Sunday August 16, 2026 Rich Katz

Theme: "THREE'S COMPANY" - Each common phrase is reimagined as the names of three well-known people, two of whom share the same given or last name.

22. Ron + (Kristen + Alexander Graham): SILVER BELLS. Ron Silver.  Kristen Bell. Alexander Graham Bell. 

24. Clint + (Francis Scott + Keegan-Michael): BLACK KEYS. Clint Black. Francis Scott Key. Keegan-Michael Key.

30. Sally + (Julia + Philip): FIELD GLASSES. Sally Field. Julia Glass. Philip Glass.

48. Barry + (Elliot + Jimmy): WHITE PAGES. Barry White. Elliott Page. Jimmy Page.

51. Nia + (Elton + Tommy): LONG JOHNS. Nia Long. Elton John. Tommy John.

63. Grover + (Alton + Helen Gurley): CLEVELAND BROWNS. Grover Cleveland. Alton Brown. Helen Gurley Brown.

81. (Adam + Minnie) + Helms: DRIVER'S ED.  Adam Driver. Minnie Driver. Ed Helms.

83. Fiona + (Lemmon + London): APPLE JACKS. Fiona Apple. Jack Lemmon. Jack London.

98. Cleary + (Faith + Jonah): BEVERLY HILLS. Beverly Cleary. Faith Hill. Jonah Hill.

109. Keith + (Garfunkel + Carney): URBAN ARTS. Keith Urban. Art Garfunkel. Art Carney.

111. (Underwood + Fisher) + Johnny: CARRIES CASH.  Carrie Underwood. Carrie Fisher. Johnny Cash.

I don't recall seeing this theme idea before. Very creative. 

 

It may look like an overwhelming number of names at first glance, but nearly all of them are confined to the theme clues as a natural consequence of the concept. The fill is so clean. 

I think this Rich is our constructor. 

Across:

1. Best of the best: A-ONE.

5. Syrup source: MAPLE. I don't think sugar maples grow naturally in China. Maple syrup wasn't part of my childhood.

10. That partner: THIS.

14. Fistfuls of dollars: WADS.

18. Authorize: ALLOW.

19. Cookies with a "You asked for it" collaboration with 29-Across: OREOS. 29. Peanut butter cup brand: REESE'S.

20. Surrounding glow: AURA.

21. La Scala solo: ARIA.

26. NYC drama award: OBIE.

27. Slangy contraction: AIN'T.

28. Land between Can. and Mex.: USA.

34. Like stress balls and fidget spinners: SENSORY.

35. End of term?: ITES. Termites.

36. "Knock yourself out!": PLEASE DO. 43. Knocked out: LAID LOW.

39. Suzuki who won nine batting titles in two countries: ICHIRO. Coolest player ever. 

44. Some reservoir residents: FOWL.

54. Othello's betrayer: IAGO.

55. Bulgarian, e.g.: SLAV.

56. Endow with, as authority: VEST.

58. Autonomous vacuum: ROOMBA.

59. Utmost degree: NTH.

60. Aligned: EVENED.

62. Labors mightily to accomplish: TOILS AT.

68. Term of endearment?: IT'S LOVE. This clue doesn't quite click for me. 

71. Leveraged __: corporate acquisition: BUYOUT.

72. "Print to" option: PDF.

75. Really sad: MOROSE.

76. Sound from a kettle or a snake: HISS.

78. Actor Epps: OMAR.

80. Island home of the Hana Highway: MAUI.

85. Speaker brand: BOSE.

86. Theater reviewers: CRITICS.

89. Plug's place: SOCKET.

90. Channel that rarely fails to make one cry: TEAR DUCT. Fun clue.

92. Matinee hrs.: AFTS.

94. "The Return of the King" king: ARAGORN. Played by Viggo Mortensen.

104. Small donkeys: BURROS.

105. Ballerina's turning point: TOE.

107. Ancient France: GAUL.

108. "So Sick" R&B singer: NEYO.

114. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.

115. Santa's specialty: TOYS.

116. Leading: AHEAD.

117. Nikon rival: CANON. 118. Nikon products: SLRS.

119. Novelist mile: ZOLA.

120. Baking gloves: MITTS.

121. Pt. of IMF: INTL.

Down:

1. Defense witness, often: ALIBI.

2. Basic skateboard trick: OLLIE.

3. Many a Seanan McGuire work: NOVEL. New name to me. Seanan McGuire received five Hugo Award nominations in 2013. 

4. Sheepish sort?: EWE.

5. Crib accessory: MOBILE.

6. Venues that often have corporate names: ARENAS.

7. Nails, as with snowballs: PELTS.

8. "U r 2 funny!": LOL.

