Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Joe Rodini

  Well, the theme is obviously in The Reveal: TAG Lines.

The Reveal:

59. Across.  Marketing slogans, or what the answers to the starred clues are?: TAG LINES.

But, what makes these themers so Tag Worthy?

17. Across. *Black Friday enticement: LOW PRICE.

Hmm, I wonder if C.C. would let me make some money doing these write ups...

(I work cheap...)

Um, CE:D here,, none of the other volunteers would stoop this low...

24. Across. *Words with a WWII-era doodle: KILROY WAS HERE.

If you visit the WWII memorial in Washington D.C.

Be sure to walk around the back,

Where you will find etched into the granite,

"Kilroy Was Here!"

They say there are two, I have yet to find the second one..

39. Across. *Shout on a playground: YOU'RE IT.

50. Across. *Introductory phrase: HELLO MY NAME IS.

I once accompanied DW to her High School reunion,

And everyone had to wear a name tag...

So I wrote on mine, "No One You Need To Know."

As I never attended this school,

And for some reason, people thought it was hilarious...

Hmm, I dunno, I am having trouble describing this theme. 

Perhaps we should let a professional do it...

Um, ok, let's get on with then, shall we...

Across:
1. No-frills supermarket chain: ALDI. There is quite a story about the two brothers quarrel that split Aldi and Lidl into two grocery chains, and then one brother bought Trader Joe's... I will let you Google it as I get enough of this stuff because DW watches Real Wives (of wherever) while I hide in another room...

5. Receipt fig.: AMT. (figure/amount)

8. Puzzle: BEMUSE. (Not enigma...)

14. Weaver's machine: LOOM.

In the coming apocalypse, you may find this useful.

Just try and remember how without Wi-Fi or YouTube...

15. "Pshaw!": HAH.

16. Perfect alignment: UNISON.

Nah! I don't see it happening...

17. [Theme.]

19. Peak with a name from Koyukon: DENALI. This is where I got stuck doing the write up, I mean, we did this before. In a site all about words, what's the point if you keep changing them....?

20. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. Um,, should I post the clip where A.I. glues  his mouth shut?  (Nah, I 'm just trying to censor myself...)

21. Wee bit: A TAD. ( it was just a little Vodka,,, I swear...)

23. Left in a cave, as some cheese: AGED. Jeez, that explains it, I was cheesed...

24. [Theme.]

28. Mardi Gras song originally called "Jock-A-Mo": IKOIKO. Um, ok, i know I'm supposed to explain all this, but WTF is IKOIKO supposed to be? Really? Dang! I have to look this up? (This is going to take more Grey Hairs than I can affford... ) 

Ok, a week later,, I finally got up the courage to look this dang thing up,,, and it's supposed to be IKO IKO. 

I dunno CC, maybe im too old to do this ...

29. Fabled race day napper: HARE. And fabled puzzle reviewer: CE:D...

30. "I'll shake on that!": DEAL. Are we talking about a nap?

31. Berra with a record 10 World Series rings as a player: YOGI. When you come to the fork, take it...

34. Centipede releaser: ATARI. Hmm, it's a good thing this was a game, because I would be tap dancing all over this ala Fred Astaire...

38. Family guy: DAD. Ok, but this could have been anybody...

39. [Theme.]

41. Pod of whales: GAM. Dang! I am still trying to pencil in "Pod" here...

42. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE. (Did he ever get stuck in a gam of whales?)

44. Stint in office: TERM.  I dunno, lately this could have been "sentence..."

45. Much Duchamp work: DADA. Um, I will let you look this up Here, as when I looked it up, it made me want to go to the bathroom...

46. Pitch setter: CLEF. If you want to know how to draw one... personally, I have a hard time staying in one clef, I guess it's a side affect of being scatterbrained...

48. Superhot, as wing sauce: ATOMIC. Personally, I did not like this clue/answer, As it could have been anything...  now, if the perps were friendly, I could stomach this... (were the perps friendly for you?)

(I need some pepto bismol...)

50. [Theme]

53. Stepped heavily: TROD.

55. Grammy winner India.__: ARIE. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

56. Sudden flight: LAM. Nah, I'm too old for this. Question, what would you call a sudden flight with some one with a walker? 

Ok, I'm ready!

57. Demolish: BUST UP. Look out! I'm walking thru here!!'

59. [Theme Reveal.]

63. Does some tailoring on: ALTERS. Hmm, so many possibilities, ,,

64. "Fearless" or "Lover," for Taylor Swift: ERA. ( why is everything an Era with her...? ) jeez girl, lighten up...

65. Iditarod terminus city: NOME. Um, if you want to be uplifted by a true story, 

May I suggest Balto...

Also,  may I suggest the animated version if you don't want to freeze your toes off...

66. Thrift store transaction: RESALE.

67. Sketch show with celebrity 50-Down, for short: SNL. 

Jeez, what do you have to do to get on this show?

