Friday, Apr 24th, 2026 ~ James Mattina

 LES MISERABLE~?

I do believe this is a debut for author James Mattina; if so, then congratulations~! Composing this construction must have been complicated.  I think the concept is brilliant - it's quite clever, fresh, and required some thinking on my part - but sadly, the "?" clues and proper names just drained some of the satisfaction from it. I ended up "cheating" to find where I went wrong - the truth is, I knew I had TESSA twice, and the instance that crossed the theme answers was where I made the mistake; I simply did not know 44D., nor two of three names in that SW corner.  Oh well.  A gimmick, a 14x16 grid, which, as I've pictured, is 'technically' 14x20, a fair balance of 3-, 4-, and 5-letter words, a ridiculous # of names - and not just Twurds, but we have a Thwurd this week - but hey, no circles . . . 😜

Rather than move all "theme" answers to the summary, I have highlighted them "in situ" -  The "reveal";

54. Equestrian style, or, when parsed differently, a three-part instruction for making 19 clues in this puzzle match their answers: SIDESADDLE - SIDES ADD 'LE' is the "three-part" parsing; in order to "get" the answers on the sides, one needs to 'add' "LE" - once I realized this - and at first I thought it was "SIDES ADDLE" ( which would have been worse ) then the first spanner came clear.  

LEBut LEWait, There'sLE MoreLE~!

ACROSS:

1. Not-so-hot wheels: MONS - LEmons - Used automobiles that have more problems than they're worth

If it smells like a lemon and shows up at "2" on the chart below . . .

5. Recap: SUM UP

10. Range that measures acidity and alkalinity: PHSCA - pH scaLE

15. Seize eagerly, as an opportunity: APAT - LEap at - Having to parse a Twurd that's also missing letters might rattle several solvers today

16. __ acid: AMINO

17. Like clean water: POTAB - potabLE - 7 on the pH scale

18. Theaters that typically don't serve popcorn?: CTUREHALLS - LEcture halls - This one may well have been the hardest to get - starting with the implication that lecture hall = theater, then adding the "?" to the clue, making it far more vague, plus being part of the theme, and therefore missing letters . . . 

20. Court action: DRIBB - dribbLE - I don't care for basketball, so that type of court never occurs to me

21. Singer Halliwell: GERI - I finally recalled she's a Spice Girl, but still a name, #1

Ginger Spice, go figure

22. Baby foxes: KITS - learned by doing crosswords

24. Round bump on a cactus: AREO - areoLE - we used to have a "Crossword Corner" image for this, but I believe it became "taboo", so let's just call it a "ring-like" structure 😁

25. Heavy reptile with a flexible carapace: ATHERBACKSEATURT - LEatherback sea turtLE - the first double-whammy 16 (20)-letter spanner theme fill

Pirates of the Caribbean

29. Economist who co-wrote "Freakonomics": VITT - Scott LEvitt - name, #2, and missing letters, which just doubles the cringe factor - but a good WAG on my part

30. Mud: JOE - coffee slang; did not occur to me until I had "_ O E" on my second pass, and name(ish)

31. Sink annoyance: DRIP - AND - 32A. Sink annoyances: AKS - LEaks

33. Spring event: THAW

35. Snack topped with cotija: TACO - yada yada snack with Español hint = TACO

36. Antelope that can go without water for long stretches: ORYX

37. Gets the gold: WINS

38. Big spender at a casino: WHA - whaLE - learned this term from Ocean's Thirteen

41. Gadget that has a click wheel: iPOD - I loved the "Apple product" D-Otto produced last Friday - "iDollar Tree" and the Ina Garten DeVito (baby) marriage from Copy Editor . . . wait til you get to 53D.

42. __ velvet cupcake: RED

43. Duo: COUP - coupLE - Duet wasn't going to fly; could not figure out what was going on . . . 

44. Ring leader?: TSGETREADYTORUMB - the catch-phrase from MC Michael Buffer, the other double-whammy 16 (20)-letter spanner, "LEt's get ready to rumbLE".  It's his 'leader' = opening "salvo" at sporting events; as you can see, A I has "announced" how not-so-intelligent it is . . . 

