Monday, June 15, 2026, Janice Luttrell

Theme:  Garden variety.

Our marvelous Monday maven, Janice Luttrell, has constructed a puzzle that is quite ordinary -- just your normal, basic, garden variety Monday grid.  I kid, of course.  Her theme entries end with words that are run-of-the-mill.

20-Across. Central green in a small town: VILLAGE COMMON.

27-Across. Plateau in England that's home to Stonehenge: SALISBURY PLAIN.

49-Across. Comedian's performance: STAND-UP ROUTINE.

The big reveal occurs here:

56-Across. Tom Jones hit, and what can be said about the end of 20-, 27-, or 49-Across: IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.

Our blogmistress, C.C., has explained that it's easier to write a difficult puzzle than an easy one.  If today's puzzle seems simple, that's the result of exacting effort.  Let's waltz through the rest!

Across:

1. Actors in a sitcom: CAST.

5. Super Bowl org.: NFL.  National Football League.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests that there will be an abbreviation in the answer.

8. Combo pattern for mil. garb: CAMO.  "Camo" is short for "camouflage," a pattern featuring a combination of shapes and colors, often used for military garments.

Camo patterns vary to match the environment.
Here, an Australian soldier blends into the bush.

12. "Stuff and nonsense!": PSHAW.  A scoffing sound, pronounced puh-shaw or pshh.

14. Soothing lotion ingredient: ALOE.

16. Country singer Jackson: ALAN.  Alan Jackson sings traditional country songs as well as many he's written himself.  He has earned Grammy Awards, CMA Awards, and ACM Awards, and is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time.  Because he suffers from an inherited degenerative disease, he has scheduled a final concert on June 27, 2026.  Here he is performing his original song, Five O'Clock Somewhere, with special guest Jimmy Buffet appearing near the end.

17. Hawaiian greeting: ALOHA.

18. Slips into, as clothes: DONS.

19. Fishhook attachment: LURE.

20. [Theme clue]

23. Summer beverage: ICE TEA.

25. __ Vegas Aces: LAS.  A team in the Women's National Basketball Association.

26. Silent assent: NOD.

27. [Theme clue]

31. Bio information: AGE.  "Bio" is not an abbreviation, but just a shortened version of "biography."  Therefore, the answer is not an abbreviation.

32. Italian sparkling wine: ASTI.  The Piedmont region of Italy produces Asti Spumante and Moscato d'Asti.  Asti Spumante is more bubbly; Moscato d'Asti is less bubbly, sweeter, and lower in alcohol.

33. Many, many moons: EON.

34. Says "I do" to: WEDS.

36. Brief albums, briefly: EPS.  Extended Play records are longer than a single, but not as long as a full length album.

38. Cash dispensers: ATMS.

42. Luau bowlful: POI.  Steamed and pounded taro root, mixed with water.

Poi

45. Beauty store chain: ULTA.

48. Kendrick Lamar genre: RAP.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Ewe said it: BAA.

54. Little tyke: TOT.

55. Stray hair: STRAND.

56. [Theme clue]

60. Windy day toy: KITE.

61. Minerals in mines: ORES.

62. Fast-food pork sandwich: MCRIB.  McDonald's offers the McRib sandwich sporadically, for limited time periods.  It features a minced pork patty shaped like a rack of ribs, covered in barbecue sauce.  Availability corresponds to periods of low prices on bulk pork.  Travel to Germany if you simply must have one; it's a permanent menu item at McDonald's there.

German McRib -- all year round

65. You are, in Spanish: ERES.  Eres un gran traductor!  (You are a great translator!)  One of the problems I have with Google translate is that it provides only familiar speech in Spanish.  That might work in Spain, but in Mexico, it's important to use formal pronouns and verbs with people who are not your family or inferiors.  "Usted es un gran traductor!" is more polite in most situations.

66. "Drinks are __!": ON ME.

67. Brain prefix: NEURO.  Neuro- is from the Greek for "nerve," and is used to refer to nerves, the brain, or the nervous system as a whole.

68. Put one's feet up: REST.

69. Patch of lawn: SOD.

70. Hitch: SNAG.

Down:

1. Tax prep expert: CPA.  Certified Public Accountant, of course.

2. Silent communication syst.: ASL.  American Sign Language.

3. Did a snow day chore: SHOVELED.

4. Most populous island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.  Most populous?  Still seems like a dream destination.

This is Tahiti.
  The blue lagoon and white sand beaches that show up in searches for Tahiti are really the nearby island of Bora Bora.

