Wednesday, November 4, 2026 - Ricky J. Sirois

 

 Theme: "Scary-go-round"

 

First off, my apologies for this recap being as brief as it is.  I have been traveling across the country to meet with family and friends and had just a fleeting moment to throw this together before today ...

Puzzling thoughts:

Ricky J Sirois is no stranger to the followers of the LA Times Crossword Corner as he has had several puzzles published here as well as @ NY Times, and perhaps others.  Not much out there on him via Google, but if you'd like to know how much $ he made as an assistant director of Library Sciences, please click on the hyperlink above

Today's puzzle is somewhat timely as the autumn provides many explorers and adventurers the opportunity to engage in exploring a corn maze, for example.  And a corn maze may be considered a form of a:

52-across. Mysterious patterns in fields, or what 15-, 22-, 31-, and 44-Across are?: CROP CIRCLES

All of today's entries combine a kind of crop and a type of circle 

15-across. Pungent breakfast choices: ONION BAGELS.  This one works, as [according to Wikipedia] "Onions are a widely cultivated vegetable crop, produced in the second largest quantity after tomatoes. In 2021, the top global producers of onions were China, India, United States, and Turkey ..." and Bagels (while generally thought of as being round, like a circle) are geometrically known as a torus 

22-across. Aids in makeup removal: COTTON BALLS.  Cotton is often referred to as an "and crop" because a single harvest yields multiple commercial products—primarily textile fiber, alongside cottonseed oil for food and feed for livestock; top global producers include China, India, the United States, and Brazil [cottontoday dot com].  Balls are generally circular although YMMV

31-across. Alternatives to cinnamon buns: COFFEE ROLLS. Coffee is one of the world's largest produced crop - my AI computer identified these attributes:

Key Facts About Coffee as a Crop

Botanical Source: Coffee grows on woody, evergreen shrubs and small trees belonging to the genus Coffea and the family Rubiaceae.
The Fruit: The plant produces red or purple stone-fruit berries called coffee cherries.
The "Bean": What people call a coffee bean is actually the seed found inside the coffee cherry.
Global Scale: According to NOAA Climate.gov, coffee is one of the most valuable tropical export crops in the world, cultivated on over 27 million acres across more than 70 to 80 countries
.
Specialty Crop Designation: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explicitly classifies coffee as a specialty crop

Rolls are also generally round in shape unless it precedes the word "-Royce"

44-across. Car parts that may be repurposed as swings: RUBBER TIRES.  As a crop "natural Rubber is an elastic polymer harvested mainly as milky latex sap by tapping the inner bark of the Hevea brasiliensis tree, which thrives in tropical climates across Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America" [Wikipedia].  But given the global demand for the use of rubber-based items, synthetic rubber is more widely produced.  Tires are generally known to be round, except of course, when one goes flat

 

Here is the grid: 

 

Thanks Ricky for the puzzle - and to honor you for your effort may I offer the following "Moe-ku":

        Onions, cotton, joined

        Rubber, coffee, socially;

        Formed a crop circle 

 

On to the rest of the clues and words!          

Across:
1. Shot in the dark: STAB.  A much gentler clue for this word, perhaps?

5. News story intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE.  I imagine that many people misspell this word; according to [Webster's] the full definition is: "the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story" - it goes on to say that it is an alteration of "lead story" and was first used in 1947

9. Secondary social media acct.: ALT.  According to AI, the number one reason for using an ALTernative account for social media is for "posting candid thoughts, joining niche communities, or venting without connecting the activity to a real-life identity"; maybe why we have so many "anonymous" users here

12. Drive: URGE.  As a golfer, I was thinking of something else but TEE-OFF was too long to fit into 4 squares

13. Judy of "Scrubs": REYES.  First time for me:  I will count the proper names in today's puzzle - this is #1

14. Caviar: ROE.  

[entry]

17. Time for many countdowns, briefly: NYE.  Had Ricky chosen "TV Scientist Bill" instead, this would have been proper name number two - instead, he went for an abbr. for New Year's Eve

18. Making out while out and about, for short: PDA.  Public Display of Affection

19. Like some columns: IONIC.  It was either this or DORIC

20. Great Lakes diving bird: LOON.  My first sighting of a LOON was at one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes

21. Carol contraction: 'TIS.  

[entry]

25. Mouths off to: SASSES.  

27. February 29: LEAP DAY.  I personally know just one person who was born on LEAP DAY but I have never asked him if he chooses to celebrate on February 28 or March 1 on the off leap years

28. Ablaze: LIT.  

29. Grammy winner Estefan: GLORIA.  Proper name #2

[entry]

