Monday, September 28, 2026, Hoang-Kim Vu

  Theme: Words of Support.

17 Across. Words of support from an abacus?: YOU CAN COUNT ON ME.

29 Across. Words of support from a rideshare driver?: I'M HERE FOR YOU.

45 Across. Words of support from a crossbody bag?: I'M ON YOUR SIDE.

No!

Yes!

57 Across. Words of support from a broken elevator?: I WON'T LET YOU DOWN.

How the elevator got broken...

CE:D here, filling in. I don't know why all my cartoons seem so down in this fun, uplifting puzzle. Maybe because it's Monday... Hurry back NaomiZ! We need you to cheer us up!

Onward!

Across:
1. Game, __, match: SET.

4. Piece of cake: CINCH. Or, easy as pie! Use Granny Smiths!

9. Granny Smith, for one: APPLE.

14. The "A" of ETA: Abbr.: ARR. (Estimated Time of Arrival.)

15. Spanish form of Paul: PABLO.

16. "Get out of town!": NO WAY.

17. [Theme.]

20. Brainstorming outputs: IDEAS.

21. Epitome of slowness: SNAIL. Not Sloth?

22. Six years for a U.S. Senator, e.g.: TERM.

23. __ Arabia: SAUDI.

25. Pre-K basics: ABCS.

29. [Theme.]

32. Santa __, California: ANA.

35. Used a pair of sculls, say: OARED. More info here...

36. Chutzpah: NERVE.

37. Out that gets a runner home, for short: SAC FLY. Sacrifice Fly Ball.

39. Like some evening gowns: BEADED.

$991.00???

40. Invoice amount: TOTAL. (See above...)

41. Rebuff: SPURN. 

44. Sault __ Marie: STE. Oldest city in Michigan. Home of the Soo locks. More info here.

45. [Theme.]

48. Orange skin: RIND. (I wanted peel...)

49. Madrid museum: PRADO.

50. Quick inhalation: GASP.

54. Not united: APART.

56. Prefix with -lithic: PALEO.

57. [Theme.]

62. Around, in dates: CIRCA.

63. Phone notification: ALERT.

64. Tasseled hat that shares a name with a Moroccan city: FEZ.

Quite honestly, as a style choice, I just don't think it looks good on anybody.

(Unless your a Stoat.)

65. Leg joints: KNEES.

66. Smallest possible: LEAST.

67. Swim-bike-run race, informally: TRI. As such a long grueling race, why such a short name?

Down:
1. "Tell me already!": SAY IT.

2. Slowly wear away: ERODE.

3. More accurate: TRUER.

4. Pros who are busy in Apr.: CPAS. Certified Public Accountants.

5. Actor McKellen: IAN.

The one and only...

Would you believe? A young Gandalf?

6. "SNL" TV network: NBC. Saturday Night Live/National Broadcasting Company.

7. Sense of finality that may be needed after a breakup: CLOSURE. Hmm, after every breakup, I needed stitches...

8. Pursued doggedly: HOUNDED.

Musical interlude...

Would you believe, after all these years, the paper today said Frank Sinatra was disgusted by Elvis' dance moves... Jeez man, let it go...

9. Against: ANTI.

10. Location that may have "No running" and "No diving" signs: POOL AREA. Hmm, Monday clueing. I guess Wednesday would be no glass bottle area, and Friday would be "place to get a cue..."

11. Dominate, in gaming slang: PWN. (Pawn.) very grey area, could go on and on, (don't ask about teabagging...)

12. Go on the __: get out of town: LAM.

13. Organ with a retina: EYE.

18. Top that's useful in layering, for short: CAMI.

This is what happens when you spend too many hours doing crossword reviews...

19. Innocent one: NAIF. (Nope, I'm guilty..)

23. Mitchell of "Pretty Little Liars": SHAY.

24. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER.

26. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" band, with "The": BYRDS.

27. Desire: COVET.

28. Fuzzy fabric: SUEDE. When Michael Caine became famous, he was approached by John Wayne with some advice, I'll let Michael explain it...

When you're a star, don't wear suede shoes!

30. "Pretty in Pink" star Ringwald: MOLLY.

31. Sticking straight up, as hair: ON END.

32. Up and about: ASTIR. An A word!  Tell me, when did you last use this word!

33. Two-time Australian Open winner Osaka: NAOMI.

34. Follow, as a hunch: ACT ON.

38. Burlesque performance: FAN DANCE.

Due to complaints about pics degrading Women,

We are forced to downgrade the fan dance video...