Um, spelled wrong

49. "I Hope You Dance" singer Womack: EANN - LEe Ann - I confused her with LeAnn Rimes.  Without grokking the gimmick, I thought maybe it was spelled Le-An - bzzzzt~!  Name #3

50. Heritage gp. celebrated in May: AAPI - Asian American Pacific Islander - more here

51. Month during which the shofar is blown daily: ELUL - Well, I knew it wasn't EL AL . . . 

52. Person represented by the sunset flag: SBIAN - LEsbian - the flag - that's as far as we'll go 

58. Wright who plays Shuri in the MCU: TITIA - LEtitia - I'm completely uninterested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - too repetitive & CGI for me.  In hindsight, I figured this was the correct spelling, but it's still name #4 - more from IMDb

59. Reorders a draft?: EDITS - as in "first draft" of a novel, or screenplay, script, etc.

60. Make possible: ENAB - enabLE

61. One-pointers in horseshoes: ANERS - LEaners - "Close" only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades - upon reading through several websites, scoring seems to be inconsistent

62. Many, informally: LOTSA - this reminds me of Winston Wolf  "lotsa luck fellas" - WARNING~! Here's the NSFW link to the scene from Pulp Fiction

63. Place to hitch a ride?: STAB - stabLE - again, with a gimmick like this, a "?" clue only makes it that much more difficult . . . IMHO, a horse is usually "hitched" to a post, but housed in a stable

DOWN:

1. Bud: MAC - not PAL, so I was already in the hole before I even started . . . the def at dict. dot com

2. Make a call: OPT - I pondered "UMP"; Tuesday "O" 3LW dupe #1

3. Zeros: NAUGHTS - Brit-speak

4. Crosswalk spot: STREET - phew; Friday vague

5. Hindi honorific: SAHIB - phew; Friday vague

6. Actress Thurman: UMA - phew, Crossword staple - but still a name, #5 

7. Guernsey, for one: MILK COW - good WAG on my part

8. As opposed to: UNLIKE

9. Shares on socials: POSTS

10. Abbr. for a rained-out event: PPD - PostPoneD

11. Fictional captain Hornblower: HORATIO - I am unfamiliar with this character, name #6

12. Foment: STIR UP

13. Giant pole tossed in Highland games: CABER - I knew this . . . 

14. Monastery head: ABBOT - . . . and this, but something was just not working on the crossings . . . 

19. Miscalculate: ERR - I thought I had ERRed, but then I got to the reveal

23. Midsize ride: SEDAN

25. Director DuVernay: AVA - name #7; a web page

26. Kesha's "__ Tok": TIK - seemed likely, but still too name(ish) for me, #8

27. Trojan War warrior: AJAX - actually looking for a proper Greek name, #9, more here

28. Shuttlecock paths: ARCS

33. Relaxed pace: TROT - Dah~! No LOPE

34. Monster slain by Hercules: HYDRA - it's "all Greek to me" part II

35. Neat: TIDY

36. Like businesses with no overhead?: OPEN AIR - meh.  Another vague "?" Twurd clue

37. "Yay, team!": "WE DID IT~!" - "Yes~!" We have the "Thwurd" fill~!