35. Songs of praise: PAEANS.  Moe-ku:

        Group of laborers

        Performed in their church choir;

        Peons sang PAEANS 

36. Calendar divs.: MOS.  

38. Poor rating: ONE STAR.  This doesn't fit my rating for today's puzzle; I think it deserves at least ⭐⭐⭐and 1/2 ⭐s

41. Subtle difference: NUANCE. Moe-ku:

        Dad's brothers went through

        A gender change; "old uncles"

        Are now called NUANCE 

[entry]

47. Tax-efficient fund, for short: IRA.  Once again, Ricky chose the abbr. rather than use another proper name

48. Pinkberry rival: TCBY.  This tells you how "out of touch" Moe is; I know of The Country's Best Yogurt but had no idea about Pinkberry

49. Home of the College World Series: OMAHA. Sort of a CSO to Husker Gary

50. Court divider: NET.  Neither the word "LIBERAL" or "CONSERVATIVE" fit here ...

51. Ivy League nickname: ELI.  Proper name #3, and a Moe-ku:

        Harvard grads never

        Play Three Dog Night. Who wants to

        Know, ELI's Coming??

[reveal]

55. Intro to Xer, Yer, and Zer: GEN.

56. With passion: HOTLY.  See 46-down for a similar clue/entry

57. Signify: MEAN.

58. Multinational insurance co.: AIG.  American International Group

59. In need of a massage, say: ACHY.

60. Trees whose wood is used for lutes and bows: YEWS.

Down:
1. Old timer?: SUNDIAL. Key to this clue is the lack of a hyphen between old and timer.  And for the record, if you ever wondered how these are "adjusted" for daylight savings time ...

 

Speaking of clocks ... my alter ego had a puzzle published this past Friday.  Click on the link and chose October 30 for the date to solve ... the title is: It's That Time Again"

Newsday Crossword Puzzle October 30

2. Period during which mammals first appeared: TRIASSIC.  Rumor has it that these mammals all had three rear-ends

3. In the past: AGO.  

4. "No fighting!": BE NICE. 

5. Bona fide: LEGIT.

6. Disparate features of someone with heterochromia: EYE COLORS.  

7. Rehoboth Beach's st.: DEL.  Located in the map below.  As I kid I used to go to either Rehobeth Beach, Bethany Beach, or Ocean City, MD for my shore trips

8. End of most plural words: ESS.

9. "The Neighborhood" actress Tichina: ARNOLD.  Proper name #4

10. Common name for a Jesuit school: LOYOLA. [Loyola Marymount Univ. website] "The name Loyola most commonly refers to private, Catholic, Jesuit universities in the United States named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits)".  Loyola University Chicago has the largest enrollment of the four primary Loyola colleges

11. Itty-bitty: TEENSY.      

13. Leave a scathing review, perhaps: RANT.  No rants from me today; maybe one of our posters will, though

15. Makes a selection: OPTS.

16. Responses to bad calls: BOOS.  We aren't that far removed from either the World Series or Halloween to have heard a fair number of these.  And another Moe-ku:

        One thing I can’t stand:

        A ghost, three sheets to the wind,

        Who can’t handle BOOs

20. Home of Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in the Canary Islands: LA PALMA.  This seems like the kind of clue that would require more than casual knowledge to solve without perps (closest to a RANT)

23. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO.  Proper name #5

24. Take off: BAIL.  

26. Visits: STOPS BY.

29. Clockwork bit: GEAR TOOTH.

30. NFL Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN. Proper name #6

32. Lot: FATE.  Not THIS Lot

33. Cause of some tremors: FEAR.

34. Kin by marriage: SON-IN-LAW.  I visited my s-i-l on this trip; along with daughter and grandson

37. Multitude in a multiplex: SCREENS.

38. "Wednesday" actress Jenna: ORTEGA. Proper name #7

39. Microbiology research centers?: NUCLEI. 

40. On the decline: EBBING. 

41. Classic soda brand: NEHI. Radar O'Reilly's favorite drink was a Grape NEHI

42. G.I.'s org.: U.S. ARMY.  Radar was a corporal in the U.S. ARMY

43. Puts away: EATS.

45. Get at: IMPLY. 

46. R-rated, say: RACY. See 56-across for a similar clue/entry

52. The Hornets, on a sports ticker: CHA.  As in, CHArlotte

53. Retinol Correxion maker: ROC.

54. Middling grade: CEE.  Or, a 2.0 on the GPA scale

A closing limerick (aka, Moe-'lick) for a final grin:

        Sea cow sought a place that is turnkey

        Where he hoped to spend eternity.

