Thursday July 16, 2026 Elizabeth Duker-Gold & Devon Moffat

 Elizabeth Duker-Gold premiered here just last month, and Devon Moffat joins her for his debut today. 

20. Herbal medicines?: THYME CAPSULES. TIME CAPSULES. The U.S. recently buried a massive 900-pound cylinder near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, packed with artifacts from all 50 states and territories to mark our 250th anniversary, and is scheduled to be opened in 2276. I can hardly wait to see what's inside!

30. Veggie dogs?: BEET BOXERS. BEATBOXERS. Beatboxing is the art of mimicking drum machines and other musical instruments using only the human mouth. It has evolved into a highly competitive art form.

40. Green new deal?: PEAS TREATY. A play on PEACE TREATY, but PEAS and PEACE aren't homophones. And I'm not sure why the deal is "new"? Because it's green? The New Deal was a series of economic programs and public works projects, not a treaty.

52. Unexceptional, or an apt description of 20-, 30-, and 40-Across?: GARDEN VARIETY. I hate to be contrary like Mary, but this theme didn't totally land for me. These are all plant varieties found in gardens, I suppose, but one is herbal and the other two are vegetables. One is pronounced differently than the veggie it's replacing. And they are mixed singular and plural. So, "unexceptional" is an apt description of this puzzle as well. 

On the plus side, I did like the puns in the clues. And I liked certain answer pairings such as "ITSY, bitsy, TEENY, weenie," like a yellow, polka dot bikini! Elizabeth and Devon are in the right field, and with a little nurturing, will grow into fine constructors.

Let's see what else we can reap from this.

Across:

1. Kiddie pool filler: HOSE. I wanted KIDS, but it was already part of the clue. Kidding!

5. Admin. aide: ASST. An administrative assistant.

9. General feelings: VIBES. I love the VIBES I get from listening to jazz:

Vibraphone master Lionel Hampton

14. The big screen?: IMAX. Watching movies specially formatted for huge IMAX screens can be very immersive...just don't arrive late and have to look straight up at a five-story screen from the front row. Don't ask me how I know.

15. Burrowing rodent: VOLE. I wrote MOLE, which made California's fruit hard to discern until I fixed it..

16. Vinegary sauce: ADOBO.

17. Southern region of South America: PATAGONIA. PATAGONIA is a vast geographic region shared by Argentina and Chile. It is renowned for its vast, windswept steppe, spectacular Andean glaciers, and rugged granite peaks that are very popular with trekkers.

19. Puts up for sale: LISTS.

20. [theme]

22. Crew blade: OAR. Kelsey Pfendler just made history by solo rowing 2,400 miles from California to Hawaii, breaking both men's and women's speed records. It took her 44 days!

Honolulu OAR bust!

23. Covers in goo: TARS. I don't think of TAR as goo, but I guess it is.

24. Obscure to protect privacy, perhaps: REDACT. As a bonus to all our loyal followers, I'm publishing the Crossword Corner's bank account #■■■■■■■■■■■■ so you may withdraw as much as you want!

27. Amer. capital: USD. Your bonus is in U.S. Dollars, of course. You're welcome.

28. Affectionate text: ILY. I Love You. Back in the days of beepers, we'd send 143 as an affectionate page. It represents the number of letters in each word.

29. Glasgow refusal: NAE. 

30. [theme]

35. Lost: GONE. Kinda sorta the same.

36. Chabert of the "Crossword Mysteries" series: LACEY. LACEY Chabert starred as crossword editor Tess Harper in five Crossword Mysteries that aired on the Hallmark Channel. 

