Sunday July 12, 2026 Will Nediger & Beth Rubin

Theme: "OPPOSITE DAY" -  Each theme entry contains a pair of opposite words

26. Took unnecessary risks, in a British idiom: SAILED CLOSE TO THE WIND.

 
43. Backup for a proofreader, perhaps: ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES.

 

58. Grow increasingly recalcitrant: BECOME UNGOVERNABLE.

70. Suffer public humiliation: FALL FLAT ON ONE'S FACE.

85. 2010 animated film featuring Princess Fiona: SHREK FOREVER AFTER. And 115. 85-Across figure: OGRE.

Reveal:

100. Oxymoron, or what can be found five times in this puzzle: CONTRADICTION IN TERMS.

What a great follow-up to Paul Coulter's "Magnetism" puzzle. Paul's theme hid pairs of opposite words right next to each other (ON/OFF, HE/SHE, IN/OUT, etc.). Here, Will and Beth use the same basic concept but separate each pair, making the hunt a bit more challenging. 

This is Will and Beth's second collaboration for the LAT. Both are outstanding constructors. 

Across:

1. Option B precursor: PLAN A.

6. Creature in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": DODO.

10. Winter resort rentals: SKIS.

14. Supermodel Kate: MOSS.

18. Old Renault: LE CAR.

19. Apple tablet: IPAD.

20. Penny: CENT.

21. Each: A POP.

22. Not suitable: UNAPT.

23. Mandala medium, often: SAND. Many Tibetan Buddhist mandalas are painstakingly created from colored sand before being ceremonially dismantled.

24. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

25. Count (on): RELY.

30. WNW opposite: ESE.

31. Love, in Italian: AMORE.

32. Asian language: LAO.

33. Handel oratorio: MESSIAH.

37. Former: PRIOR.

38. All excited: ATINGLE.

42. Ginger __: ALE.

46. Lightweight fabric: LINEN. And 120. Woolen cloth: TWEED. Much prefer Japanese crepe fabric. Non-wrinkly. 

48. Romance: WOO.

49. "C'est la __!": VIE.

50. Trolley car: TRAM.

51. Celebrity couple: ITEM.

52. Pres. on a dime: FDR.

53. Imrie of "The Thursday Murder Club": CELIA. English actress.

57. Square things: ATONE. Nice clue.

63. 2028 Olympics host: Abbr.: USA. 74. 2024 Olympics host: PARIS.

64. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air": BEL.

65. __ acid: AMINO.

66. Apology starter: MEA. As in "Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa".

67. Male swan: COB.

77. Newark's county: ESSEX.

78. Permit: LET.

79. Burden: ONUS.

80. Lasting mark: SCAR.

81. Org. nicknamed "No Such Agency": NSA.

83. Owns: HAS.

84. Nimble: AGILE.

92. Singer __ King Cole: NAT.

93. Game for little batters: TEE BALL.

94. Hazardous gas: RADON.

95. Goes on and on: YAMMERS.

97. Finish: END.

98. OB test: AMNIO.

99. Reuben sandwich bread: RYE. I've become a fan of the New York rye bread sold at our local Hy-Vee.

109. __ of paradise: BIRD.

110. Flared skirt style: A LINE.

111. Voting group: BLOC.

112. Inbox message: EMAIL.

113. Demolish: RAZE.

114. Ice sheet: FLOE.

116. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

117. Rude one: BOOR.

118. Throw out: TOSS.

119. "Easier __ than done": SAID.

Down:

1. "And also ... ": PLUS.

2. Singer and civil rights activist Horne: LENA.

3. Palm berry: ACAI.

4. City where pizza was invented: NAPLES.

5. __ well: ARTESIAN. Water reaches the surface naturally because of underground pressure.

6. Frisbee, e.g.: DISC.

7. Birthstone between sapphire and topaz: OPAL.

8. Paul who played twins in "There Will Be Blood": DANO.

9. "Most likely ... ": ODDS ARE.

10. Annabella of "Tulsa King": SCIORRA.

11. __ cloth: Ghanaian textile: KENTE. Kente comes from the Akan word kenten, meaning "basket," referring to its woven pattern.

12. Move slowly: INCH.

13. Digital protection device?: STEEL TOE. Clever clue.

14. Figure that comes with strings attached: MARIONETTE.

15. Accepting customers: OPEN.

16. "Deal!": SOLD.

