Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Michael Hobin

Chop, Chop.  The first word of each theme answer describes a form of cutting.

3-Down. Yahtzee, craps, et al.: DICE GAMES.

9-Down. Mysterious designs in fields: CROP CIRCLES.

20-Down. Portable writing surface: CLIP BOARD.

23-Down. Fruit-filled breakfast treat: PRUNE DANISH.

And the unifier:

34-Down. On the next level, or what 3-, 9-, 20-, and 23-Down literally have: A CUT ABOVE.  Notice that each theme answer is in the Down position, thereby allowing that the "Cutting" word is "Above" the rest of the answer.

Here's the Grid:

Across:

1. "One last thing ... ": AND, ALSO ...

8. Gadget for a seafood chef: SCALER.  A fish scaler is a tool designed to remove inedible scales from fish while keeping the skin intact.  A good one will have a lid to contain the scales instead of making a mess on the table.

14. Chewy bits in some oatmeal cookies: RAISINS.  I would prefer chocolate chips in my cookies.

15. Estrogen, e.g.: HORMONE.

16. Noisy insects that emerge in summer: CICADAS.  There is a species of cicadas, known as periodical cicadas, that live underground for years, only to appear every 17-years, make loud noises, mate, then die.

17. Small crustaceans: ISOPODS.  Isopods are a diverse group of crustaceans, related to crabs and shrimp.  They have segmented bodies, a hard exoskeleton, and seven pairs of legs.  Some species can to roll into a ball for defense.  Not all isopods are small.  They can range in size from tiny to the giant deep-sea isopods, which can be over a foot long, and play important roles as scavengers in their ecosystems.

18. Luge, for one: SLED.

19. Get stuff ready for vacation: PACK UP.

21. Series of reps in the gym: SET.

22. Empty spaces: GAPS.

24. Sponged (off): LEECHED.

26. "__-ching!": CHA.

28. "Bohemian Rhapsody" Oscar winner Malek: RAMI.  Rami Said Malek (b. May 12, 1981) portrayed Queen lead singer, Freddie Mercury (né Farrokh Bulsara; Sept. 5, 1946 ~ Nov. 24, 1991), in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

30. "O Sole __": MIO.

31. Target: AIM.

32. Sch. that hosts the Sun Bowl: UTEP.  As in the University of Texas, El Paso.  Before becoming a part of the University of Texas System, the school, which was founded in 1913, was known as the   State School of Mines and Metallurgy.  Hence, the they are the Miners.

33. To-do list trip: ERRAND.

37. Fuss at the mirror: PREEN.

39. "Euphoria" cable network: HBO.  Home BoxOffice.

41. Chocolate source: CACAO.  Everything you ever wanted to know about cacao and chocolate but didn't know to ask.

42. Made a cozy home: NESTED.

44. Not written down, as a contract: ORAL.

46. Official who calls balls and strikes: UMP.

47. Laudatory poem: ODE.  These poems are crossword staples.

48. Ready, willing, and __: ABLE.

49. Driver's seat?: TEE.  Think golf.

50. Snack brand named for a Roman moon goddess: LUNA BAR.

53. Dept. of Labor div.: OSHA.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a federal agency that ensures safe working conditions by setting standards and enforcing them.

55. Equinox mo.: SEP.  Equinoxes occur twice a year, in March (around the 20th–21st) and September (around the 22nd–23rd).  The equinox marks when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal day and night lengths all around the world.

56. Fool around (with): NOODLE.

58. Kimono sashes: OBIs.

61. Consider anew: RE-THINK.

63. Seasonal quaffs: EGG NOGS.

65. Awakens: AROUSES.

66. Take revenge: GET EVEN.

67. Electronic keyboards, informally: SYNTHS.

68. Appetizer-size burgers: SLIDERS.

Down:

1. Rainbow shapes: ARCS.

2. Get just right: NAIL.

4. Carne __ tacos: steak dish: ASADA.  Yummers!  Carne asada is a Mexican dish of marinated, grilled, and thinly sliced beef.

5. Tupperware top: LID.  In the mid-1940s, Earl Tupper (July 28, 1907 ~ October. 5, 1983) came up with a flexible and airtight polyethylene plastic containers, famously featuring a "burping" lid. In the 1950s, Tupperware parties were all the vogue.  It was a kitchen staple when I was growing up.  I may still have some my mother's Tupperware pieces/

6. Gets short with: SNAPS AT.

7. Mount of Greek myth: OSSA.  While it may be associated with Greek mythology, Mount Ossa, is a real mountain in Thessaly, Greece. 

8. Offender's defiant challenge: SO SUE ME.

10. Concert device: AMP.

11. Start to change?: LOOSE.

12. Came to a stop: ENDED.

13. Sit for a spell: REST.

15. Long walk: HIKE.

25. Jewish wedding dance: HORA.

26. Crunch's rank in the cereal aisle: CAP'N.  Cap'n Crunch has been around since the early 1960s.

27. Fill a job opening: HIRE.

29. "It's alright, I suppose": MEH.

