Saturday, October 3, 2026, Tom Pepper

 Themeless Saturday by Tom Pepper

Today, C.C.'s good friend and occasional co-constructor, Tom Pepper, has provided us with a very nice Saturday puzzle. Tom is the retired finance director for Eagan, MN. and spent time with C.C. and Boomer. He also was a great source of comfort for her after Boomer's passing.

In this picture you can see Tom's wife Terri, Boomer, Tom and C.C. C.C. told me that Tom could probably beat me at golf, which really wouldn't be all that hard. 😀

I am very grateful that Tom was nice enough to include a very informative note about his construction of this puzzle:

Hi Gary, 

  

Nice to hear from you again! 

  

I don't always start themeless puzzles with a specific grid pattern, but I did with this one. It was a grid shape that Rex Parker had said he liked in someone else's puzzle because it was conducive to that whoosh-whoosh feeling you get when a couple gettable long entries lead to gettable long crosses. So when I made this puzzle, I placed the four longest entries (13s and 14s) in first, and filled around them. From the start, I had hoped to get both GRAMMAR POLICE and ROOKIE MISTAKE into the puzzle, and it worked out. 

When the puzzle was accepted, the editors let me know they were going to make a couple small changes to improve the short fill in the middle section of the puzzle. They even wrote the new clues for me!

  

Take care, 

Tom

Across: 

1. Item dropped in the drink: STRAW 😀

6. Chiromancer's target: PALM - Yes, chiromancer is another name for a palm reader.

               

10. Overwhelm: SLAM - I once SLAMMED a cafe with two buses with 60 kids. We sponsors took orders, served the food, took the money and bussed the tables for them. It turned out great and they were so grateful. 

14. Hair extension: WEAVE.

15. Cookies and cream treat: OREO SHAKE.

17. Baseball's all-time RBI leader: AARON.

18. Rescuers on the run?: SKI PATROL 😀

19. Bases for busts: PLINTHS - A PLINTH is a stand or base that can hold a bust. You've got a few miles on your tires if you remember this bust of Voltaire in the office of 50's/60's Perry Mason TV show. You've got a heck of a memory if you remember his secretary Della Street played by the lovely Barbara Hale.

21. Not accidental: MEANT - The hear kids today use the phrase "on accident" instead of "by accident". Did that happen at the same time "could care less" replaced "couldn't care less"?

22. Oft-redacted fig.: SSN.

23. Many an adoptee: HOUSE PET - I can't go into an animal shelter. I'd want to take all of them home.

27. Ones correcting they're gaffes, perhaps?: GRAMMAR POLICE - My favorite clue/fill. This was so clever because the clue had the grammatical gaffe of they're instead of their. 

32. French "deadly": FATALE - Mata Hari is said to be the most famous Femme FATALE (deadly woman) of all time.

34. Christmas song: NOEL.

35. "Pass": NAH.

36. Tough to form a bond with: ALOOF - This science guy first thought of INERT

37. Media that led to record losses: CDS.

38. "What she said": DITTO.

40. WoW, for one: RPG - My last fill. This "R" was nearly a natick with FARR crossing RPG but Role Playing Game made sense to me and so I earned a "got 'er done".

41. Visit a souk: SHOP - Souks are common to North Africa. This is one is in Morocco. 

43. Steer clear of: ESCHEW.

44. Product of green energy?: ROOKIE MISTAKE 😀 - It can be said that a ROOKIE can be green and apt to make a MISTAKE. My first blogs had them but C.C. was encouraging. 

47. Relatively helpful business practice?: NEPOTISM 😀 If your relative is hiring, "it couldn't hurt!"

48. Hip-hop figures: MCS.

51. Groundwork: BASIS.

54. Neighborhood blot: EYESORE.

56. Open: ALL-COMERS - Technically anyone can try but...

60. "Enough's enough": OK NOW.

61. "Truth!": YOU KNOW IT.

62. "Gigi" composer: LOEWE - Can you find him on the poster?

