Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Tara Holland

 

Theme:  "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice? ... "

 

Puzzling thoughts:

 

Whom else but the resident "Stooge" should be the reviewer of this raucously, racy, risque rhapsody of rapport?  I can't think of anyone.  And who's fooling who?  Have I (46-across: MOI) ever led you folks down the path of presumptive prevarication?  Pshaw!

 

So, let's have at it!  Who's ready to be played the fool? I'll fill you in while describing the "fill"

 

BTW, kudos to Tara Holland - the puzzle constructor - who's been seen published at the LA Times twice in 2025

Across:
1. Tops (off): CAPS.  As in limits the amount of in a drink/alcoholic beverage? 😕

5. Shopping aids: LISTS. A must for this Stooge when he goes grocery shopping

10. Loops in on the sly: BCCS.  I am not that "sly", nor do I have a family stone

14. Tons: A LOT.  I think I was approached by a realtor who once said: "I have tons for sale in this new housing development ..."

15. Foe: ENEMY.  I don't think you could substitute the word enemy into the folktale when the Giant encounters Jack at the beanstalk: "Fee, Fi, [enemy]... I smell the blood of an Englishman"

16. "Excuse me ... ": AHEM.  Pardon my interruption 

17. "That's the last time!": NEVER AGAIN.  But what about the first time? 

19. __ monster: GILA.  The "G" is pronounced like an "H"

20. Standard: NORM.  Or, how about cluing it as a bar "fixture" at Cheers!?

21. Bright: CLEVER.  Witty, perhaps; I don't think of "bright" with being clever

23. The Proclaimers hit subtitled "500 Miles": I'M GONNA BE.  Never heard of this tune before

28. Watchful: ALERT.  3 cups of coffee in the morning makes Moe alert

29. D.C. figure: POL.  I tried SEN first, but to no avail

30. Yardstick, e.g.: RULER.  My ruler only went 12" in length, but I always was the shortest person in my class

32. Top no. in a blood pressure reading: SYS.  Short for SYStolic Pressure - which measures the force in your arteries when your heart beats

33. Baby's bodysuit: ONE-SIE. I hear that the designers of these began making two-sies for parents who had twins

37. Some high-end insulated mugs: YETIS.  A brand name for a drinking vessel, but literally, wouldn't a Yeti in the wild also have an insulated "mug"?  See the "hairy expression" insulating this beast's mug:

39. Is apathetic: DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT.  This reminded me of an old ad, featuring an owl that promoted good citizenship and environmental responsibility when he said: "Give a hoot; don't pollute!"

44. __ squash: ACORN.  Hand's up from anyone who's been reading this blog so far, and thinks that Moe is just completely "nutty" today??

45. Balanced: STEADY. Getting more and more difficult for me as I progress through my seventies

46. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: MOI.  Already used in my intro

49. "West Side Story" role for Rita and Ariana: ANITA.  Actors Moreno and Grande played the role of Anita in the movie adaptation (original and remake).  I thought MARIA was the role, but I was incorrect.  According to a source I found on the Internet: "Anita's the girlfriend of Maria's older brother, Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican street gang at war with the Jets. The Jets are the white gang that was co-founded by Tony, Maria's love interest and the Romeo figure. Anita is Maria's friend and confidante, like an older sister to her"

51. With it, once: HEP. Hmm ... no Moe-ku's so far?  Ok, let's try this one - if no one else gets it I know that my fellow blogger Splynter will:

        Old-time hockey star

        Will suss out the cool dudes, by

        Giving (them) a HEP check 

52. Bank nos.: ACCTS.  My checking account number and SSN are the same: 123 45 6789

54. "Should've listened to me!": TOLD YOU SO.  This could've been clued as the title of a Randy Travis hit song: "(I) Told You So"

58. Markets: STORES.  See 5-across for what I bring to markets/stores.  BTW, do you call the facility where you buy food items a supermarket or a grocery store?

