Caro

@Mean Commentator I’m not sure if you’re being facetious. You’ve never heard of popping in on someone? Or bringing your A-game? Etc…

@Grant I have no professional library or bookstore experience and knew the answer instantly. I do read a lot, which is probably a factor.

@Petrol Bread comes immediately to mind, my little cabbage.

@Cyndie Guns vs butter refers to the choice between spending government money on military vs domestic matters.

@Greg Anderson The final G in the word is “off the grid,” per the clue for 1A.

@Drew “Is on” refers to being at first base after a hit or walk. “Is up” means currently batting, at home.

@Andrzej You could raise the same issue with any number of clues. Not all dictionaries have the name Webster on them. Not all slender instruments are oboes. Not all doors open with a knob. It’s just the nature of crossword cluing.

@Sally If you have a crush on someone, you might moon over them.

@Desert Dweller I’m confused. How is BAD EGG "not a thing”?

@Lew *A* plural of teal is teal. Another is teals.

@Tavan I think that, this being a Friday puzzle, you can’t expect the indicators you might get earlier in the week.

@Alan Parker The show The Wiz was a hit in the 70s. I believe Diana Ross was in the movie version. Phillipa Soo was in the sensational Hamilton.

@pjbfamily To the many (majority?) of us who grew up using it without knowing the origin, not so much. Many things with less than ideal origins or history can become innocuous.

@drsophila More specifically, its most common contemporary usage, as in “I feel seen,” usually means the speaker has found a point of commonality with someone else over a quality/opinion they felt alone with. You feel recognized and/or validated.

@JOSEPH F. KEOHAN Which is why it it’s referred to as a “starter.”

@Mean Old Lady According to Merriam Webster, esprit = vivacious cleverness or wit.

@Ken Burk I found it quite clear and answered it immediately. What would you have preferred?

@Sara O The puzzle is in English. Panini is a singular word in English.

@Sean What about 30 Down? A salad green is not necessarily endive. Or 54 Down? Is Etna the only Sicilian landmark?

@Jairus Are you from Minnesota?

@essay The first part of each answer is a musical term. When spoken with a second part of the answer, it's (at least close to) a common expression. Eg. CODA + SILENCE=code of silence

@Bill You’ll notice that the coins are all shown as their number value (one for penny, five for nickel, etc). So the answer for 1/4 would be TWENTYFIVEPERCENT, but as modified by 98A, there is no quarter.

@Nicole Sol is (also) correct. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solf%C3%A8ge?wprov=sfti1" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solf%C3%A8ge?wprov=sfti1</a>

@Jane Wheelaghan Both “Preach!” and “Amen, sister” are things one might say to indicate strong agreement with an opinion.

@Liana Unless the first word of a sentence, it’s not capitalized.

@SRD Officially it isn't, but in practice virtually no one refers to them without "the." From their own website: "The Eagles will be performing at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz Fest on Saturday, May 2..."

@Ron I don't think I'd call the highest-grossing comedian of 2024, who has hosted SNL twice, unknown. At least in a general sense; I guess everyone is unknown to someone.

@Linda Jo Fenty is Rihanna’s last name, which she also uses for a cosmetics line. Doesn’t seem to be hurting sales.

@Jamie What fun is an easy puzzle, though?

@Eva H. The circled answers are all the first word of common phrases ending in “sign.” As in peace sign, plus sign, etc. When read from the outside of the grid inward, each of the answers is pointing to the “yes” in the center.

@Vaer Sian Heder is actually a Mme.

@Jim I can only speak for myself, but I completed the theme entries based on the crosses, not on the clues, and didn’t take the time to parse out the connections.

@Charles Are blam, bruh, or yup proper nouns?

@Carole S Surely they are spelling errors for the intended usages?

@Brneyedgrrl Is merely acknowledging the existence of something shoving it down everyone's throat?

@Will You may want to a consult a dictionary.

@Captain Quahog I can't speak for B, but I say it with 3 distinct syllables.

@Robert Danley I still see plenty of analog clocks in all types of locations-including schools. I’m pretty sure kids are still being taught how to tell time.

@Ben Despite its reprehensible ownership, it did produce many excellent movies, whose directors, actors, etc., should not be tinged by association.

@William Schrader Not from The Daily Show, but from his own program, The Colbert Report, where he played a satirical character also named Stephen Colbert. He didn’t bring it to The Late Show because there he is not playing that character.

@jo Many, many people reply "No problem” to being thanked. It has nothing to do with Spanish, although I don’t see how it’s that far from “de nada.” While I agree that it’s not as gracious as “You’re welcome,” it’s quite common.

@Appreciative What fun would a puzzle that you could solve without crossings be?

@aaron Care to elaborate? Otherwise you just look a bit petulant.

@Jeanie K Yes. An arc can be, among other definitions, something arched or curved.

@Chris Ete is the French word for summer, the season in which you might wear shorts.

@Francis DeBernardo Google it. Old tradition.

@Mean Old Lady There are many words that have variations, such as oceanology. Just because I (and presumably you) have never heard them doesn’t make them unusable. And “-ology” is certainly a familiar suffix meaning “study.”

@Alana Lamborghini.

@Francis By definition popular culture is not obscure, except by one's own choice.

@ad absurdum TIL the expression "green paint" as it applies to crossword puzzles. And I am not new to crossword puzzles.