63. Chocolate brand owned by Berkshire Hathaway: SEES - A favorite confection of Warren Buffet

64. Ginormous: MEGA.

65. Samsung appliance: DRYER - You'll have to look close to see the manufacturer 

Down:

1. Pulls a switch: SWAPS.

2. Birds for whom a color is named: TEALS.

3. More than ready: RARING TO GO.

4. Bath water: AVON - I learned AVON is a word meaning river in the U.K. Here is the city of Bath on AVON in England.

5. Split evenly, informally: WENT HALFSIES ON - WENT FIFTY FIFTY fit very nicely also

6. Play __: POSSUM.

7. Ararat lander: ARK - Could this shape on Mt. Ararat be the resting place of Noah's ARK?

8. Island ring: LEI.

9. Messy locks: MOP.

10. "Yentl" setting: SHTETL - A SHTETL is a Yiddish word meaning "little town" that refers to small market towns in pre–World War II Eastern Europe with a large, Yiddish-speaking Jewish population. 

11. Spencer of "Good Morning America": LARA.

12. "Don't Matter" singer: AKON ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

13. Move to another state?: MELT 😀 Very amusing for this physics teacher who is also a fan of classic movies.

16. "Nothing new under the sun": SAME OLD SAME OLD.

20. Heart's location?: HOME 😊

24. Long jumper's destination: SAND PIT - Bob Beamon shocked the world in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics by beating the old record by almost two feet!

25. Olympic archer?: EROS.

26. Safety gear for ER workers: PPE - We all got familiar with Personal Protection Equipment during covid 

28. "The White Tiger" actor Rajkummar: RAO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

29. On easy street: IN THE MONEY.

30. Sandra's "Ocean's 8" co-star: CATE.

31. DIY help site: EHOW.

32. "Fire Country" actress Diane: FARR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

33. Chewy brand: ALPO - Our kitty Lily gets her food from Chewy.com 

37. Lombardy birthplace of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger: COMO - Looks like a nice place for the Pliny's

39. "Ugh!": ICK.

42. Not square: HEP.

43. Spot for unique gifts: ETSY.

45. Mike Brown's NBA team: KNICKS.

46. Afternoon outing?: SIESTA.

49. "Almost Famous" director: CROWE.

50. Underground government operation?: SEWER.

51. Reddish-brown horses: BAYS.

52. Toner additive: ALOE.

53. Turn on an axis: SLUE 😀

55. Toffee bar: SKOR.

57. Certain parent: MOM and 58. 57-Down in a meadow: EWE.

59. Semi: RIG.

Friday, Oct 2nd, 2026 ~ Norman M. Aaronson

 LABYRINTH

Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center - their labyrinth website page

Author Norman M. Aaronson had an LA Times crossword back in July on a Wednesday here.  Today he returns with a puzzle that was, for me, not a very challenging Friday foray, despite a dozen names and a Natick.  Four themers with 'a twist' in the clue, and nothing obscure in the answers; I don't know how this one got published so late in the week; perhaps the oversized 15x16 grid~?  Not likely - or maybe I was on his wavelength, and most of the fill was in my wheelhouse; YMMV.  ALOT of Twurds & names, not so many 3LWs, no circles, no outliers.  Four themers, none spanning, no reveal;  

18. Story told with a twist: MYSTERY NOVEL - I am currently reading the "Exoskeleton" series from Shane Stadler, an odd horror/sci-fi/existential series, but I am sticking with it

29. Party gift created with a twist: BALLOON ANIMAL

Bah-dum-tiss

50. Cocktail served with a twist: VESPER MARTINI - Ha~!  I wondered if this was the James Bond drink, ordered in the 2006 Daniel Craig 007 movie Casino Royale - and a gratuitous scene for our C.C.

My friend, bring me one as well, keep the fruit . . ." - Felix Leiter

66. Feat performed with a twist: PLATFORM DIVE - but can you do the Triple Lindy~?

 

ACROSS:

1. Big horn: TUBA - "it's not a TUBA~!"

AAAAhnaaald~!

5. "Scoot!": AMSCRAY - Pig Latin for Scram - the 'language' formation "rules"

12. Winery tub: VAT

15. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL - I know who she is, could not recall the spelling, went with AMAN - Bzzzzt~! - name #1

Hey, I think I know that guy with her . . .