9. Start at the beginning?: ESS. The starting letter in Start.

10. Guitar player's aid: TABS.

11. Hawaiian dance: HULA.

12. Nest egg letters: IRA.

13. Holy: SACRED.

14. Boat trailers?: WAKES. Powerful wakes.

15. Schoolyard retort: ARE SO.

16. Certain hardware store patron, casually: DIYER.

17. Smart-alecky: SASSY.

18. Lead-up to a date?: AS OF.

23. Convertibles: RAGTOPS.

25. Lotto game: KENO.

28. Thrifted, perhaps: USED. Anyone here use Poshmark?

31. Bleak: DIRE.

32. Spots for scrubs: SPAS.

33. "ManningCast" brother: ELI.

34. In stitches: SEWN.

37. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S.

38. Smokestack dust: SOOT.

39. "Game, set, match": I WIN.

40. Puss, in Paris: CHAT.

41. Top temperature: HIGH. Beautiful weather here in Minnesota the past few days.

42. Skater Midori: ITO.

43. 101, for one: LEVEL. Biology 101, e.g.

44. Tricks: FOOLS.

45. Measures of resistance: OHMS.

46. Liberty org.: WNBA. The New York Liberty.

47. Hurdle for a DA-to-be: LSAT.

49. Pain relief brand: ALEVE. Can you believe I hurt my lower back picking up an empty watering can?

50. Donated: GAVE.

52. "Oh, __ up!": GROW.

53. Connect: JOIN.

56. Williams with five Wimbledon singles titles: VENUS. 97. Wimbledon surface: GRASS.

57. Whirlpool: EDDY.

61. Captures: NABS.

62. Completely wreck: TOTAL.

63. Eggnog spice: CLOVE.

64. Concede a golden goal, say: LOSE. A golden goal immediately ends overtime in some soccer and hockey competitions.

65. Of all time: EVER.

66. Nose-tapping sounds: BOOPS.

67. Kind of roast: RUMP.

68. Site for film fans: IMDB.

69. Lawnmower brand: TORO. Based here in Minnesota. 

70. Sanskrit honorifics: SRIS.

72. Rat or Brat follower: PACK.

73. Team led by Mike Krzyzewski for 42 seasons: DUKE.

74. Clenched hand: FIST.

76. Munich mister: HERR.

77. Terse affirmative: I DID.

79. Provide a new look: RESTYLE.

80. Prefix in many a Scottish surname: MAC.

82. Printer function: SCAN.

83. Closer at the Globe: ACT V. The Globe refers to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Many of his plays end with Act V.

84. Kid: JOSH.

87. __ sock: TUBE.

88. Winter puddle topper: ICE.

90. Many a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" character: TOON.

91. Fake: ERSATZ.

92. Landing spot of Noah's Ark: ARARAT. Noah was 601 years old then!

93. Liquids: FLUIDS.

94. Borders: ABUTS.

95. Like most farmland: RURAL.

96. Shady spot: ARBOR.

99. Everglades wader: EGRET.

100. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.

101. Listed, to a Brit: LEANT. We leaned.

102. Antibacterial brand: LYSOL.

103. Kind of Kind, in Köln: SOHN. Tricky bilingual clue. The second Kind is the German word for "child." Sohn means "son."

105. Texter's "Bye for now": TTYL.

106. Peak near Olympus: OSSA.

110. Aussie hopper: ROO.

111. Vid taker: CAM.

112. Sashimi choice: AHI.

113. Ecol. or geol.: SCI.

 

Today we celebrate the 76th birthday of our own witty Wednesday sherpa, MM (Joseph). Here he is in Chiang Rai in 2017, looking as adventurous as ever. Wishing you a very happy birthday, Joseph, and many more wonderful journeys ahead!

Chiang Rai, 2017

C.C.

Sunday, August 9, 2026, Joe Deeney

(Note from C.C.: I'm excited to announce that constructor Katherine Simonson (Kat on our blog) has joined our blogging team. Our blog has covered eight of Kat's LAT puzzles. She's impressed us time and again with her keen eye as both a constructor and a blogger. I'm thrilled to have her on board.)

 

Prolific constructor Joe Deeney edits some film for us today, with highly entertaining results. 

