Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Kelly Morenus

Rollin' Down the Highway.  The last word of each theme answer is another name for a Street.

18-Across. "Show us how it's done": PAVE THE WAY.

24-Across. "Quit interfering": STAY IN YOUR LANE.

40-Across. "Don't stoop to their level": TAKE THE HIGH ROAD.

52-Across. "Perfect for me": RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.

And the unifier:

62-Across. Informal language, or what 18-, 24-, 40-, and 52-Across are examples of?: STREET TALK.

Here's the grid:

Across:

1. Liquefy: MELT.

5. Lima's country: PERU.  Peru is a South American country that bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile.  It's home to a section of Amazon rainforest.  Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan city, is located high in the Peruvian Andes mountains.

9. Pokes (around): NOSES.

14. Fruit with wrinkled skin: UGLI.  Ugli fruit is a Jamaican tangelo.  It is a natural citrus hybrid created from a cross between a grapefruit (or pomelo), an orange, and a tangerine.  It is larger than a grapefruit with a thick peel that fits loosely around the pulpy orange flesh inside.  Green patches on the skin do not mean it is unripe.  Did you know that it is also the registered trademark for a brand of Jamaican tangelo?

15. Greek Cupid: EROS.

16. Disconnected: APART.

17. Mouse catcher: TRAP.

20. Some office subs: TEMPS.

22. Wedding declaration: I DO.

23. Ascend: RISE.

28. Britches, informally: TROU.  The last time I heard this word was back in college when the frat boys would joke about dropping trou.

29. Pod filler: PEA.

30. Part in four-part harmony: ALTO.

33. __ carte menu: À LA.  A crossword staple.

35. Car in the Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun": T-BIRD.

44. Large deer: MOOSE.  I never thought of a moose as a deer, but apparently they ar the largest living species in the deer family, known scientifically as Cervidae.

45. Contraction that's typically followed by "be": IT'D.  Followed by another contraction: 46-Across. Fails to be: ISN'T.

47. Corp. VIP: CEO.  As in Chief Executive Officer.

50. House of Lords title: EARL.

59. Junior staffer: AIDE.

60. Charcoal grill residue: ASH.

61. City with the Heat and the Hurricanes: MIAMI.  A sports reference:  Basketball and Football.

66. Out of control: AMOK.

67. "Money __": Netflix crime series: HEIST.  In this series, a criminal mastermind (The Professor) developed a plan to pull off the biggest heist in recorded history ~ to print billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain.  To help him carry out the plan, he recruited eight people with certain abilities and who have nothing to lose. The group of thieves took hostages to aid in their negotiations with the authorities.

68. Actor Morales: ESAI.  Esai Morales (né Esai Manuel Morales Jr.; b. Oct. 1, 1962) used to make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  He will be celebrating his 64th birthday on Thursday.

69. "Great" detective of kid-lit: NATE.  Nate the Great is a children's chapter book series featuring a young boy detective and his dog, Sludge.  There are 31 books in the series, which was initially created in 1972.

70. Donkeys: ASSES.

71. Credit report category: DEBT.

72. Uno y dos: TRES.  Spanish math.

Down:

1. Mixed-breed dogs: MUTTS.

2. Everglades wader: EGRET.  Egrets aren't limited to the Florida Everglades.  There are many egrets that hang out near my house.

3. Woolly pack animal of 5-Across: LLAMA.

My encounter with a Llama in Peru.

4. What a child might stand on to watch a parade: TIPPY-TOES.

5. Get-up-and-go: PEP.

6. Chapter of history: ERA.

7. Finnish game developer that created Angry Birds: ROVIO.

8. Depleted: USED UP.

9. Casual refusal: NAH.

10. "Tosca," for one: OPERA.  Tosca is an opera by Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858 ~ Nov. 29, 1924).  It is sometimes billed as a political thriller that takes place in Rome during the Napoleonic Wars.

11. Welcomed at the door: SAW IN.

12. Delete: ERASE.

13. Eyelid irritation: STYE.

19. Dashed: TORE.

21. Title for Paul McCartney: SIR.  Paul McCartney (b. June 18, 1942) was knighted in 1997.  He was the first Beatle to be awarded this honor.

