Sunday June 28, 2026 Emet Ozar

 

Theme: "WRITE-UPS"- The first word of each theme entry is a newspaper.

3. Pride and joy of many an audiophile: RECORD COLLECTION.

8. One who takes the snap and the spotlight: STAR QUARTERBACK.

13. Insist on a debate, perhaps: PRESS THE ISSUE.

48. Memorization aid in math class: TIMES TABLE CHART.

56. Cultural movement of the 1960s and 1970s: POSTMODERNISM.

Reveal: 

41. Editorial essays, or what 3-, 8-, 13-, 48-, and 56-Down are: NEWSPAPER COLUMNS.

The theme answers are placed in Down slots, forming literal newspaper columns.

This puzzle only has 13 three-letter entries. Amazing. I often find myself with 24 or 25 before I know it.

Across:

1. Dragon roll wrap: NORI. Dragon rolls are typically inside-out rolls, with the nori hidden inside.

5. X-ray specs?: REMS. Radiation dosages. Great clue.

9. Sea anemone, e.g.: POLYP.

14. Spanakopita cheese: FETA.

18. Equally matched: EVEN.

19. Awards achievement completed by Steven Spielberg in 2026: EGOT. Only 22 people have achieved this status. 

20. Thin layer: VENEER.

21. Keen: AVID.

22. Suggestions, for short: RECS.

23. Fizzy beverage: SODA.

24. Chilling: AT EASE.

25. K, in the NATO alphabet: KILO.

26. Give up: DROP.

27. Layer: TIER.

28. Rogan josh bread: NAAN. Rogan Josh is a curried lamb or mutton dish.

29. Gets a whiff: SMELLS.

31. Caramel candies: ROLOS.

33. Feathery pen: QUILL.

35. Kaplan prep course subj.: PSAT. 53. Kaplan prep course subjs.: APS.

36. Up in the air, briefly: TBD. To Be Decided/Determined.

38. Biceps exercise: ARM CURL. 

40. Falcons city: ATLANTA. NFL.

44. Mysterious to many: ARCANE.

46. Marimba player: MALLET.

49. Black eyes: SHINERS.

50. Ecological community: BIOME.

51. FYI part: FOR.

52. Fly: AVIATE.

54. Whack, as a fly: SWAT.

55. Without a partner: SOLO.

56. 1492 ship: PINTA.

58. Damage: IMPAIR.

60. Pre-1991 atlas initials: SSR.

61. Teased: LED ON.

63. Escapes the notice of: ELUDES.

65. Lyric poet of Lesbos: SAPPHO. Lesbian comes from Lesbos.

67. Corrupt: DEBASE.

68. Landscaping tools: RAKES.

69. Off course: ASTRAY.

70. "That's impossible for us": WE CAN'T.

71. Missing class: ABSENT.

72. Prepare to play: CUE UP.

73. Canadian prov.: ONT.

74. Empire Builder operator: AMTRAK. The Empire Builder runs daily between Chicago and Seattle or Portland. 

76. Small sip: TASTE.

78. Target of a brood parasite such as the cowbird: NEST. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, leaving the host parents to raise the chicks.

81. Best-__ plans: LAID.

83. Mine vehicle: ORE CAR.

85. Mass transit option: BUS.

86. American Eagle Outfitters loungewear brand: AERIE. 

87. Home of Jupiter: FLORIDA.

89. Uses a prayer mat, e.g.: KNEELS.

91. Much of the heart: MUSCLE.

92. Powerfully built: SINEWED.

93. Gorillagram costume: APE SUIT.

95. Blesses: OKS.

96. Bluetooth device's lack, often: WIRE.

97. Bare-bones: BASIC.

99. Sneak around: PROWL.

101. Composer Bach: JOHANN.

104. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO.

105. "Very funny": HA HA.

