Kat's Practice Blog: 22-Jun-26

 Robbie Cottom gives us an "early-bird" special to start the puzzling week. The five theme entries are common sayings starting with a species of bird, followed by a type of movement that isn't flying.

16A. Flightless migration on a farm?: CHICKEN RUN. On a farm, a chicken run is a safe outdoor space where chickens can roam, stretch, and hunt bugs. In the theater, Chicken Run is a delightful 2000 animated film loosely based on the the 1963 drama The Great Escape.

Family fun!

 

 35A. Flightless migration on a pond?: DUCK TOUR. Numerous cities offer land and water tours on "duck boats". While many of the original duck boats were re-purposed WWII landing craft, most operators have since migrated to purpose-built tour vessels. We enjoyed a Duck Tour in Boston years ago.

 

More family fun!

60A. Flightless migration on Thanksgiving?: TURKEY TROT. Many running clubs hold a Turkey Trot event on Thanksgiving morning. Some are competitive races with prize money, while others are primarily social outings where running enthusiasts gather to exercise before a busy day of roasting, baking, and feasting.

 

Showing some holiday spirit.

 

10D. Flightless migration in Toronto?: JAY WALK. Toronto's major league baseball team, the Blue Jays, were the American League Champions for the 2025 season. They lost a closely-contested World Series to the LA Dodgers. Jay-walking is an expression used for pedestrians crossing roads in a manner counter to traffic regulations - e.g., not in a designated crosswalk. Enforcement of jay-walking laws varies widely by jurisdiction.

40D. Flightless migration in a cornfield?: CROW HOP. Due to the unique anatomy of their feet, crows often hop along the ground instead of walking. Hopping is both faster and more stable for them. In baseball and softball, "crow hopping" is a two-footed jumping movement that improves throwing mechanics and generates momentum in throwing the ball.

 

Hopping off the rails.

A fun, consistent, and nicely clued theme set. And now, onto the fill:

Across:

1. Channel that brings tears to one's eyes?: DUCT. Tears are produced in the lachrymal glands, and secreted into the eye via several lachrymal ducts. From there, they spread across the eye surface via blinking and drain through a tear duct into the nasal cavity. 

5. Grow frantic: PANIC. A sudden and overpowering feeling of fear.

 

10. "__ my memory": "Remind me": JOG. To jog someone's memory is to help them to recall someone or something that they have forgotten. 

13. Worker protection org.: OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established within the Department of Labor in 1970. Its mission is "to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance."

14. Unavailable: IN USE. The phrase means that something is being operated at present. It is often seen on OSHA-mandated warning signs. 

15. Serving success: ACE. In tennis, an ACE is an in-bounds serve that is not touched by the receiver - resulting in a point for the server. Serena Williams holds the WTA record for most aces in a tournament, with 102 during her victorious 2012 Wimbledon championship campaign. 

16. [Theme entry]

18. "Despite that ... ": YET. A synonym for "regardless".

19. Tempts: ENTICES. Advertisers entice us to purchase their clients' offerings using visual and verbal stimuli.

Consider me enticed!

 20. Nobel Peace Prize winner Sadat: ANWAR. As President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat (1918 - 1981) reached a peace deal with Israel's Menachem Begin. The Camp David Accords were negotiated in cooperation with US President Jimmy Carter; Sadat and Begin were honored with the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. 

22. "Who even __ you?": ARE. I was unfamiliar with this expression, but the meaning is clear enough.

23. "Where babies come from" class, briefly: SEXED. Eternally causing embarrassment to elementary and middle school students.

 25. The __ of one's existence: BANE. Something that consistently causes distress or misery. A long uphill stretch that ends my every run or bike ride is the bane of my existence. Particularly when there is a headwind.

26. On a smaller scale: LESS SO. A comparative indicating a lesser degree of a quality being considered.

28. Sicilia's country: ITALIA. English: "Sicily is a part of Italy." Italian: "La Sicilia fa parte dell'Italia."

30. Thought: IDEA. Some ideas are good, others not so much.

Wile E. Coyote, master of the extremely bad idea.

