Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Zachary Gallardo

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle constructed by Zachary Gallardo.  Zachary recently had another LAT puzzle recapped here (on 24 May 20226).  

In today's puzzle, Zachary stacks the names of bands on top of types of seagoing ships.  In each case, the name of the band stands alone while the letters forming the type of vessel are consecutive parts of longer answers.  The reveal is both clever and playful:

59 Across:  "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP.  Or, in this instance, A BAND ON SHIP.  To help us recognize what the constructor and editor are up to, the grid contains those ever-polarizing circles.

It is also worth noting that the reveal does double duty as part of one of the four themed (pairs of) answers.

Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:

15 Across:  Camel's watering hole: OASIS (a British rock band) and 17 Across:  Programming problem: ENDLESS LOOP.    SLOOP (A sloop is a single-masted sailing vessel typically rigged with a fore-and-aft configuration)

25 Across:  Enclosed rhyme scheme in Petrarchan sonnets: ABBA  (the Swedish pop quartet) and 30 Across:  Clinton secretary of state: ALBRIGHT.  BRIG (a ship with two square-rigged masts)

Madeline Albright

41 Across:  "Exactly right!": YES, (an English band perhaps best known for the song "Owner of A Lonely Heart) and 45 Across:  Bible Belt state: ARKANSAS.  ARK  Ahoy, Noah!

54 Across:  Yellow brick road terrier: TOTO (formed in Los Angeles in 1977) and 59 Across:  "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP.  SHIP (in this case, generic)

The completed grid looks like this:

Here are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Emerged: AROSE.  Emerged not from an eggshell or from hiding.  More like an issue that came up.

6. Korean-American grocery store: H MART.  Per Wikipedia, the chain was founded in 1982 and there are now 98 locations.

11. Dim sum brew: CHA.  IIRC, Dim Sum being Chinese dumplings and CHA being tea.       

14. Little solo break: ME DAY.  Hand up for first trying to think of something music-related.

16. "That'll leave a mark!": OOF.  Meh.

19. Scand. country: NOR.  Abbreviated.  Had to be NOR, DEN, SWE, or FIN.

20. Proboscis: NOSE.  By definition.

21. Feature of Canada's flag: LEAF.

22. Nove minus uno: OTTO.  Lezione di italiano di oggi.

23. Suspicious: SHADY.  Suspicious is used, here, as an adjective.

27. Turkish peak: ARARAT.  Often visited in our puzzles . . . and where the ARK came to rest.

34. Olympic gymnast with five moves named for her: BILES.

Simone Biles

35. 2025 Best Picture Oscar winner: ANORA.

36. Letters of liability?: IOU.  Liability as in a debt to repay.

37. Dongle, e.g.: ADAPTER.  A computer hardware reference.

39. Synagogue singers: CANTORS.  CANTORS lead the congregation in singing.

42. __ Sports Bureau: stats giant: ELIAS.  IIRC, I learned about this one from Vin Scully

44. "Punch-__ Love": Paul Thomas Anderson film: DRUNK.

47. Shelters: HOUSES.  From the general to the more specific.

48. Altar site: APSE.

49. Change: COINS.  Used as a noun.  Not as in the verb "to alter".  Loose, or spare change.

51. Prometheus's gift: FIRE.

53. "See ... ": WELL.  Something someone might say . . . and mean.

58. Aussie hopper: ROO.

62. Nocturnal bird of prey: OWL.

63. __ Gras: MARDI. 

64. Unlike the rest: OTHER.  With your kind indulgence, I will pass on a Kendrick Lamar video at this point.

65. Young lady: GAL.

66. Clique: POSSE.  POSSE has expanded from its context in old westerns to now indicate with whom one hangs out.

67. Vociferous: NOISY.  Due to noise complaints, they passed a law in Hawaii that you are no longer allowed to laugh above a certain decibel.  Now you can only use a low hah.

Down:

1. "Exactly right!": AMEN.  Why do they say AMEN instead of awomen in church?  Because they sing hymns instead of hers.

2. City north of Carson City: RENO.

3. Probabilities: ODDS.

4. Service promoter: SALES REP.

5. Cyclone center: EYE.

6. Swindled: HOSED.  Either way we've been had.

7. __ bear: Southeast Asian forest dweller: MALAYAN.

Photo by MM

8. Since: AS OF.  A time reference.  Not "because".

9. Animated film about Spix's macaws: RIO.

10. Baker's shortening?: TSP.  Shortened as in TSP for teaspoon.

11. Like laughter, sometimes: CONTAGIOUS.

12. 62-Across call: HOOT.

  Me: I don't wanna alarm anyone, but I think someone in this room might be an owl.

  Grandkid: Who? WHO?

  Me: gasp Oh no, it's worse than I thought!

13. Curly hairstyle: AFRO.

18. Bed frame board: SLAT.

22. Japanese sash: OBI.  Frequently worn in our puzzles.

24. Picks up the pace: HASTENS.

25. Pokémon that ultimately evolves into Alakazam: ABRA.

26. Jason's "Beverly Hills, 90210" role: BRANDON.

27. Modest Muslim robe: ABAYA.

28. Bus passenger: RIDER.

29. Sushi bite topped with salmon: ALASKA ROLL.

31. Hairstyle that may begin with comb coils: LOCS.  New to this solver.  Thanks, perps.  Seems to be a form of the word Dreadlocks.

32. "Stormy Weather" singer Lena: HORNE.

1943

33. Elephant pair: TUSKS.

35. Operatic solo: ARIA.

38. If-then-__ statement: ELSE.

40. Leaves in the care of: TRUSTS TO.  Often, ENTRUSTS

43. Climbs: ASCENDS.  What was it called when all the good dinosaurs ASCENDED to Heaven before the meteor struck.  The veloci-rapture

46. Big galoot: APE.

47. Big Island county seat: HILO.  A bit of Hawaiian geography.

50. Throwback hit: OLDIE.

51. Amphibious hopper: FROG.

52. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

53. Major conflicts: WARS.

55. "Didn't see you there!": OH HI.

56. Knots: TIES.  Which country is known for manufacturing TIES?  Tieland.

57. The Grand Ole __: OPRY.

59. Metal box?: AMP.  A reference to "Heavy Metal" music.

60. Dim sum bun: BAO.  See also 11 Across.

61. Persona __ grata: NON.

Well, perhaps, this reviewer has overstayed his welcome and become a Persona Non Grata (unwelcome).  So, this Manatee will now abandon ship.  One parting comment, however:  It was interesting to travel the world (sail the seven seas?) with this puzzle's references to Sweden, Arkansas, Korea, Africa, Norway, China, Japan, Canada, Turkiye, Australia, New Orleans, Malaysia, Reno, Hawaii, Alaska, and other places.

_____________________________________

MM Out