Friday, Feb 6th, 2026 ~ Brian Callahan & Geoffrey Schorkopf
GRAPH WHERE SOLUTION HID
- OR -
Clever Hints; Answers Due
Today's accomplished authors have teamed up on a clever theme, with a handful of impressive clues & answers somewhat lost among other, crummier ones. The three, even-length four-letter words of the reveal required an oversized, 15 x 16 grid, with only two fills that are unique (°). We have circles that, IMO, might not have been necessary in this instance, as the "ends meet" hint seems to be enough - and it's Friday; so let us solvers work through the challenge~! A mere ten 3LWs, a handful of names, a couple that did not need to be clued as such, no Natick crossings as far as I can see, but a little too much dreck - and I can't fault the constructors, since some of the clues may have been "editorialized". The themers and reveal;
17. *Get one over on: PULL A PRANK ° - "PU-NK" - I am not a fan of shows that belittle people for the sake of a gag; while Candid Camera was light and funny, the current "in that vein" kind of shows such as Punk'd or Jackass, just seem cruel and immature - another commentary here
23. *Action blockbuster with several sequels: THE TERMINATOR - "TH-OR" - I have seen most of the Aaaahnald series movies, none of the MCU ones - I find the excessive use of CGI waaay too much
46. *Antioxidant-rich treat: DARK CHOCOLATE - "DA-TE" - the fruit, but the 'going out' meaning of "date" could be interpreted as "a treat" - not sure about the antioxidant part though . . .
56. *Chin-wag: CHEW THE FAT - "CH-AT" - I almost went with this as my title last week, on the "speak up" crossword theme, but "chew" doesn't quite have a homonym I could effectively use
35. With 36- and 37-Across, get by, or how to find a second answer to each starred clue: MAKE
36. See 35-Across: ENDS
37. See 35-Across: MEET - as the two-letter 'ends' of the themers 'meet' to create a second word with the same meaning - I did enjoy this as a theme concept
Bure Mot Theit Ware's
ACROSS:
1. Android, for one: ROBOT - I do the Downs first, ONUS was in place; "PHONE" was not gonna work
My two favorite androids - C-3PO and Marvin, from The Hitchhiker's Guide...
6. Cat's eye, often: SLIT - At first I thought "meh.", but it turns out that the species at 25D. has round pupils; so does the Pallas Cat of Asia
10. Genesis name: ADAM - AND - 33D. Genesis name: SEGA - clecho, but not the same Genesis; the second one is the gaming console - names #1 & #2
14. Dazzled: IN AWE - Twurd - and our weekly dupe, this time from Wednesday.
15. Goals for some Olympians: TENS - Score. Golds, Silvers, Medals, etc., did not fit
16. Frozen Four game: SEMI - vague; Friday - a round in college hockey finals. Thanks for the SO Moe~!
19. Mountain abode: CABIN - another negative temperature day here in Tolland, CT - which is giving me CABIN fever - I can't get certain projects done when it's this cold, even down in the garage . . .
20. Bilingual subj.: ESL - English (as a) Second Language
21. Touch off: CAUSE
22. Handle: MANAGE - this filled entirely via perps for me
25. Going-out outfits?: PAJAMAS - as in putting "out" the light and sleeping
28. World-weary: BLASÉ - Frawnche
29. Annual Queens sporting event: US OPEN - Ah. I read this as "Queen's", as in the royal persona, thinking maybe POLO . . . but no~! It's the borough of NYC, where the tennis tournament is played
30. "Let's see if you're bluffing": "I CALL." - poker
32. Wanders around ORD?: TSA - Good one - the Wand-ers of the Transportation Security Admin., working at Chicago's O'Hare airport, code abbr (ORD)
38. Big primate: APE
39. Enclosures in a 19-Down: LOCKS - AND - 39D. Highlands waters: LOCHS - I am ambivalent on words spelled this closely in crosswords
41. Nutty Alpine cheese: ASIAGO - filled via perps
43. Rushing sound: WOOSH - my spelling is WHOOSH, Wich is WHrong
45. Women's liberal arts college in Atlanta: SPELMAN - name #3, spelled wrong (😜); author Geoffrey works in Atlanta - here's his last LA Times contribution and the write-up from HuskerG
