Sunday May 31, 2026 Samuel A. Donaldson

 Theme: "HARDLY RIGHT" - LY is added the end of the first word in each common phrase.

23. Kinda sorta up for it?: FAIRLY GAME. Fair game.

29. Like a portrait hung by a professional?: HIGHLY LEVEL. High level.

35. How beer is served?: COMMONLY COLD. Common cold.

49. Geeky without shame?: PUBLICLY SQUARE. Public square.

62. Faking trendiness?: ARTIFICIALLY HIP. Artificial hip.

93. Having the wealth of kings and queens?: ROYALLY FLUSH. Royal flush.

98. Like a smart recycler?: SAGELY GREEN. Sage green.

108. Sad, but composed?: CALMLY DOWN. Calm down.

A very consistent letter-addition theme. Adding LY to the first word of each familiar phrase transforms an adjective into an adverb. The noun in the second word becomes an adjective.  

Can someone explain the title to me? I don't quite get it. To me, it's just another theme entry. 

Across:

1. Sporty wheels: COUPE.

6. Cinematographer's choice: LENS.

10. Hasty: RASH.

14. "Purgatorio" poet: DANTE. "The Divine Comedy" consists of three parts: "Inferno", "Purgatorio", and "Paradiso".

19. Invalidate: ANNUL.

20. Four Corners state: UTAH.

21. Director Kazan: ELIA.

22. Hilo "Hi": ALOHA.

25. First man, in Maori mythology: TIKI. Gimme! 

26. Two-thirds of a magnum: LITER.

27. Cable giant acquired by AT&T: TCI.

28. An end to reason?: ABLE. Reasonable. 

31. Four-footed Jetson: ASTRO.

33. City on the Orne: CAEN. A city associated with the Battle of Normandy.

34. Ghostly sound: MOAN.

39. Yields to gravity: SAGS.

40. Promise not to tell, for short: NDA.

43. "__ of Girls' Things": poem by Sharon Olds: ODE.

44. "Great Expectations" ward: ESTELLA. Learning moment for me. 

45. Actress Spelling: TORI.

46. Marshmallow treat: PEEP.

47. Curly dos: PERMS.

52. Son of Rebekah and Isaac: ESAU. Isaac's favorite son. Rebekah liked Jacob more. 

53. "OutDaughtered" family name: BUSBY.

55. Unenviable grade: DEE.

56. "¿Cómo está __?": USTED.

57. Seawater evaporation site: SALT PIT. Also a learning moment. 

59. Sandwich shops: DELIS.

61. "Sure, I get it": AH OK.

67. Astrobiology subj.: SETI.

69. Toyed with: LED ON.

70. Cary Grant film about a gambler: MR LUCKY. Agnes probably saw this movie.

74. OB test: AMNIO.

75. Suffix with percent: ILE.

76. Print media: PRESS.

79. Unpartnered: LONE.

84. Early Mexican civilization: OLMEC.

85. Touchscreen image: ICON.

86. Charged particles: IONS.

87. Layered potluck staple: LASAGNA.

90. One of the orgs. merged in the Maastricht Treaty: EEC. European Economic Community. The Maastricht Treaty laid the foundation for today's European Union. Another learning moment for me.

91. Rainbow backdrop: SKY.

92. Burden: ONUS.

95. Baba ghanoush bread: PITA.

96. Bodies of water: SEAS.

97. "Here we go!": IT'S ON.

102. Yokozuna's sport: SUMO. Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo wrestling. 

104. "__ Twist, Scientist": Netflix series with a magic lab: ADA.

106. Caffeinated: AWAKE.

107. Isn't 100%: AILS.

111. Spanish title: SENOR.

112. Many a "Survivor" locale: ISLE.

113. Magazine founder Eric: UTNE.

114. Pitcher's jam: MEN ON.

115. Barely beats (out): EDGES.

116. "Queer Eye" expert Jonathan Van __: NESS.