107. Large lump: HUNK.

110. Declare: AVOW.

111. For nothing: IN VAIN.

113. Eager: AGOG.

114. Sign of things to come: OMEN.

115. Last name of sisters Rooney and Kate: MARA. Rooney Mara is married to Joaquin Phoenix.

116. Meshes in the kitchen: SIEVES.

117. Dominate: RULE.

118. In the know about: ONTO.

119. Crush it on the runway, say: SLAY.

120. "Circles Around This Town" singer Morris: MAREN.

121. Smidgens: TADS.

122. Hushed "hey!": PSST.

Down:

1. Deep member of a fandom: NERD.

2. Concluded: OVER.

4. Motivation, in hashtags: INSPO. Short for "inspiration".

5. Put back: RESTORE.

6. Extreme self-involvement: EGOISM.

7. Mean relative?: MODE. Another fun clue.

9. "She loves me, she loves me not" piece: PETAL. My little garden is thriving. I'm so happy to see Boomer's lilies flourishing again.

10. Lakers legend Shaquille: O'NEAL.

11. Like ground turkey: LEAN.

12. "100%!": YES.

14. Sunless glow-ups: FAKE TANS.

15. Wicked: EVIL.

16. Cultivate: TILL.

17. Ruckuses: ADOS.

20. Spice native to Mesoamerica: VANILLA. Pandan is often called "Asian vanilla".

30. Senegal neighbor: MALI.

32. "Stay in your __!": LANE.

34. Clickable link: URL.

35. Carbonara ingredient: PASTA.

36. Browser units: TABS.

37. Pizzazz: BRIO.

39. "Shake a leg!": C'MON.

42. Tawdry: TRASHY.

43. Houston pro: ASTRO.

45. Single-celled creature: AMOEBA.

47. Barefaced: EVIDENT.

51. "Whatever": FINE.

57. Fairbanks resident: ALASKAN.

59. Grade: RATE.

62. CNN anchor Bash: DANA.

64. Luau instrument, informally: UKE.

66. Dried plums: PRUNES.

67. Koyukon name of North America's tallest peak: DENALI.  Meaning "The Great One".

69. Play parts, or plays a part: ACTS.

70. Gobbles (down): WOLFS.

71. Exist: ARE.

75. Take stock?: TRADE. Stock here refers to "shares" rather than "inventory".

77. Work (out): SUSS.

79. Lingerie fabric: SILK.

80. Some gym tops: TEES.

82. Recoiled: DREW AWAY.

84. Works (out): REASONS.

86. Camera setting: AUTO.

88. "Victory is mine!": I WIN.

90. Prefix with Pen: EPI.

91. Desert deceptions: MIRAGES.

94. Sustain: UPHOLD.

97. Lionhearted: BRAVE.

98. Rocky of "Project Hail Mary," for one: ALIEN.

100. Joyful holler: WHOOP.

101. Preserves: JAMS.

102. Like some coffee tables: OVAL.

103. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

104. Declare: AVER.

106. Oaxaca water: AGUA.

108. Team that shares an arena with the Liberty: NETS. Same owner. Joe Tsai.

109. Binding loop: KNOT.

112. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": NIA.

C.C.

Thursday, December 4, 2025, Emet Ozar

 Theme:  The Crying Game

Emet Ozar serves up a Thursday challenge.  Best to keep in mind that it's just a game!  The four theme entries are symmetrically placed in rows Across, with two of them spanning the grid, and the other two just one square shy of that.  All four involve a common phrase that is reinterpreted as a cry from a game player.  The theme entries are:

16-Across. Sad cry from a hot potato player?: I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.  If you drop the potato, you're out.  

25-Across. Sad cry from a Bananagrams player?: CAN I GET A WORD IN?  Players race to build crossword grids using letter tiles.  Why haven't I played this?

46-Across. Sad cry from a Battleship player?: I MISSED THE BOAT.

61-Across. Happy cry from a Scrabble player?: I'M DRAWING A BLANK.

All those cries ended on a happy note.  Let's see how we fare with the rest of this game.

Across:

1. All-Star side: EAST.  Sports are games, too, but they seem more like tribal warfare by proxy.  In many sports, the All-Star games pit East versus West.

