Monday, October 12, 2026
Friday, October 9, 2026
Friday, Oct 9th, 2026 ~ Jeremy Venook
AN AIM TO EFFACE
You Know My Name - Eyes Without a Face
This is my second review of a Jeremy Venook construction; the first one is here, and like that first puzzle, I have a similar "meh" feeling about today's crossword. One could say it was a bit "LAME", and I don't mean the dress. The 'names' theme was disappointing - perhaps due to the fact that I did not recognize two of them, and that they're, well, names, associated with a characteristic of a face; YMMV. In addition, I found the crossings were of little help - I'm looking at you, 9D~! Standard grid, no outliers, no circles, half as many 3LWs as Five-letter ones, two Twurds, and plenty of proper nouns, since that was the "name" of the "game" - the themers and centered reveal;
17. *Two-time Oscar winner with a stoic bearing?: EMMA STONE - Stone Face, usually the more common phrase being stone faced, or having a Poker Face - take it, Lady Gaga~!
π
Emma Stone, stone face
23. *Nursery rhyme lad with one eye closed?: WILLIE WINKIE - My parents were born & raised in England, yet I've never heard of "Wee Willie Winkie" or the Scottish folk song; in fact, 'winkie' meant the "one-eyed willie" - if you know what I mean. I guess this is the 'winkie face', which Google says should be "winky"
π
Perhaps you prefer "We Willie Rock You"~?
46. *Fictional spy sporting a big yellow button?: GEORGE SMILEY - A learning moment for me, this character appeaed when I was just 3yrs old - but I have heard of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", the 1974 novel from author John Le CarrΓ©, which became a TV series ( 1979 ) with Alec Guinness as the lead intelligence officer ( after he played Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi in 1977, which I did see ); more here
π
A horse walks in to a saloon, the bartender asks, "why the long face~?"
36. Finally meet in person, or how to make the starred clues match their answers:
PUT A FACE TO A NAME
My dad insisted when I filled out a job application to "put a face to the name",
and speak to a manager instead of just walking out
But Wait - don't drop names -
There's More to make a face over π
ACROSS:
1. C in shop class?: CLAMP - this thing; as a woodworker, one can never have enough clamps
Bar Top glue-up
6. Blu-ray precursor: DVD
9. South Asian crepes: DOSAs - Ugh. Crossing another name, double UGH
14. Hispaniola nation: HAITI - this Geo name has appeared in all four of Jeremy's LA Times puzzles
15. Outdoor co-op with an "Uncommon Path" blog: REI - learned by doing crosswords
16. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE - Odd that this counts as Friday-level, considering the rest of the clues
19. Recline atop: LIE ON - Twurdish #1
20. Charge: FEE
21. Horn sound: TOOT
22. Briquettes: COALS
26. Talk into a bigger purchase: UPSELL
29. Warped Tour sponsor: VANS - No clue; the Warped Tour Wiki; I knew a handful of the bands from the one in 1998; in 2012, despite having triple the performers, I knew not one of them . . . since it could have been a vehicle 'vans' answer, name #1 ( +4 if you count the themers . . . )
30. Protective trench: MOAT - I do love castles
Now that's a moat - Bodiam Castle
31. Golfing goof: SLICE - FORE~!
33. Lid: CAP - AND - 57D. Lid: HAT
40. Grads-to-be: SRs
41. Sarge's superior: LOOIE - oof. Friday. Lieutenant. If it weren't for my voracious reading, I would not have gotten this one - also seen in novels as "LOO", "LOOT", "L-T", etc.
42. Hieroglyphic snakes: ASPs
43. Insider's argot: CANT - argot being the 'jargon', lingo and language of a small group, e.g. scientists
44. Check: ARREST
51. Partygoer who might stock up on glow sticks: RAVER - I grew up in the "mosh pit" era
52. Many a Yemeni: ARAB
53. Sweets: BAE - not candy, vague, and cringe, I can't stand this word - two of three Fridays now π
56. Carne __ burrito: ASADA
59. Romantic poet who died fighting for Greek independence: BYRON - interesting life, name #2
60. "Eddington" director Aster: ARI - I know none of his work - IMDb, name #3
61. Caused: LED TO - Twurdish #2
62. Utter, as thou might: SAYST - canceled my SAYTH, which needed to be SayEth anyway - until I checked with our new friend A I, and found this . . .
