Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Joe Rodini

  Well, the theme is obviously in The Reveal: TAG Lines.

The Reveal:

59. Across.  Marketing slogans, or what the answers to the starred clues are?: TAG LINES.

But, what makes these themers so Tag Worthy?

17. Across. *Black Friday enticement: LOW PRICE.

Hmm, I wonder if C.C. would let me make some money doing these write ups...

(I work cheap...)

Um, CE:D here,, none of the other volunteers would stoop this low...

24. Across. *Words with a WWII-era doodle: KILROY WAS HERE.

If you visit the WWII memorial in Washington D.C.

Be sure to walk around the back,

Where you will find etched into the granite,

"Kilroy Was Here!"

They say there are two, I have yet to find the second one..

39. Across. *Shout on a playground: YOU'RE IT.

50. Across. *Introductory phrase: HELLO MY NAME IS.

I once accompanied DW to her High School reunion,

And everyone had to wear a name tag...

So I wrote on mine, "No One You Need To Know."

As I never attended this school,

And for some reason, people thought it was hilarious...

Hmm, I dunno, I am having trouble describing this theme. 

Perhaps we should let a professional do it...

Um, ok, let's get on with then, shall we...

Across:
1. No-frills supermarket chain: ALDI. There is quite a story about the two brothers quarrel that split Aldi and Lidl into two grocery chains, and then one brother bought Trader Joe's... I will let you Google it as I get enough of this stuff because DW watches Real Wives (of wherever) while I hide in another room...

5. Receipt fig.: AMT. (figure/amount)

8. Puzzle: BEMUSE. (Not enigma...)

14. Weaver's machine: LOOM.

In the coming apocalypse, you may find this useful.

Just try and remember how without Wi-Fi or YouTube...

15. "Pshaw!": HAH.

16. Perfect alignment: UNISON.

Nah! I don't see it happening...

17. [Theme.]

19. Peak with a name from Koyukon: DENALI. This is where I got stuck doing the write up, I mean, we did this before. In a site all about words, what's the point if you keep changing them....?

20. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. Um,, should I post the clip where A.I. glues  his mouth shut?  (Nah, I 'm just trying to censor myself...)

21. Wee bit: A TAD. ( it was just a little Vodka,,, I swear...)

23. Left in a cave, as some cheese: AGED. Jeez, that explains it, I was cheesed...

24. [Theme.]

28. Mardi Gras song originally called "Jock-A-Mo": IKOIKO. Um, ok, i know I'm supposed to explain all this, but WTF is IKOIKO supposed to be? Really? Dang! I have to look this up? (This is going to take more Grey Hairs than I can affford... ) 

Ok, a week later,, I finally got up the courage to look this dang thing up,,, and it's supposed to be IKO IKO. 

I dunno CC, maybe im too old to do this ...

29. Fabled race day napper: HARE. And fabled puzzle reviewer: CE:D...

30. "I'll shake on that!": DEAL. Are we talking about a nap?

31. Berra with a record 10 World Series rings as a player: YOGI. When you come to the fork, take it...

34. Centipede releaser: ATARI. Hmm, it's a good thing this was a game, because I would be tap dancing all over this ala Fred Astaire...

38. Family guy: DAD. Ok, but this could have been anybody...

39. [Theme.]

41. Pod of whales: GAM. Dang! I am still trying to pencil in "Pod" here...

42. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE. (Did he ever get stuck in a gam of whales?)

44. Stint in office: TERM.  I dunno, lately this could have been "sentence..."

45. Much Duchamp work: DADA. Um, I will let you look this up Here, as when I looked it up, it made me want to go to the bathroom...

46. Pitch setter: CLEF. If you want to know how to draw one... personally, I have a hard time staying in one clef, I guess it's a side affect of being scatterbrained...

48. Superhot, as wing sauce: ATOMIC. Personally, I did not like this clue/answer, As it could have been anything...  now, if the perps were friendly, I could stomach this... (were the perps friendly for you?)