What's a six letter word for "crime-solver"? *

37. Hosp. scan: MRI. Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a hospital.

38. Dancer and choreographer Ailey: ALVIN.

39. Olympic archer?: EROS. From Mount Olympus, not currently one of the participating nations.

40. [theme]

42. NLE rival of NYM: ATL. A National League East rival of the New York Mets is the Atlanta Braves.

43. Any of the Tetons: Abbr.: MTN. Short for Mountain. Tall for mountain is Everest. 

44. Arabic for "son of": IBN. A possible Natick where it's first letter crosses TISANES. 

45. The "T" of T.S. Eliot: THOMAS. THOMAS Sterns Eliot, Nobel Prize-winning poet, essayist, and playwright.

47. Not great: SO SO. Very great: ZOSO!

Led Zeppelin's untitled 4th album, nicknamed ZoSo 

49. System of connected PCs, for short: LAN. Personal Computers communicate via a Local Area Network.

52. [theme]

55. Energy-channeling healing technique: REIKI. REIKI is a Japanese energy healing therapy that involves a practitioner lightly placing their hands on or just above a person's body. It aims to channel universal life force energy to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and support the body's natural healing abilities. 

57. Cloudburst: RAINSTORM. Perfect for watering one's garden.

58. "WandaVision" star Elizabeth: OLSEN. This miniseries had a clever conceit - each episode was a decade newer than the last, starting in '50s black & white through modern color.

59. "Dibs!": MINE. 

60. Shorten, in a way: SNIP.

61. Our, in French: NOTRE. "Il faut cultiver NOTRE jardin". Coined by the philosopher Voltaire, it translates to "We must cultivate our garden." He means, "Mind you own business!"

62. Some cold brews: ALES.

63. "What is it?": YEAH. As in, "YEAH? Whaddaya want?" 

Down:

1. In on: HIP TO. Again, not quite the same. HIP TO means to be aware of, while "in on" means to be a participant to a secret or plan.

2. Nebraska home of the College World Series: OMAHA.

3. Forest figure of myth: SATYR.

4. Skills assessment: EXAM.

5. State fruit of California: AVOCADO. 

6. Ocean waves?: SONAR. Fun clue.

7. Ignores a "wet floor" sign, maybe: SLIPS. "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt...then it's hilarious!" (from a popular meme)

8. Steeped brews: TEAS. Or TISANES, per 41D. 

9. Silicon __: VALLEY.

10. "Could not stop laughing!": I DIED. This happens when a comedian slays his audience. 

11. Brazilian music genre: BOSSA NOVA.

Great VIBES from Lionel on this one as well!

12. SNAP system: EBT. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food assistance benefits to low-income individuals and families via a reloadable Electronic Benefits Transfer card. 

13. "Mayday!" letters: SOS.

18. Manages: GETS BY.

21. Browser links: URLS. Universal Resource Locators are web addresses.

25. "Quiet, you": CAN IT. Wanted ZIP IT first.

26. Wee: TEENY. Clecho of  54D.

27. Four Corners Natives: UTES. Four wheel drives: UTES.

28. Colorful ring: IRIS.

30. Sheepish cry?: BLEAT.

31. Mars neighbor: EARTH. Except in the candy aisle...

32. Many a climate change expert: ECOLOGIST.

33. Wolverine's cohort: X-MEN. Is just one an X-MAN?

34. Historical period: ERA.

35. "Wichita Lineman" singer Campbell: GLEN. GLEN fell in love with a demo of this song, and rushed to record it despite the 3rd verse not being written yet. He filled in the part with an improvised melodic lead using a bass guitar instead, and the rest is history. 

38. Shady areas: ARBORS.

40. Condition that may be treated with SSRIs: PTSD. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are widely considered a first-line medication for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

41. Medicinal 8-Down: TISANES. TISANES (pronounced ti-zahn) are herbal infusions made from the leaves, roots, berries, and spices of plants other than tea leaves. New to me, and I stumbled at the I crossing IBN.

43. Of the sea: MARINE. Like SpongeBob.

46. Word with peace or pace: MAKER. If four letters, it would've been KEEP.

47. SpongeBob's pet, for one: SNAIL. 

SpongeBob with Gary the SNAIL

48. Just like ewe: OVINE. Ha ha!

49. Currency in West Africa: LEONE. The currency of Sierra LEONE.

50. Interior courtyards: ATRIA.

51. Forest figure of myth: NYMPH.

53. Humorist Bombeck: ERMA. She achieved great popularity for her newspaper column describing suburban home life, which she later turned into books. Her insights were always funny. 

54. Wee: ITSY. Clecho of  26D.

55. "This Is Us" Emmy winner __ Cephas Jones: RON. RON played Randall Pearson's real father, William Hill.

