Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Aidan Deshong

 TEAMWORK! 

18 Across. Sharp reply to unsolicited advice: DID I ASK YOU. The Chicago Sky ( Basketball) A Team?

29 Across. Rib cut with a long bone: TOMAHAWK STEAK. The Atlanta Hawks (Basketball) A Team?

50 Across. News that may interrupt regular programming: BREAKING STORY. The Sacramento Kings (Basketball) A team?

66 Across. Bodies beyond the Solar System: EXOPLANETS. The Brooklyn Nets (Basketball) A Team?

75 Across. Elite squad, or what's found in each set of circled letters: A TEAM. 

CrossEyedDave here, to try and dribble you through this puzzle without drooling...  Note that each Basketball Team's name is preceded by the letter A.  I am not very savvy when it comes to sports, and I thought there might be a deeper rabbit hole here, as here in the East, The Brooklyn Nets could be considered the "A" team, while the Long Island Nets might be the "B" team. So I asked CC for her expertise, and she replied, "it's just an A in front of the team name, and it is a very tight theme!"

I started reading this Blog years ago because I don't understand Crosswords...

Aidan Deshong is a prolific, widely published crossword constructor who gained national recognition while still a college student. Originally from Los Angeles, he is a student at Harvey Mudd College who regularly constructs clever grids for publications like The New York Times, Defector, and Spyscape. 

Known for his creativity, his thematic crossword puzzles frequently feature pop-culture references, trivia, and engaging wordplay. 

Notable highlights from his crossword career include:

• The New York Times: He has authored multiple NYT puzzles, including several co-creations with other young constructors like Jacob Reed and his former high school classmate Oren Hartstein. His works feature distinct grid designs ranging from clever themes to Saturday-level challenges. 
• Defector: He constructed the Monday crossword for Defector (published in partnership with AVCX), featuring unique middle-of-the-grid designs. 
• Spyscape: Deshong has been a regular contributor to the Spyscape Consider the Following series, offering unique themed puzzles. 

Aidan Deshong debuted on the LAT with Nate Cardin January 5th, 2024. This 15x16 grid is another example of his style and fresh approach. While A Team has probably been used as a theme before, no one has thought to put "A" ahead of a team name before...  Circles are definitely needed to point out the quirkiness of the themers.

Across:
1. Always complaining: WHINY. Hmm, reminds me of certain Anons. (Go Blue! Yay Team!)

6. Dog tail motions: WAGS.

10. Storyline: PLOT.

14. Navaratri celebrant: HINDU. Navaratri is a major Hindu festival spanning 9 nights and 10 days, dedicated to the worship of the Divine Feminine (Shakti/Devi). It celebrates the triumph of good over evil and culminates in Vijaya Dashami (or Dussehra), commemorating Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura.

15. Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions: AIDAN.

Name #1

16. Courtroom pledge: OATH.

17. Luggage dangler: ID TAG.

18. [Theme]

20. So-so: MEH. The origins and evolution of the word involve three key milestones:

• Yiddish Roots (1928): Etymologists, including those at the Oxford English Dictionary, trace "meh" to the Yiddish word me (meaning "so-so" or "be as it may"). It was documented in this context in Alexander Harkavy’s Yiddish-English-Hebrew dictionary published in 1928. 
• Early Internet Use (1992): Before it became a pop-culture phenomenon, the earliest known written evidence of "meh" in modern English appeared in a 1992 online discussion board about the show Melrose Place. 
The Simpsons (1994–2001): The term was popularized by The Simpsons. It was first uttered by a store clerk in a 1994 episode and later famously spelled out by Lisa Simpson to express complete disinterest in 2001. 

21. Magazine copy: ISSUE.

23. Like an apple pie's apples, typically: PEELED. I wanted Green, or Granny...(as in Granny Smith.)

24. Business maj.: ECON. Economics.

26. Knocks: RAPS.

28. Burro: ASS.

29. [Theme]

34. Lab assistant of cinema: IGOR.

Obligatory insert...

35. Old Navy parent company: GAP. Everything you ever wanted to know about Gap... well, Actually there is even more...

36. Steamed cantina dishes: TAMALES.

40. Wear away: ERODE.

42. Golden Globe winner Seehorn: RHEA. Name #2

44. "Wicked" co-star Cynthia: ERIVO. Name #3

45. Tries calling again: REDIALS. (It's shorter than re-buttonization...)

47. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU.

