Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Dylan Schiff

Life is Short.  Eat Dessert First.  The circles spell out order of courses in a meal, but spelled backwards, or in Reverse.  Technically, to be in reverse order, we would also start with Dessert and end with the Appetizers.

20-Across. Trousers with tool-carrying pockets and loops: CARPENTER PANTS.  STARTER, or as I would say, Appetizer.

30-Across. "So glad I don't have to deal with that": BETTER YOU THAN ME.  ENTRÉE.

38-Across. Goal of meditation, perhaps: STRESS REDUCTION.  DESSERT.

And the unifier:

51-Across. Backpedaled, or what's found in 20-, 30-, and 38-Across: REVERSED COURSE.

What other tasty morsels are in today's puzzle?

Across:

1. Facing attack from all sides: BESET.

6. Getup: GARB.

10. Target's target, for one: LOGO.

14. "Well done!": BRAVO.

15. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.  Oboes appear often in the crossword puzzles.

16. Each, informally: A POP.

17. Uses as evidence in a research paper: CITES.

18. Run a rag over: WIPE.

19. Tuckered out: BEAT.

23. Elite squads: A-TEAMS.

24. Bubble source, maybe: GUM.

25. __ Lanka: SRI.  The formal name of Sri Lanka is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.  From 1948 to May 1972, the country was known as Ceylon.  The country is the tear-shaped island in the Indian Ocean, separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

26. Give up, in an idiom: CUT BAIT.

35. Broke bread: ATE.

36. Amazement: AWE.

37. "By __ way ... ": THE.  I textspeak, this would be BTW.

45. Lifestyle brand with origins in surf culture: HANG TEN.

46. "Yeah, right!": HAH!

47. Liquor in a bee's knees cocktail: GIN.  The phrase "Bee's Knees" was slang in the 1920s, which means something was The Best!  The cocktail came about during the Prohibition-era cocktail.  It's a drink made with gin, lemon juice and honey.

48. Fitting measurement: INSEAM.

56. Desertlike: ARID.

57. Layered cookie: OREO.

58. Whirlpool subsidiary: AMANA.  Amana is the "budget-friendly" line of Whirlpool appliances.

60. __ de gallo: salsa choice: PICO.  Yummers!  Pico de Gallo is a chunky salsa made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime juice.

61. "Hot To Go!" singer Chappell: ROAN.  Chappell Roan's given name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (b. Feb. 19, 1998).  I am not familiar with her music.

62. Resonates, as a successful joke: LANDS.

63. Witnessed: SEEN.

64. IDs that never begin with 666: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

65. Punctuation in a web address: SLASH.

Down:

1. "EastEnders" airer: BBC.  EastEnders is a British soap opera that has been running on British television since 1985.

2. Oldest child on "The Goldbergs": ERICA.  The Goldbergs was a sitcom that ran for 10 years, from 2013 to 2023.

3. Occupied, as a diner booth: SAT AT.

Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper

4. "Into Thin Air" mountain peak: EVEREST.  Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer is the 1997 non-fiction book about fateful expedition climbing Mt. Everest in 1996.  During the climb, a storm arise, killing 8 hikers and stranding several more.  I highly recommend this book.

5. More than is needed: TO SPARE.

6. Bridal shop selections: GOWNS.

7. "You haven't changed __!": A BIT.

8. Tire swing line: ROPE.

9. Potbelly: BEER GUT.

10. Ritchie Valens hit: LA BAMBA.  Ritchie Valens (né Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13, 1941 ~ Feb. 3, 1949) was only 17 years old when he was killed in a plane crash.  Although he had several hits, he is best known for La Bamba.

11. Doing business: OPEN.

12. Farm animal in some yoga classes: GOAT.  This is not a form I yoga that I want to try.  Where did this idea even come from?

13. Makes a choice: OPTS.

21. Dubai dignitary: EMIR.

22. "How Long" singer Charlie: PUTH.  I had never heard of Charlie Puth (né Charles Otto Puth, Jr.; b. dec. 2, 1991) before his appearance in this puzzle.  Strangely, however, while I was driving this week, his name popped up on my radio screen and one of his songs was playing.  Apparently, he got is name out there from posting his songs on YouTube.

26. Prompted on stage: CUED.

27. Against: ANTI.

28. "If u ask me ... ": IMHO.  Textspeak for In My Humble Opinion.

29. Many a promgoer: TEEN.

30. Big blast: BASH.

31. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.  It's nice to see our old friend Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) visits us again.

32. Arctic seabird: TERN.  Tern or Ern?  What's the difference?

Tern

Ern

  

33. Crochet need: YARN.

34. Be behind, in a way: OWE.

39. Spurred to action: EGGED ON.

40. Tend to risotto: STIR.  It takes a lot of stirring, but the end result is tasty.

41. Motion detectors for automatic doors: SENSORS.

42. "Yeah, try again": UH, NO!

