Monday, April 27, 2026, Patti Varol

Theme:  OVERJOYED!

Today's puzzle comes to us from Patti Varol, who is not only the editor of the Los Angeles Times Crossword, but whose puzzles have appeared in many other publications, and have been the challenges presented in many crossword tournaments. 

Each of today's long entries begins with a synonym for "happy" -- a very nice way to start Monday morning.

20-Across. Carnival ride with seats shaped like animals: MERRY-GO-ROUND.

33-Across. Hard candies with blue raspberry and green apple flavors: JOLLY RANCHERS.

43-Across. Brand of heavy-duty trash bags: GLAD FORCEFLEX.

59-Across. Golfer played by Adam Sandler: HAPPY GILMORE.

I wanted to echo Patti's theme by using another familiar phrase that starts with a synonym for "happy" -- and does not re-use one of Patti's synonyms -- and I could not do it.  The fact that Patti found these four phrases and fit them into symmetrical spots in the grid is impressive.  The whole thing left me delighted, joyful, thrilled, and ecstatic.

Let's see what other cheerful things show up in the grid.

Across:

1. Allure of a coffee shop: AROMA.

Sometimes the aroma is the best part.

6. Private convos: DMS.  Direct messages are private conversations, usually on social media sites.

9. Initial phase: ONSET.  It has been over a year since the ONSET of my daughter's dog Charlie's crippling disability.  Five veterinarians and thousands of dollars later, we may have a diagnosis.

Our dearly departed terriers at left; Charlie (a European village dog) on the right.

14. Student: PUPIL.

15. Snakelike fish: EEL.

16. "And there you have it!": VOILÀ.  "See there!" in French.  Adopted into English to call attention to something, or to suggest an appearance as if by magic (like "ta-da").

17. Flower part: PETAL.

18. D-backs, on scoreboards: ARI.  The Arizona Diamondbacks (or D-backs) are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks logo

19. ATM key: ENTER.

20. [Theme clue]

23. Strong urge: DESIRE.

26. Earsplitting: LOUD.

27. Pick up the tab: PAY.

28. Before, poetically: ERE.

     Maid of Athens, ere we part,

     Give, oh, give me back my heart!

     Or, since that has left my breast,

     Keep it now, and take the rest!

          -- Lord Byron, 1810

29. Frustrated cry: GAH.  An interjection used to express disappointment, frustration, or dismay.

Gah!

31. Recipe amount: CUP.

33. [Theme clue]

38. Tibet's continent: ASIA.

39. Sign before Virgo: LEO.

40. Dinghy pair: OARS.

43. [Theme clue]

48. One who may have a platonic partner, for short: ARO.  Aromantic -- a person who does not experience romantic attraction.

49. Flesh and blood: KIN.

50. Photo __: OPS.  Photo opportunities.  Occasions or settings that lend themselves to, or are deliberately arranged for, taking photographs, especially for favorable publicity of the subjects.

51. Delivery room docs: OBS.  Obstetricians.

54. Backless shoe: MULE.  Mules can be flat, or on wedges or block heels, or even high-heeled.  Many slippers are mules.  Toes can be open, as shown below, or closed.

Mule with block heel.

57. "This sale ends soon!": ACT NOW.  Pressure tactics sometimes lead to poor decisions.

59. [Theme clue]

62. "Rashomon" director Kurosawa: AKIRA.  Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 30 feature films over six decades.  Rashomon (1950) was the surprise winner of the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, opening Western markets to Japanese films for the first time.  You may remember Seven Samurai (1954).

Akira Kurosawa

63. Actress Goth of Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein": MIA.  Mia Goth is a British actress and model.  She has a fitting surname for the genre.

She's too old for her mother to prevent her going out like this.

64. "I'm the best!": YAY ME.

68. Intel job: RECON.  Intel is intelligence, or information concerning a subject of interest, especially an enemy; recon is reconnaissance, or an exploratory military survey of enemy territory.

