Monday, February 16, 2026, Betsy Ochester, Andrew Gutelle

Happy Presidents' Day!  NaomiZ here to MC a marvelous Monday puzzle by Betsy Ochester and Andrew Gutelle.  This puzzle has five theme entries, symmetrically placed in rows across, with one spanning the grid.  And today's puzzle is not just the luck of the draw, but as the grid spanner makes clear, it was designed for a Monday morning.  

The key to the theme is in the very last Across clue:

65-Across. Ceremony host, or a phonetic hint to 17-, 23-, 37-, 45-, and 58-Across: EMCEE.  EMCEE is a phonetic spelling of the initialism MC, which means Master of Ceremonies.  The hint suggests that the letters M and C will play important roles in the listed entries.

              NZ as MC

17. Communication system with dots and dashes: MORSE CODE.  This entry sets the pattern for the rest.  The two words of the answer begin with M and C.  When solving, I failed to see the pattern until 65-Across enlightened me.  Were you quicker to catch on?

"Samuel Morse, stop fooling with that telegraph thing.
People will never talk to each other with their fingers."

23. "Aladdin" transport: MAGIC CARPET.

37. Early-week newspaper feature: MONDAY CROSSWORD.  Here's our grid spanner!  It tells us that our constructors hoped this puzzle would run on a Monday.  

45. Actor who plays Allan in "Barbie": MICHAEL CERA.  Allan is Ken's red-headed buddy, and so rare a doll that in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, there are multiple Barbies and Kens, but just one Allan, played by Michael Cera.  Admittedly, I didn't remember any of that from the movie, but perps (perpendicular entries) were helpful.

Michael Cera as Allan in Barbie

58. Nickname for Detroit: MOTOR CITY.  I learned Detroit's nickname from X's album More Fun in the New World (1983), specifically from the song "The New World":

"Don't forget the Motor City, this was supposed to be the new world!"

Let's maneuver carefully through the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. Expenses: COSTS.

6. Happy __ clam: AS A.

9. "Judy" Oscar winner Zellweger: RENÉE.  Renée Zellweger won the Academy Award for Best Actress in this 2019 biographical film based on the life of Judy Garland.

14. Software company that makes InDesign and Acrobat: ADOBE.  I use Adobe software to view and edit PDFs, but if you know a good alternative, I am interested!

15. Captain's record: LOG.  My generation's favorite example of a captain's log:  Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise recording his observations and noting the stardate.

William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, the original TV series

16. Garlicky spread: AIOLI.

17. [Theme clue]

19. "I'm chipped" collar attachment: ID TAG.  A good idea!  Add this tag to your pet's collar to let folks know that the animal has a microchip which will lead to your information.  Our dogs always had their address and phone on their collars as well as the local dog license.

20. Peel or pare, say: PREP.  DH and I have learned to prep ingredients for the meal before we start cooking, so that things are less frantic as we go along.

21. Artist Yoko: ONO.

22. Miss Marple, e.g.: SLEUTH.  A fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime stories, Miss Marple is an amateur consulting detective.

Miss Marple

23. [Theme clue]

25. One little piggy's destination: MARKET.  We'll be playing piggies on our new grandson's toes any day now.  A strange cultural inheritance!

29. Cap: HAT.

30. Look forward to: AWAIT.

31. Bike part that can be raised and lowered: SEAT.

33. Rickman of "Love Actually": ALAN.  Alan Rickman (1946-2016) was an English actor of stage and screen.  You may remember him as Severus Snape, the potions master, in the Harry Potter movies.  Love Actually was a 2003 holiday season romantic comedy.  DH handles the rom-com viewing in our home.  

Alan Rickman in Love Actually. 
His character cheated on Emma Thompson's character.
Some people are still mad at Alan Rickman for that!

37. [Theme clue]

40. Side social media accounts, informally: ALTS.  Some folks set up more than one account on a social media platform.  You could have a very public Instagram account where you try to attract lots of followers, and you might have an ALT(ernate) account for close friends and family.  Or you might market to different audiences through your ALTS.  This is new to me.  I remember that before the world wide web became public, Usenet ALT groups were a way to chat with like-minded folks online.  I still use recipes I gleaned from alt.veg.

