Sunday January 18, 2026 Samuel A. Donaldson

 Theme: "THE ROAD TO SELF-DISCOVERY" - One letter is dropped from the first word of each theme entry, resulting in I in the end.

23. Part of an executive job offer: STARTING SALARY.

30. Game lost in the blink of an eye: STARING CONTEST. Losing T.

45. Chamber group: STRING QUARTET. Losing A. 

63. Undercover setups: STING OPERATIONS. Losing R.

76. Tell all to the police: SING LIKE A CANARY. Losing T.

94. Break divine law: SIN AGAINST GOD. Losing G.

107. Having celebrity status: IN THE PUBLIC EYE. Losing S.

120. Backstreet Boys hit: I WANT IT THAT WAY. Losing N.

I bet Sam thought of STARTLING REVELATION, but could not make a workable set. 

Great to see Sam back! He is a witty law professor and wrote some of the most incisive posts on Amy's blog.

Across:

1. Finishes: WRAPS UP.

8. Mercedes line: E CLASS.

14. One on girth control?: DIETER. I can picture smile on Sam's face when he thought of this clue. 

20. San Diego neighbor: TIJUANA.

21. Twain of note: SHANIA. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

22. Cheaper than usual: ON SALE.

25. One of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England: WESSEX. Learning moment for me.  Three Exes: Essex, Sussex and Wessex.

26. Rest __: AREA.

27. Worry: FRET.

28. Louvre Pyramid architect: PEI.

29. Campus org. for wannabe ensigns: NROTC. Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Also 113. Employee rts. agency: NLRB. The National Labor Relations Board. 

34. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

36. Thai money: BAHT.

39. Negroni need: GIN.

40. Bucko: PAL.

41. Comparatively damp: SOGGIER.

43. Big whoop: ADO.

44. Resource in Minecraft and Catan: ORE.

48. Sets as a goal: ASPIRES TO.

51. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO. Her dad is Chinese American. 

52. LAX checkers: TSA.

53. Plié joint: KNEE.

54. Lummoxes: OAFS.

57. Sound of an air-kiss: MWAH.

59. Minor dustup: SPAT.

67. Wolfgang Puck's flagship eatery: SPAGO.

68. Teapot Dome commodity: OIL. Wikipedia says "Before the Watergate scandal, Teapot Dome was regarded as the "greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics".  Happened during the Harding administration.

69. Opening number?: ONE. Not song.

70. Snag: NAB.

71. Sort of: ISH.

73. Was published: RAN.

74. Ghanaian with a Nobel Peace Prize: ANNAN. He graduated from Macalester College here in MN. 

82. "Not interested": PASS.

83. Audio giant: BOSE.

84. Sub text?: EDIT. OK, verb sub, substitute.

85. Classic Monopoly token: IRON.

86. To be, in Toledo: SER.

88. AC meas.: BTU.

90. Casually mentions a famous friend: NAME-DROPS. Confession time: Do any of you have a famous friend you've ever name-dropped?

100. Tennis center?: ENS. Tennis.

101. Marker: IOU.

102. Soft cloth: CHAMOIS. Traditionally made from sheepskin or lambskin.

103. Bruins great Bobby: ORR.

104. Three-pointer's path: ARC.

105. Holes: GAPS.

106. Over 100, say: HOT. Degree-wise. 

112. Co. that makes Secret and Scope: P AND G.

114. Former NPR host Shapiro: ARI.

115. Hebrides isle: IONA.

116. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.

119. "Daddy, Papa, and Me" writer Newman: LESLEA. She also wrote "Heather Has Two Mommies".

124. Guru's residence: ASHRAM.

125. Musical liability: TIN EAR.

126. Term paper starting point: OUTLINE.

127. Not too difficult: DOABLE.

128. Cobbler's part: INSOLE.

129. Gives a new tournament ranking to: RE-SEEDS.

Down:

1. Lb. and oz.: WTS. Weights. 

2. Actress Hayworth: RITA.

3. Somewhat open: AJAR.  You know what she would say! 

4. Least contaminated: PUREST.

5. Pulled a chair up to: SAT AT.

6. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar: UNI. Salty, creamy roe. 

