Happy Sunday, everyone!
Today's puzzle is entitled "Recipe for Disaster", and Constructor Danny Ebbighausen's six themed entries read like instructions in a cookbook recipe. Although probably not the same recipe - perhaps that is what the "disaster" represents? At any rate, the clues provide alternative descriptions of the theme phrases, some of which are quite amusing.
21A. Arrive à la Cinderella?: ROLL INTO A BALL. A cookbook instruction for making meatballs (or drop cookies, maybe) is re-interpreted as someone "rolling in" to a gala social event in an elaborate carriage.
33A. Chef who plans to retire with the perfect tan?: COOK UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. I'm not quite sure that I get this one. How does cooking make one tan? Perhaps by operating a beach-side grill?
50A. Dental advice from Lea & Perrins?: BRUSH WITH SAUCE. Pharmacists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins concocted Worcestershire Sauce in the first half of the 19th century. While it is a popular flavoring for a wide variety of savory dishes, it would not be a good substitute for toothpaste.
 |
| Brush your teeth with this. NOT this. |
79A. Dinner guest who refuses to use chopsticks and probably won't show up?: FLAKE WITH A FORK. My favorite of the theme entries - I laughed out loud! As a noun, "flake" can refer to a person who is odd or unreliable (or both).
 |
| Chopstick mishap |
93A. Mini-mart on the edge of the Gobi Desert?: STORE IN A COOL DRY PLACE. Another fun entry. The climate in the Mongolia's Gobi Desert is arid, and it gets extremely cold in the winter.
 |
| Perfect spot for a 7-11? |
113A. Spring roll or summer sausage?: SEASON TO TASTE. "Season" as a flavoring is re-interpreted as a time of the year. Spring rolls are commonly found in Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai cuisines. They often consist of a light pastry wrapper around fresh spring vegetables or ground meats. Summer sausage is an American term for sausage that can be kept unrefrigerated until opened. It is usually made with beef, pork, or venison. I am all in favor of spring rolls, but don't care for sausage of any type.
I enjoyed the six entries, and particularly liked 73A and 93A. But as a set, I found them to be a bit uneven, with the first three reinterpreted as suspect directions, and the last three as descriptive phrases. A fun theme overall, but perhaps not quite as tight as I would have liked.
On to the fill!
Across:
1. Glances in a pool hall: CAROMS. To CAROM means to strike something and rebound. In billiards, it generally refers to a shot involving the cue ball and two target balls.
7. Longtime Miami Heat star, familiarly: DWADE. Dwayne Tyrone Wade ("D-Wade") is former professional basketball player who spent 16 years in the NBA. Most of this time was spent with the Miami Heat, who won three NBA championships during his tenure. A 13-time All-Star, D-WADE is widely viewed as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.
12. Some desktop clutter: PAPERS. It is easy to get frustrated at everything that computers do badly - but they have reduced PAPER clutter for many of us.
18. Sprouts up: ARISES. Comes into being, as a plant sprouting.
19. Italian sausage seasoning: FENNEL. 72. 19-Across flavor: ANISE. FENNEL and ANISE are both herbs in the parsley family, with a sweet licorice-like flavor. Licorice root comes from the bean family Fabaceae and has a richer, earthier taste.
20. Cure-all: PANACEA. A term derived from the ancient Greek meaning "all-healing." Today, PANACEA is most often used to refer to a medical or policy remedy that inevitably falls short of the claims made by its boosters.
21. [Theme entry]
23. Saturated with: AWASH IN. Per Merriam-Webster: "filled, covered, or completely overrun as by a flood."
24. Focus of an outdoor museum in Las Vegas: NEON. Visitors to the NEON Museum pay $25 (daytime) or $35 (nighttime) to stroll through this resting place for retired signage. There are plenty of worse ways to spend your time and money in Las Vegas.
25. People of the Sioux Nation: OGLALA. The Great Sioux Nation consists of three subgroups: the Eastern Dakota, the Western Dakota, and the Lakota. The OGLALA are one of seven sub-tribes within the Lakota division. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe. At 3,500 square miles, the reservation is more than twice the size of Rhode Island.
