimes one follows the other ...

10. Fashion designer Cassini: OLEG.  [Wikipedia] "Oleg Cassini was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after launching his career as a designer in Rome, and quickly secured a position with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films"

14. Crawl (along): INCH.  "Slowly I turned ... step by step ... INCH by INCH ..." Anyone care to guess who said this, and to what response?

15. Host: EMCEE. 

16. Bird symbolizing peace: DOVE.  An old Moe-ku, but appropriate:

        A DOVE flew by and

        Landed on a church steeple,

        Uttering high coo    

17. Canvas bag: TOTE.

[entry]

20. Uncomfortably unfamiliar: ALIEN.  Adjective form; not a noun in this context

22. Handy tool for the error-prone: ERASER. Back when I solved my crossword puzzles on paper, I used an ink pen; never used an ERASER

[entry]

27. Pianist in "Casablanca": SAM.  "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'" [Ilsa Lund]

 

29. Egrets, e.g.: HERONS.  Eries: HURONS

30. Flout openly: DEFY. At first glance I thought this clue read: "Flour openly" - for which I almost entered COAT 

31. Family doctor, for short: PCP.  Moe-l'ick:

        My new doctor is a hippie, you see;

        Hallucinates, when examining me

        For anything that's weird.

        No worries; I'm not sceered 

        Because my PCP's on PCP 

 34. Juicy gossip: DIRT. 

35. Conjure up: CREATE.  See my comments to 16 and 31 Across ... (ps: there'll be a few more ... )

[entry]

40. Leavening agents: YEASTS.  Also, agents that trigger the start of fermentation in wine, as these little buggers convert sugar to alcohol

41. Spool: REEL.  Regurgitating another Moe-l'ick:

 

        Going fishing, it has its appeal

        At least that's what I thought; my gut feel.

        Until seas got so rough

        I said, "That's quite enough!

        I can't handle the rod when I REEL"   

42. Grads-to-be: SRS.  I'm one of many SRS I know who ain't graduating from anything - been there, done that

43. Floor oppositions: NAYS.  CEILINGS was too big of a word to fit

44. Appeared: SEEMED.  Moe-ku:

 

        Tailor was shocked! Man

        Came back to fix loose cuffs. His

        Pants SEEMED to be seamed ...

  

46. Hesitant utterance: ERM. I call "foul"!  The clue needs to suggest that this refers to a British interjection.  No one that I know on this side of the pond uses the word/term "erm"

[entry]

52. "The Daily Show" genre: SATIRE.  Can't comment; no use of politics or religion allowed on this blog site

54. Throwback diet: PALEO.  I had to hunt (via Google) why the term PALEO would be a "throwback" diet.  And after gathering the information, I immediately knew ... 

[reveal]

59. Journalist Lisa: LING.  It took a while before there was a last/proper name in this puzzle.  Kudos!  (I don't count "SAM" as the clue was rather easy to suss)

60. Power source: FUEL.  Speaking of which, I feel myself "running out of energy", so I am going to finish the Across words and take a break.  Might fuel myself with an adult beverage and see if that helps

61. Big bullies: OGRES. Crossword-ese

62. Against: ANTI. Crossword-ese

63. __-Alt-Del: CTRL. The old "three-finger salute"! 

64. Heavy landing sound: THUNK.  Really?  I thought this word was the conjugation of "think and thank" - you know, like "drink, drank, drunk"

65. First lady between Eleanor and Mamie: BESS.  This first lady was known for her privacy and had a few classic quotes (at least that's what AI said)

[time for a drink and a break and to begin fixing dinner - 4/30/26, 5:30 pm MST]

 

[OK, I am back - 5/01/26 10:30 am MST - dinner last night was stuffed peppers and a nice Beaujolais] 

Down:
1. Instrument that may have 21 strings: SITAR.  So, after a quick Google check, sitars can have between 18 and 21 strings - found this YouTube video that will explain

 

2. "__ Holmes": Millie Bobby Brown film: ENOLA.  Enola Gay, I've heard of; Enola Holmes? Nope

3. Brand of microwave popcorn: ACT II.  I like to make my microwave popcorn using a device similar to the one shown below:

 

4. "Gimme a break!": SHEESH. 

