Wednesday, November 4, 2026 - Ricky J. Sirois

 

 Theme: "Scary-go-round"

 

First off, my apologies for this recap being as brief as it is.  I have been traveling across the country to meet with family and friends and had just a fleeting moment to throw this together before today ...

Puzzling thoughts:

Ricky J Sirois is no stranger to the followers of the LA Times Crossword Corner as he has had several puzzles published here as well as @ NY Times, and perhaps others.  Not much out there on him via Google, but if you'd like to know how much $ he made as an assistant director of Library Sciences, please click on the hyperlink above

Today's puzzle is somewhat timely as the autumn provides many explorers and adventurers the opportunity to engage in exploring a corn maze, for example.  And a corn maze may be considered a form of a:

52-across. Mysterious patterns in fields, or what 15-, 22-, 31-, and 44-Across are?: CROP CIRCLES

All of today's entries combine a kind of crop and a type of circle 

15-across. Pungent breakfast choices: ONION BAGELS.  This one works, as [according to Wikipedia] "Onions are a widely cultivated vegetable crop, produced in the second largest quantity after tomatoes. In 2021, the top global producers of onions were China, India, United States, and Turkey ..." and Bagels (while generally thought of as being round, like a circle) are geometrically known as a torus 

22-across. Aids in makeup removal: COTTON BALLS.  Cotton is often referred to as an "and crop" because a single harvest yields multiple commercial products—primarily textile fiber, alongside cottonseed oil for food and feed for livestock; top global producers include China, India, the United States, and Brazil [cottontoday dot com].  Balls are generally circular although YMMV

31-across. Alternatives to cinnamon buns: COFFEE ROLLS. Coffee is one of the world's largest produced crop - my AI computer identified these attributes:

Key Facts About Coffee as a Crop

Botanical Source: Coffee grows on woody, evergreen shrubs and small trees belonging to the genus Coffea and the family Rubiaceae.
The Fruit: The plant produces red or purple stone-fruit berries called coffee cherries.
The "Bean": What people call a coffee bean is actually the seed found inside the coffee cherry.
Global Scale: According to NOAA Climate.gov, coffee is one of the most valuable tropical export crops in the world, cultivated on over 27 million acres across more than 70 to 80 countries
.
Specialty Crop Designation: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explicitly classifies coffee as a specialty crop

Rolls are also generally round in shape unless it precedes the word "-Royce"

44-across. Car parts that may be repurposed as swings: RUBBER TIRES.  As a crop "natural Rubber is an elastic polymer harvested mainly as milky latex sap by tapping the inner bark of the Hevea brasiliensis tree, which thrives in tropical climates across Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America" [Wikipedia].  But given the global demand for the use of rubber-based items, synthetic rubber is more widely produced.  Tires are generally known to be round, except of course, when one goes flat

 

Here is the grid: 

 

Thanks Ricky for the puzzle - and to honor you for your effort may I offer the following "Moe-ku":

        Onions, cotton, joined

        Rubber, coffee, socially;

        Formed a crop circle 

 

On to the rest of the clues and words!          

Across:
1. Shot in the dark: STAB.  A much gentler clue for this word, perhaps?

5. News story intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE.  I imagine that many people misspell this word; according to [Webster's] the full definition is: "the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story" - it goes on to say that it is an alteration of "lead story" and was first used in 1947

9. Secondary social media acct.: ALT.  According to AI, the number one reason for using an ALTernative account for social media is for "posting candid thoughts, joining niche communities, or venting without connecting the activity to a real-life identity"; maybe why we have so many "anonymous" users here

12. Drive: URGE.  As a golfer, I was thinking of something else but TEE-OFF was too long to fit into 4 squares

13. Judy of "Scrubs": REYES.  First time for me:  I will count the proper names in today's puzzle - this is #1

14. Caviar: ROE.  

[entry]

17. Time for many countdowns, briefly: NYE.  Had Ricky chosen "TV Scientist Bill" instead, this would have been proper name number two - instead, he went for an abbr. for New Year's Eve

18. Making out while out and about, for short: PDA.  Public Display of Affection

19. Like some columns: IONIC.  It was either this or DORIC

20. Great Lakes diving bird: LOON.  My first sighting of a LOON was at one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes

21. Carol contraction: 'TIS.  

[entry]

25. Mouths off to: SASSES.  

27. February 29: LEAP DAY.  I personally know just one person who was born on LEAP DAY but I have never asked him if he chooses to celebrate on February 28 or March 1 on the off leap years

28. Ablaze: LIT.  

29. Grammy winner Estefan: GLORIA.  Proper name #2

[entry]

35. Songs of praise: PAEANS.  Moe-ku:

        Group of laborers

        Performed in their church choir;

        Peons sang PAEANS 

36. Calendar divs.: MOS.  

38. Poor rating: ONE STAR.  This doesn't fit my rating for today's puzzle; I think it deserves at least ⭐⭐⭐and 1/2 ⭐s

41. Subtle difference: NUANCE. Moe-ku:

        Dad's brothers went through

        A gender change; "old uncles"

        Are now called NUANCE 

[entry]

47. Tax-efficient fund, for short: IRA.  Once again, Ricky chose the abbr. rather than use another proper name

48. Pinkberry rival: TCBY.  This tells you how "out of touch" Moe is; I know of The Country's Best Yogurt but had no idea about Pinkberry

49. Home of the College World Series: OMAHA. Sort of a CSO to Husker Gary

50. Court divider: NET.  Neither the word "LIBERAL" or "CONSERVATIVE" fit here ...

51. Ivy League nickname: ELI.  Proper name #3, and a Moe-ku:

        Harvard grads never

        Play Three Dog Night. Who wants to

        Know, ELI's Coming??

