Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - Shmuel Schmell

 

Theme:  "Attention K-Mart Shoppers: Clean-up on aisles 3, 6, and 10 [sic]"

 

 

 

Puzzling thoughts:

 

Chairman Moe here.  It's the first Wednesday of June and my turn to blog.  What a fun puzzle to recap today!  It's got circles (CSO to Anonymous), it's got word play, it's got an African Nation AND its capital city, it's got only a handful of three-letter words, each of its entries are completely unrelated which leads to a surprising reveal as I honestly didn't try to unscramble the circled letters before solving 61 across

 

Today's constructor, Shmuel Schmell, appears to have had a handful of published puzzles, dating back to 2021.  I was unable to find any biographical information for him, and I am guessing that this puzzle is his LAT debut.  Job well done, sir

 

The wordplay begins with the first entry:

 

17 across. One skilled in routine deliveries?: STAND UP COMEDIAN.  Love this clue!  Finding the first of the anagrams for the reveal (STAND UP = DUST PAN) was not readily seen by me.  Well-hidden in the circles.  And did I mention how much I loved this clue??!!  Not sure that I could choose among all of the stand-up comedians who is my favorite.  But this guy is pretty creative:

 

 

 

The second entry involves a throwback to my youth: 

 

26 across. San Francisco counterculture center of the 1960s: HAIGHT-ASHBURY.  As a child and teenager during the 1960's the San Francisco hippie scene was frequently featured in both newspapers and TV news programs.  Second of the circled anagrams for the reveal (ASHBURY contains the word BRUSH).  As I am sure many of you are aware, the name HAIGHT-ASHBURY is taken from a pair of intersecting streets in San Francisco as well as its neighborhood.  Lots of famous folks lived there:

 

 

The third entry is a CSO to my fellow Wednesday blogger, Jazz Bumpa, aka JzB, aka Ron.  His prowess as a SLIDE TROMBONE player only further defines his varied skills.  One of my earlier memories of a JzB post was around Christmas time - he shared a video of a guy who played Christmas and other holiday tunes on his trombone.  IIRC, the guy played all of the harmonies and spliced them together

 

46 across. Instrument that makes the sound of adults talking in "Peanuts" cartoons: SLIDE TROMBONE. Here is a "tutorial"

 

 

 

 

As you see, within the word TROMBONE is also the word BROOM.  And now, we have the trio of utensils that can be used to perform a clean-up:  BRUSH - BROOM - DUST PAN.  And this supports the reveal:

 

61. Overhauls that have lasting effects, or what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters: SWEEPING CHANGES.  I am not sure if this puzzle solves easily without the circles; the "sweeping" devices are very well-hidden

 

Here is the grid.  My only error was in the crossing of HARARE and REACHER 

 

 

 

 

Across:
1. Will beneficiary: HEIR. Nice, easy start to the solve

5. Thick-furred dog whose tail curls over its back: SPITZ. For some unknown reason, I chose AKITA before changing to SPITZ

10. "hahahahahaha": ROFL. Texting shortcut = Roll On Floor Laughing

14. Gillette razor: ATRA.  Rumor has it that Gillette named the razor ATRA because their CEO was big into crossword puzzles ...

15. "Yellow Odalisque" painter Matisse: HENRI.  This:

16. Adept: ABLE.

[entry word]

20. Many a Sunday talk show panelist: PUNDIT.  [AI overview] defines it as: A pundit is an expert who frequently shares their opinions with the public through mass media. Commonly referred to as "talking heads" or commentators, they are highly prominent in political, financial, and sports journalism

 

21. "Today" producer: NBC NEWS.  I have never been a fan of morning news programs, regardless of the network airing.  "The Today Show" debuted on January 14, 1952 and is the first of its kind.  Several other morning news programs followed but "Today" is the most-watched

22. Foal's father: SIRE.  Here is a video that was made before the last Triple Crown champion.  Of these horses Seattle Slew topped all Triple Crown winners as a sire; producing 8 champions, including Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, Swale (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner), and Slew o’ Gold.

 

25. "Rules __ rules": ARE.  

