Monday, January 12, 2026, Patti Varol

Theme:  Multitasking.

Constructor Patti Varol has been editing and creating puzzles for more than twenty years, and is the editor of the Los Angeles Times crossword, so she knows the rules!  Today Patti has hidden the various functions of an "all-in-one" multifunction printer in four long grid entries.  This puzzle is perfect for those of you who hate circles; you'll have to find those printer functions yourself!  Luckily, they appear at the end of the long entries, so they're not too hard to see.

The theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. 1980s Atari racing game: SUPER SPRINT.  Super Sprint was a 1986 racing video game developed and published by Atari Games for arcades.  I watched my son play racing games at arcades, but have no specific memory of this title.  You can see from the illustration that it was a multiplayer game.  The last five letters spell out our first printer function:  PRINT.

29-Across. Minimally invasive surgical procedure: ARTHROSCOPY.  Arthroscopy involves inserting a tiny camera (arthroscope) into a small incision on a joint in order to examine and sometimes treat damage to the joint.  The procedure has multiple possible targets:  knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, and wrist.  The last four letters spell out our second printer function:  COPY.

Ouch.

45-Across. Hall of Fame pitcher who threw four no-hitters for the Dodgers: SANDY KOUFAX.  Sandy Koufax is an American former baseball player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, he played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Mr. Koufax is the last living member of the 1955 World Series-winning team.  His autograph appears on multi-signed memorabilia alongside other baseball legends.  And conveniently, his last name ends in three letters that spell out our third printer function:  FAX.

Sandy Koufax

60-Across. Cylinder in the snack aisle: PRINGLES CAN.  Pringles is brand of stackable potato-based snacks invented by Procter & Gamble in 1968. It is considered an "extruded" snack because of the manufacturing process.  The tubular can was designed to address customer complaints about broken chips and empty air in potato chip bags.  Kellogg's acquired Pringles in a multibillion dollar deal in 2012.  The last four letters of this answer spell out our fourth printer function:  SCAN.

Pringles can

A multifunction printer is suitable for most homes, but in my office, I find I get better functionality from a dedicated printer and a separate scanner.  Scanning and printing can substitute for copying in most cases.  And fax?  You can use an online fax if you need one.  That said, my mom is pretty amazing using her all-in-one for everything.

Let's see how the rest of the clues and answers function.

Across:

1. Awards such as Best Upset and Best Game: ESPYS.  The ESPY Awards, produced annually by ESPN since 1993, recognize athletic achievement during the preceding calendar year.  "Best Upset" and "Best Game" have been awarded in the past, but those specific awards do not occur every year. 

6. Have a spoonful, say: TASTE.

11. "Tsk!" kin: TUT.  Tsk! Tsk! (American) and Tut-tut! (British) are dental clicks used to express disapproval.

14. Fleece source: SHEEP.

15. Astronaut Ellen who was the first Latina director of the Johnson Space Center: OCHOA.  Ellen Ochoa is an inventor, former NASA astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In 1993, she went to space on a nine-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Ellen Ochoa, first Hispanic woman in space

16. Activist Yoko: ONO.  I wonder if Yoko knows how often she shows up in crossword puzzles.  It's not a bad thing!

17. [Theme clue]

19. Air passenger screening org.: TSA.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.  TSA = Transportation Security Administration.

20. Future counselor's maj.: PSYCH.  Another abbreviated clue calling for an abbreviated answer.  To become a licensed counselor, you may need to major in psychology.

21. Hallucinations: VISIONS.

23. Salt Lake state: UTAH.

25. Black dialect, for short: AAVE.  African American Vernacular English.  Developed over centuries through the experiences of enslaved Africans and their descendants, AAVE is a distinct variety of English with its own grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

27. "Doggone it!": DRAT.

28. Tree goo: SAP.

29. [Theme clue]

32. Mop target: SPILL.

34. Old photo hue: SEPIA.  Sepia ink comes from a cuttlefish called Sepia.  Old black and white photos were treated with sepia toner to make them last longer, resulting in a warm brown hue.

