Theme: How shall I post thee? Let me count the ways.
Dylan Shiff is a middle school science teacher and puzzle enthusiast who loves the quirks of the English language. Today's puzzle plays with various meanings of the word POST.
The theme clues and answers are:
18-Across. *Online diary: PERSONAL BLOG. When you self-publish on a website for others to read, you "post" an entry or article to the site, and the entry or article is itself a "post."
25-Across. *Means of sending legal documents: CERTIFIED MAIL. "Post" can be a verb meaning to send a letter or package.
37-Across. *Item pinned to a bulletin board: PROMOTIONAL FLYER. Anything tacked onto a bulletin board is said to be "posted" there.
49-Across. *Professional who stands watch: SECURITY GUARD. A security guard is assigned to a specific location for a defined period; this assignment is his "post."
59-Across. "I want to stay informed!," or what might be said by the answers to the starred clues?: KEEP ME POSTED. This is the big reveal, without which I would never have discerned the connection between the starred clues. A personal blog wants to be kept posted. So does certified mail, a promotional flyer, and a security guard. Wonderful wordplay.
I asked ChatGPT to create an image of a security guard at his post who is writing a personal blog, sending a letter, and tacking a flyer to a bulletin board. The result is the image at the top of this post. AI technology is amazing and terrifying!
How did Dylan fill in the rest of the puzzle? Let's take a look.
1. Chocolaty coffees: MOCHAS. Yum.
7. Unearthed: DUG UP.
12. Silk formation: WEB. Hummingbirds use spider silk to bind their tiny nests together.
15. Punctual: ON TIME.
16. Yoga pose: ASANA.
17. Top card in hearts: ACE.
18. [Theme clue]
20. "Neither fish __ fowl": NOR.
21. Class with pronunciation practice, briefly: ESL. English as a Second Language.
22. Tomato used in tomato paste: ROMA. Roma tomatoes have low water content and few seeds, which makes it easy to reduce them to a thick paste.
23. "It's peculiar ... ": ODDLY.
25. [Theme clue]
29. River mouth formations: DELTAS.
31. "¿Cómo __?": ESTAS. "How are you?" spoken informally, as to a friend or family member. We discovered that in Spain, people leap right into informal address, whereas in Mexico, you can know someone for many years and always use the formal ¿Cómo está usted? depending on the relationship.
32. Jeweler's unit: CARAT.
33. WNBA great Leslie: LISA. Lisa Leslie was a professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She's a local So Cal gal, but alas, my sports allergy prevented my knowing of her accomplishments.
25. [Theme clue]
29. River mouth formations: DELTAS.
31. "¿Cómo __?": ESTAS. "How are you?" spoken informally, as to a friend or family member. We discovered that in Spain, people leap right into informal address, whereas in Mexico, you can know someone for many years and always use the formal ¿Cómo está usted? depending on the relationship.
32. Jeweler's unit: CARAT.
33. WNBA great Leslie: LISA. Lisa Leslie was a professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She's a local So Cal gal, but alas, my sports allergy prevented my knowing of her accomplishments.
 |
| Lisa Leslie |
34. Took charge: LED.
37. [Theme clue]
42. Tags in a Google Doc: ATS. I don't use Google Docs, but I read that typing the "at" symbol -- @ -- opens a menu to quickly insert links and other items. It's a shortcut to the insert menu.
43. Border on: ABUT.
44. Ahead of schedule: EARLY.
45. Puts a spell on: HEXES.
47. Extra tires: SPARES.
49. [Theme clue]
53. Bowler's hangout: ALLEY.
54. Limbs symbolic of power in Hinduism: ARMS.
37. [Theme clue]
42. Tags in a Google Doc: ATS. I don't use Google Docs, but I read that typing the "at" symbol -- @ -- opens a menu to quickly insert links and other items. It's a shortcut to the insert menu.
