Thursday, November 6, 2025, Ilana Levene, Scott Hogan

Theme:  Not the real thing, but an amazing FACSIMILE!

Ilana Levene is a British neonatal intensive care physician who started working on US crossword puzzles as a distraction, and has now published several, including one previous puzzle in these pages.  Scott Hogan is a patent attorney in Michigan who has collaborated with others to construct crosswords -- often Katie Hale -- and published one in the NYT with Ilana Levene.  Today Ilana and Scott treat us to some close copies or spitting images, and they manage to cross them in the grid.

Ilana Levene        and        Scott Hogan

The big reveal is:

55-Across. Betray, or what can be found three times in this puzzle: DOUBLE CROSS.  

      All of the words for which "copycat" is the clue are a kind of "double."

25-Across. Copycat: REPLICA.  A close reproduction of an original item.

27-Across. Copycat: STAND-IN.  A person who substitutes for another.

5-Down. Copycat: FACSIMILE.  An exact copy.

9-Down. Copycat: LOOK-ALIKE.  A person who greatly resembles someone else.

40-Down. Copycat: CLONE.  A genetically identical copy.

Those are the DOUBLEs.  How do they CROSS?  Here's the grid:

We have six words for "double" (including DOUBLE), and they CROSS in three places.  It's a nifty structure, with lots of lovely words and phrases.  Let's take a DEEPer look.

Across:

1. Bundle of wheat: SHEAF.

6. Social media annoyance: BOT.  A bot is an automated program designed to simulate human interaction on social media platforms.  Some are malicious.

9. Endures: LASTS.

14. Accord, for one: HONDA.

15. Dazzle: AWE.

16. Earthy colour: OCHRE.  DH and I were sitting in a cafe in Pernes-les-Fontaines in Provence, when a local couple told us we should see the village of Roussillon.  I understood them to say it was very colorful.  So a day or two later, there we were, and completely astonished by the ochre cliffs and quarries.  I grew up knowing OCHRE as a crayon color, and had no idea that it was a natural clay pigment, mined in Roussillon from the late 18th century until 1930.

I took this photograph of the OCHRE cliffs of Roussillon in 2019.

17. Urgent care specialist, briefly: ER DOC.

18. Work of fiction?: LIE.

19. Was part of a row: OARED.

20. End of an academic address: EDU.  Website or email address.

21. Start to knock?: SILENT K.

24. Actress Noblezada: EVA.  Eva Noblezada is an American theatre actress and singer. Her accolades include a Grammy Award and two Tony Award nominations.  Besides roles in stage productios of Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, The Great Gatsby, and Cabaret, she has earned some film and television credits.  News to me, but good for her.

Eva Noblezada

25. [Theme clue]

27. [Theme clue]

29. Pinged online: IM'ED.  Instant Messaged.  To ping a device is to send a quick signal and then measure the response time as a way of assessing network performance.  But for the average person, "ping" has come to mean sending a quick message to get someone's attention or to see if they are available.

30. "Carpe diem" hashtag: YOLO.  "Carpe diem" is Latin for "seize the day."  YOLO is an acronym for "you only live once."  Both suggest you should do something impulsive.

31. Like streets in Dickens novels: GASLIT.  Streets were lit by gas lamps before electric lighting. 

gaslit street

34. Lobster claw: PINCER.

A lobster's front pincers are considered to be legs.
They are used for self-defense and for grabbing and tearing prey animals.

38. "__ we meet again": UNTIL.

39. German pronoun: ICH.  In 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech in West Berlin, in which he spoke the famous words, "Ich bin ein Berliner" or "I am a Berliner."  It was an anti-communist speech delivered at the height of the Cold War.

42. Arboreal marsupial: KOALA.

43. Kin of equi-: ISO.  Equi- and iso- are prefixes meaning equal or same.

44. Oft-pierced body part: EARLOBE.

47. __-fi: SCI.

48. "The Idol" star Lily-Rose: DEPP.  Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of American actor Johnny Depp and French singer/model/actress Vanessa Paradis.  She starred in the HBO television drama series The Idol and in the 2024 film Nosferatu.  If you solved Marc Goldstein's puzzle in the LA Times this past Sunday, you've met her already.

Lily-Rose Depp

50. Bread: MOOLA.  Both are slang for money.

51. Comics icon Lee: STAN.  Stan Lee wrote and published comic books, and helped create Spider Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, and others.

52. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

53. Like some monologues: INNER.

54. Pom sounds: YAPS.  Pomeranian dog -- a miniaturized German Spitz.

Pomeranian

55. [Theme clue -- the big reveal.]

58. Home for lanternfish: DEEP SEA.  Lanternfish may account for 65% of all deep-sea fish biomass.  They use bioluminescence to emit pale blue, green, or yellow light.  Most are less than 6 inches long.

Lanternfish

60. Broadcast hour: AIR TIME.

63. How a detective might work: ON A LEAD.

64. Drew back: RECEDED.

65. Motive for a cover-up?: MODESTY.  A bathing suit cover-up will get a woman from the hotel room to the beach or pool without feeling like she is walking around in her underwear.  Depending on the style, it may also offer some protection from sunburn.

Cover-up at the shore

66. Genre portmanteau: DRAMEDY.  A portmanteau blends the sounds and meanings of two words.  In this case, two entertainment genres are blended:  drama and comedy.

Down:

1. Like chiffon: SHEER.  Originally a French fabric made of silk, chiffon is now mass produced with synthetic fibers.

2. Swarm: HORDE.

3. Land: END UP.  "Land" can be a verb meaning "end up" or "arrive at a final place or situation."  For instance, they landed in a real mess -- or better -- they landed in paradise.

4. Hustle and bustle: ADO.

5. [Theme clue]

6. "The Hunger Games: The __ of Songbirds & Snakes": BALLAD.  If you know, you know -- or you make a good guess based on perpendicular entries.

7. Scrape covered by a Welly Bravery Bandage, e.g.: OWIE.

8. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.

9. [Theme clue]

10. Spanish "here": ACÁ.  The Spanish words "aquí" and "acá" have almost the same meaning.  Aqui is right here, next to me, and acá is in my general vicinity.  Lucina, any additional notes?

11. Create ribbons: SHRED.

12. Rome's __ Fountain: TREVI.

13. Accord, for one: SEDAN.  Same clue as for 14-Across, but with a different answer.  That makes this a clecho, or clue echo.

22. "Gangsta Rap" rapper: ICE T.  Yes, the same Ice T you know and love as NYPD detective/sergeant Odafin Tutuola on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

23. Partly removable roof: T-TOP.

26. Reinhart of "Riverdale": LILI.  Lili Reinhart is an up and coming actress known for her roles in the teen drama series Riverdale, the crime film Hustlers, and the romantic drama Chemical Hearts.  Look for her in next year's horror film, Forbidden Fruits.  Or so I read.

28. Taboo: NO NO.

31. Manual: GUIDE.

32. Adams who photographed 36-Down: ANSEL.  Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West.

Ansel Adams circa 1950

33. Freezes: STOPS DEAD.

35. Put out of one's mind: CAST ASIDE.

36. Yosemite summit, informally: EL CAP.  An Ansel Adams photograph of El Capitan:

El Capitan, Sunrise, Yosemite National Park

37. Falls from the sky: RAINS.

39. Thatcherism creator, familiarly: IRON LADY.  Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.  She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position.  As prime minister, she implemented economic reforms that came to be known as Thatcherism.  A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady," a reference to her leadership style.

Margaret Thatcher

40. [Theme clue]

41. Undisclosed advantage: HOLE CARD.  Per Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, a HOLE CARD is:

1 : a card in stud poker that is properly dealt facedown and that the holder need not expose before the showdown

2 : something (such as a reliable advantage) that is held in reserve especially for use at a strategic moment

45. "Stick a fork in me!": AM I BEAT.  The saying goes, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done!"  It means that the speaker is exhausted.  I imagine this comes from cooking, where we stick a fork into a potato or other food item to test for doneness.

46. Obstacle: BARRIER.

49. Third word of the Constitution: PEOPLE.  "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

51. Buddy __: SYSTEM.

56. Exploits: USES.

57. Largest member of the dolphin family: ORCA.

58. __ Pérignon: DOM.

59. Musician Brian who used a Mac to compose "The Microsoft Sound": ENO.  Brian ENO and Yoko ONO are our favorite musicians in the Crossword Corner.  

61. Rx order: MED.  Prescription order : medication.

62. Big name in ice cream: EDY.

The grid again, because I'm used to putting it here:

Solvers, did you END UP with the correct entries in the grid?

Or did you encounter a TEENSY problem along the way?

Inquiring minds want to know.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, October 30, 2025, Betsy Ochester, Andrew Gutelle

Theme:  Sonorous cereal.