5. Maori dance: HAKA.  Speaking of sports, the Haka is performed by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team before matches.  

All Blacks Haka dance

9. Building blocks: ABCs.

13. Pepper __: MILL.

14. Drop: OMIT.

15. Biggest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA.  Nebraska.

16. [Theme clue]

19. Custom car made from cast-off parts: RAT ROD.  A custom car with a deliberately worn-down, unfinished appearance, typically lacking paint, showing rust, and made from cheap or cast-off parts. 

Rat Rod

20. Knightly honorifics: SIRS.

21. Formal accessory: TIE.

22. Actor Corddry: ROB.  You may remember Rob as a correspondent on The Daily Show.  He has a number of other television and film credits, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and more Ds than seem proper in his surname.

Rob Corddry

24. Rented: LET.

25. [Theme clue]

33. Palm fruit: DATE.

34. Tool that can be made to sound like a theremin: SAW.  The theremin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer. It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928.  Here is Leon Theremin playing the theremin:

Playing a saw requires touching it with a bow:

https://youtube.com/shorts/3-2wWp1UBiY?si=N6E0SxupPWiXKwVl

Apologies if the videos don't work!  You can look up Theremin on Wikipedia to see the Leon Theremin video.  And of course you can copy and paste the YouTube link into your web browser to see the saw in action.

35. Thin: SPARSE.

36. Ballpark figs.: ERAs.  Not estimates (like ETAs), but figures reported in baseball ballparks:  Earned Run Averages.

37. Verbal shrug: MEH.

39. Valley: DALE.

40. Grinding vessel: MORTAR.  I tried "metate" first. 

43. Orecchiette shape: EAR.  "Orecchiette" means "little ears" in Italian.  It's a pasta shape.

Orecchiette

45. Cyberchatted, for short: IMed.  Instant Messaged.  Also written IM'd.

46. [Theme clue]

49. "SNL" alum Gasteyer: ANA.  She's had continued success on film and stage.

Ana Gasteyer

50. Bother: ADO.

51. "KPop Demon Hunters" voice actor Daniel __ Kim: DAE.  A successful actor on stage, film and TV.

Daniel Dae Kim

54. "99 Luftballons" band: NENA.  The German band Nena recorded "99 Luftballons" in 1983.  The song tells a fictional story about how 99 balloons are mistaken for enemy aircraft and trigger a global nuclear war.

56. Trashes: TOSSES.

61. [Theme clue]

64. Game consoles produced between 1983 and 2001: SEGAS.

65. Escalator part: STEP.

66. No-frills grocery chain: ALDI.

67. Had in mind?: KNEW.

68. Obscure: HIDE.

69. All-Star side: WEST.  The last Across clue echoes the first.  Here in the Corner, we call that a clecho -- a clue echo.

Down:

1. Doha dignitary: EMIR.  Doha is the capital of Qatar.

2. Verdi opera: AIDA.

3. Feature of many a slinky gown: SLIT.  

Just for Splynter.

4. "I lost interest" letters: TLDR.  Too Long, Didn't Read.

5. Relish-topped ballpark bites: HOT DOGS.

6. Theater chain with MacGuffins Bar and Lounge: AMC.  Never heard of this, but AMC is the only theater chain that comes to mind.

7. Some Korean cars: KIAS.

8. __ the Hun: ATTILA.

9. Check no.: AMT.  Abbreviation in the clue calls for abbreviation in the answer.  AMT is for "amount."

10. Thai currency: BAHT.

11. Hebrew symbol that translates to "living": CHAI.  Chai is not so much a symbol as it is a word, composed of two Hebrew letters.  It means "life."  Hebrew letters were also used as number symbols, and the letters in chai add up to 18, so that 18 is associated with life and luck.  

12. Fill fully: SATE.

15. "You are just too much!": OH STOP.