50. Actress Cuthbert: ELISHA - name #4
51. Lingering scents: ODORS
52. Penny prez: ABE - abbr in the clue, abbr in the ans - name(ish)
55. Ultrasound subject: FETUS - First Extra-Terrestrial of the United States~?
24. Chicago Booth degs.: MBAs - I had no idea what "Booth" meant; the university website; name(ish)
25. Big mountain cat: PUMA - A.K.A. "cougar" - two others 'cats' that fit: Lion and ???? - see below
26. "Right this second!" letters: A.S.A.P. - again, the blasé, cliché, mis-representation of STAT
27. Part of a crack team?: JOKEWRITER - OK, kinda funny
30. Doodle medium: INK - meh
31. LP successors: CDs - or,did cassette tapes, and even eight-tracks, 'succeed', as in "follow"~?
34. Oodles: ATON - one of the two the most over-used crossword Twurds - ALOT being the other
36. Fun word to shout into a canyon: ECHO
37. Unit with Roman and "country" varieties: MILE - I know about a "country mile", as in 'longer than a typical distance', but was curious about the Roman one - the Wiki
40. Gp. concerned with NSFW material?: OSHA - I took the OSHA 30 hour course, and while it does have a harassment section, the government 'group' is more about safety; hence the "S" in the acronym Occupational Safety and Health Administration, so 'meh'
41. In pieces: APART - in keeping consistent, this should be: one piece = A PART
42. Free throw, e.g.: SET SHOT - Basketball, which I don't care for
44. "Fine, whatever": "OKSURE." - Twurd
45. At a snail's pace: SLOWLY
46. Clear up, as a windshield: DEFOG - I had DE-ICE
47. Naproxen brand: ALEVE - it was a toss-up between this WAG and ADVIL; name(ish)
49. Scott who wrote "Island of the Blue Dolphins": O'DELL - I had no clue; more here - name #8
52. Way off: AFAR - "The sheriff is A NEAR~!" - Blazing Saddles
"No, dagnubbit, the sheriff is . . . " Now that's NSFW~!
53. Like Mr. Johnson on "Abbott Elementary": BALD - oof. Friday cluing, his IMDb - name(ish)
54. Site with a Home Favorites section: ETSY - good WAG on my part
Highlighted in red
56. Fiscal exec: CFO - Chief Financial Officer
57. Flop __: period of setbacks, in slang: ERA - no clue, but I shoulda guessed; at least it's a new clue for this tired answer. Below is what came up first in a Google search - commentary on our Social Media obsession; it's a bit annoying, but spot on . . .
Flop Era - Akita Neru
Splynter
Grid Flow 33.4
From 25D. - "Lynx"
Notes from C.C.:
The ORCAS season is
here. I'm so happy that our own Sumdaze (Renee) has been nominated for
Best Crossword Commentary. This year, all of the ORCAs-nominated puzzles
will be available together in one special pack. The voting is open there through midnight Thursday, February 19.
Nice to see our Monday commentator emeritus receive some well-earned recognition. Nice one, Renee.
Hand up for DE-ice on this one. (Hi, Splynter.) Methinks the NSFW wasn't a reference to porn...just a literal "Not Safe For Work" group: i.e. OSHA. D-o saw the sleeper "going out" rather than the bedroom light. Clever that the circled letters in the themers provide an alternate fit for the clues. Thanx, Brian, Geoffrey, and Splynter.
FIR. I ignored the circles as usual, and given the theme they might as well have been nonexistent. What a waste. The reveal was plenty to get the gist. Are we now just adding circles to look clever? I take exception to the clue for "doctoral hurdle". Shouldn't the clue be plural? The answer is! Otherwise, for a Friday, this seemed easier than most others. So overall a somewhat enjoyable puzzle.
FIR, but phone->ROBOT, barge->LOCKS, heft->ONUS, a lot->A TON, and espn->ETSY.
I crushed big time for Jack Bauer's daughter KIM (aka ELISHA Cuthbert) during the time I was addicted to 24.
Sheena Easton is far easier on the eyes than Bob Seger, but I prefer his Her STRUT to Sheena's song. She sounds like Madonna in that vid, imo. Not that that's a bad thing.
Thanks to Brian and Geoffrey for the fun Friday. Lots to like about this one, including the clues for SEMI, TSA, LEASE and OSHA. I thought of asbestos with the last one. And thanks to Splynter for another fun review, and for saving us the need to call out the frequent error in the cluing of ASAP.
