February 12, 2026

Title: SPINNING TOPS

Constructor: Norman M. Aaronson

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

• POST OFFICE (17A: Place to buy stamps or apply for passports)
• POTS AND PANS (27A: Cooking vessels)
• STOP ON A DIME (44A: Brake quickly and precisely)
• SPOT CHECKS (59A: Random inspections)

SPINNING TOPS: The first word of each theme answer is an anagram of the word TOPS: POST, POTS, STOP, and SPOT.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• TACOS (50D: The most expensive ones are gold-flaked and cost $25,000) If you'd like to try the gold-flaked, $25,000 TACOS, you'll need to visit Grand Velas Resorts in Cabo, Mexico. The TACO features a gold-flake-infused corn tortilla filled with "langoustine, Kobe beef, Almas Beluga caviar, and black truffle brie" and topped with "a salsa consisting of dried Morita chili peppers, Ley.925 ultra-premium añejo tequila, and civet coffee." The TACO was initially created for a charity auction, but was then added to the menu at the resort's restaurant.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• GERE (6A: "Pretty Woman" actor Richard) Pretty Woman is a 1990 rom-com starring Richard GERE and Julia Roberts. It's the story of a Hollywood escort hired by a wealthy businessman to accompany him to several business and social functions. Romance and complications ensue. The movie's title is taken from Roy Orbison's 1964 song, "Oh Pretty Woman," which is featured in the movie. I feel like I'm constantly saying "I haven't seen this (movie or TV show)." I have seen Pretty Woman! Such a fun movie with some absolutely iconic scenes.
• The puzzle is providing us with a mini Spanish lesson today:
• DE NADA (23A: "You're welcome," in Spanish)
• ESO (5D: Spanish for "that")
• AMOR (53D: Love, in Spanish)
• ROSE (37A: "Titanic" character played by Kate Winslet) Well, I shouldn't have been so proud of myself for having seen Pretty Woman ... I haven't seen Titanic. However, I know enough about the movie that I knew the answer here. Kate Winslet plays ROSE DeWitt Bukater in the 1997 movie Titanic. She stars opposite Leonardo DiCaprio who portrays Jack Dawson.
• BEETS (38A: Red borscht vegetables) Borscht is a soup that originated in the Ukraine. Its main ingredient is BEETS, giving it a distinctive red color. We saw the singular BEET in yesterday's puzzle, clued as [Schrute Farms vegetable].
• TRAM (63A: Universal Studios Hollywood transport) Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in California. A narrated TRAM tour runs through the studios backlot. The movie studio has been in use since the 1910s, with theme park aspects since the 1960s.
• BART (25D: Mischievous Simpson child) Oh dear, now I have to admit that I've never actually watched The Simpsons. Even so, this animated show that premiered in 1989 and is in its 33rd season, is such a part of mainstream culture that I am familiar with many of its characters, including BART. 
• SPEED (28D: ___skating (Winter Olympics event)) Have you been watching any of the SPEED skating events of the 2026 Winter Olympics?
• OSLO (34D: Capital city with the She Lies sculpture) OSLO is the capital of Norway. She Lies is a sculpture by Monica Bonvicini. It is made of stainless steel and glass panels on a concrete platform and floats on the water in the fjord near the OSLO Opera House. The sculpture is a 3-D interpretation of David Friedrich's painting The Sea of Ice. Our crossword friend OSLO is making its third appearance of the month. OSLO is off to a strong start this year; this is its sixth appearance in 2026.
• ROAD (42D: "Follow the Yellow Brick ___") "Follow the Yellow Brick ROAD" is, of course, a classic song from The Wizard of Oz.
• RIPA (52D: TV host Kelly) Kelly RIPA is the co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark. She has been a co-host of the morning talk show since 2001. In that time, her co-hosts have included Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan, Ryan Seacrest, and Mark Consuelos (her husband).
• A few other clues I especially enjoyed:
• I CAN (11D: Confident response to "Who's able to take this on?")
• TIES (13D: Game outcomes that result in multiple teams receiving the same medal)
• IS IT ME (45D: "Am I the problem?")

The word SPINNING in the title is acting as an anagram indicator. I correctly guessed from the title that the theme answers would contain anagrams of the word TOPS. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the anagrams were stand-alone words instead of hidden anagrams. It's been a bit since we've seen an anagram theme that wasn't a hidden anagram theme. Personally, I prefer anagram themes where the anagrams are actual words. However, as a constructor, I realize that the opportunities for such themes are rare. Thank you, Norman, for this enjoyable puzzle.