Happy October from Cameron Barr and Annabel Blitzer! Cameron is student writer and puzzle constructor for The Riverdale Review, the student-run newspaper of the Riverdale Country School where they serve milk in the cafeteria. Along with co-constructor Annabel, they've published crosswords for the paper's game section. Today, they usher in the fourth quarter with their joint entry into the big time LAT. Woohoo!
17. "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" actor: VAL KILMER. VAL reprised his role as Iceman despite having throat cancer requiring the use of AI to alter his voice.
25. Insect such as Bombyx mori: SILK MOTH. As everyone (?) knows, Bombyx mori is the scientific name for a SILK MOTH.
36. "The Kiss" painter: GUSTAV KLIMT. The Austrian symbolist painter depicted a couple embracing in 1908.
51. Appear as: SEEM LIKE. This creates an impression.
61. Ice cream treat, or what can be found in 17-, 25-, 36-, or 51-Across?: MILKSHAKE. The revealer tells us that the letters in the word "MILK" are SHAKEn (not stirred) in all the theme answers.
Being Thursday, the scrambled letters M, I, L and K are not circled. Usually, in this kind of puzzle, the theme is of no help in the solve - once revealed, you look back and see how it all fits. But in this case, I couldn't come up with GUSTAV's last name and had blanks until I saw the letters of MILK had to be in there somewhere and then it clicked. The rest was uneventful short fill that went quickly. Overall, a fine first effort.
Continuing through the Milky Way:
Across:
1. Pride letters: LGBT. This abbreviation is almost an abbrev. itself as it's often appended with Q, as in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.
5. Latch (onto): GLOM.
9. Pricey strings, familiarly: STRAD. I wanted STRAT, of course. David Gilmour's 1969 Fender "Black Strat" sold for $14,550,000 in March 2026, breaking all previous records. This Stratocaster was used on the classic Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
14. Geometric calculation: AREA.
15. Spiritual energy: AURA.
16. Canines, e.g.: TEETH. Buster has an underbite that we sometimes wonder if other dogs see as a snarl.
17. [theme]
19. Spy collection: INTEL. Everyone's favorite British spy not named Bond, James Bond.
20. Do-nothing: IDLER.
21. Fastest qualifier in auto racing: POLE CAR. From my exhaustive research (I used the Google) a POLE CAR is not a proper term. It is the polesitter who starts in the pole position.
23. Welcomes: SEES IN.
25. [theme]
28. Possesses: HAS.
29. All ready: SET. On your mark, get SET, go!!
31. "I disagree": NAY. As in a "no" vote.
32. Word with flat or late: FEE. Flat FEE; late FEE.
33. Plemons of "The Power of the Dog": JESSE. He made a good first impression on me in Breaking Bad (recently voted the #1 Best TV Show of the 21st Century by the NYT) and has since seen his star rise.
35. Lends a hand: AIDS.
36. [theme]
40. Without a date: STAG. "STAG" historically meant an adult male deer, which became a slang term for an all-male gathering.
42. Like many a chimney sweep: SOOTY.
43. Resistance unit: OHM.
44. Show stoppers?: ADS. Fun clue.
47. Org. overseeing LA28: IOC. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is overseen by the International Olympic Committee.
48. Part of B&B: BED. When RightBrain and I go on vacation, we usually pick a BED & Breakfast to stay at. The last one we enjoyed was the Forsyth Park Inn in Savannah, GA. A grand old house with large rooms and 12ft ceilings located across from a beautiful park.
51. [theme]
54. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. PHOEBE was played by Lisa Kudrow.
56. Lady Gaga, for one: POP DIVA. Lady Gaga dressed so outlandishly, I initially thought she was just a curiosity. But I soon realized that she is a very fine musician, and used her whimsical persona to break through. Costumes may open the door, but talent keeps it open.
58. Moral standard: ETHIC. PETA condemned the meat dress but others saw it as a statement against women being seen as a piece of meat.