Archaic spelling of "archaic" . . . uhhh
63. Pewter component: TIN - about 85-99%, according to Wiki
64. Eye sores: STYES
DOWN:
1. Many a cooking show host: CHEF
2. Fabric with metallic threads: LAMΓ - Some of this puzzle may be "lame", but not this dress . . . π
Hey, 56% off~! Buy it now~!
3. Love, in French: AIME - does not rhyme with LAME, more like ay-MUH in the Frawnche
4. NYC transit org.: MTA - I grew up on Long Island, so I'm familiar with this organization; name(ish) and abbr, but here's a video from the B1M on a NYC project ahead of schedule, AND below budget
Park Ave rebuild
5. Flower part: PISTIL
6. Salivate: DROOL - Makes me think of Odie from Garfield
I'm down here with Cooper, who is not a drooler - but he does like to lick
7. Starbucks order: VENTI
8. Drop to 0%: DIE - Ah. Like phone batteries
9. Woman of La Mancha?: DULCINEA - Crossing two themers, and name #4 - Don Quixote's imaginary girlfriend; Why stop at one~? I have a dozen imaginary girlfriends . . . π the Wiki
10. Mirepoix vegetables: ONIONS - Frawnche. no clue, filled via perps
11. Swordfish cut: STEAK - solid WAG on my part, but then again, I know salmon is sold as 'steaks'
12. Garlicky mayo: AIOLI - learned by doing crosswords
13. Intuit: SENSE
18. Per-axle charge: TOLL - I just got a class-action settlement statement from a legal firm in Suffolk County, NY - the state owes me $144 for "illegal" fees on red-light camera tickets - Take THAT~!!
23. Large New Zealand cricket in the name of an Oscar-winning digital effects company: WΔTΔ - zero clue, didn't want one - I have zero interest in "bugs" - I prefer ETymology over ENTOmology - π
24. Paperless Post alternative: eVITE - Ugh. I tried eSite, thinking capitalized Post = newspaper, not the Postal, federal mail system , and a Tuesday dupe
25. Baylor University city: WACO - Geo name #5
26. Pros who work at home: UMPs - I think this clue needed an "?" - for home PLATE, that is . . .
27. Really come down: POUR - I tried HAIL, TEEM, PELT - Bzzzzt on all of them . . .
28. College Board exams: SATs
31. Many Highland Games participants: SCOTS - I had CELTS, so I was only 40% correct
32. Fragrant garland: LEI
33. Instance: CASE
34. Boxes in an arena?: AMPS - Boxes being the 3D noun, not the 'sparring' verb kind; I play guitar, and this is still too vague, even for a Friday . . .
35. Annoyance: PEST
37. Like a foul that might earn an automatic ejection: FLAGRANT - PERSONAL fit as well
Half the distance to the goal, automatic first down
38. Super-duper: A-ONE
39. Less than hardly, quaintly: NARY - I tried RARE, got me enough
43. Assertions of faith: CREDOS
44. Jai __: ALAI
45. Fights back: REBELS - the verb, not the noun
46. Snatches: GRABS - reminds me of this scene from Ocean's Eleven
Linus calls it a "smash & grab", but it's
slightly more complicated than that . . .
47. GPA booster: EASY A
48. Egg-producing organ: OVARY
49. Language of a haka chant: MAORI - same language as the bug above π - name(ish)
50. Conservationist Bindi: IRWIN - No clue, WAG on the "I" crossing the theme name - turns out to be Steve Irwin's daughter - still, it's #6
53. Hair quality: BODY - sadly, my hair quality is "thin", my body, "thick" - I'd prefer the reverse . . .
54. Upfront stake: ANTE - poker [face], not poking
55. Obstacles to teamwork: EGOs
58. Permit: LET - the verb, not the noun
Splynter
Gri(n)d Flow 21.4
Friday, October 2, 2026
Friday, Oct 2nd, 2026 ~ Norman M. Aaronson
LABYRINTH
Author Norman M. Aaronson had an LA Times crossword back in July on a Wednesday here. Today he returns with a puzzle that was, for me, not a very challenging Friday foray, despite a dozen names and a Natick. Four themers with 'a twist' in the clue, and nothing obscure in the answers; I don't know how this one got published so late in the week; perhaps the oversized 15x16 grid~? Not likely - or maybe I was on his wavelength, and most of the fill was in my wheelhouse; YMMV. ALOT of Twurds & names, not so many 3LWs, no circles, no outliers. Four themers, none spanning, no reveal;
18. Story told with a twist: MYSTERY NOVEL - I am currently reading the "Exoskeleton" series from Shane Stadler, an odd horror/sci-fi/existential series, but I am sticking with it
29. Party gift created with a twist: BALLOON ANIMAL
Bah-dum-tiss
50. Cocktail served with a twist: VESPER MARTINI - Ha~! I wondered if this was the James Bond drink, ordered in the 2006 Daniel Craig 007 movie Casino Royale - and a gratuitous scene for our C.C.
