Saturday, September 12, 2026, Doug Peterson

 Saturday Themeless by Doug Peterson

Doug's puzzle provided a real challenge and the NW corner was my "last stand". I crossed the finish line unscathed once I sussed JACKETS for Book keepers which unlocked that corner. 

Most of Doug's puzzles I have blogged have been collaborations but his solo job here provided me with a lot of, uh, fun. I'll tell you about my travails as we plow through the puzzle. 

Across:

1. Some park visitors: CAMPERS - These CAMPERS had a surprise visitor. 

8. Book keepers: JACKETS - Since the clue was two separate words, I knew it wasn't about accounting.

15. Concierge's handout: AREA MAP.

16. Tragic character in the title of a 2025 Taylor Swift chart-topper: OPHELIA - Jeffrey Wechsler would be so proud! Taylor sang of a Shakespearean woman who was undone by grief and betrayal. How Taylor's new husband rescued her from Ophelia's fate.

17. Act sassy: GET CUTE.

18. Item under a weizen glass: BEER MAT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  BEER MAT is another name for a coaster and a weiznen glass has a narrower base and curves upward.

Prost!

19. Lowood attendee of literature: EYRE.

20. Brand with a paw in its logo: IAMS.

22. Celtic __: CROSS.

23. Animated bouncer: ROO.

24. Celebrity chef Cat: CORA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - Cat is capitalized.

25. Jet setting: SKY. 😀

26. Building worker: SUPER - Pat Harrington Jr. played the building SUPER on TV's One Day At A Time

28. Bipedal cryptid: YETI.

30. Entree often garnished with lime: PHO.

33. Hall of Fame wrestler who was a commentator for the first eight Wrestlemanias: GORILLA MONSOON.

37. Western wear with a clasp: BOLO TIE.

38. California city where "American Graffiti" was set: MODESTO - Producer George Lucas wanted to use his hometown of MODESTO to film the movie but felt it had changed too much since he lived there. Most of the scenes were shot in Petaluma, CA.

39. Freebie with an airline snack box: MOIST TOWELETTE.

41. Collections of letters: Abbr.: WDS 😀

42. Itsy: EENY.

43. Con's decoy: SHILL - One SHILL could be a false bidder in the audience used to drive up the price

45. Students who may take 14-Down: SRS and 14. Pre-coll. exams: SATS.

46. Hose problem: LEAK.

49. Menu eponym: TSO.

50. Look a lot like: MIMIC.

53. Ground substance: MEAL - Corn grain in and corn MEAL out.

54. Nibble away: GNAW.

55. Song heard at Rogers Centre: O CANADA - I am blogging this as I am watching the KC Royals play Toronto in The Rogers Centre

 

57. Leave: TIME OFF - Noun not a verb

59. Lego line that includes a 587-piece Eevee set: POKEMON - This Lego's line of toys includes this

60. Soda alternative: ICED TEA.

61. Traps under a blanket?: SNOWS IN 😀

62. Least chill: TENSEST.

Down:

1. Hoopsters: CAGERS - NBAERS didn't make the cut

2. "Need anything?": ARE YOU GOOD?

3. Comic book city nicknamed "The Big Apricot": METROPOLIS - Since NYC was the Big Apple, DC Comics decided on this name for METROPOLIS

4. Show impatience: PACE.

5. Shaggy outback runner: EMU.

6. Secant, for one: RATIO - This math major nailed it 

7. Valkyrie's weapon: SPEAR.

8. Capers: JOBS - I wonder if Bonnie and Clyde ever used the word capers?

9. Dr. Zaius, for one: APE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  He even has his own doll

10. Conventioneer's first stop: CHECK-IN DESK.

11. Washington who played a Pope: KERRY - I watched KERRY Washington play the lead character Olivia Pope on this ABC series.

12. Red Halloween costume for toddlers: ELMO.

13. Rosario relations: TIAS - Rosario is in Argentina and is known as the birthplace of soccer great Lionel Messi. Sr. Messi might have some TIAS (aunts) in his hometown.

21. Rudolph of "Loot": MAYA - A very funny alum of SNL

24. Motion-activated trail monitors: CRITTER CAMS - Smile!

25. Counter position: STOOL - The counter and STOOLS at Lou's Cafe in Back To The Future 

27. Lovers' deity: EROS.

29. Supermodel born Melissa Miller: EMME - The first plus size super model

30. Tacky square: POST IT NOTE. 😀

31. Passport holders, perhaps: HOTEL SAFES.

32. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" vocalist: ONO.

34. Miller offerings: LITES.

35. Spanish city or province: LEON - If you look closely, you can see the city of LEON in the NW province of Castille-Leon

36. Brother of Cain: SETH - What ever happened to Cain's other brother?

37. Company with a museum in Munich: BMW.

40. "The Pitt" star: WYLE.

44. Cottage cheese option: LOW FAT.

45. Tendon: SINEW.

47. 1984 "Weird Al" Yankovic hit: EAT IT - A parody of Michael Jackson's Beat It

How come you're always such a fussy young man?

Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran

Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?