43. Border on: ABUT.
44. Ahead of schedule: EARLY.
45. Puts a spell on: HEXES.
47. Extra tires: SPARES.
49. [Theme clue]
53. Bowler's hangout: ALLEY.
54. Limbs symbolic of power in Hinduism: ARMS.
55. "__ making myself clear?": AM I.
58. Moreover: TOO. Also, besides, furthermore, and additionally wouldn't have fit.
59. [Theme clue]
64. PIN point: ATM. One uses a Personal Identification Number at an Automated Teller Machine.
65. Reach a consensus: AGREE.
66. Dutch beer: AMSTEL. The brewery was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam, taken over by Heineken in 1968, and closed in 1982, with production moving to the main Heineken plant at Zoeterwoude.
67. "Def!": YEP. Definitely.
68. Stockpile: HOARD.
69. 100-seat chamber: SENATE. The U.S. Senate has 100 members, with two senators representing each of the 50 states.
Down:
68. Stockpile: HOARD.
69. 100-seat chamber: SENATE. The U.S. Senate has 100 members, with two senators representing each of the 50 states.
Down:
1. Brood: MOPE.
2. Single notes: ONES. "Notes" can mean paper money. Americans usually say "bills."
3. Corner PC key: CTRL.
4. The "H" of HMS: HIS. His Majesty's Ship. It used to be Her Majesty's Ship when His mama was queen.
5. Cherub in Italian art: AMORETTO. I never heard this term!
6. Spanish title: SENORA.
7. __ Lama: DALAI.
8. __ port: USB. Oh, that kind of port.
9. Gadot of "Wonder Woman": GAL. I know this Gal. Not personally! I know of her.
 |
| Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman |
10. "Last card!": UNO. Uno is a card game developed in 1971, and produced since 1992 by Mattel. A player who plays their next-to-last card must call "Uno" as a warning to the other players that they only have one card left.
11. East Asian temple: PAGODA. A pagoda is a multi-story structure with overhanging roofs. They often serve as Buddhist or Hindu temples or memorials.
12. Title fish in a 1988 heist comedy: WANDA.
13. Produce recall cause, often: E. COLI. E. coli is a group of bacteria that can cause infections in your gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and other parts of your body.
14. Mineral group for emerald and aquamarine: BERYL. Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate, which forms hexagonal crystals. Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities.
14. Mineral group for emerald and aquamarine: BERYL. Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate, which forms hexagonal crystals. Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities.
 |
| Aquamarine beryl gets its color from iron. |
19. Ozs. and lbs.: AMTS. Ounces and pounds are amounts.
24. Private online convos: DMS. Direct Messages.
25. Chowder protein: CLAM.
26. Distracting move: FEINT.
27. Rae who played the president of Barbieland: ISSA. Issa Rae plays a number of roles in Crossword Land.
28. Bibliography abbr.: ET AL.
29. Projectile aimed at a bull's-eye: DART. This kind of bull's eye. It is not wise to throw darts at real bulls' eyes.
30. God of love: EROS.
32. IRS worker: CPA.
33. Crummy: LOUSY.
34. Harp kin: LYRE.
35. Morays or congers: EELS.
36. Like kindling, ideally: DRY.
38. "Cash Cab" car: TAXI. Cash Cab is a game show that premiered U.S. and British versions in 2005. A taxi picks up a customer, the host announces that they are on Cash Cab, and they are given the option to play or get out. If they choose to play, they have to stay in the cab until they reach their destination or get three strkes when answering questions. They earn cash for correct answers. I've never heard of this. Anyone here watch it? What kinds of questions do they answer? Do they have to know what an amoretto is?
39. [Eye roll]: I BET.
40. Inspiring chills: FEARSOME.
41. Frying medium: LARD.
45. Shade: HUE.
46. "On & On" singer Badu: ERYKAH. Erykah Badu is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. "On & On" was a Grammy winning single from her first album, Baduizm, released in 1997. We saw her in Chandi Deitmer's puzzle on Sunday 9/7/2025, and in many, many puzzles before that. Time to remember this “Queen of Neo Soul.”
 |
| Erykah Badu |
47. "Why not!": SURE.
