Thursday, November 20, 2025, Caroline Hand

Theme:  Field day. 

Caroline Hand has published crossword puzzles in several major newspapers over the last couple of years.  You might say she is having quite a field day!  Today she treats us to a field day as well, with four echoing theme clues, and no reveal.  The theme clues and answers, symmetrically placed in rows Across, are:

20. Field: GRASSY PASTURE.  A straightforward type of field.

27. Field: LINCOLN ACTRESS.  Sally Field played Mary Todd Lincoln in the 2012 Spielberg film.

43. Field: CATCH A GROUNDER.  Scoop up a baseball that is rolling on the ground and return it to play.

51. Field: BRANCH OF STUDY.  Discipline, area, specialty, subject, domain.

Having fielded these clues, it's time to dig into the rest of them.

Across:

1. Oodles and oodles (of): GOBS.

5. Language of poet Nima Yooshij: FARSI.  Nima Yooshij (1895 - 1960) is considered the father of modern Persian poetry.

Nima Yooshij

10. Future esq.'s exam: LSAT.  Law School Admission Test.

14. Share a border: ABUT.

15. Sweet sandwiches: OREOS.

16. Empire centered at Cuzco: INCA.

17. iPhone speaker: SIRI.

18. Marner of fiction: SILAS.  Silas Marner is a novel published in 1861 by English author George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans.  The main character is a humble weaver who suffers various misfortunes, but whose life is given new meaning when he adopts a little orphan girl. The novel impressed me a lot when I was a young girl given to reading Victorian novels. 

19. Extol the good points of: TOUT.

20. [Theme clue]

23. Cooling syst. meas.: BTU.  British Thermal Unit is a measure of heat.

25. Jockey (for): VIE.

26. Rite place: ALTAR.

27. [Theme clue]

32. Furnish with funds: ENDOW.

33. Tortilla dough: MASA.  Masa is dough made from corn that has been soaked in limewater, washed, and hulled.  The dried corn is ground up and reconstituted with water to make dough for tortillas.

34. "The Banana Boat Song" opener: DAY-O.  Harry Belafonte and others adapted this Jamaican song about dock workers loading bananas onto ships at night and looking forward to daylight when they could go home.

     Day-o, day-o

     Daylight come and me wan' go home ...

     Work all night on a drink of rum

     Daylight come and me wan' go home

     Stack banana till de morning come

     Daylight come and me wan' go home

35. Marinade of vinegar and spices: ADOBO.  Adobo is an indigenous Filipino cooking process in which meat, seafood, or vegetables are browned in oil, and then marinated and simmered in vinegar, salt or soy sauce, and garlic.  Spanish or Mexcian adobo is a red chili sauce.  The two types of adobo take their names from the Spanish adobar, to marinate.

37. Tracy Marrow's stage name: ICE T.  We've seen Ice T here a few times recently.  He looks tough, but is apparently grid-friendly.

Ice T

41. Words of clarification: AS IN.  

42. Flip out: GO APE.

43. [Theme clue]

48. Like some seals: EARED.  True seals, like harbor seals, have no external ear flaps.  Eared seals like sea lions and fur seals do have external ear flaps.  But all seals have ear openings.

49. Sharing word: OUR.

50. Cozy burrow: DEN.

51. [Theme clue]

56. Microsoft's web browser: EDGE.

57. Contact, in a way: EMAIL.

58. Spa supplies: OILS.

61. Barrel of laughs: RIOT.

62. Pasta often served alla vodka: PENNE.  Penne (a tube shaped pasta) is served with a sauce of heavy cream, tomatoes, and a splash of vodka.  

penne alla vodka

63. Simple fastener: SNAP.

64. Weight units for whales: TONS.

65. Emotional state: ANGST.

66. Like some batters: EGGY.

Down:

1. Fun time: GAS.

2. Kimono sash: OBI.

A woman wearing a kimono with an obi at her waist.

3. Dry red wine: BURGUNDY.

4. __ the pot: STIR.

5. Accessory brand known for watches: FOSSIL.  When youngest daughter was in high school, she longed for a nice watch.  I pictured something dainty, but she chose something like this:

6. No longer in bed: ARISEN.

7. Lean (on): RELY.

8. Stuff available in bars: SOAP.

9. Rae of "American Fiction": ISSA.  I remember her from her HBO show, Insecure.  And from crossword puzzles.

10. Younger, as a sibling: LITTLE.  No matter how old you get, your little sister is your little sister.

11. Rooting parts: SNOUTS.

12. Legends, for example: ACURAS.  Honda introduced its luxury car brand, Acura, with the Legend sedan in 1985.  It was manufactured through 1995.