31. Animal life of a region: FAUNA. The plant life is referred to as "flora."

34. Penn of "Harold & Kumar" films: KAL. Kalpen Suresh Modi is an American actor who uses the name Kal Penn professionally. He has appeared in numerous film and TV roles, and also served in the White House Office of Public Engagement during the early years of the Obama Administration. 

35. [Theme entry]

38. __ and cheese: MAC. Macaroni and cheese is a pasta dish originating in England and now enjoyed worldwide. 

41. Tempos: PACES. "Pace" can be used as a noun describing the speed at which something moves, or as a verb meaning walking with regular steps in one direction and back again, often due to nervousness. Some horses also have a two-beat gait known as the pace, which is common in harness racing.  

42. Letters not found on a 24-hour clock: AMPM. In timekeeping, a 24 hour clock starts and ends at midnight each day. Time of day is expressed in terms of the elapsed time since midnight. It is the most commonly used time notation in the world today. 

46. Under threat: AT RISK. 

Godzilla! Tokyo is at risk of major destruction.

48. Also: AS WELL. Synonymous with "in addition."

50. Clump of earth: CLOD. A lump of soil or clay.

51. "Your food is getting cold!": EAT UP. We've probably all heard this one a few times. 

54. Puffin kin: AUK. More birds! Short-necked diving sea birds found in colder parts of the northern hemisphere. They are much better at swimming than they are at flying. Despite some similarity in appearance, auks are not closely related to penguins. 

Adorable little birds.

 

55. Maya of "Stranger Things": HAWKE. Maya Hawke is an American actress best known for playing the role of Robin Buckley in the 2019 - 2025 Netflix sci-fi horror series Stranger Things. She is the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.

57. Bugs Bunny fare: CARROTS. 

The bunnies in our yard prefer to eat my flowers.

59. "Kinda like that": ISH. A crossword regular. 

60. [Theme entry]

63. "New" prefix: NEO. As in "neophyte" (new convert; beginner or novice) or "neonatal" (newly born).

64. Nordic noir novelist Larsson: STIEG. Swedish author of the best-selling trilogy The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Very dark subject matter; I stopped after the first. 

65. Some poke fish: TUNA. Saltwater fish extensively commercially harvested for food. 

66. Telepathy, e.g.: ESP. Extra Sensory Perception is a claimed "sixth sense" or paranormal ability to receive information directly through the mind, rather than through the recognized five senses.  

67. "Got it?," slangily: YA DIG. "Dig" is sometimes used as slag for "understand."

 

Not this kind of dig.

 

68. Do as one's told: OBEY. Some need a little extra schooling to get this concept.

Down:

 
1. Rx writer: DOC. Rx is the commonly accepted abbreviation for a medical prescription, derived from the Latin term for "recipe". With an abbreviation in the clue, we know that the answer will be an abbreviated form of "doctor."

2. Guided (in): USHERED. Note: "ushered", not "ushed". Thank-you, Robbie!

3. Like dim sum and bao buns: CHINESE. Dim sum are varied and small Chinese dishes traditionally enjoyed for brunch. Bao buns are fluffy steamed buns filled with meats, vegetables, or sweets.

 

A beautiful array of dim sum dishes.

4. Diplomatic skill: TACT. An acute sensitivity to what is proper and appropriate in dealing with others, including the ability to avoid causing offense.

5. "Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!": PIECE OF CAKE. An appealing metaphor!

 

6. Granny flat, maybe: ANNEX. A granny flat is a small secondary dwelling on the same lot as a primary residence. It may be used to house aging family members, or as a rental unit. 

7. Breastfeed: NURSE. Most mammals nurse their young to provide essential nutrients and antibodies through their milk.

8. The Cyclones of the NCAA: ISU. The Cyclones are the athletic teams that represent Iowa State University. 

9. Wrestler/actor John: CENA. John Cena holds the record (over 650!) for the most wishes fulfilled for critically ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  

Way to go, John!