17. Edible seaweed: NORI.

18. Hands that handle the deck: CREWS.  The deck of a ship ...

23. Radiate pride: BEAM.

25. Tricky pool shot: CAROM.

26. Maker of the 2600 and 5200 game consoles: ATARI.

27. Tiny homes tucked in branches: NESTS.

28. Chirp: TWEET.  Sounds heard in NESTS.

29. __ wave: RADIO.

30. Broadway genre: DRAMA.

31. Dot on a map: ISLET.

32. Call for: NEED.

33. Prefix with sexual: DEMI.  A demisexual person only develops sexual attraction after forming an emotional bond with another person.  They don't get hot and bothered by slits in gowns, for sure!

38. "Good one": HA HA.

41. Vinyasa sequence: ASANAS.  An asana is a physical pose in yoga.  Vinyasa is a style of yoga that links poses in a fluid sequence.  I've seen my lovely daughters practice this flow.

42. Freshen: RENEW.

44. Bureaucratic hassle: RED TAPE.

47. Like kanelsnegle: DANISH.  Kanelsnegle are Danish cinamon rolls.  I didn't know this, but I'm happy to see these on the crossword menu.  Especially if I only have to spell Danish, and not kanelsnegle!

48. __ tube: BOOB.  Yes, kids, that's what we used to call the TV.  Cathode ray tube device for idiots.  Before we all got sucked in.

51. Floppy or hard medium: DISK.

52. Blessing ender: AMEN.

53. Lip: EDGE.  Like the lip of a cup.

55. Not pro: ANTI.

57. Vegetable side: SLAW.

58. Result of a good pitch: SALE.  A good SALEs pitch results in a SALE.  Not baseball this time!

59. Some football linemen: ENDS.

60. Sketch: SKIT.  Not drawing, but sketch comedy.

62. Like sashimi: RAW.

63. HS equivalency test: GED.  General Educational Development test.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you find yourselves DRAWING A BLANK at any point?

Did you at least GET A WORD IN the right place, here and there?

If you KNEW all the answers without the help of perpendicular entries, I'm impressed!

Let us know in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Friday, November 21, 2025 - Emet Ozar

 Theme:  "Repeat after me ..."

Puzzling thoughts:

Emet's crossword debut occurred @ Universal in June 2021 as part of their Pride Month celebration. IIRC, Universal featured puzzles that month that were created by LGBTQ+ constructors. The puzzle was titled: "I want the world to know".  In a Google search I found this @ autostraddle dot com: "Emet (Ozar) is a queer and genderqueer program manager, crossword constructor, and married parent to four children." 

Emet has been published a dozen or more times during this decade, including a NYT Sunday (debut) in 2022, and was last seen @ LAT in June, 2025

Today's offering seemed odd until I parsed each of the entries based on the clues.  My conclusion is explained in each of them below, and to make it easier to understand I separated the repeated words/phrases in each entry:

19-across. Beer endorsed by a British pop star?: DUA LIPA DUAL IPA.

Dua Lipa is a 30-year-old British Singer-Songwriter.  Click the link for a more complete biography

A Dual IPA (or Double IPA) is a category of India Pale Ale that features an increased level of malt and hops which both elevate the flavors and alcohol content by volume (the image below is one of my favorites in this category)

24-across. Relaxed prankster?: A TEASE AT EASE.  A "tease" might refer to a prankster.  When I started dating in HS, the term "a tease" had a much different meaning, but I digress ...

"At ease" is a term used mainly in the armed forces to "command" the troops to relax after standing at attention.  At the end of the clip below, Sgt. Hulka's men had a different interpretation of the term.  

"It's time to party, Italian style!"

44-across. Post-punk sudden death period became extremely exciting?: GOTH OT GOT HOT. 

