Monday, April 20, 2026, Doug Peterson

Theme:  This is HUGE!

Constructor Doug Peterson has accomplished another tremendous feat, as revealed here:

63-Across. Finale that earns a standing ovation, and a feature of 17-, 24-, 38-, and 50-Across: BIG FINISH.  Each of the theme answers FINISHes with a synonym for BIG.

The other theme answers are:

17-Across. Piano studio instrument: BABY GRAND.

24-Across. Indulging in a luxurious existence: LIVING LARGE.

38-Across. Mascot on cans of peas and corn: JOLLY GREEN GIANT.

50-Across. NHL team in Salt Lake City: UTAH MAMMOTH.  This ice hockey team was created in 2024 -- not long enough ago for your sports-challenged blogger to have heard of it, but perpendicular entries in the grid were very helpful.

I racked my brain for additional phrases that would fit the pattern.  Can you think of a common, two or three word phrase that ends with a synonym for BIG?  I couldn't.  Doug Peterson thought of four of them, fit them into perfectly symmetrical spaces in his grid, and made one of them span the grid right in the middle.  Wow. 

Let's see what else Doug came up with to top off his colossal achievement.

Across:

1. Young men: LADS.

5. Add voice-over to: DUB.

8. Dark expression: SCOWL.

13. __ Puffs: chocolaty cereal: OREO.  Here's a new clue for crosswords' favorite cookie.  I never heard of the cereal.  Please don't tell my grandchildren about it.

14. Atlas section: ASIA.

16. "Star Trek" role for Nichelle Nichols: UHURA.

Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura

17. [Theme clue]

19. Tag call: NOT IT.

20. Gain possession of: OBTAIN.

21. Yahtzee cube: DIE.  Singular form of "dice."

23. Apartment payment: RENT.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Word before planning or sale: ESTATE.  If you have anything of value that you'd like to leave to your heirs or to charity, consider having an attorney create a trust for you!  It will cost you something, but nothing compared to what your heirs will spend on probate attorneys -- and the years they will invest in the process -- if you leave only a will.  If you have a legal trust, the transfer to your heirs is almost immediate and does not involve the courts.  I see the difference in my work all the time.

30. Young women: GALS.

31. Three, in Germany: DREI.

32. Printer brand: EPSON.

35. Liveliness: PEP.

38. [Theme clue]

42. NNW reversal: SSE.  Opposite points on the compass.

43. Borden spokescow: ELSIE.  The Borden Company was established in 1857.  Its dairy subsidiary has gone through many changes of ownership, and even bankruptcy in 2020.  Poor Elsie!  Created in 1936, the old gal once had a husband, Elmer the Bull, but he went off to be the mascot for Elmer's Glue under Borden's chemical division.  True story!

Elsie and Elmer grilling beef (!) in the good old days

44. CBS military series in its 23rd season: NCIS.  NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a military police procedural television series.  23 seasons, and I've never seen an episode!  Any fans here?

45. Body part with a bridge: NOSE.  The nasal bridge is the elevated region of the nose between and just below the eyes. It is formed by two small, oblong bones, which meet in the middle.

The "bridge" is indicated at top as "Nasal bone."

47. __ on: added hastily: TACKED.

50. [Theme clue]

54. Gym pads: MATS.

55. Extinct New Zealand bird: MOA.  Do you remember this from a Monday puzzle in February?  Moa are an extinct group of flightless birds formerly endemic to New Zealand.  There were likely a couple million of them circa 1300 CE when Polynesians settled New Zealand.  Some species were 12 feet tall!  Extinction occurred within 100 years of human settlement, thanks to overhunting.

Moa and human nemesis

56. Bit of fridge decor: MAGNET.

61. "I knew it all __!": ALONG.

63. [Theme clue]

65. Fable lesson: MORAL.

66. __ gin fizz: SLOE.  Shake with ice: 1.5 oz sloe gin (gin infused with blackthorn fruits, i.e. sloes), 1 oz lemon juice, and 0.75 oz simple syrup.  Strain into glass filled with fresh ice.  Top with club soda and stir gently.

67. Midrange voice: ALTO.

68. Motivation for a project, in hashtags: INSPO.  "Inspo" is an informal abbreviation for "inspiration," used on social media to describe motivating ideas, visual references, or creative concepts in fashion, lifestyle, and design. 