68. Flakes: SNOW. I dunno, I'm partial to Idahoan potato flakes myself, and I hate the cold... so this clue/answer that should have been easy, kind of got me into a, hmm, whattaya call it? Not quicksand, but an oatmeal/ porridgey kind of mess to finish the acrosses...  at least, with Idahoan, you never get Lumps...

Down:
1. __ too soon: ALL. Ack! What a way to start the downs! ( I feel like I'm falling!)

2. Lav: LOO. (Whew! What a relief to land here..,)

3. Gets off the web: DOWNLOADS. Hmm, used to be easy , now It's work... (see George Jetson for intel...)

4. Put at risk: IMPERIL. "Be careful what you download!"

5. Pacific tuna: AHI. Word origin can be found here

6. Large parrot that forms a pair bond: MACAW. 

If you are going to keep birds,

Always get two...

7. Angle symbol, in geometry: THETA. 

Um, I tried to find a definition of the geometric meaning of Theta for you,

But it was  Greek to me...

8. Subject of a 49-foot bronze statue in Nara, Japan: BUDDHA. 

9. WSW opposite: ENE. (I hate it when crosswords get  me all turned around...)

10. Mosque tower: MINARET.

11. Utility bill data: USAGE.

12. Foot part: SOLE. Not inch, arch, or...

13. "Wednesday" werewolf: ENID. Ok, I know nothing about what happened to The Addams Family after  Raul Julia passed away.., But here is more if interested 

18. Chess piece in castling: ROOK. Not King!

22. More pale: ASHIER.

24. Little buddy: KIDDO. Hmm, how would you clue this? (Roo-ey?, goat offspring something or other?) I am lost on this one...

25. Stores with Småland play areas: IKEAS. I dunno, I think the whole place is a giant fire hazard... but I do like the meatballs...  (have you ever tried to navigate thru IKEA?)

26. Fluctuate wildly: YOYO. (Technically, yo-yo is a hyphenated compound word. But can be one word in informal usage...)

27. Basic Latin verb: ERAT. (I dunno, it's Greek to me...)

32. Determined to get: OUT FOR. Hmm, this seems out of place for a Wednesday puzzle. It's almost like the constructor was out to get us...

33. Test for some srs.: GRE. Everything you ever wanted to know...

35. Leader of the Greek army during the Trojan War: AGAMEMNON.

I always liked how he was portrayed by Sean Connery in The Time Bandits.

If you want to be to know more, ask Kevin...

36. Diameter halves: RADII. (Pronounced EeEye... I think I have it half right...)

37. Apple desktops: IMACS. Yes, it's one word, even when plural...

39. Talk over the clamor: YELL.

40. "Ms. Marvel" star Vellani: IMAN. 

43. Pure Leaf beverage: ICED TEA. 

Never heard of it...

45. Realms: DOMAINS.

47. Pass by: ELAPSE.

49. Starbucks size: TALL. If you are willing to pay upwards of 4 bucks for a coffee, you also get A ridiculous size terminology  for your overpayment...

Hmm, I could have sworn he said can you spare a dime for a cup of Joe...

50. Members of 67-Across's Five-Timers Club, e.g.: HOSTS. Arrows and banjo's optional...

51. Tiny arachnids: MITES.

52. Pine (for): YEARN.

53. Type of ski lift: T BAR. They tried a J bar, but it was a pain in the A**.

54. Hold the throne: RULE.

58. Web address: URL.

60. Actress Gadot: GAL. 

61. Angsty rock: EMO.

62. Do some tailoring on: SEW.

The Grid.

P.S. Here is 8 minutes more on Kilroy was here, if interested...

Anywho, that's all I've got.  But  I can't help but think I missed something...

So, now it's up to you, in the comments, to find what I missed!

TAG! Your it!...

CE:D out...

≽^•⩊•^≼ ₊˚⊹♡

Tuesday October 13, 2026 Shannon Rapp and Zachary Edward-Brown

You Think You're Feta Than Me?  We are in dairy country today where the first word of each theme answer is a type of cheese.

17-Across. Seth MacFarlane cartoon series: AMERICAN DAD.  American cheese was invented in the 1910s by James L. Kraft (né James Lewis Kraft; Dec. 11, 1874 ~ Feb. 16, 1953), the founder of Kraft Foods Inc.  He patented his manufacturing process in 1916.

26-Across. Conversation that might involve Jordan and LeBron: GOAT DEBATE.  Both Michael Jordan (b. Feb. 17, 1963) and LeBron James (b. Dec. 30, 1984) may be considered the Greatest Of All Time basketball players.  A brief history of Goat Cheese.

38-Across. Big lottery win: JACKPOT.  Jack cheese, also known as Monterey Jack, is a mild, semi-hard white cheese made from cow's milk.  What is the true origin of Jack Cheese?

52-Across. "Room" Best Actress Oscar winner: BRIE LARSON.  Everything you ever wanted to know about Brie Cheese, but were afraid to inquire.

60-Across. Green Bay Packers fans, or what 17-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across have: CHEESE HEADS.  Note that the first part (or Head) of each phrase is a type of Cheese.