35. First entry on many a form: NAME.

36. Suss (out), informally: DOPE.

38. School attended by many English statesmen: ETON.  Prince William (b. June 21, 1982) and Eddie Redmayne (b. Jan. 6, 1982) were classmates at Eaton.

40. Poetic sphere: ORB.

43. Fillets, as a flounder: DEBONES.

45. Soothing balm for a sunburn: ALOE GEL.

50. Suspicious (of): LEERY.

51. "The Jungle" writer Sinclair: UPTON.  The Jungle is a novel that exposed the harsh realities of immigrant life and labor in Chicago's meatpacking industry.  The 1906 novel was instrumental in Congress passing the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.  Many books by Upton Sinclair (né Upton Beall Sinclair Jr.; b. Sept. 20, 1878 ~ Nov. 25, 1968) focused on social reform literature.  He was considered a muckraker journalist and political activist.  His novel Oil! is as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1926.

52. NASA go-aheads: A-OKs.  NASA gave Artemis II the go-ahead just last week.

54. Made sharper: HONED.

55. Sp. titles: SRAs.  Today's Spanish lesson.

57. Staying power: LEGS.

59. Disney CEO before D'Amaro: IGER.  Just last month, Josh D'Amaro (b. Feb. 10, 1971) became the CEO of Disney.  His predecessor was Robert Alan Iger (b. Feb. 10, 1951).  Interestingly, Bob Iger is exactly 20 years older than Josh D'Amaro.

60. Hyphenated personal IDs: SSNs.  As in Social Security Numbers.

62. Crude dwelling: HUT.

64. VW hatchback: GTI.  GTI stands Grand Touring Injection.  It refers to a performance-oriented, fuel-injected car, famously utilized by Volkswagen since the to signify a fast, practical "hot hatch" suitable for long-distance driving.

חתולה

Thursday January 15, 2026 Michael Hobin

Let's catch some Zs! 

Michael Hobin''s third LAT crossword uses an oversized 16x15 grid to accommodate four long themers plus a reveal.

39. "We're dressed the same!," or a phonetic feature of 18-, 25-, 51-, and 62-Across: TWINSIES. The homophone of the revealer is TWIN Zs, as in a pair of Zs, which all the themers have in common. Here's a pair of TWINSIES who also happen to be identical "cuzzins!"

18. Humvee or motor home, typically: GAS GUZZLER. Vehicles that get few miles-per-gallon, or even gallons-per-mile like this M1 Abrams tank driving through a neighborhood on its way to a gas station.

25. Cookies-and-cream Dairy Queen treats: OREO BLIZZARDS. Different sort of way to sneak our old fav OREO in to the puzzle, but I'll bet it tastes good!

51. Exciting points in time?: BUZZER BEATERS. These are successful last-second shots, usually in basketball, where the ball leaves the player's hands and time expires while it's traveling in the air.

62. Pi Day celebration, perhaps: PIZZA PARTY. Pi Day is March 14th, sometimes written 3.14, which happen to be the first three digits of the irrational number π. So, I guess PIZZA pies are in order (or on order!).

Pretty straightforward puzzle and all those Zs made for some interesting crosses without making me sleepy! Huzzah!

Across:

1. Pitiful cry: MEWL.

5. Treaty: PACT.

9. "__ the bag!": IT'S IN. Sometimes, these are "famous last words."

14. Many an April baby: ARIES. I'm an ARIES from late April in the cusp of Taurus, known as the Cusp of Power. I am all powerful! RightBrain says, "Great. Can you also unclog the sink?"

16. Dubliner's home: EIRE. EIRE is the Irish Gaelic name for Ireland.

17. Awaken: ROUSE. 

18. [theme]

20. Fruit in a fritter: APPLE. A fritter is a portion of meat, fruit or vegetables that have been battered and deep-fried. 

21. Caterer's heat source: STERNO.

22. Ace stat: ERA. An ace baseball pitcher has an Earned Run Average under 3.0. The league average is 4.50 based on the number of runs allowed during 9 innings, so the lower the better.

24. Listen to: HEED.

25. [theme]

29. Ski lodge drink: COCOA. Perfect for warming up après-ski.

32. Believes (in): HAS FAITH.

33. Golfer Jon who won the 2023 Masters Tournament: RAHM. Jon RAHM Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on the LIV Golf League. He also won the 2021 U.S. Open.

34. [Finger over lips]: SHH. 🤫

35. Capt. Kirk crewmate: LT. SULU. Captain is abbreviated, therefore Lieutenant is too. I just saw George Takei on the Star Trek float in the Rose Bowl Parade celebrating 60 years since the first voyage of the Starship Enterprise. It drizzled in Pasadena, so he deployed an old-fashioned force field to stay dry.