39. Spirit: BRIO. It helps to know Italian...

41. Inexplicably weird: SURREAL.

42. Natter (on): PRATTLE.

43. Amer. capital: USD. U.S. Dollar.

46. Iridescent gem: OPAL.

47. "Good lord!": EGAD.

51. In midair: ALOFT. 

52. Underground waste line: SEWER.

53. __ scheme: PONZI.

55. School support orgs.: PTAS. (If I need to explain PTA's, you need to go back to school...)

56. Golf stroke near the hole: PUTT.

57. "How nasty": ICK.

58. Take first prize: WIN.

59. Mine lode: ORE.

60. Pro vote: YEA.

61. Surgery ctrs.: ORS. Operating Rooms.

The Grid.

*Just an Easter Egg for The Big Bang theory fans. Note: that when Leonard runs out with the smoking rocket fuel, Sheldon takes time to turn the refrigerator magnet upside down. It is explained in an earlier episode that Sheldon is obsessed with Flags. So much so that he created a Flag for the Apartment. A yellow lion on a field of blue. He turns the flag upside down as a sign that the apartment is in distress...

Oh! I almost forgot!

How the show ended 8 years later....

Some notes on my Monday solving experience:

26d birds b/4 byrds, can't remember if it was a fat fingered typo, or a brain fart...

32d up and about, awake before astir. Yes it was a rude awakening for a Monday...

44a soo b/4 ste, not quite awake yet, and old crosswords were seeping into my memory...

48a peel b/4 rind, reminds me why I gave up oranges for breakfast before having coffee...

60d pro vote, yes b/4 yea (it was my 66a least of my problems...)

And finally, since The Devil Wears Prada 2 recently came out, I put an A at the crossing of Prado and Brio...  (there are more Naticks in Europe than in Connecticut...)

Anywho, please leave some uplifting words in the comments. We all need them on a Monday...

CE:D out...

₍^ >⩊< ^₎Ⳋ

Monday, September 21st, 2026 ~ Janice Luttrell

An Odd Flush.

Hearts SUIT Flush

In poker, a flush is all cards of the same suit. Today, we have postfixes that uses SUIT in different contexts.

Good morning solvers! And welcome to another Janice Monday.

Let's start w/ the reveal:

57. Do the same, and what the ends of 17-, 25-, and 42-Across can do: FOLLOW SUIT.

17. "Just act naturally!": BE YOURSELF. SUIT YOURSELF.

Suit Yourself

25. Vietnam War film directed by Stanley Kubrick: FULL METAL JACKET. SUIT JACKET.

42. Quickly resolved legal matter: OPEN AND SHUT CASE. SUITCASE.

Pretty simple gimmick but cute nonetheless. Let's see what else suits Janice's puzzle...

Across:

1. Dot-__: online businesses: COMS. Another financial bubble that pop'd.

5. Capital of South Korea: SEOUL.

10. Clever remark: QUIP.

14. Shape of many a car logo: OVAL.

15. Inner circle: CADRE.

16. Caterer's coffee servers: URNS.

17. [See: Theme]

19. AirPods holders: EARS. Ha! I kept trying to think if there was a name for their little recharger pods.

20. Chocolaty treats that may have walnuts: BROWNIES.

21. Portable device with a touchscreen: TABLET.

23. Baby bear: CUB.

24. __ farewell: said goodbye: BADE.

25. [See: Theme]

33. Between ports: ASEA.

34. Second-string players: B-TEAM. Ask ChatGPT to produce an image...

“I love it when a cookout comes together.”

35. Lamb's mother: EWE.

36. Sow's opposite: REAP.

37. Renewable energy option: SOLAR.

38. Safari park roarer: LION.

39. Gloomy __: pessimistic sort: GUS.

40. Comedian Wyatt: CENAC. Wyatt Cenac was a writer and correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from '08 to 2012.  He continues to do standup and other projects.

Wyatt Cenac

41. Annoys: IRKS.

42. [See: Theme]

46. Finishes up: ENDS.

47. Part of FTW and BTW: THE. For THE Win & By THE Way #TextSpeak

48. Talks back to: SASSES.

51. Morton who plays Circe in "The Odyssey": SAMANTHA.

Samantha Morton

56. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.