16. Bacon strips: RASHERS

17. Kerfuffle: ADO

20. Replayed tennis serve: LET

21. Gnats, termites, and the like: PESTS

22. River deposit: SILT

23. Timothée Chalamet trilogy set on a desert planet: DUNE - Tried reading this Frank Herbert novel back in middle school, but I just couldn't get into it, and I'm a Sci-Fi guy; I did watch some of the "new" series featuring this actor - and I like the dragonfly things . . . name(ish)

More here

24. Like some elephants: ASIATIC - comparison to African elephants here

27. "Golly!": "OH GEE~!" - "Oh, Twurd~!"

34. Tolkien monster: ORC

37. Shuts with force: SLAMS

38. Food package phrase: USE BY - Two words #1

39. Speak highly of: LAUD

41. Gaps: SPACES

44. Like many supermodels: TALL

They all look to be at least 6ft tall . . .

45. Dizzy: AREEL - "a" Twurd #1

47. Simply must: HAS TO -Two words #2

49. Filmmaker Spike: LEE - knew this one, name #2

54. "Pagliacci" clown: TONIO - CE:D blogged his insight on the play here; the Wiki, name #3

55. Carriers of raw metals: ORE CARS - Two words #3

59. Fail to mention: OMIT

61. Hopper on a pet: FLEA

64. Orange __ tea: PEKOE

65. Ballpoint brand: BIC

69. Large deer in the Rockies: ELK

70. Barbecue spot: TERRACE

71. Tabloid duo: ITEM

72. Golf hole meas.: YDs

73. States as fact: ASSERTS - and you know what happens if you ASS-U-ME . . . 

74. Reseals, as a road: TARS

DOWN:

1. Third-largest city in the Sunshine State: TAMPA - Two weeks running on Friday, Geo name #4

2. "Uh, I think so": "UM, YES." - Er, Twurd

3. Low choir voices: BASSI - in the Latin/Italian plural

4. Window-switching shortcut: ALT TAB - Two 'words', learning moment, and a Natick crossing for me

5. Flight board abbr.: ARRivals, not "ETA", Monday dupe #1

6. Star Wars Day month: MAY - the Fourth Be With You

Tuesday in 2027

7. Figs. targeted by phishers: SSNs -Social Security Numbers

8. Kenneth of "9-1-1": CHOI - no clue, more here, name #5

9. L'Oréal rival: REVLON - cosmetics companies

10. "Think" singer Franklin: ARETHA - Friday cluing, still a name, #6

11. French fashion letters: YSL - crossword staple, abbr name Yves St. Laurent, #7

12. Fast-food combo: VALUE MEAL - hey - a solid two-word clue/answer

13. Yemeni port: ADEN - Geo name #8

14. Handy bag: TOTE

19. "¿Cómo __?": ESTAS - Español lesson #1

23. Believer in a noninterfering god: DEIST - I believe in "The Force" - I was on a 12-step spritual retreat this past weekend, and I walked the labyrinth pictured at the top on the grounds Sunday morning - now I want to make one in my back yard~!

25. Woes: ILLS

26. Thunder sound: CLAP - what's the sound of ONE thunder bolt clapping~? 🙄

One week to "Cooper"town, Irish Miss~!

28. Wild beast also called a wildebeest: GNU

30. Largest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA - Geo name #9, and a Saturday sherpa shout-out

31. Sesame Street's resident Grouch: OSCAR - name #10

32. Fit: ABLE 

33. Country singer Lovett: LYLE - name #11, knew it

34. Patron saint of Norway: OLAV - name #12, knew it two ( too )

35. Uncommon: RARE

36. Pool equipment: CUE STICKS - Ah, that kind of  pool . . . not the Monday one

40. Railroad station: DEPOT

42. This, in Spanish: ESTO - Español #2

43. Mix: STIR

46. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN - I remember he played a role on Law & Order, still, name #13

