Thursday, December 25, 2025, Katie Hale

Theme:  $omething extra in your stocking.

Today's crossword puzzle comes to us from Katie Hale, assistant crossword editor of the Los Angeles Times, who lives in London, England.  Thanks, Katie, for spreading Christmas cheer from across the pond!  We have some lovely, long theme answers today, and four circled letters.  The circled letters are added to English phrases, transforming the meaning of those phrases so that they match the clues.

16-Across. Produces apian-themed bedroom decor?: MAKES A BEE LINE[N].  Original phrase:  Makes a beeline, that is, goes quickly and directly toward a specific goal.  Adding N gives us MAKES A BEE LINEN, which is apian (bee related) sheets, pillowcases, and other fabric items that decorate a bed.

23-Across. Brand stylization such as camel case?: BUMP ON A LOG[O].  Original phrase:  Bump on a log, that is, someone who sits idle.  Adding O gives us BUMP ON A LOGO.  The reference is to "camel case," a writing format that eliminates spaces between words and indicates separation with capital letters:  PowerPoint, iPhone, FedEx, eBay.  The capital letter sticks up like the hump on a camel, and is often used in brand names.

40-Across. Creates cabernet with mallets?: HAMMERS OUT A WIN[E].  Original phrase:  Hammers out a win, that is, achieves a successful outcome through intense effort.  Adding E gives us HAMMERS OUT A WINE.  Imagine using mallets, which are hammers with large heads, to beat grapes into wine.

51-Across. English noble with an eyebrow ring?: PIERCED EAR[L].  Original phrase:  Pierced ear, that is, an ear in which a hole has been made to allow an earring to pass through.  Adding L gives us PIERCED EARL, a nobleman with additional body piercings.

61-Across. End-of-year perk, and what this puzzle's circled letters form: CHRISTMAS BONUS.  The circled letters spell NOEL, which means Christmas, and comes from the Latin natalis meaning birth or birthday.  A Christmas bonus usually connotes extra money added to one's paycheck at the end of the year, but in this case, we get some extra meanings thanks to NOEL.  The extra Christmas is a bonus!

What other Christmas treats does Katie have in store for us?  Let's open all the gifts.

Across:

1. Extract in some dog treats, briefly: CBD.  Cannabidiol (CBD) is an extract of Cannabis, and has been used to treat anxiety and pain, without much clinical evidence to support that usage.  Still, anything to help Fido feel better.

4. Fare ways?: CABS.  One way to get where you're going?  Pay a fare to ride in a cab.

8. Blue Ribbon beer: PABST.  Pabst claims that its beer was renamed Pabst Blue Ribbon following its win as "America's Best" at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Whether the brand actually won an award in 1893 is unclear, but the beer had won many other awards at other fairs, and Pabst had already started tying blue ribbons around every bottle.  It was such a great marketing ploy that this was an easy answer for you today.

13. Mine material: ORE.

14. Tech gift-guide site: CNET.  Check it out.  

15. Uneasy feeling: AGITA.  Agitation or anxiety.

16. [Theme clue]

19. Jessica of "The Better Sister": BIEL.  Jessica Biel is an American movie and television actress. She co-starred with Elizabeth Banks in "The Better Sister," a 2025 Amazon limited series TV thriller.  The premise:  two estranged sisters, one married to and the other divorced from the same man, are forced together after he is murdered.

Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks

20. London's prov.: ONT.  London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada.  Not the same London where our crossword constructor resides.

21. Step up from amateur night: GIG.  A gig is a paid performance.

22. Cal. column: MON.  Calendar column:  Monday.

23. [Theme clue]

28. "R u 4 real!?": OMG.  Are you for real?  Oh my god!  (Text abbreviations.)

29. 1860s prez: ABE.

30. Before now: AGO.

31. PG Tips and Barry's: TEAS.

British and Irish tea brands

33. Odds partner: ENDS.

36. Contradict in court: REBUT.

40. [Theme clue]

43. Slumber: SLEEP.

44. Tip-top: ACME.

45. Element of cooled pudding: SKIN.  Pudding skin is a rubbery film that forms on the surface of cooked puddings as they cool.  In one episode of Seinfeld, George proposed to cut the skin off of puddings, wrap them in plastic, and sell them as "pudding skin singles," akin to Kraft Singles American cheese.