41. Many moons: EONS.  My Usenet activities occurred EONS ago.

42. Temporary body dye: HENNA.

43. Mini owner: BMW.  BMW owns the MINI brand, including MINI Cooper, MINI Countryman, and MINI Electric.

MINI lineup 2026

44. TikTok content: VIDEOS.  TikTok is another platform where some folks maintain ALTS.

45. [Theme clue]

51. NYC subway between Inwood and Far Rockaway: A TRAIN.  My brother lives in Inwood at the north end of Manhattan.  I've been there, but not to Rockaway, because it's Far.

52. Chem class locale: LAB.

53. Exchange: SWAP.

57. Queen's tenure: REIGN.

58. [Theme clue]

60. Permeate: IMBUE.

61. Be in debt: OWE.

62. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL.  Cute clue!

63. Donkeys: ASSES.

64. "Bel Canto" novelist Patchett: ANN.  Ann Patchett is an American writer whose fourth novel, Bel Canto, received the Orange Prize for Fiction (UK) and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (USA).  The novel is based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis of 1996-97 in Lima, Peru, and focuses on the relationships between terrorists and hostages.

Ann Patchett

65. [Theme clue]

Down:

1. Summer sleepaway site: CAMP.

2. Smell: ODOR.

3. Achy after exercise, say: SORE.

4. Meas. on the wrapper of a stick of butter: TBSP.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

5. "Catch my drift?": SEE?

6. "Run __ now!": ALONG.

7. "Likewise!": SO DO I!

8. Stone or Iron follower: AGE.

9. Berate: RAIL AT.

10. Puffer jacket filler, often: EIDER.  The Common Eider is a large sea-duck of the far north, famous for the insulating quality of its down.  Mother birds pluck their own down feathers to create warm nests for their young.  In Iceland, some folks build small huts for the birds to nest in, and collect the down when the nests are abandoned.

Male and female Common Eiders of Hudson Bay

11. Still snoozing: NOT UP.

12. Exhilarate: ELATE.

13. Twice four: EIGHT.

18. Paint layer: COAT.

22. Sings like Sarah Vaughan: SCATS.  Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist.  The recipient of two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, she was known to improvise wordless syllables -- scat singing -- which is typical of vocal jazz.

Sarah Vaughan

23. Self-referential: META.  "Meta" is something that refers to itself or its own category, such as a movie about making movies.  We sometimes see "meta" clues and answers in the crossword puzzle, like "Start to see?" for ESS.  BUT THE BEST META CLUE AND ANSWER I'VE EVER SEEN IN THE LA TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE IS TODAY'S GRID SPANNER, 37-ACROSS!    

24. Utter mess: CHAOS.

25. Three Bears matriarch: MAMA.

26. Mil. truant: AWOL.  A military truant is Away WithOut Leave.

27. __ and rave: RANT.

28. Nanny's offspring: KIDS.  Baby goats.

31. Grimace: SCOWL.

32. Directional suffix: ERN.  Eastern, western, northern, southern.

33. Amazed: AWED.

34. __ Star State: LONE.  Texas!

35. River of Florence: ARNO.

I took this photo of the Arno from Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy.

36. Confidentiality contracts, for short: NDAS.  Non-Disclosure Agreements are used to protect sensitive or proprietary information from being disclosed by employees, partners, and others.  An NDA protects trade secrets, client lists, and other confidential information.

38. Sanaa's country: YEMEN.  The capital and largest city of Yemen.

The red flag marks Sanaa.

39. Branch of Islam: SHIA.  Not long after the death of Muhammad in the year 632, his followers split into two camps:  Shia Muslims who believed that Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib was the rightful successor, and Sunni Muslims, who appointed Abu Bakr, Muhammad's closest friend and father-in-law, to succeed him.  Shia Muslims account for 10-13 percent of all Muslims.

43. The "B" of LBJ: BAINES.  Finally, a President for Presidents' Day!  Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908- 1973) was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.  He accomplished a lot for civil rights, education, Social Security, and the space program, but lost popular support for escalating involvement in the unpopular war in Vietnam.

LBJ

44. Airbnb competitor: VRBO.  Vrbo is an online marketplace for vacation rentals.  It was originally an initialism for Vacation Rentals By Owner, but is now just Vrbo.  DH and I have never used Airbnb (though our adult offspring do), but we have rented spacious cabins for the whole family through vrbo.com (and through HomeAway, which was absorbed by Vrbo in 2019).

This three-level cabin with turret was *inside* the boundaries of Glacier National Park!

45. Tennis star Sharapova: MARIA.  Maria Sharapova is a Russian former professional tennis player who won five major titles and the Career Grand Slam in singles.  

