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

Monday, March 30, 2026, Michael B. Berg, Brian Callahan

Theme:  C-O-P-Y right. 

Crossword constructors Michael B. Berg and Brian Callahan enjoy a little wordplay.  The big reveal of today's theme occurs at 50-Across:

50-Across. Protection of intellectual property, or a phonetic hint to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across: COPYRIGHT.  Copyright laws grant exclusive RIGHTs to the originators of creative works, to COPY, distribute, perform, or display the work.  But today, we are looking for something on the RIGHT side of the answers to 16-, 23-, 30-, and 44-Across.  Something to do with phonetics, or speech sounds.

16-Across. Adrift after a storm, perhaps: LOST AT SEA.  The word on the right sounds like C.

23-Across. Jodie Comer's "Killing Eve" co-star: SANDRA OH.  The word on the right sounds like O.

30-Across. Stir-fry vegetable: SUGAR SNAP PEA.  The word on the right sounds like P.

44-Across. "Let me explain ... ": HERE'S WHY.  The word on the right sounds like Y.

Put the phonetic equivalents of the right-side words together, and you have the word COPY.  

Do you copy?  Let's see what other amusements Michael and Brian have prepared for us.

Across:

1. Bird that went extinct in the 1660s: DODO.  The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.  The first recorded mention of the dodo was by Dutch sailors in 1598.  In the following years, the bird was hunted by sailors and other invasive species, while its habitat was being destroyed.  The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662.  A few specimens brought to Europe in the early 1600s, and subfossil materials found on Mauritius, prove the dodo existed.  The extinction of the dodo less than a century after its discovery called attention to the problem of human involvement in the disappearance of entire species ... a problem that has accelerated ever since. 

5. Auction site with a "newly listed" sort option: EBAY.  My younger sister, of blessed memory, loved to shop for special occasion clothing on eBay.  She taught me to include "NWT" (New With Tags) in my searches.

9. Carrier on rails: TRAM.  A tram is an electric public transportation vehicle running on street-level rails.

DH and I were impressed by the tram system in Bordeaux.

13. Monumental: EPIC.

14. Herb in poultry stuffing: SAGE.

15. Purifying filter acronym: HEPA.  A HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger, including dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Happily __ after: EVER.

Psychologists argue that "happily ever after" does not just happen.
Successful relationships require continuing effort.

19. Weighing device: SCALE.

20. Cheddar shredders: GRATERS.

22. Collectively: AS ONE.

23. [Theme clue]

24. Subterfuge: RUSE.

25. Cone alternative at an ice cream shop: CUP.  Americans are evenly divided on the issue of cone versus cup.  Cones are crunchy, add flavor, and can be managed with one hand.  Cups don't drip, don't detract from the pure flavor of the ice cream, and accommodate more toppings.

Where do you stand on this issue dividing the country?

26. Rebound: RALLY.

27. Triage pro: EMT.  Emergency Medical Technicians provide basic emergency care and transport.

28. Detective Spade of "The Maltese Falcon": SAM.  Sam Spade is a fictional character, the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon.

Sam Spade was memorably played by Humphrey Bogart in 1941.

29. Precious stone: GEM.

30. [Theme clue]

35. Band's sound booster: AMP.

36. Special __: some mil. missions: OPS.  The abbreviation of "military" in the clue tells us to expect an abbreviation in the answer:  "ops" for "operations."

37. Word before devil or dog: SLY.

39. Top-notch: PRIMO.

42. NNW opposite: SSE.

43. Maker of jet-powered pogo sticks, in cartoons: ACME.

ACME supplies Wile E. Coyote with tools to catch and eat the Road Runner.

44. [Theme clue]

46. "Hadestown" writer Mitchell: ANAÏS.  Anaïs Mitchell is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright.  Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including Hadestown (2010).  She developed this album into a stage musical, the Broadway production of which won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical.

Anaïs Mitchell sporting emo hair.

47. Choppy, layered style with black bangs: EMO HAIR.

Cute!

48. Corp. shake-up: REORG.  A corporate shake-up could be a reorganization.

49. Second to __: NONE.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Easy-Bake __: OVEN.  The Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced in 1963, manufactured by Kenner and later by Hasbro.  The old ones used light bulbs; the new ones have real heating elements.  In the home of my youth, if we wanted to bake, we had to use the real oven.  

If it was a popular toy, advertised on TV, Mom and Dad did not buy it.

54. Pilates target: CORE.  The "core" refers to the muscles surrounding the spine, pelvis, and hips, that impact posture and stability.  Pilates is a low-impact exercise method focusing on core strength, stability, flexibility, and proper alignment.

Reminded again of my younger sister, a Pilates instructor who passed away 15 years ago.

