Monday, March 9, 2026, Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme:  Lace up!

Today's puzzle comes to us from prolific constructor and generous host in this blog space, Zhouqin Burnikel, known here as C.C.

The theme is somewhat hidden until the big reveal:

50-Across. Prepare to skate, or what can be found in 3-, 8-, 10-, and 33-Down?: LACE UP.  Indeed, upon examination, we find the word LACE going UPwards in four vertical entries.  If you didn't see the laces, check the image of the grid at the end of this blog post!

3-Down. Business meetings over the phone: CONFERENCE CALLS.  

8-Down. Stillness before a storm: EERIE CALM.

10-Down. Zodiac cycle in which the Rabbit follows the Tiger: CHINESE CALENDAR.

33-Down. Baby humpback: WHALE CALF.

Things are definitely looking up in this puzzle, but it's time for us to look across and down.

Across:

1. Treaty between nations: PACT.

5. Diamond corner: BASE.  Baseball diamond.

9. Highest point: ACME.  Will it be ACME or APEX?  Only the perpendicular entries know for sure.

13. Aroma: ODOR.

14. Soak in the tub: BATHE.

15. Guacamole scoop: CHIP.

16. Last stretch before graduation: SENIOR YEAR.

18. Increase in altitude: RISE.

19. North Pole helper: ELF.

20. __ Angeles Sparks: LOS.  The Los Angeles Sparks are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association.

21. "Stop talking!": SILENCE.

23. Playground board with two seats: SEE SAW.  A SEE SAW (or teeter-totter) is a long, narrow board, balanced in the center on a single pivot point.  One person sits on each end of the board, and they take turns pushing their feet against the ground to raise their side.  If one person jumps off when their side is low, the other may fall and be injured.  For this reason, see saws have been removed from most playgrounds in the United States.  Today's blogger was fortunate to grow up in the days when children were largely unsupervised.  My siblings and I spent several summers in and around Salida, Colorado, and spent hours on see saws in the shady city park.

Children on a see saw

25. "Relax, soldier": AT EASE.

26. Beam of light: RAY.

27. Make into law: ENACT.

28. U.S. ID issuer: SSA.  Social Security Administration.

31. Broken mirror, to some: OMEN.  A bad omen, at that.

33. Get hitched: WED.

34. White-barked trees: ASPENS.  Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides AKA "trembling poplar") are not individual trees but rather part of a shared root system. A grove of aspens shares the same genetics, with new trunks sprouting from the roots. 

Aspen grove

36. Go on a tirade: RANT.

37. Red Monopoly piece: HOTEL.

39. Palm with berries: ACAI.

40. Noisy summer insect: CICADA.

42. Meat in a croque monsieur: HAM.  A Croque Monsieur is a French hot sandwich made with ham, cheese, and béchamel sauce.

Croque monsieur

43. California wine valley: NAPA.

44. Pint night purchase: ALE.

45. Respected villager: ELDER.

47. Zilch: NIL.

48. "Door's open": COME IN.

50. [Theme clue]

53. Bold alternative?: ITALICS.  Font options!

55. Fragrant evergreen: FIR.

56. Org. whose seal depicts an eagle atop a key: NSA.  An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

57. "You got a deal!": SOLD.

58. Fruity fall beverage: APPLE CIDER.

61. "Riverdale" actress Reinhart: LILI.  Lili Reinhart gained recognition for playing Betty Cooper on the CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017-2023). She also starred in the crime drama film Hustlers (2019) and the romantic drama film Chemical Hearts (2020).  

62. Strung along: LED ON.

63. Title for New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko: DAME.  Dame Lydia Ko (born April 24, 1997) is a New Zealand professional golfer, member of the LPGA Hall of Fame, and the reigning Olympic champion. She first reached number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings in 2015 at 17 years, 9 months and 9 days of age, making her the youngest player of either gender to be ranked No. 1 in professional golf.  Ko was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025, for services to golf. She is believed to be the youngest dame or knight of the modern era.

Lydia Ko

64. "If all __ fails ... ": ELSE.  If you don't know Lili or Lydia, try to fill in the perps (perpendicular entries), and if that doesn't complete the names, take a WAG (wild ass guess).  

65. Defect: FLAW.

66. Unrefined minerals: ORES.

Down:

1. Prepares for a photograph: POSES.

2. One-named "Hello" singer: ADELE.  Adele is an English singer, songwriter, and actress, known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting.  Her accolades include 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards (including three for British Album of the Year), an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

Adele

3. [Theme clue]

4. The first "T" of TNT: TRI.  Trinitrotoluene, commonly known as TNT, is a chemical compound best known as an explosive material with convenient handling properties. Wile E. Coyote certainly finds it convenient.