117. Letter opener: DEAR.

118. "Hello" singer: ADELE. Hello from the other side!

Down:

1. Lunchroom, for short: CAF.

2. Go __ great length: ON AT.

3. Like some parliaments: UNICAMERAL.

4. Perfectionist's creed: PURISM.

5. Beginning to lose?: ELL. The staring letter in lose.

6. Fastener on many European cars: LUG BOLT. I only know lug nut.

7. List abbr.: ET AL.

8. Reputation: NAME.

9. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.

10. Fixed, as shoelaces: RE-TIED.

11. Set straight: ALIGN.

12. One resisting the five thieves: SIKH. Here are the five thieves in Sikhism are kaam (lust), krodh (wrath), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (arrogance).

13. Last-ditch attempt: HAIL MARY.

14. Texas city where German chocolate cake was invented: DALLAS. I know this trivia.

15. "In space, no one can hear you scream" film: ALIEN.

16. Punishment for a Gen X kid: NO TV.

17. "Beautiful Mistakes" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE.

18. Viscount superior: EARL.

24. Tall tales: YARNS.

29. Permissible, in some diets: HALAL. Opposite of Haram.

30. Some meditation practitioners: YOGIS.

32. Temperature testers, at times: TOES.

33. Cheddar kin: COLBY.

35. Manages: COPES.

36. Ukrainian port south of Kyiv: ODESA.

37. Informal approvals: YEPS.

38. __ soda: CLUB.

39. Cirque du __: SOLEIL.

40. "How cool": NEATO.

41. Baseball Hall of Famer Jeter: DEREK.

42. Mimicked: APED.

45. Immune system component: T CELL.

46. Muscle training method: PUSH PULL. As in the popular Push/Pull/Legs workout split.

48. Genetic change: MUTATION.

50. Creative development: IDEA.

51. Covey member: QUAIL. A group of quail is called a covey. We also have 100. Group of pals: GANG.

53. Small amount: BIT.

54. Gas or elec.: UTIL.

58. Abbey figure: PRIOR.

59. Hullabaloo: DIN.

60. Sylvia of jazz: SYMS.

63. Makes a false show of: FEIGNS.

64. Runs in place: IDLES.

65. Last name of filmmakers Ethan and Joel: COEN.

66. Atty.'s billing units: HRS.

67. Noisy kiss: SMACK.

68. Relish: ENJOY.

71. Fall apart: COME UNDONE.

72. Joints with caps: KNEES.

73. "Ew!": YECCH.

74. "The Information" novelist Martin: AMIS. Son of Kingsley Amis. 

76. Says grace, e.g.: PRAYS.

77. Tabula __: RASA.

78. Airline that doesn't fly during the Sabbath: EL AL.

81. Like a fuzzy navel?: LINTY. Not orange.

82. "If it isn't my nemesis!": YOU AGAIN.

83. Online finance firm: E LOAN.

84. Bozos: OAFS.

88. Twinkle: GLIMMER.

89. Sleep aid brand: NYTOL.

92. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS.

93. Big Cup candy brand: REESE'S.

94. Like some questions: LOADED.

95. Black tea grade: PEKOE.

96. Hawks: SELLS.

98. RSVP convenience: SASE.

99. Blown away: AWED.

101. Ascend: RISE.

102. Quench: SATE.

103. Funny bone neighbor: ULNA.

105. USMC truant: AWOL.

108. Ruminant's mouthful: CUD.

109. Peruvian legend Sumac: YMA.

110. SSW reverse: NNE.

C.C.

Saturday, May 30, 2026, Alan Levin

 Saturday Themeless by Alan Levin

Across

1. Adjustable border: HEM 😀

4. Heavy coat?: FOG. 😀

7. Donor's words: I GAVE.

12. Smithwick's, for one: ALE.

          

13. Metric weights: KILOS.

15. Puff piece?: CIGAR 😀

16. Join: SIT BESIDE - When Queen Elizabeth II's dad George VI came to D.C. for a state dinner in 1939, this was the seating chart.