[reveal]

55. Intro to Xer, Yer, and Zer: GEN.

56. With passion: HOTLY.  See 46-down for a similar clue/entry

57. Signify: MEAN.

58. Multinational insurance co.: AIG.  American International Group

59. In need of a massage, say: ACHY.

60. Trees whose wood is used for lutes and bows: YEWS.

Down:
1. Old timer?: SUNDIAL. Key to this clue is the lack of a hyphen between old and timer.  And for the record, if you ever wondered how these are "adjusted" for daylight savings time ...

 

Speaking of clocks ... my alter ego had a puzzle published this past Friday.  Click on the link and chose October 30 for the date to solve ... the title is: It's That Time Again"

Newsday Crossword Puzzle October 30

2. Period during which mammals first appeared: TRIASSIC.  Rumor has it that these mammals all had three rear-ends

3. In the past: AGO.  

4. "No fighting!": BE NICE. 

5. Bona fide: LEGIT.

6. Disparate features of someone with heterochromia: EYE COLORS.  

7. Rehoboth Beach's st.: DEL.  Located in the map below.  As I kid I used to go to either Rehobeth Beach, Bethany Beach, or Ocean City, MD for my shore trips

8. End of most plural words: ESS.

9. "The Neighborhood" actress Tichina: ARNOLD.  Proper name #4

10. Common name for a Jesuit school: LOYOLA. [Loyola Marymount Univ. website] "The name Loyola most commonly refers to private, Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)".  Loyola University Chicago has the largest enrollment of the four primary Loyola colleges

11. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.      

13. Leave a scathing review, perhaps: RANT.  No rants from me today; maybe one of our posters will, though

15. Makes a selection: OPTS.

16. Responses to bad calls: BOOS.  We aren't that far removed from either the World Series or Halloween to have heard a fair number of these.  And another Moe-ku:

        One thing I can’t stand:

        A ghost, three sheets to the wind,

        Who can’t handle BOOs

20. Home of Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in the Canary Islands: LA PALMA.  This seems like the kind of clue that would require more than casual knowledge to solve without perps (closest to a RANT)

23. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.  Proper name #5

24. Take off: BAIL.  

26. Visits: STOPS BY.

29. Clockwork bit: GEAR TOOTH.

30. NFL Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN. Proper name #6

32. Lot: FATE.  Not THIS Lot

33. Cause of some tremors: FEAR.

34. Kin by marriage: SON-IN-LAW.  I visited my s-i-l on this trip; along with daughter and grandson

37. Multitude in a multiplex: SCREENS.

38. "Wednesday" actress Jenna: ORTEGA. Proper name #7

39. Microbiology research centers?: NUCLEI. 

40. On the decline: EBBING. 

41. Classic soda brand: NEHI. Radar O'Reilly's favorite drink was a Grape NEHI

42. G.I.'s org.: U.S. ARMY.  Radar was a corporal in the U.S. ARMY

43. Puts away: EATS.

45. Get at: IMPLY. 

46. R-rated, say: RACY. See 56-across for a similar clue/entry

52. The Hornets, on a sports ticker: CHA.  As in, CHArlotte

53. Retinol Correxion maker: ROC.

54. Middling grade: CEE.  Or, a 2.0 on the GPA scale

A closing limerick (aka, Moe-'lick) for a final grin:

        Sea cow sought a place that is turnkey

        Where he hoped to spend eternity.

        Help from skilled volunteers

        Built his home; so now here's

        A habitat for Hugh Manatee

See ya in December 

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 - Robin Stears

 

Theme:  DAMAGE CONTROL (clued as: Jeopardize Maxwell Smart's organization?)

 

 

Puzzling thoughts:

My good friend and former crossword constructor mentor, Robin Stears, came up with a silly, yet clever way of cluing a quartet of non-related entries; non-related in their meaning but strangely related in their context 

When closely examining each of the four entries you find that not just the answer contains a synonym for the word "DAMAGE" but so does the clue:

17. Ruin the Olympic Games?: SPOIL SPORTS.

27. Destroy casual chitchat?: TRASH TALKING.

46. Wreak havoc on origami supplies?: BUTCHER PAPER. 

60. Lay waste to a dairy product?: CREAM CHEESE. 

To comment any further (on my part) about each of the entries would just be a disservice - you all should be able to figure out Robin's tomfoolery 😜

However ... if I were to nitpick just a little ... the second entry uses a present participle form of the verb "TALK" as opposed to the other three entries which use a noun to support the "theme".  Could Robin have used the word TALKERS instead and maintained the symmetry?  🤷 After checking that part of the grid, the answer is, "yes".  She could change IS SO to ESSO; NAIL to RAIL; and GYRE (not one of my favorite words today) to SYNE (as in Auld Lang); and SIR to SIN.  There! Done!! 😉

(maybe I should apply to one of the publishers as an assistant editor ...??) 

Anyhow, I am happy to provide a recap because honestly, this puzzle scored very high for me.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and 1/2⭐!  Congrat's Ms. Stears for a well-done job

 

Here's the grid and then off to the rest of the puzzle!

(Note:  You can see my final entry letter filled in; the red highlight of the letter Y in GYRE ...)  

Across:
1. Built (on): BASED.  As opposed to Spread (on): BASTE

6. Many an A-lister: ACTOR. Somewhat of a clecho to (65-across. A-list): ELITE.

11. Swing's path: ARC.  Moe-ku:

        Paris sports car buff

        Drove his TR-6 under

        The ARC de Triumph [sic]

 

14. Cartoon canine who speaks with an "R" consonant mutation: ASTRO.  George and Judy Jetson's pet dog (surprise ending)

 

 

15. Level: PLANE.  

16. "Argo" org.: CIA.

