Friday, Jan 9th, 2026 ~ Rebecca Goldstein & Rachel Fabi

 EARLY ONSET CROSSWORDESE

( I fudged it; the cartoon actually said "the NYT...Sunday" )

Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi have paired up once more - I have blogged one other construction from the duo, back here - and now they only need a Thursday publishing to hit the "EGOT" ( or Grand Slam ) for all seven days with an LA Times crossword.  ALAS & SADLY, I seem to have the same snags whenever I solve one of their puzzles.  Today we have yet another non-standard, 15 x 16 grid, with prefix~? 'kickoff' clues and their 'dawning' definitions.  No circles, a few names and abbrs, a balance of 20 3LWs and 5-letter ones, but a lot of meh fill, IMHO - your mood may vary.  The themers, with no reveal; 

17. Pseudo?: FALSE FRONT - e.g. a pseudonym, such as Theodore Geisel *

25. Neo?: NEW BEGINNING - No, not Keanu

"Neo", from The Matrix

38. Mono?: SINGLE ORIGIN - Learning moment for me

54. Mega?: GRAND OPENING - I goofed; my original fill in the grid was "GREAT", and while 60% correct, still wrong.  I let the computer find my error(s), the black triangles in the solution below

64. Anti?: NONSTARTER - the only outlier, as this is not a two-word phrase

Ah -  I found sumdaze's first ruler of the colony, "Ant I" - get it~?

But Wait - There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Framing pieces:  JAMBS - I do the Downs first, had J - - B -, and this is true from a carpentry point of view; windows and doors are, technically, framed with jambs

6. Layer under a tee: CAMI - T-shirt abbr, camisole abbr

10. Basketball commentator Rebecca: LOBO - filled via perps; name #1, and a self-shoutout for RG~?

14. Swings and misses three times, say: IS OUT - A poor at-bat in baseball - so many clunky two-term phrases in this crossword - and yet, none unique; I'm naming this type of fill "Twurds", #1

15. Nudge: PROD

16. Leaving less of a bad taste, maybe: RIPER - mmmmaybe~?

19. Annual EDM festival in 22-Down: ULTRA - no clue.  I actually like Electronic Dance Music - yet I recognize no one from the lineup at this "concert", held in 22D. -  I am surprised there was no circumreferential cluing here, being that it's Friday

Daft Punk was one of the artists I liked

20. Fashionably nostalgic: RETRO - I'm "retro" simply because I'm old, and never changed . . . 

21. __ the consequences: DAMN - Oooo, swear word

23. Evil act: SIN - Oooo, more badness

24. Lab coat?: FUR - Labrador, that is.  I have not given up on getting a dog - but I need a little more financial stability in the new year

Cooper tore up the pink octopus - but I had gotten him new chew toys for Christmas~!

29. Word of woe: ALAS - alas, I did not care for some of the fill . . . .

31. Biological pouch: SAC

32. Maxims: SAYINGS

33. Portions (out): METES

35. Covered in crystals?: ICY

37. Stalter of "Hacks": MEG - name #2, my total WAG crossing 28D; Sigh. Meg RYAN was Monday

42. Also: TOO - one too

43. Pair: DUO - "two twos, too" - not tu-tu; too many 'to's

44. Spot targeted by butterfly stretches: GROIN

47. Takes up a lot of space: SPRAWLS - I had SPREADS, which is 5/7ths correct, 71.42%

51. "__ been a minute": IT'S - a minute is an endless amount of time in our instant gratification world

53. Ibiza, por ejemplo: ISLA - Español lesson

57. Shade tree: ELM - crossword staple

58. Tax counterpart: TIP - think dining, not death 😜

59. Missing GI: AWOL - Absent WithOut Leave

60. Concession speech?: "I LOST." - "Twurd" #2 

62. Down in the dumps: MOPEY

68. Location, location, location: AREAS - Now this is a clever clue/answer - I'd like to see more of this, and less "Twurds". 

69. Transcript figs.: GPAs - Grade Point Averages

70. Racing shell: SCULL - oaring - not roaring - like, say, F1

71. Leave in the lurch in the church: JILT - even the word sounds unpleasant - is that a variation on onomatopoeia~?

72. "Abominable" character named Everest: YETI - Abominable 4-letter . . . yada, yadi, yati - YETI~!

