Thursday April 39, 2026 Joseph A. Gangi

We interrupt our regularly scheduled puzzle for this special coverage. Joseph Gangi has been constructing for several years now, and this time he has delivered our morning paper with headlines that become attention grabbers to hook readers.

17. "Local Couple Makes a Commitment," e.g.: EXCLUSIVE REPORT. When a couple decides to be EXCLUSIVE, it means they won't be seeing other people. It's a stepping stone between casual dating and a committed relationship.

27. "China Falls From Top Spot," e.g.: BREAKING NEWS. My favorite themer with a fun play on words with that country being in the NEWS all the time. Here, "China" is dishware BREAKING when dropped on the floor. 

48. "Final Finalist Finally Arrives," e.g.: LATEST UPDATE. LATEST as in the last one time-wise.

63. "Photographer Embraces Traditional Darkroom Techniques," e.g.: DEVELOPING STORY. DEVELOPING pictures the old-fashioned way.

A fun outing where most of the names were very common instead of obscure, and no reveler was needed. For a Thursday, this was pretty easy...plenty of "E"s but no "Z"s - almost a pangram! At first, I thought all the"X"s would play into the theme, but that was incorrect.

Let's see what's in the rest of the paper:

Across:

1. Gimli's weapon in "The Lord of the Rings": AXE. Grimli is a dwarf warrior, and a major character in Tolkien's fantasy trilogy.

4. Mine passage: SHAFT. Some miners get the elevator, others get the SHAFT.

9. Healthy side: SALAD. Unless it's loaded with excessive toppings and high-calorie dressings.

14. __ lunch: BOX. I don't remember having a lunch BOX. I guess we were a brown bag family.

15. Peninsular Arab state: QATAR. One of the few answers with a "Q" not followed by "U". These words are usually anglicized from other languages that do not use the English alphabet.

16. Act with feeling: EMOTE.

17. [theme]

20. Nephew of Donald Duck: LOUIE. Huey, Dewey and LOUIE are the triplet nephews of Donald Duck and grand-nephews of Scrooge McDuck, 

Huey (red), Dewey (blue), & LOUIE (green)

21. Word with tea and toast: TEXAS. TEXAS tea always reminds me of the theme song to The Beverly Hillbillies.

22. Diner slice: PIE.

23. Meat product with a museum in Minnesota: SPAM. I keep getting unsolicited emails to go visit it.

25. July's namesake: CAESAR. Julius CAESAR. His great-nephew CAESAR Augustus got the following month.

27. [theme]

32. Civil rights leader Wilkins: ROY. ROY Wilkins led the NAACP as executive secretary and director for over 20 years (1955–1977).

33. Emotionless: STONY. Emotionless: STOIC.

34. Olympic skater Cohen: SASHA. Not to be confused with Sacha Baron Cohen. 

Skater vs. Jester

38. Lotion additive: ALOE.

40. Carriers powered by pantographs and overhead lines: TRAMS. A pantograph is a roof-mounted apparatus on electric trains, TRAMS, and trolleybuses used to collect electricity from overhead wires.

42. Early operating system: UNIX. My dear RightBrain was an early UNIX programmer who developed accounting software for small businesses. The real brain in the family!

43. Drink carelessly: SLURP. Meanwhile, I just SLURP and make a mess.

45. Puts one foot in front of the other: STEPS. And pretty soon, you're walking!

47. Conduit shape: ELL. Having worked with electrical conduit most of my life, I thought it's a tube shape, not how it is bent.

48. [theme]

51. Video meeting need: CAMERA. But not pants.

54. Cozy alcove: NOOK. A good place to curl up with an e-book.

55. Prefix with meter: ODO. ODO (by itself) is probably the weakest answer in the grid. An ODOmeter measures distance traveled.

56. "The Three-Body Problem" genre: SCI-FI. The Three-Body Problem is the first book in Cixin Liu's Hugo Award-winning Remembrance of Earth's Past science fiction trilogy. Volume 1 has been made into a TV series on Netflix.