57. [See: Theme]

59. Genuine: REAL.

60. Face-to-face exams: ORALS.

61. Prefix with skeleton: ENDO.

62. Like a couch potato: IDLE.

63. Move, as a root-bound houseplant: REPOT.

64. Consider to be: DEEM.

Down:

1. Salad with bacon and eggs: COBB.

Yummers

2. "Back to you," in radio lingo: OVER.

Oveur Over

3. BLT spread: MAYO.

Two Airplane! clips FTW!

4. Insincere round of applause: SLOW CLAP.

Colbert is not impressed

5. Book copier of old: SCRIBE.

6. Loosen (up): EASE.

7. Poems of praise: ODES.

8. Address that often starts with "www": URL. Technically, it starts with the scheme which, nowadays, is most oft the protocol HTTPS. I have, however, used ftp:// and gopher:// .

The URL Format

9. Not quite closed: LEFT AJAR. When is a door not a door? When it's AJAR! *rim-shot* 😄

10. Montreal's province: QUEBEC.

11. Eurasian border river: URAL.

12. Memo heading: INRE.

13. Soft "Hey, you!": PSST.

18. E pluribus __: UNUM. Latin.

22. Singer Lambert: ADAM.

24. Laundry whitener: BLEACH.

25. North Dakota city: FARGO.

26. Spend all of: USE UP. No more. It's gone.

27. Rental contract: LEASE.

28. Govt.-issued investments: T-BONDS.

29. Book of maps: ATLAS.

30. Knightley of "Bend It Like Beckham": KEIRA.

Keira Knightley

31. Furry "Star Wars" creatures: EWOKS.

32. Uptight: TENSE.

37. Summons: SENDS FOR.

38. Officially permitted to drive, say: LICENSED.

40. Walking stick: CANE.

43. Big name in milk chocolate: NESTLE.

44. Ultimate: UTMOST.

45. Melt: THAW.

48. South Asian silk dress: SARI.

49. Tucked in for the night: ABED.

50. Barking marine mammal: SEAL.

51. Smack: SLAP.

52. French greeting: ALLO.

53. Song: TUNE.

54. Keep out of sight: HIDE.

55. Tiny particle: ATOM.

58. Mine yield: ORE.


The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: N/A
ESPs: SAMANTHA, KEIRA, ALLO
Fav: SLOW CLAP

Cheers, -T

The turkey just needs to be himSELF. R.I.P. Mitch

Monday, September 14, 2026, Brian Keller

  Today's Theme:

The Reveal:

60 Across. Game division, or what can be found in 16-, 26-, and 44-Across: FIRST HALF.

The First Half:

16 Across. Star of "Ghost" and "The Substance": DEMI MOORE.

The Second Half:

26 Across. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," for one: HEMINGWAY NOVEL.

The Third Half???

44 Across. Indigenous people of Oklahoma who originated in Florida: SEMINOLE NATION.

Demi, Hemi, and Semi are all prefixes meaning "half."

Onward!

Across:
1. Highly skilled: ABLE.

5. Mop (up), as gravy: SOP.

8. Valuable item: ASSET.

13. Spring: LEAP.

14. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA.

You remember Carla...

15. "Hello," in Mandarin: NIHAO. My first guess would be to pronounce this NiH"a"-o, but I would be wrong.

16. [Theme.]

18. Believe without questioning: TRUST. Belief without questioning would be faith...

19. Former: ONE TIME. ("At" one time seems more plausible to my ears...)

20. Chemical in oven cleaners: LYE. No Lie! Why would you trust your lungs to this stuff?

22. "New" prefix: NEO.

23. "I'm __ roll!": ON A. (I think it would have to be two N's to be considered one word...)

24. Informal lingo: SLANG. (See above 23A.)

26. [Theme.]

32. Supergirl accessory: CAPE.

No Capes!

33. Actor's prompt: CUE.

34. One-named singer whose studio albums have numerical titles: ADELE.

35. Braying pack animal: ASS.

36. Thawing of diplomatic tensions: DETENTE.

39. Digital collectible: Abbr.: NFT. More info here...

40. Tale: STORY.

42. Fruit-filled pastry: PIE. Tart wouldn't fit..

43. French friends: AMIS.

44. [Theme.]

48. Stately home in the country: MANOR.

49. Wheels: CAR. Curious that you need "wheels" (plural, 4 to be exact,) for this clue to work...

Pardon my dust...

50. No. 1 pal: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

53. Cow sound: MOO.

54. French island near Sardinia: CORSICA.

58. Perp's excuse: ALIBI.

60. [Theme Reveal.]

62. Ancient artifact: RELIC.

63. "Up, up, and __!": AWAY.

