Monday, January 19, 2026, Agnes Davidson, Zhouqin Burnikel

Theme:  We've been framed! 

Who are the masterminds behind this scheme?  None other than our blogmistress, Zhouquin "C.C." Burnikel, and our commenter extraordinaire, Agnes "Irish Miss" Davidson.  How did they frame us?  Let us count the ways, beginning with the big reveal:

36-Down. Scapegoating scheme, or what the ends of the answers to the starred clues may be part of?: FRAME JOB.  A scapegoating scheme blames an innocent person for the wrongdoings of others.  Similarly, a FRAME JOB arranges evidence to point to an innocent person as the one responsible for a crime.  Why would Irish Miss and C.C. do this to us?  The good news is, they didn't.  They just hung a framed picture on the wall for our enjoyment, and scattered their tools around the grid.

16-Across. *Statistical measure of certainty: CONFIDENCE LEVEL.  A LEVEL is a handy tool for making sure a framed picture hangs straight on the wall.

CONFIDENCE LEVEL       and       LEVEL TOOL

22-Down. *Earlobe sparkler: DIAMOND STUD.  A STUD is a vertical wood beam that is part of the substructure of a wall.  If the framed picture is heavy, it's a good idea to attach one of the picture hangers to a stud in the wall.

DIAMOND STUD   and   WALL STUDS

23-Down. *Fashion accessory attached at a salon: ACRYLIC NAIL.  A NAIL is essential to fasten a picture hanger to a wall.

ACRYLIC NAILS   and   NAIL FASTENERS

33-Down. *"U Can't Touch This" rapper: MC HAMMER.  A HAMMER is a handy tool for driving a nail into a wall.

MC HAMMER   and   HAMMER TOOL

This FRAME JOB turned out to be a satisfying task.  But "hang" on -- there's more to do.

Across:

1. Golf scorecard number: PAR.  PAR is the number of strokes that a proficient golfer should require to complete a hole, a round, or a tournament.

4. Prefix with task or vitamin: MULTI.

9. Pt. of LLC: LTD.  An LLC is a Limited Liability Company. A part (abbreviated "pt.") of this phrase is the word "Limited," abbreviated as LTD.

12. "Look __ this way ... ": AT IT.

14. Sci-fi author Asimov: ISAAC.  Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. Considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he wrote or edited more than 500 books.

15. "The __ the merrier!": MORE.

16. [Theme clue]

19. "Yum Yum Bedlam" rap duo __ Clown Posse: INSANE.  Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo formed in Detroit in 1989.  Thank you, perpendicular entries.

Insane Clown Posse

20. Try to chomp on: BITE AT.

21. Experience grief: FEEL SAD.

23. Calgary's province: ALBERTA.  It's only fair to have the occasional gimme for our friend CanadianEh!

24. NFL distances: Abbr.: YDS.  NFL is an abbreviation for National Football League.  YDS is an abbreviation for yards.  Although American football is largely incomprehensible to this blogger, it's clearly an outlet for tribal instincts, where the capture of territory is measured in yards.

25. Air pressure fig.: PSI.  Pounds per Square Inch.  By now, you've noticed that an abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.

26. Nasty mutt: CUR.

Bad dogs have had bad experiences.
They can be helped, but some people create this behavior on purpose.

27. Method: Abbr.: SYS.  System.

28. Lucked out at last: GOT A BREAK.

31. Entice: TEMPT.

34. Mother's Day month: MAY.

35. Sorts (through): SIFTS.

39. Marine mammal feared by sharks: ORCA.  Orcas (AKA killer whales) are fearsome creatures.

40. Turnpike charges: TOLLS.

42. Sound from a leaky tap: DRIP.

43. "Hard pass": NAH.

44. Mark left by a swimsuit: TAN LINE.

Tan lines left by various recreational outfits.

46. "__ questions?": ANY.

47. Grammy, for one: AWARD.

49. Insurance case: CLAIM.

51. Like most races: TIMED.

53. __ Antonio Spurs: SAN.  A professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, the Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

55. "Will __": ABC police drama starring Ramón Rodríguez: TRENT.  Will Trent is a police procedural TV series based on novels by Karin Slaughter.  The series, starring Ramón Rodríguez in the title role, premiered on January 3, 2023, on ABC, and was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on January 6, 2026.

Ramón Rodríguez as Will Trent.  Cute dog!