Goth is a late 1970's early 1980's rock music sub-culture that appeared post punk rock.  OT (short for OverTime) refers to extra periods in various sports events that are needed to break a tie score at the end of the allotted time for the game (regulation).  "Sudden death" was a referral as to how the overtime period ended, as it once involved the first team to score to be declared the winner.  Now (for football, anyway) that has all changed 

"GOT HOT" might refer to how The Big Bang Theory's Howard Wolowitz was feeling, right up until the following scene from "The_Gothowicz_Deviation"

51-across. Jerk risked growing hangry?: TOOL ATE TOO LATE.  The term "tool" is an unflattering name for a person who acts like a jerk, is foolish, or is unlikable. The word "hangry" is an adjective/portmanteau that defines someone who is irritable due to being hungry or who hasn't eaten anything in quite a while  

I seem to recall an erstwhile commercial for a canned food product that had a similar reference.  In this case it was a tool WITH a tool ... just watch:

Was this puzzle too clever, perhaps?  I dunno.  I really wanted to be awed by this theme and set of entries, but I wasn't.  I realize how difficult it was to create, let alone find, a quartet of repeating phrases/words that have different meanings when parsed but it somehow fell flat for me 

FWIW, I thought the first two entries were more than OK and quite clever; the third was a real stretch though; and the fourth was a bit sophomoric.  Yeah Moe, sophomoric, eh? That's kind of like you (the pot) calling the kettle black! 😂

There are a few forced entries here and there which I will address as I get to them.  If I had to rate this puzzle with stars (1 ⭐ being a real clunker and 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ being the most fun I've ever had, solving a puzzle) this one gets ⭐⭐ and 3/4 ⭐

 

The Grid

Across:
1. Fiddle with: ALTER.  

6. Forensic facility: LAB.

9. Largest isle of the Inner Hebrides: SKYE.  And home to the dog breed Skye Terrier

[akc dot org says] "The heavenly breed with the heart of a lion,' the long, low, and level Skye Terrier is among the AKC's most distinctive-looking breeds. This elegant but sturdy aristocrat was bred as an exterminator on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye. Long, low, and level, this unique earthdog is among the AKC's most distinctive-looking breeds. Skyes stand 9 or 10 inches high and feature a long, flat-lying coat and peekaboo hairdo. They're known for big, feathery ears that stand up like bat wings, but Skyes can also have 'drop ears,' which lie flat against the large, long head. Beneath the profuse coat are short, muscular legs and a deep chest. When seen in profile, these elegant but substantial terriers are twice as long as they are high

13. Manufacturer "where every mattress is sheep approved": SERTA.  Cute commericial!

14. Zaire's Mobutu __ Seko: SESE.  I needed a google search to get this answer

15. Cosmic span: AEON.  I checked and this is the debut for the clue "cosmic span" to define aeon

16. Opening day squad: A-TEAM.  "TWENTY-SIX MAN ROSTER" was too long to fit; "opening day" to me connotes the reference to Major League Baseball - not sure I recall hearing the term a-team used for that sport

17. Hidden surprise for an observant gamer: EASTER EGG.  Emet's NYT Sunday puzzle on April 17, 2022 contained a plethora of EGGs.  Click on the link to see it

[theme entry]

21. Germane: APT.  Moe-ku: (and also a Fun Fact!)

        Google Translate says:

        "Zur Sache gehörig" is

        Germane, in German      

22. Currently: NOW.

23. Hosp. scan: MRI.

[theme entry]

30. Smoked jalapeño: CHIPOTLE.  

Also, the name of an eponymous restaurant

33. Longed for: YENNED.  What's the difference between yenned and YEARNED?

34. Malek of "Oppenheimer": RAMI.  Rami Malek and Issa Rae are two 21st Century actors who've become popularized (to some extent) with their inclusion in so many crossword puzzle answers/clues

35. Cozy spot for a cat: LAP.  Fun fact:  Moe is/was never a big fan of cats.  When he and Ms. Margaret moved in together, she had a cat (Sadie) that was going to be a part of our household.  I tolerated Sadie; she obviously wanted me to like her as is evidenced in the photo below:

37. Against: ANTI.

38. State on the Chukchi Sea: ALASKA.  Another "debut clue".  Honestly:  How many of you here today can admit that you knew of or had heard of the Chukchi Sea before?  Not I

By golly, there it is!

