Rebecca Goldstein, of Albany, Calif., is a research scientist at Merck, developing cancer immunotherapies.
Wed 7/22/2026
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Circled letters spelling RING arc through the air and land on a BOTTLE.
Sun 6/28/2026 Down in the Valley
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Be LIKE a Valley Girl, and add "like" to phrases that match the clues. As if!
Tue 6/9/2026
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Sun 4/26/2026 Well-Suited
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Fri 3/20/2026
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Sun 2/15/2026 Good to the Last Drop
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Answers that turn corners in the grid is old hat by now, but 73-Across is superb justification.
Michael Lieberman also has this weekend's Variety Puzzle. It's a Puns and Anagrams, and it has some particularly clever and fun clues. If you have an XWord Info account, you can print it out or solve online.
Fri 10/3/2025
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Mon 8/11/2025
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Sun 6/15/2025 Tossing and Turning
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Wed 5/14/2025
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Fun theme.
The shaded O's are the literal RINGS in MOOD.
The C's are the ARCS in CHARACTER.
The S's are the CURVES in REGRESSION.
The I's are the LINES in DIVIDING.
The L's are the ELBOWS in ALL.
Wed 3/5/2025
A
M
I
G
O
I
D
K
B
A
B
K
A
S
O
N
A
R
N
E
O
O
N
I
O
N
K
E
N
Y
A
B
A
M
A
D
D
I
N
B
L
O
O
D
B
A
T
H
I
T
Z
A
L
U
P
U
S
O
G
R
E
M
O
O
R
E
N
O
C
H
W
H
O
M
A
T
M
D
O
H
O
O
O
G
A
B
E
I
S
L
A
M
P
S
S
T
E
L
I
S
S
A
P
L
A
T
T
E
D
E
E
P
E
N
D
W
H
I
S
K
E
D
C
O
R
E
O
R
E
S
T
I
R
E
L
F
I
N
G
A
G
P
A
T
T
I
G
I
F
T
C
R
I
E
R
S
C
A
N
R
P
I
H
A
U
N
T
E
D
H
I
D
E
S
C
M
A
N
S
I
O
N
E
L
I
T
E
E
O
N
S
T
S
A
N
S
A
Thu 1/16/2025
P
C
S
J
U
M
P
P
O
P
I
N
R
I
P
A
N
Y
A
O
W
E
T
O
I
C
Y
M
O
B
S
C
E
N
E
S
T
M
A
I
L
A
T
O
M
P
T
A
E
D
N
A
M
O
D
E
L
W
H
I
T
R
A
G
S
O
N
A
T
H
O
M
E
T
R
E
N
T
R
I
L
E
D
C
L
O
S
E
S
H
O
P
E
O
B
O
E
S
S
P
O
O
L
P
I
N
G
E
D
S
P
A
S
M
S
T
O
S
S
A
P
R
E
S
S
K
I
T
I
D
O
B
R
U
H
H
I
R
E
C
O
M
M
O
N
C
O
R
E
P
R
E
A
M
M
A
N
K
N
I
T
A
O
L
L
E
E
R
Y
S
E
G
A
D
R
Y
For answers to the clues with slashes, you remove the final letter for the first part and the first letter for the second part.
So for 34-Across, enter CLOSESHOPE:
"Lock up for the night" is a CLOSE SHOP_
"Despairs" is a _LOSES HOPE
and the letters LOSESHOP are the COMMON CORE.
For 21-Across, A to M is the first half of our alphabet.