48. Argentinian grasslands: PAMPAS.
49. Skewered dish with peanut sauce: SATAY. Yum.
48. Argentinian grasslands: PAMPAS.
49. Skewered dish with peanut sauce: SATAY. Yum.
 |
| Thai tofu satay with peanut sauce. Your skewered protein may vary. |
50. Mexican corn dish: ELOTE. Elote returns to our crossword menu! Corn on the cob, charred on a grill, and then slathered with spicy mayonnaise, crumbled cheese, chili powder and a squeeze of lime. We had this dish in Patti Varol's puzzle on Friday 9/5/2025 and in C.C.'s puzzle on 8/24/2024. Yum.
51. Walk noisily: CLOMP.
52. Played Elden Ring, say: GAMED. Elden Ring is a 2022 role-playing game for PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox.
55. Roti base: ATTA. Roti is an Indian flatbread made of atta flour and water. It is frequently on our crossword menu. DH and I are usually offered naan in Indian restaurants. I'm sure roti is also yummy.
56. Come across: MEET. Hmm. This comes across as odd to me.
57. Running in place: IDLE.
60. Barrier to teamwork: EGO.
61. Important chapter of history: ERA.
62. A pop: PER.
63. Digits often hidden by x's: SSN. In online forms and databases, SSNs are often replaced by x's so that bad folks can't look over your shoulder and steal your numbers.
Here's the grid:
Well, solvers, did you finish this puzzle ON TIME? Did you DART from one clue to the next?
Or did you find it FEARSOME?
KEEP ME POSTED in the comments below!
-- NaomiZ
Notes from C.C.:
Happy
birthday to dear Husker Gary, our caring and creative Saturday Sherpa. I
remember you once shared that you spent a birthday apple-picking with
your grandchildren some years back. Such a sweet image. Do you still
keep up that tradition?
Wishing you a beautiful day filled with family, joy, and maybe even a crisp apple or two!
Wishing you a beautiful day filled with family, joy, and maybe even a crisp apple or two!
Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014)
7 comments:
Some “unusual” foods kept this puzzle from
being a run away, but on the whole, it wasn’t terribly difficult. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
The center section (LISA/LOUSY) slowed me down. Didn't notice the reveal, but this was an easy solve as a themeless. Thanx, Dylan and NaomiZ. (Nope, never heard of Cash Cab, either.)
Happy birthday, Husker. Enjoy the day.
Cash Cab: general knowledge questions with increasing cash prizes. Miss 3 questions and you got kicked out on the spot.
Oh, I didn’t notice it was your birthday, H.G. Happy birthday, and thanks for doing the difficult job of figuring out and notating the Saturday puzzle for us! (It’s always the hardest one of the week.)
FIR. I had a devil of a time with the SW. It didn't help having a proper name like Erykah to work with along with some food names like satay, which I knew, and elote, which I didn't know.
Fortunately for me the theme materialized early and the reveal iced it for me.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
FIR, but found->DUG UP, and->TOO, amass->HOARD, and decoy->FEINT. Guessed right at YEP/YuP x ELOTE/ELOTu. Or maybe my subconscious mind remembered ELOTE, finally. Hey subconscious - maybe you could hold on to ERYKAH next?
I really tried to avoid filling ALLEY in respect for Boomer, but perps demanded it.
Happy birthday to H.Gary. Hope it's a good one.
Thanks to Dylan for the fun Thursday tester, and to NaomiZ for another fine review.
FLN - Thanks for the well-wishes and suggestions. I know my atria from my aorta, I just got a little lost in the nomenclature. I've had continuous atrial fibrillation for about 30 years. They tried to convert me, first with medicine, then by stopping and restarting my heart a few times. Guess that's the human equivalent of CTRL+alt+del. In any case, it didn't work.
Happy birthday, HG. I always look forward to your interesting Saturday blogs.
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