41. Precedent setter, legally: TEST CASE.  Those in IT probably got this one without having to google it

[theme entry]

46. __ carte menu: A LA.

47. Charged particle: ION.

48. Baked beans holder: CAN.  My favorite canned baked beans brand (Bush's):

[theme entry]

56. Emmy-winning role for Catherine O'Hara: MOIRA ROSE.  Ms. Margaret and I binge-watched the entire series of "Schitt's Creek" episodes back in the early COVID days.  Ms. O'Hara also played the mother role in the "Home Alone" movies.  But her Moira Rose character was my favorite (watch video)

57. Some "Bridgerton" characters: EARLS.

58. Odometer unit: MILE.  KILOMETER was too big to fit

59. Mardi __: GRAS.  I'm sure this goes without saying, but the translation of Mardi Gras is "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi = Tuesday; GRAS = Fat) 

60. Bite lightly: NIP AT.

61. To boot: ALSO.

62. Curvy shape: ESS.

63. Frock: DRESS.  I seem to remember the term "simple frock" being used to describe a dress, back in the day ... the one below looks anything but "simple", though

Down:
1. Carne __: ASADA.  Several foreign words in today's puzzle; this one, ASADA, means "roasted" in Spanish - Carne = Meat

2. Subside: LET UP.

3. "__ yourself!": TREAT.  "Suit" was too short to fit.  "Treat yourself" sounds like an invitation for a spa day

4. Bibliography abbr.: ET AL.  Moe-ku (this one is a bit tricky, but you'll get it!):

        Flying saucer crew

        Was under the command of

        Pilot ET AL 

5. Collide with: RAM INTO.  A literal take is in the video below:

6. Kryptonite blocker: LEAD.  I guess I had forgotten this from when I read Superman comics.  You'd think that given his other-worldly abilities, he could have fashioned his costume out of lead threads to ward off any krypton-induced assaults 

7. Accept without evidence: ASSUME.  And as the saying goes, when you do (assume), you make an ASS out of U and ME

8. Part of a radioactive decay stream: BETA RAY.  Or when parsed differently, a Moe-ku:

        Romano's debut

        Was delayed. Network had to

        Test a BETA RAY

9. Wrapped garment: SARI.  Moe-ku with the second and third lines inverted:

        Apple assistant

        Wore ugly frock. "That's

        A sorry SARI, Siri"

10. Care for: KEEP.

11. Practice with poses: YOGA.  How is it that when I try to do this it looks more like a downward facing log??

12. Lang. course: ENG.  I think I tried ESL at first, not realizing that the "L" for language would not be accepted as it's already in the clue

14. Element of coastal defense: SEAWALL.  Moe-ku:

        Rebel General's twin

        Brother was an Admiral,

        Named "Seawall" Jackson

        
18. Upper echelon: ELITE.

20. Sonia Sanchez, for one: POET.  Her biography

24. Very silly: APISH.  The word's second definition; its first definition means "resembling an ape"

25. Cold War defense gp.: SEATO.  Short for SouthEast Asia Treaty Organization.  It was founded in the fall of 1954; came into a treaty position in 1955 and was disbanded in 1977.  The member countries included the US, UK, and France in addition to New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand.  One of its tenets was to prevent the spread of Communism to the region 

26. Make official, in a way: ENACT.

27. "Shogun" star Sawai: ANNA.

28. Related groups: SETS.

29. Nicollette's "Desperate Housewives" role: EDIE.

Edie is the one in the middle

30. Mountain goat's spot: CRAG.  A word normally found only in crossword puzzle answers

31. Beyoncé song with the lyric "I got my angel now": HALO.

32. "__ my wit's end": I'M AT.  Did any of you solvers say this phrase as you staggered to finish this puzzle?