38. "__ you like to know?": "WOULDN'T" 

39. Fire on all cylinders: HUM

40. PD dispatch: APB - Police Dept., All Points Bulletin

41. Light: IGNITE

42. "¡Ándale!": "RAPIDO~!" - Español

43. Refinery inputs: CRUDES - I was thinking ORES, not liquids

44. Seed covering: TESTA - learning moment; the M-W def. here

45. Polio vaccine developer: SABIN - name #10; I wanted SALK, and I was NOT wrong - his Wiki

46. Canvas support: EASEL - Dah~!  Got caught thinking TENT POLE canvas - also like the clue/answer from this past Tuesday - not art canvas

47. Thompson of "Creed": TESSA - name #11 - another MCU character

48. Ipanema greeting: OLÁ - Geo name, Brazil - Tuesday dupe, #2; more here

53. "Hip Hop Is Dead" rapper: NAS - not up on my rappers - name #12; the irony~?  His track samples Iron(y) Butterfly, and the song "In A Gadda Da Vida"- if you care to listen, and the riff is definitely an earworm, then here's the YouTube rap song link

55. Sci-fi beings: ETs

56. Anaheim team, on scoreboards: LAA - The Los Angeles Angels

57. Subside: EBB

Splynter

Grid Flow 19.6, which is low

Thursday April 23, 2026 Jeffrey Wechsler

Jeffrey Wechsler made a triumphant return to the LAT with a fun Sunday puzzle just last month. While I know he has no control about when these are published, I think this one came out of the oven a bit too soon.

Golly Gee! For all you fans out there that love proper nouns, this is the puzzle for you. All five themers are peoples' names, both real and fictional, and they all end with GG. 

17. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" novelist: FANNIE FLAGG. She was also a frequent panelist on the Match Game.

30. Rapper featured on the Dr. Dre song "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang": SNOOP DOGG. That SNOOP is mentioned in a song with a "G" in the title, is the closest thing I found to a deeper theme.

37. Circumnavigator in a Jules Verne novel: PHILEAS FOGG. As a boy growing up on Verne, this was the one answer I filled in without hesitation, except I thought he was PHInEAS with an "N". 

41. English actress who played Emma Peel on "The Avengers": DIANA RIGG. DIANA RIGG as British spy Emma Peel in the 60s TV series was everything a young boy could hope for (when not reading Verne).

58. "The Road to Wellville" role for Anthony Hopkins: JOHN KELLOGG. "K-E-double L, O-double Good, Kellogg's best to you!" Whee! Are we having fun yet?

The real Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

I like the majority of the puzzles I do, but this one didn't excite me. I kept waiting for something to happen, a clever reveal, maybe something to do with movie Gigi, but it never materialized. It's just a list of names that end in GG. 

Across:

1. Revels (in): BASKS.

6. Kremlin cash: RUBLE.

11. Part of the DHS: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

14. Like sparrows and swallows: AVIAN.

15. One of several mistakes in a Shakespeare comedy?: ERROR. Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest and shortest plays, known for its farcical humor, slapstick, and mistaken identity, revolving around two sets of identical twins separated at birth.

16. Ashen: WAN.

17. [theme]

19. See 34-Down: ORA. Rita ORA.

20. Naval groups: FLEETS.

21. Fresh start?: NEO. From the Greek meaning "new."

22. Govt. figure: POL. POL is short for a government politician.

23. Whispery: LOW. LOW as in volume, not in tone. Cows LOW to communicate hunger or distress.

Psst! The grass is greener on the other side.

24. Observed furtively: SPIED.

27. Florence's river: ARNO.

28. One-named singer from Donegal: ENYA. ENYA has sold an estimated 80 million albums worldwide and now lives in a castle.

30. [theme]

33. Warble: TRILL.

36. Custardy desserts: FLANS. This is rarely seen in the plural, unless we're talking about the all-girl group from Mexico.

37. [theme]

39. Greek island in "The Two Faces of January": CRETE. The Two Faces of January is a 2014 thriller film set in Greece. Also see 29D.

40. Stay put, in Paris: RESTE. French lesson. It's interesting when a foreign word looks like a English word with a different etymology, yet has a similar meaning. "Rest" has Germanic roots.

41. [theme]

43. Fret (over): STEW.

47. eBay caveat: AS IS. I buy and sell often on eBay, and have had surprisingly good interactions with people. Especially gratifying are fair resolutions when something doesn't go quite right on either end.