25. "Hurt Somebody" singer-songwriter Kahan: NOAH.  I am not familiar with this singer-songwriter.

26. Christmas season: YULE.

27. Lattice strip: LATH.

30. Convenience in many cash-only establishments: ATM.  This used to be a crossword staple.

31. Thai neighbor: LAO.

32. Boxing ref's ruling, for short: TKO.  As in Technical Knock-Out.

34. Tropical tuna: AHI.  Yummers!

36. Sparkling: BRILLIANT.

37. iPhone platform: iOS.  As in iPhone Operating System.

38. Tried to get elected: RAN.

39. Pesticide in Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," for short: DDT.  Silent Spring was first published in 1962.  The book exposed the hazards of indiscriminate pesticide use, particularly DDT, and launched the modern environmental movement.  Rachel Carson (May 27, 1907 ~ April 14, 1964) named the book Silent Spring because it envisioned a future spring morning where no birds sang due to the devastation of wildlife from chemical pesticides.

41. __ support: TECH.

42. Thing: ITEM.

43. Aussie greeting: G'DAY.

48. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.  Today's French lesson.  A coup d'état is a sudden, illegal overthrow of an existing government by a small group, usually backed by the military or internal state forces.

49. Removed from power: OUSTED.  Probably ousted due to a coup d'état.

51. Smash (into): RAM.

52. Ceremonial acts: RITES.

53. Elba of "Cats": IDRIS.

54. Grown goslings: GEESE.

55. Lunar cycle part: PHASE.

56. Rapper Kendrick: LAMAR. 

Kendrick Lamar (b. June 17, 1987)

57. Act with passion: EMOTE.

58. Expression of surprise: YIKES.

59. Girl who befriends a magical star in Disney's "Wish": ASHA.

63. Sci-fi figures: ETS.  As in ExtraTerrestrials.  

64. Chem class site: LAB.

65. Hobby shop purchase: KIT.

חתולה

Monday, September 28, 2026, Hoang-Kim Vu

  Theme: Words of Support.

17 Across. Words of support from an abacus?: YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.

29 Across. Words of support from a rideshare driver?: I'M HERE FOR YOU.

45 Across. Words of support from a crossbody bag?: I'M ON YOUR SIDE.

No!

Yes!

57 Across. Words of support from a broken elevator?: I WON'T LET YOU DOWN.

How the elevator got broken...

CE:D here, filling in. I don't know why all my cartoons seem so down in this fun, uplifting puzzle. Maybe because it's Monday... Hurry back NaomiZ! We need you to cheer us up!

Onward!

Across:
1. Game, __, match: SET.

4. Piece of cake: CINCH. Or, easy as pie! Use Granny Smiths!

9. Granny Smith, for one: APPLE.

14. The "A" of ETA: Abbr.: ARR. (Estimated Time of Arrival.)

15. Spanish form of Paul: PABLO.

16. "Get out of town!": NO WAY.

17. [Theme.]

20. Brainstorming outputs: IDEAS.

21. Epitome of slowness: SNAIL. Not Sloth?

22. Six years for a U.S. Senator, e.g.: TERM.

23. __ Arabia: SAUDI.

25. Pre-K basics: ABCS.

29. [Theme.]

32. Santa __, California: ANA.

35. Used a pair of sculls, say: OARED. More info here...

36. Chutzpah: NERVE.

37. Out that gets a runner home, for short: SAC FLY. Sacrifice Fly Ball.

39. Like some evening gowns: BEADED.

$991.00???

40. Invoice amount: TOTAL. (See above...)

41. Rebuff: SPURN. 

44. Sault __ Marie: STE. Oldest city in Michigan. Home of the Soo locks. More info here.

45. [Theme.]

48. Orange skin: RIND. (I wanted peel...)

49. Madrid museum: PRADO.

50. Quick inhalation: GASP.

54. Not united: APART.

56. Prefix with -lithic: PALEO.

57. [Theme.]

62. Around, in dates: CIRCA.

63. Phone notification: ALERT.

64. Tasseled hat that shares a name with a Moroccan city: FEZ.

Quite honestly, as a style choice, I just don't think it looks good on anybody.