Congrats to sumdaze on your nomination. When you win, please don't do a Oscars-like speech. Just walk away, Renee.
A nice puzzle with plenty of clues that made me think. On the way to FIR, I didn't pay close attention to the 35, 36, & 37A clues. MAKE was already filled by perps and I had guessed SETH for the 'Genesis' clue and filled DEEP. I know Phil Collins was too long for the Genesis clue. SPELMAN corrected it. I don't have or care to have any video game equipment but I read yesterday that Nintendo's Switch now outsells both Sony Play Station and Microsoft XBox.
The SE took some guessing to complete, not being familiar with COHEN, O'DELL, or Abbott Elementary (BALD). In the SW, I DNK ELISHA or GERE.
The clue for NSFW was not about email, but about physical safety this time, unless it refers to 'not safe for wife' to see you reading. Then it might be about your physical safety. But then again, she might be a PUMA (aka cougar).
I've always associated "country MILE" with a home run hit completely out of the stadium.
This week has provided us with some fresh and unusual themes, including today’s. I thought the theme was clever and well-executed and, surprise, surprise, I understood it immediately. On the plus side, some of the cluing was tricky but readily discernible, but on the minus side, some of the cluing was off base and annoying. Particularly annoying, to me, is cross-referencing cluing, which I find so confusing and distracting. The solve was relatively easy for a Friday, although I went astray at Shut/Slit, Rate/Ripe, Lear/Ball and I needed perps for O’Dell. I, too, miss the bygone challenging Fridays.
Thanks, Brian and Geoffrey, and thanks, Splynter, for an excellent review. Your candor as a reviewer is much appreciated and your deconstruction skills are honed very sharply. You enlightened me about several clues and their correct interpretation, so thank you.
Congratulations, sumdaze, for receiving this well-deserved recognition for your outstanding blogging talents. Good luck!
I had been under the impression that the "S" was for suitable - Not Suitable For Work - and I knew the "out" was for the sleeper, but perhaps not everyone would "get" it . . . . I'll keep trying :7))
Musings -An impressive gimmick with slightly “off-center” (e.g. wanders) clues made for a nice solve -The cat who lives here has eyes that are very often SHUT -Temp yesterday was 62F and will stay around that for the next week -I’d rather have aromas or scents linger than ODORS -FETUS/Ultrasound – We were at our daughter’s for the 4th and next door they were also having a gender-reveal event. It took them over ten minutes to get the blue smoke bomb to go off. -To me, STRUT is synonomous with Mick Jagger but I like Splynter’s picture better -Countless stand-up comedians started out as JOKE WRITERS for others -I can remember stores with big racks of 45’s, LP’s, 8-tracks, casettes, and CD’s but now… -I wonder how accurate that device in the car is when it tells you how many MILES you can still go -You go, Sumdaze!
Neat theme, however I messed up the NW. I had ONUS at first but erased it because I entered rate for 1 down.
ELISHA was a total unknown as well as SEGA although I really like recent models of Genesis cars. BALD and ETSY as clued were lucky WAGS. I used to have at least 2 LPS of Leonard COHEN singing his poems.
Thank you Splynter for your recap. Would you remind me what Twurd stands for?
Just returned from a few delightful weeks in beautiful New Zealand, and this puzzle was a real challenge for my jet-lagged brain. But a fun one!
I struggled with the northwest, sticking with Norman LEAR for way too long, and blanking on OWL and ONUS. But the clever theme ultimately saved me when I got PUNK.
Thanks to Brian and Geoffrey for the enjoyable Friday-appropriate challenge, and to Splynter for the thorough review. And a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Sumdaze for your well-deserved recognition!!!
"The river Meh rises." (Splynter-you've got my vote...:) In trying to explain these puzzles, I have to separate a lot of "twurds." But I love Splynter's take on this subject so much, that I think it bears repeating:
41. In pieces: APART - in keeping consistent, this should be: one piece = A PART
The puzzle was fun enough, and gimmicky enough to entertain me for a Friday outing, but looking at it "from the other side," I would have passed in this theme... I just cannot fathom how "Thor" works with "The Terminator." Or how "date" works with "dark chocolate." "Punk" is directly connected to "prank," and "chat" is directly connected "chew the fat." But am I missing how on earth date and Thor have anything to do with this theme?
Nominated for best crossword commentary??? (Congrats Renee, you deserve it...) wait a sec! CC! You didn't tell me there was going to be a contest! (Oy! The pressure!) I think I need a cardboard box to go hide in...
