Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Nate McLean

 (Preface, by CrossEyedDave:)

Today's is a very special puzzle, we have a new young and talented Constructor, who's first puzzle has created a  fun (and for me) challenging suss fest. Not only that, I had an even more fun, challenging, and learning experience trying to explain it all! Nate, I look forward to many more "aha" moment experiences from you. Thank you for this submission...

Commenters: please let our new constructor know how he did with feedback on your personal experience in solving this puzzle.

Theme: Phonetic agreement 

They agree, they see eye to eye, but somehow I don't think it's going to end well...

The Reveal:

54 Across. *How like-minded people see, or a phonetic hint for the answers to the starred clues?: EYE TO EYE.

18 Across. *Tablet choice: IPAD MINI.

23 Across. *Silent film based on a Leoncavallo opera: I PAGLIACCI.

Canio is the tragic clown in the Opera PAGLIACCI.

There were two silent films titled "I" PAGLIACCI

One in 1915, and another in 1923.

It might ring a bell around the 2 minute mark...

Should it start with "I"? (Yes.)

36 Across. *Destination for a day trip from Naples: ISLE OF CAPRI.

Take a cruise, it will be fun, they said...

49 Across. *Lionel Messi's MLS team: INTER MIAMI.

MLS = Major League Soccer.

As you can clearly see, the themers go from I to I... you may be an optimist, but after I got tripped up by so many tricky clue/answers, I tend to be a bit disagreeable. (Full list at end...)

Let's see if we agree, onward!

Across:

1. Japanese beer brand: ASAHI.

So many choices...

6. Pet adoption org.: SPCA. Not to be confused with ASPCA. Explanation can be found here.

10. Exec concerned with network security: CTO. Chief Technology Officer.

13. Piccata ingredient: LEMON.

Even better, substitute White Wine for chicken stock!

14. "Celebration" band __ & the Gang: KOOL.

15. Magic spell: HEX. As a noun, it is a curse or a witch's charm meant to cause harm. As a verb (to hex), it means to cast that evil spell on someone. The word comes from the German word Hexe, meaning witch.

16. Inner selves, in Jungian psychology: ANIMAS. Deep dive can be found here: Japanese "Anime" is also (sort of) derived from the Latin Anima, or soul. A deeper dive can be found here... (Be careful Alice, there are rabbit holes ahead...)

18. [Theme.]

20. Friend: ALLY.

22. Poker-faced: STOIC.

23. [Theme.]

27. Overseas greeting?: AHOY. This really got me, I wanted Ciao...

30. Formally turn over: CEDE.

31. Panang curry cuisine: THAI.

32. Summoning contraction: C'MERE. ( not Pssst...)

33. Sweet potato kin: YAM.

34. Filmed: SHOT.

35. Oklahoma athlete: SOONER.

36. [Theme.]

39. DraftKings user, e.g.: BETTOR.

41. Gutter locale: EAVE. I was thinking bowling...

42. Skin pic: TAT.

45. Done (with): FED UP.

46. Architect Saarinen: EERO.

47. Old Testament scribe: EZRA.

48. Pet pest: FLEA.

49. [Theme.]

51. "The Trial" novelist Kafka: FRANZ.

53. Notary imprint: SEAL.

54. [Theme Reveal.]

57. Vin in the "Fast & Furious" franchise: DIESEL.

61. Passing through: VIA.

62. Nautilus captain: NEMO.

63. None too trusting: LEERY.

64. Just right: APT.

65. Garden with forbidden fruit: EDEN.

66. Drum kit drum: SNARE.

Down:
1. Banned Books Week org.: ALA. American Library Association.  Fear not! ALA does not refer to a Southern State!  Banned books week this year is October 4th thru 10th. If you oppose censorship, and support the freedom to read and learn, you can do something about it here!

2. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN. Senator.

3. French friend: AMI.

4. Show of respect: HOMAGE.

5. Entirely: IN ALL.

6. Slalom, say: SKI.

7. Genre for many an Attenborough documentary, in brief: POPSCI. Short for popular science.

8. Raccoon relative: COATI.

9. Canadian shoe brand: ALDO. Half a Natick with a 50% tariff...

10. Home of the Mayan temple El Castillo: CHICHEN ITZA.

11. Decimal base: TEN.

12. Commercial lead-in to Clean: OXI.

17. Move like a snake: SLITHER.

19. Spanish term of endearment: MI AMOR. (My love.)

21. Early search engine: YAHOO.

23. Distant: ICY.

24. Green shade: PEA.

25. Wave the white flag: ADMIT DEFEAT.

26. Where toe beans are found: CAT FEET.

28. Minecraft mineral: ORE.

29. "__ outta here!": YER.