60. One of many, in a string of pearls: BEAD.  Don't let this one fool you

61. "Song of Solomon" novelist Morrison: TONI. She shows up a lot in crossword puzzles

62. [reveal] - save for later

68. Many a four-hour film: EPIC.  I can barely stay alert for a two-hour movie

69. Actor Davis - known for "A League of Their Own": GEENA.  Don't let this one fool you

70. Japanese wheat noodle: UDON. Or this one

71. [reveal] - save for later

72. Go-between: ENVOY. Or this one

73. [reveal] - save for later

Down:
1. Country with the world's largest moose population: Abbr.: CAN.  CSO to CanadianEh! Can you attest that there are more moose in CANada than anywhere else in the world?  Have you any moose encounters you care to share with us?

2. Craft brewer's brew: ALE.  Let me tap into this one ...

3. Perspective, for short: POV.  Point Of View

4. Courtroom fig.: STENO.  Makes me think back to the old TV courtroom show, Perry Mason

5. Take in, in a way: LEARN.  This clue/answer made me rethink my response to 21-across (CLEVER).  I wonder if anyone else saw that a four-letter word for "take in" is in the word "learn"

6. Director Bergman: INGMAR.  Note:  The clue read "Director" Bergman, not Actor Bergman.  Did anyone try to sneak Ingrid into the "grid"?  Fun Fact:  Ingmar Bergman is not related to the actor, Ingrid Bergman, but he did marry a woman named Ingrid ...

 

7. Body of water: SEA.  

8. "That's enough!" letters: TMI. Too Much Information

9. Lip-__: SYNC.  Here is a video that you might want to lip-sync the lyrics to

10. Bread traditionally boiled then baked: BAGEL.  My favorite bagel is an onion one, toasted, and then adorned with some smoked salmon and a schmeer of cream cheese - capers, too, if available 

11. Scallion relatives: CHIVES.  Who else thought ONIONS fit here?

12. The "log" in the snack ants on a log: CELERY.

 

13. Really stings: SMARTS.  As someone who has been stung by a baby scorpion I can attest that this REALLY, REALLY smarts

18. Actor Perlman: RON. I knew that Rhea could not be the answer as it had one too many letters in the name.  Fun fact:  Are Ron and Rhea Perlman related? "No, Rhea Perlman and Ron Perlman are not related. Despite sharing a last name, they are two separate actors with no family connection. Rhea Perlman is known for her role in Cheers and for being married to Danny DeVito, while Ron Perlman is known for Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy" [random Internet source provided by AI]

22. Ring in a rodeo ring: LARIAT. 

23. Apple gadget: IPOD.  Is an iPod really a "gadget"?

24. Part of MSG: MONO. Want to learn more about MonoSodium Glutamate? Click here

25. Merriment: GLEE.  Chorus groups were originally called "Merriment Clubs" but someone shortened the name to Glee Club

26. Accept the truth of: BUY INTO. Heh, heh, heh ... 😈<== impish Moe.  Are you buying into my blog, so far?

27. Mtn. stat: ELEV.  Moe-ku:

 

        French student mountain

        Climber enjoys wordplay: They're

        [an] Elev Élevé

31. Summers in France: ETES. Speaking of French ... 

34. Govt. ID issuer: SSA.  Again, mine is 123-45-6789.  Feel free to use it

35. To be safe: IN CASE. But, just in case that SSN does NOT work please don't try it again .. 😀

36. __ mess: classic English dessert: ETON.  New clue for me.  This concoction:

38. Pronoun for Miss Piggy: SHE.  Clecho - see 46-across

40. Moxie: GRIT.  

41. Island known as "The Gathering Place": OʻAHU.  It's also a place where lucky tourists get lei'd

42. Words of appreciation: ODES. This is almost a Friday-like clue

43. Form instead of from, e.g.: TYPO. The autocorrect feature on my technology devices gets a lot of work

46. Ibsen's "The __ Builder": MASTER.  Moe-ku:

        Renowned fisherman

        Taught course on lures and hooks: He's

        A MASTER baiter

47. Cuttlefish cousins: OCTOPI.  With so many arms, why aren't they called a "cuddle" fish? 😏

48. Legendary: ICONIC.  When something is iconic, what comes to mind for you?  

 

