Tuesday October 13, 2026 Shannon Rapp and Zachary Edward-Brown

You Think You're Feta Than Me?  We are in dairy country today where the first word of each theme answer is a type of cheese.

17-Across. Seth MacFarlane cartoon series: AMERICAN DAD.  American cheese was invented in the 1910s by James L. Kraft (né James Lewis Kraft; Dec. 11, 1874 ~ Feb. 16, 1953), the founder of Kraft Foods Inc.  He patented his manufacturing process in 1916.

26-Across. Conversation that might involve Jordan and LeBron: GOAT DEBATE.  Both Michael Jordan (b. Feb. 17, 1963) and LeBron James (b. Dec. 30, 1984) may be considered the Greatest Of All Time basketball players.  A brief history of Goat Cheese.

38-Across. Big lottery win: JACKPOT.  Jack cheese, also known as Monterey Jack, is a mild, semi-hard white cheese made from cow's milk.  What is the true origin of Jack Cheese?

52-Across. "Room" Best Actress Oscar winner: BRIE LARSON.  Everything you ever wanted to know about Brie Cheese, but were afraid to inquire.

60-Across. Green Bay Packers fans, or what 17-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across have: CHEESE HEADS.  Note that the first part (or Head) of each phrase is a type of Cheese.

Here's the Grid:

I found this to be another challenging Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1. Make red-faced: ABASH.

6. Feature of some Southern accents: TWANG.

A Twang so southern it is from New Zealand.

11. Bread with caraway seeds: RYE.  Yummers!  Rye bread with caraway seeds is a hearty, dense loaf featuring an earthy rye flavor paired with the distinct citrusy, peppery, and anise-like taste of caraway.

14. Like unhelpful hints: VAGUE.

15. Civic-minded brand?: HONDA.  Cute clue.

16. Snakelike fish: EEL.

19. Language in which "Baw pen nyang" means "It's nothing": LAO.  The language of Laos.

20. Ballpark snack: FRANK.

21. Hotel customer: GUEST.

23. Lane of "Superman": LOIS.

29. Promises: ASSURES.

31. Solemn acts: RITES.

32. Letter before lambda: KAPPA.  It's Greek to me.

33. Moral wrong: SIN.

34. Get a better loan rate, for short: RE-FI.  As in ReFinance.

37. __ out a living: EKE.

42. __ sum: bite-sized Chinese fare: DIM.  We went to a traditional Dim Sum at Maxim's Palace the last time we were in Hong Kong.  There were so many tempting dishes to select from.

43. Truly engrossed: RAPT.

45. Quaker possessive: THY.

46. Running track shapes, often: OVALS.

48. Seven, in Spanish: SIETE.  Today's Spanish math lesson.

50. Sea cow: MANATEE.  A shout out to our very own Manatee.

55. Take a day off, say: REST.

56. Baggy: LOOSE.

57. __-frutti: TUTTI.  Today's Italian lesson.  Tutti frutti roughly translates from Italian as all fruits.  It's also a Little Richard song.

59. Wine cask wood: OAK.

66. Carry-on screeners: Abbr.: TSA.  As in Transportation Security Administration.

67. Bridgestone products: TIRES.

68. Bright courtyards: ATRIA.  Today's Latin lesson.  The word atria is the Latin plural of atrium, meaning the central room or entrance hall of an ancient Roman house.

69. "Charlotte's Web" enclosure: STY.  The the backstory of Charlotte's Web.

70. Bowling score indicated by a slash: SPARE.

71. Used a keyboard: TYPED.

Down:

1. "Hacks" comedy writer Daniels: AVA.  Ava Daniels is the fictional character in the sit-com Hacks.  She was portrayed by Hannah Einbinder (b. May 21, 1995), who is the daughter of Laraine Newman (b. Mar. 2, 1952) of Saturday Night Live fame.

Laraine Newman with her daughter, Hannah

2. Impact sound: BAM.

3. The "A" of A/S/L: AGE.  Apparently this means Age, Sex, Location and was used in chat rooms.

4. "Let's catch some waves!": SURF'S UP.

5. Whodunit suspect: HEIR.

6. Marvel villain played by Josh Brolin: THANOS.  I am not up on my Marvel villains.  

7. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA.  As in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  It as an adaptation of the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl (Sept. 13, 1916 ~ Nov. 23, 1990).

8. "On top of that ... ": AND.

9. Secrecy doc: NDA.  As in a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

10. Gizmo: GADGET.

11. Information on a movie poster: RELEASE DATE.

12. Baker's supply: YEAST.

13. Mexican corn dish: ELOTE.  Yummers!

18. Bird house?: CAGE.

22. App with a Women Drivers option: UBER.

23. L.A. NBAer: LAKER.

24. Honshu port city: OSAKA.  Honshu is the largest of the four main islands of Japan.  Osaka is the second largest city in Japan.

