Friday, Sep 18th, 2026 ~ Patti Varol

 OBI-WANTON

"You don't need to see my Mulligan . . ."

LA Times editor Patti Varol is back again on Friday - this is her fourth that I have blogged in 2026.  Another tack-on theme, with two of the fills grid-spanners, this time adding '-TON' to some common things / phrases, resulting in some punniness, and a 'defining' reveal.  I breezed through today, just one sticky square, and I was on this Patti puzzle wavelength with most of the proper names being in my wheelhouse.  Standard grid, no outlier squares, no circles, thirteen 3LWs, and ten names.  The themers & reveal;

20. Box that's unexpectedly popular?: SLEEPER CARTON

24. Lazy way to soothe hurt feelings?: NO OFFENSE BUT...TON

43. Take tiny crustaceans out for a stroll?: WALK THE PLANKTON

49. Getting heavier, or an apt title for this puzzle: GAINING WEIGHT - in this case, the answers gain a "TON", or about 2000lbs - I, on the other hand, am losing weight.  I did a weigh-in with my trainer last Thursday - the same 190lbs, but down to 26.5% body fat, originally at 43% - Yikes~!  I keep pushing him to feature me in the Big Sky gym "spotlight" email, but everytime I ask, he tells me "when you get to X" - this time, I have to be down to 24% body fat . . . the carrot at the end of the stick . . . 😖

Button Waiton, There'ston Moreton~!


ACROSS:

1. Band: STRAP

Ankle strap shoes

6. Primer lesson: ABCs

10. Printer refills: INKS

14. Provençal sauce: AIOLI - I do the Downs first, so this corner self-filled in the Across

15. Bread from a tandoor: NAAN - common crossword crust

16. Many a techie or Trekkie: GEEK - Dah~!  Not NERD

17. Fruit with a thick rind: MELON

18. Thing that has away with words?: DELETE KEY - I had "I gOt it" crossing, but once that changed, I saw the clever misdirection with 'away', and not "a way" in the clue

22. Raft: SEA - the "other" noun definition, #3 - a large collection or number

23. Fish that's a symbol of Children's Day in Japan: KOI

33. "Wow, nice!": "OH COOL~!" - Twurd(ish)

34. Approach: WAY

35. Rite answer: "I DO." - well, you'd better give the right answer, or . . . 

36. Constant critic: HATER

37. Like fresh nail polish: WET

38. Bridget's daughter in the "Bridget Jones" series: MABEL - never saw it, no clue, IMDb; name #1

40. "Big" and "Bang Bang" singer Rita: ORA - Crossword staple, just about every week now, along with Dua Lipa.  Name #2

41. "Happy now?": "SEE~?"

42. Old Spanish coin: PESETA

47. Scand. land: NORway - part of ScandINAVIA - Geo name #3

48. Routine: ACT

56. One who's in it for the money: MERCENARY

"I care . . ."

57. Nebraska rail hub: OMAHA - Friday cluing, still geo name #4

59. Fun run distance, for short: ONE K - my gym is hosting a 5K in October, or, you can just walk it 

You can sign up here

60. Foil kin: EPEE - Common crossword cutlass

61. Piercing site: NAVEL

62. Aloo mutter ingredients: PEAS

The Wiki

63. Playful growl: RAWR - 21st century crossword fill, meh.

64. __ City: Pittsburgh: STEEL - Football is back~!

22nd & final NFL season, will turn 43 in December

God bless that kind of passion~!

DOWN:

1. Waterston in the American Theater Hall of Fame: SAM - I know him as Executive Assistant DA Jack McCoy from Law & Order - name #5

2. Binds: TIES

3. Craps turn: ROLL - Crap time~?  Toilet roll . . . 🙄

4. Succulent with lace and tiger tooth varieties: ALOE

5. Misses terribly: PINES FOR - nailed it

6. Like llamas: ANDEAN - I tried HUMPED . . . 

The Dalai Lama can be found near 30D.

7. Boxer Max: BAER - Crossword friendly spelling, name #6

8. Course after trig: CALCulus - I did not "get it" in high school, so I "dropped it"

TBH, I finished the year with my worst math grade of "C" which,

ironically, was the part of  the equation I kept getting "wrong"

9. Slip past: SNEAK BY

10. "No need to explain": "I GET IT."

11. "Middle Cyclone" Grammy nominee Case: NEKO - the "K" was an educated guess from the crossing fill; her website - name #7

12. Acute: KEEN - like, say, ones's hearing 

13. Hit high in the air: SKY - think verb, not noun

19. Pants, slangily: TROUsers

21. Spa treatment: PEEL - Dah~!  Not PEDI

24. Emphatic refusal: NO HOW - I had NO WAY to start

25. Catherine of "The Studio": O'HARA - name #8

26. Eight-related: OCTAL

27. Rival: FOE

28. Clear the cobwebs, say: SWEEP

29. Down: EAT - SAD~? Nope.  OUT~? Nope.  Ah, that kind of down . . .

30. Bhutan neighbor: TIBET - or Nepal~?  I guessed wisely . . . Geo name #9

OK, they're not quite touching, but "neighbors" . . . 

31. Poetic opening: ODE TO

32. "The Odyssey" director: NOLAN - knew it, nailed it, still a name, #10

37. Tiny: WEE

38. Points out: MENTIONS

39. "Fire away": "ASK."

41. Masonic order member in a fez: SHRINER

Or maybe you prefer Steely Dan~?
( I did not realize they were hinting at slang for condom )

42. Fitness app stat: PACE - I am two minutes off from upping my PACE on the Stairmaster to level 6

44. 2026 NBA champions: KNICKS - New York - now if the Rangers could win the Stanely Cup . . .

45. Mood: TONE

46. One who's often going through the motions: LAWYER - I'm filing a motion to supress names in crosswords . . .

49. __ therapy: GENE

50. Sod layer's calculation: AREA - Don't forget, "green side UP."

51. County east of Sonoma: NAPA - Northern California - home to some of our Cornerites

52. Got taller: GREW

53. B-school entry req.: GMAT - B-school = business college, Gradute Management Admission Test

54. Give birth to: HAVE - ooof - I didn't even see this after it filled via perps - "Don't have a cow, man"

55. "Hot Girl Summer" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE - filled via perps, her website, name #11

56. Unruly head of hair: MOP 

Whenever I hear "mop top", I think "The Beatles"

58. 100%: ALL

Splynter

Grid Flow 29.5