(Unless your a Stoat.)

65. Leg joints: KNEES.

66. Smallest possible: LEAST.

67. Swim-bike-run race, informally: TRI. As such a long grueling race, why such a short name?

Down:
1. "Tell me already!": SAY IT.

2. Slowly wear away: ERODE.

3. More accurate: TRUER.

4. Pros who are busy in Apr.: CPAS. Certified Public Accountants.

5. Actor McKellen: IAN.

The one and only...

Would you believe? A young Gandalf?

6. "SNL" TV network: NBC. Saturday Night Live/National Broadcasting Company.

7. Sense of finality that may be needed after a breakup: CLOSURE. Hmm, after every breakup, I needed stitches...

8. Pursued doggedly: HOUNDED.

Musical interlude...

Would you believe, after all these years, the paper today said Frank Sinatra was disgusted by Elvis' dance moves... Jeez man, let it go...

9. Against: ANTI.

10. Location that may have "No running" and "No diving" signs: POOL AREA. Hmm, Monday clueing. I guess Wednesday would be no glass bottle area, and Friday would be "place to get a cue..."

11. Dominate, in gaming slang: PWN. (Pawn.) very grey area, could go on and on, (don't ask about teabagging...)

12. Go on the __: get out of town: LAM.

13. Organ with a retina: EYE.

18. Top that's useful in layering, for short: CAMI.

This is what happens when you spend too many hours doing crossword reviews...

19. Innocent one: NAIF. (Nope, I'm guilty..)

23. Mitchell of "Pretty Little Liars": SHAY.

24. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER.

26. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" band, with "The": BYRDS.

27. Desire: COVET.

28. Fuzzy fabric: SUEDE. When Michael Caine became famous, he was approached by John Wayne with some advice, I'll let Michael explain it...

When you're a star, don't wear suede shoes!

30. "Pretty in Pink" star Ringwald: MOLLY.

31. Sticking straight up, as hair: ON END.

32. Up and about: ASTIR. An A word!  Tell me, when did you last use this word!

33. Two-time Australian Open winner Osaka: NAOMI.

34. Follow, as a hunch: ACT ON.

38. Burlesque performance: FAN DANCE.

Due to complaints about pics degrading Women,

We are forced to downgrade the fan dance video...

39. Spirit: BRIO. It helps to know Italian...

41. Inexplicably weird: SURREAL.

42. Natter (on): PRATTLE.

43. Amer. capital: USD. U.S. Dollar.

46. Iridescent gem: OPAL.

47. "Good lord!": EGAD.

51. In midair: ALOFT. 

52. Underground waste line: SEWER.

53. __ scheme: PONZI.

55. School support orgs.: PTAS. (If I need to explain PTA's, you need to go back to school...)

56. Golf stroke near the hole: PUTT.

57. "How nasty": ICK.

58. Take first prize: WIN.

59. Mine lode: ORE.

60. Pro vote: YEA.

61. Surgery ctrs.: ORS. Operating Rooms.

The Grid.

*Just an Easter Egg for The Big Bang theory fans. Note: that when Leonard runs out with the smoking rocket fuel, Sheldon takes time to turn the refrigerator magnet upside down. It is explained in an earlier episode that Sheldon is obsessed with Flags. So much so that he created a Flag for the Apartment. A yellow lion on a field of blue. He turns the flag upside down as a sign that the apartment is in distress...

Oh! I almost forgot!

How the show ended 8 years later....

Some notes on my Monday solving experience:

26d birds b/4 byrds, can't remember if it was a fat fingered typo, or a brain fart...

32d up and about, awake before astir. Yes it was a rude awakening for a Monday...

44a soo b/4 ste, not quite awake yet, and old crosswords were seeping into my memory...

48a peel b/4 rind, reminds me why I gave up oranges for breakfast before having coffee...

60d pro vote, yes b/4 yea (it was my 66a least of my problems...)

And finally, since The Devil Wears Prada 2 recently came out, I put an A at the crossing of Prado and Brio...  (there are more Naticks in Europe than in Connecticut...)

Anywho, please leave some uplifting words in the comments. We all need them on a Monday...

CE:D out...

₍^ >⩊< ^₎Ⳋ