 

 

Ha!

 

5. "Gimme a __!": SEC.  

6. UFC sport: MMA.  Ultimate Fighting Contest = Mixed Martial Arts

7. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL.  Anterior Cruciate Ligament

8. A-listers: CELEBS. Lots of abbreviated words in the "Down" section

9. Knightley of the Netflix series "Black Doves": KEIRA.

 

 

Best known for "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies

10. Lyrical tributes: ODES.  This is how you clue a mid-week level use of the word "ode".  When I solved today's puzzle (May 1st - Friday) the clue was a title ("An ODE We Own")

11. Small sofas: LOVE SEATS.  I wonder if the term love seat came from the shape of one's butt?  Keeping this "clean" here, the person in the middle definitely has a heart-shaped tush; could you say that it's a "love seat"?? 

12. Until the end of time: EVER AFTER.  Sounds like a fairy tale, to me

13. __ X: GEN. "SPACE" had too many letters to fit

19. Road goo: TAR.  I'm guessing now that winter has finally passed, the road crews will be filling in some potholes with road goo 

21. "You __ worry": NEEDN'T.  Ok, I won't

24. Charlie's Angels and the Powerpuff Girls: TRIOS.  I'm guessing that this clue was trying to appeal to both Boomer's and GEN Y's

25. Traffic jam sound: HORN.  I suppose you could use HONK or TOOT, too

26. Joined: ENTERED.  As in a Zoom meeting or Chat room?

28. Austin Powers player Mike: MYERS.  International Man of Mystery

 

 

30. Study: DEN.  Study (noun), as in a room; not study (verb), as for an exam

31. Writer/director Alexander with two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay: PAYNE.  This clue really got my knickers in a twist; "Golfer Stewart:" would've been a far easier clue for this solver 

32. Empties completely: CLEARS OUT.  ERASES was too short

33. Team leader on offense: PLAY-MAKER.  Usually a wide receiver or running back

35. Mexican condiment: CREMA.  CSO to Lucina - perhaps she could elucidate this for us?!

36. Agitate: RILE UP.  Never the intention of my blogs

38. Facility that may see 16 sunrises a day, familiarly: ISS. International Space Station

39. Fruit covering: PEEL.  RIND also fit

44. Santa's ride: SLEIGH. Moe-ku:

 

        Santa "crushed" Christmas. 

        Folks 'round the world called it a

        One-horse open slay 

45. Paternity testing site: DNA LAB.  When I did the math, there are 12 abbreviations in today's puzzle. That seems to be a bit on the high side

47. Aromatic tree: FIR. Aromatic hair: FUR

48. "... never mind, then": OR NOT. Hmm

49. NFL tackling gp.: D-LINE.  They are ones trying to restrict 33 Down from making a big play (Defensive LINE)

50. Monopoly income: RENTS.  Really?  Rent can be pluralized? IMHO, this would have been a perfect spot to use a clue that yielded an abbreviated word ... 'rents - as in the slang for one's mom and dad

51. Ashram leaders: YOGIS.  

 

53. Unintentional giveaway: TELL.  Good use of this clue today as the theme is based upon poker

 

55. Rank below cpl.: PFC.  Private First Class

56. Steve Carell voice role: GRU. Gru is a grouchy, quick-witted, and cynical supervillain and the boss of the Minions, who also serves as a secret agent in order to fight other supervillains [Wikipedia]

 

57. Coop resident: HEN. I prefer my hens to be "free range"

58. Judgy sound: TSK. [sigh]

Epilogue:

First off, you might have noticed that I used zero hyperlinks today.  I figure you all need a while to get over last month's recap

Second, my score for today's puzzle is ⭐⭐and 1/2⭐'s.  I would like to give it a higher mark but the nicks are for assuming that POKER NIGHT consists only of Texas Hold Em, and the over-use of abbreviations.  Positives for the entries; my favorite was ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 David Farthing

An Apple A Day ...

