Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Rena Cohen

A Trip to the Deli.  No trip to New York City is complete without a trip to a deli, where you can get the best bagels with all the fixings.  A brief history of the Bagel.

My favorite deli in NYC,

16-Across. Didn't hold back in competition: PLAYED TOWIN.  Plain Bagels.

23-Across. Field that drives the self-help industry: POP PSYCHOLOGY.  Poppy Bagels.

37-Across. Lettuce, tomato, or cucumber, often: SALAD INGREDIENT.  Salt Bagel.  Salt bagels don't hold up well in humid Louisiana.

50-Across. Extremely special: ONE IN A MILLION.  Onion Bagel.

And the unifier:

61-Across. Deli gadget that's been used on 16-, 23-, 37-, and 50-Across?: BAGEL SLICER.

Here's the grid so you can see the "sliced" bagels.

What other treats are in store for us?

Across:

1. Collect over time: AMASS.

6. Sound with a dismissive wave: PFFT.

10. Number before a + on a board game box: AGE.

13. Colorful parrot: MACAW.

14. "Toodles!": SEE YA!

15. American writer Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is known for his macabre and mysterious short stories and poetry.  His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, is considered the first modern detective story.

18. Spot for rubbish: BIN.  Do you say Trash Bin or Trash Can?

19. Little tastes: SIPS.

20. Actor McKellen: IAN.  That's Sir Ian Murray McKellen (b. May 25, 1939) to you.  He is probably best known for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.

21. Advances, in football: GAINS.

27. World Cup chant: OLÉ.  Today's Spanish lesson.

29. Sorta: -ISH.

30. Zoom organizer: HOST.

31. Kansas City tight end Travis: KELCE.  Rumor has it that he is getting married soon.

33. Fish that resembles a sea snake: EEL.

34. "Yo," in Rio: OLÁ.  Hello, this is today's Portuguese lesson.

42. Miles away: FAR.

43. Walking buddy, maybe: DOG.

44. Guy who knows all the best spots?: AD MAN.

45. Active person: DOER.

47. Khan Academy founder Khan: SAL.  Salman Amin Khan is an American educator and the founder of The Khan Academy is a free online non-profit educational platform with video lessons teaching a wide spectrum of academic subjects.  When Salman Amin Khan (Oct. 11, 1976) formed the company, it originally focused on mathematics and science.

49. Make a choice: OPT.  You opted to look at this blog today.

55. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.

56. Ball drop night, for short: NYE.  The ball in Times Square falls on New Year's Eve.  A brief history of the Ball in Times Square.

57. Actress Edelstein: LISA.  Lisa Edelstein (b. May 6, 1966) is probably best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on House.

60. Org. that bestows Silver Gavel Awards: ABA.   As in the American Bar Association.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Silver Gavel Award but didn't know to ask.

65. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. E, in a treble clef mnemonic: EVERY.  Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge or Football.

67. Calendar entry: EVENT.

68. Pioneering 52-Down provider: AOL.  //  52-Down. Outlook message: EMAIL.

69. Canvas structure: TENT.

70. College stressors: TESTS.  The semester is winding up and Final Tests are on the horizon.

Down:

1. Hypes (up): AMPS.

2. Timbuktu's land: MALI.  Fun facts about Mali:  its official name is the Republic of Mali.  It is the 8th largest country in Africa and the 23rd largest country in the world.  

3. Noninstrumental music genre: A CAPPELLA.

4. Authority: SAY SO.

5. Country between Fin. and Nor.: SWE.  Sweden is between Finland and Norway.

6. Indiana state flower: PEONY.  The Magnolia is the state flower of Louisiana.  Magnolia trees are in bloom now.  What is the state flower of your state?

7. Not many: FEW.

8. "Just a heads-up ... ": FYI.  For Your Information.

9. Performs a dramatic ballroom dance: TANGOS.  It takes two ...

10. HS course whose first unit is Chemistry of Life: AP BIO.  As in Advanced Placement Biology.

11. On the way out: GOING.

12. Li'l: EENSY.

14. Secret supply: STASH.

17. Short swims: DIPS.

22. "Curiously strong" mint: ALTOID.  Did you know that Altoids have been around for almost 250 years??!!

24. Covered with colorful blotches: PIED.

25. "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer: CHER.  Cher (née Cheryl Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) is also known for her outlandish outfits.

26. Plot problem: HOLE.

27. Signs off on: OKs.

28. Fall faller: LEAF.

32. Part of a HIIT workout: CARDIO.  High Intensity Interval Training is a good Cardio exercise.

33. French toast need: EGG.

35. Citrusy frozen desserts: LEMON ICES.

36. "Time for __": yawner's sigh: A NAP.