NaomiZ's grandparents in a Sepia toned photograph

35. Amuses, as with anecdotes: REGALES.

38. Elementary school shoebox project: DIORAMA.  Every fourth grade public school student in California has to construct a diorama of one of the early California missions as homework.  This was true for me six decades ago, true for my children, and continues today.  The 21 missions were built by indigenous slaves under the control of Spanish priests.  Approximately 62,000 indigenous Californians died through the mistreatment they experienced in the mission system.  No one told us that in school.  Today, kids in California can go to local craft stores and purchase pre-made kits to build their dioramas.

mission in a shoebox

42. Actor Nick: NOLTE.  Nick Nolte is an American actor with many movie and television credits, a Golden Globe Award, and three Academy Award nominations.

Nick Nolte

44. Calf's suckling spot: UDDER.

udderly adorable

45. [Theme clue]

50. Industrial tank: VAT.

51. __ vera gel: ALOE.

52. Front of a ship: PROW.

53. Like some high-fiber breakfast bars: OATY.  DH has been baking oatmeal applesauce bread, which makes a lovely breakfast for me, and a nice foundation for lunchtime peanut butter for him.

54. Snug apartments: STUDIOS.  A studio apartment is one room with a separate bathroom.  Same thing as a bachelor apartment.  It's like living in a hotel room.

57. Times New __: ROMAN.  Times New Roman is a font (or typeface) designed for the British newspaper The Times in 1931.  It is one of the most popular typefaces of all time.

59. Give in to gravity: SAG.

60. [Theme clue]

64. Notable time: ERA.

65. Texas A&M athlete: AGGIE.  Texas A&M University is a public research university in College Station, Texas, founded in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.  The Texas A&M Aggies are the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University.

66. Cathedral city in Tuscany: SIENA.

NaomiZ dwarfed by family members in Siena, January 2014

67. Summer hrs.: DST.  Daylight Saving Time.

68. Frowned-upon acts: DON'TS.  Younger son eats lots of DONuTS.  His daddy DOZEN't.

69. Analyze, as ore: ASSAY.  Investigate to assess presence of a target entity.  One thinks of gold rush propectors visiting the assayer's office to find out whether they'd found something of real value.

Down:

1. Start to sneeze?: ESS.  The letter "s" (spelled out as ESS) is the start to the word "sneeze."

2. Moo __ pork: SHU.  Stir-fried pork, eggs, and veggies, served in a thin pancake.

moo shu pork

3. British cartoon character who loves muddy puddles: PEPPA PIG.  Peppa Pig is an animated British preschool television series.  I am aware of it because my 11-year-old twin grandchildren were fans.

4. "Oof, that's not good": YEESH.  Used to express diselief or exasperation.

5. Quick and nimble: SPRY.

6. Monopoly token sported by the game's mascot: TOP HAT.  The tokens, or playing pieces, of this popular board game have changed over the years, but the top hat has survived as a token since the first Parker Brothers edition in 1935.

7. Crossword dir.: ACR.  Crossword direction:  Across.

8. Shook with cold: SHIVERED.

9. Novelist Morrison: TONI.  Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was an African-American novelist and editor.  In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved, and in 1993, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

10. Breaks bread: EATS.

11. Miyazaki's "My Neighbor __": TOTORO.  My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.  Looks amazing -- now I have to watch it.

My Neighbor Totoro

12. Open, as a onesie: UNSNAP.  We have been snapping and unsnapping onesies since the newest grandson appeared four months ago.

13. Nice and warm: TOASTY.  Our daughter-in-law explained to us that blankets pose a suffocation risk to babies, and our grandson should rely on onesies or sleep sacks to stay TOASTY.

18. Emotional wound: SCAR.

22. 19-Across request: ID CARD.  Remember 19-Across, TSA?  These folks ask for your ID CARD as you go through the airport security checkpoint.

