Monday, August 3, 2026, Matthew Luter

Theme:  Spine tingling stuff!

Matthew Luter

Dr. Matthew Luter researches, writes, and teaches about American literature in Jackson, Mississippi.  He's published a slew of crossword puzzles in all the right places over the last five years, and he posts a new one on his website every Tuesday, so if you enjoyed today's puzzle, check this out tomorrow:  matthewluter.com/crosswords.

Today's puzzle features four theme entries in symmetrically placed rows, with two entries spanning the grid from side to side, and two others that each fall just one space short of a complete span.  A pleasure to behold!  The theme is revealed here:

50-Across. Bravely stand one's ground, or what 19-, 24-, and 45-Across typically do?: SHOW SOME SPINE.  "Show some spine" means to act with courage or determination.  The other theme answers show some spine more literally.

19-Across. Long-lived plant native to the Sonoran Desert: SAGUARO CACTUS.  Cactus spines are modified leaves that deter animals from eating the plant, provide shade to the plant, and gather moisture from fog.  Like other varieties of cactus, the Saguaro will always show some spine.

My mother took this photo of Saguaro flowers in Carefree, AZ.

24-Across. Places for books that may be borrowed: LIBRARY SHELVES.  As a former librarian, this entry is dear to my heart.  The spine of a book is the edge where the pages are gathered and attached to the cover.  In the library, we typically attach a call number label to the spine.  Author and title information usually appears on the spine as well.  Although there is a (stupid) decor trend to shelve books with the spines facing the wall, on LIBRARY SHELVES we always show some spine.

45-Across. Anatomical structure that includes bones and joints: SKELETAL SYSTEM.  The human skeletal system is the body's support structure, and includes the skeleton, connective tissue, and muscles.  The axial skeleton includes the bones of the skull, spine, and ribs.  The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the arms and legs.  Just by standing, you show some spine.  And if you bend forward, we can see it clearly through the skin on your back.

Another way to SHOW SOME SPINE.

This was a spine-tingling start!  Let's see if the rest of the puzzle maintains the excitement.

Across:

1. Collaboratively managed website: WIKI.  Wikipedia says:  "A wiki is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser.  A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or any organization.  The name derives from the first user-editable website called WikiWikiWeb – wiki being a Hawaiian word meaning 'quick'."

5. Responded in court: PLED.

9. Big serving of cake: SLAB.  Apparently, rectangular sheet cakes are now being called "slab cakes," but this clue uses "slab of cake" the way I do, meaning a great, big slice.

This dainty slice is not a SLAB.  More, please!

13. Vows exchanged with rings: I DOS.  Wedding vows.

14. Ireland, to the Irish: EIRE.

15. Novelist Vonnegut: KURT.  Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) was the author of fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction.  The novels include Cat's Cradle (1963) and Slaughterhouse-Five (1969).  

Kurt Vonnegut

16. Hamilton bills: TENS.  Alexander Hamilton was the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.  TEN years ago, the Treasury announced plans to replace his image with a woman's, but the popularity of the Broadway musical with his name helped save his spot on our currency.

17. Landed on a perch: ALIT.  When a bird comes to rest on a branch, it alights.  In the past, it alit.

18. Pet aisle brand: IAMS.  Created by animal nutritionist Paul Iams in 1946, the Iams brand was sold to Procter & Gamble in 1999.  P&G sold Iams to Mars, Inc. for all markets except Europe in 2014, and then sold the European business to Spectrum Brands later the same year.

I AM Such a good dog.

19. [Theme clue]

22. Young newt: EFT.  A newt begins life as an aquatic larva, moves on to the eft or terrestrial juvenile phase, and then returns to the water as an adult.

Eastern red-spotted eft

23. __ and paste: CUT.

24. [Theme clue]

32. Extra sports periods, briefly: OTS.  Overtimes.

33. "You __ what you sow": REAP.  Galatians 6:7, King James Version:  "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

34. Handed out playing cards: DEALT.

35. Clearance rack caveat: AS IS.

37. Prepare to publish: EDIT.

39. Curved line on a musical score: SLUR.  A slur is a musical notation indicating that the notes are to be played smoothly, without separation.

The curved line is a slur.

40. Internet access device: MODEM.

42. "__ Diary ... ": DEAR.

44. End of a college email address: EDU.

45. [Theme clue]

48. Lav: LOO.  Informal British terms for the toilet, or the room with a toilet.

49. Driving range prop: TEE.

50. [Theme clue]

57. Sweetheart: BEAU.

58. One with a superiority complex: SNOB.  Austrian physician and psychologist Alfred Adler (1870-1937) coined the terms "superiority complex" and "inferiority complex."  The superiority complex is a defense mechanism that helps a person cope with feelings of inferiority.  Are snobs not truly snobby?

