Tuesday, February 17, 2026 Katherine Simonson

What's the Word, Hummingbird?

18-Across. *  Celebration of Mexico's victory in the Battle of Puebla: CINCO DE MAYO.  Yo!  Not a word of Welcome that I would use.  Contrary to popular belief in the United States, Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on May 5, 1862.  This year, the holiday will fall on a Tuesday, so I may be providing the commentary.

24-Across. *  Only woman to serve as prime minister of India: INDIRA GANDHI.  Hi!

39-Across. *   Evaluates: SIZES UP.  S'up?  Another word I would not use.  Slang for What's Up?

52-Across.  *  Punxsutawney Phil's big moment: GROUNDHOG DAY.  G'Day.  I heard this a lot when I was in Australia.

And the unifier:

61-Across. "So glad you've returned!," or a feature of the answer to each starred clue?: WELCOME BACK.  Also the name of a television sit-com from the 197s.  Another word of Welcome can be found at the Back of each theme answer.

Here's the Grid, so you can see the Welcomes.

Joyeaux Mardi Gras would be a better welcome for today.

What Happens on the Float, Stays on the Float.

Across:

1. "God bless you, please, __ Robinson": MRS.  Mrs. Robinson was a song by Simon and Garfunkel for the 1967 movie The Graduate.

4. Subterranean lava: MAGMA.

9. "Stop!," at sea: AVAST.

14. Feel queasy: AIL.

15. Rumored Roswell visitor: ALIEN.

16. Courage: VALOR.

17. Egg cells: OVA.  A crossword staple.

20. Swab again, as a deck: REMOP.

22. Cold War rival of the KGB: CIA.

23. Jr.'s practice exam: PSAT.  As in the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test.

28. Going solo: ALONE.

29. Sobbing: TEARFUL.

33. Refute: DENY.

35. Big bang letters: TNT.

37. Alabama civil rights march city: SELMA.  Selma, Alabama was a pivotal city in the civil rights actions of the 1960s.  The events were the subject of the 2014 movie, Selma.

38. UVA's athletic org.: ACC.  The University of Virginia is in the Atlantic Coast Conference in NCAA collegiate sports.

42. Special __: OPS.

43. Litter member: WHELP.

45. Part of a semicolon: DOT.

46. One of a deadly septet: LUST.  According to Christian theology, there are seven deadly sins.  They are: Avarice, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath.

47. "That's 100% true": NO DOUBT.

50. "__, Macduff": Shakespeare: LAY ON.  This quote can be found in Act 5, scene 8 of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth.  We've seen a lot of Willie the Shakes in the puzzles recently.

56. Green curry cuisine: THAI.  Yummers!

59. Maker of small kitchen gadgets: OXO.  This company makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

60. Witherspoon of "Legally Blonde": REESE.  In addition to acting, Reese Witherspoon (née Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon; b. Mar. 22, 1976) is an avid reader.  About 10 years ago, she started the Reese Witherspoon Reading Club.  Many of the books she selects become bestsellers.

65. Male sheep: RAM.

66. Trojan War tale: ILIAD.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Trojan War.

67. City whose airport is named for 24-Across: DELHI.

Inside the Indira Gandhi International Airport

68. Stockholm-to-Helsinki dir.: ENE.  Traveling from Stockholm, Sweden to Helskini, Finland.  The Baltic Sea is in-between the two cities.

69. Book identifier: TITLE.

70. Basic skateboard jump: OLLIE.

71. Aykroyd of "Ghostbusters": DAN.  The original Ghostbusters movie came out over 40 years ago!  Dan Aykroyd (né Daniel Edward Aykroyd; b. July 1, 1952) portrayed one of the scientists out to find ghosts.

Down:

1. Native New Zealander: MAORI.  The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.  he Māori language is an official language of New Zealand, so signs are written in both English and Te Reo (the native language).

2. Torn asunder: RIVEN.

3. Joined a mosh pit: SLAM DANCED.

4. Apple on a teacher's desk, perhaps: MAC PRO.   Not the edible kind of apple.

5. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.  Muhammad Ali (né Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; Jan. 17, 1942 ~ June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist.  He is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

6. Gimlet liquor: GIN.  A brief history of the origin of Gin.

7. Muslim pilgrim's destination: MECCA.

8. Name as a successor: ANOINT.

9. Michigan in Chicago, e.g.: Abbr.: AVE.  A 13-stretch of Michigan Avenue in Chicago is known as the Magnificent Mile.  This portion of the avenue was known for high-end shopping, dining and luxury hotels.  

10. One who's long in the tooth?: VAMPIRE.

11. Pitiful interjection: ALAS.

12. High-protein bean: SOYA.  A brief history of the soy bean.

13. Bouncy gait: TROT.

19. Miami-__ County: DADE.  The CSI: Miami took place in Miami-Dade County.

21. Like an otter's fur: OILY.

25. Not on board with: ANTI-.  Like Anti-Freeze?  Not on board with Freezing!

26. Gp. after millennials: GEN-Z.

27. Door fastener: HASP.

30. Struggled to gain traction: FLOUNDERED.

31. Pros who cry "out" loud?: UMPS.

32. __-in first-out: LAST.