60. "Cannot __": slangy expression of mock horror: UNSEE.

63. [theme]

66. Flared dress style: A-LINE. As the name implies, it's a dress that flairs like the letter “A” -otherwise known as "a dress" to me. I'm a modemuffel, a German colloquial term for someone who disregards fashion, typically wearing whatever they want, focusing on comfort, or having no interest in current trends.

67. Timed perfectly: ON CUE.

68. Cone-bearing tree: FIR. Cone-wearing dog - with fur. 

69. Disreputable: SEEDY.

70. Tandem pair: SEATS. On a bicycle built for two (unless you have a toddler).

71. Start of a giant recital?: FEE. This clue was my FAVE. 

The giant from Jack and the Beanstalk

Down:

1. Genesis brother: ABEL. Funny how all these early guys have 4-letters in their names.

2. Love letters?: XOXO.

3. "Did I just hear what I think I heard?": EXCUSE YOU.

4. Rodent proof?: SQUEAKS. Fun clue. Rodent-proof (with a hyphen) is something completely different.

5. Gives birth to: HAS. 

6. Bumping heads: AT IT.

7. Bestest: FAVE. Words like "bestest" are my least FAVE.

8. Predatory dino: T-REX. Dino is short for dinosaur, and T-REX is short for Tyrannosaurus REX, just like its arms. That's why it has trouble playing the piano. 

9. Goes back and forth: SEESAWS.

10. Psych (up): AMP.

11. Cereal shapes: LOOPS. They also make other shapes.

12. Open-air rooms: ATRIA.

13. Try to stop: DETER.

18. "Radical Optimism" singer Dua: LIPA. Dua LIPA is an English singer and songwriter who describes her style as "dark pop."

Best New Artist Grammy in 2019

19. 5K, for one: RACE. A five kilometer RACE is just over three miles.

24. Baker's protection: MITT.

26. Genesis twin: ESAU. Almost a Biblical clecho.

27. Some undergarments: BRAS.  Some other undergarments: BVDS.

28. $2 worth of nickels, e.g.: ROLL. It costs the U.S. Mint 13.78 cents to produce and distribute a single nickel, thus this roll of 40 is worth $5.54. A penny for your thoughts?

29. Like Vikings: NORSE.

30. Swarming pests: GNATS. 

31. Citi Field MLBer: NY MET. From Major League Baseball's New York Metropolitan Baseball Club.

35. Leaves unnoticed: SNEAKS OFF.

36. Dagger handle: HILT.

37. Wheelbarrow part: AXLE.

39. Dashiell contemporary: ERLE. Dashiell Hammett and ERLE Stanley Gardner both wrote hard-boiled crime novels. They were egg-cellent.

41. Twirled: SPUN.

44. Pesto option: PARSLEY.

46. Marriage partners: SPOUSES.

49. Folded fare: TACO.

50. Word of warning: DON'T.

51. Musical endings: CODAS.

52. One-named singer whose surname is Adkins: ADELE. 

Who's your Grammy?

53. Theater showing: MOVIE.

57. NYSE investment opportunities: IPOS. An Initial Public Offering from the New York Stock Exchange.

58. "Whatever": FINE.

59. Highlander of ancient Peru: INCA. Highlander of ancient Loch: NESS.

61. Cleveland's lake: ERIE. Speaking of lakes, they never ask about the other Cleveland area lakes, like Wallace, Coe or Shaker Lakes. 

62. Brontë governess: EYRE. Jane EYRE from the novel by Charlotte Brontë.

64. Frame : bowling :: __ : curling: END. And a split END may result from curling.

65. Tear down to the studs: GUT.

Be good. RB

Monday November 24, 2025 Joseph A. Ganji

  

Happy Monday-before-Thanksgiving, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle to whet your appetite. Theme:  

I had intended to insert the Norman Rockwell painting but this one caught my eye.

