January 16, 2026

Title: END OF STORY

Constructor: Dena R. Verkuil

Editor: Amie Walker

Theme synopsis:

• OUIJA BOARD (16A: Paranormal communication device featured in a Norman Rockwell painting)
• PENN AND TELLER (36A: Duo who are the longest-running headliner magicians in Las Vegas history)
• FINISH LINE (60A: Marathoner's destination)

END OF STORY: The END word of each theme answer can be placed at the END of the word STORY to form a new word: STORYBOARD, STORYTELLER, STORYLINE.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MARA (13A: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" star Rooney) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 movie based on the 2005 book by Stieg Larsson. Rooney MARA portrays computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who has survived severe emotional and sexual abuse.
• OUIJA BOARD (16A: Paranormal communication device featured in a Norman Rockwell painting) Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter and illustrator especially known for the covers he created for The Saturday Evening Post. The cover illustrations often depicted scenes from everyday life. The May 1, 1920 cover of the Saturday Evening Post features a Norman Rockwell painting of a couple using a OUIJA BOARD. I couldn't find much information about this particular painting, but prints and reproductions of it abound. Just google "Norman Rockwell OUIJA BOARD," and you'll see what I mean.
• ARAB (18A: Syrian ___ Republic) Syria is a country in West Asia. The official name of the country is the Syrian ARAB Republic. The capital of Syria is Damascus.
• BPA (24A: ___-free water bottle) I wrote about BPA ten days ago. 
• APT (28A: Like the name Robin for a birder) I am a fan of "APT name for" clues, so of course I enjoy this choice of clue for the word APT. 
• PENN AND TELLER (36A: Duo who are the longest-running headliner magicians in Las Vegas history) PENN AND TELLER (stylized as PENN & TELLER) are the duo of PENN Jillette and TELLER, magicians who currently perform at the Rio in Las Vegas. PENN AND TELLER have been performing together since 1975. During their shows, PENN generally does not speak, communicating instead through mime and nonverbal communication. If you're not familiar with the magic of PENN AND TELLER (or even if you are), here's a clip of a time they appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that will give you a taste of their magic. In addition to their shows in Las Vegas, PENN AND TELLER also have a magic competition TV show called PENN & TELLER: Fool Us. Magicians come on the show and perform a trick for PENN AND TELLER, who then have to figure out how the trick was done. If they cannot figure it out, then the magician gets to perform with them at their show in Las Vegas.
• TEEN (66A: Bar mitzvah boy, barely) Bar mitzvah is a Jewish rite celebrating coming-of-age for a (usually) 13-year-old boy. Since the age of 13 is the first of the TEEN years, this is a great way to clue the word TEEN.
• TAJIN (4D: Spice mix often used on mango) TAJÍN is a seasoning consisting mainly of chili peppers, lime, and salt. The company that makes TAJÍN (Empresas TAJÍN) was founded in Mexico in 1985. 
• SCRABBLE (10D: Game with its own dictionary) This clue makes me happy! I own a couple of editions of The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary. The reference was first published in 1978, primarily to be an authority on word usage at SCRABBLE clubs and tournaments. The seventh edition of the SCRABBLE dictionary was released in 2022. It added the three-letter word BAE, which is useful, but even more useful (speaking as someone who plays a lot of SCRABBLE) are the two-letter words QI and ZA, which were added in the fourth edition in 2005.
• AHA (11D: ___ moment (epiphany)) "AHA!" The word AHA is making back-to-back puzzle appearances, as we saw it yesterday clued as ["It finally clicked!"].
• OSLO (31D: Nordic capital) OSLO is the capital of Norway.
• ELEPHANT (37D: Animal that probably couldn't actually be ignored in a room) This reference to the phrase "ELEPHANT in the room" made me laugh.
• TENSE (52D: Past, present or future) Once again I am reminded of the joke: Past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was TENSE.
• SSN (57D: Target of some phishing scams (Abbr.)) SSN is also making back-to-back puzzle appearances. Yesterday we saw it clued as [ID meant to be kept secret].
• CPA (58D: Balancing pro?) The question mark in the clue alerts solvers to expect some wordplay. A certified public accountant (CPA) may or may not be a pro at keeping their balance physically, but they are (hopefully) a pro at balancing the books.
• YOU (59D: The "y" of "ttyl") ttyl = talk to YOU later
• A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
• SLID (35A: Got to home plate feet first, say)
• POLO (40A: Anagram of "pool" heard in a pool)

I appreciated the fact that the title is at work in two ways here. The title not only tells us that the theme is found at the END of the theme answers, but also that those words then go at the END OF STORY. That feels particularly elegant. Thank you, Dena, for this enjoyable puzzle.