46. Objective: AIM.

48. "Tinker Bell" voice actress Whitman: MAE.  Mae Whitman has been acting since she was six years old.  She has a long list of movie and TV credits; you may remember her from Parenthood (2010-2015).

Mae Whitman, Lauren Graham, and Miles Heizer in Parenthood

50. Actress Mendes: EVA.  Eva Mendes acted in a lot of movies before calling it quits in 2022, citing a lack of good roles that weren't specifically Latina.  She has two daughters with Ryan Gosling.

Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling

51. [Theme clue]

56. 43-Across letters: REM.  SLEEP letters?  REM is a stage of sleep marked by -- you guessed it -- Rapid Eye Movement and vivid dreaming.

57. One point in gin rummy: ACE.  Gin Rummy, or simply Gin, is a two player card game in which aces are always valued at one point.

58. DC villain Luthor: LEX.  In DC comics, Lex Luthor is a supervillain with no superpowers.  He's just a wealthy, evil genius, and he's the archenemy of Superman.

Even a supervillain can grow up to be President.

59. Tie to a dock: MOOR.

61. [Theme clue]

66. Actor/director Waititi: TAIKA.  Taika Waititi is a New Zealnd filmmaker, actor, and comedian.  He co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and more recently directed Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

Taika Waititi

67. Beauty aisle brand: OLAY.

68. Unreliable stat from the chronically late: ETA.  Adorable youngest daughter is not to be trusted regarding her Estimated Time of Arrival.

69. Like an intimidating climb: STEEP.

70. Eyelid issue: STYE.

71. Set: GEL.  Gel as a verb is to change from a liquid into a thick, soft solid.  Set is another way of saying the same thing.  Are you thinking of 45-Across, pudding skin?

Down:

1. Burger, fries, and a drink, perhaps: COMBO MEAL.

2. Cognitive ability improver: BRAIN GAME.  You're playing one!

3. Hockey feint: DEKE.  A deceptive movement or feint that induces an opponent to move out of position.  This seems to be an ice hockey specific term, and can be used as a noun or verb.

4. Includes, in a way: CCS.  We used to do this with carbon copies!  I still sometimes spell out the CCs at the end of an email when I want to the recipients to be aware of whose eyes will see a "reply all."

5. "Ballerina" actress de Armas: ANA.  Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way.  She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.  Ballerina was a 2025 thriller.

Ana de Armas

6. "__-a-Lula": classic Gene Vincent hit: BE-BOP.  "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.

7. Real-time record-keeper, for short: STENO.  A STENOgrapher's job is to transcribe speech, as it occurs, using shorthand writing or a stenographic machine, especially in courtroom settings.

8. Good bud: PAL.

9. Form 1040 amt.: AGI.  Adjusted Gross Income belongs on Line 11 of Form 1040.  It reflects your income from all sources, minus certain allowable expenses.

10. "That's exactly right!": BINGO.

11. "Doctor De Soto" writer/illustrator William: STEIG.  I know William Steig mostly for a little picture book called CDB! (1968).   Doctor De Soto (1982) won the National Book Award.  The plot features a mouse dentist who wants to help a fox with a toothache, and yet not be eaten by him.

12. Dance with figure-eight steps: TANGO.

17. Idris of "Hijack": ELBA.  Idris Elba appears frequently in the puzzle.  He's a hugely successful actor who gained fame through his role in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2004).  Hijack is an Apple TV+ thriller series that debuted in 2023; a second season is set to premiere in January 2026.

Idris Elba

18. Volcano where Bronte pistachios are grown: ETNA.  Bronte, Sicily, Italy, is on the slopes of Mount Etna, the active volcano.  The little pistachios grown there derive a sweet flavor from the volcanic soil.

Bronte, Sicily, with Mount Etna

22. Wool-loving pests: MOTHS.

24. __ Eats: UBER.

25. Society for smarties: MENSA.

26. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.

27. Luxury hotel chain: LOEWS.

32. Spread, as peanut butter: SMEAR.

34. Sleepy housemate: DOC.  From Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

35. __ cum laude: SUMMA.  I imagine that many cruciverbalists earned this distinction in college.

