Monday, January 5, 2026, Morton J. Mendelson

Theme: After life.

Morton J. Mendelson at McGill University Convocation

Morton J. Mendelson joined the faculty of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in 1977.  He served as the University’s first Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning from 2005 until 2013.  When he retired, he devoted himself to family, good works, and crossword puzzle constuction.  Dr. Mendelson was very successful in this last endeavor, with many puzzles published in these pages, in The New York Times, and elsewhere.  It is my sad duty to report that Dr. Mendelson passed away suddenly in July 2025.  May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.

Sigh ... I thought we'd be off to a sad start this morning, as I take over the Monday spot held for so many years by the incomparable Sumdaze.  But I didn't know how sad, until I looked into the biography of today's constructor.  Let's honor Dr. Mendelson by enjoying the crossword puzzle he made for our pleasure.

Best to start with the big reveal:  

39-Across. Time for extracurricular activities, or where the ends of 17-, 26-, 52-, and 62-Across literally are: AFTER SCHOOL.  All sorts of extracurricular activities are scheduled after school, but in today's puzzle, the second word in each theme answer comes AFTER the name of a well-known SCHOOL.  Together, the first and second words form a familiar English phrase.

The other theme clues and answers are:

17-Across. Sweetener used on a Providence campus?: BROWN SUGAR.  BROWN University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island.  SUGAR is a sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrate.  BROWN SUGAR contains a little molasses, a byproduct from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice.

26-Across. Horse that's saddled up for a tour of a Philadelphia campus?: TEMPLE MOUNT.  TEMPLE University is a public "state-related" research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  MOUNT (as a noun) is another word for horse, or other animal that is ridden.  TEMPLE MOUNT is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, once the site of two successive Jewish temples, and now home to the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

52-Across. Quad found on a Portland campus?: REED SECTION.  REED College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon.  A quad is a SECTION of campus enclosed by buildings.  A REED SECTION is the group of musicians in a band or orchestra who play instruments that use a vibrating reed to produce sound, such as saxophones, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.

62-Across. Kitchen appliance used at a Houston campus?: RICE COOKER.  RICE University is a private research university in Houston, Texas.  COOKER is an appliance used for cooking food.  A RICE COOKER is specifically for cooking rice.  Cooking rice is easy, but sometimes the appliance makes it easier.

Here's the grid, with its lovely symmetry:

Let's learn a little more from Dr. Mendelson's clues and answers.

Across:

1. Insurance company with a gecko mascot: GEICO.

6. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

10. Freeway exit: RAMP.

14. Heavy coat?: ARMOR.  

15th century coat of armor

15. WhatsApp's parent company: META.  Meta Platforms owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

16. Gumbo pod: OKRA.

17. [Theme clue]

19. See 12-Down: DASH.  (The answer to 12-Down is MRS.)  In 2020, the product was rebranded as "Dash," dropping the "Mrs." from its name.  Too dowdy, I suppose.  The original blend includes "Onion, Spices (Black Pepper, Parsley, Celery Seed, Basil, Bay Marjoram, Oregano, Savory, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Mustard, Rosemary), Garlic, Carrot, Orange Peel, Tomato, Lemon Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Oil of Lemon."

20. Restroom, to a Brit: LAV.  Short for lavatory, as Brit is short for British.

21. Forearm bones: ULNAE.  The long bones in your forearm are the ulna and radius.

Not humerus at all.

23. "__ dreaming?": AM I.

26. [Theme clue]

31. Hybrid orange fruit: TANGELO.  A tangelo can be a hybrid of a Citrus reticulata variety, such as mandarin orange or tangerine, and a Citrus maxima variety, such as a pomelo or grapefruit. The name is a portmanteau of "tangerine" and "pomelo."

