Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Amanda Cook

Theme: YOWSA! (It hurts my eyes!)

CrossEyedDave here, and I am still trying to erase the after image of this puzzle out of my mind... most of the puzzle played out well, except the SW Corner, which took some sussing. The theme? Well, at first I couldn't see anything. So I asked Daughter #1 for help. She was as nonplussed as I... so I emailed CC for help. As I was typing, I realized that Lunch, Play, Couples, and Up, could all be preceded by the word "Power." But I could not understand how power lunch hour/power play station etc, had anything to do with clashing. CC replied Both words can follow "power", hence it's clashing. 

So...

17 Across. Midday break from work: LUNCH HOUR. (Power Lunch / Power Hour)

26 Across. Sony game console: PLAY STATION. (Power Play / Power Station)

52 Across. Vacation with friends and their significant others: COUPLES TRIP. (Power Couples / Power Trip)

62 Across. Artistically repurposing, as trash: UPCYCLING. And... even though it is one word,,, (Power Up / Power Cycling)

And the Reveal:

36 Across. Fashion trend that embraces a bold mix of patterns and colors, or what can be found in 17-, 26-, 52-, and 62-Across?: POWER CLASHING.

Yowsa! It hurts my eyes!

Still nonplussed, I asked Daughter #3 if she could see any clashing of the words, or how to explain it, and we are all not sure what is going on here, or if there is more we are blinded to. I said, I am not a conflicting person by nature, how can I explain this clashing I cannot see? And so that's how my review ended up saying this puzzle theme is just a powerful collection of friendly words getting together...

If you can see something different, by all means please enlighten us in the comments.

Onward!

Across:
1. Enjoyable: NICE. ( a devious start, as this start is just a deception. )

5. Not bad, not great: SO SO. (No comment )

9. Amazon smart speakers: ECHOS. (That's the name on the box, but everyone calls them Alexa's.)

14. Pedal pusher: FOOT.😀

15. Rocky outcrop: CRAG.

A familiar word for Rock Climbers.

16. Barely detectable amount: TRACE.

17. Theme.

19. Ninja Turtle home: SEWER. Ok, I'm supposed to splain things that may not be understood about the puzzle. How do I explain to the crossword solving breakfast club all about radioactive mutant turtles that live in the Sewer? That have Italian Renaissance names, and love pizza?

20. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO.

Name #1

21. Corp. VIP: CEO. Chief  Executive Officer

23. Word with garage or yard: SALE.

24. Low card in gin rummy: ACE.

26. Theme.

29. Ithaca Ivy: CORNELL.

31. Like some staff retreats: ONSITE. (Or On-Site)

32. Pledge drive gift: TOTE.

33. Little piece of land: ISLET. What is the difference between an islet, and a cay?  The A.I. Overview

36. Theme Reveal.

42. Swerves: VEERS.

43. Paper chain segment: LOOP. (I wanted Link.)

45. Equilibrium: STASIS. (The beginning of the difficult SW corner...)

49. Matures, in a way: EVOLVES. I was thinking ripens, but it wouldn't fit. You would think evolution is an ongoing process, and maturation is an end result. But they did say "in a way," so, anything goes...

52. Theme.

55. Historical period: ERA.

56. Scheme: RUSE. Or plot, plan, ploy, scam...

57. Tiny terrier, e.g.: TOY.

58. "Tulsa King" actor McDonough: NEAL.

Name #2

60. __ Park, Colorado: ESTES. Familiar to any model rocketeer...

62. Theme.

66. Gloss over, in speech: ELIDE. (Forgive me for skipping over the details...)

67. Barking marine mammal: SEAL.

68. Lost, metaphorically: ASEA.

Lost, literally...

69. Like pound cake: DENSE. But nowhere near as dense as a fruit cake, I mean, I've seen fruit cakes you can literally use as a door stop!

70. Contributes: ADDS.

71. Blended family prefix: STEP. Hmm, interesting clueing...

Down:
1. Org. with Lions and Bears, but not Tigers: NFL. National Football League League. Lions=Detroit, Bears= Chicago, Tigers= MLB (Major League Baseball)

2. Short note?: IOU.😀

3. Composition for soloist and orchestra: CONCERTO. There a whole book on it, just ask Daughter#3 who had to study it for Her Music Degree.