37. Trail for cyclists: BIKE ROUTE.

38. Covering everything: UNIVERSAL.

39. Brunch date hr.: TEN AM.  In L.A., people will invite you to brunch at 1 PM.  1 PM!!  Does the language mean nothing any more?  On the other hand, sure, I can be ready by 1 PM.

41. Extraordinary: EPIC.

42. Feature of some distressed jeans: TEAR.

47. Turn to liquid: MELT.

49. Furry red Muppet: ELMO.  The Tickle Me Elmo doll was a huge fad during the 1996 Christmas shopping season.

51. Promises between besties: PACTS.

52. Apple's old messaging app: iCHAT.  iDON'Tchat.  I'm not an Apple person.

53. Haunting: EERIE.

54. Short exhibitions: DEMOS.

55. Speak highly of: EXALT.

60. Pull felt on Earth: O NEG.  Here I need your help.  Are we dealing with gravity?  With weightlessness?  Is the first character a zero, that is, zero neg?  Help, I'm falling!  Or failing!

[The answer was ONE G -- the force of gravity on the surface of the earth, as pointed out by several commenters.  NaomiZ experienced a blind spot here!]

62. 1950s prez: IKE.

Eisenhower and Nixon

63. Sucker: SAP.

64. Go: SAY.  So I go, that movie is the best!, and Sharie goes, it was totally rad!

65. "Ta-ta": BYE.  Ciao for now.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did this BRAIN GAME give you AGITA?  Did you survive by the SKIN of your teeth?

Or did your SUMMA cum laude and MENSA credentials earn you an EPIC win?

Your gift to the rest of us:  a comment below!

If you don't have a Blogger handle, consider being super cool like Darren in L.A. and signing your Anonymous comment. 

Merry Christmas!

-- NaomiZ

 

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

1) Happy birthday to dear Kathy (Yellowrocks)! I'm so happy to see you back on the blog. I hope you're having an extra-special day celebrating with your family.
 

Yellowrocks, Dec 10, 2020

2) Happy birthday to Lorraine (Fermatprime) as well! I hope you're doing well. And "Hello"  to Malcolm too - he reads our blog regularly and keeps me posted on how Lorraine is doing from time to time.

Fermatprime, Thanksgiving, 2015

Thursday, December 18, 2025, Rebecca Goldstein

Theme:  On a wing and a prayer ...

Wright Brothers first flight, December 17, 1903

Was our constructor, Rebecca Goldstein, inspired by yesterday's 122nd anniversary of the first controlled, sustained flight of an engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?  Maybe!  The theme answers in today's puzzle all involve wings.  They are:

17-Across. Many an American employee: FLIGHT ATTENDANT.  The American Airlines flight attendant uniform includes a metal pin in the shape of wings with the company logo at the center. 

25-Across. List of pub grub: BAR MENU.  A bar menu frequently includes chicken wings.

28-Across. Contest that starts with a center-ice faceoff: NHL GAME.  The National Hockey League includes a team called the Detroit Red Wings that is celebrating its 100th anniversary in the 2025/26 season.

42-Across. Residential upgrades: HOME IMPROVEMENT.  Upgrading your home?  You might add a new wing.

55-Across. Red Bull slogan, and what can also be said of 17-, 25-, 28-, and 42-Across: GIVES YOU WIIINGS.  Red Bull is an "energy drink" containing caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, B vitamins, and inositol.  It is advertised as a performance enhancer.  In 2013, a class-action lawsuit argued that the slogan "Red Bull gives you wings" and related marketing claims misled consumers into believing the drink provided benefits not found in a cup of coffee.  The suit was settled for $13 million, and the slogan was changed to "Red Bull gives you WIIINGS" as if this is somehow more clearly metaphorical, and less a literal claim.  Both the before and after slogans are news to this blogger.

So, 17-, 25-, 28-, and 42-Across GIVE YOU WINGS.  Sort of, right?  The flight attendant might give you a wings pin.  The bar menu might give you chicken wings.  An NHL game might serve up the Detroit Red Wings.  And home improvements might give you (and your house) new wings.

