Tuesday, April 21, 2026 Rena Cohen

A Trip to the Deli.  No trip to New York City is complete without a trip to a deli, where you can get the best bagels with all the fixings.  A brief history of the Bagel.

My favorite deli in NYC,

16-Across. Didn't hold back in competition: PLAYED TOWIN.  Plain Bagels.

23-Across. Field that drives the self-help industry: POP PSYCHOLOGY.  Poppy Bagels.

37-Across. Lettuce, tomato, or cucumber, often: SALAD INGREDIENT.  Salt Bagel.  Salt bagels don't hold up well in humid Louisiana.

50-Across. Extremely special: ONE IN A MILLION.  Onion Bagel.

And the unifier:

61-Across. Deli gadget that's been used on 16-, 23-, 37-, and 50-Across?: BAGEL SLICER.

Here's the grid so you can see the "sliced" bagels.

What other treats are in store for us?

Across:

1. Collect over time: AMASS.

6. Sound with a dismissive wave: PFFT.

10. Number before a + on a board game box: AGE.

13. Colorful parrot: MACAW.

14. "Toodles!": SEE YA!

15. American writer Edgar Allan __: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) is known for his macabre and mysterious short stories and poetry.  His short story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, is considered the first modern detective story.

18. Spot for rubbish: BIN.  Do you say Trash Bin or Trash Can?

19. Little tastes: SIPS.

20. Actor McKellen: IAN.  That's Sir Ian Murray McKellen (b. May 25, 1939) to you.  He is probably best known for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.

21. Advances, in football: GAINS.

27. World Cup chant: OLÉ.  Today's Spanish lesson.

29. Sorta: -ISH.

30. Zoom organizer: HOST.

31. Kansas City tight end Travis: KELCE.  Rumor has it that he is getting married soon.

33. Fish that resembles a sea snake: EEL.

34. "Yo," in Rio: OLÁ.  Hello, this is today's Portuguese lesson.

42. Miles away: FAR.

43. Walking buddy, maybe: DOG.

44. Guy who knows all the best spots?: AD MAN.

45. Active person: DOER.

47. Khan Academy founder Khan: SAL.  Salman Amin Khan is an American educator and the founder of The Khan Academy is a free online non-profit educational platform with video lessons teaching a wide spectrum of academic subjects.  When Salman Amin Khan (Oct. 11, 1976) formed the company, it originally focused on mathematics and science.

49. Make a choice: OPT.  You opted to look at this blog today.

55. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.

56. Ball drop night, for short: NYE.  The ball in Times Square falls on New Year's Eve.  A brief history of the Ball in Times Square.

57. Actress Edelstein: LISA.  Lisa Edelstein (b. May 6, 1966) is probably best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on House.

60. Org. that bestows Silver Gavel Awards: ABA.   As in the American Bar Association.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Silver Gavel Award but didn't know to ask.

65. Colorful pond fish: KOI.

66. E, in a treble clef mnemonic: EVERY.  Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge or Football.

67. Calendar entry: EVENT.

68. Pioneering 52-Down provider: AOL.  //  52-Down. Outlook message: EMAIL.

69. Canvas structure: TENT.

70. College stressors: TESTS.  The semester is winding up and Final Tests are on the horizon.

Down:

1. Hypes (up): AMPS.

2. Timbuktu's land: MALI.  Fun facts about Mali:  its official name is the Republic of Mali.  It is the 8th largest country in Africa and the 23rd largest country in the world.  

3. Noninstrumental music genre: A CAPPELLA.

4. Authority: SAY SO.

5. Country between Fin. and Nor.: SWE.  Sweden is between Finland and Norway.

6. Indiana state flower: PEONY.  The Magnolia is the state flower of Louisiana.  Magnolia trees are in bloom now.  What is the state flower of your state?

7. Not many: FEW.

8. "Just a heads-up ... ": FYI.  For Your Information.

9. Performs a dramatic ballroom dance: TANGOS.  It takes two ...

10. HS course whose first unit is Chemistry of Life: AP BIO.  As in Advanced Placement Biology.

11. On the way out: GOING.

12. Li'l: EENSY.

14. Secret supply: STASH.

17. Short swims: DIPS.

22. "Curiously strong" mint: ALTOID.  Did you know that Altoids have been around for almost 250 years??!!