4. Engrave: ETCH.

5. Podiatrist with a namesake orthopedic brand: SCHOLL.

Everybody has seen these...

6. Gold, in Spanish: ORO. This has become an old crossword staple for its three letters, how Gold can become boring... hmm, how about, Walter Keonig's (Chekov) next SciFi role after The Original Star Trek?

Believe it or not,

His 1st role was in TV's Combat!

7. Pert: SAUCY. Could have been sassy, but the Constructor was being Pert...

8. Folklore brutes: OGRES.

9. UFO pilots, presumably: ETS. Extra Terrestrials.

10. Distinctive features of cockatoos: CRESTS.

11. The Big Island: HAWAII.

12. Spotted wildcat: OCELOT.

13. Peaceful: SERENE.

18. Dream: HOPE.

22. Central Plains people: OTOES. Another crossword staple. Could use some fresh clueing, perhaps "Ode to lower digits?"

24. "__ your age!": ACT. (Ok, maybe I'll delete the 22 down commentary...)

25. Henhouse: COOP.

27. Wonderland visitor who uses a flamingo as a croquet mallet: ALICE.

28. Scholarly collection: Abbr.: ANTH. Anthology is a curated collection of literary works, such as poems, short stories, plays, or songs. 

30. Unfamiliar: NEW.

34. Camera type, for short: SLR. Single Lens Reflex

The movable mirror between the viewfinder and the film

(Or electronic image sensor) makes a single lens possible.

35. __ pointer: LASER.

37. Downright rotten: EVIL.

38. Go back to zero: RESET.

39. __-at-ease: ILL.

40. Jane Austen, for one: NOVELIST.

Jane Austen

1775-1817 (aged 41)

No photograph available...

(Name #3)

41. Opera ending?: GOER. (Erm?) according to the Internet: Operagoer is a common nine letter word that fits the clue "Opera ending" in crosswords... (Common nine letter word?) Maybe when the fat lady sings...

44. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcment

45. Lengthy diatribe: SCREED. This is the word to use to describe my unhappiness with the SW corner...

46. Muss: TOUSLE. The result of much head scratching, again in the SW corner...

47. "Keep __ Weird": motto of a Texas city: AUSTIN. (That SW corner again, really weird!)

48. Podcast playback options: SPEEDS. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

50. Audiophile's collection: VINYLS. (I wanted Albums)

51. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC. Organization of Oil Exporting Countries.

53. March composer John Philip __: SOUSA. Inventor of the Sousaphone

One you wear, the other you carry...

Which would you rather march with?

54. Not handwritten: TYPED.

59. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.

61. "Catch my drift?": SEE.

63. Currency with toonies, briefly: CAD. Yikes! This takes some splainin'. First of all, the Loonie, is the Colloquial name for the Canadian One Dollar Coin. Ergo, the Toonie refers to the two dollar coin...(simple.) but what is the "A" in CAD? No one knows, and it doesn't matter, because the official ISO code for the Canadian Dollar is CAD, differentiating it from other dollars (like the U.S. Dollar). Who or what is this ISO you ask?  More info here...

64. Formerly named: NEE.

65. Hiatus: GAP.

And, The Grid...

I am looking forward to hearing from you in the comments. Because I am still not sure if I am missing something in this clash of words puzzle...

CE:D out...

(•˕ •マ.ᐟ

Saturday, February 14, 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.

Amanda had this to share with us after I asked her if SOCIAL BATTERY was a seed entry like BEIGE FLAG was for her last puzzle: 

Hi Gary! You’re correct about SOCIAL BATTERY! I’m very much an introvert, so I’m always conscious of mine when I’m out socializing. I also asked if my take on MINOR ROLE was right. She was shocked happy and replied, Yes!

 Across:

1. Grazing spots?: TAPAS BARS.

10. Classic Milwaukee brewer: PABST.

15. Holding back tears, perhaps: EMOTIONAL.

16. Cornmeal cake: AREPA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

17. Final act for a big star: SUPER NOVA 😀

18. Tiptoe: CREEP.

19. Phillies All-Star shortstop Turner: TREA - Here is TREA on the right with our cousin Alec Bohm from Omaha who plays third base next to him.