25. Server's query after a drink order, perhaps: IS PEPSI OKAY?  No, Pepsi is NOT okay.

27. Journey: TRIP.

28. T. rex, for one: DINO.

30. TV friend of Sheldon and Howard: RAJ.  A reference to The Big Bang Theory.  I never saw the attraction of this show, but it was very popular.

33. Cloud location: SKY.

35. Computer folder contents: FILES.

36. "Nothing for me, thanks!": I'M SET.

39. Flour for chapati and roti: ATTA.  This wheat has been making frequent appearances in the puzzles.

40. "Believe" diva: CHER.  It's hard to believe that Cher (née Cheryl Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) it 80 years old.

41. Heavy load: TON.

44. Formal neckwear: TIES.

47. Assortment: VARIETY.

49. Puts in office: ELECTS.  Election day is coming up.  I'll be glad when it's over.

50. Styling foam: MOUSSE.

51. Poker stake: ANTE.

52. Rorschach test shapes: BLOTS.

53. Cook in an oven: ROAST.

54. Pilot: STEER.

58. The one there: THAT.

61. __-hop music: HIP.

62. Slice of history: ERA.

63. Dada artist Jean: ARP.  Jean Arp (né Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp; Sept. 16, 1886 ~ June 7, 1966) used to make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

64. Monopoly cube: DIE.

65. Melancholy: SAD.

Don't be Sad the puzzle is completely.  Just provide us with your comments.

חתולה

Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Shannon Rap and Will Eisenberg

 ARDHA CHAKRASANA...

Meaning, Standing Backward Bend in Yoga...

Forgive me, but, I would title this, "How to hurt your back, or in crossword form,  find pain somewhere lower...".  I would have thought this puzzle better suited to Thursday Fare, but if you know any Yoga, or obscure people names combined with names of things you might find in trivial pursuit, or Jeopardy, then this puzzle would probably have been a breeze.  I call it, A Learning Experience...  

THE REVEAL:

 63 Across. Vacation for posers?, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: YOGA RETREAT. 

17 Across. Singer known as the "Queen of Christmas": MARIAH CAREY.  Name #1 The name was familiar, the clue was not...  RIAHC is a retreating Chair... (or backwards, if you prefer...)

Utkatasana, or the Chair pose.

24. Oscar won by Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet": BEST ACTRESS. 

Marjaryasana, or Cat Pose.

39 Across. Device that gets the party poppin'?: BUBBLE MACHINE.

Astrasana, or Camel Pose.

54 Across. Academic field for Judith Butler: QUEER THEORY. More info here...

Vrksasana, or Tree Pose.

Take a walk with me, tip toeing around the Yoga mats, as I try to figure out where I went wrong trying to solve this puzzle.

Onward:

Across:

1. Mission by the San Antonio River Walk: ALAMO.

6. Irks: VEXES.

I could have sworn he said "vexes."

But this is like me doing this puzzle...

11. IT dept. array: PCS. IT=Information Technology, PCS=Personal Computers.

(But, in a business department, are they really Personal Computers?)

14. Steel rod: REBAR.

15. Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. It may be Target Center today,  but tomorrow it will be called after who ever pays the most for the name... (Can you recall the original name of your local Arena before some corporation paid to rename it?)

16. "I found it!": AHA. (Then they renamed it, and I lost it again...)

17. [Theme.]

19. Like rubies and garnets: RED.

20. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA. Fictional, & spelling nightmare, Name #2

21. Proactive Health pet food brand: IAMS.

Name #3

Founder, Paul F. Iams.

23. Agcy. concerned with scheduling?: DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency. Agcy indicates abbreviated answer, and since alcohol does not have a D.E.A. schedule, I intend to have an attitude adjustment upon completing this write up...

24. [Theme.]

29. "No ifs, __, or buts": ANDS.

31. "Ambiguous Desire" singer Parks: ARLO. Name #3 (actually name #4, but it's easier to prattle on rather than change it...)

32. Mina Kimes's channel: ESPN. What does ESPN stand for? (And it is name #5) - clued by a name? So 5-1/2?

33. Doofus: OAF. (Insert political picture of your choice here...)

36. Sit next to: ABUT.

38. Feel bad: AIL.

39. [Theme.]

43. Enthusiast: FAN. Short for Fanatic, but has become a kinder, mellower name for some one who is nuts about something.

44. "Beyond the Gates," for one: SOAP. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

45. Protective layer?: HEN.😀

46. With skill: ABLY.

48. Knee parts, for short: ACLS. Anterior Cruciate Ligament 

50. Hertz rentals: CARS. Note that they also rent Vans, so with this hard a puzzle, do you really believe they would go with cars?