24. Covered with colorful blotches: PIED.

25. "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer: CHER.  Cher (née Cheryl Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) is also known for her outlandish outfits.

26. Plot problem: HOLE.

27. Signs off on: OKs.

28. Fall faller: LEAF.

32. Part of a HIIT workout: CARDIO.  High Intensity Interval Training is a good Cardio exercise.

33. French toast need: EGG.

35. Citrusy frozen desserts: LEMON ICES.

36. "Time for __": yawner's sigh: A NAP.

38. Brainchild: IDEA.

39. Standard: NORM.

40. Surrealist Salvador: DALI.  His full name was Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech (May 11, 1904 ~ Jan. 23, 1989).

41. Explosive Minecraft block: TNT.

46. With cash at stake: ON A BET.

47. With secrecy: SLYLY.

48. Beers that ferment faster than lagers: ALEs.  Wha's the difference between Beer and Ale?

50. Honshu city: OSAKA.  Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu.  It is known 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, an historical landmark. The castle is surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees.

51. Home planet of Queen Amidala: NABOO.  A reference to the Star Wars movies.

53. Like noble gases: INERT.

54. Cocktail garnish that may be stuffed with blue cheese: OLIVE.

58. Dispatched: SENT.

59. __ and crafts: ARTS.

62. Common abbr. on street maps: AVE.  As in Avenue.  Is there a difference between a Street and an Avenue?

63. Demographic cohort, for short: GEN.  As in Generation.

64. Allow: LET.

This puzzle made me hungry, so I'm off for my morning Bagel.

חתולה

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 Caroline Hand

That's Entertainment! Imaging winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.

3-Down. *  Actress who plays Fiona Gallagher on "Shameless": EMMY ROSSUM.  An Emmy is a television and media award.

21-Across. *  Wise maternal figure voiced by Betty White in "The Lorax": GRAMMY NORMA.  A Grammy is a music award.

30-Down. *  "The Picture of Dorian Gray" novelist: OSCAR WILDE.  An Oscar is awarded in the film industry.

53-Across. *  Mob boss played by James Gandolfini: TONY SOPRANO.  A Tony is awarded in the live stage industry.

And the unifier:

65-Across. "Grand slam" awards acronym spelled out by the starts of the answers to the starred clues: EGOT.  An EGOT winner is an individual who has won all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.

As of today 22 people have achieved this competitive feat. Notable winners include Richard Rodgers (1962), Helen Hayes (1977), Rita Moreno (1977), John Gielgud (1991), Audrey Hepburn (1994), Marvin Hamlisch (1995), Jonathan Tunick (1997), Mel Brooks (2001), Mike Nichols (2001), Whoopi Goldberg (2002), Scott Rudin (2012), Robert Lopez (2014), John Legend (2018), Andrew Lloyd Webber (2018), Tim Rice (2018), Alan Menkin (2020), Jennifer Hudson (2022), Viola Davis (2023), Elton John (2024), Benj Pasek (2024), Justin Paul (2024), and Steven Spielberg (2026).

Here's the Grid so you can see the prizes.  Note that two are in the Across position, and two are in the Down position, but I don't think there is a deeper meaning in these positions.

Across:

1. __ the fat: gab: CHEW.

5. Get the last of, as gravy: SOP UP.

10. Nap spot: SOFA.  Did you know that the word sofa originates from the Arabic word ṣuffa, which refers to a raised, cushioned seat or bench.  It entered English via Turkish and French in the 17th century.  Historically, this term described a more formal, upholstered seat, distinct from the French-derived couch (from coucher), which was historically meant for lying down.

14. Tibetan spiritual leader: LAMA.

15. Teaser ad: PROMO.

16. Rather wicked: EVIL.  I grew up in the Northeast, so this cartoon makes perfect sense to me.

17. Some early PCs: IBMs.

18. "Finding Nemo" setting: OCEAN.  //  And 6-Down. Black-and-white 18-Across predator: ORCA.

19. Irish ancestor: CELT.

20. Household pest with wings: FLY.

23. "Groovy, man!": FAR OUT!