73. Word of woe: SADLY - sadly, some of this puzzle's clue/answers . . . 

DOWN:

1. Peter Pan rival: JIF - semi-deceptive - peanut butter, not Disney & the original play - name(ish)

2. In general: AS A RULE - "I make a rule, not get involved with possessed people..."

"...Actually, it's more of a guideline"

3. "Naked" rodents: MOLERATS - "He's an ugly little spud, isn't he - I think he can hear you, Ray."  Stantz & Venkman, also Ghostbusters.  Interesting fact  about - and almost cute image of - this animal

4. Get three eights in blackjack, say: BUST - Another good clue/answer; the best hand is "21"; anything over ( in this case, 24 ), and ...

Bugs Bunny had a one-card win, remember~?

5. Unsmiling: STERN

6. Procedure practiced on mannequins: Abbr.: CPR -  Ah.  Not sword testing, Forged in Fire style

"It will kill" - Yeah, OK, it's a ballistic dummy, I know

7. Preferring platonic relationships, informally: ARO - Aromantic, a very common fill lately

8. Café du __: New Orleans shop known for beignets: MONDE - Nailed it.  It's a frequent location in the "Dave Robicheaux" books from James Lee Burke; name #3

9. Collar danglers: ID TAGS - Cooper only wears his when we go for a walk

10. Rapper __ Mama: LIL - name #4, her IMDb

11. Elects to participate: OPTS IN - "Twurd" #3

12. Strait off the coast of Siberia: BERING - geo name, #5.  A bridge~? More here

13. Indonesian apes: ORANGS - good guess on my part;  BONOBOS are "too big"

16. Over-easy serving: RUNNY EGG - strangely, this is a unique fill; I can only do scrambled eggs - otherwise, my tummy grumbles

18. Nemeses: FOES

22. Biscayne Bay city: MIAMI - Didn't know this - I once lived in Jacksonville, Florida; geo name #6

24. Sibs and 'rents: FAMily - Pa -rents

26. Make like a banshee: WAIL - Ah.  I tried YELL first; only 25% correct

27. Covertly included: BCC'ed

28. Sushi bite sometimes served on a model boat: NIGIRI - I have actually seen this in a crossword before - here - and I hit on the last letter "G" for the WAG; but then we have . . . .

30. Vegan protein option: SEITAN - Although I am not thrilled to see this in a crossword, I realize it's Friday.  I am intrigued to try using this as a pizza crust - which I currently make using ground chicken - more Seitan here

I will be happy again if it's yummy in my tummy ~!

34. Winter break?: SNOW DAYS - yeah, not so much as an adult, as CT DOT stays on top of clearing roads, so it's off to work I go 😕

36. "We doing this?": "YOU IN~?" - "Twurd" #4 - now it's getting absurd

39. Decline to take the high road: GO LOW - "Twurd" #5

40. Naan relative: ROTI - Asian "flatbreads" - the differences

41. Small bit of facial jewelry: NOSE STUD - of course I went with RING

45. "You won't get away with this!": "I'LL TELL~!" - "Twurd" #6

46. __ khao: Laotian crispy rice salad: NAM - Friday cluing for this 3LW;  my only resolution for 2026 is to completely shift my diet to healthy foods, and today's puzzle is full of some good choices

A recipe - looks good - I'ma gonna try it

47. High-ranking noncom: SGT. MAJ.

48. A __: literally, "from what is earlier": PRIORI - I have heard of this term

49. Climber's descent: RAPPEL - My first thought, but hesitated

50. Absorbent: SPONGY - also my first thought, also hesitated

52. Foul mood: SNIT

55. Have no reception, say: ELOPE - Hey - you weren't JILTed

56. Corning Museum material: GLASS - I knew of this place, in upstate NY, but I went with "PYREX"

61. Killer whale: ORCA

63. Have a snack: EAT

65. "Etc.," in Pittsburghese: N'AT - WAY too localized, IMO, even for Friday; I see no Cornerites other than 'oc4beach' in PA on HuskerG's map

The rest of the "dictionary" here

66. Fed. stipend for some people with disabilities: SSI - Supplemental Security Income; the website

67. "Srsly?": RLY - Seriously~?  Really~?  Textspeak, unique, and meh.  

* - Dr. Seuss

Splynter

Grid Flow was a high 47.8

Thursday January 8, 2026 Laura Dershewitz

Laura Dershewitz has published several children's books but is a relative newcomer to the crossword game. I believe this is only her second solo puzzle in the LAT.