27. Muscle property: TONE. A well-toned physique is a thing of beauty - in any species.
28. Moody genre: EMO. Combining elements of hard-core punk with emotional or confessional lyrics, EMO has become a popular genre with cruciverbalists.
30. Studio sign: ON AIR. A reminder that now is not a good time to come barging into the studio.
32. Internet pioneer acquired by the tech conglomerate Bending Spoons in 2026: AOL. Short for America on Line.
33. [Theme entry]
42. Signed up: JOINED. Became a member of a group or organization.
43. R&B legend Redding: OTIS. OTIS Ray Redding Jr. (1941 - 1967) was an American singer and songwriter known as "The King of Soul." His best-known song is probably (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, which was recorded in December of 1967. Sadly, he was killed in a plane crash just days later, losing his life at the young age of 26. The song was released in 1968 and reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Otis Redding won two posthumous Grammy Awards, and is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
44. Spring bloom: PEONY. Peonies brighten spring gardens with their large, showy blooms and sweet, refreshing scent.
45. Dove call: COO. Doves are members of the Columbidae family, which also includes pigeons. Doves appear as symbols of peace in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Several of these lovely birds frequent our backyard during the summer months.
46. Up to the task: ABLE. Referring to someone who is competent and skilled in a particular area.
47. Purple shade: PUCE. A brownish-purple color whose name derives from a French term literally translated as "flea color." It was said to be a favorite of Marie Antoinette.
48. Festival that bestows a Grand Prix: CANNES. The Grand Prix is the second-most prestigious prize of the CANNES Film Festival (after the Palme d'Or). The festival is as well-known for its red carpet faux pas as it is for film screenings.
 |
| Time for a new stylist? |
49. Inspiring start?: AWE. The start of "awesome," a synonym of "inspiring."
50. [Theme entry]54. Paint finish: SATIN. SATIN finish has a soft sheen, more than flat/matte, and less than semi-gloss or high-gloss.
56. Drain: SAP. Both words can mean to weaken or diminish one's physical strength.
57. Cry over spilled milk: OOPSY. A nice family-friendly exclamation.
58. __ of the pack: LEADER. Leadership is in the eye of the beholder.
62. Distress call: HELP. A request for immediate assistance. HELP is also the title of a delightful 1965 Beatles musical comedy-adventure film that is credited with influencing the development of music videos. Here is the original theatrical teaser: so very sixties!
63. Nourished: FED. The annual Fat Bear Contest celebrates the accomplishments of the well-FED brown bears of Katmai National Park, who spend their summers gorging on salmon at Brooks Falls. Contestants must pack on enough pounds to survive hibernation during the cold, dark Alaska winter ahead. This year, more that 2.3 million votes were cast during the four-round tournament.
 |
| 2026 winner Backpack shows off his championship form. |
66. Mount Ka'ala's island: OAHU. OAHU's highest peak, Mount Ka'ala, is an eroded shield volcano on the west side of the island. The hiking trail to the summit is described as "steep, heavily foliaged, narrow, and muddy." (Wikipedia). With so many other wonderful activities to enjoy in Hawaii, I'll pass on that climb.
69. Some unofficial sequels, informally: FANFIC. Fiction written by fans of a particular book or person. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has inspired a tremendous number of FANFIC works, including fantasy novels, audio books, graphic novels, and television shows. An unlikely romance between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy seems to be a popular theme in Potter fanfic.
77. Dug a little too deep: PRIED. Unwelcome snooping.
79. [Theme entry]
82. Half a zygote: EGG. A zygote is formed when a sperm cell and an EGG cell unite at fertilization.
83. Short program: APPLET. An APPLET is a small computer application that forms one specific task running within the scope of a larger program, often as a plug-in.
86. Wind instrument?: VANE. Cute clueing. A weather VANE is an instrument that shows the wind direction.
 |
| Some weather vanes rise to the level of art. |
87. "That could work for me": I MAY. "Perhaps I will."
88. Quote from Homer: DOH. Homer Simpson, not the ancient Greek poet of the same name.
89. Noir's counterpart in roulette: ROUGE. Roulette is a casino game, named for the French word meaning "little wheel." Most of the pockets on a roulette wheel are black ("noir") or red ("ROUGE"). American roulette wheels have 38 pockets: 18 black, 18 red, and 2 green (0 and 00), while European roulette wheels have 37 pockets, with only one green (0). This means that the house edge is 2/38 = 5.26% for the American version and 1/37 = 2.70% for the European. Since payouts are the same, it is always better to play on a European table.
