Tuesday August 11, 2026 Rena Cohen

Shape-Shifters:

4-Down. Aspiring actor's asset: STAR QUALITY.

8-Down. Trustworthy sort: SQUARE SHOOTER.

17-Down. Intensely shocking events: HEART STOPPERS.

27-Down. Peak physical condition, or a feature of 4-, 8-, and 17-Down: TIP-TOP SHAPE.  Each of the the theme clues is in the down position, making the Shape at the Tip-Top of the answer.

Here's the Grid:

Which personality shape helps you complete this puzzle?

Across:

1. Colorful violet kin: PANSY.  I love these flowers.  

6. Suga and Jung Kook's band: BTS.  BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010.  The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook.  The band makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.

9. "__ the Cat": children's book series: PETE.  Pete the Cat was not around when I was a child.

13. Give a speech: ORATE.

14. Atty.'s title: ESQ.

15. And others, in a bibliography: ET AL.  We had a discussion about this Latin phrase just two weeks ago.

16. Highly sensitive person: EMPATH.

18. Kitchen deputy: SOUS CHEF.  The Sous Chef was in last Tuesday's puzzle and is visiting us again today.

20. Old Russian ruler: TSAR.

21. Bothers greatly: EATS AT.

23. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.  Obi-Wan Kenobi wearing an Obi.  //  And 56-Down. Offspring of Leia and Han: KYLO.  References to the Star Wars franchise.

24. Thigh muscles, familiarly: QUADS.

26. Exposes, in a way: RATS ON.

28. Treat that may be dipped in dulce de leche: CHURRO.  Yummers!  A churro is a type of fried dough from Spanish and Portuguese cuisine, made with choux pastry dough piped into hot oil with a piping bag and large closed star tip or similar shape.

30. Indiana University basketball coach Moren: TERI.  Teri Marie Moren (b. Apr. 14, 1969) is the current head coach of the Indiana University women's basketball team.  Unknown to me.

31. Flexible: PLIANT.

32. Amusement park time-saver: FAST PASS.

36. Former first lady Biden: JILL.  Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (b. June 3, 1951) was Second Lady from January 2009 to January 2017 and First Lady from January 2021 to January 2025.

37. Winter migration direction: SOUTH.

39. Tried's partner: TRUE.  Tried and True ...

40. "Hear me out ... ": SO, LISTEN.  I initially tried Listen Up.

42. Woodwind section player: OBOIST.

44. Norse god of thunder: THOR.

45. Two-door cars: COUPES.

46. Neaten: TIDY UP.

49. Many shelter dogs: MUTTS.

50. Astonishment: AWE.

51. Soft drink brand with a "lymon" logo: SPRITE.

53. Creative solution: HACK.

57. Spinning toy: PINWHEEL.

59. "Are you serious?": REALLY.

61. "Let It Go" singer: ELSA.  A reference to the Disney film Frozen.  Elsa is the fictional character in the film.  The actual performer is Idina Menzel (b. May 31, 1971).

62. Genetic transcription molecule: RNA.  Another last Tuesday repeat.

63. Thread holder: SPOOL.

64. Snow day ride: SLED.

65. Daughter's brother: SON.

66. Canine command akin to "drop it": LET GO!

Down:

1. Expert concerned with feet?: POET.  Everything you ever wanted to know about poetic feet.

2. Octopus octet: ARMS.  Octopuses are Remarkably Bright Creatures.

3. Auto parts giant that shares a name with a California wine valley: NAPA.  The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) was founded in Detroit in 1925 by 28 independent auto parts suppliers to fix an unorganized parts market.

5. So far: YET.

6. One-ups: BESTS.

7. General __ chicken: TSO'S.  General Tso's chicken is a sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish.  It supposedly was first created in the 1950s in Taiwan.