[theme entry]

19. Every last bit: ALL.

20. Tammy Duckworth's title, briefly: SEN.

21. Merry-go-round music: LILT.  This "rendition" is hardly a "LILT" - and doesn't feature any horses going up and down - I am sure that some of our younger Cornerites who might be Mötley Crüe fans can shed some light on this.  Or not

22. Bas-__: RELIEF.  The word "Bas-" is pronounced "bah" (as in Bah, humbug!) but its meaning is oddly similar (to what those who would mispronounce it) to what's seen in this video!

 

24. Like many dirt roads: ONE LANE.  May I see a hand up for anyone else - like me - who tried UNPAVED first?

26. Home of Hawaii's Merrie Monarch Festival: HILO.  All you need to know about this annual event

[theme entry]

32. Tennis great Andre: AGASSI.  He and his wife (former tennis great Steffi Graf) will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks

[per Wikipedia] - Agassi's record as a tennis player includes: 

Career Milestones

Career Grand Slam: He is one of a select group of men to win all four major singles tournaments.
Career Golden Slam: He won the Career Grand Slam plus an Olympic gold medal (1996 Atlanta Olympics).
Finals Record: 8 wins and 7 losses in Grand Slam finals (53.3% win rate) 

35. Georgia airport code: ATL.  Technically, it's the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

36. "If you ask me ... ": I SAY. Pip, pip and cheerio!

37. Massage: RUB.  Moe-ku:

 

        A massage client

        Refused to leave tip when they

        Were RUBbed the wrong way  

38. Super vision?: ESP.  How did I know that this would be the answer?? Must be psychic

39. Polite title: SIR.  MA'AM was too long to fit

40. A in geometry: AREA.  At first I tried SIDE (as in the sides of a right triangle, e.g.) thinking it was referring to Area = ab/2.  But a capital "A" does mean AREA

42. French wine classification: CRU.  CRU wine refers to a legally defined vineyard, group of vineyards, or village officially recognized for producing wine of superior quality based on its unique terroir (soil, climate, and topography) - Oh, and a Moe-ku:

 

        Heavy-metal band

        Owns a Napa winery

        Called "The Motley CRU" 

         

43. Annette of "Virgin River": O'TOOLE.  A bit of information about her 

[theme entry]

49. Forever and ever: EONS.

50. Repeat for emphasis: ITERATE.

54. "Who __!": DOESN'T.  "Love pizza!!"

57. Burlesque bit: SKIT. One of my all-time favorites!

 

58. Light touch: TAP. Second clecho du jour, with (66-across. Light touch): PAT.

59. Sometimes called, for short: AKA.  I am sometimes called MOE but don't call me short!! 😀

[theme entry]

63. Virginia Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS.  This is a 1925 modernist novel that chronicles a single day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class London hostess preparing for an evening party

64. "__ mañana": HASTA. "Until tomorrow"

67. Elizabeth who plays the Scarlet Witch: OLSEN.

For my buddy, Splynter (IYKYK)

68. Trig ratios: SINES.  Geometry AND trigonometry in the same puzzle!  Robin, were you by any chance into mathematics as a high schooler?

Down:
1. Common voice for an opera villain: BASSO.  Nothing villainous about this Christmas carol rendition by one BASSO who is singing all 5 parts

 

 

2. Colorado town near Snowmass: ASPEN.  One of our regular Cornerites (MalMan) is staying in a condo, very close to ASPEN, as we speak (the view he gets to see is pictured below)

3. Curling piece: STONE.  Actually, BROOM fits, too

 

4. "__ tu": Verdi aria: ERI.  A snippet

 

5. Brunei money: DOLLARS. [per Wikipedia] "The Brunei dollar, is the currency of Brunei Darussalam since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The currency is divided into 100 cents and is issued by the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank"

6. Orchard fruit: APPLES.  PEARS, PEACHES, PLUMS, APRICOTS are also orchard fruits; they unfortunately won't fit into this "bushel basket"  

7. Congeal: CLOT.  Here is a link to a recipe for CLOTted cream

8. Viscous goo: TAR.

9. Having one's day in court?: ON TRIAL.  You don't like this clue and answer?  Then sue me!

10. Deal in, as vintage clothing: RESELL.  Clothing items such as these are found at places like Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, as well as on Etsy

11. Breakfast bowl berry: ACAI.  BLUE was my first thought - that's what Ms Margaret and I have in our morning breakfast bowl

12. Annoy but good: RILE.

13. Baby camel: CALF.  A few fun facts about camels

18. Africa-to-Asia land bridge: SINAI.

23. Trickster in Norse mythology: LOKI.

25. Jr. officers: LTS.  Abbr. for Lieutenants 

26. URL starter: HTTP.

28. Invites to one's apartment, say: HAS UP.  ASK UP fits, too, and is probably the more recognized phrase

29. Childish comeback: IS SO.  This was the area of the puzzle that had me flummoxed for the longest time.  I could have bet money that this was AM SO but then again, it's been a long time since I have been a child ... 

30. Get just right: NAIL.  I did "nail" this one but it looked odd next to AM SO

31. Giant oceanic surface current: GYRE.  Total swing and a miss - I want to say that I had to Google this to finish solving the puzzle

32. Part of UAE: ARAB.

33. Hindu mentor: GURU.

34. Lie for, say: ABET.

38. Goes astray: ERRS.

41. Las Vegas WNBA team: ACES.  Fun Fact:  Former NFL QB Tom Brady is a part owner

42. Primary: CENTRAL.

43. __ nerve: OPTIC.

44. Shows signs of growth?: TEETHES.  Clever enough clue - core definition of TEETHE is: The process of baby teeth pushing through and emerging from the gums.  This occurs, generally, as a baby reaches 6 months of age

45. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby: ORR.

47. Top dog: HONCHO. Moe-ku:

 

        An alpha male dog

        Sported a slicker. It's called

        A HONCHO poncho  

48. Three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Troy: AIKMAN.

51. Saved on supper, perhaps: ATE IN.  With today's higher grocery prices, it doesn't always "feel" like we are saving anything when we dine; IN or out.  Remember these days?