The title of the puzzle, "A+ in Film Studies", is a terrific hint for what is going on here. Each of the seven theme entries is the title of a reasonably well-known movie, with just one little change: the addition of the letter "A." This creates a new set of phrases, which are described in the clues. While straightforward letter insertion themes are fairly common crossword fare, the puzzle stands out to me for the quality of its execution. The theme set is remarkably tight and highly entertaining, and the fill includes lots of fresh and fun words. An altogether pleasant Sunday morning at the movies!

 Theme entries as they appear in the grid are as follows:

22A. Public square that gets really sticky in the heat?: LICORICE PIAZZA. The movie Licorice Pizza is a 2021 coming-of-age film nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. While critically acclaimed, it struggled at the box office. However, it has since developed a significant following in indie film circles. A PIAZZA is an open square in an Italian town - and one made of licorice would certainly get sticky in the heat.  

 Alana Haim is the lead actress in Licorice Pizza. She is also well known for playing with her sisters in the Grammy-nominated band Haim.

39A. One who can only rasp quietly?: THE HOARSE WHISPERER. My favorite of the theme entries. The Horse Whisperer is a 1998 neo-western drama directed by and starring Robert Redford. The film is based on Nicholas Evans' 1995 novel of the same name. The term "horse whisperer" refers to a skilled practitioner who understands and interprets equine behavior, and uses gentle and empathetic training methods. A HOARSE whisperer would be difficult to hear.

48A. Spot in a store with toys, water bowls, and leashes?: AISLE OF DOGS. The movie Isle of Dogs is a 2018 stop-motion animated science fiction comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Wes Anderson. The complex plot involves the banishment of all dogs to an isolated island, and subsequent attempts at their rescue. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. An AISLE of dogs would contain items designed for use by dogs and dog-owners. 

 

Perusing goods in the Aisle of Dogs.

 

68. Warning before a particularly scary monster flick?: BEAST IN SHOW. The quirky comedic mockumentary Best in Show was released in 2000 to mostly positive reviews. The plot follows five dogs competing in a prestigious dog show, along with their owners, trainers, and handlers. It is credited with generating interest in the dog show circuit, leading to the decision to televise the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving Day every year since 2002. A monster flick might want to warn would-be viewers that there was a scary BEAST in the show. 

 

Director Christopher Guest was also a member of Best in Show's ensemble cast.

 

84. R-rated NASA event?: NAKED LAUNCH. The 1991 surrealist science-fiction drama film Naked Lunch was based on William S. Burroughs's novel of the same name. While some critical reviews were positive, the movie was a box office flop. It has since found a cult fandom, which admires its surrealistic visual and thematic elements. NASA does not do naked LAUNCHES. Crew survival suits are, of course, needed to protect astronauts from outer space's vacuum, along with temperature extremes and radiation. 

 

Artemis astronauts in their launch suits - NOT their birthday suits!

 

93A. Oak trees?: CHILDREN OF THE ACORN. Stephen King's short story Children of the Corn has been adapted into several movies, including a horror feature film franchise of the same name beginning in 1984. The 1984 film was apparently quite gory, and neither critics nor audiences were particularly enthusiastic. But they keep making sequels. An ACORN can sprout and grow into an oak tree - unless a squirrel get it first.

 

116A. Glass ceiling-breaking event?: ASCENT OF A WOMAN. Al Pacino won the Best Actor Academy Award for the 1992 film Scent of a Woman, which was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was adapted from the Italian novel Il buio e il miele ("Darkness and Honey") by Giovanni Arpino. A woman's ASCENT of the career ladder might be an example of someone overcoming invisible barriers to success. 

 

Across:

1. Some latte orders: DECAFS. Some of us can't handle caffeine, and decaffeinated coffee lets us enjoy the aroma, taste, and warmth of coffee drinks without getting hopelessly wired. 

7. Enemy of ancient Athens: SPARTA. The city-state of Sparta became the prominent land military power in the ancient Greek world during the 7th century BC and retained this status until defeated by the Thebans 371 BC. 

13. Alpaca kin: LLAMA. Llamas are domesticated (and often ornery) pack animals used by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. 

18. "Play slowly," in music: ADAGIO. Borrowed from the Italian. 

19. Peanut butter and jelly: SPREADS. The earliest recorded mention of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared in Boston Cooking School Magazine in 1901. If you grew up in Massachusetts like I did, then you are probably familiar with the "fluffernutter", which replaces the jelly with marshmallow fluff. Delicious!