69. K-pop band who began their Arirang World Tour in 2026: BTS.  BTS (which stands for the Korean words for "Bulletproof Boy Scouts"), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010.  In 2020, BTS became the fastest group since the Beatles to chart four US number-one albums in less than two years.  They are the best-selling musical act in South Korean history.

70. __ to: before: PRIOR.

71. Very skilled: ADEPT.

72. Dead __ Scrolls: SEA.

73. Categories: TYPES.

Down:

1. Program opened with a tap: APP.  An app, which is short for "application," is a type of software that can be installed and run on a computer, tablet, smartphone or other electronic devices.  Most apps have a specific and narrow function.

Apps on a smartphone.

2. Truly regret: RUE.

3. Choose: OPT.

4. Metropolis east of the Everglades: MIAMI.

5. Hypersensitivity that may be diagnosed with a scratch test: ALLERGY.

6. Precious: DEAR.

7. Actress Streep: MERYL.  Meryl Streep is an American actress who has had success with critically acclaimed dramas and mainstream silliness alike.  Over her long career, she has earned three Academy Awards:  Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Kramer vs Kramer (1979), and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Sophie's Choice (1982) and for The Iron Lady (2011).  She is the most Academy Award-nominated performer in history.

Meryl Streep in 1977

8. Irish county next to Mayo: SLIGO.  County Sligo is a county in the Northern and Western Region of Ireland.  W. B. Yeats grew up there and its landscapes inspired his poetry.  Obscure for a Monday puzzle.

The dark green area is County Sligo; the pink is Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.

9. Like a library book one has to pay for: OVERDUE.  My long career as a librarian was partly inspired by my childhood fascination with date due cards and the machine that captured an image of each card alongside my library card.

Alas, I never got to use the photocharger.  I mostly worked in computerizing catalogs.

10. Off-limits move: NO NO.

11. "Quit slouching!": SIT UP.

12. Supreme Court justice Kagan: ELENA.  Elena Kagan is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was appointed in 2010 by President Obama and is the fourth woman to serve on the Court.  PRIOR to her service on the Supreme Court, she was a clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall; a lawyer in private practice; a professor at the University of Chicago Law School; a special counsel for the Senate Judiciary Commmittee; Associate White House Counsel for President Clinton; professor and then Dean of Harvard Law School; and then Solicitor General for President Obama. 

The first four female U.S. Supreme Court justices:
 Sandra Day O'Connor, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan.

13. Not on time: TARDY.

21. Tail end: REAR.

22. Cry of pain: OUCH.

23. __ vu: familiar feeling: DÉJÀ.  Déjà vu is French for "already seen."  In English, it refers to the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time, that is, a feeling that one has seen or heard something before.

24. God with a bow and arrow: EROS.

25. Former baseball commissioner Bud: SELIG.  "Bud" Selig is the commissioner emeritus of baseball.  He was de facto acting commissioner beginning in 1992 in his capacity as chairman of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Executive Committee before being named the official commissioner in 1998.  He served as the ninth commissioner of baseball from 1998 to 2015.  He is credited with the financial turnaround of baseball, with a 400 percent increase in the revenue of MLB during his tenure.

Bud Selig

30. Grapefruit serving, often: HALF.

32. Univ. teacher: PROF.  A university teacher is often a professor.

34. Singsong syllables: LA LA.

35. Opposite of paleo-: NEO.

36. Wine stopper: CORK.

37. Cut-and-dry spot: SALON.

41. Seized auto: REPO.  Repossessed (usually for failure to make payments).

42. Annual festival in Austin, TX: SXSW.  South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of film, interactive media, and music festivals that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas.

44. Insect that forages in large raids: ARMY ANT.

45. Heisman winner Flutie: DOUG.  Doug Flutie is a former professional football quarterback.  In a 21-year career, Flutie played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one season in the United States Football League (USFL).  He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1984.

46. Italian farewell: CIAO.  Or, as DH likes to say:  "Ciao for now!"

47. Put into code: ENCRYPT.

51. Catherine of "The Studio": O'HARA.  Catherine O'Hara (1954-2026) was a Canadian-American actress and comedian. She began in improvisational and sketch comedy before expanding her career with dramatic roles. She has a long list of film credits, but may be best known for her roles in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and Schitt's Creek. 