33. Start of the day: DAWN.

34. Sound return: ECHO.

36. Actor Danson: TED.  Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; b. Dec. 29, 1947) became a house hold name when he portrayed Sam Malone on Cheers.

39. Stimulus: SPUR.

40. Marketed: SOLD.

41. Snowbird ski resort state: UTAH.

44. Coherent: LOGICAL.

46. Premier seating area: LOGE.

48. Rapid growth period: BOOM.

49. Union suit?: TUXEDO.  Not sure I understand the connection here. 

51. Little terrier: YORKIE.  Cute pun.  The Yorkshire Terrier is known as a Yorkie.  They are adorable little dogs.

53. Prestigious prize with six categories: NOBEL.  Originally, there were only five categories for the Nobel Prize: Chemistry, Literature, Medicine, Peace and Physics.  The sixth category, which was added in 1968, is the officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. 

54. Lotus pose, for one: ASANA.

55. Southernmost nation on the Arabian Peninsula: YEMEN.

56. Ninny: TWIT.

57. Prefix with pad: HELI-.

58. Settled on a perch: ALIT.  A crossword staple.

62. Poem of homage: ODE.  Another crossword staple.

63. Bailiff's first word: ALL.

64. Greek letter X: CHI.

חתולה

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

   

Notes from C.C.:

1) Today we celebrate the 73rd birthday of our witty Chairman Moe (Chris). Here is a picture of Chris, his girlfriend Margaret, MM and MM's girlfriend Valerie. They met in August, 2023. Chris travels quite a bit every summer. Hope he can meet more of our blog regulars in the future. 

 

Margaret, Chris,  Joseph and Valerie

2) Happy 59th anniversary to the most loving couple: Husker Gary and his wife Joann. Here's a picture of us from 2014 when Gary attended a wedding here in Minnesota. 

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann

Monday December 1, 2025 Katherine Simonson

  

Welcome to December, everyone! sumdaze here with a truly SPECIAL episode of   <dramatic pause>   The Crossword Corner.

Theme:  

If you are wondering, "What's the deal with today's puzzle?", skip ahead with me to the reveal:  

58 Across. Snarky response to a boast, and what can be said about the ends of the answers to the starred clues?: ISN'T THAT SPECIAL.  

In other words, the ends of the themed clues fit the pattern SPECIAL _____.

Dana Carvey being snarky as The Church Lady on SNL 

Now let's see how this gimmick works on the themed answers: 

17 Across. *Belongings: PERSONAL EFFECTS.  

SPECIAL EFFECTS are illusions created for movies and television by props, camerawork, computer graphics, etc.  

an example of campy SFX in a movie

23 Across. *Grow, as a savings account: EARN INTEREST.  

A SPECIAL INTEREST group is a group of people or an organization seeking or receiving special advantages, typically through political lobbying.  

39 Across. *Gas station convenience store chain: CIRCLE K.  

SPECIAL K cereal has been around since 1955. It was the first cereal fortified with seven vitamins and iron.  

CIRCLE K and SPECIAL K

50 Across. *Philosophical concept concerning the moral code of the universe: NATURAL ORDER.  NATURAL ORDER is the orderly system comprising the physical universe and functioning according to natural (as distinguished from human or supernatural) laws.

A SPECIAL ORDER is a request for a customized item, like the one in this Burger King jingle from the 1970s:  

Hold the pickle. Hold the lettuce. SPECIAL ORDERs don't upset us.  🎵🎵

I really liked Katherine's theme set! Let's see what other SPECIAL sauce she put into today's grid:

Across:

1. South American capital city with a namesake legume: LIMA.  I did not know that they are the same LIMA. Get all the facts here.

5. Tells a white lie: FIBS.  

9. Resist authority: REBEL.

14. Many a North African: ARAB.

15. Foot or furlong: UNIT.  Both are UNITs of measure.

16. Fill with joy: ELATE.  OTOH, to fill with air is to "infLATE".

20. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN.  Very Important Person and SENator  

21. "Well, gosh!": GEE.  

22. Small talk: CHAT.  

28. Small caves: GROTTOS.  

Italy's Blue Grotto is along the Capri Coast.

29. South Korean capital: SEOUL.  12 Interesting Facts about Seoul (with pictures!)

32. Fires up, as an engine: REVS.  Listen for the engine REVS in the Shangri-Las' 1964 song, Leader of the Pack.   

33. Stair climber's aid: RAIL.  

36. Bert's "Sesame Street" roommate: ERNIE.  In this 2 min. video, Bert and Ernie remind us that we are all SPECIAL.  

38. Summer on the Riviera: ÉTÉ.  This is the French word for summer.  

It looks so Nice!

41. Compadre: PAL.

42. Body midsection: TORSO.

44. Headquarters: SEAT.  Think "County SEAT".

45. Minute __ orange juice: MAID.

46. "__ mio": classic Italian love song: O SOLE.  I have linked the Pavarotti version in previous blogs. Today I am opting for this 1967 jaunty instrumental version. (Details can be found in the video.)  

