Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Tennessee Grimes

Hit the Road, Jack!  Last Tuesday, we were on the Road.  This week we are still on the road, but obeying the signs along our travel.

20-Across. Plan for ending a relationship: EXIT STRATEGY.

28-Across. Have a meeting of the minds?: BUMP HEADS.

38-Across. "Can it!": STOP YOUR YAPPING.

46-Across. One who's not a fast-food fan?: SLOW EATER.

And the unifier:

53-Across. Nonverbal communication, or what can be found at the starts of 20-, 28-, 38-, and 46-Across: SIGN LANGUAGE.

Here's the grid with all the Signs.

This was a strange puzzle for me.  I found it both very challenging, and yet I also had more answers filled in by the perps without having read the clue.

Across:

1. Signs of healing on scrapes and cuts: SCABS.  I initially tried Scars because that word appears often in the puzzles.  Scabs aren't as drastic as scars, though.

6. Dedicated poems: ODEs.  A crossword staple.

10. "Omg same": IT ME.  Meh!

14. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA.

15. Start of a Spanish cheer: VIVA.

16. Phobia: FEAR.

17. Like grapefruit juice: TANGY.

18. Sinister: EVIL.

19. Greek salad cheese: FETA.  Feta is a Greek white brined cheese made from sheep's milk or a blend of sheep and goat's milk.  The brine gives it the signature salty taste.

23. Boathouse blade: OAR.

24. World's second-tallest bird: EMU.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the difference between an Emu and an Ostrich.

25. Hooting bird of prey: OWL.

33. Major fad: MANIA.

35. Mil. mail drop: APO.  As in Army Post Office.  Your military mail guide.

36. Deg. for a CFO or a CEO: MBA.  The Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer would likely hold a Master of Business Administration degree.

37. Feathery cleaner: DUSTER.

42. Protected place for boats: HARBOR.  Anyone else try Marina?  And:  30-Down. Secured in a 42-Across: MOORED.

43. Pirate's cry: YAR.

44. Fib: LIE.

45. Swedish home furnishing stores: IKEAs.  This company is becoming a crossword staple.  Did you know that Ikea has been around since the 1940s?  The company was started by a 17-year-old who began selling small office supplies.

49. Actor Beatty: NED.  Although Ned Thomas Beatty (July 6, 1937 ~ June 13, 2021) appeared in over 160 films, he his probably best remember for his role in Deliverance.

50. "Last Week Tonight" network: HBO.

52. Company abbr.: INC.

59. Pesky insect: GNAT.

62. From the top: ANEW.

63. Push: IMPEL.

64. Numerous: MANY.

65. __ Millions lottery: MEGA.

66. Republic in the Himalayas: NEPAL.  Since August, a series of flash floods destroyed many parts of Nepal and Tibet.  Hundreds of people died or are still missing.

67. Deep black: ONYX.

68. Crafty website: ETSY.

69. Diary passage: ENTRY.

Down:

1. Location: SITE.

2. Gently persuade: COAX.

3. Years in old Rome: ANNI.  Today's Latin lesson.

4. Circus tent: BIG TOP.

5. Opens up at a checkup: SAYS AH.

6. Eggs __ easy: OVER.

7. Aria singer, maybe: DIVA.

8. Paperless party announcements: EVITES.

9. Capital of Oregon: SALEM.  Ever wonder why Salem is the capital of Oregon?  It is far more interesting than one would suspect.

10. Questionable: IFFY.

11. Golf peg: TEE.

12. Gym cushion: MAT.

13. Noteworthy period: ERA.

21. Vibration: TREMOR.

22. Clog, informally: GUM UP.

25. Betting unwisely, in poker slang: ON TILT.  This term originated with the pinball machine.  If a player shoved or shook the machine too hard out of anger, a sensor would trigger a "TILT" warning and freeze the flippers as a penalty.  It was adopted by poker players who suffered big losses.

26. Frankfurter: WIENIE.

27. More roomy: LARGER.

28. Knock down violently, as a door: BASH IN.

29. Quick on the __: UPTAKE.

31. __ Dhabi: ABU.  Abu Dhabi is famous for being the ultra-wealthy political capital of the United Arab Emirates, combining massive oil reserves with world-class cultural and architectural landmarks.

32. Hannah of "Splash": DARYL.  Splash was released in 1984!  Can you believe it was that long ago?  

34. European viper: ASP.

37. Naturalist Charles with a theory of evolution: DARWIN.  Charles Robert Darwin (Feb. 12, 1809 ~ Apr. 19, 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.  In 1925, John Scopes (Apr. 3, 1900 ~ October. 21, 1970), a teacher from Tennessee, was convicted for teaching the theory of evolution to his biology class.

39. Org. for tenpins players: PBA.  As in the Professional Bowlers Association.

40. Mario Kart and Mario Party dinosaur: YOSHI.

41. Basketball Hall of Famer Ming: YAO.  Yao Ming (Sept. 12, 1980) is a Chinese former professional player.  He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, and then spent his entire nine-year National Basketball Association career with the Houston Rockets.

46. 14-line poem: SONNET.

47. "Purring" car part: ENGINE.

48. Shrewdness: ACUMEN.

51. So-so effort: B-GAME.

53. Mythical river of the underworld: STYX.

54. Bench supports: LEGS.

55. Not home: AWAY.

56. Date with a doc: APPT.  As in an Appointment.

57. Clockwork part: GEAR.

58. Shortstop De La Cruz who led the majors in stolen bases in 2024: ELLY.  Elly Antonio De La Cruz (b. Jan. 11, 2002) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds. 

59. Bioengineering letters: GMO.  As in Genetically Modified Organism.

60. Brit's grandma: NAN.

61. "__ volunteers?": ANY.

