February 16, 2026

Title: MUSICAL COMPOSITION

Constructor: Adrian Johnson

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme synopsis:

THANK YOU NOTE (23A: Written gratitude from a gift recipient)

TAPE MEASURE (37A: Flexible ruler that can retract)

TURN OF PHRASE (49A: Specific way to express oneself)

MUSICAL COMPOSITION: The last word of each theme answer is a MUSICAL COMPOSITION term: NOTE, MEASURE, and PHRASE.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• ACT (19A: Perform like Yasmin Finney) Yasmin Finney portrays Elle Argent in the Netflix TV series Heartstopper. She also portrays the recurring character Rose Noble on the TV series Doctor Who.
• RUSS (59A: NBA star Westbrook, for short) As of last October, RUSS Westbrook plays basketball for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. He has also played for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington, Wizards, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. RUSS Westbrook was named the Most Valuable Player in the NBA in 2017.
• I GOT A TEXT (3D: Suspenseful "Love Island" exclamation) Love Island is a dating reality show franchise. The U.S. version of the show, which premiered in 2019, is based on the British version with the same name. The premise of the show is that a group of contestants live in a villa, isolated from the outside world and under video surveillance. I have not watched the show, but from what I gather, when one of the islanders announces, "I GOT A TEXT," something exciting or dramatic is about to happen.
• ONIONY (7D: Like dopiaza and musakhan) Dopiaza is an ONIONY curry in Iranian and South Asian cuisine. Onions are used two ways in the preparation of dopiaza: boiled in the gravy and raw or fried as a garnish. Musakhan is an ONIONY chicken dish that originated in Palestine.
• ALAA (10D: Egyptian novelist ___ Al Aswany) The novels of ALAA Al Aswany include The Republic of False Truths (2018), The Automobile Club of Egypt (2013), The Yacoubian Building (2002), and Chicago (2007). 
• AFC SOUTH (40D: Only NFL division with multiple teams that have never been to the Super Bowl) Apparently, the NFL has two conferences: the AFC and the NFC. Each of these conferences has four divisions, each containing four teams each. AFC SOUTH is the division for the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tennessee Titans. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans are two of the four NFL teams that have never been in a Super Bowl. (The other two are the Cleveland Browns of AFC North and the Detroit Lions of NFC North.) Add all of this to the sports knowledge I have gained from solving crosswords.
• ADAM (56D: Bobsledder Ammour) ADAM Ammour is a German bobsledder. He often competes in two-man bobsleigh with his brother, Issam. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• MOANA (14A: Polynesian Disney heroine) MOANA is the title character of Disney's 2016 animated movie, which is set on a Polynesian island.
• BOOT (16A: Italy's shape) I am grateful Italy is shaped like a BOOT, as it makes it easy to identify on a map.
• ALVIN (17A: Bandmate of Simon and Theodore) ALVIN, Simon, and Theodore are a trio of animated singing critters known as ALVIN and the Chipmunks.
• ANT-MAN (41A: Shrinking superhero) There have been a series of characters over the years that have assumed the Marvel Comics title of ANT-MAN. The first was Dr. Hank Pym, who discovered a chemical substance (Pym Particles) that allows the user to alter his size. If you've ever wondered "Why Does ANT-MAN Not Turn Into a Black Hole or Release a Blast of Energy Every Time He Shrinks?," ScienceABC has answers for you.
• IBIS (45A: Sacred bird) The IBIS is a long-legged wading bird. One species of IBIS, the African sacred IBIS, is known for its role in Ancient Egyptian religion. The Egyptian god, Thoth, was depicted as having the head of an IBIS.
• ASADO (53A: South American barbecue) ASADO, which is often associated with Argentina, refers to roasted or grilled meat or to a gathering where such meat is prepared.
• PETS (66A: Tarantulas or rats, maybe) I have never had tarantulas or rats as PETS, and I doubt I ever will. However, I'm fully in support of people having PETS that make them happy. My PET, Willow, certainly brings a lot of joy into my life. Here she is helping with a jigsaw puzzle.

• AT BAT (1D: Opportunity for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plays first base for MLB's Toronto Blue Jays. He was the MLB home run leader in 2021. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has played in five All-Star games, and in 2021 he was named the All-Star Game MVP. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the son of Baseball Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero, who spent 16 seasons in the MLB (1996-2011). Fun fact: I have seen Vladimir Guerrero Jr. play in person, as I attended the 2023 All-Star Game.
• DOT (4D: 50% of an umlaut) An umlaut is a diacritic mark that consists of two DOTs placed over a letter.
• PANKO (8D: Japanese breadcrumbs) In Japanese, the word "PAN" means "bread," and the word "KO" means "small pieces." PANKO bread crumbs are made from special loaves of bread that are cooked by electric current, resulting in a loaf without a crust. 
• ARROW (30D: Projectile that's nocked) The nock is the slot at the rear end of an ARROW that engages with the string on the bow. The nock helps keep the ARROW correctly aligned.
• PSA (32D: "The More You Know" installment) The More You Know is a series of PSAs (public service announcements) aired on NBC networks. 
• HANIF (34D: "The Crown Ain't Worth Much" poet Abdurraqib) HANIF Abdurraqib is a poet and essayist. The Crown Ain't Worth Much is his 2016 poetry collection. If you visit his website, you'll see the introduction, "Hi. I'm HANIF. I write poems. I write things about music. I am probably eating french fries."
• RASTA (51D: Follower of Jah) Rastafarianism developed as a religion in Jamaica during the 1930s, and is based on a specific interpretation of the Bible.  RASTA beliefs include monotheism, a belief in one God, referred to as Jah. 
• TERI (57D: "Spy Kids" actress Hatcher) The 2001 movie Spy Kids, is the first film in the Spy Kids franchise that also includes three sequels and an animated series. The movie revolves around the Cortez family. The parents are spies, a fact which is unknown to their two children until the parents are in danger and the kids must come to their rescue. In the original Spy Kids movie, TERI Hatcher portrays Ms. Gradenko, one of the movie's villains.
• APP (60D: Shazam or 5 Calls, e.g.) Shazam is a music identification APP and 5 Calls is an APP that helps people contact their Congressional representatives. 

I appreciate that today's theme answers appear in the puzzle in order of increasing size of the MUSICAL COMPOSITION pieces. NOTEs make up MEASUREs, which in turn make up PHRASEs. Thank you, Adrian, for this enjoyable puzzle.