36. Department store section: PETITES.  Two facts:  

        1) I am a man/was a boy so the dept. store section PETITES is/was unknown to me 

        2) I was a bit too heavy for my height as a boy and the dept. stores back then had a special section                for me known as HUSKIES

39. Lethargic marsupial: KOALA.  I think I tried SLOTH at first.  Are they marsupials?

40. On the lam: AT LARGE.  Moe-ku:

        A male sheep's AT LARGE;

        Hid at his kid's place, so yes,

        He's out on the lam(b)

42. "Scram!": SHOO.

43. Incessantly: TO NO END.

45. Gainesville collegians: GATORS.  The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, FL; their athletic teams' nickname are the Gators.  Their list of NCAA Championships across all sports

48. __ diem: CARPE.  "Seize the day!"

49. Book that's been mapped out?: ATLAS.  Clever clue

50. Makes preparations during pregnancy: NESTS.  This preparation (in the comic below) looks like something that Moe would do!

51. Work very hard: TOIL.

52. Essential __: OILS.  Here's a picture of a few of them

53. Cookie since 1912: OREO.  And in 1913, the word OREO made its first crossword puzzle debut

54. Those, in Spanish: ESAS.

55. Hideaway: LAIR.

56. UFC sport: MMA.  Short for Mixed Martial Arts

Comment below if you like ... BTW, SO to my daughter who celebrates a birthday today.  I know how old she is and I still can't believe it! Happy Birthday, sweetie!

Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Emet Ozar

Theme:  Garden variety.

Surprise!  NaomiZ here on a wonderful Wednesday.  Constructor Emet Ozar enriches the crossword grid with circles to help us find various types of gardens hidden in the long entries.

My native plant garden is for the birds!
This Northern Mockingbird enjoys eating elderberries.

The theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. "The," grammatically: DEFINITE ARTICLE.  Tea garden.

24-Across. Baseball overtime: EXTRA INNINGS. Rain garden.

41-Across. Heavy-duty material for cutting boards: BUTCHER BLOCK. Herb garden.

55-Across. Frances Hodgson Burnett novel set at a country estate, or an apt title for this puzzle: THE SECRET GARDEN.

Let's dig into the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Trash receptacle: CAN.

4. Stringed instrument: HARP.

8. Some med. scans: MRIs.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests.

12. Just slightly: A TAD.

14. Large paper format: FOLIO.  Today, folio often refers to 8.5" x 13.5" size paper for printing.  Historically, it meant a large sheet of paper folded once to create two leaves, which make four pages.  Folio books were large compared to quarto and octavo books where the paper was folded more to create smaller pages.

The hands give you an idea of the size of Shakespeare's first folio.

15. Number two: AIDE.  The boss is number one; his aide is number two.

16.[Theme clue]

19. "Let You Love Me" singer: RITA ORA.  Everything I know about Rita Ora, I've learned in the Crossword Corner.

20. Pet restraint: TETHER.

21. Due-in hr.: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

22. "Washington Black" novelist Edugyan: ESI.  Esi Edugyan is a Canadian novelist.  She has twice won the Giller Prize (a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English), for her novels Half-Blood Blues (2011) and Washington Black (2018).

23. __ Bradley bags: VERA.  Vera Bradley Designs was incorporated in 1982 and became wildly popular for its colorful fabric tote bags and purses.  

Vera Bradley bags

24. [Theme clue]

29. Predatory insect: MANTIS.

Praying Mantis preying on a lizard.

32. Pa: DAD.

33. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.

34. Vote into office: ELECT.

35. 100%: ALL.

36. Greek fabulist: AESOP.  Fabulist:  a person who composes or relates fables. 

38. Cured fish often topped with capers and lemon: LOX.

39. Aaron Judge stat: RBI.  Aaron Judge is a right fielder for the New York Yankees.  He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League MVP Award winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season.

Aaron Judge

40. Reveries: DREAMS.

41. [Theme clue]

45. Pixar film about a young sea monster: LUCA.

46. 3-Down signatory: Abbr.: USA.  The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established a free-trade zone in North America; it was signed in 1992 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and took effect on January 1, 1994.  NAFTA immediately lifted tariffs on the majority of goods produced by the signatory nations.  It was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on July 1, 2020.