58. Italy's capital: ROME.

59. Rib-eye, for one: STEAK.

61. Not quite closed: AJAR.

62. Blown away: AWED.  Blown away, as in very impressed.

63. Collectible trinket: CURIO.

64. Chore list heading: TO DO.

65. The red planet: MARS.

66. Adored stars: IDOLS.

67. Site with bidding wars: EBAY.  When you shop for a CURIO on EBAY, it's very easy to get caught up in a bidding war.

Down:

1. Soothe, as a fussy baby: PACIFY.  Our young folks went to the hospital thinking they would not use a pacifier for their baby.  The hospital staff supplied this model, and our grandson has been happily sucking on one ever since:

2. Did penance (for): ATONED.

3. Washes the suds off: RINSES.

4. Fertile Crescent's region: MIDEAST.  The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, together with northern Kuwait, south-eastern Turkey, and western Iran.  It is believed to be the first region where farming emerged as people began to clear natural vegetation to grow domesticated plants as crops.  Alas, modern irrigation projects have drained the marshes and made the Crescent much less fertile.

Map of the Fertile Crescent

5. Bring into play: USE.

6. PC-to-PC hookup: LAN.  A Local Area Network is a collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home.  The LAN is made up of cables, access points, switches, routers, and other components that enable devices to connect to internal servers, web servers, and other LANs.  I'm glad our business has a "techspert" to manage the LAN!

7. Tic-__-toe: TAC.

8. Cool tone on a palette: ICE BLUE.

9. Romeo and Juliet, e.g.: LOVERS.

10. Goal of a peace summit, perhaps: TREATY.

11. Triangular river formations: DELTAS.  A river delta is a landform, typically triangular, created by the deposit of sediments carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges into a body of slower-moving water such as an ocean, a sea, a lake, or a reservoir -- in other words, at the river mouth.

The Nile river delta as seen from a satellite.

13. Nonstick cookware brand: T-FAL.  T-Fal is a popular brand of nonstick cookware.  DH and I recently gave up on nonstick and opted for good, old-fashioned stainless steel pots and pans.

15. Ration (out): METE.

17. Cool place to hang: IN SPOT.

I'm in with the in crowd, I go where the in crowd goes ...

18. Most October babies: LIBRAS.

22. [Theme clue]

23. [Theme clue]

28. Academic transcript no.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.  "No." is an abbreviation, so you know the answer will also be an abbreviation.

29. Masquerade event: BALL.

30. Baby goat: KID.

And they both say maa!

31. Freight weight: TON.

32. Period of history: ERA.

33. [Theme clue]

36. [Theme reveal]

37. Ceiling metal: TIN.  Tin ceilings are decorated with tin tiles that have designs pressed into them.  This architectural detail was popular in North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was used as an affordable alternative to the beautiful plasterwork used in European homes.

Tin ceiling with tiles from Penn Metal Ceiling Company's 1896 catalog.

38. Undercover agent: SPY.

40. Roofing goo: TAR.

41. Sketch show that inspired "30 Rock," for short: SNL.  Saturday Night Live.

44. Small amount: TAD.

45. Gulp down: EAT.

48. Garden invaders: WEEDS.  Weeds are wild plants growing where they are not wanted, and in competition with cultivated plants.  Always a problem for me after winter rains in Los Angeles.

I have an urge to kill the spurge.
Spotted spurge, that is.  (Euphorbia maculata.)

50. Hot under the collar: IRATE.

51. Shuttle on rails: TRAM.

52. Corn Belt state: IOWA.

A corn belt I'd like to see.

54. Prefix with dynamic: AERO.

56. Zilch: NADA.

57. "Iliad" city: TROY.  Homer's Iliad is an epic poem that tells the story of the Trojan War, in which Greek armies beseiged the city of Troy after Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, ran off together.  What a lot of trouble those LOVERS caused!  

The fall of Troy came when Greeks entered the city hidden inside a wooden horse.
That story appears in Homer's Odyssey.

59. Physics or chem: SCI.  Science.

60. Some UFC victories: KOS.  Ultimate Fighting Championship (mixed martial arts) victories can be knockouts.

Here's the finished grid:

Solvers, did you work AT IT until you GOT A BREAK?

Did you USE a computer interface where your solving was TIMED?

Can you CLAIM an AWARD for your best solving time ever?

Or did you get NADA and FEEL SAD or even IRATE?

That's a TON of questions.  MAY we hear from you in the comments?