Maria Sharapova

46. Action __: post-meeting list: ITEMS.

47. Baby beds: CRIBS.

48. Peace Palace site, with "The": HAGUE.  The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, Netherlands.  It houses the International Court of Justice (the main judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law, and the Peace Palace Library.

Peace Palace

49. Bozo: CLOWN.  Bozo the Clown was a character created for children's entertainment, popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to television in 1949, later appearing in franchised television programs of which he was the host.  Bozo was played by numerous performers.  The Bozo Show aired nationally from 1960 to 2001.

Kids today are afraid of clowns.  Not old cruciverbalists!  We grew up with Bozo.

50. Devoured: EATEN.

53. Con: SCAM.

54. The Badger St.: WISC.  In the 1820s, Wisconsin lead miners lived in their mines, very much like badgers, burrowing into hillsides to keep warm in the winter.

A badger in a burrow.

55. Suit to __: fit perfectly: A TEE.

56. Gomer of TV's Mayberry: PYLE.  More old TV.  Gomer Pyle was a fictional character, played by Jim Nabors, who originally appeared on The Andy Griffith Show.  A naive auto mechanic turned US Marine Corps private, he became a recurring character, and then was spun off to his own show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in 1964, which ran until 1969.  The character was from the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.

Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle

58. Extinct New Zealand bird: MOA.  Moa are an extinct group of flightless birds formerly endemic to New Zealand.  There were likely a couple million of them circa 1300 CE when Polynesians settled New Zealand.  Some species were 12 feet tall!  Extinction occurred within 100 years of human settlement, thanks to overhunting.

Moa and human nemesis

59. Food writer Drummond: REE.  Ree Drummond is a food blogger whose site, The Pioneer Woman, documents her life in rural Oklahoma.  Her blog led to a television show of the same name on The Food Network.  I tried out some of her cookie recipes several years ago.  If she could do it on the ranch, surely I could do it in my urban kitchen!

Ree Drummond

Here's the grid:

Solvers, were you ELATEd by this MONDAY CROSSWORD?  Did it suit you to A TEE?

Or did you find some ITEMS you'd like to RANT about?

We AWAIT your comments below!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday, February 15, 2026, Tom Pepper and Zhouqin Burnikel

 Gift ideas

Here is a thoughtful gift from the Dream Team of Tom Pepper, and Zhouqin Burnikel. (Dynamic Duo was already taken.) For any newbies here, Zhouqin Burnikel is "CC," our "BFL" (Beloved Fearless Leader...) Of course, the dream team is incomplete without an Editor, but I am leaving her name out of this, because I am mad that she didn't publish this before Christmas, when I could have really used the Gift ideas...

22A. Shower gift?: RAIN JACKET.

24A. Money gift?: BREAD DOUGH.  Why do Bakers work so hard? Because the need the dough...

30A. Housewarming gift?: SPACE HEATER.

54A. Seasonal gift?: SPICE GRINDER. (Love this wordplay!)

68A. Thank-you gift?: GRATITUDE JOURNALS.

I really need one of these...

85A. Cheap gift?: PENNY LOAFERS. Sorry, the cheapest you can get these days are Nickel Loafers...

105A. Parting gift?: RAT-TAIL COMB.

Just one of many uses...

116A. Wedding gift?: RING BINDER. Yes, it's a thing! A.I. Overview

119A. Group gift?: BAND T SHIRT. 

I just listen to the music in my head...

Let's see how they fit "all' these theme answers into this grid!

Across:
1. Flyer with a stinger: WASP.

5. Punch sound: KAPOW.

It's louder in color...

10. Gather over time: AMASS.

15. __-mo: SLO.

18. Diez menos dos: OCHO. Spanish: ten minus two = eight

19. Red Velvet leader: IRENE. This was a tough one for anyone over 21.

Irene Bae Joon-Hyun 

Leader of the South Korean Girl Group

Red Velvet

(extra points if you can tell which one is Irene....)

20. Book with Judges: BIBLE. The Bible lists several leaders as judges of Israel, primarily the twelve mentioned in the Book of Judges...  hmm, no politics, no religion, trying to keep it lite here. For further information, consult your local Rabbi, (or spiritual leader of choice) for a pamphlet, on the Book of Judges, found within The Bible.

21. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO. (I wonder if his middle initial is "A.")

22. [Theme]

24. [Theme]

26. "Maybe a bit": KINDA. (Not sorta...)

