Monday, February 16, 2026, Betsy Ochester, Andrew Gutelle

Happy Presidents' Day!  NaomiZ here to MC a marvelous Monday puzzle by Betsy Ochester and Andrew Gutelle.  This puzzle has five theme entries, symmetrically placed in rows across, with one spanning the grid.  And today's puzzle is not just the luck of the draw, but as the grid spanner makes clear, it was designed for a Monday morning.  

The key to the theme is in the very last Across clue:

65-Across. Ceremony host, or a phonetic hint to 17-, 23-, 37-, 45-, and 58-Across: EMCEE.  EMCEE is a phonetic spelling of the initialism MC, which means Master of Ceremonies.  The hint suggests that the letters M and C will play important roles in the listed entries.

              NZ as MC

17. Communication system with dots and dashes: MORSE CODE.  This entry sets the pattern for the rest.  The two words of the answer begin with M and C.  When solving, I failed to see the pattern until 65-Across enlightened me.  Were you quicker to catch on?

"Samuel Morse, stop fooling with that telegraph thing.
People will never talk to each other with their fingers."

23. "Aladdin" transport: MAGIC CARPET.

37. Early-week newspaper feature: MONDAY CROSSWORD.  Here's our grid spanner!  It tells us that our constructors hoped this puzzle would run on a Monday.  

45. Actor who plays Allan in "Barbie": MICHAEL CERA.  Allan is Ken's red-headed buddy, and so rare a doll that in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, there are multiple Barbies and Kens, but just one Allan, played by Michael Cera.  Admittedly, I didn't remember any of that from the movie, but perps (perpendicular entries) were helpful.

Michael Cera as Allan in Barbie

58. Nickname for Detroit: MOTOR CITY.  I learned Detroit's nickname from X's album More Fun in the New World (1983), specifically from the song "The New World":

"Don't forget the Motor City, this was supposed to be the new world!"

Let's maneuver carefully through the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. Expenses: COSTS.

6. Happy __ clam: AS A.

9. "Judy" Oscar winner Zellweger: RENÉE.  Renée Zellweger won the Academy Award for Best Actress in this 2019 biographical film based on the life of Judy Garland.

14. Software company that makes InDesign and Acrobat: ADOBE.  I use Adobe software to view and edit PDFs, but if you know a good alternative, I am interested!

15. Captain's record: LOG.  My generation's favorite example of a captain's log:  Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise recording his observations and noting the stardate.

William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, the original TV series

16. Garlicky spread: AIOLI.

17. [Theme clue]

19. "I'm chipped" collar attachment: ID TAG.  A good idea!  Add this tag to your pet's collar to let folks know that the animal has a microchip which will lead to your information.  Our dogs always had their address and phone on their collars as well as the local dog license.

20. Peel or pare, say: PREP.  DH and I have learned to prep ingredients for the meal before we start cooking, so that things are less frantic as we go along.

21. Artist Yoko: ONO.

22. Miss Marple, e.g.: SLEUTH.  A fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime stories, Miss Marple is an amateur consulting detective.

Miss Marple

23. [Theme clue]

25. One little piggy's destination: MARKET.  We'll be playing piggies on our new grandson's toes any day now.  A strange cultural inheritance!

29. Cap: HAT.

30. Look forward to: AWAIT.

31. Bike part that can be raised and lowered: SEAT.

33. Rickman of "Love Actually": ALAN.  Alan Rickman (1946-2016) was an English actor of stage and screen.  You may remember him as Severus Snape, the potions master, in the Harry Potter movies.  Love Actually was a 2003 holiday season romantic comedy.  DH handles the rom-com viewing in our home.  

Alan Rickman in Love Actually. 
His character cheated on Emma Thompson's character.
Some people are still mad at Alan Rickman for that!

37. [Theme clue]

40. Side social media accounts, informally: ALTS.  Some folks set up more than one account on a social media platform.  You could have a very public Instagram account where you try to attract lots of followers, and you might have an ALT(ernate) account for close friends and family.  Or you might market to different audiences through your ALTS.  This is new to me.  I remember that before the world wide web became public, Usenet ALT groups were a way to chat with like-minded folks online.  I still use recipes I gleaned from alt.veg.