69. Canonized Fr. woman: STE.  The abbreviation for Sainte, which is feminine for Saint in French.  For example, the woman we call St. Joan of Arc is called Ste Jeanne d'Arc in her homeland of France.

70. Have on: WEAR.  And just as importantly ...

Down:

1. Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca: LOBO.  Rebecca Lobo-Rushin is a television basketball analyst and former professional women's basketball player in the WNBA from 1997 to 2003.  I did not know (DNK) this, and it gave me a rough start in the northwest part of the puzzle.

Try to identify the former professional basketball player.

2. Many a Syrian: ARAB.

3. Balance owed: DEBT.

4. Bean used to make tofu: SOYA.

5. "Well, shoot!": DARN IT.

6. Alysa Liu's Olympic team: Abbr.: USA.  Alysa Liu, an American figure skater, is the 2026 Olympic champion in both women's singles and in the team event, the 2025 World champion, the 2022 World bronze medalist, the 2025–26 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time Grand Prix medalist, a four-time Challenger Series champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion.

Alysa Liu at the recent winter Olympics

7. Bright forehead adornment: BINDI.  A bindi is a decorative dot or jewel worn on the forehead, representing the "third eye" in Hindu and Indian culture.

Woman wearing a bindi.

8. Star that warms Mars: SUN.

9. Written for group singing: CHORAL.

10. Vast cosmic expanse: OUTER SPACE.

11. Squeeze dry: WRING.

12. Milky coffee order: LATTE.

15. Possible score after deuce: AD IN.  Tennis scoring!  

     0 points = Love

     1 point = 15

     2 points = 30

     3 points = 40

     Tied score = All

     40-40 = Deuce

     Server wins deuce point = Ad-In

     Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out

18. __ monster: Arizona lizard: GILA.  The Gila monster is a venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, slow-moving reptile, up to 22 inches long, and is the only venomous lizard native to the United States.

Gila monster

22. Actively encourage: EGG ON.

25. Swerves sharply: VEERS.

26. "Auld __ Syne": LANG.

27. Greek Cupid: EROS.

28. Devoted fans of singer/actress Gomez: SELENATORS.  This I did not know (DNK in the comments section), but I do know Selena Gomez, especially from Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building," so it wasn't too hard to fill.

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez

29. Up to, briefly: TIL.

31. Some radio personalities: DJS.

33. Shar-__: PEI.  The Shar Pei dog breed nearly became extinct in the 20th century due to cultural changes in China.  In 1978, it was named by The Guinness Book of Records as the world's rarest breed, with only 60 remaining.  The publicity led to demand in the United States.  Breeders in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan crossed the Shar Pei with bull terriers, pugs, and bulldogs, and passed them off to American buyers as purebred.  The American Kennel Club now recognizes the Shar Pei, but with the fleshier appearance of the cross breeds.  The original type of Shar Pei is still down to 50 to 100 dogs.

Chinese "bone mouth" Shar Pei on the left, American "meat mouth" Shar Pei on the right.

34. Deal with: SEE TO.

36. City in northern Oklahoma: ENID.

37. Scoreboard nos.: PTS.

39. Quaint affirmative: YES'M.  "Yes'm" is a contraction of "yes ma'am," used as a polite, often regional (Southern US) or dated, affirmative response to a woman.  Like "Yessir," but for the ladies.

40. Sparkle: GLEAM.

41. Printmaker's fluid: INK.

46. Slangy "Touché!": OH SNAP.

48. Charge for using a card: ATM FEE.

49. Spiced tea from India: CHAI.

50. So-called "fifth taste": UMAMI.

51. Owl's claw: TALON.

52. Crowds around, as a celebrity: MOBS.  In our neighborhood, the big excitement is when a group of crows MOBS a hawk.  They don't want a selfie or a signature.  They want the hawk out of the neighborhood, so it won't eat their eggs or nestlings.  Mockingbirds MOB the crows for the same reason.  I was anti-crow until I saw them mobbing hawks.  Hawks eat songbirds, including the tired migrant birds that come to our yard twice a year, on their way from colder climes to warmer, and back the other way.  Hawks have to eat, too, but you know, Not In My Back Yard.

