Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - Nate Curry and Zhou Zhang

 Theme:  I'm on pins and needles

I will admit that Hatoolah's Rat tat cartoon from yesterday made me chuckle when I knew this was my opening cartoon today! 😉

Puzzling thoughts:

Did anyone else feel tingly whilst filling in this puzzle?  Not I.  Nothing prickly about it, either.  Just a few jabs, here and there, and I really didn't feel the stick when the needle was finally administered ...

OK, enough of the cheap barbs.  Today's puzzle is a family collaboration between mom (Zhou) and son (Nate).  The dad, Kevin Curry, and son Nate had a collaborative puzzle earlier this year on Friday January 2. And when I poked a bit further, [according to some notes I found while searching the internet] I learned that Zhou and Kevin are a Seattle-based couple with three sub-teenaged children.  Nate is the oldest of the three.  Four of the five family members have had puzzles published by the NY Times - all as collaborations.  And the "legacy" that's building for this family (as crossword puzzle constructors) is quite recent - all post pandemic

The reveal for today's puzzle is: 51-across. Make a measurable difference, or what the answers to the starred clues do: MOVE THE NEEDLE.

The supporting entries are:

20-across. *Tailor's tool: SEWING MACHINE.  The history of the sewing machine is pretty fascinating

34-across. *Inker's tool: TATTOO GUN. The history of tattoo guns is also quite fascinating

39-across. *Intelligence agent's tool: POLYGRAPH. A brief outline of the history of a polygraph is not as interesting as the previous two entries, but certainly, it was a learning moment for me

All three of the devices above have a movable needle as a part of its design.  Pretty straightforward 

Good job by mom and son - the fill was tight and clean

Here is the grid and then on to the rest:

The Grid - see how "clean" it is? No mistakes, today!

Across:
1. Excerpt from a film: CLIP.  Often times Chairman Moe will use a film clip - also known as a "trailer" - to support, visually, a clue/entry.  Today is no different, though I had to revise my search a bit as the only movie called "Clip" was NSFW.  So, I found something that is related to "clip" in this trailer:

 

5. Like back legs: HIND. 

9. Wanders: ROAMS.  Do you recall when the word roams just meant "wanders", and not something related to placing/receiving a cellular phone call?  And for the record, does anyone pay a roaming fee anymore, with these all-inclusive cell phone plans?

14. Highway division: LANE.  

15. Purple berry in healthy smoothies: ACAI.  One of a few crosswordese entries, but I am OK with this one

16. Illuminated from below: UP LIT.  This might be the lone use of green paint in today's puzzle.  Backlit is a more recognized term; if you try to google uplit (one word or two) it takes you to uplift instead

17. Food thickener made from seaweed: AGAR. Another stale crossword entry but sometimes a constructor has to resort to these to keep other words in place

18. Takes a snooze: NAPS.  Something that this retiree looks forward to

19. __-gritty: NITTY.  Did anyone else think, immediately, of this band?  Spill the dirt!

[theme entry]

23. Get ready: PREPARE.  Now that all of my tax stuff is here, it's time to prepare for filing

24. Word before bar or drink: ENERGY.  As one who's been known to imbibe, the word energy did not immediately come to mind with "bar" and "drink" 😉

27. Contents of a barn stack: HAY. 

28. Nursing spot: TEAT.  A more "fun" clue could have been: "Nursing spot for a kid" (as in a baby goat)

30. WNW's opposite: ESE.  Ese has also been clued as a language suffix (as in Japanese)

31. Very pale: ASHEN. 

[theme entry]

36. The sun, for one: STAR.  And also, an image used in rating things. As in, my rating for today's puzzle is a solid, ⭐⭐⭐ and 1/2⭐

Imagine my surprise when I got to 58-across: Gives stars to: RATES.  Aren't we constructors supposed to avoid using an entry word in a clue?

37. Common living room piece: COUCH.  Did anyone else use the word DIVAN in this spot? I did

38. Big name in volleyballs: VOIT. My 5-1/2 year-old grandson has taken a liking to volleyball (mainly due to his having a crush on one of the star players on his grandpa's alma mater's team).  If you've never watched a match (NCAA Women) in person you're missing out on what (to me) is the most entertaining form of college athletics (the colors of the image below will be a hint to Moe's alma mater)

And here is an example of my grandson's girlfriend making an emphatic kill and setting a school record; which she then broke a few matches later when she scored 43 kills in a 5-setter

[theme entry]

