Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Hi Wordplay community—Zhou (co-constructor) here. In honor of Isa (notable rescuer of three-legged cats), Kevin (co-constructor and cat person who won’t let me get a dog) and I are donating the money from this puzzle to the Camano Animal Shelter Association: <a href="https://www.camanoanimalshelter.org/donate" target="_blank">https://www.camanoanimalshelter.org/donate</a>. Please consider donating to Casa (or to a cause close to your own heart, if three-legged cats aren’t your thing). Thanks for being a bright spot in this wild world.

I thought I was a big fan of Kevin Curry and Zhou Zhang. Now I worship them. Great puzzle, beautiful constructor notes and dedication (so sorry for the loss of your good friend and neighbor Isa), AND they support local animal rescue. I’m pretty sure I’m way older than they are, but I want to be just like them when I grow up.

So before I read the constructor notes I was going to start by saying how excited I always am for a Zhou/Curry collaboration (or solo efforts for that matter)—I always expect a clever twisty theme, a sterling grid, and sparkling clues, and wasn’t disappointed today (uplifting coverage, anyone?). Well, actually this theme is a little tame by their standards, but still tight, fun and entertaining. But now after reading their notes I can focus on telling them that if their goal is to bring joy to others with their crosswords, they certainly have accomplished that with me, and I’m sure many others. I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of their friend, and what a fitting way to pay tribute to someone else who brought joy to others in their own way as well. Thanks for passing it on, over and out!

This is my favorite kind of theme puzzle: where the revealer/theme helps me complete clues I hadn't gotten to yet. I am saddened by the loss of the author's neighbor Isa. May their memory be a blessing.

I comment only when one of Zhou's puzzles publishes, which is a nerdy kind of friendship loyalty. My usual "so fun, Zhou's the best!" isn't quite right this time. Zhou and Kevin are indeed the best, so I'm sure Isa was an absolute treasure. In memory of Isa and in celebration of Kaela 🕯️🎂

Ah, the story about Isa was lovely. It’s hard to lose such a wonderful neighbor. On another note, the clue of “pants worn on rainy days” was delightful. I kept thinking of rain gear…doh!

Zhou and Kevin make puzzles, as they say in their notes, to spark joy. I get joy just seeing Zhou’s photo in XwordInfo, and so will you: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Zhou_Zhang" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Zhou_Zhang</a> . This was a very clever idea for a theme, and so entertaining because it’s centered on wordplay and humor, on imagining these wacky conversations. High props for originality. Did I enjoy it? Affirmative! Two serendipitous subthemes stood out: • Food! – ATE, OMNIVORE, GOOD EATS, OAT, TART, CHICKEN, PONZU, PICANTE, HAM, OLIVE, FAVA, PECAN, ADE. • Schwa enders! – TOGA, AGORA, FAVA, RAMONA, PEPA, ZARA, MAGNA, PAJAMA. I also liked seeing LEAP, which echoed Monday’s TRIPLE JUMP puzzle. Zhou and Kevin, I was won over by your fun theme; my brain was also happified by tangling with some sticking points. Your puzzles have a buoyant energy that launch me smiling into the day. Thank you for that, and for doing it once more today!

I totally loved this puzzle. So sorry about Isa -- they sound like such a great friend and a special human being.

50% easy and 50% twisty, which is a perfect Wednesday. And thank you for sharing the tribute to your neighbor. Loss is hard.

I enjoyed this puzzle, as I always enjoy puzzles by Zhou and Kevin. But I was really touched by their story. What a rare gift, in today’s increasingly isolated society, to gain such a friend as a result of accidental proximity. I am so sorry for your loss, and for Kaylin’s loss as well. Happy birthday, Kae. May your life always be as cozy and joyous as a a big blanket taco.

So sorry for your loss. Crossword puzzles are a wonderful way to connect with others. The puzzle you created is a wonderful homage to your friendship and message of universal understanding.

Both hall and oat but not crossing is a shame

Remember “Escape Room”? Same pair. Winner of the Sunday Griddies for 2025. And Zhou’s 8/27 puzzle won the M-W category. So they know how to make a great puzzle and this fits the bill. I also love the gustatory sub theme: food. If you wonder what to get when shopping at your local agora, how about ham, fava beans, koi in a delicate ponzu sauce, olives, picante chicken, yak, an oat tart with pecan filling, lemonade to drink… Good eats. And while Kevin and Zhou may be omnivores, I’m leaving seals off the menu (they’re cute and they often spend a lot of time AT SEA taking care of their own dietary needs, so I’d prefer that nobody ATE them).