5. Zilch: NADA.

6. Promote aggressively: FLOG.  I'm familiar with flog meaning to beat or whip someone severely, but Google tells me it also means to sell something quickly or aggressively.

7. Needing a companion: LONELY.

8. Tranquil: CALM.  Bora Bora, anyone?

Bora Bora.
I like the idea of a lazy vacation, but in truth, I cannot sit still.
Kayaking, though ... !

9. Reunion attendees: ALUMNI.

10. Dark red: MAROON.

11. Continuously: ON END.  "It rained for days ON END."  "The power was out for weeks ON END."

13. Polish Solidarity leader Lech: WALESA.  Lech Wałęsa was president of Poland from 1990 to 1995. The first democratically elected president of Poland since 1926, he was also the first-ever Polish president elected by popular vote.  An electrician, Wałęsa led the opposition Solidarity movement which ended Communist rule in Poland in 1989.

Lech Wałęsa

15. Break free: ESCAPE.

21. Chem class rooms: LABS.

22. Scandinavian capital near the North Sea: OSLO.

23. "You don't have to tell me!": I SAW.

24. Pet canary's home: CAGE.

28. Sport-__: off-road auto: UTE.

29. Tear to pieces: RIP UP.

30. Actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way.  She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Ana de Armas

35. Health resort: SPA.

37. Camera option, initially: SLR.  Per Wikipedia, "a single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a mirror and prism system to allow photographers to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. ... When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path and allows light to pass through to the light receptor and the image to be captured."    

39. Dress rehearsal: TRIAL RUN.

40. "Save Me" singer Aimee: MANN.  You may remember Aimee Mann from her 1980s band "Til Tuesday."  She wrote their top-ten single Voices Carry.  She's been solo since 1990, and has also acted on TV and in films.  She wrote "Save Me" for the 1999 film Magnolia; the song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Aimee Mann -- now and then

41. Floored it: SPED.

43. Not duped by: ONTO.  As in, "I'm onto you, buster!"

44. "Same for me!": I DO TOO.

46. Soft throw: TOSS.

47. Leaf-peeping season: AUTUMN.  DH and I visited New England in October 2019.  It was spectacular.

"Height of Land" in Maine -- my photo

49. Much political humor: SATIRE.

50. Tries a bite of: TASTES.

51. About-faces on the road: U-TURNS.

52. Tiny amounts: TRACES.

53. Harley-Davidson customer: BIKER.

57. Wild canary's home: NEST.  As opposed to 24-Down. Pet canary's home: CAGE.

58. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.

59. Preowned: USED.

63. Savings plan letters: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

64. Cranberry-growing area: BOG.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Which of you SPED through this puzzle?

Did it BOG you down anywhere?  Did it take hours ON END?

IT'S NOT UNUSUAL to hit a SNAG.  Hope you didn't RIP UP the puzzle!

Tell us all about it in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Monday, May 25, 2026, Janice Luttrell

Theme:  Snail mail.

Crossword constructor Janice Luttrell regularly brightens up our Monday mornings.  In today's puzzle, Janice has four symmetrically placed theme entries (the last of which is the reveal) with subtly disguised references to items one sends in the mail.

The theme entries are:

20-Across. Metaphor for a plan that may collapse at any moment: HOUSE OF CARDS.

27-Across. Empire State NFL team: BUFFALO BILLS.

44-Across. Features of easy-to-read signs: BLOCK LETTERS.

52-Across. Stack heading to the post office, or what 20-, 27-, and 44-Across all have?: OUTGOING MAIL.

Oh, how we oldsters used to enjoy receiving CARDS and LETTERS in the MAIL!  No one enjoyed receiving BILLS, but it beat getting notices of payment due via email, and navigating endless payment portals. We even sent snail mail to our nearest and dearest to share thoughts and feelings, and to brighten their days.  Well, it's time to pick up the pace.  Not everyone here is as ancient as yours truly.

Across:

1. Sweeties: DEARS.

6. "Gimme a break!": C'MON.

10. Like Supreme Court arguments: ORAL.

14. Sight-related: OPTIC.

15. Tick off: RILE.

16. Item in a hotel closet: ROBE.  Might have been a SAFE, but it wasn't.

17. One thumbing for a ride: HITCHHIKER.  Prior to our marriage in the mid 1970s, my ex was a hitchhiker.  During our marriage, he picked up hitchhikers.  It was part of his hippie ethos.  We were a mismatch, but remained HITCHed for 23 years.

Ex was taller, but otherwise, this coulda been him.
I don't know who *she* is!

19. Mother Earth, in Greek myth: GAIA.  In Greek mythology, Gaia (or Gaea) is the personification of Earth. She is the mother of Uranus (Sky), as well as of Pontus (Sea).