59. Hammer, for one: TOOL.

60. Musical based on "La bohème": RENT.  Jonathan Larson’s 1996 rock musical Rent is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème. Both works follow a group of impoverished young artists living in a cold space, dealing with fatal illnesses, trying to create art, and looking for love. 

61. Off-white hue: ECRU.

62. Woolly mamas: EWES.

63. Sportsbook figures: ODDS.  A sportsbook is a venue where a gambler can place bets on sporting events.  Most U.S. sportsbooks are in Nevada, but in 2018, a Supreme Court decision allowed all states to legalize sports betting if they so choose. Odds for various events are displayed on large boards.  The odds for the favored team (expected to win) are negative, indicating how much you need to bet to win $100. The odds for the underdog (expected to lose) will be positive, indicating how much you will win if you bet $100.

Looking at the odds boards in a Las Vegas sportsbook.

64. Monopoly card: DEED.  Deeds to property in the classic board game, Monopoly.

Monopoly is often a long and rancorous game.

65. Fairy __: TALE.

And now, what goes Across, must go ...

Down:

1. Comical wordsmiths: WITS.  We have some wonderful wits among the regular commenters here.

2. Brainstorming product: IDEA.

3. Hong __: KONG.

4. Credit card provider: ISSUER.

5. Partridge's place, in a Christmas song: PEAR TREE.  "A partridge in a pear tree" completes every verse of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

6. Disney's "__ & Stitch": LILO.  A 2002 Disney animated film, Lilo & Stitch was remade as a blended live action and animation film in 2025.

Lilo & Stitch -- the original

7. "Springsteen" country singer Church: ERIC.  Eric Church co-wrote and recorded a song called Springsteen, making Bruce Springsteen's music part of a memory evoked in the lyrics.  The 2012 release reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs.

8. Disconnect: DETACH.

9. Fruity candy brand: SKITTLES.

10. Party with poi: LUAU.  A traditional Hawaiian food made of steamed and pounded taro root.

taro root, shown with leaves of the taro plant

11. Sleeve fillers: ARMS.

12. K-pop band also known as the Bangtan Boys: BTS.  BTS is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010.  The young men co-write many of their own songs.  BTS stands for the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to "Bulletproof Boy Scouts."  Their rise through the pop charts has been meteoric.  Here they are performing on July 19th at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show in New Jersey:

20. Not at all close: AFAR.

21. Prompted, in a theater: CUED.

24. Fertile soils: LOAMS.  Loose, crumbly soil including sand, silt, clay, and rich organic matter.

25. "There, there": IT'S OK.

26. Back of a hit 45 record: B-SIDE.  Remember vinyl records?  Seven-inch 45 RPM records used to have the hoped-for hit single on the A-side, and another song thrown in on the B-side.

27. When repeated, "You know the rest": YADDA.  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,

28. Sales pitch: SPIEL.

29. Parking attendant: VALET.

30. Dodge: ELUDE.

31. Play a ukulele: STRUM.

36. Performances with no empty seats: SELLOUTS.

38. Sensory receptor on a tongue: TASTE BUD.  Taste buds are cell clusters found around the little bumps on the tongue and elsewhere in the mouth.  They detect saltiness, sourness, bitterness, sweetness and savoriness.  A human being has thousands of taste buds at any given point in time, but each one only lives for about 10 days.  Give them a treat during that short window of time!

41. Cat's noise: MEOW.

43. Deli loaves that may be seeded or marbled: RYES.

46. Threw away: TOSSED.

47. 12-Down, e.g.: SEPTET.  Yes, BTS is a septet.

BTS:  count 'em!

50. __ money: startup funds: SEED.  Seed money is the initial capital used to launch a new business or project.  The term was first used in the1950s.  It loosely references the money a new farmer would need for seeds.

51. Appendage often traced to draw a turkey in art class: HAND.  A classic Thanksgiving project in elementary school.

52. Not often, but not never: ONCE.

53. "What __ can I say?": MORE.

54. Des Moines locale: IOWA.  DH has a brother there.  Buried under snow in the winter, Des Moines is startlingly green in the spring.

55. Christmas carol: NOEL.

56. "What __ can I say?": ELSE.