64. Dr. Frankenstein's assistant: IGOR.

Obligatory pronunciation lesson...

65. Maroon vegetables: BEETS.

66. Pig heavier than 120 pounds: HOG.Some have been known to reach 1,400 lbs...

67. __ stick: POGO.

Down:
1. Gucci of fashion: ALDO.

2. "We've all __ there": BEEN.

3. Gold fabric: LAME.

4. Perfect example: EPITOME.

5. Jimmy Choo creation: SHOE.

6. Above, poetically: OER.

7. Spanish rice dish seasoned with saffron: PAELLA. During my recent trip to Spain (CE:D here...) I eagerly awaited tasting authentic Spanish Paella. However I was disappointed at every dinner in Barcelona and Girona. Too dark, brothy, and/or fishy. It was not until our cruise tour of Valencia that I was made aware that Paella originated here, and I sampled a delicious home made Paella of my dreams...

8. Insect feelers: ANTENNAE.

Some are more extravagant than others...

9. Knight's title: SIR.

10. Exclude: SHUN.

11. Smooth sailing: EASE.

12. Dog who visits Oz: TOTO.

14. Nora Roberts genre: ROMANCE.

17. Short skirt: MINI.

For Splynter...

For the Ladies...

21. "Yippee!": YAY. (Don't get too excited...)

24. Center defender in soccer: SWEEPER. Ack!again! We had this Wednesday!

25. Immortal being: GOD.

26. Speed: HASTE.

27. __ salts: bathwater additive: EPSOM. Would you bathe in it if it were called magnesium sulphate?

28. Belly: GUT.

29. Mobile payment app: VENMO.

30. Small and pointy-eared, perhaps: ELFIN. Large and pointy-eared, perhaps: Vulcan?

31. Tennis do-overs: LETS.

32. Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas: CASS.

Best video quality I could find, song starts at 1:20.

36. Branch of mechanics: DYNAMICS.

37. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. More info here.

38. Pot insulator, in England: TEA COSY.

41. Part of a basketball hoop: RIM.

43. Blimp, for one: AIRSHIP.

45. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.

46. Exfoliating scrubber: LOOFAH.

47. Fruit-filled pastry: TART. Oho! A 42 across Clecho!

50. Spike on a dragon's tail: BARB. I don't know why Mace came to mind...

51. Make a run for it: FLEE. If you see the above!

52. Nail salon tool: FILE.

54. Jagged rock: CRAG. More info here.

55. "Aladdin" parrot named for a Shakespeare villain: IAGO.

Not to be confused with Igor...

56. Plumbing problem: CLOG.

57. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.

59. Drill insert: BIT.

61. __ Jima: IWO.

And The Grid.

7 personal names, 13 three letter words, (more if you include God.) but easy enough for a Monday to breeze through. Brian Keller is an up and coming constructor we hope to see more of, his last puzzle  Was reviewed here.

I feel I went on far too long, so I have saved Demi, Hemi, and Semi for discussion on The Blog. What were your  experiences with Demi's, Hemi's, and Semi's? And/or have you ever met Demi, Hemingway, or a Seminole Indian? I would love to hear your stories!

 

Chris Gross (Chairman Moe on our blog) made today's Universal. Click here to solve.

CE:D out...

Monday, September 7, 2026, Michael Hobin

 Theme:  Good stuff!

Michael Hobin

Michael Hobin is a real estate broker in Chicago, who passed some quiet hours during the COVID-19 pandemic trying to construct his own crossword puzzles.  He garnered a few rejections from the New York Times, and then some encouraging words from that quarter, and then a request for a few specific revisions, which led to his first published puzzle.  Mr. Hobin is becoming a regular at the NYT and in the pages of our own Los Angeles Times.  Based on the fun I had with this one, I'd say Michael has mastered the medium.

The theme of today's puzzle is revealed here:

35-Across. Tom Wolfe book about Project Mercury, or an apt description of the ends of 16-, 24-, 47-, and 56-Across: THE RIGHT STUFF.  Tom Wolfe's 1979 book describes the mental and physical characteristics required of the first astronauts.  They had to have the right STUFF.

16-Across. Citrus garnish for many a cocktail: LEMON WEDGE.  WEDGE as a verb means to squeeze or force something tightly into a narrow space -- to STUFF it, so to speak.

24-Across. Driver's rush-hour headache: TRAFFIC JAM.  JAM as a verb means to push something into a space so tightly that it becomes stuck -- to STUFF it, if you will.