48. Early afternoon hr.: ONE PM - this, or TWO

51. Rummages (through): RIFLES

52. Big grinders: MOLARS - dental, not deli  . . .

53. Sealed the victory: ICED IT - Two words #4

56. Japanese dog breed: AKITA - name(ish)

57. Mars exploration vehicle: ROVER - could be your Akita dog's name, too . . . 😁

58. Comes across as: SEEMS

59. Toe the line: OBEY

60. Tame: MILD

62. To be, in French: ÊTRE - Frawnche

63. Way out there: AFAR - "a" Twurd #2

66. Sch. supporter: PTA - abbr, Parent / Teacher Assoc., Monday dupe #2

67. Halloween mo.: OCTober, the month we just crossed into

68. Hi-__ graphics: RES

Splynter

Grid Flow 16.8

Thursday October 1, 2026 Cameron Barr & Annabel Blitzer

Happy October from Cameron Barr and Annabel Blitzer! Cameron is student writer and puzzle constructor for The Riverdale Review, the student-run newspaper of the Riverdale Country School where they serve milk in the cafeteria. Along with co-constructor Annabel, they've published crosswords for the paper's game section. Today, they usher in the fourth quarter with their joint entry into the big time LAT. Woohoo!

17. "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" actor: VAL KILMER. VAL reprised his role as Iceman despite having throat cancer requiring the use of AI to alter his voice.

25. Insect such as Bombyx mori: SILK MOTH. As everyone (?) knows, Bombyx mori is the scientific name for a SILK MOTH.

36. "The Kiss" painter: GUSTAV KLIMT. The Austrian symbolist painter depicted a couple embracing in 1908. 

51. Appear as: SEEM LIKE. This creates an impression.

61. Ice cream treat, or what can be found in 17-, 25-, 36-, or 51-Across?: MILKSHAKE. The revealer tells us that the letters in the word "MILK" are SHAKEn (not stirred) in all the theme answers. 

Being Thursday, the scrambled letters M, I, L and K are not circled. Usually, in this kind of puzzle, the theme is of no help in the solve - once revealed, you look back and see how it all fits. But in this case, I couldn't come up with GUSTAV's last name and had blanks until I saw the letters of MILK had to be in there somewhere and then it clicked. The rest was uneventful short fill that went quickly. Overall, a fine first effort.

Continuing through the Milky Way:

Across:

1. Pride letters: LGBT. This abbreviation is almost an abbrev. itself as it's often appended with Q, as in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.

5. Latch (onto): GLOM.

9. Pricey strings, familiarly: STRAD. I wanted STRAT, of course. David Gilmour's 1969 Fender "Black Strat" sold for $14,550,000 in March 2026, breaking all previous records. This Stratocaster was used on the classic Pink Floyd albums The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.

14. Geometric calculation: AREA.

15. Spiritual energy: AURA.

16. Canines, e.g.: TEETH. Buster has an underbite that we sometimes wonder if other dogs see as a snarl.

Our canine showing his canines.

17. [theme]

19. Spy collection: INTEL. Everyone's favorite British spy not named Bond, James Bond.

20. Do-nothing: IDLER.

21. Fastest qualifier in auto racing: POLE CAR. From my exhaustive research (I used the Google) a POLE CAR is not a proper term. It is the polesitter who starts in the pole position.

23. Welcomes: SEES IN.

25. [theme]

28. Possesses: HAS.

29. All ready: SET. On your mark, get SET, go!!

31. "I disagree": NAY. As in a "no" vote. 

32. Word with flat or late: FEE. Flat FEE; late FEE.

33. Plemons of "The Power of the Dog": JESSE. He made a good first impression on me in Breaking Bad (recently voted the #1 Best TV Show of the 21st Century by the NYT) and has since seen his star rise.

35. Lends a hand: AIDS.

36. [theme]

40. Without a date: STAG. "STAG" historically meant an adult male deer, which became a slang term for an all-male gathering.

42. Like many a chimney sweep: SOOTY.

43. Resistance unit: OHM.

44. Show stoppers?: ADS. Fun clue.

47. Org. overseeing LA28: IOC. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is overseen by the International Olympic Committee. 

48. Part of B&B: BED. When RightBrain and I go on vacation, we usually pick a BED & Breakfast to stay at. The last one we enjoyed was the Forsyth Park Inn in Savannah, GA. A grand old house with large rooms and 12ft ceilings located across from a beautiful park.

51. [theme]

54. "Friends" friend: PHOEBE. PHOEBE was played by Lisa Kudrow.