13. Home run, in baseball slang: TATER.  Perhaps from hitting a ball over the fence into the potato fields, back in the day.

21. Declare without shame: AVOW.

22. Indie pop duo Tegan and __: SARA.  CanadianEh!, do you know these Canadian twin sisters?

Tegan and Sara

23. Came out in the wash?: BLED.

24. Jukebox musical whose second act begins with "Private Dancer": TINA.  A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which most of the songs are well-known popular songs, rather than original music composed for the musical.  Tina: The Tina Turner Musical depicts her life from humble beginnings to rock 'n roll superstar.  It's been on stages around the world since 2018.

28. Baby's noise: COO.

29. In the middle of: AMONG.

30. Hailed ride: CAB.

31. "The Search for General __": food documentary: TSO.  I learned from puzzles about the Chinese American dish called General Tso's chicken.

35. Hosiery shade: ASH.  This vintage package says the color is Ash.  I guess I'd call it taupe.

36. Domingo, por ejemplo: DIA.  Sunday, for example:  Day.  (Spanish.)

37. Physicist's particle: ION.

38. Summer gig for an aspiring golfer, perhaps: CADDYING.

39. Foil kin: ÉPÉE.  Types of swords used in fencing.

40. Beach bird: TERN.

41. Current options: AC/DC.

42. Buddhist teacher: GURU.

43. Elliptical workout, e.g., informally: CARDIO.  Cardiovascular exercise elevates your heart rate.  An elliptical machine allows you to achieve that while being gentle on your joints.

44. Old kingdom of Spain: ARAGON.

45. Core convictions: TENETS.

46. Prepares to bow: ROSINS.  Violin rosin is made from pine resins.  A violinist applies rosin to his bow -- or "rosins" the bow -- to create friction between the bow hair and the strings, and thereby create sound.

NaomiZ on cello, big brother and little sister on violin, 1966

47. Retail store: OUTLET.

48. Longtime "At the Movies" co-host: EBERT.

52. Filter letters: HEPA.

53. Prophetic sign: OMEN.

54. Venom source: FANG.

55. Capful, perhaps: DOSE.

59. Trail behind: LAG.

60. Figure in a covert op: SPY.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you have a field day with Caroline's puzzle?

Was it a GAS?  Or did it cause you ANGST?

I am on the EDGE of my seat waiting to know.

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, November 13, 2025, Stella Zawistowski

Theme:  Typography.

Stella Zawistowski is a super crossword constructor who is consistently ranked in the top ten solvers at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.  She loves a hard puzzle and used to run a website called Tough as Nails.  Stella has resolved to take it a little easier on solvers these days, and for me, this one went well until I hit a couple of crossing unknowns in the far southeast.  Let's dig into it and see how everyone else did.

The theme clues and answers, in symmetrically placed rows, are:

17-Across. Raised type?: STILT WALKER.  You may have imagined embossed letters on a page, but this is the TYPE of person who is raised up by stilts.

24-Across. Against type?: DEBBIE DOWNER.  You may have imagined someone opposed to the printing process, but this is the TYPE of person who is pessimistic and dampens the mood of others.

38-Across. Movable type?: NOMAD.  You may have imagined the individual metal letters used to print books, but this is the TYPE of person who moves from one place to another without a permanent home.

47-Across. Blood type?: COUNT DRACULA.  You may have imagined one of the classes of human blood distinguished by the presence of antigens on red blood cells, but this is the TYPE of person -- or really just one person -- who thrives on the consumption of human blood.

57-Across. File type?: OFFICE CLERK.  You may have imagined a filing cabinet, or a tool with ridges to smooth rough surfaces, but this is the TYPE of person who files documents in an office.

So far, you're thinking, my TYPE of puzzle, right?  Here come the rest of the clues and answers.

Across:

1. Sega hedgehog: SONIC.  Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series developed by Sega to compete with Nintendo's Mario. The first Sonic game was released in 1991 and the franchise continues to be a flagship for Sega.