        Help from skilled volunteers

        Built his home; so now here's

        A habitat for Hugh Manatee

See ya in December 

Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Sala Wanetick

 

Good morning, Cruciverbalists.  Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a puzzle by Sala Wanetick.  Today, Sala offers us four themed-answers with a unifier that seems to this solver to be a little bit of a stretch (or, perhaps, I just did not understand the jargon):

62 Across:  Discussing business, or a punny description of the answer to each starred clue: TALKING SHOP.

The first word of each two-word answer conjures up the use of language, or if you will, TALKING.  The second words are evocative of places (but not really shops).  To this blogger, the theme would, perhaps have been "punnier" if TALKING SHOP had been part of the clue and an eleven-letter version of something along the lines of Business Discussion (or Discussing Business) had been the answer.  In any event the following are the four establishments where talking is what it is all about.

17 Across:  *Place to take an oral exam: LANGUAGE LAB.

24 Across:  *Program that hones public speaking skills: DEBATE CAMP.

38 Across: . *Spot for a "Good Hang" recording, say: PODCAST STUDIO.  A "good hang" refers to being a pleasant and enjoyable person to be around, especially in social or work situations.

53 Acros: . *Destination after speaking to a bot, perhaps: CALL CENTER.

This is how it all looks in the grid:

Here are the rest of the clues and answers:

Across:

1. One of the Musketeers: ATHOS.  The names of the three musketeers are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They are joined by the main character, d'Artagnan, who aspires to become a musketeer himself.

6. Midrange choir voice: ALTO.  A friend of mine auditioned for The Sopranos... 

Unfortunately, she was an ALTO and didn't get the part.

10. Old Prizm maker: GEO.  An automobile reference.

1990 - 1992 Geo Prizm

13. Superfluous bits: FRILLS.

15. Bit of bait: WORM.

16. Under the weather: ILL.  

The phrase "under the weather" originates from nautical slang, referring to sailors who would go below deck to avoid rough weather and seasickness. It is a shortened form of the term "under the weather bow," which describes the side of a ship facing the storm.

19. Get 10/10 on, say: ACE.  Used as a verb.

20. Toronto's province: ONTARIO.  Canadian, eh?

21. Condiment drizzled on a taco: CREMA.  Not the first taco topping that came to mind.

23. Obama-era legislation, for short: ACA.

28. Béret spot: TETE.  Une des leçon des français d'aujourd'hui. A beret (hat) is worn on one's TETE (head).

30. Mined finds: ORES.  The dentist said that he could knock me out with gas, or he could use a big metallic rock.  I said ether/ORE.

31. Soul singer Redding: OTIS.  Perhaps best known for this song:

32. Kind: ILK.  Kind, in this case, is not meant as nice or caring.  Sort, type, ILK.

34. Basilica recess: APSE.

37. Letters that may end with a bang?: TNT.

42. Track that fills the dance floor: BOP.  Track as in a piece of recorded music.

43. Goes green?: DYES.  A bit of misdirection.  Not a reference to ecology.

44. Notable span: ERA.  What ERA is a musician in when he has no money?  Baroque.

45. Sad: BLUE.  The word "blue" was first used this way by Chaucer in about 1385, in his poem, Complaint of Mars. Washington Irving is credited with having first used the term "the blues" in 1807, as a synonym for sadness

47. Diaper bag item: WIPE.

49. Housekeeping staffer: MAID.  I suspect that my maid is stealing money from my drawer, but she won’t admit to it.  I just want her to come clean.

56. French article: UNE.  Encore une des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui

57. Club hit, perhaps: REMIX.  A REMIX, also sometimes called re-orchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph can be remixes. The only necessary characteristic of a remix is that it appropriates and changes other materials to create something new.

58. Breakfast spot: DINETTE.

61. Freight unit: TON.  

65. Editorial "Wasn't me!": SIC.  SIC is derived from the Latin adverb sīc, meaning "thus" or "so." It first appeared in English around 1856 and is used to indicate that a quoted text is reproduced exactly as it appears in the original, including any errors.

66. End of an ultimatum: ELSE.

67. Angler's exclamation: GOT ONE.  A fishing reference.

68. "__ to the Mets": The Strokes song: ODE.   We have seen ODE many, many, many times but I do not recall seeing it previously clued this way.

69. Gobsmack: STUN.  What do you call two false statements that are so bad they STUN you?  - Paralyze

70. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN.  Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855) was a Danish philosopher, Christian theologian, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. 

Down:

1. Above water: AFLOAT.

2. EDM genre with hypnotic melodies: TRANCE.  A reference to Electronic Dance Music.  Not sure why that was abbreviated in the clue.

