Saturday, October 25, 2025, David Karp

   Themeless Saturday by David Karp 

Earlier this year David told us he was a relatively new constructor from Victoria, B.C.,  Canada who took up puzzle construction during the pandemic. David's "day job" is as a policy advisor for the provincial government. As you can see by the color-coded grid, David has a lot of  unique fill in this puzzle.

Here's what David had to say about GEN ALPHA (my last fill) when I wrote to him about it wondering why the classification starts at 2010.

 - Hi Gary, 

I was just reading up on Gen Alpha again. It sounds like 2000-2010 is generally considered Gen Z and 2025 onward is apparently considered "Gen Beta" by people who apparently decide such matters. Go figure. 

Best, 

David

Across

1. 2-Down, for one: BALM and 2. Soothing gel: ALOE.

5. Name on Iran's flag: ALLAH - The phrase "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) is written in white, Kufic script 11 times along the top and bottom edges of the white stripe, for a total of 22 repetitions.

10. "Excuse you!": AHEM.

14. Pelvic bones: ILIA.

15. "Nightcrawling" novelist Mottley: LEILA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

16. Umami-rich paste: MISO.

17. Design trend that showcases literary treasures: BOOKSHELF WEALTH.

20. One of the Six Nations: SENECA.

21. Buzzy instruments: KAZOOS.

22. Cookbook writer Rombauer: IRMA.

24. Vibing with: INTO.

25. Gold-backed cryptocurrencies, e.g.: STABLE COINS - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Here ya go

28. "There is no there there" coiner: GERTRUDE STEIN - Today I learned that Gertrude's comment was meant to indicate her painful nostalgia that her hometown of Oakland, CA was  mostly all gone not that the city was meaningless. The meaningless use is more common today.

30. "Aladdin" actor Massoud: MENA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

31. To love, in Italian: AMARE - Let's all conjugate together

32. Birkenstock option: CLOG.

34. Studio sign: ON AIR.

36. Texting tech: SMS - This texting method is used by our entire family to share news and make plans. Unlike phone calls, it allows for some rumination before commitments are made. 

37. Central focus: THEME.

38. Festive vegan drink: OAT NOG.

40. "They are ready to see you now": GO ON IN.

41. Guardians, on scoreboards: CLE - For some they will always be the Cleveland Indians

42. Spice cultivated from Crocus sativus: SAFFRON - SAFFRON is a spice derived from th dried stigmas of the Crocus satis flower. It is the most expensive spice in the world due to the labor-intensive process of harvesting the tiny stigmas by hand, with approximately 150 flowers needed for just one gram of the dried spice. You're welcome.

46. Demo stuff: TNT - Demolition not demonstration

47. Rivals, slangily: OPPS.

49. Nasty fall: SLEET - In March a horrible SLEET and wind storm weighed down wires here in Nebraska. It broke over power poles and we were without power for three days.

50. Thermometer type: ORAL - Don't ask an angry pharmacist how to use a rectal thermometer!

51. Question while filling out a form: WHAT'S TODAY'S DATE.

54. Figure on Arizona license plates: SAGUARO - I wonder how HUSKER GARY would look

55. Enthusiastic assent: DO I EVER.

56. One who picks up speed?: SENSOR - I used this SENSOR in my physics lab to determine speed.

57. Puzzled (out): SUSSED.

Down:

1. Lobster catchers: BIBS 😀

3. Animal on Sri Lanka's flag: LION.

4. Money order?: MAKE IT RAIN.

5. Islamic palace in Spain: ALHAMBRA.

6. Spike in direction: LEE - 20 lashes with a wet noodle for this former volleyball coach for not seeing Spike as a name and not as a verb

7. Smaller than sm.: LIL.

8. Melmac native: ALF.

9. Curved facial feature: HAWK NOSE.

10. Component in many a smart home: AMAZON ECHO - Alexa does your bidding via the Amazon ECHO Dot

11. Only U.S. city with a zoo in a rainforest: HILO.

12. Spanish "this": ESTO.

13. Mineralogist with a scale: MOHS - Talc is at 1 on the MOHS scale and diamonds are at 10

18. "Ice Age" squirrel: SCRAT - In any language

19. "Weird Al" parody that begins, "How come you're always such a fussy young man?": EAT IT 😀 With apologies to Michael Jackson. 