9. Delt neighbor: PEC.  Deltoid and Pectoral muscle groups.

10. Shared ideology: ETHOS.

11. Martial arts-based fitness regimen: TAE-BO.  Everything  you wanted to know about Tae-Bo.

12. Like Santa's helpers: ELFIN.

19. One end of a maze: START.

22. Ruckus: ADO.

25. Spot where there's no trouble brewing?: URN.

28. Advertising award: CLIO.  The Clio Awards were first awarded in 1959 for advertising.  The name is derived from the Greek mythological muse, known as the recorder and glorifier of great deeds and accomplishments.

29. Biker's challenge: HILL.

30. Skin art, for short: TAT.

31. Sleepover attire, familiarly: PJs.  The origin of the word Pajama.  Do people really wear pajamas when they fly?

32. Enjoyable: FUN.

33. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE.  India Arie Simpson (b. Oct. 3, 1975) is an American singer and songwriter.

34. Puzzle (out): SUSS.  I'm sure we all sussed out the correct answers to today's puzzle.

35. Group of reps at the gym: SET.

38. Above, in classic odes: O'ER.

41. "Be quiet!": SHUSH.

43. "Having said that ... ": BUT.

45. Minor injury: CUT.

46. Cassettes: TAPES.

47. "Count on me": I WILL.

48. Quite thick: DENSE.

49. 2026 Winter Olympics host city: MILAN.  The 2026 winter olympics were held in February.

52. "The Biggest Little City in the World": RENO.  Reno is also the home of the National Judicial College.

54. Tons: ALOT.

55. Drain blockage: CLOG.

58. Crumple (up): WAD.

60. Course for some intl. students: ESL.  English as a Second Language.

Until next week ...

חתולה

Monday, July 20, 2026, Rena Cohen

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

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

Rena Cohen, wordsmith wunderkind

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

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

The other theme clues and answers are:

16-Across. Nickname for Hollywood: TINSELTOWN. 

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

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

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

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

Across:

1. Scouting mission, briefly: RECON.

6. Assent nonverbally: NOD.

9. Blue-green hue: AQUA.

13. Greeting at a luau: ALOHA.

14. Identical: SAME.

15. Organ with bronchioles: LUNG.

16. [Theme clue]

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

19. Meh: SO-SO.

20. "Tastes great!": YUM.

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

22. [Theme clue]

26. Hopelessly stuck: IN A RUT.

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

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

30. Astonish: STUN.

32. Pepper partner: SALT.

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

37. [Theme clue]

40. Fish eggs: ROE.

41. Require: NEED.

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

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

      Can you see the closed eyes with tears streaming down?

      The emoji version looks like this:  

44. Secures with a key: LOCKS.

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

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

49. [Theme clue]

54. Express feelings: EMOTE.  

55. Approves: OKS.

56. Like a plump red strawberry: RIPE.

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

Letter names

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

60. [Theme clue]

63. Gender-neutral pronoun: THEY.

64. Zone: AREA.

65. Gaming giant: ATARI.

66. Back talk: SASS.

67. Frying vessel: PAN.

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

Down:

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

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

3. British police officer: CONSTABLE.

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

5. Scottish denial: NAE.

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

Naomi Osaka

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

8. Cozy room: DEN.

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

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

11. Loosen, as a knot: UNTIE.

12. Representative: AGENT.

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

Sacrilege!

17. Uber competitor: LYFT.

21. Outer edge: RIM.

23. Mom's sister: AUNT.

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

25. Add color to: TINT.

26. Tehran's country: IRAN.

27. Rudolph's red body part: NOSE.

30. Exceptionally kind person: SAINT.

31. Baking qty.: TSP.

33. Biggest competitor: ARCHRIVAL.

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

35. Midterm, e.g.: TEST.

38. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE.

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

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

45. Do surgery: OPERATE.

47. Payable now: DUE.

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

49. Camp shelters: TENTS.

50. Biggest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA.

51. Parts of a scale: NOTES.

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

53. Furniture chain founded in Sweden: IKEA.

57. Cheeky: PERT.

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

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

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

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

Here's the grid:

Solvers, 

Were you RARIN to go on this Monday marvel?

Did you TAP into the theme right away?

Use the comments section to opine on the CLUES!

-- NaomiZ