Sonic the Hedgehog

6. Mark of approval: STAMP.

11. Posed (for): SAT.

14. Cause of some food recalls: E. COLI.  Escherichia coli are bacteria: some good for us, some bad.

15. Wispy streaks in the sky: CIRRI.  Plural of cirrus, a wispy cloud formation at high altitude.

16. Blubber: CRY.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Regatta blade: OAR.  A regatta is a series of boat races, and depending on the type of boat, an oar might be required.

20. "That ship __ sailed": HAS.  Speaking of boats, "that ship has sailed" means the time for a particular opportunity has passed.

21. Connecticut university founded in 1701: YALE.

22. One of the four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ARUBA.  The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.  The last three of these are Caribbean islands.

24. [Theme clue]

28. Gentleman's opposite: LOUT.

29. Snide snickers: HEHS.

30. Corset components: STAYS.  The stays of a garment are stiff pieces meant for shaping.  DH wears collar stays with his dress shirts.

Vertical stays are sewn into the fabric of this corset.

32. Catching in an ambush: WAYLAYING.

37. "Yuck!": EWW.

38. [Theme clue]

39. Short time out: NAP.

40. Opening-night event, often: CAST PARTY.

43. Realty ad count: BATHS.  ROOMS and ACRES would also have fit.  Or BDRMS if we're abbreviating.

45. Sad sigh: ALAS.

46. Mood: VIBE.

47. [Theme clue]

51. Abruptly cut contact with: GHOST.  This sort of thing didn't happen so much when human relationships were mostly in person.  

53. "Chill, will ya?": EASY.

54. Some TVs and fridges: LGS.  LG is a brand of electronic appliances.

56. Slam (into): RAM.

57. [Theme clue]

61. Intention: AIM.

62. "Go, me!": I ROCK.  I am filling in this puzzle!  I am such a smarty pants!

63. Chabert of "Party of Five": LACEY.  OK, whoops!  Who, now?  Party of Five aired on Fox from 1994 to 2000, with a total of six seasons.  Lacey Chabert played one of five siblings whose parents died in a car accident.  I have never heard of this show.

That's Lacey perched on her brother's lap at right.

64. Garment that rarely works with a backless gown: BRA.  Not a good look, unless you get creative like the lady in the picture below.

65. Doesn't shy from: DARES.  Who dares to do the Down clues?

66. "Come on in!": ENTER.  Let's enter the final phase of this puzzle.

Down:

1. Short meeting?: SESH.  "Sesh" is modern shorthand for "session," which could be a meeting.

2. Legs on a spider, e.g.: OCTAD.

3. Legal deterrents to loud parties: NOISE LAWS.

4. Feeling feverish or not so hot: ILL.  The wrong kind of E. coli can do this to you.

5. Commuting option: CITY BUS.

6. Get to the top of: SCALE.  Think of scaling Mount Everest ...

7. Like many New York City subway stations: TILED.  In recent years, white subway tile -- horizontal rectangles -- has been a big trend in home kitchens and bathrooms.  Don't ask me why!  I have never ridden the NYC subway system and am not acquainted with its charms.

8. Vessel in Genesis 7: ARK.

9. Emergency food ration, for short: MRE.  Meal Ready to Eat.  Used by the US Armed Forces where other food is not available.

10. Orinoco biter: PIRANHA.  The Orinoco river flows through Venezuela and Colombia, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.  It is home to over 1,000 fish species, one of which is the black spot piranha.  Not to worry:  more people eat piranhas than piranhas eat people.

Pygocentrus cariba, or black spot piranha

11. Clean with elbow grease: SCOUR.

12. Many a Moroccan: ARAB.

13. Banks with style: TYRA.  Tyra Banks is a supermodel, actress, producer, and writer.  She broke color barriers on the covers of Sports Illustrated and GQ, appeared in a host of TV shows and movies, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show for The Tyra Banks Show.

Tyra Banks

18. Hostess's estimate: WAIT.  Oh, a restaurant hostess!  

23. OpenTable alternative: RESY.  OpenTable and Resy are software companies that sell reservation and table management systems to restaurants.  If you've made a restaurant reservation online recently, you've probably used one or the other.

25. Son: BOY.

26. "Wunderbar!": OH YAY.

27. Join together: WELD.

30. Crimson Tide org.: SEC.  The University of Alabama (Crimson Tide) is in the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

31. Pan Am rival: TWA.  Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and Trans World Airlines (TWA) were American airlines that once dominated global air travel.  