Catherine O'Hara in 2005

52. Made cookies, say: BAKED.

53. Jazz (up): SPICE.

55. Arms and legs: LIMBS.

56. Crème de la crème: ELITE.  More French!  "Crème de la crème" is literally "cream of the cream" and is used to mean "best of the best." 

58. In need of tissues: TEARY.

60. Actor's accessory: PROP.

61. Tortilla dough: MASA.  Masa is dough made from ground corn that has been softened by soaking in alkali. 

65. Shrill bark: YIP.

66. Fellow Stooge of Larry and Curly: MOE.  We have a Chairman by that name in our Corner.

67. Hosp. triage areas: ERS.  Hospital triage areas are Emergency Rooms.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you RUE attempting this puzzle, and cry "GAH" HALFway into it?

Or are you an ELITE solver, so ADEPT at crosswords that you yelled "YAY ME!"?

All TYPES of solvers are welcome in the Comments.  We DESIRE your input.

-- NaomiZ

Friday, Apr 17th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

  VANNA B's

You would wannabe her if you got paid $10mil to turn letters

"G" ( gee ), I vonder vhere LA Times Crossvord editor Patti VVVarol got the idea for this theme . . . and a packed theme it is, too - six, count 'em, SIX, themers today, for a total of 66 squares, or 35% of the total puzzle - I have not tracked this info, but I am curious about it in future puzzles.  "V" replaces "W" in common phrases, a sort of German accent-type of sound which results in some humorous changes.  Standard 15x15 grid, the triple-sixes and double-eights in the corners giving us a whopping 28 3LWs, no circles, too many names, four( ish ) Twurds, two stray "V"s, but overall, a typical Friday-level solve.   The 6 themers; 

17. Encouragement to a writer who shows an early penchant for rhyme?:

"YOU COULD DO VERSE~!" - "You could do WORSE", an additional spelling change with the "O" going to "E"

24. Carefully evaluate pasta?: VET NOODLES - Wet Noodles

31. Gardener who only plants the most exquisite ivy?: VINE SNOB - Wine Snob -  too similar, less humorous

41. Anthem for a Colorado ski resort?: VAIL SONG - Whale Song; a bigger alteration, with the "H" dropped and the synonymous spelling 

47. Weapon wielded by a particularly dangerous snake?: VIPER BLADE - Wiper Blade

Far Side snakes at "Vail"

54. Safes made in the Volunteer State?: TENNESSEE VAULTS - the biggest spelling change, Tennessee WALTZ.  Learn more from this blue-highlighted web link and hear the song from another Patti, ( Page ) - lately, there seems to be some confusion from anon types in their comments indicating a lack of info regarding the clues & answers, and their connections - may I suggest checking the phrases and/or words highlighted in 🠆 blue 🠄 for web links to more; a ( PSA ) Public Service Announcement from your Friday fact-finding blogger 😁

But Vait, There's More~!

ACROSS:

1. Unaccounted-for period: GAP

4. Six-time WNBA All-Star Thomas: ALYSSA - name #1

10. Textspeak qualifier: IMHO - Text-speak, In My Humble Opinion

14. Timetable abbr.: ARRival

15. Talked up: TOUTED - think sales/advertising

16. Lion's "I'm going to eat you!": ROAR - at least it wasn't "RAWR"

20. Singer Jason with the album "Love Is a Four Letter Word": MRAZ - name #2 - the Wiki

21. Core muscles: ABs

Medieval workouts

22. Ga. capital: ATLanta, Georgia

23. Shadow: TAIL - think spies, cops & P.I.s

28. Quartz suffix: ITE - quartzite - I bought grey Kraftmaid cabinets to upgrade the original 1955 kitchen in my home; now I am looking for a purple-toned countertop to compliment my dishes, pots, pans and utensils - I like the look of this, called "tempest"