47-Across. Budget chain owned by Choice Hotels: ECONO LODGE.  One meaning of LODGE as a verb is to become stuck in a place, like a coin that manages to lodge in the parking meter's coin slot -- to STUFF the slot, as it were.

56-Across. Average guy: JOE SIX-PACK.  An ordinary blue-collar worker, whose after hours libation may be a six-pack of beer, can really PACK it in.  He might go to the game on the weekend with other fans and PACK the stadium.  In other words, he can STUFF it in.

This fellow is WEDGED, JAMMED, LODGED, and PACKED into a tight space --
really STUFFED in there.

Talk about a tight theme -- this one is crammed in there!  Let's expand our evaluation to the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Owl sound: HOOT.

5. Blue-green hue used in color printing: CYAN.

9. Pet that can be laser-focused?: CAT.  There are a variety of laser toys made for cats.

12. __ committee: AD HOC.  In Latin ad hoc means "for this," and in English the term describes anything that can be thought of as existing "for this purpose only."

14. Volcano's output: LAVA.

15. Task list heading: TO DO.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Toiling away: AT IT.

19. Manipulate, as bread dough: KNEAD.

20. Playground fixture with a ladder: SLIDE.

21. "SportsCenter" network: ESPN.

24. [Theme clue]

27. Ice cream servings: SCOOPS.

29. Cut (off): LOP.

30. Donkey: ASS.

31. Little bite: TASTE.

32. Least hospitable: ICIEST.

35. [Theme clue]

39. Moves like a crab: SIDLES.  To sidle is to move with one side forward.

40. Mistake: ERROR.

42. Canyon edge: RIM.

45. Scooby-__: DOO.  Scooby-Doo is a cartoon dog and media franchise created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969.  Scooby and his teenage human friends solve mysteries that seem supernatural until our heroes unmask the villains behind the hoax.

Scooby-Doo and friends

46. Fast-casual bakery franchise: PANERA.  The menu has improved!  There are certainly more options for vegetarians.

47. [Theme clue]

51. Genesis garden: EDEN.

52. West Point student: CADET.

53. Sloshed through water: WADED.

55. Field of study: AREA.

56. [Theme clue]

61. Sound like a 9-Across: PURR.  Here's your reminder that 9-Across was CAT.

62. Fencing sword: ÉPÉE.  Modern fencing uses three types of sword:  épée, foil, and sabre.  This is the fourth Monday with ÉPÉE as a clue this year!

Mind where you poke that thing!

63. Familiar theme: TROPE.  A trope is a recurring literary device, theme, or figure of speech.  It also refers to Hebrew cantillation, the system of musical chant used for reading the Hebrew scriptures during religious services, which is a service I occasionally perform.

NaomiZ chanting Torah with trope

64. Oft-redacted ID: SSN.  A Social Security Number is issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents,  temporary residents who have work authorization, or a valid nonwork reason to be in the United States.  It is often redacted from shared documents to avoid having it misused.

65. Pen points: NIBS.

66. Moisturizer brand: OLAY.

Down:

1. Actor Holbrook: HAL.  Hal Holbrook (1925-2021) was an American actor who made his reputation with a 1954 one-man stage show titled Mark Twain Tonight!  He played Deep Throat in the 1976 film All the President's Men, Abraham Lincoln in two TV miniseries, and many other roles in dozens of films and TV shows.  He was honored with the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush in 2003.

2. Tribute poem: ODE.

3. Unit of resistance: OHM.  An ohm is the standard unit of electrical resistance, named after the German physicist Georg Ohm.  Its symbol is an uppercase Greek letter omega (Ω).

4. Didn't count on one's memory in class: TOOK NOTES.  Loved this clue.  

5. See-through: CLEAR.

6. When repeated, "and so on": YADDA.  About this time last month, I wrote:  "This expression was popularized by the 153rd episode of Seinfeld, in which George's new girlfriend said "yada yada yada" to shorten her stories.  That episode was titled "The Yada Yada."  YADDA is an alternate, less used spelling."  And I offered this illustration:

7. The "A" of GPA: Abbr.: AVG.  Grade Point Average.

8. Scottish "no": NAE.

9. Crumbly Mexican cheese: COTIJA.  An aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán, cotija is often crumbled over burritos, soups, salads, beans, tostadas, tacos, and corn on the cob.

Elote -- grilled corn topped with crema, cotija, chili powder, and lime juice.