32. "Do your __!": WORST.  Go on!  Let's see if you DARE.

33. Invoice fig.: AMT.  A figure on an invoice is probably an amount.

34. Brainy one: INTELLECT.

35. "Not my thing": NAH.

36. Waymo tech: GPS.  Waymo, the self-driving rideshare vehicle, uses a Global Positioning System.  We have lots of them in West Los Angeles, and they are great drivers.

38. Bread served with raita: NAAN.  Yummy Indian food.

41. Volkswagen that shares a name with a New Mexico town: TAOS.

42. Faraway dwarf planet: PLUTOID.  A plutoid is a dwarf planet that orbits the sun farther than Neptune.  Eight objects are classified as plutoids: Pluto, Orcus, Haumea, Makemake, Quaoar, Sedna, Gonggong, and Eris.

43. Commuting option: BICYCLE.

44. __ Simbel, Egypt: ABU.  Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two enormous rock-cut temples in Upper Egypt.  Carved out of a mountainside in the 13th century BC, they feature rock relief figures of Ramesses II.

Abu Simbel

46. Ming collectible: VASE.

47. One in 1,000?: COMMA.  Yes, there is one comma in 1,000.

48. Clear, as a windshield in winter: DE-ICE.

49. Holders of barbells: RACKS.  A handy way to keep your barbells off the floor.

barbell rack

50. Feel similarly: AGREE.

51. Screen __: GRAB.  A screen grab is a still image of a frame from a video, whereas a screenshot is an image of a computer or mobile device's screen at a particular moment.  

52. Subject of the r/Tressless subreddit: HAIR.  This online discussion group is actually devoted to issues of hair loss.

55. Icelandic dairy product similar to yogurt: SKYR.  I have purchased skyr and should have known it, but I could not recall the vowel.  I tried A, E, I, O, and U, forgetting that Y sometimes acts as a vowel.

58. __ diavolo sauce: FRA.  This spicy tomato sauce takes its name from an 18th century Italian guerrilla leader nicknamed Fra Diavolo or Brother Devil.

59. In favor of: FOR.

60. "The Wheel of Time" role: LAN.  The Wheel of Time is a 14-volume series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.  It was adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series which aired for three seasons from 2021 to 2025.  Lan is a warrior and last survivor of a fallen kingdom.  All of which is even further from my knowledge base than LACEY in "Party of Five."

Here's the grid.  The red triangles mark the ones I flubbed.

Dear Reader, did you have the INTELLECT to solve this puzzle correctly?  Did you find it EASY?

Or did you think it was the WORST puzzle ever?

In either case, you'll find someone to AGREE with you in the comments.

-- NaomiZ

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy birthday to Big Easy (George), husband of Louisiana Tennis Hall of Famer Diane! George has been such a caring friend, always checking in on my RA and housing worries. Hope it's a beautiful day where you are, George!

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Thursday, November 6, 2025, Ilana Levene, Scott Hogan

Theme:  Not the real thing, but an amazing FACSIMILE!

Ilana Levene is a British neonatal intensive care physician who started working on US crossword puzzles as a distraction, and has now published several, including one previous puzzle in these pages.  Scott Hogan is a patent attorney in Michigan who has collaborated with others to construct crosswords -- often Katie Hale -- and published one in the NYT with Ilana Levene.  Today Ilana and Scott treat us to some close copies or spitting images, and they manage to cross them in the grid.

Ilana Levene        and        Scott Hogan

The big reveal is:

55-Across. Betray, or what can be found three times in this puzzle: DOUBLE CROSS.  

      All of the words for which "copycat" is the clue are a kind of "double."

25-Across. Copycat: REPLICA.  A close reproduction of an original item.

27-Across. Copycat: STAND-IN.  A person who substitutes for another.

5-Down. Copycat: FACSIMILE.  An exact copy.

9-Down. Copycat: LOOK-ALIKE.  A person who greatly resembles someone else.

40-Down. Copycat: CLONE.  A genetically identical copy.

Those are the DOUBLEs.  How do they CROSS?  Here's the grid:

We have six words for "double" (including DOUBLE), and they CROSS in three places.  It's a nifty structure, with lots of lovely words and phrases.  Let's take a DEEPer look.

Across:

1. Bundle of wheat: SHEAF.

6. Social media annoyance: BOT.  A bot is an automated program designed to simulate human interaction on social media platforms.  Some are malicious.