21. Keeps occupied: TIES UP. Figuratively, not literally. 

22. [Theme entry]

24. Would rather not: HATE TO. As in: "I hate to be the bearer of bad news."

25. Biblical suffix: ETH. Giveth, leadeth, overfloweth, etc.

26. Sp. address: SRA. Short for "Senorita", a single girl or woman.

27. Quite the commotion: ADO. A crossword puzzle standard. 

28. Ski lift: T-BAR. Pulls two skiers up the mountain together. Don't sit on the bar. Easy once you get the hang of it.

 

Child's play!

 

30. Actor Kilmer: VAL. The American actor Val Kilmer (1959 - 2025) played many iconic roles, including Iceman in the Top Gun films, Doc Holliday in Tombstone, and Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.

31. Chuckle syllable: HEH. Sometimes described as an "evil laugh." 

33. Founded, as a co.: ESTD. Established. The use of  "co." as an abbreviation for "company" in the clue tells us that the answer will also be a shortened form. 

36. "Don't play," in music: TACET. Adapted from the Latin. 

38. Phi __ Kappa: BETA.  Established in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It aims to promote and advocate excellence in the Liberal Arts and Sciences. 

39.  [Theme entry]

44. Title for Judi Dench: DAME. The acclaimed Dame Judi Dench is one of the highest-profile actresses in British popular culture. She won an Academy Award as the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love.

 

46. Fox or ox: ANIMAL. Pretty straightforward.

 

47. __ monster: GILA. A slow-moving, venomous lizard indigenous to the southwestern U.S. and the northern Mexican state of Sonora. 

48. [Theme entry]

51. Castle-breaching explosive: PETARD. A petard is a small bell-shaped bomb. The Shakespearean expression "hoist on his own petard" means that the bomb-maker was blown off the ground by his munition. 

53. Sandbox visitor: TOT. Kids love playing in the sand.

54. Rapper Dr. __: DRE. The American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor known as Dr. Dre was born Andre Rommel Young. He has won seven Grammy awards, four for his production work.

 

 

55. Matar paneer vegetables: PEAS. Peas are very common in Indian cuisine.

57. Cause friction: CHAFE. Synonymous with "abrade."

60. Cookie whose website has recipes for cheesecake and empanadas: OREO. Is there no limit to the versatility of oreos?

62. Derby-sporting Addams: ITT. The diminutive and hairy Cousin Itt is a character in the Addams Family television series and subsequent movie and stage adaptations. 

 

64. Ancient hulled wheat: SPELT. Also known as "dinkel wheat", spelt is high in protein. 

66. Old Jutland resident: TEUTON. The Jutland Peninsula in Northern Europe forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany. It is believed that the ancient Teutonic people lived in Jutland until the Cimbrian Flood of around 114 BC forced their migration. 

67. "Fiddlesticks": DARN. Both terms are used to express mild annoyance. 

68. [Theme entry]

71. Lysol target: GERM. The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in Germany in 1889 to help end a cholera epidemic. 

72. Chemist Mendeleev who created the periodic table: DMITRI. Russian chemist Dr. Mendeleev formulated the periodic law in 1863 and used it to correct the then-accepted properties of some known elements, and to predict the properties of three elements that were yet-undiscovered. 

74. Castle trenches: MOATS. Water-filled trenches helped to keep invaders away from medieval castle walls, and prevented them from tunneling underneath. 

75. Hit the slopes: SKI. Winter recreation at its finest!

 

76. Blackthorn berry: SLOE. The berries, which are very tart if eaten fresh, are instead used for making sloe gin, jam, chutney, and fruit pies. 

77. Beyonce's "I Am... __ Fierce": SASHA. Title of a 2008 studio album. "Sasha Fierce" is Beyonce's on-stage alter ego. 

78. In the mail: SENT. It's on the way!

79. Blunder: ERR. Our new silicon overlords will not have this problem.

 

81. Liberty Mutual's bus.: INS. Short for "insurance." Liberty Mutual is high on everyone's list of most annoying TV commercials.

82. Hybrid synth instrument: KEYTAR. Portmanteau: A KEYboard instrument that can be played like a guiTAR. News to me!

Lady Gaga on the keytar.

84. [Theme entry]

89. Pedal pushers: FEET. Propelling a bicycle by pushing on the pedals. 

90. __ roll: KAISER. A type of round hard roll originating in Austria. 

92. "What fun!": WHEE. An expression of joy.

93. [Theme entry]

99. Golfer McIlroy: RORY. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is a professional golfer who plays on the European and PGA tours. He is currently the #2 ranked player in the world. 

 

Winning the 2026 Masters.