41. Jai alai basket: CESTA.  I remember when both the sport (Jai Alai) as well as the crosswords (jai and alai) were popular.  I lived in Connecticut for several years and during that time period there was a jai alai fronton (the venue where the game is played and a former, oft-used crossword entry) in Hartford.  I would occasionally go there to watch and wager ... below is a clip about the rules of jai alai but if you'd prefer to open a hyperlink instead ... take your pick of which one to click 

42. Shorthand in a coffee order: CAF.  As in caffeine 

43. Went as a passenger: RODE.  TRAVELED was too big to fit 

44. Only Canadian MLB city, for short: TOR.  A CSO to our regular poster, CanadianEh! And yes, C Eh!, I know you've been waiting since 1967 for another Stanley Cup - your Blue Jays should've won a World Series last year, but the LA Dodgers were the best team $ could buy ... FWIW, I remember attending a Blue Jays game in TOR in the summer of 1992.  I think at the time, TOR was tied for first place but their win that evening gave them sole possession; they never relinquished their hold on first place, and they went on to win the World Series that year.  You've got very rabid fans there!

45. Consumed uncooked: ATE RAW.  I know there are those who'd frown at this, but one of my favorite raw consumables is an oyster on the half shell - maybe a dozen or two

47. Look of the recently woken: BED HEAD.  I couldn't decide whether bed head was one word or two until I found this:

I guess it's two

 

[reveal]

54. Honeycrisp, e.g.: APPLE.  One of the sweeter apple varieties, I've been told

56. Shoe bottom: SOLE.  Moe-ku:

        Korean monks walked

        Barefoot when leaving country.

        Forfeited their SOLE

57. Hubbubs: ADOS.

[see above with 36-across]

59. Work with yarn: KNIT.  Are any of our regular posters or anonymous visitors into knitting? 

60. NHL venue: RINK.  CSO to our Friday blogger, Splynter

61. Romantic meeting: TRYST.  Moe-ku #2:

        Famous love romance

        Should've been called: "Tristan

        TRYST and Isolde"

62. Goes out with: SEES.  DATES was too long to fit

63. Disappointing report card grades: DEES.  I'm pretty sure that I had a couple of these during my college years; don't recall having one in HS

Down:
1. Jewelry fastener: CLASP.  Question for all of the guys out there:  is it just me or do you also have trouble unfastening one of these when your wife asks you to unclasp her necklace?  Maybe I should have watched this video first:

2. Golden beer: LAGER.  The word Lager in German is actually Lagerbier.  We shortened the name when the brew was introduced to the US by German immigrants.  The most famous American Lager is Budweiser; but when I choose to drink a lager these are my two favorites: 

3. Amazed: IN AWE.  I am in awe that an 11-yr old boy (Nate) could be a such a talented crossword puzzle constructor; this is seriously a very good puzzle

4. Outer edge: PERIPHERY.  Not an oft used crossword entry - nice!

5. Grumpy due to lack of food: HANGRY.  A portmanteau of Hungry and Angry

6. Start of Caesar's boast: I CAME.  Moe-l'ick (and not his best "boast"!) A bit lewd, but hey, it's a limerick!

        Julius Caesar (we all know his name)

        Was also a lover, part of his fame.

        He was boastful in bed

        Must have been his swelled head

        His go-to exclaim? "I (already) CAME"

7. California wine valley: NAPA.  Despite its well-known image, I find other California wine valleys (and regions) more enjoyable to visit - this past summer we went to the Sierra Foothills, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, and Paso Robles wine regions.  Loved each of them.  "Old-time" Paso Robles is still enjoyable but other parts of that area are quickly becoming the southern sister of Napa (which means, too crowded and too expensive)

8. Many a drink coaster: DISC.  An unusual clue for this word.  When I checked the Crossword Tracker website to see the frequency of its use, today's marks the first!

9. Encounter: RUN INTO.  I'm sure we all have stories about a time and place where we have run into a friend and/or famous person during our travels.  For me, probably the most unusual one was when I ran into an old friend - whom I hadn't seen in well over 6 years - in the A Terminal at the Atlanta airport.  We were both heading towards the escalator that descends to the inter-terminal train to make a connection; his incoming flight and mine obviously arrived simultaneously, but think of the odds of both of us disembarking in a manner that would allow us to sync our movements through the busiest airport in the world?  And then recognize each other and say "Hi!" ... 

10. State one's view: OPINE.  

11. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, e.g.: ALTER EGOS.  Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, et al are all alter egos of Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, and Peter Parker ... but as I looked up both of the characters in the clue (Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) and read their biography it dawned on me that Zhou (and/or Nate) was describing their own family, in a way 😉

12. Cambridge univ.: MIT. One of the things I liked most about today's puzzle was the limited use of abbreviations

13. Total dump: STY. I wonder if Nate's bedroom has the sty look of this famous cartoon son:

21. Flat bread served with curry: NAAN.

22. Toffee bar brand: HEATH.  The dark chocolate variety's the one I prefer:

Are you a dark chocolate fan, too?