5. Howls at the moon: BAYS.

6. Enjoyed some tteokbokki, say: ATE.  Tteokbokki is a Korean food made from small, cylindrical rice cakes, simmered in chili paste.  It is often paired with fish cakes, boiled eggs, and scallions.  This was a good spot for a WAG.  After all, what's a three letter word for "enjoyed"?

Tteokbokki

7. Peak in the Cascade Range: SHASTA.  Mount Shasta is a volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in California. At an elevation of 14,179 feet, it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state.  The last significant eruption was about 200 years ago, but it is still a high threat and is monitored by the United States Geological Survey.

Would you live this close to an active volcano?
This is the city of Mount Shasta.

8. [Theme clue]

9. Units of land area: ACRES.

10. [Theme clue]

11. Catchall category: Abbr.: MISC.

12. Heaviest fencing sword: ÉPÉE.

14. Body part that can be furrowed: BROW.

17. CeraVe rival: OLAY.  Brands of skin care products.

DH uses this cleanser as recommended by his dermatologist.

22. Muscles near delts: LATS.  Delts (deltoids) and lats (latissimus dorsi) are crucial upper-body muscles that define shoulder width, posture, and pulling/pushing strength.

24. North Pole VIP: SANTA.

25. "What happened next?": AND THEN?

27. Fair-hiring initials: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity is a legal principle meant to ensure that all employees and applicants receive fair treatment by prohibiting discrimination in hiring, promotion, and firing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability, or genetic information. 

29. "Just like that" sound: SNAP.

30. Iran's continent: ASIA.

31. Dolphin with eye patches: ORCA.  Have you heard about the orcas in the Pacific Northwest who engaged in a trend of wearing dead salmon on their heads like hats?  This fad spread through various pods in the late 1980s, and is experiencing a retro revival.  Who can keep up?

Orca rocking a salmon hat.

32. Postal delivery: MAIL.

33. [Theme clue]

35. Become frantic: PANIC.

38. Serving of corn: EAR.

41. "The Substance" Oscar nominee Moore: DEMI.  For her role in The Substance (2024), Moore won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress, and an Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.  She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance.

46. Quash, as a rumor: DISPEL.

47. DEA agent: NARC.  An agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration may be a narcotics officer.

49. Song from a bygone era: OLDIE.

50. Property claim: LIEN.

51. "I'm at your service": USE ME.

52. Trims (down): PARES.

53. Part of an archipelago: ISLE.

54. Work hard: TOIL.

55. __ state: focused mindset: FLOW.  Flow state, or being "in the zone," is a state of total immersion in an activity, characterized by intense concentration, deep enjoyment, and high productivity.

59. Kissing on the kiss cam, say: PDA.  Public Display of Affection.

Too much?

60. Swear words?: I DO.

Here's the grid:

Solvers, did you achieve a FLOW state while solving?  

Or did you PANIC?  AND THEN?

Let us know in the comments section!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday, February 15, 2026, Tom Pepper and Zhouqin Burnikel

 Gift ideas

Here is a thoughtful gift from the Dream Team of Tom Pepper, and Zhouqin Burnikel. (Dynamic Duo was already taken.) For any newbies here, Zhouqin Burnikel is "CC," our "BFL" (Beloved Fearless Leader...) Of course, the dream team is incomplete without an Editor, but I am leaving her name out of this, because I am mad that she didn't publish this before Christmas, when I could have really used the Gift ideas...

22A. Shower gift?: RAIN JACKET.

24A. Money gift?: BREAD DOUGH.  Why do Bakers work so hard? Because the need the dough...

30A. Housewarming gift?: SPACE HEATER.

54A. Seasonal gift?: SPICE GRINDER. (Love this wordplay!)

68A. Thank-you gift?: GRATITUDE JOURNALS.

I really need one of these...

85A. Cheap gift?: PENNY LOAFERS. Sorry, the cheapest you can get these days are Nickel Loafers...

105A. Parting gift?: RAT-TAIL COMB.

Just one of many uses...

116A. Wedding gift?: RING BINDER. Yes, it's a thing! A.I. Overview

119A. Group gift?: BAND T SHIRT. 

I just listen to the music in my head...

Let's see how they fit "all' these theme answers into this grid!

Across:
1. Flyer with a stinger: WASP.

5. Punch sound: KAPOW.

It's louder in color...

10. Gather over time: AMASS.

15. __-mo: SLO.

18. Diez menos dos: OCHO. Spanish: ten minus two = eight

19. Red Velvet leader: IRENE. This was a tough one for anyone over 21.

Irene Bae Joon-Hyun 

Leader of the South Korean Girl Group

Red Velvet

(extra points if you can tell which one is Irene....)