38. Brainchild: IDEA.

39. Standard: NORM.

40. Surrealist Salvador: DALI.  His full name was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

41. Explosive Minecraft block: TNT.

46. With cash at stake: ON A BET.

47. With secrecy: SLYLY.

48. Beers that ferment faster than lagers: ALEs.  Wha's the difference between Beer and Ale?

50. Honshu city: OSAKA.  Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu.  It is known 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, an historical landmark. The castle is surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees.

51. Home planet of Queen Amidala: NABOO.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

53. Like noble gases: INERT.

54. Cocktail garnish that may be stuffed with blue cheese: OLIVE.

58. Dispatched: SENT.

59. __ and crafts: ARTS.

62. Common abbr. on street maps: AVE.  As in Avenue.  Is there a difference between a Street and an Avenue?

63. Demographic cohort, for short: GEN.  As in Generation.

64. Allow: LET.

This puzzle made me hungry, so I'm off for my morning Bagel.

חתולה

Monday December 22, 2025 Rena Cohen

  

Happy Monday everyone! sumdaze here with the penultimate 2025 Monday puzzle.

Theme:    

Go to the back of the line.
(Note that the girl in blue is "in front", even though she is to the right in the photo.)

We will begin with the three themed clues and answers:

20 Across. Basic lunch choice: CHEESE SANDWICH.  

definitely basic 

26 Across. Art activity that comes with a key: COLOR BY NUMBER.  I am more familiar with paint BY NUMBERs but apparently this is a thing. Below is an example from a book that does not tell you what the finished image will be. It is a mystery until you fill it in. (The top part is the legend or key, if you will.) 

46 Across. 1986 film teen with a poor attendance record: FERRIS BUELLER.  This clue references the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, starring Mathew Broderick. Here is a 1:14 min. clip documenting Ferris' poor attendance.

That is Ben Stein playing the teacher. 

The unifier:

55 Across. Driving a car, or an apt description of the ends of 20-, 26-, and 46-Across: BEHIND THE WHEEL.  This is an idiomatic phrase that refers to the act of driving a vehicle.

Also, the ends of the themed clues can be placed BEHIND ("after") THE (word) WHEEL to create new phrases. We now have:  WHEEL CHEESE, WHEEL COLOR, and WHEEL FERRIS.

[record scratch] Wait, that cannot be right. I am pretty sure the intention was:  

CHEESE WHEEL, COLOR WHEEL, and FERRIS WHEEL

So I had to think about this differently. Suppose I first wrote the word

WHEEL

Then I added the word fifth like this

FIFTH WHEEL

One could say that I added the word FIFTH behind the word WHEEL. In today's puzzle, BEHIND  does not mean "after". It means "in front of" ... on the printed page, that is. You might think of it as " to get in line behind" as seen in my theme illustration above.

Still not convinced? Just roll with it!

One more note... Props for FERRIS as being a word with no connection between the themed answer and the reveal.

Are you ready to bet your fortune on the remaining clues?

Across:

1. Apple Pay alternative: CASH.  I was thinking of on-line purchases so CASH was the last thing on my mind.

5. Egg on: GOAD.  

9. Spills the beans: BLABS.  

14. Blue Buffalo competitor: ALPO.  Both are brands of pet food.

15. Opposed to: ANTI.  Also, ANT I was the first ruler of the colony.  😜

16. Lounges: LOLLS.  Def.:  (intransitive verb) to act or move in a lax, lazy, or indolent manner; lounge.

Quoting from Merriam-Webster:  LOLL has origins similar to another soothing verb, lull, which means "to cause to rest or sleep."

17. "Just keeping you on your __": TOES.  Please enjoy this seasonal manifestation of on your TOES.

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy from The Nutcracker

18. Yoga studio supply: MATS.

19. Large body of water: OCEAN.     and     34-Down. Dot in the 19-Across: ISLE.  

The British island group of Tristan da Cunha
is the most remote inhabited island on Earth.
The nearest landfall is South Africa (1,750 miles / 2,816 km. east).
In case you are wondering, there is no airstrip on the island.

23. Owned: HAD.  

24. Rock concert sound booster: AMP.

25. Ages and ages: EON.

33. Name of 12 popes: PIUS.  Pope Pius XXII passed in 1958.

35. Narc's org.: DEA.  Narcotic and Drug Enforcement Administration are both abbreviated.

36. Diet that shuns processed foods: PALEO.  Also known as the "caveman" diet, this eating plan centers on whole foods such as lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It avoids grains, legumes, dairy, sugars, and processed foods.

37. Standard connector for electronic devices: USB C.  Anything I have purchased recently has this style of connector. I am glad they are moving away from the little, trapezoidal-shaped ones. I was always plugging those in up-side down. Oof!