Here's the Grid:

I found this to be another challenging Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1. Make red-faced: ABASH.

6. Feature of some Southern accents: TWANG.

A Twang so southern it is from New Zealand.

11. Bread with caraway seeds: RYE.  Yummers!  Rye bread with caraway seeds is a hearty, dense loaf featuring an earthy rye flavor paired with the distinct citrusy, peppery, and anise-like taste of caraway.

14. Like unhelpful hints: VAGUE.

15. Civic-minded brand?: HONDA.  Cute clue.

16. Snakelike fish: EEL.

19. Language in which "Baw pen nyang" means "It's nothing": LAO.  The language of Laos.

20. Ballpark snack: FRANK.

21. Hotel customer: GUEST.

23. Lane of "Superman": LOIS.

29. Promises: ASSURES.

31. Solemn acts: RITES.

32. Letter before lambda: KAPPA.  It's Greek to me.

33. Moral wrong: SIN.

34. Get a better loan rate, for short: RE-FI.  As in ReFinance.

37. __ out a living: EKE.

42. __ sum: bite-sized Chinese fare: DIM.  We went to a traditional Dim Sum at Maxim's Palace the last time we were in Hong Kong.  There were so many tempting dishes to select from.

43. Truly engrossed: RAPT.

45. Quaker possessive: THY.

46. Running track shapes, often: OVALS.

48. Seven, in Spanish: SIETE.  Today's Spanish math lesson.

50. Sea cow: MANATEE.  A shout out to our very own Manatee.

55. Take a day off, say: REST.

56. Baggy: LOOSE.

57. __-frutti: TUTTI.  Today's Italian lesson.  Tutti frutti roughly translates from Italian as all fruits.  It's also a Little Richard song.

59. Wine cask wood: OAK.

66. Carry-on screeners: Abbr.: TSA.  As in Transportation Security Administration.

67. Bridgestone products: TIRES.

68. Bright courtyards: ATRIA.  Today's Latin lesson.  The word atria is the Latin plural of atrium, meaning the central room or entrance hall of an ancient Roman house.

69. "Charlotte's Web" enclosure: STY.  The the backstory of Charlotte's Web.

70. Bowling score indicated by a slash: SPARE.

71. Used a keyboard: TYPED.

Down:

1. "Hacks" comedy writer Daniels: AVA.  Ava Daniels is the fictional character in the sit-com Hacks.  She was portrayed by Hannah Einbinder (b. May 21, 1995), who is the daughter of Laraine Newman (b. Mar. 2, 1952) of Saturday Night Live fame.

Laraine Newman with her daughter, Hannah

2. Impact sound: BAM.

3. The "A" of A/S/L: AGE.  Apparently this means Age, Sex, Location and was used in chat rooms.

4. "Let's catch some waves!": SURF'S UP.

5. Whodunit suspect: HEIR.

6. Marvel villain played by Josh Brolin: THANOS.  I am not up on my Marvel villains.  

7. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA.  As in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  It as an adaptation of the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl (Sept. 13, 1916 ~ Nov. 23, 1990).

8. "On top of that ... ": AND.

9. Secrecy doc: NDA.  As in a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

10. Gizmo: GADGET.

11. Information on a movie poster: RELEASE DATE.

12. Baker's supply: YEAST.

13. Mexican corn dish: ELOTE.  Yummers!

18. Bird house?: CAGE.

22. App with a Women Drivers option: UBER.

23. L.A. NBAer: LAKER.

24. Honshu port city: OSAKA.  Honshu is the largest of the four main islands of Japan.  Osaka is the second largest city in Japan.

25. Server's query after a drink order, perhaps: IS PEPSI OKAY?  No, Pepsi is NOT okay.

27. Journey: TRIP.

28. T. rex, for one: DINO.

30. TV friend of Sheldon and Howard: RAJ.  A reference to The Big Bang Theory.  I never saw the attraction of this show, but it was very popular.

33. Cloud location: SKY.

35. Computer folder contents: FILES.

36. "Nothing for me, thanks!": I'M SET.

39. Flour for chapati and roti: ATTA.  This wheat has been making frequent appearances in the puzzles.

40. "Believe" diva: CHER.  It's hard to believe that Cher (née Cheryl Sarkisian; b. May 20, 1946) it 80 years old.

41. Heavy load: TON.

44. Formal neckwear: TIES.

47. Assortment: VARIETY.

49. Puts in office: ELECTS.  Election day is coming up.  I'll be glad when it's over.

50. Styling foam: MOUSSE.

51. Poker stake: ANTE.

52. Rorschach test shapes: BLOTS.

53. Cook in an oven: ROAST.

54. Pilot: STEER.

58. The one there: THAT.

61. __-hop music: HIP.

62. Slice of history: ERA.

63. Dada artist Jean: ARP.  Jean Arp (né Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp; Sept. 16, 1886 ~ June 7, 1966) used to make frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

64. Monopoly cube: DIE.

65. Melancholy: SAD.

Don't be Sad the puzzle is completely.  Just provide us with your comments.

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