[entry word]

32. Love, in Verona: AMORE.  

33. Cabbage side: SLAW.  One of my favorite slaw mixes is called "Tri-Color" and contains both green and red (purple) cabbage as well as chopped carrots

34. Fig. in a QB's completion percentage: ATT.   Attempts (actual passes thrown) divided by completions = the completion percentage.  One of the leading quarterbacks in winning Super Bowls, Terry Bradshaw, had a completion percentage of 51.9 - that is mediocre as far as statistics goes, but his 4 Super Bowl wins (no losses) is the highest winning percentage (based on total wins), tied with Joe Montana.  Tom Brady has 7 Super Bowl wins but has also had 3 Super Bowl losses

 

37. Second chances for students: RE-TESTS.  I can't recall ever having had a re-test when I was in school.  But this young woman did [Moe-ku]

 

Cosmetic student

Was absent; had to make-up

Her Makeup exam

 

39. Lee Child protagonist: REACHER.  Jack Reacher is a large, nomadic man with a military police background who wanders the country, taking odd jobs and stumbling into trouble

 

42. Genetic material: DNA.  Comparing the structure of DNA vs RNA: DNA is typically double-stranded, forming a twisted double helix. RNA is usually single-stranded and shorter, allowing it to easily interact with other molecules

43. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA.  Fun fact:  Olga Korbut never scored a perfect "10" in any of her Olympic events

45. TV executive Arledge: ROONE.  The man who brought ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and "Monday Night Football" to the TV Sports lineup

[entry word]

50. Smug cry: OHO.  

51. Blood bank fluids: SERA.

52. Kylo Ren's father in "Star Wars": HAN SOLO.  For those who are unfamiliar with some of the genealogy in "Star Wars":  Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo) is the biological child of Han Solo and Leia Organa. Because Leia is the daughter of Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), Darth Vader is Kylo Ren's grandfather

56. Jewel box: CD CASE.  Clever clue.  Fun Fact: [according to AI] CD case inventor, Peter Doodson christened the name "jewel case" in 1982 when he was working for Philips. He named the case "jewel" because he considered its structure "virtually perfect" and specifically designed its polished ribs to catch the light, giving it a shining, gem-like appearance

[reveal]

64. Paddington, but not Waterloo: BEAR.  This clue refers also to a pair of stations in the London Underground (Tube).  According to AI: the fastest way to travel between them is by taking the direct Bakerloo line on the London Underground, which takes around 10–15 minutes. Alternatively, a taxi ride takes 15–20 minutes

65. Grey Goose rival: STOLI.  Vodka rivals.  As an imbiber of various adult beverages, vodka is my least favorite.  I keep a bottle strictly for any guest who requests.  My "go-to's" include (in no particular favorite order): Single Malt Scotch (Highland and Islay), Bourbon and Rye whiskey, Gin, and Tequila/Mezcal

66. History book sections: ERAS.  Moe-ku #2:

Baseball history book

Has section for great pitchers:

E.R.A. eras 

 

67. USN officers: CDRS. I tried ADMS first before doing the down words

68. Schlepped: TOTED.  I have received many tote bags at various trade shows I've attended, but never one called a "schlepp bag"

69. Starchy root in poi: TARO.  I am trying to cut back on starches ...

Down:
1. Strongbox fastener: HASP.  Another word for "lock"

2. Words said to Marcus Junius Brutus: ET TU.  Does the "Marcus Junius" preface to Brutus make this a harder clue?  Any time I see the name "Brutus" I think of "et tu?"

3. Modern Persia: IRAN.  Modern Mesopotamia: IRAQ

4. Pretoria currency: RAND.  As of the day I wrote this blog, the value of a ZAR (also known as the South African Rand) is R1.00 = $0.06 USD

5. "Quit yapping!": SHUT IT.  

6. Cheer team feeling: PEP.  

7. Company abbr.: INC.  LLC also fits

8. Jumbo suffix: TRON.  Fun Fact: Jumbotron, although originally a registered trademark by Sony in 1985, has become a generic term for any oversized stadium screen [Wikipedia]

9. Country between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers: ZIMBABWE. Zimbabwe info And, we have as a supporting clue/answer: 30 down. Capital of 9-Down: HARARE.

10. "It's Always Something" memoirist Gilda: RADNER. 