3. Drop clues about: HINT AT.

4. Aunt in Pixar's "Elio": OLGA.

Olga Solis

5. Fail to enunciate: SLUR.

6. Feeling when overlooking a grand vista: AWE.  Fair enough.

Photo By MM

7. "Hehe": LOL.  Laugh Out Loud

8. Plot of land: TRACT.

9. Color technique for hair and nails: OMBRE.  Ombré color is a gradual blend of one color hue into another, usually shifting from light to dark (or dark to light).

10. "The Holdovers" actor Paul: GIAMATTI.

11. Classic Chevy: EL CAMINO.  Another automobile reference.  The El Camino was car-like pickup truck adapted from the standard two-door Chevrolet station wagon platform and it integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. 

1969 El Camino

12. Spanish cheer: OLE.  Una de las lecciones de español de hoy.

14. Gave the green light: SAID OKAY.

Red Light . . . Green Light

18. Concert or movie ending: GOER.

22. Mode on some washing machines: ECO.  More often a feature of some automobiles.

25. Skedaddles: BEATS IT.  We could have gone with Michale Jakson's "Beat It" here but we'll go with the send-up instead.

26. North African cobras: ASPS.  Snakes frequently found in crossword puzzles.

27. Vegas winter hrs.: PST.  Pacific Standard Time.

29. Ramadan ender: EID.  Eid is a festival or feast in Islam that marks the end of a fast or pilgrimage.

33. Rock's __ Soundsystem: LCD.  LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band formed in 2002 in Brooklyn, New York.  A sample:

35. Self-driving car's task: STEERING.  Among other tasks.

36. Italy's cont.: EUR.  Continent has been abbreviated in the clue so EURope has been abbreviated in the answer.

38. Photo that might be shaken: POLAROID. Actually, you should not.

39. Champagne lifestyle, e.g.: OPULENCE.

40. Stitched up: SEWN.

41. Beaver-built structure: DAM.   I just watched a program about beavers. It was the best DAM program I've ever seen.

42. "The Graham Norton Show" airer: BBC.  

Here With John Cleese

46. Stately tree: ELM.  How can you tell a dogwood tree from an ELM tree?  By the bark.

48. Short spa service?: PEDI.  Short for PEDIcure.

50. Name on a byline: AUTHOR.

51. Chant: INTONE.  Did anyone here solve the 22 October NYT puzzles where the construtor slipped OM into the middle of the themed answers?  As if that wasn't enough of a challenge, the reveal was No Chance which, in this case, was a homonym and had to be sounded as No Chants.

52. Intensify: DEEPEN.

54. Refers to: CITES.  What happens when two bibliographies go on a date?  Love at first CITE.

55. Put on a pedestal: EXALT.

59. CARE and WWF: NGOS.  Non Governmental OrganizationS

60. This, in Spanish: ESTO.  Otra de las lecciones de español de hoy.

61. General with a chicken dish: TSO.

63. Tiger Stadium sch.: LSU.  Louisiana State University

64. Filmmaker Burns: KEN.  Too many credits to list here.  But not here:  Ken Burns Films

That's all the shop talk for today.  I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

__________________________________

Talking Shop
MM Out

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 Kelly Richardson

Theme:  NON-AUSTRALIAN LANDS DOWN UNDER.   The theme fill are vertical, and that usually indicates that the orientation is significant.  We'll see shortly what that means.  

3 D.  New Mexico pepper: HATCH CHILE.   Hatch Chile refers to any long green New Mexican chile pepper (Capsicum annuum) commercially grown within the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico.  Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is not a pepper, but rather a country in the Southern Cone of southwestern South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. According to the 2024 census, Chile had an enumerated population of 18.5 million. 

9 D. Sneaker with the Jumpman logo: AIR JORDAN.   Air Jordan is a popular line of basketball shoes and athletic apparel created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan.   On the other hand - or foot - Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and both Israel and Palestine (West Bank) to the west. The Jordan River, flowing into the Dead Sea, is located along the country's western border within the Jordan Rift Valley. 

16 D. Ballot dangler in 2000 election news: HANGING CHAD.   A hanging chad is a small, perforated piece of paper (a "chad") that fails to detach completely from a punch-card ballot after a voter pushes a stylus through it.  On that topic, more than this I will not say.  Hanging below Lybia is Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west. 

32 D. All set: READY TO GO.  Ready to go means you are completely prepared, equipped, or willing to start an activity, leave a place, or handle a task.   Are you ready to go to Togo (officially the Togolese Republic) a narrow country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, Burkina Faso to the north, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south?