This theme is rather dense (or I am!). It took a paragraph to explain it and it still wasn't clear to me. In the end, I think this is just a list of kinds of SPACEs, and the THIRD one happens to be in the position foretold by the revealer. Any of them could have landed in that slot and made no difference. I tried to sequence them into some sort of "series," but that was a red herring.

56. Gathering place that's neither work nor home, or an apt description of 36-Across in the series that includes 17-, 24-, and 46-Across: THIRD SPACE. A THIRD SPACE (or Third Place) refers to social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home (first place) and work (second place), such as churches, clubs and gyms. It's often the one that you choose to belong to with people who share your interests, fostering civic life.

17. Leeway: WIGGLE ROOM. → Extra SPACE. This gives one the flexibility to deviate from a plan and make adjustments or allow for errors.

24. Hard-to-find opening on street-sweeping days: PARKING SPOT. → Parking SPACE. A little different from the others as it can only be described by using the same word as in the clue.

36. Low Earth orbit, for one: SATELLITE LOCALE. → Outer SPACE. This is also the THIRD themer about SPACE per the revealer.

46. Period of quiet reflection: TIME TO THINK. → Head SPACE. A person's current emotional state, often implying a need to eliminate mental clutter to process thoughts.

Pretty easy for a Thursday, with lots of short fill and many abbreviations (!) necessitated by the five themers. But I liked learning about the social construct of a THIRD SPACE, so that's a plus.

And now, off to the wide open SPACES:

Across:

1. Some pricey insulated mugs: YETIS. These are very good, but are they that much better than other steel double-walled insulated coffee mugs available at half the price?

6. Juicer byproduct: PULP. 

10. Keeps posted privately: BCCS. Abbrev. #1. Blind Carbon CopieS on emails. 

14. Buzz word?: APIAN. APIAN is an adjective meaning relating to bees. Buzzy bees!

15. Potatoes, in Indian cuisine: ALOO. ALOO is becoming the "Oreo" of contemporary xwords.

16. "No way, no how!": UH-UH. The opposite of UH-HUH.

17. [theme]

19. Title fit for a king: SIRE. Title fit for King: B.B. (aka the Beale Street Blues Boy).

20. Possible title for a B-school grad: CEO. Abbrev. #2. Chief Executive Officers often graduate from Business schools, then suddenly are worth hundreds of times more than the COGs who work there.

21. Cam button: REC. Abbrev. #3. RECord button on a video camera. 

22. Spine-tingling: EERIE. This one is very strange...

23. Hair of the dog?: FUR. Fun clue!

24. [theme]

27. Tickling targets: ARMPITS. ...and there's something funny about this one.

29. Small part of a machine: COG. In 1962, The Jetsons envisioned a future where we all work for a few very wealthy people. Prophetic. 

30. Grease again: REOIL. Odd looking word that isn't used much.

31. Part of WYSIWYG: SEE. This abbreviation is only in the clue, so it gets a pass. Pronounced wizzy-wig, the acronym for "What You SEE Is What You Get" originated with software whose displayed image closely resembled its final user appearance.

32. Graceful waterbird: SWAN.

36. [theme]

40. With sharp resolution: IN HD. Abbrev. #4. IN High Definition.

41. Seer's gift: ESP. Abbrev. #5. ExtraSensory Perception, often called the "sixth sense."

42. Actress Berry: HALLE. HALLE Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Monster's Ball, making her the first and, to date, only Black woman to ever receive this award.

43. __ Arbor, Michigan: ANN. ANN Arbor is home to the massive (50K+) University of Michigan, the 9th largest university in the U.S.

44. Troublemaker's opposite: GOOD KID. Like my boys, the little angels.

46. [theme]

51. Western treaty gp.: OAS. Abbrev. #6. The Organization of American States is a group of 34 member countries from North, Central, and South America.

52. Project on stage: EMOTE.

53. Alphabet starter: ABC. Three letters, but not really an abbreviation. 

54. Travel stop: INN. Holiday Inns used to be ubiquitous along the highways of America. My parents took us on extended summer trips in our old station wagon (no AC!), often staying there or under the orange roof of a Howard Johnson.