48. Opposite of o'er: NEATH.

51. Lille pal: AMI. A little more French.

52. Oz. and mg.: WTS. Ounces and milligrams are WEIGHTS.

53. "The View" airer: ABC. The View is a daytime talk show hosted by women, now in its 29th season.

55. Driver's lic. with an added star: REAL ID. Starting on May 7, 2025, a REAL ID license or authorized alternative (like a passport) is required for U.S. domestic flights, entering secure federal buildings, and military bases.

57. Born: NEE. And even more French.

58. [theme]

61. Round topper for a scepter: ORB.

62. Part of the Dutch Caribbean: ARUBA. ARUBA is an island off the coast of Venezuela.

63. Netflix category: GENRE. 

64. Vane dir.: NNE. I'm glad more recent xwords have started cluing compass points this way rather than directions between two random cities.

65. Satisfy, as a debt: REPAY.

66. Good point: ASSET.

Down:

1. Perplex: BAFFLE.

2. Island where Excalibur was forged: AVALON. "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government." 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

3. Trim and muscular: SINEWY.

4. "Citizen __": KANE. Played by Orson Wells in 1941.

5. Pique performances?: SNITS. Fun clue.

6. NFL employee: REF.

7. Brief address: URL.

8. Corleone player: BRANDO. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

The Godfather

9. Theater section: LOGE.

10. Therefore: ERGO.

11. Like many electric plugs: TWO PRONG. This guy's a victim of a TWO PRONG attack.

12. Some Malaysian attire: SARONGS.

13. Like Big Ben's clock: ANALOG.

18. Dubious ability: ESP.

25. Michigan's __ Royale National Park: ISLE.

26. Make bigger: ENLARGE.

27. Maxims: ADAGES.

29. Greek city in "The Two Faces of January": ATHENS. Almost a clecho. See 39A.

31. Trade-__: compromises: OFFS.

32. Gardener's parcel: PLOT.

34. With 19-Across, "How We Do (Party)" singer: RITA. RITA Ora.

35. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. I don't remember this young man, and he's already quit acting, but misspelling the cross of PHInEAS with an "N" sunk me.

37. "Hallelujah!": PRAISE BE.

38. Video game giant: SEGA.

39. Collector of rainwater: CISTERN.

41. Suddenly hit: DAWN ON.

42. Increase slowly: INCH UP.

44. Claws: TALONS.

45. New citizen, perhaps: EMIGRE.

46. Doohickey: WIDGET.

49. Otto meno cinque: TRE. Now we switch to Italian for a math lesson. Eight minus five equals three.

50. Hägar the Horrible's wife: HELGA.

53. Slightly open: AJAR.

54. Offer no amusement to: BORE. Zzzz.

56. Tavern quaffs: ALES.

59. Bulls org.: NBA. The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association.

60. Big name in jewelry: KAY. Winner - Best Slogan: "Every Kiss Begins With KAY."

Well, was Jeffrey a good eGG or did he lay one?

Be good. RB

Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme: Try 4-7-8 breathing.

Today we have a clever and unusually constructed puzzle by our own dear C.C., with a split unifier, and vertical theme entries. This suggests the likelihood of a certain kind of gimmick, in which a target word is contained in the theme fill, and oriented as the unifier indicated.  Let's check it out.

The unifier -- 9A. With 64-Across, "Chill!," or what can be found four times in this puzzle: CALM.

64A. See 9-Across: DOWN.  Together these words form an exhortation spoken to someone in an angry or agitated state.  It is well known that reciting this magic formula will immediately cause that person to become placid and serene.  In the theme fill, the hidden word CALM is spelt in the DOWN orientation.  Nice.

3 D.  Neighborhood spot for fresh produce: LOCAL MARKET.  It centers on local production, immediate demand, and community-focused marketing strategies aimed at customers living or working nearby.

8 D. Make-or-break point: CRITICAL MOMENT.    A pivotal, high-stakes juncture in a conversation, project, or life event that determines future outcomes, often acting as a turning point. 