25. Nutrient in kale: IRON.

26. Answers for a mistake: OWNS IT.

29. Like some swimming pools: INDOOR.

33. Washbowl: BASIN.

35. Celebration with rainbow flags: PRIDE.  Apparently, the Idaho legislature recently banned the flying of Pride flags on government buildings.  The city of Boise found a loophole and wrapped flagpoles in Rainbows.

37. Dallas sch.: SMU.  Southern Methodist University.  A brief history of this University.

38. Clever ploy: RUSE.

39. Household pest with a tail: MOUSE.

40. Base's chemical opposite: ACID.

41. 37-Across email ending: EDU.

42. Military academy student: CADET.

43. Speechify: ORATE.

44. Chinese small bites: DIM SUM.  Yummers!

46. Wireless network device: ROUTER.

48. Stitched borders: HEMS.

50. Large crustaceans: PRAWNS.  Prawns and shrimp are different species of decapod crustaceans. While often used interchangeably in cooking due to similar flavor and texture, they differ anatomically: prawns have branching gills, three pairs of clawed legs, and straight body segments, while shrimp have plate-like gills, one pair of clawed legs, and a distinctive bend in their body.

58. Physics particle: ION.

59. Soothing gel: ALOE.  This has become a crossword staple.

60. Hidden treasure: TROVE.

61. Bummed out: BLUE.  The association of blue with sadness likely originated from the 17th-century phrase blue devils for depression, further influenced by ancient, cold-color symbolism, and possibly nautical traditions of flying blue flags when a captain died.  The term has been linked to sorrow as far back as Geoffrey Chaucer in 1385.

62. Beer barrels: KEGS.

63. Corkscrew shape: HELIX.

64. Novelist Ferber: EDNA.  Edna Ferber (Aug. 15, 1885 ~ Apr. 16, 1968) was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright.  Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big, Show Boat, Cimarron, Giant and Ice Palace.  Many of her novels were also adapted into films.

66. Look at, in the Bible: SEEST.  Probably from the 1604 King James Bible.

67. Cubicle fixture: DESK.

Down:

1. Hang glider's launching spot, perhaps: CLIFF.

2. "Se __ español": HABLA.  Today's Spanish Lesson.

4. "Now, where __ I?": WAS.

5. Newspaper section with game recaps: SPORTS.

7. Verse: POEM.

8. Savory flavor: UMAMI.  Umami is the fifth basic taste alongside sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.  It has a a savory, meaty, or brothy flavor.  This taste was identified by chemist Kikunae Ikeda (Oct. 8, 1864 ~ May 3, 1936) in 1908, and yet I only learned of it in the past few years.

9. Short trip on a short horse: PONY RIDE.

10. Fraction of a minute: SECOND.

11. Completed: OVER.

12. Cannes festival showing: FILM.  The Cannes Film Festival is considered one of the most prestigious film festival in the world.  The festival this year is begins on May 12 and runs through May 23, 2026.  The festival previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.

13. Utah ski resort: ALTA.

21. Fashion icon Tim: GUNN.  Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (b. July 29, 1953) is probably best known with his association with Project Runway.

22. Zero: NONE.

24. Tot's injury: OWIE.

27. Onetime Zune rival: iPOD.  I still use my iPod.

28. More loyal: TRUER.

31. Fail to mention: OMIT.

32. Impolite: RUDE.

33. Born and __: BRED.

34. Automaker with a four-ring logo: AUDI.  The four rings represent four different automakers that merged in 1932 to create what was then called the Auto Union.

36. Analogy words: IS TO.

39. Woolly beasts of the past: MAMMOTHS.

40. Zone: AREA.

42. Pool hall sticks: CUES.

43. Other, in Spanish: OTRO.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

45. Least assertive: SHYEST.

47. "Coming after the break ... ": UP NEXT.

49. Buying binge: SPREE.

51. Subjects of most sentences: NOUNS.  Do students still have to diagram sentences?

52. Tiptoe: SNEAK.

53. Grab: TAKE.

54. Designer Cassini: OLEG.  Oleg Cassini (né Oleg Cassini Loiewski; Apr. 11, 1913 ~ Mar. 17, 2006) is probably best known for being Jackie Kennedy's favorite designer when she was in the White House.

55. Scrapped, at NASA: NO GO.

56. Actor's goal: ROLE.

57. Rental car giant: AVIS.

61. __-and-breakfast: BED.

That's all for this week.

חתולה