100. Broadcast again: RE-AIR. Many television stations limit their content to re-broadcasts of older programs. 

101. Hurdle for an aspiring JD: LSAT. Law School Admission Test.

102. Halloween mo.: OCT. Halloween is celebrated on October 31.

 

105. Off-rd. wheels: ATV. Short for "all terrain vehicle."

106. "Stranger Things" actor Wolfhard: FINN. Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, and film director. He and his Stranger Things cast mates won a 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. 

107. Hoppy fave: IPA. India Pale Ale. A beer style that has a strong flavor of hops. 

110. Wireless std.: LTE. Long Term Evolution is a standard for wireless broadband communication for cellular mobile devices and data terminals. 

112. "Midsommar" director Aster: ARI. American filmmaker Ari Aster's movies combine elements of dark comedy, horror, and graphic violence. No wonder I hadn't heard of him.

114. Minor flaw: FOIBLE. A frailty or moral weakness. 

116. [Theme entry]

121. Musical weakness: TIN EAR. An insensitivity to music.

122. Invertebrate found in every ocean: SEA STAR. Five-armed marine invertebrates also known as starfish - although they aren't actually fish. Sea stars come in many colors, and can be quite lovely.

 

 

123. Hackers' shout of success: WE'RE IN. Hackers are everywhere - practice good cyber hygiene.

124. Go out for a while?: SLEEP. Clever clue. 

 

Take a nice little nap and all is right with the world. 

 

125. Beguile: ENTICE. To attract or tempt by arousing hope, interest, or desire. 

126. Jaunty neckwear: ASCOTS. Apparently, ascots are reserved for formal wear with morning dress for daytime weddings. I only ever see Ascots in crosswords puzzles. Not really a thing in my social set. 

Down:
1. Broad valley: DALE. The term is most frequently used in Yorkshire and the Southern Uplands of Scotland. 

2. "Ethan Frome" novelist Wharton: EDITH. American writer and designer Edith Newbold Wharton (1862 - 1937) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for her novel The Age of Innocence. She published the novella Ethan Frome in 1911.

3. Browser storage: CACHE. A hardware or software component that stores data to speed future requests.

4. In the past: AGO. As in, "Four score and seven years AGO . . ."

5. Many Christmas trees: FIRS. Fir trees are members of the pine family. They are found in mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa.

 

 

6. Fancy affair: SOIREE. A soiree is an evening party or reception. Since ASCOTS are reserved for morning dress, do not wear yours to a soiree. 

7. NNW reversal: SSE. North-Northwest is 180 degrees from South-Southeast. 

8. "Play very, very softly," in music: PPP. The instruction stands for pianississimo, played softly to add a sense of delicacy to the music. 

9. Met highlight: ARIA. For any opera buffs in the Corner, the video below shows a wonderful stage performance of the seductive Habanera aria from George Bizet's Carmen. Tunisian-Canadian mezzo soprano Rihab Chaieb's facial expressions and body language are as delightful as her magnificent voice.

 

 If I love you - beware!

 

10. Assessment: READ. An analysis of the meaning or significance of something. 

11. Lipton division: TAZO TEA. The Tazo Tea company was founded in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. After several changes of ownership, it became a part of Lipton Teas and Infusions in 2022. 

12. Curved cutting tool: ADZ. An adz is similar to an axe, but the cutting edge is perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel.

13. "Nothing you say is true!": LIAR. A common accusation in courtroom dramas. 

14. Tennis do-over: LET. When a served ball hits the top of the net but still lands in the correct service box. 

15. Affectionate sign-off: AS EVER. More formal than "With Love", less formal than "Sincerely".

16. Change genetically: MUTATE. An alteration in an organism's DNA sequence.

17. Like molecules that cannot form permanent bonds: APOLAR. Charge is evenly distributed in apolar (or nonpolar) molecules, and unevenly distributed in polar molecules.

20. Nickname for Louis Armstrong: SATCH. Louis "Satch" Armstrong (1901 - 1971) was an acclaimed American jazz and blues trumpeter and vocalist. He won a 1965 Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance, and a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972. 

 

21. "There isn't anything else!?": THAT'S IT. "That's It" brand snack bars contain no ingredients other than dried fruit. 

23. Lettuce or cabbage: CASH. Slang usage that was not familiar to me. 

29. Neutral shades: BEIGES. When we re-stuccoed the house, we learned that there are endless ways to say "tan."

32. Web design code: HTML. Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language. 

34. Warty amphibian: TOAD. It is a myth that handling toads causes warts. 

35. Paul of "The Batman": DANO. Paul Dano is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He played villain the The Riddler in the 2022 movie The Batman.