55. Drive-__: THRU. Abbrev. #7. Ad-speak for "through."

56. [theme]

60. Melon covering: RIND.

61. __ bene: NOTA. Latin for "note well."

62. Wickerwork twig: OSIER. A small Eurasian willow that grows mostly in wet habitats.

63. Altar alcove: APSE.

64. Mattress choice: TWIN.

65. Inferior: WORSE.

Down:

1. Swerve off course, as a ship: YAW. YAW, along with pitch and roll, also describes the same motions in aircraft.

2. Fond of fine food and drink: EPICUREAN.

3. Insect with striped wings: TIGER MOTH. My grandmother used to call moths "millers." I always thought it was because they milled around lights, but looking it up now (the internet wasn't available when I was a wee lad) I see it was due to their fine scales that rub off, resembling the dusty flour on millers' clothing.

4. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.

5. "Weekend Update" show, for short: SNL. Abbrev. #8. Saturday Night Live.

6. Apple gadgets: PARERS. I wasn't fooled by the tech misdirect, but still wrote "corers" first.

7. Horseshoe-shaped security device: U-LOCK. A letter-shaped descriptor, like T-shirt, is not an abbreviation. 

8. Bathroom, in Bath: LOO. 

9. Fluffy pup: POM. Abbrev. #9. Pomeranian.

10. School fleet: BUSES.

11. Keyless entry sound: CHIRP.

12. Knickknack: CURIO. A knickknack is bric-a-brac!

13. Paper unit: SHEET.

18. Latin 101 verb: ERAT. ERAT is the third-person singular imperfect tense of the verb esse (to be), meaning "he/she/it was." I knew taking Latin in high school would come in handy one day!

22. What applesauce may replace in vegan baking: EGG. Unsweetened applesauce can be an EGG replacement in many baking recipes, primarily functioning as a binder and adding moisture.

23. Tehran tongue: FARSI.

24. Tablet: PILL. 

25. Frozen treat served with a stroon: ICEE. It's a straw! It's a spoon! It's a STROON!!

26. Yuletide: NOEL. NOEL means Christmas in French, stemming from the Latin for "birth." 

28. Like a calico cat: PIED. PIED describes an animal having two or more colors.

31. Fuel additive brand: STP. Abbrev. #10. Scientifically Treated Petroleum.

32. Whole bunch: SCAD. Usually used in plural as in "SCADs of abbreviations."

33. Feel euphoric: WALK ON AIR.

34. Close associations: ALLIANCES.

35. Must-haves: NEEDS. 

37. TV host Jay: LENO. Nowadays, he's noted for his vast automobile and motorcycle collection. And to think RightBrain says I have too many guitars! Just kidding, she lets me have my toys because they don't take up garage space.

38. "That __ true!": ISN'T. Abbrev. #11. Is not.

39. "Now I understand": OH OK. OK is oddly not an abbreviation. Okay came later, OK?

43. Was full of beans, maybe?: ATE. "Full of beans" usually means one is lively and enthusiastic.

44. "The Prophet" author Kahlil: GIBRAN. "The Prophet" is a 1923 poetry collection where different people in a town ask a prophet his opinion on anything: marriage, death, love, generosity, etc.

45. Like many audiobooks, once: ON CD. Abbrev. #12. ON Compact Disc. Some people debate whether listening counts as reading. I say yes, what do you think?

46. Colorful aquarium fish: TETRA.

47. "Got it, dude!": I'M HIP. Abbrev. #13. I am HIP.

48. Daybreaks, poetically: MORNS. Abbrev. # 14. Short for MORNings. 

49. Piano student's assignment: ETUDE. An ETUDE (French for "study") is primarily a musical composition for practicing a technical skill, such as rhythm or dynamics. Here's a simple exercise for beginners by Chopin to help build finger dexterity.

50. Creole-speaking nation: HAITI.

54. __ facto: IPSO. That's a fact!

56. Demo stuff: TNT. Abbrev. #15. TriNitroToluene is a powerful explosive sometimes used in demolition.

57. "Please explain": HOW.