52. Sample size?: TASTE.  This term (TASTE) doesn't always mean something that is consumed orally.  Our summer vacation this year was a guided tour called TASTE of Portugal; and it was just that.  We stayed in one hotel for 7 nights and took short bus hops to several touristy areas.  It gave us a good TASTE of the country - we stayed another week, though, as we wanted more than just a "sample"

53. Stage combat props: EPEES.  Huh!  First time I think I've seen THIS clue used for the fencing sword.  "Curses, foiled again!"

54. Not quite dry: DAMP. A rare sighting here in Arizona - although our Monsoon this year provided us with more rain than I recall in the seven years I've lived here

55. Sticky pod: OKRA.  My favorite way to prepare it - and always one of the side dishes I order when eating at a Cracker Barrel

56. From Perth to Sydney: EAST.  Geography lesson.  Perth sits on the far western coast of Australia on the Indian Ocean whilst Sydney is on the east coast (Pacific Ocean).  Visiting Perth is on Moe and Ms. Margaret's bucket list of places, as there is a wine region to the south of Perth that lies along the Margaret River!  Few folks know of how wonderful these wines are.  Here is a link

57. Make full: SATE. Do you feel SATEd from solving today's puzzle and reading Moe's blog?  Hope so

61. Curvy letter: ESS.

62. Yale grad: ELI. 

For those keeping "score":  I think ELI was the 18th 3-letter word used in today's puzzle; I counted just 7 abbr's; and 4 proper names - I know that this statistic has to please many of our solvers!  Please stop by and say "Hi!" Robin

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 - Guilherme Gilioli

 

Theme:  Order in the Court!

 

It was so ordered; until it wasn't ...

 

 

 

Perhaps you'll like this video instead? (for anyone who's a Boomer or older)

 

Puzzling thoughts:

Chairman Moe here.  Today's constructor Guilherme Gilioli (the link will take you to his last appearance at the Crossword Corner) has been featured as a constructor @ the LATimes a total of four times now.  He also has 3 published puzzles @ NYT and has his own webpage for crosswords (in his native, Portuguese) - very impressive

Today's puzzle has the dreaded circles (side-eye shout out to SS); however, without them I am not sure that you would have noticed the reveal:

59 across. Judge's directive, or a feature of each set of circled letters?: COURT ORDER. 

The reveal is supported by the following entries; I highlighted the circled letters in red text:

17 across. 1990s grunge icon: KURT COBAIN.  There is far too much to write about him to fit into this blog. I'm pretty sure that he was quite polarizing, but then again, aren't we all to some degree?  When I read his biography @ Wikipedia I noticed this fact about him, straight away: he died at the age of 27 (this link will provide the names of the other iconic rock stars who passed at this specific age, which began the use of the term, "27 Club")

23 across. Some street food vendors: TACO TRUCKS.  These are quite popular here in the desert SW but I hear that they are becoming popular in more and more places across the country, not just in Arizona or other states that border Mexico.  Does your city have one?  Do tell!

 

This is one that we frequent

37 across. Going the faster way, hopefully: TAKING A SHORTCUT.  This brings back some not so fond memories of taking road trips with my parents and sister.  Earliest memory probably was at the age of 6 or so.  Dad was "infamous" for trying to find a shortcut rather than stick to the beaten path.  I guess that he swore by the adage that the shortest distance between two spots is a straight line.  Well, often that "straight line" that dad drove resulted in a dead end.  Many times at a farm house!  My mom had an expression for his shortcuts and called them "two-mile roads", as we always seemed to drive two miles in and then two miles back out

48 across. Easy A's: GUT COURSES. [from AI] "A gut course is college slang for an easy, undemanding academic class. The term arose in the early 20th century from the older slang notion of a "feast" or "belly-full"—implying a course so simple that a student could easily "swallow" or consume it without mental strain. Campus slang dictionaries and historical references (such as the Online Etymology Dictionary) note student use of "gut" for an easy class emerging around 1916, though some major lexicons trace its widespread recorded use to the mid-20th century."  I did not know this

After solving the puzzle and revisiting the circles, I noticed that the "order" of the letters in the word COURT were correct in only 3 of the four entries.  37 across (TAKING A SHORTCUT) was the exception, and the added T next to the circled letters felt "odd".  I suppose that is a nit but when I do my recaps and rate the puzzles I take everything into account; I WANT ORDER!! 🤨

To his credit, Guilherme used very few three-letter words; the entries were quite fresh; and he used 55 letters for the reveal and entries (that's a lot). Overall, I rate this ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐.   Bom trabalho!

Here is the grid: 

 

On to the rest:

Across:
1. Rascal: SCAMP.

6. With 30-Across, FIFA women's powerhouse: TEAM (30 across. See 6-Across) USA.  [from AI] "Team USA women hold elite historic milestones across sports, highlighted by the soccer team's 4 World Cup titles, basketball's dominant Olympic streak, and a record-breaking 12 gold medals for female athletes at the 2026 Winter Games"

10. Rip-off: SCAM. Moe-ku:

        A Generic brand

        Ripped-off Hormel with canned meat.