And the unifier:  28 D. Region of South Carolina and Georgia, or what can be found in 3-, 9-, 16-, and 32-Down: LOW COUNTRY.   Though my first thought was The Netherlands in Europe.   Oh, well.  In Puzzleland, the country names are located in the low parts of the theme fill.  Clever, I'd say.   

Across:

1. Second-largest city in Pakistan: LAHORE.  Lahore is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and 27th largest in the world, with a population of over 14 million.

7. Tells a fish story, maybe: BOASTS.    Talks with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's own achievements, possessions, or skills, often in a way that exaggerates the truth or irritates others.

13. 40-Across layer: ENAMEL.  The hard, mineralized outer layer of teeth in the human body, made of about 95% to 96% minerals formed from calcium and phosphate—along with water and proteins.

14. Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune covered by Perry Como: BALI HAI.  This is from the 1949 stage musical South Pacific.  It was made into a movie in 1958.

15. "Charge!": ATTACK.  Conduct an aggressive action, physical assault, or forceful effort directed against a person, group, object, or system.

16. Bread for a bacon, egg, and cheese, often: HARD ROLL.   A round, crusty yeast bread roll with a firm, golden exterior and a soft, airy interior.

17. Carved-out corner: NICHE.   A specialized role, a shallow recess in a wall, or a targeted segment of an activity or market.

18. Gasp for breath: PANT.   To breathe quickly, loudly, or in a labored manner, such as after running, exercising, or from excitement.

19. Triple espresso effect: JOLT.    A sudden, sharp surge of energy, mental alertness, and physical stimulation caused by consuming caffeine.

20. Submit: HAND IN.    To give something—such as a piece of work, a form, or a lost object—to a person in authority.

22. Before now: AGO.   In the past.

24. Circle segment: ARC.   A connected portion of a circle's circumference, classified into minor arcs (under 180°), semicircles (180°), and major arcs (over 180°).

26. Key lime pie feature: TANG.    A strong, sharp taste or smell 

27. Root ball wrapper: BURLAP.    A coarse, heavy, plain-woven fabric made primarily from natural plant fibers such as jute, hemp, or flax. 

31. Bert who played the Cowardly Lion: LAHR.   Irving Lahrheim [1895-1967] known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.

33. Guest speaker's platform: DAIS.    A raised platform or small stage located at the front or end of a room or hall.

35. Southwestern building block: ADOBE.   A natural building material made from a mixture of sun-dried earth, clay, water, and organic fibers such as straw or grass.

36. Farewell that's bid: ADIEU.   A French-derived word that means "goodbye" or "farewell."

38. Blasting material: TNT.   Trinitrotoluene, a yellow, odorless, crystalline chemical compound (C₇H₅N₃O₆) that is widely used as a high explosive in military munitions and industrial demolitions.

39. Imitated a crow: CAWED.   Made a loud, harsh, or rough cry characteristic of birds such as crows, ravens, or rooks.

40. Back tooth: MOLAR.    A large, flat back tooth used for crushing and chewing food.

41. Enthralled: AGOG.    Very excited, eager, or curious to see, hear, or know more about something

43. March Madness org.: NCAA.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association, a non-profit organization that regulates intercollegiate athletic programs in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.   March madness is a basketball tounament held every spring.

44. Uptight: ON EDGE.    Feeling nervous, tense, irritable, or unable to relax.

46. Chowder protein: CLAM.   In a culinary context, protein refers to the primary, substantial center-piece component of a meal—such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, or tofu.

48. Fla. NBA team: ORL.  The Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association, a North American professional league.

49. Vote in favor: YEA.   Used in parliamentary, congressional, or organizational roll-call votes to mean a supportive vote ("yes"), contrasted with nay ("no").

50. "Yo!": HEY, YOU.    An informal greeting used to say hello, get someone's attention, or establish a sense of familiarity and affection.

52. Help in wrongdoing: ABET.   Help, support, encourage, or assist someone—most commonly in committing a crime, wrongdoing, or illicit act.

55. "Project Hail Mary" actor Gosling: RYAN.  Ryan Thomas Gosling [b. 1980] is a Canadian actor, singer, and musician. Known for his work in both independent films and major studio features, his films as a leading actor have grossed over US$4 billion worldwide.

57. Kirsten of "Melancholia": DUNST.  Kirsten Caroline Dunst [b. 1982] is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut in the anthology film New York Stories and has since starred in many film and television productions.