29. Much sitar music: RAGAS

Spinal Tap - "you don't wanna go raga . . . "

30. Actress Russo: RENE - name #3

33. Pop duo __ & Him: SHE - I have heard of them; Zooey Deschanel is "she"

She played Trillian in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", too

35. Scale intervals: OCTAVES - stray "V" #1

36. Cry of frustration: "BLAST IT~!"

Biggs had a larger, but edited, role in the first Star Wars movie

40. Waze tech: GPS - Waze, the app for getting you there . . .

42. Taylor, to Swifties: IDOL - Taylor Swift's fanatics are called Swifties

45. Actor Vaughn: VINCE - stray "V" #2, name #4

46. Compass dir.: ESE - I had ENE, couldn't parse the crossing Down; Inniston~? see 38D.

50. Punxsutawney figure: PHIL - #5, our weather predictor - and his accuracy compared 

About as good as TV Weather reporters . . .

51. Individual: ONE

52. Small battery: AAA

53. Experts: PROS

60. Lake into which the Cuyahoga empties: ERIE - the most poular lake in crosswordom, geo name #6

61. "A Real Pain" Oscar winner Culkin: KIERAN - half a WAG on my part; name #7 - his Wiki

62. Mama deer: DOE

63. Heap affection (on): DOTE

64. Has disdain for: SCORNS - "feet hath no fury like a woman's corns" 😜

65. 1975 TV debut, familiarly: SNL - Saturday Night Live

Star Wars casting spoof

DOWN:

1. Writer/editor Roxane who co-owns the online literary magazine The Rumpus: GAY - name #8

2. Like basmati rice: AROMATIC - I have not had this rice, so I have not smelled it . . .

3. Appealing to one's baser nature: PRURIENT - $2 eight-letter fill

4. Encyclopedic in range: A TO Z - Amazon's logo, implied by the arrow

Everything from A to Z

5. Reed of the Velvet Underground: LOU - I knew who this was, name #9

Venus in Furs, a cover of the Velvet Underground by Monster Magnet

6. Actor Brynner: YUL - #10

7. Time zone wd.: STD - meh.  An abbr in an abbr clue/answer; from November 2nd (ish) through March 8th (ish), I live in EST, or "Eastern Standard Time"

8. Some cars: SEDANS

9. Vinegary marinade: ADOBO - Español for 'marinade' - more here

10. Choler: IRE

11. Spirits: MORALE - LIQUOR fit, too - so you know where my mind is . . .

12. Hurry: HASTEN

13. "... if you know what's good for you!": "OR ELSE~!"

18. Berkeley, familiarly: CAL - As I said @ 7D, I am an East coaster; I tried USC

19. Brandy letters: VSO - meh. Very Special/Superior Old ( Pale ) - I couldn't find a link to just V.S.O.

23. DVR option: TiVo

24. Wind instruments?: VANES - Now this is clever clue/answer

25. Big personalities: EGOS

26. Word often seen under a tilde?: TAB - TAB is beneath the keyboard [~ `] key 

27. __ code: DRESS - Dah~!  Not MORSE

29. Say "I'll be there," say: RSVP - meh - IMHO, you don't SAY an RSVP, you WRITE an RSVP

32. Old quarter back: EAGLE - I tried BISON

Old Quarterback

33. Cake serving: SLICE - I eat nothing less than a SLAB in my house

34. In fine fettle: HALE

36. Kansas or Alabama: BAND - name(s) #11; "band" was my first guess; I know KANSAS ( and HuskerG linked Dust in the Wind last Saturday ); I am not familiar with the music of Alabama - their website

37. Climbers' supports: TOEHOLDS

38. Demand: INSIST ON - Ah - not the town of Inniston, UK

39. Neutrogena shampoo: T-GEL - name(ish)

41. Passing through: VIA - meh.  "I got to my brother's house via I-495" does not mean I was 'passing through' the asphalt 😜

42. November sticker: I VOTED - Twurd; did you hear that Apple has come out with a new device for finding leprechauns~? It's called the "iRish"

Hi Irish Miss~!