(I need some pepto bismol...)

50. [Theme]

53. Stepped heavily: TROD.

55. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

56. Sudden flight: LAM. Nah, I'm too old for this. Question, what would you call a sudden flight with some one with a walker? 

Ok, I'm ready!

57. Demolish: BUST UP. Look out! I'm walking thru here!!'

59. [Theme Reveal.]

63. Does some tailoring on: ALTERS. Hmm, so many possibilities, ,,

64. "Fearless" or "Lover," for Taylor Swift: ERA. ( why is everything an Era with her...? ) jeez girl, lighten up...

65. Iditarod terminus city: NOME. Um, if you want to be uplifted by a true story, 

May I suggest Balto...

Also,  may I suggest the animated version if you don't want to freeze your toes off...

66. Thrift store transaction: RESALE.

67. Sketch show with celebrity 50-Down, for short: SNL. 

Jeez, what do you have to do to get on this show?

68. Flakes: SNOW. I dunno, I'm partial to Idahoan potato flakes myself, and I hate the cold... so this clue/answer that should have been easy, kind of got me into a, hmm, whattaya call it? Not quicksand, but an oatmeal/ porridgey kind of mess to finish the acrosses...  at least, with Idahoan, you never get Lumps...

Down:
1. __ too soon: ALL. Ack! What a way to start the downs! ( I feel like I'm falling!)

2. Lav: LOO. (Whew! What a relief to land here..,)

3. Gets off the web: DOWNLOADS. Hmm, used to be easy , now It's work... (see George Jetson for intel...)

4. Put at risk: IMPERIL. "Be careful what you download!"

5. Pacific tuna: AHI. Word origin can be found here

6. Large parrot that forms a pair bond: MACAW. 

If you are going to keep birds,

Always get two...

7. Angle symbol, in geometry: THETA. 

Um, I tried to find a definition of the geometric meaning of Theta for you,

But it was  Greek to me...

8. Subject of a 49-foot bronze statue in Nara, Japan: BUDDHA. 

9. WSW opposite: ENE. (I hate it when crosswords get  me all turned around...)

10. Mosque tower: MINARET.

11. Utility bill data: USAGE.

12. Foot part: SOLE. Not inch, arch, or...

13. "Wednesday" werewolf: ENID. Ok, I know nothing about what happened to The Addams Family after  Raul Julia passed away.., But here is more if interested 

18. Chess piece in castling: ROOK. Not King!

22. More pale: ASHIER.

24. Little buddy: KIDDO. Hmm, how would you clue this? (Roo-ey?, goat offspring something or other?) I am lost on this one...

25. Stores with Småland play areas: IKEAS. I dunno, I think the whole place is a giant fire hazard... but I do like the meatballs...  (have you ever tried to navigate thru IKEA?)

26. Fluctuate wildly: YOYO. (Technically, yo-yo is a hyphenated compound word. But can be one word in informal usage...)

27. Basic Latin verb: ERAT. (I dunno, it's Greek to me...)

32. Determined to get: OUT FOR. Hmm, this seems out of place for a Wednesday puzzle. It's almost like the constructor was out to get us...

33. Test for some srs.: GRE. Everything you ever wanted to know...

35. Leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War: AGAMEMNON.

I always liked how he was portrayed by Sean Connery in The Time Bandits.

If you want to be to know more, ask Kevin...

36. Diameter halves: RADII. (Pronounced EeEye... I think I have it half right...)

37. Apple desktops: IMACS. Yes, it's one word, even when plural...

39. Talk over the clamor: YELL.

40. "Ms. Marvel" star Vellani: IMAN. 

43. Pure Leaf beverage: ICED TEA. 

Never heard of it...

45. Realms: DOMAINS.

47. Pass by: ELAPSE.

49. Starbucks size: TALL. If you are willing to pay upwards of 4 bucks for a coffee, you also get A ridiculous size terminology  for your overpayment...

Hmm, I could have sworn he said can you spare a dime for a cup of Joe...