Actors Sterling K. Brown (L) and Ron Cephas Jones (R)

56. "Evil Woman" rock gp.: ELO. The Electric Light Orchestra. A "light orchestra" is an ensemble that has smaller string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections. Add electric guitar and voilà! ELO.

* SLEUTH (see pic at 36A)

Be good. RB

Thursday July 9, 2026 Robin Stears

Robin Stears is cutting the rug today. After constructing crosswords for 30 years, she's still got the moves!

17. Dance move performed when entering a room?: DOORSTEP. A DOORSTEP is just outside a door, while a threshold is the bottom of the doorframe itself. 

21. Cancan move performed while skydiving?: DROP KICK. A DROP KICK is a rarely used tactic in American football, it's only been used successfully once since 1941. Doug Flutie, in his last play in the NFL, kicked it in a game between the Patriots and the Dolphins in 2006.

35. Tango move on "Yellowstone"?: RANCH DIP. Yellowstone, the TV show, takes place on a ranch, where RANCH DIP is presumably served at parties.

46. Five-point spin on the dance floor?: STAR TURN. A STAR TURN is an idiom that refers to the most prominent performance in a show.

56. Leap at a military ballet?: BASE JUMP. BASE JUMPing is an extreme sport where participants parachute from a fixed object rather than an aircraft. BASE is an acronym for Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs).

66. Pas de deux move performed where the road divides?: FORKLIFT. Pas de deux is a ballet term referring to an intricate dance duet, probably much more graceful than a warehouse FORKLIFT.

While there is no revealer, we have six (!) themers that all end in a dance move: STEP; KICK; DIP; TURN; JUMP and LIFT. With this many themers, the grid was pretty crowded leaving a lot of short fill which made this easier than usual for a Thursday. I have two left feet, so I found it better to play in the band than be out on the dance floor. 

Let's take the rest for a spin:

Across:

1. Hotel waiters: CABS. Nice misdirect for the dance's opening number.

5. Carried the day: WON.

8. Cuts it close: SHAVES. Literally, it's using a razor - figuratively, it means a narrow escape.

14. Skip past: OMIT.

15. "__ takers?": ANY.

16. Nikon product: CAMERA. 

17. [theme]

19. Unexpectedly funny: IRONIC. Funny strange, not funny haha, I ASSUME.

20. Adopt, as an alias: ASSUME. Believe it or not, my name isn't RustyBrain. 

21. [theme]

23. Makeshift swing: TIRE. Some are fancier than others.

Oh, yours was just a round one?

25. Bard's before: ERE.

26. Network supported by "viewers like you": PBS. And viewers like me! I've volunteered to man the phones at a Public Broadcasting Service fundraiser.

29. Number of legs on a prawn: TEN. Prawns are the larger biological cousins to shrimp.

If you like legs more than wings, these are for you.

30. Shows up: ARRIVES.

35. [theme]

38. Half an Everest expedition: ASCENT. The other half, the descent, is considered more dangerous because after reaching their goal, climbers are exhausted and less focused.

39. Actor Sharif: OMAR. Everyone's favorite OMAR was also a world-class bridge player.

He apparently liked backgammon as well.

40. Club VIPs: DJS. Disc Jockeys. 

42. Inner: Prefix: ENTO. I wanted the more common ENDO, as in ENDOscope and ENDOskeleton. 

43. Curt: ABRUPT.

46. [theme]

49. James M. Cain's "__ Pierce": MILDRED. The film version of his novel won Joan Crawford the Best Actress Oscar for the title role in 1945.

51. Spanish gold: ORO. Lots of ORO at the bottom of the ocean from sunken Spanish galleons off the Gold Coast of Florida.

52. Contact site: EYE. As in contact lens. 

53. Singer Yoko: ONO. The first time Paul McCartney met Yoko, he said, "Oh, no!"

Here she is making EYE contact.