54. [Theme.]

58. Change shades: DYE.

59. Pageant wear: SASH.

60. Gives a lecture: TEACHES.

62. Prof's deg., often: PHD. Doctor of Philosophy.

63. [Theme Reveal.]

67. Luau strings, briefly: UKE.

68. Korean dumplings: MANDU. It's still a name, so #4 (correction, 6-1/2)

69. Guitarist Steve: EARLE. Name #5 (correction, 8-1/2)

70. Billie Eilish's "__ Guy": BAD.  Name of a song, so #6. Correction, but also a named clued, so name #10?)

71. Piano exercise: ETUDE.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

72. Like baklava: SWEET.

Down:
1. Fleet: ARMADA. Another name for fleet... hmm, in rereading this, I can see all these names have caused me to lose my mind... (don't say it! I know what your thinking!)

2. Get a rise out of?: LEAVEN.🙃

3. Out of the country: ABROAD.

4. Primary: MAIN.

5. Dental care brand: ORAL-B.

6. Airbnb competitor: VACASA. Name #7 (correction, and since Oral-B is a name, name #12?)

Note: this entry caused me to DNF this puzzle. (Did Not Finish,) Because I had to Google AirBnB competitors, and of the 100 or so so listed, Vacasa was not one of them...

7. Notable time: ERA.

8. '70s baby, e.g.: XER. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  (I was thinking Beanie Baby...)

9. Opposite of WSW: ENE.  (Finally! A clue I can answer!)

10. "Just tell us!": SAY IT.  Just spit it out!

11. Oft-shaved cheese: PARMESAN. Romano wouldn't fit...

12. Simple Southern dessert: CHESS PIE. This one is hard to explain... if you scroll down to "why is it called  Chess Pie? You will find some curious guesses, but I think the answer is no one really knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (And an apt choice for unlucky name #13?)

13. Feeling low: SAD. Too many unknown names make me feel this way...

18. Chuckle noise: HEE. No! Don't try to cheer me up! 

22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE. Here! This puzzle made me nuts!

25. Run roughshod over: TRAMPLE. Alas, what I have done to this poor puzzle review. My apologies, I'm just cranky it got the best of me. Please state in the comments that you knew everything, and this was a breeze, and an easy puzzle. I'm sure it will make me feel better...

26. "Jane the Virgin" grandmother: ALBA. The 14th name, clued by a name...

27. Spot to veg: COUCH. Believe it or not, Veg is a recognized word! (Plus, in crossword rules, it would be very hard to abbreviate "couch.")

28. Longtime NBC sketch show, casually: SNL. Saturday Night Live, and an abbreviated name, so 14-1/2?

30. Weep loudly: SOB.

34. Crunch muscles: ABS.

35. Ice cream treat: FLOAT. 5 fun float ideas for your next party! 

6 if you include this one!

37. Word that's trademarked in Ohio State University's official name: THE.  (Really?)

39. Headscarf: BABUSHKA. Also, the Russian word for Grandmother, or elderly woman.

40. Gas station choice: UNLEADED. (It's not a choice...)

41. A pop: EACH.

42. Magazine with an annual "Female Founders" list: INC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (plus a half a name...)

43. Web page that has all the answers: FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions, like, how many names were really in this puzzle?

47. "Absolutely!": YES. There were too many names!

49. "You said it!": SO TRUE. (Even this puzzle agrees with me, too many names!)

51. Stick: ADHERE. 

You try reviewing a puzzle that beat you up, and stole your lunch money, ON A WEDNESDAY!

52. Hearty amber beer: RYE ALE. hmm, reminds me I'm ready for an attitude adjustment...

53. Six-line poem: SESTET. 🤔

55. Sound alike: RHYME. Echo wouldn't fit...

56. Food writer Drummond: REE.  Name #14? ( I thought it was Rhea...)

57. "Revolutionary Road" novelist Richard: YATES. Name #15?

61. Stick in one's __: CRAW. Other than names, I read something recently about Mourning Doves. They come to your feeder and stuff their craw with seeds for consumption later. I learned that they are the messiest nest builders, often having a nest of 2 or 3 sticks, often built on your windshield wiper, and yet it seems to work for them! They also can convert seeds in their craw (or crop) i to a kind of milk they can feed the young! More here if interested...

62. Spot for a pint: PUB. Yes, you don't have to remind me I need an attitude adjustment. Hmm, Rye Ale...

64. Vegan-friendly latte option: OAT.

65. Serengeti antelope: GNU. 

The Gnu Song.

66. Do the math: ADD.

The Grid.

And there you have it!  Did this puzzle beat you up? Just bend you a little? Or smooth out your kinks...

Tell us in the comments, because I hope I am not the only one that was puzzled...

CE:D out...

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