google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday March 3, 2026 Brad Lively

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Mar 3, 2026

Tuesday March 3, 2026 Brad Lively

I've Got That Sinking Feeling.


20-Across. *  One who delivers the early news: MORNING ANCHOR.


29-Across. *  Sandwich choice at an Italian deli: MEATBALL SUB.


44-Across. *  "Peter Pan" pirate: CAPTAIN HOOK.


And the unifier:

52-Across. "Take a moment to reflect," or what can be said about the ends of the answers to the starred clues: LET THAT SINK IN.


Here's the grid.


Now, sink yourself in the rest of today's puzzle ...

Across:
1. Scrapbooking project: ALBUM.


6. Totals: SUMS.

10. Lip-__: mouth the words: SYNC.


14. Drench: DOUSE.

15. Journey: TRIP.

16. Not single-sex: CO-ED.

17. Pungent: ACRID.

18. "Makes sense": I SEE.

19. Dull routines: RUTS.

23. U.S. island in Micronesia: GUAM.  Since 1898, Guam has been a U.S. island territory.  It is the largest, most populous, and southernmost island in the Marianas archipelago and Micronesia.  Guam is known for its beautiful by tropical beaches, Chamorro villages and ancient latte-stone pillars.  Guam’s WWII significance is on view at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, whose sites include Asan Beach, a former battlefield.


24. Sits at a stoplight: IDLES.


26. Cash dispenser: ATM.  The Automatic Teller Machine has become a crossword staple.


33. Whole __ Market: FOODS.  Sometimes referred to as Whole Paycheck Foods.

35. Unagi roll fish: EEL.  Yummers!


36. Total snoozefest: BORE.

37. Longtime late-night host Jay: LENO.  Jay Leno (né James Douglas Muir Leno; b. Apr. 28, 1950) hosted The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2009.  After a brief hiatus, he returned to host in 2010 for another 4 years.

38. Messy happy hour fare: WINGS.  //  And 42-Across. Like some 38-Across: HOT.


40. Five-spots: ABES.



41. Many, many: A TON.

43. Deliver a speech: ORATE.


48. On the __: promptly: DOT.

49. Public opinion surveys: POLLS.


50. "No thanks": PASS.

58. Opera solo: ARIA.  This has become a crossword staple.

60. Mischief-making Norse god: LOKI.  Everything you wanted to know about Loki but didn't know to ask.


61. Honker in a gaggle: GOOSE.

62. Actor Schreiber: LIEV.  Liev Schreiber (né Isaac Liev Schreiber; b. Oct. 4, 1967) has been in a lot of independent films, but may be best known of this role as Ray Donovan in the television show of the same name.


63. Grand in scale: EPIC.

64. Virtuous: NOBLE.

65. Come in last: LOSE.
66. Breaks a commandment: SINS.

67. Treadmill setting: SPEED.

Down:
1. Driver of "Ferrari": ADAM.  Adam Driver (né Adam Douglas Driver; b. Nov. 19, 1983) portrayed Enzo Ferrari (né Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari; Feb. 18, 1898 ~ Aug. 14, 1988) in the 2023 film.

Adam Driver, left and Enzo Ferrari, right.

2. El Pollo __: fast-casual Southwestern chain: LOCO.  I am not familiar with this fast-food chain, but it was easy enough to suss out.


3. Comedian Bill who plays Migs Mayfeld on "The Mandalorian": BURR.  The Mandalorian is one of the Star Wars films.  In the film, Bill Burr (né William Frederic Burr; b. June. 1968) portrays the leader of a gang of criminals.


4. Leveraging: USING.

5. Seance leaders: MEDIUMS.


6. Mark of shame: STIGMA.

7. Constellation bear: URSA.


8. Outward appearance: MIEN.

9. Limited-time offers: SPECIALS.

10. Mouse target on a browser window: SCROLL BAR.

11. Reply to a racy joke, perhaps: YOU'RE SO BAD.

12. Tennis court divider: NET.

13. Items in jewel boxes: Abbr.: CDs.  As in Compact Discs.


21. Scottish no: NAE.

22. Initials for "good" cholesterol: HDL.  High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the "good" cholesterol because it acts as a scavenger and removes excess cholesterol from tissues and blood vessels to the liver to be removed, thus protecting against cardiovascular disease.