-- NaomiZ

Sunday January 18, 2026 Samuel A. Donaldson

 Theme: "THE ROAD TO SELF-DISCOVERY" - One letter is dropped from the first word of each theme entry, resulting in I in the end.

23. Part of an executive job offer: STARTING SALARY.

30. Game lost in the blink of an eye: STARING CONTEST. Losing T.

45. Chamber group: STRING QUARTET. Losing A. 

63. Undercover setups: STING OPERATIONS. Losing R.

76. Tell all to the police: SING LIKE A CANARY. Losing T.

94. Break divine law: SIN AGAINST GOD. Losing G.

107. Having celebrity status: IN THE PUBLIC EYE. Losing S.

120. Backstreet Boys hit: I WANT IT THAT WAY. Losing N.

I bet Sam thought of STARTLING REVELATION, but could not make a workable set. 

Great to see Sam back! He is a witty law professor and wrote some of the most incisive posts on Amy's blog.

Across:

1. Finishes: WRAPS UP.

8. Mercedes line: E CLASS.

14. One on girth control?: DIETER. I can picture smile on Sam's face when he thought of this clue. 

20. San Diego neighbor: TIJUANA.

21. Twain of note: SHANIA. "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

22. Cheaper than usual: ON SALE.

25. One of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England: WESSEX. Learning moment for me.  Three Exes: Essex, Sussex and Wessex.

26. Rest __: AREA.

27. Worry: FRET.

28. Louvre Pyramid architect: PEI.

29. Campus org. for wannabe ensigns: NROTC. Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Also 113. Employee rts. agency: NLRB. The National Labor Relations Board. 

34. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

36. Thai money: BAHT.

39. Negroni need: GIN.

40. Bucko: PAL.

41. Comparatively damp: SOGGIER.

43. Big whoop: ADO.

44. Resource in Minecraft and Catan: ORE.

48. Sets as a goal: ASPIRES TO.

51. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO. Her dad is Chinese American. 

52. LAX checkers: TSA.

53. Plié joint: KNEE.

54. Lummoxes: OAFS.

57. Sound of an air-kiss: MWAH.

59. Minor dustup: SPAT.

67. Wolfgang Puck's flagship eatery: SPAGO.

68. Teapot Dome commodity: OIL. Wikipedia says "Before the Watergate scandal, Teapot Dome was regarded as the "greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics".  Happened during the Harding administration.

69. Opening number?: ONE. Not song.

70. Snag: NAB.

71. Sort of: ISH.

73. Was published: RAN.

74. Ghanaian with a Nobel Peace Prize: ANNAN. He graduated from Macalester College here in MN. 

82. "Not interested": PASS.

83. Audio giant: BOSE.

84. Sub text?: EDIT. OK, verb sub, substitute.

85. Classic Monopoly token: IRON.

86. To be, in Toledo: SER.

88. AC meas.: BTU.

90. Casually mentions a famous friend: NAME-DROPS. Confession time: Do any of you have a famous friend you've ever name-dropped?

100. Tennis center?: ENS. Tennis.

101. Marker: IOU.

102. Soft cloth: CHAMOIS. Traditionally made from sheepskin or lambskin.

103. Bruins great Bobby: ORR.

104. Three-pointer's path: ARC.

105. Holes: GAPS.

106. Over 100, say: HOT. Degree-wise. 

112. Co. that makes Secret and Scope: P AND G.

114. Former NPR host Shapiro: ARI.

115. Hebrides isle: IONA.

116. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.

119. "Daddy, Papa, and Me" writer Newman: LESLEA. She also wrote "Heather Has Two Mommies".

124. Guru's residence: ASHRAM.

125. Musical liability: TIN EAR.

126. Term paper starting point: OUTLINE.

127. Not too difficult: DOABLE.

128. Cobbler's part: INSOLE.

129. Gives a new tournament ranking to: RE-SEEDS.

Down:

1. Lb. and oz.: WTS. Weights. 

2. Actress Hayworth: RITA.

3. Somewhat open: AJAR.  You know what she would say! 

4. Least contaminated: PUREST.

5. Pulled a chair up to: SAT AT.

6. Sea urchin, at a sushi bar: UNI. Salty, creamy roe. 

7. Cooks in a skillet: PAN FRIES.

8. German steel city: ESSEN.

9. OpenAI bot since 2022: CHATGPT.

10. Luka Doncic's team, on scoreboards: LAL. Los Angeles Lakers.

11. Brazilian city that sounds like Maryland's capital: ANAPOLIS. City of Ana.

12. Homer's rock singer: SIREN.

13. "Come on, tell us!": SAY IT.

