Friday, Sep 11th, 2026 ~ Jeff Stillman

REAR ADMIRAL~?

Argh Matey

'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday

Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count.  My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago.  Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it.  I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction.  ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs.  The themers;

17. Copperhead?: SEA SERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"

25. Timeout?: TEA BREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"

35. Immunologist?: EYE DOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"

49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"

58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"

But Wait, There's More;

Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )

Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz

Oh boy~? = Oliver

Quill~? = Cue stick

Umbilical~? = YouTube

Vault~? = Vee formation (meh.)

Yourself~? = Why me


ACROSS:

1. Per person: A POP - ugh.  Starting with one of the worst Twurds - not "EACH"

5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one

10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'

Still going in VT after 85 years - the website

14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2

15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA

16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday, and the email thread, too.  

19. Large amount: SCAD

20. Official order: EDICT

21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh.  It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word

23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol

24. Grab: SNATCH

27. Become peeved: GET SORE - Twurd #2

29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY

30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3

31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .

34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .

. . . uh, it's for "cat", too 🙄

38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4

40. Trade punches: SPAR

41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word

44. Chip in, in a way: ANTE UP - Poker #1, two words #3

46. Squalid digs: RAT HOLE - Two words #4

52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen

53. Be decisive: OPT

54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . . 

55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."

Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12

56. Glorify: LAUD

61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey

62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2

63. Words before a start date: AS OF - Two words #5

64. Mine finds: ORES

65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE

66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL


DOWN:

1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague

2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated

3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ON A DATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!

More like IN a date . . .

4. Puts forward: POSITS - I tried OFFERS

5. Short hole on a golf course: PAR THREE - Good fill, still two words, #6

Leif Olson wins a BMW

6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's

7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's

8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE

9. Vexes: EATS AT - Two word #7

10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website

11. "Waiting for Godot" playwright: BECKETT - Name #5

12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)

13. Morning omen for sailors: RED SKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time

Still a two word, #8

18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6

22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBO Go - Twurd, #9.  The Wiki

24. Mil. rank: SGT

26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR

28. Brings to a close: ENDS

32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme

33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?

35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric

36. "Is everything all right?": "YOU OK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now

37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAIN SET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still  two words, #11

The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad

38. Paltry poker holding: ONE PAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start

39. Prominence: STATURE

41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers

42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~?  the Wiki

43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked

At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer

because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -

the bridges are fine, the knobs suck . . .

send me an email LA Darren~!

44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions

45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY

47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie

48. Chop shop wheels: HOT CAR - Twurd #13

50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state . . . I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890

51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs

57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh.  I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .

59. Consume: USE

60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .

Grid Flow 19.3

9/11, 25 Years Later

I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane

enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'

Splynter