Constructor Joseph A. Gangi serves up these five themed answers:

17 Across. "Gee willikers!": GOOD GRAVY.  Both of these expressions of astonishment are generally associated with older generations and regional dialects.

25 Across. Lists of top students: HONOR ROLLS.

37 Across. Folks who do a lot of binge-watching: COUCH POTATOES.

48 Across. Get down to brass tacks: TALK TURKEY.  another idiom clued with an idiom

60 Across. Extremely simple: EASY AS PIE.

GRAVY, ROLLS, POTATOES, TURKEY, and PIE are all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving holiday feast. However, instead of merely listing  menu items, the foods are plated in our grid via non-food, in-the-language phrases. Bonus points for ending with dessert!

Next we will partake of the remaining clues & answers:

Across:

1. Music genre known for four-on-the-floor beats: DISCO.  Good start! I like a 1-A clue that takes a little sussing -- but not in a discouraging way.

Four-on-the-floor is drummer lingo for using a foot pedal to hit the bass drum on each of the four quarter beats in 4/4 timing. In other words, the drum just thuds 1-2-3-4. It is commonly used in dance music genres.  Example:  Dancing Queen by ABBA (released 1976)  

6. "__ we there yet?": ARE.  

9. Double-reed woodwinds: OBOES.  "Double-read" means an oboe uses a single, double-reed -- not two reeds.

14. Rack up, as expenses: INCUR.  

15. Young chap: LAD.  Both chap and LAD are more commonly used in British English.

16. All smiles: HAPPY.     and     22 Down. Flash a smile toward: GRIN AT.  😀

19. Pet pests: FLEAS.     and     23 Across. Pet pest: TICK.  

20. Road trip option: INN.

21. "I'm totally with you": SAME.

22. "Keep talking": GO ON.

29. Prepare, as bao buns: STEAM.  

They can be made with a variety of sweet or savory fillings.
A pork mixture is a common choice.

31. Sizable: BIG.

32. Tire filler: AIR.  Unlike bao buns, one should refrain from filling tires with a pork mixture.

33. Insta post: PIC.  Instagram is a PICure-sharing app.

35. Kitchen nooks: DINETTES.

40. Food storage rooms: PANTRIES.  I love an organized pantry. Today I found a can of olives in my pantry that expired two years ago.  

This is not my pantry ... but wouldn't it be nice?

41. Meadows of "Peacemaker": TIM.  his IMDb page

42. Land between Can. and Mex.: USA.

43. Zero's counterpart, in binary code: ONE.  It is time for today's math lesson. Binary code uses two digits, 0 and 1. This is handy for situations with only two states, such as ON or OFF with electricity. Another code with which you might be familiar is hexadecimal code. Hex gives us 6 and decimal gives us 10 so this code requires 6+10=16 digits. We have to be creative because we normally only have ten digits, 0-9. The solution is to use letters as digits. A hexadecimal code uses 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, and f. So a=10, b=11, c=12, d=13, e=14, and f=15. This saves a lot of space when dealing with really large numbers. One place you might have seen this is in Box d. Control number on a Form W-2. Here is an example:  

A1B2 is (2X16⁰) + (11X16¹) + (1X16²) + (10X16³) = 2+ 176 + 256 + 40,960 = 41,394

44. Give height to, as hair: TEASE.  This is a method of backcombing hair to make it puffier. It can also make knots that are difficult to comb out later.

53. Clever notion: IDEA.  

Rock the Boat    ~    The Hues Corporation    ~    1973

"So I'd like to know, where you got the notion"  🎵🎵

54. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.  

Earp's tombstone -- not the movie, Tombstone

55. Bread often brushed with ghee: NAAN.  Ghee is clarified butter and is often used in Indian cooking. In this clue, ghee is a hint that we are looking for a food in Indian cuisine.