23. Spy-fi side: USSR.  Spy fiction sides included the USA versus the USSR.

24. See 26-Down: TAPE.  Next clue, please!

26. With 24-Down, outmoded media format: VHS.  The dominant format for home recording of video and audio from the 1980s through the 1990s, VHS tapes were replaced by DVDs, then by Blu-ray discs, and finally by digital files.

29. Mixture of metals: ALLOY.

30. Nail salon brand: OPI.

31. __ City, Iowa: SIOUX.

33. Terse text sent while taxiing to the terminal: LANDED.  DH and I text each other when we land, assuming we are not flying together.

36. Large ruminant in the Rockies: ELK.  A ruminant is an herbivorous mammal whose digestive system requires it to regurgitate and re-chew tough plant matter as "cud."  Here are 59 seconds of an elk chewing its cud:

37. Octagon at an intersection: STOP SIGN.

39. Prepayments in some big book deals: ADVANCES.

40. Ravioli filling, sometimes: MEAT.

41. Highbrow: ARTY.  Highbrow means highly cultured and sophisticated.  An arty person is very interested in the arts.  The latter term is more often used to suggest that such a person is pretentious.

43. Benelux continent: EUR.  Benelux is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring countries in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.  Since Benelux is sort of an abbreviation -- a portmaneau, really -- for BElgium, NEtherlands, and LUXembourg, I suppose it's OK for the continent of EURope to be abbreviated in the answer.

45. Got smart with: SASSED.

46. Sites for some rites: ALTARS.

47. Chewy candy: NOUGAT.

48. Blacksmiths' workplaces: FORGES.  This word takes me back to "The Village Blacksmith," a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which I committed to memory as an elementary school assignment.  

And children coming home from school

    Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

    And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

    Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

49. Mil. truant: AWOL.  Military truant = AWOL = Absent WithOut Leave.

53. Desert watering hole: OASIS.

55. AirPlay and AirDrop tablet: IPAD.

56. Challenging chem course: ORGO.  Recent crossword puzzles insist that Organic Chemistry courses are called ORGO, but our crossword solvers insist that this is nonsense.  Google likes it, though.

58. Phoenix suburb: MESA.

61. Petty peeve: NIT.  Nits are the eggs of parasitic insects like lice.  People pick nits out of their childrens' hair.  This sort of concern with tiny things has translated into picking on other folks over small matters:  "I have a nit to pick with you."  "Stop nitpicking me!"

62. Actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way.  She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.  

Ana de Armas

63. Yea's opposite: NAY.  Voice votes.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, what did you think of Patti's puzzle?

Did it SAP your strength?  Did it SCAR you for life?  Did you have a NIT to pick with it?

Or perhaps you LANDED this one, and found it to your TASTE.

C'mon, SPILL in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday January 11, 2026 Jill Singer

 Theme: "REPAIR WORK" - A pair of identical letters are replaced by another matching pair.

27. Irresistibly cute river animal?: AN OTTER YOU CAN'T REFUSE. An offer you can't refuse.

42. "Get that pool float out of my way!"?: MOVE THE NOODLE. Move the needle.

55. Question about a new romantic partner?: WHO ARE YOU KISSING. Who are you kidding?

78. Photo taken as milk spreads over a table?: THE SPILLING IMAGE. The spitting image.

91. Goo or ga, for a baby?: HALF THE BABBLE. Half the battle. 

108. Working the barbecue at the corn festival?: GRILLING FROM EAR TO EAR. Grinning from ear to ear.

I've mentioned last time. This is our Jill Singer, a filmmaker in the Boston area. 

 

Great title, Jill! I would have struggled mightily to find a title that captures the gimmick so perfectly. Only six theme entries, but they're all long.

