Tuesday, July 7, 2026, Matthew Luter

  The best title for this puzzle would have to simply be the reveal, COME TOGETHER, because the circled letters spell COME as they slowly come together in each theme clue/answer.

20 Across. Question, as the opposing side's witness: CROSS EXAMINE.

34 Across. Settings that reinforce personal biases: ECHO CHAMBERS.

41 Across. Tool for monitoring blood sugar levels: GLUCOSE METER.

55 Across. Classic Beatles song, or an apt description of the progression of this puzzle's circles: COME TOGETHER.

Nothing as dubious as the above raccoon seems to be planning, just a well crafted puzzle from Matthew Luter. You can find his website here.

Across:
1. Baked desserts: PIES.

5. "Shoot!": DRAT.

9. Threaded fastener: SCREW.

14. Kendrick of "Pitch Perfect": ANNA. Name #1

15. Learning by memorization: ROTE.

16. Throw with effort: HEAVE.

17. A little naughty: RACY.

18. Big brass horn: TUBA.

19. Prodded: URGED.

20. [Theme]

23. Location of all but two NATO members: EUROPE.

24. Overly: TOO.

25. Covered in cinders: ASHY.

29. Cell service letters: LTE. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It is the standard 4G wireless technology that powers your mobile internet, streaming, and calls when you are not connected to Wi-Fi. It delivers fast, reliable data speeds that are significantly smoother than older 3G networks.

30. List-ending abbr.: ETC. (as long as we are explaining abbreviations:) Etc. stands for the Latin phrase et cetera, which translates literally to "and the rest" or "and other things" in English.

32. Giants legend Mays: WILLIE. Name #2

34. [Theme]

37. Breathe hard: PANT.

39. Language similar to Thai: LAO. I found this to be a rather nasty Natick when crossed with 31 down...

40. Fashioned: MADE.

41. [Theme]

44. Stop working: RETIRE.

45. Icarus, to Daedalus: SON.

46. The first "A" of Reddit's AMA: ASK. (AMA = ask me anything)

49. Landfill output: ODOR.

50. Some short albums: EPS. Extended Play, (I have never seen one...)

53. No longer surprised by: USED TO. (I would be surprised if I saw an EP Album...)

55. [Theme Reveal]

58. Was able to: COULD.

61. Comedian Trevor: NOAH. Name #3

62. "Take this": HERE. 

Used to the extreme in the Goes Wrong Show...

63. Possessed: OWNED.

64. Sushi seaweed: NORI.

65. Zone: AREA.

66. Trudges heavily: PLODS.

67. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

68. Element seen all over Las Vegas: NEON.

Down:
1. Package: PARCEL.

2. Bored by routine: IN A RUT.

3. "Do it again!": ENCORE.

4. Authorization: SAY SO.

5. The Electric Mayhem bandleader: DR. TEETH. Name #4

6. Common sauce base: ROUX.

How to Roux...