57. Class that may send one back to the drawing board: ART.     and     51-Down. Support for a drawing board: EASEL.

58. Lose strength: ABATE.

62. Washroom fixture: BASIN.  We do not see this answer in XWDs as much as we see its semi-synonym:  nsync.

63. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, e.g.: EVE.  an apt Easter egg

64. Actor Dinklage: PETER.  [b. June 11, 1969] He has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Game of Thrones.  

65. Oohed and __: AAHED.

66. "Kenan & __": former Nickelodeon sitcom: KEL.  IMDb link

67. Full of attitude: SASSY.

Down:

1. Fingers and toes: DIGITS.

2. Party to the conspiracy: IN ON IT.  Here we have an example of solver-friendly clue writing/editing.  IN ON = "Party to" but the "IT" was aided by a noun object in the clue.

3. Wall-mounted light: SCONCE.  

Pro tip:  They can sometimes be used to open a secret door.

4. Cow's chew: CUD.  If you have ever observed the contented faces of cows chewing their CUD, you would be like me and wish humans could do that, too. Alas, we only have one stomach.

5. Assns.: ORGS.  Associations and ORGanizationS

6. San Antonio mission: ALAMO.

7. Bird in a Poe poem: RAVEN.  Precisely:

8. Name in the ice cream aisle: EDY.  

9. "Ugh, never mind!": OH FORGET IT.

10. "The Jungle Book" bear: BALOO.  

11. Welcome sign for a hungry night owl: OPEN LATE.  In this case, the night owl is not a bird but a person who often stays up late. Do we have any night owls on The Corner? 

12. Ecol. monitor: EPA.  Ecology and Environmental Protection Agency

13. Method: Abbr.: SYS.  SYStem

18. Pep squad cheer: RAH.  

24. Out of order: KAPUT.  This is a fun word. It comes to us from the French word capot, via the German word kaputt. I was surprised to see that Merriam-Webster does not classify it as a slang term.

26. Somber bio: OBIT.  biography and OBITuary

27. Falsehoods: LIES.  When I Googled "OBIT" and "LIES" I learned about hoaxer Alan Abel who died for real in 2018 but in 1980 he persuaded the New York Times to report his death.

28. Former jrs.: SRS.  juniors and SenioRS

30. Fleeting fad: MICROTREND.  I could not find this word in Crossword Tracker. It might be a first-time use.

A MICROTREND is "a niche or industry specific consumer behavioral trend which is mass market ready and actionable." Some attribute the rise in MICROTRENDs to social media and especially, to influencer marketing posts. Another article said this has led to overconsuming in order to "keep up".  

Tomato Girl Summer is now oh, so last season. 😀

34. Body-lifting exercise that may be done in a doorway: CHIN-UP.  

35. Buns, bobs, and beehives: DOS.  I am pretty sure you have to 44-Across your hair to make a beehive hairDO.

36. "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winner Marisa: TOMEI.

37. Spanish house: CASA.  Casa translates to "house" in Spanish. Also, kasa translates to "umbrella" in Japanese. My memory trick for this was that they both provided a 'roof' over one's head.  You can see it in the kanji.  

There is no "c" in Romanji (English letters for Japanese words).

38. Tethered: ON A LEASH.  

Resident Alien fans will recognize this from the handbook.

39. __ pressure: PEER.  This happens when a group hug is too tight.

40. "To __ it mildly": PUT.  The mechanic said, "To PUT it mildly, your engine is KAPUT."

45. Changes with the times: ADAPTS.

46. Story told in installments: SERIES.  For example, David Copperfield was published as a serial from May 1849 through November 1850. Then it was published in book format in 1850.

47. Bistro, e.g.: EATERY.

49. Olympic swimmer Ledecky: KATIE.  [b. March 17, 1997]

There just are not enough superlatives for this athlete.

50. Ye olde rascal: KNAVE.

52. "Huzzah!": YAY.  Merriam-Webster lists huzzah as a noun that is often used interjectionally to express joy or approval.

56. Short snoozes: NAPS.  

Scott Metzger creates the best pet comics.