Today's puzzle appears to be an LA Times debut for both of our constructors.  Welcome and congratulations!  Betsy Ochester writes books for children, including over 100 published puzzle books.  Andrew Gutelle is also a prolific children's author, with puzzle books among his many published titles.  They have collaborated on a few of these books.  Today, their combined efforts bring us a Thursday-level crossword challenge for adults, based on a children's breakfast cereal.

The big reveal is:

51-Across. Breakfast cereal trio, and what 20-, 31-, and 38-Across are: SNAP CRACKLE POP.

Snap, crackle, and pop are the sounds that Rice Krispies cereal is said to make when milk is added.  (They are also the names of the cartoon characters on the box.)  In the other theme answers, snap and pop have different meanings.  Crackle has the same meaning but in a different context.

20-Across. See 51-Across: SIMPLE FASTENER.  This is a SNAP that is not a sound.

31-Across. See 51-Across: FIREPLACE SOUND.  This is a CRACKLE that is a sound.

38-Across. See 51-Across: GRAMMY CATEGORY.  This is a POP that is not a sound ... or is it?  Pop music has a certain sound, but it doesn't go POP!

I like the way the three words in 51-Across provide the clues for the other theme answers.

Let's see what other treats our children's authors have in store for us.

Across:

1. Fennellike herb: ANISE.  Fennel is a plant with an edible bulb, stalks, and fronds.  Anise is a plant of which only the seeds are used.  Both have a flavor like black licorice, but anise is stronger.  

fennel and anise

6. __ Jam Recordings: DEF.  Def Jam Recordings is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in New York City and specializes in hip hop, R&B, soul, and POP music.

9. Talent, informally: CHOPS.  In jazz, a trumpeter's skill depends largely on his mouth or "chops."  The use of the word expanded to mean overall skill in music, and even skill in general.

14. Crow's-feet treatment: BOTOX.  Botox can be injected around the outer corners of the eyes to paralyze the muscles that cause wrinkles to form.  The results last for three or four months, and treatments are supposed to be repeated for maximum benefit.  I am frankly more interested in:

These crow's feet require no Botox.

15. Food label fig.: RDA.  Recommended Dietary Allowance.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.

16. Reduce: LOWER.

17. Fell for completely: ATE UP.  As in, they ate up the claims about the benefits of Botox.

18. Investigations: INQUIRIES.  

20. [Theme clue]

22. Anniversary pair?: ENS.  There are a pair of N's in anniversary.

23. Acai bowl grain: OAT.  An acai bowl is meant to be a healthy meal.  Obviously, it includes acai berries (often pureed), which are a kind of palm fruit, and it could include anything else, but is likely to have granola (including oats) and nuts along with other fruits.

Acai bowl

24. Progressive business: Abbr.: INS.  Progressive is an INSurance company.

25. [Shiver]: BRR.

26. "Stop right there!": HALT.

28. Blokes: MEN.

31. [Theme clue]

35. Bear whose porridge was too cold: MAMA.

An illustration from Goldilocks and the Three Bears

36. __-blond: ASH.  A cool toned blond hair color with hints of gray.

37. Miss Piggy, for one: DIVA.  Diva, from the Latin for goddess, was used in the 19th century to describe talented female opera singers revered by the public.  Now it often means a high-maintenance woman who acts as if the world revolves around her.

38. [Theme clue]

43. Possible reason for a TV-MA rating: SEX.  TV-MA means for Mature Audiences.

44. Remove from power: OUST.

45. Two-person card game: WAR.

46. Agcy. created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974: NRC.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

47. Sun, in Seville: SOL.  Sol is Spanish for sun.

48. Texting letters: SMS.  Short Message Service is used to send text messages between mobile devices over cellular networks.

51. [Theme clue]

56. Like unexpectedly lesson-laden moments: TEACHABLE.  A teachable moment is an unplanned situation that can be used to impart a lesson.

57. Zinc __: OXIDE.  Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound used as an additive in numerous products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, sunscreens, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, semi conductors, and first-aid tapes. Although it occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.

58. Get clean: BATHE.

59. Charged particle: ION.

60. Solar energy collector: PANEL.

61. Was a straphanger, say: STOOD.  Picture yourself standing on a crowded bus -- hanging onto a strap or similar device placed along the aisle.

This guy is a straphanger.

62. "Called it, didn't I": SEE.  SEE?  I told you.