Fun and wonderful theme. Dear Kevin and Zhou, your notes saddened and inspired me. Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves.

A fraught day, waiting for test results, and I really wanted something cozy and fun to calm me down. TARTs and GLAZEDOVER donuts were not available, but found an It's-It in the freezer. The two of you may not always agree on clues, but the compromises are beautiful, and if there are battle scars, they don't show. It's like watching a dance duo—I see you as the Rogers and Astaire of the puzzle world. News never came, so the puzzle was doubly appreciated. Thank you! On to tomorrow.

I’m so sorry about Isa. They sound amazing; what a loss. And still there is room today to celebrate 10 years old for Kaela! Thank you for the puzzle and the peek into your lives.

Lovely puzzle, lovely story, lovely cause. Señor Gato, who’s been zooming from window to window since 4am because birds!!! has just been advised how lucky he is to have all four of his 15-plus-year-old legs. Folks, before you get your latte this morning, please consider donating to CASA instead. If you go to their Amazon wishlist, you’ll get an idea of what a shoestring budget they operate on.

Sam makes working the puzzles more fun.

Much harder for me than figuring out why the CHICKEN crosses the road was figuring out why Santa says ROGER. JOLLY, yes, but ROGER, no. What am I missing about Santa? Yes, a doughnut can be GLAZED OVER. Would a CARBON COPY be discussed in a chemistry class? No, but plain old CARBON would be. When a CHICKEN OUT turns out not to be the animal that crosses the road, the scales fall from my eyes. These are one-word replies to questions, followed by WALKIE-TALKIE radio words. Aha. Cute, once you get it. A little bit weird before you get it. I found this hard in the RPG, GLAZED OVER, ZARA section. And PINUP was a mystery before crosses: Can PINUP be defined as a "hairstyle", retro or not? Don't you PIN UP your hair to get to a hairstyle, such as an updo? Never have I heard anyone say "I wear a PINUP." Over to you, as they say in the WALKIE-TALKIE biz.

Nice Wednesday puzzle. Not easy, not difficult. Just enough thinking for the middle of the week. Plus a fun little theme at that! Well done to the creator. This puzzle left me well satisfied!

A wonderful and joyful tribute to your friend. Well done.

Japanese crossing French and two names. Ouch!

Random thought re today's headline. Sam, do you know who Art Linkletter is?

If I'm stuck in a certain section, rotating through the clues waiting for inspiration, and I think of something I get an immediate surge of some cool chemical. (Naturally synthesized brain chemical, I mean, like all of you. No, I'm not shooting up every time I fill something in.) And part of that spurt of happy is that I think that's going to unlock the entire problem area I have. And sometimes it do, and sometimes it don't. Tonight it did not, in a pretty substantial way. I call this a jungly puzzle--no matter how much I hack away, nothing really seems to change. But it was a great puzzling fun! I really enjoyed it, and mean no disrespect. It was just a different kind of experience.

So very sorry to read about the loss of your dear neighbor and friend. And I woke up sad this morning. Not common for me. But here’s a little (one minute) walkie-talkie chuckle from comedian Brian Regan- <a href="https://youtu.be/MdHS8rQ0KLg?is=dGDws1XtsaE0zDTL" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/MdHS8rQ0KLg?is=dGDws1XtsaE0zDTL</a> Have a lovely day all.

I found this moderately challenging (finished around 15% under my average time) and quite an enjoyable way to start my Wednesday, having coffee, telling my dog to stop barking at the squirrels, chipmunks and birds who only want their breakfast at our various feeders, and listening to Art Blakey’s Paris Jam Session. It was only when I started writing my comment that I went back and read the Gameplay column, and the constructors’ note. I am so sorry for your loss, truly. I believe we’re supposed to make the world a better place by our being in it and it seems your neighbor Isa did that. May you and their partner find solace in your grief.

Perfect theme echo in HAM (as in operator).

Wonderful clever puzzle, a delight to solve. THANK YOU

I was so surprised to see Sam use the term "dungarees." I haven't heard that since I was a teenager in Brooklyn. Everyone used to buy their dungarees at The Dungaree Factory, where each pair had the weight of the thickest ones sold today. And boy, were they stiff until they were washed 50 times and got broken in. I think they even hemmed them for free. And no one ever called them jeans. That was a long time ago.