7. Cooks in a skillet: PAN FRIES.

8. German steel city: ESSEN.

9. OpenAI bot since 2022: CHATGPT.

10. Luka Doncic's team, on scoreboards: LAL. Los Angeles Lakers.

11. Brazilian city that sounds like Maryland's capital: ANAPOLIS. City of Ana.

12. Homer's rock singer: SIREN.

13. "Come on, tell us!": SAY IT.

14. Where snowbirds flock in winter: DOWN SOUTH. And 15. Xenon, e.g.: INERT GAS. Their symmetrical partners are 83. Activity that may improve problem-solving skills: BRAIN GAME. And 87. Best version of oneself, in psych-speak: EGO IDEAL. Four great fill. 

16. Brand on some Canadian pumps: ESSO.

17. "I think you'll find this yummy!": TASTE IT. I want that egg tart.

18. Winning candidate: ELECTEE.

19. Pet name fit for a king?: REX.

24. Expression that might be evil or silly: GRIN.

31. Mutually approve: AGREE ON.

32. Item on a Dollar menu?: CAR. Dollar Car Rental.

33. ABA member's title: ESQ.

35. Early PC monitor: CRT.

36. Whatever ewe say?: BAA. 

37. YouTube annoyances: ADS.

38. Oasts: HOP KILNS. 

42. Fully understand: GRASP.

44. The Beaver State: OREGON.

45. Skyrocket: SOAR.

46. Hideo who threw no-hitters in 1996 and 2001: NOMO. He opened for the door for Ichiro and Shohei Ohtani.

47. Ball purchase: GOWN. 50. Lowest digit: TOE. Liked both clues.

49. Bucolic lodging: INN.

55. Canine's canine: FANG.

56. Like a day-old bagel: STALE.

58. Home of Jordan and Georgia: ASIA.

60. Irrational fear of persecution: PARANOIA.

61. Vegan gelatin substitute: AGAR. Seaweed-based. Widely used in Japanese desserts.

62. Best Play, for one: TONY.

63. Daytime drama: SOAP.

64. Bassist Weymouth of Talking Heads: TINA.

65. Dinero unit: PESO.

66. Footnote space saver: IBID. Short for ibidem, meaning "in the same place".

67. Glass bits: SHARDS.

72. Bill Nye's field: SCIENCE.

75. State bordering Bhutan: ASSAM.

77. Publication ID: ISBN. Sigh, someone said my book was too easy. The title is Easy Mini Crosswords.

78. Clears after taxes: NETS.

79. Healthy Grains snackmaker: KIND.

80. GPS guess: ETA.

81. Neither partner: NOR.

89. Visionaries: UTOPIANS.

91. Early proponent of a flat Earth?: MERCATOR. Mercator is a conformal cylindrical map projection  originally created to display accurate compass bearings for sea travel. Presented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Learning moment for me. We also have 99. Revolutionary?: ORBITAL.Witty clues.

92. Dua Lipa genre: POP.

93. Questionable, in slang: SUS. Suspicious. 

94. NYU or MIT: SCH.

95. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO.

96. Lyonne of "Poker Face": NATASHA.

97. Believer's ending: IST.

98. "Despicable Me" antihero: GRU.

104. "Say it __ so!": AIN'T.

105. Lenient: GENTLE.

108. Part of Hispaniola: HAITI.

109. Physicist Schrödinger: ERWIN. Schrödinger's cat. 

110. French wine region: LOIRE.

111. "Sailing to Byzantium" poet: YEATS.

117. Boo-boo: OWIE.

118. Unwanted beach souvenir, often: SAND.

119. Wee fella: LAD.

121. Red pill consumer of film: NEO.

122. Shade: HUE.

123. Triumphant shout: YES.

C.C.

I know it's hard to completely stay away from politics and religion. I myself touch on them from time to time. But persistent comments in those areas, as well as personal attacks, can be upsetting. Let's stay focused on crosswords and keep the Corner welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. 

C.C. 

Saturday, January, 17, 2026, Emily Biegas

 Saturday Themeless by Emily Biegas 

The top half went swimmingly, but then I had to take a big "didn't git 'er done" especially in the SE corner. SEA ROBIN, COPA and PALO SANTO coupled with some cute cluing 😀 did me in. The rest of the puzzle took persistence but fell into place except for some bad typing. Any delusions about 100% completions for 2026 were undone by a few bad cells but I'll get over it. After all, it's a game not a test!

