Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Brian Callahan

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a melodious puzzle constructed by NYT, LAT and USA Today veteran constructor Brian Callahan.  At four places in the grid Brian has inserted the names of singer-song writers with each name consisting of two words.  The first words all begin with the letter P and the second names begin with the letter S.  The theme was inspired by the answer to the unifier which is found at:

59 Across:  Beatles hit on "Please Please Me," which could be dedicated to 16-, 24-, 35-, and 50-Across: PS I LOVE YOU.

Here are the four themed answers none of which require explanation beyond their clues:

16 Across:  "Because the Night" singer-songwriter: PATTI SMITH.

24 Across:  "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" singer-songwriter: PETE SEEGER.

35 Across:  "You Can Call Me Al" singer-songwriter: PAUL SIMON.

50 Across:  "Poetry Man" singer-songwriter: PHOEBE SNOW.

Thank you, Brian, for the opportunity to revisit all of those great songs.  Now, after all of that, if anyone still has the time and energy, here's how it all appears in the grid:

. . . . and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Campbell's container: CAN.

Andy Warhol's Take On The Subject

4. Sports complex: ARENA.  From the Latin harena meaning sandy place.

9. Air quality factor: SMOG.  A portmanteau of SMoke and fOG.

13. The Jazz, on scoreboards: UTA.

14. Cuddly pooch: LAP DOG.

15. University of New Mexico athlete: LOBO.

18. Siberian city: OMSK.

19. Twitter: CHIRP.  An avian reference - not a tech reference.

20. Grumpy person: CRAB.  CRABs (the animals) have a reputation for being feisty and unpleasant.

22. Fed. health law: ACA.

23. Dialect in some Black communities, for short: AAVE.  All you might want to know:

African American Vernacular English

27. Tear sheet?: KLEENEX.  Not tear as in to rip a piece of paper.  Tear as in crying.

29. Flair: TALENT.  A cake entered a TALENT contest.  The Judge asked, "What's your talent?"  "Icing", replied the entrant.

30. "Mars Attacks!" creatures, in brief: ETS.  ExtraTerrestrial BeingS

31. Celtic priest of old: DRUID.  Did this one stump you?

34. Son of Zeus: ARES.

 

38. Ralph Lauren brand: POLO

41. Buff: TONED.  Buff, here, was used not as a verb but as an adjective

42. Sked abbr.: TBD.  To Be Determined.  Sometimes it turns out to be TBArranged.

45. Device for smoking shisha: HOOKAH.  Shisha is  is a wet tobacco that is soaked in a combination of glycerin, molasses or honey, and flavoring.

48. On an elite level, informally: GOD TIER.  This expression is new to this solver.

53. Wine category: REDS.  As opposed to, for example, white wines or rose wines.

54. Jungfrau, for one: ALP.  elevation 13,642 feet

55. Balm-yielding succulent: ALOE.  ALOE, there.  Vera nice to meet you!

56. Small but powerful group: CADRE.  CADRE entered this solver's vocabulary during the Mao Tse Tung era.

57. History: PAST.  The PAST, the present, and the future walked into a bar . . . and things got a little tense.

62. Yale students: ELIS.  From the eponymous Mr. Elihu Yale.

63. "Praying" insect: MANTIS.

64. Dawn goddess: EOS.  A frequent visitor.

65. __ and file: RANK.  

66. Short-lived Ford model: EDSEL.  Often taken on road trips in our puzzles.

67. Private chats on soc. media: DMS.  Abbreviated clue . . .  Direct MessageS

Down:

1. Treat baked in a fluted liner: CUPCAKE.

2. No longer moving: AT A HALT.

3. Longtime residents: NATIVES.

4. Some Energizers: AAS.

5. Turntable meas.: RPM.  Abbreviated clue . . .   Revolutions Per Minute   Remember when we'd talk of tone arm counter weight, Sure vs Audio-Technica cartridges, and direct drive vs. belt drive?

6. Order: EDICT.  Not order as in what you do at a restaurant.  Not order as in an array.  Order as in some directive to be obeyed.

7. __-Dame de Paris: NOTRE.

An Unforgettable Moment

8. Shocked: AGHAST.  A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget's Thesaurus crashed losing its entire load.  Witnesses were stunned, startled, AGHAST, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.

9. __-mo replay: SLO.

10. Certain representative for a child actor, casually: MOMAGER.  A portmanteau formed from, MOM and ManAGER.

11. More than indecent: OBSCENE.  We'll skip the graphics on this one.

12. Kids' racers: GO KARTS.

14. Sass: LIP.  See also The Sex Pistols "Don't Give Me No Lip, Child"

17. Cherry or lime: TREE.  Flavor, fruit and pie filling were all too long.  Soda would have fit.

21. Arthur in the Television Hall of Fame: BEA.  Best known for her role as Maude.

24. Lima's country: PERU.  A reference to either the country or to the beans which were grown in PERU even before corn was grown there.