58. Female pig: SOW.

59. Afore: ERE.  

And now we're out of space!
Be good. RB

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - Joe Deeney

 Theme:  I wish it would rain

Puzzling thoughts:  Happy New Year Crossword Cornerites!  I know you've heard this said over and over the past week, but as this is Chairman Moe's first appearance as a blogger in 2026, I figured it was OK for me to reiterate

As C.C. mentioned at the end of December, I will be doing just one blog a month; the first Wednesday.  Today's puzzle is by none other than a noted crossword constructor, Joe Deeney.  I am not certain, but this might be the first Deeney puzzle that I have recapped

I am pretty sure that Mr. Deeney did not intentionally cast a cloud on the expanded 16x15 grid, but his goal was to have a bit of rain fall on us with four entries and a reveal.  60 letters make up the five longest clue answers, so trying to squeeze that into a 15x15 grid would be impossible

The reveal:  64-across. Perfectly satisfactory, or an apt description of 18-, 26-, 39-, and 54-Across: RIGHT AS RAIN.  All four of the entries have a type of rain on the RIGHT side of the phrase

18-across. 1991 operation that ended with the liberation of Kuwait: DESERT STORM

26-across. Celestial event such as the Perseids: METEOR SHOWER

39-across. Communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing: BIT TORRENT.  This was an unknown and filled in via perps

54-across. Sweet finish for fried chicken: HONEY DRIZZLE

STORM, SHOWER, TORRENT, and DRIZZLE are all terms associated with rain

Here is the grid:

On to the rest of the clues/words ...

Across:
1. Running sport: TRACK.

6. Thrown for a loop: AWED.

10. Lure (in): ROPE.

14. Moves like a fleeing deer: BOUNDS.

16. Sushi wrapper: NORI.

17. Rep on arm day: CURL.  There are such things as an "arm day"?  My idea of a curl with my arm is lifting a pint of IPA or a bottle of ________

[entry]

20. Molecule part: ATOM.

21. Focus to win a contest?: STARE.  I think I could out-stare most anyone if challenged

22. Flower bed tool: HOE.  

23. Sault __ Marie: STE.

24. Sushi option: AHI.  I tried eel before ahi

[entry]

30. "Succession" actor Culkin: KIERAN.  

Macaulay (left) and Kieran - the Culkin brothers

32. Steal from: ROB.

33. Prototype: Abbr.: ORIG.  Short for original

34. Basilica niche: APSE.  This word seems to find its niche only in crossword puzzles

35. __ economy: GIG.  I was an Economics major in college and don't recall this ... 

 

37. Structure whose roof begins near its foundation: A-FRAME.  I tried lean to at first

[entry]

42. Two __ and a lie: icebreaker game: TRUTHS.  Is this anything like truth or dare?

The rules

44. Leb. neighbor: ISR.  I tried SYR at first

45. Frittata need: EGGS.  Along with other ingredients

49. Lucky acorns, eventually: OAKS.  Just imagine if ALL of the fallen acorns turned into oak trees.  Want to try to grow your own?  Here is a brief tutorial, courtesy of YouTube

50. Superlative suffix: EST.

52. Balance sheet column: ASSETS.  DEBITS also fit but I chose to be positive

[entry]

57. Large load: TON.  

58. Cards, in NFL scores: ARI.  CSO to all of us who live in ARIzona, although the way the Card(inal)s have been playing the past few years none of us are probably following them as intently

59. "__ got it!": I'VE.

60. Freeze over: ICE UP. 

62. Make a bad impression?: DENT.  With all of the fancy cameras on automobiles these days, a simple dent still requires a lot of cash to repair, especially if it's on the front or rear bumper

[reveal and theme entry]

68. Puts away the dishes?: EATS.

69. Taiwanese computer company: ACER.  A decent, entry level machine

70. Stewpot with a conical lid: TAGINE.  Never used one

71. Chow for a sow: SLOP.  

72. Surrender, as territory: CEDE.

73. Stiletto alternative: WEDGE.  I tried HEELS at first

Down:
1. Up in the air, briefly: TBD.  To Be Determined

2. Fish-to-be: ROE.  I wonder if the same tutorial for growing an oak from an acorn would work for growing a fish from a roe?