58. Old hoops gp.: ABA.  The American Basketball Association was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. more about the relaunch

59. "Hello, ewe!": BAA.  Cute clue.  

Translation:  Hi mom!

60. Startled cry: EEK.

61. Watery expanse: SEA.  About 71% of the Earth's surface is water-covered. That's quite expansive!

The grid:  

Joseph did not have a lot of wiggle room constructing this grid.
Ending with PIE meant the only two themers
he could switch around were the two 10-letter answers. Well done!

Now it is time to clean up the dishes. Have a great-ful week, everyone!

Friday, November 7, 2025 - Joseph A. Gangi

 Theme:  You tell me!

Puzzling Thoughts:  

As a crossword puzzle solver for umpteen years, and a blogger here for 5+ years, I have probably seen just about every kind of theme used.  Wordplay; add/subtract a letter; circled letters; rebus; you name it.  Today's had circles.  I can just imagine an anonymous solver, jumping for joy! [not]

After seeing how the circled letters in today's puzzle spelled out the words TIME, DANGER, and DROP (all words that can precede the word "zone") I thought, well, what else is there?  How does it interact with the reveal?  

First, the reveal:  56-across. Focused and feeling unstoppable, or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: IN THE ZONE.  

The website [crossidiomas dot com] defines "in the zone" as: 

"Being “in the zone” is a term that describes a mental state where an individual is fully immersed in their task or activity. It’s a feeling of being completely present and engaged with what they are doing, without any distractions or interruptions. When someone is in this state, they may feel like time has slowed down or even stopped altogether"

"The benefits of being “in the zone” are numerous. For athletes, it can mean improved performance and better results. For workers, it can lead to increased productivity and better quality work. Creatives may find that they produce their best work when they are in this state of mind"

So now, we unfold the entries:

17-across. *Comments: TIRE MARKS.  Simply, when the circled letters TI are separated, the word "remarks" remains and defines the clue (comments) 

19-across. *Seasonal malady: FLUME.  Simply, when the other circled letter ME are separated, the word "flu" remains and defines the clue (seasonal malady).  When you read across the grid, the words "remarks" and "flu" are "within" the time zone

26-across. *Kinda-sorta: DANISH.  Remove the circled DAN from ISH you have "kinda-sorta" (ish) 

29-across. *Blacken on the grill: CHARGER.  Remove the circled GER and you have "char" which is term for blacken on the grill.  This spanner reveals "ish" and char" in the danger zone

42-across. *Mimic's talent: DRAPERY.  When I finally figured the theme out, the last two entries were easy to fill - "apery" supports the clue (mimic's talent) and 44-across. *American Girl buy: DOLLOP. "Doll" supports the clue (American Girl buy), and "apery" "doll" are in the drop zone

Interestingly, in the last pair, the word dollop is a "kinda-sorta" synonym for the word drop but that is the only entry word that even comes close to supporting the circled word in its zone.  I was looking for more.  It would have been way more cool if the words left within each "zone" supported the words time, danger, and drop

I dunno.  Not a puzzle that I feel is Friday-worthy, nor a puzzle that gave me much of an "aha" moment.  I think the constructor had an interesting theme/reveal but it was the "getting there" that left me nonplussed.  Sorry, Joseph if you read this.  Your "T-Square" puzzle from last December was much more enjoyable for me

Here is the grid and then the rest of the clues: 

The Grid

Across:

1. __ committee: AD HOC.  Moe-ku:

        The committee met

        To discuss making bean soup.

        Decided, AD HOC [sic]

6. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP. 

9. 34-Across lines: ROADS.  (34-across. GPS display): MAP.

  

Old school GPS

14. Statement of beliefs: CREDO.  Rhymes with Play-doh

15. Homer's tee: TAU.  Did anyone think about a Simpsons character playing golf?  I did!  Tau is the Greek letter for T; Homer is the Greek dude who is recognized for writing the Iliad and Odyssey. Or did he?  Open this link to find out 

16. Top monk: ABBOT.  As opposed to the top Monk, which would be Tony Shalhoub

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

20. Resort destination: SPA.

21. Attend without an invitation: CRASH.  Some of them are professionals ... 

22. Sacred object: TOTEM.  Moe-ku:

        Tribe chief wants to know

        If sacred object's revered.