17. Intel gatherer: SPY.

24. Small porch: STOOP.

27. Campus leader: DEAN.

28. Mideast leader: EMIR.

29. Urchin: WAIF.

33. Beach city near Pepperdine: MALIBU.

34. Powerful groups: ELITES.

35. __ Falls Convention: SENECA. The first women's rights convention was held in Seneca Falls in 1848. Learning moment for me.

36. "What a bore": HOW DULL.

37. Soup often garnished with bean sprouts: PHO.

38. Nev. neighbor: ARI.

39. Wrap with tzatziki: GYRO.

40. Tilt: LEAN.

41. "Hanna" star Creed-Miles: ESME.

44. Having trouble deciding: TORN.

45. Physiologist Pavlov: IVAN.

47. Given to moping, maybe: EMO.

52. Sense: FEEL.

53. Unresponsive states: COMAS.

54. Party-planning site: E-VITE.

55. Massachusetts home of the Tanglewood Music Festival: LENOX.

56. Wrinkle remover: IRON.

57. Quaint word of despair: ALAS.

59. Many execs: MBAS.

60. Lasses: GALS.

61. Pardon: AMNESTY.

62. Vivid vegetable: BEET.

67. Pointy tooth: CANINE.

68. Eye-related: OCULAR.

69. Attacks from all sides: BESETS.

70. Figure who manipulates flames in a Nickelodeon fantasy series: FIREBENDER. Refers to "Avatar: The Last Airbender." In that universe, firebenders manipulate fire, one of the four classical elements.

71. Phobia: FEAR.

72. Villainous Count of kid-lit: OLAF.

73. Confused state: FOG.

74. Note-passer's utterance: PSST.

75. Head or heart follower: ACHE. I've been dealing with an awful RA flare-up and can't wait for my infusion next Wednesday.

76. Valuable to collectors: RARE.

81. Annual Player Selection Meeting, informally: NFL DRAFT.

82. Step on the scale?: SOL. Musical scale. Do–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La–Ti–Do.

83. Largest Chinese ethnic group: HAN. I'm one. 

84. Military encampment unit: ARMY TENT.

86. Philosopher Immanuel: KANT.

87. Winter stoats: ERMINES.

88. "Lovecraft Country" actor Courtney B. __: VANCE. Married to Angela Bassett.

89. Revise: EDIT.

90. Reddish-brown tea: ROOIBOS. Naturally caffeine-free.

91. Work hard for: EARN.

96. Grandma, to some: MEEMAW.

98. "Farewell, amigos!": ADIOS. And  100. "Farewell, amici!": CIAO.

101. Ricelike pasta: ORZO.

102. French greeting: ALLO.

103. Tokarczuk who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature: OLGA.

104. Onigiri wrapper: NORI.

105. Like cupcakes but not muffins, usually: ICED.

106. Compete against the clock: RACE.

107. Slimy mud: MIRE.

108. Toboggan, e.g.: SLED.

109. Texter's "Just a moment": BRB. Be Right Back.

C.C.

Saturday, August 2, 2025, Adrian Johnson and Will Nediger

Saturday August 2, 2025 by Adrian Johnson & Will Nediger

 

Adrian

Will

I had a collaborative puzzle from these two constructors back in February. As you can see by the colorful grid, there was a lot of "Unique" fill in this one! I had to work around some alternate fills that I love to do and, of course, the long horizontal and vertical fills were the real key. This was about a 40-minute excursion to get to an unassisted "got 'er done" 

Across:

1. Strategic chess move, casually: SAC - SACrificing a piece so that you can gain an advantage

4. Vegetable in Nigerian cuisine: TARO.

8. 41-Across developer: SALK and 41. Major medical breakthrough of the 1950s: POLIO 

VACCINE - Some of us stood in lines just like this

12. Thin reed: OBOE.

14. Each: A POP.

15. Home of the Nubian Pyramids: SUDAN.

16. Handy navigational aids: ARROW KEYS 😀

18. Came to the surface: AROSE.

19. Chap with chaps, perhaps: RANCHER 😀 - RODEOER? seemed right to me in this part of the world. Yeah, spell checker didn't think much of it either.

20. "Let's meet up then": I'M FREE.