חתולה

Tuesday September 16, 2025 ~ Tennessee Grimes

Creature Comforts

Hi All!
Our normal relief pitcher, RustyBrain, is getting some well earned R&R so I'm stepping in [read: you're stuck with me] for Hahtoolah today.

Today's gimmick: Phrases that critters may call housing.

17. Fraternal organization venue: ELKS LODGE.

The Possum LODGE

24. Desk accessory that might coordinate with a wrist rest: MOUSE PAD.

Jerry Mouse's Pad

34. Place to adopt a new pet, or what is found in 17-, 24-, 49-, and 59-Across?: ANIMAL SHELTER.

49. Emphasizes passionately: RAMS HOME.

Ramming it Home?

59. "Land ho!" caller's spot: CROWS NEST.

Keepin' the crows out of the Crow's Nest
(so there's not a murder up there).

Across:
1. ABC show for early risers, briefly: GMA. American Broadcasting Company airs Good Morning America at 7am.

4. Cut, as logs: SAWED. Cut is past-tense here.

9. Button on a job listing website: APPLY. Oy! These are the bane of hirning managers (that actually read all submitted resumes) 'cuz folks / bots submit resumes w/o even reading the requirements.

14. Grammy winners __ Tigres del Norte: LOS. No clue. Their WikiP. I would link a video but I don't know enough Spanish to figure out if #Politics.

15. Muscat resident: OMANI.

16. Celtic priest of old: DRUID.

Stonehenge had Druids

[Spinal Tap (ft. Sir Elton) -- The End Continues]

17. [See: Theme]

19. Musical instrument similar to the xylophone, familiarly: VIBES. I'm assuming vibraphone.

20. On the line: AT STAKE.

21. Gloomy: GRIM.

23. Device at a parking spot: METER.

Sir Paul going on about Lovely Rita

24. [See: Theme]

28. Oscar hopeful: NOMINEE.

31. Turn into: BECOME.

32. Functions: USES.

33. Knowledgeable about: UP ON.

34. [See: Theme]

40. Latch (onto): GLOM.

41. Mystical glow: AURA.

42. Kenya's continent: AFRICA.

Toto's Africa

45. Knotty: GNARLED. I love this word - it's onomatopoetically visual.

49. [See: Theme]

51. Salami choice: GENOA. A very yummy Italian salami.

53. Shoe bottom: SOLE.

54. Ugly garment at many a holiday party: SWEATER. There's a whole store dedicated to this.

56. Pinkberry dessert, familiarly: FRO-YO.

[site cite]

59. [See: Theme]

61. Starts of some renovation projects, informally: DEMOS. Demolition: out w/ the old. Renovation: in w/ the new.

62. __ Major: constellation with Sirius, the Dog Star: CANIS.

63. Many ICU pros: RNS. Intensive Care Units are staffed by Registered Nurses.

64. Rascal: ROGUE.

65. Actress Harmon: ANGIE.

Angie's WikiP

66. Pigpen: STY. Not Charlie Brown's friend.

Down:
1. Twinkle: GLEAM. Think eyes.

2. Liquefied by heat, as lava or metal: MOLTEN.

3. Invites out for: ASKS TO.

4. Room with a lot of natural light: SOLARIUM. I kept trying to stretch out atRIUM.

5. Frenzied: AMOK.

6. Get ready to start fly-fishing, say: WADE.

7. U.K. part: ENG.

8. Soccer great Maradona: DIEGO. I didn't know of Maradona until last week when I heard The Engineer [25m] on This American Life.

WikiP

9. Counsel: ADVISE.

10. Quality piece of meat: PRIME CUT. I had PRIME rib.

11. Irish tavern: PUB.

12. Falsehood: LIE.

13. NFL gains: YDS. Yards gained in football.

18. Originate (from): STEM.

22. Create friction: RUB.

24. Email, e.g.: MESSAGE.

25. Title for Robert Prevost since May 8, 2025: POPE. Leo is Frank's successor.

26. Common topic for a bachata crooner: AMOR. Bachata is music from the Dominican Republic. I sussed AMOR from "crooner" :-)

27. Lair: DEN.

29. Govt. intel org.: NSA. National Security Agency - "The only part of government that actually listens." :-)

30. Skinny swimmer: EEL.

34. Automaker __ Romeo: ALFA.

My '86 Spider Veloce

35. Par for the course: NORM.

36. Words of longing: I MISS YOU.

37. Roman Empire raider: HUN.

38. Stretch of history: ERA.

39. Philanthropist's quality: LARGESSE.

40. Skinny swimmer: GAR. Another 3-letter thin aquatic animal.

43. Cast a ballot, say: CHOOSE.

44. Pioneering ISP: AOL. America On Line was an early Internet Service Provider.

46. Like a small, efficient team: LEAN.

John Candy in Stripes

47. Goes through an open door: ENTERS.

48. "That __ seem right": DOESN'T.

50. Site where the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad: MECCA.

52. Overly intellectual, maybe: ARTSY.

54. Spotify selection: SONG.

55. 1940s conflict, for short: WWII. World War II

56. U.S. pres. for most of 55-Down: FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

57. __ Speedwagon: REO. The band [Keep on Rollin'] named themselves after the car that Neal Doughty (keyboardist) saw written on the blackboard in his History of Transportation class at U of IL.

A soup'd up REO Speed Wagon

58. Texter's "No way!": OMG. Oh, My Gracious!

60. Published: RAN. The reporter RAN with the story: "The senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity." [WKRP Intro @0:24]

The Grid:

The Grid

WOs: heWED -> SAWED, PRIME rib => inON => UP ON, GNARLEy [sic]
ESPs: LOS (as clued), DIEGO, ANGIE
Fav: GNARLED is just too fun to ignore.

Cheers, -T