Across:

1. Bottom of a platter?: SIDE B.  Vinyl record,

6. Singer Guthrie: ARLO.

10. Actress Mireille: ENOS. Her husband is Alan Ruck, who was in "Succession".

14. Beta preceder: ALPHA.

19. Solo: ALONE.

20. Shakespearean king: LEAR.

21. Catholic leader: POPE. We also have 73. Prayer ender: AMEN. And 77. "__ Maria": AVE.

22. Prepare for a long drive: TEE UP.

23. Santa Ana __: WINDS.

24. Miami-__ County: DADE.

25. Risks a "TMI" response: OVERSHARES.

30. Video game thief Sandiego: CARMEN.

31. Learning ctr.: SCH.

32. Pastoral people of Kenya: MASAI. Also spelled as Maasai. 

33. Actor Sean: ASTIN.

36. Equivalent: SAME.

38. Update a cartographer's work: RE-MAP.

47. Fury: OUTRAGE.

49. Obey, with "by": ABIDE.

50. Early show since 1975, briefly: GMA. Good Morning America.

51. Aspiring atty.'s hurdle: LSAT.

53. Freelancer's job: GIG.

54. __ a one: NARY.

61. Ostrich kin: EMU.

62. Sausages served with sauerkraut, for short: BRATS.

63. Sonoma product: WINE.

64. Swimmer's unit: LAP. Two lengths.

65. "Have a bite": TASTE IT. Xi'an-style sandwich. 

67. Juniper-flavored liquor: GIN.

68. Huge favors: BIG ASKS.

72. Zoo doc: VET.

75. Astonish: AMAZE.

83. Figure skating gold medalist Nathan: CHEN. He's becoming a doctor now.

84. Email signature info: TEL.

85. Catches: NABS.

86. Apple variety: MAC. 

87. Bars under cars: RAILS.

88. Gulf of Mexico structures: OIL RIGS.

96. Show off in the mirror: PREEN.

97. Give a hoot: CARE.

98. Davenport citizen: IOWAN.

99. G-Shock watchmaker: CASIO.

102. Some British sports cars: MGS.

104. Superficially attractive: GILDED.

114. Unit in Chagall's "Four Seasons": MOSAIC TILE.

115. "Another thing ... ": ALSO.

116. Pay stub data: WAGES.

118. K.T. of country music: OSLIN.

119. Airline figs.: ETAS.

120. Narrow inlets: RIAS.

121. Basketball great Shaquille: O'NEAL.

122. Ignominy: SHAME.

123. Hall of Fame safety Ronnie: LOTT.

124. Chooses, as a replacement: TAPS.

125. Square: NERDY.

Down:

1. Glimpsed: SAW.

2. __ crest: pelvis part: ILIAC. 

3. Disco legend Summer: DONNA.

4. "Return of the Jedi" forest moon: ENDOR.

5. Brit's close pal: BEST MATE.

6. Like some pasta: AL DENTE. I like chewy udon noodles.

7. __ admiral: REAR.

8. British title: LADY.

9. Cookies similar to Trader Joe's Joe-Joe's: OREOS. Never had Joe-Joe's.

10. Momentous: EPOCHAL.

11. Bossa __: NOVA.

12. Enticing words on a gift box: OPEN ME.

13. Sealy rival: SERTA.

14. Fundamentally: AT HEART.

15. Less raked: LEAFIER.

16. Home of the Spectacled Bear Conservation Society: PERU. Wikipedia says "Spectacled Bear is the only living species of bear native to South America". Learning moment for me. 

17. Shades: HUES.

18. Church recess: APSE.

26. Soon-to-be grads: SRS.

28. Musician and radio host John: TESH.

29. The Tritons of the NCAA: UCSD.

34. Gold block: INGOT.

35. Spanish "Stop!": NO MAS.

37. Honeydew, e.g.: MELON.

39. Crèche figures: MAGI. I saw them during Christmas. 

40. Opposin': AGIN.

41. Simon of "The Boys": PEGG.

42. Impressionist douard: MANET.

43. "The Light We Carry" writer Michelle: OBAMA.

44. Self-replicating malware: VIRUS.

45. Ice cream maker Joseph: EDY.

46. Paddle kin: OAR.

47. Shipbuilding wood: OAK.

48. Employ: UTILIZE.

52. Take to court: SUE.

55. Cuneiform, e.g.: WRITING. 

56. Panama, for one: HAT.

57. "Dallas" surname: EWING.