25. __ happen: practically guaranteed: SURE TO.

26. Insurer with a duck mascot: AFLAC.  This insurance company appears often in the puzzles.  The name is an acronym for American Family Life Assurance Company.  The company has been around for over 70 years.
27. Keep the beat with one's foot: TOE TAP.


28. Companies that have exclusive control of a market: MONOPOLIES.


30. Sophomore's grade: TENTH.


31. "I __ to differ": BEG.

32. Under siege: BESET.

34. "Stick around a while!": DON'T LEAVE.


38. Game-stopping sounds from refs: WHISTLES.

39. Charged particle: ION.


43. "Good to go" hand gestures: OK SIGNS.


45. __-rock music: ALT.

46. Science of light: OPTICS.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Science of Light.

47. Post-WWII treaty gp.: OAS.

51. Nosy buttinsky: SNOOP.


53. Arizona people: HOPI.  The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation located in northeastern Arizona.

54. Comparable (to): AKIN.

55. NBA legend Bryant: KOBE.  Kobe Bean Bryant (Aug. 23, 1978 ~ Jan. 26, 2020) spent his entire basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers.  Tragically, Kobe and his young daughter, Gianna (May 1, 2006 ~ Jan. 26, 2020), were killed in a helicopter crash.


56. Turf surrounded by surf: ISLE.


57. Not just want: NEED.

58. "I'm __ ears!": ALL.

59. Ipanema's city: RIO.  A beautiful beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.




חתולה

Today is the Jewish holiday of Purim.  It is generally a very joyous holiday commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by Queen Esther.  The Book of Esther is read in synagogue and congregants dress up in costumes.  In past years, it has been fun to be in Israel during Purim because everyone dresses up.  You see people in costume on the street, in shops, in restaurants, in banks ...  A traditional treat for Purim is Hamantaschen, which are triangular cookies filled with poppy seed, or other jams.


19 comments:

Subgenius said...

I don’t have much to
say about this puzzle, except that it was not too tough. One thing though; I can see how a “sub” or an “anchor” could be said to sink but how does that apply to a “hook”?
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Lively puzzle today. Once again, d-o failed to read the complete reveal clue. Managed to find the theme, anyway. Spent a couple years on GUAM back in the '60s. Also spent a little over a month at Asan Annex of the Naval Hospital. Enjoyed the Captain HOOK and Lost Sheep cartoons. Thanx, Brad and Hahtoolah. (Methinks today's Purim celebrations in Israel may be somewhat subdued.)

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but adds->SUMS, trek->TRIP, and dowse->DOUSE.

I suppose that Peter Pan is a more descriptive term, but I've always heard it called a "bed pan."

Stan Getz is mostly known for instrumentals, but he had a big hit with The Girl From Ipanema.

I'm sure you've heard this from the news ANCHORs: Police announced that a short psychic recently escaped from prison. There is now a small MEDIUM at large.

Thanks to Brad for the fun, Monday-like puzzle, and to Ha2la for another fun review, especially the "guess who?" and "what's a CD?" gags.

TTP said...

Thank you, Brad and Hahtoolah

Quick solve. No nits.

Tony Express said...

I'm guessing a fish hook?

KS said...

FIR. The NW was the last to fall. The presence of two proper names I didn't know caused me pause. Perps were there to help.
I'm afraid the theme left me cold. Anchors sink, subs sink, but hooks? That's a stretch to me. But I guess it works (?).
So overall a so-so puzzle.

YooperPhil said...

Just right for a Tuesday, mostly straightforward cluing and fill, friendly perps, should be no problem for dedicated solvers. Two unknowns (names as usual), BURR and LIEV. FIR in 11:51. Thank you Brad for your creation, and to Hahtoolah for another cartoon studded review!

Nephew said...

Woooo, I was able to solve today without looking anything up! I got a little TRIPPED up with TREK but perps quickly fixed that. Thank you Hahtoolah for the write up and Happy Purim!

Yellowrocks said...

Idiom: "Sink your hooks into" means to establish strong control, influence, or a firm connection over a person, group, or project.

RustyBrain said...