91. Political position: OFFICE. A political OFFICE is a role that carries public responsibilities and authority within the government or a public entity.
93. [Theme entry]
97. Cold-water fish: COD. 98. Cold-water fish: SMELT. It's fun that the two found themselves in the same part of the puzzle. Nice job on the construction and the clueing! COD are large fish with a mild flavor and a flaky texture, while SMELT are small, oily fish known for their delicate taste and often eaten whole.
 |
| Cod (left) and smelt (right). |
99. Mex. neighbor: USA. Mexico is abbreviated, so we know that the answer will be an acronym or abbreviation.
100. Concerning: AS TO. Similar to "in re", also a popular crossword entry.
102. Had a snack: ATE. We know that Fat Bear winner Backpack ATE a lot of salmon this year.
103. Web designer: SPIDER. Very nice clue!
107. "The X-Files" topic: UFOS. Unidentified flying objects.
111. "I'm the one who screwed up": BLAME ME. "It's all my fault."
113. [Theme entry]
116. Pine, for one: CONIFER. The CONIFERS are a family of cone-bearing trees, mostly needled evergreens.
117. Set right?: INDENT. Another great clue!
118. Dancer partner: DASHER. A Jingle Bells reference.
119. Term of endearment: SWEETS. "Sweetie" is a common term of endearment, but I haven't heard "SWEETS" used this way before.
120. Balance sheet item: ASSET. A useful or valuable quality, person, or thing.
121. Real __: ESTATE. Real ESTATE is property made up of land and the buildings on it. It can also include natural resources like minerals or water.
Down:
1. Subway unit: CAR. Boston's Tremont Street subway tunnel opened in 1897, making it the oldest underground subway system in the country. Today the system consists of three heavy rail lines, one branched light rail system, and a short rail line. Only 31 of the system's 153 stations are located underground.
 |
| Light rail CARs on Boston's Green Line |
2. "East of Eden" brother based on Abel: ARON. East of Eden is a 1952 novel written by American author and Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck. The biblical story of Cain and Abel is central to the plot of this ambitious family saga.
3. Really get to: RILE. To RILE is to anger, irritate, or annoy.
4. Norwegian banking hub: OSLO. The Norwegian capital OSLO is the nation's economic and government center, and also its most populous city.
 |
| A lovely place to visit - or live |
6. Govt.-issued ID: SSN. Social security number.
7. "Here's the __ ... ": DEAL. "This is what's happening"
8. A'ja Wilson's org.: WNBA. A'ja Wilson plays center for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association. She is a five-time league MVP, eight-time league All-Star, and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA.
10. FDR part: DELANO. President Franklin Roosevelt's middle name was his mother's maiden name.
11. 90° bend: ELL. Referring to the shape of the letter "L."
12. Furry feet: PAWS. The foot of an animal that has claws or nails.
 |
| Let's shake on it! |
13. "SNL" alum Gasteyer: ANA. ANA Gasteyer was on the cast of Saturday Night Live from 1996 - 2002. She has since had major roles in a range of television, movie, and theater productions.
14. Service provider?: PASTOR. Nice clue! In Christian denominations, a PASTOR is a congregation leader who may conduct a variety of religious services.
15. Navigate by sound: ECHOLOCATE. A cool word not often seen in crossword puzzles. Bats use echolocation by emitting high-pitched sounds and analyzing their echoes to determine the position and distance of objects. We hang tinsel in our front courtyard during the summer to discourage bats from nesting under the eaves. The swaying reflective strips cause them enough confusion that they move elsewhere.
16. Bridle strap: REIN. REINS keep the rider in gentle contact with the bit in the horse's mouth.
17. Levelheaded: SANE. Sensible.
19. Boating hazard: FOG. FOG reduces visibility, increasing the chance of colliding with terrain features or other watercraft.
20. Membership platform for content creators: PATREON. The PATREON platform allows users to establish subscription services, as well as sell individual digital products. A learning moment for me.
