Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Joe Marangell

  Soul Searching?

CrossEyedDave here, join me while I try to figure out what's happening. Looking at this one themer at a time, maybe we can connect the dots...

17 Across. Olympic National Park attraction: SOL DUC FALLS. I am torn here, as to what to post. But doing some soul searching, i think it is best to go with both videos, as this has to be one of the most beautiful places to hike that I have never seen.

The legend...

Note that the sign spells this place as Sole Duck Falls.

Or just soak up this beautiful place...

27 Across.  Owner without a partner: SOLE PROPRIETOR. (Brings to mind...)

If Moe had a Partner, he wouldn't have to answer the phone...

45 Across. Benson Lee coming-of-age film set in South Korea: SEOUL SEARCHING. This is as close to a reveal that I can find.

I dunno, 6.7 at IMDB

One review said, 

Think Breakfast Club meets American Pie Meets Korean Drama...

61 Across. Goatee alternatives: SOUL PATCHES.

Now, I've never heard of this...

Is this the puzzle reveal?

(You telling me this whole puzzle was a patch job?)

Across:
1. Initials associated with the pride flag: LGBT. lesbian, Gay, BiSexual, Transgender. Often followed by "Q" which stood for something else. In today's PC world, it is more politely defined as Questioning...

The Imitation Game

( try watching without being moved )

5. Apple download: IOS APP. Short for IPhone Operating System.

11. Round vegetable in a pastizz: PEA. Yummers...

14. Potatoes, in Indian cuisine: ALOO. Becoming a crossword staple. In American cuisine, this 4 letter vowel rich word is pronounced "Oreo." 

15. National flower of Mexico: DAHLIA. Beautiful

16. Video meeting annoyance: LAG.

17. [Theme]

19. L.A.'s Melrose, e.g.: AVE. I'm confused by this. It's not "PLACE," or Drive, Lane, or Alley?

20. Like a comfortable flight: SMOOTH. Hmm, can't find a suitable image for this. But I imagine myself sitting in First Class, sipping a Scotch on the Rocks. (With apologies to TINBENI...)

21. Young lady: GAL. Hmm again, maybe in Brooklyn. But I would only call a young "Lady" a Lass...

22. Tournament advancements: BYES. Preferential Treatment?

23. Writing tip?: NIB. Normally this should not require any explanation. But this is the imagination of CrossEyedDave talking. I think this word derived from the days when people wrote with Goose Quills, and they sharpened them by Nibbling on them... (I hope the ink was tasty... :)

25. Financing figs.: APRS. Annual Percentage Rate...

27 Across. [Theme]

34. Impersonate: APE. (Alas, not copycat...)

35. A bit: SOME. (Please sir, may I have some more...)

36. Cussed: SWORE. (&^$$#&&#$^#@ Spellcheck...)

37. Creative sparks: IDEAS. Strangely, I have no rebuttal for this one...

39. D.C. MLBer: NAT. Sports reference. Meaning Washington Nationals.

40. City on the Nile River: ASWAN. Not Cairo...

41. Hint of color: TINGE.

42. "Queer as Folk" actress Gill: THEA. Not familiar, Her IMDB

44. Flesh and blood: KIN.  Not Lambkin, or napkin, Oy Evay!

45. [Theme]

48. Lean (on): RELY.

49. Fox Sports soccer analyst Holden: STU. A 3 letter name i never heard of...Do you really want to go down this rabbit hole...

50. Faulty fireworks: DUDS. (Like the Clue/Answer above...)

52. "SNL" broadcaster: NBC.

55. "The Creation of Adam," for one: FRESCO.

Oh! I always thought of this as a painting.

Where I come from, painting on walls and ceilings is called Graffiti...

60. "__ you kidding?": ARE.  (In reference to 55A, Yes...)

61. [Theme]

63. Spoil: MAR. ( I hope I didn't ruin this puzzle for true Crossword Aficionados...)

64. Whirlpools: EDDIES. (What you get in a CED puzzle review...)

65. Challenge for a cross-country runner: HILL. Really? I face this challenge just getting out of bed...

66. Thrilling pair?: ELS. I didn't see this before, lucky me...

67. Classify: ASSORT.

68. See 2-Down: ON TO.  OK, This is where TTP's method of starting a puzzle in the middle could really pay off...

Down:
1. Young lady: LASS. Wait, where did I see this before? Wasn't it Gal?

2. With 68-Across, grab and not let go of: GLOM. Reminds me of Cookie Monster eating...

3. Tie with a slide clip: BOLO. Never found in a supermarket, that would be Bogo...

(Actually, if you don't live in Texas, I doubt you would ever see one of these...)

Hmm, maybe I should try one as a fashion statement. You know, YOLO...