Across:

1. Easily moved?: HOT HEADED 😀

10. Streetcars: TRAMS.

15. Minimum word count?: ONE OR MORE.😀

16. Swiss namesake of an international series of art fairs: BASEL - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Founded in BASEL, Switzerland in 1970, this one is in Miami

17. Scheduled delivery?: TAX RETURN - Some TAX RETURNS require filing many tax schedules, perhaps with a 46. 17-Across pro: CPA.

18. Editorialize: OPINE.

19. "__ Is Betta Than Evvah!": ETTA.

20. C-section docs: OBS.

21. Kept inside: UNSAID - Advice I should have taken many times in my life

22. Island chain: LEI.

23. Primary fig.: POL.

24. Hosp. gear: PPE.

25. Bit: GAG - A comedy bit can also be called a GAG

26. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA - Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault  is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. We have seen her name as only Salma Hayek in puzzles before.

28. Israeli airline: EL AL.

30. Only: SOLE.

31. "How could you be so insensitive!": READ THE ROOM.

34. Roadside snacks: STREET TACOS - How are they different? BTW, granola bars fit too.

36. Spoiler alerts?: SELL BY DATES 😀

38. Skirt in a Degas painting: TUTU - Duh, a TUTU can be called a skirt!

41. Fictions: LIES.

42. Percolate: LEACH.

44. Supplementary medical benefit: Abbr.: HSA - Health Savings Account

45. Perturb: VEX.

48. Big name in pasta sauce: RAO.

49. Melt down: RENDER - My DW's mother used to render animal byproducts on the farm into lard for cooking. That was the foundation for the  best apple pie ever made anywhere. 

51. Comic Margaret: CHO.

52. Prefix with -core for a style inspired by hiking: GORP ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

53. Optional feature: ADD ON.

54. Spot where sharks gather: POOL TABLE 😀 Bonus points - Name this classic movie about pool sharks. *answer below.

56. Vessel implant: STENT.

57. "My regrets": APOLOGIES.

58. Redfin listings: HOMES.

59. Smudging ceremony tool: PALO SANTO - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can see PALO as wood (Palo Alto/high stick) and SANTO as holy. Smudging is simply the practice of lighting these wood pieces on fire and letting smoke and fume cleanse an area.

Down:

1. Lodging options: HOTELS.

2. Going nonstop: ON A TEAR.

3. Leather and lace, e.g.: TEXTILES.

4. "Hava Nagila" dance: HORA.

5. Poetic preposition: ERE.

6. Playground retort: AM TOO or in a TV sitcom

7. Natural structure?: DOUBLE HELIX.

8. Isn't perfect: ERRS.

9. Sofa bed spot: DEN.

10. Chophouse order: T-BONE.

11. Knocks: RAPS.

12. Bagel option: ASIAGO.

13. Low-level: MENIAL.

14. "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer: SLEDGE - Emily throws us boomers a musical bone with the fabulous Percy SLEDGE

21. Transfer, in a way: UPLOAD.

23. "Slam Diego" player: PADRE - This is new to me but was coined when the Padres hit grand slams four days in a row

24. Dubious label from The Princeton Review until 2022: PARTY SCHOOL - 

The "dubious label" from The Princeton Review referring to a "Party School" until around 2022. It was a controversial ranking based on student surveys about alcohol/drug use, criticized by groups like the 

AMA for potentially encouraging risky drinking.

27. __ Islands: archipelago in the East China Sea: MATSU - I remember when these two islands were in the news when I was in junior high.

29. Didn't bother: LET BE.

30. Didst wallop: SMOTE.

32. "Fool Us" co-host: TELLER - A prize is awarded to magicians who can fool these masters.

33. One of three national forests in Florida: OCALA.

35. Bottom-feeding fish also called a gurnard: SEA ROBIN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

37. Shameful tone?: SCARLET - Clever cluing for the SCARLET letter

38. Type of metal: THRASH.

39. No longer troubled by: USED TO.

40. Single file: TANDEM - My first thought

43. "With any luck": HOPE SO.