54. Wasabi __: PEAS.

56. [theme]

61. Coffee shop emanations: AROMAS.

65. Artful dodger?: EVADER.

66. [theme]

68. Spot: NOTICE.

69. Apple core, for short: CPU. Central Processing Unit, a computer's "brain" (no relation). 

70. Store that sells Frakta shopping bags: IKEA. It's Kits in Every Aisle.

71. Sounds like a bird: TWEETS. Seems like only yesterday when TWEETS only applied to birds.

72. Slump: SAG.

73. Like a lawn at dawn: DEWY. This is when it dawned on him that he lost.

Truman celebrating his upset victory in 1948.

Down:

1. Led Zeppelin's final studio album: CODA. Like the output from many groups, I like the early albums better.

2. Famous __ cookies: AMOS. Much more famous than these cookies, which are for the Byrd's.

3. "About me" summaries: BIOS.

4. Move with a swagger: STRUT.

5. Used sprinklers on: WATERED. Unless your lawn is already DEWY.

6. United: ONE.

7. "Blue Bloods" org.: NYPD. Blue Bloods was a TV series about the New York Police Department starring Tom Selleck.

8. Annabella of "The Sopranos": SCIORRA. She played Gloria Trillo, Tony Soprano's mistress in Season 3.

9. __ Ferry, West Virginia: HARPERS. HARPERS Ferry is famous as the site of abolitionist John Brown's 1859 raid, which helped spark the Civil War. Because of its strategic location between North and South, the town changed hands eight times during the conflict.

10. Wildly out of control: AMOK. I wanted to spell it AMUK, which was IRONIC because it didn't fit.

11. Start of Caesar's boast: VENI. "VENI, vidi, vici" translates to "I came, I saw, I conquered." It was spoken by Julius Caesar in a report to the Roman Senate over a quick and decisive victory. That's as succinct as it gets. 

12. Actor Bana: ERIC. ERIC Banadinovich is an actor from Down Under who came out on top!

13. Burlap bag: SACK.

18. Suffix that means "maker": SMITH. I grew up in Williamsburg, VA where there are many craft shops plying colonial trades, such as: blackSMITH, tinSMITH and gunSMITH. A friend mine from high school apprenticed as a silverSMITH. 

Amazing quality from only simple tools.

22. Mens __: criminal intent: REA. Oddly, I learned this phrase from watching Legally Blonde.

24. Wednesday's roommate at Nevermore: ENID. From the Addam's Family spinoff, Wednesday. Jenna Ortega plays Wednesday, and Emma Myers plays Thursday ENID.

Wednesday and Enid

26. Many a charity tourney: PRO-AM.

27. Deer friend of Flower and Thumper: BAMBI.

28. Warning from a doghouse: SNARL.

31. "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE-T. The Grammy-winning rapper also carved out a successful acting career and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

i
32. Locale: VENUE.

33. Log passage: ENTRY.

34. Granite or marble: STONE.

36. Yucky stuff: CRUD.

37. Comfy loungewear: PJS. Short for Pajamas.

Pajama shorts

41. "Enough!": STOP.

44. Assignment: PROJECT.

45. Terms of service: TENURES.

47. Accent piece: AREA RUG.

48. "The Fountainhead" protagonist: ROARK. The Fountainhead is a 1943 philosophical novel by Ayn Rand that champions individualism, egoism, and artistic integrity.

50. __ Pérignon: DOM. I can think of better ways to spend $250+ than a bottle of champagne. 

55. Utterly reliable: SOLID.

56. Not erect: BENT.

57. Solemnly swear: AVOW.

58. Fully appease: SATE.

59. Falco of "The Sopranos": EDIE. EDIE played Carmela Soprano, Tony's wife. 

You better not mention Gloria.

60. Some USO patrons: PFCS. Private First Class soldiers may attend shows put on by United Service Organizations, an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment and other programs to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

Bob Hope spent 50 Christmases overseas!

62. Podcaster's purchase: MIKE. Bzzzt! No one spells it this way. It's MIC, short for microphone.

63. Several: A FEW.

64. Remain: STAY.

67. Happy Greek cry: OPA. Oh, Pa! I'm so happy!!

Be good. RB

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 56th birthday to our sweet Tony (Anon-T)! Every time I need someone to cover the blog, Tony is there without hesitation. Thank you for always being so generous with your time and willing to help. Hope you have a wonderful birthday, Tony!