41. Many moons: EONS.  My Usenet activities occurred EONS ago.

42. Temporary body dye: HENNA.

43. Mini owner: BMW.  BMW owns the MINI brand, including MINI Cooper, MINI Countryman, and MINI Electric.

MINI lineup 2026

44. TikTok content: VIDEOS.  TikTok is another platform where some folks maintain ALTS.

45. [Theme clue]

51. NYC subway between Inwood and Far Rockaway: A TRAIN.  My brother lives in Inwood at the north end of Manhattan.  I've been there, but not to Rockaway, because it's Far.

52. Chem class locale: LAB.

53. Exchange: SWAP.

57. Queen's tenure: REIGN.

58. [Theme clue]

60. Permeate: IMBUE.

61. Be in debt: OWE.

62. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL.  Cute clue!

63. Donkeys: ASSES.

64. "Bel Canto" novelist Patchett: ANN.  Ann Patchett is an American writer whose fourth novel, Bel Canto, received the Orange Prize for Fiction (UK) and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (USA).  The novel is based on the Japanese embassy hostage crisis of 1996-97 in Lima, Peru, and focuses on the relationships between terrorists and hostages.

Ann Patchett

65. [Theme clue]

Down:

1. Summer sleepaway site: CAMP.

2. Smell: ODOR.

3. Achy after exercise, say: SORE.

4. Meas. on the wrapper of a stick of butter: TBSP.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

5. "Catch my drift?": SEE?

6. "Run __ now!": ALONG.

7. "Likewise!": SO DO I!

8. Stone or Iron follower: AGE.

9. Berate: RAIL AT.

10. Puffer jacket filler, often: EIDER.  The Common Eider is a large sea-duck of the far north, famous for the insulating quality of its down.  Mother birds pluck their own down feathers to create warm nests for their young.  In Iceland, some folks build small huts for the birds to nest in, and collect the down when the nests are abandoned.

Male and female Common Eiders of Hudson Bay

11. Still snoozing: NOT UP.

12. Exhilarate: ELATE.

13. Twice four: EIGHT.

18. Paint layer: COAT.

22. Sings like Sarah Vaughan: SCATS.  Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist.  The recipient of two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, she was known to improvise wordless syllables -- scat singing -- which is typical of vocal jazz.

Sarah Vaughan

23. Self-referential: META.  "Meta" is something that refers to itself or its own category, such as a movie about making movies.  We sometimes see "meta" clues and answers in the crossword puzzle, like "Start to see?" for ESS.  BUT THE BEST META CLUE AND ANSWER I'VE EVER SEEN IN THE LA TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE IS TODAY'S GRID SPANNER, 37-ACROSS!    

24. Utter mess: CHAOS.

25. Three Bears matriarch: MAMA.

26. Mil. truant: AWOL.  A military truant is Away WithOut Leave.

27. __ and rave: RANT.

28. Nanny's offspring: KIDS.  Baby goats.

31. Grimace: SCOWL.

32. Directional suffix: ERN.  Eastern, western, northern, southern.

33. Amazed: AWED.

34. __ Star State: LONE.  Texas!

35. River of Florence: ARNO.

I took this photo of the Arno from Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy.

36. Confidentiality contracts, for short: NDAS.  Non-Disclosure Agreements are used to protect sensitive or proprietary information from being disclosed by employees, partners, and others.  An NDA protects trade secrets, client lists, and other confidential information.

38. Sanaa's country: YEMEN.  The capital and largest city of Yemen.

The red flag marks Sanaa.

39. Branch of Islam: SHIA.  Not long after the death of Muhammad in the year 632, his followers split into two camps:  Shia Muslims who believed that Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib was the rightful successor, and Sunni Muslims, who appointed Abu Bakr, Muhammad's closest friend and father-in-law, to succeed him.  Shia Muslims account for 10-13 percent of all Muslims.

43. The "B" of LBJ: BAINES.  Finally, a President for Presidents' Day!  Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908- 1973) was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.  He accomplished a lot for civil rights, education, Social Security, and the space program, but lost popular support for escalating involvement in the unpopular war in Vietnam.