7. Facing the pitcher: AT BAT.

8. Spanish "I love you": TE AMO. (Te=you, Amo=I love)

9. Give the cold shoulder: SHUN.

10. Individually wrapped breakfast choice: CEREAL BAR.

11. Cleaning cloth: RAG.

12. Night of anticipation: EVE.

13. Hitched: WED.

21. Ronnie who sang lead on "Be My Baby": SPECTOR.  Name #5

22. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

26. Luge or skeleton: SLED.

27. Add to the staff: HIRE.

28. Desired response to a promposal: YES.

31. Kenneth of fashion: COLE. (The other half of a nasty Natick...)  Name #6

33. Gigantic: IMMENSE.

34. Surrounded: ENCIRCLED. Like today's theme letters...

35. Pic taker: CAM. I call foul on this one, as I wanted SLR... abbreviated picture = abbreviated camera? Meh...

36. Weeding tools: HOES.

37. Claimed no contest, maybe: PLED.

38. Prefix with correct or complete: AUTO.

41. Miracle-__: garden brand: GRO.

42. Appear to be: SEEM.

43. Difficult question: TOUGHIE.

46. Show some stick-to-itiveness?: ADHERE. 😀

47. Audiophile's system: STEREO.

48. Like BTS or bibimbap: KOREAN. (Either you know it, or you don't. Perps to the rescue...)

51. Tubular pasta: PENNE.

52. Perch at a pub: STOOL.

54. Hawke of "Before Sunrise": ETHAN. Name #7

56. Action figures?: ODDS. 😏

57. Rowboat pair: OARS.

58. Many a "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" character: COP.

59. Bird in Tootsie Pop ads: OWL.

60. Game with Reverse cards: UNO.

The Grid

Today's hasty review is brought to you from a hotel room in Bar Harbor, Maine. I am on vacation (sort of) and I spent most of my day here:

Jordan Pond

CE:D out...

ฅᨐฅ

Saturday, April 4, 2026, Matthew Luter

Saturday Themeless. by Matthew Luter

Dr. 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.

I got a great toehold in the NE, flew through the SE and then the SW and then the NW proved to be a swamp for this solver but I availed myself of a little help and got 'er done. Missing 1 Across for this NASA educator was a tough pill to swallow. There were some other fills in the NE that defeated me - MATT?, that Sister, RSS FEED? CLIOS as clued, A PLUS PLUS just seemed like green paint and that deodorant, really?. Yeah, I know, "It's a game not a test!!"

Across:

1. National Air and Space Museum relic: MOON ROCK - Houston, I had a problem, even with most of the letters filled. I went through all the vehicles I could think of but came up empty.

               

9. Coastal landmark: PIER.

13. "Better than perfect!": A PLUS PLUS - 🤨 I remember Mrs. Thomsen telling us sophomores that nothing can be better than perfect and I agree. Other non-comparable adjectives - Unique, Flawless, Ultimate...

15. Top spot: ACME.

16. 1990s deodorant brand whose name inspired a Nirvana song: TEEN SPIRIT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Ain't no way.

18. Harvest: REAP.

19. Cardinal pts.?: TDS - The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL not compass points. 😀

20. Helper in a Cinderella story: FOOTMAN.

22. Game cube: DIE.

23. Detective Monaghan in Laura Lippman novels: TESS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

24. Target that may have chalk marks: CUE BALL 😀

26. "Seconded": I AGREE.

29. Tam pattern: TARTAN.

30. Short strings?: STRAD - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My learned Lincoln friend Dr. Fred Ohles told me, STRAD is a common shortening among musicians for violins and violas made in Italy between about 1670 and 1730 by Antonio Stradivari and other members of his family. Highly prized, more than 600 of them are still being played today. 

31. Part of a security check: VIRUS SCAN.

34. Tabloid duo: ITEM.

35. Sunders: RENDS - The more familiar use of that word is, "What God hath joined together, Let no man put asunder."

36. Extremely dry: SERE.

37. Crunchy legumes: SNAP BEANS.

39. "The Sound of Music" heroine: MARIA - A 4. Sister: NUN of whom the other sisters sang "How do you solve a problem like MARIA?"

40. With no sense of urgency: SLOWLY.

41. Seiko brand: PULSAR - PULSAR is not the same brand as Seiko, but they are closely related as Pulsar is a subsidiary brand owned and produced by Seiko Watch Corporation. 

42. Future maple syrup: TREE SAP.

44. Symbol on a staff: NOTE.

45. Call the shots?: REF.

46. Maker of Scribble Scrubbie Pets products: CRAYOLA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

48. Low digit: ONE.

51. O'Keeffe flower: IRIS.

53. Water park?: DROP ANCHOR 😀 - Loved this one!

55. Remedy: CURE.

56. Final novel of Willa Cather's "Prairie" trilogy: MY ANTONIA - Nebraska's most famous author

57. Joint with crossed cruciate ligaments: KNEE.

58. "The Great Gatsby" term of endearment: OLD SPORT - Leo DiCaprio uses the phrase 55 times in the movie.

Down: 

1. Actor Bomer: MATT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Due to his uncanny resemblance, MATT was selected to play Montgomery Clift in an HBO biopic but it was never made.

2. Page full of takes: OP-ED 😀 All right, this was really fun once I saw it was about the takes various people have on topics. 