59. Burp: BELCH.
61. [theme]
63. Nebraska city: OMAHA.
64. Fancy party spread: PATE. PATE may be fancy, but I usually don't like it.
65. Like leap years: EVEN.
66. Some sushi fish: TUNAS. On the other hand, I like TUNA. My mom said it made her ill, so I rarely got it for lunch (ref. PBJs last week). Other kids in the cafeteria would bemoan, "TUNA again," while I thought it was a special treat. With MILK, of course.
67. Lock lips, in London: SNOG. SNOG means to kiss, and shag means to...
68. Musical pause: REST.
Down:
1. Extravagant: LAVISH.
2. Top-notch: GRADE A.
3. Some ball attendees: BELLES.
4. Opinions, informally: TAKES.
5. Lass: GAL.
6. Gravy imperfection: LUMP. On special occasions growing up, I was tasked with whipping the potatoes. In an attempt to make them LUMP-free, I overworked them creating a gluey texture. Fortunately, no one complained.
7. Cookies with many limited-edition flavors: OREOS. As many flavors as ways to clue them.
8. Miami baseball player: MARLIN. I was at the first Florida Marlins game in 1993. They were renamed the Miami Marlins in 2011 after moving to their new stadium in Miami.
Across:
1. Pride letters: LGBT. This abbreviation is almost an abbrev. itself as it's often appended with Q, as in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.
5. Latch (onto): GLOM.
9. Pricey strings, familiarly: STRAD. I wanted STRAT, of course. David Gilmour's 1969 Fender "Black Strat" sold for $14,550,000 in March 2026, breaking all previous records. This Stratocaster was used on the classic Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
14. Geometric calculation: AREA.
15. Spiritual energy: AURA.
16. Canines, e.g.: TEETH. Buster has an underbite that we sometimes wonder if other dogs see as a snarl.
 |
| Our canine showing his canines. |
17. [theme]
19. Spy collection: INTEL. Everyone's favorite British spy not named Bond, James Bond.
20. Do-nothing: IDLER.
21. Fastest qualifier in auto racing: POLE CAR. From my exhaustive research (I used the Google) a POLE CAR is not a proper term. It is the polesitter who starts in the pole position.
23. Welcomes: SEES IN.
25. [theme]
28. Possesses: HAS.
29. All ready: SET. On your mark, get SET, go!!
31. "I disagree": NAY. As in a "no" vote.
32. Word with flat or late: FEE. Flat FEE; late FEE.
33. Plemons of "The Power of the Dog": JESSE. He made a good first impression on me in Breaking Bad (recently voted the #1 Best TV Show of the 21st Century by the NYT) and has since seen his star rise.
35. Lends a hand: AIDS.
36. [theme]
40. Without a date: STAG. "STAG" historically meant an adult male deer, which became a slang term for an all-male gathering.
42. Like many a chimney sweep: SOOTY.
43. Resistance unit: OHM.
44. Show stoppers?: ADS. Fun clue.
47. Org. overseeing LA28: IOC. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is overseen by the International Olympic Committee.
48. Part of B&B: BED. When RightBrain and I go on vacation, we usually pick a BED & Breakfast to stay at. The last one we enjoyed was the Forsyth Park Inn in Savannah, GA. A grand old house with large rooms and 12ft ceilings located across from a beautiful park.
51. [theme]
54. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. PHOEBE was played by Lisa Kudrow.
56. Lady Gaga, for one: POP DIVA. Lady Gaga dressed so outlandishly, I initially thought she was just a curiosity. But I soon realized that she is a very fine musician, and used her whimsical persona to break through. Costumes may open the door, but talent keeps it open.
 |
| Her raw meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards |
58. Moral standard: ETHIC. PETA condemned the meat dress but others saw it as a statement against women being seen as a piece of meat.