Name #4

49. Prayer ender: AMEN.

50. [Theme]

53. Cyberchats, briefly: IMS. (Instant Messaging.)

56. Doe's kid: FAWN.

57. In __ of: LIEU. Definition can be found here...

58. Synagogue text: TALMUD. Info can be found here...

60. Nail polish brand: ESSIE.

63. Plopped down: SAT.

66. [Theme]

68. Church steeple: SPIRE.

70. Silent performer: MIME.

71. Ratio punctuation: COLON. :)

72. Part of a skin care regimen: TONER.

73. Unhealthy haze: SMOG.

74. Recipe meas.: TBSP. (Tablespoon)

75. [Theme Reveal]

Down:
1. Sudden urge: WHIM.

2. Conceal: HIDE.

3. Game, in a way: IN THE MOOD.

4. Secret letters?: NDA. Non Disclosure Agreement.

5. Trading card game based on a manga series: YUGIOH.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

6. Game console that preceded the Nintendo Switch: WIIU. Wii, U, Me, Whatever...

7. Some venomous snakes: ADDERS. More here, (if you are into snakes...)

8. Moo goo __ pan: GAI.

Looks better than it sounds...

9. Green stir-fry ingredient: SNAP PEA. (See above.)

10. Jab with a finger: POKE.

11. Wrestler who won the WWE Women's Championship in 2010: LAYLA. Name #5

12. Missouri River Natives: OTOES. I went to get you a list, but it turns out there are 574 Federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...

13. Lands heavily: THUDS. Like my search for a Native American tribe list...

15. Commercials: ADS. Advertisements, seen so many times, they shortened it to Ads, and then lengthened them...

19. Word in an opening line?: SESAME.😀

22. Grab: SNAG.

25. "Am I the Drama?" rapper: CARDI B. Name #6

27. Reach, as a goal: ATTAIN.

29. Stratum: TIER. Tier makes me think of cakes, stratum makes me think of dirt. Hardly compatible.

30. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.

31. Capital of Poland: WARSAW.

32. Metric speed meas.: KPH. Kilometers Per Hour

33. Sport with belts: KARATE. 

37. Long car ride?: LIMOUSINE. 😀

38. "Will I __ learn?": EVER. ( Not if it's sports...)

39. Walkman maker: SONY.

41. Talking-to: EARFUL.

43. Yale alum: ELI.

46. Headliner: LEAD ACT.

48. Wrinkled tangelo: UGLI. I posted images of this too many times...

51. Genuflects: KNEELS. 

I only know this word from The Wizard of Oz.

"The chipmunks genuflect to me..."

52. Remedy for post-lunch drowsiness: SIESTA.

53. Inventory list: ITEMS.

54. Saying: MAXIM. A.I. Overview

55. Replay speed, familiarly: SLOMO. One word colloquial abbreviation of Slow Motion.

59. Video file format: MPEG. Did not know it stood for this...

61. "Knock it off!": STOP.

62. Hyphenated ID: SSN. Social Security Number.

64. Length x width: AREA.

65. Part of an academic year: TERM.

67. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB.

If a picture is worth a thousand words,

What a short video worth?

69. Cauldron: POT. (Or an NYC nabe compared to Swanky Nob Hill...)

And, The Grid...

So, what do you think of this A Team puzzle? Were you a first rate solver, or did you get stuck on the bench...  spill your beans in the comments.

CE:D out...

≽^- ˕ -^≼

P.S.

Here's a freebie!

I was trying to "splain" the puzzle to Daughter #3

And she said, "there's a music tie in too!"

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - Shmuel Schmell

 

Theme:  "Attention K-Mart Shoppers: Clean-up on aisles 3, 6, and 10 [sic]"

 

 

 

Puzzling thoughts:

 

Chairman Moe here.  It's the first Wednesday of June and my turn to blog.  What a fun puzzle to recap today!  It's got circles (CSO to Anonymous), it's got word play, it's got an African Nation AND its capital city, it's got only a handful of three-letter words, each of its entries are completely unrelated which leads to a surprising reveal as I honestly didn't try to unscramble the circled letters before solving 61 across

 

Today's constructor, Shmuel Schmell, appears to have had a handful of published puzzles, dating back to 2021.  I was unable to find any biographical information for him, and I am guessing that this puzzle is his LAT debut.  Job well done, sir

 

The wordplay begins with the first entry:

 

17 across. One skilled in routine deliveries?: STAND UP COMEDIAN.  Love this clue!  Finding the first of the anagrams for the reveal (STAND UP = DUST PAN) was not readily seen by me.  Well-hidden in the circles.  And did I mention how much I loved this clue??!!  Not sure that I could choose among all of the stand-up comedians who is my favorite.  But this guy is pretty creative:

 

 

 

The second entry involves a throwback to my youth: 

 

26 across. San Francisco counterculture center of the 1960s: HAIGHT-ASHBURY.  As a child and teenager during the 1960's the San Francisco hippie scene was frequently featured in both newspapers and TV news programs.  Second of the circled anagrams for the reveal (ASHBURY contains the word BRUSH).  As I am sure many of you are aware, the name HAIGHT-ASHBURY is taken from a pair of intersecting streets in San Francisco as well as its neighborhood.  Lots of famous folks lived there:

 

 

The third entry is a CSO to my fellow Wednesday blogger, Jazz Bumpa, aka JzB, aka Ron.  His prowess as a SLIDE TROMBONE player only further defines his varied skills.  One of my earlier memories of a JzB post was around Christmas time - he shared a video of a guy who played Christmas and other holiday tunes on his trombone.  IIRC, the guy played all of the harmonies and spliced them together

 

46 across. Instrument that makes the sound of adults talking in "Peanuts" cartoons: SLIDE TROMBONE. Here is a "tutorial"

 

 

 

 

As you see, within the word TROMBONE is also the word BROOM.  And now, we have the trio of utensils that can be used to perform a clean-up:  BRUSH - BROOM - DUST PAN.  And this supports the reveal:

 

61. Overhauls that have lasting effects, or what can be found in this puzzle's circled letters: SWEEPING CHANGES.  I am not sure if this puzzle solves easily without the circles; the "sweeping" devices are very well-hidden

 

Here is the grid.  My only error was in the crossing of HARARE and REACHER 

 

 

 

 

Across:
1. Will beneficiary: HEIR. Nice, easy start to the solve

5. Thick-furred dog whose tail curls over its back: SPITZ. For some unknown reason, I chose AKITA before changing to SPITZ

10. "hahahahahaha": ROFL. Texting shortcut = Roll On Floor Laughing

14. Gillette razor: ATRA.  Rumor has it that Gillette named the razor ATRA because their CEO was big into crossword puzzles ...

15. "Yellow Odalisque" painter Matisse: HENRI.  This:

16. Adept: ABLE.

[entry word]

20. Many a Sunday talk show panelist: PUNDIT.  [AI overview] defines it as: A pundit is an expert who frequently shares their opinions with the public through mass media. Commonly referred to as "talking heads" or commentators, they are highly prominent in political, financial, and sports journalism

 

21. "Today" producer: NBC NEWS.  I have never been a fan of morning news programs, regardless of the network airing.  "The Today Show" debuted on January 14, 1952 and is the first of its kind.  Several other morning news programs followed but "Today" is the most-watched

22. Foal's father: SIRE.  Here is a video that was made before the last Triple Crown champion.  Of these horses Seattle Slew topped all Triple Crown winners as a sire; producing 8 champions, including Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, Swale (Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner), and Slew o’ Gold.

 

25. "Rules __ rules": ARE.  

[entry word]

32. Love, in Verona: AMORE.  

33. Cabbage side: SLAW.  One of my favorite slaw mixes is called "Tri-Color" and contains both green and red (purple) cabbage as well as chopped carrots

34. Fig. in a QB's completion percentage: ATT.   Attempts (actual passes thrown) divided by completions = the completion percentage.  One of the leading quarterbacks in winning Super Bowls, Terry Bradshaw, had a completion percentage of 51.9 - that is mediocre as far as statistics goes, but his 4 Super Bowl wins (no losses) is the highest winning percentage (based on total wins), tied with Joe Montana.  Tom Brady has 7 Super Bowl wins but has also had 3 Super Bowl losses

 

37. Second chances for students: RE-TESTS.  I can't recall ever having had a re-test when I was in school.  But this young woman did [Moe-ku]

 

Cosmetic student

Was absent; had to make-up

Her Makeup exam

 

39. Lee Child protagonist: REACHER.  Jack Reacher is a large, nomadic man with a military police background who wanders the country, taking odd jobs and stumbling into trouble

 

42. Genetic material: DNA.  Comparing the structure of DNA vs RNA: DNA is typically double-stranded, forming a twisted double helix. RNA is usually single-stranded and shorter, allowing it to easily interact with other molecules

43. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA.  Fun fact:  Olga Korbut never scored a perfect "10" in any of her Olympic events