Click to enlarge

18. Temper: INURE.

19. Rogers Centre team: TORONTO BLUEJAYS - I would love to watch the MLB TORONTO BLUEJAYS play a game while I am sitting atop the CN Tower and then they have retract the roof in the Rogers Centre 

21. Georgia city nickname: A-TOWN - An alternate name for the state capital Atlanta, GA.

22. Rodeo circuit?: LASSO 

23. "May I?": PLEASE.

26. Boondocks: STICKS - The boondocks is an American expression from the Tagalog (Filipino) word bundók ("mountain").

30. Problem that can grow with fame: EGO.

32. Rendezvous: TRYST.

34. Time when shadows are shortest: NOON - I lovingly remember the long shadows of afternoon World Series games in late September. 

35. One goal of the Marine Mammal Protection Act: DOLPHIN SAFE TUNA - This Chicken Of The Sea TUNA is non-GMO and DOLPHIN SAFE as efforts were made to have the nets cause less distress to dolphins. 

39. Diamond who went platinum: NEIL - Here is NEIL's first certified platinum album (sales over one million). It did not make platinum but I just about wore out his very first album

40. Ricochet: CAROM.

41. Syncopated piece: RAG - Wasn't he your first thought too?

42. Intel providers: ASSETS - ASSETS (spies) are often sent out to gather intel

45. Take to the limit: MAX OUT.

47. __ restaurant: THEME - One of my favs is the Sci-Fi Drive In at Disney Studios. You are seated in replicas of old cars while old move trailers, cartoons and ads play on the big screen.

49. Try to get a rise out of: TROLL.

52. Major achievement?: BACHELOR'S DEGREE - I've got one of those around here somewhere where I majored in math. 58. Studied on the side: MINORED IN - My minor was physics. 

57. Dough in a French bakery: EUROS - I wonder what euphemisms the French use for money.

59. Pong maker: ATARI - Wanna play a free online game?

60. Some clinic procedures: SCANS.

61. Arch Manning's uncle: ELI.

62. Caesar dressing?: TOGAS  😀

63. "Gorillas in the Mist" subject: APE.

64. Managed: RAN.

Down:

1. "__ la vista": HASTA - "See you later" literally means "until the view" or "until the seeing". ¡Hasta luego, cocodrilo! (See you later alligator)

2. "Daniel Deronda" novelist: ELIOT - George ELIOT. The nom de plume for Mary Ann Evans. 

"No evil dooms us hopelessly except the evil we love, and desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from."

3. Chicago, for one: METROPOLIS.

4. Hand ball?: FIST 😀

5. Pasta aglio e __: OLIO - Below is spaghetti aglio e OLIO (with garlic and oil)

6. Seventh-inning stretch song, often: GOD BLESS AMERICA - MLB started doing this after 9/11 and now only the Yankees do it.

7. Least friendly: ICIEST.

8. Noir establishment: GIN JOINT - Hey, you thought of this too...

9. Arizona's __ Fria river: AGUA - Even I can translate this but...but if you can't

10. Fluctuate: VARY.

11. Spanish 101 word: ERES - Tù ERES muy comico. (You are very funny.)

13. "30 Rock" page: KENNETH - Getting his tie pulled by star Tina Fey

14. Actress Ward: SELA.

17. Pick up a few spares, perhaps: BOWL - The hardest one.

20. Carrier letters: USS.

24. "Midsommar" director Aster: ARI. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

25. Line up: SYNC - I love getting together to watch the Lincoln Saltdogs professional baseball team play for Father's Day, but we have to SYNC the schedules.

27. Writ, e.g.: COURT ORDER.

28. Longboard Island Lager brewer: KONA.

29. Bump in the road: SNAG.

30. Honey Cone lead singer Wright: EDNA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

31. Says: GOES.

33. Hill of __: home of Ireland's Lia Fáil: TARA All you'd ever want to know

Lia Fáil - The Stone of Destiny on The Hill Of Tara

36. Abundance: PLETHORA.

37. Arctic __: FOX.

38. Theatrical folks: EMOTERS.

43. Something to prove: THESIS.

It should be THESIS and not THESES 
but I liked the cartoon.