How come you're always such a fussy young man?
Don't want no Captain Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran
Well, don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan?
So, eat it, just eat it

23. Homecoming week crowd: ALUMS.

24. Decoration specialists: ICERS.

25. Teen who helps with the bills: SENATE PAGE - Oh, legislative bills.

Senator George Pepper playing
ball with some Senate PAGES

26. Common cheese in kaasstengels: EDAM - I filled in only one letter to SUSS out our frequent cheese visitor. 

27. Bring-your-own-headphones dance party: SILENT RAVE.

28. People born yesterday: GEN ALPHAS - New to me. It applies to people who were born in the 21st century from 2015 - 2024.  See David's note in the intro. 

29. Given a nod: NOMINATED.

30. Udder delights for a toddler?: MOO COWS.

33. Less rough: GENTLER.

35. Children's author Asquith: ROS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

37. Long or short amount: TON.

39. Pub prefix: GASTRO - What is it?

40. "Heard": GOT YOU - "I heard you the fourth time!" 😠

43. Completely wow: FLOOR and 48. Completely wow: STUN.

44. Govt. agent: FED.

45. Anticipates: READS.

50. Dedicated works: ODES.

52. Nordic carrier: SAS.

53. Member of the fam: SIS.

Friday, October 24, 2025 - Katherine Baicker and Laura Dershewitz

 Theme: Where's _aldo?

Puzzling thoughts:

Well, this one didn't cause the Chairman to do shots at a bar, but it did take a while to figure out where (and why) the dubyas went.  When you examine the grid, you see that two of them exited as a homophone (WRAP and WHOLE) and the other two exited to fulfill the play-on-words, (WHIP and WHEELS) as these two use the "W" sound

The "reveal" can be parsed two different ways but I think the constructors were referring to this one: 

60-across. Accept victory, however dubious, and a hint to 17-, 24-, 37-, and 52-Across: TAKE THE W IN.  Taking the W in (or from) the highlighted letters (see grid below) support the odd clues. However, if you add a W to the highlighted letters (see grid below) the four entries take on a much different meaning - and are actually the names of a brand of salad dressing (Miracle Whip), a type of packaging material (Shrink Wrap), the start of a refrain from a kid's song (Wheels on the Bus), and a very expensive grocery store (Whole Foods)

It is a clever concept and puzzle, but the reveal seems a bit of a stretch.  I almost feel as if I wanted a fifth entry with both a whacky clue and answer that followed the vanishing double-u

Oh well.  Maybe next time!  Here are the four entries:

17-across. Replacement joint that's even better than new?: MIRACLE HIP.

24-across. Linguistic battle between psychologists?: SHRINK RAP.

37-across. Jerks riding public transit?: HEELS ON THE BUS.

52-across. Donuts, bagels, et al.?: HOLE FOODS.

So, Moe, if you were adding a fifth entry to this puzzle, what might it have been?

"What Hawaiian greeters do with a lei to an unruly visitor?": RING HIS NECK

For the record, I thought all of the entry clues were hilarious 

Here is the grid:

Across:
1. Many Chi-town homes: APTS.  There are some crossword puzzle editors who insist the word in 1-across be a complete word, not an abbreviation - this puzzle has nearly a dozen abbr's, if you are also counting contractions

5. Sore with: MAD AT.  Having an abbreviated first word in the puzzle??? 😂😉

10. Sleep under the stars: CAMP.  "What groupies do" was too long to fit into this space (re-read the clue!)

14. Grab and go?: LOOT.  Clever clue

15. 14th century Russian ruler: IVAN I. Aka, Ivan Moneybags

16. Not even close: AFAR.  "Cold" could fit, yes?

[theme entry]

19. __ Reader: UTNE.  "Read all about it!"

20. Common lease period for 1-Across: ONE YEAR.  Two-year also fits (without the hyphen, of course)

21. Support column: PILE.  This is what my co-pilot says:

23. Journalist Lesley: STAHL.  She, along with Walter Cronkite, provided the news in a very unbiased manner for CBS - I hear that they (CBS) are trying to revert back to that position with their newly appointed news editor in chief

[theme entry]

29. Location of une bouche: TETE.  Tête

30. Actor Bridges: BEAU.  

31. Safe havens: ASYLA.

32. Color TV pioneer: RCA.  Three-letter and an abbreviation

34. Informed Delivery org.: USPS.  United States Postal Service

36. Ref. that added "horror show" in 2024: OED.  Oxford English Dictionary

[theme entry]