22. Mickey or Minnie: TOON. Short for cartoon. Disney's mouse couple Mickey and Minnie debuted in the 1928 animated short film Steamboat Willie.
26. Expanded, as a search area: WIDENED. To extend in breadth.
29. Coffee, in slang: MUD. Generally referring to strong black coffee that was made with way too many ground beans.
31. Llama kin: ALPACA. Both are domesticated South American camelids. ALPACAs are smaller, fuzzier, and shyer. They have traditionally been bred for their fine fleece. Llamas are larger, have coarser fiber, and are more independent. They are generally used as pack animals.
32. Chasm: ABYSS. An immeasurably deep gulf. The word derives from the ancient Greek "abyssos" meaning "bottomless" or "unfathomable."
33. Hooded snake: COBRA. No picture will be provided! Even looking at photographs of snakes gives me the creeps.
34. Slather with grease: OIL UP. Apply oil to the body. Bodybuilders OIL UP before a competition so that their skin will glisten, enhancing every muscle contour.
 |
| Another example of good muscle TONE. |
35. Singles: ONES. Generally refers to one-dollar bills.
36. Talks up: TOUTS. To praise someone or something repeatedly, especially as a means of persuasion.
37. Like poison ivy: ITCHY. Poison ivy isn't actually ITCHY - but it certainly makes YOU itchy.
38. "It's all untrue!": LIES. Some LIES are less consequential than others.
40. "Holy guacamole!": WOWIE. A family-friendly interjection to express surprise or astonishment.
41. On and on and on: NO END. Long and boring lectures seem to have NO END.
42. Ring exchange: JABS. In the boxing ring, a JAB is a straight punch thrown with the lead fist.
47. Kate Middleton's sister: PIPPA. PIPPA Middleton is the youngest sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales. A fine athlete, Ms. Middleton has competed in numerous endurance races as a runner, cyclist, or swimmer. She has served as an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation since 2014.
 |
| Pippa as Maid of Honor at the royal wedding in 2011. |
48. Prompted from the wings: CUED. When a stage actor forgets his or her line, they may be CUED (signaled) by someone standing in the "wings" of the stage out of view of the audience.
51. Garden tool: HOE. HOEs are ancient agricultural technology. In Sumerian mythology, they were invented by Enlil, the chief of the council of gods.
52. Threat in some fairy tales: WOLF. As featured in Little Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs.
53. Smart __: ALECK. Per Merriam-Webster: "An obnoxiously conceited and self-assertive person with pretensions to smartness or cleverness." The phrase first appeared in the 1860s, and most likely arose in the American West.
55. Nile 33-Down: ASP. Kudos for the parallel clueing, demerits because ... snakes. As with 33D, no picture here.
59. Top-tier: ELITE. The best or most skilled members of a group, as in "ELITE athletes", "ELITE military forces", or "ELITE universities." Can take on a negative connotation in reference to a class of people who control an inordinate amount of power, influence, or resources.
60. Work quickly: RUSH. Make haste.
62. Shade: HUE. HUE, saturation, and value (HSV) are the three coordinates in a common spherical representation of color. Such representations are widely applied in computer graphics.
63. Italian automaker: FIAT. FIAT Automobiles is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy. Its heritage traces back to 1899, when the first FIAT was produced.
65. "Give __ break!": ME A. An informal way to tell someone to stop bothering you.
66. One-sided columns: OP-EDS. In journalism, an OP-ED ("opposite the editorial page") piece is a column expressing a strong, focused opinion on a topic of relevance to a publication's readers. Often penned by outside contributors, op-eds in a printed newspaper generally appear on the page facing the editorials that are written by the paper's own staff writers.
67. Jargon: ARGOT. In-group vocabulary and usage. Playing "corporate jargon bingo" is a nice way to stay entertained during extended virtual meetings. Be sure to mute when you yell "Bingo!" Not recommended for in-person discussions with management.
70. Contest between Giants and Titans, e.g.: NFL GAME. The New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans are both teams in the National Football League.
71. Take to the cleaners: FLEECE. To swindle.
73. Number in the NATO alphabet: NINER. The NATO phonetic alphabet uses "clear code" words to reference 26 letters and ten digits. NINER is used for nine; the extra syllable distinguishes it from the German word "nein," meaning "no."