38. Minuscule: EENSY.  This category broadens when I am not wearing my glasses.

41. Site with a Write a Review button: YELP.

42. Pet collar targets: FLEAS.     and     67-Across. Exterminator's target: PEST.  

Get it?  "Collar" also means to arrest someone. LOL!

44. Tea, in French: THÉ.  

45. Military outpost: BASE.  This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but the Navy, Air Force, and Marines generally have BASEs and the Army has forts.

50. The Marlins, on scoreboards: MIA.  

I like the use of negative space in their logo.

51. __-mo video: SLO.

52. "I accept!": YES.  

60. Cry to someone learning to ride a bike: PEDAL.  PEDAL is used as an imperative sentence here. Note the influence from the Latin word for foot as in pedestrian, expedition, and podiatrist. 

61. Wetlands plant: REED.     and     65-Across. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy: REID.

62. Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE.  This novel was published in 1847. It follows the life of the title character, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Edward Rochester, the master of Thornfield Hall.

63. Middle Schuyler sister in "Hamilton": ELIZA.  Eliza is the central female character from this 2015 musical.

64. Alan of "M*A*S*H": ALDA.

66. Change: ALTER.

68. Poems of praise: ODES.

Down:

1. Little Leaguer's warm-up activity: CATCH.  Little League Baseball players begin practice by pairing up and playing an easy game of CATCH. They know if they throw a ball with full effort without first warming up, they could pull a muscle. 

2. "__ 'Oe": "Lilo & Stitch" song: ALOHA.  Translation:  Farewell to Thee

While you might not be familiar with the song, it is fair to say that solvers would know this movie is set in Hawaii -- making ALOHA a reasonable guess.

3. Competitive puzzler with quick fingers: SPEEDCUBER.  They solve combination puzzles such as a Rubik's Cube. Two of the categories are fastest time and fewest moves.  History of Speed Cubing

4. Garden spigot attachment: HOSE.  

5. Esports player's computer setting: GAME MODE.  Esports is short for "electronic sports". They are organized, multi-player video game competitions. This 2:50 min. video gives us a taste of how huge these competitions can be.

6. Spending like mad: ON A SPREE.  

7. Roti flour: ATTA.  I only know this one from XWDs.

8. Mickey Mouse operation?: DISNEY.  Cute.

9. Like beach balls and bouncy castles: BLOWN UP.  

pink bouncy castle with slide

10. Sets of points, in math: LOCI.  LOCI is the plural of locus. In math, locus is defined as the set of all points whose location is determined by stated conditions.

For example, the green area of this diagram shows all of the points that are closer to  Line AB than to Line AC. We can see this because a bisecting line shows us the half-way points. If you cross that half-way line, you will be closer to Line AC and will not longer satisfy the stated condition.

11. Actor Guinness: ALEC.  [1914-2000]  His memoir, Blessings in Disguise, was published in the UK in 1985.

12. Boring: BLAH.

13. ID fig. often hidden by x's: SSN.  

Remember when these were printed on checks and medical bills?

21. Spanish seasoning: SAL.  

salt

22. Put on, as clothing: DON.  

Deck the Halls 

🎵 "Don we now our gay apparel,

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la, la."  🎵

27. "I Love Trash" singer on "Sesame Street": OSCAR.  

Who else could it be?

28. Language family that includes Zulu: BANTU.   

link to the article that goes with this map
(and a larger version of the map)

29. Noncommittal reply: MAYBE.  MAYBE 15-A. ANTI; MAYBE 52-A. YES

30. Feeling the effects of studying all night, say: BLEARY-EYED.

31. Snakelike swimmers: EELS.

32. Tug-of-war need: ROPE.  Please do not play this game with EELS.

33. __ pastry: PUFF.  Just in time for holiday baking, Martha discusses the difference between PUFF pastry and Phyllo Dough

39. Man cave counterparts: SHE SHEDS.  A SHE SHED is a small building that has been converted into a space where a woman can be alone to do a hobby. Some are used for practicing yoga, painting, doing crafts, or reading books. They are similar to man caves in that one can go there to unwind in private.

40. Scolded loudly: YELLED AT.  

Can you guess who this USMC  Sergeant is yelling at?

43. Like: SIMILAR.  

47. Moral wrong: SIN.

48. Unfair reputation: BAD RAP.  an undeserved, negative reputation

49. Close to the floor: LOW.  

53. Like a haunted house: EERIE.

54. Snow day toys: SLEDS.  

55. End-of-class signal: BELL.  

Carol of the Bells performed by LIBERA (2019)

56. Menu heading often next to File: EDIT.

57. Foggy state: HAZE.

58. Prefix with health: TELE-.

59. Gallant one: HERO.  Do we have any other Big Hero 6 fans on The Corner? (2:32 min.)

60. Split __ soup: PEA.  Some people make this with their leftover holiday ham.

The grid:  

Rena gave us several fun answers for the Down fill.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!