December 23, 2025

Title: STOCKING STUFFERS

Constructor: Sam Brody

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• SOCIAL WORK (16A: Profession that might involve counseling and advocacy)
• SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK (38A: Educational TV series with the songs "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill")
• SOUNDTRACK (61A: Music accompanying a film)

STOCKING STUFFERS: Each theme answer is "stuffed" inside the word SOCK, a synonym for STOCKING: SOCIAL WORK, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, and SOUNDTRACK.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• NBA (6A: Org. in which Lindsey Harding coaches) Lindsey Harding is an assistant coach for NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, a position she has had since July 2024. Prior to that, she was the head coach of the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League. Lindsey Harding was a WNBA player from 2007-2016, playing for several WNBA teams including the Los Angeles Sparks (2013-2014).

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BING (18A: Sweet cherry variety) BING cherries remind me of my Grandma Doris. When I was a kid and Grandma Doris came to visit, she would buy us BING cherries (so she could eat them, too). I just bought my mom some chocolate-covered BING cherries for Christmas (Don't tell her!), and I'm hoping she'll let me try them.
• MONTH (21A: December, for one) A nice timely clue.
• O'NEAL (22A: Shaquille in the 6-Across Hall of Fame) I appreciate that this cross-reference helped me figure out the answer to 6-Across. Shaquille O'NEAL was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame (the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame) in 2016.
• STOOGES (24A: Moe, Larry and Curly) Specifically, Moe (Howard), Larry (Fine), and Curly (Howard) were the vaudeville comedy act known as The Three STOOGES. The Three STOOGES were active from 1922-1970, though Curly wasn't a STOOGE that whole time, only from 1932-1946. The third STOOGE was at other times Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.
• CERA (26A: Michael who played Allan in "Barbie") In the 2023 movie, Barbie, Michael CERA portrays Allan. Allan is the only male resident of Barbieland that is not named Ken.
• SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK (38A: Educational TV series with the songs "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill") SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK is a series of animated short films that originally aired during ABC's Saturday morning children's programming block. It first aired in 1973, and its first video was "Three Is a Magic Number." This answer made me happy! As regular readers of the blog may remember, I'm always up for linking to a SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK song. "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill" are both worth a listen. 
• MALIA (54A: Michelle Obama's eldest) MALIA Obama is the oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. I like the choice here to feature Michelle Obama in the clue. MALIA Obama (credited as MALIA Ann) wrote and directed the short film The Heart, which was shown at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
• BRUNO (55A: Uncle whom "we don't talk about" in "Encanto") "We don't talk about BRUNO / no, no, no / We don't talk about BRUNO, but..." In the 2021 animated musical film Encanto, Mirabel Madrigal is a young girl in a magical family. Everyone except Mirabel has received magical gifts. The catchy song, "We Don't Talk About BRUNO" is sung about Mirabel's uncle. I really like this song, and I occasionally just start singing it for no reason. My husband is not as much a fan of the song as I am. Heehee.
• TAU (57A: Greek T) It's been a bit since I've done some Greek alphabet review. TAU is the 19th letter in the 24-letter Greek alphabet. TAU follows the letters pi, rho, and sigma, and precedes upsilon, phi, chi, psi, and omega.
• EAT ME (65A: Words on a Wonderland cake) We just saw EAT ME in the puzzle two days ago, clued as [Directive on Alice's Wonderland cake].
• BEE (67A: Insect critical to pollination) As BEEs visit flowers in search of food, they brush up against pollen, which they then (unknowingly) carry to the next flower they visit. Three-fourths of the world's flowering plants and about 35 percent of food crops rely on pollinators such as BEEs, butterflies, birds, and bats. There are over 20,000 species of BEEs, and scientists estimate they pollinate 80% of all flowering plants (including fruits and vegetables). BEEs are found on every continent except Antarctica. Have you thanked a BEE lately?
• DOCTOR WHO (3D: Long-running BBC show about a Time Lord) On the BBC show DOCTOR WHO, the titular character is an alien Time Lord who travels in time and space in a machine called a TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimension in Space"). At the end of each incarnation's life, the DOCTOR regenerates, resulting in a change of physical appearance and personality. Fourteen actors have portrayed the DOCTOR since the series premiered in 1963. (David Tenant portrayed the Tenth DOCTOR and the Fourteenth DOCTOR) Ncuti Gatwa has portrayed the Fifteenth DOCTOR since December 25, 2023.
• BABOON (9D: Large, ground-dwelling monkey) There are six species of BABOON, and each one is native to a different area of Africa. BABOONs range in size from 31 pounds to 88 pounds. Though BABOONs are ground-dwelling, they sleep in trees or on high cliffs to be safe from predators.
• DANTE (11D: "Inferno" author) I have previously written about DANTE's Inferno.
• SONATA (32D: Beethoven's Moonlight ___") Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) wrote "Moonlight SONATA" in 1801, though at the time it was named "Piano SONATA No. 14." The piece was named "Moonlight SONATA" in 1832, after Beethoven's death. Beethoven is enjoying a moment in the puzzle, as we saw "ODE TO JOY" two days ago.
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed: 
• SHOES (68A: They might be removed when entering someone's house)
• ICING (10D: ___ on the cake (extra benefit))
• HOT POTATO (35D: Party game that involves rapidly passing an object)

I do enjoy seasonal puzzles. Whether it's Hanukkah, Christmas, Halloween, or another holiday, I enjoy a well-timed puzzle offering. (This one is reminding me that I still need to pick up a few STOCKING STUFFERS...) Thank you, Sam, for this enjoyable puzzle.