A bright, straightforward puzzle. As for the theme; IGOTIT! The puzzle also featured two of my favorite singer songwriters (Tori AMOS and Paul SIMON) and plenty of GOODEATS for an OMNIVORE NOLESS.

Are PAnAMA pants a thing? Because I’m pretty sure Santa is feeling nO L Y.

It kind of made me feel smart and dumb at the same time. Great puzzle!

When will the standard answer to “World Cup chant” be changed from OLE to “row”? ;-)

poem made from words in today’s puzzle <br> a/ i see you, son see you come up the road you look ready for things for tomorrow’s symphony d/ for the rainy world for a different world that’s not the one a/ i made up

There was a huge PRBUZZ when cotton candy first came out. Some medical experts were even led to believe that this kind of sugar was healthier for you - but those were just the spun doctors. A theme based on walkie-talkies, my favourite childhood fun? TOGA URL, good buddies!

TOGAs were only for special occasions; TUNICs were the daily wear... PIN UP? As a long-time user of Bobby-Pins, I must say that I've never encountered this phrase in relation to a fashionable "do." I'm from the era of Toni Home Permanents and hairspray. We graduated into gel and rollers in the early 60's, while some people ironed their curly hair to try and straighten it. Then there were the hot rollers. Now it's mousse and a curling iron...and maybe hairspray if it's raining. Haven't used a bobby-pin in...oh, 50 years or more. The WALKIE-TALKIE puzzle is a very entertaining and ingenious piece of work. Obviously it leads some solvers off on tangents--either along Memory Lane or up the creek or down a garden path. The IMPs were never really pesky; it was the do-nothing disrupters that annoyed. My secret tactic was to hook them into being interested...ha ha! Caught ya looking!

Nice Wednesday puzzle. As an army veteran this one was right up my alley. Still took me a bit to catch on, but then it all filled fairly smoothly. And of course a puzzle find. A Monday from October 2, 2017 by Trenton Charlson. Some theme clues and answers: "A B C D E F G" MUSICNOTES "A B C D F" LETTERGRADES "B C F H I K N O P S U V W Y" CHEMICALSYMBOLS "G R X" MOVIERATINGS "A B O" BLOODTYPES Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/2/2017&h=39a" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/2/2017&h=39a</a> ....

An entire chemistry exam about carbon? Nah. But the judges will allow it given the overall fun quotient of this light and clever Wednesday.

ROGER Roger, I COPY, OVER and OUT. Really enjoyed this one!

Almost an ideal Wednesday puzzle. The theme was clever and expertly handled. The fill was interesting, and the level of challenge seemed quite appropriate. Took me more than twenty minutes to complete this one. Didn't know PONZU or RAMONA, but the crosses assisted and the N at the intersection seemed obvious. "What's the biochemistry exam about again?" might have been a tad better than the clue that appeared, but that's a very minor quibble. Very fine Wednesday puzzle. Thanks!

Felt just right for a Wednesday, enjoyable theme, grid not too easy but a bit breezy. Felt delightful overall, maybe I was just won over by 1D (both the idea of pajama pants and a rainy day - it’s so hot here).

Delightful puzzle. No notes.

Clever puzzle that was deeply and resoundingly enjoyable! Bravo.

Camano Island is a magical place. May your children always encounter such loving neighbors.

CARBONCOPY made me laugh, very clever theme

I've disliked so many recent puzzles that I'm compelled to express how much I enjoyed this one. Like many others, apparently, I was immediately optimistic when I saw it was a Curry/Zhang collaboration. It did not disappoint. Clever clueing, reasonable trivia, fun theme. Every older Gen X-er remembers CB's - it was nice to reminisce for a minute. For me, it was a perfect Wednesday puzzle, and with a nice cup of coffee, a really wonderful start to the day. Thank you both!

Delightful theme! I found myself smiling as I filled.

I never read the write up about the puzzle to avoid bias and rarely look at others comments - FABULOUS puzzle thanks guys! 5 star

That was clever and SO FUN!!!!! Great hump day puzzle!

GMO and GE are different things. Almost everything we eat is a GMO. Pink glows and neon fish are GEs. Don’t spread disinformation. Sincerely, a geneticist.