41. Novelty lips stuff: WAX.  These? 42. "__ it obvious?": ISN'T.

43. Clinch: ICE.  Friday worthy clue

44. Marshmallow spread: FLUFF.

46. Bluish green: TEAL. <== this was as close as I could come

48. Howard, for one: Abbr.: HBCU.  Historically Black College or University

[theme entry]

54. "Oppenheimer" director: NOLAN.  Looks a bit like Alec Baldwin here

55. Word with stress, or a common source of stress: TEST.

56. One who might take a stand: WITNESS.  Can I get a Witness?  (2:15 through 2:35, but listen to it all)

58. Like some contracts: ORAL.  Unlike some toothbrushes that are ORAL B

[reveals the theme]

63. "La Brea" actress Skye: IONE.  

64. Dark doings: EVILS.

65. Tech company that owns the Chinese microblogging app Weibo: SINA.  Are there any Weibo followers here?  Not I

66. Fantasy franchise letters: LOTR.  Lord Of The Rings

67. Answer: REPLY.

68. Firebird roof option: T-TOP.

Down:
1. Nearly: ALMOST.  Here is a trailer to a movie with the word "Almost" in it

2. Ballet class: POINTE.

  

I hope Splynter doesn't sue me for showing some "leg" 😀

3. Attempted to rip open: TORE AT.  When I looked at crosswordtracker.com to see the frequency of the use of this phrase, the last 5 venues to accept it were LA Times Crossword - must be a favorite expression for Patti

4. "Don't leave!": STAY HERE.  From what I am told, the length of a Minnesota "goodbye" is measured in hours (or even days), not minutes ... 

5. Actress Kunis: MILA.  Her IMDB page

6. Unwilling (to): AVERSE. Moe-ku:

        You think the Chairman

        Dislikes other's poetry?

        I am not AVERSE 

7. Mark longer than a dit: DAH.  As in Morse Code characters ... the "dit" represents the dot, and the dah represents the dash

8. Padm 's beloved: ANI.  First off, the clue refers to a character in Star Wars - Padmé Amidala.  Don't follow Star Wars?  You're SOL, because you're likely then to not know that she was married to Anakin Skywalker (Ani is his nickname) and is the mother of both Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia

9. Hedren of "The Birds": TIPPI.  Quite the cast of actors

10. Doesn't let anything fall through the cracks?: CAULKS.  Hah Hah.  Moe-ku:

        "Home Alone" actor's

        Nickname inspires plumbers:

        Macaulay CAULKS-in

        

11. "Please, go first": AFTER YOU.  Just being polite

12. Guy: MAN. 

13. Start to check?: PRE-. If pre means before (as in pre-check), and post means after (as in post-script), what would it mean if both of these were used together? Why, it would be pre-post-erous 

18. Goofy frame: CEL.

22. "Be right there!": IN A SEC.

25. Plagued: HAUNTED.  Halloween is coming soon

26. Sign of aging: RUST.  As in rust bucket 

27. Drafts that are lighter than stouts: ALES.

28. Sketchy area?: PAD.

30. Striped __: BASS.  In the Cheasapeake Bay, these swimmers are known as Rockfish

33. Precipitous drops: CLIFFS.  Moe-ku:

        Book report grade took

        Precipitous drop. Teacher

        Found I used CLIFFS Notes

35. Alpine skier Mahre who won 27 World Cup races: PHIL.

37. Virtuous circle: HALO.

38. Thrilled: EXULTANT.

I suppose I can accept "thrilled" as a synonym (adj.)

39. Glom __: ONTO.  Seems to be a British phrase

40. "I can handle the truth!": BE HONEST.  

41. Skip the daily commute, for short: WFH.  [sigh] It seems that there is a text shortcut for everything these days ... Work From Home

45. Tentative inquiry: FEELER.  Moe-ku:

        Crustaceans would make 

        Great detectives. They're equipped

        With many FEELERs

47. Too: AS WELL.

49. Choked: BLEW IT.  Back when Europe actually lost the Ryder Cup (on American soil) this was known as one of the all-time choke jobs ... Langer would go on to become the most winning golfer on the Senior/Champions PGA Tour, and still regularly shoots a score lower than his age (68) for 18 holes.  The Chairman regularly shoots 68 or lower when golfing, but then has to play the remaining 5 or 6 holes

50. Sin City attraction: CASINO.  Sin City = Lost Wages, NV

51. Open up: UNSNAP.  I wonder how many takes that scene took?? 😀

53. Marine scamp: OTTER.

54. Some degree: NTH.  BFA fits, yes?

57. Teeny: ITSY. 

 

58. Frying need: OIL.  Make mine extra virgin olive

59. Kanga's kid: ROO.  Milne character

61. St. crosser: AVE.  BLVD was too wide to fit

62. Currency of Laos: KIP.  Do you remember how I felt about the clue/answer for 1-across?  No different for 62-down.  All perps

See you next month 

Thursday, October 23, 2025, Rebecca Goldstein

Theme:  Not the person you expected.