63. Aroma: SMELL.

Down:

1. Cut down to size: ABASE.

2. Running an errand, say: NOT IN.

3. List details: ITEMS.

4. Italian wedding __: SOUP.  The original name for this southern Italian soup is "minestra maritata" or "married soup" because of the marriage of flavors of meat and greens.  It is not a wedding soup!  The original is said to be a thick, hearty stew.  The American version is a lighter soup with pasta and meatballs.

American "Italian wedding soup"

5. Investigate: EXPLORE.

6. "Catch my __?": DRIFT.

7. "Cimarron" novelist Ferber: EDNA.  Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1930; adapted into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), Giant (1952; made into the 1956 film of the same name) and Ice Palace (1958), which also received a film adaptation in 1960.  

Edna Ferber in 1928

8. Helpful pgs.: FAQS.  Websites often include Frequently Asked Questions pages.

9. Customers: CLIENTS.

10. Traffic signals?: HORNS.  An automobile horn can indeed be a signal used in traffic.  Move it, buddy!  If your mind wanders while waiting at a red light, someone behind you is sure to remind you.  My father, of blessed memory, used to call that an audible traffic signal.

11. Toddler's scrape: OWIE.

12. __ review: PEER.

13. Graduating gp.: SRS.  A graduating group is a bunch of seniors.

19. Practical: UTILE.  Useful, effective, expedient, helpful, serviceable, utilitarian, etc.

21. O.K. Corral surname: EARP.  On October 26, 1881, there was a gunfight near the O.K. corral in Tombstone, Arizona.  Three brothers, Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp, as marshals of the law, were attempting to disarm five outlaws, to enforce an ordinance prohibiting the carrying of weapons in town.  Three of the five outlaws died in the shoot out, and the conflict between the Earps and the outlaws continued.

Wyatt Earp

25. "The Lair of the White Worm" novelist Stoker: BRAM.  Abraham Stoker (1847-1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist. Stoker wrote a dozen horror and mystery novels, including The Jewel of Seven Stars, The Lair of the White Worm, and The Mystery of the Sea, but his reputation as one of the greatest writers of horror fiction is based on his novel Dracula.

Bram Stoker

26. Lays into: HAS AT.

27. Vier plus vier: ACHT.  Vier plus vier ist acht.  Four plus four is eight in German.

28. "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David: MUIR.  David Muir is an American journalist and anchor for ABC World News Tonight and co-anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20.  He has reported from all over the world, won multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, and last year won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.  ABC World News Tonight has been the most watched newscast in the United States since 2015.

David Muir

29. One of the seven deadly sins: ENVY.  According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.  We only had room for envy or lust today.

30. Confidentiality doc: NDA.  A non-disclosure agreement is a document in which one agrees not to divulge confidential information.

31. Subway fee: FARE.

32. Big name in movies: IMAX.  IMAX is a system of cameras, film formats, projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens.  Due to the expense of building and maintaining special IMAX theaters, IMAX has been modified to be viewed in existing multiplex theaters.

33. French bodies of water: LACS.  Lac is French for lake.

34. Aroma: ODOR.

35. Some British sports cars: MGS.  MG Motor is a British automotive brand dating back to the 1920s.  Since 2005, it has been owned by first one, and then another, Chinese state-owned manufacturer.  Most of the current models look very much like every other brand's SUVs, including electric and hybrid options, but they still make "performance" vehicles:

MG Cyberster -- an all-electric roadster

39. Shape-shifted: MORPHED.

40. Flowering desert plant with swordlike leaves: YUCCA.

41. Furry critter who lives on Endor: EWOK.  Ewoks were introduced in the 1983 movie Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.  They have since starred in two made-for-TV movies, The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).  Ewoks live on the fictional forest moon of Endor in primitive dwellings, but in spite of their humble circumstances, they deal a decisive blow to the technologically advanced Empire.

an Ewok

42. Runs fast: GALLOPS.

46. __ chips: NACHO.  Nachos are tortilla chips topped with cheese and salsa.  Those flavors have been incorporated into snacks like Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips.

47. Embarrassing public display: SCENE.

48. Porcupine quill: SPINE.  Contrary to popular belief, porcupines cannot shoot or eject their quills at will.  Any person or creature full of porcupine quills has foolishly touched a porcupine.

North American porcupine

49. Walk the runway: MODEL.

50. Write some letters: SPELL.

51. Stock exchange membership: SEAT.

52. Org. with an alphabet: NATO.  We should all memorize this alphabet for clarifying spellings to telephone representatives.