Crows mobbing a hawk.

53. Stamps and sends: MAILS.

57. Nibble (on): GNAW.

58. Khartoum's river: NILE.  Khartoum is the capital of Sudan, upriver on the Nile from Egypt.

The red flag marks Khartoum.

59. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTÁ.  "How are you?" (formal) in Spanish.

60. Marvel's hammer thrower: THOR.

62. Day-__ paint: GLO.

64. Comprehended: GOT.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did this puzzle GNAW at you, causing you to WRING your hands and SCOWL?

Or did it put PEP in your step, and a GLEAM in your eye, on the way to a BIG FINISH?

Maybe we can take some INSPO from your experience.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, April 13, 2026, Pranav Daryanani

Theme:  NEWS FLASH!

Here's big news:  This appears to be Pranav Daryanani's first published crossword puzzle.  If so, congratulations!  It's perfect for Monday, fast and fun but with some fresh fill.  I didn't see the theme until the big reveal:

54-Across. "This just in!," or what 20-, 33-, and 40-Across are doing?: BREAKING NEWS.  Oh, I get it!  In the theme entries, the word NEWS is broken so that NE occurs at the beginning of the answer, and WS occurs at the end.  Here are the theme entries:

20-Across. "Bridgerton" and "Stranger Things," for two: NETFLIX SHOWS.

33-Across. Cushions for napping on long flights: NECK PILLOWS.

40-Across. Statutes that attempt to ensure a carbon-neutral future: NET-ZERO LAWS.

Yours truly enjoys this sort of theme.  It's not just about BREAKING a word, but revealing it in a way that is a clever play on words ... literally, BREAKING "NEWS."  Hats off to Pranav.

Let's see what else our NEW constructor has in store for us.

Across:

1. Mischief-makers: IMPS.  An imp is a small evil spirit, or a mischievous child.

5. Cauliflower unit: HEAD.  I like to buy cauliflower HEADs of different colors at the local farmers market, cut them up, rub them with olive oil and black pepper, and roast them in the oven on high heat until fork tender.  Delicious as a side dish, or as the basis for cauliflower tacos.

9. "I __ Feeling": Black Eyed Peas hit: GOTTA.  "I Gotta Feeling" is a song by the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. (2009).  Bet you'll recognize the refrain.

14. Biblical ark maker: NOAH.

15. Ivy that was the first U.S. school to issue a Ph.D.: YALE.  The eight members of the Ivy League are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

16. Barcelona bills: EUROS.  Barcelona is in Spain, which is part of the European Union, and uses banknotes or "bills" in Euros, in these denominations:  €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, and €500.  Single Euros exist only as coins.

17. Killer whale: ORCA.

18. "Journeys" that involve emotional manipulation: GUILT TRIPS.  Cute clue!

20. [Theme clue]

22. Shoe front: TOE.

23. Watch display: TIME.

24. Letters between names: AKA.  Also Known As.  On Thursdays, we sometimes hear about a smart lady called RightBrain AKA Mrs. RustyBrain.

27. Vegas venue: CASINO.  Have you seen any shows in Las Vegas?

30. Sparks happiness in: ELATES.

32. Groovy: FAB.

33. [Theme clue]

36. Historic chapters: ERAS.

38. Sombrero, e.g.: HAT.

39. Sticky strip: TAPE.

40. [Theme clue]

45. "Park it!": SIT.

46. Split: CLEAVE.  Cleave is a great verb, with two opposing meanings:

      1.   to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly -- as in "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)

      2.  to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : split ; to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views.

      Keep CLEAVE in mind for clues like "cling together"!

47. Military gesture: SALUTE.

49. Overhead trains: ELS.  Elevated trains, often called "Els" or "L trains," are rapid transit systems with tracks built above street level on elevated structures.  DH and I were fascinated to see these in Chicago.

Chicago "L train"

50. Shade trees with oval leaves: ELMS.  Oval leaves?  Sure, I guess -- compared to maple leaves.  Anyway, crossword "shade trees" are usually ELMS.

53. Dipping bread: SOP.  This reviewer is familiar with the verb (to dip in liquid), but -- breaking news! -- has just learned the noun, a piece of food dipped in a liquid.