9. Endures: LASTS.

14. Accord, for one: HONDA.

15. Dazzle: AWE.

16. Earthy colour: OCHRE.  DH and I were sitting in a cafe in Pernes-les-Fontaines in Provence, when a local couple told us we should see the village of Roussillon.  I understood them to say it was very colorful.  So a day or two later, there we were, and completely astonished by the ochre cliffs and quarries.  I grew up knowing OCHRE as a crayon color, and had no idea that it was a natural clay pigment, mined in Roussillon from the late 18th century until 1930.

I took this photograph of the OCHRE cliffs of Roussillon in 2019.

17. Urgent care specialist, briefly: ER DOC.

18. Work of fiction?: LIE.

19. Was part of a row: OARED.

20. End of an academic address: EDU.  Website or email address.

21. Start to knock?: SILENT K.

24. Actress Noblezada: EVA.  Eva Noblezada is an American theatre actress and singer. Her accolades include a Grammy Award and two Tony Award nominations.  Besides roles in stage productios of Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, The Great Gatsby, and Cabaret, she has earned some film and television credits.  News to me, but good for her.

Eva Noblezada

25. [Theme clue]

27. [Theme clue]

29. Pinged online: IM'ED.  Instant Messaged.  To ping a device is to send a quick signal and then measure the response time as a way of assessing network performance.  But for the average person, "ping" has come to mean sending a quick message to get someone's attention or to see if they are available.

30. "Carpe diem" hashtag: YOLO.  "Carpe diem" is Latin for "seize the day."  YOLO is an acronym for "you only live once."  Both suggest you should do something impulsive.

31. Like streets in Dickens novels: GASLIT.  Streets were lit by gas lamps before electric lighting. 

gaslit street

34. Lobster claw: PINCER.

A lobster's front pincers are considered to be legs.
They are used for self-defense and for grabbing and tearing prey animals.

38. "__ we meet again": UNTIL.

39. German pronoun: ICH.  In 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech in West Berlin, in which he spoke the famous words, "Ich bin ein Berliner" or "I am a Berliner."  It was an anti-communist speech delivered at the height of the Cold War.

42. Arboreal marsupial: KOALA.

43. Kin of equi-: ISO.  Equi- and iso- are prefixes meaning equal or same.

44. Oft-pierced body part: EARLOBE.

47. __-fi: SCI.

48. "The Idol" star Lily-Rose: DEPP.  Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of American actor Johnny Depp and French singer/model/actress Vanessa Paradis.  She starred in the HBO television drama series The Idol and in the 2024 film Nosferatu.  If you solved Marc Goldstein's puzzle in the LA Times this past Sunday, you've met her already.

Lily-Rose Depp

50. Bread: MOOLA.  Both are slang for money.

51. Comics icon Lee: STAN.  Stan Lee wrote and published comic books, and helped create Spider Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, and others.

52. "What __ can I do?": ELSE.

53. Like some monologues: INNER.

54. Pom sounds: YAPS.  Pomeranian dog -- a miniaturized German Spitz.

Pomeranian

55. [Theme clue -- the big reveal.]

58. Home for lanternfish: DEEP SEA.  Lanternfish may account for 65% of all deep-sea fish biomass.  They use bioluminescence to emit pale blue, green, or yellow light.  Most are less than 6 inches long.

Lanternfish

60. Broadcast hour: AIR TIME.

63. How a detective might work: ON A LEAD.

64. Drew back: RECEDED.

65. Motive for a cover-up?: MODESTY.  A bathing suit cover-up will get a woman from the hotel room to the beach or pool without feeling like she is walking around in her underwear.  Depending on the style, it may also offer some protection from sunburn.

Cover-up at the shore

66. Genre portmanteau: DRAMEDY.  A portmanteau blends the sounds and meanings of two words.  In this case, two entertainment genres are blended:  drama and comedy.

Down:

1. Like chiffon: SHEER.  Originally a French fabric made of silk, chiffon is now mass produced with synthetic fibers.

2. Swarm: HORDE.

3. Land: END UP.  "Land" can be a verb meaning "end up" or "arrive at a final place or situation."  For instance, they landed in a real mess -- or better -- they landed in paradise.