25. "Top Gun" outfit: G SUIT.  Image below is from Luke AFB, here in Arizona.  I dunno what happened to their torsos and heads ... maybe it's the result of pulling 9 G's

26. Gossipy sort: YENTA.  Do we have any yentas among our regular posters and/or anonymous viewers?  And for the record, does a yenta have to be Jewish?

28. Brownish gray: TAUPE.  This was one of two "starting" words that I use(d) when I solve the daily Wordle puzzle - unfortunately, the day that this one "hit" I tried the other starting word (which has none of the same letters as taupe).  Imagine my surprise when I used taupe as my second guess and saw all green ... 

29. Engrave: ETCH.

31. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA.  American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (I can see why they choose to use the acronym!)

32. Weasel with a short, black-tipped tail: STOAT.  Moe-ku #3: 

        Weasel entered an

        Anagram contest and lost.

        "Told you he was TOAST!"

        
33. Pessimist's description of a glass, perhaps: HALF EMPTY. 

34. Super Mario character who looks like a mushroom: TOAD.  I wonder if this was Nate's clue?

35. Picked up, in a way: OVERHEARD.  Moe-ku #4: (using the intransitive verb form and two extra syllables)

        Gossip sought new "dirt".

        Couldn't make out their words. "Psst!

        Overhear over here, please!"

           

37. Director Cameron: CROWE.  Jerry Maguire is my favorite of his movies.  Yours?

40. Most serious: GRAVEST.

41. Girls Who __: nonprofit that supports STEM initiatives: CODE. Learn all about this great organization

44. Religious beliefs: TENETS. Stealing a page from Ray-O-Sunshine's playbook:

Beliefs found at the International UFO Museum in Roswell, NM? TenETs

46. Parts: ROLES.

47. Contradict: BELIE.

48. Pearl Jam vocalist Vedder: EDDIE.  As a band that formed in Seattle, WA (Zhou Zhang's current city) it would not surprise me that this is her (and maybe the whole family's) favorite group.  Here is one of their songs featuring the vocals of Eddie Vedder

49. Without company: ALONE. Company, as in companionship.  If read differently, could the answer be "Sole Proprietorship"?

50. Classroom workspaces: DESKS. The traditional way of organizing desks in a classroom is in a grid pattern (rows), with the teacher's desk at the very front of the room.  One of my early memories of a non-traditional way to organize was when I was in the third grade - our teacher, Mrs. Neimann, decided to arrange the desks in a U-shaped pattern.  There was no escaping being able to see her or each other.  She remains perhaps my most favorite elementary school teacher ... 

One example of a U-shaped desk arrangement

52. Sounds of disapproval: TSKS.  Moe-ku #5:

        Certain Egyptian

        Boy king never said "TSK, TSK",

        Quite obviously ...

53. Sharpen, as a knife: HONE.  I wonder if this applied to young Nate, many years ago! 😉

54. Gallery display: ART.  A sophomoric joke just came to mind ...

55. Golf course standard: PAR. Once upon a time, this blogger was skilled enough to have completed an 18-hole round of golf with a score below par - did it a few times, actually.  My golfing skills have long since atrophied.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've played over the past three years and have a couple of fingers remaining ... maybe in 2026 I will attempt to play more often

Well, it's off to the supermarket today (first Wednesday in the month = 10% senior discount).  See y'uns (that was for TTP) in March 

ps: to Anonymous PVX - regarding the age survey a week ago ... you and I may share the same exact birthday (month/year, for sure) or be very close.  Drop me an email if you can ... Moe

Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Brian Russell & Zhouqin Burnikel

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists, Malodorous Manatee here . . . and, yes, you read that correctly . . . . with a recap of a Wednesday puzzle.  As C.C. mentioned late last year, I have gone from recapping on alternate Fridays to recapping the final Wednesday puzzle each month.  Call it semi-retirement or a new adventure . . . or both.  As the fates would have it, for this, my first Wednesday foray, we get a puzzle co-constructed by C.C.  I have reviewed something like 125 puzzles here on the corner and this is first C.C. puzzle I have had the privilege to recap.  To make things even more special, C.C's co-constructor is our own Brian "Rusty Brain" Russell who is making his debut.  What a nice way to enter the Wonderful World of Wednesday.

