November 12, 2025

Title: AD STACKING

Constructor: CJ Tan

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• BAD ADVICE (4D: Foul tip?)
• LEAD A DOUBLE LIFE (7D: Be one person by day and another by night, say)
• CANADA DAY (35D: July 1 observance for some North Americans)

AD STACKING: Each vertical theme answer contains the letter string ADAD: BAD ADVICE, LEAD A DOUBLE LIFE, and CANADA DAY.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• FILIPINO (32A: Like sinigang and kare-kare) Sinigang is a FILIPINO stew made with tamarind, meat, or seafood in a sour and savory broth. Kare-kare is a FILIPINO stew of oxtail (or other meat), peanut sauce, and vegetables.
• LECHE (50D: ___ flan (creamy 32-Across desert)) LECHE flan is a FILIPINO cake named for its top layer of LECHE flan, or crème caramel).
• NERDY (52D: Like Chidi Anagonye in "The Good Place") The Good Place (2016-2020) is a TV series about a heaven-like utopia where humans spend their afterlife. Ted Danson portrays Michael, an afterlife "architect" who designs the Good Place neighborhood where the main characters of the show reside. This much I knew because I have written about this show previously. What I learned today is that William Jackson Harper portrays Chidi Anagonye, a deceased NERDY professor of ethics and moral philosophy.
• EVIL (60D: Doofenshmirtz ___ Inc. (villainous company in "Phineas and Ferb")) Here's another clue that taught me something new about a show I'm familiar with. Phineas and Ferb is an animated Disney TV series that first aired in 2007. Two days ago we saw a clue referencing Perry the Platypus, the family pet on the series who leads a double life as Agent P. Doofenshmirtz EVIL Inc. is a company owned by the EVIL scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ISLAM (5A: Faith with a holy site in Mecca) Mecca, Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Muhammad, the founder of ISLAM. It is considered to be the holiest city in ISLAM, and is home to Masjid al-Haram, ISLAM's most important mosque. At the center of the mosque is the Kaaba, a building considered ISLAM's most sacred site. When Muslims pray, they face the direction of the Kaaba.
• AGAVE (27A: ___ azul (plant used for tequila)) AGAVE are spiky-leaved succulents that grow in the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. The sap of AGAVE plant is fermented to make an alcoholic beverage called pulque, which is distilled to produce the spirit, mezcal. Tequila is mezcal made from a variety of the plant known as blue AGAVE, or AGAVE azul. (All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila.)
• IDAHO (30A: Boise's state) Boise is the capital of IDAHO and the state's most populous city. According to the city's website, Boise is pronounced "boy-see" (not "boy-zee").
• AVEC (39A: French word hidden in "times have changed") AVEC is the French word for "with." Fun to find this word hidden in "times have changed."
• STUNG (40A: Wounded by a jellyfish) Several years ago I read a book (I can't remember which one) in which one of the main characters was STUNG on the feet by jellyfish. I am not fond of deep water anyway, and reading this unlocked a fear I didn't know I had! Earlier this year, my daughter was on a beach on the east coast of the U.S., and she was STUNG on the arm by a jellyfish! Fortunately, she is fine. She said it was a small sting, and only hurt for about a day. 
• MEOWED (54A: Asked for more catnip, perhaps) As I was writing this, my cat, Willow, walked into my office and MEOWED, right on cue. It's possible she was requesting catnip, but I petted her instead.

• ASIA (68A: Largest continent) ASIA is nearly 1.5 times larger than Africa, the second largest continent. Not only is ASIA the largest continent, it is also home to the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest. Our crossword friend ASIA is making its first November 2025 appearance.
• BAD ADVICE (4D: Foul tip?) "Foul tip" is a baseball term, but the question mark in the clue alerts solvers of some trickiness and wordplay. The foul tip here is a "tip" (ADVICE) that is "foul" (BAD).
• ANGELA (8D: "Beauty and the Beast" actor Lansbury) In Disney's 1991 animated movie, Beauty and the Beast, ANGELA Lansbury voices the character Mrs. Potts, the castle's housekeeper. Mrs. Potts was turned into a teapot when the castle's servants were turned into household objects by the curse that turned the prince into the Beast.
• ALEC (29D: Actor Mapa) ALEC Mapa is an actor and comedian who started his professional career on Broadway in the play M. Butterfly. In 2008, he co-hosted Transamerican Love Story, with Calpernia Addams. In 2015, ALEC Mapa, Baby Daddy premiered on Showtime, based on his one-man show of the same name. The show tells the story of ALEC Mapa's experience of becoming a father through the process of foster adoption.
• CANADA DAY (35D: July 1 observance for some North Americans) CANADA DAY, which is celebrated on July 1 as the clue informs us, is a Canadian national holiday. It celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation. On July 1, 1867, the Colonies of United Canadas (Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united to form CANADA.
• FADS (57D: Fidget spinners and hoverboards, for example) Do you remember these FADS? Fidget spinners became popular in 2017. The self-balancing scooters known as hoverboards were popular in 2015. That FAD faded primarily because of safety concerns (lithium-ion batteries that caught fire).
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• HIDE (66A: "The surprise party guest of honor is coming!")
• NICE (2D: "Play ___!" ("No fighting back there!")
• KNEES (53D: Ripped jeans might show them)

Today I learned about AD STACKING. This is a fraudulent practice in which multiple mobile ads are layered or stacked on top of each other. Users only see and interact with the top AD, but advertisers are billed for clicks and impressions of the unseen ADs. Fortunately, I didn't need to know that to understand today's theme. The word STACKING in the title alerted me that the theme might be found in the Down answers. It was fun to discover the stacked ADs (ADAD) in each theme answer. Thank you, CJ, for this enjoyable puzzle.