        Took a TOTEM poll

23. Full of frills: LACY.  One of the more sophomoric movies that I've seen countless number of times had a character who was Judge Smails' niece; her name was Lacey 

24. "Ain't it the truth!": AMEN.  Listen carefully; this is a very short video clip

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

32. Happening: EVENT.

33. Plaintiffs: SUERS.  Moe-ku:

        Best plaintiffs work for

        Sanitation Department;

        Well-versed with SUERS [sic]

[see above]

36. Zero, for Aryna Sabalenka: LOVE.  Tennis term for this lady

37. Bug __: SPRAY. JUICE also fits

38. Lion locks: MANE.  

39. Fib: LIE.

40. Archaeologist's find: SHARD.  Also known as "sherd"

41. Adjoining hotel rooms: SUITE.  The same word has a musical meaning; here is a rendition of a song that contains this word in the title - CSN could still rock it as senior citizens (2012 concert) even without hitting all of the high notes

[theme entry]

[theme entry]

45. Theme park attraction: RIDE. Moe-ku:

        Theme park's admission

        Cost was huge. I felt I was

        Taken for a RIDE

      

46. The "S" of NSFW: SAFE.  The full acronym unveiled is: Not SAFE (Suitable) For Work.  It's become an internet slang term to indicate that an email, e.g., may contain sexually explicit text and/or photos.  But unbeknownst to some, it was also the name of a 2014 movie thriller

47. Home of Himeji Castle: JAPAN.  Google it 

50. Mocking tribute: ROAST.  The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts were pretty risqué for TV back in those days (note, you might have to rewind it to the start) ... here is a 4 minute clip starring Foster Brooks

52. "Shame on you!": TSK.  

55. Only coastal city in Jordan: AQABA.  Despite using a word with a Q in it (as well as a J, K, W, Y, and Z) Joseph ended up being an X short of having a pangram

[reveal / theme]

58. Staff writing: MUSIC.  Prose fits, too, if you use a different meaning of the word staff

59. Overalls component: BIB.  

60. "In your dreams!": NO WAY.  [spoiler] there's a clecho at 28-down

61. Pancake quantity: BATCH.  I tried STACK and it really screwed up that section of the grid

62. Place for pigs: STY.

63. "Hello" and "Bye Bye Bye": SONGS. Moe-ku (with an extra line thrown in for good measure):

        Justin Timberlake
        Lost his first golf match after
        A Tournament pass.
        Was a "BYE, BYE” BYE 

Down:
1. Does something: ACTS.  

2. Faucet annoyance: DRIP.  Moe-ku:

        An erstwhile actress 

        Came on set with runny nose;

        Cast scorned Fawcett's DRIP

3. Goddess whose symbol is a peacock: HERA.

 

 

4. Poem of praise: ODE.  Moe-ku:

        Gave myself some props.

        Wrote haiku about nothing,

        Called it ODE to Moe

5. Company whose symbol is a peacock: COMCAST.  Part of the NBC family

6. Many a shelter animal: STRAY.

7. Hardy trees: OAKS.  I guess some might have chosen ELMS

8. Press on: PUSH AHEAD. Only the second use of this clue/answer as I discovered when I searched Crossword Tracker.  And BTW, the certification for CrosswordTracker dot com has not been renewed, apparently, and I got all kinds of warnings about visiting their site.  Hence, I am not linking it today

9. Roof supports: RAFTERS.  TRUSSES also fits

10. Like plum tomatoes: OBLONG.  The clue could have said like Roma tomatoes, too

11. Be up against: ABUT.  "CRUNCH TIME" was not an option for this clue ... today

12. Top of many an indoor stadium: DOME.  ROOF fits, as well.  I am guessing the difference between them is that a dome is a permanent fixture; a roof can be retractable 