3. La Liga cheers: OLES - La Liga translates to The League in Spain which has 20 soccer teams.

5. Source of some updates: RSS FEED ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based format that allows users to automatically receive updates from websites, blogs, and podcasts without visiting each site individually

. You're welcome.

6. Antagonize: OPPOSE.

7. Perks of big promotions, maybe?: CLIOS - A CLIO Award is the perk for big ads or promotions.

8. Cobain of Nirvana: KURT.

9. Course standard: PAR.

10. Winter Olympics pairs: ICE DANCERS.

11. "Inbox zero" obstacle: E-MAIL - More if you must know

12. Ward off: REPEL.

14. Some chip holders: SIM CARDS - Where we frequently encounter them

17. Sign of spring: TAURUS - It appears CROCUS was wrong.

21. Clears: NETS.

23. Stomp all over: TRAMPLE -  No aliens necessary for crop circles. 

25. Beer whose logo was the U.K.'s first registered trademark: BASS ALE - 1876

26. Goddess of the Great Ennead: ISIS - If you must know...

27. Abbr. on a memo: ATTN.

28. Serious cooking mishap: GREASE FIRE - Don't use water to extinguish it!

29. Like cheap speakers: TINNY.

31. Italian entree, familiarly: VEAL PARM.

32. Covent Garden solo: ARIA - 

The Royal Opera House is located on 

Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

33. At hand: NEAR.

35. Poster heading: REWARD - The territory of New Mexico paid Sheriff Pat Garrett the bounty for killing William Bonney.

38. Pear variety: BOSC.

39. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters attendees: MUTANTS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

 is a fictional, private educational institution in the Marvel universe founded by Professor Charles Xavier to train young mutants to control their powers and live in harmony with humans. You're welcome.

41. Marie Curie's homeland: POLAND.

42. Take in: TRICK.

43. Many an episode on MeTV: RERUN - Desi Arnaz insisted I Love Lucy use 35mm film instead of using crude kinescopes so the episodes could be rerun.

44. Pad in Mexican cuisine: NOPAL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

47. Ma who founded the arts organization Silkroad: YOYO.

48. "This can't be good!": OH NO - Mr. Bill and his catchphrase first appeared on SNL 50 years ago

49. Cain genre: NOIR ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  His novels became the source for many film NOIRS.

50. Basic Latin verb: ERAT - We often see "Quod ERAT demonstrandum." (Which was to be demonstrated). 

52. Last word of the first verse of "Amazing Grace": SEE - ...was blind but now I SEE

54. Procedural figure: COP - 

A 

police procedural is a sub-genre of crime fiction focusing on realistic, team-based investigations—including detectives, forensics, and patrol officers—rather than a single hero. 

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Geoffrey Schorkoph and Matthew Luter

Odds or Evens?

20-Across. Road trip activity with yes or no answers: TWENTY QUESTIONS.

34-Across. Uno's predecessor: CRAZY EIGHTS.

41-Across. Hasbro product with yellow and red checkers: CONNECT FOUR.

And the unifier:

51-Across. "You must consider the odds," and what can be said about 20-, 34-, or 41-Across?: IT'S A NUMBERS GAME.  Consider the Odds that all the Games have Even Numbers.

Across:

1. Sleight of hand: MAGIC.

6. Film trivia site: IMDB.  As in Internet Movie DataBase.  It's useful when you recognize an actor's face, but can't think of his name.

10. __ golf: DISC.  I'll let the golfers among us describe this sport.

14. Best Picture Oscar winner starring Mikey Madison: ANORA.  Anora is a romantic comedy-drama about a young girl from Brooklyn who meets and marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch.  His parent's aren't amused.

 

15. Nurture: REAR.

16. Machu Picchu builder: INCA.  Machu Picchu is an Incan city set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned.  It is known renowned for its dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar and panoramic views.   It is truly breathtaking.  If you have an opportunity to visit the site, I highly recommend it.

17. Played on TV again: RERAN.

18. Years, in Latin: ANNI.  Anno is singular; Anni is plural.

19. Aussie greeting: G'DAY.  We learned about Australian greetings a couple of weeks ago.

23. Fashion designer Anna: SUI.  Anna Sui (b. Aug. 4, 1955) was a big name in fashion in the early aughts.

24. Low-carb diet: KETO.  Keto is short for ketogenic, a diet designed to induce ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.