LBJ

44. Airbnb competitor: VRBO.  Vrbo is an online marketplace for vacation rentals.  It was originally an initialism for Vacation Rentals By Owner, but is now just Vrbo.  DH and I have never used Airbnb (though our adult offspring do), but we have rented spacious cabins for the whole family through vrbo.com (and through HomeAway, which was absorbed by Vrbo in 2019).

This three-level cabin with turret was *inside* the boundaries of Glacier National Park!

45. Tennis star Sharapova: MARIA.  Maria Sharapova is a Russian former professional tennis player who won five major titles and the Career Grand Slam in singles.  

Maria Sharapova

46. Action __: post-meeting list: ITEMS.

47. Baby beds: CRIBS.

48. Peace Palace site, with "The": HAGUE.  The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, Netherlands.  It houses the International Court of Justice (the main judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law, and the Peace Palace Library.

Peace Palace

49. Bozo: CLOWN.  Bozo the Clown was a character created for children's entertainment, popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to television in 1949, later appearing in franchised television programs of which he was the host.  Bozo was played by numerous performers.  The Bozo Show aired nationally from 1960 to 2001.

Kids today are afraid of clowns.  Not old cruciverbalists!  We grew up with Bozo.

50. Devoured: EATEN.

53. Con: SCAM.

54. The Badger St.: WISC.  In the 1820s, Wisconsin lead miners lived in their mines, very much like badgers, burrowing into hillsides to keep warm in the winter.

A badger in a burrow.

55. Suit to __: fit perfectly: A TEE.

56. Gomer of TV's Mayberry: PYLE.  More old TV.  Gomer Pyle was a fictional character, played by Jim Nabors, who originally appeared on The Andy Griffith Show.  A naive auto mechanic turned US Marine Corps private, he became a recurring character, and then was spun off to his own show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in 1964, which ran until 1969.  The character was from the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.

Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle

58. Extinct New Zealand bird: MOA.  Moa are an extinct group of flightless birds formerly endemic to New Zealand.  There were likely a couple million of them circa 1300 CE when Polynesians settled New Zealand.  Some species were 12 feet tall!  Extinction occurred within 100 years of human settlement, thanks to overhunting.

Moa and human nemesis

59. Food writer Drummond: REE.  Ree Drummond is a food blogger whose site, The Pioneer Woman, documents her life in rural Oklahoma.  Her blog led to a television show of the same name on The Food Network.  I tried out some of her cookie recipes several years ago.  If she could do it on the ranch, surely I could do it in my urban kitchen!

Ree Drummond

Here's the grid:

Solvers, were you ELATEd by this MONDAY CROSSWORD?  Did it suit you to A TEE?

Or did you find some ITEMS you'd like to RANT about?

We AWAIT your comments below!

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, October 30, 2025, Betsy Ochester, Andrew Gutelle

Theme:  Sonorous cereal.

Today's puzzle appears to be an LA Times debut for both of our constructors.  Welcome and congratulations!  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.  Today, their combined efforts bring us a Thursday-level crossword challenge for adults, based on a children's breakfast cereal.

The big reveal is:

51-Across. Breakfast cereal trio, and what 20-, 31-, and 38-Across are: SNAP CRACKLE POP.

Snap, crackle, and pop are the sounds that Rice Krispies cereal is said to make when milk is added.  (They are also the names of the cartoon characters on the box.)  In the other theme answers, snap and pop have different meanings.  Crackle has the same meaning but in a different context.

20-Across. See 51-Across: SIMPLE FASTENER.  This is a SNAP that is not a sound.

31-Across. See 51-Across: FIREPLACE SOUND.  This is a CRACKLE that is a sound.

38-Across. See 51-Across: GRAMMY CATEGORY.  This is a POP that is not a sound ... or is it?  Pop music has a certain sound, but it doesn't go POP!

I like the way the three words in 51-Across provide the clues for the other theme answers.

Let's see what other treats our children's authors have in store for us.