3. Down Under denizens: AUSSIES.

4. Site with tech reviews: CNET.

5. Hwang Dong-hyuk's "Squid Game," e.g.: K-DRAMA.  We don't subscribe to Netflix (believe it or not) so this one had to fill in by itself

6. Hill worker: ANT.  SEN and REP also fit

7. Happy holler: WOO HOO.  I had YOO HOO at first

8. Representation of uncertainty on a graph: ERROR BARS.  A function of Excel

9. Assists, in hoops lingo: DIMES.  All you ever wanted to know about this phrase can be found in the hyperlink

10. Type of A/V connector: RCA.  The history of RCA cables

11. Best in a pool: OUTSWIM.  Not a commonly used word in crossword puzzles - according to Crossword Tracker it's been seen just four times, between 2008 and 2014

12. Mentee: PROTÉGÉ. Merriam-Webster defines this as: "one who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence"

13. __ Fudd: ELMER.  One of many Warner-Brothers cartoon characters voiced by Mel Blanc

15. Area of expertise: STRENGTH.

19. Good to go: SET.

24. Alias lead-in: AKA. William H. Bonney, Jr. - AKA, "Billy the Kid" Kind of resembles (67-across. Once called:) NEE.  

25. With it: HIP.  Moe-ku:

        Maynard G Krebs shaved

        His goatee, when prepping for

        A hip replacement

27. Conclusion starter: ERGO.

28. Beeper?: HORN.

29. Provides an address: ORATES.

31. Chew out: REBUKE.  Our Thesaurussaurus concurs

36. Hardware and software support: I.T. SERVICE.  According to Crossword Tracker, this phrase has been used just once before (in 2019) and was clued as:  PC support

38. Feline in an alley: FERAL CAT.  Moe-ku:

        "Talladega Nights" 

        Actor's known for being hip:

        A true, Ferrell Cat

40. Wee: ITSY.  As in the itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini

41. Nabisco cracker: RITZ.  Or, the last word in an Irving Berlin song, made famous by Dr. Frankenstein and the monster:

42. Painfully close to home: TOO REAL.  

43. Met by chance: RAN INTO. 

46. Make bank: GET PAID.  Not counting the theme entries, Mr. Deeney used a total of nine two-word phrases in this puzzle

47. Classic Pontiac: GTO.  One of many General Motors' A-Body cars of the 1960's

48. Oft-protected fig.: SSN.  Never give out your Social Security Number to a stranger; but since I know all of you through many recaps I've done, here's mine:  123-45-6789

51. Completely surrounded: SIEGED.

53. Move back and forth: SEESAW. A Moe-ku from the archives:

        Jacob and his twin

        Discovered the first fulcrum,

        Called:  Esau's SEESAW

54. God of the underworld: HADES.  More info on HADES

55. Nobel-winning physicist Paul: DIRAC.  

P.A.M. Dirac was an English theoretical physicist who was one of the founders of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics

56. Skin blemish: ZIT.  Everything was going rather smoothly in today's puzzle until this one popped up

61. Encourage: URGE.  

63. Baking meas.: TSP.  

65. Ancient Eur. realm: HRE. Holy Roman Empire

66. Bank corp. with an orange lion logo: ING.

See you again on February 4th

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Robert S Gard

I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band.  If you can read backwards, you will see the circles spell out the name of a rock band, hence "back-up" bands.

17-Across. "This could've been a lot worse": IT'S NOT SO BAD.  BOSTON.  The American band Boston was formed in 1975 in Boston.  What an original name.

31-Across. Jewel boxes: CD CASES.  AC/DC.  AC/DC is Australian rock band and was formed in Sydney in 1973, although the founding brothers, Angus (b. Mar. 31, 1955) and Malcolm Young (Jan. 6, 1953 ~ Nov. 18, 2017) were both Scottish.

37-Across. Antiwar gathering of world leaders: PEACE SUMMIT.  MUSE.  Muse is an English band that was formed in 1994.  It's the youngster in this quartet.

44-Across. Hit that may go out of the park: HOME RUN.  R.E.M.  R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in 1980.

And the unifier:

59. Supporting musicians, or what can be found in 17-, 31-, 37-, and 44-Across: BACK-UP BANDS.

You can see the Backup Bands in the circles below.

Across:

1. Pantry platform: SHELF.

6. Contrail, essentially: VAPOR.  A contrail, also known as a condensation trial, it is the  line-shaped cloud formed by aircraft engine exhaust mixing with the cold, humid air at high altitudes.

11. Auction offer: BID.

14. Humped beast at a desert oasis: CAMEL.  One hump or two?  One-humped camels are Dromedaries.  They are the ones that live in the Sahara desert.  The two-humped camels are Bactrians.  They can be found in the colder Central Asian steppes.  The primary difference is their habitat.  Both store fat in their humps for energy, not water, and have closeable nostrils to keep the sand out of their noses.