25. Bona fide: ACTUAL.  More of today's Latin lesson.  It literally means In Good Faith.

29. On a cruise ship, maybe: ASEA.

31. Glamping options, for short: RVs.

36. Butter unit: PAT.

37. Saintly ring of light: HALO.

38. "Hamilton" actress Phillipa: SOO.  Philippa Anne Soo (b. May 31, 1990) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She is best known for her role as Eliza Hamilton in the original Broadway musical Hamilton.

39. The Big Easy, for short: NOLA.  As in New Orleans, Louisiana.

40. Mother of 41-Down: EVE.  //  41-Down. Genesis brother: CAIN.

45. Lair: DEN.

46. Like some limited-release films: ARTY.

47. Hoot and __: HOLLER.

48. Bed size: TWIN.  Back in the olden days, married couples slept in twin beds.

50. Buddy: PAL.

59. __ scale: measure of mineral hardness: MOHS.  The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs (né Carl Friedrich Christian Mohs; Jan. 29, 1883 ~ Sept. 29, 1839), a German chemist.

60. Beat handily: ROUT.

61. Language of Sri Lanka: TAMIL.  Sri Lanka is the island country off the tip of India.

62. Item on a stage manager's checklist: PROP.

63. Ilk: SORT.

64. Pizzeria appliances: OVENS.

65. Participates in a bee: SEWS.

66. Tense and irritable: EDGY.

67. Gossipy person: YENTA.

Down:

1. Bodega: MART.

2. From the top: ANEW.  A crossword staple.

3. 1990s vice president: GORE.  Before he became the 45th Vice President, Al Gore (né Albert Arnold Gore Jr.; b. Mar. 31, 1948) served as a United States Senator from Tennessee.

4. Tehran's country: IRAN.  I think this country has been in the news recently.  Did any of you watch the television show Tehran that is on Apple TV?

5. "Who knows": CAN'T SAY.

6. Baghdad citizen: IRAQI.

7. Array of course offerings?: MENU.

8. Great __: big dog: DANE.

9. Staple of Texas barbecue: BRISKET.  Yummers!

10. Finger or toe: DIGIT.

11. Splashy hotel amenity?: INDOOR POOL.

12. Read a barcode: SCAN.

13. Tropical islets: CAYS.  Everything you ever wanted to know about Cays, but didn't know to ask.

21. Christmas season: YULE.

Christmas in July.

22. Brews enjoyed with scones: TEAS.

25. Felt a workout: ACHED.

26. Hunger for: CRAVE.

27. Amateur production: TALENT SHOW.

28. "The Residence" star Aduba: UZO.  I am not familiar with either The Residence or Uzo Aduba (née Uzoamaka Nwanneka "Uzo" Aduba; b. Feb. 10, 1981).  She is probably best known for her portrayal of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Orange Is the New Black.

29. Torment: AGONY.

30. "If the __ fits ... ": SHOE.

32. Regard highly: VALUE.

33. Ringo of the Beatles: STARR.

35. "This __ about you": ISN'T.

39. Gp. that sets a zebra among the Lions?: NFL.  The zebras here are the referees.

42. Surgical asst.: OR NURSE.

43. Blacken, as a steak: CHAR.

44. "Anna Karenina" novelist: TOLSTOY.  Leo Tolstoy (Sept. 9, 1828 ~ Nov. 20, 1910) published Anna Karenina as a novel in 1878.  It had initially been released in serial increments between 1875 and 1877.  You can read it here.

49. Builders of papery nests: WASPS.

50. Like one who holds grudges: PETTY.

51. Rascals: IMPS.

52. Ripped: TORE.

beyond torn.

53. Word before ring or swing: MOOD.

54. Town: BURG.

55. Donated: GAVE.

56. Blessing ender: AMEN.

57. Julep herb: MINT.  Yummers!

58. Disney princess with icy powers: ELSA.  A reference to Frozen.

That's all for this week.

חתולה