Sun 11/17/2024 Nothing But Blue Skies
W
E
B
B
V
I
C
E
V
E
R
S
A
T
I
L
L
A
W
O
L
M
A
C
A
R
O
N
I
A
R
T
A
G
U
A
R
E
D
O
U
P
U
P
A
N
D
A
W
A
Y
K
E
R
I
D
R
Y
W
I
N
E
B
S
M
E
T
E
R
S
L
I
N
G
A
R
I
G
A
T
O
M
U
T
T
S
A
N
S
S
M
A
L
L
T
O
W
N
S
H
H
S
N
I
T
H
O
M
E
A
L
O
N
E
T
E
A
S
C
O
G
N
A
T
E
A
N
N
A
L
W
A
S
H
T
U
B
A
B
U
T
A
C
E
E
D
S
H
B
O
I
A
G
O
L
E
A
H
T
A
R
O
B
O
I
L
G
L
A
M
L
I
G
E
R
T
I
N
Y
H
O
U
S
E
S
H
O
R
E
S
T
E
W
I
E
E
M
A
I
L
M
E
M
A
R
T
Y
R
I
N
R
E
E
L
V
E
S
B
O
G
O
S
H
I
N
D
I
G
S
L
E
S
G
E
T
S
A
T
A
N
T
E
N
D
V
O
L
T
J
O
S
T
D
A
L
E
A
R
K
H
O
T
A
I
R
B
A
L
L
O
O
N
P
L
S
N
E
W
D
O
P
L
A
Y
G
O
D
A
U
D
I
S
W
E
E
L
A
S
S
B
R
A
M
I
N
I
V
A
N
H
E
L
L
Y
E
A
H
A
N
T
I
D
A
R
E
N
O
T
U
G
L
I
O
N
O
T
E
E
N
E
S
A
C
N
E
B
O
S
S
N
E
T
E
A
T
S
E
E
D
Readers informed me there's a bug at 34-Down. The statue outside 30 Rockefeller is PROMETHEUS, not ATLAS. The bronze Atlas is at 45 Rockefeller Plaza.
Sun 8/18/2024 For Your Amusement
C
A
R
D
B
A
S
A
L
C
L
A
N
G
A
S
S
T
A
G
A
R
U
L
T
R
A
O
S
C
A
R
R
A
C
E
S
U
M
O
R
O
O
M
Y
B
U
M
P
E
R
C
A
R
S
H
A
P
P
Y
N
E
W
Y
E
A
R
E
S
T
A
R
A
T
T
A
S
R
N
A
A
C
T
I
N
M
O
M
A
E
A
S
T
H
A
M
Y
E
N
T
E
D
O
W
A
G
E
R
S
Y
E
S
E
S
N
E
O
N
L
O
S
E
H
E
A
R
T
P
A
R
S
E
C
A
N
N
E
A
C
C
R
A
S
O
U
A
H
A
T
R
O
N
S
K
A
D
E
L
T
O
R
O
E
A
T
E
R
S
S
E
T
R
O
L
L
E
R
C
O
A
S
T
E
R
N
O
T
I
D
O
T
O
O
R
E
S
P
A
W
N
N
A
E
H
O
W
L
E
E
L
A
C
E
S
W
E
D
E
W
A
N
E
O
I
L
E
R
S
C
H
E
S
T
H
A
I
R
P
A
I
N
P
E
O
N
Y
H
A
T
E
R
A
D
E
M
A
T
C
H
S
T
Y
U
B
E
R
M
I
C
S
T
R
E
E
S
P
S
I
O
V
A
S
E
A
R
U
G
S
R
E
S
E
T
T
L
E
M
E
N
T
W
A
T
E
R
S
L
I
D
E
M
A
O
R
I
O
R
E
O
A
M
E
N
H
A
L
O
S
O
R
G
A
N
L
I
M
P
P
S
S
T
I
D
L
E
S
L
L
A
M
A
E
N
O
S
Wed 6/26/2024
O
A
H
U
O
F
F
S
S
C
O
L
D
O
V
E
N
K
I
L
T
H
A
N
O
I
F
I
R
S
T
Y
E
A
R
R
U
M
B
A
S
E
A
O
F
G
A
L
I
L
E
E
A
B
U
T
I
E
D
Y
E
L
L
O
W
B
R
I
C
K
R
O
A
D
A
R
E
R
I
R
I
O
M
N
I
C
R
O
W
N
A
V
E
S
N
A
D
A
H
O
N
E
A
P
E
S
H
E
N
T
R
A
N
Q
U
I
L
I
T
Y
B
A
S
E
T
U
R
N
S
K
A
I
M
W
A
L
K
I
N
H
E
R
E
U
S
A
I
R
S
M
O
O
S
H
I
N
G
S
T
I
L
T
A
U
N
T
O
R
S
O
B
O
N
D
S
C
P
A
S
P
E
A
T
A theme that sneaks up on you.