14 D.  Genre with symphonies and sonatas: CLASSICAL MUSIC.    A broad, formal tradition of Western art music spanning roughly the 11th century to the present, rooted in written notation, complex structures, and lasting value.  Often this phrase refers to a more narrow time slice containing the 17th to 19th centuries.

25 D. Accessories favored by serious gamers: OPTICAL MICE.    Computer pointing devices that use a light source—typically a light-emitting diode (LED)—and a photodiode sensor to detect movement relative to a surface. 

Construction details -- Perfect rotational symmetry is maintained in the grid with the positions of the unifier fragments and the themers.  For an extra, elegant touch, the CAL M is split between the L and M in each two-word theme entry. 

Also note that this theme is like a soft pillow.

It's down filled.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here, feeling very mellow, and hoping we all get through this puzzle peacefully and untroubled.

Here is today's theme song.

Across:

1. Embrace: HOLD.   Put your arms around someone.    Huge hug.

 5. Voting alliance: BLOC.   A combination of people or groups sharing a common purpose.

13. "Hi there, matey!": AHOY.   A nautical interjection used to hail a ship, attract attention, or greet others, 

14. Like the top coat of nail polish: CLEAR.  A transparent, durable paint layer applied as the final step over colored (basecoat) paint on vehicles, or, in this case, toenails.

15. Toll unit: AXLE.  A central shaft or rod that connects a pair of wheels to a vehicle, rotating with them or allowing them to rotate around it. Axles support the vehicle's weight, manage braking and acceleration forces, and in powered vehicles, transmit torque from the transmission to the wheels.  Tolls can be based on the number of them.

16. Sprint or marathon: RACE.   A competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc., to see which is the fastest in covering a set course.

17. Green bug named for its camouflaging ability: LEAF INSECT.   A large slow-moving tropical insect related to the stick insects, with a flattened body that resembles a leaf in shape and color.

Wikipedia

19. Mrs. in Mallorca: SRA.  Señora, a married woman.

20. First light: DAWN.  Day break.

21. Tip of a sock: TOE.   Where the human toes reside.

22. "We need assistance!": HELP US.   

24. Go kaput: DIE.  Pass away, get used up.

25. Aveeno grain: OAT.    A highly nutritious whole grain, specifically Avena sativa, packed with fiber (beta-glucan) that aids heart health, reduces cholesterol, and promotes fullness for weight management. 

Aveeno is an American brand of skin care and hair care products owned by American consumer health company Kenvue.

28. Largest deer species: MOOSE.   The moose or elk is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only extant species in the genus Alces. It is also the tallest, and the second-largest, land animal in North America, falling short only to the American bison in body mass.

30. Solar event: ECLIPSE.   A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth and fully or partially obscuring the Sun. 

32. Wild guess: STAB.   Aka, swag.

34. "Broad City" star Glazer: ILANA.   Ilana Glazer (b. 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and activist. 

36. "C u l8r": TTFN.   An acronym for "Ta-ta for now," a playful, informal British phrase meaning "goodbye for now".

37. Sub in a deli: HERO.  A New York-origin, large submarine-style sandwich made on a long, crusty Italian roll, filled with layers of Italian cold cuts (salami, pepperoni, capicola), provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and oil/vinegar.

38. Part of ACLU: CIVIL.   The American Civil Liberties Union.

39. "About the Author" sections: BIOS.   Short biographies (personal profiles or sketches of a person's life.) 

40. Like some bourbons: OAKY.  Aged in oak barrels.  I prefer rye or a single malt scotch.

41. Starting squad: A-TEAM.   An elite or expert group comprising those who are most pre-eminent in an organization, profession, or activity.

42. Decent size for a meadow: ACRE.  A unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards (0.405 hectare).

43. Grapple in a ring: WRESTLE.   Engage in close, hand-to-hand combat by gripping an opponent to throw or immobilize them, often as a sport. 