Uranus and Gaia

20. [Theme entry]

22. From __ Z: A TO.

25. Inc. kin: LLC.

26. Phase one: ONSET.

27. [Theme entry]

32. Chapel centerpiece: ALTAR.

33. Dishwasher capacity: LOAD.

34. Pop-ups in a free game: ADS.  Online games, and phone apps, show you ads unless you pay for a subscription.

37. Snow toy with runners: SLED.

38. Shapewear company founded in 2000: SPANX.

40. "In __ of gifts ... ": LIEU.

41. Cornish game __: HEN.

42. "__ go bragh!": ERIN.  Erin go Bragh is the English spelling of an Irish language phrase, Éirinn go Brách, and is used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever."

43. Agreed (with): SIDED.

44. [Theme entry]

47. Insurance filing: CLAIM.

50. "There you __!": ARE.

51. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY.  Susan Dey is a retired actress, known for her roles as Laurie Partridge on The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.

Susan Dey

52. [Theme entry]

57. Edinburgh resident: SCOT.

58. Rats out one's co-conspirators, say: NAMES NAMES.

62. Former Yankee slugger Martinez: TINO.  Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1990 through 2005.  

"Tino" Martinez, 1998

63. Health resorts: SPAS.

64. The Met Gala, e.g.: EVENT.

65. Spread slowly: SEEP.

66. Org. with a white rabbit in its logo: PETA.  PETA is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Their attention grabbing tactics have gone a long way toward popularizing concern for the treatment of animal companions, and of animals used for food and for scientific research.

67. Patinkin of "Homeland": MANDY.  Mandy Patinkin has enjoyed a long career in musical theater, television, and film.  He played Che in the first Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita (1979), earning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.  He won the Emmy for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series for Chicago Hope in 1995.  And among his many film roles, he played Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (1987).  

Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride.

Down:

1. Play-__: Hasbro toy clay: DOH.  

2. Allergist's lead-in to Pen: EPI.  EpiPen is a brand name for an auto-injector device containing epinephrine (adrenaline) used for emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). It works by quickly opening airways, raising blood pressure, and reducing swelling.

3. QB passing stat: ATT.  In football statistics, ATT stands for "Attempts," referring to the number of passes a quarterback (QB) throws, or the number of carries a running back makes. 

4. Like a billionaire: RICH.

5. Intellectual: SCHOLAR.  According to Wikipedia, an intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society, and proposed solutions for its problems. Coming from the world of culture, the intellectual participates in politics and defends a system of values.  So ... SCHOLAR is a little narrow as a definition, but I think Wikipedia's definition is a little broad.  Do all intellectuals propound their viewpoints publicly?

6. Butter substitute, in some recipes: CRISCO.

7. Angels outfielder Trout: MIKE.  Mike Trout is a professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. He is an 11-time All-Star, three-time American League MVP, and 9-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. He captained the United States national team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and was named to the All-WBC Team. He is regarded by many as the best baseball player of his generation and one of the greatest players in baseball history.

Mike Trout

8. Butter substitute: OLEO.

9. Backyard water fight brand: NERF.

10. Instruments with many pipes: ORGANS.

11. Laughs noisily: ROARS.

12. Endure: ABIDE.

13. "That's the __ of my worries": LEAST.

18. Ship's framework: HULL.

21. Frosty: COLD.

22. Embarrass: ABASH.

23. Bridal veil netting: TULLE.  Tulle is a sheer netting fabric with a hexagonal mesh pattern.

Tulle

24. Frequently: OFTEN.

28. Passing trend: FAD.

29. Like a brand-new canvas: BLANK.

30. Lithium-__ battery: ION.

31. Hardly strict: LAX.

34. Supported: AIDED.

35. Name on much farm equipment: DEERE.

36. Foamy, as soap: SUDSY.

38. B'way sign: SRO.  Broadway sign:  Standing Room Only.

39. Insta post: PIC.  On the social media app INSTAgram, most posts are PICtures or reels (short videos) with commentary.  

40. Held a match to: LIT.

42. Ticklish Muppet: ELMO.

43. Women's Media Center co-founder Gloria: STEINEM.  Gloria Steinem is an American journalist and activist who emerged as a feminist leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine and a co-founder of Ms. magazine.  She co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Action Alliance, and the Women's Media Center.

Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes,
co-founders of Ms. magazine, 1971

44. Three-ring circus setting: BIG TOP.

45. San Diego suburb whose name means "the table": LA MESA.

46. Historic stretches: ERAS.

47. Expenditures: COSTS.

48. Port St. __, Florida: LUCIE.  This reviewer was ignorant of the existence of Port St. Lucie (the sixth most populous city in Florida), and it crossed in the grid with TINO Martinez, who was unknown to me, so I had make a bit of a WAG (wild ass guess) there, but it wasn't difficult.

The dart marks Port St. Lucie on the map

49. Make amends: ATONE.

53. Clouseau or Gadget's rank, briefly: INSP.  Inspector.

54. Sensitive neck part: NAPE.

55. MBA hopeful's exam: GMAT.  Graduate Management Admission Test.

56. Volcanic flow: LAVA.

59. Guys: MEN.

60. Conclusion: END.

61. Hog farm pen: STY.

Here's the grid:

Dear Solvers, 

Did this puzzle RILE you up, taunting you with BLANK spaces?

Or were you AIDED by perpendicular entries?

Can you CLAIM to have FIR (finished it right)?

Let us know in the comments!

Fondly,

NaomiZ

Monday, May 4, 2026, Janice Luttrell

Theme:  Fast and FURIOUS!

Did you move through this puzzle too quickly to become enraged, infuriated, indignant, or irritable?

I'm sure our experienced constructor, Janice Luttrell, didn't mean to make you angry, but she might have hoped you would notice the testy, ill-humored, and dyspeptic beginnings of the theme answers, which are:

17-Across. Cactus with showy flowers: PRICKLY PEAR.

28-Across. Like some Winter Olympics skiing: CROSS COUNTRY.

45-Across. Tummy trouble: UPSET STOMACH.

61-Across. Satirical periodical featuring Alfred E. Neuman: MAD MAGAZINE.

Don't be sullen if you missed it.  Yours truly had to look for it after solving.  I'm not bitter, but I'd better get on with the rest of it!

Across:

1. Airtight excuse for a defendant: ALIBI.

6. Pool floats: RAFTS.

11. Moroccan cap with a tassel: FEZ.

14. Add to the conversation: PUT IN.  We don't talk politics here, but I think we can PUT IN something about PUTIN.

15. Snowboarding jump: OLLIE.  The ollie is a skateboarding trick where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of the rider's hands.  It is a combination of stomping the tail of the skateboard off the ground to get the board mostly vertical, jumping, and sliding the front foot forward to level out the skateboard at the peak of the jump.  The ollie is a fundamental skill in skateboarding and has crossed over to snowboarding.

Skateboard ollie

Snowboard ollie

16. Big name in jarred tomato sauce: RAO.  

Rao's was purchased by Campbell Soup in 2024.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Self-serve coffee server: URN.

20. Sn, to a chemist: TIN.  Did you study chemistry?  If so, do you remember most of these?

21. "Do __ favor?": ME A.  PUT IN a good word for me, perhaps?

22. Extremely absurd: ASININE.

24. Fish-eating bird: SEA EAGLE.

27. Not at home: OUT.

28. [Theme clue]

33. Kindle download: EBOOK.  Electronic book.  Kindle is Amazon's eBook reading device.

36. Gramps: POPS.  We never called Grandpa "Pops," but his sons called him that.

Pops at work

37. "Christopher Robin" joey: ROO.  A "joey" is a young kangaroo or other marsupial.  In A.A. Milne's books about Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh, the smallest character is Roo, the energetic son of kindhearted Kanga.

"Kanga and Roo were spending a quiet afternoon in a sandy part of the Forest. Baby Roo was practising very small jumps in the sand, and falling down mouse-holes and climbing out of them, and Kanga was fidgeting about and saying "Just one more jump, dear, and then we must go home." And at that moment who should come stumping up the hill but Pooh." -- Winnie-The-Pooh chapter VII

38. Dollywood's st.: TENN.  Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood, is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

39. Studies all night: CRAMS.

41. Lettuce unit: HEAD.

42. Lipton product: TEA.

43. Stratford-upon-__: AVON.  Stratford-upon-Avon is famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. 

44. Tuscan cathedral city south of Florence: SIENA.

45. [Theme clue]

49. Body art, briefly: TAT.  Short for tattoo.

50. Playground structures that challenge balance and coordination: LOG ROLLS.  I have never encountered one of these in a playground, so I was a little surprised by the answer.

Log roll

54. OPEC units: BARRELS.

58. Fish eggs: ROE.

59. "You've got mail" ISP: AOL.  Dial-up Internet Service Provider America OnLine used to announce new email with a voice greeting, “You've got mail!”  The dial-up service and greeting were discontinued in September 2025, although AOL still provides email service.