At this point, we are flying high.  On to the rest of the clues and answers!

Across:

1. "In the headlights" animal: DEER.  Deer have more light sensitive rod cells and greater dilation than we have in our eyes, giving them good night vision. When you shine bright light into their faces at night, they are blinded. Their fear response is to freeze to avoid detection by predators. This response is not well adapted to fast moving cars.

5. Golf tops: POLOS.  Golf courses often have dress codes requiring shirts with collars, so a polo shirt is a comfortable way to meet that standard.

10. Fury: RAGE.

14. Soul, in Spanish: ALMA.

15. "Alas and __!": ALACK.  Alas and alack have the same meaning, and are doubled for effect.

16. Some Sharon Olds poems: ODES.  Sharon Olds is an American poet who won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.  Raised by abusive parents in a strict religious environment, her poetry uses raw language to expose domestic and political violence.  Odes is a 2016 collection of poetry in the form of odes addressing taboo subjects.

17. [Theme clue]

20. __ sauce: TARTAR.

21. Called: TERMED.

22. Brand of 5-Across: IZOD.  Remember when this brand of polo shirts was all the 10-Across?  

24. Breakfast bowl berry: ACAI.

25. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme clue]

32. Skin soother: ALOE.

33. HS diploma equivalent: GED.  General Educational Development is a set of exams that provide a certificate equivalent to a high school diploma.

35. "All over that": ON IT.

36. Wellness space: SPA.

37. Fruit also known as guanabana: SOURSOP.  Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf evergreen tree.  It is native to the tropical Americas and is widely propagated.  With an aroma similar to pineapple, the flavor has been described as a combination of strawberries and apple with sour citrus notes, and a creamy texture reminiscent of banana.

Soursop fruit on the tree

41. Herbal refreshment: TEA.

42. [Theme clue]

45. Director Lee: ANG.

46. Quick __ wink: AS A.

47. Escapade: LARK.

49. Chess greats, for short: GMS.  Grandmasters.  Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain.

52. Indigenous Canadians: CREE.

55. [Theme clue]

59. Butter Restaurant chef/owner Guarnaschelli: ALEX.  She's a Food Network star and Manhattan restaurateur.

Alex Guarnaschelli

60. March follower: APRIL.

61. Sushi seaweed: NORI.

62. Pops: DADA.

63. Foul call, maybe: PRANK.  A couple of my friends made "foul calls" when we were in middle school.  A call to the corner drug store or liquor store:  "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?  You do?  Well, let him out!"  And a call to any random number:  "Is your refrigerator running?  It is?  Well, you'd better go catch it!"

64. Scratched (out): EKED.

65. Con: SCAM.

66. Shoe bottoms: SOLES.

67. Simchat bat, for one: RITE.  "Simchat bat" is Hebrew for "rejoicing over a daughter."  This ritual welcomes a baby girl into the Jewish people, much as the "brit milah" (or "covenant of circumcision") welcomes a baby boy ... but with no surgery involved.

Down:

1. Absurd: DAFT.  Just plain silly.

2. "First Lady of Song" Fitzgerald: ELLA.

3. Qatari commander: EMIR.

4. "The Entertainer" genre: RAGTIME.  "The Entertainer" is a 1902 ragtime piece for piano written by Scott Joplin.  It was popular as a piano roll for player pianos in the 1910s, and was first recorded by "the Blue Boys" in 1928, on mandolin and guitar.  In 1973, it was the theme music for The Sting, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.  Ragtime was big from the 1890s to 1910s; its signature trait is a syncopated or "ragged" rhythm.

5. Source of financial aid: PATRON.

6. Rio greeting: OLA.  "Hello" in Portuguese, the language of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

7. Muscle worked in dumbbell rows: LAT.  Cruciverbalists call those large back muscles "latissimi dorsi," but gym rats call them lats.

8. Halloween mo.: OCT.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.

9. Comedy scene: SKETCH.

10. "Good 4 U" singer Olivia: RODRIGO.  Olivia Rodrigo acted in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and then shifted into singing, which has earned her three Grammy awards.  She was recognized as Time's Entertainer of the Year in 2021, Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2022, and ASCAP's Pop Music Songwriter of the Year in 2022 and 2024.  Good 4 U was her second number-one song in 2021.  This blogger is behind the times.  