The “crummier” clues were such a turnoff that I found the whole puzzle pretentious and not fun.
I liked the OWLS in a parliament and the OSHA safety clues, but going-out outfits/PAJAMAS, the TSA “wanders” at O’Hare, the “crack team,” the “go pro” DEBATE TEAM, and the “rush” worker were all too labored.
So was the theme. I didn’t even find the “make ends meet” theme, with two possible answers for each definition, all that amazing, and I don’t enjoy all the “see the other answer” clues that led to the alleged reveal. The CANALS/LOCKS combo was OK, though.
Speaking of “OK,” that word is nearly as bad as “OH” as a prefix to a paraphrase.
The puzzle wasn’t really difficult unless you couldn’t see through the aforementioned labored clues. I knew how to spell ELISHA and figured songwriter Leonard COHEN was indeed a poet. Didn’t know ODELL. But it just seemed like everything else was contrived.
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18 comments:
Well, finally a reveal I
can understand! And the rest of the puzzle wasn’t too difficult either.
FIR, so I’m happy.
And congratulations Sumdaze!
Good morning!
Nice to see our Monday commentator emeritus receive some well-earned recognition. Nice one, Renee.
Hand up for DE-ice on this one. (Hi, Splynter.) Methinks the NSFW wasn't a reference to porn...just a literal "Not Safe For Work" group: i.e. OSHA. D-o saw the sleeper "going out" rather than the bedroom light. Clever that the circled letters in the themers provide an alternate fit for the clues. Thanx, Brian, Geoffrey, and Splynter.
This was kind of tough for me today but I stuck it out and surprised myself with a FIR in 33:13!
Splynter: What does Bure Mot Theit Ware's mean?
Thank you
FIR. I ignored the circles as usual, and given the theme they might as well have been nonexistent. What a waste. The reveal was plenty to get the gist. Are we now just adding circles to look clever?
I take exception to the clue for "doctoral hurdle". Shouldn't the clue be plural? The answer is!
Otherwise, for a Friday, this seemed easier than most others.
So overall a somewhat enjoyable puzzle.
Took 9:42 today to, well, finish the puzzle without looking for a theme.
I didn't quite know the Actress of the Day (Elisha), I thought it was "Eliza."
Puzzle was ... meh. I miss the old Friday puzzles.
Oh joy, circles!
But Wait There's More.
FIR, but phone->ROBOT, barge->LOCKS, heft->ONUS, a lot->A TON, and espn->ETSY.
I crushed big time for Jack Bauer's daughter KIM (aka ELISHA Cuthbert) during the time I was addicted to 24.
Sheena Easton is far easier on the eyes than Bob Seger, but I prefer his Her STRUT to Sheena's song. She sounds like Madonna in that vid, imo. Not that that's a bad thing.
Thanks to Brian and Geoffrey for the fun Friday. Lots to like about this one, including the clues for SEMI, TSA, LEASE and OSHA. I thought of asbestos with the last one. And thanks to Splynter for another fun review, and for saving us the need to call out the frequent error in the cluing of ASAP.
Congrats to sumdaze on your nomination. When you win, please don't do a Oscars-like speech. Just walk away, Renee.
But wait there's more (?)
A nice puzzle with plenty of clues that made me think. On the way to FIR, I didn't pay close attention to the 35, 36, & 37A clues. MAKE was already filled by perps and I had guessed SETH for the 'Genesis' clue and filled DEEP. I know Phil Collins was too long for the Genesis clue. SPELMAN corrected it.
I don't have or care to have any video game equipment but I read yesterday that Nintendo's Switch now outsells both Sony Play Station and Microsoft XBox.
The SE took some guessing to complete, not being familiar with COHEN, O'DELL, or Abbott Elementary (BALD). In the SW, I DNK ELISHA or GERE.
The clue for NSFW was not about email, but about physical safety this time, unless it refers to 'not safe for wife' to see you reading. Then it might be about your physical safety. But then again, she might be a PUMA (aka cougar).
I've always associated "country MILE" with a home run hit completely out of the stadium.