4. List heading: TO DO. (The head of my puzzle solving list is TADA...)

5. Pet-tracking implants: ID CHIPS. Or, if you are very into Sci-Fi, a very vague reference to the movie Forbidden Planet?

6. Clumsy person: OAF.  (Ok,ok, i take back the forbidden planet reference...)

7. Fluffy rug: SHAG. (Not once the Dog pees on it...) Why couldn't you clue this as an Austin Powers Movie Line?
8. Word in some trattoria dish names: ALLA.

9. One of 36 surrounding the Lincoln Memorial: PILLAR. Believe it or not... when the Lincoln Memorial was built, the entire Washington DC area was a swamp..

The entire place was landfilled to create what we see today.

I dunno, once a swamp, always a swamp. Kinda explains a lot...

10. Faux __: PAS. ( I hope the above comment was not one...)

11. Seeks victory at all costs: PLAYS TO WIN. Sounds more like War than a game...

12. Roof part: EAVE. Adam part, Eve...

13. Suggested range on a game box: AGES. 

18. Eclectic online digest: UTNE. Deriving ideas, style or taste, from a wide range of sources.

an American magazine/digital digest founded by Eric Utne in 1984. It focuses on covering alternative media, politics, culture, and new ideas. The name, of Norwegian origin, loosely translates to "far out" and is also a place.

22. Cold one: BREWSKI. Now we are talking! I knew there was something I liked about all this...

24. "Wuthering Heights" novelist: BRONTE. Hmm, how many Brewskis would it take to read this whole thing?

26. Tuscan city: PISA. Most believe the hypothesis that the origin of the name Pisa comes from Etruscan and means 'mouth', as Pisa is at the mouth of the Arno river.

There is also a slang meaning, but I don't think I should go there...

27. Sink of "Stranger Things": SADIE.

Strange name from a stranger show...

28. Unexecuted market directives: OPEN ORDERS. (If you say so, sounds like more explanation is needed here. But I don't want to...)

29. Fantasy sports groups: LEAGUES.

30. Nebraska city with North America's largest indoor swamp: OMAHA. I am very confused by this.

According to Google it is referenced as "A Desert." And besides, everyone knows North Americas largest swamp is in Washington DC...

31. Broadway star Bernadette: PETERS. I am tempted to link one of many clips from the movie The Jerk,

But I couldn't do that to you...

32. Red-haired primate: ORANG. Yeah, I know. Get over it...

33. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame rapper MC __: REN. (No Comment)

37. Part of TGIF: IT'S. Hmm, how would you have clued this?

38. Buy alternative: SELL. What happened to trade? Swap? (Sorry, I was playing Monopoly recently...)

43. Infomercial imperative: ACT FAST.  They want you to act so fast that they really should remove the space between these two words...

46. Church councils: SYNODS.

47. Offended, say: HURT. I Apologize  for all the references I made in this review...

50. Sir counterpart: DAME.

51. Eurasian range: URAL. Not Aral, that's a lake...

53. Future flowers: BUDS. Does this explain why relationships grow?

54. Muse of history: CLIO. Also a prestigious award for creative communication. (I doubt I will ever win one...)

56. Reverberate: ECHO. (The above comment echoes in my head...)

57. Protected area in a soccer game: SHIN. ( not when I play, mine starts with a G.)

58. Gaul or Breton: CELT.

59. Nobel Peace Prize city: OSLO.

61. Lighthouse view: SEA. Sadly not always true.

Songs have been written about this sad occurrence...

62. Pay-__-click: PER.

Anywho, I am not sure I will ever finish this review. I need to do some more Soul Searching, as I am sure I must have left something out...

I'll be back...

CE:D

P.S. ( i'm back..)

Here is a link to a Joe Marangell  puzzle reviewed by Husker Gary...

Thank you Husker Gary!

The introduction has a great reveal about this constructor ...

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Geoffrey Schorkoph and Matthew Luter

Odds or Evens?

20-Across. Road trip activity with yes or no answers: TWENTY QUESTIONS.

34-Across. Uno's predecessor: CRAZY EIGHTS.

41-Across. Hasbro product with yellow and red checkers: CONNECT FOUR.

And the unifier:

51-Across. "You must consider the odds," and what can be said about 20-, 34-, or 41-Across?: IT'S A NUMBERS GAME.  Consider the Odds that all the Games have Even Numbers.

Across:

1. Sleight of hand: MAGIC.

6. Film trivia site: IMDB.  As in Internet Movie DataBase.  It's useful when you recognize an actor's face, but can't think of his name.

10. __ golf: DISC.  I'll let the golfers among us describe this sport.

14. Best Picture Oscar winner starring Mikey Madison: ANORA.  Anora is a romantic comedy-drama about a young girl from Brooklyn who meets and marries the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch.  His parent's aren't amused.

