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

Thursday, October 16, 2025, Chandi Deitmer

Theme:  Innovative inventories

Chandi Deitmer is a frequent crossword constructor here and elsewhere.  Slate hilariously says, "Chandi Deitmer is a Slate crossword constructor from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her puzzles are most recognizable by odd visuals, long entries featuring her favorite foods, and references to pop lyrics people barely cared about when they were released 20 years ago."  Chandi has redeemed herself from these charges today!  I could go on and on about the reasons why, but Chandi herself has enumerated enough, reinterpreting common two-word phrases as inventories.  Each two-word phrase ends with a word that means enumeration or inventory.

The theme clues and answers, in symmetrically placed rows across, are:

17-Across. Amex, Visa, Discover, etc.: CARD CATALOG.  As a former cataloging librarian, the CARD CATALOG is a subject close to my heart, but in this case, it's just an enumeration of "What's in your wallet?"

27-Across. Dell, Acer, Apple, etc.: COMPUTER MENU.  Nowadays, rather than searching through friendly file drawers, we click on COMPUTER MENUs, wondering where the latest software update has hidden our favorite options.  But in this case, the MENU is just an enumeration of computer brands on the market.

45-Across. Ones, fives, tens, etc.: CASH REGISTER.  When my mother was young, she worked downstairs in a department store, making change for sales slips and cash sent by pneumatic tube from the sales desks upstairs.  She taught me the useful art of counting change.  Today's cash registers make that art unnecessary.  But in this case, the REGISTER is just an enumeration of currency denominations.

59-Across. Whites, knits, delicates, etc.: LAUNDRY LIST.  A LAUNDRY LIST is a long list of things, perhaps an overwhelming or unrealistic list.  But in earlier times, when you might not have been able to afford your own washing machine, you might have taken your clothing to a commercial laundry, where it was important to make a record of what you left there.  By the 1860s, commercial laundries were using pre-printed forms with exhaustive lists of all the possible articles of clothing you might submit.  All you needed to do was jot a number next to socks, shirts, etc.  Eventually the actual, exhaustive LAUNDRY LIST became the metaphorical, exhausting LAUNDRY LIST.  But in this case, the LIST is just an enumeration of categories of items we throw in our washing machines.

I like a theme that reinterprets common phrases.  Very creative.  Let's see what other clues and answers are on Chandi's to-do list for today.

Across:

1. Hairstyle of Diana Ross and Bob Ross: AFRO.  Diana Ross, the "Queen of Motown," was the lead singer of the Supremes in the 1960s.  She celebrated her African American hair with an exaggerated Afro style, aided by extensions and wigs.  Bob Ross was a painter who hosted a PBS instructional television show called The Joy of Painting from 1983 to 1994.  When Bob launched his career, he permed his hair to save on the cost of frequent crew cuts.  When his "Afro" appeared on his art supplies company packaging, he felt locked into the style forever.

Diana Ross and Bob Ross -- no relation

5. Ruffle playfully: TOUSLE.  To tousle is to playfully disarrange someone's hair.  Don't you dare!

11. Sound of disgust: ICK.

14. Wasn't colorfast: BLED.  A real problem if you don't separate the colors on your LAUNDRY LIST.

15. Sounded hoarse: RASPED.

16. Lad: BOY.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Get it wrong: ERR.

20. Occasion for pampering: SPA DAY.

21. Inclination to stay put: INERTIA.

23. Overlook: SNUB.

24. Japanese honorific: SAN.  I have a Japanese client who calls me Naomi-San.

Anna Sawai as Mariko-San in Shōgun

26. "We're __ crossroads": AT A.

27. [Theme clue]

32. Therapeutic application on a 20-Across: MASK.

35. 63-Across's cry: OUT.

36. Vandykes, e.g.: BEARDS.  A Van Dyke, or Vandyke, is a style of facial hair named after the 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck.  A Van Dyke specifically consists of any growth of both a mustache and goatee with all hair on the cheeks shaved.

Who wore it best?  Anthony van Dyck or Johnny Depp?

37. Type: ILK.

38. Decorated, in a way: HONORED.  One thinks of a decorated war veteran.

Audie Murphy was the most highly decorated enlisted soldier in U.S. history.

40. "Golly!": GEE.

41. Servings of cheese or oranges: SLICES.

43. According to: PER.

44. Light rope: CORD.

45. [Theme clue]

48. Undergrad deg. option: BLA.  Bachelor of Liberal Arts.

49. Nosh: EAT.

50. UNESCO World Heritage Site in England: BATH.

53. Edible arrangement: FOOD ART.

I don't touch these at parties.  They seem over-handled.
And who wants to ruin the centerpiece?

56. Well-trained groups: CADRES.

58. Latto genre: RAP.  Alyssa Stephens, known professionally as Latto (formerly known as Mulatto), is a rapper and singer from Atlanta.  She has picked up some awards and Grammy nominations.  DNK.

Latto

59. [Theme clue]

62. Mined find: ORE.

63. Stay-at-home worker?: UMPIRE.  In baseball, the home-plate umpire stays at the plate when there are runners in scoring position.

64. "What __ is there?": ELSE.

