Saturday, April 18, 2026, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

 Themeless by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

I’m a data scientist from Oakland, CA, with a background in computational linguistics. In this picture I am eating a Voodoo Donut in Portland, OR. 

I had a very pleasant solving experience and here is what Enrique was kind enough to share with us when I asked him about the genesis of this puzzle:

Hey Gary,

Sure thing! Here are the notes:

This puzzle was seeded with the pair DRAG QUEEN and SHORT KING to bookend the grid. I love going to see drag cabaret shows at the Oasis in San Francisco, and I’m right on the cusp of short king status at 5’8”! 

Across:

1. Performer often found with big wigs: DRAG QUEEN and 60. Cute nickname for a dachshund: SHORT KING - Enrique's two "royal" seed entries. (FWIW, my sister-in-law has had doxies for decades and has never hear that phrase). 

10. Golf kin: JETTA - The VW models came to my mind very quickly.

15. Soft rock duo from Australia: AIR SUPPLY - A wonderful song

16. Oohed and __: AAHED.

17. Like a watered-down event?: RAINED OUT 😀

18. Dough, or what dough becomes: BREAD 😀 and 44. Campus figure: BURSAR - Almost one year ago today, Enrique partnered with Erik Agard and came up with this clue/fill:

36. Brown bread specialist: BURSAR. 

Brown was a college and BREAD is slang for money. I might blame Erik for that one.

19. Wrap up: END.

20. Some ink vessels: SACS.

21. Trust subject: ESTATE.

22. In the tub: BATHING.

24. Minorly: A TAD.

25. Tone: SHADE.

27. Trips: VOYAGES.

29. Crepes eaten during Maslenitsa: BLINI - A thin, golden crusted pancake eaten during this Salvic festival

30. Linda Cohn's network: ESPN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

31. Rec from GPS: RTE - If I want to visit C.C. in Minneapolis again, my GPS will give me a very nice RTE Rec(ommendation).

33. Lists on Poshmark, say: RESELLS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

36. Scannable pass: E-TICKET - All concessions are also digital at Husker events.

38. One curl, e.g.: REP.

39. Midsummer arrivals: LEOS.

41. "Schitt's Creek" character with an impressive wig collection: MOIRA.

42. Flatbread cooked on a tawa: PARATHA  - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Plain Tawa Paratha is a popular, flaky North Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour (atta) cooked in ghee or oil on a hot skillet called a tawa. 

44. The Black Keys and the White Stripes: BANDS - BANDS made quick sense to me although I had no idea they were duos like Air Supply above at 15 Across.

              

45. Goose named for its call: NENE.

46. Total anarchy: MOB RULE.

48. Bird that weaves pouchlike hanging nests: ORIOLE - They are our favorite backyard visitors

50. Sound from a peat bog: BURP ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

A "peat bog BURP" is a natural phenomenon where methane or other gases, trapped by decomposing organic matter, are released in a sudden, loud bubble

. 

51. Car sticker stat: MPG.

54. "From your lips to God's ears": I HOPE - An idiom saying you hope something comes true

Person A: "I hope the weather is good for the wedding." 

Person B: "From your lips to God's ears"

.

55. Blast that's often annoying: MASS E-MAIL - Every few days I get a message from my governor, senator or representative. 

57. Gets worked up: RILES.

58. "I can't take any credit": IT'S ALL YOU.

59. Members of the BTS ARMY, e.g.: STANS -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  The dedicated fans of the Korean Group BTS are called STANS.

Down:

1. Find the courage: DARE.

2. "Wake Up Dead Man" filmmaker Johnson: RIAN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Saharan: ARID.

4. "The $100,000 Pyramid" airer: GSN.

5. Snack that may be made with Oaxaca cheese: QUESADILLA.

6. Keep current: UPDATE.

7. Geologic time: EPOCH.

8. Hard to pin down: ELUSIVE.

9. Crossplay owner, familiarly: NYT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

10. Some low blows: JABS - Some can take place in a boxing ring and some in a political campaign 

11. Wildlife tracker: EAR TAG.

12. Minor character in a musical, say?: THEATER KID. - My first thought was of Ronnie Howard in The Music Man.

13. Experts who use cupping sets: TEA TASTERS.

 

14. Tacked on: ADDED.

21. Mo Salah's home country: EGYPT - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Soccer player

22. Curse: BANE.

23. Pore strip target: NOSE.

25. Box office surprise: SLEEPER HIT - One of the biggest of all time 

26. Most populous island in the West Indies: HISPANIOLA.

28. Hide outside: ANIMAL PELT 😀

29. Sound that may accompany goosebumps: BRR.

32. "What's the GPS telling you?": ETA.

34. Offer of assistance: LET ME.

35. Carnaby Street's neighborhood: SO HO - In NYC, SOHO means South of Houston St. but in London, it's named after an old hunting cry in the 17th century. 