4. Hustle and bustle: ADO.

5. [Theme clue]

6. "The Hunger Games: The __ of Songbirds & Snakes": BALLAD.  If you know, you know -- or you make a good guess based on perpendicular entries.

7. Scrape covered by a Welly Bravery Bandage, e.g.: OWIE.

8. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.

9. [Theme clue]

10. Spanish "here": ACÁ.  The Spanish words "aquí" and "acá" have almost the same meaning.  Aqui is right here, next to me, and acá is in my general vicinity.  Lucina, any additional notes?

11. Create ribbons: SHRED.

12. Rome's __ Fountain: TREVI.

13. Accord, for one: SEDAN.  Same clue as for 14-Across, but with a different answer.  That makes this a clecho, or clue echo.

22. "Gangsta Rap" rapper: ICE T.  Yes, the same Ice T you know and love as NYPD detective/sergeant Odafin Tutuola on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

23. Partly removable roof: T-TOP.

26. Reinhart of "Riverdale": LILI.  Lili Reinhart is an up and coming actress known for her roles in the teen drama series Riverdale, the crime film Hustlers, and the romantic drama Chemical Hearts.  Look for her in next year's horror film, Forbidden Fruits.  Or so I read.

28. Taboo: NO NO.

31. Manual: GUIDE.

32. Adams who photographed 36-Down: ANSEL.  Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West.

Ansel Adams circa 1950

33. Freezes: STOPS DEAD.

35. Put out of one's mind: CAST ASIDE.

36. Yosemite summit, informally: EL CAP.  An Ansel Adams photograph of El Capitan:

El Capitan, Sunrise, Yosemite National Park

37. Falls from the sky: RAINS.

39. Thatcherism creator, familiarly: IRON LADY.  Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.  She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position.  As prime minister, she implemented economic reforms that came to be known as Thatcherism.  A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady," a reference to her leadership style.

Margaret Thatcher

40. [Theme clue]

41. Undisclosed advantage: HOLE CARD.  Per Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, a HOLE CARD is:

1 : a card in stud poker that is properly dealt facedown and that the holder need not expose before the showdown

2 : something (such as a reliable advantage) that is held in reserve especially for use at a strategic moment

45. "Stick a fork in me!": AM I BEAT.  The saying goes, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done!"  It means that the speaker is exhausted.  I imagine this comes from cooking, where we stick a fork into a potato or other food item to test for doneness.

46. Obstacle: BARRIER.

49. Third word of the Constitution: PEOPLE.  "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

51. Buddy __: SYSTEM.

56. Exploits: USES.

57. Largest member of the dolphin family: ORCA.

58. __ Pérignon: DOM.

59. Musician Brian who used a Mac to compose "The Microsoft Sound": ENO.  Brian ENO and Yoko ONO are our favorite musicians in the Crossword Corner.  

61. Rx order: MED.  Prescription order : medication.

62. Big name in ice cream: EDY.

The grid again, because I'm used to putting it here:

Solvers, did you END UP with the correct entries in the grid?

Or did you encounter a TEENSY problem along the way?

Inquiring minds want to know.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ

Thursday, October 30, 2025, Betsy Ochester, Andrew Gutelle

Theme:  Sonorous cereal.

Today's puzzle appears to be an LA Times debut for both of our constructors.  Welcome and congratulations!  Betsy Ochester writes books for children, including over 100 published puzzle books.  Andrew Gutelle is also a prolific children's author, with puzzle books among his many published titles.  They have collaborated on a few of these books.  Today, their combined efforts bring us a Thursday-level crossword challenge for adults, based on a children's breakfast cereal.

The big reveal is:

51-Across. Breakfast cereal trio, and what 20-, 31-, and 38-Across are: SNAP CRACKLE POP.

Snap, crackle, and pop are the sounds that Rice Krispies cereal is said to make when milk is added.  (They are also the names of the cartoon characters on the box.)  In the other theme answers, snap and pop have different meanings.  Crackle has the same meaning but in a different context.

20-Across. See 51-Across: SIMPLE FASTENER.  This is a SNAP that is not a sound.

31-Across. See 51-Across: FIREPLACE SOUND.  This is a CRACKLE that is a sound.

38-Across. See 51-Across: GRAMMY CATEGORY.  This is a POP that is not a sound ... or is it?  Pop music has a certain sound, but it doesn't go POP!

I like the way the three words in 51-Across provide the clues for the other theme answers.

Let's see what other treats our children's authors have in store for us.