74. Stand-up performer: COMIC. Stand-up COMICs entertain their audiences with humorous elements that may include one-liners, stories, impressions, observations, magic tricks, or ventriloquism.
76. Largest of the Inner Hebrides: SKYE. The Hebrides are the largest archipelago in Scotland and the British Isles, lying to the west of the Scottish mainland. With spectacular coastal and mountain scenery, ancient settlements, abundant fauna, and a thriving arts scene, the Isle of SKYE is one of Scotland's top tourist destinations.
78. Challenged: DARED. 80. Rotten to the core: EVIL. With Halloween just around the corner, there will be plenty of opportunities to enter haunted houses - if you DARE. You are bound to encounter EVIL spirits.
81. World Cup org.: FIFA. The self-regulatory governing body for international football (aka "soccer") is the Federation Internationale de Football Association. The FIFA World Cup, held every four years, is the most widely viewed and followed sporting and cultural event in the world.
 |
| Congratulations to Spain, winners of the 2026 World Cup tournament! |
84. Taro dish: POI. A traditional staple food in Polynesian cuisine. Made by mashing the root vegetable taro, POI may be eaten immediately when it is sweet, or left to ferment and become sour like plain yogurt.
85. Full-groan person?: PUNSTER. Excellent!!! Love to see a pun in the clue for PUNSTER.
90. Places for pots fresh from the oven: HOT PADS. HOT PADS are used in the kitchen for safe handling and placement of dishes coming out of the oven. They may be made of cotton, silicone, cork, or woven rattan.
91. Photo __: OPS. Short for opportunities.
92. Mexican dish with fried tortillas: FLAUTAS. Crispy rolled tacos typically filled with shredded chicken or beef, and deep fried until golden brown. FLAUTA means "flute" in Spanish. Despite the resemblance to spring rolls (see theme entry 113A), the flavorings are very different. But both are delicious.
94. Suite sharer: ROOMIE. Affectionate shorthand for a roommate.
95. "Full House" twins: OLSENS. American fashionistas Mary-Kate and Ashley OLSEN were only six months old in 1987, when they were cast in the role of Michelle Tanner on the ABC sitcom Full House. They continued sharing the role throughout the show's run, which ended in 1995. In 2006, the twins founded the fashion house The Row, which is known for understated luxury and eye-watering price tags. Twenty years later, they remain the majority owners of the brand.
96. Mongolian dwelling: YURT. A portable, round tent covered and insulated with skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling in the steppes and mountains of inner Asia.
100. Basics: ABCS. The elementary stages of any subject.
101. Sign in a construction zone: SLOW. While road construction seems to be a never-ending inconvenience, the alternative is probably monster potholes.
102. Iowa college town: AMES. Iowa State University, a public land-grant research university, is located in the town of AMES. Iowa State is known for its strong emphasis on practical subjects like agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine.
104. "So that's how it is": I SEE. "Now I understand."
105. Terse caution: DON'T. A non-specific warning.
108. Lickety-split: FAST. Happening at great speed. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not.
109. Worker welfare org.: OSHA. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is a regulatory agency within the Department of Labor.
110. "Ignore that suggested edit": STET. A common sight on edited drafts. Comes from the Latin for "let it stand."
112. Baby newt: EFT. While newts are semi-aquatic members of the salamander family, the juvenile EFTs are strictly terrestrial.
 |
| Eastern newt eft, quarter for scale |
114. Laudatory poem: ODE. 115. Before, in classic 114-Downs: ERE. The ODE The Fatal Sisters: An Ode was written by the English poet Thomas Gray in 1761. Adapted from Old Norse mythology, the poem depicts supernatural women weaving a bloody tapestry of war. It contains the couplet "ERE the ruddy sun be set, // Pikes must shiver, javelins sing." Here is a link to the full poem; not a cheerful topic.
That's it!
I thought that the fill was particularly impressive, with lots of lively entries and creative clueing, diverse cultural references, and a limited number of proper names. Overall, a fine Sunday puzzle. I hope that it provided you with an enjoyable escape today!
Here's the completed grid, with theme entries highlighted.
- Kat