11. Driver of "Ferrari": ADAM.  Adam Driver played Enzo Ferrari in the 2023 film.

Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, and as himself.

12. Part of an inheritance: GENE.  Part of a genetic inheritance.

13. Founded, as a co.: ESTD.  "Established" can be abbreviated as EST, ESTD, or EST'D.

18. Skyline obscurer: HAZE.

19. Diane of "Law & Order: SVU": NEAL.  Diane Neal played a New York assistant district attorney on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit from 2003 to 2012.  She had an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2018.

Diane Neal on SVU

23. Excavated: DUG UP.

24. "In conclusion ... ": AND SO ...

25. Fun function: BASH.

26. Chewy brand: ALPO.  Chewy is a pet supplies website.  As far as I can tell, they don't offer the Alpo brand of pet food on their U.S. site, but they do offer it in Canada.  Alpo does make a dog treat called Chew-eez, but again, it appears to be for the Canadian market.  Is our constructor suggesting that Alpo is a particularly chewy brand of pet food?  How would she know?  

27. Wander: ROAM.

29. Price for hand delivery?: ANTE.  The price you pay to be dealt a hand in a card game.

30. Bearing: MIEN.

31. Coup d'__: ÉTAT.  French for "blow to the state," more or less.  An illegal takeover of the government by sudden action.

34. Stumble or fumble: ERR.

37. Vanity pieces: SINKS.  A bathroom vanity combines a sink, countertop, and storage cabinet.

38. "Srsly!?": OMG.  Textspeak:  Seriously?  Oh my god!

39. Roe, e.g.: OVA.

40. "Raging Bull" Oscar nominee: PESCI.  Raging Bull is a 1980 Martin Scorsese film about boxing champion Jake LaMotta.  Joe Pesci plays Jake's brother, Joey LaMotta.

From Raging Bull: Joe Pesci is on the right

43. Sound check?: EAR EXAM.  Your blogger has an audiology appointment tomorrow.

44. Water boy?: MARINER.  A mariner works aboard a boat or ship ... on the water.

47. Olive family shrub: LILAC.  Lilacs and olives are members of the family Oleaceae.  Other family members (of which there are 700!) include jasmine and forsythia.

48. Vegan brand owned by Estée Lauder: AVEDA.

49. Device on a snowboarder's helmet, maybe: GOPRO.  A GoPro is a camera used to capture videos and photos in challenging situations.  It is waterproof and shockproof, can stabilize images, and has versatile mounting options.

50. Wall flowers, perhaps: MURAL.

51. Pigs: SWINE.

53. Miso soup mushroom: ENOKI.

Enoki mushrooms

54. Ibis kin: EGRET.

55. Wanders (about): GADS.

56. Blathers on: YAPS.

57. Varieties: ILKS.

58. "Oh sure, take their __!": SIDE.

Here's the grid:

Solvers:  Did you think Rebecca's puzzle was DAFT?  Did you ERR at some point and react in RAGE?

Or did you think the experience of solving was a LARK and look forward to more puzzles of this ILK?

Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, December 11, 2025, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis, Erik Agard

Theme:  The beat goes on!

Erik Agard and Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis

Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis is an audio and digital producer on the NPR Music Team, and an avid crossword solver.  This may be her first published crossword puzzle.  If so, congratulations!  In the photo above, Sofie was reporting on a crossword tournament at the University of Chicago in October 2025 for radio station WBEZ Chicago.  For today's puzzle, Sofie teamed up with constructor extraordinaire Erik Agard, former crossword editor at USA Today, currently at Apple News+.  It's wonderful to have these young folks making puzzles.

Today's puzzle features three starred clues, and one that reveals their connection:

28-Down. "Genius of Love" band, or what the answers to the starred clues are members of?: TOM TOM CLUB.  Although I was a fan of the band Talking Heads in the 1980s, I did not know about Tom Tom Club, a side project of two of the members.  Their song "Genius of Love" made it to the US top 40 in 1981.