59. Burp: BELCH.
61. [theme]
63. Nebraska city: OMAHA.
64. Fancy party spread: PATE. PATE may be fancy, but I usually don't like it.
65. Like leap years: EVEN.
66. Some sushi fish: TUNAS. On the other hand, I like TUNA. My mom said it made her ill, so I rarely got it for lunch (ref. PBJs last week). Other kids in the cafeteria would bemoan, "TUNA again," while I thought it was a special treat. With MILK, of course.
67. Lock lips, in London: SNOG. SNOG means to kiss, and shag means to...
68. Musical pause: REST.
Down:
1. Extravagant: LAVISH.
2. Top-notch: GRADE A.
3. Some ball attendees: BELLES.
4. Opinions, informally: TAKES.
5. Lass: GAL.
6. Gravy imperfection: LUMP. On special occasions growing up, I was tasked with whipping the potatoes. In an attempt to make them LUMP-free, I overworked them creating a gluey texture. Fortunately, no one complained.
7. Cookies with many limited-edition flavors: OREOS. As many flavors as ways to clue them.
8. Miami baseball player: MARLIN. I was at the first Florida Marlins game in 1993. They were renamed the Miami Marlins in 2011 after moving to their new stadium in Miami.
 |
| A spring training program from 1994 |
9. Like flypaper: STICKY.
10. Brunch hr.: TEN AM.
11. Supply with updated parts: RETROFIT. Part 4?
12. Feasted on: ATE.
13. UPS competitor: DHL. United Parcel Service vs. Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn, named after the three founders who started the company in 1969.
18. Van Gogh flowers: IRISES. The IRISES were originally purple, but researchers found the red pigment he used was sensitive to light and faded to blue over time.
 |
| The original on left with a restored version on right. |
22. She, in Portuguese: ELA.
24. Tree house?: NEST.
26. Danson of "The Good Place": TED. People seem to like this show, but me? Not so much.
27. Bucks and rams: HES. Attendees at a STAG party.
30. ID checkers at an airport: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration is actively considering allowing TSA PreCheck passengers to bring water bottles through security. Yay! After 20 years of making us throw our water away, they are finally coming to their senses.
33. Big container: JUG. It's not like I'm trying to bring a JUG of moonshine aboard a plane!
34. Chargeable autos, for short: EVS. Electric Vehicles.
35. "Good Hang" podcaster Poehler: AMY. AMY always delivers good content, starting with her stint on SNL.
36. Locker room strategy: GAME PLAN.
37. Fish that turns into a dragon, per myth: KOI.
38. Roller coaster feature: LOOP. My favorite roller coaster is the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg where I used to work summers.
 |
| The only coaster in the world with interlocking LOOPs |
39. Desires: ITCHES.
40. "Help us!": SOS. As I've mentioned before, SOS does not stand for anything. It's just easy to type in Morse Code ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ).
41. Not just a: THE.
44. Socially dominant types: ALPHAS.
45. Accomplished: DID.
46. Cuts corners: SKIMPS.
48. "Don't act up!": BEHAVE. It's Austin Powers Day!
49. Battery-powered rides: E-BIKES.
50. Clothed, so to speak: DECENT.
52. Frappuccino flavor: MOCHA.
53. Water brand: EVIAN.
55. Last multiple-choice choice, often: OTHER.
57. Midrange voice: ALTO.
59. Many a customer service assistant: BOT.
60. Animal mascot for Liberty Mutual: EMU. Liberty Mutual is sometimes abbreviated as LiMu, which rhymes with EMU. Of the big three insurance mascots, I like the gecko best.
 |
| LiMu EMU, GEICO Gecko, AFLAC Duck |
62. Beer dispenser: KEG.
BTW, I'm not a huge Austin Powers fan, but the references just seemed to fit so I milked it for all it's worth!
Be good. RB
There were a couple of
ReplyDelete“initial” things that were pretty tough, but on the whole I didn’t find this puzzle to be too bad.
FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR, but be nice->BEHAVE.
ReplyDeleteSince my home is under the trees (meaning no DirecTV) and the RV park’s cable doesn’t work, I’ve started watching some of the old shows that were popular long ago. Friends is one of them, so I knew PHOEBE right off the bat. Would have had no idea three weeks ago.