53. Grand slam quartet, briefly: RBIS.  In baseball, if the batter hits a home run with the bases loaded, four runs will be scored, and the batter will be credited with a "quartet" of Runs Batted In.

54. Flowering desert plant with fleshy leaves: ALOE.

55. Prep course target: EXAM.  A prep course is one that prepares the student for a particular exam.

56. "Dinner and a Movie" airer: TBS.  Dinner and a Movie is a cooking show that aired on TBS from 1995 to 2011 and returned in 2024.  Each episode includes a movie and the preparation of a dinner to go with its theme.

Here's the grid:

As usual, I have INQUIRIES for our readers.

Did you have the CHOPS to complete today's puzzle?

Or did you call a HALT to the solving at some point?

Don't be shy!  Have your say in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, October 23, 2025, Rebecca Goldstein

Theme:  Not the person you expected.

"What did you expect?  You met me on Match.com!"

Notoriously challeging constructor Rebecca Goldstein returns with a true test for MERE mortals.

The theme clues suggest that we are looking for people who adhere to modern cultural movements, but the folks in question turn out to be somewhat simpler and more innocent than we imagined.

The theme answers are neatly placed in symmetrical rows Across:

17-Across. Cancel culture adherent?: CORD CUTTER.  We thought we were looking for a person who calls upon others to shun someone else for their unacceptable behavior or remarks, but it turns out that this person has just cancelled some subscription television services in favor of free or low cost Internet access to programs.

25-Across. Pop culture adherent?: SODA JERK.  We thought we were looking for a person who is keen on the latest music, movies, fashions, and social media trends, but it turns out that this person makes ice cream sodas and milkshakes at an old-fashioned soda fountain.  "Pop" being another word for "soda," of course, and "soda jerk" being an old-fashioned way of referring to the person with that job.

35-Across. Counter culture adherent?: DELI CLERK.  We thought we were looking for a person whose values and behaviors contrast sharply with those of mainstream society, but it turns out that this person serves customers at a delicatessan counter.

50-Across. Hookup culture adherent?: SYS ADMIN.  We thought we were looking for a person who endorses casual sexual encounters and one-night stands, but it turns out that this person is an IT professional who hooks up computers, servers, and networks.

59-Across. Club culture adherent?: GOLF CADDIE.  We thought we were looking for a person who hangs out at nightclubs, but it turns out that this person carries golf clubs for a golfer.  If you're looking for exercise, skip the golfing and sign up to be a golf caddie.

Across:

1. Jazz venue: UTAH.  The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City.  This first clue was my last fill when solving the puzzle.

5. Persian word for "king": SHAH.

9. Bejeweled Blitz icons: GEMS.  Bejeweled Blitz is a video game that started out as a Facebook application.  Who knew?

Bejeweled Blitz

13. Sweat spot: PORE.

14. Get greasy: OIL UP.  This phrase can be used from preparing your frying pan to preparing your privates, but I know it from bodybuilding, where competitors OIL UP to make their muscles look more defined under glaring stage lights.

This competitive bodybuilder has oiled up.

16. Dark cloud, maybe: OMEN.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Purple pet in classic cartoons: DINO.

Fred Flintstone and Dino

20. Ordeals: RIGORS.

21. Solemn pledge: VOW.

23. "That's neither here __ there": NOR.

24. Echo effect: REVERB.

25. [Theme clue]

27. Inverness veto: NAE.  Inverness is a city in the north of Scotland, and "nae" means "no" in the Scots language.

28. Pinkie promises, e.g.: PACTS.

30. Samba or mambo: DANCE.

31. Trader Joe's rival: ALDI.  Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by the same parent company, but are rivals in that they both offer a limited selection of groceries, mostly private label, at relatively low prices.

33. "Geaux Tigers!" sch.: LSU.  The LSU Tigers represent Louisiana State University in college football.  The cheer "Geaux Tigers," pronounced "Go Tigers," is a play on French words ending in "eaux."  French was the dominant language in Louisiana during the American colonial era, and affects the English spoken there today.

34. Something borrowed: RENTAL.

35. [Theme clue]

38. Rosemary cuttings: SPRIGS.

41. Joke around: KID.

42. The __: manifestation of performance anxiety: YIPS.  The yips are a sudden loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced performers such as athletes. 

46. Event space: ARENA.

47. Computer clicker: MOUSE.

49. Cleverness: WIT.

50. [Theme clue]

52. Alternative milk source with a high water footprint: ALMOND.  Almonds -- and almond milk -- have become controversial because almond trees consume a significant amount of water, which is in short supply in California.