Cushman honeybells -- a type of tangelo

33. Physician: DOCTOR.

34. Oft-grilled fish, on menus: MAHI.

35. Flirts (with): TOYS.

38. Adventure novelist Cussler: CLIVE.  Clive Cussler (1931-2020) was an American novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels have been listed on The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than 20 times. Cussler was the founder and chairman of the National Underwater and Marine Agency which has discovered more than 60 shipwrecks. He was the sole or main author of more than 80 books.  And yet I Did Not Know.

Clive Cussler

39. [Theme clue]

42. Basil-based sauce: PESTO.  DH is not a fan of pesto -- or of green herbs in general -- so we don't have it at home, and I like to order it when we eat out.

pesto pasta

44. Author Wiesel: ELIE.  Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (1928-2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, including Night, which is based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust.  I read the book half a century ago, and parts of it are still burned into my brain.

45. Hot spot service: WI-FI.  Wi-Fi is a family of wireless network protocols which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves.  Free at Starbucks!

48. Toward the back of a boat: ASTERN.

50. Supplied, as funds: FRONTED.

52. [Theme clue]

55. "Totally!": YES.

56. Australian marsupial: KOALA.  Marsupials are mammals whose young are born in a relatively undeveloped state and then nurtured in a pouch on their mother's abdomen.  We're all familiar with kangaroos, but the tree-dwelling koala is also a marsupial.

Koalas

57. Provisos: IFS.  Provisos are conditions attached to agreements.  Your rental agreement might guarantee you a certain rate for one year, with the proviso that the property be kept in good repair.  IF the condition is met, THEN your rent won't rise.

59. With 27-Down, "The Substance" Oscar nominee: DEMI.  (The answer to 27-Down is MOORE.)  The Substance is a 2024 horror movie starring DEMI MOORE as a fading celebrity who uses a black market drug to create a younger version of herself.  Critically acclaimed.

Demi Moore in The Substance

62. [Theme clue]

67. Wowed: AWED.

68. Genesis grandson: ENOS.  Enos, or Enosh, was the son of Seth, and grandson of Adam and Eve.  According to the Bible, he lived to be 905 years old!

69. Mediterranean oil source: OLIVE.

70. Beseeches: BEGS.

71. Take a break: REST.

72. Sacred carving: TOTEM.  A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people.  In North America, we are familiar with totem poles, the monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States.  The carvings may represent ancestors, legends, or historic events.

I took this photo of a totem pole in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a dozen years ago. 

Down:

1. Chitchat: GAB.

2. Make a wrong turn, say: ERR.

3. "Seems to me" shorthand: IMO. In My Opinion.  A texting abbreviation.

4. Monastic hood: COWL.  A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks.  It can refer just to the hood, but usually means the entire robe.  Outside of religious contexts, a cowl is a loose, draping neckline or circular scarf.

Carthusian Monk wearing a cowl

5. Elaborately decorated: ORNATE.  Unlike the outfit pictured above.

6. Australian bird: EMU.

7. Boost: LEG UP.

8. Horse stable unit: STALL.

9. Brought home, as a salary: EARNED.

10. Performer in bull riding competitions: RODEO CLOWN.  All I know about rodeo clowns, I learned from watching Zach Galifianakis in Baskets, which ran on FX from 2016 to 2019.  It was weird.

Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets

11. Letters between names: AKA.  Also Known As.

12. With 19-Across, salt-free seasoning brand: MRS.  Ah yes, the late, great Mrs. Dash.  You won't find this label in stores any more:

13. Dismissive sound: PAH.  I don't think I've ever encountered this puff of air, conveying contempt or annoyance, but my Google search suggests that it is often clued this way in crossword puzzles.

18. Gracefully slim: SVELTE.

22. Gas brand with a torch logo: AMOCO.  Amoco has a long history selling gasoline in the United States.  The American Oil Company introduced both the gasoline tanker truck and the drive-through filling station.  Now owned by British conglomerate BP, it is part of a huge multinational company.  The closest one to my home in Los Angeles is in Lincoln, Nebraska ... but it appears they are spreading.