Fri 4/5/2024
O
N
I
C
E
B
A
N
C
P
A
T
L
O
C
A
L
C
O
L
O
R
P
O
R
E
G
O
O
B
S
O
L
E
T
E
L
I
E
D
A
N
N
O
M
O
X
I
E
O
N
Y
X
O
H
M
A
P
P
L
Y
T
O
L
A
S
S
I
E
Y
E
S
B
U
T
S
I
L
E
N
T
D
I
S
C
O
L
O
O
L
O
L
S
T
I
M
O
R
J
A
K
E
U
N
O
G
O
E
S
B
A
N
A
N
A
S
E
S
P
R
I
T
S
W
A
N
K
Y
S
P
Y
S
H
I
P
L
E
E
W
H
O
D
E
N
O
K
I
E
T
N
A
E
A
S
E
B
A
N
N
E
R
Y
E
A
R
B
R
E
R
I
N
D
I
S
A
R
R
A
Y
B
E
D
T
E
S
T
H
E
N
N
A
Mon 3/11/2024
G
R
A
M
L
A
K
E
R
A
I
L
L
A
M
A
B
R
I
M
A
L
D
A
A
P
P
L
E
S
T
O
A
P
P
L
E
S
D
I
E
T
S
S
I
R
T
A
T
E
N
D
P
I
C
K
L
E
B
A
L
L
S
O
U
P
N
O
S
E
L
L
Y
E
P
I
P
E
N
D
O
R
K
Y
C
O
R
N
H
O
L
E
S
T
A
R
T
U
N
E
A
S
E
S
T
I
R
B
L
T
L
I
A
M
C
A
N
D
Y
C
R
U
S
H
T
R
I
A
S
K
O
O
O
O
W
E
N
S
T
H
E
H
U
N
G
E
R
G
A
M
E
S
H
E
R
B
C
U
R
E
C
A
S
E
E
S
S
O
H
E
A
D
O
P
T
S
The annual ORCA awards celebrate the best crosswords across all venues. Rebecca Goldstein just won the prestigious Constructor of the Year.
Sat 2/24/2024
L
A
R
A
R
A
S
P
S
R
I
R
I
E
V
E
N
T
U
A
L
L
Y
A
H
E
M
G
O
L
D
E
N
H
O
U
R
C
A
N
S
S
W
O
O
N
S
T
O
A
D
E
T
T
E
N
A
P
A
T
H
E
B
E
S
T
C
O
M
E
N
O
W
M
I
T
T
E
P
A
T
I
G
O
N
S
B
O
R
G
N
E
R
O
N
E
W
A
T
S
A
I
L
A
N
K
H
T
E
N
N
I
S
S
K
A
S
E
G
O
C
L
I
N
K
E
D
R
E
T
O
R
T
S
Y
E
T
I
H
A
R
D
B
O
I
L
T
U
G
S
O
N
I
S
A
Y
S
M
A
R
T
P
H
O
N
E
N
O
T
E
C
O
M
P
O
S
T
B
I
N
O
N
E
S
A
N
A
I
S
S
A
T
E
Thu 12/7/2023
O
S
C
A
R
P
E
A
R
P
U
F
F
L
E
A
S
E
E
L
L
E
O
S
L
O
D
E
F
I
B
R
O
O
F
T
O
A
A
R
E
Y
E
S
S
I
T
E
E
L
S
I
E
R
A
A
A
T
T
L
E
F
A
T
A
L
L
I
A
R
S
L
I
M
O
I
H
A
D
T
O
P
E
R
Y
M
C
A
S
U
I
A
L
C
H
E
M
Y
A
H
I
H
T
T
P
L
U
X
N
E
C
K
E
D
E
M
I
T
B
E
A
L
E
S
T
A
I
N
P
U
S
H
U
A
R
A
S
P
E
C
S
P
E
N
S
S
T
A
N
P
O
A
O
T
T
L
E
S
S
T
U
N
G
O
K
R
A
W
O
V
E
H
E
R
D
S
T
E
N
T
O
P
E
N
O
R
N
O
T
This puzzle's ALCHEMY changes lead (PB) into gold (AU).
In the rebus squares, the Across clues use PB, and the down ones use AU.