54. Spicy: HOT.

55. Froot Loops mascot Toucan __: SAM.

Yes, the bird is Toucan Sam.

56. Crown act: RULING.  It's what the Crown does.

57. Screen time device: IPAD.  It's what parents are supposed to limit time on.

59. [Theme clue]

62. __ mortals: MERE.

63. Crochet Away nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Not familiar with this brand or color.

Essie's "Crochet Away" grayish brown polish.

64. Inheritance portion: GENE.

65. Abbr. in some airport names: INTL.  Short for International.

66. Tacks on: ADDS.

67. Thus: ERGO.


Down:

1. Product lines?: UPC.  A Universal Product Code is a scannable barcode that identifies products.  It is composed of parallel lines.

UPC symbol

2. Brutally honest: TOO REAL.

3. Made it: ARRIVED.

4. Target of some clippers: HEDGE.

5. Candies that can cause salivation: SOUR BALLS.  Hard candies with tart flavors.

6. Chart toppers: HITS.

7. Indie prefix: ALT.

8. __ rancheros: HUEVOS.  Spanish for "cowboy eggs," more or less, this is a Mexican mid-morning farm breakfast of fried eggs served on tortillas with tomato salsa and refried beans.  A welcome addition to our crossword menu.

Huevos Rancheros

9. Deity: GOD.

10. Noteworthy: EMINENT.

11. Isla in the Balearic Sea: MENORCA.  The Balearic Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea between the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain.  Menorca is one of those islands.  "Isla" is Spanish for "island."

Menorca is circled on the map.  It's just above Mallorca.

12. Explore the Balearic Sea, e.g.: SNORKEL.

15. Nudge: PROD.

18. Small business?: CORP.  Small because it's abbreviated.

22. One may be knee-deep: WADER.

This little wader is knee deep.

24. Biological translation template: RNA.  Translation is the process in biological cells in which proteins are produced using RNA molecules as templates.  Obvs.

25. Struggling to get over, say: STUCK ON.

26. Low-quality, in slang: JANKY.  Not in my vocabulary, but the Internet agrees with this definition.

29. Forensic drama franchise: CSI.  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation spun off CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI: Cyber.

32. Menzel who made her Broadway debut in "Rent": IDINA.  Idina Menzel is an actress and singer, nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway."  She originated the role of Elphaba in the musical Wicked, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and she has since transitioned into film acting.

Idina Menzel

34. Coats paired with bow ties?: RED SAUCES.  Bow tie pasta can be served with "coats" of red sauce.

Bow tie pasta coated with red sauce.

36. "Crikey!": EGADS.

37. Actor Simu: LIU.  Simu Liu is a Canadian actor with a number of TV credits and the lead role in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Simu Liu as Chang-Chi

38. Raw fish delicacy: SASHIMI.

39. Pull apart: PRY OPEN.

40. Go back to square one: RESTART.

43. "Now, let's see": I WONDER.  An approximate conversational equivalent.  

44. Trying to reach, in a way: PINGING.  Pinging is sending a signal from one computer to another across a network for diagnostic purposes, such as to determine network speed or the status of the target computer.  Most of us can leave this job to our SYS ADMIN.

45. Norm: Abbr.: STD.  Standard.

47. Boozy brunch beverage: MIMOSA.  Brunch is fun, and ruins the rest of the day.

48. Jazz icon Fitzgerald: ELLA.

51. Spelling expert?: MAGE.  Mage is an archaic word for magician.  Magicians cast spells, which in this "?" clue makes a mage a "spelling" expert.

53. Frog snack: MIDGE.  Frogs eat midges, which are small flies. 

56. Touch-to-pay tech: RFID.  Radio Frequency IDentification uses radio waves to identify and track objects.  RFID tags can be attached to products or implanted in animals and people.  Your dog's microchip is an RFID tag.

58. Fenwick Island St. Park loc.: DEL.  Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware offers three miles of ocean beaches along with access to the Little Assawoman Bay.

Fenwick Island State Park

60. Psychedelics study subj.: LSD.  Lysergic acid diethylamide, called LSD for the German Lysergsäure-diethylamid.

61. Fair-hiring initials: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity.

Here's the grid:

Cruciverbalist friends, were you up to the RIGORS of Rebecca's puzzle?

Or did you get STUCK ON some of the more puzzling clues?

I WONDER.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