50. Members of 67-Across's Five-Timers Club, e.g.: HOSTS. Arrows and banjo's optional...

51. Tiny arachnids: MITES.

52. Pine (for): YEARN.

53. Type of ski lift: T BAR. They tried a J bar, but it was a pain in the A**.

54. Hold the throne: RULE.

58. Web address: URL.

60. Actress Gadot: GAL. 

61. Angsty rock: EMO.

62. Do some tailoring on: SEW.

The Grid.

P.S. Here is 8 minutes more on Kilroy was here, if interested...

Anywho, that's all I've got.  But  I can't help but think I missed something...

So, now it's up to you, in the comments, to find what I missed!

TAG! Your it!...

CE:D out...

≽^•⩊•^≼ ₊˚⊹♡

Monday, September 28, 2026, Hoang-Kim Vu

  Theme: Words of Support.

17 Across. Words of support from an abacus?: YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.

29 Across. Words of support from a rideshare driver?: I'M HERE FOR YOU.

45 Across. Words of support from a crossbody bag?: I'M ON YOUR SIDE.

No!

Yes!

57 Across. Words of support from a broken elevator?: I WON'T LET YOU DOWN.

How the elevator got broken...

CE:D here, filling in. I don't know why all my cartoons seem so down in this fun, uplifting puzzle. Maybe because it's Monday... Hurry back NaomiZ! We need you to cheer us up!

Onward!

Across:
1. Game, __, match: SET.

4. Piece of cake: CINCH. Or, easy as pie! Use Granny Smiths!

9. Granny Smith, for one: APPLE.

14. The "A" of ETA: Abbr.: ARR. (Estimated Time of Arrival.)

15. Spanish form of Paul: PABLO.

16. "Get out of town!": NO WAY.

17. [Theme.]

20. Brainstorming outputs: IDEAS.

21. Epitome of slowness: SNAIL. Not Sloth?

22. Six years for a U.S. Senator, e.g.: TERM.

23. __ Arabia: SAUDI.

25. Pre-K basics: ABCS.

29. [Theme.]

32. Santa __, California: ANA.

35. Used a pair of sculls, say: OARED. More info here...

36. Chutzpah: NERVE.

37. Out that gets a runner home, for short: SAC FLY. Sacrifice Fly Ball.

39. Like some evening gowns: BEADED.

$991.00???

40. Invoice amount: TOTAL. (See above...)

41. Rebuff: SPURN. 

44. Sault __ Marie: STE. Oldest city in Michigan. Home of the Soo locks. More info here.

45. [Theme.]

48. Orange skin: RIND. (I wanted peel...)

49. Madrid museum: PRADO.

50. Quick inhalation: GASP.

54. Not united: APART.

56. Prefix with -lithic: PALEO.

57. [Theme.]

62. Around, in dates: CIRCA.

63. Phone notification: ALERT.

64. Tasseled hat that shares a name with a Moroccan city: FEZ.

Quite honestly, as a style choice, I just don't think it looks good on anybody.

(Unless your a Stoat.)

65. Leg joints: KNEES.

66. Smallest possible: LEAST.

67. Swim-bike-run race, informally: TRI. As such a long grueling race, why such a short name?

Down:
1. "Tell me already!": SAY IT.

2. Slowly wear away: ERODE.

3. More accurate: TRUER.

4. Pros who are busy in Apr.: CPAS. Certified Public Accountants.

5. Actor McKellen: IAN.

The one and only...

Would you believe? A young Gandalf?

6. "SNL" TV network: NBC. Saturday Night Live/National Broadcasting Company.

7. Sense of finality that may be needed after a breakup: CLOSURE. Hmm, after every breakup, I needed stitches...

8. Pursued doggedly: HOUNDED.

Musical interlude...

Would you believe, after all these years, the paper today said Frank Sinatra was disgusted by Elvis' dance moves... Jeez man, let it go...