 

15. Nurture: REAR.

16. Machu Picchu builder: INCA.  Machu Picchu is an Incan city set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned.  It is known renowned for its dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar and panoramic views.   It is truly breathtaking.  If you have an opportunity to visit the site, I highly recommend it.

17. Played on TV again: RERAN.

18. Years, in Latin: ANNI.  Anno is singular; Anni is plural.

19. Aussie greeting: G'DAY.  We learned about Australian greetings a couple of weeks ago.

23. Fashion designer Anna: SUI.  Anna Sui (b. Aug. 4, 1955) was a big name in fashion in the early aughts.

24. Low-carb diet: KETO.  Keto is short for ketogenic, a diet designed to induce ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.

25. Bona fide: ACTUAL.  More of today's Latin lesson.  It literally means In Good Faith.

29. On a cruise ship, maybe: ASEA.

31. Glamping options, for short: RVs.

36. Butter unit: PAT.

37. Saintly ring of light: HALO.

38. "Hamilton" actress Phillipa: SOO.  Philippa Anne Soo (b. May 31, 1990) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  She is best known for her role as Eliza Hamilton in the original Broadway musical Hamilton.

39. The Big Easy, for short: NOLA.  As in New Orleans, Louisiana.

40. Mother of 41-Down: EVE.  //  41-Down. Genesis brother: CAIN.

45. Lair: DEN.

46. Like some limited-release films: ARTY.

47. Hoot and __: HOLLER.

48. Bed size: TWIN.  Back in the olden days, married couples slept in twin beds.

50. Buddy: PAL.

59. __ scale: measure of mineral hardness: MOHS.  The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs (né Carl Friedrich Christian Mohs; Jan. 29, 1883 ~ Sept. 29, 1839), a German chemist.

60. Beat handily: ROUT.

61. Language of Sri Lanka: TAMIL.  Sri Lanka is the island country off the tip of India.

62. Item on a stage manager's checklist: PROP.

63. Ilk: SORT.

64. Pizzeria appliances: OVENS.

65. Participates in a bee: SEWS.

66. Tense and irritable: EDGY.

67. Gossipy person: YENTA.

Down:

1. Bodega: MART.

2. From the top: ANEW.  A crossword staple.

3. 1990s vice president: GORE.  Before he became the 45th Vice President, Al Gore (né Albert Arnold Gore Jr.; b. Mar. 31, 1948) served as a United States Senator from Tennessee.

4. Tehran's country: IRAN.  I think this country has been in the news recently.  Did any of you watch the television show Tehran that is on Apple TV?

5. "Who knows": CAN'T SAY.

6. Baghdad citizen: IRAQI.

7. Array of course offerings?: MENU.

8. Great __: big dog: DANE.

9. Staple of Texas barbecue: BRISKET.  Yummers!

10. Finger or toe: DIGIT.

11. Splashy hotel amenity?: INDOOR POOL.

12. Read a barcode: SCAN.

13. Tropical islets: CAYS.  Everything you ever wanted to know about Cays, but didn't know to ask.

21. Christmas season: YULE.

Christmas in July.

22. Brews enjoyed with scones: TEAS.

25. Felt a workout: ACHED.

26. Hunger for: CRAVE.

27. Amateur production: TALENT SHOW.

28. "The Residence" star Aduba: UZO.  I am not familiar with either The Residence or Uzo Aduba (née Uzoamaka Nwanneka "Uzo" Aduba; b. Feb. 10, 1981).  She is probably best known for her portrayal of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Orange Is the New Black.

29. Torment: AGONY.

30. "If the __ fits ... ": SHOE.

32. Regard highly: VALUE.

33. Ringo of the Beatles: STARR.

35. "This __ about you": ISN'T.

39. Gp. that sets a zebra among the Lions?: NFL.  The zebras here are the referees.

42. Surgical asst.: OR NURSE.

43. Blacken, as a steak: CHAR.

44. "Anna Karenina" novelist: TOLSTOY.  Leo Tolstoy (Sept. 9, 1828 ~ Nov. 20, 1910) published Anna Karenina as a novel in 1878.  It had initially been released in serial increments between 1875 and 1877.  You can read it here.

49. Builders of papery nests: WASPS.

50. Like one who holds grudges: PETTY.

51. Rascals: IMPS.

52. Ripped: TORE.

beyond torn.

53. Word before ring or swing: MOOD.

54. Town: BURG.

55. Donated: GAVE.

56. Blessing ender: AMEN.

57. Julep herb: MINT.  Yummers!

58. Disney princess with icy powers: ELSA.  A reference to Frozen.

That's all for this week.

חתולה

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