58. __ and yang: YIN.

59. Wise one: SAGE.

60. Massage locale: SPA.

62. Page: BEEP.

66. Den sets: TVS.

67. X, Y, or Z intro: GEN. I'm a Gen Xer.

68. Purse: BAG.

69. Hindi title: SAHIB.

70. Rejoice with pride: KVELL. Consonants-heavy.

71. Get a feeling about: SENSE.

73. Clerical robe: ALB.

74. "Supernatural" actor Collins: MISHA.

75. Rare Italian violin: AMATI.

76. "__ Man": Village People hit: MACHO.

78. Mustang roof option: T TOP.

79. Successor: HEIR.

80. French pronoun: ELLE.

81. __ Vegas Raiders: LAS.

82. Global finance org.: IMF. The International Monetary Fund, based in D.C.

83. Hired ride: CAB.

87. Was almost out of: RAN LOW ON.

89. Win back: RECLAIM.

90. Waiting, perhaps: IN A LINE.

92. Coveted territory in the air?: ARM REST. Fun clue. 

93. Brickmaker: LEGO.

94. "That's disgusting!": EW GROSS.

95. Angler's supply: BAIT.

97. "__, ergo sum": COGITO.

100. "I know this is wrong," from an editor: SIC.

101. Spy collection: INTEL.

103. Like some watches: SMART.

105. Silas of the Continental Congress: DEANE. This is pretty sad. 

106. Enthusiastic: EAGER.

107. Anticipate with fear: DREAD.

108. Engineered foods, for short: GMOS.

109. __ Hashana: ROSH.

110. Cuba, por ejemplo: ISLA.

111. Like an open can of soda, eventually: FLAT.

112. Director Kazan: ELIA. He directed "East of Eden".

113. "Right now!": ASAP.

117. Underhanded: SLY.

C.C.

Saturday, January 10, 2026, Amanda Cook

 Saturday Themeless by Amanda Cook

Amanda is a music critic and digital editor who is a published crossword puzzle constructor that maintains a blog for refined sugar-free dessert recipes, and enjoys taking care of her growing collection of houseplants. Amanda lives in Minnesota with her husband Kenny, and together they enjoy hiking, playing board games, and cheering for the Cleveland Guardians. She added that she had certainly heard of C.C., had met her once and lives in a Minnesota city next to our lovely blogmistress.

Be sure to read the additional info about Amanda's constructing style at the bottom of this write-up.

Across:

1. Volunteer effort where word gets around?: BOOK DRIVE 😀

10. Wrapped in terry cloth: ROBED.

15. Let someone else do the cooking: ORDERED IN.

16. Make reparations: ATONE.

17. Romantic partner's quirky yet innocuous behavior: BEIGE FLAG 😀 One of Amanda's seed entries. I laughed out loud when the sense of the clue/fill hit me! Below is the first of many more BEIGE FLAGS at this site

1. Makes weird moaning sounds while they eat. 
2. Infinitely reuses the same tissue, stuffing it in their pocket each time.
3. Never puts lids back on stuff. 
4. Set a dozen alarms and ignore them all. 
5. Texts by sending a million short individual texts instead of typing it all out before sending. 
6. Wearing clothes that are all too big or too small. 
7. Has a repeated “catch phrase” that you can’t unhear once you notice it. 

18. Game with blocking fouls?: JENGA - Among other violations, you are forbidden to physically block your opponent's path to the tower.

19. Suffix in many Icelandic surnames: SON - Iceland's starting soccer team

20. Faced off, in a way: DUELED.

22. Soothe: LULL.

23. Like Parmesan cheese: AGED.

24. Sticks the landing: NAILS IT.

26. Part partner: PARCEL.

29. Professionals who have a real sense of style: EDITORS 😀

30. "Copy that": HEARD - "Houston we have a problem!"

31. Lock: TRESS.

32. "Now I get it!": OHH.

34. Cedar Point's lake: ERIE - Cedar Point bills itself as America's Roller Coaster and is located near Sandusky, Ohio. All that blue is Lake ERIE.