Brian describes the genesis of the puzzle, and its evolution, as follows:  

"My initial inspiration was the old joke, “How do you make a jam sandwich? Take two pieces of bread and jam them together!” It got me thinking about different kinds of jams, and here we are. Creating a crossword is a great learning experience. While I came up with phrases and clues, C.C. is the mastermind that pulled it together on a grid. Hope you enjoy!"

With that in mind, let's dive right in starting with the unifier:

63 Across:  Impromptu jazz performance, or an apt title for this puzzle: JAM SESSION.  In this case a JAM is a group of musicians playing together more or less making it up as they go along.  However, at four other places in the grid, C.C. and Brian have asked us to come up with answers that riff on the word JAM in its various other forms

17 Across: Filled pastry: JELLY DONUT.  Jelly, marmalade, confiture, etc.  In other words - JAM.

24 Across:  Office machine: LASER PRINTER.  We are all familiar with printer jams.   Bottleneck, congestion, stoppage.  In other words - JAM.

39 Across:  High-flying NBA All-Star event: SLAM DUNK CONTEST. Stuff, push, cram.  In other words - JAM.  A basketball reference.  A slam dunk is also called a "jam" and that formed the basis of a successful electronic game:

51 Across:  Rush hour gridlock: TRAFFIC SNARL.  AKA a traffic jam.  This one could have referenced a musical moment by Steve Winwood and Dave Mason.

This is how it all appears in the grid:

. . . . and here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. Violin players: BOWS.  Not the musicians.  What they often hold in their hands.

5. Discussion site: FORUM.  As in an online FORUM, or I suppose an ancient form of FORUM.

10. Omelet need: EGGS.

14. Potatoes, in Indian dishes: ALOO.   This has become a crossword staple.

15. Remove from memory: ERASE.

16. Young stallion: COLT.  By definition.

19. Clarinet kin: OBOE.  Frequently heard in our puzzles.

20. Promotional cost: AD FEE.

21. Field expert: REF.  A REFerence to a REFeree (on, for example, a football field).

23. Night before: EVE.

29. __ Martin cognac: REMY.

32. Charlottesville sch.: UVA.

33. Slow-cooked dish: STEW.  Security professionals advise to never use ‘beef stew’ as a password.  It isn’t stroganoff.

34. "Peace" shape: VEE.

35. Camera component: LENS.  What is the best type of lens to use for photographing cars?  Auto focus.

37. "Gotcha": I SEE.

44. Keep a sauce from congealing, say: STIR.

45. Screw feature: SLOT.  Oh, the noun.

46. __ sequitur: NON

47. Tech in key cards: RFID.

49. Prove human, in a way: ERR.  A misstep frequently occuring in our puzzles.

50. Attention-getting hiss: PSST.  A sound often heard in our puzzles.

55. Gut punch reaction: OOF.

56. Sheridan of "Ready Player One": TYE.  Unknown to this solver.  Thanks, perps.

57. Tree that's tapped: MAPLE.  For sap from which to make syrup.

61. Ride-hailing company whose cars once featured big pink mustaches: LYFT.   From Wiki: "The Lyft pink mustache was a large, fuzzy icon that drivers attached to their cars to identify themselves as part of the Lyft ride-sharing service. It was replaced in 2015 by a smaller, glowing dashboard version called the "glowstache" to create a more subtle appearance."

67. In __ land: LA LA.  Slang for being out of touch with reality.

68. Acting award won by Ke Huy Quan in 2023: OSCAR.  For his role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once".

69. Patch up: MEND.  How do you mend a broken Jack O'lantern?  With a pumpkin patch.

70. Winter slider: SLED.  People ask me why I keep bringing my sled to places like yard sales and flea markets.  I tell them the answer is simple...Toboggan!

71. Rosary components: BEADS.

72. Mount Olympus figure: ARES.  One of twelve.

Down:

1. Mexican peninsula, informally: BAJA.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.  BAJA California.

2. Screen on some handheld games, for short: OLED.  Organic Light-Emitting Diode

3. Canine in some fairy tales: WOLF.

4. Exclusively: SOLELY.  I hear that Google is set to come out with a new browser that manages search results based SOLELY on your DNA.  The browser is going to be called Google Chromosome.

5. Provided with kibble, say: FED.

6. El Dorado building material: ORO.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.  El dorado is the legendary city of gold.  ORO is gold in Spanish.

7. Legged it: RAN.

8. Take illegitimately: USURP.

9. Units of length: METERS.  So many to choose from.  Thanks, perps, for narrowing things down.

10. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.

11. Intermediaries: GO BETWEENS. Liaisons.

12. Baseball fielder's need: GLOVE.  MITT was not long enough.

13. Take the wheel: STEER.

18. Vote of approval: YEA.  We never know if it will turn out to be AYE or YEA.  At least there's not a three-letter word with the same letters that begins with E and means a vote of approval.