State Farm Stadium - home to the AZ Cardinals

13. Acronym on some educational toys: STEM.  If anyone wants to know which educational toys are, click this link

18. __ supports: ARCH.  Moe-ku:

        Social nerd erred twice;

        Put his foot in his mouth while

        Wearing ARCH supports

23. Security checkpoint formation: LINE.  

This is why I have Global Entry and Pre-Check

25. Steenburgen of "Parenthood": MARY.  Then and now photo

26. "Hi-ho, the derry-o" setting: DELL.  Or, as this version says, "hey-ho, the derry-o" ... if you watch it the lyrics "Farmer in the DELL" are sung just at the beginning of the song; nowhere else

27. Bypass: AVOID.  
 
28. "In your dreams!": NEVER.  "WHEN PIGS FLY" did not fit; that said:

29. B-baller Steph: CURRY.  Not sure why the abbreviation in the adjective (b-baller).  Is it because his full name is actually Wardell Stephen Curry II and he prefers to go by Steph?  

30. Common accumulation during vacation: E-MAIL.  Snail mail, too, accumulates for us when we disappear for a few weeks or longer.  Speaking of e-mail, does anyone else suffer from getting more email messages, even after you've unsubscribed from certain ones?

31. Cost: RAN TO.  I don't use this phrase often, so I looked it to confirm it was two words, not one

33. Pork slab on the grill: SPARERIBS.  Moe-ku: [warning: this has some religious context]

        When Adam and Eve

        Planned to have kids, who was it

        That gave their SPARE RIBS?

35. Small sound: PEEP.  Moe-l'ick: 

        Easter baskets were out, in plain view.
        We peeked in because that's what we do.
        Removed marshmallow treat
        As the one thing we’d eat.
        If we’re caught? Not one PEEP out of you!

37. Garden structure: SHED.  Are we over the "she shed" craze yet?

This one looks pretty posh

38. Moscow __: ginger beer drink: MULE.  Another ginger beer drink that I prefer is called a Dark 'n' Stormy

40. la Florentine green: SPINACH.  Fun fact: Spinach is one of my key ingredients when I make breakfast burritos for Ms. Margaret and me

Maybe I use spinach in the recipe because this cartoon character was one of my childhood heroes.  I dare you to watch the video and not continue to hum the song all day. 🤣 "I fights to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"

41. Makes less harsh: SOFTENS.  

43. Language spoken in 55-Across: ARABIC.  In Aqaba, remember??

44. 100-meter race, e.g.: DASH.  Technically, any race up to 400-meters in considered a dash (or SPRINT - which was too long to work).  This guy set a world-record 9.58 seconds, and during the final third of the race he was clocked at running 27.1 miles per hour! 

46. Didn't help: SAT BY.  Not Ms. Margaret; she proof-reads my blog each time for grammatical and spelling errrors [note, she missed this one 😂]

47. Door __: JAMB.  Moe-ku:

        Ray Manzarek's band's

        Greatest hits are played at Lowe's:

        Called: Doors JAMB sessions

             
48. Sea blue: AQUA.  This color 

49. Days of yore: PAST.  As opposed to a clue that read: "Days of Eeyore", in which the answer would be cloudy

51. "Right away, boss!": ON IT.  

Good old Ron Burgundy

52. 34-Across dot: TOWN.  I'm guessing that if you didn't get 34-across right away you'd have some fill issues

53. Minor setback: SNAG.  Did anyone find any snags in today's puzzle?  As I said in the intro, my major nit was not having entry words that matched the zones

54. A minor and A major: KEYS.  Musical term; as opposed to UrsA Minor and UrsA Major which are constellations

UrsA Major

57. Where the wild things are: ZOO.  WOODS didn't fit but it did inspire another Moe-ku:

        To attract more guests

        ZOO adds a wild golf course de-

        signed by Tiger Woods

Please comment below if you'd like ...