14. Where snowbirds flock in winter: DOWN SOUTH. And 15. Xenon, e.g.: INERT GAS. Their symmetrical partners are 83. Activity that may improve problem-solving skills: BRAIN GAME. And 87. Best version of oneself, in psych-speak: EGO IDEAL. Four great fill. 

16. Brand on some Canadian pumps: ESSO.

17. "I think you'll find this yummy!": TASTE IT. I want that egg tart.

18. Winning candidate: ELECTEE.

19. Pet name fit for a king?: REX.

24. Expression that might be evil or silly: GRIN.

31. Mutually approve: AGREE ON.

32. Item on a Dollar menu?: CAR. Dollar Car Rental.

33. ABA member's title: ESQ.

35. Early PC monitor: CRT.

36. Whatever ewe say?: BAA. 

37. YouTube annoyances: ADS.

38. Oasts: HOP KILNS. 

42. Fully understand: GRASP.

44. The Beaver State: OREGON.

45. Skyrocket: SOAR.

46. Hideo who threw no-hitters in 1996 and 2001: NOMO. He opened for the door for Ichiro and Shohei Ohtani.

47. Ball purchase: GOWN. 50. Lowest digit: TOE. Liked both clues.

49. Bucolic lodging: INN.

55. Canine's canine: FANG.

56. Like a day-old bagel: STALE.

58. Home of Jordan and Georgia: ASIA.

60. Irrational fear of persecution: PARANOIA.

61. Vegan gelatin substitute: AGAR. Seaweed-based. Widely used in Japanese desserts.

62. Best Play, for one: TONY.

63. Daytime drama: SOAP.

64. Bassist Weymouth of Talking Heads: TINA.

65. Dinero unit: PESO.

66. Footnote space saver: IBID. Short for ibidem, meaning "in the same place".

67. Glass bits: SHARDS.

72. Bill Nye's field: SCIENCE.

75. State bordering Bhutan: ASSAM.

77. Publication ID: ISBN. Sigh, someone said my book was too easy. The title is Easy Mini Crosswords.

78. Clears after taxes: NETS.

79. Healthy Grains snackmaker: KIND.

80. GPS guess: ETA.

81. Neither partner: NOR.

89. Visionaries: UTOPIANS.

91. Early proponent of a flat Earth?: MERCATOR. Mercator is a conformal cylindrical map projection  originally created to display accurate compass bearings for sea travel. Presented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. Learning moment for me. We also have 99. Revolutionary?: ORBITAL.Witty clues.

92. Dua Lipa genre: POP.

93. Questionable, in slang: SUS. Suspicious. 

94. NYU or MIT: SCH.

95. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO.

96. Lyonne of "Poker Face": NATASHA.

97. Believer's ending: IST.

98. "Despicable Me" antihero: GRU.

104. "Say it __ so!": AIN'T.

105. Lenient: GENTLE.

108. Part of Hispaniola: HAITI.

109. Physicist Schrödinger: ERWIN. Schrödinger's cat. 

110. French wine region: LOIRE.

111. "Sailing to Byzantium" poet: YEATS.

117. Boo-boo: OWIE.

118. Unwanted beach souvenir, often: SAND.

119. Wee fella: LAD.

121. Red pill consumer of film: NEO.

122. Shade: HUE.

123. Triumphant shout: YES.

C.C.

I know it's hard to completely stay away from politics and religion. I myself touch on them from time to time. But persistent comments in those areas, as well as personal attacks, can be upsetting. Let's stay focused on crosswords and keep the Corner welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. 

C.C. 

Saturday, January, 17, 2026, Emily Biegas

 Saturday Themeless by Emily Biegas 

The top half went swimmingly, but then I had to take a big "didn't git 'er done" especially in the SE corner. SEA ROBIN, COPA and PALO SANTO coupled with some cute cluing 😀 did me in. The rest of the puzzle took persistence but fell into place except for some bad typing. Any delusions about 100% completions for 2026 were undone by a few bad cells but I'll get over it. After all, it's a game not a test!