        It was a Spam SCAM 

14. Green growth in a pond: ALGAE.  Moe-ku: (this one will test your knowledge of soul music)

        Hi Records star Green

       ("Let's Stay Together") 

        Has homo-phonic nickname 

        I think it's ALGAE

15. Rotating shaft: AXLE.

16. Salt-N-Pepa, e.g.: TRIO. Soul music was what I grew up with; the next generation was into Hip-Hop (I think!).  Salt-N-Pepa was formed in 1985 in NYC.  Salt (Cheryl James) Pepa (Sandra Denton) and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper) are the trio [Wikipedia].  Their website

[entry #1]

19. Learning tools: AIDS.  Anyone remember these?

 

20. Manatee habitat: SEA. But the Malodorous Manatee's habitat is here, at the Crossword Corner!

21. Ray of McDonald's history: KROC. Moe-ku: (this will test your knowledge of TV sitcoms)

       "New Girl" actor Max

        Played McDonald's founder Ray;

        That's a Kroc of Schmidt 

22. General locations: AREAS.  As opposed to "Dollar General" locations: everywhere! 

[entry #2]

26. VEX creations: ROBOTS. Perps helped solve this one

29. Make a choice: OPT.

[see above @ 6]

33. Azerbaijan neighbor: IRAN. Today's geography lesson

34. Right-hand page: RECTO. Today's Latin lesson.  Recto in Spanish, though, means "straight" (as in straight ahead)

36. Only word spoken in "Silent Movie": NON.  Ironically spoken by famed mime artist Marcel Marceau

[entry #3]

41. Former quarterback Manning: ELI.  Eli and his NY Giants Football Team won two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XLII and XLVI - both versus the New England Patriots.  Not sure if this video will load, but the highlight of SB 42 was this catch:

 

42. 1/16 of a pound: OUNCE. 

43. 2026 "Legally Blonde" prequel: ELLE. Any fans here of this movie or its prequel?

44. Taxpayer ID: SSN. Entered as a nine-digit number: xxx-xx-xxxx.  It helps to remember your last four digits

45. "Sweet!": RAD. The word "rad" became popular in the mid-1980's.  My generation used the word "cool"

46. Make a value judgment: ASSESS. 

[entry #4]

52. Result of haste, in an adage: WASTE.  

54. Colossal: VAST.

55. Prefix with -tainment: EDU.  Hand up for trying CON first?  

Learning moe-ment: [from AI and Wiki]: "Edutainment is a blended word combining education and entertainment. It means media or activities designed to teach people while keeping them amused and interested. This approach turns learning into a fun experience instead of a chore".  So is this a portmanteau?

58. So much: A LOT.  Would "very" much have been A TON??

[reveal]

62. Junction point: NODE.  Moe-ku:

 

        The energy flow

        Was all catawampus, but

        The NODE knowed the way

63. Hayride seat, say: BALE.  Why I chose LOFT first befuddles me; I was on a hayride, not on a "ride in the hay" 😂😂😂

64. "All sales are __": FINAL.

65. Beloved: DEAR.

66. Scrabble board symbol covered in the first play of the game: STAR.  It also is a Double Word symbol.  Helps to get off to a good start.  The image below was a game I played against another person (you'll notice the score for the "Chairman".  The word RALPHED was my star-ter.  I also made a few Triples

67. Young horses: FOALS. Very young horses.  Newborns

Down:
1. Fifth Avenue retailer: SAKS.  

2. Game with secret passages: CLUE.  Colonel Mustard, in the kitchen, with a knife

3. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.  Moe-ku:

 

        Magicians say this

        Magic word in India:

        AGRA-cadabara 

  

4. Yoga surface: MAT.

5. Eat like a bird?: PECK AT.  These birds know

6. Frowned upon: TABOO.  I've always instructed people not to wear cologne or perfume at wine tastings, so I guess THIS would also be

7. Spot-on: EXACT.

8. Legend in the ring: ALI.  Father or daughter?? 

9. Big boys: MEN.

10. Severely plain: STARK.  But not THIS Stark:

11. Throws in the towel: CRIES UNCLE.

12. Verdi opera: AIDA.

13. Green growth in a terrarium: MOSS.  Are you one who believes that moss only grows on the north side of a tree?  That sounds a bit shady, to me

18. Middle-earth monsters: ORCS. 

22. Many a Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree: ACTOR.

There are exceptions though 

23. "Un-Break My Heart" singer Braxton: TONI.

24. Swiss pharmaceutical giant: ROCHE.  [Wikipedia] "F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational holding healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located in Basel.

25. As many as: UP TO.  There may be up to six Moe-ku's today

26. Ceremonial events: RITES. And one Moe-l'ick, for a change ... and the rite is probably well-known to our Jewish cornerites:

        After birth, couple's son had his Bris

        
But just wait 'til you hear about this!

        The Mohel arrived drunk;

        Then butchered baby's junk.

        Looks like something's become quite a Miss.

27. Spoken exams: ORALS. 

28. Science fair volcano ingredient: BAKING SODA.  [From AI]: "A classic science fair volcano uses baking soda and vinegar to create a fizzy, foaming chemical reaction"

The video below is a tad juvenile but it's still pretty cool 😎😎

 

31. Spiritual essences: SOULS.

32. Pays to play: ANTES.  Today's grammar lesson:  Why would you say ante versus antes? "Ante is the base form of the verb used for I, you, we, they, or plural nouns in the present tense, while antes is the third-person singular form used for he, she, it, or singular nouns.  Did I say this correctly??

34. Total stranger: RANDO.  [AI explanation]: "The slang word "rando" comes from shortening the word "random" and adding the suffix -o (similar to words like weirdo or sicko). It first appeared in American youth slang during the 1990s and 2000s before becoming mainstream in the 2010s"

35. Key near F1: ESC.

38. America del __: Mexico's continent: NORTE.  North America

39. Green dip, briefly: GUAC.  I make a mean guac if I do say so myself.  My recipe includes (besides avocados) fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, diced Hatch chili peppers (when in season) or jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and low-sodium tajin.  I put everything into a food processor and puree, maintaining just a bit of "chunkiness" 

40. Model/activist Holliday: TESS.  Ryann Maegen Hoven, known professionally as Tess Holliday and formerly known as Tess Munster, is an American plus-size model, blogger, and make-up artist based in Los Angeles - she is unknown to me

46. Helper: Abbr.: ASST.  One of the other nits I had with today's puzzle was the number of abbr's

47. Trigger, as an alarm: SET OFF.  

49. Total: UTTER.  

50. Throat dangler: UVULA.  This was one from Jim Davis that was a bit surprising ... 

51. More uncommon: RARER.

52. Steam __: latte-making gadget: WAND.  

53. Sunburn treatment: ALOE.

55. "Giant" novelist Ferber: EDNA.