43. Informal clothing: CASUALS.

44. Rising current of warm air: THERMAL.

48. Significant figures: ICONS.

49. Yoga pose: ASANA.  Yoga can be done without goats.

50. Fixes: MENDS.

51. Hard knocks?: RAPS.

52. Source of Buffalo's lake-effect snow: ERIE.  Buffalo, New York is one of the snowiest cities in the United States.

Snow in Buffalo, New York

53. Moral shortcoming: VICE.

54. Cupid's counterpart: EROS.  Eros is the Greek god of love and Cupid is the Roman god of love.

55. Academic administrator with a list: DEAN.

59. Barbecue residue: ASH.

That's this week's meal.

חתולה

Thursday, September 11, 2025, Dylan Schiff

Theme:  How shall I post thee?  Let me count the ways.

Dylan Shiff is a middle school science teacher and puzzle enthusiast who loves the quirks of the English language.  Today's puzzle plays with various meanings of the word POST.

The theme clues and answers are:

18-Across. *Online diary: PERSONAL BLOG.  When you self-publish on a website for others to read, you "post" an entry or article to the site, and the entry or article is itself a "post."

25-Across. *Means of sending legal documents: CERTIFIED MAIL.  "Post" can be a verb meaning to send a letter or package.

37-Across. *Item pinned to a bulletin board: PROMOTIONAL FLYER.  Anything tacked onto a bulletin board is said to be "posted" there.

49-Across. *Professional who stands watch: SECURITY GUARD.  A security guard is assigned to a specific location for a defined period; this assignment is his "post."

59-Across. "I want to stay informed!," or what might be said by the answers to the starred clues?: KEEP ME POSTED.  This is the big reveal, without which I would never have discerned the connection between the starred clues.  A personal blog wants to be kept posted.  So does certified mail, a promotional flyer, and a security guard.  Wonderful wordplay.

I asked ChatGPT to create an image of a security guard at his post who is writing a personal blog, sending a letter, and tacking a flyer to a bulletin board.  The result is the image at the top of this post.  AI technology is amazing and terrifying!

How did Dylan fill in the rest of the puzzle?  Let's take a look.

Across:

1. Chocolaty coffees: MOCHAS.  Yum.

7. Unearthed: DUG UP.

12. Silk formation: WEB.  Hummingbirds use spider silk to bind their tiny nests together.

15. Punctual: ON TIME.

16. Yoga pose: ASANA.

17. Top card in hearts: ACE.

18. [Theme clue]

20. "Neither fish __ fowl": NOR.

21. Class with pronunciation practice, briefly: ESL.  English as a Second Language.

22. Tomato used in tomato paste: ROMA.  Roma tomatoes have low water content and few seeds, which makes it easy to reduce them to a thick paste.

23. "It's peculiar ... ": ODDLY.

25. [Theme clue]

29. River mouth formations: DELTAS.

31. "¿Cómo __?": ESTAS.  "How are you?" spoken informally, as to a friend or family member.  We discovered that in Spain, people leap right into informal address, whereas in Mexico, you can know someone for many years and always use the formal ¿Cómo está usted? depending on the relationship.

32. Jeweler's unit: CARAT.

33. WNBA great Leslie: LISA.  Lisa Leslie was a professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist.  She's a local So Cal gal, but alas, my sports allergy prevented my knowing of her accomplishments.

Lisa Leslie

34. Took charge: LED.

37. [Theme clue]

42. Tags in a Google Doc: ATS.  I don't use Google Docs, but I read that typing the "at" symbol -- @ -- opens a menu to quickly insert links and other items.  It's a shortcut to the insert menu.

43. Border on: ABUT.

44. Ahead of schedule: EARLY.

45. Puts a spell on: HEXES.

47. Extra tires: SPARES.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Bowler's hangout: ALLEY.

54. Limbs symbolic of power in Hinduism: ARMS.  

55. "__ making myself clear?": AM I.

58. Moreover: TOO.  Also, besides, furthermore, and additionally wouldn't have fit.

59. [Theme clue]

64. PIN point: ATM.  One uses a Personal Identification Number at an Automated Teller Machine.

65. Reach a consensus: AGREE.

66. Dutch beer: AMSTEL.  The brewery was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam, taken over by Heineken in 1968, and closed in 1982, with production moving to the main Heineken plant at Zoeterwoude.

67. "Def!": YEP.  Definitely.

68. Stockpile: HOARD.

69. 100-seat chamber: SENATE.  The U.S. Senate has 100 members, with two senators representing each of the 50 states.