23. Spot for short people?: ATM.  If you are short on cash, head to an Automated Teller Machine.

24. Barnyard bleat: MAA.  Goat speak!

25. Without bothering to be careful: IN HASTE.

27. See 59-Across: MOORE.  We've already talked about Demi Moore in The Substance.

28. __ knife: handy kitchen tool: UTILITY.  A utility knife is smaller than a chef's knife and often serrated.

29. Thanksgiving mo.: NOV.  An abbreviation in the clue (mo. for month) calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

30. Italian three: TRE.  Uno, due, tre ...

32. Naturally talented youngsters: GIFTED KIDS.

36. French fashion monogram: YSL.  Yves Saint Laurent.

37. Futuristic genre: SCI-FI.  Science fiction.

40. Upper body: TORSO.

41. Brave and noble: HEROIC.

42. __ for the course: PAR.  "Par for the course" means what is normal or expected in any given circumstances.  It comes from golf, where par is the standard number of strokes a skilled player is expected to take to complete a hole or an entire course.  

43. Opposite of WNW: ESE.

46. Extra charge: FEE.

47. Docs with DOBs, often: IDS.  Documents with Dates Of Birth are often IDs (identification cards).

49. Not as far: NEARER.

51. By walking: ON FOOT.

53. Country singer Patsy: CLINE.  Patsy Cline (1932-1963) was one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, and one of the first country music artists to successfully cross over into pop music.

54. Food truck fare: TACOS.  Common sight here in Los Angeles.

58. Without backup: SOLO.

59. Pat gently: DAB.

60. Female sheep: EWE.  And what do EWE say?

61. Actress Ryan: MEG.  Meg Ryan is a successful actress who is probably best known for her role in the Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989).

Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal

63. Ballpark fig.: EST.  A "ballpark figure" is an estimate.  It's somewhere in the ballpark ...

64. Baby beaver: KIT.  Baby beavers are called kits.  They are born with fur and open eyes, and can swim shortly after birth.  And they are cute as buttons.

baby beaver AKA kit

65. Genesis matriarch: EVE.  You may recall from 68-Across that Eve was the grandmother of Enos -- and more famously, the first human female, according to the Biblical account.

66. Sleep cycle letters: REM.  Rapid Eye Movement sleep is marked by vivid dreams and muscle paralysis.  If not for that paralysis, we might act out our crazy dreams.

Our blog mistress, C.C., has explained that Monday puzzles are the hardest to create, because the clues and answers have to be simple and straightforward.  I would say that Dr. Mendelson's puzzle is very suitable.  I certainly didn't have to illustrate the long list of minor celebrities that we often encounter later in the week.  Well done, I'd say.

What about you?

Did you solve the puzzle IN HASTE and ERR along the way?

Did you have a LEG UP because of your particular expertise?

Did you make a HEROIC effort to Finish It Right?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Monday December 29, 2025 Keegan Edgar

  

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Keegan Edgar's second LAT puzzle. His debut was on Feburary 6, 2025. Today's theme is:  

We will begin with the four fin-tastic themers:

17 Across. Hangout with ramps and rails for boarders and bladers: SKATE PARK.  I liked the bit of misdirection with hangout the noun versus hang out the verb. In this case, it is the place where skateboarders and rollerbladers can practice their tricks.  

23 Across. Exclamation of surprise: HOLY MACKEREL.  This phrase goes back at least 200 years. It likely originated as a minced oath, substituting mackerel for "Mary" or the archangel "Michael".  

46 Across. Diving stance with bent hips and straight legs: PIKE POSITION.  

57 Across. A-OK: HUNKY-DORY.  This slang expression means "everything is quite satisfactory". It is believed to have Dutch origins and was first spotted in English in the mid-1800s.

(I get those mixed up but I think this mnemonic will help now.)

The reveal spans the equator:  

36 Across. "This doesn't seem right," or what can be said about 17-, 23-, 46-, and 57-Across: SOMETHING'S FISHY.  

In case you have not yet smelt the gimmick, there are four types of fish hidden in the themed answers, making them FISHY. 