45. TV executive Arledge: ROONE.  The man who brought ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and "Monday Night Football" to the TV Sports lineup

[entry word]

50. Smug cry: OHO.  

51. Blood bank fluids: SERA.

52. Kylo Ren's father in "Star Wars": HAN SOLO.  For those who are unfamiliar with some of the genealogy in "Star Wars":  Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo) is the biological child of Han Solo and Leia Organa. Because Leia is the daughter of Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker), Darth Vader is Kylo Ren's grandfather

56. Jewel box: CD CASE.  Clever clue.  Fun Fact: [according to AI] CD case inventor, Peter Doodson christened the name "jewel case" in 1982 when he was working for Philips. He named the case "jewel" because he considered its structure "virtually perfect" and specifically designed its polished ribs to catch the light, giving it a shining, gem-like appearance

[reveal]

64. Paddington, but not Waterloo: BEAR.  This clue refers also to a pair of stations in the London Underground (Tube).  According to AI: the fastest way to travel between them is by taking the direct Bakerloo line on the London Underground, which takes around 10–15 minutes. Alternatively, a taxi ride takes 15–20 minutes

65. Grey Goose rival: STOLI.  Vodka rivals.  As an imbiber of various adult beverages, vodka is my least favorite.  I keep a bottle strictly for any guest who requests.  My "go-to's" include (in no particular favorite order): Single Malt Scotch (Highland and Islay), Bourbon and Rye whiskey, Gin, and Tequila/Mezcal

66. History book sections: ERAS.  Moe-ku #2:

Baseball history book

Has section for great pitchers:

E.R.A. eras 

 

67. USN officers: CDRS. I tried ADMS first before doing the down words

68. Schlepped: TOTED.  I have received many tote bags at various trade shows I've attended, but never one called a "schlepp bag"

69. Starchy root in poi: TARO.  I am trying to cut back on starches ...

Down:
1. Strongbox fastener: HASP.  Another word for "lock"

2. Words said to Marcus Junius Brutus: ET TU.  Does the "Marcus Junius" preface to Brutus make this a harder clue?  Any time I see the name "Brutus" I think of "et tu?"

3. Modern Persia: IRAN.  Modern Mesopotamia: IRAQ

4. Pretoria currency: RAND.  As of the day I wrote this blog, the value of a ZAR (also known as the South African Rand) is R1.00 = $0.06 USD

5. "Quit yapping!": SHUT IT.  

6. Cheer team feeling: PEP.  

7. Company abbr.: INC.  LLC also fits

8. Jumbo suffix: TRON.  Fun Fact: Jumbotron, although originally a registered trademark by Sony in 1985, has become a generic term for any oversized stadium screen [Wikipedia]

9. Country between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers: ZIMBABWE. Zimbabwe info And, we have as a supporting clue/answer: 30 down. Capital of 9-Down: HARARE.

10. "It's Always Something" memoirist Gilda: RADNER. 

11. Theater honor: OBIE.  The "O" in EGOT

12. Fault: FLAW. If grammar and spelling errors in my blog are considered flaws, well, there could be a few

13. Camera part: LENS. Also a part of the eye.  I now have two artificial lenses as a result of cataract surgery last year.  Never have I ever seen better

18. Sink accumulation: DISHES.  Guilty as charged!  When I was a single man I always left the dirty dishes in the sink until enough were ready for transfer to the dishwasher.  Same now; however, Miss Margaret transfers to the dishwasher immediately OR washes them by hand

19. Sandy shade: ECRU.  

23. Do a bit of grapplin': RASSLE.  Grapplin' (missing the last letter "G") indicated to me that this was going to be an abbreviated form of the word WRESTLE

24. Night school subj.: ESL.  English as Second Language

26. Like some cider: HARD.  Not one of Moe's preferred "adult" beverages

27. Blessing response: AMEN.  

28. Bitty bits: IOTAS.

29. Pre-MBA hurdle: GRE.  Graduate Record Examination

[re-pasted with 9 down]

31. "Hot diggity dog!": YAHOO.  Another clue could have been: "alternate to Hotmail"

35. Miss. neighbor: TENN.  Considering that Mississippi has four neighbors, the only one of those that I think can be expressed in a four-letter abbr. is TENNessee - Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas are its other neighboring states

36. Cypress or cedar: TREE. 

38. Task manager?: TO DO LIST. I use one; on a piece of paper, as opposed to having something entered on my cellphone, e.g.