Now that I've heard the song, I'm going to forget it, along with the band.  Happily this ignorance on my part did not keep me from solving the puzzle.  The reveal even helped me complete the starred clues.  They are:

20-Across. *Jelly Roll Morton jazz composition: BLACK BOTTOM STOMP.  I know about Jelly Roll Morton -- the jazz bandleader who was recording in the 1920s -- because of Van Morrison's lyrics:  

And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like Jelly Roll
And it stoned me

But I didn't know Black Bottom Stomp:

47-Across. *Pronunciation dichotomy popularized by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: TOMAYTO TOMAHTO.  This difference in pronunciation is highlighted in a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance.  In the movie, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers sing it while roller skating.  Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong recorded it in 1957.

27-Down. *One minuscule step at a time: ATOM BY ATOM.  Keeping in mind that Sofie is involved with broadcasting music, it's likely that she has a song in mind here, too.  Is she thinking of the British band Satan, with the 2015 album (and song) Atom by Atom?  (There's also a London-based alternative rock group called Atom by Atom.  Listen here:  https://atombyatom.bandcamp.com/album/dirty-bag )

If you've ever wished that NaomiZ would post more links, your wish has now been granted.

Oh, and by the way -- TOM TOMs are drums.  But you knew that.  And -- the word TOM appears twice in each of the starred answers.  But you knew that, too.

Here's the grid, with all those TOMs peeping out:

Now that we've dealt with every TOM, let's see about Dick and Harry, and whoever else.

Across:

1. One-third of a cereal mascot trio: SNAP.  Crackle and Pop wouldn't fit.

5. Start fishing: CAST.  A fisherman casts the line by pulling the rod back and then snapping it forward, releasing the fishing line and launching it forward.

9. Astounds: WOWS.

13. __ d'Ivoire: COTE.  A West African country with a French colonial history.

14. Spa treatment: FACIAL.

16. Pelee Island's lake: ERIE.  The largest island in Lake Erie.

17. Swedish supergroup: ABBA.

18. Mamá's mamá: ABUELA.  Abuela is Spanish for grandmother.  The accent on mamá was your clue for Spanish.

19. Rodgers of the band Chic: NILE.  Co-founder of the band Chic, Nile Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has received six Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement/Special Merit Award.  You may not know his name, but I'll bet you've heard the songs:

20. [Theme clue]

23. "Beloved" protagonist: SETHE.  Beloved is a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison.  This harrowing tale of a runaway slave is based on a true story.  In 1856, U.S. marshals broke into a cabin in the free state of Ohio, where a mother who had escaped brutal slavery in Kentucky was hiding with her children.  The mother attempted to kill her own children to prevent their return to Kentucky under the Fugitive Slave Act.  Imagine how awful her experience in Kentucky must have been, to want to spare her children in this way.

24. Many a YA hero: TEEN.  YA = Young Adult, a category of literature aimed at teenagers.  

25. Yellowfin and albacore: TUNAS.

26. Green vegetable in aloo matar: PEA.  Curry with peas is part of our standard rotation!  We use tofu instead of potatoes.

Aloo Matar

28. 2,000 pounds: TON.

29. The Black List items: SCRIPTS.  The Black List is a platform for writers to share scripts with Hollywood professionals and get high-quality evaluations from vetted readers.  https://blcklst.com/

33. Polite: CORDIAL.

37. "I'm sorry" response: THAT'S OK.

38. Vast: IMMENSE.

39. Chows down: EATS.

40. Instant: MOMENT.  One meaning of instant is a precise moment of time.  At that very moment ... or, at that very instant ... 

43. Dreary routines: RUTS.

44. CT scan kin: MRI.

45. Ford SUV: BRONCO.

46. Govt. org. established by Lincoln: IRS.  President Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1862, which created the position of Commissioner of Internal Revenue within the Department of the Treasury, and levied the nation's first progressive income tax.  Income tax was repealed in 1872, reinstated in 1894, ruled unconstitutional in 1895, and reinstated through the 16th amendment in 1913.  The taxing agency was renamed "Internal Revenue Service" in 1953.  You're welcome.

47. [Theme clue]

52. Govt. org. established by Nixon: EPA.  President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency by executive order in 1970 to consolidate federal environmental responsibilities and to respond to growing public concern over pollution and environmental degradation.  