 

 

Tony At Wit's End near Carmel on Father's Day 2017

 

Thursday July 2, 2026 Ella Dershowitz

Ella Dershowitz followed in her father's footsteps and constructs crossword puzzles. Wait, that's not right. She's was inspired by her dad to become an actress! Hmm, that's not right either. Well, you can look up Alan Dershowitz, but in the meantime, Ella keeps providing entertainment for us.

11D. Engage in some strength training, or what this puzzle's circled letters do: LIFT WEIGHTS. The revealer sort of tells us that the WEIGHTS will LIFT i.e. spell vertically from the bottom up.

7D. Skeptical remark: YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS. STONE, from the Imperial System used Britain. 

9D. Key influencers?: PIANO TEACHERS. TON, from U.S. Customary and Imperial Systems. Also a great clue!

18D. Cartesian concept that questions the reality of waking life: DREAM ARGUMENT. GRAM, from the Metric System. A DREAM ARGUMENT is a philosophical thought experiment that questions whether we can distinguish waking reality from a highly vivid dream.

24D. "Can you believe this scam?": WHAT A RACKET. CARAT, from the Metric System specifically for gemstones.

This puzzle was hard enough with the hidden weights being presented vertically and upside down. It would've been near impossible without the circles. For instance, if you somehow caught the theme, you might confusingly note that 7D also has TON (part of STONE) inside of it.

On the plus side of the scale, I like how these units of mass are typically used to measure different things, from cargo to gems, and they range from very large to very small. I'd have liked her to toss in a DRAM (Apothecary) or GRAIN (Troy weight) to add a variety of measuring systems.

Let's see how the rest balances out:

Across:

1. Jazzy improvisation: RIFF. I wrote SCAT, and was off to a roaring stop!

5. Taylor-Joy of "The Queen's Gambit": ANYA. In the popular mini-series, ANYA played a pawn who was rooked. 

9. Whimper: PULE. Unknown, but PULE also refers to a rare Serbian cheese made from donkey milk, and is considered the most expensive cheese in the world. You'll whimper when you see the price tag.

13. Vulgar one: BOOR.

14. Bird on the Canadian dollar coin: LOON. These coins are often called Loonies.

15. Hard to erase, perhaps: IN INK.

17. "Today was rough": I NEED A HUG.

19. High cost for the Super Bowl: AD FEE. And up to $50k for great seats!

20. "... at the very least": OR MORE.

21. Dame introduction?: NOTRE. Have you met Our Lady, Notre Dame?

22. "Parks and Recreation" town: PAWNEE. From the popular TV show that served as a springboard for Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman and Aziz Ansari. 

25. Red friend of Cookie Monster: ELMO. Also, Natasha Lance Rogoff, author of Muppets in Moscow.

Have you also met my Red friend?

27. Was first: WON.

28. "Close enough": ISH. This clue is okayISH.

29. Yemen port that faces the Somaliland port Berbera: ADEN.

31. "I am in this meme": IT ME. I'll never get used to this.

33. Checkpoint for the terminally on line?: TSA. Fun clue #1. Transportation Security Administration at a terminal security line in an airport.

34. Banh mi spread: MAYO. 

35. Fashion week focus: DESIGN. This year, their focus was on the historic 100+ degree heatwave in Paris. Models were misted and given cooling towels, ice packs and folding fans to keep from passing out, especially when showcasing the winter collections.

"Hot" couture?

38. Health insurance giant: AETNA.

40. Update from a Lyft driver: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

42. Big mad and not hiding it: AGGRO. A slang abbreviation for aggravation or aggression.

43. Floor connectors: STAIRS.

45. Architect's constraint, for short: SPEC. Specifications are important! 

47. Feminine pronoun: HER.

48. Meaty sauce: RAGU.

49. Engrave on glass: ETCH.

50. Kilt companion: TAM. They were plentiful on Miami Beach last week. Go USA!

51. HS fundraiser: PTA. A Parent Teacher Association may hold a high school fundraiser, such as a car wash or a bake sale.