The app accepts any of these as correct in the rebus squares:
Jeff and I sometimes disagree. You've seen tumbleweeds on TV, if not in person, and they maintain their inner structure as they roll (tumble) along, so you don't want "more randomness of the W placement."
Sun 2/19/2023 Simile Irresistible
N
E
O
N
R
O
B
E
A
V
I
V
P
L
A
N
A
A
L
P
O
C
H
I
A
O
B
A
M
A
L
O
A
V
E
S
C
L
E
A
R
A
S
C
R
Y
S
T
A
L
D
E
R
B
I
E
S
L
E
C
H
E
T
E
N
S
M
U
O
N
S
O
L
D
E
S
H
O
P
S
G
R
E
E
N
A
S
G
R
A
S
S
H
I
G
H
T
O
P
S
A
A
A
S
S
L
O
M
O
A
L
L
I
E
D
E
N
L
I
S
T
A
N
T
F
A
R
M
S
O
U
N
D
A
S
A
B
E
L
L
A
L
B
S
L
I
E
U
U
S
E
D
C
N
B
C
K
R
I
S
C
O
D
A
S
P
E
D
M
O
O
D
D
E
T
E
S
T
S
A
V
E
M
E
P
R
E
T
T
Y
A
S
A
P
I
C
T
U
R
E
B
I
G
A
I
R
H
O
T
P
O
T
R
O
M
P
N
S
A
O
D
O
R
S
S
E
L
A
W
I
I
G
S
O
W
S
B
O
A
T
D
U
N
K
S
M
A
R
T
A
S
A
W
H
I
P
A
L
L
Y
S
O
N
S
W
E
A
R
S
E
L
A
I
N
E
P
A
S
H
A
H
A
R
M
G
O
G
E
T
T
E
R
S
M
O
O
T
H
A
S
S
I
L
K
B
O
R
A
T
P
A
L
O
O
T
H
E
R
P
E
O
N
A
B
O
U
T
A
R
M
P
I
T
S
P
L
E
A
S
E
D
A
S
P
U
N
C
H
S
T
E
E
P
S
T
E
M
P
T
F
A
T
E
M
I
L
E
M
A
C
R
O
A
D
U
E
S
T
E
W
S
T
A
Y
Thu 10/20/2022
R
C
A
A
G
E
S
H
A
P
P
E
N
A
R
M
M
O
R
A
I
G
U
I
T
Y
G
U
Y
I
V
E
G
O
T
A
P
L
A
N
U
M
P
E
D
C
A
R
S
U
L
L
Y
B
O
X
S
E
T
G
P
S
E
T
T
A
H
A
I
R
B
O
W
A
S
H
T
W
A
I
N
B
L
U
R
C
O
L
A
E
O
N
G
A
Z
E
T
H
E
Y
H
E
L
I
O
C
O
N
S
O
R
O
R
A
L
R
I
S
K
E
V
A
T
A
M
E
S
T
C
H
E
E
S
D
G
E
H
A
H
A
S
H
A
R
L
E
M
S
H
A
K
E
E
N
T
U
N
A
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Jim here, sitting in for Jeff Chen, who is taking swimming lessons at THE Y.
There are so many ways Thursday constructors can twist the standard rules. Here are some popular violations:
1 and 2 are well supported whether you solve electronically or on paper. No. 3 doesn't work well in an app, but paper solvers have no problem. No. 4 is unique in that, no matter how you solve, there's no good way to scribble inside already black squares. This makes people cranky. (We get mail.)
To overcome this solver reticence, you at least need a solid justification. Today's BLACK SHEEP works. Liz Gorski turned all her consecutive black squares into BARs. We've had a Solar ECLIPSE, BACK in Black, black JACK, black ICE, etc. Jeff Chen did one with black CATS.
Do you love these puzzles or consider this nonsense an unforgivable sin? Perhaps it's a case of MORAL AMBIGUITY.
Disclaimer: I was curious how often these various gimmicks occurred. The two starred links above are newly created for this post, and it's likely neither is complete. Let me know if one of your favorites is missing.
PS: What are the answers that hide LAMB, assuming you don't want it at either the beginning or end of the word? Here are the ones we know of. No RegEx required.