27. Bone head?: OSTEO. Prefix from the Greek Osteon, meaning Bone. Follow link for examples...

29. Enjoys a trampoline: BOUNCES.

30. [Theme]

35. Head turners?: NECKS. This could have been clued differently, but still would have been a head turner...

36. ID sought by some hackers: SSN. Social Security Number.

39. "Origin" director DuVernay: AVA.

40. Bruins legend Bobby: ORR.

41. Commercial offer: REBATE.

43. Tailless primate: APE.

44. Trio of trios: NONET. A group of nine, like how many lives a cat has, or a musical group of 3 trios...

46. Knee-baring skirt: MINI. (They keep getting shorter, so MIDI might fit here now...)

47. Wrath: RAGE.

51. Park expanse: LAWN.

53. "How did they do that!?": WOW.

54. [Theme]

58. Risk getting bleeped: SWEAR.

60. "Sugar Walls" singer Sheena: EASTON.

Sheena Easton

62. Picking up on: SENSING.

63. Potts of "Young Sheldon": ANNIE.

The Best of MeeMaw.

64. Genre rooted in gospel: SOUL.

65. Pressurized garb: GSUIT. Yes, a G-suit is pressurized, but only when needed. It contains inflatable bladders that automatically fill with air, compressing the pilot's legs and abdomen during high-g maneuvers to prevent blood from pooling in the lower body, which keeps blood in the brain and prevents blackouts. 

67. Maker of POP kitchen storage containers: OXO. A brand name since 1990.

68. [Theme]

73. Focus of a skier's MRI, perhaps: ACL. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Anterior Cruciate Ligament connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia). 

And, the reason an MRI might focus on one...

75. Solitary person: LONER.

76. Slugger Ty who holds the record for most career steals of home plate: COBB.

77. Critter in a eucalyptus forest: KOALA.

80. Paper alternative: PLASTIC.

82. Old __ die hard: HABITS.

84. Fudd who bugs Bugs: ELMER.

Can you tell which one is Bugs?

85. [Theme]

88. Soft toss: LOB.

90. Diet-friendly, in ads: LITE.

91. Pop in a glass: SODA.

92. Degs. for some composers: MFAS. Master of Fine Arts.

93. Italian city known for salami: GENOA.

95. Supermodel Carangi: GIA.

96. Cover image on an Amer. passport: U.S. SEAL.

99. __ Dhabi: ABU. Capital City of The United Arab Emirates.

101. Business letters: INC. (meaning Incorporated...)

102. Slip-__: comfy shoes: ONS.

103. Bamboozled: AT SEA.

105. [Theme]

109. Mrs. __ cow: O'LEARYS. Stop blaming the poor cow for the Chicago Fire. A.I. Overview

111. Egg-shaped: OVATE.

112. Adds slack, perhaps: EASES.

116. [Theme]

119.[Theme]

122. Oscar winner Blanchett: CATE. Incredibly prolific actress, you may know her as "Galadriel" from The Lord of the Rings. But she could be almost anyone... Her IMDB

In the Movie Hannah, she uses a body double to escape a teenaged assassin.

123. Intimidate: DAUNT.

124. Beauty mogul Elizabeth: ARDEN.

125. Solo with orchestral backing: ARIA.

126. Residue in an incense burner: ASH.

127. Columns with angles: OP EDS. 😀 An essay in a newspaper or magazine that gives the opinion of the writer and that is written by someone who is not employed by the newspaper or magazine.

128. Intel source: ASSET.

129. "That __ fair!": ISN'T.

Down:
1. Function: WORK. You have to scroll way down the list of definitions under the word "function" to find "work."  Perhaps it would be easier to look at it backwards, (or CrossEyed) and think of this as the definition for work. (=function)

2. Superfruit in a yogurt bowl: ACAI.

3. Leg part: SHIN. A favorite skier MRI focus as the ACL connects it to the thigh bone...

4. Lily pads' places: PONDS.

5. Carnival creator: KIA. Ever play the car name game on a long trip? Try to make it through the alphabet.  See an Audi or an Accura, and claim an A! A Honda for H, a Ford for F. If you can't find a Buick for B, a Bronco will suffice! A javelin may be hard to find, but I have been saved by a Jetta... (you may have to cheat if you make it to U, U-haul etc...)

