Montag

Cute theme in Linda Schechet Tucker's NYT puzzle, and well-timed—I did the puzzle shortly after my family left, and the group included my kid's UNCLE TOM and my MAMA (alas, I have no COUSIN VINNY). I managed to cost myself 20 seconds on the applet with the typo SHPERE (which should be a word in its own right)—why is it that when I have a typo near the top of the grid, I start searching for it from the bottom? Looking at DESSERTS, my eye traveled up and saw STRESSED, so I checked the opposing spot of the grid to see what it offered. STUNTCAR backwards is even better!

CS 3:54
NYT 3:11
LAT 3:04
NYS (Is today a Sun holiday?)