Sunday September 13, 2026 Betsy Ochester & Andrew Gutelle

Theme:  "A.I. APPLICATIONS" - I is replaced by AI in each common phrase.

23. Concern over travel plans to Portland, Oregon?: THAT'S NOT MAINE. That's not mine.

39. Tumbler that needs a deep clean?: TAINTED GLASS. Tinted glass. 

45. Gets design help from an M.C. Escher-loving architect?: GOES STAIR CRAZY. Goes stir-crazy.

63. Warning about interns hired every spring?: BEWARE THE AIDES OF MARCH. Beware of the Ides of March. 

83. Talk into a pay hike?: GET A RAISE OUT OF. Get a rise out of.

91. Jewelry store section for May birthday gifts?: EMERALD AISLE. Emerald Isle. 

111. Was a complete disappointment as a nanny?: FAILED CHARGES. Filed charges.

So this isn't simply an A-addition theme. A is inserted immediately before an I in each phrase, turning I into AI. Great title.

Here's Brian's info on the two constructors from his recap of their last puzzle: "Betsy Ochester writes books for children, including over 100 published puzzle books. Andrew Gutelle is also a prolific children's author, with puzzle books among his many published titles. They have collaborated on a few of these books."

Congratulations on your first Sunday, Betsy and Andrew!

Across:

1. L'Oreal's Telescopic, e.g.: MASCARA. I don't wear mascaras. 

8. Stanley of "The Devil Wears Prada 2": TUCCI. Loved his "Big Night".

13. Beehive sound: HUM.

16. Short filmmaker?: CAM. Short indicates a "shortened" answer. Camera. 

19. Make like: ACT AS IF.

20. Tea region of India: ASSAM. Black tea.

21. Run: OPERATE.

25. Souvenir shop items: T SHIRTS. 11. Deliverer of 25-Across, at times: CANNON.

26. Align, as devices: SYNC.

27. Not all, but not none: SOME.

28. South Pacific nation now known as the Republic of Naoero: NAURU.  Very updated clue. On 6/26/2026, Nauru informed the UN that it had changed its official name to the Republic of Naoero.

30. Activewear brand: AVIA.

31. Helps with a job, say: ABETS.

33. Name on a stadium, often: SPONSOR.

35. Gumshoes: TECS. Detectives. 

36. Song that tells a story: BALLAD.

41. Leaning: ATILT.

42. Social app with a synagogue directory: JDATE.  Can't use "Dating app" as DATE is in the answer.

44. Italian six: SEI.

50. King with a golden touch: MIDAS.

55. Texting tech: SMS. Short Message Service.

56. Quarter: FOURTH.

57. Fire up, as an engine: REV.

58. Dress top: BODICE.

59. Mass. neighbor: CONN.

60. "Copy what I'm doing": LIKE ME.

62. High-end Italian shoe brand: TOD'S. Not named after anyone. It's simply a made-up name.

70. Actor Guinness: ALEC.

71. Takes by force: USURPS.

72. "Walkabout" director Nicolas: ROEG. He also directed "The Man Who Fell to Earth". 

73. Nicki Minaj genre: HIP-HOP. And 91. Moody 73-Across subgenre: EMO RAP.

75. Long of "Michael": NIA.

76. Loud weather event, briefly: T-STORM.

79. Sparky the Sun Devil's sch.: ASU.

82. Carried: TOTED.

86. Celestial body: ORB. 

89. Heart throb?: PULSE.  Great clue.

90. 101-level course: INTRO.

97. Generates a hard copy of: PRINTS.

98. MC alternative: AMEX. Mastercard.

99. Pro-am, for one: TOURNEY.

100. Last word: SAY-SO.

102. Maki roll wrap: NORI. Maki means "to roll".

103. Clue board areas: ROOMS.

104. Bit of reality: FACT.

105. "Blame It on the Bossa __": NOVA.

109. "The Firm" novelist: GRISHAM (John)

115. Pie crust pattern: LATTICE.

116. Get the knots out?: UNTIE.

117. "Erin Brockovich" Oscar winner: ROBERTS (Julia)

118. Shortish albums: EPS.

119. "Chopped" host Allen: TED.