56. "Works for me!": DEAL.

57. Web addresses: URLS.  Moe-ku #6

        Websites in Russia

        Are all named after mountains:

        The Urals' URLs 

 

(hey, they can't all be winners ...)          

59. "48 Hours" airer: CBS.  I always thought that "60 Minutes" was all I could watch in one sitting.  "48 Hours"?  My attention span now lasts for maybe 30 seconds ... 😉

60. Breakfast bit that might soak overnight: OAT.

61. Home of Sugarloaf Mountain: RIO.  Here is a fun fact:  There are no less than 450 mountains, hills, and rock formations named Sugarloaf worldwide, with over 200 located in the United States alone.  Bet you didn't know THAT!  

Now, when it comes to rock bands named Sugarloaf, the one featured in the video below is the Chairman's favorite - not sure when in 1970 that this one became a "hit"; either before I graduated HS or after I became a freshman in college.  But I still like this song (Green-Eyed Lady) some 56 years later ...

  

See you next month - my carpal tunnel surgery on hand number two is manaña

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 - Avery Katz and Aaron Gee

 

Theme: Beginner's steps

Clue:  First Lesson in "How to Create a Crossword Puzzle"?

Answer:  GET YOUR POINT ACROSS

 

Puzzling thoughts:

 

Chairman Moe here - fulfilling my monthly commitment to my fellow Crossword "Corner-ites" with a recap of today's collaborative puzzle from Avery (Gee) Katz and Aaron Gee

 

A Google search for Avery provided this snippet from The New York Times: “Avery Gee Katz, of Santa Clara, Calif., is a user experience designer at a software company. She comes from a puzzle-loving family — the first crossword she ever made was a Father’s Day present for her dad ..." 

 

A Google search for Aaron resulted in a related comment from The New York Times indicating that he is Avery's brother.  They collaborated on a puzzle there in November of 2024.  My guess is that this is their first appearance @ LAT - if so, congrat's on your debut.  Please stop by to say hello and comment if you like

 

Today's puzzle - while seemingly straight-forward - uses a bit of wordplay to provide an alternate clue for a common phrase/expression.  For example:

18 across. First lesson in "How To DJ"?: START FROM SCRATCH.  Right off the bat, Avery and Aaron use an idiomatic phrase meaning "to begin" and tie it to how one might become a disc jockey (DJ)

For those of us who recall DJ's such as Casey Kasem or Wolfman Jack, who "spun" records on a turntable for radio air play, many of today's DJ's use the record on a turntable to create a background sound effect.  They do this by "scratching" the record surface - see video below

 

 

26 across. First lesson in "Plumbing: A Beginner's Guide"?: TAKE THE PLUNGE.  The idiomatic phrase "take the plunge" is associated with being "all in", and making a bold decision to do something with an uncertain outcome.  The playful clue description might be a lesson for all would-be plumbers in how to unclog a toilet, perhaps?

 

47 across. First lesson in "Sport Climbing and You"?: LEARN THE ROPES.  Once again Avery and Aaron become "Ms. and Mr. Obvious" by suggesting that learning how to use ropes when climbing up the face of a mountain is a necessary, first lesson.  Or in this case, how to engage in Sport Skateboarding!

 

 

61 across. First lesson in "A Handbook of Competitive Eating"?: STEP UP TO THE PLATE. The idiomatic phrase refers - literally - to a baseball player taking his stance in the batter's box and facing the pitcher.  It suggests that by doing so, you've committed to the task at hand.  The "plate" in this case is home plate.  Avery and Aaron find another "plate" to provide the wordplay: a pie plate, perhaps

In this episode of "The Big Bang Theory", Penny and Amy take on Leonard and Sheldon in a series of competitive contests, including this one:

 

The grid size today is 15x16 to accommodate the two spanners (18 and 61 across).  I'm guessing that Avery and Aaron didn't consider my clue/answer in their choices as the answer contained 18 letters! 😉

 

Let's move on to the rest of the answers/fill as we admire, first, the solved grid:

 

 

 

Across:
1. Mess up: BOTCH.  I almost messed up the puzzle from the get go when I tried the word ERROR

6. Beer foam: HEAD.  Another mess up when I tried SUDS

10. Golden Arches sandwich: MC RIB.  This was filled in correctly as the McRib, oddly enough, was my erstwhile favorite McDonald's sandwich.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've been to a McDonald's in the past year and have fingers left over

15. Sneeze sound: ACHOO.  "Gesundheit!"

16. Upfront stake: ANTE.  I hope no one was thinking that the stake in question was associated with camping

17. Family, in Hawaiian: OHANA.  Totally solved with perps as I knew not of this word.  Perhaps if I had seen the Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch" I'd have known of it [according to Reddit]

[Hawaii-Guide dot com] "Ohana is a Hawaiian word that means family, community, and deep connection. It goes beyond blood relatives to include chosen friends and neighbors, meaning that nobody gets left behind or forgotten"

[theme entry]

21. Summer shirts: TANK TOPS.  Question: is it objectifying to show a picture of a woman sporting a tank top?  How about a guy?  How about both, together?  Let's go with the latter and see if anyone comments ...

 

 

And here, you thought I was going to be objectifying! 🤣

22. "Let me say it again ... ": I REPEAT.  Moe-ku:

 

        The Who's Townshend helped

        Me fertilize the garden. 