37. Piercing tool: AWL. Used to pierce small holes in leather or wood.

38. Tight squeezes: BEAR HUGS. Mother bears and their cubs display affectionate behavior that resembles human hugs. 

 

Sweet - at a safe distance.

 40. Listen to: HEED. Pay attention.

41. Fix badly?: RIG. 

Just ... no.

42. Texting tech: SMS. Short message service.

43. Put a name to: PLACE. To identify by connecting with an associated context.

44. Natural history museum display: DIORAMA. A fun word not often encountered in puzzles.

 

Diorama at the wonderful Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

 

45. "M*A*S*H" star?: ASTERISK. Clever clue!

48. Not on the same page: AT ODDS. In disagreement.

49. Savanna antelope: ORIBI. A small antelope found in eastern, southern, and western Africa. 

50. Glam gala: FETE. A FETE is an elaborate party. 

51. Trails: PATHS. Hiking paths the world over offer a way to experience natural beauty at your own pace.

 

New Zealand's Routeburn Track.

52. Intro to many a newsreel: DATELINE. The dateline communicates the date, time, and location of the news reel's contents.

55. Calligraphy tools: PENS. Calligraphers take fine handwriting to the level of visual art.

56. Some city trains: ELS. Short for "elevated trains", whose tracks are above street level. 

58. As a departure from the norm: FOR ONCE. An exception to the rule. 

59. Snare: ENMESH. Can be used either literally or figuratively. 

61. Without any planning: ON THE FLY. Spontaneously.

63. More family-friendly: TAMER. Suitable for all audiences.

64. Walks or runs: STAT. As a statistician myself, I appreciate stats humor!

65. Where some get tired quickly?: PIT. In an auto race, tires are quickly changed during a PIT stop. It took me a while to get this one!

66. Movement while asking "How do I look?": TWIRL. As perfectly executed below:

 

 

69. Junior: SON. When a father and son share the same first, middle, and last names, the son is often referred to as "Junior."  

70. Rubber-stamped: OKED. The term "okay" originated in Boston in the late 1830s during a fad for abbreviating misspellings. In this case, "oll korrect" was an intentional misspelling of "all correct."

73. Like a daisy: RAYED. In the sense of radiating out from a center. 

78. Shiny fabric: SATEEN. Sateen has the characteristics of silk satin but is less expensive. 

80. Sultry growl: RAWR. A slangy way to express affection.

83. Boston University athlete: TERRIER. Boston University is a men's ice hockey powerhouse, having won the national championship five times. They were the tournament's runner-up in 2025. 

 

BU's Boston Terrier mascot.

84. Trivial objection: NIT. A minor shortcoming.

85. Product of incomplete combustion: ASH. A crossword puzzle regular. 

86. Ship stabilizer: KEEL. Interestingly, "keel" as a verb can mean to fall down suddenly - the opposite of stabilization. 

87. Noted times: ERAS. Another crossword regular. Think Bronze Era, Jazz Era, Medieval Era.

88. "Um, think again": UH NO. "Sorry, not gonna happen."

90. Showy carp: KOI. Koi are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds or water gardens.

91. From Cairo or Cape Town: AFRICAN. Both are major cities on the continent.

93. Makes with skill: CRAFTS. Craft beer is produced at microbreweries nationwide.

94. Medium for deep-frying: HOT OIL. The Food Network lists corn oil as its top choice for deep-frying.

95. California city near Santa Ana: IRVINE. Irvine is a planned city whose layout was designed beginning in the late 1950s. Because the plan considered only automobile transportation, Irvine today is very car-dependent. 

96. Grams: NANAS. Both are shorter words for "grandmother."

97. Young hippopotamus: CALF. The hippo calf at the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo is exceptionally cute.

 

98. Capital west of Montreal: OTTAWA. The Canadian national capital is located in the province of Ontario. 

103. Brief appearance: CAMEO. The English film director Alfred Hitchcock famously made cameo appearances in 40 of his films. 

104. Hair texture, e.g.: TRAIT. Natural hair texture is genetically determined. But with enough "product", anything is possible.

106. Dust jacket part: FLAP. A dust jacket is the detachable outside cover of a book; the flaps fold inside of the book. 

108. Ramona, per Beezus: PEST. Beverly Cleary's beloved 1968 children's novel Ramona the Pest remains popular with young girls learning to read (and their parents). Older sister Beezus does not appreciate Ramona's free spirit. 