50. An all-white animal with pink eyes, maybe?: ALBINO.  Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

55. Airport flight condition: DELAY.  Don't be (53-down. Treat alternative:) TRICKed by this clue and answer

56. Initialism of Young Adult Fiction: YAF. Or this one

57. "Smell" in Scotland: ODOUR. Or this one

59. Herb or spiritual mentor: SAGE. Did this one fool you?

63. What only the most capable crossword puzzle solvers use: PEN. Surely you jest, Moe! "No, I don't, and please don't call me Shirley" <== Famous quote in the movie "Airplane"

64. Part of RPM: REV. I am so confused, Moe ... WTF is going on???

65. Dashboard image that is located between the Tach and the MPH dials: ODO. Is this just some kind of green paint??

66. A fitting text message that Moe sent to his alter ego while blogging this puzzle: LOL!

67. A TV show that would probably have classic 62-across skits: SNL

62 - across. What Chairman Moe did to his audience today: APRIL FOOLS!

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across.  See 71-Across: ROLL.

WHAT?  This grid didn't appear in your newspaper or AcrossLite / online edition??? 

Ok, Moe.  You had your fun with us.  Ha! Ha!  Can you please give us the REAL version and explanation?

Well, since you asked politely, here goes.  First, the real clues/fill that Tara used, and that I substituted for to make an alternate puzzle:

60-across. Like a turkey burger: LEAN.  My burgers have an 80% LEAN / 20% FAT ratio.  Turkeys are a holiday meat - for me, anyway

62-across. Began to relax: LOOSENED UP.  Moe-ku:

 

        Camper told his shrink

        He dreamt of tepee and yurt.

        Guess he's just two tents 

 

69-across. Made a 43-Down, say: ERRED.

 

70-across. Pre-migraine experience, for some: AURA. 

 

72-across.  Financial obligations: DEBTS. 

 

50-down. "Ready?": ALL SET. 

 

55-down. Monopoly cards: DEEDS. 

 

56-down.  Celebrity chef Martin: YAN.

 

57-down.  Like some headphones: ON EAR. The only kind that Moe will wear

59-down. Vehicle often steered with the feet: SLED.  LUGE fits, too

63-down. Underground rock: ORE.  I hear a good place to find ore is in ORE.

 

64-down. Round figure?: ORB. 

65- down. Twosome: DUO. 

 

66-down. Clickable link: URL.  Part of today's prank

 

67-down. Bestie: PAL.  BFF was tried and failed

 

71 - across. With 73-Across, classic internet prank pulled by this puzzle's longest answers: RICK.

73 - across.  See 71-Across: ROLL.

What in the heck is going on here???

 

When you tried to click on all of the hyperlinks I used in my recap today, you were rickrolled.  As [Merriam-Webster] defines: 

"Rickrolled" (or rickroll) is an internet slang verb and prank where a user is tricked into clicking a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit song, "

Never Gonna Give You Up". It is a bait-and-switch tactic designed to annoy or humorously surprise the viewer

 

The five longest answers in the puzzle progressively "pull"/spell out the title in this song:  

 

NEVER AGAIN 

I'M GONNA BE

DOESN'T GIVE A HOOT

TOLD YOU SO 

LOOSENED UP   

 

And that's about as simple a way as I can explain it!

 

I highlighted below the left-to-right progression of the key words to the Rick Astley tune you heard today, ad nauseam, provided you clicked on the links. This  puzzle was a real "hoot".  The words used were all in-the-language and well-clued. The reveal was at first unknown to me, but when I googled the phrase "rickroll" it all made sense

 

Kudos again to Tara Holland for providing this blogger with his most favorite puzzle to date! This was truly amazing - I hope you all enjoyed both the real and the April Fools puzzles today

 

Here is the REAL grid!   

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Jacob Reed

 

Theme:  𝄲𝅘𝅥𝇤𝇥  "The best part of waking up ..." 

Is not Folgers; trust me! But this "cover" of the jingle is what made my morning!