48. General unease: MALAISE.  Def.:  (noun) a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being.

53. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.

56. Forensic sci. specialty: CSI.  science and Crime Scene Investigation

57. Snatch: NAB.

64. Assumed name: ALIAS.

65. Equipment: GEAR.

66. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO.  I'll be there later this week.

67. "__ luck!": LOTSA.  This is informal speech for "lots of". It might not always be said with sincere intentions.

68. Best Comeback Athlete, e.g.: ESPY.  ESPN presents annual ESPY awards to athletes.

69. Whole bunch: SLEW.  There have been a SLEW of ESPY winners.  website

Down:

1. Once around the track: LAP.

2. Outrage: IRE.

3. Exploratory vehicles on the red planet: MARS ROVERS.  There have been six successful robotically operated MARS ROVERS. This 2 min. video presents a possible next generation MARS ROVER -- a tumbleweed rover. I'm a fan of biomimetic ideas! 

4. Removes (oneself): ABSENTS.  Def.:  (verb) to keep (oneself) away.

5. "Sounds like a good time!": FUN.  This was a FUN answer!

Here is the 2011 song, We Are Young by the band named FUN.  

6. Once __ lifetime: IN A.  

7. Hogwash: BILGE.  I only knew this word in connection to boats (BILGE pump).  

This is a screenshot from the Merriam-Webster website.

8. Cattle ranch animal: STEER.  

9. NBA official: REF.  

10. Qualified voter: ELECTOR.  Merriam-Webster gives us three definitions. The first relates to this clue and the third was niche so I thought I would include it for your entertainment.

Def. #1:  a person qualified to vote in an election.

Def. #3:   any of the German princes entitled to take part in choosing the Holy Roman Emperor.

11. "Brandenburg Concertos" composer: BACH.  Speaking of German noblemen...Johannes Sebastian Bach [1685-1750] presented the Brandenburg Concertos to one. It is a collection of six pieces given to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721. The original title translates to Six Concertos for several instruments. They are now known as the Brandenburg Concertos. You can listen to Concerto No. 3 by clicking the video below.  

12. Jazz vocalist James: ETTA.

13. "__ we forget": LEST.  

18. "I'm taking care of that": ON IT.

19. Add-on charges: FEES.  

23. White marsh bird: EGRET.  EGRETs are wading birds, closely related to herons. These clever birds have comb-like serrations on the edges of their middle claws which help them to preen feathers they cannot reach with their beaks.  this and more

24. Unimaginative retort: ARE, TOO.

25. Sushi seaweed: NORI.  

You can buy it in sheets, ready to roll.

26. Bygone Russian rulers: TSARS.

27. "__ and ye shall find": SEEK.  

30. Debt collector's target: UNPAID BILL.

31. Be a go-between: LIAISE.  Liaise rhymes with "ablaze". It is a back formation of "liaison". With all of those vowels, you probably already know it comes to us from French. 

34. Winter road hazard: ICE.

35. Alpaca kin: LLAMA.  I had lunch with this mama alpaca and her 2-day old cria when I was on my cycling vacation. Nancy, the owner of the farm, gave us a lovely tour. 

37. Respected leader: ELDER.

39. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.  sOdA  🠆  COLA

40. List-shortening abbr.: ET AL.

43. Hyundai sedans: SONATAS.  Hyundai has been making these mid-sized cars since 1985.  Wiki says it was named after the musical term. BTW, their SEAT is in SEOUL.

45. Salsa percussion pair: MARACAS.  

Is this Joe Manganiello?

47. Inscribe with acid: ETCH.

49. Unique: LONE.  

51. Factor in battery life: USAGE.

52. Ceremonial acts: RITES.

53. Money in Iran: RIAL.  We also had its anagram RAIL today. Furthermore, "Iran" and "RIAL" are 75% anagrams.

54. Norway home of the Munch Museum: OSLO.  The Munch Museum opened in 2021. It contains a staggering amount of Munch-related pieces. The building itself is also very interesting. Watch this 4:19 min. video to see what I mean.  

Note #1:  Try to spot the swimmer at 3:49 in the very bottom, left corner.

(I looked it up. In its warmest month, that water is 61°F.)

Note #2:  The sculpture in the water at 3:53 is She Lies.

55. Peevish state: SNIT.  Def.:  (noun) a state of agitation.

I would advise against accusing someone of being in a SNIT. If they were not already, they will likely be in a SNIT after your accusation.

59. Agcy. that x-rays bags: TSA.  agency and Transportation Security Administration

60. Sticky tree juice: SAP.

61. Snoop: PRY.

62. Stopped fasting: ATE.  In a way, we stop fasting every morning. The word breakfast comes to us from a Middle English phrase that means "to break one's fast; end abstinence from food".

63. Blue: LOW.  as in "sad"

The grid:  

Katherine's grid has 61 themed letters. Wow!

That's all for today. Have a great week, everyone!