QOD

Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

QOD: The aim of argument should not be victory, but progress. ~ Sir Karl Popper (né Karl Raimund Popper; July 28, 1902 ~ Sept. 17, 1994), Austrian-born British philosopher

Spy vs. Spy. During the Cold War, the concept of a saboteur changed from traditional physical destruction of factories and bridges to high-stakes espionage, covert operations, and behind-the-lines disruption carried out by elite military units and secret intelligence defectors.

19-Across. "Gravity's Rainbow" novelist: THOMAS PYNCHON. Spy. Gravity's Rainbow is a 1973 novel that takes place at the end of World War II. It's a long and intimidating novel that I have never felt the desire to read.

24-Across. Art technique also known as French embossing: GLASS ETCHING. Asset. An asset is a person who provides secret information or help to an intelligence organization. An asset is not a regular employee of the spy agency, but rather an outsider who is managed or paid to gather secrets.

45-Across. Act with chivalry: BE A GENTLEMAN. Agent.

And the Unifier:

53-Across. Psychological cause of personal failure, or a feature of 19-, 24-, 38-, and 45-Across: INNER SABOTEUR

Here's the Grid:

What other assets are found in today's puzzle?

Across:

1. Ginger cookie: SNAP. Yummers! According to the Museum of the American Revolution, Gingersnaps were named from the German or Middle Dutch word snappen, meaning "to seize quickly."

5. Cyan shade: AQUA. Hand up if you first tried Blue.

9. Oven setting: BAKE.

13. Document with an executor: WILL.

14. Coffee cups: MUGS.

15. Speaks foolishly: JIVES.

16. Drag Defense Fund org.: ACLU. As in the American Civil Liberties Union. It has been around for over 100 years.

17. Frying liquids: OILS.

18. Get down __ knee: ON ONE.

22. Tuned to, as a radio dial: SET AT.

23. Chapel Hill sch.: UNC. As in the University of North Carolina.

32. On the house: FREE.

35. Bert who played the Cowardly Lion: LAHR. Although it was in many movies, Bert Lahr (né Irving Lahrheim; Aug. 13, 1895 ~ Dec. 4, 1967) is best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.

36. Everglades wading bird: HERON. Herons can be found all along the Gulf coast, not just the Florida Everglades.

37. Chuckle in a DM: LOL. Textspeak for Laughing Out Loud.

38. "That's my intention": I PLAN TO.

40. Egg cells: OVA. A crossword staple.

41. Photo book: ALBUM.

43. Et __: and others: ALIA. Today's Latin lesson. This phrase, which means And Others, is often abbreviated to Et Al. because the addition of the last 2 letters of alia is too much to write.

44. Med school subj.: ANAT. As in Anatomy.

48. Energizer size: AAA. A crossword staple.

49. Stuffed grape leaf: DOLMA. Yummers! Eastern Mediterranean food.

58. Pop icon Lauper: CYNDI. Cyndi Lauper (née Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper; b. June 22, 1953) was big in the 1980s. She is known for her flamboyant style, catchy songs, and four-octave vocal range!

Taylor and Cyndi

60. Irish currency: EURO. The Irish Euro features the Celtic harp.

61. "Don't __ me, but ... ": HATE.

62. Diet food phrase: NO FAT.

63. MC or Visa alternative: AMEX.

64. Like the score at the start of overtime: EVEN.

65. Midday: NOON.

66. Little bouquet: POSY.

67. Take it easy: REST.

Down:

1. Slaps (at): SWATS.

2. Wall recess: NICHE.

3. Portion out: ALLOT.

4. Bird's feathers: PLUMAGE.

5. Singer-songwriter Tori: AMOS. Tori Amos (née Myra Ellen Amos; b. Aug. 22, 1963) is a classically trained musician. She was a child prodigy and entered the the Peabody Institute's preparatory division at five.

6. Witty remark: QUIP.

7. Not easy on the eyes: UGLY. The Jamaican tangelo is probably better known as the Ugli fruit.

8. Org.: ASSN. An Organization may also be an Association.

9. Juliette of "The English Patient": BINOCHE. Juliette Binoche (b. Mar. 9, 1964) is a French actress who has starred in many films. She was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing a nurse in 1996 film The English Patient.

10. Cosmetics giant that started as the California Perfume Company: AVON. Ding Dong! The Avon Company got its start in 1886.