44. Poivre et __: SEL - French words for the two most common condiments 

46. Beseech: URGE.

48. Some parents: MOMS.

50. Arabic name that means "night": LEILA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

51. Bolshevik leader: LENIN.

52. Exhausted: BEAT.

53. "Set it and forget it" mode: AUTO - Not foolproof

54. Rugged feature: CRAG.

55. Show appreciation at a poetry slam, e.g.: SNAP.

56. "That's all, folks!": DONE - 

Friday, May 29th, 2026 ~ Zachary David Levy

CASEICULTURIST

Not MY job - I'm just a cheesy blog writer

I had the "up" words Z-D-L puzzle in January and RB handled his last crossword back at the start of May.  Today our consistent constructor gives us a "redefinition" of what one's career might entail, but with a humorous twist (~?) - I have mixed feelings about this one; I found it Friday challenging, and therefore enjoyable, but as it's been said at The Corner in the past, the juice maybe not be worth the squeeze; YMMV.   Another over-sized 15 x 16 grid, chunky 9-letter corners, several, and some obscure, names, twenty-two 3LWs, and ALOT of Twurds.  The themers, followed by the centrally located reveal;

18. Photographer?: CHEESEMONGER - a one-word professional who selects, cares for, cuts and sells cheese; I linked a "How It's Made" episode on cheese making back in March

26. Police officer?: TICKET AGENT - I've never gotten a speeding ticket; I have, however, had two DUI arrests, one arrest & ticket for lapse of insurance, and two for operating a commercial vehicle in the HOV lane & illegally crossing the HOV buffer "line".  Sheesh.  This is what drinking cost me; once I stopped, so did the tickets - go figure . . . 

I was never THAT drunk . . . 

52. Carpenter?: FLOOR TRADER - in my carpentry work days of yore, I have done several ceramic tile floors, and a couple of Pergo ones - one could argue I "traded" the old linoleum for something better

Floor Cheese

63. Realtor?: STREET VENDOR - It's true, in a sense - David Cook, my Realtor here in CT, sold me a house while we were on the "street" I now call home . . .

The cheese on the street . . . 

38. "That's someone else's problem," or an apt title for this puzzle - NOT MY JOB - As a retail manager in the home improvement industry, I heard employees say the reveal far too many times.  For those who read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the clue is a different "thing" altogether . . . 

But Wait - There's More Cheese~?

ACROSS:

1. Like some temples: MASONIC - Dah~!  I wanted to fill this in, hesitated

8. Epiphany trio: MAGI - I do the Downs first, already had the "G" in place

12. Maker of Sticking Point press-on nails: OPI - Nailed it, but this is a crossword staple

15. Tennis period since 1968: OPEN ERA - my one mistake; I had openerS at first

16. Make smooth: IRON - ah, the verb - good one

17. NFL Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN - name #1, which I did actually know

20. Pester: IRK

21. Bandleader's command: HIT IT - It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses . . .

"Hit it."

22. Hosp. areas: ERs - Not ORs - that was yesterday

23. Dry Italian whites: SOAVES - filled via perps

Swah-vay

25. Object of adoration: IDOL - this one's protected by the Hovitos . . . if only you could speak Hovitos

The Wiki on the Golden Idol's "history"

28. Sphinx, mostly: LION

30. mRNA vaccine maker: MODERNA - their website

31. Splashes gently against: LAPS AT - Twurd #2

34. Brit's cuppa: TEA

36. "How ya __?": "DOIN'~?"