15. "Go me!": I RULE!

16. Eggs, to a biologist: OVA.

19. __ or nothing: ALL.

20. Draped dresses in Hindi films: SARIs.  A brief history of the Sari.

21. Paleontologist's find: FOSSIL.

23. Tire gauge meas.: PSI.  As in Pounds per Square Inch.

26. Schleps: TOTES.  Anyone watch Elsbeth?  She is always carrying tons of tote bags.

28. High point of a trip to Sicily?: ETNA.  This volcano has become a crossword staple.

29. Play with, as a trampoline: JUMP ON.

34. Reject: SPURN.

35. Confident about: SURE OF.

40. "Women Talking" novelist Toews: MIRIAM.  Women Talking is a 2018 novel by Miriam Toews (b. May 21, 1964).  The book is based on actual events in a remote Mennonite community where women were drugged and sexually assaulted by men. 

41. CNN journalist Hill: ERICA.  Erica Ruth Hill (b. July 20, 1976) is a television journalist and has worked for CNN, CBS and NBC.

47. Alternative to "Yours truly": AS EVER.  I think this phrase is now associated with Meghan Markle.

48. Extremely dry: ARID.  In the arid desert, where you will find a one-humped camel.

49. Finish by: END AT.

52. "That's gotta hurt": OOF!

53. Sentra automaker: NISSAN.

56. Archer's projectile: ARROW.

58. Distress signal: SOS.

64. Tree with serrated leaves: ELM.  I understand that street is a real nightmare.

65. Remove a wooden pin from: UNPEG.

66. Listless feeling: ENNUI.  A word seen only in the crossword puzzles.

67. Filmmaker Ang: LEE.  Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) often makes guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

68. Warty hoppers: TOADS.

69. 28 of the cards in a Monopoly set: DEEDS.

Down:

1. __-fi: SCI.

2. Topper: HAT.

3. 911 responders, briefly: EMS.  As in Emergency Medical Services.

4. Periscope part: LENS.

5. Experience elation: FLOAT ON AIR.

6. Pop in on: VISIT.

7. Came up: AROSE.

8. Trivia night venue: PUB.

9. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF.

10. Try again: REDO.  A crossword staple.

11. Sings one's own praises: BOASTS.

12. Means to administer medication: IV LINE.

13. Texas city with the Cowboys and the Wings: DALLAS.  The Dallas Wings are a professional basketball team in the WNBA.

18. Sci-fi franchise with "Legacy" and "Ares" installments: TRON.

22. Bioluminescence produced by marine microorganisms: SEAFIRE.  Everything you wanted to know about marine microbes.

23. Garments that might have feet, familiarly: PJs.

24. Dine, quaintly: SUP.

25. Grumble from the recently roused: I'M UP.

27. Rugby play with tight formation: SCRUM.

30. Some organic chemistry students: PRE-MEDS.

32. Blue pol: DEM.  As in Democrat.  Enough said.  No politics.

33. Joins one's partner in retirement?: COMES TO BED.

35. River through Paris: SEINE.

36. Mex. neighbor: USA.

38. Grand __: French wine classification: CRU.  The term Grand Cru, which is French for "great growth",  denotes the highest tier of vineyard classification for superior French wines.

39. DVR pioneer: TiVo.  An archaic line of digital video recorders.

42. Corp. leader: CEO.  As in Chief Executive Order.

43. Dog park sound: ARF.

44. Gretel's brother: HANSEL.  In case you are unfamiliar with the German folktale, here is a brief history of of the story as depicted by the Brothers Grimm. 

45. Baltimore ballplayer: ORIOLE.

46. "Did you notice I was gone?": MISS ME?

47. Org. working against age discrimination: AARP.  As in the American Association of Retired People.

50. Unclothed: NAKED.

51. Pharmacy offerings: DRUGS.

54. Sit alongside: ABUT.

55. Billionth: Pref.: NANO-.

57. Taper off: WANE.

60. Tax prep pro: CPA.  As in Certified Public Accountant.  Tax season will be gearing up for these professionals.

61. SSW's opposite: NNE.

62. Disappointing firecracker: DUD.

63. Female sib: SIS.  As in Sister.

That's all for this first Tuesday of 2026.  Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2026.

חתולה