120. Goes first: LEADS.

121. Three-syllable poetic foot: ANAPEST.  It consists of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one.

Down:

1. Yoga surfaces: MATS.

2. Sore: ACHY.

3. Comics icon Lee: STAN.

4. Jeers: CATCALLS.

5. Burro: ASS.

6. Ran the hose over, say: RINSED.

7. In development, quaintly: AFOOT.

8. Like pet dogs: TAME.

9. Katie Ledecky's Olympic team: Abbr.: USA. She'll win the the 1500-meter in 2028. 

10. Forensic drama franchise: CSI.

12. "To be clear ... ": I MEANT.

13. Dragsters: HOT RODS.

14. Sudden rise: UPSURGE.

15. So-so: MEH.

16. Sculpts: CARVES.

17. Some creepy stories: ATTICS. "Stories" as in levels, not tales.

18. Small plateaus: MESAS.

22. Vaquero's lasso: RIATA.

24. Co.'s protected symbols: TMS. Trademarks. 

29. Put into practice: USE.

32. Takes the place of: BATS FOR.

33. Louis Armstrong nickname: SATCH. Or Satchmo. Boomer loved "Good Morning, Vietnam" and  often imitated Armstrong's gravelly voice singing "What a Wonderful World."

34. Docking station: PIER.

36. Bases, in baseball slang: BAGS.

37. Tiny particle: ATOM.

38. "You made all of that up!": LIES.

39. Small fruit pie: TART.

40. Long ride, for short: LIMO.

42. Excursions: JAUNTS.

43. SSE or NNW: DIR.

46. Get in shape: TONE UP.

47. Extremely dry: ARID.

48. "The Wizard of Oz" farmhand: ZEKE. Cowardly Lion's Kansas counterpart. Played by Bert Lahr. 

49. First name in haute couture: YVES. 52. Last name in haute couture: DIOR.

51. Collar attachment: ID TAG.

53. "Highway to Hell" band: AC DC.

54. Meeting, casually: SESH.

58. Previously: BEFORE.

59. Private supply: CACHE.

60. Fleur-de-__: LIS.

61. Gloomy: MOROSE.

63. Thai currency: BAHT.

64. Pixar film featuring a supercomputer named Ooooo: ELIO.

65. Cried: WEPT.

66. Like museum paintings: HUNG.

67. Cedar Point lake: ERIE.

68. "Give yourself __ on the back!": A PAT.

69. Autobiographies: MEMOIRS.

74. Aroma: ODOR.

76. Sincerely: TRULY.

77. Prime Day event: SALE. There's another Prime Day next month.

78. Taylor Swift's "__ the Damn Season": TIS.

79. Memo abbr.: ATTN.

80. Kind: SORT.

81. Airborne mysteries: UFOS.

84. Church recess: APSE.

85. Local labor leader: UNION REP.

87. Daily grind: RAT RACE.

88. Opened, in a way: BLOOMED. I can't wait for my peonies to bloom next year. They were sulking this year. 

92. Deserves: MERITS.

93. Be real: EXIST.

94. Bert and Ernie, e.g.: DUO.

95. Carrying capacity: ARMFUL.

96. Ridiculously high-risk, as a scheme: INSANE.

97. Programming language with a reptilian name: PYTHON.

98. Hidden motive: ANGLE.

100. Gloomy: SAD.

101. West African capital: ACCRA. Capital of Ghana. Have any of you tried African chicken peanut stew? I thinks it's of Ghana origin. 

104. Membership dues, e.g.: FEES.

106. Nasty sort: OGRE.

107. Dog docs: VETS.

108. Little help?: ASST.

110. Billboard success: HIT.

112. "Give __ rest!": IT A.

113. Pot top: LID.

114. Legal org.: ABA.

C.C.

Saturday, September 12, 2026, Doug Peterson

 Saturday Themeless by Doug Peterson

Doug's puzzle provided a real challenge and the NW corner was my "last stand". I crossed the finish line unscathed once I sussed JACKETS for Book keepers which unlocked that corner. 