57. Sis's playmate: BRO.  Sis is short for sister; bro is short for brother.  Play nice, you two.

Here's the grid:

DEAR Solvers,

Did any of today's answers ELUDE you?  ONCE?  MORE?  IT'S OK!

Perhaps you gathered your WITS and FIR (Finished It Right).

Tell your TALE in the comments section below!  ("I started off right at 1-Across, YADDA YADDA ...")

-- NaomiZ

Monday, July 27, 2026, Jay Silverman

Theme:  This puzzle PACKS a punch!

Jay Silverman handles acquisitions and development for media companies, with an emphasis on educational and children's programming.  He also writes crossword puzzles.  Those of you who hate foreign words in your puzzles got lucky today:  Jay studies five languages every day and holds the unofficial 7th place Duolingo streak record for almost 5,000 consecutive days of completing at least one language lesson per day.  Jay enjoys words!  More about Jay Silverman is at www.jay-silverman.com.

Some crossword solvers love a theme that is easily seen and helps with the solve.  Some solvers prefer a theme that is somewhat hidden and comes as a surprise.  Today's puzzle will delight the latter group.  The surprising reveal occurs way down here:

53-Across. Sets of sculpted abs, and what the ends of 19-, 23-, 24-, 36-, 46-, and 48-Across are altogether: SIX PACKS.  Let's look at the *ends* of the listed entries for those SIX PACKS.  Oh, but first, let's look at some SIX PACK abs -- for definition!

sculpted six pack

19-Across. Oktoberfest sausage, informally: BEER BRAT.  BRAT pack was a nickname for a group of young actors who often appeared together on screen in the 1980s:   Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson.

23-Across. Returned home: GOT BACK.  A BACK pack is a fabric bag carried on one's back with the support of two shoulder straps.  School children use back packs to carry books and supplies; hikers use them to carry tents and sleeping bags.

24-Across. Raise a false alarm: CRY WOLF.  A WOLF pack is a family unit of wolves who travel, hunt, and rear pups together.  

36-Across. Soft R&B ballad: SLOW JAM.  JAM pack is a transitive verb meaning to pack tightly or to excess.  If you jam pack your back pack, the zipper may break.

46-Across. Skating hazard: THIN ICE.  An ICE pack is what my 95-year-old mother puts on her knees when she's walked too much.  I thought it might also be an accumulation of ice that melts seasonally, like a snowpack, but apparently not.

48-Across. Market research company often cited in car ads: JD POWER.  A POWER pack is (1) a portable charger for electronic devices, or (2) an adapter that converts household current for lower voltage appliances, or (3) a generator that powers heavy tools, systems, or refrigerated containers.  Yours truly carries the first type on most trips, and adds the second type when traveling to other countries.  The third type is not among my supplies.

Across:

1. Sarcastic ET of 1980s TV: ALF.  Same era, and yet not a member of the BRAT pack.

Alien Life Form

4. School vehicles: BUSES.

9. "That really sticks in my __!": CRAW.  Many bird species have a crop or "craw" in the throat, which is a pouch where food can be temporarily stored for later digestion.  If something hard winds up there, it can be irritating.  When people say, "That really sticks in my craw," they mean something is irritating to them and they find it hard to accept.

13. Laugh syllable: HAR.

14. "Humble" home: ABODE.

15. "Quiet, you!": SHUSH.

16. Blackjack card: ACE.  The ace is powerful in blackjack because it can count as 1 or 11.  A player's goal is to be dealt cards totaling as close to the number 21 as possible without going over.  Since the 10 card and the three face cards all count as 10, if you have an ace in your hand, there are multiple ways to reach 21 with just two or three cards.

Aces, baby!

17. News outlets: MEDIA.

18. Florida city near St. Petersburg: TAMPA.

19. [Theme clue]

21. __ pentameter: IAMBIC.  The most common meter in English poetry, introduced by Chaucer, and cemented into the culture by Shakespeare.  An iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.  A line of iambic pentameter is five iambic feet in a row:  da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM.  Or, Shakespeare:  "When I do count the clock that tells the time."

22. Soft murmur: COO.

23. [Theme clue]

24. [Theme clue]

28. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.

29. Chest muscles, for short: PECS.  Appearing immediately above the six pack abs pictured earlier.

30. Secondary Insta accounts: ALTS.  Secondary Instagram accounts, called "alts," let you separate your personal profile from a professional one, or use one account for a niche interest.