37. Convalescent wear for some pets: CONE.

40. Day of rest: SABBATH.

43. Investigate anew: REOPEN.

44. [BURSAR - See explanation at 18 Across above]

45. "The Third Man" and others: NOIRS.

47. Shared surname in Marvel films: RUSSO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Directors and brothers Joe and Anthony Russo

49. What's more?: LESS.

51. Offer of assistance: MAY I - True or sexist?

52. Subatomic particle: PION - If you'd like to get into the physics weeds

53. Pouring sound: GLUG 😀

55. Start to trial or fire: MIS.

56. Jan. honoree: MLK.

Monday November 17, 2025 Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle from seasoned constructor, Enrique Henestroza Anguiano. Enrique's puzzles are known for their sparkly fill. We have some fun examples of that today. Let's get into it!

Theme:        Geological Time Scales  

The circles in each of today's themers alerted solvers that a three-letter word for a geological unit of TIME could be found twice in the full answer.

20 Across. *Overseer of a theatrical production: STAGE MANAGER.  

26 Across. *Law that governs interstate electricity transmission: FEDERAL POWER ACT.

45 Across. *Little Free Library instruction: TAKE ONE LEAVE ONE.  

As an added bit of fun, notice that AGE, ERA, and EON are in order from shortest to longest.  

Sussing 20-Across meant that I had six gimmes waiting. That helped to make for a smooth solving experience. No complaints from me. This is a Monday, puzzle, after all.

I won't waste any more time. Here is the reveal:

51 Across. Repeatedly, or what's found in the answers to the starred clues: TIME AND AGAIN.  I smiled a smile of recognition and quickly typed in "TIME After time" but ran out of boxes -- which momentarily perplexed me. Nevertheless, I found Enrique's reveal to be equally delightful. Well done!

Now that we know the gimmick, it's about TIME we look at the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Tea infuser material: MESH.  I am a tea drinker so I have a few of these. (I am sure I would find more if I opened more drawers.) I bought the top, right one at Sally Lunn's in Bath, UK. It has a metal MESH. The green one has a plastic MESH. The other one just has little holes, no MESH. 

5. Give a poke: PROD.  

9. __ and pains: ACHES.  

14. Inkling: IDEA.

15. Like some overcooked meat: ROPY.  The more I tried to find a fitting definition, the more grossed out I got. "Viscous" is pretty close.

16. Accessory used by Woody in "Toy Story": LASSO.  

Riders in the Sky     ~     Woody's Roundup

album:  Toy Story 2 (Original Soundtrack) (1999)

17. Indication: SIGN.     and     18 Across. Portentous 17-Across: OMEN.  

19. Very much so: TRULY.  

Also, Truly Scrumptious was the name of the lead female character in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang played by Sally Ann Howes. I think you already know that the movie was based on the book by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame.

23. Little bit: TAD.

24. Part of a good story?: MORAL.  Good one! We are not talking about any old above-average story. We are talking about a story that promotes making good (MORAL) choices. Such stories usually end with, "And the MORAL of this story is...."

33. Come to deserve: EARN.  

34. Knotted accessory: TIE.  Here's a 2:28 min. video on how to TIE a Windsor knot. I like the camera angle.  

35. Croc kin: GATOR.  Crocodile and alliGATOR are both shortened.

36. "Just __ thought!": AS I.  

Honest John from Pinocchio

37. Declared for the NBA draft, e.g.: WENT PRO.  National Basketball Association is shortened, so is PROfessional. "Going pro" or "turn pro" refers to when an athlete relinquishes their amateur status, as would be the case when being drafted to a PROfessional team.

40. Yale student: ELI. Yale University students are nicknamed ELI after benefactor Elihu Yale.

41. Techno keyboard: SYNTH.  A SYNTHesizer is an electronic musical instrument. They are typically played with keyboards.

43. "__ you decent?": ARE.  Translation:  Do you have clothes on?

44. "Don't come any closer!": STOP.  

The Supremes     ~     Stop! In the Name of Love     ~     1965

49. Enjoy thoroughly: SAVOR.  

50. "Eternals" actress McHugh: LIA.  Lia will celebrate her 20th birthday tomorrow. 🎂 Eternals was a 2021 movie that was external to my radar. Lia played the character Sprite.

57. Gem that may be natural or cultured: PEARL.  What's the difference?

60. First Nations people: CREE.

61. Pakistani language: URDU.

62. Spur into action: IMPEL.  

63. Prong: TINE.  Def.:  (noun) a slender pointed projecting part.

64. Melodic vocal quality: LILT.

65. Blender setting for baby food: PUREE.

66. Ooze: SEEP.

67. Big name in potato chips: LAY'S.  As it turns out, just last month Lay's announced it's biggest rebranding in nearly a century. In its news release, Lay's said that 42% of people who eat Lay's potato chips do not realize they are made with real potatoes (I am not making that up.) so they want to show more potatoes on the bag. Read all about the big changes and see the new bag design here.  