43. Bread: DINERO - I figured this was slang for 'money', waited on perps; the Wiki for US words

44. "I can't wait to see what's inside!": "OPEN IT~!" - Twurd

45. Pickle brand: VLASIC

48. "Hair Love" voice actress Issa: RAE - name #12, a crossword staple

49. Soaks up the sun: BASKS - TANS was a bit "light"

50. Newark-based insurer, on stock tickers: PRU - I shoulda known this - the NJ Devils of the National Hockey League play at the "Prudential Center"

Their logo can almost be seen on the sign

53. Kitchen array: PANS

55. Once called: NÉE

56. Job listing letters: EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity - I always make the mistake of filling in EOE ( thinking employeR ), and mess up that section of the puzzle

57. Make a blunder: ERR

58. Many an airport shuttle: VAN

59. Salt, in French: SEL - and our last 3-Letter Word

Splynter

Grid Flow a Wery Low 18.4

Friday, Mar 6th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

 A BIGHT of WIGHT

And "a BITE of WHITE"

Two weeks running now, we've had a construction from the LA Times crossword puzzle editor Patti - and a better submission, IMHO, than the one from last Thursday, which had the names Natick in the NE corner.  Today's theme is a clever play on "~IGHT -becomes- ~ITE" words; my only nit would be the use of two "R" words - yet they are different.  I was quite impressed, however, with the two 10-letter Down fills that each crossed different sets of three themers without being "meh".  A solid Friday offering - most of the terse clues were in my wheelhouse.  Standard grid, no circles, 3 times the number of 4LWs to both 3- & 5-LWs, two yogurts, and a dozen names.  The themers, and no reveal; 

20. Ceremony that adorns dollar bills?: RITE ON THE MONEY 

Han Solo's shot was "right on the money"

26. Try to find pen pals in monasteries?: WRITE BROTHERS - these guys . . .

- not these guys, Wilbur  & Orville Wright

44. Lo-cal beers from Canada?: NORTHERN LITES - these guys . . . 

not these guys

52. Terse review of a wonky web page?: NOT A PRETTY SITE - not this guy . . .

But Wait - There's More in SITE~!

ACROSS:

1. Goes through a lot of tissues: BAWLS - I do the Downs first, had B - W L - , which did not look promising, but "Lo~!" and "Behold~!"

6. Chi-town paper: TRIBune - abbr for Chicago, abbr for the newspaper

10. Tibetan priest: LAMA

14. "If you say so": "UH-HUH."

15. New York university named for a Scottish isle: IONA - geo name #1, knew it 'cos I grew up in NY

16. Tudyk of "Resident Alien": ALAN - name #2 - I recall the show, though I didn't watch

17. Condiment served with biryani: RAITA - yogurt #1 - filled via perps

18. Survivor's struggle, briefly: PTSD - breifly indicating we're looking for an abbreviation; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

19. Tie: BOND

23. Foundry delivery: ORE - a good change-up clue for this fill

24. Lav: LOO - British bathroom

25. Dove home: COTE - learned by doing crosswords

32. "I mentioned the bisque" "Seinfeld" character: ELAINE - Seinfeld aired before I was old enough to understand the show; I do like watching them now, but this scene I do not recall . . .name #3

Yada, yada, yada

34. Take from the top: RE-DO

35. Intl. broadcaster since 1942: VOA - filled via perps; Voice of America - more from Wiki

36. Quash: VETO

37. Butter square: PAT

38. Leaning: BIAS

39. Info requested by brewery websites: AGE - you'll need to enter your info at 32D.

40. Store securely: STOW

42. Old Testament collection: PSALMS - had most of this via perps

47. Ticket info: SEAT

48. Santa __, California: ANA - geo name #4

49. Little dog: PUP

56. [I like these scritches!]: PURR - the brackets are a "meta-clue" hint; again, most was perps