6. Parenthesis shape: ARC.

7. Tea grade: PEKOE.

8. Happening a single time: ONE SHOT. (Never happens in bars...)

9. Holding more water: WETTER.

See 8 down above

10. Big brother?: ABBOT.😀

11. Orbiter until 2001: MIR.

12. Honest pres.: ABE.

13. Concrete section: SLAB.

14. Arizona city known for sandstone formations: SEDONA.

15. Prepare, as oysters: SHUCK.

16. Pricey theater boxes: LOGES.

17. Sounds of wonder: OOHS.

21. Worries: CONCERNS.

23. Only Asian member of the G7: JAPAN.

25. Piece for two: DUET.

28. Sweet corn serving: EAR.

31. Profess: AVOW.

32. Tippy transport: CANOE.🙃

33. NFL Hall of Famer Dickerson: ERIC.

34. Philosopher Descartes: RENE "I think, therefore I am." (Cogito, ergo sum)

36. Taco topping: SALSA.

37. Produce young: SPAWN.

38. Clam chowder style: NEW ENGLAND. (Manhattan wouldn't fit.)

42. Scenic region between Carmel and San Simeon: BIG SUR.

45. Discarded PCs, printers, etc.: E WASTE.

46. Hour pt.: MIN. (Or sec, or...)

Decisecond: One-tenth of a second (

$0.1$

 s).

Centisecond: One-hundredth of a second (

$0.01$

 s).

Millisecond (ms): One-thousandth of a second (

$0.001$

 s).

Microsecond (

$\mu$

s): One-millionth of a second (

$0.000001$

 s).

Nanosecond (ns): One-billionth of a second (

${10}^{-9}$

 s).

Shake: 10 nanoseconds (

${10}^{-8}$

 s).

Picosecond (ps): One-trillionth of a second (

${10}^{-12}$

 s).

Femtosecond (fs): One-quadrillionth of a second (

${10}^{-15}$

 s).

Attosecond (as): One-quintillionth of a second (

${10}^{-18}$

 s).

Zeptosecond (zs): One-sextillionth of a second (

${10}^{-21}$

 s).

Planck time: Approximately 

$5.39\times {10}^{-44}$

 seconds. 

48. "Later, gator!": ADIOS AMIGO. Could also be clued: Hasta LaVista! Or, Vaya Con Dios...

49. Group before millennials: GEN X.

50. "By that logic ... ": ERGO.

52. Depilatory brand: NAIR.

54. __ muffin: STUD.

Now Ladies, remember your diet...

55. Racer with an edge: POLE CAR.

Normally the car in 1st starting position,

but there have been accidents...

56. Bridle strap: REIN.

57. Output opposite: INTAKE.

59. Business with lots to offer: REALTY.😆

61. Like kimchi and umeboshi: SOUR.

65. Silk Road desert: GOBI.

66. Nuanced: SUBTLE.

69. "Double, double __ and trouble": TOIL.

70. Revenue: INCOME.

71. Positions: JOBS.

72. Emulate a couch potato: LOLL.

73. Snapchat and ChatGPT: APPS.

74. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEO.

What the real Cleopatra is believed to look like.

78. Grant admission to: LET IN.

79. Some geometry calculations: AREAS.

81. Dog treat portmanteau: SNAUSAGE. Supposedly Snack and Sausage...

82. Cock and bull: HE'S. (A likely story...)

83. __ boom: SONIC.

86. "... we traverse __": AFAR.

87. FDR pet honored with a statue in D.C.: FALA.

FDR and Fala remembered.

89. Pro __: gratis: BONO. 

(from 

pro bono publico, "for the public good") refers to free, voluntary legal services, whereas gratis means without charge;free.

93. Rock instruments: GUITARS.

94. High points: ACMES.

97. Belgrade native: SERB.

98. Get hitched: SAY I DO. Before adding the spaces, Sayido sounded like a thing. So I tried to look it up

99. Off-rd. rig: ATV. All Terrain Vehicle

100. [We're sheep!]: BAA BAA.

What they're really saying...

103. Misleading handle: ALIAS.😗

104. Final bowling frame: TENTH.

106. Legal wrongs: TORTS.

107. Gives temporarily: LENDS.

108. Faith founded in Persia: BAHA'I.

109. Black-and-white predator: ORCA.

110. Rice Krispies mascot in a chef's hat: SNAP. Pop quiz! What kind of hat did Pop wear? (Or Crackle for that matter...)

113. Gentlemen: SIRS.

114. "__ Brockovich": ERIN. A famous environmental activist.

115. "On the double!": STAT.

117. __ date: DUE.

118. Baseball : inning :: curling : __: END. Yes End,,, Here's the A.I. Overview

120. Barely passing grade: DEE.

121. Big bang abbr.: TNT. Also, Raj was short for Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali.

Here's the grid:

CE:D out.