9. Against: ANTI.

10. Location that may have "No running" and "No diving" signs: POOL AREA. Hmm, Monday clueing. I guess Wednesday would be no glass bottle area, and Friday would be "place to get a cue..."

11. Dominate, in gaming slang: PWN. (Pawn.) very grey area, could go on and on, (don't ask about teabagging...)

12. Go on the __: get out of town: LAM.

13. Organ with a retina: EYE.

18. Top that's useful in layering, for short: CAMI.

This is what happens when you spend too many hours doing crossword reviews...

19. Innocent one: NAIF. (Nope, I'm guilty..)

23. Mitchell of "Pretty Little Liars": SHAY.

24. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER.

26. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" band, with "The": BYRDS.

27. Desire: COVET.

28. Fuzzy fabric: SUEDE. When Michael Caine became famous, he was approached by John Wayne with some advice, I'll let Michael explain it...

When you're a star, don't wear suede shoes!

30. "Pretty in Pink" star Ringwald: MOLLY.

31. Sticking straight up, as hair: ON END.

32. Up and about: ASTIR. An A word!  Tell me, when did you last use this word!

33. Two-time Australian Open winner Osaka: NAOMI.

34. Follow, as a hunch: ACT ON.

38. Burlesque performance: FAN DANCE.

Due to complaints about pics degrading Women,

We are forced to downgrade the fan dance video...

39. Spirit: BRIO. It helps to know Italian...

41. Inexplicably weird: SURREAL.

42. Natter (on): PRATTLE.

43. Amer. capital: USD. U.S. Dollar.

46. Iridescent gem: OPAL.

47. "Good lord!": EGAD.

51. In midair: ALOFT. 

52. Underground waste line: SEWER.

53. __ scheme: PONZI.

55. School support orgs.: PTAS. (If I need to explain PTA's, you need to go back to school...)

56. Golf stroke near the hole: PUTT.

57. "How nasty": ICK.

58. Take first prize: WIN.

59. Mine lode: ORE.

60. Pro vote: YEA.

61. Surgery ctrs.: ORS. Operating Rooms.

The Grid.

*Just an Easter Egg for The Big Bang theory fans. Note: that when Leonard runs out with the smoking rocket fuel, Sheldon takes time to turn the refrigerator magnet upside down. It is explained in an earlier episode that Sheldon is obsessed with Flags. So much so that he created a Flag for the Apartment. A yellow lion on a field of blue. He turns the flag upside down as a sign that the apartment is in distress...

Oh! I almost forgot!

How the show ended 8 years later....

Some notes on my Monday solving experience:

26d birds b/4 byrds, can't remember if it was a fat fingered typo, or a brain fart...

32d up and about, awake before astir. Yes it was a rude awakening for a Monday...

44a soo b/4 ste, not quite awake yet, and old crosswords were seeping into my memory...

48a peel b/4 rind, reminds me why I gave up oranges for breakfast before having coffee...

60d pro vote, yes b/4 yea (it was my 66a least of my problems...)

And finally, since The Devil Wears Prada 2 recently came out, I put an A at the crossing of Prado and Brio...  (there are more Naticks in Europe than in Connecticut...)

Anywho, please leave some uplifting words in the comments. We all need them on a Monday...

CE:D out...

₍^ >⩊< ^₎Ⳋ

Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Nate McLean

 (Preface, by CrossEyedDave:)

Today's is a very special puzzle, we have a new young and talented Constructor, who's first puzzle has created a  fun (and for me) challenging suss fest. Not only that, I had an even more fun, challenging, and learning experience trying to explain it all! Nate, I look forward to many more "aha" moment experiences from you. Thank you for this submission...

Commenters: please let our new constructor know how he did with feedback on your personal experience in solving this puzzle.

Theme: Phonetic agreement 

They agree, they see eye to eye, but somehow I don't think it's going to end well...

The Reveal:

54 Across. *How like-minded people see, or a phonetic hint for the answers to the starred clues?: EYE TO EYE.

18 Across. *Tablet choice: IPAD MINI.

23 Across. *Silent film based on a Leoncavallo opera: I PAGLIACCI.

Canio is the tragic clown in the Opera PAGLIACCI.