45. Stage presence?: LONG A.  The letter "A" present in the word "stage" is of the long variety.  In "stag' it is of the short variety. 

47. Big Apple newspaper, for short: NYT. The New York Times.  

48. Meditation chants: OMS.  In the singular,  a sacred syllable and the primordial sound of the universe, often chanted to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and connect with spiritual consciousness.   Might even help one to calm down.

49. Took for a ride: MISLED.  Engaged in cheating or deceiving someone.  

52. Shiba __: INU.  The Shiba Inu is a breed of hunting dog from Japan. A small-to-medium breed, it is the smallest of the six original dog breeds native to Japan. The Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. Its name literally translates to "brushwood dog", as it is used to flush game.

Wikipedia

53. Partner in crime?: ABET.  Here, "partner" is used as a verb, meaning to act along with someone in an activity - in this case of the nefarious variety.

55. NCAA sch. with the mascot Sparty: MSU.   Michigan State University, located in East Lansing, with The Spartans as their nick-name.  My Michigan-educated grands went to Eastern, Western, Central, and Wayne State.

56. Gives only perfunctory effort: PHONES IT IN.  As in the Red Wings last sorry game of this dismal season.

60. Is just the right size for: FITS.  Having the proper size and shape.

61. Nerf darts, e.g.: AMMO.  Short for ammunition, generally combat supplies.  Nerf darts are for less serious combat, I assume.   The come in a surprisingly large variety of shapes and sizes.

62. Shocking response at the altar: I DON'T.   That could ruin somebody's whole day.

63. Rapper born Tracy Marrow: ICE T.   Tracy Lauren Marrow (b.1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip-hop and heavy metal. 

65. Tube tops: CAPS.  The tops of, frex., tooth paste tubes.  Clever.

66. Flower-visiting buzzers: BEES.  Oh, honey.

Down:

1. Tough to endure: HARSH.   Severely unpleasant, rough, cruel, or strident to the senses.

2. Busiest airport in the Midwest: O'HARE.  In Chicago.

4. Turn red, perhaps: DYE.  You can change the color of something without being enbarassed.

5. Made bubbles, say: BLEW.  Expelled air, in this case through a soapy loop.

Watch and Learn

6. Tilt: LEAN.   Be slanted in a certain direction.

7. Galoot: OAF.   A clumsy, stupid, or awkward person, typically a man.   Not all men.

9. Violin carrier: CASE.   A box for holding something, in this case [so to speak] a padded, form-fitting protective box. 

10. Log chopper: AXE.   A cutting tool with a heavy-bladed head attached to a handle, used for thousands of years to chop, split, and harvest wood. 

11. Inc. alternative: LLC.   A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a flexible, hybrid business structure combining the personal liability protection of a corporation with the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship.

12. Crossed paths: MET.  Encountered someone.

18. French holiday: NOËL.   Christmas.  Joyeux Noël.

20. Key and Peele, e.g.: DUO.  Two people doing something together.  K and P were a sketch comedy DOU with a self-named TV show that ran from 2012 to 2015 on Comedy Central.

23. N'awlins sandwiches: PO'BOYS.    Traditional Louisiana sandwiches served on crispy, flaky French bread, often filled with fried seafood (shrimp, oysters, catfish) or roast beef with gravy. 

24. "Wasn't me," e.g.: DENIAL.   The refusal to accept truth, reality, an accusation, or a request, 

26. Regarding: AS FOR.   Concerning a certain topic.

27. On pins and needles: TENSE.   Nervous and worried and unable to relax: needing to calm down.

29. Privileged groups: ELITES.    Small, privileged groups of people who are superior in ability, wealth, or social status within societies or organizations. 

31. Must-have purses: IT BAGS.   High-priced, luxury designer handbags that becomes a season's must-have item, defined by immense popularity, celebrity endorsement, and high demand. 