54. [Theme clue]

59. Magic or ventriloquism performance, say: VARIETY ACT.  A variety act is a short, specialized performance -- such as juggling, magic, comedy, ventriloquism, or acrobatics -- featured within a larger, mixed-entertainment show. 

62. Misses the mark: ERRS.

63. Radiates: EMITS.

64. Tiny unit of matter: ATOM.

65. Marvel-ous mutants?: X-MEN.  The X-Men are a superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

X-Men

66. Land near 41-Down: TIBET.  "Land" as in "country."

67. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.

It was nice of this Nene on the Big Island to come close for a portrait.

68. Sun-kissed shades: TANS.

Down:

1. Aware of, as a secret: IN ON.

2. "Encore!": MORE.  Literally, "again" in French.  Audiences in English speaking countries yell "Encore!" to mean "More!"  French audiences shout "Bis!" (meaning "twice" or "repeat") or "Une autre!" (another one).

3. Treaty: PACT.

4. Mine passages: SHAFTS.

5. Personal cleanliness: HYGIENE.  Easier to say than to spell!  Hi, Jinx!

6. Waters, in French: EAUX.  Literally, "waters" in French.  The singular is "eau."

7. Sought-after party guests: A-LIST.

8. New __, India: DELHI.  Delhi is a metropolitan region encompassing Old Delhi and surrounding areas. New Delhi is a specific, modern district within Delhi that serves as the capital of India.

9. Message on a hospital bouquet: GET WELL.

This can be a mood booster!

10. For us: OURS.

11. Prefix with -ceratops: TRI.  Triceratops means "three-horned face."

12. Tee or polo: TOP.  TOP meaning "shirt."

13. Braying animal: ASS.

19. Marisa of "Spider-Man: No Way Home": TOMEI.

Marisa Tomei played Aunt May

21. Pork cut: LOIN.

24. Words for raising spirits?: A TOAST.

25. Collectible doll with the same name as a Japanese mayonnaise brand: KEWPIE.  This reviewer never heard of Kewpie mayo (sounds delish, actually), but knows Kewpie dolls.  Our youngest grandchild looks just like a Kewpie doll, but his millenial parents don't know what that is.

Kewpie mayo and Kewpie doll

26. Thing of value: ASSET.

27. "The Office" star Steve: CARELL.  Steve Carell starred as Michael Scott in NBC's mockumentary comedy The Office for seven seasons, 2005–2011, and 2013.  Great show.  

Steve Carell in The Office

28. Wanes: ABATES.

29. Spanish eight: OCHO.

31. PC key near Z: ALT.  I'm glad they don't ask me about Mac keyboards.

32. Backyard border: FENCE.

34. Actor Penn: KAL.  Kalpen Modi, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration.  He is known for his portrayals of Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar film series, Lawrence Kutner on the television program House, White House staffer Seth Wright on Designated Survivor, and Kevin, a psychologist and boyfriend to Robin in How I Met Your Mother.

Kal Penn

35. School support gps.: PTAs.  Parent Teacher Associations.

37. Kendrick Lamar's "All the Stars" collaborator: SZA.  "All the Stars" is a song by rapper Kendrick Lamar and singer SZA, released in 2018 as the lead single to the soundtrack album of the film Black Panther.  I'm not up to date with pop music, so this was NEWS to me.

41. Only mountain taller than K2: EVEREST.  Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on earth in terms of altitude, 29,032 feet above sea level.  K2, also known as Mount Godwin-Austen, at 28,251 feet above sea level, is the second tallest.  K2 is considered more difficult and dangerous to climb.

42. Rent out again: RELET.

43. "Someone else did this!": WASN'T ME.

44. Tedious assignment: SLOG.

48. First in line: UP NEXT.

51. Like Chichén Itzá: MAYAN.

Very cool pre-Columbian site in Yucatán State, Mexico.

52. Use an ice rink or a roller rink: SKATE.

54. Chomp: BITE.

55. Cultural legend: ICON.

56. Humorist Bombeck: ERMA.  Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) wrote a syndicated newspaper humor column from 1965 to 1996, describing Ameican suburban home life .  It was pretty great, and very popular.  She suffered from kidney disease most of her life, requiring daily dialysis, and disclosed it only three years before her death.

