Thursday October 29, 2026 Mat Holmes

Mat Holmes is back and preparing us for Halloween...and it's "scary!" I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

62. Punctuation that expresses skepticism, or what the answers to the starred clues may be called?: SCARE QUOTES. SCARE QUOTES are quotation marks placed around a word or phrase to signal that the writer is using it in an ironic, skeptical, or derisive way, e.g., She conveniently "forgot" to send the invitation.

18. *"The Shining": HERE'S JOHNNY.

27. *"Frankenstein": IT'S ALIVE.

39. *"The Sixth Sense": I SEE DEAD PEOPLE.

53. *"Saw": GAME OVER.

I CONCUR! I caught on early to the famous lines from scary movies, but the revealer explained why they're there. Mat used a slightly wider 16-column grid to accommodate the quotes. All of these are iconic and conjured an image in my mind. Super fun and well done (except for two names in the NW). Here's looking at you, kid!

I'm a horror film (but not slasher) fan. Let's see what other scary movies I can conjure up:

Across:

1. "__ luego": HASTA. Spanish for "See you later." Or, as the Terminator would say, "HASTA la vista, baby."

6. Cold plunge preceder, sometimes: SAUNA.

11. Starboard's opposite: PORT. Starboard (from Old English steorbord, or steering side) meant the right as most people are right-handed and used an oar to steer. The opposite, larboard (ladebord, or the side facing the dock for lading) was replaced by PORT to denote the same thing but without the rhyming sound confusion when shouted in wind or battle.

15. "Stolen Car" singer Beth: ORTON. Beth who? This one is pretty weak as "Stolen Car" came out 27 years ago and only made it to #34 on the UK Singles Chart.

16. Fast-food item celebrated with multiple farewell tours: MCRIB. McDonald's McRIB is a restructured boneless pork patty shaped like a miniature rack of ribs, but contains no rib meat - or anything else edible.

17. Basic geometry calculation: AREA.

18. [theme]

20. Circle: RING.

21. Burma's first prime minister: U NU. Who knew? U NU. But I didn't know. 

U Nu on the cover of TIME August 30, 1954.

22. Roused from sleep: WOKE.

23. Wolfgang Puck restaurant: SPAGO.

25. Large agricultural knife: MACHETE.

27. [theme]

30. Toffee candy bar: SKOR.

31. Formula One event: RACE. A Formula One (F1) RACE, officially called a Grand Prix, is considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. The word "formula" in the name refers to the set of rules all participant cars must follow. 

33. Chatty starlings: MYNAS.

34. UFC sport: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts is the combat sport while the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a production company that organizes and broadcasts the events.

36. Ever so: VERY.

38. "The Simpsons" creator Groening: MATT. Mat even gave himself a shout-out! Portland, Oregon native MATT Groening has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards. The Simpsons has been in constant production since 1989, making it the longest running American sitcom.

39. [theme]

43. Laryngitis docs: ENTS. Ear, Nose & Throat doctors, formally titled otolaryngologists. Hence ENTs.

44. Tubular pasta: ZITI.

45. Tire gauge meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

46. Inbox party notice: EVITE.

48. South African currency: RAND. A gold coin introduced in 1967 was the KrugerRAND, and it became the first choice of investors worldwide. 

50. Back talk: SASS.

53. [theme]

55. Formal agreement?:  I CONCUR.

58. One of music's Allman Brothers: DUANE. Could've been his brother Gregg, who also has five letters. DUANE Allman is considered one of the best slide guitarists and reached the peak of stardom. Sadly, he was killed in a motorcycle crash at age 24. Today is the anniversary of his death in 1971.

Duane used an empty glass Coricidin medicine bottle for a slide.

59. Stipulation for some parties, briefly: BYOB. Bring Your Own Bottle (Beer, Booze, Beverage).

60. Metallic lode: ORE.

61. Combine: MELD.

62. [theme]

66. Rock's Mötley __: CRUE. Mötley CRÜE is an American heavy metal band that loves umlauts. I güess.

67. Pisa landmark: TOWER. 

68. Pizza part: CRUST.

69. Cold War initials: USSR. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

70. Crock-Pot concoctions: STEWS.

71. Hops-drying ovens: OASTS.

Down:

1. Stale: HO HUM. Ironically, this is the first one down, but it was my last fill because ORTON and UNU were unknowns. 

2. Big concert venues: ARENAS.

3. Word with love or thunder: STRUCK.

4. Tot's piggy: TOE.

5. "Say something!": ANSWER ME.

6. Barbecue apparatus: SMOKER.

7. Ibuprofen target: ACHE.

8. Catering container: URN.

9. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira NIN y Culmell was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Her given name is very long, but on the plus side, it has an umlaut. Perhaps she inspired Mötley Crüe.

10. Bottomless pit: ABYSS.

11. Elite wheelchair rugby player, maybe: PARALYMPIAN.

12. Fresh: ORIGINAL.

13. Get ready to flip, perhaps: RENOVATE.

14. Size indicator: TAG.

19. Put (down): JOT.

24. Nonstick spray brand: PAM.

26. One with a self-sufficient lifestyle: HOMESTEADER.

27. Stranded until a thaw: ICED IN.

28. U. of Maryland athlete: TERP. The university's athletic teams are called the TERPS. They're named after the diamondback terrapin, a turtle native to the Chesapeake Bay.

29. Approximate fig.: EST.

32. Online representative: AVATAR.

35. Woodworking tool that resembles an axe: ADZ. An ADZ (usually spelled ADZE) is like an axe except the blade is at right angles to the handle. It is used to scoop out or smooth wood.

37. "Reckon so": YEP.

39. Space trailer of the 1970s and '80s?: INVADERS. Trailer because INVADERS follows Space in the game's name. An Atari 2600 was our first home video console, and Space INVADERS was the hit game. However, it wasn't long after that I tired of video games and I don't play them at all now. Somehow, they grew into a multi-billion dollar industry without me.

40. Agent that produces a reaction: STIMULUS.

41. Word on Irish stamps: EIRE. 

42. Dish whose name means "bone with a hole" in Italian: OSSO BUCO. "I'll have the bone with a hole, please."

43. Brain test letters: EEG. As we learned a week ago, I should use an ElectroEncephaloGram to see if I have any electrical brain activity. I sure hope so.

47. Long, long time: EON.

49. Handy types: DIYERS. Do-It-Yourselfers.

51. Fed. bench nine: SCOTUS. The Supreme Court Of The United States.

52. Most certain: SUREST.

54. Confers, as authority: VESTS.

56. __ au vin: COQ.

57. Takes a breather: RESTS.

59. Cauldron concoction: BREW.

61. CGI-heavy superhero franchise: MCU. Movies in the the Marvel Cinematic Universe use a lot of Computer-Generated Imagery. I know, you're surprised that it's not all real.

63. Hotel bonus bed: COT.

64. Fill with wonder: AWE.

65. __ pro nobis: ORA.

Hope you enjoyed going to the monster movie matinee! In the meantime, I think I'll slip into my handy Halloween costume. 

Trick or treat!

Be good. RB

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