Saturday, April 11, 2026, Samuel A. Donaldson & Doug Peterson

Saturday Themeless by Doug Peterson and Samuel A. Donaldson

 

These two veteran constructors provided a lovely solving experience.

Sam Donaldson

Doug Peterson

Across:
1. Orange belts found in some flutes: MIMOSAS - It's fun to break through the clever cluing and get off to a good start. 

8. Occur to: DAWN ON - I was so pleased the the first two long grid-spanning fills below did DAWN ON me quickly

14. Song usually accompanied by pantomime: I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT short and stout..

17. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there": LET'S PLAY IT BY EAR.

18. Holds down the couch: LAZES.

19. Some fans of The Cure: GOTHS - Not familiar with any of their tunes

20. Pi follower: RHO.

21. Part of: IN ON.

22. Country named for Africa's second-highest peak: KENYA - Mt. KENYA is about 200 miles north of Africa's highest peak.

23. One-quarter of UTEP: PASO.

24. Some CGI creatures: ETS.

25. Animated sort: TOON.

26. Step on stage: TOE TAP 😀

28. "Your Friend & Jeweler" company: SHANE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

29. Ones in line: HEIRS 😀

30. Biles with five eponymous gymnastics skills: SIMONE.

32. Constant figure in quantum theory?: PLANCK - This physics guy knows both of these scientists

34. Ties: LACES - None for me any more.

35. "That really grinds my __": GEARS 😀

36. Egg foo young, e.g.: OMELET.

38. Davis canine: ODIE - Garfield's pal and foil

39. Dennings of "WandaVision": KAT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

42. Fling: CAST.

43. Picked one: OPTED.

45. Robe part: SASH.

46. Durham sch.: UNH - A little misdirection as more well-known Duke University is in Durham, N.C.

47. Portions (out): DOLES.

48. Folk legend Griffith: NANCI - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  This folk music lover is not familiar with her work

49. Yellowstone's less predictable attraction: STEAMBOAT GEYSER.

52. Black aces and black eights: THE DEAD MAN'S HAND - The poker hand that is said to be what Wild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in Deadwood, S.D. in 1876.

53. Locking horns: AT ODDS - A common state in D.C.

54. Plucky Renaissance faire performers?: LUTISTS.

Down:

1. "Doctor Who" actress Gibson: MILLIE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

2. Rephrasing words: I MEANT.

3. Seder servings: MATZOS.

4. Elizabeth of "WandaVision": OLSEN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Another cast member of a show I was not aware of

5. Nurses: SIPS.

6. City with more than 70 sts. named Peachtree: ATL -  These variations include Peachtree Circle, Peachtree Lane, Peachtree Battle Avenue, and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, among others, causing significant navigation challenges for visitors and locals alike in ATLANTA

7. Initial phase: STAGE ONE - The fuel in STAGE ONE of the Apollo Moon Rockets got the astronauts about 40 miles above Earth.

8. Temple dedicatee, often: DEITY.

9. To boot: AT THAT - "The meal wasn't very good and was pretty expensive AT THAT"

10. Fly catchers: WEBS 😀

11. Silly response to "Is that your horse?": NAY. 😀

12. Like many Bolshoi performances: OPERATIC - Bolshoi is Russian for big or grand.

13. Seafaring retreat for couples?: NOAH'S ARK 😀 - Two by two...

15. "Poker Face" star Natasha: LYONNE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

16. Scouting units: TROOPS.

22. Zen paradox: KOAN - KOH ahn. A paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment. You're welcome.

23. Ends used for shaping: PEENS.

25. The ones over there: THOSE.

27. Midway alternative: O'HARE.

28. Extract metal using heat: SMELT.

30. "Sex and the City" role: SAMANTHA - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The lady in red

31. Arctic mass: ICE SHEET.

32. Setting for worship?: PEDESTAL - Works in our house even though this is not our Lily in the picture! 😊

33. Like bricks and eggs: LAID 😀 - I've done the first and have collected the latter

34. Plague pest: LOCUST.

35. Cry from the stands: GO TEAM.

37. "Well, boo-hoo!": TOO BAD.

39. "Dust in the Wind" band: KANSAS - A song that where I might tell others in the car, "Please quiet down, I love his song!"