20. Salon sounds: SNIPS.

22. Squeaks (by): EKES.

23. Hermana de la madre: TIA - Mother's sister (Hermana de la madre) is my aunt (TIA).

25. Scoped out: CASED.

27. Resource that may be recharged with alone time: SOCIAL BATTERY - Amanda's seed entry is a metaphor for explaining how much energy a person has for socializing when recharging is necessary. What's your level today?

32. Alan Ladd Western: SHANE - In a 2005 poll, this was chosen as the 47th best movie line of all time.

34. Sphere: REALM - One sphere of influence has been decreased in size

35. Green shade: PEA.

36. 1990s fad item: POG - These were ubiquitous in my 90's classroom!

37. State gemstone of Minnesota: AGATE.

38. [Raises hand]: I AM.

39. Ferment, perhaps: AGE.

40. Cut back: PRUNE.

41. Alabama and Kansas: BANDS - One of them has a song whose music and lyrics are favs of mine:

43. Unapologetic self-promotion: SHAMELESS PLUG - Celebrities doing this are staples of the TV talk show business.

46. Infer: EDUCE.

47. "__ complicated": IT'S.

48. Big D cagers: MAVS.

49. David Oyelowo film set in Alabama: SELMA.

53. French head: TETE.

57. Covered in vines: IVIED.

59. Reason to cover a lot of ground quickly?: RAIN DELAY 😀

61. Come and go: RECUR.

62. Nonbillable work?: MINOR ROLE 😀 Harrison Ford's film debut was as a bellboy in Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round which was such a MINOR ROLE, his name did not appear on the bill.

           
 

63. Goomba, to Mario: ENEMY - An Italian word for friend came to become a derogatory for Italian-Americans.

64. Local cultural ecosystems: ART SCENES 😀

Down:

1. Exam: TEST.

2. River between Russia and China: AMUR.

3. Vatican City resident: POPE.

4. Carbo-loaded, say: ATE A TON.

5. Military address: SIR.

6. Art with a moyogi style: BONSAI - I thought it was Mr. Miyogi's BONSAI tree from Karate Kid but your humble blogger missed the fact that moyogi is not capitalized. It still would have worked. 🤔

7. Rando on a message board: ANON - Our ANONs on this site are not usually RANDOm

8. Sitarist Shankar: RAVI - He greatly influenced the Beatles, especially George Harrison, but did not play on any of their songs.

9. Give a hand?: SLAP - Anyone else CLAP first?

10. Campaign gp.: PAC.

11. Mesmerize: ARREST.

12. Sting operation?: BEEKEEPING 😀 

13. Cram for book club: SPEED READ.

14. Dances like Savion Glover: TAPS - Saturday cluing for a common word

21. Magnitude: SCALE - The magnitude of the space shuttle and the crawler taking it out to the launch pad is easier to see when you look at the trucks on the crawler way next to them.

24. Water cooler: ICE. 😀

26. Texter's "Currently": ATM - Today, At The Moment replaces our cash dispenser 

27. Words from a seasoned pro: SAGE ADVICE.

28. Engage in forensics: ARGUE.

29. Tilts: LEANS.

30. "Matlock" star: BATES - Kathy BATES stars in a reboot of the TV series made famous by Andy Griffith

31. Staple of Nigerian cuisine: YAMS.

32. Beauty spots: SPAS.

33. State of bliss: HOG HEAVEN - Talk about being happy! Humans might seek other avenues for a state of bliss. 

37. "Les Alyscamps" city: ARLES - A Roman necropolis in southern France. 

40. Burpee target: PEC

41. Club kin: BLT - My two favs!

42. Puritanical: AUSTERE.

44. Institution that may have a repatriation policy: MUSEUM - This happened in 2019

45. Moving challenges: PIANOS - The most famous PIANO movers that I'll wager most of us have seen in our "yute".

48. Wetland: MIRE.

50. Gospel singer Franklin: ERMA - Not Etta or Ella

51. Burrow: LAIR - As a noun

52. Bread maker: MINT - So many euphemisms for money

54. North Carolina college town: ELON - What a great athletic nickname.

55. Epic: TALE.

56. Emoji reaction to a hot take: EYES. 😳

58. Word with rub or run: DRY - Barbecue seasoning and a test 

60. Kinshasa's country, briefly: DRC - Its Atlantic Ocean shoreline is a little over 20 miles long.

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!