56. Lady Gaga, for one: POP DIVA. Lady Gaga dressed so outlandishly, I initially thought she was just a curiosity. But I soon realized that she is a very fine musician, and used her whimsical persona to break through. Costumes may open the door, but talent keeps it open.

Her raw meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

58. Moral standard: ETHIC. PETA condemned the meat dress but others saw it as a statement against women being seen as a piece of meat. 

59. Burp: BELCH.

61. [theme]

63. Nebraska city: OMAHA.

64. Fancy party spread: PATE. PATE may be fancy, but I usually don't like it. 

65. Like leap years: EVEN.

66. Some sushi fish: TUNAS. On the other hand, I like TUNA. My mom said it made her ill, so I rarely got it for lunch (ref. PBJs last week). Other kids in the cafeteria would bemoan, "TUNA again," while I thought it was a special treat. With MILK, of course.

67. Lock lips, in London: SNOG. SNOG means to kiss, and shag means to...

68. Musical pause: REST.

Down:

1. Extravagant: LAVISH.

2. Top-notch: GRADE A.

3. Some ball attendees: BELLES.

4. Opinions, informally: TAKES.

5. Lass: GAL.

6. Gravy imperfection: LUMP. On special occasions growing up, I was tasked with whipping the potatoes. In an attempt to make them LUMP-free, I overworked them creating a gluey texture. Fortunately, no one complained.

7. Cookies with many limited-edition flavors: OREOS. As many flavors as ways to clue them.

8. Miami baseball player: MARLIN.  I was at the first Florida Marlins game in 1993. They were renamed the Miami Marlins in 2011 after moving to their new stadium in Miami. 

A spring training program from 1994

9. Like flypaper: STICKY.

10. Brunch hr.: TEN AM.

11. Supply with updated parts: RETROFIT. Part 4?

12. Feasted on: ATE.

13. UPS competitor: DHL. United Parcel Service vs. Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn, named after the three founders who started the company in 1969.

18. Van Gogh flowers: IRISES. The IRISES were originally purple, but researchers found the red pigment he used was sensitive to light and faded to blue over time.

The original on left with a restored version on right.

22. She, in Portuguese: ELA.

24. Tree house?: NEST.

26. Danson of "The Good Place": TED. People seem to like this show, but me? Not so much.

27. Bucks and rams: HES. Attendees at a STAG party.

30. ID checkers at an airport: TSA. The Transportation Security Administration is actively considering allowing TSA PreCheck passengers to bring water bottles through security. Yay! After 20 years of making us throw our water away, they are finally coming to their senses.

33. Big container: JUG. It's not like I'm trying to bring a JUG of moonshine aboard a plane!

34. Chargeable autos, for short: EVS. Electric Vehicles.

35. "Good Hang" podcaster Poehler: AMY. AMY always delivers good content, starting with her stint on SNL.

36. Locker room strategy: GAME PLAN.

37. Fish that turns into a dragon, per myth: KOI.

38. Roller coaster feature: LOOP. My favorite roller coaster is the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg where I used to work summers.

The only coaster in the world with interlocking LOOPs

39. Desires: ITCHES.

40. "Help us!": SOS. As I've mentioned before, SOS does not stand for anything. It's just easy to type in Morse Code ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ).

41. Not just a: THE.

44. Socially dominant types: ALPHAS.

45. Accomplished: DID.

46. Cuts corners: SKIMPS.

48. "Don't act up!": BEHAVE. It's Austin Powers Day!

49. Battery-powered rides: E-BIKES.

50. Clothed, so to speak: DECENT.

52. Frappuccino flavor: MOCHA.

53. Water brand: EVIAN.

55. Last multiple-choice choice, often: OTHER.

57. Midrange voice: ALTO.

59. Many a customer service assistant: BOT.

60. Animal mascot for Liberty Mutual: EMU. Liberty Mutual is sometimes abbreviated as LiMu, which rhymes with EMU. Of the big three insurance mascots, I like the gecko best.

LiMu EMU, GEICO Gecko, AFLAC Duck

62. Beer dispenser: KEG.

BTW, I'm not a huge Austin Powers fan, but the references just seemed to fit so I milked it for all it's worth!

Be good. RB