60. Lamented: BEMOANED.   Expressed sorrow, grief, discontent, or dissatisfaction about something.

62. Get comfortable, with "in": SETTLE.    Become familiar, comfortable, and relaxed in a new environment, routine, or situation.

63. Treat at New Orleans' Café du Monde: BEIGNET.   A French-style deep-fried pastry made from choux pastry or a light yeast-leavened dough, typically cut into squares and dusted generously with powdered sugar.

64. Arts supporter: PATRON.    A financial or moral supporter of an artist, cause, or institution,

65. Bit of progress: INROAD.   A direct, noticeable advance or intrusion into a new territory, market, or problem

66. Like a raw hemline: FRAYED.    Describes fabric, clothing, or rope with threads or fibers coming apart at the edges from wear, damage, or rubbing.

Down:

1. Like a chicken burger: LEAN.   Low in fat.

2. Opposed to: ANTI.  Against someone or some thing.

4. Nebraska home of the Durham Museum: OMAHA.   Omaha is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha had a population of 486,051 at the 2020 census, 

5. Fairly new: RECENT.   Happening, starting, or done a short time ago, or newly created.

6. Bugling deer: ELK.   A large hoofed mammal of the deer family (Cervidae.)

7. Rounds of the night table?: BAR TAB.   A running total or bill for all the drinks and food you order during a single visit, allowing you to pay once at the end of the night instead of paying for each item immediately.  Clever clue.

8. Not new: OLD.    Primarily means having lived, existed, or been in use for a relatively long time or for a specified duration.  Do I qualify?  All my grandchildren are adults.

10. "Scram!": SHOO.  Go away.

11. Like a giant redwood: TALL.   An adjective that describes someone or something with a height greater than average or normal, or with a large vertical distance from bottom to top.

12. Delta deposit: SILT.    A fine-grained granular sediment with a particle size falling between sand and clay 

14. Outlaw: BAN.    A legal, formal, or official prohibition that forbids an action, item, or person from being used, allowed, or happening.

18. Party animal?: PIÑATA.    A decorated container— often in the shape of an animal, typically made of papier-mâché, cloth, or pottery—filled with candy, fruit, small toys, or treats. 

21. Jerry Stiller, to Ben Stiller: DAD.  Father and son.

23. Green blob on a taco, familiarly: GUAC.   Short for guacamole, a traditional Mexican dip, spread, or condiment made primarily from mashed or pureed ripe avocados.

24. San Antonio school trip destination: ALAMO.  Originally built in 1718 as the Spanish mission Mission San Antonio de Valero in San Antonio, Texas, it later became a military fort.  The fort was named after the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras, a Spanish military unit from Santiago del Álamo that was stationed there.

25. Gas measured in a home inspection: RADON.    A heavy, colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive noble gas (symbol Rn, atomic number 86) formed naturally by the decay of radium, uranium, and thorium in rocks, soil, and groundwater.

29. Build-__ Workshop: toy retailer: A BEAR.    A global, interactive retail brand where customers design and customize their own stuffed animals, such as teddy bears, bunnies, and licensed character plushies.

30. Go by bike: PEDAL.   To push the pedals of a bicycle, boat, or similar device with your feet to move it.

34. Pinched: STOLEN.   Acquired with the 5-finger discount.

37. Exhort: URGE.   To strongly encourage, advise, or earnestly try to persuade someone to do something..

42. Like some Pride Month celebrants: GAY.   Refers to a person who is physically, romantically, or emotionally attracted to people of the same gender.

45. Did the work for: EARNED.  Earn is a verb that means to receive money, profit, or a reward in return for work, service, or effort, or to get something that you deserve through your actions.

47. Term of affection: MY DEAR.   a term of affection, endearment, or polite address used to refer to someone you love, care about, or feel familiar with.

51. "Get __ here!": "Scram!": OUTTA.  Go away.

52. "Broad City" star Jacobson: ABBI.   Abbi Jacobson [b. 1984] is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and illustrator. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series Broad City with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name.

53. Has-__: BEEN.   An informal, often critical term for a person who used to be famous, popular, powerful, or successful, but is no longer.

54. Qatar leader: EMIR.   A title meaning commander, leader, prince, or ruler in Arabic and Islamic societies.

56. Still: YET.   Up to the present time.

58. Gin infusion berry: SLOE.   The small, dark, bluish-black drupe (stone fruit) of the blackthorn.

59. Watch over, as sheep: TEND.    To look after, minister to, supervise, or run something.  A gentle, loving sheep watcher would be a tender tender.