Most of Doug's puzzles I have blogged have been collaborations but his solo job here provided me with a lot of, uh, fun. I'll tell you about my travails as we plow through the puzzle. 

Across:

1. Some park visitors: CAMPERS - These CAMPERS had a surprise visitor. 

8. Book keepers: JACKETS - Since the clue was two separate words, I knew it wasn't about accounting.

15. Concierge's handout: AREA MAP.

16. Tragic character in the title of a 2025 Taylor Swift chart-topper: OPHELIA - Jeffrey Wechsler would be so proud! Taylor sang of a Shakespearean woman who was undone by grief and betrayal. How Taylor's new husband rescued her from Ophelia's fate.

17. Act sassy: GET CUTE.

18. Item under a weizen glass: BEER MAT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  BEER MAT is another name for a coaster and a weiznen glass has a narrower base and curves upward.

Prost!

19. Lowood attendee of literature: EYRE.

20. Brand with a paw in its logo: IAMS.

22. Celtic __: CROSS.

23. Animated bouncer: ROO.

24. Celebrity chef Cat: CORA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - Cat is capitalized.

25. Jet setting: SKY. 😀

26. Building worker: SUPER - Pat Harrington Jr. played the building SUPER on TV's One Day At A Time

28. Bipedal cryptid: YETI.

30. Entree often garnished with lime: PHO.

33. Hall of Fame wrestler who was a commentator for the first eight Wrestlemanias: GORILLA MONSOON.

37. Western wear with a clasp: BOLO TIE.

38. California city where "American Graffiti" was set: MODESTO - Producer George Lucas wanted to use his hometown of MODESTO to film the movie but felt it had changed too much since he lived there. Most of the scenes were shot in Petaluma, CA.

39. Freebie with an airline snack box: MOIST TOWELETTE.

41. Collections of letters: Abbr.: WDS 😀

42. Itsy: EENY.

43. Con's decoy: SHILL - One SHILL could be a false bidder in the audience used to drive up the price

45. Students who may take 14-Down: SRS and 14. Pre-coll. exams: SATS.

46. Hose problem: LEAK.

49. Menu eponym: TSO.

50. Look a lot like: MIMIC.

53. Ground substance: MEAL - Corn grain in and corn MEAL out.

54. Nibble away: GNAW.

55. Song heard at Rogers Centre: O CANADA - I am blogging this as I am watching the KC Royals play Toronto in The Rogers Centre

 

57. Leave: TIME OFF - Noun not a verb

59. Lego line that includes a 587-piece Eevee set: POKEMON - This Lego's line of toys includes this

60. Soda alternative: ICED TEA.

61. Traps under a blanket?: SNOWS IN 😀

62. Least chill: TENSEST.

Down:

1. Hoopsters: CAGERS - NBAERS didn't make the cut

2. "Need anything?": ARE YOU GOOD?

3. Comic book city nicknamed "The Big Apricot": METROPOLIS - Since NYC was the Big Apple, DC Comics decided on this name for METROPOLIS

4. Show impatience: PACE.

5. Shaggy outback runner: EMU.

6. Secant, for one: RATIO - This math major nailed it 

7. Valkyrie's weapon: SPEAR.

8. Capers: JOBS - I wonder if Bonnie and Clyde ever used the word capers?

9. Dr. Zaius, for one: APE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  He even has his own doll

10. Conventioneer's first stop: CHECK-IN DESK.

11. Washington who played a Pope: KERRY - I watched KERRY Washington play the lead character Olivia Pope on this ABC series.

12. Red Halloween costume for toddlers: ELMO.

13. Rosario relations: TIAS - Rosario is in Argentina and is known as the birthplace of soccer great Lionel Messi. Sr. Messi might have some TIAS (aunts) in his hometown.

21. Rudolph of "Loot": MAYA - A very funny alum of SNL

24. Motion-activated trail monitors: CRITTER CAMS - Smile!

25. Counter position: STOOL - The counter and STOOLS at Lou's Cafe in Back To The Future 

27. Lovers' deity: EROS.

29. Supermodel born Melissa Miller: EMME - The first plus size super model

30. Tacky square: POST IT NOTE. 😀

31. Passport holders, perhaps: HOTEL SAFES.

32. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" vocalist: ONO.