Across:

1. Fennellike herb: ANISE.  Fennel is a plant with an edible bulb, stalks, and fronds.  Anise is a plant of which only the seeds are used.  Both have a flavor like black licorice, but anise is stronger.  

fennel and anise

6. __ Jam Recordings: DEF.  Def Jam Recordings is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in New York City and specializes in hip hop, R&B, soul, and POP music.

9. Talent, informally: CHOPS.  In jazz, a trumpeter's skill depends largely on his mouth or "chops."  The use of the word expanded to mean overall skill in music, and even skill in general.

14. Crow's-feet treatment: BOTOX.  Botox can be injected around the outer corners of the eyes to paralyze the muscles that cause wrinkles to form.  The results last for three or four months, and treatments are supposed to be repeated for maximum benefit.  I am frankly more interested in:

These crow's feet require no Botox.

15. Food label fig.: RDA.  Recommended Dietary Allowance.  An abbreviation in the clue suggests an abbreviation in the answer.

16. Reduce: LOWER.

17. Fell for completely: ATE UP.  As in, they ate up the claims about the benefits of Botox.

18. Investigations: INQUIRIES.  

20. [Theme clue]

22. Anniversary pair?: ENS.  There are a pair of N's in anniversary.

23. Acai bowl grain: OAT.  An acai bowl is meant to be a healthy meal.  Obviously, it includes acai berries (often pureed), which are a kind of palm fruit, and it could include anything else, but is likely to have granola (including oats) and nuts along with other fruits.

Acai bowl

24. Progressive business: Abbr.: INS.  Progressive is an INSurance company.

25. [Shiver]: BRR.

26. "Stop right there!": HALT.

28. Blokes: MEN.

31. [Theme clue]

35. Bear whose porridge was too cold: MAMA.

An illustration from Goldilocks and the Three Bears

36. __-blond: ASH.  A cool toned blond hair color with hints of gray.

37. Miss Piggy, for one: DIVA.  Diva, from the Latin for goddess, was used in the 19th century to describe talented female opera singers revered by the public.  Now it often means a high-maintenance woman who acts as if the world revolves around her.

38. [Theme clue]

43. Possible reason for a TV-MA rating: SEX.  TV-MA means for Mature Audiences.

44. Remove from power: OUST.

45. Two-person card game: WAR.

46. Agcy. created by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974: NRC.  Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

47. Sun, in Seville: SOL.  Sol is Spanish for sun.

48. Texting letters: SMS.  Short Message Service is used to send text messages between mobile devices over cellular networks.

51. [Theme clue]

56. Like unexpectedly lesson-laden moments: TEACHABLE.  A teachable moment is an unplanned situation that can be used to impart a lesson.

57. Zinc __: OXIDE.  Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound used as an additive in numerous products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, lubricants, paints, sunscreens, ointments, adhesives, sealants, pigments, foods, batteries, ferrites, fire retardants, semi conductors, and first-aid tapes. Although it occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most zinc oxide is produced synthetically.

58. Get clean: BATHE.

59. Charged particle: ION.

60. Solar energy collector: PANEL.

61. Was a straphanger, say: STOOD.  Picture yourself standing on a crowded bus -- hanging onto a strap or similar device placed along the aisle.

This guy is a straphanger.

62. "Called it, didn't I": SEE.  SEE?  I told you.

63. Aroma: SMELL.

Down:

1. Cut down to size: ABASE.

2. Running an errand, say: NOT IN.

3. List details: ITEMS.

4. Italian wedding __: SOUP.  The original name for this southern Italian soup is "minestra maritata" or "married soup" because of the marriage of flavors of meat and greens.  It is not a wedding soup!  The original is said to be a thick, hearty stew.  The American version is a lighter soup with pasta and meatballs.

American "Italian wedding soup"

5. Investigate: EXPLORE.

6. "Catch my __?": DRIFT.

7. "Cimarron" novelist Ferber: EDNA.  Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1930; adapted into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), Giant (1952; made into the 1956 film of the same name) and Ice Palace (1958), which also received a film adaptation in 1960.  

Edna Ferber in 1928

8. Helpful pgs.: FAQS.  Websites often include Frequently Asked Questions pages.

9. Customers: CLIENTS.

10. Traffic signals?: HORNS.  An automobile horn can indeed be a signal used in traffic.  Move it, buddy!  If your mind wanders while waiting at a red light, someone behind you is sure to remind you.  My father, of blessed memory, used to call that an audible traffic signal.