45. Air returns: VENTS.

47. 34-Across option: POLLO - Yes, you might have chicken in a street taco. I remember the word from Gus Fring's operation in Better Call Saul.

50. Wrapped: DONE.

51. Fútbol prize: COPA - COPA is Spanish for cup or trophy

52. Pop star Lady __: GAGA.

54. Baby food: PAP.

55. Lean-__: TOS.

* That of course is Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman in a scene from 1961 b/w classic The Hustler

Friday, Jan 16th, 2026 ~ Alex Rohrer

 MANOR, CHATEAU, PALACE, [ CASTLE ]*

Gilette Castle, right here in my home state of Connecticut

This was a great crossword puzzle theme - a clever use of ordinal numbers and homonyms ( I also found the term "polysemy" - bank & run, e.g. ), words that sound and spell the same, but have two totally different definitions.  My research into constructor Alex Rohrer led me to some other pages of crosswords ( click the green "read" button ) but I cannot be sure who "they" are - if they be man or woman  - and I am not going to assume, as I made that 'foe pah' last year with "Dana" Edwards - sorry, man.  Anyway, this was Friday-level difficulty in a standard grid, no circles, just twelve 3LWs, but a tad too many names & abbrs ( at least in the clues; I'm looking at you 58D. ).  The themers;

17. [Math], science, gym, English: FIRST CLASS - the [ brackets ] are a hint as to the "position" required to finish the fill; here, "math" is the opening, or first, instance of four school "classes" listed - not the combination of the two words being 'posh section of an airplane'.  The "M" is capitalized just because it's the opening letter of the clue - which threw me at first.

30. Allegory, [fable], anecdote, parable: SECOND STORY - the word in brackets is now found in the 'second' place, one of four synonyms for "story" - not the 'level of a house'

46. Walkout, slowdown, [picketing], sit-in: THIRD STRIKE - the third word, in brackets, is a synonym for strike, in the 'union' sense, not the "yer out~!" of baseball, or say, convictions; ya know what they call manners in prison~?  Con etiquette, get it~?

62. Safari lodge, island property, destination spa, [all-inclusive beach hotel]: LAST RESORT - finally, we have four examples, or definitions, of places, as opposed to the ultimate act of extreme decisiveness, like nulcear war

* FOURTH ESTATE - known collectively as 'the press' - I did not know about the first three estates

Let's keep this theme going~!

sodium, carbon, lead, tin, [ iron ] - Fifth Element

Great movie, 1997 - about "love", not atomic structures on the periodic chart

But

Wait

There's

More

ACROSS:

1. Lemon piece: WEDGE - I do the Downs first, had SOAR at 1D., so I filled in SLICE;  Bzzzt~!

6. Shoe with a "Sport Mode": CROC - don't own, don't care

'dad mode', 'marriage material', uh, OK, kinda funny

10. Sunscreen ingredient: ZINC - I had - IN -, thought TINT at first 😜

14. Far from familiar: ALIEN - I knew this was the answer, but my NW corner was a jumbled mess

15. Off-white hue: ECRU - Ah. The Monday dupe.  On Tuesday.

16. "Pick me!": "OH, OH~!"

19. Simplicity: EASE

20. Start of a long drive, perhaps: TEE SHOT - the "H" my last letter to fill, highlighted red in the grid below; I was trying to parse this as TEES OFF, which the crossings denied

21. Available sans Rx: OTC - Over-The-Counter, Frawnche "without" prescription, but only avec argent

23. Craps cube: DIE

24. Journalist Katie: COURIC - name #1, knew this one

26. Formal expulsion: OUSTER

28. Well-suited: APT

32. Tasks: CHORES

34. Doja Cat's signature song: SAY SO - not my thing, but I listened and liked it - has a 70's disco vibe, and the video does, too; * warning *- the rap in the middle contains foul language, of course - name(ish)

35. Zipped, or ripped: TORE

36. "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" airer: Mtv - the channel ran its last actual music video in 2025, sorta

37. Kardashian matriarch: KRIS - name #2, no clue, tried "I-ris"

41. Sailor Moon headpiece: TIARA - Anime / Manga; it's her weapon - name(ish)

44. Benoit Blanc, e.g.: SLEUTH - name(ish)- more here; I have the DVD, haven't watched it yet . . . 

50. Pigpen: STY

51. Tried to improve one's score on, perhaps: RETOOK - think 'test'

52. Rat: SNITCH - I had PARIAH, as the "H" was in place

54. "__ longa, vita brevis": ARS - this helped me get a foothold in the SW; thanks to four years of Latin in high school~!