61. The NHL's Ducks, on sports tickers: ANA.  The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Honda Center.

62. Block letters?: SPF.   The surface meaning refers to a style of writing or printing in all uppercase (capital) letters where each character is drawn separately and clearly without cursive or joined-up strokes.  The applied-to-a-[skin]-surface meaning is Solar Protection Factor, an indication of the uv blocking power of a sunscreen lotion.

Well, Summer is now long gone and, here in Michigan, we won't need sunscreen for the next several months.  But here we have a puzzle with quite a few bright, shiny ideas, and some cleverly mis-directing clues.  I have no nits.  Hope you didn't get burned.

Cool regards!

JzB

Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Joe Rodini

  Well, the theme is obviously in The Reveal: TAG Lines.

The Reveal:

59. Across.  Marketing slogans, or what the answers to the starred clues are?: TAG LINES.

But, what makes these themers so Tag Worthy?

17. Across. *Black Friday enticement: LOW PRICE.

Hmm, I wonder if C.C. would let me make some money doing these write ups...

(I work cheap...)

Um, CE:D here,, none of the other volunteers would stoop this low...

24. Across. *Words with a WWII-era doodle: KILROY WAS HERE.

If you visit the WWII memorial in Washington D.C.

Be sure to walk around the back,

Where you will find etched into the granite,

"Kilroy Was Here!"

They say there are two, I have yet to find the second one..

39. Across. *Shout on a playground: YOU'RE IT.

50. Across. *Introductory phrase: HELLO MY NAME IS.

I once accompanied DW to her High School reunion,

And everyone had to wear a name tag...

So I wrote on mine, "No One You Need To Know."

As I never attended this school,

And for some reason, people thought it was hilarious...

Hmm, I dunno, I am having trouble describing this theme. 

Perhaps we should let a professional do it...

Um, ok, let's get on with then, shall we...

Across:
1. No-frills supermarket chain: ALDI. There is quite a story about the two brothers quarrel that split Aldi and Lidl into two grocery chains, and then one brother bought Trader Joe's... I will let you Google it as I get enough of this stuff because DW watches Real Wives (of wherever) while I hide in another room...

5. Receipt fig.: AMT. (figure/amount)

8. Puzzle: BEMUSE. (Not enigma...)

14. Weaver's machine: LOOM.

In the coming apocalypse, you may find this useful.

Just try and remember how without Wi-Fi or YouTube...

15. "Pshaw!": HAH.

16. Perfect alignment: UNISON.

Nah! I don't see it happening...

17. [Theme.]

19. Peak with a name from Koyukon: DENALI. This is where I got stuck doing the write up, I mean, we did this before. In a site all about words, what's the point if you keep changing them....?

20. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. Um,, should I post the clip where A.I. glues  his mouth shut?  (Nah, I 'm just trying to censor myself...)

21. Wee bit: A TAD. ( it was just a little Vodka,,, I swear...)

23. Left in a cave, as some cheese: AGED. Jeez, that explains it, I was cheesed...

24. [Theme.]

28. Mardi Gras song originally called "Jock-A-Mo": IKOIKO. Um, ok, i know I'm supposed to explain all this, but WTF is IKOIKO supposed to be? Really? Dang! I have to look this up? (This is going to take more Grey Hairs than I can affford... ) 

Ok, a week later,, I finally got up the courage to look this dang thing up,,, and it's supposed to be IKO IKO. 

I dunno CC, maybe im too old to do this ...

29. Fabled race day napper: HARE. And fabled puzzle reviewer: CE:D...

30. "I'll shake on that!": DEAL. Are we talking about a nap?

31. Berra with a record 10 World Series rings as a player: YOGI. When you come to the fork, take it...

34. Centipede releaser: ATARI. Hmm, it's a good thing this was a game, because I would be tap dancing all over this ala Fred Astaire...

38. Family guy: DAD. Ok, but this could have been anybody...

39. [Theme.]

41. Pod of whales: GAM. Dang! I am still trying to pencil in "Pod" here...

42. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE. (Did he ever get stuck in a gam of whales?)

44. Stint in office: TERM.  I dunno, lately this could have been "sentence..."

45. Much Duchamp work: DADA. Um, I will let you look this up Here, as when I looked it up, it made me want to go to the bathroom...

46. Pitch setter: CLEF. If you want to know how to draw one... personally, I have a hard time staying in one clef, I guess it's a side affect of being scatterbrained...

48. Superhot, as wing sauce: ATOMIC. Personally, I did not like this clue/answer, As it could have been anything...  now, if the perps were friendly, I could stomach this... (were the perps friendly for you?)

(I need some pepto bismol...)

50. [Theme]

53. Stepped heavily: TROD.

55. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

56. Sudden flight: LAM. Nah, I'm too old for this. Question, what would you call a sudden flight with some one with a walker? 