I had no idea what LA28 is, but I guessed from the answer that it has something to do with the olympics, or else some internet thing.
I knew the painting but didn’t know GUSTAV KLIMT. I would never have completed this fill without the theme, so the theme was helpful for a change.
Thanks to Cameron and Annabel for the fun, easy-for-Thursday puzzle, and to Rusty Brain for guiding us through it.
If you have streaming on your TV, just download the DIRECT TV app.
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMy Wite-Out got a workout this morning with TOM CRUISE/VAL KILMER, POP IDOL/POP DIVA, TYPEAS/ALPHAS. The only difference I can see between the original and restored irises is that one of 'em has a frame. LOOP was timely -- the X2 rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently closed this week. Too many people suffered brain injuries on that ride. Thanx, Cameron, Annabel, and Rusty for a pleasant start to the morning.
I too put in Tom Cruise. Great minds think alike.
DeleteI agree, the IRISES look the same.
DeleteThe background small yellow flowers maybe cleaned up and brighter?
I see the IRISES blue vs purple. But the original has a nice frame!
DeleteFIR. I wonder if the constructors could have come up with several more proper names to further complicate what should have been a nice Thursday presentation? The painter was a complete unknown for me. Fortunately for me the rest weren't.
ReplyDeleteI had to stare at the reveal for a while to get the theme. But then the light bulb went off.
Overall a so-so puzzle.
Nice puzzle and fun theme. I like GRADE A MILK. No problem seeing the word without circles.
ReplyDeleteThe only unknown name for me was JESSE, and the only head scratcher was POLE CAR.
Thank you RB for the Austen Powers themed review.🤣🤣. Always like to see pics of your little canine.
i like to think of sos as save our souls or save our ship
ReplyDeleteThose are backronyms, created after the fact.
DeleteA nice easy Thursday that is impressive considering the age of the constructors. It also had a CSO to my favorite NASA denizen Husker Gary. The airwaves are already filled with ads that feature Dr Evil and I probably will not watch a 4th film in the franchise.
ReplyDeleteThank you guys and girls, happy October and maybe one day we won’t need a breast cancer awareness month. AI, instead of killing humans maybe lend a hand
A nice easy Thursday that is impressive considering the age of the constructors. It also had a CSO to my favorite NASA denizen Husker Gary. The airwaves are already filled with ads that feature Dr Evil and I probably will not watch a 4th film in the franchise.
ReplyDeleteThank you guys and girls, happy October and maybe one day we won’t need a breast cancer awareness month. AI, instead of killing humans maybe lend a hand
The MILK was splattered in the theme fills but I didn't notice. SILK MOTH was unknown as clued but and easy fill after a few perps. KLIMP'S first name was unknown.
ReplyDeleteFlypaper? Do they even make it anymore?
HES- only in crossword puzzles..
I know POLE SETTER and POLE POSITION but Pole CAR; that's a new one.
Never having seen Friends, Breaking Bad, or listened to anyone's podcast left it to perps to fill PHOEBE, JESSE, and AMY.
GAME PLAN- I read yesterday that some stupid student/employee who worked in the athletic department at Auburn gave some information about the football team's plans to Tennessee. Got arrested as a result.
“Don’t cry over spilt MILK”
ReplyDeleteVery impressive, Cameron for a someone I assume is a HS student? (don’t know if a guy or a GAL, my little grand(great?) niece is named Cameron). Is Annabel is a student as well?