11. "Jazz" documentarian Burns: KEN. Jazz is a deep-dive documentary look into the origins of this music genre. Ken Burns (né Kenneth Lauren Burns; b. July 29, 1953) has created numerous historical documentaries and television series that generally chronicle US history and culture.

12. WNW's opposite: ESE.

15. Sulu player in recent "Star Trek" films: JOHN CHO. John Cho (né John Yo-han Cho; b. June 16, 1952) was born in Seoul, Korea.

20. Hartsfield-Jackson airport code: ATL. This airport in Atlanta, Georgia is a hub for Delta. It is one of the busiest airports in the world. Whenever I fly, I usually end up going through Atlanta.

21. Use scissors on: CUT.

25. Swiss peak: ALP.

26. Ritual prayer of Islam: SALAT.

27. "We __ Overcome": SHALL.

28. "Ghostbusters" actor Hudson: ERNIE. Although he has been in a number of films, Ernie Hudson (né Earnest Lee Hudson; b. Dec. 17, 1945) is best known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters.

29. Word after curling or waffle: IRON.

30. __ Scotia, Canada: NOVA. Nova Scotia is one of the maritime provinces.

31. Pest in a cloud: GNAT.

32. Extra fat: FLAB.

33. Actor's part to play: ROLE.

34. Actor Idris: ELBA. It's Sir Elba to you. Idris Elba (né Idrissa Akuna Elba; b. Sept. 6, 1972) played Stringer in the TV series The Wire.

38. "No fooling": I MEAN IT!

39. Scottish cap: TAM.

42. Kampala native: UGANDAN.

44. One more: ANOTHER.

46. "Sorry, laddie": NAE. Today's Scottish lesson/

47. Stir: ADO.

50. Depart: LEAVE.

51. Silences, as on Zoom: MUTES.

52. "__ you clever!": AREN'T.

53. The 411: INFO.

54. Gather: REAP.

55. Japanese wrestling: SUMO.

56. Greek war god: ARES.

57. Like the Honda Element: BOXY.

58. "The Source With Kaitlan Collins" network: CNN. Kaitlan Collins (b. Apr. 7, 1992) is an American journalist and news anchor.

59. "__-hoo! Over here!": YOO.

חתולה

This describes my stray cat. He gets breakfast from the neighbor, then comes to me for more food.

Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

QOD: Many a good argument is ruined by some fool who knows what he is talking about. ~ Marshall McLuhan (né Herbert Marshall McLuhan; July 21, 1911 ~ Dec. 31, 1980), Canadian philosopher

Sounds Like ... Today we will study Homophones. Homophones are words that sound exactly the same when pronounced but have different meanings and spellings. The word comes from the Greek homos (meaning same) and phone (meaning sound).

17-Across. Shampoo for horses as well as humans: MANE N TAIL. This horse shampoo was originally developed in the 1970s for show horses. It became a cross-over product for humans and is purported to promote stronger, fuller, and longer-looking hair without stripping natural oils.

24-Across. Meatless Chinese noodle dish: VEGETABLE LO MEIN. Yummers!

36-Across. "The Theory of Everything" Best Actor Oscar winner: EDDIE REDMAYNE. Eddie Redmayne (né Edward John David Redmayne; b. Jan. 6, 1982) went to Eton and was a classmate of Prince William (b. June 21, 1982). The Theory of Everything was a bio-pic about Stephen Hawking (Jan. 8, 1942 ~ Mar. 14, 2018).

52-Across. Tender salad greens: HEARTS OF ROMAINE.

Too soon?

61-Across. Principal draw on fight night, or an apt title for this puzzle: MAIN EVENT. Also the title of a terrible1979 Barbra Streisand movie.

Here's the Grid:

And now for the true Main Event ~ the rest of the puzzle ...

Across:

1. Prattles on: YAPS.

5. Bay Area sch.: UCSF. As in the University of California, San Francisco.

9. Uninspiring: VAPID.

14. Mapa of "Ugly Betty": ALEC. I never watched Ugly Betty, so was unfamiliar with Alec (né Alejandro Mapa; b. July 10, 1965).