32. Dog park sounds: ARFS.

35. Feel crummy: AIL.

36. [Theme clue]

38. Deli bread: RYE.

40. Long part of a guitar or a giraffe: NECK.  Or both?

the elusive guitaffe

42. Causes of sorrow: WOES.

43. Solange, to Blue Ivy Carter: AUNT.  Solange Knowles is Beyoncé's younger sister.  Blue Ivy Carter is Beyoncé's daughter and oldest of her three children.  I did not know, did not care, and yet spent way too much time researching and illustrating these luminaries of contemporary pop culture.

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy                         Solange

44. Surrealist Magritte: RENÉ.  Belgian, 1898-1967.

"Attempting the Impossible" by Magritte, 1928

46. [Theme clue]

48. [Theme clue]

51. WSJ competitor: NYT.  Wall Street Journal vs New York Times.

52. Mended, as socks: DARNED.  Darning is a sewing technique used to repair holes in knit fabrics.

53. [Theme clue]

58. Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie __": AMOUR.  Blind since shortly after his birth in 1950, Stevland Judkins was a musical prodigy who signed with Motown records at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.  At the height of his career in R&B, soul, and jazz, he used electronic synthesizers to be a one man band.  "My Cherie Amour" reached number 4 on the Billboard pop chart in 1969, and was Wonder's eighth top ten hit.

59. Former "Top Chef" host Lakshmi: PADMA.  Padma Lakshmi immigrated to the U.S. as a child, and worked as a model before hosting Top Chef on Bravo (2006-2023) and her own docuseries, Taste the Nation, on Hulu (2020- ).  She has been nominated for 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, and has written four books, two of which were best sellers.  Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America and is a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador.

Padma Lakshmi

60. Santa __, California: ANA.

61. Promotes heavily: TOUTS.

62. Ink mishap: SMEAR.

63. Bar barrel: KEG.

64. Finishes: ENDS.

65. Leavening agent: YEAST.

66. Bighorn's mother: EWE.

I love ewe, mom!

Down:

1. "Moby-Dick" captain: AHAB.

2. Ruth Bader Ginsburg's collar fabric: LACE.  Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) was a lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.  Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court, she argued before the court as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, and was general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.  

The Notorious RBG, 2016

3. Give away instead of throw away: FREECYCLE.

4. Panda's diet: BAMBOO.

5. Ridesharing rival of Lyft: UBER.

6. __ fountain: SODA.  In my mother's youth, there were dining establishments called soda fountains.  Today, a soda fountain is the machine that dispenses carbonated soft drinks in fast food places.

        old soda fountain                                                       new soda fountain

7. Amend text: EDIT.

8. Salty body of water: SEA.

9. Room: CHAMBER.

10. Ballroom dance from Cuba: RUMBA.

11. Gelatinous dish: ASPIC.  Aspic is a clear, savory gelatin made from meat, poultry, or fish stock.

aspic

12. Wallop: WHACK.

15. Jason of "Hobbs & Shaw": STATHAM.  Jason Statham is an English actor who plays tough or violent characters in action films.  Although he seems to be wildly popular and a bankable star, yours truly has managed to miss all his movies, including the whole Fast & Furious franchise, and the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.  However, we will credit him with fitting a mini-theme today:

Jason Statham has six pack abs.

20. Competes on the crew team: ROWS.

21. Apple platform: IOS.  Apple’s iOS is the iPhone operating system.

23. Bunsen burner nozzle: GAS JET.  We used a Bunsen burner for something-or-other in high school Biology.  Typical uses are heating, sterilization, and combustion.  I think I would remember combustion.

Bunsen burner

24. Pro who's a master of deduction?: CPA.

25. Harness strap: REIN.

26. Kareem's former team, on scoreboards: LAL.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:  Los Angeles Lakers.  Kareem's former name, on birth certificates:  Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.

27. Bloom: FLOWER.

31. Number of players in checkers: TWO.

33. Rich dessert with a long shelf life: FRUITCAKE.  Fruitcake is made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and usually soaked in liqueurs or brandy, which helps prevent mold.

Two years old and still ... good?

34. Lip-__: mouth the words: SYNC.

36. Barbecue rods: SKEWERS.

37. Campfire residue: ASH.

39. French summer: ÉTÉ.

41. Pastry hybrids: CRONUTS.

43. Actress Taylor-Joy: ANYA.  Just heard Anya being interviewed by crossword favorite Ayesha Rascoe on NPR about her new Apple TV series, Lucky.  If you ever get a chance to see Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, it's worthwhile.  This one?  We'll see.

45. "Toy Story 3" voice actor Beatty: NED.  Ned Beatty (1937-2021) was an actor (in movies even yours truly has seen!) and voiced Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear in the 2010 Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 3.

Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear and Ned Beatty

47. To some extent: IN PART.

48. Matchmaking platform available in Hebrew: JDATE.  How to meet other members of the tribe when Jews are only 2% of the U.S. population, and 0.2% worldwide?  Meet Jdate, the app for singles seeking long-term, values-based commitments.

49. Comedian Wayans: DAMON.  Damon Wayans performed on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, on In Living Color (1990-92), and then a series of other TV shows, including the Fox television series Lethal Weapon (2016-2019).  His son Damon Wayans Jr. is following in his footsteps.

The Damon Wayanses

50. Self-satisfied: PROUD.

53. "We're on the __ page": SAME.

54. Bit of inspiration: IDEA.

55. Short holiday?: XMAS.

56. Was sure about: KNEW.

57. Fragrant herb: SAGE.

59. College maj. for an aspiring therapist: PSY.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer:  that college major is psychology.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did any part of this puzzle stick in your CRAW?  Or cause you WOES?  Or make you PACK it in?

Perhaps, instead, you KNEW all the answers, felt wise and SAGE, and PROUD of your performance!

We are all UBER interested!  Please share your IDEAs in the comments below.

-- NaomiZ

Monday, July 20, 2026, Rena Cohen

Theme:  Tea for two and two for tea ... 🎵🫖

Constructor Rena Cohen has a wealth of experience, although she is only a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis. At age 9, Rena heard Will Shortz (crossword editor at the New York Times) speak at Indiana University, and began sending him original crossword puzzles for review and comment.  In high school, she was published by the Los Angeles Times and by USA Today.  In 2023, she received mentoring through a New York Times crossword fellowship and has since been published at the NY Times, LA Times, and elsewhere. She runs a daily mini crossword through her school's newspaper at games.studlife.com.  And she's here today for Monday funday!

Rena Cohen, wordsmith wunderkind

Today's theme is Truly Terrific, with the big reveal here:

37-Across. Collections with cups and saucers, or a phonetic description of 16-, 22-, 49-, and 60-Across: TEA SETS.  Sets of Ts ...

The other theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. Nickname for Hollywood: TINSELTOWN. 

22-Across. Sanction for running a red light: TRAFFIC TICKET.

49-Across. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers," e.g.: TONGUE TWISTER.

60-Across. "Magic Tree House" subject: TIME TRAVEL.  A series of books for young readers (second grade "chapter books") by Mary Pope Osborne.  Unknown to yours truly.

Symmetrically placed theme answers, a reveal smack in the middle of the puzzle ... well done!  But now, let's talk turkey about the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. Scouting mission, briefly: RECON.

6. Assent nonverbally: NOD.

9. Blue-green hue: AQUA.

13. Greeting at a luau: ALOHA.

14. Identical: SAME.

15. Organ with bronchioles: LUNG.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Meaty spread: PÂTÉ.  Ground meat with butter or cream and herbs.

19. Meh: SO-SO.

20. "Tastes great!": YUM.

21. __ to go: full of enthusiasm: RARIN.  When you are RARING to go, you are eager, like a horse impatiently REARING on its hind legs.  When you are RARIN' to go, you are an eager hillbilly.  I wish the clue would have given us some further hint about the subject.

22. [Theme clue]

26. Hopelessly stuck: IN A RUT.

28. Peruvian capital: LIMA.  Not dinero, but the capital city.

29. One-named "Dancing on My Own" singer: ROBYN.  The critically acclaimed "Dancing on My Own" was composed by Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn and released in 2010.

30. Astonish: STUN.

32. Pepper partner: SALT.

36. Comm. used by many CODAs: ASL.  CODAs are Children Of Deaf Adults.  They may learn to communicate with American Sign Language.

37. [Theme clue]

40. Fish eggs: ROE.

41. Require: NEED.

43. Tears: RIPS.  My brain wanted to read "tears" as the droplets that leak out of our eyes when we weep.  

      Here's a set of Ts that form the crying emoticon:  T_T  

      Can you see the closed eyes with tears streaming down?

      The emoji version looks like this:  

44. Secures with a key: LOCKS.

46. King of the Norse pantheon: ODIN.  Odin is the father of the gods and also the god of war.

48. Many a chart-topping song: POP HIT.  All songs that reach the #1 spot on a recognized music ranking are chart toppers, but not all of them are pop hits because they could be metal or country songs.  And many pop hits never reach #1, so not all pop hits are chart toppers.  But *many* chart toppers *are* pop hits, just as our clue suggests. 