53. Movie tech: CGI.  Computer-Generated Imagery.

54. "Did you start already?": AM I LATE?

58. Type of grill or haircut: FLAT TOP.

        flat top grill                           flat top haircut

62. Spot for the cheapest seats in the house, maybe: LAST ROW.

63. "Beauty and the Beast" candelabra: LUMIÈRE.  French speakers have an advantage, since lumière means light.

Lumière from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"

64. "I've got this": TRUST ME.

65. Partner of "aided": ABETTED.  Aiding others is usually a good thing; abetting is very bad.


Down:

1. Line crossers?: SCABS.  Scabs cross the picket line.

2. Of high morals: NOBLE.

3. Royal appearance?: AT BAT.  Kansas City Royals appear, one at a time, at bat.

4. Fruit parts in some noyaux recipes: PEACH PITS.  Noyaux is a liqueur which infuses the kernels found inside pits of stone fruits into spirits like vodka or rum.  Be sure to roast those kernels to avoid cyanide poisoning!

5. "The Princess Diaries" novelist Meg: CABOT.  The Princess Diaries is a series of young adult novels by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000.  The series follows an American teenager who turns out to be Princess Regent of a small European country.  The 2001 Disney film starred Anne Hathaway in her film debut as the princess, along with Julie Andrews as her grandmother and Queen regnant.

6. Like some angles: ACUTE.

7. This clue's number en español: SIETE.  Spanish for "seven."

8. Hawk's weapon: TALON.  Photographer Mark Smith call talons "murder mittens."

Mark Smith's photo of a juvenile Bald Eagle

9. Sank: WENT UNDER.

10. Night hunter: ORION.  Most visible during winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

11. Activist and social reformer Mankiller: WILMA.  Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was a Native American activist and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.  One of her projects was the subject of the film The Cherokee Word for Water.

Wilma Mankiller 2022 quarter dollar

12. Oozes: SEEPS.

14. "Gorg!": FAB.  Gorgeous!  Fabulous.

15. On the __: LAM.

21. Holds on to: KEEPS.

22. Rush angrily: STORM.  Picture storming off ...

27. [Theme clue]

28. [Theme reveal]

29. Brain __: STEM.

30. Graph that may resemble a pie: CHART.

31. Embarrass on social media, in a way: RATIO.  Ratio as a verb on Twitter:  to flood a tweet or its author with negative replies such that commenters take control of the message away from the original poster.  This makes sense as it influences the ratio of positive to negative responses.  

32. Field hockey garment: SKORT.

Looks like skorts are strictly for the ladies.

33. Seis menos uno: CINCO.  Spanish again!  Six minus one:  five.

34. Indigenous people of Greenland: INUIT.

35. Houston baseballer: ASTRO.

36. "I couldn't care __": LESS.

41. "Click, Clack, __: Cows That Type": Caldecott Honor book: MOO.  By Doreen Cronin, 2000.

42. Otolaryngologist, for short: ENT.  An otolaryngologist, commonly called an ENT doctor, specializes in conditions of the ear, nose, and throat.

48. Cheesy sammies: MELTS.  A melt is a hot sandwich with melting cheese.  The tuna melt is a classic example.

49. Not together: APART.

50. Finest form: A GAME.

51. "Cue the music!": HIT IT.  Back to Sofie's choice!

54. Flying fig.: ALT.  Altitude.

55. Ruin: MAR.

56. Ames sch.: ISU.  Iowa State University is in Ames, Iowa.

57. Mother in a meadow: EWE.

58. Ga. neighbor: FLA.

59. Vietnamese New Year: TET.

60. One of five resources in Catan: ORE.  Catan is a board game in which players establish settlements on a fictional island while acquiring and trading resources.  The resources include wool, grain, lumber, brick, and ore.

61. One on foot: Abbr.: PED.  Pedestrian.

Solvers, did you think that Erik Agard aided or ABETTED Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis in constructing this puzzle?  Was it the PITS?  Did you STORM off without finishing?

Or did you bring your A GAME and finish in LESS time than usual for a Thursday?

TRUST ME, you'll find like-minded people in the comments.  Join us there!

-- NaomiZ