Across:

1. Fennellike herb: ANISE.  Fennel is a plant with an edible bulb, stalks, and fronds.  Anise is a plant of which only the seeds are used.  Both have a flavor like black licorice, but anise is stronger.  

fennel and anise

6. __ Jam Recordings: DEF.  Def Jam Recordings is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in New York City and specializes in hip hop, R&B, soul, and POP music.

9. Talent, informally: CHOPS.  In jazz, a trumpeter's skill depends largely on his mouth or "chops."  The use of the word expanded to mean overall skill in music, and even skill in general.

14. Crow's-feet treatment: BOTOX.  Botox can be injected around the outer corners of the eyes to paralyze the muscles that cause wrinkles to form.  The results last for three or four months, and treatments are supposed to be repeated for maximum benefit.  I am frankly more interested in:

These crow's feet require no Botox.

15. Food label fig.: RDA.  Recommended Dietary Allowance.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.

16. Reduce: LOWER.

17. Fell for completely: ATE UP.  As in, they ate up the claims about the benefits of Botox.

18. Investigations: INQUIRIES.  

20. [Theme clue]

22. Anniversary pair?: ENS.  There are a pair of N's in anniversary.

23. Acai bowl grain: OAT.  An acai bowl is meant to be a healthy meal.  Obviously, it includes acai berries (often pureed), which are a kind of palm fruit, and it could include anything else, but is likely to have granola (including oats) and nuts along with other fruits.

Acai bowl

24. Progressive business: Abbr.: INS.  Progressive is an INSurance company.

25. [Shiver]: BRR.

26. "Stop right there!": HALT.

28. Blokes: MEN.

31. [Theme clue]

35. Bear whose porridge was too cold: MAMA.

An illustration from Goldilocks and the Three Bears

36. __-blond: ASH.  A cool toned blond hair color with hints of gray.

37. Miss Piggy, for one: DIVA.  Diva, from the Latin for goddess, was used in the 19th century to describe talented female opera singers revered by the public.  Now it often means a high-maintenance woman who acts as if the world revolves around her.

38. [Theme clue]

43. Possible reason for a TV-MA rating: SEX.  TV-MA means for Mature Audiences.

44. Remove from power: OUST.

45. Two-person card game: WAR.

46. Agcy. created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974: NRC.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

47. Sun, in Seville: SOL.  Sol is Spanish for sun.

48. Texting letters: SMS.  Short Message Service is used to send text messages between mobile devices over cellular networks.

51. [Theme clue]

56. Like unexpectedly lesson-laden moments: TEACHABLE.  A teachable moment is an unplanned situation that can be used to impart a lesson.

57. Zinc __: OXIDE.  Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound used as an additive in numerous products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, sunscreens, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, semi conductors, and first-aid tapes. Although it occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.

58. Get clean: BATHE.

59. Charged particle: ION.

60. Solar energy collector: PANEL.

61. Was a straphanger, say: STOOD.  Picture yourself standing on a crowded bus -- hanging onto a strap or similar device placed along the aisle.

This guy is a straphanger.

62. "Called it, didn't I": SEE.  SEE?  I told you.

63. Aroma: SMELL.

Down:

1. Cut down to size: ABASE.

2. Running an errand, say: NOT IN.

3. List details: ITEMS.

4. Italian wedding __: SOUP.  The original name for this southern Italian soup is "minestra maritata" or "married soup" because of the marriage of flavors of meat and greens.  It is not a wedding soup!  The original is said to be a thick, hearty stew.  The American version is a lighter soup with pasta and meatballs.

American "Italian wedding soup"

5. Investigate: EXPLORE.

6. "Catch my __?": DRIFT.

7. "Cimarron" novelist Ferber: EDNA.  Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1930; adapted into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), Giant (1952; made into the 1956 film of the same name) and Ice Palace (1958), which also received a film adaptation in 1960.  

Edna Ferber in 1928

8. Helpful pgs.: FAQS.  Websites often include Frequently Asked Questions pages.

9. Customers: CLIENTS.

10. Traffic signals?: HORNS.  An automobile horn can indeed be a signal used in traffic.  Move it, buddy!  If your mind wanders while waiting at a red light, someone behind you is sure to remind you.  My father, of blessed memory, used to call that an audible traffic signal.

11. Toddler's scrape: OWIE.

12. __ review: PEER.