I'm not a fan of this theme. None of the three really SINK in the traditional sense. An ANCHOR is "dropped" (the opposite of "weighing"), but it does sink to the bottom. SUBs dive, and if they sink, it's catastrophic. Most fishing HOOKs don't sink very well, hence "sinkers."

And don't get me started about calling a fin an "ABE" (said no one this century).

I obviously didn't get a good night's sleep! But at least H2Lah did. I enjoyed the "both of you" cartoon. Happy Purim!

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Brad and Hahtoolah (happy Purim).
I FIRed with a few holdups, and saw the SINKing theme.

It took a couple of passes through the grid for me to get a foothold. Perhaps Canadian disadvantage with GUAM, AFLAC, ABES, LOCO, or perhaps just not enough coffee yet this morning.
Perps (and finally remembering ADAM) eventually opened up that NW corner, which like KS, was the last to fall for me.

LIEV required perps.
I smiled at AKIN and SINK IN.
WE HAD YOU’RE SO BAD and SINS, which are SURE TO find you out.
I liked the surf and turf clue for ISLE.

Wishing you all a great day.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

I just saw a video of some folks in the street looking at bomb damage in Bnei Brak, and at several kids were costumed up for Purim.

Monkey said...

FIR with very few hiccups. ABES was the last to fill when I finally got YOU’RE SO BAD. My only unknown name was BURR as clued.

It took no time for the theme to SINK in.

I was living in Austin in the early 80s and I used to go to this little hole in the wall grocery store named WHOLE FOODS. It was very different from its modern version. It had hippie vibes, sold no meat, and was inexpensive, as I remember.

Thank you Hahtoolah for the fun and informative review. By the way, there’s a Pollo LOCO on Airline Highway. Happy Purim, you sound nostalgic for the happy celebrations in Israel.

TehachapiKen said...

Brad provided us a pleasant Tuesday morning interlude. The fill struck me as straightforward and pretty much devoid of uncalled-for surprises. Of course, thanks to the 59-D clue, "The Girl from Ipanema" will be going through my head all day.

And thanks, Hahtoolah, for your recap and entertaining array of cartoons.

Lucina said...

Hola! Happy Tuesday and happy Purim, Hahtoolah! Thank you for the recap about that holy day. New learning for me.
I was in SYNC with the puzzle all the way and finished in good time. I love HOT WINGS or anything HOT, actually. MEATBALLS gives me an idea for tonight's dinner. Have a very good day, everyone!

CrossEyedDave said...

Crossword
Ack! I DNF'd yesterday's Renee puzzle!
When I went to do today's, it said yesterdays was 99% finished, I forgot to fill in the last A in Agee/RatedR! Ack! Ya got me Sumdaze...!
(I could have sworn I heard a Tada somewhere...)

Anywho, as you know, I am doing house repairs. Part of which is a bathroom remodel. Which reminds me, We are expecting a new bathroom fixture any day now...

Captain Hook reminds me, that whenever I'm having a bad day, I can always cheer up by watching Peter Pan, The Play Goes Wrong...
They always have a worse (if not hilarious) day than I do...

If you are having a bad day, here is a link to the full show on YouTube...

Leiv Schreiber, I had no idea. But when you posted his picture, he was so familiar! Took a bit of research, but I figured out why. In 2001 he played a scientist that figured out how to travel in time, which led to a marvelously silly Meg Ryan RomCom called Kate and Leopold. The whole movie premise is completely absurd, he goes back in time by jumping off The Brooklyn Bridge.
(I told you it was absurd) but Leopold follows him into our time, which totally screws up history, because Leopold is Otis, the guy who invents safe elevators, and now that he is in our time, none of the elevators work because he wasn't there to invent them! (I told you it was silly.)

Anywho, add Meg Ryan, and you have a very entertaining movie. I have linked the full movie on YouTube previously, but you chose not to be entertained by it. And now it is no longer available, and you have to pay to see it. (Peter Pan the play goes wrong is looking better all the time... catch it while you can!)

Charlie Echo said...

Hook can also be Navy slang for anchor, as in "drop the hook".

Charlie Echo said...

FIR. Not too difficult despite the unknown Liev and Burr. The NW corner was the last to fall, as I had no idea of the Driver or the Loco chicken. The theme was kind of a stretch, and needed Ha2la to make sense of it. Not a bad outing, though.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

CE - As do recreational mariners.