15. "New Rules" and "New Love" singer Dua: LIPA. Dua Lipa (b. Aug. 22, 1995) is a British-Albanian singer and songwriter. She makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

16. Twisted humor: IRONY.

19. Honeycomb units: CELLS.

20. Neither partner: NOR. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ...

21. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. As in the Law School Admission Test.

23. Southeast Asian language: LAO. Lao is the official language of Laos, however, it is also spoken in some parts of northeastern Thailand.

29. Hullabaloo: ADO.

30. Light __ feather: AS A.

31. Product labels: BRANDS.

32. Private aid gp.: NGO. As in a Non-Governmental Organization.

33. Sure winner: SHOO IN.

42. Not asea: ON LAND.

43. Poem of praise: ODE. A crossword staple.

45. Former House Speaker Nancy: PELOSI. Nancy Pelosi (née Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro; b. Mar. 26, 1940) served as the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

48. Due-in hr.: ETA. As in Estimated Time of Arrival.

51. Crank (up): REV.

56. "The Lord of the Rings" beast: ORC.

57. Move for one's co., say: RE-LO. As in Relocate.

58. Olive extract: OIL. Everything you ever wanted to know about Olive Oil, but didn't know to ask.

59. Capone cohort Frank: NITTI. I learned about Frank Nitti (né Francesco Raffaele Nitto; Jan. 27, 1886 ~ Mar. 19, 1943) from doing the crossword puzzles. He makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.

66. "OK, that was dishonest": I LIED.

67. Ritz-Carlton competitor: OMNI. I am not sure I could consider these hotel chains to be competitors. I view the Ritz-Carlton as a very high-end luxury hotel, whereas Omni is more family-oriented.

68. Tops with frosting: ICES.

69. Ride a bike: CYCLE.

70. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.

71. Every __ and cranny: NOOK.

Down:

1. Thanksgiving tuber: YAM.

2. __ carte menu: À LA. Today's French lesson.

3. Writing tool: PEN.

4. All-too-public argument: SCENE.

5. Marathons longer than 26.2 miles, familiarly: ULTRAS. An ultra marathon is a footrace that exceeds the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Ultra marathon distances vary greatly but typically range from 31 miles (50 km) to 100 miles (160 km).

6. U.S. intel org.: CIA.

7. Tell all, as gossip: SPILL.

8. Untrue: FALSE.

9. Beckham also known as Posh Spice: VICTORIA. Victoria, Lady Beckham (née Victoria Caroline Adams; b. Apr. 17, 1974) is probably the best known Spice Girl. The band was big in the 1990s.

10. "__ we there yet?": ARE.

11. Wind-borne allergen: POLLEN.

12. Embedded, as tiles: INLAID.

13. High-end vacuum cleaners: DYSONS. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner.

18. The "N" of N.B.: NOTA. Today's Latin Lesson. N.B. is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, which which means "note well" or "pay attention."

22. "Tuesdays With Morrie" writer Mitch: ALBOM. Mitch Albom (né Mitchell David Albom; b. May 23, 1958) has written many books, but is probably best known for Tuesdays With Morrie. That book is memoir about a series of interviews and visits Albom made with his former Brandeis University sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz was dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. I have never read this book.

24. Vehicle for movers: VAN.

25. Microsoft web browser: EDGE.

26. Yummy: GOOD.

27. Iraq port city: BASRA.

28. Plenty of: MANY.

34. __ of the woods mushrooms: HEN. Hen of the woods is a mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth oaks or maples. It is native to China, Europe, and North America.

35. More quirky: ODDER.

37. Entryway: DOOR.

38. Without losing one's cool: IN STRIDE.

39. Renée __ Goldsberry of "Girls5eva": ELISE. Renée Elise Goldsberry (b. Jan. 2, 1971) is probably best known for her portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton. She has also starred in a number of Broadway plays.

40. Sushi seaweed: NORI.

41. Biblical garden: EDEN. // And 44-Down: 41-Down woman: EVE.

45. Relating to sound: PHONIC.

46. In a creepy way: EERILY.

47. Acid type built up during high-intensity exercise: LACTIC.

49. Nickname for Canada's $2 coin: TOONIE. The Canadian $1 coin is called a Loonie.

50. French friend: AMIE. More of today's French lesson. This is the female friend.

53. "Battlestar Galactica" actor Edward James __: OLMOS. Edward James Olmos (b. Feb. 24, 1947) is an American actor who has starred in dozens of films and television shows.