Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Matthew Luter

Shake Your Booty.

17-Across. Performer who might play finger cymbals: BELLY DANCER.

25-Across. Easily frightened sort: SCAREDY CAT.  Think shaking with fear.

36-Across. Furry red "Sesame Street" toy: TICKLE ME ELMO.

53-Across. Hardware store device that makes custom colors: PAINT 

MIXER.

And the unifier:

62-Across. "How goes it?," or a question that could be answered by 17-, 25-, 36-, and 53-Across: WHAT'S SHAKIN'.

Here's the Grid:

Across:

1. Direction in the name of only one U.S. state: WEST.  West Virginia became the 35th state in June 1863.  The state separated from Virginia during the Civil War due to political, economic, and geographic differences, including opposition to secession from the Union. 

5. News network that changed its name in 2025: MSNBC.  Since November 2025, network became known as MS NOW.  Enough said.

10. Story that spans generations: SAGA.  Ken Follett (né Kenneth Martin Follett; b. June 5, 1949) writes wonderful sagas.  His most recent addition to the Knightsbridge series is The Armour of Light, which takes place during the Napoleonic era.  It's on my TBR list.

14. Writer Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (né Eliezer Wiesel; Sept. 20, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.  Much of his writing is about the Holocaust and human rights.  In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

15. Spanish nana: ABUELA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  The Hebrew word for grandmother is Savta (סבתא).  The Yiddish word for grandmother is Bubbe.

16. Large primates: APES.

19. Baseball glove: MITT.

20. "But that's not why I __ ... ": CALLED.

21. Cassette: TAPE.

23. Australian bird with secondary eyelids: EMU.  The emu is Australia's largest native bird, and the world's second largest bird (the ostrich is larger).  It is a tall, flightless bird known for its speed, shaggy brown feathers.  They are omnivores, eating plants and insects, and use their powerful legs and three-toed feet for defense and running up to 31 mph.  Did you know emus are also strong swimmers?  The birds are also a national symbol and are featured, along with the kangaroo, on the Australian coat of arms.

24. Fennel flavor: ANISE.  Fennel is an aromatic herb in the carrot family, known for its sweet, licorice-like flavor.

28. "The Simpsons" tavern owner: MOE.

29. Plausible explanation: THEORY.

31. Leather with a fuzzy finish: SUEDE.

32. Blog feed initials: RSS.  As in Real Simple Syndication.

34. Sort: ILK.

35. "Shiny Happy People" band: REM.

41. Small eggs: ROE.  Fish Eggs, followed by 42-Across. Very small eggs: OVA.

43. Guffaw: YUK.

45. __ hair pasta: ANGEL.  Its formal name is Capellini.  It is a very thin, long-cut Italian pasta made from durum wheat semolina and the name means Little Hairs.

48. Echoing guitar effect: REVERB.

51. Bar bill: TAB.

55. Led Zeppelin's "Whole __ Love": LOTTA.

57. Feel poorly: AIL.

58. Breakaway group: SECT.

59. Actress/inventor Hedy: LAMARR.  Hedy Lamarr (née Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; Nov. 9, 1914 ~ Jan. 19, 2000) was an amazing woman.  Her father sparked her interest in technological inventions.  In the early 1940s, she met composer George Antheil (né George Johann Carl Antheil; July 8, 1900 ~ Feb. 12, 1959), and together they co-invented a radio guidance system designed to allow torpedos find their targets.  They obtained a patent, however, opted not to utilized the system.  The principles in this system, however, were later utilized for secure wireless networking.

60. Sheet music symbol: CLEF.

65. Listen to: HEAR.

66. Connected: LINKED.

67. Hawaii's state bird: NENE.  This bird used to make frequent appearances in the puzzles back in the 1980s when I began doing the crosswords in earnest.

68. Small whirlpool: EDDY.

69. __ Hall: New Jersey university: SETON.  Seton Hall University is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey.  The school was founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley (Aug. 23, 1814 ~ Oct. 3, 1877) and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (Aug. 28, 1774 ~ Jan. 4, 1821).

70. "My stars!": I SAY!

Down:

1. Online video tool: WEBCAM.  Technology is a wonderful thing until it isn't ...

2. Roosevelt who was first lady for 12 years: ELEANOR.  Eleanor Roosevelt (Oct. 11, 1884 ~ Nov. 7, 1962) was the the longest-serving First Lady because her husband was elected for 4-terms as President, but she a political figure in her own right. 

3. Most inane: SILLIEST.

4. Rats (on): TELLS.

5. Exec's degree, often: MBA.  As in the Master of Business Administration.

6. __-dried tomatoes: SUN.  Yummers!