22. Mesh with a group: FIT IN.

25. Chekov colleague: SULU.  Not a Russian novelist reference.  A "Star Trek" reference.  Pavel Checkov and Hikaru SULU.

26. Makes level: EVENS.

27. Irritates deeply: RANKLES.  From the Web:  "The word “rankle” isn’t just another random slang—it has roots going way back to Old English and Middle French! Originally, rankle described a physical wound that kept festering or burning inside. Imagine a sore that just won’t heal, constantly annoying you—that’s literally what rankling felt like.  Fast forward to today, and we’re mainly using it to describe emotional or mental irritation rather than literal wounds. The idea of an “annoyance that won’t heal” stuck around pretty well!"

28. Cheep digs?: NEST.  Cheep not cheap.

29. Campers on wheels, briefly: RVS.  Recreational VehicleS

30. Slippery swimmers: EELS.  What a shocker !

31. Fundraising event where one can win a round: MEAT RAFFLE.  Round as in a beef round roast.  From Wiki:  "A meat raffle is a tradition of raffling off meat, often in pubs and bars in Australia, in some areas of Britain and the US, and in Western Canada."  New to this solver.

36. Treat with contempt: SCORN.

38. Those, in Havana: ESOS.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.  The language of Havana, Cuba is, of course, Spanish.

40. Annoy slightly: MIFF.

41. Train of thought: DRIFT.  As in "Do you catch my DRIFT?"

42. __ vez: again, in Spanish: OTRA.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.  Literally, another time.

43. Blasting material: TNT.  TriNitroToluene

48. Home project done solo: DIY JOB.  Do It Yourself

50. Blood bank supply: PLASMA.

51. Charges on roads: TOLLS.

52. Fit for a queen: ROYAL  Add an E and we get:

53. Stop: CEASE.

54. Suite divs.: RMS.  RooMS

58. Place to dock: PIER.  I never wanted to go to the docks, but after my friends pestered me for an hour I finally gave into PIER pressure.

59. Unaccompanied: LONE.

The LONE Ranger

60. Stops: ENDS.

62. Little bit: TAD.  The teacher asked, "Name three famous Poles!"  Tommy proudly answered, "North, South and TAD."

64. Former Lynyrd Skynyrd label: MCA.   This solver did not know the label but it was pretty clear, after a couple of perps, that it was going to be something like either RCA or MCA.   And, since it's been teed up:

65. Like lyrics full of heartache: SAD.  One of the saddest:

66. Critical-care hosp. areas: ERS.  Emergency RoomS

Well, that will wrap things up for this Wednesday.  Have a great (Wednes)day, everyone.

_________________________________________

M M OUT

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Ilana Levine and Scott Hogan

Theme:  Head Over Heels or Tumbling.  

Here is today's theme song. 

This theme is unusual. Instead of the meanings of theme fill words, it's based on the placement and repetition of a certain syllable within longer words in the grid.  That syllable is "END, " which is also a word meaning the extreme part of something.   Let's start with the unifier.

66. One way to tumble, or what can be found four times in this puzzle: END OVER END.   "End over end" describes an object rotating end over end, like a football flipping vertically in the air, rather than spinning on its axis, similar to "head over heels," and often implies an uncontrolled or tumbling motion.  In the puzzle it indicates the physical placement of the letters "END," in vertically adjacent fill. 

I placed the grid here instead of at the bottom for easy reference.

Here are the relevant word pairs.

First -

14 A. Bike trick also called a stoppie: ENDO.  An endo (short for end-over-end - imagine that) is a fundamental bike trick where you use the front brake and body weight to lift the rear wheel, balancing on the front wheel, often used for tight turns or as a base for other tricks.

17 A. Neurochemicals that act as natural painkillers: ENDORPHINS.  Any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions. They are peptides which activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.

Second -

26 A. "Peter Pan" protagonist: WENDY.   Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, as well as in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though it is implied that she is about Peter's age as she is "just Peter's size".

As a girl on the verge of adulthood, she stands in contrast to Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up, the major theme of the Peter Pan stories. Wendy hesitates at first to fly off to Neverland, but she comes to enjoy her adventures. Ultimately, she chooses to go back to her parents and accepts that she has to grow up.

31 A. Low-calorie sweetener: SPLENDA.    A global brand of sugar substitutes and reduced-calorie food products. While the company is known for its original formulation containing sucralose, it also manufactures items using natural sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit and allulose.