20. Book with Judges: BIBLE. The Bible lists several leaders as judges of Israel, primarily the twelve mentioned in the Book of Judges...  hmm, no politics, no religion, trying to keep it lite here. For further information, consult your local Rabbi, (or spiritual leader of choice) for a pamphlet, on the Book of Judges, found within The Bible.

21. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO. (I wonder if his middle initial is "A.")

22. [Theme]

24. [Theme]

26. "Maybe a bit": KINDA. (Not sorta...)

27. Bone head?: OSTEO. Prefix from the Greek Osteon, meaning Bone. Follow link for examples...

29. Enjoys a trampoline: BOUNCES.

30. [Theme]

35. Head turners?: NECKS. This could have been clued differently, but still would have been a head turner...

36. ID sought by some hackers: SSN. Social Security Number.

39. "Origin" director DuVernay: AVA.

40. Bruins legend Bobby: ORR.

41. Commercial offer: REBATE.

43. Tailless primate: APE.

44. Trio of trios: NONET. A group of nine, like how many lives a cat has, or a musical group of 3 trios...

46. Knee-baring skirt: MINI. (They keep getting shorter, so MIDI might fit here now...)

47. Wrath: RAGE.

51. Park expanse: LAWN.

53. "How did they do that!?": WOW.

54. [Theme]

58. Risk getting bleeped: SWEAR.

60. "Sugar Walls" singer Sheena: EASTON.

Sheena Easton

62. Picking up on: SENSING.

63. Potts of "Young Sheldon": ANNIE.

The Best of MeeMaw.

64. Genre rooted in gospel: SOUL.

65. Pressurized garb: GSUIT. Yes, a G-suit is pressurized, but only when needed. It contains inflatable bladders that automatically fill with air, compressing the pilot's legs and abdomen during high-g maneuvers to prevent blood from pooling in the lower body, which keeps blood in the brain and prevents blackouts. 

67. Maker of POP kitchen storage containers: OXO. A brand name since 1990.

68. [Theme]

73. Focus of a skier's MRI, perhaps: ACL. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Anterior Cruciate Ligament connects the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia). 

And, the reason an MRI might focus on one...

75. Solitary person: LONER.

76. Slugger Ty who holds the record for most career steals of home plate: COBB.

77. Critter in a eucalyptus forest: KOALA.

80. Paper alternative: PLASTIC.

82. Old __ die hard: HABITS.

84. Fudd who bugs Bugs: ELMER.

Can you tell which one is Bugs?

85. [Theme]

88. Soft toss: LOB.

90. Diet-friendly, in ads: LITE.

91. Pop in a glass: SODA.

92. Degs. for some composers: MFAS. Master of Fine Arts.

93. Italian city known for salami: GENOA.

95. Supermodel Carangi: GIA.

96. Cover image on an Amer. passport: U.S. SEAL.

99. __ Dhabi: ABU. Capital City of The United Arab Emirates.

101. Business letters: INC. (meaning Incorporated...)

102. Slip-__: comfy shoes: ONS.

103. Bamboozled: AT SEA.

105. [Theme]

109. Mrs. __ cow: O'LEARYS. Stop blaming the poor cow for the Chicago Fire. A.I. Overview

111. Egg-shaped: OVATE.

112. Adds slack, perhaps: EASES.

116. [Theme]

119.[Theme]

122. Oscar winner Blanchett: CATE. Incredibly prolific actress, you may know her as "Galadriel" from The Lord of the Rings. But she could be almost anyone... Her IMDB

In the Movie Hannah, she uses a body double to escape a teenaged assassin.

123. Intimidate: DAUNT.

124. Beauty mogul Elizabeth: ARDEN.

125. Solo with orchestral backing: ARIA.

126. Residue in an incense burner: ASH.

127. Columns with angles: OP EDS. 😀 An essay in a newspaper or magazine that gives the opinion of the writer and that is written by someone who is not employed by the newspaper or magazine.

128. Intel source: ASSET.

129. "That __ fair!": ISN'T.

Down:
1. Function: WORK. You have to scroll way down the list of definitions under the word "function" to find "work."  Perhaps it would be easier to look at it backwards, (or CrossEyed) and think of this as the definition for work. (=function)

2. Superfruit in a yogurt bowl: ACAI.

3. Leg part: SHIN. A favorite skier MRI focus as the ACL connects it to the thigh bone...

4. Lily pads' places: PONDS.

5. Carnival creator: KIA. Ever play the car name game on a long trip? Try to make it through the alphabet.  See an Audi or an Accura, and claim an A! A Honda for H, a Ford for F. If you can't find a Buick for B, a Bronco will suffice! A javelin may be hard to find, but I have been saved by a Jetta... (you may have to cheat if you make it to U, U-haul etc...)