32. Deal (with): COPE.

34. Low-quality A.I.-generated content: SLOP.

35. Reveled in: SAVORED.

37. E.B. White's "__ Little": STUART.

38. Gives a darn: CARES.

39. One to share a matching bracelet with, informally: BFF. Best Friend Forever.

40. Unagi roll fish: EEL.

43. Radius locale: ARM.

44. __ chi: martial art: TAI.

46. Biological catalyst: ENZYME.

47. Fashion designer Fisher: EILEEN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

49. "__ a nap!": I NEED.

50. Sends: MAILS.

52. First-rate: AONE. Aone is a casual or stylized spelling of A-one, but personally I believe it should be One A, because A1 is a steak sauce...

54. Actress Longoria: EVA.

55. Puppy noise: YIP.

56. Countless lifetimes: EON.

58. __ salt: SEA.

59. Goof up: ERR.

60. Caustic compound: LYE.

The Grid.

I would be very interested to know what you thought of this puzzle, because, while I am a mediocre solver at best, this puzzle kept tripping me up. Was it just wavelength? Wheelhouse? Or very tricky clues.

(Or maybe I need to retire, lost to many brain cells... I dunno.) here is the list of things that tripped me up, but perpage and sussing made this quite the workout for me to finally finish this Wednesday puzzle.

1a Japanese beer asaki/asahi. If I get beer wrong, I need to stop drinking...

12d Commercial lead-in to Clean: oxo/oxi. Hmm, I got sidetracked in the kitchen...

17d Move like a snake: sidles/slither. Ok, ok, I saw snake and I panicked!

22a Poker-faced: stone/stoic. (Guess I was thinking stone faced...)

23d. Distant: far/icy. (Ooh, this left me cold...)

29d. "__ outta here!": get/yer (really? Get outta here!...)

45a. Done (with): FED UP. ( I tentatively penciled an E as in ended here before the perps confirmed I was done with...)

27a. Overseas greeting?: AHOY. This really got me, I wanted Ciao...

So who did this to me? Who is this constructor who kept me busy as a one armed wallpaper hanger?

I checked the L.A Times, nothing... N.Y Times, nothing... Google Crossword Constructors, nothing...

And then, as I was about to 25 down (admit defeat,) I found this:

Nate, I hope you stop by and tell us how you accomplished this suss fest, ( and how do you know Italian Opera? ) and I hope to see many more puzzles from you.  Who knows, maybe one day, we can meet eye to eye!

CE:D out...

≽^- ˕ -^≼

Tuesday September 22, 2026 Zachary David Levy

Old MacDonald Had a Farm ...  Today provides us with common phrases that contain farm animals.

20-Across. Exhibit A: That awful handwriting: CHICKEN SCRAWL.

26-Across. Exhibit B: That loud guffaw: HORSE LAUGH.

35.-Across Exhibit C: That unruly hair: COWLICK.  A cowlick is a section of hair that grows in a different direction from the rest of the hair.  The hair often stands straight up or sticks out in a stubborn swirl.

44-Across. Exhibit D: That goofy stare: SHEEP'S EYES.  Did you know that sheep have horizontal, rectangular pupils?  The sharpen horizontal contours and give them an incredible field of peripheral vision.

And the unifier:

53-Across. Lacking all refinement, facetiously, or like the person described in 20-, 26-, 35-, and 44-Across?: RAISED IN A BARN.

Here's the Grid so you can see all the farm animals:

Across:

1. Percussion instruments with taut tops: DRUMS.

6. Highest mountain in Japan: FUJI.  Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano.  At 12,389 feet, it is the highest mountain in Japan.  At the top of the mountain there is a vending machine, so hikers can get a cold or hod drink when they reach the top.  The prices of drinks reflect the high altitude, too.  Mt. Fuji was in the news recently when a father left his 7-year-old son part-way up the mountain.  Apparently, the young boy got tired, but the father wanted to continue up the mountain.

10. Use a needle and thread: SEW.

13. Superficial layer: VENEER.

15. Guy known for his first-person perspective?: ADAM.  A Biblical reference.

16. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE.  As in the United Arab Emirates.

17. Composer Shostakovich: DMITRI.  Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (Sept. 25, 1906 ~ Aug. 9, 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist.  He became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926.