13. Graduating gp.: SRS.  A graduating group is a bunch of seniors.

19. Practical: UTILE.  Useful, effective, expedient, helpful, serviceable, utilitarian, etc.

21. O.K. Corral surname: EARP.  On October 26, 1881, there was a gunfight near the O.K. corral in Tombstone, Arizona.  Three brothers, Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp, as marshals of the law, were attempting to disarm five outlaws, to enforce an ordinance prohibiting the carrying of weapons in town.  Three of the five outlaws died in the shoot out, and the conflict between the Earps and the outlaws continued.

Wyatt Earp

25. "The Lair of the White Worm" novelist Stoker: BRAM.  Abraham Stoker (1847-1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist. Stoker wrote a dozen horror and mystery novels, including The Jewel of Seven Stars, The Lair of the White Worm, and The Mystery of the Sea, but his reputation as one of the greatest writers of horror fiction is based on his novel Dracula.

Bram Stoker

26. Lays into: HAS AT.

27. Vier plus vier: ACHT.  Vier plus vier ist acht.  Four plus four is eight in German.

28. "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David: MUIR.  David Muir is an American journalist and anchor for ABC World News Tonight and co-anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20.  He has reported from all over the world, won multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, and last year won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.  ABC World News Tonight has been the most watched newscast in the United States since 2015.

David Muir

29. One of the seven deadly sins: ENVY.  According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.  We only had room for envy or lust today.

30. Confidentiality doc: NDA.  A non-disclosure agreement is a document in which one agrees not to divulge confidential information.

31. Subway fee: FARE.

32. Big name in movies: IMAX.  IMAX is a system of cameras, film formats, projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens.  Due to the expense of building and maintaining special IMAX theaters, IMAX has been modified to be viewed in existing multiplex theaters.

33. French bodies of water: LACS.  Lac is French for lake.

34. Aroma: ODOR.

35. Some British sports cars: MGS.  MG Motor is a British automotive brand dating back to the 1920s.  Since 2005, it has been owned by first one, and then another, Chinese state-owned manufacturer.  Most of the current models look very much like every other brand's SUVs, including electric and hybrid options, but they still make "performance" vehicles:

MG Cyberster -- an all-electric roadster

39. Shape-shifted: MORPHED.

40. Flowering desert plant with swordlike leaves: YUCCA.

41. Furry critter who lives on Endor: EWOK.  Ewoks were introduced in the 1983 movie Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.  They have since starred in two made-for-TV movies, The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).  Ewoks live on the fictional forest moon of Endor in primitive dwellings, but in spite of their humble circumstances, they deal a decisive blow to the technologically advanced Empire.

an Ewok

42. Runs fast: GALLOPS.

46. __ chips: NACHO.  Nachos are tortilla chips topped with cheese and salsa.  Those flavors have been incorporated into snacks like Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips.

47. Embarrassing public display: SCENE.

48. Porcupine quill: SPINE.  Contrary to popular belief, porcupines cannot shoot or eject their quills at will.  Any person or creature full of porcupine quills has foolishly touched a porcupine.

North American porcupine

49. Walk the runway: MODEL.

50. Write some letters: SPELL.

51. Stock exchange membership: SEAT.

52. Org. with an alphabet: NATO.  We should all memorize this alphabet for clarifying spellings to telephone representatives.

53. Grand slam quartet, briefly: RBIS.  In baseball, if the batter hits a home run with the bases loaded, four runs will be scored, and the batter will be credited with a "quartet" of Runs Batted In.

54. Flowering desert plant with fleshy leaves: ALOE.

55. Prep course target: EXAM.  A prep course is one that prepares the student for a particular exam.

56. "Dinner and a Movie" airer: TBS.  Dinner and a Movie is a cooking show that aired on TBS from 1995 to 2011 and returned in 2024.  Each episode includes a movie and the preparation of a dinner to go with its theme.

Here's the grid:

As usual, I have INQUIRIES for our readers.

Did you have the CHOPS to complete today's puzzle?

Or did you call a HALT to the solving at some point?

Don't be shy!  Have your say in the comments.

-- NaomiZ