 

 

Puzzling thoughts:

Chairman Moe here, bringing you a little bit of frivolity to accompany your morning joe and crossword puzzle solve.  Today's puzzle gives you a caffeine jolt, right in the reveal:

 

64-across. Mid-morning respite, or what can be found four times in this puzzle: COFFEE BREAK. 

 

Jacob Reed - our crossword barista du jour - has quite the varied vocations/avocations in his brief time on this orb we call Planet Earth.  And while being a crossword constructor is a relatively new vocation to Jacob, he was published three times in 2025 at NY Times; which is a feat that is quite uncommon, given the plethora of puzzle-preparers who pepper that paper with printed previews for potential publication

 

Jacob supports his coffee break puzzle as follows: 

 

1) placing the key letters to search for in circles (oh, the dreaded circles!)

2) using a black square (also known as a block) to "break" the circled letters

3) using zero "entry phrases" in the puzzle

 

This is a construction technique that CMoe really digs.  I am currently working on two such puzzles which, fingers crossed, will eventually make it into publication.  Not sure where Jacob "learned" this technique; mine came from a puzzle that that Jeffrey Wechsler created - you'll note that Jeffrey did not use any circles to reveal his "fromage a trois"

 

The four types of coffee that Jacob features in his puzzle are:

 

ICED

 

 

 

DRIP

 

 

 

INSTANT 

 

 

 

IRISH 

 

 

 

  

I highlighted these in red so you can see the break in the coffees below:

 

Here is the filled grid 

 

 On to the rest of the words:

Across:
1. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA.

5. Clinks with drinks: TOASTS.  Something our erstwhile and dear departed poster tinbeni did every evening to we Cornerites - RIP

11. Loop in on the DL: BCC. If you didn't know what "DL" is (from the clue), I think it means "down low"

14. Tangible: REAL.  Moe-ku:

        Traveled to Rio.

        Exchanged dollars and asked: "Is

        This money REAL*?"

*FYI:  The Brazilian Real is the local currency ...

15. The great outdoors: NATURE. With 16-across. WC: LOO, a place where many of us - whether we admit it or not - have relieved ourselves 😅

17. Like many theme park puppets: ANIMATRONIC. Plus 19-across. School URL ending: EDU is the first of the "coffee breaks" in today's puzzle (ICED).  The first ANIMATRONIC I recall was this group @ DisneyWorld: (long video)

 

20. Off: NOT ON.

21. Award season oversight: SNUB.  (long video)

 

22. Barter: SWAP. 

23. Dating app that went public in 2022: GRINDR. A dating site for a select few

25. Apple Store purchase: IPAD CASE. I have one of these for my i13 phone, and it has proven itself a huge benefit over multiple drops by this clumsy person

27. Coat with, as melted chocolate: DIP IN. Remember seeing one of these at a wedding reception?

 

29. Dining table extender: LEAF. Moe-ku:

 

        IKEA has new

        Dining table set, and it's 

        Called LEAF Erikson 

 

30. __ and cheese: MAC.  If we were making a sandwich, it might have been HAM and cheese

 

33. Running jokes: GAGS.

35. Hurled: FLUNG. 
 

38. Not for: AGAINST.
 

41. Pays to play: ANTES UP. 
 

43. World Heritage Site in Jordan: PETRA.

 

 

44. Huge production: EPIC.  According to Google, this was the first EPIC movie .  Of course, YMMV
 

46. "Wheels down" hr.: ETA. "Wheels up" hr. would be ETD methinks
 

47. Shoe brand known for a checkerboard design: VANS.

 

 

49. Butch Cassidy or the Sundance Kid: ALIAS.  My alias is Chairman Moe
 

52. Rum cocktail: DAIQUIRI. Here is the recipe, plus a little back story
 

55. Sundial need: SHADOW.  I have visited this one in Carefree, AZ

 

 

59. Grocery chain that requires a deposit for a shopping cart: ALDI. I think that Aldi and Trader Joe's are linked through a family ownership
 

60. Darn: MEND. Dang, I tried drat first
 

62. Upscale Honda: ACURA.
 

63. "Emilia Prez" Oscar winner Saldana: ZOE. Her:

 

 

[reveal]
 

66. Musician Brian who co-developed the Oblique Strategies creative process: ENO.
 

67. Like disposable products: ONE USE. A good idea, really!  Moe-ku:

        A disposable

        Product was used more than once.