47. Trans- opposite: CIS.  Cisgender, often shortened to "cis," describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.  In other words, if a person was labeled male at birth and identifies as a man, or was labeled female at birth and identifies as a woman, they are considered cisgender.  The term is the opposite of transgender, which refers to individuals whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. 

50. Tribute at a memorial: EULOGY.

53. New Mexico's "The City Different": SANTA FE.  Santa Fe combines a number of Southwestern cultures and has a lively art scene.  It adopted "The City Different" moniker in the early 1900s.

The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe
was the seat of government for New Mexico from 1610 to 1901.

55. [Theme clue]

58. Outstanding: A-ONE.

59. Flood-protection structure: LEVEE.

60. Affirmative votes: YEAS.

61. The one there: THAT.

62. "When will you __ learn?": EVER.

63. Italian three: TRE.

Down:

1. Core group: CADRE.

2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.

3. Commerce pact until 2020: NAFTA.  See 46-Across for more information.

4. Bloviator's excess: HOT AIR.  A bloviator is someone who talks at length in a pompous or boastful way, often saying very little of substance.  The idiom "hot air" refers to empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk that does not reflect real intentions.

5. Foamy fare: ALE.

6. Small inlet: RIA.

7. Foreshadow: PORTEND.

8. Island cocktail: MAI TAI.  Composed of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat (an almond syrup), the Mai Tai is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture.

Does anyone else remember Kelbo's tiki restaurant on Pico in West LA?
My ex and I once enjoyed a big blue cocktail in a large bowl with two straws.

9. Loaded with cream, say: RICH.

10. Taking it easy: IDLE.

11. Crystal ball consulter: SEER.

13. Domingo, for one: DÍA.  Domingo is Spanish for Sunday.  Día is Spanish for day.

14. Noteworthy events: FIRSTS.

17. Warning sign on a door: NO EXIT.

18. Coastal flyer: TERN.  Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.

I took this photo of Long-billed Terns in the Amazon River.

23. Apothecary container: VIAL.

24. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

25. Speak off-the-cuff: AD LIB.

26. Moon landing org.: NASA.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

27. Grab, with "on to": GLOM.  "Glom onto" is an informal American English phrasal verb that means to take something for one's own use, become strongly attached to something, or become aware of something.  It can also mean to grab hold of something or to latch onto an idea or person.

28. Dainty tastes: SIPS.

29. Singer also known as Scary Spice: MEL B.  Melanie Brown, known as Mel B, is an English singer, actress, author, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was nicknamed "Scary Spice" for her energetic stage presence. 

Mel B in 2025

30. Baseball family name: ALOU.

31. Deli counter cry: NEXT.

35. Syllables in an incantation: ABRA.  Abracadabra is a magical incantation whose origin is a matter of debate.

36. Tarot card group: ARCANA.  Tarot cards are generally divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

Tarot cards

37. Startled cry at the sight of a mouse: EEK.

39. Give new life to something old: RECYCLE.

40. Prescription measure: DOSAGE.

42. Bedroom storage space: CLOSET.

43. Gargantuan: HUGE.

44. Glossy finish: LUSTER.

47. West Point student: CADET.

48. Apprehensive beginning: I FEAR.

49. Perception: SENSE.

50. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.  A coup d'état (from French for 'stroke of state') is an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership.  A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means.

51. "This is not good": UH OH.

52. "The Chi" creator Waithe: LENA.  Lena Waithe is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, and screenwriter from Chicago.  She is the creative force behind the Showtime drama series The Chi, set in her hometown, and the BET comedy series Boomerang and Twenties. 

Lena Waithe

54. Push to the limit: TRY.  As in, the barking dogs try my patience.

56. Put the pedal to the metal: REV.

57. Precursor to a big event: EVE.

Here's the grid, but look out for an error!  35-Across should show ALL, not ALI:

Did today's puzzle fulfill your crossword DREAMS?

Or was it A TAD TRYing for you?

NaomiZ