Third -

49 A. Classifications for nouns in some languages: GENDERS.   In languages, "gender" means a system for classifying nouns, which can be related to biological sex (like he/she in English), but often isn't, applying to objects (French: la table, le canapé) or animacy (Swahili), serving grammatical functions like marking agreement on adjectives and verbs, with some languages having many genders (Zulu) and others none (Finnish), reflecting diverse cultural and linguistic approaches to categorizing the world. 

54 A. Lets use: LENDS.  Grants to someone the use of something on the understanding that it shall be returned.

Forth -

66 A. One way to tumble, or what can be found four times in this puzzle: END OVER END.

70 A. Hawk: VEND.   To peddle or sell goods aggressively, often by shouting in public, like "hawking newspapers on the street". It also means to advertise or promote something intensely, such as a product or idea. 

For a final, elegant touch for this thematically rich puzzle, the ENDs are all symmetrically placed.  A tremendous amount of thought went into this construction.

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here to stumble and tumble through the rest of the puzzle.  Let's try to keep our footing.

Across:

1. Old car from Sweden: SAAB. Made by a Swedish company known for its defense and security solutions (aircraft, naval systems, radar) and its legacy as a unique automobile manufacturer, which ceased production in 2011,

5. __ Rica: COSTA.   Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity.

10. Distance runner Ztopek: EMIL.   Emil Zátopek (misspelled as "Ztopet") was a legendary Czech long-distance runner, nicknamed "The Locomotive," famous for his distinctive, gasping running style and for being the only person to win the 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon at the same Olympics (1952 Helsinki)

15. Poker buy-ins: ANTES.   Stakes put up by players in poker and similar games before receiving cards.

16. "Ciao": TATA.  Adios.  Later.

19. Fluid-filled cavity: CYST.  In the body, a membranous sac or cavity of abnormal character containing fluid.

20. Italian staple: PASTA.   A dish originally from Italy consisting of dough made from durum wheat, extruded or stamped into various shapes and cooked in boiling water, and typically served with a sauce.

21. Story-sharing app, briefly: INSTA.  Short for Instagram,  a popular, free photo and short video-sharing social media app (owned by Meta) where users post visual content, apply filters, use hashtags, and follow others to see their posts in a personalized feed, featuring formats like permanent posts, disappearing Stories, and short-form Reels

23. "I'm on vacay" notification: OOO. Out Of Office [I assume.]

24. Prisoner: INMATE.  A person confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital.

28. "Bon __!": APPETIT.   French people say "Bon appétit" (meaning "good appetite") as a polite way to wish someone a good meal before they start eating, signaling the beginning of the dining experience, similar to "Enjoy your meal." 

33. Source of minerals: ORE.   A naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.

34. Garden pest with tentacles: SLUG.   Any of several tough-skinned terrestrial mollusks which typically lacks a shell and secretes a film of mucus for protection. They can be a serious plant pests.   Like other pulmonate land gastropods, the majority of land slugs have two pairs of 'feelers' or tentacles on their head. The upper pair is light-sensing and has eyespots at the ends, while the lower pair provides the sense of smell. 

36. __ Mujeres, Mexico: ISLA.   Isla Mujeres is a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, 13 kilometers off the coast from Cancún. It's a vacation destination known for beaches such as northern Playa Norte, resort hotels and for snorkeling and scuba diving on the surrounding coral reefs. At Punta Sur, the southern tip, there's a lighthouse, the remains of a Mayan temple and a sanctuary for sea turtles.

37. One way to stop a cab?: CORK.  Here, a cab is a cabernet wine in a bottle stopped with a cork.  Cute and clever clue

39. JD seekers' hurdles: LSATS.  The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is a standardized exam for aspiring law students, assessing reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical skills through multiple-choice sections and an argumentative writing sample, 

41. Baking instruction: SIFT.   Put a fine, loose, or powdery substance through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles.

44. German article: EINE.  Meaning "one" or "a."

46. "Heads up!": DUCK.  Move your head or body downwards to avoid being hit or seen. A bit ironic, I think.

48. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO.   São Paulo (pronounced "Sow Pow-loo") means "Saint Paul" in Portuguese, named after Saint Paul the Apostle, as the city was founded by Jesuit priests on the feast day of his conversion (January 25, 1554). It refers to both a major Brazilian state and its capital city, a vast economic, cultural, and cosmopolitan hub in South America. 

52. Wild: BERSERK.    Erupt in furious rage, become crazily violent. This expression is believed to allude to the name of Norse warriors renowned for their ferocity in battle and for wearing no armor but a bearskin shirt (or berserkar).

55. Saved option: PRESET.   A setting on a device that is adjusted or applied before use or by the manufacturer, especially on electronic audio or video equipment.