Down:

1. Brood: MOPE.

2. Single notes: ONES.  "Notes" can mean paper money.  Americans usually say "bills."

3. Corner PC key: CTRL.

4. The "H" of HMS: HIS.  His Majesty's Ship.  It used to be Her Majesty's Ship when His mama was queen.

5. Cherub in Italian art: AMORETTO.  I never heard this term!

6. Spanish title: SENORA.

7. __ Lama: DALAI.

8. __ port: USB.  Oh, that kind of port.

9. Gadot of "Wonder Woman": GAL.  I know this Gal.  Not personally!  I know of her.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman

10. "Last card!": UNO.  Uno is a card game developed in 1971, and produced since 1992 by Mattel.  A player who plays their next-to-last card must call "Uno" as a warning to the other players that they only have one card left.

11. East Asian temple: PAGODA.  A pagoda is a multi-story structure with overhanging roofs.  They often serve as Buddhist or Hindu temples or memorials.

12. Title fish in a 1988 heist comedy: WANDA.

13. Produce recall cause, often: E. COLI.  E. coli is a group of bacteria that can cause infections in your gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and other parts of your body.

14. Mineral group for emerald and aquamarine: BERYL.  Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate, which forms hexagonal crystals.  Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities.

Aquamarine beryl gets its color from iron.

19. Ozs. and lbs.: AMTS.  Ounces and pounds are amounts.

24. Private online convos: DMS.  Direct Messages.

25. Chowder protein: CLAM.

26. Distracting move: FEINT.

27. Rae who played the president of Barbieland: ISSA.  Issa Rae plays a number of roles in Crossword Land.

28. Bibliography abbr.: ET AL.

29. Projectile aimed at a bull's-eye: DART.  This kind of bull's eye.  It is not wise to throw darts at real bulls' eyes.

30. God of love: EROS.

32. IRS worker: CPA.

33. Crummy: LOUSY.

34. Harp kin: LYRE.

35. Morays or congers: EELS.

36. Like kindling, ideally: DRY.

38. "Cash Cab" car: TAXI.  Cash Cab is a game show that premiered U.S. and British versions in 2005.  A taxi picks up a customer, the host announces that they are on Cash Cab, and they are given the option to play or get out.  If they choose to play, they have to stay in the cab until they reach their destination or get three strkes when answering questions.  They earn cash for correct answers.  I've never heard of this.  Anyone here watch it?  What kinds of questions do they answer?  Do they have to know what an amoretto is?  

39. [Eye roll]: I BET.

40. Inspiring chills: FEARSOME.

41. Frying medium: LARD.

45. Shade: HUE.

46. "On & On" singer Badu: ERYKAH.  Erykah Badu is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.  "On & On" was a Grammy winning single from her first album, Baduizm, released in 1997.  We saw her in Chandi Deitmer's puzzle on Sunday 9/7/2025, and in many, many puzzles before that.  Time to remember this “Queen of Neo Soul.”

Erykah Badu

47. "Why not!": SURE.

48. Argentinian grasslands: PAMPAS.

49. Skewered dish with peanut sauce: SATAY.  Yum.

Thai tofu satay with peanut sauce.  Your skewered protein may vary.

50. Mexican corn dish: ELOTE.  Elote returns to our crossword menu!  Corn on the cob, charred on a grill, and then slathered with spicy mayonnaise, crumbled cheese, chili powder and a squeeze of lime.  We had this dish in Patti Varol's puzzle on Friday 9/5/2025 and in C.C.'s puzzle on 8/24/2024. Yum.

51. Walk noisily: CLOMP.

52. Played Elden Ring, say: GAMED.  Elden Ring is a 2022 role-playing game for PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox.  

55. Roti base: ATTA.  Roti is an Indian flatbread made of atta flour and water.  It is frequently on our crossword menu.  DH and I are usually offered naan in Indian restaurants.  I'm sure roti is also yummy.

56. Come across: MEET.  Hmm.  This comes across as odd to me.  

57. Running in place: IDLE.

60. Barrier to teamwork: EGO.

61. Important chapter of history: ERA.

62. A pop: PER.  

63. Digits often hidden by x's: SSN.  In online forms and databases, SSNs are often replaced by x's so that bad folks can't look over your shoulder and steal your numbers.

Here's the grid:

Well, solvers, did you finish this puzzle ON TIME?  Did you DART from one clue to the next?

Or did you find it FEARSOME?

KEEP ME POSTED in the comments below!

-- NaomiZ 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our caring and creative Saturday Sherpa. I remember you once shared that you spent a birthday apple-picking with your grandchildren some years back. Such a sweet image. Do you still keep up that tradition?

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with family, joy, and maybe even a crisp apple or two!

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014)