55. Short message: NOTE.

56. Pharmacy orders, informally: MEDS.

57. "The Music of Tori and the Muses" singer-songwriter: AMOS.  Tori Amos is an American singer-songwriter and pianist.  A child prodigy, Amos began formal classical piano training at age five, but left the institute at eleven, finding her place as a pianist in Washington, D.C. bars.  Amos was the lead singer of the short-lived 1980s pop-rock group Y Kant Tori Read before achieving her breakthrough as a solo artist in the early 1990s. Her songs focus on a broad range of topics, including sexuality, feminism, politics, and religion.

Tori Amos

58. Texter's "So long!": TTYL.  Talk To You Later.

Down:

1. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL.  Benicio del Toro is a Puerto Rican actor.  He's appeared in a long list of films, including Steven Soderbergh's crime drama Traffic (2000), for which he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Benicio Del Toro

2. American marsupials known for playing dead: OPOSSUMS.

3. "The Simpsons" character in a rhinestone suit: DISCO STU.  We had Disco Stu in last Monday's puzzle!

4. Gas pump number: OCTANE.

5. East, in Spanish: ESTE.  The four cardinal directions in Spanish are norte (north), sur (south), este (east), and oeste (west). 

6. Some four-year degs.: BAS.  Bachelor of Arts degrees.

7. Generational divide: AGE GAP.

8. Long (for): YEARN.

9. Lady's partner in an animated spaghetti scene: THE TRAMP.

10. Unmask: REVEAL.

11. Italian liqueur in a spritz: APEROL.  I remember sitting at a table in a piazza in Florence, where my daughter was living, and being treated by her to my first Aperol spritz, served after work but before dinner, when Florentines take a break, nibble salty snacks, and drink:  3 parts Prosecco (sparkling wine), 2 parts Aperol (a bitter orange liqueur), and 1 part sparkling water or club soda.  Delizioso!

12. Like wetlands: MARSHY.

17. Brewpub brew: ALE.

21. Pros who know all the hot spots?: AD REPS.  Advertising representatives know all the hot advertisements or "spots."   "Spot" can also refer to the time slot occupied by an ad.

22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE.  Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  I'll be reading this to the newest grandchild when he stops putting everything in his mouth.  

23. Basic arithmetic homework: SUMS.  "Doing sums" is British English for doing basic arithmetic, or "maths" as Brits might say.  A worksheet of addition problems might be called "sums" in the USA.

25. Goldfish, for one: CARP.

28. Pastry that may be deep-fried in ghee: SAMOSA.  A samosa is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, often potatoes, onions, and peas.   Ghee is butter that has been simmered to remove water and milk solids, which gives it a caramelized flavor and a high smoke point, making it ideal for high heat cooking.

Samosas fried in ghee.

29. Stare in amazement: GAPE.

31. Cornish roasts: GAME HENS.  Small chickens, often roasted whole and served as individual portions.  

32. Overly inquisitive: NOSY.

33. Snail commonly cooked in butter: ESCARGOT.  In English, edible land snails are commonly called escargot, from the French word for snail.  They are usually baked in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and served with bread.  I'm pretty sure it's just as good if you dip bread in butter with garlic, shallots, and parsley, and leave the snails out of it.

Escargot.

34. Supremely powerful: ALMIGHTY.

38. "That's correct": YES.

39. Promising youngster: PHENOM.  A "phenom" (short for phenomenon) is a person with extraordinary talent or ability, often a young prodigy or someone of phenomenal promise, particularly in sports.

40. Get rid of: REMOVE.

41. Pressed, as clothes: IRONED.

42. Trippy fungus, informally: SHROOM.  Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are consumed as recreational drugs, and may induce hallucinations.  It's trendy now to microdose mushrooms to generate positive feelings without major effects.

43. Bless using oil: ANOINT.

45. Neo-pagan religion: WICCA.  Wicca is a modern religious movement that embraces nature, magic, a goddess and a god.  Introduced to the public in 1954 by a retired British civil servant, it has spread mostly in English speaking countries.  Dear daughter was into it as a pre-teen or teenager.  I opened her bedroom door one evening, and I swear, she was sitting cross-legged on her twin bed, eyes closed, with a circle of lighted candles around her, each balancing on the blanket without visible support.  I backed out quickly, not wishing to startle her and burn the house down.

Not my daughter, but some other young woman "casting a circle."

46. Gassy prefix: AER.  The prefix aer comes from the Greek word for air, and usually indicates processes involving gas, air circulation, or airborne substances.  Examples of words with this prefix include aeration, aerial, aerobic, aerodrome, and aerosol.

48. Loaves that may be marbled: RYES.  Marbled rye bread is created by rolling light rye and dark rye doughs together.  Nice to look at, it also has contrasting flavors that are mild and robust.

Marbled rye bread.

51. Con's opposition: PRO.

52. Contact list no.: TEL.  

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you feel like a DODO when working the puzzle?  Were you LOST AT SEA?

Or did you turn in a PRIMO performance and feel like a crossword PHENOM?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