11. Theater honor: OBIE.  The "O" in EGOT

12. Fault: FLAW. If grammar and spelling errors in my blog are considered flaws, well, there could be a few

13. Camera part: LENS. Also a part of the eye.  I now have two artificial lenses as a result of cataract surgery last year.  Never have I ever seen better

18. Sink accumulation: DISHES.  Guilty as charged!  When I was a single man I always left the dirty dishes in the sink until enough were ready for transfer to the dishwasher.  Same now; however, Miss Margaret transfers to the dishwasher immediately OR washes them by hand

19. Sandy shade: ECRU.  

23. Do a bit of grapplin': RASSLE.  Grapplin' (missing the last letter "G") indicated to me that this was going to be an abbreviated form of the word WRESTLE

24. Night school subj.: ESL.  English as Second Language

26. Like some cider: HARD.  Not one of Moe's preferred "adult" beverages

27. Blessing response: AMEN.  

28. Bitty bits: IOTAS.

29. Pre-MBA hurdle: GRE.  Graduate Record Examination

[re-pasted with 9 down]

31. "Hot diggity dog!": YAHOO.  Another clue could have been: "alternate to Hotmail"

35. Miss. neighbor: TENN.  Considering that Mississippi has four neighbors, the only one of those that I think can be expressed in a four-letter abbr. is TENNessee - Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas are its other neighboring states

36. Cypress or cedar: TREE. 

38. Task manager?: TO DO LIST. I use one; on a piece of paper, as opposed to having something entered on my cellphone, e.g.

40. Ocean fleet: ARMADA.  For a "fleeting" moment, the Chairman and Miss M owned an Armada, which we "lovingly" called "The Beast".  This:

41. Corn core: COB.

44. Some classic muscle cars: GTS.  This GT was hardly a muscle car but it did have bucket seats and only two doors - more like a "mush muscle" car ... 

47. Total failures: LOSERS.

48. Waffle House rival: IHOP.  I would hardly compare iHOP to Waffle House.  IYKYK

49. Dragon's mouth, e.g.: ORCHID.  Learning "moe-ment".  I never heard of this example until today

52. U.K.-based bank: HSBC.  HBSC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations, serving approximately 41 million customers across 56 countries and territories. Founded in Hong Kong in 1865, the institution is headquartered in London and acts as a major global bridge for trade corridors between Asia, Europe, and the Americas [from their website]

53. Wowed: AWED. 

54. Close by: NEAR.

55. "I think you're __ something": ON TO.

57. Tech trends site: CNET.  I've used this site occasionally to read reviews about cellphones, computers, and even headphones

58. Indian tourist city with a mausoleum: AGRA.  Home to the Taj Mahal

59. Step in a scallops recipe: SEAR.  Here is a random recipe I found for seared scallops

60. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.  Standard Oil

62. Realized: GOT.  

63. Guardians, on a scoreboard: CLE.  Fun Fact:  I have been a CLEveland baseball fan since the late 1950's.  And while I "GOT" (see 62 down clue) that their team's mascot (Chief Wahoo) was a bad choice, the elimination of the name Indians was not one I supported.  The Cleveland Baseball Franchise was the first to have a native American player (Louis Sockalexis), as well as the first black player (in the American League) Larry Doby.  At the time Sockalexis played for them (late 1890's) the team was known as the Spiders; Sockalexis was the inspiration to rename the team the Indians in 1915 after he was through playing, and many a Cleveland fan called the team the Indians while he was playing

The "Guardians" reference is to a pair of "Guardians of Traffic" statues located on the Hope Memorial Bridge, which stands near the team's ballpark (see image below).  The interesting thing is that until this "logo/image/name" was chosen, most Clevelanders were unfamiliar with the statues or never paid much attention to them as they drove across the bridge 

 

Summary:

Great puzzle; I give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐'s (one of my highest rankings, IIRC).  As a side note, the Chairman's alter ego (Chris Gross) will have a puzzle published @ Newsday tomorrow, June 4.  If you would like to solve it, please save this link - I think it will refresh to the correct date so you can fill it in on-line.  You can also change it from the drop down icon on its task bar.  Or, perhaps this link will provide you a copy to print and solve  This is my first published puzzle in quite a while.  Hope you enjoy!