"What did you expect?  You met me on Match.com!"

Notoriously challeging constructor Rebecca Goldstein returns with a true test for MERE mortals.

The theme clues suggest that we are looking for people who adhere to modern cultural movements, but the folks in question turn out to be somewhat simpler and more innocent than we imagined.

The theme answers are neatly placed in symmetrical rows Across:

17-Across. Cancel culture adherent?: CORD CUTTER.  We thought we were looking for a person who calls upon others to shun someone else for their unacceptable behavior or remarks, but it turns out that this person has just cancelled some subscription television services in favor of free or low cost Internet access to programs.

25-Across. Pop culture adherent?: SODA JERK.  We thought we were looking for a person who is keen on the latest music, movies, fashions, and social media trends, but it turns out that this person makes ice cream sodas and milkshakes at an old-fashioned soda fountain.  "Pop" being another word for "soda," of course, and "soda jerk" being an old-fashioned way of referring to the person with that job.

35-Across. Counter culture adherent?: DELI CLERK.  We thought we were looking for a person whose values and behaviors contrast sharply with those of mainstream society, but it turns out that this person serves customers at a delicatessan counter.

50-Across. Hookup culture adherent?: SYS ADMIN.  We thought we were looking for a person who endorses casual sexual encounters and one-night stands, but it turns out that this person is an IT professional who hooks up computers, servers, and networks.

59-Across. Club culture adherent?: GOLF CADDIE.  We thought we were looking for a person who hangs out at nightclubs, but it turns out that this person carries golf clubs for a golfer.  If you're looking for exercise, skip the golfing and sign up to be a golf caddie.

Across:

1. Jazz venue: UTAH.  The Utah Jazz are a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City.  This first clue was my last fill when solving the puzzle.

5. Persian word for "king": SHAH.

9. Bejeweled Blitz icons: GEMS.  Bejeweled Blitz is a video game that started out as a Facebook application.  Who knew?

Bejeweled Blitz

13. Sweat spot: PORE.

14. Get greasy: OIL UP.  This phrase can be used from preparing your frying pan to preparing your privates, but I know it from bodybuilding, where competitors OIL UP to make their muscles look more defined under glaring stage lights.

This competitive bodybuilder has oiled up.

16. Dark cloud, maybe: OMEN.

17. [Theme clue]

19. Purple pet in classic cartoons: DINO.

Fred Flintstone and Dino

20. Ordeals: RIGORS.

21. Solemn pledge: VOW.

23. "That's neither here __ there": NOR.

24. Echo effect: REVERB.

25. [Theme clue]

27. Inverness veto: NAE.  Inverness is a city in the north of Scotland, and "nae" means "no" in the Scots language.

28. Pinkie promises, e.g.: PACTS.

30. Samba or mambo: DANCE.

31. Trader Joe's rival: ALDI.  Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by the same parent company, but are rivals in that they both offer a limited selection of groceries, mostly private label, at relatively low prices.

33. "Geaux Tigers!" sch.: LSU.  The LSU Tigers represent Louisiana State University in college football.  The cheer "Geaux Tigers," pronounced "Go Tigers," is a play on French words ending in "eaux."  French was the dominant language in Louisiana during the American colonial era, and affects the English spoken there today.

34. Something borrowed: RENTAL.

35. [Theme clue]

38. Rosemary cuttings: SPRIGS.

41. Joke around: KID.

42. The __: manifestation of performance anxiety: YIPS.  The yips are a sudden loss of ability to execute certain skills in experienced performers such as athletes. 

46. Event space: ARENA.

47. Computer clicker: MOUSE.

49. Cleverness: WIT.

50. [Theme clue]

52. Alternative milk source with a high water footprint: ALMOND.  Almonds -- and almond milk -- have become controversial because almond trees consume a significant amount of water, which is in short supply in California.