18. Harlem Renaissance writer __ Neale Hurston: ZORA.  Zora Neale Hurston (Jan. 7, 1891 ~ Jan. 28, 1960) was an African-American writer and folklorist.  Although she was born in the South, by 1925, she was living in New York City when the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing.  She only lived in NYC for a short time, but quickly became associated with the movement.  She is best known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

19. Bikini top: BRA.

23. "Little Bunny __": FOO FOO.  Apparently, Little Bunny Foo Foo is a children's book about a rabbit who bullies field mice.  It is supposed to teach children about consequences and the importance of being nice to others.

24. Lit __: English major's course: CRIT.  As in Literary Criticism.  It is the reasoned analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literary works.

25. Arduous: HARD.

31. Belarus capital: MINSK.  Minsk is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

33. Cars: AUTOS. 

34. "__ Doubtfire": MRS.  Mrs. Doubtfire was a 1993 comedy that starred Robin Williams.

38. Position: JOB.

41. Student: PUPIL.

42. "With any luck": I HOPE.

49. Gave approval to: OK'ED.

50. Out-of-pocket amount: COST.

51. Area of influence: DOMAIN.

58. Omelet ingredient: EGG.

59. Dental exam image: X-RAY.

60. Mystery: ENIGMA.

63. Come out on top: WIN.  //  As opposed to 62-Down. "It's __-win situation": A NO.

64. Snub-nosed dogs: PUGS.

65. Catch, as a fish: REEL IN.

66. Triumphant cry: YES!

67. High-pitched wind instrument: OBOE.  This wind instrument is becoming a crossword staple.

68. "Give it a go": TRY TO.

Down:

1. Netflix format, originally: DVD.  As in Digital Versatile Disc.  They can still be checked out at our public library.

2. Sleep cycle letters: REM.  As in Rapid Eye Movement.  REM is one of the phases of sleep.

3. Horned equines of mythology: UNICORNS.  These mythical creatures were probably never raised in a barn.

4. Procedures: METHODS.

5. Typeface line: SERIF.

6. Unnerve: FAZE.

7. Japanese noodle: UDON.  Yummers!  These noodles often find themselves in the crossword puzzles.

8. Jam holders: JARS.

9. Apple all-in-one computer: iMAC.

The Mac Mini.  Monitor is sold separately.

10. Forester carmaker: SUBARU.

11. Pincered insect: EARWIG.

12. Riches: WEALTH.

14. Canon competitor: RICOH.

21. "Kitchy-kitchy-__": KOO.

22. Some old radios: RCAs.

23. County event with lots of fried food: FAIR.

25. "I wonder ... ": HMM ...

27. Tennis sequence after a serve: RALLY.

28. __ generis: unique: SUI.  Today's Latin lesson.  Sui generis is a Latin phrase that means in a class by itself, in others words: something unique.

29. And so on: Abbr.: ETC.  More of today's Latin lesson.  Etc. is short for the Latin phrase et cetera, which means: and so forth.

30. Norse god of mischief: LOKI.  Loki makes frequent appearances in the puzzle.  Loki is a shape-shifting god who likes to cause trouble.

32. Disposable coffee pod: K-CUP.  The K-Cup, or K-Pod, is the trademarked term, originally designed for the Keurig single-serving coffee maker.

36. Word after photo or special: OPS.

37. Golfer Michelle __ West: WIE.  Michelle Sung Wie West (b. October. 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer. When she was only 10-years-old, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship.

38. In a playful manner: JOKINGLY.

39. Like an unlocked door: OPEN.  When is a door not a door ...

40. Place to sleep: BED.

41. Furry companions: PETS.

43. Whiter with age: HOARIER.

44. Off-the-wall: SCREWY.

45. Sandwich also known as a grinder: HOAGIE.  How did this sandwich get its name?  We ate Hoagies in a puzzle last week.

46. Endorses digitally: E-SIGNS.

47. Childcare expert LeShan: EDA.  I learned about Eda LaShan (June 6, 1922 ~ Mar. 3, 2002) from doing the puzzles.  She was an American writer, television host, counselor, educator, and playwright. She hosted How Do Your Children Grow? on PBS in the 1970s

48. Clearheaded: SOBER.

52. Impressionist painter …douard: MANET.  Édouard Manet (Jan. 23, 1832 ~ Apr. 30, 1883) was a French modernist painter.  He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.  Not to be confused with Oscar-Claude Monet (Nov. 114, 1840 ~ Dec. 5, 1926), who was a French painter and founder of Impressionism.  Both were French painters with similar sounding names.

54. Trade show: EXPO.

55. Defeat soundly: DRUB.

56. "Othello" villain: IAGO.  A reverence to the play by Willie the Shakes.

57. Nasdaq rival: NYSE.  As in the New York Stock Exchange.

61. Cambridge sch.: MIT.  As in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

חתולה