Friday, September 11th, 2026 ~ Jeff Stillman

REAR ADMIRAL~?

Arrgh Matey

'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday, Sep 19th

Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count.  My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago.  Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it.  I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction.  ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs.  The themers;

17. Copperhead?: SEA SERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"

25. Timeout?: TEA BREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"

35. Immunologist?: EYE DOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"

49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"

58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"

But Wait, There's More;

Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )

Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz

Oh boy~? = Oliver

Quill~? = Cue stick

Umbilical~? = YouTube

Vault~? = Vee formation (OK, meh.)

Yourself~? = Why me


ACROSS:

1. Per person: A POP - ugh.  Starting with one of the worst Twurds - not "EACH"

5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one

10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'

Still going in VT after 85 years - the website

14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2

15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday ( Happy B-day HuskerG~! ), and the email thread, too.  

19. Large amount: SCAD

20. Official order: EDICT

21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh.  It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word

23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol

24. Grab: SNATCH

27. Become peeved: GET SORE - Twurd #2

29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY

30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3

31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .

34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .

. . . uh, OK, it's for "cat", too 🙄

38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4

40. Trade punches: SPAR

41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word

44. Chip in, in a way: ANTE UP - Poker #1, two words #3

46. Squalid digs: RAT HOLE - Two words #4

52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen

53. Be decisive: OPT

54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . . 

55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."

Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12

56. Glorify: LAUD

61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey

62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2

63. Words before a start date: AS OF - Two words #5

64. Mine finds: ORES

65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE

66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL


DOWN:

1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague

2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated

3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ON A DATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!

More like IN a date . . .

4. Puts forward: POSITS - I tried OFFERS

5. Short hole on a golf course: PAR THREE - Good fill, still two words, #6

Leif Olson wins a BMW

6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's

7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's

8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE

9. Vexes: EATS AT - Two word #7

10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website

11. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT - Name #5

12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)

13. Morning omen for sailors: RED SKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time

Still a two word, #8

18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6

22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBO Go - Twurd, #9.  The Wiki

24. Mil. rank: SGT

26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR

28. Brings to a close: ENDS

32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme

33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?

35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric

36. "Is everything all right?": "YOU OK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now

37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAIN SET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still  two words, #11

The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad

38. Paltry poker holding: ONE PAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start

39. Prominence: STATURE

41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers

42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~?  the Wiki

43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked

At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer

because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -

the bridges are fine, the knobs, not so much . . .

send me an email LA Darren~!

44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions

45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY

47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie

48. Chop shop wheels: HOT CAR - Twurd #13

50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state, and I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890

51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs

57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh.  I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .

59. Consume: USE - I used C.C.'s suggested recipe and made Kung Pao chicken . . .

. . . and then consumed some - it's got some zing~!

60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .

Grid Flow 19.3

9/11, 25 Years Later

I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane

enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'

The Memorial website of this image

Splynter

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014) 

Thursday September 10, 2026 Alex Rohrer & Rodrigo Kerlegand

While Alex Rohrer has published here before, I believe this is Rodrigo Kerlegand's LAT debut. Together, they're troublemakers, but I guess rules were meant to be broken!

38. Cheating, or what the black squares in rows 3, 5, 11, and 13 are doing: BREAKING THE RULES. This phrase clues us in that the theme words are BREAKING i.e. being divided by a black square. The end of the first word on the line plus the beginning of the second create synonyms for RULES: ORDER, BYLAW, EDICT and MANDATE.

When the revealer is in the middle, as a rule it spills the beans and the rest of the puzzle isn't as fun. But not in this case. I mean, what do HIT RECORD and LAWN MOWER have in common? The theme was so well hidden I had to discover it upon completion. I know some people don't like themes that are of no help in the solve, but I liked this one nonetheless. What does bother me a bit is when I have to spend half my review time looking up bios of various celebrities.

I'll now rule on the rest.

Across:

1. With deftness: ABLY.

5. Clogs (up): DAMS. Some damn big clogs!

9. Typical Stan Lee role: CAMEO. Stan Lee, creator of many comic book superheroes, made CAMEO appearances in dozens of films, TV shows, and video games, most famously appearing in 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films. 

14. Manitoba people: CREE.

15. Vinaigrette ingredient, initially: EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It's the good stuff.

16. Throw shade at: HATE ON.

17. Start filming, say: HIT RECORD. And as a noun, a HIT RECORD is a chart-topping album.

19. Like a drive deep in the woods?: ERRANT. It's how many golfers spend their Saturdays.

20. Pioneers of old-school rap, for short: OGS. Original Gangsters. Initially, this was used in specific street and hip-hop contexts, but over time, it was shortened it to “OG” and the meaning broadened to “original” or “authentic,” often without any criminal connotation. As in: C.C. is the OG!