40. Uphill climb: ASCENT - 62% of deaths on Everest occur on the ASCENT and 38% on the descent. 

41. Helping for the hungry: THIRDS - Hey, if it's for tater tots...

44. Moves with effort: PLODS.

45. Wave, maybe: SAY HI.

47. Contacted on the 'gram: D-MED - Some FaceBook posts might ask to be D-MED (Direct MessagED) to discuss more privately. 

48. Location of a small kite: NEST.

50. Fuss of Shakespearean proportions?: ADO.

51. Shaggy grazer: GNU.

 

Sunday January 18, 2026 Samuel A. Donaldson

 Theme: "THE ROAD TO SELF-DISCOVERY" - One letter is dropped from the first word of each theme entry, resulting in I in the end.

23. Part of an executive job offer: STARTING SALARY.

30. Game lost in the blink of an eye: STARING CONTEST. Losing T.

45. Chamber group: STRING QUARTET. Losing A. 

63. Undercover setups: STING OPERATIONS. Losing R.

76. Tell all to the police: SING LIKE A CANARY. Losing T.

94. Break divine law: SIN AGAINST GOD. Losing G.

107. Having celebrity status: IN THE PUBLIC EYE. Losing S.

120. Backstreet Boys hit: I WANT IT THAT WAY. Losing N.

I bet Sam thought of STARTLING REVELATION, but could not make a workable set. 

Great to see Sam back! He is a witty law professor and wrote some of the most incisive posts on Amy's blog.

Across:

1. Finishes: WRAPS UP.

8. Mercedes line: E CLASS.

14. One on girth control?: DIETER. I can picture smile on Sam's face when he thought of this clue. 

20. San Diego neighbor: TIJUANA.

21. Twain of note: SHANIA. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

22. Cheaper than usual: ON SALE.

25. One of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England: WESSEX. Learning moment for me.  Three Exes: Essex, Sussex and Wessex.

26. Rest __: AREA.

27. Worry: FRET.

28. Louvre Pyramid architect: PEI.

29. Campus org. for wannabe ensigns: NROTC. Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Also 113. Employee rts. agency: NLRB. The National Labor Relations Board. 

34. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

36. Thai money: BAHT.

39. Negroni need: GIN.

40. Bucko: PAL.

41. Comparatively damp: SOGGIER.

43. Big whoop: ADO.

44. Resource in Minecraft and Catan: ORE.

48. Sets as a goal: ASPIRES TO.

51. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO. Her dad is Chinese American. 

52. LAX checkers: TSA.

53. Plié joint: KNEE.

54. Lummoxes: OAFS.

57. Sound of an air-kiss: MWAH.

59. Minor dustup: SPAT.

67. Wolfgang Puck's flagship eatery: SPAGO.

68. Teapot Dome commodity: OIL. Wikipedia says "Before the Watergate scandal, Teapot Dome was regarded as the "greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics".  Happened during the Harding administration.

69. Opening number?: ONE. Not song.

70. Snag: NAB.

71. Sort of: ISH.

73. Was published: RAN.

74. Ghanaian with a Nobel Peace Prize: ANNAN. He graduated from Macalester College here in MN. 

82. "Not interested": PASS.

83. Audio giant: BOSE.

84. Sub text?: EDIT. OK, verb sub, substitute.

85. Classic Monopoly token: IRON.

86. To be, in Toledo: SER.

88. AC meas.: BTU.

90. Casually mentions a famous friend: NAME-DROPS. Confession time: Do any of you have a famous friend you've ever name-dropped?

100. Tennis center?: ENS. Tennis.

101. Marker: IOU.

102. Soft cloth: CHAMOIS. Traditionally made from sheepskin or lambskin.

103. Bruins great Bobby: ORR.

104. Three-pointer's path: ARC.

105. Holes: GAPS.

106. Over 100, say: HOT. Degree-wise. 

112. Co. that makes Secret and Scope: P AND G.

114. Former NPR host Shapiro: ARI.

115. Hebrides isle: IONA.

116. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.

119. "Daddy, Papa, and Me" writer Newman: LESLEA. She also wrote "Heather Has Two Mommies".