The word MILK has been shaken and reversed in each theme answer: cute. (A ”Frappuccino” contains MOCHA and some KLIM)
Inkovers: SEEMtobe/LIKE, E-buses/BIKES
Anyone actually put GLOM before GrAsp without perp hints? (Interesting that “Top Gun” Tom Cruise has the same letter count.) Deterred from SILKwOrm by dancin’ TED at “brunch”
Traveling along the MA pike to my DD’s house we pass through BELCHertown. I’m tempted to roll down the windows and listen 🫧
One of the most incredible music videos I’have seen is Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” on YouTube
Like a loo: LAVISH
Add flavor: SEESIN
I never order a Frappuccino cuz it costs too ____ … MOCHA 😖
Enjoy the day 😊
I can’t fault the constructors for the misplacement of their puzzle. Hats off to them for putting together an excellent puzzle that deserved a Monday slot in the rotation.
ReplyDeleteFIR in 6:21, but it went so smoothly that it felt like it took four minutes. I work top-to-bottom, and I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have to leave a fill blank and double back to it later.
Took 4:36 today to listen to Lim Kim (who is evidently a South Korean singer - look for her to come to a crossword puzzle near you).
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the Actor of the Day (Jesse) or his show/movie, but I did know Amy Poehler.
It's probably a sign that I've watched too much "Friends" when I could tell you what the episode is about just from that picture of Phoebe.
A silky smooth October start from Cameron and Annabel. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I were lucky enough to visit MoMa Museum of Modern Art (NYC) when they featured the art of Gustav Klimt.
“The Kiss” is mesmerizing and enchanting.
Hands up for Tom Cruise before Val Kilmer.
I’m not sure a keg dispenses beer. I think the tap does that.
Thanks RB for the thorough recap.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe reveal was an Aha moment as the themers gave no clue, at least to me. Like Ray O, I stumbled at Seems To Be/Seems Like and, also Grab/Glom. The theme and the fill are not Thursday level, IMO, nor is 10:00 am a typical brunch time, both editorial faux pas. Neither, however, affected my enjoyment of the solve.
Thanks, Cameron and Annabel, and thanks, RB, for your informative review and commentary. Thanks, also, for the cute photo of Buster, underbite and all. Sending the usual tummy rubs!
Congratulations to my Yankees. I hope they handle Tampa Bay with the same success. (Kat, sorry your Red Sox disappointed you!)
IM, thanks. The playoffs were certainly a disappointment, but it turned out to be a fun season. We saw the Sox play at Fenway and at Coors Field this year, and we enjoyed both games.
DeleteCongratulations to Cameron and Annabel on your LAT debut!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this puzzle with its fun, tight, and accessible theme. Also like that the correct answer to the first themer (VAL KILMER) is not the obvious one. Sounds like you caught most of us with that one! I thought that the fill overall had a nice quality - not too tricky, not too mundane. Well done!
Thanks also to RB for the delightful review. I agree with you on the insurance mascots: the gecko and the duck are likeable, but I hate the emu adds so much that I would never consider doing business with Liberty Mutual. I have no idea how you knew that today was Austin Powers Day, but it made for an enjoyable thread running through the recap
Hola! Yes. I agree. This puzzle could have been a Monday issue. However, it was still fun to solve. I wasn't sure of KLIMT'S first name but GUSTAV perped easily.
ReplyDeleteI first saw PHOEBE as a character in "Little Women."
If I recall correctly BELCH is also a character in one of Shakespeare's plays.
CSO to Gary at OMAHA.
I've never bought EVIAN water.
Thank you, RB, for your insights. Have a lovely day, everyone!
Sir Toby BELCH is a character in "Twelfth Night" and is frequently intoxicated.
ReplyDeleteMakes ya wonder if that’s the origin of that word’s common usage 😆
Delete====> Darren
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Cameron and Annabel (congrats on your LAT debut), and RustyBrain.
ReplyDeleteOfficially a FIW. My fish was a cod, and although I corrected to a K for KLIMT, I left the D in DOC. I had no idea what LA28 stood for, but I’m sure that as the Olympics in LA get closer, I will see more of it.
But I also had a POst CAR (post position is for horse races, d’uh!), I couldn’t remember the MARLINs and do not know Portuguese (although ELA sounds better than tLA).
I did get the theme only with the reveal.. it helped with some of the themers that I had not completed, as I went back and looked for the MILK SHAKEs.