(clockwise from top-left)  skate, mackerel, dory and pike

This puzzle earns a gold-starfish for its separation between the themed answers and the reveal. Additionally, note the alternating pattern of the fish word placement. Well done, Keegan! No trout about it!

Now, let's see what other clues we can catch....

Across:

1. "You snooze, you __!": LOSE.  ... said the tortoise to the hare.

5. Not doing anything: IDLE.  not the same as snoozing  

9. Data on baseball cards: STATS.  CSO to our former Monday sherpa, Boomer.

14. Consumes a 15-Across: EATS.     and     ↙

15. Lunch or dinner: MEAL.  

I love a good Venn diagram.

16. Cockpit figure: PILOT.  One of the noun definitions for figure is "bodily shape or form especially of a person".  

19. French "between": ENTRE.  

20. Nine-digit ID: SSN.

21. Hard drive capacity prefix: TERA-.  If you are truly curious, this article explains the basics.  

22. Gemstone with colored stripes: AGATE.  all about AGATE

26. British nobles with low ranking: BARONS.  By comparison, Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey was two steps up:  Earl.

It could be worse....

29. Scottish gal: LASS.  Have you heard of Ally Crowley-Duncan, aka Ally the Piper? She was a guest on WWDTM a while back. Ally was born in Latham, New York in 1995. She is known for playing songs from rock, pop, and metal music on the bagpipes. Although she is not from Scotland, her piper skills surely give her LASS cred. In this video, she plays The Session, the title track from her 2025 album.  

30. Grows older: AGES.  

31. __ pie: dish with corn chips: FRITO.  

recipe

33. Tennis server's success: ACE.  An ACE is a legal serve that is not touched by the receiver, winning the point for the server.

40. Self-image: EGO.

41. Aired again: RERAN.  Think "old TV shows".

42. __-Ball: target game in arcades: SKEE.  

43. Add to the payroll: HIRE.

44. Places for bracelets: WRISTS.  "Ankles" was too long.

51. Actress Tatum: O'NEAL.  [b. November 5, 1963]  Tablet claims her father Ryan named his daughter after the jazz pianist Art Tatum.  source

52. Convent residents: NUNS.  CSO to Lucina!

53. Spot for a facial: SPA.  

56. Blue-gray color: SLATE.  

These walls are painted with Glidden's blue-gray SLATE.

59. Guiding principle: TENET.

60. Length x width: AREA.  

61. Sunburn-soothing succulent: ALOE.  

62. Small earrings: STUDS.  Basically, they are earrings that do not hang down past the lobe.

63. Trial run: TEST.

64. Archery items: BOWS.  "Arrows" was too long.

Down:

1. Not as expensive: LESS.  

2. Acorn droppers: OAKS.  

3. "Thunderbolts*" actor Sebastian __: STAN.  Thunderbolts is a Marvel movie that came out earlier this year.

4. Approximate fig.: EST.  Another noun definition for figure is "value, especially as expressed in numbers".  In this case, that figure is an ESTimate.

5. Spurs to action: IMPELS.

6. Sweetie pie: DEARY.  

7. SoCal NFL player: LA RAM.

8. Large deer in the Rockies: ELK.

9. Talks about: SPEAKS OF.  

The Gossips   ~   Norman Rockwell  ~  1948

10. Touches of color: TINGES.  A TINGE of color is like a "splash of color", only more subtle.

11. "I do" venue: ALTAR.  

Notice what is in their hands.

12. Rich layer cake: TORTE.  

This one certainly has a lot of layers.

13. Construction girder metal: STEEL.

18. Historic British school: ETON.

23. Hydrant hookup: HOSE.  Hee!Hee!

24. Arrange in a row: ALIGN.  You know ... so they line up.

25. Purring pets: CATS.  

I have been cat-sitting for my neighbor.
This gray tuxedo looks sweet but she will not let me get any work done.