54. Spicy: HOT.

55. Froot Loops mascot Toucan __: SAM.

Yes, the bird is Toucan Sam.

56. Crown act: RULING.  It's what the Crown does.

57. Screen time device: IPAD.  It's what parents are supposed to limit time on.

59. [Theme clue]

62. __ mortals: MERE.

63. Crochet Away nail polish brand: ESSIE.  Not familiar with this brand or color.

Essie's "Crochet Away" grayish brown polish.

64. Inheritance portion: GENE.

65. Abbr. in some airport names: INTL.  Short for International.

66. Tacks on: ADDS.

67. Thus: ERGO.


Down:

1. Product lines?: UPC.  A Universal Product Code is a scannable barcode that identifies products.  It is composed of parallel lines.

UPC symbol

2. Brutally honest: TOO REAL.

3. Made it: ARRIVED.

4. Target of some clippers: HEDGE.

5. Candies that can cause salivation: SOUR BALLS.  Hard candies with tart flavors.

6. Chart toppers: HITS.

7. Indie prefix: ALT.

8. __ rancheros: HUEVOS.  Spanish for "cowboy eggs," more or less, this is a Mexican mid-morning farm breakfast of fried eggs served on tortillas with tomato salsa and refried beans.  A welcome addition to our crossword menu.

Huevos Rancheros

9. Deity: GOD.

10. Noteworthy: EMINENT.

11. Isla in the Balearic Sea: MENORCA.  The Balearic Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea between the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain.  Menorca is one of those islands.  "Isla" is Spanish for "island."

Menorca is circled on the map.  It's just above Mallorca.

12. Explore the Balearic Sea, e.g.: SNORKEL.

15. Nudge: PROD.

18. Small business?: CORP.  Small because it's abbreviated.

22. One may be knee-deep: WADER.

This little wader is knee deep.

24. Biological translation template: RNA.  Translation is the process in biological cells in which proteins are produced using RNA molecules as templates.  Obvs.

25. Struggling to get over, say: STUCK ON.

26. Low-quality, in slang: JANKY.  Not in my vocabulary, but the Internet agrees with this definition.

29. Forensic drama franchise: CSI.  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation spun off CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI: Cyber.

32. Menzel who made her Broadway debut in "Rent": IDINA.  Idina Menzel is an actress and singer, nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway."  She originated the role of Elphaba in the musical Wicked, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and she has since transitioned into film acting.

Idina Menzel

34. Coats paired with bow ties?: RED SAUCES.  Bow tie pasta can be served with "coats" of red sauce.

Bow tie pasta coated with red sauce.

36. "Crikey!": EGADS.

37. Actor Simu: LIU.  Simu Liu is a Canadian actor with a number of TV credits and the lead role in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Simu Liu as Chang-Chi

38. Raw fish delicacy: SASHIMI.

39. Pull apart: PRY OPEN.

40. Go back to square one: RESTART.

43. "Now, let's see": I WONDER.  An approximate conversational equivalent.  

44. Trying to reach, in a way: PINGING.  Pinging is sending a signal from one computer to another across a network for diagnostic purposes, such as to determine network speed or the status of the target computer.  Most of us can leave this job to our SYS ADMIN.

45. Norm: Abbr.: STD.  Standard.

47. Boozy brunch beverage: MIMOSA.  Brunch is fun, and ruins the rest of the day.

48. Jazz icon Fitzgerald: ELLA.

51. Spelling expert?: MAGE.  Mage is an archaic word for magician.  Magicians cast spells, which in this "?" clue makes a mage a "spelling" expert.

53. Frog snack: MIDGE.  Frogs eat midges, which are small flies. 

56. Touch-to-pay tech: RFID.  Radio Frequency IDentification uses radio waves to identify and track objects.  RFID tags can be attached to products or implanted in animals and people.  Your dog's microchip is an RFID tag.

58. Fenwick Island St. Park loc.: DEL.  Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware offers three miles of ocean beaches along with access to the Little Assawoman Bay.

Fenwick Island State Park

60. Psychedelics study subj.: LSD.  Lysergic acid diethylamide, called LSD for the German Lysergsäure-diethylamid.

61. Fair-hiring initials: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity.

Here's the grid:

Cruciverbalist friends, were you up to the RIGORS of Rebecca's puzzle?

Or did you get STUCK ON some of the more puzzling clues?

I WONDER.  Please comment!

-- NaomiZ