11. Toddler's scrape: OWIE.

12. __ review: PEER.

13. Graduating gp.: SRS.  A graduating group is a bunch of seniors.

19. Practical: UTILE.  Useful, effective, expedient, helpful, serviceable, utilitarian, etc.

21. O.K. Corral surname: EARP.  On October 26, 1881, there was a gunfight near the O.K. corral in Tombstone, Arizona.  Three brothers, Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp, as marshals of the law, were attempting to disarm five outlaws, to enforce an ordinance prohibiting the carrying of weapons in town.  Three of the five outlaws died in the shoot out, and the conflict between the Earps and the outlaws continued.

Wyatt Earp

25. "The Lair of the White Worm" novelist Stoker: BRAM.  Abraham Stoker (1847-1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist. Stoker wrote a dozen horror and mystery novels, including The Jewel of Seven Stars, The Lair of the White Worm, and The Mystery of the Sea, but his reputation as one of the greatest writers of horror fiction is based on his novel Dracula.

Bram Stoker

26. Lays into: HAS AT.

27. Vier plus vier: ACHT.  Vier plus vier ist acht.  Four plus four is eight in German.

28. "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David: MUIR.  David Muir is an American journalist and anchor for ABC World News Tonight and co-anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20.  He has reported from all over the world, won multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, and last year won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.  ABC World News Tonight has been the most watched newscast in the United States since 2015.

David Muir

29. One of the seven deadly sins: ENVY.  According to the Catholic Church, the seven deadly sins are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.  We only had room for envy or lust today.

30. Confidentiality doc: NDA.  A non-disclosure agreement is a document in which one agrees not to divulge confidential information.

31. Subway fee: FARE.

32. Big name in movies: IMAX.  IMAX is a system of cameras, film formats, projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens.  Due to the expense of building and maintaining special IMAX theaters, IMAX has been modified to be viewed in existing multiplex theaters.

33. French bodies of water: LACS.  Lac is French for lake.

34. Aroma: ODOR.

35. Some British sports cars: MGS.  MG Motor is a British automotive brand dating back to the 1920s.  Since 2005, it has been owned by first one, and then another, Chinese state-owned manufacturer.  Most of the current models look very much like every other brand's SUVs, including electric and hybrid options, but they still make "performance" vehicles:

MG Cyberster -- an all-electric roadster

39. Shape-shifted: MORPHED.

40. Flowering desert plant with swordlike leaves: YUCCA.

41. Furry critter who lives on Endor: EWOK.  Ewoks were introduced in the 1983 movie Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.  They have since starred in two made-for-TV movies, The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).  Ewoks live on the fictional forest moon of Endor in primitive dwellings, but in spite of their humble circumstances, they deal a decisive blow to the technologically advanced Empire.

an Ewok

42. Runs fast: GALLOPS.

46. __ chips: NACHO.  Nachos are tortilla chips topped with cheese and salsa.  Those flavors have been incorporated into snacks like Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips.

47. Embarrassing public display: SCENE.

48. Porcupine quill: SPINE.  Contrary to popular belief, porcupines cannot shoot or eject their quills at will.  Any person or creature full of porcupine quills has foolishly touched a porcupine.

North American porcupine

49. Walk the runway: MODEL.

50. Write some letters: SPELL.

51. Stock exchange membership: SEAT.

52. Org. with an alphabet: NATO.  We should all memorize this alphabet for clarifying spellings to telephone representatives.

53. Grand slam quartet, briefly: RBIS.  In baseball, if the batter hits a home run with the bases loaded, four runs will be scored, and the batter will be credited with a "quartet" of Runs Batted In.

54. Flowering desert plant with fleshy leaves: ALOE.

55. Prep course target: EXAM.  A prep course is one that prepares the student for a particular exam.

56. "Dinner and a Movie" airer: TBS.  Dinner and a Movie is a cooking show that aired on TBS from 1995 to 2011 and returned in 2024.  Each episode includes a movie and the preparation of a dinner to go with its theme.

Here's the grid:

As usual, I have INQUIRIES for our readers.

Did you have the CHOPS to complete today's puzzle?

Or did you call a HALT to the solving at some point?

Don't be shy!  Have your say in the comments.

-- NaomiZ