7. Hummingbird food: NECTAR.

8. Like sleep-deprived eyes: BLEARY.

9. "__ diem!": CARPE.  Today's Latin lesson.  

10. Actor Waterston: SAM.  Sam Waterston (né Samuel Atkinson Waterston; Nov. 15, 1940) is a versatile actor, but is probably best known for his portrayal of Jack McCoy, the Assistant District Attorney on Law and Order. 

11. Each: APIECE.

12. Grow angry: GET MAD.

13. Insightful: ASTUTE.

15. Sum up: ADD.

18. Toss aside forcefully, in slang: YEET.  Apparently, this is a Gen-Z term.

22. Ford that flopped: EDSEL.  It does look rather ugly.

25. Peddle: SELL.

26. Cola choice: COKE.

27. Delish: YUMMY.

30. Go backpacking: HIKE.

33. Warning wail: SIREN.

35. Raise, as kids: REAR.

37. Young male horses: COLTS.

38. Checkers turn: MOVE.  Which is older, Chess or Checkers?

39. "Best. Day. __!": EVER.

40. Blooper reel bits: OUTTAKES.

44. Hurricane in Jesmyn Ward's novel "Salvage the Bones": KATRINA.  I haven't read this book, but I did live through Katrina.

45. Navajo neighbors: APACHE.

46. Did exactly right: NAILED.

47. "The Handmaid's Tale" setting: GILEAD.  The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood (b. Nov. 18, 1939).

48. Lionel of the Commodores: RICHIE.  Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (b. June  20, 1949) is probably the best know member of the Commodores.

49. Still around: EXTANT.

50. Meh: BLAH.

52. Fred's friend in Bedrock: BARNEY.

54. Whimpers: MEWLS.

56. Muscat citizen: OMANI.  Muscat is the capital of Oman.

59. Acid rock's acid: LSD.  Short for lysergic acid diethylamide, a complex organic molecule with the formula as follows:

61. Word after waffle or curly: FRY.  Waffle fry didn't immediately come to mind.  Are they really chips?

63. Boxing ring ruling, for short: TKO.  As in Technical Knockout.

64. One of a D.C. 100: SEN.  As in Senator.  Each state has two Senators.  The number of Representatives depends upon the population of each state. 

That's all for this week.

חתולה

Monday, February 23, 2026, Robert E.L. Morris

Theme: Chicken Parts

Robert E.L. Morris serves up a fast-food Monday, with a gruesome goal.  

59-Across. Wishes of a lifetime, or what the starts of the answers to the starred clues form at a chicken restaurant?: BUCKET LIST.  A BUCKET LIST usually refers to a list of experiences that a person hopes to achieve before they die (or "kick the bucket") ... such as visit another country, learn a new language, pay off one's debts, go snorkeling.  But the starts of the answers to the starred clues are something else entirely.

16-Across. *Woolen garments for ballet dancers: LEG WARMERS.  Leg warmers are great gear for ballet classes, and were a fashion craze in the 1980s.  Innocent enough!  But the operative word here -- the start of the starred answer -- is LEG.

10-Down. *Defensive armor that covers the chest: BREASTPLATE.  A breastplate is a piece of armor worn to protect the torso from injury.  A good idea for knights and military men of centuries past.  But the word we're looking for at the start of this answer is BREAST.

24-Down. *Fitness gadget promoted by Suzanne Somers: THIGHMASTER. American actress Suzanne Somers (1946-2023) famously promoted the ThighMaster, an exercise device.  We're not going to get fit by thinking about the ThighMaster, but we are focused on the THIGH.

26-Down. *Supporting pilot in a "Top Gun" formation: WINGMAN.  A wingman is a military pilot who flies behind and to the side of a leading aircraft to guard their back.  By extension, a wingman is a person who supports you in your efforts.  But today, the parts are greater than the whole.  We're just looking for the starting word, WING.

Looking again at 59-Across, which reveals the theme for today's puzzle, at a restaurant that serves cooked chickens, a BUCKET LIST could be a list of the body parts included in a bucket:  LEG, BREAST, THIGH, and WING.

Let's move on through the less troubling clues.

Across:

1. Rains cats and dogs: POURS.  The origin of the phrase "raining cats and dogs" is unknown, but we do know that it had its start in 17th century England.  One theory is that a heavy rain would cause the corpses of stray cats and dogs to float down the filthy streets of London.  OK, still gruesome.