10. Nike rival: ADIDAS.

11. Sacred tribal carvings: TOTEMS.

13. "Erin Burnett OutFront" channel: CNN.  Erin Burnett OutFront is an hour-long weekday evening television news program on CNN.  News to me.

15. Very soft mineral: TALC.  Talc is a natural clay mineral made of hydrated magnesium silicate that ranks as the softest solid on the Mohs hardness scale.  Once popular in cosmetics and baby powders, it is no longer recommended because it tends to occur naturally with asbestos, and because breathing in fine powders is bad for the lungs.  Its association with ovarian cancer is debated, but has resulted in billions of dollars in legal settlements.

17. Moistens: WETS.

20. Enjoys gossip without adding to it, in slang: SIPS TEA.  We've encountered "spills the tea" in the LAT crossword as a phrase that means shares gossip, reveals a secret, or talks about juicy personal news.  This is my first encounter with SIPS TEA.  Cute!

21. "C'__ la vie!": EST.  "C'est la vie" is French for "that's life."  Coincidentally, this old song popped into my head out of nowhere recently:

22. "Buzz off!": SCAT.

23. Swanky: POSH.

25. Darts around: FLITS.

26. Rivals: FOES.

28. August birthstone: PERIDOT.  Peridot is a yellowish-green gemstone, the shade being influenced by iron content.  It is considered too soft to survive as an engagement ring stone; it chips easily.

This genuine peridot ring with little zircon accents is on sale for $149.00 at www.stauer.com.

32. Shelter made of compressed snow: IGLOO.

33. "Weekend Update" comic Michael: CHE.  Michael Che is a stand-up comedian best known for his work on NBC's Saturday Night Live, where he has been co-anchor of the Weekend Update news sketch since 2014.

Colin Jost and Michael Che host Weekend Update on SNL

34. Gave up one's amateur status, perhaps: TURNED PRO.

36. Pop sensation: IDOL.

37. Mister Rogers: FRED.

38. Golfer's warning shout: FORE.

41. Hightailed it: RAN.

42. "Previously on ... " segments: RECAPS.

43. Son of Daedalus: ICARUS.  In Greek mythology, Daedalus built a labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to imprison the Minotaur.  When the hero Theseus killed the Minotaur and escaped the labyrinth, King Minos suspected Daedalus of revealing the labyrinth's secrets, and imprisoned Daedalus there with his son Icarus.  Daedalus fashioned wings for himself and his son, made of items collected in the labyrinth:  beeswax, leather straps from their sandals, threads from blankets, and birds' molted feathers.  Before escaping the island, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high nor too low, but youth is impetuous;  Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wax wings melted, he fell into the sea, and he drowned.

Daedalus and Icarus

44. Contemporary: MODERN.

46. Spa treatment for feet, briefly: PEDI.  Pedicure.

48. At hand: NEAR.

49. Dorky one: DWEEB.

50. Elements that make up most of the atmosphere: GASES.

54. Telephone no. addition: EXT.  "Extensions" are frequently seen in business telephone numbers.

56. MS NOW's "The Briefing With __ Psaki": JEN.  The woman formerly known as White House Press Secretary to President Joe Biden hosts this political news program on the cable channel formerly known as MSNBC.  Again, news to me.  

57. Nail polish brand: OPI.  OPI and Essie are tops in the market and in crossword puzzles.

58. Pioneering ISP: AOL.  AOL (American Online) is considered a pioneering Internet Service Provider because it made a curated portion of the internet available to folks without technical knowledge through a simple graphical user interface.  At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, AOL accounted for nearly half of all internet traffic in the United States.

59. Fig. figuring figures: CPA.  A certified public accountant is a figure (person) who figures (calculates) figures (numbers).

60. __ lime pie: KEY.  Michael saved the best for last!  A refreshing dessert!  Small, thin-skinned Key limes are named for their association with the Florida Keys, although they are native to Southeast Asia.  Spanish explorers brought them to the West Indies, and Dr. Henry Perrine (1797-1840) introduced them to the Keys.

Key lime pie

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

I am reveling in the very low Arts & Entertainment content of this puzzle, and the complete absence of professional or collegiate team sports.  Wow!

An ODE to Michael Hobin!

We’re glad he TURNED PRO!

He gave us a nice puzzle

With words we’re sure to know.

Did this puzzle give you THE RIGHT STUFF as well?  Please comment.

-- NaomiZ

P.S.  Many thanks in advance to Dave and Tony for taking the next three Mondays, while I have something else TO DO.