Tuesday, February 24, 2026

QOD:   Most human beings are quite likeable if you don’t see too much of them.  ~  Robert Wilson (né Robert McLiam Wilson; b. Feb. 24, 1964), Northern Irish novelist

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. 

חתולה

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

 QOD:  What Happens on the Float Stays on the Float.

What's the Word, Hummingbird?

18-Across. *  Celebration of Mexico's victory in the Battle of Puebla: CINCO DE MAYO.  Yo!  Not a word of Welcome that I would use.  Contrary to popular belief in the United States, Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on May 5, 1862.  This year, the holiday will fall on a Tuesday, so I may be providing the commentary.

24-Across. *  Only woman to serve as prime minister of India: INDIRA GANDHI.  Hi!

39-Across. *   Evaluates: SIZES UP.  S'up?  Another word I would not use.  Slang for What's Up?

52-Across.  *  Punxsutawney Phil's big moment: GROUNDHOG DAY.  G'Day.  I heard this a lot when I was in Australia.

And the unifier:

61-Across. "So glad you've returned!," or a feature of the answer to each starred clue?: WELCOME BACK.  Also the name of a television sit-com from the 197s.  Another word of Welcome can be found at the Back of each theme answer.

Here's the Grid, so you can see the Welcomes.

Joyeaux Mardi Gras would be a better welcome for today.

What Happens on the Float, Stays on the Float.

Across:

1. "God bless you, please, __ Robinson": MRS.  Mrs. Robinson was a song by Simon and Garfunkel for the 1967 movie The Graduate.

4. Subterranean lava: MAGMA.

9. "Stop!," at sea: AVAST.

14. Feel queasy: AIL.

15. Rumored Roswell visitor: ALIEN.

16. Courage: VALOR.

17. Egg cells: OVA.  A crossword staple.

20. Swab again, as a deck: REMOP.

22. Cold War rival of the KGB: CIA.

23. Jr.'s practice exam: PSAT.  As in the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test.

28. Going solo: ALONE.

29. Sobbing: TEARFUL.

33. Refute: DENY.

35. Big bang letters: TNT.

37. Alabama civil rights march city: SELMA.  Selma, Alabama was a pivotal city in the civil rights actions of the 1960s.  The events were the subject of the 2014 movie, Selma.

38. UVA's athletic org.: ACC.  The University of Virginia is in the Atlantic Coast Conference in NCAA collegiate sports.

42. Special __: OPS.

43. Litter member: WHELP.

45. Part of a semicolon: DOT.

46. One of a deadly septet: LUST.  According to Christian theology, there are seven deadly sins.  They are: Avarice, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth, and Wrath.

47. "That's 100% true": NO DOUBT.

50. "__, Macduff": Shakespeare: LAY ON.  This quote can be found in Act 5, scene 8 of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth.  We've seen a lot of Willie the Shakes in the puzzles recently.

56. Green curry cuisine: THAI.  Yummers!

59. Maker of small kitchen gadgets: OXO.  This company makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

60. Witherspoon of "Legally Blonde": REESE.  In addition to acting, Reese Witherspoon (née Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon; b. Mar. 22, 1976) is an avid reader.  About 10 years ago, she started the Reese Witherspoon Reading Club.  Many of the books she selects become bestsellers.

65. Male sheep: RAM.

66. Trojan War tale: ILIAD.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the Trojan War.

67. City whose airport is named for 24-Across: DELHI.

Inside the Indira Gandhi International Airport

68. Stockholm-to-Helsinki dir.: ENE.  Traveling from Stockholm, Sweden to Helskini, Finland.  The Baltic Sea is in-between the two cities.

69. Book identifier: TITLE.

70. Basic skateboard jump: OLLIE.

71. Aykroyd of "Ghostbusters": DAN.  The original Ghostbusters movie came out over 40 years ago!  Dan Aykroyd (né Daniel Edward Aykroyd; b. July 1, 1952) portrayed one of the scientists out to find ghosts.

Down:

1. Native New Zealander: MAORI.  The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.  he Māori language is an official language of New Zealand, so signs are written in both English and Te Reo (the native language).

2. Torn asunder: RIVEN.

3. Joined a mosh pit: SLAM DANCED.

4. Apple on a teacher's desk, perhaps: MAC PRO.   Not the edible kind of apple.

5. Boxer Muhammad: ALI.  Muhammad Ali (né Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; Jan. 17, 1942 ~ June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist.  He is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

6. Gimlet liquor: GIN.  A brief history of the origin of Gin.

7. Muslim pilgrim's destination: MECCA.

8. Name as a successor: ANOINT.

9. Michigan in Chicago, e.g.: Abbr.: AVE.  A 13-stretch of Michigan Avenue in Chicago is known as the Magnificent Mile.  This portion of the avenue was known for high-end shopping, dining and luxury hotels.  

10. One who's long in the tooth?: VAMPIRE.

11. Pitiful interjection: ALAS.

12. High-protein bean: SOYA.  A brief history of the soy bean.

13. Bouncy gait: TROT.

19. Miami-__ County: DADE.  The CSI: Miami took place in Miami-Dade County.

21. Like an otter's fur: OILY.

25. Not on board with: ANTI-.  Like Anti-Freeze?  Not on board with Freezing!

26. Gp. after millennials: GEN-Z.

27. Door fastener: HASP.

30. Struggled to gain traction: FLOUNDERED.

31. Pros who cry "out" loud?: UMPS.

32. __-in first-out: LAST.

33. Start of the day: DAWN.

34. Sound return: ECHO.

36. Actor Danson: TED.  Ted Danson (né Edward Bridge Danson, III; b. Dec. 29, 1947) became a house hold name when he portrayed Sam Malone on Cheers.

39. Stimulus: SPUR.

40. Marketed: SOLD.

41. Snowbird ski resort state: UTAH.

44. Coherent: LOGICAL.

46. Premier seating area: LOGE.

48. Rapid growth period: BOOM.

49. Union suit?: TUXEDO.  Not sure I understand the connection here. 

51. Little terrier: YORKIE.  Cute pun.  The Yorkshire Terrier is known as a Yorkie.  They are adorable little dogs.

53. Prestigious prize with six categories: NOBEL.  Originally, there were only five categories for the Nobel Prize: Chemistry, Literature, Medicine, Peace and Physics.  The sixth category, which was added in 1968, is the officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. 

54. Lotus pose, for one: ASANA.

55. Southernmost nation on the Arabian Peninsula: YEMEN.

56. Ninny: TWIT.

57. Prefix with pad: HELI-.

58. Settled on a perch: ALIT.  A crossword staple.

62. Poem of homage: ODE.  Another crossword staple.

63. Bailiff's first word: ALL.

64. Greek letter X: CHI.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!