6. Inflatable float: RAFT.  Yes, a raft is usually a casually assembled structure of materials used as a floating platform -- but it can also mean a large amount of something, like a raft of animal corpses in the streets of London.  Just trying to keep with the theme, here!

10. Film school deg.: BFA.  Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are also given in areas such as acting, ceramics, graphic design, sculpture, and music.  I entered MFA first.  My brother has one of those -- in glass blowing!

13. Greenish pond growth: ALGAE.

14. After-sun gel ingredient: ALOE.

15. Small appliance that removes wrinkles: IRON.

16. [Theme clue]

18. Floating ice chunk: BERG.

19. Dull and dreary: DRAB.

20. Halloween goodies: TREATS.

22. Hotel room price: RATE.

25. Right this moment: NOW.

27. Constricting undergarment: CORSET.

28. Shocked: AGHAST.

30. Pretty soon: IN A BIT.

32. Magician's revealing cry: VOILÀ.  There it is -- in French!

33. Grandson of Adam: ENOS.

34. "Planet of the __": APES.  The first Planet of the Apes movie, which came out in 1968, was based on French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planète des singes.  Charlton Heston starred as an astronaut who crash lands on a desolate planet in the distant future, where apes are the dominant species, and humans are primitive, mute beings.  But wait ... there's more!  

Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes

37. Indoor rower, for short: ERG.

A favorite crossword exercise machine.

38. Used some Listerine, say: GARGLED.

41. Sass: LIP.

42. Arlene of classic cinema: DAHL.  Arlene Dahl (1925-2021) was an American actress in films of the late 1940s.  She founded frangrance and telephone companies, wrote a syndicated astrology column, and married six times.  The eldest of her three children is actor Lorenzo Lamas.

Arlene Dahl, 1953

44. Fairy tale bear: MAMA.

This intruder got off easy.

45. Water bill statistic: USAGE.

47. Actress Tomei: MARISA.  Marisa Tomei is an American actress who gained prominence for her performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny

49. Really, really hate: LOATHE.

50. Primary hub of Alaska Airlines, familiarly: SEATAC.  Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.

52. Hoops org.: NBA.

54. Collecting Soc. Sec., maybe: RET'D.  A person collecting Social Security may be RETIRED.

55. Lipton rival: NESTEA.

56. With 48-Down, "Insecure" creator/star: ISSA.  ISSA RAE is an American actress from my neighborhood of Los Angeles, and popular here in the crossword.

Issa Rae in Insecure

58. "Laugh-In" comedian Johnson: ARTE.  Are you old enough to remember Arte Johnson (1929-2019), an American comedian best known for his work on the NBC sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967-1971)?

Goldie Hawn and Arte Johnson on Laugh-In

59. [Theme clue]

65. Santa Monica landmark: PIER.

66. The Daily Planet reporter Lois: LANE.

67. Eaglet nest: AERIE.

68. Msg. from a pulpit: SER.  OK, a message from a pulpit is a sermon, and we have to abbreviate it because the clue is abbreviated, but the only abbreviation Google showed me for sermon is serm.  And if we're going that far, is the on too much to add?

69. Strong urges: YENS.

70. Make fun of: TEASE.

Down:

1. Chum: PAL.

2. Nashville's Grand __ Opry: OLE.

3. Fleecy boot brand: UGG.

4. Shoddy treatment: RAW DEAL.

5. Cook fast, as tuna: SEAR.

6. Stallone's "First Blood" role: RAMBO.  First Blood is a 1982 film starring Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran who runs afoul of local law enforcement and uses his Special Forces experience to elude capture.

Sylvester Stallone in First Blood

7. The "A" of IPA: ALE.  India Pale Ale.

8. In favor of: FOR.

9. Court decision that sets a precedent: TEST CASE.

10. [Theme clue]

11. Strong suit: FORTE.

12. Anxious feeling: ANGST.

15. Spain and Portugal's peninsula: IBERIA.  The Jewish people who lived in this area from before the arrival of the ancient Romans until the expulsion in 1492 called this land Sepharad.  Those who survived in other lands following the expulsion are still called Sephardic Jews.

Iberia, AKA the Iberian Peninsula

17. Speak wildly: RANT.

21. Actor Lowe: ROB.  Rob Lowe is an American actor who was a teen idol in the early 1980s, was sidelined by a sex tape scandal in 1988, and found redemption starting in the late 1990s, especially with a regular role on The West Wing.

After complaining about the body parts theme, I realized I had a different sort of body parts theme going with Charlton Heston and Sylvester Stallone.  I was forced to complete the theme with this image of Rob Lowe.