My friend, bring me one as well, keep the fruit . . ." - Felix Leiter
66. Feat performed with a twist: PLATFORM DIVE - but can you do the Triple Lindy~?
ACROSS:
1. Big horn: TUBA - "it's not a TUBA~!"
AAAAhnaaald~!
5. "Scoot!": AMSCRAY - Pig Latin for Scram - the 'language' formation "rules"
12. Winery tub: VAT
15. Human rights lawyer Clooney: AMAL - I know who she is, could not recall the spelling, went with AMAN - Bzzzzt~! - name #1
Hey, I think I know that guy with her . . .
Hey, I think I know that guy with her . . .
16. Bacon strips: RASHERS
17. Kerfuffle: ADO
20. Replayed tennis serve: LET
21. Gnats, termites, and the like: PESTS
22. River deposit: SILT
23. TimothΓ©e Chalamet trilogy set on a desert planet: DUNE - I tried reading this Frank Herber novel back in middle school, but I just couldn't get into it, and I am a Sci-Fi guy; I did watch some of the "new" series featuring this actor - I like the dragonfly things . . . name(ish)
24. Like some elephants: ASIATIC - comparison to African elephants here
27. "Golly!": "OH GEE~!" - "Oh, Twurd~!"
34. Tolkien monster: ORC
37. Shuts with force: SLAMS
38. Food package phrase: USE BY - Two words #1
39. Speak highly of: LAUD
41. Gaps: SPACES
44. Like many supermodels: TALL
They all look to be at least 6ft tall . . .
They all look to be at least 6ft tall . . .
45. Dizzy: AREEL - "a" Twurd #1
47. Simply must: HAS TO -Two words #2
49. Filmmaker Spike: LEE - knew this one, name #2
55. Carriers of raw metals: ORE CARS - Two words #3
59. Fail to mention: OMIT
61. Hopper on a pet: FLEA
64. Orange __ tea: PEKOE
65. Ballpoint brand: BIC
69. Large deer in the Rockies: ELK
70. Barbecue spot: TERRACE
71. Tabloid duo: ITEM
72. Golf hole meas.: YDs
73. States as fact: ASSERTS - and you know what happens if you ASS-U-ME . . .
74. Reseals, as a road: TARS
DOWN:
1. Third-largest city in the Sunshine State: TAMPA - Two weeks running on Friday, Geo name #4
2. "Uh, I think so": "UM, YES." - Er, Twurd
3. Low choir voices: BASSI - in the Latin/Italian plural
4. Window-switching shortcut: ALT TAB - Two 'words', learning moment, and a Natick crossing for me
5. Flight board abbr.: ARRivals, not "ETA"
6. Star Wars Day month: MAY - the Fourth Be With You
Tuesday in 2027
7. Figs. targeted by phishers: SSNs -Social Security Numbers
8. Kenneth of "9-1-1": CHOI - no clue, more here, name #5
9. L'OrΓ©al rival: REVLON - cosmetics companies
10. "Think" singer Franklin: ARETHA - Friday cluing, still a name, #6
11. French fashion letters: YSL - crossword staple, abbr name Yves St. Laurent, #7
12. Fast-food combo: VALUE MEAL - hey - a solid two-word clue/answer
13. Yemeni port: ADEN - Geo name #8
14. Handy bag: TOTE
19. "¿CΓ³mo __?": ESTAS - EspaΓ±ol lesson #1
23. Believer in a noninterfering god: DEIST - I believe in "The Force" - I was on a 12-step spritual retreat this past weekend, and I walked the labyrinth pictured at the top on the grounds Sunday morning - now I want to make one in my back yard~!
25. Woes: ILLS
26. Thunder sound: CLAP - what's the sound of ONE thunder bolt clapping~? π
One week to "Cooper"town, Irish Miss~!