32. Aired: SHOWN.  Broadcast on TV, or another visual medium

33. All choked up: TEARY.  Almost crying.  Pass me a Kleenex.

35. Blvd. kin: AVE.  Boulevard and Avenue - streets by any other name, often wide, tree lined, and possibly divided..

44. Mood: TONE.   A temporary, subjective emotional state or frame of mind, often lasting hours or days, which influences how a person perceives the world.  Leave me alone.  I'm in a bad tone today.  A mood is how one feels.  The tone is how it may be expressed through voice, writing or art.

46. Trivial complaint: NIT.  Relating to some small or insignificant detail.  Did I pick one in 44 A?

50. Lauder of cosmetics: ESTĖE.  Estée Lauder (nee Josephine Esther Mentzer, 1908 –2004) was an American businesswoman. She co-founded her eponymous cosmetics company with her husband, Joseph Lauter (later Lauder). She was the only woman on Time magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century.

51. Uses a Swiffer: DUSTS.   Swiffer is an American brand of cleaning products, manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Since its launch in 1999, Swiffer has achieved widespread popularity and become one of Procter & Gamble's most successful brands in the household cleaning products market, with its core product line centered around disposable towels and cleaning parts.

52. Privy to: IN ON.  Knowledgable about something, often something not widely known. 

53. Perched upon: ATOP.  "On top of," "at the top," or "situated on the summit" of something.

54. Storage boxes: BINS.   Containers or enclosed spaces used for storing, holding, or collecting items. 

56. Writer's block?: PAD.   A writing tablet or note pad.  Calling it a block is a stretch too far, IMHO.

57. Med. insurance option: HMO.  Health Maintenance Organization, a type of health insurance plan that limits coverage to doctors or facilities within a specific network. It offers lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs but requires selecting a Primary Care Physician (PCP) and obtaining referrals to see specialists.

58. Texter's "Be there soon": OMW.   On My Way.

59. St. known for spuds: IDA.  Here, "St." indicates state, not street, and IDAHO is known for it's potatoes.

60. Lie to spare someone's feelings, perhaps: FIB.  Also known as a white lie. 

C.C. served us up a fine puzzle today, and I had fun blogging it.   Would I fib to you?

Chill regards!

JzB

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Rena Cohen

A Trip to the Deli.  No trip to New York City is complete without a trip to a deli, where you can get the best bagels with all the fixings.  A brief history of the Bagel.

My favorite deli in NYC,

16-Across. Didn't hold back in competition: PLAYED TOWIN.  Plain Bagels.

23-Across. Field that drives the self-help industry: POP PSYCHOLOGY.  Poppy Bagels.

37-Across. Lettuce, tomato, or cucumber, often: SALAD INGREDIENT.  Salt Bagel.  Salt bagels don't hold up well in humid Louisiana.

50-Across. Extremely special: ONE IN A MILLION.  Onion Bagel.

And the unifier:

61-Across. Deli gadget that's been used on 16-, 23-, 37-, and 50-Across?: BAGEL SLICER.

Here's the grid so you can see the "sliced" bagels.

What other treats are in store for us?

Across:

1. Collect over time: AMASS.

6. Sound with a dismissive wave: PFFT.

10. Number before a + on a board game box: AGE.

13. Colorful parrot: MACAW.

14. "Toodles!": SEE YA!

15. American writer Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is known for his macabre and mysterious short stories and poetry.  His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, is considered the first modern detective story.

18. Spot for rubbish: BIN.  Do you say Trash Bin or Trash Can?

19. Little tastes: SIPS.

20. Actor McKellen: IAN.  That's Sir Ian Murray McKellen (b. May 25, 1939) to you.  He is probably best known for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.

21. Advances, in football: GAINS.

27. World Cup chant: OLÉ.  Today's Spanish lesson.

29. Sorta: -ISH.

30. Zoom organizer: HOST.

31. Kansas City tight end Travis: KELCE.  Rumor has it that he is getting married soon.

33. Fish that resembles a sea snake: EEL.

34. "Yo," in Rio: OLÁ.  Hello, this is today's Portuguese lesson.

