Monday, February 9, 2026, Dan Caprera

Theme:  Ewes use yews for shelter -- don't youse?

Constructor Dan Caprera is back to remind us that English can be puzzling.  He's constructed a lovely grid -- see the end of this post to admire the symmetry -- in which he employs all the English homonyms of RIGHT.

17-Across. "Don't forget we want lots of letters!": REMEMBER TO WRITE.

28-Across. Aviation pioneer who said, "It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill": WILBUR WRIGHT.

50-Across. Exchange of wedding vows, e.g.: MARRIAGE RITE.

64-Across. "I think that's correct," or what one may say about the ends of 17-, 28-, and 50-Across: SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME.

Time to check the rest of the clues and answers.

Across: 

1. Prepare to be photographed: POSE.

5. Lobster's pincer: CLAW.  Lobsters have two specialized claws, the pincer and the crusher.  The pincer claw is smaller, narrower, and used for tearing food, while the larger, thicker crusher claw is used for breaking shells.

9. Trig subject: MATH.  TRIGonometry is a branch of MATHematics concerned with relationships between angles and side lengths of triangles.

13. "Grand" ice cream: EDY'S.  Sold as Dreyer's in the Western United States.

14. Buenos __, Argentina: AIRES.

16. Wound-treating plant in ancient Greece and Egypt: ALOE.

17. [Theme clue]

20. PC connection port: USB.

21. __ of Skye: ISLE.  The Isle of Skye is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

22. Gabbed on end: YAKKED.

23. 10-min. NFL periods: OTS.  Not offensive tackles, but overtimes.  I think overtime is about avoiding tie scores.  Enlighten me!

25. Buffoon: OAF.

27. Sesame __ bun: SEED.

Do the seeds enhance your enjoyment?

28. [Theme clue]

32. Emphatic confirmation of accomplishment: I DID SO!

33. __-mo replay: SLO.

34. Under the weather: SICK.

38. "__ Misérables": LES.  Les Misérables is a musical based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, in which no good deed goes unpunished.

39. "That's gross!": EWW.

41. Songwriter __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  Lin-Manuel Miranda is famous for another historical musical, Hamilton, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Philippa Soo

43. Convent resident: NUN.

44. The Dalai __: LAMA.  The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.  Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Thondup in 1935) was enthroned as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940.  When Tibet rebelled against the People's Republic of China in 1959, he escaped to India and established a Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala, where he continues to live and teach.  He was the 1989 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Dalai Lama in 2012

46. Have lunch: EAT.

48. Replaceable turntable part: NEEDLE.  Last Wednesday's puzzle by Nate Curry and Zhou Zhang was all about machines that "move the needle."  They missed the turntable!  But then, it's a mostly obsolete technology.

Many of our regular readers are old enough to have played recorded music with a needle!

50. [Theme clue]

53. React to ear scritches, perhaps: MEOW.

55. U.K. part: ENG.  Part of the United Kingdom is England.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

56. Near-failing grade: DEE.

57. Hats for haute cuisine chefs: TOQUES.

59. Gas sealed in glass: NEON.

61. Rizzo the Muppet, for one: RAT.

64. [Theme clue]

67. Fluttered down to the ground: ALIT.

68. Pitcher Ryan who holds the MLB record for career strikeouts: NOLAN.  Nolan Ryan pitched for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball. 

Nolan Ryan

69. Apex: ACME.

70. Ice Spice songs: RAPS.  Isis Gaston, AKA Ice Spice, is an American rapper.  She had a top ten single with Nicki Minaj, and another with Taylor Swift.  She's received four Grammy nominations and a handful of awards.

Ice Spice

71. Word underlined in red, maybe: TYPO.

72. Fight enders, briefly: TKOS.  Technical knockouts in boxing and mixed martial arts.

Down:

1. Cuzco's country: PERU.

2. Lyrical homages: ODES.

3. Book club discussion topic: SYMBOLISM.  Sure, and let's not forget to discuss motifs, allusions, the unreliable narrator, and the book jacket!

4. Opposite of WNW: ESE.  Compass points.

5. Fleet that may display local ads: CABS.

6. Stay out of the limelight: LIE LOW.

7. Unpaid and overdue debts: ARREARS.

8. Drenched: WET.

9. Grocery stores: MARKETS.

10. Quite similar: ALIKE.

11. Schlepped around: TOTED.

12. Follow, as advice: HEED.

15. Tempeh base: SOY.

18. Apply incorrectly: MISUSE.

19. Launder: WASH.

24. "More deets soon": TBD.  To Be Determined.

26. Staff, as a position: FILL.

28. "Elf" star Ferrell: WILL.  Will Ferrell established his comedic reputation as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2002, and has starred in many comedy films since then.  He's also taken on dramatic roles, and received four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work as a producer on the drama series Succession and for the specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience.

29. Lightbulb moment: IDEA.

30. Coxswain follower: ROWER.  In a boat with oars, the coxswain is in charge of navigation, steering, and safety.  The rowers follow the coxswain's directions.

Sounds like COCKsun.

31. Not hanging around: GOING.

35. The Smiths genre: INDIE ROCK.  The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums).  They focused on the sound of their instruments, in contrast to the synthesizer sounds popular at the time.

36. __ of personality: CULT.

37. Reflex test target: KNEE.  Striking the patellar tendon with a reflex hammer allows a physician to assess the nervous tissue between the L2 and L4 segments of the spinal cord.

And here I thought the doctor was just having a laugh at my expense.

40. Suffix with spy or ransom: WARE.

42. May refuse to: NEEDN'T.  

45. Sum totals: AMOUNTS.

47. In a high-pitched, cheap-sounding way: TINNILY.  This sounded odd to yours truly, but it's a word meaning "with a sound that is of low quality or like metal being hit."  In other words, "with a tinny sound."  I've used the word "tinny" a few times but have never needed to say "tinnily."

49. Poet's before: ERE.  In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, the dwarves sing:

Far over the Misty Mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day

To seek our pale enchanted gold

51. Floored: AWED.

52. Factor in family planning: AGE GAP.  How many years do you want to leave between siblings?

53. Bucks: MOOLA.  Also spelled moolah, it's slang for "money."

54. Provide with gear: EQUIP.

57. Russian monarch: TSAR.

58. Data breach target fig.: SSN.  Hackers target Social Security Numbers.  A nasty business.

60. "What a disaster!": OH NO!  What you say when you've been hacked.

62. Nerf darts, e.g.: AMMO.  And yet the only ammo you have to wield is Nerf darts.  Because you're a nice person.

Nerf Elite Jr Explorer Blaster with Nerf Darts

63. Golf pegs: TEES.

65. Nonsense, to a Brit: ROT.  As in "What a lot of rot you do talk."

66. Tit for __: TAT.  Responding to negative treatment like injury or insult with more of the same.

Here's the grid:

I have YAKKED long enough!  I NEEDN'T go on.

Time for me to LIE LOW and let you express your IDEAs in the comments.

Thanks for playing along!

-- NaomiZ

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy 55th birthday to dear Splynter, our fun and steadfast Friday Sherpa! During his many years blogging the Saturday puzzles, he missed only one - a true testament to his reliability. He later went on to guide us through Wednesdays with the same care and insight. 

 

So proud of his gym journey the past year. Seriously impressive. Wishing you a year of laughter, strength, and continued gym success, Splynter!