21. Cold draft in the winter, say: SEASONAL BEER.

24. Not altogether in the altogether: SCANTILY CLAD 😀 Not quite naked!

26. Least sanguine: PALEST.

27. Niger neighbor: CHAD - It's a 26-hr drive between their capital cities 

28. Opposite of fore: AFT.

31. Org. that accepts returns: IRS 😀 - Amazon does a good job too.

32. Ballpark souvenir: CAP - When we were in D.C. this hat was $29.95 at the Pentagon Mall. I got it for $9.95 from a kiosk across the street from Ford's Theater.

34. Spanish pronoun: ESA - ESA pista para el número 19 fue inteligente (That clue for 19 Across was clever)

35. Opposing vote: NAY.

36. Brew that might have ice or spice in it: TEA.

37. "Glad and big" protagonist of an e.e. cummings poem: OLAF.

Sunday Sermon: "i sing of Olaf, glad and big"

XXX (by E.E. Cummings)

i sing of OLAF glad and big

whose warmest heart recoiled at war:

a conscientious object-or

39. Tie: KNOT UP - If your team is behind 1 - 0 but then hits a solo home run, that will KNOT UP the score.

43. Places for puffers: SMOKING AREAS - Here's one at Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. I can't imagine...

45. Shell casing?: PIE TIN 😀

46. Tidbits: MORSELS.

49. City west of the Wasatch Mountains: OGDEN.

50. Salvadoran eatery: PUPUSERIA - I had my first PUPUSA in a great El Salvadoran restaurant here in town. PUPUSARIA made sense to me at first.

52. Area of expertise, casually: THING.

53. Brownie point?: OVEN.

54. Home of many a steppe family: YURT 😀 - Home, home on the steppe

55. Fantasy football datum: STAT - Top 10 Fantasy Football Points for running backs for 2024

56. "Charlie's Angels" star Cheryl: LADD.

57. Astronaut Jemison: MAE.

Down:

1. Reach great heights: SOAR.

2. Pokémon that ultimately evolves into Alakazam: ABRA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

3. Summery dip: CORN SALSA.

4. Savors the moment: TAKES IT ALL IN.

5. Liqueur similar to Campari: APEROL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

6. Dodgers legend Campanella: ROY - A man discovered this decades old program in his basement. It was signed by Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. Branch made Jackie and ROY the first and sixth black men to play MLB baseball in 1948.

7. Covert __: OPS.

8. Enjoyed the motion of the ocean: SURFED.

9. Crush on: ADORE - Modern slang for "have a crush on"

10. Element of a security grid in many an action film: LASER.

11. Arthroscopy target: KNEE - I have many friends who have gotten relief with this procedure 

13. Epoch that produced the earliest primate fossils: EOCENE.

15. Carnival performers: SAMBA DANCERS - I felt so comfortable with GANDY DANCERS but I needed to think of Rio de Janeiro!

17. "Something smells good in here!": WHAT'S COOKING.

20. "Someone in my circle probably knows the answer": I'LL ASK AROUND.

22. Loc. of an annual November marathon: NYC 

23. Need kneading, maybe: ACHE 😀

24. Bar tended to at a cookout: SPIT.

25. __ package: CARE. They were a vital operation just after WWII. It is what we used to call "stuff" we sent to our girls when they were in college.

28. Source of immunity: ANTISERUM.

29. Satyr kin: FAUN.

30. "Just My __: A Book About Fonts": TYPE 😀

33. Annoyance: PAIN.

38. Concert stage effect: FOG or other occasions 

40. "Juno and the Paycock" playwright: O'CASEY - Set in the 1922 Irish Civil War. Juno is the wife of Captain Boyle who she calls a paycock (Irish for peacock) because he struts around all day.

41. Heady: POTENT - The early 1970's and middle 1990's were heady days for Husker FB

42. Took off at a jazz club: VAMPED - Herbie Hancock's piece to use an intro or to fill time (left, then right and then both hands)

43. Spectacle: SIGHT.

44. __ fast: MEDIA - I could not give up all my media for 21 days.

45. Kitchen stack: POTS.

47. Source of some Turkish delight?: LIRA.

48. Fully appease: SATE.

50. D.C. insider: POL.

51. Cavaliers sch.: UVA.

Notes from C. C.:

 

Today we celebrate the 71st Birthday of Subgenius (Darryl), who is often the very first to post on the blog each morning. Wishing you a beautiful day, Darryl!