60. Stack starter in solitaire: ACE.  Never learned to play.  You?

61. [Theme clue]

64. Lingerie top: BRA.  Baby boomers like myself learned from our mothers to keep our bras hidden, and never to mention them in mixed company.  But what was once hidden has gradually been revealed, and it's hard to say whether the change started as a popular movement or was dictated by designers.

Miu Miu Fall 2025

65. British baby buggies: PRAMS.

66. Free-for-all: MELEE.

67. Shrill shriek: EEK.

68. Grabs: TAKES.

69. Sarcastic commentary: SNARK.  DH says that snark is my most endearing quality.  That's good, as it seems to be here to stay.

Down:

1. Daily planner entries: Abbr.: APPTS.  Appointments.

2. San Francisco mayor Daniel: LURIE.  Daniel Lurie was born and raised in San Francisco, where he serves as mayor.  He is an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune through his stepfather.  Mr. Lurie earned a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley, and prior to becoming mayor, organized private philanthropic organizations.  He takes only $1 per year in mayoral salary, and focuses his efforts on affordable housing, a larger and more responsive police force, clean streets, and government accountability.

Daniel Lurie

3. Singer Turner's rock memoir: I, TINA.  Published in 1986, I, Tina: My Life Story became a worldwide best-seller and led to the 1993 film adaptation What's Love Got to Do with It, starring Angela Bassett as Turner.

4. Clic Stic pen brand: BIC.

5. Result of a leaking 4-Down, perhaps: INK MARK.

Put a rag under the stain and spray or blot it with rubbing alcohol.
If it doesn't disappear, apply Amodex and launder as usual.

6. Kansas City baseball team: ROYALS.

7. Swiss peak: ALP.

8. Pest on a pet: FLEA.  Did you know that a flea circus was a circus sideshow in which fleas were attached to miniature carts and other items, and made to perform within a enclosure?

9. Aunts, in 26-Down: TIAS.

10. Humorless: SERIOUS.

11. Orchard growth: FRUIT TREE.

12. Be worthy of: EARN.

13. The "Z" of ZIP code: ZONE.  The United States Postal Service introduced the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code system in 1963.

18. Brick that's painful to step on: LEGO.

Notoriously painful experience.

23. Convent figure: NUN.

25. Supply-and-demand subj.: ECON.  Economics.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

26. Bad Bunny's native language, in his native language: ESPAÑOL.  Español is the Spanish word for Spanish, which is Bad Bunny's native language.

In case you couldn't follow his lyrics en Español,
Bad Bunny put a message in English on the board at the Super Bowl.

29. URL ending: COM.  A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a web address.  The letters after the final period are a "domain suffix," commonly .com for commercial websites, .org for organizations, and .edu for colleges or universities.

30. Photo __: some PR events: OPS.  Photo opportunities are often Public Relations events.

31. Reddish speckled horse: ROAN.

32. Green Jedi Master: YODA.

33. "__, Brute?": ET TU.  Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar depicts Caesar's last words as "Et tu, Brute?" which translates to "You too, Brutus?"  Today, a person might say "Et tu, Brute?" after realizing a close friend or ally has betrayed them.

Et tu, Brute?

34. Microwave sound: BEEP.

35. Racking up victories: ON A STREAK.

39. MinuteClinic drugstore chain: CVS.  CVS is the dominant drugstore chain in Los Angeles.

40. Biodegrade: ROT.

41. Kermit's greeting: HI HO.

43. Have a go at: ATTEMPT.

44. Hollers with fright or delight: SCREAMS.

46. AirPod holder: EAR.

47. Swampy area: MORASS.

48. Awestruck: AGOG.

51. Undefeated boxer Ali: LAILA.

Laila with her famous father, Muhammad Ali

52. Solitary sort: LONER.

53. Smooth and shiny: SLEEK.

54. Sweetie: BABE.

55. 43,560 square feet: ACRE.

56. "__ Croft: Tomb Raider": LARA.

57. Mt. Rushmore's st.: S. DAK.  Some folks defaced a mountain in South Dakota and got away with it.  Oh, wait.  They didn't DEface it.  There doesn't seem to be a verb for putting faces on it.

It looks dramatic in this photo, but quite silly from a distance.

62. Marseille Mrs.: MME.  Stands for "Madame."

63. School of Buddhism: ZEN.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, how was your first ATTEMPT at solving the LA Times crossword this week?

Think you're ON A STREAK for the week?  Or did you suffer an UPSET already?

Either way, don't be a LONER!  Join us in the comments and PUT IN your two cents!

-- NaomiZ