Erma Bombeck

57. Small songbird: WREN.

58. Govt.-issued IDs: SSNs.

59. Doc who might implant a microchip: VET.  Doc is short for doctor; VET is short for veterinarian.

60. Mate, in Marseille: AMI.  French for "friend."

61. Tease playfully: RIB.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Were you on the FENCE about this puzzle?  Was it a struggle akin to climbing EVEREST?

Or was it the sort of grid that ELATES you, with a VARIETY of fill that allowed you to SKATE to the finish?

Let us IN ON your thoughts in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, April 6, 2026, Jodi Davenport

Theme:  Warm words.

What do I care how much it may storm?
I've got crosswords to keep me warm.

Constructor Jodi Davenport makes sure we're keeping cozy by finding warm garments hidden at the FRONTS of familiar phrases in the long answers.

The big reveal occurs here:

59-Across. Zones of air that bring less chilly weather, or what 17-, 23-, 38-, and 49-Across all have: WARM FRONTS.  A warm front is the leading edge of an advancing warmer air mass that overrides a retreating colder air mass.  But in the style of crossword themes, the clue suggests we look for something WARM at the FRONTS (or beginnings) of the listed entries.

17-Across. Manhattan thoroughfare known for ritzy residences: PARK AVENUE.  PARKA.

23-Across. Endure a book just to write a scathing review, perhaps: HATE READ.  HAT.

38-Across. Personal stakes: VESTED INTERESTS.  VEST.

49-Across. Brian De Palma crime classic starring Al Pacino: SCAR FACE.  SCARF.

That was a nice warm-up exercise!  Now for the heavy lifting.

Across:

1. Canvas camping structures: TENTS.

6. Open just a crack: AJAR.

10. Twinge of hunger: PANG.

14. Ferret kin: STOAT.  In winter, a stoat's brown coat turns white, and the white version of the animal is called an ermine.  Weird, huh?  Stoats and ferrets are closely related members of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, otters, and badgers. 

Stoat                                    Ermine

  

15. Misplaced: LOST.

16. Febreze target: ODOR.  Testing your knowledge of home air and fabric fresheners.  

I would try washing up first, and then opening a window.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Roused: WOKE.

20. Nobel-winning Mother: TERESA.  Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was a Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in India.  As of 2012, the group was operating in 133 countries, with more than 4,500 nuns serving victims of AIDS, leprosy, and tuberculosis, as well as running soup kitchens, clinics, orphanages, and schools.  Their mission is free service to the poorest of the poor.

Mother Teresa

21. Giving ghostly vibes: EERIE.

22. Scold: CHIDE.

23. [Theme clue]

26. Coffee, in slang: JOE.  Gotta love the way this clue intersects with 26-Down -- same clue, different answer.  Some of our regular readers call that a "clecho" for "clue echo."

27. Paris's __ de Triomphe: ARC.

29. Big name in video streaming: ROKU.  Roku is a popular streaming platform that brings TV shows, movies, and live TV to your television via the internet. It functions through dedicated streaming players, sticks, or as an operating system built into smart TVs.

30. Nautical "Halt!": AVAST.  "Avast me hearties" is a classic pirate phrase meaning "stop/pay attention, my friends."

Speaking pirate is efficient.

32. Legal claim placed on a house: LIEN.

34. Former Cubs slugger Sammy: SOSA.  Sammy Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder.  He played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs.  He hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history.  Sosa is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs.

Sammy Sosa

38. [Theme clue]

41. Not in support of: ANTI.

42. Egyptian cross: ANKH.  The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life."  It was a widespread decorative motif in ancient Egypt.  Copts (Egyptian Christians) adapted it as a variant of the Christian cross.  Western culture has adopted the ankh as a symbol of African cultural identity, neopagan belief systems, and goth subculture.

Ankh

43. Black-and-white whales: ORCAS.

44. Round flatbread: ROTI.

46. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT.  PC users press these three keys in combination to access the Task Manager.