17-Across. Total hunk: STUD MUFFIN.  Apple Muffins.  My favorite muffins were the white chocolate apricot muffins that Central Market used to make.  The store no longer makes them.  What are your favorite muffins?

23-Across. Overdo and then some in the oven: BURN TO A CRISP.  Apple Crisp.  Yummers!

37-Across. Advantages for dealmakers: BARGAINING CHIPS.  Apple Chips.  Apple chips billed as a healthy snack.  They are thinly sliced, dehydrated apples generally seasoned with cinnamon.   Not what I typically reach for when I want a snack.

And the unifier:

48-Across. With 59-Across, rhetorical taunt, or a question answered by the ends of 17-, 23-, and 37-Across: HOW DO YOU LIKE.  //  And 59-Across: See 48-Across: THEM APPLES.  When combined, we get the phrase:  How Do You Like Them Apples?  This is a a rhetorical, sarcastic phrase used to mock or taunt someone after outperforming them, delivering an unexpected surprise, or turning the tables on a situation.  Did you know this phrase became popular after the 1997 movie Good Will Hunting?

You can find the apple treats in the grid.

Across:

1. Hip-hop trio that covered Aerosmith's "Walk This Way": RUN-DMC.  Run-DMC is / was an American hip-hop group formed 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell.  Run-DMC was one of the most famous Hip-Hop acts of the 1980s.

14. Plenty: ENOUGH.

15. Fall Out Boy genre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

16. Foot part: ARCH.

19. Greek cheese: FETA.  Feta is a brined curd cheese from Greece.  It has a salty, tangy flavor and crumbly texture.  It is traditionally made from sheep's milk or a sheep/goat milk blend.  It's a staple in Greek cuisine.  Authentic Greek feta is aged in brine for weeks. 

20. Weigh station unit: TON.

21. Destroy: RUIN.

22. Storm-tracking aid: RADAR.

26. "The Irishman" star Robert: DE NIRO.  The Irishman is a 2019 movie set in the 1950s and portrays a Frank Sheeran, played by Robert De Niro (né Robert Anthony De Niro; b. Aug. 17, 1943), who becomes a hitman and goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Feb. 14, 1913 ~ disappeared July 30, 1975).

29. Walking pace: GAIT.

30. Chris of "Knives Out": EVANS.  Knives Out was also a 2019 film, but was a comedy-mystery.  Chris Evans (né Christopher Robert Evans; b. June 13, 1981) was one of many actors in the film.

31. Nothing to write home about: SO-SO.

34. Sch. whose colors are purple and gold: LSU.  Geaux Tigers!

41. Camera letters: SLR.  SLR stands for Single-Lens Reflex.  It is a type of camera design that uses a mirror system to allow photographers to view the exact image through the lens that will be captured on film or a digital sensor.

42. FasTrak payment: TOLL.

43. Pound fraction: OUNCE.

44. Sculler's pair: OARS.  //  And 46. Use 44-Across: ROW.

47. Simple bookmark: DOG EAR.

53. Statutes that protect inventions and works of art, for short: IP LAW.  As in Intellectual Property Law.

54. Iridescent gem: OPAL.  These gems from Australia make frequent appearances in the puzzles.

55. Oral health org.: ADA.  As in the American Dental Association.

58. "__ the change": KEEP.

62. QED center: ERAT.  Today's Latin lesson.  QED is an abbreviation the phrase quod erat demonstrandum, which translates to that which was to be demonstrated.