49. [Theme clue]

54. Express feelings: EMOTE.  

55. Approves: OKS.

56. Like a plump red strawberry: RIPE.

59. Org. with a phonetic alphabet: NATO.  The NATO phonetic alphabet is an internationally recognized set of names for the letters of the Latin alphabet and the Arabic digits. It is most commonly used in radio communication, where the usual names of the letters are likely to be misunderstood. I don't know why we don't all learn it.  It would be so helpful when spellling out our names and addresses to people on the phone!

Letter names

Alfa	November
Bravo	Oscar
Charlie	Papa
Delta	Quebec
Echo	Romeo
Foxtrot	Sierra
Golf	Tango
Hotel	Uniform
India	Victor
Juliett	Whiskey
Kilo	Xray
Lima	Yankee
Mike	Zulu
One	Six
Two	Seven
Three ('tree')	Eight
Four ('fower')	Nine ('niner')
Five ('fife')	Zero

60. [Theme clue]

63. Gender-neutral pronoun: THEY.

64. Zone: AREA.

65. Gaming giant: ATARI.

66. Back talk: SASS.

67. Frying vessel: PAN.

68. Gets soupy, as ice cream: MELTS.  When Darling Daughter was a tiny tot, she called her soupy ice cream "root stew."  Who knows why?  Nowadays she is much more likely to eat actual root stew than ice cream.

Down:

1. Sewer scurriers: RATS.  DH wants me to eliminate the two rats that are eating fallen seed under the bird feeder, but he participates in the lavish feeding of the squirrels.

2. Pixar film about a boy who meets aliens: ELIO.  In this 2025 animated film produced by Pixar for Walt Disney Pictures, eleven-year-old Elio is mistaken for the intergalactic ambassador of Earth after being beamed up to the Communiverse by aliens.

3. British police officer: CONSTABLE.

4. "Whoops, my bad": OH SORRY.

5. Scottish denial: NAE.

6. Tennis star Osaka: NAOMI.  What is nationality, anyway?  Wikipedia says that Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player, who is the first Asian to hold the top ranking in singles, and the first Japanese player to win a major singles title.  Naomi was born in Japan to a Haitian-American father and a Japanese mother, and has lived and trained in the United States since age three. Her income has been record breaking for a female athlete, based on many corporate sponsorships. She is well known for activism on behalf of the African American community.  

Naomi Osaka

7. Texter's "Coming!": OMW.  On My Way.  Have never used nor received this one.

8. Cozy room: DEN.

9. Pack animals known for spitting: ALPACAS.  Darling Daughter visited an alpaca farm last month and told me this is a thing.

10. Elementary subatomic particle: QUARK.  Advanced imaging systems have confirmed the existence of hierarchies of elements of atoms that are all constituents of matter.  At some level, I have been given to understand, everything that exists is just energy vibrating at various frequencies.  Hold on tight!  Or let go.  We are all just passing through here.

11. Loosen, as a knot: UNTIE.

12. Representative: AGENT.

14. Double __ Oreo: STUF.  Once every couple of years, I lose all restraint and purchase a package of Oreos, and not just because they are the most popular cookie in crosswords.  I plan to eat them.  Then I find DH standing over the kitchen trash bin, scraping the STUF out with a knife, and eating the plain chocolate wafers.  I complain bitterly.  If you don't like STUF, stay out of the Oreos!  Who's with me?

Sacrilege!

17. Uber competitor: LYFT.

21. Outer edge: RIM.

23. Mom's sister: AUNT.

24. "Blue's __": Nick Jr. show: CLUES.  This Nickelodeon childrens' program ran from 1996 to 2006.  (There was also a 2019 reboot.)  The show followed an animated dog named Blue as she left a trail of paw prints for the host and the viewer to figure out her plans for the day. Based on research in early childhood education, Blue's Clues presented material in a narrative format, used repetition for reinforcement, structured every episode the same way, and invited the viewers' involvement.  It had a novel look, using construction paper shapes to create the animation.  Sounds like something good to stream for the grandchildren.

25. Add color to: TINT.

26. Tehran's country: IRAN.

27. Rudolph's red body part: NOSE.

30. Exceptionally kind person: SAINT.

31. Baking qty.: TSP.

33. Biggest competitor: ARCHRIVAL.

34. Trickster of the Norse pantheon: LOKI.  Loki is Odin's blood brother, and thanks to that, when his mischief causes the death of Odin's son, he cannot be killed -- but he can be gruesomely punished until the end of the world (AKA Ragnarök).

35. Midterm, e.g.: TEST.

38. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE.