40. Ocean fleet: ARMADA.  For a "fleeting" moment, the Chairman and Miss M owned an Armada, which we "lovingly" called "The Beast".  This:

41. Corn core: COB.

44. Some classic muscle cars: GTS.  This GT was hardly a muscle car but it did have bucket seats and only two doors - more like a "mush muscle" car ... 

47. Total failures: LOSERS.

48. Waffle House rival: IHOP.  I would hardly compare iHOP to Waffle House.  IYKYK

49. Dragon's mouth, e.g.: ORCHID.  Learning "moe-ment".  I never heard of this example until today

52. U.K.-based bank: HSBC.  HBSC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations, serving approximately 41 million customers across 56 countries and territories. Founded in Hong Kong in 1865, the institution is headquartered in London and acts as a major global bridge for trade corridors between Asia, Europe, and the Americas [from their website]

53. Wowed: AWED. 

54. Close by: NEAR.

55. "I think you're __ something": ON TO.

57. Tech trends site: CNET.  I've used this site occasionally to read reviews about cellphones, computers, and even headphones

58. Indian tourist city with a mausoleum: AGRA.  Home to the Taj Mahal

59. Step in a scallops recipe: SEAR.  Here is a random recipe I found for seared scallops

60. Petro-Canada rival: ESSO.  Standard Oil

62. Realized: GOT.  

63. Guardians, on a scoreboard: CLE.  Fun Fact:  I have been a CLEveland baseball fan since the late 1950's.  And while I "GOT" (see 62 down clue) that their team's mascot (Chief Wahoo) was a bad choice, the elimination of the name Indians was not one I supported.  The Cleveland Baseball Franchise was the first to have a native American player (Louis Sockalexis), as well as the first black player (in the American League) Larry Doby.  At the time Sockalexis played for them (late 1890's) the team was known as the Spiders; Sockalexis was the inspiration to rename the team the Indians in 1915 after he was through playing, and many a Cleveland fan called the team the Indians while he was playing

The "Guardians" reference is to a pair of "Guardians of Traffic" statues located on the Hope Memorial Bridge, which stands near the team's ballpark (see image below).  The interesting thing is that until this "logo/image/name" was chosen, most Clevelanders were unfamiliar with the statues or never paid much attention to them as they drove across the bridge 

 

Summary:

Great puzzle; I give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐'s (one of my highest rankings, IIRC).  As a side note, the Chairman's alter ego (Chris Gross) will have a puzzle published @ Newsday tomorrow, June 4.  If you would like to solve it, please save this link - I think it will refresh to the correct date so you can fill it in on-line.  You can also change it from the drop down icon on its task bar.  Or, perhaps this link will provide you a copy to print and solve  This is my first published puzzle in quite a while.  Hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Sala Wanetick

 

Good Morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle by Sala Wanetick.  Here is a link to an article published about Sala when she had her NY Times Crossword debut in 2024:  Southfield Native Makes NYT Crossword Debut

For today's offering (and this is not her LAT debut) Sala shakes up seismic matters by turning faults into, well, faults.  Let us start with the reveal:

56 Across:  Fractured spots in the earth's crust, or what 17-, 23-, and 49-Across are: FAULT LINES.

As in earthquake faults.  However, in this case FAULT LINES become what one might say when they are at fault as in being guilty of a misdeed or a mistake.  All are self-explanatory.  The mea culpas (culpae ?) appear at these three places within the grid:

17 Across:  "I messed up": THAT'S MY BAD.  

23 Across:  First words in a confession booth, often: FORGIVE ME FATHER.

49 Across:  "I totally did that, yep": GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Here is the completed grid:

... and below are the other clues and answers:

Across:

1. Measuring device: GAUGE.  Apropos of 42 Across, what was Patrick Stewart's favorite scale of train?  N-gauge.

6. Shred the __: crush a black diamond run, say: GNAR.  Derived from "That's gnarly", dude."

10. Bikini tops: BRAS.  We'll skip fleshing this one out.

14. Stoneworker: MASON.  Apropos of nothing to do with stone work, Dave MASON left us last month.

15. Roof overhang: EAVE.  These hang out frequently in our puzzles.

16. Sound off: RANT.  After he went on a RANT about certain track and field events I asked my dad "Why don't you like the field events ?"  He replied, "I don't want to discus it."

19. Writer Wiesel: ELIE.  Perhaps best known for the book Night, which was based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz and Buchenwald during the Holocaust.

20. Half-inning trio: OUTS.  A baseball reference.

21. Go by: ELAPSE.

28. Electric kettle part: SPOUT.

29. Oft-pickled taco topper: RADISH.  I had never come across this until about ten days ago when the accomplished-chef son of a friend served this at his mother's birthday dinner.