34. Miller offerings: LITES.

35. Spanish city or province: LEON - If you look closely, you can see the city of LEON in the NW province of Castille-Leon

36. Brother of Cain: SETH - What ever happened to Cain's other brother?

37. Company with a museum in Munich: BMW.

40. "The Pitt" star: WYLE.

44. Cottage cheese option: LOW FAT.

45. Tendon: SINEW.

47. 1984 "Weird Al" Yankovic hit: EAT IT - A parody of Michael Jackson's Beat It

How come you're always such a fussy young man?

Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran

Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?

So, eat it, just eat it

48. __ + Olivia: clothing brand: ALICE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

50. Unruly dos: MOPS.

51. Billboard __ Award: ICON - Neil Diamond was the initial recipient 

52. Chum of "Finding Nemo," for one: MAKO.

53. Grammy winner Aimee: MANN.

54. Pre-coll. exams: GEDS - Four years after getting their GED, 50% of recipients go to college.

56. "Heck yeah!": DOI.

58. Chaps: MEN.

Friday, September 11th, 2026 ~ Jeff Stillman

REAR ADMIRAL~?

Arrgh Matey

'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday, Sep 19th

Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count.  My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago.  Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it.  I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction.  ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs.  The themers;

17. Copperhead?: SEA SERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"

25. Timeout?: TEA BREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"

35. Immunologist?: EYE DOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"

49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"

58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"

But Wait, There's More;

Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )

Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz

Oh boy~? = Oliver

Quill~? = Cue stick

Umbilical~? = YouTube

Vault~? = Vee formation (OK, meh.)

Yourself~? = Why me


ACROSS:

1. Per person: A POP - ugh.  Starting with one of the worst Twurds - not "EACH"

5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one

10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'

Still going in VT after 85 years - the website

14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2

15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday ( Happy B-day HuskerG~! ), and the email thread, too.  

19. Large amount: SCAD

20. Official order: EDICT

21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh.  It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word

23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol

24. Grab: SNATCH

27. Become peeved: GET SORE - Twurd #2

29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY

30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3

31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .

34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .

. . . uh, OK, it's for "cat", too 🙄

38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4

40. Trade punches: SPAR

41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word

44. Chip in, in a way: ANTE UP - Poker #1, two words #3

46. Squalid digs: RAT HOLE - Two words #4

52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen

53. Be decisive: OPT

54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . . 

55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."

Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12

56. Glorify: LAUD

61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey

62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2

63. Words before a start date: AS OF - Two words #5

64. Mine finds: ORES

65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE

66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL


DOWN:

1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague

2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated

3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ON A DATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!

More like IN a date . . .

4. Puts forward: POSITS - I tried OFFERS

5. Short hole on a golf course: PAR THREE - Good fill, still two words, #6

Leif Olson wins a BMW

6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's

7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's

8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE

9. Vexes: EATS AT - Two word #7

10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website

11. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT - Name #5

12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)

13. Morning omen for sailors: RED SKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time

Still a two word, #8

18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6

22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBO Go - Twurd, #9.  The Wiki

24. Mil. rank: SGT

26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR

28. Brings to a close: ENDS

32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme

33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?

35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric

36. "Is everything all right?": "YOU OK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now

37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAIN SET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still  two words, #11

The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad

38. Paltry poker holding: ONE PAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start

39. Prominence: STATURE

41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers

42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~?  the Wiki

43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked

At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer

because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -

the bridges are fine, the knobs, not so much . . .

send me an email LA Darren~!

44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions

45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY

47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie

48. Chop shop wheels: HOT CAR - Twurd #13

50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state, and I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890

51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs

57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh.  I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .

59. Consume: USE - I used C.C.'s suggested recipe and made Kung Pao chicken . . .

. . . and then consumed some - it's got some zing~!

60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .

Grid Flow 19.3

9/11, 25 Years Later

I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane

enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'

The Memorial website of this image

Splynter

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014)