124. Guru's residence: ASHRAM.

125. Musical liability: TIN EAR.

126. Term paper starting point: OUTLINE.

127. Not too difficult: DOABLE.

128. Cobbler's part: INSOLE.

129. Gives a new tournament ranking to: RE-SEEDS.

Down:

1. Lb. and oz.: WTS. Weights. 

2. Actress Hayworth: RITA.

3. Somewhat open: AJAR.  You know what she would say! 

4. Least contaminated: PUREST.

5. Pulled a chair up to: SAT AT.

6. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar: UNI. Salty, creamy roe. 

7. Cooks in a skillet: PAN FRIES.

8. German steel city: ESSEN.

9. OpenAI bot since 2022: CHATGPT.

10. Luka Doncic's team, on scoreboards: LAL. Los Angeles Lakers.

11. Brazilian city that sounds like Maryland's capital: ANAPOLIS. City of Ana.

12. Homer's rock singer: SIREN.

13. "Come on, tell us!": SAY IT.

14. Where snowbirds flock in winter: DOWN SOUTH. And 15. Xenon, e.g.: INERT GAS. Their symmetrical partners are 83. Activity that may improve problem-solving skills: BRAIN GAME. And 87. Best version of oneself, in psych-speak: EGO IDEAL. Four great fill. 

16. Brand on some Canadian pumps: ESSO.

17. "I think you'll find this yummy!": TASTE IT. I want that egg tart.

18. Winning candidate: ELECTEE.

19. Pet name fit for a king?: REX.

24. Expression that might be evil or silly: GRIN.

31. Mutually approve: AGREE ON.

32. Item on a Dollar menu?: CAR. Dollar Car Rental.

33. ABA member's title: ESQ.

35. Early PC monitor: CRT.

36. Whatever ewe say?: BAA. 

37. YouTube annoyances: ADS.

38. Oasts: HOP KILNS. 

42. Fully understand: GRASP.

44. The Beaver State: OREGON.

45. Skyrocket: SOAR.

46. Hideo who threw no-hitters in 1996 and 2001: NOMO. He opened for the door for Ichiro and Shohei Ohtani.

47. Ball purchase: GOWN. 50. Lowest digit: TOE. Liked both clues.

49. Bucolic lodging: INN.

55. Canine's canine: FANG.

56. Like a day-old bagel: STALE.

58. Home of Jordan and Georgia: ASIA.

60. Irrational fear of persecution: PARANOIA.

61. Vegan gelatin substitute: AGAR. Seaweed-based. Widely used in Japanese desserts.

62. Best Play, for one: TONY.

63. Daytime drama: SOAP.

64. Bassist Weymouth of Talking Heads: TINA.

65. Dinero unit: PESO.

66. Footnote space saver: IBID. Short for ibidem, meaning "in the same place".

67. Glass bits: SHARDS.

72. Bill Nye's field: SCIENCE.

75. State bordering Bhutan: ASSAM.

77. Publication ID: ISBN. Sigh, someone said my book was too easy. The title is Easy Mini Crosswords.

78. Clears after taxes: NETS.

79. Healthy Grains snackmaker: KIND.

80. GPS guess: ETA.

81. Neither partner: NOR.

89. Visionaries: UTOPIANS.

91. Early proponent of a flat Earth?: MERCATOR. Mercator is a conformal cylindrical map projection  originally created to display accurate compass bearings for sea travel. Presented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Learning moment for me. We also have 99. Revolutionary?: ORBITAL.Witty clues.

92. Dua Lipa genre: POP.

93. Questionable, in slang: SUS. Suspicious. 

94. NYU or MIT: SCH.

95. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO.

96. Lyonne of "Poker Face": NATASHA.

97. Believer's ending: IST.

98. "Despicable Me" antihero: GRU.

104. "Say it __ so!": AIN'T.

105. Lenient: GENTLE.

108. Part of Hispaniola: HAITI.

109. Physicist Schrödinger: ERWIN. Schrödinger's cat. 

110. French wine region: LOIRE.

111. "Sailing to Byzantium" poet: YEATS.

117. Boo-boo: OWIE.

118. Unwanted beach souvenir, often: SAND.

119. Wee fella: LAD.

121. Red pill consumer of film: NEO.

122. Shade: HUE.

123. Triumphant shout: YES.

C.C.

I know it's hard to completely stay away from politics and religion. I myself touch on them from time to time. But persistent comments in those areas, as well as personal attacks, can be upsetting. Let's stay focused on crosswords and keep the Corner welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. 

C.C.