        Pete, and I, re-peat 

23. Antlered grazer: ELK.

24. Trauma ctrs.: E.R.S.  I last visited one of these when I was on holiday in Portugal.  The tour I was on insisted that I get seen by a doctor as I had symptoms of a head cold.  Went there on a Saturday around 5:30 pm.  Got seen at 9:00.  Yup, it was a head cold.  No "trauma" other than the 3-1/2 hour wait to be seen

25. Vocalized: ORAL.  And its semi-clecho: (35 across. Uttered): SAID.

[theme entry]

32. Rights org.: ACLU.  Somewhat of an oxymoron; the American Civil Liberties Union is indeed a "rights" organization, but its adherents are generally "left"-leaning

36. Mexican state on the Gulf of California: SONORA.  CSO to all of our Crossword Cornerites with Mexican heritage.  Sonora borders my state (Arizona) though I have yet to visit it.  One of its many attractions is a place called Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point); a highly popular beach resort town just south of the Arizona border, famous for its beaches, water sports, and nightlife.  It's located on the Sea of Cortez

 

37. Leap happily: BOUND.  As in, "leaps and bounds"

39. Some jeans: LEES.  A brand name, of course.  Another clue for lees is "dead yeast cells used in the fermentation of wine".  Lees are what gives some white wines a bit of a creamy texture/mouth feel, and they add complexity to the finished "product"

41. Lute in Hindi cinema: SITAR.  Moe-ku: (there's a lot to unravel in this one!)

 

        Actor Harrison,

        Not George, played the SITAR

        In some "Indy" films 

 

42. Hosts: EMCEES.  A look back in time when Dean Martin hosted a roast

 

44. 2022 Super Bowl winners: RAMS.  One of their stars was a former DT for my alma mater - and will undoubtedly be a Hall of Fame inductee - though there is a rumor that he might end his retirement and come back to play this year or next

 

Another Aaron

 

46. Forecast no.: TEMP.  As I typed this recap, our forecast # for today, in the Greater Phoenix area, was 109.  Yesterday (July 24) the temp set a record for the date: 117!!

[theme entry]

50. Like Death Valley: ARID.  Also, like Sonora; also, like Phoenix.  Our rainfall (year-to-date) is less than 3"; total

51. Coconut __: OIL.  Couldn't figure out where this one was going.  I do a fair amount of cooking but do not use coconut oil - but then I realized that coconut oil is used primarily in skin moisturizers; as is this: (64 across. Ingredient in a cooling lotion:) ALOE.

52. Poke bowl protein: AHI.  Given the usage of a few Hawaiian-related clues and answers in today's puzzle, I wonder if the Gee siblings are from the 50th state?

55. Home exercise bike brand: PELOTON.  This answer was my first guess

59. Natural disaster, legally: ACT OF GOD.  I can't recall ever seeing this phrase used in a crossword puzzle before.  The clue is quite accurate as many insurance carriers will not cover items that were destroyed or damaged from a natural disaster.  [from Wikipedia] "Yes, "act of God" is a recognized legal term used in contract law, tort law, and insurance. It describes an overwhelming, unpreventable natural event—such as an earthquake, hurricane, or flood—caused exclusively by natural forces without human intervention"

[theme entry]

63. More frigid: ICIER.  The synonym for this used to be "frigider" until a certain appliance mfr said that it sounded too much like its brand name ...

65. Locations for Christmas lights: EAVES.  If you look closely, Clark Griswold actually put some of his 25,000 Christmas lights under the eaves

 

66. Welcome relief on a hot day: SHADE. Well, I can say that I am one (here in AZ) who looks for a spot of shade in a parking lot, but that barely helps when it's 117 degrees out

67. Scottish lids: TAMS.  "Lids", as in the slang term for hats

68. High-protein grain: SPELT.  Moe-ku:

 

          Kellogg's proofreader

          Skipped right past the word "ote". They

          Thought, that's how it's spelt   

Down:
1. Slather with butter, perhaps: BASTE.  Watch most any French cooking video and you'll see how frequently they baste - but that doesn't mean you HAVE to be French to baste

 

2. In base eight: OCTAL.  A tutorial for those who are unfamiliar with base eight:

Not sure that I still totally understand it, but as a retiree I doubt I will ever have to consider its use

3. "You'll __ me someday": THANK.  For the tutorial above, perhaps?? 😜

4. Winery keepsake: CORK.  As your resident sommelier, I can attest to keeping corks.  One of these days I will endeavor to use them for trivets, perhaps.  When we were in Portugal we saw the source of cork - it's harvested from the bark of a certain oak tree that grows in the Alentejo region of Portugal. As this image shows, a portion of the bark has been stripped from the tree.  This is where the cork comes from. The number (6) indicates the year in which it was harvested (2026).  The tree will regrow its bark and be ready for another harvest in 2035 (9 years)

5. Throat-soothing brew: HOT TEA.  Another clip from "TBBT".  For Sheldon, offering a hot beverage was not optional to someone who was feeling down-in-the-dumps.  We can only imagine that it was also throat-soothing

 

6. Ice dweller off the coast of Greenland: HARP SEAL.  As opposed to a monsoon dweller off the coast of India known as the Sitar Seal ... 😀

Happy Harp Seal

7. Actress Mireille: ENOS.  Complete unknown, as clued.  Oh, how we have evolved in crossword clues!  Back in the day this would have been clued as "Baseball slugger Slaughter"

8. Self-serve bank device: ATM.  At least today's description of it was not what was clued back on July 24 when it (the ATM) was consigned to a 7-11 store

9. "You are my fire / The one __": "I Want It That Way" opening lyrics: DESIRE.  A "Backstreet Boys" classic

10. Cherries atop Black Forest cake: MORELLOS.  I prefer my Morello cherries in a Manhattan Cocktail. [from AI] "A Manhattan pairs rye whiskey or bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters, garnished with rich, tart Morello or Amarena cocktail cherries"

11. Crack, as lips: CHAP. [Merriam-Webster] Defined 5 ways: (1) noun: a crack in or a sore roughening of the skin caused by exposure to wind or cold; (2) intransitive verb: to open in cracks, slits, or chinks; (3) noun:  the fleshy covering of a jaw; (4) noun: {mostly British} fellow; (5) abbreviation: chapter

But my definition involves something different which is captured in this Moe-ku:

 

        Cowboy dismounted.