38. Sashimi choice: AHI. AHI tuna.

39. [theme]

42. Smith and Jones sci-fi film: MIB. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones play the main characters in the science fiction film Men In Black, Agent J and Agent K, respectively. They could've used the common aliases Smith and Jones instead. 

43. Ball State University city: MUNCIE.

45. NBC founder: RCA. The National Broadcasting Company established the Radio Corporation of America as a subsidiary in 1926.

46. Willing: GAME.

47. Huge storage unit: TERABYTE. I wonder how many TERABYTEs this huge storage unit could hold?

50. Patron: DONOR.

51. [theme]

54. Home to billions: ASIA. But New York City is home to the most billionaires.

55. Four-sided figs.: SQS. Squares are four sided figures.

56. Obviously a fan of needlework?: TATTED. Great misdirect meaning tattooed, playing on the use of needles in tatting, which is making lace.

60. Many new drivers: TEENS. Like 28D: Jeremy in ZITS.

62. [theme]

65. Egypt's Mubarak: HOSNI. HOSNI Mubarak was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011 and the 41st prime minister from 1981 to 1982. 

66. Meeting proposal: IDEA.

67. Nobility: ELITE.

68. Execution key: ENTER. 

69. Half a salad grabber: TONG. I initially wanted a fork or spoon.

70. Oath of old: EGAD.

Down:

1. Periodicals, briefly: MAGS. Remember when all magazines were printed?

2. The "E" of QED: ERAT. From the Latin phrase Quod ERAT Demonstrandum meaning "that which was to be demonstrated" or proven.

3. Learned: WISE.

4. First-class feature: LEGROOM. I enjoy extra LEGROOM on planes, but seatbacks that reline into "my" space are a buzzkill.

5. Treat from a dispenser: PEZ. It is estimated that over 1500 unique designs were made. Collect them all! 

6. Feel unwell: AIL.

7. Angler baskets: CREELS. Wicker baskets for carrying fish.

8. "Totes fab!": TERRIF. One bad slang leads to another...

9. Tax efficient fund, for short: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

10. Headgear for Jiminy Cricket and Scrooge McDuck: TOP HATS. Jiminy Cricket and Scrooge McDuck famously interact in Disney's Mickey's Christmas Carol, where Jiminy plays the Ghost of Christmas Past.

11. All-powerful: SUPERHUMAN. Me, as a result of being born during the Cusp of Power! Muahaha!!

12. Marooned, perhaps: ISLED. I never used this as a verb, and neither did Gilligan.

13. "Who __ them?": NEEDS. I do!

15. The Arkestra jazz band leader: SUN RA. SUN RA was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy and prolific output.

19. "Lioness" actress Saldaña: ZOE. The constructor needed someone with pizazz.

23. "Fancy" artist Iggy: AZALEA. And someone with frizzy hair.

26. Surprised greeting: OH HI.

27. German route: BAHN. Their AutoBAHN is equivalent to our interstate system, except some sections have no speed limit.

28. Comic strip about a high schooler: ZITS. ZITS centers on teenager Jeremy Duncan as he endures the insecurities, hormones and hilarity of adolescence.

29. Study feverishly: CRAM.

30. Honolulu locale: OAHU.

31. Most tacky and cheap: CHINTZIEST. It's definitely not snazzy!

34. Takes an oath: SWEARS.

36. Prom rental: LIMO. Prom is short for promenade while limousine is long for LIMO.

37. Company that succeeds by driving its customers away: UBER. Good one!

39. Hankook product: TIRE. Hankook is a major South Korean TIRE manufacturer.

40. Sp. miss: SRTA. A senorita is a Spanish miss.

41. "The Coldest Rap" rapper: ICE T.

44. "The Card Players" painter: CEZANNE. "The Card Players" is a series of five oil paintings by the French artist, one of which sold in 2011 for $250 million. Got any 5s?

46. Age badly, in a way: GO STALE.

48. Grill master's spot: BBQ PIT. A place to sizzle!

49. "That's true about me": YES I DO. I wanted YES IT IS.

50. Hang over: DRAPE.

51. Get into hot water: BATHE. Fun clue.

52. Apply to: USE ON.

53. GPS calculation: ETA. The Global Positioning System can provide an Estimated Time of Arrival.

57. Subj. where teachers go off on tangents?: TRIG. In the subject of TRIGonometry, the tangent function relates the angles and sides of a right-triangle, as seen in this simple diagram:

58. Blues Hall of Famer James: ETTA. 

59. Like the Chicago River on March 17: DYED. That's St. Patty's Day so I wanted "green," but it didn't fit. 

61. Round Table title: SIR.

63. __ garden: ZEN. A little Z word.

64. Take a turn?: ZAG. And a final Z.

The quizzing has ended. Were you dazzled, or did this fizzle? 

Be good. RB