63. London's Big __: BEN.  Did you know that Big Ben is actually the 13.7-ton Great Bell and not the tower?  The bell is named after Sir Benjamin Hall (Nov. 8, 1802 ~ 1867), the politician who oversaw its installation in 1859.  The tower is the Elizabeth Tower.

64. "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity" org.: THE FBI.

65. Fathers: DADS.

66. Do some sums: ADD.

67. U.S. citizens living abroad: EXPATS.  Short for expatriate.

Down:

1. Take a breather: REST.

2. "And I say __ you ... ": UNTO.

3. Subject of a sentence, typically: NOUN.

4. Total bust: DUD.

5. __ Grand Las Vegas: MGM.

6. Fried cinnamon-sugar pastry: CHURRO.  Yummers!

7. Are appropriate for: BEFIT.

8. __ acids: AMINO.  Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins.  They are needed for repairing tissues, breaking down food, producing energy, and supporting immune function. There are 20 common amino acids, classified into essential (must be eaten) and non-essential (made by the body).

9. Mattingly who was the Yankees starting first baseman for 12 seasons: DON.  Don Mattingly (né Donald Arthur Mattingly; b. Apr. 20, 1961) played his entire baseball career with the Yankees.  He played from 1982 until 1995.  I thought he was much older than he actually is.

10. Excursion in the Serengeti: SAFARI.  The Serengeti is a vast, 12,000 square-mile ecosystem in East Africa, spanning northern Tanzania and southwestern Kenya.  It is home  the world’s largest, most spectacular wildlife migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras, along with one of the highest concentrations of large predators,

11. Borrower's limit: CREDIT LINE.

12. Stand in for: ACT AS.

13. "Movin' Out" choreographer Twyla: THARP.  Twyla Tharp (b. July 1, 1941) is an American dancer and choreographer.  In 1965 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance, which merged with American Ballet Theatre in 1988.  Her work often uses classical, jazz, and contemporary pop music.  The music for Moving' Out was by Billy Joel (né William Martin Joel; b. May 9, 1949).

18. Lots of laughs: FUN.

22. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

23. Microsoft search engine: BING.

24. Latin for "bear": URSA.  You can see the Ursae (that the plural of ursa) in the sky at night if you use your imagination.

25. Eagerly excited: AGOG.

26. New socialites, familiarly: DEBS.  Short for Debutants.

27. Test: Abbr.: EVAL.  As in Evaluate.

28. One-point advantage, say: NARROW LEAD.

31. __-cone: icy treat: SNO.  Yummers!

32. Vinaigrette ingredient: OIL.

33. Weekly sketch show, briefly: SNL.  Saturday Night Live is a crossword staple.

35. "Adopt, don't shop" org.: SPCA.  The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals began in England in 1824.  It was the world's first animal welfare organization, founded to prevent the abuse of carriage horses.  The first American SPCA was began in 1866 in New York City.

36. __-friendly: USER.

38. "The __-bitsy spider ... ": ITSY.

39. Diner employee: COOK.

40. Massive: HUGE.

45. Learns to fit in: ADAPTS.

47. Enlarge, as a pupil: DILATE.

48. Walked in the woods, say: HIKED.

49. Puccini work: OPERA.  Giacomo Puccini (néAntonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini; Dec. 22, 1858 ~ Nov. 29, 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas.  He is regarded as one of the the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera.  Some of his operas include Madame Butterfly and La Bohème.

 

50. __ and aahed: OOHED.

51. Flip over: UPEND.

52. On the __: fleeing: LAM.

55. Letter before Bravo: ALFA.  Letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet.

56. Financial liability: DEBT.

57. Yard sale tag warning: AS IS.

59. "More details soon" letters: TBA.  To Be Determined.

60. The Suns, on scoreboards: PHX.  The Phoenix Suns, the professional basket ball team.

61. Get-up-and-go: PEP.

חתולה

I will be taking a hiatus for the next couple of months.  I know you will be in good hands during my absence.