Lay's bags 1944-2025 (but not the new one)

Down:

1. Fail to notice: MISS.

2. Revise, as prose: EDIT.  EDIT's etymology says that it is a back-formation from editor, meaning that the word editor predates the word EDIT. I found that surprising.

3. Sonic the Hedgehog game company: SEGA.  Sonic the Hedgehog started out as a video game. It was later made into a TV series and a movie.

4. Surf with one's toes off the board: HANG TEN.  Fifty years ago, this surfing maneuver was a symbol of West Coast lifestyle. It requires a longer board than surfers use nowadays.

On a related note, in 1960 the Hang Ten clothing company was launched in Seal Beach, CA. Their merchandise featured the bare feet logo. In my neck of the woods, it was the Izod crocodile of the 1970's. more Hang Ten company history  

5. One sharing a limo ride to a formal dance: PROM DATE.  This is the "ride to the prom" scene from Napoleon Dynamite (2004). It's 4 min. long. Be patient or fast-forward.  

6. Slender tomato: ROMA.

7. Up for new experiences: OPEN.

8. Bundle of energy: DYNAMO.

9. Catwoman, for Selina Kyle: ALTER EGO.  While you might not know who Selina Kyle is, pouncing from "Catwoman" to "super hero" to the answer was not too much of a stretch.

10. Italian city known for marble: CARRARA.  Do you want to know what a Carrara marble mountain looks like? Or perhaps you want to know how to pronounce this word? Watch this 2-min. video.  

11. "The Wild Robot" voice actress Stephanie: HSU.  Stephanie will celebrate her 25th birthday a week from tomorrow. 🎂  The Wild Robot is a movie that came out last year.

12. Night school subj.: ESL.  subject and English as a Second Language

When I lived in Japan, I was grateful for the city-sponsored Japanese language classes. My fellow students represented many countries.

13. Source of tofu and tempeh: SOY.  I have both in my refrigerator. If you are OPEN to learning more, read this article.  

tofu (l.) & tempeh (r.)

21. Unit of corn: EAR.

22. Pai __: casino game with tiles: GOW.  wikiHow says that this "is a Chinese betting game that uses tiles instead of cards."

25. Not punctual for: LATE TO.  

White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

26. Decadent meal: FEAST.  In WHOVILLE, their FEAST was "Who-pudding and rare Who-roast-beast, which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!"  

27. Course that should boost a GPA: EASY A.

28. Beverages: DRINKS.

29. Songwriter/actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  Can you believe it's been 10 years since Hamilton opened on Broadway?

30. Poppy part: PETAL.  This is California's state flower. Each flower has four PETALs. I took this picture last May.  

31. Double-dot symbol: COLON.  

32. Menudo ingredient: TRIPE.  TRIPE is stomach tissue used for food. Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made with TRIPE. 

37. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" town: WHOVILLE.  In this clip the Whos sing their joyous Christmas song even though the grinch took all of their presents.

38. Not post-: PRE-.

39. Oh-so-profound: REAL DEEP.  

Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

42. Source of a medicinal oil: TEA TREE.  A tree that is a member of the myrtle family. Oil from the tea tree is used in shampoos and skin care products and to treat skin infections. It has been used in some cultures to treat other skin conditions, including acne, burns, and insect bites. The scientific name is Melaleuca alternifolia.  source

44. Beach bird: SEAGULL.  

46. __ de plume: NOM.  This is a name a writer uses instead of their legal name.

47. Raises, as a monument: ERECTS.

48. Routing word: VIA.

52. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE.  [b. Oct. 3, 1975]  This singer/songwriter performs in our puzzles often. I wonder if she has ever sung an ARIA.

53. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.  The NENE is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island, but you can also see these beautiful birds at the zoo in Waikiki on Oahu.

54. Opera highlight: ARIA.

55. With no particular purpose: IDLY.

56. Trail mix ingredients: NUTS.

57. Dice-y spot?: PIP.  The dots on dice are called PIPs.  

Also, Gladys Night hung out with three cool Pips.

58. Source of green eggs: EMU. ... but not ham.

When I was teaching at a one-room school, I made green eggs and ham with my students on Dr. Seuss' birthday. I had Araucana hens at the time so I brought in a few of their green eggs. When the kids were not looking, I put a drop of green food coloring in a bowl. Then I let the kids crack the eggs into the bowl which was just above their eye level. When they whisked it together they oohed over the green mixture. Next we cooked it up with some ham cubes. So fun!

59. Boston Marathon mo.: APR.  It is traditionally held on the third Monday in the month of April. Cruciverbalists will be interested to know that the race course includes four miles through Natick, MA.  details here

The grid:  

Enrique's grid has two 12-letter and two 15-letter themed answers.

That's all for today. See you next time!

 

 Notes from C.C.:

Our dear blog friend Inanehiker (Nina) lost her mother last Tuesday. You can read Jorae's obituary here. Please keep Nina and her family in your thoughts during this difficult time.