10. [Theme entry]

11. Australasia's region: OCEANIA. Oceania is a geographic region encompassing Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. 

12. "Be reasonable": GET REAL. The phrase "get real" is used to express disbelief, or to make someone face reality. 

17. O : hug :: X : __: KISS. As seen in candy "conversation hearts" around Valentine's Day.

21. Org. with Cavs and Mavs: NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks are both teams in the National Basketball Association. 

22. Boxer Muhammad: ALI. Born Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali was gold-medal winning Olympian, professional boxer, and activist. He and his accomplished daughter Laila are crossword puzzle regulars.

24. Paleontologist's prize find: DINOSAUR EGG. The perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo shown below was found inside a fossilized egg. Dinosaur embryos are among the rarest of fossil finds. A prize indeed!

Embryo inside of dinosaur egg found in China in 2000.

 27. Unhappy: SAD. Straightforward Monday clue.

29. Greek "T": TAU. The nineteenth letter of the Greek alphabet.

32. Org. that oversees NYC's Museum of the Dog: AKC. The American Kennel Club is a non-profit registry of purebred dog pedigrees, founded in 1884. 

33. Sport-__: auto for rugged terrain: UTE. Ute is short for "utility". 

36. Delivery company with brown trucks: UPS. With the rise of e-commerce, delivery trucks from United Parcel Service have become ubiquitous in American neighborhoods.

37. Like some poke fish: RAW. Poke again! Poke bowls are Hawaiian dishes typically consisting of diced raw fresh fish, rice, and vegetables, served with various sauces and toppings. 

38. The "M" of ATM: MACHINE. Automated Teller Machine. 

39. Geography texts: ATLASES. Use of the term "atlas" to describe a collection of maps is attributed to the great Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator (1512 - 1594). Mercator coined this expression as a mark of his respect for the mythical Titan god Atlas, whom he considered to be the first great geographer. 

 

Mercator's Atlas Minor, with the Titan god depicted holding up the Earth.

40. [Theme entry]

43. Barbecue chef's coat?: MEAT RUB. I was unfamiliar with this particular expression. Dry rubs are mixtures of ground spices applied to coat the surface of meats prior to cooking. 

44. Wedding guest's date: PLUS ONE. An invitation that includes an unspecified "plus one" allows the primary guest to bring a date of their choice. 

45. Civil rights leader honored in Jan.: MLK. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC celebrates the profound legacy and heroism of one of our nation's most influential leaders.

The "Stone of Hope" statue at the MLK Memorial.

 

47. Brief "No clue": IDK. Texters' abbreviation for "I don't know."

49. Light on one's feet: SPRY. A synonym of "nimble", used especially to describe older people who are able to move quickly and easily. 

52. Bitter-smelling: ACRID. Unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor. 

53. "Star Trek" legend George: TAKEI. George Takei played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on the original Star Trek television series and several of the movies that followed. Sulu was the chief of the Enterprise's Astro Science Department.

George Takei as Lieutenant Sulu.

 

56. "Keep commerce human" website: ETSY. An American e-commerce company focusing on handmade or vintage items. Our Christmas tree is always topped by a beautiful embroidered star, crafted by a charming British needle worker, and found on Etsy.

58. Director Preminger: OTTO. Otto Preminger (1905 - 1986) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose movies included Anatomy of a Murder, Laura, and The Man with the Golden Arm.

61. The Jazz, on scoreboards: UTA. Another NBA team. The New Orleans Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979, becoming the Utah Jazz. While they have made it to the finals twice, they have never won an NBA championship.

62. Swift, to Swifties, when doubled: TAY. Tay-Tay is apparently a nickname that her many fans use for  global superstar Taylor Swift.

 

Here's a picture of the filled grid, with theme entries highlighted: 

 

I hope that your solving week is off to a great start - Happy Monday, everyone!

 

- Kat