53. Very, informally: UBER. This is a very nice taxi, usually.

55. Ocean escapades?: HEISTS. Danny Ocean's gang robbed casinos in the Ocean's Eleven film franchise. Ocean was originally played by Frank Sinatra, and later by George Clooney.

57. Command to attack: SIC 'EM.

59. Middle-distance runners: MILERS. 

61. Bracelet spot: ANKLE.

62. Potbelly that needs constant feeding?: COAL STOVE. Ye olde potbelly STOVE...or the family pig from Hooterville.

Arnold Ziffel on Green Acres

66. Oktoberfest souvenir: STEIN.

67. Bread for an Italian sandwich?: EURO. Fun clue #2. 

68. Boo-boo: OWIE. 

69. "Like, yesterday": STAT.

70. "The Pat McAfee Show" network: ESPN. Former NFL punter Pat McAfee highlights the day's top stories in sports.

71. Turow book set at Harvard: ONE L. OK, class. We went over this last Thursday and it'll be on this week's test.

Down:

1. Sac fly result: RBI. 

2. Atom with a sign: ION. IONS may be positive or negative, denoted by + and - signs.

Atom Ant with signs

3. Adversary: FOE.

4. Refrigerant trademark since the 1930s: FREON. DuPont Freon®. It's a gas, gas, gas!

The Stones are cool!

5. Tree-lined walkway: ALAMEDA. The Spanish word ALAMEDA can also mean a public promenade. The city of ALAMEDA, Calif. was the original west coast terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, which could be thought of as America's first major cross-country promenade.

6. NYC nabe below Union Square: NOHO. The neighborhood North of Houston [Street] in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

7. [theme]

8. Figure in a halo: ANGEL. Figure in Halo: CHIEF, the most popular action figure from the Halo video game.

9. [theme]

10. Go back a step: UNDO. CTRL + Z on a PC keyboard, Command + Z on a Mac.

11. [theme]

12. First page of el calendario: ENERO. January is the first month on a Spanish calendar. 

16. Peachy follower: KEEN. Peachy (meaning excellent or fine) and KEEN (meaning enthusiastic or splendid), expressing a highly positive, cheerful state of being.

18. [theme]

22. Deli pockets: PITAS. Watch your pockets in Delhi! Street thieves frequent busy markets and train stations there.

23. Portfolio piece: ASSET.

24. [theme]

26. Prefix with day or way: MID. Like half-day or halfway, but one letter shorter.
 
30. __ shadow: EYE. 

32. Umami enhancer, briefly: MSG. MonoSodium Glutamate has generally been found to be safe and is healthier than table salt. It was stigmatized in 1968 when a doctor wrote a since debunked letter to a medical journal claiming he felt unwell after eating at a Chinese restaurant. I got sick after eating too much Easter chocolate as a kid. My mom thought it was some sort of reaction so she only got me white chocolate bunnies for years afterward while my brothers got the tasty real ones!

Don't bet on it!

36. Dane introduction?: GREAT. This clue is clechoISH with 21A. The Great Dane is a massive, gentle German breed renowned as the "Apollo of Dogs." Buster sometimes thinks he's a Greek god.

It's good to be the king!

37. Social rules: NORMS.

39. Actress Vardalos: NIA. NIA is a Canadian actress and screenwriter of Greek descent. You may remember her wedding.

41. Fitting: APT.

44. Long sammich: SUB.

46. Level of authority: ECHELON.

51. Spots for education?: PSAS. Fun clue #3. Public Service Announcements. 

52. Subtle hair dyes: TINTS.

54. Awards ceremony host: EMCEE. 

56. Childish comeback: IS TOO. There are a lot of childish comebacks on the crossword playground. 

58. Director Kazan: ELIA. Mr. Kazan was described by the NYT as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history."

60. Take part in an outdoor fantasy game: LARP. Live Action Role-Play ranging from murder mystery dinner parties to massive weekend-long fantasy campaigns with hundreds of participants.

63. Possess: OWN. 

64. Contend (for): VIE.

65. Nigiri topper never served raw: EEL. I prefer nigiri, just a slice of fresh fish on a small mound of rice, over rolled sushi.

Have a safe and happy 4th, everyone!

Be good. RB