26. Acid counterpart: BASE.  This clue references the pH scale.

27. Eager: AGOG.  

28. San __, Italy: REMO.  Population ~55,000. Wiki says it is Sanremo in Italian but two words in English.  It is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. I was curious how many other municipalities fit the clue (but not the perps). Cono, Fele, Fili, Fior, Luca, Lupo, Rufo, Siro, and Vito all work.

31. "Little __ Everywhere": Celeste Ng novel: FIRES.  goodreads link

32. Genetic messenger molecule: RNA.

33. Queries: ASKS.

34. NBA player Holmgren: CHET.  [b. 2002 in Minneapolis, MN] He plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

35. Potato spots: EYES.  I always thought they were poisonous if ingested but the Idaho Potato Commission says otherwise. Nevertheless, do not take my word for it! Do your own research. 

37. Three siblings with the same birthday: TRIPLETS. This cute clue deserves a cute image.

St. Bernard TRIPLET puppies
(BTW, I recommend Googling "TRIPLET puppies images".)

38. One saving the day: HERO.  

Mighty Mouse made his debut in 1942.

39. "The proof __ the pudding": IS IN.  M-W explains this idiom

43. Like a sauna: HEATED.

44. Reassure that one's joking, in a way: WINK AT.  😉

45. Like pink cheeks: ROSY.

46. Sends with a stamp: POSTS.  To POST a letter is to mail a letter.

47. Small bay: INLET.

48. Actor Reeves who plays John Wick: KEANU.  [b. September 2, 1996] His mother was English; his father was American; he was born in Beirut, Lebanon because his mother was there for work; and yet Keanu is Canadian.  

There are four John Wick movies ... so far.

49. Become accustomed (to): INURE.  I found this example sentence online:  Does the violence on television INURE children TO violence in real life?

50. Adjusts a piano's pitch, e.g.: TUNES.  It was fun to see a verb meaning for TUNES instead of a plural noun.  

53. Brand of red plastic cups: SOLO.  When filmmakers include red SOLO cups in a scene they send the viewer a quick message about the characters and the gathering. It might be a message of formality, taste level, financial situations, group dynamics, age range, attitudes towards alcohol, or a combination of all those.  

Friends     ~     Phoebe is in charge of cups and ice.     ~     (1:26 min.)

54. Boat's front: PROW.  The bow is the front part of a boat. It includes the PROW, the stem, and the foremost part of the hull. the PROW is the part of the stem line above the waterline.  

55. Affirmative votes: AYES.

57. Part of a Santa costume: HAT.  

58. Apply gently: DAB.

The grid:  

That's all for this puzzle and that's all from me. Changes are afoot on The Corner. Beginning in 2026, another project will require my time and attention. I simply will not have enough free hours to continue in this role. I still intend to add to the comments most days. I will also be around as an occasional substitute blogger. So, I am not leaving -- just transitioning. I am thankful to C.C. for creating and maintaining this space where solvers can share a common hobby. It has been my pleasure to be a part of her team. I have learned so much! Speaking of the team, I happen to know you will be in excellent hands going forward! So long and thanks for all the fish!

~ sumdaze

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

I'm sad that today marks Sumdaze's final Monday blog post. Renee gives her all to every write-up. Her posts are always rich with images, video clips, and thoughtful, detailed explanations. Mondays won't be  the same without her.

That said, Mondays will remain in very capable hands. The incredible Naomi will begin covering Mondays starting next week. RustyBrain will take over Thursdays, and Splynter will blog Fridays, as both Chairman Moe and MM have decided to scale back and blog once a week. They'll now be sharing Wednesdays alongside Jazzbumpa and CrossEyedDave.

Hahtoolah and Husker Gary will continue their excellent work on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and Anonymous T (Tony) remains our ever-reliable pinch hitter.

I can't say how thankful I am for the dedication and generosity of our blogging team. Each post represents hours of care, often three or more, spent choosing the right words, finding just the right images, and tracking down helpful links. This blog simply wouldn't exist without them.