Wednesday

Richard and Judith Martin's NYS puzzle, "Just Add Water," has a beautifully executed theme, with EAU added to each theme entry. Can you think of other possible theme entries? The best I can come up could be clued "hood's dessert" (15), "giant rococo painting" (11), and "latex bikini top" (13).

The highlight of Ben Tausig's latest puzzle has got to be CZECH BI MALE. Now, I haven't checked the Cruciverb database, but I think that's a new entry. Nothing even comes up for it in a Google search. Someday, though, somebody will Google that term, and they'll be terribly disappointed when this post is the only search result.

I don't know why, but I've been slower than usual on the NYT puzzles for several days. I don't get it. You'd think I could have moved a little faster on Ernest Lampert's hurried theme, but no. What, do I need to brush up on Portuguese rivers and operatic baritones? Fine, fine...

Updated:

Paula Gamache's CrosSynergy puzzle, "Dalmatian's Delight," includes the shiny new entry XMRADIO. This puzzle and Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke's LA Times puzzle have CASA in the 1A spot.

NYT 4:46
Tausig 4:16
LAT 3:58
NYS 3:46
CS 3:22