22. Spoke wildly: RAVED.

23. Ancient Greek marketplace: AGORA.

24. [Theme clue]

26. [Theme clue]

29. Droop: SAG.

31. Mardi Gras city, familiarly: NOLA.  Short for New Orleans, LA (Louisiana).

33. Presidential spans: ERAS.

35. Elite __: March Madness round: EIGHT.  Basketball!  The 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight (regional finals) will take place on March 28-29, 2026.

36. Put the pedal to the metal: SPEED.

39. In an agreeable manner: AMICABLY.  I wanted to put "amiably" here, but it wasn't long enough.  I had AMI_ABLY, and needed SEATAC to provide the C.

40. Dynamic __: DUO.

43. Former's counterpart: LATTER.

46. Big name in frozen desserts: SARA LEE.

48. See 56-Across: RAE.

49. Cut with a beam: LASE.

50. Breaks sharply: SNAPS.

51. Otherworldly: EERIE.

53. Two-wheelers: BIKES.

57. "Pronto!": STAT.

60. Dubai's fed.: UAE.  Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, and is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, which is one of seven emirates making up the federation called the UAE.

61. "The Situation Room" channel: CNN.

62. Lyricist Gershwin: IRA.  Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create more than a dozen Broadway shows.

63. Female sib: SIS.  Your female sibling is your sister.

64. Workout top: TEE.

Here's the grid:

Et VOILÀ!  We have completed another puzzle.

Did our constructor hand you a RAW DEAL at any point?  Did you LOATHE it?

Or was the puzzle full of TREATS that allowed you to complete it at great SPEED?

Please share your experience in the comments!

-- NaomiZ

Sunday Feburary 22, 2026 Doug Peterson

Theme: "SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED" -  Familiar phrases are re-imagined as literal office supply items in the specific setting described in each clue.

23. Writing tablet at a cleaning service?: SCOURING PAD.

29. Copier sheets at a French restaurant?: CREPE PAPER.

45. Writing implements at a biotech lab?: GENETIC MARKERS.

66. File holder at a music store?: ACCORDION FOLDER.

93. Metal fasteners at a culinary school?: KITCHEN STAPLES.

107. Adhesive roll at a watch factory?: TICKER TAPE.

117. Measuring device at a toy store?: PUPPET RULER.

Six entries follow a consistent pattern in which the final word is a common office supply item (PAD, PAPER, MARKERS, STAPLES, TAPE, RULER). ACCORDION FOLDER differs slightly in structure: instead of ending with the supply, the entire phrase is itself the office item. Does it also have a non-office meaning I'm not aware of?

   
Across:

1. Commotion: FUSS. And 25. Commotions: ADOS.

5. Hat for Carmen Sandiego: FEDORA.

11. "A Boy Named Sue" singer: CASH (Johnny)

15. Peppa and Petunia: PIGS.

19. Break __ song: INTO.

20. Resume business: RE-OPEN.

21. City northeast of Mauna Loa: HILO. 26. Coffee district west of 21-Across: KONA.

22. "I think I goofed": UH OH.

27. Castle tower: TURRET.

28. Highest part: TOP.

31. Foul territory?: STY. OK, disgusting "foul". 

32. Unspecified amount: SOME.

34. Self-satisfied: SMUG.

36. Spots for daith piercings: EARS. I didn't know the meaning of "daith": an ear piercing in the inner cartilage just above the earhole.

37. Antique photos: SEPIAS.

39. Research specialties: AREAS.

41. Catherine of "The Studio": O'HARA. A wonderful actress who passed away last month. 

49. Fight show for more than 30 years: WWE RAW.

50. Keep an eye on: OVERSEE.

51. New Mexico art hub: TAOS.

52. However, briefly: THO.

54. Succotash bean: LIMA. I grew some on our deck years ago. I had a small harvest.

55. Fishhook projection: BARB.

56. Buster: BUB.

57. Does in a forest: DEER.

58. Dragon's retreat: LAIR.

59. __ pale ale: INDIA.

61. "Grand Hotel" star Greta: GARBO.

63. Eurasian range: URALS.

65. Counterculture drug: LSD.

70. Bit of hair gel: DAB.

73. American Red Cross founder Barton: CLARA.

74. Old record players: HIFIS.

75. Blubbers: WEEPS.

79. "The Young and the Restless" actor Braeden: ERIC.

81. Beauty brand: OLAY.

82. "Don't lose any sleep over it," in a text: NBD. No Big Deal.