Hand up for SEEM to be before LIKE, and Grab before GLOM.
I had BE good before BEHAVE.
I was correctly seeing “Do-nothing” as a noun, but wanted “sloth”. IDLER perped. Meh!
Wishing you all a great day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Thanks Lemon and Lucina, but my Nebraska city of OMAHA got 7” of rain last night is has lots of water everywhere
-JESSE’s role in Breaking Bad was of a sadistic monster
-Lady Gaga held her own with this great singer
-A woman we’ve known for years said her husband threw out a TUNA sandwich last week saying, “You know we only use albacore.”
-Mike Myers had a tremendous run of success but his 2008 The Love Guru was a flop
-I thought his SNL spinoff movie Wayne’s World was a hoot but his Austin Power’s schtick got old in a hurry
-Paying millions for a guitar or a painting seem beyond silly to me, but if you got the cash…
-This wonderful movie was based on recovering another KLIMT masterpiece that was stolen by the Nazis
-My 2nd cousin and former student from OMAHA, Alec Bohm, hit a game-winning home run for the Phillies in the tenth inning yesterday to even the series with the Braves!
I am so glad that Alec Bohm settled the lawsuit that he had to take against his parents for stealing his money.
DeleteOne wrong cell…strat instead of strad. And yes, Tom before Val. Irises are my favorite flower. I carry a small crossbody purse with Van Gogh’s irises on it. Thanks Cameron and Annabel. Favorite clue “show stoppers/ads”. Thanks RB for the fun review through The Milky Way! Learning moment was “backronyms”!
ReplyDeleteNice leisurely cruise through the Barr/Blitzer debut — good solid job by the kids, and I’m sure their skillz will sharpen up as they progress. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI got the themers way before running across the reveal, at which I was like “oh…okay, cool little mix job!” — but it wasn’t necessary to get the solve, just a nice bonus. Sure, maybe a bit easy for a Thursday, but it was still fun. POLECAR was pretty stinky (too bad it couldn’t parse as POLECAt 🤣) and thanks to my BFA, our artist d’jour was a slam dunk. Ink-over on lookLIKE>SEEMLIKE when kOCHA obviously struck out.
Another good one, Rusty — loved all the Austin Powers plugins and other fun stuff! Holy scheiß $14.5 mil for one guitar? I guess Gilmore’s axe is the Ferrari 250 GGO LB of the music world. You’d think Hendrix’ burned Strat would be The One for that money…
I’m not sure, but I think the first 360° loop coaster was the Revolution out here at Magic Mountain. It was my one (and only) favorite roller coaster — but I had to be in the front car so I could “drive” the thing…or I’d lose my brunch.
Which, by the way, brunch imo is set for 11am, not 10 as clued. It’s the weekend, I like to sleep in a little 😎
I had a roommate decades ago who, on s scale of 1 to 10, could BELCH consistent 16’s. Yeah, I know, I know… it’s a “guy” thing, I guess, kinda like fart jokes. But the girls in the apartment above ours used to applause-rate us —so go figure.
====> Darren / L.A.
* Ferrari 250 GTO… 🤬
DeleteThe most expensive Hendrix guitar was the white Strat he played at Woodstock which surprising went for merely $2 million. But that was a while ago. If one of them ever came back on auction today, I'm sure it would fetch a lot more.
DeleteToday was a fun puzzle, and I even FIR. Last week I struggled, but have been better off this week. I even figured out the theme early, which helped me on one of longer answers.
ReplyDeleteI liked doing this puzzle and reading all your comments.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this relatively easy Thursday puzzle much better than last week’s Thursday offering. Am familiar with Gustave Klimt but needed to change jar to jug to make him fit. Congrats to the young constructors. Keep ‘em coming!
ReplyDeleteOjai Guy. An impressive start for these young constructors. A fun easy solve for a Thursday. My only glitch was starting with Tom Cruise. After erasing him (which I enjoyed), it was a smooth sail.
ReplyDelete