65. Degs. for House and Grey: MDS.  TV doctors.

66. Wasn't straightforward with: MISLED.

67. Scores: SLEW.


Down:

1. Basics: ABCS.

2. Book jacket pair: FLAPS.

3. Played anew: RERAN.

4. Curious character: ODD DUCK.

5. Airline passenger's table: TRAY.

6. Stout grain: OAT.

7. Chant from fans dressed in red, white, and blue: USA.

8. First-aid item: SPLINT.

9. "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand" singer Bridges: LEON.  Leon Bridges is a singer, songwriter, and record producer.  His 2018 single, "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand," won Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.  Another DNK for me in contemporary music.

Leon Bridges

10. __ case: EDGE.  An edge case is a situation that occurs only at an extreme operating parameter. For example, a stereo speaker might noticeably distort audio when played at maximum volume.  It is challenging to engineer for edge cases because of unpredictable user behavior, product complexity, and resource limitations.  DNK this either!

11. "Just look at the time!": I BETTER GO.

12. Raita herb: CORIANDER.  Raita is a side dish served with Indian cuisine that provides a cooling contrast to spicy foods.  It is yogurt, often mixed with chopped cucumber, and seasoned with coriander, cumin, mint, and other herbs and spices.  Finely chopped red onions and tomatoes are popular additions, along with lemon or lime juice.  Raita is not as thick as Greek tzatziki, and has a greater potential variety of ingredients.

13. Sedgwick of "The Closer": KYRA.  Kyra Sedgwick is a film and television actress best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on The Closer (2005–2012), for which she won a Golden Globe in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010.  Another celebrity DNK for me, but I recognize Kevin Bacon, to whom Kyra Sedgwick has been married since 1988.  They have two children.

Kyra Sedgwick

18. Resort town near El Arco, familiarly: CABO.  El Arco de Cabo San Lucas -- the Arch of Cabo San Lucas -- is a rock formation at the southern tip of Baja California.  When DH and I flew with the family to San Jose del Cabo in January, instead of heading west to see the Arch and Cabo San Lucas -- which I imagine to be mostly golf courses and bars -- we took dirt roads east to enjoy empty beaches and watch the grey whale migration.  Biggest surprise -- Cabo del Este, the East cape, is part of the Sonoran desert.  Saguaro cacti march right down to the beaches of the Sea of Cortez, and the birds were familiar to me from Arizona.

El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

View of a grey whale from my front porch in Cabo del Este.

22. Epic hero of Indian mythology: RAMA.  In Hinduism, Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu (one of the principal deities), and is the protagonist of the Ramayana.  In the story, Rama is born to royalty, but suffers difficult circumstances and ethical challenges.  His behavior serves as a model of moral life.

Rama

24. Like some textiles: SPUN.

25. Racetrack attraction at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris: AUTOPIA.

28. Many a native of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom: MOOSE.

29. Critic Roger: EBERT.

30. Crimson: RED.

31. Like most flea market goods: USED.

32. Catchall abbr.: MISC.

33. Conductor's call: ALL ABOARD.

34. Run-down areas?: SKI SLOPES.

38. She/__ pronouns: HER.  As opposed to he/him and the myriad other choices now available.

39. Take a time out: REST.

42. Home to the Lakes of Ounianga: CHAD.  The Lakes of Ounianga are 18 lakes in the Sahara Desert, in northeastern Chad. The lakes were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012.  Water from an ancient aquifer supplies the lakes, which evaporate quickly because of the arid environment.  Some of the lakes are saline, but others are fresh due to varying vegetation and topography.  Early human settlers in the area tried to stop the desertification that buried their orchards and crops at the end of the last ice age, 11,000 years ago.  Alas, climate change wiped them out.

Lakes of Ounianga

44. Carries protectively: CRADLES.

46. Outfits: GETUPS.

47. Site for a bidding war: EBAY.

51. Flutist's quaver: TRILL.

52. "Siddhartha" novelist: HESSE.  Siddhartha: An Indian novel is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German and was published in the United States in 1951. The character Siddhartha attains enlightenment through his experiences, which Hesse was also seeking through his studies of Hinduism and Buddhism, and through his reclusive life.  The book sparked a lot of interest in Buddhism in the 1960s and 70s.

Hermann Hesse

53. Born in: FROM.

54. Grad: ALUM.

55. Actor Malek: RAMI.  Rami Malek is an American actor whose parents immigrated from Egypt.  He portrayed Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.  He played a computer hacker in the television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Rami Malek

56. Rep: CRED.  Reputation: credibility or credit. 

57. Étouffée, for one: STEW.  Étouffée is a dish found in Louisiana's Cajun and Creole cuisines, consisting of a thick sauce made with crab, shrimp or crawfish, along with onions, celery, bell peppers, and roux, and served over rice.  In French, "étouffée" means "smothered."

Crawfish étouffée

60. Low, low score: NIL.

61. Beats by __: DRE.  Popular headphones.

Beats by Dre

Here's the grid:

Solvers, how is our constructor's CRED with you now?

Do you feel HONORED to have been offered this puzzle?

Or did the experience put you on EDGE?

I BETTER GO.  Let us know in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

 

 

 

Notes from C.C.

 

Happy Birthday to our beloved Dave (CrossEyedDave)! Your warmth, humor, and perfect birthday cakes bring smiles to us all. We're so grateful to have you in our corner, Dave!