39. Opening in a spatula: SLOT.  Some of us watching TV in 1989 enjoyed this pretend advertisement for Spatula City.  I can hardly hear the word "spatula" without thinking of it.  Obviously.

42. Nylabones, squeak balls, and the like: DOG TOYS.  Love hearing the dogs squeak their toys.

45. Do surgery: OPERATE.

47. Payable now: DUE.

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

49. Camp shelters: TENTS.

50. Biggest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA.

51. Parts of a scale: NOTES.

52. People celebrated internationally every March 8: WOMEN.  International Women's Day is celebrated globally on March 8 every year.  I was not even aware of this special date until my daughter moved to Italy and experienced significant celebrations of Women's Day annually.  Her husband gave her a mimosa tree on Women's Day and they planted it in the front yard.

53. Furniture chain founded in Sweden: IKEA.

57. Cheeky: PERT.

58. Yale students: ELIS.  Yale students are called ELIS for the university's early benefactor, Elihu Yale.

60. Alternative to bottled, in a restaurant: TAP.  Another thing I learned in Italy:  always order bottled water.  Admittedly, here, I am back to the finest local tap.

61. Golden yrs. fund: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

62. Aries animal: RAM.  Seems like I just used this image on June 29th:

Here's the grid:

Solvers, 

Were you RARIN to go on this Monday marvel?

Did you TAP into the theme right away?

Use the comments section to opine on the CLUES!

-- NaomiZ

Monday, July 13, 2026, Mark Tomek

Theme:  Say your piece.

Constructor Mark Tomek appears to be rather new to crossword authorship, and today marks Mark's debut in the Los Angeles Times!  Congratulations!  I finished this puzzle thinking, "I love Mondays!"

The four theme answers are common phrases that mean "speak at length."

18-Across. Ramble at length: PRATTLE ON.

23-Across. Chat at length: CHEW THE FAT.

41-Across. Blather at length: TALK A BLUE STREAK.

54-Across. Jabber at length: BABBLE AWAY.

The reveal:

65-Across. Hidden bar of the Prohibition era, or an apt title for this puzzle?: SPEAKEASY.

The theme answers, together with the reveal, occupy symmetrical spaces in the puzzle, and 41-Across spans the grid.  Just lovely.

The rest of the grid is nice, too.  But don't let me prattle on.  Let's have a look.

Across:

1. Not together: APART.

6. Nile cobra: ASP.

9. Adjust to one's surroundings: ADAPT.

14. Printer cartridge: TONER.

15. "The Producers" filmmaker Brooks: MEL.  Mel Brooks won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his 1967 film The Producers.  His theatrical adaptation of The Producers ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2007 and won 12 Tony Awards, and then he adapted the theatrical version as another film in 2005.

Mel Brooks as Hitler.
Comedy is an enemy of fascism.

16. "The Hunchback of __ Dame": NOTRE.  The 1831 novel by Victor Hugo is set in 15th century Paris.  It has been adapted many times, notably as a 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney, a 1939 sound film with Charles Laughton, a 1956 film with Anthony Quinn, and a 1996 animated film with Tom Hulce.

Lon Chaney as The Hunchback of Notre Dame

17. Perennial with yellow flowers: TANSY.  Native to Europe and Asia, the tansy is invasive where it has been introduced to other continents, and is considered a noxious weed.  It's toxic, too.

Tansy

18. [Theme clue]

20. Most chilly: ICIEST.

22. Struggling at bat, say: IN A SLUMP.

23. [Theme clue]

25. Fluffy lapdog, familiarly: POM.  The Pomeranian is a toy dog breed descended from the German Spitz.

Pomeranian dog

26. Catch some rays: SUN.

27. Actress Mendes: EVA.  Eva Mendes is a retired American actress with a long list of film credits.  She has two daughters with Ryan Gosling.

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling

30. Woeful word: ALAS.

34. Make fun of: MOCK.

37. Figure __: skater's pattern: EIGHT.

41. [Theme clue]

44. Brooded: MOPED.

45. French cleric: ABBÉ.  The French word for "abbot."

46. Risk-taker's hashtag: YOLO.  You only live once.

47. Try to win over: WOO.

49. "Now I've seen it __!": ALL.

51. Theater chain letters: AMC.  AMC Theatres (originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema) was founded in 1920 and was pivotal in promoting multi-screen theaters from the early 1960s onward.

AMC theater lobby

54. [Theme clue]

61. __ Springs, New York: SARATOGA.  A city of about 30,000 people, Saratoga Springs is noted for its mineral springs and a horse racing track.  There's a Disney resort there, too.