6. Parenthesis shape: ARC.

7. Tea grade: PEKOE.

8. Happening a single time: ONE SHOT. (Never happens in bars...)

9. Holding more water: WETTER.

See 8 down above

10. Big brother?: ABBOT.😀

11. Orbiter until 2001: MIR.

12. Honest pres.: ABE.

13. Concrete section: SLAB.

14. Arizona city known for sandstone formations: SEDONA.

15. Prepare, as oysters: SHUCK.

16. Pricey theater boxes: LOGES.

17. Sounds of wonder: OOHS.

21. Worries: CONCERNS.

23. Only Asian member of the G7: JAPAN.

25. Piece for two: DUET.

28. Sweet corn serving: EAR.

31. Profess: AVOW.

32. Tippy transport: CANOE.🙃

33. NFL Hall of Famer Dickerson: ERIC.

34. Philosopher Descartes: RENE "I think, therefore I am." (Cogito, ergo sum)

36. Taco topping: SALSA.

37. Produce young: SPAWN.

38. Clam chowder style: NEW ENGLAND. (Manhattan wouldn't fit.)

42. Scenic region between Carmel and San Simeon: BIG SUR.

45. Discarded PCs, printers, etc.: E WASTE.

46. Hour pt.: MIN. (Or sec, or...)

Decisecond: One-tenth of a second (

$0.1$

 s).

Centisecond: One-hundredth of a second (

$0.01$

 s).

Millisecond (ms): One-thousandth of a second (

$0.001$

 s).

Microsecond (

$\mu$

s): One-millionth of a second (

$0.000001$

 s).

Nanosecond (ns): One-billionth of a second (

${10}^{-9}$

 s).

Shake: 10 nanoseconds (

${10}^{-8}$

 s).

Picosecond (ps): One-trillionth of a second (

${10}^{-12}$

 s).

Femtosecond (fs): One-quadrillionth of a second (

${10}^{-15}$

 s).

Attosecond (as): One-quintillionth of a second (

${10}^{-18}$

 s).

Zeptosecond (zs): One-sextillionth of a second (

${10}^{-21}$

 s).

Planck time: Approximately 

$5.39\times {10}^{-44}$

 seconds. 

48. "Later, gator!": ADIOS AMIGO. Could also be clued: Hasta LaVista! Or, Vaya Con Dios...

49. Group before millennials: GEN X.

50. "By that logic ... ": ERGO.

52. Depilatory brand: NAIR.

54. __ muffin: STUD.

Now Ladies, remember your diet...

55. Racer with an edge: POLE CAR.

Normally the car in 1st starting position,

but there have been accidents...

56. Bridle strap: REIN.

57. Output opposite: INTAKE.

59. Business with lots to offer: REALTY.😆

61. Like kimchi and umeboshi: SOUR.

65. Silk Road desert: GOBI.

66. Nuanced: SUBTLE.

69. "Double, double __ and trouble": TOIL.

70. Revenue: INCOME.

71. Positions: JOBS.

72. Emulate a couch potato: LOLL.

73. Snapchat and ChatGPT: APPS.

74. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEO.

What the real Cleopatra is believed to look like.

78. Grant admission to: LET IN.

79. Some geometry calculations: AREAS.

81. Dog treat portmanteau: SNAUSAGE. Supposedly Snack and Sausage...

82. Cock and bull: HE'S. (A likely story...)

83. __ boom: SONIC.

86. "... we traverse __": AFAR.

87. FDR pet honored with a statue in D.C.: FALA.

FDR and Fala remembered.

89. Pro __: gratis: BONO. 

(from 

pro bono publico, "for the public good") refers to free, voluntary legal services, whereas gratis means without charge;free.

93. Rock instruments: GUITARS.

94. High points: ACMES.

97. Belgrade native: SERB.

98. Get hitched: SAY I DO. Before adding the spaces, Sayido sounded like a thing. So I tried to look it up

99. Off-rd. rig: ATV. All Terrain Vehicle

100. [We're sheep!]: BAA BAA.

What they're really saying...

103. Misleading handle: ALIAS.😗

104. Final bowling frame: TENTH.

106. Legal wrongs: TORTS.

107. Gives temporarily: LENDS.

108. Faith founded in Persia: BAHA'I.

109. Black-and-white predator: ORCA.

110. Rice Krispies mascot in a chef's hat: SNAP. Pop quiz! What kind of hat did Pop wear? (Or Crackle for that matter...)

113. Gentlemen: SIRS.

114. "__ Brockovich": ERIN. A famous environmental activist.

115. "On the double!": STAT.

117. __ date: DUE.

118. Baseball : inning :: curling : __: END. Yes End,,, Here's the A.I. Overview

120. Barely passing grade: DEE.

121. Big bang abbr.: TNT. Also, Raj was short for Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali.

Here's the grid:

CE:D out.