25. Jump for joy: EXULT.  See also Van Halen "Jump"

26. Flair: ELAN.

28. Secret-protecting doc: NDA.  NonDisclosure Agreement

32. Late start?: ISO.  The beginning (start) of ISOlate.

33. Down Under canine: DINGO.

35. Jab: POKE.  Not in the "Lonesome Dove" sense.

36. __ Mix cat food: MEOW.

37. "That's strange": ODD.

38. Element of a basic reading test?: PH PAPER.  PH PAPER can be used to determine, or read, where something falls on the acidic, neutral, alkaline (base) scale.  Nice wordplay.

39. "How swanky!": OOH LA LA.

40. Keeps updated: LOOPS IN.

42. Like much Grateful Dead merch: TIE DYED.  Okay, so there's no TIE DYE in this video but the images are great (no pun intended) and how could we pass on the opportunity?

43. Double space?: BEDROOM.  A place for a double bed.

44. "The Lorax" creator: DR SEUSS.  Written in 1971, "The Lorax" was a relatively early piece of work focusing on environmental issues.

46. Legal org.: ABA.

47. "I could use a hand": HELP ME.  In keeping with today's theme (and I would guess that this was an intentional "move" by Brian).  Of course, we could also have gone with The Beach Boys.

49. Four-time NBA All-Star Young: TRAE.   In 2017–18, TRAE tied the then NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 and became the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season.

51. "Deeply unfortunate": SO SAD. . . . and the opposite from Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (almost went with Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" but it is SO SAD that I could not bring myself to use it):

52. Düsseldorf denials: NEINS.  Today's German lesson.

56. Walgreens rival: CVS.  A drugstore reference.

58. Disappointed cluck: TSK.  We never know, at first, if it will be TSK or TUT but we can go ahead and fill in the T either way.

60. Cell service letters: LTE.  All you might wish to know:  Long Term Evolution

61. Part of EVOO: OIL.  I always thought that the concept was quantum but what do I know??

Well, that will wrap things up for this musical Wednesday.  Have a Grate(ful) Day, everyone!

_________________________________________________

MM Out

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Matthew Luter

Shake Your Booty.

17-Across. Performer who might play finger cymbals: BELLY DANCER.

25-Across. Easily frightened sort: SCAREDY CAT.  Think shaking with fear.

36-Across. Furry red "Sesame Street" toy: TICKLE ME ELMO.

53-Across. Hardware store device that makes custom colors: PAINT 

MIXER.

And the unifier:

62-Across. "How goes it?," or a question that could be answered by 17-, 25-, 36-, and 53-Across: WHAT'S SHAKIN'.

Here's the Grid:

Across:

1. Direction in the name of only one U.S. state: WEST.  West Virginia became the 35th state in June 1863.  The state separated from Virginia during the Civil War due to political, economic, and geographic differences, including opposition to secession from the Union. 

5. News network that changed its name in 2025: MSNBC.  Since November 2025, network became known as MS NOW.  Enough said.

10. Story that spans generations: SAGA.  Ken Follett (né Kenneth Martin Follett; b. June 5, 1949) writes wonderful sagas.  His most recent addition to the Knightsbridge series is The Armour of Light, which takes place during the Napoleonic era.  It's on my TBR list.

14. Writer Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (né Eliezer Wiesel; Sept. 20, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Much of his writing is about the Holocaust and human rights.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

15. Spanish nana: ABUELA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  The Hebrew word for grandmother is Savta (סבתא).  The Yiddish word for grandmother is Bubbe.

16. Large primates: APES.

19. Baseball glove: MITT.

20. "But that's not why I __ ... ": CALLED.

21. Cassette: TAPE.

23. Australian bird with secondary eyelids: EMU.  The emu is Australia's largest native bird, and the world's second largest bird (the ostrich is larger).  It is a tall, flightless bird known for its speed, shaggy brown feathers.  They are omnivores, eating plants and insects, and use their powerful legs and three-toed feet for defense and running up to 31 mph.  Did you know emus are also strong swimmers?  The birds are also a national symbol and are featured, along with the kangaroo, on the Australian coat of arms.

24. Fennel flavor: ANISE.  Fennel is an aromatic herb in the carrot family, known for its sweet, licorice-like flavor.

28. "The Simpsons" tavern owner: MOE.