57. Lennox of R&B: ARI.  Courtney Shanade Salter [b. 1991] known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Washington, D.C. She signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records as the former label's first female artist in 2015.

58. Weasellike critter: STOAT.  The stoat (Mustela erminea), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America.  The name ermine  is used especially in its pure white winter coat of the stoat or its fur. Ermine fur was used in the 15th century by Catholic monarchs, who sometimes used it as the mozzetta cape. It has long been used on the ceremonial robes of members of the United Kingdom House of Lords. It was also used in capes on images such as the Infant Jesus of Prague.

60. First lady of the 1950s: MAMIE.   Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower [1896 - 1979] was the first lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household in Colorado. She married Eisenhower, then a lieutenant in the United States Army, in 1916.

64. Obsolete phone part: DIAL.  A rotary dial is [or was] a component of a telephone or a telephone switchboard that implements a signaling technology in telecommunications known as pulse dialing. It is used when initiating a telephone call to transmit the destination telephone number to a telephone exchange as a succession of individual digits.

68. Scope prefix: TELE.  The prefix "tele-" means "far off," "at a distance," or "over a distance," coming from the Greek word tēle. It's used in English to describe things that operate remotely, involve long-distance communication, or are performed electronically across space

69. Wide-mouthed: AGAPE.   Wide open, especially with surprise or wonder.

71. Rough words?: OR SO.  Roughly speaking, so to speak, but not speaking roughly.  Sort of.

72. Brusque: TERSE.  Short and to the point.

73. Marketplace with personalized gifts: ETSY.   An online marketplace for unique, handmade, vintage, and creative goods, connecting independent sellers with buyers globally, and its name was inspired by the Italian phrase "eh, si" ("oh, yes") and the Latin/French "etsi" ("what if"), chosen by founder Rob Kalin for its nonsensical yet evocative sound to build a brand from scratch

Down:

1. Leak slowly: SEEP.  Flow or leak slowly through porous material or small holes.

2. "The Piano" Oscar winner Paquin: ANNA.   Anna Helene Paquin [b. 1982] is a New Zealand-born actress who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 11 for her role in The Piano. She is the second-youngest Oscar winner in history. 

Best Supporting Actress

3. Puts two and two together: ADDS.  Or 3 and 1.  There are options.

4. Part of a knitted outfit for a baby: BOOTIE.   A baby bootee (or bootie) is a soft, sock-like, knitted or crocheted footwear for infants, designed to keep their feet warm and protected, acting as a cozy alternative to shoes, often used for warmth in cribs, strollers, or during crawling.

5. Part of a knitted outfit for a baby: CAP.  As for the feet, so for the head.  Also a clecho.

6. Taking a gap year, say: ON HIATUS.   A pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.

7. Spell: STINT.   A STINT is a limited period spent doing a particular job, activity, or serving in a place.  A spell is a short, continuous stretch of time or weather (e.g., "a cold spell,"). Do these match?  You decide.

8. Reacts to suspense: TENSES.   As a verb, "tense" means to make or become tight, stiff, or strained, often due to nervousness, fear, or readiness for action, 

9. Admin. aide: ASST.   ASSISTANT.  Note ebbrvs. in cl. & ans.

10. Succinct "I could go on": ETC.   "Etc." is the common abbreviation for the Latin phrase "et cetera," meaning "and the rest," "and so forth," or "and other things," used at the end of a list to show that more items of the same kind could be added.

11. Thousand Island base: MAYONNAISE.    A thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces.

12. "This ain't normal": IT'S ODD.  Said of something different from what is usual or expected; strange.

13. "Heart Don't Lie" singer Jackson: LATOYA.   La Toya Yvonne Jackson [b. 1956] is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She's also the older sister of Janet and Michael Jackson. Jackson first gained recognition on the family's CBS variety show, The Jacksons, from 1976–1977. 

18. __ and raves: RANTS.  Shouts and complains angrily and at length.   Not a good time.

22. Piercing tools: AWLS.   An AWL is a small pointed tool used for piercing holes, especially in leather.

25. Playwright Arthur: MILLER.  Arthur Asher Miller (1915-2005) was a 20th century American playwright and actor who explored social and psychological themes in the human experience. His work, influenced by the Great Depression and World War II, captured the American psyche's unrest and dissatisfaction. Marilyn Monroe was his second of his three wives.  He was her third husband.

27. Bed fellows?: EELS.   Eels are ray finned, elongated fish, ranging in length from 5 cm (2 in) in the one-jawed eel (Monognathus ahlstromi) to 4 m (13 ft) in the slender giant moray.     They inhabit both saltwater (marine) and freshwater (brackish/fresh) habitats, preferring to hide in mud, sand, or under rocks, [hence the "bed" in the clue] and are often nocturnal. 