42. Miles away: FAR.

43. Walking buddy, maybe: DOG.

44. Guy who knows all the best spots?: AD MAN.

45. Active person: DOER.

47. Khan Academy founder Khan: SAL.  Salman Amin Khan is an American educator and the founder of The Khan Academy is a free online non-profit educational platform with video lessons teaching a wide spectrum of academic subjects.  When Salman Amin Khan (Oct. 11, 1976) formed the company, it originally focused on mathematics and science.

49. Make a choice: OPT.  You opted to look at this blog today.

55. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.

56. Ball drop night, for short: NYE.  The ball in Times Square falls on New Year's Eve.  A brief history of the Ball in Times Square.

57. Actress Edelstein: LISA.  Lisa Edelstein (b. May 6, 1966) is probably best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on House.

60. Org. that bestows Silver Gavel Awards: ABA.   As in the American Bar Association.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Silver Gavel Award but didn't know to ask.

65. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. E, in a treble clef mnemonic: EVERY.  Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge or Football.

67. Calendar entry: EVENT.

68. Pioneering 52-Down provider: AOL.  //  52-Down. Outlook message: EMAIL.

69. Canvas structure: TENT.

70. College stressors: TESTS.  The semester is winding up and Final Tests are on the horizon.

Down:

1. Hypes (up): AMPS.

2. Timbuktu's land: MALI.  Fun facts about Mali:  its official name is the Republic of Mali.  It is the 8th largest country in Africa and the 23rd largest country in the world.  

3. Noninstrumental music genre: A CAPPELLA.

4. Authority: SAY SO.

5. Country between Fin. and Nor.: SWE.  Sweden is between Finland and Norway.

6. Indiana state flower: PEONY.  The Magnolia is the state flower of Louisiana.  Magnolia trees are in bloom now.  What is the state flower of your state?

7. Not many: FEW.

8. "Just a heads-up ... ": FYI.  For Your Information.

9. Performs a dramatic ballroom dance: TANGOS.  It takes two ...

10. HS course whose first unit is Chemistry of Life: AP BIO.  As in Advanced Placement Biology.

11. On the way out: GOING.

12. Li'l: EENSY.

14. Secret supply: STASH.

17. Short swims: DIPS.

22. "Curiously strong" mint: ALTOID.  Did you know that Altoids have been around for almost 250 years??!!

24. Covered with colorful blotches: PIED.

25. "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer: CHER.  Cher (née Cheryl Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) is also known for her outlandish outfits.

26. Plot problem: HOLE.

27. Signs off on: OKs.

28. Fall faller: LEAF.

32. Part of a HIIT workout: CARDIO.  High Intensity Interval Training is a good Cardio exercise.

33. French toast need: EGG.

35. Citrusy frozen desserts: LEMON ICES.

36. "Time for __": yawner's sigh: A NAP.

38. Brainchild: IDEA.

39. Standard: NORM.

40. Surrealist Salvador: DALI.  His full name was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

41. Explosive Minecraft block: TNT.

46. With cash at stake: ON A BET.

47. With secrecy: SLYLY.

48. Beers that ferment faster than lagers: ALEs.  Wha's the difference between Beer and Ale?

50. Honshu city: OSAKA.  Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu.  It is known 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, an historical landmark. The castle is surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees.

51. Home planet of Queen Amidala: NABOO.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

53. Like noble gases: INERT.

54. Cocktail garnish that may be stuffed with blue cheese: OLIVE.

58. Dispatched: SENT.

59. __ and crafts: ARTS.

62. Common abbr. on street maps: AVE.  As in Avenue.  Is there a difference between a Street and an Avenue?

63. Demographic cohort, for short: GEN.  As in Generation.

64. Allow: LET.

This puzzle made me hungry, so I'm off for my morning Bagel.

חתולה