There were two silent films titled "I" PAGLIACCI

One in 1915, and another in 1923.

It might ring a bell around the 2 minute mark...

Should it start with "I"? (Yes.)

36 Across. *Destination for a day trip from Naples: ISLE OF CAPRI.

Take a cruise, it will be fun, they said...

49 Across. *Lionel Messi's MLS team: INTER MIAMI.

MLS = Major League Soccer.

As you can clearly see, the themers go from I to I... you may be an optimist, but after I got tripped up by so many tricky clue/answers, I tend to be a bit disagreeable. (Full list at end...)

Let's see if we agree, onward!

Across:

1. Japanese beer brand: ASAHI.

So many choices...

6. Pet adoption org.: SPCA. Not to be confused with ASPCA. Explanation can be found here.

10. Exec concerned with network security: CTO. Chief Technology Officer.

13. Piccata ingredient: LEMON.

Even better, substitute White Wine for chicken stock!

14. "Celebration" band __ & the Gang: KOOL.

15. Magic spell: HEX. As a noun, it is a curse or a witch's charm meant to cause harm. As a verb (to hex), it means to cast that evil spell on someone. The word comes from the German word Hexe, meaning witch.

16. Inner selves, in Jungian psychology: ANIMAS. Deep dive can be found here: Japanese "Anime" is also (sort of) derived from the Latin Anima, or soul. A deeper dive can be found here... (Be careful Alice, there are rabbit holes ahead...)

18. [Theme.]

20. Friend: ALLY.

22. Poker-faced: STOIC.

23. [Theme.]

27. Overseas greeting?: AHOY. This really got me, I wanted Ciao...

30. Formally turn over: CEDE.

31. Panang curry cuisine: THAI.

32. Summoning contraction: C'MERE. ( not Pssst...)

33. Sweet potato kin: YAM.

34. Filmed: SHOT.

35. Oklahoma athlete: SOONER.

36. [Theme.]

39. DraftKings user, e.g.: BETTOR.

41. Gutter locale: EAVE. I was thinking bowling...

42. Skin pic: TAT.

45. Done (with): FED UP.

46. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

47. Old Testament scribe: EZRA.

48. Pet pest: FLEA.

49. [Theme.]

51. "The Trial" novelist Kafka: FRANZ.

53. Notary imprint: SEAL.

54. [Theme Reveal.]

57. Vin in the "Fast & Furious" franchise: DIESEL.

61. Passing through: VIA.

62. Nautilus captain: NEMO.

63. None too trusting: LEERY.

64. Just right: APT.

65. Garden with forbidden fruit: EDEN.

66. Drum kit drum: SNARE.

Down:
1. Banned Books Week org.: ALA. American Library Association.  Fear not! ALA does not refer to a Southern State!  Banned books week this year is October 4th thru 10th. If you oppose censorship, and support the freedom to read and learn, you can do something about it here!

2. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN. Senator.

3. French friend: AMI.

4. Show of respect: HOMAGE.

5. Entirely: IN ALL.

6. Slalom, say: SKI.

7. Genre for many an Attenborough documentary, in brief: POPSCI. Short for popular science.

8. Raccoon relative: COATI.

9. Canadian shoe brand: ALDO. Half a Natick with a 50% tariff...

10. Home of the Mayan temple El Castillo: CHICHEN ITZA.

11. Decimal base: TEN.

12. Commercial lead-in to Clean: OXI.

17. Move like a snake: SLITHER.

19. Spanish term of endearment: MI AMOR. (My love.)

21. Early search engine: YAHOO.

23. Distant: ICY.

24. Green shade: PEA.

25. Wave the white flag: ADMIT DEFEAT.

26. Where toe beans are found: CAT FEET.

28. Minecraft mineral: ORE.

29. "__ outta here!": YER.