35. Join: MARRY.

36. Primary instrument of English Renaissance composer John Dowland: LUTE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Saturday cluing for LUTE

37. Score 11 points in pickleball, perhaps: WIN - But you do have to win by two

38. Broncos and Mustangs: AUTOS - Fords, of course 

39. Group of experts: PANEL - Are they always experts? 🤔

40. International travel need, often: ADAPTER - Don't cross an ocean without one. I lost mine in Venice, Italy and the hotel had a box with at least 5o in it that had been left behind. 

42. Smashing pumpkins fan?: VANDAL - The word pumpkins is not capitalized and so it is just a run-of-the-mill idiot. 

43. Relief medium: PLASTER.

44. Kite, for one: BIRD - Oh, that kind of Kite.

45. Vent: RANT.

46. Oatmeal-based brews: STOUTS.

48. Fell: HEW - Fell is a verb here

51. "Blackfish" mammals: ORCAS - Of course they are more than black and are certainly not a fish but...

53. One of 17,974 in Passau's St. Stephen's Cathedral: ORGAN PIPE - I'm sure Splynter could give them a tune-up.

55. Cardiologist's insert: STENT.

56. Counted: TALLIED UP.

57. Rebecca Solnit piece: ESSAY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

58. Accumulation for new parents: SLEEP DEBT - Oh, how I remember!

Down:

1. Blunt cuts: BOBS - "Bells on BOB tail ring"

2. Snack that had a Space Dunk version: OREO.

3. Ragnarok warrior: ODIN - ODIN is a character in this game

4. Saloon delivery: KEG.

5. Coated in flour before frying: DREDGED.

6. Make a pit stop: REFUEL or RECHARGE

7. Ran in place: IDLED.

8. Vaccine container: VIAL.

9. Gives rise to: ENGENDERS.

10. "The Big Bang Theory" role: RAJ.

11. Verdi opera with Desdemona: OTELLO.

12. Chance to add to one's score: BONUS ROUND.

13. Twinings product: ENGLISH TEA.

14. Passed out: DEALT.

21. Princess who first appeared in Super Mario Land: DAISY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

23. Lot unit: ACRE.

25. "__ go time!": ITS - Lloyd Bridges calls out Jerry Seinfeld

26. "What a relief!": PHEW.

27. Silks and trapeze, e.g.: AERIAL ARTS - I knew trapeze. 

28. Hopi ceremonies: RAIN DANCES.

29. User __: ERROR.

31. Hot-dish topping: TATERTOTS - Very common in our part of the country

33. Land down under?: HELL 

35. Trumpet accessories: MUTES.

36. Resonate, as a joke: LAND.

38. Spot-on: APT.

39. Root vegetable: PARSNIP.

41. Kazakhstan capital: ASTANA - 1,700 miles ESE of Moscow

42. Sportscaster who coined "dipsy-doo dunkaroo": VITALE - I knew him but not the phrase 

43. Conventional writing: PROSE.

44. Military brass?: BUGLE - In From Here To Eternity, Montgomery Clift's character played taps on his bugle into a megaphone that he rotated.

47. Like most dissertation defenses: ORAL.

48. Mask: HIDE.

49. Kindle file format: EPUB.

50. Expressed relief, perhaps: WEPT.

52. Dirty digs: STY.

54. Disposable sock: PED.

More thoughts from Amanda

This is my first published themeless puzzle, and it was created around the seed entry BEIGE FLAG, which is making its debut in this grid! The team at the LA Times really helped me get going when I was a new constructor, and one thing they instilled in me early on was a high standard for clean fill. I'm really happy that I managed to find some fun options for the marquee entries in this grid without having to rely on too much "crossword glue." I also try not to have too many proper nouns in my grids because as a solver, I hate getting stuck on know-it-or-you-don't clues. In my fill, I love to include food, the arts and humanities, sports, references to life in the Midwest, and misdirection clues, and you'll find all of those in this puzzle!