        It exclaimed: "I'm wiped!"

  

68. Diminutive suffix: ETTE.  Moe-ku:

        Bach piece in G Maj.

        Was shortened, as per schedule;

        Renamed, MinuETTE

  

69. __ Moines, Iowa: DES.
 

70. Camelot figure: MERLIN. 

 

 

 

71. Female deer: DOES.  Unlike Homer Simpson's deer, which are DOH's
 

Down:
1. Chimp kin: ORANG.
 

2. Man of La Mancha: SENOR.
 

3. Wyclef Jean's birth country: HAITI. 

 

 4. Amaretto flavor: ALMOND.
 

5. Letters on red Minecraft blocks: TNT.  A generational clue

 

 

6. Rower's pair: OARS.
 

7. Performing acts of contrition: ATONING.
 

8. Vampire's bedtime: SUNUP.

 

 

9. Of a clan: TRIBAL.
 

10. Jiffy: SEC.
 

11. Flew off the handle: BLEW A FUSE.
 

12. Musical finales: CODAS.
 

13. Sedan alternative: COUPE.  Moe-ku:

        101

        Dalmatians antagonist's

        Ride? A COUPE De Vil

   

18. "__ Mack": Disney Channel series featuring seventh graders: ANDI.  Another generational clue
 

22. Beaufort __: SCALE.  It measures wind speed
 

24. D&D et al.: RPGS. Short for Role-Playing-Games - have I ever said that pluralizing an abbreviation is not my favorite way to add words to a crossword puzzle?  The answer is, "yes"
 

26. Artful: DEFT.
 

28. "Already had a bite": I ATE.
 

30. World view?: MAP.
 

31. Information conveyed by tree rings: AGE.  Fun fact:  As a sommelier, I am aware of the difference between American Oak barrels and French Oak barrels, as containers that hold fermented wine for its initial ageing.  The American Oak barrels have a looser grain (tree rings) than the French Oak barrels, and that "difference" plays a big role in the flavors that are imparted to the wine.  More info in this hyperlink
 

32. Social media posts by some pet owners: CAT VIDEOS. Sorry, I favor dogs to cats, so no videos to support this clue/answer! I will cede this to my fellow Wednesday blogger, C-E D
 

34. Breeze (by): SAIL.  Verb definition of the word "sail"
 

36. Trail mix morsel: NUT. RAISIN was too large to fit
 

37. Dean's list fig.: GPA. After 4 years @ Pitt, my GPA was a 3.25
 

39. Mosul resident: IRAQI. 
 

40. Half of Mork's farewell: NANU. Robin Williams brought joy to millions; RIP

 

 

42. Procedural that spun off from "JAG": NCIS.
 

45. Throbbing: PAINFUL.
 

48. Olympian Biles who wears a goat necklace: SIMONE.  As in, Greatest of All Times?

 

 

50. Starbuck's boss: AHAB. "Barista Manager" was too large to fit
 

51. Revered: SACRED.
 

52. Seeing stars: DAZED. 

 

 

53. Without help: ALONE.  Chairman Moe did this recap, solo
 

54. Send to a specialist: REFER. Fortunately, my new Medicare Advantage program no longer requires me to get a REFERral to see a specialized doctor
 

56. Because of: DUE TO.
 

57. Go on the stump: ORATE.
 

58. Rouses from sleep: WAKES. Moe-ku:

        A Carnival Cruise

        Passenger was aroused from

        Sleep. Turbulent WAKES?

   

61. Lydic of "The Daily Show": DESI. Another generational clue
 

64. Rom follower: COM. My favorite "rom com"

 

 

 

65. Velvet finish?: EEN.

 

That's a wrap!  See you in April