32. Deal (with): COPE.

34. Low-quality A.I.-generated content: SLOP.

35. Reveled in: SAVORED.

37. E.B. White's "__ Little": STUART.

38. Gives a darn: CARES.

39. One to share a matching bracelet with, informally: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

40. Unagi roll fish: EEL.

43. Radius locale: ARM.

44. __ chi: martial art: TAI.

46. Biological catalyst: ENZYME.

47. Fashion designer Fisher: EILEEN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

49. "__ a nap!": I NEED.

50. Sends: MAILS.

52. First-rate: AONE. Aone is a casual or stylized spelling of A-one, but personally I believe it should be One A, because A1 is a steak sauce...

54. Actress Longoria: EVA.

55. Puppy noise: YIP.

56. Countless lifetimes: EON.

58. __ salt: SEA.

59. Goof up: ERR.

60. Caustic compound: LYE.

The Grid.

I would be very interested to know what you thought of this puzzle, because, while I am a mediocre solver at best, this puzzle kept tripping me up. Was it just wavelength? Wheelhouse? Or very tricky clues.

(Or maybe I need to retire, lost to many brain cells... I dunno.) here is the list of things that tripped me up, but perpage and sussing made this quite the workout for me to finally finish this Wednesday puzzle.

1a Japanese beer asaki/asahi. If I get beer wrong, I need to stop drinking...

12d Commercial lead-in to Clean: oxo/oxi. Hmm, I got sidetracked in the kitchen...

17d Move like a snake: sidles/slither. Ok, ok, I saw snake and I panicked!

22a Poker-faced: stone/stoic. (Guess I was thinking stone faced...)

23d. Distant: far/icy. (Ooh, this left me cold...)

29d. "__ outta here!": get/yer (really? Get outta here!...)

45a. Done (with): FED UP. ( I tentatively penciled an E as in ended here before the perps confirmed I was done with...)

27a. Overseas greeting?: AHOY. This really got me, I wanted Ciao...

So who did this to me? Who is this constructor who kept me busy as a one armed wallpaper hanger?

I checked the L.A Times, nothing... N.Y Times, nothing... Google Crossword Constructors, nothing...

And then, as I was about to 25 down (admit defeat,) I found this:

Nate, I hope you stop by and tell us how you accomplished this suss fest, ( and how do you know Italian Opera? ) and I hope to see many more puzzles from you.  Who knows, maybe one day, we can meet eye to eye!

CE:D out...

≽^- ˕ -^≼

Monday, September 14, 2026, Brian Keller

  Today's Theme:

The Reveal:

60 Across. Game division, or what can be found in 16-, 26-, and 44-Across: FIRST HALF.

The First Half:

16 Across. Star of "Ghost" and "The Substance": DEMI MOORE.

The Second Half:

26 Across. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," for one: HEMINGWAY NOVEL.

The Third Half???

44 Across. Indigenous people of Oklahoma who originated in Florida: SEMINOLE NATION.

Demi, Hemi, and Semi are all prefixes meaning "half."

Onward!

Across:
1. Highly skilled: ABLE.

5. Mop (up), as gravy: SOP.

8. Valuable item: ASSET.

13. Spring: LEAP.

14. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA.

You remember Carla...

15. "Hello," in Mandarin: NIHAO. My first guess would be to pronounce this NiH"a"-o, but I would be wrong.

16. [Theme.]

18. Believe without questioning: TRUST. Belief without questioning would be faith...

19. Former: ONE TIME. ("At" one time seems more plausible to my ears...)

20. Chemical in oven cleaners: LYE. No Lie! Why would you trust your lungs to this stuff?

22. "New" prefix: NEO.

23. "I'm __ roll!": ON A. (I think it would have to be two N's to be considered one word...)

24. Informal lingo: SLANG. (See above 23A.)

26. [Theme.]

32. Supergirl accessory: CAPE.

No Capes!