28. Wild beast also called a wildebeest: GNU
30. Largest city in the Cornhusker State: OMAHA - Geo name #9, and a Saturday sherpa shout-out
31. Sesame Street's resident Grouch: OSCAR - name #10
32. Fit: ABLE
33. Country singer Lovett: LYLE - name #11, knew it
34. Patron saint of Norway: OLAV - name #12, knew it two ( too )
35. Uncommon: RARE
36. Pool equipment: CUE STICKS - Ah, that kind of pool . . .
40. Railroad station: DEPOT
42. This, in Spanish: ESTO - EspaΓ±ol #2
43. Mix: STIR
46. "Blue Bloods" actor Cariou: LEN - learned by doing crosswords, still, name #13
48. Early afternoon hr.: ONE PM - this, or TWO
51. Rummages (through): RIFLES
52. Big grinders: MOLARS - dental, not deli . . .
53. Sealed the victory: ICED IT - Two words #4
56. Japanese dog breed: AKITA - name(ish)
57. Mars exploration vehicle: ROVER
58. Comes across as: SEEMS
59. Toe the line: OBEY
60. Tame: MILD
62. To be, in French: ETRE - Frawnche
63. Way out there: AFAR - "a" Twurd #2
66. Sch. supporter: PTA - abbr, Parent / Teacher Assoc.
67. Halloween mo.: OCTober, the month we just crossed into
68. Hi-__ graphics: RES
Splynter
Grid Flow 16.8
Splynter
Grid Flow 16.8
Friday, September 25, 2026
Friday, Sep 25th, 2026 ~ Rebecca Goldstein
IF THE CLΓE FITS . . .
The full line of Diane von Furstenberg's crossword fashions clip
Rebecca Goldstein returns with a Friday foray into fashion - Five fills framed as (out)FITs, with their associated attire in the answers ( see what I did there~? ). This is Ms. Goldstein's sixth puzzle this year, and I blogged a streak of her constructions on Wednesdays in, Jan, Feb, and March of 2025. For a change, we had no add-on letters as a theme, a standard grid - which is unusual for Rebecca - no circles, no 'outlier' squares, just a handful of names ( but a crossing pair, thus a Natick ), and 17 3LWs, one more than the 5-letter word count. The themers, with 38A. at the center, and no reveal;
17. Fit to eat?: LOBSTER BIB - You can eat the lobster, but not the bib
38. Fit for a king?: PAJAMAS - A king-sized bed, very clever
62. Fit for work?: SUIT AND TIE - Thankfully, I've never had to wear a suit & tie for work
11. Fit to a tee?: GOLF SHIRT - Not the "T" shirt, the "tee" prop of a golf ball
34. Fit for service?: CHOIR ROBE - Here's Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
with a full, robed choir and pipe organ ( in the background )
Perhaps you prefer a choir with real cannons - this one
But Wait - Get Dressed - There's More~!
ACROSS:
1. Diminish: WANE - Think the Moon, and thus - 32D. 1-Across opposite: WAX - now makes sense
5. "Too rich for my blood": I'M OUT." - Poker reference, but the "catch phrase" of Shark Tank, too
10. "My word!": "EGAD~!"
14. Fusses: ADOs
15. Bay area on the East Coast: TAMPA - Kinda vague, kinda Friday, Geo name #1
16. Olden times: YORE
19. Enthusiasm: ELAN - "E"lliteration . . . π
20. Uno e uno e uno: TRE - EspaΓ±ol: English - 1 and 1 and 1 is three -
The Beatles, lyric @2:42
21. Arabian aristocrat: EMIR - we're "A & E"ing all over this blog . . .
22. Hurled: LET FLY - e.g., insults
24. Nintendo princess: ZELDA - the original video game is now 40 years old; name #2
26. Archrivals: NEMESES - the plural spelling
28. __ Minor: URSA
30. Event that may have drawings: ART SHOW - very clever clue / answer; LOTTERY fit, too
33. Single ant, say: SCOUT - I tried DRONE to start - had just the "O", but "totes" correct . . . π
35. Hon: BAE - cringe. I don't care for this abbr at all, even IRL, not just crosswords . . . π
OK, the Shein "Bae" line is pretty attractive . . .
36. "Proud Mary" singer Turner: TINA - name #3
37. "Don't think so": "NAH."