83. Colombian metropolis: CALI.

84. Overdo the praise: GUSH.

85. Sch. that retired Caleb Williams' No. 13: USC. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2022.

86. Fill completely: SATE.

88. Advil alternative: ASPIRIN.

91. "All __!": ABOARD.

96. Decaf brand: SANKA.

97. Part of an EGOT: OSCAR. 44. 97-Across, e.g.: AWARD.

98. Call it a day: RETIRE.

99. "Thunderstruck" band: AC/DC.

101. Nights of anticipation: EVES.

103. Have a chat: TALK.

104. "Groovy!": FAB.

111. French affirmation: OUI.

113. Gloomy Milne character: EEYORE.

115. Home of the NHL's Mammoth: UTAH. The Utah Mammoth and the Utah Jazz have the same owner.

116. Jedi who becomes a Force ghost in "Return of the Jedi": YODA.

119. Software test version: BETA.

120. __ fail: EPIC.

121. Chaperone: ESCORT.

122. "Mulan" voice actress __-Na Wen: MING. Mulan means "magnolia". 

123. "Praise be!": AMEN.

124. Place for curlers: RINK.

125. Texas congressman Joaquin: CASTRO.

126. Circus routines: ACTS.

Down:

1. Clenched hands: FISTS.

2. Not censored at all: UNCUT.

3. "Likely __!": STORY.

4. Whiskey cocktail: SOUR.

5. Chili-and-chips dish: FRITO PIE. 

6. Nightfall, poetically: EEN.

7. Iditarod crew: DOG TEAM.

8. Dirt on a campaign rival, briefly: OPPO. Opposition research.

9. Brings in: REAPS.

10. "... __ a bottle of rum": AND.

11. Juice box?: CHARGER. Power "juice".

12. Assistant: AIDE.

13. Spots for sledding: SLOPES.

14. Book before Joel: HOSEA.

15. Beadlike piece on a Hawaiian necklace: PUKA SHELL. Puka is "hole" in Hawaiian. 

16. Denny's rival: IHOP.

17. Vanished: GONE.

18. __-pei: wrinkly dog from China: SHAR.

24. Moves back to zero: RESETS.

29. Preserves in salt: CURES.

30. Clipper's front: PROW. Opposite STERN. 

33. Attic pests: MICE.

35. Powerful shark: MAKO.

37. Novak Djokovic's nation: SERBIA.

38. Middle of some long weekends: SATURDAY.

40. Orbiter smaller than a planet: ASTEROID. Also 49. Planet: WORLD.

42. Common typeface: ARIAL.

43. Director Harold: RAMIS. He directed "Caddyshack".

45. Mongolian desert: GOBI. Across northern China also. Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region in China. 

46. "Dear __ Hansen": EVAN.

47. Socially awkward type: NERD.

48. Talmudic scholar: RABBI.

53. Gets all better: HEALS.

56. Quarters on a base: BARRACKS.

57. Brew served at Moe's Tavern: DUFF BEER.

60. Clemson's athletic gp.: ACC.

61. Hockey scores: GOALS.

62. "That's really impressive!": OOH.

64. Work on "Project Runway," say: SEW.

67. Bringer of rain: CLOUD.

68. Third of a third: NINTH.

69. Chef's road map: RECIPE.

70. "Dancer Adjusting Her Slipper" artist: DEGAS. 77. Ballet bend: PLIE.

71. Oranjestad's country: ARUBA.

72. Animal on old nickels: BISON. This eBay seller wants $65K for this coin. 

76. Rapper __ Sweatshirt: EARL.

78. Transgressions: SINS.

80. Singer with the 1984 hit "I Feel for You": CHAKA KHAN.

86. Barrel component: STAVE.

87. Unit of forestland: ACRE.

88. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.

89. Spiky heel: STILETTO.

90. "Spider-Man" surname: PARKER.

92. Talladega event: RACE. Talladega Superspeedway. 

94. Sprain soother: ICE PACK.

95. Nasal cavity cleansing vessel: NETI POT.

97. Tentacled mollusks: OCTOPI. With garlic sprouts.

100. Salon appliance: DRYER.

102. "The March King": SOUSA.

104. __ acid: FOLIC. I take this every day to reduce the side effects of methotrexate. 

105. Isn't for you?: AREN'T.

106. Icy obstacles: BERGS.

107. Polka band horn: TUBA.

108. Individual thing: ITEM.

109. Actress Blanchett: CATE.

110. Score after deuce, at times: AD IN.

112. Market IDs: UPCS.

114. Sonoran Desert city: YUMA.

117. Torso muscle, for short: PEC.

118. Go wrong: ERR.

C.C.