        Walked in brush to pee. Later,

        He found a chaps tick 

      

12. Assign stars to: RATE.  Over the course of my blogging I have used many different RATE-ing scales to "grade" the puzzles.  My "Moes" [sic] Hardness Scale" is perhaps my favorite, but the current 5 star system of grading has become the standard.  Today's puzzle gets a solid, ⭐⭐⭐⭐s.  Unlike this celestial body (Moe-l'ick):

 

        At Lover's Lane there were parked many cars,
        With nighttime view of the planets, like Mars.
                When her date, Roosevelt,
                Showed her Orion's Belt,
        She uttered, "meh, I'll just rate it 3 Stars." 

13. Cuzco civilization: INCA.

14. Thai currency whose symbol was once used to represent Bitcoin: BAHT.  Read this article

19. Tined flatware: FORKS.  And this clecho-like clue/answer: (55 down. Trident-shaped letters:) PSIS. The image of the letter Psi kinda looks like a fork

20. Dice game: CRAPS.  I am on a "The Big Bang Theory" kick today ... CRAPS mentioned @ 0:58

25. "Heavens!": OH DEAR.  

26. Guitar peg, e.g.: TUNER.

27. Like the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras: TIERED.

This is actually in Vietnam

28. Bushels and pecks: UNITS. Or, for those here old enough to remember, some song lyrics:

 

29. Scribbled reminder: NOTE.  I am still pretty much "old school" when it comes to note taking.  I have lots of note paper close at hand.  Only time I use my "Notes" app on my phone is when I am not close by my pen and paper

30. Family nickname: GRAM.  My grandson calls me "GRAMPS"

31. Wyatt of Tombstone: EARP.  Another CSO to we Arizonans.  Tombstone is ESE of Tucson and provides the tourists with several period places to see what life was like in the 1800's.  The top things to do there include:

O.K. Corral: Watch daily live reenactments of the famous 1881 gunfight involving Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Clanton gang.

Bird Cage Theatre: Tour the preserved 1880s saloon and gambling hall featuring original fixtures and over 100 bullet holes.

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park: View Victorian-era exhibits, courtrooms, and the authentic outdoor gallows from 1882.

Boothill Graveyard: Walk through the historic pioneer cemetery where early outlaws and townspeople are buried

 

32. Biblical brother: ABEL. Younger brother of Cain and the first person murdered, according to The Bible

33. "Follow me": COME. "Psst!  Follow me!!"

34. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA. Here is the trailer:

 

38. Unfold, as a protein: DENATURE. [Merriam-Webster] "To denature means to change or ruin the natural qualities or shape of something. In science, it most often means changing proteins, DNA, or alcohol using heat, acids, or chemicals."  I seem to remember the term "denatured alcohol" which loosely translated means, "don't drink it"!

40. Makes out: SMOOCHES.  Symbolized by the letter "X" or the emoji "😘"

43. Sharpen on a leather belt: STROP.  My first memory of going to the barbershop with my dad was watching a man getting a shave - the barber made the razor sharp by using a leather strop

 

45. Ill will: SPITE.  As opposed to "ill swill": SPRITE 

48. Suggest: HINT AT.  I tend to be pretty straight-forward - no beating around the bush for this guy.  Although some of my blog comments may belie that 

49. Gets married by Elvis, perhaps: ELOPES.  Know anyone who's been married by an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas?

52. Tequila plant: AGAVE.  [from AI] "Blue agave (Agave tequilana) is special because it is the only plant legally permitted to produce authentic tequila. Its massive, starchy core (the piña) is rich in complex carbohydrates and fructose, making it uniquely suited for fermentation and the creation of a deeply complex, terroir-driven spirit".  Moe enjoys drinking tequila "neat"; Miss Margaret enjoys hers in a Margarita (go figure!!)

53. Guest spot?: HOTEL.  Not the guest spot on a TV talk show 

54. Namely: ID EST.  Commonly seen as its abbreviation: i.e., - as in, "Wyatt Earp is best known as a lawman from the wild west, i.e., one of the ones who fought at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone".  It's commonly confused with its cousin, e.g., which means "for example" and comes from the Latin "exempli gratia"

56. __ A Sketch: ETCH.  

57. Skywalker raised on Alderaan: LEIA.  Process of elimination?  Had to be either LEIA or Luke

58. Pointed column: OP ED.  Speaking of getting your point across ... 

59. Chemistry class model: ATOM.  Is a molecule close enough? My final "The Big Bang Theory" video, promise!

60. Try to fly: FLAP.  Cute clue.  Cute cartoon:

62. Lisbon greeting: OLA.  First off, in Portugal they call it Lisboa; and most use the greeting "Bom Dia" especially in the hours between dawn and early afternoon.  I found that if you said "Obrigado" a lot it was well-received by the Portuguese people

OK, that wraps up another blog from the Chairman.  I'll see y'all in early September.  Between now and then I am having surgery on both hands (Carpal Tunnel) so hopefully I will be able to type up my blog before September 2

[a postscript] - on Monday Aug 2 there was an entry in the puzzle: "B SIDE".  In the comments that day, both Husker Gary and Jinx in Norfolk referenced 45 RPM records.  I recalled that in addition to 45 RPM "singles", a few magazines experimented with enclosing a cardboard record (about the size of a 45) in their publications.  One that apparently made me laugh (I was a young teenager at the time) was in Mad Magazine.  The "record's" title was "It's a Gas!" The video below confirms that you can find most anything on YouTube!