21. "__ Lisa": MONA. Da Vinci's painting has a nice frame per Mr. Bean, but it's also a classic song by one of the greatest singers of all time, Nat King Cole.

Talk about smooth vocals!

22. React to meeting one's hero, perhaps: SWOON. It's an occupational hazard of being a crossword blogger, but I'm getting used to it.
 
23. "Wowza!": OH BABY. "Is it really you, RustyBrain?!" 

25. One pushed to make cuts?: LAWN MOWER. Winner: Best Clue.

29. Mega- times mega-: TERA. Prefixes for a million x million = trillion.

30. Disaster response org.: FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency.

31. Actress Polo: TERI. I guess Polo is the new Garr, but she does look very familiar. I think I first saw TERI Polo in the Meet the Parents movies with Ben Stiller.

32. Bombeck who advised, "Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth": ERMA. Great quote from a funny woman.

34. Situated on: ATOP.

37. Sass: LIP. Don't gimme any of that!

38. [theme]

43. Abbr. in calculus class: LIM. A LIMIT in calc is the value that a function approaches as it's input gets closer and closer to some value.

44. "Ditto!": SAME.  Ditto machines were early duplicators that used liquid alcohol to dissolve a bit of purple wax dye from a master copy and stamp it onto a page. Each time it was used, a little more wax was removed, so after a while the copy quality degraded.

I remember the smell from ditto sheets in school.

45. Paradise: EDEN. 

46. Celebrity pair: ITEM. 

48. Son of Hera: ARES.

50. Padre's hermanos: TIOS. A Spanish father's brother is your uncle.

53. First responder: PARAMEDIC.

56. Game played in the trunk before a road trip?: TETRIS. I'm so good at this 3D TETRIS "game" that I'm in high demand. I've helped many friends load up a truck for a move and they're always amazed how much I can fit in.

58. Mark: GRADE. Back in the day, tests in school were often printed on Ditto machines.

59. Bait: LURE.

61. Medical pen prefix: EPI. An EPIpen is a disposable, pre-filled auto-injector device used to deliver a measured dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) in an emergency to treat severe, life-threatening allergic reactions.

62. Val Kilmer's "Top Gun" role: ICEMAN. Too bad Val died at 65 due to complications from throat cancer. I liked him as Jim Morrison in The Doors biopic.

64. Couple's outing: DATE NIGHT.

66. California wine valley: SONOMA. SONOMA County vineyards and the broader California wine industry are facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Driven by declining wine consumption, oversupply, and rising operational costs, many generational vineyards have closed, leaving their grapes to rot.

67. Spot for dirty dishes: SINK. 

Reminds me of college, for some reason.

68. Corner chess piece: ROOK. The ROOK is the second most valuable piece on the board (after the queen) because they can move rapidly and cover any row or column.

69. Actress who voices Bo Peep in the "Toy Story" franchise: POTTS. Annie POTTS, now 73, has performed on both TV and the big screen. I remember her from Ghostbusters.

70. "__ bien!": TRES.

71. Chlumsky of "Veep": ANNA. ANNA is an American actress who has appeared on Broadway and in movies, but she's mostly known for her TV roles.

Down:

1. Hay fever sound: ACHOO. Gesundheit! (Which means "health" in German.)

2. Quick-witted: BRIGHT. I'm so bright, my mom called me "son." I'll show myself out...

3. Doesn't bother: LETS BE. 

4. "__ darn tootin'!": YER.

5. Distraction: DECOY.

6. Stratford-upon-__: AVON. The town of Stratford on the AVON river was The Bard's old stomping ground.

7. Team spirit: MORALE. Rah.

8. Turf: SOD.

9. Pool bounce: CAROM.

10. Fundamentally: AT ROOT. This phrasing may be used in formal writing, but is less common in everyday speech.

11. Have the best of intentions: MEAN WELL.

12. Extremely long time: EON.

13. Toronto's prov.: ONT. Toronto is the capital city of the Canadian province of ONTARIO.

16. Chopped down: HEWN. I wonder why after chopping down a tree, I have to chop it up.

18. Sets off: EMBARKS. 

22. Wraps tightly: SWATHES.

24. Neighborhood: AREA.

26. Amo, amas, __: AMAT. Amo, amas, AMAT, amamus, amatis, amant is the present tense conjugation of the Latin verb amare. I love, you love, he (she, it) loves, we love, you (plural) love, they love. Three years of Latin in high school!

27. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. ERIE averages 62 feet deep vs. Superior's 483.

28. Features of some jeans: RIPS. RIPS in a old pair of favorite jeans are well earned, but I can't see buying new ones that are pre-ripped.  

30. Like some unauthorized editions: FANMADE.

33. "Mamma __!": MIA. Mamma MIA! is a jukebox musical featuring ABBA songs that has grossed $4.5 billion worldwide since its 1999 debut. A film adaptation was released in 2008.

35. Wordsmith's ref.: OED. Ye olde Oxford English Dictionary is a huge reference work. You'll need a library cart to check it out.

36. Many a Little Leaguer: PRETEEN.

38. Minor disruption: BLIP.

39. Pop star Ora: RITA. RITA Ora is a British singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress.

40. Up-and-coming: EMERGENT.

41. Mel B and Mel C bandmate: GERI. Dang! I wanted Mel A. GERI Halliwell et al. were Spice Girls.

42. Second, for one: UNIT. I liked last week's clue better: "Second, but not first."

47. Squirrel kin: MARMOT. MARMOTs are known as "whistle pigs," because they use loud, high-pitched whistles to alert their colonies to danger.

This one just watched The Lion King.

49. Pastry choice: ECLAIR.

51. The Beaver State: OREGON. 

52. Suction tube: SIPHON. 

54. Polite addresses: MA'AMS.

55. Crime novelist Buchanan: EDNA. EDNA Buchanan is an American journalist and writer.

56. Long journeys: TREKS. Like the one through the stars many moons ago...

57. First capital of Alaska: SITKA. I knew of this because SITKA spruce is the most common wood used for guitar tops because it offers an ideal balance of light weight and high stiffness.

My Martin D-42

60. Eclectic magazine: UTNE. The UTNE Reader is an American digital and print digest of alternative media, politics, and culture created in 1984 by Eric UTNE (pronounced UT-nee). 

62. Web access co.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.

63. Murmur: COO.

64. Summer hrs.: DST. Daylight Saving Time.

65. 401(k) kin: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

Hopefully, I didn't break any rules along the way!

Be good. RB 

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 Rena Cohen

 

Theme: Soccer positions.

I tried out for Soccer once,

They gave me this T-Shirt...

20 Across. Soccer player who shares every little detail online?: PUBLIC DEFENDER.

A defender is an outfield player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring goals. 

Types of Defenders

Center-backs (CB): Play in the middle of the defense right in front of the goal. They win high balls and block shots. 

Full-backs (LB/RB): Play on the left and right sides of the backline. They stop opposing wingers and run up the sidelines to help on offense

Wing-backs (LWB/RWB): An aggressive type of full-back. They focus heavily on running up and down the field to support attacks

Sweepers (SW): A rare, deeper defender who plays behind the main defensive line to clean up loose balls. 

Key Skill

Tackling: Winning the ball cleanly from opponents

Positioning: Standing in the right place to block passing lanes

Aerial ability: Heading away crosses and long balls

Communication: Organizing the backline and talking with teammates.

38 Across. Soccer player from a Florida archipelago?: KEEPER OF THE KEYS.

A keeper (short for goalkeeper) is the designated player on a soccer team whose primary job is to stop the opposing team from scoring by preventing the ball from crossing the goal line.

Key Responsibilities and Rule

Handball Privilege: The keeper is the only player on the field allowed to use their hands and arms, but they can only do this inside their own designated penalty area.

Last Line of Defense: They act as the final barrier against shots and direct the outfield defenders during plays and set pieces.

Distinct Uniform: To easily tell them apart from everyone else, the keeper must wear a jersey color that is different from both teams and the referee.

Starting Attacks: Beyond stopping goals, modern keepers often use kicks or throws to launch fast counter-attacks for their team.

51 Across. Soccer player who doesn't pull their weight?: CARRIED FORWARD.

A forward in soccer is an outfield player who plays closest to the opposing teams's goal with the primary job of scoring and creating goals.

Main Roles of a Forward

Center Forward / Striker: Plays through the middle as the main goalscorer and focal point of the attack.

Winger / Wide Forward: Plays on the left or right side to stretch the defense, dribble past defenders, and cross the ball into the penalty box

Second Striker: Plays just behind the main center forward to link the midfield and attack

False Nine: A forward who drops backward into the midfield to pull defenders out of position and create open space for teammates. 

Core Responsibilities

Finishing: Shooting and heading the ball into the net to score goals

Creating Space: Making smart runs off the ball to open passing lanes for teammates

Holding the Ball: Using physical strength to keep possession under pressure from defenders until help arrives

Pressing: Applying early pressure on opposing defenders when the other team has the ball.