57. Sworn statement: OATH

58. Deserve: MERIT

59. Designer Schiaparelli: ELSA - I tried e l L a; thus began my search for the "wrong" name, #5

60. Sticking point: TINE - a "right-on-the-money" definition

Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie recipe

61. Nimble: AGILE

62. Tiny splash: PLOP

63. Michelin award: STAR - the guide IS related to the tire brand; I did not know this

Through the years, and the revolution - pun intended - of the tire

64. Hoped-for Match.com outings: DATES - I had tried Match for many years, and got all of ONE connection; I am now trying my luck with Facebook - and so far, all I've gotten are A I fakes 😜

DOWN:

1. Small donkey: BURRO - I did not make an "ASS" of myself to start . . . 🙄

2. Slimmest of margins: A HAIR - Sigh, a twurd

3. Kayaking challenge: WHITEWATER - one of the two solid 10-letter down fills

4. Instrument in a Vermeer painting: LUTE - good WAG on my part

Technically, this is a paiting of a woman with a guitar, but the story might interest you . . .

5. Temple where Chan Buddhism began: SHAOLIN - no clue, perps and WAGs; but some might have recalled this fill from the story of a TV monk, and the real place where he trained.  Name (ish)

6. Tread carefully: TIP-TOE - almost alliteration

7. "Divergent" trilogy novelist Veronica: ROTH - name #7, but I knew her because I see the name on Kindle; could have been clued as a non-name, tho

8. On the sly: IN SECRET

9. Foul temper: BAD MOOD

10. Middle Eastern dairy product: LABNEH - yogurt #2 - good perps & WAGs - phew

It's Greek yogurt, strained; I'ma tryin' it - more here

11. Cream ingredient: ALOE - Ah; not "milk".  That cream

12. More than a few: MANY - at least it wasn't "A LOT", "A TON", A twurd

13. Furthermore: AND...

21. Post-it scribble: NOTE

22. Miranda of "Homeland": OTTO - name #8 - I read the books, saw the movies, don't recall her

27. Carnival city: RIO - D'Oh~!  I read this as "cry", not c-i-t-y - geo name #9

28. Muscle: BRAWN - Ha~! Nailed it.

29. Possessive type?: EVIL SPIRIT - the other great 10-letter fill

30. Travel aimlessly: ROAM - or ROVE~?  I chose . . . wisely

31. Cheek: SASS - I've learned over the years that whenever a clue implying "tart" language, and situated on the right edge of the grid, the answer is typically crossword-friendly "SASS"

32. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN - never heard of this liquor - name #10

The website, age resticted, of course

33. Toy company that acquired the online marketplace BrickLink: LEGO - Yada yada yada toys + bricks~? = Lego - but - I was surprised Lego didn't start this company - the history here

37. Printing choice: PORTRAIT - the alternative is LANDSCAPE - which is too wide 🙄

38. Main squeeze: BAE - Cringe.  I just don't like this word; are we really too lazy to finish the faint "b" sound at the end of babe~?

40. Former home of the Mets: SHEA - I grew up on Long Island, and my first 'live' baseball game was the Mets at Shea in the Keith Hernandez days - speaking of Keith and Seinfeld . . . 

"That - is one magic loogie."

41. Cozy spots: TEAPOTS - Ah.  A tea "cozy" could be found on a tea POT

Aww - you can buy them on Etsy here

42. Blood drive unit: PINT

43. Nurse a grudge: STAY MAD - first time appearing in a crossword = unique, like this fill

45. Feature of some sandals: T-STRAP

BTW, her name is Cecilia, JC

46. Suds: LATHER - bars, not beers

50. Serving a purpose: UTILE

51. "Oh, for __ sake!": "PETE'S" - oh for heaven's sake, name #11 - blasphemy LITE

52. __ and void: NULL

53. "In that neighborhood": "OR SO" - "ish"

54. Mediterranean volcano: ETNA - geo-name #10, yada yada yada 4-letter volcano = 😜

55. Game company with a hedgehog mascot: SEGA - name (ish)

56. Energy: PEP

Splynter

Grid flow a medium 40.1 - the 10-letter Downs helped