 

 

109. Voting against: ANTI. "Pro" voters are in favor.

111. Short-horned bighorns: EWES. Bighorn rams have large curved horns, while ewe horns are smaller and straighter. 

113. Some Tripadvisor recommendations: INNS. Generally considered more "cozy" than hotels and motels. 

115. Buzzer?: BEE. As in bumblebee. 

117. "Told you!": SEE. I like the phonetic sequence of "bee" and "cee."

118. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Short for Seattle-Tacoma.

119. Minecraft material: ORE. Minecraft is a video game in which players can discover and extract raw materials. 

120. Battle of Helm's Deep combatant: ORC. A fictional race of humanoid monsters encountered in fantasy novels. Not my reading genre, so I only know about orcs through crossword puzzles. 

 That's it! Here is a picture of the completed grid, with theme entries highlighted:

 

I am excited to be a part a blogging team that I have long admired! Thanks to C.C. for inviting me to join, for patiently coaching me on all of the mechanics of putting entries together, and for her encouraging feedback on practice blogs. And thank-you to the full team for the wonderfully warm welcome!

 

I hope that everyone has a nice Sunday.

- Kat

Sunday August 2, 2026 Ralph Sharaga & Doug Peterson

Theme: "BOOK REPORTS" - Each theme entry is humorously reinterpreted as a rave review of a book associated with the profession in the clue. 

23. Praise for a Cy Young biography?: PITCH PERFECT.

33. Praise for a meditation guide?: BREATHTAKING.

53. Praise for a rock climber's diary?: GRIPPING STORY.

70. Praise for a mechanic's handbook?: FIRES ON ALL CYLINDERS.

89. Praise for a Hope Diamond history?: AN ABSOLUTE GEM.

102. Praise for a bartender's manual?: FULL OF TWISTS.

119. Praise for a scuba diver's memoir?: DEEPLY MOVING.

Congrats to Ralph Sharaga on his LAT debut. And a Sunday! You picked a great collaborator.  I enjoyed how each clue paints a vivid mental picture. Every theme answer sounds like the kind of glowing blurb you'd find on the back cover of a book.

This grid design is a model LAT Sunday: 144 words and 76 black squares. Very clean, with a stunning numbers of long fill. 

Across:

1. Fish-cleaning gadget: SCALER. Our local Asian market has live seafood tanks.  

7. Extra option: ADD ON.

12. Pricey German cars: BMWS.

16. Muscles worked by planks: ABS.

19. Elaborately showy: ORNATE.

20. Ungainly: GAWKY.

21. Honolulu Museum of Art's location: OAHU.

22. AAA job: TOW.

25. "Voyage to India" singer: ARIE. Her surname is Simpson. 

26. "The Mole" host Shapiro: ARI.

27. "How've you __?": BEEN.

28. After the bell: LATE.

29. "Over here": PSST.

30. Mineral in hemoglobin: IRON. 126. 30-Across deficiency: ANEMIA.

31. Slaw, e.g.: SIDE. Sometimes I buy bags of coleslaw, but I stir-fry it instead.

37. Lifesaving pro: EMT.

40. Underground explorer: CAVER.

43. Trade fair: EXPO.

44. Cell service initials: LTE. Long Term Evolution.

45. Baltic capital: RIGA.

47. Toy with a Botanicals line: LEGO.  Didn't know this. So pretty. 

48. Flyer: LEAFLET.

50. UV-filtering measurement: SPF.

56. By and large: AS A RULE.

58. "Priscilla" writer/director Coppola: SOFIA. Based on Priscilla Presley's book "Elvis and Me".

59. Branch of Islam: SHIA.

60. Can openers: TABS.

62. Showbiz grand slam: EGOT. 22 people have achieved this milestone.

63. Wrath: RAGE.

65. Water or elec.: UTIL.

67. Wild adventure: ESCAPADE.

74. Cross-examination follower: RE-DIRECT.

75. __ & Chandon Champagne: MOET.

76. French denials: NONS.

77. Funds for one's golden yrs.: IRAS.

78. Small recipe amts.: TSPS.

81. Like rams: MALE.

83. Drastic policy change: U-TURN.

86. __ 500: DAYTONA.

92. Raised trains: ELS.

93. Like part of a corkscrew: HELICAL.

95. Luxury shoe brand: TOD'S.

96. Copenhagen resident: DANE.

97. Galahad's title: SIR.

98. "You can leave now": OK GO.