48. Class with smocks: ART.

49. [Theme clue]

53. Chicago airport: O'HARE.

55. Cupid's partner on Santa's sleigh: COMET.

56. Shows again: RE-AIRS.

58. Passionate: AVID.

59. [Theme clue]

63. List of dishes: MENU.

64. Molecule part: ATOM.

65. Cause to chuckle: AMUSE.  Here, "cause" is used as a verb.

66. Stage accessory: PROP.

67. Count (on): RELY.

68. Curved cavalry sword: SABER.  My parents were antique hunters.  They thought it was a good idea to give my brother a civil war era saber and scabbard, which hung above his bed.  Luckily, he was a sane individual.

saber and scabbard

Down:

1. Common amt. of salt in a cookie recipe: TSP.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

2. GPS approximation: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival.

3. New England locale: NORTHEAST.  Tricky clue.  I thought the answer would be someplace in New England, but the answer has to do with where New England is within the United States.

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

4. George who played Sulu: TAKEI.  In the original Star Trek TV series, George Takei played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu.  Star Trek was noted for its portrayal of an integrated humanity of the future, with Sulu representing Asia.

George Takei as Sulu on Star Trek, 1966.

5. Sci-fi time standard: STARDATE.  A stardate is a fictional system of time measurement used in the TV series Star Trek.  It is impossible to convert stardates into equivalent calendar dates, especially since stardates were originally intended to avoid specifying exactly when Star Trek takes place.

6. Some pub pints: ALES.

7. Biblical man on the inside?: JONAH.  Jonah, as you recall, was inside a whale for a while.

8. Sun Devils sch.: ASU.  Arizona State University sports teams.

9. GPS display: RTE.  2-Down was a GPS approximation.  Now here we are with another GPS feature:  the display of a proposed RouTE.

10. One with advanced technical capabilities: POWER USER.  

11. Cherish: ADORE.

12. Finnish telecom giant: NOKIA.  My first mobile phone was a Nokia.

13. Avarice: GREED.

18. Change course suddenly: VEER.

21. Shriek of fear: EEK.

22. Group of witches: COVEN.

24. "Respect" singer Franklin: ARETHA.  Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist.  Regarded as the "Queen of Soul," she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.

Aretha Franklin, 1968

25. "Don't use that __ of voice with me!": TONE.

26. Coffee, in slang: JAVA.

28. Medical center: CLINIC.

31. Worked into a state: STIRRED UP.

33. Pen filler: INK.

35. Slight during awards season: OSCAR SNUB.  An Oscar snub occurs when a critically acclaimed film, actor, or director is overlooked and fails to receive an Academy Award nomination, despite widespread expectation, critical buzz, or recognition from previous industry awards.

36. Unblinking look: STARE.

37. Exec's helper: ASST.  An executive may get help from an assistant.

39. Component of cellphone plans: DATA.  Mobile (or cellular) data is internet connectivity delivered to your cellphone via a carrier's network, rather than via Wi-Fi.

40. Investment options with tax advantages: ROTH IRAS.  A Roth IRA offers tax advantages by allowing after-tax contributions to grow tax-free, with qualified withdrawals in retirement being completely tax-free.

45. O'er and o'er again: OFT.  Poesy!

47. Bread purchase: LOAF.

49. Rascal: SCAMP.

50. Put a blanket on, e.g.: COVER.

51. __ acids: protein components: AMINO.  Meat contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own -- but there are also vegetarian sources for those amino acids.  Soy, quinoa, and buckwheat are all complete proteins, as are eggs and dairy products. You can also combine incomplete proteins like rice and beans to get the full complement of amino acids.  Just sayin.

52. "The Thin Blue Line" documentarian Morris: ERROL.  Errol Morris is an American film director known for documentaries that investigate the belief systems of their subjects.  The Thin Blue Line exonerated an innocent man serving a life term for murder, who was universally believed to be guilty.

54. Fragrance: AROMA.

57. Television award: EMMY.

59. Tug-of-__: WAR.

60. Snacked on: ATE.

61. "The Waste Land" poet's monogram: TSE.  T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.  He was a leading figure of modernist poetry.  Who doesn't love The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?  

62. Knight's title in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms": SER.  A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a fantasy television series created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin. A prequel to Game of Thrones, it is an adaptation of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas.  The first season premiered on HBO in January 2026.  As in other Game of Thrones stories, knights are addressed as "Ser."

Egg and Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
This viewer looks forward to Season 2.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did this puzzle AMUSE you?  Did you ADORE it?

Or did you STARE at it, completely LOST?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