So, eat it, just eat it

48. __ + Olivia: clothing brand: ALICE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

50. Unruly dos: MOPS.

51. Billboard __ Award: ICON - Neil Diamond was the initial recipient 

52. Chum of "Finding Nemo," for one: MAKO.

53. Grammy winner Aimee: MANN.

54. Pre-coll. exams: GEDS - Four years after getting their GED, 50% of recipients go to college.

56. "Heck yeah!": DOI.

58. Chaps: MEN.

Saturday, September 5, 2026, Matthew Luter

Saturday Themeless by Matthew Luter

xDr. Matthew Luter is a writer and teacher in Jackson, MS. Originally from Laurel, MS, he is an alumnus of Millsaps College and of the University of North Carolina. He teaches courses in American literature at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

The solve was fun until the NE corner where INTERROBANG was really "out there". Usually long fill is very helpful but it provided no help with a part of the puzzle that was a challenge to me. It MADE NO SENSE.

ACROSS

1. Nowhere near: AFAR.

5. Allegro: RAPID. - I'm confident that our cultured solvers here at the corner know at the Allegro Spring movement from Vivaldi's Four Seasons! Listen to this unique presentation of this Allegro piece

10. Improvise: VAMP.

14. Podcaster's software option: GARAGE BAND - A Mac product 

16. Cricket field shape: OVAL.

17. Conversion that some pray will be successful?: EXTRA POINT 😀

18. Work with Python, say: CODE.

19. Arise: EMERGE.

20. Retraced one's steps, in a way: PACED.

21. Light touch: PAT.

24. Hybrid punctuation mark: INTERROBANG ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Can you believe this word‽

26. Unsure where to go: ADRIFT.

28. Logical start: GEO.

29. Jane in a suit?: DOE 😀 Jane DOE is the female equivalent of John Doe. They simply refer to an unknown person in a legal matter.

30. Pantheon honoree: DEITY.

31. Cereal with a vanilla-flavored Confetti version: CHEERIOS.

34. Back up: SAVE.

35. Kleptocracy ruler: THIEF.

36. "The Mystery at Lilac Inn" sleuth: DREW - From October 1930

38. Setting of Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes": LIMERICK - You can join this tour at 20 O'Connell St, Prior's-Land, Limerick, Ireland

                                 

40. Hermitlike: ALONE.

. Wanders in an airport?: TSA. 😀

42. Sportscaster Patrick: DAN.

43. Words of warning: OR ELSE.

44. Absolute noob: RANK AMATEUR - Me at chess

48. Steered: LED.

49. Pretty penny or bad penny: IDIOM.

50. Collection of highlights, perhaps: TOP TEN

Current List

Same time of year 1964

52. Dreamcast maker: SEGA.

53. Help line?: DO ME A SOLID.

57. Kathryn of "WandaVision": HAHN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

58. Strong desire for one in search of just desserts?: SWEET TOOTH. 😀

59. Secondary social media accounts: ALTS - I barely have any primaries let alone any secondaries 

60. Pernod flavor: ANISE.

61. Headphones maker based in Milwaukee: KOSS - You really have to look closely to see the word KOSS on these headphones

Down:

1. Actuarial stat: AGE - I'll soon turn 80 and this is what one actuarial says my future looks like.

2. Quaint transmission: FAX -  😀 Not transmitting much anymore

3. Word with pop or op: ART.

4. Like an Inverted Jenny stamp: RARE - This misprint can be worth as much as two million dollars.

5. Turn sharply to the right?: REPENT - Assuming you had been turning to the wrong 😀

6. "Cancel the launch!": ABORT - Jim Lovell considered this option during the launch of Apollo 13

7. 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Bueckers: PAIGE.

8. Something that may be on display while playing D&D: INNER GEEK 😀

9. "Silent Spring" subj.: DDT.

10. Informal lexicon: VOCAB.

11. Vegetarian sushi option: AVOCADO ROLL.

12. Beggared belief: MADE NO SENSE.

13. Fundraising promise: PLEDGE.

15. Turn into a competition, say: GAMIFY - The most famous example of this (3:10)

20. Subpar: POOR.

21. Trampoline park gear: PADS.

22. "We agreed on this!": A DEAL'S A DEAL.

23. Bar exam setting?: TRIVIA NIGHT - Matthew took some pretty big liberties with the language here but it was fun when I "got it"!

25. Utah's Capitol __ National Park: REEF.

27. Article: ITEM.

31. Neighborhood that may contain a paifang: CHINA TOWN.

32. Minute Maid brand: HI-C.

33. Unserious: IDLE.

35. Mine wagon: TRAM - An electric TRAM hauling gold or silver at the Bohemia Mine in Cottage Grove, OR. Postmarked 1909.

37. Intruder from under the surface: WEED.

39. Semisoft cheese: EDAM.

40. Halt: ARREST.

41. Country star Yearwood: TRISHA - She has been married to this "other singer" since 2005.

43. Showed up at dinner?: OUTATE - If. you GAMIFY eating...

45. Zen riddles: KOANS - I learned this in cwd and I know the example of, "What is the sound made by one hand clapping?"

46. "The Wrestler" Oscar nominee: TOMEI - Her portrayal a stripper won accolades for her acting and 44-year-old body.

47. Light blades: EPEES.

51. Alcove: NOOK.

53. Mamdani political org.: DSA.

54. Bath lav: LOO.

55. "__ no use": ITS.

56. Org. that oversees 41-Across: DHS.