30. "Fiddler on the Roof" milkman: TEVYE.

31. Kylo of "Star Wars": REN.  This time, the clue let's us know up front that it's a Star Wars reference.

32. Flows back: EBBS.

36. Mined find: ORE.

37. Piper Cub, e.g.: PLANE.

39. Gloss target: LIP.

40. Pasta topper, for short: PARM.  Parmesan cheese.

Photo by MM

42. "Star Trek" captain Jean-__ Picard: LUC.

43. "Alfie" star Michael: CAINE.  What's it all about?

45. Poses such as happy baby and humble warrior: ASANAS.  Stances frequently assumed in our puzzles.

48. Hardware not found on a sliding door: HINGE.

53. Historic Harlem theater: APOLLO.

54. Put an end to: HALT.

55. Muscle quality: TONE.

62. Currently working the problem: ON IT.

63. Military flute: FIFE.

64. __-bouche: bite-size freebie: AMUSE.  A complimentary, bite-sized portion of food served before a meal or between courses in a restaurant

65. Critics' picks, informally: RECS.  RECommendationS

66. Meal for a pig: SLOP.

67. Consequently: HENCE.

Down:

1. Clock-setting std.: GMT.  Abbreviated clue (std for standard) . . . . abbreviated answer.   Greenwich Mean Time

2. Relaxing sound?: AAH.  "Why the question mark?", I hear you ask.   A sound you might make when relaxing as opposed to a sound that you find relaxing.

3. Olympic ice hockey gold medalists: Abbr.: USA.  1960, 1980 and 2026.  Here, because nothing in the clue is abbreviated Sala alerts us the the answer will be an abbreviation.

4. Right-hand man: GO TO GUY.

5. Like a Jack and Jill bathroom: EN SUITE.  An EN SUITE is a bathroom that can only be accessed from within the bedroom. A Jack and Jill bathroom is a bathroom with two doors, usually accessible from two bedrooms.  There is no door to the hallway.

6. Old Faithful, e.g.: GEYSER.

7. Scoop up: NAB.

8. Director DuVernay: AVA.  A frequent visitor.

9. Change the meaning of: REDEFINE.

10. Get some air?: BREATHE.  A clue to be taken literally (despite the ?)
"
11. Actor Fiennes: RALPH.   He is known for his roles in Schindler's List, The English Patient, Harry Potter, James Bond, and more.

12. Sambuca flavor: ANISE.  Sambuca is an ANISE-flavored liqueur.

13. Turn a corner, perhaps: STEER.

18. "RuPaul's Drag Race" network: MTV.

A Real Drag Racer

22. __ Vegas Aces: LAS.  A WNBA reference.

23. Camera setting that affects depth: F-STOP.  All you might wish to know:  F-STOP Explained

24. Rossini work: OPERA.

25. App that connects pet sitters and pet owners: ROVER.

26. Musical rattles: MARACAS.

27. Old Testament garden: EDEN.

33. Flashy accessories: BLING.

34. Watch episode after episode of: BINGE.

35. Floor it: SPEED.  A reference to pressing an automobile's gas pedal to the floor

37. Some postseason games: PLAYOFFS.

38. Moon goddess: LUNA.  In the future, will LUNA be clued with something along these lines:

41. Whac-a-Mole whackers: MALLETS.

43. Rosh Hashanah bread: CHALLAH.  It's not just for Rosh Hashanah.

44. Broadcast slot: AIRTIME.

46. Letters on a Cardinal: STL.  Not a religious prelate reference.  A baseball reference.

47. Inconvenient trip: SCHLEP.  Today's Yiddish lesson.  Used here as a noun although it is also employed as a verb.

49. Croc kin: GATOR.

50. Holding a small lead: UP ONE.  

51. Like some chemical bonds: IONIC.

52. Lid: HAT.  Slang.

57. Feel crummy: AIL.

58. Blurry craft in tabloid pics: UFO.  Now "re-branded" as UAP - Unidentified aerial Phenomena.

59. Religious sister: NUN.  A member of an order.  Not your sister, Hannah, who keeps kosher.

60. Corner PC key: ESC.

61. Match, in poker: SEE.  When a poker player says “I’ll SEE your bet”, they are choosing to match the current wager and stay in the hand rather than fold or raise.

_________________________________

Well, that will wrap things up for today.  Any errors or omissions were definitely my fault.

MM OUT