Spring water in downtown Saratoga Springs

64. IV drip solution: SALINE.

65. [Theme clue]

67. Signals of hunger: PANGS.

68. Notification: ALERT.

69. Round Table title: SIR.  There were twelve knights at King Arthur's round table, including Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and Sir Tristan.

70. Comedy show host: EMCEE.

71. Pound sounds: YELPS.  POMs are noted barkers, too.

72. Letters from a polite texter: PLS.  Texting abbreviation for "please."

73. Active types: DOERS.

Down:

1. Storage space that often has a slanted ceiling: ATTIC.

2. Eggs Benedict recipe instruction: POACH.

3. "__ Get Your Gun": ANNIE.  Annie Get Your Gun was a 1946 Broadway musical based on the life of Annie Oakley.  It featured hit songs by Irving Berlin including "There's No Business Like Show Business."  A 1950 film version followed.

Ethel Merman as Annie Oakley
in the 1946 Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun

4. Fix again, as a torn seam: RESEW.

5. Clandestine meetings: TRYSTS.

6. Musician's sound booster: AMP.

7. Letter embellishment: SERIF.  A serif is a decorative stroke added to letters in traditional typefaces.  A modern font without serifs is "sans serif."

Sans serif on the left; serif on the right.

8. First-choice tactic: PLAN A.

9. Picnic pests: ANTS.

10. American Girl product: DOLL.

11. Gobbled down: ATE UP.

12. "Coming soon" ad: PROMO.

13. Evening news hr.: TEN PM.

19. London art gallery: TATE. The Tate Gallery opened with a single site in 1897 and now includes Tate Britain (in London), Tate Modern (also in London), Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives (Cornwall).

Staircases inside Tate Britain (on the left) and Tate Modern (on the right).

21. "Green" digit for a gardener: THUMB.

24. Sherlock's sister, per three Netflix films: ENOLA.  The character of Enola Holmes was created by American author Nancy Springer for her young adult novels, The Enola Holmes Mysteries.  When the first film was released in 2020, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle filed a lawsuit against Netflix for misrepresenting the character of Sherlock Holmes.  The lawsuit was dismissed since most of the Sherlock Holmes stories were already in the public domain, and the rest have entered the public domain since then.

Starring Millie Bobby Brown

28. Nov. honoree: VET.  Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11.

29. Spacious, in a way: AIRY.

30. 20s source: ATM.  You can get $20 bills at an Automated Teller Machine.

31. Language spoken in Vientiane: LAO.  Lao is the official language of Laos, of which Vientiane is the capital.

32. European peak: ALP.

33. Distort, as data: SKEW.

35. Chicago MLBer: CUB.  The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. 

How today's blogger really feels about the professional sports stuff.

36. Shish __: KEBAB.

38. Prefix with thermal: GEO.

39. Sci-fi computer villain: HAL.  From the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke, a noted science fiction author.  Here's a 54 second reminder.

40. Boxing ref's ruling, for short: TKO.  Technical Knockout.  A decision that one of the boxers can no longer safely continue the match.

42. Brouhaha: ADO.

43. Flies off the shelves: SELLS.

48. Orchestra woodwind: OBOE.

50. Bounded: LEAPED.

51. Analyze for purity: ASSAY.

52. Baseball bat wood: MAPLE.

53. Fishing basket: CREEL.  My father was a fly fisherman and carried a creel like this one:

If Daddy was going to keep a fish to eat it,
he killed it with a sharp blow to the head and popped it into the creel.

55. Audibly stunned: AGASP.  Killing creatures leaves me AGASP.  Hence, vegetarian.

56. Pizza Margherita herb: BASIL.

57. Avis rival: ALAMO.

58. React to a cringey faux pas: WINCE.

59. Emotion voiced by Lewis Black in the "Inside Out" films: ANGER.  Lewis Black does anger well.

Lewis Black

60. Positive responses: YESES.

62. Senior advocacy group: AARP.  American Association of Retired Persons.

63. Times Sq. sales booth: TKTS.  The TKTS Discount Booth in Times Square offers same-day and next-day matinee Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets at a discount.

66. Calendar divs.: YRS.  Calendars divisions are years.  Could have been wks or mos, but it wasn't.

Here's the grid:

Solvers,

Did you utter YESES out loud when reading the answers here today?

Or did you WINCE if you discovered you had gone awry?

YOLO.  Take a chance on sharing your reactions in the comments.

-- NaomiZ