29. Plausible explanation: THEORY.

31. Leather with a fuzzy finish: SUEDE.

32. Blog feed initials: RSS.  As in Real Simple Syndication.

34. Sort: ILK.

35. "Shiny Happy People" band: REM.

41. Small eggs: ROE.  Fish Eggs, followed by 42-Across. Very small eggs: OVA.

43. Guffaw: YUK.

45. __ hair pasta: ANGEL.  Its formal name is Capellini.  It is a very thin, long-cut Italian pasta made from durum wheat semolina and the name means Little Hairs.

48. Echoing guitar effect: REVERB.

51. Bar bill: TAB.

55. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love": LOTTA.

57. Feel poorly: AIL.

58. Breakaway group: SECT.

59. Actress/inventor Hedy: LAMARR.  Hedy Lamarr (née Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; Nov. 9, 1914 ~ Jan. 19, 2000) was an amazing woman.  Her father sparked her interest in technological inventions.  In the early 1940s, she met composer George Antheil (né George Johann Carl Antheil; July 8, 1900 ~ Feb. 12, 1959), and together they co-invented a radio guidance system designed to allow torpedos find their targets.  They obtained a patent, however, opted not to utilized the system.  The principles in this system, however, were later utilized for secure wireless networking.

60. Sheet music symbol: CLEF.

65. Listen to: HEAR.

66. Connected: LINKED.

67. Hawaii's state bird: NENE.  This bird used to make frequent appearances in the puzzles back in the 1980s when I began doing the crosswords in earnest.

68. Small whirlpool: EDDY.

69. __ Hall: New Jersey university: SETON.  Seton Hall University is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey.  The school was founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley (Aug. 23, 1814 ~ Oct. 3, 1877) and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (Aug. 28, 1774 ~ Jan. 4, 1821).

70. "My stars!": I SAY!

Down:

1. Online video tool: WEBCAM.  Technology is a wonderful thing until it isn't ...

2. Roosevelt who was first lady for 12 years: ELEANOR.  Eleanor Roosevelt (Oct. 11, 1884 ~ Nov. 7, 1962) was the the longest-serving First Lady because her husband was elected for 4-terms as President, but she a political figure in her own right. 

3. Most inane: SILLIEST.

4. Rats (on): TELLS.

5. Exec's degree, often: MBA.  As in the Master of Business Administration.

6. __-dried tomatoes: SUN.  Yummers!

7. Hummingbird food: NECTAR.

8. Like sleep-deprived eyes: BLEARY.

9. "__ diem!": CARPE.  Today's Latin lesson.  

10. Actor Waterston: SAM.  Sam Waterston (né Samuel Atkinson Waterston; Nov. 15, 1940) is a versatile actor, but is probably best known for his portrayal of Jack McCoy, the Assistant District Attorney on Law and Order. 

11. Each: APIECE.

12. Grow angry: GET MAD.

13. Insightful: ASTUTE.

15. Sum up: ADD.

18. Toss aside forcefully, in slang: YEET.  Apparently, this is a Gen-Z term.

22. Ford that flopped: EDSEL.  It does look rather ugly.

25. Peddle: SELL.

26. Cola choice: COKE.

27. Delish: YUMMY.

30. Go backpacking: HIKE.

33. Warning wail: SIREN.

35. Raise, as kids: REAR.

37. Young male horses: COLTS.

38. Checkers turn: MOVE.  Which is older, Chess or Checkers?

39. "Best. Day. __!": EVER.

40. Blooper reel bits: OUTTAKES.

44. Hurricane in Jesmyn Ward's novel "Salvage the Bones": KATRINA.  I haven't read this book, but I did live through Katrina.

45. Navajo neighbors: APACHE.

46. Did exactly right: NAILED.

47. "The Handmaid's Tale" setting: GILEAD.  The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood (b. Nov. 18, 1939).

48. Lionel of the Commodores: RICHIE.  Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (b. June  20, 1949) is probably the best know member of the Commodores.

49. Still around: EXTANT.

50. Meh: BLAH.

52. Fred's friend in Bedrock: BARNEY.

54. Whimpers: MEWLS.

56. Muscat citizen: OMANI.  Muscat is the capital of Oman.

59. Acid rock's acid: LSD.  Short for lysergic acid diethylamide, a complex organic molecule with the formula as follows:

61. Word after waffle or curly: FRY.  Waffle fry didn't immediately come to mind.  Are they really chips?

63. Boxing ring ruling, for short: TKO.  As in Technical Knockout.

64. One of a D.C. 100: SEN.  As in Senator.  Each state has two Senators.  The number of Representatives depends upon the population of each state. 

That's all for this week.

חתולה