33. Actor's prompt: CUE.

34. One-named singer whose studio albums have numerical titles: ADELE.

35. Braying pack animal: ASS.

36. Thawing of diplomatic tensions: DETENTE.

39. Digital collectible: Abbr.: NFT. More info here...

40. Tale: STORY.

42. Fruit-filled pastry: PIE. Tart wouldn't fit..

43. French friends: AMIS.

44. [Theme.]

48. Stately home in the country: MANOR.

49. Wheels: CAR. Curious that you need "wheels" (plural, 4 to be exact,) for this clue to work...

Pardon my dust...

50. No. 1 pal: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

53. Cow sound: MOO.

54. French island near Sardinia: CORSICA.

58. Perp's excuse: ALIBI.

60. [Theme Reveal.]

62. Ancient artifact: RELIC.

63. "Up, up, and __!": AWAY.

64. Dr. Frankenstein's assistant: IGOR.

Obligatory pronunciation lesson...

65. Maroon vegetables: BEETS.

66. Pig heavier than 120 pounds: HOG.Some have been known to reach 1,400 lbs...

67. __ stick: POGO.

Down:
1. Gucci of fashion: ALDO.

2. "We've all __ there": BEEN.

3. Gold fabric: LAME.

4. Perfect example: EPITOME.

5. Jimmy Choo creation: SHOE.

6. Above, poetically: OER.

7. Spanish rice dish seasoned with saffron: PAELLA. During my recent trip to Spain (CE:D here...) I eagerly awaited tasting authentic Spanish Paella. However I was disappointed at every dinner in Barcelona and Girona. Too dark, brothy, and/or fishy. It was not until our cruise tour of Valencia that I was made aware that Paella originated here, and I sampled a delicious home made Paella of my dreams...

8. Insect feelers: ANTENNAE.

Some are more extravagant than others...

9. Knight's title: SIR.

10. Exclude: SHUN.

11. Smooth sailing: EASE.

12. Dog who visits Oz: TOTO.

14. Nora Roberts genre: ROMANCE.

17. Short skirt: MINI.

For Splynter...

For the Ladies...

21. "Yippee!": YAY. (Don't get too excited...)

24. Center defender in soccer: SWEEPER. Ack!again! We had this Wednesday!

25. Immortal being: GOD.

26. Speed: HASTE.

27. __ salts: bathwater additive: EPSOM. Would you bathe in it if it were called magnesium sulphate?

28. Belly: GUT.

29. Mobile payment app: VENMO.

30. Small and pointy-eared, perhaps: ELFIN. Large and pointy-eared, perhaps: Vulcan?

31. Tennis do-overs: LETS.

32. Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas: CASS.

Best video quality I could find, song starts at 1:20.

36. Branch of mechanics: DYNAMICS.

37. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. More info here.

38. Pot insulator, in England: TEA COSY.

41. Part of a basketball hoop: RIM.

43. Blimp, for one: AIRSHIP.

45. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.

46. Exfoliating scrubber: LOOFAH.

47. Fruit-filled pastry: TART. Oho! A 42 across Clecho!

50. Spike on a dragon's tail: BARB. I don't know why Mace came to mind...

51. Make a run for it: FLEE. If you see the above!

52. Nail salon tool: FILE.

54. Jagged rock: CRAG. More info here.

55. "Aladdin" parrot named for a Shakespeare villain: IAGO.

Not to be confused with Igor...

56. Plumbing problem: CLOG.

57. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.

59. Drill insert: BIT.

61. __ Jima: IWO.

And The Grid.

7 personal names, 13 three letter words, (more if you include God.) but easy enough for a Monday to breeze through. Brian Keller is an up and coming constructor we hope to see more of, his last puzzle  Was reviewed here.

I feel I went on far too long, so I have saved Demi, Hemi, and Semi for discussion on The Blog. What were your  experiences with Demi's, Hemi's, and Semi's? And/or have you ever met Demi, Hemingway, or a Seminole Indian? I would love to hear your stories!

 

Chris Gross (Chairman Moe on our blog) made today's Universal. Click here to solve.

CE:D out...