October 6, 2025

Title: ADORKABLE (Freestyle)

Constructors: Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

ADORKABLE (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless, puzzle. The title is a nod to TALK NERDY TO ME (30A: "I wanna hear more about your special interests")

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• LOLA (12A: "Mozart in the Jungle" star Kirke) Mozart in the Jungle is an Amazon Prime Video TV series that originally aired from 2014-2018. The show was inspired by Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir about her career as an oboist, Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music. On the show, LOLA Kirke portray's Hailey Rutledge, an oboist who aspires to play with the New York Symphony.
• GIRL (41A: "___ of My Dreams" (Fletcher album)) Fletcher's debut studio album, GIRL of My Dreams, was released in 2022. 
• SAX (4D: Zoot's instrument) Zoot here refers to John Haley "Zoot" Sims (1925-1985), who was a jazz saxophonist. He mostly played tenor SAX, but also alto and soprano.
• TORTA (22D: Bolillo sandwich) A bolillo is a type of bread made in Mexico and Central America. It may be used to make a TORTA, a type of sandwich.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HAT (9A: Part of an Elphaba costume) This is the second day in a row we've seen an Elphaba reference in a clue. Yesterday we saw SISTER clued as [Nessarose, to Elphaba, in "Wicked"]. Elphaba is the main character in Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked and in the musical and movies based on the book. Elphaba is a reimagining of the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Maguire came up with the name Elphaba from L. Frank Baum's initials – L. F. B.
• KINDA SORTA (16A: "Ish") It's fun to see a long answer for a short clue. 
• MEWL (26A: Kitten's cry) and MGM (24D: Leo the Lion's studio) and POE (25D: "The Black Cat" author) My cat, Willow, appreciates all of this feline content in the puzzle. I have previously written about MGM's lion mascot, Leo. Edgar Allan POE'S short story, "The Black Cat," was first published in 1843 in The Saturday Evening Post. The story, which actually features two different black cats (as well as a narrator with questionable sanity), deals with the topics of alcoholism and guilt. As with many of POE's stories, I find "The Black Cat" to be memorable, if not particularly enjoyable. On a lighter note, here's a photo of Willow, who is not a black cat.

• MOE (27A: Rapper Kool ___ Dee) Kool MOE Dee is a Grammy-award-winning rapper. He was a member of the group, Treacherous Three and has also had a successful solo career. 
• TIED (35A: "We ___ the knot!") and WED (42A: Said "I do") This is a nice related pair. This pair of clues is not related to POCKET DIAL (14D: Give a ring to by accident) although the idea of an accidental engagement or marriage is a bit amusing.
• HAWK (43A: Tony ___'s Pro Skater) Tony HAWK's Pro Skater is the first in a series of video games named for professional skateboarder Tony HAWK. The game is set in a skate park and requires users to successfully perform skateboarding tricks to add to their score.
• SNAP (51A: Celebrate a slam poet) A SNAP is used at poetry slams to show appreciation, as SNAPs are less distracting than applause.
• ZEUS (63A: Dad of Hercules) In Greek mythology, Hercules (known in Greek as Heracles) was the son of ZEUS (the king of the gods) and Alcmene (a mortal). ZEUS tricked Alcmene into sleeping with him by pretending to be her husband, Amphitryon. He also ordered Helios, the sun god, not to rise for three days so that the night he spent with Alcmene would last longer. That was the night that Hercules was conceived.
• OLD (6D: "___ habits die screaming") "Old habits die screaming," is a line from Taylor Swift's 2024 song, "The Black Dog." This is one of two Taylor Swift references Amie and Amanda have treated us to in this collaboration.
• TSA (11D: Org. whose workers might tell you to keep your shoes ON, now) Ha! This clue made me chuckle. It does seem like TSA's rules change frequently. As of July 25, TSA no longer requires passengers to remove their shoes at security checkpoints.
• GELLAR (18D: "Scooby-Doo" star Sarah Michelle) The 2002 movie Scooby-Doo was based on the long-running animated franchise of the same name. Sarah Michelle GELLAR portrays Daphne Blake. 
• KNEW (31D: "I'll spend forever wondering if you ___ / I was enchanted to meet you") And here's our second Taylor Swift reference. Taylor Swift's 2010 song, "Enchanted" contains the line, "I'll spend forever wondering if you KNEW / I was enchanted to meet you." 
• IGA (36D: Tennis star Swiatek)  IGA Świątek, a professional tennis player from Poland, won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, the U.S. Open in 2022, and Wimbledon in 2025. Crossword constructors everywhere are grateful for IGA Świątek's continued success on the tennis court.
• KUNG FU (44D: Po the Panda's martial art) Po the Panda is the title character in the KUNG FU Panda media franchise.
• DOS (49D: Diez dividido por cinco) Not only is the word puzzle asking me to do math, it's asking me to do it in Spanish. Diez divido por cinco es DOS. (Ten divided by five is two.)
• TLC (57D: Doting initials) TLC = tender loving care
• TAZ (58D: "Looney Tunes" devil, for short) The Tasmanian Devil, commonly known as TAZ, is an animated character in Looney Toons and Merrie Melodies cartoons. TAZ was originally voiced by Mel Blanc.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• READ ALOUD (47A: Participate in story time)
• TO GO (58D: Like an order that will be eaten in bed)
• I AM (55D: Response to "Who's ready to watch 'The Golden Girls?'"

I know I said above that the title is a nod to TALK NERDY TO ME, but really this entire puzzle is a bit ADORKABLE. That means I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you, Amie and Amanda, for this delightful puzzle.