Across:

1. Easily moved?: HOT HEADED 😀

10. Streetcars: TRAMS.

15. Minimum word count?: ONE OR MORE.😀

16. Swiss namesake of an international series of art fairs: BASEL - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Founded in BASEL, Switzerland in 1970, this one is in Miami

17. Scheduled delivery?: TAX RETURN - Some TAX RETURNS require filing many tax schedules, perhaps with a 46. 17-Across pro: CPA.

18. Editorialize: OPINE.

19. "__ Is Betta Than Evvah!": ETTA.

20. C-section docs: OBS.

21. Kept inside: UNSAID - Advice I should have taken many times in my life

22. Island chain: LEI.

23. Primary fig.: POL.

24. Hosp. gear: PPE.

25. Bit: GAG - A comedy bit can also be called a GAG

26. Actress Hayek Pinault: SALMA - Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault  is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. We have seen her name as only Salma Hayek in puzzles before.

28. Israeli airline: EL AL.

30. Only: SOLE.

31. "How could you be so insensitive!": READ THE ROOM.

34. Roadside snacks: STREET TACOS - How are they different? BTW, granola bars fit too.

36. Spoiler alerts?: SELL BY DATES 😀

38. Skirt in a Degas painting: TUTU - Duh, a TUTU can be called a skirt!

41. Fictions: LIES.

42. Percolate: LEACH.

44. Supplementary medical benefit: Abbr.: HSA - Health Savings Account

45. Perturb: VEX.

48. Big name in pasta sauce: RAO.

49. Melt down: RENDER - My DW's mother used to render animal byproducts on the farm into lard for cooking. That was the foundation for the  best apple pie ever made anywhere. 

51. Comic Margaret: CHO.

52. Prefix with -core for a style inspired by hiking: GORP ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

53. Optional feature: ADD ON.

54. Spot where sharks gather: POOL TABLE 😀 Bonus points - Name this classic movie about pool sharks. *answer below.

56. Vessel implant: STENT.

57. "My regrets": APOLOGIES.

58. Redfin listings: HOMES.

59. Smudging ceremony tool: PALO SANTO - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can see PALO as wood (Palo Alto/high stick) and SANTO as holy. Smudging is simply the practice of lighting these wood pieces on fire and letting smoke and fume cleanse an area.

Down:

1. Lodging options: HOTELS.

2. Going nonstop: ON A TEAR.

3. Leather and lace, e.g.: TEXTILES.

4. "Hava Nagila" dance: HORA.

5. Poetic preposition: ERE.

6. Playground retort: AM TOO or in a TV sitcom

7. Natural structure?: DOUBLE HELIX.

8. Isn't perfect: ERRS.

9. Sofa bed spot: DEN.

10. Chophouse order: T-BONE.

11. Knocks: RAPS.

12. Bagel option: ASIAGO.

13. Low-level: MENIAL.

14. "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer: SLEDGE - Emily throws us boomers a musical bone with the fabulous Percy SLEDGE

21. Transfer, in a way: UPLOAD.

23. "Slam Diego" player: PADRE - This is new to me but was coined when the Padres hit grand slams four days in a row

24. Dubious label from The Princeton Review until 2022: PARTY SCHOOL - 

The "dubious label" from The Princeton Review referring to a "Party School" until around 2022. It was a controversial ranking based on student surveys about alcohol/drug use, criticized by groups like the 

AMA for potentially encouraging risky drinking.

27. __ Islands: archipelago in the East China Sea: MATSU - I remember when these two islands were in the news when I was in junior high.

29. Didn't bother: LET BE.

30. Didst wallop: SMOTE.

32. "Fool Us" co-host: TELLER - A prize is awarded to magicians who can fool these masters.

33. One of three national forests in Florida: OCALA.

35. Bottom-feeding fish also called a gurnard: SEA ROBIN ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

37. Shameful tone?: SCARLET - Clever cluing for the SCARLET letter

38. Type of metal: THRASH.

39. No longer troubled by: USED TO.

40. Single file: TANDEM - My first thought

43. "With any luck": HOPE SO.

45. Air returns: VENTS.

47. 34-Across option: POLLO - Yes, you might have chicken in a street taco. I remember the word from Gus Fring's operation in Better Call Saul.

50. Wrapped: DONE.

51. Fútbol prize: COPA - COPA is Spanish for cup or trophy

52. Pop star Lady __: GAGA.

54. Baby food: PAP.

55. Lean-__: TOS.

* That of course is Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman in a scene from 1961 b/w classic The Hustler