Onward! To the coin toss, and kickoff!

Across:
1. Insensitive: CRASS.

6. Not out: SAFE.

10. Apple variety: GALA.

14. __ Productions: media company founded by Oprah: HARPO. (Oprah backwards.)

15. West Coast sch. that joined the Big Ten in 2024: UCLA.

16. Team with a lot of pull?: OXEN.

17. All over: AGAIN.

18. Birds whose oil is used in Aboriginal medicine: EMUS.

19. Super Serum seller: OLAY. (Note: Olay does not sell Emu Oil...)

20. [Theme.]

23. __-di-dah: LAH.

24. Blubber: FLAB. Emu oil is made by harvesting, melting, and refining the thick layer of fat found on the back of an Emu.

25. Accident report?: OOPS. 😬 

28. "What a gimme!": EASY.

31. Mail: POST.

34. King topper in a game of war: ACE.

35. Singer Halliwell: GERI.

Also known as Ginger Spice...

36. Leave in a fit?: CLOTHE. (To make sense, you must read this 3 times...)

38. [Theme.]

41. Like steak, but not cake: SAVORY.

42. Reasons to go to extra innings: TIES.

43. Jazz (up): AMP.

44. Rookie gamer: NEWB. Also Newbie, or Noob...

45. Speck on a map: ISLE. 

46. Sign: OMEN.

47. Long fish: EELS.

49. "Truthfully" initials: TBH. (To Be Honest.)

51. [Theme.]

58. Lean: THIN.

59. Within reach: NEAR.

60. Eaglet home: AERIE.

61. Avant-garde style: DADA. Examples can be found here...

62. Small bird of prey: KITE. Again, examples can be found here...

63. "You almost guessed it!": CLOSE. No examples here,  because you missed it...

64. Staircase part: STEP.

65. "Now!": STAT.

66. Respected leader: ELDER. 

Down:
1. Fella: CHAP.

2. Robusto! sauce brand: RAGU.

3. Many an Eid celebrant: ARAB. More info here...

4. Lets the cat out of the bag: SPILLS. 

5. Ketanji colleague: SONIA. 

Clue/answer refers to these guys.

Since there is no politics on the Blog,

I will not be naming them...

6. Sought compensation: SUED. (See below:)

7. Height: ACME. 

A scene from Coyote Vs Acme.

8. Nickname for comedian Gabriel Iglesias: FLUFFY. 

9. Stand for artistic freedom?: EASEL. 😀

10. Bible: GOOD BOOK.

11. Wheel spinner: AXLE.

12. Father of Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia: LEAR. William Shakespeare wrote the tragedy King Lear. 

Quick Facts:

Written: Between 1605 and 1606

First Performance: December 1606

Plot: An aging king divides his kingdom among his daughters, leading to tragic consequences and madness.

13. Flexible amount: ANY.

21. Joyful: CHEERY.

22. Italy's third-largest city: NAPLES.

25. National trees of the United States: OAKS.

26. Place where people cruise through life?: OCEAN.😏

27. Get to: PEEVE.

29. Preferring platonic relationships, for short: ARO. Aro is short for aromantic, which describes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others.

30. Searches (through): SIFTS.

32. Iron output: STEAM.

33. Herb in jerk seasoning: THYME. 

35. Company with an annual search for a spokesbaby: GERBER.

36. Flamin' Hot puff: CHEETO. 

People are serious about their Cheetos...

37. "College GameDay" network: ESPN.

39. Short time out: POWER NAP.

40. From dawn __ dusk: TIL.

45. Finder's cry: I SEE IT. 

Finders cry: Mine!

46. "Such is life": OH WELL. 

48. Spot for a tee party?: LINKS. ❤️

50. Knee protector: BRACE.

51. Small talk: CHAT.

52. Deputy: AIDE.

53. Spreadsheet input: DATA.

54. Guitar ridge: FRET. My 50 year old guitar is getting worn grooves in its frets.

(I fret about my frets...)

55. Yankee nickname of the 2000s: AROD.

56. "__ and shine!": RISE.

57. Lots of bucks: DEER. 

58. Some 37-Down highlights: Abbr.: TDS. (Touchdowns.)

The Grid.

7 three letter words, 6 people names, and only one abbreviated school name. Not bad!

A Link to Rena Cohen July 20 Crossword Writeup

Describing this lovely Constructor...

Sorry for the deep dive into splainin' Soccer positions, but I know little about the game and had to do much research to do this write up, and, you know I hate to suffer alone...

CE:D out...

≽^• ˕ • ྀི≼