55. Cat seat: LAP - Here's my buddy from LI, now living in CT as well, at home New Year's Day

Matt "The Hat" and cat

57. Some bagels: SESAMES - I like mine Everything Egg - which a friend suggested were the bagels that got dropped on the floor in the kitchen . . . 

60. Masjid prayer leader: IMAM

64. "Bob's Burgers" girl: TINA - Watched the show for a while; I like Louise more - name #3

65. Redhead of classic TV: OPIE - I had LUCY, of course, but how can you tell hair color in Black & White~?  Name #4

66. Features of some lobbies: ATRIA - I would fly into Singapore just to see this one

More here

67. "Quit it!": "STOP~!"

68. Rain delay sight: TARP - a C.C. baseball clue - what, two months to Spring Training~?

69. Small: TEENY

DOWN:

1. Travel by air: WAFT - Dah~! Not SOAR; think of aromas

2. Lebanese fashion designer Saab: ELIE - Friday-cluing for name #5 - not the usual culprit, Mr. Weisel

3. Chloé Zhao, for one: DIRECTOR - name #6 - her IMDb, as I do not know any of her movies

4. Bas-relief medium: GESSO - Argh~!  My first thought, hesitated; learned about gesso from Bob Ross

I love Bob - I bought his paints and did this

5. Gush: ENTHUSE - Ah; think emotionally

6. Boston player: CELTIC - All I could think of were Red Sox and Bruins - I am no basketball fan

7. TV producer: RCA - a company that produced the actual appliances; who else remembers the TV repair guy using a mirror to see the screen while he adjusted the settings~?

I do remember the hardboard back panel with the holes in it, too~!

8. Ish: OR SO

9. Guardianship: CUSTODY - I was on the wavelength with "parentage"

10. Elmo's orange friend: ZOE - name #7 - Never heard of her

11. "Couldn't resist!": "I HAD TO." - due to inflation and the rising cost of crossword fill, there will be an upcharge for "Thwurds"; we also have  - 43D. Have high expectations: ASK A LOT - AND - 48D. "I'll have to pass": "IT'S A NO."

12. More likely to pry: NOSIER

13. Chipper: CHEERY - alliteration

18. Targets of some workouts: CORES - my "core" has gone south on me; I slacked off during the holidays.  But I did some fasting, and gotta get to trying those new dishes~!

22. Swear: CUSS - Ah.  CURSE didn't fit, but I was "correct"

25. People who get half the credit: CO-STARS

27. Stir up: STOKE

28. Do one's part: ACT

29. Soup with rice noodles: PHO - I pondered NAM, like we had last Friday

31. Pt. of USNA: NAV - meh.  U. S. Naval Academy

33. In vogue again: RETRO - I'm "retro" simply because I'm old, and never changed . . . 

36. B.A. Baracus player: Mr. T - from "The A-Team", 80s TV; name #8

38. Mount with southeast-facing faces: RUSHMORE - name(ish), but a gimme

What's the price of admission to this park, CandianEh!~?

39. Addams cousin: ITT - name #9

40. Reserved: SHY

42. Object of admiration: IDOL

44. One with two poles: SKIER - and here I thought I was clever filling in "EARTH"

45. Cry of hunger?: "LET'S EAT~!"

46. Qualities: TRAITS

47. __ crab: HERMIT

49. Foot part: INSTEP

Foot parts ON steps

53. Isabel Wilkerson's "__: The Origins of Our Discontents": CASTE - more here, name(ish) 

56. Dada: PAPA - a bit meh for Friday, IMHO

58. Former "DWTS" co-host Andrews: ERIN - I had no idea what DWTS is - Dancing With The Stars.  She & partner came in third, then she was one of the 25D. until 2020; name #10

59. Hotel visit: STAY

61. World view?: MAP

63. "Aaron Burr, __": "Hamilton" song: SIR - name(ish), and not needed for this 3LW

Splynter

Grid Flow 32.2