99. Treadmill setting: SPEED.

101. Tyrannosaurus __: REX.

107. Nutrition figs.: RDAS. RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance.

109. Grayish: ASHY.

110. "Muy __": BIEN. Very good.

111. Belfry sound: PEAL.

114. Burkina Faso neighbor: MALI.

117. "Houdini" singer Lipa: DUA.

118. Six-time Emmy winner Tyne: DALY.

123. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS.

124. Designer Gucci: ALDO.

125. Snoring cause: APNEA.

127. Place to get much-kneaded therapy?: SPA. Ha, kneaded.

128. Fromage hue: BLEU. 

129. Party spreads: PATES.

130. Zeroes out: RESETS.

Down:

1. Drench: SOP.

2. Baby bed: CRIB.

3. Cost of hand delivery?: ANTE. Poker hand.

4. Shoestrings: LACES.

5. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC. I belong to the Han ethnic group, the largest in the world,

6. Gym unit: REP.

7. Uttar Pradesh tourist city: AGRA.

8. __ Punk: "Get Lucky" duo: DAFT.

9. Nerdy type: DWEEB.

10. The NBA's Thunder, on scoreboards: OKC. The Oklahoma City Thunder.

11. "The Daily" podcast producer, briefly: NYT.

12. Brag about: BOAST OF. This is super impressive, Splynter! 

13. Heron habitat: MARSH.

14. Shaves (down): WHITTLES.

15. Go after, in a way: SUE.

16. Centipede maker: ATARI.

17. Fifth element on the periodic table: BORON.

18. Batting practice concern: SWING.

24. Natural rolls, in craps: ELEVENS.

29. Tropical fruit: PAPAYA. I like mild green papaya salad. This looks too hot.

30. 1950s prez: IKE.

32. Big name in surrealism: DALI. 38. Big name in surrealism: MIRO.

34. Move, informally: RELO.

35. Bring to bear: EXERT.

36. Flour for some flatbread: ATTA.

37. Crew team's workout machines: ERGS.

39. Chili's rival: TGI FRIDAYS. And 41. Springtime lawn parties: EGG HUNTS. 50. No. 1 hit from the album "Everything's Archie": SUGAR SUGAR. 61. Waistband feature: BELT LOOP. 88. Toy for indoor games: NERF BALL. Love those entries. 

42. Bilingual "Sesame Street" Muppet: ROSITA.

46. Beekeeper: APIARIST.

49. Cold yogurt drink: LASSI. Mango lassi.

51. Walks heavily: PLODS.

52. Swanky shindig: FETE.

54. "Your table's ready" device: PAGER.

55. Kite extension: TAIL.

57. Felt contrite: REPENTED.

64. Language suffix: ESE.

66. A.I. tool that generates text: LLM. Large Language Model.

68. MS NOW rival: CNN.

69. Score after deuce: AD OUT.

70. Not domesticated: FERAL.

71. In base eight: OCTAL.

72. Tool with teeth: COMB. I've been using the same comb I bought at Watsons decades ago. Watsons is basically the Walgreens of Guangzhou/Hong Kong.

73. Ingredients for brewers and bakers: YEASTS.

74. Go by train: RIDE.

79. Cram: PACK IN.

80. Hitches: SNAGS.

82. Advanced in years: ELDERLY.

84. Actress Russo: RENE.

85. Ariz. neighbor: NMEX. And  87. Indiana neighbor: OHIO.

90. Oodles: A LOT.

91. No longer mint: USED.

94. "Next one's on me": I OWE YOU.

97. Wily: SLY.

100. Big band singer Vic: DAMONE.

102. Loses color: FADES.

103. Seize illegally: USURP.

104. Sacred city of Tibet: LHASA. Meaning "Place of the Gods" in Tibetan.

105. Spanish diacritic: TILDE.

106. Went on a shopping spree: SPENT.

108. Goalie's stat: SAVES.

112. Fencing blade: EPEE.

113. "Sad to say ... ": ALAS.

115. Soil acidity reducer: LIME.

116. "My heart's just not __": IN IT.

118. Bit of makeup: DAB.

119. Fist bump: DAP.

120. Clean air org.: EPA.

121. Scuff up: MAR.

122. Highway sign: GAS.

Happy 72nd Birthday of Subgenius (Darryl). Wishing you a wonderful birthday filled with happiness, good health, and all the little things that make you smile. Have a beautiful day, Darryl!

I made today's puzzle for the Atlantic. Click here to solve. It's edited by Kelsey Dixon. 

C.C.