Good Morning:
This week has provided us with some fresh and unusual themes, including today’s. I thought the theme was clever and well-executed and, surprise, surprise, I understood it immediately. On the plus side, some of the cluing was tricky but readily discernible, but on the minus side, some of the cluing was off base and annoying. Particularly annoying, to me, is cross-referencing cluing, which I find so confusing and distracting. The solve was relatively easy for a Friday, although I went astray at Shut/Slit, Rate/Ripe, Lear/Ball and I needed perps for O’Dell. I, too, miss the bygone challenging Fridays.
Thanks, Brian and Geoffrey, and thanks, Splynter, for an excellent review. Your candor as a reviewer is much appreciated and your deconstruction skills are honed very sharply. You enlightened me about several clues and their correct interpretation, so thank you.
Congratulations, sumdaze, for receiving this well-deserved recognition for your outstanding blogging talents. Good luck!
Have a great day.
I had been under the impression that the "S" was for suitable - Not Suitable For Work - and I knew the "out" was for the sleeper, but perhaps not everyone would "get" it . . . . I'll keep trying :7))
Musings
-An impressive gimmick with slightly “off-center” (e.g. wanders) clues made for a nice solve
-The cat who lives here has eyes that are very often SHUT
-Temp yesterday was 62F and will stay around that for the next week
-I’d rather have aromas or scents linger than ODORS
-FETUS/Ultrasound – We were at our daughter’s for the 4th and next door they were also having a gender-reveal event. It took them over ten minutes to get the blue smoke bomb to go off.
-To me, STRUT is synonomous with Mick Jagger but I like Splynter’s picture better
-Countless stand-up comedians started out as JOKE WRITERS for others
-I can remember stores with big racks of 45’s, LP’s, 8-tracks, casettes, and CD’s but now…
-I wonder how accurate that device in the car is when it tells you how many MILES you can still go
-You go, Sumdaze!
Neat theme, however I messed up the NW. I had ONUS at first but erased it because I entered rate for 1 down.
ELISHA was a total unknown as well as SEGA although I really like recent models of Genesis cars. BALD and ETSY as clued were lucky WAGS. I used to have at least 2 LPS of Leonard COHEN singing his poems.
Thank you Splynter for your recap. Would you remind me what Twurd stands for?
Just returned from a few delightful weeks in beautiful New Zealand, and this puzzle was a real challenge for my jet-lagged brain. But a fun one!
I struggled with the northwest, sticking with Norman LEAR for way too long, and blanking on OWL and ONUS. But the clever theme ultimately saved me when I got PUNK.
Thanks to Brian and Geoffrey for the enjoyable Friday-appropriate challenge, and to Splynter for the thorough review. And a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Sumdaze for your well-deserved recognition!!!
If it's not safe for work, it's not suitable. Thought it was a good one
"The river Meh rises." (Splynter-you've got my vote...:)
In trying to explain these puzzles, I have to separate a lot of "twurds." But I love Splynter's take on this subject so much, that I think it bears repeating:
41. In pieces: APART - in keeping consistent, this should be: one piece = A PART
The puzzle was fun enough, and gimmicky enough to entertain me for a Friday outing, but looking at it "from the other side," I would have passed in this theme... I just cannot fathom how "Thor" works with "The Terminator." Or how "date" works with "dark chocolate." "Punk" is directly connected to "prank," and "chat" is directly connected "chew the fat." But am I missing how on earth date and Thor have anything to do with this theme?
Nominated for best crossword commentary??? (Congrats Renee, you deserve it...) wait a sec! CC! You didn't tell me there was going to be a contest! (Oy! The pressure!) I think I need a cardboard box to go hide in...
(In Lieu of flowers, please send Vodka...)
The “crummier” clues were such a turnoff that I found the whole puzzle pretentious and not fun.
I liked the OWLS in a parliament and the OSHA safety clues, but going-out outfits/PAJAMAS, the TSA “wanders” at O’Hare, the “crack team,” the “go pro” DEBATE TEAM, and the “rush” worker were all too labored.
So was the theme. I didn’t even find the “make ends meet” theme, with two possible answers for each definition, all that amazing, and I don’t enjoy all the “see the other answer” clues that led to the alleged reveal. The CANALS/LOCKS combo was OK, though.
Speaking of “OK,” that word is nearly as bad as “OH” as a prefix to a paraphrase.
The puzzle wasn’t really difficult unless you couldn’t see through the aforementioned labored clues. I knew how to spell ELISHA and figured songwriter Leonard COHEN was indeed a poet. Didn’t know ODELL. But it just seemed like everything else was contrived.
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