Ok, I'm ready!

57. Demolish: BUST UP. Look out! I'm walking thru here!!'

59. [Theme Reveal.]

63. Does some tailoring on: ALTERS. Hmm, so many possibilities, ,,

64. "Fearless" or "Lover," for Taylor Swift: ERA. ( why is everything an Era with her...? ) jeez girl, lighten up...

65. Iditarod terminus city: NOME. Um, if you want to be uplifted by a true story, 

May I suggest Balto...

Also,  may I suggest the animated version if you don't want to freeze your toes off...

66. Thrift store transaction: RESALE.

67. Sketch show with celebrity 50-Down, for short: SNL. 

Jeez, what do you have to do to get on this show?

68. Flakes: SNOW. I dunno, I'm partial to Idahoan potato flakes myself, and I hate the cold... so this clue/answer that should have been easy, kind of got me into a, hmm, whattaya call it? Not quicksand, but an oatmeal/ porridgey kind of mess to finish the acrosses...  at least, with Idahoan, you never get Lumps...

Down:
1. __ too soon: ALL. Ack! What a way to start the downs! ( I feel like I'm falling!)

2. Lav: LOO. (Whew! What a relief to land here..,)

3. Gets off the web: DOWNLOADS. Hmm, used to be easy , now It's work... (see George Jetson for intel...)

4. Put at risk: IMPERIL. "Be careful what you download!"

5. Pacific tuna: AHI. Word origin can be found here

6. Large parrot that forms a pair bond: MACAW. 

If you are going to keep birds,

Always get two...

7. Angle symbol, in geometry: THETA. 

Um, I tried to find a definition of the geometric meaning of Theta for you,

But it was  Greek to me...

8. Subject of a 49-foot bronze statue in Nara, Japan: BUDDHA. 

9. WSW opposite: ENE. (I hate it when crosswords get  me all turned around...)

10. Mosque tower: MINARET.

11. Utility bill data: USAGE.

12. Foot part: SOLE. Not inch, arch, or...

13. "Wednesday" werewolf: ENID. Ok, I know nothing about what happened to The Addams Family after  Raul Julia passed away.., But here is more if interested 

18. Chess piece in castling: ROOK. Not King!

22. More pale: ASHIER.

24. Little buddy: KIDDO. Hmm, how would you clue this? (Roo-ey?, goat offspring something or other?) I am lost on this one...

25. Stores with Småland play areas: IKEAS. I dunno, I think the whole place is a giant fire hazard... but I do like the meatballs...  (have you ever tried to navigate thru IKEA?)

26. Fluctuate wildly: YOYO. (Technically, yo-yo is a hyphenated compound word. But can be one word in informal usage...)

27. Basic Latin verb: ERAT. (I dunno, it's Greek to me...)

32. Determined to get: OUT FOR. Hmm, this seems out of place for a Wednesday puzzle. It's almost like the constructor was out to get us...

33. Test for some srs.: GRE. Everything you ever wanted to know...

35. Leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War: AGAMEMNON.

I always liked how he was portrayed by Sean Connery in The Time Bandits.

If you want to be to know more, ask Kevin...

36. Diameter halves: RADII. (Pronounced EeEye... I think I have it half right...)

37. Apple desktops: IMACS. Yes, it's one word, even when plural...

39. Talk over the clamor: YELL.

40. "Ms. Marvel" star Vellani: IMAN. 

43. Pure Leaf beverage: ICED TEA. 

Never heard of it...

45. Realms: DOMAINS.

47. Pass by: ELAPSE.

49. Starbucks size: TALL. If you are willing to pay upwards of 4 bucks for a coffee, you also get A ridiculous size terminology  for your overpayment...

Hmm, I could have sworn he said can you spare a dime for a cup of Joe...

50. Members of 67-Across's Five-Timers Club, e.g.: HOSTS. Arrows and banjo's optional...

51. Tiny arachnids: MITES.

52. Pine (for): YEARN.

53. Type of ski lift: T BAR. They tried a J bar, but it was a pain in the A**.

54. Hold the throne: RULE.

58. Web address: URL.

60. Actress Gadot: GAL. 

61. Angsty rock: EMO.

62. Do some tailoring on: SEW.

The Grid.

P.S. Here is 8 minutes more on Kilroy was here, if interested...

Anywho, that's all I've got.  But  I can't help but think I missed something...

So, now it's up to you, in the comments, to find what I missed!

TAG! Your it!...

CE:D out...

≽^•⩊•^≼ ₊˚⊹♡