28. Rep. from the Bronx: AOC.   Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [b. 1989] is an American politician and activist who has served since 2019 as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

29. Expert: PRO.  A professional, especially in sports.

30. Plants with a long life cycle: PERENNIALS.   Perennials live for multiple years, often dying back to the roots in winter but regrowing each spring for long-term garden presence.

32. Star fish?: PISCES.   Pisces (Latin for "fishes") is the 12th and final zodiac sign (Feb 19 - Mar 20), symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, representing the pull between fantasy and reality. As a mutable water sign ruled by Neptune, Pisceans are known for deep empathy, intuition, creativity, and compassion, having absorbed lessons from all other signs, though they can struggle with escapism and getting lost in emotions.   Nice double meaning in the clue.

35. Knock (about): GAD.   Go around from one place to another, in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.

38. "The Secret Life of Bees" novelist: KIDD.   The Secret Life of Bees is a bestselling coming-of-age novel by Sue Monk Kidd [b. 1948], set in South Carolina in 1964, about a young girl named Lily Owens who escapes her abusive father with her caretaker, Rosaleen, and finds refuge with three Black beekeeping sisters who hold the key to her mother's past. 

40. Garments that may lead to cold shoulders: TUBE TOPS.   A strapless, sleeveless, tight-fitting top for the upper body, shaped like a tube, that wraps around the bust without covering the shoulders or arms. 

Only $9.99

42. Not close: FAR.   At a distance.

43. Tik's partner: TOK.  "Tic toc" (or tick-tock) primarily means the sound of a clock, but colloquially, it signifies that time is running out, urging someone to hurry or warning of an approaching deadline, like a countdown. 

45. Loch for monster hunters: NESS.   The Loch Ness Monster, known affectionately as Nessie, is a mythical creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or more humps protruding from the water.

47. Last word in doughnuts: KREME.   Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain. Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans chef, rented a building in 1937 in what is now historic Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and began selling to local grocery stores.   The brand name is a deliberate non-standard spelling of "crispy cream", for marketing effect.

49. "My pleasure": GLAD TO.  Happy to be of service.

50. More spine-tingling: EERIER.   More strange or frightening.

51. Freeload: SPONGE.  Take advantage of other people's generosity without giving anything in return.

53. "Feed a cold, __ a fever": STARVE.  "Feed a cold, starve a fever" is an old saying, but modern medicine says your body needs energy and fluids for both, so it's best to eat nutritious foods and stay hydrated when sick with a cold or fever, rather than skipping meals, as your immune system needs fuel to fight infection.

56. Meteorology tool: RADAR.    An  acronym for "radio detection and ranging," it is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (ranging), direction (azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site.  It's used to detect and track aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations and terrain. 

59. Udder part: TEAT.   A nipple of the mammary gland of a female mammal, from which the milk is sucked by the young. 

61. Bump into: MEET.   Encounter someone by chance.

62. Stops along the way: INNS.   Establishments providing accommodations, food, and drink, especially for travelers.

63. Sink hole feature, perhaps: EDDY.   A circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small whirlpool.   Sinkholes and eddies are related by water dynamics, where strong water flow (like floods or even leaking pipes) can create eddies that erode soil, leading to sinkholes.

65. Novelist Tolstoy: LEO.   Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy [1828 - 1910] , usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential authors of all time.   His works include the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina and novellas such as Hadji Murad and The Death of Ivan Ilyich. 

67. Vendetta's origin?: VEE.  This awkward self-referential clue refers to the first letter of Vendetta.  Meh!

This is otherwise a fine puzzle with a creative theme, some clever clues, and lots of high quality fill.  Hope you enjoyed it.  And are enjoying the winter.  It's been brutally cold here in south-east Michigan.  I'll be back next month.

Cool [and hoping for warmer] regards!

JzB

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy 78th birthday to Madame DeFarge, who used to be a regular on our blog. We miss you, Janice,  hope you're doing well.

 

2) Happy birthday to dear Sumdaze! I really struck gold a few years ago when I invited her to be a Corner blog author, and I’m just as grateful for our friendship off the blog. She is not only creative and hardworking, but also exceptionally organized.

 

3) Today our blog turns 18 years old. There were some difficult stretches, but I'm proud to say we have not missed a single day of the writeup. This milestone would not be possible without the dedication of our past and current team members, or the steady support of our readers over the years. Thank you for showing up, day after day, and for being part of our Corner family.