37. Org. that issues Energy Star labels: EPA

42. Fella: LAD

43. Quayle follower: GORE - VPs in the 90s; name #2

45. Diamonds, slangily: ICE

46. Some big batteries: D-CELLS

48. Retro: OLD-TIME

51. Florida coastal city, informally: BOCA - Raton; Geo name #3

I lived in Jacksonville for two long years

55. Milk source: TEAT - I had GOAT, 50% correct

59. Skiffle singer Donegan: LONNIE - I heard this from my British parents growing up - name #4

"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavor~?"

I never heard all the lyrics - it's quite a fun rocker of a song

60. By way of: VIA

61. Jeff Tweedy's band: WILCO - no clue, more here, name #5

62. Vader, as a boy: ANI - Star Wars, Darth Vader né Anakin Skywalker, names #6

66. Hr. division: MINute

67. City west of Tulsa: ENID - Geo name #7

The Pipe Organ company finished this instrument before I started

68. Giggly outbursts: TITTERS - titters and teats in one corner, Hmmm . . . 

69. Sack: BAG - the verb definition "FIRE" was not going to fit

70. Drawn-out tale: SAGA

71. "I need an answer right now": "YES OR NO~?" - Thwurd 

"Let me sleep on it" lyric @ 6:00

DOWN:

1. Rice cake that may be filled with ice cream: MOCHI - new to me

The recipe here

2. Rose pest: APHID - I DID know this 

3. Handle: SEE TO - Twurd #4

4. Actor Ed and food writer Molly: O'NEILLs - I knew of Ed; the Wiki on Molly.  Names #8

5. Place to brood: NEST - didn't fool me

6. Anger: IRE

7. Entered: CAME IN - Twurd #5

8. Capital of Belarus: MINSK - Ah.  This filled via perps.  Geo name #9

9. Uru. neighbor: ARGentina - Geo name abbr

10. Attends: GOES TO - Twurd #6

11. Bit of hard-won progress: INROAD - according to the internet, this is one word

12. Bakery item dotted with kalamatas: OLIVE ROLL - good WAG on my second pass

13. Reliable plant: PERENNIAL - AND - 49D. Purple 13-Downs: IRISES

14. Quaint desk accessories: INK STANDS - I know ink wells, not stands, and ink pots was yesterday

Buy this one here

19. Tolkien baddie: ORC

24. Mature: AGED - the ambivalent tense of the clue made me try "RIPE"

26. Emerald City visitor: TOTO - the dog from the Wizard of Oz, still a name, #10

27. Key of Vivaldi's "Spring": Abbr.: Emaj - I knew the "m" would be correct . . . could have been Amin, etc.

29. "Amsterdam" novelist McEwan: IAN - name #11

31. Roasted entree that may be served with mint jelly: LEG OF LAMB - I knew this; once I had some crossings, the V-8 can flew

Leg of LamP

32. Kotero of "Purple Rain": APOLLONIA - I vaguely remember the movie, released in 1984 - before my HS days, and did not see - not a Prince fan back then - name #12, and a unique fill.  The IMDb

nylons don't do well with those shoes 

33. Letting off the hook: PARDONING - $2 word

34. SHO subsidiary: TMC - no clue, knew we needed a TV abbr - SHOwtime, The Movie Channel

35. __ contact: EYE - I am getting much better at this as I "mature"

39. Level: TIER

40. Fragrance: ODOR - IMHO, I don't think of a fragrance as an "odor"

41. Email covertly: BCC - Blind Carbon Copy

44. Collar named for an elite school: ETON - learned by doing crosswords

47. Erode: EAT INTO - Twurd #7

50. Active volcano in Eur.: Mt. ETNA - Iv'e had this "abbr full fill" once before 

51. Warren who played Dick Tracy: BEATTY - knew it, still name #13

53. Vegan body care brand: AVEDA - name(ish)

54. Fizzle out: DIE

56. Tribal leader: ELDER - Dah~! Not CHIEF

57. Oak tree, once: ACORN

58. Trunk: TORSO - Dah~!  Not CHEST

61. Dampens: WETS

64. 18-wheeler: RIG

65. Try (for): VIE

Splynter

Grid Flow 30.7