41. Nero Wolfe creator Stout: REX - I read the whole series, have a boxful of the paperback books I am still waiting to display, as the shelves I have planned still need to be built; name #4
42. Book jacket blurbs: BIOs - the author's biography, in a few words
44. Lip-smacking word: YUM~!
45. Air ways: DUCTS
47. Masterful demonstrations: CLINICS - typically related to sports professionals, musicians, etc.
49. Capital city with a Museum of the Viking Age set to open in 2027: OSLO - I'd like to visit that kind of place - still, a geo name, #5
50. Home body?: REALTOR - Har-har
52. Diving aquatic birds: LOONS
56. One sister in "King Richard": SERENA - The "S" being a Natick crossing with another name, #6, I had no clue, was thinking Shakespeare's "Richard III", then King Lear, but no - this is the story of "Richard", the father of sisters Venus & Serena, and his drive to making them successful tennis pros
58. Treadmill setting: PACE - I finished 45mins at level 5 on the Stairmaster; this week I started level 6
60. D.C. MLBer: NATional
61. The whole shebang: A TO Z
65. Broccoli __: RABE
66. Law of __: trigonometry equation: SINES - for the math geeks; for the Law(yer) of SIGNS . . .
And many more, here
67. Mud: JAVA - coffee slang
68. Sudsy mugfuls: ALES
69. "Tough crowd!": "YEESH~!" - I usually spell it "SHEESH" in my journal
70. Zoomed: SPED
DOWN:
1. Flounce: WALTZ - "you think you can just come ___ing in here like that~?!?"
2. Be wild about: ADORE
3. Prize first awarded in 1901: NOBEL - name(ish) - the 'explosive' & tragic life of Alfred Nobel
4. Slow start?: ESS - metaclue, "S" starts the word sLOW
5. Object: ITEM - nailed it, but wondered if it might be the legalese verb, "I object, your honor~!"
6. Yacht spot: MARINA - and SERENA, look at us rhyming~!
7. Color gradient technique: OMBRE - never heard this term, usually related to hair, and of Frawnche origin, meaning "shadow"; I found this "Fire" version, and while I've not seen it IRL, it's mesmerizing. . .
8. News initials: UPI - United Press International, and it's American, too . . . π
9. Rehearsals a cast generally won't stand for?: TABLE READS - made me think of a Family Guy episode; Seth MacFarlane and cast have done live ones at Comic Cons, but definitely NSFW
10. Reason to look one's best?: EYE TEST - very clever, that kind of "look"
Can you read line seven~?
12. Central Asia's North __ Sea: ARAL - Geo name #7
13. Say "It wasn't me," say: DENY
18. Start to cry: TEAR UP - start to cut a rug; TEAR it UP~!
Gramatik, Tearin It Up
23. Rough fig.: ESTimate
25. Pair: DUO - Dah~! Not TWO
27. "M'lady": MA'AM
29. Sarcastic response to rude behavior: STAY CLASSY - Yeah, or Meh~?
31. Individuals: ONES
33. Travel as the wind blows: SAIL - ah, another good clue / answer; if you're on a submarine, does one still "set sail~?" - reading a book that involves U-Boats, and I thought this description a bit odd . . .
35. Comic book onomatopoeia: BAM~!
37. "SVU" network: NBC - the Law & Order "Special Victims Unit" spin-off
39. A second ago: JUST - We missed it~? When~?
"Just now~!" @ 1:40
40. Morose: SULLEN
43. Seasonal allergy symptoms: SNEEZES
46. Murmur: COO
48. "What We Can Know" novelist McEwan: IAN - name #8
49. Pontificates: ORATES - AND . . .
51. Pontificate: OPINE - nearly a pure clecho
53. Ready to pour: ON TAP - not SpΓ―nal Tap - but speaking of umlauts . . .
54. Inexperienced: NAΓVE - from the Frawnche - and another umlaut
The ΓΌmlaut bΓ€nds wΓ«bsite
55. Place: STEAD
56. Singer-songwriter Bareilles: SARA - the crossing "S" name, a bit harsh, but guessable, name #9
Written to appease the recod label, it's a clever "Love Song"
57. Bibliography abbr.: ET. AL. - Latin et alia(i) - and others
59. Paper money: CASH - couldn't be ONES, that was up at 31D.
63. Driver's one-eighty: UIE - U-Turn abbr.; got burned by this in a recent puzzle
64. Turntable pros: DJs - and now, it's time for "PJ"s . . .
Splynter
Grid Flow 35.2
Friday, September 18, 2026
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 . . . π
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
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 drive~!
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 . . . π
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 )
( 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
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